The sun arrived in all its splendour the next morning, sparkling in the dew droplets like so many diamonds hiding in the grass. The heat shivered through the air in waves; it was shaping up to be another scorching day.

When Gally had woken up, the sun had barely peeked over the Maze, but he knew that was to his advantage. The more work he and his crew could do in the morning coolness, the better. Swinging his legs out of the hammock, Gally sat up and stretched his arms over his head. Stiffness caused him to groan and he dropped his arms, shaking his head clear of sleepiness. Eve was fast asleep next to him and he smirked gently. Reaching over his hammock, he nudged her shoulder. A quiet groan was his only response and Eve burrowed deeper into her blanket, cozy despite the heat. Gally stood up, grabbed hold of the hammock and tilted it to the left.

"Gally!" Eve's muffled, frustrated voice only made Gally more amused. He tilted the hammock again and Eve sat up, glaring at him.

"Really?"

Gally grinned and sat back down in his hammock to put on his shoes.

"We have to take advantage of all the shade we can get. You'll thank me later,"

Eve rolled her eyes and threw the blanket off. Gally rolled his eyes back and looked out into the Glade.

Newt was gone, somewhere in the garden. Zart was still asleep a few yards away; he would no doubt join Newt when he woke up.

FryPan was already in his hut, smoke was coming up the shaft from his cooking fire. The steady 'thunk thunk thunk' coming from behind the hut told him that Winston was at the slaughter. Minho and Ben were nowhere to be seen, no doubt already running through the Maze. Minho ran his ship hard and he was usually up at the crack of dawn ready to run. Ben was a little less enthusiastic, but he never failed to wake up at Minho's call.

Dan was still asleep, on the other side of Zart. The new Builder would wake up soon and Gally would set him to work on the twine for the new section of the tower. After they had all had a bit of breakfast of course.

The tower was coming along nicely, two levels had already been finished and it was about as tall as Gally himself. Alby wanted to triple the size, if not more. The higher the better, if indeed they were to be require it.

Gally swivelled his head and caught sight of the Glade leader. He lounged on the rock beside the Box, a bowl in his hand and a spoon in the other.

Another Glader was coming up today. It was Dan's last day as a Greenie.

"The Box is coming up today, right?"

Gally looked back at Eve; she had stood up, her shoes were on and she was looking out after him. He nodded and finished tying his laces.

"This will be the fourteenth,"

Eve nodded, her eyebrows furrowed. Her mind did not seem to be on the new Greenie. A moment of silence passed before she spoke again.

"Do you think Alby will be upset?" Her voice was soft.

Gally raised an eyebrow at her.

Eve wasn't looking at him. She looked nervous, her posture tense and one ankle wrapped around the other as she looked out across the Glade.

Gally stood up and took a step closer. Nonchalantly, as he looked out once more to Alby, Gally wrapped his arm around her low back and pushed her hair back with the other. She looked up at him, her eyes curious. Gally kissed her forehead gently before squinting into the sun in the Glade

"He said whatever we decide would be fine, there is always another idea we can try. Besides," He let his hand fall from her back. "Minho is getting closer to something. He'll have good news soon,"

Eve took a deep breath.

"I guess you're right,"

"Why don't you get something to eat? I'll talk to Alby and wake up Dan in the meantime. Save me something?"

Eve nodded and ducked out from under the shelter. Gally followed a moment after, stepping out into the sunlight, squinting at the sudden brightness. He closed the distance between him and Alby in a matter of minutes and stopped short beside the Glade leader. He folded his arms over his chest, looking out toward the Box.

The fourteenth member of the Glade would be joining them today. Gally could not help looking back across the months to when he had sat with Alby, here on this rock, waiting for the Box to come up. The eighth member of their little group; there had been so few of them back then and no one had guessed that they would receive a girl into their mix. There had been confusion, skepticism and worry. Gally, in particular, had been against her, determined that they didn't need a girl in the Glade.

