~A/N:

Okay guys, I don't know how much you guys are into this story but I guarantee you, this chapter is one of my favorites. I promise you'll love it. Enjoy! ;)

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~Sara~

It was Alby who came to get Sara out of the pit. She was a little disappointed it wasn't Newt himself, but she wasn't about to complain.

The morning weather was surprisingly nice, and it gave her a reassuring feeling that maybe it would be a better day. Even her injuries didn't seem to hurt anymore.

Her first instinct—besides looking for Newt—was to grab some breakfast, and hopefully, not get into another fist fight. As enticing as it was to strike that kid as opposed to a punching bag back in HQ, she had to control herself.

Minho had already left to run the Maze, but at least she found Chuck sitting at their usual table. There was an untouched plate of food next to his.

"Sara! Finally. Got ya some food. Eat up," he said, smiling brightly at her. Sara looked around, and there was still no sign of Newt.

When she asked Chuck if he'd seen him, he simply shrugged. "Don't know. Haven't seen him since yesterday, which is kinda weird. Shank's probably asleep."

Sara shook her head, frowning.

He's an early bird, though.

❀❀❀

After searching the Glade for at least an hour, a surge of panic clouded Sara's senses.

Where the shuck is he?

She started to wonder if that was exactly how he felt before finding her the day of the attack. She knew it'd affected him a lot, but she didn't realize how much. It was a horrible feeling, really. There could be a million possibilities of something bad happening, and it was stressful to think which one was true. That was followed by a tight feeling in the chest that prevented one from breathing normally or thinking clearly.

Sara tried convincing herself that she was overreacting, and Newt was probably fine. Yet she knew that thinking that way was foolish, and if she didn't pull herself together, the more time she spent without finding him, the more likely he could be in danger.

If he knew she'd be out of the slammer after two days, he'd show up to greet her at least. Something was definitely going on with him.

She ran back to her little hut just in case he might've been playing a prank on her. Somehow, she half expected him to be lying on her hammock to surprise her like the dork he was, but what she found instead was a note that was neatly folded on top of it. When she unfolded it, it read:

Sorry to scare you. I know you must think I forgot about your release.

Hopefully you didn't take too long to find this, love.

Meet me in the deadheads, at the southeast corner of the walls.

Don't worry, I promised you something, didn't I?

P.S. Bring a towel and extra clothes for swimming.

–N

He's a dead man.

Here she was, thinking he'd been attacked, or worse. Now she had to meet him in the deadheads for what sounded like a day at the beach. Newt never ceased to surprise her, especially how well he knew her and her ability to jump to conclusions.

She let go of her temporary anger, eagerly packing a bag with extra clothes and a towel, wondering if there was even a body of water in the Glade.

Whatever Newt had in mind, she was eager to discover it. If it meant she could forget how horrible life really was, and spend the whole day with Newt, enjoying each other's company, she was up for that anytime.

After packing her things, she set out to look for him in the deadheads. She'd been expecting to get strange looks from the Gladers for what she was doing, but no one even acknowledged her presence. It was better that way.

As soon as she set foot in the meeting place Newt indicated, she turned in every direction, watching that no one was following her or waiting to attack her by surprise. She didn't ever want to experience something similar again. Once was enough.

Patiently, she waited for the rustling and crunching of dead leaves that indicated Newt was near, and sure enough, she heard a twig snap. Immediately, Newt's arms wrapped around her waist from behind her, and he planted a sweet kiss on her cheek.

"Glad to have you back, love," he whispered in her ear, and the sound of his voice, laced with that enticing accent, made her smile.

She turned around to face him and whispered, "Glad to be back."

Then they both leaned in for a proper kiss as he grabbed her waist, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Her bag of clothes fell to the floor in the process.

"Now, what's this all about?" Sara asked after they pulled apart.

"You'll see. C'mon, let's take a walk." He grabbed her bag from the floor, then he stretched out his hand for her to hold.

"No, it's fine, I'll carry it," she started, but he shook his head.

"Allow me."

"Where are you taking me? And why all that mystery with the note?" she asked, playfully punching him on the arm before holding his hand. "You could've just told me to meet you here while I was locked up to spare me the near-heart-attack."

He chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry. Thought I'd make things interesting. But I didn't mean to scare you like that, especially after everything you've been through."

"It's alright, I mean... I'm glad it was for this." She smiled warmly at him.

He flashed a smile at her. "I've also got us covered with the food for the rest of the day."

"Aw, you think about everything, no?" She smirked at him as his cheeks flushed.

Hand in hand, he led her across a large sector of the deadheads, even farther than Sara imagined the deadheads could stretch.

