Deja Vu
Part One
By Aeris Jade Orion
aerisjade@worldnet.att.net
Rating: R. For Bond violence, some drinking, and insenuations.
Pairings: Bond/Weaver
Fandom: ER/Bond crossover
Beta Reader: Scotty Welles
Disclaimer: Bond belongs to Ian Fleming, and ER belongs to Warner Bros. I'm only borrowing
them for entertainment purposes such as it is.
The caged elevator opened onto the steel jungle high-rise, an unfinished structure that
stood quietly under the darkened soviet sky. The construction workers had left their tools
scattered carelessly along the steel-beamed puzzle that comprised the only floor, twenty
stories of air surrounding each of them.
The short, slim shadow covered in skintight black fatigues stepped out onto the beam,
quickly making her way from beam to beam, leaping across the three feet to the wood that
had been set up by the workers.
A soft thump echoed through the structure, and she drew her compact Heckler & Koch
automatic, staring into the dark recesses for the cause of sound. The minute seemed to
tick on forever, until she finally reholstered her weapon and moved through the plastic
curtains surrounding the half-finished room.
The moon's rays beamed directly onto the crates of weapons and the long box containing the
missing KGB computer.
Dropping her backpack to the planking, she attached the round mine to the box before
starting on the crates. Each mine snapped on easily, blinking an angry red. Picking up the
last mine, she prepared to arm it
and froze as the terrorist camp below came alive with hoots and whistles. The sound
of a gunshot rang out, followed by laughter.
She slammed the mine into place, running across the platform and beams to the waiting
elevator. The elevator started to descend as she stared out at the camp numbly, her
thoughts racing. If the camp was alerted, then 002 must have failed, which meant the
experimental flash missiles were still ready to launch.
The elevator creaked to a halt on the ground, letting her out into the cold winter night.
She paused in the shadows as she set the remote for the mines on a thirty-second
countdown. Then, slipping out of the building, she made a run for the large command
center.
Glancing into the window, she could see Greg's bloodied body laying broken next to the
spot where the two crates had been. She cursed silently as she saw the large military
truck that they had just finished loading with the two missiles. Two of the men climbed
into the front of it as it roared to life.
A spray of bullets flew by as she sprinted for the back of the truck. Sentries had spotted
her, dammit! Her shoulder jerked painfully as she dived up on the covered back, and she
was barely able to hoist herself up.
Ignoring the flow of blood, she forced herself to stand up
and found
herself staring into the eyes of Brodsky, Feral's personal bodyguard.
The brick-built man lunged at her with deadly speed as she dropped into a leg sweep and
slammed her commando knife into the back of his right lung. He let out a surprised gurgle
and died.
Behind her, the half-built structure lit the sky up as the mines went off. The entire
thing crumbed in on itself with a colossal roar, and the truck jerked under the sudden
bombardment of shrapnel.
She wiped the blade off on Brodsky's shirt with satisfaction, then turned to the first
crate. The lid was already pried open, 002's favorite knife laid on the missile. He'd come
so close to completing the mission. How had Brodsky gotten the drop on him?
The missiles' abort button stared up at her with dark barring. Pressing it would destroy
the missiles and most likely spare thousands of innocent lives. But it was meant to be
pressed while the missiles were in flight, not sitting in a crate right next to the
console.
If she pushed the button, her life would be over, but if she didn't...
No, she knew she had no choice. The thought of mission failure was unacceptable, thousands
of innocent lives could be at stake. And she was sworn to die in the line of duty, if it
came to that.
Reaching in decisively, she pushed the abort button, then spun and leaped desperately out
the rear of the truck.
The fiery blast caught her in midair, wrapping around her and twisting her for its own
deadly purpose. Her singed, twisted, unconscious body hit the ground, rolling down the
steep embankment.
Coming to a stop against an ice-covered log, the black cap she was wearing fell from her
head, exposing the short shock of red hair...
The dark man with the cruel features stepped out of the shadows, staring with satisfaction
at the distant hill where the truck had exploded.
The blood-covered agent walking up beside him. "She's dead..."
Jared Feral turned to Greg with pride. "Take the spare missile to the pad."
Then, as Greg started for the truck, Jared added, "Greg
good job."
Greg smiled darkly at him. "I'll see you in Moscow
father."
James walked into the hospital briskly. All he wanted to do was to get his fiancee home.
