Evelyn and Sonny sat for a while watching the sunset. There was crunching footsteps behind them. She recognized the uneven tread. 

Newt. 

Sonny gently kissed the top of her head and got up. Evelyn didn't move, continuing to look into the distance. Newt sat down beside her and without a word put his arm around her and she snuggled in closer, and lay her head on his shoulder. They sat side by side, watching the sunset together. Quit possibly one of the last ones. 

"Will you watch the sunset after I'm gone?" 

"Yes." He whispered. She heard his voice going gruff. "And then I'll wait to talk to the moon and wait for your bright star to shine in the sky so I can talk to you again." 

"Newt..." She whispered as the tears fell, "I don't want to forget! I'm so scared, not of dying..." She paused to sniff and whip the tears. "...just forgetting. And leaving you." 

"I know Love. I know." 

He wrapped both his arms around her and pulled her into a tight hug. She buried her face into his chest. Closing her eyes she listened to his heart beat. The one she restarted, the one she kept from dying. It was ironic how she fought so hard to keep him alive when he wanted to dye only to have her be the one to die instead. Maybe ironic wasn't the right word...sad and twisted were better. 

Her mind wandered to all the quiet nights back in their shared hut, when he would read out loud and she would close her eyes, her head in his lap, or when she would make tea and they sat side by side and read the old books that were sent up or write. She remembered all their quiet walks in the forest...the many times they just collapsed in the gardens laughing at something so ridiculous...or laughing at him when her and Chuck got him frustrated. Or she would look up from somewhere in the Glade just to see him already looking with that soft smile of his. 

"I can't believe I'm gonna say this...But I miss the Glade..." She whispered. 

Newt tightened his grip and kissed the top of her head. She tilted her head and he held her face gently, her hand in his hair and kissed her through their tears. It was slow, sweet and tender. He pulled away and rested his cheek on the top of her head. They sat just silently holding each other, watching the sun sink into darkness. She felt it was a fighting representation. Watching the bright beautiful sunset sink to cold darkness, like her relationship. She was watching her life and her love sink into total darkness of the Flare and certain death.

There wasn't anything else she could say to Newt. She had said everything she could. 

__________________________________

"Okay, tell us all about your adventures with the aliens in their big bad spaceship." Minho demanded once everyone had sat down around the little fire and with some food. 

Evelyn and Thomas were sitting leaning against the wall of the shack while everyone was crowded around them. Evelyn felt like it was story time in a kindergarten class. Though she had no actual memories of going to school, and being locked in a stone tower for her whole existence she doubted she had any experience. Every eye was on her and Thomas. 

"You sure about this?" Thomas asked. "How many days left to get over those mountains, to the safe haven?"

"According to Mary and Vince they were planning to move camps in 4 days." Jorge answered.

"And RatMan said we had 5 days to get to their end point to 'get the cure' or whatever." Nick added.

"Good that," Thomas said with a nod.

Evelyn wondered what everyone had been doing while Thomas and her were away, but realizing it didn't matter all that much. 

"Save all your questions till the end, children." Evelyn said, a small smirk on her face. 

"Wow Pixy...that was...awful." 

She just rolled her eyes, "I was just abducted by weird bug like aliens...you try making a joke when the crowd is this miserable."

"Touche." He smirked.

Thomas frowned, "Well it wasn't actually aliens." He said seriously. "It was WICKED that came and got us-"

"We gathered as much, ya shuck face."  Minho rolled his eyes.

"Minho! Zip it!" Teresa chided. He chuckled and pulled her closer. "Make me babe." He whispered. 

"We can still hear you dude." Jeff rolled his eyes. 

"Can we get a buggen' move on this conversation? I wanna know what bloody happened with the aliens!" Sonya called. 

"Dude! It's still freaky to have a female Newt in the group!" Frypan yelled.

"Excuse me? Maybe it's a bloody male Me!" Sonya had gotten up onto her knees. Her hands on her hips. At the same time Newt had. The siblings knelt in the same position glaring at everyone.

"See? One in the same!" Jeff grinned.

"Copy and past!" Sonny chuckled

"Kinda freaky!" Harriet nodded.

"Sure they ain't like twins or share the same brain?" Chuck asked, between his giggles and snorts.

"Nope." Teresa said matter of factly. "Newt is older by two years. He's...almost twenty. Sonya is 18."

"Bloody hell!" The siblings said in unison.

Making everyone roar with laughter. Evelyn smiled and laughed along. She fought the tears. She was going to miss all this. She didn't say anything she sat quiet, her eyes jumping back and forth between everyone. Watching, trying to hold onto the memories and faces, the smiles and laughter. 

"Yeah...but I think Sonya got the better genetics." Chuck giggled. 

"Thank you! At least someone in your group has a buggen' brain." 

"I think Evy might say otherwise." Fry laughed, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Yeah! Especial that reunion in Goose's bathroom!" Amy snorted.

"She sure loves her Nootie!"

