HAPPY STINKIN' NOVEMBER 5TH Y'ALL!

Bet you thought you had heard the last of me, huh? Not so, lovelies. Not so. Please enjoy the fruits of my labor, more of my rambling will be below.

Chapter 26

"When you had told me it was convincing, I didn't realize how convincing you meant," Evey gasped.

Standing before her was an elderly man, complete with a long white beard and white hair and topped with an old fedora. Dark, circular rimmed glasses were perched on the tip of his large, wrinkled nose. His skin was wrinkled and leathered, giving the distinct impression of a man who had worked his whole life. If Evey had not known any better, she would have thought this was just a normal old man.

"It took me many years of practice to get all of the makeup and prosthetics up to standard," a deep, familiar voice explained. "And I must say, your friend Eric Finch was thoroughly convinced when I first met him in this disguise."

Evey stared in awe at the man before her. The prosthetics moved exactly like real flesh; it did not look fake in the slightest. Even when she approached him and looked at him very closely, the mask that V now wore gave only the impression of real, human skin.

"You could have had quite the career in Hollywood, you know," Evey laughed slightly, still a little disturbed by how incredible the makeup was. It was almost a little bit too real for her tastes.

"You know I've no taste for show business, Evey," V replied, checking his appearance in the mirror to ensure there were no flaws.

Evey let out a harsh laugh, "Really? You have no taste for show business? You're the most flamboyant show-person I've ever met, save for Gordon of course. Don't you remember all of your theatrics leading up to the fifth?"

"I never said I lacked a taste for theatrics, my dear. I only claimed to have no interest in the actual business of it all. Too much politics in show business," V chuckled slightly.

"I never thought the day would come when I heard you say that," Evey rolled her eyes.

They were going to visit the proprietor of the antique shop that Evey had visited long ago to purchase V's record player. They had talked about visiting ever since then, after Evey regaled V with the story of the charming shop and equally charming old man who owned it. V was intrigued, naturally, but the logistics of it were almost impossible. In a past life, V simply would have taken time to visit the shop in the wee hours of the morning. But that of course meant missing out on the interaction with the owner, who Evey insisted on him meeting.

It had occurred to V one day, when Evey had brought the visit up again, that perhaps he could reuse some of his tools of the revolution. He thought that perhaps, it was time for William Rookwood to have his own rebirth.

When he had initially pitched the idea to Evey, she was somewhat reluctant, although very intrigued. She knew that this was likely the only way that this plan would ever become reality, but she was not convinced that it would real enough to convince the old man or anyone else they ran into. For once, Evey was being the calm, rational one, and was thinking of every possible way this could go wrong. But V had told her that it was convincing, and that she should trust him. After all, he had explained, it had fooled the current Prime Minister and newly appointed Head Inspector. Surely they would be able to fool an elderly man, whose vision was likely failing anyway.

And now, Evey was wondering why she ever doubted that this disguise would work. It should not have come as a shock that V would be so meticulous about something like this. He was meticulous and thorough with everything he did, especially the things he did for the revolution. Even now, nearly two years later, Evey was still impressed at how far V went for the revolution.

"Well, should we take our leave, my dear?" V asked as he turned away from the mirror, apparently satisfied with his appearance.

"Absolutely," Evey responded.

They made their way to the door, and V helped Evey into her coat as any proper gentleman would. Then, they made their way through the underground until they reached their desired exit. Evey had parked close to this one, so that once they emerged from the tunnels, they would be able to drive to the shop. Although his appearance was impeccable, Evey did not want to risk any mishaps that could happen on the long walk from the Gallery to the shop.

Once they were situated in Evey's care, she glanced over to her side. It was bizarre to have V sitting next to her inside of a car. He always walked to his destinations, or simply ran across the rooftops. The idea of him being confined in a small, metal box was both perplexing and amusing. It would have been even more amusing if V was dressed in his typical cape and hat, and of course the mask. Before Evey keyed the ignition, a thought struck her, and she turned to face V.

"V, do you know how to drive?" She asked, suddenly very curious.

He shrugged, "I assume I did at one point. But as you know, Larkhill destroyed any memories I had. And I assume any memories of driving are gone as well. Of course, in this new life, I've had no use for driving."

