Prosper, This one is just for you. Hope you like it:)

Clash of the titans

Garreth Mallory just stood glaring at M as she sat behind her desk looking back at him with an icy stare.

"Good evening M. Nice to see you." he said in a rather cool tone

"I've tried for several days to reach you but for some reason I keep being put off with one excuse after another by a certain impertinent secretary and a certain assistant."

"Whatever my staff has told you they have done so at my request and you do not have the authority to question them." she replied firmly

"I should like to inform you that such behavior will not be tolerated." he retorted clearly angry

M stood up and came around to lean on the front of her desk.

"Just who the hell do you think you are bursting into what I presume is still my office and ordering my staff about as if they were schoolchildren?" she demanded

"In case you have forgotten I am the Chairman of the Security and Intelligence Committee and you report to me" he snapped

"No I have not forgotten. Just what is so bloody important that you could not wait until my return " she snapped

"We need to discuss the file I gave you on the situation in Singapore as well as the other issue at hand!" he said sharply

M just stared at him blankly as she had literally no idea what he was going on about.

"You did read the report didn't you " he asked raising his eyebrow

"Why don't you enlighten me as the specifics of the report since you are so keen to discuss them" she answered rather tersely

"Then I can assume from your answer you have not read the file" he replied sounding annoyed

"Then you assume wrong. I am just not in the mood to discuss the details at this particular time." she said flatly "I can only assume that the other issue you are referring to has something to do with my "Voluntary " retirement am I correct?" she asked rather matter of fact

"Yes. we need to settle the details so the transition can be as smooth as possible" he replied

That last statement was all the information M needed to know that this was the Garreth Mallory whose name appeared on the bottom of the note in the file she had found in her desk drawer.

"Mr. Mallory, I'm sure you were given a perfectly reasonable explanation as to my absence in the office for the last few days were you not?" she asked bluntly

"Yes, something about an urgent family matter. Why?" he asked narrowing his eyes

"As a matter of fact I have suffered a rather traumatic loss in my family, and I have no intention of discussing anything at this particular time so if you will excuse me I will be leaving. I will contact you upon my return, then and only then will we continue this discussion, have I made myself perfectly clear?" she said glaring at him

"Crystal Ma'am" he said sharply

James stood with his ear pressed against the door trying to hear just what was going in M's office while Bill paced about the small space rubbing his forehead and Eve just sat at her desk almost beside herself with worry.

"They've been in there a long time" said Eve nervously as she looked back and forth between James and Bill.

"We've got to find some way to get her out of there" said Bill shaking his head

"I'm going in there" said James sounding very determined

"You can't just go barging in there" said Bill grabbing James arm

"She's in over her head" said James as he opened the door slowly

"Ma'am the car is waiting downstairs if you are ready to go" said James as he went to stand beside M.

"007... Just exactly what are you doing here? shouldn't you be an assignment?" asked Mallory suspiciously as he turned to face him

"As a matter of fact he is on assignment. He is escorting me while I deal with this family matter" replied M sharply

"Since when do agents with a double O status do service as escorts?" asked Mallory curiously

"He is my bloody agent and I require both his assistance and protection if I am to be out of the office for an extended amount of time!" she retorted angrily

"I think you have all the protection you need with that secretary and assistant of yours" he said smugly as he looked at Eve and Bill who were standing in the doorway.

"Mr. Mallory, Let me remind you that they are MY staff. Whatever they do, they do on MY behalf or at MY request and I will not have you or anyone else second guessing my decisions, and as for 007, I don't give a shit what you think he is MY bloody agent and if I say he is needed than he is needed, is that clear!"

"Yes Ma'am" was all he could say

"Then goodnight Mr. Mallory, Please see yourself out!" she said motioning toward the door

Mallory turned and left without saying a word. James, Bill and Eve all stared at M with their mouths open in a state of both shock and awe at the scene they had just witnessed.

"And you said she was in over her head" said Bill as he closed the door

"M" said James as he rushed to her side "Are you alright" he asked as he put his arm around her and led her to the chair near the window.

"Yes I think so" she said sitting down slowly

"M... Do you know who that was?"asked James as he searched her face for what he didn't exactly know

"Yes. That was Garreth Mallory and he is a first class twit" she said bluntly

"Well then" she said looking at the three of them "I believe someone said something about dinner?"