A/N: Hello! I'm back for a little while... I've been unbelievably busy, but I've also gotten away from writing this story... and updating... I hope you understand, but here is a chapter for anyone still checking their updates.

A special thanks to...

Sarbear202

and

Sodtball007

and those who have just recently added me as and author as well as this story to their author/story alert and favorites.

She fell asleep long before I did, laying her head on my chest and snuggling into the fabric. She sort of curled up into a ball not long after, a hand fisting in the fabric on my shirt. One leg pressed against the side of my body as she used me like a pillow, her head on my chest and an arm overtop my body, and one leg hooked over my hip. She was a bit of a cuddler, not that I particularly minded. Heh. Absent mindedly I started brushing my fingers through her hair, tracing a line down her side to the hem of her pant leg. She squirmed at the touch, re-positioning herself and moving somehow closer to me than before.

Smiling slightly I looked around, most of the others had fallen asleep, Tommy over in the corner with Brenda beside him, both of them leaning towards one another, but not touching. I wasn't even going to attempt to figure out what was going on with that… way too much drama for me. I didn't see Minho anywhere… Milo was curled in on himself a few feet away, snoring. Aris rested a few feet away from him. They all looked to be asleep, dreaming peacefully somehow. I wasn't quite sure how they managed that… If MaC wasn't here I'd be tossing and turning all night. As it was I still wasn't having the best time actually falling asleep…

But eventually I did.

Newt woke me late in the evening, shaking me awake with a stupid little grin on his face. "Wakey-wakey."

I groaned, swatting at his hands and turning over.

"MaC, c'mon get up."

"No."

"Please?"

"Nope."

"Alright, fine then." And with that He sat up and literally dragged me to my feet. I did not appreciate that one bit.

"What the hell?" I snapped.

"You wouldn't get up," he shrugged moving to wake up the others.

Minho was laughing from a few feet away, kicking a few Gladers awake. No one was happy to be up, I'll tell you that.

Hmm… I wonder what Frypan had for breakfast…

"Sleep well, Tommy?" Newt asked. "How's that shoulder?"

The boy in question sat up, rubbing his eyes sleepily before reaching for his shoulder and moving it experimentally. He looked surprised as he answered. "Feels really good actually –aches a little, but not too much. Hard to believe I was hurtin' so bad before."

Newt nodded, looking around at the gathering Gladers before turning back to Thomas. "Feels like we haven't talked much since leaving the bloody dorm. Not much time to sit around and sip tea, I guess."

"Yeah." Thomas said, then seemingly out of nowhere said, "I don't see how WICKED can be good."

"Huh?" Newt sounded.

"Remember what Teresa had written on her arm when she first woke up? Or did you even know about that? It said WICKED is good. I'm just finding that hard to believe." The sarcasm in his voice was hard to miss.

"Well, they just saved your buggin' life." Newt replied with a strange smile.

"Yeah, they're real saints." Thomas muttered in reply.

Newt laughed soundlessly.

Brenda, now sat up, letting out a big yawn before catching sight of the boys. "Morning." She began, "Or evening. Whatever."

"Another day alive," Thomas answered, a look of realization crossing her features for a second before he continued. "I'm assuming you guys had time to get to know each other? If not, Brenda, this is Newt. Newt, Brenda."

"Yeah, we know already," Newt said reaching out to shank her hand mockingly. "But thanks for making sure this bloody sissy didn't get his butt killed while you two were out partying."

"Partying. Yeah." Brenda replied with the barest hint of a smile, "I especially loved the part where we had people trying to cut our noses off."

"Hey," Newt shrugged, "As long as no one was gonna eat ya. We had a few crazies convinced MaC would taste fine and dandy… bloody insane." He finished with a shake of his head.

Brenda looked thoughtful for a moment, slightly embarrassed, almost hopeless. "Guess it won't be long till I'm one of those psychos."

"You're probably not that much farther along than us." Thomas said uncertainly, "Remember that-"

"Yeah, I know." Brenda interrupted, not letting him finish. "You guys are gonna take me to the magical cure. I know." She got up then, ending the conversation abruptly.

