Epilogue

V met his eyes in the mirror. He was shirtless. He hadn't yet bothered to get dressed. He looked down over his muscles, rippling and bulging like creatures under his dermis. He couldn't see what could be attractive in them any more. He had almost admired them once, like she did now. He disgusted him, all of him. His eyes trailed up over his neck and found his face. His lips. He had lips, barely. A muddled line on one side of his face twisted into an uncontrolled smile on the other where the flesh had been burned away revealing his teeth and gums. The flesh of his gums was black from exposure to the sun and oxygen.

She had kissed these lips, more than a thousand times, these lips had found places on her that existed only psychologically, these lips had spoken words to her that 10 years ago would have been considered by himself profoundly obscene or stupid. Words like "love". He found his eyes on the floor, without any memorable effort on his part. A problem he had always had before. Even he couldn't look at him. And yet she could..?

He turned to look at the beautiful woman on the bed, taking care not to look back at the mirror. Her curved form lay snuggled under the covers, that was another word "snuggled", the lamplight casting her shadow onto the blanket on his side. His side. A feat he had never wanted to nor ever would have hoped to accomplish, sharing his bed with a woman. The mirror cause his eyes again. These eyes. These Eyes had seen a hundred deaths, these eyes had read hundreds, maybe thousands of books. They were a willow china blue and one was noticeably larger and stranger in shape. It was almost impossible to believe this was his face. No. This wasn't his face.

Two white hands slipped gently over his shoulders and around his neck. One cupped his chin, spreading its tiny thumb to brush against his lip. Her shoulder length curly hair draped over his skin as she set her head next to his.

"Hello Beautiful," she said with an honest smile. She placed a kiss on his cheek. His eyes remained on the mirror, watching her movements. She followed his gaze. There eyes met. She smiled, he didn't. His eyes drifted back to the floor. Evey stopped smiling. She turned him slightly with her hand enough for her lips to reach the edge of his mouth. She stoked his shoulder gently with one hand. He was upset again. She knew what the problem was. His eyes met hers again, this time not off the mirror. She pulled back a little to look at him.

"Why do you close your eyes when we make love?"

Evey felt her heart sink. She opened her mouth to respond but nothing came out. He looked back down into his lap again. She came around the stool to lean on the dressing table. The wood creaked as she leaned against it. Evey raised her loves chin to meet her gaze. She gave a little sigh.

"V, look at me" his eyes remained down. She waited. Nothing. "V please." The blue met brown again. Her shoulders sank. He had been crying. "You want to know the truth?" He said nothing but his lips rolled slightly in response, as if her was about to speak but decided against it. She leant further into the dresser and felt cold steel on her back. The mask, tied to the wig stand where it had stayed for quite some time, looked up at her from its place. She looked back to him. V looked confused. She stroked his face and leant in close to him.

Her lips grazed the lobe of his left ear as she spoke: "You're not gorgeous V," He closed his eyes in an attempt to hold himself together. V pulled away from her a little. Evey leant back. They stood in silence for a minute. She let go of him and set both hands on the cold wood. His breathing was heavy and sad. "And I'm glad" a confused expression crossed his face. Evey smiled.

"…"

"You're a gentleman, and your sensitive, and your poetic, your romantic. You're a wonderful lover and a great friend. You're a dedicated father…"

"She's only two weeks…"

"…and already she loves you." she took a deep breath, "if you were…"

"normal?" She knew he wasn't trying to help.

"Then this, all this wouldn't be here. You wouldn't be here, she wouldn't be here, I wouldn't be here. The world wouldn't have changed. We'd all still be living in…" she could hardy think of a decent word, "…hell."

She took his hand in hers. He nodded to her. She was right. But it was almost not worth it sometimes.

"If you were handsome, I would never love you as much as I do now."

"Evey you know that isn't…"

"I fell in love with that face, I married that face, I wake up with that face on my pillow every morning. I kiss those lips." He put her hands on his chest. "I've made love to this body. I know your not gorgeous…" she put her lips to his head and kissed it softly, "But to me… to me you're perfect." He smiled a little.

"I love you so much."

"I love you too," she said, "I wouldn't have you any other way."