The next chapter! This time, it's a little shorter since it only focuses on James and Q. I'll try to write the next one as soon as possible! Please let me know what you think so far!

I don't own the characters or places!

When James returned from his mission in Africa, it was raining. Heavily. Unfortunately, he wasn't carrying an umbrella and after the short walk from the car to the MI6 building, he was already wet. Tanner was waiting for him inside, a wide smile on his lips. "It's good to have you back, 007!"

James smiled back at him, ignoring the glee in Tanner's eyes. "Tanner." He greeted the other man.

"I heard the mission went well."

He nodded shortly. "I was able to stop the terrorists." He explained and without thinking about it, he chose the way towards Q Branch.

"You can bring back your equipment later, Bond." Tanner said when he noticed this. "M wants to see you."

He quirked an eyebrow. "Did something happen?"

"You'll have to hear it yourself, I fear." Tanner smiled. "I'm sure you know the way, I have to get going again. 001 should arrive soon and I have to be present for her medical check."

James nodded in understanding and changed his direction. He felt a little disappointed that he wasn't going to see Q now, knowing that he would have to be at Q Branch as well. However, it had to be important if M wanted to see him right after he returned from another mission and he shouldn't let him wait. And besides, James was also curious what was going on. In the past weeks, he'd always been expecting a sign from Moriarty, but so far nothing happened yet.

On his way upstairs, he heard a familiar voice and stopped in his tracks, hiding behind the next corner quietly. It was 004 and he was talking to someone on the phone, sounding stressed. James couldn't help himself, he had to listen to this.

"I know that I have to hurry, but it's not that easy!" 004 muttered quietly into the phone. "They have their eyes and ears everywhere. Otherwise, I'd already be gone again." The other Double-Oh listened for a few moments. "I just had a meeting with M, he sent me on another mission. I'm on my way downstairs right now to get my equipment, but once I have that, I'll be gone. I just hope that Q won't talk that much, that always takes so much time."

When Q was mentioned, James clenched his fists, but he remained hidden. Somehow, he had the feeling that it wasn't a good idea to let 004 know he was listening.

"Don't worry, it will all go as planned. Then you can continue with the next part of the plan." 004's voice was getting quieter now and for half a second, James considered following him. However, he changed his mind in the last moment. M was waiting for him and he didn't want to explain why he was late.

On his way upstairs, his mind was racing. He repeated what he'd just heard in his head several times, but James couldn't guess whom 004 had been talking to. It had been a strange conversation, though. What plan were they following and why did it sound like he was stressed? And more importantly, why did it feel like 004 didn't want anyone else to know about this conversation on the phone? James had never trusted the other Double-Oh, but this made everything look even more suspicious. He decided to tell Q about it, maybe his boyfriend could find out more. James knew that he also didn't like 004 that much. But who knew, maybe he'd just been talking about one of his missions and James was starting to be too mistrustful? Q would know, he was sure of that.

When he arrived upstairs, he was greeted by a very happy looking Moneypenny. "Finally you're here, James!" She exclaimed loudly and stood up to hug him. "It's good to have you back. How was the mission?"

"Comparatively calm." He smiled at Q's best friend.

"If I were you, I would go in there right now. The others are already waiting for you."

"The others?" He raised his eyebrows.

"You'll see." Eve replied with a mysterious smile and left without another word. James looked after her for half a second, but then he knocked on the door to M's office shortly. After a quiet 'Come in!' from the other side, he entered the office. What he saw there made him smile in surprise.

"Ah, there you are, 007!" Q exclaimed in his best quartermaster-voice, as James liked to call it in his mind. "It's so good to see you again." Once the door was closed behind James, Q stood up from where he'd been leaning against M's desk and crossed the room to hug his boyfriend shortly.

James smiled at him and kissed him on the cheek quickly. "Q." He grinned. "What a surprise to see you here."

"That was my wish." M, who'd watched the scene in silence, explained. "Please take a seat, both of you. I've heard your mission went well, Bond." While saying this, M glanced at Q and the quartermaster smiled sheepishly.

James nodded. "I could stop the terrorists. They weren't well-organized."

"Those are good news." M nodded, but somehow, James thought that his mind was somewhere else already.

"I assume there's a good reason why we're both here?" He asked carefully and from the look on Q's face, James could tell that his boyfriend already knew why M wanted to speak to both of them.

"I fear that I've already got a new mission for you, 007." M explained. "I know that you just returned from Africa, but since your mission went well, I assume that you're up for it?"

"What happened?" James wanted to know, ignoring the last question.

"A series of mysterious deaths has attracted our attention." M continued simply. "They all happened in the past weeks and from the outside, they don't seem to be connected at all. However, they have one thing in common."

"No one can identify the cause of death." Q said with a nod and opened his laptop which was already lying on the table. "We know that it doesn't sound uncommon, but when two of five victims have a connection to MI6, it starts to look suspicious, doesn't it?"

James narrowed his eyes when Q showed him two photographs. "Isn't that man a politician?" He asked. "I've seen him in the newspaper lately."

"William Highsmith." Q agreed. "He's been working for us before he started to go into politics." He showed James the short version of the man's CV. From what James could see, he assumed that the man didn't have a high position within MI6. He wasn't even allowed to know about secret missions.

"Who's the second person?"

A lady appeared on the screen. "Juliet Bordeaux." Q said. "She's been a nurse here for some time. The other victims aren't connected to us. One works at a museum here in London, another at the harbour. The last one's teaching at the university. Chemistry."

