Now one would assume, as I let the devil into my office, that I would be on edge. Terrified that he'd make a move, that he'd do to me what he'd done to Becca Butcher. I wasn't. Not even a tiny drop. I was perturbed. I was irritated. I was worried that Billy would show up and all hell would break loose, but never once did I fear that the science experiment gone horribly awry would harm me. Why? You'll see.

I took my chair, the same one that Billy had made sure I had, pushing his slightly away so I had more room if necessary. I gestured to one of the far less comfortable visitor chairs, and contemplated for a moment having Joseph return the chair of pain that he'd seemed so happy to take for his own. Tossing his cape gallantly behind him as I fought against rolling my eyes at the fucking drama of it all, he sat as though the ugly utilitarian chair was a throne and I felt bile rise in my throat. How could anyone stand him?

"Well?" I sat back, waiting. "I'm a busy woman, so have your say and get out."

One perfectly arched eyebrow raised, clearly not expecting me to be less than welcoming. Oh I do love when someone thinks they have the upper hand. "I'm sure you are VERY busy with Billy Butcher, Dr. Taylor." Ah, he was going to go for blackmail, this should be interesting. "After all the 'work' you two get into in this very office, that chair really stands up to some hard exercise, doesn't it?" So he'd been spying for awhile. Since he had super hearing and the ability to be an uber peeping Tom, I wasn't all that shocked that he'd focus on this office. I stayed silent, passive, bored. "Surely, Dr. Taylor, you wouldn't want your SUPERIORS to know that you're dipping in the office pool?"

I snorted. I couldn't help it, honestly, the look on his face was so fucking sure and confident that I'd bend. Poor thing. "You think that my superiors who told me to 'do what was necessary' to keep Billy Butcher from waging a full scale war on you and your kind would give a flying rat's ass HOW I keep him calm?" I was bullshitting, but he didn't know that, I hoped. "Besides, Homelander, between you and me, if you show mine, I'll show yours." I'd managed, while he was tossing out his innuendos to pull up some video and a few files that I'd requested from higher up, knowing that there had to be SOMETHING to make sure this moron stayed in his lane, and boy was I right. Turning my laptop so he could see it, I smiled as his eyes took in the video. "Should I zoom in? I mean, you can't REALLY get the full effect of your nursing if I keep it full room." It was a video, that Stillwell had taken, of the illustrious hero in front of me suckling like a babe at her ample bosom. "Shall I open the file for you? You seem so SUPEd up about being a dad, I'd imagine you'd be just as happy to know how Teddy Stillwell was conceived, because I'm fairly certain you weren't in the room, or at least not ALL of you." I glanced down at his crotch and made a face.

"How?" He hissed, and I could see him contemplating torching my laptop. "Where did you-"

"Now now," I shook my head and stood up to walk toward the door. "Just know that I have it, and I'm more than willing to release it, and a lot of other INTERESTING videos that've come across my desk. How would your NUMBERS fair if a sex tape of you and the disgraced Nazi whore Stormfront hit the airwaves?" He was fuming and I was standing at the door. "Now, Homelander, I think we're through here, don't you?" He stood and I knew he was thinking if I was dead he could make it look like an accident, I mean I just trumped him pretty fucking hard. "If anything happens to me?" He was so close I could FEEL his breath fanning the top of my head. "Everything is dumped to the public, EVERYTHING. And trust me when I say, if I'm not here to make sure that Billy doesn't come for you, you're as good as dead." He snorted, copying me when I wasn't impressed by his threat. "Do you have any idea how much 'research' went into killing Translucent?" He was glaring down at me. "The FUN they had when trying to find a way to end him, well, I can only imagine how much enjoyment Billy would have finding a way to make you a gooey pile of blood and gore, can't you?" And with that final shot, I opened my door and loudly told him how wonderful it had been to have a moment to speak together. I knew the office had ears, and eyes, and I played my part as well as any CIA officer would. I even managed to NOT slam the door behind him, hopefully trapping his fucking stupid cape in the door and making him stumble, but damn if it wasn't tempting.

By the time Billy arrived, most of the chatter about my morning visitor had died down. Most, not all, which is why he seemed to fill the damn room once he was granted entry.

"Doc," his nostrils were flared and I couldn't imagine what he thought I should have fucking done. "That-" He stopped, trying to get himself under some form of control, but it seemed hard work.

