(A/N: I am so, so sorry for such a long wait. I didn't intend for it to be this long, but I've been very busy and preoccupied with other stuff!)

Chapter 4

"Wanna talk about it?"

No!

No, he absolutely did not want to talk about it!

Why couldn't Newt just understand that?!

Newt sighed as Thomas seemed to shrink even further into himself, pressing himself against the wall in the corner of the room. He wrapped his arms around himself and refused to make eye contact. Newt was starting to worry that maybe they really had taken Thomas' few memories. Was that why he was so scared?

Ten minutes of Newt talking gently and coaxing and they still hadn't gotten anywhere! Thomas wouldn't let anyone come near him and he definitely wasn't willing to talk. Once they had gotten Thomas into one of the rooms of the Homestead, Alby had had to leave to go help Minho, leaving Newt alone to deal with this.

"Tommy?" he tried for a different tactic. "Do you remember me?"

The tiniest nod in response. Still no eye contact. Still no verbal reply.

"So, you know where you are?"

Again, just the tiniest nod was all he got back.

"Do you remember anything from the last few days?"

Thomas stiffened up and his breath caught in his throat. Yes, he did. But he didn't want to talk about it. He didn't want to have to go over the memories again. It was better to just push them to the farthest, darkest corner of his mind and lock them away, try to forget.

"I know this must be tough for you." No, you don't, Thomas thought angrily. "But keeping it inside won't help - talking will." No, it won't! No, it won't! No, it won't!

"Just leave me alone, Newt," Thomas whispered, unable to bring his voice to a louder volume.

"Tommy-"

"No! You don't understand!" he snapped, his voice finally starting to rise a bit.

"Then help me to!"

"I can't! I don't want to remember!"

"You don't have to tell me everything. You can just tell me the least horrible stuff - maybe, like, how they patched you up? Or just about when you woke up there or coming back up in the Box? It will help to get at least some of it off your chest."

Thomas sniffled, wiped a hand over his nose. And then he broke down and told Newt everything. Some sort of switch had been flicked in his brain and once he started talking, he couldn't stop. He told his friend about every single thing that had happened, even mentioning his dreams with the tiniest ever little glimpses into the past. The older boy didn't judge him, didn't interrupt, didn't pester him for more; just sat and listened, offering his presence as support.

Thomas told his friend everything. From the lady with the medical supplies to the Griever in the Box. From the girl's voice in his head to the mad man with the syringe. Everything. How he'd felt at the time, every little insecurity he had, what he'd been thinking, every single, little detail. And Newt just listened, just let him pour out his absolute heart and innermost. Just sat there and let him get it all off his chest. When he was done, Thomas had to admit to himself that he did feel ever-so-slightly better (just a tiny bit!).

He sniffled again and swiped angrily at his eyes, hating how often he was crying now - it seemed like he was blubbering like a baby every ten seconds. It felt like the minutest thing would set him off. He hated himself for it. What was wrong with him?!

"There's nothing wrong with needing to cry," Newt told him with that freakish ability to almost be able to see what was going on inside people's heads. He was looking at him with that stupid, sympathetic, understanding look on his face.

"Well, why do I feel like there's something wrong!" Thomas snapped. He internally winced: he hadn't meant for his voice to come out sounding so harsh. He dropped his gaze from Newt's and wrapped his arms back around his legs.

"Well, why do I feel like there's something wrong!"

Chancellor Ava Paige had just walked into the Observation Room to hear that line and after watching back the recordings to see what had happened, it was safe to say she was not happy.

"You let him tell other Subjects about what we did!?" she screeched at the nearest Psych in the room. The poor man wished desperately that he could vanish into thin air.

"Yes, Chancellor," he said quietly, hoping her wrath would pass soon enough.

"You let him!? Didn't even do anything to stop him?!"

"No, Chancellor."

"We can't have our Subjects knowing this kind of thing! They're ahead of Group B in possible information they have against us, but behind in completing the experiment!" she sighed. "What about the task I set you? Did you at least do that one thing right?"

"Yes, Chancellor!" the Psych hurriedly said excitedly, finding a way to possibly regain favour in the woman's eyes. "We tricked his mind into seeing a Griever entering the Box and trying to attack. However-" he stopped himself suddenly. He hadn't meant to say that. She would not be pleased to hear this next bit.

"However?" she prompted. There was no getting out of this one.

