Newt was the first one to move closely followed by Alex.

What did he wanted to talk to me about, why was I the first one he wanted to see..What did he see in the changing? Uhg, I've been hanging out with Thomas for too long, now I'm asking all the questions.

They reached the door, and Newt knocked on the MedHut door and slowly opened it. Newt walked in with Alex close on his heels. Thomas was a little hesitant at the door, Minho and Teresa waiting in the hall. Teresa looked a little lost and frightened, and Alex couldn't make out what Minho was feeling, he had a charming smile talking to Teresa, but then looked over and his face fell into a mask of stone.

Alex shook her head again, she didn't have time to figure out what was going on in his head. Alby groaned, catching her attention.

Sitting on the bed, with his back facing them was Alby. A wave of relief washed over her, he was up, and he wasn't trying to hurt them...yet. Newt walked over and sat beside his longest friend.

"Alby?" he asked cautiously.

"I didn't ask for you Newt, I asked for Thomas and Alex. Get out." Alby replied, his voice was gravelly and angry. Newt looked over his shoulder at her with a hurt expression on his face. Thomas looked as confused as Alex felt.

"But..Alby.." Newt tried again, hurt in his voice. Alby groaned and held his head in his hands. His voice was rough when he spoke again

"Everything...is going to change..the new girl..Thomas..Alex...I saw them.." Alby groaned again, his face in his hands.

"What do you mean you saw-"

Newt was cut off by Alby yelling "I SAID OUT! I DIDN'T ASK FOR YOU!" Newt flinched back. He stood up and stomped to the door.

"FINE! Ya grouchy shank, they are right bloody here" and he slammed the door.

Thomas and Alex were left alone with Alby. He looked over to them, they were still standing by the door, a little leary to move closer. Considering the last two people who went through the changing had tried to kill her, Alex had slipped a knife out of her belt, and was holding it loosely in her hand.

"I know who you two are, I saw it and the girl...I saw you..I saw where we came from and who you are...I remember the Flair.." he trailed off.

Alex exhaled heavily. "Yes Alby, I know who I am. I know I 'worked' for the creators. But I also know I was forced to. I was tortured and manipulated by a twisted group of people. Thomas also knows a little, only the small snippets of what I have seen- which aren't a lot. I also know that we both, and Teresa- the new girl- tried to stop it. I don't know what pieces of memories you saw, but I know we are not bad people." She finished, looking the boy on the bed dead in the eye.

Alex knew her past, or at least part of it and she had to live with that. She had to come to terms with the part she was forced to play in the creation of the maze and other aspects of this shucked place. The guilt was still there, but the people she loved and trusted told her she wasn't a bad person..so she chose to believe them. There was no way the Alex now would condone this. Hopefully the Alex before the maze was the same.

Thomas looked at Alby like he might hold all the answers to all his life problems.

"The Flare? I don't know what you're talking about Alby. What did you see? I would love to know who I am...or was." It sounded like he was forcing himself to talk.

"It ain't pretty...why would they want us to remember? Why can't we just...can't we just live here...happy away from it all?" Alby said, his gaze was distant, he looked so broken and sad.

"Alby, what happened? What did you see in the changing? You're not making any sense!" Thomas said, taking a step forward.

"You-" Alby started.

He was cut off mid sentence by his own hands. He started clawing at his throat, making weird choking noises, his eyes wide in panic. He fell back onto the bed, his body thrashing. Alex leapt forwards, dropping her knife, trying to pull his hands off his throat.

"Thomas! HELP!" Alex yelled as Alby thrashed under her, knocking her to the floor.

"NEWT! MINHO! Get in here!" Alex screamed, as she jumped back onto Alby, trying to pull his hands off his throat.

The door banged open, the boys ran in, took a quick look at what was happening, and jumped into the thick of it. Alex looked down at the boy on the bed, he looked so broken and scared right before this. What did he see? The changing broke him, he was so confident and unflinching before, her big brother, her proud Glade father...her heart broke.

What did those creators do to him? What are they doing to him RIGHT now? What's going on? Mother shuckin' bloody creators! I shucken hate them! When we get out of here, I'm going to kill them! All of them!

Her anger bubbled up inside her, she was angry at herself but more importantly she was furious at the creators. Alex grabbed onto Alby's wrists and with the anger swirling around inside her she slowly pried his hands away from his throat, she had to climb right onto the bed, almost on top of him. She used all her strength to slowly pull them down and pin them to his chest, he was fighting her hard. But somehow she was stronger, she felt hot adrenaline coursing through her. She held his wrists to his chest until he stopped fighting. Alex was panting, she felt all her muscles straining. She felt a wave of exhaustion, but she held on until she was sure he wouldn't try to strangle himself again. Alby's breathing came back to normal.

