M's head was pounding and her guts were churning, as the light took them on a dizzying journey to a cold sterile lab. Ronald had a tight grip on her, holding her against him until they arrived. Ronald picked her up and placed her on a table.
The door opened, as he lashed her to the table. Joseph entered with a medical team that began to look over her and jab her with and IV, taking a blood samples, while the other arm received a blood pressure cuff.
M cannot hear what the brothers were talking about in the corner and another spasm of pain prevented her from concentrating on anything else.
The two brothers come beside her and Ronald brushed the hair out of her eyes as he looked at her.
"I told you the new formula would work faster…the key to making it permanent is the next stage. Once we get Minerva then we will do the same to her and then bind them to us for eternity."
"What about side effects. We never took that many years off ourselves at one time…we started younger and just maintained the youthfulness we enjoy now."
"That my dear brother is why I told them to give us three days. Olivia should feel better by tomorrow and they assure me the permanency drug will be done by tomorrow and then we will be immortal."
"I am unsure that I want to become immortal….longer life is fine but no end at all, how can that be anything but terrifying."
Ronald was caressing Olivia's face. "Not to me brother…I envision a great deal of pleasurable things for an eternity."
Olivia opened her mouth to respond, but her voice sounded so small and far away. "Let me go."
Ronald gave her a straw to take some water in. "Why on earth would I do that my dear, when I have moved heaven and earth to bring you to me. We will have an eternity together soon darling and the pain will dissipate by tomorrow. Sleep now and I will come back to see you later."
M watched, as he signaled the doctor to give her a sedative and then the pain eased as did her consciousness. Just before the drug took her completely down the rabbit hole, Ronald whispered into her ear. "I've been waiting for you for over 50 years my love…you are mine."
The next morning, Bond and Minerva apparated into M's office, much to the surprise of Tanner.
"How are the preparations coming along Tanner?"
"Well, ma'am we have a plane standing by and Q and I are ready to go with the two of you. I have been in contact with a Mr. Jones and a Dr. Owen Harper at Torchwood. They were unaware of the power theft. Jack Harkness is due to return to Cardiff later today and the three of them will meet with us. I was given coordinates."
Minerva frowned. "I will be taking my own way to Cardiff and Bond wishes to accompany me. We will strike at the facility as soon as I hear from my people. We will wait for word from them here and then will join you in Cardiff."
Tanner looked confused but Bond explains. "She will apparate us there immediately…it will only take seconds to join you but she will need a video display of the location so that she can visualize it…correct?"
Minerva nodded. "Yes, exactly right 007. Some of my friends may join me but it will only be in absolute dire circumstances that I will call on them. There is far too much odd magic and mayhem near this strange rift to risk too much of our power against such an unknown. I dare say that some of my fellow teachers will be motivated by scientific curiosity."
Tanner said his goodbyes and went to collect Q and 6 armed agents to fly to Cardiff.
Minerva frowned. "I don't think that armed men will be able to do much in this situation and may make it worse. All they can do is kill the muggle scientists that work for the Wilson's and maybe innocent bystanders."
Bond checked his own gun and extra ammunition clips in his pockets. Bond's dressed casually in jeans, t-shirt and pullover. Minerva was also dressed like this or appeared to be by magical means.
Bond went out and got some breakfast for the two of them, while they await an owl to arrive from Hogwarts. It all sounded daft and Bond occasionally had to pinch himself to prove that it was not all a drug or alcohol induced dream.
Bond wished it was a dream and have M sitting behind her desk, pissed at him when he returned with the food.
M's cousin Minerva was a wonderful and intriguing woman. She had given Bond great insight into the woman he admired and possibly loved more than anyone alive.
Action was what he craved now…Bond wanted to smash a fist into the faces of both the Wilson men.
When Bond returned there are two men in the office with Minerva. They were both at Whitehall the day before, after M was taken. They looked at Bond and frowned, suddenly vanishing before his eyes.
"Did I scare them away?"
"No…of course not. They do not like to meddle in the affairs of muggles and this is a quandary. I have only to twist this ring and say the words and they will come to our aid in dire circumstances only."
Bond looked at the silver ring that Minerva now wore on her right hand.
"Does this mean we are free to leave now? We will beat Q and Tanner to Cardiff. You and I can go straight to M if you can feel her through your bracelet."
"Calm yourself Bond…she's sleeping now. I will know when we need to rush and I will need to rest some when we get there. Let's eat and then we will contact Tanner and meet them there. The potion was from our world but mixed with something else. There is unfortunately no antidote for it but there may be something we can do for her in our world once we see what has been done since."
Cardiff, Wales.
Jack took the lift down into the hub, to see the serious face of his lover Ianto.
"What no welcome home kiss?"
"Jack we have some serious guests coming…MI6 is on it's way."
"Really, to what do we owe the invasion of special branch?"
"Apparently their head…M has been abducted and is being experimented on here in Cardiff by an installation that is siphoning off power from the rift…how they know about all of this is beyond..."
"M! She's here and she's been taken by who?"
"You know that M is a woman?"
"Yes…of course she and I go way back."
"How far back and how close were you?"
Jack smiled his devastatingly handsome smile and pulled Ianto into a searing kiss.
"Not what you think…my love but if she had said yes."
"Why is that always the case with you Jack? I cannot compete with such a past."
"Who is asking you to compete? Not me. When does MI6 arrive?"
"Soon. Are we just allowing them in?"
"Not the armed men that will accompany them but the agents in charge yes. If they were able to access the files on us then they know all there is to know now…we will help them on the condition that they bury that information and leave us alone. We have to save her…I owe her one and I don't want anything bad to happen to M."
