an- dont own james bond blah blah blah love my readers so much please keep readin i promise i'll kill them all off soon!xoxox

For Claire, the week flew by, but for bond, every minute was an hour. He would admit that the daily runs he and claire took upon the treadmill were straightening his stride out tremendously but when it came to the target practise and weight lifting, we was slightly embarrassed. A simple pull up was hard for him to conquer, and to show him up even more, Claire set her weights to 155 pounds, his weight and lifted it with ease. She was shown up however, when it came to the simulation. Her and seater were the only two left alive as somehow Bond had been shot in the bad by a guard coming from his blind spot and instead of killing Seater on the spot claire panicked and was taken out by a gym instructor who was dressed as a terrorist, which he enjoyed far too much. The only good thing that had resulted from their training was the fact bond had realised why Claire always had a man following after her like a puppy.

Any poor sod that set eyes on her fell in love with her. This was also the reason Tony had cheated on her as he must not have been around her for years, and Emails could not express her charm and charisma.

"Right bond, final test. Are you ready?"

The big-headed show off of a gym instructor had insisted on calling him Bond as well and it really was starting to annoy him. Her walked into the simulation room and what he saw sickened him to the core. Vesper's dead body lay crumpled on the ground. To make things worse Claire seemed to be holding the very gun that shot it. He new this was not real. He New this was a simulation. He also knew that he had three empty bullets in his gun but a full loaded magazine in his pocket. He slowly turned around and loaded his gun very swiftly like an expert the turn round with his shaky aim on Claire.

"Fail"

He had missed and hit the wall behind her. But he knew that was not what Claire meant when she said he had failed. He hadn't done it. She should have kept calm in a distressing situation but Mallory had over stepped the line now. He could even think of Claire going along with this. He turned on his heel and walked away punching the stupid gym instructor out of his way.

"James, wait!"

He heard Claire call after him. She sounded wounded and he could not help but turn to go to her aid.

"I'm so-so sorry james! I can't believe, I just I didn't think Mallory would go through with it. I told him that treating you with respect was far more sophisticated and moral than throwing crap like that at you! But of course old gary boy had to go and be an ass."

"Claire, we need to talk"

"Em, yeah? Sure"

"Is blondie okay?"

"Oh steve? No, I cracked him in the loins for flirting with me and punched him so hard his face will need re-constructive surgery"

Bond smirked and relaxed. He didn't know exactly what they needed to talk about but all he know, was that talking, helped.

~~o0o~~

"Claire be reasonable-"

"Shut up you wee english twat"

"Oi! I'm English as well we have you two to one!"

"Well I'm a girl so I win"

"How does that work?"

"Just does! Now get M off this chat or I will, and I like to get messy with computers you know that Q"

"Fine, sorry M but I know everything they need to so I can tell"

Grumbling, Mallory shuts off his video and leaves Claire and Q to discuss her and Bond's next stop.

"Memphis, Tennessee. The death place of Martin Luther King and is currently where William Sharpi has taken residence. We have his credentials here. Tall short dark hair and had a bad encounter with a random civilian so he doesn't like visitors. This is where my little cookie plan comes in"

"Oh boy here we go..."

"Now now you know you're just going to love it."

"Love what Q?"

Claire jumps as Bond is standing right behind her, not having made any noise in approaching her. How she hated it when he did this. she saw Q role his eyes before continuing.

"Well, I was thinking that a man like Sharpi will like to always have the upper hand. This is where my genius plan kicks in."

"Just cut to it Q some of us have business to attend to"

"Hilarious Bond the shut up before I put you in the vending machine"

"Ouch"

~~o0o~~

"So..."

Claire sits awkwardly across from Bond as he stares at a glass of water. They have been having this non verbal conversation for ten minutes now and had gotten nowhere in the whole getting to know each other thing.

"I read Vesper Lloyd's file, and her obituary, and her blog. She talks about you a lot. But James, she has been dead for over eight years now, you need to forget her. But that's impossible I know"

"You had it harder. You spend years staying away from what could have been a match made in heaven just to keep them safe then find out they weren't yours from the start."

"Well aren't we a fine pair? Me an unstable teenager with so many unresolved problems and questions that forty year olds struggle with and a murder on my hands even though I'm a minor. And then you, a wreckage being replaced by gadgets, gizmos and a fifteen year old girl. The great double oh seven is slowly fading to the darkness without a trace"

"Why is it you face looks so beautiful when you talk?"