"You don't mean that there's a pool or something in this place, do you?" Sara wondered, curiosity eating away at her.

"Be patient," he laughed, and she only groaned. At one point, he asked her to close her eyes as he continued leading her, which was easy for her as she trusted him with her life. "Open," he whispered to her ear as they stopped walking.

As her eyes fluttered open, a small lake, surrounded by grass and flowers lay before her. Everything about the scenery was beautiful—unlike anything she'd expected to find in the deadheads. The trees, all the vegetation and the water looked so fresh and alive. How ironic, since the deadheads was basically a graveyard with eerie trees decorating it.

The trees there were full of life, and the branches provided enough room for the sunlight to creep through and paint beautiful patterns of yellow on everything it touched. The water in the lake was crystal clear, the bottom was visible, and small pebbles covered it. It didn't seem too deep at all.

Sara's eyes wandered around in awe, her breath taken away by the enchanting setting. There was a blanket spread out on the grass that caught her eye, on which there was a covered basket filled with what she assumed would be food.

"You like it?" Newt asked softly, holding her waist from behind, and resting his chin on her shoulder.

"Are you kidding? It's so pretty," she said, unable to stop looking at the picnic he'd set up, and the amazing view.

Newt grinned widely. Sara could tell he was really proud of all his planning. He set her bag on an empty spot on the blanket, right next to his own bag of clothes.

Sara thought for a moment, suddenly recalling that responsibilities and moody people were a constant for them. "Hey, but... won't Alby get mad?"

"Don't worry about it," he said, shaking his head. "I convinced him that we both needed this day to ourselves. He's gonna cover for us, so no one's gonna interrupt. I don't think the others even care if we're gone anyway. For all they know, Alby's punishing us."

Sara was impressed by how easily Alby consented to Newt's requests. If it were only her, Alby wouldn't even pay attention, but she was grateful for the kind gesture anyway.

"How did you know about this place? Do all of you come here often?" Sara wondered, still unable to tear her eyes away from the beauty of it.

"No," he replied. "Alby and I were the first two Gladers, so not knowing much about the Glade, we explored every inch of it. We eventually found this place, and it was just so different and pretty that we wanted to conserve it that way. We don't know why it's here, but as other guys started coming to the Glade, we never told anyone about it."

Sara was intrigued, but something was still strange about the whole thing. "Seriously? No one was curious enough to explore the deadheads? I thought the dark corner was the only place no one visited."

Newt laughed, scratching his head. "Well, that's what Alby has everyone believing. Besides, a lot of these shanks don't have the time nor the peace of mind to wander the deadheads at all. We're pretty far in, and most of these guys haven't stepped foot beyond the graveyard thanks to Alby's scare tactics."

Amused, Sara tilted her head. "So, he made up stories and all?" She couldn't believe it. Alby was the last person she'd think would come up with such an idea.

"Yah, and he had me pitch in as a bloody storyteller against my will," he said, shaking his head and giggling. Sara raised her eyebrows and she burst out laughing.

"Clever," she said, still shocked.

Newt sighed. "Yah. Everyone was so scared—bloody heck, the things Alby made me tell those poor boys... Thing is, we couldn't let them find this place, or we'd have a lot of lazy guys around here, or they could've also trashed the place. Alby and I decided neither of us would come back here either, but I wanted to give you something special, and well... I talked to Alby and I figured, why not make this our own little place?"

The more Newt talked about Alby, the more she realized how close both boys became. That's why Alby listened to Newt; he made exceptions at Newt's every request. Anything and anytime. And she knew it was true because she remembered saying goodbye to Newt, a little after Alby had left. They practically founded the Glade together.

"Wow, that's amazing though," she marveled. "I'm glad he let you."

"Yah, Alby said we could have the whole day to ourselves." Newt turned to the pool. "Let's get in?" He nodded over to the water.

Sara suddenly felt self-conscious as she realized she and Newt would have to strip their clothes off, not necessarily in front of each other but it was the first time they'd wear fewer clothes in front of each other.

During the months that passed since she arrived at the Glade, Sara was aware they had both turned sixteen, and it seemed as if the three years that went by since they first met at HQ were mercilessly quick to pass. And now that they were going to swim together, it almost felt like they barely knew each other.

He must've sensed her uncomfortable shifting because he turned the other way. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna look."

She rummaged through her bag, pulling out some shorts and a thin tank top. After taking off her shoes and socks, she quickly took off her t-shirt and pulled her pants down. Then she pulled on the shorts and tank top.

Once she told him she was done, she turned around while he took off his clothes. He finished quicker than she did, and when she turned back around, she only saw him wearing some swim shorts.

