Victoria didn't entirely want to go back to the city. It wasn't that she wanted to spend time with Homelander in the middle of nowhere, but it did feel a bit more peaceful than being back at the Tower. Plus, it meant that she could spend as much time as she wanted with Ryan and Evelyn. She had to confess that she was apprehensive about Homelander getting his claws into Ryan. There were times when she wondered just what he wanted from his son. Did he want him to be like him? Did he not want him to be better? Victoria didn't know and she didn't dare broach the topic with him, knowing that it wouldn't get her anywhere.

But the fact of the matter was that they had to go back to the Tower. Homelander had been plotting and Victoria knew that. While they'd been at the cabin, he had continuously flown back to New York for business meetings. The trial would soon be approaching and there was also something going on at Godolkin University that he had been investigating. Victoria tried to stay out of his business, knowing that it might lead to arguments. She'd had plenty of arguments with him about his work before and the last thing she needed was to get on his bad side.

She didn't want to go back there. She was actually amazed that he'd kept her around for as long as he had. She'd pushed her luck too many times and yes, he'd been threatened her, but he hadn't actually hurt her. She was still alive and she intended to stay that way.

"What the hell happened?"

Victoria's question came as soon as she had seen the news and Homelander walked into the apartment. She had finished getting ready for some event that she had to attend that night with Homelander. Despite everything he'd done, he was still popular with far too many people. Victoria had dropped Evelyn and Ryan off with Janette who was the new babysitter. She'd gone for a walk with them around the gardens which had given Victoria a chance to get ready.

Homelander walked into the main bedroom and found her bent over by the dressing table, putting in a pair of diamond stud earrings he'd given her for Christmas a few years ago. Ever since they'd returned from the cabin, he had insisted they shared a room again considering they'd been sharing a bed in the cabin. Victoria hadn't dared say no. She knew what she had to do to stay on his good side until the time came.

"You saw what happened at Godolkin, I take it?" Homelander asked, pulling his gloves from his fingertips and dropping them onto the end of the bed before sinking down there.

"I saw it was a complete bloodbath," Victoria said and Homelander had to confess that he found himself quite distracted as he drank in the long-sleeved plum dress she wore with the square neckline and long skirt. She'd worn it before to previous events and he had to admit that it was one of his favourites. She finished with her earrings and reached for a silver bracelet. "And those two kids? Cate and Sam?"

"Guardians of Godolkin," Homelander said, neglecting to tell her the truth. She didn't need to know that he had framed some other kids and they were now locked away somewhere no one would find them. "And we don't need to worry about the virus that was being made there to kill supes. No one is going to find that."

"What does that mean?" Victoria asked and she turned to face him and he noted a few wisps of her hair had fallen from the bun that was loosely hanging at the nape of her neck. Homelander just smiled at her, the motion feeling threatening and Victoria almost wondered if she wanted to know what he'd done.

"It means that we've found it and contained it," he said to her with a shrug of his shoulders. "Godolkin will suffer for a while in the press and the number of applicants might drop, but it'll be fine in the long run."

"Do you think so?" Victoria questioned. "I mean, I know you arrived and calmed things down before they could escalate, but it looked to me as though things had already gotten completely out of hand. I don't know, John, I just don't think I'd be comfortable sending my kid there after seeing that."

"I get that," Homelander assured her. "But extra measures will be put in place. Either way, the situation was contained…seeing it…I don't know how someone could hurt supes like that kid had done. She'd hurt her own kind."

"Do you know why?"

"I have no idea," Homelander lied. "But I do know that people are out to stop supes and we both know that's ridiculous. People need us."

"I don't agree with people hurting supes and you know that," Victoria said to her husband and he watched as she perched on the stool of her dressing table, still facing him. She folded her arms over her lap and leant forwards slightly, her eyes staring directly at him. "But what you're fans say…how they claim that supes are superior…that's the part that's dangerous."

"But true though," Homelander retorted. "Either way, what's done is done and we need to get going."

