Family

by CMDAK, Tsuyu

Summary:

When you are panicking, you don't really know who you are calling. Especially if your child is the reason your brain stopped working. And if you end up calling a double oh agent and his lover, you are stuck with their help no matter what you do or say.

Notes:

A big thank you to Boffin for helping us with this~ You rule <3

The phone was ringing shrilly. Bond managed to open his eyes, and snatch the offending object, almost ready to throw it into a wall when he saw the caller's name flashing on the screen. 'Quartermaster' it said. "'lo?" he mumbled sleepily. Alec was still sleeping like the dead next to him and even tightened his hold on his waist when James moved to reach the phone.

 

"Shit..." he heard on the other side of the line and there were also sounds of someone sobbing and hiccupping.

 

"Q?"

 

"007, shit, shit, shit..."

 

"Quartermaster, what is wrong?" Bond almost managed to untangle himself from Alec's imperious hold and sat up. That title acted as the perfect alarm clock for Alec, who on his feet in an instant, ear glued to James’ phone. “What happened? What’s wrong? Mission? What? What?”

 

“Oh God… 007, please…” Q gasped out, pleadingly, James elbowing Alec to keep him quiet so he could hear. “I need… I need a car, please… No, no, it is okay... Hush. Hush, I'm making it better."

 

"Q, are you compromised?" Bond was already out of bed, trying to pull up his discarded pants and some sweatpants. Trying to get a shirt while holding a phone to his ear was a tad difficult but he was valiantly fighting it until the other blonde man rose from his bed and held his phone for him to get dressed quickly.

"No, Bond, I am not. It’s just... hush darling, hush... Adam has a fever and I can't drive with him crying and... I don't know whats wrong with him... Please... and I can't wait for a cab for half an hour..."

 

James stopped suddenly, frowning. “Adam? Who’s Adam? Has Adam been shot? Knifed? Where are you? Do we need our guns? Is it a code red?”

 

“What Adam? What’s happening?” Alec was asking, really temped to take the phone away from James and asked Q these questions instead.

 

"No. Adam is my son... This was a bad idea... Hush darling... Daddy is trying to find... Never mind Bond. It’s nothing of importance for you. I am sure you and whomever who is with you tonight can go back to whatever your activities were..." The line suddenly went dead. Bond blinked at it dazedly.

 

"Get dressed, Alec, apparently it seems so that our Quartermaster has a son and he needs our help."

 

"I am taking my Glok as a security measure!" 006 was already pocketing said gun under the waistband of his jeans while Bond got the car keys and they flew from the apartment like they were in a rush, which actually was more than true.

 

Q checked his watch for the millionth time, feeling like the hands had gone back instead of forward. Maybe he should have called an ambulance and damn M if she had a heart attack when she got an alert about that.

 

“Daddy!” His son screeched on top of his lungs, little hands holding on even tighter than before to his tear, sweat and snot stained shirt. “It hurts, Daddy. My head hurts and I am cold! Please make it stop! Please! You said you could do anything, so make this stop.”

 

It broke Q’s heart to hear the desperation in the child’s voice, especially since he had no idea what to do. He had tried given him the medicine prescribed to him by the pharmacist, bundled the little child up so he could sweat the fever out, and rubbed at least three types of lotion on him in hopes of curing him. But all that happened was that his fever went up and his pain got worse. “Daddy is trying, darling.” He pressed a kiss against the burning forehead and tried to keep from losing himself to pure desperation. “Where the bloody hell is that cab?” He wondered, rocking his son harder.

 

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. 'Surely cabbies didn't knock, they just stay in their cars and use the horn sound till they woke everyone around.' Almost pulling the doors off the hinges with one hand, the other hosting a child on his hip he was more than surprised to see Bond and Trevelyan on his door step. He had to admit having a couple of double oh agents living a few floors above him (in the bloody penthouse on top of that) was a security measure that M forced all 3 men to accept after MI6 once again sold the blondies shared apartment in Nothing Hill.

 

"Daddy... please..." The child crying pitifully greeted the two most deadly agents of MI6. Alec looked down at the tiny human in Q's arms and raised his eyebrow.

 

“Is that a clone?” Alec asked because he felt like this whole situation needed a horrible joke to lose some of its tension.

 

“This is my son,” Q snapped, turning slightly away from the two agents as if he was afraid that they would somehow hurt him. And frankly, seeing that they tended to destroy everything he made, his worried and hyperactive mind reached the conclusion that his son might suffer the same fate since the child was sort of made by him. “He has a fever. He’s hurting and I just don’t know what to do,” he was close to tears now and so exhausted.

 

“At what hospital?” James asked simply, forcing himself to look away from the pained child that almost looked like he was a tiny clone of Q. They gently took Q by his hand and relieved him of a shoulder bag he had on himself as well.

 

"Let us handle at least some of the things!" Alec grabbed the bag while James locked the apartment.

 

"St. Barts. I have... Adam's doctor is at St. Barts." He managed before cuddling the boy closer and cradling the boy's head into his chest.

 

"We can do that. Or, we can go to Medical instead. It's closer." James offered with a concerned look on his face. They were out of lift in the underground car parking lot and James was guiding them to monstrously looking hummer. The small boy in his arms even stopped hiccupping and crying.

 

“If it’s closer… We’ll go where it’s closer… Closer is good,” Q whispered under his breath, trying to calm himself down. “I am so sorry about this, but Adam—”

 

“It’s all right, Q. No need to apologize,” James interrupted him, squeezing his shoulder. “I am happy you trust us enough to come to us for help with such a personal matter.” He opened the door for him and helped him in, hesitating only for a moment before carefully patting Adam’s head. "Everything's going to be all right, champ. The pain will disappear in a few minutes, I promise."

 

The engine roared and suddenly Q was glad he buckled up. Hugging his tiny son close he closed his eyes and prayed they were in the hospital soon enough. The fever was persisting and he couldn't calm the boy so he was becoming hysterical. A smash was heard and Q realised they just came into MI6 parking lot and hit the barrier off. The passenger's doors were yanked open and the boy was pulled out of his arms. He almost went ballistic when that happened, his fatherly instincts kicking in at full force, but James voice calmed him down enough not to blindingly jump out at whoever took his child. “We move faster and no one would dare to try and stop us.”

“Warn me next time, please,” he seethed out between gritted teeth, almost tripping out of the car as he hurried to follow them. Then suddenly, a thought hit him and he felt faint. “Wait, do we even have pediatricians in here? Oh my God, I don’t think we do.”

 

"We will have to go back to St. Bart’s. Oh lord, Bond!"

 

"Don't worry, Quartermaster. I called one when you were busy fussing over the babe!" Alec replied while carrying the boy, who was now gently sucking on his thumb and seemed to calm down a little. Skeleton crew in medical gently pried the boy from Alec's hands.

 

"We will take it from here, 006, 007, Quartermaster!" Swenson closed the doors in front of their noses. Q touched the doors, letting out a strangled whine.

 

“Everything will be okay, Q,” James whispered in his ear, squeezing his shoulder. “They are going to take really good care of… your child,” he clearly hesitated saying that, trying to cover it up by clearing his throat, “and he will be back in your arms before you know it.”

 

“But—”

 

“No buts, Quartermaster,” Alec interrupted him, pushing his beloved scrabble mug in his shaking hands. “We’ll sit right here with you until you get the kid back. Maybe even talk? About you having a kid?” James glared at him. “If you want, of course.”

 

"Where did the kiddo came from, Quartermaster? Did you get some bird pregnant and she dropped it on your doorstep?"

 

"Alec!" Bond chided.

 

"But I want to know." Alec sounded like a child.

 

"The child, as you so gently put is genetically mine. Well technically, my sisters but that's not relevant." Q scrunched his nose up. "My sister is dead and as I am her twin and her closest relative, I got the custody rights when Adam was 6 months old. We've been together for more than 4 years. And I am gay, so you know. "

 

James squeezed his shoulder again, annoyed with Alec for clearly reopening wounds that had not yet fully healed. “I am sorry, Q.”

 

Q snorted, shrugging. “Why are you apologizing? You didn’t kill my sister and I can say without a doubt in my heart that Adam is the best thing that happened to me. You know he actually reminds me of you two on missions?”

 

Alec tilted his head, clearly confused. “How so?”

 

“Well, he tends to destroy most of his toys. Not out of malice or hatred – not that you two do that – but out of curiosity. He wants to see what makes them tick and how they work and since he is too young to be trusted with a screwdriver, he tries to open them as best as he can.”

Before either of agents could come up with a reply the doors of the examination room opened and the doctor came out looking sternly at Q and sighed.

 

"First of all, Quartermaster, if your child is ill, and a toddler on top of that, you must contact paediatrician at once and not stalling for days. Secondly, he will be fine. I just gave him antibiotics and he will be up and running in the morning. If you so wish you can take him home or stay the night."

 

"I think, I think we will spend the night. I am not sure I can get a cab at this time..."

 

"NONSENSE!!!" Alec's voice boomed in the corridor. "We will take him home, won't we, James!" 007 was silent for all they cared, thinking deeply about something.

 

“I… I thought it was a simple cold… I didn’t…” he sighed and rested his head in his hands. “I’m a horrible parent and I already imposed on you two more than I should, what with making you drive all the way here on your time off and wasting money. Oh, right…” He reached for the bag and started to slowly dig through it, almost completely drained of energy.

 

“It wasn’t a bother,” James said carefully. “And you are not a horrible parent.”

 

“Normal parents would have taken their child to a doctor at the first cough. What did I do? I went to the pharmacist, plopped Adam on the counter, let the woman hear his cough and then bought the damned syrup she gave me. How am I not a horrible parent?”

 

Before either of the two men could protest, doctor interjected again. "If you think you need it I am sure I can assign you to a social worker that is MI6 approved or if it's too difficult, get Adam into a temporary custody..." She wasn't able to finish because Quartermaster was running into the room that had the boy in it and was back in the corridor in a matter of seconds.

 

"Me and Adam don't need anyone. We only had each other before I came to Mi6 and I am sure we can live just fine being the two of us again!" His face scrunched up in sadness when the boy in his arms whimpered quietly. "Here, take the money Bond, I am sure it will more than cover the expenses of you coming with us and the gas we used!" He threw some banknotes on the floor and fled in a matter of a blink. Alec had doctor by the lapels of his coat.

 

"Do you want to die now or after we have to deal with a hysterical young man who now thinks he cannot up bring a child because he made one tiny mistake?!"

 

“I am only doing my job,” she hissed at the dangerous agent. “It is required of my by the law to ask a parent that. If I truly thought the Quartermaster to be incapable of taking care of the child, a representative of child welfare would have already been here.”

 

Meanwhile, James was trying his best to calm down the Quartermaster and his child and to also convince the man to take his money back. It was kind of dealing with a hurt and scared woodland creature and James was slowly making his way towards him, hands held out in front of him to show that he meant him no harm. “You always help Alec and I and only ask that we come back alive. This is the least we could have done for you, Q, so no money is required.”

 

Of course Q saw the extended arms as an attempt to take his child away from him. “Don’t come any closer, 007!” He warned, trying to remember if he had anything to defend himself in an easily accessible place.

 

“Why is he a number?” Adam sleepily asked, seemingly unaware of the drama that was going on around him.

 

"Oh darling..." Suddenly all Q's attention was focused on the child in his arms. "Are you ok my lovely boy?" He raised his head to see Bond in front of him and the blonde could see the man tightening his hold around the boy's waist, prepared to fight for him.

 

"Yes daddy, where are we?" The child nuzzled Q's neck.

 

"You were feeling poorly so daddy took you to see a doctor. But now we are going home. And tomorrow... Tomorrow we can plan out holidays. Remember all the sheep you wanted to see in New Zealand?" The boy nodded and Bond noticed inching towards the exit. He knew it was futile to run but he was sure to give Quartermaster the credit for his valiant effort.

 

"How about we move to New Zealand?" He heard Q ask.

 

"Alec, what do we do? Alec???" Bond hissed. "How do we get Q in the car and back in the safety of his own home?"

 

“By using his kid to get him to do that without actually touching the child,” Alec whispered back. Yes, a low move. But it was for the man’s own good and no one was actually going to get hurt. “Hey kid?” Alec called to get Adam’s attention, smiling softly at him. “Do you remember the awesome car you came here with?”

 

Adam looked at him with suspicion in his eyes, tightening his hold on his father. “The big one with the stair?”

 

James nodded fast, apologizing to Q in his mind. “Yes, that one. Do you want to ride in it again?”

 

“Daddy said that I should never get in cars with strangers or talk to strangers,” the child mumbled, pushing his head in Q’s chest, the man kissing the top of his head and practically beaming at his apparent win.

 

James face palmed. Q was almost at the doors. "Quartermaster! If you head home with us tonight me and Alec promise to return our guns in perfect working condition for the rest of the year."

 

"Thank god it's November" Alec whispered through his teeth.

 

"That's only two months, 006. Come on darling, let's get out. I am sure Wee missed us." Both agents' ears perked up suddenly.

 

"Oh *cough* no!!" The boy's lower lip trembled dangerously.

 

"Now now, I m sure he is fine we just need to get home and find him" Q caressed the child's head and was out of the corridor.

 

"God damn it!" Alec exhaled loudly.

 

“Grab the doctor and make her understand that telling Q the kid needs to be in a really warm place and not in the cold air is the best,” James instructed Alec, quickly running out after Q. “You can’t seriously want to walk home with him like this!”

 

Q looked up at James, trying to suppress his shiver as he was wrapping his jacket around the boy. “I thank you for your concern, 007, but—”

 

“Daddy, Wee! Hurry, please,” his son interrupted him, trying to shake him.

 

“Yes, yes, of course, right away.” Q assured him, kissing his head as he picked him up in his arms. It was raining heavily outside. More like pouring actually. And Q just hugged his son closer.

 

"Quartermaster, are you thinking what I think you are thinking of doing?" Doctor's voice came from the inside of the corridor. "The babe has to be kept warm. I gave him shots to make him better and not to make him ill again along with his father!" The medic glared at the young man and the green eyed man visibly cringed. There was the shinny hummer waiting down the stairs and Adam, no matter what he said, was making googly eyes at it.

 

Quartermaster hung his head in shame and whispered. "007, if you and Alec take us home I promise to make you exploding pen and whatever Alec wishes for..."

 

The Hummer was next to him in a flash and James was already pushing him in the car, draping his jacket over him and his son. “You don’t have to bribe us to get us to help you, especially since Alec and I were insisting on driving you back home.” He pinched the back of Alec’s throat to keep him from driving, eyes trained on Q. “Now, do you want to get home fast? Or do you want Alec to wreck his brain to remember what the speed limit is in here?”

 

“120 km/h,” Alec breathed out.

 

“30km/h,” Q corrected him, holding on tighter to his son and looking terrified at the back of Alec’s head. “But Adam might be wet and I don’t want him to get any sicker.” He reluctantly put an almost sleeping Adam on the seat next to him pulled on the seatbelt when he felt the car start to move, James leaning over to help him with it. “Thank you, 007.”

 

“You are also wet,” the agent pointed out, taking his glasses off and using his shirt to carefully wipe them.

 

“I don’t matter. Adam—”

 

“You matter,” Alec said quickly, glancing at him through the rear-view mirror. “You matter to your kid, you matter to us, and you matter to the rest of MI6. If you get sick, the world will fall because we’re all depending on you to keep us sane and safe.” Q frowned at Alec's choice of words but refrained from mentioning. He always thought the notorious duo didn't know how to drive safely and within the speed limits of a city but just now he was pleasantly surprised.

They reached the apartment block in around half an hour (once again a huge bonus living close to MI6). James barely had the heart to shake the young man awake because it seemed that he was just as tired as his son.

 

"Q... Q, come on... Q!" James sighed. "It's quite tedious when we don't know his name and it seems like he is sleeping like the dead."

 

A sudden whine was heard instead. "NOOOOOOOOO! Daddy, daddy wake up! Wake up, daddy!"

 

Both agents looked puzzled at the small boy who was now tear eyed and wobbling his lower lip.

"What? What is wrong, kid?"

 

"You... You... You said daddy is dead!" Wailing started again.

 

Q woke up in an instant and wrapped his arms around Adam, pushing his head against his chest. “It’s okay, I am here. Daddy is here. Why are you crying? What happened? Are you feeling ill again?" "They said you were dead!" He shouted on top of his lungs his crying getting interrupted by a coughing fit. Q looked livid at the two men.

 

James showed his hands in surrender. "I swear to god I just said that you are sleeping like the dead and I think that woke Adam up and it was the last word he heard."

 

"Anyway, we wanted to wake you up because we are at home. Do you want either of us to carry Adam as it looks like you are going to keel over and fall asleep at any given moment?" Alec tried to console frustrated Quartermaster.

