A/N: I'm glad you guys are enjoying yourself so far. I decided in all consciousness to not make this another bloodbath. I think the Pollards had been through enough and the GSM staff too. At least for now, you never know what can happen in the next chapters! ^^ I can go "Shonda Crazy" and slay people pretty quick. I just like adding some drama for the fun of keeping my readers on their toes. I like Bailey but really I don't know why I love Ben here. He was quite understanding while keeping his wife on the straight path. Miranda has an instinct for people. She is frank and sincere. She can smell bullshit a mile away. She will tell it like it is. Even if in all honesty, her beef with Warren has seemingly as much to do with her concerns for Meredith and with the jealousy she feels at her competition, I felt this scene was needed to further explain what she felt of this seemingly innocent new hypothetical pairing. I also find her reaction to the gunshots extremely raw and real for me. In the sense, though Miranda overcame a lot of stuffs these past few years, the vulnerability is always there close to the surface. Last but not least, it's been a long time since I thank my trusted crew of readers so here we go: Faith, Jamelia, Beth, Guest, Sara, Jax, Karen, Pooja, Patsy. You keep me going ! Thanks so much !

-37-

The monster inside

"Are you hurt? Warren, look at me?" Catherine asked worriedly.

He kept staring at Meredith, his eyes burning with feelings she couldn't identify despite their intensity. She just recognized that look. It conveys a familiar feeling of sort. It was all boyish innocence mixed with the rarest form of distorted violence. It was all anger and raw open wounds. Even if he didn't seem the least bit hurt physically, he was covered in blue and actually looked like those sharp shards of glass windows disseminated on the floor. He looked like something broken.

He looked at his watch again. The moment had passed. His eyes gained back their usual lucidity.

"I'm fine, Catherine." He finally said. "Patient needs to be moved to another room immediately for security and insurance purposes."

"But what did you tell him?"

"I would do it now. Someone also needs to call to replace that window."

"Warren?"

" Also book me a flight for tomorrow."

"Warren, talk to me."

"I am talking to you, Catherine. What else do you want from me?" He snapped.

She took a step back in surprise. She shook her head, not knowing what to say. She finally nodded, knowing very well, trying to get something out of him when he was in that kind of mood was damn near impossible.

"I will be outside. I need some fresh air."

She shrugged then. He left one hand in his pocket, the other playing with his phone. He got into the elevator calmly. Meredith watched as the door closed on him. Then she exchanged a few words with Maggie and Alex. She was fine. It could have been much worse. They were speaking all at once and her mind was going to places. The police started to gather the witnesses together and Meredith knew it was time for her to get out of here. She didn't want to have another chat with Detective Mills if she could help it. There were enough witnesses for them to make their case. They didn't really need her anyway. So, she discreetly made it to the stairways while no one was looking.

Owen didn't come back to her like he promised. Instead, a police officer came to the door and asked them to get out. He also told them that the path was clear and that the threat had been neutralized so Amelia unlocked the door. And the patient was rolled safely back to ICU. Amelia washed her hands and lingered a little longer in the OR. But no matter how long she waited, he did not come back for her. She got into the elevator with a sigh.

Instead of fresh air, Warren found Amelia Shepherd. She was waiting by the elevator a few floors below. She got into the elevator with him.

"Is it okay to go back upstairs? I heard they got the man?" She asked smiling.

He barely nodded, kept his head down. The brunet's smile faded. She stared straight ahead, trying not to bite on her lips. The air seemed like a rare commodity in this confined place.

"I'm sorry for what I said earlier."

For the second time today, her apology was met with only silence.

"I've been four years sober. Since my brother's death, I worked hard every day to remain that way. But making amends is all part of the process… and that's where it starts. So, I want to apologize."

Warren ignored her and got down as soon as the door opened even though it was not his stop. But unwilling to let it go, Amelia ran after him and pulled at his sleeve to stop him.

"Hey, I'm trying to apologize! I don't want to do this with you till the day I died. We could both move on."

"Don't..."

But she kept talking; seemingly unaware she was stepping right into his space, right into the lion's den now.

"Listen, I lost my brother. I lost my son… my fiancé… I lost everything already… That may be karma… I know I cannot apologize enough but I don't want to do this with you all the time. "

He grabbed her shoulder and pushed her off of him.

"Don't touch me!"

Amelia looked around them realizing not without apprehension that she was alone in that hallway with him.

" I…"

He took a step away.

"Do you want me to remind you that you got that restraining order against me?"

"I… It was a long time ago… You know…why I did it… at that time… It expired a long time ago. Can you give me that chance to say I'm sorry! Can you just stop being such…"

"Well, my lawyers still remembers just like I do."

"I'm sorry, ok. At that time, I wasn't myself. Things got out of hand."

His answer was a cruel snicker of sorts. His hands on his hips, he shook his head.

"Things got out of hand? That's what that man said, describing shooting his daughter three times…shooting his wife five times… Things got out of hand. It was not his fault. He didn't want them to suffer. I'm gonna tell you something. Nothing ever gets out of hand… if we don't let them. Things do not just happened. People make mistakes, they do. They make mistakes, mistakes that cost other people. There is no "I accidentally hurt you". There is always intent behind everything. So when the damage is done… there is no forgiveness for that! No way to move on… Do you understand?"

