Chapter 2
A Rude Awakening
The lift came to a bone-jarring halt in the wine cellar hallway. V still held Evey in his arms, while hers circled his neck tightly. He walked into the gallery and sat her down on the couch. She watched as he removed his cape and hat, laying them on the piano top, then his knives atop them, along with the gloves.
" Where do I start?" He asked, pacing the stone floor.
" How about at the beginning." Evey whispered, smiling up at him. " How did you survive?
You were dead when I started that train."
V turned to her. " I really don't know, Evey. I remember waking up, trying to move--but all I felt was excruciating pain. I knew I had survived for a reason, and it took me a minute to understand," He sat next to her, his hands in his lap."...that you were the reason I survived, Evey. You didn't want me to die. Your love gave me the will to survive, after that, I only remember jumping."
" How did you know? I never had the chance to tell you." She asked, taking his hands in hers.
" I could tell just by the way you acted. The way you watched me when you thought I didn't notice. I played it off as a young girl's crush. It meant nothing to me, I had my vendetta to keep me focused." He looked around, searching. " Is Victoria here?"
" No, she's at a friends tonight for the festivities." Evey replied, " She'll be back tomorrow."
Evey's eyes narrowed. " How do you know about Victoria?"
V took a deep breath, reached up and took the mask off, looking into her eyes. " I have a name now, an identity, " He stopped, regrouping his thoughts before continuing." I'm Samuel King."
" Samuel King?" Evey repeated unbelievingly. " You were at the statue...you spoke to both of us... but..."
reached up and pulled the wig off, his short brown hair catching in the gallery lighting. Evey reached up to touch his face, her eyes never leaving his. " I've been undergoing re- constructive surgery over the last few years. I have one more to go on my face and torso." He answered her unspoken question.
" You're beautiful..." Evey whispered as her fingers traced the smooth skin, and V closed his eyes as her touch brought back memories of sensations that had laid dormant for ages. His cheeks were soft and pliable, his lips, full. Evey reached up and brushed his lips with hers.
V pulled her into a solid embrace as he answered her back with his own kiss, strong, yet gentle.
" My god...how much I have missed you." He leaned into the corner of the sofa, and pulled her with him, her head resting on his chest, her body firm against his. " Evey, " he began, he couldn't hold his curiosity any longer, he had to know. " Victoria...I don't remember us..." His face burned as he lowered his eyes.
Evey smiled at him. " Yes, she is yours, and yes, we did--you don't remember do you?"
V shook his head embarrassed.
" It actually started out as an innocent evening, it was my 21st birthday..." She began reminiscing...
--Flashback--
V had been cooking most of the day, and he had bluntly told Evey that she was not to enter the kitchen until she had been called. The aroma drifting into the gallery was making her stomach growl uncontrollably, and she let out a frustrated sigh. " V!" She yelled, " How much longer? I'm bloody well starving!"
" Patience, my dearest, it will not be much longer." His voice echoed through the room.
Evey pulled the pillow to her stomach and turned back to the movie she was watching--some obscure thing called 'Bruce Almighty' with a very funny man named Jim Carrey.
" Alright Evey, you may come to dinner." V called.
Throwing the pillow to the other side, Evey jumped from the couch and hurried into the kitchen--but she was not prepared for the sight that greeted her. V stood by the sink in his flowered apron, his hands crossed at his waist in front of him. Her eyes widened as she looked at the table. It had been set with candles, his finest bone china and a large vase of Scarlet Carson roses sitting in the center. Evey looked at him, tears forming in her eyes.
" Happy birthday, Evey." He whispered softly.
" Oh V..." She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly. He hesitated for a moment before one gloved hand went to caress her sheared head, and the other hand held the small of her back, pulling her to him. Then just as quickly, he gently pushed her away, pulling the chair from the table. " Mademoiselle, your dinner is ready."
Evey took her place, while V pushed her to the table. He turned and took a large dish from the stove, and sat it atop the pot holders.
" Wa-la!" He exclaimed lifting the lid. Evey smelled the wonderful aroma engulf her senses.
" That smells heavenly, what is it?"
" Beef Wellington, my dearest." V answered.
" Oh my god..." She moaned as he served her. " Will you join me?"
" Evey, " V began, holding a pot in one hand and a spoon in the other, " We've been through this before..." He sat the pot back on the stove and lit the candles, shutting the kitchen lights off.
" I know, but it is my birthday and all..." Evey sighed, " I just wish..."
V tilted his head slightly. " You are so young, " he paused looking at her, " It amazes me how the smallest things can make you so happy."
Evey looked up at him, her body flooding with emotions for the man that stood not far from her.
" Oh, " V raised his hand, " I almost forgot..." He stepped to the icebox and took out the bottle of wine that had been chilling, sitting it on the table next to Evey. Popping the cork, he poured her a glass and handed it to her. " Chateaus Petrus, Melot, circa 2004."
Evey's mouth dropped. "Where did you get this?" She took a small sip, letting her taste buds devour the flavor.
