We Have Each Other

Zine
Title:	We Have Each Other
Publisher:	World Peace Press
Editor(s):	Trish and Mary Millard
Date(s):	1996-1999
Series?:
Medium:	print
Size:
Genre:
Fandom:	Man from UNCLE
Language:	English
External Links:
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We Have Each Other is a slash Man from UNCLE anthology edited by Trish.

cover of issue #1, Suzan Lovett

Regarding the Title

The second issue (and perhaps the first) includes this quote by David Gerrold on the table of contents: "All we really have is each other -- and it's in our commitment to each other that we make the kind of difference that really can change the world."

General Reactions and Reviews

The best MFU slash zine with non-wimpy Illyas I've seen recently...

Now once again out of print, sadly. These are lovely zines, beautifully edited and wonderfully varied in content. (And volume 2 in particular is noteworthy for two exceptionally gorgeous pieces of Suzan's art.) They contain some of my favorite stories in the fandom, and tales by some of the best-loved writers in MFU. (Some of the stories area a tad sweet for my tastes, but again, that's not unexpected in this fandom.)

Romance tends to define these stories. I tend not to do plain romance well, because I like to have a dark edge to my fic. That being said, I love these zines. In my opinion, these are the best MUNCLE zines around.

Issue 1

We Have Each Other 1 was published in 1996 and is 248 pages.

The front cover is by Suzan Lovett, and the interior illos are clip art.

Original art by Suzan Lovett: "Blue on Blue"

• Blue on Blue by Theresa Kyle ("Napoleon spotted his partner sitting at a corner table, eating his meal with a marked lack of enthusiasm. Illya looked up, and Napoleon saw, with a heart-tug, a pair of unmistakably red-rimmed eyes...") (1)
• The Time of Truth Affair by Mary L. Millard ("Rudely awakened from a pleasant dream, Illya retched at the acrid stench which filled his nose. Drugged and groggy, he struggled to pull the mask from his face but felt himself move in slow motion, his efforts uncoordinated and weak. The room began to spin around him as more of the bitter gas filled his lungs, and he tumbled off the bed onto the floor.") (10)
• Exchanging Confidences by Emily Levin ("'I thought that you liked redheads,' Illya said. 'I did, but that was last week.' Napoleon's eyes glinted with humor. 'This week I have a fancy for blonds.'") (46)
• A Minor Difficulty by Linda White ("'Did you see the page about the Trudnost?' Napoleon asked... 'Da. I saw it.' Kuryakin's blue eyes shone with anticipation, the pre-mission high of the adrenaline junkie. 'Their participation should make life interesting.'") (reprinted in U.N.C.L.E. Under Wraps) (55)
• Seductive Reasoning by Elizabeth Cochrane ("Napoleon looked even more surprised to see me than I was to see him; perhaps he hadn't expected me to be walking around naked, even in my own apartment. Then I saw his eyes travel slowly down my body, taking me in with a long, appreciative, all-absorbing gaze, and I was startled even further...") (64)
• The Only on the Holidays Affair by Rosemary C. ("A view of Napoleon and Illya's first three years together. 'Breaking his gaze, the blond withdrew a handkerchief from his smock's pocket, bending his head to clean the lenses of his glasses, and quite incidentally, to hide the vulnerable expression that Hashed across his features. But not before Napoleon had caught it'.") (87)
• The Return to Love Affair by Mary L. Millard ("'Napoleon.' As the name left his lips in a whisper, Illya Kuryakin lost track of all space and time, unable to believe his incredulous eyes. Surely after all the years it was impossible. Napoleon Solo couldn't possibly be here in the Russian Cafe...") (141)
• A Little R&R by Anonymous (150)
• The Bogeyman by Susan Devereaux ("...When Illya turned to look at him he saw his partner leaning against me shower stall, rubbing his right calf with a bewildered look on his face. 'Napoleon? What is it?' he asked. 'I don't know.' Napoleon looked at Illya, frowning with puzzlement. 'All of a sudden my leg just went numb...'") (152)
• The K.O.A. Affair by Jane Terry ("'I was thinking...' Napoleon looked back at his cards. 'What it would he like to kiss you.' 'What?' Illya wasn't sure he'd heard right.") (187)
• Brief Candle by Suzan Lovett ("It was a race between one after another frantic suture and one after another spurt ol' blood, the heart ripping itself apart as the surgeon's deft fingers fought to keep it intact. Napoleon felt like his own was being torn, watching the failing heart in someone's hands, a stranger coaxing it to live...") (This story was inspired by "The Cultural Exchange Affair" in Mobile Ghettos. Author's note: "This story was inspired by and takes off from an U.N.C.L.E/Starsky&Hutch cross-universe story titled "The Cultural Exchange Affair". I have not been able to get in touch with its writer for permission to use her name. Prudence dictates leaving it out. If I find out she wishes otherwise, I will immediately remedy) printed in MOBILE GHETTOS.") (200)
• The Ultimate Insurance Salesman Story Affair by Eleanor Burke Marshall (245)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 1

See reactions and reviews for Brief Candle.

[The Only on the Holidays Affair]: Delightfully long, satisfying story with just the right amount of h/c, depicting the growing closeness between Napoleon and Illya over the course of their partnership. The author excels at portraying emotions, effortlessly drawing the reader into the characters' hearts and minds.

[The K.O.A. Affair]: NS and IK are such guys in this one, which I love. (There's just not enough of that in this fandom.) And as always, her writing is affecting in its sparse lyricism.

[Exchanging Confidences]: This first-time story was nicely done overall. Her IK was a little too shy and innocent for my tastes, but not excessively so, and I really enjoyed her take on Napoleon.

[Seductive Reasoning]: I liked this one very much, thought it was quite well done; lots of great banter, nice characterization, plenty of fun little asides that add flavor. It's told from IK's POV, and his voice is dead-on, with numerous snide comments that I found very in character.

[A Minor Difficulty]: One of my favorites in the Third Level Universe. A look at the NS/IK relationship from Mark Slate's POV, with the three agents working together on a dangerous case against a mysterious foe.

[zine]: I agree that Mary Millard's stories tend to be, um, on the sweet and fluffy side. But she just published the zine, the stories were written by Linda White, Jane Terry and Suzan Lovett, and are neither sweet nor fluffy. Go figure.

[zine]: Here are my thoughts and feelings on the UNCLE slash zine "We Have Each Other".

First, a quick recap for those of you who might not have read the first review:

• Warning #1: This review contains OPINIONS. Do not read if such things offend you.
• Warning #2: This review contains SPOILERS. 'Nuff said. :-)
• Warning #3: This review contains WUSS-RATINGS. My personal Wuss-ometer has five different levels:

1. "Who You Callin' A Wuss?!!"
2. "What's A Wuss?" (In my opinion, no significant wussiness is present.)
3. "Minimal" (Slight degree of wussiness.)
4. "Moderate" (Higher degree of wussiness.)
5. "Severe" (Highest degree of wussiness.)

Opinions, as always, are by definition subjective; my opinions and, most especially, my Wuss-Ratings, are very subjective indeed. Take with the appropriate quantity of salt.

