Homelander couldn't quite believe what he had walked in on. He never thought that she would do this. He never thought that she would be so desperate. But she clearly was. She was clearly so desperate that she was willing to risk herself. But he wasn't going to let her. As soon as he saw the point of the needle push against her skin, he rushed towards her before she could push down. It wasn't really a fight. He simply grabbed the needle from her hands and tossed it off to the side, smashing it underneath his foot and watching the blue liquid stain the carpet.

Victoria pushed against his chest as she saw her only hope be destroyed before her. Grabbing hold of her wrists, Homelander stopped her from hitting against him. He picked them up and pinned them against the wall of the back of the walk-in wardrobe, his front pressed firmly to hers as she sobbed loudly, hyperventilating and struggling to gather her breath.

"You were going to do it!" he snapped at her in complete disbelief. "You'd inject yourself with that? Do you know what it could do to you? Do you know the fucking risks?"

"I had to try something," Victoria managed to snap at him, but her words were garbled and spit flew from her mouth. "I can't let you keep doing this to me…manipulating me…keeping me here…you can't do that to me."

"And so what?" he retorted. "You thought that the answer was injecting yourself with V? You seriously thought that would work?"

"I needed to do something," Victoria snarled and he swore he'd never seen such venom in her expression and it broke him inside because it was all for him. "I had to do something because you won't let me go. You won't let me leave and I want to go. I want to leave. I want to get away from here because you ruined us. You ruined us to the point that there's nothing left. I feel as if there's nothing left and you don't get it, do you? You don't get how desperate I am to get away from you because I can't love you…not anymore…not once you've done this…and if it wasn't for Evie and Ryan…I'd have gone a long time ago…anyway I could."

Homelander let her words sink in and he realised that there was nothing left for him to say. There were no more words he could speak that would keep her with him and it destroyed him inside. He shook his head and loosened his grip on her, letting her sink to the floor, legs curling up underneath her as if she was too heavy to hold her own weight. She continued crying, the noises echoing through the walk-in wardrobe and refusing to die down.

He shook his head and knew that there was nothing more he could say to her. He had lost her. He really had lost her and it destroyed him. He didn't know what more he could do or say because there was nothing. He looked at her as she kept on crying on the ground and he wanted to go to her and hold her. He wanted to tell her that everything would be alright and that he could stop this. He could leave and he would take her with him. He could give her what she wanted.

But he couldn't. He couldn't do that because for the first time in a long time, he was so close to getting what he wanted.

And so he walked away. He left her in the closet and headed downstairs, hands on his hips as he caught a look at himself in the mirror.

"You can't let her make you weak," the reflection said to him.

"She's in pain," Homelander said, his own eyes watering and tears threatening to spill. He wanted to cry. He wanted to let it all out, but he couldn't. "I put her through this. I did this to her."

"She knew who you were and what you stood for. She knows you're doing this for your kids. She just can't accept it."

"What if I just left? What if we just went…stopped all of this…I could be happy…I could have my family."

"And you think that will be enough for you? It won't be. They won't be enough. She will never be enough for you. In five years' time you'll resent her. You'll be bored of her."

Homelander shook his head. "She is enough," he said confidently. "She's always been enough. I can't lose her."

"You're not losing her. She's walking away. There's a difference. Listen to me, she's never going to accept you. She's never going to accept who you are and who you were born to be…Flight 37…Becca…you seriously think she's let any of that go? You faked her kidnapping, remember? You wiped her memories. You locked her in a cell when she threatened to leave. She can never be with you because she can never accept you and deep down you do know that. You just don't want to admit it. If you want her then you have to keep her by other means."

And he didn't want to admit it. A part of him couldn't admit it.

"That boy toy of hers. She wants to be with him. She ran away with him."

"She doesn't love him like she loves me," Homelander snapped at that.

"But she does still love him. She's been sneaking off and working with him and the others. You can't trust her. You can't believe what she says. If you want to keep her then you know what you have to do to keep her in line. You know what would work."

"I have bigger things to deal with," Homelander said with a shake of his head.

