A/N: Finally, Fox's story. Hope it doesn't disappoint. Hint, hint, I LOVE reviews. :)

Fox scrambled downstairs, making it back to the dorm just in time to grab some clothes and head to the showers before anyone else woke. Choosing the farthest shower, she turned the spray on full blast and stripped. Her eyes instantly moved to the finger-sized bruises on her right hip and Fox gritted her teeth. Damn it. What the hell were you thinking? A leader? ERIC? You're going to be factionless by breakfast. Fox stepped under the spray, sighing as the heat began to relax her shoulders and back. The deep ache between her legs brought her back to earth. Eric was large, their sex had been intense and goddammit it was taking everything Fox had not to run back up his apartment for round 2.

Fox startled as voices approached, and hurriedly finished washing her hair as more initiates came in. Dressing quickly, Fox returned to the dorm, flopping back on her bed just as Tris began to stir.

Tris yawned. "Where were you?"

Fox froze, then forced herself to say nonchalantly, "what are you talking about?"

"You left last night, I heard you. When did you get back?"

"Not long after, you were asleep again." Fox lied.

Tris rolled over and fixed Fox with a penetrating stare. After a moment, she grinned. "Alright, keep your secrets. Anyone I know?"

"No." Fox replied, technically, they didn't know much about their enigmatic leader, other than his arrogance and cruelty. Fox had seen another side of him last night and it was seriously messing with her head. Which is the real Eric? The hard leader who pushes and hurts us? Or the gentle man who took me to his bed last night and let me touch him? Who showed me, if not love, then tenderness? Passion I never thought I'd be willing to experience with another?

Tris laughed, "alright then, don't let Four or Eric catch you. I'm going to shower." Still grinning, Tris disappeared to the showers, thankfully missing the stark look on Fox's face. Indeed.

Fox had little appetite for breakfast, but forced herself to eat. They had started combat training, and one-on-one fighting. Fox currently had a big red target on her back because she was easily the best female fighter in the initiate group, and some of the others, Peter and Drew specifically, took exception to this.

Reaching the training room, Fox's eyes unwillingly drifted to the man waiting for them. Eric stood tall, his tattooed arms crossed over his chest and Fox fought hard not to remember running her hands over those very marks last night. Stop it. You were just a lay, another notch on his bedpost. The look in Eric's eyes as Fox and Tris approached said otherwise, and, nervously, Fox looked away. Her eyes travelled to the board, and a strange mix of anticipation and dread filled her when she saw she was to face Will in the first round. Her eyes snapped back to Eric. He was watching her, and the depth of emotion in his eyes right now made her inhale sharply. Closing off his face, Eric turned to the rest of the initiates that were filtering in. Fox glanced at Tris, who watched her with narrowed eyes. Slowly, Fox shook her head, begging for silence and Tris, setting her mouth in a thin line, nodded once, her eyes promising that they would discuss this later.

Four joined them as the last initiates gathered and began to speak. Eric remained silent beside him, poker-faced.

"Laps! Get warmed up, then it's one-on-one fights."

Taking a deep breath, Fox began to jog around the track, her muscles beginning to relax as she fell into a comfortable rhythm.

After a few laps, Four called them back and Fox moved to stand beside Tris and Christina.

"Will, Fox, you're up first."

Christina bumped her shoulder gently against Fox's in encouragement and Tris offered a small smile. Will would be Fox's most challenging opponent yet and with the new 'no concession' rules, this could become bloody.

Facing Will, Fox crouched slightly, rising onto the balls of her feet. She studiously ignored the burning sensation of eyes on her back, she could not afford to be distracted by their tall pierced leader right now.

"Go." Four said simply and Fox leapt.

As predicted, the two fighters were evenly matched, and even pulling punches slightly because they were friends, the fight soon turned fierce.

Blood trickled from Fox's nose, her knuckles on her left hand split as she circled Will, who sported a black eye and swollen lip. They'd both been down once each already, and both were getting tired.

