Victoria never knew that packing to go on holiday could be so stressful. She had spent the night going through all of the clothes she'd ordered and figured out what she should take. It had taken her longer to pack for Evelyn. She'd made sure that her daughter had plenty of clothes and she knew that she had to keep her out of direct sun and in the shade. She had helped Ryan pack as well while Homelander had done his own case. The drive to the airport had been in the early morning and the flight had been long and exhausting. Victoria had tried to keep Evelyn calm during take-off and landing. Ryan, on the other hand, had looked delighted with flying. He'd never left the country before and this was a novelty for him.

Homelander had been bored during the flight. He'd have been able to get there much quicker than any jet. But Victoria had refused to let him fly them there, insisting that it was much too far and that Evelyn was too young. And so he had sat on the jet, hands clasped together as boredom hit him. Ryan was playing on his handheld console and Victoria was sat next to Evelyn, reading a picture book to her.

Only when Evelyn was drifting off did Victoria lay her down on the sofa at the back of the jet, tucking her underneath a blanket and putting a seatbelt around her. She squeezed Ryan's shoulder as she walked by him and towards the front of the jet where Homelander was seated. She took the seat across from him and picked up the bottle of water sat on the table between them.

"You okay?" she asked from her husband.

"Just peachy," he drawled and Victoria knew the smile on his face was false. She watched him for a few seconds before taking a swig of the water and then putting the cap back on.

"I know this is your idea of torture," she promised him.

"What? A fourteen-hour flight when I can fly there in say…an hour?" he checked with her.

"You could, but our daughter couldn't," Victoria said. "Besides, you know that I can barely handle a two-minute flight across the city. If we went for an hour then I'd probably throw up and you know I'd hate to ruin your suit."

Homelander chuckled in amusement at her comment and he nodded his head once. "I know you have a point," he promised her. "Anyway, how is Evie?"

"She's sleeping," Victoria said. "She seems to be doing alright on the flight. It's her first time on a plane so I was a bit apprehensive. Nothing seems to faze her. Everything we throw at her…she handles it. For a toddler she's pretty resilient."

"Her father's daughter," Homelander said proudly.

"I don't know, I think her mother is also quite tough."

He chuckled at hearing her and held his hand out towards her. She leaned across the table and took hold of it, letting him squeeze her fingers.

"That she is," Homelander confirmed, bending down and kissing the back of her hand. "That she is."

…

"So you're saying that Homelander was at Planet Vought the morning of his trial?"

M.M. was sat opposite Annie, Butcher, Daniella and Alex in their offices. Frenchie and Kimiko had snuck off on some secret mission and hadn't deemed to tell them where they were going. The night before, Hughie had received the news that his father had been taken to hospital following a stroke. Billy had felt sorry for the kid. He'd hoped that his dad was going to be okay because he knew what it was like to have family. He'd failed the only two members of his family who had needed him.

"Todd was there and so was Sister Sage. They went into the building via the fire exit and then the next thing we know Todd's body is laid outside the courthouse," M.M. said. "Tell me that isn't some coincidence?"

"Wish I could, guv, but we all know that it was strategic," Billy said, taking a swig of his beer. It had just gone six in the evening and he found that alcohol was the only thing that made his day bearable when it hit the night time. He knew that wasn't going to help him, but he didn't care. At the end of every day he came one step closer to death.

"So…you're saying they killed those three men at Planet Vought and laid their bodies outside the courthouse?" Alex checked, sitting back and folding his arms over his chest as he glanced upwards for a moment, unable to believe that the messes they found themselves in continued to grow. "And this new supe is involved?"

"Victoria said that Sage is joining The Seven," Billy said. "She said that Homelander has been plotting something with her, but she doesn't exactly know what they've been cooking up. Either way, whatever it is, it ain't going to be good."

"He did it to frame Annie, obviously," Daniella piped up. "He did it to make the Starlighters look bad and it's working. His supporters look innocent…this plays well with his base. If anything it incites even more hate between the Starlighters and the Hometeamers."

"And Sage is somehow involved," M.M. said. "But clearly if he's bringing her into The Seven then he has an even bigger plan that we don't know about. On top of that, he seems to be pretty cosy with Neuman."

