Victoria had gone to shower as soon as she felt the cold settle into her bones. Homelander had let her go, dropping his arms from around her and watching her head on up the stairs. She had gone to his bedroom, needing some more clean clothes when she found the note that she'd hidden in her drawer of tights. She had looked at the warning and wondered what might have been if she had found it earlier. Shaking her head, she tore it to shreds and flushed it down the toilet before going back to the guest room and turning the shower on.

She'd stood there for a while, letting the water pool over her as she thought about Michelle and tried not to cry again. But she failed. She sobbed openly, hoping that the noise of the running water would drown out the sounds. It didn't.

Homelander stood outside of the guest room and heard her. He remained rooted to the spot, hands clenched into fists as he longed to do nothing more than go in there and soothe her. What had she turned him into? He always felt weak when it came to her. He felt too human and he knew that wasn't good. It wasn't who he should be. But it was what she made him. He could almost feel something stick in his throat. It wasn't for her friend. He didn't mind Michelle, if he had to be honest. She was quite spunky and he appreciated that. She didn't fawn over him. No, he ached because Victoria was in pain. He ached because he knew that no matter what he did, she wouldn't want him at that moment in time. Perhaps in the future she would. Perhaps she would crumble and would be too weak to argue against him picking the pieces up. But for now, she didn't want him and he could hardly force himself on her.

Sighing, he waited until she turned the water off before leaving. He heard her sniff and rummage around in the bathroom before he headed on down the stairs again. He needed to get out for a while. Heading to the meeting room, he expected it to be empty, but he found Noir sitting there, computer open in front of him.

"Hi, Noir," Homelander said, acutely aware that he would get nothing back. In a way, he suspected people would find that infuriating, but he quite liked it. He quite liked that he could talk to him and just vent, knowing that he wouldn't be yelled at or interrupted. "Late night, huh?"

Noir just shrugged his shoulders and closed the laptop lid, showing Homelander that he had his full attention.

"Yeah, I know, Victoria just got back after wandering around in the rain," Homelander scoffed and shook his head, standing behind his own chair, hands holding onto it and running along the leather slowly. "She just found out that her friend is dying…nothing they can do…and she's so close with her. There's three of them and they were practically inseparable. I never got in the way of that. I let her have her time with them. I was a fucking good boyfriend to her and I just wish she would see that…I'd be an even better fiancé if she just let me."

He pulled the chair out and sat down, hand running over his chin. Noir tilted his head and raised his shoulders. Homelander sighed.

"Yeah, I know the Stormfront stuff wasn't ideal," he confessed, answering a wordless question. "I shouldn't have ever let her get close to me, but she was so good at boosting my numbers and understanding when Victoria didn't. She's never going to see eye-to-eye with me on things and she's so bloody stubborn she's never going to just agree to disagree."

Noir continued staring, Homelander looking to him and then closing his eyes, tilting his head back.

"I thought that letting her go would be for the best, you know? I thought that I'd be able to move on, but I couldn't. As soon as she'd gone, I regretted it because she…yeah, I keep things from her…but she sees me for me. I used to love that. I used to love that I could show her the truth, but now I'm wondering if it just made me too….human…weak," Homelander concluded, shaking his head, a strand of his hair flapping into his face that he brushed away with the back of his hand. He let out a deep breath, cheeks puffing out manically. "I just want her to love me unconditionally like I love her."

Noir continued staring at him and Homelander wondered if he felt anything inside of that suit of his. Opening his eyes, Homelander rested a hand on the table in front of him, turning his palm upwards and clenching his fingers into a fist to do something as he spoke.

"But she won't. I know that now. So if she won't give me that then I'll take whatever I can get…because she's not as strong as she makes out. She needs me and she will see that soon enough. She will hate herself, but it'll happen…she's broken…everything that happened to her as a kid broke her and she needs someone to love her and take care of her. She knows I can do that and she'll give into it eventually, especially because of the baby."

Noir's head tilted even further to the side then. Homelander looked to him and waved a hand in his direction nonchalantly.

"She's pregnant," he commented and he wondered if there was a gasp that escaped Noir. "We're keeping it quiet for a few weeks, not that you'll tell anyone, of course. But we're going to be parents and so the engagement is back on. We're back to being a perfect couple. It'll take a lot of interviews, but we'll get there. Everything will be fine in the end, I know it."

Homelander instantly felt better. Nodding his head, he stood up and walked behind Noir, clasping him on his shoulders. "Thanks, Noir, you're actually the only one in this group who I trust."

