Synopsis: Tris is an instructor at the Chicago Fight Club, where she teaches kickboxing. After a close encounter, she meets Four, a dark and brooding new comer to the Fight Club. After losing her family, Tris is in a dark place, but new friends and new experiences may mend her broken past and help begin her future. AU.

I do not own the characters. The plot is mine; however I do include some of Veronica Roth's scenes and/or basic dialogue.

CHAPTER 3

A week or so has passed since the attack but it does not haunt me the way I expected it to. Peter has not yet returned to work and I continue to pray that he doesn't. Drew came in the day after I found out that Four was working at Fight Club. When he walked in I could barely recognize him; his face was a green-yellow bruise and one eye was slightly closed from a black eye. He had a cast on a finger as well. I was shocked, but I was not remorseful and I saw that Four was wearing a grim smile. In the back of mind I wonder why Drew didn't press charges.

Four has been helping me with my sparring—he notices things in my stance that I have not seen before and I see myself getting better

I taught three separate classes today and even though I am exhausted, I cannot wait to box with him. Fighting with him has become one of the best things in my life.

"Work with me?" I ask.

He gives me a smirk and tosses me my wraps.

"You know, you should use heavier gloves when teaching. No wonder your hands are always bleeding."

"I do know something of kickboxing, you know," I say with a grin, "I just like some freedom in my hands."

He nods. Both he and I know that the only way I can win is if I am faster. I am neither tall nor muscular enough to defeat someone using brute force.

We start with the basics; I throw jabs, crosses and rear leg roundhouses at his punching mitt and then we alternate. He nudges my shoulder higher on my crosses and I motion to his leg to pivot more on his lead leg roundhouse kick. We are too out of breath to talk but there is a sort of focus that both of us possess. He makes me want to get better.

Sometime later we move to real sparring.

"Compact," he huffs. I pull my arms closer to my body. When his fist comes powerfully toward my face, I conduct a slip, ducking my head minimally to the right and coming in with a speedy uppercut aiming for his jaw. And then my hand actually hits him right in the mouth.

Both of us freeze. He backs up for a second and rubs his hand across his mouth. "Ow."

I can't hold it in, I just start laughing. I'm laughing so hard my whole body vibrates and my ribs hurt. I'm laughing until I can't breathe. All I can think of is the astonishment in his voice. He watches me for a moment with a small bewildered smile on his face and a cut on his lip. I can barely see anymore because I'm hunched over in laughter. And then he starts laughing. The sound is deep and strong and beautiful. It rumbles deep in his chest and I wish that the sound would never end. I realize with a jolt that this is the first time I have heard him laugh.

Usually when we fight we are use semi contact, based on light hits and good technique. I was careless, I never meant to hurt him, but in the past few days I have become sure of him. He seems indestructible. Sometimes I forget that he is just as human as I am.

"Are you," I say, still heaving with laughter, "okay?"

He is watching me with a strange look in his eyes.

"What?"

"Nothing," he says but his lips are still curled ever so slightly.

My eyes find his and they are mesmerizing, a deep blue like the bottom of the ocean. The laughter has now left and the room is filled with us, sweating, breathing, living. He is staring and so am I. Somehow, he has ended up closer to me, so close I can feel his breath on my hair and it is a good feeling. He places a hand beneath my shoulder blades and it slides right into place. My breath hitches and if he notices he does not show it.

"You have a tattoo," he says and his voice sounds a little deeper, a little sharp. It's startling; I realize that he is nervous.

"Yeah," I reply. My shirt had slid off to the left when we were fighting, exposing the ink on my chest. His fingers leave a feather touch on my collar bone and I cannot breathe. Small explosions occur under my skin and I feel heat, sparks where his fingers touched me. I am breathing hard again and I am watching him. I can't stop watching him.

I want to melt into his arms but I don't. I look at his face, his skin and I want to touch him. I challenge his touch with my own. In the heat of I moment I reach my thumb to touch his mouth and my hand, still covered in black boxing wraps, rests on his cheek; his lips are soft and warm. My forehead rests against his.

"Tris?"

