A/N: This week's one scene teaser(ish) chapter. Less tease, more reward this week. Enjoy. :)

It was the soft words she couldn't understand that woke her this time. Her pain was barely a muted memory, floating around her, above her and through her. She tried to speak but it came out only as a sigh, a pressured breath. The deep voice continued to caress her ears, its tone familiar and comforting. She'd dreamed of this voice.

A heavy weight held down her right hand and she opened her eyes to a brightly lit room. The dark hair leaning over her right side confused her and she fought to make sense of what she was seeing. Memories crashed into her, Smecker's words rolling over her again and again. The Saints were dead. The Saints were dead.

Murphy is dead. She choked on a sob and closed her eyes as the pain in her heart began to throb with the growing pain in her side.

Warm hands grasped her face, a thumb running along the path of tears and she heard her name. "Katie? Katie?"

Blue eyes stared down at her from a face she knew well. Murphy. No, it can't be. "You're dead." Her whisper was rough in her throat and the head above her shook slowly, tears falling from his eyes and mixing in with hers.

"No, I'm not. We're not. Oh God, Katie." His accent was thick as his voice trembled. She stared up at him, unsure if she was awake. Unsure if this was another cruel dream. It was only as his lips met hers for a gentle kiss that she knew he was real. That he was alive. That he was really her Murphy.

His arm slipped under her shoulders, lifting her slightly and holding her close to him. She tightened her hold on him, ignoring the pain in her side as she sobbed into his shoulder. "You're here."

"I thought I'd lost ye, Katie." The whisper sounded broken and her breath hitched as she shook her head against him. "I love ye so much."

"I love you too, Murphy."

His hold released on her and she found herself staring up into his face again, his eyes studying her carefully. "How are ye feelin'? Are ye hurtin'?" He kept his hands on her, one gripping her hand and the other softly pushing her hair back away from her face.

She shook her head against the pain. She wasn't going to give into another shot, another heavy sleep. "What happened?"

"Ye got shot, Katie." It sounded forced out and his eyes fluttered away from hers for a moment.

Nodding, she blinked slowly. "I think I remember that."

His eyes focused on hers again and he kissed her forehead gently. "Ye've got ta be in pain. Let me get a nurse in here."

"No." She tightened her hand on his and he narrowed his eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"It'll put me out again. I don't wanna go yet."

Murphy pressed his lips together, tucking a few stray hairs behind her ears as he watched her. "Ye're not goin' anywhere. They had ta fuckin' sedate ye last time. That's what made ye sleep." His words were harsh and she caught the flash of anger in his eyes.

"Smecker…" She trailed off as Murphy glanced away.

"Smecker lied ta ye. Ta save us."

"To save you? I don't…" Her mind had started to clear and it seemed obvious to her now. If only she'd understood at the time. "They think you three are dead?"

He nodded. "Aye."

"Why? How?"

"Da made the decision." His thumb trailed up and down her cheek as he looked at her.

"And how do you feel about it, Murph?"

"The psychologist is back, I see." Murphy grinned. She smiled slowly at him but was cut off from responding as footsteps sounded into the room. The nurse looked up surprised at the two of them.

"Kathleen, welcome back. And you've got company." The nurse's eyes narrowed at Murphy who stood up and smiled.

"I'm Billy. Katie's cousin." His lack of accent made Katie grin but she refrained from commenting. The nurse looked him over closely before nodding.

"Where's her brother?"

"Peter's here, too?" Katie found that she was barely able to whisper the words and her heart leapt as Murphy gave her a soft smile of understanding before nodding.

"Yeah, he's here." He turned back to the nurse. "He went to go get some food."

"Good. He needed it. Been here all night long." Her hands were cool on Katie's left arm and she stared at the monitor before checking the chart in her other hand. "You want something to ease that pain?"

"Yes, she does." Murphy's accent slipped a little but the nurse didn't seem to notice, simply nodding.

"Listen to him. You'll be much more comfortable if you do."

"As long as it won't knock me out." Katie watched as the nurse smiled slightly.

"We typically don't sedate for pain, darling. You might feel a bit sleepy, but that's normal."

They all remained silent as the nurse finished up and Katie felt his eyes on her as the nurse left the room. "Ye were hurtin'." It sounded almost like an accusation and she raised an eyebrow at him.

