A Race Against Time! (ThomasxNewt) - Completed!

Chapter 4

The Next Morning…

Feeling someone standing over him had his instincts working to jump up and confront this person but before he could do that Minho heard a giggle. Slowly opening his eyes Minho connected eyes with Jackson who smiled back at him. Minho groaned when Gally shifted to watch Jackson walk over to Thomas and wake him by throwing some water over him. The two men joined Jackson’s laughter when the shock of the water made Thomas get up so quickly to the point he had fallen off the bed and onto the ground. Thomas sat up hearing the laughter coming from his supposably ‘friends’, he felt sudden anger but the giggles coming from a child made him smile. 

The door opened to the room to reveal Nick from the day before carrying what looked like a tray of food, Jackson hopped over to the blanket which was on the floor and sat down patiently waiting for his food. “Minho, come here”. Minho couldn’t deny the happy excited boy, he felt a shove from Gally who amusingly watched the great Minho turn soft because of a kid. Gally smirked but it fell when Minho grabbed his hand and pulled him to sit on the blankets on the floor while they ate breakfast. Thomas opted to eat at the table where Nick had sat himself down watching over Jackson.

“So, what's the story? How do you know Issac?” Nick’s question came as a surprise to the Core three. Nick watched intently as the three faces fluttered with different emotions. Gally coughed when the water he was drinking was forced down his neck by a cheeky Jackson who made it his mission to annoy Gally. Nick frowned at Jackson who stuck his tongue in the direction of Nick who muttered what Minho thought was “All the things I do for you and you still disrespect me. Good thing your Issac’s and not mine”. Minho frowned before speaking up, “We were in the original Maze with Newt, Gally has known him the longest since they spent longer together before I arrived. Thomas arrived and we escaped the maze together and stuck together until”. Nick frowned watching the three look at one another as they decided on answering when a voice broke through the conversation. 

“Until Wckd got involved yet again”. Turning to the doorway revealed a lost brother. Gally froze at the familiar voice, afraid to turn his head but did so for Minho’s sake. Standing in the doorway was none other than Chuck.

“Chuck!” Thomas scrambled to his feet before throwing his arms around his lost little brother who eagerly welcomed him into a hug which seemed to widen when Minho joined the hug. Nick looked away to allow them some privacy, a gasp escaped him when he saw the pure look of fear on Gally’s face. Jackson was quite intelligent for his age so he moved over to the starstruck young man and pulled on his hand which made the builder look down at him in confusion. The unthinkable happened when Jackson pulled Gally in the direction of the hug before allowing Minho and Thomas to take over. Chuck chuckled at the look on Gally’s face before pulling his older brother into a hug.

After a few minutes the three men pulled away from the hug despite the tears running down their faces they took in the appearance of the not so young boy in front of them. Chuck had grown to the height of Thomas which was taller than Newt. His hair was shorter now and straighter with a few curls. He had never lost his friendly attitude and approached others with the utmost care in the world. 

“Chuck!” “Jackie! Wow You are getting so big. Where's your dad?”. Jackson giggled from the ground before shaking his head and spinning in circles until he was facing Nick with his ‘Newt glare’. Nick chuckled before ruffling Jackson and Chuck’s hair despite their attempts to push him away, he still succeeded. “Nick?”. Nick turned to Chuck and the core three who remained close to the youngest glader, their little brother. “I think Issac is out on a run with Cas”. Chuck nodded before holding his hand out for Jackson who gladly accepted it. 

“Jackie, let's go find your dad because I have news to share”. The two then walked out the room, Nick gestured for the core three to follow otherwise they would lose the two rascals in front of them. Thomas was left to his thoughts as they walked through what looked like a village that looked oddly familiar to the core three. Gally shuddered when he realised where they were. Minho gripped his hand tightly in his grasp. Thomas smiled at his friends, he made his way to Chuck's side and the two bantered like the other hadn’t just died in their arms a few years back. Nick took up the rear keeping an eye out for danger as well as the little rocket that Jackson was who liked to dart whenever no one was looking.