CHAPTER 6 – Liverpool

A/N: Hi everyone! Sorry this chapter took so long. I have a...um...complicated...real life job that gets in the way sometimes. Thank you all for waiting so long for this and I hope it does not disappoint. As always thanks to enj412 for support and the fabulous, amazing, never to be topped BK2U for beta services. Oh, BTW, hello QB. There will be one more chapter in this story which won't take as long, I promise!

xXx

Tris parked the car in front of the stadium. The team bus idled nearby, waiting to take the players and staff to Liverpool for the game. A few of the other players were arriving and heading into the practice facility to gather their gear before they boarded the bus. Tris shut off the car and turned to smile at Tobias. "Good luck."

He smiled back hesitantly. "Thanks."

She put her hand over his. "You look nervous." She observed. "What's wrong?"

Tobias took a deep breath and thought about his answer. Over the last month since they'd implemented the honest conversation rule, things had steadily improved between them. The first few conversations had been stilted and awkward for them both. Interestingly, Tris had been the one to find it harder to be completely honest, much more than Tobias. Tris trusted her gut and tended to go with her first impulse, while Tobias moved a lot slower, considering as many angles as possible before he acted, which sometimes put them at odds. Tris found herself holding back from him if she thought he wouldn't like what she wanted to do. In the past few weeks, though, they'd worked hard at discussing things before doing them, Tris even conceding that though her end goal might be correct, Tobias was often right about how they should go about it. The more Tris listened to his side, the more comfortable Tobias seemed with the final decision, and Tris had been pleasantly surprised at how quickly the walls between them had begun to crumble.

"I hate playing against Monroe," he finally said. Everton was one of their rivals in the Premier league, and on their roster they had the soccer player Tobias most hated, Eric Monroe. They were playing on Everton's home turf in Liverpool, so it promised to be a vicious game. "He plays dirty. Goes out of his way to be a dick."

"He's just jealous." Tris frowned, thinking of the muscular blond player. She really didn't like him, either, and Tobias was right: he seemed to get off on being as aggressive as possible. Eric Monroe had been recruited a month before Tobias and had been touted in the press as the best new soccer player in England. Until Tobias was recruited. Eric had never quite gotten over the attention the press had placed on Tobias, who they had dubbed the "American Phenom." When Tobias beat him out for a spot on the English National Football team, Eric's enmity was sealed.

Tobias played with her fingers. "I guess." He took a deep breath. "I don't know. There's something about today that feels off," he admitted. "I'm just not feeling it."

Tris squeezed his hand. "You'll be terrific. And after you get home, we'll have a quiet rest of the weekend." She smiled. "Just the two of us."

He smiled back and winked at her. "I especially like quiet nights." He waggled his eyebrows in an exaggerated leer.

Tris laughed, smiling at his lightheartedness. She'd missed his teasing, and was thrilled that he seemed to be opening himself back up to her. She worried he still had doubts about her commitment, but she was sure they were both feeling much better about where they stood. Tris was even beginning to think that maybe they could discuss marriage soon. In the weeks since he'd revealed his fear that she didn't want to marry him, Tris found herself thinking over and over about being his wife. She'd honestly not given it much thought before, but since he'd revealed his intentions, she couldn't get it out of her mind.

"Are you going to Bud and Tori's to watch the game?" he asked.

Tris nodded. "Yeah. I know she means well, trying to give me advice about life with soccer, but I'm just hoping it won't be too awkward."

His coach, Bud Meyer, had made a comment or two in the last several weeks about Tobias needing to have his head in the game and not on his personal issues. In a particularly awkward encounter, Bud had even inquired about Tobias's relationship with Tris. Tobias had a feeling that Tori had put him up to it. Tori's brother, George, was Amar's partner, and Tobias figured the grapevine had been activated the night Tobias crashed on their couch. Tobias had tried his best to blow off Bud's questions. When Tori invited Tris to watch the next away game with her, Tobias figured Tori wanted to do some well-intentioned meddling. Tris had not been happy when he'd told her about it, but she'd agreed to go. Now that the day had arrived, she seemed to be second-guessing.

"You don't have to go. I can tell Bud that you're feeling sick or something." Tris was silent. "Be honest with me about this, Tris," he implored.

"I've realized I haven't made much of an effort to be a part of your soccer life," she admitted. He started to say something, but she shook her head to let him know she wasn't finished. "I come to the games, but I don't hang out. I need to change that. They are as much a part of your life as I am."

Tobias leaned over and kissed her lightly. "It means a lot to me that you're willing to do this."

