If I told you this was only gonna hurt

If I warned you that the fire's gonna burn

Would you walk in? Would you let me do it first?

Do it all in the name of love

Would you let me lead you even when you're blind?

In the darkness, in the middle of the night

In the silence, when there's no one by your side

Would you call in the name of love?

If I told you we could bathe in all the lights

Would you rise up, come and meet me in the sky?

Would you trust me when you're jumping from the heights?

Would you fall in the name of love?

When there's madness, when there's poison in your head

When the sadness leaves you broken in your bed

I will hold you in the depths of your despair

And it's all in the name of love

[In the name of love, Bebe Rexha & Martin Garrix]

Chapter 1

Lilah sat waiting in the alley by the school for her friends. She had ditched her brother shortly before they even left the school and scrambled her way to the where they would meet. She hated having had to ditch him but he had been more than disapproving of her plans. He would have given her a lecture about bringing more trouble on herself than necessary. The thing was that trouble was going to come to her whether she went with her friends or not so why not get what she could for the price she would pay.

She hadn't been waiting long when another kind of trouble approached her way.

"Well look what we have here. Does the little abnegation girl want to play?" A greasy looking Candor boy along with a mousy looking girl of the same faction approached her with sneers on their faces.

Lilah gave an internal sigh and turned to face the two Mouth's straight on. They both looked a bit startled when she did because her face wasn't one of the typical Abnegation meekness. It would never be that way and that is what got her into so much more trouble with her father than her brother. He was willing to play the role and she just couldn't.

"It depends on what kind of game you have in mind. If it is one that involves you limping your way out of this alley….well then yeah I can get behind that kind of game." She said in mock sweetness.

The Candor girl hesitated and looked over to her fellow faction member for guidance. She lost that hesitancy when two more Candor boys came up behind to join them.

Lilah sighed and shook her head already preparing to go down fighting. "Alright then. Let's get this over with. But I promise you that at least one of you will be leaving with something broken."

"What the hell?" He barely had time to get the question out before he was moving towards the skirmish happening right in front of him. All he saw was black and white circling around a blur of grey whirling around. Obviously Candor's had found a stray Abnegation and decided to take advantage of the situation.

He didn't care about saving a stiff really but fuck if he was going to let cowardice go on. That is what these dicks were. Fucking cowards. He had a hold of one of the guys shirts and tossed him back while already moving to take on another.

The abnegation was a girl and she looked beat up but so did the guy she was currently working on. So he shifted focus while laughing a little at that bit of shock. He went to the other one that was in the mix to even things up a bit.

The guy he tossed had hit the wall and was stunned but he would be up soon enough. There looked to be a girl Candor crouching near a wall and holding an arm that was decidedly broken. She was sobbing and wasn't a threat if she ever had been one.

Lilah was barely paying attention to the Erudite boy that had approached the group. He wasn't a threat right now. He seemed to be out for the Candor's but that didn't mean that he wouldn't switch to her when they were out of the way. It was just the way things were. Abnegation were hated by almost all of the factions. The only reason Amity didn't was because hate is against their very beliefs. She hoped she could take care of this before Savannah and Alicia showed up. They didn't need to be involved in this. They weren't like her, they couldn't take beatings. Even with all their self taught training she had them beat by years on how to take a beating and still remain standing.

Her skirt ripped when she leaped up into a kick and a growl escaped her lips. "Dammit! You fucking made me tear my skirt!" Why would this piss her off? Because now she had to go home in it and that meant her father coming down on her even more then he already would.

She launched into a series of jabs and punches after she got the guy down on the ground and didn't realize he was out until she was hauled back. She growled and went to swing again but steel arms encased her.

"Whoa there. You got him down. No point in killing the coward." The erudite said in a way too amused but also warm voice. "Breath it out."

He had already taken care of the two remaining Candor's and had watched as this sprite of a girl whirled around the Candor she was facing. He had been about to step in until she had jumped and landed a kick. He heard the skirt rip and then that face that had been deadly calm had contorted into a real look of anger.

He wanted to crack into laughter when he heard it was because of her skirt ripping but something about that had him frowning. That frown and turned into being truly afraid he was going to watch her beat the kids head in.

