Yeah!!!! I got my laptop back so now we can finally go on I hear you cry !!!
A/N: Thanks To My Good Friend Tautvydas aka. Ivan for the info on the casino's and stakes- You're a real gambling man for a guy of seventeen lol :P
AA/N: The school I have never been to because I don't live near Chelsea or Kensington and even though I did a little research about schools in the area where I think Bond may live I changed the school to also have a Joint Sixth Form (College). Soz this took so long people, I'vbe had a very exam based and coursework frenzied month. Thanks for waiting J
/hr
Chapter : The Games That We Play
Flashback
How do you let someone go? How do you understand that that's alright, that everything changes? How do you find a way for that to make you feel good about life, instead of breaking your heart? The hardest thing you'll ever learn is how to say Goodbye.
End Flashback
hr
Hunter Niall stared at the cards in his hands, criticising them with a frown evident on his face as he concentrated on the two cards in his hands- A Five of Hearts and An Ace of Spades, all together is total of five in the game of baccarat.
The twelve year old looked around the small group consisting of his friends and worse, his girlfriend who were all playing this minor card game- Minor being that instead of playing like the big boys with money, they were playing for sweets and at the moment the tension was evident in the supposedly empty classroom where the game was being played.
His Father, Michael Niall was a major player in the stakes and had played at some of the biggest casino's in the world including Royale, Monte Carlo, Caesar's Palace, MGM Mirage to name only a few but he had played against the world's best gamblers winning and losing at high stake tables but also earning up to three million a night.
With blue eyes, short Blonde hair and full height being close to six foot, it was no wonder he was a popular guy in St.Trinity School and Joint Sixth Form College in Kensington. Hunter was a keen footballer and was on the school team and at the moment they were on the road to be in the National London finals which were battled out by all the schools in the London area.
Turning to his right shoulder, he lifted the cards off the table to show his girlfriend whose arms were wrapped around his slight muscular shoulders as she watched the game coolly.
Kaley looked at the cards in his hand and frowned, understanding his dilemma; he would have to pick up another card and hope that he didn't go over a four because then he would lose. He was playing against Vincent Ayoo, who was sitting opposite and looking relaxed as he looked down at his hand.
Nudging him gently, Kaley gave him a look which he knew to follow through. Calling for another card, he picked it up and looked at the card while holding his breath unconsciously; Exhaling when he saw that it was a Four- making a perfect nine. The answer to his prayers as he turned to Kaley who watched him with a reassuring smile on her lips as her eyes lit up at this new turn of events.
The "Banker" in the game was a girl named Kara Richards, a fourteen year old who was a mathematical genius and who had played card games since Year Seven. With a look around the table, she called order and nodded at the two boys.
"Time to reveal the damage," She spoke evenly as she let out a breath, knowing that this upcoming result would result in a possible confrontation after the amount of items which had been put up for this game.
"Vincent, you're the banker of the game so you go first."
Vincent nodded and with one final look at his cards, slid them over the table to Kara, whose Hazel eyes remained neutral and unrevealing as she tossed them face upwards on the table.
"An Ace Of Clubs and Eight Of Hearts- Total is Eight."
The group around the table held their breath knowing that Vincent's hand could win him the stakes that had been put on the table over the course of the two hours of play during their free periods without any teacher.
Hunter sighed and with a nod to Kaley, whose Brown hair fell losely about his shoulders, he passed his own first card, the Ace Of Spades and Kara tossed it face upwards.
"Zero,"
Then passed the two remaining cards of his hand over to the Black haired, olive coloured skinned girl who looked at them and then around the table, who all held their breath in unison to await the final blow.
Tossing them up and letting them too fall face upward, Kara declared with a hint of amusement,
"Five Of Hearts and Four of Diamonds- Natural Nine. Hunter Wins."
The group looked at the two cards as Hunter received a small peck on the cheek from his girlfriend of Two Months who removed her arms from him and stood up in order for the rest of their group of friends to congratulate him on his small victory- At the same time, the bell rang which signalled Lunch and that meant that school was finishing early.
hr
In an office on the far side of Regent's Park found James Bond sifting through the growing amount of paper work which had seemed to have increased since his last recon mission to Europe to gather some Intel in the recent increase activity of SPECTRE, who had been working in the background for the past few years.
Over the past six years, his relationship with Kaley had grown even though there was a small margin of distance between them but they had come to a silent compromise and began to have a good time like any normal father and daughter.
Kaley and Aidan had become like sisters and Aidan actually enjoyed Kaley calling her "Sis'" now as well as "Aida" which had become an official nickname- Aidan's nickname's for the twelve year old were varied but one which even James had began to use frequently was "Kale" or "Calleigh" which Kaley had gotten used to- even though she would retaliate to some of Aidan's more colourful nicknames which even James had to admit would have driven him to madness if Aidan had been his sister but it was all just a big game.
After sorting through papers for most of the day, James was now eager to escape the confines of his office and have some sort of respite from paperwork after doing the same thing for the past three days, and it even made him agitated.
