Author Note: This chapter is a repost of a story I've started years ago and did not finish. I've decided to give it a chance. So, while the text might be familiar, it has been modified to fit the new narrative. The story isn't very long, and it's almost finished. I still have to fill in some gaps and tie some loose ends, but I hope to not keep you waiting for long between chapters. Chapter 2 is coming up really soon, I just need to edit it a bit and then I'll post it.

Hope you enjoy. Comments and constructive feedback are appreciated. And sorry if I make grammar mistakes, I'm not a native English speaker.

November the 5th

The fireworks from the explosion had finally died down and a wave of applause and ovations echoed in the distance. Evey Hammond smiled bitterly and whispered, "You did it, V…", tears menacing to flood her eyes. The still recent pain was not subsiding, although she made a good job of hiding it. She had to be strong, she had to be … but how could she? V was dead. V was … dead … Her mind didn't want to comprehend, but denial changed nothing, he was dead, and she was still smeared with his blood. She sighed heavily.

Next to her Chief Inspector Finch stared at the dark sky; this was the end, and the beginning. But … what now? Silence took the place of the ovations, and for a couple of minutes it reigned.

"He killed Suttler...", Eric Finch spoke, making Evey's head snap towards him, "...and Creedy. I'll have to go and check the scene at one point."

"I'd like to come."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes.", she replied.

But soon, as they crossed the tunnels towards Victoria Station, and the light from Eric's flashlight illuminated the side of the wall, she realized where they were going. They followed the line of blood smeared on the wall, each step bringing them closer to the murder scene. Her heart constricted and she started feeling sick.

Finch noticed her becoming pale and asked: "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine." she answered but her voice faltered. This made Finch ask himself what was in fact going on here? She was the only piece of the puzzle he couldn't put together into V's plan. What was she to him? Was she his next in line? Were they lovers? He just couldn't figure it out.

"How long have you been his accomplice?", he asked.

"Since last night.", she answered. Finch looked at her puzzled. "We met the night he blew up the Old Bailey. He saved me from being raped by the secret police. After the attack at BTN, he took me to his house, but I wasn't allowed to leave."

"You were his prisoner?"

"Of sorts. I was treated as a guest, just not allowed to leave." she clarified.

"So, you stayed there for a year. With him?"

"No. I ran away from him. He found me … and then he freed me."

"Just like that?", he asked, and he sounded really confused.

"No, but that's not a story I'm going to share with you, Inspector."

"I understand."

"I was just an unforeseen change of plans."

"Why did you come back? Why tonight?"

"I promised him I would. I fought with myself to come … and now I wish I knew it would be the last time I'd see him."

"Did you love him?"

This made Evey pause, but she did not reply. Finch didn't insist, he got his answer.

When they arrived at Victoria Station the sight welcoming them was grim and sickening, the air was humid and reeked of blood and gunpowder. On the ground Evey counted 16 corpses, two of them were Creedy and Sutler. Except for Sutler, who looked like he was executed, they all had guns. There were so many empty cartridges on the ground, she couldn't even count.

She tripped on something metallic. When she looked down, she recognized the object immediately, it was the chest plate of V's 'fat metal friend'. Evey kneeled next to it, gently grabbing it with one hand, while the other carefully touched the bullet holes covering its surface. There were so many …

The woman rapidly sat up, tears filling her eyes.

"Inspector.", she called without looking, trying to maintain her composure. "I'll leave you to your work now. I need some time alone."

Eric, who was inspecting the bodies, turned to her, taken by surprise by her sudden need to leave. He inspected her for a few seconds to see if he could find out what caused her anguish, then noticed the metal breast plate laying at her feet. It was filled with holes, which meant all those bullets hit their target. His eyes followed the smear of blood on the wall. V's body was ridden with bullets and somehow, he managed to get himself back to the train. Back to her. Finch looked around for a couple of seconds then reached into his coat pocket. From it he retrieved a red notebook. If there was someone that needed to have this, it was her. He walked towards Evey and handed her the diary.

"I think you should have this. I don't know what you actually know about him."

"Not much.", she admitted. "Only that he was a prisoner and that there was a fire."

"Well, that's … the clean and short version of what happened. And what's in this diary is the exact opposite of that. I don't think he wanted you to see this. What they've done to him is … stomach churning. But … I think, out of all the people, you deserve to know why he did what he did."

"Thank you.", she replied and took the notebook from the man's hand. Then she turned around and disappeared into the dark.

'Some time alone?', she thought as she entered the damp tunnels. She had been alone for most of her life, that was the last thing she wanted right now. But she needed to get away from there.

Thoughts carried her unconsciously through the underground, she reached Saint James' Park Station, then entered an old metallic elevator that led to the now vacant Gallery. When she reached it, her mind was racing with thought.

'Did you love him?' Finch asked, but she couldn't answer.

"I'm so sorry, V.", she told the void "I'm sorry I didn't come to you sooner … I thought we would have more time."

She broke out into tears.