Summary: Five years after first arriving at the safe haven. Though now, when the group decides to go and see if any life remains, they find out that Newt was never dead. Oh and he's a complete badass.

Where: Safe Haven

Words: 3,320

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"Thomas, go to bed."

Thomas looked up with a fuzzy head and blurry vision. It was far past curfew and he was the only one still up, but it looks like he woke Minho up too. Tomorrow they planned to take the boat and see if anything became of Denver, the Last City.

And Thomas couldn't sleep. He hadn't had a perfect night's sleep since they arrived but tonight, when he knew he could save anyone there with his blood, was nerve-wracking. 

"Can't," Thomas mumbled, scrubbing his face with his hand. "There's too much to think about."

Minho sighed from his bed. The two of them shared a room with Aris then another named Nolan, a boy Sonya and Harriet took under their wing a year ago (he now calls them mom and the others uncle and aunt). 

As always, Minho knew why. "Newt?"

Thomas looked away and that gave Minho his answer.

"Listen, I know-" 

"You don't," Thomas whispered. "You didn't watch him shove a dagger in his chest and watch him die in your arms. He's- he's all that's been on my mind and I don't know when- if- I'll ever stop mourning him."

Everyone knows Thomas took Newt's death the hardest. No one will forget the time he tried to carve Newt's name into the stone the day after they got back and he didn't even finish the N before breaking down into sobs. He was surviving, but not living after that. He isolated himself for a whole day, and functioned for the next three but never really lived.

The day Thomas opened his mouth to speak, to become a runner again with Minho, was the day they realized he'd never truly be himself again, not unless Newt was by his side.

"You got me there," Minho said. "And I can't promise you'll ever get over this. I'm still not over Ben's death. And I'm sure as hell not over Newt's. Or Alby's. But I think Newt would be proud of you for going and helping where you can. That's all he ever wanted, was to help."

Thomas soaked up these words and hoped they'd make him feel better. To his surprise, they did a bit. 

"Thanks, Min."

"Of course. Now go to sleep you shank. We've got a long day tomorrow."

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The group consisted of Thomas, Minho, Sonya, and Harriet. The two girls were hesitant to leave their adopted son alone but Brenda insisted, stating that it might not be safe for a six-year-old.

They set off fairly early at 7 in the morning. The trip wasn't boring by any means. They exchanged stories of their respective mazes and talked about who's escape was more successful (the girls won that one, they escaped a day earlier and lost fewer people). 

Once they arrived, Thomas and Harriet tied the boat up before joining Sonya and Minho. The city was gross, there was still dirt caked on everything and splatters of dried blood, but the trashed and destroyed buildings had been moved aside, and bodies weren't anywhere to be found. 

"Looks like someone's cleaned up a bit," Harriet said, wrapping an arm around Sonya to keep her close.

"I wonder how many people," Sonya added. "Maybe the remaining people reproduced over the last years and the virus died out?"

They all knew that it was unlikely that happened. At the safe haven, there were some kids that made it back with them like Nolan, but there have only been one or two babies born. If they struggled to build population then Denver most definitely did.

The group continued walking while making sure to keep an eye out for any movement. Minho kicked aside rocks and pieces of wood, occasionally picking something up to poke Harriet in the back with it.

Thomas paused fifteen minutes into their walk, hearing chatter. He saw Minho pause too, and the girls looked at them curiously.

"What's up?" Sonya asked. 

"I hear talking," Thomas supplied and the two followed him and Minho to the source.

Minho used the sharp piece of wood he found to push the leaves out of the way, then threw the thing aside when they all stepped through, gawking.

There was a group of at least thirty, chatting under canopies build out of wood. It was in no way a safe haven, it was still dirty and sort of sad-looking, but it was functional and the people looked... happy.

One of the boys in the group closest to them saw them and ran up.

"Hey!" He said. "You're Thomas!" 

The name drew the attention of a group of girls, and a few others. Thomas blinked at the stares of awe and hope. One of the girls, who had dark black hair tied into a tight bun, with a scar across her lips, walked up to them, gently nudging the obviously young boy to the side.

