Alby, Newt, Minho and Gally sat underneath the dugout roof, another gathering of the first four well underway. It had been five days since they had buried Hank. Returning to normal had been a slow process as the Glader's grieved for their fellow brother. The tower building was on hold and Runners had not left the Glade since they brought Hank back.

It was still unknown whether Hank's death meant the game was over. But after so many days, the idea steadily became dismissed and hope once again started to mingle with the mourning.

But a change was still a change; hence the meeting.

"The real question is, what in the bloody hell are we to do now?" Newt wished that he could boil down all the confusion into one, solid question. Unfortunately, it was much more complicated than that.

"We do all we can do for the moment and deal with whatever changes come," Alby hated the unknown just as much as the others, but his lack of urgency was not taken well by Gally.

"This is a change, right now! Shouldn't we be doing something about it now?" Gally was bristling, his dislike of changes clouding his temperament.

Alby glanced up at the blonde, sighing heavily.

"Like what?"

Gally leaned back on the dugout step, his elbow propped on his knees as he animated with his hands.

"We need to determine all our options,"

"How so?" Minho leaned forward on his knees as well, far less enthused. Raw guilt darkened his eyes and his voice was subdued. Gally shrugged, his demeanour almost sarcastic, as if obvious.

"We have to consider all the ideas we've had before, the ones from way back in the beginning. Rehash and implement the ones we stashed. Those kinds of ideas were designed for situations like this!"

Alby, resting his head in his hands, merely stared as he listened to Gally. His underreaction did not dampen the blonde's energy. He sat up straighter, looking up at the roof as if for inspiration

"There were only so many of those ideas. The tower was one of them and we already have a plan for that. What else is there?" Gally searched, twirling his hands, seemingly at a loss. "We must have had something, didn't we have a backup? Hank's dead now, does that mean time's up? We have to consider the possibility!"

Alby rubbed his face over in his hand, looking exhausted.

"Gally, we never had a 'backup'. There isn't anything immediately we can do. Minho hasn't finished mapping the Maze. And until we know for a fact that there isn't a way out, we can't prepare for it. As of right now, there is a better chance of a way out than there is of us being stuck forever,"

Gally scowled, looking away before he continued.

"We can't just sit here and wait forever!"

"We've been doing a bloody good job of it so far," Newt gestured around them. "There's food, water, shelter and medicine; it's about as good as it gets. Waiting isn't the favoured option, but we are decently comfortable doing it. Minho will figure out the Maze as soon as he can. Doesn't seem like much else to be done until he does,"

"Newt is right. What else could we do to prepare?" Alby propped his head up in his palm, watching the blonde.

Gally leaned forward again, serious once more.

"If those things can kill, then what's stopping them? What if it happens again? What if they kill us all? If those Grievers show up in the Glade one day and start stinging us all, then what? Was all this... this whole experiment, was it all for nothing?"

"You're jumping to some fairly lengthy conclusions, Gally. The Griever's haven't stepped foot into the Glade, why would they now?" Alby didn't want to dismiss Gally completely, but he could not help feeling frustrated.

Gally's spirits could not be dampened and he ploughed forward.

"Because one of us is dead. Maybe that's a signal for those things to come and end it all for us,"

Minho shook his head.

"Wouldn't they have done that a few days ago if that was the case? Nothing's happened yet,"

Gally tilted his head back and forth, digesting the words, still insistent.

"We still don't know,"

"Exactly! Gally, we don't know. I don't see the need to do anything immediately based on an unknown," Alby sat up, suddenly tired of the argument.

Gally sat back, a frown knitting his eyebrows together. Scowling, the blonde crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head.

"So what, that's it? Life goes back to the way it was and we just wait around until someone else dies?"

Alby held up his hand, trying to stow his fire. Gally shut his mouth, and four sat silent for a moment, all thinking their separate thoughts. Newt broke the silence.

"I won't say I agree with Gally, I don't think we need anything to change any more than it has. But maybe he's on to something,"

Alby looked sideways at his second; Gally and Minho both looked equally surprised. Newt shrugged and leaned in closer to the group.

