Though the road was shorter, they had to drive slower for the sharp turns in the mountains. Despite being safe and surrounded by an exquisitely picturesque view, Julia couldn't force her lips to curve in even the slightest smile. She was surrounded by her friends, who were all intact, yet, she felt eminently alone and precarious.

"Are you alright?" Nicole whispered, sensing her despair. Julia looked away from the window and nodded slowly. She knew her friend would not believe her, but she was too tired to pretend.

"Are you?" Nicole spent last few months with David practically locked up at the party house filled with sick, getting drunk and high people.

"I am now." Blond's smile was sweet, warm and truthful. It brought a glimpse of happiness and hope, and Julia's eyes glimpsed gleefully. An unasked question lingered between two girls, yet none of them dared to speak. Nicole put her warm palm over Julia's smooth hand and held it tightly. The gestured made Julia's blue eyes rheumy, and she looked down. Not to raise any suspicion, she rested her head on Nicole's shoulder. Having closed her eyes, she tried to cast off the latest events, but letting go turned out to be too hard. Fighting off the tears, she let the car moves rock her to sleep.

Sonya and Harriet led them through the camp describing every station, every work. A man walked up to the group - Vince as they were told - leader of the Right Arm.

"Who are they?" Vince studied all of them with his hands digging into his hips.

"They're immunes," Harriet replied cheerfully. "This fellow, Aris, was with me and Sonya in the Maze."

"Did you check them?" His eyes left the group briefly to glance questionably at the girl.

"I trust them." She came up to him.

"But I don't." Julia heard panting behind her but didn't dare to look away from Vince. "Check the-"

"Hey boss," One of Right Arm's soldiers said, and Julia with a corner of her eye she saw someone fall to the ground beside her.

"Jesus," she jumped in place startled at the sudden action. Brenda was spasming uncontrollably on the ground. Jorge was the first one who overcame the shock and kneeled beside her, taking the teenager in his arms.

"Brenda? Brenda, talk to me please," he begged.

"I'm sorry," Brenda repeated the words in a faint whisper.

"What's wrong with her?" Vince kneeled down next to Jorge, his eyes never leaving Brenda's. He placed his huge hand on her calf and lifted her trousers, revealing a swollen wound. "Oh shit."

Everything happened so abruptly. Vince lifted himself up in a mere second and took a gun out of his jeans' waistband. He pointed at Brenda, while everyone except Thomas leaped away. He tried to explain that the girl was not dangerous yet, that he promised her help, but Vince would have none of that.

"If we let cranks in, the Safe Heaven won't last a week!" Julia looked back and forth from both men arguing to Brenda who struggled helplessly to breathe. Meanwhile, two soldiers grabbed Jorge and took him away from Brenda only letting him watch in horror as his alumna laid on the ground. "The only thing I can do for her now is put her out of her misery," Man said with compassion as he racked the gun.

"No!" Jorge's piercing screams hurt their ears. No matter how they disliked the idea - even though they barely knew Brenda - they understood where Vince was coming from. They had no cure, and they would never have.

"Vince, let them go!" he turned around to see a petite woman jogging towards them.

"She's infected, doc, there's nothing we can do."

"But he can," the woman smiled brightly at the sight of Thomas. "You got out, Thomas," she said as if to herself.

"What? You know me?" Confusion was as clear in his voice as the sky above them.

"We worked together at WICKED. But I feared they'd kill you after-" She was getting closer to Brenda only to suddenly stop in her track and stare at Julia. "You got her out," she mumbled in disbelief.

"I'm sorry?" Julia frowned at the woman reaction. She could remember a few things about her past, but the woman didn't seem familiar at all. The question seemed to get the doctor out of her trance. She took her eyes off of Julia and focused completely on Brenda. She took her wrist and checked the girl's pulse.

"Take her to my tent," she ordered. "You're Julia, aren't you?" She turned her attention back to the girl.

"How do you know me?"

"As I said, I used to work for WICKED. We never officially met but after that not so little rebellion of yours, you were the most protected subject the WICKED had. When I first heard of you, I couldn't believe how insanely brave you were, but I guess you just loved that boy a great deal." Julia looked away. Her eyes were watery again, and she was unable to look at anyone. As if she had sensed the awkwardness, the woman continued the story. "When Right Arm asked for my help I refused because I couldn't bear the thought of getting caught. After what you did I realized that if a seventeen-year-old can risk her life, so can I. You were my inspiration and you have no idea how badly I wanted to get you out, but it wasn't that easy."

"Wait!" Vince walked in between them with a confused expression. "She's N-"

"Yes, but please let me finish. As I was saying... Besides, I was scared that after all the tests they put you through you'd die as soon as we'd leave the compound."

"Why'd you think they killed Thomas?" Nicole asked. She felt underappreciated. After all, she and David also risked their lives.

"After he stopped the rebellion, he saw what WICKED really had in store. He was helping me and Right Arm get the kids out. He even wanted to destroy the Maze to get all of you out," she smiled to all of them. "Now Thomas come with me. We'll see what we can do for that pure girl."

