Rating: M (Swearing, smut, suggested violence and abuse)

Family isn't always defined by blood and the strongest of ties can come from the most unexpected places. But could you risk losing that family when the love changes? What do you do when you find your soulmate at the age of sixteen? What if that soulmate is only nine? Sometimes all you can do…is take your time. Eric/OC AU No War, No Divergents

*Anything in italic is either a flashback or internal thought/conversation

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Lacey

Other memories, other moments, with Henley, Wade, Four and even Tris pierced through the haze she was under.

Sometimes they went back and forth on the timeline of her life, changing from one person to another. At times it felt like this was because of the muffled voices calling to her that belonged to those people. Like her mind was responding to them being near so pulled up memories of that person.

At times they overlapped and became too much for her to handle. Like too much noise coming a stereo. When that happened one voice always managed to break through all the rest and restore the calm. Eric's.

It always came back to Eric no matter how hard she had tried over the years to move away from that.

Like her own initiation.

When Eric became senior leader he had gleefully given up any right or need for his presence to oversee the initiation process. Before then he started to train for the position to take over so by the time Lacey's initiation was to take place he was set to only make the rare appearances.

Lacey had been relieved. On the day of her choosing she had made a vow to herself. It would be a new start for her. She would try and make more friends, be more sociable. She would date where before she always turned everyone down.

She loved her family dearly but she realized that until she started to make an identity for herself outside of them, and Eric, she would always be stuck.

Stuck loving a man who she could never have. Who would never see her as anything but a sister. Who even now only saw her as a little girl.

It was like every fate was moving against her when instead of the occasional appearance he was supposed to make, Eric was making more and more throughout the entire process.

Tris and Christina were now in charge of the training. Christina had the transfers and Tris had the Dauntless born. Four, who was a leader by then, was the one scheduled to bounce between the classes and keeping an eye on things.

For some reason, the two of them split the watch and Eric ended up with Tris while Four ended up with Chris. There were a few changes to the training so that the classes combined on certain activities during stage one. Allowing the Dauntless born to mingle more with the transfers and transfers to get to know about Dauntless from the Dauntless born.

Tris had later said that this was suggested on purpose by herself and Chris after their own initiation because they had felt so isolated and kept separate. The hope was that by allowing them and encouraging them to mingle earlier it would help the transfers assimilate to Dauntless life easily.

It hadn't bothered Lacey because it gave her the opportunity to meet people that didn't already know about her family or past. To have that fresh start.

When it came to the girl transfers that was easy. The boy transfers was harder. Not only because she found most of them to be annoying as hell but also because of what happened when she did try and engage them or they her.

Eric happened.

Every. Single. Time.

The classes were put in the same training room for the fights. So that Transfers could see the Dauntless born fights and Dauntless born could see the Transfers.

Lacey had been there when Four and Eric were debating against Tris and Chris regarding this development. Oddly enough Four had at first been against it as had Eric.

The girls won the two leaders over in the end when cited that having the fights be open to both classes would motivate them both since there was still the ranking system. It would also show the transfers examples of what hard training could produce and would further the integration of the two groups.

There were a few other things the girls used this same argument with and won. Tris had smirked as she mentioned later on to Lacey that they were working towards combining the classes eventually.

There were a few transfer guys that would end up becoming friends. One she had dated before they decided being friends was better.

Those friendships had survived even with Eric always inserting himself and glaring or threatening them.

If a guy so much as looked like he was near her to do anything other than train he would materialize and suggest in a very clear threatening tone that they should find something more productive to do and quickly before he found something for them.

At first Lacey hadn't really minded because it was taking time to come out of the shell she had put herself in socially in an effort to protect herself but also because she was always so busy. She was also trying to concentrate on doing well during initiation so being overly social wasn't too much on her mind.

But stage one ended and with fear sims she found the company of others going through the exact same thing she was going through was good. She still didn't like to party too much but she found herself hanging more and more with a few of the guys.

One night she had went with Rick, a Erudite transfer, to a popular bar that had dancing. She had maybe a drink or two and was dancing when she felt the thundercloud of his presence descend on her quickly.

Eric had been there the entire time so it wasn't like she was surprised. What she was surprised by was that he dragged her out of the club, literally picking her up and caging her in, while he carried her out. She had been livid and more than a little embarrassed about his behavior and was very loudly telling him this.

He had taken her to his apartment and started shoving water at her saying she was drunk.

She hadn't been, not by a long shot. But she had been having fun and might have been dancing a little too close to Rick then she would have before.

She had tried to tell Eric this, that she wasn't drunk but that she was just enjoying herself and the moment.

He had sneered at her and said he knew what he saw and he expected more from her considering her parents. It had hurt, badly.

