Everyone had loaded up and Vince and Odin were doing one last check of the little beach village, making sure nothing was left behind and everything was packed up. Hope stood at the railing at the back of the ship. There were a lot of people and she needed to be alone.

The wind was playing with her hair, blowing strands of it all around. She heard voices arguing. There were so many people on the boat it was hard to be alone. But she had found a little corner, where she sat on a crate. The voices grew louder and now she could hear some of the conversation. She knew it was some Glader, their use of the word Shuck and Shank and slinthead gave it away. The worst part was she recognized both the voices.

"...Come on man!"

"No! I...I just can't! Okay? Drop it!"

Hope sat still as stone. Her back to the conversation. She closed her eyes and clenched her jaw. Trying hard not to make any sounds. Maybe they would go away.

"Why? What's so wrong with admitting it?"

"I did already! And it was a shucken mistake! Everything went to shuck after that!"

"How? You escaped. You all found her brother, Newt is getting better. Thomas is stable...I don't understand why you ditched her?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"You're right shuck face. I don't. And I don't think you do either. It should have been a happy thing you're free. Instead...she's having flash backs of all the klunk and instead of you helping, it's Will and me!"

"Gally."

"No, man, you were there, he asked us to use his actual birth name."

"Oh shuck that. Not you too! Everyone jumping on board with this damn name change."

"His choice. Not yours."

"Whatever man. But no. I'm not going to do it. I gotta figure my own head out."

"Yeah. You sure do, man. If you were gonna ditch her the moment you got out, why'd you do it?"

"I didn't know we were gonna be sprung!"

"So...she was your only option at the time and now you're out ..what? You want options?"

"That sounds horrible."

"Tell me I'm wrong."

"Look shuck face-"

"You gonna hit me Minho?"

"Maybe I should! I'm just trying to figure all this klunk out and I don't need some clingy girl with more issues than me!"

Hope had to stifle a small cry. She pressed a hand to her mouth. Some clingy girl, Minho had just reduced her to nothing more than some girl. He threw their friendship away and everything they went through.

"Hope?"

"Oh shuck my miserable life."

She heard one set of footsteps leave while the other came closer. She sat stiff and tense, her eyes squeezed closed, tears leaking down her cheeks and dripped off her chin. He hands clamped tight over her mouth. He stepped right in front of her. She felt arms circle around her and she was pulled into Frypans chest. She slowly wrapped her arms around him, her hands grabbing onto the back of his jacket and he hugged her tight. He gently placed his chin on the top of her head and held her safely in his arms.

Hope eventually turned her head so could lay her head on his shoulder. She took a few shuddering inhales. He hadn't moved his hands and he hadn't pulled away. He just hugged her. He hugged her until her shoulders slowly released their tension and her breathing wasn't ragged, her tears had dried. And yet, she stayed. He wasn't the first to break the hug. Ar some point Hope realized she was just huggithim now. And yet she didn't want to let go.

"Fry?" She whispered.

"Yes Hope?"

"Are you okay? With this...I've collected myself...and now I'm just kinda..."

"I'll stay as long as you need."

"But...why?"

"You needed a hug. And I'm a pretty great hugger."

"True. This is one of the best hugs I've had."

Her hands slowly unclenched. She took a slow shuddering inhale and slowly let it out.

"I'm sorry you had to hear that."

Hope was quiet. Her broken and numb  heart was hurting. "I'm just some girl with issues."

"But you're not. You're important to so many people."

"Including you?"

"Yeah! I thought...I thought we were friends?"

"We've had like four conversations..."

"Okay. Well pretended were 5 and on the playground. What's your favorite dinasour?"

"My favorite dinasour?"

"Yes Hope. What's your favorite dinasour?

"Ummm the one that swims in the water...looks like a giant sea monster."

"What? Cool! No way!" Frypan pulled away, his hands still on her shoulders, his face had morphed into one of childlike excitement. "Mine too!"

"Wait..what?"

"Let's be best friends!"

Hope had to press her lips together,

"Dinasour buddies!"

Hope giggled. And Fry let a big smile show, making his eyes light up.

