TMR Gally - hate him love him

burning up

Athena's POV

Oh my shucking god . I stare at the display in front of me, not believing my own eyes. My head is pounding. Gally places his hands on my shoulders. "It's your choice little. Cut them down, or leave them hanging for a while longer." Newt hands me the blade, cleaned. I had cut one of them with it yesterday. I look at the boys confused. "You want me to decide when to cut the ropes, making them drop to the ground?" They nod. I look at Kevin and the four other boys of his gang. Hanging from tree branches, upside down. Gagged. Chuck gives me a bat. why would he... "Before you do so, they've been sentenced to a beating, specifically in the places where they touched you, talked about touching you and where they tried touching you." Chuck looks at me with a small smile. Alby walks over, standing in front of me. "You don't have to, but it can only be done by you. If you decide to do nothing, that's also okay, they will be cut down at the closing of the Doors. And recover in the Pit." He looks at Gally. "You've got a day off. Stay with her, in case..." in case I lose control and try to kill any of them. I try to hide a cough and I keep looking at the five hanging there. Looking at me, with big eyes. I must have looked as terrified as them now. Newt and Chuck were already gone, but I stopped Alby before he could leave. "Take their gags off. And get this away from me. I'm not like them, they don't deserve a second of my time." I give him the bat and turn around. Gally follows me, his hand getting a hold of mine. "Are you sure?" I look at him, my vision getting blurry from the tears. I didn't realize I was so angry and... tired. Drained from energy. "Let them scream and hang. It'll show them how it feels, no one hearing them. No one helping them. The fear." My expression must've been cold, because he looks at me with disbelief in his eyes, but he kept silent. I'm glad, I can't think with the pressure in my head. His arms around me make me feel safe, but I still felt empty inside. There is no way out of here. "Hey don't say that, we're going to find a way out here. Come on, you look tired." I didn't realize I had said that out loud. Gally gently picks me up and carries me to the hut. Inside I see a neatly folded pile of laundry on the table I had left there yesterday. I smile faintly, someone gave the laundry back to the other Gladers, after... Gally lays me down on the bed and hugs me tighter. I try to relax and snuggle closer to him. I didn't realize how much I had missed this. Him. "I missed you. I can't imagine ever spending another night away from you." Gally's voice is so soft, barely a whisper. I smile, lifting my head a bit to plant a kiss next to his ear. Everything that had happened in the past days was probably taking his toll on me, making me feel like klunk. I feel as if something is weighing me down. "I don't belong here. It's been more than a week and still, everywhere I go, chaos." He looks up, a scowl on his face. "Don't say that, none of that is your fault." I feel tears filling my eyes again. "Gally, it's all my fault. Ben said it. I can't stay here.." He pulls me up with him, making me sit on his lap, pressed closely against him. "Ben was stung, crazy. You're the best thing that happened to me, ever since you tried to fight me off." He kisses me softly, all over my face, muttering sweet nothings. I don't deserve him being nice to me. "Gally..." He kisses my lips repeatedly, shushing me. "Chaos or not, I don't care. I'm with you. Don't worry..." He holds me, gently rocking me in his arms until I feel my eyes closing, still ignoring the itching feeling in my throat, getting worse.

Newt's POV

"What do you mean, you found a Griever?" I stare at Minho and Thomas, both still panting. It's almost lunchtime, they were back hours before the Doors close. "It's just laying there, looks like it was crushed when the Maze changed." I think about it for a few seconds. "Alright. We need to have a Gathering, Keepers only. Keep it quite for now, we've got enough going on already with.." they nod, they know what I was talking about. who is was talking about. Alby is working near the Homestead, helping a couple of Builders, replacing Gally for the day. I haven't seen Gally since I left him with Athena in the forest. I zone out a bit when Thomas and Minho explain to Alby what they had seen on their run, what it could mean. "Newt?" I look up at Alby. "uhm yes. We need a Gathering. Do you know where Gally is?" Alby nods in the direction of the hut, but gives me a warning look. "He's with Athena, but she.." I nod, understanding. "She's not a Keeper." Thomas starts to protest. "I think she should be there, she's smart, smarter than most of us. Plus, Gally is going to tell her as soon as he gets back, if he even hears a word of what is said if he can't keep an eye on her." he looks from me to Alby and back. He's got a bloody good point. Minho crosses his arms. "I say she is a Keeper, a Keeper of the girls." Alby snorts, but I see what he means. It is just a ruse to get her to attend the Gathering of the Keepers without making another exception. "Minho that's brilliant. She should be. Alby?" He looks at Minho and Thomas. "Fine. Honorary Keeper, no vote. We could use her Greenie brains on this one..."