Squeezing his shoulders, he walked away and left him alone. Heading back to the penthouse, he was quiet as he turned the lights out for the night and moved up the steps. Coming to the small hallway, he saw that the bedroom door was closed on the guest room. He used his x-ray vision and saw that she was in bed already, hair damp on the pillow and duvet pulled up to her chin. Her breathing was light and shallow. She was sleeping soundly already.

Pushing the door open, he stepped into the room and saw that she had left the lamp on. He was quiet as he made his way to the side of the bed and crouched down. Moving his hand to her hair, he used the backs of his fingers to brush it down and away from her face. She stirred slightly, but remained sleeping. He didn't doubt that she was exhausted. There was no chance of her waking so long as he was quiet.

"We're going to be fine, Vicky," he whispered, hand still stroking her damp hair. "We'll always be fine…I'm not letting you go now…you and our baby…I'm never letting you go."

…

Victoria awoke the next morning and still felt groggy. Her hair was a mess on the top of her head after sleeping on it while it was wet. She got out of bed and for a moment she forgot everything. She forgot she was losing her best friend. She forgot she was pregnant. She forgot that Homelander was a murdering rapist. But then it all came back to her. She sat up slowly, knowing that they had a day of interviews with journalists. She'd agreed to this. She could hardly complain about it.

Pushing the duvet back, she saw that there was a glass of orange juice on the bedside table. Looking around the room, she saw that it was empty. He must have left it there earlier. She ignored it and went to the bathroom to get ready for the day. She was just about to change into one of her skirts when she heard a knock on the door.

"Victoria?" he questioned.

"Yeah?" she asked him.

He stepped into the room as she got the skirt to her hips and looked down. She tried to pull it together, but the button wasn't going to sit as it should. She huffed when she realised that her stomach was already beginning to protrude slightly. Homelander looked to her and noted it as well.

"Seems a bit early, doesn't it?" he questioned.

He was already dressed and ready for the day, hair neatly coiffed and suit pristinely adorning his body. Victoria gave up on the button and let the skirt fall back down her legs, not caring that it left her in nothing but the jumper she had shoved on and her panties. Stepping out of the skirt, she kicked it to the side and went back to the messy pile of clothes she had dumped on the chair in the corner.

"I don't know," Victoria said, looking for something a bit looser. "I mean, I guess it makes sense. This isn't going to be a normal pregnancy."

"Do you think we'll need to tell people sooner rather than later?" he wondered.

"Wouldn't you have to ask Edgar?" she asked and he heard the annoyance in her tone.

Rolling his eyes, he folded his arms as he tried not to stare at her behind as she bent over the chair and dove through the fabrics. She finally came back out with a fit and flare plum dress with long sleeves.

"Don't be pissy," he said to her and she laughed dryly at that.

"I'm not being pissy," she retorted.

"Yes, you are," Homelander retorted. "Arguing is not going to do you any good. You need to keep calm and think of the baby inside of you because I doubt stress would help."

She scoffed as she laid the dress on the bed and folded her arms. Her chin jutted out and he almost wanted to tell her that she couldn't look threatening if she tried, stood there in just a jumper and a pair of simple cotton panties. He was doing his best not to let his mind wander too much, ignoring her bare legs.

"I am thinking of this baby," she snapped at him. "I want the best for this baby and not for it to be trapped in the Vought machine. Would it be so bad if they decided just to be something else other than a supe?"

"Yes, because it would be my child."

"But you want your child to be happy, don't you? Do you think living like this…inside Vought…do you think this is happiness? You never had the chance to pave your own path. Do you want our child to live the same life?"

"Our child will have me, not doctors," he said.

"But that doesn't mean they will want to be part of this…please…can you not just think about it?" she asked from him and he saw her lips purse and her eyes widen. Her brows knitted together and he recognised that as the face she gave him whenever she tried to get him to do something. And he always relented. He always gave into her. And today would be no different because he knew that, in the future, he'd get his own way.

Letting her think she won today was easier than fighting. He would deal with the battle when their child was old enough. Victoria nodded to him.

"Thank you," she said and it sounded genuine enough.

"Alright," was all he said back to her and he saw her pull her jumper off. He tried to ignore the black bra and the way her breasts seemed to swell out of the cups. He couldn't help but notice they had definitely grown since the last time he'd seen her naked. She shimmied into the dress and pulled at the zip, tugging it up her back and thankful that the dress was baggier than her other fitted ones.

"Come here," he said as he saw that she was struggling to move her arms.

She didn't bother arguing as he moved a hand to gather her hair and drop it over one shoulder. "Did you sleep well last night?" he asked, changing the conversation to something safer. If he thought that making small talk with her was going to make her mellow, he was wrong. But she had to play the part. She had to give him what he wanted because it would keep her safe for the time being.