Evey considered this for a moment, "Would you like to try?"

V let out a sudden laugh, "Oh heavens no, Evey. I would likely crash, and what would we do then? No, for now at least, I should like to remain a passenger."

Evey laughed also, realizing now what a foolish suggestion it truly was.

"Fair enough," She said, starting the car.

Before she actually put the car in gear, another thought crossed her mind. Seeing V in the make-up of an elderly man made her realize for the first time that she really didn't know how old V actually was.

"How old are you?" Evey blurted out.

This caught V rather off guard, and immediately, V was concerned that his age might be an issue for Evey. V had always assumed that he was several years older than her, but of course, he could never be sure since he had no memory of his life before Larkhill. This included his age. However, while he was in prison, V came to the conclusion that he must have been anywhere from 18-24 when he was taken just based on his physical appearance. That would put him at an age of anywhere from 38-44.

"I do not know the exact number, as I have no memory of who I really was before Larkhill. By my own estimate, I would be in my late thirties to early forties," V replied, looking carefully at Evey to gauge her reaction. This had never been an issue before, and V had always hoped that it would never come up for fear that the difference would be to much.

Evey pursed her lips, like she always did when she was thinking.

"I don't know why I just thought of that. I guess seeing you in such drastic makeup made me curious. The mask really makes you look young," Evey quipped.

V let out a short chuckle, although it was forced. He was still concerned that Evey was slowly realizing that their age difference was an issue. The dark voice in his mind was slowly waking up. She'll only see you as a father figure. You're too old. She'll want someone else; someone who is younger, someone she can start a family with.

"V?" Evey asked, breaking V's concentration.

"Yes?"

"Have you heard anything I just said?"

"My apologies Evey, I did not," V was embarrassed to have been caught off guard.

Evey rolled her eyes, "You really should pay more attention."

"I'm terribly sorry Evey. Please, continue."

"I was saying that I thought it was interesting that it took me so long to only just now consider it. You've always somehow just felt so natural for me, that I never even considered it. I was just thinking that it hasn't ever been a concern, because I just know that I love you no matter what," Evey explained.

V was shocked to see how nonchalantly Evey explained this. It was like she had almost read his mind.

"That being said, I'm glad you're not a feeble old man like your costume," Evey laughed. "It would be difficult for you to fight rebels, I would wager."

V laughed, and it was more sincere this time, "Yes, I do agree that it would be a challenge to fight rebels with this physique."

Evey laughed, and put the car in gear. Her words had soothed V considerably, and he was able to relax as best he could given the circumstances. Soon, they were winding their way through the London streets, and towards their destination.

The drive was silent; both Evey and V were far too excited and nervous to speak. In both of their minds, they were going over scenarios in their heads that involved things going horribly wrong at the shop. Although Evey knew that the disguise was extremely convincing, she was worried that it would not fool the elderly shop keeper. And while V knew that he had applied the disguise with the utmost care and precision, as he always did, he was concerned of its possible failure.

The silence came to a stop when Evey slowed to a stop in front of an old storefront. She killed the engine, and turned to look at V.

"Here we are," She said, glancing at the man beside her. She still had to do a bit of a double take when she saw that it was not her usual V sitting beside her. Evey placed her hand on the handle of the door, but paused just before opening it.

"V, are you sure you want to do this?" She asked, finally voicing her concern. "We don't have to do this; we're taking a big risk."

V shook his head slowly, feeling sluggish with the thick makeup. "No, Evey. We've come this far. And I would hate to have put this mask on in vain."

"Alright then," Evey nodded.

The small bell chimed softly when Evey pushed open the door of the shop. Evey took a few steps inside, V close on her heels, and took a look around. Not much had changed since she had been in a few weeks ago. A few things she remembered looking at during her previous visit had vanished, meaning that business had hopefully been somewhat busy.

Behind Evey, V found himself in a trance. His make-up slathered mouth hung agape, taking in all that the small store had to offer. V was shocked to see so many items from the pre-Sutler era, such as books and records that had once been banned. Many of these things were treasures that at one time, he would have had to steal from shipment trains or the vaults. Beautiful paintings and old tapestries adorned the walls, old volumes of books lined the shelves. And of course, the box full of records immediately grabbed V's attention.