We jump away from one another so fast I almost trip over my bag and Four catches me before I go tumbling to the floor. He now stands behind me, so I squeeze his hand behind my back and I can almost see the light in his eyes. I am disheveled and breathless and I don't want to wonder what Christina will think.

"Christina? What are you doing here?"

"I brought you dinner?"

She is still gaping at Four and I. If her mouth were open, the scene would be comical. I watch as she regains her composure and gives Four a tilt of her head.

"I'll meet you outside, alright?" She speaks to me but she is still scrutinizing Four.

When I turn around I know that our relationship has changed—I don't know what this is but I don't want to ruin it. As he leans down, my eyes close, and he places the softest kiss I have ever felt on my forehead. Heat finds its way to my face. His lips linger there for a moment before he stands back. I feel a rush of cold when he moves away, but part of me is grateful for the separation.

I am unsure of what will happen when this tension breaks.

But all he says is, "Be careful, Tris."

I look at him for a moment. "I always am."

We are almost in my apartment when Christina breaks the silence.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, Chris," I say, "He's just someone I work with."

"Huh," she remarks, "That didn't look like work to me." She shuffles her feet. "I haven't seen you that close to anyone in a long time."

Now it is my turn to pretend the snow is more interesting than our conversation.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"It's not—

"Yes it is, Tris," her voice is like a knife. She sees my face and her eyes soften, "Don't give this one up. You've made bad decisions in the past, but I don't think that this guy is a bad one. He isn't Al, okay? He isn't Eric either."

I feel my eyes well up and I can't look at her face. I don't say anything because I know that if I speak I will cry. And I will not cry. I cannot cry.

"On a brighter note, tell me everything," suddenly her eyes are bright and mischievous, "I only came at the end."

Burying the heat behind my eyes, I tell her what happened.

I tell her almost everything, but when I get to the end, I change my mind— his last kiss felt so good, I decide to keep it to myself.

The following days are good to me. Even though Peter has returned, he stays a little farther away from me and I feel strong. Spending time with Four has made me feel more sane, I can relax when I'm around him. The fear ebbs a little bit. To me, Four is like the high of fighting—he is strong and undiluted and pushes back with the intensity of two swords locked at the hilt. He makes me tremble with energy and I don't want to lose whatever it is we have.

I spend more time with Christina as well. Today I am supposed to meet with some of her other friends. She also says that we are supposed to meet at Dauntless.

"I can ask them to meet somewhere else, you know," her brows are furrowed with concern. "It's totally fine."

"Chris, Dauntless is great, alright?" I reply, "We can meet there just fine." I'm satisfied with my light tone. I know I have to go back there, it's just a matter of when.

"Oh and Tris!" her head pops back into the kitchen, "Bring a plus one." I hear her laugh as she goes down the hallway.

When I finish my last class of the day I watch Four finish his in the Cage. He shouts orders over the raucous of the men boxing, pummeling each other on the ground. The room is well lit and it makes his features look harsh—even then there is something magnetic about him. For a moment of his class he sees me watching. His lips curl into the smallest smirk I've ever seen and he wraps up his class.

"Hey," he says as he walks up to me. He smells like smoke and sweat and Four.

"Hey," I say back. He puts his arm on my back.

"What do you want to start with today? I was thinking we could do some Muay Thai combinations," he sits down on the bench with a small towel around his neck, "and then get into kickboxing."

I sit down beside him and lean my back against his arm with my knees bent over the rest of the bench. "Actually, do you want to come meet some friends with me?" I don't know what to do, so I'm just anxiously looking at my fingers.

When I turn, he gives me a simple nod. I rest my head back against him with a small sigh of relief and he finally gives me a laugh. When he takes my hand in his own, all I can do is smile.

We decided to meet there at nine. Christina comes over and transforms me once again into something remarkable. This is the second time she has made me noteworthy and I still don't know how to thank her for it. Unfortunately, she can't change the fact that my eyes are too big and that my nose is as long as ever but I am glad that she tries.

The dress I'm wearing is shorter than I am used to, but it makes me look like I have more in the right places. The eyeliner makes my eyes look bright blue-gray and I look alluring. For once, I do not feel ashamed of my appearance.

