Newt and Evelyn hung their heads. Evelyn felt like...what was the word they used in the Glade? Klunk. Evelyn felt like klunk. Emotionally, she felt like her heart was so broken there was no way to put it back together. And physically, the Flare had a solid hold on her body.

"It was bad," he finally said. "I guess I know what it's gonna be like, now, when we push past the Gone. I went bonkers, Keisha. Completely bonkers. I couldn't see, couldn't hear, couldn't think straight."

"I'm... surprised everyone walked out of that place alive. Especially me." Evelyn whispered, still horrified about what happened.

"Oh, man, guys. I'm sorry. Something ain't right up there, that's for sure." She tapped her right temple.

"I'm sure the stress had something to do with it," Newt said. "All that ruckus this morning. Our scheduled riots, but then a few buggen' loonies tried jumping Every after the planned riots. Like that wasn't bad enough- Evelyn wasn't gonna bloody make it back here, so we went to the bowling alley because it was close, thought we'd rest up, wait for someone to bring some...first aid stuff, then come back here. Then, of all the bloody things to happen, my...our..."

Evelyn didn't know what Keisha knew. Even if she had understood every word Goose, and the guys said earlier, which she obviously didn't, would it have even mattered? No one fully realized, not even remotely, what Newt and Evelyn had been through inside that old rickety bowling alley. The shock of their friends returning, the pain it took to stick to their guns and insist they leave, Evelyn having collapsed choking and coughing, taking a step closer to Gone, the trauma of how horrifically it all ended. The despair on Thomas, Sonny, Sonya and Minho's face had somehow burned into Newt and Evelyn's mind despite the fact that they had both temporarily lost it.

Evelyn was visibly shaking. She slowly did back down the wall, to lay on her good side, her head in Newt's lap. Her good side meant having her back to Keisha, she pressed her face into Newt, trying to hide from the pain in her heart.

"Newt?" Keisha prodded gently. "Tell me what happened in the bowling alley."

"Do I have to?"

"Yes, you do." She smiled, and it made him think of his own mum, returning from the fog of his memories. "Talk to me, boy. It'll make you feel better." I think they used to call it therapy, back before the world went to hell in a hand basket.

"I went crazy," he said, barely above a whisper. "We..we both did. That's all there is to it. We went crazy when I saw Tommy, Minho, Sonya and Sonya. They... they were... it's way too long of a story to tell. You've heard some of it. But they were everything to us. Are everything to us. I'm sure Lee would agree...it ripped my heart out to get the Flare, to know they were immune and I wasn't. And then it ripped my heart out again-"

"You have two hearts?"

"I've got nothing." Evelyn whispered. "Not anymore. It's been smashed too many times. It's all gone. Just a big black empty hole."

Newt laughed, the kind that popped through your nose. "What is this, comedy-hour now? I'm trying to tell you how bloody miserable we are!"

'Ok I'll shut up. Keep going."

He rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Anyway. It just about killed us to leave them after they went into Denver. Yeah, if I'd had two bloody hearts they'd have both been ripped out. So I guess I have three since one's still beating. But... when I heard that they'd come looking for us, and then even worse when they walked into that bowling alley... my mind just started shutting down. I was so mad, so bloody angry, it was like every liquid part of me had started to boil and shoot out steam. I couldn't see, I couldn't hear, I couldn't think. I lost control." He paused, frowning and pulling his eyebrows together. "Evey has explained it before but I never got it until then. You're just..so bloody angry." He finished lamly.

"Like he said. We went crazy. I started coughing, I could feel it...my power, it hurt so much trying to hold it in. The corner turned into a skating rink."

"Ugh. I'm so sorry. What happened next?"

When Newt shifted his position slightly, he ran a hand through Evelyn's hair, playing with it, giving his hands something to do and it seemed to help relax her too.

"I hardly remember any specifics. I was screaming and yelling, Evey was threatening and yellin'. Jonesy tried to act like king of the world, people were brawling on the floor. The only calm one was Goose. And our minds just weren't working. I knew we needed our friends to leave. They have something they're trying to accomplish and it's much, much bigger than us. Plus, this is all crappy enough for us without constantly worrying about how hard it would be on them."

