Work Text:
I can't stop shaking. The screams of the gladers I've learned to call my brothers are still ringing in my ears.
If Gally hadn't pulled me down into the box hole at the last second I would have been griever chow for sure. He kept his strong hand on my back the entire time, only letting go when they eventually disappeared. He made me feel much braver than I was when he was by my side.
So much has changed over such a short space of time. After the sun rises, it's clear just how much damage has been done to our home. My heart plummets at the state of the place.
[[MORE]]
"It'll be alright (Y/N). We'll fix it up."
I didn't realise Gally was beside me. He claps me on the back before heading off to the field to inspect the damage to the crops.
It had made perfect sense for Gally to take over as leader. Newt was always joking around about how he didn't want to be the leader anyway.
I busy myself trying to strap up Henry’s leg. Someone had to help Jeff, the poor shank was only just managing to keep it together. We weren't able to find Clint this morning.
"Thanks (Y/N)."
"Don't worry about it shank."
In the wake of all the devastation, it's hard to believe any of this is real. For months, years even, everything has ran like clockwork. Always reliable, never failing to deliver. Now, everything is different.
Thomas shouldn't have killed the Griever. It's not like I wanted the greenie to die. I'd never wish that on anyone. There's an order, even bigger than the one we follow for each other here in the glade. We'd be fools to think we were the ones in charge. Now we were paying the price.
I worry that a fight will break out when Gally decides on Thomas' and Teresa's fate. Nothing happens though thankfully, the last thing we need now is to fight. I trust Gally with my life. He saved it last night so why wouldn't I? Someone has to make the decisions, even the hard ones.
As Teresa is marched out to the door and Thomas is dragged along the floor, I remind myself that it needs to be done. This is just another banishment, another part of the order.
I catch Newt watching me from the corner of my eye. In such a short space of time, he'd grown really close to the greenie. This would hurt him the most.
He reminds me of all the brothers I'd lost last night. I can't face losing any more. It hardened my resolve about what Gally was about to do. If this was what it took then so be it.
The tables turned before I had chance to really register what was going on. The last thing I'd expected was for Minho to have a spear aimed at my chest.
"Gally's right. We can't leave now, not after all we've put into this place. We have to stay together." I speak up, finally finding my voice. Why were they talking about leaving?
“I'm not really surprised that you're siding with Gally (Y/N) but I wish you'd just give it some thought for yourself. Staying here is crazy. There's nothing here for us anymore.” Minho makes it sound so simple. Why is he so eager to throw everything away?
“Why won't you give it a chance?” Newt too. Surely he knows how important it is we rebuild this place.
“Because we don't know!” I throw my arms up in frustration. “This here, the glade, it's all we know. We can make a stand here, on our own turf. This is where we're safest Newt. - How can we trust him? For all we know he's going to lead you straight to a blood bath!”
“If we stay here we'll die (Y/N).”
“It's only happened once! Who's to say they'll be back, you don't know for sure what's going to happen do you? All you lot are doing is making assumptions.
“What if this is a test? What if we're supposed to defend this place, keep it running, fight off the grievers? Just because some kid comes up from the box and starts throwing his weight around doesn't mean that the game has changed. We still have to survive here.”
“Look around! There’s nothing here! We’re supposed to be finding a way out not just surviving here!” Thomas yells hoarsely, cutting me off.
I realise at that moment that they've made up their minds. They'll follow Thomas no matter where it leads.
"Come with us."
How could we? I furrow my brow at his outstretched hand as a dozen gladers step out from behind me to join them. Looking around at them all I shake my head slightly in disbelief.
I turn to Gally who has pressed his mouth into a hard line. This was the last thing we wanted. I take a few steps closer to him. His eyes flick up to me as I turn back to Thomas.
"I'm staying here. We belong here."
An awful silence falls around us all. Everything is so broken. I glance around the place I’ve called home for as long as I can remember. I don’t recognise the place anymore.
“Good luck.” Gally speaks calmly, but I know him better than that. I can almost see the emotion welling up inside of him. We are a family.
We start to walk back towards homestead, leaving the others to get ready before they go. I’m silently praying they come to their senses.
“You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to.” Gally mutter quietly so only I can hear.
"I've made my decision Gally." I frown at him, wondering why he's doubting me after the display I've just made in front of everyone.
"I know. I just wanted to make sure." His voice has a strange sadness to it.
I look at him closely. To me, he's always been the strong one, the one with the answers. Now though, I realise that he's also scared, unsure of the future and afraid of being alone after everything we've been through. I take his hand gently.
"We're in this together."
The corners of his mouth twitch at my words. We'll be okay.
He plays with my fingers absent mindedly as the time stretches on. In the distance I can see my brothers filing out of the glade. Minho looks back over to us, hesitating slightly before following the others.
I don't realise that I'm crying until Gally words my tears away with his thumb, stroking my face softly.
"It'll be alright (Y/N)."
I look over the derelict opening, knowing that right or wrong, we'll never see them again.
As darkness falls, I desperately hope that we made the right choice.