It probably was the flickering lights that roused Grey from the darkness, or the sound of deep breaths echoing through the room. She turned her neck, the incremental amount that she could, and saw the source of the noise.

His pants were crisp, free of any signs of wear, and the white shirt he wore wrinkled with the rise and fall of his chest. His head rested against the wall, using his leather jacket as a pillow.

It was Murphy, asleep and peaceful, waiting by Grey's side like he always was. She knew that she needed him, but it wasn't until that moment, sick with relief and distraught from fatigue, that Grey realized the extent of her need.

Impulsively she reached out for him, wanting to push the clean hair out of his eyes so she could admire the way his sharp features softened as he slept.

But her mind looped back to the last time she saw him. What he had said, what he done, and she pulled her hand back away. The way he screamed at her broke Grey's heart. She thought he was changing, being more open, more inviting, but the fundamental parts of John Murphy were set too deep in his bones to get rid of, it was part of who he was.

Maybe he will always be impulsive and emotional, but it didn't subdue Grey's desire to reach out to him from her position on the hospital bed.

Sleep hit her like a wave then, it must've been the medication intertwining with her blood. In minutes she was gone again, too deep in sleep to see Murphy wake up. She couldn't see the way he looked at her, or the way he kissed the back of her hand as he held it. Grey didn't even see him leave.

X

X

X

How long it had been, Grey wasn't sure, but it must've been awhile because when she turned over, it was Kane sitting beside her rather than Murphy.

"Grey," he said softly as he leaned forward, "I'm so sorry about this, I should've made you come early with me to inspect, letting you go in the back was-"

"Kane, Kane," Grey interrupted, shaking her head, "None of this was your fault," she explained, "This was just bad luck, and I'm okay, I can take care of myself."

He gave her a soft smile and leaned over to rub her hair, Grey missed having him check up on her all the time. Back when she was bedridden and depressed, he was her only comfort. It was the closest thing to a father she ever got.

"I'll leave you to get some rest."

"No," Grey insisted, "I need to get out of this bed, and where are Bellamy and Miller?"

Kane smiled at her, dramatically opened the curtains to reveal the bed beside them.

Bellamy was completely asleep, with his mouth hanging open and head turned to one side. Grey had to choke back a laugh when she saw Miller curled up at his feet. Apparently he recovered much quicker than Bellamy and Grey. Apparently, she was passed out for a whole day.

Kane closed the curtains again, and guided Grey to her room on the 4th level, filling her in on everything that had happened since arriving at Mount Weather. Grey could barely pay attention because she was to busy checking off the comparisons in her head. The dry air, the dark hallways, the hum of machinery, even the caged, windowless feeling were resoundingly similar to her old home on the Ark.

But once Kane showed Grey to her living quarters her thoughts immediately changed. It had two bedrooms, one with a king size bed, a couch, a device used for playing music, a master bathroom, and even a wine cooler (with wine still in it).

Even the hallway was filled with paintings and sculptures, which Kane had to urge her past every time Grey stopped to stare at them.

"There's a library here too, you can go see it once you've settled in."

Grey couldn't help but laugh, because for the first time in her existence, life seemed to fit around her perfectly. Well, almost perfectly, there was one aspect that still seemed out of place, but she swept it aside with a rush of burning hot water.

Grey couldn't remember the last time she showered, let alone the last time she felt hot. She twisted the silver knob as far as it could go, so when she dried of her skin was red and splotchy.

Kane had given her some clothes but she would have to get some more soon. For now she wore a dark red dress, tight only around her arms, and softer than any fabric she'd touched. It swung around her as she walked, and she spent a copious amount of time dancing around her new home to music that only existed in her head.

First to come was Raven, who metaphorically ran from work just to greet her. Wick walked in a couple minutes later, apparently forced to wait by the door so Raven and Grey could "have a moment." Then there was Monty, whose contagious smile caused Grey to hug him and refuse to let go.

"Get off him Grey!" Wick laughed from his seat in front of what he called a record player, he and Raven were arguing over what music to play.

"It's fine," Monty smiled, "I'm so happy she's alive."

"And I'm happy I have my cinnamon roll," Grey teased.

"Hey!" Monty pulled away from her, "I hate being called that!"

"Why?" Raven asked, "It's quite fitting."

"Ugh!" Monty groaned, collapsing onto the couch.

"Hey," he looked over to Grey a few minutes later, "Where's your boyfriend?"

"Where's your boyfriend?" She retorted.

Monty blushed and stammered something like, "I don't… We're not… I don't know?"

Eventually Raven and Wick had to go back to work, and Monty to find his "not boyfriend" Miller. This left Grey sprawled out on her couch listening to a song titled Werewolves of London on repeat.

