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There was a sharp crack of gunfire that made the comm squeal in Q branch. The Double-0 in the field grunted, then began to pant, and continued making familiar sounds of effort as he ran full bore.
"Report," M barked in his ear.
"He ran," Bond replied, as if that should be obvious.
"Can you catch him?"
There was no answer. For a few tense moments there was only measured breathing, Bond's rhythm driving him on. On Q's screen, the small dot that indicated the agent moved north, then northwest, then vanished entirely in the middle of an intersection.
"I'm in the sewer," he said simply.
The announcement gave Q time to find him.
A moment later, there was an explosion and the comm cut out entirely.
M looked at Tanner and Q, Moneypenny...only looked at Q.
"Get me satellite," Tanner barked at Q's underling and a moment later there was an image of a smoking crater where Bond's signal had been. The smartblood monitor blinked OFFLINE. That didn't mean dead, but it certainly wasn't good.
"Bond?" M said. "Report."
Silence.
"Double-0-Seven, report," M repeated.
Silence.
"Keep the comm open," M finally said, then stalked out of the room.
"Report," M barked in his ear.
"He ran," Bond replied, as if that should be obvious.
"Can you catch him?"
There was no answer. For a few tense moments there was only measured breathing, Bond's rhythm driving him on. On Q's screen, the small dot that indicated the agent moved north, then northwest, then vanished entirely in the middle of an intersection.
"I'm in the sewer," he said simply.
The announcement gave Q time to find him.
A moment later, there was an explosion and the comm cut out entirely.
M looked at Tanner and Q, Moneypenny...only looked at Q.
"Get me satellite," Tanner barked at Q's underling and a moment later there was an image of a smoking crater where Bond's signal had been. The smartblood monitor blinked OFFLINE. That didn't mean dead, but it certainly wasn't good.
"Bond?" M said. "Report."
Silence.
"Double-0-Seven, report," M repeated.
Silence.
"Keep the comm open," M finally said, then stalked out of the room.
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"I love you, too," he promised softly.
And that much was true. Whatever other madness drove him to extremes, he did love Q. Beyond reason.
"Sleep," he whispered, then kissed him softly.
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The next morning, things felt relatively normal. He fed his cats, washed his hair, headed into the office... In Q branch Tanner already knew what was going on, debriefing him about what they'd found back at his home. He told him that they'd managed to salvage some things, his safe, some personal items... Oh, and they'd found the source of the bomb.
Not an accident then, definitely planted. ...And Mallory wanted to speak with him.
It had been an hour now in M's office, and there were two theories currently driving the investigation. It was either an enemy of the crown, or someone from Q's past. Either way, he was to have a security detail back at the safe house. M had tried to push for a full time detail, but Q had pushed back, insisting he couldn't live or work like that.
M's favorite suspect was another hacker from his past, a man with a record that included things like arson. A man who'd ended up serving some of the time Q hadn't. It made sense, honestly, and Q promised to remain on his toes until the man was caught.
"Who's my detail then?" Q asked.
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The door opened and Bond walked in. He carried a folder like he might use it to behead M.
"Bond," M said, both an answer and a greeting.
Bond didn't even look at Q.
"Babysitting?" he asked sharply.
"Protection," M answered.
Bond huffed, quietly put out.
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"A double-o seems a bit unnecessary," Q said, glancing at James, then back at Mallory. "Williams isn't on assignment."
Mallory gave him a look, and Q went silent. "Bond will be accompanying you to and from work, and remaining with you at the safe house until further notice."
Q hesitated, then dared to speak up again. "What if I have errands to run, or..."
"Well then we get to see how James reacts to being inside a Tesco," Mallory said flatly.
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Bond looked genuinely upset.
"You think I've never done the shopping, M?" he said, despite the fact that his bank statement said he had a standing order that was delivered next-day.
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M simply returned to his work. "You're both dismissed."
Q left the moment M said the word, trying to ignore the look Eve was giving them both.
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Q walked away and Bond opened his mouth to protest, only to be shut down and dismissed.
He caught up with Q at the lift.
"We'll make the best of it," he assured him, knowing well they were being recorded.
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Q, for his part, looking like he was having a bit of a crisis- Which wasn't an act. They both knew he wasn't very good at that.
When he did finally speak, all he said was, "I need to get back to my office."
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"I'll meet you to escort you home," he said. "Don't worry, Q. I'm not as bad as you've heard."
His smile said otherwise.
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Q looked him over a little, then nodded.
"I'll see you later, double-o seven."
The lift opened, and Q nodded politely before heading off to his office, where Tanner was already lingering in the hall ready to meet him, no doubt to discuss the tests they'd run the day before on the new quick acting poison Q had helped develop.