(Tris's point of view)
I race across the park, not bothering to look back at Tobias. I know he'll be fine. As I reach the edge of the grass that marks the end of the park I make a sharp right turn back towards the building our apartment is in, hurdling a small hedge as I go. When I reach the concrete walls at the root of the towers, I follow them to the fire escape door further along and open it. I sprint inside and survey the area.
Steel stairs curl up in front of me, every couple of steps there is a small landing. I'm about to start climbing when I remember my rule: No using lifts or stairs. I look around and see that the handrail for the landing is in my reaching distance, smiling to myself I swing my rucksack of my shoulders and pull out my cardigans. I hook the black fabric around the rail and pull myself up using the walls for support.
At the top I fling myself over the rail and falling on the cold steel, bruising my left arm. I look up at the other landings above me and laugh. Only 15 more floors to go.
(Tobias's point of view)
My Dauntless instincts kick in and I run in the opposite direction to Tris, towards the main doors of the building. When I get there I push them open and look around in the lobby, one flight of stairs and two lifts. My attention is caught by the lift when a young man steps out and I see the lift disappear into the underground car park below leaving a small gap in which if you were to squeeze through you would find yourself sitting on top of the lift, in the lift shaft. Tris may have said I couldn't use a lift, but she never said anything about sitting on one.
Next time the lift goes to the car park again I take my chance, squeezing in between the scraping metal. The lift disappears below ground and I find myself in complete darkness as I crouch on the roof of the metal box that some poor man or woman is standing right now. I see the light of the car park below me and prepare myself for the assent while people board the lift. My heart is racing, this is the best challenge Tris has ever set me.
As the lift rises beneath me, I count the floors every time I pass one them. Slowly my legs grow tired from crouching, I shift so I am kneeling on the cold metal. My mind wonders back to Tris. What if she does beat me? What other excuse do I have for not wanting children? I don't want to see Tris disappointed but I also don't feel ready for this yet. What if I'm too like my father? Deep down. I know my anger takes a hold of me sometimes, maybe I would take it out on my child. My thoughts are interrupted by the lift final reaching my floor, as before I squeeze my body through the gap, but this time I hit the ground with a slapping sound. I pick myself off the ground and check for injuries: A scratch here and there but nothing serious. Remembering my mission, I sprint towards the door of my apartment and shove my keys in the lock only to find the door swing open on its own.
Tris is sitting on the sofa watching the television. I shut the door behind me and walk over to her.
"Did you stop for a nap on the way?" Tris jokes as I near her, "I've been here for hours!" I laugh and give her a doubtful look, noticing she is out of breathe.
"Oh really?" I sit down next to her and plant a kiss on her cheek. "You cheat." I smile, poking her in the ribs.
"No way! I won fair and square." We sit there for a while, discussing tactics, our routes and how to improve our times like any good ex-dauntless would. After a while Tris turns to me slowly and runs her fingers through my hair with her hand, again and again. It feels relaxing and I don't stop her.
"Children." She says calmly, still stroking my head. "What do you think?" I stare out at the sunset which is forming out of the window and sign. I must admit to myself, and to Tris, the reason I don't want a child. I need to be honest. If only I was more like Candor.
"I don't think I'm ready." It comes out as a whisper, but I know Tris hears me. I turn to face her.
"Tobias. You need to believe in yourself, you're a good person. You'd be a great father, you have so many amazing qualities imagine passing them onto a boy or girl of your own?" What about my bad qualities? The ones that killed Uriah? That came from…
"What if I'm like him?" I blurt out. She know who he is. I feel shaken inside but also like a weights been lifted off my shoulders, I stare at the pale wooden floor and the white rug covering bits of it. Anything to avoid Tris' stare. What if she think I'm weak? I hear her shift beside me but keep my eyes on the ground. I then see her, out of my peripheral vison, she is on the sofa and then walks around so she is directly in front of me. She then crouches down so she in on my eye level and I can't help but look at her.
"You are more like your mother than are like him." She says sternly. "And anyway, who cares what he was like? It's the people around you now that matter. If you let him affect your decisions like this now then he's won, then he still has control over you. I'm not trying to convince you into having kids, I'm trying to get you to stop letting things getting in the way of your own opinion. What do you think? Forgetting what might or might not happen. What do you want?" She gives a small smile, as if embarrassed, and then giving me and quick kiss before going into the bedroom to get changed.
