Chapter 2
Initially, the car ride on the way to headquarters was a silent affair and M can tell that something is bothering James.
"What did Marshall say to make you so quiet?"
"Nothing that he said...however, you wanting to keep this relationship hidden has me...upset. M I will not try to deliberately embarrass you."
"You think it is all about me? What about your embarrassment what if a gorgeous woman approaches you at a restaurant and asks for your number right in bloody front of me imagining that I am your mother or something of that nature?"
"I could give a damn what others think! You should understand that by now."
"You say that now...but realistically Bond...I am old and this will seem absurd. My children don't mind, they like you and accept you in the privacy of my home but they are not around us much. I am unlikely to embarrass them with my gorgeous young lover in public...no we must keep to the shadows...especially at work. That being said, I have an inkling that Gareth Mallory knows."
"He does...asked me as much when you were missing. Tanner, Q and Eve will keep their mouths shut. Mallory he may be flexible and if not I will resign."
"What? You can't do that!"
"Why not? I am no longer at the top of my game, after I took that bullet from Eve."
"With time you could be…"
"M...I would rather have you than be a 00 any longer."
"Queen and county Bond. You are still needed...you are my best after all."
Bond hits his phone to connect to Tanner..."Bill I will be in the garage within 10 minutes with the inspector general so there had better not be a pen out of place...you know how the evil queen of numbers gets."
"James...stop that!"
"Really...your best...I had to beg Mallory to let me go after you on that island...you and I both know that I am far from the best 00 at this moment. I could easily stay off the list if the government hassles you in any way."
"James...there will be time enough to decide all this...as for the week...what are your plans?"
"I have spoken with your daughter and she wants us to stop in on our way to Skyfall. Ryan will meet us there on Friday."
"That sounds lovely...I do really want to see them. You know MI6 use to have a base in Scotland...It was a beautiful place."
"What happened to it? Q blow it up?"
"Budget cuts...it got axed in the early 2000's."
"I have to handle some legal issues of my own with the estate...since I died and things took motion...I now need to stop."
"I hadn't thought of that...I will help if I can."
"Don't you worry...I will sort it all out. Q and Tanner have unfrozen most of my accounts...it will all work out. Seeing as it will now be our second home M, you will be there and by proxy MI6 will have a second base in Scotland, such as it stands."
"I suppose you're right...where I am...work tends to follow. Q will have send a team to make adjustments but it is a good plan. The government can cover the costs of refurbishing it for us and we will allow them to use it as a base...if that is all right with it's handsome owner?"
"It is fine with me as long as there is a very private portion set aside for our use when we are there. Kincade may have to be brought onboard...and he dislikes change...but it is remote enough to go without too many observers interested."
"Kincade?"
"Kincade was an old friend of my father's...he has looked after the old place all these years. Actually he has always looked after the place...I have always thought that he loved the old pile of stones more than any Bond ever has."
They arrive at the underground bunker office and M greats Tanner and Moneypenny in the garage and walk with them through the bunker.
"M? You were not expected in today...but I am glad to see you. The planners are in with Mallory now about the construction of your new office. There is a member of the planning committee with him...a Clare Dower."
"Fine let's get in there before they pick out something gaudy."
M opens the door to the glass office followed closely by Bond, Tanner and Moneypenny.
Mallory smiles. "M good to see you. How fortuitous that you chose to visit today. Ms. Dower is here with questions concerning the reconstruction of the offices destroyed by Silva."
"Yes...what are the problems? The plans must be still readily available to recreate it the way that it was."
Clare Dower turns and glares at M. "The problem is...why should the government give you money to replace the offices when it was a personal attack on you M?"
In the seconds and moments that follow her remark the occupants of the room could hear a proverbial pin drop.
M moves forward with a viper like grace and a look that has made grown men cry for their mothers.
"Ms. Dower...is it? The enemies that I have made...personal or otherwise are because of this job...what is it you think I do here...knit and have bake sales? Stop being an idiot and reconstruct my offices as they were."
"I am not really sure what it is that you do M other than surround yourself with pretty people to look at..the same people that cause mayhem and expense around the world. All the while you expect the British public to pick up the tab for the luxury hotels...gambling parlours in the orient and Monaco...what does it get us...really?"
"That is no concern of yours...I do not answer to you I answer to the PM and he isn't stupid enough to ask what we really do!"
"M...there is a movement towards open and transparent government that cannot be ignored by your well dressed and expensive department. Cutbacks are the words of the day and I for one think that your department has run hard and long with the countries cheque book for too bloody long."
"Well, I know I took a few days off but I was unaware that there was an election held in my absence and that you are now Prime Minister...or are we a republic now and you have taken over from the Queen?"
"You are too old to see the writing on the walls M...this department is going to be restructured and I want an inquiry into your handling of this department. The stolen hard drive containing operatives from Nato countries leaked on youtube for goodness sake...what have you to say about that...why did you go missing for 4 days? What are you hiding. I am going to make it my job to find out!"
Mallory speaks up. "Clare...really now...she is the head of this department...there are things you cannot hope to ask of her or find out about her so please let's calm down before M tosses you in the dungeon."
"I see Gareth. So you are siding with her about this department...it needs proper oversight. We need to know what is going on in MI6."
"No you bloody well don't!" M moves closer towards her with dangerous intent.
