Hahaha… So… I'm the worst person ever. I honestly have excuses for the lack of updates (summer college course, work, writer's block, etc.), but I don't at the same time. I recently felt "in the mood" to finish this one shot that I started at the beginning of May and it was actually a request from a guest reader. So, guest reader, if you're reading I hope you enjoy it and please anyone feel free to submit requests. Just keep in mind that I'm a super perfectionist at times and I do a lot of research to be able to make these one shots fit into the original storylines to my own specificity. If I don't I twitch, basically. If it takes me a while to get a requested one out it's probably because I'm thinking about how sexually advanced the story can be within reason of character and relationship development, doing research, busy with other things, or I have writer's block tbh. Everything else aside, I'm so grateful for the amount of reviews you have all been leaving. It means the world that you guys enjoy these. 3 Take care!

About this chapter/one shot: This one shot takes place inside of chapter 16 in Divergent and inside of "The Traitor" in Four. This one shot features only Four's POV. I had a request for "a one shot of Tobias hearing Al tell Tris he likes her during Visiting Day and then it leads to something between Four and Tris". Four decides to listen in on Tris's conversation with Al and when they bump into each other afterward they attempt to have a civil conversation, despite their fluctuating relations. (Again, the bolded sections come "straight outta the novels" hahaha see what I did there? Straight Outta Compton? No? Okay.)

I hear footsteps approaching, and look over my shoulder. Tris is walking toward me, tucked under the gray-clad arm of an Abnegation woman. Natalie Prior. I stiffen, suddenly desperate to escape—what if Natalie knows who I am, where I came from? What if she lets it slip, here, surrounded by all these people?

She can't possibly recognize me. I don't look anything like the boy she knew, lanky and slouched and buried in fabric.

When she's close enough, she extends her hand. "Hello, my name is Natalie. I'm Beatrice's mother."

Beatrice. That name is so wrong for her.

I clasp Natalie's hand and shake it. I've never been fond of Dauntless hand-shaking. It's too unpredictable—you never know how tightly to squeeze, how many times to shake.

"Four," I say. "It's nice to meet you." "Four," Natalie says, and she smiles. "Is that a nickname?" "Yes," I say. I change the subject. "Your daughter is doing well here. I've been overseeing her training." "That's good to hear," she says. "I know a few things about Dauntless initiation, and I was worried about her."

I glance at Tris. There's color in her cheeks—she looks happy, like seeing her mother is doing her some good. For the first time I fully appreciate how much she's changed since I first saw her, tumbling onto the wooden platform, fragile-looking, like the impact with the net should have shattered her. She doesn't look fragile anymore, with the shadows of bruises on her face and a new stability in the way she stands, like she's ready for anything.

"You shouldn't worry," I say to Natalie. Tris looks away. I think she's still angry with me for the way I nicked her ear with that knife. I guess I don't really blame her. "You look familiar for some reason, Four," Natalie says. I would think her comment was lighthearted if not for the way she's looking at me, like she's pinning me down.

"I can't imagine why," I say, as coldly as I can manage. "I don't make a habit of associating with the Abnegation."She doesn't react the way I expect her to, with surprise or fear or anger. She just laughs. "Few people do, these days. I don't take it personally." If she does recognize me, she doesn't seem eager to say so. I try to relax.

"Well, I'll leave you to your reunion," I say.

…

With a few simple keystrokes, the program is installed and buried somewhere in Max's computer that I'm sure he would never bother to access. I put the flash drive back in my pocket, along with the piece of paper with his password on it, and leave the office without getting my fingerprints on the glass part of the door.

That was easy, I think, as I walk toward the elevators again. According to my watch, it only took me five minutes. I can claim that I was on a bathroom break if anyone asks.

But when I get back to the control room, Gus is standing at my computer, staring at my screen.

I freeze. How long has he been there? Did he see me break into Max's office?

"Four," Gus says, sounding grave. "Why did you isolate this footage? You're not supposed to take feeds out of rotation, you know that." "I . . ." Lie! Lie now! "I thought I saw something," I finish lamely. "We're allowed to isolate footage if we see something out of the ordinary."

Gus moves toward me.

"So," he says, "then why did I just see you on this screen coming out of that same hallway?" He points to the hallway on my screen. My throat tightens. "I thought I saw something, and I went upstairs to investigate it," I say. "I'm sorry, I just wanted to move around." He stares at me, chewing the inside of his cheek. I don't move. I don't look away.

