Whatever The Future May Bring

A prequel to Imprint

Chapter 1

After The Fall

Evey Hammond waited for the security system of the Shadow Gallery to allow her entrance as she brushed tears from her eyes, the sobs still coming at intervals. Chief Inspector Finch had left the rooftop sometime ago, after the fireworks had faded into the past over the now demolished Parliament and Big Ben. V--her love, now lay entombed in the ruins, as he had requested of her, and her whole world had stopped spinning. She had remained for some time gazing into the night sky after he had left, alone with her thoughts. She had been strong up till then, but suddenly, all her composure had broken away, and sobs wracked her body as she slid down onto the roof. The sudden beep of the green light brought her back to reality as the door swung open and she walked into the soothing darkness where she could hide.

--

The jostling, rolling motion shook him conscious, and he opened his eyes under the mask. Pain ripped through his body as he pulled himself into a setting position, dozens of his roses fell onto the train floor and he looked around trying to get his bearings. Suddenly he realized, he was on his train and he was very much alive! His eyes caught a station name as the train flew by. Whitehall! There was only one station left before Parliament—St. James. He pulled himself off the bed made of gelignite, and stumbled to the train door. Summoning all the strength he had left, he wrenched it open, preparing to jump.

--

Evey wasn't sure how long she had been asleep on the couch in the telly room. Her eyes were swollen and sore from all the crying she had done. It must have been close to daylight, because she noticed the lights in the gallery had begin to brighten somewhat. Forcing herself from the couch, she walked into the kitchen area to fix a cup of tea. She filled the kettle with water and sat it on the stove, turning the burner on, then dropped into one of the chairs, her head in her hands. If there had only been a different ending she could have convinced him of--Parliament could still have been blown up, he could have forgotten about meeting Creedy and taking out Sutler--they could have left here, together--but V would not relinquish his vendetta--not even for her, and it had cost her everything. She lifted her head, and looked around the rooms--hers now, just as was everything else that had belonged to

him. The whistling kettle pulled her from her daydreams, and she looked up in the stove's direction, catching sight of V's apron handing on the peg just to the side of the fridge. She ran her hand lovingly over the material as she shut the stove off, and smiled softly as she remembered the first time she had ever seen him in it--it was also her first glance at his hands. She had stumbled into the kitchen from a restless night's sleep to find him cooking, spatula in hand as he greeted her. He had acted that kidnapping her from the radio station was the most natural thing for him to do, as he fixed her eggy in a basket that morning. She had asked him about his hands that one time only--all he would say was he was involved in a fire and nothing more.

" Oh, V...why did you have to leave me? I only had the chance to tell you I loved you just one time..." Her mind flashed back to when they made love for the first of several times that night--it had been in the dark--the only way he would allow himself to be unmasked. It had been her 21st birthday. She had whispered words of love to him as he claimed her for all eternity--only Evey had no idea that he had fallen in love with her also, and had began having second thoughts about his plan. But, in the end, his fragmented mind had won out--he had met Creedy, upholding his part of a bargain he had made with him. He had made it back to her at the train station, had confessed his love to her, then died in her arms--leaving her alone in the world, once more. Sobs began, threatening to break through the wall of strength and calmness V had taught her existed within her own self, and she took a deep breath, steadying herself. This was a new day, a day of freedom for all the people of London and throughout Britain. She poured the water into the cup and let it settle before adding sugar and milk. She looked at the wall clock. It was 7:00 am. She was due to meet with Finch and Stone in the next couple hours to help draw up some type of plan for an interim government till elections could be held. She would carry out what V had groomed her to do without a backward glance--she owed him that much..

--

V had tumbled into the station wall, a red streak staining the tiles where he had come to rest. He had passed out as soon as he had hit the platform and had laid there for an uncertain amount of time. He had never felt pain like this before. His chest felt like raw meat, his legs had already given out on him, his head was spinning and he felt like he was dying--if you could call what happened on the platform with Evey that-- all over again. He pulled himself to his wobbly legs, took a deep breath and staggered down the tunnel toward the Shadow Gallery.

It took him longer than normal to reach the second set of tunnels that ran parallel to the the Shadow Gallery. He had almost passed out several times during the walk--he needed to get to the second smaller labyrinth so he could clean his wounds, remove the bullets that remained in his body, and rest for however long it took for him to recoup. After digging bullets out of his torso for the last few hours, V dressed the last wound and headed for his bedroom in this fax gallery to sleep. He was exhausted and could tell that his body was ready to slip into the coma-like state once again. He pulled the covers back and then laid Guy's mask

on the bed stand and crawled beneath the covers. The satin sheets felt cool against his naked

flesh, and he soon sank into the sleep of the dead.