But now.. he couldn't imagine the Glade without her.

Alby looked up sideways at Gally, his eyes squinted against the sun.

"You've made your decision then?"

Gally nodded and unfolded his arms.

"We've decided that we won't try it again. We'll only lose time finishing the tower,"

Alby added slowly, digesting the news.

"Do you both agree on this?"

Gally nodded again.

"It was mutual,"

Alby nodded again, seeming to be content with the answer.

A lengthy pause followed.

"We will have to have a meeting tonight,"

Gally's eyebrows shot up, but Alby continued.

"Minho is ready to make a report on the Maze. He sounded earnest, I think he's found something,"

Gally let out a breath and relaxed. But he was also curious.

"A way out?"

Alby shrugged and took another bite of his meal.

"He didn't say, but it is something. You will join the three of us after the Greenie celebration tonight,"

Gally nodded, relieved that Eve was off the hook in terms of making any more tough decisions. He took a deep breath, resting his hands on his hips.

"So… the fourteenth member," His voice was heavy.

"Too many," Alby didn't look at him

Gally dropped his gaze to the ground, rolling a small stone under his foot. Another thought, one that had been bothering him for quite some time, came into his mind.

"Alby?"

The Glade leader looked up at him.

"Do you think…? In two months, we'll have our sixteenth member, right? Do you think... it'll be another girl? That would be a consistent pattern,"

Alby understood. The idea was not a new one. He knew that Eve was depending on that very fact; she still believed she was a mistake and the addition of another girl would dismiss the idea for her. Unfortunately, they could not know until the sixteenth member joined them and that was still two months away.

"We won't know until we know," His response was frustrating.

Gally frowned, not satisfied with the answer. But he didn't have time to debate. The sun was rising bit by bit and he had work to do.

"I guess we will,"

Alby squinted up at him again.

"Eve will be rejoining your team today?"

Gally nodded, gesturing to the kitchen hut, his other hand on his hip.

"She's getting some breakfast before we start. We could really use a climber again, I need the logs cleared for the floorboards,"

Alby nodded dismissively.

"Best be on it then,"

Gally turned on his heel, calling over his shoulder.

"Eve and I will be back before the Box comes up,"

Alby nodded and waved him off.

"How many more do we need?"

Eve, halfway up a surprisingly tall tree, shouted down to Gally. The blonde, standing under the tree, tilted his head up to get a glimpse of her through the tree branches.

"About a dozen or so. How many more are up there?" He had long since let Eve decide what tree branches would work and she did a good job of it. She had come a long way from the skittish girl who couldn't hold a knife.

There was a short pause before Eve called down again.

"I think this is the last one thick enough. Watch out!" Gally moved away from the trunk and waited until he heard the thud of the tree branch. He was busy sanding down the branches Eve had already cut.

"Alright, come on down, then,"

A rustling in the leaves answered him and Gally kept an eye on Eve as she made her way down the tree. After a minute or two, Eve was back on the ground, her knife safely tucked into her belt, sweat beading her forehead. Frowning, she rubbed her thumb over the palm of her other hand.

"Calluses again, I've barely started,"

Gally smirked and handed her his water satchel. She took it gratefully and held it to her lips for a much-needed drink.

"You've been working for an hour, I'm not surprised they've come back,"

Eve wiped her mouth with her arm and she handed the satchel back. She rubbed her palm again and frowned.

"You're lucky you don't have to suffer this pain,"

Gally scoffed and held out his hand. Thick, heavy calluses covered the joints of his fingers.

"Shucking lucky, that's for sure,"

Eve pushed his hand away, shaking her head with a smile.

"At least those are permanent, you don't feel them anymore,"

"Maybe not, but you can feel them," He ran his hand rather roughly down Eve's bare shoulders and she jumped away, smacking at his hand.

"Shuck Gally! Are you trying to take my skin off? "

Gally laughed, before gesturing to Eve to follow him.

"Come on, we haven't got all day!"