Victoria knew there was no getting through to him. She had wondered if she had managed to do that when they'd spoke at the cabin that day and she'd almost pleaded with him to listen to her. But that hadn't happened. In fact, the opposite had happened. He had his mind made up on how to play things and now all she had to do was be the dutiful wife who hung off his arm and agreed with him.

"What's the event tonight?" Victoria questioned from him and he stood up, grabbing his gloves and holding them in one hand before offering his other hand to her. She took hold of it, the feeling of his warm fingers against hers familiar. He helped her up from the stool and she stood in her heels, still just slightly shorter than him.

"A gala in honour of some charity that's trying to cure world hunger that Vought supports," Homelander said. "There's some big wig senators coming and chances are Victoria Neuman might make an appearance…we need to be seen as being able to put party politics to one side when it comes to charitable endeavours…not that I'll be listening to anything Neuman says."

"I see her political campaign is gaining momentum," Victoria said and Homelander just nodded once. He'd seen the same thing and a part of him was interested in it. He knew that if she won and actually had a seat in power then there could be things that he could do to gain an advantage. He needed to play it clever though. And he knew that Neuman had given him information on finding his wife. His wife didn't know she'd done that and he wasn't going to tell her.

"It could be interesting," was all Homelander said to her.

"Do you trust her?"

They began to walk towards the staircase and Homelander let Victoria go down first, dropping her hand for a moment as she held onto the railing and then used her now free hand to pick her dress up and see where she was stepping.

"Neuman?" Homelander checked. "Absolutely not. After everything we know about her, how can we trust her?"

"I mean…it's ironic…because the things she says at her rallies are things that I agree with, but then I know the truth. I know about her and Stan Edgar…what she did at Congress…it worries me what ulterior motive she might have if she gets in power."

"You know you don't need to worry, don't you?" Homelander checked with her as they came to the sitting room. Victoria's brows furrowed together and she cocked her head in his direction. "If she does win and becomes the VP then she won't do anything to us."

"It's not just about us, John," Victoria retorted. "It's about the country and what she could do to it. Look at everything going out there right now…everything is polarised…and she…I just don't think she can be trusted and being this close to real power is scary. Knowing things is scary."

"Knowledge is power, sweetheart," he said to her and slipped his gloves onto his fingers.

"I think I preferred it when I didn't know things," Victoria muttered and Homelander couldn't help but chuckle at that. He had preferred it when she didn't know things too. It had been easier to control her. He didn't want to control her, he liked her free and dhe liked her spirit. He just liked it when she'd been on his side.

"Either way, you don't need to worry about things like that. I'm here and I'm going to protect our family," Homelander promised her and she just nodded her head at him. She knew that he would and, despite everything, when he said things like that it gave her just a semblance of peace that her daughter would always be safe because he wouldn't let anyone lay a hand on her. He loved her more than anything. She was his everything.

"I know you will," Victoria said. "And Evie…she…so long as she's safe then that's all I care about. Her and Ryan."

"And you," Homelander declared and Victoria looked at him, chewing down on the inside of her cheek. Wandering forwards, Homelander looked down to her, his chest almost brushing hers as he watched her. "I know things have not been easy for us in the last few weeks and you…when you ran away a part of me thought that was it. A part of me thought that I would never be able to look at you the same way and then when I found out about Alex…how you'd fallen for him…do you know that you broke my heart? Do you have any idea what that did to me?"

Victoria shook her head slowly as he lifted a hand up, his fingers brushing loose wisps of her hair behind her ear.

"I never meant for it to happen," she promised him. And that had been true. Her life might have been less complicated if she'd never met Alex.

"But it did," Homelander said. "And I worried that we'd never be how we were again. I thought that you'd be tolerant of me in time…that I wouldn't be able to be how I had been around you."

"You know a lot has changed," was all Victoria could think of saying to him.

"I know," Homelander said. "But these past few weeks have been good, Victoria. Spending time in the cabin…being together…they've been good and I don't want to have to have my guard up around you. You're my wife. Despite everything you've done, I still love you. I love you so much and I want you to be mine. I want it to be like how it was. I've tried not to feel this way. I've tried to be angry at you. I've tried to hate you. But I can't. You're the only woman I've ever truly loved and I know, deep down, that you feel the same about me. I know you love me…me…not Alex…me."

