Billy was sat in their office, the TV on the screen playing the news on repeat. It was late and most of the team had gone home for the night. MM had watched on as Butcher sat in front of the screen and he knew there was nothing that he could say that would get him to leave or move away. Kimiko and Frenchie had left with him, whispering about what had been on the news before they parted way. Annie and Hughie were still in the building, however. Annie was hovering towards the back of the office, arms folded over her body and eyes glued to the screen as Hughie stood to her side, wondering if he should break the silence and, if so, with what comment? It took him a moment before he knew that they couldn't stay there all night.

"If she's back at the penthouse with him then she's safe," Hughie settled on saying.

Billy turned his head over his shoulder and looked to the kid who was loitering. "Is that what you think?"

"I think that he got her out of there," Hughie said. "And I know you don't trust him and I know why, but he…she's married to him and he got her out of that situation."

"She's only in that situation because of him," Billy said, pointing at the television screen and move to his feet. "Because he found her and I still don't know how he got to her. I have no idea what happened, but the fact is that she's not safe. She's nowhere near safe with him because he's a monster and now they're baying for her blood…when they have no clue what she's been through. They have no idea what she's seen."

"It doesn't matter because none of that is going to change," Annie said, joining in the conversation. She folded her arms over her chest and moved closer towards Butcher. "His fans hate her because they don't think she's good enough for him. Everyone else hates her because she's standing by him despite standing for everything she's spent her entire career fighting against. There's no one else who supports her…her popularity is at an all-time low and Vought aren't going to be happy about that, but the issue is that Homelander is Vought now. He's going to try and get people back on her side, but he's going to try and make her popular with his fans…tell them that she's his wife and he truly loves her. He's going to be the doting husband and she's going to be the doting wife. He needs her. He needs her because he…there's some deep, twisted part of him that thinks he loves her."

"Don't say that," Billy growled at her.

The news continued playing the clip of someone throwing something at Victoria, Homelander instantly going into defensive mode. The news anchors were questioning why he hadn't lashed out, but Billy had seen his sister grasp hold of his arm and say something to him. His glare had been focused on the crowd and no doubt he had wanted to lash out. But he hadn't. Was it because Victoria had managed to stop him?

"But it's true," Annie said. "I know you don't want to hear it, Butcher. But he does. He loves what she can offer him…a family…and she…they have a history. They have a long history and we all know what she's been through. He was the first guy she opened up to. He was the first guy she dared to let in."

"And you think I don't blame myself for that?" Billy asked, hand moving to his chest. "I should've stopped it sooner. I should've found a way to get to her before that cunt got his claws so deep into her."

"No one blames you, Butcher," Hughie said to his friend.

"I do," Billy retorted. "I blame myself for this entire situation and now my sister is stuck with him. She's being abused by idiots…crucified in the press…someone chucked something at her tonight. How long will it be before something worse happens to her? Some lunatic tries to hurt her?"

"It won't come to that," Annie said.

"And how do we know that?"

"Because Homelander would never let that happen," Annie said. "And I know you don't want to hear that so before you bite my head off, just accept it. Accept that she's probably in the safest place she can be right now with him. He's not going to hurt her."

"He was going to force her to have his baby," Billy spat back. "He…I don't know what he's doing to her behind closed doors and that makes me feel sick because I was the one who left her with Eddie. I was the one who didn't get her out of that place. I should've. I should've known because…she cried…I still remember her crying and begging me not to go. And now I've lost her to another monster. I've let her be taken by him."

Annie wondered if she had ever heard such emotion in Butcher's voice before. He was looking exhausted, however. He seemed tired and his eyes were drooping. There was a bead of sweat dripping down from his forehead and she wondered if the Temp-V was finally catching up with him. She knew that he was sick. Hughie had told her as much.

"You didn't let this happen," Hughie said. "We're trying to find a way to stop him, but he's powerful. We know he is. There's going to be a way. We just need to find it."

"I know," Billy said. "But it's not as if we have time on our side."

Annie opened her mouth to say something back to him but there were footsteps approaching the office. Billy looked to the door and Annie and Hughie moved forwards too. A figure's shadow came through the frosted glass and Annie moved her hands to her side, preparing to use her power if she had to. The door knob turned and the lights flickered as it opened. But she instantly stopped channelling the energy in the room when she saw who it was.

