When they boarded the jet, 009 had seemed surprised to see Q waiting for them. Bond, however, was relieved and carried Moneypenny in and put her down gently on the jet's medical bed. Q was young, innovative, and intelligent. If anyone could find out what was wrong with her, it would be him.
"We'll be heading out shortly," Q spoke to Bond while 009 made his way up to help copilot. "It's good to see you back. M will be pleased."
Bond merely nodded and sat down beside Eve's still form. His gaze turned sorrowful as he contemplated her, quiet and seemingly asleep. She had been unresponsive since they had left Clyde and his dreadful clinic.
"Will you be able to tell me what's wrong with her?" Bond turned a suddenly severe blue gaze towards Q.
"I will." From behind them, a cold voice spoke up and the newcomer made her way from the cockpit to Eve. "I'm Doctor Williams. I'll be treating Miss Moneypenny." She checked Eve's pulse, and measured her blood pressure and Bond could not stand her slow calm. "Q came along to assist me. Now if you will, 007, move aside."
Q raised an eyebrow at her brashness and met Bond's gaze with an apologetic look. His blue eyes flashed and Bond stood, straightened to his full height to tower over the small doctor. In his exhaustion and worry and vexation, he could only think of all the ways he could... he sighed.. restrain himself. He stepped away and brushed off his shirt, looking away to quell his anger.
"Of course, Doctor."
When they arrived to London, they took her away quickly, an aggressive Dr. Williams leading the way off the jet. Q informed them softly that she was going to the nearest hospital and then hurried after the doctor. 009 turned to him and gave a sheepish smile, satisfied that the mission was over, they had their job and had done it well. But Bond couldn't return the smile, and instead watched after her, anguished and worried for her well-being even as he got into a dark car with 009 beside him, headed to MI6 Headquarters.
She had been taken from him. And now he was reminded that his work would take him far from her.
Time passed with little difference to Bond now. He had found an unexpected ally and perhaps partnership with 009. There were times when M assigned them both to a particularly nasty corner of the world and they would make it less threatening. Mission after mission, assignments and operations completed, and yet he had received no word from her.
As he had thought, as he spent time away from her, his morale slipped. His number of fatalities started rising, he spent more time half drunk than sober. He jumped, startled at anything, and once had even pulled his gun at 009, albeit sloppily from the alcohol coursing through his veins. He was starting to draw attention from 009, from Q, from M, and yet he still had not seen her.
But he wasn't a double-oh for nothing. Even with unwanted attention, they all thought he was just tired, that he smelled a bit of alcohol perhaps, but he could always convince them that he was, in fact, sober.
He was given time off, and he made it to his flat in one piece, sleeping what he could, raging at the empty space so devoid of life and color, drinking. Soon his trash bin was overflowing with beer cans, bottles of scotch, wine, whiskey, and he stopped being able to walk in a perfectly straight line. He fiddled with his gun, he played with knives, and kept drinking.
Until Eve showed up at his door.
He was suddenly glad he had taken a shower that morning after spilling oil all over himself in an attempt to make himself breakfast. He opened the door and there she was, a healthy glow to her beautiful smile. He would never admit he hadn't the faintest idea of how to react. He swallowed thickly and felt his throat tighten as he tried to speak.
"Hello." She was the one who broke the silence.
"Hello, come in." Finally, he could talk, and he opened the door wider to let her through.
"I'm sorry," she declined his invitation. "I have to check in with M not too long from now." She seemed nervous and held her hands together in front of her, a natural barrier between them.
"Oh." He leaned against the doorframe with crossed arms and was saddened when she shifted away from him and looked away.
"I have -" She tucked a stray curl behind her ear. "Thank you for - what happened in, I wouldn't be here..." She still wasn't looking up at him. Did she blame herself for what had happened?
He couldn't do it any more. All this time he had tried drinking the worry away, burdening himself with missions and distractions, but now here she was. Alive and well, and beautiful. He did have a soul, he was human, and he hadn't been able to save M or Vesper, but... That was the past.
Slowly, so as not to startle her, he reached out and took her chin, gently raising her head to meet her caramel eyes.
"I have put my life in your hands, and you've never failed me." He took her arms and gently pulled her to him.
"But that was-" A protest. Good. And she was finally looking into his eyes.
"That was not so long ago, love. And I thank you for what happened then." With that he leaned down, his gaze flickering from her eyes to her lips, before he was pressing his lips against hers and she had her hands on his chest, leaning into him.
Her lips were soft and yielding and she tasted of something sweet, as he took his time, slowly, softly kissing her, enjoying the feel of her in his arms, pressed against his body.
He would be damned before he let her leave him and he would go to immeasurable lengths to have her with him. He would do anything for her. For his lady.
She sighed into his mouth with contentment, and he smiled against her lips.
"Stay with me." He begged her and his lady smiled back at him.
AN: Oh, here we are, where I thought we'd never get. Thank you so much for reading this, and for the reviews. To me they were all the support I needed.