A/N: I know this chapter is short. It's really more of an epilogue. But I hope it ties everything up nicely for you all.

Thank you so much for reading to the end! I hope the story brought you a moment of joy, as any good work of fiction should. To those who left comments- thank you for all the lovely compliments and for helping shape parts of the fic. You all mean the world to me (and to writers everywhere) - Keep being awesome!

Chapter 17

"You've reached James. Leave a message only if it is important. Your messages may or may not be received in a timely manner."

-Beep!-

"Bond, it's Eve. Mallory's looking for you. Says he'll demote you for real this time if you don't turn your report in soon. We all know it's bullocks, but I'd suggest at least making a call to him. I know you have your mobile on you, even if you aren't answering it….. Damn it, James. Seriously, pick up the phone."

Lying on the couch under a thin blanket, James stared up at the ceiling and couldn't help the smirk making its way onto his face. It was his day off, officially, and everyone at the office knew it, so really he didn't know what Mallory was thinking when he made Eve call him. But seriously, she'd already tried his mobile four times. He'd give her credit for persistence.

"Fine, don't pick up," she continued. "But when you come in tomorrow, you need your report. Understand? And tell Q that R&D is still waiting on his department's analysis of the new jet pack technology. He needs to submit that ASAP. ….. Call me."

-Click-

The blanket over James moved as Q shifted and pushed himself up onto his hands until he was propped up off James's chest. The younger man looked in the direction of the machine, but without his glasses James knew he couldn't actually see it.

"I suppose it must be common knowledge where I sleep these days then," he said, and he sounded neither upset nor excited. If anything, he was disappointed… in himself. In an agency of spies, he couldn't even hide where he slept.

"I don't know that Eve counts as 'common knowledge', but if it's any consolation, I heard some of the kids in R&D are impressed that you managed to, how did they put it?, 'tie me down'?" He grinned smugly. "Oh, what would they say if they knew who really tied whom down?"

"Luckily, that is information no one outside of this relationship will ever need to know." Q grabbed his glasses from the coffee table and slid them on. "Do you think you should give her a ring? That was her fifth call, after all, and it may be in our best interest to not let our comrades think we're M.I.A. or we've fallen victim to some type of domestic terrorism."

With a disapproving sound in his throat, James reached up and pulled Q back down on his chest. "The irony of that suggestion is that your mobile has dozens of missed calls from dear old mum and dad. No. I'll call Eve back later."

"Liar." But Q didn't try to get back up. He stared out toward the half-covered windows and the early afternoon light. "Dad keeps asking how long I've been in the spy business. Mum keeps asking me to quit, like it'll make everything that happened disappear."

Gently, James wrapped his arms around Q's smaller body and squeezed. The younger's hair tickled his cheek, but he didn't try to brush it away. He could feel Q's heart beating and smiled. That heartbeat was always faster than James' somehow, and not because Q was more skittish or excited. It just was.

"You've got Marnie on your side," he reminded.

After the car had exploded and they'd all been released from the power of Blofeld's machine, Q's family had been stunned and confused. Marnie, who had every right to be the most emotional one since she was pregnant and the brawl had endangered her child, turned out to be the calmest of the bunch. She listened to her parents and elder brother rattle off question after question in Daniel's face for about ten minutes. Then she'd stepped between the two parties and pointed a disapproving finger at her family.

Her rant had been glorious and not meant for little ears. As she explained it to Q later, the way the machine had made her feel was the same way she often felt with Charlie, only the machine didn't let her bottle it up. Something about finally giving in to that rage had woken her up to all the things Q had tried to tell her or help her with over the years, and she wanted to apologize for always degrading him about his feelings. Of course, she'd flippantly added that it must be a motherly quality in herself, wanting to protect someone as young and tiny as Q, which had sort of put a damper on the moment for Q.

"An ally is an ally, I suppose," Q murmured unenthusiastically. Despite the tone, James knew Q was more than happy to have his sister's support. He'd seen the smiles that slid onto Q's face whenever it was brought up or whenever she spoke up in his defense. His new Quartermaster was happy.

"Speaking of allies," James began, switching subjects. "R's waiting on jet pack specs? Just what kind of shenanigans are you pulling now that they've given you your own department? And when do I get my jet pack?"

"You're insufferable sometimes, James." He didn't sound upset, not really. On the contrary, he turned his gaze back to James and kissed him for his troublesome ways. "Never. I am never giving you a jet pack. I can just imagine all the ways you'd misuse one."

"Then why build one at all?" The older man stretched out lazily, and Q was momentarily distracted by the view of James Bond being so vulnerable and trusting.

He carefully dragged a finger down James' arm, tracing the veins there when he could, and made a thoughtful noise. "For my own enjoyment, obviously," he finally answered. "How else could I swoop in to save you when you're being an idiot?"

The laugh that rumbled through James' chest was low but full. He hadn't felt so warm in a very, very long time. In fact, he hadn't felt so good since… since he was a pre-teen, still enjoying what little comforts childhood could afford to someone like him. But this warmth was different. Back then it was the comfort of being with his parents. Now it was the comfort of being with a partner he'd chosen all on his own, someone he trusted with everything.

"I can't let you die, now can I?" Q continued. He looked down into James' eyes and smiled his tiny, content smile. "My James."

Feeling his own mouth tug up into a little grin, James took a deep breath through his nose and nodded.

They laid there for several moments, just looking at each other and listening to their conjoined breathing. Then Q closed his eyes and sighed. "You really should call her back, though," he said. "She's gone through the trouble and left you a message."

In that moment, James debated getting rid of the landline altogether. The only one he ever answered the phone for now had his mobile number. Better to get rid of that annoyance, right? But no. He wouldn't go through with it. He might erase the message though.

"Well you're not wrong." Bringing his arms back down, James slid his hands onto Q's cheeks. "But just give me a few moments. I don't get days off very often, and I intend to enjoy this one as much as possible." Lifting himself up, he pressed a kiss to Q's forehead before going for the lips.

Not that long ago, his days off consisted of staring out his window and slowly drinking away the PTSD and boredom. Then, one fateful day, his best friend decided to give him another friend. He could still remember his curiosity at seeing the message marker blinking on his machine that first day. There had been no way to predict that one message would turn into dozens, would turn into them lying together on the couch for a lazy day lie-in.

No, James wouldn't get rid of his answering machine. He had it to thank for where he was now just as much as he had to thank Eve. It had given him distraction, had given him Daniel Adams.

"My Daniel," he murmured between his lips and Q's. He felt the younger man smile, and then he was being kissed more fiercely.

Q's hands roamed the bare skin of James' chest, working their way down as Q moved his lips to James' collarbone. James groaned in appreciation just as the both of their mobiles began to vibrate on the coffee table.

Hands on James' underpants, Q scoffed and shook his head. He slowly pulled James' only piece of clothing off as he said, "Sod it. They can leave a message." And James laughed.