"No, you don't."

"You think killing him would do anything? She'd hate me even more."

The reflection staring back at him smiled widely at that.

"She'd know that you're serious. She'd know that there's no more chances and, if you want her, she'd know one simple thing."

"What?"

"She. Is. Yours."

…

Victoria didn't know how long she sat there crying before the tears dried up. She used her hands against the wall to help her stand up. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hands before she heard the banging sound from downstairs. She winced at how loud it was before she left the closet and moved into the bedroom. The banging and smashing continued and Victoria swore she'd never heard anything like it before. She moved down the staircase and her eyes widened in horror. He'd destroyed the entire living room.

There were smashed paintings and rubble falling from the walls. Her desk had been ripped in half and the books on her bookshelf were also destroyed, pages fluttering in the air and then dropping to the ground that was covered in smashed vases, ornaments and blankets. Victoria moved to the bottom of the step and looked at Homelander. He had his head bowed and was holding a photo frame. Victoria was about to speak before she looked to her desk and saw that the glass frame holding her PhD had also smashed, the piece of paper dirtied.

Victoria looked to it and realised that she was nothing like that woman who had started her PhD. She was a cowering wreck compared to the independent young woman she had been. She wanted to be her so badly. She just didn't know how to anymore.

"Did you know about this?" Homelander demanded, sensing that she was behind him.

"What?" she asked, voice husky from the amount of crying she'd done and her throat aching.

"This?" Homelander asked and he showed her the photo in the frame.

It was the one that Billy had sent Ryan. Victoria's face scrunched up and Homelander just nodded knowingly.

"Of course, you did," he whispered.

"I told him to put it in his bedroom," Victoria said. "It's his mum, John. I think he just wants a reminder of her and you…what are you doing here? You destroyed the entire apartment…everything…what will the kids say?"

"You don't get it, do you?" Homelander snapped at her. "He is my son. He will always be my son."

"And he's never said otherwise, but his mum was still his mum," Victoria said.

"This isn't about his mom," Homelander said. "This is about Butcher. He still loves him. He still cares about him. But it doesn't matter because he's my blood. He's a part of me. Just like Evie is my daughter. Neither of them will ever have another father…not Butcher…not Alex…"

"No one has ever said that they should, John," Victoria said and she found herself pleading with him once more. "Just stop getting mad at him. Stop pushing him away from you."

Standing in front of Homelander, Victoria tried her best to beg him, but it seemed futile. He was angry, jaw lacked and eyes wide with dilated pupils. Victoria stepped back as he reached for her once more, grabbing her wrist and tugging her tightly to him, other hand going to her waist and keeping her there.

"You don't get it either, do you?" he snarled. "You're mine. You'll always be mine and if I have to kill everyone you love to make you see that then I will. I'll do it…starting with that boyfriend of yours."

"No!" Victoria yelled at him. "You can't, John…please…"

"You still beg for him!" Homelander yelled at her. "You're supposed to be mine! Do you not get that? Is it not going through your skull? Or do you want me to do something else, huh? How about you love me like a husband, as you should, or I cut off a piece of him every time you do something to displease me? Him…Daniella…why not even Daniella's girlfriend, huh?"

"You're a fucking psychopath!" Victoria yelled at him.

"No, I'm not," he said, "I'm just done with being lenient. I'm done with humouring you and so you will learn, Victoria. You will learn to love me like you did. You will learn to be the woman I want you to be."

She shrieked loudly as something fell from the ceiling and she tried not to jump out of her skin, but it was almost impossible. She continued sobbing and trying to pull away from him as he glared at her. It took him all of his energy to be angry with her, especially when he saw her so upset.

But then he let her go as he heard footsteps approaching. She wondered why and she fell to the floor after he abruptly released her. Her legs curled underneath her and she felt her hands catch on some debris before she turned her head over her shoulder and saw Ryan stood there, looking at the two of them. Somehow, Victoria used the sofa to push herself to her feet and she stumbled around the coffee table and towards Ryan who stood there in his checked shirt, jeans and winter coat. His mouth was agape as he drank in her appearance. Her shirt was pulled out of her skirt and her hair mussed up around her head, cheeks red and eyes running with tears.