 

"I am sure we can manage from now on, won't we, Adam?"

 

"Yes, daddy!" The boy was out of the car and in the ground floor in a matter of blink while Q struggled with his bag and trying to take off the jacket James managed to put on him.

 

"Bloody hell," Q hissed, hitting the seat next to him.

 

James easily removed his jacket and opened Q’s seat belt. “Do you want one of us to…"

 

"What I want is for neither of you to ever joke about me being dead around Adam."

 

"We didn't mean to scare him like that," Alec intervened, grabbing Q’s hand to still him for a moment. "Do you want us to stay with you and him tonight?"

 

"Whatever should be the reason for that?" Q glared at them both. He stepped out of the car and straight into a puddle that Adam managed to jump around. "Thank you again, 006, 007. I am sorry once again for all the trouble we have caused you." He was in the lobby in moments and they could hear the boy ask his father.

 

"But daddy, why do you keep calling them numbers?"

 

"Well, you know Adam, how daddy works with numbers yes?" The boy nodded at once. "Well, they are a few of those numbers I work with." He gently smiled at his son and it seemed that the boy was doing well despite the random coughing fits he got.

 

"Can I be a number too when I grow up?" He asked innocently when they stepped into the elevator.

 

The agents didn't hear the boffin's reply but if looks could kill they would already be dead with the way he glared at them just before the lift closed. Alec clicked his tongue, waiting for a moment to see if either one of them would drop dead from their Quartermaster’s glare before speaking. "So, on a scale from a normal gun to nothing more than a paperclip..." he trailed off, leaning his head against James'.

 

"Maybe water gun," James breathed out, pinching Alec’s side. "And what did we say about being more subtle when Q is involved?"

 

Hissing, Alec slapped James' hand away. “At least we got confirmation that he's gay?"

 

"Yes and he also has a son. Do you think we're suitable? ”

 

Alec just necked James in the car like bloody teenagers.

 

***

 

"006, I said retrieve the disk and keep the building standing and not collapsing on itself!" Quartermaster was screeching like a banshee. 007 was standing close by and smirking.

 

"At least I did half of what you told me?" Alec's innocent voice only made Q want to bash the man's head against a wall even more.

 

"You two hate me, don't you?" Q asked, turning around to glare at James. "You two actually want me to lose all of my hair and my job."

 

"You truly want me to lose my job over you two?" Q looked close to tears now. Like he was on emotional breakdown altogether. "You are really enjoying making me suffer all those budget meetings with the suits I have to endure in order to account for stolen, hidden, missing or destroyed equipment and wrecked buildings?" He stood up to his full height and went into his office, fogging the windows and locking the doors to a palm coded lock in which's database Bond was not included. As far as the agent knew there were only two people entitled to that privilege. Eve and R. And currently both were glaring daggers at Bond.

 

"How was I supposed... It's not like we do it on..." He groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose, pushing his face close to the door. "Q, you know we don't do it on purpose. We always act in the heat of the moment to keep the world safe." He got no reply and the daggers somehow got sharper even if he wasn't looking at the two angry women.

 

"Q, you can't honestly think we want to make life harder for you," he tried again, knocking on the door. "Things like that just happen; we don't do it because we want or enjoy seeing you go through unnecessary hardships. Q? Quartermaster?" And yet the doors remained firmly locked. R was dealing with fuzzy Alec who demanded to know if they are under attack because Quartermaster suddenly fled the coms.

 

"No, 006, there is no need to come back with guns blazing. I can assure you all is fine and dandy. It's only 007 acting like an idiot again." There was no sympathy in R's voice.

 

"Good job, Bond. You once again managed to infuriate Q to the point where he locked himself up. And that on top of all the issues he is having right now." Eve was ready to bash Bond's head into a closest metal table.

 

"What do you mean all the issues?" Bond was in front of her in an instant, doors forgotten.

 

"What is happening with Q? Is Adam ok?" The dark haired woman didn't even bat an eyelid at the killer in her personal space. "He is having issues with his current apartment and... But that's not my place to tell." She turned on her heel and walked out. Bond tried to reason with R (or any other minion for that matter) but it was useless and he had to flee the Q branch with his tail between his legs (a rare sight indeed).

 

Q checked all the cameras to be sure Bond had left his department before he shuffled out of his office, nodding his silent thanks to the two women. "If 006 is on his way home, have one of our juniors sign him in when he gets here, supervised by two senior technicians."

 

"Yes, Quartermaster," R said quickly, presenting the man with a side project meant to keep him distracted until his shift was over, Eve giving him a sandwich to help him keep his strength up - he really wished he could afford to get them each at least one flower for all the things they were doing for him.

 

"Time to go home, Quartermaster," Eve said carefully, tapping his forehead to get him to join the real world around them, smiling softly when he blinked slowly at her. "Don't keep Adam waiting for his daddy, okay?" He almost ran out of his department, checking his pockets to be sure he had his grocery list with him.

 

"Q... You forgot the folder..." Eve shouted after him but it was too late.

 

The woman was left alone along with the skeleton crew of minions for the night shift. An envelope slipped from the folder. 'I really shouldn't, it is really none of my business...' Eve tried to argue with herself but being a nosy woman that she was she gently took out the sheet of paper that was in the envelope that had red stamp of URGENT written on it in capital letters.

 

"Dear.... We regret... to inform... that if you... won't pay.... by the end of the week.... Eviction will be the only course of action left...." Suddenly fuming she grabbed the first landline in her reach and dialed Bond's number from her memory. "BOND!!!" She bellowed. "BEST COME BACK SOON, and bring your black visa with you, there is something you have to deal with!!!"

 

James flinched when he heard the woman's shout, checking to see that his ear really wasn't bleeding. "Eve, if I use it to pay for the building that Alec destroyed--"

 

"Q's being evicted," she cut him off, reading the most important parts of the letter.

 

James was in front of her with his card clutched so tightly in his arm that he was actually bleeding in less than ten minutes, panting and trying to shrug off the two guards that had clung to him in a really pathetic attempt to stop him. "I also want the name of the bastard who dares to do that to a single father," he wheezed out, not quite sure he wasn't having a heart attack.

 

"Come on Adam, don't you want any of the fruit?" Quartermaster was trying to manipulate his son into getting something healthier than skittles, well it was better than TICTAC that most kids were fixated on but still, that many sweets in one go was not healthy in the least.

 

"No, daddy, I don't need or want anything else. You said, that we must save or we will get... e... e... e..." he scrunched his nose up at his own disability to pronounce a word. "So I am helping you save!" Young boy exclaimed proudly while Q wanted to weep at the misery of itself. So sad that even with his salary as the Quartermaster he might have to end up moving most of their belongings into storage and move into the tiny MI6 provided studio apartment because of the two bloody agents. 'It was all their fault, the bloody bastards!'

 

"Come now, Adam, we must get home before it starts raining again."

 

"We could walk home, daddy," Adam offered, clearly thinking that they would save money if they didn't buy subway passes.

 

It was sweet and sad and Q’s eye were filled with unshed tears. “Love, we already have a monthly pass, remember? If we don't use it, the money will be wasted. "

 

Adam frowned and though deeply for a second. “Can't we get our money back?"

 

Q shook his head. “That is not how it works, love."

 

"Okay daddy. We'll take the tube."

 

When they got home, Q was annoyed to find the two bastards waiting for them in front of his apartment. “Must I deal with you outside of work? Thank you for your help back then, but I cannot give you or make you any extra gadgets."

 

James was holding a manila envelope in his hands while Alec had a huge plush bear with a red bow under his head. "We thought you would like this instead. For all the troubles we have ever caused you..."

 

"And a tiny present for the little one as well." Alec finished lamely while trying to thrust the bear into the child's direction and realising the toy was bigger than the child himself.

 

"Daddy said not to accept any presents from strangers." The boy answered valiantly while Q struggled to unlock the doors with all the shopping bags in his hands. "But we will take the paper!" The child snagged the paper and ran inside.

 

"There is no need for presents, agents. Adam is fine and we..."

 

"Please Q, take the god damn bear..." Alec tried puppy eyes as well while trying to forcibly throw the bear inside the apartment.

 

"Thank you for brining work papers to me and have a good night!" The doors were slammed in their faces.

 

"Well, at least he took the ownership of the apartment papers thinking its work related documents." Alec mumbled. "I think I am going to put this in the hummer and force it on them every time I see them."

 

Q avoided looking in that envelope for as much as he could. He made sure Adam ate, played with him, bathed him and changed him in his pyjamas, reading to him before carefully tucking g his sleeping child in. And then he took a deep breath, opened the envelope... And ran up the stairs, knocking as hard as he could on the agents' door.

 

There was shuffling heard behind it and a half naked Alec opened the doors. "WHAT... Oh it's you Q!"

 

The young man stormed into the apartment without invitation, didn't even blink at half naked Bond on the couch and threw the papers on the table. "Please do explain the meaning of..." His voice shook. "Of whatever this is!"

 

"I believe those papers name you as the actual owner of the apartment," James said simply. "Well that's the short version of it. Want something to eat? Drink? Is your son asleep? "

 

"No, I don't want anything to drink, nor eat. And please stop asking about Adam like you care, just explain what is this about?" Q crossed his arms on his chest and Alec just thought he needs to tap his foot and he will look like his preschool teacher.

 

"But Q..."

 

"No, James... I do not need you or anyone else for that matter nor do I need your money!"

 

"Quartermaster, we decided that we wanted to thank you for all you've done for us. For all the times you saved our lives and helped us out from the tight situations." James waved his hand with a glass in it and grinned.

 

"And the bear is for the babe. We were certain he would like it." Q narrowed his eyes at them.

 

"He has an af--" He interrupted himself and shook his head. "I will make monthly payments to you for this, agents. Keeping you both alive is my job; not that I would allow you to die even if it weren't, but I refuse to accept this. Is 500 pounds acceptable? “Slightly better than now, but he'll still have to deny himself a lot of things. Not Adam though, never Adam.

 

Alec was once again gaping like a fish. "Quartermaster, once again. It is a gift. It names you the owner of the apartment."

 

"006..."

 

"No, if you want to pay us have dinner with us." James grinned at the young man.

 

The Quartermaster shook his head furiously. "Certainly not... I will find out the account the money were transferred from and will make monthly payments to it." Q turned around and left the apartment.

 

"Good god, this man is so stubborn it's infuriating." Alec plopped on the couch next to James. He snagged the glass from the other agent and took a sip from it. "I hope you closed the account?"

 

“Do you think I’m that stupid? Of course, I did." James smirked back.

 

Q's dreams that night were haunted by the two agents. He couldn't call them nightmares no matter how hard he tried because he woke up feeling rested and his heart beat was normal and that annoyed him quite a lot. Getting attached to agents was... a bad idea. Especially if Adam did the same and he was getting worried about how Adam had started to inquire about them.

 

"Daddy, are you going to skip breakfast again today? Teacher says it is the most important meal of the day." He was beyond adorable when he scolded him, his cheeks puffed and wiggling his little finger in front of him.

 

“Not today, love."

 

“Is it because of the two numbers?" Q nodded and Adam hummed, tilting his head as he usually did when he was trying to process an idea. "If you tell me who they are, they won't be strangers anymore, will they?"

 

The conversation was going in a bad direction. “Not really, no. Why?" He asked carefully, lightly tapping the side of his head. “What is my little boy up to?"

 

"Well...The teddy bear is... I mean they let you eat and they gave us a ride in that huge car and..."

Q sighed, resisting the urge to push his glasses on his head so he could pinch the bridge of his nose and cuss the two - and he was sure that they were up to something. "Eat your breakfast, love. You don't want to be late, do you?"

 

After breakfast Q packed Adam's lunch and they were out in a matter of minutes. Just as the lift closed, Adam pulled Q's sleeve down.

"What is it, darling?"

 

"Daddy, the bear.... The bear was sitting next to our doors." Adam looked at him with his green eyes and Q felt like looking at the mirror. "Daddy, please tell me about the numbers, please."

 

"Adam, I've told you that my job is a secret. You do know what a secret is, yes?"

 

The boy nodded vigorously.

 

"That means that I can't talk about my work and that my darling, includes them as well."

The boy pouted and as the lift's doors opened they almost walked straight into Alec who was carrying 4 bags of groceries. His biceps were flexible and Q swallowed audibly.

 

"Good morning, Q, Adam." 006 nodded into their direction as they changed places.

 

"Good morning, number." Adam rushed to greet him before Q even managed to open his mouth.

 

***

 

"Hello Adam!"

 

"Ms Hackney," Adam chirped while Q tried not to shudder. Miss Hackney was Adam's kindergarten teacher. Q wasn't easily intimidated. He worked with killers and had to deal with world crisis everyday but that woman. Good god that woman infuriated him. Not only she was homophobic but also every time he went to pick Adam up he kept asking him about Adam's mother.

 

"I will come back at 17:00, Adam. Be good!" He called after his son.

"I am sure Adam would like a new toy!" The teacher replied casually.

"Wee has been with Adam since the day he was born. And he loves it most. I am sure it would be inhumane to take it away from a child." Q snapped back and walked away after waving at Adam just before he turned a corner for the tube station. Q had never been happier that he didn’t have anything important working on, because his mind kept wandering away from what he was supposed to do. He had already glued two earwigs together and burned through a third one as he thought about that teddy bear and the cursed agents that had brought it in his life because Adam had instantly become attached to it.

He had checked to see how much it was and had promptly head desked, wondering if he could sell a kidney to buy it – not really since he’d miss too many work days and he couldn’t afford that. He was also busy trying to figure out a way to pay the two men back for the apartment – 20 to 25 years with monthly payments of 500 pounds – silently and reluctantly praising James for using a temporary account to do so.

“Q?” James called out gently after he had knocked on the man’s door for five minutes. “Q, are you okay?” He asked again, edging closer to him as loudly as he could. He was so tempted to wrap his arms around him and kiss that exposed neck of his, nibble on it until he left behind a mark for the world to see and know that Q was his, but doing that now would land him on the man’s black list forever. So instead he poked him, sending Q on the opposite side of the room.

 

"Don't you ever do that to me, Bond!!?” Q fixed his glasses and glared at him.

"Quartermaster." Bond nodded in his direction.

"I don't have any toys for you to play with." Q returned to his desk and started disassembling a gun that Alec returned from previous mission with almost all parts intact.

"So how about that dinner, Q?" Q slammed his hands on the desk, the echo of the metal barrel hitting the table sounding through the office.

"How many times do I have to repeat it?" Q was fuming. He knew he was acting like a petulant child but the never ending flirting was finally getting on his nerves. "I will not step between you and Alec. Your relationship, no matter how broken it seems, is the only thing that keeps you both sane and the world from ending up in shambles. Now please be so kind and leave me to work."

 

He gently pushed the man out of the room and slammed the doors shut. Before Bond managed to even understand what was happening, the doors opened again and Q bellowed. "And remove the god damn bear from our doorway before Adam sleeps with it in the corridor!"

Bond just scratched his chin and after turning round to leave the Q branch was met with furious looking R. "Agh, a minion!"

"Supreme minion, mind you! Do you even know what you are doing? Teasing Adam with that bear? Q cannot afford it... We even checked the price on eBay!"

"But R..."

"NO INTERUPTIONS! And he cannot afford it on top of his monthly payments for anonymous benefactor..."

"But R... How much is Q paid if he has to worry about money? He is the senior executive officer of MI6, only one step below M..."

"That is not my place to tell... BUT! I am going to leave my station now and there are some papers at the bottom right drawer." She turned on her heel and left. Bond was sure they are practicing that marching together somewhere in the bowels of MI6 bunkers.

James barged in M’s office. “Are you insane?” He growled out, barely holding back from grabbing the woman by her shirt and smashing her head against a wall.

“007, what is the meaning—“

“Q,” he hissed out, low and slowly like a snake readying for a deadly strike. “You’re paying him how much?”

“That was something we both agreed upon in order to—“

“He has a child!” James interrupted her again, hitting her desk. “Do you know that he was almost evicted?”

M cleared her throat. “I was informed that he now owns the house, so—”

“He still can’t afford a bloody teddy bear!” James roared and found himself convulsing on the floor, the cruel woman hovering above him. And it was a good thing that he wasn’t able to move because he wanted nothing more than to kill her for making Q’s life so hard. He’d called her a ‘number crunching bitch’, but he never thought she was this obsessed with MI6’s money.

“I never thought his fee would remain the same and I will point out that the reason he fails to pass his evaluations to get better pay is because his department is always in the red when it comes to the budget.” She rested her hands on her hips and glared hard at James, managing to make him feel like complete garbage. “What am I supposed to do? Ignore the rules like he does when it comes to certain double oh agents and start paying a former dangerous hacker even though my superiors tell me not to do so because it looks like he’s trying to run the economy into the ground as revenge?”

