Florence's eyes fluttered open, and for a second all she could remember was the dark infection she had seen on her leg. Her hand shot down to her leg, throwing off the cotton covers previously laid over her to inspect her skin. 

But there was not a single mark. 

As she sat up, a pain in her side - that she had somehow forgotten about - caused a strangled groan to escape her lips.

"Hey, hey." A voice interrupted her panic and her eyes fell on Minho.

He was sat on a wooden chair by her side, his hair flattened and his expression soft and calming. At her panic, he had shot forwards and placed his hand on her shoulder comfortingly. She relaxed, but still disorientated, she looked about the unfamiliar room.

She was lying in a small wooden shack; with sand on the floor and a lamp hanging from the ceiling to give them light. She was on a small bed shoved against one of the walls, with soft covers piled on it. The bedside table with fresh unused bandages and simple medical equipment led her to realise it was some sort of medical room.

Had we made it?

"Are we-?"

"In the Safe Haven?" He finished her question, his blank stare scaring her for a second. Then, his face broke out in a smile, and she felt all of her worries melt away.

And when she said all, she meant all.

No more cautiousness over their every move, because there was no more WCKD. No more wariness over every person they came across, because there were no more Cranks.

They were safe.

Finally.

And then her heart tugged. Right before she drifted off into unconsciousness, she watched from the ship as the burning building collapsed on Teresa, and she was engulfed in flames.

She was dead.

She had betrayed them, but she was also their friend. She was doing what she thought was right, and although it hurt them, she thought she was saving everyone.

And she gave them the cure.

Florence was still confused as to why Thomas was immune to the Flare and not her, but she supposed that it didn't matter anymore. None of it did.

Whatever grudge they had previously against Teresa was irrelevant, and Florence only missed her friend. She knew that Minho likely felt a little different, as she was the reason of his torture for months, but again, his grudge was irrelevant now.

Why hold something against a dead person?

"Where is everyone? How long have I been out?"

Of course, she had fallen unconscious due to the blood loss. Or was it the cure being administered? Newt's Crank-like state seemed a million years ago now, but Florence knew realistically it was at most a couple of days.

"You've only been out for about a day. The camp's pretty much all set up. You're lucky you didn't have to help." He grumbled and she rolled her eyes at his laziness.

Standing up from the bed, she wobbled a little; Minho's hand shooting out to balance her. She took it gratefully, the pain in her side still stinging slightly, but she ignored it.

Minho pushed open the door, flooding her vision with blinding light. When her eyes adjusted, she wanted to cry with joy.

The camp was filled with wooden shacks just like the one she had come from, and marquees with hammocks spread out beneath it. People were milling about the place; doing jobs, chatting, playing.

They were right beside the sea, a beautiful sandy beach stretching along the length of the camp and beyond, and the sun was beating down on them, matching the bright mood that was filling the Safe Haven. Palm trees lined the grass that led onto the sand, rich with coconuts that Florence suddenly felt hungry for.

"Florence!"

Her head shot around at the sound of her name and she ignored the pain in her side to engulf Brenda in a hug. Brenda let out a relieved sigh, pulling back but keeping her hands on Florence's shoulders to inspect her face carefully.

"You okay?" She asked, in concern, but Florence only grinned back at her.

"I'm amazing."

Brenda was called by Jorge from one of the marquees and she excused herself to go see what she was needed for. Florence turned back to Minho, slipping her hand into his again, allowing him to take her on a tour of the place.

He showed her where their hammocks were - theirs of course beside one another - and explained how he tried to get Jorge to let them share a shack, but he didn't allow it. He showed her to the food hall, telling her that of course Frypan was a cook along with a few others. Then, he led her down towards the beach, stopping before it at a campfire area in a semi circle shape in front of a large rectangular stone.

Sat on a bench in the semi circle was Newt and Thomas. They were sat close together, Newt's head on Thomas's shoulder as Thomas played with Newt's hands.

Minho and Florence drew closer, and once Newt's eyes fell on the girl, his head shot up. He startled Thomas, but didn't explain anything as he got up from his seat and hurried down the rows of benches to reach the pair.

"Flo-" He cut himself off as he launched himself at the girl in a hug. Lifting her off the ground, he squeezed her tightly and she laughed at his eagerness as she hugged him back. Once he let her go, he immediately went off into an apology, and Florence's memories of the boy doing the same only days prior came flooding back.