"It didn't generate the Killzone patterns we thought it might. And there wasn't enough cortisol produced in the brain... well, there was, but not enough by the Doctors' standards to stimulate the certain hormones and emotions needed."

Paige was furious and the Psych knew he'd be the one to pay for it. He waited fearfully for her final verdict against him. And it would be final - no one who messed up this bad would get off lightly. WICKED didn't have time for failures.

"There's no evidence to show a Griever broke in here at all," Louis told Newt, his voice letting the blonde boy know just how ridiculous he thought it all was.

"Thomas certainly seemed to think there was," he pointed out.

"Yeah, well, if what he said was true about it being in his head, about them controlling his thoughts and none of this being real, they could well have made him see things that weren't really there again!"

Louis did have a good point. Then he made another: "It might even be our minds they're controlling so we can't see that a Griever was there!"

It seemed hard to believe that people could control them, but it had to be true. Thomas had no injuries of any sort to show for, but after hearing what had happened after he'd been taken, it seemed impossible not to even have the slightest bruise forming. What the girl had said - about it being all in his head - it was obviously true. It made Newt wonder if the whole Maze was just in their heads, if they were really just in a simulation somewhere. It also made him wonder why they'd needed to take Thomas just to control his mind and put him in a horrifying situation. And why had they made the experience so terrifying? It may just have been in his mind, but the memories would still haunt him.

Newt decided that the Creators just deeply enjoyed watching them all suffer.

He glanced over at the Doors. They still weren't back. It was getting close to the evening when the Doors would close. All the other Runners had returned just a few minutes ago; Minho and Alby hadn't been among them. Newt couldn't deny how nervous he was. But he still held hope because without it he'd crumble. He couldn't bear the thought of life without his two best friends, couldn't bear the thought of anything ever happening to them.

He saw Thomas a little way off, glancing hopefully at the Doors much like himself. Thomas hadn't been here very long, but even he had picked up on the dangers of being locked out in the Maze through the night. It was usually the first lesson they instilled into Greenies. It was the most emphasised and repeated rule in the Glade.

Thomas started shouting and a crowd gathered behind. Newt ran over to them and saw that Minho and Alby had just appeared around a corner in the Maze. His heart sank as he saw the Doors start to close - they weren't going to make it!

A look set in Thomas' eyes, his face hardened and his muscles tensed. Newt realised a second too late what was going to happen.

"No! Don't!" he screamed as Thomas charged forward, shouting and yelling from the others around them filling the air.

"Tommy! Don't!" Newt cried, reaching to grab the younger Glader, only just missing him by inches. He dodged past everyone else's outstretched arms and ploughed on.

The doors of the stone prison sealed shut once more, trapping Minho, Alby and Thomas on the other side.

Newt couldn't help himself: he let out a mournful, pitiful wail and sank to the floor with his head in his hands. His three best friends were gone! Dead! His brothers were dead!

He felt Chuck sink to his knees next to him and he wrapped his arm around the young boy, his smaller body shaking with sobs. Newt's shoulders shook, too, as he tried to keep the tears in. The other Gladers joined them on the grass and they all embraced, the blow being felt deeply by all of them. They were a community, a family, all each other had and it was deeply felt when they lost their friends. And now three of them had just been taken away by the cruel hand of Fate all at once! It was a harsh blow. Alby was the leader, the one they all relied on, the one who looked after them. Minho was a well-respected, well-liked character around the Glade, as well as having a prominent position on the Council. And Thomas was the Newbie. Despite only having been around a few days, he'd made a lasting impression (probably because of all the weird stuff he'd brought along in the aftermath of his arrival!).

The tears slipped past Newt's eyes at last and he knew he wasn't the only one crying.

The emotions he felt were indescribable as he saw his friends step out from the Maze the next morning. And then Thomas was telling people that Alby was still alive and they needed to get him down from the wall. The tears that wanted so badly to break free almost escaped there and then. He managed somehow to keep them in, though.

Newt had never been happier to see somebody than in that moment. Actually, 'happy' was the understatement of the century.

All the boys in the Glade instantly surrounded Minho and Thomas and the two were bombarded with millions of questions all at once. They looked exhausted, though, and Newt eventually stepped in, saying they needed to rest. They could tell their stories later. Thomas and Minho looked so relived when he said this and it almost made him laugh until he saw Alby.

Quite frankly, it was beyond a miracle that he was even still alive by this point!

