Chapter 29

Okayyyyy so for this chapter I'm not going to put who's point of view it is since I'm just gonna tell you it's gonna go back to Jo's, like I said in the last chapter, I don't want to give out all of my character ideas and stuff in one chapter so I'm gonna leave her memories at that, besides, the memories I did share were pretty intense and important anyways, and so now that Jo has those memories back I'm excited to see how the relationship between her and Minho will play out from here on out. Enough with the chit chat I have another chapter to write!

Oh god! Why is it so bright? Did I die? Am I in heaven?

Trying to open my eyes right now seemed like a nearly impossible feat. My entire body felt like it was made of lead. As I started to come back into reality I tried to separate the many voice that were buzzing around my head right now. What the bloody hell happened to me anyways? I remember seeing Minho off into the maze then falling asleep for a second and after that? Nothing.

"Shut up you slintheads, she's waking up and you're loud as klunk. I'm perfectly conscious and you're all giving me a migraine." I would know that sarcastic voice anywhere. I focused on the fact that I knew Minho was in the same room as me and that I needed to see him. I pushed my way through the fog that lingered on the edges of my consiousness and soon I was met with an all too familiar setting.

I let out a rather loud groan and went to wipe the tears out of my eyes from being exposed to the brightness but my movement was halted and it automatically sent me into alert mode. My eyes flew open and I looked down to see my wrists bound to the bed I was in, the rope had dug into my skin and rubbed me bloody. Why did they tie me up? Looking down I saw that me feet were in the same condition. Taking a deep breath I laid my head back down on the pillow and tried to calm myself down. Now that I know who I am, or was. It's a little unsettling. My personality is not the same as the girl in my memories, the only thing that was even remotley the same was my feelings towards Minho.

Minho

I've known him since we were children, he told me he loved me and I him. I tugged on the ropes keeping me in place and sighed, "Can you untie me please?" My voice was incredibly horse from lack of use and it felt raw, like I had been screaming for days on end. Quickly Minho grabbed his knife from over his shoulder and he freed me of these god forsaken ropes.

I tried my best to sit up on my own but my body was the weakest it's ever been. I almost fell back down if it wasn't for Newt helping me sit up. Once I was comfortable Clint gave me a herbal tonic to help with my stiff muscles then Minho replased it for water, to which I chugged greedily.

"I feel like klunk. What happened?" I asked while trying to get a little more comfortable without having to put much energy into holding myself up. Jeff came and tried to move me but as soon as he came in contact with my right side I almost jumped out of my skin with a yelp from pain.

"What the hell?!" With shakey hands I lifted my shirt up and saw the reminets of what seemed to be a really nasty, large puncture wound. Like I had been stung by a giant bee. Wait, stung. Oh no, I got stung!

"You don't remember getting stung?" Newt asked and I shook my head.

"I don't but since I've seen my side I know what happened. I still remember what happened to Adam." In all honesty my mind feels a little different, like there was once a wall or something like a block in my mind and now, it's gone.

"Okay you shuckfaces, visiting time is over. She's awake now so you'll get to see her tomorrow. Spread the word that she's awake but don't come bothering her." Minho picked himself up out of the seat by the head of my bed and shooed everyone out of the Sick Room. I had been doing my very best to avoid all eye contact with him now that I know what I know. There's no way that he remembers anything from back then. The only reason I remember is because I went through the Changing like Gally had.

I let that bit of information sink in before I met Minho's eyes. When I looked him in the eyes I was at a loss for words, normally he likes to keep his emotions in check and he doesn't usually tell people how he feels; unless I bug him, but in this moment I could see just how much he feared for my life. The fear that was so aparent in his eyes brought tears to mine, "So um, did you miss me?" I asked shyly with a lopsided smile.

His responce was to roll his eyes and fix me with a frown before closing the distance between us in two strides and wrapping me up in his arms without hurting me and pulling me close. I held on to fist fulls of his shirt like if I losened my grip at all he would disappear.

"I've never been so afraid in my life Jo. I was afraid that you were gonna die on me and leave me here with all these annoying shuckfaces. When I found out what happened I was ready to kill anybody or anything that crossed my path. You have no idea how much you mean to me Red." He spoke softly into my ear so only I could hear his deepest thoughts.

