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Chapter Text

Thomas wakes up remembering nothing but his name.

He's in a metal cage/box thing, and is freaking out because the thing is moving. He doesn't know what to do or make of the situation. Then it all just stops.

He doesn't know how long he's down there for--he thinks maybe around half an hour--before a set of doors open. Bright light shines down on Thomas, and he shields his eyes because it's too much.

By the time he's used to the light, hands are reaching down and roughly pulling him up. He falls to the ground and is immediately swarmed with negative comments.

"Look at that shank!"

"He won't be good for nothing!"

"Might as well get rid of him now!"

"Throw him in the Slammer!"

"Banish him!"

As Thomas looks around, he notices that the worst comments are coming from this ugly guy with black hair and a messed up nose.

Thomas freaks out and tries to get away from everyone surrounding him, but they grab hold of him, and start dragging him off toward a small, concrete building. He doesn't even bother fighting them, knowing that there's no point.

Thomas hears people saying Slammer, so he guesses that's the name of the building.

The "Slammer" is unlocked and he is literally thrown inside. The door is slammed shut and locked, and everyone leaves, but not before throwing a few more negative comments toward him.

Thomas backs into a corner, brings his knees up to his chest, and tucks his head between his knees, wishing that he was anywhere but here.

How can this be happening? How? Thomas doesn't think he'll ever know. These people don't even know him. And they're already judging him based on his appearance! He will never understand how they work.

And one word is stuck on his mind. "Banishment."

That doesn't sound good, and Thomas doesn't doubt that that is also saying "death."

Thomas wants to cry, but no tears come. So he just sits there, alone, and tries to brace himself for whatever comes next.

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It isn't too long before Thomas hears footsteps coming towards the Slammer. He thinks he can make out two. He inwardly starts to freak out. His heart is pounding, but he forces himself to breathe normally, not wanting to give them the satisfaction of knowing that he is scared to death.

He sees two people through the little window come into view. One is Asian, with extremely dark hair, and the other is tall, with dirty blonde hair. The Blonde one opens the door, and the two new boys enter the Slammer, closing the door behind them.

Thomas curls into a ball, wanting to stay as far away from them as possible. But they only come closer, until they're standing right in front of him. Thomas looks up, his expression full of fear. That fear only growing when the blonde one kneels and puts his hand on Thomas's knee.

"Hey," he says. He's got an accent, Thomas notes. "It's okay, relax. We aren't going to hurt you. Those shanks out there--" He gestures towards outside. "--they want to hurt you. But I don't. And Minho here doesn't want to, either."

Thomas looks up at the Asian boy--now Minho--who is still standing, and the boy nods, kneeling next to his friend.

"We aren't going to hurt you," he says. "We just want to let you know what's going on now, and what's going to happen later."

He waits for Thomas to nod, and Thomas does.

"Okay," Minho says. "This is Newt." He nods towards towards the blonde. "Can you tell us your name?"

"Thomas." Thomas says it so quietly that Minho almost doesn't catch it.

"Thomas?" he asks. Thomas nods. "Okay, Thomas, this is what's happening right now. Those people out there are called Gladers, and they're extremely judgmental. But I think you got that from all those horrible things they were saying to you."

Thomas nods, still a bit scared, but not as scared as before. He thinks he might be able to trust these two. It's only a maybe, but he'll have to see if that "maybe" turns into a "yes."

Newt's the one to speak this time. "There's nothing we can really do about that," he says. "There's only two of us, and around fifty of them. They outnumber us, and they've all voted to send you out into the Maze tonight. It's not an official Banishment--if you survive you can come back--but no one's survived a night in the Maze."

The way Newt says "Maze" makes Thomas shiver. It sounds like the Maze is a terrible, awful, horrific place. And the fact that no one has survived a night in that Maze causes Thomas's fear to spike again. Those people out there want to send him off to his death. They are that judgmental.

"We're going to help you as much as we can," Minho says. "We'll give you some tips on surviving the Maze. But once you get out there, you're on your own. But you have to fight, okay? You have to. You have to prove those shanks wrong."

Thomas looks into Minho's eyes and sees how confident they look. But not confident in himself, but in Thomas. Thomas takes a deep breath and nods. That's when Minho and Newt begin with tips on how to survive that damn Maze.

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Minho and Newt do all they can to help Thomas. And by the end of their time together, Thomas has decided to fully trust them. But then, it's time.

It's time for Thomas to be sent out into the Maze.

Minho and Newt sneak back out of the Slammer about ten minutes before two different guys come in, lift him off the ground, and march him toward the opening in the Maze. Thomas learned from Minho that they're called "Doors."

Everyone is waiting for him. Minho and Newt are standing off to the side, away from the others. He looks at them and they give him tender smiles. Thomas can't bring himself to smile back. They said their goodbyes back at the Slammer, but still, Minho and Newt are his only friends. It hurts.

He's close enough to the Doors now that he sees that messed-up-nose kid smirking near them. He found out that his name was Gally.

He and the two boys stop in front of Gally, and Gally just shakes his head, and says, "You are such a waste."

He yells over to one of the other boys and tells him to get the collar, and that's when Thomas finally speaks. "Wait!" he says.

Everyone, aside from Minho and Newt, is shocked. This is the first time they've heard Thomas actually speak. It gets Gally's attention, though, so it's worth all the shocked stares. "Let me go," Thomas says.

Gally is surprised, but is impressed enough to gesture for the two boys to let Thomas go.

Thomas then walks toward the Doors. He ignores all the staring, and just goes right inside. By the time he gets to the other side, the Doors are starting to close. He turns around and faces everyone, not once looking away until the Doors shut tight, trapping him in the Maze, where he knows he will be meeting his doom.

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The next morning, Newt and Minho are up early to wait by the Doors before anyone else.

"Please let him be alive, please let him be alive," Newt pleads.

Minho takes his hand, gives it a reassuring squeeze, and says, "It'll be okay, Newt."

It does nothing to calm Newt down.

Other boys start showing up to wait. And twenty minutes later, everyone is waiting.

Finally, after another ten minutes, the Doors open. But Thomas is not on the other side.

Newt closes his eyes and hangs his head. He wants to cry. Thomas is gone. He's dead.

Or is he?

"Newt," he hears Minho whisper. "Look."

Newt doesn't want to look, doesn't want to see an empty corridor, but something in him tells him he needs to look, so he does. And what he sees takes his breath away.

Thomas is stumbling down the corridor, looking exhausted, bloody, but alive.

Thomas is alive!

He stumbles into the Maze and almost falls to the ground, but Newt is there to catch him.

Newt holds Thomas is his arms. Thomas is shaking, but relaxes when Newt's warmth surrounds him. He can't believe it. No one can believe it.

Thomas has just survived a night in the Maze.

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Thomas is taken to the Med-jacks where he is bandaged and given food and water. He tries sleeping, but only manages for a few hours before the nightmares become too much.

He decides to walk around the Glade, and stumbles upon a forest. He walks into the forest, he's not sure how far he goes, but it's peaceful, so he sits against one of the trees and takes a look at himself. Arms cut up, legs cut up. But that's not the main thing he notices.

He notices that there are a ton of scars all over him. He sees them on his arms, on his legs, and when he lifts his shirt up, there are even scars on his stomach. And he is also able to count his ribs.

Thomas only wonders where it all came from for two second, before the answers just pops into his head.

Self-harm.

At first, Thomas can't believe it. But then, the more he thinks about it, the more he believes it. He has this weird feeling to hurt himself, and when the other boys--who apparently call themselves "Gladers"--were saying all those nasty things to him, he took in those words in a way that a regular person wouldn't. And the hopelessness he feels? That has to mean something as well.

Thomas thinks back to some of the boys who tried to apologize to him, saying that they were wrong about him, but Thomas refused to accept the apologies. He just can't do that. They made him go through Hell, it's going to take a lot more than some damn apology to make up for that.

Gally made it clear that he will not apologize any time soon. And Thomas doesn't care about that. What Gally said to him before he left him standing there, shocked, is what Thomas cares about.

Gally told him he should have killed himself in the Maze.

And the more Thomas thinks about it, the more he believes he should. It's not like anyone will care. Minho and Newt, they'll get over it. They don't know him enough. Once they find out that Thomas was depressed in his previous life, they'll never want to talk to him again, will never want to be around him. So Thomas makes his decision.

He gets up from the forest ground, takes one last look around him, then heads out of the forest, toward the Maze Doors.

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Minho is making his way back to the Glade after running the Maze all day. He's exhausted. He didn't get much sleep last night--too busy worrying about Thomas--and couldn't concentrate while running--also too busy worrying about Thomas.

Minho makes a right and sees movement on one of the Walls. He looks up and squints, trying to make whatever it is out. And as he gets closer he can see that it's a person climbing the Wall. And as he gets even closer, he can make out who it is.

Thomas.

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Thomas runs through the Maze, and once he thinks he far enough away, looks for a good Wall to climb. When he finally finds one, he grabs hold of one of the vines, tests it to make sure it can take his weight, then starts climbing.

He doesn't know how long he climbs for, but when he pauses to look down from where he is, he figures he's high enough that when he jumps, he won't survive. So he closes his eyes, says goodbye to Minho and Newt in his head, and then lets go of the vines.

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Minho sees Thomas stop to look down from where he is. Minho has figured out what Thomas is trying to do, and sprints faster than ever before, hoping to get to Thomas in time.

Minho is ten feet away from Thomas when he lets go of the vines. Minho pushes himself even harder. He manages to get under Thomas. And two seconds later, Thomas is in Minho's arms. Minho struggles to stay standing with the sudden weight in his arms, but he manages. Then he falls to his knees on the ground.

"Thomas?" he says hesitantly.

Thomas opens his eyes, and what Minho sees, breaks his heart into a million pieces.

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Thomas is falling. And falling. There's nothing stopping him from finishing his task--his task of killing himself. He wants it to be over so bad. He's eager for it to be done and over with. He doesn't want to deal with the thoughts anymore. He doesn't want to deal with the Gladers and their hurtful comments. He just wants to die.

But apparently, that's not going to happen.

Thomas never hits the ground. And that's because of the arms that caught him. Thomas wants to cry. He tasked himself with something that should have been so easy. But he even fails at that.

"Thomas?" he hears. And Thomas knows that voice.

Minho.

Thomas opens his eyes, and he knows there are tears in them. Great. Minho is going to see him cry. Can this day get any worse?

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Minho sees tears in Thomas's eyes, and sadness is written all over his face. Minho doesn't know what Thomas is thinking, but he can tell it's nothing good.

Thomas squeezes his eyes shut, and tears leak out of his eyes. Sobs start to escape him.

Minho doesn't understand it. Why did they have to do this to him? Just why? Minho doesn't understand . . .

Minho is pulled out his thoughts by Thomas speaking. "Please," he says. "Minho, just let me die, please. I don't want to go back there. I don't--"

Sobs take over, and Thomas can no longer speak.

Minho can't believe what he's hearing. But at the same time he can. Thomas doesn't want to go back to the Glade because he's not strong enough to face everyone. At least, not alone. And Thomas believes that he is alone. Which is not true at all. Minho just needs to get Thomas to understand that.

But in the meantime, he tightens his hold on Thomas, and lets him cry on his shoulder, knowing that he needs to get everything out. He needs to let all the pain, anger, and sadness out.

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Thomas tries to plead with Minho, tries to make him understand that he can't take being stuck in that place and stuck with those people. But Minho doesn't listen.

Instead, the hold he has on Thomas is tightened, and Thomas cries on Minho's shoulder. Minho doesn't say anything about it. In fact, he doesn't say anything at all. He just holds Thomas while he cries.

And Thomas does cry. He cries and cries and cries. He lets everything out. And the whole time, Minho is there. Thomas really can't believe it.

Finally, after what seems like forever, Thomas calms down. The tears stop. Thomas is breathing fast and heavily, but that's normal after having a cry like that. Thomas is sure about it.

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Minho knows they need to get back to the Glade, or else they'll be stuck in the Maze for the night. And Minho knows that Thomas won't be able to survive another night. Not in the state he's in.

He says to Thomas, "Thomas, I know you don't want to, but we need to get back to the Glade."

Thomas grows tense. Minho doesn't blame him at all. If he was Thomas right now, he wouldn't want to go back to the Glade either. But they have to go back.

"Thomas, it's going to be okay," he says in a soft voice. "Don't worry. I won't let anyone hurt you. Okay? I promise I'll keep you safe. And so will Newt."

For the first time in a while, Thomas meets Minho's eyes. Minho can see the hesitation, but finally, Thomas nods.

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Thomas doesn't want to return to the Glade, but he doesn't want to get stuck in the Maze overnight again either. So he reluctantly agrees to go back to the Glade with Minho.

Thomas tries to get up, but Minho doesn't let him. Instead, Minho tightens his grip on Thomas, and lifts him up, one arm wrapped around Thomas's shoulders, and the other is under Thomas's knees. Thomas lets out a small sound of surprise, then stutters, "W-what are you doing?"

Minho gives him a small smile and answers, "I'm carrying you. You are in no state of mind or body to be running all the way back to the Glade. You just relax, I'll get us back. Okay?"

Thomas takes a few seconds to agree, and then Minho takes off.

Thomas relaxes in Minho's hold, and starts to grow tired. Finally, his eyes close and he falls into a dreamless sleep.

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Newt is panicking.

He can't find Thomas anywhere. And when he asks around, people say they haven't seen him, and that makes everything worse.

Some say he went into the forest--a.k.a. the Deadheads--but Newt couldn't find him anywhere.

So now he's pacing around one of the Doors to the Maze, waiting for Minho to come back. Newt really needs Minho. He can't deal with this situation on his own.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, Newt sees Minho running down the corridor. But he's not alone.

Newt can see that Minho has someone in his arms, and as Minho gets closer, Newt sees that it's Thomas.

Minho re-enters the Glade and Newt runs up to him. He frantically asks, "What happened? Is he okay? Minho, what happened?!"

Minho tries to calm Newt down. "Newt, calm down," he says. "He's okay. But at the same time, he's not. I'll explain later. Right now, we need to get him out of here."

Newt finally notices how a crowd is gathering around. He looks at Thomas, still asleep in Minho's arms. He brushes Thomas's hair back out of his eyes, and, making up his mind, Newt nods. "Okay, he can sleep with us."

Minho nods as well. "That's the best idea I've heard in a long time. Let's go."

And with that, Minho and Newt head to the Homestead, pushing past questioning Gladers, and carrying a sleeping Thomas.

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Minho carries Thomas up to his and Newt's room, with Newt trailing behind. Their door is closed, but Newt opens it for Minho and they both enter.

It's just a normal size room, not too small, but not too big. It has a bedside table with a lamp on it, and a nice, comfortable bed, big enough for three people.

Newt lifts the covers off of the bed, and Minho gently places Thomas on the bed. Minho gets in the bed as well and Newt joins him, Newt being on Thomas's left, and Minho being on Thomas's right. They're careful not to disturb Thomas. Once they're comfortable, Newt and Minho tug the blankets up to cover Thomas.

But even though they're careful, Thomas still stirs and wakes up. And he looks so confused and upset that both Newt's and Minho's hearts break.

Thomas is finally able to focus on Newt and Minho, and when he figures out who they are, he breaks down into tears again.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he says through his sobs. "I just . . . I didn't . . . I don't . . ."

"Shhh," Newt and Minho shush him.

"It's okay, Tommy," Newt says, a little surprised at how the nickname came so naturally but not that focused on it right now.

"You're safe. I promise you, you're safe," Minho says.

The more they talk to him and reassure him, the more the sobs lessen. And it isn't long before Thomas falls asleep once again.

Once they are sure Thomas is asleep, they stop speaking to him and just send saddened looks to each other.

Newt is the one to break the silence. "Minho," he says. "What happened?"

Minho takes in a deep, shaky breath, and tells Newt about how he saw Thomas climbing the Wall, about how he saw him let go of the vines and how he rushed to catch him before he hit the ground. He tells Newt how he managed to catch him, but Thomas was so upset and so desperate to die. He tells Newt how he managed to convince Thomas to come back to the Glade willingly, and that he carried the poor boy back.

"That's basically where that little story ends," Minho says when he's done explaining. "You saw what happened after that."

Newt has tears in his eyes, and one escapes, but Minho wipes it away with his thumb.

"Newt, it's going to be okay, we're going to fix him." Minho tries to comfort Newt, and it seems like it's working since the tears start to disappear, and a look of determination take their place.

"We will," Newt said. "We will fix him. Even if it takes forever, we're going to help him get better."

Minho nods, a smile tugging at his lips. "We'll have to wait until tomorrow to really talk to him, though."

Newt nods. "I know, but we can wait. Right now, though, I just want to sleep."

Minho agrees, and they both get comfortable. They have their arms wrapped around Thomas, and they both fall asleep pretty fast, hoping that tomorrow will be better.

Chapter Text

Thomas wakes up the next day groggy and a little disoriented. He tries and remembers the previous day. And what he remembers fills him with dread.

Minho found him climbing the Wall. Minho caught him when he fell. Minho saw him cry. Minho let him cry on his shoulder. Minho carried him back to the Glade. He fell asleep in Minho's arms. And now he's here, lying on what feels like a bed and covered in blankets. But he's not alone.

He feels two pairs of arms wrapped around him. A quick glance to the left and right reveal that those arms belong to Newt and Minho. They're both asleep and unaware that Thomas has woken up.

Thomas isn't sure what to make of this. He isn't sure if he should wake them up, if he should try to leave, or just stay where he is. He doesn't even know why they would be near him after what he tried to do yesterday!

Thomas can feel the panic setting in, making his heart beat faster than normal, his breath coming and going too fast. He tries to squirm out of the two boys' embrace, feeling trapped and uncomfortable. Unfortunately, the arms are wrapped around him too tight, and he can't escape them. He whimpers. He panics. He's not able to breathe right and feels tears forming in his eyes.

Finally, Newt and Minho both stir, woken up by Thomas's squirming and his harsh breathing. When they see that Thomas is panicking and trying to get away, they immediately let him go and sit up.

They watch as Thomas scoots up the bed until he's sitting up with his knees against his chest, his arms wrapped around his legs and his head buried in his legs, trying to make himself as small as possible.

His breathing is still irregular and he can't seem to be able to get enough air into his lungs. Newt and Minho know they have to do something before this gets way, way out of hand.

Newt makes the first move.

He carefully crawls closer to Thomas before he's right in front of him. He places his hands on Thomas's shoulders and gently rubs them, trying to comfort the boy and show that he won't hurt him.

"Tommy," he says in a soft voice. There's no response. "Tommy, you have to calm down. Okay? You're okay. You just need to breathe. All right? Breathe."

Thomas tries to take in a breath, but he can't. His body won't let him.

Minho tries next.

"Hey, Thomas," he says, getting closer so he's in front of Thomas and next to Newt. "Look at me, Thomas. Can you look at me? Please? Thomas, just look at me."

It takes a few moments, but finally, Thomas manages to lift his head up to look at Minho. When Thomas looks into Minho's eyes, he sees so much care and concern and Thomas feels a little better because of that.

He looks at Newt and sees the same things in his eyes--care and concern. It's calming, and Thomas can already feel himself calming down.

"That's it, Tommy," Newt encourages. "Breathe. Keep doing that, you're doing great. Just keep breathing."

Minho nods. "You're doing good, Thomas, you're doing good. Just keep breathing and keep looking at us, okay? Don't think about anything else, don't look at anything else, just focus on us."

Thomas nods, and about five minutes later his breathing is back to normal and his heart doesn't feel like it's about to beat out of his chest. He just feels exhausted from whatever happened to him. But he doesn't care about the tiredness, he just wants to know what happened to him.

"Um . . ." he says, a little nervous because what if they don't know? Will they get mad at him for asking such a stupid question? But he pushes the nervousness out of the way and asks, "What exactly was that?"

Newt frowns. "What happened to you, you mean?" he asks.

Thomas nods.

Minho sighs and answers. "That was a panic attack," he says. "They're not fun, as you can tell, and not easy to deal with, as you can also tell."

Thomas is shocked. A panic attack? He had a panic attack? And while a part of him is shocked, another part is saying he shouldn't be shocked. Thomas is getting the feeling that he's had panic attacks before. He wouldn't be surprised if he did.

The air around them is a little tense and uncomfortable, so Newt decides to change the subject. "Well, now that it's taken care of, I'm hungry, and I'm sure that goes for the both of you as well since we all skipped dinner last night. How about we get some food?"

Thomas doesn't actually feel very hungry, even though he hasn't eaten in only God knows how long, but he doesn't object.

What he does object to, though, is going outside. He doesn't want to face all those people, not today.

Minho sensing his discomfort asks him if he's okay. Thomas doesn't answer, but Newt manages to put the pieces together. "Do you not want to go outside today?" he asks.

Thomas shakes his head, looking down, a little ashamed. But Newt and Minho are having none of that. They each place a hand on Thomas's shoulder and give reassuring squeezes.

"It's okay if you don't want to go out yet," Newt says.

"Yeah, how about I just go and get the food and bring it back here?" Minho suggests, and Newt sends him a grateful smile. He's been wanting to talk to Thomas alone for a while.

Thomas gives a hesitant nod, and Minho gives him a little smile, then slides off the bed, opens the door, and leaves the room to get the food, closing the door behind him, and leaving Thomas and Newt alone.

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Thomas stares at the door to the room, and Newt stares at Thomas. Newt wants answers, but he knows he's going to have to be gentle with Thomas.

"Tommy?" he says softly. Thomas slowly turns his head to look at Newt, and Newt hates what he sees. Thomas's eyes are dark and haunted-looking, and he has dark bags under them, as if he hasn't slept in days. His skin is so pale, like he's never seen the sun before, and he looks as if he's carrying a great weight around with him. Newt has no doubt that he actually is.

"Tommy, I'd like to see your arms, please," he says. Thomas's eyes widen in fear, and he shakes his head frantically.

"Tommy, please, I promise I won't hurt you. I just want to see. Please."

Thomas still hesitates, but Newt can see that Thomas's walls are crumbling. He tries once more.

"Tommy, I swear I will not hurt you. I just want to see your arms. I won't do anything to hurt or offend you, I just want to look. Okay?"

After just a little more hesitation, Thomas gives in and nods. He holds out his arms. They're covered by the long-sleeved shirt he has on, but Newt just gently takes Thomas's right arm in his left hand, and uses his right to roll up the sleeve. The sight makes him want to cry.

Thomas's arm still has a bandage wrapped around it from when he went to see the Med-jacks after surviving that night in the Maze, but that's not what catches Newt's eye.

Thomas's arm is covered in scars.

Newt holds Thomas's arm in his hand for a few moments, not moving, just observing the scars. Then, still holding Thomas's arm with one hand, uses the other to gently stroke Thomas's arm. And he is so gentle. Thomas is amazed at how tender he is. He doesn't feel scared at all. It feels good, not being scared.

Newt rolls Thomas's sleeve back down, and carefully sets his arm down. This time he takes Thomas's left arm in his right hand, and uses his left to roll up the sleeve. It looks the same as the right arm, except it has more scars on it, causing Newt to think that Thomas is right-handed.

He does the same to this arm as he did the other. He gently strokes up and down, not hurting Thomas at all, and Thomas just sits there, letting Newt stare at and stroke his arm.

After about a minute, Newt rolls the sleeve down and places the arm back on the bed. He takes a few deep breaths, almost on the verge of tears. He can't believe how depressed Thomas is. It makes him feel awful, knowing that he had been sent out into the Maze while in a horrible state. It's not fair. It's not fair at all. And Newt gets that life isn't fair. He does. But does life really have to be this cruel?

Newt wants to check on one more thing before Minho gets back.

"Tommy," he says. "Do you mind if I take a look at your stomach?"

Thomas is a little hesitant at first, and Newt expects that. What he doesn't expect is for Thomas to lie down and for him to keep his arms held out to the side. His stomach is covered by his shirt, but Newt can easily just lift it up.

He looks at Thomas and Thomas nods, giving Newt permission to look at his stomach. So Newt tugs Thomas's shirt up, exposing his stomach, and shattering Newt's heart.

There are not only scars on his stomach, but Newt can count every single one of Thomas's ribs.

This time a couple of tears actually escape from Newt's eyes, and he wipes them away. He places a hand on Thomas's stomach, and Thomas tenses for a few seconds before relaxing. Newt doesn't move his hand around, he just keeps it lying on Thomas's stomach, watching it rise and fall with every deep breath Thomas takes.

But what makes him mad, is that there are some bandages from the Med-jacks on his chest and stomach as well, and they didn't say anything to anybody. Alby would have told him if he knew. Alby may be the leader, but Newt is second-in-command. Newt knows about everything that goes on around the Glade. So why didn't the Med-jacks tell him about Thomas starving himself?

After a couple minutes, Newt removes his hand, and covers Thomas's stomach back up. He shakes his head and says very quietly, with his voice full of sadness, "Oh, Tommy." He places his hand on Thomas's forehead and looks into his eyes. They are filled with sadness, just like Newt's voice.

Newt says, "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry you were forced into the Maze. I'm sorry that we were never notified of your depression--the Med-jacks should have seen that and they should have talked to us about it. I'm sorry you want to hurt yourself and die. I'm sorry about everything." By the end of it, tears are flowing freely from Newt's eyes, and Thomas is crying, too.

Thomas sits up, and embraces Newt tightly. Newt returns the hug, and they just sit there, letting everything out.

Newt vows in that moment that he will do everything he can to make sure Thomas gets better. Newt wants to see him happy. But before that, there are some people who Newt would like to deal with first . . .

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Minho arrives about five minutes later with two plates of food, scrambled eggs and toast, and takes in the sight in front of him.

Thomas is clinging to Newt as if for dear life, tears streaming down his face, and Newt is holding him tightly in a protective manner, with a few tears escaping his eyes every few seconds or so.

Minho clears his throat to announce his presence, and walks into the room, setting the food down on the bedside table.

Thomas detaches himself from Newt and stares at the food Minho brought. Although, he's not looking at it like he's hungry, he's looking at it with . . . Minho thinks it's fear?

He's confused, and Newt can see that.

Newt says, "Minho, can I talk to you out in the hall?"

Minho is still confused, but nods anyway. "Sure," he answers.

Newt looks at Thomas, who is still eyeing the food warily. "Tommy," Newt says, "we'll be right back, okay? I just want to talk to Minho for a few."

Thomas tears his eyes away to look at Newt for two seconds, then returns his gaze to the food. He nods and says, "That's okay. Go ahead."

His voice sounds hollow, which concerns Newt to no end, but Newt still took Minho's hand and led him out to the hall, closing the bedroom door behind him.

Minho says, "Okay, what's going on? Why is Thomas looking at that shuck food like it's going to kill him?"

Newt tells him everything he's learned about Thomas. He tells Minho about the self-harm, the starvation, and how bad his depression really is. Minho's face goes from confused, to concern, to horror, to anger in less than five minutes.

He asks himself why he let all this happen. He asks why didn't he stop them from Banishing Thomas. Poor, innocent Thomas. Thomas doesn't deserve this. He doesn't deserve any of this. It's not right.

"I can't believe this," he says, and Newt nods.

"I know," Newt says. "It makes me sick. Thomas was forced into the Maze when he did nothing wrong and was severely depressed. He comes back and suddenly everyone is all apologetic, but they don't see the real damage that they've done. They don't pay attention. And the worst thing about all of this? The Med-jacks saw those scars, they saw how bad his starvation was, and yet, they said nothing. No one said anything. No one saw the signs. No one bothered to even try. Minho, what have we become? At the beginning of all of this being trapped in the Maze with no memory thing, we were all so close, and we cared for each other. But now, it's just a mess, and I don't know what to do. What are we going to do, Minho?"

Newt's on the verge of tears. Minho pulls him close and tries to soothe him.

"Hey," he says. "It'll be okay. We both agreed last night that we would do everything we could to fix him. Well, I say we change that to doing everything we can to fix everything. Things won't ever be the same as before, but we can make things better, I know we can. Okay?"

Minho waits for an answer, and finally, Newt nods. "Okay," he says.

Minho smiles, pulls away from Newt, and says, "Good. What should we do first then?"

"Well, I need to talk to Alby, and Tommy needs to eat. But I'm not sure how he's going to like that. It's clear that he's been starving himself for quite some time, and going by the look he was giving the food, it's going to be difficult to get him to eat even a quarter of it."

Minho nods and says, "We just need to take it slow. I'll be glad if he takes just one bite of toast."

Newt nods as well and says, "Slow and steady. We can't rush him or he'll close up and we'll never get through to him and he'll never get better. So I'll go talk to Alby, you think you can get him to eat something?"

"Yeah, I promise I'll be gentle. I don't want him being scared of me."

"No, we don't want that at all. I'll try to be quick, just get him to eat something, anything will make me happy."

"Okay."

And with that, they walk back into the bedroom, where Thomas is still sitting on the bed, but is looking down at his hands instead of the food.

"Tommy?" Newt says, sitting on the bed in front of Thomas. He places his hands on top of Thomas's, making Thomas look up in surprise as if he hadn't even noticed Newt coming in. "I need to go talk to our leader. I promise I'll be quick."

Thomas tenses up at the word leader, and he shakily asks, "Why do you have to talk to Gally?" It even sounds hard for him to say Gally's name.

Newt is confused, but then remembers that Thomas never met Alby, and doesn't know how it all really works around here.

"Gally isn't our leader," Newt explains. "He only led your Banishment because it was his idea, and Alby felt that he should make Gally be the one to force you into the Maze. It should've never happened, and I'm so sorry, Tommy. But I promise, I'm going to talk to Alby and get this whole thing straightened out, okay?"

Thomas slowly nods, and Newt pats his hand and says, "I'll be back," then gets up and leaves the room, leaving Minho and Thomas alone with the food.

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Minho quietly sighs as he goes over to the bedside table to grab the food. He really hopes that Thomas won't put up a huge fight over this, but based on what he's learned from Newt, it's going to be somewhat difficult.

He goes back over to Thomas and sits in front of him. When Thomas spots the plate of food in Minho's hands, he shifts uncomfortably, knowing that Minho is going to try to get him to eat.

Thomas's suspicions are confirmed when Minho speaks.

"Thomas," Minho says in a soft tone. "I know you don't want to, but you have to eat. Even just a few bites would be good. Please just try."

Thomas doesn't want to try. He doesn't want to eat. Just looking at the food makes him want to be sick. He shakes his head and lets out a small, "No."

"Please, Thomas. Just please try. I know you really don't want to eat, but you need to. You'll die if you don't, and I can't take it if you do. So please, just try a few bites."

Thomas looks into Minho's eyes and finds so much concern and care and worry, that it makes Thomas think twice about not eating. He reaches for the toast, breaks off a very small piece, hesitates a few seconds more, but then he just goes for it and throws it in his mouth and eats it. It has a bit of flavor to it--it has to be buttered--so it's weird on his taste buds, which have been deprived of taste for who knows how long. When it comes to swallowing, it's more difficult, because his stomach isn't used to taking food like this even if it's the smallest piece of toast. But he manages.

And that brings him to try another piece, this one a bit bigger than the last, and it goes down the same way. He eats the toast piece by piece until it's gone. He doesn't even realize he's eaten it all until he reaches for another piece and finds that there's nothing left. He's nervous, because it's been so long since he's eaten like that. But when he looks up and Minho, his worries disappear.

Before, Minho's eyes were full of worry and concern, now they look happy and proud, and Minho is smiling at him. It's a proud smile, and it washes all of Thomas's worries about eating the toast away. He likes seeing Minho smile.

"Good job, Thomas," Minho says, his voice full of amazement. "You did such a good job. That was more than a few bites. I'm so proud of you." Yeah, Thomas can tell.

Thomas offers a little smile in return, which Minho calls him out on.

"Hey," he says. "I saw that smile. Don't you dare try to hide it from me." Thomas is trying to cover his mouth with his hand, but Minho doesn't let him.

"Nope, no hiding," he says. He takes both of Thomas's wrists in one hand, and then uses his other hand to wiggle his fingers near Thomas's stomach. Thomas's eyes widen when he figures out what Minho's about to do, but it's too late. Minho is already tickling him.

And Thomas just bursts into a fit of giggles. He struggles to get out of Minho's hold, but he can't escape. He's trapped.

But, surprisingly, he doesn't mind. He hasn't laughed like this in so long, just a day ago he would have found laughing being impossible for him. He thought he'd never even think about it. But now here he is, laughing almost to the point of wetting himself and with tears streaming down his face. But they're good tears, and Thomas welcomes them with open arms.

After what seems like forever, Minho stops. They're both out of breath, but they're eyes are shining and they're both smiling. It's the best sight in the world.

Minho looks towards the plate of food, which is off to the side and still has the scrambled eggs on it, grabs it, and brings it over. He asks, "Do you want to try the scrambled eggs? You don't have to if you don't want to. The toast should be enough for now."

Thomas thinks about it. He remembers that the toast was actually pretty good, and how proud Minho was when he finished the toast. Making up his mind, Thomas nods and says, "I'll try it."

Minho is a little shocked. "Really?" he asks.

Thomas nods, so Minho gives him the plate and Thomas picks up the fork that's resting on top of it. He gets a bit of the scrambled eggs on his fork, brings it up to his mouth, closes his lips around it, pulls the fork out, chews, and swallows. He doesn't find it very difficult, and the eggs aren't bad, they're actually pretty good. So Thomas eats more and more eggs.

He wishes he can say he eats it all, but that's not what happens. Thomas's stomach starts to disagree with all the food that Thomas suddenly decides to eat, so Thomas sets down his fork, and pushes the plate away, the eggs half eaten.

"Done?" Minho asks. And Thomas sees that he still has that proud look in his eyes.

He nods, and Minho smiles at him, taking the half empty plate over to the table to set it down, then going back over to Thomas to sit down in front of him and pulls Thomas in for a hug.

Thomas wraps his arms around Minho's torso, while Minho's are around his shoulders. Minho's hands rub up and down Thomas's back, and Thomas relaxes into Minho's hold.

"Thomas," Minho says. "I am so proud of you. I expected you to eat just a few bites, but you ate almost all of it. And that makes me so happy. And so proud. When Newt sees, he's going to feel the exact same way. And Thomas, you should feel the same, too. This is a hard thing to overcome, but yet you're doing great. And I'm very, very proud of you."

Thomas smiles. He does feel a little proud, he's eaten more than he has in a long while, and he doesn't feel that big of an urge to throw it all up. In fact, the toast and eggs are starting to settle nicely in his stomach. There isn't much pain at all.

So Thomas lets himself relax in Minho's embrace, closes his eyes, and falls asleep, thankful that he has a friend like Minho, who can actually help him.

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Newt looks around the Glade for Alby for ten minutes, and finally finds him in the garden.

"Alby!" Newt calls, and Alby looks up to see Newt walking up to him. At first, Alby smiles at Newt, glad to finally see his friend out of that room he shares with Minho and now Thomas. But then he can see that Newt does not look happy at all, so he turns serious.

"What's wrong?" he asks when Newt comes to a stop in front of him.

"What's wrong?" Newt repeats. "I'll tell you what's wrong. What we did to Thomas was wrong."

Alby sighs. Newt complained about this to him the night Thomas was sent out into the Maze. He doesn't really want to hear it again.

"Look, Newt--" he starts, but Newt cuts him off.

"No, you look! You look very closely, Alby. Thomas was sent out into the Maze overnight. You might not think much of that. But how about sending him into the Maze overnight while he's severely depressed?"

Alby is shocked. Depressed? Thomas is depressed? He actually asks that question out loud.