"Amazingly, yes," Victoria confessed to him as he tugged the zip up her back and moved his bare fingers to her shoulder, feeling her tense for a moment before she relaxed as he massaged it softly. "I know we have all those interviews today…but tonight…I was going to go and see Billy."

He froze with his movements on her shoulder then, his hand slipping down her arm and then settling on her hip. He heard her pulse begin to quicken as he turned her around to face him. She kept her gaze level, her eyes staring straight at his chest. Curling a finger under her chin, he forced her to meet his eye.

"Why?" he asked, a smile on his face that she recognised as one that wasn't genuine.

"Because he's my brother and I haven't had a chance to explain any of this to him," she said to Homelander. "He found out I was pregnant the exact time that you did and I just…I just want to see him."

Homelander scoffed. "So that you can both sit and bitch about me?"

"John," Victoria complained at hearing him. She rolled her eyes and he moved his hand from her chin, stroking along her cheek. "You told me that it was fine to visit him. I'm not going there to talk about you, but no doubt Billy will have some choice words for you."

"He's never going to be a part of our lives, you know?" Homelander checked from her. "He's never going to come here…have a say in our child's life…you can visit him, but he stays completely separate, just as I have promised to keep Stormfront out of our lives."

Her eyes widened. "So you're intending to see her?" she checked and he chuckled.

"You have this amazing ability of turning things onto me when I am questioning you," he said to her and she shot him that glare of hers she used whenever she was annoyed. He sighed and tucked her hair behind her ear. "But yes, I am going to see her. She might be many things-"

"-A Nazi bitch who tried to steal my fiancé?" Victoria interjected and he felt his chest swell at hearing her refer to him as her fiancé. His lips quirked despite everything.

"All of that, but she did actually help me."

"Yes, appeal to fascists and create a new super race," Victoria deadpanned and she moved a hand to his wrist to pull his hand from her. He let her and watched her sit down at the dressing table, perching on the stool and reaching for her foundation. She squeezed the bottle onto her finger and dabbed it onto her cheeks before reaching for her makeup brush. Looking at him in the mirror as he sat down on the end of her freshly made bed, she continued talking. "Did you actually believe any of that stuff? About white genocide…needing to-"

"-No," he interrupted her before she could continue. She watched him as she spread her foundation over her skin, the brush moving along her cheekbones. He laced his hands together and leant forwards slightly. "I didn't believe it. I thought it was batshit crazy."

"Then why did you go along with her?"

"I didn't know she was a full blown Nazi-"

"-I practically told you she was a fascist," Victoria interrupted him on that point, not entirely certain she was in the mood for his excuses and bullshit. She lowered the brush to the white wooden surface and grabbed her blusher and another brush. "But you still went with her. Was it just because she told you what you wanted to hear? Could help you boost your poll ratings?"

He was silent and she took that as an affirmative. Of course, she knew already. She just wanted to hear him say it. She didn't know how much more she could take if he actually did turn out to be a fascist. It would be the icing on the cake, of course. He shrugged his shoulders and almost look deflated for a moment.

"I guess so," he admitted to her. "You'd gone missing. My numbers were down. She was the only one providing any comfort and I lapped it up. I liked what she was saying to me."

"Even if what she was saying was batshit," Victoria whispered and finished with her makeup. She picked up her brush and tugged it through her hair. "When the baby is born then I want her nowhere near it."

"I can do that, so long as you keep the same promise in relation to your brother."

"My brother isn't a raging racist."

"No, but we're not going to sit here and pretend that he's all innocent and sweetness, are we?" Homelander checked with her and she bit down on her tongue. He looked at her in the mirror once more and she took her turn to avoid his gaze. "He's done bad things too. He's killed people. He's a vigilante."

"He's not a monster."

"But I am?"

"Did I say that?"

"You don't need to say it, it's written all over your face."

Victoria sighed. "Knowing what I know, John, it's hard to look at you and bat my eyelashes right now," she confessed to him. "What you did to Becca…what you've done to other people…I'm struggling with it all right now, especially knowing that we're in this for the long haul."

He was quiet at that before he simply shrugged and Victoria wanted to scoff as she finished brushing her hair. He wasn't even going to try and defend himself and make excuses. He knew it would be a waste of time as things currently stood.

"Have I done things that are questionable? Yes, probably. But the things I've done have been for the good of this country. Saving America isn't just a slogan, Vicky, it means actually having to go out and do things that other people don't want to do."