His voice was playful and Eve rolled her eyes.

"Don't rush me,"

She stepped up to the new tree and reached for the first branch, bringing her leg up to push off a knob, but it was slippery and she lost her footing. She turned to Gally, looking frustrated.

"A little help please?"

Gally gave her a look.

"When are you going to grow a few inches?"

Eve rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips.

"Come on Gally, we don't have all day!" She threw his words back at him with mock importance. Gally screwed up his nose at her and moved to help. He locked his hands together and she stepped into them. Gally hefted her up and it did not take long for Eve to grab hold of the branch and pull herself up and off Gally's hands.

"Thank you," She smiled down at him.

Gally smirked and nodded.

"You're welcome,"

Eve shook her head at him before she scampered up the tree in search of usable building branches. Gally picked up the unsanded sticks he had left and got back to it.

As he worked, he thought back to all the times he and Eve had been out here, under the trees, each with their own job. It hadn't always been playful banter between them. When Eve had first started, Gally had resented her interfering with his work. Although she was a fairly agile climber, Eve had been weak and wary, lousy with a knife and scared of heights. It had taken her several weeks to adjust and become more comfortable and Gally had not helped at all. He grimaced when he thought back to how awful he had really been to her, taking every opportunity to shoot her down, even when she made progress.

It was not until Eve had fallen when he finally realized how much he had begun to care for her. The fall had scared him, he had worried for her and his anger afterward had only been a projection of his feelings. Following that, Gally had steadily begun to adjust to her, even stumbling through a few praises when he knew she was doing well. Gally could not believe how harshly he had misjudged her. And now, he could not believe how lucky he was that he, the biggest shank out of all the Glader's, had been given the chance to truly know Eve. To share something with her that she would never give to anyone else.

Gally blinked, unaware that his eyes had filled with unshed tears. What was with him? He didn't cry! Shaking his head, Gally turned around and looked up to Eve. She had cut off one stick and was holding it in her hand as she cut down another. She was focused, her eyes on the job before her.

Gally called up to her.

"Are there enough in that tree to finish for the day?" He had quite a pile beside him and he was sure it would do for another layer on the tower.

Eve looked down, not noticing his flushed cheeks as she responded.

"I think so,"

Gally gripped the bark as he watched her. He suddenly wanted very much for her to be back down on the ground. He wanted to touch her, to hold her and kiss her. He wanted to tell her how lucky he felt that she had chosen him, out of all the other Glader's.

But they had a job to do. It would have to wait.

"Alright, this will be your last tree then," His voice wavered just a touch and Eve looked down at him again.

"Are you alright?"

Gally nodded, turning around again to hide his face.

"Of course. Come on, we don't have all day!"

Eve's first branch hit his head before Gally heard it fall. He turned around, a wide smile on his face. Eve was smiling down at him with the other branch in her hand.

"Say that one more time, I dare you!"

By the time Eve and Gally returned into the Glade, everyone had gathered around the Box. They knew it was due to come up soon and they were eager to meet the new Greenie. Dan was among the crowd. After today, he would no longer be a Greenie.

Gally was impressed to see that Dan had laid out the strips of twine needed for each section and he had even hauled in a log to cut and sand down for floorboards. The job for that day would be easy now as all the pieces they needed were set and ready.

Eve followed Gally as they walked toward the Box, joining the throng. They came to a stop between Dan and Winston. The Slicer was punching Dan playfully, getting in all he could before the Builder became a full member of the Glade.

"No more names Dan, I bet you'll enjoy that!"

Dan brushed his sandy brown hair out of his face, his mouth twisted in a weird smile. He was still getting used to the ways of the Glader's. He was often confused about how the boys could forget the reality of their situation and crack jokes, but he was slowly loosening up.

Gally caught Dan's eye and nodded to him.

"Good job on the twine. After the new Greenie comes up, we'll get back to work,"

Dan brightened and smiled.

