"The burn is quite severe, I am afraid to say."

Bond stood in the middle of the corridor, his arms folded across his chest and his fingers massaging his chin. He stood still, watching as the specialist consultant continued to read from his clipboard. James peered over his shoulder for a moment, looking into Alison's room as his daughter slept soundly.

"She's been given a tetanus booster shot because the wound is quite open, which means that it is prone to infection. We've dressed the wound and she is breathing steadily after going into shock. Thankfully we didn't need to take her into surgery for a skin graft. You managed to stop the burning from doing a lot more damage. You must have acted quickly."

"Yes," James said, "just not soon enough."

"But you stopped a lot of damage," the doctor promised James. "There will be a scar, and her leg won't look normal again. We'll keep her in for two days, and after that she needs rest and to make sure she changes the bandage."

"Of course," James nodded. "But...she'll be okay?"

"The nerves in her leg may be damaged, but I'm hoping that they won't be," the doctor said. "Apart from that, there is nothing more to it."

"Thank you," James said and he moved into his daughter's room and took his seat in the chair next to her bed. He knew full well what he had to do. He had to call her mother. He could only assume how horrific that would be.

...

"How could you let this happen?" Maria Holmes snapped as soon as she saw James at the end of the corridor. A tall dark haired man walked next to her as she shrugged her shoulders, her arms stretched out by her sides as she glowered at him.

"I didn't ask for this to happen, Maria," James said to her.

He'd managed to lie to her about Alison's accident. He'd discussed it with his daughter, and he still felt bad about lying to her. He hadn't said anything more on the matter. Alison told him that it would be for the best if he lied, considering that Maria would never let Alison see him again if the truth was told.

"You took her to Scotland without my permission," Maria hissed, bringing her bag further onto her shoulder. "And then someone sets fire to your house...and now my daughter is in hospital with a burn to her leg."

"She's safe now," James replied, shaking his head back and forth. "She is a twenty year old woman, Maria. She can make her own decisions without your permission."

"Maria is still her mother," the man next to her interrupted. He flattened down the tie to his suit and rested his hand on Maria's shoulder. The woman straightened out the red dress she wore as she rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands.

"Leave it, Carl," Maria replied. "James has always been stubborn."

"Do you know how bad I feel?" James wondered from the woman. "I know that I was then when someone hurt our daughter. I know that I should have been there for her. I'm sorry...I never wanted this to happen..."

"Well, it did," Maria said with a curt nod, knowing that this wasn't James fault. She just needed someone to blame for her daughter's injury. "As soon as Alison is ready then she is coming back to Manchester with me. She's not staying with you, James."

"Maria-"

"-I think that's final," the man said and James could only assume that he was Carl. "Alison is financially supported by us. We take care of her when she comes home."

"Who are you?" wondered James. "Alison is my daughter. She is old enough to speak for herself."

"I'm Carl," he replied. "I'm the one who knows-"

"-Don't," interrupted James. "Don't even speak about my daughter. You are just her mother's latest-"

"-Watch your tongue," Maria sniped at James before he could say anything more. "You are one to talk about having latest conquests. I know what you were like, James. Now, I am here for my daughter, not to argue."

Maria held her hands up between the two men, nodding bluntly as she did so. "Do you think we can be mature about this?"

"She's sleeping for a bit," James told the mother of his child. "She keeps dozing. She'll probably wake up when you go in."

"Okay," Maria said, taking hold of Carl's hand. "We'll go and see her."

"You do that," James said, watching as she entered the room, her hand over her mouth as she looked at her daughter.

James did his best to remain calm as he ran his hands down his cheeks and turned around, beginning to walk down the hall. That was when he saw a familiar sight. His brow furrowed as he noticed the man at the end of the corridor. He continued walking towards him, his strides long and purposeful.

"What are you doing here?" wondered James. "Did you not hear my warning last time we spoke?"

"I suppose you could try to kill me," he replied, pushing his glasses further onto his nose as he did so. "I am in the right place to be treated."

"Why are you here?" James asked and Q looked at 007 before he pulled the satchel from his shoulder and dangled it before James. "You came all of this way to bring Alison's satchel back to her?"

Q awkwardly allowed a cough to escape him before he looked down the ward, trying to see if he could see Alison's room.

"Well, she has my anorak too," Q responded.

"I think that's been burnt with the house," James said. "I'm sure the new head of Q Division can afford a new one."

"I liked that anorak," Q muttered. He finally allowed his brow orbs to look James in the eye. "How is she?"

"The burn isn't as bad as it could have been," James assured Q. "She's with her mother at this moment."

"I heard the shouting match from around the corner," admitted Q. "I thought that it would be best to stay away until they'd gone in. Where is the burn?"

"On her leg," James said, keeping Alison's satchel on his shoulder. "It wasn't pretty, but the doctor's told her that she's going to have a scar. She was lucky that she didn't have to have a skin graft."