She was back from her mission in Russia, and despite the urgent phone call, he was sure
that her injuries were minor. He'd seen her through too many missions not to know how this
worked. Besides, M had promised them a few days off with no interruptions, and she
wouldn't do anything that might cost them that time together.
He winced slightly at the soreness of his body. His own mission to Germany had prevented
him accompanying the woman he loved to Russia, but she'd had a perfectly competent partner
in 002. At any rate, a couple of days in bed together was just what the doctor ordered.
Still, there was this small twinge of doubt that had been bothering him since he received
the phone call. He'd never had this problem before, not when she had nearly died after
being caught inside that Vietnamese nuclear sub, or when she'd been trapped inside enemy
lines for almost a month. She'd been through nearly as many scrapes as he had, kindred
spirits that they were.
He paused inside the door as he saw Moneypenny's red eyes and M's solemn face. His doubt
turning to full-fledged worry and rage. "No..."
12 Years Later
Kerry gripped her crutch in frustration. Days like this were when she most strongly missed
the ability to walk without it. When everyone seemed to be against her, even the people
who were supposedly her friends.
Not when she was being forced to attend the Triaxe banquet made up of every doctor in
Chicago. The last thing she wanted was to spend the night listening to boring speeches
with a table of her colleagues. Of course she could always call up and say that her leg
wasn't able to handle it. Then again, Romano would call her on it.
Kerry pushed her door open, her sixth sense going off like an alarm. Something was wrong;
the kitchen light was on inside her darkened house, and she could hear someone moving
around.
She quietly shut her door, lowering her files and shoulder bag to the floor, and made her
way silently toward the kitchen doorway.
A lean man was standing in the doorway, his face covered by shadows. "Ker..."
Kerry didn't give the lean man a chance to finish speaking; her body acted on instinct
alone. She jerked her right forearm upward sharply, bringing the crutch up between his
legs. He doubled over, and she seized his collar in her left hand and spun him around to
drive him into the wall. The groaning man tried to turn around, but she chopped her hand
on the back of his neck, sending him to the floor.
"Well at least...you're...still in shape."
Kerry froze, recognizing the gasping voice. Snapping on the living room light, she glanced
down in shock at the man who was struggling to his feet.
He collapsed into a nearby chair, grimacing at the pain. "You know, there are more
pleasurable, and less painful, ways of hitting on me." James straightened his tie
with effort, trying not to show how badly she'd hurt him.
"Oh? And here I thought you liked it rough." She shook her head, marvelling that
the last person in the world she wanted to see right now had just re-entered her life.
Turning her stony gaze on him, she demanded, "You mind telling me what you're doing
in my house?"
"Simple," he replied, regaining a measure of his characteristic composure,
"M sent me. She wants to see you immediately."
"You're kidding! After all these years out of the life, she expects me to just
?"
Kerry broke off, at a loss for words.
James stood up on unsteady legs, meeting her scowl head on. "Kerry, all you have to
do is listen. If you won't help after you've been briefed than you can walk out and you'll
never have to see me again."
There was no use in arguing with a summons, Kerry realized. Even now. "Fine, let's
get this over with." She spun, acting like she didn't notice the hurt look on his
face. 'Will this day never end?' she thought with despair.
Kerry sat quietly in the deep leather chair, trying to hide her excitement. She had
forgotten how much she missed this. The missions, the danger...James.
He took a seat next to her, reaching for her hand. Kerry stared at him in surprise as he
stammered slightly and let go. "Sorry, old habits die hard."
"If you two don't mind I'd like to get started," came the cold, familiar voice.
Kerry glared at M's sarcasm, but said nothing.
"What do you know about Dr. Matthew Lawson?"
Aha. Kerry began to see why they wanted her help. "He's the head of Triaxe, a
privately owned research center. It's said that the guy is a genius, but he gets bored
easily." Kerry took the file Moneypenny offered her and scanned it as M started to
talk.
"The CIA has had him under surveillance for the last six months. They think he's been
working on a smart virus, one that can be programmed to target people based on race, DNA
markers, hair color, whatever he feels like. They believe he's going to have a auction for
the world's terrorist community."
"What aren't you saying?" Kerry knew M well enough to recognize that dull glint
in her eyes. The one that meant there was serious trouble but she didn't want to tell what
it was.
"About a month ago, the blueprints for an American missile were stolen." M
smiled slightly, glad that Kerry's instincts hadn't dulled over the years.
"What's so important about this missile?" Kerry glanced over at Q expectantly as
the older man leaned against the desk to speak.