He shrugged. "So, ya know, I did what any rational human being would do. I waved the Launcher around like a cracked-up junkie, Evelyn's powers started to leak out, she shot Jonesy, and started threatening to chop Minho with her hatchet and I threatened anyone else who dared piss me off. Then Goose let the gang and anyone else chase them out of town and back to their Berg. It all went exactly as we'd planned."

Evelyn snorted at the dark humor.

Keisha raised her eyebrows. "Now who's performing comedy-hour?"

"At least I'm funnier than you."

"True." Evelyn mumbled. Her face still hidden in Newt's stomach.

She scoffed. "No offense, Newt, but you have all the humor of my big toe."

Dante made a noise then—the kid was so quiet that it was easy to forget he existed sometimes. He'd been napping on the bed beside Evelyn. Keisha scooted over and picked him up, placed him in her lap. Then she hugged him long and hard, maybe imagining her son going through the awful types of things Newt and Evelyn had just described.

"Do you ever regret it?" Evelyn asked, pretty sure it was a dumb thing to say, but she asked anyways twisting her head to look at Keisha.

"Regret what?"

"Bringing kids into this horrible world."

Her look confirmed it. It had been a very dumb thing to say.

"Don't you ever ask a mom that question, Evelyn. Do you understand what I'm saying to you? Crazy or not, don't ever ask that question." Her voice was dangerous.

Evelyn could feel her eyes full with tears. She turned back into Newt, trying to curl tighter into him. Her dream of having a family with Newt was never ever going to happen. She clamped her arms tightly over her mid section. Silently cursing Janson and Ava Paige for the evil twisted and sadistic things they did to her. She sniffed hard, trying to keep the tears away. She felt Newt's protective arms tighten.

"She didn't bloody mean it that way Keisha. She had a forced surgery as t 13...only to have it reversed and then held captive in a dugon jail cell while she slowly cranks."

"Dammit. I'm...I'm sorry Evelyn."

"Don't be." She snapped back, "I don't want pity. I won't ever have to worry about making that decision. I'll be dead by tomorrow."

It was quiet in the room. Newt pulled her gently up and into his lap properly, her head resting on his shoulder, her face pressed into his neck. Her held her tight.

"You'll be with your daughter soon," Newt said into the silence. "You and Dante both, along with your brother. You'll be together, and that's something. Maybe you guys have a big purpose in the grand scheme of thi-"

Someone was banging on the door hard and fast, then opened it without waiting to be invited. Evwlyn's nerves jumped in alarm but then she saw that it was Goose, Rex, Ruffio, Spider, Hatter and Jonsey. Then they jumped again because dhe remembered that she'd shot the Jonsey with a Launcher grenade.

"Sorry to interrupt," Goose nodded his head, "but there is a chance in our plans. There-"

"-what... a... day!" Jonsey shouted. "What a damn day!"

Keisha and Newt just stared at him. Evelyn closed her eyes and laid her head back down.

Goose flashed him a dangerous look, and he slid back, his head down. Goose looked back at the three of them.

"Newt, Kitten... All the Munies who worked here up and quit. Just like that."

That got Evelyn's attention. She looked back at him, her eyes wide.

"All of them?"

"Most. I still have a few who kept communication. But they still gotta act the part.

"Must've talked all of five minutes, then decided. Opened the front gate, took their weapons, walked out. Didn't even bother locking the door." Spider said, frowning, like he was still trying to figure it all out.

"I guess our little riot this morning and the visit from your friends woke them up to just how lame it is to work in the Crank Palace." Ruffio sniggered.

"Curiouser and curiouser!" Mad Hatter added.

"Agreed." Goose nodded.

Then Hatter laughed. He laughed as if he were the happiest man on Earth.

"You're serious?" Keisha asked. "You mean we don't have to break out? Or sneak out?"

"On the button, my good lady." Hatter said, tapping the side of his nose and winked.

Keisha looked at Newt and Evelyn. "I think this damn fool has lost his mind."

Newt nodded, "Crazy."

