Hey guys, sorry its taken so bloody long for me to get this chapter out, I just got back into town (was on a VERY long roadtrip). But, here we are. My usual thanks to everyone, especially my beta reader- RedNymph, who i probably would have given up altogether without. Also many thanks to RumandCocaCola who has been ever so patient with me. ^.^ Also, though, btw, everyone that is leaving reviews-you guys are fuckin awesome. Hugs all around. I love you.

Disclaimer; I don't even own the paper on which I wrote my chapter.

(Updated 2/3/11)

Chapter Six; Planned Distructionhood

"Are you sure you don't want me to come along?"

Walter adjusted his trench coat, bringing his eyes to Teri's beseeching ones. His answer was simple, for he'd voiced it several times today. "Yes."

Teri sighed, once more, like she had been doing all day, and plopped down on the mattress. "It's my plan though." She pouted.

He couldn't help but raise his eyebrow at her. Rorschach was jittery tonight-and wanted to go see Daniel as soon as possible-but Teri's constant bickering kept them both indoors. "Been over this before." Walter trotted over to the bed, snatching up his scarf before tying it firmly around his neck. Truthfully, he wasn't as confident as Teri was about this plan. Every time he ran it through his mind he couldn't help but wonder if Veidt would figure it out. "I considered that," She had told him. "That's why it took me so long to get it together. Else, I would have done it earlier." It just wasn't-couldn't have been-as simple as she thought it was; taking down the smartest man in the world. "Impossible, I know. But this will work." Walter pursed his lips as he stood before her, running his own plan of action through his head.

Regardless, Rorschach had made up his mind, and Teri was definitely not going with him. He took his eyes from her glowering form and rechecked the address that she'd written out on a scrap of paper for him. Teri shifted when he did, clearly kicking herself for not holding Daniels location hostage. Rorschach cleared his throat, not entirely comfortable in the silence she'd created after he'd refused her company.

"I still say you should call him." Teri announced childishly, and though Rorschach didn't stop the sudden clinching in his jaw, he wasn't at all surprised when she continued her smart-ass remark. "Its terribly rude to just 'drop-in'."

"You're not going." Rorschach blurted, distinctly remembering that the last time, almost a year ago, Teri had said something so very similar and he'd caved… but not this time. He decided, nearly stomping around the bedroom, trying to find the rest of his things-gloves, hat, face.

This would be the second night that Rorschach had gone out, wearing the costume that Teri herself had worn for months now. It was almost euphoric for Teri to see another living being putting on the items; it was almost as if the last year had been all a dream, and the déjà vu that lasted was merely an illusion. It brought a strange feeling to her core, but she brushed it aside.

Teri stood from her now warm spot on the edge of the bed and followed him, her arms crossed to articulate her opinion on the matter- as if her expression and manner didn't already. "At least be sure to give him and Laurie my regards." She insisted, knowing that her wrangling with him had already started to get on his nerves. She had however, hoped for a positive outcome, rather than the more common-and more likely-negative outcome.

"Will." He answered shortly, retrieving his gloves from their inconvenient hiding spot under the bed. He stood up, slipping them easily over his hands. Despite the cold texture of the gloves, he relished the familiarity with them, like old partners reunited. He almost smiled as his fingers flexed inside the leathery material.

Teri watched him finish dressing, still fumed about being denied access to Dan and Laurie like some underage teenager trying to get into a rated 'R' movie. It was unfortunate, but she hadn't contacted them since Dan had come to see her during her pregnancy, for he served as an empty reminder to Walters death and she forced herself to purge herself of their company. Teri was eager to find out how the two were faring-she never forgave herself for trying to ignore their minute friendship.

"Hey," Teri began, tearing herself from her thoughts, just as Walter started towards the window in their bedroom. She came forward, straightening out his lapels; he'd put on the jacket in a hurry and the right lapel had folded under. "Be safe, eh?"

Rorschach hesitated before placing his hands over her. "Always am."