"Do you remember the Soviet flash?" He winced inwardly at his own insensitivity
as everyone seemed to become deathly solemn. "Ah, yes, of course you would. Well,
anyhow, it's the American version with some slight improvements. Including the ability to
store chemical weapons."
Kerry snapped her eyes around to James, questioningly. "He's going to bid it off with
the virus?"
The slight nod from James confirmed her guess.
Slumping back, she faced the fact that she had no choice but to help them. "What do
you need from me?"
"Dr. Lawson will be hosting the Triaxe banquet tonight. You'll take James as your
date so that he can get upstairs to his office, and reclaim the blue prints," M said
quietly. "I trust I needn't remind you that, despite the last twelve years, you are
still on our payroll
?"
Kerry eyed her for a long minute, then nodded consent.
M laid a hand on her arm as she stood to leave. "Kerry
I was hoping we could
have dinner tomorrow."
"All right," she replied quietly. "Why don't you come over around
6:00?" It had been over a year since the last time she'd seen her adoptive mother,
and despite the memories, she'd missed her.
M relaxed, smiling at her with relief. The last 12 years had been stressful for both of
them.
Kerry followed James out of the old warehouse that they'd turned into a makeshift office.
She paused next to the sleek black BMW convertible. "Is this the new model?"
"All the standard options, plus stealth mode." James smirked at the look in
Kerry's eyes. Like a child on Christmas morning. He dangled the keys in front of her face
teasingly, "Want to drive?"
Kerry grinned happily as she speed up and spun into the Triaxe parking lot. The dashboard
read fifty as she sped through the lines of cars, approaching the parking section
designated for County General. She spotted a parking space beside Mark's Jeep Cherokee and
spun the car into the space, screeching to a halt while the engine roared loudly before
cutting off.
"They say you can tell what a woman's like in bed by how she drives," her
passenger commented idly.
Kerry slammed the door closed and took James' arm. She felt a small amount of pleasure as
his eyes roamed her body. "Well, this old car is parked and off limits," she
said softly as they entered the building and headed for the lecture hall.
"Too bad. The vintage cars are the most reliable and definitely the most fun."
Kerry met his sad eyes. After the accident he had protested her calling off the
engagement. He had gone into a rage over her stony refusal to budge, but she had believed
that she needed to recover alone, and not just physically.
"Hey chief, over here!" a cocky, familiar voice called.
Kerry started for the table where everyone was already sitting. Carter and Malucci had
already started drinking, but Carol hadn't touched her white wine yet. Jing-Mei and Cleo
appeared to be drinking iced tea.
Dave eyed her date with obvious disapproval as the women around him started to take notice
of the lean, handsome man. He couldn't help resenting the way the world seemed to reform
around the new arrival. "Who's the guy?" he asked, his tone bordering on the
rude.
James held Kerry's chair out for her before sitting possessively next to her, taking her
hand. "My name is Bond, James Bond," he replied suavely, then paused before
adding, "Kerry's fiancee." He ignored the silent challenge in Dave's stare,
aware the younger man's need to be in the spotlight, but refusing to acknowledge it.
"EX-fiancee." Kerry stared levelly at him, daring him to contradict her.
"That's right, but I asked you again last night," James said sweetly, flashing
her a smile to show that he wasn't about to give up this opportunity.
"And I said that I needed to think about it." Kerry felt him caress the inside
of her hand tenderly, and was tempted to just give in. But she had a feeling that if she
did that he would take that as a sign that she wanted to get back together. Not that she
wasn't tempted...very tempted.
Carter cut into whatever James was about to say. "You were engaged before?" He
was surprised that he'd never heard her mention this while he lived in her house.
"12 years ago," James said truthfully before turning to Kerry, "I'll be
right back." He kissed her hand and left with only a quick nod to the others at the
table.
"Why did you two call it off?" Carol asked. Her unspoken meaning, of course, was
'why in the world did you let HIM get away?!'
Kerry glared at his retreating back, considering what forms of torture would be the most
painful.
He slid his hands under the bookshelf until he felt the small bump. Chuckling at the ease
of it, he pressed it watching the small square of floor by the desk open. The keypad of
the black iron safe blinked up at him tauntingly.
James placed the small penlight between his teeth, taking a small card from his pocket and
reading it as he punched in the sequence. The red light stayed on with a soft hum, then
turned green as the door of the safe popped open.
James flashed the small light into the safe, his ego deflating rapidly. The only thing in
the safe was a small piece of paper. He picked it up, "Mr. MacAlister, I've moved
everything until the auction."
