Music In The Night
The music weaved in and out of focus as Bond holds M's head close to his heart. How she managed to get entangled in his arms seems a mystery. The way her mind is currently floating to the music it just feels right.
M closes her eyes to the spinning sensation. She can no longer feel the pain in her head and chest from her emotional breakdown. The wine has numbed her mind and body and she is quite sure she has been smiling an insufferable amount of time.
James Bond told her that he loved her!
The thoughts running through her head are jumbled and confused, by the alcohol and her shock of his admission.
What! Why? How did this happen? This is so very wrong, but then why can she not stop smiling?
They are outside on a rooftop garden. M cannot even remember how they came to be here. The view and the dimly strung lights around a solitary bistro table create the most romantic of ambiances.
The warm summer sky is clear and some of the stars are even visible through the deluge of London's lights.
But why? It loops through her brain as her ear rests just above his pounding heart.
How did this happen?
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
36 hours previous...sometime around noon:
"Tanner bring me that report! Q do you have 007's location? Moneypenny, water please."
The lot of them move about the large display table in command. The glowing figures in red are satellite heat signatures.
One of those figures is Bond. The others, a nasty bunch of terrorists in a dilapidated warehouse in Brussels.
The mission popped up suddenly and is to prevent the bombing of European Parliament.
"Back up is still 20 minutes out M!" Q yells from his headset covering his ears.
"Where in bloody hell is the CIA when you need them!" M exclaims.
"They said they were in the area, ma'am. No other specifics. Tanner adds handing her the files on the terrorists.
"What is going on? Q?"
The lights are converging and Q begins yelling to 007 telling him where to turn.
"Q get him out of there and have him wait for backup!" M yells at the poor man as he stutters to do what M has commanded.
Some of the glowing representations of M are closing in on him and hand to hand combat begins. Q yells into the headset and then pulls it off his head fuming mad, and tosses it in the corner.
"What is it?" Tanner asks.
"The bloody headset went dead!"
"How?" M asks.
"Someone hit him in the head M. Tanner, Moneypenny, could I please have a moment alone with M?"
The two nod and leave them alone in the room.
"What is it Q?"
"007's last message was for you. I do not think you want anyone else to hear it."
"Well, what is it?"
"Tell M that I love her and always have...if I don't get out of this alive Q. That is what he said and I yelled at him to leave like you ordered."
"That is insane Q." M says through gritted teeth as they watch the screen again. The dots of light are dancing in a dizzying array around what is the main floor of the warehouse.
"He said you would say that, the last part that came through was...I know the stubborn old bitch won't believe you but it is the truest thing I have ever spoken."
M begins to laugh for a moment, almost hysterically as she watches the display further. Her mind reeling from the information Q just gave her. Q moves to the door to allow Tanner and Moneypenny back in the command centre.
M collects herself and continues forcing herself to watch the possible end of James Bond. The lights all seem to blur together in M's vision as her heart rate increases. Watching and desperately hoping he makes it. Like all the other times he's been in situations like this...like Skyfall.
M realized that their relationship changed those fateful days and hours when all hope was lost but to divert Silva to Scotland.
The way James fought, the way he held her as she was losing consciousness. It was as if she were his...lover.
Before M nearly slipped beyond the veil she could feel wet drops on her face. James Bond was crying over her. Some of the drops were ice cold, from the water he was deep in before killing Silva. However, even in the dimming of her consciousness M could feel that some of the drops were hot.
M remembers waking on and off in hospital and feeling a strong calloused hand in hers. She would slip away again but she told herself it was James. There were times it was different and others came to sit by her but mostly she felt James' presence.
James Bond is never to know how she feels about him. It is unprofessional but if he survives this...after his message to her in his last moments, M will find a way to say the same.
The table lights up in a flash and then nothing.
"WHAT! What happened? Q?"
"The bomb M. It exploded. The satellite is moving out of range. The team is almost there, they radioed in the explosion."
"Tell them to find Bond! Now!"
Tanner and Moneypenny move to M's side. She notices that they are holding her arms tightly against them suddenly...why...the room...the lights...spinning…
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Bond returns to MI6 the next day. Medical cleared him and he got cleaned up and changing into the spare clothes he keeps at work.
Normally Bond would have gone directly to M's flat, but after hearing what happened at work, he headed home to check first.
While in medical Q, Tanner and Moneypenny told him of M's collapse at work. Tanner sent her home with her driver. Tanner instructed her to take the day off and they had not heard from her since.
Q hung back to speak with 007 as Eve and Tanner left to continue work. "Bond I gave her your message...the one you gave me through the comm before the explosion."
"What did she say Q?"
"She was just shocked. However, she did manage to say that it was insane. I happen to know by her mobile that she had the driver take her to your flat yesterday, and that she has not left since."
"Thank you Q. I will go find out how she is doing." Bond says with a smirk.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
When Bond arrives at his flat it's six in the evening. He silently creeps in to see a bloody mess. Tissues strewn about the floor and three empty bottles of beer, a bottle of wine and an near empty bottle of whisky.
As Bond creeps further into the room, the lump of blanket on his sofa that he thought was just a blanket, moves and moans.
Bond freezes. James...how could *moan* you leave...before...before I could…*moan*.
M rolls over and James waits until he hears her faint snoring, to move. Bond moves back out the door with the bag from the restaurant and makes his way upstairs to the roof.
Bond sets up the roof and sneaks back down to get plates and glasses for wine and food.