Teri felt the urge to argue with him over that, imaging his shoulders slumping and saying something like; "Don't start, Teri." So Teri bit her tongue. She guessed she could understand him wanting to go see his old buddy after so long, after he'd been considered dead. Truth be told, not only did she want to see Daniel and Laurie, but she also preferred not to let Walter out of her sight: She was still getting used to the fact that he wasn't just a ghost in the night.

"Laurie- Laurie. Jesus, did you hear that?" Daniel had been abruptly awakened and was trying to stir his wife, but her dreams had too tight of a hold over her. Daniel frowned, reluctantly pulling himself from their embrace before thrusting the covers off of him and stepping out of their bed.
His bare feet protested when they touched the cold floor, but the sound that had roused him was much more of a incentive to get up than not. He tried to push back that impending doom feeling in his stomach as he groped for his glasses. "That's okay honey," Daniel clumsily spoke into the darkness, searching for a calming aspect to his fear. "You stay here, I'll go check it out." But Laurie merely garbled something in her sleep in reply. Daniel spared her no glance back, licking his lips as he slid his glasses over his nose and calmly, carefully rose to his feet.

When he heard the faint footsteps in the corridor outside his door, Daniel nearly jumped out of his skin. It was clear then: He had heard someone breaking in. Daniel pursed his lips angrily, pushing his glasses further up his nose before gathering his courage. He had thought that he was free of this shit after Rorschach died, but apparently some punk-ass kid had made the mistake of coming into his house at this hour. What an unfortunate kid. He made his way over to the bedroom door and eased it open.

Daniel was ready to pounce and pummel the shadowed figure that was lingering in the doorway down the hall from him, when the glint of a white mask caught his eye. His heart stopped, and out of instinct he reached forward and flipped the light switch beside him. " 'the hell?"

"Huh," Rorschach faced him in the now brightly lit, but narrow hallway, taking a scrutinizing glance down at Daniels stripped blue pajamas. "Figured you'd be in one of these doors." He joked harshly. Daniel hadn't changed much, perhaps gained a few pounds and perhaps gotten a bit balder, but overall, it was Daniel nonetheless.

"Rorschach?" There was no mistaking the voice. Anyone could have simulated the costume, but no one could have faked Rorschach's raspy and hoarse voice. "Jesus…" He blinked, incredulously, trying to figure in the possibility that he was dreaming-No- scratch that, he never dreamed of Rorschach. "But-I-I saw you die…" He stammered, his hand still lingering on the smooth faceplate of the light switch.

Rorschach pocketed his hands. "Communist transported me." He answered hatefully, shifting his weight. "Was over on the west coast. Took a while to get back."

Daniel sucked in several deep breaths, placing a hand on his head as he tried to take in what Rorschach was saying.

"Not dreaming Daniel."

"I know," Dan answered. "I know," He flicked his eyes back to his ex-partner standing a few feet away. "But- jesus." No words could successfully flow out of his mouth- at least none that made much sense. Finally after a moment, Rorschach shifted and broke the silence.

"It is good to see you again." He prompted.

Daniel felt a pang of guilt, a jolt to his chest- of course, that was probably the first thing he should have said. "Yeah, yeah, its good to see you again too, Rorschach." He sighed, his hand going to rub the back of his neck. Daniel felt the fatigue from the early morning seep through him. "Look, uh, can I make you a cup of coffee?" He offered, awkwardly.

Rorschach shook his head.

Daniel cleared his throat, using his hand to gesture Rorschach back down the hall, towards the kitchen. "Just as well, I think I may need something a bit stronger." He replied seriously.

Rorschach shot him a curious look as he led the way. "Didn't know you drank, Daniel."

"I don't."

Daniel laid his head in his hands and wiped the warm sweat from his forehead. "Please tell me your joking."

"Never am, Daniel, you know that."

He breathed in the scent and steam from his coffee and crème de cacao beneath his nose before raising his head to stare at the figure that paced back and forth in the small kitchen, the inkblots on Rorschach's mask ever moving. Daniel knew, just knew that one day he wouldn't joke about Rorschach driving him to drink, he would just do it. "Have you gone mad?" He brushed aside the irony of his words. "Even if this did work, have you considered the repercussions of its outcome?"

