V wants to celebrate the anniversary when he made his promise to Evey.
"V...? " she looked up at him in question. Then she noticed how still he had gone, and the blank dead look in his eyes.
"What's wrong?"
"I... I'm just remembering something." he whispered. "Something I should've forgotten."
"And that is?"
"...nothing, nothing at all."
"Ohh come now, how are you going to say you remember something you shouldn't have forgotten then say it was nothing?"
She drew herself from her book and placed it beside her.
"The only walls that exist are those you have placed in your mind. And whatever obstacles you conceive, exist only because you have forgotten what you have already achieved." He embraced evey, released her, and then hugged her again.
After a while she lifted her head, unable to let the topic drop, though she knew she should. "Still, I'm so curious of what's going through that mysterious mind of yours."
"Evey, weather it be good or bad. It's something that will never leave my body nor mind. I had the life I never really fit into heal up around my absence like a wound scabbed over because of the one I have now. I never left your heart or mind. Peace would always be found in never being forgotten. It was this simple truth that rebuilt all the burnt bridges and distances between us."
"Not all of them." She felt as if she shouldn't had reference the mask but it was true.
"Yes indeed my self confidence of the face that I fear to show anyone is a wall between our love." he replied, then moved to move his face close to hers but she evaded him and numbly began to rise from the sofa.
He captured her arm in time and held her a moment.
"Don't be like that my love." he sighed. "This is not a rejection. I really do need time to think, to plan... to come to terms with the day that I will need to reveal myself to you, just give me time. And I'm not the only one who needs to do some thinking. Everything is still up in the air, love. Be patient. We'll get there, I promise."
"No its ok I'm not rushing you V. I'm just hurt that you think I'm untrustworthy."
She pulled her arm back and walked away.
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V adjusted the bow on the gift box, making certain it was just right, then set it down next to the silver tray bearing the wine and glasses. His head tilted slightly as he contemplated it, then, reaching out he moved the box ever so slightly and nodded in approval.
"Ahh yes" he said aloud. "Perfect!"
He moved to the doorway and turned, his eyes scanning the room once more.
"But not so much." He moved around adjusting small thing, and went back to the door way. Then finally satisfied, he left, closing the door behind him.
The gift had been a labor of love, taking him three weeks of daily work in his stuffy little workshop, a place as yet undiscovered by Evey. There was no drudgery in preparing something of importance for the one you loved. At least he didn't think so.
Certainly there were many dense men and women in the world who would not recognize a precious gift when they had it, he reflected.
Passing through a heavy doorway in the tunnel, he paused to lock it behind himself. Tonight was the night, a very special one; so he was especially anxious that everything be perfect. He paused and tried to make one more important decision; what was he going to wear?