"Come here."

The words were low and deadly as Homelander spoke to his son and Ryan just stood there in silent disbelief that his father had done this.

"Come here. That's an order."

"No," Victoria was the one who spoke and she shook her head, standing in front of Ryan, her arms behind her as she kept his body behind her own. She felt the little boy's hand go to her arm, holding onto it. She wasn't sure if it was out of fear or something else. "John, you're not going to hurt him."

That was when he threw the photo over to their feet. It landed face up and there was a crack in the glass. Ryan looked down to it, peering around Victoria's arm.

"I'm his father," Homelander said. "Not him. And I'm your husband. And I always will be," he said with a soft, menacing laugh.

It was then when Victoria felt Ryan's grip on her tighten as he glared at the man across from them.

"Come here now," Homelander repeated through gritted teeth, the rage now apparent in his face.

It was then when the chandelier fell from the ceiling and Victoria yelled at the sound of it crashing against the floor as she pushed Ryan further behind her and he jumped out of shock as well. But then he took a deep breath and shook his head.

"No," Ryan said.

"Come on," Victoria urged from him and she turned around, her hands going to Ryan's shoulders as she forced him to turn around and move back in the direction of the door.

"Ryan!" Homelander yelled his son's name. "Ryan!"

But Victoria wasn't letting him listen to him. She urged him out of the door and then took hold of his hand. She didn't know where they were going to go, but they had to get away from him. As she hurried down the corridor, she pushed the button for the elevator and waited for it to come.

"Did he hurt you?" Ryan asked Victoria.

"No, honey," Victoria assured him. "But we need to go, okay? We need to go away for a little while."

Ryan nodded his agreement and Victoria knew she had to go down and get Evelyn. Where were they going to go? Would he come after them straight away? Victoria's impatience got the better of her and her finger continued jamming against the button on the elevator.

"If you get in the elevator then I'll do it."

His voice echoed through the corridor and Victoria stood up straight, spine stiffening at the coldness in his voice and her eyes closing as a tear slipped down her cheek and she realised that he had her where he wanted her now.

"Do what?" Ryan questioned from her as the elevator doors opened and she looked at the space. She could get in. She could go downstairs and take her daughter and Ryan. She could get out. But what was the chance of her getting anywhere?

"Alex."

It was only his name that he had to speak and Victoria knew she wasn't leaving, not until she had a plan of some kind.

"You go downstairs and I'll be there in a minute," Victoria urged from Ryan and she ran a hand down the back of his head, stroking his hair softly.

"I'm not going without you," Ryan said firmly.

"I'm okay, sweetie," she assured him and crouched down to his height. "I'm alright and we're going to be alright, I promise."

She cupped his cheeks in her hands but he shook his head. "He's hurting you," he said. "I know he is."

"He's not going to hurt me," Victoria said, but she wasn't entirely sure if she was confident of that. "I'll be down in a minute. You go and wait for me in the garden, alright? I'll be there in a minute."

"No," Ryan said firmly, shaking his head and she saw his eyes glow red for a brief moment.

"Look at me," Victoria urged as he glanced over her shoulder and watched his father. Victoria forced his gaze back to her and she made herself smile and she shook her head. "It's okay," she promised him. "I'm okay. Do this for me…I'll be there after I talk to your father."

Homelander remained where he was, listening as Victoria somehow managed to negotiate getting Ryan into the elevator. Once the doors had closed, she turned around and looked to him, anger in her expression apparent. Storming towards him, she shook her head and jabbed a finger against his chest.

"You never fucking talk to him like that," she snarled at her husband. "If you ever scare him like that again…threaten him…then you'll lose him for good and I will do everything I can to protect that kid. If you want to hurt him then you hurt me first."