Alby was carried off by the Med-jacks to the Homestead and Minho and Thomas followed, looking ready to collapse. Newt saw that Chuck was already collecting some water and food for them and smiled fondly at the smaller boy.

His smile dropped when he realised they'd need to call a Gathering about this in a little while. As if hearing his thoughts, Gally chose that moment to appear. He was closely followed by a few of his friends. Newt sighed - he was so not in the mood for this right now. He sensed Gally was only just the beginning; he was going to be having a lot of conversations over the next few days over what was to be done about Thomas. Thomas! Why was it always Thomas?! I swear that shank is gonna be the death of me! Newt thought as he braced himself for Gally's onslaught.

"Hey."

Thomas glanced across the room to where Minho was sat.

"That was real stupid, Greenie! Real stupid!... But it was also real brave!"

Something told Thomas that Minho didn't just hand out praise like that and a small smile crept over his face.

"I just did what anyone would've."

"Don't be so humble!" Minho scolded. "No one's ever done that! And did you see anyone leaping forward to help like you did? No one else would have done that! You knew it was stupid and that you might get yourself killed, but you still did it!"

"Never again, though!" Thomas managed a grin. "Those walls close for a reason at night!" The grin dropped and he shivered despite the warmth of the room.

"Yeah..." Minho said absentmindedly, his mind clearly elsewhere.

And that's when the alarm started to ring. Thomas' face fell and he went pale. His eyes were wide with fear and he looked ready to start running as fast as he could at a second's notice.

Minho glanced over at him, hardly believing that it was the same person who'd ran into the Maze without any thought just to save him and Alby. In that moment, Thomas looked so much younger and it shocked the Runner. But then he remembered what he'd been through. Thomas and Newt had come to an agreement that everyone else in the Glade should know about what had happened. They hadn't gone into full details - just the basics of what had transpired. Just so they'd all know what kind of people they were up against, so they might be able to work something out - a clue to the mystery of their lives. As a Keeper, Minho had been one of the first to know after he'd re-emerged from the Maze.

He thought through all of that now. For the last few days, that alarm had meant nothing but trouble for Thomas and he had every right to be frightened. He'd learnt pretty quickly that that noise meant danger of some sort.

"Stay here," Minho ordered and got up to leave, but Thomas shot out a hand to stop him, then blushed. Slowly, he withdrew the arm and sat back in his seat. The unspoken message still hung between them.

"You don't want me to leave?"

The blush on Thomas' face deepened and he averted his eyes. In a small, embarrassed voice, he said, "They might come back for me..."

He sniffed and drew his legs to his chest, deeply mortified at how much he was acting like a little kid. He needed to be stronger than this! Everyone else here was, even Chuck and he was obviously the youngest one present! He couldn't just go through life crying all the time!

"We won't let that happen," Minho said firmly and Thomas' reply came out before he could stop it, and in a much harsher tone than intended.

"You did last time!"

Something changed in Minho's face and Thomas couldn't read it. He felt terrible and opened his mouth to apologise, but before he had a chance, another boy burst into the room.

"It's a girl!" he yelled. "A girl's come up in the Box! She had a note saying she's the last one that'll ever come up and she was yelling 'bout 'ow everything's gonna change!"

"Teresa," Thomas said, the name just springing naturally out from his lips. He wasn't even sure how he knew that - he just did!

"Ya sure?" There was a look in Newt's eyes that Thomas wasn't sure how to interpret and it made him uneasy.

Him, Newt, Minho, and the two Med-jacks were gathered around the dark-haired girl's inert form, trying to make sense of this newest puzzle. Their lives were a messy stack of mysteries and it was constantly being added to. This one, however, Thomas could help with, if only a little.

"Sure," he said.

A pause.

They have to know, he told himself.

Deep breath.

"She was that girl I told you about."

Several pairs of eyes locked onto him.

"From when you were taken?" Minho sounded... concerned?

Thomas nodded, hated that his knees had gone slightly shaky, and hoped no one else noticed. Maybe he was just imagining how wobbly he felt when having to stand. Maybe he was just tired from being out in the Maze all night. Maybe he was just being a big wimp. Maybe he should sit down before his body forced itself to cave in on him. He sank into a chair beside the bed Teresa was in, but never let his eyes leave her. Despite all he'd been through, he had to admit - and he really hated to do so - that she was quite pretty. Beautiful even!

