M

Her eyebrows rose up at his mention of having toe retreive an egg. "Well that just sounds like the most messed up home ec class ever." She joked with a sip of her own wine wet curls sticking to the side of her neck and shoulders. "But did you get your egg?" She asked with a cocked eyebrow, teasing him.

When he smiled at her after she spoke, it hit her with an unexpected feeling of warmth that took her by surprise. She couldn’t quite pinpoint when it had shifted between them, only that she was now quite aware that it had. Before she let herself examine it too closely, she gave him a warm smile in return focusing instead on the show they were about to watch and the delicious snack she’d help him make to enjoy while they did. It was too risky to let herself feel anything more.

Then he was picking up the plate and asking her to bring the wine. “Yes, of course, I’m happy to help.” She said, grabbing the wine in one hand and balancing their glasses in the other. Muscle memory from her jobs in college taking over, allowing easy balance. “I’m really looking forward to this. Especially now that we have a snack.” She added with a soft laugh.

Corinne accompanied him to the living room, admiring again how the layout felt homey and comfortable. She followed suit and set the bottle and glasses down near the plate he’d set down on the coffee table.

“I’d actually love a blanket.” She replied, her smile reflected in her eyes. “Thank you.” She added softly. “It’s really beginning to feel a lot more like I used to at home.” Though the company was a definitely a new addition. It was easy, so easy in fact it had snuck up on her how effortless it felt. She would later maybe try to reason it was simply feeling grateful for having a safe place to stay in a foreign country. Though she wasn’t entirely sure she’d be able to dismiss it that easily. In the short time since she’d been staying with him, Corinne had started to see a very different side of Gareth. He was warm and engaging with her, it intrigued her in a way she never saw coming.

“Here you go.” He offered Corinne a soft smile and put the blanket on her side of the sofa. Its colours were like most things in his house; navy blue with occasional green and red stripes. Made of wool, because he couldn’t stand polyester. “Well, either way we are going to be smarter by the end of it.” He chuckled and sat down on the sofa, almost tempted to put his feet on the coffee table but refraining from doing so. Instead he leaned forward to open the bottle of wine and pour them both a glass.

"If they annoy you I might have to break out the hose, or maybe I'll have to invest in a watergun.... specifically for you to shoot them with." She teased. The fact he was already talking about making steaks on the barbecue for them all made Maria all soft and warm inside.

"I know you are." Maria was beaming ear to ear as she looked at him. As much as she loved curling up, or sitting in the sun and reading, she was also a sociable creature. She always had been, partly because of the house she'd grown up in. She liked a party, she still loved the church fairs, fundraising events, and pub quizzes. She wasn't one that had ever gone clubbing or anything of the sort but she did enjoy the pub. She enjoyed doing things like cocktail making with Eve and some of the girls from the secretarial pool. She loved the time her, Eve and Q had dragged Tanner chocolate making at Christmas. She liked being surrounded by people having fun, people feeling joy and even better if she was part of it. It was just who she was. It's why she felt so much pride when she made Gareth smile or laugh.

Her world had imploded in that second. Her heart had broken, shattered. Her soul had been torn from her and that's why her scream had echoed in the lift.

"I-" She was going to apologise but she stopped herself and instead looked up at him. "I don't think there's any other way I could have, would have reacted Gareth. My whole world imploded and collapsed like a dying star in those, those seconds. Other people might have handled it with grace, might have been able to hold themselves together. All I could do was get myself to the archives." She didn't think he was necessarily blaming her for the fact that people had been staring, or for the fact that she'd drawn attention to the situation. She needed him to know that there had been no thought in her reaction. No thought in her flight, in the noise, in her locking herself away. It had been instinctual.

Maria looked over at him, when he suggested using himself as bait. She imagined the reaction in her gut was the same one he would have if she suggested using herself as bait. If she suggested testing landmines. It was instinct in her to say no, to protest, but instead she quieted it.

"I don't like the idea of you using yourself as bait." Maria said calmly, clearly. She wanted him to know it wasn't she didn't trust him, it wasn't she thought he might change his mind about loving her. This was entirely about the risk to him. "My biggest problem with that plan, as good and simple as it seems, is we don't know her motivation. If it's revenge, this could backfire spectacularly."

Kindersley did not send for her. The GOI made no reappearance. Not to her knowledge, anyway.

She knew that some other agent must already be filling in for her. It wasn't as though medical anomalies ceased to exist just because Dr. Vera Nair was out of the game. But she sincerely hoped, whoever they were, they were treated well. She was optimistic about that. None of her known predecessors had been forced into the position, it was only Vera who had been effectively held hostage throughout her term.

In a sense, she was still a hostage. There was no news about Tom. None that she could find. None that Gareth had discovered and thought to impart.

And Vera wanted to be with Gareth. She wanted to stay with him.

But staying anywhere was hard. They had no genuine confirmation that she was safe in his home, certainly not beyond the gate.

Even in the overgrown garden, where Vera built a tiny house beneath the wild hydrangeas, a house that could only be seen when the two of them lay sprawled out on a blanket on the grass with their books, Vera had trouble feeling safe. She couldn't stop worrying that she'd gotten Gareth into danger—even more than his own occupation usually provided.

Vera curled her knees beneath Gareth's desk, the rest of her read one of his books in ray of sunlight.

One benefit of living with Gareth, staying with Gareth, at least, was that she had access to his library. Every once in a while, she'd sit up just long enough to rest her head on his thigh or read a passage aloud.

"'All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a Thousand Enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you, digger, listener, runner, prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed.'"

She had read Watership Down before. Long, long ago. This reading felt more timely than ever.

Now, every distant siren and knock at the door left Vera reaching for her weapon.

Just in case.

Gareth reached out, a gentle hand placed on Vera’s upper arm. It had been odd two weeks. Ever since they had left the hospital, he hadn’t been able to stop looking over his shoulder. Likewise Vera. His house was safe, he liked to think, but he was quite sure that whoever really did want to get in, was able to do so eventually. Weirdly enough, however, nothing had happened so far. He wasn’t sure what to make of it: glad that no one had attacked them, or prepare for the worst? Were they trying to have them think they were safe and become sloppy? Or had they really given up pursuing them? No, he couldn’t believe the latter. Why should they? Surely they were going to strike eventually. The question was, when? And how?

❝Mm'n now now, don't be like that, you should be thanking your lucky stars that I decided to return to my old hunting grounds. After all, I'm the one that's keeping the lights on at MI6. Without me, you'd be sat at home all alone collecting dust... like a discarded china doll seconds away from CRACKING it's other knee.❞