Fic: The Hour: Flattery Will Get You Nowhere, But Don't Stop Trying - Gen (Bel/Freddie)
Title: Flattery Will Get You Nowhere, But Don't Stop Trying
Fandom: The Hour
Pairing: Gen (Bel/Freddie)
Author: jacqui_hw
Rating: G
Warnings: General spoilers for both seasons, character death
Word Count: 1,682
October 15th, 1962
"Cuba," Lix said as soon as the lift doors opened, to reveal Bel.
"Have you been standing there waiting for me?" Bel walked past her, holding the door open as she checked her watch. It was 8 a.m. precisely.
"Yes," Lix said, taking a drag of her cigarette and blowing a stream of smoke over her shoulder. "Cuba."
"What's happening in Cuba?" Bel asked and Lix gave an amused little huff.
"Everything, darling. The end of the world as we know it."
"I've heard that before," Bel said as she sets her bag down on her desk.
"Something's happening," Lix insisted. "I don't know quite what yet, but you may want to set some time aside…"
"For a story about Cuba," Bel finished with a smile and Lix shrugged.
"What's happening in Cuba?"
Bel blinked at Hector as he materialised in the doorway and then turned her head to check the clock on the wall.
"It's ten minutes past eight," Bel said accusingly. "What have you done?"
"Sophie has measles," Hector said soberly.
"Damn," Lix muttered, as Bel rounded her desk and hurried over to them.
"Oh God," she said. "I'm so sorry."
Hector nodded. "The doctor's there now. I was just getting in the way. Marnie told me to get out before she slapped me so here I am. I may have to…"
"Oh yes, of course," Bel said quickly. "Go whenever you want to."
"I'll tell Randall," Lix said, stubbing out her cigarette. "Cuba, Bel," she shouted as she swept off down the corridor.
"What's going on in Cuba?" Hector tried again and Bel laughed a little.
"I have no idea," she said. She spotted another figure over Hector's shoulder and said more sharply, "No. Go home."
Sissy ignored Bel and waddled past her to her desk. "I'm fine, Miss Rowley. The baby is fine. He's been kicking away all morning. Sey checked me over about a dozen times."
"You're one week away from term, Sissy," Bel said.
"Believe me, Miss Rowley," Sissy said, "I don't need to be reminded. I would like to be here though instead of in the flat all day by myself. With Sey at work and all."
"Well," Bel nodded quickly, relenting. "Fine." She raised her voice to address the whole office. "Staff meeting at nine everyone."
"Where is Mr Donaldson?" Randall asked when he stepped into the newsroom and found his staff mostly assembled.
"Here," a voice echoed from the hallway and two seconds later Mr Donaldson burst through the door and collapsed into a waiting seat. "My apologies. Do continue."
"Cuba," Lix said immediately and Bel sighed.
"Tell me what's going on in Cuba and I'll let you run it," she said, then held up her hand, forestalling further comment. "Saying 'something' isn't good enough. I want facts."
Lix nodded. "Fine. China and India."
"Yes," said Bel, "better."
"South Africa," Mr Donaldson said, taking a sip of Isaac's tea. "Helen Joseph has been placed under house arrest."
"For what?" Bel asked, scribbling notes on her pad.
"Under the new anti-sabotage law," he said. "Apparently there's a list of disapproved persons…"
"Christ," Hector said. "Can this really happen again?"
"It is happening," Lix said. "And we're exposing it for what it is."
"Yes, I think we'll lead with that," Bel said. "Thank you, James."
"You're welcome, Moneypenny."
For a moment there was complete silence in the room. Everyone froze.
Bel slowly got to her feet, her face betraying nothing. The scrape of the chair along the floor as she pushed it away was almost deafening. She turned carefully on her heel and walked to her office, the door closing behind her with a firm and final click.
Hector half rose to go after her, but Lix caught his arm, already in the process of lighting a cigarette.
"No, darling, no," she said. "Leave her to it for a while." She passed him the tab and lit another one for herself. "Mr Donaldson, you have quite outdone yourself this morning."
"What did I do?" Mr Donaldson asked, taking in the frigid glares being thrown his way. "I saw Dr. No over the weekend. She likes Fleming, I know she does. She keeps Casino Royale on her desk, for God's sake."
"Mr Donaldson," Randall said, stepping forward when Hector looked five seconds away from breaking the young man's jaw. "Perhaps it would be best if you went to Lords today. Gather some background information for this Thursday's match. Mr Wengrow, see to it that Mr Donaldson returns with all the facts."
