Inventor Quillish Wammy dies of Heart Attack, aged 70

"An inventor, I see. Quite like you, no?" Bond asks casually, flipping through the Guardian.

"I know what you're insinuating Bond, so stop digging behind my back and I'll tell you. It's not like keeping it a secret would help me much at any rate." Q says, with his back to Bond and both hands tinkering with some new object.

"His name seems very familiar, but I know I would remember a name so distinctive as Quillish. Who names their kid Quillish?"

"My great-grandparents, apparently." Bond's eyes snap towards Q. His Quartermaster has never revealed (and should never reveal) personal information before.

"Your -"

"Yes, my great-grandparents. Quillish is my grandfather, we're attending his funeral Saturday. Any more questions can wait until our drive up on Friday. We've got one hour, twenty-three minutes to waste, I'm sure your questions will be answered. Now get out of my work area so I can work!" Q turned around and growled the last sentence out. Bond, not one to take orders, stood his place.

"I need to know what I'm getting into before we leave so I can prepare. Why are we leaving on Friday? Was your grandfather involved in any crimes? Anything specific I should know of, possible problems in the family? You have to tell me, Q."

"I... fine." Q sighed, rubbing his temples. "We're leaving on Friday because I need to get some paperwork from Roger, the orphanage's current caretaker. Quillish was always very private, so there shouldn't be too many people. His family's dead, I'm the last one. What else..." Q looked away briefly. "Oh yeah, he founded an orphanage, Wammy's House?"

Bond startled. "Wammy's House, in Winchester?"

"That very one. I suppose you've heard of it then?" The quartermaster turned his attention back towards his gadget, hands fiddling once more.

"Heard of it! I was almost placed there after my parents died."

"You were eleven, weren't you? That's too old," the brunet muttered absentmindedly. Bond caught the sentence though, and knew something was up.

"Too old? I realize older orphans are less likely to be adopted but that's rather discriminatory, don't you think?" The blond knew he was onto something, when he saw Q's shoulder tensing.

"Wammy's House is special. It takes in young geniuses -10 and below- and moulds them into legends," Q turns his head slightly, judging Bond out of the corner of his eye. "Legends in the mental sense, that is. You're too physical for us."

"If they're such legends, why haven't I ever heard of any?" Bond questioned, eyes narrowing.

"We try not to associate ourselves to the House in public media. Our ways are peculiar and people don't tend to understand," Q tries to explain, working on his project again. "You've definitely heard of some of them though. Beyond Birthday?"

"The crazy serial killer in Los Angeles? You mean your orphanage produced him? Maybe I should bring a dozen firearms then," Bond exclaims, incredulously.

"And that's why we don't want to be associated with our other children. You probably know this guy too, L? Ever heard of him?"

"World's number one detective? Who hasn't heard of him is the question. You're saying that he was one of your alumni?" The blond raises an eyebrow.

"Of course. Come to think of it, you'll probably meet him in person too," Q remarks, adding a metallic ring onto his project.

"Why would such a busy person come to the orphanage's founder's funeral? He probably doesn't even know him," Bond claims.

"Because," Q turns around, "Quillish was his handler. He practically raised him. Now if you're done with the questioning, I need to finish my project and you are being distracting. Any more questions can be saved for the car ride, just pick me up at 4 on Friday." With that, the brunet physically pushes the taller one. Or tries to, at any rate.

"Q, you do realize that you are very unlikely to move me, right?" Bond questions, amused. Even more amusing is the blush forming on Q's face.

"Well, fine, can you please leave me to my work? I need to organize my department afterwards and I need time."

"Since you asked so nicely, I think I will. See you Friday, Q," Bond smirks.

Friday shall be interesting indeed.