He looked at Alex, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

"Sorry nothing you shank! You tried to bloody kill yourself!" Newt said from behind Alex, he had held Alby down, to stop him from thrashing. He was just getting up now.

"I swear...it wasn't me! I don't know what happened..! It was like...like...someone was controlling me! I had no control over what I was doing!" Alby was panting, his eyes closing.

"Well get some rest Alby, K? We still need you. The glade still needs you. Me or Jeff will bring you some supper later, okay? Just please don't hurt yourself anymore." Alex said, as she rested a hand on his shoulder. He slowly nodded. The group slowly backed out of the door.

_____________________

They were sitting at a picnic table and discussing what just happened. Jeff had sent Clint up to check on Alby.

"What did he say to you?" Newt demanded, his eyes narrowed to Thomas and Alex.

"Slim it Newt. He said he saw me and Tommy, nothing new." Alex huffed.

"Do most people uh..see you two together?" Teresa asked. Minho laughed at that and Alex pursed her lips. Thomas was a nice guy, a great friend, a good running partner, but definitely not her type.

"There were 2 other guys who went through the changing since I've been here, and they both said they saw me from before. Then they tried to kill me. One only tried to kill Tommy, here. I shot that guy with an arrow." Alex said dryly, folding her arms.

Teresa laughed, but it died when no one else joined in. They all had serious expressions.

"Wait..you're serious?" She gasped, eyes wide.

"Unfortunately, yes."

"I'm so sorry Alex." She reached out her dainty hand and grabbed Alex's dirty calased one, sincerity in her eyes. Alex's anger softened.

"But what happened to make him try to choke himself to bloody death?" Newt asked again.

"He was going to try and tell me who I might have been before this.." Thomas said sadly.

"Hmm." Newt said, rubbing his bottom lip.

"It looked like he was being controlled. His eyes looked all panicky, but his hands were still choking himself. It was weird." Alex said, looking up and down the table.

She added more to herself. "I'm positive he had no control over what his body was doing."

Minho was looking at her hands, he picked up her hand, the one she had punched a wall with, it was still bruised. He turned it over in his hands.

"How did you have the strength to pull Alby's hands off himself and hold them down? That must have been almost impossible, that guy has gorilla arms... and also dent a stone wall? You're not exactly benching 200 pounds." He looked at her, curiously.

"Yes, good question." Jeff said, adding, "she didn't even break a bone after she punched a freakin solid wall!"

Alex just shrugged.

"I don't know guys. Both times I was feeling some really strong emotions... It's not like I can feel a surge of Hulk power. It just happens." The table was quiet for a moment.

"Ok, well, what's the plan for tomorrow?" Newt asked Minho, "I know you're going back into the Maze. Teresa can have her tour and start with me in the Gardens."

Teresa nodded hesitantly, looking quite pale, her hands nervously fidgeting.

Alex snorted, "Tes, you're okay to be Newt's hoe for the day?"

Teresa looked at her confused. Minho choked on his water while Alex tried very hard to keep a straight face. Newt rolled his eyes.

"Uhg, don't take anything my bloody idiot sister says seriously. When she was new she would giggle every time we used the name Track Hoe, she thought it was a dumb name. She is very mature, as you can see."

"It IS a dumb name, Newt!" She looked at Teresa, "He means the gardens, you will be working in the gardens, as a farmer or...GARDENER! These Shuck faces idiots here decided Track HOE would be the perfect name for someone who works in the gardens."

Teresa's shocked expression turned into one of disbelief, she looked at Minho and then to Newt, "Is that true? You guys came up with 'track hoe' instead of farmer..?"

She then giggled and couldn't contain herself anymore and laughed so hard her eyes were watering. Minho smirked at her amused for a second, then looked at Newt and nodded.

"Ya, Thomas, Alex and I are going to check out section 7. Where that Griever might have come from."

"Good that."

The group stayed at the table chatting and getting to know Teresa. She had a quick liking to Bark, and Bark to her. Thomas couldn't keep his eyes off her. And to her annoyance , Minho seemed captivated by her. She was soft spoken, and seemed very sweet. All the guys seemed to fawn over her, forgetting Alex was there. Teresa gave small sweet smiles and was polite. She had a way of throwing her hair over her shoulder when she laughed, and touching arms when she was talking. Alex was getting more agitated the longer she stayed. She finally had enough when Minho said something, making Teresa laugh and grab onto his arm, and he smirked slyly back at her.

"I'm going for a shower." Alex stormed away.

Once she was standing under the hot stream of water did she calm down. She ran a hand through her wet soapy hair. She was tired, and cranky.

Why? What is going on with me?

She felt her mind buzz.

"Sonya?"

"Hey Alex. I don't have a lot of time. But you need to explain what's been going on!"