"Vince could you escort-"

"Sure thing, Maria." The name did not ring any bell to neither Julia nor Thomas.

"I'll go with you," Jorge told them. The doctor didn't protest, instead, she gave him a glance filled with hope.

Vince led them through the camp. Now he seemed cheerful, the anger he had in him after he saw Brenda's state was long gone. The camp was nothing special. A spot for a dozen or so cars, a few bigger tents, and at least twenty of small ones was it. Lots of people, however, were either working, chatting or eating outside.

"We've got a little surprise for you," he turned his head to Julia with a mischievous grin.

"What do you mean?" He refused to comment, only led them further into the camp. When they reached some kind of canteen with few tables, all already taken, they couldn't help but notice the amazing smell of stew. They stomachs began rumbling as if they had just realized how empty they were.

"Our cook is over there, take as many seconds as you wish, you'll need the energy. As for you," he told Julia. "Come with me, will ya?" She didn't even have the time to think about this before her friends answered for her.

"She's not going alone," David spoke up, his voice mingling with Nicole's and David's.

"Guys, it's-" Fine she tried to say, but they didn't let her finish insisting on going with her. WICKED twisted them all, but Vince didn't mind.

"Just be ready for a shock," he shrugged.

"What do you think he wants?" Nicole mumbled. Julia had no idea, yet she was willing to trust the soldier. Not like she had a choice anyway.

"We'll find out soon enough," Minho chimed in.

They were almost out of the camp when they heard children voices. They were all really confused at this point demanding answers, but Vince ignored them once again.

"Uncle Vince!" She would recognize that high-pitched voice anywhere. Water in her eyes blurred her vision, but she could see it in the way the girl moved, the way wind caressed her blond hair - much longer than when she had last seen her - she looked so happy, well-fed, untouched. She stopped in her track focusing her shocked gaze on Julia.

"Natalie?" Most of them were surprised at what happened next. Julia felt to her knees and her sister wrapped her arms around her in a desperate embrace. "I thought you were dead," she sobbed into the croak of Natalie's neck.

"Let's go back to the canteen. I'll explain everything there," Vince told them.

Having been given space by one of the tables, Julia sat with Natalie on their lap eating rapidly, while Vince explained how they got Natalie out. Turned out while WICKED was making a video to threaten Julia the Right Arm spotted them and took the girl away.

Newt observed her from the opposite table. Julia's smile was reaching her eyes, while happy tears escaped them. He couldn't remember the last time she was this joyful.

"Bro," it sounded weird rolling off Nicole's tongue, but at least it got his attention. "A word?"

"Sure." He followed her few meters. Minho's gaze lingered on their backs, but the rest was still focused on Julia, her sister, and Vince. "Is everything okay?"

"I thought you'd tell me that," she said. "What happened with you and Julia? Why don't you speak to each other anymore?"

He told her about their fight and how mad he had got and what he had said. He said how awful he felt and yet how hard to forgive it was. Many times Nicole wanted to interrupt him, tell him she made the choice of joining Julia and starting the rebellion at WCKD herself, and she'd do it again just to save him. On the other hand, she wasn't angry with him. She hated the idea of him getting hurt or risking his life. She understood where he was coming from, so she remained silent for as long as he was pouring his heart out.

"I regret telling her to leave me alone so so much, but back then I felt just betrayed. And knowing she trusted David after h-he almost..." he couldn't finish. The slightest memory of the event was too painful. Feeling a hand on his shoulder he looked up to see his sister nowhere near ready to scold him as he thought she would.

"I know it's hard for you to look at them. And I'm not asking you to forgive either of them, but Newt... What David did - I mean tried to do - it was all WCKD's doing. And as for Julia... She never meant any harm to come our way, but she was desperate and the rebellion back then seemed to be our only choice. I made the choice and you can't blame her for that."

"I know, I just... I don't know what to tell her. I hurt her, Nicole. I promised myself I'd never do that and yet I did, more than that I left her alone."

"But she can't - won't - blame you. It wasn't you saying and doing that stuff. You were hurt, confused and felt betrayed and if someone is able to understand that it's her. You know that as well as I do."

"She always was a bloody good listener," he mumbled. Nicole smiled warmly at her brother. It'd been years since they last had a moment to themselves.

"So go to her." But he didn't move. Instead, he brought her closer, refusing to let go.

"It can wait," he was too scared and exhausted to even put the coherent apologies together. "Tell me what happened to you? How did you get to Marcus."

So she told him how WICKED wanted to separate them from Julia after Thomas put an end to their uprising. They were to be transferred to another compound when Right Arm tried to rescue the wagon of children that accompanied them. Most of them died in the fight, yet, she and David managed to escape. The city was near, and Marcus' place was the only one they could hide at. First, the man was helping kids like them, but soon betrayed them for money - Nicole didn't understand why he cared for cash so much, he was dying anyway, and there was nowhere to spend it at.

"Why didn't he give you back to the WICKED?"

"He was always so high he didn't notice us as long as we stayed in some of the unused and long forgotten rooms."

"How did you escape?"