After Frypan had insisted on changing my bandages, I had begrudgingly agreed and allowed him to clean the wound that I'm completely certain is healed. Fry disagrees however, he still claims that although it may appear healed, it's still very sore and irritated.
The boy was very gentle, and I was rather appreciative of that – even when Gally burst through the door, Thomas and Newt hot on his heels, was he still gentle.
It was clear that Gally was furious, as he threw his jacket down on the table and spun on his heel to face Thomas. Clearly the trip hadn't gone too well.
"You can't make that kind of decision by yourself. You're not the King of England, Thomas, you're just a dickhead."
I managed to stifle my laugh, watching as Thomas scoffed and took off his coat as well. He hung it up on the stand, and came to a stop near where Brenda was sat.
"I'm not trying to make this decision alone, Gally. I'm just saying that your idea is stupid and I don't think it's a good plan." The boy responded, pulling out a chair for himself around the table.
Newt had made a beeline for Frypan and me, pulling up a chair next to me and giving me a quick kiss on the cheek. He didn't seem to be as angry as Thomas and Gally – it was obvious they wanted to rip the other's throats out, Newt just looked slightly annoyed.
Brenda spoke from the other side of the table, cutting off whatever Gally was going to say. "Wait, what plan? What did you lot see?"
I turned to look at Newt, and I noticed his eyes on the floor, refusing to look at the others. But then I turned my head to Thomas, and realised he looked the exact same as Newt did: guilty.
Gally pulled up a stool also, swiveling it around to sit on it the other way. "We have a way to get into Wicked, but Thomas is refusing to even discuss the idea." The boy said, rolling his eyes and scoffing at Tom.
I felt my brows furrow. "What do you mean? Why not?"
Fry had finished up, tightened the bandage and joined the rest of us at the table. "Yeah, why are you so now against it, Thomas? It was your idea in the first place." He said, choosing the other seat beside me.
I watched as Tom deeply inhaled, clearly uncomfortable. Gally looked him up and down, obviously disgusted, and Newt kept his eyes downcast, playing with his fingers.
"It's Teresa. She's our way in."
Frypan's head flew to the side, throwing a look at me that says oh shit, as I stared at Tom.
I understood now, why Thomas was so uncomfortable with the idea. It was clear when he said her name – every syllable of the word made him want to shrivel into himself. The betrayal of their relationship left some sort of wound that had not healed yet, and that made sense to me.
"Are there not any others?" I asked, and watched as Gally shot me the dirtiest look I have ever seen.
"What do you mean, others? She is our only way in!" Gally hissed and I rolled my eyes at him.
The boy has been back for about an hour and I already want to kill him. Old habits die hard, I guess.
"There has to be another way, Gally. Anything but that." The boy pleaded. I felt bad for him, actually. He didn't ask for any of this – he didn't ask for Teresa to do what she did, or for Minho to be kidnapped as a result.
He's just trying to help.
Gally sighed through his nose. "Thomas, you know there isn't any other way in." This time, he looked sympathetic – not angry, instead, empathetic of the fact that Tom was the one to most likely be hurt with this plan.
Brenda looked annoyed from across the table. "Am I missing something here? This is the same girl who betrayed us, correct?" She shot a questioning look at Thomas, making him bow his head.
Newt, for the first time since he had returned from the streets of Wicked, spoke up from beside me.
"This isn't just about rescuing Minho, is it, Thomas?" The blonde said, his tone accusatory.
Thomas looked taken aback by the boy's comment, coming in to defend himself. "Newt... what are you-"
Newt very suddenly stood, moving closer to Tom. "What, are you afraid your little girlfriend's gonna get hurt?"
Why is he acting like this?
The blonde was nearing Thomas now, almost completely in front of him. "Newt..."
But Newt cut him off, not allowing his friend to finish. "Teresa is the only reason that Minho is even missing in the first place. Now we finally have an opportunity to get him back, and what? You don't want to because of her?"
Everyone else around the table looked at me, horrified. I stared at the boy, not recognising the person who was stood before me.
This was not the person who had kissed me on the edge of the cliff before Wicked invaded, or the boy who calls me love - or even the boy who makes sure I am the one with the majority of the blanket as we sleep.
This person isn't the boy I care for.