Now, on to the review....

"We Have Each Other" is 248 pages long, single-column format, readable font. This zine is especially notable (as is "We Have Each Other" II, for that matter) for its almost complete lack of typos and grammar, punctuation, and usage atrocities. Color cover by Suzan Lovett; Illya and Napoleon and a kitten (all in a state of appropriate dress, I hasten to add; we're not getting kinky here). Available from Mary Millard.

And now the stories!

• Blue on Blue, Theresa Kyle, 9 pages. Napoleon notices that Illya seems upset about something and sets out to find out why and to cheer him up. Admissions Are Made.
  • Wuss-Rating: What's A Wuss?
  • Opinion: I liked this one. It was cute without being sappy. I don't know which came first, but this story and the zine's cover art go perfectly together.

• The Time of Truth Affair, Mary L. Millard, 36 pages. Someone breaks into Illya's apartment and administers a very slow-acting poison -- we're talking months here. Napoleon takes care of Illya as his health gradually deteriorates; the two become lovers. (This is not a death story.)
  • Wuss-Rating: Severe. Admittedly, Illya's in a lot of pain, but whimpering almost inevitably sets off my Wuss-ometer.
  • Opinion: This one didn't work for me. I had major suspension-of-disbelief problems with both the plot and the character development. My single biggest problem was the idea that Napoleon would leave the investigation of Illya's poisoning to Mark Slate and April Dancer; my perception of him is completely at odds with this. The way I see him, he'd be a lot more likely to be hell-for-leather on the investigation, and anyone or anything foolish enough to get in his way -- be it THRUSH, Waverly, or a three-foot-thick brick wall -- would end up with a Napoleon-sized hole right through him/her/it/them. I felt rather cheated by the ending, too, since the only reason they got the antidote was the phenomenal stupidity of the one responsible for the poisoning. (Honestly -- would *you* waltz into Napoleon's apartment alone, gun in one hand, antidote in the other, and say, essentially, "Here's the antidote, you can't have it, neener neener neener!" and expect to walk away??!)

• Exchanging Confidences, Emily Levin, 9 pages. Napoleon finds Illya just after he's overheard some lab personnel making derogatory remarks about him and takes him out to dinner to find out why he seems upset. One Thing Leads To Another.
  • Wuss-Rating: What's A Wuss?
  • Opinion: I liked this one; the dialog between them was well-written.

• A Minor Difficulty, Linda White, 9 pages. Napoleon and Illya deal with homophobia within UNCLE before and after an operation they're conducting along with Mark Slate; they come out to him. Another entry in Linda's ongoing sequence of stories; this one didn't do as much to develop their relationship as some of her other stories.
  • Wuss-Rating: What's A Wuss?
  • Opinion: Another winner for me, though I would have liked more relationship stuff.

• Seductive Reasoning, Elizabeth Cochrane, 23 pages. Napoleon keeps making passes at Illya; Illya keeps refusing. For a while, anyway....
  • Wuss-Rating: What's A Wuss?
  • Opinion: Good story; I thought the characterization of Napoleon was espiecially good. Manipulative bastard... but when it comes down to it, honorable as well.

• The Only on the Holidays Affair, Rosemary C, 54 pages. Illya and Napoleon's relationship develops slowly over the course of three Christmases they spend together. Warning: This is *not* a sappy holiday story! (I saw you rolling your eyes...!) The first Christmas is spent at the UNCLE Christmas party, then in deep conversation in other places around the city; during the second, Illya rescues a three-quarters-dead Napoleon from a Thrush dungeon; in the third, Napoleon cares for a temporarily blinded Illya.
  • Wuss-Rating: What's A Wuss?
  • Opinion: Another winner from Rosemary. Yum.

• The Return to Love Affair, Mary L. Millard, 9 pages. Not having seen the movie, I can't be sure, but I believe this is meant to be missing scenes from "The Fifteen Years Later Affair". Illya and Napoleon resume the affair Napoleon ended when he left UNCLE, fearing that his lack of objectivity about Illya would get Illya killed.
  • Wuss-Rating: Moderate. Nothing I can point to specifically, just a tendency towards what I perceive as purple prose when they're speaking to each other.
  • Opinion: Sorry, this one didn't work for me.

• A Little R&R, Anonymous, 2 pages. PWP; Illya and Napoleon are sharing a room while on vacation; Illya walks in on Napoleon during a Private Moment. Things Proceed From There.
  • Wuss-Rating: What's A Wuss?
  • Opinion: Short and sweet first-time story.

• The Bogeyman, Susan Devereaux, 35 pages. Napoleon's leg goes numb after a workout with Illya; Illya drags him to the doctor, who sends him to a neurologist, who runs lots of tests. Illya stays at Napoleon's during all this; they become lovers. Napoleon learns his diagnosis, and they must both deal with the implications for them and their relationship.
  • Wuss-Rating: What's A Wuss?
  • Opinion: This is well-written, and I suspect the author would win major points from the medically knowledgable for her accuracy. But I thought the relationship (which was my main interest) was over-shadowed by the medical stuff. (The scene where Napoleon undergoes a spinal tap, while not at all gory or gross, nevertheless gave me the willies. Also, I do *not* want to think about Napoleon becoming either incontinent or impotent, two eventual possibilities, depending on how his condition progresses.)

• The K.O.A. Affair, Jane Terry, 13 pages. Illya and Napoleon must pass a day together, waiting till it's time for their mission. The catch: they're in a campground in a little orange tent in the middle of a pouring-down rainstorm. Napoleon gets caught looking at Illya and One Thing Leads To Another.
  • Wuss-Rating: What's A Wuss?
  • Opinion: I liked this one, especially the bit where Illya muses that the color orange, never a favorite of his, is really rather pleasant after all!

• Brief Candle, Suzan Lovett, 45 pages. Napoleon feels responsible when Illya is critically injured during a mission. The doctors drag him back from death's door, but make it clear that he will not survive. Napoleon takes certain extraordinary measures to ensure that he does. Exactly what he does, and exactly why he does it, and the eventual consequences for both of them, I will not specify. I'm not sure I'd forgive myself if I said too much and spoiled this story for someone.
  • Wuss-Rating: What's A Wuss?
  • Opinion: This is one of the most incredible, amazing, gut-wrenching, utterly *exquisite* things I've ever read in my life. In my opinion, it is worth the cost of the zine all by its lonesome. (D'you get the feeling that I kind of liked this story? :-)

• The Ultimate Insurance Salesman Story Affair, Eleanor Burke Marshall, 4 pages. AU story; Illya and Napoleon work for the United National Casualty, Life and Earthquake insurance company. Illya suspects Napoleon of insurance fraud, but soon learns better.
  • Wuss-Rating: What's A Wuss?
  • Opinion: Funny, light, and sweet; just the thing to close out the zine and bring you down gently from the shattering intensity of "Brief Candle".

Overall, another winner; another addition to my already-lengthy ZCon shopping list!

[zine]:

So... when fans think of Man from UNCLE slash zines, is there a name that instantly comes to mind? Apparently so, because everywhere I turned there were recommendations for "We Have Each Other". This substantial anthology, along with its two succeeding issues, was praised high and low by everyone I asked. Guess what my first zine purchase was? I don't see these zines being offered online anymore, so guess they are out of print again.

