Harriet was having one of the worst days she had ever had, and that was seriously saying something. Everyone going on and on about Thomas, half of them wanting him to even be the new leader, and half wanting him killed for breaking the number one rule.

If one more person came up to her about Thomas, well, she might punch them.

"Sonya, we're calling a Gathering." Harriet announced, slumping on the bench beside her best friend. "Tell Newt and the other Keepers. We're figuring out what to do with this Greenie before I murder someone."

With Alby going through the Changing Harriet was entirely in charge, some people did have a hard time getting that she was on the same link in the command chain as he was, but Harriet honestly didn't care. When push came to shove they knew to listen to her.

"And make sure Gally hears it through Beth." The two Keepers of the Builders were not exactly Harriet's favourite people, but Gally had always been the worst, even before he got Stung. Beth was the only person he had ever been even remotely nice to, and she stopped him going too far. That was how it often worked, the Creators had done well pairing what they had come to call Boxmates. They had similar personalities and aptitudes but one was always calmer, more grounded.

In the case of Harriet and Alby Harriet knew it was definitely her. Alby had admitted it many times. For Sonya and Newt it was Newt. For Miyoko and Minho it was Miyoko, but Beth being a counterweight to Gally was the most pronounced example Harriet had ever known in the Glade.

She also knew that Gally had confided in Beth, and only Beth, what he had really seen during the Changing.

A few hours later they had decided the Gathering would be held first thing the next morning, Harriet sent the stick Greenie, Rachel, to tell Thomas, she seemed to be the calmer one out of the two, but it was very early to tell.

The next day was far worse than the previous one.

Harriet discovered that the news had only gotten to half the Keepers, so she had to skip breakfast rounding them up and checking off all the names on the list she kept in the Gathering room, the names had been carved on the wall, but the checks were made with chalk.

Leaders: Alby and Harriet. Here Nick and Ximena had been struck through, Harriet didn't want to think about that day.

Seconds: Newt and Sonya.

Runners: Minho and Miyoko.

Slicers: Winston and Qian.

Cooks: Frypan and Jane.

Builders: Beth and Gally.

Medis: Clint and Emme.

This went on through all twelve pairs of Keepers. Harriet looked around, everyone was in their chairs. Success!

Thomas stumbled in after a minute, during which Harriet contemplated murder, calling off the Gathering, and locking him in the Slammer.

"So, we are here to discuss this Greenie shank," She pointed at Thomas, "who managed to survive a night in the Maze, save Alby and kill four Grievers. The only problem is, he broke our number one rule: only runners are allowed in the Maze." The formal recitation finished there, hell was about to be unleashed.

"He's not the Greenbean, he's just a rule breaker." Gally glared around the room, Beth punched him. Harriet had hoped he would at least count to three.

"Shuck off Beth." Gally rubbed at his upper arm.

"Slim it the both of you." Sonya met Harriet's eyes, she looked just as stressed.

Harriet rolled her eyes. Why, why did she have to deal with this? When Alby recovered she was going to make him pull his weight to make up for this.

"We'll start with the track-hoes then," she pointed to the far right. "Zart, Charlotte, what do you think?" The two of them were quiet, kind and calm, their thoughts should delay the inevitable verbal battle.

"Well," Zart began. "I don't know. He broke one of our most important rules. We can't just let people think that's okay." He paused and looked down at his hands, rubbing them together. "But then again, he's … changed things. Now we know we can survive out there, and that we can beat the Grievers."
"We might be nearer to getting out then we've ever been before." Charlotte finished, Harriet smiled at her, knowing she had made a good choice there.

"I bet it was all Minho." Gally snorted.
"Shut the hell up or I'll throw you out the door." Newt growled at him, Beth had put her head in her hands, Harriet almost pitied her. The stick wasn't half bad, she'd just got a rum deal of a Boxmate, and someone had to handle him.

"I swear I will string up the next one of you who talks out of turn." Harriet meant it, and everyone in this room knew full well that she could tie a functioning noose.

"Cooks."

"Shank's got more guts than I've fried up from every pig and cow in the last year." Frypan's joke was stupid, but at least he tried.

