Archive of Our Own

“Well it's just us,” James said to the big wolf Alec had adopted. It was a sub-species of the Greys called a Steppe. The black of its face continued in a long stripe down its back to the tip of its tail. The tight short fur turned colour from black, through dark rust lightening as it flowed down to snow white paws. Like always the black eyes seemed just a bit too intelligent.

“How about rabbit for dinner?” James called. The big pointed ears perked up at the prospect. “I knew you could understand me.”

James opened the cupboard between the front door and Alec's bedroom unlocking the gun rack he extracted his father's rifle and took a box of ammunition. He checked over the weapon sending an occasional glance to the happy bouncing wolf. Slipping the gun into a case James then packed a rucksack.

The wolf followed him out to the parking garage of the building where he pulled open the back door of the Land Rover he and Alec shared. Alec's motorbike sat silently next to James' classic Aston. He placed the gun and rucksack inside, opening the boot and dropping the tail gate the wolf jumped in.

A few hours later James parked the Land Rover. Opening the boot first James let the wolf fly out and into the tree line. Picking up the gun and rucksack James followed at a more sedate pace.

James loved this. The only thing missing was Alec. It was late summer, warm with the season on the change. He followed the trail through the familiar woods. He and Alec had known the land owner from their Eton days. He was also some very distant relation of James' father and Aunt so he let them come and traipse around the countryside at their will.

The trees parted into a sun warmed clearing. James saw a host of scampering rabbits at play. Quickly and quietly he removed the gun from his shoulder. Taking aim he noticed something in the tree line beyond. James swore at the wolf scattering the rabbits.

One rabbit had been targeted, it was quick the wolf was experienced. Its jaws clamped on the tiny body and with a couple violent shakes it was no more, the rabbit hanging long and limp in the bloodied jaws.

“I'M GLAD SOMEONE GETS TO EAT!” James shouted and if he didn't know better the bloody wolf was smirking at him. After having his fill the wolf trotted up to him. Even James could scent the blood and death on the wind as he approached.

“Big bloody help you are stinking like that,” James grumbled.

Moving through the forest floor the wolf stilled and looked to its left, pointing. James turned, they were upwind and there hopped a black rabbit, then another. A momentary thought for the descendants of an escaped pet then James had his dinner as well. “You're forgiven,” he said to his companion.

James set up camp, skinned and gutted the rabbit before resting it over the edge of the fire to roast. Night was falling by the time it was cooked. James picked off bits of meat throwing scraps for the wolf. He wasn’t one for tents and settled in for the night under a tarp strung between the trees to protect from any rain. James felt the wolf curling up beside his legs resting its big head on the edge of his sleeping bag.

Waking up James could see two blue eyes peering at him. It was dark and the moon high. The wolf was sat on its haunches looking at him, James blinked as the wolf and its eyes became indistinct and dark again. Suddenly the wolf trotted off, shaking his head. James put the blue eyes out of his mind thinking they were a trick of the light.

Wolf returned and James looked at him again, its eyes were definitely black. He tried to rest again but couldn't sleep. Alec had always been cagey about his past but he’d never suspected anything until his friend had returned from a mission with the wolf pup. James had been surprised M had been so supportive, going so far as to put pressure on customs to let Alec keep the pup from Russia.

Reaching down James dug his fingers into the thick fur at the scruff. “He can tell me, he's my friend.”

Ethereal was the current politically correct term for non-human sentient species. They came to light about fifty years ago but there had been suspicion before that. James thought about 002, Selene the vampire from Hungary. Her maker had run the organised crime for centuries until the 'Great Revelation' and people weren't quite so afraid of him. Also the other vampiric covens were concerned he could start a race war as he played up to the evil stereotype. When she started shagging a Lycan doctor it did set off a race war between the Lycan clans and the vampire covens. They ran to Britain in the fallout and were recruited.

James smiled remembering the shaggy haired blond man in medical. Once the doctors had been afraid of the Double Os now the chief medical officer was a werewolf with a lineage going back to the first. He was more than a match for the volatile elite of MI6, he could be one without really trying.

Usually James avoided thinking about the woman who brought him into MI6, her death still painful, however she was another James had suspicions of. She had a way of speaking like she could infuse emotion into her voice and the emotion became your own.

His mind going in circles brought James back to Alec. If he was an ethereal what was he? James had seen him in daylight so not a vampire although he only had experience of one of the vampire breeds, others were said to be able to walk in daylight.

In the Navy there was no place to hide during a full moon so he wasn't a werewolf. James had heard rumours of demons and angels of all forms. He’d even bedded a red skinned woman who claimed to be a demon groaning at the memory of that one wild night, leaving him walking funny for days after. He liked daemons but Alec didn't fit with what James knew of them either.

Remembering another mission he definitely couldn't be a zombie. Again there were different types of zombie. The ones James met were little more than animals, the human intelligence died along with the person, the body stupid and driven only by the need to feed.

“What are you Alec?”

The morning came and James let his companion catch his breakfast. Arriving home the wolf bounded in like a big puppy jumping the couch he rounded barking and nipping at the concealed person on it.

The floor to ceiling windows took up the entire outer walls so when Alec poked his head up James couldn't see him fully silhouetted against the morning light.“Warg,” Alec said quietly.

The galley kitchen to the right formed part of the only solid wall in the room. Beyond the kitchen was an archway that led into a corridor that held the main bathroom and James’ bedroom. To his left was the cupboard with gun rack then the door to Alec's room.

The living area was large and rectangular taking up one side of the building, the flat taking up the whole floor. It was a wide open space with exercise equipment, a bar and lounge furniture breaking it up into comfortable areas, the lounge zone in the far corner.

James cut across the room on a diagonal path moving through the exercise equipment and weights. Getting closer James could see his friend's face it was bruised and bloodied as they usually both were after a mission. James could see fear in Alec's eyes. He’d given James something highly discriminated against and was waiting to see what happened next. “I can't be arsed looking it up, what's a warg?”

“A spirit walker but there are other names as well. I can inhabit and control animals, see through their eyes, move them as if it were my own body,” Alec said.

“Humans?”

Alec nodded. “Humans are more complicated. Most instinctively prevent me from entering them but if someone has an animalistic quality to their intelligence I can squat in their mind and look through their eyes. Control is much harder but with understanding and consent, I have only done it once. In all cases I’m vulnerable completely unaware of my own body while I'm outside of it.”

“You were listening last night,” James stated remembering the blue eyes of the wolf.

“Yes.”

“Stop bloody eavesdropping,” James grumbled in good nature and went to go get a shower. “The bloody dog is the only one I can talk to.”

--

“Quartermaster,” James purred coming up to the boffin with a mane of dark hair and intense and mischievous green eyes hidden by classic frames. The black haired woman Q was talking to turned, her iridescent blue eyes and pale complexion immediately identified her as a vampire.

“I will be with you in a moment,” Q responded. James noticed the twinkle in his eye, he’d give anything to know the naughty thoughts going on in that head when he had that look. He could almost feel them.

Q returned his attention to the vampire that James remembered seeing a few times in Q branch. She was slender and waif like with flowing black hair and a long face with lips painted black.

Looking about the desks and benches that made up this little part of Q branch James took in the staff, most seemed relaxed in the presence of a vampire. A woman dressed very casually that James thought it to be a little out of place caught his attention. He knew Q wasn't a stickler for professional attire but she looked like she was getting ready for bed. The soft brown eyes looked to him, dark hair with a slight curl hung over her right eye. James could see her getting uncomfortable dropping her head. When James blinked she was gone. Darting his head, 'There is no way she could move that fast' James thought.

“Oh bloody hell,” the vampire said, her American accent highly annoyed. She was looking between James and the empty desk. Q gave him a half smile and a shake of the head.

“Annie, Annie, please show yourself,” The vampire called to the room.

“Bond,” Q called and James approached his bench. The vampire wandered the room calling for 'Annie'.

“What's up with Annie?” James asked indicating the empty desk.

Q tilted his head and gave James a wistful smile as his body swayed slightly, “Annie was murdered by her boyfriend and this is her first job since, she gets scared easily,” Q informed.

“A ghost! Afraid of me?” James said shaking his head with a small chuckle. Q's expression changed becoming dark and very annoyed.

Gulping, “Can she hear me?” James asked. As the vampire was still calling the ghost's name when Q nodded James wasn't surprised.

It was a little embarrassing talking to thin air in a room full of people. “Annie,” James called putting all of his seductive charm into his voice, “I'm so sorry for making you uncomfortable but I'm always drawn to beautiful people. I would very much like to meet you whenever you feel comfortable.”

The vampire woman wasn't pleased with his show. James gave her a flirtatious smile as well. “Hello,” he purred. She gave a vampiric hiss showing her bright teeth and prominent fangs.

Looking back to Q James gave another flirtatious smile that the Quartermaster matched. “You do like to pick the prettiest people,” James mused giving the lean man an appreciative once over.

The vampire passed behind him. “Pig,” she spat and headed for the door.

“I think I'm going to like you,” James called after her and was rewarded with the response of her middle finger as she walked away.

Turning back to Q James was handed a clipboard. Skimming the manifest of his assigned equipment he signed it.

James wondered if Q was ethereal. He did have a delicacy that hid something stronger, he was playful and unafraid of even the most volatile of Double Os. His eyes also carried a wealth of painful experience that James had only ever seen in the most hardened of Operatives and to be honest there was an airy spiritual quality to him, like the way he swayed. James had only ever seen it on a stoner, however Q never looked high.

“Annie has forgiven you,” Q said. Sitting on his bench was a steaming mug of tea for James.

Looking round the ghost was at her desk, her head down refusing to look up. Taking a sip of the tea, with milk and too much sugar, “Thank you,” James said although it wasn’t to his taste at all it did earn him a nervous giggle from the woman.

--

Returning from his straightforward mission, not the most glamorous or intensive just the bread and butter of MI6's work he entered E Branch. Eve wagged a finger at him as he passed her desk. After his debriefing with Mallory (James could not bring himself to call the man M) his boss sat back and crossed his legs. “Kate from Q Branch has made a complaint. A representative from the Department of Integration (DOI) will be giving a diversity seminar, your attendance is mandatory.”

“Makes a change from the sexual harassment,” James mused.

“Your sexual harassment seminar is Thursday as usual and please get Double O Six's dog out of Medical,” Mallory ordered.

Heading down to medical James found Michael, the shaggy haired werewolf in his office. The moment he opened the door Alec's wolf was up and wrapping around his legs sniffing and giving happy yelping barks for attention. The doctor laughed coming out from behind his desk to give the wolf a nuzzle and pat.

