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❪ 𝟬𝟮𝟵 ❫











˚ ༘✶₊˚.                         ⊹ ˚ .  SECOND ACT
❪       TWENTY-NINE    ♥︎    ₊˚༢࿐
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( slight smut )

𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐌𝐀𝐄 stepped out of the Maze, she had never felt more content then she was right now, sitting in the backseat of the Right Arm's truck, a small smile on her face as she rested her head against Frypan's shoulder tiredly, relived. Sonya and Harriet spoke about the things they did to WICKED's compounds throughout the area, how many immunes they've saved, how they plan to move out to a Safe Haven soon.

     The main base they pulled into was secured around mountains, tents and soldiers, women and children, people of all ages gathered together. They grew fresh vegetables that they began to store for the journal, people running around gathering supplies. Teddy looked onward, scanning the faces as they drove past.

The cars rolled to a stop on the hill and everyone quickly scrambled out and gathered together behind Harriet, who lead them down the path.

"They've been planning this for over a year now, this is all for us," She informs. Mae assumed she meant immunes from the way Brenda shifted.

"Are you okay?" Mae asked, glancing down at her covered ankle and back up at the brunette, "Maybe we should━"

"I'm fine," Brenda forced a smile on her pale blue lips. Mae frowned, nodding.

"You guys are lucky you found us when you did," Sonya continued, "We're moving out at first light," She turned her attention to a soldier with a strapped gun, "Where's Vince?"

"Somewhere over there, I think."

"Who's Vince?" Thomas asked.

"He's the one who decides if you get to stay," Harriet firmed, a small smile on her lips.

To that, Mae gave Teddy's hand a gentle squeeze.

     "I thought the Right Arm was supposed to be an Army?" Minho questioned.

     "Yeah, we were," replied an older man stepping out of a tent, his long hair pushed back and his breaded face tugged down into a firm frown, examining the group, "This is all that's left of us. A lot of good people died getting us this fair," His eyes land on Harriet, "Who are they?"

     "They're immunes," She replies, "Caught them climbing up the mountain."

     "Did you check them?"

     "I know this guy, Aris," She motioned, "I trust him."

     "Well, I don't," Vince says, "Check 'em."

     Mae released Teddy's hand when she noticed Brenda sway in front of her, "Brenda?" She muttered, her hands just brushing against the girl's shoulder before the brunette seized up and dropped to the ground, "Brenda?!"

     "Brenda?" Jorge panics, dropped down on his knees beside the girl. Mae's hand clasped around his as they tried to lift her up into Jorge's arms, "Brenda? Brenda, talk to me!"

     "I'm sorry. ." She repeats.

     "What's going on with her?" Vince asked in concern, placing a hand on Mae's shoulder. The blonde didn't realize she was crying until she looked at Vince, who stared back in a mixture of concern and thought.

     "I— I," Mae couldn't tell him, knowing that Brenda wasn't immune, they'd kill her. She looked to Thomas, who shifted in panic as he tried to think of something.

     "We don't know," Jorge firmed, "Brenda, are you alright?"

     Vince reached down and pulled Brenda's covered ankle, exposing the blacked bite. He cursed, raising to his feet and pulling out a loaded gun all at the same time. The Glader's jumped into defense, Newt and Minho grasping at Teddy and pulling him away from the chaos, ignoring the little boy's scream for Mae as the blonde threw herself on top of Brenda.

     Jorge was pried away by two soldiers as he screamed for Brenda. Mae hooked her arms around the hardly conscious girl, wincing at the pain of soldiers trying to pull her off. It hurts, their fingers curling into her skin as they tugged and slammed their weapons into her fingers in hopes to pull her off, but she wouldn't.

     "Crank! We gotta Crank!"

     "Thomas! Do something!" Teddy snapped.

     "Get off of her!" Frypan yelled, slamming his body into the Soldier who tried to hurt Mae, only to be pulled back in the process.

     "No! No just wait!" Thomas moved in between, "This just happened okay, she's not dangerous yet!"

     "You shouldn't have brought her here!" Vince bellows.

     "I know, I—"

     "We let Cranks in here now, Safe Haven doesn't last a week! Now step back!" Vince ordered.

     "No!" Mae screamed, her bruised fingers curled into the gun on Brenda's hip, unlatching it from the leather and pointing it directly at Vince. She knew it wasn't a good idea, one small pistol against the hoard of guns pointing back at her, but Mae wouldn't allow herself to lose another friend. She couldn't.

     "Mae! Put it down!" Newt screamed out, fear laced in his voice as the soldier's gun's clicked in place.

