Something shook Hope awake. Something was shacking and vibrating. There was a sound of an engine straining and screaming.

Hope's eyes flew open, already dilated in panic, she sat straight up with a yelp. Her heart was racing and slamming into her chest faster than it should for someone who was passed out. All she heard was yelling, explosions and the engine of the Berg working over time.

"Hey! Hey Hope! Shh. It's okay. You're okay!"

Someone grabbed her shoulder trying to make her lay back down. Hope just yelled and fought back.

"Hope! Please! It's me!"

Hope's head whipped around. Someone was sitting beside her on a small cot. Hope screamed and sobbed and threw herself into Lanna's arms. Lanna let her tears fall as well. The girls held onto each other. Hope's body shivered and shook, Lanna held her tight, rubbing her back.

"You're okay. You're okay. You're safe." Lanna repeated.

Hope finally pulled away and sniffed and rubbed her eyes with her fists. The Berg shuddered again, tipping slightly. Hope was thrown sideways, causing her to cry out.

"Wh- what's going on?"

"We went back to Thomas."

"Why?" Her voice was strangled, her dilated eyes were flying around trying to see and process what was happening. "Where did he go?"

"Okay...so we have a crap tun to catch up on, but right now. You shot Newt, and then passed out. Thomas apparently ran off. We got you and Newt back here, Papa ripped into everyone for leaving you behind. Now...were hovering over a building waiting for Thomas."

Hope was trying hard to process everything. Her head was hurting. The screaming and explosions and the wild terbulance made it hard to focus. She was doing everything to keep a tight hold on her panic. Hope twisted around trying to see. Newt was laying close by, he was strapped down to the metal frame of the cot. There was a bandage wrapped around his bloody shoulder. Tim sat on his knees beside him, holding his pale hand. Tim didn't even look around, just sat hunched over.

Hope felt her anger building. She twisted the other way. Everyone was standing at the back ramp, which was open. Odin and Vince were strapping harnesses to themselves. Jorge was yelling something from the cockpit. Hope could see fire and smoke from the open hatch.

There was a group of kids huddled in the cargo hold. The kids from WICKED. There was a loud crashing. Hope flinched with a cry, and threw her arms over her head. Lanna pulled her closer hugging her tight.

"Shhh. Hope it's okay. We're in the Berg away from the collapsing buildings."

"I... No! No..I can't! I can't!" Hope gasped, she could feel a weight on her chest. She struggled out of Lanna's grip, she pushed away, scrambling off the little cot attached to the wall and pushed past Lanna and ran. She raced down the hall of the Berg to one of the extra small rooms throwing the door open and slamming the door closed and slid down in the corner, her knees pulled tight to her chest. She clamped her hands over her ears pressing her forehead into her knees.

She stayed huddled in the corner, trying to keep herself from falling apart. The door opened and Lanna came in and just sat with her. The Berg kept tipping violently making her shriek every time. Lanna eventually wrapped her up in her arms, and held her tight. A hand pressed tight on the back of Hope's head. Hope grabbed onto her, and held her tight, her eyes clamped shut.

The wild swaying and shuddering of the Berg suddenly stopped, the engine stopped working so hard. The muffled yelling stopped. Hope didn't move. And Lanna didn't make her. She just held Hope tight.

The door opened again and there were footsteps. Hope heard a quiet voice and then she felt someone sit down on her other side. Hope slowly picked her head up. And looked around.

"Hello Hope!"

Hope blinked a few times, it took her a second to realize who it was.

"Frypan..?"

"The one and only!" He smiled kindly at her.

"What's going on?" Lanna asked, her hand slowly running through Hope's hair.

"We got Thomas. We're on our way back to base."

"Don't you want to faun over His Majesty?" Hope spat bitterly.

Fry chuckled and shook his head. "He has enough people trying to patch him up and keep him alive."

"Keep him alive? What? What happened?" Lanna gasped.

"Uhh...him and Teresa showed up on the roof and Thomas had been shot-"

"Tell me that little traitor isn't on this Berg!" Hope snarled.

"Who? Teresa?" Fry asked.

Hope just snarled.

Frypan shook his head his eyes going sad. "No. She helped throw Thomas on board... But before she could get on, the building collapsed...taking her with it."

"Good."

Lanna and Fry both looked at her shocked. Hope narrowed her eyes and sat up, pushing away from Lanna.

"She stood and watched me get strapped down to a chair and helped torture me and Minho for nine months. All in hopes of a damn cure that doesn't exist!"

They were quiet looking at Hope with worry and concern and shock she would be so harsh.

"Don't look at me like that!" She snapped. "That witch got what she deserved!"

Lanna gasped and threw her hands to her mouth, "Oh Hope!"

Fry opened and closed his mouth a few times. Hope glared at him daring him to say something.

