A/N: Kind of blown away about the response for the story. It was a 'wild hair' kind of thing. Regardless both Eric and Harley aren't going to be normal. They aren't evil but they aren't nice or good. Harley is kind of crazy, and it isn't all an act. All the characters are going to be different because the state of the city is different. I am imagining it to be like Gotham. Dauntless is trying to bring it back into order and fighting corruption all around them. Anyways I hope you enjoy and I am loving all the feedback and suggestions!

Disclaimer: "The reason I talk to myself is because I'm the only one whose answers I accept." (George Carlin) V Roth hath lended me Eric to be my sounding board. Scary thing is he is the calm one.

Chapter 6

"Come in" Max growled and Eric took a moment before he entered the senior leader's office. When Eric stepped in and closed the door behind him Max broke out into his blinding smile.

"Eric. You made it back. We got a bit worried when you didn't report in right away. How was everything at the safe house?" He motioned to a chair across from him in the small lounge portion of his office.

Eric took a seat and thanked him for the glass of scotch he was handed. "Fine Sir, we were able to retrieve the tracker from Harley. I have that in with Uri now so he can do some analysis. She is recovering well and should be able to start training later today. She says to tell you she misses you and it is almost over Sir."

Max nodded and smiled sadly. "How does she seem otherwise Eric? Do you think we need to worry about how she is handling everything?"

Eric shakes his head "No sir, she is a strong girl. Always has been and I think she has some good people around her. I did find out some interesting things she had been up to with the Dauntless borns at her school for about a year. They formed some kind of fight club, mainly just to give her sparring partners. But it grew into them all being able to learn. Apparently the majority of the group will be choosing next year or the year after. Should be pretty interesting year this year and next."

Eric took a sip and shook his head and Max watched slight tremble in the normally cool under pressure leader. "So Eric, I heard from someone that the safe-house feed from when you entered until a couple of hours ago was deleted."

Eric looked up frowning and looked confused. He sure as hell didn't do it, but now thinking about it that might not have been a bad thing. "Sir, I am not sure who did it so I don't know why it would have been deleted. I won't lie and say that it might prevent some crap from going down, might…." Eric growled and he clenched his glass in his hand tightly.

Max sighed, almost in relief but also in resignation. "Did she remember you Eric?"

Eric had looked up at Max's sigh and could see that he was hoping that would be the case. Eric frowns on his own "Not specific memories but she said she remembered, I guess feelings. She knew things about me and my personality that most would never know" He shrugged not really knowing how to define it.

Eric was looking into his glass when he heard an almost relieved sigh from Max. His eyes went up to see the man that had been like a father to him smiling sadly at him. "I had hoped maybe something would come back. Four had suggested trying memory recall serums possibly. I would rather her not undergo any type of memory serum at all so I had hoped something from you two survived. How do you want to handle this then Eric? We both know it was and is more for you."

Eric's forehead furrows in thought. "You know she can't do the initiation with the others. I thought she might be able to but she is too well trained. She is lethal even and that comes from years of her just fighting to survive. She has to go through some kind of…"

Max clears his throat to interrupt the young man, who was completely missing what he was really asking. "What do you want to do about you two?"

Eric nods and tosses the contents of his glass back. "I want what I have always wanted but didn't dare think or hope might happen. I want to marry her."

As soon as he said the words he felt like a weight had lifted of his chest and he nodded once and looked to Max who was smiling. "Good, because if what I think happened and why someone in that house felt they needed to delete that footage to keep a certain brother from finding it out, then I was afraid I might need to insist on it. Not that it would work, but she is my daughter Eric. In all but blood she is my daughter. You are right about her not being able to do initiation as an initiate but there are options if she still wants to be involved with her friends."

Eric quirks his eyebrow, knowing that there was no way Harley was going to take not being able to be involved or with her friends. "I am all ears."

Max nods and gets up, moves over to his desk and opens a drawer then takes out a folder that isn't very thick and hands it to Eric when he makes his way back over.

Eric opens it up and looks at the first few pages and sighs but smiles. "That could work the, question is though will she be ok with all of this?"

Max shrugs then sets a box down on the table in front of Eric. "You won't know until you ask the girl. Otherwise she goes through initiation which could be a problem for the other initiates but if I am reading correctly you too. You aren't going to want to let her stay in the dorms and the only way she can stay anywhere else."

Eric frowns but nods as he thinks he really isn't going to be able to handle her in the dorm even if it was all girls. Now that she is back in his life he wants her there with him. He looks at the box and Max smiles sadly. "The ring belonged to Jeanine and I guess she had some kind of premonition about that last night. She made me promise to get it to you when the time came."

