A/N: BOOM! Hey guys, guess who's back... and has chapters coming with tasty a tasty plot? *Points two thumbs to ones chest* This gal!

I am truly sorry about the wait that you've all had for this chapter, and my apology comes from my heart (not just my head). I just hope that you hadn't lost hope in me, I never leave a story un-written!

I've just started exams, and I thought I better give you all a treat. I have the plot running in my head like a storm... and I cant wait for it to unfold and for you all to read it. For now, enjoy this chapter, that was originally double the length, but with the opinion and editing with my BETA vcgibbs, we decided to split it in two! (which means you will be getting the next update extremely soon compared to the usual *cough* time)

Annnnd noooow, enjoy!


Chapter 8: Outside

All I could do was laugh. My laugh echoed through the chasm, reverberating and doubling over and over again in my mind. My laugh soon became hysterical sobs, until strong arms wrapped around my middle dragging me from the madness. We sank to the floor.

"What...why?" Was all I could mutter, as my mother, who I hadn't seen for god knows how long, rocked me back and forth in her arms.

"Sweetie, I'm here for a reason. I'm here for…" Her sentence drifted off and her eyes glazed over. She opened and closed her mouth, silently mumbling to herself, her head bowed. Her head snapped back up, determination and pride, as well as a motherly protectiveness shining in her eyes. "I'm here for you."

She turned me around to I smiled, but it didn't quite reach my eyes. She turned me around to face her and stroked my cheek, wiping away my tears.

"I set off the alarm," she said abruptly. Glancing at Tori, who stood with an uncomfortable smile on her face, and said, "with the help of Tori, of course."

Tori blushed with embarrassment and smiled as she said, brushing it off, "Just a few simple hacks into the system, a hotwire into the lights and an automated message I recorded and edited around... Nothing much really."

I tried to hide my smile, but failed as the corners of my mouth peaked upwards.

"Im sorry to have lied to you… About what was happening back in my store." Tori said, facing me. I was confused at first, but then understood what she meant. "I had to do it so that you wouldn't protest about following me, and about leaving Christina. Christina was escorted to the pit by…" She looked at my mother, as if seeking permission, to which she nodded. "Your mother's… Friends"

My mother took over the explanation now. I was still in her arms. "My… friends -who are more alliances, than friends, mind you- are from-" I turned to face her anticipating her answer, locking my eyes with hers. "Outside the walls." I couldn't help but gasp in shock, but didn't speak, leaving the air clear for her to explain more. "Now, Beatrice, you mustn't, and I mean you mustn't tell ANYONE about this. Nobody can know that people from outside the walls were able to enter the city and, worst of all, enter and breach dauntless and the system they have put on the city. There are mass defences set in place so that no one can neither enter nor exit the city. If Dauntless had hold of that information, all havoc would break loose. We can't let that happen. Everything that I'm organising, with the help of a few others, is top secret, hence the secluded location and the change of name."

She looked at me, as if awaiting approval that the words had satisfied my curiosity. I nodded. It would do for now, but I was not yet satisfied enough. Instead of that, it had caused more questions to form in my mind, that I daren't ask. Not yet.

"What shall I do?" I ask her. "What if somebody wonders where I've been..?"

"This never happened. You were just shopping with Christina and when the alarm went off, went looking for her, but got lost because of your amnesia. You'll carry on training with Four like Max told you, and you will be careful. Do not let the words slip from your tongue, and do not get more injured than you are. Look out for your friends, dear Beatrice, because something is coming, something you need to be brave and prepared for. Something that requires honour and sacrifice, teamwork and most of all love. I love you Beatrice, be safe. I must go now. Tori will tell you more and escort you back to the others."

With her final parting words, she stood, dragging me with her. I fell into her arms and hugged her tightly, relishing in the moment. I didn't know when I would see her again, and I wanted to make the most of the occasion.

"I love you too. You be careful, I need to see you again, hopefully sometime soon, and Dad. I miss you both too much. It's so hard and I'm just so scared.." I said, wiping a lone tear from beneath my eye.

"I know sweetheart, I truly do. And I'm sorry, but I really do have to go." She gave me one last squeeze and a kiss on the cheek. She turned and ran with a speed someone her age would be gifted to posses, and she was soon out of sight around the corner, into the black. Her footsteps gradually blending into the roar of the chasms misty depths.

I sighed, turning and facing Tori, who was looking at me sympathetically.

"So... What next?" I say.

"Okay, well... The whole ordeal with you having a more severe memory loss or amnesia episode than we planned... Doesn't really help, well, the plan."

