Sitting in the car, Victoria let Alex drive as she sat in the passenger seat. She kept looking at the backseat, making sure Evelyn was okay. Her daughter seemed completely oblivious to what was going on. She had been confused to begin with, questioning where they were going in the middle of the night. Victoria had tried to keep her calm, telling her that they were just going on a small adventure for the time being. Evelyn had fallen asleep three hours into the journey after they'd packed all their things and stowed them in the trunk. Alex had taken the keys and insisted on driving seeing as Victoria was shaking.

He moved a hand to hold hers over the gears and squeezed her fingers inside of his. She angled her body to look at him, seeing the prominence of his cheekbones in the light of the passing streetlamps. She did her best not to look too concerned about what was going on but she was on edge. She expected Homelander to appear out of nowhere. She wouldn't be surprised if he suddenly appeared in front of the car. She was doing her best not to look too scared, but she was terrified. She was completely terrified of him finding her because she knew what he would do. He had given her so many chances before and she knew that there would be no other chances. She could beg and cry, but she didn't think it would do her any good. Then again, he had been in the press bereft and begging her to come back. She doubted it would look good if he then locked her away from the press.

It took her a few moments to gather her breathing as she did her best not to hyperventilate. She fought to compose herself and gripped onto Alex's hand tighter as he moved onto the motorway, his foot pressing down on the accelerator harder.

"It's going to be alright," he promised her and she resisted the urge to snap at him and question how he could possibly know that it was going to be alright. "We'll get as far away as possible…put distance between us and the house."

"I just don't understand how he found us."

"It could have been Vought. You know they have resources, even if the Deep got rid of most of the employees," Alex said to her, thumb running over her knuckles as he tried anything to soothe her. He didn't know if it was working, but he had to try something. He moved into the middle lane to overtake a lorry, hand confidently holding the wheel. "But we both know if he knows your fake name then the chances are he will find the place in the Lake District. We need new IDs…new bank accounts…we basically need to start over again."

"How long can we keep running?"

"Don't think like that."

"How can I not? You know who he is and you know what he's done. He's relentless and evil…if he gets his hands on me then maybe I stand a chance. He's begged for me to come home so he can hardly kill me, but you…Alex, people think you're dead."

"He's not going to get to us," Alex said, teeth gritted together.

"Maybe we were being delusional thinking we could outrun him?" Victoria questioned. "I mean, he's the Homelander. He's indestructible. No one can best him…Edgar…my brother…Annie…no one's been able to beat him so why did I think we would be able to escape him?"

"Because if not then what?" Alex wondered from her. "If he had his way then I'd be dead already and you'd be locked up in some basement away from your daughter. We needed to try, Vicky. We needed to try and get away from him and Vought."

"Alex, we're kidding ourselves. He's-"

"-Stop it," Alex interrupted her, voice turning firm as he tried to keep his tone low. He didn't want to wake Evelyn up. She was still sleeping soundly. Her eyes were closed and her head had lolled to the side. He checked her reflection in the rear view mirror before looking at Victoria again. "I know you're scared and I understand, okay? But he hasn't found us and if we keep going then he won't. You know why we're here. We are here because we had to get away…because we know that life could be perfect…just like it was when we were on the beach earlier."

Victoria knew he was talking sense. Ever since she had found out who Homelander actually was she had spent her every waking moment trying to get away from him. She couldn't wait. She had waited for this moment and Alex was right. She wasn't going to give up so easily.

"Sorry for freaking out on you," she whispered and Alex's lips quirked for a moment as he brought the back of her hand to his lips, kissing it softly.

"Hey, I'm here to talk you down," he said to her. "Besides, I'll probably need you to talk me down sometime soon."

"Quite a pair, aren't we?"

"Wouldn't have it any other way."

…

Homelander looked out over the rolling hills as the sun broke. The morning was misty, soft white clouds lining the horizon. The air was quite chilly. It was cold enough that he could see his breath whenever he let out a deep sigh. He'd found the house she had been renting in the countryside. It was some kind of converted barn. She couldn't have been gone for long because he could still smell the dinner she'd had and there was a half-drunk bottle of wine on the side. Her clothes were still around too. Did she know that she'd left them in the laundry basket. He found her sweatshirt and picked it up, pressing it to his nose and inhaling it sharply. It smelled exactly like his wife.