Newt says with frustration in his voice, "Yes, Alby. Depressed. He's got scars all over his arms and stomach, I'm sure there's some on his legs, too, I haven't checked. I don't want to freak him out. But, Alby, his stomach is hollow. He hasn't just been cutting himself, but he's starving himself as well! And did the Med-jacks tell you this?"

Alby is sorry that he has to shake his head no.

"Exactly. The Med-jacks saw everything, and they said nothing. Thomas tried to commit suicide, did you not see that?"

"Yes, Newt, I saw, but--"

"But, nothing!" Newt yells, drawing everyone's attention. But Newt doesn't care about that, let them here this, they should. "Thomas is depressed! Hell, he's having panic attacks over little things, he barely talks, he's scared out of his wits! Minho had to actually bring food to him, not because he's injured, but because he's too scared to come out and face everyone. And this is not his fault. No one knows what kind of life he had before this--he doesn't even remember--but once you see those scars on his arms and stomach, you will get a pretty clear idea of how bad it was. And you all only made it worse. You didn't even give him a chance! You immediately judged him and sent him out into the Maze overnight. He could have been killed. And he knows that. He knows that some of you wanted him dead. And probably still do want him dead, and that's not right. No one knows him well enough to judge him. The only person other than me that ever bothers to help him is Minho. And he's inside that room right now trying to get Thomas to eat something so he doesn't die. Because, Alby, he will die if he doesn't eat. Actually, the right way to put it: he will die if he doesn't get better."

Newt stops. His throat is sore and he's breathing heavily, but it's worth it.

The whole Glade is silent. Alby is shocked, as well as everyone else. They had no idea of Thomas being so depressed until now. Some even have the decency of looking ashamed. They should be ashamed, putting someone so innocent through something so evil.

In a quieter voice that no one but Alby can hear, he says, "Have you forgotten about my incident, Alby? And I wasn't even pressured to do it. That was just me and my mind. How do you think Thomas is doing now that he's been through a night in the Maze because you just couldn't step up as a leader and stop it? Alby, when I hurt my leg, most of you helped me get through that. When the greenies came up, we did everything we could to make them feel welcome and we helped them. What happened to that, Alby? What?"

Alby doesn't answer. He just stands there with a look of shame. After a few minutes, Newt shakes his head. "I think I've gotten my point across," he says quietly.

Newt turns and makes his way back to the Homestead. But on his way there, he stopped by a comment from Gally.

Gally says, "He's better off dead anyway. He's just a broken boy."

It makes Newt's blood boil, but he forces himself to move forward, noting on his way to the bedroom to watch out for Gally.

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The sight that greets Newt when he opens the bedroom door is the best sight he's seen in a while. Minho is sitting up against the headboard of the bed with Thomas asleep on top of him. Minho supports him by having an arm hooked around him.

Minho notices Newt coming in, and nods toward the food on the bedside table. Newt looks and sees his own plate of food with untouched food still on it, forgotten and cold, and then there's the other plate--Thomas's.

That's the thing that makes his day.

Thomas's plate has no toast on it, that had clearly been eaten, and half the eggs are gone. Newt feels so happy for Thomas and so proud of him. He can't believe Thomas managed to eat all of that.

Newt looks at Minho, who has that same proud look that Newt now has, and asks, "Did he really eat all of that?"

Minho nods. "He did. I watched him. It was amazing. He had to stop after eating about half the eggs, stomach wasn't doing too good, but he ate most of it and kept it down."

Newt shakes his head in amazement and moves to sit next to Minho on the bed. "Oh my God."

Minho smiles and says, "I know. It took a bit of persuading and pleading but he finally tried some toast, ended up eating all of it, he smiled at me, and I may or may not have tickled him to keep seeing that smile."

"Minho!"

"Newt, you should have seen him! He was smiling, and laughing, and his eyes lit up. I'm telling you, I will never forget that moment. Ever."

Newt smiles, thankful that there truly is some happiness left in Thomas. They just need to find a way to bring it out more often--aside from tickling him.

"What about the eggs?" Newt asks.

"I saw some hesitation but then he just picked up the fork and started eating. I could tell when he had to put down the fork that he didn't want to. Newt, he wanted to eat. His stomach just couldn't take it at the time."

Newt shakes his head in wonder. This just seems way too good to be true. Thomas eating, Thomas smiling, Thomas laughing! This is a huge step in the right direction!

"Now on to a more serious note," Minho says. "I was able to hear you yelling from all the way in here. What happened?"

Oh God. If Minho heard . . .

"Did Tommy hear?" Newt asks, but Minho shakes his head.

"No, he was asleep a few minutes before I started hearing you yelling. It took some straining but I was able to hear most of what you were saying clearly. What happened out there?"

Newt takes a deep breath. "God, Minho," Newt says, not knowing how to word everything. But Minho waits. And finally, Newt starts from when he was looking for Alby, and goes until he gets to the part about what Gally said.

"Gally said to me, 'He's better off dead anyway,' and that he's 'just a broken boy,' in those exact words. I'm worried, Minho. We need to watch Gally closely. I don't want Tommy getting hurt again."

Minho takes Newt's hand in his and gives it a squeeze. "I know. I don't want Thomas hurt again either. I promise I'll do my best to watch out for him. Okay?"

Newt nods, and Minho kisses his forehead. "Good," Minho says.

And the two of them sit there hand in hand with a sleeping and peaceful Thomas on top of Minho. Both of them think that life might be looking up for once.

Chapter Text

It's night time at the Glade. Thomas had woken up an hour earlier, and now was just sitting in bed with Newt and Minho. They aren't doing anything, just staring out the window and watching as the rest of the Gladers do some last minute work before bed. That's when Minho remembers something.

"Shuck," he mutters under his breath. He closes his eyes and rubs his hands over his face.

"What is it?" Newt asks.

Minho looks at Newt and then Thomas with sad eyes. He says, "I just remembered I need to talk to the other Runners about what they found today, since I wasn't able to go out there myself."

That makes Thomas feel bad, because Minho wouldn't have stayed behind if Thomas wasn't so weak. He looks down in shame. Minho can see what Thomas is thinking. "Hey, Thomas, no," he says.

Thomas feels a hand under his chin, forcing him to make eye contact with Minho. Minho says, "Don't blame yourself. I chose not to go out. It was my decision. Okay? Don't you dare blame yourself."

It only helps a little, but it's enough for Thomas to nod and to stop looking ashamed.

Newt sighs, and Minho asks what's going on with him. Newt says, "I need to do some last minute checks around the Glade. I don't want to, but . . ."

"I understand."

Newt and Minho turn to Thomas, a little shocked.

"Thomas--" Minho starts, but Thomas cuts him off.

"Minho, it's okay. I'll be fine. As long as you both come back, I'll be okay."

Newt and Minho share a glance, both hesitant to leave Thomas alone. They really don't want to, but they do have jobs to do, they can't just abandon them.

Thomas tries once more to get them to agree to leaving him alone for a little while.

"Really, guys," he says. "I'll be okay. I won't try anything, I won't do anything. In fact, I'm getting a little tired again, so I'll probably just sleep some more. Is that okay?"

Thomas's eyes shift between Newt and Minho, and the two oldest ones share one more glance before nodding.

"All right," Newt says. "But if you need anything, anything at all, just yell for us, okay?"

"Okay," Thomas says. And with that, Newt and Minho each give him a hug with promises that they'll be back soon, and head out of the room, both lingering near the door for a few seconds, then out of the Homestead, believing that Thomas is safe and okay in the bedroom.

But unfortunately, they are very, very wrong.

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Gally was waiting outside, hoping that soon, Newt and Minho would leave Thomas alone in the room. Tonight was apparently his lucky night.

He watches the Homestead entrance from over in the Builders section and watch as Minho and Newt exit the Homestead to do a little last minute work.

Gally waits for a couple of minutes to be sure that they won't be returning anytime soon, then sneaks over to the Homestead and enters the building.

He looks into some of the rooms, until he finds the one he's looking for.

Thomas's room.

Thomas is lying on his side, facing away from the doorway. Gally can't tell if he's asleep or not, but doesn't care. It won't matter in a few minutes.

Gally quietly enters Thomas's room, and silently makes his way over to Thomas's bed. Thomas is asleep, so he's completely unaware of Gally's presence, until it's too late.

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Thomas is forced awake as someone grabs him from the bed and throws him onto the floor. Someone sits on top of his legs, ruining any chance of running away, grabs his wrists in a tight grip with one hand, and covers his mouth with the other. Despite the painful position Thomas is now in, he has a clear view of his attacker.

Gally.

Gally leans down close, and whispers in the most threatening voice Thomas has ever heard, "If you scream or make any sound at all, I won't just kill you, I'll kill Newt and Minho, too. You don't want to be the cause of their deaths, do you?"

Thomas's eyes widen. Gally has to be insane. Why does he want to hurt everyone so badly?

Gally takes his hand off of Thomas's mouth, but punches him in the face before he can say anything.

Thomas is actually a little glad Gally punched him, it knocked some sense into him. If Gally is caught, he can't do anything to Newt or Minho. He won't be able to hurt them.

Gally pulls out a knife, and Thomas makes a decision.

He screams out two names.

"Newt! Minho!"

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Newt is talking to the Track-hoes, when he hears an extremely loud scream coming from the Homestead.

"Newt! Minho!"

Newt realizes with horror and dread that it's Thomas.

Ignoring the pain in his leg, Newt rushes to the Homestead, wishing he could go faster.

And hoping that whatever is happening, he can get to the situation in time to stop it.

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Minho has just exited the Map room when he hears a loud and desperate scream coming from the Homestead.

"Newt! Minho!"

Minho recognizes the voice as Thomas's, and sprints towards the Homestead.

He is sure he has never run this fast in his entire life.

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Gally gets distracted by Thomas's scream, too shocked to realize that Thomas has just actually screamed for help despite his threats.

He's distracted enough for him to loosen his grip on Thomas's wrists and for Thomas to yank one of his hands free to knock the knife out of Gally's hand.

It lands all the way across the room.

It also snaps Gally out of his shock, and, instead of going for the knife, he chooses instead to wrap his hands around Thomas's neck. And he squeezes.

Thomas desperately tries to pry Gally's fingers off of his neck, but he knows it's pointless. Gally is too strong, and Thomas is still weak from the past couple of days.

Thomas gasps and coughs and tries to get just the slightest bit of air, but that's pointless as well. Gally's hold is just too tight.

Thomas's vision is just about to go black, when he sees someone rushing into the room and tackling Gally, yanking him off of Thomas.

Thomas is too busy gasping and coughing and getting air--oh, sweet air--into his lungs to notice someone kneeling down beside him until that someone gathers him into their arms and hugs him against their chest.

Thomas knows it's Newt. And he also knows the person who is now beating Gally almost to death is Minho.

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When Minho gets to the room Thomas is in, he can't believe what he was seeing.

Gally is on top of Thomas, choking him, and Thomas is desperately trying to get some air into his lungs.

The sight makes Minho so furious he sees red.

He doesn't hesitate, he just runs in a tackles Gally, forcing him off of Thomas's body. Then, Minho just starts punching. He punches and punches and punches and he can't bring himself to stop.

He can't stop.

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When Newt finally gets to the room Thomas is in, it's like time stops.

He's so shocked. He can't comprehend what is happening. But then it all comes back to him in a rush.

Minho is punching the daylights out of Gally, while Thomas is gasping for air not too far from them.

Newt rushes over to Thomas--Gally is not that important to him right now--and kneels down next to him.

Thomas doesn't seem aware of Newt's presence. Most likely because he's too busy gasping and coughing to notice him, Newt thinks.

Newt gathers the hurt boy into his arms and hugs him to his chest. Thomas is still fighting for air, but not as violently as before, and the coughs are less frequent. But Newt really isn't worrying about that right now. He's just glad that they got there in time.

He's just glad that Thomas is still alive.

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Thomas pulls away from Newt to look at him. Newt's eyes and face are full of worry, concern, and relief.

Thomas opens his mouth to say something, but finds he can't, and ends up falling into a fit of coughs.

"Shh, don't try to speak," Newt says quietly. "Just relax, all right? Just breathe. Try to get some more air into your lungs."

Thomas does what he is told. It seems like forever, but Thomas is finally able to take in a breath without struggling, and he rests his head on Newt's shoulder, completely and utterly exhausted. A few tears escape his eyes, but Newt gently wipes them away.

Newt whispers comforts to Thomas in a soothing voice, and Thomas finds it easier to relax when he hears both the voice and the words.

"It's going to be okay, it's going to be okay, Tommy. You're going to be okay. He can't hurt you anymore. You're safe now. I've got you. I've got you. Just breathe and relax. You're safe."

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Finally, about a minute later, the other Gladers start to show up. Alby and Frypan rush to pull Minho off of Gally. It takes a lot of struggling, but they manage to yank Minho away from the now bloody mess on the floor.

Minho has some of Gally's blood on his hands, but he just wipes it off on his jeans before rushing over to Thomas and Newt.

Gally is still alive, but barely. No one seems to care, though. They all seem concerned about Thomas--that's definitely a shock.

Gally is taken by a couple of Baggers and is thrown into the Slammer, while Alby and the Med-jacks, Clint and Jeff, try to check on Thomas.

Minho has knelt down next to Newt and is now rubbing Thomas's back in a comforting manner, joining Newt in whispering comforts to him.

When Clint and Jeff come over, and say they just want to check on Thomas to make sure he's okay, it makes Newt mad--really, really mad.

"You will not touch him," Newt snaps.

Clint tries again. "Newt, we just want to check to make sure he's okay--"

"No, he's not okay! Anyone who actually cares can see that. And even if you don't care, you of all people should know that he is not okay because you saw the scars! You saw all of them! But did you say anything? No, you didn't. You just ignored it. And that's the stupidest thing you have ever done!" Newt is done being the nice guy to everyone. It's time they all wake up and face reality. Thomas. Isn't. Okay.

"Newt--" Jeff tries, but Minho isn't having it either.

"You need to leave," Minho says harshly. He doesn't care what it's going to take at this point--Clint and Jeff need to go.

"But--" Jeff tries once more, but is cut off by Minho once again.

"Go!" he yells. "Get out of here! Now!"

Clint and Jeff both look shocked and a little hurt, but Minho can't care less at this point.

The two Med-jacks leave, along with the other Gladers. Alby stays behind, though, and walks over to the trio still on the floor.

"Listen--" he starts, but Newt doesn't let him speak.

"No, Alby," Newt says. "I won't listen. Not now. I actually don't know if I'll ever listen to you again. I told you what was going on, but you didn't listen. You didn't do anything. And now look what has happened. Thomas got hurt because of Gally. This will not go unpunished, we will not be setting this whole situation aside to deal with later, because there will be no later, and right now, you will leave this room and leave us alone. Now."

Alby is shocked. Newt has used a firm tone with him before, but nothing like this. Which is why Alby does exactly what Newt wants him to do--he leaves.

And finally, Newt, Minho, and Thomas are alone.

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The three remain on the floor for a bit longer. Newt waits until Thomas fully calms down before asking, "Hey, Tommy, do you want to move back to the bed?"

Thomas takes a few deep breaths before nodding.

Newt picks him up and carries him over to the bed. Minho rises to his feet as well, and heads over to the bed to pull the covers down so Newt can place Thomas in the bed and Thomas can get comfortable before Newt and Minho join him and pull the covers up.

Newt is once again on Thomas's left side and Minho is on Thomas's right. They each wrap an arm around him, and Newt holds his hand with his own free hand, while Minho uses his free hand to run his fingers through Thomas's hair.

They try to apologize for yelling in front of Thomas, but Thomas tells them that it's okay, that they were only trying to protect him, and that he's grateful for that.

He falls asleep to their gentle, tender touches and their perfect, soothing words of comfort, and with a content smile on his face.

Chapter Text

It's morning now at the Glade. It's just like any other day; there's nothing different. The sun is partly up, Gladers are working, and the Runners--not including Minho--are getting ready to run the Maze.

Minho is staying behind once again to help take care of Thomas. There is no way he'll be running the Maze today, not after what happened last night.

Newt's also taking more time off from his job to stay with Thomas. The thought of Thomas getting hurt again makes him physically ill, and he swore to himself he would always keep an eye on him, starting today.

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Minho wakes up first--waking up early is part of being a Runner, and Minho has gotten used to it over the past couple of years--and sits up as he rubs his eyes and yawns.

He looks down at the two still-sleeping boys to his left, and smiles.

3

Newt still has his arms wrapped around Thomas in a protective manner--the same position he fell asleep in last night--and Thomas looks at peace and actually safe. It's a good sight to wake up to, and Minho takes a mental picture and stores it deep within his mind to pull out again when he wants or needs to.

Newt wakes up next, about five minutes after Minho, used to getting up early because of his own job, and sits up yawning as well. He looks at Minho and says in a soft and still-tired voice, "Good morning."

Minho smirks at him and says sarcastically, "Good morning to you, Sunshine."

Newt smiles and rolls his eyes, then turns his attention to Thomas, who is still asleep.

Minho looks at Thomas again, too, and his smirk turns back into the smile he had when he first woke up.

Newt says, "It's good to see him this way."

Minho glances at Newt and nods. "Yeah," he said. "I thought what happened last night would give him nightmares, but I guess life decided to be kind to him for once."

Newt nods, agreeing with Minho. "I'd give anything to see him like this everyday--no fear or sadness written on his face. Just--just this, right here." Newt gestures towards Thomas and Minho gives a little chuckle.

"Yeah," Minho says. "That would actually be nice. Maybe one day that will happen--he'll just be happy, he won't be sad or scared--but it's going to take a lot of time."

Newt says with determination, "I'm willing to do everything I can to make sure he gets there."

Minho nods and takes Newt's hand in his, giving it a squeeze, and saying, "I'm with you and Thomas to the end."

Newt smiles and Minho smiles back. They keep smiling at each other until Thomas starts to stir and wakes up.

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Thomas's eyes flutter open and take in the sight of Minho and Newt holding hands and smiling down at him.

"Good morning, Tommy," Newt says softly, taking Thomas's hand in his own free one.

"Good morning, Newt," Thomas says, his voice hoarse from the incident last night and from sleep. He looks over to Minho. "Good morning, Minho."

"Good morning, shank," Minho says, and that makes Thomas smile and laugh a little bit.

Minho takes Thomas's other hand with the one that is not occupied by Newt's hand, and asks Thomas, "How are you feeling?"

Thomas takes a moment to think about it. He doesn't feel all that bad despite everything that's happened. His throat is still a little sore, but that's to be expected after almost getting choked to death. He's still a little tired, but even with the lack of memories, he knows that he was sleep deprived in his previous life. It's no surprise he would still be sleep deprived here.

Deciding on his answer, Thomas says, "I'm feeling okay."

Minho's and Newt's smiles grow.

"Really?" Newt asks.

Thomas nods and says, "I'm not completely okay, but I think I'm getting there. What happened last night"--he winces a little at the memory--"that was a bit of a set-back, but I can make up for it later. The only other problem is my throat."

Minho and Newt frown at that and grow concerned, but Thomas reassures them.

"It's not that big of a deal," he says, even though his voice is scratchy. "I probably just need some water and more rest."

Minho and Newt still look concerned, but they also relax a bit, so Thomas relaxes, too.

But at that moment, there's a knock on the door.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alby knocks on the door to the room that Minho, Newt, and Thomas are sharing, and waits until he hears a "Come in!" from Minho.

Alby opens the door and walks inside, not expecting to see Minho and Newt sitting up and holding hands with each other and with Thomas as well, who is still lying on the bed.

The trio is looking at Alby expectantly, so he clears his throat, and tells them the news.

"There's a Gathering scheduled for two o'clock today," he says. "The only agenda is to decide what to do with Gally."

Thomas tenses immediately after hearing Gally's name. This does not go unnoticed by Newt or Minho, and they each give his hands little squeezes of reassurance, silently letting him know that it will be okay. Thomas relaxes, though he's still a bit on edge; nothing's going to fix that.

Newt sighs in annoyance and tiredness. "Alby--" he starts, but Alby cuts him off.

"Hold on," Alby says. "Let me speak."

Newt nods, and Alby looks at Minho, who nods as well. Alby doesn't need to look at Thomas to know that he'll stay quiet as well--he's almost always quiet unless it's just Newt and Minho around.

"We're having a Gathering at two o'clock," Alby repeats. "All the Keepers are to be there. No exceptions."

"But--" Newt tries to object, but once again, Alby cuts him off.

"I'm not finished," Alby says sternly, and Newt nods stiffly, not enjoying this conversation at all.

"I've decided Thomas is allowed to be there, if he wishes to join us. He was part of the incident, so he should be present during the meeting regarding the incident. Though, I should warn you, Gally will be at the Gathering."

The air is extremely tense at that last statement, and everyone is still and silent, like if they move or speak the whole world will shatter like glass.

Breaking the silence, Alby starts speaking again. "He will be guarded by two Baggers, and everyone else will also be on their guard. Thomas, you don't have to tell me now if you're coming or not, if you are just come with Newt and Minho when it's time for the Gathering. Okay?"

Not meeting Alby's eyes, Thomas nods.

"Okay then," Alby says. He looks at Minho and Newt. "I expect to see you two there, no exceptions, no excuses. Got it?"

Newt and Minho don't look at Alby either as they nod.

Alby looks at all three of them again before nodding and saying, "Okay," then walking out the door, closing it behind him.

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The silence in the room can be cut with a knife. The two words, "No exceptions," are going through Minho's and Newt's minds, but the only thing Thomas can think about is the fact that Gally will be at the Gathering.

Thomas has to admit to himself that he is scared of Gally. Why shouldn't he be? Gally has expressed his hatred toward him more times than he can count, and he almost killed him yesterday. Thomas doesn't want to be anywhere near him, yet if he doesn't accept the invitation to the Gathering, he'll be alone, and he doesn't want to be alone, even if that means being in the same room as Gally.

Newt is the first to break the silence.

"Tommy," he says. "You don't have to go if you don't want to."

Thomas looks at him and shakes his head. "I know," he says. "But I want to be there. And I-I don't want to be alone."

Newt nods and squeezes Thomas's hand as tight as he can without hurting Thomas.

"Okay," Newt says. "We'll all go. But for now, I think we need to focus on getting something to eat."

As if on cue, Minho's stomach growls loudly, causing Thomas and Newt to laugh, and after a few seconds of glaring at them, Minho laughs, too. All the tension from before is forgotten. It's just three teenage boys laughing about something so ridiculous but quite funny at the same time.

When they finally calm down, Minho declares that he will get the food. Newt warns him in a joking manner to not eat all the food before he returns, but Minho just says, "Yeah, yeah," and exits the room.

Newt and Thomas chuckle a little at how the last few moments had played out, then they settle in a comfortable silence, until Thomas breaks it.

"Newt?" he says.

Newt looks at him with concern. "What is it, Tommy?"

"Um . . ." Thomas clears his throat so he can speak better. "Can I have some water? Please? My throat's really sore . . . ." He trails off as his dry throat prevents him from talking anymore.

Newt turns from concerned to full-out worry. "Oh, shuck, Tommy. Bloody Hell, I can't believe I didn't think of that. I'm such an idiot." Newt scolds himself as he gets off the bed and walks over to the nightstand, pouring water into a glass from a pitcher--Minho had gotten water sometime during the night, Newt couldn't remember when, but right now, he's thankful that Minho thought of the idea.

Newt climbs back on the bed and hands Thomas the water. Thomas sits up and takes the water, immediately draining the whole thing, surprising but at the same time not surprising Newt.

"You good now, Tommy?" Newt asks, and Thomas nods, handing the glass back to Newt, who gets up again to place the glass back on the nightstand, before settling back on the bed.

Newt doesn't want to bring it up, but he has to make sure Thomas is one hundred percent okay with being at the Gathering.

"Tommy," Newt starts. The tone of his voice catches Thomas's attention immediately. Newt continues, "I just want to be completely sure, are you really okay with being at the Gathering today?"

Thomas only hesitates a few seconds before nodding, but Newt's not done yet.

"Even with Gally there?" he asks.

This time, Thomas doesn't answer at all, just sits there on the bed in a daze. After a whole minute passes, Newt's concern reaches its peak.

"Tommy?" The tone of Newt's voice is soft and gentle and it snaps Thomas out of his daze.

Thomas swallows before answering. "As long as I don't have to talk to him, or be next to him, or look at him at all, I'll be fine. But . . . um . . . ." Thomas isn't sure he wants to ask the question on his mind or not.

"What, Tommy?" Newt asks, frowning.

"What's a Bagger?" Thomas finally asks.

"Oh," Newt remembers Thomas never did get shown around the Glade, and nothing has really been explained to him. Newt will have to remember to do that soon.

"Well," Newt tries to pick his words carefully, "they mainly act as the guards around here--that might be a way to put it. They make sure everyone's following the Rules and not getting into trouble."

"Oh," is Thomas response. "Do they do anything else?"

"Well, when the time comes, which isn't very often but not extremely rare, they take care of . . . um . . ." Newt's not sure how to word this in front of Thomas, but Thomas figures it out on his own.

"They take care of the dead ones, don't they?" Thomas asks, and Newt nods.

They're silent after that until Minho comes back with breakfast five minutes later.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Minho and Newt down their breakfast--eggs and bacon--but Thomas is more reluctant to do the same. He pushes his food around and stabs it with his fork, occasionally taking small bites.

Minho sighs, and says, "Come on, Thomas. You need to eat."

Thomas doesn't look at him as he responds with, "I am."

"No, you're not." Minho puts his hand on Thomas's shoulder, and Thomas stills and tenses up, but Minho doesn't drop his hand.

"Thomas, I know you're nervous about the Gathering, but--"

Thomas interrupts him, "I'm fine. I'm just eating at my own pace."

Thomas doesn't look at either of them as he continues to push his food around and take small bites every once in a while, and they all fall into a somewhat tense silence.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

About a half an hour later, Thomas declares that he's not hungry anymore--he never actually was--even though only half the food is gone.

"Are you sure, Tommy?" Newt asks. His and Minho's plates rest on the nightstand, ready to be returned to Frypan.

Thomas nods, and though a little disappointed, Minho and Newt are mostly understanding--they probably wouldn't be very hungry if they were in Thomas's position either.

Newt takes the dishes back to Frypan, and that leaves Minho and Thomas alone this time.

Thomas doesn't look at Minho. He only looks down at his hands and fidgits and plays with his fingers, not able to keep still because of his nerves.

Minho makes an attempt at breaking the silence. "Thomas," he starts, but is unable to continue as he has no idea what to say. Thankfully, Thomas knows what he wants to say.

"Minho," Thomas says in the most tired voice Minho has ever heard. "I'm just really tired right now. I don't want to talk or even think about anything right now. I just want to sleep."

Minho nods and says, "Okay, that's okay. It's okay that you want to sleep, I understand you don't want to talk about it. So why don't you lie down and try to get some more sleep?"

Thomas nods and sinks down until he's fully under the covers. He's a little scared to ask, but he's starting overcome his fear of asking questions in fear of getting yelled at for asking what he himself thinks are stupid things.

"Minho," he says. "Will you please lie with me?"

Minho smiles a little, says, "Of course," and gets under the covers with Thomas. Thomas is lying on his side, so Minho gets behind him. Minho wraps his right arm around Thomas and pulls him closer, glad that Thomas doesn't resist; and Minho's left arm is resting comfortably under Thomas's body, also wrapped around Thomas so Minho is hugging Thomas to his chest. Minho is on the side of the bed he's usually in, and if Newt was here, Thomas would be in the middle.

Thomas closes his eyes, wishing Newt was here.

And it's like the world actually heard his wish.

Newt arrives less than a minute later, and smiles at the sight of Minho and Thomas cuddling. He walks into the room and joins the two other Gladers on the bed, lying on his side in front of and facing Thomas.

Minho smirks at him, but the new addition also startles Thomas, his eyes snapping open in alarm, but Newt calms him down.

"Shh, it's only me," he says soothingly. He smiles gently at Thomas, and Thomas smiles back, tucking his head in Newt's neck.

Newt wraps his arms around Thomas the same way Minho did. And all three boys ended up falling asleep cuddling, only to wake up having to face what will definitely be a nightmare for all three of them.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alby wakes them up at 1:30, only a half an hour before the Gathering is supposed to start. He tells them to prepare for it and then leaves without another word, irritating both Minho and Newt.

Minho and Newt discuss what will happen and what they'll say with each other, while Thomas remains silent, mentally preparing himself for not only facing Gally, but for also meeting the other Keepers. Right now, the only people he trusts are Minho and Newt, so it's going to be a bit difficult for him, especially since he doesn't even know half of them.

Unfortunately for the three Gladers, the thirty minutes pass by quickly, and they find themselves heading out of the room to a different room in the Homestead. It isn't the best room--no windows, dull lighting. Thomas instantly finds himself uncomfortable and hating the room.

Inside the room, there are twelve chairs lined up in a semi-circle, nine of them all ready occupied. Thomas sees Alby in the chair in the middle, and Clint--one of the Med-jacks that he met before after his night in the Maze--is also present, seated a couple chairs to the right of Alby.

These are the Keepers, Thomas thinks, and feels very out of place in the room. But something--or actually, someone--interrupts his thoughts and catches every bit of his attention at first sight.

Gally.

Gally is seated in a chair in front of the semi-circle, facing the Keepers. There are two boys who actually looked pretty strong standing behind him, and Thomas realizes that they must be the Baggers that Alby and Newt were talking about earlier. But despite how strong they look, Thomas still feels uncomfortable and afraid around Gally.

Newt places a hand on Thomas's lower back--snapping Thomas out of the daze he fell into--and leads him to one of the chairs. Newt sits next to Alby on Alby's left, and Thomas sits next to Newt on Newt's left, with Minho taking the last seat next to Thomas on Thomas's left, completing the semi-circle.

Then the Gathering begins with Alby starting it off.

"I'm not going into any formalities," Alby says. "We all know why we're here--to discuss what we're going to do with Gally, Keeper of the Builders, here, after his attempted murder on Thomas the Greenie, who is also seated with us today."

A few Keepers turn their heads to look at Thomas, who shifts in his chair, not appreciating the attention at all.

Alby continues. "We need to figure out a punishment for him. We'll be going down the line and you can all voice your opinions when it's your turn. No one is to speak when it's not their turn. Got it?"

All the Keepers nod, but Thomas doesn't do anything, not sure if he should do anything.

"Okay, then," Alby says. Then he addresses Gally. "Gally, you are not to speak a word during all of this. You'll have a chance to defend yourself at the end. Understand?" Gally slowly and reluctantly nods, glaring the whole time.

"All right, let's get started then," Alby says, then gestures at the boys seated on the far left. "Zart, you start."

Zart, Thomas thinks. He'll have to remember that.

Zart clears his throat, and looks around the room before he answers. "I say Banishment. From the few times I actually saw Thomas, he looked more harmless than a newborn kitten."

That causes Thomas to blush a little, and Minho shoots him a little smirk.

Zart continues. "There wasn't any reason to go after Thomas. It seems to me like Gally didn't like the Greenie, and decided to just get rid of him by sneaking into his room and attacking him with a knife. I guess he didn't expect the Newbie to have any fight in him, and his plan went to Hell. Oh, and Thomas?"

Zart looks at Thomas, and Thomas returns his gaze. Zart gives him a little smile, and says, "You did good going up against Gally like that. Well done."

That causes Thomas to blush even more, and he says a small, "Thank you."

Zart finishes his turn with saying, "So yeah, I vote Banishment."

"Okay," Alby writes something down on a notepad. "Frypan, you're next."

Frypan? That's an odd name.

Thomas glances at the boy seated next to Zart, and notes that he all ready has a beard, despite still being in his teens.

Frypan rubs his hands together, and leans forward. He says, "I agree with Zart. There was absolutely no motive for Gally to go after Thomas. Gally should be Banished. And Thomas, you are one brave person. First you survive the Maze at night, then you fight back against Gally, in less than a week?" Frypan shakes his head. "I never would have been able to do it. Kudos to your insane bravery."

Thomas's whole body will be tomato red by the end of this. He once again says, "Thank you," and goes silent once again.

"Is that it?" Alby asks, and Frypan nods. Alby writes something on the notepad and says, "Next."

The next guy votes for Banishment, as well. And he also gives Thomas praises, to which Thomas just replies with a "Thank you." It's all that he can come up with.

After that, it's Minho's turn, but Minho says, "I'm saving my opinion until the end."

This shocks Thomas. What does Minho want to say?

"Fine," Alby says. He skips over Thomas and asks for Newt to go, to which Newt replies with, "I'm saving mine as well."

Thomas is beyond confused. Are they planning something? He wasn't really paying attention to when they were talking in that small half hour before all of this. He's now starting to regret that.

"Okay, then, I'll save mine, as well, I want to hear everybody's opinion before I include my own. That being said, Winston, you're next."

Winston is an acne-covered kid, "Gally broke the most important Rule after the never-go-into-the-Maze one. He harmed a Glader, with every intention of killing him, and with no real reason. He needs to be Banished. And Thomas needs to be given a thousand praises for everything he's survived. You're a real brave shank, remember that."

He says the last part to Thomas, who gives a little smile and nods, saying, "Thank you," once again. That's all Thomas is going to be able to say when this is over.

"Okay, Clint," Alby says.

Keeper of the Med-jacks. Thomas can't help but flash back to when the Med-jacks were treating him after his Maze overnight, how they ignored every old scar on Thomas's body, how they said nothing to him. Thomas finds himself really wanting to hear what Clint has to say now.

Clint sighs, and begins. "Gally needs to be Banished. Thomas has done nothing wrong--nothing at all. He's as innocent as, well, a newborn kitten."

Thomas's blush comes back full force. Do these guys even know what a newborn kitten looks like?

Clint continues on. "There is no reason for Thomas to die. What Gally did is unforgivable, and he needs to be Banished."

Clint seems to hesitate, but then shakes his head and says what he wants to say. "I also need to say this. Thomas?" He turns to Thomas, and Thomas looks at him, a bit confused, but Clint starts speaking again before Thomas can say anything.

"I'm sorry," Clint says. "I saw all the scars on your body and I saw the kind of state you were in the morning you came back from the Maze. Yet, I didn't say anything. I didn't say anything and you ended up getting hurt."

Thomas thinks back to the day Minho caught him after he tried to jump from the Maze wall. Was it really just a couple days ago?

"You are incredibly brave and innocent and I'm sorry that all of this happened to you," Clint finishes. Thomas is shocked about this apology from Clint that he almost can't even get out a "Thank you."

The last three give their opinions to everyone--Banishment--and their praises to Thomas. Thomas responds to all of them with a quiet, "Thank you."

"Okay," Alby says. "Well, that's everyone. You two going to go now?"

The question is directed to Newt and Minho. The two Keepers look at each other, having a silent conversation, and seem to come up with something, because as soon as they look away from each other, Minho stands up, something none of the other Keepers have done.

Minho takes a deep breath, and begins. "I've witnessed things that no one else in the room has witnessed, aside from Newt, but even he didn't watch as Thomas climbed the Wall, didn't watch as he let go, didn't watch as he fell. It was incredible luck that I got there when I did, that I managed to catch him. And I held him as he cried and begged me to leave him, to let him die."

Thomas doesn't understand why he's telling everyone this. He keeps his eyes casted down at the floor. He feels Newt's hand on his back but doesn't look up, though he does lean into his touch.

Minho goes on. "Then I end up carrying him back here, only to find out the next day by Newt that he self-harmed in his previous life. Did we hear about this from the Med-jacks? Who saw the scars? No. We did not. We heard nothing."

Clint looks down in shame, but Minho doesn't care. He continues on.