She kissed him back, her fingers trailing lightly along the side of his jaw. "Go on. It'll be fine. Play well."

Tobias pushed himself out of the car and Tris watched as he strode into the practice facility, her mind on her upcoming visit with Tori. She didn't want to alienate the coach's wife, but at the same time, she had no desire to go. Tori was nice, but Tris wasn't in the mood to be given helpful advice. She sighed, deciding to just suck it up and give it her best effort.

In order to distract herself, Tris went about her normal weekend activities. She ran to the market, getting enough groceries to last Tobias through the week she'd be back in Oxford. At home, she caught up on laundry and even got in some time studying. Before she knew it, it was time for her to get ready. She dressed carefully in jeans and a grey and white sweater. She didn't want to seem like she was trying too hard to make a good impression, but she knew whatever she said to Tori would get back to Bud. If Tris was going to live her life with Tobias, she wanted to make sure they liked her.

She typed the address into the GPS and found the Meyers' quiet home without much trouble. She grabbed the bottle of wine she'd picked up and tucked it under her arm, pushing an errant strand of hair back into her ponytail as she rang the doorbell. Tori opened the door with a smile. "Tris! Welcome. Come on in."

Tori was tall and slender, her almond-shaped brown eyes twinkling with warmth. She was dressed in all black, like any good artist, Tris thought with a smile. As they passed through the house to the recreation room, Tris admired Tori's paintings that hung on the walls. Tori specialized in abstract art, and the art lover in Tris studied them with excitement. The rec room was a couple of steps down, and boasted a sliding glass door and skylights which bathed the room in light. It was a huge room, with a large couch, a couple of recliners, and a coffee table in-between the couch and the gigantic entertainment center. The coffee table was loaded with bowls of tortilla chips, queso dip and salsa.

"Please, have a seat." Tori waved to the generously-sized tan couch.

Tris handed Tori the bottle of wine. "Tobias told me cabernet sauvignon was your favorite."

"Yes, thank you. How sweet!"

Tris allowed herself to sink into the soft couch. "Thank you very much for inviting me."

"It's my pleasure. I'll be right back." Tori took the bottle of wine and disappeared in the direction of the kitchen.

The 72-inch television was already tuned to the pre-game. Tris glanced up to see the team going through their pre-game preparations. She smiled as she saw Tobias and a couple of his teammates talking and laughing as they stretched out. Tori returned with a tray loaded with glasses and a pitcher. "I hope you don't object to margaritas."

Tris smiled. "It's hard to turn down a margarita."

Tori placed the tray on the coffee table next to the salsa. She poured their drinks and handed one to Tris. She tapped her glass to Tris's in a toast.

Tris sipped. "Wow. These are amazing."

Tori grinned. "I fell in love with Tex-Mex when Bud and I took our last vacation in America. Now, I just can't get enough."

A couple of margaritas had Tris relaxing much more in Tori's presence as they watched the game. The game was tight, each team pretty evenly matched. Between plays, they talked about art and food, two of their mutual interests. Tris had begun to think that her concern about Tori's intentions was just paranoia when Tori asked, "How are you and Tobias getting on?"

Tris put her glass down. "We're fine," Tris said tightly.

Tori smiled and tucked her feet beneath her. "There's nothing more annoying than someone poking their nose into your business, is there?" Her dark eyes shone with amusement at Tris's tone.

Tris stifled a sigh. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but…"

"But there's nothing I can possibly tell you about your relationship. And you're right." Tori finished with a smirk. She sipped her margarita. "Tris, I don't mean to pry. But I've been there and I just wanted you to know that you don't have to do this alone. Being a football wife can be pretty intimidating. Especially if your husband looks like Tobias." Tori looked at Tris sympathetically. "I know you two have been together for a long time, and that's good. That gives you a basis on which to build. But things like that magazine are going to happen, and you have to find a way to be okay with it."

"Did it ever happen to you?" Tris asked after a moment's hesitation. Tori had been in the soccer world for years and maybe she could at least give her a clue about how to handle whatever might be thrown at them next.

"No, not quite. As wonderful as Bud is, he isn't quite a sex symbol." She laughed affectionately. "But there were plenty of women who hit on him simply because of what he did. It got a lot better when he began coaching, but the years when he played were sometimes hard." Tori sipped again. "I loved Bud, but it was tougher than I thought it would be."

"How did you cope?"

Tori smiled. "By knowing where he slept every night." She shook her head. "We kept the lines of communication open. Talked a lot. Yelled a lot." She smiled fondly. "But ultimately, he's exactly who I want. If you keep that in mind, it helps. Honestly."