Even now her body was trembling in rage and he started to pull her more out of the alley they were in. What she was doing back here alone and on the path that the Erudite took was beyond him. He needed to get them away from the carnage though.

"I'm ok." Lilah said simply as he basically carried her out of the alley. She couldn't let him take her too far because her friends would worry. "I won't go back after him I promise. He deserves it but I won't do it." Her voice was broken because she was still panting from the exertion of the fight but otherwise she was regaining her calm.

"Let me see." He said putting her down and then turned her to face him. His grey eyes were looking over her face intensley. One hand moved to cup her cheek and tilted her face up more. Her lip was split and she knew she had bruising along her jaw and a black eye appearing. His thumb moved over this lightly. His forehead scrunched up with a frown.

He was getting more angry as he was able to take in the damage. "How is your stomach and ribs?" He knew he couldn't look there. It was a wonder she was letting him even touch her this much. He had to figure though she must not be like normal Abnegation if she was fighting back like she had been. Why he cared how hurt she was he couldn't say. Normally he wouldn't give a fuck and would even be amused if some stiff got beat up. Something about her though had him instantly caring.

Lilah swallowed and had to catch her breath. Only this time it wasn't from the fight. It was from the tingles she was getting as those rough hands made there way across her face so tenderly. She saw his frown slowly turn into a smirk and his eyes take on a look of amusement.

He had asked her something but she couldn't remember what it was. "Sorry….what?" She finally got out.

He chuckled a little and shook his head. Deciding not to comment on her obvious reaction to him. He decided not to because he himself was having some kind of reaction and for once he decided he wasn't going to be a dick to someone to mask what was going on with him.

"I asked how your ribs and stomach are? I am sure you took some hits there. Would it be ok if I looked?" He asked this softly with a small smile still in place.

"Umm...I got hit but I will be fine. I have had worse." She muttered without thinking and his frown returned.

He didn't even let her speak or object as he was lifting the sweater shirt and looking for himself. It wasn't the bruising on her ribs and stomach that drew his attention right away. It was the scars that from the way they wrapped around her ribs that told him they started at the back. She was spinning before she could pull her sweater down again to keep him from seeing just that.

"Don't please." She started to ask but it was too late. His hand was already running down them and she heard his breathing pick up. Not in lustful kind of way but in building anger.

She sighed and let him explore. He had already seen and there was no point in trying to scramble to cover herself. She wasn't like her brother with them. She didn't necessarily want to hide the things that her father did to them. She was just biding her time until she could make sure he paid for them.

When he was done he lowered the shirt again and turned her to face him. His eyes were darker now but still grey. "I don't suppose you are going to tell me who did that shit to you?" The voice that had been full of warmth and amusement earlier was filled with what would be in the future deadly menace. It was just maturing, like he was, at the age of 15.

Her eyes were these beautiful color of deep blues. A mix of them that had changed from when he first turned her to face him. Under the bruising and even with it...or maybe because of it...dammit he didn't know, he just knew she was beautiful. Hell must be freezing over because here he was thinking a damn stiff was beautiful. Oh what would his aunt say if she could see him now.

She smiled at him and shook her head. "Even if I told you it wouldn't do any good. I am waiting...and when my time comes I will strike hard at the bastard."

Something struck him about that. A memory of a conversation his aunt was having with his parents about someone in Abnegation. A leader….

Fuck, a leader. No wonder she wouldn't say and couldn't say. It still made it all that much worse though. His hand was going to cup her cheek again when he heard a name being called, yelled more like, and two Erudite girls he vaguely recognized approached quickly.

"Lilah. Oh my god Lilah. What happened to you?" Cried out the taller of the two girls with mocha colored skin. She turned to glare at him as the shorter girl went to Lilah's side and started looking her over worriedly.

"I'm fine guys. Seriously. I wouldn't have been without…." She looked at her Erudite rescuer and frowned because she hadn't gotten his name. She saw him hesitate and looking uncomfortable at Savannah as she continued to glare at him. Then finally he looked back to her, head tilted and smiled.

"Eric. My name is Eric Coulter."

She smiled back at him and for a seconds it was just the two of them. Then Alicia got her attention by probing her lip. Lilah winced a little and continued her previous thought. "If Eric hadn't stepped in then I would be a lot worse. At least I got a few of them though." She shrugged and sighed ruefully.