" Chancellor Sutler." He answered and Evey knew that he was smiling under the mask. " Please, enjoy your meal."
She watched as he produced another bottle from one of the kitchen cabinets and joined her at the table. " What's that?" She asked taking another bite of the Beef Wellington.
" This, my dear Evey, is The Macallan, circa 1926, 103 year old bottle of Scotch." V replied.
" No wine?"
V sighed, " Unfortunately, I never developed a taste for it." He paused," I prefer stronger spirits."
" You know V, I would be willing to blindfold myself so you could at least have one drink with me on my 21st birthday." Evey smiled at him.
" Evey..."
" I know, I know..." She sighed as she finished the last of the wine in her glass.
V was silent for a moment, seemingly in deep thought. " I do want to celebrate your birthday with you, but the ..."
Evey suddenly had a large smile on her face. " I think I may have a solution."
V tilted the mask in her direction to let her know he was listening.
" The lighting system in the gallery can be adjusted, right? So, set it to the night setting, the lights go to their lowest wattage, and shadows fill the room, believe me, I know. Go head, try it."
V was hesitant at first, but Evey was right. He could adjust the lighting to almost darkness, and with the way the gallery was layed out, there should be enough shadows produced to not worry about Evey seeing his face. " Once you have finished, if you will go to the sofa, we will try out your theory."
" Done," Evey grinned, taking the bottle of wine and her glass, then dropping onto the sofa. She curled her legs up under her, poured herself another glass of wine, and sat the bottle on the coffee table in front of her.
V walked over to the control panel for the lights, and switched the mode to night. The lights dimmed immediately, and within seconds, the Shadow Gallery lived up to its name. Evey could hardly see anything around her, and she had to guide the glass to her lips. She felt the couch give when V sat down next to her, and heard the metallic thunk of the mask being laid on the table.
" I can't see a bloody thing." Evey said as she reached her hand out and found V's arm. " Good, now I know where you are."
" Do you propose to loose me tonight " V asked as Evey heard liquid pour into a glass, then the bottle being sat on the table.
" No, V..." Evey smiled, sipping on the wine. " This is nice."
" Yes, quite nice." V said as he tapped his glass against hers.
" Thank you, V. " Evey whispered, " Thank you for such a beautiful memory."
" A beautiful memory for a beautiful lady."
" Do you mind?" Evey asked as she leaned up against him, resting her head on the crook of his arm. She had half expected him to jump out of his skin, but he didn't move. She waited a little bit. " Is everything ok, V?"
" Everything is fine, Evey." His low voice answered as she heard more liquid dump into the
glass. Evey smiled to herself, if he kept going like he was, he'd drink himself under the table, and that would be no fun.
" V..."
" Hummm...yes, Evey?"
" Recite something for me." She sighed snuggling closer.
" What would you like to hear?"
" I don't care, anything." Evey answered.
" All right..." V paused, thinking.
" Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime to hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his golden complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd,
But thy eternal summer shall not fade
Nor loose possessionof that fair thou owest,
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou growest
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see.
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee." (1)
" You have a very sexy voice." Evey purred as she finished off her fifth glass of wine. She loved the warm feeling flooding over her body--she was drunk, and she didn't care.
V moved his arm slowly to Evey's shoulder, lightly tracing his fingers over her arm. He was feeling quite warm himself as he finished the fourth glass of scotch.
" V?" Evey began to feel bold. " Kiss me."
" What?" He tried to sit up, but Evey was moving against him.
" I said, kiss me." She repeated, as his heart threaten to jump from his chest.
"Evey..." He felt her hands moving over his chest as she threw her legs across his lap to straddle him. His breath caught in his throat, as he felt soft lips touch his neck. His brain was trying to tell him something, but the fog that swirled around in his mind hendered his thinking process. He grabbed Evey's hands.
" V, please kiss me, that's all I want..." He felt her sweet breath on his face, and he moaned when he let her hands go, lowering his lips to her's in a demanding kiss. He knew there would be no turning back now.
--
Evey snapped back to reality, and looked into V's blue eyes. There was a sign of remembrance there now.
" I am so sorry. " He looked at her. " There was no excuse for what I did that night to you."
" Please don't...there is no need too. What happened that night was what I wanted."
Evey replied kissing the palm of his hand. " I was blessed with the most wonderful thing in the world--a child—our child."
" Our child." V repeated the words softly as Evey pushed against him, her fingers unbottoning the linen shirt he had on, her soft hands slipping beneath the material to caress his chest.
" Evey..." He breathed heavily as he kissed her, one hand pulling the shirt she wore from the waistband of her jeans, unbuttoning it slowly until his hand could feel her soft flesh trembling under his touch. Evey soon had V's shirt loose, and was exploring his torso gently, sending shivers across his body. Neither heard the gallery door open and close.
" MOTHER!!" The voice rang across the room like a bomb exploding, and they both rolled onto the floor.
Victoria could not believe her eyes. Both Evey and V looked up, a horrified look on their faces!
1) Shakespeare's Sonnett 18