You are my Edmond Dantes

I should have explained early that between chapter one and two, some time has elapsed (i'll let you decide how much time) and that V and Evey have grown considerably closer. This is not in a sexual way (yet...) but in friendship terms. Questions have been answered yadder yadder yadder and things have improved between them.

(Oh, and in the last chapter when Evey was in V's bed, this was not due to some sexual happenings, it's merely because it's where she feels safe and comfortable. V doesn't sleep in bed with her, he sits and talks to her till she falls asleep.)

Anyway, enjoy peeps.

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Chapter Three


“Veeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!” Evey screamed.

She shot up, bolt up right in bed. She threw the bed covers back in a blind panic. Beads of sweat poured down her forehead. Her burning eyes wide with fear. Her dry mouth screaming his name. Her body trembled and shook violently. She was hot and clammy, gasping desperately for air in between screams. Her breathing was rapid and shallow, like she was choking. Her pulse was racing. She was hysterical, uncontrolable.

Almost instantly, the heavy bedroom door flung open, light busting into the room. In a flurry of commotion, V rushed into the room. He swept to the bedside and wrapped his arms around the shaking girl. He held her close to him, pressing his body to hers tightly.

“Evey, my little Evey, it’s okay, I am here, I am here. Calm down, just breathe. After me, follow me Evey, big deep breaths, inhale, exhale…inhale, exhale.” V inhaled slowly and exhaled slowly several times, trying to calm the terrified girl. He kept one arm wrapped firmly around her back and one hand pressing her head to his steely chest, gently caressing and stroking her shaven hair.

Evey was listening to him now and was trying to regulate her breathing and bring it in time with his own. She felt the rise and fall of his chest and gathered reassurance from that. She felt his heart beating; she could hear it thumping as she kept her head pressed to his chest. Her arms firmly wrapped around him in a vice like grip. Evey rubbed her face against him, she felt safe in his arms, he was protecting her.

V cradled his angel to him for a long time, holding her in his strong grasp. Little by little, her breathing was slowing, her pulse returning to normal, her face losing that hot flush of terror. He eventually released her and took her face in his gloved hands, lifting it gently so she was looking directly at him.

“Nightmare Evey?” He enquired in genuine concern, evident in his voice. Evey nodded.

“It was horrible V, you killed me, I died! You injected me with something and you told me you had killed me and that I was already dead. You told me I was a distraction and that you had to get rid of me. You said I was distracting you from your plans and that I had to leave, but you wouldn’t let me leave, you killed me instead V. You told me there was no future for us and that you never wanted any of this.” Evey spoke rapidly, her voice desperate, searching. She clung to him tightly for assurance that she was safe, that the evil V had passed by with the night.

V could see she was frightened, it was in her eyes. This dream had really terrified her. It must have been extremely vivid, and descriptive. This wasn’t the first time she had experienced a dream of this type, she seemed to have them every now and again when she first came to the Shadow Gallery, but this was the first since she had returned. They were always of a similar nature. V always kills her, with an injection after giving her a Scarlet Carson. He had haunting flashbacks of his moment with Delia Surridge; her expression, that look, her pain, but then forced them from his thoughts. These dreams seemed to occur with no regular pattern, each time with Evey awaking in a screaming frenzy and fits of hysteria. His poor little Evey plagued with these demonic dreams. Each time he would cradle her, comfort and reassure her, just as he was now. He would tell her that all was well and that these images were just that, images. That dreams could never hurt you. He shifted his body closer to her now placed a delicate but cold porcelain kiss upon her nose. Damn this mask.

“There is no force upon this earth, no law in place nor a man or beast alive that could ever force me to do those atrocities to you. I would sooner butcher the entire world than bring ill to you. I admit, you are a distraction to me, but such a delightful one Evey Hammond and one I would not rid mself of.” V spoke softly, gravley, but with an air of authority in his voice. He was so calming, from the minute he took her in his arms, the worries and fear of the dream began to melt away into insignificance.

“I know V, but the dream…it was so vivid…so real. I could even feel the warmth in the room, the venom in your voice, my heart breaking apart. It was just awful.” She whimpered quietly, her eyes glassy.

