M wasn't there when Bond woke up the following morning. Bond cautiously checked his apartment and was relieved to find that he was completely alone. The place was as bare and cold as it had been the day before, minus one dead employer. He knew that all he had needed was some sleep. Once he was satisfied that his brief conversation with a ghost was a onetime occurrence, he showered and dressed himself and headed off to MI6.

The first thing he saw when he opened the office door was Eve Monepenny. She looked up from her desk at the sound of Bond approaching.

"Bond. No one was expecting you."

"An important quality for a 00 Miss Moneypenny."

She rolled her eyes and smiled at him, "seriously. You should take a few more days."

"Is he in?"

Eve looked toward Mallory's office. She hesitated before looking back at Bond. She knew better than most that he could take care of himself through any problem. Hell, she'd shot him off of a bridge and seen him come back alive. She knew he would find his way back again, but she also knew that he wasn't there yet. She had seen his face when he had returned from Scotland and reported that both Silva and M were dead. There was a look in his eyes that she never wanted to see again.

"Bond, maybe now isn't the best time."

"Moneypenny, I can handle him."

"No doubt. But, there's no reason to push yourself."

"You don't get to be a 00 without pushing yourself Miss Moneypenny," Bond said as he walked passed her.

"Wait. I'll tell him you're here. Don't just go barging in there."

Bond gave her a small smile of thanks.

She smiled back as she entered Mallory's office. Bond took his moment alone to take a deep, steadying breath. He would gain nothing from taking time off. What he needed was to bury this, everything he was feeling. He needed to work. Just sitting around, letting her invade his thoughts over and over again, remembering her eyes turning to glass on the floor of that old chapel…that wasn't gonna help him. He'd make Mallory understand that.

Monepenny stepped back out of Mallory's office.

"All right. He'll see you."

"Thanks."

Mallory was seated at his desk, head buried in files. He didn't look up as Bond walked in. He didn't look up as Bond approached his desk. He didn't look up as Bond stared down at him.

"Is this your plan to get me to take time off? Let me stare at you until you say something, sir?"

At that, Mallory did glance up.

"I've already told you to take some time off, 007, my position has not changed."

"I can't just sit at home."

"Then go out. Take up a hobby. Just for a bit," Mallory said, dismissively.

"I'm useful out there," Bond insisted.

Mallory regarded him with sincerity. "I know that. And I know that you'll continue to be useful out there when you're ready. And you're not ready yet. If you ask me, you haven't been since you came back from the dead."

"I took care of Silva."

"After he took care of M."

It took everything in Bond not to react to that. As if he wouldn't have done anything to keep M alive. As if Mallory had any right to comment on the subject.

He kept his voice even as he replied, "worked out well enough for you, didn't it?"

Mallory's eyes went cold. "Watch your tone, Bond. Or you'll be lucky to ever see fieldwork again. Now, you have two options. You can either leave here now and take at least the rest of the week off, or I can have you escorted from the building permanently. I don't care which."

Both men stared each other down for a long time before Bond finally broke.

"Fine. I'll go."

Mallory nodded, "good. And Bond, this isn't a punishment."

Bond didn't respond as he left.

He paced around his flat for the hundredth time. He was restless and frustrated. He'd left MI6 two hours ago and already he was getting cabin fever. He could always travel or at least get out of the house, he knew. But, he knew it wasn't really the flat that was bothering him. He was trapped and no amount of space was going to set him free.

'Your prison is in here.'

He remembered when Camille had told him that so many years ago when he was angry and grieving for another lost life.

He finally stopped pacing and leaned against the wall. No, he wouldn't go there. He was in enough pain without digging up past tragedies.

"Oh, so you're back already are you?"

Bond jumped at the sudden voice. He turned around. M was there again. This time she was sitting on the couch, book in hand. His stomach dropped. This couldn't be happening again.

M looked up from her book, her eyebrow raised, "I take it the meeting with Mallory didn't go as planned."

There wasn't much in this world that could leave Bond speechless, but at that moment, he couldn't have spoken even if he'd had any clue what to say.

"I'm not so frightful, am I?"

Bond continued to stare at her.

"All right. Have a seat. I'll keep reading and you let me know when you're able to speak," said M, absently.

Bond did as he was told and sat down, partly so that he wouldn't fall down. He took a deep breath and focused on regaining his voice. He knew she wasn't there. He knew he was simply imagining her there. But, if his mind wanted her there, he could indulge it a little.