Isaac gave a curt nod and grabbed his coat. Mr Donaldson, still looking confused and a little shaken, followed him from the office.
"I'll be in my office if I'm needed," Randall said. "I'm sure Miss Rowley could do with a nice glass of brandy, Mrs Ola."
The newsroom slowly returned to its normal bustling state. Lix pointed Sissy in the direction of a good bottle of brandy in her office, then followed Hector to Bel's office.
He took a deep breath and knocked, opening the door before Bel had a chance to tell him to leave. Lix edged in ahead of him and he closed the door behind them.
Bel sat hunched over her desk, one hand buried in her hair, holding her head up, the other shaking slightly as it raised a cigarette to her lips.
"Stupid, stupid man," she muttered.
Sissy interrupted them then, handing over the brandy to Hector with a sad smile. "I'll hold everything unless it's urgent."
"Thank you, Sissy," Hector said, then pulled the blinds closed and walked over the bureau to find some glasses.
"That bloody film," Bel said, when a glass had been placed in front of her and Hector and Lix were sat opposite. "I have to pass the Odeon every day. Twice. And there's that damn film." She swallowed down her glass of brandy and stood to grab the bottle. "It was ours," she said quietly after her second glass. "It's not for other people."
"He didn't know, sweetheart," Lix said gently. "It won't happen again."
Bel shook her head. "No, don't you see? It will happen again. I can't stop people talking about it just, because…" She stopped, staring off into the distance. "Idiot."
Hector glanced at Lix and she shook her head. She reached for the brandy and refilled all their glasses.
"Maybe you should go and see it," he said, ignoring Lix's sigh of derision. "I mean, it might clear up some of the… feelings you have."
"Maybe I don't want my feelings cleared up," Bel snapped. She closed her eyes and rubbed her face. "Sorry. I'm sorry." She sat back down at her desk and gulped down her re-filled glass. "I'm fine. You should both go back to work. We have a show to produce."
Lix nodded and stood. "We all understand darling," she said. "No one would blame you if you wanted to…"
"I'm fine," Bel said again, waving her off. "Go. Find out about Cuba." She forced a smile and Lix gave another nod and left. "You too, Hector."
He watched her for a minute before he got to his feet and set his glass back on the desk.
"I don't think he'd want you to do this to yourself," Hector said. "He'd have loved that stupid film. You both would. Go see it, Bel, because he can't."
Bel smoked two cigarettes outside the Odeon while she debated with herself about going inside. It was only when people began to give her odd looks that she finally bit the bullet and went inside.
The theatre was busy but Bel found a quiet row on the balcony and settled down, trying to push the angry and painful thoughts to the back of her head. She tried to enjoy it, tried to concentrate and not fidget and not wonder what Fr…
"He's good," said a voice in her ear. "Smooth."
Bel clenched her jaw and fished a packet of cigarettes out of her purse. "Shut up."
"Not like I pictured him," the voice continued, "but then I was rather thinking of…"
"Yourself," Bel whispered. "Like always."
"Now, now, Moneypenny," Freddie - of course it was Freddie, stupid, ridiculous Freddie - said. "That's not very fair."
"When have you ever been fair to me?" she hissed and glanced automatically to her right, where Freddie would have been. Should have been. She could picture him, lounged in the seat, watching her as though he'd never done anything in his life to incur her wrath.
"I miss you," he said, (had said) and Bel closed her eyes and inhaled on the cigarette as though the smoke would hold her together. "Do you miss me?"
"I hate you," she said and he smiled, because Freddie had always smiled when she said that, like it was a secret riddle only he knew the answer to.
"I like this film," he said. Bel ignored him and tried to concentrate again. She closed her eyes, just for a moment, felt the brush of a hand over her hair, the way Freddie had always ended up fidgeting in his seat and throwing his arm around her. "You can't hate Bond forever," Freddie continued. "I won't let you. It's going to be huge."
Bel shook her head. "You can't tell me what to do anymore, Freddie."
"Of course I can," he said easily. "Promise me. Promise you'll go and see every film."
"What difference does it make?" she said and she thought she may have actually said that one out loud, judging by the couple two rows down who turned to glare at her. "You'll still be dead."
"But I'll be here," he said, low and urgent. "We'll be together. We're always together. Promise me."
Bel thought of all the times she'd said no to Freddie and all the times he'd ignored her and done exactly what he pleased. She wanted to say no just to spite him. Instead she nodded. "I promise."
