Thanks for your reviews on my last chapter, much appreciated :)
Slightest hint of another pairing/s here, do tell me if you have a request for a pairing! (Bill/Eve is the only one at the minute)
Enjoy!
M awoke the next morning to Jess licking her face, panting happily. The old woman smiled, and checked Eve's watch- 8am.
"Are you wanting to go for a walk?" She asked the dog in a whisper, as not to wake the woman sleeping next to her. Jess grinned and nudged her hand.
"I'll take that as a yes then." She smiled. M got dressed quietly and took Jess outside to find something to use as a lead. She ended up using the leftover string from her fishing rod earlier that week, and wrapped it to make it stronger.
Once Jess was attached, they set off over the fields. It was a pleasant morning. The sun shined warmly on M's back, and made Jess' coat glow softly. The birds chirped and the stream behind them bubbled gently. As they went a little further, Jess suddenly broke out into a run, and pulled M into a jog.
"Jess!" She shouted in surprise, stumbling over her own two feet. "Bad dog!"
But Jess took no notice and ran on, making M run beside her. For a little while, it was liberating. Running through the lush fields, the sun on her back and the wind through her hair. She smiled.
Back at the camp, the others were just stirring. Eve was the first to wake, and found herself alone in the tent.
"M?" She mumbled, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "M!"
After she got no answer, she began to worry a little, so the woman (still in her pajamas) went to the boys tent, and without asking if she could come in, she opened the tent flap.
Bond was on the left, sound asleep (well, as sound as a trained spy could sleep) and Q was in the middle, slightly closer to Bond than he needed to be, and snoring. Tanner, however, was just sitting up.
"Morning gorgeous." Eve smiled, and Tanner jumped. He hadn't seen her.
"Jesus Eve!" He said, "you almost gave me a heart attack!"
"Sorry, sorry. Listen, do you know where M is?"
"No! How am I meant to know?!"
"Just asking, calm down!" Muttered Eve. "Listen, I woke and she'd gone, any ideas where she'd be?"
"Where's Jess?" He asked.
"Not in the tent." She answered.
"Then she's probably taken her for a walk, don't worry." He smiled. "Right, do you want to set up the fire for breakfast while I get dressed?"
"Alright." She smiled, and left her boyfriend to get dressed.
Meanwhile, M and Jess were having a rest. Or being forced to rest as M had gone over on her bad ankle again, and was sat against a drystone wall. But this time, she couldn't move at all.
"Oh Jess, what am I going to do?" She said, stroking the dogs head gently. "I'm getting too old for everything now."
M tried to get up again, but fell almost immediately, nearly landing on the dog.
Her and Jess had been sat there for about half an hour, when Jess suddenly ran forward, yanking her lead out of M's tiny hand. She barked at her, then ran off.
"Jess? Jess! Don't leave me!" She shouted. "JESS COME!"
Nothing.
M was completely alone, in the middle of the countryside.
"Oh hell." She muttered.
***
It was past midday and Eve was worried. M had been gone over 3 hours at least, probably more as she'd gone before young woman woke up. Walking a dog never takes that long, and she wasn't fit enough to do loads of walking with her ankle.
"Fancy a walk anyone?" Said Eve brightly, standing up. She'd go look for M, it would settle her mind, now they've finished their dinner.
"Not really" said Tanner yawning, "I'm going to have a nap."
"Q?" She said, looking over towards the quartermaster.
"Oh, no, sorry Eve, I'm working on something." He muttered, pushing his glasses up his nose.
"Bond?" She sighed, exasperated.
"Yeah alright." He said.
Eve was surprised, but didn't say anything. "Come on then."
They set off over the fields. If she'd have gone anywhere, it'd have been through the fields.
They set off in silence, Eve constantly scanning the horizon for any signs of M.
"I'm a bit worried too, if I'm honest." He said quietly.
"What?" Said Eve, stopping to face him.
"She's been gone ages, and with that ankle of hers-" He trailed off.
"I know, she shouldn't be doing too much on it. But she seems to really like that dog." Eve said with a sigh.
"Her daughter was called Jess." Bond said quietly. "Killed in a car chase in Hong Kong."
"Dear God..." Breathed Eve. "She mentioned she had a daughter, but I never knew that..."
"She mentioned it to Tanner once, but he remembered."
"Wow."
They started walking again, not saying a word. That is, until Eve remembered something.
"She had a dog." She said abruptly.
"And?" Said Bond.
"It got run over. By a car. It broke away from the leash."
"A car? Oh dear..."
They both realised the connection, and carried on walking.
"Woof!" Came the bark of a dog.
"Was that a dog?" Questioned Eve, searching the horizon, until she spotted a puppy running towards them.
"Yes, a spaniel puppy... JESS?" Shouted Bond, and the dog barked in reply. The two ran towards it, and it jumped on them.
"Where's M, Jess, where is she?" Said Bond, stroking her head them looking around. She barked again, turned round and ran off the way she came. Eve and Bond followed her.
M was trying to keep in the angry, frustrated tears trying to escape when she heard a dogs bark. Jess' bark.
"Jess?" She half shouted, half croaked. She hadn't had a drink or a bite to eat all morning and her throat was drying up fast.
"M? Where are you?" Came Bonds voice back.
"Are you ok?" Shouted a woman's voice. Eve's.
"I'm on the floor next to the wall, right by the gate!" She croaked back. M tried to stand, but was overcome by dizziness and she collapsed on her ankle. That was the last thing she remembered before she blacked out.
The old woman awoke to complete silence, apart from the sound of panting right next to her ear. She opened her eyes and saw she was in her and Eve's tent, with Jess by her right arm. The memories of earlier came flooding back.
"Good girl." She whispered, stroking her gently.
Jess stood and poked her head out of the tent. She barked gently, and Bond appeared in the doorway.
"You okay?" He whispered.
"I think so. I could do with a drink though." She smiled, and Bond brought a flask of water to her lips, which she drank gratefully.
"Thankyou." She said gratefully. "How did you get me back?"
"I carried you." He said simply.
"YOU could carry ME?" She said in surprise.
"You underestimate me." Bond grinned.
M smiled, before asking, "what time is it?"
"9:38pm" said the double oh agent, "bedtime."
"Ok. Night, 007. And thankyou."
"You're welcome, M." He smiled, then left.
"How is she?" Said Eve immediately as he sat down.
"Seems ok, just thirsty." He said, the relief showing in his voice. "Should be ok by tomorrow, but her ankle will need a lot of rest."
"Oh thank God." Said Eve, "she gave me such a scare."
"Us all."
"Nice to know I'm loved!" Came her hoarse voice from the girls tent, and they all laughed.
"I don't know about you all, but I'm knackered. I'm off to bed." Said Bond, heading towards the men's tent.
The others followed, Eve slipping in the girls tent. "M?"
"Mm?" She said, slowly turning to face her.
"I know about Jess. And your dog."
She was quiet, before saying, "Tanner?"
"Not to tell tales, but yes."
"I thought that would come out at some point. I'm not too bothered Eve, I was going to tell you all anyway. This Jess, she's just just like my daughter, quirky and bubbly... Or, just like she was, and I just-" she broke off into silence.
"Night M." Said Eve softly.
"Goodnight." She replied, before turning the other way.
M sobbed quietly, stroking Jess's soft oak fur. The same colour her Jess' hair was.
Eve sat up and rubbed her arm gently. M sat and cried into her shoulder, Jess with her head on the old woman's leg, for hours.