"Alex," she breathed his name and moved towards him, enveloping him into her arms.

Alex was looking slightly dishevelled. His hair was longer than it had been before, coming down to his shoulders. He was wearing jeans and had a dark navy jumper over it. His face seemed slimmer than before and there was stubble covering his chin. He embraced Annie back and had to admit that he felt a sense of relief at holding her to him. It had been so long since he'd seen a friendly face. He closed his eyes for a second and let himself dwell in that moment.

"I can't believe you're here," Annie said and she pulled back to look at him. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine," he promised her. "I managed to get back here with our fake passport and cash that we'd hidden…and I…I told my mom I'm alive. She's sworn to secrecy…but I couldn't keep lying to her. Besides, Homelander knows I'm alive."

"I'm more amazed he didn't kill you," Billy chimed in.

Alex's lips arched at that point. "Me too," Alex confessed. "But as soon as he found us, he took Vicky. She called ahead and told me to hide…I remembered he couldn't see through zinc and I hid in some warehouse before he could get to me."

"He told her, initially, that he'd killed you," Hughie said. "But then he told her the truth. He said that he had killed some people he randomly found…killed them because they were there…"

"Wondered why you weren't surprised to see me," Alex said. "And Victoria? Have you seen her? And Evie?"

"We found her in the park one day," Annie said. "She was with Evelyn for a walk. But since then, Homelander has kept her away from us. He hardly lets her out of his sights without knowing where she is so we've had no chance to get close to her. She…I think she's just focused on keeping Evelyn safe. Her and Ryan, anyway."

Alex nodded his head once, not entirely at ease with that. He wanted to find her. He wanted her back with him where she was safe. Their time in England had been everything he had wanted from his life. He didn't need to be a supe. He just needed to find Victoria and Evelyn and go back to that barn in the countryside.

"And is there a plan?" Alex asked.

"Working on it," Billy said.

"Well, whatever you're working on…I want in," Alex decided. "I want to kill that bastard."

…

Homelander watched as Victoria remained on the sofa. The news was constantly on and it had been the entire day. She hadn't slept the night before and he should've known considering he'd shared her bed once more. He'd helped her pull the zipper down to her dressed and had sat on the end of the bed, using his x-ray vision to watch her in the bathroom as she undressed. He'd used the bathroom after her to relieve himself of the ache he felt in his pants. When he'd come back out, he'd climbed into bed next to her and she hadn't said anything against it. The next morning, Ryan had gone to school in the Tower and Evelyn had also gone to the nursery. She was at an age where socialising with other kids was considered to be important and Homelander had agreed to that, which had surprised Victoria to some extent. But then she remembered how he had spent his entire childhood in isolation. He wanted his daughter to have a different upbringing. He didn't want her to be alone.

"You know, you don't need to watch that."

Homelander had been out that morning at meetings and returned to find his wife in the exact same spot. Victoria was wearing a long-sleeved navy tee and had a navy miniskirt on her legs with dark stockings underneath. She'd tied her hair into a loose ponytail, her wavy hair hanging down her back. She had her legs tucked up to her chin, the remote next to her on the arm of the sofa.

"Vicky," Homelander spoke her name when she didn't respond. "Hey, sweetheart, come on."

"I'm on the news constantly," she said. "Why did you not tell me about any of this?"

Homelander exhaled sharply and moved to sit down next to her. He tugged his gloves from his fingertips and tossed them down onto the coffee table. Shrugging his shoulders, he moved an arm over the back of the sofa where she sat. "Because I was hoping it might die down," Homelander said. "When people saw how happy we were, I thought this would stop…plus…I'm trying to protect you, Vicky. I didn't want you seeing this shit."

Victoria's brows knitted together. "Is that why you insisted we go to the cabin?" she questioned from him.

Homelander had the decency to look slightly on edge then. He wasn't entirely sure that he had the nuance to lie to her on this point. Plus, he didn't want to lie to her. "Partly," he confessed. "But I also wanted us to get away for a little while. I know that this isn't nice, okay? I know that what they're saying is horrible bullshit, but it'll die down. It'll die down when people see we're okay."