     She wouldn't. Brenda didn't deserve to die, Jorge didn't deserve to lose his daughter. Mae can't lose a friend.

     The blonde never looked less like herself in that moment. Blonde hair braided back, little scratched on her once clean skin, jeans and a blood-stained t-shirt. A weapon in her hands. She never looked so stern. She wondered if Alby would be proud, if Gally would be. Mae had snapped into survival just like they always wanted her to.

     "You have to help her!" Mae firmed, "We didn't come all this way just to die. There's got to be something you can do! Take my blood! A makeshift serum, anything!"

     "Yeah, there is," Vince responds, not phased by the gun in her hands as he slightly lowered hers down, "I can put her out of her misery."

     "Vince! That's enough!" a dark haired woman runs out of a tent, "Let him go!" She orders. The men release Jorge instantly.

     The Doctor looking between Mae and Thomas, eyes wide in surprise as she stepped forward. She was looking more at Mae, the girl still standing with the gun in her hands, eyes on fire as she pointed it forward.

     "Mae? My god," She says.

     "Who are you?" Mae orders.

     She sighed, "I'm Doctor Mary Cooper, you might not remember me but. . .I knew your father."

     Mae falters instantly, "My father?"

     "She's infected, Doc. There's nothing we can do for her," Vince explained.

     "No, but he can," Mary looks to Thomas, "Hello, Thomas."

     "What. . You know me?" He asked.

     The Doctor hummed, "Interesting... makes sense they put you in the Maze," She walks past him and crouches down in front of Brenda, examining her, "Though I must admit, I was worried they'd kill you after what you did."

     "What I did?" Thomas pressed.

     "The first time we spoke, you said you couldn't take it anymore. Watching your friends die one by one, the girl you loved suffering," She recalls. Mae and Thomas locked eyes. "The last time we spoke, you gave me the coordinates of every WICKED compound, trail and lab."

     "He was our source," Vince realized.

     "We couldn't have pulled all this off without him."

     Mae grins widely at Thomas, "Take that Janson."

     He smirked back.

     "Take her to the tent, and get these guys some warm clothes, it's the least we could do." Mary orders, "Peter! Come out with the med-kit!"

     A tall young man stepped out of the tent with a medkit hauled over his shoulder. His hair was a soft ginger color, almost faded into a light brown. His eyes the same shade of blue as Teddy's. He rolled his eyes at Mary's command, not even noticing the group until he turned completely around.

"Peter?" Teddy muttered, his eyes going wide as he broke out of Minho's grasp, "Peter!? Peter!"

The older boy drops the kit in shock, "Holy shit. Theodore?!"

Mae watched as the two embraced with a soft smile, eyes watering in relief as the brothers talked over each other in surprise.

"You're here! I knew it!" Teddy cried.

"You're here!" Peter emphasized, "How the hell did you find me? I've been looking for you since we separated! How did you pass the Scorch—"

In response, Teddy runs up and grabs Mae's hand, tugging her forward and almost into Peter, "Pete, this is Mae! She's the one who got me here. She broke us out of WICKED! She's a total badass—"

Mae reddened, "I wouldn't say that."

Peter grinned, hooking his arms around the girl and pulling her into a firm hug. He smelled like sanitizer and berry, an odd combination that worked well for him as he pulled back to say, "I'd say. You have no idea what this means for me. I, I thought I lost my family for good."

She smiled softly, "I promised him I'd find you."

Teddy excitingly threw his arms around both of them. Peter chuckled, sweeping him up too.

"Thomas? Mae? Come with me." Mary says.

The blonde looks back, watching them pull Brenda into a tent as Thomas waited for her by the entrance.

"I should go check on Brenda," Mae announced, "I'm sure you two have a lot of catching up to do."

She goes to leave, but Teddy grabs her hand, "I'll see you again right? This isn't goodbye, is it?"

"You're a tough kid to shake," She responds, "Besides, I don't think Minho and Newt are going to give you up so easily." She turns back to see the boys in question hovering around, making sure Teddy and Mae were fine, "I'll see you later, okay?"

Teddy hesitated, giving a firm nod before squeezing her hand and letting her go.



❰❰ ୧ ⋅ ˚ ₊ ·┊ೃ ' 🌷



     "In the beginning, we were lost..."

     Mae sat beside Thomas and across from Jorge, eyes strained on the brunette in the makeshift bed. Mary moved around her things on the other side, explaining what they needed to know. Tiredly, Mae rests her head on Thomas' shoulder. He softly grabbed her hand and placed it on his lap, rubbing the skin of her palm in comfort.