Victoria's mouth dried out. She didn't want to have this discussion before they left for an event. She wasn't prepared for it. But she figured that he preferred it when she wasn't prepared. It gave her less time to formulate a response.

"Things have changed," Victoria said to him with a nod of her head. "And we both know that we can't go back to how they used to be, but I am trying, John. I'm trying to be the wife you want and a good mother for Evie and Ryan. And you…I understand why you'd have your guard up around me because of what I've done. I have my guard up because of what you've done to me too. You threatened to take my daughter from me. You locked me in the cells under the Tower."

"I only did that because you'd ran away before," Homelander defended himself.

"We can't keep doing this," Victoria said, holding a hand up and making a circle with her finger. "We can keep going round and round in circles or we can both admit that we're…we've done things to hurt each other…together we're toxic and we know that…but we are together. We have a family and maybe this is for the best? Maybe we need to try and get on with each other?"

"I know," Homelander concurred with her on that point. And he did know that. He knew that they were better together. He knew that when they were together, just them two, that they were good. "And I want that, Victoria. I want us to be together."

"Then let's just keep going," Victoria said, hoping this would bide her time. "We're not going to get back to what we were when we first met, but maybe…maybe we can reach a place where we're okay."

"I just want to be happy, Victoria," Homelander said, moving his hand along her cheek slowly. "I just want that."

And she didn't? Victoria nodded. "I want that too," she said.

She hoped he believed what she was saying. She wasn't entirely certain, but he seemed to be on her side.

"Despite everything…I love you…I love you so much," Homelander said to her and he bowed his head, forehead pressing to hers and she could feel his warm breath against her cheeks. His hands moved down to cup her waist and she moved her own hands to his upper arms. He was waiting for her to say it back to him. The expectation hung in the air. And so Victoria swallowed the lump in her throat as she spoke, looking him in the eye.

"I love you too," she whispered and he finally kissed her on the lips, his body pressing against hers. Victoria's grip on his arms increased and she closed her eyes, trying to kiss him back. But it wasn't difficult. It felt natural to her. And she hated herself for it.

…

Homelander kept hold of Victoria's hand as he helped her out of the back of the car. She adjusted the dress around her legs with one hand, the slit sitting against her calf. She heard the roar of the crowd and she felt her breath hitch. She had always hated this. She clung tightly onto Homelander's hand and he felt her grip increase and he knew she was apprehensive.

"You alright?" he asked from her.

She forced herself to nod her head, but she was apprehensive. She knew that there would be cameras. She'd been prepared for that and she had been briefed on how to answer interviewers' questions. She had ran away because she was scared. Her mental health had deteriorated. Did she regret it? Of course she did. She never meant to cause her husband pain. Were they still having marital issues? That was private and for them to know, but they deeply loved each other and were working through their issues.

She wasn't beloved by America anymore. She knew that. Whereas once upon a time people saw her as a strong, independent woman who was able to juggle a career and a relationship with the most famous man on the planet, now she was seen as the woman who had abandoned her husband. People judged her for it. Homelander's supporters didn't like her. They thought he deserved better. The people who had liked her for her values now despised her for standing by her husband. She never wanted to be adored. She wasn't like Homelander. She didn't need to be in the public eye. But it was better to be adored than to be despised.

"Supe lives matter!"

"Homelander keeps us safe!"

"You will not control us!"

"Justice for Homelander!"

Victoria looked behind and over the roof of the car. She hadn't spotted the crowd there and she instantly felt a fear wash over her. She could see a barricade set up along the street, police lining it and trying to keep the crowd at bay. There were throngs of people wearing blue and holding placards with Homelander's face on them. Victoria had seen the sights on the TV, but being face to face with it was a different thing. Homelander wrapped his arm around her waist and lifted his other hand into the air, waving in their direction.

The roars grew louder as he beamed widely and smiled at them. He felt Victoria move closer to him and he knew she was apprehensive. He chuckled and continued waving for a moment before he was ushered down the red carpet in the middle of paparazzi and journalists shouting questions at him.

