A/N: This is an idea I've been thinking about for quite awhile. Basically it came about from some things I read about the James Bond franchise: One is that senior agents, aka those that have been around the longest, of the 00 division are 007, 008, and 011. The second is that 007 and 008 share an office together. The third is that while the books contend that 008 is male, the 007 tabletop roleplaying game implied that 008 may be female. With that in mind, I came up with the idea of a 008 named Samantha Stone(no real reason behind the name) whose friendship with James Bond is one based on a humorous if chaotic nature. This chapter is the first in a series of vignettes surrounding the two that I came up with.
There's no overarching plot and they take place up and down the Bond film timeline in no particular chronological order. I'll mostly have a note before most chapters about either what Bond film it precedes or follows or what Bond is supposed to be featured in it.
MI6, London, Great Britain: In a building filled with secrets, lies, intelligence, death, and more, psych evaluations were just a fact of life. If anyone knew this fact and hated it the most in that organization it was M, the head of MI6. He felt head shrinks belonged in sitting rooms talking to individuals with normal problems like hidden emotional complexes or marriage issues or anything else, not speaking with trained infiltrators who often doubled as assassins all in the service of queen and country. They were trained to know that their problems should be kept internal only to themselves and if they had any concerns about the work they were doing they were to speak with him and him only.
But this was out of his hands as the government demanded these evaluations lest a 00-Agent fly off the handle and cause problems in the agency. It had yet to happen and in M's mind in likely never would, but that was lost on the parliament and so here he was in yet another session speaking with some person whose name he'd forgotten about the agents under his direction.
"I'm sorry, you were saying?" he asked of the psychiatrist after realizing he'd zoned out with his reverie.
"I was just saying that the while the individual personalities of each person in this agency are important, so too are their interactions of those personalities with each other," the psychiatrist continued. "After all, while many in this organization often find themselves on prolonged missions in the field, this agency is in some ways a home to them, a safe haven of normalcy. And should there be sources of pleasantness or even contention here, it will affect the agents on their future missions and in normal everyday life outside of this agency."
"I suppose that makes sense," M reluctantly admitted since one of those sources of contention was sitting right across from him. "I do encourage our agents to be on good terms with their fellow agents."
"Yes and I commend you for that," the psychiatrist said in full agreement as they took out their notes. "And so I would like to discuss some of those agents' relationships with each other."
"Don't be ridiculous," said M cutting in immediately. "Our agents don't have relationships with each other, it's expressly forbidden under agency laws. Any that might, face immediate disciplinary action."
"My apologies, I mean friendships," the psychiatrist continued unperturbed. "At any rate, I was hoping we might start our discussion of two particular agents and how their friendship impacts this organization."
M had a feeling he knew where this conversation was going and he desperately wished they would talk about some other subject. "And which two agents would those be?" he asked in a vain hope that he was wrong.
"Agents 007, James Bond, and 008, Samantha Stone," the psychiatrist responded as M had to resist the urge to sigh.
"And what would you like to find out?" asked M dimly, knowing the psychiatrist was asking for more than they'd bargained for with that answer.
"Start at the beginning and we'll work our way from there," said the psychiatrist with a smile that M was sure had appeared on many enemies his agents had encountered over the years.
"Very well," said M verbally sighing this time. "It started many years ago when they first met…"
The early 1960s: It was the beginning of a time that would later be known as the swinging 60s in Great Britain, or so some would later claim, and while MI6 was not a business per se, things were still booming with the Cold War heating up between the United States and the Soviet Union with Great Britain seemingly caught in between the two powers, geographically speaking at least. With the world seemingly a hair trigger away from nuclear annihilation, it was up to the agency to stop any plots at home that the Soviet Union might have on her Majesty's Government and at the same time stop any possible plots abroad before the American's engaged in 'cowboy diplomacy' as they liked to call it.