“You could…” James wheezed out, his lungs stinging with each breath he took.

“I could and get fired. Then the Quartermaster, you, Alec, Eve, Tanner, and everybody else ends up suffering even more because the new M will be nothing more but the Prime Minister’s puppet.” She sighed and poured two glasses of her best whiskey, pushing one to the edge of her desk for James to drink when his muscles start to work. “Q would be behind bars and his child lost to him forever.”

"So you should better start bringing your gadgets back if you want Q to get better salary! Even though I am not even sure why are you so keen on helping him out?" She sat in her chair and started sipping her drink while Bond finally got the feeling of his legs returning to him. "Unless he is yet another notch on your and Trevelyan’s bed. I am not even sure what you see I him. You usually don't go for twinky nerds with hipster glasses. Or males for that matter.”

 

It took Bond yet another 30 minutes before he somewhat managed to leave M rattling on and on and on about the conquests he and his lover had over the years and reminding him how they all died after some time and that was what got Bond fuming even more and when he shakily stood up on his own legs he declined the drink with a slam of the doors and almost colliding with Moneypenny.

"Agh James...."

"I have things to do." He snapped and left the office, going to the training area and managing to tear a few punching bags open. Usually if he was furious or fuming Alec and he would have rough sex in the showers or even the parking lot but now... Now he was alone so punching bag will have to do.

After yet another day at work, Q finally managed to close the office doors and headed out to take Adam from the kindergarten. Uneventful tube trip later he exited the station. Coming into the area he saw Adam talking animatedly with a girl and their teacher.

Seeing his father, the boy stopped mid sentence and ran to hug the young man. "Daddy, daddy... Miss Hackney is asking silly questions." The boy worried his lower lip and Q recognized it from his own reflexes.

"What about, darling."

"She said that no people can have numbers for names..."

'God damn it! Adam..." He chided.

 

"I know Daddy, you said not to talk about your work... But otherwise I didn't have anything eventful to talk about and everyone was talking about what they did... And I... I... I..." The boy's lower lip trembled.

"Oh darling..." Q hugged his son tightly. He wished he was more social, that way Adam would have more friends of his age but now... Now most of the time it was just two of them and their toys at home.

 

“Their names are Alec and James,” he said slowly, having absolutely no doubt that he would regret this when he saw how big Adam’s eyes got, a sliver of pure joy sneaking in them. “Now will you please stop talking about them with people that aren’t me?” He covered the boy’s face in kisses, rubbing their noses together. “It’s very dangerous and I don’t want anything to happen to you, do you understand?”

Adam’s giggles disappeared into a shocked gasp and he held on tighter to Q. “I promise to do my best, Daddy. But… Can I talk with Wee about them?”

Q chuckled, relaxing a bit. “Yes, you can talk with Wee about them.”

“Also, since I now know their names…” Adam trailed off, worrying his lower lip and Q decided to make payments of 550 pounds per mouth until the blasted teddy bear was also paid for.

 

“You can accept it if it’s still there when we get home.” And begin praying that the agents either got the message or a thief with strange habits managed to get away with the huge thing without being seen or caught.

Adam clapped his hands and squealed in joy, completely oblivious to his father’s sour mood. “Can I make them a thank you card?”

“They don’t really…” He trailed off when he saw the child’s hopeful eyes and nodded.

They did their grocery shopping (and got purple skittles).

"Daddy, they are purple! PURPLE!!!!"

"Yes, I can see, Adam!" They were at home before it was 18:00. Adam had a skip in his step when they exited the lift and he saw that the bear was still there. Waiting patiently, and apparently there seemed to be a note attached to the bow.

 

After struggling with the bear for half an hour and Adam becoming teary eyed because apparently the doors to their apartment weren't big enough to fit the monstrous thing in Q gave up and called Bond. "007, I have a request. No, there is no need to get the car, but could you please help me get the blasted bear in the flat because I seem to be lacking the knowledge of how to move 2 meters tall bear inside one's apartment."

 

They went in the flat and while Q helped Adam change “I can do it myself, daddy."

 

"Certainly not, young mister, I will not be embarrassed by your different coloured socks unless it’s intentional." They laughed and played and then there was the doorbell ringing.

“It’s the last time I let you buy something, Alec,” James grumbled, wondering just how traumatized Adam would be if they brought the bear in piece by piece.

“We can always cut a hole in the wall,” Alec offered, joking and unhelpful as ever. No wonder Q shut his ideas down even before he heard them. “Or we could, you know, turn the bear to the side and then push it in since it’s just the belly that’s slightly larger than the door when it’s held like that.”

 

Still skeptical, James knocked on the door. “Colour me shocked if that idea actually works, Alec.”

“I don’t think you can colour someone shocked, James,” Alec said in the strongest Russian accent he could muster. “You Brits have the strangest saying ever.”

 

In the end they had to use Alec's idea in order to get the bear inside. Bond knew that the apartment wasn't that big to begin with but seeing the inside of it made him want to buy Q a bigger one at once. Adam had his own room in which they installed the bear and it took up one third of the boy's room. Not to mention that the room was covered in various kinds of bears.

 

"Alec no!" Seeing a wild glint in Alec's eyes Bond whispered.

 

"I wasn't even..."

 

"Yes, you were."

 

"Which one is which, daddy?" They heard kid ask.

 

"Well... Why don't you go and ask yourself. You know their names already." Q gently pushed the boy in their direction and both agents looked at each other before crouching in front of the boy.

Adam first instinct was to hide behind his father, but Q’s hand on his back was both reassuring and keeping him in place. “Who's who?" He mumbled, sounding a bit terrified.

Alec grinned and took Adam's small hand in his and shook it. "I am Alec." He pulled the little boy closer to him so he could whisper in his ear. “I was the one who decided to get you that teddy bear."

"So my hunch was right,” Q whispered, glaring hard. "Please never so it again. I don't know how I am going to fit a desk in there when he needs a bigger desk in a year or two."

Alec almost looked apologetic, James pushing him aside so he too could shake Adam's hand. "And I am James. Pleasure to officially meet you."

"Thank you for letting daddy eat breakfast," Adam said quickly. "He'd been skipping them for like four," and he showed his little hand in James' face to show him the number, "Weeks!"

"Adam!"

"What?" Both agents looked up at Q in confusion.

"Daddy has to get up much earlier so he can make you more toys." The boy looked accusingly at both men in front of him.

"Adam, how about we make daddy and you dinner? Say this Saturday?" James grinned. Manipulating people, no matter their age, was part of his profession.

"BOND!!!!"

 

***

 

Both agents ended up kicked up from the apartment in matter of minutes but before that Adam managed to whisper. "I will make daddy change his mind..." The boy gave a curt nod just before the doors closed.

"I like the kid," Alec said as he looked up from setting the table. Q had ignored them the whole week, glaring at them in the lobby whenever Adam waved at them excitedly, huge smile in place. But then on Friday, Q had told them that if the invitation was still open, he would accept it for Adam's sake - Alec high fived the boy and James ruffled his hair under Q’s harder glare.

“I do too," James muttered as he checked to make sure they had all types of juice in the fridge. "Do we have the vegan food just in case?"

Alec pulled a face and nodded. There was a tentative knock on the door. Alec almost managed to tear the door of its hinges, thank god James had everything safe proofed for his lover's strength. On the doorstep stood flustered looking Q and a beaming Adam. "Good evening, Alec." The boy greeted valiantly.

 

James came to the door as well and smiled at the child's braveness. "Good evening, Adam, Q. Do come in." The boy looked at his father and at his nod, once they were inside, mumbled something.

"What was it, Adam?" Alec prompted at the boy.

"I said I've made you a thank you card for the bear but..."

"I am sure we will love it." James interrupted. "But please do sit, we have all this fancy food at the ready. Do you want ice cream?"

"James..."

Alec held Q by his shoulders. "Do not worry, Quartermaster, he knows not to spoil child's dinner. So the ice cream will be after the actual dinner."

Q looked relieved at the thought.

"Are you too allergic to anything? Any preferences?" James was distributing something that looked like a fancy dish of pasta into plates while Alec helped Adam sit in front what looked like Iron man cutlery.

Q shook his head. “And Adam is only allergic to hay. I eat almost anything to be honest and Adam has something against peas and broccoli." Upon hearing those words, Adam tried to glance at the food to be sure it didn't contain those ingredients without being seen. Q saw him, of course and clicked his tongue, the bot looking innocently up at him.

"Well, do sit down, Q. The food is getting cold." James was sitting at the head of the table, Alec in front of Adam and there was a spot left for Q next to Adam.

Q gingerly sat at the offered chair and started to finger the fork. Adam was stuffing the pasta into his mouth and explaining something to Alec who seemed to nod in understanding.

"Is it not to your liking?" James asked after a while.

"No, it is. It just reminds me... That I..." He stopped himself. "Never mind, Bond. It's of no matter." He smiled and started eating. After first forkful the man's eyes widened.

"Is it any good?" James asked jokingly.

"It's amazing."

"I am glad out quartermaster approves."

"When off work, do call me Gabriel." Q replied casually. Both men looked like they had been entrusted with the secrets of the universe - as they should, Q mused to himself, since he was never inclined to share his real name with just anyone.

"It fits you," Alec mumbled somewhat awestruck, mouth full.

“Don't talk with you--" Q interrupted himself and blushed a little. “Habit, I apologise. “

"Can I have more?" Asked Adam as he pushed his already empty plate towards James, looking at him as if he were a god. "Please?" He added before his father could remind him.

"But of course, Adam!" James produced a pot full of pasta out of thin air.

"Adam, remember there is desert after the main course, if I remember correctly." Q chided his son.

"Wine, Gabriel?" Alec offered.

"Surely." The man smiled. And relaxed a bit more. The agents looked relaxed and keen on having a simple dinner. They chatted about work, then hobbies. It seemed Gabriel was a huge fan of Star Wars and Star Trek. A real geek. But it looked like the two older men were too. And that bit of information ended up with Q laughing till he said his cheeks and belly hurt. When Adam lied on the bed Q decided it was time for them to leave.

"But daddy, I want to stay longer. Alec is so funny!" The boy mumbled sleepily.

Of course Alec was funny when pretending to be a Russian bear for Adam.

"No, Adam. We imposed too much on them already."

"But..."

"No buts, Adam." Q was strict, both men noticed.

"Before you leave, Adam, there is something I want to give you."

"Alec..." Q started objecting while Adam was up in an instant.

"No, Gabriel. It is for Adam, not for you!"

That stopped Q from objecting because he really couldn't bare to deny his child something else again. “If it is for Adam..." he trailed off, but his face promised Alec that they will have a conversation about this in private.

“What is it, Alec?" Adam asked excitedly, clear to Q that he was holding back from outright jumping in the agent's arms.

"Found it on one of the trips abroad and I thought you would love it." He produced a huge bag with a bear on it.

'But of course it had to be a bear on the bag as well.' Q thought.

"Here it is." Alec gave the bag and grinned.

Adam dived into the bag and gasped, then plopped on his bum on the floor.

"DADDY! DADDY!!!!" Adam pulled out the Steiff Louis Vuitton Teddy Bear from the bag. His eyes were as big as saucers and Q was suddenly feeling faint and saw the floor rushing to greet him before everything turned black.

 

James moved fast and caught him before he could actually hit the floor, very dissatisfied with how easy it was for him to lift him up. "We need to have you over more often, Gabriel," he whispered in his ear, freezing when he heard Adam letting out an inhumane noise.

 

Alec was on his knees, trying to stop the child from crying, moving the bear and bag in front of him, but he was having no luck. "D-D-daddy!" He sobbed, pushing his face against Q's hanging hand. "Please, don't leave me."

"Don't worry, kiddo! Your dad is going to be fine!" James said sternly while the boy started hiccupping instead of whaling like he himself was dying.

"Q... Gabriel, you are scaring your son." He gently slapped his cheek while the young man stirred.

"What... What... What happened?" Realising he was on a couch now and slowly sat up. "Come here, Adam. Daddy is fine..." The boy was in the thin man's arms in second. Weeping quietly into his neck.

"Don't leave me, daddy! Please, don't leave me!"

"I am not leaving you my dearest, do not worry. Daddy just got scared. I... I saw a spider on the ceiling and got scared. You do know how I am afraid of spiders?"

The boy nodded while James and Alec looked with narrowed eyes at the Quartermaster. "Daddy, have you seen the bear?"

"Yes, I did darling, but you cannot accept that one." He gently caressed the tear streaked cheek the boy rubbed red and smiled sadly at his only son wishing him he could afford him anything he ever wanted.

 

"But it's pretty and kind of looks like a spy and you know how much I like spies, daddy."

His heart was actually breaking. "I understand darling, but.... Give Alec the bear back, please. I promise that on the day I get payed, I'll buy you a similar one."

Adam turned to Alec, confused when he saw that Alec had his fingers in his ears. "The last thing I heard," Alec almost shouted, looking at Q, "was Adam accepting the bear. I can't hear anything else."

"You read lips, 006. And you know why Adam can't keep the toy." He accepted the glass of water James offered him and drank it in one gulp. "Now I really must get Adam and myself to bed. I have to go to--" He was interrupted by Adam tugging on his sleeve.

"Can I sleep with you?" Q nodded. "Can I sleep with you and the spy bear from Alec?"

Q looked close to tears now on top of feeling faint. "I've told you, darling, I will get you a similar one once I get paid. But now we must go."

"But daddy..."

"Adam, I said no. And what does no means?"

"An opposite to the positive answer." The child answered slumping his shoulders. He turned to Alec and bowed his head. "I am sorry Alec, but I cannot..." He stopped himself and started weeping silently. "I am... Sorry..."

"Gabriel, what are you doing?" James hissed at Gabriel who just stood up and almost felt faint again.

"Bond, you know Adam cannot accept a bloody bear worth 2 million £!"

"Gabriel, whom do you think we got the bear for? Alec to play with?" James snickered. "Take it or Alec will throw it away. And I can assure you he will..."

"But..."

 

"No buts, Quartermaster!"

 

"Fine, we'll take it." Adam was too busy hugging his leg and his new bear and then Alec to notice the tears that were running down his father's face and Q was thankful for that. His son didn't need to see him crying out of embarrassment and helplessness.

However, the two agents instantly saw that. "Q? Did we--?"

"Don't you dare ask me if you did anything bad because you know you did," he hissed at them, taking his glasses off so he could wipe his face. "We will talk about this on Monday, make no mistake about it. Adam, type to go home. Say goodbye to the two nasty men."

 

Of course Adam wanted to correct his daddy, but he did not want to push it further and risk not having a story read to him that night. "Goodbye mister James," he took his hand and shook it, tongue sticking out of his mouth as he attempted to make it a powerful one, “and mister Alec."

Alec actually got a quick hug on top of the handshake and he was grinning smugly at James. "Kid hugged me," he blinked in Morse code.

Temptation to flip him off was successfully resisted by James. "I held Q in my arms," he blinked back.

 

"Goodnight, 006 and 007," Q said coldly, dropping the zeros from their names to get across to them just how upset he was. Monday came faster than expected and Q almost had to tear the bear from Adam's hands as the boy wanted to take it to school and Q had to play the adult role in order stand his ground.

 

***

 

After coming through security at the entrance of MI6 Q dashed to his office and settled to work. He had so much to do. He had this idea of making a gun that could also shoot poisonous darts once it ran out of bullets. Commotion in Q branch once again roused him from his blueprints at around 13:00 and he raised his head just in time to see Bond and Trevelyan plopping themselves on his couch, in his office. "Agents. Is there a mission you require kits for?"

"No, Quartermaster. But there is something we want to talk about." James fixed his cufflinks. 'Probably made from platinum and encrusted with diamonds.' Q thought.

"Well, if there is no mission I have nothing to tell you and as you can see I am quite busy, as always." Q turned towards his drawing table and ignored the two men for a moment.

 

Having checked beforehand with a few of Q's newer minions who didn't quite know they weren't deadly to the boffins under the Quartermaster's command and thus, intimidated the information they wanted out of them. They knew that what the man was working on wasn't a life or death situation kind of project.

 

But they also knew that bothering someone in the middle of creating something, be it a painting, story, or gadget to save the world via an agent proxy that was not done. So instead, they fixed their eyes on his back and stared. They stared in silence until Q had to check to see if the back of his skull has still intact or if he could touch his brain - everything okay, thank god. But if the men kept looking at him, who knew?

"Agents, what do you want? And please keep in mind that I cannot help you if you require my assistance with something that is not related to an ongoing mission or future mission that has been approved by M."

