Hiya everyone, how are you all?!
Okay first off, please don't kill me for taking so long to update - I'm sooo sorry, writer's block hit me hard :(
Secondly, thank you to the amazing follows and favourite's this story has received over the past few days - I am very grateful! (hearts)
Reviews;
Tori (guest) - Hi Tori! I was confused seeing you as a guest at first lol :P
And THANK YOU! You are just too sweet and supportive about all this - its great! (hugs) Omg irk, I wish every girl had the pleasure of being with someone like Newt if I'm honest haha! But you're right, we can dream ;) Awww, that's actually so adorable... I was actually thinking of writing a book but when I'm older lol - thank you so much for your kind words!
I'm definitely looking forward to develpoing their relationship further and I hope you continue to love it :))
BookRain - Ahhh, so I wasn't the only one thank goodness hahaha! Maybe Finn does have something planned but I'll work up to it gradually lol - nothing like a good bit of drama and suspense, is there? ;)
Omgomg, I agree with you about Minho! I definitely couldn't take his constant teasing about them either haha! Aww, thank you soo much - you have no idea how much these reviews motivate me and make me smile :) Enjoy this one!
TheMortalMazeRunner745 - Oohh, I'm glad you enjoyed both chapters, because I really enjoyed writing them :) Newt and Finn are definitely gonna continue annoying each other in the future - trust me! Hahaha, that's so sweet of you honestly, it means so much that you were excited to read it - thank you so much for your kind words... I'm actually so lucky to have all this wonderful support! (hugs)
As for the writing, if you're passionate about a series or a set of characters then I say go ahead and write about it lol - I've had no special training or practice, I just love reading and dived into writing too :P
But anyway, thanks a lot and continue to enjoy!
District DivergentPotterhead - Yayy! I think the ability to fangirl is a gift lolol ;) I'm really glad you loved it - they're definitely not gonna be all chummy so I'll try and add a bit more sarcasm and jabbing insults at each other - should be fun! :P
Omg Minho was incredibly out of order wasn't he?! I think it works well with his character though so I'll probably keep it up haha!
Thank you so much and I hope you enjoy this one!
Fawn22 (guest) - Wooo, I'm so happy you thought so! Aww, my brother's finished school last week too - thank goodness summer's finally here haha!
You're incredibly sweet - I just love reading your reviews so much. Haha, sassy Minho strikes again right! And yep, the older brother thing is what I'm aiming for so I'm glad its coming across :) Ahhh, the ending was actually so cute - I LOVED writing it! Their relationship will get both tested and developed while Finn is involved - so I'm looking forward to that! :D
Finally, have a great time in your cottage and in Europe over the summer... Thank you so much for your awesome support and I'm so grateful for your reviews - if you see it, enjoy this one! (hugs)
PS; That's great you've read Inkheart! Personally, I've only seen the film but the characters were amazing and I loved the storyline!
bloody shank (guest) - Omg, so firstly, your review made me smile uncontrollably for like 5 minutes lol! Hahaha, I loved writing that scene so its great that it was received so well :)
Ahh, I know - Finn was extremely bold wasn't he? But I thought Newt wouldn't attack first because he's a bit more controlled and it suited his character a bit more (he did look suitably intimidating with his knife though haha)
Yess, Minho on the other hand, I CAN imagine tackling Finn and lets face it - he's been waiting a while to do that! :P Awww! Thank you soo much, I'm actually so happy you like it - I may actually have decide on having two Keepers after all...
Enjoy this one!
We strolled back into the room - Resa adjusting her hair, me smirking broadly.
Yeah alright, she's convinced me to give the sleazy arsehole a chance, I thought, glancing at Minho who raised his eyebrows at me in question. THEN , I turned to the arsehole in question and cleared my throat awkwardly.
"Uh - So Finn... We clearly got off on the erm, wrong foot before and uh..."
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her go and stand beside Minho and they began muttering furiously again. What on earth were they talking about? Finn, on the other hand was staring at me impassively - like he didn't know whether or not to take me seriously. Although, I didn't know whether to take me seriously or not so...