Claire smiled and avoided his gaze. He could tell she didn't like where he was going with this.

"Claire, I know its hard talking. We of all people should know. But sometimes it helps"

"Your telling me. James, nobody knows you. Nobody. You just the employee that never does what he's told and comes back with way too many more scars than before. But these scars don't usually show."

"Fine. We'll swap information. I tell you just how messed up my head is. And you tell me what the hell happens in those nightmares of yours"

Reluctantly, Claire nods. The two study each other for a while but nobody talks.

"You first" says clair as she curls up a bit more on the sofa. Your the most messed up"

"Fine. Eight years ago Vesper Lloyd came into my life, she built me up, she lied, she planned she made me love her and acted like she felt for me back, all these things I didn't notice how much I needed till she was gone. Then after, my attempt to avenge her was a success but no amount of killing and hating and drinking could wash out the feeling the the one woman I truly gave my heart to, had betrayed the whole of britain, and me but I still miss her anyway. I loved her so much she could have stabbed me a thousand times and I would have just smiled up at her. Now I'm alone. I sleep alone. I eat alone. I do everything on my own because if you get close to me, you die. Your turn"

Claire had tears in her eyes, she knew he must have been feeling all these pent up emotions but there was one thing he had to acknowledge before she would spill.

"What about M. She died in your arms, do you not mourn her?"

"What do you think? Everyday I lose a breath just thinking of how she died. I loved her like she was my mother. And in a way she was. I was never good enough for her, but she put up with me anyway."

"You know that's not true, she thought the worLd of you, when she thought you had died she lost nearly all hope for MI6 and their battle with the shadows. She loved you like a son and didn't put up with you, she just loved having you around because you two were so alike"

"How the hell do you know all this? She died over a year ago so you wouldn't be in a high enough rank to make chit chat with the M"

"Bond, I said I'd tell you something. But you can't freak out about this and put the mission at stake. We have to fly out to memphis tomorrow no-matter what."

"Fine what is it?"

Bond rushed out the words like knives and stared at Claire like what she was about to say could save his life.

"M's real name was Evelyn Sherry. She had two children, Blaire and Tony. Tony was brought up by his American dad who split from Evelyn after Blaire was born. Blaire had a daughter too. Her name was Claire McDonald. Yes Bond don't look so shock, Evelyn, the old M, was my grandmother."

~~o0o~~

Several minutes pass before any sign of life comes from 007. Claire sits patiently across from him waiting for the news to sink in.

"I-am so sorry, you must despise me claire. I just wish-"

"James? What are you-"

"She died Claire, she died in my arms and I should have saved her, I should have noticed she had been shot! Claire, you will probably never forgive me"

Claire had tears in her eyes. A sad smile of a grieving girl was painted on her lips, she let her armor down and embraced james. Not in any way passionate, but still full of love, like a daughter would hug her father.

"Bond, you have feelings, for gods sake let them out more often because when you do" her voice caught as she thought of her only relative dying in these very arms. She imagined how annoyed her Granny must have been to have had to die like that, and miss out on the action now occurring.

"She talked so fondly of you, you know"

"Really? What did she say? how did you find out she was a blood relative?"

"She said you were a stone cold ass and not to be messed with"

James smirks and claire continues.

"She also said that you were a rock on the outside but jelly at heart. That compassion and bravery led you through every hard moment but your huge ego would usually get in the way. And I found her by tracing the phone call I got whilst at school in England instructing me to run fast and run hard to the train station. Yes james, I can trace MI6 calls, I am also very used to hacking other government agencies, Mafias etc. So when I found out, it didn't take long to attach the string of events she had begun. The phone call on the night before the fire had been her. The gun sent to me on my birthday had been her. She had saved my life so many times, then eventually when I turned thirteen, I went to live with her. We went to work together, I trained to be a double-oh and she supported me. The night you returned I was out at a movie with some of the younger members of MI6. She had told me not to come back till you were definitely gone."