The wolf followed James as he made his way down to Q branch spotting the vampire at Q's bench. “Thank you, because of you we can't go rabbit hunting,” James shot. The wolf growled and the vampire turned her iridescent blue eyes on them.

James patted the thick fur at the scruff, “Easy boy if you eat her you might get a tummy ache.”

Q's high chuckling interrupted the tense moment. He was doing that swaying thing again like a reed dancing in a wind. His eyes were fixed on them with a strange smile in place, his head pushed forward. To James it was unsettling and creepy with a comic book picture of the Joker coming to mind.

To James the vampire's reaction was the most telling, she was unsettled if not frightened by it. She quickly made an excuse and left. Turning his attention from the retreating vampire to the Quartermaster his head was bowed looking at the computer screen. When he looked up the smile and the airy fairy demeanour was gone. “Nothing to return Double Oh Seven?”

Shaking his head James accepted the form to say he had returned nothing. Subtly he could see the wolf was also unsettled by the Quartermaster, just looking at Q, scenting the air and clinging to James' side. If he was getting into trouble for one lapse in non-human relations he might as well go all in, “So Quartermaster what are you?”

The entire room froze most listening intently. Even Annie the ghost perked up. The coy smile that graced the man's lips was soft and sad, his eyes held pain. James could feel his heart going out to him like it did to all those people he met on missions married or involved with dangerous people, trapped in a situation they couldn't escape.

“I am what’s needed of me. I am the Quartermaster until the Quartermaster isn’t needed. Then I will be something else,” Q responded.

James could see a man from the corner of his eye. Reading his lips he was repeating what Q had said into the phone word for word.

“Well you're a good Quartermaster,” James said getting a brilliant smile that lit up Q's face. He then started swaying again continuing to smile in pleasure.

“Would you care for dinner?” James asked and there was a bounce in the man.

“Oh Yes, My...” Q went silent dropping his head nodding, he remained quiet.

'His...? His what?' James thought. “I'll pick you up, half five,” James said and only got another nod.

Giving his goodbyes James turned to go waving at the ghost as he passed.

James entered the large conference room taking a chair from a stack and sat at the back by the door. The harassed man setting up the other chairs was in the cheapest suit he had ever seen. The jacket had been discarded his pinstripe shirt was creased. He was a round faced man with light brown hair looking younger than James but less fit.

“I don't think there’ll be many more coming,” James said indicating where there were well over thirty chairs set out in neat rows.

“You never know,” came a light Scots accent as he continued to put more chairs out.

The door beside James opened and he gave the woman a once over. Her dark pink almost red skin and flame red hair stood up and swept back. From the bottom of her very short, very tight skirt, a flesh (dark pink) tail with a pointed spade at the end giving a counterpoint to the sway of her hips.

She turned and looked to him, her full breasts prevented the tight blouse from closing, exposing the top of a black lace bra. There were the two cutest flesh covered horns just at the start of her hairline.

“Lust is a sin,” She purred.

“Yes it is,” James purred back. “I am so torn I have a date but I so want to have a private tutoring session.”

The demon woman gave a smile but James couldn't help thinking Q's was more creepy and intimidating.

She then walked to the far end of the room drawing her hand across the man who’d been setting out the chairs. “I prefer more subservient, Mr Bond.”

“I can be anything you want,” James growled lustfully and full of promise.

He watched the demon sit and put her feet up along the front row of chairs. The man waited at the front, “We'll just give any stragglers a few minutes,” he said.

James knew the personnel of MI6 unless they were made to none would come.

“Get on with it,” the demon ordered. The man gulped and nodded.

“Welcome! I'm Mark Lilly and this is Callie Maggotbone,” the man said indicating himself and then the demon. James started tuning Mark out after the introductions his voice becoming a background drone. James had perfected the technique through constant sexual harassment seminars.

“Do you have a pamphlet on how to identify ethereals?” James interrupted.

“Identifying and labelling is bad for relations we are all living, thinking, feeling creatures,” Mark insisted in an all inclusive, happy, hippy way that James somehow respected and ignored at the same time.

“What if you offend a vampire by asking her to watch the sunrise with you, a werewolf a moonlight walk or a ghost or demon to an exorcism?” James shot, as much for the information and to tease the man.

The harassed man took a steadying breath indicating his demon companion. “Our instinctual first reaction is not always conducive to a good working environment. Take my companion for example, what did you think when you first saw Callie, a demon?”

The demon tried to give Mark a warning.

“Nice arse then I noticed the tail...then the skin tone and I wondered what colour the arse would go when I spanked it which put me on a really kinky train of thought and I wondered if the tail was firm and flexible enough to give me a prostate massage while we fucked.” James said to the shocked man his eyes as wide as saucers and mouth opening and closing silently.

“We are definitely trying that,” Callie said to the shocked man.

Switching his gaze from the still shocked man to the eager demon, “If he's inexperienced the spade of your tail may act like an anchor and get trapped inside.”

“Don't worry I peg him at least once a day,” Callie responded.

“STOP TAKING ABOUT ME! I know this is part of demon behaviour but it’s not typical Human,” The bright red man said to the two of them.

The demon looked at her partner, “Do stop stressing Mark it's not like there aren't already pictures of you on the internet.”

James sat back enjoying the domestic tiff in progress. He liked demon women they were pleasantly impossible to offend and if something related to the traditional deadly sins they were positively gleeful. James could also see why she liked Mark, it took a strong man to be in a relationship with a demon and remain so innocent.

A sudden roar and the demon flung herself at the man, tackling him to the ground. The wolf startled and barked in surprise. The demonically contorted face, all angled sharp features with much larger teeth poked its head above the line of chairs. “You can go!”

Calling to the wolf James guided him out, a masculine moan sounding just as he closed the door.

Looking at his watch he decided to get some training in but skip the main gym. The moment he was in a standard tracksuit he returned to street level running along the bank of the Thames, the wolf keeping pace.

With the sun starting to fall James turned and kept the same regular pace on the way back. Grabbing a shower he dressed and made his way to Q branch.

Outside of the main room where James expected to find Q the vampire was waiting for him reclining against the wall. “Be careful he's a fairy,” Kate called.

“I would never have guessed from his mince his hips swaying like pendulum,” James shot

There was a low predatory hiss from the woman the wolf at James side answering with a growl.

“Your childish perverted mentality is getting very tiresome,” Kate spat back and walked away. James was about to complain it was her that was calling a work colleague names.

In the room Q was talking with 002. The only other vampire James knew of was also wary of the Quartermaster.

Going over to a desk at the side and sitting on its edge, “Hello,” James greeted keeping his tone relaxed and calm.

“Hello,” Annie replied. She kept her head down and her hair was hanging in front of her face. James noticed a cup of tea that was not there when he first sat. As ghosts didn't eat or drink James suspected it was for him. Picking it up he took a sip, “Q must love you. Instant earl grey,” James said.

There was shrug of the shoulders. “Q doesn’t drink,” Annie replied.

When Selene was finished James gave her a nod. With Q free James thanked Annie for the tea and headed for his target.

After a few brief words Q entered his personal office at the back of the room coming out in the same green anorak that he wore on their first meeting. Actually now James looked at him he was wearing the exact same clothes. Thinking back James could only remember Q in that outfit.

Looking at Annie, now he knew she was a ghost and would always wear what she died in but Q's anorak came and went. The suit jacket sometimes swapped for a cardigan so he couldn't be a ghost.

With Wolf one side of him and Q the other James walked down the corridors of MI6. Coming out into the car park James opened the door of his DB7 tilting the passenger door open Wolf jumped in. Slamming the chair back into place Q took the seat.

Now they were virtually alone James couldn't think of a thing to say. Q sat and played with his hands in his lap. “Would you like anything in particular?” James asked.

Those green eyes turned to him hopeful and frightened, “I just like spending time with you.”

James was caught by those eyes that conveyed so much. It was a little disconcerting how little James knew of the man and how close he wanted to be to him. Looking from the green eyes to the brown almost black of the wolf James had an idea.

A quick shopping trip later and James brought the impromptu picnic to the park. Sitting by the Serpentine lake James sat across from Q the permanent picnic table covered in food and drinks. James thought he must have gone a bit overboard in the shop.

A loud splash and James cringed. Looking over there was exactly what he expected, a wet and muddy wolf frolicking happily. “No eating the ducks!” James shouted.

Q looked between the Double Oh and Wolf, “You're good with him.”

Q had taken some of the fruits, cheeses and cured meats. His plate was empty but James hadn’t seen him eat anything, he didn't think it was just his own distraction by Wolf. The food had been there one moment and gone the next.

James nodded and briefly spoke about their hunting trips. Q seemed to like listening to him more than what James was telling him. Wolf returned delivering a full body shake ending their first date. Q giggled as he was splashed with muddy water. With a cringe James pulled the seat forward for the wet wolf.

They drove along a familiar street. “There,” Q said and James wasn't surprised that was the door Q had picked. He’d broken into the house twice and was quite familiar with it. “Are you related to M?”

Q looked at him and it was a look of a child in trouble, he shrugged his shoulders and refused to speak.

“See you tomorrow,” James said. Q almost ran from the car.

Something made James look to the bench seat in the back as two blue eyes gazed back at him. “Bugger off this is private,” James snapped. With a shake of his head the wolf's eyes returned to their normal dark brown.

At home James started searching the internet there were many sites that claimed to be able to help him narrow down the possibilities. None were able to give him a definitive answer though. One suggested Q was a genie, another claimed he was a ghost and didn't let James exclude that as possibility.

Putting the laptop on the coffee table James walked along the outer wall of windows to the cocktail bar. Refilling his glass he looked at the ceramic dog. “M. Olivia Mansfield,” James mused.

If he couldn't investigate Q he’d investigate an associate. Going back to the couch a woof and growl sounded from the sleeping wolf. His legs twitching as he chased down imagery rabbits.

Sitting down James started searching for information on M then came across something. A picture from the sixties of M as a young woman and beside her a young man. He towered over her his cheek resting on top of her head, M's arm wound around his waist. “Q?” James exclaimed.

The picture was nearly sixty years old and Q looked no different even his suit was the same. “He's not a hipster he’s trapped in an era,” James realised.

Doing a search on the image James found a conspiracy site, technically it was ethereal research. Ever since the great revelation people had been searching for the true history of the world and many sites had popped up claiming that this historical figure was an Angel or that one a demon or some other ethereal.

Someone was comparing M's photo to a much older one. The older photo was definitely Q but he didn't look right. A tall thin man in robes with a short staff stood, at the man's feet was a naked Q with one leg crossed over the other and pulled up to his chest giving a modicum of decency. Both looked into the camera.

