Okay, quick question before anything. Is my story appearing in the search, like when you click on the Divergent Trilogy Archive? Because I can never seem to find it, even a couple days after I post a chapter. I was just wondering because whenever I post a chapter and its, say, and hour later, it shows ever story posted an hour before aside from mine. So, yeah. Just wondering.
Also, thank you to everyone following, favoriting, and reviewing my story. I love you all. PLEASE keep reviewing because they really motivate me and make my day haha. You guys are all dolls.
It was also brought to my attention that there may have been some confusion about when this story is taking place. It is after Tris gets into Dauntless. Her and Tobias get closer and eventually marry, and the whole mass simulation thing with Jeanine hasn't happened yet. Will and pretty much everyone who dies during that or after the first book are still alive. A war is still coming though, its just that the factions have been on edge with each other ever since Tris's initiation, and things are starting to get stirred up. I also don't know for sure, but I might not include anything with the "outside" world in this story. I like the fact that this, the factions, are their homes, and not just what someone makes them to believe is their home. So David, Nina, and those people may appear, just not in the way they do in the books. Thanks!
Disclaimer: If I owned Divergent, I would not be writing fanfiction about my own material. Nope.
Chapter 3
Tris's POV
Tobias and I walk over to our initiates and I see Four enter and Tobias leave.
"Welcome to Dauntless," Four says with a hard voice. "Enjoy your mean, get some sleep later, and survive initiation. If you want."
With that we both sit down and it takes my upmost strength not to lean into Tobias and sleep. I am exhausted and my head still hurts and the little food I ate less than ten minutes ago is churning in my stomach. I groan and lean my head on the table as everyone begins to talk at once. Tobias's hand finds its place just above my knee and gives me a tight squeeze.
"So you really can become Factionless?" someone asks. I am really too far gone to tell if that someone is a boy or girl, let alone who it actually is.
"Yes," Tobias says bluntly, and if it wasn't for the why his hand was gently placed on my leg, I would have been scared out of my wits by his tone. I guess I'm not the only irritated one today. There is a silence and Tobias sighs before continuing.
"You are ranked due to how well you do in the three stages – which I will explain tomorrow morning. The higher your ranking, the better." I lift my head slightly to see the transfers nodding and Jordyn glaring at me. I raises an eyebrow at her and suddenly become aware of Tobias's hand resting on my back, his thumb making small strokes, relaxing me. I roll my eyes and sit up, scrunching my nose as the room spins.
Tobias shoots me a worried glance but I brush it off and stand up.
"If you guys are done, we can show you to your dorm room. Get a jump on some sleep." Everyone gets up and finds there own place and bunk and soon enough, it is just Tobias and I ,alone, walking back to the dining hall. A few transfers are still crawling about but I don't acknowledge them as we walk over to Zeke and Shauna. By now practically all my weight is on Tobias and my head is on fire.
"You okay, Tris?" Uriah asks, his eyebrows furrowed.
I try to nod, but end up only making things worse and groaning when I become nauseous. I hear Tobias thanking Zeke and Shauna and feel him let go of me to take Theo. I lean away from him to walk on my own as we leave the dining hall, with Theo clutching a fist full of Tobias's shirt and Tobias humming softly. I don't know when we actually get back to our room, but when we do, all I feel are the blankets on top of me and Tobias's warm, bare chest against my back. His arms draw me to him tightly, desperately.
"I love you, Tris," he mumbles softly into my hair. "Forever." He presses his soft lips to my forehead before burying his head in the back of my neck. I don't know if I say anything back, or if I respond at all because, by that point, I am gone.
**********************Time Skip************************
I hear Theo's cries begin sometime in the night. My headache is gone but my stomach still swirls as I walk to the baby room. I can barely walk straight. As I walk in I see a tall figure standing near the crib and, for a moment, I am caught off guard. The faint sound of singing finds its way to my ears and, though in a fairly groggy state, I smile and listen.
"..and I owe it all to you, my little bird." (A/N: Yes, Ed Sheeran! My Little Bird, incase any of you lovelies want to go look it up. It's so sweet.) Tobias's deep, gravely, and sleep strained voice fills the room as he unknowingly bobs Theo up and down in a calming rhythm. And he thought he would be a terrible father.
"..you're my little bird." I smile as I slowly walk towards him, thinking of the nickname he gave Theo when he was born. I had gotten a tattoo of a small bird on my rib after Theo came, next to the bird that represented Tobias. They, like the three birds on my collar bone, were flying towards my heart – a representation of the family I have now. I just didn't want too much clutter in one place. Theo's bird, next to Tobias's, looked so tiny. That, combined with the way Theo used to cry, squealing and squawking like a bird, got him the title of "Little Bird," which everyone seemed to love.
