Murphy and Mordecai marched back to the HQ and were greeted by everyone in the lobby. Axton and Salvador were eating some of Zero's eggrolls while watching some Thrash-Ball on the TV and swapping war stories, bragging about their various achievements and trying to one up each other when it came to skill kills. Maya was testing her luck against Zero with a game of Poker. She had beaten him twice so far, the reason being Zero had set the deck up in her favor. If there was anything Zero had learned from his battles with Jack and Hyperion it was never to enrage a Siren, especially someone as short tempered and forceful as Maya. Montayva was playing with her child on the couch while Junior was making funny faces, causing the baby to laugh hysterically. Lilith had disappeared into the upstairs shower to relax her nerves after feeling vulnerable in her struggle to survive against the giant Thresher back in Sawtooth Cauldron. Brick was creating the Thermite Charge back in Thousand Cuts while the Slabs were giving Hyperion grief by raiding their camps in the Dust and the Highlands. The Slabs' second victory in the Cauldron had boosted their morale and gave them the confidence they were lacking since the beginning of Johnson's occupation of the planet.
"Hey fellas, how's Erick?" Axton asked, turning his attention from the game toward the two returning Vault Hunters.
"He'll be back in HQ tomorrow but he won't be ready for Lynchwood" Mordecai said glumly.
"It's going to be a tough one without Ace watching our backs" Murphy admitted. He and the Brother had become an efficient team in their short time together, even with their differences. He was going to miss having his young friend by his side in the thick of it. Montayva knew the two had become really good friends and was glad they had finally forgiven each other. Zero turned his attention from the cards toward Murphy and Mordecai.
"Did Erick enjoy the eggrolls?" Zero asked.
"Yeah he did" Murphy answered. Salvador stood up and grabbed his beer on top of the table in front of the TV.
"We'll win this one for our amigo!" Salvador exclaimed while raising a glass of beer.
"Damn right!" Axton also joined the Gunzerker and raised his glass "Those Hyperion bastards don't stand a chance against us" he said arrogantly. With the huge victory in the Cauldron, Axton's confidence was at an all-time high.
"If we defeat them in Lynchwood, Hyperion will finally be finished" Maya smirked as she placed her cards on the table "Ace of Spades." Zero had a horrible hand and just folded, Maya had defeated the Assassin again.
"How come every time I play him in Poker I get my ass kicked while you always seem to win" Axton had a look of annoyance across face, no matter how hard he tried, Zero always seemed to always come out on top.
"Poor snookems" she pouted teasingly at the Commando "Maybe it's because I have a better Poker face than you."
"You have a better something alright" Axton flirted as he began staring at her bum. Maya gave him a threatening glare, warning him if he kept on staring at her. He turned his attention away from Maya and back to the game.
"What the hell are you watching?" Murphy asked as Salvador was cheering after the Cougars scored a touchdown.
"We're watching some Thrash-Ball amigo, the Cougars and the Sharks are playing for the All-Father's cup on the planet Sera" Salvador explained.
"And those cheating assholes are winning 27 to 14" Axton sulked as he started drinking his beer.
"You can't stop the Cole Train, pendejos!" Salvador slapped Axton in the back, causing the Commando to spit his beer all over himself.
"Dude, not cool!" Axton yelled and raised his glass with the intention of hitting Salvador with it.
"Don't you dare" Maya warned, she didn't want to cause a commotion and ruin the peace and quiet, especially around the baby. Axton grumbled for a couple of seconds and placed the cup back on the table.
"Thank you Maya" Montayva said gratefully, she knew the blue haired Siren was looking out for her.
"Someone has to keep him in line" Maya raised an eyebrow at Axton. Mordecai sat next to Montayva and placed his hand on her knee. The baby was happy to see her father around her and Junior stopped goofing around and perched himself back on his master's shoulder. Mordecai leaned closer to her and kissed Montayva on the lips.
"How have the kids been treating you?" Mordecai asked.
"They've been really good" Montayva answered. Murphy enjoyed the sight of everyone happy together, he felt that he was part of something that he thought lost long ago, a family. Murphy had changed for the better, the cold and distant machine ridden with guilt was replaced with a good hearted man who was free from his curse. Murphy noticed that Lilith wasn't down in the lobby and wondered where she was.
"Guys, have you seen Lilith anywhere?" Murphy asked. He needed to give her the meds and the bandages for today.
