The day following the boy's escape from the Maze, an official came to Ellie's room to tell her that she had to stay within the confines of her corridor but would not be permitted into the room with the boys until after breakfast. She had a restless night and had shut down. Ellie kind of just went through the motions of eating breakfast and getting ready for the day. She felt nothing and was disconnected.
After breakfast, Ellie was escorted into the dormitory and found all the boys sitting around talking. She caught Minho's eye but wasn't ready to talk and re-hash all the feelings she had been suppressing. Thomas also made eye contact with her and stood to move towards her, but she realized she wasn't ready for that conversation either. The sadness apparent in his eyes twisted her heart because she knew he was mourning the loss of Chuck, something she wasn't ready to admit yet. Honestly, coming into the dormitory was a bad idea. Sighing, she quickly turned around and ran out of the room back to her sleeping quarters to put on dance clothes. Once changed, she let her subconscious guide her to her own personal haven.
Ellie found her way to a room she had visited almost every day growing up: the dance room. Well, she had converted it to a dance room. It sat just across the hall from the dorm and down the hall from her room. She didn't have music but somehow, she knew that dancing was the only way for her to process everything that happened the last few days.
Being back near Minho, Chuck's death, seeing Sonya, WICKED manipulating her and putting her old papers in her room, Thomas being back. She hadn't cried yet and needed to get her emotions out somehow. As she took off the light jacket she wore, she started to remember a song and mentally pressed play. She hummed the song as she let her emotions guide the movements. She was so lost in her own world she hadn't heard anyone enter the room; much like all those years ago.
"You're a beautiful dancer you know."
Ellie didn't need to turn around to know it was Minho.
"What are you doing here Min? You could get in serious trouble if someone saw you left the dormitory." Ellie said as she pulled on a jacket and started walking towards the exit back towards her sleeping quarters. Dancing had helped, but she still didn't want to admit to all her feelings yet.
"I came to check up on you. Thomas thought you would be here, said it's always been your escape place." He said staying where he was knowing that she just needed space right now but shouldn't be alone.
Minho wanted to get their little talk out of the way. He was ready to admit his faults and apologize for ever doubting her in the first place. Thankfully, he got Thomas to tell him that Ellie danced when she was confused or dealing with feelings so he had quietly slipped out of the dormitory and followed the sounds of her humming. Turned out she was across the hall from them dancing her heart out. It was a sight to behold. Her fluid movements portrayed every emotion she must be feeling. He saw the confusion, pain, hopelessness and sadness written across her face. It was one of the only times he saw her completely unguarded and he couldn't bear to disrupt it so that's why he stayed quiet and just watched as she let out her emotions. When she stopped, he knew he should make his presence known and he knew that it would most likely make her put a guard back up which is why he wasn't surprised at all by her defensive response.
"I'm fine." She said and continued walking.
Minho rolled his eyes, "I don't believe you. All of us have been though hell the last few days. You wouldn't be human if you didn't allow yourself to feel anything. We all lost people El. I'm trying to fix things with us but it can't be one sided. I saw your face when you came into the dorm this morning. You've shut out everything and are refusing to accept things. Come find me when you finally want to talk about Chuck, us and WICKED."
At the sound of Chuck's name Ellie stopped dead in her tracks and something clicked in her. Between the dancing and Minho being blunt with her instead of babying her like everyone else would no doubt do, Ellie finally felt a rush of emotions. She couldn't stop the sadness flooding her and she was so overwhelmed her body went numb causing her knees to collapse. Minho watched as his girlfriend, or at least he hoped she still was, came to grasp the situation. He saw the moment she was finally ready to accept what happened to them and Chuck. He ran forward and caught her just as she crumbled and broke down in tears. Ellie started sobbing and couldn't stop. The guilt was overwhelming her.