Rorschach stopped pacing and faced Daniel, placing his gloved hands roughly on the edge of the table. "Are you in or not?" He growled, tired of Daniel's arguing, despite the fact that he heard his own voice asking such questions when Teri had suggested her plan. Rorschach admitted that he himself would have rejected it, had he come up with something better-something less dangerous-but he hadn't, and they were steadily running out of time.

Daniel sat back in his chair, settling his hands on either sides of his warm mug. It took him a long moment to answer, a long moment to consider. "What if I'm not?" He asked. "Jesus, Rorschach, you just recently come back from the dead, and you're already proposing revenge?" Daniel asked, exasperated. Never once did he think that he'd be in another position like this. Whatever happened to the thought of retiring? Weren't Laurie and him going to move somewhere warm and tropical to live out the rest of their days? He sighed, knowing that it was difficult to even think about leaving New York. There were just too many memories that he couldn't run from. So many good memories…

Daniel tore himself from his thoughts, and though he wanted to take a sip from his mug, he couldn't bring himself to. "Have you even visited Teri?" He whispered, his eyes not leaving the masked vigilante in his kitchen.

Rorschach took a deep breath. "How do you think I found you?" He answered. She was the one thing that he wished he could get out of his mind. This plan that she had devised- if only he could think of a way to leave her out of it. Intentionally, he failed to mention Teri's involvement to Dan.

Daniel licked his lips, an urge to wipe his glasses tugging at his hands, but he didn't move. He waited, waited to see if Rorschach would say anything about Teri and her baby. They hadn't stayed in complete contact, for it was Teri's wishes that Daniel not help her out with the child. He assumed that it was too painful for her to see Daniel and Laurie, but he had acquiesced to her wishes and let her be. Daniel was curious as to whether she actually kept the child, for Teri was badly off when he had last saw her; it didn't help his conscious when she refused to accept financial help from him.
Daniel kept his silence on the matter with Rorschach, fearing the subject too sensitive.

Rorschach tightened his grip on the edge of the table before pushing off and continuing back to his pacing. "She sends her regards." He groaned out, taking little comfort in the constant clicking of his shoes against the worn linoleum.

A smile twitched at the edges of Daniels mouth and quaintly, he lifted an eyebrow. Rorschach had provided a slight change in subject, and perhaps it was just what they needed. "How is she?" Daniel asked, bringing his mug to his lips and sipping at the scorching liquid: It burned, only slightly, going down and whether it was from the alcohol or temperature of his drink, he could have seriously cared less.

"Good, good." Rorschach found what he was looking for. The plastic jar of sugar cubes; Daniel kept it on the counter beside the flour… Rorschach made a mental note of its location. The lid of the jar popped off easily under his gloved fingers. "Had a child." He whispered.

Daniel perked up slightly, barely catching the words that hesitantly crawled from his lips.

When he'd filled the palm of his hand with the wonderful green wrapped sweeteners, he turned around leaning against the edge of the counter, crossing his ankles as he stuffed the majority of the cubes into his pockets, keeping two within his fingers. He didn't look up as he unwrapped the first one. "My child." He muttered, distracted.

Daniel opened his mouth to speak, to make amends, to apologize for not telling him about knowing sooner-

"What the fuck?"

Daniel whipped around in his chair to stare at the flabbergasted Laurie standing in the doorway to the kitchen. "Laurie-"

"Good morning, Ms. Jupiter." Rorschach greeted calmly between crunches as he replaced his mask below his chin, coolly adjusting it to his comfort.

"It's Dreiberg now." She told him spitefully; Rorschach merely raised a shoulder in reply. Laurie had pulled her silk robe tighter around her bulged belly, staying in the doorway, a look of shock on her face as she kept as far away from Rorschach as she could, ignoring Daniels attempts to get her to sit down next to him. "I thought you died." She spat, self-consciously reaching up to smooth out her shoulder length, tussled hair. She didn't even know why she did it, considering that it was Rorschach, but it happened, regardless.

