Chapter Text
DOCTOR'S ORDERS
Meretseger
** The poem, Tanaka, etc are taken from the book 'You Only Live Twice' so the poem was 'actually' written by Connery's Bond - in Japanese. Bond got a double first in Oriental languages. Bond drinking saki by the glassful (much to the disapproval of his hosts) is also from the book.
In this AU omegas don't have heats - they have the Human standard of concealed ovulation and instead of bonding they Imprint - like baby Humans and animals do.**
Doctor Jameson took a deep breath and straightened his back. Deep breathes were supposed to help with the butterflies in your stomach but it didn't help him. He got up and put on his white lab coat ready for the rest of his day's work, hoping it would bolster his authority but all it felt like was a soldier putting on a flak jacket. He sat down again and tried not to let his fingers tap on the desk top. It was almost a relief when his nurse announced the presence of 007.
The doctor looked up as James Bond walked into his office; even unshaven, exhausted and drawn the man radiated power. Bond might be half-dead but he was still dressed in one of his bespoke suits and walked like a large predator - and not a tired one. Even here, in the safety of MI6 headquarters 007 did not relax and if you didn't know him well you would never be able to tell that the man was shivering on the brink of a nervous and physical breakdown.
Even though it was sheer will power that was keeping him upright Bond didn't sit down until the Chief Psychiatrist of the British Secret Service invited him to. He never liked showing any weakness to anybody and Psych Branch was at the top of his 'Never Ever Show Them Any Weakness' list. Not that sitting down helped much, he ached in every muscle and he would have sworn that even his bones ached.
Jameson took a deep breath and got straight to the point after waving his patient to sit down. "I will not - and cannot - pass you as fit, Bond. You need an omega and until you do you will stand down!" At least he'd managed to get that statement out. He wasn't sure how the rest of the conversation would go. All the agents of MI6 were difficult to handle but the double 0's were not only difficult but dangerous. And 007 was quite possibly the most dangerous since he was the longest serving of the current agents with a licence to kill; there were three other alpha double O’s in MI6 and the need for an omega could be managed for most of an agent’s life, since double O’s tended to die before the suppressants stopped working, but Bond had been on them too long and he needed an omega, not the chemical replacements. He had discussed retiring Bond with M but the head of MI6 had said he needed some one with 007’s long experience and ordered the doctor to find an omega for his most troublesome agent.
"I will not have some teenager whining for pups in my house!" The words were harsh, the cool blue eyes Artic ice.
Jameson heard the bitterness, anger and loss in the words and he felt a surge of compassion for this damaged man who was, spy or not, his patient and therefore under his care. "To do so would be a disaster for you both," he said as calmly as he could. "But you are self-aware enough to know that you need to have an omega who lives where you do. You have managed well up to now but you need one who is there all the time, whose presence is part of the feel of it, who is there when you come back from a mission." He straightened his back. "I will not pass you as fit to return to work until you have an omega and have Imprinted!"
Bond leant back into the soft padding of the chair, he had known it would come to this; he was past fighting it but he was 007 and did not give in easily - even to necessity. "Where do I find an omega who I can live with?"
"You don't," the doctor answered, glad to get on with the solution now he had forced the other man to face the problem. "I do - have actually." He slid a piece of paper towards Bond. "I have found an older male omega who needs an alpha, his name is Quintus. He's had an alpha before but he died and Quintus has been living in the Omega Centre for a couple of years. This is where and when you will be meeting."
Bond read the words on the paper and looked up, Artic ice now cold fire. "You must be bloody joking!"
"Your first meeting needs to be in neutral territory, Bond. If you don't like the look or smell of him you can just get up and walk away." What the omega thought about living with Bond was not a consideration.
"Who chose the place?" Bond demanded as he stood up, his voice mocking. " 'In front of Turner's 'The Fighting Temmeraire …'."
"I did," Jameson answered. "I need you to take this seriously." Sitting looking at the old warship being towed away to be broken up might just get it into Bond's mind that this was serious and not just some whim of Psych Branch to bedevil double 0's. That admission earned him a glare and he was relieved when Bond said nothing and just left the room, anger adding to his deadly prowl.