"She's taking a shower upstairs, she'll be out soon" Montayva answered. Montayva could sense how much the two had changed since Murphy's arrival. Lilith was grief stricken before Murphy, she still missed Roland but her pain dissipated around the Enforcer. Murphy's return to humanity was because of Lilith, she spared his life and gave him the chance to do good again, something he needed after what happened to him. Murphy nodded and went upstairs to check on her.
"I hope those two finally figure it out" Mordecai said. He wanted the best for Lilith, after all they were childhood friends. In reality, she was Mordecai's best friend. She was the first person to ever befriend the Hunter while the other kids mocked him for being different. He felt terrible at how distraught she was after Roland was killed and he felt she would end up like himself, someone who was angry at the world, trapped in a prison of sorrow. With Murphy, she had a chance to be happy again which Mordecai believed she deserves to be.
"I know they will" Montayva assured Mordecai, sensing how he felt. Lilith was lying in the tub, she was resting her head on the cubical wall and she had propped her injured foot on the side. She had a rather gloomy look on her face while contemplating what she was feeling. She felt conflicted, she wanted to be with Murphy but she wouldn't allow herself to give in to her emotions. She didn't want to repeat what happened with Roland, she couldn't bear the thought of losing someone close to her again. Suddenly, she snapped out of her trance when she heard someone knocking on the door.
"Who is it?" Lilith asked.
"It's Jason, I brought some meds and bandages for your ankle" Murphy answered through the door "When you're done, I'll be upstairs in the control room with A.N.N. I'll be waiting for you."
"Okay, I'll be out in a second" Lilith said. Murphy went upstairs and met up with A.N.N, her visage on the map, to see how she was. He placed the bandages and insta-health on the table and walked up to the balcony to gaze at the stars. He sat on the chair and took in the star lit sky; he no longer felt disdain and sorrow when he gazed into the sky. He felt the same childhood wonder he had with his younger sister all those years ago. He was ready to record a personal log but he realized he wasn't in his armor when he looked at his wrist. He decided to drop the notion of recording something, it was a bad habit he needed to kick he thought. Now, he just wanted to live in the moment instead of recording it like a backlog video.
"You're happy, aren't you?" A.N.N asked, noticing the faint smile on his face.
"I don't know what I feel, A.N.N" Murphy said truthfully "For the first time in a long time, I don't despise myself. I feel free again, I feel…" A.N.N interrupted him to finish his statement.
"Human" A.N.N finished as she smiled warmly. She was happy for him but she was also somewhat sad. For the longest time, Murphy needed A.N.N to watch over him but now he didn't need her to be his guardian angel anymore. Murphy would always think of her as a vital part of his life no matter what but she knew she wouldn't be able to watch over him forever. A.N.N felt glad that he would have Lilith to watch over him, A.N.N hoped they would find happiness in each other.
"Yeah, all because of her" Murphy was referring to Lilith. She had done so much for him and he wanted to return her kindness.
"Lilith is a special person Murphy, I hope you two have a wonderful future together" A.N.N said.
"I don't know if this will work out A.N.N. I do feel something between her and I, but we're so different" Murphy argued.
"And you are so much alike as well" A.N.N said.
"Maybe you're right" Murphy said, contemplating how to tell Lilith what he felt.
"Hey killer" Murphy heard Lilith's voice from behind him and turned around. Lilith was dressed for bed, wearing a tank top and loosely fitting short shorts. She also had a pair of scissors in her hands.
"I'll be in standby mode, see you tomorrow" A.N.N disappeared into thin air to give the two their privacy. Lilith walked next to Murphy and grabbed a chair next to his and sat next to him.
"Hey Lilith, how's the ankle feeling?" Murphy noticed how she winced in pain when he mentioned it.
"I'm fine" Lilith tried to convince him but he wasn't buying it.
"Stay here while I grab the supplies" Murphy stood up and walked into the dim lit room. He grabbed the bandages and the insta-health and walked back to Lilith. Murphy kneeled beside her and began examining the injury, she had healed rather well in such a quick time.
"How's it looking?" she asked as she leaned over to look at her ankle.
"You should be fully recovered by tomorrow. I'd strongly suggest you keep the bandages on however" Murphy instructed. Murphy slowly began unwrapping the old bandages as he tried to be gentle and replaced it with the new ones. He grabbed Lilith by her calf and lifted it to inject the insta-health. Lilith braced herself as Murphy injected the first needle into her leg. She grimaced as it stung horribly "One more to go" he injected the next one. He could feel her leg tense up as he injected the final needle, he tried being gentle as possible, trying his best not to cause her further discomfort.
