The GlamSlam for the Great Episode Challenge

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

The question: Is Elaine Donaldson a true innocent, and if so why is she going along on this mission?

Elaine May Bender Donaldson

The Dossier on the Vulcan Affair

The slightly built blond was still learning to navigate the halls of New York's Headquarters for the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement.  His time in London had not prepared him for the style of management he encountered with Alexander Waverly, and the recent THRUSH intrusion had alerted the Command to a new threat in the person of Andrew Vulcan.  Waverly's approach had him questioning the Old Man's tactics, although he would never admit it.  These things were best kept in one's unspoken thoughts.

The current mission: Stop Vulcan with the aid of a woman who had known him in College.  Kuryakin didn't think the plan had a very good chance of success, the inclusion of this woman seemed a ludicrous and unprofessional approach.  He had much to learn concerning the strategies employed in this organization.  As he handed over the dossier to his immediate superior, Napoleon Solo, Illya was still uncertain of the scheme at hand.

"But why would a woman agree to do this for us?  It makes no sense to me, she is married and completely unqualified for this …"

Napoleon had to smile at the Russian.  Certainly the Soviets had used civilians at times, unwitting and even unwilling civilians.

"She will do it because the ruse is so believable, Illya.  A trip to D.C. as a representative of her local PTA, the opportunity to serve her country…"

Kuryakin's raised eyebrow disagreed with the implication.

"Well, perhaps not her country, but a good cause.  Vulcan needs to be stopped, and I believe that our Mrs. Donaldson will sign on out of a sincere desire to do the right thing."

Illya Kuryakin wasn't convinced, but who was he to doubt both of his superiors in this instance?  Mr. Waverly had sent over the dossier and now Napoleon was ready to make a play for the woman's altruistic need to right possible wrongs, even if the wrong -doer was a former boyfriend.

"All right, let us assume that Elaine Mae Bender Donaldson is a willing participant in this rather elaborate ruse.  She is not a professional, and her ability to convince Andrew Vulcan that she is this other person, this…"

"Elaine Van Every, recently widowed and conveniently available."  Napoleon winked at that last, his intuition about this affair already on the alert as he perused the photographs of the lovely Elaine.  She would do very well in the scenario he envisioned, and something made him feel confident that she could carry off the game he had planned.

Kuryakin was not quite as confident as Mr. Solo, a man he had observed and even worked beside on several occasions.  He would wait and see how things evolved, but a civilian like Elaine Donaldson was not his idea of a good plan.

"Very well, I shall have the clothes sent to the hotel where you two will be staying, since you seem certain that things will go as planned.  Mr. Waverly is handing this to you alone, but back up will be available should the need arise."

Napoleon took the dossier and considered how to best approach Mrs. Donaldson.  The information he had would give him everything he needed to set things up in favor of the mission, including a phone call from Mr. Waverly to the woman's pastor.  Someone needed to vouch for the man from UNCLE, and who better than the family's spiritual advisor.

"Illya, we need to be on the invitation list to Vulcan's big soiree he's holding on Friday night.  Elaine and I should be in D.C. by Thursday…"

"The wardrobe will be waiting for you, as well as an assortment of jewelry.  The hotel will provide a hairdresser and …"  Illya saw a smile on Solo's face that seemed half surprise, half amusement.

"What is it?  Do you detect a problem?"

"No.  No, not at all.  I'm just a little surprised at your familiarity with this end of the assignment.  I wouldn't have thought you had the, the.. skills."

"I spent some time in Paris.  One accumulates knowledge of such things."

The two agents were just beginning to understand how little each of them knew of the other.  It would take years to unravel each man's mysteries and secrets.  For now, it was a footnote as the Vulcan Affair progressed.

Elaine Mae Bender Donaldson was just one of the steps in that journey.

Comments

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

Thanks I immediately thought of that scene in the movie version where he presents the yearbook to Napoleon, thus the idea of a dialogue driven piece.