With one last apologetic look, Fox attacked once more, intent on ending the fight. They clashed together, Will's elbow connecting solidly with Fox's cheek and she felt something give. Spots danced in her eyes and she suddenly couldn't keep her balance. Will swept her feet out from underneath her and Fox hit the mat, where everything mercifully went dark.

Fox came to and realized muzzily that she was swaying slightly. She felt arms holding her under her knees and behind her shoulders. Someone was carrying her bridal style and her head was resting against their chest.

"Why'd you leave this morning?" She heard someone say softly.

Lifting her head, blinking at the bright lights and the flare of pain they caused in her head Fox squinted and saw Eric looking down at her as he walked.

A bolt of panic and something else she wasn't willing to look at too closely shot through Fox and she swallowed hard.

"Be-because." She mumbled, groaning as the movement caused a stab of pain in her cheek.

"You didn't have to run away." Eric's voice sounded almost sad.

"Yes I did." Fox hissed, some fire returning. "It was wrong. What I did-"

Anger and hurt flared in Eric's eyes and he cut her off. "Wrong? It was wrong? What we did was not wrong, not for me."

Fox took a deep breath. "I shouldn't have gone to The Grind last night."

"No, you shouldn't have. You're lucky I saw you first."

"What were you doing there?" Fox shot back. Why do you care?

"I was walking by and happened to see you." Eric replied. "Even I stay away from there."

They had reached the infirmary, but Eric stopped before bringing her inside. He lowered his head, and his voice was deep, it's effect on Fox like a lover's finger down her spine.

"I don't regret what we did last night, only this morning." He waited, but Fox said nothing.

Eric sighed. "You feel nothing? Nothing about what passed-"

"Nothing." Fox hissed. The look that flashed through Eric's eyes before he closed them caused an unfamiliar feeling in Fox's chest. When he opened his eyes again they were scarily blank and Fox felt a shiver of fear. Fixing her with a glare, Eric spoke again.

"It meant something to me, and to you too, even if you won't admit it. If you ever pull your head out of your ass long enough to see that, come find me, maybe I'll still be waiting." Unceremoniously, he dropped Fox's feet to the floor and jerked his chin to the door. "Come back to training after the doctor checks out your face." He turned to leave, fists clenched.

"Are you going to tell anyone?" Fox asked.

"No." Eric shot over his shoulder as he stormed away. "You weren't just a lay to brag about."

Fox stayed frozen in place until after Eric disappeared around the corner. What the fuck? Is Eric actually a decent guy underneath all that? Fox thought. Of course he is. Another voice answered. Give him a chance dammit.

Exhaling sharply, Fox turned and pushed open the door.

She returned to training room just in time to see Peter and Tris start their match.

"How are you?" Christina asked, her bottom lip swollen.

"Cracked cheekbone, the doc said to just live with it."

Christina nodded. "Eric sure swooped in after you went down, picked you right up and yelled at Four to keep going as he carried you away. What's up with that?"

The fresh bruises on Fox's cheek hid her blush. "Nothing, why?"

"He didn't say anything?"

"Just to pull my head out of my ass and stop dropping my right, it gave Will the opening he needed to hit me." Fox lied smoothly. Salting a lie with grains of truth was easier to pass off, he had told her to pull her head out.

Christina nodded and Fox relaxed. "Yeah, you did. You better watch that, bruises don't add to your looks." She grinned and bumped Fox's shoulder again. Fox grinned back, despite herself and her rules, she'd befriended Tris and Christina, hoping she'd never have to regret it.

Tris collapsed to the mat and Peter laughed.

Fox and Christina stayed with Tris in the infirmary after training ended for the day until the nurse threatened mayhem if they didn't clear out. Will had brought them food from the cafeteria earlier, so they wandered back to the dorm. Fox stuck close to Christina, but Eric only passed his eyes briefly over her when they passed each other in the Pit.

Good. Fox thought bitterly. Then, If this is so good, then why does it hurt so bad?