"I'm sorry," Victoria said, hand going to her chest as she turned to look at him and he saw the flush of red on her neck. She always got that when she was getting het up about something. "I didn't realise raping Becca was in the name of Saving America."

He rolled his eyes and Victoria gritted her teeth together, hating how nonchalant he was about it. She turned back to the mirror and he continued speaking.

"I gave her a son, just like I've given you a child."

"What you did to her was not consensual. What you did to me was," Victoria snapped. "There's a fucking huge difference and the fact you refuse to apologise for it just makes you even more abhorrent to me."

"What happened to you trying to play nice?" he demanded, not bothering to rise to her comments. He knew it would just end up escalating things and they had to be in an interview in less than an hour acting like a loved up couple. They could hardly do that if they were fighting. What was worse was that they fought about the same thing over and over again to the point where he was exhausted of it. He was tired and bored. He just wanted her to let it go completely. But he knew she wouldn't. It wasn't who she was.

"It's not easy," Victoria said to him and let out a deep breath. Looking herself in the mirror, she knew she had to do this. She knew that she had to try and at least act nice and keep him on side until she devised a plan. And so she did the one thing she didn't want to do. "I'm sorry."

Her apology almost stuck in her throat as she lifted her gaze and he looked at her with shock. Was she genuinely sorry or had she just said it because she was scared of him? He wasn't entirely sure and he didn't know if he wanted to find out. Placing a hand to her stomach, Victoria rested her other hand on top of the dressing table, flicking away a piece of cotton that had fallen from her dress.

"I guess it's hormones…and…Michelle…finding out the truth…it's been a rough few weeks," she told him, knowing that would keep him happy. He'd want to be the one to tell her that everything would be fine and he wasn't going anywhere. She couldn't tell him that was the problem.

"I understand," Homelander assured her and moved to his feet.

She tried not to tense as she heard his steps come closer to her, feeling the warmth of his body against her back. He lifted his hand up and his fingers stroked down her hair softly. She kept her breathing calm, telling herself that it was fine and that she could do this. She could do this until she didn't have to.

"I…I know it's wrong, but I wish that I could go back in time. I wish we could go back to how we were," she said to him and he closed his own eyes. He wished that too, but he knew that they would never be left alone if he tried to get rid of her memories again. There was Annie. There was Billy Butcher. There were people who would never let them be themselves.

"I thought that things were perfect," Victoria confessed to him. "When we spent Christmas together, I genuinely thought that my life had actually come together for once….that it was my time to be happy…and this isn't me having self-pity."

"You think that I didn't feel the same?" he asked her and he sat down on the bench next to her, moving his cape out the way as his arm brushed hers and his hands held his thighs. "I grew up without a family and Vought kept me locked in a room. They kept me away from people because they were scared about what I could do to them…until I got older…and then they told me that the Seven would be my family. I thought that I could make it work, but I couldn't. They're not what I wanted…I never wanted them…"

"If you knew what you wanted then why didn't you just go?" Victoria questioned, looking up to him. "Why didn't you just leave Vought and try to find it?"

"Because I didn't know what I was without Vought. I didn't know what I'd do. This is all I've been trained to do."

"I know," Victoria said to him. "But it's too late to regret what could have been. The fact is that I'm pregnant. We need to make this work. Somehow, we need to make this work."

It sounded more like she was trying to convince herself than him, but he moved his hand to pick up hers. She wondered what he was doing before she saw the engagement ring in his hand. He slipped it onto her ring finger without asking her. She watched the rock sparkle in the light for a second before nodding once. It felt as though an extra weight had been forced upon her. She just needed a way to get rid of it.

…

"I didn't know if you'd let me in."

"A part of me wasn't sure if I would either."

Victoria looked around the apartment. It was scarce and dark, some of the lightbulbs not working. The furniture was old and battered, the carpets stained and paint peeling from the walls. She'd hoped that Billy might be able to find somewhere nicer, but it didn't seem to bother him. He held the door open for her and she stepped in. He noticed the way her nose sniffed and picked up.

"It's not exactly a penthouse in Vought Towers, your highness, but it's what us common folk can afford," he said and Victoria rolled her eyes at hearing him.

Folding her arms over her chest, she tapped a foot on the floor and didn't retort. Billy moved through the apartment and grabbed hold of a half-drunk glass of whiskey. Sitting down at one of the wooden chairs at the dining table, he motioned for Victoria to take the other. She placed a shopping bag on the floor by the door and dropped her satchel next to it.

"I'd offer you a glass, but I imagine you're not drinking," he said to her.

"Best not," she concurred on that point with him.