He carried it around the house and picked up on Evelyn's scent. There was someone else. It was the man's smell. Judging by the razor and shaving foam in the bathroom, there was a man with her. He knew it wasn't Butcher. He just couldn't place who it could be. Had she moved on? Was there someone else? He knew it had been months since they'd last been together, but that wasn't long enough for her to find someone else.

It took her months to open up to him and she loved him. She adored him. She wouldn't open up to someone new easily. He knew she wouldn't. She didn't trust easily.

Standing on the patio, Homelander's grip on her sweatshirt increased as he reached for his phone and dialled the number that had tried to get hold of him for hours.

"Homelander, sir, thank goodness, we were worried."

"I need you to find someone for me. She can't have gone far."

"Who?"

"Who the fuck do you think, Ashley?" Homelander snapped down the phone. "I have no idea what car she's in, but she left this address that I'm sharing with you right now. Find the nearest cameras to it and track her down."

"I'll get Crime Analytics on it," Ashley said to him.

"Call me as soon as you find her."

He hung up the call and shoved his phone away into his hidden pocket. He dropped his hands to his hips and turned his head over his shoulder to look back to the house. There was no sign of another child. She had to have given birth by now. There was no chance she couldn't have. He knew what that meant. He closed his eyes and a sense of sorrow took hold of him as his chest heaved and he sank down to sit on the bench, head falling low in between his legs. There was no child. She had to have lost the baby.

…

"Hey, sweetheart, it's alright," Victoria cooed as she held Evelyn in her arms in the forecourt of the service station they had stopped at several hours later. Victoria rocked her as she tried to keep her calm, but Evelyn was crying loudly, almost as though she was scared and Victoria couldn't blame her. It was terrifying. She didn't want her daughter to know that, however.

Alex was inside the service station and paying for petrol after they'd filled up. Victoria had handed him two fifty-pound notes and asked him to grab her some water and food while he was in there. She'd stretched her legs and gone for a walk with Evelyn, finding a small grassed area behind the petrol station. She could hear the roar of the motorway traffic next to her.

"Hey, sweetheart."

Victoria's blood instantly ran cold at the sound. She didn't know if she could turn around. She felt like she was frozen to the ground, everything around her collapsing. Evelyn clung to her, trying to clamber away as she heard the voice and seemed to recognise it instantly. Victoria, on the other hand, wanted to run. She wanted to get away but she knew it would be pointless. Slowly, she turned around on the spot and saw him stood there. He was dressed in his usual supe suit, looking just like he had done when she'd left him.

Their eyes met and Victoria's heart began to hammer in her chest. Homelander, on the other hand, looked so calm. He looked collected. Victoria's hands began to shake as Homelander advanced towards her and she hoped that Alex wouldn't appear anytime soon.

"Daddy!" Evelyn shrieked at the sight of him.

"Hi, darling," Homelander cooed to his daughter. "I've missed you so much…my beautiful little girl…look how grown up you are!"

"I talk good," Evelyn said and Homelander chuckled, a gloved hand reaching out to her and resting on her cheek, brushing her hair behind her shoulder. She looked so happy and perfect. Her blue eyes were exactly like his, but she had her mother's wavy hair and stubborn jaw. Homelander kissed her on the forehead.

"You do, sweetie," Homelander agreed. "You're absolutely perfect."

He straightened up, hands going behind his back and brow arching.

"And you, sweetheart?" Homelander wondered. "Did you miss me?"

"Can we not do this here, John?" Victoria pleaded from her husband and he chuckled. He had no intention of making a scene in front of his daughter. He would reserve that for when they were back home in private. She would see his anger then.

"Where is he?" Homelander asked.

"Who?" she asked.

"Don't play dumb with me," Homelander said, keeping his tone lighter than he wanted to in an attempt not to scare his daughter. "I smelled a man on you the second I saw you. Who is he and where is he?"

"There's-"

"-I said," Homelander growled lowly, "don't play dumb."

"Vicky."

