Eve’s not stupid, she expects her fellow double oh to have a smooth tongue, but this feels like something more than years of practice at being suave. Maybe she’s being silly, but they feel remarkably close to being an established thing at this point. After all, it’s not even the night after an assignment and she’s waking up in his bed.

Having ignored multiple calls from Eve, James expects to see her when he reluctantly opens the door. Instead he’s confronted with the last person he wants to see. He hardly has the patience for Walsh at the best of times, let alone now. He can only assume that Eve told Walsh to check on him. Like the well-trained lapdog that he seems to be these days.

She hugged her mother tightly, the scared little girl feeling secure and safe in her arms. Mathilde unfortunately knew that it wouldn’t always be enough, not if people actually came for them, but for now it was good. 

They’re the first words out of his mouth when they reunite. The decision to split up had made sense at the time - had been the right move - but Ian looks even more concerned than usual when she gets into the passenger seat of the car.

Eve doesn’t know whether she should believe him. There’s an earnest look in his eyes, but she swears she saw that before at Cambridge and look how that had ended. She wants him to be telling the truth, but she’s wary. She can’t shoot him down, though. That kiss they shared has been playing on her mind since it happened. As has him saying he’s still in love with her.

Nighttime in Paris is cooler than she’d expected. Silly, really, that she’d decided it would be much warmer than London and she’s suffering the consequences now as she exits the hotel wearing just her dress and a shawl. Or rather, she was before Ian offered up his jacket. 

She slips her arms into the jacket, pushing the sleeves up once it’s on to stop it from being comically big on her. “Thanks, Walshy,” she replies with a soft smile. It’s been an enjoyable evening, even if it was just spent on reconnaissance. Six’s rather tired cover of being newlyweds is remarkably less tedious when partnered with someone she actually enjoys spending time with.

She’s less surprised by his words than by the fact that he’s chosen to confess this now. They’re serious, there’s no denying that (and why would Eve want to deny it in the first place?), but neither of them is in mortal danger. Far from it, lounging on a beach in Spain. Eve’s actually using her holiday time for once in her life.

She shouldn’t have gone into the field. Even just for one mission. Even though it was meant to be routine. Just pass a hard drive over, she’d been told. It would be perfectly straightforward, home before the weekend. It was selfish, really, that she had agreed. And now look where it’s got her. She’s almost angrier with herself than her captors. Though angry is a strong word with how exhausted and beaten she feels.

She can hardly believe her eyes when Ian comes storming through the door, only stopping once he’s reached her. He unties her bonds quickly, and Eve stands still in shock for a moment before she regains her senses and rubs her wrists tenderly momentarily before throwing her arms around his neck.