"Because Neuman is basically his puppet," Billy said. "He's got his hand so far up his ass."

"Obviously," Annie agreed on that point. "And so what do we do now?"

"We need to help those men who have been arrested," Alex said. "I mean, surely we're all thinking it but no one's saying it? There's only one person who could've gotten those bodies from Planet Vought to the courthouse so quickly."

Annie nodded thoughtfully. "A-Train," she said.

Daniella arched a brow and sat back in the leather seat. "Any chance he might turn informant?"

"Absolutely not," Annie said definitively.

"Victoria warned me against trusting him when I joined the team," Alex tacked on. "But that was a long time ago and things have changed. Maybe, after everything he's seen, he wants to change. Then again, maybe he's in the same position that Victoria is in and he's scared of Homelander. It would make sense."

"Maybe it would, but I'm not risking it," Annie said definitively. "Either way, we might have time to be able to fix this particular mess, but we need to act quickly. You know that he's taken Victoria away for a week?"

Daniella scoffed. "Can't miss it," she said. "It's been all over the news today…the four of them landing in Greece and having a family holiday. How is she going to be able to stand it?"

Alex glanced to his lap. He didn't want to think about it. He'd seen the images online that morning of Victoria carrying Evelyn in her arms, Homelander following with his hand on Ryan's shoulder as they left the private jet at the airbase in Skiathos. From there they were intending on going to some remote private island, but there was to be no press there at all considering that it was a private holiday and Vought had issued it as such. Apparently they needed a much needed break after the farce of the trial they'd been forced to go through. Alex had looked at Victoria in the image, sunglasses covering her face and hair tied into a loose bobble. Evelyn's face had been blurred, but he could still remember her. He'd loved her like his own.

"She's stronger than you think," Annie was the one to answer, but she was concerned. She was worried about what Homelander was doing to her friend. "She was at the trial the other day and she saw the chaos outside."

"Saw those photos online too," M.M. declared. "Someone caught her trying to help a Starlighter."

"Yeah, but conveniently they omitted the photo of Homelander stopping one of his supporters from almost punching her," Daniella said. "I saw it from the distance. He was seconds away from hitting her and Homelander chucked him to one side like he weighed nothing. He wouldn't let her anywhere near the crowd after that. They hid in the doorway until the police got control of the situation."

"Of course he did," Billy drawled in a low voice.

"So we need to help those two men who have been arrested. We need to prove that they had nothing to do with the victims deaths," Daniella said and she reached into her backpack and tugged out her pad of paper and her pen. "Alongside a legal strategy, we're going to need Annie on every news station protesting their innocence too. If we can put pressure on the DA's office not to prosecute because the evidence is just circumstantial then maybe we can do this…if we think A-Train isn't going to help us."

"I'm not going to him," Annie said stubbornly.

Billy was stood by his desk. He leant back against the wood and took another drink of beer as Daniella scribbled something down in her book. "I thought you worked for the DA?" he asked from her.

"I was only there for the case," Daniella said. "Annie offered me a job as a legal executive at the Starlight House and I took it on. My main priority is helping Victoria because I was a shitty friend to her."

Billy chuckled darkly at that. "Join the club," he muttered and took another drink. "But the only real way you'll be able to help her is if you become powerful enough to kill Homelander. So unless you have a hidden super power then I hate to say that you're helping no one and definitely not Victoria."

Annie frowned and she glared at Billy. "You're drunk."

"Best way to be," he declared.

M.M. let out a deep breath and Annie looked to him. She knew that he needed to be kicked off the team. He didn't help them. He hindered them. Plus, he was drinking far too much and he was a liability. He was more likely to put his sister at risk than anything else. There was only Alex who knew that the Temp-V had ruined him. Everyone else had their suspicions. They knew that he was ill. They'd seen him shaking whenever he picked things up. They'd noticed him leaving for the bathroom more often than usual. But they didn't know how bad things truly were.

…

Victoria couldn't quite believe where she was. The villa that Vought had rented was stunning. It was tiled floors, marble worktops and every room was air conditioned. The kitchen had all of the modern appliances and the fridge had been filled with food. A private chef came by every day and deposited meals that just needed to be put in the oven. There was a swimming pool outside and then some stone steps that led down onto the private beach that was covered in white sands. There were sun loungers by the sea and the water was glimmering and clear.

