Agent Chetiri

Chapter 30

Never think of pain or danger or enemies a moment longer than is necessary to fight them.

-Ayn Rand

_____________________________________________________________________________

(December 8, 2013- 10:30 AM)

Q crept into the bedroom quietly, trying to make as little noise as he could. He had woken up roughly an hour ago and left to go find breakfast for both of them. In the end, he finally emerged out of Monaco's various cafés with a cup of coffee, several pastries, and his cup of tea.

He set down the food and stared at Alexa's sleeping form on the bed. As he watched her, he decided it would not be the best idea to wake her. Last night had been a late, yet eventful night. By the end of it, she was soundly asleep with no intention of being woken up.

His shoes clicked loudly against the floor as he stepped without thinking, and he cursed quietly, looking down at his feet. Within moments, there was a flurry of activity on the bed and Alexa shot up, pointing a gun at him. It was an odd sight to see, really; a woman clutching at the sheets while pointing a gun at her unannounced visitor.

"Don't shoot, it's just me," Q said, holding up his hands. She stared at him in utter confusion, as if she was attempting to figure out what was going on, and immediately put the gun on the table.

"Sorry," she said, running a hand through her hair. "Where did you go?"

"I went out to grab breakfast, since it looked like you didn't intend on waking up," Q said as he headed to the bed and sat with her.

"How sweet. You really should stop leaving me unannounced, though. I might accidentally fire the next time," she mumbled as she rested her head against his shoulder.

"I suppose that's fair. Care for some food?" he asked as he held up a bagel. Her stomach made a sudden, yet audible growl before she could speak, causing her to laugh aloud.

"Sounds wonderful," she said as she took the bread and cheese. The fragrant aroma of freshly baked bread filled her nostrils, and she gratefully took a bite of her meal as Q drank his tea. He sipped his tea thoughtfully for a moment before turning to face her.

"So?" he said. She was caught off guard by his word and turned to face him.

"So what?" Alexa replied, looking puzzled.

"I'm presuming that it would be wise to go through today's mission," he said as he set the cup on the table. Her eyes brightened up and she rose to grab a pile of papers off the desk.

"We arrive separately, at staggered intervals. You'll be first, and you find Adler and catch her interest. I'll make sure her associates don't interfere. Once you see me enter, I'll take her from there," she said as she picked up the files. "Simple enough, right?"

Q did not answer her and she turned around with arms akimbo, staring at him in confusion. "Well?" she said. He was silent and appeared to be thinking about something else. Her frown deepened and she folded her arms across her chest.

"You're staring at me again, aren't you? Q, you really shouldn't feel awkward when I walk around in my undergarments anymore. You've seen me in less," she sighed as she tossed one of his shirts over her head. Alexa turned once more to grab another folder and heard his voice behind her once more.

"It's not that," he finally said. "It's just that you never told me why the Agency gave you a scar there."

She froze in the middle of grabbing the folder and set it down, initially not knowing what to say. "You noticed it just now?" Alexa said, without turning around.