B is for Beguile
A flat somewhere in London
"Hmm, that feels nice" said the brunette and turned towards the man in the double bed.
The man was pressing small butterfly kisses all over her neck and back and now, since she had turned around, on her breasts and belly to.
"Sadly" he pressed a kiss to her neck
"I" than her collarbone,
"Got" her left breast,
"To" on to her right breast,
"Go" and finally her belly bottom.
"Oh James, can't you stay a little longer?" The brunette asked sweetly and pulled him up for a kiss.
"I'm afraid not. Those photos don't take themselves." He said and sat up and began dressing. It was still early, about 5.30 in the morning. Still dark outside.
"When can we meet again?" She asked while watching him dress, a practice she never got enough of, of seeing or the other way around for that matter.
"I should be back in a month or so if this job doesn't take any surprising turns." He said as a matter of fact.
"A month! Where are you shooting to be away for so long?" She asked surprised.
"Some outback town in the Australian desert. There is this crocodile the magazine a just dying to get a shot off." He said with a small smile on his lip and bent down to kiss her.
"I'll give you a call when I'm back and we can go out for dinner." He said and left.
Headquarters
"Don't touch that! It's my lunch!" Q exclaimed.
"Oh" Bond said "I thought it perhaps was a new gadget, an exploding sandwich perhaps." He continued while giving Q a mischievous look.
"You damn well know we don't make those idiotic things anymore!" Q said and turned back to his computer he had been working on when Bond came in to manhandle his lunch.
Bond though he heard Q continued to whispering under his breath "Flametrowing bagpipes, who in the world though up that - damn scots!"
"Was there anything you needed?" He finally asked Bond.
"I was told to come by and get my gear for my next mission." Bond stated.
"Oh right, slipped my mind in the presence of losing my lunch."
"Fred! Could you bring 007's equipment for the Outback Mission?" He asked a guy across the room.
"On my way Boss!" Fred the person in question said, and after taking a small detour around a cabin, he presented a tray on Q's desk and went back to his station with a thank you from Q.
"Now as always you're Walther PPK/S with palm print recognizer of course. And, well that's all." Q said.
Bond stared disbelieving down into the now empty tray after he had received his Walther.
"Not even a small radio, a fancy wristwatch perhaps?" He asked hopefully.
"There's really no need. You got your ear piece, there is a tracker in that and if you need the time - just ask."
"No need? Huh." Bond said in a mock defeating voice.
"If it's any comfort the contact your meeting with is a big hunting enthusiast, I'm sure he can lend you some interesting equipment, if you feel the need. He might even have a fancy hat for you." Q said trying to cheer up the agent.
Bond raised an eyebrow at that one.
"You know Q. I'm not feeling very appreciated here."
"Not my concern. Now, you got what you came for, shoo."
"I'm hurt, really." Bond said, holding his right hand over his heart, but went away nonetheless.
A couple of days later
"Hello brother, it's me Lyn, you know your only sister!" A high voice could be heard though Q's mobile.
"Sister you say? Don't recall having such a one." Q said bewildered, trying to hold out his amusement.
"Oh you, if anyone should be pulling that card it would be me! I hardly ever see you these days." She exclaimed.
"Work is a bit heavy at the moment." Q said.
"That's why I propose a Saturday out just the two of us! We can even swing by the Science Museum if you like; I hear there are some new displays." She lured.
"That does sound tempting." Q answered.
"But I'm not sure if I'm free Saturday. We have this big project going at the moment and I can't take a break before it's completed." He continued.
"Oh drat. Can't you just, I don't know, get all to do a bit of overtime so you can have it done before the weekend?" She asked a bit defeated.
"I would if it mattered, but this project rather depends on one person's completion on something, and well it's hard to determent when that objective is completed." He explained.
"All right listen I'll hold my Saturday free and if you find out you have the time, give me a ring or swing by the flat OK?"
"Sure let's do that. What kind of new exhibit did you say they had at the museum?" Q asked trying to sound indifferent.
"I didn't, you just have to come along to see! Bye now, love you." His sister exclaimed triumphantly.