There were six bedrooms in total and Ryan had taken one with a sea view. Evelyn was in the bedroom next to him and there were three bathrooms. One had a sunken tub and another had a walk-in shower with four shower heads and a his and her sink. The master bedroom had a king-size four poster bed and a walk-in wardrobe with its own ensuite. Victoria had been in awe as she unpacked. She'd thought that Homelander's penthouse was fancy when she'd first moved in, but the villa was on another level.

Homelander had watched on during the first day as his wife sat on the beach with Evelyn. She was building sandcastles with her. She was dressed only in a black swimsuit with scallop detailing and white piping around the edge. Evelyn was also in a pink swimsuit, but Victoria had put a hat on her head and had covered her in suncream before they'd gone out.

Standing on the terrace with the pool, Homelander leant against the stone railing and watched the two of them.

"Dad."

Homelander looked to the side and saw Ryan stood there in his trunks, clearly ready to go swimming. "Hey, sport," he said to him and Homelander heard Evelyn squeal in glee as a sandcastle came out of the bucket fully formed. Victoria beamed widely as she watched her. She grasped the rim of her straw hat as the breeze threatened to pull it off and she adjusted the sunglasses on her nose.

"Did you sleep well?" Homelander wondered from his son.

"Yeah, it's great here," Ryan said happily. "I was going to go swimming in the sea."

"Alright, champ," Homelander said, "but before you go…I just need you to do something for me, alright?"

"What is it?" Ryan asked and Homelander took hold of his son's shoulder and guided him towards the sunbeds that were sat around the pool. Homelander sat down on the side of one and Ryan sat opposite him. The umbrella above them case a shadow over them and shielded them from the sun for a few moments.

"I don't know if you've ever noticed that Victoria…she has some scars on her arms," Homelander began.

Ryan looked down and nodded awkwardly. "I've seen them sometimes in the penthouse," he admitted. "I just didn't know if I should ask about them."

"Well, I'm telling you this and I want you to keep it between us, okay? Victoria doesn't like to talk about them. She's very self-conscious, Ryan. She has no reason to be and I've told her that. I think she's beautiful no matter what," Homelander declared, hand going to his bare chest. "But when Victoria was a little girl, well, she didn't have a nice childhood. Her father used to hurt her."

Ryan looked his dad in the eye then and Homelander nodded sadly. "He hurt her?"

"Yes," Homelander said. "He used to burn her arm with his cigarette. Victoria didn't have a nice childhood, Ryan. She grew up with parents who never really loved her and she…there was another bad man who also really hurt her."

"What did he do to her?" Ryan wondered and Homelander shook his head.

"Just not very nice things," Homelander declared. He knew that he couldn't tell Ryan the details. "He also hurt her. He went to jail for a long time and he's dead now. He can't hurt her now. But the fact is that she asked her brother…William…she asked him to help her and he didn't. He left her alone when she was a little girl."

Ryan's brow furrowed and he shook his head. "Butcher loves her."

"Butcher might claim that he loves her, Ryan, but it's not true. She begged him to help her and he didn't. He left her to get hurt."

Ryan looked in the direction of the beach and Homelander observed his son's face. He knew that if he could alienate Ryan from Butcher then he'd be fine. He knew that he was running out of ways to do that. Clearly, Ryan still cared for him despite the fact that Butcher had said some horrible things to him. But if Ryan knew that Butcher had left Victoria to get hurt then maybe he might not be as caring. Ryan seemed to care for Victoria. He got on with her and she was nurturing towards him. He was almost protective over her.

"So why does she still care about him?"

"Because she's forgiven him," Homelander said, "but that's because Victoria is a very forgiving person. She's nice. You know that."

"Yeah."

"But I can't forgive him for what he did to her. Who leaves a little girl to an abusive father?" Homelander wondered and he could see the cogs turning in Ryan's mind. "Anyway, the point is that I don't want you to mention the scars to her, okay? They don't define her."

"I won't. I don't want to upset her."

"Good boy," Homelander said to Ryan and he stood up. "Come on then, you go into the sea and have a swim."