"If you ever see something out of the ordinary again, you follow the protocol. You report it to your supervisor, who is . . . who, again?" "You," I say, sighing a little. I don't like to be patronized. "Correct. I see you can keep up," he says. "Honestly, Four, after over a year of working here there shouldn't be so many irregularities in your job performance. We have very clear rules, and all you have to do is follow them. This is your last warning. Okay?" "Okay," I say.

I've been chastised a few times for pulling feeds out of rotation to watch meetings with Jeanine Matthews and Max, or with Max and Eric. It never gave me any useful information, and I almost always got caught.

"Good." His voice lightens up a little. "Good luck with the initiates. You got transfers again this year?" "Yeah," I say. "Lauren gets the Dauntless-borns." "Ah, too bad. I was hoping you would get to know my little sister," Gus says. "If I were you, I'd go do something to wind down. We're fine in here. Just let that footage loose before you go."

He walks back to his computer, and I unclench my jaw. I wasn't even aware that I was doing it. My face throbbing, I shut down my computer and leave the control room. I can't believe I got away with it.

I catch an elevator and stand stiffly as I press a thumb into the palm of my other hand. Now, with this program installed on Max's computer, I can go through every single one of his files from the relative privacy of the control room. I can find out exactly what he and Jeanine Matthews are up to. I exit the elevator and make my way to the Pit.

Families are still gathered in the Pit, but not as many as earlier. I'd guess that most families asked to visit elsewhere after even a few minutes of experiencing the natural chaos from the Pit and the Chasm. Either way, I don't particularly enjoy being witness to everyone's reunions. I pop in to the cafeteria to grab a small bite and get away from it all.

I sit on the end of a table and pop pieces of a roll that I rip off into my mouth. I look around at others grabbing a snack as well or finishing up a meal and she catches my eye. Tris's blonde hair falls over her shoulder as she stands up to put away her tray. I swallow the last bite of my roll and follow behind her quite a few feet away.

I'm not exactly sure why I'm following her. I'm mostly worried about if her mother had said anything to her about me after I left them. And I wonder why she isn't visiting as long as the other initiates are. I think it through and decide that it's actually a smart decision on her behalf. She'll attract less attention to possibly holding on to her past that way.

I wait a few beats to turn a corner every time she does and I quickly realize that she's heading back to the dormitory. I ask myself what I mean to do once she's inside the dormitory. Surely she'll know I've been following her if I go in. Maybe I'll just walk by and pop in if she stays. I meant to ask her about her fight with Molly, because she actually went pretty hard on her. I also had hopes that I could mend something between us that got damaged when I threw the knives at her, but I'm not sure how much she still resents me for it.

Tris grabs the doorframe to the dormitory and peers inside as though she's looking for someone. "There you are!" She says as she enters the room. The doors are propped open, so I stay close to the wall and stop a few feet away. "Your parents were looking for you. Did they find you?" I personally hear no response.

"You didn't want to see them?" Tris asks. "Didn't want them to ask how I was doing," The voice belongs to Al. "I'd have to tell them, and they would know if I was lying." "Well…what's wrong with how you're doing?" Tris asks him. I purse my lips. Everyone knows what's wrong with how Al is doing. He's the largest out of all the initiates and purposefully chooses not to use his strength to his advantage. Al is too kind for his own good. He probably belongs in Amity or Abnegation.

I hear him laugh. "I've lost every fight since the one with Will. I'm not doing well." "By choice, though. Couldn't you tell them that, too?" "Dad always wanted me to come here. I mean, they said they wanted me to stay in Candor, but that's only because that's what they're supposed to say. They've always admired the Dauntless, both of them. They wouldn't understand if I tried to explain it to them."

To a certain extent everyone admires Dauntless. That feeling went away rather quickly for me after all these changes were made. Tris lets out a quiet 'oh'. She continues. "Is that why you chose Dauntless? Because of your parents?" "No. I guess it was because…I think it's important to protect people. To stand up for people. Like you did for me." I scoff to myself. They have the right idea about how Dauntless should be - just the same as I do. It makes me angry that these kids have to find out first hand that Dauntless is not what it's supposed to be and that somehow it will become their reality and their truth... if they make it in here.

"That's what the Dauntless are supposed to do, right?" Al asks. "That's what courage is. Not…hurting people for no reason." "Maybe it will be better once initiation is over." "Too bad I might come in last," He says. "I guess we'll see tonight."

