A.N: You guys are to kind to me. lol, okay, so I'm getting a little caught up in the plot line, so if i stray from Walter/Rorschach's character PLEASE PLEASE tell me and I'll revise it. I am always appreciative of your guy's reviews. they make me so happy! ^.^ ... Hope you'all enjoy this chapter!

(Updated 2/28/11)

Chapter 9; Time

Walter gathered his sign from his eclectic little apartment, slowly walking down the rundown hallway.

"What did I say about that smell?" Mrs. Shairps' shrill voice rang up the stairs as Walter treaded down them, she was waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs. "Well?" she asked him as he reached the ground floor, but Walter ignored her, striding right past her and out the door onto the streets, her harsh voice shouting obscenities at him was cut off as soon as the door closed behind him.

His feet treaded heavily against the rotting pavement; his hair fluttering slightly in the cold winter breeze. His sign caught the wind, and it struggled from his grasp, but Walter held tight.

Told you we couldn't trust her. Rorschach hissed. Walter huffed gruffly at the thought. She confessed to the murders… Walter shook his head. There was so much that the journal didn't cover. So many holes. Can always be fixed with proper persuasion… Walter licked his lips.

It was hard to believe that someone that had been so kind to him had committed such a deed. He could appreciate the fact that she had done it out of an act of vigilantism, but he found it hard to believe that she'd carried it out. He'd known that she'd been connected to it, maybe knowing someone that had been killed or affected by it. But to actually be the one to play God?

It's possible. Been wrong about people before. Walter nodded. True. He'd admit that much. But from here he had no idea what to do next. She wasn't like the others he'd dealt with in the past. Matter of perspective. Walter ignored that.

He knew they would have to tell her about the man tracking her down. No wonder she had a fit over the mere thought of someone surviving. She knew they'd come for her. Especially a big slave trade organization. That was like taking on the mob.

Gonna protect her? Roschach asked skeptically. Walter shrugged. Maybe. It wasn't like he had it all planned out. "Can't just let her die." he told himself. "Not after her generosity to us." Rorschach moaned. Don't owe anything!

Walter turned the corner to the newsstand. He knew they didn't owe her anything. It wasn't a matter of owing. Teri had provided her humanity with nothing asked in return. Perhaps it wasn't quite below him to do the same.

Teri had her back turned to him, fixing herself a cup of coffee from the pot on the counter. When she heard his approaching footsteps, she turned and smiled at him upon recognition.

Walter managed a small twitch of the corner of his mouth as he saw what she had wrapped around her neck. "Nice scarf."

Teri looked down at it. "Oh, thanks." she chuckled, taking a sip of her coffee.

"New?"

Teri shook her head. "A friend left it at my place last night. I didn't think he'd mind." she casually told him as she went to go get his newspaper.

Rorschach groaned, suddenly feeling the need to bang his head against a wall. She's wearing our scarf, Walter, wearing it!

Walter tilted his head slightly to the side. The white scarf accented her short hair, her dark eyes. "Hurm." he liked the way it looked on her; It was conservative. He stared at her a moment longer as she handed him the paper. "A friend?" he asked, curious that she had referred to Rorschach that way.

Teri nodded, a slight blush coloring her cheeks as she took his money. "Yeah, I kind of wish he'd left his hat though…" she muttered, almost incoherently as the breeze tousled her hair, the ends of his scarf fluttering. She took a leery sip of her coffee.

Walter shifted his eyes to the coffee pot, steam ascending from its metal spout to fade away in the chilly air. Wondering if maybe he should ask-

"Gazette please,"

Walter jerked his head in the direction of the intrusion, staring callously at the very business man that had been there a few days ago, the one that had Teri blushing at his comments.
Walter tightened his grip on his sign. The look in the mans' eyes told Walter that if it were up to the tolerant non-essentialist, he would have Teri on her back in no time.

"Sure," Teri replied, turning; completely unaware of the harsh gaze that Walter was sending the man.

The man looked at Walter, caught his eyes, and wiggled his eyebrows at him. "Cold day today, huh?"

"Yeah," Teri breathed out, turning back with the paper. She smiled to him as he stretched his hand out to receive it.

As he handed her the change, he shifted his eyes a little unnervingly to Walter, but then focused on Teri. "Look, uh, I know you only know me from the other day, but would like to, maybe join me for lunch sometime?"

Walter felt like laughing to himself. Like she would go with pretty-boy to lunch. Ha.

But Teri's breath caught in her throat and she nearly choked on the coffee was swallowing. She opened her mouth to speak.

Walter saw the hesitation in her eyes, but didn't see rejection in them as she stole a uneasy glance at Walter. She was going to accept! Walter quickly stepped in, before the words could escape her lips.
"-So, the man in your apartment last night," Walter rushed, putting his sign at his side and stepping forward to the coffee pot. "didn't hear him leave 'til this morning." he poured himself some into a foam cup that sat with others beside the kettle. "Knew it wasn't you." he turned around, "Don't usually leave until later."