Ryan nodded, but Homelander could tell that he was still thinking about Butcher. Homelander guessed in time that might pass. He followed Ryan onto the beach and had to admit that this felt weird. He was wearing only a pair of blue shorts and he swore that this was the least amount of clothing he'd ever been out in.

"Ryan, have you put suncream on?" Victoria called out to the young boy as he rushed to the sea.

"I did it inside," he promised her.

"Okay, but come here," Victoria urged from him before he could get into the water. He did as she asked and Victoria stood up. She reached into the beach bag she'd bought out with her and grabbed the suncream. "Because I doubt you could reach your back. You might be a supe, but you're not that flexible."

He let Victoria rub the cream into his back and she then grabbed him a baseball cap, putting it onto his head and adjusting it on his head. "And I don't want you getting sunstroke," she warned him, flicking his nose and smearing on the last of the cream on her finger. Ryan laughed and wiped at it as she nodded her head happily. "Okay, you can get in now, but please do not go too deep."

"I'm a supe, Vicky, I can fly out of the sea."

"Not the point," Victoria called out to him but he was rushing into the water.

Homelander ambled towards his wife and daughter, hands behind his back. "And what are you two getting up to here?" he wondered.

"Daddy building sandcastle!" Evelyn shrieked and she waved her spade in the air.

"Look at all these castles," Homelander said and he sank down to sit next to his daughter, legs stretched in front of him. "But I think what you need is a moat, don't you? Every castle has a moat."

"What moat?" Evelyn wondered.

"It is a lake with water…like this…" Homelander said and he began to dig the sand at the side of the small castle. "And then what you need to do is take this bucket and fill it up with water from the sea…and we can pour it in here," he pointed down and Evelyn nodded. She moved to her feet and Homelander also stood up with her. "Come here and take my hand," he urged his daughter. "And we'll go together."

"You got her?" Victoria asked her husband.

"I've got her," Homelander promised his wife and he walked slowly with her to the shoreline. Evelyn struggled to walk on the sand, but Homelander kept his hand inside of hers and kept her upright. Victoria moved to sit on the end of one of the loungers, the shade from the umbrella giving her a brief reprieve from the heat of the sun. Folding her arms in her lap, she watched as Homelander crouched down in the shallow of the water, his hands holding Evelyn by the stomach as she filled her bucket with water.

She giggled loudly at the feeling of the cold sea on her bare legs and Homelander smiled at her as well. Victoria glanced into the distance and saw Ryan confidently swimming in the water, bobbing up and down with the waves. The only noise came from the waves crashing gently on the sand. They really were in the middle of nowhere, the private beach surrounded by cliffs on either side of it. It was the exact amount of peace Victoria had needed. She just wished it was with Alex instead of Homelander. But she knew that wasn't happening anytime soon.

She just sat and watched as Homelander spent time with Evelyn, helping her build more sandcastles before Ryan came out of the sea, hair dripping wet and smile on his face. He moved towards the three of them and then sat down with Evelyn as Homelander let him take over the building of sandcastles. Homelander stood up then, brushing sand off of his skin and moving towards Victoria on the sun lounger. Her eyes were covered by the sunglasses, but he knew she was watching him. She forced a smile to her face as he approached.

"Did you enjoy building a castle?" she asked from her husband.

"They're happy, aren't they?" Homelander said to his wife and he sank down behind her on the side of the lounger. "Look at them…that's all I wanted. I just want our kids to be happy and safe."

"And they are," Victoria said to him.

"And you?" Homelander wondered.

"What about me?" Victoria wondered, turning her head over her shoulder.

"Are you happy?"

"Impossible not to be when we have all of this," Victoria said to him. Homelander chuckled and raised his hand, brushing her hair over her shoulder.

"Even without all of this?"

"I'm happy," she assured him.

"Good," Homelander said and he bent down to peck her on the lips. "Now turn around because I don't think anyone has put suncream on your back and I don't want you to burn."

Victoria knew there was no other option but to give him the bottle of suncream from the bag. He squeezed it, letting the white liquid fall into his palm. Putting the bottle to one side, he rubbed his hands together and moved his hands over his wife's back. Victoria felt him move the straps of her swimming costume to the side, rubbing his shoulders and then dipping down her back.