"Jesus, that stings" Lilith groaned.
"Sorry, I was trying to be gentle" Murphy said apologetically. He then sat back on his seat and gazed up at the stars. Lilith joined him to gaze at the stars.
"The stars are beautiful tonight, aren't they?" Lilith looked at them with the same childhood wonder Murphy did. Ever since she was a girl, Lilith always wanted to explore the galaxy and see the many wonders that were out there. Now she was living the dream she always fantasized about.
"They are" Murphy said as he stared into her eyes. Lilith knew he was talking about her and not the stars. Murphy noticed a slight blush on her face. Murphy slowly turned toward her hand and noticed the scissors "What's with the clippers?"
"They're for you Jason. You need a haircut" Lilith noted. Murphy's hair was pretty long for someone like him.
"I don't need a haircut" Murphy looked up at Lilith and some hair fell into his eyes. Lilith just laughed at how silly he looked.
"Sorry Jason but you really do. You look like a wannabe rocker" she joked as she reached out and brushed the loose strands back over his head.
"And you don't" Murphy commented on her red hair and how it looked.
"Hey, at least I make this look good" she bragged.
"No argument there" he shrugged. Lilith stood up and gingerly walked behind Murphy to give him his haircut. She slowly ran her fingers through his hair and slowly snipped away at the edges. Murphy started moving a bit when she made him uncomfortable.
"Stop fidgeting so much, you're gonna screw me up" Lilith scolded.
"Well I wouldn't be fidgeting so much if you weren't pulling at my hair" Murphy shot back over his shoulder.
"Well it wouldn't hurt at all if you would just sit still" Lilith continued to cut his hair. After a half hour, she was finally done. Murphy's hair was shorter, it didn't cover his ears and it didn't reach down his neck like it did before. It was combed back neatly like before. Murphy stood up and turned around to look at the Siren.
"How do I look?" he asked.
"You look perfect" she said. Lilith frowned when she noticed the knife scars across his right eye and left side of his lip. She slowly cupped her hands around Murphy's face and traced her finger tips over the scars "You've been through a rough time, haven't you?" Murphy slowly placed his hand on her cheek.
"I have" he answered "No matter how many times my injuries heal, these scars always remain the same. They have always been a constant reminder of my mistakes. Pretty symbolic come to think of it" he chuckled a bit as he tried his best to hide his pain "It's kind of like a broken heart. No matter how many times you place the pieces back together, it can never be the same."
"I know what that's like" she said quietly, sounding like she was at the verge of tears. She looked away from him and a gloomy look covered her face.
"What's wrong?" he asked, feeling terrible because of the sadness he saw in her eyes.
"I'm just so confused" a tear rolled down the side of her face "I want to be with you but at the same time I don't. After Roland, I couldn't…" Murphy stopped her when she mentioned Roland. He placed his fingers under her chin and gently turned her head to face him. He brushed the tear from her cheek and placed his hand back on it.
"I know how you feel" Murphy admitted "Neither of us can replace what we've lost but that doesn't change how we feel for one another. You've done so much for me already, let me return your kindness, let me ease your pain. Let me help you, Lilith" Murphy looked into her eyes again like the night at the diner. Lilith felt her pain just melt away when he told her what he felt for her and she decided to let go of her inhibitions. She pulled him in close and bent his head to meet hers. She kissed him softly, slowly, letting him take in the moment. He slowly circled his hands around her waist and pulled her tightly into his embrace. She finally withdrew to look into his eyes again.
"That was… interesting" Murphy joked as he had trouble describing what he felt.
"Really, that's all you have to say?" she teased knowing he meant no disrespect.
"Sorry, I'm pretty terrible when it comes to this sort of thing" he said as he tucked some of her hair over her ear.
"We'll have to work on that, now won't we?" Lilith continued teasing him as she traced her fingers over his scars again.
"Yeah we do. Hopefully, when we have some more free time" he teased in return. Lilith released herself from his grasp, slowly walked away from Murphy and walked toward the downstairs' doorway.
"It's getting late Jason, I'd better go back to my room before…well, you know. Before things start getting wild" she said as she gave him a smile.
"Don't worry, I'm in no rush" Murphy returned with a smile of his own. The two wished each other good night and eagerly awaited for what tomorrow might bring.