Here we go: Issue 1 of "We Have Each Other", 2003 reprint, originally published in 1996 by World Peace Press. 248 pages, 8.5" x 11", spiral bound. No editor noted, color cover by Suzan Lovett. To my knowledge, only one of the stories in this issue is online. There's only one non-'first time' story in the anthology.

Design is simple and clean, with easy-to-read print size and plenty of white space. Format is full-page, no columns and no interior art, except for a few computer graphics. This fandom could certainly use a few more artists, although Suzan Lovett is probably the equivalent of two or three all by herself, she's so talented. The color cover is sweetly charming, and either was inspired by the first story in the zine, or vice versa.

If sentimental fiction is your thing, this is a good zine for you. The majority of stories were a bit too sentimental or angsty for me, but probably suit a lot of readers. For instance, I think Napoleon should call Illya "baby" a lot less (as in never).

Theresa Kyle departs from her usual style and proves her writing range in "Blue on Blue", a pointedly sentimental piece about Illya's fondness for cats - and Napoleon's fondness for Illya. This is the cover story. 8 pages.

Hurt/comfort is always popular in slash fiction and in "The Time of Truth Affair" Mary L. Millard delivers lashings of both. Illya suffers nobly as the victim of a vicious attack that leaves him with a mysterious, debilitating and potentially fatal disease, which also serves as a catalyst for Napoleon to recognize his true feelings for his partner. 36 pages.

An overheard conversation jump starts Emily Levin's "Exchanging Confidences". Illya is lonely but resigned to his fate. Napoleon has other ideas, including a most interesting little revelation at the end of the story. 9 pages.

In "A Minor Difficulty" Linda White gives us one of her Third Level stories, which follow Napoleon and Illya through a long-term love affair. Humor is an integral part of Linda's style and she deftly weaves a THRUSH plot, homophobia in the UNCLE gym, an old friend's loyalty and typical Solo derring-do together with her usual light touch. And in only 9 pages! And not a first-time story!

More hurt/comfort in "Seductive Reasoning" by Elizabeth Cochrane. The hurt is only Illya's annual cold, but the comfort - ah, the comfort, and that's only the start of Napoleon's dogged pursuit of Illya. 23 pages of nice dialogue, and hot sex too.

The Only on the Holidays Affair by [Rosemary C] is at times humorous, at times heartbreaking, as we follow Napoleon and Illya's relationship over several years' worth of Christmas holidays. The last Christmas has overtones of "An Affair to Remember" with its generous helping of sentiment, but the sex is fair compensation. Another favorite of mine. 53 pages. This story is online.

Mary L. Millard gives us a serving of angst in "The Return to Love Affair", set during the 15 Years Later Affair movie. Napoleon and Illya try to resume their relationship almost exactly where they left off all those years ago, but must work through some issues first. 9 pages.

An Anonymous offering, "A Little R & R" is a lust-driven PWP. Sure to cure any smut deprivation you might be suffering. 2 pages of nothin' but sex.

Susan Devereaux has "The Bogeyman" threatening Napoleon in this change-of-pace hurt/comfort/angst fic. She manages to avoid most of the melodrama inherent in this scenario, but even Susan's matter-of-fact approach carries a big wallop. Get out the hankies, readers! 35 pages.

Of the twelve stories in the zine, my favorite is "The K.O.A. Affair" by Jane Terry. The setting is utterly improbable (and therefore very canon) but the characterizations and dialogue are outstanding and completely believable. Thirteen pages nicely balanced between humor and hot sex. Jane knows these guys.

"Brief Candle" is by the multi-talented Suzan Lovett, and must be one of the most talked-about fanfics in Man from UNCLE fandom. Illya and Napoleon are approaching their 50's and still active field partners until Illya is cut down by terrorists. Lots of hurt, not nearly enough comfort, and far far too much angst as a result of unfathomable characterization. To give the author credit she was trying to undo an implausible situation created by another fan writer, but... ye gods, the way she does it! You'll need a couple boxes of tissues and time to mentally prepare yourself. 43 pages.

In "The Ultimate Insurance Story Affair", Eleanor Burke Marshall gives us a bit of utterly silly fluff. But I laughed anyway. 4 pages.

Issue 2

We Have Each Other 2 was published in 1997 and is 244 pages.

It has a Suzan Lovett cover (called "To Touch the Earth") and one interior piece of artwork, also by Suzan ("To Reach the Sky", a companion piece to the cover); both pieces of artwork are in color.

front cover of issue #2, Suzan Lovett: "To Touch the Earth"

illo from of issue #2, Suzan Lovett: "To Reach the Sky"

first page of "The Engaging Affair"

From the editorial:

A word about anachronisms. We have worked hard to avoid them, although we apologize in advance for any that might have slipped through our fingers. However, the use of the word "gay" as a colloquialism is not an anachronism; this word was used among members of the gay subculture long before it came into popular use in the late 1960s, and it's highly possible that sophisticated world travelers such as Napoleon and Illya would be familiar with it. Neither is the use of the words macho and machismo an anachronism; they are Spanish words which Illya and Napoleon, being multilingual, would both know even though the words didn't come into popular use in this country until the 1970s.

As those who have read our previous anthologies are already aware, the stories in our zines center on the relationship between Illya and Napoleon. Yes, their work is important in their lives, but it is not all of their lives. And although we see their relationship as including the physical (and you'll find many explicit love scenes here), we don't see sexes the total focus of their lives either. The center of each of their lives, we believe, is...each other. And that is, we hope, what you'll find reflected in these pages.

• Editorial by Mary Millard and Trish Jeffers
• Q&A by Elizabeth Cochrane (1)
• Changes by Emily Levin (11)
• In Sickness and In Health by Mary L. Millard (25)
• Dreamscape by Bethany Kent (39)
• Oral Gratification by Theresa Kyle (41)
• The New Beginning Affair by Bethany Kent (73)
• Family Affair by Taliesin (87)
• Love Letters by Linda White (115)
• The Engaging Affair by Mary L. Millard (121)
• Pushing the Odds by Elizabeth Cochrane (153)
• Intermission by Susan Devereaux (161)
• Kinks by Nikki Weston (163)
• The Arctic Nights Affair by Rosemary C. (winner of 1998 FanQ) (Summary: While on a training mission, Napoleon Solo is faced with the hardest challenge of his career – prolonged celibacy.) (191)
• Duet, poem by Bethany Kent (244)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 2

See reactions and reviews for The Arctic Nights Affair.

[Kinks]: Um. Well. ::clearing throat:: It's...just what the title says, set post-"The Girls of Nazarone Affair." Let's just say it worked for me and leave it at that, shall we?

[The Ultimate Insurance Salesman Affair]: A short, silly-beyond-all-reckoning A/U. Hilarious.