"What're you going to do, Vicky? Shoot yourself up with V?" Homelander questioned from her, looking down at her with a smarmy smile on his face. "You think that you'd be able to defeat me if you took V, is that it? You thought that would happen? Well, it wouldn't. You can take V…risk your life…see what weird super power you end up with…but it won't be enough to stop me. Besides, even if you wanted to, you couldn't kill me."

"Just like you couldn't kill me."

"No, but I can kill everyone you love," Homelander said. "And don't think that I won't."

"So, you kill them?" Victoria wondered from her husband. "And then what? What leverage do you have over me then? None. You have nothing to hold against me."

"You want to push me?" Homelander asked her.

Victoria searched his gaze for a moment, watching him. "Was there ever a part of you that loved me?" she wondered from him.

"No," he said, wagging a finger at her. "We're not doing this again. I'm not letting you play on my emotions for you. You're so good at that. You really do a better job than Madelyn ever did."

"And you think you're not the same?" Victoria asked from him. "I need to get out of here and I need to find Ryan. You…everything is crumbling around us, John, and you can stop it, but you don't want to…so I need to try and make at least some of it right. That means I need to find your son and make sure he's okay because he's my main priority right now."

She left him stood there and pressed the button for the elevator. She didn't turn back around, but she knew that he was staring at her. Instead of fighting for her to stay, however, he let her go. He knew that he couldn't keep her there and so he gave up trying.

…

Ryan hadn't been in the gardens when Victoria had gone downstairs. She'd tried to call him, but he wasn't picking his phone up either. Victoria had sat on the bench in the garden and taken deep breaths of fresh air. She placed her phone to her ear after she dialled his number and waited for him to pick up.

"You okay?" he asked from her.

"Everything's a mess," Victoria confessed to him. "I don't know what to do."

She heard him shifting on the other end of the line and she knew that he was moving, probably to somewhere quieter. Victoria swung back and forth on the seat. She let out a shaky breath as she realised just how cold it was and she'd gone outside without her coat in the middle of winter.

"What's he done?"

"He's out of control," Victoria confessed to him. "I don't know what else I can do to try and get him back on side. He won't listen to me anymore. He…I got so desperate that I tried to take V."

"Vicky, what the hell?" he snapped down the phone at her. "Do you know how dangerous that could've been? Why would you do that?"

"I don't know," Victoria said, fingers raking through her hair. "I think a part of me thought that it could help me protect Evie and Ryan, but it won't, will it? Even if I took V then I'd never be strong enough to kill him…and even if I was…I don't know if I could. He's in my head. He's in every single thought I have and I can't get rid of him."

There was another moment of silence and then Victoria spoke once more.

"He's threatened to kill you, Alex," Victoria said to him.

"Hardly surprising, baby, he's got form for that," Alex said.

She sniffed and shook her head. "This time is different. I've never seen him like this before and he scares me," Victoria confessed to the man on the other end of the line. "I don't know what to do because I can't…I can't risk you…Daniella…anyone else. I can't let that ever happen, but I just can't sit here and let him do this. The election is being verified tomorrow and we both know what that means."

"We know," he agreed with her on that point. "We know that we're running out of time."

"What're you going to do?" Victoria asked.

"Frenchie is working on the virus, but we're not sure if it will be ready. Did you know that Neuman is doing Truthbomb in the morning?"

"I'd heard it in passing," Victoria said. "Is she…she's still going through with it?"

"We couldn't persuade her not to," Alex said. "A few of them here think she wants the power, but I think she's scared and I get it. I'd be scared of him too. I mean, I guess a part of her wants the job, but not at this cost. You wouldn't want it at this high of a price, would you? It's not worth it. It's definitely not worth it."

"I'd agree with that," Victoria agreed with Alex on that point. "Look, I just needed to call you and tell you that he's threatened you again. Just lay low, okay? Promise me that you'll lay low and I'll do what I can to keep him from you."

"Even if that means doing what you don't want to?"

"Even if it means doing what I don't want to," Victoria confirmed for him. "I need to go, Alex…just look after yourself and tell Annie I love her too. I need to sort some things out here."

