𝙏𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙝𝙚𝙧.

𝙀𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙙 𝙤𝙧𝙗𝙨 squint in the dim lighting, trying to keep as quiet as possible as her and Thomas tip-toe through the sleeping teenagers.

Turning down a hallway, unfamiliar to the small brunette, Thomas reaches out for her hand and stops her right at the top of the stairs.

"Here." The boy whispers, sliding a cold metal object into Blake's small hands.

The small brunette's eyebrows furrow in confusion, before realizing what's in her hands.

"You'll need it. And if we get into trouble I don't want you to be defenseless."

Blake's emerald orbs connect to the softened whiskey through the dim lighting, sending him a small smile before the boy nods to follow.

"Thank you" Blake softly whispers, gazing at the boy in front of her.

"Where do you think you two are going?" A familiar Brit's voice calls out, catching the two off guard.

A bright, yellow light switches on, revealing the amused blond. Leaning a hand on the table below him, Newt sends the two a smirk as Blake and Thomas' eyes widen at being caught.

A sigh leaves Thomas' lips as his shoulder sag in defeat. "Newt..."

Rolling his eyes, the blond pushes off of the table and steps towards the two. "Don't be a twat about it." He begins, outstretching his hand to take Blake's pack and hand her a small bag in return. "I'm already in."

Thomas and Blake's eyebrows knit together in confusion at the small bag placed in the girl's hands.

Sending the boy beside her a 'what the hell' look, Blake opens the small bag. Her small fingers dance over a few items, feeling one in particular, she pulls it out as she rolls her eyes.

Snapping her eyes to the blond walking off, Blake lifts the item up, inspecting it.

In her small hands lays, a leather gun holder.

𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘩

Securing the item around her waist, Blake snaps the clip that wraps around her thigh, making a click sound through the air as a pair a whiskey orbs watch intensely from the side. Rolling her eyes again, Blake sets her gun into its new home.

Looking back up just in time to see, Thomas shaking out of his thoughts and  returning his attention back on the blond smirking.

"No, no. Not this time." Thomas says, walking toward Newt as Blake pulls out another object out of the bag. The small brunette's lips tug into a smirk as she holds the familiar piece of equipment into the air—turning her body to the blond to send him a knowing smirk.

"Look, even if we find Minho, there's no guarantee we make it back from this."

The blond simply smirks at the boy, then glances back behind him to Blake—who has a grin etched across her face as she snaps the brown runner's harness across her chest.

"Well, you'll need all the help you can get then, won't you?" The blond sends the two a sly smile before turning to open the door of the vehicle behind him.

As the lights to the car turn on, a familiar face appears in the front seat. Smiling and shaking her head, Blake steps a little closer as she digs through the bag Newt gave her to take out the last object.

Frypan leans one arm over the steering wheel, smirking at the three gladers as Newt folds his arms over his chest.

Scoffing at their two friends, Thomas shakes his head in disbelief as Blake comes to stand by his side. Adjusting her new jacket, Blake watches as the two boys in front of them shoot a smile.

"Well, we started this together. May as well end it that way, too."

Glancing to the small brunette next to him, Thomas' eyebrows raise at the gear. Raking his eyes down her figure quickly, Thomas' gaze connects with Blake's for a split second as she sends him a look.

Clearing his throat and turning back to the two boys, who have grins on their faces.

Thomas whispers "Okay. Let's go get him back."

Soft and light snores fills the thin air of the bumpy ride as the small brunette's head rests on the side of the window. Every small bump and shake of the vehicle not waking the exhausted girl as she sleeps.

Dark orbs look through the rear view mirror, watching the girl. Fry tries his best to dodge as many potholes and large cracks in the road, not wanting to wake his friend.

Clearing his throat before exchanging a quick glance with the blond in the rear view mirror, Fry speaks up after a long minute of silence. "I know she would never let us go without her—but she's clearly exhausted."

"Aren't we putting her in danger?"Fry continues, ending with a question as he keeps his gaze on the road ahead. Thomas' eyebrows furrow, not realizing the small girl was fast asleep behind him. Quickly snapping his gaze from the map below, the boy glances to the side mirror.

A chuckle leaves the blond as he glances toward the sleeping girl next to him in the back seat. "You really believe she'd stay back?" Newt asked, rolling his eyes playfully.

"She's safer with us. Blake would get herself killed trying to catch up and find Minho. You should know by now— she isn't going anywhere without Thomas or Minho by her side."

Thomas chuckles softly at the girl's stubbornness, he knew Blake would do anything and everything to get back to them, but Newt was right—she would get herself killed.

Sure, she wasn't helpless and weak, but she's been cooped up at the WCKD compound for six months.