The art gallery was fairly quiet in the late morning of a week day and Bond sat down and glared at the painting. He liked Turner but having to look at the glorious old battleship being taken to the breaker's yard soured his mood even further. If the sturdy little tug pulling the old wooden giant had been real Bond's glare would have scarred its paintwork. Almost deliberately the paint remained unscathed and the golden yellow sunlight behind the ships seemed to promise a new day. At two minutes past the appointed time Bond gathered his strength to stand; if the omega didn't turn up it wasn't his fault. He wilfully ignored the fact that he needed to have an omega and if he didn't get one he would be made to stay in London - and not see out the next month. And then a young man - an omega - sat down next to him. He seemed young, too young to be his promised omega, so he went to stand.
"I'm Quintus, Mr Bond." The voice was pleasantly deep, educated. "What do you see?"
"A bloody big ship!" Never let anybody say James Bond gave in easily. He looked over at the pale skin and dark hair. He noticed the boy's eyes were hazel-green behind the dark rimmed spectacles. "You've got spots!" Was all he could think to say.
He could never quite clearly remember the rest of that first conversation. He was the alpha, he was the one who was supposed to take control of the conversation but somehow that never quite happened. This omega, it seemed, was no teenager whining for pups. In fact he smelt pleasantly of something citrusy (Bond's memory supplied bergamot and Early Grey tea) mixed with a distant smoky scent, as if of the peat fires of his childhood home.
Decision made Bond stood up, begrudgingly acknowledging that even just sitting next to this omega made him feel better. "You will do," he said bluntly. "Will you be content to live with me?" No matter how bad he felt, no matter the rules about omega obedience he was not going to force himself on an unwilling companion.
Quintus looked up at him, his eyes blinking behind the lenses of his glasses. "Does what I think matter, Mr Bond?"
"If you are miserable I don't think your being there is going to do me much good, do you? And call me James."
A faint smile and a flush of red on pale skin. "I would like to be with you … " the barest of hesitations, "James."
Bond nodded. "I'll let them know." He stood up and walked away, the lingering scent of bergamot in his nose. As soon as he was outside the art gallery he rang Doctor Jameson and okayed the process for getting him an omega. Feeling better, even after only ten minutes with Quintus, Bond hailed a taxi and went back to his flat. If he was to have a permanent guest he needed to make some arrangements. He had just taken off his coat when a text message informed him that Quintus would be brought to him at ten the next morning.
Arrangements made the chief psychiatrist signed the paper work approving 007 for future missions and sent it on up to the Chief of Staff.
*********************************************************************
"If you will sign here Mr Bond?" the plain clothes guard who had brought Quintus to Bond's home held out a clipboard and a ball point pen. Bond signed, handed back the board and took the envelope he was given in return. "All his papers are in there, sir, and there's a thumb drive with all his history with us and a full medical file. If you have any questions or problems our contact number and email address are on the first page."
Bond nodded and showed the man out. He turned to look at his omega who was standing with his head bowed, staring at the carpet. He had a suitcase and overnight bag at his feet. He was rather skinny but Bond had no interest in his weight even though the typical alpha liked the typical omega to look well feed and fertile. As far as 007 was concerned the only reason he had accepted the fact that he had to have an omega in his house was so that he could keep his licence to kill; he planned to ignore the younger man's presence as much as possible. It would be useful having him around for relieving his tension when he got back from a mission. But he still planned to spend time with one of his lovers while he was on leave.
"I'll show you to the bedroom." The scent of bergamot and wood smoke was pleasant behind him as Bond walked through the flat. "That's the bathroom, toilet, and this is ours." He stopped just inside the room. "Make yourself at home." He left the omega to unpack and was on his way back to the kitchen when his mobile phone rang. "Bond." He listened, pleased at being called back to duty. Quintus hadn't been in his flat more than ten minutes but his inner-alpha was happy and he felt energised and ready to move. "Japan? Very well sir. I'll be there in an hour." He broke the connection and turned back to the bedroom.
"I've been called in for an emergency," Bond told Quintus, who nodded calmly at the news. "I don't know how long I'll be away so I'll leave a contact name and number for you. If there's any trouble ring Miss Moneypenny and she'll fix whatever the problem is."
"Have a safe trip, James." Quintus had been informed that his new alpha had some kind of high-security job (don't ask!).
Bond was surprised at being assigned a mission so soon after acquiring his omega but he knew his way around Japan and had a personal friend in the Japanese Secret Service.
Bond liked Japan; the cities were bustling, noisy, light and people filled places, the countryside quiet and orderly, a miniature delight to the eye; he also liked the Japanese people - they were driven, ambitious, intelligent and had managed to eagerly take up Western ideas without loosing their national identity. Their comics peopled with characters as heart-breakingly beautiful and sad as elves; their crime rates were low.