"Eh" Evelyn shrugged with a small smirk. "I'm sure I could swing 'em both." Evelyn said quietly. 

The crowd erupted in wild cheers and laughter from everyone. Even Jorge and Jaz chuckled. 

"Bloody right ya' could Love." Sonya winked, making Evelyn chuckle. 

"Back the bloody hell off sis. She's mine!" Newt pointed a threatening finger at Sonya. Who just smirked and raised an eyebrow.

"We'll see."

"Can we get back to this WICKED alien abduction?" Brenda groaned. 

"Yeah! Children settle down or you're going to be in big trouble."

Minho snorted. "That's what she said." 

"Shut it Minho!" Teresa elbowed him with a roll of her eyes. He yelped and chucked again, kissing her temple. 

"Okay, fine. I'll be good and quiet." 

"Something she never said." Evelyn smirked, looking at Minho. He threw his head back and laughed wildly, making the rest of the group start up again. 

"Bloody rights she doesn't." Newt grinned, winking at Evelyn. 

"We all know! We heard it!" 

"Shouldn't have been bloody listening." 

"They just need tips, Love." Evelyn said quietly. 

There was a loud outbreak of laughter and cheers. 

"BURN!" Amy yelled. "Someone needs some ice!" 

"Alright guys! Come on!" Jorge finally grumbled, "Let's wind this up."

Minho and Evelyn looked at each other and snorted, trying not to laugh, but they couldn't, it came bubbling out of them like soda when shaken. 

"THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!" They cried, and howled with laughter. 

Evelyn didn't remember the last time she laughed this hard. Her poor empty dying soul needed this. She desperately clung to the moment. Maybe that's why no one really stopped or tried very hard to get the conversation back on track. Captain Jaz sat against the wall laughing along with them and Jorge just rolled his eyes, trying hard not to crack a smile. They all desperately needed to laugh, to feel an emotion other than fear, sadness and anger. 

"Jorge, that was too easy! Gotta make it harder for us!" Minho gasped.

"THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!" Chuck cried, pointing a finger at Minho, looking so proud of himself. It made everyone roll with wild fresh rounds of laughter. 

"Aww Minho, we taught him so well." Evelyn pretended to wipe a tear, except it was a real one. Her stomach hurts from laughing, her cheeks burned. 

"They grow up so shucken fast."

"Awww Mom...stop your embarrassing me in front of my friends!" he whinned.

"Don't talk to your mother that way young man!" Minho pointed a threatening finger at Chuck, with a stone cold face. Chuck tried to keep a straight face, but he kept snorting. 

"Awww Dad, com on be cool!" 

It took another few minutes for everyone to get themselves under control, and once the snorts and giggles died down they all turned back to Evelyn and Thomas. 

"Okay. What happened?" Nick asked, finally getting back to the topic at hand.

"Well...I don't know about Eve, but I kept passing out, but they took me to some doctors who totally fixed me up."

Evelyn nodded. "Mine had those weird bug suits the whole time. I guess...because I'm infected..." Newt laid a hand on her knee, giving her a gentle squeeze of support.

"I heard them saying something about how it wasn't supposed to happen, how those guns had been a factor they hadn't expected. The bullets set off a nasty infection in us, and I guess they felt pretty strongly that it wasn't time for either of us to die." Thomas went on.

"Well, you Tommy...the one...she was pretty angry that they were doing it for me. But...Janson told them to do it anyways. He was quite demanding."

"Wait! Janson was there?" 

Evelyn nodded her head. "I would recognize that man's voice anywhere." 

"Dammit. This just makes it more complicated." Jorge cursed, running a hand down his face.

"What else?" Captain Jaz asked. 

"They said something about giving me the same suppressant that Mary gave me...and that I'm...umm almost at the next stage..." She finished quietly. 

Newt reached for her hand, holding it tight, drawing small circles on the back of her hand. Thomas went on to explain more. Every detail of what he could remember, and about the odd bedside conversation he'd listened in on. Things about killzone patterns and Candidates. More about the Variables. Evelyn hummed and nodded along. 

"The one woman also said something weird.." She frowned trying to remember what her drug induced mind heard..."the girl and someone from group A have already caught it...they have-"

"Caught the Flare?" Jorge frowned, he cursed again.

"I knew only one other wasn't immune! And I thought everyone else was immune?" Teresa frowned, her eyebrows pulled together. She rubbed her forehead and cursed. "What good are memories if they are wrong?"

"Who knows, maybe Ratman gave you fake ones?" Aris said, it was the first time he had spoken. Everyone looked around at him, horrified realization on their faces. 

"Well shuck!" Minho gaped.

"But...we all acted like we could catch it... Super carful and no one was bit or scratched, right? So how it that possible?" Jeff asked, frowning.

"Is it air born now?" Harriet asked. 

"Must be Hermana." Jorge sighed sadly. 

"But who?" Nick asked, looking around, like he would be able to spot the two other infected. 