Christina turns me around, looks me up and down, and gives me a satisfied grin.

"You are getting laid tonight," she laughs.

"Ha, no," I flit back and she gives me a knowing smile. Before I know it we are out the door and getting into her car.

Dauntless is just as packed, probably more so, but Christina manages to sweet talk "Mike" with more ease than ever. This time, he doesn't make a comment on my height.

It is only when we slip into the bar that my heart starts pounding and my ears ring. All I can see are Peter and Drew and Al. Peter with his disgusting hands and there is a phantom pain in my side. Then suddenly a strong arm is around my waist and I know that it is Four. Thank god, it is Four.

He looks down at me and the fear floats away into the night. He's here. I'm not afraid.

Christina had walked forward, but now that she sees that I am gone, she turns back and smiles when she sees Four. I can tell Four doesn't respond by the slight confusion on her face, and for some reason it makes me want to laugh. Maybe it is because I know that he is more mine than he will be hers.

Four looks handsome. He is handsome when he is sweating and fighting and dirty. Now he is something beautiful when he is calm and standing by my side. He is wearing a black leather jacket that hides the edging of a tattoo on his neck. My fingers itch to pull the jacket down just so I can touch the ink.

We find the rest of our party at a table in 'The Pit' and when we walk closer someone stands up. He is shorter than Four with darker skin and shaggy hair. He is handsome. I recognize him from the first day I saw Four in Christina's bakery.

"Four?" the man says.

I'm about to step out of Four's arm so he can greet the guy from the bakery, but his grip tightens ever so slightly on my waist and I feel the smallest grin break onto my face.

"Zeke," he replies, his voice is relaxed, "Uriah here too?"

Another man stands up, taller than Zeke with the same coloring, presumably Uriah. The brothers, I assume, may not be similar in terms of height but they have the same boyish demeanor.

"Hey," Uriah says. He has an impish grin that is contagious and for some reason I already like him.

For the first time they notice me. "This is Tris," Four says, and now the whole table is looking at me.

I muster a smile and Four and I slide onto the seat.

Christina laughs. "Well, I see you don't need me for introduction!"

Christina slides in opposite me and tells Four and I the names of the remaining people at the table.

"This is Marlene," she says, pointing to a pretty blonde with a kind face. "This is Lynn and that's Lynn's sister Shauna." Lynn looks bitter but I feel as though it is a temperament and not a current mood. Her sister is more lively and the two share the same dark hair color. For a moment, Shauna seems familiar and then I realize that she was the third party that same day in the bakery. I get the overwhelming urge to punch her for no apparent reason.

And pointing to the tall blond man with celery green eyes next to her Christina says, "And, Four, this is Will."

I find it easy to talk to these new people. I thought it would be difficult but the words slip from my mouth and I enjoy the company. Four does not speak much but I know that he enjoys being here. Occasionally he will squeeze my hand or brush my fingers so that I know he is still here with us.

"You haven't had a hamburger since high school?" Uriah practically jumps out of his chair to call the waitress. Even Four honors us with a laugh at that one.

"How have you not eaten a hamburger since high school?" he laughs.

"Just never got around to it," I say.

Four laughs again.

Everyone is watching but for once, I don't mind. Tonight is good. Today has been good. Maybe tomorrow will be even better.

Four insists on driving me home and I easily agree. It could be the beer talking but I have a hunch that it is not. I have fallen deep into his friendship and there is a small shred of me that fears it. How can I come so close when there is so much brokenness I have to hide? I know it is irrational after all he has done for me, but I do not trust him to stay when he learns of my past.

The silence that fills the night is as beautiful as the falling snow. I wish the night was not coming to an end. We are in front of my apartment before I know it but when I look at Four, I know that the night is not over yet. This night is alive, alive until the day the people I love or will love stop filling my life.

I rest my forehead against his hard chest and he interlaces his hands at the small of my back. We rock gently back and forth in the falling snow for what seems like a long time.

Thats a wrap guys! I hope that you liked the new chapter and that you continue reading! As always, if you have a comment don't hesitate to PM me or review!

~katyajini