Hey thanks again I'm having so much fun writing this. It's a nice break from our other stories and the ideas are coming to us. But which one? Hmm...well I don't want to bother you with that burden. Keep reading and reviewing.

My Soldiers Boots Part III

"I told you that you didn't have to be here today!" Cate screeched when she saw Tris walk through the front door.

"Taking care of you is keeping my mind off of what is actually happening." She said taking off her sweatshirt revealing her work polo.

Cate rolled her eyes. "It's a waste of time you know. I am dying."

"Yeah I know, but the doctor doesn't think that it will happen soon. He believes that you will be around for many more years and quite frankly so do I. You may have had that stroke but you are very healthy, you are bouncing back faster than anyone else I know. Maybe that's because you want to get better or-"

"Maybe it's because I want you out of my way as soon as humanly possible."

"Our blunt bull headed-ness on both of our parts." She says that last part like she's exasperated, but she takes some stuff out of her bag and they begin their exercises.

During the middle of one of their exercises, Cate stares at Tris. "How are you handling everything?"

Tris snorts, "I'm doing okay, I'm not dead am I? I'm...just trying to be strong for his family and my family. It makes me seem heartless...but I need to do this for Becks. She can't see me broken down. I don't want her to think that her parents aren't strong."

Cate rolls her eyes, she hates it when young people are like this. Like they are completely reliable on they're own. "Well you don't want to put up too many walls you don't want to seem so heartless. You are going to want to show that to your daughter. Act like you can be broken."

Tris stares she woman, "Tris, I do not want to continue this session today. Go, go find your family go and be with you family we will continue this tomorrow. Go find your that one who was here before you. Uriah? Is that his name? He was one who told me about you. You know the annoying physical therapist with-"

"Uriah is going through the same thing I am. His brother was on the same sniper mission. I highly doubt he wants to talk about it. All my other friends...I can't face them yet."

"You are going to need to face them. They are going to have to help are going to need all the help you can get."

"But-" Tris tires to object.

"Go." The old woman snaps. Tris glares at the woman packs her things and walks out the door. She fleas to a place that she hasn't been in three years since they kicked her out.

"I know that you don't want to talk to me but I could really use some support right now...I know that you heard over the news what happened, and I know, that you know that my husband got caught up in that mess. But right now I would love you to open the door so we could just talk. Mom? Dad? Caleb? Anyone?" Tris says from outside the door, shaking like a leaf in the process. She has been avoided this place like the plague. She hasn't been home since Becca was born.

She rest her head on the door and slowly starts to cry, tears spill down her eyes. "I need someone to talk to, someone who isn't as close to this as the others. I need your help...Mommy? Daddy?"

She stands there for a little bit, then slowly falls down onto the ground. She cries out of fear for what is going to happen next. Tris cries out of fear for daughter, how this will change her life. She also cries for herself, how the death of her husband is forever going to change her life.

"Beatrice?" A voice says and Tris looks up. It's her brother, Caleb whom she also hasn't seen in a year.

"Caleb?" Tris says weakly.

"Are you okay?" He asks, "Oh nevermind let's just go inside." He scoops her up and carriers her inside their parents house.

"What are you doing here?" Tris asks, sitting at there kitchen table.

"I can ask you the same thing." He sighs knowing he had to talk first her out else he will not be able to get any info out of her. "I'm here cause Dad has gotten worse. He is not bad enough that he can't go to work but Mom doesn't like the way that he's pushing himself too hard. Quite frankly either do I." Tris makes a disgusted noise.

"I told him, if he is going to keep doing stuff like that too his back that he better go find himself a nice wheelchair for himself cause that what he is going to end up in." Caleb says tapping his fingers on the counter.

"Caleb where's Mom? She's always at home by now in the day."

"Probably picking Dad up from work."

Tris sighs as she runs her hands through her hair.

"You're here because of him aren't you? You're afraid that something bad has happened to him."

"Yes I am. And I'm pretty sure no one can blame me. They aren't releasing any news about the victims and who died because they do not want the media to catch on to it...and it's just been frustrating. All I want to know is if he is dead or not and if he is dead all I want to do is mourn in peace. Is that too much to ask?"

"Well not to sound to technical but if they have his blood type in stock and they got to him in time he could be okay if there was a lot of blood loss for him. Some surgeries could be done on the base as long as other treatment so if he did get wounded badly, he could be okay and be fixed up waiting for you to find him."

Tris was quiet thinking of what her brother had just said. It was one she had heard before from her husband and his family.

"How's Rebecca doing?"

"Becks is fine. She doesn't understand what is going on exactly, but she can tell that something is wrong."

He nods. "Sis, don't take this the wrong way but, it's weird having you in this house again. Not since that fight with you and Dad. I'm pretty sure if you wanted to come back here you could, he would probably take you back."

Tris looked at her brother and then around the house. It's exactly the same as it has been for the last 27 years. "Even if I could come back it wouldn't be the same. Dad and I still wouldn't get along. He would still try to tell me that I've made the wrong choices, but I believe that they're the right choices for me. Besides we are still fighting about religion and I get that feeling it's never going to stop. He told me that the day he sees Becca in a Lutheran church that would be the day that he forgave me. I told him that it's her decision to be raised in any faith that she wants to be in. The Prior side is a big Lutheran family, but the Eaton side are huge Catholics. And it's annoying that they are both trying to make decisions for Tobias and I. We are adults we will raise her in the faith that we feel is best for her and if she wants to choice the other than its fine by us. As long as she believes in something we won't care.'

She throws out an exasperated sigh and tests her head on the table top. The wood is child against her skin, just like everything around her. "Do you want anything...water anything to eat?"

Tris shakes her head and rubs her temples. "Hey how did you get here, I didn't see your car."