"I really tried to stop myself hurting either of you but the Flare- I am so sorry, really-"

"Newt." She cut him off calmly, pinching his cheek playfully.

"If you didn't get me, you would've killed Thomas or yourself. This was the best scenario." She told him, shrugging, but she knew there was no way Newt would stop feeling guilty.

"Now, where's my brother?" She looked around Newt's tall figure, eyes landing on Thomas who had leapt up at the sound of her voice.

He welcomed her in a just as tight hug, sweeping her off her feet as well. She knew he would be feeling awful because of Teresa, so she was very careful in avoiding the subject.

"I don't understand how you weren't immune." He mumbled, and the reminder made a flash of pain pass through her eyes - as if she was feeling the Flare again. Of course, she wasn't.

Pulling back, she smiled brightly at him and ruffled his hair. "It doesn't matter. I'm here now, and your freakishly awesome blood saved me."

He cracked a smile and eventually both of them, and Newt and Minho were all chuckling. They could finally relax now - for the first time ever - and boy would they enjoy it.

The sun had begun to dip in the sky, casting a beautiful red glow over the camp as everyone gathered in the semi circle of benches. After a more than delightful meal from Frypan and the other chefs, Vince rose from his seat to toast a speech.

"We have come a long way together. So many have sacrificed so much to make this place possible."

As he spoke, Florence's mind ran through all of the people they had lost on the way, the people who had sacrificed themselves so they could get here. 

Alby, Ben, Jeff, Clint, Chuck, Winston, Teresa.

"Your friends, and your family. So here's to the ones who couldn't be here." He lifted his arm up so his glass was in the air as a toast.

"Here's to the friends we lost. This place is for you. It's for all of us. But this, this is for them. So, in your own time, in your own way, come make your peace."

Vince gestured to the rectangular stone at the centre of the semi circle, and Florence suddenly understood. It was to honour those they had lost. 

Florence sidled over to Newt as the gathering descended into chatter and laughter. In her pocket still laid the brown necklace the boy so desperately wanted to give Thomas only a day prior.

She reached into her pocket, feeling for the leather, and pulling it out. As the boy's eyes widened like saucers and his jaw slacked, she dangled it in front of him like a hypnotist.

"So," She began, chuckling at his flushed cheeks. "will you still be needing this?"

She didn't have reason to try and stop him wrestling it from her, so when he lunged for it, she let him take it. He safely pushed it into his own pocket, looking much more relieved afterwards.

"Maybe I'll give it to him on my actual death bed."

Throughout the evening, Florence's friends each made their way over to the stone, to carve out the names of their lost loved ones.

Frypan first, to carve Winston's; then she carved Clint and Jeff's; Newt wrote out Alby's name, Florence knowing how proud he would be of the camp they had set up; and Thomas wrote both Chuck and Teresa's.

It took great encouragement from Florence for Minho to muster enough strength to carve out Ben's name. 

All this time, since he had died, he had been pushing it away to ignore it. As if not thinking about it meant it didn't exist. And now, for the first time, he had to face the fact he was really gone.

He stepped back from the stone, Florence taking his hand immediately to comfort him. His eyes glazed over a little, his mind flicking through the memories he shared with his late friend. The more girl brushed his skin ever so gently with her thumb, the easier it felt to think about Ben.

Florence missed the grateful look Minho sent to her as she looked over the names, admiring the way they could honour their friends. 

"Welcome to the Safe Haven." Vince suddenly interrupted.

Florence turned to him as he tipped his bottle towards her, signalling for her to do the same. His look of pure bliss was illuminated by the bonfire, and she felt infected by his happiness, lifting hers and clinking their glasses together. 

Then, Minho's voice stole her from the celebration.

"Can we take a walk?"

They moved away from the thick of people to get some privacy and talk. Florence had so many questions; about WCKD, what they did to him, about Teresa.

"What was it like?" She winced ever so slightly in asking, knowing that it would be sensitive for Minho.

She only hoped that he knew she would be there to comfort him.

"Awful." He let out a harsh chuckle. It was clear that what he experienced at WCKD was so traumatic that it would stay with him for a long time, if not forever.

"It was just constant torture. They were trying to get a cure from me for ten, fifteen, twenty hours a day. And it wouldn't work, or it wouldn't work enough so they'd send me back to my room with some food and let me sleep. And then it would all repeat the next day."