"Okay, baby," Alex said and before he could say anything else, Victoria hung up. She didn't think she could stand him telling her that he loved her. She hung up the call and headed back into the Tower, not entirely sure how she was going to find Ryan. She knew that they weren't exactly going to sleep in the penthouse and Victoria had to pick Evelyn up from where she was with Natalie.

She just hoped that Homelander might leave them alone.

…

"Ryan hasn't come home."

It was ten p.m. and Ryan still hadn't called her back despite the fact that Victoria had left him numerous messages. And so she had gone to the ninety-ninth floor and found Homelander. He had been talking with Firecracker about the show the next day and what they were going to do when Neuman appeared as a guest on it. Victoria had come rushing down, dressed in the same skirt and shirt she'd worn when he'd seen her earlier in the day, but she looked more put together. She'd tucked the shirt into her waistband and had brushed her hair. Her cheeks were still puffy and her eyes were sore and slightly bloodshot.

She was holding her phone in her hands and had a panicked expression on her face. Homelander looked over to her and Victoria shrugged at him. He didn't look entirely bothered that his son was missing and she didn't know why. She'd been going out of her mind with worry, nervous for where he could be.

"He's probably just blowing some steam off," Homelander said nonchalantly.

"He's been gone for nearly five hours and he isn't answering his phone," Victoria said, waving her phone in his face before she put it into her skirt pocket. Firecracker remained sat to Homelander's side, arms on the armrest and smug look on her face that Victoria ignored because all she wanted to do was knock it off of her face. "I don't know where he is and it's scaring me. Aren't you at least slightly concerned?"

Homelander tried not to roll his eyes at her dramatics. He knew what she could be like and there were times when he did find it exhausting. She still treated Ryan like he was a kid sometimes and, while he was, he was also one of the strongest supes on the planet. He could handle himself. He would always be able to best anyone who tried to hurt him.

"I'm not concerned because you know how strong he is," Homelander said in a deadpan voice to his wife. "He probably just needs time and he will be back soon."

Victoria rolled her eyes at him and she shook her head firmly. "Good to know where your priorities lie," she said to him, "sitting here with her and plotting high treason as opposed to finding your son and setting things right with him. It's all been utter bullshit, hasn't it?" Victoria demanded from him and she wondered if he would act this way if Evie was missing too. "You claim to do all of this for Ryan, but he doesn't want any of this. He just wants you and you're pushing him away. Don't you get it?"

"Vicky," Homelander said her name in a low warning and Victoria shook her head.

"Oh, threaten me if you want to," Victoria said to him with a roll of her eyes. "But there's only one person here looking out for our kids and it isn't you."

Turning on her heel, Victoria left the meeting room and Homelander's jaw clenched as he watched her go.

"She shouldn't speak to you like that, sir," Firecracker spoke up. "You deserve someone who is going to treat you with respect and she doesn't."

"Shut the fuck up," Homelander snapped at her and she went quiet as he stood up and stalked after his wife. His footsteps were purposeful as he chased after her, following her to where she'd gone to in the elevator. She was waiting for it and he came up behind her, slamming his fist against the metal door and denting it. Victoria jumped and turned around, but she didn't back down under his glare.

"You think you can talk to me like that? You think I'm not doing this for our kids? I am. Everything I do is for this fucking family and I'm getting tired of you not seeing that," Homelander snapped at her.

"Yeah?" Victoria questioned. "Well, I'm getting tired of you constantly threatening me. This little dance we're doing is getting tedious. You hurt the people I love? Well, guess what happens then? I go on national TV. I tell everyone just who you are and what you've done. And I would do it. I'd do it because I'd have nothing to lose. You could take Evie and Ryan from me, but at least they'd know just what kind of man their father is. You'd make sure I had nothing to lose, but you'd have everything to lose when it comes to those kids. Overplay your hand and you're fucked. You know it and I know it."

Homelander was quiet then, watching her intently and wondering just how his wife could go through so many emotions in a full day. She'd gone from a weeping wreck to a woman who thought she could go head-to-head with him. And the issue was that she could. She could because she knew what buttons to press when it came to him.