James wasn't sure if it was the deterioration of the old photo but there were strange shadows highlighting the contours of Q's skin. His hair was in its usual mane, his eyes looked different the whites far more prominent. He also looked like his eyes had shading, the area above his eyes and following the eyebrow were darker. The title below the photo read, 'Astaroth & Spirit.'

James learned this was the last known sighting of 'Spirit'. None of Astaroth's six sons had ever been seen with the spirit and none had achieved their father's greatness. Someone had answers and James was determined to find them.

The man who was wrote the website was a bit more legitimate then James first thought. As he walked along a cloister that surrounded the Oxford courtyard James vaguely recognised it from movies. Wolf was at his side with a promise for some rabbit hunting after the trip.

Catching the arm of a passing student James gave her a flirtatious smile. “Dr. Meinheimer?”

The girl giggled and blushed. “Down the corridor, turn left, forth on the right,” she said.

Following the directions James came to a door with a simple brass name plate. With the correct door identified he knocked. A voice blasted from inside, “JUST COME IN!”

Pushing it open he was met with a classically decorated office, bookshelves lined the walls, a big oak desk and an open crackling fire. In a big wing back leather chair at the fireside was an even larger white haired man in the robes of a Professor. “Not a student! Well sit if you want to see me. Oh my...” The abrupt tones trailed off as Wolf followed James in. The old man hummed looking James up and down.

He took a seat the other side of the fireplace the old man switching his calculating eyes from James to the wolf. “My friend adopted him,” James informed.

Pulling out his phone he brought up the old picture of the sorcerer and Q for the Professor. “What can you tell me about Spirit?”

The professor put on a pair of thick square glasses so he could see the screen. “Ariel.”

James had to hide his excitement at the name.

“An elemental of fire and water, the most powerful of the spirits from the fairy realm, I have found reference to him from biblical times. Isaiah 29 to be precise. He was bound to the earth and below it then the sorcerer Sycorax released him. He didn’t surface again until the Duke of Venice was shipwrecked on an island under the rule of the sorcerer Prospero. I was then able to track him through the generations. Between the first and second world wars the sorcerer Astaroth died and the spirit was never seen again until I found a photo from the sixties. I was not able to identify the woman he was with.”

James nodded and thought. “Did Astaroth have any daughters?”

“Eglantine but the sad fact is only a powerful sorcerer could bind a spirit of Ariel's power. No witch or wizard could do it and sorcerers are always men. If Eglantine had been born a boy it would have been wondrous, the seventh son of the seventh son, immensely powerful. Instead one lacklustre witch whose only claim to fame an unsubstantiated account of using ' Substituitary Locomotion' to fend off a German expeditionary force. Only ever adept at a simple animagus spell, rabbits...” The professor jumped as the wolf looked at him at the mention of his favourite prey.

When the old professor looked to James there was an eager light in his eyes. Leaning forward, “You have seen him. All I ask is a chance to meet him.”

James said he would do what he could but couldn't promise anything. Leaving he walked the sandstone and panelled hallways of the gothic building. There was something in the man that put James on edge. He’d obsessed over Q, had given James more than he dreamed possible then only asked for a meeting. “I think I just made a mistake,” James said to his companion. The wolf looked at him and James though he saw agreement.

Stopping in at MI6 directly after the hunt the wolf still carried the blood scent of a kill. James entered Q Branch waving at the ghost wondering at her ability to blush. He walked up to the bench that Q always seemed to be at. “Hello.”

“James,” Q returned with his own blush firmly in place.

“I know your name,” James said. Q flicked frightened eyes to him and could see he was expecting something.

“Can we talk?” James asked. Q indicated his office and James could see his fear growing.

Looking to the wolf, “Annie,” James commanded. The wolf looked to him then to the ghost trotting over to sit beside her.

In Q's office the glass turned opaque, the man was slouching with his head down and a glum expression.

“If you're worried about me telling anyone I won't not without your consent,” James insisted.

Q lifted his eyes and there was a glimmer of hope. “You seek my consent?”

If James was correct there was confusion in the other man. He nodded and reaffirmed his statement, rewarded with a brilliant smile.

“Would you consent to another date?” James asked with a teasing smile. Q nodded enthusiastically and his body started to sway as if he was caught in an invisible current.

“You clearly don't eat or drink,” A child like shake of the head confirming James statement, “so what does a fairy like to do for fun?”

The swaying increased and the sides of Q's mouth went higher his whole face becoming slightly more angled than a normal human expression could. Unlike the previous time it was cheeky rather than creepy, “Not a fairy, spirit. I like to watch Humans...their stories, lives, songs and dancing.”

James smiled closing the distance, the face turned to him as he looked down on the childlike glee, “What about joining in?”

“Spirits have always been kept apart from this world,” Q responded.

“No more,” James insisted. Leaning in he gave the other man a kiss, shallow just the merest of press of lips to lips. Q flicked his head as they parted bumping his nose against James'.

“Tonight cinema, tomorrow I’ll take you shopping,” James asked and got a bob of the head.

Q with a childlike excitement in his voice, “I like the cinema. I can never predict what happens.”

The way Q said it made James think a moment. From his research spirits or faeries didn't quite perceive time as a linear. “Can you see the future?”

A shake of the head answered him, “I experience my past as easily as the now. Sometimes I forget how time moves. I can see events from many directions. I am good at predicting if I watch carefully.”

“With a movie you must experience events from a single point of view so have trouble guessing,” James summed up getting a bobbing nod.

With another quick kiss he walked out of Q's office. Going over to Annie, James perched on her desk thanking her for looking after the wolf. Her eyes flicked over James' shoulder and she suddenly vanished. Looking, James saw Q at his work bench. He was cringing down, guilt written over his face and posture.

James glared at the spirit, Q refused to look at him. “I will not tolerate jealousy,” the man seeming to reek of it.

Q sunk further into on himself. “Q,” James said tone going hard. He remembered how scary the man could look and Annie was always nervous so it couldn't have taken much to get her to run.

With a petulant look to and speaking to the empty corner, “I'm sorry,” Q said.

“Try sounding like you actually are,” James ordered.

Q cringed down more, “Sorry,” he whispered.

“Make it up to her,” James ordered and Q nodded.

Returning to Q Branch James saw Annie as her desk. Deliberately he went to her first. “Kate wants to see you,” Annie said before James could sit. Thanking her for the message and giving a response for Annie to convey James spoke to her, ignoring Q. When Annie started getting more nervous James flicked his eyes to Q. He looked like he was on the verge of tears. Saying his goodbyes and wishing her a good weekend James went to see the spirit.

“Hello and thank you,” James said and indicated Annie. Q gave him a brilliant smile. Walking out of Q branch James extracted a promise not to intimidate Annie again.

“I'm sorry,” Q said and looked up to James with big beseeching eyes. James nodded, he would forgive anything when confronted with that look.

Q followed James and Wolf up the stairs, Wolf not liking the lift. Opening the door into his flat Wolf knew the procedure on a date night, bounding into the flat and skidding to a halt at his blanket. Q brushed past James, his eyes were fixed on the bar across from the door.

James saw the fear the ceramic dog held for the spirit, “M gave it to me,” James said.

Q nodded and there was the glum and frightened expression again.

“Was M, cruel?” James asked still a little confused by the association between her and Q.

There was sadness as Q shook his head, “She was a good master but she was my master.”

“You're free now,” James said.

Q shook his head. “I always have a master just because my master hasn't claimed me doesn’t mean I‘m without one.”

“Who is it?”

Q refused to answer the question. Letting the sensitive matter drop James guided Q back out of the flat. In a mischievous mood and as Q said he couldn't predict movies James opted for a scary one. James wrapped his arms around Q's waist with Q resting his head on James' shoulder. He could barely contain his laughter as Q screamed at the first jump scare. The spirit gave a gleeful and mischievous smile to James as he held Q close.

Q ignored the dark storyline with disinterest but the jump scares had him yelping in surprised joy. With sparking eyes Q clung to James as they walked out. James wasn't sure how Q could walk with his arms around him and without stumbling over each other but he managed it without James having to compensate for the person clinging to him.

Arriving in the street where M used to live James looked up to the dark house, giving Q a brief kiss. The spirit opened the door and headed for the flat. In the blink of an eye he vanished without the front door opening.

Opening the door of his flat James could see the wolf on his blankets in the far left. He was lying down belly to the floor and ears perked, dark eyes glinting in the darkness. James moved his hand to the back waistband where his holster was.

“If I was a threat the animal would be dead and so would you,” an American voice called from the darkness of the lounge on the far right.

“Kate,” James purred, seductive and inviting.

James was slammed against the wall. The wolf lunged for his attacker, a swift kick and the wolf yelped whining as he leapt back.

“USE THAT TONE WITH ME AGAIN AND I WILL RIP THE TONGUE FROM YOUR MOUTH!” The iridescent blue eyes shone like blue fire in the dark.

Dropping him Kate turned and walked deeper into the flat again. The wolf growled and stalked her recovered from his winding. She spared him a glance before looking back to James. “A fairy is not a thing to court or seduce. In no plane of any world can it exist nor can it not exist. Death himself has turned his back on the corrupted creatures. Leave Q ALONE! Let him play Quartermaster until he gets bored and wanders away.”

James fixed the American vampire with a hard cold glare. “He has already said he will be Quartermaster until he is not needed. The Quartermaster will always be needed. He has been bound or bound himself to his position, he will remain even when bored.” Until his anger Q's words had not made sense.

Even Kate hadn’t noticed it until now. “Who is powerful enough to get a fairy to stay?”

James ignored the question to ask one of his own. “Do you know his name?”

The blue eyes of simmering fire burned with hatred and anger. James gave a smile lifting the left side of his cheek giving Kate the look that drew the undivided attention of anyone who saw it.

James woke to a flat wide tongue licking his face. His cheek and jaw were throbbing and there was the familiar feeling of a split lip. James cursed looking into the brown eyes of the wolf. “Some guard dog, one little vampire and you're a frightened pup again.” A growl answered James but a hard pat to Wolf's side and he calmed after the insult.

Picking himself up James went to the freezer pulling out a steak and pressing it to his injured face as he collapsed on the couch. He knew vampires were fast but Kate was not even combat trained and she’d floored him before he even saw her move. “Wonder if I can get some practice with Selene?”

Again James woke to Wolf licking his face, at least this time it was because he fell asleep rather than being knocked out. The tongue was getting the juice from the now vanished steak. “You shouldn't eat bought meat raw,” James grumbled pushing the wolf off him.