I run my fingers on Tobias's bare back, tracing his tattoos, and he turns around startled but calm.
"I'll take it from here," I grin, seeing a hint of a blush on his cheek. He still isn't too hot on the idea of singing. But hey, let's face it. His voice is like velvet and silk sparkling in the sunlight and, more importantly, it never fails in calming a restless baby – or anyone.
"Yeah, I was going to say go back to bed but he's hungry and," he says gesturing to his chest, "I'm not exactly equipped with what he needs."
A laugh escapes my mouth as I take Theo, and Tobias plops himself down in the rocking chair silently. Sometime later on in the night, Tobias's humming picks up again and Theo and I fall into a deep sleep.
**********************Time Skip*********************
Mornings are not for me. As much as I love the Dauntless Compound and the liveliness of the faction, I adore sleep much, much more. So, that is why, when I woke up slung over Tobias's shoulder and being sprayed with the shower head, I nearly killed the both of us. In my half asleep state, water sprayed my nose and I practically ended up drowning on a few droplets.
"Dammit Tobias! Put me down! What the hell are you - ," I'm cut off by a rumbling laugh and I scowl at the shower floor, flailing in his grasp. Tobias's laugh quickly turns into a yelp as we both tumble to the floor, the water plastering Tobias's large shirt to my small frame. He, on the other hand, was laying on his back underneath me, smiling, and rather..erm..bare. I blush and look away, trying to scramble up with no success.
"Hey," Tobias says, pulling me back to his chest. "Morning." His eyes twinkle with a grin as I slowly bring my lips towards his. Before they can actually meet, however, I roll towards the side off of him, and turn the water to freezing before waltzing out of the shower. "What!?" I hear. "It's nothing you haven't seen before!"
I laugh as I strip from my wet clothes, and return to the now warm shower and a frowning Tobias.
*********************Time Skip*********************
Eventually Tobias and I find ourselves somewhat decent and make our way down to the dining hall, Theo gurgling in my arms. Due to our shower escapades and Theo flinging his breakfast at Tobias, we were later than usual and had to hand Theo to Shauna and Zeke right away.
"Here," Tobias says grabbing a muffin and passing it to me. I look at it and my stomach churns.
"You have it, I'm not really hungry," I say pushing his hand towards him with mine. Tobias eyes me before stuffing the muffin whole into his both, but says nothing as we walk into the training room.
Tobias's POV
My eyes follow Tris as she makes her way to the front of the training room. Her face is paler than usual and she keeps grimacing every couple of minutes. She looks tired, but more than that, she looks sick. I follow her to where she is trying to hang up the punching bags. Her small but strong arms shake as she attempts to attach the back to the chain.
"You okay?" I ask, grabbing the bag from her and tying it set.
"Yeah," she groans, pulling another bag up.
"Are you sure, Tris? Maybe you can just take today off, sit - ,"
"I said I'm fine, Tobias," she says sharply, giving me an annoyed look before walking over to the group of chattering initiates. I stare after her before following.
"Today, you will be learning some fighting techniques to use in you duels -,"
"Duels?" A voice quips from the back of the training room.
"Yes. There are three stages for Dauntless initiation. The first being physical, second – mental, and the third a combination of the two. After each stage, you will be ranked in coalition with the Dauntless Born initiates, despite their prior raining. Whoever doesn't make it into the top ranks by the end of the stages are out," I say steadily, making it a point to look every initiate in the eye. One girl, Jordyn, winks at me and my skin nearly crawls. She was what – 16,17? And I'm nearing 21. I'm married, and here she is advertising herself like a piece of meat. I thought if not for brains, the Erudite had at least a sense of pride and self value. I guess not.
"What do you mean 'out'," Aiden, and Erudite asks. I see Tris's face twist at his words. I can only imagine how she must have felt hearing those words for the first time – being the smallest, the Stiff.
"Yeah," she answers forcefully. "Out like factionless - ,"
"Or dead." Eric's voice quips from nowhere.
"What are you doing here?" I question, stepping slightly in front of Tris. I can see her roll her eyes and I slightly smirk.
"Later, Four, I can see that your busy," he sneers as he leaves the room of now panic stricken initiates.
"How many make it?" I am jolted from my thoughts and look squarely at Aiden.
"It isn't decided yet, since there are double of you. Maybe 15, maybe 20. So, if you want to stay in a faction, Aiden, isn't it?" He nods vigorously. "If you want to stay in a faction, Aiden, I suggest you do your best no matter what."
He gulps.
Hey guys, I'm sorry about the shortness of the chapter. I have to go somewhere like RIGHT NOW, so I can't type anymore and I don't know if I will get another chance today. I can try to update again today, but it may be short. Or, I can do a really long one tomorrow. Anyway, thanks! And PLEASE REVIEW!