"I'm not going anywhere Minho. I can't leave you here or anywhere for that matter. If we get out of this hell hole I will go anywhere as long as you are with me." I replied while fighting back tears. He pulled me a little closer and burried his face in my hair and took a deep breath. Any other time this would have been weird but if I thought I was going to lose Minho I would do the same thing when he came back.

"I wasn't planning on letting you out of my sight. You're a magnet for bad luck." He pulls away and allows me to breath as I chuckle and cringe at his answer. He gently cupped my face and made me look at him, no matter how red my face got there was no hiding it. His eyes roamed over my entire face as if saving it to memory and he smiled that smile that I remember from all those years ago and it made my heart swell with love.

His smile was so catching that I even if I tried I couldn't hold back my own grin that spread across my face, "Oh Min, what would I do without you?" I asked and he simply shrugged. I relaxed into his touch as he used the pads of his thumbs to caress my face, I loosly wrapped my arms around his waist as I was also using his body to support mine.

"You would be so bored and you would probably go crazy. Plus there's no other shank in this Glade nearly as good looking as me." He teases and wiggles his eyebrows at me. Throwing my head back I let out a laugh, my giggles don't die down for a good couple seconds and at that point Minho is looking at me with an amused expression.

"You are so vein Min!" She shakes her head, somethings never change and for that she is grateful, "I'm starving, can we please get some food. No one ever answered me when I asked how long I was out." Minho wrapped his arm gently around my waist to hold me up, being careful to avoid my injury and we walked out of the Sick Room and towards the Kitchen.

"Three days, you were out of it for three days." His response was plain and simple but shocking nonetheless.

"Three days?! Three whole shucking days?! Oh my god! Clint and Jeff must have been swamped with me out of commision." I let out a sigh of exaspiration and ran my shakey fingers through my dirty hair. I really needed a shower but at the moment I wanted food more.

As Minho all but carried me towards the Kitchen I could hear the whispers of the other Gladers as they followed me with their eyes, you would think that they've never seen someone get stung before. Making it a point to ignore them we finished the trek to the kitchen where Frypan was in his usual spot, standing in front of the stove cooking up something that smelled amazing.

"Hey Fry, what are you makin' today?" I huffed out as Minho helped me take a seat at the table tucked away in the corner of the kitchen. At the sound of my voice the Keeper of the Cooks head shot up so fast I thought he gave himself whiplash.

"Jo?! You're awake! When did you wake up?" He turned to stove to a simmer then took a seat at the table to catch up. I always did enjoy spending time with Siggy. He was probably the first person here to make me feel at home, besides Newt, but that's his job.

"I think it was about forty-five minutes to an hour ago. The details are fuzzy, all I know is that I'm starved and it feels like my body got dipped in cement and hung to dry." Fry chuckled at my description of my pain before he returned to the stove and turned it off.

"I was making some stew and seeing as how you haven't eaten in three days I think this will hit the spot. If you're still hungry after your first bowl feel free to have another, just have me or Minho get it." He places a full bowl in front of me and my mouth instantly filled with saliva.

"You are the best, thank you so much Fry!" I thanked him profusely and he set aside a decent amount for me and Minho if we need it before heading outside to feel the rest of the Glade. I was way past the point of caring what I looked like as I dug in to my food. I was so hungry and it was so delicious that I didn't give it time to cool down, I just started shoveling. Besides, I was pretty sure if I felt this bad, I looked just as bad. Which, now that I think about it I was a little curious to see just how badly I was put through the wringer.

"Hey Min, does Fry have a big pot or a pan?" I asked before pushing my chair back just enough to slide out from under the table. My legs were weak but I knew I was strong. That was the only other thing I valued about getting my memories back, I wasn't a weak girl anymore. I'm a strong bad ass chick who has been through some klunk, I'll be damned if I can't carry my own ass across the small space that makes up the kitchen. When I felt like I might fall I grasped onto the counter to steady myself then I started to move again.

"Whoa hey Jo, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Minho exclaimed, I could hear how urgently he was moving by the scarping of the chair on the floor and just how many steps it takes to reach me; I counted just one. As soon as I felt his hands on my back I reached behind me and swatted at them.

"No, I got this Minho. If you want to play the overprotective mother hen then do so by hovering. Don't hold me up, I can do this on my own." I didn't bother to look at him as I felt him clear up some space between us but I knew he wasn't really that far. Every time I stumbled just a little I could feel the wind he created from when he would move to catch me but he wouldn't at the last minute because I always managed to catch myself.