--

Pulling to a stop James jumped out of the car. Of the two times he’d been to the house he had never rung the door bell before. After five minutes of ringing the door bell and nothing James circled to the back. Seeing his old faithful James climbed up the drainpipe to reach the tiny utility room window, it hadn’t been closed since he was first appointed Double O.

The small room was empty, the washing machine and dryer were gone now just empty spaces under the counter. The kitchen beyond was just as vacant, so too the lounge dining area in the next room as he passed the place there used to be a couch with a table behind where James helped himself to M's whisky.

Climbing the stairs of the empty hall James poked his head into the first door he came to, empty as were the next ones. James pulled open a door and was met with a set of narrow wooden stairs. These ones didn't even have the carpet on them. The stairs came out onto a cavernous attic. A wall with a door in the middle separated the front from the back.

With this half empty James moved to the door, opening it he was met with nothing. James didn't know why he was surprised, it felt like a house of the dead. Turning James saw a mirror beside the door.

Walking up to it James could see his own refection. In the mirror, the room behind him was covered in portraits and bric-à-brac. Looking behind him the walls were bare just as James remembered. Looking back at the mirror James jumped, in the reflection Q was standing behind him nude, pale yellow with black hair and had a Ken doll definition to his crotch.

Turning James saw Q was standing there, for real but still pale yellow skinned, “Is this what you look like?”

“Yes.”

James circled the spirit. The yellow skin with shadowed contours, lighter spots going up the side of his neck following the hair line to his temple. His eyes were shadowed a darker shade of yellow, following the straight forked eyebrows. “You have a pretty arse,” James purred.

In a blurring swirl Q was now facing him. There was that strange smile that gave a greater angle to Q's features.

“Are we anatomically compatible?” James purred.

In a blink of the eye Q looked human with an impressive flaccid cock. “I can be whatever you find appealing.”

“Oh there is little I don't find appealing,” James said giving the human body just as much scrutiny. Caressing a cheek, Q leaned into the touch.

“As much as I would like for you to stay like that the other shoppers may object, for some unknown reason.”

In another blink of an eye Q was in his suit and ugly anorak. Taking Q's hand James led him through the house to the front door. James looked to the other man to open it but a shake of the head and a shrug answered him. Then Q wrapped his arms around James' waist laying his head on the Double O's shoulder.

It felt so nice to have the man clinging to him James closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them everything looked like it was in a dark and blue filtered world. In the lounge through the archway there was a tree, it looked old, the branches sagging under their weight. Candles were placed on the bare limbs, wax dripping down like icicles.

Q grasped his hand again then walked through the door as if it was just an illusion. On the street the same blue tinge held the world around them. It took James a moment to notice nothing moved. The cars parked on the street were visible but the street that had been busy with moving traffic was empty. Looking to Q, he wore a teasing look, enjoying watching James' first trip into another world.

“Is this the fairy world?”

Q gave a prideful and teasing shake of the head. “Only mine,” Q declared.

With another blink yellow/white light filled James vision. The noise of London returned and the cars on the road were back to their noisy smelly glory.

The shopping trip started with one of James' favourite tailors. There wasn't time for a custom suit but the tailors had a selection of good off the peg.

As hoped Q had a lot of fun in the tailors trying on and modelling ever suit that fit him. He gave James a seductive smile as he did a catwalk run from the changing rooms the entire length of the shop and back. James watched the enhanced sway of hips as they walked away and gave a seductive smile on the man's return.

James paid for several suits and accompanying paraphernalia. “Well more than just one suit now,” James said presenting the bags to Q.

The man pressed himself to James with his head resting on James' shoulder. “Thank you. No one has given me a wardrobe before,” Q whispered.

James looked to the eyes of the head resting on his shoulder. He smiled, seeing the man/spirit was smitten with him. Q returned the smile and James felt Q's body wanting to sway in the invisible currents that made him move like a reed on the wind.

“We need to let Wolf get some exercise then we can get ready for tonight,” James said.

“I like dancing,” Q responded and James shook his head, the spirit indicating he somehow knew about James' plans for tonight.

Out in the countryside James opened the boot of the Land Rover. The wolf flew out and over to the tree line. James looked to Q and his wistful expression, his eyes following the bounding wolf until it entered the trees in the distance. “Q?” James called.

Those green eyes turned to him. It looked like Q was silently begging for something. “Q?”

The other man's head dropped. He sunk into himself, shoulders dropping, hunching down, head down. Reaching over and gently grasping the sharp chin James tilted Q's head up. There was pain in those eyes. “Tell me what's wrong?”

“I like running,” Q responded.

Not knowing why the other man was seeking his permission James let go indicating the field and forest beyond. “If you wish to run, run. I will be here,” James said.

In a blink of an eye Q was no longer dressed, skin its light yellow. His feet looked massive as James looked down. There was a smile on the sandy coloured lips. James caressed the dark shading above one of his eyes.

The moment James withdrew his hand, a wind and in a blur the spirit was following Wolf into the trees. A joyful giggle flowed on the wind.

James pulled out a Thermos from the passenger seat and returned to the lowered tail gate. Sitting with the small plastic cup beside him James fell into the familiar routine of waiting for the wild animal and now spirit to return.

Every so often James' attention was drawn by a growl, howl or laughter on the wind. It was getting cooler with the changing season. From the tree line the distinctive black faced wolf flew out. Bounding across the field he stopped, spun, jumped and snapped at the air. If James wasn't mistaken there was a yellow blur keeping pace with the wolf. The wolf then took off to the side snapping at the air as he went. Eventually he slowed and trotted back to the car, the yellow blur behind him. James poured some water into a bowl for the wolf which he gulped down, panting.

He looked up, Q's face was vibrant and had that angled elfin quality that he got when happy. His eyes shone with excitement. James gave him a smile.

When the wolf had recovered he went up to the spirit pressing his head to the yellow hand. Q looked confused for a moment before he stroked the short thick fur.

Dropping the wolf at home a human looking Q followed James in. The wolf curled up on his blankets. Picking up one of the bags from the shopping trip James pressed the trousers under the watchful curious gaze of the other man then James did his own.

Just beyond the kitchen James entered the corridor leading to his bedroom. It was long with windows along the outer wall on the left, three doors on the right. Going into the first door James entered the main bathroom. He didn't notice Q had followed him until a set of hands helped peel his jumper off. When the jumper was off and James could see Q had again returned to his nude and yellow skinned self.

James wondered at how expressive Q was without actually speaking. The spirit looked thrilled as he stripped him, sandy yellow fingers highlighted against his tanned skin. Dropping to one knee, Q looked up at him. With a mischievous smile Q's long fingers skimmed the buckle, faster than he could perceive, James' trousers and underwear were at his ankles.

James crushed down on his desire to throw his plans away and bed the ethereal creature. Stepping out from his trousers James beckoned the disappointed spirit to the shower stall. Opening the door James stepped into the large cubical with Q following.

James always loved the frigid start to the water, then the building heat. The network of pipes on the back wall, an overhead spray and the jets down the side soon had him drenched. Q on the other hand, water slipped off him his hair not even losing its spiky mane like style. It was of no consequence James just wanted an opportunity to run his hands over the strange body.

Starting with the chest James' fingers followed the contours of the muscles his eyes taking in the shading differences of his yellow skin tone. The slightly darker patches highlighted wiry muscle groups. The lighter speckles, almost yellowish-silver ran from the temples down the side of Q's neck, his abdomen and circled his hips. They also highlighted the V where his legs joined his body which brought James to the smooth crotch.

Down on one knee, James wasn't sure if the lack of cock or balls was a trait of Q as a spirit or if something bad had happened. Looking up, there was teasing wonder in the spirit’s face. Although the pain Q showed at times, James didn't think anything was amiss. Keeping an eye on Q for a reaction James swept a hand over where a cock should have been, Q let out a giggle. Emboldened James explored and was rewarded with more giggles.

Moving on James washed the long spindly legs noting the light speckles followed right down to the big feet. The feet were human in shape if not in colour. “You would have made a wonderful swimmer,” James purred washing one foot resting on his knee. A soft giggle like the sound of distant wind chimes answered him. After running his fingers between the toes James placed the foot back on the floor.

Without prompt Q turned. James started with the back of the legs where the skin had a slight shine like it was embedded with glitter that would catch the light. Up James ran his hands until he came to the round of a small and very pert bottom. Letting out an appreciative groan, another giggle answered James.

Sweeping over the round of the firm muscled arse and prying the cheeks apart James ran a gentle finger along the cleft. His worst fear realised, there was no tight pucker hidden between the globes of that pert bottom. A giggle and James looked up to Q looking over his shoulder, a wiggle of the lovely bottom drew James' attention. “Better,” James purred running his finger over the tight ring of muscle that had appeared. With the aid of some liquid soap James circled the tiny orifice, sliding in a finger. Another giggle this time sounding very teasing.

“Later,” James promised giving the arse a playful slap.

Working up the planes of Q's back the spine also had the light speckles although these ones caught the light reflecting it. James stood wrapping his arms around the spirit and resting his chin on Q's shoulder.

“There's something else,” Q teased guiding one of James' hands on his stomach down. The crotch was definitely no longer smooth. James purred, “A new toy,” spinning Q so he could see the new addition.

There, prominent and proud stood a dark yellow cock and tight set of testicles below. Going down on one knee again James inspected the thin and not very long flaccid cock. Giving it a few experimental pulls the foreskin rolled back and a light yellow head was revealed with a dark yellow ridge perfectly formed. Only the colour separated it from a human one. As James played with the cock it firmed a bit. The tight sack containing two soft testicles was given a gentle massage.

Looking up there was that teasing smile again. Keeping eye contact James leant forward and gave the exposed gland a lick. When it came to his body's reactions James wasn't sure if Q was responding properly. He seemed to be taking James' explorations as a teasing joke or something rather than finding it arousing or provocative. Putting the question on the back burner James stood. Q took it to mean it was his turn.

Q moved to James' left side, washing down the tanned arm. Then James felt someone on his right and Q was there as well and in front and by the feel of hands on his back, behind as well. Three spirit Qs he could see and one at his back that he could only feel, hands everywhere and giggling from all around. “That's not fair,” James grumbled then felt a long agile finger slide into the cleft of his arse and seek out his tight ring of muscle. Another hand was playing with his cock, another on his balls, legs and arms. A head rested on his shoulder from behind the spirit’s hand on his sides. “Definitely not fair,” James ended in a groan as a slick finger breached him

With monumental reluctance James called a stop before he fell over the edge. With only one Q now, who was very pleased with himself James lunged kissing deep and exploring. James ground his raging erection into the other man's stomach. Pulling back there was a wondrous smile on Q's face. “I like that,” Q said and leaned in for another kiss.