"Really…what did she do?"
"Top secret."
"What does she look like? Wait let me guess…she is a stunning blond woman, smart a good drinker, brave, loyal, it is your type you have to admit."
Jack smiled as Ianto described the delectable woman that Jack met all those years ago. He was not wrong and Jack got suddenly lost in a memory….
1968 London
Jack was chasing a rogue mutant creäture that had no business being on earth, when it ducked into a pub.
Jack followed, his long coat billowing as he ran on this windy spring day.
Flinging open the door of the pub to see his prey lying on the ground, at the feet of a petite blond in a purple and green striped mini dress and white boots to just under her knees.
"Well I was wondering when I would finally get to see one of these."
"I'm not sure I know what you mean miss?"
"Jenkins…Olivia Jenkins. Do you need some help getting this thing out of here before the lunch rush and my mark arrives?"
"It will be faster with another set of hands…even some as small and lovely as yours."
Olivia smirked at him. "You're trying too hard and I am not available for extra circulars."
The two of them drag the mutant out to the back alley and Jack radioed for pick up.
"You on a mission?"
"Yes."
"Can I help you, now that you have most graciously helped me?"
"I don't know…my employers may not like another group's interference."
"How do you know I am from another group? I to could work for 5 or 6 too."
"No…I would know if you did…I am good at observing things."
"I bet you are…how about we have a drink?"
"All right…I have time before…"
"Who are you after?"
"You know I can't tell you that…nice try."
"You can't blame a guy for trying around such a pretty woman."
"I told you…lay off the flirty play act."
"Me…act…you wound me madame…I have been around this world enough to recognize beauty in many forms shapes and sizes and you are beauty pure and simple…anyone with eyes should see that."
"Getting better…how often have you used that one?"
Jack smirked at the perceptive woman, beside him at the bar sipping her gin and tonic. "Well, Olivia Jenkins you never asked my name…so I assume you are not interested and have a husband or boyfriend that has you heart in his hands at this moment in time."
"Yes I do, and you are Jack Harkness of Torchwood."
Jack pulls back surprised. "How…did you?"
The smirk on her face endeared her to him even more than her physical appearance.
"I read a lot and have been working in the basement on old files for analysis. Jack Harkness has been in the records for over a hundred years….a relative of yours…or you do not age?"
The blasé way in which she makes her assumptions makes him stare into her eyes closer. No she is a human but there is something about her.
"How do you? Why are you not surprised?"
"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
"I gave him that line you know."
Olivia erupted into laughter…deep throaty…sexy laughter. There were moments when looking at her that his perception of her changed.
One second she was a pretty lady, a bit short and chubby with an hourglass figure that longed for the corsets of that last century, and looked out of place in the late 60's fashion of the day.
Jack knows that she was not young, but there was a youthfulness about her. She seemed demure and yet she knew things…many things.
There is the occasional flash of something alluring to the point of obsession with her…he wants her desperately but she is not his to have.
If any one of these mortals ever truly watched her…really observed her and paid any attention beyond the first scan for surface beauty they would fall for her and she does not realize she has this power this yet.
That or it is because physical attention is not what she wants from him…if she wanted him he would know it instantly and they would spend the next few days or even weeks together if Jack had the choice.
This one was worth watching and Olivia was observing and cataloguing everything about him, that she can discern from her sly glances. Classifying it all for future use.
"You have a power about you Olivia and you are incredibly beautiful…don't ever think that you are not."
Olivia looked at him with confusion on her face. The sincerity in his voice changed the lighthearted bantering they were having into something deeper.
"You, Jack Harkness are a sway-er of minds…a manipulator for your own gain."
"Yes, I am that but I am also deadly serious about you…I would love to see you again."
"I do not think that is a good idea…I am engaged."
"Maybe when we meet again in the distant future?"
"I could be 50 and I think you would look just as you do today."
"Your age will not change the way I feel about you in this moment in time and space."
"I wish normal humans were as open minded as you Jack."
"Someday maybe they will be…like when you are running the show at MI6."
"ME! Don't be ridiculous…a woman as M? I can't imagine that."
"The times they are a changin my dear, and you could very well be the first and best…you seem unfazed by the strange and unusual that live in the shadows of your world. Why is that I wonder?"
"I will only say that it hits close to home…and I keep an open mind in all things."
"Olivia Jenkins…I hope your mission here today goes well and I will be at this club tonight if you care to drop in for a drink or 5…no ulterior motives on my part…just your company."
Jack hands her a card and pays for their drinks.
"I will consider it on the condition that you tell me about that thing we just removed from here."
"It's a date."
"No, it's an inquiry."
Jack laughs and turns to leave the pub.
The two of them did meet for drinks and got stinking drunk…he tried to kiss her but she pushed him away…loyal to a fault but still enjoying his attention.
Olivia pried from him the information she wanted about the mutant, but Jack knew that it would never see the desk of her superiors…she was collecting this for personal reasons.
The attention of another male always inspired insecure human women. Not that Olivia was insecure, she just needed an extra push in the right direction. Jack hoped he could inspire her to the greatness that she was more than qualified to have and that the husband didn't try to hold her back.
"You just got lost in her again didn't you Jack?"
Jack looked back at his lover and smiled. "So much time…so many memories…they do take over from time to time."
"Yes, and by the smile on your lips, I say that you were more than just friends."
"I wish!"
"She actually said no to the great Jack Harkness?"
"Yes, she did. M had a fiancé and is loyal to a frustrating degree…believe me… cold showers were definitely needed"
Ianto received at text. "They're here."
"I will go up and fetch them…It is not nice to keep MI6 waiting."
To be continued….