Napoleon Solo came through the door to the office he shared with his partner. "I can't believe this!" Illya Kuryakin glanced up, a little surprised by the scowl on Napoleon's face. He'd been in a great mood before reporting to Waverly's office.

"Trouble with the teeming hordes?" He pushed his glasses back up his nose with his forefinger and sat back in his chair. When Napoleon got into a snit, it always behooved one to stop and pay attention.

"I don't believe this... I don't fuc..."

"Napoleon!" Illya cut him off. "I can count the times you've sworn at work on the fingers of one hand. What has you so angry, my friend?"

"I'm being transferred out of Section Two."

Illya reached for the folder and scanned the top sheet. "What brought all of this on?"

Napoleon flopped down in his chair. "The cock and bull story Waverly gave me is that it's time to ramp up my training as his successor. I still have four years left for field work! "

"That makes sense. Mr. Waverly isn't getting any younger. It would be prudent on his part to promote you while he can still provide some guidance to you and before you manage to get yourself killed."

"That's not why he's doing it, Illya! Use your head!"

Illya sighed and reread the cover sheet. "Napoleon, all I see here are transfer orders from Section Two to Section One. I see nothing else that might lead to such a display of... temper on your part."

"It's because we're together."

"Of course we're together. Waverly partnered us. I should think a bit too much time has passed for him to start second guessing that decision."

"I don't mean together... I mean... together... you know." He snatched up a pencil, intent upon its demise. "Together together..."

"I know what the word means, Napoleon... but I don't..." Suddenly the light came on and Illya pulled off his glasses. "You mean you believe this transfer is motivated because we are lovers?"

Napoleon sighed and massaged his temples one handed. "There is this really obscure rule that husbands and wives can't work in the same section."

"I can't see why that would be an issue, especially in some of the other departments, such as research. As long as one wasn't the supervisor of the other..."

"I don't know, Illya, it's just the rule. They didn't ask for my okay, I was just informed that married couples can't work together."

"Perhaps this is coals to Newcastle, Napoleon, but we aren't married."

"We might as well be, Illya, and we are partners in the truest sense of the word. For all intents and purposes, we are about as married as it gets. Well, as it's likely for us to get..."

"And you think that is why Waverly is promoting you—to get us out of the same section? That seems highly improbable at best."

"You are being promoted as well. You'll move up into the CEA position unless there are some major objections to it, which there aren't going to be." Napoleon dropped his hand and stared at the back of it. Stared at all the scars and thought about them for a moment. "You can kiss field work goodbye as well."

"What? That's unlikely."

"I'm going to send you out into the waiting arms of danger without me there as back up? I'll be the one in charge and I will be making the assignments..."

"That's not fair," Illya started, but Napoleon cut him off.

"I could have you transferred to head of the Survival School. Cutter's due to retire."

"I'd have your teeth for cufflinks. And if I refuse the promotion?"

"You wouldn't have the choice, just like I don't have a choice." Napoleon dropped his head to the desk, pillowed upon his arms, and groaned. "What are we going to do?"

"Exactly what we've always done, Napoleon. We will survive, as it is our way. Because we are no longer working together, it does not mean our relationship is over, it's just altered somewhat. We'll still see each other."

"Not like now... I just don't want to lose you."

"You couldn't." Illya rose and walked to him, squatting beside him to run his finger through Napoleon's hair, then draw Napoleon's forehead to his. "My place is at your side, Napoleon, and nothing will change that. You need to follow your path to its completion just as I must follow mine. We will make this work because, in the end, that is what we do."

Napoleon sighed and nodded, never breaking contact. "You know I love you, don't you, Crazy Russian? You know that I can't live a day without you... wouldn't want to."

"Indeed I do, Capitalistic Americanski." Illya reached out and squeezed Napoleon's arm. "And that's exactly why you won't be sending me to that God forsaken island. Now come, you have a lot of work to do before the promotion takes effect."

"Excuse me?"

"If I'm taking over your job, it will be with a clean desk. You have a half dozen reports half finished and a dozen more to start. I may be wildly in love with you, Napoleon, but I am not anyone's fool."

"I know, you're my fool."

"Yes and for now, that is enough."