"Love you too."
As it turned out Bond finished his objectives already on Thursday and was back in the country Friday, so Q had no problem going out with his sister on Saturday. Bond also beneficiated by his own early return, making him able to catch up on some of all his 'contacts' he hadn't seen in a while. A couple of weeks went by without any big missions and Q had time to both work on some of the old gadget designs and go over the security ones again and well Bond - he had his hands full of his so-called 'contacts'.
Headquarters
"Come have dinner with me."
"I beg your pardon." Q said into the phone.
"Your sister is asking you to please go have dinner with her." Q's sister said in a matter of fact voice.
"What's the catch?" Q asked skeptically, it wasn't often his sister invited him to dinner – the museum, yes, dinner, no.
"Nothing. Can't a big sister invite her little brother out ones in a while?" She said innocently.
"No."
"Grrr! Sometimes you are so cynical. All right if you must know I have problems with mom and I need your help!" She exclaimed.
"Ah ha! I knew there were some hidden agenda." Q erupted triumphantly.
"Does that mean you won't come?" She asked a bit nervously.
"No of course I'll come. Can't wait to hear what trouble you have found yourself in." He said gleefully.
"Ghesh thanks. The Amaya at eight?" She asked and continued. "I've already got us a table."
"Right. Amaya 8:00 pm." Q confirmed "That's a date." Q said and ended the call and got back to his work.
Headquarters later that day
"Q's got a date?" Bond asked Alice down in Q Division later when Q wasn't around. It had been the buzz of the day.
"Yes that was what Fred got from John, who heard it and apparently it's at Amaya, you know that really posh place near Knightsbridge?"
"I'm familiar with the place." Bond responded deep in thoughts.
"Did he perchance hear a name or a time?" Bond asked trying not to sound to interested.
Outside the Amaya
Bond stood outside Amaya at a quarter to seven, it was now a quarter past. Clearly John wasn't a reliable person. Bond had to talk to Q about that. At ten to eight Bond spotted a person he hadn't expected to see.
"James!" The brunette exclaimed.
"When did you come back? Shouldn't you still be in Australia?" She asked.
"Fortunately the job was easier than expected." He explained vague, meanwhile trying to figure out a plan of action.
"Are you meeting someone for dinner?" She asked.
"Well I…" Bond glanced at his watch, "I believe I've been stood up actually." He answered slyly.
"That can't be right!" She exclaimed. "You should come have dinner with my brother and me. He won't mind." She said cheerfully.
Bond was beginning to seriously doubt the details about Q's date, John in Q diversion had given him. He might as well enjoy himself - and who knows maybe he would catch a glimpse of Q and his mystery woman.
Inside the restaurant
"He should be here any moment now, he sometimes runs a little late I'm afraid, he takes the weirdest ways to a place sometimes."
Bond raised an eyebrow at that. The woman continued to tell a story about her brother involving this weird habit, but Bond hardly heard any off it only managing to say the appropriate replays when needed. Instead he was trying to see if Q had turned up in the restaurant.
They were sitting by a wall, Bonds back at the entrance, not a design of his. His companion had been quick to choose her seat, no doubt so she could keep an eye out for her brother, who frankly sounded a bit odd by the snippets Bond had manage to catch.
"Ben! There you are. Are you trying to torture me?!" She suddenly exclaimed raising up of her seat to greet him with a hug.
"Lyn you know me. Of course I was!" He said smiling walking towards her and into the embrace. Meanwhile Bond sat undiscovered with a stunned expression on his face. He had instantly recognised the voice and he had his confirmation when he saw the man hugging his… sister!
The two siblings untangle and turned toward the table. Lyn started to explain Bonds presence, but got cut short by her brother's exclamation.
"Bond?!"
"Quite right yes." Bond answered Q's rather high outcry with a smile on his lip.
"Oh, you two know each other, how funny." Lyn erupted sitting down on her seat again, gesticulating to Q to sit down on the third chair between her and Bond.
"Yes. What are you doing here?" Q asked of Bond giving him are questioning look.