Shrugging out of her red winter coat, she hung it over the back of the chair before taking the seat. She was still dressed in the plum dress she'd been wearing for the day of interviews, smiling and holding Homelander's hand as they explained the story of what had been going on between them. They were due to do their first TV interview the following day.

"What're you doing here, Vicky? I'm amazed he let you out."

"I came to an agreement with him," Victoria said to her brother. "He's…I've promised him that I'm not going anywhere and he believed me."

"Why would he do that?" Billy asked her. "What's to stop me from getting you away from here right now?"

"He'd kill you. He'd kill my friends. And, after he's done that, he'd keep me locked up until I gave birth and then take my baby from me," Victoria said and Billy's eyes widened slightly.

"He said he'd do that?"

"He doesn't need to," Victoria confirmed to Billy. "I know him. He let me go once. He's not going to let me go again, especially with me being pregnant."

Billy shook his head, not entirely wanting to think of his sister being pregnant. He'd just lost his wife because of Homelander and now he was going to lose the one member of his family who he had just gotten back.

"Why did you come back?" Billy asked from her, watching her as she looked around his apartment. "You had a chance to get away, Victoria. You had a chance and you didn't take it. You came back. You willingly came back."

"I saw him." Victoria said to her brother and she sighed before standing up. She couldn't just silently. She moved into his kitchen and reached for a glass that was on the side before filling it up with water. "I saw him flying above me and I knew that meant he was going for Ryan and I was scared about what he might do if he got him. I knew that he'd take him from Becca. I knew that he would kill her if she stood in his way because he…that's who he is. He gets what he wants. I couldn't let him do that. I couldn't let him just take Ryan from Becca after everything he'd done to her…and if Ryan had gone with him…" Victoria took a sip of the water as she stood in the kitchen and leant against the worktop. She shook her head and shuddered. "Billy, it doesn't bear thinking about."

He continued to watch her, trying to weigh up if he believed what she was telling him. He cocked his head slightly as she sipped her water and not once did she look away from him. She continued to meet his eye and he rolled his eyes.

"You had a chance to get away, Vicky," he said to her. "You should have taken it."

"But Becca-"

"-Ended up dead anyway," Billy interrupted and he winced at the memory. He blinked quickly, holding back the tears. He'd shed plenty of those over the past few days. "She's gone and there's nothing we can do about that now. She's…she's just gone…"

"I know and I am so sorry, Billy," Victoria said, placing her glass down and wondering if she should go and comfort her brother. They weren't exactly touchy-feely siblings. She remained where she was and just cocked her head to the side to watch him, a frown on her face. "I know how much she meant to you."

"Yeah, well," Billy sniffed. "I lost her years ago, didn't I?"

"Not the point," Victoria said and folded her arms over her chest. "And you don't need to put on the tough, cocky guy act in front of me, alright? I'm your sister."

"Who is back to sharing Homelander's bed."

"If you think I'd even contemplate that then you don't know me that well," Victoria said and she went to sit down again. "And you're deflecting back onto me again. The point is that what happened was horrible and I'm sorry. Becca…she was a great woman and I mean that, Billy. She was…everything she went through…and she was still so kind and caring."

"Amazing, isn't it?" Billy concurred with that one. "But I'm fine. I don't need to talk about it or have you here as my therapist."

Victoria rolled her eyes. "Can you just not be an asshole for a minute?"

"Big ask," he said and he watched her lips arch despite everything.

He let his own smile be hidden from her while he took another sip of his whiskey. Holding the glass, he swirled the liquid around gently, eyes fixed on it before he looked over to her and knew that he should be nicer to her. She had done what she had done because she wanted to protect Becca and Ryan. She had done it for them.

"You know, I thought that you'd gone back to him because you still loved him," Billy said and she avoided his eye at that point. Looking away, she shrugged and Billy almost groaned.

"It's complicated," she said to him. "I hate him. I despise him for everything he's done…but when he's with me…it's like I sometimes forget. I forget it all and it feels like it did. But then I remember and it repulses me. It's not easy, Billy, but I don't want to be there. I don't want to be with him."

"Has he hurt you?"

He saw her sniff and she shook her head, blinking back tears. "He wouldn't lay a finger on me."

"How can you still be so sure of that knowing everything you know?" he asked from her.

"Because he does love me. He loves me and I can give him what he needs so long as I'm convincing."

"And how long do you intend to be convincing for?"

"Until we find out a way to get rid of him."

"You think you're strong enough to do that?" he asked from her.