[A Family Affair]: Why This Must Be Read: Amnesia may be old hat, but I think that Taliesin does a great job with a well-used (and often abused) plot device. When Napoleon gets hit on the head while undercover and loses his memory, Waverly and Illya take on the roles of stern father Alexander Stratford and worshipful younger brother Nicky, hoping to lure out the villains Napoleon was pursuing. The story’s told mainly from Illya’s perspective, as he worries about the web of lies being constructed about his already-confused partner, but the conflict Napoleon is feeling about Illya’s assumed identity, is perhaps more interesting; it's downplayed and well-presented. It takes another fandom staple, the abandoned love nest, to reveal the source of Napoleon’s angst, but this cliché is handled admirably as well.

[...]

And the sex, oh yes, the sex! Mirrors are wonderful! And there’s plenty of post-coital meditation to satisfy any angst fan.

Taliesin’s work is a staple in the fandom, and though this isn’t the story I see rec’d most often, it is my favorite of the stuff she’s released online. A friend once observed that “A Family Affair” was like an episode with sex, and I agree with that description: it gets both the mood and the feel of the characters. So read, enjoy, and go find her other stuff, if you will.

[zine]: Here are my thoughts and feelings on the UNCLE slash zine "We Have Each Other" II.

• Warning #1: This review contains OPINIONS. Do not read if such things offend you.
• Warning #2: This review contains SPOILERS. 'Nuff said. :-)
• Warning #3: This review contains WUSS-RATINGS. This one takes a bit of explaining.... I was discussing this zine with someone who asked me essentially how wussy Illya is in it. So I was forced to devise Terri's Certified Wuss-Ratings (um, Certified in that they are certified to be

1) "Who You Callin' A Wuss?!!" (rarely seen, this rating might be applied to the story "Fool's Mate", or other stories where it's clear that both Napoleon and Illya are Really Dangerous People.)

2) "What's A Wuss?" (In my opinion, no significant wussiness is present.)

3) "Minimal" (Slight degree of wussiness.)

4) "Moderate" (Higher degree of wussiness.)

5) "Severe" (Highest degree of wussiness.)

Note: different people's Wuss-ometers are triggered by different things.

(F'r instance, some people might consider Illya to automatically be a wuss if he's always on the bottom sexually. I don't, necessarily.) That is, as they say, life. These are just my opinions, with which you are more than welcome to disagree. (In fact, if you do disagree, I'd love to see some discussion about this!)

There. That's enough disclaiming -- on to the review:

"We Have Each Other" II is 244 pages long (sorry, no word count given), single-column format, reasonable sized font, very readable. It has a Suzan Lovett cover (called "To Touch the Earth", for those of you who know them by name) and one interior piece of artwork, also by Suzan ("To Reach the Sky", a companion piece to the cover); both pieces of artwork are in color. The zine is available from Mary Millard.

As the editorial makes clear, the stories are not centered around their working lives; most take place between cases. If you're looking for hard-edged gee-this-is-just-like-an-episode-but-it's-slash stories, this may not be the zine for you!

• Q & A, Elizabeth Cochrane, 10 pages. Napoleon's in the hospital, recovering from injuries; Illya visits him and they pass the time asking each other personal questions, at Napoleon's instigation.
  • Wuss-rating: What's A Wuss?
  • Opinion: I liked this story; there are some really neat bits in the questions each chooses to ask, as well as in the answers.
• Changes, Emily Levin, 13 pages. Napoleon and Illya are unwinding after a rough mission and One Thing Leads To Another. Napoleon is immediately called away to the Paris branch for 5 months; upon his return, they discuss what happened.
  • Wuss-rating: What's A Wuss?
  • Opinion: Another good one, with an interesting and (for me) totally unforseen twist in their discussion afterward.
• In Sickness And In Health, Mary L. Millard, 14 pages. H/C; Illya has appendicitis, Napoleon takes care of him, coming to Certain Realizations in the process.
  • Wuss-rating: Moderate, but extremely localized -- Illya weeps on Napoleon's shoulder from the pain while on the way to the hospital; while zonked out of his mind on drugs in the Recovery Room, he seems desperate at first to keep Napoleon with him, but quickly gets a grip. Other than those two bits, I thought it was okay, wuss-wise.
  • Opinion: I didn't like this one quite as well. I thought Illya went on a bit too much about how he was ruining Napoleon's vacation. (I also had to keep reminding myself that in the mid-to-late 60's, appendectomies were a lot more major surgery than they are today!)
• Dreamscape, Bethany Kent, 2 pages. Fantasy sequence in a letter Illya sends to Napoleon (supposedly a sequel to one where N sends such a letter to I). PWP, sex in Waverly's office.
  • Wuss-rating: Severe. Illya's more than a bit of a wuss, even though he's the one having the fantasy! In fact, by changing some pronouns and bits of anatomy, he could be replaced by the secretary-du-jour and no one would know the difference.
  • Opinion: This one didn't work for me. At all. Perhaps it would work better after reading the prequel....
• Oral Gratification, Theresa Kyle, 32 pages. Napoleon notices Illya's extreme pleasure in eating, and starts to wonder if he'd be equally sensual in Other Areas.
  • Wuss-rating: What's A Wuss?.
  • Opinion: I really, *really* liked this story! It's all told from Napoleon's point of view, and he's just driving himself *nuts* watching Illya eat, which he seems to do rather a lot.
• The New Beginning Affair, Bethany Kent, 14 pages. After the 15 Years Later Affair, Napoleon and Illya discuss N's reasons for leaving UNCLE, each admits he loves the other, One Thing Leads To Another.
  • Wuss-rating: Minimal. Illya's *extremely* nervous about sex at first. (He gets over it though! :-) (Nervous-virgin syndrome does tend to trip my Wuss-ometer.)
  • Opinion: Better than the usual run of such stories, I thought the sex scene was really well handled. For one thing, they fall asleep together on the couch before they even get that far! And during the first time they're making love, Napoleon teases Illya a bit about his nervous reactions every time N responds to something Illya does; Illya: "Oh. You *like* that." Napoleon: "You really scare me."
• A Family Affair, Taliesin, 28 pages. Napoleon's injured and has amnesia while in the middle of a case he was working, er, solo; Waverly takes himself and Illya to watch out for him while trying to lure out the villains. The twist: He passes himself off as N's father, and Illya as N's brother.
  • Wuss-rating: What's A Wuss?
  • Opinion: I loved this story. Napoleon's reaction when he first meets his "brother": "I think your face is more familiar to me than my own, though I can't remember where I've seen it before." Yum. (I did find it slightly surprising, though, that no-one batted an eye that the "brothers" were expected to share not only a room, but a bed.)
• Love Letters, Linda White, 6 pages. Napoleon's writing letters to his sister the Sister 'cause he knows if he calls her, he'll end up telling her about him and Illya. (This is in the same sequence as "The Sleepless Nights Affair" and "The PartyTime Affair", printed in "Relative Secrecy".)
  • Wuss-rating: What's A Wuss?
  • Opinion: I'm loving this whole sequence of stories!
• The Engaging Affair, Mary L. Millard, 32 pages. 5 years after Illya and Napoleon have left UNCLE (ignores 15 Years Later, but Illya is still a fashion designer and N is a computer dude), Illya learns that N is engaged to be married. He offers to design the wedding gown as his gift; during consultations with the bride-to-be, he comes to believe that N was and still is in love with him.
  • Wuss-rating: What's A Wuss?
  • Opinion: I liked this one, but didn't love it. It relied rather heavily on coincidence in a couple of places, and I ended up feeling rather sorry for the (blonde, blue-eyed, Russian) woman Napoleon was supposed to marry.
• Pushing the Odds, Elizabeth Cochrane, 8 pages. Post-15 Years Later; Napoleon has sold and is saying a last farewell to the penthouse condo he got from Aunt Amy, musing over the relationship he and Illya used to have before Illya broke it off saying there was someone else. Illya is now married, with two kids. In the midst of N's musings, who should show up but Illya, who is the new owner. They talk.
  • Wuss-rating: Minimal. One of the few stories I've ever seen where if anyone's a wuss, it's Napoleon!
  • Opinion: This one didn't really work for me. Sorry, I just don't see Napoleon being willing to accept second place in Illya's life, nor do I see Illya as being capable of the kind of double-dealing necessary for him to keep Napoleon as a lover on the side.
• Intermission, Susan Devereaux, 2 pages. Illya has a near-death experience; Napoleon calls him back. Admissions Are Made.
  • Wuss-rating: What's A Wuss?
  • Opinion: Short and sweet, without being sappy.
• Kinks, Nikki Weston, 28 pages. Illya and Napoleon unwind after a mission; during a wrestling bout in which N swats I on the rear, N notices that I seems to like it, so he does it some more. They talk. They have sex, dom/sub style, Illya loves it.
  • Wuss-rating: Hard to classify. Other than the nature of the kinks explored, Illya is not wussy at all, and their relationship and conversations outside of the sex are well-developed and not at all one-sided. But where do you draw the line between getting a thrill out of being sexually submissive and being a wuss? Or do the two even have anything to do with each other?
  • Opinion: There's a lot to like in this story; the character development is very well handled. I thought it was especially interesting that Napoleon doesn't particularly get off on dominating Illya, but on Illya's pleasure. But the kinks being explored are anti-kinks for me, which hindered my enjoyment of the story (obviously! :-). Also, there was a throw-away line at the end, where Napoleon muses that he might need some "discipline" himself someday that felt forced, like the author felt she *had* to add it.
• The Arctic Nights Affair, Rosemary C., 53 pages. Illya, who is recovering from injuries, and Napoleon, who comes along to get it over with, are assigned for 12 weeks to the UNCLE training complex in northern Canada (all field operatives have to do this once every three years). The class is entirely male, there are no female instructors present, and after 6 weeks, N is ready to chew iron and spit nails from sexual frustration. He asks Illya how he manages and One Thing Leads To Another.

