Q

[0_0_7]

(continued from here)

Bond did doze a bit, enjoying the fluid weight of Q as he slept behind him. He waited for the fussing and they crying but for the moment there was none. Only peace.

Bond rolled over and rugged the blankets uo and it was then that his mobile chimed from where it sat on the bedside table. It chimed once and he thought it was Moneypenny. Twice, M. But then it chimed a third time and then a fourth. Bond rose to grab it and check what he was getting so many messages for.

Comments

[quartermaster_q]

Q hardly stirred, grumbling, then turning over and settling in.

The texts were from R- or at least they appeared to be.

Activity in the area- Perimeter check advised.

Suspicious shadow spotted to the north of the facility.

007, please report.

007? Please respond.

[0_0_7]

Bond looked at Q resting and slipped from the bed. He dressed swiftly, answered the message, armed himself, and was out. He locked the door behind him and struck out. Dawn was coming but it had hardly arrived. Only the eastern sky was lighter grey and the birds had begun to sing the orb into joining them. It made it difficult to listen for strange sounds.

He headed to the north, spoiling for a fight.

[quartermaster_q]

It wasn't until Bond was a fair distance from the cottage that another text came through.

The texts from 'R' had vanished, and in their place was a photo of Q in bed Bond had left him in, fast asleep and unaware of the knife that was mere inches from his face.

The number was blocked, no message followed.

[0_0_7]

Bond only looked at it long enough to identify what it was, who it was, and where it was. Q looked so perfectly peaceful and the gleaming blade sent the message through loud and clear.

Bond stowed his phone and ran. He ran fast when he needed to and he could cover incredible distance when necessary. Back straight, shoulders square, gun in hand, Bond fairly flew back to the cabin.

But when he arrived there was no one there. He saw no evidence of a car, no sound of a helicopter.

He burst into the cabin and went straight to Q, flicking on the lights as he did.

There was a cut- shallow, nothing worse than shaving- just enough blood to let Bond know he's been too easily tricked and he'd failed Q. If Terrance had chosen then to not play anymore then Q would be gone.

[quartermaster_q]

Q sat bolt upright at the sudden enterance, pawing blindly for his glasses, and blinking as he slid them on.

"What? What is it?" he asked, already getting out of the bed in case they needed to leave.

It wasn't until he pulled an oversized t-shirt on that he noticed the cut. there was a spot of blood on the heather grey fabric. Fresh and smeared... His hand reached up, and he looked confused as he found the small cut with his fingers, staring at the drops of blood on his hand.

"What happened?" he asked.

[0_0_7]

"He was here. He lured me away to check the perimeter and then he got in and he sent me this," he said, showing Q the selfie of Terrance, the knife, and Q's own sleeping form.

"I know you don't want to run but we have no choice. He's ahead of us at every step and I don't like it. I don't like it, Q. He can't be that smart and than dangerous...he's got to make mistakes. We need to find those mistakes and exploit them. Attacking you is an attack on the crown. It's terrorism. It's treason. And I intend to put an end to it."

[quartermaster_q]

Q said nothing for a long moment, staring at the blood on his fingers- then finally nodding.

Terrance was a threat, and the fact that he was getting under Bond's skin scared Q more than anything else. Nothing rattled Bond. Nothing.

"Where will we go?" he asked quietly.

[0_0_7]

"We'll go back to London first," Bond said. "Clean up, pack for travel. Pack several sets of baggage, actually. We'll scatter the breadcrumbs and make him work to find us. And while he's busy with that...we'll get to work. I want to go to HQ and see the file," Bond said tightly, packing up what little bit he'd taken out of his luggage.

[quartermaster_q]

"Bond," Q sighed, looking exhausted by the mere thought of being dragged around for months on end.

Before he could say anything more, however, Bond's phone began to ring.

Assuming it was M, Q sighed, waving at Bond to take the call as he slunk off to the bathroom.

When Bond answered the call, he didn't have a chance to greet the caller. Terrance intended to dominate the conversation, and he did right from the moment they connected.

"You know it's rare I get to speak with people I respect," Terrance drawled. "But you, Mr. Bond- I like you."