Amelia shook her head and started sobbing.

"I was wrong but you… You were set on destroying me and my career."

"What you did? Honestly, I don't care for what you did... Amelia… For what I did… For who you were at that time and who I was… It doesn't matter. Dead is dead, Amelia. No matter what you do… Dead is always dead. Damage is always a thing of the past. It's always done. Things got out of hand? His daughter won't ever wake up. If Debra Pollard makes it, she will have to live every day without her daughter, knowing she married the monster who did this. You and me we will never be friends again. I won't ever be your teacher. Things won't ever change for the better between us. You know you don't deserve to be here. I won't ever make it easier for you. You brother will not come back to right your wrongs this time. You could never get back to that moment when you almost ruined my life with your lies... A patient lost his legs because of your recklessness… So, don't touch me again… Ever…" He said before leaving. "This is my last warning to you…"

Demons – Imagine Dragons

Amelia stood, tears blurring her view. She paced anxiously trying to make the feeling go away, get it subdued and under control. All these years, the guilt sat not on her chest but inside her brain. It was everywhere she went, every places she moved. She tried to live with it. She tried not to think that drugs will make it all better. She tried to think instead that she could make amends in subtle ways, that people will get over it, that they will all get to move on. She prayed that one day she would feel washed clean of her sin, that the addiction will no longer taint and stain every twisted part of her life. She believed that she could claim it back... her life. Up to this point, she even thought she finally got it all together. She had to leave her misdeeds in the past and move on. The hurt she caused Derek, the grief she caused her own mother, all the problems she had with her past relationships... She needed to let go of. But it was just hard to breathe and to think... and pacing back and forth in this sterile hallway was not helping.

As Warren walked away, he crossed Owen's path on his way out. The two men stared at each other hard. Owen glared in his direction but Warren just kept walking. He was not in the mood for the boyfriend.

"Amelia…"

Amelia just crawled on her knees like a castle of cards blown away by the wind and Owen rushed to pull her up.

"What happened? Tell me! I'm going to kill him."

She shook her head and embraced him for support.

" No! Please! I'm sorry… I'm so sorry! I say I am sorry but it doesn't mean anything to him. It doesn't mean anything to her. I am so sorry! I don't know why I am this way!"

"It's okay."

" Can we just stay like that a while longer? I can't be alone!"

"For as long as you want."

Amelia looked up and they hugged each other tight. Owen looked at the door through which Warren disappeared. He did not trust the man. He was always somewhere close when Amelia was in distress and that alone was already caused for concerns. He knew he needed to sort this out wether Amelia wanted to tell him about it or not.

He no longer had a precise idea where to go. So he just walked through hallways and corridors seeking a door with an exit sign or anything looking like a way to escape, until he found her sitting on a gurney, her feet gathered to her chest. Did she run here to escape? She had a pile of charts on her knees and was scribbling furiously. Unconsciously, he was again drawn to her and stopped inches from her. She let her hair down and was slightly shaking her head. She never looked up when he made another step forward. He thought of turning back and leaving her alone.

But before he could make one step, he felt her hand brush his forearm tentatively. He stopped. Meredith straightened up and looked intently at him. The charts fell on the floor noisily. He avoided looking at her directly but her hand gripped his arm more firmly. He remembered her hand on his in that room. He opened his mouth to say something but Meredith put her finger on his lips to shush him out. He couldn't even say he was sorry he yelled at her earlier. She knew he wasn't. He didn't look like the type who had regrets. Meredith slowly stood up, her hands travelling slowly his shoulders. She took one small step closer. He immediately took one step back. Meredith looked into his eyes. He was still not making eye contact, fixing some imaginary oasis behind her. She took another step closer and circled his neck with her fingers. She put two brave hands on either sides of his face and forced him to look at her.

"Don't ask me to save you!" She whispered with the hint of a grin.

He smiled back and brushed the side of her hair, a thick luxurious honey blond mane cascaded on her shoulders. She brushed his ears gently. He didn't move when she finally reduce the distance between them and hugged him against her tightly. He didn't move. He barely closed his arms around her back. She said nothing. He said nothing. They stayed there saying nothing to each other but communicating nonetheless. It was a mime of sorts, an exploit for the two of them she realized.

Meredith realized she was just glad to have met him. It wasn't much. But it was the first time in months she felt like she was living, like she was herself and that was priceless. She didn't know how long they remained there. He was going to leave and never come back. So she just savored her organized thoughts and the smell of him which became in a matter of hours just so familiar. She was all too ready to go back to a world where she was essentially the fool that was trying to live without Derek Shepherd.

He would be unable to say who pull away first. She had no idea either. His fingers were playing with the nape of her neck, his other hand had settled on her waist… He leaned, his lips inches from her ears. She knew she should be pulling away. But instead, she found herself leaning more on him and maybe that had been it. She blinked and it was no longer there, the weight of his hand on her back, his warmth. She looked over her shoulder and watched him walk away. Then she did the same, she walked in the opposite direction.

When you feel my heat

Look into my eyes

It's where my demons hide

It's where my demons hide

Don't get too close

It's dark inside

It's where my demons hide

It's where my demons hide