"You think so?" Victoria wondered. "I just don't know what to do, John…then there's Evie…I don't want anything to happen to her."

"Hey," Homelander said, his hand moving from the back of the sofa to drop down to hold onto her shoulders. "Nothing is going to happen to Evie. I swear to you. You, Evie and Ryan…I will always protect you. What they're saying on the news…you don't need to listen to. You don't need to pay any attention to. Okay?"

"Easier said than done," Victoria responded and Homelander nodded his head once. He knew all about that. He wasn't entirely the best person at taking his own advice. He was well aware of that.

"I know," Homelander promised her. "But watching the news on repeat all day isn't going to change anything. You just need to carry on with life."

Victoria shrugged, feeling the weight of his arm on her shoulders. "I don't know what that is," she confessed to him. "Before all of this I had a career. I had a job…working on something I loved…I can't go back to that. No one would take me back with my reputation now. And then Evie came along and she was the centre of my universe, but she's at nursery now and I know that's important for her…but I…I just feel lost…the days feel long and there's no one here…just me in this penthouse."

Homelander hadn't considered that. He knew that Victoria had been career-focused when he had first met her. She'd been studying for her PhD and had dreams of joining a human rights organisation and changing the world. He'd never wanted to take that away from her. But then things had changed. The truth had come out and their relationship had suffered. And then she'd had Evie and almost died. Things had changed drastically, but he had to remember that she was still his Victoria at heart. She was still the same, determined woman he'd fallen in love with.

"Well…maybe there might be something you could do?" Homelander suggested to her. "You know that Vought works with a number of charities. There might be a research position? You know, working on policy briefs or something?"

"Who would hire me, John?" Victoria questioned, looking up at him.

"Any company would be lucky to have you," Homelander said to her. "I can get Ashley to look into it."

"You don't have to-"

"-If it makes you happy then I do," Homelander retorted.

"And you'd be okay with that?" Victoria asked him. "Me going back to work?"

"Victoria, I never stopped you from working," Homelander said, feeling a sense of annoyance that she would suggest otherwise. "I always encouraged you to go after what you wanted. I mean…look at what I did for you," he said and motioned to the desk and bookcases at the back of the living room that he'd had set up for her when she had been working from home. "I knew who you were when I fell in love with you. You always loved studying…working…"

Victoria was quiet then. That had been true. He had never complained when she'd had to work late in the library or in the office. If anything, he'd been extra attentive when she came home. He'd made sure dinner was on the table and she could relax. He didn't complain when they started a film and she fell asleep within twenty minutes against him. He would carry her to bed and tell her to get some sleep.

"Then I'd like that," Victoria decided. "If Evie is going to be at nursery then I'd like that."

"Then we can arrange for that to happen," he promised her. "I just want you to be happy, Vicky. And we can be happy," he picked the remote up and turned the television off. "Watching that and fixating on the news isn't going to help. Come here," he urged and she had no other option but to let him pull her against him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her cheek pressing by his shoulder and his chin by her forehead. "Nothing is ever going to happen to you, Vicky," he promised her. "We're going to be okay. I promise you."

…

Victoria had heard rumours that there were going to be new members of the Seven, but Homelander was keeping those cards close to his chest. She knew why. The Seven hadn't actually been the Seven in a long time and it didn't exactly have a great history. Translucent had been killed. Supersonic had been secretly in love with Homelander's wife. Maeve had turned on them. Black Noir had betrayed Homelander. Starlight had gone her own way. Stormfront had been a Nazi. Homelander needed a team around him he could trust.

He didn't entirely trust Deep or A-Train, but he knew that they were too scared of him to think about betraying him and he saw that as a bonus. He didn't want to be feared, but it was better than the alternative. It meant he still had control to a certain extent. But Victoria could see underneath that. Despite everything, she could see that he was anxious.

"You know, staring at their profiles isn't going to help you make a decision," Victoria said to him.

