American Fantasy

Victoria is (not) Back

"I restore myself when I am alone." – Marilyn Monroe

Addie left Hidden Treasures six hours later, she had read the first two books and was eager to continue. She might skip her last class to have some extra time to read them. By Saturday she didn't wouldn't have any time.

There was never any safety question walking from the square to her apartment. She walked to the beat of the song in her head. "You think you lost your love. But I say her yesterdaa-aay," she sang softly. "It's you she's thinking of and she told me what to saa-aay."

"She said she loves you and you know that can't be bad. Yeah, she loves you, and you know you should be glad. Woooooooo," Addie laughed at herself as she tapped her heels together.

Today was a good day, she decided, got off early from work and got a new set of books to read. She smiled up at the sky, she could see Orion's belt, that was the only constellation she knew. It was at a family camping trip to their backyard, they didn't have the money to go on those fancy trips with tents and marshmallows, so we brought all of our blankets outside. Their backyard was basically a large hill, and there was a perfect part in the trees so that the night sky was practically a projection screen.

Leon had let her use his letter jacket as a blanket; Addie had fallen asleep listening to her brother tell the stories of the stars.

Many people lost loved ones in the second world war. Instead of being sad every time she saw Leon's face or heard his voice, she would smile and think of all the wonderful things he did for this world. He fought for his country, that's the best honor any man could have. The folded flag, now in ashes at her old home, was the only consolidation. They said they couldn't find his body, but Addie imagined that he was in Heaven, playing football and hanging out with his friends that went with him into the war.

Addie had to sneak up the side of the apartments, she was slightly late for curfew. By slightly late, she meant an hour late. But the other girls had shown her the ladder you could jump and grab. The other girls were nice, none of them really got to know Addie. She was an outsider; the other girls were all native Californians. Nobody teased her for being from Alabama, but she could see their side glances, as if she was lesser than them. Her clothes were not new; they were not the latest trend.

Climbing through her cracked window, Addie happily peeled off her clothes and slid on her pajamas. She whipped off her make-up and brushed her teeth, she put conditioner in her hair and brushed it out straight, she would have put them in curlers, but she decided to get a good night sleep. She was too excited for tomorrow.

"Tomorrow is the best thing in the world," Leon would say. "Tomorrow is a day without mistakes, a new day that carries all the happiness of yesterday and all the hopes and dreams of today."

Her feather necklace rested in the crevice of her chest. She never took it off, a constant reminder that she had a family, even if it was broken and dead...she used to be loved. And hopefully, someday, would be loved again.

Across the world in a hotel in southern London, Napoleon Solo starred across the top of his cards at the Russian that starred back. Illya and Napoleon didn't see eye to eye on most things, and by most things, it means almost every single little thing.

The room was filled with smoke and alcohol, though it was all forgotten by the two partners in a match of cards and wit.

Napoleon looked down at his cards quickly, making sure not to give anything away with his facial features. He analyzed Illya's eye movements, how he licked his lips.

Illya licked his lips and parted them, Napoleon raised his eyebrows in preparation.

"Got any 4's?"

"Dammit, Peril," Napoleon laid down two 4's from his deck.

Neither man jumped when a manila package slammed down between them. "This was left outside my room," Napoleon looked up at the tired, and seemingly angry, Gaby. "Waverly said the package would come in two days. Did either of you order something?"

Illya reached for the package and opened it, his eyebrows furrowed as he pulled out pictures. His mouth dropped open and the pages began to crumble under his fingers.

"Illya?" Gaby's voice became more awake with his change of mood.

He flipped through the pictures, "it's Victoria."

"Dead women can't blackmail," Napoleon set down his card face down.

"Then someone else is carrying out her threat," Illya threw a few pictures down. Napoleon turned his head. A fuzzy picture of a young man working out in the early morning. "That is Pavel, my cadet."

"This was taken by a Leicaflex camera, 35mm single lens reflex," Napoleon spoke.

"Who is this?" Illya turned the last picture around.

The picture of Addie, a blank expression on her face, closing blinds on the second floor of an apartment complex. Napoleon sits back in his chair and undoes his tie.

"Solo, who is this?"

"My little sister," he pushes the chair back so hard it cracks the wooden floor. This causes the other members of the room to look over.

Illya stand and grabs Napoleons arm, "he is a sore loser, excuse us." He pulls Napoleon through the doors and up to his room.

Napoleon grips the wall so hard his knuckles go white, "you've both read my file."

Gaby looked at Illya who kept his eyes down on the pictures, "she died in 1955, house fire."

"Well, obviously not," Napoleon turned and took off his tie and jacket. "We have to postpone this mission; we're finding my sister."

"Napoleon-" Gaby started, intending to convince him to wait.

"And Pavel, they're in danger."

"Waverly-" Gaby tried to butt in.

"Waverly will go along with it," Illya spoke. He grabbed his suitcase underneath his bed. "We're leaving now. If I leave now I can get a plane to Anadyr."

"I'll find a plane to Alabama, Gaby. Stay here and make contact with Waverly, explain and show him the pictures. We'll meet back here in a few days."

The men left the room and all Gaby could do is stand there with her mouth hanging slightly open. She sighed and slipped back into her bed, turning off the light and snuggling into her bed.