"So much. Let me explain. No wait..too long let me sum it up. We had to banish that kid I shot with an arrow, apparently he lived. Our leader went into the maze in my place, without my knowledge, he was stung, Minho had to drag him back, they didn't make it before the walls closed. I thought they were dead. My world collapsed- Sorry I ignored you that night. A guy named Tommy ran in right before they closed, somehow they managed to survive the night, he killed a Griever. Minho and I got together. Finally. We had another girl show up on Greenie day and now I'm pissed at her. I think. I don't know.."

"Hmmm well 1. I want to know the details of this Minho. And 2. Why are you mad at the girl? Wouldn't it be nice to have a friend?"

Alex could feel her chuckle.

"Minho. Well he's a shuck face. But...he's the most stubborn, sassiest, hottest, sweetest and dramatic guy. Sonya, I could stare into his eyes forever. He's a tall hunk of beautiful Asian muscle. The best shuckin arms and chest ever... but he's a shuckin sweetheart underneath his sass and stone face. He helped me through some really horrible stuff here. He's also a great kisser. Like...shuck me Sonya! And Newt keeps walking in on us... shuckin bloody brothers."

She could feel Sonya laughing.

He sounds dreamy. I want more spicy details. Now. Go! Don't hold back, tell me everything!

Alex could feel her face heating up, just thinking about it.

"Well..."

She gave her sister all the spicy details of their first kiss, how she felt her butterflies and the feeling of his hands on her face and in her hair. Alex told Sonya about their make out session in the Council room, how she got him weak kneed and how she won their little tongue touslee. She told Sonya about their bonfire and his sala moves, and how she still gets this fluttery feeling when she thinks about how his hips moved when they danced.

Dang girl! That's some spice! I want to meet this hunk of salsa Asian muscle! Now. This girl. What's going on?"

"I don't know. From my memories, the 3 of us were like best friends. She went through a lot of stuff with me before the maze, after you were gone. But maybe we are just different people now, I don't know...but she's so..so...dainty and sweet...and all the guys are all over her, tripping over themselves. Even seems like Minho too. I got frustrated and left. It's weird. I'm the complete opposite of everything she is."

It was quiet, Alex could just feel the buzzing.

Well sis, sounds like you're jealous. You had their attention for 3 months, and now a new girl is just that...new. It'll blow over. Just be you. And I'm sure your boy toy isn't going to do anything. From what you just told me and the emotions I get from you, you love him, and he loves you. Are you getting your period?

"No, I had that last week."

"Then definitely just jealous. You'll be ok now-"

There was a soft knock on the door.

"What?" Alex called annoyed. She never got to have a proper conversation with Sonya, and her and Minho were always interrupted..never any privacy in the Glade.

"Oh sorry." Called a quiet airy voice.

Alex sighed. "Just a minute, I'm almost done."

"Sorry Sonya, I gotta go."

Ya, I should too. You feeling better though?

"Ya. There has been a lot of klunk going on here, I think I'm also tired. Just needed some quiet time, a good shower and a chat with my sissy. Love you. Thanx Sonya!"

Anytime! Now you go kiss that boy if yours and remind him what he's got!

Alex mentally rolled her eyes. She could feel her head buzz like Sonya was laughing. And then her head went still. Alex finished rinsing off, dried off and quickly pulled on some clean clothes. She opened the door, Teresa was kneeling beside Bark scratching her ears.

Teresa looked up. "Sorry for rushing your shower! I didn't mean to."

"No it's okay. I was just about done, I was uhh... nevermind." Alex replied.

Teresa smiled, "I was going to shower, um Minho said this is the one you always used, because it had a lock.."

Alex nodded, of course it was Minho who would talk to her about showering. Swallowing her frustration, "Do you want me to stand in front of the door? Minho or Newt always would. But now that I'm second in command and the guys are terrified I'd stab them in their sleep...they leave me alone."

Teresa looked wide eyed at Alex, "what?"

"Ya wouldn't be the first time I threatened to. The guys here ..you have to be tough to survive here."

Teresa looked worried, her eyes were big and she didn't move.

Alex smiled awkwardly for a moment, "But, you'll be okay, the guys here are really nice! They're my family. You'll be okay, I promise. This place doesn't work if we don't have each other's backs, we all need to trust each other."

Thomas came around the corner, he saw the girls and stopped, his eyes wide and a little blush rose in his face.

"Oh umm...did you umm still want me to be..uh want me to stand watch?" He asked awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.

Teresa blushed, and averted her eyes.

Alex smirked, "I guess I don't need to stand guard..."

She leaned into Teresa and whispered "he's a good one. Asks lots of dumb questions, but he's a good one."

Teresa gasped and tried to hide her smile. Alex laughed "Have fun kids!" And she walked away.