*enters the premises. immediately ducks and miss being struck by bottles and tomatoes*

I know. I know. I'm so far behind, when it comes to my updates. I'm sorry!

LOL!

But for real, I am sorry for not updating within the past... Year... A year and some months. *grimaces* Jeez...

Goodness, what can I say about my lack of updating and writing?

Um, life got in the way. Definitely-definitely got in the way. Let's see, I ended up being promoted at my job and my new job role is time-consuming. Then I ended up getting writer's block, which put a damper on things. So, there's that.

As mentioned in the summary, WITV is the fourth story in the "Eric and Nasira" pentalogy (I should really think of something that's creative, when it comes to the name of the series), which means that this story is the second-to-last tale. I am still in the 'revising and typing' process, so I will be updating bit-by-bit, for this story.

When it comes to this story, I am doing something that's different from my other published tales. The most obvious change is the fact that this story will entirely be in Eric's POV. The second thing is this story takes place six years (to be precise, six years and seven months) later, from the last story ("Trying For Redemption"). The other difference is the fact that this tale will have a lot of flashbacks (from Eric's POV, of course). So, whenever you see italicized passages, these are the flashbacks and these scenes are transition (from one memory to another memory) without warning. So, be prepared.

Now that's out of the way, let's get to business, shall we?

RATING: RATED M FOR 'MATURE'/NC-17

WARNINGS: THIS FEATURED STORY CONTAINS SUBJECT MATTER THAT IS EXPLICIT AND ADULT-ORIENTED. CHILDREN, UNDER THE AGE OF 16 (I'm being generous here) SHOULDN'T READ. ADULT THEMES. ADULT LANGUAGE. STRONG SEXUAL CONTENT. VIOLENCE. ABUSE. MENTIONS OF DEATH. MENTIONS OF DRUG USE.

Once again... I'm sorry for the looonnngggg delay.

I'll try to keep up.

Thank you, guys. For reviewing. For sending me private messages and encouraging me. For following me or for following my stories.

Enjoy!

Prologue

Footsteps bounced off of the cinderblock-paved walls and clumsily collided with each other, making half-formed echoes stir inside of the cell.

"…No…No. No. No. No…" his lips spewed as his sock-covered feet continued to pound the asphalt.

"Eric…" He always believed that her voice held the sweetest cadence, when she always spoke his name. Especially, when her plush lips would moan his name.

"…Eric!" Or, when she would force his name from out of her mouth, in between the waves of laughter.

A spasm ripped through his torso, which started in the center of his broad chest and it settled into the pit of his stomach. The harsh sensation caused his feet to abruptly end their mission. A high-pitched moan escaped his mouth as his fingers lightly scratched at his cotton A-line tank top. The artificial, citrus fragrance from the fabric greeted his nose.

"—You're terrible at this…"

Her dark brown eyes landed on him, displaying a mild sense of offense. But it was her lips that told Eric her true opinion. The corners of her mouth were slightly upturned, forming a soft smile. The ceiling's deep, orange-tinted light gave her an ethereal glow. "I'm…" Her eyes stared at the crumpled fabric that was tangled up in her hands. He was sure that it was one of his thermal shirts. "…not that terrible…" Her fingers unfurled the recently dried shirt. "…I just don't have the patience, when it comes to fold—

"It doesn't have to be…" He pushed his large form from off of the doorframe. Eric entered the laundry room. As he made his way over to his wife, he continued to stare at her while she attempted to 'fold his clothes'. "…let me show you…" A thrill ripped through his body as he lightly pressed his front to the back of her curvy form. Another pleasurable sensation coursed through his body as he relished her body's warmth, as well as, the gentle and sweet fragrance that came from her. His brawny arms trapped her in between the folding table and his body. "…Now—

"BBBBLAM!"

"BAH-BLAM!"

"BBBBLAM!"

"OH MY GOD…"

"Okay-okay-okay-okay-okay… Put pressure on her—

"Keep her talking—

"La…La…Lou…L-Luke! L-L-L-Luke! Lou—

"No! No!" his lips screamed out. His blue-gray eyes snapped open and began to stare wildly in his cell. In that sophisticated cage that he was forcibly placed in. He grunted his displeasure. "No! No! No!" His fingernails scratched at his temples. "No!"