"The papers have to be filed today correct?" Eric asks as he goes over the documents and Max nods.

"Which means you have a few people to go talk to, and pretty quickly. Would you like to have one conversation here?" Max's brows furrow in thought, not looking forward to one conversation.

Eric sat thinking and ran a hand over his face. Would it be better to stress out the leader of his faction because a senior member and his second in command tried to kill each other in his office? Or would it be better if Eric took this somewhere else and tried his damndest to end the annoying fuck. But then Harley would be upset and that wasn't something you could just get over. Not that he would have actually killed him but fuck if didn't want to just fuck his world up but good.

With a sigh he nodded. "Might be best Max. I can't fucking promise to keep it cool though if he gets started in on me though. We have never been able to get along in the best of times and never about Harley."

With a frown Max nodded and stood before moving to the office phone and dialing the Control Room. He spoke low into the phone as Eric picked up the box and looked into it to find a simple platinum thin band with a nice sized ice blue square cut stone with smaller square diamonds on either side. He heard the knock and closed the box before putting it in his jacket pocket.

Max groaned as soon as Four opened the door and he saw the young man's face. Eric almost welcome what he knew Four was about to do as the door was barely even closed before Four launched himself across the room and Eric rose to met him.

Harley flashed through his mind and with curse he caught the punch Four was about to throw him and did something he would never normally do. He went with a pressure point hold to shut Four down and then threw him in a chair.

His blood was still pumping and he started pacing to try and calm down and get himself under control. "God I just want to rip your fucking throat out right now number boy. Fuck!"

Max quirked an eyebrow and smirked at bit at his second in command. He knew Eric would much rather be duking this out but that with Harley back in his life he wouldn't risk hurting her.

"Sit down Eric. Four, when you can move again in a few seconds you will stay put in that fucking chair. Now I am going to get what I need to say out there. It doesn't matter why the footage was deleted or who did it. It still wouldn't be your business even if what you were insinuating were true. But let's just say it was right. You obviously knew about their relationship before she was made to forget, right?"

By this time Four was able to move again. Eric had sat back and though he was a bit calmer he was still pissed and glaring at Four. People always thought is was all Eric fucking with Four. No one but a few saw that Four came at him just as much as he did. Eric was blunt about shit while Four did that whole passive aggressive shit.

Four's jaw clenched and he looked to Eric, still glaring and clenching his fists. Of course he knew, she never said his name but he knew. He knew about Eric before they even transferred over. "Yes. She told me she was in a relationship with someone. She never said who. She didn't name a name but she just said she didn't want to fight me about it and she wasn't going to change her mind. Judging from that and his…" he pointed to Eric, glaring at him "reaction to me during initiation…"

Eric growled as he glared at Four. He he goes again with I am just so fucking innocent shit. "Bullshit Four. It was never just me. You hated me from the minute you saw me too. We weren't even together then anyways."

Four huffed and rolled his eyes. "You didn't exactly play nice Eric. You might not have been together then but you wanted to be. I couldn't understand how you could hate me so much from the second you saw me. But I guess it make sense. I remember all those times Harley and I were at the Erudite library and you always seemed to be there. I was always catching you talking together. I caught bits of your conversations and even then I could tell it went beyond friends for you at least. She was still too fucking young. Then there was visitation day for our initiation. We hadn't had our match yet but before that I thought you might have started to hate me less. Visiting day she snuck in to see me and after that you really started in on me." Four got a smug look and he sneered over at Eric. "Couldn't handle that she had already fucking forgot you Eric?"

Eric growled and was about to launch himself at Four again but Max barked out. "Enough! You can cut that shit out right now Four. I am not falling for that and you know better. You antagonize him just as much as he does you. Do I need to play that back for you to hear yourself. I get you care for Harley but when it comes to her and Tris you are blind to how bad you get."

Max looked to Eric to say what he needed to say. Eric was trying to not get into this debate again with him about who starts shit more so he just sighed and shook his head. "I am not going to rehash old shit with you Four. Yes I can say that before transfer I had a thing for her. She had one for me too but like you said she was young and I was leaving. We became good friends Four and you aren't the only one that shared a shitty childhood and parents with her. Was I jealous yes I certainly fucking was. Especially when you always seemed to try and rub things in my face. You say I hated you from the minute I saw you but you did the same. You were jealous too…"

Four scowled at him, offended that he would suggest something like that about who he legitimately saw as a little sister.

Eric sighed and rolled his eyes before he continued. "Not in that way dumbass. You can be jealous of others in a non romantic way and you were. You were jealous of how close we were as friends. I saw the dirty looks you threw at me in the library Four. So yeah I know that you weren't all innocent in all of that. As for the visiting day shit, you know better than that. Don't think I didn't notice you doing everything you could to keep her from finding me. Zeke even told me she had mentioned it. Is it any wonder I was out for blood after that?"