After the shower Q moved faster than James could see. In a blur of a yellowish streaked wind the sink was filled, the razor honed, lather prepared and Q stood with a towel over his left arm and razor in his right. James was shaved sitting on the closed toilet seat. Unlike Eve who flipped the blade while it was pressed against his skin at no time did James fear being skinned by the spirit as he worked.

Coming out of the bathroom James went to the last door of the hall, his impressive bedroom. The floor to ceiling windows on the left and mirrors along the right wall gave a light airy feel around the big square bed in the middle of the open space. There, with the help of Q James dressed in a dove grey three piece suit and metallic sky blue tie. He looked to the still naked and spirit looking man, “Are you going to stay like that or...?”

“How would you like me?”

James smiled and Q decided to remain his spirit self. James had to quickly prepare a different suit, this one a dark grey. Luckily James had coordinated the outfits he had bought Q including getting a shirt of the same dark grey colour. Returning to his bedroom James opened one of the mirrors on the right to reveal a wardrobe. “Where is it?” James then made a sound of triumph. He held a lemon yellow tie. He loved the tie but knew it never suited him however it would tone in well with Q's skin tone.

The dark grey suit and shirt toned in with Q's dark hair, the tie bringing the skin tone down and splitting the block of dark grey the suit made. The spirit gave a slow spin and James let out a rumble of approval.

The place James took Q wasn’t one of his usual haunts. He knew of it but the entertainment was generally a little old fashioned for his taste but he thought Q would like the opportunity where they could publicly stay close. The doorman was an arse and James wanted to smash his face against the sandstone wall. He’d looked beyond James to the yellow skinned spirit at his side. They weren't allowed to refuse entrance but he obviously disapproved of the ethereal entering.

Q giggled looking at the doorman. He then looked from James to the doorman and blew in the doorman's face. The disapproval vanished and the doorman gave the couple a pleasant and genuine smile. Q then did the same with the maître d’ who also held clear disapproval for the presence of the non human.

“What did you do to them?”

“A glamour before their gaze to fool their senses.” When James raised an eyebrow in question Q continued. “A young couple, in the doorman's eyes we were a young married man and woman. In the Maître D's eyes we were a young gay couple trying to be posh. Things they dream of seeing to find a moment of fulfilment their jobs.”

James was about to ditch the idea. He didn't want Q to pretend to be something else to make others feel comfortable. The band struck up and several couples moved from their tables. Q's eyes followed their movement through the room the desire to join clear on Q's eyes, catching the man's hand James led them from the perimeter of the room. In the centre of the large lounge the round dance floor was slightly lower than the surrounding tables with the band at the back of the room. Stepping down onto the wooden floor James pulled Q to him, one arm going round the spirit's waist the other holding his hand. Catching the beat of the music James led with his left leg, Q following.

The wondrous and cheeky smile stared up at him as they moved in time to the music. It was not a formal dance and James led without the formal choreography moving to the beat of the string quartet. James commanded the dance floor his partner matched him step for step. When the music died James returned them to their table and the vodka Martini waiting for him.

After a few more dances Q no longer broke contact. It was obvious he craved the attention and physical closeness. James indulged him also loving the continued contact.

In the taxi James looked to Q he wanted to take him home and taste that skin again. However like Alec, Vesper and a few others James always felt he should crush the desire with someone he cared about and he cared about the spirit Quartermaster.

The hopeful expression from Q outweighed the old feeling. “Your place or mine?”

“As long as you are there, anywhere,” Q replied with a teasing smile.

Crashing through his bedroom door Q broke the kiss grasping James' lapels. In a blurring rush of air James was pulled to the bed where he was captured by the teasing predatory eyes of Q crawling up the bed. The mattress dipped on either side and James was caught in the centre of three approaching Qs. “Are they all you?”

“Divide and as many, be they fore and aft, from all planes I shall attack. My... James” whispered a voice behind James. With four Qs around him they surged.

With a growl James lunged at the Q in front of him, pulling him into a deep kiss. James felt hands all over him stripping and exploring. James concentrated on the Q beneath him giving all the teasing caresses that drove him almost wild. The teasing smile never left Q's face even as his cock hardened.

James felt the skin and decadent hands from the other three Qs. They were giving almost more than James could handle. Looking to the one on his left James indicated the dressing table at the far side of the room. In a blur of streaking yellow the spirit was there and back in the blink of an eye.

Guiding the Q under him to put his legs over James shoulder he accepted a measure from the tube of lubricant from the Q at his side. James worked a finger into the Q under him. A hand from the Q behind him reached between his legs and spread a lubed hand over his cock. Another massaged his balls. The Q behind slid a finger into James' arse.

All the time there were hands running over his body. James kissed the Q below him, the teasing smile was finally wiped away from the spirit. The legs over his shoulders tensed, lifting the hips off the bed and the hand lubing his cock withdrew. Taking it as a hint James withdrew his hand from inside Q while another Q held James' cock, guiding it to the arse of the Q under him.

With a long slow thrust he was buried inside the welcoming body. Then James felt the finger inside him withdraw. Something thicker and warmer was brought to his entrance. James looked from the teasing smile of the Q under him to the wicked smile of the Q beside him and the mischievous smile of the Q behind and in him.

A gentle roll of James' hips gave a wonderful ripple of muscle over his cock balancing the slightly painful stretch and fullness of the cock breaching his arse.

The Q to James' right guided his chin and brought them into a kiss. Then the Q to the left did the same. Hands skimmed his chest playing with nipples, caressing scars followed by kisses to his shoulders, back and sides.

With building pressure coiling in his groin, legs and stomach the two Qs at James' side plastered themselves to him a head on each shoulder, lips brushing his neck. The one behind thrusting lay his head between James' shoulder blades. The Q underneath accepted all that James was giving.

Wondrous and amazed eyes gazed up at him. Leaning down James kissed the pale yellow lips again. James' orgasm was like a rubber band breaking, tense one moment and over the next. It sapped all his strength and he collapsed on the Q under him while the world went dark.

When James woke he was alone in bed. Sitting up he saw Q sitting on the floor. He was in the same pose as the old photo, one leg tucked under him and the other crossed over, foot planted on the floor and his head was down.

“Q?” James called and nothing happened.

“Ariel?”

Q looked up at the use of his real name. There was pain, fear and betrayal in his eyes. When he gracefully stood the genitalia were gone again and Q's skin went as black as ink, even the teeth and whites of his eyes turned black. Q's face contorted with rage, sharp angles and cruel malevolence. “Consent! Seek permission! Not taking! Just like the rest. USER! MASTER! THIEF!”

Q's voice hurt to listen to it. It was like biting wind, cold and relentless. With a tear falling down an ink black cheek he vanished in a blur a black.

“WHAT THE FUCK DID I DO?” James bellowed to the emptiness.

A thundering of feet and James’ door was thrown open. A post mission Alec was standing there with gun in hand, the wolf at his side heckles raised and ready to pounce. “What?” Alec asked looking for a non-existent threat.

“Lover’s quarrel,” James answered pulling himself out of bed heedless of his nudity, both having seen each other in all states of dress including during intercourse. Alec followed James into the lounge where he headed for the bar. M's winking dog looked up at him, growling at it he poured himself a whisky.

“Who was he/she? He, I'm guessing from the lube down your legs,” Alec asked.

“Q,” James answered.

In the morning James broke into M's old town house again. Up in the attic James found the mirror. He could see a reflection of an occupied room while the one he was in was bare. “Q? Ariel?” James called to the mirror but nothing happened. He waited for hours, until the next morning. Nothing.

James' phone broke his vigil. Answering it he had Alec shouting at him for five minutes. “Q is at MI6?” James said when he got the gist of Alec's complaining.

“Yes and he is monumentally pissed at everyone and everything. Especially the Me who just returned with nothing. The little bastard is docking my wages and is pushing for a formal reprimand.”

“I'm on my way,” James said hanging up.

Racing through London James abandoned his car at the secure car park right in front of the entrance where only M's car was allowed to wait. In the building the lift took an age to get down to Q branch.

Outside the door to the administration office Mallory, Eve, Alec and the vampire woman stood. The vampire's iridescent blue eyes turned to him. As he was about to give her a greeting she cut him off, “One word and I'll rip out your tongue.”

James gave a teasing smile making a locking motion in front of his lips. She didn't take the bedroom eyes he sent her well. Issuing a hiss.

“Enough!” Mallory ordered. “What happened with Q?”

“We shagged. It was consensual and Q was a very active participant. When I recovered he was pissed off and ran,” James answered.

The vampire sneered, “I wonder what he could be pissed about!”

James looked at her she seemed to side with Q and understood his point of view. However, in the middle of a hallway in front of Mallory James did not want to discuss something he knew nothing of.

Mallory looked at him, with nothing better to say or any formal complaint made, “Keep interactions with Q professional. Sexual harassment training and a DoI (Department of Integration) diversity session, completed this time.”

With his ceremonial punishment delivered Mallory walked off with Eve giving a wag of the finger as she followed her boss out of Q branch.

James looked around for the vampire. She was nowhere to be seen. “Where did she go?” James asked looking to Alec and the wolf at his side. Both shrugged, well Alec shrugged and shrugging was only the impression James got from the wolf's look.

James pushed the doors for the Administration office to see Q at his usual bench. The biggest change was his suit. It was no longer the brown seventies style but what James had dressed him in two days before only James had found that suit discarded on his bedroom floor. Where Q had got that one James didn't know.

The Grey still worked but James thought he should have a metallic green tie to highlight his eyes rather than the matt lemon yellow he wore. It only worked when he had his spirit skin tone.

Giving a brief look to Annie, the nervous ghost was keeping her head down he walked up to Q's bench. The mischievous spirit was buried underneath anger, hurt and pain. Its eyes were hard and pain filled his voice was still like a biting cold wind. “Double Oh Seven you are not slated for a mission. THIEF, BEGONE!”

James found himself out side of administration. Alec looked to him in surprise, “I think I was thrown out,” James said not quite sure how he got to the other side of the door so quickly.

A few hours later and the three of them were packed and off, James still fuming at Alec for dragging him away when he wanted to find the vampire. Alec was setting up a campsite as James was stalking with the wolf at his side. The wolf caught a scent and was off, James hot on his heels. Heart beating, breathing deep James ran. Over branches he leapt. In a single bound he jumped a stream. It had been years since James had run so easily. A rabbit, before he knew it James had run it down, pounced and broke its neck. 'Bugger' James thought, he was tired but not overly so. Despite his effort he wasn't too exhausted to do it again.