Dower backs off with a twinge of fear evident on her face. The others in the office are momentarily scared for the woman. M does not give ground in her territory and there is no way she is going to allow this woman to speak to her like this in her own realm.
"MI6 was formed to keep secrets...not bloody well parade them around for everyone to know...as it is there are things that leak occasionally and we have to clean up the mess and that is what happened on that bridge last week...a mess and I will clean it up. The perpetrator is dead and I need a new bloody office to do my job...so if you don't mind...I would like to speak with Mallory before leaving again."
"How long until you return from your extended vacation...a month I hear...you don't look injured...I assume you have a good excuse for the time off?"
Mallory looks down at the top of the desk, Moneypenny inhales an audible gasp at the woman's attack.
Bond steps protectively beside M as Tanner looks at the woman in absolute shock and dismay...if Clare Dower only knew...still Tanner would like to escort her from the room and moves beside her and takes her elbow to do just that.
M stops them. "That is hardly your concern but I am going to Scotland to reopen a MI6 base there that was closed in the early 2000's."
"That is not authorized in the budget? There is no way there is money for you to purchase a new estate and fit it for your use."
Bond speaks up now. "There is minimal cost involved. I am donating my home for the purposes of this department."
"And you are?"
"Bond, James Bond and I have an estate that is empty and unused...I am giving to M."
"Why on earth would you give M your estate?"
"That is my business...and between me and her."
Clare Dower looks between the handsome agent and M...he is standing very close to her...who is this agent Bond? She needs to do some research on him.
"You are very kind to your boss...and comfortable...are you related in some way?"
Mallory speaks up, "that is hardly any of your concern Clare and if agent Bond is willing to donate his estate for the use of MI6 you could show some gratitude. It will save the government a small fortune, since you are so very concerned about the budget."
Ms. Dower glares at the lot of them as Tanner guides her from the room before this accidental meeting comes to blows.
Mallory looks at M and says, "I am sorry M...if I had known you were coming in today…and that Ms. Dower would act like such a...bureaucrat."
Bond smirks, "I always new it was a bad word."
M smiles, "yes the other b-word I would associate with Ms. Dower is bitch but that would be insulting to female dogs."
Tanner enters the office again with an apologetic look for M.
"Don't worry too much Mallory. I just wanted to see about the plans and now that I know that they are being contested by Dower... Tanner...you know what to do."
"Yes ma'am. Tanner leaves the room and heads to Q branch."
Mallory looks confused. "You are not going to...well it is your department and I would prefer to stay out of any investigation you start on Ms. Dower...I have had to work with her in the past and it is not a pleasant experience."
Bond smirks. "I can only imagine. How much trouble can one bureaucrat cause?"
M shoots him a look. "Far more than you can imagine if they are being financed by others."
Mallory adds, "planting the seeds of doubt can be more dangerous and destructive than the bomb that took out your office. Here are the plans M...is there anything that you would like to change?"
"No...nothing. At this point in my career who am I to make changes...eh Mallory? There will be someone else in that seat soon enough."
Mallory frowns. "Why do you say that M? I never thought you were one for retirement talk."
"I am not but I see the writing on the wall if they are sending a woman like that to pester you and I. And they call me the evil queen of numbers. The economists will do more damage to this department than that bomb ever did. They only see the numbers and not the big picture."
"I have to apologize then for being an ignorant fool and believing much of what they have for years. Since I've been sitting here for you I know now, just how difficult this is. I would love to give you the tour M...I am sure Moneypenny can give Bond a tour to his office."
Bond looks like he would like to forcibly remove Mallory's hand from the small of M's back as he guides her from the office. Bond frowns recalling the first time that Mallory met M, he was so taken with her that he asked if she was single.
Moneypenny laughs at him as they watch Mallory guide M into the bullpen from the glass office.
"M will be fine with Mallory Bond. He will not try to steal her away from you."
"I just don't like her out of my sight for long Eve. Did Tanner tell you the news?"
"He hinted that there was something big going on...I gather it is not that you just donated the family estate to MI6?"
"No...I am taking her to Skyfall for a relaxing vacation and to ask her to marry me. Therefore, Skyfall will be M's as much as it is mine."
"What! NO! Oh my god that is fantastic James...I am so happy for you. What do you need help with...shopping for the ring?"
"No...I have the ring covered from my mother and grandmother, but I thought M may need help with ideas for the dress...you and her daughter are the closest females to her. I just hope she says yes...and now I have my doubts."
"Doubts...but why? She is not interested in Mallory...is it the brother-in-law?"
"No...we just shared a meal with Marshall and her children are fine with the idea. But she seems to want to keep the whole relationship quiet. You, Tanner, Q and Mallory only. She is embarrassed about what people with think."
"I hadn't thought of it that way. I will gather as much information on dresses that I can… I am sure she will come around...I know how much she loves you James...and I can tell that you love her just as much. What time of year do you want to get married?"
"I would get married tomorrow if she would agree and that will be up to the reluctant bride. I will steal her off to Scotland for a quick marriage in Gretna Green if I could get away with it."
"Don't you bloody well dare. I have to be there to see the two of you get married...or else."
"Or else what?"
"You don't want to test me Bond...remember your shoulder."
"How could I forget...to repay me for the bullet please keep you ears out for gossips and make sure none of it gets back to her."
"I will James, good luck and safe drive."
To be continued…