"See? Now we're friends. And your officially important to me too. 'Cause were dino buddies."

Hope laughed quietly as she glanced up at him. He was still smiling.

"Okay, scooch over. I wanna sit and watch the waves too. Who knows we might see Nessy!"

"I thought you'd memories were taken...how do you know who Nessy is?"

"Hope! Everybody knows what the Loc Ness Monster is! Also...I had a lot of down time with the Right Arm between missions."

"Tell me about them?" She asked.

Fry spent the remainder of the morning telling her wild takes of missions. How Lanna trained everyone to shoot, Odin whipped the other Right Arm men into proper Soilders. He told her about different missions and finding more WICKED trucks full of kids. He had a way of telling stories, he had different voices and wild hand gestures. Hope listened intently. His laugh was loud and straight from the belly. He would throw his head back and roar with laughter.

Hope relaxed. She pulled her knees up and laid her head down on her knees. She had a small smile on as she watched him tell another wild story.

"Hey Fry?"

"Hmm?"

"Will you tell me about the Maze? What was it actually like? And what was Will like? He said he was really different."

"Hmm. Well...that's not a very happy story, Lil Lady."

"If you don't want to that's okay. I understand." Hope said quietly.

Fry slowly told her about the Glade and what it was like. He told her about bonfire nights and his bacon. He told her of the other boys, his friends and brothers. Hope had taken his hand when he talked about some and his voice cracked. He had to stop and breathe a few times. Wiping the tears away he smiled sadly.

"It's all good. I'll see 'em again."

Hope smiled and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. There was a loud siren, which made Hope flinch hard and scream, her eyes dilated and her heart slammed into her chest.

Fry pulled her back into a tight hug.

"Shhh. Hope it's just the lunch bell. Your safe. You're okay. You're safe."

She laid her forehead in his shoulder getting her breathing back. She slowly sat up. Hope's hands were shacking. Her fight or flight had kicked in so fast. She felt sweaty and she could feel the panic induced flush rising up her chest to her neck and cheeks.

She ran a trembling hand through her hair. Trying to calm herself. Fry kept a hand gently on her other arm. He gave her an encouraging smile.

"I'm sorry I fly off the handle everytime there's a loud noise."

"Nah, that things loud enough the be Nessy's snooze alarm!"

Hope smiled slightly.

"Well best friend you ready for some lunch?"

"I...I guess so."

He led her across the deck of the ship and down the narrow steps into the mess hall chatting the entire time. It was loud and crowded. They got in line and Hope was fidgeting, she shifted from foot to foot, twisting some hair. Her eyes darted around. They finally got their trays and food and Fry led her to a table with Aris, Sonya and Brenda, Harriet, Vera and Harvey. Fry sat down, and Hope hesitated but slowly sat, feeling uncomfortable. A few minutes later Lanna and Will showed up.

"There you are! I've been looking all over for you! Where've you been?!" Lanna cried plunking down beside Hope.

"Sorry. Fry was telling me stories."

"Excuse me, you mean Dino Bestie." He pointed his fork at her, making her smile and roll her eyes.

Lanna raised an eyebrow.

"He wanted to know my favorite dinasour. Apparently we have the same one."

The table spent the next 15 minutes talking about dinasours. Aris and Sonya waved their hands and two people came over. Hope instantly tensed. Minho and Tim slid into the benches at the end. She hadn't seen Tim since she woke up on the Berg. And she hadn't actually seen Minho since their talk on the beach yesterday morning.

Hope kept her head down. The table kept talking, though she did notice Will and Lanna stiffen and stop talking. Minho seemed to be his normal self. Hope glanced at him. He looked tired, he still had bags under her eyes and his hand clenched his fork harder then he needed to, and there was a bruise on his jaw from Will's pumch. He has showered with clean clothes and his nearly styled hair. But he seemed to be fine. He glanced in Hope's direction and she could see that he wasn't okay. But he pretended he was. And Hope didn't understand why he had to do it alone, why did he have to say such mean and hurtful things about her.

I promise, if they come back, I'll come get you. I can't leave my cell mate hanging! Like you said before. We're in this together."