She didn't need to pretend anymore. Alex walked out from behind the side of the service station, looking at the three of them stood there. He knew he didn't have his powers. He knew what he was risking by going in front of Homelander. But he wasn't going to leave Victoria by herself. There was no chance he was going to do that. He walked forwards and Homelander didn't even look angry. He just looked amused by what he was seeing. Alex took a moment to compose himself, rolling up the sleeves to his thin blue jumper.

"Oh, this is perfect."

"Don't hurt her."

"It's not her I'm going to hurt, buddy," Homelander said.

"John, no," Victoria said and she reached out for his arm to try and stop him from moving over to Alex. She balanced Evelyn in her one arm and kept hold of her tightly, letting her sit against her hip. Homelander looked down at where her hand had curled around his arm.

"You think you call the shots here?" Homelander whispered down to her.

"Please," Victoria pleaded with him.

"He faked his own death and came here to shack up with my wife and you want me to be lenient?" Homelander checked with her. "I'm done being lenient. I'm done giving you what you want when you insist on behaving as you do."

"Daddy…we go home?" Evelyn questioned, looking up to her father with her wide eyes that made his heart melt. He took a moment to compose himself and realised that he couldn't do this in front of Evelyn. He would come back and finish the job when he could. But he couldn't kill Alex in front of his daughter, not when she was so little. In time, she would see that it didn't matter, but right now he didn't want her to be scared of him.

"Yeah, sweetie, we're going home," Homelander promised her in a soft voice and then turned his glare over to Alex, voice deepening. "But I'll be back for you. You think you can hide? Don't. There's nowhere you can hide where I won't find you. You should know that."

"John-"

"-And I'll deal with you. Trust me," Homelander said to her and he held his hand out towards her. "Come on."

"Vicky," Alex pleaded with her and she looked at him, her eyes meeting his kind but lost gaze. He knew there was no way out of this. He was well aware of it. But that didn't mean he didn't want to stop trying. He didn't want to give up even if there was nothing else they could do.

"It's alright," Victoria promised him with a gentle nod of her head, trying not to look like she was terrified of what might happen. She just glanced down to Homelander's hand and took hold of it. He tugged her towards him, an arm wrapping around her waist firmly, almost threatening to bruise. She squirmed around in his grip, but he didn't relent. He hissed into her ear, the noise sinister and low.

"You think this hurts, you have no idea what's coming to you," he snarled at her and she bit down on the inside of her cheek as he took off into the air with his family, leaving Alex cursing behind him.

…

Victoria had been given no other option but to sit in the living room of the hotel suite they were staying in for the night. Homelander had almost insisted on flying straight back to New York, but Evelyn had complained about being tired and the short flight to the hotel. And so he humoured his daughter. He had been the picture of charm as they entered the hotel lobby and people looked aghast and shocked at the sight of the two of them. Victoria had stayed behind him as he insisted on carrying Evelyn. She'd looked down, knowing that people were whispering about her and where she had been. She tried to ignore them as Homelander checked them into the penthouse suite.

The elevator ride up there had been silent and tense. Victoria was on edge as Evelyn slept in her father's arms, completely exhausted from the day she'd had. Entering the suite, Victoria watched the back of Homelander's head as he moved towards the second bedroom with the cot in it. Victoria remained stood by the door, completely at a loss as to what she should do. She couldn't run, not without Evelyn. It wasn't as if she'd get far either. She just stayed where she was, shaking with fear over what was coming her way.

Homelander closed the door to the bedroom quietly. He straightened up, hands going behind his back before he moved towards the small tray that sat on an intricate golden trolley. The room was plush carpets and neutral colours. It had a sofa and a chair angled around a television on the wall. The curtains were closed and the light was a low hanging chandelier. It was the kind of place Victoria only dreamed of staying in before she met Homelander and moved in with him.

Pouring a small glass of scotch, Homelander picked it up and tossed it down his throat. Was he purposefully avoiding looking at and talking to Victoria? Yes. He was. He wanted her to squirm. He wanted her to be uncomfortable with the situation and stew, just like he had done for months. But he knew that his anger would bubble up eventually. He couldn't keep it compressed.

"So, you've been fucking Supersonic," he settled on saying to her, keeping his back to her. He could hear her pulse racing and he could smell the fear in her.

"No," Victoria said with a shake of her head.

Homelander chuckled, the sound dark and menacing. It was enough to make her tremble on the spot.

