The door slammed shut and Evelyn heard the lock click. She let out the breath she was holding. She tried to step away, but Goose's arm still held her firmly in place. Fear spiked through her body. She slowly looked up, he was already looking down at her. His eyes were dark, the crank was trying to push through. 

"Goose?" She whispered, "Please let me go." 

"But you said you were mine." He growled. 

"Do I have a choice right now?" Her voice was quiet and thick with fear.

"Doubt it." 

"Please let me go." 

"You're feisty. And smart...and damn your gorgeous." he was muttering, the way he was saying it, it had an edge to it, it made her mouth dry and her stomach twist in fear. 

"Noah...please." her voice was a squeak now.

He blinked. His lips pulled down into a frown, and his dark eyebrows pulled together. He was staring down at her, still held tight to his chest. "What did you call me?" His gruff needy edgy voice had faltered and it was more confused. 

"Noah. I used your name, that's what you told me yesterday. You said your name was Noah." 

"No one has called me that in years." 

"Noah...please let me go. I'm really uncomfortable." She whispered, tears forming in her eyes. 

"Dammit! Don't cry!" 

He let go of her like she had burnt him. She stumbled backwards, the dagger was still clutched tight in her fist. So tight her knuckles where white and the handle had started to frost over. She crossed her arms over her exposed chest, and turned slightly.

"Dammit! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, Kitten...Evelyn. I'm sorry Evelyn!" He cried, his eyes were pleading with her, they weren't dark with the Flare anymore, they were back to their dark navy blue. He backed up and sank down onto the couch. Evelyn only now realized had a pillow and blanked tossed to the side. 

"It's okay...the Flare makes us all act...not like our selves." 

He looked up sharply, "It's not okay. I'm not that kind of guy...to take advantage of a girl, but dammit...if you weren't already taken..."

She frowned. "How do you-"

"Both times you crank, you call for a guy's help. Newt. He must be pretty special, to remember his name while your cranking...lucky guy." He said wearily, rubbing his face with his hands. 

Evelyn couldn't help it, but she smiled a little, he was special, he always would be. But then it slid off her face. 

"I'm cranking and he's on his way to the Safehaven for Immunes and uninfected. I won't make it with them..." She whispered, another tear formed and slid down her face. 

Goose looked at her sadly. Pity in his eyes. She stood awkwardly in the middle of his apartment trying hard not to cry while he watched her. The quiet dragged on. She took a shuddering breath, used the back of her hands to dry her tears. 

"So...what happened to my shirt?" 

He looked sheepishly at her, his face turning slightly pink. His hand went to his hair. 

"After you knocked yourself out, I put you in the bed. I didn't want to take the shirt off, but that crank bite needed cleaning. I couldn't get at it, so...I uhh... I had to cut it. Sorry." 

"Oh." She said in a small voice. 

"Sorry." he said again. 

Though he didn't look overly sorry, she still appreciated that he left her shirt on. She was trusting him more and more, though his crank episode freaked her out...but she was no better. Maybe she should just stay here. Newt could have a life, live fully, find someone who could live a full long life with him. She only had a few months, at most. If what Jorge had said and the more trauma done to the brain she would turn fast, especially if she was around other wild cranks, and the suppressant drug wears off. She didn't stand a chance. 

She must have zoned out, because hands were shaking her. 

"Yeah, yeah...yep...good that."

"What?"

"What?" 

"You have weird sayings."

"Yeah well I don't have weird nicknames after random objects." 

He laughed. But it wasn't the wild crank laugh, it was a normal laugh, that made his blue eyes light up. She smiled. He shook his head. 

"Dang Kitten, that sass." 

"It's new, I assure you. I was actually quite shy and timid, soft spoken and gentle." 

"Yeah...? What happened?" 

"The Maze. Living in a stone prison with blood thirsty monsters, watching friends die horrific deaths, constantly being watched, monitored, manipulated...it messes with your mind. Messes with who you are as a person. You have to learn how to survive. I've been trying to survive for more than three years." 

"The hell?" Goose stammered, his eyes wide and his mouth dropped. 

She hummed. Her ripped shirt slipped down again. She tried fixing it as best she could.