"How did you take it, when you found out. That she was-"

"Em, well. I don't know? For a few days it didn't sink in. I just got on with my useless life. Then one day I came home from HQ and called out to her. When I got no answer I realized my rock in the storm, my only loved one, my only real blood relative left on this earth, was dead. I broke down completely then. At the funeral I stayed to the back and once everyone had left I talked and cried to her grave for an hour. But live must go on. And if Evelyn McDonald taught me one thing, it was to be strong in a had situation, because there's always some poor sod worse of than you. And in this case, james your that poor sod"

For the rest of the night they packed and shared funny stories of Evelyn and how different she was with the both of them. Bond, for once, felt at ease with this child. And even better, now he understood why Claire was so familiar. She had that face. Full of betrayal, hatred and pure compassion for the force, yet it was loving, soft and open too. They talked and talked and when it was time to part for bed. No nightmares plagued Claire's dreams, and sleep came easy to the man that never rests.

~~oOo~~

"I hate you"

"Now Claire its not that bad, you look very...cute"

"No Q I hate YOU and Bond I swear another comment on the clothes and I will brake your neck!"

Claire, Q and Bond bickered away as M sighs at there immaturity. Claire and Bond are in a black BMW speeding along the highway from Memphis International airport to Orange Mound. After their briefing, claire threw a tantrum so big a four year old would gaze in awe. Now as they pulled into the small town they passed a Motel called The Lorraine with a monument outside reading;

'Here stands the place where Martin Luther King was shot dead by a sniper gun, we welcome blacks with open arms'

"Nothing to boast about'

Claire grumbled. Being a MI6 agent there must be some boundaries, some invisible line showing what was acceptable behavior and what was just too immature for words? What M was having her do was demeaning! Let along she was far to old to be prancing about in a stupid costume like this one. But without any further discussion they pulled into 72 Avon Drive and Bond pulled up.

"Its 76 Avon Drive not 72?"

"Yes well do you want this guy to see you get out of a black BMW just to go to his house or do you want to seem like a real Girl Scout?"

"Oh shut up you ass face."

"Mature, really mature. Now remember, at least try to fake an American accent, it'll just make life easier?"

Claire, grudgingly, pulled down her canary yellow cap over her still slightly red hair and adjusted the skirt as she slid out the car and began striding swiftly along to number 72 and then when she arrived huge Iron gates blocked her path.

"Do you want me to hack the system and get you in?"

Q's voice sounded in her head and made her jump.

"Please, I've got this"

She pressed in the buzzer and heard the crackle of static on the other end.

"What?"

"Girl scout cookies! We're doing specials today and I have some free samples for you Sir!"

Claire tried her best to sound cheery in her flawless American accent as the gates slid back and she walked down the stone path to the house. As she reached it the door opened and a large handsome man loomed over her.

"Well hello there, aren't you a bit old for a Girl Scout?"

"Extra credit! We have pumpkin raisin triple chocolate and vanilla as our usual but the samples are cookie dough ice-cream, a Girl Scout secret recipe limited edition"

"Well I'll buy a box of triple choc and maybe steal a few of those cookie dough ones two huh?"

He reaches into his pocket for his wallet and takes out Ten dollars. He hands it over and take one of the tiny biscuits from the tray Claire has balanced on her arm. He bites into it and immediately the sedation kicks in. He crumples to the ground and claire pulls out her gun.

"Bond he's out. Move in"

She drags the huge man also known as William Sharpi through into the big living room and leaves him, skimming the rest of the house for signs of life. She returns and checks his wallet. What kind of man carries one thousand dollars cash around in his back pocket? She definitely does not rob him of any of it and checks all his ID.

"Open the gates!"

"Cammit matey, someone needs to take a chill pill!"

Claire laughs and presses the buzzer to open the gates. She secures Sharpi's wrists in the secure knowledge that the house is empty. Her and Bond make a last sweep for evidence before the retrieval team come and escort Mr Sharpi's unconscious body into a van.

"Well, that is one pretty little dress you should wear more often, it just makes your butt look so-"

And with that Claire slaps Bond in the face, Knees him in the groin and gives him two hard slaps on the back causing him to loose his balance.

"Really necessary there Claire?"

"Tots man, back to Memphis International? What's the flight code?"

"Its the 2295CB00R to New York Central. Your very VERY expensive awaits your careful handling."

Q cuts out and Bond joins Claire in the car nit fully recovered but just to make him :) again Claire slips 'the best of Dire Straights' on the stereo and they mime electric guitar all the way to the airport.

Well, she does.