"No," she admitted and Billy was almost surprised at her honesty. He had half expected her to say she was. "I don't think I am strong enough to kill him, but I have to be. I have to be because I know what he can do and there's not just me to think about now. I'm…I'm going to have a baby, Billy. I'm going to have his baby and I cannot let it end up like him."

"I'll do what I can," Billy promised her and she knew that he would. She had faith in him because she knew how much he despised Homelander. "But if it doesn't work…if there's nothing we can do…you-"

"-We can't think like that," Victoria interrupted. "There's got to be something we can do because he will never let me leave willingly, not again. Until then, I can do this. I can play the pretend fiancée and hang off his arm. I know that I can."

"That's what worries me," Billy confessed and he finished off his drink.

Victoria stood up and reached for her coat. She knew she should go. She didn't want to push Homelander too far with her being with Billy.

"I'm not going to change my mind," she promised her brother. "He can be charming. He can shower me with gifts and love. And yes, it's going to fucking suck because I thought that he was that man…but I'll always end up remembering the one thing that makes me feel sick. He's no different to Eddie."

Billy watched her tug her hair from the collar of her coat. "Will you come back again?"

"Do you want me to come back?"

"You're not the worst company," he said to her and she rolled her eyes but smile. She crouched down and picked her bag up. "And what about your friends? Do they know?"

He saw her look down and her brows rose on her forehead. She draped her satchel over her body. "I told them I was pregnant, but nothing else. I can't risk them and…Michelle…she found out that she had a brain tumour, Billy," she said and her brother's face fell slightly. Moving to his feet, he saw that she was tearing up again. Letting out a deep sigh, he moved to wrap his arms around her and this time Victoria didn't hesitate to hug him back. Running a hand up and down her back, he let his cheek sit on the top of her head.

"How long?" he asked as he felt her shake against him.

"Six months at best," she said, voice shaking.

"Fuck, Vic," he said and he didn't even bother saying anything that would be a lie. He didn't tell her how it might be she had longer or that the doctors could do something for her. He just stood there and agreed with how shit it was for her.

"Yeah," Victoria weakly agreed on that point and pulled back slightly. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "I just went to see them before coming here so I'd best head home."

"I'm sorry about your friend."

"I'm sorry about Becca," she replied and stood on her toes to peck him on the cheek. "I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Alright," he nodded to her and saw that she was opening the door, but she'd left a bag on the ground. "Isn't that yours?"

"No," she said. "That's for you to give to Ryan if you see him. It's a Lego set…I saw it on my way over here and remembered that he enjoyed playing with it. If you see him…just tell him I'm expecting a Lego movie of the Princess Diaries."

Billy frowned. "Am I supposed to understand anything you've just said?"

"Absolutely not," she promised him and pecked him on the cheek. "I'll see you later, Billy."

…

Homelander wasn't in the penthouse when Victoria got back. She had moved around, waiting for him suddenly to appear as he had a habit of doing. But there was nothing. She headed through to the guest bedroom and began tidying her things away. She still had boxes that she needed to unpack. Picking them up, she carried them upstairs and began sorting through them, not even wondering where Homelander was. She didn't care so long as she had peace and quiet.

She started organising her wardrobe, knowing that she should get rid of some clothes because she had far too many. She hardly heard the noise of heels clacking on the wooden floor in the living room. But she did hear the yells of Ashley's voice suddenly ascend the staircase. Victoria jumped as she met the woman in the doorway. Ashley's hair was hanging wildly around her face, her cheeks flushed and a rip in her tight.

"Ashley, what the hell is wrong?" Victoria questioned from her.

"There's been a drop out on the Mary Lewis show tonight and Mr Edgar wants you and Homelander to take the slot," Ashley said and Victoria groaned, shaking her head. She turned to go back into the bedroom and sank down on the end of the bed. Ashley let herself in, Victoria noting the way her eyes darted around. She was clearly aware that they weren't sharing a room based on the fact that Victoria looked pretty settled in the guest room.

"Ashley, really? We're doing a TV interview tomorrow."

"I know and I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important, but this reaches a peak audience in the evening. Homelander is already at the studio and has said he will do it alone…but Mr Edgar seems to think he needs you there."

"Do I have any negotiating that can be done here?" Victoria asked and Ashley saw that she looked tired. She had bags under her eyes and her face seemed to have no colour in it.

"I can get you out of that film premiere next week…plus the film about how you and Homelander met has been put on pause of a script rewrite so I can try and delay that even longer."

"This interview is that big, huh?"

"Huge," Ashley confirmed.

Sighing, Victoria nodded. "Fine," she said to her. Some goodwill here might go a long way somewhere else. "But I need a makeup team on hand because I look like shit."