Hope looked at him. He had straightened up and leaned forwards slightly, his dark eyes were intense.

"I mean it Hope. We've been through a lot of klunk together. I'm not leaving that place without you."

Hope slowly unwound her arms and let her legs fall, so she was sitting cross legged. She slowly nodded. "Okay Mean-Hoe."

"Like I mean it! Like I pinky promise." He held his hand out, pinky out.

"I don't think I'd have been able to get through this without you." His voice sounded like it dropped, but his eyes were steady. 

"Yeah." She squeaked.

Her heart was racing so fast. And it felt like her lungs were still holding the breath. Minho's fingers gently caressed her cheek. She could the heat of a blush rising in her cheeks. Minho's dark intense eyes never left hers.

"Shuck." He whispered, "I swore to myself I wouldn't..." He trailed off, his fingers running slowly down from her ear to jaw and over to her lips.

Hope's heart was slamming into her chest. "Wou- wouldn't d- do what?" She squeaked.

He cleared his throat, "Catch  shucken feelings."

"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.

"I'm just trying to figure all this klunk out and I don't need some clingy girl with more issues than me!"

All his words, his promises, his sweet whispered if not leaving her, of being with her to his spat out words of anger that she was just some shucked up girl. Her heart felt like some monster had grabbed it and pierced it with their claws. It was being squeezed and shredded at the same time.

Hope could feel her throat getting tighter and her chest felt heavy. She looked away and down to her plate of food. She picked at it a bit more. Lanna and Will were talking about something beside her.

She tried to listen, but the voices around her were starting to blend together and become a buzzing. Her chest was feeling even more restricted. As quietly and calmly as she could she got up, with her plate and cup and took it to the dish bins and left the mess hall. Hope scrambled up the stairs and out into the open on the deck. The Berg had been landed on the front of the boat. It's doors were open and the ramp was down. A few people were walking down the ramp. She knew Newt and Thomas were still on board, so those must be the medical people.

She wrapped her arms around herself and wondered the deck alone. She was on lap two when a few people fell into step beside her. Stopping abruptly she looked around. Lanna, Will and Fry were beside her.

"Need some walking buddies?" Will asked.

Hope shrugged. They stayed for the afternoon. They walked a bit and sat and talked. The guys had gone to grab snacks and Hope lay down, her head in Lanna's lap and with the sound of the ocean the hum of the boat motor, Fry's voice as he told another story about something, Hope drifted to sleep.

•°•

This is how it went for the next few days they were on the ship. Hope would hang out with Lanna, Will and Fry. Sometimes Harvey and Vera would join. Fry was an easy person to be around. He had a light hearted attitude, nothing seemed to stress him out, his smile was infectious, and his laughter drew you in. He also gave the best hugs. She loved Lanna, and Papa, but Fry just gave the best ones hands down, and he didn't mind handing them out.

Finally by day four there was condition on the deck, and Hope and their little group went to the railing. Hope held a hand up and shielded her eyes from the glare of the sun.

"There it is! This magical Safe Haven!" Lanna laughed.

"It's real afterall. Papa wasn't lying." Hope smiled at her sister. She linked her arm and slid closer, pulling Vera with her. The three girls held each other tight.

"I wouldn't lie about that!" His deep voice rumbled behind them.

Hope twisted her head and smiled up at the man who had been like a father to her for so many years. Tears filled her eyes.

"Papa Bear!" She let go of Lanna and hugged him tight. He hugged her back. The other girls joined in on the hug. Hope was the last one to pull away. Odin patted her back and gave her a smile.

"We made it Kiddo. Now. We call this home. We make a life. No more running, no more hiding no more moving. We build a home and a life. You heal and then you thrive."

"I think I could get used to that."

Hope turned back to the best view she'd ever seen. It looked like a huge island, with a huge big beach, it was lush and green, and full of life. Hope could see green rolling hills, a possible valley in between, the hills were surrounded by a big thick forest, trees that thrived with life and health. Further back, the hills morphed into huge rocky mountains stretching up to the sky. It was beautiful.

And this is where they were going to call home.