Long, dark, perfectly-combed locks falling down around strong jawbones and high cheeks that ended in a sharp, ever-so-slightly-rounded chin. Pale skin, but not a sickly pale, and rosy cheeks. Full, red lips that turned downwards naturally, but that didn't make her look like she was frowning. Long lashes and cute button nose. Petite figure and good curves in all the right places and small hands with long fingernails. And even though she had a small structure, she somehow looked strong for her height and Thomas just knew she was an incredibly capable person. The only thing he couldn't discern just from looking at her was her eye colour.

"So, she's bad news, right?" Minho asked.

"We don't know that for sure," Newt cut in.

"I vote we put her back in the Box and send it back down!"

Clint interrupted: "Tried, won't work."

"So," Thomas began. "There's a girl - the only girl here - who's connected to the Creators somehow. The last time I saw her, I almost died. And now she's bearing notes of doom and declaring everything will change! My guess is it won't change for the better!

"We can't send her back and she seems to be stuck in a coma. We can't get any information from her and the Creators aren't just gonna take her back just 'coz we don't like it! What do we do?"

Minho seemed to think for a moment and Newt knew that meant he was about to come out with something ridiculously, outrageously stupid. He sighed in anticipation and pinched the bridge of his nose just as his friend said, "Well, Thomas and this...Teresa girl obviously have connections, right? And they're important to the Creators? They took Thomas away when he was injured, sooooo..."

"You're not seriously suggesting we beat up a comatose girl!?" Newt exclaimed incredulously. That was too far even by Minho's standards!

Clint and Jeff butted in with their objections and Thomas just turned to look at Minho shocked, his eyes and mouth wide open in horror.

"When it's said out loud like that, I realise how that sounded. No, it's probably not a good idea to beat the klunk from a girl!"

"Oh, it's not?!" Newt snapped sarcastically, sending a glare in the other boy's direction. At least he had the grace to look embarrassed. For once, he just kept his mouth shut and turned his head away from the looks he was receiving.

Thomas, what's going on?

Thomas stumbled back in surprise, hands automatically flying to his head, gasping on reflex. Not again! he thought.

Tom? Can you hear me?

"She's talking in my head again!" Thomas whispered to his two friends, afraid that if he spoke loud enough, Teresa would be able to hear.

Tom! Listen to me: everything's going to change! Very soon this place isn't going to be safe to live in anymore!

"Talking in your head?!" Minho repeated.

Solve the Maze, Tom!

"What's she saying?" Newt asked.

You're their only hope, Thomas. You're the Key! Solve the Maze and get out of here!

"She's telling me I'm the Key and I need to solve the Maze," Thomas said, staring intently at the limp body. How could she be talking to him while in a coma?

"Fat lot of good that information is!" Minho snorted derisively. This earned a sharp elbow to the ribs from Newt.

"Look, we'll think about this later," Newt suggested. "But right now, there's a Gathering we need to hold."

Minho saw the look in Thomas' eyes and felt much the same. He didn't understand why they needed to discuss what Thomas did. As far as Minho was concerned, the guy was a hero and should be rewarded. He and Alby wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him. He owed Thomas and decided he was going to do all he could in the Gathering to help him out - he'd get a position as a Runner no matter what! If there was to be any trouble, it would most likely come from Gally and Minho wasn't worried about him.

A scream tore through the air and the Med-jacks rushed off to tend to Alby. There hadn't been any Grief Serum for a while, but there'd been some on the girl when she'd came up. Of course, they'd administered it to Alby instantly. It had been too late for Ben.

Many people got the wrong idea that it was the Grief Serum that brought back memories, but it was actually a Griever's sting and it took effect almost immediately. The Serum simply soothed the wounds from the sting and balanced out whatever chemical dosages were running around the body. If left untreated for too long, the victim either became dangerous and insane or they died a slow, painful death. It was more often than not the latter - it was rare occurrences when a person survived going untreated from a Griever attack. Ben hadn't been one of those rare times.

As everyone left the room, they missed Teresa's eyes fluttering open and a dangerous smile creeping its way across her face. She'd just triggered the End. It had begun!

(A/N: Again, so sorry for making you all wait, but, like I said, I've had a lot going on. I included that bit about Ben just then because I realised I hadn't followed up on what was meant to happen to him. I understand that I might not be following the correct order of events here and I do apologise, but it's been a while since I've read the books and I have a terrible memory! Hope you liked this!)