Plodding back to the camp site James handed the lone rabbit to Alec. The other double Oh looked confused, first by only one rabbit then by James' demeanour.

“What's wrong?” Alec asked.

James indicated the rabbit and Alec looked at it for a moment. “Did you snare it?”

James shook his head. “I ran it down.”

Alec looked to James giving a non-committal, “Okay.”

Long after the wolf returned and they had gotten into their sleeping bags James felt lively, he had energy and wanted to use it. Come the morning he hadn’t really slept but still didn’t feel tired.

--

Walking into a room full of computers James spotted his target, the slender vampire pacing about the clustered workstation. James wasn't quite sure what happened in this room, a part of Q Branch but not in Q's domain. The vampire ruled here.

Giving her sleek frame an appreciative once over the cold fire of the blue eyes focused on him. Kate snarled, her white teeth and prominent canines bared. She moved fast, James prepared as a fist raised to hit him. Blocking the punch James spun her into a headlock and dropped her, forcing the vampire to kneel. “Not so quick this time,” James purred into a shell like ear.

The vampire screeched and tried to break the grip but James held fast. “I just want to talk,” he said putting all of his seductive promise into his voice.

With a hard yank to his arm Kate was able to get her voice to work. “GUARDS!”

James glanced up, the entire room was looking at him in shock. The shouted order broke the state of the other workers, a klaxon sounded and the door burst open, guards rushed in. With a groan he let go of the vampire.

James bypassed the guards heading for the gym, at times like this James missed the wolf at his side. He was a calm non judgemental presence. Cursing himself for his jealousy of Alec James ran and ran on the treadmill waiting for Mallory's summons for the fight with Kate. It didn't come.

--

James found the building he was looking for. It was a rundown office block, the sign above the door, 'D.O.I.' with the subtitle of the full name, 'Department of Integration'.

Walking in James sneered at the waiting room with a plexiglass protected reception desk. A woman sat behind it picking her nose, gossiping on the office phone wedged between her shoulder and ear, a high bleach blond pony tail on the top of her head and make up that could have been applied by paint cannon for all James knew.

Bored annoyed eyes slid up to James as he knocked on the glass. “Hello,” James purred and he had her undivided attention the receiver falling from the crook of her neck to land on the desk unnoticed.

“Bond, James.”

With wistful look the receptionist signed him in to wait for his escort.

He decided to stand instead of using one of the cheap plastic chairs. Eventually a young man came in no more than eighteen. He had pale skin, faded washed out golden brown hair and milky eyes. Giving him a smile, James would have gotten a blush if the boy still had circulation. More started arriving. Another zombie, this one old (not at his point of death) his body was starting to fall apart, skin hung from its bones and part of a jaw was visible from where the flesh had fallen off. The younger (fresher) zombie looked at him in concern, seeing what would happen as his body decayed.

A lumbering hulk of a man entered but nothing about him seemed ethereal. Eventually there were about a dozen of them waiting.

Mark, the round faced man from the seminar at MI6 arrived. He spoke enthusiastically to the different people welcoming them. To James' dread he was told to follow.

Seeing the fresher zombie James stuck to his side. “You look like you want to be here as much as I do,” James purred, he got an embarrassed nod of the head.

A circle of chairs had been put out in a large room. The demon was there waiting, sitting in one chair with her feet propped up in another. James gave a seductive smile and was about to greet her.

“James,” Mark called, “please restrain yourself.”

“I can't help it if I'm attracted to beautiful people. Isn't that right?” James asked the zombie beside him. There was an unsure nod of the head.

“Okay, I'm going to need you to...”

“Mark shut up!” the demon snapped and stood.

She closed in on James studying his eyes. James knew he was being assessed the demon woman was looking for something. “Do you know why you are here?” Callie asked.

James started to blame Kate. How she reacted badly to his flirting. James saw the concern in the demon's eyes. Grabbing his arm she led him out ignoring Mark's protests.

In a small office the demon sat him down taking the chair beside him. When a demon showed concern and compassion it was a strange experience, James preferring lust, gluttony, vanity and anger.

“Could you tell me about your parents?” Callie asked.

“No.”

Callie weighed the answer a moment. James could see she was working out if he was refusing to answer or couldn't. “They died when I was very young. Officially I was raised by my aunt but I never saw her.” James said.

Callie nodded leaning back in her chair and crossing her legs. She sat as if she was on a throne. “We were told about what you were before we met at MI6. We were led to believe you were aware that you knew you are an incubus.”

“Incubus?”

The pink faced demon nodded. “A demon, more like a species of vampire, unlike the physical feeding on blood you feed on something less physical, most easily described as love. You use seduction like a lure, sex is the feeding process, emotion is what you feed on.”

James nodded dumbly then he thought about it, all of the women who’d tumbled into his bed and died within days. “Do I kill whoever I feed off of?”

“Indirectly, if you care nothing for them and more importantly if they feel nothing for you, you will not feed and they will survive. The more you care and the more they care the more you will gorge yourself and they will die.”

Vesper was with him to protect her lover, they were together for months, James always wondered if she actually cared. The time frame may be an indication of that, or she cared for him in the end and she died when she’d started to love him. Severine was desperate for protection and looked to him to provide it and they were together for days but one thing linked them. “All my partners died, all were killed, they didn't just drop down dead?”

“That is the way of it. Tell me this, after did you feel stronger, faster, fitter?”

James nodded. After that woman he couldn't remember. He tracked that man going to bomb the experimental airliner. The chase was exhilarating, the fight invigorating and at the end he got a simple bollocking from M. He felt alive until he saw her dead. Then there was Vesper. “If someone didn't truly love me could they survive months?”

Callie nodded.

There was that woman who M had sent during the Greene affair, she survived a few days like Severine. Remembering Severine he did seem better coming off the yacht, his arm hurt less and he’d felt more energetic. He continued to feel fitter after.

Then the night he spent with Q came to mind. Amongst other things the spirit accused him of being a thief. He cared if not loved the boy and James hoped the feelings were returned. “What if I fed off an ethereal?”

“Someone like the zombie boy, nothing his life is technically over. Vampires exist in a grey area between life and death. You would feed off them and they would recover. Theoretically you could live forever with a vampire partner, at least until she gets bored, falls out of love and you starve or move on to someone else. Werewolves are full of life, even the immortal breeds and they would die.”

James stood, Callie surged to her feet heading him off before he could reach the door. “James. Your voice, what you say, the way you look at people, these are weapons. How many have tumbled into bed with you on a look. That zombie boy would. I wanted to and in the effect of your presence Mark and I hand WONDERFUL sex. Be careful of how you act, speak and what you say.”

Standing aside Callie allowed James to leave. In a daze he walked then drove until he was in the parking garage of his building. Making his way upstairs James thought about what Callie had said, MI6 knew, he did not. Kate knew or suspected. Q didn't know or would never have slept with him and he was genuinely hurt.

Opening the door James crossed the room to the bar. On the wooded top sat the one eyed bulldog from M. She had been Q's master and Q had called him his master. 'Perhaps she willed Q to him along with the dog' James mused. It would explain why Q remained Quartermaster he needed a tie to MI6 to keep him sane. That used to be M. After her death it became Q. Not even Alec gave him that tie to the country or MI6.

A knocking interrupted James observation of the ceramic dog. Going to the door he opened it. The large round man in tweed suit James remembered from his trip to Oxford stood, white hair and thick square glasses.

Beside him was a small man looking even smaller by the girth of Dr Meinheimer. He was narrow and short, a balding head of dark hair retreating back in a uniform line.

James refused to let them in. The Doctor clapped a massive hand on the smaller man. “Mr Bond I hope you don't mind myself and my associate dropping in but we saw this,” the doctor held up a print out of a tweet. It was of him and Q dancing at the lounge.

“I shagged him and he ran off. I’ve not been able to find him since.” James said. He could lie convincingly and wanted these men to think he no longer had access to Q.

James saw the small man tilt his head as if someone was whispering in his ear. James had seen the gesture many times usually just before the agent who did it was spotted by their mark and ended up dead. Only putting your finger in your ear was a more obvious sign someone was talking into it.

The small man said, “What a unique dog, my mother had something similar,” his eyes looking past James to the bar behind him.

“I don't think I caught your name?” James said to the smaller man. The precise soft tones of the man were quite distinctive, the reference to his mother and the dog sitting on the bar added to James' suspicion.

“I am the sorcerer Norrell,” he answered.

That was not the name James had been expecting. In his research of Q James found one son and one daughter. Emilia was the daughter and Gilbert was the son. He was still suspicious of the man.

Something stung his eyes, James felt like he had just been maced. Staggering back he wiped at his weeping eyes, “STAY WHERE YOU ARE!” James commanded. He pulled out his gun and aimed. He couldn't use his stinging and weeping eyes, however missing the big man would be hard.

Eventually James forced his hurting eyes open. The three men on his doorstep looked frozen. The new one James identified as a fairy of some sort in what looked like French regency clothing, a tight embroidered white jacket, long waistcoat, britches, stockings and high collar. Pale silver skin with hair standing on end swept up and back like thistle-down and bushy forked eyebrows. He was frightening. As Q embodied a mischievous, teasing, joy this fairy was dark, cold and cruel.

Waving a hand in front of the three men's faces nothing happened. A teasing giggle had James turning hoping to see Q. It wasn’t Q.

Another fairy taller and broader with Q's sharp teasing features and golden skin rather than Q's pale yellow. Like Q he was nude with no genitalia. From within the mane of black hair, antlers grew forward like the laurel wreath crown of a Roman Emperor. It was almost as if he had wings, translucent as a rainbow, not actually attached just a play on the light. He had the similar speckles to Q's but his were more prominent.

A golden hand reached forward and grasped James' chin. James was dumbfounded by what he could only describe as an older version of Q.

When the new fairy spoke it was soft and warm like a summer's breeze. “My son is delicate, special. I am always wary of those who seek him. She made you heir and I approve. You are the first to seek him for something other than what he can give you. You seek to give him something. Your heart?”

The silver blue eyes indicated the door. “The son of my wife, calls himself The Gentleman. You are correct, the magician is named Gilbert and they are searching for where the sorceress Aereon hid Ariel. The intelligent fool does their thinking for them.”

James looked to the older fairy, his eyes teasing and hopeful. James followed those eyes to the ceramic dog.

In a blink the world filled with noise as the three people on his doorstep were moving. Dr Meinheimer was asking him if he was alright. Norrell was studying him and the fairy was moving over the threshold.