Hatter giggled. He tapped his chin for a moment, with a gleam in his eye, he spoke. "Crazy people don't know they're crazy. I know I'm crazy, therefore I'm not crazy, isn't that crazy?"

And with that he twirled around and flounced out of the room. Goose and the others let him go with a roll of their eyes before Goose turned to Newt and Evelyn.

"What do you think?" Newt asked Keisha, who looked the opposite of enthused.

She thought a moment before responding.

"What do I think? I think it's a bad sign when the people with weapons start running away from the ones who don't."

"It's true. I agree with you. However, the gate is wide open and people are streaming out. I suggest we leave as soon as we can as well. Before WICKED is on our asses."

Newt nodded. Keisha reluctantly nodded with a sigh.

"Princess? How are you feeling?" Ruffio asked, his face showing his worry and concern.

"I'll be..." She trailed off. Fine definitely was not how she felt. "I'll manage. For Dante... and Jackie. And Keisha." She forced a very small smile. Newt didn't miss the pain in her eyes.

"Be ready to leave as soon as possible." Goose instructed.

He turned and left, closing the door. Keisha picked up Dante, hesitated and then shook her head, like she was going to say something but thought better of it. She left to her room and closed the door.

Newt shifted and gently lifted her chin to look at him. He smiled sadly at her.

"I love you Evelyn. Always and completely." He brushed his lips against her forehead and then on her nose and finally her lips. She was too tired to kiss him back. He pulled away and laid his forehead on hers.

"How..how am I going to do this? I don't know if I can walk that far!" She whispered. Fear written in her voice.

"I'm not leaving you." He said sharply.

"Not what I was getting at."

"Good. Then what?"

"If...if I can't anymore, will you stay with me until I'm on the other side? Then...go finish our adventure. Get Keisha to Jackie. I'll...be waiting for you. With Jack and George and Clint."

"... Evelyn..." His voice cracked. He pulled her closer. She slowly wrapped her arms around Newt. Around her home, her heart, her anchor, she wrapped her arms around her person.

"I love you Newt."

They stayed holding each other until there was a knock on the door.

"Time to go." Goose called. "Meet you downstairs."

Newt got out of the bed and helped a shacking Evelyn up. She was surprised she didn't clapse to the ground. She felt... exhausted, but not as painful she she expected. Newt picked up her backpack by the door and helped her shoulder it. There wasn't much inside it. He grabbed his and took her good hand and opened the door.

Keisha was standing in the hall, her backpack full and strapped tightly to her back. Dante snug in her arms.

"You really putting our lives in the hands of those guys?"

"Yes. I trust them with my life. If you want out fine." Evelyn snapped, narrowing her eyes.

"Just asking." Keisha said, rolling her eyes.

"Well stop. Their the ones risking it to help you because we asked!" Evelyn growled.

"Okay. Evey, come on." Newt encouraged her, he gently guided her down the hall and down the stairs where she sang her little song down the stairs, "Squid went splat." And giggled quietly to herself.

"Master Newt!" Jonesy called out, a huge grin revealing the less-than-full-load of teeth inside his mouth. "Princess!" He bowed to Evelyn, and slicked his hair back with one hand, a favorite hobby of his.

"Are we ready for the adventure of a lifetime?" Ruffio asked.

Newt gave him a nod.

"Actually, hoping for the lamest adventure of my lifetime." Evelyn mumbled to herself.

Goose, Ruffio and Newt chuckled, obviously hearing her.

"With the guards gone, let's hope we can walk straight there and be done with it. Keisha says it's about 20 miles." Goose said, he was usually pretty serious in a regular basis, but right now, he was extra solum.

As if he knew, absolutely knew, that there was zero chance on God's green Earth that they'd just stroll to Keisha's meeting place without incident. Without an incident that left scars. He gave a quick look at Evelyn and then his eyes travelled to Newt and then to Keisha. They nodded very slightly to each other. If Evelyn wasn't so focused on keeping herself upright she may have noted the odd exchange.

Goose inhaled deeply, and took the lead. Headed straight down the path that lead out of Crank Palace.