"Thank you,"

Gally gave him a nod and looked over the gathered Glader's. Minus Minho and Ben, everyone was there. Alby and Newt, standing on the other side of the Box, acknowledged Gally's look with a nod. Before any more could be said, the ground began to shudder.

The sound of the Box rumbled through the air and they gathered closer to the opening. Alby gestured to Gally with his hand over the Box and the blonde nodded back.

He was responsible for the welcome party.

"Stand back, it's coming up!"

The Box was grinding, screeching and making its way up the elevator-like structure faster than thought possible. They could see the metal roof speeding up to them. Slowly, as it got closer to the top, the Box clattered to a halt. It clunked once more and stopped, the whining of the gears fading into the echoes of the Glade. A moment of silence passed before the doors of the Box opened with a metallic wail and a thud. Crates, all marked with the same bold printed WCKD, were stacked along the sides. A few mesh cages held chickens and pigs; there was one medium-sized goat in the right corner.

In the middle of the Box, a lean, tall black-haired boy sat staring up at them, squinting in the sunlight. He looked very confused.

"Who are you?" His voice was deep, but he did not seem upset.

Alby knelt beside the Box, a hand on his knee.

"My name is Alby, this is the Glade. Do you remember your name?"

The boy squinted further, finally raising a hand to block out the sun.

No…," his face fell momentarily. "I can't remember. Why can't I remember?" His voice strained as the boys above him continued to stare, a multitude of eyes boring into him. He backed up into the wall and stared back. "What is my name? Where am I?"

Alby flicked his fingers at Gally without taking his eyes off the boy. Gally jumped into the Box, quickly followed by Newt. The boy looked at Newt and then at Gally.

"Who are you?"

Newt put out his hand, smiling encouragingly.

"My name is Newt, this is Gally," He pointed toward the blonde, giving him a side look in the process. Gally scoffed and turned back to the boy, his hands out before him. He remembered when he had had to approach Eve like this. She had been terrified of him. He tried to look friendly as he got closer to the boy.

"You'll remember your name soon, don't worry. Just come on up,"

The boy was beginning to look curious again. Newt beckoned for him to climb out of the Box and the boy turned and took hold of the sides. Newt and Gally pushed his feet up the Box and the boy tumbled onto the ground above. The Glader's backed up, made room for him as he whipped his head back and forth.

"Where are we? Who are you guys?"

Alby made his way around the Box as Gally and Newt hauled themselves back out.

"This is the Glade and these are the Glader's. You'll learn their names later and I'll explain everything I can to you. But first, why don't we get you checked out, get you some water and food?"

The boy looked a little wary, but he did not shy away from Alby as he approached. The Glade leader stuck out his hand to the boy, who stood a full foot taller than him.

"You'll understand soon, I promise. Your name will come back. Let's make sure you're alright in the meantime,"

Jeff came alongside Alby and the two began leading the dark-haired boy to the Med Jack Hut. Alby turned back to the group of Glader's.

"Back to work. Newt, get Winston and Zart to help you unload the Box. Fry Pan, get going on the evening meal, tonights a celebration!"

The boys were eager, a sense of excitement passing through them as they dispersed from the Box. The new Greenie watched them in confusion as he was led off to the Med Jack Hut. Dan followed Gally back to the tower sight, with Eve lagging.

"Do you think he'll be alright?" Eve sounded worried.

Gally slowed a step to allow Eve to catch up. She was watching the boy being taken into the Med Jack Hut. Gally smiled as he looked her over. He wondered if she was remembering her own experience.

"Don't worry about him Eve, he seems to have a good head on his shoulders. Alby will explain it all to him and he'll be working soon enough. Besides, he hasn't cried yet,"

Eve glared at him, catching on to his remark.

"I just know it's a scary experience, that's all,"

"I won't wish it on anyone," Dan agreed quickly.

Gally shut his mouth and walked ahead of the two to their site. He didn't have time to worry about the new Greenie, they had work to do.