"Why don't you shower, and change. Then while we eat something you tell me your story." 

She glanced at the bathroom, nervous. 

"It has a lock. Also, take a chair and prop it under the handle if it'll make you feel better. Oh, also, got some clothes from Amanda, sitting on the table." 

"Thank you. You're really sweet. Do you help all young women who stumble into your gang's path?" Evelyn asked.

"No. You would be the first." He admitted. 

"Oh..." She said in a small voice.

"Go shower. Take the chair and blade with you." He indicated with his head. 

She did. She locked the bathroom door and propped the chair under the door handle. As nervous as she was, she couldn't wait to shower. She turned the water on, it wasn't hot, but it wasn't freezing, just like in the Glade. She stripped her gross filthy blood stained ripped clothes, and stepped into the shower. She washed herself from head to toe as fast as she could with the small bottles of soap, shampoo and conditioner that Amanda provided, she had also supplied her with a razor, deodorant, a comb, toothbrush and past. This woman was a godsend. She had to remember to thank her later. 

She turned the water off, dried herself off and then turned to the pile of clothes. She just about cried in gratitude, clean socks, underwear and somehow found a bra that would fit. With tears of thankfulness in her eyes, she pulled on the clean clothes, they were worn, clearly belonging to Amanda, but they were clean! The black jeans had some rips in them, but they fit her snugly, they were surprisingly comfortable and easy to move in. The top wouldn't have been her first pick, but baggers can't be choosers. It was a cropped long sleeved off the shoulder shirt. But it hid her veins on her forearm and the one on her shoulder wasn't too bad; she could still hide it behind the shirt, if she made the shirt sit off her other shoulder. She brushed her teeth and hair and she felt almost like herself again.

She looked at the girl in the mirror. She looked tired. A bruised cheek bone from the crank in the Underneath, her cheeks were a bit sunburned, but it was the eyes that held her. They were sad and lost and haunted with a wildness to them. They didn't have the same shine and life to them. While other cranks eyes went dark like their infected veins, hers seemed to lighten, it would seem that they would have a permanent frost to them. She was without a doubt, turning into a crank.

Turning away from the mirror she pulled on her boots. And removed the chair, slid the dagger into her boot and opened the bathroom door. 

Goose had food on the table, and she just about cried in thankfulness, again. She threw her arms around Goose's neck and hugged him tight. She felt his arms around her waist and hugged her back. She let go to see his face slightly pink. 

"Not much, but... Perks of being second in command." 

Evelyn froze Newt had said something similar. She blinked a few times and shook her head. Sitting down at the table, he handed her the box of crackers and a can of food.

"Hey, these taste better warm!" She chuckled and shoved another bite into her mouth. 

"All right Kitten, spill. The whole story." 

She told him everything. Everything she could remember. From her few memories of her past, The Glade, her three years, her powers, escaping, the rescue, finding out it was still WICKED, the manipulation and theories Janson wanted to test, the scorch, the storm, the Underneath, and up until he found her. He was quiet the whole time she talked. It was almost a whole hour of her talking. She had gotten up and paced, talking with her hands. A few times her hands started to turn frosty. But Goose was a good listener.

"Wholly fuck." 

"That about sums it up."

"No wonder you're a feisty feral Kitten." 

"I had to be." She shrugged, finally sitting back down in the chair. 

"And Jorge...he's not really a crank?" 

"You know him?" Evelyn asked, picking her head up.

"Yeah, of course. I know all the gang leaders. He showed up a few weeks ago, some how took over a ruthless gang in the factory sector, it's not big, but they are savage." 

"Well...he's not actually a crank...though he can play the part quite well! Wholly shuck!" 

"What's with the words?" 

"Minho had the mouth of a seasoned sailor, so we had to come up with some other words... though when Newt and Nick weren't around..." She smiled at the memory. 

"Well...shuck me." 

Evelyn chuckled. "Glader slang is weird coming from other people, but I appreciate it." She smiled at him. They were quiet for a but, he watched her while she finished eating. She was too busy talking to finish her food. "What I wouldn't do for a cup of coffee!" She muttered. 

"Really? And what would you do Kitten?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"I'd fight a griever at this point." 

