Owl to James Bond

[m-otherhen.livejournal.com]

Bond,

I'm in Ravenclaw. We need to meet. Ravenclaw common room, 1830 hours.

M

Comments

[blond-bondshell.livejournal.com]

Because trusting M would mean trusting somebody other than himself. He'd lived his whole adult life without that trust, and the one time he'd tried, it had blown up spectacularly. "You've tried to have me arrested," he said, "when you knew I was on your side. I'd say that might give me a reason or two. This is unfamiliar territory for both of us. Nobody knows what the complications are."

[m-otherhen.livejournal.com]

"Not by choice. I also let you get away from that arrest so you could finish what you started. Do you really think that with a small army of operatives and near-infinite surveillance capabilities I couldn't have found your next stop and brought you back in?"

She shook her head. "No, the fact is that I give you an extraordinary amount of free rein, Bond. We both get away with it to the extent that we do because that approach has so far yielded spectacular results. But for it to work we have to work together. Especially in unfamiliar territory. Who else here would you propose either of us trust more but each other?"

[blond-bondshell.livejournal.com]

"Nobody," Bond said. Who else was there to trust?

"If you feel my integrity's been so badly compromised by what's going on here, then who would you like to send to replace me? Assuming, of course, that you can get somebody in undercover again."

[m-otherhen.livejournal.com]

Good grief. Was Bond really giving her what one of her Net-nerd children would doubtless call a flounce? M shook her head in amazement.

"Called into question, 007, not compromised, and it's your own behavior that's raised the question and you know it. Fortunately, your supervisor is here to watch over your shoulder on this assignment."

The smile she gave him was not a pretty one.

[blond-bondshell.livejournal.com]

If Bond had really been flouncing, there would have been a lot more exploding going on. Instead he was quite serious. It was the ghosts from his past that were causing the problem. He was wondering if it would be time for M to tell him to walk away.

"You had better be careful, M," he said. "You might find out that you're going to need someone to watch over yours."

[m-otherhen.livejournal.com]

Another hoot. "We're making threats now? Bond, if you want to burn your bridges, just burn them. Don't try to maneuver me into lighting the match for you. I don't handle well."

[blond-bondshell.livejournal.com]

"No," he said, closing his eyes. For a second he looked tired and worn out, but it was only for a moment. Bond opened his eyes and all of that vanished. Let M learn for herself what was going on here. "It's a warning. Be careful. And let me do my job."

He finished his scotch. "I'll have the report in the morning."

[m-otherhen.livejournal.com]

"Noted. Let me know if you need anything. And I'll be waiting for the report."

She took a last swallow of water and walked away, suit of armor trailing behind.