The streets were already filled with people, and air of victory was thick in the good cheer on every face. Evey arrived at the administrative building a touch later than expected, and was thus whisked away to be prepared for the event. Eric burst into her dressing room just as she was sitting down for hair and makeup.
"Are you trying to give me a heart attack, Evey?" He asked, clearly breathless.
"I'm sorry, Eric. I lost track of time," She answered, watching apologetically as her hairdresser shifted uncomfortably.
"May I have a moment alone with Miss Hammond, Abby?" Eric could obviously sense the discomfort too.
"Of course," The young woman said, setting down the brush before exiting the room.
"I was ready to call out a search for you, you know," He said, leaning against the table as he watched her.
"I had to go, Eric. I'm sorry that I scared you, but I had to go." Evey refused to apologize for going the Gallery, but she was genuinely sorry she'd made him worry.
Eric studied her for a long moment before finally sighing. "I know," he said, reaching out to stroke some of her curls behind her ear. She'd let her hair grow out, and he always seemed to love running his fingers through it. "I'm just a bit tense about today. And to think of you being hurt..."
"I was safe. And I'm safe now. This is going to be a great day for our country. You've worked hard to ensure security. It will be fine and at the end of it all, we will be free again," Evey said, smiling as she took his hand. She pressed her lips to his knuckles, and any fight he had left seemed to melt away as he smiled.
"You are ravishing." He murmured, tracing her jaw with his fingertip. "The people will be glad to see you looking well."
"And you," she whispered, leaning in for a kiss. Eric's lips pressed to hers, his hand at the base of her neck. All the anxiety of the past year seemed to melt away in that kiss, and when they parted, Evey smiled at him.
"I'll see you at the podium, then." He murmured.
"I wouldn't miss it." Evey answered with a wink.
Eric headed for the door, then hesitated. He looked back at her. "Evey..."
"Yes?" She asked, one brow raised in inquiry.
"I..." he faltered, as if there was something he couldn't quite make himself say. "I wish you luck."
"Thank you, Eric," She said, trying to keep the smile on her face. There was something sad in those brown eyes of his. Something she just didn't want to acknowledge.
He nodded, faltered just a beat more, and then left the room. Abby returned, having obviously been waiting outside the door. "All ready, Miss Hammond?" She asked.
"Yes," Evey answered, and the work began.
Her hair was swept into an elegant updo, with a few curls left loose to frame her face. Makeup was applied, but only minimally at Evey's request. She had never been one to wear a thick amount, and it was important that she looked as much like herself as possible. Abby struggled some with the puffiness of her eyes, but the end result was astonishing. Evey thanked her as she got up to change into her outfit.
The ensemble selected for her was a deep purple skirt with a cream colored blouse and matching jacket. Evey dressed carefully, making sure each wrinkle was smoothed and each button was fastened. The woman staring back at her in the mirror looked cool, calm, and confident...but Evey felt anything but. She could hear the crowd outside, and the first real twinges of anxiety had begun to stab at her.
With shaky hand, Evey reached into the pocket of the pants she'd been wearing to retrieve the slice of fabric she'd cut. She stared down at it for a moment, remembering what it had looked like covering the chest of the man who'd made this all happen. "I hope I make you proud today." She whispered as she slipped the fabric into the pocket of her jacket.
"Miss Hammond?" Dominic Stone knocked on the door.
"Yes, Dom, hello." Evey slipped around the dressing curtain, smiling through her nervousness at the sight of her friend.
"Ah, you look stunning," He said, smiling brightly.
"You clean up quite well yourself, you know," Evey commented. "Is it time?"
Dominic nodded, extending his elbow for her to hold. "It's getting close. Gordon asked that I collect you a bit early. He'd like to see you before we begin."
"Ah," Evey said, taking his offering. Dominic and Gordon had been working closely together, and she had begun to suspect that maybe there was more to their relationship than just work. Both looked happy, and she was equally as happy for them if her suspicions were right. "I had hoped to see him. I was running a bit late."
Dominic escorted her down the hallway. "Yes, I know. Eric was in a frenzy."
"I should have let him know," Evey sighed.