"Excellent, Moneypenny," Freddie's voice echoed in her head, long after the film had finished.
Fandom: The Hour
Pairing: Gen (Bel/Freddie)
Author: jacqui_hw
Rating: G
Warnings: General spoilers for both seasons, character death
Word Count: 1,682
October 15th, 1962
"Cuba," Lix said as soon as the lift doors opened, to reveal Bel.
"Have you been standing there waiting for me?" Bel walked past her, holding the door open as she checked her watch. It was 8 a.m. precisely.
"Yes," Lix said, taking a drag of her cigarette and blowing a stream of smoke over her shoulder. "Cuba."
"What's happening in Cuba?" Bel asked and Lix gave an amused little huff.
"Everything, darling. The end of the world as we know it."
"I've heard that before," Bel said as she sets her bag down on her desk.
"Something's happening," Lix insisted. "I don't know quite what yet, but you may want to set some time aside…"
"For a story about Cuba," Bel finished with a smile and Lix shrugged.
"What's happening in Cuba?"
Bel blinked at Hector as he materialised in the doorway and then turned her head to check the clock on the wall.
"It's ten minutes past eight," Bel said accusingly. "What have you done?"
"Sophie has measles," Hector said soberly.
"Damn," Lix muttered, as Bel rounded her desk and hurried over to them.
"Oh God," she said. "I'm so sorry."
Hector nodded. "The doctor's there now. I was just getting in the way. Marnie told me to get out before she slapped me so here I am. I may have to…"
"Oh yes, of course," Bel said quickly. "Go whenever you want to."
"I'll tell Randall," Lix said, stubbing out her cigarette. "Cuba, Bel," she shouted as she swept off down the corridor.
"What's going on in Cuba?" Hector tried again and Bel laughed a little.
"I have no idea," she said. She spotted another figure over Hector's shoulder and said more sharply, "No. Go home."
Sissy ignored Bel and waddled past her to her desk. "I'm fine, Miss Rowley. The baby is fine. He's been kicking away all morning. Sey checked me over about a dozen times."
"You're one week away from term, Sissy," Bel said.
"Believe me, Miss Rowley," Sissy said, "I don't need to be reminded. I would like to be here though instead of in the flat all day by myself. With Sey at work and all."
"Well," Bel nodded quickly, relenting. "Fine." She raised her voice to address the whole office. "Staff meeting at nine everyone."
"Where is Mr Donaldson?" Randall asked when he stepped into the newsroom and found his staff mostly assembled.
"Here," a voice echoed from the hallway and two seconds later Mr Donaldson burst through the door and collapsed into a waiting seat. "My apologies. Do continue."
"Cuba," Lix said immediately and Bel sighed.
"Tell me what's going on in Cuba and I'll let you run it," she said, then held up her hand, forestalling further comment. "Saying 'something' isn't good enough. I want facts."
Lix nodded. "Fine. China and India."
"Yes," said Bel, "better."
"South Africa," Mr Donaldson said, taking a sip of Isaac's tea. "Helen Joseph has been placed under house arrest."
"For what?" Bel asked, scribbling notes on her pad.
"Under the new anti-sabotage law," he said. "Apparently there's a list of disapproved persons…"
"Christ," Hector said. "Can this really happen again?"
"It is happening," Lix said. "And we're exposing it for what it is."
"Yes, I think we'll lead with that," Bel said. "Thank you, James."
"You're welcome, Moneypenny."
For a moment there was complete silence in the room. Everyone froze.
Bel slowly got to her feet, her face betraying nothing. The scrape of the chair along the floor as she pushed it away was almost deafening. She turned carefully on her heel and walked to her office, the door closing behind her with a firm and final click.
Hector half rose to go after her, but Lix caught his arm, already in the process of lighting a cigarette.
"No, darling, no," she said. "Leave her to it for a while." She passed him the tab and lit another one for herself. "Mr Donaldson, you have quite outdone yourself this morning."
"What did I do?" Mr Donaldson asked, taking in the frigid glares being thrown his way. "I saw Dr. No over the weekend. She likes Fleming, I know she does. She keeps Casino Royale on her desk, for God's sake."
"Mr Donaldson," Randall said, stepping forward when Hector looked five seconds away from breaking the young man's jaw. "Perhaps it would be best if you went to Lords today. Gather some background information for this Thursday's match. Mr Wengrow, see to it that Mr Donaldson returns with all the facts."