As the dark fairy moved passed him James grabbed his collar, the fairy not expecting to be seen or touched looked to James in fear as did Norrell. “Begone!” James ordered and threw the fairy at the small magician. Fairy and magician tumbled together. The doctor who couldn't see Norrell's ethereal companion, 'The Intelligent Fool' as the other fairy had named him was confused and helping the smaller man up.

“If you think I will turn Ariel over to a fool or a wimp who his own mother didn't even trust or a fairy who has evil seeping out of every pore, NEVER!” James shouted and slammed the door.

At the bar James snatched up the dog, storming out of the flat and ran down the stairs to the parking garage. Pulling out into the street he spotted his recent guests exiting the door of the building.

Racing through London James entered the underground car park at MI6, again leaving the car and heading deeper into the building. James noticed he could see things. A guard James always thought of as human had a pulse wave coming from his head that would bounce off people and reflect back. “Telepath?” James asked coming to a sudden stop.

“Empath!” the concerned guard muttered, looking about.

Moving on James could figure out what people thought and would think it himself. James looked like he was having a breakdown. Passing a woman he simultaneously saw her as human and wolf. “Werewolf!” The woman jumped and looked at him giving a hesitant nod at what should be considered a private and confidential matter.

Walking along the Q branch corridor James saw Kate, Alec, Selene and several guards standing outside of administration with Annie in the corner, out of the way.

“James, stand down,” Alec ordered.

James could see Alec, it looked like there were tendrils of smoke reaching out touching Selene, Kate and the guards. The moment they made contact with someone, they would recoil as if touching something painful then would gradually reach out again. There was one reaching into Wolf at Alec's side. It was the only tendril that was not rebuffed.

Kate and Selene were similar. Like the werewolf James saw them in two ways, the physical outer appearance and the ethereal, where they were like spectres of blue fire. Kate was more prominent than Selene's. Kate looked like her system was quite settled while Selene's which looked like it was recoiling at something, forced to accept fuel it didn't want.

“Have a good meal. I hope he consented,” James taunted Kate. She looked embarrassed as drinking human blood was frowned upon and pig was considered more ethical.

“James,” Alec said holding out his hands, not threatening what he thought to be his unhinged friend.

James jumped holding out the ceramic dog as if it was shield. Realising what he was doing he brought the dog to his chest. “I need to see Q,” James hissed at them.

Selene stepped forward. “Q doesn’t want to see you,” she said.

“Then why is Annie eavesdropping?” James shouted pointing to a corner. Alec, Selene and Kate looked to the empty space James was pointing at to seeing nothing.

“James,” Alec called softly closing the distance on his unbalanced friend.

James held out the dog again, “I have to give this to Q,” then hugged the dog again, he felt hyper, giddy, excited. All these things were happening and it was all in a confusing jumble.

The doors behind the group of guards opened. James smiled, there was Q nude in his spirit form and also in the sleek suit James had bought him in the twin views he had on the world. It was the most beautiful thing he had seen.

In a rush James spewed forth words his tongue tripping over them in a rush. “Q, here. I didn't know. M knew, Mallory, I think too. Here. She knows. Everyone knows only the, the, the devil told me. Here. I see things. Your dad came, very pretty by the way. So did M's son and the evil fairy. I think I'm having a breakdown and would you take this BLOODY DOG!”

He felt exhausted for the first time, his outstretched hands holding the dog out in Q's direction. “Here,” he said again, giving the dog a bit of a jerk. Everyone was looking between them.

“What do you see?” Q asked and James' vision split again. He could see Q as a dark grey, suit clad human, a yellow skinned, nude spirit and, “A bird?” James said seeing Q's body covered in black feathers with a grey blue human face.

There was a giggle and Q walked past the guards. James was captured by the gaze then the images merged into Q in his spirit form. Grasping the ceramic dog Q lifted it from James grasp and let it fall, shattering into thousands of pieces. Looking at the remnants James saw something silver in the middle of the debris.

Q dropped down and picked it up presenting James with a tiny hand mirror about two inches in diameter with a tapering handle. In the reflection James could see Q looking up at him, around the circumference there was an inscription.

Q smiled at him. “Say the words, please.”

“I, I want to, to be your boyfriend not your master,” James said. He was still hyper, still tripping over his words. Only those green eyes made more prominent by the yellow face kept James from twitching out.

“That is why I choose you my master,” the still kneeling spirit said.

James was caught, the spirit obviously had forgiven him and wanted them together, however James still didn't want to be his master.

The eyes were waiting patiently. A soft expectant smile played on Q's sandy coloured lips. The spirit’s head had a curious tilt as he waited.

“Come away, servant, come. I am ready now.
Approach, my Ariel, come.”

Q stood wrapping his arms about James' waist and laid his head on James' shoulder. Whispering, warm breathe washed over James' neck.
“All hail, great master! Grave sir, hail! I come
To answer thy best pleasure; be't to fly,
To swim, to dive into the fire, to ride
On the curl'd clouds, to thy strong bidding task
Ariel and all his quality.”

James looked into the eyes of the spirit still resting on his shoulder. “Huh!”

Q giggled at James obvious confusion. James felt the sway of the spirit drawing him in like a current in the ocean. He let the tide sweep him up with no will to fight it as they gazed into each other's eyes.

“Did they just get married?” Selene's voice sounded in the background. Alec let out a whistle. There was also a happy clapping from Annie. Kate was impassive and the guards were just staring not understanding anything going on.

Suddenly a wicked idea came to James. Grabbing Q's hand he started pulling a giggling Q along behind him. Above ground they entered Employee Resources (the old non politically correct term, Human Resources).

“Mr Bond are you aware you are dragging a naked ethereal behind you? Quartermaster?” the black woman who usually gave him his lectures on sexual harassment said as they entered her office. Q giggled and gave both James and the woman a cheeky smile. Janine Davis was a mix of harassed, patient and her usual just slightly annoyed. Keeping the people of MI6 politically correct and respectful being one of the least dangerous and least achievable tasks in the building. The worst perpetrators thought they may die on their next mission so ignored a lot of what they considered as inconvenient pleasantries.

James was going to enjoy this, revenge. “As an ethereal I have been made to feel uncomfortable and have been victimised for instinctual behaviour I wasn’t aware I was displaying. My tormentors were aware of me being an ethereal. One was fully aware that I had been kept in the dark about my ethereal status. The other Identified me as an incubus and Q here as a fairy and should have considered the serious risks of keeping these secrets.”

The harassed dark haired woman sat back sweeping the shoulder length hair off her face. Removing her rimless glasses she rubbed her eyes indicated that James and Q should sit. She pulled out a pad making a few preliminary notes in the margin. “I need a comprehensive list of events.”

After James told of all the interactions with Kate and Mallory's response Q spoke up, “I was unaware of James' nature. He stole a great deal of my life. If I had been human, my lifeline would have been severed and fate would have found a way to separate me from my body.”

Davis wrote it all down. “How long have you been aware of your status?”

“Since 10:30am this morning so about six hours,” James answered.

She then went on to explain the procedure. James contained his glee as she described the mandatory DOI seminar both Kate and Mallory would have to attend then very delicately she touched on Q's natural appearance. It took James and Q a moment to understand.

“Very disappointing that humans aren't comfortable with nudity even when there's nothing to see,” James purred. Q looked down at himself and was wearing his dark grey suit again but had kept his natural yellow skin tone.

“Thank you,” Davis said to the now dressed spirit.

“Home, well yours or mine?” James asked guiding Q out. He got a happy nod from the spirit. Entering the underground car park James remembered he’d abandoned his car in front of the employee entrance again where only M's car could wait. Luckily someone had put it in his assigned space, a helpful note explaining if he abandoned it again it would be towed and crushed.

The moment he was out of the car in the car park of his building James found a spirit plastered to his side with his head resting in his shoulder. The lift trundled up and opened onto the foyer with the single door to his flat.

Inside James came to a halt. Now he was here with Q questions filled his mind. Living arrangements? What had the big fairy done to his eyes? Who was the bad fairy? Why was M's son involved?

Q was in front of him grasping both his hands and walking backwards. James following the guiding pull.

Hands started touching him from all sided as Q divided and split himself. Only the one in front of him held James' gaze. Delicate hands were loosening his tie and popping buttons. Somehow without breaking the grasp on ‘his’ Q in front of him James found himself nude, a trail of clothing littering the hall behind him.

Once in the bedroom Q headed for his target, the big square bed in the middle of the room. The mattress sat on a low frame with only a narrow rim surrounding it, a simple luxury that James had spent months searching for. The only other piece of furniture in the room was a wide dressing table on the bottom wall. It was so James, Q felt at home there.

The other Qs moving in flitting blurs pulling back covers and closing the door.

James lay back followed by ‘his’ Q. With his arms around the spirit the vibrant rush of energy seemed tamed. Closing his eyes James heard a sound like a song on the edge of hearing, like a harmony of the Qs from a distance. It was melodious, full of emotion, old pains, new hopes and love.

James' mind which had built to a frantic tempo of thought slowed, his emotions calming. He felt a warm chest under his cheek as long dexterous fingers stroked his hair and neck, the other hand caressing his face.

James woke with the gentle thrum of energy still with him. However, he felt rested and refreshed rather than overdosing on caffeine. Opening his eyes to daylight outside, the setting sun cast the room in golden hues.

What got James was the new sight the big fairy had given him. He could see the room as he had left it but underneath the physical world humans inhabit he could see a new world. His bed around him in the physical world was flat as it should be but in the world beneath it looked like a flat topped mound.

The floor was its normal industrial polished concrete but also grey stone in a hexagonal pattern, slightly uneven like the Giants Causeway.

Looking to the mirrored cupboards lining the right wall James was almost overwhelmed by the worlds, overlaid, reversed and reflected back. In the room around him the physical world was on top of the fairy one. In the mirror the fairy world was on top of the physical world. Tearing his eyes from the mirror James stood, the two overlapping visions of the worlds making his head spin.

His spatial confusion continued as he headed for the bedroom door to the corridor with the same floor to ceiling windows that covered the entire outer circumference of the flat. The windows in one world were their usual clear self with the city beyond, whilst in the fairy realm each pane was painted and illuminated.

The window across from James' bedroom door had a nude portrait of them. James stood proud with Q sitting on the balls of his feet showing the long arch of his back and pert bottom, arms wrapped about James' waist covering James' crotch with his chest. Q's head resting on James' stomach showed his face in profile. 'James & Q' in script painted at the bottom.

As he moved towards the lounge so the portrait windows continued. Beside James a younger light brown haired M stood. She was dressed in flowing white shawls and robes with a thin diamond like shoulder height staff in her right hand. Sitting at her feet was a nude Q, his legs crossed and knees pulled up. 'Aereon & Ariel' at the bottom of the pane.