When he returns M is gone. Panic races through him until he makes his way down the hall and hears her in the bath. He gathers the rest of his supplies and heads to the roof.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
M moves to Bond's bed after putting on one of his blue dress shirts to sleep in. She slides into his bed and falls back to sleep. All she has done since yesterday is cry herself to sleep over him.
How could this affect her this badly...she wipes a fresh batch of tears from her eyes and pulls Bond's pillow to her chest. She buries her tear stained face into the soft smell of him.
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Bond moves to the open door of the room and listens to M talk to herself or the ghost of him. James is moved by her emotions and the way she grasps at his pillow.
The food will go cold soon but he is so hesitant to wake her. M has dark circles under her eyes and it is obvious that she has spent a good deal of her time here drinking his booze and crying over him like a lovesick teenager.
Bond feels strangely elated that M is crying over him. That he means something to her after all these years of wishing it were true.
Bond brushes some hair gently away from her brow. The disturbance causes her to roll over to face him.
Bond crouches beside her and gently touches his lips to hers.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
M is dreaming of a kiss. It is pleasant and warming and oh so very sweet at first. Her dreams swirl to her early married life. Her husband's kiss, but this is not her husband's kiss.
The kiss becomes more passionate and she thinks she just moaned. It is disjointed as she realizes through the shroud of tears and haze of alcohol that it reminds her of James.
M has never kissed Bond, that would be too unprofessional. His scent invades her nose from the pillow and...wait...the kiss is amplifying, there is pressure and a tongue tracing her lips. M is really being kissed!
M's eyes flash open as the perpetrator pulls away suddenly and that damn smirk is on his bloody handsome face.
"How? Is this real?"
Bond grabs M's hand that was reaching out and tracing his face. He turns her palm to him and kisses it and then bites her thumb.
"Ouch! What the hell was that for?"
"To prove that this is not a dream and to get your fighting angry. Have I ever told you how incredibly sexy you are when you're angry?"
Bond covers her mouth with his again. It is only because they need to breath that they separate. M's anger dissipates into the joy of reunion.
"M get dressed, I have a surprise for you."
M looks down at herself and blushes as she realized she is just wearing his shirt. Bond moves to his drawers.
"On second thought. I want you to wear these."
Bond moves towards her with a pair of woven boxer shorts and a navy blue loosened tie. He hands her the boxers and she slides them on while he puts the ties over her head and leaves it hanging loosely over her cleavage.
"Bond I am not going out in public like this am I?"
"No...I will not share you looking like this M."
M moves to button the shirt more considering she is not wearing anything underneath, but Bond stops her hand and kisses her again pulling her up against him by the loose neck tie.
If Bond does not get her to the surprise soon he will not be able to leave this room. M in a bedroom wearing his clothing is his complete undoing.
M pulls away shyly not saying much. It is as if she is walking in a dream state, still. She cannot believe any of this is happening, but she prays to every god she knows that it is.
M's internal struggle is gone, in her absolute joy that he lives and managed to escape unharmed.
"How are you here?"
"Come, I will tell you over dinner."
Bond takes her small hand in his and guides her out of the flat and up to the roof.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
M is dancing on the rooftop of Bond's flat in nothing but his clothing. The meal was delicious and surprisingly still warm. The wine was good and his eyes as blue as she had long ago committed to memory.
"M...you believe me now don't you?"
"Yes. I do. I have no idea why I do, but that you dying changed something in me. I don't care about the ramifications. I only care about now. Right this instant and twirling around on this rooftop with you."
Bond smiles and tilts her face up to his. They pause to look into each other's eyes. Bond kisses her gently again. When the music stops they pause not wanting it to end.
"I will help you gather the dishes."
"M I would rather you come to bed with me."
M pauses and looks at him. Can she let it go this far this fast? "I want you to hold me tonight James. I am not looking for a new lover...yet."
Bond hugs her to him. "I understand. You have been through the ringer since he died."
"Yes and no, that is not what this is about. I need to see how we can fit into each other's life now, and if that is actually what you want."
Bond traces her face with his fingers sending shivers down her spine.
"Oh M...it is what I want...it is what I have always wanted with you."
They kiss again as M's arms reach up behind his neck as she pulls him closer. One of Bond's hands grasps at her behind and squeezes. M begins to laugh and pull away.
"We need to stop before this gets out of hand."
"But M, I am always at my best when things get out of hand."
"I will be the judge of that, but not now."
Bond places small kisses all over her face and down her neck to her collar bone. In between kisses he murmurs, "when M?"
M is lost in what his mouth is doing to her as he pulls his shirt over her shoulder so he can put his lips there. "Soon. I need to...to...think...this through...more."
"More?" Bond kisses the side of her mouth and moves to her ear to whisper, "I'm trying for more right now my love."
"James. You know what I mean."
"Yes and I also know you will think this to death and make me take weeks of cold showers. M, my stubborn love."
M laughs, "that is hardly the best line of seduction you have managed this evening 007."
Bond pulls away looking very serious for a moment. "You will never get lines of seduction from me. I will never use lines on you because with you it is not just a tumble in the sheets. You will be so much more than I had ever hoped for."
"James I am tired and I feel like snuggling with you so let's clean this up and go to bed."
"Do you always have to be so practical about everything?"
"Yes, this is how I am. Then again, how practical is it that I am standing on a roof in only boxer shorts and your shirt?"
Bond smiles and pulls her into another kiss. "I like you in my clothes. I hope you keep the shirt, it matches your eyes. You can have it and always sleep in it if you wish, and now you can hug me to your chest rather than my pillow."
"Fine, but I do hope you don't snore Bond."
"I wouldn't dream of it M."
"Good. See that you don't!"
"Yes Ma'am!"
The end.