Isaac gave a curt nod and grabbed his coat. Mr Donaldson, still looking confused and a little shaken, followed him from the office.
"I'll be in my office if I'm needed," Randall said. "I'm sure Miss Rowley could do with a nice glass of brandy, Mrs Ola."
The newsroom slowly returned to its normal bustling state. Lix pointed Sissy in the direction of a good bottle of brandy in her office, then followed Hector to Bel's office.
He took a deep breath and knocked, opening the door before Bel had a chance to tell him to leave. Lix edged in ahead of him and he closed the door behind them.
Bel sat hunched over her desk, one hand buried in her hair, holding her head up, the other shaking slightly as it raised a cigarette to her lips.
"Stupid, stupid man," she muttered.
Sissy interrupted them then, handing over the brandy to Hector with a sad smile. "I'll hold everything unless it's urgent."
"Thank you, Sissy," Hector said, then pulled the blinds closed and walked over the bureau to find some glasses.
"That bloody film," Bel said, when a glass had been placed in front of her and Hector and Lix were sat opposite. "I have to pass the Odeon every day. Twice. And there's that damn film." She swallowed down her glass of brandy and stood to grab the bottle. "It was ours," she said quietly after her second glass. "It's not for other people."
"He didn't know, sweetheart," Lix said gently. "It won't happen again."
Bel shook her head. "No, don't you see? It will happen again. I can't stop people talking about it just, because…" She stopped, staring off into the distance. "Idiot."
Hector glanced at Lix and she shook her head. She reached for the brandy and refilled all their glasses.
"Maybe you should go and see it," he said, ignoring Lix's sigh of derision. "I mean, it might clear up some of the… feelings you have."
"Maybe I don't want my feelings cleared up," Bel snapped. She closed her eyes and rubbed her face. "Sorry. I'm sorry." She sat back down at her desk and gulped down her re-filled glass. "I'm fine. You should both go back to work. We have a show to produce."
Lix nodded and stood. "We all understand darling," she said. "No one would blame you if you wanted to…"
"I'm fine," Bel said again, waving her off. "Go. Find out about Cuba." She forced a smile and Lix gave another nod and left. "You too, Hector."
He watched her for a minute before he got to his feet and set his glass back on the desk.
"I don't think he'd want you to do this to yourself," Hector said. "He'd have loved that stupid film. You both would. Go see it, Bel, because he can't."
Bel smoked two cigarettes outside the Odeon while she debated with herself about going inside. It was only when people began to give her odd looks that she finally bit the bullet and went inside.
The theatre was busy but Bel found a quiet row on the balcony and settled down, trying to push the angry and painful thoughts to the back of her head. She tried to enjoy it, tried to concentrate and not fidget and not wonder what Fr…
"He's good," said a voice in her ear. "Smooth."
Bel clenched her jaw and fished a packet of cigarettes out of her purse. "Shut up."
"Not like I pictured him," the voice continued, "but then I was rather thinking of…"
"Yourself," Bel whispered. "Like always."
"Now, now, Moneypenny," Freddie - of course it was Freddie, stupid, ridiculous Freddie - said. "That's not very fair."
"When have you ever been fair to me?" she hissed and glanced automatically to her right, where Freddie would have been. Should have been. She could picture him, lounged in the seat, watching her as though he'd never done anything in his life to incur her wrath.
"I miss you," he said, (had said) and Bel closed her eyes and inhaled on the cigarette as though the smoke would hold her together. "Do you miss me?"
"I hate you," she said and he smiled, because Freddie had always smiled when she said that, like it was a secret riddle only he knew the answer to.
"I like this film," he said. Bel ignored him and tried to concentrate again. She closed her eyes, just for a moment, felt the brush of a hand over her hair, the way Freddie had always ended up fidgeting in his seat and throwing his arm around her. "You can't hate Bond forever," Freddie continued. "I won't let you. It's going to be huge."
Bel shook her head. "You can't tell me what to do anymore, Freddie."
"Of course I can," he said easily. "Promise me. Promise you'll go and see every film."
"What difference does it make?" she said and she thought she may have actually said that one out loud, judging by the couple two rows down who turned to glare at her. "You'll still be dead."
"But I'll be here," he said, low and urgent. "We'll be together. We're always together. Promise me."
Bel thought of all the times she'd said no to Freddie and all the times he'd ignored her and done exactly what he pleased. She wanted to say no just to spite him. Instead she nodded. "I promise."
"Excellent, Moneypenny," Freddie's voice echoed in her head, long after the film had finished.