" - I just wanted to say that I didn't - I mean, it was wrong and uhm - It won't happen again" I managed to give the dude a pathetic half smile and forced myself to walk up and hold out my hand stiffly. "I'm, erm, very grateful for everything you're gonna do for us and uh... I say we get on with it"
He glanced down at my hand before slowly clasping his own against it. I tried not to crush his fingers but it was extremely tempting - not to mention I could feel Resa's eyes on the pair of us so we made do with discreet glares instead.
"Thanks, I erm appreciate the gesture and of course I... I'm happy to help any friend of Resa's" He spoke cautiously, like he didn't know how he should act.
You better appreciate it, slinthead - its the closest to a bloody apology you're gonna get, I thought, inclining my head towards him.
"Fabulous, we've all kissed and made up - "Minho clapped his hands together and headed towards the table where the maps were laid out, ready to be analysed. " - Congrat guys, I'm happy for you - really" He finished with a simpering smirk at us and I caught Resa bite back a smile of her own.
I turned my glare on Minho, in no mood for his usual garbage. "Slim it already, Minho - now can we start?"
"We sure can..." He grinned at Resa and made a flourishing gesture at the Map. "Righto, shank - you're sure you wanna do this?"
As Finn was assuring Minho of his absolute certainty, she approached me casually, that beautiful smile just got brighter when I ran my hands up her arms. "Thank you, Newt - really" She blushed when I drew us closer, not caring who saw. "I'm so happy you did that... You sounded - " A small laugh escaped her lips and I smirked, raising an eyebrow. " - You sounded VERY sincere"
"I'm usually pretty good at sincere - but I gotta admit - " I leaned closer to whisper in her ear. " - THAT was something else entirely..."
She laughed properly this time, curling her hands loosely at my waist and pulling back to look deep into my eyes. God, those eyes... I could just look at her all day. "Do you trust him?" I searched her eyes for any sign of uncertainty, but saw only innocence, and warmth, and hope -
"I do believe he wants to help us, but..." She paused, a soft frown creasing her features. " - But we don't know enough about him, Newt - Minho thinks he's in contact with WICKED and that he's some sort of spy for them. Weirdly though, he seems just as confused as all of us and we're just taking his word that he can't go out during the day..." She spoke quietly, I could barely hear her and we were touching.
When I managed to catch her eyes again, I smiled reassuringly, rubbing circles into her back. "Well, I'll tell ya something, love - we ain't leavin' here till we've gotten a couple, if not ALL of those answers, yeah?"
She smiled back and rose on her toes to brush a light kiss to my cheek.
SWITCH POV
" - Hey! Can you shuckin' lovebirds save it for later IF its not too much trouble, that is? Minho's loud voice broke through my mind, making me jump in Newt's arms.
" Oh for the love of..." The second rolled his eyes in exasperation and turned to the other two boys. "Okay, okay, keep your undies on, we're here" A small shudder crept up my spine as he winked and gave my waist a tight squeeze before dragging me over to the table. I hesitantly met Finn's judging gaze and flushed, my heart pounding uncomfortably in my chest. And now he knows... I remembered how we'd behaved last time I was here, all stolen touches and shameless glances. I tried to convey my own apology across the room to him, then suddenly, his eyes drifted towards Newt and hardened. Although, Newt's stare was no kinder, I thought sadly, lowering my gaze.
The next hour or so passed in a similar fashion; Minho , Finn and I were sprawled across the map copies and made a list of questions that may or may not get answered. We tried to imagine what it would look like. Imagine all those Grievers spilling out of a hole in midair... Newt was roaming the through the adjacent room, examining the collection of photos Finn had gathered over his time here and occasionally supplied a comment towards what we were discussing.
"So you're sayin' WICKED sent you these, yeah?" Newt directed the question at Finn, but refused to look at the boy.
"Who else could it be? I'm just as lost as you guys at the moment - and whatever it looks like, I just wanna get out of here..." He stared at the wall impassively, as though he suspected our hesitations about him.
Newt grunted and placed his hands on his hips. "Well as shucked up as all this is, I think we're meant to work together - " He finally turned to look at Finn. " - AND escape together..."