"You know, you look pretty sexy in this," Homelander muttered in her ear, his fingers slipping beneath the costume and grazing her sides, slipping upwards and pressing against the sides of her breasts. Victoria inhaled a sharp breath.

"I don't think I can take the credit there. This thing has amazing stomach control," she said and Homelander chuckled in her ear as he longed to move his fingers further underneath the costume.

"I've always found you attractive, Vic, stomach control or not," he said to her and kissed the side of her neck once, fingers slipping out of the costume. He trailed his fingers along her spine and felt her shiver underneath his touch. "Tonight…when the kids are sleeping…we can talk."

"What about?"

"Us," Homelander said and pressed another kiss to her shoulder.

"What about us?" Victoria questioned, but she didn't get the answer she was waiting for as Evelyn came running over to them.

"Ryan said I can swim!" she squealed. "Can we go in the sea?"

"I don't see why not," Homelander said.

"Hold up," Victoria said. "You can go in the sea, but I'm coming with you and you're not going out your depth. Come on."

Homelander watched Victoria take hold of Evelyn's hand and they headed back to the clear water. Victoria stayed hovering around Evelyn, crouching down in the water and splashing her daughter gently with the water. She only let Evelyn go so deep to her knees and Ryan knelt down in the water with them, showing Evelyn how to swim by demonstrating with his arms. Homelander smiled at the sight of them, knowing that he could have it all. And he would have it all.

…

"How's paradise?"

Homelander held the phone to his ear as he spoke to Sage who was the only person he trusted to hold down the fort while he was gone, despite the fact she hadn't officially been announced as a member of The Seven.

"Blue sea…white sands…you should try it one day. It might make you relax," Homelander replied.

He was stood on the balcony of the master bedroom before dinner. He looked down and could see Victoria setting the table outside. She'd changed into a white summer dress with thin straps, her hair hanging loose around her head. She'd forgone her sunglasses and hat, but her skin had a bit of a red tint to it, despite her insistence of everyone wearing suncream.

"Sounds like hell," Sage said. "Anyway, while you're away I've been thinking about the next steps we need to take…another member of The Seven and you have another issue."

"No one joins The Seven without my say so," Homelander warned her, watching as his wife poured glasses of water, the white dress flowing down to the floor around her legs. "And what other issue?"

"The Starlight House are doing everything they can to work on freeing the two men we framed. Chances are they won't find anything out unless A-Train blabs, but your wife's best friend is working on the case."

"She really is a cockroach that won't die," Homelander complained.

"Do you trust A-Train?"

"Trust him? No," Homelander answered. "But I know that he won't speak. He's too scared to go against me. There's a reason why I've kept him and Deep around for so long. If the Starlight House comes close to finding anything out then let me know."

"I'll keep you updated," Sage said and hung up on him.

Homelander chucked the phone onto the dressing table as he walked out of the bedroom and headed downstairs to join his family for dinner. He sat at the head of the table as Victoria served up chicken skewers with a Greek salad for dinner. She helped Evelyn with her own meal as they all descended into harmless talk about what they were going to do the next day and it mainly consisted of what they'd done today.

After dinner, Victoria put Evelyn to bed and Ryan excused himself to go and play on his game in his bedroom. Victoria asked him if he could keep an ear out for Evelyn and he promised he would. She moved back downstairs and went to tidy up the patio, but Homelander was still sat in the chair at the head of the table, pouring two glasses of wine.

"Well, Ryan and Evelyn are settled for the night," Victoria said and he handed her a glass of wine as she sat down next to him. "I told Ryan that it's lights out at eleven."

"That's late."

"He's on holiday. He can have a treat," Victoria said to her husband. "He's also keeping an ear out for Evelyn, but I trust you can hear her too?"

"I can hear her snoring gently upstairs," Homelander promised his wife. "Come on, why don't we take a little walk?"

Victoria didn't have a chance to protest. She followed Homelander down to the beach, the two of them carrying a glass of wine each. She left her sandals on the top step, feet sinking into the cool sand. Homelander tugged at the collar of the white shirt he wore over a pair of plain brown pants. It was the most casual Victoria had ever seen him look before. He moved closer to the sea where the sand was slightly wet and easier to walk on. Victoria peered behind her to the house.