"Why are you doing this, Eric? Why does everyone else around me get to live their lives and have relationships but it isn't ok for me? Henley has Deacon. You are practically living with Ashley now...or she is with you. Hell, even Wade has a girlfriend! Wade! My bookworm brother! So why can't I have a life, Eric? Why can't I go out and find someone that will see me as a woman? That will love me and wants me for…." She had stopped and trailed off angrily before shoving away from Eric and moving towards the door.

He had stopped her and spun her around moving in close, looking wounded and angry all at the same time. Then he had taken a breath and nodded. "You're right. You deserve to have a life and make your own way." Then he had reached out and cupped the side of her face as his eyes moved over her face slowly, like he was drinking her in. "But you also deserve so much more than just someone who wants you for something physical. You are too special to have anything less than someone who will respect you, remain loyal to you and realize how amazing you are, Lace. You're everything…..I mean you should be their everything."

His words and tone took her breath away but also just served to confuse her more. There was a second that she thought, pitifully, he was talking about himself. That he was also a second away from kissing her.

Then Eric had cleared his throat with a frown and backed away. "You should get back to the dorms."

Normally he would have insisted he walk her there himself. But on this night he gave her a cold dismissal and it had tears burning her eyes while her heart broke for a reason she couldn't understand. But it felt like some door that had been starting to open, a window of opportunity, had been slammed shut.

With a nod she had swung the door open and then ran full out away from him. For the first time since the day she met him, she couldn't get far enough away from the one person she had always run to.

Things had changed after that night and not all in bad ways. For the remainder of training Eric didn't hover quite as much. He was still always there and it had been a thing that Lacey would sit with him and his table for lunch. Instead of the dinners at his apartment they always found themselves having at least one dinner together in the dining hall.

Lacey found that she gravitated towards friendships with the older Dauntless. Four, Tris, and Marlene became some of her closest friends. Four had already started down that road when Eric had carried through with a promise he had made to her to let her speak to someone about her childhood. That had happened about six months after the day she had found out about her parents.

Because she became close to Four, that had worked in Tris when she transferred in and she had slowly found herself being included in their circle of friends. She felt better about the fact that she just was never going to be a partier like it seemed the people closer in age to her were. It might have had something to do with the fact that her parents were such heavy drinkers and obvious partiers. But her older friends always assured her that it didn't make her strange and she shouldn't feel the need to change just because others might tease her about it.

"Fuck 'em" Became her adopted motto, care of a grinning Uri, as he threw his arm around her shoulders one day at dinner.

She didn't try too hard to date but she and Rick did continue seeing each other throughout the rest of initiation. He became the first guy she ever kissed or did anything sexual with. It had just been what you could call heavy petting and all over the clothes.

It had felt nice and her body had responded but it hadn't felt right and she hadn't felt right about going further when all she felt for Rick was...comfortable.

At the time that they decided to be friends, Eric had decided to take his relationship to Ashley to the next official level and asked her to move in.

Lacey found this out the night of the celebration for the end of initiation. He had told her himself at least. She had smiled at him and told him she was happy for him, which had made him look sad for a moment. Then they had moved on to something safer. Her ranking and her job choice. Impersonal and away from anything to do with their love lives.

Before the end of the night she had found him and pressed something in his hand then tried to keep the tears from her eyes but she had failed and walked away as quickly as she could instead. There had been no way that she could keep Eric's apartment key. It had felt wrong.

It had felt like she had been replaced in his life and she had no place there any longer. It felt like the remnant of her girlhood dreams were finally shattered and she knew there was no going back to the way things were ever again.

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Bits of conversations, real conversations, going on around her started to filter through. Sometimes the person was talking directly to her other times she could tell they were talking to someone else. But she was floating just under the sea of being able to be fully conscious.

She felt the worry and panic from those around her at times and wanted to reach out to soothe it but couldn't. She felt like she was getting stronger even though the status of her being able to do anything hadn't changed. She was still floating.

Floating along still on those memories.

"Little Lacey Matheson." Came the distinctive purr of Ashley, Eric's live in girlfriend of almost a year, came from behind her at the line in deli she was grabbing some lunch from.

She gave Lacey a friendly seeming enough smile, but Lacey heard the condescending tone that she said her name in. This had been occurring more and more as the two came into contact. Lacey didn't understand why because she had done nothing but make every effort to be nice and accommodating to the young woman. A young woman that was only a few years older than she herself is. A point that she tried not to think about too often or with bitterness.

Over the last few months though Ashley would often stop her when she was outside of the office or stop by the office and lay on false sweetness while making snide comments to her.

It looked like today was going to be another one of those days.

"Hey Ashley." Lacey smiled at her and ignored the tone and look. "How are you today?"

She rolled her eyes at Lacey and sighed. "Oh fine. Tired though, you know. It was a long night for me." She stopped and smirked at Lacey wickedly. "Well for both Eric and I. Surprised he was able to drag himself out of bed at all."

Lacey felt the stab of pain but still kept the smile on her face. Something she was getting very good at doing now. She laughed a little and nodded. "Well, I think Eric would still go into work even on death's door."