"There are certain precautions we can take. Actions we can put into place in case Grievers do come into the Glade. Signals, stores, hiding places, better weapons. Maybe some training?"

Alby sat still, thinking over what he heard.

"It's not a bad idea. The tower is part of that process, but some extra training and fight tactics couldn't hurt. Maybe a defensive plan to determine who goes where if an attack ever occurred," Alby turned the blonde. "Gally, what do you think?"

Gally stared at the ground, his expression unreadable. He raised his eyebrows a few times as if having a conversation in his head. Finally, he looked up and shrugged.

"It certainly would deal with an attack,"

Alby sighed. Gally was not satisfied.

Minho caught on as well, shaking his hands in front of him as he looked at Gally.

"What else is there to deal with?"

"The reality that we may die out here," Gally's answer was so blunt and forceful that the others flinched. The idea wasn't a new one, but the blonde painted it so… bleakly.

Alby rubbed his hands over his legs slowly, chewing on his lip as he thought it over. As much as he was convinced there was a way out, he could never prove it for sure.

"So how would we prepare for that?"

Gally shrugged as he leaned forward, rubbing his hand over his chin.

"They had to be telling us something when they sent the girl,"

Alby closed his eyes. The old idea had come back to haunt them.

"You can't be serious Gally! I thought we bloody dealt with that? Eve's not here for... well for that!" Newt glared at the Builder.

Gally threw his hands up.

"I thought we didn't know anything for sure? We don't know if she is or if she isn't. But she broke the pattern and that has to mean something! We have to consider all our options and that was one of them! You brought it up when she first arrived and therefore, it was an idea!"

Alby shook his head, wishing that Gally would stop throwing their words back at them. He was right, the idea had been… well… an idea, but it was ridiculous!

"We already decided that we weren't going to do it, why would we change our minds now? Remember when she fell? Remember why she fell? She clearly does not want to do it!" Newt, who normally did not get excited, was speaking rather loudly.

Gally, angry and frustrated, started to speak louder as well.

"So we bring her in here, discuss it with her! It's an option that we haven't explored, haven't tried. It's all a puzzle, right?! Well, this is a problem, a curve in the Maze, something we should try!"

"Be serious Gally, trying to raise a kid, here? That would be death!" Minho had temporarily forgotten his grief as he argued with Gally. The blonde contained a yell of frustration as he continued full-blown.

"This already is death! This whole thing is hell! The game, the Maze, all the puzzles. Whoever put us here doesn't have a damn soul! How do we know we're not their rats? To do whatever they want? They put her here for a reason and we have to pay attention. She could be part of the Maze! Part of the puzzle!"

Even though he was rambling, even spitting at this point, Gally's words slowly started to cause doubt, confusion and anger in the other three boys. The reality of their situation was, simply, that they had no sure idea about anything. The ideas they did have were based on thought and belief. They could come crashing down in the blink of an eye. The real reason Eve had come up in the Box was still a mystery and Gally could be right, no matter how crazy it sounded. There was no way of knowing for sure if he was right or wrong.

The silence dragged on for what seemed like hours until Alby finally looked up at Gally. The blonde met Alby's gaze defiantly, challenging him.

Alby sighed, rubbing his face once again.

"I can't deny that you might be right,"

"Alby, you can't be serious?" Newt was quick to butt in. Alby gestured for him to back down and continued, speaking slowly.

"I can't deny it and I can't confirm it. It was an idea and we can't say one way or the other if it's the right one. But it is there…,"

There was a heavy silence as the three awaited Alby's final verdict. The Glade leader sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his fingers. He hated the idea, but he could not deny Gally's logic, no more than he could justify his own theories.

Finally, he looked up at them.

"We talk to Eve. Gally, do not think for one moment I am making a call here. She has her rights and no amount of force from any of us can make her do it. This is her life as much as it is ours, so get that through your thick skull,"

Newt and Minho's eyes were wide with shock, but Alby continued.