"And what about the eating problems? Huh? Did anyone pay attention to how skinny he was? No. No one paid any mind to it. Except for me and Newt."

Everyone is silent, looking down in shame except for Gally, who just glares at Minho.

Minho shakes his head in disbelief, looking at all the Keepers in the room. "You shanks sent him out into the Maze. You sent him out there without a care in the world! You didn't even bother getting to know him. And no one helped him. Newt and I, we tried. We helped him. But what did you do? You just sent him out there thinking nothing of it! All because of the way he looked.

"You judged him before you even knew his name. You judged him, right from the start of his new life. It could have been better than this. We could have actually welcomed him. His life could have been easier than his previous one. But no. You all had to ruin that! You didn't even give him a chance! And if I could, I'd say you're all guilty. Guilty of taking a life away from someone. And I'd sentence you all to a night in the Maze. Except for Gally, he'd get definite Banishment."

The air is thick with tension and shock. Thomas can't believe Minho would actually say something like that just to defend him. He's not worth it. Why would he say all of this? Why?

Minho concludes his speech. "You wanted my opinion, you got it. Everyone gets a night in the Maze, but Gally gets Banishment; he is never to return. And Thomas," he looks at Thomas. "You do deserve better than this. You don't deserve to be judged. You deserve a million chances. And don't try to say that you don't, because you do. You really do."

Thomas has tears in his eyes by the end of it, and when Minho walks back over to his seat and sits down, Thomas looks at him in shock the whole time. Then he says, "Thank you, Minho."

It's the most genuine "Thank you" he's said all day.

Minho smiles and says, "You don't need to thank me, Thomas. Every word I said is true. You deserve a million chances."

Thomas swallows his tears and just rests his head on Minho's shoulder.

"Okay, well, everyone's opinion is taken into consideration here so I'm writing it down," Alby says. Indeed his is writing it down. Minho made a good point. Maybe he did go a bit far, but he made a point all the same.

Now it's Newt's turn.

Like Minho, Newt stands up--Minho's hand replacing Newt's on his lower back--but as he walks up Thomas sees him limping. He wonders if Newt's had that forever and he just now noticed it or if maybe something happened just happened today.

Thomas is dragged out of his thoughts by Newt speaking.

"When I first met Tommy he was scared out of his mind. He didn't know what was happening, why it was happening, or how it could possibly be happening. It made me feel sick whenever I thought about sending him out into the Maze. He's so innocent and kind. I thought, how could we? How could we possibly do this? It makes no sense. Why did we do that? Why? That's the one question that rolled around in my bloody mind that night. Why?"

Newt shakes his head, then continues. "When I saw him emerge from that Maze all I could feel was relief. All I could think was, he's okay, he's okay. I still can't believe how wrong I was.

"I talked to the Med-jacks about his condition and they said nothing but, "He's fine." Newsflash, he's not fine. Not even close. When I couldn't find Tommy that day, I couldn't stop thinking that something was definitely wrong. He wasn't anywhere in the Glade--I checked three times--and I just hoped that he hadn't gone into the Maze. But when Minho came back with an unconscious Tommy in his arms and worry on his face, I knew. I just knew that he had tried it. I knew that Thomas had just tried to commit suicide."

The thickness of the tension in the air was almost too much for Thomas, and he buries his face in Minho's neck.

Minho wraps his arm around Thomas and whispers, "It's okay, it'll be over soon."

Thomas nods but doesn't move. Minho makes no move to push him away.

Newt keeps talking. "I made a vow that day. I vowed that I'd do everything I could to fix him. Even if it takes until the day I die." Newt looks everyone in the eye, showing them how serious he is before continuing. "Seeing those scars all over his body not only saddened me, but it angered me as well. He was all ready depressed, and shoving him into the Maze overnight just made it worse! Like Minho said, no one gave him a chance. No one tried to get to no him. Minho and I, we saw how wrong it was, and we did something. But no one else did anything but make the situation worse.

"As for punishment, because everyone in this room except for me, Minho, and Thomas, harmed another Glader--not physically, but mentally and emotionally--I wouldn't go as far as Minho did, but Gally does need to be Banished since he caused the most harm, and everyone else should have more working hours and plain food. Because what you all did crossed the line. You all went way too far with sending Thomas out there like that."

Silence takes over the room until Newt speaks two words.

"I'm finished," Newt says and walks back to his seat, sitting down and taking Thomas's hand in his, giving it comforting squeezes.

"All right," Alby says, shifting and clearing his throat. "I've heard everyone give their opinions, so I'm going to give mine. What happened to Thomas, should not have happened. He should not have been sent out into the Maze like that, it's our fault that it happened. So I'm using Newt's suggested punishment. For the next two weeks, everyone except Thomas, Minho, and Newt gets more working working hours and plain food. But since the Runners can't stay out more hours in the Maze without getting stuck out there overnight, we'll assign them another job for them to do when they get back. As for the attempted murder, Gally do you want to say anything on your behalf?"

It's not like anyone in the room would care either way, but Gally does say a few words. "He's useless. He shouldn't have survived that stupid night in the Maze. He should've just died. I thought I'd just take care of what the damn Maze didn't."

Hearing the words, Thomas buries his face deeper into Minho's neck. Minho's tightens his hold on Thomas and Newt squeezes his hand even more.

"Well that certainly didn't help your case," Alby mutters. "Here's what will happen: Gally will be Banished at sundown. Billy and Jackson, take him back to the Slammer."

Billy and Jackson must be the Baggers, Thomas thinks, and watches as Gally is led out of the Homestead to the Slammer.

"Thomas" Alby says. Thomas looks at him, and Alby continues. "Do you want to say anything before we finish up?"

Thomas takes a look around the room, takes a look at all the Keepers who are staring right at him. Thomas takes a deep breath and says, "What happened to me on my first day should be unforgivable, but I'm willing to try to forget about it if everyone else is. You'll have to give me time, though. And I don't know if you've done what you did to me to others, but if you have, no more of it. That's the only way I'll ever even think about forgiving you. No more random Banishments, no more judging. If it happens again while I'm here, I won't forgive any of you. Ever. That I promise."

Thomas looks around again and sees all the Keepers nodding. Alby, Frypan, Zart, Winston, Clint, everyone is nodding. Thomas has never felt more shocked than he is now. They're actually listening to him.

"Now that that's sorted out," Alby says, "this Gathering is officially over. Everyone is dismissed."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thomas, Minho, and Newt find themselves back in the bedroom, thinking over everything that just happened.

Minho is thinking about the punishments. Everyone is going to have to do more work and not get any good food as a reward--or any reward at all--for two weeks except for him, Newt, and Thomas. And Gally is getting Banished tonight, Minho can't be more happy right now.

Newt is thinking about everything Minho and Newt told the other Keepers. He told them a lot of what happened that horrible day. They didn't tell them everything, but they told them enough. He isn't worrying too much about it though, since he asked Thomas about it as soon as the Gathering ended. Thomas said it was okay, that he was saying everything for a reason, and that the reason was good enough for him. Newt can't help but think about how innocent and kind and brave Thomas is. He has to be the most innocent here. The kindest one here. The bravest one. There's just no question about it.

Thomas is stuck thinking about the final part of the Gathering. Thomas thought about how scared he was at first, how he was worried he was going to get in trouble for saying those things. But when he saw everyone nodding, all the worries went away. They actually said yes to no more Banishments based on stupid judgements! But the best part of it, was when he saw Newt and Minho's looks. They looked so proud of him. And dare he say they actually looked at him a little lovingly? It all made Thomas feel amazing inside, and he still has that feeling now, like everything is going to be okay.

And for Thomas, it's the best feeling in the world.

After a little while, Minho breaks the silence.

"Well, we missed lunch, and I'm starving. I'm going to see if Frypan still has anything to eat, does anyone want anything?"

"Yes, bloody Hell I'm starving!" Newt says. Right at that moment everyone can hear Newt's stomach growling, and everyone bursts into laughter.

"Well, okay then," Minho says, still laughing. "Thomas? What about you?"

Thomas nods. "Yeah, I'm a little hungry." Thomas's stomach growls louder than Newt's, causing everyone to fall into fits of laughter again.

"Um, I think your stomach has a different opinion when it comes to being 'a little hungry,' Tommy," Newt says while trying to control his laughter.

"Okay, okay," Minho says, finally getting his laughter under control. "But, um, Thomas? Are you sure you want to eat in the room again?"

At Thomas's confused look, Minho rushes to explain. "What I mean is, would you like to try eating outside this time?"

Newt sighs. "Minho--" he starts, but Thomas cuts him off.

"It's okay, Newt," Thomas says. He looks at Minho. "I want to try it."

"Are you sure?" Minho asks. He wants to be absolutely sure before taking Thomas outside where the other Gladers are.

Thomas nods. "I want to try it," he repeats.

Minho nods. "Okay. Let's go then." He takes Thomas's left hand and Newt takes Thomas's right. Together, they walk out of the room and out of the Homestead.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Minho lets go of Thomas's hand, explaining that he'll get the food and promises to be right back. And with everything said, Newt leads Thomas to a table while Minho heads the opposite direction to the Kitchen.

Newt and Thomas sit down at the table next to each other, never letting go of each others' hands. They don't say anything, they just sit there in a comfortable silence while waiting for Minho.

They don't have to wait long.

Minho returns a few minutes later with a large tray covered in a plate with cheese sandwiches, apples, and three glasses of milk. At Newt's raised eyebrows, Minho smirks and sets the tray down, sitting opposite of Newt and Thomas.

"Frypan said that since no one gets any special food, might as well not let it go to waste and he gave me the cheese sandwiches."

Thomas's eyebrows go up this time and Minho laughs.

They end up just shrugging and they all take a sandwich and begin eating. Though as time goes on, Thomas starts noticing more and more the stares people are giving him. Every time he turns to look, though, they always look away. There are a few occasions where they can't look away fast enough, and Thomas can actually see the looks people are giving him. He knows those looks. He knows them all too well.

They're judging him.

Thomas tries to hide the fast that he knows, trying to engage in conversations with Newt and Minho, keeping a smile plastered on his face, tries to eat without gagging because right now, all he wants to do is throw up.

In the course of the next two minutes, Thomas catches five more judging stares.

That's when everything goes to Hell.

Thomas suddenly finds it very hard to breathe. He puts his sandwich down and tries to take deep breaths. He fails.

"Tommy?" he hears Newt ask. "What's wrong?"

Thomas can't answer him. It's too hard.

"Thomas?" he hears Minho's voice. "Thomas, talk to us. What's going on?"

"They're judging," Thomas manages to choke out.

Newt's eyes widen in realization. He looks around, noticing people staring, then puts his sandwich down and gets up from the seat, Minho following suit.

Newt wraps an arm around Thomas's shoulders and helps him up from his seat. Minho wraps an arm around Thomas as well, and together they lead Thomas back into the room in the Homestead while glaring at the rest of the Gladers who look down in shame. Shuckfaces.

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Once in the room, they sit Thomas down on the bed and try to calm him down.

Minho gets behind Thomas and wraps his arms around Thomas's waist, pressing against Thomas's back. Newt bends down so he can look Thomas in the eye, places his hands on Thomas's cheeks to maintain eye contact with him, and starts speaking gentle, soothing words.

"Tommy, Tommy, listen to me. You're fine, okay? You're fine. Just breathe. I know it's difficult, but you need to breathe. Take deep breaths. Come on."

Thomas tries to take a deep breath, but just can't get enough. He starts to cry and whimper, needing air to soothe his desperate lungs but unable to get any.

"Tommy, please," Newt says. Newt's tone is pleading, but there is nothing Thomas can do about it.

Thomas is just about to give up, when Minho speaks up.

"Let me try," Minho says.

Thomas feels Minho shifting behind him, then he hears Minho's voice speak into his right ear.

"Thomas," he says. "I want you to try to match your breathing with mine, okay? Can you try for me?"

Thomas nods, wanting to try one more time for Minho.

"Okay," Minho says," here we go. Take a deep breath in--one . . . two . . . three . . . four . . . ."

Thomas feels Minho's chest and stomach rise and then fall as Minho continues. "Out--one . . . two . . . three . . . four . . . ."

Minho starts again, and Thomas follows him--or tries to, at least. He gets in a quick breath, and it lasts for a second before he has to exhale, but it's something. And Newt sees that.

"That's it, Tommy," he says. "Keep going--you're doing all right."

Minho keeps counting, and with every few breaths, Thomas is able to inhale more and more, until he is finally able to inhale for four seconds and exhale for four seconds with no problem.

"Good job, Thomas," Minho says.

Newt says, "You're all right, Tommy. You did so well."

"How did I do well? All I did was breathe," Thomas croaks. His throat is extremely dry, and Newt walks over to the bedside table to pour him a glass from the pitcher, before returning to Thomas and handing it to him. Thomas drinks it all and Newt takes back the glass to put it back on the bedside table before speaking.

"Tommy, that may seem like such a simple thing to do. But I'm sure it didn't feel that way when you were struggling, did it?"

Thomas hangs his head, closes his eyes, and reluctantly shakes his head no. He then feels a hand under his chin, raising his head, and Thomas opens his eyes, only to be met with Newt's concerned ones.

"Exactly," Newt whispers. "It's hard. I know it is. I've gotten panic attacks before as well, so I know what it's like. I know how hard it can be. And getting past a panic attack like that is a big accomplishment. I'm proud of you."

"I'm proud, too." Minho suddenly speaks up, surprising Thomas a little. Minho continues. "You've done more than fight off this panic attack. You're fighting off depression. You're fighting through the fact that all those stupid shuckfaces out there do nothing but judge people. You fought off Gally. You never stop fighting. It's amazing. And the way you spoke at the Gathering, I wanted to stand up and applaud you. You're a fighter, Thomas. I'm proud of you. And Newt's proud of you. Never forget that."

Thomas nods, tears running down his cheeks. It seems like Thomas's life has been full of bad luck. But now, Newt and Minho have changed that. They're the best things in his life, and they always will be.

Newt wraps his arms around Thomas's shoulders, and Thomas returns the hug, crying on Newt's shoulder. Minho tightens his grip on Thomas's waist.

"Thank you," Thomas gets out between his sobs. "Y-you've b-been so n-nice to me. And so c-caring. Th-thank you so much."

Minho's and Newt's grips just tighten in response.

Thomas says one more thing.

"I just don't understand why they judge me so much. I wish they'd stop but I know they never will."

Newt shakes his head. "I know it's hard, Tommy," he says. "But we'll figure it out--I promise."

Minho nods. "We'll get through it," he says. "I know we will."

And with that, Thomas falls asleep in their arms.

Chapter Text

It's sundown. And that means one thing.

It's time for Gally's Banishment.

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Thomas, Minho, and Newt are sitting in the bedroom. Thomas woke from his sleep two hours ago, and they got food an hour after that. Now, they're just sitting on the bed, preparing for what is about to happen in less than ten minutes.

Thomas doesn't have to be there, and Newt and Minho are glad. They don't want Thomas to see something like that. But at the same time, they are reluctant to leave Thomas alone considering what life for him has been like during his time in the Glade. They have to be there, though. They are Keepers, and they were part of the decision to Banish Gally, so they have to carry out that decision along with the rest of the Keepers.

They don't have to say anything for Thomas to know what they are thinking. He tries to reassure them that he'll be okay. He says, "Gally will be gone soon. And I'll be fine if I'm alone for just a little while. I know you're coming back. I'll be okay."

While still reluctant, they trust Thomas. And they know that he'll be okay now that Gally can't and never again will get to him.

So they leave the room, leaving Thomas to stare after them, worried and curious.

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Newt and Minho walk out of the Homestead towards the Door where the Banishment will take place.

All the Keepers are already there, with the other Gladers forming a crowd. Minho and Newt join the other Keepers, keeping their expressions blank. Alby nods at them and they nod back, all silently preparing for what is about to happen.

Then the Slammer door opens, and everyone knows it's time.

Gally is dragged out by two Baggers, struggling and shouting protests. Soon, though, he finds it pointless, and gets his feet back under him and silently walks the rest of the way.

He and the Baggers stops in front of Alby. Alby dismisses the Baggers, and they walk away to join the crowd of Gladers. Gally says nothing, just stares at Alby with a malicious glare on his face. Alby doesn't respond to the glare, just keeps a straight face. He puts a collar attached to a long pole around Gally's neck, the whole time never making eye contact.

The collar is secured, and Alby takes his place at the front of the pole, shouting, "Keepers, take your places!"

One by one the Keepers take their places, with Newt standing behind Alby, Minho standing behind Newt, and so on.

Ably, Newt, and Minho all share a glance. All three of them nod.

And the Banishing officially begins.

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Thomas is too curious for his own good. He wants to know what's happening. He needs to see how the Banishing works.

He gets out of bed, heads out of the room, down the stairs, to the entrance of the Homestead, and stops, thinking it's close enough to see, but far away enough for no one to spot him.

The door to the Homestead is already opened so he doesn't have to worry about anyone seeing the door opening. And he doesn't even have to spend three seconds looking for everyone. He immediately spots them. And though it's hard to see with all the Gladers crowding around them, he can just catch a few glimpses of the Keepers and Gally.

The first thing he notices is the Keepers handling something. He figures out it's a pole. The second thing he notices is the pole is attached to something around Gally's neck. The third thing is the thing is a collar. The fourth thing is the positions on the pole. Alby is first, Newt is second, and Minho is third. The fifth thing is everyone has the same looks. They all have a straight, blank look, as though they're hiding what they're feeling. And Thomas realizes, they are. They can't be showing any signs of weakness at a time like this. They can't be showing anything. They need to keep a blank face on. They wouldn't get through this any other way.

Thomas shakes himself out of his thoughts as he looks on. Gally is now being pushed towards the Doors of the Maze. The opened Doors, which are about to close very, very soon.

Thomas can't help but think about his night in the Maze, how he was almost killed viciously so many times. But Gally's shouting and protesting snaps him out of it. He watches anxiously, and with a little relief, as Gally is pushed through the Doors, which are now closing at a steady pace. He can't see Gally anymore, but he knows he's completely in the Maze when he hears Alby say, "Hold," and when the pole is detached from the collar.

The Keepers drag the pole back into the Glade, and Thomas can hear Gally screaming one last time before the Doors close for the night. And just like that, Gally is gone.

There's a moment of silence. And then everyone disperses.

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When the Banishment ends, Minho and Newt share a glance. Their eyes say what words can't. Newt sighs, and tells Minho they should get back to Tommy. Minho agrees, and they make their way towards the Homestead. But something catches Newt's eye.

A figure.

A figure that resembles Tommy's.

And he realizes.

It is Tommy.

"Minho," Newt whispers. Minho looks at him, then looks in the direction Newt is staring, and notices Thomas standing in the doorway of the Homestead.

"Shuck," Minho says. And he and Newt rush to get to him.

They can't believe he saw everything. They don't want to believe it. But they know it's true.

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Thomas, after getting over a few minutes of shock, notices Minho and Newt running over to him. He starts getting nervous, not knowing what they'll do and say to him.

"Tommy!" he hears Newt call, and looks up just as Newt arrives in front of him. Thomas sees no trace of anger on Newt's face, just worry. "What are you doing out here?"

Thomas blinks a few times, trying to gather his words. "I-I was curious, I guess. I just-I wanted to see."

He looks at the ground as he says this, too nervous to look up at their faces.

He hears Newt sigh, and before he can say anything more, Newt gathers him in a hug. At first Thomas is shocked, but he gets over it fast, closes his eyes, and hugs back, resting his head on Newt's shoulder.

He feels yet another hand on his back that doesn't belong to Newt, and turns his head to see Minho behind him. Thomas catches Minho's eye, and Minho gives a small smile, to which Thomas gives a small smile back.

"Why don't we head up to the bedroom," Minho suggests. Thomas nods and pulls away from Newt to look at him.

Newt smiles at him and gently says, "Let's go."

And with that, they head up to the bedroom.

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They enter the room and sit on the bed. It's silent for a little while. Thomas thinking about what he just saw, and Minho and Newt trying to figure out what to say to Thomas about what he just saw.

Finally, Newt breaks the silence.

"Tommy," he says. Thomas looks at him. "About what happened, that does not happen often. Which is why this is a bit hard to explain."

Thomas nods. "I get it," he says.

Newt nods as well. "There are other forms of punishment. But harming another Glader is not acceptable unless it was in self defense. Gally attacked you for no reason. Three months in the Slammer wouldn't even be enough of a punishment for that. And, like you heard in that Gathering, everyone else agrees. Banishment was the only suitable punishment. But, it's not like we can just send them off on their own free will. There's no where to go other than into that Maze, and not a lot of people are willing to go out there on their own, especially at night, so we have to force them."

Newt pauses as Thomas takes all of this new information in. It's actually helping. It's helping him come to terms with what he just saw happen to Gally. Feeling up to it, Thomas nods, signalling to Newt that it's okay to continue.

Newt says, "You are the only one who has ever gone out into the Maze willingly at night and survived. The ones who were willing were some of the first people here and they all died. That doesn't just make you strong that makes you brave. Gally is neither. Gally resisted, so he's not brave. I highly doubt he'll survive the Maze, and even if he does, he never once was strong in the first place. Attacking someone for no reason? That's not being strong, that's being weak. Fighting against an attacker even with the threat of death? That's strong. You, Tommy, are strong. Gally is not. I cannot stress that enough."

Thomas turns bright red and looks down, hiding a little smile. Once again, just like the first time, Minho catches it.

"Oh no you don't!" Minho shouts, and attacks Thomas with tickles. Thomas bursts out laughing and falls onto his back, struggles against Minho's hold, but can't get away. The whole room is filled with giggles.

"Minho, please!" Thomas begs through his laughter, but Minho doesn't listen.

"Minho!" Newt lightly scolds, but it has no affect because he's smiling and laughing, too.

"Please!" Thomas laughs, and Minho finally stops. All three are smiling and breathless from laughing.

Then, Thomas says, "I don't feel sorry for him."

The other two look down at him, silently questioning what he means.

"Gally," he says. "I don't feel sorry for what happened to him. He deserves it."

Minho and Newt nod with understanding. They don't feel sorry for Gally either.

"I just . . ." Thomas continues. "What if Gally survives? What if he comes back?" Worry is written all over his face, clear as day.

"No way," Minho says. "Not a chance. You heard what Newt said. Gally is in no way brave or strong. He isn't coming back."

Thomas wants to believe Minho, but he's hesitant. He doesn't want to believe it until he sees it.

Minho notices Thomas's hesitation, and sighs. He says, "Thomas, even if Gally came back, we'd still find another way to get rid of him. We'd figure something out. We'd leave him out there in the Maze, we wouldn't let him come into the Glade, and if he does, well, we'll figure it out from there. But there's no reason to worry about the future when we can have something good or even great right now in the present. Okay? We don't take what Gally did lightly around here and it will not be forgiven."

Thomas can't help but believe every word Minho says. And while he's still a bit apprehensive, he let's it go. He knows Minho and Newt won't let him get hurt by Gally again.

Newt and Thomas both let out yawns at the same time, causing Minho to laugh and suggest they get some sleep, knowing they're all tired.

Thomas gets under the covers in the middle of the bed, then shifts onto his left side. Newt gets into the bed in front of him, and wraps his arms around him. Minho gets in behind him and wraps his arms around Thomas and Newt. Thomas falls asleep comfortably warm and feeling safe. Minho and Newt aren't far behind him, both silently swearing to never allow Thomas to get hurt on their watch.

Chapter Text

Minho and Newt both wake up at the same time in the middle of the night. They sit up and squint to see in the darkness until their eyes adjust, and then they send each other questioning glances, wondering what woke them up.

Then they hear it.

Whimpering.

They look down at the one remaining sleeping form and dread threatens to consume them both.

Thomas is covered in cold sweat, his eyebrows are furrowed, his eyes are forcefully squeezed shut, tears are leaking out of them, and more whimpering escapes from his lips, which are dead-set in a mix between a frown and a wince. With the new round of whimpering come kicks, and Minho and Newt scoot away a little to avoid being the victims of Thomas's uncontrollable legs.

Minho makes a decision--Thomas is not going to suffer in that dream any longer.

Minho rushes into action, taking a hold of both of Thomas's shoulders and tells Newt to hold Thomas's legs still.

Newt goes for Thomas's legs, taking one leg in each hand and pressing them into the bed, forcing them to be still. And even though that makes Thomas struggle even more, Newt holds firm, hating every second of it.

Minho shakes Thomas roughly, wanting--no, needing--Thomas to wake up right now.

"Thomas!" Minho shouts. "Come on, wake up! It's okay. You're okay! It's just a nightmare. WAKE UP!"

That does it. Thomas sits up and his eyes snap open, tears leaking out and traveling down his cheeks. He gasps, trying to get as much air into his lungs as possible. His legs freeze. The only things that are moving are Thomas's chest and stomach, rising and falling with each desperate breath.

Minho breaks the silence. "Thomas?"

At first, Minho doesn't think Thomas heard him, but then Thomas makes eye contact, and his breathing starts slowing until it's even, and he speaks. "Minho?"

Minho lets out a sigh of relief, then pulls Thomas into a hug, one that Thomas returns immediately.

"You're okay, Thomas," Minho says softly. "You're okay. That was a really bad nightmare, but you're okay. I got you. Newt and I are both here."

Newt has already let go of Thomas's legs and is now sitting off to the side, letting Minho calm Thomas down until he's mentioned. Then Newt makes his presence known to Thomas.

"Hey, Tommy," Newt whispers, crawling over into Thomas's field of vision. "How are you feeling?"

Thomas pulls away from Minho, and then just sits there and takes deep breaths. Minho and Newt stay quiet, letting him have a moment to collect his thoughts and feelings.

"Tired," Thomas croaks. "Scared."

"What are you scared of?" Newt asks gently.

Thomas doesn't answer, but Minho has an idea.

"Are you scared of Gally coming back?" he asks.

Thomas nods, then sniffs, trying to blink the tears away.

"Tommy, you don't have to worry about Gally ever hurting you again," Newt says, but Thomas shakes his head.

"It's not me I'm scared he's going to hurt," he says, and Minho and Newt both realize it at the same time.

Thomas is scared of Gally coming back and hurting the two people he cares most about. He doesn't care if it's himself, he just cares if it's the two people who help him, who take care of him. Who he cherishes most. Who he will never take for granted. The two people who he is growing to actually love. And, he just doesn't know it, the two people who are already loving him back.

"Tommy," Newt says, "he's not going to hurt us. Ever. I promise."

"Yeah," Minho says. "And even if that shuck does come back--which I very much doubt--he won't even be able to touch us. I swear it."

Thomas looks down, and thinks it over. He realizes that there's no need to worry. Both Minho and Newt have proven they're strong enough to handle whatever comes at them. Thomas feels stupid for ever thinking that Gally could overpower them.

He looks back up and says, "Okay."

Minho smiles, nods, and says, "Good."

It's silent for a little while, then Thomas asks, "Can I ask a question?"

"You just did," Minho says teasingly, and the three chuckle.

Newt says, "Of course you can, Tommy."

"Okay, um, what's a 'shuck'?" Thomas asks curiously.

Minho and Newt laugh, forgetting that they never explained the Glader Slang to Thomas.

"It's just part of the Slang around here," Minho answers. "There's shuck, shuckface, shank, slinthead, and klunk."

"Okay?" Thomas says the word like a question, making Minho and Newt laugh again.

"You'll get used to it," Newt says. "For now, I think we should all get back to sleep. There's still a few hours until daylight, let's use that our advantage."

Thomas nods and lies back down, curling onto his side. Minho and Newt follow suit, with Minho back behind Thomas, and Newt back in front. Their arms wrap around him.

It isn't long until they fall asleep again.

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That morning, Newt and Minho woke up at the same time again, but only because it was the usual time they wake up to. They sit up and stretch, then they look down at Thomas, who is still sleeping peacefully.

Thank God, Newt thinks. He never wants to go through something like last night with Thomas ever again. That was a nightmare in itself.

Minho's stomach growls, snapping Newt out of his thoughts. He chuckles and says, "Hungry, Minho?"

Minho rolls his eyes and says, "Shut up." He looks back at Thomas again, then starts running his fingers through Thomas's hair. They can actually see Thomas relax even more with that soothing touch.

"Newt," Minho says quietly. "Can you go and get breakfast today? I just want to spend as much time with him as possible before I go out into the Maze."

Newt swallows before he says, "So you're running today?"

Minho nods. "Yeah," he says. "I can't just stop, Newt. I can't . . ." he trails off, not knowing how to continue.

But he doesn't have to. "I get it," Newt says, and he does. Minho has been a Runner for two years. It's in his blood. Newt knows it'll be way too hard for him to just give it up.

"I'll go get the food," Newt says, then gets up and walks to the door.

"Newt!" Minho calls.

Newt freezes in the doorway. He turns to look at Minho. "Yeah?" he asks.

Minho gives him a small yet grateful smile. "Thanks."

Newt nods once at him, then exits the room, leaving Minho alone with a sleeping Thomas.

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Newt stands outside the kitchen, waiting for the food, when Alby walks up to him.

"Alby?" Newt questions.

"Hey, Newt," Alby says. "Listen, the other Gladers shouldn't be bothering Thomas anymore."

Newt's very confused with this. "What do you mean? Why?"

Alby clears his throat and says, "Yesterday, after Gally's Banishment, I told everyone what was going to happen. There's going to be more working hours, just plain food, and there's a new Rule."

"A new Rule?" Newt asks.

Alby nods. "Yes. The new Rule is no one, under any circumstance is to judge someone the way Thomas was judged. There is to be no useless, random judging. No putting people down. Basically it's like a No Bullying rule. And that Rule will be enforced. I can promise you that."

Newt is shocked. This has never happened before. Sure, there's the "never harm another Glader" Rule, but this is different.

"Wow," Newt says. It's all he can think to say. "That's good. Great, actually. How's everyone taking the news of more working hours and plain food?"

Alby actually laughs at this. "Um, not well. They're not to happy about it, but they do know why it's happening. I'm telling you, I've never seen so many guilty-looking slintheads before in my life. Even if I don't remember my past life, I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've ever seen fifty boys look guilty all at once."

Newt nods. "Good," he says. "They should feel guilty."

They're silent for a little while, and Newt wishes Frypan would just hurry up with the damn food, when he remembers something.

"Alby," he says. Alby looks at him, and he continues. "Gally hasn't come back, has he?"

Alby is shocked. He wasn't expecting this question. "What? No! That's crazy. Why would you think that?"

Newt rolls his eyes. "It's not me who's worried about it, Alby, it's Tommy. Think about it. Tommy survived the Maze overnight. Yes, we've told him it's never been done before, but he did it. Of course he's going to think, what's stopping anyone else from doing it, too?"

Alby nods, finally understanding. "Well," he says. "There's been no sign of him this morning, but I'll tell these other shanks to keep an eye out for him, just in case."

The food arrives--fried eggs, hash browns, toast, and bacon--and Newt says, "Thanks," before gathering up the plates and walking back to the room.

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Thomas wakes up to fingers combing through his hair. It feels nice, and relaxes him. He leans into the touch, releasing a sigh of contentment.

He opens his eyes to see Minho smiling gently at him. He smiles back.

"Hey," he says.

"Hey," Minho says back. "Did you sleep okay? After the nightmare?"

Thomas nods. "Yeah. I didn't have another nightmare, if that's what's your wondering. The dream was actually . . . nice."

Minho's smile grows and he nods. "Good," he says.

Thomas smiles a little more, then looks around the room. He frowns when he notices someone missing.

"Where's Newt?" he asks.

"He went and to get breakfast," Minho answers.

Thomas lets out an, "Oh," then sits up, stretching his arms and legs. He yawns then rubs his eyes. Minho's reminded of a small child, and chuckles a little.

Thomas asks, "What?"

Minho shakes his head. "Nothing. You just looked like a little five-year-old for a minute there."

"I did not!" Thomas cries indignantly.

Minho laughs. "Did too!"

Thomas rolls his eyes. "Whatever," he says, then leans back against the headboard, crossing his arms and frowning.

Minho laughs harder. "Okay! Now you're acting like a five-year-old, too!"

Thomas groans. "Minho! Shut up!"

Minho tries to calm down. "Okay, okay."

They're silent for a minute, then Minho remembers that he's going out into the Maze today. He needs to tell Thomas.

"Thomas," Minho says. Thomas looks up, curious about the suddenly serious tone. Minho continues, "I'm going to be running the Maze today."

Thomas is quiet for a moment, then he asks, "What?"

"I'm running the Maze today," Minho repeats. "I'm a Runner. The Keeper of the Runner. I've already taken as many days off as I can, right now. I can't miss another day. It's my job. I just can't keep pushing it aside. I have to do it sometime. I need to do it today."

Thomas isn't sure how to respond. He's worried. He knows Minho has a job to do, but he's witnessed things out there, things that could get people killed. Minho is one of only two people he trusts. He doesn't know if he'll be able to take it if he lost Minho. But he knows he can't keep Minho prisoner in this room.

So he just says, "Okay."

Minho's a bit shocked. "That's it?"

Thomas nods. "Just . . . just promise you'll be careful. And I'll be okay."

Minho nods and says, "I promise I'll be careful. Don't worry. I've been running that Maze for two years. I came back every day. And I will continue to come back. For you and for Newt. Okay?"

Thomas nods and then wraps his arms around Minho's neck. Minho's arms wrap around Thomas's torso, and they just hold each other until Newt comes back with breakfast.

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When Newt walks into the room with the food, he admits he was a little surprised when he found Thomas and Minho sitting on the bed and holding each other, but all he does is smile at the sight and walk into the room, clearing his throat to announce his arrival.

Thomas and Minho separate, and Newt hands over the two plates meant for them. Minho goes for the bacon first and Thomas goes for the toast. Newt puts his eggs on his toast and eats it that way. Minho finishes first--surprise, surprise--and Newt second. Even though there's still a lot of food left on the plate, Thomas declares himself done, stating he's too full to eat the rest of it. Minho and Newt don't care about the fact that he didn't finish it, they just care that he ate some of it. Besides, it was a lot of food, anyway.

Minho then says he has to go. He can see the worry in Thomas's eyes, and gives him a hug. They hold each other tight until Minho breaks it. He then turns to Newt and gives him a hug, too. They break faster, and Minho says, "See you soon, shanks. I promise." Then he's gone.

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Newt and Thomas sit in silence for a few minutes. Thomas is busy worrying about Minho and Newt is busy thinking of some way to take Thomas's mind off of Minho. All that worrying can't be good for him.

Then Newt comes up with an idea.

"Hey, Tommy?" Newt asks. When Thomas looks up at him, he continues. "How about getting a tour of the Glade? I just realized that you haven't seen much of it. Would you like to go look around?"

Thomas hesitates. He does want a tour of the Glade. He would love one. But he's worried about the other Gladers. He doesn't want what happened the last time to happen again. He hates panic attacks.

"I don't know," Thomas says quietly.

Newt can see Thomas's worry, and it isn't for Minho this time.

"Don't worry, Tommy," he says. "You won't have any problem with the other Gladers."

Thomas looks at him curiously. "What do you mean?" he asks.

Newt smiles. "Alby talked to him. He explained the punishments, and there's a new Rule." Newt smiles wider when he sees Thomas's shocked look, then continues. "The new Rule is basically a No Bullying Rule. There is to be no judging or anything like it. There are punishments for it, and Alby promised those punishments will be enforced if they need to be. So you'll be okay."

Thomas is beyond shocked. They made it into a Rule? He doesn't even know how to respond to this news. No more judging. His number one fear is gone. He doesn't have to worry about it anymore!

Wait.

"What about Gally?" Thomas asks.

Newt shakes his head. "No sign of him. You're safe, Tommy."