That was said honestly. She had seen Eric push himself beyond what anyone should or would and still keep working hard.

This apparently wasn't the answer or reaction that Ashley was looking for and her lips thinned. "You know, I was talking to Eric last night and saying what a shame it is that you aren't seeing anyone. I mean, surely you have some kind of life outside of always seeming to be glued to his side?" She looked Lacey up and down and tilted her head to the side. "You're pretty enough, I guess."

Lacey felt another stab of pain and flare of the self-consciousness that was a constant for her lately about her changing appearance. She was seventeen, almost eighteen, and her body had decided to balloon out in areas that had been more sleek and slim before. Her ass and boobs for one. She didn't know how to handle it so had taken to wearing baggy black hoodie sweaters over her black jeans most of the time.

"Hey Lace, sorry I'm late." A breezy and seemingly breathless Tris said as she came to stand beside the two girls. Tris gave Lacey a genuine smile but then turned to Ashley and the smile turned obviously false. "Oh hey, Ashley. What were you two talking about?" Tris asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"Hi Tris." Ashley returned the false greeting. "Oh you know, how Lacey here should be dating. I mean she is a pretty little girl." She put emphasis on the 'little girl' part.

Tris paused for a moment, eyeing Ashley. "She is a beautiful young woman. You know Lacey, I don't know if I ever told you, but I am always hearing from guys around the control room how they think the fact that you don't try to overdo your makeup and feel the need to wear revealing clothing is extremely attractive. I happen to agree, there is something to be said for a woman that is comfortable just being her natural self. Wouldn't you agree, Ashley."

Ashley gave Tris a venomous glare before sniffing and whirling away, her bleach blonde hair wisping after her.

Tris snorted after she left and linked her arm with Lacey's.

Lacey smiled tightly but then sighed. "Why is that a thing with the girls Eric is with? They always seem to target me and I don't know why." Lacey mumbled.

She didn't understand it at all. Didn't they understand they had him? Ashley had Eric and Lacey never would. She was just his sister.

Tris bit her lip and tilted her head. "You really don't know?"

Lacey looked over at her and raised an eyebrow. "Would I be whining about it if I did?" Lacey retorted.

Tris smiled and shrugged. "No you wouldn't." She paused again. "She's jealous of you, Lacey. You have something she will never be able to have and she is jealous."

"What could I possibly have that she doesn't?" Lacey asked genuinely confused.

But again Tris had just shrugged. "It doesn't take much for women like her to be jealous so your guess could be as good as mine. It could be anything and it could be based on something real or just all in her head. Don't pay any attention to her." She waved a hand dismissively.

Lacey nodded thoughtfully and digested her words but was also blushing as she remembered Tris' from earlier. "Did you mean it? About that you think I am beautiful even though I don't look like Ashley or most of the other women here do."

Tris smiled at her softly and nodded. "Absolutely. I also meant I have heard the guys talking about you in the control room too but don't let that get out. Eric and Four might freak out and then I would be down a team."

Lacey laughed and blushed at the same time, pleasure at the compliment running through her. "I won't, trust me. Eric has calmed down from the overbearing protective big brother he once was but he still has that in him."

Tris just smirked a little and hummed her agreement. The two of them made their way up to the counter and placed their orders. Lacey picking up Eric's usual from the deli when he was going to be staying in the office to work.

As they sat to eat their sandwiches though, Tris dropped a bomb on her. "Oh! I forgot to mention earlier after she left, but Four said after he and Eric got through hanging out all night, that he and Ashley are breaking up. She is supposed to have already moved out or is moving out in the next few days. So she might have been trying to lash out at anyone close to Eric too."

Lacey stopped in mid-bite, frozen. "Their breaking up? Why...I mean...did he say why?"

Tris finished chewing hers and shook her head with a shrug. "He didn't say but it isn't a surprise. He was never happy with her, you know."

Lacey had suspected it but didn't want to press or go there in a conversation with him. It had seemed strange that when there were events at other factions he always invited her to go along and not Ashley. It was never listed as her being Eric's date but at times it had almost felt that way. Then there was the fact that while she still hadn't been able to bring herself to go back to his apartment, even though he had given her his key back the morning she started working, they had dinner together now at least four times a week.

Most of the time in the dining hall, but there were times it was in the office when working late, or the deli in the Pit. There was also always separate dinners with Henley, Deacon and Wade as a family. That was a scheduled event for every thursday night.

He spent so much time with the four of them, working, with just Lacey or other friends; that it was a wonder she hadn't really realized it before now.

She also wondered why he hadn't mentioned it. She thought about asking him about it but decided against it. There was something almost unspoken between them since the night he told her Ashley was moving in that they didn't talk about either's love lives.

It still left a feeling in the pit of her stomach, a small restoring of hope that she had thought and hoped had been erased forever.