As such, it was important that MI6 remained fully staffed and at the moment that was not the case. In the past few years, they had lost three decorated agents, 006, 007, and 008. 006 had been one of the few agents to live long enough until retirement, what happened to 007 was highly classified, and 008 had unfortunately met an untimely end on assignment. And after much searching, 007's position had finally been filled by a former member of the Royal Navy, Commander James Bond. Although still relatively new, the Agent had gone on several assignments already and been very successful at them. For that M was very relieved as he was helping shoulder the weight that would also have been carried by 006 and 008.
But at least part of that burden was going to be relieved as the agency had finally located and hired a new 00 agent to fill 008's missing slot. And since this new agent would also be relatively inexperienced as Bond was, that they might find some common ground with that. They'd better have some common ground since they'd be sharing the same office area together along with 006 once the agency filled that spot as well.
"Here we are," said M leading the new agent to the shared main office space that then branched off into the three individual offices for the 00 agents. As he entered, he noticed 007 sitting at his desk in the main area. When M had first shown Bond to his individual office in the back and informed the agent that the plan was to eventually hire a secretary to work in the main area, he had been surprised to find days later that Bond had pushed his desk into the main area and set up shop there.
When he had asked why, the agent had merely replied that it meant less time in coming to speak with him about important matters and that he was still using the office to store his things. M wondered if that response was legitimate or not, but as long as Bond remained productive, it wasn't his place to say otherwise. Ordering a new agent into his office for no real reason would likely be a source of strain between the two and M didn't want to see that happen over such a trivial matter and so the arrangement had continued.
How it would continue now that a newcomer would also be in the same general area was one M was interested in finding out.
"Sir is something the matter?" asked Bond concerned at this unexpected appearance of his boss. M shook his head and held up a disarming hand to calm the young agent.
"No, 007, in fact I have good news. We've finally hired a new agent to help fill this empty office space," he said pleased. "007, I'd like you to meet 008."
"Yes sir I'd be glad to meet hi-," began Bond and then he saw the young woman standing next to the head of MI6 and was briefly left speechless. It was not the appearance of the blonde-haired Caucasian young woman who was certainly attractive looking to anyone's eye, but rather that she was female.
"We are an equal opportunity employment agency," said M with a smile and then he turned to the new agent. "I trust there are no hard feelings."
The female agent shook her head to Bond's slight relief; after all, if she was to survive in this agency, she'd have to have thick skin. "No offense taken. I wouldn't have expected a female 00 in this organization either and yet here I am."
"And you are not the first female 00 or likely the last either," said M clapping his hands together. "Well I'd stay and continue introductions but I do have an organization to run and I can't stay for chitchat. You two can introduce yourselves on your own and 008 you can get acquainted with your new workspace. In the next few days we'll have a training regimen for you and various other orientations. Ms. Moneypenny will give you the details when they're finalized. Well, have fun you two because you'll certainly be seeing more of each other in the days to come."
And with that M was gone leaving the two 00 agents staring awkwardly at each other…and then 007 made the first move.
"Bond, James Bond," the agent introduced himself and offered a hand as 008 shifted her box of things in her hands and grasped it.
"Samantha Stone," the female agent replied as she looked around at the main area and that Bond's desk was out here.
"I suppose you're not the secretary as well," Stone commented lightly. Bond shook his head but otherwise offered no response to her statement as he wondered how this turn of events would change things for him in this office. He certainly believed in equality of the sexes, but to see this, a female Double O, with his very own eyes still came as a bit of a shock.
"So why out here?" asked 008 nodding her head at Bond's desk. Bond shrugged.
"No point sitting in a drab old office all day," he answered. 008 nodded her head and then looked around the room once more. Bond half-expected her to retreat to her office and not come back out for the rest of the day.
"You don't mind if I join you out here do you?" she asked with a question that surprised Bond.
"Might I ask why?" Bond inquired, genuinely curious. This time Stone shrugged lightly.
"I tend not to trust any location without an immediate escape route," she told her coworker. "Being in that office would mean one more room to go through in case something goes wrong. While I don't expect that to happen here, I'd rather not take that chance."
That answer really surprised Bond as that too was one of the main reasons he had moved his desk out here. Perhaps there was some element of commonality between the two agents.
