Chapter 1

This was ridiculous, James thought, aiming a crooked smile at Madeleine Swann. He was behind the wheel of his beloved Aston Martin (and didn't that sting, considering how much work Q had put into refinishing it for him), with Madeleine in the passenger seat, cheerfully rambling about the road trip they'd decided to take. A holiday for lovers, newly discovered.

A lie. One with the potential to harm his very real, and very permanent, bond with his husband. But a lie deemed essential to uncover other parts of SPECTRE.

"Wherever you'd like, darling," James affirmed, deeming a pause in the ramble a good place to add his opinion.

Madeleine batted her eyelashes exaggeratedly. "Well, then, let's head for le Cote d'Azure. Find a nude beach or two, and build our all-over tans."

James chuckled indulgently. "Sounds like a plan."

IMBM

Q's lip curled up as he listened in on the conversation. "Build our all-over tans?" he mimicked, his voice going high falsetto. "Bitch."

"Do tell us how you really feel, Q," Eve Moneypenny commented as she strode into his space. "Trouble in paradise?"

"Whose paradise?" Q retorted rudely. "Because there most assuredly is trouble. Damn it."

Eve paused, concerned. "I thought you'd worked this out."

Q sighed, and set down the soldering iron he held in one hand, listening with one ear to James' conversation while he focused the rest of his attention on Eve. "Assured of his affections, yes. Hardly worked out, Eve. Madeleine knows more. This is probably the kindest way to get the information, considering her cooperation to this point. But part of me would rather bring her into one of the interrogation rooms and break her."

Eve opened her mouth, closed it again, then cleared her throat. "Call him back, if it's that much trouble."

Q quieted. For a long moment, neither spoke, as Q worked out that thought. "I know he'd come back if I asked it."

"So why aren't you?" Eve hopped up onto the desk adjoining Q's workspace. "It seems almost cruel to let her think she has a future with James when she clearly does not, all for the sake of getting more information on SPECTRE. And this is a deep, long-term cover if he's going to use her to get more info."

Q sighed. "How else would we get it? We could sweat her, I suppose, though she's technically done nothing wrong. Being the daughter of an assassin is not a crime, and she's been cooperative to a point."

"But James suspects she knows more than she's telling."

"He does, and I trust him." Q fiddled with the soldering iron some more. "This would be so much easier if she were magical."

Q's magic was an open secret among the top echelon at MI6.

"How so?" Eve asked.

"Because then I could justify the use of Veritaserum, and we could get our answers that way," Q said glumly. "But she's not magical, so we need to use non-magical means."

"We could send you in, too," Eve offered. "Stage a lovers' quarrel, get her attention, get her on your side against big, bad, James. Might be a shortcut to more information."

Q looked up. "Hadn't thought of that."

Eve preened. "I do know a bit about the human condition."

Snorting, Q sat back and thought. "Would M sign off on my being gone?"

"Q, dear, I'm thinking he's a bit afraid of what your magic will do should the situation devolve any further."

The grimace on Q's face told her all she needed to know about that. "I'm surprised he was able to perform, frankly," he said quietly. "Magic frowns on infidelity."

"He had your permission, though, so I imagine that makes some sort of difference," Eve observed cautiously.

"Is it wrong that I sort of hoped he couldn't perform with someone other than me?" Q asked plaintively.

"Not at all, Q," Eve soothed.

In his ear, Q heard James laugh with Madeleine about needing the loo, and the sounds of them pulling off the road somewhere in France.

IMBM

James pressed his forehead against the cold tile of the tiny loo attached to the restaurant they'd stopped at for lunch.

This was not working.

James could feel a strain in his chest every time he smiled at Madeleine, or laughed at a joke, or interacted in some way. While James didn't have magic of his own, Q's magic clearly was at play, and it didn't like the deception they were attempting to perpetuate.

He breathed deeply, then pulled out his phone and hit the speed dial for Q.

"Yes." Q's voice centered him, and immediately, the strain in his chest eased.

"Q, darling," James said hoarsely, "this isn't working. My chest hurts. And I don't want to do this anymore."

"Stay where you are."

James closed the phone. Within three minutes, he heard the soft pop that marked his powerful husband's apparation, and felt Q's arms around him from behind. "I'm here, James."

The ache in his chest eased even further, and when James turned around and laid his lips on Q's, it dissipated to a slight ache. Q deepened the kiss, slotting their hips together as they closed the gap between them. Long moments passed before they drew back enough to breathe.

"Much, much, better," James murmured, nuzzling in at Q's neck.

Q swallowed. "Much. I don't think this is a good idea any more, James."

James made a sound of agreement. "No. But what to do?"

Q kissed the top of James' head. "I'm going to kidnap you, of course."

James leaned back to look into emerald eyes. "When? And why?"

"Oh, I'd say in the next day or so, and to stir up suspicion on Madeleine's part. With luck, she'll lead us right to the other players in SPECTRE while she's looking for you." Q batted those eyes at James. "What do you think?"

"I think it's brilliant," James said honestly. "Who will do the kidnapping?"

"I think I'll pop into your hotel room in the dead of night and kidnap you straight out of your bed with a bit of apparation," Q mused. "I'll leave a SPECTRE calling card behind." He looked sternly at his spouse. "Do not let yourself be kidnapped by anyone else, if you please."

James lunged forward and devoured Q's mouth with his, running his hands down Q's sides to grip his arse tightly. Caught off guard slightly, Q could only melt into James' arms, allowing himself to be caught up in the moment. Their bond hummed as they kissed, hands roaming, until James drew back, panting. "Do we have time for …"

"Give me your hand," Q panted back. Wordlessly and wandlessly Q opened their trousers with one hand, then with a thought, added lube to James' hand. James took both their cocks in his brawny palm and stroked them together, quickly and roughly, as Q just leaned into his neck and felt. It took no time at all for the pair to reach completion, and Q just held on for a moment.

James soothed his husband by rubbing his magically clean hands over Q's back. "We'll be alright," he whispered.

"I know we will, James," Q replied softly, nuzzling in at the juncture of James' neck and shoulder. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

IMBM

Madeleine pouted as James finally reached their table. "What took you so long?"

"Must have had some bad fruit with brekkie," James said glibly.

She leaned forward and took his hand. "Do you want to stop for the night? We could find a hotel nearby. It's not like we're on a schedule."

"Would you mind?" James asked. "I could do with a rest. I'm not feeling at all well."

"Of course not." Madeleine smiled. "Let's find a place to stay."

Perfect, James thought.