"We'll bring Eve here and discuss it with her. She knows that we had dismissed the idea, so we will explain, calmly, why we have brought it up again. She can decide what is to be done from then. No harm or judgement will be passed on her if she rejects the idea. Understood?" His last instruction was mainly pointed at Gally, but all three nodded. Minho and Newt still looked unbelieving.

"You're really going to go through with it?" Minho's voice was disbelieving but Alby stood firm to his decision.

"I'm not going through with anything. This decision is too big to be taken lightly. We will discuss it with Eve. We have more to think over before any kind of decision is made. This... in all interest, is for the Glade. This is to determine if her arrival meant anything more. But it's up to her,"

Minho shut his mouth and Newt chipped in for Alby.

"I guess there's no harm in talking about it,"

Gally was very quiet, staring at the floor. Now that he was being taken seriously, he looked uncomfortable. Alby glanced meaningfully at the blonde.

"It's your idea, Gally, you're going to have to be the one to ask,"

Gally looked to scowl, his mouth open as if to complain. Alby gave him a look and he closed his mouth. Fuming for a few moments, Gally rolled his eyes. Slowly, he stood up and stomped, sullenly, up the steps back into the sun. Alby rubbed his forehead once he had left.

"If I ever meet the bastard who had this brilliant idea of a Maze… I'll kick him square in the groin,"

To say that Eve was surprised would be an understatement.

The day had been quiet for her. Her climbing had stopped for the moment, but the boys still had to eat. Fry Pan had asked her to pick a few vegetables for the evening meal and she had been quick to do it. The work took her mind off all that had happened.

But she had not expected Gally, stampeding around the vine stalks like a charging bull, to meet her there. The blonde nearly fell over her as she crouched between some vines to reach the reddest tomatoes. Steadying himself, he had fumed over her for a few moments before beckoning her, rather forcefully, to follow him. Gally did not look comfortable, taking the extra precaution to walk a few feet ahead as she did as she was asked.

Multiple different thoughts ran through her mind as she saw they were walking in the direction of the dugout. One was crowding out them all, her worst nightmare could be coming true. They were going to hold her responsible for Hank's death. She bit her lower lip, trembling as she stumbled along behind Gally underneath the roof and into the shade. Alby, Newt and Minho were already there, sitting together as if they had been discussing something. Gally, without looking at her, sat down a short distance from the others, staring down at the floor with his hands out before him. Eve stood still, her hands clasped nervously before her. No one looked particularly excited to see her and she began to feel frightened, sweat beading on her forehead.

Alby finally looked up at her, his expression unreadable. He motioned for her to take a seat. Eve hesitated but soon sat down abruptly on a dirt step. The silence dragged on, no one really knew where to start and eventually, Alby clapped his hands together, his face a picture of discomfort. Eve's heart dropped and she gripped the dirt underneath her, crumbling it in her fingers.

"Eve, we wanted to talk to you-,"

"It wasn't my fault!" Eve interrupted him. Alby and the boys looked on in surprise and she continued in earnest. "Please, you can't blame this on me. I know I am a change and that they always turn out bad. But, I didn't do anything! I can't have done anything to cause his death! Please... please don't blame it on me," Gally sat still, glaring at her as if she was crazy. Alby reached out his hands to her.

"Eve, Eve! We would never blame you for this. Hank's death was an accident, no one is to blame,"

Eve stared at Alby, tears in her eyes. She suddenly became self-conscious, well aware of how pathetic she looked. She took a moment to settle herself before she continued, her voice muffled and wavering.

"You... you don't blame me for the death?"

Alby shook his head. Gally grunted softly and turned his head away, clearly exasperated. Newt spoke up.

"Why would we do that?"

Eve turned to look at him, sniffling gently as she fought to calm herself. She had worked herself up into believing the possibility was reality and now, it just seemed ridiculous.

"I was a change in the pattern...,"

Newt shook his head, sympathy in his eyes.

"Hank still would've been stung even if you hadn't shown up. There's no way you caused it,"

Eve felt more tears welling up in her eyes and she ducked her head.