"Only you Lilah. You seem to attract trouble like a magnet. No more waiting for us in the alley. That place is just bad luck for us." Alicia said trying to ease the tension. Far be it from her to be the one to tell Lilah that her rescuer might be her tormentor on any other day. It was hard thing to predict with Eric Coulter.

Eric realized he was still holding Lilah by the waist with one arm so he stepped back and cleared his throat. "I better get going." He saw disappointment flash in her eyes and he made a promise to himself to keep an eye out for her. He might not talk to her again. It wouldn't be wise to anyways but he could at least watch out for her. "Try to stay out of trouble, Lilah." He said softly, once again they forgot others were there for a few seconds.

"You too Eric." She responded with a little playful smirk.

He chuckled and shook his head then caught the glance of the taller girl that was still glaring at him and he sighed internally. Even if he did try and talk to her she wouldn't want anything to do with him once her friend informed her of just who he was and what he was supposedly like. He had a reputation after all. Some of it was based on fact and some of it was just talk. He cast one last look at her and then went and picked up the bag he dropped when he had decided to get involved in it all. She was watching him, he could feel her eyes until he was out of sight completely.

Lilah sighed and looked to her friends who were looking at her worriedly. "I'm ok guys really. You both know I have had worse."

Savannah didn't trust that she was alright. Especially with Eric having been around. "Did he threaten you Lilah? Are you afraid he might come after you? Because if he touched you in any way Lilah I will find a way to hurt him." Savannah started ranting softly as she turned Lilah this way and that.

Lilah grabbed her hand and pulled away. "Sav….I don't know what you are talking about. Eric helped me out and he sure as hell didn't need to. He was checking me for injuries when you guys came up."

Alicia's eyes get wide. "Lilah did he…."

Lilah sighed and nodded, interrupting the question she knew was coming. "I didn't tell him who I am but I don't think it will be hard to figure that out. He seemed upset about it though."

Savannah scoffed. "Eric is the master of putting on a nice face for all to see to hide his true self. Most likely he is fucking gleeful right now Lilah. I hate to tell you this….but Eric is Jeanine Matthews nephew."

Lilah's heart jumps to her throat and she lets out of a hiss of air. Jeanine Matthews. What that bitch would do with this information. She didn't care that it would expose Marcus and she hoped it would and take him down hard. But Tobias couldn't handle the scandal and ridicule. She had to protect her brother.

She ran a hand over her face and sighed. She played back every part of her encounter with Eric Coulter. It was like a movie in her head but she relived it right down to his touch and the feel of the skin of his fingers on her. There was a part she got to where she knew he put it together. She knew that he had it figured out but she didn't see pleasure or even calculation in the eyes that held hers. She saw rage and anger in his eyes. In that moment she knew she didn't have to worry about Eric. Jeanine was still a worry but she had always been even before now.

She wouldn't argue with Savannah though. Savannah was the type that had to be shown by actions not words before she believed something. So she changed the subject and went on to the purpose they were meeting here on a friday afternoon with her friends laden down with bags.

She smiled widely. "Are we ready to head to Amity then? I know I am ready to do some training and camping."

This turned the mood around though they still insisted on getting her tended to while they all changed into the clothes they had stashed in the bag that would help them blend into Amity. Johana knew them of course but they all felt it was best they at least look the part while in the sector.

They wasted no time in finishing getting dressed and making a dash for the trains and on to their weekend. They also didn't know that Eric hadn't been able to leave until he knew she was ok. He could only smirk and shake his head as he watched the three laughing girls running for the train and catching it like pros.

From her fight and attitude he had a feeling she wouldn't be staying with Abnegation. The question was would he be joining where she was so obviously going? Not if his Aunt had anything to say about it. Eric's fists clenched as he closed his eyes and tried to tame that temper that was always getting him into trouble and was source of constant disappointment to his parents and Aunt.

If they had anything to say about it he would be staying in Erudite and taking a place by her side. Her side for the big plans she was always hinting at but would never tell him what they were. Only that he would play a key role and she was counting on him. His whole fucking life planned out for him and he wanted nothing more than to tell them all to fuck off.

The question was he going to be brave enough to do just that?