Chapter 4

There was something in Evey that believed in right and wrong. She had seen so many injustices, so much pain caused by abuse of power. Things in her world were fairly black and white, straightforward. The government was generally bad. It had crossed too many lines. But more than that, the strongest impulse in her was to preserve her life. The save herself in any way she knew how.

Her father had refused to leave the country, when all this crap had started. When she heard him say to her mother, "If we leave, they win." Her 6-year-old self had barely understood. At 15, when she lay surrounded by other children, yet more alone than ever, she had gotten angry with him. Win? Was this winning? She was in "The Project" meant to reform children in to obedient drones for Mother England. Her whole family was dead, she was living a life barely worth living, and he called this "not letting them win?"

She swore to never let them take her life. She was the last of her family, and she would keep on living.

V was anything but black and white. He lived and thrived in the "gray area" of right and wrong. She enjoyed him, her spine tingled at the sound of his voice and every day she looked forward to their time in the kitchen when he would relax, take off his gloves and they could forget the drama of the world.

Then he would leave. They couldn't stay in the kitchen forever. He would disappear and do whatever masked vigilantes did, and it drove her do distraction. Was he killing someone right now? How was he going to blow up parliament? Was he out getting himself wounded again? She didn't want to care about his well-being, but she did, and she resented herself a little for caring about a killer. She was afraid of caring about him, it was an emotion that could only lead to pain. He cared for nothing but his revolution.

Sitting on her bed, she fingered a piece of paper. It was Gordon's address.

She couldn't believe she was thinking about this, betraying him, looking for a way out. But Evey was done being a prisoner. Her self-preservation instincts were in over drive, and she just wanted to flee. She wanted to run away from all of this, like she had seemingly wanted to run away from everything since her parents had been taken. Her life was one barely livable situation after the other, and this was no exception. She always adapted, learned to look for the pleasures she could find. There were a great many pleasures here with him. Soft lighting, sweet music, all the books she could ever want, and a man she found so interesting he drew her like a moth to flame.

That fame would consume her life and leave her as another victim of this damned country.

Hell no.

She stood up, and went to tell him her story. To offer him help.

She kept Gordon's address close.

V had been thinking. He had been tending to his roses, in a locked room that Evey couldn't get to. His mask and gloves were off, not because he wanted to be uncovered, but because then he could feel the rose petals in is hands, and smell their fragrance without the mask blocking it.

Evey wanted to help. She had said so. He should ask her. He needed a girl, and she could fill that role. She had wanted to be an actress.

V flinched, the last thing he wanted to do was put Evey in a room with that pervert. Lilliman. Thinking about it, he had come to the conclusion that he HAD TO. He had to stop him, had to kill him. Putting Evey in this situation would remove a little girl from it, and would give him an in to end this bastard's life. He had to. The man was moving parishes, moving up in the church, this was his last chance.

She had volunteered. He kept telling himself that. She had offered to help. She wasn't an innocent, she was an adult woman. He should ask.

So he went to her, found her cleaning his favorite mirror, and asked.

And she said yes.

He was so worried, but still so very.... proud of her.

Another freakishly short chapter, but the next promises to be longer, because it will deal with Evey's betrayal.

I was realizing that I have no plot, felt guilty about it, and than realized I don't need one. There is a plot, it's the plot of the movie. I'm just filling in the emotional gaps, because I want to. And then, of course, will come the end. ;)

I'm afraid I haven't developed V enough. What do you think?

And THANK YOU for those of you who have commented and added this to your alerts. I'm so thrilled.