Tris gave a shaky sigh. "I guess a lot of our problem has been that we spent two years living apart. It's been hard trying to navigate his job and school and being together again. But I think we're getting to a really good place." She met Tori's brown eyes. Honesty wasn't her best feature, but since she'd been practicing it with Tobias, she might as well try it with other people, too. "I know he told you I wasn't ready to get married."

Tori's face betrayed no emotion. "That's what he thinks. Or thought."

"He's wrong. I think he's starting to believe me."

Tori smiled. "Good. I like Tobias. He reminds us of our son." Tori glanced over at the family photo on the wall featuring Tori, Bud, and their college age son, Richard. "I'd like to see him happy. Plus," her grin turned wicked, "the way he plays, he makes Bud look brilliant. Job security." Tris and Tori laughed together.

Tori glanced up. "Oh, hey, it's getting rough out there." They turned to the television and watched as the teams fought over the ball. Tris frowned as she watched Tobias run into another Everton player. The ball went airborne and Tobias went up for it, as did Eric Monroe. As they collided, Eric's elbow came up and crashed into Tobias's temple. Tris gasped as Tobias collapsed on the ground and didn't move.

Tori jumped to her feet. "He bloody well did that on purpose!" she yelled.

Tris couldn't respond as she stared at Tobias, motionless on the ground. "Get up," she murmured. Tris's stomach dropped when she saw Bud and the medical staff rush out onto the field. She wasn't aware that she was making small sounds of distress until Tori sat next to her and covered one of Tris's hands.

"Hey, Tris, it's okay. He'll be okay."

"He's not moving, Tori." Tris squeezed Tori's hand. "He's not moving." The medical staff and players had surrounded Tobias, blocking her view, but she could still see his legs. To her frustration, the game broke for a commercial while the team hovered over Tobias. "Oh, God. He wasn't moving."

"It's probably just a concussion," Tori said, her voice firmly cheerful.

While the commercial break seemed to drag on forever, Tris nervously ran through the various options. What if Tobias was unconscious? How bad of a concussion was it? Would he have to be hospitalized? Tobias had pulled muscles, sprained ankles, and gotten bumps on the head before, but never had he actually been knocked out. Tris took in several deep breaths, hoping to calm her racing heart as she waited for what seemed like an eternity for the game to resume.

When it did, she saw with some relief that Tobias was sitting up, medical staff supporting his back. The medical cart was on the field and they helped him into it. Tris watched as the cart drove Tobias off the field, one of the medical team walking with it, his hand on Tobias's chest. Over the roaring in her ears, Tris heard the announcer say that Eric Monroe had been ejected from the game.

"Good!" Tori said viciously. "And I hope FIFA fines the hell out of him!"

Tris reached for her purse and rooted around, looking for her cell phone. "Who can I call, Tori?"

Tori took the phone from her gently. "No one, Tris. They'll all be attending him. We'll hear soon enough."

Tris dropped her purse, staring at the screen dejectedly. She wished fervently that she was there, that she was able to run into the locker room and make sure he was okay for herself. This would be part of her life, she realized. At any time, she could be watching, either on television or in the stands, as Tobias got hurt — and she wouldn't be able to do anything about it. They'd been lucky so far. Tobias hadn't been hurt very often, and definitely not seriously. Tears filled her eyes at the thought of him alone and hurting in the locker room, being examined by the medical staff.

She became aware of an arm around her shoulders. Tori was beside her, supporting her. This would be part of her life, too, she thought. She was part of the team, and they'd be there for her as much as they were for Tobias. Tris leaned against Tori and took a deep breath. She wouldn't be okay until she saw Tobias for herself, but at least she wouldn't be alone.

xXx

Tris spent the time waiting for the team to return by stocking up on things they might need while Tobias recovered. Tori had suggested she buy some medicines for an upset stomach, since nausea often accompanied a concussion. Tris also moved the floor lamp with a dimmable switch into the bedroom, in case he was experiencing any light sensitivity. Bustling around the market and the house gave Tris something to think about so that she didn't obsess over how badly Tobias was actually hurt. The medical trainer had called her to give her an estimated time when they'd arrive from Liverpool. Even if he'd had his car, the staff would not have allowed him to drive. He did warn her to give them some time; the team doctor would want to give him another once-over before he let Tobias go home.

Tris waited about 30 minutes after the team's estimated time of arrival to get to the stadium. Once there, she rushed into the practice facility. She'd only been there once, but luckily, she ran into Amar almost immediately.

"Hey, Tris. I was coming to see if you were here yet." He enveloped her in a huge hug. Tris hugged him, then pulled back.