"Hope, that's terrible. I'm sorry you had to go through that!"

She continued to glare at him. He held her gaze with his steady calm eyes. She finally ripped her eyes away turning her head away, looking at the wall. She folded her arms tight to her chest, trying to make herself smaller. They were all quiet for a while. Hope was hurting. Her heart hurt. Her body hurt, everything hurt and felt heavy.

"Are you hungry, Hope?" Fry asked, his voice was quiet and gentle.

"No."

"Well...I'll go get something anyways. Lanna?"

"Sure, thanks Fry." She smiled at him.

He got up and left the room, leaving the girls. She heard the door close and it was quiet.

"Hope...talk to me. How are you doing?"

Hope slowly looked around at her best friend, her sister in every way but blood. All her anger melted away. Replaced by exhaustion and a deep heaviness.

"It...it was a living nightmare...." Hope's eyes went distant, her chin quivered. "Lanna... They all left me... Minho and Will and Tim..."

"Wait...who's Will?"

"Oh...you call him Gally. But he's W-"

"Your brother?! Gally is Will? No way!"

Hope just nodded once looking away. Tears threatening to fall. "But they all left to save the crank." Hope spat bitterly.

"Papa ripped into them pretty good." Lanna said.

Hope didn't even care at this point. They were concerned about the crank and His Majesty. She was still bitter and angry and hurt.

"When we got to the holding cells and you and Minho weren't there Thomas, Newt and Tim forced Teresa to take them to where you were. I don't know what happened after that. Brenda and my job was the getaway bus. All the kids loaded up and we waited as long as we could, but... I'm sorry Hope! Gally said he would find you guys."

Hope listened, kind of curious of the rescue plan. "Ya. We found him. But...part of the Eliet Gladers needed attention and everyone left."

"Hope..."

"I don't wanna talk about it."

"You know Papa and I didn't give up looking for you."

"Ya...I know." She whispered.

There was a knock on the door and Frypan entered again. He had water bottles and a plate of peanut butter sandwichs.

"Supper is served. Sorry, Hope, it's not birthday cake, but I promise I'll make ya one, one day." He smiled at her, making his eyes crinkle.

It was hard to not lift her mouth into a small smile. She hesitantly took a half sandwich and tried to eat. It was a struggle to eat, her stomach felt sick still and she was exhausted. She eventually put the sandwich down and wrapped her arms around herself.

"Come on, you need a nap. It'll take a few hours to get to base camp." Lanna stood up and held her hands out. Hope looked up at her, nervous to leave.

"We'll stay here, but I'd rather laydown on a bed."

Hope let Lanna pull her up and guid her over to the bunk bed in the corner. Fry went to the closet and pulled some blankets out and brought them over. Lanna lay down with Hope and hugged her tight while Hope snuggled into her sister with a small whimper. Fry tucked them in.

"Why are you helping me, Fry?" Hope asked him, she turned her exhausted and sorrowful eyes up to him. "You're a mighty eleit Glader, don't they need you?"

"No." He said gently shacking his head. "There's enough people fussing over them. You needed some fussing over too." He smiled down at her and then nodded and walked over to their discarded supper picked it all up and walked to the door. He turned the lights off.

"Sleep tight girls."

Hope took a slow breath. "Is this real?"

"Ya. It's real. You're free. And your safe."

Hope was exhausted. She was so tired she didn't have the mental capacity to feel truly free or safe. She just felt exhausted and heavy and numb.

As she slowly drifted into sleep her heart felt the sharp stab of pain, Minho still hadn't bothered to come look for her, even after Newt and Thomas were on board now. Her brother hadn't come. Tim didn't even look over when she first wake up. She didn't need to be the centre of attention, nore was she looking for special attention, but she thought maybe she ment more to them then what it appeared. Lanna hugged her tight.

•°•

Hope had fallen asleep with Lanna and slept straight until Papa woke them up the next day. Fry had brought them some food, and then Lanna took her straight to the showers in the Right Arm camp and given her some clean clothes. She promised to stay outside the door while she showered.

Hope took her time. Half way through, she needed to sit down and take a break. She eventually got herself washed.

Lanna kept her promise, she was sitting in the ground waiting for Hope. They were leaving for Safe Haven as soon as the ship was loaded with everything. Lanna took Hope by the hand and led her to the beach and they just sat. The sun was bright and warm. Hope had been trapped inside for so long she forgot what outside felt like.

She tipped her head up and closed her eyes. She listened to the waves lap against the sand. And let the salty ocean air play with her long hair. She also listened to the Right Arm members load the ship. Every time there was a bang Hope flinched with a whimper. Lanna had stretched out on the sand, she kept a tight hold on Hope's hand though.

Hope cracked her eyes open when someone cleared their throat. Lanna sat up. "Yes?" She asked.

"I'd like to talk to Hope." Minho said, his face was blank.