Beside M's portrait was a red haired woman wearing round tortoise shell glasses. In one hand was an amulet, a pentagram within a circle surrounded by an inscription. "Treguna Mekoides Trecorum Satis Dee," James read aloud. In the other hand was a fluffy white bunny. Unlike the other printings Q was in the background in a comical war-zone, an army of Qs in a formation with old weapons. A group of three stood on a hill playing bagpipes while others were in armour. One Q, with only his lower half shown having kicked a German soldier in the backside sending him arse over head.

The next pane was familiar to James having seen the photo of Q sitting on the floor in front of a robed man holding a staff. His piercing blue eyes seemed to follow James as he moved. Inscribed, Astaroth & Spirit'.

The next painting was a young couple. Like the red haired woman Q was in the background floating on the breeze like a guardian angel looking over them.

The next window showed a woman holding a gnarled gloss black staff like volcanic glass She looked like a taller version of M wearing a narrow bodice with a stiff high collar, Q sat at her feet.

Then came a black scary woman, James shuddering at her very image. There was nothing outwardly unpleasant and she was rather attractive but a feeling of pain and hurt emanated from the painting like something Q was making sure he never forgot. It took James some time to find Q in the picture. At least he thought it was Q, a tree in the background looked like it had a face twisted into the bark screaming and in pain. James felt compelled to touch the tree.

Moving through the archway he entered a fairy version of the lounge. The living area was made up of grass covered mounds, chairs and table made of stone in the correct shapes but bore no mark of tools having been used on them.

To the left there was a tree standing in the middle of the room its boughs sagging just like the one at M's old house. Fresh candles adorned the branches and Q flitted in a blur placing more on the branches.

In this fairy world his galley kitchen was a range with open fire with shelves of bottles and potions. The front door, cupboard and beyond where Alec's bedroom door should be was now smooth stone wall.

“Moved in I see,” James purred. The blurs congregated into one Q. With a bob of the head and a brilliant smile he answered James closing in and wrapping his arms around James' waist, resting his head on his shoulder.

“Can you fix my eyes?”

Q shook his head. “What the king commands I should not countermand.”

In the fairy world James skirted the tree in the centre of the room. In the human world he was skirting gym equipment. Where he stood in the fairy world there was nothing, in the human one was a cocktail bar. Grasping the bottle of whisky James was thankful as his fingers came into contact with the glass, a tumbler the same at least. Soon he had his measure and was heading to the twin views of a couch/grassy mound.

Sitting down James could feel the sharp blades pressing into his naked skin and the sun warmed leather. “Am I ever going to get used to this?”

“Yes my master,” Q replied coming to sit at his feet resting his face on James knee.

When the light finally faded Q moved in a blur lighting the candles in the fairy realm. In the human world it continued to darken.

The door opened and the wolf at Alec's side skidded to a stop looking up at the tree. Alec seemed oblivious walking through a branch unaware of its existence. He sat on the couch/grassy mound opposite, two layers in a single image. “So is ‘au natural’ going to be your and his new casual attire and what's this about you being an incubus?”

“Well for Q I think he likes his skin. For myself I just forget when I got up. As for an incubus it was so nice of M, Kate and Mallory to tell me,” James said not quite able to help the annoyance of all those who knew about his nature and never mentioned a thing. James closed his eyes it was exhausting and confusing seeing the different worlds nestled on top of each other.

“Well every employee has got to attend an ethereal awareness seminar because of you,” Alec shot.

James felt Q return and drape a dressing gown around him. Accepting the garment James slipped it on. Alec asked why James was keeping his eyes shut. He looked to Q, “Can you let Alec see...” James trailed off waving at the tree.

With a mischievous look Q stalked close to Alec. James watched the concerned expression of his oldest friend as the naked spirit closed in. Q placed his hands on Alec's thighs leaning closer and blew on Alec's eyes.

Surging to his feet Q flitted back to James’ side as they watched Alec swear and rub his eyes. Wolf barked at Alec's distressed state. “Feels like being maced,” James informed.

“NO SHIT!” Alec responded pacing about.

Forcing his eyes open Alec stilled seeing a tree in the middle of their living room. “Huh!” Alec said pointing to the tree. Then slowly noticed the other changes Q had made to the fairy version of their flat.

“What is it with the tree?” James asked the spirit resting on his shoulder.

“I like them,” Q answered.

Like himself James watched Alec try to touch a branch in one world and thin air in the other then going very still as he touched the gnarled bark.

In bed James pulled the spirit to cuddle him close running gentle caresses all over him. It started with a hum then Q wound words into the melody and finally it pulled James into darkness. In the morning James wondered at the spirit, he had split himself again. Hands were all over him, washing shaving and caressing, soon he was pristine for his day of work.

With ‘his’ Q’s arm wrapped around his waist James entered the kitchen. Alec was talking to another Q preparing breakfast.

There was an awkward moment when James walked into the building, Q dressed in his dark grey suit and spirit looking. The entrance guard looked between Q's human image ID and the yellow skinned person in front of him. The spirit returned to his human appearance but the guard still refused to let him in. “I'm sorry sir there is nothing in the system about you being ethereal.”

James was silently chuckling to himself. Even Q looked amused by the trouble he was causing. The guard went through the established procedure when a person's identity was in question. Cameron the head of building security was the first to arrive followed by the head of Employment resources and R who turned out to be the vampire Kate. Finally Mallory arrived.

With Q tucked under his arm, the spirit’s head resting on his shoulder James and Q watched the three ring circus of assigning the Quartermaster a new ID.

The head of security was the first to approach with a device that looked like a small tablet. “Fingerprints,” the barrel shaped man grumbled presenting the face of the tablet. With a giggle Q held up the pad of his finger so the man could see the completely smooth surface then he watched as ridges appeared and changed on the surface of the finger.

“Fingerprints impractical. Retina scan,” The head of security grumbled holding up the tablet's lens to Q's eye. The yellow skinned man had green eyes like light jade a moment ago. The image on screen was of a completely black eye with no distinguishing marks. Lowering the screen one eye was the jade green the other was black. He knew he was being toyed with and the Double Oh beside the Quartermaster was on the verge of laughing his ass off. “Biometrics are impractical he’s a shape shifter.”

“We do not use that term and The Quartermaster is a spirit of the fairy realm,” Davis the head of ER cautioned.

Cameron grumbled. “Doesn't matter the term it all means he can change his appearance at will. DNA too?”

Q nodded to the question at the end stepping out of James' hold. Both eyes went completely black as his hair and clothes turned to black feathers. He face remained human shaped but a dark blue/grey. His legs became the same blue/grey of his face but stretched into long thin birds legs ending in claw like feet with talons just like a raven or crow. When Q stretched out his arms wings unfurled touching either side of the employee entrance lobby.

James could just see over Q's left wing and burst out laughing. He’d seen Mallory in fire fights, life threatening situations and injured but the Director of MI6 looked like he was about to wet himself in the face of Q. The head of security, guards not far behind. Only Davis seemed curious rather than frightened by the display.

In the blink of an eye Q was his normal, suite clad, spirit self. He came back to James and tucked himself under the chuckling man's arm again. They watched the group calm and start discussing Q's security credentials.

Mallory picked up Q's existing ID and brought it over handing it back. “We will amend your personnel file. The changes are made to the server and there's not much point altering this. If you wish to update the photo you can do so at your convenience,” Mallory said handing over Q's current ID with the human image.

Q plucked it out of Mallory's grasp and gave a winning smile. “I'm so sorry for all the inconvenience,” he said so sweetly and believably.

James felt giddy walking hand in hand with Q to the lifts. Pulling the spirit to a stop James cupped his cheek and looked into those eyes. He could see Q getting uncomfortable with the way he was looking at him. “You tease and mock even when you make people afraid. It's not real fear it's like a ghost train or roller coaster. There is no real danger, no cruelty in you.”

James saw a deep pain in those green eyes as Q nodded. “You cannot harm anyone?” James asked and got a shake of the head. Q held fear openly. James leaned in and brushed his lips to Q's, the spirit responding.

Pulling back there was a hesitant and hopeful smile. “I never want you to ham anybody,” James whispered and the hesitant smile lit up Q's face.

“Thank you, my master,” Q said and James felt a deep gratitude from the other man at not being forced to do something against his nature or face the wrath of an irate master.

They continued, James walking into Q branch and pulling to a stop as his eyes showed him two worlds again. Q's bench in the centre of the room was as it always was, a high U shaped workstation, more like a shop counter than a workstation with a couple of computers and large screen at the side. A small work area with tools and equipment sat opposite.

James also saw it as a twisting mass of branches. Mirrors where the monitors were. On the surface where the keyboards should be, there were shallow dishes of shining copper with water in them. The small work surface was covered in rune stones.

James flicked his eyes to the spirit and got a smile. Going to the workbench side James picked up a thing that looked like a diamond as big as his fist and multi faceted sending rainbows of light scattering across the work surface.

Q came round to stand in the centre fingers skimming over the surface of the water in the copper dishes, the mirrors started reflecting things other than what was in the room.

Following Q round to the inside of the workstation in front of the big mirror James touched the water in the dish below. The reflection of the mirror changed to an image of Q's face. Looking over his shoulder he could see the back of Q's head as he worked on one of the other dishes.

As he was thinking about Q when he touched the water James now thought about Alec. The mirror's reflection changed to Alec sitting on the Land Rover’s tailgate, a paper open and a Thermos of coffee beside him. James had been in the position many a time, letting Wolf run. Thinking about the wolf the reflection changed following him as he stalked his prey then breaking into a fast run chasing down a rabbit.

James used the dish and mirror to watch Kate for a bit but she was rather boring, just working. Mallory and Eve were the same.

A hand landed over James' and he looked into the cheerful green eyes. “I need to oversee Double Oh Nine. He is monitoring a weapons market,” Q said.

James pulled back to allow Q to do his job coming to sit at the ghost's desk. He gave her a smile making sure he didn't make it provocative or sultry. The ghost like the rest of the room was looking at him a little strangely. James wasn't sure how it looked to the people who couldn't see Q's fairy version of his workstation.

Finally James turned his full attention to the person on whose desk he was perched. “Thanks,” he said picking up the lukewarm tea. Annie still couldn't look at him, however James got the impression she liked the interaction.

“What do you see?” James asked nodding towards Q's workstation. Annie flicked her eyes up then over to the workstation.

“Computers, tools, Q,” Annie listed confirming she couldn’t see the fairy workstation.

Moving on James asked about Annie's weekend. “Oh! I'm getting new room-mates,” she said enthusiastically.