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to be so aggressive. I just... I just thought... I thought that was why you wanted to see me,"

Alby leaned forward, a small smile on his face.

"There is no need to apologize, all is forgiven. Please, don't worry anymore, you are not being blamed,"

Eve looked up, taking deep breaths to calm her nerves. She tilted her head at them, suddenly confused now that the threat of punishment was off the table.

"So… why am I here?" It didn't make any sense; why had she been invited to such a secret meeting if she was not in trouble?

The mood in the dugout suddenly shifted. Newt leaned back, folding his arms over his chest, keeping his gaze low. Minho remained still, looking at the ground as an excuse not to meet her eye. Alby leaned back as well, looking pointedly at Gally as if waiting for the blonde to speak. Gally would not look at any of them, rubbing his hands together, scowling darkly. He looked angry, and Eve soon began to feel nervous again; what was going on with them?

Alby finally spoke up, his voice firm.

"The floor is yours, Gally," He emphasized his words.

The blonde looked away, folding his arms over his chest. His face was red and he began to tap his foot, his leg shaking. Eve looked from him, back to Alby, the two boys and back again.

"What's going on?" Eve had ripped a chunk of dirt out from beside her, her knuckles white. The anticipation was torture and she could not help but feel like she really was in trouble.

Alby frowned in the blonde's direction.

"Now, Gally," He didn't shout, but the force was enough.

"Alright, alright!" Gally sat back up, resting his hands at his side. He refused to look at Eve directly as he raised his gaze. His cheeks were red and he was struggling to control his temper. "We were discussing our… options for what to do if Hank's death meant the end of the Maze. If our efforts to escape were useless and there was no longer a way out,"

Eve did not move, Gally sounded so strained. Her heart began to beat faster, her mind swirling. Gally rubbed the back of his head, ducking his head briefly before he continued.

"We decided that we would enforce training tactics in case of an attack on the Glade. Make sure we're prepared. We don't know if we will be here forever and we don't know if we can get out. Everything we do know, we don't actually know,"

Newt rolled his eyes, becoming tired of Gally's fumbling.

"Bloody hell Gally, get the point! You were so insistent a few minutes ago, what's the problem?"

Gally scowled at him, his face only getting redder. Eve looked back and forth, getting more and more frustrated with their vague comments.

"What is it?!"

Gally, fuming, turned to look at her.

"We brought up your arrival and decided we had better start discussing the potential of a long-term situation!"

Eve's eyes got wide, her heart skipped a beat and she froze. Alby watched her closely and leaned forward.

"We thought it best to talk to you. Hear your thoughts," He was much calmer than Gally. Eve couldn't speak for a time and when she did, her voice was pitched.

"You mean… if I'm here for… ?"

Ably nodded, looking grim; but he quickly cleared any confusion.

"We aren't asking your permission, we do not have the right to force this upon you. We merely wanted to hear your thoughts. Nothing has been set in stone and nothing will be done until we have discussed this thoroughly. Don't worry Eve, this is a safe space,"

Eve blinked, cold sweat making her shiver.

"I thought..," her voice trembled. "I thought that wasn't in the plan? There is a way out of the Maze, right?"

Minho spoke up, his prose on the Maze called upon him.

"As far as we know, there has always been a way out. But we haven't found it yet and I don't know how long it will take to find it. We were discussing what Hank's death meant. We don't know if his death qualified as a failure or not. The way out could have been destroyed. We don't know any of this for sure,"

Alby chipped in, refining Minho's words.

"All we're saying is that there are too many unknowns for us to settle for just one plan. We have to have options for any potential scenario. This is one of them. We just want your opinion,"

Gally was rubbing his neck, his face still red. It had been his idea to tread into these waters, but now that he was wet, he was not sure it was worth the discomfort.

Eve stared at the ground, her hands trembling. The security of being able to get out of the Maze was slowly slipping away and she could not help but feel terrified. If Hank's death meant all this, would they even survive for much longer? The questions seemed endless and unanswerable. She looked back up, almost desperate for some sense of confirmation.