"Is he okay? Where is he?"

"In the back with the medical staff. The doc wants to see you first." Amar led her through the winding hallways.

"Is he okay, Amar?" Tris asked, anxiously.

"Yes." Amar glanced over at her, his expression serious, but his tone soothing. "He was only out for a minute. Monroe's elbow caught him right by his temple. He came down pretty hard, so he's going to be bruised up and sore as hell. The head is the only potential problem, but he hasn't shown any serious effects yet, so that's good." They finally arrived at an open office door. The team's doctor, Matthew Keene, smiled at her.

"Hi, you must be Tris." He stood and shook her hand.

"Tobias is okay?"

Matthew nodded. "Yes, he's okay. It is a concussion, but not too bad. He lost consciousness for about a minute, but he has been coherent since then. I'd like him to see our regular neurologist tomorrow for a CT scan, just to be safe." He handed Tris a card with an address. "The appointment is for noon. I didn't want to schedule it for any earlier, just in case you have a rough night."

"Do I need to wake him up every two hours like they say on TV?" she asked.

Matthew shook his head. "No, he dozed a little on the bus and seemed to be sleeping normally. Of course, if you notice anything unusual or can't get him to wake up, call an ambulance immediately."

Tris swallowed hard and pushed away the panic at the thought of Tobias not waking up. "Okay. What else?"

"He's already feeling nauseous and dizzy, that's normal. He might vomit. Once or twice is okay, but if he does it multiple times, get him to a doctor. He might also be a bit moody, overly emotional or even a little confused. That's normal, too. He could also be just fine... it's difficult to tell with a head injury like this." Matthew handed Tris a couple of typed pages with instructions. "You can treat the headache with over the counter medicine. Since he's been nauseous, I'd go with acetaminophen. It's easier on the stomach, but you can use ibuprofen if necessary. The biggest thing right now is for him to rest. No exercise for at least a week, and he should avoid driving for now."

Tris nodded. "Can I see him?"

"Sure. He's in the back." Matthew led Tris and Amar down the hall to the examination room. Tobias was sitting on the table, leaning back against the wall. His eyes opened when the door opened, and he smiled wearily at Tris.

"Hey, Tris."

"Tobias." She walked to him quickly and hugged him tightly. She pulled back and examined the darkening bruise on the side of his head. "How do you feel?"

"Exhausted. Can we go home now?" He asked Matthew.

Matthew chuckled. "Yes, you can go home. I've given Tris all the instructions you'll need. You see Dr. Singh tomorrow for the CT scan and I want to see you again on Friday."

"When can I play again?" Tobias asked, causing Tris to roll her eyes.

"We'll decide after next week." He frowned when Tobias looked like he was about to object. "That's it, Tobias," he said sternly. "At least a week. No driving and no exercise this week."

Tobias sighed, irritated. "Fine," he snapped. "Can I just get out of here?"

Matthew nodded cheerily. "Sure. But remember, take it easy for the next several days." Matthew left the room, Tobias glaring after him.

He slid off the table and swayed a little, his head pounding. The room spun a bit and Tobias leaned against the exam table. A wave of dizziness threatened to send him to the floor. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to lie down and not get up again.

"Careful there, mate." Amar slid his arm around Tobias. "You'll be on top of Tris there in a minute."

"'S'okay. I've been on top of Tris a bunch of times," he mumbled. Amar let out a loud snort of laughter and Tris blushed. Tobias frowned deeply. "That didn't come out right. It sounded better in my head."

"I imagine it did," Amar murmured as he led Tobias down the hallways towards the parking lot. Tris got the car door open and Amar eased Tobias into the passenger seat. "There you go, mate. Try not to be too much of an ass to your girl here."

"Bite me," Tobias muttered, leaning his head back against the headrest and closing his eyes.

Amar closed the door and chuckled. "Will you need a hand with him? He was pretty much walking on his own, but I can follow you if you need."

Tris shook her head. "No, we'll be okay. You've got to be tired. I'll call you tomorrow and let you know how he's doing."

Amar nodded. "George is on duty tonight at the hospital. Anything goes wrong, call me right after you call the ambulance. We'll take care of it."

"Thanks, Amar." Tris brushed her lips across his cheek and got into the car. Tobias was already dozing as she pulled out of the parking lot. He slept the entire ride home, Tris shooting him worried looks every so often as she drove.

When they arrived home, Tobias was able to get upstairs and crawl into their bed with minimal assistance, despite his aching head and sore body. Finally able to lie down and stretch out, he fell asleep again within minutes. Tris shook her head and prepared for a long night.