V's mask sat next on the desk, staring back at him as he watched his pc's flat screen monitor. He leaned to the side, resting on the arm of the chair, uncomfortably relaxing. His eyes were tired, heavy, and now started to water. He dabbed away at the tear with a cotton handkerchief, then letting out a wide yawn. He had been monitoring Creedy's movements for the past three days now. He took a nap every twelve hours or so to keep his mind from turning into a dull mush. His body was struggling to function with no more than six hours of sleep. He had tapped into the police feed, he had used Chief Inspector Finch to set up the surveillance on Creedy.

His back was stiff from all the slouching; he couldn't bring himself to sit up right anymore. V sipped at a cup of coffee and nibbled on shortbread cookies idly as he shifted restlessly in his chair. V watched as Creedy sat eating his supper alone in a rich and well kept dinning room. He sighed and ran a hand over his face leaning back in his chair. He hung his arms off to the sides looking up at the dimly lit ceiling. The jukebox clicked and switched songs, softly the stringing of a guitar filled the room, soon it was followed by a cell that played hauntingly beautiful music.

"Flames by Vast" V muttered idly to no one but himself. He knew every song, each song's name and who preformed it, he knew all 872 songs he knew by heart. For years he listened to music day in and day out. But he still to his displeasure he never had the chance to dance to any of them. The sting of regret bit at his mind.

"Close your eyes
let me touch you now
let me give you something that is real
close the door
leave your fears behind
let me give you what you're giving me"

The cello played with the guitar and a set of strings, the song was slow and mournful. V closed his eyes listening even closer to the words and melody.

"You are the only thing
that makes me want to live at all
when I am with you
there's no reason to pretend
that when I am with you I feel flames again
just put me inside you
I would never ever leave
just put me inside you
I would never ever leave
You"

The cello and guitar sung together alone, the music echoed of the stones walls. V smiled slightly at how lovely the harmonics of his home gave just the right pitch to the song. He could feel and see in his mind how smooth the strings were on the cello. How the bow floated back and forth over them, it was as smooth as a calm lake of water. The music was the gentle ripples dancing on its surface. He drank every last note in like a French wine. V slowly opened his eyes as the song faded to its end.

V sat up right in the chair, looking back at the window on his screen. Creedy was still eating his meal, "What a terribly unexciting bloke you are Mr. Creedy." V leaned forward and picked up another cookie. He looked over the cookie; the shape of a rook was baked into the surface. "You shall be a pawn Mr. Creedy in exacting my final revenge. Then once the Chancellor Sulter is gone and out of the way then you shall have your final verdict as well. Enjoy your last meals while you still can." V chuckled as he bit the head clean off the rook, enjoying his cookie.

It was an uneventful morning so far for Evey. Her life had drifted back into a routine that she might have been getting use to a bit too well. Her job was pretty easy and gave her the chance to read many wonderful books, well the good ones that weren't blacklisted. From time to time she missed the types of books V had, the stories that weren't censored approved. Stories that had a life, they held an edge that could cut right into you like a hot knife. Stirring the emotions and caressing the imagination.

Evey unlocked the shops door, entering the silently awaiting store. She glanced over at the calendar on the wall, there was still some time till November 5th but it seemed a lot closer than ever. The air around her felt heavy, she had been doing better ever since she went to V's home. Just seeing it again helped push back down the simmering stew of emotions that were inside of her.

She was lost in her idle thoughts and didn't hear the first shouts of yelling. The second pair of shouts made her looked back out to the street. She could hear people yelling something; it wasn't clear what they were saying exactly. Evey went back outside to see what was happening. She gasped and almost took a step back as a group of young teenagers came running towards her, all of them wearing capes, hats, and Guy Fawkes masks.

Evey watched wide eyed as they got closer and closer to her, then in a flash they were right next to her. She spun around to keep her eyes locked on them. She watched as they passed right by, one turned and looked at her. Evey's heart began to race as she was being looked at by the man in the mask, like V was looking at her again. Then as if she blinked they were down at the end of the corner, then completely gone in only a matter of moments.