"We shouldn't go too far, I don't want to leave the kids."

"I can hear them, Vic, don't worry," he urged from her. "They're fine."

Victoria stepped onto the wet sand and used her free hand to pick her dress up slightly so that it wasn't trailing. "So, what is it you want to talk about?" she wondered from her husband.

Homelander kept his hands laced tightly behind his back. "Things have been good between us, haven't they?" he checked with her and Victoria felt a slight cool breeze and it blew her hair into her face. She tossed her head around and managed to get it away.

"I think so," Victoria said to him. "Why do you ask?"

"Because there are times when I never thought that we would be back here, Vic," he confessed to her. "I never thought they would be this good between us again."

"I mean, it hasn't been easy," Victoria said and she took a sip of the fruity white wine. "We've both done things…said things…that I guess most married couples wouldn't have to face. We can't pretend that things have been plain sailing to get us here. I've done things I'm not proud of," she said, humouring him. He wanted her to be the one to shoulder the blame for their marital problems most of the time. He usually said it was her fault. He liked to be the one who was the doting husband and the perfect father.

"I know you have," he agreed with her on that point. "But you finally saw the error of your ways and ever since you came back to me, I think you see even clearer than before that, despite everything…despite our pasts…our differences…we really do belong together. We fit together, Victoria."

"I never really believed in any of that stuff growing up," Victoria said to him and he chuckled. Why did that not surprise him? "And when I met you, I still didn't."

He let out a deep laugh at that and he saw Victoria's own lips arch at her comment, bringing the glass back to her lips. The moon shimmered on the water, the ocean black and the sky dotted with stars. Perhaps under different circumstances and with someone else she might think that it was romantic.

"I admit, I wasn't my normal courteous self," he confessed to her. "But we got there, didn't we? I wooed you eventually."

"True. I mean, you did buy me a television. Usually most guys just go for flowers or chocolates."

"I'm not most guys," he replied.

"That is very true," she concurred with him on that point. "Either way, we're here now and I know that you didn't trust me before. I know that things have been slow…but perhaps now…maybe now you can finally believe me when I say that I'm not going anywhere?"

Homelander stood still and looked to her, taking in her features in the pale moonlight. She really was beautiful. He didn't think he'd ever get over that. Whenever he stared at her, he found himself entranced by her. She was the last shred of humanity he had. She was the one thing that kept him from being who he wanted to be. But he thought that he could have it all. He wanted it all.

"We've been together for almost five years," Homelander told her. "And for the rest of our lives, I want us to be happy, Victoria. I want to raise a family with you."

"I know," Victoria said to him and she sensed what might be coming. In order to earn his trust then she had to give herself to him fully. It was what he wanted and in his eyes she'd denied him long enough. She didn't want to do it. She didn't want to be with him intimately at all. But she hated herself because of how her body reacted to him.

"Come on," Homelander said and nodded his head towards the ocean.

Victoria frowned. "What?"

"Let's go for a swim," he said to her.

"Are you serious?" she asked from him. "I don't have my costume and the kids are inside. Ryan's room overlooks the ocean."

"Live a little," Homelander encouraged from him and she watched him shed his shirt, unbuttoning it and letting it fall off his arms. She shook her head and looked around.

"Ryan could come out here," she hissed at him.

"I have super hearing and x-ray vision. We're fine," he said. "Ryan is far too engrossed in his game and Evelyn is sound asleep. Come on, Vicky…it'll be good."

She watched him strip out of his bottoms and he waded into the water completely naked. Victoria shook her head, struggling to believe they were doing this. She shrugged out of her dress, leaving it in a pile of white material on the sand. She kept her underwear on and followed him into the water. It was freezing and she shivered as she kept going deeper until the water came up to her shoulders and she dunked herself under, trying to climatise quickly. Coming back up, she pushed her wet hair from her face, slicking it back and looking into the distance.

She could just about make out her husband swimming in the distance. Victoria wasn't too keen on going out of her depth, especially when she couldn't see anything in the water. She used her breast stroke to swim out to him and watched him floating in the water, seemingly unbothered by how cold it was. Victoria, on the other hand, was frozen, her teeth chattering. Homelander looked at her, seeing that she was still in her plain white underwear, her bra straps on her shoulders.

