A/N: Okay, so I have been reading the Maze Runner series for the past few months, and I just finished reading Death Cure last night. And, like most of you, I was emotionally compromised and questioning how a book could cause my heart to be ripped out, stomped on the ground, torn to shred and thrown up into the air like confetti. At first, I was extremely upset with what happened on page 250 (and found myself tearing up as I read it) and with the fact that not only had Newt died, but so did Teresa. I couldn't figure out how to function properly as a normal human being (and I was too scared to start reading Kill Zone for fear that my fragile little heart would be obliterated), so literally, twenty minutes after I had finished reading, I began writing this oneshot so I could get some closure. This one is set after Death Cure. Writing this helped me move past the heartbreak I experience, and for those of you still sad about these tragic deaths, I hope this helps you too!

Disclaimer: I don't own The Maze Runner. The series belongs to James Dashner.

Our Paradise

"Please, Tommy. Please"

It had been instantaneous. One second that bloody itch had been irritating his brain, making him want to kill Thomas, despite the fact that they were friends. And the next second, it was dark, the itch mercifully going with the light that had been erased from his eyes. He hadn't even had time to think, to process what had happened. There was only black and then a small white light just in front of him, warmth radiating from it, beckoning him forward. He didn't so much as feel himself moving towards it, but he could see its approach, feel the warmth on his skin, extending all through his body.

It was peaceful.

And just as fast as he'd gotten there, he blinked and the light became blinding. He had to shield his eyes and blink a few more times, before he realized he wasn't in a black void of nothingness with a light approaching. He was looking up at the sky. A bright blue sky with puffy white clouds and sunshine flooding the area. He shifted his head from side to side, seeing nothing but colors on either side of him. Shifting into a sitting position, Newt felt his breath leave his lungs as he saw the scenery around him.

He was in field. He was in a field that reminded him of the Glade, with one major difference: no Maze. Green grass, speckled with rainbows of flowers, spread all around him, moving off and leading towards a line of lush trees that seemed to spread on for as long as the eye could see. He was resting on a hill from what he could tell, with a beautiful shimmering lake just below him. There were animals moving about, scurrying to and fro, and not seeming to mind his presence at all. He could see mountains in the distance and for a split second he was reminded of the Scorch, but as quickly as the thought crossed his mind, he dismissed it. Nothing in the Scorch was as beautiful as the place in front of him.

Newt clambered up to his feet to get a better view, trying to see if he could spot anything else. It was as he moved to the side, trying to watch a pair of squirrels disappearing into the trees that he made a realization. His limp was gone. The limp he had as a reminder of the hellish time he'd had in the Maze and his decision to end his life was gone, as if it hadn't ever been there in the first place. For a second, he couldn't believe it to be true. He walked a few paces to his left, then to his right. He jumped in place and bloody skipped to make sure he wasn't just imagining things. When he was positive he wasn't imagining things he laughed. He laughed with absolute joy as he started running, feeling the wind hitting his cheeks and his legs moving powerful, without the fear of his leg failing to cooperate with him. He felt free.

Newt didn't stop running until he reached the water, splashing about in the cool liquid, relishing in the feeling. He didn't at all care about the water soaking through his pants, shoes, and shirt. Truthfully, he hadn't even noticed he had new, clean clothes on him until he started tromping through the water. The last thing he remembered he was in dirty, filthy, torn clothes. He had been with the Cranks, tearing off pieces of his hair and getting closer and closer to the Gone. Looking at his reflection in the water now… he looked normal. His hair was back to normal, his face didn't have the sickly black tinge to his veins, and his eyes were clear.

No hint of the madness that had threatened to overtaken him. That had nearly succeeded in overtaking him.

For a moment he wondered how any of it was possible, but the answer was easy to come by: he was dead.

That shuck-face Thomas had come through for him in the end. He had taken care of him, done exactly what he asked him to do. He made sure to kill him before he became a full-blown Crank. He made sure he died as himself. A fleeting feeling of guilt flashed through him before he looked up to the sun and let it warm his cheeks. He felt terrible at having made Thomas kill him, but finally, finally, he was at peace. There was no more Maze, no more Scorch Trials, no more Flare, no more running, no more sleepless nights wondering what hell he would go through in the morning. He could finally be at peace in this paradise around him.

Newt decided to bask in the moment, climbing out of the water and resting on the edge of the lake, stretching out on the warm green grass and letting the sun dry him. He was absolutely content and relaxed as he laid there, not a care in the world. He closed his eyes and just relished in the moment. He wasn't quite sure how long he'd laid there on the grass, but the next time he opened his eyes and looked around, he realized he wasn't the only one there.

Laying atop the hill he had once been on, looking to be sleeping, was Teresa.

The dark-haired girl he'd known from the Maze was wearing a pure white dress, just reaching past her knees with the rest of her legs bare. Her feet were placed delicately in white flats, and her arms were folded on her stomach. Her hair was fanned out on the grass around her, and the sun hit her face in such a way that it made her look like an guardian angel, resting from a day of watching over her charge.

Despite everything he knew had happened in the Maze, the Scorch, and even what happened during the escape from WICKED, spotting Teresa made a warmth spread through his chest and a smile appear on his face. Aside from Thomas, it was Newt that Teresa had been closest with. They had been friends in the Glade for the short time they were there, before they were forced into the Scorch. And regardless of what others had called her—betrayer, shank, traitor—he knew in his heart she was none of those things. She had just been confused, scared, and trying to do the right thing, just like the rest of them. Without thinking, he jumped to his feet and rushed off, sprinting up the hill towards her, his smile never wavering. "Teresa! Teresa!" He called out as he got closer.