--

The next weeks passed in a haze for Evey as she worked with Finch, Stone and several other prominent leaders to pull an interim government together. Evey had turned down several positions within the government itself, finally settling on the newly created position of Director of Antiquities at the new London Museum of Art and History. Here, she could help restore the things that had been confiscated by the Ministry of Objectionable Materials, plus everything that she would re-introduce from V's private collection in the Shadow Gallery to the public. Today was the first day she had taken some time off from the museum so she could help catalog, move and transport the treasures from the gallery that were now hers. She knew V had some antique pieces in his private bedroom--he had taken her there once, when she had told him she was interested in seeing the pieces he had, and up until now, she had put off the inevitable--having to enter his private sanctuary--even with him gone, it still seemed an invasion of his privacy. She searched the nearby wall finding the light switch and turned the lamp on. She looked at the tapestries and paintings that hung on the wall in awe. The room was immaculate--the four poster bed that sat in the middle of the room was covered in a red and black comforter that showed V's elegant taste. She walked over to the small dresser that sat near the bed, picking up several of V's things that lay there--a brush to smooth out tangles in the wigs he wore, a can of black shoe polish for his boots and several books stacked on top of each other. ' The Iliad, The Odyssey and The Taming of The Shrew...' she read the names of each smiling softly, then placed them back on the table. She continued exploring his things, finally finding a folded piece of paper with her name scrolled across it. Taking a deep breathe, she began reading.

My dearest Evey,

I am sorry that I had to leave you the way I did, but I had never thought that someone else would come into my life and have such a profound affect on me. I know that the outcome of my actions may upset you far more that I ever could have imagined. But my vendetta came first, and I could not walk away from it.

I was never shown the kindness you blessed me with, and being here without you, those weeks after you had left , were the saddest days of my life. I want to thank you for your companionship, your love of life, and most of all, for giving me back something I thought I no longer had--the ability to love.

I have left you a gift. Please seek out Mr. Charles Briney at the offices of Binghamton Solicitations on St. James Street. Give him the sealed envelope that accompanies this letter. I do hope that you will forgive me in time, and think of me fondly in your memories.

I am, and shall always be your servant,

V

Evey clutched the letter to her chest as tears welled in her eyes. She missed him

so much. Wiping a straggly tear away, she touched the bed once more, turned the light out and left the bedroom.

--

Chief Inspector Eric Finch rubbed his forehead in an effort to ease the pain from the migraine that today's stress had dumped on him. If things didn't start taking shape around here pretty soon, he was going to throw his badge in and call it quits. The Nose had fallen apart after V had taken Creedy and his cretins out, and now, Finch and his men were the only true law enforcement group in London, and it was only a matter of time before Norsefire's remaining members tried to take over again. The new interim prime minister had promised reinforcements to help Finch keep control of the city until a new police force could be established, and so far he had made good on his promise. But yet, Finch wished V would have been there, the people needed a figure to rally around--but he still had Evey Hammond, and with her help, maybe, just maybe, she would be all the people needed.

" Ready to call it a day, Chief?" Dominic Stone stuck his head in through the doorway.

" Give me just a minute, Dom." Finch replied as he shut the computer off, and grabbed his jacket and pipe.

" You wanna' grab a bite?" Dominic asked as Finch joined him.

" Thanks, but not tonight, Dom. I want to stop by Evey's and check on her." Finch smiled at his young partner. Dom reminded him of a time when he had the same fire in his eyes, and the same smugness.

" You sure, Chief? We could run through a drive-thru somewhere." Dom replied as they headed for the elevator to the first floor.

" Na, not tonight."

" Ok, Chief. I offered...but if you want to eat one of those frozen concoctions they call a dinner..." Dom grinned at his friend.

" I get the picture, Dom." Finch replied.

The doors opened and they waited for the car to empty before getting on.

" Do you think she'll do it?" Dominic asked as the elevator began the decent.

" Who, Evey?" Finch shrugged his shoulders as he repacked his pipe. " I don't have a clue, " Finch pulled the lighter from his jacket pocket and puffed on the pipe until a tendril of smoke drifted up toward the ceiling, " but she's the closest thing we have to V."

" Still think there was something more to their relationship than she's letting on to?" Dom asked as he and Finch exited the car and headed for the outside door.

" I think so, but that's personal. If she wants to talk about it, I'll listen, but I'll never ask her about it." Finch replied getting into the squad car. " Drop me off at Ingdon Street."

" Still not going to tell me where it is?" Dominic asked as they pulled out of the parking lot.

" No." Finch's answer was short and to the point. " I gave her my word."

" Just be careful, Chief."

" I will , Dom." Finch replied as the car pulled over and he got out. " See you in the morning."

" Night."

Finch watched as the squad car disappeared down the empty street. Pulling his coat around him in an effort to keep the dank, London night air out, Finch began walking towards the old Apothecaries' Hall and the Shadow Gallery.