Q saw the anguish in Bond's face. For a man so calm and controlled, it was odd to see Bond suffering. It was strange to see him with emotions other than anger.

"I need a cup of earl grey," Q said. "Do you feel like joining me?"

Bond allowed his lips to tug upwards as Q folded his arms over his brow cardigan. "Besides, I need to talk to you about Silva."

"I thought so."

James and Q walked silently through the corridors until they came to the canteen. Q ordered himself a tea and Bond grabbed a polystyrene cup of coffee. Both of them sat at a wooden table in the corner, keeping out of everyone's way.

"Have you found him at all? Have you managed to track him?"

"He shot all of the computers in Q Division apart from mine," Q replied. "I have one of my best on the case whilst I'm here."

"So why are you not on the case?"

"Because I am drinking a coffee with you," Q said. "I've been working on the train, trying to find him, but it's impossible. It is like he has disappeared again, Bond."

"Damn him," Bond muttered. "And M? What happened to her?"

"She was flown back to London this morning," Q whispered, closing his eyes as he thought of the loss to MI6. "The funeral should be in another week. MI6 work quickly, as you know."

"I know it too well," Bond whispered.

"What are you going to do? Do you think Silva will come back for you?"

"Who knows what he will do?" muttered Bond, tearing open a sachet of sugar to pour into his cup. He leant back in his seat and pushed his hand through his hair. The tiredness was slowly coming over him.

"He's still on the most wanted list," Q assured him. "He's the top priority. Even though he has gotten what he wants, who is to say that he doesn't want more? Who is to say that this is the end?"

"No one," Bond admitted. "I'll be back to searching for him soon enough."

"And Alison? Do you think he has finished with her?"

"I don't know," admitted Bond. "Maria wants to take her back to Manchester...but...I don't know if it would for the best. I want her to stay with me for a while longer. I want her to be safe."

"She is twenty," Q said. "I was designing...well...never matter. I suppose she is old enough to decide what she wants to do. She just needs to have your support on the matter."

"I'll speak to her when Maria and Carl leave us alone. So why are you really here, Q?"

"Excuse me?" Q asked, sipping on his tea as James titled his head to the side and cocked a brow. "I told you why I came."

"You came all the way to Scotland to drop her bag off," James said. "I don't believe it, Q. Tell me the truth before I find it out anyway."

Gulping, Q shook his head and looked away, wondering if he dare admit it to Bond. He supposed he had no other choice but to speak the truth. Bond would find out, regardless of anything.

"Alison is...well...she's a nice girl," Q admitted. "I've been with her for the past few days, and as soon as you told me what had happened...well...I wanted to see her. I can't explain it."

"You don't need to," James said.

He had dealt with his fair share of women in his time. He'd even dealt with his own emotions sometimes. He knew when a man was attracted to a woman. He knew when a woman was attracted to a man. He didn't even want to consider that happening with Q and his daughter.

"She's still at university," James reminded Q. "She's going into her final year."

"I know."

"So, whatever you feel, well...stop it, Q," James urged him. "She's a pretty girl, I get that. You're a nerdy boy-"

"-Stop," Q urged James. "I know that. I don't want anything like that from her. Believe me; as soon as I have seen her then I will go. I just wanted to be sure she was okay. She's nice, Bond."

"You've known her for four days," James reminded Q. "How much can you know about her?"

"Enough," Q replied solemnly. "Honestly, Bond. You do not need to worry about anything like that."

"Glad to hear it." Bond said. "Because I still have that customised gun you gave me."

...

Bond allowed Q to go in and see Alison as soon he had found out that her mother had gone for some fresh air. James searched for Maria, wanting to know what was going to happen once Alison was discharged.

"Q," Alison said, shock in her voice as she saw him move into the room. "What are you doing here?"

"Ah, well," Q pointed to the satchel Bond had dropped by the foot of her bed. "I thought that I should bring that back. And you do have my anorak and phone."

"I think that might have been destroyed," Alison replied and Q remained stood where he was, his hands in his pockets as he looked at her.

He took in her dishevelled appearance, all the way from her greasy blonde hair to her gaunt looking face. He saw that her eyes were drooping and he thought that he could see tears forming in them. She was covered in a blue gown and the duvet was pulled up to her chin as she sat against the cushions of the bed.

"You look terrible," Q conversed before he took a seat in the spare chair by her bed.

He elicited a laugh from her as she watched him sit. She laced her fingers together and left them on her stomach. "I've looked better. I can't wait for the day when the shower comes."

"That should be soon, I hope," Q replied and a grin played on her features.

"So, why are you here?" Alison asked. "I didn't think that I would see you in Scotland."

"No," Q said, entwining both of his hands together and looking down to them. He bit down on his tongue for a moment as he thought of what to tell her. "I suppose I felt that it would be for the best if I came. Your dad said you were injured so I thought I'd be a good visitor."

"A good visitor normally brings chocolate," Alison informed him, "or a get well card. Either is acceptable, perhaps both."