They were in the kitchen of the penthouse. Homelander had just taken to Evelyn to bed while Ryan was in his room playing on his video game. Homelander had come back downstairs and found Victoria tidying up in the kitchen from dinner. She finished loading the dishwasher and turned it on, letting it hum softly in the background. She arched her brow for a moment and saw him look up from the files he was pouring over.

"I can't fuck this up," Homelander said and he leant back in his chair. He moved his hands behind his head and looked up to the ceiling. "The Seven hasn't been united in such a long time. We can't afford anyone joining who will end up being a disappointment."

"I know, but you don't know someone just by paper," Victoria said and she started spraying disinfectant on the countertops. She scrubbed the marble with a sponge, getting rid of the stains of tomato sauce. "You might need to interview them, John. I think that might be the best option, right? You interview them and see what they're like…but just trying to judge them by paper is impossible."

"But it helps to narrow it down," Homelander said. "Not that I'm doing a good job on that. I'm almost wondering if one of the Godolkin students might be ready."

"One of the two who saved the students?" Victoria questioned and Homelander sniffed the rose smell from the disinfectant that she had sprayed.

"My only concern is that they're too young," Homelander said.

"I think so," Victoria said. "It's a lot of pressure to go straight from college to the Seven. They might not be ready."

"I mean…there's always the option of bringing Black Noir back," Homelander said. "It's not as if anyone ever saw his face except for me. You know, it was a shame. He was the only one I'd ever trusted and then it was all ruined…he ruined all of it."

Victoria didn't want to snap at him and tell him that it wasn't exactly Noir's fault what had happened. She knew that Homelander had killed him because he knew about Soldier Boy. But that had all been for naught because Soldier Boy had never been interested in getting to know Homelander. Victoria wondered if things might have been different if he had been, but then she remembered exactly who Soldier Boy was too.

"You want someone to pretend to be Noir?" Victoria checked, washing her hands under the sink.

"I think it could work," Homelander said to her with a nod of his head.

"Maybe," Victoria agreed with him. "You'd have to be careful, I guess…make sure whoever you hire signs an NDA not to say anything contrary to him being Noir."

"I can get legal to do that," Homelander said. "But that's a good point."

Victoria wiped her hands dry on the towel on the worktop. She folded her arms over her chest and stepped out from behind the kitchen worktops. She leant against the breakfast bar, eyeing Homelander and wondering just how they were actually able to make small talk with each other. Homelander enjoyed it. He finally had his family back and things were going well. He was able to talk to Victoria without them yelling or snapping at each other. He didn't know if she was doing it because she was scared of him, but he liked to think that it was because, deep down, she still cared for him. He liked to pretend that he didn't need her, but he did. He needed her because she was the only one who he'd ever been vulnerable with.

"I need to ask you to do something you might not want to do," Homelander said to her and he stood up, hands going to his hips.

"What is it?" Victoria wondered, apprehension setting in.

"There's a rally for Neuman and Singer taking place and I need you to come with me," Homelander said to her. "I know after our last outing it might not appeal, but I need you by my side. We need to present a united front."

Victoria was quiet then. She didn't entirely know what to say to him. She knew what she wanted to say to him. She wanted to tell him that she didn't want to do it. She would prefer to go nowhere near a rally or a big crowd. She would actually prefer just to stay within the safety of the Tower. But she knew she couldn't. She knew she had responsibilities.

"I won't let anything hurt you, Vicky," Homelander promised his wife, moving towards her. "I know you're nervous about someone hurting you…after what happened the other night."

"I just…someone threw that soda at me," Victoria said. "But what if it was worse, John? What if someone in that crowd had a gun? I just-"

"-Hey, hey, hey," Homelander said, advancing towards her and moving his hands towards her hips. He took hold of her, bringing her close against his body and she peered up to him. Bowing his head, he let his forehead brush against hers. "Don't talk like that."

"I don't want to," Victoria said. "But it's what I'm thinking. I just…you want the truth, John?" she wondered from him and she wondered if she could try and get her way out of this. She suspected she couldn't, but she was going to try. "I'm tired," she said to him. "I'm just tired of everything…my brother is dying…my best friend died…I lost our child and almost died giving birth to Evie…we've been through so much…and I'm so tired. I'm tired of it all."