Lyn answered before he had the change.
"I found him outside, apparently he got stood up, so I took pity of him and invited him to join us for dinner. You don't mind I hope? How do you two know each other anyway?" She asked, placing her hands on her cheeks and her elbows on the table leaning in, interested to hear the answer.
"Yes, Ben" James said emphasising the name his sister had used. "How do we know each other?" Bond said playing the ball to Q.
"Well through work of course." Q answered not knowing what his sister knew of Bond's work, but betting it to be the safest answer. How wrong.
"Really? I wouldn't think you had need of photographers at the ministry." His sister said.
Q gave Bond an evil look. A photographer, seriously?! "Well not that often, but occasionally we need documentation on various projects, sometimes involving pictures. We usually use freelance photographers for that. That's how we met. " Q answered trying to sound convincing.
"Really? I thought you mostly did nature shots James?"
Q quenched internally, but this time Bond came to his aide.
"That is my main focus these days yes, but when I'm in London between shoots I do freelance work for the government as Ben just stated." Bond said thereby confirming Q's story.
After the initially clearance of how they each knew each other, including a vague, but telling description of Bond's and Lyn's acquaintance, they ordered their food and talked about random things – Bond, of course, trying to get as many details about Q as possible out of his sister, as he now knew Lyn to be.
When it was time to leave Bond and Q went to get there overcoats, while Lyn popped out to the loo before leaving giving Bond and Q the first opportunity to talk to each other without her there. They were standing in a corridor slightly out of view from the main restaurant area.
Bond imaging Q had some questions, but he hadn't calculated with what was to come.
"What are you doing with my sister?" He said in an angry voice.
"Huh, I know it wasn't said plainly, but I thought it was quite obvious that even someone like you could figure it out." Bond said trying to keep a light atmosphere picking up on Q's tone. Not working.
"Don't joke with me!" Q said harshly, almost shouting. "Are you seriously about her or is she just another one of your many female acquaintances you keep all over the town? Because if she is you can stop seeing her, she deserves better then you!" He said bitterly, trying to keep his voice down.
"And what if she is? Is not as if I'm lying to her, we aren't exclusive, she knows I'm seeing other people!" Bond said, angry himself now.
"But she isn't right?! You are only going to hurt her, so BACK OFF!" Q said and pushed Bond hard in the chest away from him. Bond stumbled slightly, but was quick to regain balance and was pinning Q to the wall before he had a chance to do anything. He hold him fast by his shoulders.
"She is old enough to make her own choices!" He spat in Q's face, now quite close to him.
"She doesn't know who you are, what you are!" Q said looking furiously into Bonds eyes.
They were both breathing more heavily from the row they were having. Suddenly Bonds lips were on Q's kissing him hard, it felt like forever, but in reality only lasted a few seconds. Bond redrew from Q, who stood quite stunned leaning against the wall now Bond had let him go.
"Alright boys, I'm really sorry it took so long, just refreshing the makeup." Lyn said coming down the hall towards them.
"Anything wrong?" She asked when she noticed her brothers bewildered look. Bond who had been the first to regain his composure, answered Lyn.
"Not at all. We were merely discussing something related to work. Shall we?" He said and took hold off her coat to help her into it.
"Yes." She said and smiled up to him. She and Bond went first with Q following behind, having finally regain his motor functional abilities.
Outside the restaurant Lyn suggested they could go to a bar, but Q turned it down saying he had to work the following day. In reality he just wanted to get away from Bond. Lyn looked slightly over at Bond and then drew her brother slightly away from him to have a private word.
"The thing is, I really need to talk to you about this business with mom, but I haven't been able to see James in a reeeealy long time." She whined meanwhile sending him suggestive eyes to make him understand what she meant.
"So could we maybe meet tomorrow, lunch perhaps?" She was prepared to beg a little, but her brother was for once unusually quick to agree.
"Sure." Q said.
"Really? Great!" She kissed Q on the cheek, his second kiss this evening.
Q took a cap straight home for the first time in a long while.