"Fun, right?" he asked from her.

"Fun or freezing?" she questioned and Homelander chuckled.

"Come here," he said to her and she wondered what he was doing as he moved through the water, arms going around her. She wrapped her legs around his waist, her own arms going around his neck. He bent down and kissed her, his mouth moving against hers slowly and sensually. Victoria returned his kiss, telling herself that this was better than defying him. She pulled back for breath eventually and Homelander's lips turned upwards into a knowing smile.

"I've been thinking about when we get back," Homelander said to her. "I was thinking that perhaps it's time for Ryan to take his place by my side. I've asked the design team to come up with a concept for him and then there will be his crime itinerary. It will be better for his first save to be staged to ease him into things. That way he doesn't feel thrown in the deep end."

Victoria's fingers wrapped into the ends of his hair as he kept hold of her waist in his hands, fingers splaying over her bare skin.

"You sure about this?" she asked from him. She didn't want it for Ryan. She had a sense that he was also apprehensive. He was just a kid and he needed time to grow up and make his own mind up about things. "Have you mentioned it to him?"

"I'm going to bring it up tomorrow, but it should be fine," he assured his wife.

She didn't entirely agree with him on that point.

"I just want him to be happy," Victoria said.

"So do I," Homelander said. "But his place is by my side…and he adores you too. You've really stepped up, Victoria. You're like his mother."

Victoria shrugged. "He's a good kid," she said. "I'm not his mother and I never will be, but maybe he needs a mother figure in his life. We can give him what we never had…a stable family. I know we're not entirely normal and we've been on a journey, but he never has to live a life like we lived. Him and Evelyn come first."

"Agreed," Homelander said to her and he did agree with her on that point.

They would always be their priority.

"I've also been thinking about what you told me the other week," Victoria said. "About what they did to you at the facility and I know you've been having nightmares about it. I think that maybe…do you know if that facility is still going?"

"It's a research-only facility," Homelander confirmed. "They're not actually conducting tests on supes anymore. They stopped their tests after me."

"And are the people who hurt you still there?" Victoria wondered.

They continued bobbing around in the water. Homelander saw water droplets drip down his wife's face, goosebumps rising on her arms and he tried not to think about how her breasts were pressed tightly against his chest, her lithe legs wrapped around him and anchoring her against his body as he kept them afloat easily.

"Most of them are, yeah," he said. "I never went back there. I tried to forget it, but I guess that was futile. Why do you ask?"

"I just…the idea of them still working or hurting anyone else makes me feel sick," Victoria admitted honestly to him. "You were a child and they should never have hurt you as they did. You didn't deserve that, John. You deserved so much more than that and I genuinely wish that we could've meet years ago…maybe I could've gotten you out of there."

"Vicky, I was sixteen when you were just four," Homelander said to her. "You'd never have been able to get me out. No one could save me from what happened. The people in the facility could've been the ones who saved me, but not one of them said no."

"And those bastards are still working?" Victoria checked.

"Yep," Homelander said with a pop of his lips.

"Christ, they don't deserve a job," Victoria said and Homelander considered her words. Perhaps she had a point. Perhaps he should pay them a visit at some point and see what the old crew were up to. "I always find it amazing that we have these deep secrets…things we've only told each other and they've never gotten out. That was why I was so reluctant to date you. I was scared that people would find out about my past."

"I will never let that happen to you," Homelander promised her, eyes staring into hers. "Just like I will never let anyone hurt you."

"For what it's worth…I know I can't protect you physically…but I…I have your back, John," she said to him. "And the things you've told me remain in confidence,"

"You're the only one I trust with them, Victoria," Homelander said. "I don't think I could handle it if you broke my heart again, you know that, don't you?"

"I know," she assured him. "But I'm not going to."

She had his heart in the palm of her hand. While she could only break his heart figuratively, she knew he had the power to well and truly break her if he wanted to. And so she didn't bat him off when he moved to kiss her again. The feel of his mouth was so familiar against her mouth. It felt like home for her. They were his lips that kissed her exactly how he knew how to. He knew what would get her going. He always did.