"I think you're quite forgiven, Miss Hammond. Here we are," He opened the door to Gordon's office, smiling broadly as she stepped in.
Gordon looked like the man he'd been before his torture. He looked dashing in a grey suit, his hair combed back neatly and a kind smile on his lips. The sores of malnutrition had long since healed, and though he still suffered some ill effects, one would never know of his ordeal just by looking at him. Except for his eyes. His kind blue eyes had a harder edge, a haunted appeal that Evey knew would remain for the rest of his days. It was the same look in her own, after all.
"My goodness, Evey...you're a vision," Gordon said, stepping around his desk to wrap her in an embrace.
Evey smiled into his shoulder. "You look every bit the part of Prime Minister, Gordon," She murmured.
"Interim, Evey. Interim Prime Minister," He corrected her as he let her go.
"Close enough. The people love you. I have a feeling this will be a permanent thing for you," She said.
"We will see. For now, we have a big day to get through. Are you ready?" Gordon asked.
Evey nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be."
"I'm sorry if this will be hard for you, Evey. Being the 5th and all..." Gordon began.
"It's never been easy, Gordon. Not when he was alive and certainly not since he's passed. It'll never be easy and it'll never be completely alright. But I've come to terms with that long ago. We need to see this through. I need to see this through. Not just for V, but for us. For you, for me, for everyone. Today, the 5th stops being a day of mourning for me. Today, it'll be a day of rejoicing."
He smiled fondly at her, giving her shoulder a squeeze. "You've always been so very brave, my girl. You're right. Today marks a new era. And we'll step into it together. Shall we?"
Evey swallowed hard, nodding. "Yes," she said. "let's make you official."
She and Gordon were led out to the lobby. It was crowded with people taking photographs, security teams, and members of the rebel force. Evey shook hands and was given wishes of good luck. She posed for pictures, she answered questions, and soon, she and Gordon were being announced. He held her hand as they walked out onto the stage, steadying her when she grew dizzy at the vast sea of faces staring at her and the thunder of applause. V's face was everywhere...in masks, on signs being held up by supporters, even printed on shirts. For a horrifying moment, Evey thought she might break down into tears right there on stage...until she felt a familiar hand stroke her back. She looked up into Eric's warm, dark gaze and drew comfort from his touch and gentle smile. He believed in her. He always had. She would not let him down.
Evey slowly made her way the the podium. The crowd erupted into cheers and applause, and it was a few moments before they quieted enough for her to begin. Evey held her paper tightly, looking up at her people as she began.
"Two years ago, I was Evey Hammond, an low-tier employee of the BTN. I lived a quiet life. I obeyed the rules and I worked hard. I drifted, you might say. Until the night I met V. Overnight I became a wanted woman, a fugitive, a criminal. And for what? There was no evidence I had ever wronged our government. I was just an example to them, just as so many have been since the start."
Evey smiled out at her people. "I've forgotten how to be that drifting young woman. And that's good. That's so good, because we cannot drift any longer. We've been wronged. We've been abused. We had no rights. What kind of life is that? I for one would rather live out my days as a fugitive than exist like that even a moment longer. But I won't have to. And nor will you...for we have gathered. We've stood strong, and we've made a change.l"
Cheers and applause exploded from the crowd. Evey stood smiling, watching the people as they expressed their joy. "We stand now, united together, a part of something that has changed history. Our descendants will read about this day with pride and patriotism. The events that put this moment into motion will read like a horror story to them. What was once accepted freely will be vilified. We have paved the road of righteousness and it is my hope that they will never stray from the bricks laid by freedom, justice, and basic human rights. May they never take for granted the lives that were sacrificed for this day to come. Your brothers, your sisters, your sons and your daughters. Your mothers, your fathers, your aunts and your uncles. May they always remember the 5th of November...and the man that gave us the strength to change it all."
Evey paused, looking out over the crowd. There were so very many in Guy Fawkes masks, and though it hurt her heart, she was also glad to see they remembered. "When I think of my time with V, it sometimes feels as if it were a dream. People like him...they just don't exist in this world. But maybe that's why he had to leave it. He had dreams too big for this life, but he shared what he could with us. He gave us a gift, and I truly believe that he would be proud to see what we have done with it. I like to think that in a way, he is still here. Because through us, he will live on."