"Q, we wanted to talk to you..." Alec started.

"There is nothing to talk about, agent." Q turned back to his table and added. "Do close the door from the other side when leaving." He started flicking the pencil between his fingers. "Oh and remember, me and Adam are never coming to yours ever again."

"But Q..."

"See yourself out agents." Young man turned around and bent to his work.

Both agents had to leave the office with their tails between their legs.

Q knew something was wrong the second he saw Adam's red eyes and saw his body shake with a sob. “What happened, love?"

"T-thet broke Wee's arm," he hiccupped, showing Q the damaged bear. “ A-and the teacher said it was my fault because I brought something so old to school and she wants to... she wants to talk with m-m-" He couldn't finish the sentence, but Q had a good idea with whom that horrible woman wanted to talk with.

"Daddy will fix Wee, don't worry," he said softly, kissing his forehead and wiping his eyes. “And I will talk with your teacher. Is she still in school?"

Adam nodded and sobbed again, hugging Wee.

“Good. Perfect. You will wait outside the classroom, okay? And do t leave with strangers, okay?" Adam nodded and Q picked him up, trying not to squeeze his son too hard.

 

Q strode in the classroom without knocking. He was past caring. He should have listened to Eve when she said he could take Adam to MI6 teacher. Apparently the agency had one for employees' kids. But he wanted Adam to socialise with normal people instead of other agents' kids. He wanted his son to have as normal life as he could muster. Even if it meant more sleepless nights (along with the weekends).

"Agh Mr. Boothroyd, there was something I wanted to talk to you about. I am worried about Adam. I certain if I could talk with his mother on this matter." Q wanted to rip the woman to pieces, or at least taser her. "You see, Adam is bringing that atrocious bear to school. I am sure boys his age should play with cars or action figure toys and not fluffy bears." The woman was droning on like a parrot. "If I could just talk with Adam's mother..."

"Adam has no mother." Q hissed. "He only has me. And you. You are... How can you even be a teacher?" He threw his arms in the air. "I am informing you that I am taking Adam out of this school. We will..." A sudden slam of the classroom door closing made Q turn around sharply. Walking briskly out of the room Q saw the discarded Wee on the floor and Adam was missing. Wiping his head round he glared daggers at teacher.

"I... I..."

"I am sure if we called authorities and the boy's mother, they will find him soon." She seemed to mock him.

Q walked from the school grounds as fast as he could without actually running. He was going to ruin her just after he will find his lost son. He was on the verge of breaking down. He couldn't find his son and no matter how loud he called to him, Adam did not come running. He was going to boy his son a phone after all of this. No, he was going to dog around the container filled with parts of phones that the agents brought back from their missions and build his son one. The best one in the world.

 

"Adam, please," he begged, fishing out his phone to call Eve and ask for her help. "Whatever it is that has upset you, we can fix it!" He didn't check the screen and just hit the call button.

 

"Bond here."

"James...." Q involuntarily whined. "Oh god... Not again..."

"What is wrong?" He also could hair the other part of the duo talking quietly to someone.

"James... Adam... He is..."

"Do not worry, he is with us... But let me assure I am going to rip the person who upset him to pieces."

"What? How?"

"Later Q, just please bring Wee as well. I am sure Eve can sew it back together with her dexterous fingers. Or one of your minions." There was commotion on the other end of the line and Q was left dumbfounded looking at his phone screen confusion written all over his young face. Did the men kidnap his son? He was going to murder them. He called them again because the bloody morons didn't say where they were - though he suspected they were within the MI6 HQ.

 

“Where is my son?" He hissed.

 

"Do not worry Quartermaster," Eve's voice filtered through the ear piece. "I cannot believe I am saying this but the agents, along with the whole agency, seem to be enamored with your carbon copy!" He could hear her smirking.

He is going to wreck them all and become British government himself.

 

"...and then you do this and it lights up, Adam was saying just as Q walked in and everyone started to applaud him. “Adam Boothroyd come here this instant." He didn't shout that, but the following he did. "006 and 007 my office now!"

"But Daddy!"

"Right now, Boothroyd." Everyone scattered to their work stations and only the agents, Adam and Eve were left standing at the centre.   The boy had his chin resting on his chest. Q saw his lower lip trembling again. He took off his glasses and rubbed his nose between the eyes. It was becoming like a sense of deja vu. Adam disappearing or sick and agents saving him.

"Adam," Q kneeled in front of his son. "What have I told you about going out with strangers?"

"But Daddy, Alec and James are not strangers." There were awwws all around and Q swore he is going to wreck their credit scores.

"I am pretty sure you all have work to do" He lifted his son and walked towards his office, Alec closing the door behind him.

“Q-"

"You will let me speak first, " he interrupted James, plopping Adam on a chair, putting earphones on his ear and starting up a radio so he wouldn't hear what he was going to talk with the agents. “ How dare you take my son away from me? How dare you do that to me?"

 

"Q..."

"Don't you "Q" me, 006! Do you know how worried I was?" Q hissed at the bigger blonde. "Not only have I had to deal with a bitch of a teacher who insists that she must see Adam's mother. And on top of that, she also insulted his most favourite teddy bear. Wee was a gift from his mother. He only remembers her vaguely and he actually considers me his only parent." Q exhaled. "And you... You two take my only son, the light of my eyes, and drag him to MI6 from which I tried to protect him as long as I could!"

James waited for a moment to make sure that Q was done before speaking. "We just happened to be trailing behind you Adam bumped into us." He wasn't cruel or dumb to tell Q what the child had said. "We took him with us to keep him safe." Q scratched his head, pulling on his hair.

"You should have brought him back!"

"We--"

 

"Not done, 006," he snapped. “Do you two hate me? Are you bothered by the fact that I am not afraid of you and you want to show me that you can harm my son? Because make no mistake that for Adam, I will kill." His voice was low and firm, eyes devoid of any warmness.

"I could literally ruin governments if something happened to Adam." Q sat on the edge of his table and exhaled.

"Q... We don't hate you... We never could. We... "James looked like he wanted to tell something else but stopped himself.

"How about as a remedy we make you dinners for the rest of the month?" Alec interjected and saved James. "You are way too thin and Adam seems to like James' cooking."

 

If Q arrowed his eyes even more, he'd end up closing them. "What do you want from me? And don't you dare bullshit me, agents because I know when you are. Alec’s lips always twitch upward for a fraction of a second if he does it while not on a mission and you, James, look to the right." The two men glanced at each other for a moment.

"Do you notice as much with other agents or are we just special?" Alec asked in that infuriatingly joking way of his.

 

“Only you two haunt me like-- Adam headset back on." Adam let out a little nose and did as he was told, looking embarrassed for being caught.

 

"So I am going to ask one more time, what.do.you.want.from.me?" Q looked at Adam for a fraction of second and James nodded at Alec at the same moment.

 

"Q... Gabriel..." Alec stood up. "Despite all of our flirting you seem indifferent towards us. So let's be blunt. James and I, we want to..." He stopped for a second, inhaled deeply and let it all out in one big exhale. "We want to date you!"

 

Adam squeaked at the same moment and Q whined just loudly enough. He pulled the door open and sure enough, Eve, R, and about half of his department poured in.

"Please take Adam to see what is left of the cars.

"I was trying to... It was a rat..." Eve strutted for a second, smiling innocently when Q did not look away from her. "Right... Adam and cars." She signalled Adam to come over to her and the boy was off the chair in a second, stopping in front of Q to whisper something that was sadly anything but a whisper.

“I like them, daddy." And he was gone in an instant, Q’s minions following him as if they were moths and he was a flame. Q sighed and turned around, glasses off his face so he could rub his eyes with the butt of his palms.

“As for you two... Oh God, where to start? A date you say? But... But you are a couple and I don't do one night stands. Not with Adam living with me."

"We aren't asking for one night stand." James was standing in front of Q, his hand hovering inches from the younger man's face. "We want to date you." Alec was at his back seconds.

"Let us woo you..."

Q was thinking for a moment. Then something dawned onto his face and he was all smiles. "Very well... I will let you have a date. A dinner and maybe something else on Christmas Eve. IF..." His smile became sinister. "If you return all the equipment I will bestow upon you for the upcoming missions before Christmas. If no missions in sight I will gladly agree to be wined and dined at any moment in time. Given you manage to find a babysitter for Adam." He crossed his arms in front of himself while agents continued to crowd him in.

"I am more than sure that your entire department would offer to babysit Adam," James whispered, arranging Q’s hair.

 

"Or Eve and R or Tanner and his family, " Alec added, brushing Q’s face. Q swatted his hand away and pushed James back.

 

“Gadgets first and maybe something more, Alec. And do not magic my son away from me ever again or they will not find your bodies. Understood? Also, if you get hurt seriously during your missing when it could have been avoided, the deal is off. I will not make Adam suffer again.”

 

"We would never." Alec was one to reassure Q.

 

***

 

Those words still rang in Q's mind two weeks later when Alec was shot off the building in Belarus.

"But daddy, where is Alec?" Adam was hugging the most pricy bear in the world, sitting on Q's desk in the MI6 office while Q tried not to pull all of his hair out of his head.

"Baby... Do you remember... Do you remember when I told you about your mother?"

The boy nodded. They were alone in the room. Q locked and coded the door not to let anyone in. "Well sometimes bad things happen to good people and they..." He couldn't force himself to say the words. It sounded so final. "Well... They... They die..." Adam didn't cry. In fact, Adam had stopped talking all together and just clung to Q as hard as he could whenever his father was near him. And the worst part was that Q felt alive only when Adam did that.

"I am here... I am here."

When he saw James, he patted his stomach to make sure he was really there, but didn't do anything else. The boy was subdued in the upcoming days and even Q's remarks about writing letters for Santa Claus escaped the usually happy child. He didn't want to ruin his son's happiness but he could not lie to him. He didn't have the guts to tell him a lie. Even a white one at that. 007 also seemed somewhat sad and subdued, considering he lost his lover but he still tried to put on a happy face for Adam. And one day. One day the boy just snapped at him like a real adult.

"Stop pretending. Alec is not coming back and you should not be happy... I should not..." The boy hugged the bear Alec gifted him closer and a hiccup was heard. In the middle of Q branch a child and a senior double oh agent were shedding tears and Q felt like he failed everyone yet again.

And then he reaches a decision - one that M did not approve of. "We have psychiatrists. Talk with them, don't try to quit."

"I... I am not made to be the Quartermaster."

"006 is the first agent you lost. “ Those words felt like a punch in the gut, but Q refused to break down. "A positive record, to be truthful with you."

"...with all due respect, I lost a man." M sighed.

“I am giving you 2 weeks off. Talk to me next year and see then if you still want to quit. Take 007 as your body guard. Go to some holiday resort. Get laid. I don't care. We cannot lose you!"

"I trained R well. She will be a good Quartermaster." Q nodded at the old woman. "And Bond is a free man and not my personal bodyguard."

The door opened then and James entered "Gabriel, please agree to what M said."

"Bond, I can't… "

"Yes you can, Gabriel," James insisted, taking one of his hands in his. “All three of us need this. Let's go to Skyfall for two weeks and just lick our wounds." Q tried to pull his hand free, but James held on to it tighter.

“Bond it won't bring him back."

"I know it won't. But..." He trailed off and kissed the shaking hand, pushing his face against it.

Q sighed, looking at M. “Okay, I will go on a vacation."

 

***

 

"But Daddy... I want to take Wee and Sith. Will there be space for both? Or do I have to choose?" Adam looked at the suitcases that were standing in the corridor next to the entrance door and was hugging his old bear and the one Alec gifted him with.

"Don't worry, Adam, I am sure hummer can hold so much more. Alec..." Bond's face showed hurt. "Well Alec bought it with intention to moving so much more than a few suitcases and a couple of bears along with a little boy!" He smiled sadly. "Off we go now." He offered his hand for the boy to take and took a few suitcases. "Q, we are going to the garage." Snapping back to reality from that world where he imagined Alec hosting on his shoulders a giggling Adam, Q nodded.

"I will bring the rest, don't worry. And James?" The agent turned to look at him, worry clear in his eyes.

"Thank you for this and for... everything else. I am sorry I let you and... I am sorry I let you down." He ghosted with his hand over the James' face before rushing to pick the rest of the luggage up.

 

The big car was full of suitcases for two weeks along with food. Even though James assured Adam that Kincade will have all cookies and even cake provided, the boy insisted they get cookies for Santa as Skyfall had real chimney and the boy wanted to be more than sure about the whole thing. Q almost cringed when he saw a few blankets and even a pillow for Adam on the back seats.

"Gabriel," James started.

"Not now, James. Besides my decision is final. Not even two weeks with you and Adam in Scottish wilderness will change that." Adam tried his best to stay awake throughout the car ride, but 3 hours in it and he was out like a light, hugging the teddy bears to the point that Q was afraid that he might have to sow the bears back together.

"You rebuilt it completely?" Q asked when the silence got too heavy for him and James nodded. “Didn't my apartment cause you-"

"No. I have a lot of money and Alec... We will talk about it later. We can cut a tree from my land, or we can go into town to buy one if they will not be to Adam's liking." Q narrowed his eyes, but allowed the subject to be changed. Q dozed off himself. The gentle hum of the car lulled him to sleep. He woke up to a chatter. Adam was busy talking about his days in school and his two bears and how he...

"I want to make daddy proud of me. Sometimes... sometimes he gets so sad while looking out the window..." Adam's voice was muffled yet again by him hugging bears.

"Do you want to cut a tree from a farm or from the forest?" James gentle voice sounded so quiet in the car.

"Can we really?" There was excitement behind this question and Q felt happy to hear his son sounding like this.

James chuckled. “Yes. We can even get a big tree since my house is huge. I'll see if I can get your father to let you put the top."

"You are not fixing drones to my child nor are you allowed to lower him from the ceiling," Q said slowly opening one eye.

“I was not thinking of that, honestly,“ James lied through his teeth.

"But daddy, I want to put the star on the top of the HUGE tree. James said we can get the biggest that grows in his forest." Q turned his head to a side to look at Adam who was without his seatbelt, his head poking between him and James.

"Absolutely not..." Q turned to look at the road because he felt the car slowing down and almost stopping altogether.

"I can get up on the ladder with him after putting on safety harness," James offered, trying to be helpful and Q tried to stop thinking about how Alec would have probably turned the harnesses into giant swings for Adam.

“Is that your house?" Adam exclaimed, almost jumping in the front.

 

"Put your seat belt back on and I'd you take it off again before the car comes to a complete stop, only broccoli for dessert. “ Q warned, managing to hide his own shock at how huge the house was. He had seen pictures of the little that remained after Silva and he had seen its blueprints, but never how it truly looked. It was an imposing manner that demanded respect and awe from the stag statues at the gate, Q's brain filling with a million fairytales and horror stories at once.

"But daddy...." Adam whined but put on his seat belt back on and just pouted.

 

"Remember Adam, broccoli for misbehaving." Q was snickering quietly while James tried to stop outright laughing at the boy. Suddenly his happy mood vanished as he saw a lone light on the second floor of the manor.

"James?" Q looked worried. "Who..."

"Nobody has the keys but Kincade and burglar certainly would not light a bedside lamp as that is the master bedroom." You two stay in the car, and Q... If anything just leave me and save yourself and Adam." Bond was out of the car in a matter of seconds, already pulling out a Walter he said was missing from hand glove compartment before Q could start arguing with carrying a gun in a car with his child in it.

 

"Daddy, what's going on?" Adam looked positively terrified, his little clutching the seat belt so hard that they were white.

"James is taking care of it." He bit his lip and looked after James and then back at his child. Even if he cared for the agent, he would never choose him over his child in danger.

“What if... what if James... Alec..." Adam was staring to sob and Q leaned over to him, using his sleeve to wipe his face.

"He won't, I promise." He still slid in the driver's seat. It was taking too long, Q was looking intently at the only room that had the lights on. After 5 minutes he could see the shadows out and about in the room.

 

It was so tense that Q wanted to lock up the car and drive back to London in the middle of the night. He was really hoping that whatever it was, as long as it was not a bear, Bond took care of everything and will soon come down before he and more importantly Adam became nervous wrecks.

"But daddy... Why are you in the driver's seat? Are we not waiting for James? Is it not his house?" The boy was shooting questions too smart for a kid his age. Q was beginning to think he needed to do the IQ test on the boy.

"I'm just making sure that he stopped the engine properly." He was almost always lying to his son about his job, but he actually felt bad a bit lying to him now. "Stay low and don't move, Adam." Was the car bullet proof?

"But daddy..."

"Listen to what I am saying..." Suddenly Q was interrupted because the lights in half of the house light up and there was a man slowly walking towards them from the house and Q could see James standing on the foyer.

