He was heavier than she thought he would be. Evey had always assumed that, underneath all the black cloth and leather, was a light body, appropriate to the deft movements of it's owner. But no, it was a muscular frame that had wielded those knives so gracefully, touched her face so gently. Strange, that he had always seemed so weightless, and yet it now took everything in her to half-drag, half-carry V's limp form into the subway car. Once inside, she used her last ounce of strength to lay him carefully on a low platform amidst all the cases of dynamite. She stood for a moment, swaying on her feet, and then, unable to catch her balance, collapsed against one of the handrails. Her fingers tightened on the chipped yellow pole as she righted herself and tried to calm her erratic breathing.
After what seemed like several eternities, she finally managed to gather her wits about her and turned to face the body on the table. It seemed wrong for him to be so still. The V Evey knew was a creature of pure movement, always gesticulating with those expressive hands, or speaking volumes with an elegant shrug. He even paced during the night. A sad smile crossed her lips as she grazed his masked cheek with her fingertips. All that energy, that sometimes manic passion that pitted him against suits of armor, was gone. The man she loved had flitted out of her life like a shadow, exactly one year since their first meeting, leaving her with only a handful of memories and a decision with the power to change the world.
Evey tried to avoid looking at the lever near the door of the car, half-afraid that the weight of a glance would trip the delicate balance. Not yet. Just give me a few minutes more. She slowly crossed V's arms over his chest, her jaw tightening at the sheer number of bullet holes riddling his torso. "How did you make it back here?" she whispered. "You should have been dead the moment they shot you…"
The words caught in her throat as she attempted to swallow the tears that suddenly threatened. No. She would not cry again. She had spent the past ten minutes sprawled on the dirty floor of the abandoned Victoria Station, V's body in her arms, weeping. Her moment of frailty was past.
The lever suddenly drew her eye, and she took an unconscious step towards it. Yes…Weakness was something from another life, and she would have no part of it. Her hand, almost of its own volition, grasped the cool metal and began to pull downwards.
But…
She turned back to V. What a way to go. Surrounded by explosives, covered in your own blood, lacking even the dignity of a memorial. Something had been left undone, but the memory of Valerie and her roses had planted a seed in Evey's heart. Perhaps there was a better way to say goodbye…
FIN