He pulled back from her, forehead brushing against hers and he whispered against her mouth, his breath hot. "Let's go to bed," he whispered and Victoria nodded her head once, knowing that shaking her head would anger him. She had his trust. She couldn't lose it now.

And so she tried not to think too much as he carried her out of the water. He kept her against him, her legs around his waist as he dropped kisses to her lips every so often. He made sure the kids were still asleep as he headed inside, not bothering to dress. Climbing up the steps to the master bedroom, he shut the door and sat Victoria down on the edge of the bed.

He could hear her heart beating erratically as he knelt down on the floor, pushing her knees apart and dropping his lips to kiss along the inside of her right thigh. Victoria looked down to him, trying not to think about what came next. She was still wet from the ocean and the quilt underneath her was becoming sodden.

"Your pulse is racing," Homelander whispered, spreading her legs even further.

"I'm nervous," she confessed to him. "It's been a long time."

"Don't worry," Homelander assured her, reaching behind her to unclasp her bra, dragging the straps down her arm until she was bare to him and he exhaled a sharp breath, finding that he wasn't sure if he could wait much longer at the sight of her breasts. "I'll be gentle, sweetheart…but I need you…now…"

He threw her bra off to the side and tugged her panties down her legs. He urged her back onto the bed, crawling over her and caging her body against his. She felt the familiar weight of his body against hers, his fingers running along her side and caressing her skin. She inhaled a sharp breath when he entered her and he didn't move. He pulled her legs back around his waist as he sunk further into her, a loud groan moving through his throat. The noise was guttural as he let her adjust to him and he tried not to finish too soon.

"You feel so good," he whispered into her ear, nibbling on her lobe for a second and listening to her pant. "Tell me when I can move," he encouraged from her.

"Just a second," she urged from him.

She reached for his back and pushed him closer to her, finally getting used to him once more.

"Move," she urged from him.

And he did. His hips snapped against hers and the two of them moaned loudly, Homelander swallowing her noises with his kisses. He didn't last as long as he had hoped, but it had been far too long for him. He'd only had the memory of Victoria to keep him company when he was alone, but his memory was nothing compared to the real thing. He let out a low groan as he finished and moved his fingers between her thighs, watching her face intently as she came apart under his touch, chest flushing red and cheeks tinted crimson too.

He rolled off of her and Victoria felt his head rest against her chest, arm slung over her waist. She gathered her breath and felt a sheen of sweat fall over her body. Her thighs ached slightly and she tried to work out how she felt at the feeling of his warm body covering hers. She hated how familiar he felt. She hated how she'd kissed him back and let him move against her. She told herself that she'd had no other option. She kept telling herself that, but she was now beginning to wonder if that was even true. She didn't know. She was scared of her own mind betraying her.

…

Homelander woke up the following morning to an empty bed. He rolled over in the crisp white sheets and stretched out, half expecting to find Victoria by his side, but her side of the bed was good. The sheets were crumpled and he saw that her dress from the previous night was laid on the chair in the corner along with his clothes that they'd left on the beach. Sitting up, he quickly pulled on a pair of shorts and a plain red tee. Moving down the steps towards the open spaced living area, he looked out and saw that she'd tidied the dinner plates away from the previous night.

She was already outside and in the swimming pool, Evelyn in her arms in a small rubber ring, securely sat in it as Victoria dragged her through the shallow part of the water. He moved over to the side of the pool and Evelyn's face lit up at seeing him there.

"Daddy," she exclaimed.

"Hey, sweetpea," he greeted her and crouched down, his shadow blocking the sun as Victoria looked to him and he noted her cheeks flush slightly.

"Morning," she greeted him.

"Good morning," he responded and he reached for her chin, tilting her head up towards him as he kissed her quickly. "Did you sleep well?"

"I did," she assured him. "I thought that I'd give you a lay in this morning. Ryan's just using the bathroom."

"Well, you did tire me out last night," he joked with her in a small whisper and she rolled her eyes at hearing him, but her lips remained quirked upwards. Things were good. He knew that now. He just had to make sure they remained that way.

….

A/N: The calm before the storm which is coming...pretty please, would love to know what you think!