Author's note at the bottom!


Tris

I walk down the aisles of the grocery store, trying to find the right kind of chips. Tobias told me he liked a kind called "Lays," and I'm not entirely sure where to find it.

The whole grocery store is so new to me, too. We used to have food distributed to us, we weren't independent at all. I feel like a lost child in this huge store.

I give up on trying to find a certain type of chip, and pick up a random bag and head towards the register. I feel my money in my purse, just to make sure I haven't lost it. Money is so strange. There are five dollar bills, tens, twenties, ones, and there might be fifties. I'm still a little slow at counting it out, and when Tobias was trying to teach me his shirt was unbuttoned halfway. I was a bit distracted.

I get in line for register six, the only one open besides the self checkout. That wouldn't go well for me.

I'm examining the newspapers and magazines, I think they're called, when I feel a hand clamp around my neck. I drop my bags and start elbowing the person, squirming and screaming, hoping they'll lose their grip.

I haven't fought in a while, so I'm a bit rusty. It all comes back to me, though, as it happens. The person starts to drag me backwards, to the back exit, and I'm looking around at all the people who are paying little attention. Does this sort of thing happen all the time?

I'm screaming and kicking and biting at the gloved hand and I know it's useless but I'm not very strong right now. I've been going to the gym, to run and work out, to get my health up but I'm nowhere near in the shape I used to be in.

We pass a crowd of middle aged women, and I can make out part of their conversation. "That's a shame," one says, her voice low and flat, lacking emotion. I remember that voice, but I'm not sure who's it is.

"No, no it's not! The girl's had it coming to her for a while now," a commanding voice says. The woman looms over me, and I see she's wearing a kind of cloak. I can only see her dark eyes, like two never ending pits where people go to die. "It all started when she left her family, left them broken and bleeding in the dust while she fled to a safer place."

Who are you who are you who are you who are you and how do you know me?

"But nothing's ever safe when she's around," she continues. "If it weren't for her, they'd all still be alive," she pauses, gesturing to the right with her hand and then I see them.

Uriah. Lynn. Tori. Will. Mom. Dad. Fernando. Al.

They stand perfectly still, staring menacingly at one thing: me.

I let out a sob, but nobody hears it. Maybe they do, but they don't care.

"Take her away," she says, her voice sounding familiar. "I'm done with her."

I'm dragged away, still facing the two women and all my friends. The cloaked woman turns to face me, and she lets her hood fall.

Nita.


Tobias

I wake to thrashing and screaming. I pop out of bed, ready to kill whoever comes near Tris.

Nobody's there. I turn around slowly, and I see nobody in the small bedroom.

Grunting at my stupidity, I climb back into bed. I put my arm around Tris and I feel her shaking.

"Tris," I say quietly, hoping to wake her. "Tris!"

I shake her shoulders, but she's still shaking and crying. "Tris!" I say, and lean in and kiss her cheek, her chin, her nose, and finally her lips.

"I'm here, Tris, it's okay, you're okay, everything's okay. Wake up, Tris."

She shoots up, looks around for a few tense seconds of silence, before collapsing into me in a mess of tears and sobbing.

I soothe her, cuddling her and enveloping her in my arms. She calms down after a few minutes, and I feel her cheeks heat up against my bare arms. I smile. "Do you want to talk about it?" She probably doesn't, but I'll ask.

She shakes her head, confirming my thoughts. I know her well.

"Okay. Let's go back to sleep, okay? Tomorrow's Saturday so we can rest," I say gently. We have the press coming at six. But that's in the evening, and I don't want to worry her by reminding her. She nods against me.

I pull her down with me, lying so that we're pressed together in the center of the bed. I usually sleep on my stomach, but I'd hold her in my arms any day.

She presses against me, resting her head on my arm, and falls asleep in about a minute. I fall asleep soon after.


I wake to the phone ringing. Tris is still snuggled in my arms, and it takes a ton of willpower to break my arms from around her warm body. I pull myself out of bed, shivering, and walk over to the phone.

"Hello?" I say, my voice cracking.

"Tobias? It's Johanna. I wanted to make sure you're ready for the newspaper interview tonight," she says. I check my watch. It's two in the afternoon. Shoot.

"Uh, yeah, we're as ready as we can be," I lie.

"Good to hear. Just make sure she knows what to say beforehand, and get your story straight. The both of you. Okay?"

I nod, then remember she can't see me. "Yeah, sounds good. Call if you need to tell me anything," I say.

"Will do. Good luck," and the line goes dead.

A sleepy Tris walks out of the bedroom. "Good morning," she says groggily, wiping at her eyes.

I give her a hug and a kiss on the head. I know she'll be the one to talk about her nightmare last night, if she wants to – which is unlikely. So I act like nothing happened, because I know she'd be embarrassed, even if there's nothing to be embarrassed about.

We sit down and eat breakfast/lunch together at the table. "So, the newspaper is coming today at six," I say, hoping she remembered.

"I'm aware," she says.

"Okay, so we have to go over what you're going to say."

"Aren't I just going to say the truth?" She asks. Sometime's she's too smart for her own good.

"Well, yes…but the right truth. We have to make it seem like you only set of the memory serum to save your brother, because…well because," I say, realizing that I can't tell her about the alliance. It's only for government people to know about, for now.

She narrows her eyes at me. "No secrets. Why do I have to sugarcoat it? I did nothing wrong, and if anyone thinks that, they're stupid. We're all living in the benefits of what we did, so if that meant nothing I don't-"

"No, no it means everything, Tris. You're a hero. I can't tell you why because Johanna says I'm not allowed to. It's for work. Let me just say that it's not our people you have to convince, but…others."

Her lips part in understanding. "Oh. So, the only reason why I set off the memory serum was for my brother?"

I sigh. "I know, it sounds stupid but the reporters know what to do, they're on our team. They'll get you to say what they want you to. In a good way," I add.

"Okay," she says, contemplating what she's going to say.

We finish breakfast and start to set up the apartment for when the reporters get here. We have a lot of work to do.


A/N: Sorry short chapter, I'll write more tomorrow. Track is over, like I said, but I have my first regents/ common core exam thing in 9 days. So…updates will be a little bit more frequent but not much.