Evey peeked over her shoulder to look at V, who was staring in awe.

"What do you think, V?"

"What a charming place," V breathed softly, being sure to use a disguised voice.

Suddenly, V's head snapped to attention. A sudden noise at the end of the shop had caused V to come back to reality. From his years of living in seclusion and hiding in the shadows, even the smallest noises triggered V's instincts.

Evey saw V's head turn towards the back of the store. She saw his posture straighten from that of an old man to that of a man in his prime, his muscles tense. She noticed how he almost imperceptibly positioned himself slightly in front of her. Evey knew that these were deeply buried instincts, but Evey had to chuckle knowing the true source of the noise.

Evey placed her hand on V's arm before whispering, "Relax, V. I doubt that the man who owns this shop is going to be much of a threat."

As if on cue, the elderly owner of the shop appeared between the shelves of the shop, making his way slowly towards the pair. Upon seeing him, V did relax his posture considerably and returned to his elderly stoop.

"Welcome, welcome," the old man called out, not yet recognizing the young woman in his shop.

"Hello," Evey smiled, waving at the approaching man.

When he recognized Evey, a wide smile broke out on his wrinkled face. His pace quickened slightly, and he reached out to take Evey's hand in his.

"Ms. Hammond! What a pleasant surprise! I thought you had forgotten your promise to come visit again!" He exclaimed.

Evey laughed, "Of course not! I just wanted to bring my friend in with me, and it took us a while to figure out a time that worked for both of us."

"Well, of course. You are quite the busy woman," he laughed. "Now, may I ask who has the pleasure of escorting you here today?"

"Oh, how rude of me. This is William, the friend I was telling you about," Evey lied. She and V had already decided to use the alias associated with his disguise.

When Evey mentioned that the man next to her was the friend mentioned in her previous visit, she almost swore she saw the old man's face fall. She suddenly remembered his comment the last time he visited, Thank you, Ms. Hammond. To you and your friend. Evey recalled her initial panic, thinking that he knew about V's existence. Now she knew that he did indeed suspect that he was alive. Thankfully, now that could be put out of his head.

"William, it is a pleasure to meet you. I'm Walter," he extended his hand, which V took.

It was only when the old man said his name that Evey realized that the first time she visited the shop, it had not occurred to her to get his name. Evey blushed, slightly embarrassed at her lack of manners.

"The pleasure is all mine, I assure you. I must admit, I am quite impressed by this incredible collection you have," V gestured to all of the items scattered about the store.

Walter laughed, "You're very kind. But please, have a look around! Is there anything you're looking for?"

"Nothing specific comes to mind, although I'm certain I'll be able to find something of interest," V responded, beginning his search through the store.

V walked slowly towards the first thing that had caught his eye, a small statue depicting a man sitting with his legs crossed and his right hand raised. Evey saw what V was looking at, and raised her eyebrows.

"What's that?" She asked.

"This, my dear, is The Buddha," V explained.

V turned to look at his Evey, whose face was still twisted into a look of confusion. It made sense that Evey would not know who this was. When Sutler was in power, any religious items that were not of the Christian faith would have been confiscated and destroyed. Given how young Evey was, she likely never knew of any other religion besides Christianity.

"Who is The Buddha?"

"Buddha can actually refer to two things: historically, the Buddha Shakyamuni. He was also known as Siddhartha Gautama. He was a sage, whose teachings founded the religion of Buddhism. However, it can also refer to anyone who has reached enlightenment," V explained.

"And is this him?" Evey nodded her head at the statue.

V nodded, "Indeed. These statues are actually quite fascinating. There are many different poses, also known as asanas or attitudes."

"In fact, there are over one hundred different poses. This specific one, the right hand being raised and facing outward, signifies three different things. Protection, overcoming fear, or calming the relatives," William chimed in. "This specific statue is actually quite old; it could probably belong in a museum. I would guess between the first and second century."

V nodded, impressed at this man's knowledge of the subject. For the last 20 years, he had been collecting artifacts, reading books, and gaining knowledge about ancient cultures that had been systematically erased from the public's own knowledge. He had never known anyone that also had such knowledge about the past.

"You know, that reminds me…I think I have a first edition of Siddhartha…" Walter said, mostly to himself. He started off in another direction, but clearly V was interested, as he followed close behind.