"You're a lying whore, Victoria."

"I didn't sleep with him," Victoria continued protesting. "I…I wasn't ready and I didn't…I just didn't."

He turned to look to her then, his eyes moving over her face. He drank in her plump lips and her soft stare. There had been a part of him that had thought that was it. He thought that there had been no hope and he wouldn't see her face again. But here she was. She was back in front of him and she looked exactly as she had done when she'd left.

"You didn't," Homelander said, knowing that she wasn't lying to him. He let out a low hum, almost seeming satisfied with that answer. "But you still ran off with him after months of claiming that there was nothing going on with him. You lied to me about that, didn't you? All of those times you said that there were no feelings…that you didn't care about him…it was all a load of shit."

"I didn't mean for it to happen," Victoria said, her voice breaking and Homelander crushed the glass he was holding in his hands, the noise echoing through the room and shards of glass falling to the floor. He dropped the rest of the pieces onto the ground before storming towards his wife, pointing his finger at her. She backed up against the door, her back flat against it.

Homelander slammed a fist above her head, leaning over her and trying not to feel too intoxicated by her being so close. She was wearing the same perfume she always wore. She'd just washed her hair because he smelt the strawberry in the shampoo. He leaned down towards her, his nose brushing against the side of her head as he moved his other hand to her cheek, brushing it slowly and fingers tangling into her hair.

"We had everything, Victoria," Homelander whispered. "I loved you. I adored you. I could have given you everything you ever needed, but you betrayed me…you've betrayed me too many times and I'm not going to stand for it, not any longer."

"John, please-"

"-You don't get to 'John' me anymore," Homelander said, his fingers gripping hold of her hair and pulling her head back, exposing her throat and causing her to move a hand to try and move his away from her. She thought that he was going to tear her scalp off. "Your doe eyes and whimpers won't get you anything you want now, Victoria. I tried this the nice way. I tried to love you and please you…treat you well…buy you flowers and gifts…tell you that I love you…but not anymore. We're done. You're going to do what I need you to do. You're going to behave. You're going to hang off my arm and smile at cameras and dote on me. You're mine and the world will see that."

"John, you're hurting me," Victoria complained.

"You think I give a fuck?" he questioned, but his grip did relent slightly as he pushed her further into the door, hands going to hold her hips. She took a deep breath to compose herself and one of his hands slipped to her stomach, tickling it softly. "You lost the baby."

It wasn't a question. He knew. Victoria just nodded her confirmation.

"When?" he continued pushing her, gulping down the lump in his throat that was threatening to make him incoherent.

"Just after I got here," Victoria answered.

"Was it a boy?"

"I…they didn't say…it was too early," Victoria replied, wondering if she had really processed the grief of losing her child. She'd suppressed it. She had tried to suppress everything and just focus on keeping Evelyn safe and away from Homelander.

"But you survived."

"Just," Victoria replied.

Homelander's jaw locked tight. "Was he with you?" he questioned from her.

"No," Victoria said with a shake of her head. She was alone. Homelander imagined her going through it with no one by her side and he almost felt that familiar sense of pity that he had for her whenever he thought of her being in pain or upset. But he couldn't. he couldn't let that get in his way because he was well aware that it would do him no good. She didn't want his pity. She didn't deserve it either.

"How did he survive?" Homelander questioned.

"I'm not sure because I wasn't there and I don't think he knows much about it…he just said that Maeve bore the brunt of the fall and saved him," Victoria said. She didn't want to get into details about Maeve. She kept on talking, wondering if that would stop him from thinking about his former lover. "He found me out here because of my brother, but he hasn't been here long and he doesn't have his powers anymore. He won't be a problem. He can't come after us and he-"

"-Do you love him?" Homelander demanded from her, interrupting her from her monologue, suspecting that she was trying to persuade him to keep Alex safe. She could try and persuade him, but it wasn't as if he was going listen to her.

And then she went silent, but it was the silence that spoke volumes. He nodded tightly. She loved him. She loved Alex. At first he had thought that it might just be a passing fancy. He was an attractive member of a boyband. Why would she not fancy him when tonnes of other girls did? But then he'd been worried it had been developing when he'd seen how Alex watched her when he thought no one was looking. Homelander knew because he'd looked at her exactly the same. The painful thing was that he still loved her. He loved her more than anything and he just wondered if a part of her even loved him still.