Fox tossed and turned that night on her cot. Everyone else was asleep, exhausted from the day. Christina mumbled under her breath, still a Candor, and Will snored lightly. Tris hadn't returned from the infirmary yet.

Insomnia was as constant a night-time companion of Fox's as the nightmares were, and the solution was the same. Fox wondered how many miles she'd walked in the last seven years trying to put some distance between herself and the memories that stalked her in the dark. In the back of her head, Fox knew just what she needed right now, and she hurriedly pushed away the memories of Eric from last night; of Eric beside her, allowing her to touch him so intimately; of him on top of her, gently guiding himself into her, the look on his face when he groaned and released himself inside her, the relief, as if he'd been fantasizing about this moment since he'd first laid eyes on her.

Without remembering the walk, Fox found herself in front of a familiar door. Exhaling, she reached up and knocked.

There was no answer at first, and Fox remembered that this was the middle of the night, and even their enigmatic leader had to sleep. She was just about to turn away when the door opened.

Eric held the door partially open and stood in the gap. His gaze was inscrutable as he looked down at her, one hand holding the door, his opposite shoulder leaning against the frame. He was bare-chested, wearing only low-slung boxers, and Fox couldn't stop herself from enjoying the view. His muscle definition was incredible, his skin velvety, faint blond hairs scattered across his chest. His neck tattoos continued down his pecs and over his shoulders, morphing into the mazes on his forearms. Fuck, but he was beautiful. Gradually her eyes moved back up to his face, the blank look had disappeared, replaced with a wary longing. Fox waited, I deserve it if he tells me to leave.

Wordlessly, Eric pushed the door open and stepped back.

Exhaling, Fox stepped over the threshold and Eric closed the door behind her.

As soon as the lock clicked, Eric grabbed Fox's shoulders and turned her around. His lips crashed to hers and Fox exploded, clawing closer to him, moaning. Lifting her legs around his hips, Eric carried her to the bed and dropped her onto it, crawling up her body to press his lips to hers again. They broke off panting, looked deep into each other's eyes.

"Did you pull your head out?" Eric grinned.

"Yeah." Fox pulled her shirt over her head. Fuck the rules, fuck what others say; I want this now.

Groaning, Eric dropped his head to her breasts and Fox gasped as he bit down on her hardened nipple. Compared to last night, they were frantic, desperate to touch. Eric ripped Fox's jeans and lace panties down as she pulled at his boxers, and, fully naked, he lay his body down beside her, his cock rock hard against her hip. Burying his head in her neck, Eric kissed and nipped and Fox's hand snaked down, gripping around his shaft.

"Fuck-" Eric cursed. He rolled onto his back and grabbed Fox's hips. "Come up here, baby."

A thrill coursed through Fox at Eric's words. Baby? She straddled his hips, having a damn good idea what he wanted, and began lowering herself onto his cock.

Eric groaned, a deep visceral rumble from his chest. He arched back, his hands tightening on her hips. "Fuck, Fox!" He ground out, shuddering as Fox took his full length.

Fox moaned at the sweet pain and her hips instinctively began to rock, aided by Eric's hands. This felt incredible, Eric filling her completely. He thrust up as Fox rocked, increasing the sensations already threatening to overwhelm her.

Eric let go of Fox's hips and cupped her breasts, stroking the soft skin, rolling her nipples between his fingers.

A quick study, Fox tightened her inner muscles and relished the sharp gasp it tore from Eric's lips. He hands returned to her hips, and one trailed over to where their bodies met. His thumb began to rub against her and Fox nearly came undone.

"Oh Eric-" She moaned, she looked down at him and could see that he was close, his body beginning to shudder.

"Fuck, baby...come with me." Eric groaned.

Arching back, Fox surrendered to the ecstasy, crying out as she came.

Eric groaned deeply, her name on his lips as he clawed at Fox's hips, half-sitting up as he shuddered, spilling inside her. He fell back panting, his loins quivering. Fox collapsed on top of Eric's chest and his arms encircled her, pulling her close.

