OTA

[quartermaster_q]

Q had managed to remain out of the field for a bit now, confined to his lab and Q branch, quite happily. In fact his world, as a whole, had been delightfully calm. He and Bond had spent the holiday abroad, doing things the office didn't need to know about... And he'd returned to London uncharacteristically chipper.

Today he was at a cafe not far from the office, hiding behind his laptop as usual- However, he seemed slightly less closed off than usual. Where he usually blended into the background, or made a point of not engaging with the world, today.... Today, however, he seemed interested, watching people pass by out the window, and even occasionally glancing up to see who was coming and going in the cafe.

In fact, he was so engaged with the world, that he didn't notice his laptop screen flicker strangely before returning to normal.

Comments

[alcuin]

Alcuin saw Q from across the cafe. He hesitated for a long time. He honestly did not really want to talk to him. Q didn't like him, after all, he'd made no secret of it. And he probably had heard about what happened to Hannibal, but Alcuin felt he owed it to him to make sure. After all, they'd had him and James over for dinner once. And Q had always seemed to like Hannibal, even if as far as Alcuin knew they hadn't been in contact much lately.

Finally, he gathered some resolve and walked over.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you," he said, steeling himself for a negative reaction to his presence.

[quartermaster_q]

Q's smile faded almost instantly, though he was polite as he ever managed to be as he offered a short nod.

"It's fine, I'm not currently busy. What can I do for you, Alcuin?" he asked.

Yes, he'd heard about Hannibal. ...And yes, he had suspicions.

[alcuin]

Seeing the way that Q's smile faded made Alcuin feel terrible. So much time had passed that he hoped that Q might not be quite as wary of him. After all, his fears hadn't come to pass. But perhaps he still expected Alcuin to explode any moment.

He glanced around, and then sat down in the chair next to him. To get closer, not because he intended to stay long.

"I only wanted to make sure you'd heard about Hannibal," he said quietly. "I'm guessing so."

[quartermaster_q]

Q nodded, and though he didn't trust Alcuin, he wasn't heartless. No matter what his worries or suspicions were.

"I'm sorry for your loss," the young quartermaster said softly.

[alcuin]

Alcuin's eyes dropped to the table. "Thank you."

Then he said, "You know he was murdered?" The police had officially ruled it arson now. With no leads. No one knew a damn thing.

[quartermaster_q]

"I'm aware," Q nodded, though it was impossible to tell if Q believed that. The quartermaster had quite the poker face when he needed to.

"I imagine they're looking into his patients. ...And you."

[alcuin]

"Yes," Alcuin confirmed. "And this time I don't have a knife wound to suggest my innocence. Though I also don't have a motive." It wasn't as if he needed Hannibal's money, after all.

[quartermaster_q]

"Not one they'd have the combined sense to look for anyway," Q replied, dismissing both the police, and the easy assumption that Alcuin must be innocent. Q knew the world was far more complex than that.

"Do you have a suspect then?" he asked, willing to hear the man out, even if he didn't trust him.

[alcuin]

"No," said Alcuin, quiet, truthful. "He isn't like Anafiel, he didn't have... enemies." Short hesitation, then, "But he has had a problem with obsessed patients before. And I know that he probably wouldn't want me to investigate it myself, but... it's hard. To do nothing." After all, look what had happened when he'd tried to investigate Anafiel's death. Someone had ended up dead.

[hardertohide]

About two minutes after that flicker he had not noticed, Dutch slid into the seat across from him, putting down her bag and wrinkling her nose at him, a new mug in hand. "What's up with you? I've just got past your firewalls and you haven't even noticed."

[quartermaster_q]

"What?" Q asked, looking at his laptop, then tapping away and frowning deeply as he set about removing any trace of Dutch from his system.

"Rude," he muttered, glancing at her again, then hesitating as he showed the very thin and dainty, silver band of a wedding ring he now wore- Before holding it up to his lips.

It had happened, yes, but they weren't advertising that fact.

[hardertohide]

"Oh, wow," Dutch stated, surprised. She took a sip from her coffee, kept the mug in both hands. (It helped to hide the slight tremor in them from her hangover.) "I didn't think you'd buy into the whole marriage institution."

[quartermaster_q]

Q shrugged one shoulder, then closed his laptop.

"It wasn't something I ever thought I'd do," he confessed.

[hardertohide]

"But you're happy," Dutch checked, although it wasn't intoned like a question.

[quartermaster_q]

"More than," Q said softly. "I didn't know how I would feel after- If I'd feel trapped or overwhelmed, but- It's good. Really good."

[hardertohide]

"Congratulations, then," Dutch stated, genuinely. She didn't get it, but she'd never had a healthy, lasting relationship in her life. "How's things at work?"

If he didn't want to talk about it here, she trusted him to evade answering.

[quartermaster_q]

"Miserable," Q replied honestly. "To describe my budget as shoestring would be an understatement. The fact that Bond still has a job at all is nothing short of a miracle."

[just_hex]

Since he'd straightened out his medications and the nausea pills were working, Hex had found a renewed interest in eating and running. He'd done his running earlier and had showered and changed and he found he was ravenous for something full of protein and a nice cuppa to go with. He spotted Q in the window and wore a smile as he came in.

"Good to see you, mate," he smiled. "Can I join you?"

[quartermaster_q]

Looking up, Q took in the other man's appearance. Sober, healthy weight, focused, back into a regular routine... Good. This was good. Danny had been a gamble, to be honest, but clearly a good one.

"Of course," the young quartermaster replied, closing his laptop and moving it slightly to one side. "It's always nice to see you, Hex."

[just_hex]

"It's really good to see you, too. It's been a while," he said, ducking his chin and rubbing the back of his neck as he thought of that awful night when he'd last seen Q. It had been a turn around, though. A good moment in the end. Still, he was embarrassed.

"How've you been? How was your holiday?"

[quartermaster_q]

"I've been well, and my holiday was... Well, lovely," Q admitted, hesitating, and then showing Hex his hand.

He didn't wear the ring always, definitely not at work. It was there though. Small, dainty, silver looking. A very thin band that meant so much to him.

[just_hex]

"Bollocks. No way," he said in amazement, taking hold of Q's hand to see. "You did it? He finally got of his arse and did it?"

[quartermaster_q]

"We got off our arses, yes," Q nodded, since Bond certainly hadn't been alone in dragging his feet. "We decided it was time. The future is so uncertain, so we have to embrace the now."

[just_hex]

"Exactly right," Hex nodded, then let Q's hand go. "Congratulations. I'm really happy for you, mate."

The server came over and Hex ordered a pastrami sandwich on rye and a cup of tea then looked to Q.

"Want anything more?" he asked. "Warm cup at least?"

[quartermaster_q]

"Another cup of tea would be lovely, yes. Thank you," Q added with a warm smile that should have looked out of place on the often cold and detached Quartermaster's face- and yet didn't.