Ashley was already on her phone. She held a hand up. "Way ahead of you," she said and Victoria frowned as it took the woman a few seconds to realise what she had just said. Her eyes widened and she looked to Victoria. "I didn't mean that you need it…just that-"

"-It's fine," Victoria promised her, own lips quirking up. "You're not wrong anyway. Let me find a different dress and change. Then you can drag me where I need to be."

…

Sitting on the couch, Homelander hadn't really expected Victoria to turn up. He'd given her an out. He'd given her a chance to get away from the interview. But then he'd received work that Ashley had her and was on her way. He didn't entirely believe it until he saw Victoria moving across the set. She was changed into another fit and flare dress, but this one was a dark red. She had tights on her legs and was wearing a pair of heels. She'd had her hair curled and makeup freshly applied. He stood up as she came towards him and he saw people moving around set, preparing for the interview to begin.

He instantly started with the façade. A hand went to hold onto her hip as he bent down and pecked her on the cheek. "I didn't think you'd make it."

"Ashley drives a hard bargain," Victoria said to him, smile on her face and he almost forgot that they were faking it. The greeting felt so natural. He sat down and Victoria sat next to him, thigh brushing his as she folded one leg over the other. He moved an arm behind her, his other hand going to hold onto hers on her knee.

"You're tired," he commented as he saw her yawn.

"It's been a long day. I went to see Michelle and Daniella…and the interviews…plus, I'm pretty sure that my hormones are completely out of sync," Victoria said and he nodded his head. He suspected that was all understandable. "But we're only on for ten minutes and then we can go. Besides, I got Ashley to promise me that we could stop for a burger on the way home."

He chuckled. "Food always was the way to your heart."

"That hasn't changed," she assured him, leaving the part she wanted to say unsaid. But everything else has.

"Yeah," he said, sensing it as well. He kept coiled around her as Mary Lewis appeared, dressed in a tight-fitting blue dress that came down to her thighs. She greeted them enthusiastically before talking to her manager. Victoria looked around the studio and tried not to be nervous, but it had been a while since she'd actually done this before.

"And we're on in five…four…three…two…one…"

Victoria zoned out for a moment as Mary gave her introductions. Homelander kept his hand inside of hers and she waited for the first question to go her way. Ashley had briefed her on the way over, telling her that the questions had been pre-determined. And they were. They were answering like robots, but that was only until Mary Lewis went off script. Victoria felt Homelander tense next to her as the question came. She could see Ashely flapping around frantically, snapping at one of the production managers.

"I know, I know," Mary began, "you both said that you were going through a tough time…but Victoria…you worked for the UN…you've been working on a Resolution to change international asylum law. How can you two go back to normal after an association with Stormfront and everything she stood for?"

Homelander's grip on her hand increased.

"We're not back to normal," Victoria said to her and Homelander wanted to do nothing more than drag her off the set.

"Mary, that's a bit of a personal question, isn't it?" Homelander asked, the smile on his face forced. "Victoria and I are working through things, but we're doing it in private."

"But you must see how this looks to people. Your fiancée was everything that Stormfront despised…and you went to rallies that supported her cause."

"I never knew entirely what she was. She kept that from me."

"We've argued about it," Victoria suddenly said, tired of being spoken over. "I warned Homelander about her months ago when things were still good between us. I never liked her or her message. I thought that it was divisive. It was everything that was wrong with the world. She could call me names…call me what she wanted…none of it mattered."

"And how did you react when you saw Homelander going to rallies with her?"

"I was angry," Victoria said. "I knew that he had made mistakes in the past that he hadn't apologised for…but I knew that he wanted to put his country above everything else. He is a patriot. He loves America and he just wants to keep people safe and we…we were going through a difficult period. We were arguing…the distance was pushing his apart…and Stormfront took advantage of that. She took advantage of us struggling. Am I saying that he is blameless? Of course not. But I am saying that things weren't good between us and maybe if I had been a better fiancée…more present…we wouldn't be sat here trying to explain what happened."

"No," Homelander said quickly with a shake of his head. "You've done nothing wrong in any of this. It was me. I was foolish. I was stupid to listen to her."

"I do just wish that things could have been different," Victoria said and looked to Homelander and he knew there was a deeper meaning behind her words. She sighed and looked back to Mary. "I know that Homelander has made mistakes. I know that he's done things…things that some people might not be able to forgive, but he's trying to make amends. He's not an entirely bad person. But I wish I'd done more to keep us together…to stop this from happening…"

"You take absolutely no blame here," Homelander said, eyes settled just on her as he continued to talk. "I made the choice to go to Stormfront. I made the choice to let her in and listen to her. I never fell for her. I never cared for her like I care for you. It was a stupid moment of weakness because she was comforting me over you. Because it's always been you, Victoria. It's always been you who I've wanted."