She drowsed, content and warm. Eric's fingers gentle on her cheek woke her. His touch was tender and didn't hurt her injured cheekbone. Fox slid to the side, moulding herself to Eric's body as he lay on his back, their legs tangled together. Eric's arm lay heavy down her spine and he cupped her ass. With the other hand he pulled the sheets up over them.

"Can you sleep now?" He asked gently.

"How do you know I can't sleep?" Fox murmured muzzily.

"You told me...and I read that file you told me about."

Fox tensed in his arms.

"What happened to you was wrong." Eric's voice had an edge of anger, but not at her. "Did you want to talk about it?"

Feeling a sudden urge to cry, Fox traced her fingers around Eric's nipple piercing, smiling despite herself when he bit back a gasp. "No one's ever asked if I wanted to."

"You can tell me...talk to me if it will help." Eric murmured, his fingers curling into her hair.

"What did the file say?"

Eric took a deep breath, his voice quiet, deep and hypnotic. Fox could listen to him talk for hours.

"That you were eleven years old, in the orchards when a group of five Amity boys, drunk on apple wine started hassling you."

Fox remained silent and Eric continued, realizing that Fox wanted him to, even if she couldn't speak right now.

"They pushed you back and forth between them, got rough, tried to touch you. They egged each other on."

Silent tears trickled from Fox's eyes, landing on Eric's chest.

"You tried to fight back and fell, hitting your head on a rock...they panicked, thought you were dead..."

Fox exhaled slowly.

"There was a freshly dug grave not far away for one of the old men who'd just died...they threw you down there and covered you with dirt, hoping no one would notice before they put the old man in there and buried you with him."

Letting go, Fox began to cry, curling her fingers on Eric's chest, his arms tightened around her. She nodded slightly and Eric continued, realizing she wanted everything out.

"The gravedigger noticed the dirt moving under the old man after they lowered him in, he pulled you out-"

Fox could feel the corpse dirt filling her nostrils, the stench of death surrounding her.

"I'm here, baby." Eric breathed, and the dirt and stench fell away.

"Keep going." She whispered.

"You fell into a coma, and while you were asleep the Amity council met and decided the boy's punishment."

Fox tensed in Eric's arms.

"They did nothing, lectured the boys and handed out minor punishment for having wine. They didn't want to 'disturb the peace of the faction' by making any part of the attack public...they buried the truth like those fucks tried to bury you."

"Did the file say anything about after I woke up?"

"Only that you became 'destructive'." Eric murmured, an edge in his voice. "You woke up from a devastating attack to find out your attackers received a slap on the wrist, I'd get 'destructive' too."

"Did the report say anything about the Amity healers deciding to dope me up on enough peace serum to relax the entire faction and locking me in a room?"

"Yes...they called it your 'treatment'."

"Every time I came back down and protested the punishment, they'd inject me again...I celebrated my twelfth birthday in that room, doped out of my mind...finally I became immune to the serum, and Johanna came into power. She stopped the injections and gave orders for me to be left alone, but..."

"The damage had already been done, you couldn't trust anyone there again." Eric whispered.

"No, and everyone wanted to just forget, sweep it under the carpet. They couldn't throw me out of the faction because I was just a dependant, but they made it clear I was to transfer out if I couldn't get with program and forget...so I bided my time, pushed everyone away and waited for the Choosing Ceremony."

"Why didn't you just run away, become factionless?"

"Because I wanted them to remember, every time they saw me I wanted them to remember what had happened and how they'd all covered it up and pretended nothing happened. I wanted to rub their noses in their mistake." Fox's voice was bitter. "I made they pay for what happened to me, everyday."

Eric touched Fox's chin, tipping her head up.

"What happened to you was wrong." He repeated. "And no one helped you afterwards. Don't apologize for surviving. Don't ever apologize for standing up for yourself, for refusing to back down."

Fox closed her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks. She'd waited seven years for someone to say this to her.

Eric's lips touched her forehead, and his thumbs gently brushed away her tears.

"Sleep, baby." He murmured. "You're safe here."