"You have what you want. You have us back, John," Victoria said, not answering his question. "Please. I will do whatever you want. I'll stay here. I'll be the perfect wife…just don't hurt him."

"You've promised me that before. You've made that promise so many times and each time you've betrayed me. I'm done being lenient, Victoria. Maybe now you will know to take me seriously and not for granted."

"Just leave him alone, please. He can't do anything."

"Not this time," Homelander said with a firm shake of his head, backing away from her and moving her to the side so that he could open the door. Victoria reacted quicker than he'd anticipated. She threw herself in front of him and closed the door again as Homelander arched an amused brow down to her. She could be a spitfire when she wanted to be and he was well aware of that.

"If you hurt him then I'll tell everyone," Victoria said to him. "Any red carpet you drag me onto…any TV show you make me sit on…I'll do it. I'll tell everyone the truth about who you really are and what you did."

Homelander tilted his head, swallowing hard and leaning down towards her. She recoiled slightly, but she couldn't get far considering the door was behind her. Homelander's nose brushed against hers.

"We've been here before too…the threats and the blackmail," Homelander said to her. "But two can play that game. If you squeal then I'll let everyone know that you're just…well…not quite right in the head. That's why you ran away with our daughter, isn't it? Because you're not mentally well…you live in a different world to us…and then I will claim you are an unfit mother. I'll take Evelyn from you for good. I'll have you committed somewhere you can't cause me trouble. You think I want to do that, Victoria? I don't. Despite everything you've done…the fact you've ruined my life…I still want you. I want you by my side, but your feeble attempts at blackmail aren't going to work any longer."

He lifted a finger up to run down her cheekbone, smearing the tears that had started to fall as she realised that she was now completely at his mercy. She looked into his eyes, struggling to believe she had ever loved a man like him. He bent down and kissed her on the forehead and she shuddered at the feeling of his lips on her skin. He kept them pressed there for a few moments, his own eyes firmly closing as he relished the feeling of her so close to him. He pulled back when he managed to compose himself.

"It's your choice, your lover or your daughter."

"You know that's no choice."

He chuckled. "I figured not," he confirmed with her and then stepped back. "I'll be back soon."

He pushed her to the side and walked through the door. Victoria watched as he walked down the corridor and stepped through the fire escape. She knew he was going to fly before she could even get to him. She only hoped Alex had the sense to run as soon as she'd gone. She knew there was no chance she could beat Homelander to him and so she did the next best thing. She reached for the phone in the room that sat on a small table by the main bedroom door. With shaking hands, she pushed in the extension for an outside line and then pressed in his numbers. The phone began to ring and she clasped it with both hands, mouthing a silent prayer that he'd pick up.

"Vicky?" he tried as soon as he answered.

"Alex, you need to hide."

"Where are you?" he asked.

"No," Victoria said, her voice firm. "Alex, you need to get away from England…go somewhere…just hide…he's looking for you and he'll kill you. He'll kill you and I couldn't stop him. I tried, but I couldn't stop him from going."

"It's alright," Alex promised her in a gentle voice. "Just tell me where you are and I-"

"-Alex, you're not listening to me!" Victoria snapped loudly down the phone, palm hitting the wall in front of her as she bowed her head and bent over slightly. "It's over. He's won. We never stood a chance and we were foolish for thinking we did. I need you to get away from here, alright? I need you to lay low somewhere and hide until we go back to New York. Then you need to find somewhere away from him…somewhere he won't find you…"

"I can't leave you."

"You have no choice," Victoria retorted, voice firm. She wasn't going to back down or admit to him that was the last thing she wanted too. "You have to think about yourself, alright? You have to forget me and focus on staying safe."

"You think I can do that?"

"I think you don't want to, but you have to," she said, the tears falling thick and fast now as she imagined the pained and angry look on Alex's face like he was in front of her. She wanted to cling onto him and feel his strong body against hers. It felt safe. It felt like home. "This isn't what either of us wanted, but it's where we are and I just want you to be safe, Alex. I love you, okay? I love you so much and…and I just need you to be okay."