Evey could hear them talking about the ideas of Buddhism, the specific style elements of Herman Hesse's writing, and other things that she had absolutely no knowledge of. It was incredible to be in the presence of two minds who knew about everything that had been hidden from her, and everyone else.

Evey slowly meandered in the general direction that V and Walter went, looking over items as she went. She reverently picked up an small crystal vase, and turned it over in her hand. She imagined what one of V's Scarlet Carsons would look like inside of it. That image alone was enough for Evey to hold on to it.

There were other interesting knick-knacks to be found, such as old yo-yos, movie posters, and even an old looking cheese grater. Evey was looking at a set of genuine silverware, tarnished with age, when V and Walter turned up beside her.

"Evey," V said, the excitement obvious in his voice. "Walter was indeed correct when he said he had a first edition of Siddhartha. Don't you think it would be a lovely addition to our collection? I know I already have a copy, but certainly not one like this."

Evey smiled hearing the excitement in V's voice. After everything V had been through, Evey knew that V deserved every ounce of happiness he could find. It always warmed her heart to see her beloved in such a state of joy.

"It certainly is lovely," Evey agreed, taking the book reverently from V's hands. The cover had clearly seen better days; it was now a deep rust color, with a few stains underneath the title. The spine of the book was worn in places, but not to the point that it would hinder the reader in anyway.

"What have you found there, Ms. Hammond?" Walter asked, gesturing to the small vase Evey was holding.

"Oh, just this vase. William is a gardener, and I thought some of his roses would look nice in here," she explained, giving V a knowing look.

Evey, V, and Walter spent another hour looking around at what the shop had to offer. In addition to the book and vase, V did decide that he wanted the Buddha statue for his collection, as well as a few more records for the sonogram. He was particularly excited about the Henry Mancini record, which Walter explained was one of his father's favorites.

"Your father sounds like a good man. Evey told me that he kept this store open, even when Chancellor Sutler was in power," V recalled.

Walter's face fell slightly, "Yes, he did. I told him he was foolish, and that it would only bring trouble. I was right, of course, but even after he died I couldn't help but carry on his legacy. I did exactly what I told him not to do. I wanted to make him proud, and I knew he wouldn't want to see the business die."

"Both of you were incredibly brave to do something like this while under such oppression," V said. "Operating right under the government's nose is quite impressive."

Evey had to hide a small smile when V said this.

Walter laughed slightly, although no sense of happiness was found in his laugh. "That sounds like something my son, Marcus, would have said. He hated the regime. I wish he could have seen the revolution, and that character V. He would have been at parliament that night no question."

"If you don't mind my asking, what happened to him?" V asked.

"Marcus was only 18, almost 19. He was taken during a Norsefire raid. When they came in, instead of listening to them, he cursed at them and tried to prevent them from taking anything. So, they did what they've always done," Walter paused to compose himself. "They black bagged him, and they took him. I begged for them to take me instead, but they figured it was more painful for me to watch."

Evey stood close to V, emotions pulling at her. She knew exactly what it was like to watch someone you loved being black bagged. Images of her mother and Gordon flashed before her eyes. Memories of being black bagged herself also resurfaced, and it was hard for her to forget that it was the man next to her that had done it.

"Where did they take him?" Evey asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Walter shrugged, "We never found out, and when we asked they never told us. I heard about all of the horrible prisons and assumed he went to one of those. After we heard about the truth about what they were doing in Larkhill, I can only pray that he wasn't sent there."

Hearing that name sent a shiver down both V and Evey's spines. V was all too aware of the truth about Larkhill.

"I assume though that they were doing things like that all over, in other prisons. Wherever they took him, it was no where good. It breaks my heart to know that they would do that to such a vibrant young man, and that he probably died in fear," a few more tears escaped.

"Your son sounds like an incredibly brave young man. I suspect that he would have been valiant to the end," V offered.

"Thank you, William, I truly do appreciate it," Walter smiled softly. "I do suppose he would have been. He always was very outspoken about the government, and he had a quick temper. He probably gave whoever was holding him hell. At least I would hope so."

"He sounds like a man after my own heart," V replied.

