The subterranean fields were a gold mine of natural life, created by yellow lights and willing hands. Murphy's seemed to glow as the traced over the ever-growing stalks while he curiously walked through the wheat. He smiled, because after months of work he was finally getting results. There was a familiar click of machinery and Murphy began to pick up speed until he was in a full sprint, heading towards a finish line completely invisible behind the all gold swaying around him.

He leapt at the first glimpse of white, and slid onto the concrete floor with only a few drops of water on his back.

"Damn," a familiar pair of boots stomped, "Farmboy can run."

"He cheated!" Another pair of shoes emerged, and Murphy looked up to see none other than Bellamy Blake glaring at him with water dripping from his hair.

"It's impossible to make it through without getting wet!"

"Mad you lost, Blake?" Murphy smirked as he stood, dry as daylight.

"The only thing I'm mad about is you always cheating!" Bellamy sighed with exasperation, but Murphy only rolled his eyes and laughed.

"Calm down boys," Raven joked, "I saw him wander into the fields way before the machine went off."

"You caught me," Murphy lifted up his hands, "I have a thing later, okay!"

Bellamy and Raven raised their eyebrows at Murphy.

"How much you wanna bet that "thing" is Grey?" Raven bumped Bellamy's shoulder.

"No need to bet because I already know."

Murphy rubbed his nose to hide his blush. Even though him and Grey had been together a couple months now, just thinking about her got him flustered.

"Well, I got to clean up my farm," Murphy humored his friends (friends?!).

"And I got to go tell everyone that I'm still the champion," Bellamy gloated.

"Oh yeah, because barely out running a sprinkler is so impressive," Raven rolled her eyes as she turning away, "Boys are so dumb!"

"Men!" Bellamy laughed after her.

"I'll get you next time, Blake," Murphy shook his head. These past months had changed him like he never knew. He and Bellamy's arguments ended with laughter instead of fists (well… most of the time) and even Raven had warmed up to him a bit. No longer could Octavia look down on him for being invaluable, because now he was growing all of the Mountain's food with his own two hands. He had turned his sorrows into sustenance, and his temper into hard work. And when he found himself close to breaking, close to letting his rage run wild, he would remember Grey's midnight whispers as she held his scarred cheeks. I love you, all of you.

In the control room he clicked off the sprinklers and timed out. His few co-workers had left for dinner a while ago, but Murphy had to take the long shift, he was basically in charge after all. As he reclined in his chair he pulled out a disheveled paperback version of Macbeth and fiddled a pen between his teeth.

There was a rush of wind as he turned the page and suddenly a familiar pair of arms were wrapped around him. Murphy spun around just as Grey was about to kiss his cheek and caught her on his lips. She let out a sigh before pulling away from him.

"Hey Murph-," she beamed, but before she could finish her thought, Murphy pulled her down onto his lap and was kissing her again. He leaned into her as if she had been gone for days, even though he woke up in her bed this morning. Grey hummed sweetly, wrapping her fingers in his soft hair.

"Did you miss me?" She raised her eyebrows, laughing only inches away from his lips.

"Not at all," he grinned, eyes glowing with love and sarcasm.

Grey shouted playfully as Murphy stood, still holding her in his arms as he sat her down on the table. He smirked up at her and Grey let out a sigh, wrapping her legs around him.

"You're pretty light for someone who works in a kitchen all day."

"And you're pretty scrawny for a farmboy."

"Don't call me farmboy," Murphy rolled his eyes in annoyance as he pulled up his sleeves to show her just how scrawny was.

"Hmm…" Grey analyzed his arm muscles with her fingers, sending chills down his spine, "I'm not impressed…" her fingers trailed down his chest and to the hem of his shirt, "Maybe if you show me the rest.."

"Grey…" Murphy half-groaned, half-laughed, as he let her take of his shirt.

"Oh wow," she said, touching his abs, "That's some good shit right there."

"Yeah," Murphy nodded, "I know."

"Hey," Grey stopped admiring him to look at something beyond Murphy's shoulder, "What's that?"

"Oh fuck," he said looking at the worktable behind him, where a box wrapped in paper and a bottle of wine sat.

"It was supposed to be a surprise," he sighed, looking up at her brown nose and eyes, "Why are you back so early anyway."

"I don't know, it was a long day and I wanted to surprise you. Plus the kids had it under control-"

Murphy laughed because most of the "kids", also known as her workers, older than her.

"-But your surprise sounds a lot better."

"Shut up, Grey, your probably the best thing I've seen all day."

Grey rolled her eyes but succumbed to a soft smile, Murphy went on, "Well I heard that anniversaries… were a thing… that people do… And I'm not really sure the exact day we decided to start fighting this shit together but I thought we could celebrate. We can go to the warehouse, look at art, drink some wine…"

"John," she kissed him with a smile, "That's so sweet…" But her words were muffled by Murphy's lips as they crashed into hers again. Grey's hands gripped Murphy's back, making him forget that they were still in the control room with windows overlooking the fields. She wrapped her legs around him tighter, and played her way down his neck. His hands found their way from her neck, and down to her back, until he was gripping the glowing skin beneath her shirt.

Suddenly a forceful cough echoed through the room, and Murphy and Grey's passionate moment ended with Monty standing in the doorway.

Had it been a few months ago Monty would've looked petrified, but it wasn't his first (nor would it be his last) time walking in on the couple. Murphy stood in shock, his already flushed skin burned even more as he looked out the window and saw Octavia, Raven, Miller and surprisingly Abby, all watching them.

Octavia, Raven and Abby all seemed pretty amused, and Grey waved at them as she leapt down from the table. Murphy on the other hand, was resisting the urge not to break through the glass and punch Miller, who was laughing and pretending to gag.