The memories were still fresh in his brain. He could still smell the sulfuric scent of the gunpowder. His skin still felt the combination of the summer's heat and the coldness that came from his shock. His heart recalled the heavy pounding and the fast pace of its beats. His chest still felt the heavy weight while his lungs still felt the tight squeezing. His mind's eye still saw the small crowd of bystanders, who were crowded around the immobile body that was laying on the sidewalk, by her jeep. There was the trio of strangers who were kneeling beside the person, each of them shouting instructions to each other. His eyes remembered spotting the pair of bare legs that were sticking out of the small huddle of people, laying limp against the sidewalk. He recognized the bright red sneakers that covered the pair of feet. Briefly, his brain brought up the memory of issuing the pair to her, as a birthday gift.

Eric lunged forward, in his cell and attempted to chase away the offending thoughts that were polluting his mind. "…No! No! I don't want to think—No! No!" he growled. His hands gathered up tufts of the soft curls that were gathered on the top of his head. His fingers violently yanked, causing the man-made knot to unfurl and to loosen his hair. Pin prick-like pain was released from his scalp, a plea for his fingers to stop. But, the enraged man continued to pull. He continued to attempt to chase away the terrible thoughts.

"Daaa-Dee!"

'Zee—

The voice came from behind him. The Dauntless leader quickly spun around, causing a friction burn to sting at the soles of his feet. His eyes frantically twitched in their sockets, in search of his daughter's presence. "Zee? Baby? Where are you, baby?" he softly announced into his cell. He stared around his dismal cell in hopes of spotting his four year-old.

His logic whispered to him that it was impossible. No one was inside of the jail cell with him. Tear-filled eyes surveyed the empty, other half of his temporary abode. He stared at the cinder-block wall that faced him. 'I'm losing my mind,' he silently cried. His eyes focused on the bed that was a few inches away. 'I'm losing my mind.' He made steps over to the mediocre pallet that was wrapped in a sheet of green plastic. "I'm losing it…' He climbed onto his bed and lain down. Tears spilled from his eyes as he viewed the ceiling.

"Eric…"

He heard her phantom voice as she whispered his name.

"…Eric… I…" she gasped.

He didn't need for Nasira to tell him. He knew that she approved of his new tattoos. Her feeling was smeared all over her face. Her expression, the glossy eyes, the glow that came from her skin and the smile from her lips, told him.

"I… I…" she stuttered. She stammered a few more times before she clamped her mouth shut. Her eyes suddenly closed and a deep inhale was sucked through her nose.

An awkward wave of silence managed to waft through their room. It was at this point, when a seed of doubt began to sprout in his conscience. "B—

"I love it," she blurted out. Her eyes opened and a pair of tears finally spilled. Her dark brown irises focused on his own eyes.

'Wha—

"I-I-I… Love it. I love it—I mean, 'them'." A wavy giggle escaped from her lips. "I love them, Eric." She nodded her head. "I love them." Her right set of fingers extended in front of her.

A millisecond later, his left shoulder felt a gentle touch from her fingertips. The soft skin lightly grazed the tender flesh that was still raw from being prodded by needles. The pleasurable-yet-stinging sensation was lifted off of his shoulder and it traveled to his collarbone. The ridges from her nails accidentally lightly scraped against the artwork, a spot that was still sensitive. A sharp inhale was made from his nostrils.

She immediately withdrew her observing fingertips while her brown eyes focused on his face. "Does it hurt?" she asked, sounding alarmed.

Eric nodded his head. "But… It's not too bad," he confessed.

Nasira eyed the markings again. "I love you," she declared with a smile.

"I love you…" It was spoken from her lips as the night spilled over them and in their bedroom.

His eyesight tried to make out her face, by using the limited lighting that was presented from the street lights that were outside of their window.

"I love you…" The declaration came in the form of a gasp. Her lips held a soft smile while her eyes remain shut and a deep crease was imbedded in her brow. "I love… You. I-I-I… Lah-love you, Eric. Err-Eric… I love you…"

His mind released a torrential downpour of memories. With each reflection, he felt his sense of despair grow. The soles of his hands sought after his awaiting face. Fingers tightly and painfully gripped at his face, covering his eyes. The cell began to fill up with the sounds of weak sobs.