After a brief period of thought, James picked up his jacket from the back of his chair- deciding that what he needed most was to get a bit of fresh air and get some rest from the paperwork which had began to make him feel uneasy.
hr
Walking down the King's road, Hunter and Kaley linked hands and spoke about their plans for their two-and-a-half week Christmas break; Kaley would have her father for most of the holidays even though he had told her about the amount of paperwork that he had managed to pile up since his "Business Trip" which had lasted almost a month.
"So what are you doing for Christmas?"
Hunter turned to Kaley, who had linked arms with him as he walked her from the bus stop to the Chelsea flat which Kaley shared with her father and Aidan.
Hunter had gone t boarding school until he was eleven when he wanted to go to a normal school like everyone else in the area. He had sen Kaley around a few times as a passerby during the holidays with Aidan when the two were out and about.
Kaley an the other hand had gone to a single faith primary and now the two went to a joint single faith secondary, St. Trinity where the two had eventually met- the boys went to one part of the school for lessons while the girls went to the other but the two halves met up at break and lunch times
"I have no idea. Dad might make me go with him up to Scotland or maybe American American… he makes his mind up in a flash and we go where ever- even though, just for once, I just want to stay in one place for a change."
Hunter smiled to Kaley as she leant her head against his shoulder, her black hood up to keep her warm.
"What about you?"
Kaley sighed as the two walked down the Kings Road.
"Dad said that he's got a ton of paperwork but he also said that he is going to try and spend sometime at home this Christmas."
Kaley smirked as she looked up to Hunter.
"Paperwork always seems to make him really cranky so I find that it's best not to ask how it's going when I don't even think that he's even halfway through it just yet. He was away for a month on business so it piled up a little- he's really restless when he's cooped up for too long."
"What does he do exactly?" Hunter inquired as Kaley never really talked about her father's line of work.
hr
Putting on his black blazer and buttoning it up to hide the 9mm Automatic Beretta in it's leather holster which was carefully hidden under his left armpit, James Bond walked toward the elevator from his office in the MI6 building to go to the underground parking where his car- which was his pride and Joy; An Astin Martin, waiting for him.
He had just pressed the call button on the lift when someone called him from behind.
"James,"
It was Money Penny. James turned as the secretary to M came over to him.
"Miss Money Penny,"
"M wants to see you in her office," she said simply as she held a file in her arms which read 'For Your Eyes Only'
"I was about to go home and spend sometime with my daughter,"
"It won't take long"
James sighed as the two entered the lift and he pressed the button to the floor of M's office.
"Alright,"
hr
Aidan took a small sip of her hot chocolate as she typed up a report that she had been meaning to complete in order to send to M about a course which she was halfway through, taking her eyes off the screen when she heard the front door of the spacious flat open revealing the sound of familiar laughter as if echoed through the quiet as Hunter and Kaley came running in.
Kaley ran into the living room, chucking her bag onto the chair as Hunter followed after her. Aidan smiled at the two as she put her Hot Chocolate on the stylish coffee table.
"What have you done now?" Aidan asked Kaley, who had put the couch she was sitting on between herself and Hunter as she tried to catch her breath.
"Oh, Hi Aidan," Hunter said distractedly from behind her, "Sorry about this but I'm waiting for an apology."
"Which you're not going to get," Kaley laughed as she leant against the opposite arm of the chair in front of the window Aidan had been looking out of a few moments ago.
"Then I'm going to stay here for as long as it takes for you to apologise." Hunter replied simply.
"Go right ahead Eton Boy- it will give you a chance to meet my dad when he comes home."
hr
M pushed the folder across the table to Bond- who sat in the chair in front of her polished French desk which held a green lamp, files and writing pad- who picked up the file labelled,
' "PROJECT ACTURUS" FOR YOUR EYES ONLY"
Opening it, Bond found complex diagrams and diagnostics of an apparent computer mainframe as well as information on personnel and buildings; the design was intricate yet obviously well thought and devised.
"What you are looking at is the developed plans of a project which you tried to prevent ten years ago which resulted in you're accident."
Without looking up as he read the files, Bond sighed as he slightly loosened his tie.
"What is the mission?"
"Prevent the completion of ACTURUS before it brings panic to the world cities and economy systems. It will mean deep cover and no contact with Aidan or Kaley- especially not Kaley."
Bond knew that M had emphasised Kaley especially because he sent her private messages under the radar and if he was caught and it was revealed that he had a daughter, it could be much more dangerous to James' career if word got out to his enemies that Bond had made since becoming a Double '0' Agent.
"When do I have to leave?" Bond asked looking up as M came around to lean against her large desk; her hands supporting her.
"Kaley has told me of your plans to spend some time with her as you promised but your going to have to break it because this cannot wait- ACTURUS is almost on the final hurdle to put it's finishing touches in to place," M answered heavily, seeing the frown cropping up on Bond.
"When do I leave?" Bond replied heavily.
"Sunday Morning- You will be going into soviet territory as the New Head of Security for the person in charge of this project's running- He took over after the last man who you managed to elude was shot in the head for his failures."
"I see," Bond murmured as he closed the file and with a sigh and a twinkle in his eye began to get up.
"I had better break it to my fifteen year old daughter that I will have miss another Christmas,"
"Don't get cocky, 007," M countered with a touch of annoyance, "She may not show it because she knows you all too well, but Kaley does hurt when break a promise,"
"Yes, Ma'am,"