"Laurie." Daniel warned quietly-reaching out to her-urging her to take a seat.

"Hurm." Rorschach muttered, stuffing his hands in his pocket. "Harder to kill than you'd think." He couldn't help but stare at her large, protruding belly- she must have been near her due date. He wanted to give Daniel a look, perhaps a look of congratulatory status, or perhaps a look of disgust… he couldn't decide.

"Manhattan transported him." Daniel told Laurie. "Do you want a cup of coffee?"

"That'd be nice, thank you." Laurie answered tiredly as Dan stood up, as he walked passed her towards the coffee pot near Rorschach, he reached out with a loving hand and brushed Laurie's belly-unconsciously-like he'd been doing for the last few months in eager anticipation.

"What is he doing here, Dan?" She asked, disregarding Rorschach. It was clear that the two talking had woken her, but the only sign of her weariness were the faint circles beneath her eyes. Perhaps the pregnancy had not been kind to her.

Daniel shot her another soft warning glance as he halted beside his old friend to retrieve the coffee pot from against the wall.

Rorschach could have cared less about her snide comments. He never really liked her anyway. But he gazed sidelong at Daniel, pouring the steaming coffee into an off-white mug that he had snatched from one of the upper cabinets. He was half tempted to accept a cup from Daniel, for the aroma was overwhelmingly good. Rorschach settled for continuing to toy with the extra sugar cube between his fingers.

Daniel couldn't help but notice that Rorschach didn't smell like he always had, that faint rotting food and old garbage, but in fact that he bore the faded scent of something similar to Tide. It brought a smile to his face, despite the tense moment. "He, uh," The pot clicked as it was placed back on its perch and he turned around, starting back to the table, to Laurie.

"-Have plan to take down Veidt." Rorschach finished, feeling the urge to hurry things along.

"What?" Laurie asked angrily as Daniel was helping her down to a chair. "Jesus, are you still on that?"

Rorschach was about to retort when Dan, who had taken his seat beside her, interrupted.

"No, I think I have to agree with Rorschach on this one. Veidt got away with something that we all should have stopped." His hands wandered about the rim of his mug, remembering that day-the destruction, the lies… He hadn't wanted to agree to the silence, but Veidt was right about the nuclear warfare if the blame had not been laid upon Manhattan. But he couldn't stop the bitterness that wrenched through him when Veidt came to 'save the day', funding the reconstruction for the damage, like the great savior he was. Daniel nearly snorted at the mere thought.

"Have you both lost it?" Laurie asked, looking between the two before her. "Dan," she started, resting her gaze on him. "We're retired." She stated, as if that settled the argument.

"I know." Daniel answered, shyly. "But maybe you should listen to Rorschach for a bit, ya know?" He swallowed, his nerves coming back to him as the sheer thought of the plan scurried through his mind. "I don't necessarily like the idea, but maybe he has something- the right idea, I guess."

"Do you know what would happen to the world if they found out what he did though?" Laurie continued, one hand lingering on her stomach as the other gripped her coffee mug. "It would all just come tumbling down…" her voice trailed off, haunted. She may not have known what they were planning, but whatever it was, it couldn't have meant any good to the silence they had been keeping for the sake of humanity.

"I know." Dan replied, just as troubled.

When he came back that night, Teri had already long gone to sleep; she didn't even rouse as he came through the window, or when he crawled into bed beside her. It disappointed him that she wasn't more alert and it alluded him that she could sleep so deeply during all of this; It infuriated him.

She was sleeping on her side tonight, her hands up cradling her face against the pillow. Walter pressed himself against her, molding his body to hers. His hand found the gentle bump of her stomach, rising and falling to her calmed breathing underneath her thin shirt. He tried to imagine what it would have been like to have been there while she was pregnant, to be there for her morning sickness and for the birth of young Alice.