"And you think that they were all killed?" James frowned at the pictures in front of him.

"We compared data and came to the conclusion that it could be possible." Q nodded.

"I want you to look into that, 007." M threw in. "Q will help you. I know that this might be a dead end, but I have a bad feeling about this."

James nodded slowly. He also had a bad feeling, but most probably for other reasons than M. He glanced at Q and could also see uneasiness in his eyes. "Alright, I'll see what I can find."

"If someone's behind all this and wants to get into our systems, you know what you have to do, Bond." M said seriously.

"I do, sir." He confirmed. "And if it's really just a coincidence?"

"Then we can all sleep better if we know that." M replied simply and leaned back in his chair. Suddenly, he looked worried. "I don't know why, but I have the feeling that a storm is coming."

"We'll have a close look at it, sir." Q's voice was serious when they both stood up and said goodbye to M.

Once they left his office, they exchanged a look. "Do you think what I think?" Q asked quietly once they made sure that Moneypenny was nowhere to be seen.

"Moriarty." James muttered darkly.

Q sighed. "And I thought I was the only one who thought of him. But who knows, maybe we're wrong and it's just the tension after the letter." Q smiled, most probably trying to look positive about this. "It could also be nothing at all."

"I hope you're right." James pulled Q closer to kiss him properly this time.

"Right about what?" A voice interrupted them loudly.

"Moneypenny." James muttered in annoyance, but Q smiled at her.

"Right about my guess that the rain will stop soon." He lied smoothly. "James doesn't want to get wet feet once more."

Moneypenny laughed, though James thought that he could see mistrust in her eyes. Didn't she believe that lie after all? "I think you'll be disappointed, James. From what I've heard, the rain will last for days."

He sighed deeply. "Seems like we'll need an umbrella before we head home, Q."

"Look at this." Q chuckled. "Our hardest Double-Oh is afraid of water."

When Eve joined his laughter, James knew that they'd successfully distracted her for now. Though he wasn't sure if it would last, Moneypenny was a very attentive woman. They had to be more careful from now on. Q kept talking to her for a few more minutes before they said goodbye and wanted to head back to Q Branch. After all, James had to give Q his equipment, which he brought back in one piece this time.

"It's safe to go." Q announced after a short glance at his phone. "R said that 004's gone now and the medical check of 001 is also complete."

When he mentioned 004, James remembered the phone call he'd heard earlier once more. Apparently, Q could see that something was wrong from the look on James' face, but he just shook his head shortly, telling his boyfriend that they would talk about it later, once they were at home.

"Alright, that sounds crazy." Q muttered when they were at home, sitting on the couch together. "Because I know for sure that 004 didn't have an active mission this morning. The one he got from M should be solved within two days. He just has to bring back a target. Hopefully in one piece."

"So you have no idea who could have been on the other end of the line." James concluded.

Q shook his head. "But I could find out more about it tomorrow." He offered. "Though I don't think that 004 is involved in something illegal, James. He's a Double-Oh, after all. And so far, he's done good work, even if he keeps complaining too often."

"Didn't his last missions go wrong?" James threw in and raised his eyebrows. "That's why M gave him something simple this time, isn't it?"

Q grimaced when he was reminded of that. "Alright, he's done a good job in the past months, but lately he seems to be a bit off." He admitted after a short moment of hesitation. "But I don't think that one of our best agents would work with Moriarty. We don't even know if it's him. I'm watching all his movements, remember? We would have noticed it if he'd contacted someone at MI6."

"Being a Double-Oh doesn't make you a saint, Q." James was talking out of experience here. "There have been a few who've changed sides in the past." He remembered one of them very clearly. Alric, who'd been one of his best friends years ago. Until he shot James on a mission, leaving him to die because he'd sided with their enemy. The memory still hurt.

Suddenly, Q took James' hands and squeezed them. It was only a small gesture of comfort, but it was enough for now. James smiled at his boyfriend gratefully.

"I know that you can be assholes as well." Q said in the end. "But Moriarty... How could anyone do that?"

"Just because we don't understand it, it doesn't mean that it can't happen." James threw in. "Let's just keep an eye on 004."

"And those mysterious deaths." Q sighed. "I really hope that we're wrong about this and there's no connection at all."

"Do you think we should tell the others about it?"

Q shook his head. "M wants us to keep it secret, remember? And if this is really a dead end, we would have made them nervous for nothing."

"Doesn't your brother always emphasize that he loves good cases?" James smiled slightly.

"M would kill us if Sherlock Holmes starts to investigate in this." Q muttered. "That's the opposite from not being noticed. But I think we should tell them if we find out that this is indeed connected to Moriarty or his network."

"Fine." James agreed after a few moments. "So we'll do our own thing first." He remembered John's words. That they had to be careful because the Holmes brothers could start to work against each other in the end. Nevertheless, he had to agree with Q on this one. It was better not to tell everyone yet, at least not until they had proofs.

"Let's talk about something else." Q said suddenly and smiled. "After all, you've been gone for nearly a whole week."

James quirked an eyebrow. "Do you really want to talk, Q?" He asked when his boyfriend straddled him. James placed his hands on Q's hips automatically.

"Maybe later." Q admitted quietly and leaned in to kiss James deeply. "I've missed you, James."

"I've missed you too, love." James replied softly and kissed him back eagerly.