“Evey, they are merely dreams; they cannot bear you any ill or bring you to any harm. They are simply a figment of your over active imagination, surfacing while you sleep. You would do well to ignore them, as they are purely fiction. Above all however, I am here for you when they blight your sleep. You can find solace in me and I vow to make everything normal again.” V’s voice was so reassuring that Evey couldn’t help but feel better. She trusted him, she loved him so. He was right; they were ridiculous dreams with no more ability than to scare her from her slumber. They were completely silly and unrealistic. V would never harm her; she knew that, not for all the TNT in existence.

“Evey my love, I would follow you in this world, the next world, the under world or the dream world. I will battle your demons and slay your monsters, real or not real. You have nothing to fear, for I vow to protect you until my last breath is taken from me by combat, explosive or sheer old age.” He was just so damn comforting. Evey felt herself relaxing, her body becoming less tense and unwinding.

As she gazed upon his mask, that familiar porcelain grin made her smile. She liked how he was already fully dressed; mask, wig, boots, belt, everything. She imagined him creeping about in the darkened room, gathering his clothing and then changing, all the while keeping a watchful black eye upon her.

“Now that’s better is it not? There is that dazzling smile, a grin from an angel!” V exclaimed.

“And, Miss Hammond, if this alter ego vigilante does trouble you again, then I shall challenge the fiend to a duel!” V leapt from the bed and grabbed the gold candlestick on the bedside table. He flailed wildly about the room, pirouetting and dancing about as if in mock battle. Jabbing the imaginary monster with his fictional blade, triumphing over this invisible dream beast. Evey laughed at the masked buffoon before her who was fighting with mere air. She chuckled heartily. He knew how to make her giggle, how to lighten her mood no matter how low she felt.

“All that practising with the suit of armour will finally pay off V! If I see him again I’ll warn him as to just what he’s getting himself involved with!” She giggled coyly, slightly out of breath.

“Well now that is huge improvement, a smile suits you so much better than a frown. I believe that our triumph deserves a king’s breakfast Evey. How do you feel about Eggs Benedict?” He bowed before her comically, as a court jester before his queen.

“I’ve never had them. Oh, and what time is it?” She answered tentatively.

V gasped in mock horror, taking a step back and clutching his chest with both hands, still holding his imaginary foil. Acting like he had taken a knife to the chest.

“Gracious, then that is something we will have to rectify!” He shouted, wagging a finger furiously in the air. “You simply have not lived unless you have experienced Eggs Benedict, especially the ones that I make!” He exclaimed proudly. “Have a shower, dress and follow your nose to the kitchen and I shall prepare a true culinary delight for you my little Evey. And, might I add, it is time for you to rise from that bed, it is ten past ten you lazy little creature!” V stood and stroked her face lightly.

He trotted merrily from the bedroom and off to the kitchen, taking the candlestick with him. Evey had a feeling she would catch him later on in fierce combat with his silent friend the suit of armour, inflicting fatal wounds to poor old Erik.

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Evey stood underneath the water. A shower was just what she needed, she felt much calmer now, much more relaxed. She loved taking showers; it had to be one of her most favourite things in the world. The one place she could just let her tension, apprehensions and anxieties drain away. She could be alone and lose herself in her thoughts as she was warmed by the water that fell from above her head. She loved the feeling of the water washing over her, cascading down her shoulders and back, pouring over her stomach, falling down her lithe legs.
It felt amazing to finally be able to have a shower after so long in that grubby cell. It was so liberating to be washed and to feel clean, even after all this time. She felt the filth of her incarceration being cleansed from her body. The soap, her one true purifier, removing the grim that had plagued. She felt so much better, amazing.

Evey was not going to let that disgusting dream ruin her day. She wouldn’t allow it to niggle at her or nag her at all. She put it from her mind and tried to concentrate her thoughts that were much more positive. She and V had been getting along famously; she asked and he answered. She talked, and he replied. He kept no secrets and withheld no answers from her now, they were becoming very close in their friendship. But inwardly and secretly, her feeling towards him had shifted quite considerably. The revulsion she had once felt had given way to warmer much more palatable feelings. She had the very slight formations of butterflies in her tummy when she thought of him, when she saw him. She didn’t know how to react to her new feelings, but decided to follow them and let things take their course for the time being.

Evey knew it was time to get out of the shower and find V, she had to be near him, with him now. She turned the handle on the wall and the water ceased flowing. She grabbed one of the soft, fluffy towels and wrapped herself up in it. As she dried her re-growing hair, she smile contentedly at her feet, where she watched all her worries and fears of the hideous dream wash away down the plug-hole.