"Marcus would have been turning 39 this year. I always thought that I would have had grandchildren by now. But, I suppose the store has become more than enough responsibility for me."

Walter led the way back up to the counter, where Evey and V placed all of their treasures. The antique cash register that Walter used was incredibly loud as he slowly input all of the prices. The idle chit chat between the three had now turned to a much happier tune, and Walter's spirits had lightened considerably.

"It is so wonderful to have people in here again," he said as he rang the two up. "Sometimes it gets awfully lonely in here, but then I just have to sit back and listen to the stories that these objects all have to say."

V nodded, "I myself often wonder what stories objects would tell if only they could speak."

"Especially these items that got taken by Norsefire. I wonder what they would have to say?" Evey wondered aloud. Suddenly her face lit up. "That gives me an idea for a new exhibit in the museum…"

Both Walter and V smiled as they watched Evey quickly pull out a small notepad and jot her idea down. Evey furrowed her brows in concentration, and she was furiously writing while trying to simultaneously trying to send a message to Eric Finch about it.

"She always takes her work with her, I see," Walter observed.

V nodded, "Yes, she's so passionate about it. Of course, it makes sense given her relation to the vigilante."

"Oh, yes. You know, I would have loved for my son to have met him. They would have gotten along swimmingly. I only wish he could have been there for the revolution," Walter explained.

"I do suspect that somehow, he was there in some way or another," V offered.

By now, Evey had finished writing down her idea, and walked back to the counter. V pulled out a wallet to pay for the items, and Evey was so shocked to see V actually pull out a wallet and pay for something that she couldn't even protest. She had never even seen V with money, although she knew he had to have some stashed away to fund his revolution. But Evey really had assumed that V mostly stole things; it was terrible, but she knew V didn't have many other options.

This was such a natural interaction, but seeing it coming from V disguised as an old man really knocked Evey off balance. However, she recovered quickly, and was able to return her focus to the two men in front of her.

"Well Evey, I'm so glad you kept your promise to come see me," Walter said as he handed her the vase she had purchased.

"Of course! I wouldn't have dreamed of breaking it," Evey smiled and gently squeezed Walter's wrinkled hand.

"And it was so nice to meet you, William. I'm so glad you both came by to visit," Walter said, taking V's hand with surprising strength.

"Truly, the pleasure was mine," V replied with a slight bow of his head.

"Now hopefully you two will be back in soon?"

"Absolutely," Evey replied, looking up to V.

"I do think we'll be back soon. I'm sure there are many more things that I could dig up in here that would be perfect for my collection," V agreed.

The three all said their goodbyes, and after V assured Walter that they didn't need any help out to their car, he and Evey made their way out of the small shop. They placed their treasures in the trunk of the car, and V walked around to open Evey's door like a true gentleman. Once V was seated himself, the pair sat in silence for a few moments reflecting on their adventure.

Finally, Evey broke the silence: "What did you think?"

"It was delightful in every way, Evey. I now understand fully why you were so excited in the first place," V began. "Hearing his story was incredible; it warms my heart to hear of other's bravery in the face of treachery."

Evey nodded in agreement, and started the car. She quickly turned the heat up to beat back the winter chill, and they began their journey home to the Shadow Gallery.

"His son's story was incredible. What if he actually was at Larkhill? Maybe you two knew each other without even knowing it," Evey thought.

V shook his head, "I highly doubt it. We were kept isolated from the other prisoners for most of our time. So many people died so quickly that I never even saw most of them. Of course, since I was such a…valuable prisoner, I was kept away from the rest of the prisoners regardless."

A definite venom was injected into V's tone when he said the last part. Yes, Evey knew why V was considered such a valuable prisoner. It was the fact that he had survived. Evey knew how much V loathed himself for being the one prisoner whose blood was used to extract the deadly virus. The fact that it was his own blood that led to the deaths of so many people weighed heavily on him, and Evey knew that it always would.

Evey didn't know what to say, but V continued without waiting for a response from her.

"Regardless, I would have heard about someone like him. He seems like the kind who wouldn't have been easy to control. I would have remembered him," V began. "Likely, he was gone before I had even arrived."

Evey could hear how upset this was making V, and she could sense the tension rolling off of his body. She looked at him, and was frustrated at how the makeup distorted the usual signals that she could pick up on.