" - When will you leave?" I asked Finn, glancing at his expression hesitantly. He immediately locked gazes with me, green eyes burning into mine. His voice echoed in my mind, "Trust me, I don't want to hurt you" And he hadn't, but I had hurt him, hadn't I?
"Probably tonight" He told me, scrunching his mouth to the side, thoughtfully. "Its as good a time as any, I s'pose"
Minho leaned back on his chair and folded his arms. "Have you been out there before? At night, obviously"
"...Once, that's cus I was curious - but I told myself I'd never go back until it was to find a way out - " He paused, staring into space as he relived the memory. " - It was... Well, it was horrible; Dark, slimy and cold. Then as if that wasn't enough, you could hear the echoes of the monsters - through the walls. I didn't know if I'd run into one around the next corner or not... Until I did" I glanced sharply at Finn as he gulped. "Suddenly, it was just there. So obviously, I did what anyone would do and ran for my damn life..." He gave a nervous laugh, running a hand through his hair. "It was... Huge and covered in, I dunno - weapons and things? -"
I could only look at him in shock. He'd been out there - at night, seen one of those things close up and then come back to this place - again, completely alone. For the first time, I realised what it must have felt like. The lack of safety and companionship, the constant dread and loneliness... At least we had each other, we had the Glade.
"Can I come with you?"
It was a beyond stupid question, but my heart ached. He was ready to go out there again - alone. I wouldn't rest easy until I knew we'd done everything we could for him, even if he refused the offer. I just held his gaze carefully as I sensed Minho and Newt staring at me in shock.
"... You - are you - " Finn blinked at me and tried again. "I mean, why would you do that for me, Resa?"
"Because I would do it for any of the other guys and - " I glanced at the ceiling, unable to hold his intense stare. " - And we're in this together... None of us should have to deal with the Maze alone and although you've done just that up until now, I want you to know that - we're here for you and - " Taking a deep breath, I met his eyes again. " - we're gonna help each other"
Before he could answer, Newt stepped forward slowly. " - Resa?... Love, why are you - " I turned to him, willing him to understand with my eyes.
"Please Newt, this is something I want to do... I know its dangerous, but we can't ask Finn to do something we're not willing to do" I faced the green-eyed boy again; he was frowning at the ground in confusion. "Well, the offer stands, Finn - take it or leave it"
He glanced between Minho and Newt with a slight wariness and sighed. "I don't want to make you do anything, darlin' but..."
" - But it shouldn't just be up to you, right?" I supplied, raising my eyebrows at him.
He sighed again. "Right... Fine, Resa - you're comin' with me"
My shoulders slumped in relief and I sat back in my chair. "Great - Thank you - "
" - Hey, hold on just a bloody second!" Newt stormed over to the table and glared at us all, like he didn't know who to direct his anger at. "But you... Why?..." Deep breath. "Finn, can we talk to her for a minute... Alone?"
Minho shrugged at him and kicked his legs up on one of the chairs, looking as comfortable and chilled as it was possible to look in such a situation. Meanwhile, Finn gave me a strange glance and a small smile before tipping his head towards Newt. Somehow, he managed to make the action look sarcastic. "Sure thing mate - take your time..."
"You got a buggin' death wish or something?!" Newt threw his hands in the air and turned to me as soon as the door closed behind Finn. I had no doubt he was eavesdropping but I couldn't blame him. "No wait - who are you doing this for, eh? For HIM - for YOU?... Or are you just determine to make ME suffer?"
Minho - stupidly - decided to butt in. " - Hey, what if its for me, I'm tellin' ya - Me and Resa have a bond..."
"Shuck off, Minho"
I sighed, lifting loose strands of hair off my face. "Guys please, listen to me..." I made my voice soothing and looked straight at Newt. "I just think its better if someone went with him... It doesn't HAVE to be me, but I'm probably the best option right now" Raising my eyebrows at them, I saw the grudging agreement flash across their faces and hastily hid my relief. "You said it yourself, Newt - We're meant to work together"
Minho whistled low in his throat. "Well, there you go... Our Greenbean officially has more balls than half the shuckin' Glade put together" He stood up and clapped me on the back (pretty painfully, too). I rolled my eyes and swatted at him as he laughed.