"What am I going to do with you Red? You stubborn shuckface." Underneath his word choice at the end I could hear the affection in his tone, I knew he wouldn't say anything to purposely offend me.

"Oh don't pretend you don't love me, it's okay. I love you too." I joked but not a second after the words left my mouth I froze up and I knew he did the same. My heart was beating so loudly that I could feel my blood pulsing in my ears. I was shocked he couldn't hear it, it felt like it was going to beat right out of my chest.

"You know what I mean...I didn't." For once I was at a loss of words, in front of Minho. The last person I would allow myself to run out of testy things to say in front of and because I was such a stupid stupid slinthead teenager who was being run by her hormones and feelings she has for a boy that doesn't even remember them. This place was going to be the death of me.

I took a deep breath to try and calm my nerves then turned around slowly to look at him. I was not at all expecting him to be standing there, arms relaxed at his sides, a light pink color covering his cheeks ever so slightly with his goofy yet beautiful smile plastered across his face. His smile was so large that his eyes were squinter than usual and it was so cute. But this reaction to my slip up? I was not ready.

My eyes widened just a bit and I knew by that point I was as red as my hair. I was so overwhelmed that I stopped focusing on holding myself up and my legs buckled under me and I let out a girl squeak I'm sure he'll tease me for later. I was fully prepared this time to hit the ground with all of my weight and feel the pain but that moment never came.

This time I was glad that Minho didn't listen when I told him not to be so close. He caught me in a way that left my injury untouched, "Holy klunk balls!" I gripped his biceps as best I could as I recovered from a five second heart attack.

"So, you love me?" He picked me up and placed me on the counter top as if I weighed as much as a doll, he stood as close to me as he figured my body wouldn't be smashed with his hands on the edge of the counter on each side of my hips. My hands were still on his biceps before I moved them to his shoulders. He looked at me and raised an eyebrow questioningly at me.

"Oh you actually want me to answer that? I thought it was obvious by now." I spewed. Wow, once the floodgates were open, there was no stopping the flood. I pulled my lower lip in with my teeth as I once again became the same shade of red as my hair. I stand corrected, this boy will be the death of me. I jumped a little with a small gasp when his hands traveled from the counter to my waist.

"You know when I realized it?" He asked as if this were the most normal conversation to be having. His thumbs pushed the hem of my shirt up just enough so he could touch that small bit of skin, almost like he needed to know that I was really here.

"When?" I inquired, all of my attention was on him. Some random Glader could walk in and I wouldn't notice. Minho tilted his head to lean into my touch as I began to run my fingers through his soft hair.

"It was after I went out on a run you told me not to do. My knee was still in bad shape but I convinced Alby I was fine. You caused such a scene with him to get me to stay, but it was after I woke up in the Sick Room and saw you asleep with your head on my bed. I've never had someone worry over me enough to stay overnight." His confession stirred up those memories and I softly smacked his arm.

"That was not funny Minho I thought that you were going to be trapped in the Maze. Being stuck here alone without you is my biggest fear, but what would destroy me would be watching it. Seeing you on the other side of the doors as it closed on you. I..I don't like to think about it." My voice dropped to a whisper as I felt the fear that just thinking about that would bring.

"Don't worry Red. I'm always back early. I won't get stuck out there." He lifts my chin up with his finger and thumb and I sigh.

"You better promise me you'll always come back." I stared him right in the eyes, I needed to know that he would always make it back.

He took on the look only the Keeper of the Runner could have as he met my gaze straight on, "I promise to always come back." My eyes softened and I ran my fingers through his hair before pulling him into me as I poured my feelings towards him into my hug. His arms came around me as softly as he could without hurting me as we stayed there and held each other.

I was so comfortable and safe, I didn't want to be anywhere than right here in this moment. His warmth seeped into my cold, pale skin and lulled me into the darkness, I wasn't aware of how tired I was until now.

Holy poop guys, this chapter is full of so much love. It was actually a lot easier to write when I just thought about my own relationship(sorry if that sounds like im bragging, I promise I'm not! I just draw good inspiration from life expieriences). I hope you guys loved this as much as I did, I was drowning in the feels. Buttttttttt if you did like it please review and if not, well I'm really sorry. Thank you bunches guys! xoxo