Teri shot him a look of horror.

Walter challenged her.

"Er–or not." the man cleared his throat, uncomfortable as he noted the tension between the two before him. He thanked Teri for the paper and strode off, his ego chopped in half.

"Excuse me?" Teri hissed at Walter, nearly dropping the cup in her hand.

He took a sip of the scalding coffee, wrinkling his nose. "This is disgusting…" he murmured.

Teri huffed. "Walter?"

He took another gulp of the coffee, his eyes innocently gazing at her over the rim. His façade completely emotionless, not allowing her see the true triumph in his eyes. "Yes?"

"What was that?" Teri asked, throwing up her free hand.

He lifted a shoulder. "Didn't like him."

She blinked, bemused by his actions. "You didn't know him." she pushed past him to place the coins in the register.

"Didn't need to." He growled, his fingers tensely tapping on the side of his little foam cup, he didn't appreciate the way she rubbed against him. "Saw that look in his eyes." he fiddled with the edge of his sign by his side. "Mentally undressing you."

Teri shook her head. This was unbelievable. "That's none of your business."

"Is to." Walter interjected, but when she gave him a confused look, he quickly continued. "You're my newspaper supplier." he told her, matter-of-factly, as if that should settle the whole argument. His eyes then averted to the coffee in his hand.

Teri shook her head at him, setting down her coffee on the counter and going to gather more newspapers from the bags at the side of the stand. "Was that a streak of jealously, I just heard?" she asked, mockingly.

Walter flinched at her, watching her work. "No," he replied sharply, defending himself. He shuffled out of her way, as she carried an armful of papers to the counter. "Just looking out for you." he whispered, shyly.

Teri stole a glance at him, after a moment, she let a slow smile grow on her face. "So I've been noticing." she muttered.

Walter flicked his eyes to hers.

Keeping his stare; Teri found it odd that Walter chased off her customer, but never a bad word was brought up against the man that had stayed with her last night. Maybe he didn't know as much as he had been letting on…

"How can you drink this?" he asked, his voice uncouth, as he broke the awkward silence.

Teri glanced at the cup in his hand, "I like it," she countered. "It's better than that mud that Gunga serves."

Walter frowned, swirling the contents of his cup around. "Matter of perspective." he grumbled.

Teri laughed, before taking her coffee in her hand. "I suppose so." she sipped at the steaming liquid. "Does this mean that you'll be sticking around all day to 'protect me' from all the other unscrupulous men that are mentally sexing me?" she asked, with a smirk.

Walter lifted another shoulder. "Have things to do." he replied, taking in her questioning gaze as Rorschach demanded they get a new scarf. "But guess I could spare a few minutes." he mumbled.

Teri bit her lower lip, her eyes clearly showing the relief. It was obvious that even though she had joked, she was thankful for his company.

"Why move here?" Walter asked suddenly.

Teri took a breath, quickly expelling it so that the hair on her forehead undulated. She knew he was asking about the reason for her move to NYC. "I dunno." she told him truthfully. "I guess it was spur of the moment."

Walter reached up and scratched the back of his head. "Running from something?"

She pursed her lips, her fingers fumbling. "I guess you could say that." she answered, "But aren't we all?" her eyes scanned the people that walked by. "Aren't we all running from the problems of the world?"

Walter nodded, watching the wheels of her mind turning as her face flashed a range of emotion and expressions.

"That's just what makes us human, I think." Teri hypothesized. "Doesn't matter who we are on the outside. I think, internally, we are all hiding from some larger picture." She shifted on her feet.

"Don't always see." Walter added, "Don't always want to see."

Teri nodded, "Exactly." she flicked her eyes to his face, watching his eyes on his coffee, lost in his thoughts.

Little did she know that he knew more about what she'd said than she'd caught on to.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Rorschach's Journal, November 24, 1984,
Still working on getting identity of man tailing Teri. Haven't confronted her on knowledge. Will tonight. Not quite sure how. Admittedly impressed with knowledge. Maybe not as weak as anticipated. Need to be cautious with her. Followed her last couple days. Walter getting soft. Silly soulless humanistic needs emerged. Need to be cautious with him. Attracted to her subtle side. Not wanting to see dark side. But I see. true face showed through. It didn't escape me. Nothing escapes me.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Rorschach climbed down the fire escape to her window. It was dark inside, but it would do, his gloved fingers traced the bottom of the sill, looking for a hold. When one was found one, he pulled the window open with skilled hands.
Unlucky for her. Shouldn't leave it unlocked, not in this part of town. Lucky for him.

He slipped inside, his feet touching down on the cheap linoleum, expertly making no sound. He stood, letting the moonlight help his eyes adjust to the utter darkness of her closed bedroom.

There was a lump in the bed facing him, and he took a step closer before he focused on it.

Teri lay face down under the covers, her face sideways on the pillow, her lips parted. She had a hand beside the pillow, her fingers twitching in sleep.