"Find your son," Victoria demanded from her husband. "Evie is with Natalie in one of the guest rooms. I'm going out."

"Where?" Homelander asked.

"To see Billy," she said. "I'll be back later."

And Homelander just let her go. He knew that she'd be back because she'd never leave Evelyn. But he also knew that she had him exactly where she wanted him, just like he had her where he wanted her. She wouldn't leave out of fear for her loved ones, but he wouldn't hurt her because that really would push her away and, despite what he told himself, he couldn't do that.

…

"Do you remember when I told you about that topless restaurant in Nevada?" Billy asked his sister.

He wasn't sure why he was bringing this up, but it was what he remembered. He wasn't sure how he was in this position, but his sister had walked into his hospital room and she had looked exhausted and wrecked. He'd held his arm out to her and she'd curled against his side on the bed like she used to when she was a little girl. She'd buried her face against his shoulder and the crook of his neck as he wrapped his arm tightly around her shoulders and she balled her hands up against her stomach and by his side.

He hadn't asked her any questions, suspecting that Homelander had done something to upset her. He just let her lay against him and he relished the feeling of her by his side. He loved her more than he could even say and he just felt sorrow that he didn't have many of these moments left. He knew he was dying and it was a matter of time. He hadn't wanted to admit it for a long time, but now he was staring death in the face and so he had to.

"I remember Lenny found it funny," Victoria said to her brother. "I just didn't get why you'd want to go to a restaurant where women take their tops off…I mean, I still don't entirely get it."

"You might if you were a lesbian," Billy said. "Then again, it might make things easier for ya if you were a lesbian."

Victoria chuckled at that and kept her eyes closed. "You're not wrong there," she said to her brother. "Anyway, why are you bringing that up?"

"Not sure," Billy confessed on that point to her. "I'm not entirely sure why I'm thinking about it. I guess it's funny what you think about when you're facing death, init? You go back to some strange places…and Lenny…I've been thinking about that steakhouse. I promised him we'd go. Told yer that we would blindfold yer and drag you in with us."

"You know that I can handle seeing women's tits now, right?" Victoria checked with him.

"Nah, I'd still blindfold you," Billy assured his sister. "You're my little sis and I ain't subjecting you to those sights even if you have seen Firecracker try and breastfeed your husband."

Victoria, despite everything, let herself laugh at his comment. The noise was high and shrill echoing in the room and Billy chuckled as well, peering down onto his sister as he saw her face scrunch up with amusement. He let his own lips curve upwards and he relaxed even further against his cushions.

"I don't think he actually went through with it," Victoria said to her brother. "I think he decided that it probably wasn't worth it. The point is, that I don't need to be blindfolded. I can go in there…or we could've gone to another steakhouse?" Victoria suggested.

"Nah," Billy said with a shake of his head. "We can't go anywhere else. I promised Lenny that we'd go there and that's where I want to go…because I should've taken him there. I should've taken you both there. If I had then maybe none of this would be happening. Maybe we wouldn't be in the position we're in now."

Victoria shook her head and she finally peeled her eyes open. She turned her head upwards so that she looked at him through her lashes and she smiled sadly. "Don't do that," she urged from him.

"Do what?" he questioned her back.

"Don't do the what if game," she said to him. "It's no good because we're in the position that we're in."

"Yeah," Billy said, resigned to defeat. "But I asked Hughie to go there when he called. I need you to go with him, okay? Can you promise me that you'll go with him? Just go…but make sure you don't look, alright? Can yer do that for me?"

"Billy, I don't-"

"-Vicky, please," Billy interrupted her and shook his head firmly. "Just promise me."

Searching his gaze, she knew that she had no other option but to nod her head. She did it to appease him and she went back to resting against her brother's side, head by his shoulder as his thumb ran over her upper arm, stroking the sheer material of her blouse against her skin.

"I promise," she said to him.

"Thanks, love," Billy mumbled.

There was a comfortable silence between them then and Victoria wasn't sure how long it lasted for before Billy spoke again in his low, gruff voice to her.