Bond's contact in the Japanese Secret Service called himself Tiger Tanaka because he was born in the Year of the Tiger. They were old friends and Bond was quickly shown into Tanaka's office and offered tea.
As he sipped Bond looked around the room. He spotted a hanging scroll with beautiful calligraphy and a cherry blossom tree just at the point of loosing its first blossoms. Standing, he moved closer to the scroll and read the haiku, half to himself and half to his friend.
You only live twice
Once when you're born
And once when you look death in the face
It didn't scan exactly into English and he turned to Tanaka, "Who is the artist? His brush-strokes are exquisite."
The Japanese agent sipped his tea and answered modestly, "you are too generous, James. And if my calligraphy is well done then it is only because your words inspired me." Remembering his manners James bowed.
When the tea was finished the two agents got down to the reason why Bond was in Japan. William Landsing and his son Matthew were arms dealers and rumour had it that they had been able to acquire enough fissionable material to make a hydrogen bomb big enough to wipe out any number of large Western cities; the father and son belonged to a so-called Christian sect that believed that starting World War III would also start Armageddon – which they would be the only ones to survive. The Landsings were English and Japan wanted them dealt with and so 007 had been sent to find the radioactive material, get it somewhere safe and then use his licence to kill.
Bond booked into the hotel where the Japanese had found out the Landsings were staying and let it be known that he wanted to talk to the arms dealers. Then all he had to do was wait.
*******************
Miss Moneypenny was working at her desk when one of her mobile phones rang. "Universal Exports, Miss Moneypenny speaking. How can I help you?"
"Ma'am? This is Quintus - Mr Bond's omega, he said to call you? I'm so hungry, ma'am, so very hungry. I'm sorry to bother you but I don't know who else to call." The voice was unfamiliar but 007 had told her about his omega. The poor lad sounded as if he had been crying and was now afraid and desperate.
"No, you were right to call," Eve said, keeping her voice soft. "I'll get you some food, don't worry." When Bond came back she was going to give him the sharp side of her tongue; imagine leaving Quintus alone with no food. "My name's Eve. When I come round I'll ring and say who I am. Okay?" She could hear ragged breaths over the connection.
"Yes, Ma'am. Thank you, Ma'am." Quintus broke the connection and Moneypenny went to inform M of Bond's carelessness.
The head of MI6 was not at all surprised at 007's neglect of the omega he had been given. Bond hadn't wanted an omega and saw having one as merely a way to get back onto the active duties list. "I leave it up to you, Miss Moneypenny. Use a company credit card for any purchases you need and use whatever personnel you think appropriate." His secretary didn't need him tell her what needed doing.
Miss Moneypenny thanked M and went back to her desk to make some calls. She'd need transport, someone from Q Branch to handle the security of Bond's flat and somebody from Medical to check on Quintus's health. It took an hour but Eve knocked on Bond's front door while she was on the phone to Quintus to let him know who was knocking. He let them in and she was shocked at how thin the young man was.
Doctor Jameson himself had come out to see to the omega, feeling that he had some responsibility for the situation - he should have made sure that Bond wasn't sent out on the same day his omega was delivered or at least made sure that he had made arrangements for Quintus to be looked after and he was upset at the results of his carelessness; as Bond's omega Quintus was as much his responsibility as his alpha was. He was aware of how authoritarian the rules were in the Omega Centres and the omega probably hadn’t dared even turn on the heating without asking permission.
The doctor steered Quintus back to the settee where he had obviously been huddled under a blanket to try and keep warm. "Miss Moneypenny can you and Ms Thomas heat up the soup in the pack I brought. And some one turn on the heating!”
Eve and the young woman from Q Branch headed for the kitchen, turning on the air conditioning before doing anything else. The soup was in a plastic container and went in the microwave. While it was warming up the two women looked through the cupboards and fridge. Shaking their heads when they saw that the only thing Bond kept plenty of was scotch.
When the soup was warm enough to eat Eve poured it into a bowl and put a spoon and a paper napkin with it on a tray that already had the pack of canteen sandwiches open and took it into the main room of the flat.