"Well, the shop downstairs were out of those," he lied to her. "And I know what Bond is like."

"Yeah," Alison scoffed, "I do now. He told me that he is going back to work to find Silva."

"It would help if we had any idea as to where he is," Q said. "I haven't heard anything at all. He'll be keeping low for a while, I assume."

"Forever would be nicer," Alison mumbled and Q saw the tears begin to glisten. Finally, one rolled down her cheek.

"What is it?" Q asked. "Is it your leg?"

"No," Alison replied, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "I'm fine; honestly, there is nothing wrong with me."

"There is usually something wrong when someone starts crying," Q contradicted. "You can tell me, you know. I have saved your life before."

Alison finally lifted her chin up so that she could look Q in the eye, a loud sniff escaping her as she did so. She kept quiet for a moment before her lips parted and she sucked in a deep breath.

"I think my mum hates me," Alison said. "She came in...and she...she told me...that I had to go back to Manchester. Apparently I lied to her about coming to Scotland. I mean, I couldn't tell her the truth, could I? So, I said that I was fine and that I wanted to stay with dad."

"I take it she didn't take the news too well?" Q checked.

"No," Alison replied. "she told me that I needed a stable influence on my life. She said that if I want to be supported financially by her then I would come home. I said that...well...I didn't want to come home for her money. She reminded me that the money went towards my partying at university. Apparently I don't want to give that up."

Q kept silent as Alison looked to the door of the room and thought about the argument she had just had with her mother.

"I told her that I studied hard. I told her that I was trying, but...well...maths is difficult. I find it so hard. She can't accept that. She has one opinion of me, and that's that. I told her that I was staying with dad. You know why, don't you?" Alison wondered from Q. "I mean...he's still out there...what if he goes after dad?"

"And what if he does?" Q replied. "You'd be safer with your mother in Manchester, Alison."

"And if he comes after me there? What happens if he finds my mum there? He'd have no trouble shooting her," Alison whispered. "No, I need to stay with dad until I go back to York. I can't tell my mum that. She wouldn't understand. If she knew what dad does then...well...she'd be worse than she is now."

"I think she only wants the best for you," Q assured Alison. "You'll sort this out with her. You have to."

"Carl told her that they shouldn't have bothered coming from the Lake District to see me," Alison replied. "Apparently I'm nothing but a waste of time in his view. I'm inconsiderate, selfish, reckless-"

"-No, you're not," interrupted Q as he looked at her again. "I don't think you're any of those things."

"You met me less than a week ago," sniffed Alison. "You don't know me."

"I know that you're kind," Q informed her. "I know that you're witty and funny. I know that you hate paintings. I know that you can eat more pizza than I can. I know that you're incredibly loyal to your father. You're possibly one who drinks too much, but...well...from my experience, there are a lot of other students who do that. But selfish?" Q replied. "I don't see any sign of that."

It was then when Alison finally broke down in front of him. The tears fell down her cheeks as she wondered what more was to happen. Q, never one for understanding how to comfort someone, moved from his chair and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. He forgot about how she felt like smoke as he allowed her to rest her head against his shoulder and sob. She sniffed against his brow cardigan as Q slowly moved his other hand and ran it down her greasy locks. She kept her arms limp by her side, not too sure how long she had been sat there before she heard the familiar buzz of her iPhone.

"I'll get that," Q said and pulled the device out from her iPhone. He handed her it as he resumed his previous place on the side of the bed. Alison allowed her arm to brush against his as she unlocked the iPhone and opened the message.

Q's eyes widened as he watched it from next to her. He looked outside before he looked back to the picture.

The phone bleeped another message after a moment and Alison read the words.

This isn't over.

"He was here," Alison said, her voice shaking as Q took her phone from her and looked at the picture himself. It was her and him a few moments ago. Q was sat beside her, his lanky form holding her as she cried.

"Okay...okay..." Q said, too confused at the sight on the phone to think coherently for a moment.

He moved and rushed to the door, pulling it open to look down the corridor. He saw nothing in sight, no one watching him before he looked at the CCTV camera in the corner. He'd hack into that soon enough.

"There's nothing out here."

"But it was him?" Alison checked. "Who else could it have been?"

"I don't know," Q whispered, walking back to take a seat in the chair. He moved his hand out to rest on Alison's wrist, trying to be comforting. "We'll wait for Bond to come back. I'm not leaving you here."

"What if he's with him?" Alison worried and Q checked the clock.

"I'll have a nurse search for him if he's not back in a minute," Q told her and both of them looked to the window, their gazes wide. Q only moved his eyes back down as he felt Alison move her fingers into his, her eyes still locked on the window.

Q gave her hand a small squeeze before watching the window, knowing that he'd drop her hand before Bond came in.

...

A/N: Thank you to gillyhelbee and Fingirl for reviewing the previous chapter. I do hope you're all still enjoying the story and there is more to come soon!