Disclaimer: Don't own Bond, and can't seem to put my muse on hold! I finally read Casino Royale, and loved it! This story is a combination of the book and the movie – hopefully it blends well…

The song referenced is "Snow White Queen" by Evanescence. I don't own that either, and am not making a profit by adding it to the story. No copyright infringement is intended. Honest!

Stoplight lock the door
Don't look back
Undress in the dark
And hide from you
All of you

James snuck silently into Vesper's room and closed the door softly. He had initially been excited when Vesper told him they were going to a sea-side inn as part of his recovery, but she had registered them in separate rooms. They hadn't made love since that day in the exam room, and she had been rather quiet all day. Following dinner there at the inn, Vesper had said she was tired and returned to her room – leaving James watching her window. The light had come on for a few minutes, and once the room went dark again, James had stood.

Now that he was there with her, he felt a slight hesitation – but the light lingering scent of her perfume drew him to the bed anyway. He removed his dinner jacket and shoes before slipping under the sheets, and wrapped an arm around her waist; spooning up behind her. He felt her shiver – with pleasure, he hoped – as he brushed the hair from her neck and ran his lips over her skin.

Vesper stirred in his arms, and rolled over to face him. He couldn't see her in the dark, but her cool hand reached up to caress his forehead and he sighed. Her lips found his and they drank each other in – his hands running across her back as she slowly undid his shirt.

You'll never know the way your words have haunted me
I can't believe you'd ask these things of me
you don't know me

Vesper stared at James, her incredulity carefully hidden.

"You love me?"

It took all her strength not to give in right then and tell him everything. She felt a lump rise in her throat as he kissed her again, laying her back in the sand.

I don't deserve him, she thought – forcing the pain further from the surface of her feelings. He can never know what I've done…

You belong to me
my snow white queen
there's nowhere to run, so lets just get it over
soon I know you'll see
you're just like me
don't scream anymore my love, cause all I want is you

As James waded near the beach, he reflected that he had never been so happy. It sounded so cliché, that he couldn't help but smile at himself. He had told Vesper that he meant to quit his job, and every day it sounded like a better idea. The only problem was how to tell M. He knew she would be furious, and almost wished he could do it in person, just to see the shocked look on her face. But he also knew that she was very persuasive and had a very short fuse. First she would try to change his mind, then the cold fury would emerge. That was the reason James enjoyed making her life hell. It was the only way to find humor in his job, though he would never tell M that. She would have him strung up by his thumbs. Or maybe his little fingers…

Thinking of Vesper, he smiled again and dove into the ocean for a nice long swim.

Wake up in a dream
frozen fear
all your hands on me
I can't scream

It was a Saturday, and Vesper found herself back at work. She was so dreadfully behind, and knew that her boss would have her head if all the accounts weren't balanced by Monday morning.

The next few hours crept by as she checked facts and figures against the balance sheets. She reached for her coffee, and noticed with regret that she was out again. For the 6th time that morning, in fact. She stood and stretched as she walked to the coffee pot. It too was empty. Of course, she thought rolling her eyes. She readied the machine, and stretched again as it began brewing. Well, I've got time for a trip to the loo, she thought, and set her mug down.

Walking through the deserted office, she thought of Terry. They had a date that night, and Vesper wanted to be sure she had plenty of time to get ready. As she stepped into the hall and veered toward the bathrooms, she saw a man leaning against the wall by the elevator. That's odd, she thought, then shrugged. Well, I can't be the only one who's behind on their work. Happens all the time, I'm sure.

Pushing open the bathroom door, she entered – and was just about to choose a stall – when she heard the door open again behind her. She turned around to find herself face to face with the man from the elevators. He had dark hair, swept to one side. His face was chiseled as if from granite, and a small predatory smile crossed his lips. He was dressed in jeans and a loose fitting shirt that did nothing to hide his toned physique. Vesper felt her stomach drop – a first taste of fear.

"Um," she murmured, her mind frozen, "I'll just…" she trailed off and moved for the exit, but he deftly stood before her, blocking her only avenue of escape. Vesper stuttered, "I… please…" Her thoughts jammed as he shook his head.

"This just isn't your lucky day," he said, his voice cold.

Vesper tried to scream, but found she couldn't breathe properly. There would be no one to hear her anyway, and the man knew it. She looked to the door again, and made a quick faint to the left before pushing past him on the right, but he didn't fall for it. Grabbing her by the shoulders, the man threw Vesper into the wall with such ease that her terror doubled. He's too strong for me! she thought wildly. Her eyes began madly scanning the room for a weapon as he advanced.

Suddenly, the bathroom door was thrown open, and Vesper watched as Terry ran in, breathless in his rush to save her. Vesper tried to calm her racing heart as her attacker turned to face her boyfriend. They stared each other down for a moment.

"Let her go," Terry said, his voice carrying authority and assurance.

"No," said the stranger. "I'm going to have a little fun with her."

"Over my dead body," Terry replied, his jaw and hands clenched.

The dark haired man reached into his pocket and pulled out a silenced gun. Without even a word of warning, he fired, hitting Terry directly in the heart. Vesper screamed as his body spun and hit the floor. Blood began pooling around Terry as the dark man re-holstered his weapon. "If you say so."

Vesper ran to Terry and crouched down beside him. She turned him over, hoping to see some remaining spark in his green eyes. But she gasped as she saw – they were blue.

"James!"

