London Light

The First Day

Danny looked up at the intimidating building in front of him. Fate was playing tricks with him, he thought. Of all the places he never wanted to visit, let alone work for, MI6 would have to be at the very top of that list. And yet, here he was, pretending to be someone he wasn't, trying to play his part in a game, he didn't understand half of. And why? Because a man recognised their resemblance? Because Alex had started something, only Danny could help stopping again? Safe Queen and country? Q had tried that line, but James had known right away that it wouldn't work on Danny.

James. Danny remembered him as the steady presence of the past three days. Q had made lists, explained connections, the routines, showed photographs, building layouts. James had made sure, Danny was well cared for. Food and drink within reach and somehow, James had understood Danny's need for physical touch. Danny smiled sadly. James let him curl up in his arms on the sofa, while Danny tried to understand Q's written instructions or commit names and faces to memory. Twice, Danny had fallen asleep in James' lap. When he woke up a few hours later, Q would be curled up on James' other side, listing a new set of instructions or discussing some of the need to know gossip from MI6.

No, it was not Queen and country Danny had in mind when he entered the building. It was the thought, however tacit, that he might come to understand an aspect of Alex' life, he never had been a part of. Never had tried to pry into, because he understood the need to keep it secret. How many times in the past months had he asked himself, what if? What if he had known? What if he could have helped? Yeah, Danny thought, helping a genius. As if. Smiling at his own stupidity, he shrugged the thoughts about the past off, concentrating on the task ahead of him.

Moneypenny happened to be in the lobby right when 'Q' came back from his mandatory leave, which had been could short because some new developments regarding Bond's latest mission needed Q's attention. Coincidentally, this same morning the papers had been reporting the assumed suicide of one Daniel Edward Holt, whose car and a few of his belongings together with an ambiguous note had been found at a solitary beach. Photographs of both Danny and one Alistair Turner were brought inside the paper, other events deemed worthier as front page news.

Danny was all to aware of the cameras following his progress through the building to M's office. Moneypenny talking with a certain kind of gravity about Bond's latest mission, while Danny followed with a worried look on his face. No need to pretend, he was genuinely worried, about the news, about how he would cope during the next hours. He had to pull this through, to help James and Q, to help himself understand what Alex had been working on and why he had been killed.

Moneypenny had repeatedly glanced at him, disbelieving. Danny couldn't blame her. After James had finished shaving him and cutting his hair, and Q had shown him how to use the contacts together with the glasses, Danny looked exactly like Q. Same height, same build, same face. Only one difference was obvious. Q happy and excited; Danny sad and worried. Perfect for what lay ahead of them.

Officially, Q and Moneypenny were being briefed in M's office on the situation regarding 007's latest mission and his subsequent disappearance. Unofficially, Mallory and Moneypenny rehearsed the upcoming events with Danny.The main incident would be the email, explaining about finding Bond's DNA in the rubble of the building, he blew up before disappearing. Danny would have to fake a breakdown, restrained of course, and would be excused from further duty that day. All in all, Danny would have to keep up appearances for a few hours, before he could leave for Q's flat. That would be his next challenge, though hopefully easier, since he only had to convince a pair of friendly cats about his good intentions. At least that was what Q had tried to make Danny believe. James had looked a lot less certain when the word 'friendly' had been said in connection with especially one of the cats. Nothing, Danny should be worrying about right now.