Eric ran a hand through his hair and tried to calm his heart rate. "That year before everything went down it went beyond a crush for both of us. It might have been that for me even before that because I don't connect with people but I did with her. I told her then where I saw it heading for us Four and I have never had anything but good intentions with her. She agreed and wanted it but the only thing that stopping me from asking then was that she wasn't at Dauntless yet. She doesn't have the specific memories about us but she knew how she felt about me. From the second I was in front of her, she knew. I am not asking for your fucking permission here Four. She wants me and fuck if I am not going to be with her, I have waited too long and went through too much shit when I lost her. But you are her brother Four. For her I would like to at the very least be able to tolerate each other because I do plan on asking her to marry me. Not just because doing so offers her protection in general, not just because when she does she will become a member without having to do the official initiation. It is because of all of those things and the fact that I have only ever loved her. Me Four. Eric 'Cruel Bastard' Coulter loves her and only her and I will make sure that we are together and she never goes through that shit ever again."

Four's jaw never unclenched and he scoffed. Fuck if he would ever admit that everything Eric had been saying was true. He had been jealous of them and couldn't stand the thought of her being close to anyone else. He had never had anyone before and he couldn't stand the thought of Eric taking her away from him. Here he sat telling him he was going to do just that! "Marry you? Are you fucking insane? Even if she does remember her feelings for you and that she already said that was going to happen, that doesn't make it right for what should happen now. You just want to be able to control her Eric. She will get here and you will do everything in your power to control her and keep her from her fucking family."

Max had been content to try and let them work it out but it was clear that for once Eric was the one that was willing to bend and Four just couldn't see beyond his own issues. Now he was getting pissed at the young man. "I think you are letting you own issues with relationships or marriage cloud what you are saying. When have you known Eric to be willing to sit and talk out his issues with you Four. He is because he knows Harley would want it that way and because he realizes you are important to her. No matter his feelings on that. Eric pretty clearly said why he will be asking her but I was the one to suggest it in the first place. What you don't know is that before all that happened they had both come to myself and Jeanine, though separately, and made us aware about their relationship and intentions. Jeanine said she had never seen Harley so happy as when she was with Eric. Not in the way a young woman should be. She only ever and has only ever had eyes for Eric. Are you willing to let her live like that Four? Were you willing to let her live like that, always feeling like there was something missing from her life?"

Those words struck something in Four and his anger calmed down. He was still scowling but not all at Eric, some of it was for himself too. Because Max was right, he would never have helped to reunite Harley and Eric and would have tried to do everything to keep them apart. He had already started to try and turn her against him.

Max sighed sensing Four having calmed down some and that his words were getting through finally. "Eric wanted to tell you this himself but if you ever again question his motives know you could be risking your relationship with your sister. You and I know she would never go for being controlled by anyone. You know this first hand from all the times you have tried to do just that Four."

Four's forehead furrowed in anger at the entire situation and himself. "She is the only family I have ever really had Max. She was the only person that looked beyond what was happening to me and saw me. For fucks sake Max you know better than anyone what she did for me. She protected me and took on Marcus!" Four runs his hands through his hair then buries his head in his hands.

They sit like that for a minute. Eric tries not to snort in disgust at Four but he knows too well the depth of feeling that girl inspires. He also remembers when she went missing from trying to protect Four. If he looks back at it his real hate for Four started then. He took her away from Eric first and not only that but put her in danger. Not that he had control over it, as Eric found out later. Harley was the one that was going to run away and Four wouldn't let her go alone.

After a minute of silence Four looks up to Eric with his jaw clenched but his eyes almost pleading. "You have to promise me Eric. Not just promising about protecting her because I don't doubt you would. I know you set up all those extra searches for her. But you have to promise me that you won't try and take her away from me. I can't lose her."

Eric did a slow mental count and took deep breaths to try and keep calm. Things might be going better than he could have hoped for and he just had to hold his shit together. Four just made is so fucking hard to not want to smash his damn face in. Accusing in one breath, admitting he knew better in the fucking next! 'At least I fucking tell it like it is. I may be a dick about it but you know what you fucking get with me.' He thought internally.

"Harley would kick my ass to hell and back if I even hinted at trying to come between the two of you or any of her family. Just the same as she would do to you if you tried to do the same. The only one that can destroy the relationship between you two will be you or her. I won't lie and say we are going to be the best of fucking friends here Four. We will always have issues and I will always be a bit of a dick. You will say something passive aggressive and it will probably set me off. We do have one thing in common here, and I think we proved when she went missing we can work together when it comes to her. We both want the best for her and I will do everything in my fucking power to see that she has it." Eric's eyes were still hard but he was showing Four he was trying here. The rest was up to number boy.