Overall -- this is the best UNCLE zine I've read in a long time, possibly ever. And it's going on my shopping list for ZCon!

[zine]: 244 pages, 8.5" x 11", spiral bound. Full page layout, 12 point typeface, plenty of easy-on-the-eyes white space. Another lovely color cover by Suzan Lovett, with a complementary interior color piece. Two of the stories in this issue are online.

Since this volume has fewer overtly sentimental and hurt/comfort pieces than the first volume, it's more to my taste.

Elizabeth Cochrane's "Q & A" is a very clever dialogue piece, wherein a frustrated Napoleon, recuperating from injuries sustained under questionable circumstances, hopes to maneuver the conversation around to a mutual exchange of confidences of a certain type. Chock full of good character moments. 10 pages.

A post-mission night in a London hotel makes for some "Changes" in Napoleon and Illya's relationship, but what's going to happen when a lengthy separation immediately follows? Emily Levin puts Illya through his angst paces here. 13 pages.

"In Sickness and in Health" by Mary Millard has Illya falling ill post-mission. His health interferes with their planned holiday, but Napoleon copes, offering oodles of tender loving comfort. 14 pages.

Illya indulges his fantasies in Bethany Kent's "Dreamscape". Whoa. Waverly's office will never be the same again. Only two pages but a lasting impression.

Mmmmm, I get hungry - for all sorts of things - just thinking about Theresa Kyle's "Oral Gratification". Napoleon becomes obsessed with the idea that a man who appreciates good food also appreciates the other sensual joys of living, and it makes him look at his partner in a whole new way. From Mexico to Rome to Antarctica, from Hong Kong to Bombay to Dallas, Napoleon charts Illya's various appetites as well as his own. 32 pages of pure yum.

In Bethany Kent's "The New Beginning Affair", Napoleon regrets old choices and ponders how to reconnect with his partner after The Fifteen Years Later Affair. 14 pages

The 'Napoleon has amnesia!' cliche is used to good effect in Taliesin's A Family Affair. The preposterous setup has Waverly and Illya coming to Napoleon's rescue, posing as an eccentric and wealthy (although apparently somewhat incestuous) family. 28 pages of good fun, one of the most famous sex scenes in MfU fandom, and there's even a plot. This story is online.

Napoleon wrestles with yet another family problem in Linda White's "Love Letters". This time he doesn't know how to make a confession about a life-changing event. This 6 page vignette is part of her Third Level universe.

Mary Millard's "The Engaging Affair" posits a post-UNCLE-resignation that ignores the reunion movie plotline but uses much of the setup. Napoleon's wedding plans are derailed when a certain Russian wedding gown designer gets involved. 34 pages.

A post-Fifteen Years Later Affair story, Elizabeth Cochrane's "Pushing the Odds" adds a new twist: Illya/Vanya is a family man with wife and daughters. Old feelings die hard, though, because he still agrees to share a home with Napoleon... color this reader confused. 8 pages.

"Intermission" by Susan Devereaux is all about a major turning point in Illya's life. 2 pages.

"Kinks" is an episode-based story that builds from the not-quite-playful tension at the end of 'The Girls of Nazarone'. Nikki Weston takes the elementary schoolteacher theme one step further and applies some discipline to wayward secret agents. 28 pages of not this reader's kink.

The perfect story to heat up a cold winter night, The Arctic Nights Affair" by [Rosemary C] puts Napoleon and Illya in an isolated training camp with a group of novice agents for an extended period of time. Napoleon gets antsy and Illya has the perfect solution. 53 pages of angst and fiery sex in equal doses.

Bethany Kent gives us gorgeous imagery in her poem, "Duet".

Issue 3

cover of issue #3, "Wrapped in Sunshine" -- "The incredibly gorgeous Suzan Lovett color cover ("Wrapped in Sunlight" [sic]) makes up for the lack of interior art."

We Have Each Other 3 was published in 1999 and is 300 pages long. It has a cover by Suzan Lovett entitled "Wrapped in Sunshine".

The novel But Not For Me was originally meant to be a story in this issue, but it grew too long and was published as a standalone.

From the editorial:

A special thanks to Suzan Lovett, who promised me a cover before I even knew if I could do another zine--and then gave me a gorgeous one. Suzan...your belief in me has been, like your wonderful art, an inspiration.