"It's Alec, daddy..." the doors suddenly opened and the child was out of the car in a matter of seconds running towards the unknown man Q couldn't squint enough to see in the darkness even with his glasses.

 

"ADAM NO!!!" He was still busy trying to find the handle to open the doors when the boy was suddenly swept of the ground with one hand and spun around wildly. "ADAM!" Quartermaster finally managed to open the doors and was sprinting towards his son.

Adam was tossed in the air a few times, expertly caught by a truly living Alec. “Missed you too kiddo," the soon to be dead agent grunted out. “Just don't ask me to throw you up in the air like that because I feel like a thousand dentists and doctors started working on my body."

Adam giggled and the world moved slowly around Q, hearing everything with an echo. “You bloody bastard..." he said slowly, falling on his knees.

“Daddy/Gabriel!" They all screamed and rushed to him.

 

"Alec... "Q started when he was swept off his feet by James, struggling to escape the hug.

"Stop fussing, quartermaster. Everyone is fine. Isn't Christmas just a wondrous time of the year?" Alec asked. They all were inside in minutes and Adam gasped at the giant tree that was standing in the living room.

"Daddy... Have you seen...? I haven't seen a Christmas tree that big ever before..." The boy was in front of it. Marveling at all the decorations and the amount of presents already piled up underneath it.

 

"Bond, did you know..." he started but couldn't finish his thought. The very idea of James knowing and deceiving him and Adam and luring them to the moors seemed ridiculous. They saw each other almost every day before.

"I swear I didn't... I swear I didn't. This idiot..." James inclined his head towards Alec. "He was bored and this is how he tries to get rid of it. Lots of decorations and presents..."

"He was bored?" Q said slowly. “You got bored so you decided to-"

Alec covered his mouth, shaking his head. “No no, not like that, I swear! I got bored while waiting to recover enough to come back."

Q slapped Alec’s hands away, holding back from smacking him only because he was wounded. “Adam cried. James... was very affected and I..." He took a deep breath and calmed down. "I am going to quit as soon as I am back at MI6. “

 

"WHAT?" Alec bellowed. “Why would you do that? Is some other agency offering you more? I've told M quite a few times you deserve a raise and all the times he kept declining. And look what he's done now!"

"Q..."

"No, James, my decision is final. After that we will move to New Zealand, I am sure I will land with some IT job while there and you can keep the apartment..." Q looked fondly at his son who was trying to read the labels on the presents.

"Daddy, half of these have my name on them and some of them has yours on it as well. There is only one for James. When can we open them?" it seemed that questions never ended with his son.

"You two are using my own son against me,” Q said under his breath, forcing himself to smile at Adam. "Still moving away and I am going to give him a normal life, one in which my...." he caught himself before he could say anything that he would regret, " contact don't die just to return from the dead."

Alec wrapped himself around him and James took his hands in his, squeezing them gently. "I did not mean to make either one of you suffer. A contact brought me here and when I came to, he informed me that the telephone and Internet was still being fixed."

"Daddy there are also a lot with your name on it! Can we please open them now? I'll eat peas."

"He'll eat peas, Gabriel, "Alec whispered in his ear. “Let him open at least a few and stay with us."

Q shook his head. “He can't go through this and you broke your promise of not getting hurt."

"There is no need for us to stay longer than necessary. I will..."

Suddenly Adam was in their pile of a hug exclaiming. "Daddy, please can we at least open a few. And I will eat broccoli as well." He scrunched up his nose but nodded none the less.

"But Gabriel," Alec continued to whisper once James managed to drag himself and overexcited Adam to the presents' mountain. "Getting hurt means James and I have more time to woo you in and never let go..." Alec gently nipped Q's neck where it met his hair and the young man shuddered in his half hug.

"Adam---"

 

"Adam is fine. He's happy that I am alive and happy that we are all together." He brushed his lips against his neck, dragging his hands down Q's side. "You're so thin that I think you're the one who is supposed to eat broccoli and other things."

Q sighed, leaning against Alec. “I am too tired for this... And what year are we in if I am being wooed?" He felt Alec grinning at his neckline and he knew he lost the fight.

"The very best. Let's get you settled and then tomorrow we can talk some more." Alec was resting his head against the younger man's shoulders when they both watched the boy and James tearing through the paper to reveal a chemistry kit.

"Are you aware that you are spoiling him and if you ever die again I am going to be very cross with you?" Q glared at Alec.

"Very much so, dear Quartermaster." Another gentle kiss was pressed into his neck before the man relented and went to talk with Adam about sleeping arrangements.

 

It didn't surprise anyone that Adam wanted to be on the same bed as all three of them and, after seeing the main room and the large bed or help, Q was convinced that they would fit and have room to spare.

“Does your house have a laboratory?"

Q covered James' mouth before he could answer. “You are not playing with the kit."

 

"But daddy, it might expire"

Q glared at his son who was busy to pull out all of the items he had in his iron man suitcase. "Adam, there is no need to take all the items out. We will..."

"No, Alec said we are staying for two weeks and I am staying here." The boy stuck out his chest and walked away to the bathroom to brush his teeth.

"You are a bad influence, Alec." The said man was hugging him once again and seemed very reluctant to let him go.

 

"We will have a smart, confident and very well dressed young man when we need diapers," Alec said, starting to rub his nose against Q’s head. It was a very surprising statement and Q did not know how to answer it so he just brought his hand around Alec’s middle.

 

“Good cook too," James chimed in.

"Noooo... Don't let him in the kitchen. He will..." There was a crash and a clang. "... Break things..."

"Do not worry" James smiled and came for a sandwich hug with Alec and Q in the middle. "Let us go and see what he is up to."

"I really do not want him to burn down your house, "Q grumbled running to Adam when he saw that he had just pushed a chair in front of the stove. “Daddy will do this for you, darling you know you are not allowed to turn it on yourself." He plopped him down next to him and smiled. “What do you want to do? And do we have anything?" He looked at Alec when he asked this and the man quickly opened the large fridge, surprising Q that it actually had food and not just alcohol.

“Scrambled eggs, please."

"But darling, its evening and we don't usually..."

"... Don't usually have eggs for dinner." The boy finished looking sad.   Alec came to stand close by while James was busy fighting with the suitcases up the stairs.

"Just this once darling quartermaster," he whispered into the curled shell of Q's ear. "I will be good too. I even brought the guns back..."

"Menaces, the both of you..." He sighed and turned round to fish out the eggs from the fridge, noticing a huge cake on the lower shelf. "Sit at the table now and no buts, you can not interrupt a chemist at work!" Adam giggled while Alec smiled fondly at him.

"Wait a chemist needs his equipment," James said quickly as he wrapped an apron around Q. “And would you look at that? It says that we have to kiss the cook before he can work."

James planted an innocent kiss of his cheek and Alec brought Adam to him, kissing the boy's forehead before bringing him close to Q's face.

 

"Out of the kitchen, all of you, or we will go to sleep starving." Q growled before turning around and starting to look for bowls and forks in the cabinets. Thankfully the men took his son and themselves out of the kitchen and he was left alone. While leaving MI6 was still on his agenda he didn't even think he could leave the two men who slowly were fighting their way into his heart and it seemed that they already found the way to his son's heart. That in itself was a bad thing. Agents didn't make good baby sitters. Suddenly he heard loud laugh echoing in the living room followed by the sounds of TV powering up.

 

He poked his head in the room and his heart just melted at the sight that greeted him: James and Alec sitting on each side of Adam, Alec explaining something about the remote. “Maybe it wouldn't hurt if we stayed," he whispered to himself. The sleeping arrangements left Q all flustered up. Adam wanted to sleep between James and Alec and that left Q alone, miserably sitting at the edge of the bed.

"Don't be silly, Daddy." Adam pulled his father to the middle of the bed and snuggled in.

"Yes Gabriel, there is more than enough space between us," said Alec as he threw his leg over Q, touching James with his toes.

“Alec, my-"

"Only when we get a babysitter." Alec cut him off, snuggling with him. Q finally relented and relaxed into his son's and James' embrace who was hugging him from behind, Alec looking fondly at him, brushing a strand of his hair from his eyes.

"Good night, Daddy. Good night, Alec, good night, James." Adam mumbled sleepily.

"Good night, Adam."

***

 

Of course the first one who woke up was Adam. And he was jumping on the bed to wake everyone up, though Q suspected the agents were up se second Adam twitched.

 

“ Let daddy sleep 5 more minutes," he groaned, pushing his head under the pillow.

 

And what a surprise it was when the jumping stopped and Q actually fell asleep in moments. A few more precious moments later Gabriel suddenly jumped like he'd been bitten.

 

"Adam... we are...." he was alone in the bedroom and there was no one, in particular a small boy, wreaking havoc in the room.

 

He slowly dragged his body out of the bed. He dreaded to stand on the stone cold floors but his feet actually touched slippers. Looking down Q saw fluffy white slippers with bunny ears on them. Q tried to find another pair. He certainly didn't want those but it was the only pair available. Putting them on and touching a bathrobe he dragged it over his shoulders and went to the direction of exited chatting.

 

"... this button, he picks up the ball of yarn and you can continue the game." They bought him a gaming system, Q realized and he wanted to bang his head against a wall because he only had a gift for Adam and a very lame one for James.

“Morning everyone," Q said with a scratchy voice. “I will start breakfast and then I am going to need a quick ride into town." So he could buy a horribly lame gift for Alec. What could he get with the 30 £ he had left for personal expense?

"What for Q?" James asked while standing up and coming to hug the thin man.

"There is something I forgot to get for Adam." Q lied through his teeth.

"Ok then... I am sure those two won't even miss us." James was looking fondly at Alec and Adam. "I can not believe he is alive. I felt like a part of us was missing. Gabriel, I..."

Boffin put a finger on the agent's lips. "I know. I felt the same... I don't know what is this that we have now. But I can't seem to wrap my mind around it with the idea of leaving you both."

"Daddy, look... Alec got me..." Adam came crashing into his father, showing him the controller of PS4.

"Do you mind staying with Alec for a while? Daddy needs to get something from the village shop?" Q looked down at Adam who was busy trying to dismantle the said device. "And Adam, devices are usually meant to make your life easier and not all of them are meant to be taken apart." He smiled at the boy's pout and ruffled his hair, such a right mess like his own.

 

Alec walked up to them and picked up Adam, leaning close to Q to kiss his cheek. "Do you mind if I say that he got the breaking gadgets from us?"

A very indirect and smooth way to ask if they were allowed in Q’s family, he will give him that. “I am... He got the putting them back together from me." He patted Alec’s head. “Please don't let him too much sugar. “

"For that matter, you yourself are not allowed to eat sugar," James added, flinching when Alec hit his shoulder.

"We will do just fine, don't worry, Gabriel." Alec grinned, grabbed Adam by his arm and dragged him back to the enormous TV set that had some game on pause.

 

"We will be back soon, don't worry." James dragged Q back to the bedroom. "Better layer up, boffin, unless you want to have cold feet." Q had to admit, suave James Bond at his best.

"Really, James? Really?"

Bond blinked and was in front of him, crowding him in the walk in closet. "We, Alec and I, don't want you running in the middle of all of this. We value you too much as our friend and maybe a third party of our duo."

His shock had to be clear to James. "You want me to... You want an actual relationship with me?"

Leaning close, James gave him a peck on the lips. "Who wouldn't?" He ran his hand through Q's hair, smiling. "You are like a fae out of those stories my mother read to me when I was young, all beautiful and smart and magical. You can bend the world in half if you so desire, erase MI6 and the Prime Minister off the face of the earth with just a simple touch of a button, but instead of ruling, you serve." He pushed Q deeper still in the closer, down on a chair and knelled in front of him, kissing his hand. "You protect your child like a father should, but you also protect us when you do not have to. Who wouldn't want a relationship with you, my beautiful Gabriel? Who wouldn't fall on their knees and ask for a chance at that?"

 

Q look flustered at the way Bond voiced his thoughts. He was a master of seduction and that was showing even more so. It was no surprise that women and men fell to Bond's allure.

"Now, let's get dressed and head to the store before it closes for the celebration." Bond turned around and shed his own tshirt and sweat pants in front of Q's eyes. Standing in his boxer briefs he was contemplating his choices of clothing.

Q was dumbstruck, sitting on the chair ogling 007's muscular back, imagining clawing at it when the man drove into him without abandon. "No, James...Not yet..." Q breathed out, turning his head away and James instantly stepped away from him, hands up.

"Sorry, I got the wrong message. Do you want me to...?" he trailed off and pointed to the door, Q shaking his head, face red.

"No, no... You can stay here and get dressed." Q suddenly chuckled, scratching the top of his nose. "Actually, please don't leave me here since I might get lost." James laughed loud and long.

"Very well, let me show you around." James laughed again. They chose some clothing. Q surprisingly had only thin shirts and his only parka was too thin for the Scottish winter in the wilderness.

"We are ready to go." Q's voice sounded so muffled from behind the thick woolen scarf he had wrapped closely to his neck.

"Will be back soon in an hour or so." James came to stand next to Q. "I guess we can put the house on fire and they won't even notice." He laughed at Alec and Adam. The boy sat between Alec's legs on the ground, both had their tongues poking out, each trying to beat the other.

 

"Not something you tell a father who has a tendency to panic at the drop of a pin, James," Q struggled to say, suddenly realizing that he couldn't put his hands all the way down because of the many layers of clothes he had on. "James, are you sure I need all of these?"

James put his hand on Q"s lower back and started to guide him towards the door. "Since some were too big to fit you, I had to put more to make sure no cold air got in there. But let me just say that you are the cutest onion I've seen so far."

Was this seriously the same man from the closet? "A regular Shakespeare." James stuck his tongue out at him. "I must to the barber's, monsieur; for methinks, I am marvelous hairy about the face: and I am such a tender ass, if my hair do but tickle me, I must scratch."

"Bottom doesn't count, James. But yes, you are a tender ass."

"Yes, yes... take the Shakespeare for a walk before he bestows more of his poetry on your ears." Alec's voice sounded just before they closed the doors.

"James, really... I can barely move with all the clothes you forced me to put on..." Q wanted to add something more but all body shudder made him shut his mouth and reconsider the idea.

"See... That's what I had in mind. All this cold weather and humidity will get to your bones and you won't want anything else but the warm chocolate in front of a roaring fire...."

Q moaned at the idea James was painting in his mind with his words. "Shall we get going to the store so we can come back as soon as possible and do just that?"

"Yes, oh supreme Overlord." James said mockingly and went to the garage while Q wandered towards the hummer. An engine roaring made Q's ears pick up. He knew the sound. The sound of an Aston he recreated with his own hands during the spare moments he had from MI6 work, looking after Adam and stopping worldwide crises. The car Bond had taken from the garage was the same one and Q was gaping like a fish out of water. When the passenger's doors opened he readily jumped inside and almost purred at the heat in the car.

"Of course, we will need to talk about this car when we get back," Q said as he somehow managed to bend enough to rub his face against the dashboard. "Ah, how I missed it. And I can finally show it to Adam."

James ran his hand down Q's back. "Of course I'd take good care of it, Gabriel. You built it from scratch."

"RE-built it from scratch," Q corrected, shivering from the touch. "You should start driving because I really need to get to the store." Driving to the village took more time than James was expecting because of the snowed in roads, more like actually one road because of the moors all around them.

"What is it that you want to buy so in the store?" James inquired, still not taking his eyes of the road. He didn't want to have them stranded in the snow for the Christmas Eve.

"I... there is just something that I need to buy... I will be just a second." Q all but ran from the car as soon as it stopped. He needed to get Alec something. He wasn't expecting anything else to happen so he spent almost all the money he had. He actually had those 550 pounds for when he could finally find the account James and Alec paid for his apartment, so he can make a payment but so far he wasn't all that lucky with finding it. Gently pushing the doors in he shuffled in and tried to evaluate the situation. It was most common village store with most basic collection he had ever seen in his life.

"Good day, darling." And old woman looked like she was going to fall over and die.

"Um... Hi! I was wondering... Do you have any souvenirs? Any at all?" Q fidgeted.

"Oh darling, we only have this one tie left, Christmas shopping this year was a madhouse."

 

"All we have left is this tie. But I don't think any man would wear it in his right mind." She pulled it out from behind the counter and put it on the desk between them.

It was the ugliest orange coloured tie with red koi fishes on it. It clashed with everything it came in contact with. Q sighed. "I will take it." Q scrunched up his nose. "And maybe you have a red bow? Around 1.5 meter long?" He figured that if Alec despised the tie, which he probably did, as it even hurt Q to look at, he can tie a bow around his own neck and give himself as a present.