Walter nudged his face into the hollow of her neck, holding Teri's sleeping form tight against him. She would have been so beautiful with her large stomach, one hand on her back as she walked around the house-her bare feet a proverbial precursor to Alices' that would sooner patter around the apartment herself. He could only imagine. He could only wish that he'd have known.

Teri muttered in her sleep, shifting into Walter embrace, but her words were blissful and incomprehensible.

The trip to Daniels didn't make him more confident in the plan like he thought it would. Especially when Laurie walked in, pregnant as could be. That was a surefire sign that Daniel wouldn't be up for anything dangerous: not while he had a child on the line.
Daniel was going to be careful, the kind of careful that Walter should have been so long ago.

"Did you two see this?" Ashley asked, tossing the newspaper down on the kitchen table before taking off her coat, it thunked dully on the wooden counter. She had just arrived to find the two parents plus one child in the kitchen eating breakfast.
Her finger went down and tapped on an article in the lower left corner of the paper. "They're doing this series of articles based on this Rorschach guys' journals." Ashley shrugged, ignoring the looks that Teri and Walter passed each other. "I guess it's for some kind of a anniversary thing, but-" she paused, hanging her coat over the top of a free chair. "Have you two read them? They're crazy!" She laughed, sitting down before taking the jar of baby food from Walter, who was busy staring at the article.

"Apparently he thought the world was this pit of evil that kept spawning more and more every day. He even thought that Veidt was behind the November attack." She snorted, her eyes ever on the bouncing Alice that had immediately demanded Ashley's attention from the moment of her arrival.

"They published it?" Walter asked, his voice quiet as his eyes traced over the photocopy of his own words. Of all the things he hoped the New Frontiersman would do with his journal, he never once thought that they would publicly display it.

Teri chewed on the inside of her cheek, she knew that this would come up sooner or later. "Yeah." She had been dreading the touchy subject.

Walter's eyes shot to hers. "But Veidt-"

Ashley shook her head before Teri could answer, obviously not knowing the seriousness of the subject, for her voice only sounded jokingly as she easily fed Alice. "That conspiracy theory?" She chuckled. "I think his stocks went down a few points, but seriously-" she stole a glance at Walter, "Who would believe that?" She scoffed, "Its hard to imagine Mr. Veidt committing such a crime and then blaming it on Dr. Manhattan. Only Rorschach could have come up with such an idea."

Walter was floored by the girls opinion, and was about to give her a piece of his mind when Teri caught his gaze and shook her head, giving him a look that clearly said: "Not here, Walter." He was forced to bite his tongue, and to block out the anger that boiled inside of him, he pulled the newspaper closer to him, letting out a pent up, "Hurumph." The last thing they needed was for the girl to go crying to Veidt about his existence and whereabouts, or nearly worse yet, for Teri to lose her babysitter.

It was so frustrating to know that his journal had gotten into the hands of the newspapers, and having it treated as only memorabilia to a presumed dead mask. His hands constricted into fists, crinkling the inked paper under his grasp. How dare they misuse his journal like that. It was meant to be taken seriously, not to be bought and sold and distributed like some old photograph.

"I think," Ashley continued to comment, brushing a stray hair from her face before tapping Alice's nose-ensuing from a loud chortle from the babe. "People are really more interested in who this woman was that Rorschach constantly mentioned in his entries."

Walter looked up suddenly. His abruptness startled Teri, even catching her attention. His insides twisted, his mind reeled with a newfound possibility. A terrible, new kind of horror struck him. Standing, the newspaper in one hand, he quickly shuffled around the kitchen table, taking Teri by the arm and hauling her to her feet. "Need to talk." He growled eyeing the babysitter, once more this morning hindered by her presence.

"Walter-" Teri protested, giving Ashley a reassuring glance before being pulled into the adjacent room.

When Walter was sure that the girl couldn't hear them, he lessened his grip on Teri's arm, of which she wrenched away from him.

