Where You Belong

Chapter 22

If anyone asked, what was one of the most awkward moments he had was eating dinner with Mrs. Jones. For one, he thought she would be the type of person that didn't eat at night, only drinking a cup of tea and the occasional cracker.

Perhaps Alex was right and the only reason she had cooked something was because Alex was there, teenagers had to eat, it was a known fact, so even a woman without kids would know. But even then, he would've thought she would order from some random restaurant. Maybe she was a health freak and didn't want to eat anything processed or with too much butter and oil, like Ian was.... And Yassen.

That name came as an afterthought, he didn't even know why he thought of him, and comparing him to Ian, like he was a good person.

He cleared his head; it was no use thinking about that.

"Everything OK, Alex" Mrs. Jones that had been ignoring him until now asked, Alex only nodded while drinking some cold water to numb his throat.

"Are you enjoying your dinner?" she continued.

"Yeah, I didn't know you could cook" he wasn't lying he really was enjoying his dinner it was surprisingly good, when Alex saw that Mrs. Jones was cooking, he was expecting some bland and dry piece of chicken, but not it was juicy and savoury, and for a moment he wondered where did the women learn how to cook.

"I'm glad you like it, it's not often I have someone to cook for" she said rather sadly he noticed, he never really thought of her lack of family, her only world was MI6, what a shitty life, even the cat looked miserable.

"Hmm, maybe you should quit the spy life and open a restaurant" he suggested putting some potatoes in his mouth.

Mrs. Jones let out a small smile while looking at her plate "if only was that simple" she said shaking his head. He knew what she meant, she was probably way too deep in this life, too many enemies formed, and with Blunt as her boss, good luck enjoying retirement.

Alex felt a little bad for her if it wasn't for the fact that she had part of the guilt dragging him to this life. He felt a cold dread, would he end up like her, alone in a flat when the only thing going on in his life was a job he never wanted, that if for some miracle he reached her age. Yeah, his future wasn't looking very bright right now.

Dinner didn't last much after and soon Alex was sitting on the couch watching the news with disinterest, it was painful how much Mrs. Jones was similar to Ian, maybe in a parallel reality they would have been a couple.

A meow was heard in the room making Alex look down to see Q looking at him expectantly, he smiled bending down to pet his head before putting him in his lap. The cat instantly lied down, making itself comfortable before closing his eyes while Alex continued to pet him.

Mrs. Jones look at him suspicious, "how do you make him like you like that. He never went to sleep in my lap."

Alex smirked looking at her, "I told you Mrs. Jones, food is the way into a cat's heart"

"You fed him? I told you he had an automatic feeder that gives him the recommended amount of food" she said.

"What is a cat if it isn't a little bit chunky, isn't that right Q" he said, surprised when the cat actually meowed in agreement "see, he gets it" he said grinning at her.

"Whatever I'm going to bed" Mrs. Jones said getting up presumably to go to bed, leaving Alex laughing to the clear display of jealousy.

"I think it's the best we also go to bed Q" he said getting up, taking the cat with him.

The next morning, he woke up cheerfully entering the kitchen with Mrs. Jones cat following him, smiling even more when Mrs. Jones saw that her cat had clearly replaced her "see the difference, Mrs. Jones?" he asked sitting down buttering a piece of toast.