Homelander listened to her and wondered if this was her attempt at getting out of the event. Maybe it was, but when he looked her in the eye all he saw was exhaustion. She really was tired. He got it. Of course he got it. She wanted a normal life. She wanted the life they'd had before things had gone wrong.

"I know," Homelander promised her. "I know you just want a quiet life. It's all you've ever wanted and it was one of the reasons why I fell in love with you. You never tried to upstage me."

"That was one of the reasons?" Victoria asked her husband and he nodded.

He kissed her on the forehead before moving into the kitchen. She watched him as he opened up cupboards and he pulled two wine glasses out. Victoria folded her arms on the breakfast bar, leaning against it.

"You know when we first started dating, Madelyn warned me about you," Homelander said. "It was back when I wasn't sure what I felt for you. She told me that you were gaining all of the attention and had the potential to become more popular than me. I think she thought that would make me back off…I think she saw I was getting more attached to you than I knew I was. She didn't like it. She never approved of us."

"I know," Victoria said. "She had her reasons though."

Victoria still recalled how Madelyn had died. She never mourned the woman. She hadn't liked her, but she hadn't deserved that fate. Was she innocent? No. She was definitely not innocent. But she didn't deserve to die how she did.

"They were never good reasons," Homelander replied. "And she knew that would get under my skin, but in the end, I saw who you were. Do you remember that day at your conference? When I hid behind the curtain and watched you deliver opening remarks?"

"I remember."

"I could hear your heart beating," Homelander said. "You were so nervous. You were always so nervous at public events. I know you put on a façade. You tried to act brave…wear whatever Vought gave you…smiled for the cameras…but I could always sense how nervous you were. I knew you'd never want to upstage me, no matter what Madelyn said."

Victoria nodded her head slowly and Homelander slide a glass of wine across the breakfast bar towards her. She picked it up and held it to her lips before taking a sip of the fruity white wine. She let it coat her throat and Homelander took a sip from his own glass.

"I never wanted the fame," Victoria said to her husband. "I did those things for you. I did them because you wanted me to."

"I know," Homelander said. "And that's why I need to ask you to do this for me now, Vicky."

She was still hesitant and he wasn't surprised. He should have expected it, truth be told. He knew that there was hesitation and he knew why there was hesitation. She was anxious because she knew that things had changed out there. They were no longer the golden couple. Homelander still had some popularity, but not like when they had been a united front. They had been beloved by everyone.

"Do you promise nothing will happen?" she asked from him.

"I swear," Homelander said to her and he reached for her hand, squeezing it tightly.

…

Victoria had been expecting the insults and abuse when they arrived at the rally. It was being held at a massive convention centre in the city and Homelander was being a guest speaker. Victoria had dressed conservatively, a long-sleeved red dress with a square neckline and a hem that came down to her knees. She had stockings on along with a pair of black heels. She'd let her hair hang loose down her back and she looked like every conservative wife she'd seen at political rallies on TV. Homelander held onto her hand as they went in via the stage entrance, but she could still hear the protests.

"You doing okay?" Homelander asked from her as they disappeared into the dressing room.

He shut the door on Ashley as she told him that he was due on stage in half an hour. Victoria nodded, adjusting the thin black belt that sat around her dress. "Yeah," she replied. "Have you got your speech ready?"

"All ready to go," Homelander said and he sank down in the chair at his dressing table. He pulled the papers from his inside pocket and Victoria went to perch on the sofa in the corner. "You okay to come out at the end? You don't need to say anything…just smile and wave…show a united front."

"Just at the end?" Victoria checked.

"It probably won't even be a minute and then we can go back home," he said to her.

"Okay," she ceded. She knew that she wouldn't be able to avoid it so she may as well accept it. She nodded her head slowly and wondered if this might gain her favour somewhere along the way. "I'm going to go and find a bathroom."

"You do that," he said to her. "I'm just going to rehearse these lines before I find Neuman and Singer. Are you going to be watching by the stage?"

"I'll be there," she assured him.

Moving to her feet, she didn't get a chance to get to the door before Homelander grabbed her wrist. He stopped her in her tracks and tugged her back to him, his hand moving up her wrist and to her arm before cupping the back of her hand. He tugged her face down towards his and kissed her softly. Victoria closed her eyes and let him, his lips soft against hers and his touch tender when she knew just how strong he really could be.

