Chapter 4

"You are turning down the leadership position?" Will asked Peter incredulously over the breakfast table. They were all more than a little bleary eyed and groggy after partying the night away.

Initiation day had finally come and they were finally all official Dauntless members.

Tris had ranked first, Peter second, Uriah third, then Lynn, Will, Mar, Chris, Devon, Alex, Ty and Jake. The final four had all been Dauntless born and it had surprised all of the transfers, leaders and instructors that all of the transfers were above most of the Dauntless born.

Peter sipped on his coffee and nodded. "I think I would be better suited to something else. Besides there is only one opening for a main leader, the rest of them are just junior leaders. Not that there is anything wrong with that but I was thinking of doing contributing elsewhere."

Tris smirked over at him and nodded. She knew the real reasons he was turning it down and while she thought he was putting too much stock into the fear sims she also understood. She also thought that his choices were perfect for him.

Uriah groans as he raises his head from the table, trying to find the will to be snarky or funny. He just can't so he shrugs and mutters his question. "Whatcha gonna do?" Then he let his head fall back to the table as Mar gently patted it and sipped on her own coffee.

Peter shook his head at the Pedrad. "You would think being a Dauntless born and a legendary Pedrad brother that you could handle your liquor better. To answer your question though they are going to let me hold two positions. The position I chose was on the SIT team. I talked things over with Four and I wanted to go Intel or Control but I wanted to do more than just that. So he suggested I talk to leadership about joining the Situational Intelligence Team. Seems like a good fit and I will also be helping out with training as an Instructor too."

Will looked thoughtful and nodded. "I can see that being a good fit for you. I was excited they opened up an R&D department here and I can't wait to work in it. I also can't wait to do the training for Medic."

Chris snorts and kisses her boyfriend then pulls away shaking her head. "I laugh but I think your nerdiness is sexy baby."

Will smirks and drink his coffee. The rest of the morning is spent talking about the positions they would all be taking. Tris went with leadership and although Four had at first not been happy he had accepted and supported the decision soon after.

Four and Tris had gone public but also went beyond just flirting last night at the party. There were some eyebrows raised but those of the group had shrugged it off or exchanged credits from bets that had been placed.

After the incident with Al, Drew and Molly; Peter had gotten on better terms with Four but what had surprised the shit out of him was a friendship with Eric.

The young leader said he saw something of himself in Peter. At first Peter hadn't known how to take that. Eric could be a huge asshole and Peter now found it amusing he had been offended by him saying they were alike. Amusing because it is so true. Eric wasn't a bad guy when it was outside of training or his leader duties. He had a sarcastic sense of humor and a different perspective on things that had been bothering Peter.

To be honest Eric was the one that said he might want to stay away from Leadership if he was that worried about what it would do to him. Eric himself had issues with his own nature but he was never in it for the power. If power was a weakness for him though, he had said, then he would have contemplated going another route too.

Soon they all went their different ways. They had to get housing situated, met their new bosses and then depending on where they were living they would need to get their places set up and themselves geared up.

Four walked with Tris, holding her hand, and Peter to the leader's offices. Tris had turned down the leader apartment and will be staying with Four. Peter isn't being given a leader apartment but he will be getting an apartment on one of the upper levels because he is in a higher position and because of his rank.

"Why would you turn down one of those big apartments Tris? You two could have gone to stay in it." Peter asks with a confused frown.

Tris just smiles and shrugs. "Maybe because I am sentimental. Seriously though I love Four's apartment and where it is. He loves his apartment and we don't need all of that space. Just more to clean or take care of and we are going to be busy. So why not stay were we like it and are comfortable. Besides while everyone else will be stressing about getting theirs set up I will be curling up with my boyfriend tonight in a nice apartment and not having to do a damn thing."

Peter smirked and laughed. "Fair enough. All good points. I just hope the place I get has a window or two. I will be happy with that."

Four shrugged with a smirk. "I am sure your's will have enough light for you Peter."

Peter scowled at Four and narrowed his eyes. "Hey I can't help that my mind went with being afraid of complete and total darkness as well as emptiness. I have no clue what they meant but I can say I am not afraid of the dark."

His voice was almost pouty and it caused the other two to laugh. As always Peter wondered how things and he had changed so much since he first set foot on the roof. He was still himself. Still brutally honest at times, a dick and had a temper. He was also finding he could be fiercely loyal and capable of caring, really caring for others than himself. He could be selfless, brave, honest and even smart about things.

He would always need to make the effort to chose the right path but it was becoming easier. Yes he was changing enough that it made those choices easier but it wasn't only that. It was Tris, Four, Eric, Uriah and even Chris….it was his friends that helped him to make the right choices or to want to.

Looking back he wished he had what he did now back in Candor. Maybe if he had the types of friends he does now he wouldn't have had to travel the road he did. Maybe he wouldn't have to try so hard just to do the right thing.

Then again they all did it was just not something that was talked about. Whatever it was that led him to where he was now he realized that he was happy. A novelty for him and one that made him excited for the future.

A future he was making for himself and free of the scars of the past. He was a better man for having taken the stiff up on her advice and offer of friendship.