That was the first time she'd gotten to see him shirtless, but she wasn't expecting him to be able to take her breath away that easily. He was beautiful in all aspects. He had a slim body but was still perfectly toned. Everything about him was perfect, and she wasn't just thinking about his appearance. He was the whole package.

He smiled at her reaction, but being the guy that he was, he said, "Just look at yourself. You're absolutely stunning." Her cheeks turned a dark shade of pink as he looked at her.

She wasn't prepared to be swept off her feet as Newt suddenly hoisted her onto his shoulder, making her squeal. "Put me down!"

"Huh? What was that?" She could totally hear the humor in his voice.

"Newt, s—stop." She could barely talk from laughing so much.

"As you wish," he said, and his tone had a warning edge to it.

Next thing she knew, Sara's entire world was filled with water, and the coolness of it refreshed her skin. Although she appreciated the feeling of water on every inch of her skin, his act of throwing her in without a warning almost caused her to drink water. As she rose to the surface sputtering, she looked around to see where he was so she could splash him, but he was nowhere to be seen.

She almost screamed when she felt her legs get entangled in something, until she realized Newt had her trapped in his death grip. She took it as her chance to splash him, and he seemed to get the same idea.

They spent the next couple of minutes playing around, having a water fight like little kids engulfed in pure delight.

Sara laughed at how his hair drooped over his forehead, then stuck in random places after he shook the water off. She liked how the small amount of sunlight that crept through the trees glistened off the water drops on his skin, making him look even better.

His hands slowly reached down to her thighs and he lifted her up, Sara wrapping her legs around his waist, and her arms around his neck as they floated in the water. She leaned in to give him a peck on his lips, then another, and another as he whispered how much he loved her in between kisses. Upon hearing those words flow out of his mouth, Sara pulled back suddenly.

"What?"

Newt was confused for a bit, his eyes in a daze, but nonetheless he focused and answered her. "That's what I've been meaning to tell you since that day I almost lost you. I said it over and over to you while you were unconscious, but you never got to hear it. So... here it goes again."

She was moved with how carefully he chose a time and place whenever he wanted to say anything important. That was actually... adorable.

He looked intently into her eyes. With a soft smile, he set her down, and instead, held her waist with one hand while the other one rested on her cheek.

"Sara, I love you."

Tilting her head slightly to the side, Sara smiled and replied, "I think you know exactly what I'm gonna say."

"No, I don't," he said innocently, then smirked.

"I love you, Newt. I'm sure you know." Newt grinned, his cheeks going beet red. "But here's what you don't know," she said with a smirk, and his smile faltered as he nervously waited for her to continue. "This isn't my first time saying it either," she said, splashing him with water.

Newt's eyebrows furrowed as he wiped his face, suddenly very interested in what she meant. She guessed it surprised him that he tried to confess his love again, and it ended with her own confession to him.

"It's not?" he wondered.

She shook her head, her mind rummaging around for the right words.

She'd screwed up. He wasn't supposed to know, but she couldn't stop her big mouth. She'd spent too much time loving this boy albeit he had no memory of her existence prior to seeing her again, and she wished he knew just how long it'd been.

"Uh... well, I said it mentally. When I first told you my name."

She felt bad for not being completely honest, yet the answer was mutually satisfying. Newt raised his eyebrows. "You barely knew me, and I was being a slinthead."

"No—you... you..." She sighed, running out of breath from the rapid beating of her heart, "...you were honest with me. I could see a million stories every time I looked into your eyes. Maybe I didn't classify it as love, and it wasn't yet, really, but... it was definitely something I'd never felt for anyone else."

He sighed, resting his hand on the side of her face, lightly gliding his fingers down her neck. "But how—?"

Panicking for having to lie even more, she suddenly lunged at him, and they both sank underwater. She took hold of his face, pushing her lips to his as they both now had to really hold their breath. He held onto her as if she'd slip away from him any second, and she was stunned by the sudden rush of the kiss. It was fast and passionate, enough to make her lungs feel like they were on fire.

They forcefully had to pull apart and rise to the surface to get some oxygen. Both were panting as they stared at each other. Newt led her as he swam over to the edge of the lake, where they took a seat on a large boulder in the water.

He then moved her over to his lap and started leaving a series of light kisses all over her face until he traveled all the way to her jaw, taking a comfortable stop on her neck. He wasn't too rushed this time, and Sara was mesmerized by the softness of each one of his kisses.

He wasn't someone that would ever make her feel controlled or forced into something. He made sure to be careful and gentle in a way that made her fall for him even deeper. Her whole body exploded in happiness, and she had to suppress the sounds that threatened to escape her mouth.