"Billy," I touched his hand and he didn't flinch or pull away, so I counted it as a win. "Look at me." He had his eyes focused on a wall, but he sighed and complied when I asked. "I'm fine. You're fine. Now let's sit and I'll tell you all about the asshole's visit and what I told him." I took a breath. "It's time you get read in on some things that I was sent."

It didn't take long, since Homelander's visit was brief, but Billy watched the videos, all of them and then read carefully through the files. That took longer, but it gave me time to watch him come down from his knee jerk reaction of 'let me go fucking kill that wanker'.

"Wait," his eyes met mine, "So not only was Stillwell giving Homelander his mummy fix, but the kid is-" I nodded. "'Splains how the shitlet got so far away from the explosion without a hair out of place." Another nod, since I'd had my suspicions when I heard about Teddy's survival, I delved deep. Vought sucked at keeping track of supes, but not their sperm. "Knew about him and Stormfront, but the video," he cringed and I mirrored it. "The plan is to keep this over his head?"

"For now," I sighed. "More shit keeps coming to light, and almost all of it comes back to him and shady as fuck stuff." Sitting back, I smiled when Billy took my hand and linked our fingers. "I wish I had access to this-" I stopped. If I'd had it before Becca died, then his hand and fingers would be hers. Hell, I wasn't sure they weren't still hers. Fuck. "Anyway," I pulled my hand free and moved the laptop back in front of me. "We're finished the files, and the boys are off doing recon and-"

"Ronnie?" I bit my lip and waited, bringing up the next goal on the laptop. "Why did you just-" and then I heard him sigh, and could almost see the gears click into place. "Veronica."

"Homelander visiting gave me an idea for what we do next," I said, changing the subject, needing to before my heart left my body and jumped out the window. "We need to make contact with the known and available-" and then he turned my face to his and brushed my lips with his own and I breathed in the scent of him. Calming slightly, but still unsure. "Interrupting me?" For once, I wasn't opening my eyes to find his, I couldn't, not yet. "We won't get-" and then his mouth was hot on mine, forcing a noise that I only made when I was completely undone by him from my throat, which set off his own moan.

He pulled away, only far enough so our eyes could meet if I opened mine and so we could breathe. "Open your eyes, Ronnie," I swallowed hard, fighting against the pull of his voice and the urge to see his eyes locked on mine. "Please?" That did it, like 'open sesame' my eyes opened and there he was. "She's not here," I felt my chest lock up. "She wasn't here for a long time before that, Ronnie, and I never fucking moved on. Not one fucking step." I knew this, I wrote the report on him and even the shit I found that didn't matter stayed with me. "What coulda been doesn't matter, don't you see?" Did I? Not really. "It hurts, I won't lie to you, it does." Another gulp from me, but I didn't pull away, not when his eyes held me hostage. "And I'm not sure I'll ever NOT love her." Great, that's fucking fabu- "Doesn't mean I can't love you too, right?" Wait, what?

I blinked. And then I blinked some more. Did he just? "You what me?" I asked, blinking a little more for good measure, wondering idly if maybe I HAD died at Homelander's hands...eyes, whatever.

"I love you, Veronica." He was smirking, even if I didn't check his lips. I fucking knew it from the way his eyes crinkled at the corners. "What?"

I was still blinking. Shit. "You love me?" Wrap your head around that, Doc, I thought. "YOU love ME?" Maybe new emphasis on different words would help? Nope. I blinked some more.

"Think I broke you." Now I knew the fucker was smirking. "Yes, Doctor Veronica Taylor CIA officer extraordinaire, I fucking love you."

That actually made more sense, the way he put it there. "Right." I bit my lip as he started down at me. "What?" I asked, feeling far more playful now that I was fairly certain I wasn't dead.

"I just told you I love you," his eyebrow shot up and I nearly laughed, almost. "And all you have to say is 'right'?"

"William Butcher, are you jockeying for me to reciprocate your declaration of love?" He gave a bit of a nod. "Jesus, you're so fucking needy." It was his turn to blink, and I had to admit, it was a fun experience, but I didn't want to torture him. Not for long anyway. "I do love you," I said it with an exasperated eye roll. "I didn't know it was going to take Homelander blackmailing me for you to tell me though." And that did it, he chuckled and I joined him, before kissing his lips gently. "I do, you know?"

"I do now," he offered wryly.