"I love you," he whispered to her, his eyes searching hers and she pushed her lips into a smile.

"I love you too," she said back to him, ignoring the churning in her stomach before she reached for a tissue on the table. "And now you've got lipstick on your mouth," she said, wiping it from his skin to distract herself. Homelander chuckled and let her do it. She tossed the tissue back onto the table and then ran her fingers through his hair. "I'll be back in a bit," she said and he let her leave.

Closing the door behind her, Victoria tried to ignore the feeling of nausea in the pit of her stomach. He was getting too close. He was getting too familiar. She didn't know how to push him away without angering him, but she was scared he was going to go too far one day. She moved down the corridors, ignoring people staring in her direction before she found the bathroom. Stepping into it, she went to the stall at the end of the row and closed the door, locking it and shutting the toilet lid before sitting down. Burying her face in her hands, she took deep breaths and tried to compose herself.

The door to the restroom swung open, creaking under the hingers. She tried to calm her breathing, not wanting to draw attention to herself. But she didn't hear any of the stall doors close.

"Vicky?" someone whispered her name.

Victoria stood up, her heels clicking against the tiles as she swung the door to the bathroom open and saw him stood there. Alex. She struggled to gain her composure as she drank in his appearance. His hair had grown and he had stubble covering his face. He looked gaunter than she'd seen him before, his cheekbones more pronounced.

She wanted to hold him. She wanted to feel his arms around her and never let go. She wanted to grab his hand and drag him out of that bathroom, but she knew that she couldn't. She knew that she was just down the corridor from her husband: her husband who was able to listen into a conversation if he wanted to and use his x-ray vision to see them. And so she straightened out her posture and looked him in the eye.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, voice colder than she had anticipated it would be.

Alex's lips pursed and he frowned at hearing her. "I came to see you. I had to come."

"You shouldn't have," Victoria said and she walked towards the row of sinks, turning the tap on and washing her hands. "We're through, Alex. We're done and I don't know why you've come here. I'm with my husband…running away…it was stupid. We were naïve and foolish."

"What the hell has gotten into you?" Alex wondered and he met her gaze in the mirror. For a moment he saw a look of desperation, but it soon clouded over and he knew what she was doing. He knew it was foolish to come and see her, but he knew Annie and Butcher were close by. Starlight's attendance at the rally had cause a stir outside and Alex knew that if people saw him…knew he hadn't died…then he'd be on the news once more. But he suspected that would maybe give him more protection, just like Annie had. The only issue was he didn't have his powers.

"Listen, Alex," Victoria said, voice stern as she dried her hands with some paper towels. "We made a mistake and I'm trying to rectify things. I know we thought we loved each other, but it's not like what I have with John…and I know what he's done…I know who he is…but the fact is that I still love him. I love him and I'm with him. So leave us alone."

"I know this is an act," Alex assured her. "And we're not going to stop until he's done."

"Believe what you want, but just stay away from us," Victoria said and she turned on her heel and left the bathroom without looking back at him, scared that if she did look back at him then she might crumble. And so she headed back down the corridor towards the dressing room, but Homelander was standing at the end of it. His hands were behind his back, clasped together and his lips curved into a menacing grin.

He'd heard everything. He knew what had happened and she knew it. She continued walking towards him and knew her cheeks were tinged red. She didn't know whether to admit it to him straight away or let him bring it up.

"Are you going on stage already?" she asked him.

"They're getting ready for me," Homelander said.

"We should go then," she said, but Homelander moved an arm out, catching her around the waist and stopping her from moving off. He bent down once more, kissing her more forcefully this time and pushing her back until her back hit the wall. His hands ran down her sides and his fingers crawled under the hem of her skirt, tugging the tight material up her thighs. Victoria moved a hand to his chest, pushing him back slowly.

"We're in a corridor," she hissed, her English accent shining through in fear. Homelander chuckled and shook his head.

"No one's going to bother us," he promised her, still tugging her skirt up to her waist and moving his gloved fingers into the waistband of her underwear. Victoria's breath hitched as he watched her tilt her head back, neck exposed and breathing coming out in short pants as he moved his fingers against her. "And you…you're mine, Victoria…what you did…I knew it. I knew you always loved me."