Safe. It's amazing how one word can mean so much.

Thomas smiles and launches himself at Newt, embracing him tightly.

"Thank you," Thomas whispers.

Newt returns the embrace just as tightly, whispering, "You're welcome, Tommy."

It's a few minutes before they pull away, and when they do, Newt asks if Thomas wants that tour of the Glade. Thomas nods really fast, eager to see the entirety of where he's living.

Newt laughs and says, "Okay, let's go."

And off they go.

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Newt starts off by telling Thomas about the Box--Thomas shudders when he thinks back to the day he arrived--and how it works. How it comes once a week to deliver supplies, and one of those weeks always holds a Newbie. This month was Thomas.

Newt avoids taking Thomas near the Slammer--Thomas already knows what it's for, and Newt doesn't want to drag those memories up to the surface--and takes him over to the Bloodhouse. Thomas officially meets Winston, an acne-covered kid and the Keeper. Thomas isn't sure how he feels about Winston--he did feel a bit uncomfortable around him--but he is sure how he feels about the actual Bloodhouse. And he did not like it. He just didn't really like the sight. Newt sees that, and moves on to the next part of the tour. The Gardens.

Newt can tell Thomas likes the Gardens a lot more than the Bloodhouse. They meet with Zart, the Keeper of the Gardens. Thomas likes him. Zart's the kind of guy who just gets straight to the point, making it easy for Thomas to understand the answers to his few questions.

They move on to the Builders, who have yet to find a new Keeper, and only hang around there for a few moments. Newt knows the atmosphere makes Thomas uncomfortable since Gally just seems to linger there, so he takes him around the rest of the Glade.

Newt's very happy with the tour. It seems to bring out a different side of Thomas. The very curious side. Throughout the whole time, Thomas asks questions, and Newt answers them. Thomas doesn't interrupt, nods his head when he understands, shakes it when he doesn't.

And Thomas gets the surprise of a lifetime. There are no judging stares. In fact, there are a lot of smiles and a few waves. And while Thomas is happy they're not judging him anymore, it does feel weird to get a bunch of smiles and waves.

Newt wants to show Thomas one more place in the Glade. It's Newt's and Minho's favorite place, so he thinks Thomas will like it, too.

The Deadheads.

Thomas has been in there before, but he didn't go that far.

While walking, Newt explains that this is where he and Minho will sometimes go for some peace and quiet. They go all the way in. They don't stop until they've reached the Wall. Then they settle in a corner where one Wall meets the other. They just sit there. They don't speak any words. They just enjoy the quietness--the peacefulness.

Newt breaks the silence. "Like it, Tommy?"

Thomas looks around and nods. "Yeah," he says. "It's a good place." He gives a little laugh and looks at Newt. "I'm pretty sure it's my favorite.

Newt smiles. "This place seems to have that kind of affect, huh?"

Thomas nods then yawns. Newt chuckles, then adjusts himself so he's sitting with his legs stretched out. He pats his leg, then gestures for Thomas to come over.

"Come on," he says. "Lie down."

Thomas shifts until he's lying on his back with his head on Newt's leg. Newt starts stroking his hair, and it isn't long before Thomas is asleep.

Newt smiles down on Thomas. He's glad he showed Thomas this place. He has a feeling they'll be spending more time here than in that bedroom.

Newt soon falls asleep himself to the quietness and gentleness of this little forest.

Chapter Text

Minho runs back into the Glade half an hour before the Doors close for the night. He's a bit tired out, but it's worth it to him. He doesn't just like running because it's his job, he loves it because it can also help mentally. It helps with the feeling of being trapped in one space. Even though the Glade is pretty large, it's nothing compared to the Maze. Minho knows this better than anyone.

Minho heads to the Map Room first to draw out his map. He tries to hurry--he wants to see Thomas and Newt again as fast as possible--but he doesn't want to rush so much that he messes up. Luckily, he's been doing this for so long that it never takes him more than ten minutes to remember everything and draw it out. He's in and out of the Map Room in seven minutes.

Before he exits the Map Room though, he gives a reminder to the other Runners that are in there that they still have extra work to do--part of the punishment. They groan, but Minho doesn't care. They deserve it, Minho thinks as he makes his way into the Homestead.

He walks into the bedroom, but doesn't see Newt or Thomas anywhere. He exits the room and the Homestead, worry gnawing at his insides. Where are they?

He starts walking around the Glade, trying to find them. He runs into one of the Track-hoes, and asks them if they know where they are. The Track-hoe points out that he saw Newt giving Thomas the Tour and the last time he saw them, they were heading into the Deadheads.

Of course, Minho thinks as he makes his way into the Deadheads. The Deadheads is Newt's favorite place; of course he'd take Thomas here.

He starts to jog over to the corner he knows Newt and Thomas are going to be in. Minho has spent a lot of time in here with Newt. Newt considered this the safest part in the Glade. It's peaceful, Newt always says. I love it. Newt hates it when others go near the place, but Minho knows Thomas is an exception. After all, they're so much alike. Minho would actually be worried if Newt didn't take Thomas to the Spot.

Minho arrives at the Spot to find Newt leaning against one of the Walls, sleeping, and Thomas lying on his back on Newt's leg, also sleeping.

Minho shakes his head while walking over to them and kneeling down next to Newt. Minho isn't surprised Thomas is sleeping--he's always tired--but Newt? Really? Lazy shank.

Minho lightly shakes Newt awake, and Newt's eyes flutter open. He squints up at Minho, and asks, "Minho? What are you doing here? I thought you were Running the Maze today."

Minho chuckles and says, "I all ready ran the Maze, Newt. The Doors close in less than twenty minutes."

The look on Newt's face makes Minho want to fall over laughing, but keeps it in so he doesn't wake Thomas up. Instead, he asks, "How long have you guys been sleeping for?"

"Um . . . a while? I know we missed lunch," Newt replies, scratching his head and scrunching up his eyes as he tries to remember the time of day they fell asleep. He knows they definitely missed lunch--they empty feeling in his stomach is telling him that very clearly--so they must have fallen asleep around noon or early morning, since lunch isn't served until twelve-thirty or one o'clock.

Minho shakes his head with a sigh. "I can imagine Thomas falling asleep, but you Newt? You're slacking. I think I need to report you to Alby."

Newt punches him in the shoulder--not hard, but not light either--and Minho comments, "Newt! Have you forgotten the Rule of no hurting another Glader?" causing Newt to punch him in the shoulder again, harder this time.

But Minho just laughs, and Newt has to smile as well. You don't always hear laughs around the Glade, so when you do hear one, you remember it, and you treasure it.

Another laugh joining Minho's makes each of their hearts skip a beat.

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Thomas wakes up to Newt telling someone they missed lunch. Damn, not again. Thomas likes sleeping, but he doesn't like it when it interferes with certain things like eating and actually being awake throughout the day.

Thomas doesn't stir, nor does he open his eyes, wanting to see how long he can go without alerting Minho and Newt of him being awake.

He hears Minho talking about them sleeping during the day, and there's a noise that suggests one of them just punched the other. Minho next comment confirms that it was definitely Newt that did the punching. The next punch sounds harder this time, and when Minho laughs, Thomas can't help but laugh with him. It makes both of them jump in surprise, and that causes Thomas to laugh even harder. He opens his eyes.

Newt and Minho are both looking down on him with surprised faces. Thomas laughs even more! The faces are priceless!

"Jesus, Tommy!" Newt shouts.

"You scared the living shuck out of us!" Minho exclaims.

"How long have you been awake for?" Newt asks the still laughing Glader.

Thomas stifles his laughter enough to answer. "I woke up around the time you told Minho how long we've been asleep for."

"What? How? You didn't even move! You didn't . . . just . . . how?" Minho stutters, barely able to form once complete sentence.

"Must be a special talent," Thomas says with a bright smile on his face. Minho and Newt can't help but smile with him. This boy can certainly do wonders for the two older boys.

Just then, Newt's stomach growls.

"How about we go get something to eat," Minho suggests. "You haven't had anything all day, and I could use something to eat as well."

Newt nods. "Sounds good. Tommy?"

Thomas doesn't really want to leave the Deadheads--he loves the place, it's calm, it's peaceful, it's quiet--but he has to admit, he's also a little hungry. And he doesn't want Minho and Newt to starve because of him, so all he says is, "I could eat."

"All righty, then, let's go!" Minho says standing up. He reaches down and pulls Thomas to his feet, and then Newt. They head to the kitchen, where Frypan once again does not disappoint--meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and corn.

The three boys take the food to the bedroom, where they sit on the bed and begin eating.

"Oh, thank God for Frypan," Minho moans around a bite. Newt makes a sound of agreement and Thomas says nothing, just nods. He's devouring the food almost faster than Minho and Newt!

In fact, they're all so busy worshiping Frypan and devouring the food, they don't even know what's happening to Thomas's plate!

First goes the mashed potatoes, then the corn, then the meatloaf--until there's nothing left on Thomas's plate. He even finished first!

Once Minho and Newt are done, Newt is the first one to notice it.

"Tommy," Newt whispers.

Thomas looks at him. "What?" he asks.

"You're plate!" Newt exclaims.

Thomas furrows his eyebrows in confusion. "What about--?" he cuts himself off, looking down at his completely empty plate in shock.

"Woah, Thomas!" Minho says. He has a proud smile on his face that makes Thomas feel warm and happy.

"How . . ." Newt trails off, not sure of how to ask.

"I don't know. I just did it," Thomas says, unable to believe it himself.

This is his first full meal he's eaten here. It's his first time being able to keep it down. He's in just as much shock as Newt and Minho.

He covers his mouth with his hand, once again hiding his bright smile. Minho and Newt share a look, then tackle Thomas at the same time, attacking him with tickles. Thomas instantly falls into a fit of giggles, trying to beg them to stop but unable to because of the laughter. He squirms and yells, but they're relentless. It's only when they fall off the bed, along with the plates, do they stop.

"Well, shuck," Minho comments, looking at the broken glass. Newt rolls his eyes.

"I'll go get a broom," he says, and leaves to go get the broom.

Thomas's cheeks are flushed and his eyes are bright, but his smile has turned into an embarrassed one.

"Sorry," Thomas says, his voice hoarse from the laughing, but Minho shakes his head.

"It's not your fault, shuckface. We all got a little too wild," he says.

"'A little' is an understatement," Newt says, walking into the room with the broom and a dustpan. "Now help me with this, Minho."

Minho holds the dustpan while Newt sweeps the glass onto it. Then, when the floor is clear of any glass, Minho dumps the glass into a trash bin. Thomas picks himself off the floor and sits back on the bed. Newt and Minho follow suit.

"So . . ." Minho says once the silence has gone on for too long--meaning it's gone on for no longer than a minute.

Newt rolls his eyes, but talks about taking Thomas out on the Tour. Thomas puts in a few details, what he found interesting, what seemed strange to him, he especially talked about the Deadheads. Minho can certainly tell Thomas loves it in there all ready.

Minho talks about his day. He tells them about the different turns he had to make and how far he went. He saw how interested Thomas was in hearing about his day in the Maze, so he doesn't leave out a single detail.

When it starts getting really dark, they decide to call it a night. They get into their usual positions under the covers, and Newt and Minho are soon asleep. But Thomas isn't.

He just can't get seem to get comfortable. Yes, he loves being in Minho's and Newt's arms, but it just seems so stuffy in the room. After his full day of being outside and in the wide open space, it's hard to get back into the feeling of being cooped up in the bedroom. So Thomas makes a decision. He's not going to sleep in the bedroom tonight.

With a lot of careful movement and pausing whenever Minho or Newt stirred, Thom managed to escape Minho's and Newt's arms. He carefully crawls off the bed--being in the middle really does have a few negative points to it--and silently walks out of the room. The silent part was hard to achieve because of how creaky the floors were, but he managed. He very carefully opens the door because it's as creaky as the floor, and exits the room, silently closing the door behind him. He's still careful heading out of the Homestead; he doesn't want to risk waking Newt and Minho up because he was careless leaving the noisiest building he has ever step foot in, in the life he remembers.

Finally! Thomas thinks as he steps foot on the grass-covered ground. He takes a deep breath and looks around. There are sleeping bodies littering the floor about thirty feet away. He'll have to be careful going around them; he doesn't want to wake them either. His goal is to get to the Deadheads without being detected. It shouldn't be that hard once he gets past all the bodies. He'll still have to be careful walking to the Deadheads, but once he gets inside, he thinks he'll be good.

Thomas walks over to the area where everyone is sleeping. He quietly steps around them--even stepping over them if he has to--being very careful not to step on anyone or wake them up. He knows he'll probably go into a full-out panic attack if everyone's eyes suddenly fell on him because he made too much noise or something. It takes him ten minutes to get through everyone--longer than he wanted, but oh well, at least he made it.

Now he heads straight for the Deadheads--still quiet, but now he doesn't have a bunch of sleeping Gladers to slow him down.

He doesn't even pause when he gets to the entrance of the Deadheads. He just walks straight into them. It's a lot darker inside because of the trees blocking the moon, but he's able to walk through them just fine, even if he does stumble a few times. He doesn't think about where he's going; he doesn't have to. His body all ready knows where to go on its own.

The Spot.

He doesn't know why, but he feels drawn to the place. It feels so safe and calm. He can't get enough of it--must be why Newt and Minho like it so much.

It doesn't take him long to arrive at the Spot. He stops and just looks. It seems like an everyday sort of place, but Thomas knows better. This is better than an everyday place. This is a place of peace.

He takes a deep breath before walking over to the corner. He situates himself right where the two walls meet, squirming a little to get comfortable. He closes his eyes and just breathes. He feels better here, even though Newt and Minho aren't there. It's just more open than that tiny bedroom. Maybe he can convince Newt and Minho to let him sleep here from now on.

But before he can think more about it, he falls asleep.

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Newt wakes up to someone shaking him. He blinks awake and sees Minho's face staring back at him. Newt's about to tell him to shuck off, but then he sees the panic and worry etched on Minho's face. That wakes him up.

He sits up and asks, "What's wrong?"

The answer Minho gives makes Newt's blood run cold.

"Thomas is missing."

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Minho and Newt run out of the Homestead, thoughts of what horrible things could have happened while they were asleep torturing their minds.

Did someone kidnap Thomas?

Did Thomas run and hurt himself?

And worst of all: Did Thomas kill himself?

God they hope not. He's been doing so well. It doesn't make sense that he would hurt or kill himself.

The two frantic boys run into Alby.

"Whoa!" Alby says as Minho and Newt come to a stop in front of him, panting. "What is going on?"

"We can't find Tommy!" Newt says.

"What do you mean you can't find him?" Alby asks in total confusion. Minho rolls his eyes.

"He means, shuckface, we woke up this morning and Thomas was gone. We don't know where he is."

That even has Alby worrying. With the boy's history, anything is possible.

"All right," Alby says in his authoritative voice. "We'll help you look."

He turns and addresses the other Gladers. "Everyone!" he yells. Everyone stops what they're doing and looks at him. "Thomas is missing. Newt and Minho say they woke up this morning, and he was gone. I want everyone to search everywhere. We are not going to stop until he is found! Got it?"

The Gladers nod and start moving around the whole Glade, searching for the missing Glader.

"Minho," Newt suddenly says. "I'm going to check the Deadheads. I saw how attached he got to the Spot. He may have gone there."

Minho nods. "Okay. I'll stay with the rest of these shanks to help look around here."

Newt nods. "Okay," he says shakily.

"Hey," Minho says in a strong voice, grabbing Newt's shoulders and forcing Newt to look at him. "We're going to find him, and he's going to be okay. All right?"

Newt finds himself nodding, completely trusting Minho with this promise.

"Okay," Minho says. "Now, go look for him. If you find him, find me as soon as possible."

Newt nods again and rushes off into the Deadheads, hoping beyond hope that he'll find Thomas.

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Thomas wakes up to the sun shining down on him.

Wow, he thinks. What a cheesey of waking up.

He shakes off the tiredness anyway, and stretches. Then he hears something that catches his attention. It sounds like his name is being called. He strains his ears to confirm it, and yep, his name is definitely being called.

Who is calling out for him? Why?

Crap! he thinks. Newt and Minho. They must have woken up to seeing him gone without a trace. God, what has he done?

He quickly stands up and rushes back the way he came, unknowing of a certain blonde boy with a limp arriving at the Spot just a minute after he left. The reason he didn't see him? They both used different ways of getting in and out of the Deadheads.

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Thomas walks out of the Deadheads rubbing his eyes, trying to get them used to the sudden sunlight. It wasn't this bright back in the Deadheads, so it takes a few seconds for his eyes to adjust. Then he hears, "Minho he's over there!" and it's not even ten seconds later when he's being pulled into a strong embrace. He automatically knows it' Minho, and is quick to return the very tight hug.

Minho pulls away, but doesn't let go, holding tightly to Thomas's arms.

"Where the Hell were you, shank!" Minho yells. "You had us worried sick. Especially Newt! Where did you go? Why did you leave?"

Minho is spitting out questions faster than Thomas can answer them. He's not sure if he'd be able to answer Minho anyway--too overwhelmed with how worried they were to really comprehend anything.

"Damn it, Thomas, answer me!" Minho yells, and that definitely snaps Thomas out of his thoughts.

He focuses on Minho, on his worry-filled eyes, and feels his own eyes welling up with tears.

"I'm sorry," he chokes out. He can hear Newt calling out his name from a distance, though he doesn't know how far away. It's only thirty seconds later when he's suddenly snatched from Minho's arms and pulled into Newt's. Just like with Minho, Thomas immediately returns Newt's embrace, tightening his arms around Newt's shoulders just as much as Newt's arms are tightening around his waist and lower back.

Just like Minho, Newt pushes Thomas back a few inches so he can see Thomas's face.

And just like Minho, Newt demands an explanation.

"Tommy," he says. "Where were you? Why did you run away? Where were you, Tommy!"

Thomas knows he needs to explain himself. Right now.

"I-I was in the Deadheads," he explains. "I guess I got too stuffed up in the bedroom. I-I needed some air. So I left the room and went to the Spot you took me to yesterday. I guess I fell asleep."

"I checked the Deadheads, you weren't there," Newt says.

Thomas shakes his head. "I heard my name being called. I must've left before you arrived. I'm so sorry."

Minho sighs and shakes his head, once again pulling Thomas into his arms and hugging him tight, Thomas once again returning the embrace strongly.

The three boys hear Alby in the distance, telling the other Gladers to give them space and to get back to work.

"Let's go to the Deadheads," Newt suggests. And with that, Minho lets Thomas go and the three walk back into the Deadheads, heading straight for the Spot.

Thomas thinking about what's happened. He really didn't mean to make everyone panic, he just couldn't stay in that room any longer. It was just too hard to be in there after experiencing the fresh air and wide-open space. He really hopes Newt and Minho understand. He hopes they know he's truly sorry.

He hopes they forgive him.

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The finally reach the Spot after what seems like forever, the silence between the three of them the most tense silence they have ever experienced.

When Newt and Minho really get a look at Thomas, they can visibly see him beating himself up on the inside. They hate the sight. Thomas didn't mean to worry everyone, they know that. They understand. They're not mad at him. But does he know that? Most likely not.

Newt is the first to speak up. "Tommy?" Newt says.

Thomas looks at him. Now his eyes are filled with worry. And tears. It breaks Newt's heart. They were making so much progress. Newt doesn't want to see that go to waste because of something like this.

Minho speaks up next, opening his arms as he does so. "Come here," he whispers.

Thomas slowly crawls into Minho's arms, situating himself so that he's practically sitting in Minho's lap. Minho wraps his arms around Thomas's shoulders is a protective manner, never wanting to let him go. Newt wraps his arms the both of them. A few tears escape Thomas's eyes, but Minho easily wipes them away. Then it's silent again. But this time it's more comfortable--nothing like the tense silence they were experiencing earlier.

Minho speaks up again. "Thomas," he says. "I'm sorry for yelling earlier. You had me so worried, though. When I woke up and you weren't there . . . I . . . I really thought something had happened to you."

"I'm sorry, too," Newt says. "But like Minho said, I was worried sick. I thought someone might have somehow taken you and hurt you. Or that you'd . . ."

Newt trails off, not wanting to say it out loud, but Thomas completes the sentence.

"You thought I had run off and hurt or even kill myself." It wasn't even said as a question.

Newt silently nods, tightening his hold on the other two boys.

"I'm sorry," Thomas whispers. "I just got so cooped up in that room. I couldn't sleep. I needed to get out. I just . . . I needed to--"

"You needed to escape," Minho finishes, and Thomas nods. Minho squeezes him tighter. "It's okay, we all get that feeling."

It's silent again, but then Minho remembers something.

"Oh, shuck," he says. The all let go of each other.

"What is it?" Newt asks. Minho looks at both him and Thomas before answering.

"I have to Run the Maze again today. I'm all ready late."

It's silent, then Thomas says, "It's okay."

"Thomas--" Minho tries to say, but Thomas won't have it.

"Minho," he says. "It's your job. I understand. Do what you have to do. But remember your promise. Always come back."

Minho nods. "I will. I will always come back."

Minho pulls him into another hug, and even presses a kiss on his forehead--Thomas has to admit, he's a little surprised, but also, at the same time, not. They've all gotten a lot closer in the time he's been there. Minho gives the same treatment to Newt, then asks, "You guys okay for getting yourselves some breakfast?" Newt rolls his eyes.

"What are we? Bloody five-year-olds?" he asks. Now it's Minho's turn to roll his eyes.

"I'll see you shanks later. I promise." He says the last part to Thomas, before he walks away. It's silent until he's out of sight.

As soon as Minho is gone, though, Thomas is being pulled into another embrace by Newt.

"Tommy," Newt says in a soft but serious voice. "Minho made you a promise. Now I want you to make a promise to me."

Thomas nods without hesitation. "Anything," he says.

Newt pulls away to look into Thomas's eyes. "Promise me you will never scare me like that again. Please, Tommy. I can't handle it. I won't be able to even live with myself if something happened to you. So promise me that you will come to me or Minho if you need something. Anything. Even if it's in the middle of the night, wake us up, and tell us. Please."

Newt's eyes are just begging Thomas to make this promise. Thomas has never seen this side of Newt before, and to be honest, it actually scares him a little. But Thomas pushes it all aside. He knows he has to make this promise. He has to.

So he says, "I promise."

And with that, Newt pulls him into another hug, not intending to let him go anytime soon.

Chapter Text

Two hours later, Newt and Thomas finally let go of each other. They sit in silence for a little while longer, but then their stomachs start growling and aching.

Newt asks, "Do you want to go get some food, Tommy?"

Thomas nods, so Newt stands up, takes Thomas's hand, and helps him up. When Thomas is on his feet, Newt lets go of his hand. A little wave of disappointment hits Thomas, shocking and confusing him because, why is he feeling like this? But then Newt places his hand on Thomas's lower back, and all thoughts of disappointment fly right out of his mind.

Thomas smiles at Newt and Newt smiles back. Newt then leads Thomas out of the Deadheads. His hand never leaves Thomas's back.

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Thomas and Newt walk into the Kitchen to see Frypan cleaning up.

"Hey, Frypan!" Newt calls, gaining Frypan's attention. "Do you think you could scrounge something up for me and Tommy, here?"

Frypan sighs, rolls his eyes, but then says, "Fine," and goes into the back of the Kitchen, grumbling to himself.

Thomas furrows his eyebrows. If Frypan doesn't want to make them food, then why does he do it? Isn't he upset that he has to make more food for just a couple of Gladers who accidentally missed breakfast? Thomas voices these two questions out loud to Newt.

"No," Newt says with a reassuring smile. "He just acts like he's upset. But really, he loves it. It's why we nicknamed him Frypan. Even when he pretends to be upset when someone comes in late for a meal, he's actually happy he gets to spend more time cooking something up."

"Oh," Thomas mumbles, but the answer Newt gave brought on another question. "Wait, if Frypan isn't his real name, then what is?"

Newt laughs. "That's also why we call him Frypan. His real name is Siggy. And let me tell you, Frypan doesn't like it one bit."

"No I do not," a voice suddenly says.

Frypan walks back out of the kitchen carrying two plates covered with French toast and bacon. He hands the plates over to Newt and Thomas, who each takes one, then says, "Everyone got the good names. Newt, Alby, Minho, Winston. I got the worst name! Aside from Gally. I mean, really? Where did that even come from?"

Newt tenses for a few seconds, worried about how Thomas will react to hearing Gally's name, but to his surprise and relief, Thomas laughs.

"I don't know. But I don't feel bad for him," Thomas says. Newt knows Thomas means this in more than one way, but if Frypan knows, he doesn't say anything.

"Well," Frypan says, "off you go! I've got a kitchen to clean."

Thomas and Newt say goodbye to Frypan and then walk away.

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Thomas and Newt head over to the Spot to eat their breakfast. They're mostly silent until they finish. Newt is once again shocked at how much Thomas has been improving in the last couple of days. It seems like just yesterday Minho had come back from the Maze with an unconscious Thomas who had just tried to commit suicide.

Newt shakes his head to get rid of the thoughts. He doesn't need to be thinking like that right now.

He looks at Thomas who's giving him a worried look. He smiles, hoping it looks real enough. To try to add another layer to his cover-up, he says to Thomas, "I have some things to do around the Glade -- that's part of my job as second-in-command -- would you like to help?"

Newt sees a little hesitance flash across Thomas's face.

Thomas asks, "What help can I possibly be? I'm just a . . . Greenie." He says the last word a little uncomfortably, the word unnatural on his tongue.

Newt shakes his head. "Tommy, believe it or not, you can be helpful here. You just have to learn. And you're not just a Greenie, I can tell you that right now. Hell, I could've told you that the day you came here."

Thomas, feeling a bit better about himself from Newt's little speech, nods his head. "Okay, I guess I can tag along."

Newt smiles. "That's the spirit, Tommy! Now, let's go."

And they're off.

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The first people Newt and Thomas check are the Med-jacks. They head up the stairs where there are some extra rooms. Clint, the Keeper, is located in one of the rooms bandaging up a Builder who had cut his hand while working when Newt and Thomas arrive.

"Hey, Clint," Newt greets as they walk through the door. "How's everything going?"

"Pretty good," Clint answers while finishing up with the bandage. "We're running low on supplies, but since the Box is coming up soon, I'm not going to worry about it. We'll just get more when the Box arrives."

"Is the Box the weekly supply Box?" Thomas suddenly asks, surprising Newt and Clint for a few seconds--Newt because Thomas isn't one to engage himself in a conversation unless it's with Newt or Minho or he actually has to, and Clint because, well, every encounter with Thomas so far has been an outright mess, so Clint doesn't have much experience with a happy Thomas--before Newt answers.

"Yes, it is. Like I said that day on the Tour, the Box comes once very week with new supplies, and one of those weeks we get a new Greenie. But we won't be getting anyone new any time soon. So you don't have to worry about not being called Greenie by almost everyone here for the time-being."

Thomas frowns, not really liking the idea of being called Greenie.

"Anyway," Clint says. He looks at the Builder who has a fresh bandage covering his hand. "Don't put any strain on that, don't let it get infected, don't mess with the bandage, and you should be fine within a week and a half."

The Builder nods at Clint, says a quick, "Thanks," before exiting the room.

Newt says, "We should probably get going, too. We still have more people and places to check on."

Clint nods. "Okay," he says. "Come by anytime if you need anything."

Newt gives a single nod at Clint as his way of saying goodbye, and Thomas just says a quiet, "Bye." And then they're off.

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Then next Group they visit are the Builders. To Newt's relief, Thomas doesn't seem as uncomfortable this time as he did the last time they visited the Builders, which was on the Tour.

Thomas doesn't actually pay that much attention to what Newt and the new Keeper of the Builders are talking about, preferring to just look around instead.

There are multiple tools scattered here and there, and a few unfinished projects are also lying around, waiting for a Builder to come and finish them up. There are a few chairs and a couple tables. Thomas thinks he overhears the Keeper saying something about a table becoming too old and unstable, so they just decided to build a new one.

There are Builders scattered here and there, each with their own projects to work on. Thomas wonders for a few brief seconds what it would be like to be a Builder, but then quickly tosses it out of his mind. There would be no way for him to stand being a Builder with Gally's history with them was hanging around the area.

Thomas snaps back to attention when he hears Newt tell him they're moving on. He follows Newt as they head toward the Gardens.

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They meet up with Zart, who looks like he's inspecting . . . tomatoes?

This makes Thomas confused. But why should he be blamed? The memory wipe either did a lot more than take away personal memories, or he just wasn't very interested in gardening in his previous life. Either way, it's not really his fault. Who knows why his memory was stolen? And you like what you like. You can't force a hobby on someone, that'll just make them miserable. Thomas probably knows this better than anyone.

"How are those tomatoes going, Zart?" Newt asks as they walk up to Zart.

Zart looks at them and offers both of them a small smile and nod. He answers, "Pretty good, Newt. I just gotta figure out which ones I should pick today and which ones I need to wait on for a little while longer."

Thomas then notices a basket filled almost to the top with tomatoes that's sitting just a couple feet away from Zart.

Newt walks closer to Zart and inspects the tomatoes himself. "Yeah, these are looking pretty good. Looks like you could pick a lot of these today."

"How can you tell?" Thomas suddenly asks, cringing away a little as both Newt's and Zart's heads snap up to look right at him.

It's Zart who asks, "What?"

Thomas stutters a little as he rushes to clarify. "T-the tomatoes. I-I was wondering h-how you could tell they were rea-ready to be picked."

Zart looks a little surprised that Thomas asked that, but doesn't question or comment on it. Instead, he gestures for Thomas to come and stand closer to him, which Thomas does a little hesitantly, and then he starts explaining how the whole system worked.

While Zart is explaining, though, Thomas is also watching Newt out of the corner of his eye. He can see the small smile on his face, and the look in his eyes is something Thomas can't put into words. Is it a look of pride for Thomas? Is it fondness? Thomas just can't tell. But he decides not to think too much of it and instead focuses on Zart, who is still talking about his little system he put together when he first became Keeper of the Track-hoes. Rather than being bored out of his mind like some people would be if they were hearing this, Thomas is actually showing interest in hearing Zart talk about this. Anyone can tell by the look in Thomas's eyes that he is definitely paying attention, and memorizing everything he can.

It actually seems like he's memorizing everything.

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Newt is amazed. He is so glad Thomas decided to tag along with him.

Newt has heard Zart explain this before, so he doesn't pay attention to him, but rather pays attention to Thomas instead. He can see the look in Thomas's eyes--interest and concentration.

Newt can tell Thomas is memorizing every word coming out of Zart's mouth. But how? How is he memorizing all of this? Newt is going to have to investigate that later. Right now though, he has to get back to checking how things are going around the Glade. But he doesn't want to drag Thomas away from the Gardens now. Not when Thomas looks so eager to learn everything he can. He decides to ask Thomas what he wants.

"Tommy," he says. Thomas looks up at him, Zart pausing his lecture to allow Newt to speak. "Would you like to just hang out here while I finish my rounds? If you don't want to that's fine. I'm just giving you a choice. It's your decision."

Thomas seems thoughtful of the last couple of sentences. Newt realizes it's because of the wording. 'I'm giving you a choice,' and 'It's your decision.' Newt doesn't know a whole lot about Thomas's past--not even Thomas knows a lot!--but he has an idea that maybe making choices wasn't something Thomas was able to do often. So this was just as new to him as the Glade is.

Thomas's voice snaps him out of his thoughts. Thomas says, "I'd like to stay here, if that's okay?" Thomas seems wary, but Newt just gives him a smile before nodding.

"Alright," Newt says. "That's fine. I'm just going to go around the Glade and check on the other bloody shanks. I should be back by lunch time."

Newt is about to turn and leave, when he hears, "Newt, wait!" He turns around and is immediately embraced by Thomas. Newt is frozen in shock for only two seconds before he returns the hug. "Thank you," he hears Thomas whisper, and Newt knows the word holds more than just one meaning.

"You're welcome, Tommy," Newt whispers back, giving a light kiss on Thomas's forehead.

Thomas pulls back, gives a small smile to Newt, and then walks back over to Zart. Newt watches them talk for a moment, then turns and leaves, happy with how good things seems to be going these days.

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True to his word, Newt returns to the Gardens by lunch break. Thomas, Newt, and Zart all head over to where Frypan is serving food. Today's lunch is ham sandwiches with carrots and milk.

They sit down at one of the picnic tables and begin eating. Newt asks Thomas how his day has been going so far, and Thomas just launches into how much he's learned and what he's done. And he has such a bright smile on his face that Newt can't help but think about how far Thomas has come. He went from a terrified, anxious boy who was afraid to speak a word, to this boy who is smiling and talking excitedly with no fear in his eyes whatsoever. Right now, in this moment, Newt can't ask for anything more.

So Thomas talks about what he's been doing and what Zart has said they could do later on today if he wanted to, with Zart jumping in if needed, but for the most part it's Thomas doing the talking. It's truly amazing.

Before they know it, lunch is over and it's back to work.

Thomas goes back to the Gardens with Zart, and since Newt has nothing else to do now that his rounds are done, he goes with them. They spend the rest of the work day talking and laughing at some points. And Thomas does notice that some of the other Gladers are staring at them, but it's not with judging eyes. It's with eyes that look amazed at what their seeing. Thomas isn't surprised. The few times the other Gladers actually see him, he's a broken mess. Now, he's a smiling, laughing Glader who has been through so much, has the scars to prove it, and yet, somehow has made it through almost everything and is stronger than ever before, even though it hasn't even been a week.

A week.

Thomas doesn't stop working, but his mind is racing with those two words. he counts the days in his head. Apparently, today is only Day Six, meaning tomorrow is Day Seven. He hasn't been here a full week yet but he's still made it past so much. And he has two people to thank for it.

Newt and Minho.

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By the time Newt and Thomas finish up, it's almost time for dinner, meaning it's also close to the time the Doors close, and that means Minho is due back soon. Thomas can't wait to tell him about his day.

Newt and Thomas are sitting at the same picnic table they'd eaten lunch at. They're waiting for Minho to come back, making a little small talk as they wait. The other Gladers are still working, since they're still stuck with the punishment Alby and the other Keepers decided just a few days ago.

Wow, a few days ago. This is really hard for Thomas to comprehend.

But he doesn't have time to think about it, because just then, he sees Minho run back through one of the Doors. Thomas sees that Minho has spotted them, and offers him a smile. Minho smiles back and holds up one finger as if to say, 'Hold on.' Minho then jogs over to one of the smaller buildings, something Thomas never really payed that much attention to until now. He watches as Minho opens the door and holds it open for other Runners who are also returning from their trips through the Maze. The last Runner enters and Minho is the last inside. The door shuts behind him, and Thomas turns to Newt.

"What are they doing?" he asks, curiously.

Newt looks at Thomas from where he was also looking at the small structure in which Minho disappeared inside of. He says, "They're going to draw out their Maps. You see, the reason the Runner go out into the Maze every day is they're trying to figure out a way to escape this place. They've been doing this for two years, and they can't keep all that information in their heads forever. They won't be able to remember it. So they draw Maps. There are eight sections, so eight Maps are drawn every day, without fail. That's why being a Runner is the most stressful job here. You've got the pressure and the stress of trying to make it back on time while remembering every detail of your assigned section. It's very difficult."

Thomas furrows his eyebrows in confusion. "How would you know how difficult it is, Newt?"

Newt swallows before answering. "Because I was once a Runner."

Thomas is shocked. Newt was a Runner?

"Why aren't you one now?" Thomas asks.

Newt pats his right leg. "I hurt my leg a few months back. Now I've got a bloody limp, and I can't run on it the same way. So it's too dangerous for me to go out there."