"It's tomorrow," he said and they both knew what was happening tomorrow.

"I know," Victoria said. "I know that it's tomorrow and I don't know how we can stop him. I keep thinking that there has to be a way, but I…I just think that even if they can't assassinate Singer then he'd do it himself. He's that unhinged right now. I mean, the things he's done today, the things he's said…it's insane."

"I did wonder why you were back so soon."

"I wanted to see you," Victoria said. "I…I got back to the apartment and I found the V he'd hidden. I almost took some Billy. I almost took some because I thought that maybe you'd been right and it would be the only way that he could be defeated. I didn't go through with it thought. Truth be told, he stopped me before I could."

Billy looked down to her once more and he felt her move a hand to scratch at her cheek. He didn't want her to take V. He didn't want her to become one of them. But he understood her desperation. He understood that more than he cared to admit because it was why he was in the position he was currently in, no matter what he said differently.

"Even if you took it, you wouldn't be strong enough to stop him. Nothing is," Billy said to his sister. "And I know why you did it. I'm not going to bollock you, alright? Because I get it. You…you're looking out for those kids and you're raising them right. You're a good mum and you love them."

"I love them more than anything, Billy," Victoria said. "I just…I don't know if me being a good mum for them is going to be enough in the end. I don't know if it's going to keep him from hurting them, not physically, but emotionally…he found the picture you gave Ryan today and he destroyed the entire apartment. He went mental, Billy."

"Did he hurt either of you?"

"No, but I was scared he might," Victoria confessed to her brother. "I got Ryan out of there before he could do anything else, but he's not answering my calls now and I'm worried about where he might be and what he might be doing. He's a good kid and he just needs some stability, but how is he going to get that with Homelander? Especially if he goes through with the plan too?"

"Look," Billy said to his sister, "I know that you don't agree with him killing Homelander, but what if that's not what I want anymore? What if there was a way out for you and your sprog too? Grace can make that happen. She can get you away."

"And Ryan?" Victoria wondered, looking back up to her brother and tucking her hair behind her ear. "What if they try to use him, Billy? I can't let that happen. I can't let you turn him into some kind of weapon to kill his dad."

"And I know that," Billy promised his sister. "Look, I promised Becca that I'd keep him safe and that's what I want to do. I need to keep him safe for Becca."

"Without any ulterior motive?" Victoria checked.

"Without any ulterior motive," he promised her and Victoria wondered if he was being honest with her. "Get your kid and Ryan…come back here…and I'll get you away from him. He won't find you this time, I promise. If you can do that then you'll be safe. I can send Alex with you too. There will be a way to get away from him."

"But then I just sit back and watch Homelander ruin this country?"

"And what can you do to stop him? Nothing, Vic," Billy said. "Listen, I've spent the last eighteen years of my life regretting never coming back for you. It eats me up inside…and I can't die knowing that you're still with him when I could get you out. Please, Vic, just do this. Get out. Let me help you this one last time."

Victoria watched her brother and she noted the way his eyes were watering. Her brother rarely cried and he wasn't one for heartfelt discussions either. "You pulling the death card on me, huh?" was all Victoria said to her brother and he chuckled at that. He nodded his head and Victoria kissed him on the cheek before she laid her head back on his shoulder. "Let me think about it."

…

Returning to the Tower, Ryan had text Victoria to tell her that he was alright, but he was staying at a friend's house for the night. He'd given her the friend's name and the address and she had asked for his parent's details too which Ryan had given her. Victoria had gone back to the guest room that they were staying in and had found Homelander sat on the sofa, hands laced together. He must've dismissed Natalie.

"Is Evie asleep?"

"Sound asleep," Homelander promised his wife.

"And what're you doing here?" Victoria wondered and she pulled her coat off and threw it over the back of the sofa next to Homelander.

"I am your husband and you are my wife," he reminded her. "And we're going to stop going around in circles. We need to stop it because it won't do us any good and I know that. So, from now on, we're going to be together, but I'm not going to have Cate do anything to you."

"Very noble of you," Victoria muttered and she perched on the chair by the side of the sofa.

