Remember for the Both of Us [COMPLETED]

31: Detour

I cannoned into a crowd of nervous onlookers, clustered around a grey square floating in the air. "Lynn!" Newt yelled, crushing me into a hug as everyone cheered. Unnoticed, the little portal blinked out of existence. 

Before I could even get a look around Newt crushed his lips against mine, kissing me hard in his relief. When he finally pulled back, we were both gasping for air, and he pulled me close to him, smiling brighter than I had ever seen him. 

I blinked against the blinding sunlight. Dew soaked through my shoes, glistening on green grass. I stood on a hillside, lusher than anything I'd seen in my life. I gaped. When Chancellor called it "paradise," she wasn't kidding.

Minho was already taking charge. "What the shuck?" he asked to no one in particular. "Is this the Scorch?"

I addressed the group, Newt's arms still snug around my waist. "Chancellor Paige, one of the higher-ups in WICKED had a backup plan in case the Trials failed. Paradise, as it's so ironically named, was a place that she could send Immunes if they were ever threatened to be wiped out by WICKED. Her reasoning was if we can set up an isolated community of Immunes, then they'd be a backup plan in case all of humanity was—you know, destroyed by the Flare. 

"The purpose of this experiment was to map out certain emotions in the brain, because the Flare works in the brain. So they've been putting us through these ridiculous maneuvers to try and map out certain patterns—betrayal, fear, loyalty, leadership—and the like. Because it is an experiment, not everyone here is Immune. You were isolated from the Flare in the Maze, but had we crossed the Scorch, some of us would have caught the Flare and become Cranks. But I wasn't going to let that happen.

"I unfortunately had to have telepathic communication set up with the Chancellor, just like Thomas and Teresa can talk to each other. However, I used that to convince her that I had ruined the experiment by clueing you in to what was really happening, so she should just send us away here. More Immunes may or may not join us later." I shrugged. "That's just a small price for us to pay, because I guarantee you most of us would've died before we got through the Scorch.

"I changed the coordinates on the control panel of the Flat Trans the night before, to take us here. And the Chancellor had her men free me from the paralysis so I could get through the Flat Trans."

Minho nodded, then started cracking out orders. Soon food was being distributed and people were being sent out for to find a source of water. Huts started to rise, and chatter, some excited, some subdued rang throughout the clearing.

As evening fell, Newt came back from a scouting expedition, dodging around people. I smiled at him from where I was taking inventory of the food we had brought through the Flat Trans. He had a quick conversation with Minho, then took my hand and led me off up the hillside. 

As I started to protest, he reassured me. "Don't worry, Minho said it was fine."

We sat overlooking the little community being developed. The sunset glowed purple and gold from the sky, and I rested my head on his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around my waist. "We'll never remember, will we?"

I was surprised by the unexpected question. "There's not anything pleasant to remember."

"It's just frustrating," he commented softly. "That you know all about me, things that I don't even know. And I don't know you at all."

"I like to maintain an air of mystery," I quipped. 

He laughed. "Come here then, mystery woman."

He kissed me softly, lips gently brushing over mine. "I guess I'll just have to make new memories with you to replace the old ones," he whispered against my lips.

I pulled back, poking him teasingly. "And I know just how to annoy you."

"Did I say you were done kissing me?" 

As the sun set, I let him tug me toward him again, wrapping my arms around his neck. I glowed with the same happiness as the molten sky, knowing all in the world was as right as I could possibly make it.