"But if Hank's death means we failed, shouldn't we be dead by now? Doesn't the fact that nothing has changed mean it's all fine?" She was grasping at straws and even she knew there was little chance of knowing it for sure. Alby shrugged and leaned forward.

"We can't say for sure one way or the other. This is just an option we have. We aren't planning anything without you Eve,"

Newt smiled at her.

"No need to worry your head about it all. Just let us know what you're thinking. Alby's right, it's more your choice than ours,"

Eve took a deep breath, the weight of their words pulling her down. She knew they only meant the best for everyone, but it still seemed to be a disadvantage for her. She crossed her arms and leaned forward, running her fingers through her hair. She covered her face, trying to think, to focus.

This all seemed so surreal, even more so than living in the Glade. They were asking her to give up her body, her only remaining right, to help in populating the Glade. An idea that did not seem like a wise one to her. Wouldn't it be better just to die out and let all be well? What if a child was born and died soon after? What would become of the child? This was no life for anyone, let alone someone too young to take care of themselves. Then again, if they were stuck here forever and there was little fear of attack, populating the place almost seemed sensible. If, in fact, the Grievers did not attack and they were completely safe. There were pros and cons on both sides of the coin.

Alby could see that Eve was struggling and decided he should intervene.

"Look, there is little logical sense in the idea and I am wary of trying it. But Gally made a point, as doubtful as it seems. You could be, for all intents and purposes, part of this puzzle. One girl among boys. I'm not saying it makes sense, but neither does any of this," He gestured around them. "We just want you to understand. Please don't think our whole existence depends on your decision. We will adapt to whatever happens to us,"

Eve, who had looked up to hear him, nodded slowly. His words did little to calm her racing nerves, but they did ease her mind. If she said no, the Glade would not perish because of her. But the decision could still not be made easily. She met Alby's eyes.

"Can I take some time to think about what I think?"

Alby nodded, smiling sincerely.

"Of course, whatever you need. We can reconvene when you're ready,"

Gally, who normally would have reacted poorly to the extension of an answer, seemed only to want the whole discussion to be over. He jumped up before the others and took the lead as they stepped back into the Glade. The light had faded into a dull grey and a small fire was underway. The Glader's were gathered around it, the evening meal on the horizon.

FryPan had bought out his pot and was stirring it over the tiny, working flames. The smell was instantly intoxicating.

Eve was walking slowly, trailing behind and Newt turned back.

"Are you coming to eat?"

She shook her head, not meeting his eyes.

"I don't think so,"

He frowned, dropping back to walk beside her.

"Some food may do you some bloody good right now. I don't think you can stand to miss another one either,"

Eve shrugged.

"I'll eat later, Clint won't let me skip the meal anyway. But… I just need some time… alone right now. If you don't mind?"

Newt smiled at her understandingly.

"Take all the time you need,"

Eve smiled back, faintly.

"Thank you,"

Newt joined the others. Gally caught sight of Eve ducking away and frowned.

"She's not gonna eat? She's too skinny to miss another meal!" He sounded frustrated, the discomfort had made him irritable. Newt shrugged, butting ahead of the blonde in the line for food.

"I wouldn't be able to eat either. Clint'll give her something later. It's really on you Gally, you brought all this up," Newt knew the decision to discuss the idea further had ultimately been Alby. But, he couldn't help but lighten up the mood by poking fun at the blonde.

Gally growled at him.

"Lay off shank! No one is forcing anything on anyone. Let her think all she wants, she'll have to give us an answer eventually,"

Newt shook his head and walked up the fire. Alby said nothing of Eve not joining them, he was determined to give her space. Fry Pan nodded to them as they came closer.

"Tomato and goat stew, a cold night needs a hearty meal to keep us all warm,"

Alby smiled as he gladly accepted a wooden bowl from the cook.

"Smells delicious Fry,"

The cook nodded happily and handed out food for Newt, Gally and Minho as they joined the rest of the boys around the fire. Alby quickly spoke up before questions started up.