"Fuck, Walter, what the hell?" She didn't like being growled at, let alone dragged off without explanation like some rag doll. Teri rubbed at her arm where his fingers had dug in, trying to work out the soreness that was already starting to set. Sometimes she found herself questioning her sanity around him-this was one of those moments.

Walter didn't know where to begin. They had discussed this morning that he didn't think that Daniel would be up for the plan because of Laurie, but that was a roadblock he'd prepared for. This was not. "Teri, your journal, said you didn't have it."

Teri's eyebrows came together and she crossed her arms. "No. It was destroyed in the blast." She told him, unsure of his itinerary.

"Where was it?" Walter asked, his brows furrowed, his upper lip twitching in slight agitation.

Teri didn't like the look on his face. "Walter, what are you getting-"

"Where was it?" He growled, his hands unconsciously balling into fists.

"In the freezer!" Teri cried, startled by his outburst. "Under the bloody peas." She finished a bit quieter, fearful that Ashley had heard her outburst. "Why?"

Walter gazed off to the side. "Freezer lined with iron and lead." His eyes darted around the room, calculating, angry that he hadn't thought of this before. "Known to survive bomb tests done in the desert."

Teri rolled her eyes. "Are you kidding me? My fridge could not have survived that blast, let alone the journal." The infliction in her voice went up several pitches, her agitation at the subject apparent.

"You sure?" Walter asked, bringing his gaze back to hers. "Did you go back? Did you check to make sure?"

"No." Of course not, why would she have? Teri pursed her lips. "I'm not really sure where you are going with this."

"Veidt." Walter said finally, as if the answer was obvious. "What if Veidt has your journal?"

Teri shook her head, unbelievably. "He does not have my journal."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Do you honestly think that he would've hired me?" Teri asked, trying to keep her voice down. "Jesus, Walter I murdered nearly thirty people, Adrian's not stupid." She whispered, slightly weary of prying, unwelcome ears.

Walter jolted, pointing at her. "No, see," He tilted his head slightly. "First name basis with him." He shook his head. "This is why that plan wont work." He whispered harshly. "You're sloppy."

Teri gasped, insulted.

"First, lose sight of only thing that connects you to murders, then you went and got close to him." Walter accused. "Just gonna get yourself killed."

"I wont!" Teri protested. "I've worked too hard for-"

"Forgot about your journal!" Walter interrupted, thrusting the paper in her direction, as if proving his point.

Teri threw up her arms. "Alright," She whispered, ever looking back to see if Ashley was within hearing range of them. "Alright," she gestured with her hands, palms down. "Lets say, hypothetically speaking, that my journal happened to survive the blast. What are the chances that it got picked up by some bystander?" She asked, "Then factor in the chances of this hypothetical bystander taking the journal to Veidt, with the chances of him actually knowing that it was me that wrote that thing." Teri calmly reasoned. "I never actually wrote my name in that book."

"But-" Walter put in, "How many are there with the last name of Kovacs?" He asked, "Veidt knew my name after I was incarcerated." Wrote her name in our journal…. Rorschach mentioned. First and last…

Teri shook her head. "Now your being ridiculous," She told him, brushing aside the irony in her words. "He had no idea I was with you."

Walter sighed, running his free hand through his hair. "Don't know him like I do." He pushed aside the butterflies in his stomach when he thought about just how smart Adrian really was. He had fooled every single Watchmen a year ago. It would be all too easy for him to stray Teri down a fake path. "All Veidt has to do is match up our journals." He told her, "Would make it effortless to pin point us both."

Teri saw the worry flash through his face: She saw the hesitation. "What are the chances of that?" She came forward, taking the paper from his hand and tossing it to the side, it landed dully on the faded carpet. "You tend to over think things, Walter."

And you tend to be naïve. Rorschach uttered.

Teri hesitantly took his hand in hers, stepping closer, lifting her free hand to turn his gaze to hers, her fingers gently resting along his jaw line. "I know this will work." She told him confidently, her eyes bearing into his. "Can't you just trust me?"

Walter's fists tightened, his jaw clinching. He didn't want to trust her, not when it came to something this important… But what choice did he have?