They pulled apart for a second, but as they leaned in again, she took her chance when he closed his eyes, and she scooped up some water with her hand to splash it on his face.

"You little shank!" he yelled as she started laughing. She was aware that she only tried avoiding a heartfelt conversation that would make her say more than needed, so messing with him was a better option. But even better was to kiss and feel his warm skin.

She swam and came up behind him, slowly sliding her hands down his neck and chest, then she leaned in to press her front against his back.

He instinctively reached behind to hold her head as she pressed her lips gingerly on the nape of his neck, then trailing up to lightly kiss him behind the ear. He whispered her name over and over, and then grabbed her arm to pull her in front for another long kiss on the lips.

She was the first one to pull apart, but their faces lingered on each other. "Newt, for as much as I wanna keep going, maybe we should stop right here."

He looked at her for a second, a faint glint of disappointment in his eyes, and then he gave her a small smile.

"Yah, I guess you're right. I hate when you're bloody right," he laughed.

"Honestly, me too," she said, giggling.

She rested her head on his bare chest as he sat back against the wall of the pool, and he wrapped his arms around her, still enjoying the coolness of the water.

"Sara," Newt started, his tone turning more serious. Sara slightly raised her head to look at him, then placed her chin on his chest while he continued. "We're gonna get out of this place. All of us will, or at least we'll try. Being with you has made me realize how much I actually want a life out there. I don't wanna die—I don't want you to die. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, marry you, form a family with you."

"You really do?" she asked, tears gathering in her eyes. Him saying he didn't want to die made her even happier than the thought of leaving the Maze to go back home together. That was a huge milestone for Newt's health.

He nodded. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I don't want to get into anything cheesy, but I can't express what I feel about you in any other way."

"It's not cheesy. It shows how genuine you are; how amazing my boyfriend is. And you know what? I want a life out there with you too," said Sara, looking intently into his eyes.

Sara could see the determination flowing into him as he nodded.

"I wanna do everything right. I don't know how long we'll be in here, but I do know that we'll focus on getting us all to safety, and then we can think about us," he said, and she nodded with the same amount of energy.

Eventually, they got out of the water and dried themselves. They changed into dry clothes, then hung the wet clothes and towels on a nearby tree branch.

Sara assumed it was past noon based on how long it felt since they got there. Newt picked up his wristwatch and looked at the time before wrapping it around his wrist.

"It's 1:43. You hungry?"

"Oh, shuck yes." When would she ever reject food, especially such a feast like that one?

Newt uncovered the baskets to reveal all kinds of food and dessert. It shouldn't have seemed like too much, but for kids who were trapped in a Maze with little time for luxuries, this was a whole banquet.

He promised he would surprise her, and what a surprise she got. She couldn't have asked for a better day.

They spent the rest of daylight enjoying the food that Frypan so kindly let them have for this occasion. Frypan was probably the only other person that knew of their plans for that day. He was always too nice.

They started joking around, talking, simply enjoying the company of one another, not giving a care about the world, if only for one day. They both needed it. Badly. And with this moment shared between the two of them, their hope for the better had certainly grown and solidified.

Right before it was time for the closing of the Maze doors, they picked everything up, folded the blanket, wrung out their wet clothes, and began to head back.

With fingers entwined again, just as they were about to step into the clearing of the Glade, Newt turned to her—as usual—leaving another sweet kiss on her lips.

"Thank you for giving me one of the best days I've had in my life," she told him in a whisper.

"It wouldn't have been possible to have the best day without you. I should be thanking you instead." He smiled, and Sara leaned into his shoulder.

Once they stepped out into the clearing, they parted ways to go to bed.

❀❀❀

That night, as Sara lay in her hammock back in her little hut, she smiled as she reflected on her day with Newt.

Sleep was far from reach. All she could think about was how they finally confessed their love for each other. It wasn't like they didn't know it was already there, but neither of them had actually said it out loud to one other.

The beautiful things Newt said to her, though... they made her feel guilty. Newt opened his heart out to her; he was always so honest. This was a major development for him. Sara knew he was never open with anyone, especially with how much his depression affected him. Yet he'd become an open book, and he just went to bed, believing she'd done the same.

She loved him, there was no doubt about that, but she wondered why she couldn't bring herself to be completely honest. Rebecca would not let her do it; she stressed it numerous times. Of course, Sara had come up with thousands of different ways to approach Newt and tell him everything she knew and also, thousands of ways he could react. None of those thoughts were any help.

Deciding to push her worries away, she became more determined to leave the Glade along with all the Gladers, and to finally have a proper life. To bring everyone she loved along with her and help them get the life that they deserved.

That was the only thought that could let her sleep.