"Hello," she said slowly, surprised. "You're definitely Thomas? For the past four years, we all believed you guys died."

"Not dead," Thomas managed to say, still in shock that many people were still alive. "How did you all survive?"

"We didn't all make it," the girl said, nodding to the makeshift graveyard, only obviously because of the shovels and uneven ground. "We've lost way too many friends and family due to the Flare. But you can help us, right? We've got a medical tent full of people infected."

"Of course," Thomas said.

"What's your name?" Sonya asked.

"Oh, I'm Rebecca, the boy you saw earlier is Joseph, my brother, and that girl over there, the one with blonde hair and a mean death glare is Jaden. She's picky about who we let in here, but don't worry, she's only protective."

The group followed Rebecca to the medical tent and Sonya, being Sonya, happily waved to Jaden. Jaden ignored her but it was obvious she appreciated the greeting.

Thomas' mind was running nonstop. He was upset that he didn't come and see if anyone survived earlier, but he was glad he could help now. Of course, his mind drifted to Newt. Did they find his body in the tunnel? Was he in that graveyard? Somehow, the thought didn't comfort him.

Once they got there, Rebecca explained to them that most of them were almost already past the gone. She was immune, but these Cranks were violent to anyone new and she guessed they'd be more civil with her. Thomas agreed, he remembered when Newt would fight against the crank inside him and would be able to talk to him.

Thomas drew his blood into a syringe, filling it halfway. There were about twenty in the tent, according to Rebecca, and they'd only need the smallest amount. 

"Be careful," Minho blurted out to Rebecca when she went to go inside. Thomas looked at him surprised, and the boy looked away with a dark blush. Smirking, Thomas turned back to Rebecca.

"I'll leave another vial here in case you need more," Thomas said and Rebecca nodded gratefully. He'd like to take them all with him to the Safe Haven, and it was possible, but the boat wasn't big enough and they'd need a few more months before the big boat Vince and Jorge were working on to be ready. Then they could take everyone here and bring them with them.

Thomas filled another vial and handed it to her. They said their goodbyes and walked towards the entrance.

"I feel so bad for them," Harriet said softly. "We've been living in peace for five years and they've been here struggling to keep their loved ones alive." 

Thomas agreed sadly. "At least we can help now. We should probably come back in a month or two before the big boat is fixed to make sure no one else needs more of the cure. Then once the boat is done we can take them all with us to the Safe Haven."

They agreed to this plan, and as they were about to push through the leaves, Jaden ran up to them.

"Wait!" She said. They came to a stop and looked at her curiously.

"Yeah?" Minho said, surprised that she stopped to talk to them. Based on what Rebecca said, she was a quiet one.

Jaden hesitated before sighing. "There's another group a mile from here. It's a lot smaller than ours, less than half the size. I was with their group before my father died of the Flare there. It was too painful to stay where all those memories were, so I came here. If you could go and help them, that would be... good. Yeah, that would be nice."

Thomas nodded slowly. "Of course, we can. Thank you."

"No, thank you. You're doing a great thing, Thomas. But remember, not everyone loves you out here. There are a few stray rebels here and there, mostly Cranks that recently got infected and are upset that they can't be cured. If you come across them, the best thing to do is try to get a drop of your blood on them. If you can't, then... ignore them I guess. They'll run if you fight. After five years, the Flare weakens you and doesn't give you enough power to fight back which makes it easier to avoid getting infected which is good. In a few years I'm sure the Flare will die out but for now, be safe."

The group took in Jaden's words and thanked her again before leaving and making their way to the next group. 

"You good, Greenie?" Minho teased. "Got to make sure we don't have you passing out. Who knows how much blood you're going to have to use." 

Thomas rolled his eyes and punched him in the arm. "I'll be fine. And technically, I'm not a Greenie anymore."

Minho shrugged and they kept walking, Sonya and Harriet talking quietly between themselves.