     "All we knew for sure was that the younger you are the stronger your chances," She says.

     "You worked for WICKED?" Thomas asked.

     Mary looked hesitant, "Yes, a long time ago. At first we had the best intentions. Fine the cure, save the world. It was clear you kids were the key because you were immune. But why? Eventually, we found an answer."

     Mae felt eyes on her, not knowing Teresa was listening in by the door as she pushed away the feeling and closed her eyes against Thomas' shoulder.

     "An enzyme produced by the brains of the immune. Once separated from the blood stream it can serve as a powerful agent to slow the spread of the virus," She continued.

     "So, you found a cure?" He pressed.

     "Not, exactly," She frowned, "The enzyme can't be manufactured. Only harvested from the immune, the young," She scoffed, "Of course that didn't stop WICKED. If they have their way, they'd sacrifice an entire generation, all for this."

     Mae opens her eyes, looking at the needle in Mary's hands that contain a light blue liquid.

     "A gift of biology, of evaluation. But one not meant for all of us."

     The Doctor rounded the bed and stood in front of Brenda, holding her arm down and injecting the needle into the blood stream. Brenda instantly relaxed, her eyes still closed.

     "How long does she have?" Mae questioned.

     "It's different for everyone," She explains, "A few months maybe. But that's the catch isn't it? She'll always need more," She stands up, motioning to Jorge, "Let go outside, let them rest. She'll be fine."

     Jorge hesitates but follows her out.

     "Mary. ." Mae stands, "Is there any way I can get washed up?"

     The Doctor smiled, "You can use my personal tent, I have a bath in there, I can warm it up for you." She nods, and turns to Thomas, "You know she can't come with us right?"

     Mae and Thomas faltered.

     "I'll meet up with you," She tells Thomas.

     "Be careful," He responds.

     When the blonde had left the tent, she noticed Jorge pacing in the corner, a deep frown in his face. She smiled softly, tapping his shoulder. What she didn't expect was for Jorge to wrap her into a tight hug, her arms quickly rounding his waist.

     "Cuidadora," He greets in relief, "If anything had happened to her—"

     "I would never let that happen," Mae firmed, the embrace still between them, "She deserves to be here just as much as we do, immune or not."

     Jorge pulled back with a light smile, "You should've seen yourself, gun wielding rosa con espinas."

     Mae smiled, "I don't know what's gotten into me," She admits, "I-I wasn't like that before—"

     "I don't know who you were before," He reminded, "But if it was anything less than who you are now, you should be grateful you adapted the way you did."

     "It took everyone I love dying for it to happen," She frowned.

     Jorge nods firmly in understanding, "Now you know what needs to be done to make sure it doesn't happen to the rest of them. I'm thankful Brenda is one of them."

     "You are too," She says instantly.

     "Mae," Mary called before going back into the tent.

Mary's place was a lot bigger on the inside. With a large bed, a table of research and vials, a rack of clothes and a big metal wash tub with steaming hot water. The woman looked hesitant around the child, most likely wanting to say things that she didn't know if Mae would want to hear. It was obvious they were once close. Once.

"I laid some clothes out, I don't know if it will fit you," She placed a towel down by a chair, "Help yourself to anything you need."

"You said you knew my father," Mae recalls bluntly, slowly unraveling her long hair from its thick braid, "Who was he?"

"A scientist," Mary gives in, slowly sitting down in the chair, "I met him when he transferred from a Lab in what was once London to here, WICKED's main campus," She smiled at the memory, "He was tasks to study the development of the Virus once it was exposed to the patience, taking tests and data in hopes to find the cure in reversing the enzyme."

Mae furrowed her brow, trying to remember. She angry that she couldn't, walking being the clothes wrack the shed the dirty layers as Mary continued.

"When he came to WICKED, he was in charge of monitoring the children in their development, running tests on them as they got older before the trails," She frowned, "But from what I hear James didn't like it much."

"James," She repeats, "His name was James."

Mary nods, "Your mother was someone I was close to, she came in a lot later but your father fell in love with her quickly, they had you the same year, it was all really fast. I had never seen James so excited."

Mae smiled at the thought, slowly lowering herself into the warm pail of water.

"When he found out you were immune, he tried to keep you away from it all. He didn't want WICKED taking you and experimenting on you too, he would've left it all behind if it meant keeping you safe," Mary continued, "Your mother on the other hand..."

"My mother?" Mae muttered, "Who is she?"

Mary hesitated, then stood up, shaking her head, "I've learned that giving too much information at once can overstimulate your brain. Getting your memories back is a hard process, and I don't want to overwhelm you," She explains, standing up.