Four sighed and hung his head, knowing that not only was he right but that he would only make things worse for himself if he fought it. "What needs to be done?"

Max smiles a relieved smile and lets out a breath. Thankful he won't have to break up another fight between the two. Because if it went to it again, Eric wouldn't hold himself back like he did earlier. That had been a Christmas miracle he had done it to begin with.

"Eric has to ask the girl but we also need to get Eric over to the Sanitarium and have her mother sign off on the paperwork. She was pretty coherent last night when I went to visit her and let her know we found Harley so I think we can get that done. Four I know you two got along really well so if you wouldn't mind going with us. I am sure it will help keep her calm seeing a face from before all the shit happened. After those papers get signed we can officially bring her here as of tomorrow and then make the rest of the arrangements."

Eric and Four share a look and nod but Four's forehead scrunches up. "You said she would be bypassing initiation? How is that going to work?"

Max frowns but Eric answers. "Did you watch the footage of the fight and then her getaway Four?" Eric's voice isn't harsh or being a dick but a cross between pained and proud.

He was proud of the way she handled herself and how capable she is. He is pained because of how that came about and he hadn't been able to do a damn thing to protect her.

Four scowled and nodded. "She is deadly for sure."

Max sighs and nods. "Exactly. She is too skilled for initiation. She wouldn't want to hurt someone but it isn't in Harley to not fight and give it all she has. The best we can do is still allow her to help in training. From what Eric tells me she was already doing something similar at school."

Eric smirks when he remembers her talking about her fight club then he remembers he said he wouldn't tell Four. Well he hadn't so he kept that promise. Let Max be the one because Four could go off on him then.

"What? When?" Four huffed.

Max looked over to Eric who was looking smug but making no moves to say anything. That wasn't like Eric who would brag until the sun came up if he could. So he must have said he wouldn't say anything for some reason. "I don't know all of the details but we can kind out together later. Until then you won't bother her about it or mention it." He ordered Four.

Four stiffened but nodded.

"The rest can be worked out when she gets here." Max finished firmly.

Eric clears his throat and looks to Four. He had been running plans and his next moves through his mind while the two men were talking. "You still can't go to the safe house but if you want I can vid call you from my phone when I go to see her and you two can talk."

Four sighs in relief and nods. "Please. Also whatever you need me to do here I can try and get done. I am sure Mar and Shauna will want to help too."

Max smiles liking what he is hearing. "Eric, you know you have to move out the hovel of an apartment you keep insisting to keep. You can finally take the leadership apartment you have been turning down."

Max wasn't giving him the option. He wouldn't let Harley live in that dank and dark subterranean dungeon Eric called home. Well, not really because he was never really there between working and training all the time.

Eric nods thinking, he had always wanted to take it but not until she was with him. There was no reason to have the apartment if she was never going to be in his life. "Yeah we can get started on that. I know she had her stuff at the apartment you and Tris moved to Four. Would you mind getting that all moved over and maybe seeing that the apartment is what she would like. Mar is in charge of that shit anyways so I guess get her in on it too."

Four nodded but inside he was scowling. It was hitting home this was really happening. He didn't like it but if Eric really did reconnect with Eric and what he was almost 99% positive happened, happened, then there would be no stopping Harley. "Yeah I can do that. I can tell you right now you two probably share most of the same taste. She has this thing about industrial shit. Her favorite colors are still red but she added silver/blue-grey recently too."

It was hard not to notice the pleased look that came over Eric's face. She had added the color of his eyes without really even knowing why she was drawn to it.

Max nodded. "We have to get this shit done fast and the paperwork filed. Eric you will need to head back over to the safehouse and have that talk. I will get things started over here with the apartment, Mar and other small details. Leadership will need to be told but they won't have issues with it. Four I need all the footage we can get from her recent fights and all the other documentation we have on her abilities. I will put that up for review and we can score her based on that. We can work out what she wants to do here later. Let's just get our girl home first."

Max had issued his orders and the two younger Dauntless knew they were dismissed and expected to get right on that. After exchanging a few more words, Eric told Four he would be calling him soon and then they parted ways.

Before Eric left to go to see Harley he did stop by his apartment to get changed and cleaned up. He wasn't nervous exactly but he was anxious. You never knew really how Harley would react to things. She could be happy and excited about this or she could feel like she was being dictated to. He hoped to fuck she didn't feel like she was being told to do this because it would be a long ass day if that was the case. He might just find out how the stiff house could hold up if that happened.