Hope couldn't read his expression. She felt nervous suddenly. She didn't know what was going through his mind. Lanna looked at Hope, waiting for her answer. Hope nodded, while she looked down at her lap. Lanna got up, dusting the sand from her pants.

"I'll be back in a bit."

Minho watched her walk away before he looked back down at Hope and then plunked down beside her. He sat silently beside her for a minute looking out into the ocean.

"So...what happened after Gally and I left?"

"Tim and His Majesty left me behind for the Crank." Hope spat bitterly. "Papa found me."

"You mean Thomas and Newt." Minho said sharply.

"I said what I ment." She snapped back.

"How can you say that when they came back for us?"

"No. They came back for you!" She said raising her voice. "The only ones who came for me was Lanna and Papa! And after you and Will-"

"Gally. His name is Gally, Hope."

"No. Our parents named him Will. It's on his birth certificate. WICKED forced a new name on him."

Minho narrowed his eyes at her and ground his teeth. Hope looked away, back out over the water and continued.

"I needed you too Minho." She said quietly. "They left me behind. They just got up and carried him off down the street. If Papa hadn't found me, I would have died in the middle of the war zone. He found me in full shell shock. But sure, let's all fuss over the crank. And help the traitor who strapped us down for torture. Let's bring a Berg full of freshly sprung kids back into the war zone to wait for His Majesty, when he chose to go back to the damn traitor!"

"He had the chance to save Newt." Minho said quietly.

"Ya? And what did we do for nine months Minho? We had the opportunity to save humanity, too. You sound an awful lot like Teresa and WICKED with that kind of line."

"That's not fair!" He raised his voice, suddenly angry.

"Then explain it to me! Because from my perspective, it's all about the mighty Gladers again. And us no bodies are left to either follow you all around or get left behind. Because I also need you. Or Will or Tim!" Hope cried, her hurt was clearly coming to the surface, the anger was swallowed by the hurt. Minho growled and ground his teeth. She closed her eyes and slowed around the lump that was forming. She took a slow breath, and tried again, quieter now.

"Tell me, Minho. If it was someone else, some other person cranking, would you have put in the same effort?"

"Yes."

"Even Teresa? What if she was cranking." She raised an eyebrow. He couldn't hold her gaze and he looked away.

"I thought so." She said quietly. "Because he's important to you. He put the rest of us at risk. He almost killed Tim. And Thomas. And instead of staying to help, Thomas left for her. And Newt tried to attack me."

"Didn't you shoot him" Minho challenged, his voice sharp. He turned his dark eyes on her and narrowed them.

"No one noticed I was left behind until I screamed with a gun in my hand!" She managed to spit out. She could feel the tears burning her eyes.

"You still shot him!"

"In the damn shoulder." She cried. Her voice broke, and the tears started to slip down her cheeks. "I didn't kill him! And if I remember correctly, Minho. You were able to give him the damn serum you left me for! After I stopped him from killing everyone and passed out. And after on the Berg there was no, oh my gosh, Hope are you okay?"

Hope angrily swatted at the tears. All she wanted was him to care about her as much as Newt. But the way he sat stiff and staring out to the ocean instead of looking at her, arguing with her made her feel like his confession of feelings was just something to get them through WICKED tourtre.

"Do you still feel the same as you did back in our cell? Or was that you in some kind of Stockholm syndrome situation?"

He was quiet. He looked down for a moment and then back up out over the ocean. Hope didn't push it, but the longer he sat quiet the more her heart sank and the faster the tears fell.

"Hope..." He started but then trailed off. She was biting her lip hard to keep quiet. He finally turned to look at her, she could see the heart break and confusion in his eyes. He took a shaking breath. Slowly he raised a hand to her cheek and with his thumb he gently brushed the tears away.

"What we went through, that's not going to change. And I ment what I said. I couldn't have gotten through those nine months without you!"

He paused. His chest heaved as he took a breath. Hope's throat was tight, her chest felt heavy and her tears kept coming.

"I didn't lie about catchin' feelings. But...I-
Honestly? I... I don't know."

"You don't know." She repeated, her voice shook and broke again.

He slid his hand to the back of her head, slowly pulling her head closer as he leaned in and kissed her gently. Even as he did, Hope knew this was going to be their last. This was his food bye. They weren't really together to begin with, they were never officially a thing. But it still hurt. She felt used, she never lead him on, at least she didn't think she did. He slowly pulled away.

"I'm sorry Hope."

"Yeah..." She whispered. "I'll see you around, Minho."

Holding a sob in she got to her feet and walked away. Walked away from the person who had held her together through nine of the worst months of her life. She had no idea where Lanna was but she managed to walk away down the beach and found a few big rocks she sunk down and finally let her sob out. And she let it all out, crumpling onto her side she curled up her head in her arms she sobbed.