[0_0_7]

"Funny, I was just thinking of how appalling you are," Bond said, his voice tight with restraint. "But I must have done something to upset you, Terrance. Did I run back too fast? You can't be far- can you see us packing?"

[quartermaster_q]

"I'd argue that you didn't run fast enough, double-o seven," Terrance purred. "You may pack. You may leave that awful little cottage- But if you remove him from London without my permission, Mr. Bond, I promise you that you will never see him alive again."

[0_0_7]

"I'm not about to negotiate with a terrorist," Bond said coldly. "He's not yours anymore. You've got no right to demand permissions."

He felt a strike of fear, knowing Terrance truly could kill Q, but he wasn't going to show his back.

[quartermaster_q]

"Then he will die- or become mine again. I suppose that will be his only choice in this whole affair. ...Or you could see reason. He is on loan to you, double-o seven. I am allowing you to play with my favourite toy, to use him a little while longer. Are you so proud that you'd throw that opportunity away?" Terrance asked.

[0_0_7]

Bond was quiet then, silent as the seconds ticked by. He was fuming but he kept himself in check.

"When it comes down to it he won't be yours anymore," he said coolly. "He belongs to England now."

[quartermaster_q]

Terrance laughed, a harsh and vicious sound. "Enough, enough. You make me laugh. He stays in London, James. I will only warn you once," Terrance said, hanging up.

Q emerged from the bathroom only moments later.

"What did M want?" he asked.

[0_0_7]

"We'll be staying in London," he said simply, but didn't say that it was M. Specifically didn't mention Terrence.

"But we'll be in a safe house. Neither yours nor mine has the security we need. He seems to be able to get to you anywhere. Under my nose. We need to be careful."

[quartermaster_q]

Q studied Bond for a long moment, wondering what M had said. The double-o looked ruffled- an unfamiliar sight.

"Alright," he nodded. "Are we still leaving this morning?" he asked, touching his cheek without meaning to, his fingers brushing over the cut.

[0_0_7]

"Yes, soon as we're packed. We'll get breakfast on the road," he said. He carried the tension in his shoulders, kept them square and straight as he began to make ready to go.

[quartermaster_q]

"What's happened?" Q asked, blunt and to the point- but already moving to start panting.

"Are you in trouble, double-o seven? Can I do something to help?"

[0_0_7]

"No. Yes...no," he said. His jaw was tight and his lips a hard thin line as he stopped to look at Q.

"That wasn't M. It was Terrance. He's playing a sadistic game and I'll not let him win it. He thinks he's clever, but he's not encountered anyone like me. If he had he'd know that certain threats only make me...murderous."

[quartermaster_q]

Q went a bit pale at that. He didn't like the idea of Terrance focusing on Bond. It made his pulse pound and stomach turn.

"We're getting new phones," he said quietly. "New everything. Give me your watch and your phone," he said, pulling out his laptop as he spoke.

He would wipe each and every device clean and leave them here. Once they returned to London, he'd spend a day locked in the lab, building each item again from scratch.

Only his hands would touch them. Only his code would be used. He'd make the bloody circuit boards from scratch if he had to.

[0_0_7]

Bond dutifully surrendered the tech. Then he moved around behind Q and rested a hand on his shoulder.

"He's chosen the wrong target," he said. "I don't care how clever he is. I'll not be taken out by some lunatic like that."

He'd faced plenty of lunatics- power mad and full of themselves. Bond had ended them all.

[quartermaster_q]

"I know- I know, Bond. I have faith in you, I'm only doing my part," he said, setting to work cleaning each device and leaving them in a pile. Useless and empty.

It took a while, but once he was finished, Q finished packing his things and nodded for Bond to lead the way to the car.

[0_0_7]

While Q had worked, Bond had gone out to the car. They'd disabled the government tracker, but there was still the matter of the GPS. Bond destroyed that, figuring they could go it the old fashioned way. They could buy a map.

Soon enough they were loaded up and ready to leave. It was when everything was in the boot that he took hold of Q and looked into his eyes.

"We will be victorious," he promised him. "Now let's go."

[quartermaster_q]

For one moment, Q truly believed that. One blissful and wonderful moment...

But Bond lied for a living, and Q swallowed hard as he climbed into the car and buckled his seatbelt.

"For now let's just get home in one piece," he said softly.