"Vicky," his voice broke on her name as he tried to compose himself. "I love you too. I wanted it with you. I wanted it all."

"I know," Victoria promised him and she felt her throat constrict tightly. "I wanted that too, but you have to go. You have to let me go."

"I'll never stop trying," Alex said, sniffing loudly and sounded more determined than he ever had before. "You know that, don't you? I'll do what I can."

"I know," she said and she knew she couldn't stop him. "But right now just focus on hiding."

"I am doing, don't worry," he assured her. "And you stay strong, alright? I'm going to do everything I can to get you out of this, but I need you to stay strong. He won't beat you. He never has done before and he never will. You're stronger than he ever could be."

"I've got Evie," Victoria said. "I'm not going to crumble, don't worry." She wasn't sure if she believed it herself, but she had to say it. "Now go. I don't know where he is but I don't want to stay on the phone too long."

"I'm going," Alex promised her. "I love you, Victoria."

Victoria swore that she wasn't going to be able to respond. She could hardly breathe. "I love you too, Alex," she said and there was a deep breath from his end of the line, like he wanted to say something else, but then he hung up on her. The line went dead and Victoria pressed the phone back to its cradle before slipping to the floor and burying her face in her hands as she let out a blood-curdling scream.

…

Victoria didn't know how long had gone by before Homelander came back into the suite. The only light came from the lamp in the corner that she had managed to turn on when she'd gone to Evelyn after hearing her crying. She'd comforted her as best as she could before she settled her down in her crib again. She'd left her in the bedroom and gone back to the sitting room. She'd sat on the edge of the chair, hands holding her thighs and feeling the coarse material of her jeans. She had done everything in her power not to cry openly, but had failed until she was certain she couldn't cry any longer.

And then, just as the clock struck three in the morning, did Homelander walk back in. Victoria picked her gaze up and looked at him. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open at the sight of him. Her cheeks turned red and she didn't know where to howl in horror or launch herself at him and hit at him in the hope that it might hurt him.

His hair was covered in blood, clumps of it sticking together and matted. His face was also splattered with the red blobs of blood. Victoria closed her eyes for a moment, hoping that the image might remove itself from her memory. She doubted that was going to happen anytime soon however. She inhaled a sharp breath and then stood up, seeing that there were also dark stains on his costume.

Homelander watched her and he wondered if he had ever seen her look at him with the pure hatred that he saw on her face. It was red hot rage and nothing was going to stop it or make it any better. He looked to her and shrugged his shoulders almost completely nonchalantly.

"I warned you," was all that he offered to her and he walked straight by her into the master bedroom. Her glare followed him into the room and she heard running water as he turned the shower on.

Victoria stormed after him, the anger inside of her too much. She didn't bother knocking on the bathroom door as she flung it open. She found him shirtless, steam from the shower beginning to cover the room. Moving towards him, she balled her hands into fists and hit at him, pushing at his chest as he just let her. She didn't move him or cause him any damage, but it was clearly what she needed and so he just let her do it.

"You asshole! You bastard! I hate you! I hate everything about you! I can't stand you!" the insults continued as did her fists against him. He remained stoic, the heat from the room starting to bother him before he felt her tire. He took hold of her chin as her hits grew weaker and he could almost taste the sweat dripping from her in the steamy room.

"Finished?" he questioned her.

"I will never love you," Victoria snarled at him.

"Yeah, you've said that before and still ended up in bed with me," Homelander retorted. "I know it's bullshit and so do you, but you're angry and upset. I'll give you a free pass this time."

"I despise you," Victoria hissed.

"You think I care? You're all talk. I know the truth. I know that deep down there's only me for you," he said to her and she shook her head. "Go and get some sleep, Victoria. You're emotional and I don't want to listen to you cry over some other guy."

He stepped away from her and continued to undress before climbing into the shower, closing the screen door behind him. Victoria left the room and the bedroom. She went to find Evelyn and sat down on the floor next to her cot. That was where Homelander found her as morning broke, but this time she was asleep, clearly exhausted. Looking down to his wife, he let out a deep sigh as he stood in his freshly laundered suit. She'd be fine in time. He knew it.

...

A/N: Sorry for the sporadic updates! Hope you are still interested and would love to know what you think!