Doctor Jameson had done a quick check on the omega and found the young man well enough; at least there had been tea to drink and he had used as much milk and sugar as he could in his efforts to stave of his hunger for as long as he could. "You're okay," he assured the clearly worried omega. "I've got some soup and a sandwich for you. Eat it slowly." The young woman from Q Branch had checked the air conditioning system and turned it on - Bond had not even thought to check it to make sure his omega was warm enough, even though the weather had turned cold on the day he was delivered.
The doctor sat and watched to make sure Quintus ate slowly. He picked up the envelope that had come with the omega; the young man looked like he'd been fed properly in the Omega Centre, even though his weight was below that recommended for young and fertile omegas, that didn’t matter here but even so he wanted to check that everything else was alright.
Quintus 's first alpha had already had a grown-up family so he had not wanted pups, just an omega to serve his sexual needs after his first omega, the mother of his children, had died in an accident, so Quintus had been sterilised before being sent to him. Which was the reason Jameson had selected him for Bond from all the available omegas.
When he finished eating Quintus felt much better but so very tired. He fought to keep his eyes open but Dr Jameson just smiled and told him to have a nap for a little while and they would talk later. Feeling much better now he wasn't hungry and cold and re-assured by the presence of the others he pulled the blanket up to his chin and let himself drift off into sleep.
Dr Jameson collected the tray from the coffee table and took it into the kitchen. He smiled when he noticed the kettle was boiling and mugs set out on the bench-top. He sat down at the table and plugged the thumb drive into his lap top so he could start a proper check of Quintus's health records. He'd been assured that the omega was healthy but he wanted to be sure. He had worked for MI6 a long time and knew all about making up fake medical paperwork.
"How is he?" Eve asked as she sipped at her tea.
"Physically he'll be okay when he starts eating properly. But he hasn't really been given a chance to settle in here and - more importantly - get used to being with 007." Jameson drank tea and shook his head. "Which is my fault. I okayed Bond's return to active status but I should have made sure M understood that they needed some time together before Bond was sent out on a mission."
Miss Moneypenny nodded but said, "Bond has a special relationship with one of Japan's top security people and he's at ease with the language and customs; he was the one we had to send."
"Mmm," Jameson knew that national security was the agents' reason for doing what they had to so he let the matter drop. "But we need to do something about Quintus. He needs looking after and some company. He's not used to being alone all day and night,"
"I have a suggestion," Ms Thomas from Q Branch said carefully. "I did the background checks when 007 bought this flat. The woman who lives across the hall, Ms Winterborough, used to work for MI5. She's an alpha but being older 007 shouldn't see her as a threat and her omega, Humphrey, would be company for Quintus."
"That's a good idea," Eve said as she stood up. "I'll go and talk to her straightaway."
It took barely ten minutes for Miss Moneypenny to convince Ms Winterborough to agree to looking after Bond's omega and she and Humphrey followed Eve back across the hall.
Doctor Jameson liked Ms Winterborough - she might be elderly but her eyes were still sharp and her omega looked relaxed and at ease. Humphrey went to sit by Quintus once the initial introductions were over, leaving the others to make any decisions. He sat down in a comfortable chair and relaxed back into its padding. He could not make any decisions himself but he knew his alpha would ask him what he thought was best for the much younger and left-alone omega so he wanted to have his reasons ready for when she asked. He would have liked to take Quintus into his own home while Mr Bond was away but he knew that wouldn't be possible. Still, knowing that there was an alpha and an omega just across the hallway who would come if he called would make Quintus fell more at ease; he would suggest that Quintus went with them when they went out shopping or for a walk and that the young omega ate dinner with them; he would also suggest that he sit with Quintus in the afternoons for a couple of hours and watch television.
"Quintus will need food," Eve said as she served more tea. "Can you take him with you when you shop?"
"Of course," Ms Winterborough said with a smile. "You say he was in a relationship but he's been in the Omega Centre for a couple of years?" When the doctor nodded she said, "he'll probably be a bit unsure outside so Humphrey will be able to help him settle in and I'm sure they will enjoy cooking together."
"Thank you," Doctor Jameson said, feeling that Quintus would be well looked after. "I'm afraid that Bond did not really want an omega and he has been rather careless."
Ms Winterborough had her own opinion of an alpha who didn't look after his omega but that was none of her business, There was one thing about working for one of the security services, even in an administrative position, you learnt very quickly when it was best to keep your opinions to yourself and your mouth shut.
"If you would do any shopping for Quintus, ma'am." Eve said as she and the others stood up to leave, "let me know what you spend and I'll reimburse your bank account." She put her Universal Exports business card down on the table.