|So let's just cry, cry on each other's shoulders. Cry until it's over

|Song: Cry, Jason Walker

|||

Dawn's P.O.V.

When my father left, the room seemed even smaller than before.
My heart was hammering against my rib cage and it took all my strength not to burst out in tears.
Betraying my friends to safe the boy I loved. That was the option I had been given. And I didn't want to, never wanted to work for Wicked and give them what they wanted but I had to safe Newt. And I would give up anything to do that.

Exactly an hour later the door opened again. Janson told me that I would be picked up and brought to a location where I'd see the others. That would've made me happy if it weren't for the deal I just made.
A tall woman with long brown and a familiar face stood there waiting for me.
I gasped. 'Dr Goonell.'
She smiled mildly at me. 'It's good to see you again Dawn.'
I stood up quickly. 'Are you going to take me to my friends?'
She nodded. 'But first, this-' She handed me some clean clothes. A simple grey shirt, dark jeans and brown boots.
I smiled as a thanks and quickly put them on, not caring about her watching me. There were cameras here so they had seen me taking a shower anyway. It was strange how you learned to not care about such things when you had been fighting for your life.

When I was finished she took me through the building. Long halls, beige colored walls with here and there a few paintings. The waves of the sea, a hummingbird flying around a few flowers. They fascinated me. They were like windows into parts of the world I had never discovered before. Even in my memories the world was grey and lifeless. A constant state of fear always in the air. Life hadn't been so great if I truly stopped and thought about it.

Finally we reached a door which she opened for me. I nodded at her as a thanks, then walked inside. Quickly I scanned the room. I had entered a small auditorium. The seats were blue and the walls white. So bright that it hurt my eyes.
Then my heart skipped a beat. Scattered amongst the rows of seats were the other Gladers and Group B. I noticed Frypan his curls, heard Lisa's laugh and saw Minho leaning back in his chair.
Then my eyes found the one person I had been dying to see. Blond hair and a relaxed smirk on his face but an alert look in his eyes, his body was tensed up and he was sitting on the edge of the chair, ready to jump up at the first sign of danger.
Suddenly someone called my name. It was Frypan, waving at me. I waved back at him. His call made the others turn around to look at me but I only had eyes for Newt.
He stood up from his chair, a smile appearing on his face and I found myself smiling too. Unable to hold myself back any longer I rushed forwards, running down the rows of seats.
Newt stepped away from his chair, his arms open. And when I reached him, I fell right into his arms. Laughing he stumbled on his feet, trying to catch his balance.
I burried my face in his neck and felt him wrap his arms around my waist.

Whistles came from the Gladers but I ignored them. Taking a small step back I studied his face.
The circles under his eyes and the light bruises on his cheek made my heart ache. Whatever Wicked did to him, I could add it to the list of reasons to hate them.
I reached out and slightly touched his face with my fingertips. 'What did they do to you?' I whispered.
A haunted look appeared in his eyes and he gave a small shake of his head.
Nodding, I pulled back my hand, understanding he didn't want to talk about it. Then I stood on the tip of my toes and placed a kiss on his lips.

When I pulled back I was immediately taken out of Newt his arms. Lisa attacked me in the strongest hug ever. Once she let go she gave me a serious glare.
'Are you okay?' She asked, a little pressure in her voice to tell me the truth.
I nodded, although it was far from true. 'I'm fine.'
She studied my face for a few more seconds then she smiled and gave me another quick hug. Minho came to join us. 'Happy to see you chick,' he said, flashing his handsome smile at me, though I could see the hidden pain in his eyes.
Rolling my eyes at him I pulled him into a hug as well. He patted me on the back.
Then I turned to Frypan, noticing the tense way he smiled at me. Wicked had left some very visible marks on all of us. Pulling Frypan in a hug I realised how good it was to see them all again, like a weight had been lifted off my chest.

Suddenly the door opened, making us all turn to look at who stood there.
'Well, I've been shucked and gone to heaven. It's Thomas!' Minho called. His announcement was followed by cheers and catcalls and I felt a smile spread across my lips.
Thomas looked healthy, at least from a distance. He grinned until his eyes fell on someone. I followed his glare and noticed he was looking at Teresa but the moment was broken by Newt and Minho who pulled me and Lisa towards Thomas.
Minho slapped Thomas on the back and Lisa hugged him.
Newt shook his hand and pulled him further into the room. 'Well, at least you didn't bloody roll over and die, Tommy,' Newt said although his tone was grumpier than usual. 

Minho flashed a smirk at Thomas. 'The mighty Gladers, back together again. Good to see ya alive, shuck-face. I've imagined you dead in about a hundred different ways. I bet you cried every night, missing me.'

I looked at our little group, saw the hollow eyes and empty smiles and felt anger burn in my stomach. I couldn't believe I had volunteerd to work with Wicked but when I looked at Newt I knew I had made the right decision.

Thomas broke away from us and went to talk to Teresa. Every pair of eyes in the room followed him but we couldn't hear what they were saying over the chatting from the girls group. Then Teresa took his hand which set off a chorus of mocking shouts from the Gladers.
I simply laughed. Quickly Thomas released Teresa, probably because whatever she had said to him had pissed him off, like so much she did lately but Minho took it as an action of embarassement. 'Awwww,' he said. 'That's almost as sweet as that time she slammed the end of a spear into your shuck face.'
Lisa grinned and I couldn't help it but to smirk.
'True love indeed,' Frypan said, followed by his deep laugh. 'I'd hate to see what happens when these two have their first real fight.' Another chorus of laughter erupted from the Gladers and I gladly joined but the laughter quickly died when someone came walking through the door and down to the little stage at the front of the room and stood behind the lectern. He gripped the edges and gave us his creepy rat-like smile. 'Everybody take a seat. We've got a few things to cover before we remove the Swipe.'

No one moved for a second. Until Newt took me out of my trance and pulled me to the closest seat. Slowly everyone followed and when we all sat down Ratman smiled again, though a bit more forced this time. 'That's right, ladies and gents. You're about to get all your memories back. Every last one of them.'