Ashley was at the end of the red carpet and Homelander spotted The Deep towards the end of the red carpet. He wanted to roll his eyes. He had no idea he would be there. Keep an arm around Victoria, he felt her own arm move around his own waist.

"You alright?" he asked from her again, realising he'd never gotten an answer from her before.

"That was…intense," she settled on saying.

"I know," Homelander simply retorted. "Come on, we'll do one interview and a few photos then go inside."

Victoria let Homelander take the lead. He was better at these things than she was and she wasn't going to try and take the spotlight from him. He answered questions for them and she just chipped in whenever he looked to her or squeezed her waist. They spoke about how they were working through things but loved each other very much still. Heading towards the entrance, they stood in front of the line of photographers and smiled for picture. Victoria could still hear the roar of the crowd over everything. It was deafening.

"Justice for Homelander!"

"Homelander protects us!"

"He deserves better than his whore wife!"

Victoria faltered over the last one and she looked back down the red carpet towards the crowd. Homelander heard it, but he'd also heard much worse with his hearing. He'd heard people whisper about his wife, about how he could do better than her. He heard people call her all kinds of names and he was doing his best not to retaliate. He wanted to. But they were his fans and they were looking out for him. In time, they'd stop belittling his wife.

"Come on," Homelander urged from her and he practically dragged her into the building and away from the noise.

The hotel where the event was being hosted comprised of expensive marble floors and expensive artwork, flowers everywhere with the banner of the charity dotted around. There were people there in expensive designer clothes already with champagne flutes in their hands. There was a string quartet playing in the corner and Victoria wondered how much Vought had donated considering their banner was strung up around the building.

"Ignore them," Homelander urged from her, picking up a flute of champagne and handing it to her. She took it from him and began drinking slowly as he ran a hand down her cheek. "They'll soon see that they're wrong, okay?"

"I'm fine," she promised him. "I should've known this was going to happen."

"They just don't understand," Homelander said. "I…I tried to protect you…after you'd left. I told Ashley your family were out of bounds and not to bring up your childhood."

Victoria continued watching him. "Why would you do that?"

"Because I had a shit childhood and I wouldn't want anyone to know about it," Homelander said to her and she knew it was moments like this that tripped her up. He almost appeared human. He showed vulnerability. There was more to him than what he let people see. "And I wasn't going to let you go through having that made public knowledge."

"Thank you," Victoria said and, this time, she truly was grateful. This was bad, but if people knew about her childhood then she wondered if it would be worse. There was a reason she never told anyone about her childhood and what had happened. She kept it to herself because she didn't want to talk about it or relive it. There had been very few people she'd trusted to tell.

"You're welcome," Homelander promised her. "Come on. We'll mingle for an hour and then we can get out of here."

"Aren't you expected to stay longer?"

"I don't care," Homelander said to her. "Besides, figured we could grab a burger on the way home considering you haven't had dinner."

"Sounds good," Victoria said to him and he just smiled before placing his hand in the small of her back and leading her forwards.

Victoria smiled and played her role well, being as charming as she could possibly be to people. She let Homelander lead in conversation and she only spoke when she was spoken to. She tried to stay invested in conversations, but her mind kept going back to the baying crowd outside.

"I hadn't expected to see you here."

Turning his head over his shoulder, Homelander saw Victoria Neuman walking towards them, dressed in a white pantsuit with her dark hair hanging loosely down her back. She was carrying her own glass of champagne and Homelander observed her intently. She had done him a favour by giving him Victoria's location, but he was keeping a bigger secret for her. He had gotten her the VP nomination. He had done that she owed him.

"Well, Vought does sponsor the charity," Homelander declared and she kept a smile on her face before looking to Victoria.

"I don't think we've met before although it feels like I know you considering how much time you spend on my television screen at work," Neuman said and she extended her free hand. "Victoria Neuman."

"Victoria Anderton," Victoria greeted her back.

"You know, I have to say I am so glad you're okay," Neuman said and Homelander ground his teeth together, his hand seeming to press into Victoria's back even harsher. "I know how worried everyone was, but it's understandable why you left. You've gone through so much."