James threw the paper into the safe with disgust. There was only one other safe that they
knew about, and the blueprints could be anywhere by now.
"Girl, you must have been crazy to break it off with that man," Cleo said with
the slightest tilt of her brow.
"Now wait," Carol replied, "how do we know she broke it off? Maybe he left
her. It's been known to happen." It had happened to her, after all.
"Ahh, he's probably gay," Dave added with a sneer. "The fancy-dressed
english types always are."
Jing-Mei scowled at him. "That is the worst case of sour grapes I've ever
heard."
Kerry sat back, watching the group talk enthusiastically about her like she wasn't even
there. They kept throwing theories about her life at each other not even bothering to
acknowledge her. The only one who seemed to remember her was Carter, who smiled at her
with apologetic amusement. She knew he wanted to know about her former engagement as much
as any of them, but he had the courtesy to respect her privacy. She'd always appreciated
that about him.
"I need to talk to you."
Kerry glanced up at James wearily, frowning slightly at the solemn expression in his eyes.
She followed him over to the wall as he began to speak softly.
"He moved them, and the only other safe we know about is in his house."
"You going to try to get in?" Kerry asked.
"No. We've already had two other agents try to get in without success. He's got more
security than the President, and we don't even know where in the house the safe is."
James glared over at Dr. Lawson with subtle resentment.
"I guess there's only one option left then..." Kerry told him softly. Then,
without warning, she punched James in the face hard enough to rock him back into the wall,
and raised her voice. "WHY DON'T YOU JUST GO BACK TO ENGLAND WHERE YOU BELONG?!"
she yelled, gaining everyone's attention she could see Dr. Lawson staring at her
and stormed out of the lecture hall.
"Dr....Weaver?"
Kerry slowed, allowing Dr. Lawson to catch up with her. "What?" she snapped
angrily, balling her fist threateningly.
He held up his hands in surrender. "I just wanted to make sure you were all
right."
"Fine." Kerry started to walk out of the building.
Dr. Lawson fell into step beside her.
"Then why did you punch that guy?" He was struggling against the urge to laugh.
Dr. Weaver was famous for her temper, in fact that's the one of the first things he'd been
warned about after coming to Chicago.
"Bastard wanted me to give up my job. For him
?" Kerry threw her crutch
scornfully into the BMW before acknowledging the tanned, dusty haired mans presence, her
eyes pausing on the muscles that seemed to cause his armani to pull taunt across his
chest. "Is here something you wanted?"
"Not really..." He hadn't been so amused in a long time and hated to see her
leave. "Listen, would you like to go get a drink?"
"Aren't you the host of this..." Kerry struggled to find a word that wouldn't
insult him too much. "... funeral?"
"Yes, but they can survive without me for a couple of hours." He grinned widely
at her. He liked women who spoke their mind no matter what the consequences were.
"In that case, get in." Kerry started the car with a small smirk. She hadn't
lost her touch after all.
James ran out of the hotel at a sprint in time to see Kerry drive off with Dr. Lawson.
"M's going to kill me..." Damn the woman, she was improvising again.
"Where's Kerry?" said a voice beside him.
James glanced over at Carter with a flash of jealousy. He was the guy that had been living
with Kerry a few months back, and as far as James was concerned, the guy was an immature
boy. "She decided to go for a ride."
James clenched his jaw and walked back into the hotel. He needed to get hold of M before
Kerry got herself killed.
Kerry cracked her eyes open with some effort. She liked to think that she could drink
almost anybody under the table, but the last few hours had proven to be a bit much. Vodka,
whiskey, wine, tequila... not to mention the sleeping pills she'd slipped into Matthew's
drink, only to get a mouthful of it herself.
She swung her legs over the bed, letting the arm around her waist fall away. Kerry got
dressed quickly under the blanket of her hangover. Struggling to keep herself in an
upright position as she yanked the straps of her evening gown up.
Scanning the room she tried to remember what he'd said before falling into a dreamless
sleep. Something about hiding things in their normal place. Kerry went into the bathroom
and opened the medicine cabinet only to find it bare.
She gripped one of the shelves and pulled on it until it swung open revealing an
old-fashioned wall safe. Kerry opened the cabinet drawers, searching for the stethoscope
that she was sure had to be here. Every doctor she knew kept one close at hand, out of
habit. She shoved her hand into the back of the second drawer, pausing as her fingers
closed around the familiar rubber tubing.
