Stay or Run

Chapter Twenty-Three

Welcome finally to Chapter 23 - no your eyes are not tricking you, this is an actual chapter - I would like to say a massive thank you to everyone who has read, voted and commented so far, this story has just reached 10k views which is amazing - a video is included in this chapter, enjoy!!!

Newt POV

I can't believe this is happening right now; Thomas attacked and almost killed Minho and it is all my fault. If I hadn't suggested they go for the run together none of this would be happening right now.

"Oh, I know that face all to well." Noah's voice rings out from behind me, I hadn't heard him approach but I am not surprised he had joined me watching the Slammer from a distance. After all it was his son inside that had gone loopy and tried to kill his best friend.

"I'm not pulling any face, this is just my normal face." I state without thinking and this seems to make him laugh more as he claps a hand on my back in support, in his other hand I notice he is carrying two glasses of which looks a lot like Gally's secret recipe which I happily accept from him.

"That is exactly the same answer Stiles gives me, every single time I say that to him. So, as I always reply to him; a problem shared is a problem halved." Noah states before taking a swig of the drink in his hand before quickly spitting and spluttering the same way Thomas did when he first tried it, this time it was my turn to chuckle at him.

"You can talk, that is the exact same way Thomas reacted when he tried Gally's drink for the first time." I laugh as Noah starts chuckling looking at the glass as though judging whether to attempt another sip or to leave it be.

"Nice change of topic it there but come on, what is eating away at you or is it just the obvious answer?" He asks pointing his glass towards where Thomas lay sleeping off the effects of Minho knocking him out, I am surprised he is still out of it. How hard did Minho hit him?

"I feel responsible for what happened. I was the one who suggested that Minho heads on the run with him, I thought maybe it will be like old times and it may help him remember." I advise honestly knowing that like with Thomas if I lied to him, he would see directly through it. Like Father, like Son I guess.

"Newt, none of this is your fault. The only ones to blame for anything that happens currently is WCKD. You are not the one who stole him away and wiped his memories and placed him back inside the Maze once again." Noah advises before placing his glass down and grabbing me into a tight comforting hug, I sank easily into his arms as though I had known him all of my life.

As he hugged me, I realised something. Thomas is very good at faking that he is knocked out; same way he faked to trick Gally when he tried to banish him. What if he is doing the same thing now?

"He is awake, don't react or move. Just go with me." I whisper into Noah's ears before I pull back and notice him nod while picking up his glass as though ready to leave.

"Alright, I think it is time we head over before the others start a search party for us. I think it maybe dinner time soon anyway." I state before rising to my feet before looking over to where the others are gathered and nodded my head in their direction, I hope Noah picks up on what I am telling him.

"Yeah I think you are right; besides I am too old of a man to be sitting down on a log for too long." Noah advises before walking swiftly over towards where the others are gathered as I move out of eye line for anyone in the Slammer but still within my own eye line.

Not even two minutes had passed and I could hear slight banging and scratching sounds coming from where Thomas was currently been held, like history repeating itself all over again.

"Now I have to admit you are not the most sneakiest person when trying to break out of somewhere, somewhere we placed you for your safety." I state aloud before moving into his eye line, he doesn't seem completely stunned to see me. He just seems to glare at me; it is like he is battling between whether to look at me with love or hatred right now.

"How did you know?" He asks his voice cracking and harsh as he continues to glare as I see the others gather at the back of the Slammer so out of his view so I could talk to him alone.

"Someone very close to me pulled a similar thing when he was trying to break free; I guess you reminded me of him and I wondered if you would attempt the same and I was correct." I explain honestly, as they say the first rule to get close to someone is not to lie. Even though technically I am lying to him everytime I don't tell him I know who he is or was.

"So what they sent you to guard me or try and see how far down the rabbit hole I have fell. I won't fall for WCKD's games, I know none of this is real and it is time you stopped messing with me and let me go home." He states through gritted teeth and I feel this is the most honest conversation we have had since he arrived here, everything else has just been for show. Now I am finally breaking down the barriers of the broken man.

"Alright Stiles, let us start from the beginning. My name is Newt, I am a survivor of WCKD's experiments. I was a test subject within the Maze Trials for over three years before we broke free, since then we have battled through the Scorch and what we thought was the end of WCKD. I died after contracting the Flare Virus but was brought back to life with the cure and held hostage by WCKD once again before I escaped and found my way home. Now your turn." I introduce myself to him with including my undying love for him, that can come later; right now, he needs me more as just a trusted ally and eventually a friend.

"My name is Stiles, I am the son of the Sheriff of Beacon Hills. My best friend is called Scott, I was captured by WCKD and woke up inside the Maze trial alone and spent my time creating stories of those name I found on the wall. Everything from Minho to Chuck to Alby and even Newt, so if you want to come up with a more believable story about who you actually are instead of giving me some fake story WCKD gave you to say to me." Stiles snapped sitting back away from the bars as though to say our conversation was over but I guess he really doesn't remember me to know I don't give up that easy.

"I wish I could tell you another version of my story but I can't, I have no memory of my time before I entered the Maze. The only other story I can tell you is the story of the greatest love story to ever exist. Neither of them expecting to find the love of their life in such a situation but that just made their love grow stronger and blossom until tragedy tore them apart not once nor twice but three times." I advise leaning my back against the wall outside the door to his cell, I made sure to remove my knives as I didn't want to end up in the same situation as Minho.

"I would like to hear that one if you don't mind, its not like you are going to let me out of here anytime soon and it saves us sitting in silence." He asks coming to sit on the same side as me with only the thin walls of the Slammer separating us.

"So our story starts on a sunny day within the Glade, the alarm rings out to signal the arrival of the box with the months supplies and the newbie." I start the story before getting lost in the memories of our love story.

"After I died, apparently he held a gun to the person's head he felt was responsible for my death. For me I felt like I had just passed out and woke up inside a little cell. I could hear his voice in my head and feel the warmth in my heart; we found each other again for a bit but he went away for a long time and I am just waiting for him to come home to me." I advise finishing my story while wiping away my tears as I can hear sniffing from coming from the others who had stayed and listened as I recapped our story.

I noticed as we were talking Minho had joined everyone else and I was relieved to see that he was okay, I hear a few sniffles coming from inside Thomas's cell as I turn around to look at him. Once he spots me watching him, he quickly wipes away the tears present on his face with his shirt.

"You two have literally been through everything and yet neither of you have ever found your happy ever after, that is just so messed up." Thomas states and I can't help the wet chuckle that leaves my mouth at his description of our story as a couple.

"Well if I ever see him again, I will let you tell him that yourself. Can I ask you something?" I ask hoping I am not overstepping the mark too soon but secretly hoping that this is the answer we need right now.

He looks at me and bites his bottom lip as contemplating whether he should allow me to ask the question or not; after he seems to have an internal debate with himself, he nods his head and I take a deep breathe before proceeding.

"Who's side are you on?"

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