Homelander could do without the two of them making comments. The two of them together would only make trouble.

"Well, I don't think it was an excuse," Victoria said, wheeling out the line she was told to say. "I wasn't myself and I know that I caused so many people hurt…that was never my intention and I'm trying to make up for it."

"I don't know," Victoria responded in a drawl. "People don't understand how hard it can be for us…being in the limelight and then almost dying giving birth…and finding out you're pregnant again…I don't think it's surprising that you needed space and ran. And the way they villainise you in the media is horrible. Women always are the villains."

"Well, we're working through things," Homelander answered and Victoria suspected he was on edge. He looked like he wanted to leave and she knew why. He wasn't a fan of Victoria Neuman. "Hey, Vicky, sweetheart," Homelander directed his attention to his wife. "Why don't you go and get ready for us to leave?"

Victoria took the hint. "I'll go to the bathroom," she said with a nod. "Nice to meet you," she forced herself to say to Neuman.

"You too," Victoria retorted and watched the other woman leave, giving her time to talk to Homelander in hushed tones. Looking to him, Victoria's smile turned into a smirk. "She seems lovely. I can see why she ran away from you."

"What're you doing?" Homelander questioned from her.

"She has no idea it was me who gave you her location, does she?"

"No," Homelander said. "And she has no idea who made you VP either."

"This little game of tit for tat we have going on is quite something," she declared and Homelander chuckled darkly, moving slowly and walking towards the side of the room with her. He kept the smile on his face so that he didn't draw attention to himself.

"You think you're equal to me?" Homelander demanded from her, arms folding over his chest. "You think that I'm indebted to you because you gave me Victoria? No. That's not how this works. You're only where you are because of me and, if I so deem fit, I can drag you right back down to where you belong."

"You're threatening me?" Victoria questioned.

"I didn't know I had to threaten you," Homelander said. "Because I assumed you weren't stupid enough to get on the wrong side of me. This is where we're at. You have no power over me. You have no control. I am the one who calls the shots. I am not someone you can play with and the fact you think that you can is either foolish or arrogant."

Victoria went quiet then and Homelander just nodded his head firmly at her.

"Glad you've got the message," Homelander said.

"And what do you want?" she questioned from him.

"TBC," he decided on saying. "But stay away from my wife."

He turned around and headed towards where Victoria was stood on the other side of the room having left the bathroom. He held his hand out for her once more and she took it.

"You okay?" she asked him, wondering what they'd been talking about considering it had looked quite heated.

"All fine," he assured her. "Just the usual of her trying to get a rise out of me. It didn't work. It never does. Why don't we go? Grab some food and head back to the apartment?"

Victoria was hardly going to disagree with him. They made their way to the exit of the hotel again and back onto the red carpet. Ashley tried to call for Homelander's attention but he ignored her, raising a hand and urging her not to bother him. The press and the paparazzi had packed up, but the crowds were still on the other side of the street.

"I asked for the car to be out front," Homelander said as they stood on the steps of the hotel. "Should be a minute."

"Okay," Victoria said.

"He's there! Look!"

"Homelander!"

Someone in the crowd clearly spotted them across the street and Homelander revelled in the attention. He raised a hand in greeting and waved across to his fans, the wide smile on his face and Victoria felt a sense of apprehension again.

"I should go and say hi," Homelander said.

"Do you think that's a good idea?" Victoria questioned him.

"They're my fans. I'll just go take a few selfies and sign a few autographs," he said to her. "You wait here if you want, okay?"

"John," Victoria whispered and Homelander looked to her, seeing a sense of fear in her face. She was scared of being alone with hundreds of people across the street who despised her. Homelander understood that. He also understood that now was the time when he could step up. He could be the person who Victoria needed.

"Alright," he whispered and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders again. "Come on, I think the car is pulling up."