Kerry took a deep breath and started to work on the safe, trying to control the underlying
excitement of being back in the game.
James sat on the bed in loose slacks and an unbuttoned shirt nursing the glass of whiskey.
It wasn't his traditional vodka martini (shaken, not stirred), but being involved with
Kerry again, he felt the need for something harder.
He couldn't get the memory of Kerry laying in the hospital looking so pale and deathly out
of his mind. He could still remember when he'd received the phone call telling him that
she had injured.
He'd been in Germany, preparing to raid an army camp. The disk containing blue prints for
one of England's nonexistent subs had been stolen by them. He had been on his way out of
his hotel room when Moneypenny had called.
When he'd finally arrived, the doctors had told him she would lose her leg. Kerry had been
stony about it, refusing to let them amputate with a firm quietness that had left James
scared. Something he'd never admit to anyone except Kerry.
The last time he'd seen her before they'd taken her in would stay with him for the rest of
his life. Her face normally full of life was drawn with pain and barely-contained fear. A
body that was always overflowing with endless energy was lying helpless. He'd never, in
his entire life, seen her like that. His partner, the woman he loved so deeply, never
showed weakness or pain. He'd watched her take a gunshot wound to the stomach and still
finish a mission with a brisk ease that had left him astonished.
He'd paced the waiting room for hours, tense for news of her. M had tried to reassure him,
but he was too angry to listen. Blaming himself for letting her go on the mission, blaming
M for splitting them up for the so-called brief operation.
He had realized at that moment that she had known that Russia had been a suicide mission.
That's why she'd sent him on the recovery mission, to keep him alive. Kerry was a more
acceptable loss in M's opinion. "How could you?!!"
"It's the job." The same response, it was always the same response, the standard
response. M stared at him with uncovered eyes. Letting him see the tortured haunted eyes
underneath her placid cold mask. The same mask that he'd seen Kerry wear on so many
occasions.
"I don't care if it's the job. You sent her to her death and now she may lose her
leg..." James had known that his anger was irrational, but he couldn't help it. All
his emotions were running wild. Anger, sadness, worry...If he lost her he wasn't sure what
he'd do.
James hadn't been aware that he'd punched the wall until the sudden sharp pain shot
through his arm and hand. Moneypenny had rested a comforting hand on his shoulder and
guided him into a chair. The tears had come as he stared at his friend.
James drained his glass and refilled it. Even after all these years, that day haunted him.
The soft foot steps approaching door cut into his thoughts. Picking up his Walther, he
carefully opened the door, already knowing who it was.
Kerry entered the room with only a passing glance at the gun in his hand.
James sat the gun on the dresser, and poured her a glass of vodka. "How was your
field trip?" His fingers brushed Kerry's as he handed her the glass. James sat on the
bed next to her, trying to hide how much that little contact had effected him.
Kerry drained the glass in a single gulp, the night's stress finally getting to her.
Grabbing the gym bag that she'd set out in the car earlier, she laid the blueprints and
the vial of the virus on the nightstand.
He pressed his lips together trying to hide his smile. She could've been killed.
Kerry leaned into him, chuckling softly. "The safe was behind the medicine
cabinet."
"You had no business trying something like this, not when..." He stopped,
feeling the tension run into his ex-lovers body.
"When I'm a cripple?" Kerry asked bitterly.
"When you've been retired for 12 years." James stared hard at her, trying to
convince her that he was telling the truth. "Do you ever miss it...me?" James
stared at her, needing to know. To put himself at ease, to finally let go of her and the
past.
"I miss...the nights...the nights in our flat. Our own little world where only we
existed." Kerry leaned into him, needing to feel his
presence.
He was one of her deepest regrets. How she had ever walked away from him, she didn't know.
James leaned over, brushing their lips together in question.
Kerry stood up, trying to break all contact with him, and he grabbed her hand desperately.
" Kerry, please...Don't push me away anymore."
"Why?" Kerry asked quietly. All her fear and her hopes in that single question.
"Because I still love you." James gently pulled Kerry to him, ready for some
resistance.
Her body seemed to crumble into his arms with years of emotional exhaustion, unable to
keep fighting him or her feelings anymore.
Aeris Jade Orion
AIM: Aeris Jade
ICQ: 51496263
AT&T/Pow-Wow: Jade
Pow-Wow Community: Orion
" This act hasn't been seen in 20 years, and if i'm any judge of talent it will never
be seen again."
- Theres no business, like show business