More thanks (in alphabetical order) go to; Diana for the tapes; Kate Drummond for her advice, her encouragement, and her dire threats if I canceled the zine; Marian Kelly for editing the editor; Bethany Kent for sending me some great books on Russia and U.N.C.L.E. which helped in my research-and were a lot of fun, too; and Sarah Lindsay, one of the sweetest people in the galaxy, who helped with proofreading and found a lot of mistakes I missed. And thanks to Jane Fairfax for writing me a great story, even though I didn't get to print it. When the story she intended for “We Have Each Other 3” became too long, she published it as a novel, But Not For Me. (And anyone interested in an incredible reading experience may order this by emailing Marion McChesney.

A few miscellaneous comments. Jane Terry’s “Dreaming in Color,” although it works as a stand-alone, is an excerpt from her novel, Sepia Dreams, scheduled to be published for MediaWest, 2000. Elizabeth Cochrane’s “Little Flower” is based on the third season episode, “The Super-Colossal Affair.” And S. Mockingbird’s story, “Farewells,” is a sequel to Suzan Lovett’s haunting novella “Brief Candle,” which appeared in “We Have Each Other 1.” (Another thanks to Suzan, for graciously giving her permission to print this story.)

And now a plea; please send LOC’s (letters of comment)! A short letter, listing the stories and saying what you liked (or didn’t like) about each one, would be much appreciated both by me and by the writers. Writers and artists NEED feedback — think how you would feel if you sang to a full auditorium and nobody applauded!

• Kismet by Linda McGee (1)
• The Heart of Stone Affair by Sarah Lindsay (also in Incognito) (15)
• A Matter of Necessity by Kate Drummond (35)
• A Five-Minute Course in Russian (40)
• The Best Friend Affair by Bethany Kent (41)
• Little Flower by Elizabeth Cochrane (86)
• Farewells by S. Mockingbird (95)
• Joust by Taliesin (99)
• Long Shadows by Kate Drummond (105)
• Dreaming in Color by Jane Terry (163)
• The Prisoner of Love Affair by Rosemary C. (Summary: A night out on the town leads to some interesting revelations.) (167)
• The Last Resort Affair by Linda White (reprinted in U.N.C.L.E. Under Wraps) (201)
• Survival of the Fittest by Theresa Kyle (225)
• A Song of Wolves by Cara J. Loup (298)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 3

[The Heart of Stone Affair]: A long-term undercover assignment for Illya, and an accidental drug exposure form the underpinnings of a story that is truly the stuff crack fiction is made of. Sure, some of the dialog is a little stilted, but this story remains a guilty pleasure that I go back to again and again in my panoply of -- and yes, I swear this will be the last of its ilk that I’ll rec -- we must have sex for the sake of the mission stories. It doesn’t hurt either that it manages to hit a number of my Illya kinks: Illya undercover as a grad student in 1968 (don’t ask) (BING); long-haired and hot Illya (BING); Illya in jeans (don’t ask) (BING); sexually pragmatic Illya (BING, BING, BING!). Oh yeah, and the idea of Napoleon stoned, for some reason, just amuses me to no end.

[Little Flower]: A light-hearted romp ensues when NS decides to visit IK, who is in isolation while recovering from his close encounter with the stink bomb, post-"Super Colossal Affair." I liked the humor and affection between the guys in this one.

[Kismet]: An exquisitely written tale of Napoleon's last walk on the wild side the night before he joins U.N.C.L.E. And whom should he encounter in a discreet bar in the Village? Hmmm, three guesses... I loved the atmosphere and mood in this story, and her characterization was perfect; here's a Napoleon and Illya who are very much men, and very much equals.

[zine]: The final installment in this title line, it's also far and away the best of the three issues, in this reader's opinion. At 300 pages, it's also the largest. Again, I have the 2003 reprint of the 1999 World Peace Press original. As with the previous two issues, no editor is noted. 8.5" x 11", spiral bound, full-page format. The incredibly gorgeous Suzan Lovett color cover ("Wrapped in Sunlight") makes up for the lack of interior art.

Three stories are available online. This zine appears to be out of print.

Personal opinion - this is a must have zine for any MfU slash fan. Lots of long, thought provoking stories and sizzling, unrepentant sex.

"Kismet" by Linda McGee falls into the "Gee, I wish I'd written this" category. On the eve of assuming his new duties with UNCLE New York, Napoleon meets up with a mysterious, dangerous and very desirable stranger. This first encounter between future partners is extremely well done, illuminating with laser precision the hazardous balancing act they must maintain at all costs. 14 pages, and one of my all-time favorite stories. What a great pity if this is the author's only MfU offering.

Illya goes back to college as a student in the hippy-dippy late 60's in Sylvia's The Heart of Stone Affair. When Napoleon arrives to collect an interim report, they end up having to deal with a generation gap, recreational drugs, Thrush and sex on the side. Forget the plot and just enjoy a bewildered Napoleon riding his first hallucinogenic high and drool over an Illya in tight jeans and shoulder-length hair. 20 pages of lovely, nostalgic fun (for those of us who lived through the 60's, at least)!

Travel weary Illya has only one thought in mind in Kate Drummond's "A Matter of Necessity": get home to Napoleon as soon as possible. What struck me about this five page story was the very real sense of how much time they spend in transit and waiting, at the mercy of the travel gods, and how exhausting and frustrating that must be. A very sweet vignette.

Bethany Kent offers a dark change of pace story in "The Best Friend Affair". Napoleon suffers greatly in the aftermath of a random assault by Thrush agents but manages to mask his growing self-doubt under a veneer of confident recovery. He even manages to convince Illya he's doing fine, and thereby puts a major mission, the lives of many UNCLE agents and their own careers on the line when he must finally face the man who raped him. This is actually a rape-recovery story, dealing with the psychological fallout and healing process. 45 very intense pages. Be prepared.

In The Super Colossal Affair episode, poor Illya is doused with concentrated skunk essence and forced to undergo a major de-scenting process. In "Little Flower", Elizabeth Cochrane has Illya enduring his isolation with ill humor and Napoleon coming up with a solution in his own inimitable fashion. A wonderful, sizzling PWP. Nine pages of lighthearted antidote to the previous story.

In "Farewells", S. Mockingbird has written a sequel to the heartbreaker story of WHEO I, "Brief Candle". Napoleon bears his grief and regrets with strength and dignity. Four pages that made me cry.

Fencing, UNCLE style, with foils and words. Taliesin's Joust is more about character and strategy than athletic prowess. And sublimated feelings that are drawn to the surface by the competition. A six page gem of innuendo and tension.

Kate Drummond's "Long Shadows" is the mother of MfU hurt/comfort stories. Illya resigns his job and disappears, leaving Napoleon to solve a puzzle with lots of missing pieces. It turns out Illya has gone to ground to die, suffering from a terminal illness... or has he? Much tender comfort ensues once Napoleon tracks down his independent partner, and they vow to see the crisis through together. 58 pages.

Napoleon Solo is happily married and awaiting the birth of his second child - so why is he dreaming of Illya? In "Dreaming in Color", Jane Terry has Napoleon reflecting on the enduring things in his life, such as his feelings for Illya (though he hasn't seen his former partner in years) juxtaposed beside the love he feels for his infant daughter. Some things you just don't get over, although I can't say I liked the choices Napoleon made in this scenario. Four pages.

