This story was written by me and Marionette008. I don't know much about the Maze Runner series so us trying to make a series would have been a big mistake. At least we managed to finish this one-shot. Please read and review.

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Gladers were getting older, smarter, stronger, but the runners were getting slower. Paradise, as they learned, was a place trying to keep them slow. Life seemed easy, as far as Gally was concerned.

He looked over the people who bristled passed him. Everyone carried on with their daily tasks; some were very busy, while others lazed around in the sparse shade. It reminded him of the Glade and he felt a sense of intense nostalgia overcome him.

This could be like his home, the Maze, the only place he truly felt safe. He had wanted to go back for so long and now that he was free to do what he wanted without Grievers or the WICKED army breathing down his neck, he chose to stay in Paradise.

He supposed it was a wise choice, staying along with his friends. Yet he couldn't help but feel sorry for the collapsed ruins that they left behind. The days in the maze were peaceful, at least for him. He longed for things to just go back to the way they once were. When it was only a few of them, before Thomas came… before he killed Chuck. He cringed mentally at the memory, if there was one thing he regretted more than others it was Chuck's death.

He cringed mentally at the memory; if there was one thing he regretted more than others it was Chuck's death. Chuck wasn't the strongest or fastest but he wasn't some freeloader. He was told by the other kids what he should be doing and he did it. He should have made it with everyone else to Paradise. If anybody deserved to be here with the rest, it was definitely the bright-faced kid they once knew.

The awful feeling of regret made itself known in the pit of Gally's stomach. He furrowed his eyebrows and pointedly ignored it.

"Shouldn't you be chopping wood?" Someone shouldered him.

"Huh?" He squinted at the person who had spoken to him. It was hard to see the person with the sun glowing behind them.

"Wood, Gally; chop it." The person grumbled and there was no mistaking it anymore, Minho was standing in front of him with a hand on his hip.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say, boss." Gally grumbled. Minho may be a natural born leader and their man in charge for now, but he was a pain in the ass sometimes. Ever since they got to this place, Minho had been trying to set up an order. He somewhat succeeded in his intent, seeing as Paradise was organized neatly into groups of people doing things together. Just like the Maze.

He first made sure the tree stump he put the wood on was sturdy, then he made sure it was in the center of the stump. He held it there with his hand for a moment and measured where his axe would land, he struck the wood hard and it split into two ever pieces.

He went on with the laborious task until he felt as though his arms would fall off. He straightened his back and heard the satisfying pop of several vertebras settling back into place. He let the axe rest and rubbed his palms together. The work was tiring, but at least he had something to do. He couldn't understand what the people who weren't assigned to a group did all day.

He took a look around and saw a girl approaching him, she was smiling brightly and carrying a canteen filled with fresh water.

"Thought you might use some, seeing as you've been doing all the hard work lately." She handed him the water.

"Thanks Rose," Gally smiled at the dark haired girl. He was happy that someone got him water, even if it was the person appointed to bring water to people working difficult jobs in Paradise. He was also happy it was Rose, one of the few people that didn't resent him and the pretty much only girl he could talk to.

"How come you're the only one on wood duty?" She sat down on a nearby stump and swung her legs back and forth.

"I wondered about that as well, but then I remembered that Minho and Thomas still hold a grudge against me." Gally said and huffed, it was ridiculous- he apologized multiple times, he even helped them escape WICKED, what more did they want?

"That's just not fair," She frowned.

"Yeah, well, that's just how things are. I've done some pretty terrible things in the past and it's time for me to repent. I don't exactly have a choice." He flexed his arms and went for the ax to start chopping again.

Rose stood up with a determined face, "Give me the ax," She said.

"What?" Gally stared at her with amusement.

"Come on, I'll help you." She took the ax from him, and swung over the already positioned wood. The ax got stuck but she turned it around and struck it against the stump with the opposite side. The piece of wood split into two and she cheered loudly while Gally clapped.

He went to grab another ax and they continued to chop wood in compatible silence until it was dinner time. He went to grab another ax and they continued to chop wood in compatible silence until it was dinner time.

Everyone gathered in the building that was designated as the mess hall, it was large enough to host mostly everybody in Paradise. The cooks, lead by Frypan, always prepared enough food for everybody. The chances on what kind of meat they would eat depended on how hard everyone worked in Paradise. Gally wasn't the first to eat but he knew what meat they were having, perks of knowing the cook.

He nudged Rose, "It's pork stew."

She smiled at him gratefully, "Thank god it's not mystery meat again."

They got the trays and the plated before they went to stand in the line. Once it was his turn, Frypan nodded at him before he passed him an extra piece of bread. Gally smiled at his Glader friend and murmured a quiet 'thank you'.

The two of them sat down at the end of one of the long tables across each other, the free spaces soon filled up with people tired from working all day.

The quiet lull of the whispered talks all across the mess hall was relaxing. Gally could feel his muscles unwinding as he listened to Rose who chatted aimlessly about flowers and gardens. Still listening to her, he cast his gaze further down the room. He saw the smaller table that held what was left of the Gladers and some other people.

Thomas sat next to Brenda, who was talking animatedly to Harriet. Minho was glaring at his plate and pushing around chunks of meat. Sonya was trying to get Thomas to talk to her but he just kept looking around the room and bouncing his leg nervously.

Gally shook his head and sighed; he realized he hadn't been paying attention to what Rose was saying.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

" It's just...I haven't been paying attention to it." He said.

"To what?" She asked Gally.

"You know, it, the conversation." He lowered his gaze, a little ashamed.

"Oh, that! Don't worry; it wasn't that important anyway, just rambling to fill the time." She took a spoonful of the stew and smiled around it.

Gally snorted at her, he was glad to have her with him- he even considered Rose to be his best friend. Sometimes he even thought he didn't deserve her company, he was afraid that he'd taint her gentle soul with his foul influence. But he was trying; he was trying so hard to keep things under control. His anger, his grief, and the residue blame he had for the Gladers.