The story is now complete.

He was about ready to set the stupid book on fire when there was a knock on the back door. Q jumped up and raced into the hall, nearly colliding with Lucas, who was already stalking down the corridor, his gun drawn and a murderous look on his face.

“Where’s your gun?” Lucas hissed. Q just blinked at him.

“Assassins don’t usually knock,” he replied calmly and pushed past Lucas towards the door. A hand clamped down around his left arm, holding him back.

“Want to bet your life on that?”

Mycroft’s eyes narrowed just so, and Greg knew he knew. From one minute to the next, the air between them went from the dormant buzz that had lingered throughout all those years to a very lively crackle. Mycroft took a measured breath, as if to calm himself; Greg’s pulse leapt at the thought of shaking the unflappable man who spent his days operating in the shadows of the government out of his composure.

“You think you deserve it, don’t you?” he whispered against Lucas’ mouth.

“Push or pull, Q,” Lucas growled in reply; and Q only had time to think that, if this was what Lucas needed, he wouldn’t mind providing it. Then, he stretched up and kissed him, hard.

Lucas tensed even more for a second, as if surprised that this was, in fact, happening. But then, Q felt him let go, just that bit; and there it was, that final piece of the puzzle that was Lucas North.

“I chose life,” Lucas growled, pushing against Q’s outstretched arm, trying to drive him back towards the door; but the other man pressed back, staring him down relentlessly.

Q was playing a dangerous game, and Lucas deemed it safe to say that he knew it inside out. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath.

“If Russia had wanted to do me a favour, they’d have killed me.”

“Precisely.”

“Although I appreciate your politeness, I should like to know: did you come in here to ask me a question or to get some answers? Because, let me assure you, the two are rarely one and the same.”

Lucas threw himself around, running after Q at full pelt, and shoved his gun into the waistband at his hip before they hit the open street beyond the alleyway leading from the hotel’s back entrance and slowed down slightly.