"John," Victoria breathed out his name, wanting him to move away from her. She wanted him to get away from her. She wanted him to leave her alone. But he was persistent and she knew that stopping him would anger him. She knew he'd accuse her of faking what she'd said to Alex. She'd never felt so trapped. But she was. She was trapped with no way out.

"It's alright," he promised her, sensing she was close and he moved faster, his own pants tightening. "I've got you, sweetheart. You're mine…that's it…I know you're close…come on…good girl…"

Victoria tried to cover her groans with a free hand. Homelander placed his free hand on top of hers, still letting his fingers move against her slowly as she collapsed back against the wall. She felt her chest heave as Homelander straightened her out, tugging her skirt back down her thighs and running his gloved hand up her stomach and over the curve of her breast until he had her chin trapped between his thumb and forefinger. He tilted her head towards his own.

"Good girl," he repeated and bent down to kiss her squarely on the mouth.

Victoria remained in a daze as he took hold of her hand and wiped his other hand on his suit. He led her through the corridors and Victoria tried to ignore the slow thrumming feeling she felt and how her underwear wasn't comfortable against her skin. She stood on the side lines, letting Homelander take the spotlight. She could still feel the ghost of his touch against her and she squirmed on the spot, shuddering and listening as the crowd roared loudly in support of him.

"Did you know Annie was going to be here?"

Ashley came scurrying up to her, electronic pad in hand.

"How would I know?" Victoria questioned from the woman. "Where is she?"

"Somewhere in the crowd, but she's getting all of the attention online," Ashley said. "I take it if you don't know then Homelander doesn't know either?"

"I'm sure he'll spot it," Victoria said. "What is she doing here?"

"Probably looking at trying to cause trouble," Ashley complained. "This could be a nightmare. If she gets a chance to get on stage...say something…then it's going to be total carnage. She shouldn't have even got past security."

"It's a public event, Ashley," Victoria reminded her. "She's at liberty to attend if she wants to. John…Homelander isn't going to do anything, don't worry."

Victoria continued watching, eyes scanning from the stage and to the arena where there must have been at least forty thousand eyes on them. Victoria tried not to feel intimidated. She couldn't entirely see out into the crowd or where Annie might be because the lights were all focused on the stage. There was cheering from the crowd and some jeers occasionally, but they were quickly dealt with. Victoria waited with bated breath for Homelander to finish and urge her on stage.

He soon did, his arm outstretched and hand expectantly held out in her direction. Victoria moved onto stage with shaking legs. Her strides were quick and long as she seemingly rushed towards his hand. The sooner she did this then the sooner she could go home. She let him take hold of her hand and he waved with his other hand as Victoria stood there and smiled dutifully.

Homelander had spotted Starlight in the crowd along with Butcher and Hughie. The three of them were stood in the crowd, not bothering to hide. They had gained some stares from where they were, especially Annie. Homelander suspected that most people would not be on her side if they were at a rally he was attending. Why had she shown up? What game were they all playing?

He didn't know, but he knew that Victoria knew they were there. He'd heard Ashley talking to her on the side of the stage. But Victoria clearly didn't know why they were there.

"It's good to see you," Victoria Neuman stepped towards them, still smiling as the crowd continued cheering.

Victoria let her embrace her with a peck on the cheek. She knew it was all for show. She shook Singer's hand too as he said something about how nice it was to see her back with Homelander.

"Just keep smiling," Homelander urged his wife, leaning down and whispering into her ear, eyes never leaving the front of the stage. "We'll be out of here soon enough."

"Did you know Annie would be here?" Victoria questioned.

"No idea," he retorted, still waving at the crowd in front of him. "I don't know why she is here though."

"Neither do I," Victoria said.

Homelander led her off stage, hand on the small of her back as he kept waving. Looking into the crowd, his eyes locked with Billy's and he knew that this was some kind of power play. He just didn't know what William Butcher had planned.

...

A/N: Not long until season 4 now! So excited to see it and how the story can weave into it...in the meantime as always would love your thoughts!