A/N: The final chapter, but then there is Eric's POV, coming soon...
Death. That is Eric's sentence. Two counts of murder for the dead guards; one count of attempted murder for Jeanine.
I has been two days since my world ended, and it is no easier to breathe than it was then. I can't function, my heart is trapped with Eric. They haven't let me see him yet, although I demand it ceaselessly. Jeanine is said to visit me today, in my padded room in the Erudite hospital, my first true visitor since everything collapsed. She'll want a promise of loyalty from me, and I'll say anything to be granted freedom, to see Eric again. They hurt him, as I was being dragged from the room I heard him yell in pain and everything went grey. When my vision cleared again, three guards clutch their broken limbs, two more hold me on the ground while an Erudite woman stabs me in the neck with a needle. I woke up here hours later, my throat parched, my limbs leaden and bruised. The doctor that observed me through the door told me the time and day, and I realized I'd lost nearly six hours since the council hearing. An official letter told me of Eric's sentence, and the date of his chosen execution. Today, at 5 pm. I pace the cell, it is past noon, Jeanine is toying with me.
The door is unlocked and I stop, turn to face the intruder. Finally, Jeanine. Guards flank her with weapons drawn, but she is safe for now, I won't kill her until after I see Eric. She is my ticket to him. She watches me and I keep my face impassive.
"Your boyfriend is going to die today."
Her words cut me deeply, and a fresh arterial spray of anguish splashes the room, visible only to me. I bite back my groan of agony, it's what she wants.
"What do you want from me, Jeanine?" I rasp.
"Your cooperation."
"With?"
"Everything. You are Erudite now, you will contribute to the faction. You will head studies, further research, you will become Erudite."
I hesitate, then nod. Tell her what she wants to hear.
"Do you think I don't know what you're doing? You are saying what you think I want to hear."
"Let me see Eric, please?" My game is up, all I have now is honesty. "Let me see him one last time, be with him when he dies... if you grant me this mercy, I will serve the faction."
She watches me carefully and I wait passively. She holds the cards right now, I have nothing but her mercy to help me. A small smile touches her lips, she suspects. She has her game and I have mine, we shall see who walks away the winner.
"Alright. You will shower and clean up first. Wear Erudite blue and project the image of our faction."
"Let me wear my Dauntless black. Let Eric see me one last time as a warrior."
Jeanine nods, a small concession; she is either playing a deep game or is supremely arrogant. I hope for the latter.
"Guards will fetch you at 3 pm. Be ready. You will be taken to Dauntless and be with Eric as he is executed. You will then drop this delusion of yourself as anything other than an Erudite."
I nod, the terms are acceptable, for now.
I fight not to strain and pull at my guards grip. His pace is far too slow for my liking, anything short of a mad dash is too slow now. My heart burns, aches to see Eric again. Jeanine walks proud beside me, head high and I visualize snapping that neck.
One last indignity. I am shoved into an empty room and left to wait. I'm ready to crawl out of my skin. I pace and rage silently. More games, more bullshit. LET ME SEE ERIC!
Finally, the door is opened. Guards flank me as I am marched to another room. The door is opened and I am pushed inside. Eric is on his knees in the centre of the room, his hands bound behind his back. My heart breaks. I push past the guards and fall on my knees in front of Eric. He raises his head and the dead look in his eyes disappears. Pure joy shines instead and I throw my arms around him; mourn the fact that he cannot hold me back. Tears flow and I don't stop them. I gasp his name over and over again, a prayer, a benediction.
He nuzzles his face into my neck, breathing hard and we just exist for a while. No one bothers us, or maybe they do, and we are cocooned into our own little bubble and don't notice. I pull away enough to cup his face in my hands and our kiss is sweet.
"Fox, listen." Eric's voice is soft but firm and I press my cheek to his so he can whisper in my ear. "It wasn't your parents."
I jolt is surprise, but don't pull away, there's more.
"It was Max, all this time it was him. He came to see me yesterday; arrogant prick told me the whole thing. He wanted a legacy, wanted me to marry his daughter. You were in his way, so he set the Statute in motion, helped your parents invoke it, brought Jeanine over to his side. It was all him, Fox, all him. That fuck is the reason we're here."
My blood runs cold. Betrayed by our leader, betrayed by the man entrusted to lead the warrior faction. A killing hate runs through my limbs and Eric senses the rage.
"Baby, no. Listen to me."
I pull away to gaze at him, stroke his hair from his forehead. He leans into my touch.
"Don't." His words are a whisper. "Don't ruin your life."
"W-what?"
"I accept my sentence, I killed two men. Don't die with me."
I can't stop the tears and collapse against him. Although he can't hold me, Eric continues to murmur in my ear and my parched soul absorbs every word.
"Fox, don't cry, please. Baby, I love you. I'm glad we met, there is nothing I regret. Living with you, even for these short weeks was worth it. You are the best part of my life. You showed me love, you gave me perfect happiness. You made me alive, you made my life worth living." He exhales raggedly before continuing. "I love you, so fucking much. I wish we had more time but we don't. But it's not the end, baby. We're Blood-Tied, we'll always be together. Live for me now, live for us."
Hands grab me and pull me away and the last pieces of my broken heart explode, shatter outwards, slashing me to bleeding ribbons. I fight and claw desperately through my tears, trying to get back to Eric. I freeze when I feel the sting of a needle.
"Stop fighting." Jeanine's voice is cold. "This syringe holds Memory Serum. Continue to struggle and I will depress the entire contents into your neck. You will lose the last year of your life. You will forget about Dauntless, you will forget about Eric."
I shake my head slightly. NO. I CAN'T FORGET. I will stand still, just please don't take my memories too.
Guards hold Eric down, he tried to rise to help me. Our eyes meet and hold. It is time. Everything else disappears. The masked guard appears, gun drawn, pointed at the back of Eric's head. I can't look away, this is the best I can do for Eric now, to be the last thing he sees.
"I love you Eric." I whisper, my voice breaking.
"I love you too baby, so much." He whispers back. He is so brave, truly Dauntless. I will be brave with him. Our eyes never waver.
The gun fires.
I watch the light fade from Eric's eyes. Watch his massive body slump to the floor.
I snap my head sideways, pull free of the needle and launch myself at Eric's body. Dimly, I hear Max, the ultimate traitor say 'leave her, give her a minute,' but it hardly registers; my thoughts are only for Eric.
I cradle his head in my lap. Blood mats his baby-soft hair, streaks across his handsome face. His expression is peaceful, relaxed. I gently close his eyes. My tears glisten on his face. Everything else fades away and I can clearly hear the exact moment the tattered remains of my heart crumble to dust.
I lied. I will not be a good little scholar. I will not continue in a world that is black and meaningless. I lied to Eric, but it was a necessary lie. I will not live for him, because I cannot live without him. My tired mind races. I wish there was time, wish I had time to put a bullet between the eyes of both Max and Jeanine, but bigger things demand my attention.
I'll never know if he lets me or not, but the guard beside me doesn't move fast enough to stop me. I pull his gun from his holster.
Cold steel presses to my temple.
"I'm coming, Eric."
I pull the trigger.
I open my eyes. I am standing in a beautiful meadow. I look ahead of me, to the right. I see the walls, the city. Finally, I am outside, I escaped in death what I could not escape in life.
"Baby." The word is soft, my heart sings back.
I turn.
Eric stands there. He is tall and strong. Whole and healthy. He opens his arms and I run to him. He crushes me to his chest. His powerful arms band me, his strength comforts me, his scent surrounds me. Our lips touch.
And finally, I am home.
