2012 Advent Calendar Day 18
Title: Good Luck
Author: le_russe_satan
Word count: 553
Rating: PG
Pairings/Characters: Jack Aubrey, Stephen Maturin.
Warning: AU
Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me, I am just briefly playing with them.
Author's Note: A week ago this made a strange sort of sense to me. I am sorry. Truly truly sorry.
Jack descended the stairs rapidly, reflecting that the little man's attitude in an earlier century would have been cause enough for a duel. The forgetfulness Jack found in the beautifully executed melodies of Locatelli had been erased by the annoyance of that little altercation and he found himself worrying over his future again. Days have passed with no confirmation or denial of his new rank. Jack's greatest fear was not even that they would put him back to routine work, but that they would cut him off completely.
He pulled out his mobile, intending to turn the sound back on and saw several missed calls. There was no caller ID, but he knew with sweat-inducing certainty that these calls were from the person who was deciding on his future. The phone's screen lit up, showing an incoming call. Jack answered, sparing a moment to be surprised that his hands were not shaking.
* * *
It was not what he had hoped to do with his life, but he could not deny that the prospect of having money in his pocket again was pleasing and the job itself certainly could not be called dull.
Stephen knew that he was too early, but the flat was freezing, since he could not afford to pay the bills and he'd rather seem too eager than continue on the path to pneumonia. It turned out to be a good decision after all: Stephen had not realized that the security checks would take that long. By the time they were done, he had only half an hour to kill before he was supposed to meet his new boss.
While he was waiting for the elevator, somebody approached. Stephen threw a brief look at the person and nearly stepped back in shock. It was the big blonde man he had elbowed at the concert the night before. Unexpectedly, the man grinned:
'Oh, you work here as well? Excellent! I feel quite ashamed about last night. I must apologize. You must have thought me such a boor. In my defense I can only say that I do not get the chance to attend such excellent concerts often and I got carried away.' The man extended his hand and Stephen took it. 'Aubrey. Jack Aubrey. Pleasure to make your acquaintance.'
'Stephen Maturin, at your service.'
* * *
'This is a big operation Aubrey. Once you get there with the package, your task will be to take down Cacafuego. It is a big operation, with hundreds of people involved, not to mention all the smaller support groups. We cannot be seen operating in a friendly country at such an extent, so you will be cut off. However, we decided that a small experiment is in order. We will give you three agents from Section E, here are their files, and somebody from the Q branch,' M reclined in his chair clearly irked at having to talk so much.
'Can I have Maturin, sir?'
M raised an eyebrow, then shrugged. 'I don't see why not, Aubrey.'
Jack rose, sensing that the conversation was at an end. He picked up the files, glancing down to see the names on them, - Pullings, Mowett, Babbington, - and exited M's office swiftly.
'Well, Sophie,' he said to M's secretary, 'wish me luck.'
'Good luck, 007.'