"It will be 29.95, darling."

Fishing the last of his money from his pocket, Q snagged the tie and the bow and all but ran from the store.

"What did you…"

"Not telling you," Q interrupted, face red. "And sorry to make you drive all this way just for this. Just tell me how much I owe you for gas and I will pay you back from my last paycheck."

James gently cupped his chin and forced Q to look at him. "Darling boffin, sweet man, angel in my ear... What I own, you own. This car is yours as much as it is mine and sadly, Alec's. You owe me nothing while I owe you everything." He pecked his lips and let go of him, starting up the car. "Still thinking of leaving?"

"I can't go through hearing one of you die, James. My heart hurt so much when I lost Alec that Medical had to give me something to calm me down and the only reason why I didn't drop dead is actually two reasons." He hesitated for a moment before placing his hand on top of Bond's, smiling a little.

Bond caressed Q's fingers on the gearshift. "Let's get home then" The car roared and they were off back to the sanctuary of their home.

 

***

 

Coming back to Skyfall felt like coming home. Q exited the car and waited for James to pull it back in the garage from the terrible weather that was slowly coming up. The fog and snow combined was not the most decent weather even during summer time, not to mention winter cold.

"Hello gorgeous." Q slowly kissed James on the lips. "I am sorry but it seems I can't keep my hands or my mouth off you..." He blushed at his own choice of words. "Let's go in and see what they came up with."

Silence greeted them. It was eerily silent and Q got nervous again. "What if..."

"Q, nothing could have happened while we were away..." James chided him. "Let's go and see if they are in the living room."

 

Neither Alec nor Adam were in the living room, the tv was still on pause but another screenshot on. Q ran up the stairs, couple at a time and into the bedroom. James was slowly walking behind, already sure of what Q and he himself will see. 006 and the small boy were in the middle of the bed, duvet around their middles, cuddling together and sound asleep.

 

Letting out a sigh of relief, Q leaned against a wall. "Alec will be the reason I die, I swear," he whispered.

James nuzzled his neck, starting to open his jacket. "We care for Adam, so if anyone would have broken in to hurt him, we would have probably found the place in pieces and Adam safe and sound with Alec in his hummer. Now, we don't want you to overheat and get sick, darling, so let's peel you like an onion."

Q snorted, quickly covering his mouth to not wake up the two sleeping menaces. "Mine eyes smell onions."

"Now who's the one quoting Shakespeare?"

Alec stirred at the rustling of clothing being taken off. Slowly disentangling himself from Adam's grip he came to the pair, who were trying to take clothes off each other and not in a sexual manner.

"Let's leave Adam to sleep. He has bears to protect him." He smirked when Gabriel groaned at the mention of the bears again. Slowly they walked back to the living room where James went and put on a kettle while Q struggled to remove the extra clothing which made him look like a real onion as James had gently put in.

"Not that I mind our dear Quartermaster getting undressed in front of my own eyes but wasn't it your own rule not to start anything until we get a babysitter and as far as I know bears cannot be considered one." He grinned that wolfish grin of his.

 

Q threw the third sweater he had managed to take off himself at Alec's head. "I'll just hop into the bathroom to change, then."

Alec was quick to block his way, rubbing their noses together. "Ignore what I said; actually, I said nothing. It was just the wind that sounded like my voice."

"Well, the wind has a sexy voice." He wanted to say something more, to tease them, but he couldn't. His words got stuck in his throat and he turned red. It was weird that he could sometimes throw sexual banter their way and sometimes he became this blubbering fool that could get his words stuck in his throat and do nothing about it. Sometimes he even wondered why the two men found him even remotely interesting. And he had a child. Why did they even waste their time on him?

"I think we should talk about where we are going with this." Q didn't want the talk but he really wanted to know. The two men wanted to be in a relationship with him but he always had doubts.

 

"I'm just about done with the tea here so you can go into the living room if you want or just have this conversation here," offered James, pulling out a jar of honey from one of the kitchen's many counters - and Q was happy to note that, should they get snowed in, the food would last them for three months.

"I propose the living room since it doesn't remind me of a hospital." Of the two, Alec hated hospitals the most and if one was fair, the kitchen did have that feeling to it. "If you don't mind, Gabriel. Say, has anyone ever called you--"

"Gabe-Babe?" Q interrupted him, eye twitching. "Yes and I dumped them in a flash. Please be more creative." Bond let out a snort while Alec pouted and winced while trying to sit on the couch.

"You shouldn't have played that much with Adam." Q chided him. "If you pull on any of your stitches there is no doctor nearby..."

"Yes, dear Quartermaster." The way Alec pronounced his title sounded more like a name than anything else.

"I want to know what you want from me. From me and Adam that is? Why helping us the way you did?"

"He certainly isn't one to beat around the bush?" Alec addressed the other agent.

"No he isn't and that is one of the many things we like about him." He placed the mug of tea in Q’s hands. “And to answer one of your question, we want a family."

"Not play house, mind you," Alec said before Q could even think it. ”But an actual family. Adam is a jewel and you are... You are you."

"But I am me... A single parent with a child and no social skills. I... I'll let you know I haven't been on a date for as long as I have Adam. That's like 5-6 years. Nobody... Nobody wants a gay man with a kid. And then you two show up. When you could have each other and anyone else, you say that you want me. Bloody hell, you could even get a woman to bear you a child. I am sure they would offer themselves even if you..." It took a moment for Q to take in a breath and in that moment the two men crowded him in. Sitting on either side of him they hugged him tightly and kissed his cheeks, his forehead and occasionally bestowed s gentle nip on his lips.

"Q. You are all we want..."

"You and Adam is what it would make us happiest. And if you still..." Alec closed his eyes. "If you still want to leave MI6 and move to New Zealand, the decision is yours. Just know that after our deaths it all is transferred to you. No matter where you are."

Q grabbed the men's hands and squeezed them. "I don't want any of those if you are not in it. So please don't..." He sighed. “I will stay, just to be sure you don't die. However," he said quickly, covering the men's mouths to keep them from kissing him, "I would greatly appreciate it if you found a way of telling me when you plan on turning into zombies."

James smiled and kissed Q's palm. “We'll figure something else and we'll try not to make this a habit."

“It’s already a habit," Q grumbled, flicking James' nose.

Alec distracted him by kissing the back of his neck. “We can replace that habit with snogging you senseless and with spoiling Adam." Gabriel smiled slowly at the two men's antics. They were certainly in for the long haul or so it seemed.

"Very well. So what are we going to make for Christmas Eve dinner?" Q looked at them.

"Worry not Quartermaster, we will make you swallow your young tongue with the dinner we will make." Alec flexed his left arm and gently pushed Q towards the staircase and away from the kitchen. Slowly the fluffy haired man walked towards the master bedroom, leaving the two man chatting animatedly in the kitchen. It was the perfect time to wrap Alec's lousy present.

Adam was sitting up in the bed, confused and on the verge of tears, Q's heart stopping.

He was in the bed, child in his arms in a flash. “Baby, what's wrong? What happened? Did you have a nightmare?"

Adam shook his head. “I know you told me that people who go to heaven don't come back no matter how hard we wished they did, but..." His little body was body wracked with sobs.

“Shh, it is okay darling. Did you dream about your mother?"

Adam shook his head. “About Alec. He was back and... And we played... And he was here," he finished, letting out a while that echoed throughout the manor.

"Oh darling, come here. Let me show you something." Q took his son in his arms and out they went. Descending the stairs Q could hear both men arguing.

"I think we should leave the cake for the desert and stick to the duck." Alec stirred a pot with what look like sauce. Q pointed a finger to Alec and saw Adam's eyes widen and the boy struggled out of his arms. As soon as he put the boy on the ground he dashed to the man and hugged him as high as he could.

"ALEC!!!!!!"

 

The double oh looked down and grinned at the boy.

"Hello Adam!"

"I thought I only had a dream and you were still gone," Adam's muffled voice came from Alec’s knees. “I am happy it wasn't. “

"Do you want to stay here and help Alec and James or--"

"Can I please help you?" Adam interrupted his father, using the combined power of his best puppy eyes and how puffy his face was from having cried not ten minutes ago on James and Alec, even making his lower lip tremble for added effect.

"I am certain a chemist like you will be of great assistance for us." Alec ruffled the kid's hair and never in his life Q felt so easily dismissed by his son. His eyes were already on the duck that James was stuffing with apples and plums while nodding vigorously at what spices were to be used next.

Alec smiled at Q and after a brief hug he was dismissed from the kitchen altogether. Which was actually a good thing because he could start struggling with wrapping Alec’s gift. And maybe find a way to stick the bow under his shirt - although it was just for show because neither of the man would end up unwrapping him. All the cluttering no muttering continued to reach him all the way in the bedroom. Finally managing to put the tie in the paper Q felt like he defeated North Korean government.

It took him a while to figure out how to deal with the red bow but in the end he decided that using it instead of a bow tie on his blue dress shirt was the best option there could be to show his intentions.

"Daddy, Alec and James said food was ready," Adam shouted as he barged into the room, holding a new teddy bear for Q to see. "Also, Santa gave me this for setting the table."

Those two will end up spoiling his child rotten. “Santa is so very nice, but go wash your hands now."

"Yes, daddy. They also said that there is a surprise for you..." Adam's voice was muffled by the bathroom door and the running water.

"I am sure whatever it is, I will like it. Come now, you need to change. Cannot have you at dinner table in pajamas..." Q tried to remove Adam's pants while the boy shook his head furiously.

"No, Alec said I can come as I am."

"Do you think looking dressed up for Christmas is a no-no or that I look silly?" Q looked at his boy curiously, knowing full well how to manipulate his child into agreeing with anything he wanted and to surprise the men with two dashingly dressed gentlemen.

Adam lowered his head. "No, but why do you have that around your neck,"

"Feeling festive," Q said quickly, turning to dig through the closest to find Adam the right clothes. “What did Alec burn with your help?"

"We made a roasted duck and also ra... ra... ra... ravio... "

"Ravioli?" Q prompted.

"Yes, daddy, James said that it was fancy dumplings." The boy struggled with his shirt while Q was buttoning it up.

"Are you ready?" Q patted him all over and tried to brush his hair which was a lost cause because it was like his own. The boy nodded again. Q gave him the two lamely wrapped packages.

"Put them under the Christmas tree when Alec and James can't see." He smiled when his son jumped stairs two at a time to rush down.

"And remember that you are a human and not a bunny, “he called after his son, nervously straightening out his so called tie. “I can't believe I am actually doing this. I should have gotten a loan."

"A loan for what?" James whispered in his ear and Q jumped at least a meter into the air, bumping into Alec.

“Do you need help with something? James get the laptop and the checkbook," Alec said without breathing, James looking a bit panicked.

“No coverage, remember? Q is it important or-" Q shut James up with an actual kiss.

"And remember that you are a human and not a bunny," He called after his son, nervously straightening out his so called tie. “I can't believe I am actually doing this. I should have gotten a loan."

"A loan for what?" James whispered in his ear and Q jumped at least a meter into the air, bumping into Alec.

“Do you need help with something? James get the laptop and the checkbook," Alec said without breathing, James looking a bit panicked.

"There is nothing I need help with..." He took a deep breath and continued. "I am just worried that Alec won't like the present I got for him. That you won't like yours and that when you finally get tired of me, I will only have myself and a broken down Adam."

"How many times do we have to repeat, Gabriel, we are in for the long haul. And the only way you can get rid of us, is only when one or both of us die of old age." Alec whispered into his neck again.

"But..."

"We wanted it to be a surprise but it seems that you need encouraging now more than ever." James hugged him as well. "We decided it is time we retired and let young ones have it at MI6..."

Q was dumbfounded. “You two like what you are doing. I could never ask this of you."

James sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Truth be told, we are tired."

"We have been for a long time and we were just waiting for a sign. And this," Alec motioned towards him and to where Adam was, "is the equivalent of getting hit in the head with an actual sign.“ The boy was currently trying to 'secretly' hide the two presents he had in his hands while having his tongue out and trying to push them into the pile of the many others that seemed to be packed by a true professional.

"But James, Alec... I... "

"And I am sure this is the moment where we should tell you that we bought an island in Spain under Adam's name. And that after we retire we plan on stealing you and bringing you both there." Alec was slowly distancing himself in the direction of the Christmas tree and gently pushing Adam in front of him to use as a shield from Q's wrath.

"You bought him an island? When he's 7?" Q exploded, taking off his glasses to rub his eyes with the heels of his hands. “You two need to be sent to parenting classes because I refuse to be the bad guy for three people."

"Awesome," Adam exclaimed tugging on Alec’s jacket to get his attention. “Does it have a volcano and dinosaurs on it?"

Alex patted his head. “No to both, but I am sure you will be able to build mechanical ones.”

Q’s mouth fell open. “Adam Boothroyd, don't even think about it!" And he now wanted to burn the gifts he had for them so he slowly started to move towards the tree. “I want all three of you to wash your hands."

"But daddy, I already washed mine!"

"Gabriel, you got caught by your own scrutiny." Alec laughed and ushered them to the living room. "Come along now, and before you start we already washed ours." It seemed that Alec was immune to Q's glaring.

James was still nipping at Q's neck. "Come along, let's see what our two chemists have made."

"It's not that I don't trust Alec but..." he stopped in his tracks when he saw Alec put Adam in his chair and pushed it closer to the table.

"Come along, Quartermaster, we left the honors of slicing the duck up for you." Alec was brandishing a knife and a fork for Q to take.

"I just need to wash my own-"

"You already did, daddy. Now please cut because I am hungry.“

He'll sneak under the tree after they ate. “I have to warn you that my precision is only valid in my branch."

"Cut away, dear,” said James and Adam snickered. He butchered the bird despite his best efforts and he felt bad because it was divine. Chatting and conversation flowed like there was no way of ever stopping it. Q never realized how much he missed intelligent conversation with other people. Being antisocial it often leads to them staying indoors instead of going out. And now that Adam was not going to the school, Christmas holidays and such he was actually pleasantly surprised to have two agents at his beck and call.

"Gabriel..." James touched his hand gently. "I think your tiny man is in the dream land already." Roused from his thoughts Q looked at his son and found him on the sofa sleeping with his head pillowed on Alec's lap. The older man was gently carding his fingers through the unruly hair.

"I think, James that he already is our tiny man even though he would disagree with it with all his heart." Alec raised his eyes to look at the two and smiled gently while winking at Gabriel.

Q smiled. “Yes, he is and yes, he would. He likes to think himself a grown man now." He moved over to Alec and leaned down to kiss his son. “I never thought he would be this happy."

“And you? Are you happy?" James asked, scratching the back of Q’s neck.

Surprisingly, the answer came instantly. “Yes.”

"I am very much happy indeed and if you'd have us, we would like to be with you." Gabriel smiled at James.

"Oh yes, yes so much..." James was kissing him in front of Alec and the other man just looked fondly at them.

"We must get Adam to bed and then... Maybe then we could..." He mumbled something unintelligible.

"No, Gabriel... We promised you that nothing will happen until we get Adam a babysitter." Alec shook his head and gently lifted the boy up. The boy mumbled something but continued to sleep, face turned into Alec's chest.

"Stop it... I am sure by this two week holidays all 3 of us will have blue balls..." Q grinned at James and the other man just smirked at him and retreated to the bedroom.

He really trusted the men with his son. But now... Now trying to find the gifts said son hid in the literal mountain of presents under the huge Christmas tree was becoming ridiculous. He was on his hands and knees, more like his elbows and knees and his bum was high in the air when he finally noticed the ugly (or so he thought) paper he wrapped Alec's gift in and he was already touching it with the tips of his fingers when he heard an amused voice.

"Now this is a sight I can always approve of but that still doesn't explain why he is on his hands and knees on the ground in front of the Christmas tree instead of our bed."

Q managed to control himself not to jump up and shoved Alec’s gift in his shirt as he wiggled his ass a little. "A Christmas gift's place is under the tree." Was he a hypocrite right now? Trying to distract the two in such a way after more or less scolding James for drooling? Yes, yes he was.

James hummed, moving closer to the tree. “I am sure your body is a backup plan to our gifts, but since we got your heart and soul as well as Adam's life, we're happy."

Alec grabbed Q’s legs and slowly started to drag him out. “What a strange noise you're making, darling. Could it be that you have hidden something in your shirt?"

"Let me go... Please let go of my legs." Q was still trying to hide the gift in the dress shirt and that was a poor idea because Alec has now turned him on his back, Q had to admit being manhandled was a turn on for him, since he basically had no one to do that before, and the infuriating man sat on his lap, his hands now sneakily underneath his shirt.

