Author's Notes: I thank all the reviewers (theshadowcat, Salt06, SupportSeverusSnape, princess moon shadow, Libertad23, and anaticulapraecantrix) for reviewing! I am letting all precious readers know that I won't post new chapters without a certain amount of reviews per chapter. That isn't too much to ask since it appears 175 are reading this story! Posting of pre-written parts will 'ppear when preceding praise is placed!

Chapter 6

Back to the present, Evey was still at V's side as he slept on his cot. The past week of nursing him and removing the bullets did end up taking their toll on V. His body's remarkable healing ability sapped him of his strength and energy. Evey had almost gloated, wanting to tell him that she was right after all and that he should have listened to her and taken it easy instead of cleaning up, scrubbing out bloodstains, and making dinner a couple nights ago when they had finally removed the bullets. But of course that would have been childish, she wouldn't stoop that low, although V had caught her knowing smirk of self satisfaction after she made sure he was alright.

The sudden tightening of his hand on hers made Evey jerk in surprise and look at the Guy Fawkes' mask.

"Hello Evey, I see you've come to attack this man while he's down," he joked, voice not sounding sleepy at all. She couldn't figure out if he had been awake this whole time or always woke up, mind and voice instantly clear. She wouldn't put it past him either way.

"How are you feeling?" Evey asked.

With a light grunt as he sat up on his cot he replied, "Quite invigorated! As good as new!"

With that he released her hand and promptly began to pull off the patches of gauze that covered a few of his wounds. Evey quirked a brow at him, wondering if he could have healed already and got up to flick on the lights. Sure enough new pink skin had already formed under the stitches, even absorbing some stitches into his body under a thin layer.

"Ugh! That's gross!" Evey exclaimed teasingly as she gently tapped at one of the wounds where the stitches became a part of his skin.

V had stiffened momentarily, but forced himself to relax, realizing that she was talking about the submerged stitches.

"Well yes, I probably should have taken the stitches out yesterday, but it will be a fairly simple thing to remove these myself-"

A growl interrupted the vigilante, Evey put a hand to her mouth to hold in her smile and chuckle. Thoroughly embarrassed by his loud stomach he almost reprimanded the empty organ out loud but instead looked up at the young woman beside him, "He doth protest too much. Although it is quite advantageous for me to heal rapidly it does take a lot of energy out of me, I do not suppose there is something to eat?"

"Already ahead of you. I made something for you for when you woke, just let me heat it up," Evey replied with a smile, glad to have her quirky companion back, "Did you want me to bring it here, or do you think you can make it to the kitchen?"

V stood up from his bed, towering over her, showing her his answer to that, or so she thought. She smiled up at him and took him by the hand to lead him out of his room, but he stopped her and sounded remorseful, "I must dress first-"

"Really?" Evey interrupted, on verge of a pout, and then with built confidence and flushing cheeks she voiced her thoughts, "Because you look quite sexy just as you are."

That gave him pause, making him double take on her words. Then even more regrettably he replied, "I'm sorry my dear Evey, but I think I will be taking this meal in my room, alone."

The smile fell from her face as she stared up at him with liquid eyes making V wish he were able to take back those words so that she would smile at him once more.

"But why V? Why can't we share a meal? You have nothing to hide, I told you that I don't care, that I never did care about your appearance. You're not ready to show me what is beneath that mask and I'll accept that for now, but can't we at least eat at the same table? I'll even blindfold myself!" She argued heatedly, desperately.

"Evey, underneath this mask-" he started but was cut off by an angry Evey.

"Is a man I love! Yes, you had your moment as an idea and blasted Parliament with it, started a revolution with it! But now you're here, your part of that is done since you never intended to live to finish what you started and what's left now is a man! I'll be damned if I let that be taken by the people too!" she stood her ground, her face blotchily reddened. A year ago she probably would not of been able to say this and had she even the guts to somehow push even half of what she said out she would have ran off afterwards, not being able to face the consequences. Yes, thanks to V she had grown strong, able to face him even as tears blurred her vision. She breathed heavily from her outburst and struggled to calm her breaths.

Silence reigned the room. V was still, stunned by her performance and even a bit proud at how much his little Evey had grown. She was still glaring at him defiantly, her jaw and small frame firmly set. Seeing that he could not put the issue off now that she had brought it up head on (and had he not told her what seemed ages ago that there would be no more secrets?) he took a seat on his cot and motioned for her to take the chair then clasped his hands in his lap. A gentleman would wait for a lady to take a seat first, but such gallantry in this situation would feel threatening to Evey, him looming over her as she were cornered as it were. She looked at him with narrowed eyes for a moment, wondering what was to happen next, but complied to his silent request and walked across the rug to be seated in the chair next to his cot.

"I believe it is time to talk about our… relationship," V began, the last word leaving his dry mouth hesitantly as he looked Evey in the eye intently, "You will have to allow me time to adapt as it were. This was not an eventuality that I had prepared myself for, nor allowed myself to even dream of."

"People are never prepared for falling in love V. It's something that just happens and you ride with it," Evey retorted softly, already melting and wishing she could hold him close to her. To not even consider the possibility of finding love was inconceivable to her. She relaxed her guard, deeming it safe enough as he was not completely brushing this off, he was actually trying to communicate with her without riddles and hidden meanings, "You can't mean that. That you didn't even allow yourself to dream of love?"

At that his face seemed to turn slightly to the side in such a manner as to suggest that he was becoming diffident, she would even venture to say that he looked adorable, the public would definitely never term terrorist Code Name V as "adorable". It could make one laugh.

"Well, I suppose I may have briefly considered it within this past year since I became smitten with a certain vixen, who I would not have thought would return such feelings to this very humble servant of the public," he offered.

Evey almost barked out a laugh at how he ended his sentence and said, "Very 'humble' indeed Mr. Fireworks! But-" and she softened her tone once more, a smile tickling her lips as she reached out and took his hand, "I certainly will accept your affections and whether you're ready or not you better get used to my affections. I know you're not used to it and we'll go slow, but I hope one day very soon you will realize that love isn't about what skin you're in, but what's in here," she tapped his chest, "Although, I have to admit," and here she gave him a coy grin, "I'm loving the muscles that came from your hard work."

She had no time to react, he was upon her and she was suddenly in his tight embrace, her arms trapped between them, it almost hurt. Evey had been pulled into his lap so quickly that she had tensed in surprise, but immediately relaxed and smiled, looking up at the masked man. She rested her cheek against his scar roughened shoulder, enjoying him holding her.

"I love you Evey," he whispered into her ear, the air from his lips passing through the mouth of the mask.

"I love you too," replied the young woman. She spotted what appeared to be lesser scarring on the front of his exposed neck and gave it a light kiss, hoping he would feel it despite more than possible nerve damage. He tensed with almost a gasp, the barest intake of air at the feeling.

'Yes, he felt it,' thought Evey with some satisfaction.

He looked down at her in his arms and after a slight tightening of his arms he released her and they both stood up, "You are quite the seductress and tempts one to forget about going slow. Let me get dressed and I shall join you for breakfast, or perhaps lunch? I have lost my sense of time."

"It's probably around lunch time now. And yes, we'll go slow," with that she lifted his hand to her cheek and closed her eyes briefly, enjoying the touch then released him so that she could leave him to dress.