The Prisoner of Love takes a long hard look at how difficult it can be to accept your heart's desire, even when it's handed to you on a silver platter. [Rosemary C's] epic story starts out with Illya desperately in love with and longing to hear the same acknowledgement from Napoleon - but when it comes he trusts neither himself nor Napoleon to know what they truly want. His inability to accept love and pleasure very nearly destroys both of them, and it takes all of Napoleon's considerable strategic skills to find a way to salvage happiness. His solution really sizzles, by the way. 34 pages.

A weekend at a luxurious rustic lodge catering to same sex couples should be the stuff of fantasies for Napoleon and Illya in "The Last Resort Affair", but things aren't quite so simple in Linda White's Third Level universe. It's a working weekend, and they must deal with plots within plots and betrayals by the most unlikely of acquaintances. 23 pages of intrigue and action.

In "Survival of the Fittest," Theresa Kyle puts events in motion that will take some 15 years to unravel and resolve - and that hurts. In the midst of a highly complicated and dangerous undercover mission, Napoleon and Illya must also deal with their own changing feelings towards each other and lots of unfortunate miscommunication and bad timing. So much unresolved pain at the end of the story... 73 pages of unrelenting angst.

Cara J. Loup has mastered the art of subtlety in "A Song of Wolves". Only those with nothing to lose have no fear, and Illya and Napoleon now have much to lose. The past, present and future intertwine in a frozen moment that crackles with the connection between friends and lovers. Three pages.

[zine]: We Have Each Other 3 is one of the year's best slash zines. Trish, the editor, has elicited the best stories from the best writers (even in the one that got away, Jane Fairfax's "But Not For Me"), and given them a worthy setting. In most zines, the skill of the editor is usually invisible, but there is a definite aura on these stories that, I think, is due to Trish — certainly there's a matching tone and quality to all the pieces in here that cannot have happened by accident.

"Kismet" by Linda McGee. I love it when a ringer from outside the fandom gives a new slant to the characters, or rather in this case, a sharp insight. Sex (and love) makes us do irrational things; Napoleon the "predator," the "superspy," and Illya the armor-plated alien are drawn by their need for male-male sex (and then for something deeper) into particularly dangerous acts — dangerous to the superspy, to the armor plate, because these acts leave them open, vulnerable, human. Need pushing the characters past their barriers is key to slash. This need is very strong in this story. Although we can see the denouement coming from page 2, it's still very satisfying to see them realize they are in fact comrades, as well as cosmic lovers.

The realistic details add such a marvelous third dimension to the piece, too: the smoke and noise of the sexual netherworld circa 1963, the grungy rented room, their mutual reserve and subsequent mating dance. Even how each man strips reveals his character: Illya fast and efficient. Napoleon sensuous and provocative, drawing his partner into deeper pleasures. Nor was any scene wasted; every sentence added something to the whole. And "Kismet" was just as satisfying on the re-read, a sure sign of quality. One of my favorites of the zine.

My other favorite was Theresa Kyle's "Survival of the Fittest." It may well be the best story in the zine. Theresa kept a tight balance between the internal (love) story and the external (spy plot) story, which is all the more remarkable because of the size of the piece. Large stories arc just harder to control than short ones, but she kept the traffic on both stories going smoothly, and even intermixed them, as when Napoleon came charging in to the rescue. It served both the mission and his love for Illya.

Moreover, both plots (internal and external) were intelligent and reasonable. The idea that AIDS was tailored by Thrush, and the scam that NS and IK brewed to secure the virus worked very well, plus Napoleon's slow deterioration from unreturned love felt very human. It was so well constructed that every complication seemed to me like "well, of course it would happen that way." The only quibble I can come up with has to do with that script typeface used for Illya's letter; it was kind of a pain to read in such quantity. Otherwise, I completely enjoyed the story.

Taliesin's "Joust" was a bit similar to Linda McGee's story, in its tightness and skillful depiction of character through action. It is also one of the most subtle slash stories I've read in MfU fandom, as well as strikingly sensual. I mean, all they're doing is fencing; but the glissade of steel sliding swiftly against steel, the heat of bodies in exertion ... my my my!

I also appreciated the characters' intelligence. Of all slash pairs in fandom, these two (and perhaps Kirk and Spock) are the most intellectual; though they are fit and strong for their size, they live mostly by their wits. Taliesin shows this intelligence particularly well. No flies on anyone, here.

By contrast, Jane Terry's "Dreaming in Color" has quite a lot of explicit sex, and two on-going relationships: Napoleon and Illya in the past, Napoleon and his wife and daughter in the present. For good, storytelling reasons, most slash stories are "first-time," how NS and IK got into bed the first time. Although the N/I substory here shows they've had sex before, this is still the "first time" they've done it twice in one night, and apparently the "first time" Illya opened up and confessed why he likes being penetrated. Very delicate, very intimate storytelling, this is something I've called "lacy." Tell enough, but not too much, leave mostly empty space between the threads, because the feeling will shatter if the writer over wraps it.

The last lines of the last two paragraphs are particularly lacy: "It was an old habit, and he wondered if he would ever get over it," and "It was a new habit, and he wondered if he would ever get over it." I get the feeling that, even while Napoleon's engaged in his domestic life, he's not fully engaged, that something within is holding back. The past story in the dream felt that way too; Napoleon was engaged with Illya, but not fully engaged, until that moment of revelation when Illya opened up to him: "They had somehow transcended their ordinary lives." Transcendence is a rare thing, and after the infinite moment is over, you might not be sure it had really happened, and you slide back into ordinary time. Speaking of time, Sarah Lindsay's "Heart of Stone Affair" took me back to 1969, when I first went to college. I felt like I was right there in the dorm room, on the campus quad, seeing and feeling all that NS and IK sensed; a superb use of sensory imagery. This story was also very tightly constructed; everything worked together. I liked the different levels of cover story that they had to make up on the fly — good espionage craft!

I've been reading MfU stories for some time, and it seems to me that in the 90s there's been a "new Napoleon": clean, intensely loving, self-consciously ethical. In [Ro C's] "Prisoner of Love Affair," he seems to meet the "old Illya," who is pessimistic, long-suffering, and mildly masochistic. They do go well together, each bringing out interesting parts of each other's character: Napoleon's gentle manliness lets Illya yield control over himself in a believable way, while Illya's fear of abandonment shakes Napoleon's control enough to reveal his own unrequited love. Telling the story from IK's pov gives a nice depiction of how Illya invented himself, too. There's a very powerful line that shows all his love and fear: "If I fall alone in this, it will destroy me."

Love and the danger of love was also a key point in Bethany Kent's "Best Friend Affair." For me it was the strongest aspect of the story. The conflict between love and self-reliance is seldom investigated in slash fiction, but it seems to be a major fault-line in male psychology — guys can be really scared of the enticements and demands of love — so I was quite impressed to see the idea treated at all, let alone with aplomb.

