Q

[0_0_7]

Bond left medical and found a car in the car park that was foolishly left unlocked. It took very little to get it started and he was on his way. He drove to Hex's flat and parked round back, noting his Audi was gone. There was fresh gravel down, too. He entered the building and dread filled him when he found his key wouldn't open the door. Bond, however, was resourceful and a hard grip and a shove of his shoulder and he broke in the door. He'd pay to have it fixed.

The flat was empty for the most part. A few things that were clearly Hex's. Bond looked around. No food in the cupboards, none of the dishes or anything they'd bought to make it feel like home. He walked into the bathroom and there wasn't even stray cat litter on the floor.

He left quietly and went to his flat, one he'd not been to in quite some time. But when he opened the door it smelled lived in, the heat was on. The tv sat on the floor in the corner and his lone chair was in front of the table with a black cat curled up in it.

"Titania, what are you doing here?" he asked her, going to pick her up. She began to purr immediately. "Who were they, girl? Who were the bad men who have ruined everything?"

Of course she didn't answer.

Bond looked around his flat, seeing it was lived in, take away containers in the fridge, beer and whiskey, the bed wasn't made, just pulled up. It looked much too natural to be staged.

Bond found a cat carrier and took Titania and went straight for Q's. Oberon would be sad to have lost his mate...and Bond needed to see Q.

Comments

[quartermaster_q]

"I think you need to tell him the truth," Q said quietly. "That you... That it's possible your memories have been altered. It's not safe for you to be in the field like this, double-o seven. If you're honest with him though, six is more likely to try and help rather than hinder."

[0_0_7]

That gave him an opportunity to pick Q's brain.

"How would one go about altering memories?" he asked. "In a short period of time, I mean. How long was I there? Not long enough for full on brainwashing, certainly."

[quartermaster_q]

"Brainwashing is for amateurs," Q replied. "Far easier ways to tamper with memory. Something sharp in the right part of the brain... Subliminal messages... I've even seen studies that suggest light and sound used correctly could alter a person's state of mind. Those are just things we know of. There's always someone, somewhere, working on something new."

[0_0_7]

That unsettled him but he showed no sign. Only sipped his tea.

"Do you believe that's what's happened?"

[quartermaster_q]

Q was silent for a moment, then sighed.

"No. I think you're suffering from severe PTSD. I think it's possible that you blacked out, and while unconscious your mind created a reality for you that felt safe."

[0_0_7]

"Why was I in medical for so long? How long was I in Moscow?" he pressed.

[quartermaster_q]

Q honestly couldn't recall, which was strange. His memory was usually so sharp.

"Those are things you can ask M," he said, not wanting to admit he wasn't sure.

[0_0_7]

"But I'm asking you," Bond said, awaiting some sort of answer. How long, what sort of torture, how long he'd been in medical. Any details at all.

[quartermaster_q]

"I don't know the details," Q replied, sounding a touch defensive.

[0_0_7]

"Why not? You know everything," he replied smoothly, then turned to the door, leaving Q to think on that.

He went to see M who was only slightly more helpful, giving him an eyes only dossier on this supposed Moscow mission. Really all they knew was a man named Hinx had taken him and returned him in poor shape indeed. He'd been in medical nearly a month.

Bond knew that wasn't right at all but said only, "May I be excused?"

"Of course," M said, then added, "You do realize you're on the bench Bond. I'm not taking your gun or passport, but you'll have no assignments."

"Understood, sir," he replied placidly and then left to return to Q's flat.

[quartermaster_q]

In Bond's absence Q had pulled the file, reading it and finding that none of it was familiar. Though he honestly couldn't work out why he would be so out of the loop. He always followed up with Bond after a mission. Always.

When Bond returned, the young Quartermaster was curled up on the sofa with his laptop, reading through every mission report from the past six months.

"What did M say?" he asked, no longer surprised by the fact that James seemed to think he was free to come and go as he pleased.

[0_0_7]

"He said I have quite a lot of time to take up a new hobby. Perhaps flower arranging or breeding hamsters," he said dryly, letting Q know just how long he'd be out of action.

"And I have to report to medical once a week and a therapist twice a week for the foreseeable future." He paused. "Or I could put in for retirement. No shame in it, he says. It's a young man's game now."

[quartermaster_q]

Q watched him for a moment, then sighed and closed his laptop.

"Well, if you're going to have time on your hands, I suppose you'd like your car back. Take me to the lab, I'll give you your keys back," he offered gently, oblivious to the fact that by letting Bond into his lab, he was basically giving the double-o access to the equipment he'd been asked to steal.

[0_0_7]

Bond nodded, spotting the opportunity immediately and doing his best to remain calm.

"Would you like to go now?" he asked. "I'd love to have my car. I'm sure you've taken good care of her."

[quartermaster_q]

Q nodded, getting to his feet and then hesitating a beat before giving Bond's arm a gentle squeeze. The only comfort Q felt he could offer. Q didn't know it, but that small touch was terribly similar to how their relationship had begun. A desire to comfort and calm the double-o.

[0_0_7]

Bond was deeply touched, the memories racing back to him all at once. No, no matter what all of them believed, Bond knew he was in his right mind.

"Out we go. Lock up," he said, going for the borrowed Audi he'd parked outside Q's flat.

[quartermaster_q]

"I don't need telling to lock my own flat, Bond," Q tutted, though he did as the double-o asked, locking up and following Bond down to the car.

"What do you think you'll do in your downtime?" Q asked curiously, a hint of concern creeping into his voice.

[0_0_7]

"Bother you," he replied- it was difficult to tell if he was joking or not.

[quartermaster_q]

Q offered Bond a mildly amused look at that, then shook his head.

"And here I thought you'd simply wine and dine every beautiful woman in London," Q snorted.

[0_0_7]

"I'd rather just bother you, but if you'd like wine and dinner I'm sure I could prove a suitable nuisance," Bond replied, hitting the fob and then getting into the car. It was far too easy to fall back into the flirtatious banter with Q. He'd won him once, Bond knew he could do it again.

So long as he didn't get caught stealing the tech.

[quartermaster_q]

"If you're going to waste money on me, I'd much rather have tech," Q replied with a faint smile.

[0_0_7]

"Por que no los dos? " Bond chuckled. "You can have both. Consider tech to be the carrot that will put you at my dinner table," he said.

[quartermaster_q]

"And since when are you so keen on dining with me?" Q asked, glancing over.

[0_0_7]

Bond looked over and flashed a charming smile, then put the car in gear and tore away from the curb, racing toward Six and Q's new headquarters.

[quartermaster_q]

Clinging to his seat, Q scowled, but said nothing. He knew better than to comment on Bond's driving- It only provoked the double-o.