--

V awoke with a start as his brain fired back to life. He opened his eyes in the darkness, and sat up. His body was sore, but he knew that he was almost completely healed--some of the bandages lay scattered across the bed sheets from nights of restless sleep as he regained his strength. He smiled slightly. At least the experiments at Larkhill had given him one aspect of life that he was grateful for--the ability to heal at an accelerated rate. He flexed his arms, and legs, testing his muscles before he tried to get out of bed. Everything seemed to be in working order. Throwing the covers back, he swung his legs over the side of the bed, his feet planted firmly on the floor. Slowly, he stood up. So far, so good. He stretched, getting the stiffness out of his muscles, and then headed for the kitchen as his stomach growled in angry refrain. He wondered how long he had been out this time. The last time he had been shot up pretty bad, he was out for four days. Stopping by the calendar, he focused his eyes in the dim light at the date in black. 'Holy gods!' He mumbled, ' he had been out for nearly two weeks!' He wondered if the city topside still existed--or had Norsefire managed to take it back. He put the kettle on

the stove, walked over to the icebox and pulled out as much food as he could find to cook. He was starving--another little perk from Larkhill.

He had four pans going by the time he made his way into the small living room. He flipped the switch of the telly on, and hoped for the best from topside. Immediately, a newscaster appeared talking about the new interim government that was in place, and how order was slowly returning to the city. Pictures of small riots filled the screen between police and people on the streets, and V sighed as he watched the scenes unfold before him. Finally pictures appeared showing the still smoking remains of Parliament, and V smiled, knowing that Evey had done the right thing--she had given Britain a new hope for the future. Evey...he smiled sadly as he thought about the last time he had seen her--on the platform, holding him in her arms trying to stanch the flow of blood from his wounds as he lay--he thought--dying.

' I told you, only truth. For 20 years, I sought only this day. Nothing else existed...until I saw you. Then everything changed. I fell in love with you, Evey. And to think I no longer believed I could.' (1) The words all came rushing back to him in an emotional landslide. He sat on the couch, his head in his hands. He couldn't bring her back, not here to his world of darkness and shadows. She deserved more--she deserved a life in the sun--a place in this new world she had helped create. He would love no other. The letter he had left her in his bedroom would explain all--hopefully, she would understand someday, why he had done it.

He had left her enough money, along with the building that shielded the Gallery from prying eyes, to sustain her for the rest of her life. After breakfast, he would don one of his disguises and pay a visit to Mr. Briney, his solicitor, to make last minute arrangements for the paperwork pertaining to the home he had purchased in Stratford Upon Hull, and see to any other thing that Evey would need before he left London for good. His first reconstructive surgery was scheduled for February, that would give him enough time to get the renovations started on his home. With Gordon at the house, he knew it was in good hands. He grinned as he thought about his friend, and began reminiscing about how a famous vigilante had rescued him from the Finger.

Flashback--6 months earlier

V untied the plastic bindings from Gordon Dietrich's hands, then slowly pulled the black bag from his head. " You're safe, Gordon."

Dietrich looked at the ski mask, and immediately recognized the dark blue eyes staring back at him. "V?"

" You're safe now, my friend." he paused taking gaze, tape and anti-biotic from the first aid kit he had laid on the table in front of the couch. He wet some of the gaze with hydrogen peroxide and slowly began cleaning the wound on Dietrich's forehead.

Gordon winced at the stinging sensation. " Evey? They didn't take her did they?"

" She is safe in the gallery. She will be out for several hours." V replied, stopping for a minute. " You will have to have stitches, Gordon, I'm sorry."

Dietrich chuckled, " I still have my head, and to me, that's worth anything I have to go

through. Thank you my friend, for saving my life."

" No thanks are necessary, Gordon." Dietrich watched as V threaded a rather large needle with surgical thread. " I have created a new identity for you, along with a disguise that will keep you safe in the future. Once, you have recovered sufficiently, I shall introduce you to my solicitor as my business manager, and you will travel to Ravensclaw, and take over my interests there."

" Ravensclaw?" Gordon asked as V finished with needle, and swabbed the area around the wound with a numbing agent.

" My new home. I shall join you within a week or so to oversee the restoration of the manor and surrounding area. The barns will have to be completely rebuilt and several things shall have to be added."

" Barns?--ouch!" Gordon exclaimed as the tip of the needle slid through the skin.

" Yes, I am going to raise horses."