Rorschach took another leery step, his practiced feet making little noise atop the slick floor. He tilted his head as he watched her back slightly rise and fall with her breathing.
He liked her this way; She was peaceful… Quiet. She tended to bore him with her words, but now that she was dead to the world around her, he was a bit more interested. At least in this state she couldn't touch him, or defile his clothes.

Her fingers clinched, suddenly, holding tightly to the sheets beneath them.

Rorschach sat in the chair beside her bed. He was surprised that she didn't stir. Some rogue she was. He bet he could reach out and touch her without her knowledge. Not like he would want to, however.

He frowned, staring at her. At first glance she definitely didn't appear to be any different from the other whores that walked at this hour. But this wasn't Rorschach's first glance. He tilted his head to the other side, taking in her unpainted, chewed fingernails. A nervous person, no doubt. And though her hands were small–fragile even–he could see them taking anothers life.

He could appreciate that. He had read her writing. Walter hadn't been the only one to get inside of her head that day. He knew what she felt. He knew the ultimate elation that was felt during such acts of violence.

Teri muttered in her sleep, it was almost incomprehensible, but he had heard it. "Walter…"

Rorschach rolled his eyes. Great. Now she was calling his name in her sleep? Walter would have a fit over that. Rorschach reached forward, unwilling to hear anymore of her pornographic dream. "Wake up." he took the edge of the pillow in his hand and yanked it from beneath her.

Her head fell unceremoniously to the mattress under her. She groaned as her eyes shot open, "Wha-"

"Need to talk."

It took her a moment to comprehend the situation. She rubbed her eyes, her face scrunching as she rolled over away from him. "I'm sleeping." she muttered shortly.

"So I heard." Rorschach replied, with another roll of his eyes. Grudgingly he took her shoulder, forcing her back around. Her head whipped to meet his gaze, and she groaned again, clearly groggy. "Need to talk."

Teri shrugged his hand off of her. "Alright, alright," she yawned, sitting up in the bed, the sheet sliding to her waist. She was wearing simply an overly large long sleeve shirt and shorts. "Well?" she asked, stifling another yawn as she covered herself with the blankets again, cold. "What could possibly be so important as to get me up at this hour?" she asked, a glance to her watch.

Rorschach thought it curious that she slept with her watch on. Hurm. He figured he'd regard it later, as he reached into the inside pocket of his trench coat, pulling out her journal and setting it on the bed.

Teri followed it, staring down at the worn leather bound book by her knees. "What the hell is that?" she asked, shooting him a look. "Is that my journal?"

Silence.

The realization rang through her like cold water poured over her head. "Omigod, did you read that?" she cried, pointing at the book.

Silence.

Teri threw her arms up, "Jesus, I can't believe this!" her voice rang shrilly through the apartment. "Ugh!" she fell back against the mattress her hands on her face. She had been so compassionate to take him in when he was wounded, not even calling the police on him, and he went and snooped in her stuff!

Silence.

Teri sat up, taking the book in her arms. She was a little calmer after having a moment to breath. "Don't you realize that this contained some of my most personal information?" her face had turned beat red, obvious even in the dark. "There's stuff in here I've never told to anyone!" she whispered harshly to him.

"Like Detroit murders." Rorschach finally growled.

She froze, leaving the book loose in her grasp. "What?"

Rorschach seized the journal from her arms and opened it to the last entries as he prepared to read. "Shall I?-"

Teri snatched it back, right out of his hands. "I know what I wrote!" she hissed coldly at him. "It's none of your business."

"Is now." he replied, with just as much malice.

Teri stared at him, her eyes watching the slow movement of the inkblots on his mask. "Well?" she whispered, she knew what he did to people like her. "What are you waiting for, then?" All but closing her eyes to wait for the beating she was sure he'd give her before leaving her on the police station doormat, Teri gulped.

Rorschach took a breath, ignoring her fearful comment. "You're being followed."

Teri blinked, that wasn't exactly what she expected. "By who?"

"Don't know yet." Rorschach answered. "Survivor of massacre."

Teri flinched at that word, she didn't like what happened to be called that, but she knew it was true. "Why are you telling me this?" she asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

He was taken aback, but he pondered that for a second before answering. "Don't know yet." he answered. "Suppose I understood." he told her, remembered the words that came up from the pages of her journal; the hatred, the excitement, the revenge and then the triumph followed lastly by guilt.

Teri snorted. "You think you understand me because you read the thoughts I wrote in a goddamned book?" she accused, feeling the memories of that horrific night wash over her.
She was hurt that he had read some of the most personal feelings that she had. He had read things about her that she would never share with even her closest friends and family. She hated the fact that he now knew everything about her. It was unsettling and rather intimidating. She took the only ground she knew: "You don't understand anything."

Rorschach stood from the chair, the metal legs scratching on the linoleum. He placed his hands in his pocket and walked towards the window. But he didn't intend to leave. Not until he got his answers. He reached out and closed it, locking it shut before he turned back to her. "Still waiting. Time to talk."