There's a long minute or two of silence. I try as hard as I can to reach the door without making a sound. I peer in as far back as I can, so they don't see me. I see them now. They sit closely side-by-side; both of them are looking down.

"I feel braver when I'm around you, you know," He pauses. "Like I could actually fit in here, the same way you do." Tris opens her mouth, but stops before she can reply when Al wraps his arm around her shoulders.

I see a clear expression of realization on Tris's face as I also piece together that Al is - try as he might - expressing his deeper feelings for Tris. Tris's face turns a light shade of scarlet and I feel my face go hot too. I think I caught a bit of second hand embarrassment, but also a bit of envy. Tris leans forward and lets his arm drop away.

I look away and rub my face with my hand. I can hear Al embarrassingly try to apologize to Tris while I try to check myself. "Sorry about what?" I hear her ask as the bed creaks. I look for a second and see that she's getting up. "I should go," She states. "You going to be okay? I mean…because of your parents. Not because…" She doesn't finish. "Oh. Yeah." Al replies quickly. "I'll see you later, Tris." Damnit! That's my cue to leave.

I slip into an adjacent hallway so it looks like I'm coming from another direction. I wait a second or two before starting back towards the Pit, but of course Tris walks straight into me. I steady her by the arm. "Sorry!" She blurts. "I was uh... " She points behind her with her thumb. "Looking that way." "Were you going that way?" I ask, lifting an eyebrow. "No, I'm going back to the Pit." She wipes her hands on her pants and I motion for her to walk with me. She seems reluctant, but does so.

"You enjoyed seeing your mother?" I ask. "Yeah, I did. I'm glad that she came." "She's spirited... and quite informed, I take it?" I ask, remembering how she laughed at my cold responses and adjusted well to Dauntless custom. "Yeah, I guess she is. It's probably because my father is on the Council." I nod. "It seems like you get your adaptive qualities from her." She looks down quickly like something made her nervous and wipes her hands again. I choose to look straight ahead.

"It's a good thing, though." I state. "You won the fight yesterday against Molly." She purses her lips. "I had a good reason to this time." I remember pulling her away from Molly. I was beyond astonished by how vicious Tris was. Merciless.

"A reason aside from the rankings?" I ask. She doesn't answer, so I turn to look at her. She stops and sighs like she doesn't want to say what she's about to. "Peter and Drew and Molly taunted me yesterday when I came back from taking a shower. I told them to leave me alone, but they surrounded me. I was only coming back to get clothes and they tore my towel away when I tried to escape them." Her face turns red again.

I feel my face get hot too, but I try not to let it show. I try to force the unexpected thought of wishing I were there out of my mind, but it's not hard when I start to develop a sudden urge to march over to the first one of those scumbags I see and nail them to the ground. When Tris looks up again I see a certain satisfaction in her eyes that reminds me that her own success yesterday had sufficed. Her eyes are hard to look away from, especially when she holds such boldness behind them.

"I know I went too far. I was so angry, but I didn't think you'd have to pull me away...I don't regret it. I sort of wish I did. But I don't." "I had no idea, Tris." I don't know what else to say without saying too much. She shrugs. "No one knew." Anyone else would have done the same. I don't blame her.

I shake my head. "No one deserves that kind of embarrassment." She scoffs. "Well, I'm sure taunting initiates in front of everyone else will make it less of a common occurrence." She replies, sarcastically. Nope, not over it.

We stand in silence for a moment or two just glaring at one another until she breaks away and starts toward the Pit again. "If I want to be Dauntless I'll just have to get used to it." "No, you won't have to get used to it, because it won't last forever." I say as I meet up with her. "Besides, you have a few friends." "A few." "And I'm sure more people respect you after capture the flag the other night and after yesterday's fight." "Let's hope. Maybe next time I'll be picked first for being the most strategic instead of the weakest."

I'm not sure what to say. I have to play the part in front of Eric. There's no way I could possibly let him and all of the initiates know that I picked her because I have a… stirring curiosity about her. It actually almost pains me that she thinks she's the weakest out of everyone here. I could tell she wasn't the weakest from the moment I laid eyes on her. But I won't tell her that she's number six in the first round rankings. There are many things I'd like to tell her… But she'll be finding that out tonight anyways.