"Let's eat up and enjoy the night, boys. Hank would have wanted us to move on. Work still needs to be done around here. The tower needs more levels and the Maze still needs to be run. Minho, are you willing to go back tomorrow?"

The Runner nodded, checking with Ben as he spoke for them both.

"For Hank," Was his simple reply and Alby raised his drink in the air.

"For Hank!"

The Glader's joined in on the cry and began to eat, jokes and laughter lifting into the air for the first time since Hank's death. His memory lived on in their stories and Gally even entered the Fight Ring. Some well-needed venting went on as the boys brawled with each other. Gally remained, for all the world, the ultimate champion and the boys began to cheer as Alby was finally persuaded to test the blonde's metal. It was a close call, but Gally still came out on top and Alby took it in stride. The Glade needed someone as strong as Gally and he pounded him on the back as more drinks were passed around. A celebratory spirit came alive and they did not douse the fire until the blackness was almost total.

It was only then that Eve crept to the pond.

Her evening bath was the last thing on her mind, but going to bed without it just seemed like another blow. Almost automatically, she began to strip down to her underwear. She grimaced as the cold water embraced her.

On auto-pilot, she began to scrub away at her skin.

It had finally happened, her purpose for being here was up for debate. She was a girl and she could only do one thing that the boys could not.

It was a nightmare.

She knew in her heart that Alby and the others only hoped to solve this puzzle. Their intentions were not evil. But she could not help but wish they had let the idea die all those months ago when she had first arrived. Apparently, it had only been a matter of time before it would be the next option. Eve had to think about it logically. If she did indeed agree to it and became pregnant, what would happen?

She would be useless until the child was born and if she didn't die from the delivery, she would have to spend her remaining days caring for the child. Then what? Was she supposed to continue bearing more and more children until she did indeed die? And if they did find a way out of the Maze, what would become of them all?

Eve ducked her head under the freezing water, squeezing her eyes shut as she let the water wash away the soapy residue. After a moment, she resurfaced and took a deep breath in, shivering from the chilly air. The Glade was quiet other than the occasional chirp of a cricket. The overall silence was thick and Eve could not help but feel utterly alone. A few tears fell from her eyes and she bowed her head, letting them splash into the water before her. It felt good to cry, but it didn't help her situation. After a while, she looked back up, sniffing as she wiped the tears away. Slowly, she stepped out of the water, shivering as she wrapped a towel around her frame, sitting down to keep warm.

What if it didn't work? The idea seemed so simple that it was foolish. What if she couldn't get pregnant? What if that was just another puzzle. Trying it would be useless then. But how would they know without trying?

Eve rubbed her face, wishing she could just make up her mind. Her heart was screaming for her to say no, it was not what she wanted! But her head was churning with thoughts. It was for the good of the Glade. She had to do what she was made for. What she was sent for.

The clash between logic and want was a bitter war in her mind. There was no black and white in this picture and she could not find a definite outweighing balance for either side. Finally, after more wrestling, she stood up and dressed as quickly as she could. She wanted to be in her hammock, she was yearning for the warmth and protection that only sleep could provide. She walked back to the hammocks, clinging to the towel.

Gally and Newt were already in their hammocks when she slowed to a creeping walk. She was not in the mood to speak to either of them. As quietly as she could, she folded her towel, slid off her shoes and slipped under her blankets.

"You took your sweet time,"

Eve groaned inwardly at Gally's voice. She turned her back to him, he was the last person she wanted to talk to. This was all his fault, all this struggle was on him.

"Well, I'm back now," She refused to say anything else. Gally seemed to be unwilling to start anything either and Eve heard him turn over again. It was unlike him not to have the last word, but something about his whole attitude was all too familiar. He wanted a solution to their problem, but he was not receiving an immediate answer and that frustrated him. Eve was not about to give him any satisfaction as she burrowed into her blanket, wishing for sleep to take over.

It took longer than usual, but finally, she sank into unconsciousness.