There was a moment of silence then before Mary spoke, remembering that this was her interview.

"Whew," she said and wafted a hand in her face. "Well, that was pretty intense. So it's safe to say that the love is very much still there, despite everything?"

"Very much," Homelander confirmed. "We've gone through this rocky patch and I'm learning how to be better."

"It's just hard. Every couple goes through a tricky spot, but ours is always in front of cameras where we're constantly being judged," Victoria said. "But we're together and we'll get through this."

"Of course we will," Homelander tacked on. "Because that's what couples do, isn't it?"

"I guess so," Mary said. "Well, thank you both for coming on…"

Victoria tuned out, a smile remaining on her face as Mary finished off the interview and led them to a break. Once they went off air, everyone was around and buzzing, preparing for the next part. Victoria stood up and Homelander moved with her, hand going to the small of her back and leading her forwards. Ashley was soon in front of them, looking at them excitedly.

"That was fucking golden," she said to them. "You're already trending again for being honest…not glossing over things…you're number one on social media, Vicky."

Homelander's jaw tensed. She had a habit of doing this whenever she was allowed to talk off script. She seemed to know how to say all of the right things and it got to him. But he'd be fine. For one night he could handle her being lauded and him being shamed. He'd get over it.

"Great, so can we go now?" Victoria asked from her. And that was why he loved her. She had no desire for fame. She never wanted to take it from him.

"The cars out the back," Ashley said, confused by Victoria's non-reaction.

"I'll drive us home," Homelander said. "We need to talk alone."

Victoria was apprehensive then, but she said nothing. She just followed him through the building until they came to the car. He took over from the driver as Victoria slipped into the passenger seat. He drove off slowly, heading into traffic as she noted that his hands were gripping the wheel tightly.

"Are you pissed off with what I said?"

"I mean, you did make me look like a bit of an asshole."

"You acted like an asshole at times when Stormfront was around," she reminded him. "Just own it instead of trying to make excuses. People can see through our bullshit fake answers. Besides, I wasn't exactly horrible to you, was I? I stood by you…said all of those things."

"And meant none of them," he said with a pop of his lips and Victoria wanted to roll her eyes at how melodramatic he was being with her. He put his foot down on the gas again and she turned to glance at him, the streetlights catching his face and emphasising shadows on his cheekbones and strong jaw.

"Not entirely true," Victoria whispered and he turned to glance to her. He wanted to push her on what wasn't fake, but he didn't know if she'd appreciate that. He was doing his best to give her time. He was subdued and he knew precisely that was how he was best to act around her. It was how she would respect him a lot more. He had to have faith that would happen anyway.

They lapsed into silence then and Victoria was about to ask what he was doing before he turned into a fast food restaurant. She remained silent as he ordered her a burger from the drive-thru. At one time, this had amused her. Homelander ordering food was the strangest thing ever. It didn't look normal. The girl on the window was certainly taken back as he put on the charm. He remembered Victoria's favourite order off by heart, even adding on an apple pie at the end. He handed her the brown paper bag wordlessly and drove to the corner of the parking lot, putting the car into neutral and turning the ignition off.

"You remembered," she commented as she picked out the bag of fries, popping one into her mouth.

"It seemed to be the only thing that made you happy whenever you had a deadline…me turning up to your place with food," he said, remembering the simpler times they'd had. "Besides, I'm not completely heartless."

"I don't know what you are sometimes," Victoria whispered and ate another fry. "I sometimes think it might be easier if you just hated me."

"You think I haven't tried?" he asked from her. "When I told you to go the other week, I wanted to hate you for actually abandoning me…for actually going…but I couldn't. I just can't hate you."

Victoria didn't know what to say in response to that and so she kept quiet, eating her food. Looking over to her, Homelander watched her as she continued chewing quietly and he didn't know how he was going to break the news to her. She had to admit that it would make sense. She had to have seen it coming. They were expecting a baby. It was the next logical step and he knew his voters expected it.

Looking to the engagement ring on her finger, he wondered how she would react when he told her a wedding ring would be joining it in five weeks' time.

...

A/N: Sorry for another cliffhanger there! So I am going to have a few more chapters before going into season 3 if you guys are still interested at that stage. From season 3, what plot do you want to see developed with Victoria in? Inspiration is greatly needed so please let me know what you think!