"I walked. It helps me clear my head and doesn't tempt me to listen to the radio for news."

Caleb stares at his grief stricken little sister. The urge to protect her has risen, but he doesn't know how to. He hasn't protected his little sister since she was like 13, and he lost that chance as soon as she turned 16. That's when she and Tobias each other and feel in love. He looks at the small photo of his sister on her wedding day.

Caleb never understood until now why he never liked Tobias. He was nice enough, never picked on him too badly in high school. He is really smart and was the only 'jock' in the school who accepted him. But now he understands why. He was jealous of him. Jealous that he knew Tris way better than he knew her. Tobias was fiercely protective of her, that's something that he could never, was to be protective of her. Now right when his sister needs it, he's not here. He's not here to tell her that it's okay and that they will be alright. And now Caleb is at a loss for what to do.

The door in the living room clicks and both of their parents walk in. Tris doesn't bother to look up, she knows that he is standing behind her. His scent fills her nose. Caleb looks at their father who stares at his sister. This just might turn ugly.

"So did you finally have a change of heart, Beatrice?"

Tris pushes her hair out of her face and turns towards her father. "By a change of heart, you mean a change of religious views. Don't you?"

He doesn't answer her and that's all she needed to hear.

"I'm pretty sure that we both remember the last words we said to each other before you banned me from this house. Incase you forgot it was 'when you change your life, when you grow up, and find someone who will support you and the religion that you come from then you can return.' And you know what, that still stings. And do you want to know what else? I still think I made the right choice. I am grown up, my life has changed, and I did find someone who would support me and what religion I am. And that person had been the same one for the last 5,6,7 years. I love this person and you can't see that. You can't see that because your judgement is so clouded on one thing. Now in the time I could really use your and Mom's support I can't get it. Because you refuse to accept this man, that I love. The Eaton's can accept me. They didn't like me at first, and then they gave me a chance. That's why Becca is with them now, and that's why my daughter only really knows one set of her grandparents. I would love for us to grow up and stop this argument about religion. Don't you think it's about time? Because I would really like to come home when my family's in trouble like this."

"Beatrice you know the terms of our argument. Either Rebecca is raised in the Lutheran church-"

"Andrew!" Tris's mother says glaring at her husband. "Now is not the time to be acting so selfish. She is willing to look past this. I would like it if we would get to see our only grandchild more than just the pictures that she sends us."

Tris stares at her father waiting. Waiting for him to say something.

"We'll see what I think in a few days."

"Andrew we don't have a few days. You saw the news, we need to be here for her now. I imagine that-"

"Yes Tobias was in that accident." Tris says roughly still not looking away from her father.

"My word is final."

"Dad!"

"Beatrice just accept the fact that I'm at least considering on letting the whole fight thing go." He stalks out of the room, up the steps towards their bedroom slamming the door. Something he never did.

"I'm going to go then." Beatrice says walking towards the door. "Good bye Mom."

Caleb walks over to the door telling her that he will give her a ride to her apartment. "Beatrice." Her mother says and a Tris looks around to see what she wants. "I still try to talk to him. I will really try."

Tris nods and walks out the door to Caleb's car where he quickly pulls out of the driveway and onto the highway.

They are quiet until Caleb turns into a street that will take them to the other side of town "Well that went better than it did three years ago."

"Yeah I guess. This time I want pregnant and my husband wasn't with me. There wasn't as much yelling this time around."

"No kidding. I think they were the talk of the neighborhood for a long time after that. I was surprised that Tobias was so quiet during the whole thing."

"I'm not, it was me doing all the yelling. He was there to make sure I didn't do anything stupid and that I didn't like pass out cause the morning sickness was bad."

Caleb smiles. "Rebecca was an interesting baby. I could tell that she was going to cause you two terrible right when I saw her. She always looks like she is going to cause trouble whenever I see her."

Tris just nods and stares out the window. That little baby did cause the two of them a lot of trouble. When she was born she always found a way to cause the two of them to trip over their feet trying to get her to calm down and do something. When she was about five months she wouldn't stop crying all night so they took her and they drove around town until the morning when she finally called down. That morning Tris had a job interview that she had to go to for the job that she has now..She almost feel asleep during the interview when her boss was talking. Or Tobias said that he lost his cell phone for a day because Becca somehow got a hold of it when he was doing laundry and she threw it in the washing machine without him looking. And of course that day he was expecting a call from John for the first time in months.

Caleb drops Tris off at her house and walks with her in. "Caleb can you go to the nursery to get some clothes for Becca? Oh and some more diapers too?" He nods and walks into the nursery. Tris walks into the kitchen and finds a note on the counter.

Hey Tris I heard the news and came right away, but you weren't here. I suspect you were at the Eaton's. Just liked we promised we took the dogs so you wouldn't have to worry about them. Can you text me when you get this note? We could talk if you want. -Christina-

Tris texts Christina as soon as she got done reading the note and told her that she will call her later. Then she makes her way to her bedroom and rummages in the closet for some clothes and pictures.

A pair of jeans falls from the shelf onto her and brings down a pair of cowboy boots. She picks up the boots and stares that them. They are huge, size 12, males. They are brown with blue and gold stitching. She starts to hug them. Tobias got these for a party. Tris western party for college and Tobias was back from base that week so he got the boots and they went to the party together. That was a good night. They danced and the got drunk, it was the night that, Tobias's friend Zeke, met his now girlfriend. Tris's friend Uriah -also Zeke's brother- made the word pansycake an official word of the friend group. That was the night that Will proposed to Christina, and a few weeks later Tobias proposed to her.

She sits of the ground thinking: These are my soldiers boots, they will protect him and take him home to me. And he needs to come back to me.