Thomas wonders how Newt got the limp, but decides against asking. He can see the look in Newt's eyes--he's haunted by this memory. Thomas doesn't want to make it any worse by making him re-live the moment. So instead, Thomas just reaches out and gently takes Newt's hand in his own. He doesn't have a tight grip on Newt's hand, wanting to give Newt the option of pulling away. But instead of pulling away, Newt squeezes Thomas's hand. Thomas squeezes back, feeling butterflies in his stomach. He wasn't fully confident of this decision, but then when Newt held on tighter, it gave Thomas the opportunity to feel completely confident of what he's done. He's not sure of the butterflies, though. He's sure he's never felt like this before. It's a strange feeling, but he doesn't tell Newt about it. He doesn't deem it important enough to be worrying about.

He turns his attention to the Doors that lead out into the Maze. He feels this strange feeling, different from the butterflies. It's this weird feeling of wanting--of wanting to know what's really out there. The night he went out there, all that mattered was surviving. The day after, all that mattered was dying. He never really got a good look at what's really outside those Doors. But he wants to. He wants to get a good look. He doesn't know why, but he does. And that truly scares him.

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Newt gets a little apprehensive when the topic of his time as a Runner and his limp come up, but is relieved and thankful that Thomas doesn't push it when they get to the part about his limp. He wants to tell Thomas, but he doesn't think Thomas is ready yet. When the time comes, Newt will definitely tell Thomas what happened. Thomas deserves the truth, not some stupid, made-up lie.

And when Thomas holds his hand tentatively, as if he thinks Newt is going to pull away as soon as they make contact--which he most likely does--Newt tightens the hold. Immediately he receives a squeeze back, and the feeling in his stomach feels strange but good at the same time. Newt finds that he actually likes it.

Then Newt also catches the curious look on Thomas's face as he looks toward to the Doors. Newt wishes he knew what was going on in his head, but before he can voice anything, Minho calls out, "Hey!" and jogs over.

Newt and Thomas both let go of each others' hands and stand up right when Minho arrives. Minho immediately pulls Thomas in for a hug, which Thomas automatically returns. Thomas actually melts into the embrace, completely and utterly relieved that Minho has come back safe and unharmed.

Minho and Thomas separate, and Minho brings Newt into a hug, too. All three are relieved to be back together, and they feel they can breathe easier when they're close by. If that doesn't say something, nothing will.

Minho and Newt part and Minho comments about grabbing dinner. So they all head over to Frypan, they grab their dinner, and they head for the Spot in the Deadheads.

When they get there, they sit down and eat their dinner. They talk about their day, Minho talking about his run through the Maze, Newt talking about how the other Keepers are doing, and Thomas describing what he's learned to Minho. While he's talking, Newt and Minho share a knowing look. It's a look that says, 'I'm so proud of him.'

Newt realizes something when Thomas is talking. When Newt listens closely, Newt can easily imagine their own conversation they had earlier at the picnic table with Zart. The only difference is, it's not Zart and Newt near him and it's not Newt being the one he's really talking to. It's Newt and Minho near him and it's Minho being the one he's talking to.

Newt starts feeling a little dizzy with all the puzzle pieces falling into place, but then it hits him.

Thomas has a photographic memory.

He decides not to share this with Minho or Thomas yet, wanting Thomas to have this moment with Minho, and wanting to show Minho how it feels to listen to Thomas talking like this. Based on the look Minho has on his face, he's loving it.

Newt shakes his head but smiles, knowing he had the same look on his face earlier.

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Thomas can't help but be really excited about telling Minho about his day. He goes on to describe what he's learned and he sees the looks Newt and Minho have on their faces. They're proud looks. And that makes Thomas even happier.

By the time he's finished talking, they've all finished their food. Newt and Minho are once again shocked at how much Thomas's has improved with his eating since they first met him.

"Tommy, would you like to go up to the bedroom and get ready for bed?" Newt asks.

A frown instantly takes the place of Thomas's smile, and Newt instantly feels bad, wanting the smile back again. But Thomas looks towards the ground, fidgeting with his fingers like he's trying to find the courage to say what he wants to.

And Newt and Minho wait for him; they wait for him to find that courage to tell them what he really wants.

Then Thomas takes a deep breath and shakes his head. He looks up at Minho and Newt, who look at him with confused expressions.

Thomas clears his throat and says, "I'd rather sleep out here again? If that's okay? I just . . . it's hard to sleep in that room now. It's just so cramped. I feel better when I'm outside."

Newt nods and says in a consoling voice, "It's okay, Tommy. We understand. Besides, we're used to sleeping outside; it's not that much of a change for us."

Minho nods as well. "It's perfectly fine if you want to sleep out here. Hell, I do it more often than not! So if you want to sleep out here tonight, tomorrow night, even every night, we'll be right here with you."

Thomas smiles. He can always count on these two . . . shanks? Is that the word. It doesn't matter. The point is, Thomas knows he will never be alone, because Newt and Minho would never leave him. Thomas will never stop being thankful for that.

Newt suddenly stands up, and Thomas gives him a confused look. Newt gives him a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, Tommy," he says. "I just need to get a few things. I'll be back in a moment." Then he turns and leaves.

It's silent for a minute, before Minho breaks it.

"Thomas?" he asks.

Thomas looks at him and says, "Yeah?"

Minho is looking at him with such a serious look, it almost scares Thomas. Minho asks, "You are doing okay, aren't you?"

It takes a minute for Thomas to answer, and when he does, his face matches Minho's serious one, and he answers just as seriously.

"Yes," he answers. "I'm doing very okay."

That gets a smile out of Minho and Thomas smiles as well. What Thomas said is true. He's doing okay. He's getting through everything. Minho can't be more relieved.

They sit in silence for a couple more minutes, then Newt comes back, carrying two pillows and a few blankets.

"Thought we might need these," Newt says as he dumps the pillows and blankets on the ground. "Let's get them set up."

Minho and Thomas help Newt set up the blankets and pillows. When they're done, they get under all but one of the blankets--the last blanket is being used to cover up the ground so they have something soft to lie on. They're in the same positions as they would be if they were sleeping on the bed in the bedroom, and it isn't long before they're asleep.

Thomas is thankful for sleep coming easy tonight.

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They all wake up at the same time that morning.

They sit up, and the first thing Minho says that morning is: "Well shank, you've survived your first full week here in the Glade."

Thomas is a bit shocked. He remembers now, today marks Day Seven.

A week. Just one full week. It's hard to believe everything that has happened to him, good and bad, has happened to him in the span of only a week.

Talk about mind blowing.

Newt laughs at the look on Thomas's face. "I know how you feel, Tommy. Feels like it's been a lot longer than a bloody week."

Minho sighs. "Time does fly." He pauses. "I'm hungry. Let's go get something to eat!" Minho stands up and Newt rolls his eyes. Leave it to Minho to always think about his stomach. Still, Newt stands up, too, and he reaches down and helps Thomas up. Together, they walk out of the Deadheads to get breakfast.

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They eat breakfast at the same picnic table Newt and Thomas were at yesterday. Unfortunately, Minho's statement about how time flies also applies to this moment, because what seems like only five minutes later--even though it was half an hour--Minho announces that he has to go. He gives both Thomas and Newt a hug, and then he's off.

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Like yesterday, Thomas follows Newt around for a little while, before choosing an area he likes and helping out there. Today's area: the Kitchen.

Thomas is actually good help. He does what he's told without complaint, and Frypan actually enjoys his company. Thomas doesn't talk all that much, but Frypan can still have conversations with him.

And like yesterday, Thomas eats with Newt during lunch break, and when Thomas goes back to work in the Kitchen, Newt follows.

During lunch and the rest of the work day, Newt has a strange smile on his face. It looks . . . excited? Thomas isn't sure, but he does want to find out by the end of the day.

The Box ends up coming that day, around two hours after lunch, almost surprising Thomas until he realizes it's been a week. He remembers Newt telling him about the Box coming once a week with new supplies. Today marks one week since the Box last came up, so that means the Gladers get more supplies. Thomas gets the privilege of helping Newt and a few others empty out the Box. It's actually kind of fun--Thomas gets to hang out with Newt, and he met a few other Gladers who are actually quite friendly. It takes two hours to get everything out of the Box, sorted and distributed to their rightful places.

When the time for Minho to come back comes around, Thomas and Newt wait at the same picnic table. They both watch as Minho comes back through the Doors and goes into the Map Room. Seven minutes later, Minho is jogging up to the table, and the three of them hug. They grab dinner from Frypan and they head for the Spot.

Dinner is similar to last night's. They talk about their day, Thomas once again excited to share what he's learned. And Newt is still surprised at how good Thomas's memory is. He needs to figure out a way to bring that up in a conversation. But for now, he has something else he wants to do first.

"Tommy, Minho, I want to show you guys something," Newt says after they've finished eating.

He stands up, and Thomas notes to himself that Newt has that smile on his face again. He doesn't call Newt out on it though. Instead, he stands up with Minho and follows Newt into a different part of the Deadheads. They stop at a small clearing.

What they see makes them freeze.

There are flowers.

Everywhere.

There are different types and colors. It looks absolutely beautiful.

Minho asks in a whisper, "Newt, where did these come from?"

Newt laughs. "I don't know," he replies. "Earlier today I was walking around here, and I just stumbled upon them. I've never seen them before--never saw any signs of them growing. I just found them like this today."

Thomas says nothing. He just walks closer to the flowers, kneeling on the ground. He gently runs his fingers through a few pink flowers, inhaling their scent and smiling softly. He gets up and walks around, careful not to step on any, occasionally kneeling on the ground and gently caressing a few different flowers. Minho walks around as well, also careful not to step on any flowers, and Newt follows suit. These flowers truly are beautiful; they just wish they knew where they came from.

When Newt and Minho are done looking around, they just stand off to the side while they wait for Thomas. And as Newt and Minho stand there and watch him, they look at each other, and they both think they same thing.

Thomas has to be the most gentle person in the whole Glade.

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It isn't until ten minutes later when Thomas stands up and carefully walks over to where Newt and Minho stands. He says, "Sorry for taking so long," but Newt shakes his head.

"Don't apologize," Newt says. "It's not every day you see something like this." He gestures to all the flowers.

"That's more true than you think," Minho says. "In the two years I've been here, there has never been a single flower that grew."

Thomas raises his eyebrows. "Really?" he asks, and Newt and Minho nod. "Huh."

It seems strange. Why would these flowers just grow all of a sudden? It has never happened in the two years the Gladers have been here. So why are they growing a week after he gets there? It doesn't make any sense.

Thomas decides not to dwell on this though, and instead focuses on how beautiful and amazing the flowers look. After all, like Newt said, it's not every day you get to see something like this.

Newt tells the other two Gladers they should all get to bed; it's going to be dark soon. So they all walk back to the Spot and get under the blankets and into their usual position. They're all asleep within ten minutes.

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The morning is very similar to yesterday's. They wake up, talk for a few minutes, get breakfast, eat and talk, they hug and Minho departs, Newt goes to do his job, Thomas tags along for a little while, then goes to do something on his own. Today he is once again in the Gardens.

Aside from the mention of a graveyard in a conversation Thomas overheard two different Gladers having, the day mostly went on like yesterday, and before Thomas knows it, it's time for Minho to come back. Newt and Thomas sit at the picnic table and wait. They see Minho come through the Doors and they all smile at each other. Minho goes into the Map Room to draw out his Map and is finished and out of the place within minutes.

Minho heads over to Newt and Thomas and they go grab dinner before heading to the Spot. The go through their usual routine of eating and talking about their day, and it's not until after they've finished eating does Thomas remember the graveyard he heard about earlier. He decides to ask about it.

"Um," he says, not exactly knowing how to ask this. Newt and Minho look at him with expectant eyes. Thomas continues. "I overheard something today--something about a graveyard?"

Newt and Minho tense. The graveyard was something they didn't exactly want to show to Thomas yet, but it looks like they have to show him now.

Newt stands up and holds out a hand for Thomas to take. "Come on, Tommy," he says. "We'll show you."

Thomas takes Newt's hand, and Newt helps him up. Newt holds out a hand for Minho to take, and Minho takes it. Newt pulls him up and they both lead Thomas to yet another section of the Deadheads he hasn't seen yet.

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When they get to their destination, Thomas instantly recognizes what it is. A place to bury and remember the dead. The graveyard.

The place is filled with leaves and weeds are scattered here and there. And even though the grave markers are just handmade crosses painted white with names carved into them, it must mean something to the Gladers. These were their friends. And now they're dead. This is the one place they can be remembered.

At first, the three of them just stand there, but then Thomas steps forward, and kneels in front of the first grave. The name on the cross read, "Stephen."

He stands and moves on. The name of the next one is George.

As he stands once more and really looks around, it looks as if there are a dozen or so other graves. He goes over to the next one and the next one and the next one. He goes through all of them. One of them, though, catches his eye. It was different than the rest of the graves.

He walks over to the grave, and sees that it's covered by either plastic or glass, time making the covering dirty. It took a second for Thomas to realize it was a window into the grave. He is shocked to see that it contains the remains of a body. Not only that, but it only contains the top half of a body. He noticed writing on the glass, and even though they're hard to read, Thomas is able to make out the words:

Let this half-shank be a warning to all: You can't escape through the Box Hole.

What?

He looks up at Newt and Minho, who are keeping an eye on him while he checks out the graves. Thomas asks, "What is this?"

Newt walks over to him and explains how they were searching for a way out, and they thought that maybe they could find it through the Box Hole. So they waited until the Box left, then lowered someone through the Hole. But something went completely wrong. Something down there cut the poor guy in half. It was a really bad day that day. And they learned they definitely can't escape through the Box Hole.

At first, Thomas just sits there, trying to take it all in. He find it all sad--really, really sad. These are kids. These are kids who are buried down there. It's just hard to comprehend.

Then, Thomas gets an idea.

He stands up, Newt looking at him in confusion, and starts walking out of the graveyard. Minho gives him a look, too, and asks him, "Thomas, where are you going?"

But Thomas just turns to look at him and says, "Don't worry, I'll be back in a minute." And he walks away.

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He returns three minutes later, carrying something in his hands. Newt and Minho realize as Thomas gets closer that it's not something, it's a bunch of somethings.

Thomas is carrying a bunch of flowers they found last night. They're all white.

Thomas holds all the flowers in his left hand and walks to the first grave he saw--Stephen's grave--and places a flower on top of it. Thomas then closes his eyes, makes a fist with his right hand and crosses his right hand over his chest. After a few seconds, he lets his arm drop again, and he stands up to move onto the next grave, where he does the exact same thing.

The other two Gladers with him realize that what Thomas is doing is his way of showing his respect. This is another thing about Thomas that surprises them. Thomas really seems to take things to heart. Thomas didn't know any of these kids, and yet he's showing respect for them. It truly amazes both Minho and Newt.

They decide to join him, and as Thomas is placing the flower on the grave, Minho and Newt kneel down on either side of him. They all share a look, then make a fist with their right hands and cross their chests with their arms. They do this until every grave has been shown respect.

Then, when they're finished, they stand, and Thomas grabs onto Newt's right hand with his left, and Minho's left hand in his right. They walk out of the graveyard holding hands, and, even though they're facing forward, Minho and Newt both know what the other is thinking.

Thank God Gally's grave hasn't been made yet.

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Not a word is spoken as they all lie down to sleep that night, all three of them too caught up in the moment to really let go of it. They don't stop thinking about it until they fall asleep. And yet, they still don't truly stop thinking about it.

Their dreams take care of that.

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The morning is somewhat the same as the previous, except it's more quiet. The three of them don't really talk much during breakfast. They're all still too caught up in what happened last night and their dreams--nightmares?--to really say anything. But when they do talk, they don't talk about it. They each decide on their own that what happens in the graveyard, stays in the graveyard.

When the time comes for Minho to go, they hug, say their goodbyes, and then Minho is gone.

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Thomas and Newt play out the same routine--Newt doing his job, Thomas tagging along for a bit, and then going off and doing his own thing. Today, Thomas is helping out the Builders, much to Newt's surprise.

Newt figured Thomas didn't want anything to do with the Builders after what happened to Gally, and when he told Thomas this, Thomas said, "I can't blame all the Builders for what Gally did. Everything Gally did is Gally's fault, not theirs." And that was that.

And that's how Thomas finds himself learning how to build a chair. The Keeper is nice enough--nicer than Gally, that's for sure--and explains things in good detail so Thomas can easily follow along.

The day goes on like any other day--working, lunch break, talking with Newt, going back to work with Newt. The days seem to go by a lot faster when he has something to do, Thomas notes. He likes having things to do. He likes that the time goes by faster. At least it makes it so he can see Minho again faster than if he had nothing to do and just sat around bored all day.

And his day with the Builders isn't bad. They all treated him good, except for one kid, Ben. He just glared at Thomas. It made Thomas feel uncomfortable, so he stayed away from Ben whenever he could. The Keeper saw this and made sure that Thomas and Ben weren't in the same work space--another reason as to why he's a lot nicer than Gally.

After their work day is done, Newt and Thomas decide to take a little walk in the Deadheads before Minho gets back. They don't have a real destination, they're just walking and talking about everything and nothing. About twenty minutes later, they decide to head back to the usual picnic table. They're just about to turn and head back, when Newt is knocked out from behind.

"Newt!" Thomas cries.

Thomas spins around, hoping to see who attacked Newt, but instead of seeing the attacker, the attacker kicks him in the stomach. The force of the kick sends him to the ground. He clutches his stomach, feeling like he's about to throw up. He looks up at the attacker, and is shocked to find it's someone he actually knows--someone he just met today.

It's Ben.

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Minho arrives back at the Glade at his usual time. But when he looks toward the picnic table Newt and Thomas are usually sitting at, waiting for him, he finds they're not there.

At first, he thinks this is a bit unusual, but then decided that maybe they're just off working somewhere and lost track of time, and will be there when he gets out of the Map Room.

So he goes into the Map Room and draws out his Map for Section 5. It takes him about ten minutes. When he's finished, he stores the Map in the box with all the other Maps for Section 5, and then exits the Map Room.

When he looks to see if Thomas and Newt are at the table, his heart speeds up a bit because they're still not there. Where are they?

Minho decides to ask around. Finally, after the fifth try, the new Keeper of the Builders is the one to give him an answer. Apparently, they're taking a walk in the Deadheads.

Minho's about to head over to the Deadheads to find them, when the Keeper of the Builders stops him. The Keeper says, "Hey, let me know if you see Ben, alright? I can't seem to find him and he still has work to do. And it's not like him to just disappear like this."

Minho nods and says, "Yeah, if I see him, I'll let you know."

The other Keeper nods and says, "Thanks."

And then Minho is off to find his two closest friends.

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Ben throws himself forward to attack Thomas again, but Thomas manages to roll away in time. He stands up and watches as Ben stumbles but finds his feet.

As Ben turns toward him, Thomas asks, "Ben, why are you doing this?"

The answer turns Thomas's blood cold. Ben yells out, "It should have been you who died in the Maze, not Gally!"

Ben produces a knife, it's blade shining from the sunlight. He charges Thomas, and unfortunately, Thomas is too stunned by what Ben has just said to move out of the way in time. Ben rams into him and they both fall to the ground with Ben on top of Thomas.

Thomas tries to push him off, even lands a few punches to Ben's face, but Ben is persistent. Ben just keeps trying to stab Thomas--be it in the neck or in the chest or in the stomach--but Thomas blocks him every time. Thomas ends up with lots of cuts on his arms, and the blood is messy, but Thomas is determined to stay alive.

With everything that has happened--Newt getting hurt, Ben taking his anger out on him, and the fact that there will be more scars on his arms--it makes Thomas furious, and the adrenaline within Thomas reaches its peak, and Thomas is hit with a sudden burst of energy.

He gets in a good position where his legs latch on to both sides of Ben's waist, and manages to throw Ben off of his body. Ben is shocked Thomas actually did that, and Thomas uses that moment of surprise to get to his feet and stumbles a few feet away from Ben, who is still on the ground in shock.

Just when Thomas thinks Ben is going to stay down, Ben gets back up. He looks as if he's about to charge again, and Thomas is just getting into position to fight back again, when he hears a voice call out. And not just any voice.

Minho's voice.

Ben lets out a growl, and then rushes off, taking the bloody knife with him.

Thomas feels a rush of relief, but then remembers Newt.

Thomas turns and rushes to Newt's side, falling onto the ground next to him. It's only when he looks into Newt's eyes does Thomas realize Newt's already conscious.

Newt's eyes are wide. He can't believe what he just saw. Thomas honestly can't believe what just happened actually happened either.

"Newt, are you okay?" Thomas asks, helping Newt sit up. Thomas places a hand on Newt's left cheek. Newt raises his own hand to place it over Thomas's.

"Yeah, I'm okay Tommy," Newt says. "I think he only hit me with the back of his knife. It wasn't that bad a blow, just knocked me out for a few. But, Tommy, your arms."

Newt grabs hold of both of Thomas's hands and holds them out so he can clearly see Thomas's arms. He cringes. They're covered in cuts. Even Thomas winces at the sight of them.

Newt shakes his head. "Oh, Tommy," Newt whispers. He wishes this didn't happen. Why did everything happen to Thomas? Newt wishes it was him instead. When he says this out-loud, Thomas's eyes widen, and he frantically shakes his head.

"No, Newt, no," he says. "I'm used to this. I'm going to be fine. I wouldn't be able to bear if this happened to you and not me."

Newt just shakes his head, pulling Thomas into a hug that Thomas instantly returns. Then Minho appears.

"There you are!" he says in relief. But then he notices Thomas's arms.

"Thomas," he says in utter disbelief. "What did you do?!"

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At first, when Minho finds Thomas and Newt, all he can feel is relief. But then he sees Thomas's arms. And all Minho can think is, No.

Thomas didn't.

"Thomas," he breathes out. "What did you do?!"

And Thomas looks up at him with wide eyes filled with so much innocence, it actually breaks Minho's heart. How could Thomas hurt himself like this? Minho thought they were doing so well . . .

Minho drops to his knees beside the other two. All he can do is stare at Thomas's arms. He can't move. It's just too much.

Then he gets angry.

He turns to Newt.

"You," he says in a very angry voice. "How could you let this happen!"

Newt is unable to do anything but stare at Minho with wide, shocked eyes, but Thomas shakes his head.

"Minho. Minho, no. I swear I didn't do this to myself. Minho, please, I swear!" Thomas is practically begging for Minho to believe him.

When Minho hears Thomas say he didn't do this to himself, Minho's head turns in a flash and his eyes meet Thomas's. There isn't an ounce of lying hidden within them.

Minho turns to Newt, and asks, "Is this true?"

Newt nods his head and says, "I was knocked out for most of the time but I know for sure Thomas didn't do this to himself. Minho, I would never allow it."

Minho takes a minutes to process this. Then he turns to Thomas with furious eyes.

"Then who did it?" Minho asks in almost a growl.

Thomas, knowing the anger isn't directed at him, calmly explains what happened. His voice shakes as he repeats what Ben said to him about him being the one that should've died and not Gally, but for the most part, he's okay with explaining the situation.

"So Ben did this?" Minho asks in a whisper. He actually knows Ben. He knows that Gally and Ben were really good friends, but he never thought Ben would go this far as to blame Thomas for Gally's actions, and try to kill him for something that wasn't his fault.

Thomas and Newt both nod slowly. Minho has one last question.

"How long were you knocked out for?" The question is directed at Newt.

Newt answers, "I don't know for how long. All I know is when I woke up, Tommy here was throwing Ben off of his body and then less than a minutes later, Ben was taking off because you were coming."

Minho nods. Then his face takes on a worried expression. "Thomas, let me see your arms."

Thomas doesn't hesitate. He holds out both arms for Minho to see. Minho takes his right arm first, and looks it over. He does the same with his left arm.

"I'm not sure if these will require stitches or not. We'll need to see the Med-jacks for that." Then he turns to Newt. "Let me see your head."

Newt turns around so his back is to Minho, and Minho examines the spot where the back of Ben's knife hit Newt's head.

"There's no blood," Minho says. "But there is a bump. I want you to see the Med-jacks, too."

Newt turns back around and asks, "But how are we supposed to explain these to everyone? We can't blame it on Ben; there's no proof!"

Then Thomas remembers. "Yes, there is!" Thomas says.

Minho and Newt turn to him expectantly. Thomas explains, "The knife Ben had--he took it with him. If he hasn't cleaned it yet, it should still have my blood on it."

Both Minho and Newt flinched when Thomas mentioned his blood on Ben's knife. It was silent for a few seconds before Minho breaks it.

"Well," he says. "We should probably go report it to Alby before Ben does clean the knife, if he hasn't already."

So the three of them stand up. Newt almost falls over, but Minho is easily able to catch him and hold him up.

"Yeah, you're definitely seeing the Med-jacks," Minho says. He notes that Thomas's arms are still bleeding, as well.

So the three of them, Newt being helped along by both Minho and Thomas, walk out of the Deadheads in search of Alby.

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It doesn't take them long to find him.

Alby is in the Homestead actually talking to the Med-jacks. The three other Gladers are actually very thankful they don't have to walk around the whole Glade in search of Alby and then again in search of the Med-jacks.

"Alby!" Minho calls.

Alby and the Med-jacks--Clint and another guy Thomas hasn't met yet--look over to the entryway of the Homestead, where they see Newt being supported by Minho and a bleeding Thomas. Their eyes go wide.

"What the Hell happened?" Alby asks as he makes his way over to the newcomers. His eyebrows are furrowed in worry and concern and his eyes are also filled with concern.

Minho explains what happened, with Thomas filling in a few details at some points. When they get to the part about the attacker being Ben, Alby looks deeply troubled.

When they finally finish explaining, Alby says, "I saw Ben come out of the Deadheads about fifteen minutes before you guys showed up. He looked . . . I don't know. I guess angry, but I could tell he was trying to cover it up. He also had his hand over his pocket the entire time I talked to him, though I didn't know why . . . ." Alby trails off.

Minho asks, "Where is he now?"

"I sent him back to work," Alby answers. "The punishment is still in place, and Ben had some work to finish up."

Minho nods. "If Ben hasn't cleaned that knife, we can prove it was him who cut up Thomas's arms, and not Thomas himself."

Alby nods as well. "Yeah, I'll get some Baggers to help me get him. For now, I want you two," he points to Newt and Thomas, "to see the Med-jacks right now. Thomas, you're still bleeding, and Newt, you look like you're about to pass out. Clint. Jack,"--so that was his name--"take a look at them. Make sure it's nothing serious."

Clint and Jack nod and tell Newt, Minho, and Thomas to follow them.

While Alby exits the Homestead, Clint and Jack lead the three others up the stairs into a room. It isn't the bedroom, but it is similar.

Clint takes a look at Thomas's arms first. Apparently, Minho was right. None of the cuts need stitches, but the do need to be cleaned and bandaged. And when Clint takes a look at Newt's head, they find that it's nothing serious either--just a minor concussion.

Clint tells Jack to get him the supplies he needs for Thomas's arms and some ice cubes and a cloth for Newt's head. Jack leaves and then returns five minutes later. Clint takes the cloth and spreads it out. He takes the ice cubes and dumps them in the middle of the cloth. He takes the four corners and pinches them together. Then he presses it to the back of Newt's head. Even though he's careful, Newt still let's out a pained hiss. Clint instructs Minho to carefully hold the makeshift ice pack to Newt's head while he works on Thomas's arms.

Clint uses this antibiotic ointment on Thomas's arms. And while it does hurt a little when Clint spreads the ointment on the cuts, the pain soon dulls. Clint wraps bandages around both arms and instructs Thomas to take it easy while working and to make sure the cuts didn't get infected.

Then, the three are left alone.

They're sitting on the bed, Minho and Newt sitting against the headboard and Minho still holding the ice to Newt's head. Thomas is just sitting in front of them, staring at his bandaged arms, trying to make sense of all that happened today.

He fought back. He actually fought back. It doesn't seem real. It feels like he's going to wake up any second at the Spot and the day is going to go on as normal--Minho will leave for the day, he'll help Newt, do work on his own, Ben won't attack him, Minho will come back, they'll grab dinner, and they'll go to sleep, wake up, and start the whole day over again.

But Thomas knows that's not going to happen. What happened is real, and there's no changing that.

Movement in front of him snaps him out of his thoughts. Minho is removing the ice from Newt's head.

"I don't think you need it anymore," Minho says to Newt. "Besides, the ice is melting, and my arms are getting sore."

Newt rolls his eyes and Thomas cracks a small smile. But it quickly fades as thoughts of today crash back into his mind.

"You are okay, right Newt?" Thomas asks, and Newt smiles gently at him.

"Yes, Tommy, I'm okay," Newt says in a soft voice. "I told you, it was just a blow to the head. It's not that bad."

Thomas nods, but he's still not fully convinced.

Newt can see this, and he whispers, "Come here."

Thomas crawls between Newt and Minho. They all get into their usual positions, and Newt gently strokes Thomas's hair. Thomas closes his eyes, leaning into the touch.

"Tommy, I promise you, I'm alright. I'm just tired, and I know you are, too. And I know you're tired as well, Minho. Don't even try to deny it," Newt says, his tone a little playful at the end.

Thomas smiles in relief, now convinced that Newt will be okay, and burrows his head in Newt's chest while at the same time getting closer to Minho, too.

Thomas feels Minho kiss the back of his head and Newt kiss his forehead.

He hears Minho say, "Get some sleep, Thomas."

And he's out.

Minho and Newt aren't far behind, but they both share a knowing look before they fall asleep.

Never before have they ever seen someone as gentle, respectful, and strong as Thomas. It's truly amazing how far he's come. And it's only been a little over a week.

Newt and Minho fall asleep, both ready and hoping for more good surprises from Thomas.

Chapter Text

The next day, it's Minho who wakes up first.

He glances at Newt, who is still sleeping peacefully. Then he glances at Thomas, who has turned on his back sometime in the night. It looks like Thomas's sleep isn't as peaceful as Newt's.

Thomas is frowning in his sleep. It makes Minho frown, and he rubs his thumb gently over Thomas's forehead to soothe away the frown lines. When he succeeds, he smiles and kisses Thomas's forehead gently.

A few minutes later, Newt wakes up. He smiles at Minho and says, "Good morning."

"Morning, Newt," Minho replies.

Newt looks at Thomas and asks Minho, "How's he doing?"

Minho responds, "Not the best sleep, but that's understandable considering all that's happened to him."

Newt nods sadly, then leans down and kisses Thomas's forehead like Minho did.

"How are you doing?" Minho asks Newt, referring to his head injury.

Newt smiles reassuringly. "I'm okay," he says. "I feel a lot better than I did yesterday. Sleep helped."

Minho nods, relieved. It's silent for a few moments before Newt breaks it.

"I'm going to go get breakfast," he says. He gets out of bed and heads downstairs to get the food.

While Minho waits for him, he sits up and watches Thomas sleep. He sighs, wishing yesterday didn't happen. Thomas doesn't need to deal with all this right now; he already has enough to weigh him down.

Thomas stirring snaps him out of his thoughts. He looks down to see Thomas's eyes fluttering open. When Thomas's eyes open completely, they immediately look at Minho. Minho offers him a smile, but Thomas can't bring himself to smile back. Instead he averts his eyes, unable to even look at Minho as the guilt and depression swim around in his stomach, making him nauseous.

He doesn't notice the sad look on Minho's face.

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Newt returns not long after Thomas wakes up, carrying three plates with scrambled eggs, toast, and sausage. It's all eaten in silence. Thomas doesn't meet Newt's or Minho's eyes the entire time and barely eats anything. It's what Newt and Minho dread the most--taking ten steps forward, but a hundred steps back.

When Minho finishes his breakfast, he quietly says, "I have to go now; I have to run the Maze today."

Newt nods but doesn't say anything. Thomas doesn't say anything, nor does he look up.

Minho squeezes Newt's and Thomas's hands. Newt squeezes back but Thomas doesn't respond.

With one more worried and sad glance thrown at Thomas, Minho leaves.

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Newt decides to stay with Thomas, not wanting to leave him because of work other people can do.

Thomas barely does anything. He either sleeps or stares off into space, looking anywhere but at Newt.

Alby pays a visit half an hour after Minho left. Thomas is staring off into space again when he says, "We found Ben and the knife. The knife had blood on it. When we confronted him about Thomas, there was no doubt it was him who attacked and tried to kill Thomas. He's in the Slammer now. There will be no Gathering to decide Ben's fate. It's already been decided. Ben will be Banished tonight."

Newt nods to show he understands and agrees.

Thomas doesn't respond.

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That's how Thomas is all day. Staring or sleeping.

Newt leaves for only a few minutes to bring him lunch. Once again, Thomas barely eats anything. It makes Newt more worried than he's ever been--and that's really saying something.

Thomas falls asleep about an hour after Newt brought him the lunch. Newt watches him sleep, gently stroking his hair and wishing he could do more for the poor boy.

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When Minho returns that evening, he quickly draws out his Map, gets three plates full of dinner, and brings it up to the room, knowing that Newt and Thomas will still be there.

And he was right.

When he walks in, he sees Newt holding Thomas's hand in both of his. Thomas is asleep.

He softly says, "Hey," to announce his presence.

Newt looks up at him, and whispers a, "Hey," in return.

Minho gives Newt his dinner, then sets Thomas's down on the small bedside table. He sits on the bed with his own dinner and he and Newt begin eating. They finish quickly, then Minho asks, "How is he?"

Newt shakes his head and says, "He hasn't said a word all day. And he's barely eating anything. All he really does is sleep or stare off into bloody space."

Minho's shakes his head. "I'm going to wake him up," he says. "I want to see how much dinner he'll eat."

Newt nods and says, "Okay."

Minho picks up Thomas's plate and replaces it with his own empty one. Then he gently shakes Thomas while whispering, "Thomas. Thomas, come on, you gotta wake up. Come on shank, you gotta eat. Wake up."

It takes time, but Thomas finally wakes up. He's slow, but then his eyes open and he blinks up at Minho.

"Hey," Minho whispers. Thomas doesn't respond. He just stares up at Minho, blinking slowly while trying to wake up. When Thomas realizes what's going on, he sits up and takes the plate Minho hands to him. He doesn't look at either Newt or Minho as he eats. And once again, he doesn't eat much.

It's not long after Thomas is done when Alby makes another appearance.

"Ben's Banishment is going to begin soon," he announces. Then he leaves.

Newt and Minho share a look, then stand up off the bed. They're about to turn around to tell Thomas that they won't be long, when a hand grabs Newt's wrist. Newt turns around to see it was Thomas's hand that grabbed him.

To Newt's and Minho's surprise, Thomas speaks for the first time that day. "I want to come with you."

Minho and Newt share a hesitant glance. Newt opens his mouth to try to come up with an excuse as to why Thomas shouldn't go, but then Thomas says, "Please," in a strong pleading voice, and how can Newt says no?

He shares one more glance with Minho before he finally gives in. "Alright," he says to Thomas. "But you have to promise me you'll stay near the back."

Thomas nods and says, "I promise."

Newt nods and Thomas's hand slides from his wrist to his hand. Thomas grips it hesitatingly, as if afraid he's going to get rejected. But then Newt squeezes his hand, as if saying, "Don't worry, I'm here," and Thomas relaxes just the slightest bit.

Thomas stands up and reaches for Minho's hand, and Minho doesn't even hesitate. He takes Thomas's hand in a firm grip, giving it a squeeze as if to say, "I'm here, too."

Together, the three boys exit the room to face yet another horrific moment.

