Q

[0_0_7]

[From here]

"I've been told I'm very good company," he replied, softening around the edges as he did around Q- and only around Q. Only the young quartermaster got to see this side of Bond.

He began to walk backward slowly, leading Q to the bedroom so they could undress and Bond could take him into the shower.

Comments

[0_0_7]

Bond followed along dutifully, a hound at Q's heel. At the door he took out his gun.

"Unlock it, but let me go in first," he said and then waited for Q to let him in.

[quartermaster_q]

"Just try not to shoot the tech please," Q replied, using a hidden retina scanner, then pressing his thumb against the doorknob to let it check his print.

The lock popped with a loud click, ad Q stepped back and out of the way.

[0_0_7]

Bond pushed in, gun ready, and he scanned the room. There were lights on and monitors too. But there was no sign of life. Not now. A pizza box gave away that someone has been here not long ago.

"Clear," he finally called.

[quartermaster_q]

Wandering in, Q looked around, taking everything in- then biting his lip as he remembered something. "I was here yesterday, I came to meet an old contact... He was afraid someone was looking for him, so I offered him my safe room."

[0_0_7]

"The German from the pictures?" Bond pressed as he slipped his gun back into the holster.

"Or someone else? Someone the man might have been after?"

[quartermaster_q]

"Someone else," Q said softly, raking his fingers through his hair. "We were here, talking... I wish I could remember about what."

[0_0_7]

Bond eased up behind him and touched his back lightly.

"I do know how hard this is," he said. "Who was it? If not a name...something?"

[quartermaster_q]

"I don't know his real name, only his online handle," Q admitted. "He's been off the grid for ages..."

[0_0_7]

"Someone you could find? Or should we put our boys on his trail...no, that wouldn't do any good, would it? Not if he's been off the grid..."

[quartermaster_q]

"I can log in and see if he's been online..." Q suggested, though he didn't sound hopeful.

[0_0_7]

"Good idea. And maybe you can do your wizardry with the cctv?" Bond suggested. "You might spot him at the tube platform back there."

He, on the other hand, sounded quite hopeful.

[quartermaster_q]

"Perhaps," Q nodded, moving to sit down at the terminal, and beginning to tap away, even though he looked exhausted and was struggling to sit upright.

[0_0_7]

Bond could see Q was tired, flagging, and he did understand. But he was merciless. The Quartermaster might not be cut out for the field but he was in it now and Bond felt they needed to press on.

He walked closer and stood beside Q with his hands in his pockets.

"Anything yet?" he asked.

[quartermaster_q]

"No, and you looming over me isn't going to speed up the process," Q snapped quietly.

[0_0_7]

"Of course. I'm sorry," Bond said and took a step back so he wasn't breathing down Q's neck. "I just wanted to see."

Which wasn't exactly true. He was more than eager for a mission and waiting for a command was like torture.

[quartermaster_q]

Q rubbed his face, dislodging his glasses for a moment as he sighed and tried to pull himself together.

"I'm sorry, I'm trying, I really am, Bond. I just need a moment."

[0_0_7]

Bond walked closer then and tested his hand on Q's shoulder.

"A moment," he said, then pulled at the man to get him to lean back against him and take some comfort. "And then you have to press on. Only you can do it."

[quartermaster_q]

"I'm not supposed to be working on this at all, Bond," Q protested as he leaned back against the double-o, and it was clear his exhaustion was getting the best of him.

"I'm not like you, I can't just push through it. I'm not built that way."

[0_0_7]

Bond found his compassion then.

"Let me take over. Lay down on the bed. I'll fumble through," he assured him.

[quartermaster_q]

Q was quiet for a moment, then nodded.

Bond may not have been quite on Q's level, but the man was talented- He'd managed before Q had joined six, and he'd very possibly be there once Q finally left.

He scribbled down the enkryption keys most likely in use, then the username Bond would be searching for.

"Don't be shocked if he doesn't turn up- There's a good chance I'm the one who helped him vanish. ...And I'm very good at helping people disappear."

[0_0_7]

"I understand. Now go and get some rest," he said, switching places with the younger man. When he had the controls he began to type and read, scanning sites, digging through code he understood well enough, and searching. Cameras. Databases. Facial recognition.

And as Q predicted, he found nothing. Not almost nothing. Absolutely nothing. Not even a bread crumb.

Bond believed then that Q had definitely helped the man disappear. No one else could be so thorough.

[quartermaster_q]

Q had stripped down to his pants, and was curled up on the small bed in the corner. He was stretched out, but not quite asleep, and he opened one eye to study Bond.

"No sign of him?" he guessed. "Well, that's just one more mystery to solve then," he sighed.

[0_0_7]

Bond had thought Q had drifted off but if he was startled it didn't show.

"No sign at all. An absolute lack of sign, in fact. It's quite well done," he said, finally turning in the chair to look at Q.

"Trouble sleeping?"

[quartermaster_q]

"I'm exhausted, but I can't seem to switch off," Q confessed quietly. "I don't like knowing there's something I can't recall. ...I don't like not knowing things."

[0_0_7]

Bond didn't like feeling he hadn't finished the job and yet he turned his back on the computer and left it behind. He stripped down to pants and slipped into bed with Q.

"It's maddening, I know," he said softly. "But you need some rest. So let me hold you, hm? And sleep."