She had no idea what it was like in the scorch—besides the few days they were on the run after escaping. Many things could happen to the girl if she traveled alone and he wouldn't let that happen on his watch.

He just got her back.

"Yeah, true." Fry whispered, glancing between the blond's amused smirk and Thomas, who sat watching the girl sleep through the side mirror—thinking it wasn't noticeable.

Whiskey orbs traced every inch of her face, noting the new and old scars littering her high cheekbones as his gaze fell to her lips.

He missed the feeling of her soft lips on his. The way she would melt into his embrace—But he didn't just miss what they would do so rarely.

He missed her bright emerald eyes, her smile—, her laugh, and even her stupid comebacks that would make him smile—even when he didn't want to.

He had missed Blake, all of her.

"You should tell her soon." The blond's voice startles the boy, snapping Thomas out of his gaze on the girl.

"What?" The boy asks, clearing his throat as he turns to look at the blond with widened whiskey orbs.

Newt's lips press together as he sends the boy riding shotgun a look, not wanting to say exactly what he should tell the girl. "You know what." The brit hints.

Frypan's lips pull into a smile as he chuckles at the two, knowing damn well what Newt was getting at.

Long, thick eyelashes flutter open as emerald orbs squint at the bright natural light shining through the windows.

"That I—"

"Well, good morning sleeping beauty!" Newt's voice raises as he stops the boy from saying something at the wrong moment. "Did you sleep well?" The blond continues as he sends Thomas a look.

Stretching in her spot, a yawn falls from Blake's lips as her tired eyes find Newt smirking from beside her.

𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘭?

"Yeah, best sleep I've gotten in awhile." The girl whispers as she looks between the boys, noting Fry and Newt both grinning and Thomas staying silent in the front seat.

Awkwardly trying to clear the air, Thomas clears his throat as he runs a hand over his chin. "That's good." The boy whispers awkwardly, shifting in his seat as Fry and Newt bust out laughing—not being able to hold it in anymore.

"Ohhhhhhh this is great" Fry chuckles

Blake's eyebrows knit together in confusion, 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘵? The girl wonders.

"Wha-"

"Oh look—we're here." Thomas interrupts the small brunette, making Blake scrunch her face in slight agitation.

The vehicle slowly creeps through the mass amount of abandoned cars and debris as Blake's head snaps to the scene, taking in the remains of what looks to be an old check station.

A shiver rolls up the girl's spine as she glances around the area. The eerie feeling making her stomach bubble with anxiety as the rocks underneath the tires of the vehicle fill the odd silence.

Pushing herself to sit in the middle, Blake rests her hand on-top of Thomas' seat—right by his shoulder as she peers between the two, to gaze at the large tunnel ahead.

Emerald orbs widen at the dark entrance, feeling the anxiety starting to settle in once again as Fry drives closer.

The feeling of the small girl so close makes Thomas shift awkwardly in his seat, avoiding the blond's burning gaze from behind.

The wind blows through the windows of the vehicle, howling as Fry presses his foot on the break, stopping the car right before the entrance to the tunnel. Blake swallows a thick lump in her throat as she peers down the endless, dark tunnel.

Thomas a Frypan swing the doors of the vehicle open, squeaking as the old rusted metal brushes together.

"Of course we're getting out." Blake mutters as she watches the three boys step out of the vehicle. "Not like we're in crank heaven or anything."

Stepping out of the vehicle behind Newt, the small brunette slams the door behind her as she follows closely behind the boys.

"You want us to go in there?" Newt questions, face scrunched in disapproval as he glances between Thomas and the dark abyss before them.

"That's suicide." Blake adds dryly, shaking her head as she stops beside Newt. Glancing back to Thomas, who walks slowly with a map in his hands, the boy stops beside Blake as he continues studying the map.

"I don't want to come across too negative—but I mean, if I was a crank that's exactly where I would be." The blond jokes, pointing his finger toward the dark tunnel in front of them as his other hand rests on his hip.

Glancing between his map and the tunnel Thomas shakes his head. "I don't think we have much of a choice."

Sucking in a deep breath, Blake shakes her head and rolls her eyes. 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘺.

Placing her small hand to rest of her gun settled in her holster, Blake turns away from the boys and heads back to the vehicle without saying a word.

The three boys all share a concerned and confused look as the small brunette opens the door up with a squeak, not caring as she plops back down in her seat.

Thomas' eyebrows furrow as he glances between the other two boys and the small brunette now sitting in the backseat.

Shaking his head with a wide grin, the blond turns back toward the vehicle. "All right then, I get shotgun."

Fry chuckles as the blond walking away with a grin, watching as Thomas' face falls into a more awkward expression.