Newt saw her face twitch slightly before her eyes started to open and she scanned her surroundings, just as he had. She pushed herself onto her elbows just as he made it to her side. Her blue eyes immediately locked on him, and something akin to confusion and happiness fluttered across her face. "Newt?"

"Yeah, it's me," he replied.

"How'd we get here?" She asked, looking about them with wonder in her eyes.

"You mean you didn't figure it out?" Newt asked with a raised eyebrow, his smile diminishing slightly. He noticed her confused look hadn't been wiped away and he sat down next to her, looking back out at the scenery. "We're dead."

"Oh."

The small response prompted Newt to look back at her. He could see the realization set in and soon, resignation filtered in. "Well, that would make sense. I was crushed by a piece of cement, after all."

"Crushed by cement? How the bloody hell did you manage that?"

"I pushed Thomas out of the way."

"Ah," he replied, nodding his head. That certainly made sense. Teresa wouldn't have been stupid enough to get caught by a falling chunk of debris, but Thomas on the other hand, had that sort of luck. It made perfect sense that she would have to save his neck. "That I can see."

"What about you? How did you—?"

"End up dead? Got my bloody brains blown out," Newt replied with a smile on his face as if he found the whole situation hilarious. In actuality he did. He was discussing with Teresa how they had ended up killed like it was the weather. It was surreal.

"You were shot?" Teresa asked in shock.

"Yup," he nodded, making an imaginary gun with his fingers and holding it up to his forehead before he made a 'pop' sound. "It was over real quick."

"Who shot you?"

"Thomas."

"Thomas shot you?" Teresa asked in absolute shock and horror.

"Don't look so upset. I had gotten the Flare and was becoming a Crank. Wouldn't have been long until I'd gotten past the Gone. I asked him to do it. He did me a bloody favor. It wasn't my intention to go out a Crank," he admitted with an easy shrug.

For a few minutes Teresa was silent, just digesting what she had just heard. Newt didn't try to talk to her or ask how she felt about it. He knew she would talk in her own time. He was content with merely sitting and waiting, watching the clouds roll through the sky.

"Chuck, you, and now me…" she muttered, catching his attention. When he looked back at her, she had a smile on her face. "Looks like Thomas has been sending a lot of people up here lately."

It was an absolutely morbid statement, but the truth behind it, and the fact that it was meant to be a joke from a dead girl, made it entirely amusing to Newt. He chuckled and nodded his agreement. "We could probably start a support group."

"What would we call it?" Teresa asked, giggling along.

"I Died Because My Best Friend is an Idiot?" Newt tried, before shrugging. "Not sure. We have a lot of time to come up with a name though."

Teresa continued to smile before she looked back out towards the field in front of them. It was obvious that she was thinking about something deeply and Newt just watched her as wind blew her dark hair across her face. She tucked a strand behind her ear before speaking again. "Do you think he'll be alright? You know, with us gone, I mean? I know things between us had been… strained, but I know deep down he still cared for me. And you were one of his best friends. We kept him grounded… from being too stupid. Now, that's up to Minho, Frypan, and Brenda. And honestly, I only trust one of them with keeping him grounded."

"And which one would that be?" Newt asked curiously.

"Brenda."

"Brenda?" He asked in surprised. "I thought you were going to say Minho."

The look that Teresa gave him made her feelings obvious. "Minho would be my last pick. He is brave, smart, and strong, but his temper and sarcasm cause problems. Frypan is very laidback and usually goes along with Thomas's plans without questioning it. Brenda… she can keep him grounded. She did it in the Scorch. And now that they're in their paradise, I'm sure it will be a lot easier on her."

"Their paradise?" Newt questioned.

"A parting gift from Chancellor Paige," Teresa explained. "It was her endgame to isolate the Immunes and put them in their own paradise. Keep the human race going." She let out a humorless laugh and shook her head. "It was the reason I kept thinking WICKED is good."

"You knew?"

Teresa nodded. "Chancellor Paige always had the idea that Thomas would be the final candidate, so she chose to tell me what she planned. He couldn't know, because she was still hopeful they could create a killzone blueprint. But if not, we were supposed to get out and get to the paradise. I was their next best subject, so it only made sense to tell me. When I got my memories back, everything made sense. But by that time, you guys were gone and I couldn't explain."

Newt processed everything she had said before laughing. "So, when we were giving you so much trouble for wanting your memories back, it was really you trying to remember something important." At her nod, he smiled. "Sorry about that, by the way. Though even if you had told us, it wouldn't have helped me any. I wasn't Immune."

Teresa looked sympathetic and bumped his shoulder with hers in a sign of support. He smiled and bumped her shoulder back, as a smile formed on her face as well. "Do you think that Alby and Chuck are here?" She asked after a few minutes of silence.

On some instinctual level, Newt knew the answer to that. "Yeah, I'm sure they are." He got to his feet and looked back down at Teresa, extending a hand towards her. "C'mon."

Without hesitation, Teresa intertwined her hand in his, allowing him to help her to her feet. The smile was still on her face, excitement and a child-like curiosity shining from her blue eyes. "Where are we going?" His smile widened, and he was sure that this had to be the most he'd smiled since being dropped in the Maze. With his free arm he gestured towards the beautiful new world before them with absolute joy in his heart.

"To explore our paradise."