"V" she whispered as she kept staring in the direction they ran off in.

V was sitting on the couch in front of TV, it hummed slightly as he just shut it off. He tossed the remote down next to him and sighed. Everything was going to plan; everything was falling in to place. "Just like you planed" V spoke to his self. "Everything expect one part"

V stood and walked over to the chess board that stood on a table. He looked over the board, taking the time to examine each piece. He raised his hand and picked up the white queen. "All except this."

V put the queen back down into its place, letting his fingers linger on it for a moment or two. Idea's and thoughts raced about in his head. He huffed a breath of air out in frustration, holding his arms behind his back as he started to pace around the Shadow Gallery.

"Do I dare to go see her?" he asked himself.

"No, no you can't do that." V responded.

V looked up and a copy of his self stood before him. His arms crossed over his chest watching V pace the room. "I just want to know if she's alright." V asked his copy.

"She's fine, you know she's fine. You made her that way. Made her so she would live thru anything, live thru what's to come." The copy responded.

V nodded but frowned under his mask, "Still, to see her again would be most enjoyable."

"There is no branch waiting for you there." The other V coldly replied.

V spun around fiercely, facing his copy, "Don't you think I know that!" he screamed.

The other V dropped his head slightly, gazing at the floor. Giving a heavy sigh he looked back up at V. "Then don't do this to yourself. Don't go."

V turned his back to the copy, searching his thought on what to do. "Well if she's not going to come back before the 5th, I'll just go to her!"

V stormed off to his makeup room, snatching up his cape and hat. He slid his belt on, sheaving each knife in place. He came out of the room fully dressed, walking quickly to his work desk. He dug thru a draw, pulling out a sheet of paper. He folded it and shoved it away into his pants pocket. He crossing the Shadow Gallery in a flash, hurrying to the lift. The other V watched as he raised the door to the lift and stepped on.

"You shouldn't do this." The copy shook his head with disappointment.

V glared at his copy thru the mask, "Try and stop me" he sneered, slamming down the door.

Alone, the copy of V placed his face into his hands, shaking his head in pity. "I'm such a damn fool."

The sky was a burning red and Evey watched the living painting while sitting in her bedroom window. A warm breeze was blowing in her face, touching her skin with invisible fingers. A peaceful feeling drifted in the air for once, not many sirens had gone by, and the normally present appearance of Fingermen was scarce. It was a please night for once in a while, she was enjoying the show of colors before her.

For her own amusement she pictured V standing out on the fire escape next to her window. She slid out of the window out on to the fire escape, standing now next to the imagery V. She looked up at his masked face as he now was looking at her.

V stood facing Evey up straight and proper. "With such visions of beauty and grandeur before me, pleasure has never felt so vibrantly delicious than this moment now."

Evey smiled at the fiction she had created, "Yes the sunset set is quite lovely."

V moved towards Evey, gently he held her arms, gazing down at her. "I wasn't speaking of the sun set Evey, lovely as it is I find you so much more intoxicating to my senses."

Evey blushed as she became lost for words. "Oh..Oh V, that's so"

"Shhh" V whispered. He drew Evey to his body, holding her softly in his embrace. Evey felt light and airy, she looked up at V, smiling at his affection. She slipped her hands up to his mask, holding it in her hands. She moved her face slowly to his mask, kissing it softly.

Evey pulled back from the touch, her chest moving slowly but felt heavy and tight. Her hands still rested on the sides of V's mask. She pulled them slowly back running a finger under along the thin strip of flesh she could feel between the high collar and porcelain mask. It felt smooth but had an odd texture under the surface of his skin; it reminded her of her own scar she had from a burn on her leg. It felt like skin but a different kind.

Evey stood alone on the fire escape trapped in her dream world. She came rushing back to reality with a dark black shadow jumped down in front of her. Surprised, Evey took a step back, pushing herself against the railing of the fire escape. She gasped as she looked at the figure before her.

"You almost bloody scared me to death!" Evey yelled.