Newt however, didn't look entirely convinced. "That shank fancies you, love" He spoke quietly, and came to sit on the table above me. "And I don't care what you say about respect but..." I looked up at his frown in concern. "...He's not gonna give up a chance to - y'know - " He made a disgusted face at the wall." - when you're alone... D'you get me?"
Yes Newt, I get you and trust me, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't afraid of exactly that happening... Instead of saying that, I carefully slipped my hand in his and squeezed. "I know BUT - " I caught his eyes in mine again and lowered my voice. " - This way we can be sure he won't betray us yet - and I can talk to him to find out more about him... We would all feel safer if we knew more about what was going on"
I smiled at him as his fingers stroked the back of my hand, thoughtfully. "Besides, if something happens, you'll be the first to know about it - and he knows that"
FINN POV
I moved away from the door as it went quiet on the other side. Sounds like that's her convinced them, I thought, running a hand across my face. That didn't take long... Although, they're all pretty much attached to her anyway so its not that surprising. For some reason, that thought filled me with sadness.
Before they came to get me again, I gathered my bearings; Was I allowed to bring someone else with me? THEY hadn't said anything specific about that, had they? She wasn't just anyone though. Besides, neither of us had been to the Cliff before - it didn't matter what she told the rest of them, I knew the plan was still in order...
The Plan.
Various emotions filled my mind as I remembered what I'd been told. I still wasn't quite sure how I felt about all of this. But hey, its not like you have a choice is it? Pain, anger, frustration...Shame? Those were definitely among the emotions tearing my head apart. If all went well today, we'd be one step closer - one step closer to the big finish. Well, MY big finish anyway. From what I'd been told, this was a single section - part of possibly even more elaborate schemes that I had yet to find out about. Or maybe not, depending on what my position was out there...
One thing was clear in my mind. I was a pawn. I didn't have my own choice, my own thoughts or opinions... I was merely a means to an end. But - I'd been given a promise.
You'll be rewarded. That's all I had to go on, but what did it mean? Rewarded... That could mean life or death, friends or family, food or drink - the list was endless and uncertain. Nevertheless, I kept going, because it was all I had.
If ruining these guys - whom I didn't know, or care about (that much) - meant I'd get to leave this place and possibly see my family then... Obviously I'd do it.
I wasn't a good person, but I wasn't the worst person either. I told myself that at least twice a day. It kept me going, because as much as I didn't want the pictures to mean anything, as much as I didn't want these guys to make any sort of lasting impression on me - it wasn't working.
Because as soon as I'd seen that picture, something had clicked. That impossibly bright smile, the long dark hair, the eyes - God, her eyes... Warm and radiant and happy -
Resa. I'd known her.
Of course, it was known and not know. It wasn't her anymore, the girl I had an ever so vague memory of - she was gone. And even if it was still the Resa I once knew, she wouldn't be mine. Not anymore.
A flash of jealousy streaked in anger shot through me. Fast and painful. I braced myself on the door frame, breathing slightly heavier than before.
Should I tell her? Would she even WANT to know such a thing?
A glance at my watch told me it was fast approaching evening, which meant we could set off soon. Conveniently, I heard a series of scuffles from the other side of the door - someone was getting closer. I hastily arranged my face in an expression that didn't say 'Yep I was eavesdropping, losers' and moved away from the door.
I took a deep breath through my nose and slowly released it. One thing at a time, Finn. One thing at a time.
I hope you enjoyed that one because it took long enough to get written and posted lol :/
Anyway, do you guys think Finn should tell her about his memories? Would you want to know if you were in Resa's position? ;) Obviously, it wasn't THAT huge a revelation, I'm sure some of you had predicted this would happen, but I bet you can't guess what the big plan is haha? I'm just messing with you - honestly, I'm not entirely certain myself...
Stay cool and I'll see you on the other side! (Hopefully a bit sooner than this one though lol)
Love, LadyFantasy13 xox