They headed down the steps and towards the black vehicle where the driver had gotten out and had opened the back seat door. But before they'd even had a chance to slip into the seat, something flew across the street and hit Victoria in the chest. The crowd continued to chant and some tried to breach the barrier to get closer to Homelander. But he noticed the wet stain that now adorned his wife's dress from her stomach to her chest. Victoria stood in shock, not sure what had been thrown at her, but in disbelief that someone had dared to throw something at her.

"Are you hurt?" Homelander questioned, looking to his wife and she shook her head as he moved an arm around her waist, tucking her against his side.

"No," she said. "John…come on…"

"Who the fuck did that?" Homelander demanded and Victoria had a sense of deja-vu. The same thing had happened to Ryan and she remembered how he'd behaved when it had. He had gone feral. She couldn't let that happen again.

"John," Victoria tried to reason with him. "Come on. Please. Let's go."

"Someone threw something at you," Homelander said.

"And the police are struggling to contain the crowd," Victoria said. "John, please. I want to go. Please…don't do anything."

Homelander's jaw tensed, but he nodded his head. He bustled Victoria into the car as soon as the barriers gave up holding the crowd back. Victoria slid into the backseat and Homelander sat next to her. The driver shut the door and rushed to the front seat as people began advancing on the car, banging on the windows and shouting for Homelander.

"She's a slut!"

"You deserve more!"

"She stole your child!"

"You're a real hero! She's a snowflake!"

"John," Victoria whispered his name nervously as she shrunk into the middle of the backseat, almost scared that the window would break or the doors would open. Homelander had to admit that he loved the attention, but this felt a bit too much.

"It's alright, Vic, come here," Homelander urged from his wife. The windows in the backseat were blacked out, but he could see everything going on around them. He reached for Victoria and she didn't even complain as he drew her against his side and she held onto him. Homelander looked to the driver who had turned the key in the ignition.

"Can we get out of here?" Homelander snapped as a loud bang echoed against the back window and Victoria shrieked in fear, pressing closer to Homelander.

"They've swarmed the car," the driver said. "I can hardly move. The police are trying to clear a path."

"Just try," Homelander snapped. "Run them over if you have to."

"I can't get out, sir," the driver said.

"Fuck this," Homelander complained and began to reach for the door handle, but Victoria grabbed hold of him.

"What are you doing?" she demanded.

"I'll sort this," he promised her.

"How?" Victoria questioned. "Have you heard them? They're out there and baying for my blood. What if you can't calm them down? I just want to go home. Please."

Homelander exhaled a sharp breath. He'd make a statement about this behaviour at some point in the future, but for now he would put Victoria first. "We'll fly back. Come here."

"Get out the car?"

"We'll be in the air in seconds," he promised her. "Nothing is going to happen to you, Vicky. I swear."

Victoria wanted to believe him and she did. And so she let him manhandle her, pulling her into his lap and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He pushed the car door open and Victoria closed her eyes as he moved with her in his arms and stepped out of the vehicle. He hurtled into the sky without another word and Victoria was grateful when they finally landed and she opened her eyes. He kept her in his arms and carried her into the apartment. They were back at the penthouse and Homelander looked upstairs to find that Ryan and Evelyn were already asleep.

He dismissed the babysitter with a nod, still not putting Victoria down. The babysitter rushed to the elevator as Victoria remained in a kind of daze. He sat down on the sofa with her, arms encircling her waist as she kept one of hers around his neck.

"You're safe now," he promised her.

"They looked like they wanted to kill me," Victoria whispered.

"No one will lay a finger on you," he promised her. "You're safe now, Vicky. You're alright."

"That was scary," she mumbled and a part of her forgot where she was for a second, sitting in her husband's lap and clinging onto him from fear: clinging onto him because she knew that he would always protect her. He would always look out for her and she trusted that.

"I'll sort it, sweetheart," Homelander promised her. "I'll sort everything."

He kissed the top of her head and felt her hair tickle his chin and her warm breath hit his neck as she didn't bother to move. Closing his eyes, he let his own cheek settle on the top of her head. He would sort everything. He knew it.

...

A/N: And we have an official date for season 4! Not long to go now! Until then, I will keep updating when possible and would love to know if you're still with the story? What do you think season 4 might bring that can be used? Love to know your thoughts!