Hi!
This story has been brewing in my mind for a few months now so I thought I would finally write it. I'm aware that there a lot of Eric/OC stories out there that also include a character from Amity so I know this isn't exactly an original plot but I am going to try to make it my own, as well as differentiate it from the other ones out there so bear with me!
This story is set a year before Divergent and then progresses into the books which is why I am writing the characters slightly differently from their portrayal in canon because they haven't been affected by war and all the emotional/mental issues that come with that. Also, this story is going to be a mash up of book canon and movie canon - I'm not keeping strictly to what the books say and I'm filling in any knowledge gaps we have about the universe with my own headcanons.
Like the movies, I'm ageing up the characters so the Choosing Ceremony occurs when you're eighteen and, because this is set a year before Divergent, Eric is twenty three at the start of this story. They never actually said how old Tris is in the Divergent movie, it was very ambiguous but eighteen made the most sense to me.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Divergent series nor any of it's characters - this is intended as a piece of love and admiration for the work.
Rated T: violence and very slight gore (I guess?). Warning: the rating will go up later in the story as more mature themes develop.
Constructive criticism is welcome!
Enjoy!
Prologue
Two Years Ago
Eric wanted to do nothing more than go home. He hated flowers. He hated people. He hated Amity. Most of all, he hated people from Amity. He followed behind Max as they strode past the Dome, the communal area of this stupid faction, located next to Johanna's office. He glared irritably at the bright clothing, the soft giggles and the gentle music swaying through breeze, scaring a group of small children.
They came to a stop at the barn door, a solid, warm brown structure that seemed both welcoming and practical; the very essence of Amity. Max gave the door two firm knocks that thudded noisily, the only harsh sound in the otherwise warm, still summer air.
"I will be with you in a few minutes," a melodic voice called from inside, "take a seat and make yourselves at home!"
Max grumbled irritably and Eric sighed, clenching his fists. Nevertheless, they moved away from the door, opting to stand while they waited and glancing curiously at the waiting area.
Slumped in one of the wooden benches, scowling furiously at the floor was a girl. She looked to be about sixteen or seventeen, pretty but with tangled hair and a nasty gash on her cheek. She was oblivious to their presence, intent on her mission of burning a hole through the floor with her eyes.
The door to the barn suddenly opened and Johanna glided out, looking determined, a tall, badly bruised boy trailing after her with hunched shoulders. Max stepped forward, opening his mouth to greet her but she ignored him, easily dismissing him as she swiftly made her way to the sullen teenager outside. Ordinarily, Max wouldn't allow someone to treat him in such a manner but his curiosity at the only instance of tension he had ever seen in Amity outweighed his anger.
"Henley," Johanna called, coming to a stop in front of the girl.
Henley's head snapped up, eyes bypassing Johanna completely and instead landing on the boy with a furious glower. The boy immediately flinched, backing up a few steps and the Dauntless leaders watched in open interest now.
"Henley," Johanna repeated, looking disappointed but firm. "Apologise to Ash."
The hostile expression on Henley's face melted into a sickly sweet smile as she stood up, smoothing out her soft yellow skirts.
Max sighed in disappointment, not interested in seeing some over-emotional Amity drama. Eric, however, continued to watch, noting a glimmer in the girl's eyes that didn't quite match her smile.
"I'm sorry, Ash," she said, cocking her head to the side like a small bird, "sorry I didn't break your other arm."
"Henley!" Johanna gasped, appalled. "Stop it at once! This isn't the Amity way and conflict of any sort will not be tolerated. You know this. Apologise to Ash, please."
"No." She tilted her chin defiantly, straightening her spine and daring anyone to challenge her. "I won't apologise because I'm not sorry." She paused. "I'd do it again."
Max and Eric watched as silent tears started to drip down Ash's face, his broken arm wrapped in a sling and cradled awkwardly into his chest. His face was marred by a swollen, oozing black eye that was splotched with purple and blue, obviously hindering his eyesight. Henley appeared to be eyeing it with satisfaction.
A broad shouldered man who looked remarkably similar to Henley rushed forward and sighed at the scene before him, holding a defeated hand to his forehead as though he could feel a headache coming on.
"Ah, Jasper, I'm glad you're here. Henley has been involved in another," Johanna paused, obviously searching for the right word, "incident."
Jasper, presumably Henley's father, didn't look surprised and nodded, giving his daughter a meaningful look that she stubbornly ignored.
Johanna addressed him brusquely, "I have to attend a meeting so, for now, you will have to take Henley to the Conflict Room and we can discuss further action about her recent troubling behaviour in our faction meeting."
Henley jolted in alarm, her eyes widening and filling with panic and she took a few steps back, holding her hands out in front of her defensively. "You can't make me take it!"
Jasper sighed like this was a recurring argument. "You know the rules, Henley."
"No," she yelled, looking scared now, "you can't make me take that stuff! I won't let you." She tried to make a break for it but her father obviously knew her too well and grabbed her arm before she could escape.
"Calm down, Henley, we've been over this."
"Don't you think that administrating the peace serum to me against my will is a form of violence?" Henley sounded desperate now, struggling against her father's grip.
Johanna and Jasper paused at her words, now suddenly unsure. She did have a point.
"We will discuss this later, for now sit with her in the Dome," Johanna eventually sighed, rubbing her temples. She turned to Max and Eric, gesturing for them to go into the barn but they were watching Henley struggle against her father's grip with cold amusement.
The Dauntless leaders took note of how the girl quickly realised she wasn't strong enough to break free of her father's hold on her through brute force alone as he tried to drag her away and instead decided to use her weight against him. She abruptly stopped her struggles and dropped to the ground, becoming dead weight. Her father toppled over with her. She used his surprise against him and easily broke free, sprinting off into a grove of trees and disappearing into the setting sun.
Johanna led the two Dauntless leaders back into her office, sighing and mumbling incoherently to herself. As Eric sat there and listened to Amity's list of trivial complaints with the Dauntless guards, he thought that maybe not everyone in Amity were so pathetic after all.