"I'll just be a minute," said Stone heading for her office.
"Do you need assistance?" called out Bond after her as the agent entered into her room.
"No, but thank you for the offer," the female agent responded. And then the sound of wood scrapping against floor could be heard as 008 slowly pushed her desk out into the main area and set her things on it. A moment later and she had retrieved her chair and then set about putting her things away.
Without knowing what else to say and being unable to assist her, Bond simply sat down in silence and continued working and this silence permeated the rest of the day between the two agents. Neither knew much about the other as personal lives were rarely a topic of the day in their line of work and so they simply didn't know how to properly handle one another. They managed to exchange the occasional greeting and each answered the occasional question from the other but that was the extent of their interactions.
This general silence continued even to the point where 008 was assigned her first solo mission. To Bond's relief, after all good agents were hard to find, she returned from it unharmed and successful but aside from a brief congratulations from him that was it. It was this continued silence and seeming awkwardness between the two agents that forced M to intervene after the latest round of psych evaluations had expressed concern.
"Now listen up you two," said M reluctantly playing the part of parent to the two agents and not happy about it. "This agency is made up of many parts that while mainly operating independently also have to function as a cohesive unit. While I have yet to assign a mission that involves the two of you together, I may have to do so someday. If you two approach that mission as you are now, it may very well end in failure and I will not allow that. You two must be more communicative with each other or else I will take more drastic measures. Is that understood?"
"Yes sir," the two agents responded in unison as M nodded his head and then left. Both 00s knew M hadn't entirely come here of his own free will, but if he really didn't feel it was an issue then he wouldn't have come at all. But again the two agents didn't know what to do and so all they could do was sit in silence once more.
And then both looked at each other straight in the eyes as if for the first time and seemed to truly study each other and as if an invisible light switched on in their minds, both suddenly had an idea what to do. Whether it would work would be another matter.
"I was thinking about getting something to drink would you like something?" asked 008 curious. Bond wasn't sure where this was leading but he was willing to be game. Her leaving the room was integral to his plan.
"A can of cola would be nice," he agreed amicably and 008 nodded and left the room. As soon as she was gone, 007 stood up and headed over to her desk with a screwdriver in hand.
Shortly thereafter, Stone returned with the drinks and handed one to Bond who willingly accepted it.
"To the future," said Stone in a kind of toast. Bond tipped his can at her.
"To the future," he agreed and then opened it only to have it spray all over him leaving him dripping wet.
"What the-?" he asked slightly annoyed. 008 tried to repress a grin at his predicament.
"Sorry, James, I assumed you liked your soda like you like your martinis, shaken not stirred," the agent replied a little bemused. Bond wiped his face off with a towel and gave her an angry scowl.
"Just sit down," he ordered. Stone sighed inwardly; she'd tried at least in the only way she knew how. But it hadn't worked as Bond apparently had no sense of humor like she thought he might have and it had backfired. What would happen now was anyone's guess but M wouldn't be very happy.
And so 008 unhappily sat in her seat behind her desk…only to briefly cry out moments later as her chair collapsed from under her and she found herself unceremoniously dumped to the floor.
"What the-?" she commented confused in a fashion identical to Bond. From his desk, Bond briefly stood up and looked down at her.
"I always suspected you had a few screws loose," he commented wryly as he produced his screwdriver and tipped it at her. 008 looked at 007 with a mild state of shock as 007 regarded her with curiosity. And then both finally realized the position they were in and soon smiles splayed across their faces and then both broke out into genuine laughter.
M just happened to be walking past their office space again when he poked his head in at the new noise coming from the room. He could then only stare at having one of his agents covered in soda and the other in a heap on the floor. Shaking his head lightly to himself, the head of MI6 continued on unnoticed by the two laughing individuals and continued on his way, at least a little grateful that the two had finally managed to break the ice between them.
Present Day: "Of course if I'd known how that friendship would impact this organization, I wonder if I wouldn't be happier had they always been awkwardly silent around the other," M concluded ruefully.