Suddenly, someone in completely black clothing and a mask ran by them, tackling a few Cranks they didn't see watching them from behind. The group spun around and Harriet kept Sonya behind her.

"What the hell?!" Minho yelled. "Where did those Cranks come from?"

"No Idea!" Thomas yelled over the sounds of screaming Cranks and clanging of knives from the masked figure. The person flipped one of the Cranks over their back and shoved them behind a piece of wood boarded up to the wall, knowing they wouldn't be able to get out, then knocked another one out with the back of their knife hitting their temple, and took down the last one by wrapping a cloth around their head. Cranks can barely breathe as it is and that'll definitely kill them slowly.

The masked figure breathed out heavily, shoving their knife in its holster and turning to them. The figure nodded their head, trying to say follow them, and the group shared looks before following. I mean, the person did protect them.

The figure pushed open a door to a small, two-story house. The group looked around. It was the only place they've been in so far that was completely clean. In fact, it looked like an ordinary house. There was a couch (no TV, that was probably stolen ages ago), a small kitchen with a barstool, and of course the stairs to go up.

The figure ripped off their mask, bolting the door shut and spinning around to meet them after making sure the windows were locked. "What the hell were you thinking coming back here?"

Thomas felt his breath knocked out of him. Newt stood in front of them, healthy, clean, with no trace of the Crank that had last been there. He was panting slightly after his performance and was a little upset that they were there, but other than that he looked happy to see them. 

"Newt?" Minho croaked out. Newt's expression softened a little and he smiled.

"I've missed you guys. But damn, are you idiots."

Minho brought him in for a tight hug, and Harriet and Sonya did the same. He squeezed Sonya extra harder, for some reason, but it seemed to make him feel better.

"Tommy," Newt breathed out. Thomas held himself back from breaking down into sobs and gathered the slightly smaller boy in his arms. Newt nuzzled into his neck and Thomas missed this so much.

Eventually they pulled away with damp eyes. It was Sonya who asked for the whole story, including how he was still alive.

Newt hesitated. "You might want to sit down for this."

They piled into the living room and Newt went upstairs to change before coming back down in beige pants and a white t-shirt. He sat next to Thomas, across from Sonya and Harriet, while Minho claimed the arm-chair.

"So," Newt started. "I woke up in the tunnel, maybe a few hours or so after you guys left and Wicked fell. I think I survived because of the dagger. Remember I cut you first, Tommy? Your blood is the cure. I got cured that way."

Thomas blinked in surprise, but urged him to continue. Newt did after taking Thomas' hand almost absentmindedly.

"I went searching for anyone who got left behind, life maybe, or even bandages to I could take the dagger out of my chest." Newt hesitated, glancing at Thomas.

"I found Teresa, in the rubble. She was- she was almost unrecognizable, with burns everywhere. I tried to save her before she passed and I brought her to Rebecca and Jaden, you've probably met them, but she died on the way from her injuries, I was definitely not in any shape to be carrying her and I probably wasn't fast enough. They have her buried in their graveyard. They helped patch up my injuries, and gave me clean clothes they had. I didn't stay with them since this was just after the battle and they weren't as strong as they are now, so I came here. This area is one of the other groups that remained, and I help them with keeping danger away, hence the whole black mask persona. I don't spend a whole lot of time with them, mostly keep to myself. I had tried to find my parents but later found out they were dead because of the swipe fail. I protect them and they give me food and clothes in exchange, so it works out."

The group took this in. It was a huge relief to know that Newt was okay all these years, but Thomas still couldn't get over the fact that knowing Newt was alive would have spared him a ton of pain. It was also nice to know that Teresa was found and she's resting where she would have like to be rested, where there's life and a cure. And also...

"Your swipe failed?" Minho gawked.

Newt furrowed his brows. "Your swipes haven't failed yet?"

The group shook their heads. "Brenda said it's unlikely for at least another few months. So you know everything?" Thomas asked, hesitantly. He hoped that him and Newt were as close at they were now.