"I'm sorry, V. I didn't mean to bring up such a tender subject."

V shook his head, "Do not apologize, love. I myself began to wonder that very same thing, you simply voiced it yourself."

They continued to drive in silence. V was looking out the window, entranced. He had never seen the streets of London in this way: slipping away at a rapid pace, blurred by motion. Even after twenty years, V was able to appreciate new perspectives.

Finally Evey pulled up to her flat. She wanted to quickly drop off her few purchases, as well as grab a few items she forgot to bring down to the Gallery.

"I'll be right back, V. Don't let anybody steal the car," Evey teased before dashing to the trunk and into the building.

While V waited, he reflected on their adventure. People like Walter, and his son Marcus, were the people V had always been fighting for. He was humbled to have met Walter and hear his story. It made the revolution he nearly gave his life for all the more real, and all the more meaningful.

Then V thought about what Evey had said earlier. What if he actually did know Marcus, the brave young man who defied Norsefire? The timeline made sense, especially since V had no true recollection of how long he was actually held captive. It was very well possible that they could have arrived at the same time, or met briefly. V could have seen him on the few occasions he was let out of his cell to exercise.

He didn't know why, but V simply couldn't shake the feeling that he hadn't actually seen him. Something told him that he would have known about someone like Marcus. He was the type to rebel, or pull a stunt similar to what V had done. And V certainly would have noticed that.

The sound of Evey opening up her door and plopping down into the driver's seat shook V from his thoughts. V looked over to her, and saw her staring back intently.

"What were you thinking about V?"

V shook his head, "Nothing, love. I was simply lost in thought."

Evey shrugged and started the car. Soon, they were approaching the Shadow Gallery and Evey found a secluded place to park. Evening was upon them, so they were able to slip into the abandoned tube station under the relative cover of darkness. V carried his treasures in with him, and he and Evey found a nice place to display the new acquisitions.

A good portion of V's evening was spent taking of the disguise he had so meticulously created. It took several hours to put it on, and almost as much effort to take it off and wash away all traces from his skin. The first step was of course to shed the outer layers of clothing that were so different from what V usually wore. Then, came the first layer of prosthetics. This was relatively easy to peel off, but V had to do so slowly for fear of irritating his sensitive skin.

After this, V stepped into the shower and let the water do its work. The water ran with the light, fleshy color of the makeup that was left as V began to gently scrub away the remnants. He had to be sure to reach into the crevices of the scars to ensure that nothing was left behind.

Eventually, V completed the arduous task and made his way out of the bathroom and into the living room. Evey sat in the chaise lounge, idly flipping through Siddhartha and sipping tea. When she heard V, she turned to face him. Her face lit up when she saw him.

"That's much better. I have to admit it was unsettling seeing you in such a convincing get up," Evey admitted. "I'm glad to have the real you back in front of me."

V chuckled, "I'm glad you approve, my dear. While I much enjoyed being able to go out, I will agree that I find the costume to be quite an annoyance."

"But you did enjoy yourself?"

V thought back yet again to the conversations he had had with that elderly shopkeeper, and the one he had with Evey as they left. He simply couldn't stop thinking about it.

"Yes, love. It was quite enjoyable," V replied.

Evey smiled, followed quickly by a yawn. She excused herself to go get ready for bed while V was left to think on the chaise. After a few minutes, V could hear Evey settling into bed and rose to join her. He looked down to see Siddhartha resting on the side table, and thought one last time about the interesting adventure they had just shared.

"Interesting indeed."

A/N

Well hot diggity dog look who updated for the first time in a million years! AND on November 5th? How timely. I missed each and every one of you, and thanks for putting up with me. As some of you may know from my previous chapters, I'm in COLLEGE now. My first year is underway, so if that doesn't explain why the updates are slower I don't know what will.

To literally EVERYONE who reviewed in my unintended hiatus, THANK YOU from the very bottom of my heart. It means so much to me an inspires me to keep going. Believe it or not, this story does eventually come to a conclusion and I'm hoping it will do that soon.

Coming up next on "The Letter"...we'll see some action, some excitement, some drama, some romance, a little bit of everything. Plot development though, I swear.

All my love, please leave me some reviews assuming you all don't hate me!

theweezil