It will probably be a story in two or three chapters :) No relationship for the moment but maybe later, who knows ?
Enjoy !
It was late in the night –or early in the morning at this point– but it wasn't a problem for the head of the MI6. Even if Gareth Mallory decided to go home now he would probably be unable to sleep, and even if he succeed it would only to be waking up by a nightmare. The most ridiculous part was that it was always the same, at the same place, with the same peoples and the same events. But it didn't change the fact that he couldn't stand to revive this again and again.
People always thought it was because those three months he spend as a captive of IRA, and it was true in a certain way –torture tended to do that to a man– but it wasn't the main reason. No, the worst was the smile of the one he considered like a brother and thought was his friend when they paid him for his treason.
After that the Lieutenant-Colonel even once he was rescued swore to himself to never trust anyone again. That was the main reason which pushed to leave the Herford's regiment in the North Ireland, how could he possibly face the ones that once were his friends and now he no longer believe in ? So he left, headed for England and immediately accepted when they proposed him a post as the new Chief of the Commission. It was a new start for him, nobody from his past, and nobody paying enough attention to him for wanting to be in his future. Perfect !
In the end nothing happened as he wished. The explosion of the MI6, Raoul Silva, the death of M … It wasn't supposed to be this way, he wasn't supposed to become the new head of the agency. So that's why he was actually stuck in his office at five in the morning to take care of the mess caused by Bond's recent mission. This man was the devil, he didn't give a shit about orders nor about Mallory who he judged not good enough to take the title 'M' after the woman did he care so much for. And Gareth didn't mind first, nor did he mind the cold looks of the other agents, the rudeness in Tanner's tone or the distance Eve had put between them.
She was an admirable woman and he understood the respect they had had for her, but he had hoped for at least a chance to make it right. The only one willing to respect him was the young Quartermaster, probably because he was in quite the same position. But in the end it didn't matter because Mallory didn't need friends, or anyone to look for him. Even if they appreciated him he couldn't trust the so…
It was 7 am when the first employees arrived, Moneypenny with them. As usual she entered in his office to prepare the files of the day but stopped abruptly in the doorframe. She looked startled to see him here so soon.
"Sir ? When did you arrived ? You were still here yesterday night when I left."
"It appears that I didn't see the time pass. I stayed here for the night to take care of few papers from the past week I forgot about."
"Well, maybe you should have save your strength sir, because 007 is back."
Oh goddammit, this could not end well.
"Thank you Miss Moneypenny, please let him know I need to see him."
"Yes sir, and… Sorry to ask but… Are you ok ?"
At this question Mallory raised his head from the papers in front of him and he only hoped he had been able to hide his surprise. It was the first time since age that someone asked him this question, usually they just didn't care.
"Yes, of course Miss Moneypenny, I'm fine. Please send me Bond."
"Yes sir." And with that she left, still looking a little bit trouble.
After that the meeting with 007 went as expected, that means like hell. For his defence the spy was sent in a little recognition's mission and ended tracking a cartel of drogue's dealer in Madrid, destroying half of the city. At the end it finished with Bond yelling at him that Mallory 'would never be her', 'didn't deserve the post', and finally 'didn't deserve his respect', before the agent stormed out of the office.
When Eve saw James so angry she stopped him. If no one really liked Mallory it was common knowledge that 007 almost hated him, and seeing the agent like that gave all the information needed to know.
"Listen James, I need to talk to you, Q and Tanner, so maybe we could go out and get a drink together, okay ? So that you can calm down."
"I don't know what you have in mind, but I won't refuse a drink right now."
And 30 minutes later they all were in a little bar, all four with a drink in front of them. It wasn't the first time they found themselves here, drinking together and gossiping about the life in MI6. But this time Eve had a very precise topic in head.
"Listen guys, it's about Mallory… He is not fine."
The three boys froze, and look at her for several seconds, without understood where this conversation was leading. Finally it was Bill who spoke the first, following by Q.
"Yes I know, he has lost weight and seems paler than usual."
"And he stays even more night at the office than me, and that's says a lot."
"And ? I mean, he is a bureaucrat, spending few nights at the office is the least he can do, no ? We already go in the field, we don't have to babysit him as well !"
James didn't understand. This man was a jerk, so why everybody should be worried for him ? Staying safe in his office was his job, even when agents like him were risking their life in the field. After all M did understand that when she was here.
"Oh come on ! When it was her if she seemed even a little bit stressed during the day you broke in her house the very same night to see if she was ok, and now you're saying me that for him it's normal. And you Bill you always took care she didn't miss any lunch, and for him nothing, because I'm pretty sur he didn't eat anything yesterday nor today. The only one with a decent behaviour had been Q.
Listen, honestly we can says that there is not a lot of people who actually like him and he is smart enough to see that. The thing is, earlier when I asked him if he was ok, he seemed to be so surprised that someone cared enough to asked him…"
A heavy and uncomfortable silence was now settled at the table, and the four of them were thinking about their behaviour with the head of the MI6 during these past few months. Tanner thought that maybe he had been a little bit cold whit his chief and James decided that maybe he had judge him a little bit too hard. After all the man had been in the field before and he had took a bullet for M before so…
"I think you need to know something else, he should absolutely not be aware of that and maybe I shouldn't talk to you about it, but I think it can help you to understand.
When they decided to name him as the new 'M' I have been looking in his file to know who we would have to work with, and… some parts were encrypted so, you know me, I dug a little bit deeper and… I found the reason why he had been a captive of IRA during three months."
"And what's the reason, Q ?" asked Tanner, knowing that the Quartermaster didn't to speak for nothing.
"Studying the reports taught me that he was very close to a man named Marc McMurray, they were always in the same missions and always cover each other back, and Mallory trusted him with his life. They were together in this mission, and the reason why their team had been capture is that there was a mole…"
"Marc McMurray…" whispered James, the knowing taste of the treason in his mouth.
"Yeah, it vas him. And in the psychologic evaluation after his rescue Mallory just declared that he wouldn't trust anyone again in his life."
So Tanner decided that he had been definitely too cold whit his chief and James accepted the fact that he had judge this man really too hard, Eve just wished she had reacted sooner. But it wasn't too late after all, maybe with some efforts from everyone they could make it right.
"Ok, so now this is officially over. Bill, you gonna take care of him like you used to do with the old M, James, you will stop being such an asshole with him, it would be a great start, and I will do what I need to do to see him a little more rested. Is everyone ok with this plan ?"
"Yes Ma'am !" The insolent boys replied, and with this new resolution they went back to the MI6.
It was 5 pm when Eve decided that it was enough for his boss, and she headed for his office with the firm intention to oblige him to go back home. But nothing in the life is easy and maybe it's why at 5 pm the M-Branch exploded.
I hope you have appreciated ! Sorry for the faults, I'm french and have no Beta ^^
Reviews are my drogues so please don't hesitate !