Florence stopped him in his tracks, turning to face him. She couldn't fully read the expression in his eyes, but she could see the way the boy had thinned since she saw him six months ago. She reached up and brought a hand through his hair before taking it back to rest on his cheek.

"You're safe now, okay? I've got you back."

His face broke out in a grin and he moved in one motion to bring her into a hug. Lifting her off her feet, he pulled her closer to him and let out a sigh.

"Now that I have you, I'm not gonna let you go."

She let out a chuckle at the words he had said once before in the Glade, after the first time they kissed after the memory loss swipe.

They walked hand in hand towards the beach, and by now, the light had fallen. There was a faint golden glow from their campsite, and they could see fuzzy outlines to each other and the palm trees that lined the beach, but that was it. Minho's hand slipped from hers as they wandered over the sand, his feet kicking through it lightly as a thoughtful expression played on his face.

"Are you okay?" She asked, concern laced in her tone. He looked to her, nodding, but she knew him too well. He was nervous. Knowing she would know something was up, he sighed heavily before launching into explanation.

"This might sound a little strange, but when I was in WCKD, I knocked out some doctors when I was escaping," She let out a breathy laugh and watched as Minho's hand went to his pocket. When it returned back out, she felt her heart stop.

"And stopped to take this."

Between his fingers, was a ring. An engagement ring. Minho stole an engagement ring.

She was so blown away by it that she didn't stop to think of the WCKD doctor he had stolen it from. Or the fact he had knocked them out.

It's beautiful.

The ring was modest; a simple silver band with the smallest sparkling diamond encrusted into it. It was humble, but Florence couldn't ask for anything more perfect.

She couldn't help but let her eyes fill with tears - happy ones - as she struggled to find words. Minho was carefully studying her expression, as if he was afraid she would react badly. At the lack of verbal response from her, he spoke again.

"I know we're young, a-and this world is shucking weird, but I love you, more than anything." She choked back a sob, then laughed at the stupidity of it. Minho's nerves dissipated and he chuckled too, moving to take her hand with his other.

"So, I guess what I'm asking is, marry me? One day? I don't know if that means shuck all in this place, but I know I wanna marry you."

Minho was still broken and traumatised by what WCKD had done to him, Florence knew this. She also knew that as much as she wanted to understand his pain, she would never be able to. But if Minho knew anything, it was that he wanted to marry Florence, whatever that meant.

Before she could respond, another voice startled them both from behind, "I can officiate weddings."

Whirling around, Florence's eyes found Jorge. She couldn't help but pout at the moment he had interrupted; Minho still holding the ring out in front of her expectantly.

But then again, it was helpful to know he could officiate for them.

"Thanks Jorge, but I haven't actually got a reply yet." Minho replied harshly, Jorge wincing in realisation and turning on his heel with the wave of his hand.

"You know where to find me chicos!"

Rolling his eyes, Minho turned back to Florence with an expectant look in his eyes. She bit her lip to stop herself from grinning.

And although she already knew she would say yes, she decided in that moment that one day, only when they're finally, really happy and the days of the Maze and WCKD are a distant memory, she'll marry him.

Stepping forwards, she placed a hand on his cheek and looked over his expression lovingly. This was the man she would spend the rest of her life with, and she couldn't be more happy about it.

"You already know it's a yes."

"Thank god for that."

That night - newly engaged - Florence and Minho joined Thomas, Newt, Frypan, Brenda and Gally all sat together on the beach. Like many times before in their lives, their chatter was completely carefree, but for once, it would always remain that way.

"Do you think it was worth it? All of it, losing everyone we lost?"

Thomas's sudden question was heavy, and although the real answer was complex, Florence knew the brief answer was one of the easiest questions she had ever answered before.

She shifted so her head was resting on Minho's shoulder and she tilted it so she could face Thomas, who was looking out to sea thoughtfully. His hand was intertwined with Newt's on his lap, and the four of them were sat in a line in front of Brenda, Gally and Frypan who were all sharing a blanket to give them warmth in the cold breeze.

"We made it here, and we've set up a new, safe civilisation for hundreds of people. If we could do it without anyone dying, we would. But everyone who died, died for this. Of course it was worth it."

"I couldn't agree more."

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And this is it!

Thank you so much for reading my book, it means the world to me. It's been such a long journey writing it, but it helped a lot to remind me how much I do love writing. 

Keep an eye out, a Gally x OC fic may be on the way soon... (next year but still soon probably!)