"How stupid is this—he saves Alby's life, kills a couple of Grievers, and we're sitting here yappin' about what to do with him. As Chuck would say, this is a pile of klunk." The boy finished, but Harriet knew the pair weren't done.

"I recommend we put him on our Council, so he can teach us what he did out there." Jane's comment was not unexpected, nor was the reaction. Harriet had to remind herself that punching walls led to a broken hand and a month of pain.

Most of the Keepers were in Thomas's favour, thinking it was stupid to punish him for saving someone's life. Winston thought that he should be punished to keep order but didn't think that he had been wrong. Soon it came to Beth and Gally's turn, Beth gave Harriet an apologetic look, not even trying to stop Gally's rage.

Gally thought both Greenies were spies for the Creators, Harriet was mentally running through the procedure to have him formally replaced, but she'd keep Beth. The girl agreed on punishment but was not as brutal. Gally continued ranting until she stood up. Harriet had to hide her smile, she knew what was coming next.

"Come, on, outside." Beth spoke like a mother would to a child throwing a tantrum, grabbing Gally by the shirt and pulling him out the door, cursing and struggling.

This happened in at least half of the meetings Gally was in since he had been Stung, Beth wouldn't be coming back, and Gally would be fuming for at least a week.

"I love it when she does that." Harriet struggled to hold back her laughter, a glance around the room showed she wasn't alone. It was often the only even vaguely enjoyable part of Gatherings.

"Hmm, Beth recommends punishment," Newt wrote on the Records Pad, "Gally is being a shuckface as usual."

Minho recommended that Thomas should replace him as Keeper of the Runners, because he had been braver than him. Miyoko agreed. Harriet was very glad Gally had already been removed.

Everyone was screaming at once, Harriet felt her last nerve snap almost audibly.

"ALL OF YOU SHUT IT NOW!" She screamed. "I swear I will suspend the lot of you and look for replacements." Harriet kept a private list, since Nick and Ximena had died all meetings had gone like this, and she was sick of it, when Alby was around it was a little better but not much.

The Greenie put his hand up, Harriet was officially past caring.

"Slim it all of you, the Greenie wants to speak up for himself and this meeting can't get any more shucked, so we might as well let him." Newt had obviously noticed and stepped up. Good.

"I don't know why Gally hates me. I don't care. He seems psychotic to me. As for who I really am, you all know just as much as I do. But if I remember correctly, we're here because of what I did out in the Maze, not because some idiot thinks I'm evil."

"He makes a good point," Miyoko spoke up for the first time. "Let's just vote and get this over with."
"We can't vote without all members…" Winston started to protest.
"Gally's being psycho, Alby's been stung by a Griever and Beth is preventing Gally from committing murder. Cast your votes." Harriet was going to need some aspirin after this, and a lie down. Not that she would get either, of course, she would just get a foul mood.

"Here's my recommendation," Newt said, ignoring both Harriet and Sonya glaring at him. "Thomas broke our bloody Number One Rule, so he gets one day in the Slammer as punishment. I also recommend we elect him as a Runner, effective the second this meeting's over. You've proven more in one night than most trainees do in weeks. As for you being the buggin' Keeper, forget it." He looked over at Minho. "Stupid idea."

Everyone cast their votes, the majority agreed with Newt, Thomas was going to be a runner,
Harriet was glad everything was calming down. But that might be premature wishful thinking.

"Can I ask something of you?" Thomas tested the waters, everyone seemed much calmer now.
"What, Greenie?" Harriet looked up from the notes Newt had been scribbling, his handwriting was klunk.

"Rachel, the girl who came with me, she gets to be a runner too." Harriet couldn't believe his gall, but if the two crazy Greenies were spending all day in the Maze and out of her hair then she honestly didn't care.
Minho broke the silence, "fine by me, as long as she can keep up."
"We are having a talk about authority later." Harriet looked from Newt to Sonya to Minho to Miyoko. They couldn't just decide what was happening without her say, but they would know her words were hollow.

"Greenie, go with Minho, the rest of you get to work."

Everyone left and Harriet slumped in her chair, her peace lasted exactly forty-three seconds until Sonya ran in to fetch her.

A/N: I know people have requested other characters but I wanted to read this scene so here it is. If you want me to do a POV please also request when in the story or it may not happen.