Newt nodded. "Give or take, yeah. I guess being infected sped up my fail." Newt caught his look and gave him a small nod, trying to tell him that they'll talk later.

"How do you protect people with your leg?" Minho asked worriedly, not wanting his friend to hurt himself even more. The leg gave him problems before, he doesn't even want to know how bad it is now.

Newt shrugged. "I kind of ignore the pain. I did what I had to do to survive. I had to get food and clothes somehow, and they weren't really interested in giving without getting."

Thomas felt bad that he had to go through that. Not to mention the guilt was ten times worse due to his pathetic crush.

The talked about anything and everything for the next hour. Thomas and Minho told him about the garden and the houses, and how they managed to create something similar to the Glade, just without the maze. Sonya and Harriet told him how they adopted Nolan, and asked if Newt would be coming back with them.

"Of course," Newt said, rubbing his thumb over Thomas' hand that he was still holding. "But you've got to promise to come back for everyone here as soon as possible. These people have been through hell and they deserve their paradise too."

The group promised, as they had already planned on coming back. Newt went to pack his stuff, and while he did that, the group went to find the people Newt was talking about and handed over two vials to cure their infected. They made friends with the leaders, Xavier and Ayden, as they did with Rebecca and Jaden. They told them they'd be back for them by the end of the year and met with Newt at his place.

"Ready?" Thomas asked, holding out his hand. Newt smiled and took, nodding.

"As ready as I'll ever be. Let's go."

-----

They reached the Safe Haven early the next morning. They took shifts throughout the night, and Thomas always slept right next to Newt. There was no way he'd be letting the boy out of his sight for the next week at least.

The group climbed out of the boat and tied it back up before making their way to the entrance. Minho went in first, being dramatic as always, and Sonya and Harriet followed. Newt shook his hands nervously, and Thomas took them in his.

"You okay?" He asked. Newt sighed, resting his head against Thomas' shoulder.

"Not really. Kinda nervous." Thomas wrapped his arms around his waist and hugged him tightly. When they pulled away, Thomas' eyes flickered down to his lips.

"God I've been waiting for you to do that for ages," Newt said softly, noticing the glance. Thomas grinned widely and connected their lips in a soft kiss. Newt hummed contently, and Thomas tightened his hold on the smaller boy's waist. He was so happy to have his boy back in his arms, after five long years. It was a beautiful feeling.

"Damn, I missed you," Thomas murmured against his lips.

They took a few more minutes to themselves before walking inside, hand-in-hand.

Everyone who was watching went dead silent as they stared at Newt. Gally's mouth was open, Brenda's eyes were wide, and all the others were in awe.

"Holy shit," Gally said and that pretty much said everything everyone was thinking.

Everyone took their turn giving Newt hugs and asking how he's been. Frypan was the last one to great him, slapping him on the back and saying he gets firsts at dinner.

If anyone noticed their entwined hands, they didn't say anything. Besides Minho. He grinned at them like a complete fool.

-----

Later that night, Thomas and Newt retreated to their room early while everyone stayed out. Vince offered to move in a new bed for Newt, but Newt said cheekily he'd share with his Tommy. Thomas had flushed like a tomato and pulled Newt away before he could embarrass him anymore.

Thomas laid with his back to the wall and Newt curled up against his chest. He ran his fingers up and down his back, gently caressing his spine and lazily kissing every so often.

"About the memories..." Newt said quietly. Thomas hummed, still rubbing his back.

"We were together before the maze, but it was a secret. No one knew, not even Minho and Alby. We weren't together all that long, since the trials were about to start, but I know we were happy. As long as it lasted."

Thomas' heart ached. He still can't get over the fact that he helped build that death trap and watched his friends die one after the other for three years. And after finding out that Newt had tried to kill himself, he knows he watched that too. And he'll never forgive himself for it.

"Stop thinking so loud," Newt said then kissed him slowly. "I love you Tommy."

Thomas smiled widely and kissed the boy's nose. "I love you too."

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Whoops sorry for not updating this book since forever, hope this longer one makes up for it a little (: