A few hours later, Meg wakes to the sound of the elevator dinging open. She's in the bedroom, but the door is open. She watches as Adrian enters, Billy asleep in his arms. Her hands tighten on the blankets, heart pounding, but Adrian only walks past, disappearing on the other side of the penthouse.

She turns off the TV, which has been on, but she hasn't really been watching, and waits, fidgeting nervously. After a few minutes, he enters the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

"How are you feeling?" Adrian crosses the room to her and sits on the bed at her feet. He sets his hands on his knees, and she thinks it looks like he's making an effort not to touch her.

"Okay, I guess. I took some painkillers, and that's taken the edge off. I'm tired though. I keep falling asleep."

"The doctor said you will be for awhile. Your body has been through a lot." He looks at her. "You've been through a lot."

Meg narrows her eyes, wondering what his game is. While it's true her life has been spinning out of control since the night she first met Rorschach, everything that came before Adrian murdered half the world paled in comparison. Getting jumped in an alley, saving Billy, being beat up by one of her clients, all that she could handle. Had handled.

She exhales. "Do you remember what I told you about my dad?"

Adrian cocks his head, eyes narrowing. He looks momentarily confused, and she takes pleasure in the fact she can confuse even him. "I'm not sure which part you're referring to."

"How, after he killed my mom, and he came out of his rage, he started to cry and beg her to forgive him."

"And you felt sorry for him."

She takes a breath and wonders how to phrase this. "What I feel now, for you… it's the opposite. I loved you, trusted you, wanted to create a life with you. And then I found out and I felt…"

"Betrayed."

"Stupid." Meg sniffs and wipes a tear creeping from the corner of her eye. "I felt so stupid. Eddie Blake even tried to tell me, and I didn't listen."

"What?"

She flinches from the sharp anger in his tone. "You're already killed him once, Adrian. No need to do it again. Back to the point, I was humiliated. Ashamed."

He sighs. "I don't understand. I would get anger or betrayal, but what on earth do you have to be ashamed about?" Adrian turns and reaches for her, but stops himself and lets his hands fall back to his lap. "You did nothing wrong."

"I let myself think… let myself believe I was loved by someone handsome and brilliant and rich and important. When I'm not. I've never been." The tears start spilling out of her eyes. Her face feels hot, and her neck prickles painfully. "I let myself get swept up in this stupid fairy tale, and it wasn't."

Adrian moves up the bed so he's near her head. Turns to face her and puts one arm over her body. Looking at her intently in the eyes, he says, "How can I convince you it was real?"

She shakes her head. "You can't."

"Meg." His voice is a whisper. He closes his eyes a moment. When he opens them again, he doesn't meet her gaze. "What if I admit that at first it was something of an act? I never intended it to go quite as far as it did, but I did think…" Adrian stops.

"You thought what?"

He lets out a breath. "I thought that it might make me more sympathetic and relatable if I lost someone in the blast as well. And you seemed perfect. The public liked you because you rescued Billy, you were good at organizing events as you demonstrated with the first fundraiser, and, despite believing yourself awkward, you mingled well. You're quite charming, Meg. So, yes. At first, I was mostly acting."

"Mostly," she mocks.

He raises his eyes to hers. "It's hard to dislike someone who throws her heart and soul into her work because it will help children. I always liked you. I grew to love you."

Meg shakes her head.

"When you were attacked by your client, and you came to live with me… that's when everything began to change. I grew to love you."

It's her turn to meet his gaze square on. She leans forward, bringing their faces close together. "Adrian. You don't know what love is."

To her surprise, Adrian smiles. He reaches out and tucks some hair behind her ear and then traces her jaw with his finger tips. "Oh, darling. Perhaps I don't, but, tell me. Do you?"

Her mouth drops open to protest that she does, she does, but Adrian says, "Before you answer, consider your last love. Was your love for Rorschach really what you consider healthy? Safe? He was a violent man, Meg. A passionate man. Can you imagine what would have happened to you had his control ever slipped even a little bit?"

Meg furrows her brow, frowning. "What do you mean?"

His smile turns knowing. Smug. He shrugs one shoulder. "Just think about it. You know what happened when I was overwhelmed around you." He moves his hand to hover over her belly, not quite touching. "But what if was Rorschach. Do you really think he'd have been half as gentle?"

Her cheeks flame. It takes a few moments for her to respond. "He would never…"

"Rorschach wasn't like you. He wasn't asexual. He was repressed. I'm just glad he was able to keep repressing before it was too late."

"Before you killed him," she chokes out.

He tilts his head. "Before Dr. Manhattan killed him, but, yes. I think his control was fraying near the end." Adrian covers her hand that's resting on the bed with his own. "I'm sorry that you found out the way you did. And I'm sorry that it made you doubt my feelings for you. But I assure you, they are real."

"Adrian, you're gay."

He raises an eyebrow. "Once again, I am usually more attracted to men. But I am attracted to women."

"But not me."

Adrian's face softens. He cups her cheek in his hand. "Yes. You."

Meg knows what he's going to do. He telegraphs the movement, she's just too tired to pull away. Too tired to continue fighting. She's never going to win this fight. He's stronger than she is, has more stamina. No matter that she knows she's right. Adrian will always be able to out argue her.

So, Meg allows him to kiss her. A gentle kiss, lip to lip. He holds her head to him like he's afraid she'll back away, but she's not going anywhere. Not right now. She's waving the white flag.

For now.