"You have no room to talk, iron man."

His laughter was rich and he kissed her softly. "Ye said something about that on the way here, too."

"I did?"

"Aye, ye did." He moved to sit next to her on the bed, his weight against her right side comfortable. "Am I hurtin' ye?"

"No. I'm fine, Billy." She smiled widely as the humor filled his eyes. His hands stayed in constant contact with her and she was touched that he felt that need. Because she felt it, too. She wasn't alone anymore. And the subsiding pain was nothing compared to what separation from Murphy felt like.

"That was yer fuckin' brother's idea."

"That I figured. I never would have mentioned Billy to you." Katie closed her eyes for a moment and relaxed into her pillow, the warmth of his body next to her making her smile.

"Ye okay?" His fingertips traced her hairline and she nodded. "Ye need ta rest."

He was right, she knew, as she could feel the exhaustion bearing down on her already, despite the fact that she'd done absolutely nothing. But she couldn't sleep yet, couldn't give in to it. There was more she had to ask, more she had to know. Glancing up at him again, she shook her head. "Not yet. How is everyone else?"

"Worried sick, but otherwise, they're fuckin' fine. Connor sends his love."

She grinned, her eyes back on his. "He does, huh?"

"Yeah. I think he was a tiny bit concerned."

"Whatever for?"

"No fuckin' idea. But he has always been the worrier o' the family."

Katie smiled, knowing it wasn't true. Connor was only the biggest worrier when it came to Murphy. Otherwise, Murphy was the overwrought hen of the McManus clan. And I almost lost them. The thought came from out of nowhere, hitting her quickly and she sighed. Murphy had to know the truth. He had to know what happened.

"Tommy was behind it all." She spoke the words carefully, bracing for the burst of anger she was sure would come. There was some heat in his gaze but he just nodded.

"Aye, that we fuckin' know. Sara told us."

"Did you get him?"

"No. But I hope we will."

"I hope you don't." She kept her voice level but her heart beat steadily faster as he frowned at her.

"How can ye say that? He pointed a gun at ye. He's the fuckin' reason yer lying here."

"And, in a way, he's the reason you are still alive. And the reason the Saints are dead. I hope he runs and lives the rest of his cowardly life hidden. I don't want to lose you three to another battle with him. He's not fucking worth it, Murph." She bit the words off sharply and he shook his head at her. Katie let out a sigh and shifted against him. The need to close her eyes was beginning to overwhelm her but she couldn't go yet. She had to make him understand.

"Shhh…it's not worth ye gettin' upset over. Close yer eyes now. Ye need ta rest." He ran his hand over her hair.

"Promise me, Murphy. Promise you'll leave it alone."

Murphy's eyes narrowed at her and she could have sworn it was in annoyance. "Why? He needs ta pay fer what he's done."

"Yeah, well, vengeance hasn't done anyone any good so far. So why continue looking for it?" She heard the weakness in her voice and took another deep breath. "You can finally be free of being a Saint."

"Free?"

Katie nodded, closing her eyes for a moment. He sighed. "Sleep, Katie. We'll talk about this later."

She looked back up at him, noticing for the first time the weariness around his eyes. "You could be free to be yourself. To be Murphy McManus again. And I could be Katie. And we could be Murphy and Katie. Freely. Without the constant fear of mafia retaliation and death."

His voice was soft as he stared down at her. "How long have ye felt this way, Katie?"

Katie swallowed hard against the lump in her throat and pressed her lips together. "Since I was told that the Saints were dead. I won't lose you again, Murph. I can't."

Nodding slowly, he gazed at her. "Ye won't Katie. I'm not goin' anywhere. I'm right here."

"You said that in my dream, too." She only realized she was whispering as he leaned closer to hear her.

"And I'll say it again. Ye can rest, m'love. I'll be right here." His lips met hers gently and his eyes stared down at her again.

"Tá mo chroí istigh ionat" The quiet words hovered down to her as he spoke next to her ear. The words didn't translate, but the love within them reached her. And she smiled at him before she closed her eyes, giving into the oncoming darkness.

'Tá mo chroí istigh ionat' is Irish Gaelic for 'My heart is within you'