#pre-skyfall

[earlgreyinpajamas]

Hi,

First of all, THANK YOU for your amazing 00Q recs! No matter one’s mood and want of an angle there is always a guaranteed good read to be fund! Or refund, as is more and more often the case 😉

I was hoping you could help me find a fic in which Q is a (perhaps even THE) quartermaster prior to/during the Casino Royal mission and manages to warn Bond about Vesper’s double game ahead of it becoming the canon betrayal. I think Q might also be a Holmes and that the fic also continues through the Quantum storyline… but I am not 100 % certain the last two.

If you don’t know this fic, then perhaps you have others which lets Q work his quatermasterly magic (professionally and personally) at an earlier point, thereby easing James’ life as a double-oh.

Thank you,

Mia

i am so sorry but i've never heard of the fic you were refering to. does anyone out there know it?

but these are my alternative recs

the ghosts still left behind by pdameron (@slverjohn)

Nine hundred miles away from where the man who will be Q sits grieving his sister, James Bond hears the story of a young woman who would have done anything to keep her little brother safe, even if it meant betraying the man she loved.

Even if it meant sacrificing her own life for his.

****

a Q origin story masquerading as another "Vesper is Q's sister" fic.

~~~

the PAIN in this fic!11!1!1! q joins q branch at a much earlier point that skyfall and he helps bond out of a tough spot as a much more junior q-brancher in this fic

2. Risk ratio by withered (@everything-withered)

Bond is dangerous.

Never to England. Never to the Crown. Never to MI6.

But everyone else is in the blast zone.

Q included.

~~~

i dont know if you've read this one, but it's another fic with a scene where q handles bond pre-q

3. The Inevitability of Time by rainboze00

"Excuse me, may I sit here?"

The train rocks back and forth gently as Bond's blue eyes scan the young man in front of him.

"You may." He says with a smirk and the man gives a darting smile before taking off his sling bag and sitting. Closing his menu Bond watches the other close, up and down.

Lovely dark curls that bounce lightly and tired shining greens hidden behind stylish frames. The spots that indicate youthfulness only made him cuter in the blonde's eyes.

~~~

and lastly i've found this, which is probably the only fic i've seen where q plays a significant role in the first two movies.

[silva-bond]

He longingly stared at the glass so close near Tiago's lips before tearing away his gaze again, looking out the window.

“Ah, hello! You must be James, yes?” Tiago got to his feet, offering a smile to the other man, gesturing for him to step in further. “Excited to begin your work here, are you?”

“Oh come now, James, no need to feel bad about it. We all get cocky every so often, and we just must move on. Besides, I can assure you that you’re not nearly as bad as I was before I joined the agency,” Tiago chuckled.

“Perhaps I should take you home, James. Unless you feel you can get a cab on your own, and not be hit by a car in the process…”

Short one this time, for safekeeping purposes.

You: He wrecked his brain, trying to come up with an intelligent answer, but the alcohol was still making it rather hard to think. "Ah," he said, biting his lip, "that would be, uh... well, I wanted to matter. To have my skills be used for a greater good. I found I had no future in the navy. Wasn't where I belonged. So I figured I'd try my luck here."

Stranger: "I see," he gave a nod. This answer was evidently one which was under the influence of the alcohol, though he supposed that it was close to what his sober answer would be. "That's all, then? No other influences, anything of the like?"

You: James was silent for a little while, figuring there was probably something else, but he couldn't come up with anything. Then he shrugged. "Does it really matter? I'm in now." He longingly stared at the glass so close near Tiago's lips before tearing away his gaze again, looking out the window. "No matter what happened today... I do intend to give this job my all, you know. I may have said some stupid things but you'll have to bear with me; I can be rather stupid sometimes. A little rash. Hotheaded. That's me."

Stranger: "You are correct there, I suppose. Once you're in, there's no easy way out of it all, really. And no need to worry about that," Tiago gave a good-natured chuckle, giving a slight shake if his head. "We all have our faults, our vices, and the like. It's just something that we must get used to, and they can certainly be used to our advantage, if used correctly."

You: He allowed himself to chuckle, too. "I suppose not today, though," he said. "I'm sorry you have to see all this. I promise it only gets out when I'm drunk. I'm usually not so fond of the whole talking thing." He wanted to curse himself, but vaguely remembered that Tiago had already reassured him quite a few times that it was alright, that he wouldn't hold it over him. Maybe he should just try and take the initiative back and make sure his last impression for the day would be a - as far as possible - good one. "If you're done with that drink you might consider going," he said, nodding at him, the words a little hesitant on his tongue because he really didn't want him to leave. "I'll go take a shower and go to bed. I'll see you at work in the morning."

Stranger: "Of course, of course," he agreed, finishing off the rest of his drink and getting to his feet. "I should probably be off to sleep, anyway, for it's going to be quite an interesting day of training tomorrow. Rest would be a good idea. I just hope that you'll be alright at work, for the training's going to be rather vigorous and the like."

You: James grimaced, getting to his feet - a little easier than before, but his footing not quite as stable as usual. He walked past Tiago and gestured for him to follow him, opening to door to the hallway. He leaned against the frame, watching him. "Yeah, I'll be good in the morning," he nodded. "Either way, for what it's worth... I had a good time tonight."

Stranger: "As did I. I'm quite pleased that you decided to come along, James, for I would've had no one to take to if you hadn't," Tiago smiled, placing the glass on the counter and heading towards the door, turning about once he was in the corridor. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."