Thomas looked at Newt, hoping he had some sort of insight into the female mind. After all, he seemed to understand MaC. He simply shrugged, "Don't look at me," he said before leaning in and whispering, "She your new girlfriend?" Newt questioned snickering to himself, "I'm telling Teresa." Thomas looked at him, unamused and was about to respond when he was interrupted by a distinctly feminine, but slightly rough voice.

"Newt!" MaC called from over where she stood with the others. "Get over here!"

Newt shook his head, but there a smile on his face. "She calls…"

They set off on their trek just as the sun dipped below the horizon line, painting the dust orange landscape an almost purple. As they walked the mountains quickly became jagged peaks fo nothing but shadow, looming overhead, stretching taller and taller. There were no real foothills to speak of. There was nothing, just the flat ground of the valley, stretching forwards until the ground shot towards the sky in sheer cliffs and steep slopes. Brown. Ugly. Lifeless.

I hoped some sort of path would present itself as we neared.

And no one spoke much. Not even Newt and I. We simply walked on. The two of us sneaking glances at one another as we moved side by side, never really saying a word.

A little after darkness had fallen, Newt hesitated in his step, falling behind a little. When I turned to look back at him, confused, he smiled strangely and held out a hand. I took it, though confused and let him lead me to wherever it was he was headed.

He stopped beside Tommy, but didn't drop my hand. "Been thinkin'," He said.

"About what?" Both Tommy and I asked.

"WICKED. Ya know, they broke their own bloody rules with you, Tommy."

"How's that?" he questioned.

"They said there were no rules, Said we had so much time to get to the bloody safe haven and that was that. No rules. People dying left and right. Then they come down in a buggin' monster flying thing and save your butt. Doesn't make sense." He paused for a moment before looking back at him. "Not that I'm complaining. I'm glad you're alive and all."

"Gee, thanks," Tommy commented sarcastically.

"And then there were all those signs back in the city. Weird."

"We passed 'weird' ages ago, Newt," I muttered, "This is all bat-klunk crazy."

"What, you jealous or something?" Tommy joked, not hearing my comment.

Newt laughed, "No, you shank. Just dying to know what's really going on around here. What this is really all about."

I nodded in agreement, squeezing his hand and walking just a little bit closer. He did the same.

"Yeah," Thomas nodded. "The lady said only a few of us were good enough to be Candidates. And she did say I was the best Candidate and they don't want me dying from something that wasn't planned. But I don't know what it all means. Has something to do with all that klunk about killzone patterns."

"You think they'd have a little bit more of a pleasant name for the whole thing…" I said.

Newt gave me a lopsided smile. "Like what?"

"I dunno," I shrugged, "But…'killzone patterns' that just screams bad news."

He shook his head, smiling. The three of us walked on in silence for a minute or so before Newt spoke up once again. "Not worth busting our brains about, I guess. What's going to happen'll happen."

Thomas didn't say anything and eventually we drifted apart until it was just Newt and I walking alone in the dark amongst the others.

Around the time the first traces of dawn began to poke through turning the sky a deep dark blue, Newt and I separated from each other and I found myself next to Minho. I suddenly realized the two of us hadn't talked in while. Not since before Tommy had been shot. Not really at least. "Hey," I smiled slightly.

"Hey," he responded, almost mockingly.

"Oh, ha ha," I replied sarcastically, "And I came over here just to talk to you, what was I thinkin'?"

"Really?" he asked, smirking at me, "I don't got a clue."

I smiled, laughing at him slightly, "Ya know… we haven't really gotten a chance to talk much lately…"

"Been a bit busy," he said, smirking at me.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"How ya holding up?"

"Me?" I asked, "What about you? You're the one leading our little group here."

He snickered at my wording. "I'm fine," he said, then jabbed a finger over his shoulder, "But if a one of those shanks complains about their feet hurting I'm gonna punch him."

I laughed, "I think they're all properly toughened up. They'll be fine."

"You too?"

"Yes, me too," I replied, slightly exasperated. "I can take care of myself, you know."

He snorted, "Okay."

"Hey!"

"Who was the one who almost fell through the floor?"

"That could have been anybody!"

"But, who was it?"

"Fine," I grumbled, elbowing him. "I get the point."

He laughed about to say something, when everyone suddenly stopped, turning to gape at something. Confused, the two of us looked in the direction the others were and stared, stopping dead in our tracks.