A/N: Because of it being icy freezing cold death outside right now on my own runs, this idea came into mind. Enjoy! :D

 Y/N had come to the glade nearly a year ago. Though, she hadn't arrived under normal circumstances.

Nearly a year ago, Y/N had found a small passage from her maze which led her right into the one she currently lived in. On that day she'd crossed between the mazes, she'd met Thomas and Minho. Out of curiosity, she'd gone back with them for the night since it was getting late. When they all returned to the passage the next day, the rock as sealed. It was gone. She had no way back.

The girl had moved on fairly quick. She'd settled in and become a runner, enjoying her time with her running partners. Y/N hadn't said much about her maze or what it had been like. Everyone figured it had been quite similar to theirs. They also understood her not talking about it. After all, she was probably just trying to forget.

Recently though, that passage had opened back up.

Y/N spent days sitting at its entrance all day, calling out the names of her old friends, praying someone would hear her. The last thing Y/N wanted right now was to brashly run back through that passage and once again be trapped on the other side. Right now, she wasn't willing to lose all she'd built here in the glade. Her friends, the progress in the maze, the safety and security were things she couldn't lose. She felt at home here.

After nearly a week, Thomas and Minho knew something had to be done. She couldn't keep sitting there like a dog who's owner was never going to return. So, the boys made a plan. Thomas would go with Y/N back into her maze. Minho would wait at the passage. Should it start to close...well, they weren't sure what they'd do then. Either way, all that mattered is that if Y/N and Thomas did get stuck on the other side, neither one of them would be alone.

Y/N sat silently in the maproom with her head in her hands. She was lost in thought. That was until Thomas sat down beside her and put a hand on her knee, shaking it gently to break her from her thoughts.

"Hey, you okay?" He asked gently.

Y/N took in a deep breath and straightened up a little. "Yeah. Something doesn't feel right, though."

"I know." Thomas agreed. "Minho and I talked...and I'd be willing to go with you. If you want to check it out, that is. We don't have to."

The girls eyes widened. That was the last thing she ever expect to hear. All week, she'd never brought up the possibility of going back because she thought Minho would tell her no. Maybe she was wrong.

"I want to go check in," Y/N rubbed her hands together. To Thomas, that motion seemed like some sort of old instinct brought on when she thought of the maze. "But you know that we might get stuck there, right?"

Thomas pursed his lips and nod. "Yeah, I know. Something that reckless doesn't seem too out of my wheelhouse, though."

"True. Very true." Y/N laughed lightly. Thomas fell into her eyes. There was always hope there. When he couldn't find it in himself, all he had to do was look at her.

Y/N stood and held a hand out to help Thomas up. He was looking a little doe-eyed. "Got any warmer clothes?" She asked. "You'll need them."

"Uhhh," Thomas tilt his head in question. "I'm sure I can find some."

Once they crossed that passage the next morning, Thomas completely understood why he needed the extra clothes. The draft coming from the dark concrete tunnel they walked through stuck right onto his bones and began to gnaw.

Finally exiting the tunnel, Thomas gasped. But, in doing so, his nose seemed to burn and lungs ached. "What the—"

"Mhhhmmm," Y/N acknowledged, seeming unfazed by the freezing cold. "Welcome to my home."

"Is it nighttime here?" He asked, taking a few steps forward.

"Nope." Y/N followed after him. "Well, I guess. It's always night in our maze."

Thomas stopped and scanned the girls face in disbelief. Beneath his feet and all around him was a seemingly identical maze, but everything was coated in a few inches of snow freshly laid down over who knows how much was already packed down beneath it. "How do you see anything?? How do you run on this??"

Y/N snickered at Thomas sliding his feet around carelessly. "Relax. Just let your eyes adjust. The moon is plenty bright enough. The snow sort of reflects it."

"This is insane." Thomas watched his breath move up toward the sky in a little cloud.

"Yup," She admit. "C'mon. We're not far from the centre."

"The glade?" He asked.

Y/N shrugged. "Sure."

As they ran, Y/N didn't really talk. She was probably focused on making sure she was going the right way. After all, it had been a year since she was here. Thomas was just focused on trying to breathe through lungs that felt like they were going to explode. His entire body felt brittle from the cold.