Suddenly a knocking mixed into the melody and Grey dragged herself off the couch and towards the door.

"Wick!" She shouted, "I told you once and I'll tell you again, I am not sharing my-"

Grey's heart felt as if it had lifted in her chest, blocking the words in her throat.

"Wine," she managed to exhale, Murphy's blue eyed stare and parted lips hitting her like a spaceship hitting the atmosphere.

"Grey-," he began to say, but the rest of it was muffled by the sound of the door slamming shut.

It was instinct, because she really didn't know what else to do.

Murphy stood in awe on the other side of Grey's door, and impulsively banged on it again.

"Grey!" He pressed his ear to the door, he could hear her shallow breaths on the other side, "Grey I know you can hear me," he said just loud enough for his words to go through the door.

"I'm sorry," he pressed his forehead into the wood, "I'm sorry I'm an ass, I'm sorry for what I said."

Grey exhaled, but she didn't move her hand any closer to the knob.

"I say dumb things when I'm angry," Murphy tried to explain, but found the right words hard to come by, "I just let my emotions get the best of me. And I know you do to because you hurt me, a lot…" his voice trailed off and he muttered a curse under his breath.

"I get it okay? I fucked up, but I'm trying to make it better," Murphy explained bitterly, "I'm trying to be better. And if the world still hates me so be it, but when it comes to you… If you hate me, then I have nothing."

Grey could hear his sigh through the door, and pressed her forehead further into the wood.

"You knew about my past and you still tried to see the good in me," He continued, his voice even softer, "You found things I thought I lost a long time ago."

Grey's fingers moved slowly towards the doorknob.

"And I'm so fucking sorry, Grey. But I understand why your mad, and I'll give you your space."

She heard his footsteps and contemplated opening the door, but then his footsteps faltered and he was back with his hands against the door.

"Just know that I'll wait. I'll be here for you as a friend if that's what you need. And it's not like me to say any of this but I feel like I have to because… You're all I have."

Grey turned the knob and pulled open the door. Murphy stumbled forward, his awestruck expression just inches away from Grey's sympathetic features.

She immediately pressed her lips into his, softly holding his scarred cheeks in her hands. Murphy opened his eyes, unsure if it was real. He stifled a breath and then pressed back, wrapping his arms around her in a tight embrace.

Murphy wasn't kissing her lips, he was soaking in her whole essence, the smell of soap in her hair, the fire burning under her skin, the taste of salty tears. His life had seemed so insignificant, so full of pain and loss, but if it led him to this moment with Grey, he knew it must mean something.

He pulled away -still lost in the serene escape of their kiss-and wiped the tears from her cheeks. Grey just looked up at him, starry eyed, and laughed.

"I didn't know how much I cared about you until the moment I thought I'd never see you again," Grey explained, unable to control the stormy waters in her eyes, "I thought I was going to die with you mad at me, not even knowing how I felt about you."

"Now we know," Murphy smiled down at her, running his lonely fingers through her hair.

"Oh!" Grey sniffed, retracting herself from Murphy to look at someone behind him, "Bellamy! I didn't see you!"

Murphy whirled around to see the freckled boy's classic smirk, side by side with Miller and Monty who were grinning at each other like idiots.

"Well we saw you," he raised his eyebrows at Murphy, which made his pale skin glow pink. He would've been angry if Grey wasn't leaning into him, pressing her forehead into his shoulder bashfully.

"I owe Raven so much moonshine," Monty laughed, and Bellamy snickered, "I thought it would never happen!"

"I'm happy you're finally awake." Grey changed the subject by giving Bellamy a friendly hug.

"Me too," Bellamy patted her back.

"We'll leave you two alone," he said, more towards Miller and Monty, who were still freaking out over Grey and Murphy.

"Have fun," Monty called at them as they walked down the corridor.

"Not too much fun!" Miller added with a smile.

Murphy rolled his eyes, and Grey eagerly pulled him into her room, wanting to show him the record player and shower she had all to herself.

She ended the tour with a grand finale.

"And this-" she said whilst dropping the needle on the record, "Is Werewolves of London."

Murphy was staring, his expression soft and blue eyes glowing, not at the record player but at Grey spinning in her red dress.

"What?" She asked, stepping towards him.

"I've never seen you in a dress before," he explained with blushing cheeks.

"I've never worn a dress before," she smiled in reply.

They stared at each other for a moment, letting the mutual love float between them.

"Hey it's almost meal time," Murphy said abruptly, "we should probably go."

"Can we just stay?" Grey asked before collapsing on to the couch.

"Of course," Murphy sat beside her, letting Grey rest her head on his chest. She sighed pleasantly as Murphy wound a finger around one of her brown waves,

"I'll always stay with you."