Vesper screamed and railed against the bed sheets that covered her. She was drenched in sweat and shaking uncontrollably. Strong arms grabbed her wrists and she struggled, the terror of her nightmare still upon her.

"Vesper, relax! It's me." She forced herself to stop moving and opened her eyes. James lay there next to her, his expression one of concern. "Are you alright?" In answer, Vesper curled into his bare chest and sobbed. "Hey," James said soothingly as he held her, "Its okay. It was just a bad dream."

She shook her head and cried harder – her guilt pouring from her eyes. He's dead. They've killed him. He's dead… While she didn't know this for a fact, it was as if her heart had already come to the conclusion. They wouldn't let Terry live, and they would probably kill her too, for good measure; all the loose ends cleaned up.

Ten minutes later, her breathing slowed, and she looked up at James. "I have to get out of here. I want to go somewhere else – anywhere. Please." Her eyes pleaded with him. Bond had a million questions, but kept silent. Now was not the time to ask. After a moment he nodded.

"Ever been to Venice?" he replied.

I can't escape the twisted way you think of me
I feel you in my dreams and I don't sleep

Vesper tried not to jump as her cell phone chirped. She had a message. Mr. White had told her they would make the exchange today, but she hoped he was delaying it again. He had already done so twice – though Vesper had no idea why. The constant changes had left her nerves shaky, but she didn't think James noticed. She was becoming good at hiding things from him, and it was killing her. I wonder if this is how it feels to lose your soul, she wondered idly. Now she understood why James was so willing to leave his job. This isn't living. The only time she felt anything was when she was in his arms, but then the guilt would well up again, destroying her illusion of happiness.

She picked up the phone to read, "You have thirty minutes."

"I'll be there in twenty," she replied. A lie to James rolled easily from her tongue, and she grabbed her purse, about to drop her cell phone in. She stopped, suddenly hesitant. Maybe she could get a message to James after all. While he got dressed, she typed an entry for him; Mr. White's name and phone number. He wouldn't need any more than that. She left the phone on the dresser and walked with him to the elevator.

You belong to me
my snow white queen
there's nowhere to run, so lets just get it over
soon I know you'll see
you're just like me
don't scream anymore my love, cause all I want is you

"Allow me," James whispered as this new villain threatened to kill Vesper. He still reeled from her betrayal. He had loved her. Somewhere in the back of his mind a question fought for his attention – but his rage drowned it out. He contemplated how easily Vesper had made his blood boil; first with passion, and now with anger. The part of him that wanted to hold her soft body was sinking fast into oblivion. James could almost feel his heart shrink as his thoughts raced.

Bond recognized that his emotions were getting in the way, and knew they could get him killed. One blink brought his focus where it belonged. I have to get the money back. He held his gun ready as he heard their retreating footsteps.

I can't save your life
though nothing I bleed for is more tormenting
I'm losing my mind and you just stand there and stare as my world divides

Bond slowly came to himself again. He was on the roof of the collapsed building. Looking down, he saw that he still held Vesper's cold body. He laid her down and his brow furrowed as he wiped trails of water from his face. His eyes and throat felt raw. Have I been crying? He glanced around him as he heard sirens. The Venice police will be here soon.

He stood, but could not leave the dead woman. His tried to convince himself that she meant nothing to him anymore. But you loved her! his heart raged against him. So, what? his mind countered. Even if I did, she's dead. I don't owe her anything.

In the end, the arrival of the police made the argument moot. Bond pulled his sopping identification from his trousers and asked if he could go back to his hotel room and change before answering their questions. Maybe they guessed that he had no intentions of reporting to the station, because they flatly refused his request. Bond resigned himself to spending the next few hours with the police and climbed quietly into one of the waiting boats. He didn't even turn around to see them loading Vesper's body into a long bag. His thoughts coldly told him that he didn't care, but his heart knew better. He couldn't stand to watch them closing her in that plastic prison – the sense of finality would be too much for him to handle.

As James looked aimlessly across the canal, something surfaced in his mind. It was the question he had buried earlier. Why would the man have threatened to kill Vesper if they were on the same side?

Bond's brow furrowed again for a moment before the coldness took over. It doesn't matter now. She's dead.

You belong to me
my snow white queen
there's nowhere to run, so lets just get it over
soon I know you'll see
you're just like me
don't scream anymore my love, cause all I want is you

They had released him three hours later, and Bond had gone directly back to his hotel room. He gathered all of Vesper's belongings together and shut them in a drawer. Then, grabbing a change of clothes, he retreated to the bathroom. Steam began to fill the room as he undressed, peeling the ruined clothes from his body. He glanced at the shower as a memory of the previous day burst into his mind.

The two of them stood together as James washed her hair. She insisted on returning the favor, but used too much shampoo. Soon, the shower floor slick with foam, they fell – laughing. James spotted the beginnings of a coy smile on Vesper's face as she reached for him…

Bond stepped in the shower alone. Images of Vesper ran through his thoughts as the water cascaded down his body. Turning his face into the spray, he found himself back at the elevator, struggling to open the doors as she choked. Shaking his head violently, he turned the cold water off, and gritted his teeth as hot water began to scald his skin. He surrendered to the pain, and ran a hand over his face.

It was good to feel something again.

The end!

Of this chapter at least. This one might have a sequel. I'm not sure yet.

What do you think? Reviews anyone? Pretty please?!

(And yes, I just made up the name of Vesper's boyfriend. I don't think we've ever heard what it is…)