Newt took an even bigger step towards Thomas, completely cornering him now. "Because deep down inside you still care about her, don't you?"
Tom tried to cut in, to calm him down, "Newt, I..."
But that just made him angrier, and this time, the boy shoved Thomas against the wall, screaming in his face. "Don't lie to me!" Louder this time, "Don't lie to me!"
I caught a glimpse of Thomas' face, absolute fear stricken in his place. Everyone else around the room looked flabbergasted – shocked beyond belief that the gentlest person here is capable of such violence towards his closest friend.
It was as if something switched on in Newt, and he was suddenly shaking off the anger, and stepping away from the boy. He blinked rapidly, coming back to reality before turning to face the rest of us.
He looked confused, shocked within himself, before appearing as if to say something.
"I'm sorry." The blonde said, looking at Thomas with so much guilt. He turned to the crowd, nodding his head and mumbling an apology also.
But then Newt turned to me, grief and sorrow scribbled across his face. He whispered, so quietly I almost didn't hear it – possible tears welling in his eyes.
"I'm so sorry."
Newt didn't stay in the council room for more than 5 seconds, immediately heading for the door and probably heading to the common area or somewhere quieter.
Once he was gone, the people remaining turned in their chairs, still in shock.
Thomas moved slowly from the wall, creeping closer to where I sat. Because he knew – he knew that I had made the connection just as everyone else had.
That wasn't really Newt.
"Y/n..." Thomas begun, but I interrupted him.
"Don't," I swallowed. "What do we do?"
--
I figured he wouldn't be sat in the common area, so I went with my gut and wondered out to the cliff edge.
I knew he would be there – it's as close to home as either of us could get.
Following the directions Gally had ever so kindly given me, I walked out to the outdoor section of their camp. It was warm out today, and the spot I noticed the blonde sitting in over looked the Wicked building.
It loomed over the sides, intimidating onlookers to stay away and keep out. Too bad that never actually works.
I walked up to where the boy was sat, coming to a stop behind him. I knew he knew I was there – I could tell, and I knew he was certain it was me.
"I'm sorry. About everything." The boy said, not even turning around to face me.
I wasn't angry before seeing him, but it crept back up the more I stood there, the longer I waited for him to tell me it's all a joke, and that he's fine.
"You have no idea how tempting it is to shoot you right now." I said, not intending it to be a joke, but he laughed anyway.
Newt still hadn't turned around, so I moved next to him, standing directly beside the boy.
I knew what I wanted to ask, it just seemed to get caught on my tongue. "Why didn't you tell me?" I finally asked, and the boy just sighed.
As if, he knew the questions where coming, but still hadn't prepared the answers.
"I didn't want to worry you, mostly. But then, I knew it meant that you wouldn't care about the opportunity to get Minho back anymore."
I laughed, almost disbelievingly. "Of course, I wouldn't! Are you insane? You are my main priority, Newt, not Minho."
The boy sighed quietly. "That's why I didn't tell you, love. I knew you would abandon ship if it meant I could survive."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Obviously I would! You have just as many reasons to survive as Minho does – why are you not seeing that?!"
"Y/n! I can see that, okay? I just know that Minho deserves to be rescued, and I refuse to get in the way of that." The boy said, staring up at me as if I was the one suggesting something absolutely mental.
"We can fix it, Newt. Let us fix it-" I pleaded, but he seemed sure. "Don't worry about me, okay? This is about Minho."
I scoffed. "You're dying, Newt! This isn't about Minho anymore!"
The blonde refused to get angry at my last remark – he bowed his head, and sighed. "Minho needs us, Y/n. So, if there is the slightest chance that we can save him, then we have to take that. No matter what the cost."
I stared at him, on the verge of shooting him and then myself. I didn't raise my voice, or scream at him for being stupid, instead, I spoke quietly.
"I don't like you being that cost. I will not allow you to die for that boy."
Newt nodded slightly, accepting what I was saying.
"We better rescue him quick then."
-
A/N: you ready for the next chapters? i'm not.
i'm sorry it took me so long to update this time, i've got exams back to back and it's absolutely insane at the minute. the updates will become more consistent again once we break up for christmas, so that's my xmas present to you all :p (unless you don't celebrate christmas then it's just a random gift because ily)
thank you all so much for 40k that's insane. you're all awesome <3