"Aha... here it is. Whatever it is you wanted to hide from us is now in my hands!" Alec looked like he won in a lottery. He stood up and tore the paper to shreds and then blinked owlishly at the ugly tie in his hands.

Q covered his face. "I'll burn it myself, but I thought it would fit you because you hate suits with a burning passion." "That would be something you'd wear during a meeting with the prime minister just to torment M," James said slowly, taking the tie from Alec to hold it just under his neck. “It certainly brings out your... hatred for them."

Alec grabbed the thing from James hands and hugged it close like a precious child. "Don't be ridiculous, Gabriel. I am gonna cherish it and wear it to all the meetings with M and the prime minister just so I can make their eyes bleed for forcing me to attend one in a penguin suit." He looked at James who had his arms crossed in front of his chest. "Now, now, lover, you know I love you in suits and I especially love getting you out of the said suits, but sadly Tom Ford is not for everyone."

"You still haven't agreed to meet with my tailor." He looked at Gabriel who was slowly standing from the ground in front of the tree. "And I am sure Q will look dashingly in that checkered suit I got him for Christmas."

"James, I think I will have to start insisting that you stop buying me things." He turned back to the tree and dug around for the little box which held James' gift.

"We don't really spend money on us, so spoiling you and Adam is now our new hobby." He eyed Q's ass and bit his fist. “Darling, you're going to make both Alec and I have to roll around naked in the snow well in about two days."

Successful, Q crawled back out and shoved the little box in James' chest. "I do apologize that this gift is more technologically advanced than what I got you, Alec, but..." He trailed off and shrugged. “You were kind of dead."

Pulling Q close to him, Alec started sucking in his neck. "I should be the one apologizing. And a kiss from you will make everything better."

Turning round in his embrace Q suddenly started sucking on Alec's bottom lip. They were outright snogging while James heard tiny feet quickly running down the stairs and coughed.

"DADDY, DADDY! I've forgotten something."

"What is it, darling?" Q looked somewhat dazed when the boy managed to stand on his tip toes and look suspiciously at his own father.

"Biscuits for the Santa, daddy, and milk too." He dashed into the kitchen and started rummaging in the cupboards.

"Let me help you." Alec left the dazed Quartermaster in the care of one James Bond.

"Don't think, just because I am a child... I don't see things... You've been snogging daddy!" Alec suddenly dropped the plate he was holding while James howled with laughter and Q was trying to stop himself from doing the same.

"You are... I wasn't ... aren't you too young to know that word?" Alec asked, looking petrified.

“Relax, Alec. He's a smart boy and he knows some things. Plus, I am sure that I will have huge marks on my neck tomorrow because--"

 

"He's a vampire?" Adam asked suddenly, trying to drag Alec down to look at his teeth.

 

"Careful not to cut your feet if the plate broke, " James wheezed out. “And try shoving garlic in his mouth and see how he reacts!"

Q grabbed the back of Adam's shirt before the kid could run into the kitchen. "Don't do that to Alec, dear. Daddy needs to give a goodnight kiss to everyone, doesn't he?" The boy narrowed his eyes suspiciously again and he so reminded Alec of Q that he could swear the boy was biologically his and not his sister's.

 

After putting the biscuits and a glass of milk on the dining table in the living room they all went into the bedroom. Adam was up and arranging his bears on the bed so everyone else could also fit.

"Are you sure? I mean with a little kid sleeping in your king sized bed..." Q was busy trying to fight the shirt over his head.

"Daddy, please, we are getting cold."

"Yes, Q, hurry... we are cold..." Alec was hugging a bare chested James tightly and laughing.

"Why I am always the last one to go to bed?" Q mumbled quietly and finally managed to sneak under the covers. "Good night, Adam." He kissed the boy on his forehead. "Good night, James." That kiss was quite chaste and on the lips. "Good night, Alec." An outright snog followed by Adam's "Ewww...” before all the bedside lamps were turned off. Q was starting to regret buying Alec the tie. It might be used against him if he didn't stop waving it in front of M.

“I will dock the price for the flowers, the priest, and the coffin out of your pay." The woman was going to lose her voice and them their hearing.

“Hope you weren't cheap with them, M." Of course Alec would poke the not quite sleeping dragon.

“Do you want me to charge you for the golden coffin? Because I can!" She shouted, slamming he desk with her fists. “Oh! I need to tax you for the cemetery place."

"Hope it--"

"Alec, stop it," He hissed, squeezing his hand.

A big mistake because M saw the look Alec gave him. “Is THAT why the Quartermaster was so distraught?" She pointed at their hands and at James' own one that had gone around Q’s shoulders.

"You two... you managed... I cannot actually believe this is happening!" She threw her hands in the air. "You two come barging in at the ungodly hours only to say that you are retiring and to announce that the Quartermaster is taking two month long vacation or quitting as well?" Narrowing her eyes at the 3 men she looked even closely at them. "Is there something you want to tell me or get papers for?"

"It us a little bit too early for that, although the 2 weeks were heavenly and Adam adores them," Q said softly, smiling at the agents.

“Your son already knows them? Are you sure that was a good move?" So M did have a heart because it seemed like she forgot all about MI6 and she was now fretting like a grandmother.

“We're lovable, "Alec said, sounding offended. “ And good with kids.”

"That's because the both of you are kids," M hissed, focusing back on Q. “Are you sure about this? We could try again to get the Prime minister to give you a raise."

"I'm most certain, M. I am sorry to cause you problems, but..." Q bowed his head. M was like a mother, when she was not being an angry witch. "There is nothing I can do...."

She sighed, rubbing her temples. “Well you did train R. And we might be able to offer you a collaborator’s contract if you ever need money."

"Well, if that is all…" Alec got up and pulled Q after him, kissing him.

“Not quite. He needs to stay behind for the quitting procedure."

"What papers?" James narrowed his eyes. "There are no papers needed to fill out for when a double oh quits."

"That is exactly my point, 007. Quartermaster is not exactly an active field agent... He has to fill out forms and other things, he has to explain things to R..." The woman was ranting and ranting and ranting while the two agents started rebuking her with every sentence she spit out.

Q silently moved towards the door, trying to slip throw the tiny gap, hoping to leave the pit of the devil and go back to tie things up in Q branch. "NOT SO FAST, Quartermaster!!!" M bellowed at him, making him cringe inwards. "I was just making sure the door was closed."

M slowly shook her head, glaring at the two agents. "You have already corrupted him. Anyway, do you wish to further delay this process or speed it up by keeping your mouths shut and letting him follow the procedure?"

Alec looked like he was going to start ranting again, so he stepped in. "Adam is about to finish his classes so maybe, if you two wouldn't mind..." He trailed off and smiled a little at them.

Alec stopped in the middle of trying to argue with him while James was all sinister smiles.

"Oh yes, yes, we do not mind at all."

"Be gone evil ones... And I don't want to see you ever again!" She shouted when they were just closing the doors. "Now Quartermaster, as the two ridiculous shadows are gone, are you really definitely sure you want to quit MI6?" She narrowed her eyes at him again and Q felt like a small child caught lying by his grandmother.

"I... Yes. I will pitch in with new gadgets and security protocols, but I want to focus on raising my child." "Children, "M corrected and Q chuckled. “You have one month left of your probation and afterwards you can quit."

"Very well... In any case... If you find yourself wanting to ditch the two idiots and return, be sure I and MI6 will welcome you with open arms." Q nodded curtly and left the room. He had so many things to do before he could leave with his consciousness calm.

***

 

"If they didn't want me to park here, then they should have made the parking spaces bigger."

 

"You wanted the American car. "

 

"You weren't complaining when you were coming back from Skyfall. “ He pretended not to see or hear the angry teacher ranting. “So Adam should be-"

 

"Excuse me, but if you don't leave now, I am calling the police. Only parents are allowed here and only the head master Dan park here." The woman pulled out her phone and started tapping her foot."

 

"Of course I was not complaining because at least once I didn't have to try and drive around all the holes in the road!" James replied to Alec. "And yes, hello... We are here to get Adam Boothroyd." He turned on the charm on the old woman who looked like she belonged in the women's jail as a guard instead of being a teacher in school.

 

But the woman looked relentless. She crossed her arms and fixed the glasses on her nose. "If you do not remove your car from our premises, I will call the police and they will give you at least a fine. And I am sure that you are no father to Boothroyd wimp of a child. Like father, like son that one. Always trying to take things apart."

 

James had to hold both himself and Alec back. "Allow me to repeat myself: we are here to pick Adam Boothroyd up."

 

"And who are you to the child?" The woman demanded rather loudly. “Uncles? Tell his mother that I am not buying the whole she died thing. I saw no death certificate attached to Boothroyd 's file."

 

"Remember, Alec, we still have to get Q to transfer Adam to Spain. It will do us no good to strangle his primary school teacher."

 

"No... We are not uncles." James started calmly, slowly accessing the school premises in order to see Adam. The boy was struggling with the backpack he was trying to put on his back and looking at the phone Q made him after that incident Alec and James stole him off from the school grounds. "Adam!" He shouted so the boy would notice them trying not to kill the teacher.

 

Adam looked up and he instantly started to smile "Alec! James!" He broke into a run, easily dodging the woman as he tried to hug both of them at the same time, panting because his hands were hurting from the heavy backpack. “ Did somehing happen to daddy?"

 

"No darling," James said quickly, ruffling his hair. "He just asked us to pick you up because he had something to deal with at work."

 

"Adam, do you know these two men?" His teacher asked in the fakest sweet voice either of the men had ever heard. Even the rookie agents were better at faking their niceness than this heap of ancient meat.

 

Adam looked at her like she grew a second head.

 

"Yes, of course I know them. We all live together. And they always get me new bears, and I have a new room with big big windows that look over Thames." The boy replied without blinking as he grabbed their hands in each of his own and smiled at the woman, clearly unaware of the hate and possible bullying the woman was projecting towards the boy.

 

"Are you ready to go? Give me that bag!" Alec easily took the boy's backpack in his not long ago freed from cast arm and winced lightly.

 

"Now just a moment," the woman said as she grabbed the back of the boys shirt. "I need a clear confirmation from his father AND mother."

 

James put his hands on Adam's ears before starting. "Now listen you old wench!" He smiled how the woman gaped at them along with a few other parents who came to take their kids from classes. "Adam is a little genius here, before you start shaming him. And his father is also one, a brilliant one. And you... With your fixation on seeing his mother... She IS dead and before you start asking for proof better think if you want to end up the same?" He removed his hands from Adam's ears and the boy looked up at him, smiling brightly.

 

"What was it about?"

 

"Nothing darling, how about I take you to the car?" James smiled at the boy. "We will leave Alec to have a few words with the teacher, won't we?" At the boy's nod he grabbed the backpack from Alec's twitching fingers and offered his other hand for the boy to take.

 

Adam tugged James down to whisper in his ear. “Will teacher make Alec sad like she does daddy?"

 

"No darling, don't worry. But Alec might make her cry."

 

"Then I want to watch. Can we watch, please?!" Adam looked at the piercing blue eyed man. "Please, James, please."

 

"Yes, but we have to put the bag in the car." James was hoping they will be back after Alec was done verbally bashing the woman to grave. They put the backpack in the backseat and returned to Alec just as he was saying.

 

"If you think I will let you take out that child-"

 

"I don't think, I know, " James interrupted her, grinning viciously at her. I also know that you will either lose your job or about half your pay after what you did today."

 

"I beg you--"

 

James refused to let her have a word. “What teacher are you to treat your students like this? And how dare you look down on single parents? When you should do your best to support them and help them?"

 

"Mister Boothroyd is an irresponsible parent! He almost never shows up at the-"

 

"Single.parent," James said slowly. “Can you understand that? Well, he's not single anymore, but until we showed up-"

 

"A homosexual was allowed to keep the child? And you.. with that other man... I am calling the police and social services."

 

***

Q was dead on his feet when he finally stepped out of MI6. Everyone, bless their souls, had been so kind and did their best to be helpful - to the point M herself ordered him to hack in his own field and change things around to speed up his quitting process - but damn all the paperwork.

He was going to have nightmares about his own name and he couldn't feel his right arm anymore from all the signing.

“Do you need a ride home?" Asked 009, kind as usual.

 

"Oh yes, please." He accepted the offer with much enthusiasm. He really enjoyed taking the tube but after the most tiring day at work and hopefully his last one, he really needed a ride.

 

Chatting with 009 was refreshing, the man was young, closer to his own age and so interested in getting to know Q even though it was his last day.

 

Parking his car in the empty car space next to the humongous hummer made 009 snort. "Who in the right mind has a car like that in London?"

 

"Well..." Q scratched the back of his head.

 

"Oh lord. Is it one of your lovers? The monstrosity belongs to one of them?" They were out of the car discussing the car when Adam and Alec showed up on the doorstep and Adam was next to his father in an instant.

 

"Hello!" He greeted politely and started dragging his father inside. "Come on in, daddy, James is trying to fit all the gadgets in the suitcases."

 

"Thank you, 009 for bringing me home. It was most appreciated..."

 

"Any time, Quartermaster." He briefly shook his hand hand and was in his car and down the road in a few minutes.

 

"He's trying to what?" Q squeaked, clearly panicked. “Bond, stop manhandling them," he shouted even though the man couldn't hear him, child hoisted on his hip.

 

Alec followed him, chuckling. "He was extra careful, I promise."

 

"The last time he was extra careful, he brought back just the key chain."

 

"But it was a gold key chain. And you have it on your keys!" Alec looked so amused.

 

They took the lift and the poor thing groaned and rattled loudly while taking them up to the penthouse.

 

"The only thing why I am glad we are moving to Spain is this thing." Q was frowning.

 

The doors opened and he put Adam back on the ground and the boy was off to the room Q had as his office, aka it was full of laptops, computer and spare parts. They also could hear James muttering quietly under his breath.

 

"James, daddy is home!" the boy crashed into the man's legs just as he was turning with his precious pricy screen and the blue eyed man actually tripped and fallen over and the screen dropped to the ground face down of course. There was a crash and Q cringed.

 

"Adam, are you okay?" Q asked carefully, hand over his chest.

 

"Yes, daddy," came the muffled reply.

 

Q sighed in relief and then opened his mouth, Adam and Alec covering their ears. “Bond, what did I say about helping me the last time you did it?"

 

James rubbed the back of his neck. It really wasn't his fault this time, but he sure as hell wasn't going to blame a child. "Not to do it ever again?"

 

"Exactly. And what did you do?" Q crouched down and carefully turned the screen over, sighing in relief. "You got lucky."

 

Pulling Q up, James made to kiss him before he heard Adam's barfing sounds, placing his lips on Q's cheek. "I've always known that. By the way, would you terribly mind if Adam's teacher would have a tiny accident?"

 

"What do you mean accident?" Q narrowed his eyes again. Since Adam and he started living with the two agents it seemed like narrowing his eyes like a half blind man is going to become his permanent expression. "007, what have you done?"

 

"Daddy, don't be angry on James and Alec. They were trying to protect your honor from the teacher while trying not to bash her head into the ground..." Adam spilled all the beans in a blink and was looking at everyone innocently.

 

"Kiddo, we are going to work on your tongue tying speaking..." Alec muttered.

 

"Don't you dare, 006 or I will banish you two from our bedroom!"

 

Alec elbowed James. “He called it our bedroom, " he said happily, although this was not the first time Q had done that.

 

"He also said that he'd banish us," James pointed out. “Not that he'll keep that word for too long."

Q blushed a little and Adam pulled a face. “You are being yucky again."

 

Adam hugged his bear close and added. "Let's go Sith, we need to figure out how to pack Hulk up!" The boy ran to his own room and Q was still glaring at the two agents even if they weren't in active duty for a month or so, he was always going to refer to them as such.

 

"And for whatever you did with that old woman, I am appointing you to figure out how to transfer that bear to Spain because you certainly don't want to tell Adam that we are leaving Hulk in the apartment, do you?" He was hugging his desktop screen and thinking about strategic retreats before the men could tackle him down.

 

James shrugged. “We will have to be his giant teddy bears while we wait for Alec to be shipped. Now..." James and Alec both started to move towards him, licking their lips. “How about we kiss that sulk away, Alec." "If we had a babysitter, we'd do so much more, Gabriel." He easily pulled the screen away from Q’s arms and carefully put it down on the sofa.

 

"Yes, Gabriel. Why do you keep stopping us from getting Adam a babysitter at least for a few hours everyday?" Alec was behind him, gently sneaking his hands under the sweater Q had on while James was trying to unbuckle his belt.

 

"Please... Oh please... You... Have to..." Q was mumbling incoherently and his resolve was fraying already.