Every ones eyes were wide. Evelyn panicked, she scrambled to her feet, pressing her back to the wall. Her hand clamped over her mouth and her infected arm held tight to her chest. Her chest felt like a weight was just dropped on her. Icy claws squeezed her heart and lungs. The cackling started. 

"Hahaha. You killed another two. They caught the Flare from being around you. You brought them into a cranks apartment...you killed them. Murderous little Witch." 

The voice started singing in her head, a repetitive song. The creepy crawling worked its way up her skull. Evelyn jerked her head to the side. She tried to fight it. But the icy burn was spreading from her arm into her chest and down her back, and up her neck. 

"Witch! Witch witch witch. Murderous little witch! Witch! Witch witch witch...Murderous little witch!"

 Evelyn shook her head violently. 

"No! No no no.. go away! Go away!" She whispered. Her eyes were clamped shut, she had grabbed handfuls of her hair. The shaking didn't help.

"Witch! Witch witch witch! Murderous little Witch!"

The crank sang louder.

Evelyn banged the back of her head onto the wall of the shack. 

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"

"Wounded little healer turned into murderous witch. She killed her family!"

"SHUT UP!" Evelyn screamed. 

She slammed the back of her head onto the wall. The crank laughed at her louder.

"Witch! Witch witch witch! Murderou-"

The sing song was cut off. She felt warm hands on her face, holding her head still. Something cut through the wild Crank in her head. It shut the voice up immediately. Evelyn's chest heaved. Her hands slowly let go of her hair, and slid into someone else's. She could feel a gentle rhythmic thump against her own chest. Evelyn knew Newt had pressed her into the wall and kissed her. It shut the voice up. 

Newt was the only one who could make it stop. Every other time Evelyn had to wait and beg for the Crank to release her mind, but Newt was the only one who could banish the wild cackling voice. Newt slowly pulled away, he kept her face tight in his hands. 

"Love. Stop bloody hurtin' yourself. I'm here, I'm right here." 

He was standing in front of her, pressing her gently into the wall, keeping her body from thrashing. He was also blocking out everyone who was watching with wide terrified eyes and mouths open. He kept her shielded for the looks. 

"Newt.." She whispered. "I gave two other people the Flare! If it's air born! What if its you! What if...Newt! You gotta stop kissing me, especially when I crank out! What if I gave it to you!?" She whispered panic trying to bubble up in her and out of her chest.

"Then it's too buggen' late. We've kissed. And gone further than that. If I have it, then I bloody have it." He gave her a small smile, gently smoothing her hair out of her face. He kissed her forehead softly. He pulled away and looked her in the eye. His big gentle steady chocolate brown eyes meet her big terrified emerald green ones, "Also, Love, we were all in that bloody city over run with cranks for days! If it is buggen' air born, we would have caught it long before we found ya in that bloody club. It wasn't you. It wasn't" He said firmly. 

She tried to shake her head, but Newt's hands held her firmly. She would take the blame. There was no words Newt could say to change her mind. She was responsible and she knew it. And the guilt was making her feel like she was drowning. She closed her eyes and hung her head, placing it on his chest. He went to hold the back of her head. 

"Shuck! Lee, you're bleeding!" He cried. 

Evelyn picked her head up and saw his hand was covered in her blood. He looked so distressed. He pulled her into him and then he sat down and pulled her into his lap. Jaz pulled a first aid kit out and handed it to Newt. Who nodded and started to clean the back of her head as best he could, she pulled her knees up to her chest, keeping her eyes downcast. The group sat awkwardly quiet. She took a deep breath.

"It's not all..." Evelyn whispered sadly. 

"More bad news?" One of the girls from Group B sighed. 

"Were being manipulated by WICKED. Of course there's more buggen bad news!" Sonya rolled her eyes. She looked back at Evelyn, her eyes softened, "Lay it on us Love." 

"The doctor said something about HER  killzone is going to be interesting when she finds out. And something about a variable we wont see coming- 

"-like we see any of their twisted ideas coming." Minho growled and rolled his eyes.

"I have no idea who this HER  they are  referring to. Or what variable. Also I heard something about a trial 3." 

"Well, that really cleared things up," Minho finally said. "Do ya think it has something to do with all those signs about you two in the city?  Those big metal plaques of Thomas and those weird old school western style wanted posters of Pixy..."

Thomas shrugged. "No idea. But glad to know you're so happy to see me alive."

"Hey, if you wanna be the leader, no skin off my back. I am happy to see you alive."

"No thanks. You can keep it." Thomas rolled his eyes.

"You guys said another trial? Like a phase 3?" Jorge looked completely confused now. 

"We were never informed of a third round when we volunteered to come out here. We just knew the Maze and the Scorch. Phase one and Phase two." Captain Jaz added, she also looked confused, and angry.

"Well...wont matter, right? Phase three or trial whatever, it wont matter,  because we're not going back to WICKED. We're on our way to The Right Arm." Harriet said slowly, thinking out loud. "We'll be long gone before WICKED can find us!"

"Exactly Hermana. And speaking of...we should vamos. We have a long walk ahead of us."