Evey put down her notes. She would not need a cue for what she had to say next. "I see you all now and it's hard to imagine that I could feel it was anything but real. I see his face in all of you...and if I could see him again, I know that I would see all of you in him. You were his dream. And by standing true for all that's right, you are also his legacy.
"V would have wanted you to remember him as an idea. Certainly, we should. We should remember his tenacity and dedication and his message of freedom. But I implore you to remember that he was more. He was a man. He enjoyed music and appreciated art. He loved literature and could paint a picture with mere words unlike anyone I've ever known. Would you believe that the man who started this revolution was capable of growing the most beautiful scarlet carsons? V could. He surrounded himself with beautiful things to keep the ugliness of what our world had become at bay."
Evey reached to brush away a tear that had begun to form despite her best effort to keep it at bay. "But there was a darkness to him, too. He hid himself away in every way that he could- his home, his habits, his very attire. He let no one in...even me. I often think of his self-imposed prison and feel it was tragic. But can I blame him? Can anyone? He was a man who was brutalized, who saw and suffered things we can't even imagine. V never told me what he went through at Larkhill. But if it was enough to inspire a man to singlehandedly revolt against his country, to die for the chance at change...it must have been indescribable."
Evey took a breath, steeling herself against her shaking hands as she looked out over the people. "Do not pity him. V never sought that. Honor him. That is what I ask of you. That is your job. Honor him always, and fight for what he's built. Do not give up. And when it's over...we must vow to learn from this. Learn and never, never let it happen again."
There was applause, there were hollers of encouragement. Evey let them calm before she continued. "You have spoken. Today marks the first day of a new government, and with it, a new interim leader. A leader who knows first hand what our country was capable of. A leader who would never let us fall that far again. It is my upmost pleasure to announce to you now, Interim Prime Minister Gordon Dietrich."
As she stepped back, applauding her friend as he moved toward the microphone, she heard the first scream. It played out like a scene on slow motion movie reel. Evey heard another cry, and could see the rebel soldiers rushing the podium. Her mouth fell open as she heard the report of an automatic weapon, and saw two soldiers drop in a bloody spray.
Gordon's gaze locked with hers, a moment that seemed to draw out for an eternity. There was so much held in that gaze...fear, sorrow, pain. She reached for him, though she knew she'd never cross the distance.
"Evey, get down!" Eric screamed, and she was hit with the full force of his weight. He took her to the ground and all the air escaped her lungs. She was powerless to do anything, to cry out, to even move.
Reality came back in a crushing wave, and Evey could hear people beginning to scream. More gunshots. Stampeding feet. Bodies rushing past her. And still, she could not move. She realized she was wet and wondered briefly if it had begun to rain. How strange. The sun had been shining.
"Eric, let me up! We have to help them!" She cried out when her lungs would finally cooperate.
She didn't hear his reply over the roar of the crowd. All she knew was his oppressive weight and the pain in her ribs from the hit she'd taken. Evey clawed herself forward, pushing out from beneath Eric.
"We need to get to Gordon!" She screamed, pulling at him. He did not respond, and the first twinges of real terror began to seep into her. "Eric?" She shook him, then screamed his name as she heaved him to his back.
It hadn't been rain. The sun was still shining, and she could tell because of the way it glinted off the blood seeping through Eric's jacket. "No, no...Eric..." She reached for him, and that was when the world exploded.
Evey was thrown backward, stunned and deafened by the ringing in her ears. Chunks of stone fell like rain around her. Feet stampeded by as people rushed to get to safety. She could smell acrid smoke, could feel heat from the nearby fires, but somehow she just couldn't make herself move. People were running, screaming, bleeding. Someone tripped over her leg, another person stepped on her hand. They were falling over Eric's lifeless form, stepping on him...and that was all it took to get her moving again. Evey screamed his name again, crawling across the concrete, dodging people as they ran.
And then, a second explosion rocked the pavilion. Evey hit the ground with a shriek of pain and confusion, and then knew only darkness when something solid hit her from above.