Given the events of the last day, when Bond asks for a few days off for himself and Q, no one argues with it, least of all M. When something like this happens, even he knows not to get between a mated pair.

After a day of practically smothering Q with his protective instincts, the younger man orders him out to the shops to get things they need just to get him out of the house for an hour or two and to give him some space.

When the agent returns and sees nothing happened, it soothes him a little as they put all the groceries away together, only to spend another evening of cuddling watching the tellie and reassuring one another they are both alright and whole.

On the third morning, Q wakes up first, his head pillows on Bond's chest with his hand resting in front of his face. He takes a deep breath and sighs a little as he thinks over the last week and everything that has happened. Slowly, he sits up, the movement causing James' eyes to jerk open.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to wake you." Q says as he stretches his arms above his head, tilting his head one way and the other to stretch it before he fumbles for his glasses and looks back down at Bond.

James shakes his head a little. "It's fine. Looks about time for me to get up anyway." He decides, stretching his arms above his head before folding his hands behind it and looking up at Q with a slightly grim expression. "We can't stay here forever, Q. We'll probably have to go back to work tomorrow." He broaches the subject neither of them wanted to really speak about in the last few days.

Nodding a little, but not looking surprised or even disappointed about it, Q smiles slightly at James. "I know. And about time, too. It isn't fair to leave everything to R. How are you with this, James? You need to make sure this doesn't affect your job in the field." He points out in a firm tone. Neither of them have ever wanted James to quit being an agent, which he obviously loves and is very good at.

Ice blue eyes shift to stare at the ceiling as James thinks about the question seriously for a few moments the tension across his shoulders finally easing until he looks like a satisfied cat. "I think I'll be alright. I want you to keep some sort of weapon on you at all times, though. M already said they would be increasing security for you. With 009 gone, they don't see any other threats, since no one knows who you are." He points out, shifting his eyes back at the brunette, watching goose flesh rise on his pale skin before reaching out to grab his arm and pull him back down against him. "We'll make it work." He reassures as he rubs Q's back.

Making a sound of objection when he is pulled down, Q sighs a little in exasperation before he cuddles up against Bond's side and pulls the covers back over them both a bit. They don't have anything scheduled for the day and it's still early, so he sees nothing wrong with spending a bit of time in bed. "We will. We have to. But we need to make sure that our relationship doesn't interfere with work in any way. Which means when you are on a mission, the only relationship we need to worry about is the one between a Double-oh and his Quatermaster." His tone is firm as he lifts his head to watch Bond's profile.

A small grunt is the only response given for a moment. But knowing Q won't be satisfied with that answer, Bond shifts to be able to look down into his eyes before he nods. "I know. I'm still going to flirt, that's just how I am, and it helps take my mind off the grittier parts of missions sometimes. I do enjoy the banter we have." He admits with a small grin as he looks at the younger man for a few moments, lifting his hand to card it through the brunette curls still all wild from sleep and their lovemaking the night before.

"Yes, I hardly think you could prevent yourself from flirting. It didn't help before we were together, I see no reason that particular part should change." Q reassures before he lowers his head, enjoying the caress through his hair, and adjusting his head a bit so his glasses don't dig into Bond's skin so much.

"There's nothing that we can't get through." Bond reassures, lifting his head to kiss the top of Q's head for a moment before he slowly rolls them both over so they're face to face, bond hovering slightly above the smaller man's body, keeping most of his weight off of him. "I am your Alpha. I'll always keep you safe." he says in a firm tone, not waiting for a response before he lowers himself to kiss Q firmly.

Winding his arms around Bond's body, Q lets his own relax, hearing the truth behind the man's words and feeling his mark pulse in agreement, causing a small shudder to go through him as he responds to the agent's kiss. They will no doubt have trials ahead, but there is nothing they will not be able to get through.

~oOo~

Never having any respect for time off or the schedule of MI6, it's discovered that terrorists have gotten their hands on some military grade chips of some sort. A perfect mission for 007, M decides. Bond is sent out with a mere 24 hours notice for Q to get him geared up. True to his word, Q always keeps something on him, whether it be a small gun or Taser when he leaves the office, or a switchblade he carries when inside.

When Bond arrives at his destination and makes it to the facility where the group is supposedly hiding out, he slips in his ear piece and smiles a little. "Q, do you read me?" He asks in a quiet tone, staying low with a pair of binoculars on a slight hill near the facility.

"Loud and clear, 007. You've made it safely to your destination I take it. Do I need to remind you that you were supposed to check in when your flight landed?" He asks, since it's protocol for all agents and not something that Q just made up to keep track of Bond.

"Was I?" Bond asks innocently as he looks at the building through the binoculars. "I'm outside the facility now." He adds in a more businesslike tone.

Rolling his eyes a little, even if it can't be seen by Bond, Q glances at the computer screens in front of him. "Alright, Bond. Four men in the perimeter. And please, do try and bring back my gun this time." he says in a firm tone as he looks at the thermal imaging from their satellites,

"No promises, Q." Bond says as he moves forward, once again going through his mission with Q in his ear, the two in their element as they work together to bring down yet another criminal organization, recovering the guidance chips they were sent after.

Anyone who ever got the chance to watch them work together never saw a more seamless team, despite the arguments over orders that Bond disobeys, or the flirtatious banter between the two. Nothing truly keeps them from their mission. For an aging agent like Bond, it provides an extra layer of defense he likely never would have needed in his youth but that he is grateful for now. For Q it helps him protect one of his agents.

Never was there a higher success rate of missions than after Q took over, his tech and his hands-on approach making some agents bristle, but they soon see the advantages of having a boffin in their ear. And even though other members of Q-branch guide other agents through their missions, no one is ever on hand for Bond other than Q, as inseparable on missions as they become when Bond returns home. And no matter what, they protect eachother, nurse wounds, comfort where needed, and keep eachother level, until the day comes when Bond has to retire from the field, and he instead turns his talents to training the younger generation of agents. Even after, when someone speaks of 007 with a tone of awe in their voice, everyone knows who they are referencing.

Times change, and even Q will be replaced one day, but his legacy lives on in being the Quartermaster that pulled MI6 into the 21st century and revolutionized the way the double-ohs were handled, setting a new precedence for field work which leads to Q-branch agents being trained as field agents to they can accompany double-ohs if needed.

As for Q and Bond, they keep their word, taking on the world when they have to. Nothing is able to come between them as they protect each other. There are spats like with every couple, but nothing that drives them apart for more than an hour or two. They always come back together, always finding a middle ground. Until Death Do They Part.

Thank you for reading! This is the end, and I hope that you all enjoyed reading this story. Apologies if it seems to have ended rather quickly, but I have been trying to figure out how to wrap it up and this seemed appropriate. I hope you enjoyed it and thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed, I love seeing what you think! Thank you!

Comments/Reviews welcome!