Thank you to everyone who is still reading this. I stopped writing it because I got so busy with work and life. But I guess with the release of the new Bond has people interested in the fic again and I love that. Maybe I'll actually get around to finishing it. :) Thank you so much for reading and reviewing- it's given me a little inspiration.

Eve was getting very good at not caring.

Or at least, she was getting very good at pretending not to care.

She allowed herself to believe that what was going on between her and James didn't mean anything. She made up with Q- they couldn't stay mad at each other for long, she loved him too much, plus they saw each other every freaking day- and told him that she didn't care.

"You don't care," he repeated, his eyes skeptical. "You don't care he broke your heart. You don't care about him at all."

"Right," Eve nodded, taking Q's cup and swigging his Earl Grey. "This is like it was before. You know, before Christina was born. Just sex."

"Friends with benefits." His skeptical tone never wavered.

"No," she shook her head quickly. "We are definitely not friends. It's sex...on my terms. When I feel like it. With no friendship. No talking, really. He can see Christina. But I don't want to talk to him. He's...he's just my ex I sometimes I have sex with."

"That sounds stable," Q snorted. "Give me my cup. I don't even want to think about where your mouth has been."

It was all about the quickies. With quickies, she didn't have to think about what she was doing. Or how angry she was. She didn't think about how lost she was inside.

Ringing of the bell at her flat. James. She gave one last look in the mirror, fixed her eyeliner quickly. She leisurely walked to the door, determined to keep him waiting.

They exchanged hellos and she let him in. "Christina is at dance class. You're early." she watched him carefully. Clean shaven. New tie. New watch?

"I've never been too good with times."

The silence stretched on and she bit her lip. No talking. Talking will lead to pain. Talking will lead to crying. Talking will lead to the...truth.

She grabbed his coat and yanked him to her. Somehow, they were on the floor and they were tearing at each other and their clothes were everywhere...

She closed her eyes for a brief moment and he could feel his hand sliding inside her panties, his fingers lightly pressing inside her, his mouth on her neck.

It was like something inside her broke and flooded her insides. Something just...just feel wrong.

She knew she was crying and could feel him pulling away, questioning her. She hit him with her fists, her hands beating against his chest. She kept hitting and hitting and crying and hitting, her sobs wracking her whole body.

James grabbed her arms, holding her away from him. "Eve. Eve! What's wrong?"

"I can't do this with you anymore!" she sobbed, shoving him one last time. "I can't keep doing this. I'm...I want to be with you and I know it can't work between us. I can't keep having sex with you and pretending everything is good when it isn't."

"You were the one-,"

"I know I bloody suggested it! It was a mistake. I just...I need space from you, James. I need us to be adults about this. I need you to be Christina's father and that's it. I can't...I can't do this with you. You're too hard for me to quit."

"Eve..." he helped her to the sofa. "Let's try again. Our relationship. We can make it better this time. I'll do better."

"No," she shook her head. "No, James. I'm not...no. Please just respect what I'm saying. We need to move on. I need to move on. But I want you around. Our daughter needs you. Let's set up some kind of arrangement where you come by and see her. But nothing between us."

"Eve, this is ridiculous. What we have between us is something I'm not ready to give up on."

She steeled her resolve. "It's time for us to put it behind us, James. We have to be there for Christina. But me and you- we're done."

His blue eyes stared her down, as skeptical as Q's had been.

"I'm serious," she urged. She held out her hand. "No sex, no funny business, just parenting. I date other people, you date other people. Starting today. Deal?"

The glint in those gorgeous blue eyes was way too devious for her liking. So was the grin on his face as he shook her hand. "Deal, Miss Moneypenny."