"Why couldn't I save him Min? It's all my fault. I created the stupid Variables. I created the stupid BeetleBlades that stalked us for months. I programmed the Grievers that killed a lot of our friends. I helped create the work that killed the boy who was practically my little brother. I shouldn't have kept secrets from you. You probably hate me now and I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have hidden all my fears and worries from you. I know we never officially broke up but if you don't want to be my boyfriend because of what I've done I understand. I shouldn't have gotten Stung when Thomas did. I was too weak to fight WICKED and I'm sorry," she paused and looked up, "I'm sorry my little Chuckie, I couldn't save you. If only I stuck around when I saw you were all safe maybe I could've prevent Gally from killing Chuck. I could've intervened and jumped out of my hiding spot but I ran away the minute we made eye contact. I don't blame everyone for hating me right now when I caused the death of so many of our friends." She said through sobs and Minho just held her and whispered to her. He had never seen her look so broken and had no idea where they go from here or how they get over the guilt they all felt.
"Shhh. Everything will be okay El. I could never hate you, we had one stupid fight. It's what makes us a couple and builds a relationship. I was a jealous, insecure shank. When I thought I lost you forever, I couldn't bear to think about how we left things. I should've trusted you but the stress and everything got to me and messed with my head. I'm sorry El. Of course I still want to be with you. I will be by your side always." Minho said.
Seeing El so damaged had bought tears to his eyes in a very un-Minho like fashion. Minho let the tears fall from his eyes. They stayed together like that for a while just drawing comfort from one another. Minho pulled himself together first and slowly stood up scooping Ellie into his arms.
"El, where are you staying?" He asked her softly.
She swallowed and tried to speak through her tears, "4th door on left down the hall."
He walked that way as Ellie continued to cry into his shoulder.
When he got to her room and opened the door the realization hit that they had put Ellie into her childhood room. It was filled with pictures on the walls of her with various friends, pages from coloring books, and had a lot of papers on the desk filled with plans. Her desk was piled high with books and notebooks all very worn in. He couldn't believe this. The papers on the desk he noticed briefly were of plans about the Variables, Grievers and BeetleBlades and they had notes and doodles scribbled all over them. He also noticed the stack of textbooks next to her desk that had pages folded and sticky noted. She also a giant dry-erase board on one wall filled with color coded to-do lists and information. He internally smiled at her organization that bordered OCD. One look in her room gave him just a bit of insight into the brilliant brain of El's that he struggled so hard to fully understand.
He pushed his thoughts to the side and focused on his girlfriend who had stopped crying and was now just staring at him.
"How can you still want to be near me? Knowing that I played a part in all of this? In Nick, Alby, Will, Dmitri," she paused, "Chuck." A slow tear trickled down her cheek. Minho placed her on the bed and sat down next to her to wipe the tear away. He pulled her into his lap and rubbed her back.
"Because I know WICKED can control people and that they must have threatened something of yours for you to do it. I know you Elizabeth and you are one of the most optimistic, smartest, kind-hearted people in the world and you would never intentionally hurt a fly. They have manipulated you since you were 4 years old. You may be a genius, but even a 4-year-old prodigy would fall for their manipulative lies. I promise you though that we will get our revenge on them. I will not sit quietly while you get tortured you by staying in your old room with all the documents about the horrible things they've done to us on your desk. I love you El, please please don't withdraw or push me away. I don't think I'd be able to handle it if you shut me out. Lean on me, El." Minho and continued to hold Ellie close to him.
Ellie looked up at Minho through red tear-stained eyes, "You still love me?"
"That whole speech and that's what you get out of it?" He smiles sadly at her.
Ellie pulls Minho into a kiss and expresses her feelings for him through that kiss. Both of them feel back where they belong.
"I love you too, Min. Thank you for accepting me the way I am. I promise I won't hide anything from you again. And the same goes for you. Don't bottle up your emotions like you are so used to doing. Promise you won't slip into Keeper mode about this and withdraw from everyone?" Ellie asks him and Minho can't resist her bright hazel eyes.
"Promise." Minho says and places a gentle kiss on her forehead. Ellie smiles and leans into him.
"You know, your eyes turn this incredible green with small flecks of golden brown when you cry. It's unlike anything I've seen before. It's absolutely beautiful." Minho says while he plays with her hair because she has lied down and placed her head in his lap.
"I hate when I cry. My nose gets red, my eyes stay red and puffy for hours. I look absolutely hideous and like a toddler. Everyone is going to know I was crying for hours to come." Ellie says staring at the wall.