"Wait!" Mae called back, "Do you at least know why I was there? In the Maze? What had happened-"

"I wasn't in your division when it happened," Mary shook her head, "From what I heard, the rumors. You fell into the box and banged your head, that's all. It was brushed off as an unfortunate accident."

With that, Mary had left Mae with her thoughts.

The blonde slowly sunk back down into the water, her mind clouded with questions as she tried to piece together a timeline in her brain. There was things missing from the story, the pieces jumped from other people's perspectives, nothing truly added up. Not will until she knew herself, until she learned about her past from her own eyes.

Something big was missing, but what? Who was she really and what part did she play?

The thoughts continued to eat away at her as she rubbed the rag on her skin, cleaning her body of the sand and sweat that she had built up in the scorch, using the soaps Mary had laid out. The bath calmed her, helped her think as she slowly sunk lower and lower into the water.

The more she thought about her childhood the foggier it became. She remembered the good things, the lessons she learned but she couldn't remember who taught them, or the people she met along the way. Her mother and father, it was all gone.

It hurt Mae not knowing who she was.

It hurt her not knowing what she could be.

"Mae, can you help— oh," Thomas froze two steps into the tent, shirtless with a needle in his hand and a cut on his torso. He had new clothes over on his shoulder he planned to put on, "Newt said you were in here. . I tore my stitch open by accident."

Mae helped back a laugh from inside the tub, shaking her head, "It's because you're accident prone and never know when to sit down," She says.

"Thanks," He deadpans, looking away, "Should I come back."

Mae shook her head, "I've been in here long enough," Without ever much thought, Mae stood up from the metal tub. The girl never cared about nudity, especially when it was people she was comfortable with as she raised her hand to Thomas, "Come here, let me see it."

Thomas' eyes were firmly on the roof, face beat red as he slowly shuffled forward and grabbed the towel off the chair, handing it to her. She rolled her eyes, wrapping it over her chest and sealing it tight at the hem before stepping out.

"Happy?" She muttered.

Thomas slowly dropped his gaze down to her eyes, keeping them there and not letting himself divert his eyes lower as he handed her the needle and medical thread. He nods.

Mae motions for him to sit down on the edge of the bed, sitting on the back of her legs in between his as she turn her attention to putting the thread through the needle. Thomas swallowed thickly, his still locked in her face below him.

"Have you talked to Mary about Brenda?" She made conversation, the towel still wrapped around her body as she leaned forward and began working on his torso.

Thomas sighed, ignoring the pitch, "They won't let her go to the Safe Haven, that's final."

"Then we aren't going either," She firmed, keeping her hands steady, "They take all of us or none of us."

"That's what I said.." He muttered, eyes soft, "But, you do have a chance, you know? To go to the Safe Haven, you're immune. Teddy will need you—"

"If you think I'm going to leave you and the boys behind, forget it," Mae states, "Teresa, too. It's all of us or nothing. We've gone through too much together to separate now."

"I just want you to pick the safest option."

"I'm staying with you."

Thomas closed his mouth, nodding in understanding. It was only right they finished this out the way they started. The Gladers side by side.

"Mae. ." He began, face heating up at his thoughts, "Do you, uh, remember what happened at Marcus' party by any chance?"

Mae froze for a second before continuing on, "You mean when we druggingly kissed each other and Brenda before hallucinating?" He nods, "I remember. You don't have to say anything, we were both very wacky and it meant nothing, of course."

Thomas frowned, "It didn't mean anything?"

Mae didn't look up, "I've had my fair share of drugs, Thomas, I supplied LSD in the Glade. I know it makes you do silly things when it's strong enough, that's why I always diluted it with punch and water. It was just our emotions on overdrive, we can't know for sure if it meant anything—"

In frustration, Thomas grabbed Mae's chin firmly and tugged her up, his lips smashing feverishly into hers. She stood up on her knees in front of him, hands reaching up to curl against his wrist as they continued to move against each other. His other hand latching itself in her messy wet hair.

"Does it mean something now?" He pulls back just a little, breathing heavy and scattered as Thomas scanned her eyes for any regret, "Does it?"

Mae didn't know. Truly, she didn't. So, she grabbed the back of his neck and pressed her lips back against his, standing quickly on her feet so Thomas' head would turn up at her movement, she was pressed firmly against his body, his arms shaking over her waist before tugging her into his lap.

She gasped out at his movement, Thomas deepening the kiss just slightly as he squeezed his fingers into her waist. Mae ran her hands through his long hair, tugging it softly as he grunted against her lips and pulled the towel around her body down on her lap, exposing her upper half. She grinded her hips softly into his lap at his touch against her skin, his fingers brushing along the sides of her ribs.

