For Rebaforever15, Thanks for all the support.

James did as promised and took M home, stopping to pick up an order of Chinese food along the way.

"I still don't understand...If you knew you could hit the target then why the big production of how you can't shoot?" asked James as he followed her into her flat

"Because it is a well known and documented fact that I can't...that was just a lucky shot. I probably couldn't do it again if my life depended on it" she quipped as she walked thru to the kitchen get the plates and glasses

"Wine or scotch?" he asked as he put the food on the table

"Oh...Wine I guess"

As they sat down to eat, The majority of their conversation consisted of no more than a series of monosyllabic phrases of yes, no, please and thank you.

"You know we still have to work on this believable relationship we are supposed to be having" he said with a slight grin

"James...I believe that our relationship is just fine the way it is"

Midway thru the meal M looked up to find James just staring at her.

"Something on your mind?" she asked rather matter of fact

"You could say that" he replied as he put his elbows on the table and rested his chin on his hands

"Well then out with it. What's on your mind"

"About this "Training"...Why is Mallory suddenly so concerned about your ability to protect yourself?, and what is this business of having me pose as your escort, toy boy or whatever you want to call it?"

"Perhaps he's just covering his arse in case this mission is a complete disaster" she replied shrugging her shoulders

"And what about Anton Mirrinov..."

"What about him?"

"I don't believe for a second that he doesn't know who you are regardless of what that twit Mallory says"

"Oh and why is that?" she asked

"Because according to Mallory he asked to speak to M, but you weren't M yet when he knew you, you were just an agent"

"Go on" she said listening intently

"And why, after all these years does he only want to speak to you? surly he must realize that you would have been long since retired, so what would make him think that you would even still be around unless he knew for a fact who you are?"

M got up from the table and took her dishes to the kitchen with James following close behind. As she rinsed off her plate he noticed her hand was shaking slightly.

"What is it M?" he asked as he stood beside her watching her carefully

"It's nothing" she said in an attempt to avoid his question

"Don't be stupid" he said as me moved to stand behind her, putting one arm around her waist and the other around her shoulders pulling her back against him "I can tell it's not just nothing" he whispered in her ear.

M just turned her head to the side but as she did James felt the splash of a tear hit his hand.

"M...What is it?" he asked as he turned her around to face him.

"I don't think I can do this" she said in a shaky voice as she looked up at him with tears in her eyes

"Do what?"

"You have no idea who this man is or what he is capable of" she said quietly "He's a butcher...He's murdered hundreds of innocent people without so much as batting an eye"

James had seen a wide range of emotions play across the face of his boss over the years, but never before had he ever seen the look of complete and total fear. All he could think to do was to pull her closer and hold her tightly as he rested his chin on the top of her head.

"You were right about what you said before" she said as she rested her head against his chest "He knows exactly who I am"

"How do you know?"

"Because when I took over as M he sent me a congratulatory note. It only had 4 words, but I knew it was from him"

"What did the note say?"

"It just said Maxwell would be proud"

"Who was Maxwell?"

"He was my partner. Mirrinov's men murdered him shortly after we were captured" she said pulling away from him

"What do you mean after we were captured?" he asked as she headed toward the sitting room to pour herself a drink

"The mission went horribly wrong and we were captured. Maxwell was killed almost immediately, and Mirrinov held me for 4 days before an extraction team was sent in to get me out" she said quietly as a tear slid down her cheek "I was shot 13 times in the arms and legs, beaten to within an inch of my life and left to die"

James was stunned by what she was telling him. He knew from reading her file that she had been wounded in the line of duty, but he had no idea the extent of the emotional and physical damage she had endured. The look of absolute pain and fear nearly broke his heart as he slid closer and put his arm around her, pulling her to him in a protective embrace.

"That was a long time ago M...He can't hurt you now" he said as he leaned down and gently kissed her

It took a moment for it to register that she was in James' arms before she pulled back, wiped away a stray tear and then lit into him with one of her famous rants.

"How dare you choose now of all times to turn on that famous charm of yours and try to seduce me!" she snapped

"I wasn't doing anything of the sort" he snapped back "You were upset...I was trying to comfort you!"

"Leave it to you to take a painful situation and use it to your full advantage!"

"I was and am genuinely concerned about you, why is that so hard for you to believe?"

"Why do you insist on treating me like one of your mindless bimbos that seem to fall at your feet when you bat an eye at them?...Just how stupid do you think I am?"

"M..I wasn't trying to do anything..." he said apologetically as he rose from the sofa and began pacing around the room

"Then why did you kiss me?" she demanded as she stood up and glared at him "Is this all part of this so called "Training"? bring me to my lowest point and then make your move? Is that how it works?"

James couldn't believe what he was hearing. He kissed her because he honestly cared about her, but in her current mood, trying to calmly explain this would only make matters worse.

"I should have know better than to agree to this asinine plan with you, of all people, as my escort given your reputation" she hissed

"M...I've had just about enough of this!" he shouted as he took hold of her shoulders

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!" she shouted back

"Something I've wanted to do for a long time, but up until now never thought I would have a snowballs chance in hell of ever getting the chance" he said as he took a step closer and pulled her into a deep, passionate kiss. She struggled against him for a few moments before he finally began to feel her relax. When he finally broke the kiss, for no other reason than the general need for air, he took a step back and tilted her chin up so he could look her directly in the eye.

"I have loved you since the first time I met you" he said with a crack in his voice "I would not now, nor would I ever use a painful memory to take advantage of you" he continued "It's true that I want you and I want to be with you, but not like this" he said quietly

"And just why should I believe you?" she asked as tears threatened to spill from her eyes "You make a living making people believe things that simply are not true in order to accomplish your mission...Is that what I am?...Just another mission?"

"If you believe that than you don't know me very well" he replied as he lowered his hand and headed toward the door. " I'll inform Mallory in the morning that he will need to reassign this mission to another agent" he said dryly as he left

As soon as she heard the door shut, M burst into tears. She didn't want another agent. She wanted and needed James, and for both professional and personal reasons, she needed to find a way to fix this, and the sooner the better.

TO BE CONTINUED...