"Yeah, you're right. You look horrendous when you cry." Minho says earning him a slap with a pillow from Ellie.
They both start laughing and soon the mood is lighter than it was moments before. A silence falls over them and Ellie slowly sits up. She reaches for Minho's hand. It's amazing how quickly the two of them can feel comfortable around each other again. It's like they're picking up where they left off before their little fight. Both were content to enjoy the bliss for the moment. They knew they would probably have more disagreements or fights in the future but that didn't matter. They needed a little happiness right now.
"We should find Tommy. If I'm feeling guilty I can only imagine how he feels. Plus, I feel bad for awkwardly running out of the room without talking to anyone before." Ellie says as Minho takes her hand.
Minho pulls her into a hug, "He has Newt. He's fine. And you did look like a lost shank but we understand. I'm just tired of watching all the slintheads give me sad looks. It's annoying and I swear I'll punch the next one who does. Can't we hide out here for a bit?"
Ellie giggles and kisses his cheek before slipping out from his arms, "I need to be there for my brother, especially now. Come on you sap. If you don't come I could just tell all the Gladers that you're actually a big softie underneath the macho Keeper of the Runners." Ellie says this while poking him in the stomach.
"You wouldn't." He raises an eyebrow.
"Would I?" Ellie plays innocent and starts to walk away but Minho runs and picks her up.
"Onwards to the shanks!" Minho says and he walks with Ellie in his arms. Seeing some brightness return to her eyes fills Minho with pure joy knowing that he was able to do that for someone.
Ellie and Minho reach the dorm and see the Gladers have dispersed into groups. They quickly spot Thomas and Newt off to the side alone and make their way over. Minho puts Ellie down so they can walk together towards them.
Frypan calls out to them from across the room drawing the attention of the other Gladers.
"Well if it isn't the Glade's favorite couple. We were wondering when mom and dad would fix their problems." Frypan says with a chuckle.
Minho rolls his eyes and shoves him, "Zip it shank." But Ellie can see the hint of smile on his face.
When Ellie is close enough, she lets go of Minho's hand runs to Thomas tackling him into a hug. He holds her close and whispers to her, "I'm so sorry Ellie. I couldn't keep everyone safe."
Ellie leans back and looks her brother straight in the eyes, "Don't you dare think this is entirely your fault. You came to the Glade to help us and look how many survived. You kept your promise to me. You're the best brother anyone can ask for and you don't need to hold the weight of the world on your shoulders anymore. I'm 15 now Tommy. I can handle things."
"You'll always be my little Kit-Kat, Smellie Ellie" Thomas says and pulls Ellie into another hug but she pulls back and looks at him in shock.
"You remember calling me that?"
He thinks it over, "Oh yeah, and so many more memories. I woke up after being Stung wanting to apologize for being such a shank to you when I first got to the Glade. All my memories of you have been restored but I don't have all my memories. But, I also remember I told you to never call me Tommy."
She smirks, "Yes but you let Newt call you Tommy so, why can't I?" She knows she has him trapped. She looks to see Minho laughing and Newt blushing fiercely.
Ellie then remembers he called her Smellie Ellie and punches his arm.
"Ow! What the shuck Ellie?" Thomas exclaims rubbing his arm.
"You called me Smellie Ellie in front of other people! I would rather if they didn't know your nicknames for me when I was little!" She explains crossing her arms.
Minho and Newt stay to the side laughing at the siblings. Leave it to those two to lighten the mood with their antics and arguments.
They both turn at once, "What are you laughing at?" Ellie and Thomas then turn to each other and glare.
"You two are bloody hilarious." Newt says through laughter.
"I couldn't agree more," Minho says laughing with Newt.
The group of four then sits together and starts talking nonsense to keep the mood light hearted. It's been a long couple of days and they all need a little time to just be carefree and silly before reality sinks in. And more importantly, before Phase 2.
A/N: And that is the end! THANK YOU so much to everyone that followed me on this journey! Stay tuned for the sequel which will be available either tomorrow or the next day! You guys inspired this story and I hope you will all join me for the next chapter in Ellie's adventures. I wanted to leave things on a light note because the scorch will not be easy for our group. I will make sure to post here when the next story will be available! Thank you all again, it means so much :)