Y/N slowed her jog and Thomas was thankful. They stepped through the maze doors and into what was Y/N's version of the glade. Thomas turned to watch her expression but it remained fairly calm.

The girl looked around. She kept walking. In the near distance was a dark silhouette.

There were no rickety buildings here like there was in the glade. No gardens and no animals running around. All there were was spruce trees covered in snow and, as they came close enough to see clearly, one large building in the centre of it all. It looked solid and warm, but no light came from it. There were also a suspicious lacking of tracks in the snow.

Y/N seemed to tense as they got closer. Thomas noticed and reached down to find Y/N's hand. It was hard to grasp through the thick gloves on their hands, but all he wanted was to let her know he was still there with her. It seemed to do the trick because she grabbed tight and walked a little closer to him.

Nervously, the pair circled the building. There were no lights or signs of life. Not wanting to let herself think twice about it, Y/N nudged the door open and stepped inside.

No one. Y/N flicked on the lights which somehow still managed to work. All around on the floor items were scattered, like everyone had up and left in a panic. The dust on the tables told Y/N they had been gone a long time. Nearly as long as she had been.

Had they gone looking for her? Had they gone out into the maze and never come back? All of Y/N's thoughts went to the worst of all places and she felt tears threatening to fall.

"Y/N," Thomas spoke up gently, seeing how her entire demeanour seemed broken. "You should see this."

Y/N strode over to him. He passed a letter. Before she could read it, Thomas brought her over to the table and pulled them out a couple of chairs. He sat close, shoulder to shoulder.

"They got out. Airlifted." Y/N swiped at her nose quickly. Her fear of them being dead because of her faded. "The right arm?"

"I don't know who those people are, but they must be against the people who sent us here." Thomas said. "Check it out, though. That's a map. It must be where we'd be able to find them if we can get out of here."

"Holy shit." Y/N jumped up and shoved the paper in her coat. "We need to get back before that door closes."

Thomas wasn't as eager to get up. He kind of liked it here. He enjoyed the one large building. It was warm, homey. They had an actual kitchen here. Beds. Books. Everything it seemed they were missing in the glade. He would have plead to stay longer, but knew that would be stupid.

"Yeah, okay." Thomas agreed. "Is there anything you want to take back?" He asked, trying to get her to slow down for a minute.

"Ahhh," She scanned around the place. There were a million things she could bring back. "Not really. But lets bring Frypan a nice pot just to make him happy."

The girl ran and pulled out the nicest looking pot she could and then sprint out the door, Thomas close on her heel. He smiled to himself. Even in a dire situation, Y/N was brining a pot back for Frypan.

On their way out, Thomas made sure to shut off the lights and closed the door properly. Should they ever come back, he wanted this place to still be in good shape and not destroyed by the elements.

Their run back to the passage was quick and desperate. To their own relief, the tunnel was still open, on their end at least, and then made a break through it. Sure enough, Minho was there waiting on the other side, chucking his knife at the wall.

"Well, lookey here." Minho smirked up at his friends. "You two survived! And...brought back a pot?"

"Yeah." Y/N stared admiringly at her pot. She couldn't wait to see how happy Frypan was going to be.

"We got a whole lot else, too." Thomas looked to Minho. That piqued the keeper of runners' interest.

"Oh?" Minho pried.

"Everyone was gone. But, they left a map. We didn't have time to look it over fully." Thomas explained.

"Lets get back then, huh?" Minho stood up and dust off his hands. Thomas nod and went to look behind himself to make sure Y/N was with them, but he was caught off guard, suddenly finding himself encased by her arms.

Thomas stumbled back a little until he fully realized what was happening and made sure to hold her tight. "Thank you." Y/N mumbled. "All I wanted to know was that they are still alive. That's all that mattered."

Letting her go, Thomas felt his face heating up. "You're welcome." He awkwardly pulled the hat off of his head. "And hey, maybe we'll seem them someday."

"Maybe." Y/N smiled back softly. "I am glad I found you guys though. I like it here better than that ice hole."

"Ice hole?!" Minho snapped. "Your maze is ice?"

"Sort of." Y/N shrugged.

Minho had a look of disgust on his face as he turned to run. "Never going there."