"Well how about I clean that bite mark and then we can go down to the main floor and get one? Everyone will be passed out and the bar for some...shucked..?"

Evelyn giggled when he tried the word out, it made him smile. 

"Some shucked up reason," he enunciated the word, just to make her giggle, "the club bar has a coffee maker." 

"Deal." 

He grabbed his fist aid kit and crouched down behind her. placing the kit on the table he gently moved her hair out of the way and tugged her shirt down. She sat still, trying to calm her wild racing heart. Closing her eyes she forced her mind to fill with thoughts of Newt. She felt warm hands cleaning the bite mark. She hissed in pain.

"Sorry Kitten." Goose muttered, his voice was quiet and gentle. 

She had to take a few deep breaths. The stinging slowly went away, she was left with a cool stinging sensation. He placed a clean square of gauze over the bite and taped it down. 

"Okay, now the arm." 

She slowly turned around to face him. Her heart was racing so fast, her mouth was dry, but her palms were sweaty. He held his hand out for her arm. She placed it in his hand and he pushed her sleeve up to her elbow. She flinched.

"Sorry, I know it hurts." 

"It's...it's okay." She whispered. 

Her green eyes watched him gently clean the wound  that refused to heal. His dark blue eyes were intense, but they seemed gentle right now, they were downcast and focused on the task at hand. They were framed in thick lashes. He had a scruffy black beard and short hair that swooped in the front that would make even Minho slightly jealous. He was built like a weight lifter, broad shoulders, huge arms, and a strong chest. The t shirt he was wearing was stretched tight, showing off his muscles, and the black veins in his one arm, from under his shirt sleeve they spread down his bicep and into his forearm. 

"Enjoying the view Kitten?" He asked, not taking his eyes of cleaning her arm.

"You're...different. Gentle...and sweet. Last night...you were more...."

"Second in command of a crank gang?" he asked, finally looking up, his blue eyes dancing with amusement.

"...yeah." she whispered. 

"I do what I have to, to survive." 

"I get it. I've done horrible things I didn't know I was capable of...and it scares me...to lose myself and forget everything and everyone I love." 

"I know. I can see Evelyn...but she's hiding behind Feral little Kitten." His voice was so gentle it made her want to cry, "keep saying their names. Over and over, try hold on as long as you can. I'm not this Newt...but I'll help. As best I can."

"Why?" She whispered, "You owe me nothing."

"Because you make me feel...more... human... than I have felt in a long time." 

His hand had lifted to her cheek and he held it there. His dark blue eyes looked into her bright green ones. Her heart was so confused. She knew she loved Newt. But she wanted him to live a full life, a happy life, away from all this, and Jorge was offering that, he was taking them to Safehaven. She couldn't join them. Her time was limited. She could crank here and have protection until she was past the gone.

"He deserves a whole person. Not a wounded one. Not a broken and scared murderous witch."

The crank voice whispered in her head, the  creepy crawling feeling was back, it was instant. But this time it didn't feel painful, or scary. The voice sounded like a friend, it felt like the rational side of her, she was just explaining what Evelyn already knew in her heart. After everything Newt went through, he deserved happiness. 

Her bright green eyes darkened, the sting in her arm and shoulder grew freezing cold and the itching feeling grew in intensity. But Evelyn was too tired to fight it. With big dark blue eyes looking up at her with a gentleness she hadn't seen in a long time, she leaned forward.

Or rather the crank leaned forward. The crank slid her hands into Goose's short hair. She pressed her lips to his. He instantly kissed her back. A hand went to her jaw while the other one to the small of her back, pulling her closer. Goose was now right between her legs, both pulling each other closer. His tongue slid into her mouth, and his hand slid to the nap of her neck, pulling her even closer. 

There was a pounding on the door, making Goose pull away sharply, his eyes wide in shock.

"Oh shuck!" Evelyn cursed. 

A hand flew to her mouth as tears sprung to her eyes. The crank left her, it was just Evelyn left in her mind, and she felt like a giant pile of klunk. 

What had the crank done to her?! 

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**A little Crank City "Kitten" board**
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**Uh oh! What did Cranky Kitten do?!**

*Don't worry, we'll bring the others back right away...**