Still, it contrasts greatly with something else in the story much more typical of slash: the mother-child roles imposed on the characters when one is hurt and the other is called on to comfort him. I think we do this because typically the love between mother and child is the most intense one we women know. Thus when many slash writers want to show how A really really loves B, they almost feminize and maternalize A while infantilizing B; A is utterly giving while B is utterly needy. That happens here; Napoleon asks (practically demands) that Illya jeopardize his job and possibly his life to safeguard NS's image -- and Illya does it, but at least with much soul searching and awareness of the sacrifice. For my money, Waverly came off the best in the characterization department: omniscient (as usual), needing to shape his men to his purposes and his way, yet understanding the burden his demands make.

In Kate Drummond's "A Matter of Necessity," the clean prose is a joy in itself. But more so is the beautiful way she got us in under Illya's skin, to take us with on that journey home that ends in lovers meeting. It was skillful, how she recognized and disposed of objections to the few shortcuts Illya look, and kept up the drumming pace as he flew to the only spot on the planet that was home. Maybe a better title would have been "Homing Instinct"?

The title was fine in "Long Shadows." This story was like a good, long soak in a warm bath; it needs to be long to be completely enjoyable. Lots of emotion, lots of caring and friendship, lots of medical jeopardy and yummy anguish; Napoleon acts noble during his suffering, Illya stays pretty throughout his. Nice use of the switcheroo.

Linda White, in "The Last Resort Affair," shows her talent for the telling details. She makes it easy to see what's going on, and characterization can be thorough without bogging down the pace. Unexpected power dynamics among the agents, though; Tuula bosses everybody, and everybody bosses Mark. The dancing was certainly hot.

S. Mockingbird's "Farewells" was a nice finish to the "Cultural Attache Affair" and "Brief Candle" arc. Elizabeth Cochrane's "Little Flower" had a cute, canonical setup, though I can't help thinking that everyone will know Napoleon had been in contact with Illya once they get a whiff of him (Solo, that is).

Cara Loup's "A Song of Wolves" — very nearly poetical prose, that. I like her spare, elliptical style; it tells all we have to know.

Recommended.

"If I am pressed to say why I love him. I feel it could only be explained by answering: "Because it was him; because it was me." Michel de Montaigne, French essayist.

"Because it was him, because it was me" could be an alternate title for We Have Each Other #3, the latest offering in a series from editor Trish. This collection of stories runs the gamut from angst-ridden soap to action-adventure and from tidbit to tome. There is something here to please every taste, but the underlying premise of each offering is that the principals care for each other because of character, rather than gender.

"Kismet" by Linda McGee starts off the zine with the start of the relationship. Her Napoleon and Illya are strangers to each other as Solo is about to start his tenure at the New York Headquarters. This may be McGee's first foray into MFU fanfic, but she does a terrific job of capturing the feel of the characters as they capture each other. The dialogue sounds like McGee has been writing these guys for a longtime, right down to their sense of depth and sense of humor. Napoleon has to maintain his sense of humor in "The Heart of Stone Affair" by Sarah Lindsay, as he confronts a pot smoking college student who looks a lot like his partner. Illya is undercover in a story that seems a bit inspired by "The Cap and Gown Affair", looking into the dirty research of a professor. Napoleon has to cope with jealousy, anger and a hashish headache while Illya is occupied with business and they have to sort out his feelings when the business is done. It's Illya's turn for anguished longing in a nice little vignette from Kate Drummond about the Russian's efforts to return home from a business trip. This one will strike a familiar cord for anyone who has ever been a long-term guest of an airline.

Drummond pulls out the damp hankie for her second and much lengthier story in this zine, titled "Long Shadows". Il won't spoil the plot to say that an incurable illness for lllya is the macguffin in this story, but Drummond gives it a good twist and a despicable villain. This a great entry in the high drama soap category, but it will have to compete with another offering in WHEO #3, "The Best Friend Affair", by Bethany Kent. Kent turns the tables on the partnership, with Solo suffering the aftereffects of rape, and Kuryakin picking up the pieces. Angst lovers have a choice!

Something smells funny in "Little Flower" by Elizabeth Chochrane as as Kuryakin is being de-scented from the aftermath of the stink bomb in "The Super-Colossal Affair". It's not Napoleon, who drops by the U.N.C.L.E. quarantine unit with good intentions to lighten his partner's mood.

Editor Trish has done a good job of juxtaposing stories in this zine, following the light "Little Flower" with brief and moving sequel to a fan favorite from WHEO #1, Suzan Lovett's "Brief Candle". Titled, "Farewells", and written by S. Mockingbird, this little story takes us down one of the possible paths that Lovett hinted at in her longer piece.

The mood heads back up again in "Joust" by Taliesin. "Joust" is clever and witty and devoid of explicit sex, and I confess, it is five of my favorite pages in this 300-page zine.

The second to the last vignette in WHEO #3 is a tantalizing preview called "Dreaming in Color". This is an excerpt from Jane Terry's novel "Sepia Dreams", scheduled to premier at Mediawest 2000. Illya is a lover we have to wait for the novel to see in life, because this teaser has Napoleon in bed with his wife, but dreaming about his partner.

Author [Rosemary C] has had Napoleon and Illya discover each other in Europe and the Arctic in previous Wl [EO's, but she brings the locale back home in "The Prisoner of Love Affair", a long short story set in New York. Slash readers can always count on [Rosemary] lo write great sex, and she doesn't fail here. This story focuses even more on the personal insecurities of the two agents than her previous offerings, and her familiar theme of initial discovery is spiced with a bit of bondage.

The agents hit the road again with Linda White in "The Last Resort Affair", another longer story in her alternate "third level" universe. We get yet another peek into the tantalizing "third level", but White still doesn't lay it out for us, leaving the reader wanting more information and more stories. Her familiar cast of characters is here, Kuryakin, Solo, and agents Tuula Crighton and Dennis Treacle, along with April Dancer and Mark Slate. While has all of them vacationing at a gay resort and trying to figure out exactly what Waverly is expecting them to find there.

The last long story of the zine could probably stand on its own as a novella, but the reader will be glad it's included here. Called "Survival of the Fittest" and written by Theresa Kyle, this is an excellent plot driven story in which Justin Scplieran makes his debut as a puppeteer in the drama. The backdrop has the threat of Thrush releasing the viral agents that will spread AIDS into an unsuspecting population. Solo and Kuryakin are assigned to stop him, but Solo finds that he is motivated more by his emotions than his ideals, a disturbing discovery.

With three very strong longer stories rounding out this impressive zine, Trish could have called it quits, but she adds a nice bit of an epilogue. "A Song of Wolves" by Cara J. Loup is an ethereal little piece of Illya's midnight musings, called to the fore by the howl of dog in the streets of New York. It is economically written, but very interesting and makes one hope for more from this author.

A review of We Have Each Other #3 would not be complete without a mention of its cover, another beautiful picture by Suzan Lovett. The cover does credit to the zine and the variety of writing does credit to its contributors and editor.

We Have Bach Other #3 is a slash zine that relies on relationships between the main characters. The way the characters interact may change, depending on the point of view of each writer. Readers may prefer one view or another, but each story starts with the premise of the friendship, "because it was him; because it was me". The choice is the strength of this zine.