"What the hell Monty!" Murphy exclaimed as he pulled on his shirt, "This isn't a fucking peep show!"

"Well you were right in front of a window-"

"Both of you shut up," said Grey, "Monty, what's going on?"

"It's Clarke," Monty explained, his large eyes darting between the couple, "She's back."

"Holy shit," Grey grabbed Murphy's hand and pulled him out the door.

"Princess?" Murphy muttered under his breath.

"How much did you see?" Grey whispered to Raven as the group practically ran down the corridor.

"Enough to know that farmboy's got a bod."

"Pretty sure that's the first nice thing you've ever said about me, Reyes," Murphy scoffed.

"And probably the last," Raven added.

"Ok, enough about Murphy's really attractive and hot body and more about Clarke, please! When did she get back, and how, and where the fuck was she?!" Grey exclaimed through lost breath. They were all panting now as they approached the Small Council Room.

"Just now, on a horse, and no idea," replied Miller, who was pulling Monty by his hand. Abby was the first to reach the door, which was already hanging open, but she stopped as her fingers reached the handle. Her face dropped as her breathing began to shake ever so slightly. Murphy looked down to Grey whose dark eyes were staring quizzically at Abby.

"What is it?" Raven panted as she reached the rest of the group. Abby motioned for everyone to be quiet, and distant sound began to grow, echoing around them like a storm. Clarke was screaming.

"The shadows!" Her voice choked, "I killed them, I killed them all!"

"Shh, princess," a comforting voice interceded. It was Bellamy; he must've found her while he was guarding the perimeter of the mountain.

"I need to go back, but Death is waiting for me, She knows what I've done! She's everywhere, She's watching me!"

Abby covered her mouth, while the rest of the group shared a look of worry. To Murphy's disbelief, Clarke was not back at all. Her mind must've wandered far into those woods and lost it's way.

"Clarke, you need to calm down! You're okay. You're safe," Bellamy's voice ran out like a river against her flames, but still Clarke continued to burn.

"I am become death," her voice dropped hauntingly, "Destroyer of worlds."

"No," Bellamy replied, "No you're not."

"How do you know?" she hissed, "You don't know anything that's happened in the last three months! You don't know what I had to do!"

"You're right, I don't know what you went through, but I know that you're hear now and that's all that matters."

"Well I won't be here for long," Clarke spoke steadily for once, almost sounding sane, "I can't let Her get you too."

Bellamy sighed.

"You're not going anywhere until you're better. You're not well right now, Clarke."

"I'm not well because the Mountain Men are angry, I can't love you guys if you're going to die!" Clarke exclaimed with unnerving certainty.

"They're not angry," Bellamy assured her, "They're happy. They're buried outside with a great view. They finally got to go home."

"Really?" Clarke asked with the sincerity of a child.

"Really. And we're home now too," Bellamy sighed, "I'll help you through this Princess, 'cuz we're in this together right?"

There was a long pause, and finally Clarke sighed.

"Right."

Abby opened the door slightly and Murphy peered into the room. Clarke stood burrowed in Bellamy's embrace, rocking slightly in his arms, while Bell smiled softly and rested his head in her neck. He lifted his head slowly, looking at Abby as if to say em It's okay. /em

When Clarke pulled away from Bellamy her eyes were burning with overdue tears. She stared at her mom, with a blue gaze, glassy and wild, and rushed into her arms.

"No," she sobbed, "You can't see me like this."

"Sh, Clarke," her mom reassured, while petting her hair.

Murphy felt very out of place in the small room, and wondered why he of all people was there at all. The last time he had spoken to Clarke was in contempt. Now he was supposed to greet her like a friend?

"I'm just going to leave again," she sighed, finally glancing around at her welcoming party. Every feature had been darkened, hollowed somehow by grief and winter's chill. Murphy knew the feeling all to well. Traces of war paint and blood still stained her skin, she looked like a savage against the clean walls of the mountain. She was all instinct, and loneliness, and blood that wasn't her own.

"Not on my watch," Raven meet Clarke's wild demeanor with a smile, and the two embraced. Clarke hugged everyone with passion and would barely let them go. She truly missed them, Murphy thought. Grey, having never known Clarke, stood off to the side while the woman walked in front of Murphy. Squinting at him as if to decide whether he was predator or prey.

"Murphy?"

"Clarke," he replied with disbelief.

"You look so – different – No blood, or dirt…"

"Just scars," he said with a breath.

Suddenly she wrapped her arms around him, and he had no choice but to comply.

"I forgive you, you know," she sniffed, "I know what it's like now, I know what She does to us. But you can always come back… you always can."

And for a moment Murphy thought she was back, but Crazy Clarkey prevailed and Bellamy swooped in and wrapped a helpful arm around her.

"I think we should take you to Medical, so you can get some rest."

"That's a great idea Bellamy," Abby nodded, sounding more like a Chancellor than a mother. She kissed Clarke's forehead before sending her off with Bellamy.

"You guys should probably head back to your rooms and give her some space for now," Abby instructed, "I'll let you guys know how she's doing."

"No need," Miller said, "We'll be in to check on her soon."

"Yeah," Monty nodded, "Clarke is more than just our friend, we'd do anything for her."

"Even if that means giving her time to heal," Raven added, "We need to keep her safe. She's in a rough place right now."

With an exhale Abby's calm façade crumbled, "What could've happened out there," her voice strained, "For her to become like this?"

"She had the world on her shoulders," Murphy finally spoke, "And no one to help her carry it. She had to battle all that grief on her own, but we can help her now."

"Thank you," Abby sorrowfully smiled at the ex-Delinquents, "All of you."

Grey squeezed Murphy's hand, and kissed his knuckles before letting him go.

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Author's Note: soo.. it's been awhile… I'm sorry! I've been so busy but I really hope you guys like it! 3