Title – Through An Earpiece
Author – Moonbeam
Summary – A collection of four conversations between Bond and Q while Bond is out on missions.
Rating – General
Disclaimer – I don't own anything, but oh the fun that could be had if I did.
Warnings – Nope
Author's Notes – Written for Joanne_c and the Not Prime Time 2014 challenge.
This was such a good thing, I've been sick the last few days but it gave me something else to focus on. I really enjoyed this prompt, so I really hope you like it too.
This also gave me the opportunity to play with Q having a cat. Such fun.

Through An Earpiece
by Moonbeam

/ / / Marrakesh \ \ \

Q's tea grew cold next to him as his fingers flew over the keyboard in front of him.

"Q…"

"I am working as quickly as I can, Bond. Perhaps next time you could refrain from hitting on the terrorist."

"I didn't know she was a terrorist."

Q was silent and judgemental as he finally located the information he needed. "Three stalls in front on you, take a left and two rights. There will be a blue door – basement access to tunnels leading out of the city."

Q heard a gunshot down the line and his breath caught before Bond swore, there was a loud bang and silence. He knew not to say anything – not to give anything away while he counted the seconds.

"I do not blend in down here, Q."

Q let out a breath and shook his head at the screens in front of him. "Then, please, take some time to change your outfit."

"I always wear a suit, Q, you should know that."

"Yes, we all know about your sartorial choices, Bond. I have a question – were you shot?"

"Just a flesh wound."

Q rolled his eyes. "That tunnel will bring you out a kilometre from the meeting place."

"Had it in your back pocket all along."

"My back pockets aren't big enough for you, Bond."

Q drank his cold tea and listened to the silence on the other end of the line. Bond would be silent unless he needed help.

/ / / Vancouver \ \ \

Q could hear Bond talking to someone but he let it wash over him – knowing from the tone of Bond's voice it wasn't important.

"Have you ever been to Vancouver, Q?" Bond asked, some time later.

"No." Q answered automatically, not sure why Bond was asking.

"It's nice."

Q froze and started at the screen in front of him. Nice?

"I see the target," Bond said, voice changing.

Q switched gears with a swiftness that had to be learned and looked at his team. They began typing madly while the line went quiet for a few long minutes and they tracked every camera they could find in Bond's vicinity.

"We're going on a train?" Bond asked, though he wasn't talking to any of the people in the room.

Q looked over at Quinn, not her real name, and raised an eyebrow.

"Main St Station, Expo Line, has transfers to three other lines."

The conversation between Bond and the contact continued and they monitored 007 as closely as they could.

"They are exiting at Royal Oak," Quinn informed him.

"I have cameras on the exit," Quade, another of Q's staff said.

"And either side of the street," Quenby threw in.

"We're not coming up," Bond whispered and Q sighed.

"I'm chasing down old blueprints of the railway system," Q said quietly.

Bond never responded and they lost their link to his comms moments later.

"There is a fifty per cent chance he took his ear piece out," Q said, with a sigh. Everyone nodded and settled in to chasing James Bond down.

They searched for him for over two hours before he came back online.

"Q, I have the information, find me the drop."

Q didn't get a chance to be glad he wouldn't have to place 007 on the Missing Board again as they directed him back to the drop off.

"The target was actually the contact," Bond explained as he strolled along to Q's directions. "Though we need to work on these units working underground."

"We need to…" Q faded off. "When you take yours out half the time? Now, you want us to have better ear mics?"

"I don't take my comms out when you're on the other end," Bond said laughing.

Q glared at the only thing available, the screen showing Bond's tracking chip.

/ / / Schaan \ \ \

"You need to go to the church," Q said, dunking his teabag.

"Which church?" Bond asked. "There are several."

"The tallest spire you can see." Q rolled his eyes – Bond was down the street from the church as Q had been directing him there for the last ten minutes. This wasn't even supposed to be a part of Q's job – tech and computers that was his thing but Bond was unique; always had been.

"St. Laurentius Parish Church?"

"That's it," Q said, tapping away at another screen while Bond continued walking.

"Are you ignoring me, Q?"

"I have other things to focus on," Q explained. "While you are walking down a safe street to meet a person known to you I think I'll also recode the firewall."

"He's not an ally."

"When was the last time he tried to shoot you?"

"A year ago. The last time he did shoot me was three years before that though."

"If he's managed to refrain from shooting you for four years I think he's as close to an ally as you have, Bond."

"You've never tried to shoot me."

Q laughed. "I'm no good with a gun. Have you noticed that your credit card won't work until the second try after you've annoyed me? Or that your internet doesn't always work."

"Are you the reason I can never get good reception on a rugby game against Australia?" Bond asked, annoyance colouring his voice.

"You should be nicer to Q Branch."

Bond laughed. "I see my contact. Keep an ear out, Q, if you can tear yourself away from your firewall."

"It keeps you safe too, Bond."

"My gun keeps me safe."

"Old fashioned, Bond, very old fashioned."

The line went quiet while Bond had his meeting and Q worked his way through his code. The meeting went well and Q's earpiece went silent while Bond made his way back to London.

/ / / Perth \ \ \

"Why would an arms dealer be here? It's not connected to anything."

"It's connected to an international arms dealer," Q pointed out.

"Why? It makes no sense – if you were going to be somewhere in Australia why Perth?"

"Because it is the last place you'd think to look?"

"It certainly is."

Q expected the line to fall quiet while Bond navigated Kings Park but Bond kept talking.

"I have to tell you, this is my first time in this part of Australia."

"What do you think?"

"It's hot."

"It's summer," Q pointed out, running a diagnostic on some systems casually while he chatted to Bond.

"It should be winter."

"Shall I explain how the hemispheres, the Earth's tilt and the sun make the seasons?" Q asked with a smirk.

"No need, I think I worked it out."

"Are you sure? English people have a history of not understanding that."

"I'm Scottish."

Q laughed.

"Besides, the English just wanted to get rid of the convicts."

"That's not true."

Q could almost see the smirk on Bond's face.

"I'm at the spiral."

"DNA Tower."

"Spiral."

Q rolled his eyes. "Is there anyone else there?"

"People are running up and down the spiral."

"Does anyone stand out?"

There was silence and Q assumed that Bond was doing his work so he set himself to working on the diagnostic.

"Done," Bond said stoically almost an hour later, startling Q away from his work.

"Can you find your way back to the meeting spot?"

"How's that cat of yours?" Bond replied instead of answering.

"He's not mine; you let him into my apartment."

"You cut my television out and there was rugby on."

"You insulted Quenda."

"She's named after a marsupial."

"She's a member of the Q Branch. There aren't that many Q names."

Q hit the button on his desk which transferred Bond to someone else even though he knew he'd end up with a secret agent on his couch at some point on the weekend. Magnet would be happy though.

The End