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They head downstairs and out of the Homestead. They walk a little distance, and when they arrive near the Doors where everyone is waiting, Thomas lets go of Minho's and Newt's hands to stay back just like he promised Newt. He distances himself enough to be away from the crowd, but close enough to see everything that will happen in just a few moments.

And then Ben is brought out.

He isn't even putting up a fight; he's just letting the Baggers drag him over to Alby. They set him on his feet when they arrive in front of the leader, and there's the collar Thomas saw when he witnessed Gally's Banishment.

Alby takes his place in front of the pole. When he speaks, it's impossible not to hear him.

"Ben of the Builders, you are being Banished for the harming of Newt and the attempted murder of Thomas. Keepers, take your places."

The Keepers move to do as he says. And then the Banishing begins.

It's similar to Gally's, Thomas notes. Ben is protesting and begging and screaming against being Banished. It all makes Thomas's blood turn to ice. Throughout the ordeal, Thomas's expression never changes. But on the inside, the guilt is raging.

Thomas is beyond relieved when Ben is finally pushed through the Doors and the Doors close. He doesn't think he'd make it if he had to listen to Ben's begging and screaming for one more second.

When everyone starts to disperse, Newt and Minho walk over to Thomas. But Thomas doesn't look at them. Instead, he just turns and makes his way into the Deadheads. Minho and Newt follow silently.

Thomas makes it to the corner and settles in. Minho and Newt get in their usual positions. They're able to feel how tense he is, and even when he's snug in their embrace he doesn't relax.

Just before he falls asleep, Thomas speaks again. "Newt? Minho?"

"Yeah?" Minho says.

"What is it Tommy?" Newt asks.

There's a pause before Thomas says, "Please keep anything sharp away from me." Then he falls asleep.

Newt's and Minho's eyes widen and they share shocked and horrified looks.

They exchange wordless looks.

They need to talk.

Chapter Text

The next morning, Newt and Minho make sure to wake up early so they can talk before Thomas wakes up. They carefully stand up, trying not to wake Thomas up. They quietly walk about fifteen feet away from Thomas, far enough away so as to not bother Thomas, but close enough that he is still in sight and they are able to hear if he stirs.

Minho begins the conversation. "We need to help him," he whispers. He doesn't want to be too loud, worried that he'll wake Thomas if he talks in a normal tone.

Newt sighs. "I know," he whispers back. "But we also need to take it slow. We can't rush him or he'll just get worse."

Minho nods. "We should start with what he said last night -- about keeping anything sharp away from him. I don't want him hurting himself, and I know you don't, and it sounds like he doesn't want to either, he's just scared the urge will be too much."

Newt nods in agreement. "I'll keep a close eye on him and keep anything that he can use to hurt himself away from him. That should be pretty easy, I think. The thing I'm most worried about though is him eating. You've seen how he is, Minho, he barely eats anything when he's depressed or scared. That'll be the main problem."

Once again, Minho nods. "So what can we do? The first time I ever got him to eat, that was a different situation. He hadn't gone through what he's gone through now. There weren't any obstacles in our way. Now there are."

"I know. We just have to be careful around him. And as I said, we take it slow and we do our best. So far we've gotten past every bloody obstacle that's stood in our way, we can do it again."

"Okay."

"We should also try to act as normal as possible around him. He won't like it one bit if he sees us treating him differently. He'll see it as pity, and if there's one thing I've learned about Thomas from the time he's been here, it's that he does not like pity. And who knows? It could help bring him back to his almost-okay self."

Minho frowns in disapproval. "But Newt, that's the thing! He's not okay and nothing is normal. We can't act like everything's normal when nothing is okay. I can't do it. I won't!"

"That's not what I meant!" Newt frowns too. "I'm saying we do our usual routine, but we're still cautious around him. Minho, he's going to need normality to help him get better. I'm not saying a lot of normality -- just a little will be fine -- but he needs something. He won't get better if we coddle him!"

It takes a minute, but Minho reluctantly agrees.

He says, "Shuck, it's like we're back to square one."

Newt kisses Minho on the forehead, then brings him into a hug.

He says, "I know, shank, I know But we'll get through it. You, me, Tommy. All of us. We'll get through it. We will."

Minho sighs but then nods.

They stand there hugging each other, neither wanting to let the other go anything soon.

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They have to break apart five minutes later when they start to hear heavy breathing. They look over at Thomas and they see he is curled in on himself, shaking. He's clearly having a panic attack.

They rush over and fall to their knees on either side of him. Minho pulls him up into his arms and hugs him tight while Newt rubs his back soothingly.

"It's okay, Tommy, it's okay," Newt says softly, trying to comfort Thomas. "We're here now. It's okay. Calm down. Breathe. It's okay. Nothing is going to hurt you while we're here. Okay? Just please breathe, Tommy."

"Newt's right, Thomas," Minho speaks up, his tone just as soft. "We won't let anything hurt you while we're around. Okay? You're okay. You just need to breathe. Okay? Breathe. It's okay, Thomas. Come on, breathe in, 1-2-3-4, and out 1-2-3-4. Again."

Thomas breathes in enough air to say, "You . . . you weren't there. You were gone! You weren't there!"

Newt and Minho share sad looks. This is their fault. They should have been there for Thomas when he woke up. They weren't. And now he's in the middle of a panic attack.

"We know, Tommy, we know," Newt says. "We're so sorry. But please, keep breathing. Breathe in, 1-2-3-4, and out 1-2-3-4 . . . ."

They continue this for fifteen minutes, until Thomas finally calms down. Then they just sit there for a few minutes in silence. Thomas is still wrapped up in Minho's arms and Newt is against Thomas's back, leaning his head on his right shoulder, arms wrapped around his middle.

After maybe five minutes, Minho breaks the silence to suggest he goes to get breakfast for everyone. It makes Thomas's breath hitch, and Newt and Minho know he's just scared of the thought of Minho leaving him. But then Minho gently whispers to Thomas, "It's okay, Thomas. I promise I won't take long. And Newt will still be with you. Okay? You won't be alone. You will never be alone."

Thomas hesitates, but then he nods. He knows Minho will keep his promise. When Minho sees him nod, he smiles gently, then asks, "Is it okay if I hand you over to Newt while I go get breakfast?"

This time, Thomas doesn't hesitate as much to nod. So Minho gently passes Thomas fully to Newt, who wraps his arms just as tightly around Thomas, protecting him from anything and everything. Minho leaves to get the breakfast.

Newt and Thomas just sit there, Thomas burying his face into Newt's neck and Newt running his hands gently over Thomas's back, trying to relax Thomas as much as possible.

That's how Minho finds them ten minutes later when he returns with the food -- bacon and eggs. Thomas and Newt gently and reluctantly detach to eat. Newt and Minho end up finishing theirs, but when they look at Thomas's plate, it seems like Thomas has only taken one bite.

Newt moves to be closer to Thomas and puts an arm around Thomas.

"Tommy," he whispers, "can you please eat your breakfast? Please, I know you don't want to, but you have to."

It isn't working, but Newt refuses to give up, so he tries once more.

He says, "Please, Tommy, please. For me? For Minho? For both of us?"

That sparks something.

Thomas actually starts eating. Minho and Newt watch as he forces himself to eat, encouraging him when he looks like he's about to give up. They see how much he doesn't want to, but he's eating anyway. For Newt. For Minho. For both of them. He eats until he's finished it all.

Newt kisses his forehead and whispers, "Thank you." Minho does the same. And Minho is relieved, but sad because now he has to go run the Maze.

Minho announces his departure. "Guys, I gotta go," he says. "But I'll be back. I promise."

He gives Newt a hug and kisses Thomas's forehead, but Thomas doesn't look at him.

Minho sends a sad look at Newt, who slowly and sadly shakes his head.

Then Minho is gone.

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After a few minutes of silence, Newt says, "Tommy, I have to do my rounds today. Would you like to join me?"

Silence.

Newt continues, "You don't have to talk to anyone. And no one has to talk to you. Do you want to try?"

After long moments of silence, Thomas finally nods.

"Okay?" Newt asks.

Another nod.

They both stand up and start walking to the main part of the Glade.

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Thomas sticks with Newt for the whole day, including lunch, staying silent, only nodding and shaking his head if asked a question by Newt. And Newt stays true to his word; Thomas doesn't have to speak to anyone and no one speaks to him. Thomas is thankful. He really doesn't want to talk to anyone and he doesn't want anyone talking to him. He's just not feeling up to it. So he doesn't do much, only standing on the sidelines while Newt is speaking to the other Keepers and doing his daily rounds. Thomas doesn't even want to work with the Track-hoes when asked, even though that's his favorite job in the Glade. And lunch was also hard. Thomas wasn't feeling up to eating again, so Newt had to console him into eating. In the end, Thomas only eats half of it, but it's still something.

At the end of the day, Thomas and Newt wait by the picnic table when Minho is due back. They don't have to wait long. Five minutes later, they see Minho come back through the doors and, with a little wave to Newt and Thomas, heads to the Map Room. Newt offers a smile back, but Thomas just stares at the ground. Minho disappears into the Map Room.

He returns ten minutes later.

"Hey," he says when he arrives in front of the two other boys. He gives Newt a hug and Newt immediately hugs back.

Then he looks at Thomas.

"Thomas?" Minho asks softly. He gently places his left hand on Thomas's right cheek. Thomas's eyes flicker up to meet Minho's and Minho offers him a smile.

It's small, barely even there. You have to be looking for it to see it, but it's still there.

A smile.

Thomas smiles.

Minho's smile gets brighter and bigger. He gently hugs Thomas, and after a moment, Thomas hugs back.

Newt smiles. This is small, but it's something. And it's all Newt -- and Minho -- can ask for right now.

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Newt goes to get dinner while Minho stays with Thomas at the picnic table. Thomas doesn't talk about his day, but Minho does. And Minho can see that Thomas is listening with interest. What he hears doesn't go in through one ear and out the other. Thomas is truly listening. Something about the Maze just sparks Thomas's interest. Minho doesn't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. For now, though, he doesn't care.

When Newt returns, he and Minho finish their food and then turn their attention to Thomas. Thomas still doesn't say anything, but it doesn't take as much prompting to eat as Minho and Newt thought it would, and Thomas finishes most of it.

When the time comes to get into bed, the three boys head to their usual sleeping spot in the Deadheads. They get into their usual positions, and it doesn't take long for all three of them to fall asleep.

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Minho and Newt wake up only about two-and-a-half hours later. They instantly know why.

Thomas is having a nightmare.

He's shaking, tears are streaming down his face, his breathing is hard and fast, he's sweating and stirring uncomfortably as if trying to escape some invisible force, and his eyes are forcefully squeezed shut.

Minho and Newt quickly go into action.

They sit up and Minho throws the blankets aside to they don't get in the way. Minho then places a hand on Thomas's shoulder and shakes him while Newt caresses his cheek.

Newt says, "Wake up, Tommy. Please, you have to wake up. Come on. Wake up. It's just a nightmare."

"Come on, Thomas," Minho urges. "Wake up. It's not real; it's just a bad dream. Come on, Thomas, wake up."

Thomas still won't wake up, but Minho has had enough of this nightmare torturing Thomas. So he yells, "Thomas, wake up!"

Newt jumps at the sudden loudness, but it works. Thomas wakes up.

His eyes snap open, instantly finding Minho's

Minho and Newt both let out a sigh of relief.

Minho strokes Thomas's sweat-soaked hair and says, "God, Thomas. You scared us."

Tears still fall from Thomas's eyes. He whispers, "Sorry."

Newt wipes the tears away. "Don't apologize, it's not your fault." He strokes Thomas's hair as well. He frowns, hating how Thomas's face is red and wet from crying and sweating and how the hair that falls onto his forehead is soaked from sweat. He leans in close to Thomas and gently whispers, "I will be right back, okay? Don't worry, Minho will still be here. And I won't be long."

Thomas frowns. "Where are you going?" he croaks. His eyes are wide, worried, scared. He wants Newt to stay.

Newt gives him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. I promise I'll be right back." Then he leaves.

Minho sends a questioning glance his way, wondering why he would ever want to leave Thomas like this. But like he said, Minho is still here. So Minho looks back at Thomas, who's looking at him with a confused and worried look. But Minho just smiles in what he hopes is a reassuring way and continues to stroke his hair.

Just a few minutes later, Newt returns. He sits by Thomas again, but this time he has something in his hands. He places that something against Thomas's left cheek and holds it there.

Thomas realizes it's a cold washcloth, and it feels amazing on his red-hot face. Newt moves the cloth around, on his forehead, his other cheek, his neck. He also runs it through his hair a couple times. It soothes Thomas instantly and he releases a relieved sigh. Newt is definitely an angel, no doubt about it.

He keeps it up until Thomas feels good enough to sleep again.

Newt sets the cloth aside and they all get back in their positions and fall back asleep.

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Thomas wakes up better the following morning, but he is still withdrawn like yesterday. The day goes by similar to the day before. That night, Thomas even has another nightmare. He says it's the same one as the previous one, but won't say what it's about. Newt gets the washcloth again, and once again it greatly soothes Thomas. After that they easily fall back to sleep.

That's how it is the next day, and the day after that, which is the fourteenth day, meaning Thomas has been in the Glade for two weeks now.

The one things that's different on that is the Box arrives. Thomas actually helps unload all the supplies. He sticks close to Newt and doesn't converse with the other boys, but he still helps. And that is most definitely something.

The boys find something weird that came with all the normal supplies. They found a box with journals and writing utensils with a note that says, "You will know what to use these for." Very cryptic and doesn't help them at all. Alby tells one of the Gladers who's helping to just put in the Homestead and they'll deal with them later. Thomas stares strangely at the journals, but doesn't say anything. After that, it's back to what is now the usual routine.

Newt wonders how long it will take for Thomas to break. He know he will. Thomas is bottling up his feelings, not really talking, not eating as much. Newt thinks it's like a fever. The fever rages until it reaches it's peak, then it breaks. Right now, Thomas's depression is raging. Newt wonders when it will reach its peak.

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He doesn't have to wonder long. It happens the next day. It's Thomas's fifteenth day in the Glade.

Newt and Thomas have just finished lunch when Thomas says, "Newt, I think I'm going to take a little walk in the Deadheads."

Newt frowns. This is new. "Are you sure you want to, Tommy? Do you want me to come with you?" Newt really hopes he does.

Thomas shakes his head. "Yeah, I want to. And I think I'd rather be alone right now." Thomas looks at Newt's face and sees the concern written all over it. He hurries to say, "I won't do anything, Newt. I promise. I swear, if I feel anything negative, I'll come find you. I swear I won't hurt or kill myself, Newt. I just want to take a little walk."

Every instinct Newt has is screaming for him to say no, but Newt gives in and says, "Okay, but not for long. I don't want you gone for longer than fifteen minutes. Got it, Tommy?" The look in his eyes gives no room for no.

"Got it, Newt, thank you," Thomas's says, and kisses Newt on the cheek. Thomas rushes away before Newt can say anything else.

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So Thomas is in the Deadheads when it happens.

He feels as if he's been walking long enough. He's sorted through some things in his head, trying to figure out how he can make himself better, but each time coming up with nothing that can work. He feels like he's failed.

Halfway to the exit he falls to his knees as his thoughts start to consume him.

Newt and Minho will be disappointed.

Newt and Minho will stop caring soon enough.

Newt and Minho will abandon him.

Newt and Minho will never love him.

It's horrible. And he can't take it. He wants to . . .

He wants to kill himself. He feels the urge.

Oh God. Oh shuck.

He can't. He can't. He needs . . . He needs . . .

He needs Newt.

But he has no idea where Newt is. Thomas knows he's doing his rounds, but he has no idea which part of the Glade he'll be in.

The thoughts are trying to take over. He wants them to go away. He wants the urge to kill himself -- or at least cut himself -- to go away. He needs Newt to help him. But he doesn't know where he is!

He decides to stop thinking about how he has no clue about where Newt is and goes to look for him.

He slowly stands up. He's shaking. He really needs Newt. But he's not going to get him unless he finds him. So Thomas forces himself to walk.

Not long after, he finally makes it out of the Deadheads. Thomas exits the Deadheads and thinks about where Newt could be. He tries the Bloodhouse, but only succeeds in finding Winston, who waves. Thomas somehow finds it in himself to wave back, then continues in his search. He tries the Building area, but Newt's still not there. He finally checks the Gardens, and finds Newt talking to Zart.

He shyly walks up to them, and Newt's the one to notice him first. "Hey, Tommy, you're back," he says.

"Hey, Greenie," Zart says.

Thomas attempts to smile, and only succeeds in a small one. "Hi," he says, quietly. "Newt, can I talk to you?"

Newt starts to worry. Thomas is too quiet, too nervous looking, and he looks like he's even shaking.

Newt nods and says, "Sure, Tommy." He gently takes Thomas's hand, bids goodbye to Zart, and leads Thomas back into the Deadheads.

They walk all the way to the end. They go to the Spot and sit down. Newt takes Thomas's other hand in his own, and asks him what's wrong.

Thomas takes a deep, shaky breath, and tells Newt, "I-I have this f-feeling to k-kill myself and it w-won't go a-away. And the t-thought are aw-awful, Newt. They're so awful!" Thomas starts sobbing and tears fall out of his eyes in a rapid rate.

Newt is shocked. He never thought that this would happen. He knew he shouldn't have let Thomas go on that walk alone. But he told himself he would be fine. That he just wanted some time alone. But now Thomas is right in front of him, sobbing and wanting to kill himself!

But Newt pushes his feelings away for now. He's been through some stuff of his own. He knows what to do when this happens. Minho has helped him plenty of times. Now Newt has to help Thomas.

Newt takes a deep breath of his own. The only way for Thomas to get through this is to just let it all out -- to cry it out. Thomas has been keeping his feelings bottled up, that's why the thoughts are getting to him so easily. There's so much they can work with. Thomas just needs to let it all out. But Newt will be damned if he even thinks about letting Thomas let everything out on his own.

So he says, "Okay, Tommy, okay. You're going to be okay. Just lie down on you back. Can you do that for me, please?" His voice is gentle, soothing, patient. Just what Thomas needs his voice to be like right now.

Through his sobbing, Thomas nods, and shifts until he's lying on his back.

Newt picks Thomas's head up and places it on his lap, forcing Thomas to look at him, hands on his cheeks.

"Breathe, Tommy," Newt says soothingly. "Just breathe. I'm right here. This will be over soon. Trust me. The feeling will go away. You'll be okay again. Just look at me, breathe, and let it all out."

Thomas tries to takes deep breaths--the sobs are making it hard--and keeps looking at Newt, trusting him to help.

Newt whispers, "Let it out."

And Thomas does. He cries and cries and cries until he can't anymore. And Newt's there for him the whole time. He's there even after the tears disappear.

But even though the tears are gone, Thomas's breaths are still jerky and uneven. Newt knows what to do about that.

Newt takes Thomas's left hand in his own, and uses his other hand to stroke Thomas's hair, face, and neck, hoping to soothe him and calm his breathing.

And it's working. Soon, Thomas is able to take deep breaths without faltering and Thomas realizes the feeling of needing to kill himself is disappearing. It lingers a little, but Thomas knows it won't be sticking around for much longer.

"Close your eyes," Newt whispers, and Thomas does.

Newt continues his motions, rubbing his thumb over the back of Thomas's hand, stroking his hair, going down to his face, down to his neck, then back up to his hair. It's incredibly soothing. Thomas starts getting tired. And more tired. And more tired. But he's not sure if it's okay for him to sleep -- not sure if he should, not sure he wants to.

But Newt sees this -- sees how tired he is, sees how reluctant he is -- and whispers, "It's okay. Sleep. I'm right here. I'm not leaving you. Ever."

A light kiss on the forehead is all it takes for Thomas to succumb to the tiredness and for the first time in a long time, he falls into a dreamless sleep.

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When Minho returns, he doesn't see Thomas or Newt at the picnic table. So when he finishes drawing his Map, he asks around. Zart tells him they're in the Deadheads when Minho asked him.

So Minho walks until he finds them at the Spot. Newt is sitting on the ground with Thomas's head in his lap. Thomas is asleep. Minho says, "Hey, I'm back."

Newt looks up at him a gives him a small smile. Minho smiles back and walks over to Newt, kneeling beside him. He watches as Newt holds Thomas's left hand in one of his own, and strokes Thomas's hair, face, and neck with the other. Minho knows something happened, but he's hesitant to ask.

He doesn't have to.

Newt tells him everything that happened. How after lunch, Thomas wanted to take a walk. How Newt had stupidly let him. How Thomas had come to him not long after, shaking. How they had gone to the Deadheads where Thomas told Newt about how he felt. How Newt helped him deal with it. And now here they are.

Minho is silent for a couple minutes, then says, "Newt, you know it's not your fault." Newt tries to say something, but Minho doesn't let him. "No, Newt. Whether he was with you or not, this was going to happen. It's not your fault, it's not his fault. It's no one's fault. Okay?"

Newt doesn't say anything for a moment, but then he whispers, "Okay."

Minho nods. "Okay," he says. He kisses Newt on the cheek, then looks at Thomas, who is still sleeping. "How long have you been doing this?"

"Hours," Newt answers.

"Hours?" Minho repeats, raising his eyebrows.

Newt nods. "Whatever it takes to keep him calm, I'll do it. And if this keeps him calm and helps him, I'll be happy to do it for days."

Minho smiles. This is one of the reasons he loves Newt: he's got a lot of determination.

It's silent for a little while. Minho and Newt just sit quietly, Newt continuing to comfort Thomas while he sleeps, Minho reaching out to hold Thomas's right hand, and both of them watching Thomas sleep -- watching as he breathes even breaths and gazing at his relaxed face. It's not a sight they see often, but they love it. It's like Thomas's depression isn't even there; Thomas is completely relaxed and Minho and Newt can't wait until the day they can see when he's both asleep and awake. After ten relaxing minutes of silence, Newt speaks up. "Minho, I've be thinking about this for a while, and . . ." he trails off.

"And what?" Minho presses.

Newt takes a deep breath, then let's it out. He looks Minho dead in the eye and says, "I want to tell Tommy about how I hurt my leg."

Chapter Text

Minho is shocked at Newt's words.

"Are you sure?" he asks. He doesn't want Newt to do anything he is completely uncomfortable with.

But Newt nods. Minho grabs and holds his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze, silently telling Newt that he is okay with his decision.

They then just sit there together, holding hands, Newt continuing his gentle strokes on Thomas until Thomas wakes up.

He stirs a little and his eyes flutter open. He meets Newt's eyes first.

"Hey, Tommy," Newt whispers.

Then he sees Minho.

"Hey, shank," Minho says, "I'm back."

Thomas immediately sits up and embraces Minho. Minho returns the hug, and kisses Thomas on the top of his head.

"Hey, it's okay, I'm here. I'm here. I'm okay," Minho says in a soft tone. If there is one thing Minho knows about Thomas, is that he worries a lot. But he's not complaining; he loves everything about Thomas. And it feels good knowing that not only one but two people worry about him throughout the days he's in the Maze.

Minho then snaps out of his thoughts, not wanting to think about the Maze, and instead holds Thomas tighter.

Thomas relaxes somewhat in his hold, but is still a little tense. Then Thomas feels Newt embracing him from behind. But instead of feeling like he's trapped, he just feels safe. He feels safe, comforted, and maybe even loved. With Newt behind him and Minho in front of him, he completely relaxes in their hold.

They sit like that for a few moments, until Minho suggests they go get dinner. Newt agrees and so does Thomas. But before they get up, Newt says to Thomas, "After dinner, I want to tell you something. Don't worry it's not about you." Newt hurries to say the last sentence after seeing the fear and apprehension in Thomas's eyes. Newt sees him relax a little, but there's still some apprehension. He puts his right hand on Thomas's cheek before he continues. "I just need to tell you something after dinner. About me. Okay?"

Despite his worry and his slight fear, Thomas nods. He's confused and a little curious, despite his apprehension. What does Newt want to tell him? When he glances at Minho, Thomas sees no surprise on his face. It actually seemed like he had a knowing expression. Does that mean they talked about this before?

The questions keep coming and coming, but Thomas forcefully pushes them away. Instead he and the other two stand up to get dinner.

And Minho? Well, he's not surprised Newt wants to tell Thomas right after dinner. He knows Newt; he knows he just wants to get it over with.

So they get dinner, sit at a table, and eat. Minho and Newt are happy to see Thomas eat almost all of it, and they both give him a gentle kiss on the forehead, making him smile a small but genuine smile. It seems like Thomas is finally escaping that dark depression that's been haunting him for the past few days. Maybe it can go back to the way it was before Ben attacked him. Thomas really hopes so.

When they're all done, they go back to the Spot. They all sit facing each other. Newt grabs Thomas's hand, Minho grabs Newt's free hand, and Thomas grabs Minho's free hand. That's when Newt begins his story.

"Tommy," he starts, "I used to be a Runner. I ran the Maze every day just like Minho does. I was a Runner for over a year and a half. But about a few months before you came up, I fell into depression. After nearly two years of searching for an exit, it all started to seem pointless and hopeless. It wasn't a fast decent; it was pretty slow. I stopped talking as much. I ate, but not a lot. And the amount got smaller as the days went by. Minho was the only one who could see that something was wrong. But whenever he tried to help me, I pushed him away. That's something I still regret to this day.

"One day, about three weeks after the depression started, I just felt as if I couldn't take it anymore. So I decided that I was going to kill myself that day."

Tears made their way down Thomas's cheeks. Newt wanted to cry too, but wanted to be strong for Thomas. Same with Minho, but he wanted to be strong for both Thomas and Newt.

Newt continues. "That day I ran in the Maze, but didn't turn back at the time I was supposed to. Instead, I just kept running. Then I stopped and just started climbing a wall, wanting to just get it over with. I don't know how high I climbed, but I'd hoped that it was high enough to kill me. So I let go. But, obviously, I didn't die."

Thomas swallows, and managed to choke out, "Why? How?"

"I guess the height I climbed just wasn't enough. But I did do some serious damage to my leg. I think I passed out for a while, but when I woke up, Alby was dragging me back to the Glade. He managed to get us both back before the Doors closed, but it was pretty close. All I could do was cry, because I had failed. And the pain was awful.

"I was put in a room in the homestead. After the Med-jacks did all they could for me, Alby and Minho came into the room. It's easy to lie to everyone but them. So I ended up telling them about my depression and suicide attempt. And, well, let's just say they weren't too happy with what I told them." He gives a little smile at Minho, who smirks and shakes his head.

Newt goes on. "Alby was very upset. But Minho was mad. Very mad. He felt like he should've seen the signs. But then I pointed out that he did, I just kept pushing him away. He felt as if he should've tried harder. I told him that I just would've pushed harder. There was nothing he or anyone else could do.

"It took a while, but my leg eventually healed as much as it could. Minho helped me whenever I needed help. This time I didn't push him away. Because my leg was so messed up, I walk with a limp and that meant I couldn't be a Runner anymore. So Alby offered me the title of second-in-command. He said he needed some help around the Glade. I accepted.

"My depression finally disappeared. I have off-days. But who doesn't in a place like this? But that doesn't matter. The point is I got through my depression. And I know you can get through yours, Tommy. It may be a while, but I promise it's worth it."

Newt is crying a few tears, Minho just looks extremely sad, but Thomas is full-out crying. Thomas hugs Newt as tight as he can, and Newt returns it with equal strength. Minho joins in as well.

Newt whispers, "I promise, Tommy. I promise it's worth it."

Tears still leak from Thomas eyes as he nods.

Thomas chokes out, "I'm sorry you had to tell me everything and go through it all again."

Newt shakes his head. Minho says, "Don't apologize."

"Yes, Tommy, please," Newt says through his own tears. "I wanted to tell you. Okay? I wanted to because if we're all going to be honest with each other, then we need to tell the truth. And that included what happened to me before. Alright? I wanted to tell you. Don't blame yourself for everything or think everything is your fault, because not everything is. Okay? Please, Tommy."

Thomas sniffles but nods.

After that, they don't say anything. They just sit there, embracing, giving each other silent comfort.

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Soon they get tired, so they decide to go to sleep. They get under the blankets and into their usual positions. It isn't long before they fall asleep.

But then Minho and Newt wake up again just a few hours later.

They notice that Thomas is crying in his sleep. Minho and Newt exchange sad looks; they were hoping, like they hope every night, that for once Thomas's nightmares would just leave him alone. Unfortunately, once again, tonight just isn't that night of sweet dreams.

Minho shakes Thomas, trying to wake him up, and says, "Thomas, wake up. Come on. Thomas, you need to wake up. It's just a nightmare. Wake up."

But Thomas just tosses and turns, whimpering. Then, shocking both Minho and Newt, he cries out, "Newt, no. Newt, please. Newt!"

Minho and Newt look at each other wide-eyed. Thomas has had plenty of nightmares, but they've never heard him cry out like that. And they both feel so sad, because they are sure they know what Thomas is dreaming about.

Newt strokes back Thomas's hair, and tries to gently wake him up. Still stroking Thomas's hair, he whispers, "Tommy, I'm okay. I'm okay. You need to wake up. Come on. Wake up for me. Please, Tommy. Wake up."

Thomas takes in a sharp breath, but then he slowly exhales, and his eyes flutter open. Minho and Newt let out relieved breaths.

"There you are," Newt says, continuing to stroke Thomas's hair. "You're okay. I'm here. We're all okay."

Thomas takes deep breath, trying to calm himself down. A hand reaches down and holds his own. He sees that it's Minho's hand. He looks up at Minho's face.

"Hey, Thomas," Minho whispers. "You're okay. Like Newt said, we're all okay. Just keep taking deep breaths. Okay? Just like that."

Thomas keeps taking deep breaths like Minho said to. He tries not to think about the nightmare. It's the worst one he's had since he arrived at the Glade. He knows for sure he doesn't want to talk about it. That's why when Newt asks if he wants to talk about the dream, he quickly shakes his head.

"Are you sure?" Minho asks, and Thomas nods.

Newt frowns. He thinks about how bad it is to bottle everything up -- to not talk about it or at least express it in some way. Then he thinks about the journals. He thinks he has an idea on how they can put those to some good use. He decides to tell Minho about his idea after Thomas goes back to sleep.

For now, he gets the cold rag, and repeats the process that he has repeated for the past few nights.

When Newt finishes, he and Minho lie back down with Thomas. Newt holds him to his chest and Minho wraps his arms around him from behind. Soon, Thomas falls back to sleep in their warm and safe embrace.

Once he notices Thomas is asleep, Newt says to Minho, "I have an idea."

Minho frowns in confusion. "What?"

"I think I know how we can help Thomas even more."

Minho looks extremely hopeful, something Newt wanted to see. Hopefully Minho will like his idea.

"How? How can we help him more?" Minho asks.

"The journals."

Shocked silence.

"Wait, what?" Minho asks. He's completely confused.

"Minho, Thomas can't keep bottling up all of this. It will destroy him. I was thinking about how he can use those journals to write down his feelings or just whatever he wants. That way he's not keeping all this pain inside and not letting it out in any way."

Minho thinks about it for a few moments, but then nods. "Yeah. Yeah, that sounds like a great idea."

Newt smiles. "Okay," he says. "We'll talk about it with Tommy tomorrow."

Minho smiles back. "Alright. For now, we sleep."

Newt nods and they both close their eyes. They soon fall to sleep with Thomas.

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Surprisingly, it's Thomas who wakes up first when morning arrives.

He smiles, feeling safe and warm in Minho's and Newt's embrace.

After so many days of feeling so depressed, something changed. He doesn't know what, but something has changed. And it's giving him the strength to keep going -- to keep trying.

But then he remembers the nightmare he had last night, and suppresses a shudder. He pushes the thoughts away, not wanting to freak out and have a panic attack and wake up Minho and Newt.

Instead he slowly and carefully sits up, and watches his two closest friends sleep.

He thinks about how important they've become to him. He thinks about how he wishes they could be something more, but is too scared to say so in fear of being rejected. He thinks about this for a good ten minutes, until he's broken out of his thoughts by Newt, who stirs and wakes up.

Thomas smiles when Newt sees him awake and sitting up. Newt gives a small smile back, sits up, and says in surprise, "Hey, you're up."

Thomas nods.

Minho stirs awake and also sees Thomas. He sits up and says, "Well you're up early."

Thomas nods again. He says, "Don't know why."

"You might be adjusting to the hours here," Newt says.

Thomas just nods once again, letting out a yawn. He smiles sleepily. He says, "Doesn't feel like it."

"You just need to get used to it," Minho says.

After a few moments of silence, Newt goes to get breakfast. When he's gone, Minho turns to Thomas and asks, "Did you sleep okay after the nightmare?"

Thomas nods.

"Can you tell me what it was about?" Minho asks cautiously.

Thomas shakes his head and refuses.

"Thomas --"

"Please, Minho. Don't."

"Okay."

Minho holds his hand out and Thomas takes it. Minho gives a small smile that Thomas returns.

They only have to wait a few more minutes before Newt returns with breakfast. They eat.

Thomas eats most of his breakfast -- not all but most. Minho and Newt praise him for it, causing Thomas to give a small smile.

Minho then realizes that he has to go, so he says goodbye to Thomas and Newt and leaves.

When Minho is gone, Newt turns to Thomas. He says, "Tommy, I know you don't want to talk about the nightmare, and I'm not going to force you to talk about it. I'm not. But you do need to express your hidden feelings somehow."

Thomas looks confused, and a little guarded. "What do you mean?"

"Just wait here. I have an idea." With that, Newt gets up and leaves, only to return a few minutes later with a journal and a pencil.

"A way to express what you're feeling is by writing. Now, you don't have to just write you feelings. You can write whatever you want. You can write about your day, random thoughts. Anything. Just write."

He hands the journal to Thomas, who takes it and flips to the first blank page. Newt also hands him the pencil, which Thomas also takes.

"I guess I could try this," Thomas says.

Newt smiles and says, "That's all I want from you, Tommy. I just want you to try." Newt then looks at his watch. "I have to get to work, Tommy. Do you want to come?"

Thomas thinks about it. He asks, "Is it okay if I just join you later?"

"Yeah, of course," Newt answers. He stands up, says, "I'll see you later, Tommy," then leaves.

Thomas thinks about the journal for a while. He thinks about what he should write first.

Just write, Newt said. So Thomas will just write.

He decides to write about the nightmare first.

He opens to the first page and starts writing:

Last night I dreamed I was stuck in the Maze. It wasn't night time, and the Doors weren't closed, but I couldn't find a way out. I was running, though I wasn't sure where. All I know is I was running and I was running fast, like I really needed to get to something . . . or someone.

Then I reached this really long corridor. There were no other ways to go. I just had to go straight. So I continued running. I got about halfway down the corridor when I saw something high up on the Wall to my right. But it wasn't a something, it was a someone. As I got closer, I was able to see who it was. It was Newt.

He was so far up and yet he was still climbing. Then, I could tell what he was about to do next, and I ran as fast as I could, yelling -- screaming -- at him not to do it. But he either couldn't hear me or just didn't listen. He let go.

He was falling so fast. I ran so hard I could barely breathe. But I didn't make it. I saw him slam onto the ground. Just a few seconds later I collapsed beside him. He was just lying there, his eyes were closed, and there was blood everywhere.

I cried out his name, feeling so helpless and just wishing Minho was there to help me. Tears were streaming down my cheeks and cries and screams were tearing from my lungs. All I could think was, Newt is dead.

Newt is dead.

Newt is dead!

But then I woke up.

Minho was there. And Newt was there. Alive. It was just a nightmare. They were both there. It took a little while, but when I managed to calm down, I realized I didn't feel helpless anymore. I realized I felt okay. And it was all because of Newt and Minho.