The kiss had broke, Thomas' lips scattering along her chest and down her body. She closed her eyes, savoring the feeling of comfort. The only time she had ever done something like this was in the Glade.

With Gally.

Mae didn't meant to, but once that single stem of Gally came to mind, she couldn't stop thinking about the boy. She had only ever given herself to him, until now she had belonged to him in every possible way. In Marcus' place, she had seen Gally when she kissed Thomas. When she uttered the words 'I love you' it had only been because she thought it was the Builder.

But he's dead. She needed to remind herself. He's gone. It's okay to move on. Thomas makes her feel good. It was easy with Thomas, it was pure. There was no fighting, or heated expressions, no fire. He had been her lover before the Maze so why couldn't he be now?

"What in the fuck—"

     Minho and Teresa stood at the emergence of the tent. The raven-haired girl held a pained expression, Mae's backpack in her fist as she looked between her two friends. Thomas and Mae jumped back, the boy quickly handing the girl his shirt that she quickly tugged over her head.

     "Minho!" Thomas scrambled, "Teresa, sorry you had to see that—" Thomas cleared his throat. Teresa frowned, face heating up, "Mae was just. ."

     "Fucking you?" Minho expressed.

     "Jesus, Minho.." Mae shifts, quickly getting dressed as she spoke, "Could've knocked?"

     "Sorry, I didn't think you'd be banging," He says sarcastically. Teresa placed the bag at the chair and walked out of the room without a word, "A little early for that don't you think?"

     "What's that supposed to mean?" Mae heated.

     "I kissed her first," Thomas defends, "Minho, I should've said something first—"

     "No. You shouldn't have," Mae corrected, "It's not like either of us need permission, we aren't in the Glade anymore, those rules don't apply." She turned back to her friend, "What's with you?"

     Minho frowned, "With me? You're the one who's changed, Mae. I saw the look you had when you almost shot Vice, or what happened when you beat on Marcus—"

     "Hey!" Thomas huffed, knowing it was a sensitive topic for Mae, "She was just trying to help."

     "Sorry, Shank, but you don't get it. You didn't know Mae the way I did in the Glade," Minho explained, "I don't need her going dark side on us, she needs to control her rage—"

     "She, is right here!" Mae reminded, crossing her arms over her chest, "You're the ones who wanted this to happen, you all wanted to me to fight—"

     "I never pushed you back there!" Minho reminded, "I was the only one of those shuckfaces who didn't care how ditzy you were, I'd rather have you like that then some killer, Mae!"

     She reeled back, "Killer?" She repeated with a scoff, "Like WICKED hasn't done worse?"

     "If you're comparing yourself to those shuckfaces, then it's already a problem," Minho shook his head, "Mae, you're being reckless. Now you're in here sleeping with Thomas' of all people, when we both know the only reason is because Gally is dead—"

     "And what's fault is that?" She snapped.

     The room goes silent, and Minho clenched his jaw.

     "He was going to kill Thomas," Minho reminded, "I did what I had to do."

     "He was infected," She corrected.

     "He killed Chuck!" Minho raised his tone.

     "Guys—," Thomas tried to speak.

     "Shuck it!" The respond.

     Mae huffed, "It was Chuck's choice to jump in front of that bullet, it doesn't make it right but it didn't make it Gally's fault. It's not like he was gunning for him! It was your choice to spear him in the chest, instead of the leg, or the arm! You shot the kill, how does that make you any less of a killer than me?!" She cried, "We both broke Nick's rule. Never harm another Glader, but we did it!"

     Minho's eyes watered, "You're just not the Mae you were before..." He muttered, "And that's scary for me, okay? If spent as long as I can remember protecting you. I've seen what happens when you get overwhelmed and unhinged," He was talking about her attention in the Med, and that hurt, "I can't lose you like that—"

     "The Mae you knew is dead," She tells him, tears in her eyes, "She died the day you killed Gally. And I'm not going to go back to who I was before, I can't. It hurts too much. So I'll do what I have to do." She used his words against him.

     Minho frowned, "Mae—"

     "Just stay out of my life!" She huffed, letting her anger get the best of her.

     With that, Mae walked out of the tent, leaving behind a panicked Thomas and silent Minho. Both wondering if pushing Mae over the edge had done more harm than good.













[ props to zendayas_mj for the idea of Minho and Mae through an edit they made & to @jomarchsvsp on Tik Tok for making a Mae x Thomas edit that inspired me to publish!! <33 ]

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