"Hold up... You planned for me to get amnesia?" I ask, bewildered and shocked, but hurt most of all. "How the HELL would you do that? WHY the hell would you do that?! I could've gotten it much worse!"

She nods as if she'd expected my outburst, saying "We had to do it, you had to forget things. It makes you a liability to dauntless and it tests their systems. It's confusing them. But our friend upstairs is cooling it all down for us."

Friend upstairs? Cooling it down for us? These questions along with many more spun my head, making the golf ball lump on my crown throb. Even though it was just a thought, it hurt more than expected for me to just think. I hated it. And. It. Had. Been. Planned.

"Okay. It's okay. I'm fine. Everything's fine. I'm Beatrice Prior, I'm sixteen, I'm an initiate, I live in Dauntless, my parents are Andrew and Natalie Prior, my brother is Caleb Prior, my instructor is Four, my best friends are Christina and Will, I was punched hard in the head, I can't remember anything, I have amnesia." I finished with a gasp. I had literally stated all that I could remember about myself and my recent years.

"I'm scared." I said to no one in particular. To this, Tori walked over to me and did as my mother had. Embraced me in a tight hug, rubbing calming circles at the small of my back.

"I should get you back top level, before your friends start to worry or anyone start to suspect anything." She left my arms and turned back into the direction we came.

Soon I was retracing my earlier steps, down the long and windy stone tunnel, water dripping from the ceiling and crumbly walls. Instead of hearing the sound of the river we called the chasm getting louder, it got softer, until the crashing merely vibrated in the air. Torches were yet again jumping out every few metres on my left, adding a little light to the dark and slippery tunnel. What felt like two hours, but was actually two minutes, passed before we started ascending the stone steps back up to Tori's secret office hatch, the soles of our rubber soled combat boots slapping against the damp stone.

I hear a high pitched squeaking noise as the hinges on the hatch move, for the second time in an hour, after probably been abandoned for years. Tori pushes it open and holds her hand out to help me up. Once I'm through the gap, she seals the hatch quietly, dragging a stylish scruffy black rug over the top, concealing it.

She places a finger over her lips, indicating for me to be quite. Her eyes tell me all I need to know. 'There could still be someone out there'. I stayed quiet. She added quietly, using her voice and not her eyes this time, "I'll go and check to see if the shop is empty, and then we can go. Wait for my signal."

I nodded in response, taking position behind her desk, concealing myself. I watched as she tiptoed out of the room, but I soon lost sight of her as she rounded the corner.

It was so quiet, and so dark. I was… anxious for Tori and my other friends safety. Although the people roaming the halls were said to be my mother's alliances, I think she called them, they were still dangerous. They didn't know that we had any good relation to my mother, and they probably wouldnt wait to find out.

I was surprised that I couldn't see any dauntless guards running around, trying to find the mysterious culprits of the code red. I suppose that they could have already been searching, whilst we were chatting with… Ember.

I jumped in surprise as the lights in the shop flickered on, their fluorescent white burning my eyes after having been in the pitch black too long. Before I could check if everything was okay, Tori casually walked into the room, a rumpled piece of paper in her hands.

"Everythings all good outside in the shop." She says confidently.

Pointing to the piece of paper, I ask, "What's that?"

She looks down at her hand as if she had forgotten that the piece of paper was actually there, but then she seemingly recognised what I was talking about, and let out a nervous laugh. "Oh, yeah. Well it seems that the people from -erm- the Ember" She winks at me. "Have left us a note. Apparently they do actually know who we are, and that we were with your moth- I mean Ember. Of course, they knew anyway, we planned it after all. The whole idea was to have a meeting with Ember and, according to this note, they got their end of the job done. They have apparently put up some connection bridges to help them hack into the system when they may need to in the future. It now means that they will always be connected to the cameras and computers… after they hack them."

It dawned on me then. "Are they planning an attack on Dauntless?"

She looked at me surprised, again she laughed, "Oh, no! Of course not! No, they are just monitoring the complex to help if there are any breaches, and to see if there is a spy in our midst."

"A spy?"

"Yes. A spy."


And there we have it... chapter 8! I am really enjoying writing this story (even if it may not always seem like it) and I truly hope that you are enjoying the read :-)

Was this chapter too long/ short?

Im not usually one to say/ ask this, but I really do love your reviews and your opinions, it helps me become a better writer :-D So feel free to drop a review, and tell me what you feel ;-)

*DISCLAIMER: By the above, I'm not threatening anything like I wont update 'unless you review', i'm not that type of author.

Have a groovy time, until I see you next!

~Pom