They're always there for me. I could never ask for anything more. I just hope they never leave me, because I never want to leave them. I like them. I actually sort of . . . love them. But I'm just not ready yet. I'm not ready to tell them, I'm not ready to be in a relationship like that right now. At least, I don't think I am. Who knows? I might actually be ready for a relationship, I just don't know it because I don't remember anything from my past and I've never had a relationship here in the Glade. All I truly know is that I'm not ready to tell them. Not yet. Maybe, hopefully, someday. But not today.

Thomas is then interrupted by his name being called.

He looks up and sees that it's Newt. Newt is walking towards Thomas, and he has a smile on his face. That makes Thomas smile too.

"Hey Tommy," Newt says, crouching down beside Thomas.

"Hi," Thomas says, closing the journal.

"It's lunch time. Do you want to come eat?" Newt asks.

Thomas is surprised. It's already lunch time? But he just says, "Sure."

Newt's smile grows. "Okay," he says. He then gestures at the journal Thomas is still holding and says, "Why don't we just put that over in the corner and put the blanket on it? That way no one can just find it and take it without us noticing."

Thomas thinks for a second, then nods. He does not want anyone to find his journal. He and Newt stand up and walk over to the corner, where Thomas places his journal on the ground and Newt covers it with the blanket, making sure it looks like nothing is under there, just in case.

"I'm glad you're writing in that journal, Tommy," Newt says as they're walking out of the Deadheads. He's smiling a proud smile. Thomas just smiles and blushes a little.

Newt holds out his hand. Thomas looks at it for just a second before taking it. Both his and Newt's smiles grow.

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They get lunch -- ham sandwiches with carrots and milk -- and eat at the usual table. Thomas eats all of it, which Newt praises him for. He's so happy that Thomas is finally starting to get better again.

After that, Thomas helps Newt out around the Glade. They do all the work together, and then they wait for Minho to come back from the Maze. Minho arrives about fifteen minutes before the Doors close. After Minho finishes up in the Map Room, they get dinner and eat. Minho and Newt both note that Thomas is continuing to do better when it comes to eating. They're both so proud of him.

They return to the Spot to go to sleep -- Newt just moves the journal aside, they'd wake up if anyone got close to them anyway. They fall asleep and stay asleep until morning. It was a nightmare-free night. The first one in so long. They're all overjoyed when they wake up.

The day goes by similarly to the previous, but Thomas doesn't write in the journal, he just helps out Newt with his job. It's a good day.

But it all ends that evening.

Around the time Minho is supposed to come back to the Glade, he doesn't. He's usually always there at least ten minutes before the Doors close.

But soon ten turns to nine. Then nine to eight. Then eight to seven.

Thomas starts panicking and is pacing back and forth, but Newt just stands there with a devastated look.

"Tommy," he says, his voice breaking. "He's gone."

"No!" Thomas yells. "No! He can't be!"

"Tommy, Minho is gone."

"NO! He can't be gone! NO!"

"Tommy!" Newt walks up to Thomas and firmly places his hands on his face. "Minho. Is. Gone. There's no changing that."

Newt releases Thomas, gives one last look at the Doors, says, "I'm sorry, Tommy," then starts walking toward the Deadheads. Thomas just stands there, in shock, not believing anything at the moment.

He looks inside the Maze. A minute passes, then another, then another, until there's only one minute until the Doors close. Thomas still just stands there.

He's about to turn and walk away when he sees him.

It's Minho.

But he's limping, and the Doors are starting to close.

"No. Minho, com on. Please," Thomas whispers, just quietly begging for him to make it. But halfway down the corridor, Minho stumbles and falls.

The Doors are closed halfway.

Minho looks up from where he's fallen, and meets Thomas's eyes. He's mouthing something. Thomas has to focus hard to make out what he's saying.

"No," he's saying. "Don't."

But it's too late. Thomas has already made up his mind.

He looks toward the Deadheads where Newt disappeared to, and whispers, "Newt, I'm sorry."

Then he runs into the Maze just as they're three-quarters of the way closed. And less than five seconds later, the Doors close behind him, trapping both him and Minho in the Maze for the night.

Chapter Text

It's only when the Doors close that Thomas fully realizes what he has done.

He is back in the Maze.

His place of nightmares.

Shuck.

"Thomas."

Thomas spins around from where he was looking at the closed Doors to look at Minho, who just called out to him. Minho's face has horror and fear written all over it. "What have you done?"

Thomas rushes over to Minho and kneels down next to where he was still on the ground.

"Minho, what happened? Why didn't you make it back in time? Why . . ." Why did you break your promise?

"I hurt my ankle on the way back," Minho explains, gesturing to his left ankle. "I tripped over something and my landing was pretty bad. I think I just twisted it a little, I don't know. All I really know is that it caused me to be too late to get back in time."

Minho pauses, looks away from Thomas, then looks back. He says, "But, Thomas, why did you come out here? Why didn't you stay in the Glade?"

"I couldn't leave you out here, Minho," Thomas immediately answers, with tears in his eyes. "I just couldn't. And I know I left Newt in there and I shouldn't have, but . . . I just couldn't leave you alone out here like I was left alone." The tears fall.

Minho wipes them away, then gently whispers, "Thomas, it'll be okay. We're going to survive, all right? If it can be done once, it can be done again."

"We're going to make it back to Newt," Thomas suddenly says.

"What?" Minho asks.

"That's the goal," Thomas answers. "Not to make it back to the Glade in the morning. Make it back to Newt."

The determination in his eyes makes Minho smile.

"Make it back to Newt," he agrees.

They stand up, Thomas helping Minho a little. Thomas asks about the ankle.

"Sore," Minho admits, "but I'll live. It's not too bad now."

They start walking, making a few turns here and there.

After about fifteen minutes, they hear it.

A half-machine, half-animal type of sound.

The sound of grievers.

"Get down!" Thomas whisper-yells, getting down on the ground and pulling Minho with him. They both crawl under and behind the ivy that hangs from the Walls, hiding themselves from plain site and trying to be as silent as possible. Their breathing is shaky. They're terrified.

The sounds are close.

Closer.

Closer.

They see it.

The griever is walking right past where they now hide, come from where they were heading.

Thomas's and Minho's eyes are wide. They both stop breathing. They're hoping beyond hope the griever doesn't see or sense them.

Finally, the griever walks past. Minho and Thomas stay hidden for another five minutes.

They don't move.

They don't speak.

They finally decide to come out of hiding. They still don't speak. They take deep breaths.

They continue on.

They make more turns, going straight at times, but then once again making another turn.

Minho soon realizes it's not him leading, it's Thomas. Where they're going exactly, Minho doesn't have a clue yet. But he follows anyway. He trusts Thomas.

What he doesn't know, is that Thomas does have a destination in mind. They just have to survive long enough to get there.

They walk on.

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Newt can't believe what happened.

Both Thomas and Minho are gone.

They are both gone.

Why did Thomas do that? Why did he leave?

That's what Newt asks himself over and over again as he sits against the Doors, crying.

Because Minho was in trouble.

And Thomas is Thomas -- completely selfless and willing to do anything for Newt and Minho.

Even if it means risking his own life.

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There was no warning. The griever came out of nowhere. It came up from behind.

And now Thomas and Minho are running for their lives. They dodge the griever as best they can, Minho a little sloppy with his ankle.

It's not easy for the both of them, but they don't stop.

They have to make it back to Newt.

They make a left. The griever follows.

The make a right. The griever follows

Another right. A left. The griever follows.

It follows the entire time. They can't lose it.

Then they come to two options. Go straight and run into a dead-end, or go right and continue the game of cat and mouse.

Minho goes to the right.

But Thomas goes straight.

The griever follows Thomas.

"THOMAS!" Minho yells out in panic.

But Thomas keeps running and running.

There's no stopping him.

When he reaches the dead-end, he grabs the ivy and starts climbing. The griever follows him up.

Perfect.

Minho watches as Thomas starts swinging from vine to vine. He watches as the griever attempts to follow, but gets tangled up in the ivy instead.

That is exactly what Thomas wants.

The griever screeches in frustration as Thomas carefully lowers himself down while still swinging, wanting to stay as far away from the griever as possible. He finally reaches the ground and sprints back toward Minho. He grabs Minho's hand and they continue on.

After a few more turns, they finally reach their destination.

The Cliff.

"What . . . ?" Minho breathes. How did Thomas find this place?

"I found it while running form those things last time," Thomas answers the unspoken question.

As soon as he finishes his sentence, the griever appears once again. But this time, it wasn't alone.

It brought two friends.

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Newt is still sitting against the Doors. His tears have dried -- he cried until he couldn't anymore -- and he hasn't moved.

He can't help but feel guilty of Thomas disappearing into the Maze. He shouldn't have left Thomas alone. He shouldn't have just walked away and left Thomas alone. He should have stayed with him. But he didn't. Because he was weak.

No.

He promised Minho he wouldn't have these thoughts anymore, and he intends to keep that promise.

For now, though, he is just going to sit here and wait for the Doors to open.

He is going to hope that when they do open, he'll see Minho and Thomas on the other side.

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Thomas and Minho stand side by side, facing the grievers, a couple feet away from the Cliff. Minho is standing on Thomas's left, and Thomas now realizes how grateful he is to have Minho with him at his side, to know that he isn't alone this time.

It gives Thomas a lot more confidence.

"Okay, Minho, when I say, jump to the left," Thomas says.

Minho turns to him wide-eyed. He says, "What?"

The grievers start running.

"Minho just trust me."

They're halfway there.

"Okay."

They're just a few yards away.

"Minho, now!"

Minho jumps to the left as Thomas jumps to the right.

The grievers aren't able to catch themselves. One by one they fall off the Cliff, their screeching fading as they fall farther and farther away.

Thomas and Minho look at each other from where they landed, both having landed on their sides then twisted to see the grievers fall. They're both frozen in shock. They don't move for a long time. Then, Minho gets up and walks over to Thomas, who is still frozen.

Minho kneels down, wraps his arms around Thomas, pulls him up, then brings him into a hug. After a few minutes, Thomas wraps his own arms around Minho.

More minutes pass.

Thomas slowly pulls out of the embrace. Thomas and Minho look at each other. Then, Thomas does something even braver than facing off grievers.

He kisses Minho.

Right on the lips.

Chapter Text

Newt is so scared. He can't sleep. He can't stop thinking about Thomas and Minho. Are they dying right now? Or all ready dead? Can they actually make it through the night?

He stays up the whole night. He waits by the Doors two hours before they open. He hopes they will walk right through them when they open. He hopes he'll be able to run over and hug them to death. He hopes the tears he will cry will be happy ones, not sad ones. He hopes and hopes and hopes.

He needs Minho and Thomas to walk through those Doors.

He need them.

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It's not until Thomas does it that he realizes what he is doing.

He's kissing Minho.

He is kissing Minho.

He's freaking out on the inside. What has he done? Why did he do this? He wants to pull away and apologize to Minho, until he realizes that Minho is kissing back.  And he finds he can't pull away. He likes it too much. He really, really likes it.

His eyes close sometime during his internal freak out. He decides to just relax and the moment and worry later.

Unfortunately, that "later" came all too soon.

Minho pulls away first, making Thomas worry. Minho's eyes are full of shock, Thomas's are full of worry and fear.

"I--" Thomas starts. "I--I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I don't know why I did that. Oh my God, I'm so sorry Minho--"

Minho kisses him again to stop his frantic apologizing. It's a shorter kiss, but it's just as good as the first.

Minho pulls away again and smiles. Actually smiles! That has to be a good sign, but Thomas won't stop worrying.

"Thomas, it's okay," Minho says.

Thomas still looks worried. "What?" he says.

Minho continues, still smiling, "It's okay. I promise. I'm so glad you did that."

"Really?" Thomas asks, hesitant about the growing happiness he feels inside.

Minho nods.

Thomas wraps his arms around Minho's neck, and Minho's arms wrap around Thomas's middle. Thomas breathes a sigh of relief. But now that the adrenaline's gone, he realizes how tired he is.

Minho realizes it, too, both with himself and Thomas. "We should head back," he says.

Thomas realizes it's almost dawn, so he says, "Okay," and they reluctantly pull away. They slowly stand up.

Minho asks, "Can you handle another run?"

Thomas says, "Yeah. What about you, with your ankle?"

"I think I'll be fine, if I take it a bit slow. It doesn't hurt as much right now."

Thomas smiles, nods and says. "Okay."

"Okay," Minho repeats. He grins. "Then let's go!"

He starts running and Thomas doesn't even hesitate a second before he follows.

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Newt is so scared.

The Doors open in twenty minutes.

He's still waiting.

He really hopes Thomas and Minho are on the other side.

He's just so scared.

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Throughout the run, Minho glances at Thomas from time to time to make sure he's okay. But, surprisingly, he's doing well. He's actually almost at Minho's speed, which is impressive considering they just survived a whole night in the Maze.

He'd make a good Runner, Minho thinks. Though, he'd have to talk to Newt about that.

It takes them about thirty minutes to make it back.

And what they see makes both their hearts fill with relief.

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When the Doors opened, neither Thomas or Minho were there. The crowd that surrounded Newt about ten minutes before the Doors opened left with their heads down in silence. It never feels good to lose anyone.

Now, two minutes later, Newt stands in front of the Doors alone. He feels nothing.

Alby tried to talk to him, but Newt wouldn't respond. He couldn't.

He can't believe Thomas and Minho are gone.

Just as a tear slips out, Newt catches something far down the corridor of the Maze. Then that one something turns into two somethings.

Minho and Thomas!

Newt doesn't hesitate to start running towards them. They end up meeting in the middle.

Newt grabs Thomas first and brings him in for a tight hug. He feels Thomas hug back just as strong, then he pulls away and pulls Thomas in for a kiss. At first, he worries that he made a mistake when he feels Thomas tense up, but then Thomas relaxes and Newt stops worrying.

"Hey, don't forget about me," Minho says with a smirk.

Both Newt and Thomas pull away and Newt pulls Minho in for a kiss.

Thomas is confused, though. What does this mean?

He has no time to ponder about this, however, because Newt suddenly pulls both him and Minho back into the Glade.

"You need rest," he says, "and water and food. And you're definitely seeing the med-jacks."

Newt isn't giving Thomas or Minho any other choice -- they have to follow him to the Homestead. But even if they had the choice to say no, they wouldn't.

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Minho, Newt, and Thomas are in the room they used to use all the time before they started sleeping outside. The med-jacks looked Thomas and Minho over and bandaged them. Food and water were brought to all three of them, and they ate and drank all of it -- even Thomas -- and are now just sitting in silence, not knowing what to do or say.

Newt broke the silence with a sigh. "Look," he says. "Right now I think we should all get some sleep. We all know that none of us got any last night. So let's rest now and we can talk later."

Thomas and Minho both agree without argument, so they all get under the covers and into their usual positions. They're asleep soon after.

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Sometime in the afternoon, Thomas wakes Minho and Newt with his whimpers and uncomfortable shifts.

Nightmare.

To be honest, Minho and Newt were having their own before Thomas woke them up. They're just used to them now after being stuck in the Glade for two years.

"Tommy," Newt whispers, stroking Thomas's hair. "It's okay. Wake up."

"Come on, Thomas," Minho whispers right next to Thomas's ear. "You're okay. Wake up."

Thomas does with a small gasp. He looks wide-eyed at Newt then shifts a little to try and see Minho, with little success. Minho shifts so Thomas can see both him and Newt by lying on his back.

"Sorry," Thomas says.

Minho shakes his head. "Don't worry about it. I was having my own nightmare anyways, so I should be grateful that you woke me up." His lips curl into a small smile.

"Same here," Newt pipes up. He has his own small smile on his face.

Thomas gives a hesitant smile back, which makes Minho smile more.

"There you go," Minho says.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Newt asks.

"No," Thomas says. "It wasn't really that bad -- just stupid Maze stuff."

Minho and Newt both nod.

"It's understandable," Newt says.

"Yeah, I'd be worried if you didn't have any nightmares after that experience," Minho says.

Thomas nods, relief filling him now that he knows he's not alone with his nightmares tonight.

"We should get some more sleep," Newt suggests, and Minho and Thomas agree.

They shift around again and soon fall asleep again as well.

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When they next wake up, they're hungry again, so they get up, get food, and take it to their Spot in the Deadheads. They don't talk until their food is finished.

After they finish, Thomas decides to be brave and starts the conversation.

"I think we need to talk about . . . you know," he starts off, and Minho and Newt look at him and nod, knowing this is a talk they have to have.

"What does it mean? What do both of them mean?"

Newt blinked in surprise -- so Minho kissed Thomas, too! He decides to go first with his explanation.

"Mine's easy," he says. "Mine meant, 'I'm so glad you're okay, I was so worried. I love you.'"

Thomas is shocked.  Love. He doesn't think anybody has really loved him before. It's strange to think about how someone can love you, when you've spent so long being unloved.

But he likes the feeling. A lot.

"The same goes for me," Minho says, drawing Thomas's attention to him. "I love you, Thomas. From the moment you showed up, I felt something for you. I didn't know what it was at first, but as time went on, I knew -- I know -- it has to be love."

"I feel the same," Newt says gently.

Thomas feels tears in his eyes. He sees Newt's an Minho's worried looks, but all he can say is, "I love you, too." And he does, he really does. He didn't know exactly before, but now he does. "I love you both so much."

The tears escape, and they boys all hug, Minho and Newt giving Thomas words and gestures of comfort and love.

Yeah, Thomas thinks, this is definitely love.

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They spend the rest of the day talking about nothing, and when the day finishes, they sleep in their usual positions. But to them, it seem more special somehow. It was their thing. They fall asleep with smiles on their faces.

There are no nightmares that night.

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The next morning, Thomas, Minho, and Newt are eating breakfast at a picnic table, when Alby appeared.

"I need to talk to the three of you," he says.

Newt, Minho, and Thomas exchange worried and wary glances, but Alby is all ready walking to the Homestead, so they get up to follow.

When they get into a room, one Thomas hasn't been in before, Alby starts talking.

"We need to talk about what Thomas did last night," he says grimly.

A pause

"What about it?" Newt asks, a little protective.

Alby sighs. "We need to do something about it; we can't have everyone doing what he did. People will just get hurt."

"He save my life!" Minho yells.

"I get that, Minho --" Alby starts, but Minho cuts him off.

"No, you don't, you slinthead! He --"

"Minho!" Thomas yells, cutting Minho off and surprising everyone in the room. He says in a more gentle voice, "It's okay." He turns to Alby. "I will accept any punishment you give me."

Newt and Minho protest at the same time.

"No!" Minho yells.

"Tommy!" Newt yells.

While turning to Minho and Newt, Thomas says, "Guys, I promise, it's okay. I broke the Rules. I should get some kind of consequence." He turns back to Alby. "What will it be?"

"Just one day in the Slammer," Alby responds. "You can do it tomorrow. There doesn't even need to be a Gathering for it."

"That's it?" Thomas asks.

"That's it," Alby replies.

"Done."

"All right." Alby makes his way to the door, stops, turns around, and says, "Thanks, Thomas," then he leaves.

"Tommy, why would you do that?" Newt asks as soon as Alby is gone.

"A good example needs to be set," Thomas says. "What kind of example would I be -- breaking the rules and no getting punished for it?"

Newt sighs with a small smile on his face. "You've got a hear of gold, Tommy," he says.

Thomas smiles.

Newt pecks Thomas on the lips and so does Minho, causing Thomas to blush, making Minho and Newt laugh, Thomas soon joining in.

They walk out of the room and carry on with their day.

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The next day, they wake up in their usual Spot. They get up, have breakfast, and then the time comes for Thomas to be put in the Slammer for the day.

Minho and Newt escort Thomas to the Slammer.

"I don't like this, Tommy," Newt says after they arrive. He has the keys, so he has to lock the door.

"It's fine, Newt. I'm gonna be fine. Okay? I promise," Thomas assures.

Newt sighs, but nods. He unlocks the door, and Thomas walks in. Newt shuts and locks the door behind him. Goodbyes are said, then Newt and Minho leave.

Thomas settles in for a long, boring day.

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Three and a half hours later, Thomas is so, so bored.

The only good time is when Newt and Minho come to entertain him during lunch. But then they had to leave again. He rests his head against the wall, once again pushing memories of his first time being stuck in the Slammer -- the tears, the fear, Minho and Newt coming to help him, feeling as though his death is right around the corner . . . .

He pushes it all away and focuses on the terrible boredom eating away at him.

He really can't wait until tonight so he can get out all ready.

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Newt and Minho, on the other hand, are quite busy.

Minho wants to discuss something with Newt, so he takes him to the Deadheads. He takes him about halfway into the Deadheads so no one can overhear what they're saying.

"Okay, Minho, what's up?" Newt asks once they've stopped.

Minho takes a deep breath; he's worried about how Newt will react to what he's about to say.

"This is going to sound crazy . . ." he starts off.

"Minho," Newt warns.

"I want Thomas to be a Runner," Minho blurts.

"What! Minho are you insane?" Newt asks incredulously.

"Come on, Newt. He'd make a perfect Runner. Look, I know he's had terrible, awful times in that Maze. But, Newt, when he runs in there, he practically rules the place. He's amazing. He's fast, he's smart, and his memory is unbelievably good. Just give him a chance."

A pause.

"I really don't know, Minho," Newt says, but Minho can see that Newt is close to relenting.

"Please, Newt. It would be his decision, anyway. He can say no if he wants to. But just give him one chance."

Newt sighs. "All right. I'll talk to Alby about it."

Minho kisses Newt and Newt kisses back. Minho pulls away.

"Thank you," he whispers.

They kiss again.

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Newt finds Alby in the Homestead on a couch.

"Hey, Alby," Newt says. Alby looks up. "I need to talk to you."

Alby nods and scoots over to make room on the couch. Newt sits down.

"Listen, Minho and I have been talking . . . ." Newt starts.

"Okay," Alby says, slightly suspicious.

"We want Thomas to become a Runner," Newt says in a rush.

Alby's eyes widen. "What?"

Newt nods. "That was my reaction when Minho suggested it to me. But, Alby, it makes sense. He's fast, he's smart, he has an amazing memory. Shuck it, Alby, he's survived two nights in the Maze. Just give him a chance."

Alby sighs, then nods. "We'll have a Gathering about it before dinner. But remember, Newt, even if the Keepers agree to make Thomas a Runner, it's still Thomas's decision. He is allowed to say no."

Newt nods and says, "I know."

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An hour before dinner, the Keepers meet up.

Alby starts it off, "Okay, so earlier today, Minho and Newt came up with the idea of making Thomas a Runner. While I do agree with it somewhat, I want to hear your opinions. Frypan, you start."

Frypan shifts in his chair and thinks for a moment. He considers Thomas, he considers the Maze, he considers what has happened to Thomas before and during his time here. He says, "I think it would be a good idea, if we take it slow, somehow. I mean, come on, shuck it, guys. He's survived two nights in the Maze. That was never possible before he came here. But he's also been through a lot, and I don't want him suddenly having a panic attack in the Maze when he's all alone."

Some Keepers nod, agreeing.

"I don't know," Winston says. "I don't know if it would be a good idea. What Frypan just said, having a panic attack in the middle of the Maze, while alone? That has just as much a chance of happening as us getting out of here anytime soon."

A couple other Keepers nod in agreement.

"I don't think he would suddenly have a panic attack in the middle of the Maze," Minho suddenly says.

All the Keepers look at him.

"What?" Alby asks.

"I don't think he would have a panic attack," Minho repeats. "You all haven't seen him in action. I have. He didn't panic, he didn't whine or cry or get mad. He was calm. He knew what he was doing. And that was during the night. Who knows? He could be a lot better during the day."

"You don't know that, though," Winston objects. "No one knows what could happen."

"Which is why we should give him at least one chance," Newt says.

Tension starts to rise, so Alby speaks up, "Okay, look. I do agree that running the Maze every single day would be too hard on Thomas. I also agree that we have no idea what will happen if he goes out there during the day. But, I also agree that we should give him a chance. I also suggest that he does not be alone while Running the Maze, at least for now. What I propose is that he only runs the Maze three days a week and he goes with Minho on those runs. That way, it's not too hard on him and he's not alone. The other four days he can help out Newt. Sound like a good plan?"

The Keepers consider it, then nod, even Winston.

"That find with you two?" Alby asks nodding to Newt and Minho.

Minho and Newt look at each other, then look back at Alby and nod. "We think it's a great idea," Newt says.

Alby nods and gives a small smile. "Great," he says. "If Thomas agrees to it, that's how it'll go. This Gathering is officially over."

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About twenty minutes after the Gathering ends, Newt and Minho go to release Thomas from the Slammer so they can eat dinner.

Newt unlocks the door and Thomas walks out with a smile on his face. They all hug each other, all of them relieved; Thomas is relieved to finally be out of that Slammer, and Newt and Minho are relieved that Thomas is still okay, even though he spent all day in the place where his nightmares started -- because they really did start there. It wasn't the Box, or the Glade itself, it was the Slammer, because that's the place that he was shoved in to await a Banishment that never should have happened. It all started there. Minho and Newt are glad that Thomas doesn't seem affected by the place -- they didn't want another set-back.

After a few moments, they release each other, and give each other small smiles. Then Newt gets serious.

"Tommy," he starts, "we -- me, Minho, Alby, and the other Keepers -- about something. It involves you."

Thomas is shocked. "Me?" he asks.

Newt nods. He continues, "We've been talking about making you a Runner."

Thomas's eyes grow wide. "What?" he asks, even more shocked.

Newt explains how it would go -- the three days of Running, then the rest at the Glade. Then, he says, "You don't have to answer now. We can give you time to think about it."

Thomas thinks, then nods. "I would like to think about it first," he says.

Newt nods. "Okay, that's perfectly fine."

Thomas smiles, then Minho suddenly speaks up, "Okay, now that that's all discussed and stuff, let's go get some shuck food. I'm starving!" As if on cue, his stomach growls. Thomas and Newt snicker. Minho rolls his eyes. "Oh, shut up." He starts walking toward the Kitchen to get some food, Newt and Thomas following behind.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thomas does think about being a Runner. He thinks about it during dinner, thinks about it before going to sleep, and when he does try to sleep, he is still stuck thinking about it. Right before he does actually fall asleep, he's made his decision.

Tomorrow, he is going to tell Minho and Newt that he will accept the position of a part-time Runner.

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He tells them during breakfast the next morning.

"Newt, Minho," he says. They look at him. He continues, "I thought about it, and I decides that, yes, I will accept the position as a Runner."

Minho, who's sitting on Thomas's right, gives him a hug. "I'm glad, Thomas. I know you'll do great. And don't worry, I promise I won't leave you out there on your own. You'll always be with me."

Thomas smiles, thankful of Minho's assurances.

Minho releases him, then Newt, who's sitting on Thomas's left, brings him in for a hug.

"Please, be careful out there, Tommy," Newt practically begs. Thomas tightens the hug, knowing Newt really needs this right now.

"I promise, Newt," he says in a gentle tone. "I promise I will be careful. Please don't worry so much."

Newt chuckles. "No matter what, Tommy, I will always worry about you and Minho. It doesn't matter how careful you are, I will always worry."

They break apart and smile at each other. He is so thankful to have Newt and Minho -- they've helped him so much and are always there for him.

"So, when do you want to start?" Minho asks.

Thomas thinks. "Give me a couple days," he answers. "Okay?"

Newt nods. "Of course, Tommy," he says.

Thomas finishes his breakfast, then stands up.

"I'm going to take a little walk," he says.

Minho asks, "Will you be okay?"

Thomas nods. "Yeah. I won't be too long."

Newt says, "Okay. Be careful."

Thomas smiles. "I will." He leaves for the Deadheads.

He walks until he reaches the Spot. Then he sits down, grabs his journal, and begins to write:

The past couple of days have been crazy. I survived another night in the Maze -- which is completely unheard of in this place, which makes me a little nervous -- and now I'm a part-time Runner, running the Maze three days a week, and helping Newt out in the Glade the other four days. I don't think anyone else has that kind of schedule, which also makes me a little worried.

I can't really explain why I feel so worried. Maybe it's because I'm afraid people won't like that I'm getting special treatment? Maybe it's something else? I don't know. I hate not knowing my own fears and worries. It just makes me more anxious.

But I do know that whatever happens, Newt and Minho will always be there for me. I know that for sure. And right now, that's all I need. I just need to talk to them about something first. Now I'm going to go back to Minho and Newt -- I don't want them to worry too much, and I know they will. I'll write again later. And I feel stupid for writing this, because no one but me is going to read this anytime soon, but wish me luck. I'll need it for the talk I'm going to have with Newt and Minho.

He closes the journal and puts it away. He gets up, and walks back to Newt and Minho.

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The rest of the day went by fine, except when Thomas saw something when walking back to Newt and Minho. A group of boys were just standing and whispering, but when he walked past, they looked at him with frowns and a couple of glares that made him very uncomfortable. A couple boys looked him up and down like he was no impressed. Thomas was sure it had something to do with the fact that he was now a Runner /and/ technically a right-hand man to Newt, who was second-in-command, second highest person in the Glade. Thomas didn't say anything, just continued on at a fast pace to the picnic table where Minho and Newt were still sitting at, waiting for him.

Other than that incident, the day was fine, but now it's night, and Thomas wants to talk to Newt and Minho about something.

They're all sitting at the Spot just talking about nothing, when Thomas decides to speak up about that "something."

"About this whole kissing and loving each other thing, what does that make us exactly? Like . . . what are we?" he asks nervously.

Minho and Newt are silent for a few moments, then Minho shrugs and says, "I would just consider us boyfriends."

"Are we even allowed to have boyfriends here?" Thomas asks.

Newt says, "I don't see why not."

"But won't people think that it's . . . wrong to have three boys in a relationship?" Thomas asks in a slightly sad voice.

Minho sees that he's worried about people judging them and says, "hey, who cares about what other people think? And besides, there is that new Rule."

"Yeah, but Minho, I've seen people ignore that Rule all ready. The Rule won't work if it's not enforced," Thomas says.

A pause.

"Tommy, what's happened?" Newt asks.

Thomas sighs. "It was nothing, Newt."

"Thomas," Minho warns.

Thomas sighs again. "It was just a group of boys. I'm guessing they weren't happy with me being a Runner and a helper to Newt. I don't know if they were jealous or something else. I don't know.

"What did they say to you?" Newt asks.

"Nothing. They were just whispering and sort of glaring at me. I knew they were talking about me. But, Newt, everyone's entitled to their opinion."

"That doesn't mean their opinion needs to be said," Minho says.

"It doesn't really matter --"

Newt interrupts him, "Tommy, it does matter if it hurts your feelings. There is to be no harming each other here, physically or emotionally, and that's exactly what they were doing."

"Can we just talk about that tomorrow?" Thomas asks.

Minho relents. He sighs and says, "Okay. But Thomas, about the boyfriend thing, I really don't care about what other people will say."

"But . . . they might say awful things, Minho. I'm used to it. I doubt you two are," Thomas says.

"Tommy, if they say anything bad about us -- any of us three -- then we can easily punish them.  I am after all the second-in-command and Minho is the Keeper of the Runners. We have two of the three highest jobs around here. And you're with us, too. People won't be bothering any of us." Newt tries his best to convince Thomas. He can't tell if he's succeeding or not.

Thomas thinks about it. After five minutes of silence, he says, "I don't want the Rule to just apply to us. It should apply to everyone. If anyone gets hurt by someone, that someone should get pushed. No one should get hurt without any justice happening."

Newt nods his head. "Of course, Tommy, of course. The Rule will apply to everyone."

Thomas looks at Minho, who also nods his head. "I will, Thomas."

Thomas smiles. "Okay," he says, "then I guess I'm fine with being boyfriends."

Newt and Minho hug him with all the strength they have, and Thomas hugs back just as strongly.

"I hereby declare us boyfriends!" Minho says in an overly fancy voice.

They all laugh. They decide to get ready for bed. They arrange themselves perfectly and fall asleep peacefully.

Once again, there are no nightmares.

Chapter Text

The next day, when they wake up, they decide to make the announcement during breakfast. As they sit at a picnic table, eating, Thomas can't help but worry about the reactions of everyone else.

Newt, who sits on Thomas's right, takes one look at his face, and knows exactly what he's thinking. He grabs Thomas's hand in his own. "Tommy," he says. "Don't worry. I promise it'll be okay."

"He's right, Thomas," Minho says. He sits on the other side of the table across from Thomas. He reaches across the table and grabs Thomas's other hand. "You don't have to worry. It's going to be okay. No matter what, we will always be there for you. No matter what anyone says or does, we will not leave you."

Thomas thinks for a minute, then nods. He knows by now that Minho and Newt would never let anything bad happen to him. He knows they will always be there for him. He really doesn't have anything to worry about.

"Okay," he says. "I trust you." He smiles at them, and they give him bright smiles in return.

Newt takes one more bite of his fried egg, then stands up and a little ways from the table. He calls out, "Can I have everyone's attention please?"

Everyone stops eating to look up at Newt. Thomas isn't surprised that it didn't take him long to get everyone's attention -- everyone likes Newt.

"Okay, thank you," Newt says. "I have an announcement to make. It involves not only me, but Minho and Thomas, as well." He gestures for Minho and Thomas to stand with him, so they do. They stand on either side of him and they all link hands, forming a tiny line. Newt continues, "Before Thomas came up, Minho and I were in some kind of relationship. We didn't know what kind at first, and were completely clueless on how to go about it. But then Thomas came up. For a while, things were hard. We all know that." Some Gladers nod and voice their agreement. "But we got through it. And then the night when Minho and Thomas got stuck in the Maze, well, it felt like I was dying. I realized that night how much I truly love them. I found out later on after they came back that they love me too." Whispers start to break out, but Newt continues on with the last part. "We, the three of us, talked together and decided that we wanted to act on that love, so we did. And that's also what we're doing right now. We have decided to become the first-ever boyfriends in the Glade."

There's silence. Thomas starts to get anxious. He wishes someone would just say or do something -- anything.

Then someone does.

Alby starts to slowly applaud, and soon, others join in, until it's a full-on applause, whistling included.

Thomas relaxes. Of course, he sees a couple people frowning and shaking their heads, but he expected that. Everybody has their own opinion, and he respects that.

After the applause dies down and everyone resumes eating, Minho, Newt and Thomas sit back down to also continue eating.

After a few minutes, Alby comes over to say, "What you guys just did was incredibly brave. Just know that I'm proud of you guys and I fully support you."

Thomas smiles. "Thanks, Alby." Minho and Newt also give little smiles and say the same thing.

Then Alby leaves, and the three boyfriends finish eating their breakfast. They work together in the fields, since Minho gets to have a couple more days to heal up more before going back out into the Maze. They spend that whole day in a good mood.

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The next day, Thomas starts thinking about his opportunity to run the Maze. He knows Minho is going back out there tomorrow, and he feels like he should go out there with him.

He spends the first half of the day thinking about it, then during lunch, he tells Minho and Newt his decision.

"I want to Run with Minho tomorrow," he says.

Minho and Newt look at him with shock.

"Are you sure, Tommy?" Newt asks, and Thomas nods.

"I think I'm ready," he says.

Newt and Minho look at each other, then Minho nods.

"We think you're ready, too," he says.

Thomas gives a little smile, and Minho and Newt smile back.

"Now, Tommy," Newt says in a very serious voice. "You have to do everything Minho says. Don't go off alone. And please, do everything you can to be safe."

Thomas nods. "I will, Newt. I promise."

He and Newt hug. Thomas knows of Newt's history in the Maze; he knows it would devastate Newt if he or Minho were to get hurt out there, so he makes a promise to himself to always be careful and to never leave Minho's side.

