In These Walls (Newt x reader)

Twenty-three

~ Newt's P.O.V. ~

Alby went out early in the morning with Minho to track where Ben had gone yesterday, as Minho had explained they chose to go separate ways to save time in mapping the Maze. As we were working on cutting a tree with (y/n) on the sidelines, Tommy kept asking about it.

"Why would Alby go into the maze? He's not a Runner."

"Alby is going to backtrack where Ben went." (y/n) looked away as I answered, biting at her lip.

"Don't worry, Tommy. Alby knows what he's doing." Her voice was a whisper. "He knows a lot more than a lot of us."

"What do you mean?" Tommy paused in doing any work. (y/n) looked to him.

"They only send one person into the Glade at a time, and Alby was the very first. If anyone knows what they're doing, it's him." Tommy kept quiet for a moment.

"When did you come up?"

"After Ben. I was the fourth person here."

"What was it like at first?" I stopped cutting the tree to listen.

"It was... hard, very different from the way everything is now. There was only four of us building, growing the food, taking care of injuries, building up what the Glade would be. And even with the first few Gladers after us, we had job rotations, but we grew. Learned what worked, what wouldn't. Eventually we had enough people where we didn't have to work multiple jobs anymore. This place, it's become home. Everyone is like family." Tommy was quiet, running a hand over the handle of his axe.

"(y/n), I'm really sorry about Ben. I never would've wanted that to happen." (y/n) shrugged, looking away.

"It wasn't your fault. Alby was being the leader he's supposed to be, and Ben... he wasn't in a good place." The conversation ended there. I went back to cutting the tree and Tommy joined me.

~

"What if they don't come back?" Tommy asked as we stood in the entry way of the Homestead, looking out at the rain. (y/n) was in front of us all, her hair dripping. Some of the Gladers who were with us shuffled uncomfortably.

"They'll be back." (y/n) whispered softly, grasping gently at my hand. Faintly, through the rain I could see other Gladers standing in the other buildings.

"But what if they don't?" Tommy insisted.

"They will." I said firmly. Tommy looked at me for a moment, then back out at the rain, not saying anything else. I looked back at the rain too. A pit grew in my stomach as the minutes continued to tick by. I hoped (y/n) and I were right.

~

After the rain stopped, all the Gladers had moved to sit by the doors. Minho and Alby still weren't back, and it was only minutes before the doors closed.

"Why don't we send someone after them?" Tommy asked. (y/n) scoffed.

"I'd love to." (y/n) said.

"Don't encourage the Greenie!" Gally yelled, glaring in our direction.

"But Gally says it's against the rules, and he's right, going into the Maze right now is against the rules, but Alby is our leader, Minho is the Keeper of Runners." (y/n) voice was soft, but Gally still heard her.

"Well, your boyfriend would just have to step up, then." I frowned at Gally, though I knew he was right.

The doors groaned as started to close. I felt panic crawl from the pit in my stomach and up into my throat. For a moment, the Gladers cheered, but their cheer slowly became words of encouragement as everyone realized something was wrong. Minho was carrying Alby with him. Alby was completely slumped over in Minho's hold.

"Oh no." (y/n) whispered. I looked down at her. We both knew, they aren't going to make it.

"Just drop him Minho, you gotta leave him!" Gally yelled. I wanted to be angry, but knew Gally was right. We could only stand there and watch as Minho ignored Gally, pushing forward. The doors were halfway closed. In front of us, Tommy shifted.

"Tommy, don't." (y/n) reached forward, leaning far out of her chair to grab onto Tommy's arm. I realized at last second he was getting ready to run. Tommy ran as soon as (y/n) hand grabbed onto him. She tipped out of her chair, tumbling down through the doors. She looked up at me, fear written on her face. She couldn't get up or run, not without help.

"(Y/N)!" I yelled, trying to go after her, but Gally and two other boys grabbed me. "(y/n), no!" (y/n)'s gaze turned away from me to the door as it came closer to closing. When she looked back to me, I realized she was crying as she waved to me, then the doors closed between us.

The boys let me go, and I ran to the door, hitting it a couple of times. I realized I was crying as I hit the door again. Someone put their hand on my shoulder. It was Clint, a small medic bag in his hand. He quietly sat me down to wrap my hands. They were bloodied and bruised from hitting the wall. The other Gladers were slowly trailing away as we realized, today we had lost four Gladers.

"Maybe they'll get through. (y/n) has survived once, and Tommy is fast at running, so is Minho. They wouldn't leave her." Chuck was beside me, I looked to him, smiling sadly, some part of me knowing he could be right. I leaned against the wall, hoping Chuck was right, hoping some miracle would bring (y/n) safely back to me.

Original Publish Date: October 3, 2016