 

Alec pulled the man's sweater of her his head, quickly giving him a deep kiss. He had no trouble unbuttoning Q's shirt, the man noticing that happened only when he shivered just before the man nipped the place just above his nipple. "Just imagine how you would feel if we had a babysitter," Alec whispered against his chest, the promise of never before felt pleasure in his eyes.

 

"I imagine that every time I take a shower," Q confused, fingers tangled in Alec's hear, allowing James to tilt his head to the side to trail little kisses down his chin. "And God, the things I imagine you two do to me..." He trailed off and let out a little mewling sound, gasping when Alec's hand rested over his groin. "But Adam...We can't..."

 

"Daddy, you forgot... Ewwwww..." Adam's voice sounded from the staircase landing. "Never mind... Good night daddy, Alec and James!" The boy was out of the room in moments and Q was trying to disentangle himself in order to go after his son.

 

"Leave him be, Gabriel. There is nothing you could tell him now..." Alec was still nipping at his neck which already was one big bruise.

 

"We are getting a babysitter as soon as we land in the island. No objections, Gabriel, I am not sure how many blueballed nights either of us can stand." James growled.

 

"I did have the birds and the bees talk with him and explained that some people might fall for the same gender, but I hope this is the last time he finds us like this."

 

Alec chuckled, nipping the back of Q’s neck. “I am pretty sure that soon, we will be the ones walking in on him doing this-"

 

"Oh my god!" Q exclaimed as James the a remote at Alec’s head.

 

"Alec, I'd like to fuck Quartermaster at least once before you decide to kill him from horror."

 

"Daddy! Are you coming?" Adam exclaimed.

 

"Not tonight it seems." Alec muttered.

 

"ALEC!!!" James and Q chided him together while Adam just laughed.

 

Q's face fell even more. Yes, he had talked with the boy about certain things, but he shouldn't get that horrible pun. “Adam -"

 

"My darling Gabriel, don't over think this," James interrupted him, kissing his knuckles.

 

"I am spending the night on the couch, alone!" Q replied and went to Adam, sat him on his hip and went into the room that belonged to the boy and all his bears.

 

"Alec, please refrain from making Gabriel explode with frustration." James glared at his lover. "If you don't, we won't be able to have him until we go to Spain. And that's a half month away." He hissed while Alec grinned a lopsided smile.

 

"I can't help myself. The way his face puffs up and the way his eyes shine..." He trailed off and leaned on James. “And now he and his little treasure is all ours."

 

James smiled. Honestly, he thought they'd never get the Quartermaster. Even before he got Adam, the young man always drew a line when it came to flirting - and if they crossed it, he suddenly went serious, pushed his glasses up his nose and ignored them - and if they dared to brush against him on purpose, he shocked them. And then he suddenly closed up. He wouldn't even flirt and that had to be when Adam came into his life.

 

"Let's do our best to keep them, okay? " Alec nodded seriously. "Let's get him to change his mind about the sofa."

 

"I'll get the knife and ruin it."

 

"Alec!" James snapped and started to chase the other man around their apartment.

 

***

 

Q had to take a separate taxi to the Vila because Alec and James were staying and waiting to get the hummer and all of their hands on luggage. Adam was busy showing his bears all the things around and there was a Spanish radio on blaring noisily.

 

Suddenly the car stopped and the driver was having argument. "What's wrong?" Q asked in broken Spanish.

 

"This man," driver pointed to the security guard. "Doesn't want to let us in as the Vila belongs to master Adam Boothroyd." Q was feeling the headache coming right up. Just before he was ready to reply, Adam was out of the car and running to the security guy.

 

"But I am Adam Boothroyd!!"

 

The guard leaned down when he heard the name and eyed the little child for a moment before throwing his head back, laughing. He said something that Q didn't really understand, but from the way their driver was glaring at the man, he assumed that it wasn't something nice.

 

"My son owns this," Q told the still laughing man in Spanish. "Let us in." The guard waved his hands around and snorted and that was when their driver stepped in, nostrils flaring and voice raised.

 

Adam tugged on Q's jacket, head lowered. "Did I do something wrong?" They were still arguing with the guard when Q heard unmistakable roaring of the hummer and Adam was suddenly up and waiting expectantly. And not a moment later the blue massive car was stopping in front of the tiny boy with two bears in his hands who was jumping excitedly.

 

"Little treasure, why are you here?" He was up in Alec's arms in seconds just as a frowning James was exiting the car and slamming the doors with so much rage that it made Q cringe.

 

"What is the meaning of this?" He was with the guard in seconds, gesturing towards Q and Adam in seconds while Alec was running with the boy on his shoulders around the car and James and Q.

 

"This idiot and his brat claimed that I was to let them in," the guard was saying, "The brat even claimed that he owns the property which is the most ridiculous thing I have ever head."

 

James tried to hold back, he really did. He even counted back from ten to make the red he was seeing in front of his eyes disappear. But that didn't help at all and a moment later, he was panting over a security guard who was missing two teeth and bleeding from the nose.

 

"The brat, as you called him, is as good as my son at this point," James growled out, "The idiot has the same status as Alec." He pulled the man up and pushed him towards Q. "Apologize and if a single tear rolls down Adam's face, you can kiss the rest of your teeth goodbye."

 

The man was grabbing at his bloody nose. And while Alec heard what James has said, he ran from the two men claiming that it was too early for Rudolph the red nosed deer to be around while in real he wanted to protect Adam from seeing the mangled man. He plopped the squealing boy inside the hummer along with his iron man suitcase and Q's 30 kg one which he insisted is his carry on luggage and sat himself in the front seat while James was still trying to open the doors of the hummer, fuming and furious.

 

"James, is there a swimming pool in the Vila?" Adam asked quietly.

 

"Yes, Adam. And you can swim all you want. And you know what else is there?" The ex agent grinned at Q and the Quartermaster felt like he was a rabbit trapped in a corner by a hungry wolf. "We got you a babysitter and a personal teacher!" He drove through the gates and the car started climbing the weaving road to the top of the mountain.

 

Adam groaned. "But I don't wanna go to school when I am at home."

 

"And I do want him to socialize," Q said slowly, eyes narrowed. "I don't want him to..." To feel the loneliness I felt, Q wanted to say, but didn't. Not that he was homeschooled and he did have his sister with him for the first few years, but his genius landed him in a school where everyone ignored him because of his age. "Or maybe this might be better," he mumbled, squeezing Adam's knee. "Why don't you give it a try, baby?"

 

"Cuz I don' wanna go to school on a Sunday." He turned around and grabbed Alec's shirt, lip quivering. "Alec, please save me."

 

"Gabriel... I don't think it's wise..." Alec started but at James' glare snapped his mouth shut. "How about for every day you go to school I get you a new bear? Maybe even a live one?" He looked at the boy who already had eyes wide as saucers because there was so much space and trees and open areas and he could see the ocean on the horizon.

 

"Really?"

 

"Alec, no!" Q realized stopping a man who had too much funds and no more dreams to fulfil was impossible. "Who is managing all of this?" He asked instead, suddenly focused on security of the area. "Who is keeping all the things in check? Oh god... The utility bills..." He put his head on the head rest of the car and groaned.

 

James slowed the car down enough so he could lean over to Q and kiss the side of his head. "Darling, you worry too much. Alec and I have more money than what we know what to do with them, especially since I play the stock market and Alec actually has about three businesses."

Q turned to look at Alec with wide eyes, mouth open. "I am sorry, I think I took a wrong turn somewhere and ended up in the wrong universe."

 

Alec clicked his tongue, his pout almost as good as Adam's. "Since I am good at destroying and blowing up things, my companies revolve around that. They are quite successful, you know, so just relax and let us spoil the both of you."

 

"Can it be a polar bear?" Adam asked suddenly.

 

"No, it can't," Q said quickly, glaring at Alec.

 

There was an old man waiting for them by the main entrance, smiling fondly at the arriving car. "Agh, master James and master Alec." He shook hands with the two men and looked down curiously at Adam when he and Q approached. "And who is this?"

 

"I am Adam Boothroyd. James said the Vila is mine... But..." The brown haired boy didn't manage to finish his sentence because the man was in front of him in seconds and shaking his hand.

 

"Agh master Adam. And this probably is your father, master Gabriel."

 

"Q will be just fine." Gabriel looked at the man. He looked old a but wise and not movable. Like a rock actually. "And I am sure Adam and I won't like being called masters, would we now Adam?"

 

Adam tilted his head and narrowed hid eyes. “Are like a butler, sir?"

 

Q chuckled. “I hope you don't mind that my son might follow you around for at least a week until he finds out everything you are doing."

 

"I adore children, Mas-- Q."

 

"Very well, Rodriguez, how about we go inside now?" Alec clapped the man on the shoulders and dragged unresisting Adam inside. The boy was awed by everything he saw while Q could hear Alec chatting on and on and on, the housekeeper interjecting quietly at a moment or two.

 

"James..." The young man started. "Am I dreaming?" He gently kissed the man on the lips.

 

"I should be asking that since you are here with us." He cupped Q's face and kissed him again, the two forgetting about the world around them until the usual disgusted sound echoed around the room.

 

"They are at it again, " Adam said, pretending to barf and Q turned to glare at Alec because the man tended to do that when he was presented with something that he really didn't like.

 

“Oh like he couldn't have picked that up from James who was doing it just yesterday when I showed him a suit," Alec defended himself.

 

"Oh yes..." Q deadpanned. "Let's go, Adam. Let's find your room in this maze!"

 

"See, what you've done, Alec! And I wanted to introduce the baby sitter to him so Q can approve of the boy." James gestured towards the young man who was fidgeting in the background with glasses on and a heavy notebook.

 

"Does it have a minotaur in it?" Adam asked, holding on tightly to his father's hand while twisting to look at James. “You won't let him eat daddy, will you?"

 

Alec murmured something that only James heard and hat earned him a chuckle and an elbow to the stomach. “Minotaur free home, I assure you, little treasure. “

 

Introducing babysitter to Adam was more difficult than it seemed because he was keen on following Rodriguez around at all times. Q always found him with the man asking questions about this and that. And of course the bears were always present.

 

The young man with the glasses on coughed loudly.

 

"Sir James, maybe I should come another time?" He fidgeted with his notebook.

 

Q turned around and looked at the younger man. "Yes, Sir James, please introduce us!"

 

If James and Alec had a type - and it appeared that they actually had two - then Q told himself that he shouldn't get too comfortable at their side, even though he knew it was too late for both himself and his son. But if push came to shove and they got tired of him in favour of this man, Q would be mature enough to leave their lives without throwing a fit or destroying them financially and simply focus on gluing his son's heart back together.

 

"Your brain is wandering in a bad zone, I am sure," James said slowly as Alec gently tapped Q's head.

 

Forcing himself to smile, Q shook his head. "A bad habit, I am afraid. Please introduce the young man to me."

 

"This is Jonathan," James said while standing next to the young man. "We actually wanted someone English who could teach Adam perfect English. And Jonathan is a graduate from Oxford, he specializes in languages and chemistry as well. And I am sure if Adam had any other questions, you would be more than keen on answering them..." James finished his rant.

 

The younger of the two was still fidgeting and he remained Q so much of himself just before he was promoted to Q.

 

"And before that brain of yours starts wondering into dark places, Q, he is already happily married, and his wife and Jonathan are expecting twins actually!"

 

Q choked on air. "I really wish you wouldn't find new ways to make me wish for a sudden sinkhole to appear right under me," Q muttered, extending his hand towards the teacher. "A pleasure to meet you, Jonathan, and congratulation."

 

Laughing nervously, Jonathan weakly squeezed Q's hand. "Thank you very much and I will do my best to live to your expectation, Sir..?"

 

"Q. Just Q. "

 

"But not like Bond, James--UGH." James clutched his stomach, Q glaring daggers at him as Alec rubbed and kissed his elbow.

 

"Well... I hope to live to your expectations, Q." The young man smiled. "When should I start tutoring?" He asked while looking around for the boy who was once again hiding, now behind Alec's legs.

 

Alec gently pushed the boy to the front. "Go on Adam, say hello, don't be rude."

 

"Hello!" Adam mustered quietly.

 

"Hello, Adam. It's nice to meet you." The man kneeled in front of him and stretched his hand for the boy to take.

 

"Are you... Are you really going to be my teacher?" Adam looked at the man like he was his new hero.

 

"Yes, yes I will." The man relaxed as soon as he didn't have to talk with adults.

 

The boy was chatting with the man while Q was still glaring at the two men who were now on his sides, and had a hand each on his hips.

 

"He's--" Q started, only to get silenced with a kiss from Alec.

 

"Not you and not even close to be on our radars," James whispered in Q's ear, drumming his fingers on his side. "So, how about we let our little treasure and his new teacher get acquainted and we get to properly introduce our bodies to each other?"

 

Q nudges Alec away so he could facepalm. "That was... I don't even know where to begin."

 

"With your clothes on the bedroom floor," offered Alec, grinning. "Adam, do you wanna get to know your teacher better? Maybe even start with a two--"

 

"Three," James whispered.

 

"Three hour meet and greet? Like test him to see if he is to your liking or at least as smart as you are since I am pretty sure that old b-"

 

"Alec," Q interjected, pinching Alec's nipple.

 

"Bat, I wanted to say bat, I promise," Alec whined.

 

Adam nodded vigorously at the offer and looked expectantly at Jonathan. "Very well, Adam. Let's go and I will show you the library where we will have our lessons..."

 

"Thank you, daddy!" The boy hugged Q tightly and was off with the young man in seconds, chatting about the library and asking what were his most favourite books.

 

"Now then... Finally alone!" James was sucking on Q's bottom lip in seconds while Alec was already tugging the shirt Q had on from his trousers.

 

"Let's..." Q couldn't stop his groan even if he wanted when Alec finally reached his target in Q's pants. "Oh god..." He rested his head against James'. "Let's move this to the bedroom...."

 

"Oh yes, bedroom," James said softly, mobbing on Q's earlobe as his hand sneaked up the man’s chest. "We can't have anyone but us see your face lost in pleasure."

 

Q growled, hips buckling because of what Alec was doing. “If you keep this up, I am not going to make it there and then I will simply have to watch the two of you."

 

"We can take turns doing that. You watch us, I watch you, he watches us and so on." Alec squeezed and Q moaned loudly, James grabbing his hands to keep him from covering his mouth. “Don't rob us of that, please."

 

"Oh please, please, please..." Q was moaning continuously by then. Being in celibacy for 5 years and having only his own two hands and a few gadgets and then sharing the bed with two agents left him touch deprived with too many hours in the shower.

 

James was muttering about things that were placed on the way while Alec was still manipulating the Quartermaster and making him emit obscene sounds.

 

Finally reaching the bedroom, James fell on his back, pulling Q and Alec after him. They kissed, long and deep, Alec tugging Q's pants off as he moved behind him, pushing his hip forward, drawing a moan from both James and Q.

 

"This is better in real life than in my head," Alec whispered, biting down on Q's ear, moving his hands down his chest and to his hips. But he didn't touch Q there again, not just yet. He dropped his hands over James' pants and started to slowly unzip them, rocking his hips against Q.

 

"You bloody tease. Please, just...Ngh..." Q struggled to form coherent thoughts and words, but it was as if his brain shut down.

 

"Patience is a virtue..." Alec smirked and pulled his and Q's belts from the loops. "We don't want James to hoard all the attention onto himself now do we?" He quickly and skillfully looped one of the belts round James's wrists and the next one around the bedpost.

 

The other man tugged at the makeshift cuffs and frowned. "What is it that you are planning on playing, Alec? It is hardly fair!"

 

"Tigr, you know I never play fair. And this idea was given to me by our darling Gabriel and I am kind enough to let you give him the proper spanking." He leaned against Q's back and gave him a light tap on his exposed ass, eyes rolling in the back of his head as the man under him let out a shaky gasp mixed with a moan. "Do you like that?"

 

"If you carry on like this, I'll--"

 

"Daddy!" Adam's voice came not too far away from the doors and they all just froze. "Mister Jonathan, do you know which door it is?"

 

Alec jumped from behind Q and rushed to get their pants zipped up, Q and James focusing on trying to get the belt open.

 

"Adam, maybe we shouldn't--"

 

"I'll try this one," the boy announced just as Q decided to throw the blankets over James, pushing Alec to the floor before he could shove the pillow over his face in an attempt to fully hide him. "Daddy, look at..." He trailed off and blinked, trying to understand why Alec was doing push ups on the floor and why Q was patting a tied up James' head. "Why is James tied up, daddy? And why is your neck so red?"

 

"Um... About those birds and the bees, Adam... I think..." Q stammered.

 

Adam made a gagging sound again and fled while Jonathan just mustered a quick. "My apologies." And fled as well.

 

It was clear that babysitter was not going to help them in the matter.

 

Notes:

Tigr (тигр) - tiger