Gordon Dietrich' s mouth fell to the floor

-- End of flashback--

Finch stopped at the first tunnel intersection, and scratched his head. Which way had the Hammond girl brought him that night? Was it left or right at this fork? He trudged up the right hand corridor. Within a few minutes, he stopped in front of what looked like any other part of the underground tunnel system, but sliding his hand under a crack in what looked to be part of the rock, he found a latch and pulled on it. The door swung open and Finch disappeared inside continuing down another corridor until he came to a steel enforced door—the entrance to the Shadow Gallery. Pulling a piece of paper from his jacket, he entered the series of numbers, and waited. It took but a minute for the red light to turn green, and the door begin to slowly swing open. Taking his hat off, he stepped through the doorway. " Miss Hammond? Evey?" He called as he looked around the large room he was standing in. Finch had only seen this kind of contraband in one place--The Ministry of Objectionable Materials. The man had a veritable fortune stowed down here!.

" Inspector Finch?" Evey's voice startled him and he jumped. " I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frightened you."

Finch grinned sheepishly looking at her. " I wanted to come by and see how you were

doing."

" I'm doing, ok. I've been logging the pieces that will be going to the museum. Some others, I will be keeping here." She replied gesturing, looking around. I'll be back at work day after tomorrow."

" Would you like to go out for a bite to eat--my treat." Finch smiled at her.

" I would love to. I think that is exactly what I need--I'll be just a moment." Evey smiled back at him, then walked off. Returning with coat in hand, Evey entered the security code and waited for the gallery door to swing open. " Shall we?"

Finch went through the door and waited till Evey reset the system, then walked behind her out of the tunnel.

--

Gordon Dietrich watched as the last of the landscaping went in around the front of the house. Ravensclaw was once again becoming the gem of Hull. There were still many small repairs to be made yet, most of the major renovations were well underway, and should mostly be finished by the time V arrived the following week. The barn had been rebuilt and the new one was complete except for a few windows that needed to be set. By Friday, the first of the studs and dams would be brought to the fields, and the final four hundred by next week. The only thing that would be missing was a mistress for the home.

Evey sat patiently in the waiting room for Mr. Briney to see her. She had been there for a short time when she was called into an adjacent office and escorted to a seat across from a huge cherry desk. Mr. Briney had been delayed with another client and was running a few minutes behind schedule, but would be with her as soon as possible. Evey picked up one of the few magazines that lay about on various tables and began thumbing threw it right as the door opened and a middle aged man walked in.

" Miss Vincini? I'm Charles Briney." He smiled shaking her hand. " Please, sit down."

' Vincini?' Evey put a gloved hand to her lips to stifle a soft giggle. ' At least, he was original.'

" I was very sorry to hear of your father's untimely death. He was a brilliant man, and spoke fondly of you when we met. I'm sorry that you had to return to London under these circumstances."

' Father!? He had an imagination also. Evey smiled under the glove. Well, it was time to play her part. " It was a shock." she replied lowering her eyes, in true sadness for the man she had lost.

" Your father stated that you were due to graduate this year from the University of Rome." Briney smiled as he opened a desk drawer and pulled out a rather large file folder.

' Oh my god, he has me going to college in Italy...' Evey exclaimed to herself-- " Yes, that's correct."

" Well, your father left you quite wealthy, young lady." He opened the file and pulled out deed after deed for land he owned, buildings, and several back accounts. " You have three bank accounts worth over 3.5 million pounds, one main building--the old Apothecaries Hall on Ingdon Street, and a few smaller investments, that he has asked me to oversee for you." He handed the paperwork to Evey. " I'll need your signature at the places marked on each paper."

Handing her a pen. " And this, " He gave her a small white envelope addressed to her in V's flowing script. " I was instructed to give to you."

Evey took the envelope and placed it in her purse, then began signing the paperwork to make everything V had left her, truly hers. Finishing, she handed the papers and pen back to Briney.

" Everything is in order..." he checked over a last few items, then glanced back to Evey, handing her the keys for the building that secretly protected the Shadow Gallery from London. " When would you like to began the restoration of the Hall?"

Evey looked at him, bewilderment in her eyes. " Excuse me?"

Briney laughed softly. " The old fox never told you did he--"

Evey shook her head.

" Right before his death, your father had made plans for the building to be restored to its original state and be made into apartments." He handed her the construction paperwork and the permits. " It's up to you to decide when that work was to begin."

" Oh..." Evey took the keys and papers from him and let out a deep breath. " That, Mr. Briney I will leave up to you. I will also need your continuing services as a solicitor for my interests now." Evey felt as though a large weight had been lifted from her shoulders. " And since we are in such a trying time as of now, and I assure you, that my father ( she almost laughed in the poor man's face) would approve of a 1000 pound raise for those continued services."

A large smile etched across the man's face. " Thank you, Miss Vincini for your generosity."

Taking a piece of paper, she wrote V's cell phone number down and handed it to him. " If you have further need of me, you may contact me at this number." She took the file folder, shook Briney's hand and left the office.

V for Vendetta