Baby 00

Ch 2

Alec walked into Q branch with a bag slung over his shoulder, "Q." He greeted.

"006." Q nodded to the agent, "I expect you have my gear ready for return?"

Alec set the bag on Q's desk, "Have you seen Bond around? I need to talk to him."

"He left on a mission yesterday. Just before you got back from yours." Q explained, examining the gear from Alec's bag.

"Damn it." Alec cursed to himself. 

"He has been acting odd lately. Have you noticed?"

Alec nodded, thinking back to his incident with Bond the previous week, "Yeah. That's why I needed to talk to him."

"Well, it should be a quick mission. We would rather not have him further injured. But, as I'm sure you're well aware, it is rather difficult to keep him away from work for long." Q said, looking over all of devices Alec had returned, "Even if it is simple he will be required personal time upon returning."

"I'm well aware of all of that." Alec smirked, "Believe it or not Q, I have worked here for quite some time longer than you."

Q began retuning Alec's gear to each of their designated spots, "007 should have the mission completed by this evening. Although, knowing Bond, he won't be returning until the morning."

As expected Bond had completed his mission by the end of that evening. Q could see him straightening himself out, fixing his tie and smoothing his suit coat through the hacked cams.

"Well done, 007. I can book you a hotel room for the night if you would like." Q offered.

It was late. Later for James than for Q, two hours later. Likely too late for Bond to be able to pick up a lady from the hotel bar. Not that he felt up for that. His week stuck at home had gone painfully slow and he hadn't slept the night before. He rarely did on the first night of a mission.

"I wish to go back to England." His reply nearly startled the quartermaster. 

Q was certain in all his years working with 007 the agent had never once requested to return right after a mission, "Back to England? Tonight?"

"I wish to go back to England, Q." James repeated, tugging on the cuff of his sleeve, "Do not pay for a room. I will not be using it. I'll begin driving myself if you do not make arrangements."

"Very well. I will find you a flight, 007." Q said, "You should be back in time to return whatever you didn't destroy to me today." 

When James got on the plane he wanted nothing more than to curl up on his seat and fall asleep. He was tired. Very tired. But he didn't like sleeping while traveling all that much. He would always wake up with a weird crick in his neck, or with his body aching from the strange position.

Eventually sleep took him anyway. 

James woke with a jerk. The images of being bound and beat finally subsiding. He didn't scream. He rarely did after a nightmare. Screaming drew too much attention. Some part of his brain knew that and he bit down on his tongue when the nightmares came. Tossing and turning but never screaming.

James found himself desperate for a distraction, all he could think was the report on the mission. He wouldn't need it done until tomorrow but he had time left in his flight that he needed to kill and a distraction would be nice. He hardly noticed when his free hand made it's way up to his mouth. 

When he arrived nearly everyone had left for the night. They had likely done so hours ago. He would have to come by in the morning to drop of his files. James begrudgingly made his way to Q branch, finding it empty. Q's office it was. As promised, Q was still there.