"Stop trying to push me away," Homelander demanded from her. "It's not going to work and if I am one thing, it's patient. I've waited for you before and I'll wait for you again. So long as you stay here…be my wife…be the children's mother…then you'll be safe. Do we have an agreement?"

Victoria wanted to tell him no. That wasn't the life she wanted to live. But she just nodded her head to appease him as she thought about her brother's offer. She stood up once more and glanced down to Homelander. "Fine," she relented.

"Okay," he let out a deep breath.

"I need to go and get some things from the penthouse for Evie," Victoria said. "I need some fresh clothes too. Can you stay here and look after her?"

"Fine," he said. "And have you heard from Ryan?"

"He's staying with a friend tonight. I think that might be for the best," Victoria said. "Have you told anyone about the penthouse? It's going to need to be completely remodelled."

"That's not exactly high on my list of priorities," Homelander said to her, tone snappier than he intended for it to be. She just looked to him with an arched brow and he sighed, waving a nonchalant hand. "I'll sort it," he said to her and Victoria just nodded once at him and left the apartment, picking up her bag on the way out.

She headed to the ninety-ninth floor and moved through the rubble and to the staircase. She climbed up it, finding it slightly ironic that the upper floor as completely pristine and untouched. She grabbed a case from underneath her bed and began packing some clothes for Evelyn before going to the walk-in wardrobe and picking out clothes of her own. She glanced at the picture on one of the shelves there from her graduation where she was smiling with her friends, holding her fake diploma for the photograph.

"Do you even recognise her anymore?"

Victoria looked to the mirror as she picked up the photo and glanced down at it. Her reflection stared back at her and Victoria just shrugged her shoulders.

"I can't be her anymore," she said with a shake of her head.

"Why not? Because you're scared of him? You shouldn't be scared of him. He won't hurt you."

"He might not hurt me but he will hurt the people I care about if I step out of line."

"Not if they're with you. If they're by your side then he wouldn't be able to touch them. Remember what they said? Popularity gives you protection. And you, for once in your life, are very popular."

"And if it doesn't?" Victoria looked herself in the eye. "What if it doesn't give me protection? What if it doesn't work?"

"So what? You're willing to let him go through with this?"

"I don't want to."

"Then don't. You don't have to. You know who you are. You're a strong woman who knows that this isn't the right thing to do. Evie and Ryan…they'll look up to you. Do you want them to look up to you and see someone who was too scared to do the right thing?"

"Of course not."

"Then use your voice. You've been too quiet for too long…under the control of men who have hurt you…used you…and you might love him. You might have loved him and wanted him, but he's not that man anymore. You are strong enough to stand up to him. You might actually be the only one who is strong enough to stand up to him."

"But I'm not a supe."

Her reflection smiled back sadly at her. "You don't need to be a supe. You just need to be strong. It's scary and I know that, but you have the strength. You just need to use it. Use your voice, Vicky. It's time to stop being quiet."

Victoria heard something from the living room that sounded like rocks falling. She shook her head and snapped out of the trance she'd been in. She finished packing the case before she remembered the safe in the wardrobe. Looking out of the corridor, she saw that she was alone and she moved to kneel down, removing the fake wooden panel. Putting the code in, she wondered if Homelander had forgotten that she'd gotten into the safe. The door opened again with the same code and Victoria took another vial of V from it. She pushed it into her pocket before she saw the folder at the bottom of the safe.

Turning her head over her shoulder, she was grateful to still be alone. She pulled at the folder and opened it, eyes widening as she finally realised what it was. It was dated January 6th. It was the plan for the next day. Victoria shook her head and flicked through it.

"Fuck," she whispered and she stood up, carrying it with her before looking in the mirror again.

"You can stop him. You know you can and you know you have to."

…

A/N: Things are ramping up! What do we think might happen? I have to say I am absolutely overwhelmed by all of your comments and thoughts - thank you so much for sticking with me. Can't believe we made it all the way to season 4...it feels like such a long time ago when I started this. So thanks to everyone still with it!