After they separate, they all go back to eating their lunch, then they go back to work. When they go to sleep that night, Thomas falls asleep with determination he knows he'll need when he goes out into the Maze the next day.

Come morning, they get up earlier so Minho can prep Thomas for the Maze. Thomas gets a new pair of shoes that are better and made with stronger material for running. He also gets a couple knives as weapons. Minho reassures him that they are rarely ever needed for fighting, as Grievers don't normally show up until nightfall. Minho takes him into the Map Room and explains how the Maps work -- they need to memorize their section as best they can, then come and draw it out when they get back. Thomas is shown what to pack in the backpack he was given -- food, water, one of the knives as the other was tucked in his belt, a pencil and paper for notes along the way, and a little supply of first-aid stuff just in case. They're doing Section 4.

Newt tags along for the whole thing, but doesn't say anything. Thomas knows that Newt just wants to be as close as possible before they're both gone for the day. So when Newt comes with them to wait for the Doors to open and to say goodbye, Thomas hugs Newt as tight as he can and Newt does the same to him.

"Please be careful, Tommy," Newt whispers, and Thomas nods.

"I promise," he whispers back.

They release each other when the Doors start opening. Newt gives Thomas a peck on the lips, then hugs Minho and give him a peck on the lips as well.

"Be careful, both of you," Newt warns.

Both Minho and Thomas nod. Minho says, "We'll see you later, Newt." Then he and Thomas turn and run into the Maze.

They run for an hour and a half, take a five minute break, and then their off again. They don't stop for yet another hour and a half, then finally stop. "Lunch break!" Minho says.

They sit down, Thomas gasping, Minho only a little out of breath.

"How the hell do you do this every day?" Thomas manages to ask after a few minutes.

Minho laughs a little. "You get used to it."

"I can't see how." Thomas grabs his water bottle and drinks as much as he can.

"Not too much!" Minho yells, stopping Thomas. "You'll make yourself sick if you do that."

Thomas nods. "Sorry."

"It's okay. Just don't go so fast next time. Now, let's eat our lunch." Minho takes his lunch out of his pack and Thomas does the same with his own pack.

"Go slow," Minho warns. Thomas nods and does as he's told.

They talk a little bit about the Maze, then when they run out of things to say about that, they start talking about nothing. After forty-five minutes of eating and talking, they pack up and start running again.

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Newt is walking around talking with Keepers and other Gladers about progress reports. He's worried about Minho and Thomas. It's not unusual, but it seems like it's distracting him more. He thinks it might be because Minho is not the only one out there this time, Thomas is out there with him. That should give him comfort, knowing they're together, but it also makes him anxious, knowing they're both out there where the danger is. He's slightly more worried about Thomas, since this is his first day out there.

Newt shakes his head and continues on with his job. He just has to have faith that they're both okay.

He hopes they're okay.

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Minho and Thomas take a couple more short breaks, but for the most part they're running. They don't find anything and Thomas can't help but feel a little disappointed. Minho sees that, but all he says is, "One day." Thomas knows his meaning, though.

And with that, they head back.

When they do get back, Newt is waiting for them. He grabs Thomas in a hug first, then releases him and gives him a kiss. They part and Minho gets the same treatment from Newt. After they part, Minho says, "Okay, Thomas and I need to go map out our section, but we'll try to be quick, okay?"

Newt nods and Thomas and Minho head into the Map Room.

When it comes to drawing out the Map, it doesn't take long at all. Minho tells Thomas how to do it and in no time it's done perfectly. Minho is shocked, but at the same time not surprised. Thomas's memory is truly amazing.

In less than ten minutes, they're out of the Map Room and heading to the Kitchen with Newt to get dinner.

They sit at the picnic table and talk about their day. Newt is just finishing up talking about what he did that day, when Alby comes over.

"Hey, guys," he says, sitting next to Newt who is sitting across from Minho and Thomas. "I just wanted to come by and ask how Thomas's first day as a Runner was."

"It was fine. A little tough, but that was to be expected," Thomas answers.

"It was more than fine," Minho jumps in. "He's perfect. He's got the speed and stamina. And he definitely has the memory. It takes him no time at all to draw a Map."

Alby nods. "Impressive. I take it you will be going on more runs?" It's clear the question is for Thomas.

Thomas nods. "Yeah, I think I will. I think what I'll do is spend a day Running, spend two days helping Newt, go for a Run, spend two day here, go for a Run, then start over. It'll allow me to spend my three days in the Maze and my four days here at the Glade."

"That sounds reasonable and manageable," Alby says, and Minho and Newt agree. "So, I'll let you three get on with our dinner. Talk you guys later." Then Alby leaves.

Minho, Newt, and Thomas finish their dinner, then spend a little while just talking. Then Minho says, "Well, I'm exhausted, and I'm sure you are, too, Thomas. I think we should all get ready for bed."

Thomas and Newt nod and agree. They head to the Spot and get ready. They get into their usual positions, then fall asleep.

It's another nightmare-free night. They hope their nightmares are actually gone for good.

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Throughout the rest of the week, Thomas tries out his idea, and it works perfectly. The two days after his first Run, he helps Newt out around the Glade, then goes for another Run, spends two days in the Glade, goes for another Run, then repeats.

It's perfect and Thomas really likes it. It's a great new pattern for him. And for the first time in his life at the Glade, he feels truly content.

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Alby has been keeping an eye on the three boys for a while now. He sees how amazing they are together. They're all perfect leaders, in his eyes, and he feels like there is a decision to be made.

Lately, he hasn't felt like a good leader. He knows Minho and Newt no longer truly trust him as a leader, and he doesn't think Thomas has ever trusted him as leader. Ever since Thomas got to the Glade, Alby has realized something but never wanted to admit it.

He's realized he doesn't want to be the leader anymore.

At first, he was in denial, but during the past week, he's finally seeing that realization as the truth. But he does know who we wants to be the real leader of the Glade.

Newt.

Of course, Newt needs a second-in-command, and Alby has someone in mind, but the choice is all up to Newt.

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The next few days go by just as perfect as the past week. Thomas's pattern continues to do great things for him. He gets to see both Minho and Newt equally. He gets to truly help out in the Glade. It also gives him stability.

Right now, he can't be any happier.

But then, the day before the new Greenie comes up arrives.

Chapter Text

Thomas has been nervous all morning, causing Newt and Minho to worry. Thomas is helping Newt today, but Minho decides to take the day off to help Thomas if needed and to be a support. He isn’t able to fully understand Thomas’s nervousness since he came up the Box with thirty other Gladers and wasn’t expected to help out the boy who came up on his own a month later, but he can be there for Thomas. And if he can do something to reassure him, he’s going to do it.

Breakfast was okay, but Thomas was unable to finish it all due to the butterflies in his stomach. The three boys are currently in the Garden helping Zart, since it’s Thomas’s favorite thing to do aside from going on Runs with Minho. They’re pulling weeds out, the task distracting Thomas for a little while, which Minho and Newt are grateful for.

Minho complains lightly and jokingly about having to bend over so much, but Newt playfully tells him, “You run all day every day in that buggin’ Maze. This should be nothing for you! Deal with it!” It makes Thomas laugh, and Newt and Minho share a smile, glad Thomas’s nervousness has seemed to ease off a little.

But then, half an hour later, Alby shows up, wanting to talk to Thomas, Minho, and Newt.

“There’s going to be a Gathering in an hour,” he announces. “I want Thomas there, as well.” He looks at Thomas, waiting for confirmation from him.

Thomas swallows nervously. He’s not really fond of going to these Gatherings, and he has no idea why Alby would want him to come to the next one. He looks at Newt and Minho, wondering what he should do, and their eyes tell him it’s up to him. He then looks at Alby, and says, “Okay.”

Alby gives a small smile. “Great. I’ll see you three in an hour.” He leaves.

Newt and Minho look back at Thomas, but Thomas doesn’t look at them. Instead, he just averts his eyes and goes back to work, the butterflies back to fluttering around in his stomach, but this time for a completely different reason.

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An hour later, Thomas, Minho, and Newt are seated along with Alby and the other Keepers. The butterflies in Thomas’s stomach have only gotten worse, and he can’t keep his hands from shaking and fidgeting nor his legs from bouncing up and down in nervousness. Newt, who’s sitting on his right, and Minho, who’s sitting on his left, each take his hands in theirs, giving him reassuring squeezes. He legs stop bouncing, but the butterflies keep fluttering.

Alby looks around, then begins. “Look, I’m sure you’re all wondering why you’re here. You’re probably thinking it’s for some stupid reason, but it’s not.” He pauses, takes a breath, continues. “Lately, I haven’t been feeling like a real leader. I feel like I’m slacking. I’m not doing what real leaders do -- set good examples. I’ve let things happen that shouldn’t have happened” -- he cuts a look at Thomas -- “and people have gotten hurt because of that. I’m also not able to connect with everyone in the Glade like certain others” -- he cuts a look at Newt -- “and I haven’t been stepping up like I’ve been needing to. I haven’t been acting strong.” He cuts as look at Minho. “So for that reason, I’m stepping down as leader.”

Voices erupt from everyone except for Thomas, who is extremely shocked. Alby stepping down as leader? Thomas never could’ve guessed that he would do that. But he just did, in front of all the Keepers and Thomas. But still, Thomas wonders why he’s here. He’s not a Keeper, why is he witnessing this?

Alby finally gets everyone under control. “My decision is final,” he says. “But don’t worry, I already know who I want to replace me.” He pauses, nobody moving or making a sound. “I want Newt to take over as Leader of the Glade.”

Newt’s eyes widen, though no one else is shocked. Newt is the perfect second-in-command, he can easily be the perfect leader. It’s silent for a few minutes, until Newt realizes that everyone is looking to him for an answer. He sits up straighter, clears his throat, then looks at Alby. “I accept,” he says.

Everyone cheers. The Keepers congratulate him, and he looks at Minho and Thomas. They’re both smiling at him. Minho reaches over and gently slaps his leg to say congratulations and Thomas squeezes his hand. Newt gives a smile in response to both of them and squeezes Thomas’s hand in return to Thomas’s gesture.

“Newt,” Alby says after everyone has quieted down, “you need to pick your Second-in-Command. It’s your choice. You can pick whoever you want. If you need more time to think about it, it’s yours.”

Newt’s a little nervous. He’s made big decisions before regarding the Glade, but has never made this big a decision. But he already has someone in mind. He doesn’t want to pick a Keeper -- they already have enough on their plate, especially Minho with leading the Runners-- but he’s unsure if the boy he has in mind will accept.

“I already have my decision made,” Newt says. “But it’s his choice. He can accept or decline.” He pauses, everyone looking at him in anticipation. Newt looks at Thomas. “I want Tommy to be my Second.”

It’s Thomas’s eyes that widen this time. Everyone is silent as they wait for his response. “Are you sure?” Thomas asks.

Newt nods. “I’m very sure. Tommy, you help me every day, already. And you’re hard-working, dedicated, determined, selfless, and caring. I know you can do it.” He gives Thomas an encouraging smile.

Thomas looks at Minho, who’s also smiling encouragingly while squeezing Thomas’s hand. Thomas then looks at everyone else around him, and sees that they’re also smiling at him. He realizes how much has changed since he arrived -- how much he’s changed. He’s not the scared boy he was when he came up in the Box. He’s stronger now, has a little more confidence. Yes, he has setbacks, but he fights through them. He has support now. And if everyone thinks he can do it, then maybe there is a chance he can take on the role of Second-in-Command.

He looks at Newt, decision made. “I accept your offer to be second-in-command.”

Once again, everyone applauds and congratulations are thrown all around. But Thomas, Newt, and Minho only have eyes for each other. Who knew they would make it this far? They now hold the three highest statuses in the Glade. The Leader, the Second-in-Command, and the Keeper of the Runners. They look at each other and realize how truly happy they are. They’ve finally made it. They’ve been through quite a lot, but they know that if they could go back in time and change anything, they wouldn’t. Because everything that’s happened has led them to this point. And they wouldn’t have it any other way.

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Alby concludes the Gathering soon after that. Everyone returns to their respective jobs, while Thomas, Minho, and Newt head over to the Spot, needing time to allow everything that’s just happened to sink in.

They sit in silence for five minutes, no one staring at anything in particular, all lost in their thoughts. Newt sighs, then looks around. He can’t believe it’s been less than a month since they claimed this area for themselves. It feels like it’s been years.

He looks over at Thomas and, seeing the frown on his face, asks, “What are you thinking about, Tommy?”

Both Thomas and Minho snap out of their own thoughts, looking over at Newt. Minho looks at Thomas, who looks back and forth between the other two. He closes his eyes, looks down, and sighs.

Opening his eyes and looking up again, he tells them, “I just . . . everything is so different since I first arrived here. I can’t believe it’s only been a month. Everything has changed. I have changed.” He pauses, then reveals to them what’s been weighing on his mind. “I just don’t know how it’s going to be from now on. First I come up here with no memories and everyone except for you two hating me. I was scared nearly to death and could barely bring myself to eat anything or do anything. I had nightmares every night and couldn’t trust anyone but the two of you. Now I’m not only a Runner, but a Second-In-Command. I have a few others who I can call friends and my nightmares are nearly gone. I-I don’t know how to process everything. And now someone new is coming up tomorrow and I don’t know why I’m so nervous about it. I can’t explain it. What if he doesn’t like me? Or what if the rule is forgotten? There seems to be so many things that could go wrong!”

Newt and Minho blink, both shocked at how much Thomas has revealed to them. They’re not surprised that Thomas is having trouble processing everything, but they didn’t know that he was worrying this much.

Minho clears his throat. “Thomas.” He waits until Thomas looks him in the eye to continue. “It’s going to be fine. Yes, a lot has changed. You have changed. I have also changed. And Newt. Hell, everyone in the Glade has changed. But these changes are good. They have been helpful to this Glade. We’ve had some difficult times along the way, but it’s all been worth it.”

Newt jumps in. “And you’ll do fine tomorrow. You’re the nicest person in the whole bloody Glade; there’s no way the Greenie won’t like you! And if people start breaking the Rule, we’ll stop them. We are the Leader and Second-In-Command, now. We can do this. You can do this. Alright?”

Thomas looks at Newt, then at Minho, searching their eyes for any doubt. Finding none, he nods. They all hug, Newt and Minho both gently giving Thomas kisses on the head. Thomas relaxes and hugs them tighter.

Just like that, they gave Thomas all the confidence and encouragement he needs for tomorrow.

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The next day, Thomas is checking in with all the Keepers with Newt. Minho wanted to stay in the Glade today, but both Newt and Thomas insisted he run the Maze today, joking that if he keeps skipping his runs, they’ll have to replace him with someone else. Minho pretended to be shocked and offended before giving Thomas and Newt each a quick kiss goodbye, telling them he’ll try to be even faster today. Then he took off into the Maze.

Now, everything seems to be in order and it is time for lunch. Newt seems to be doing a good job of distracting Thomas from his worries, but he can tell Thomas is still worrying about tonight in the back of his head. And Newt knows he still has to go over what Thomas needs to do for the Greenie.

After lunch, Newt decides that they would work in the Gardens for the rest of the day, since that was a job that Thomas enjoys. They work for a few hours before Newt tells Thomas they need to discuss a few things.

Thomas follows Newt to the Spot, feeling nervous. He’s sure Newt wants to discuss things about the Greenie, but Thomas really doesn’t want to.

They sit down, facing each other. Newt sees how tense Thomas is and tries to put on a relaxed aura for Thomas’s sake, hoping he will also relax more.

It seems to work. He looks at Newt and relaxes just enough to be noticeable. Newt decides to just get this over with.
“I need to go over what you will need to do to help the Greenie. It’s not too much, don’t worry. And if you need help, all you need to do is ask. When he arrives and all the fuss is done and over with, introduce yourself. Maybe explain a few things for him, answer some questions if he has any. Just don’t give him too much information right away -- we don’t want him going into shock. Show him around a bit, maybe introduce him to a few others. Make sure he gets food and a place to sleep. Are you alright with that, Tommy?” Newt searches Thomas’s eyes for what he’s thinking.

Thomas’s eyes are wide and have a lot of nervousness and panic in them. “How am I supposed to do all of that? I’ve only been here a month and hid in a room a lot of the time. I don’t know many people aside from you, Minho, and some of the other Keepers. What if I mess up? What if . . . I don’t . . .” His breathing picks up as a panic attack tries to set in.

Newt scoots closer to Thomas and wraps his arms around him in a tight hug. “Tommy, shh, it’s okay. You’re not gonna mess this up. You are going to do just fine. As I said, if you need help, just ask, okay? And it’s okay if you just introduce him to me, Minho, and a couple of Keepers. He’ll meet others as he tests out the jobs. You are going to do fine and I know that he’ll like you.”

Thomas sniffs, a few tears escaping, but his breathing slows down. “Really?” he croaks.

Newt smiles. “Really. And Thomas, I don’t call what you did in the room ‘hiding’. I call it healing. You were healing from . . . well, probably years of depression -- can’t say for sure because of no memories. But that doesn’t matter. The scars speak for themselves, and they were screaming that you needed healing. Okay? So don’t be too hard on yourself. You did what you needed to do. And, Tommy, look where you are now. You became a Runner after being here less than a month and now you’re a Second-In-Command! You have people on your side and that will never change. I promise. Okay, Tommy?”

Thomas, with tears in his eyes, listens to and hang onto every word Newt says. A small part of him from before is trying to tell him he doesn’t deserve all of that, but a bigger part of him is practically screaming with happiness. He hugs Newt even tighter and says, “Thank you.”

Newt’s smile grows, and he presses a kiss to Thomas’s head. “You’re welcome, Tommy. You deserve all of this and more.”
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It isn’t long before the Greenie alarm sounds, startling Thomas since he’s never it before. But Newt explains what it is and that it will take about half an hour for the Greenie to arrive.

So, they decide to wait on their usual picnic bench for Minho to arrive, since he said he would come back early. About fifteen minutes before the Greenie is scheduled to arrive, Minho runs through the Doors, waving to Thomas and Newt as he jogs over to the Map Room to draw out his Map for the day. He finishes fast and heads over to the picnic bench.

They talk a little bit about the day, Newt quickly explaining what happened, Thomas saying he was okay, and Minho giving him a hug, apologizing for not being there.

“It’s okay,” Thomas says. “Newt was there. I’m fine.”

Five minutes before the Greenie arrives, they head over to the Box where everyone else has started to gather. They get in front of everyone else, ready to get the Greenie out when he arrives.

They hear the Box finally arrive. The Gladers are whispering to each other, talking about what the Greenie is going to look like and what job he might get. Thomas feels uncomfortable, knowing this is probably how everyone acted before he came up.

When the Box settles and the set of doors are open, people start trying to get closer to see the new Greenie. Thomas’s heart is pounding with nervousness. Newt and Minho step forward to the Greenie’s immediate line of sight and crouch down, Thomas hesitantly following.

His first thought is, Wow he’s young.

This boy was probably the youngest out of everyone, looking to be about eleven or twelve, thirteen at the most. He was a bit on the chubby side with brown, curly hair. He was sitting with his arms around his legs at the corner farthest away from them. He had tears streaming down his face and looked terrified.

Others have caught sight of him and are actually starting to laugh while comments are being thrown around. And with every comment that gets called out, Thomas gets angrier and angrier.

“Look at that fat shank!”

“He’s way too young!”

“Why the shuck would they send him?”

“We can’t get rid of him, so we might as well make him a Slopper!”

“He won’t be good for nothing!”

Thomas looks around, furious. The last comment is the last straw for him. He remembers those words being the exact comment he received when he arrived. He remembers how awful he felt when he heard the words. Sure enough, when he looks back at the Greenie, he is hiding his face and curled up in a ball so tight it had to be painful. Newt and Minho are trying to get the Greenie to come over to them, promising that nothing bad will happen to him. But something bad is happening right now.

Thomas suddenly finds himself needing to protect this boy. He needs to look after and care for him. He needs to support and defend him.

Using these strong feelings, he quickly stands up, surprising Newt and Minho, and yells, “STOP!”

Everybody silences in shock. No one had ever heard Thomas use a voice that strong before, not even Newt or Minho.

Thomas decides to use his authority as Second-In-Command for the first time. “Who made those comments?” No one stepped forward.

“Who made those comments!” he asks again, raising his voice.

Several hands went up.

Thomas’s eyes hardened. “Step forward. Now.”

They know better than to disobey. They step forward, everyone else moving aside.

Five boys stand in front of Thomas. He recognized them from his Tour that Newt gave him. Two of the boys were from the Builders, one from the Slicers, one from the Cooks, and, to Thomas’s disappointment, one from the Track-hoes who he knew by name, Sam. He looks to be about a fifteen-year-old blond, green-eyed kid. Thomas has had some conversations with him. He seemed to be a nice kid. Now, all Thomas is able to feel is disappointment with him.

Thomas shook his head. “Did you all learn nothing from what has happened during the past month?” He looked them in the eyes, none of them having the courage to act defiant. “I am seriously disappointed in all of you. Yes, he’s young. But that does not make him useless. And it certainly doesn’t give you the right to judge him like that.” He addresses everyone with the next part of his lecture. “How did you all feel when you arrived in the Box, huh? Were all of you brave? Were everyone’s eyes dry? Not a single tear shed? Not a single cry for help, or for parents, or anything?” Everyone was silent.

Thomas shook his head again. “I thought you all learned from what happened with me. I almost died. Does that mean nothing to any of you?” He pauses. “I wouldn’t be surprised. But I would have thought that maybe you would have changed just a little. But if the only thing that’s keeping you from harming him is a Rule, then you haven’t changed at all.” He looks back at the five boys who stand before him. “You five are to do extra work after dinner.” He looks around and searches for the Keepers. When he has met all of their eyes, he announces, “We’re having a Gathering tomorrow,” he looks back down at the five boys, “to discuss your punishment.”

The boys nod. Thomas looks up at the Keepers and each one nods. He looks into the eyes of the Keepers who are in charge of the five boys and sees disappointment aimed at the boys in all of their eyes. At least some of them have changed, he thinks.

He turns back to the Box that still holds the Greenie. Minho and Newt are looking at him with pride and amazement. Thomas looks at them and gives a little smile at their looks. He nods and they nod back. He looks down into the Box. The Greenie is looking up at him in shock. Thomas sees that he’s also grateful for what Thomas just did. Tears are still streaming down his face, but now he’s looking at Thomas with hope in his eyes.

It breaks Thomas’s heart. He feels that protectiveness wash over him again. He looks over at Minho and Newt. “I’m going down there. He needs someone.”
They nod. Thomas takes a deep breath -- he doesn’t like being in the Box and never will, but right now, the Greenie needs him -- and jumps inside. The Greenie flinches at the loud sound Thomas creates when he hits the floor.

“Sorry. I’m sorry,” Thomas quickly apologizes in a gentle tone. He crouches down to be at eye-level with the boy. The Greenie watches him warily. Thomas smiles in what he hopes to be a reassuring way. “It’s okay. I’m sorry about all of those shanks up there.” He shocks himself when he uses the term, “shank”. He guesses he’s becoming more and more like a Glader.

The Greenie doesn’t say anything, but Thomas notices he’s relaxing more.

“My name is Thomas,” he says. “What’s yours?”

It was said so quietly that Thomas almost misses it, but manages to hear, “Chuck”.

“Chuck?” he asks. The Greenie nods. Thomas smiles more. “I like it.”

That gets a little smile out of the Greenie -- Chuck. Thomas’s smile turns into a grin.

“There you go,” Thomas praises. Chuck smiles a little more. “Is it okay if I come closer?”

Chuck loses his smile and glances up at the other Gladers. Thomas doesn’t even look at them. “It’s okay,” he says. “I’m not going to hurt you. I promise.”

He waits a minute more before Chuck nods that it’s okay for him to come closer. Thomas doesn’t stand, but instead just shuffles over the best he can on his hands and knees, not wanting to loom over the boy with his height.

He moves until he’s just in front of Chuck. He waits a couple of minutes to say what he wants to say. “Look, I know this is scary,” he begins. “Those boys weren’t helping either. But I promise not everyone is like that.” He turns to where Newt and Minho are still waiting. Turning back to Chuck, he says, “You see those two boys right there?” Chuck looks over at them, then turns back to Thomas, nodding. “Those are my boyfriends. They’re the two nicest people I know here. You don’t need to be scared of them.”
Chuck nods, taking it in. He frowns. “Why . . . why can’t I remember anything?”

Thomas says, “None of us can remember anything. Except for our names, we have no knowledge of our pasts. We don’t know why. But it’s alright. You get a little used to it after a while.”

Chuck nods again. He’s starting to relax more. He arms are looser around his legs and the fear is diminishing from his eyes the longer he talks to Thomas.

Thomas looks back at Newt and Minho. Both of them are smiling at the progress that Thomas has made with the Greenie. Turning back to Chuck, Thomas asks, “Do you want to meet my boyfriends? I promise they’re nice and they won’t hurt you.”

Chuck hesitates, but then nods, trusting Thomas. Thomas grins and turns to gesture to Newt and Minho, telling them that it’s okay to come down.

Newt and Minho jump in as carefully as they can, Minho helping Newt because of Newt’s leg. They slowly come over, getting into the same position that Thomas is in.

“Hi there, Greenie,” Newt says softly. He was always good with keeping his voice calm, quiet, and gentle. “What’s your name?”

Chuck swallows, then whispers, “My name’s Chuck.” He pauses. “What’s a Greenie?”

Newt smiles. “I’m Newt. And a Greenie is a new person. That’s you now. Tommy here,” he gestures to Thomas, “was last month’s greenie.”

Chuck nods, still confused but understanding a little bit more.

“I’m Minho,” Minho speaks up, also trying to keep his voice soothing.

“Hi,” Chuck says.

Minho chuckles. “Hi.”

Thomas speaks up again. “Hey, Chuck, how about we get out of this Box? If you want to, we can make the other boys go away for a while. If you’re hungry or thirsty, we can get you some food and water. A place to sleep if you just want to go to bed.”
Chuck looks up at the other Gladers who are still standing around. He looks back at Thomas. “They won’t hurt me?”

The amount of trust that Chuck is showing for Thomas warms the three boys’ hearts.

Thomas says, “I promise, Chuck. I won’t let them.”

Chuck hesitates, but then nods. “I am a little hungry. And I have to use the bathroom.”

The boys chuckle. “Okay, bud,” Thomas says, standing up and reaching down for Chuck. He offers his hand and Chuck takes it, letting himself be pulled up. Newt and Minho also stand, going to exit the Box and get rid of the crowding Gladers.

But they’re stopped by the loud, “Thank you,” that Chuck called out. They both turn around and look at him. He looks a little nervous but so grateful.

They smile and say, “You’re welcome”. Then they proceed to signal for some help to get out and, with the help of Alby and Zart, hop out and get rid of the other boys.

It doesn’t take long for Newt and Minho to scatter the Gladers and soon it’s time for Chuck and Thomas to come out of the Box.

“Okay,” Minho says when they’re back together. “How do we want to do this?”

Thomas says, “I can give Chuck a boost up and you guys can help him out.”

Chuck panics and grabs onto Thomas’s shirt. “No.”

Thomas frowns and bends down to Chuck’s level. “Hey, buddy, what’s wrong.”

Chuck takes a second to answer. “You won’t be up there. I don’t want to be alone.”

Thomas puts a hand on Chuck’s shoulder. “Chuck, it’s okay. You won’t be alone. Minho and Newt are up there. And I’ll be up there just a few seconds after you. Okay? But if I go out first, it’ll be harder to get you up there. Besides, I don’t want you alone down here. It’ll just be a few seconds. Alright?”
Chuck hesitates and looks up at Newt and Minho, who smile encouragingly at him, then nods. “Okay.”

Thomas smiles. “Okay, then.” He links his fingers together. “Step into my hand and at the count of three, I’ll help lift you up, okay? Then grab onto Newt and Minho.”

Chuck nods and does what he’s told.

“Minho, Newt! At the count of three, I’m going to give Chuck a lift. Be prepared to help him.” Seeing Minho and Newt nod, he starts to count. “One . . . two . . . three!”

Chuck lifts himself while Thomas helps, both grunting at the effort. Chuck reaches for Minho’s and Newt’s hands and grabs on, the other two boys grabbing on just a tight. They start to pull, and, with Thomas giving Chuck a boost and Chuck trying to offer help as best he can in his position, they manage to get him out. They’re all a little out of breath after that, but they’re okay.

Chuck looks over a Newt and Minho and says, “Thank you.”

Minho reaches out and squeezes Chuck’s shoulder. “No problem.”

Newt asks, “You doing okay?”

Chuck nods and looks around with amazement and fear. “Woah.”

Minho and Newt chuckle. “Yeah,” Newt says, “It’s a lot to take in. We’ll explain more later.”

Thomas, who is now alone in the Box, looks around. The last time he was alone inside the Box, he was surrounded by boys who hated him and wanted to send him out to the Maze to his death. He was harshly judged with no way to escape. The memories comes back to him in a rush and his hands start to shake. He takes deep breaths to keep calm, but he really wants to get out of the stupid Box.

“Newt, Minho,” he calls, voice shaking.

Hearing the shakiness in Thomas’s voice, Newt and Minho break out of the little conversation they were having with Chuck to rush back to the edge of the Box.

“Tommy!” Newt calls.

“What’s wrong?” Minho asks.

Thomas looks up at them and they can see the fear in his eyes. “I just would really like to come out now.”

Newt and Minho nod and reach down as far as they can. Thomas gives a little jump and grabs onto their hands. They work together to get Thomas up. When he’s finally out, Thomas lets out a sigh of relief. He’s still a little shaky, though. Newt and Minho are on either side of him, rubbing his back and asking what happened.

“I’m okay,” he finally says after several minutes of silence. “Just bad memories.”

Newt and Minho nodded.

Chuck, however, was confused. “You were fine with me the whole time, though. What changed?”

Thomas looks over at him and gives a shaky, little smile. “After we got you out, I was alone down there. I haven’t been alone in the Box since I first arrived.”

Chuck frowns. “You should’ve just let me go last. I don’t care that it would have been harder.”

Thomas was shaking his head before Chuck even finished. “But doing that would have meant that you were alone instead. It’s okay, Chuck. I’m fine. I’m out of the Box and I’ve got Newt, Minho, and now you. I’m okay.”

Thomas looks Chuck right in the eyes to emphasize that he was okay and, finally, Chuck nods.

“If you insist,” Chuck says.

Thomas nods. He takes a breath and then says, “Okay, Chuck, you said you needed to use the bathroom and you were also hungry. So let’s show you where the bathrooms are and then we’ll all get dinner. I’ll introduce you to Frypan and maybe a few others -- don’t worry, Newt and Minho aren’t the only nice ones around here. After that, we’ll find a place for you to sleep. Sound good?”

Chuck nods. “Yeah. And can we please hurry with the bathroom? I kind of really have to go.”

The three older boys laugh a little. Thomas says, “Sure, buddy, follow me.” He turns to Minho and Newt. “We’ll be back in a few.”

They nod. Minho says, “Meet us at the picnic table.”

Thomas nods and leads Chuck to the bathrooms.

As Newt and Minho walk over to the table, Minho says, “That . . . was awesome.”

Newt nods. “Aside from Thomas panicking during the last part of it, he did really well. I’ve never heard him shout that loud before, though, especially at a ton of Gladers.”

“Yeah, that was unexpected. But I’m glad he did it. And he did so well with Chuck. I thought you said he was super nervous.”

“He was! He almost had a panic attack over it. But I guess seeing the actual Greenie changed something.”

Minho thought about it. “He did get very protective once he saw how young he was. And then everybody started making those comments. He probably felt like a big brother who had to protect his little brother.”

Newt nods in agreement. “Sounds about right.”

“He’s going to be a great Second-In-Command, Newt.”

“He already is one.”

Chapter Text

It’s been a whole month since Chuck came out of the box.  It’s been two months since I came up. It feels . . . weird.  Sometimes it feels like it’s only been days. Sometimes it feels like it’s been years.  Those are the bad days. But Newt, Minho, and Chuck help me get through them. And if they’re having off days, then I help them.

I haven’t been able to write much.  I’ve been so busy juggling being Second-In-Command, a Runner, a boyfriend, and a big brother.  It’s nice to have some time to sit down and write everything out.

My relationship with my boyfriends has gotten stronger with each passing day.  I love them and worry about them and they are the same with me. Chuck I see as a little brother.  I’m extremely protective over him and everyone can tell. No one messes with him without me intervening.  He also has his protective moments with me. Honestly, I can’t help but find it a little cute.

He’s had it rough this past month, but he’s been getting better.  He used to cry all the time, but he’s slowly getting used to the Glade.  I remember his first night in the Glade. When it came to sleeping arrangements, Chuck wanted to try sleeping where everyone else slept, even though I explained he could sleep near the Spot.  But he told me he wanted to give me, Newt, and Minho space. I helped him set up, then followed Newt and Minho to bed.

It was a couple hours later that we woke up to the sound of footsteps.  We were tense, but when Chuck emerged from the trees, we relaxed. But then I saw the tears streaming down his face.

My heart broke.  I stood up and walked over to him, kneeling down to his height.  I asked what was wrong, but all he did was shake his head and continue crying.  I brought him over to the wall and sat down, pulling him down with me. I wrapped my arm around him, Newt and Minho joining us and wrapping their arms around us.  None of us said anything. Slowly, Chuck stopped crying. But still, none of us said anything. We just sat there and breathed. It actually felt comforting. At some point we fell asleep and woke up sore.  Chuck slept near the Spot after that.

We had several nights like that.  But we have them less often now and nightmares haven’t been as frequent as before.

During the day, Chuck still deals with doubts from other Gladers-- at first we couldn’t really find a job he was good at, and he was threatened with being a Slopper, but Zart -- our hero -- and I gave him some gardening lessons and now he’s a part-time Track-hoe.  Frypan was our second hero and offered to teach Chuck some kitchen skills, so he’s also part of the Cooks. I couldn’t be more proud of Chuck.

I also have been dealing with doubts.  Some of the Gladers don’t think I’m fit for being Second-In-Command.  It’s been a month, but I don’t blame them. There has been a lot of change and change is scary.  And of course everyone has their own opinion.  They're entitled to that and I respect that.  I can't change everyone's mind -- no one can.  What I won't tolerate is bullying; there's a fine line between an opinion and bullying.  People can have an opinion but if it crosses the line, then the Rule will be enforced.

We've had a couple of incidents, but luckily, they were taken care of pretty quick.  I was impressed.

But still, it gets hard to deal with everything.  And when things get hard, I get support from Newt, Minho, Chuck, the other Keepers, and some of the other Gladers. I think I’m doing okay at my job; I always see Newt and Minho looking at me with pride so I know I have to be doing something right.

At night I get the occasional nightmare, but Newt, Minho, and now Chuck help me get through them.  I couldn’t be more grateful to have them all in my life.

I still go running with Minho.  We haven’t found anything new, but I still have hope.  One day we will get out of here. But until then, I’m okay with it as long as I have my little family with me.

It’s been an incredible journey getting to the point that I’m at.  Minho once joked that when we get out of here, I should write a book.  But then I asked, “Why wait?”

Newt helped me write a request for a new journal since this one is a personal one only.  The new one will be a detailed explanation of my time in the Glade, from start to . . . I’m thinking maybe sometime after Chuck arrives.  There’s a lot of things that went on in just that one month, I don’t think I’ll have room for any more than that. But I think it will be enough.  If not, well, I could always request another journal.

I just have one very important rule for the readers who read my story.

Don’t judge me.