"Round one is over now. You won't need teammates in the next round of initiation. You'll only be relying on yourself and strengths that vary much differently than just physicality." "No chance I'd get a hint of what it involves?" I smirk. "None." She forces a heavy sigh. "But I have a feeling that you'll have a knack for round two. You have... an acquired wit." "An acquired wit?" She raises her eyebrows at me. I nod for a second figuring out how to phrase myself. "You have attentive ways of thinking and acting and it may serve your ability to progress faster. You'll just have to be careful of how... inventive... you become." She squints slightly trying to comprehend what I've just said. "Just- trust me on this." "Will this second round better test our bravery than the first? Because anyone can walk up to someone and knock them out if they're confident enough." "That's exactly what it's for." I reply as we stroll through the Pit. "Well... maybe I'll be better at showing my bravery in this second round. Right now I'm still contemplating whether I'm actually brave or just... emotionally impulsive." "That definitely doesn't help," I start. "You definitely don't help." She blurts before I can continue. "Excuse you." I say, folding my arms.

She doesn't get it. She might one day, but right now she still doesn't understand how I'm trying to help her. Luckily for her I couldn't very well start this argument in front of everyone. Actually, I probably shouldn't be speaking to her for this long anyway.

"Tris, do you truly have doubts about your capability for being brave?" "Yes." She's certain of her answer, but something tells me we both know she doesn't have the doubts she thinks she has. "But you recognize the most basic acts of bravery that brought you here in the first place - choosing to leave the comfort of your old faction, deciding that maybe you could make it on your own, being the first jumper of your initiate class - don't you?" "Yes, but every transfer had to leave home and jump off of a building to get here." "Not every transfer is brave enough to think outside the box and run with it or defend their friends no matter the consequences." "Hold on," She starts as she holds her hand out. "You ridicule me for standing up for my friends under unfair circumstances as if I'm stupid for doing so, but suddenly now that's bravery?"

I can tell she's frustrated. I want to tell her that I admire her bravery and in some ways I actually enjoy seeing her in action, but not here. Not with the possibility of her being as different as I think she is under a leadership of people who would easily view her as expendable, despite her capabilities. I let out a long sigh and try to think of how to respond. I notice that we've walked past the Pit and into another set of hallways, so maybe it's safer to do so.

"As much as acting against your leaders and instructor are rash decisions they require a certain amount of bravery; bravery that is fueled by something that maybe only you have." "That's very touching that you find them brave, but I'm sure even you'd agree that my actions don't prove my bravery to everyone. Not everyone sees it the way you apparently do." "Is that all you're worried about? Other people's conceptions of what bravery is or isn't, regardless of emotional triggers?" "Well, yes! I'd prefer not to be factionless!" I stop for a minute and pull us closer to a corner where I'm sure there's no cameras. This is becoming a conversation for private eyes and ears.

"Okay, in some respects you're right. Making it here requires only a certain amount of bravery that all of the initiates had to have. The rest is self control. You have to prove - above all else - that you are committed to abiding by your faction's expectations and beliefs. The level of bravery you hold that will allow you to be satisfied with yourself is the level you set for yourself. Not others. The level of bravery you show to others is set by them. So, by all means, be as brave as you want after initiation or away from leaders' eyes, but for now tone it down." For being a bunch of spurted words my reply was long winded. Tris just shakes her head. "No… I know." I resist asking 'do you', because he actions haven't proven so, but I bite my tongue.

"Tris, I honestly doubt that people think you're not brave. Everyone else has to play the part just as much as you. You may think that the other initiates have more bravery, but they may just be better at hiding their fear than you. They probably feel more of a need to play the part as part of their ambition to make it here, but I get the feeling that you'd rather be honest with your true fears and doubts. That's pretty brave in itself… even if it's not suitable for Dauntless expectations." Tris pushes her hair out of her face with a worried look on her face.

"It's definitely the leaders I'm worried about. That's why I'm so nervous lately about my bravery. My friends tell me I'm brave, but I don't think I'm as brave as they make me seem." I raise my eyebrow when I remember what Al had said, but she thinks I'm curious, so she sighs again and continues. "I feel like to some of my friends I seem brave only because they aren't…" She scans my face, but it hasn't changed. "Well… not completely not brave, because they all made it here too, but not as brave as they could be. Should be if they want to make it…" She bites her thumb like she's said too much. "Al?" I ask, but it's almost more of a statement. "Yes." She replies. I nod.

"Not trying to demean the compliments given to you, but I would imagine Al either says or thinks that about a lot of people." She shrugs. "I'm not sure if he does, but he certainly made it clear to me today that he... admires me for it." She looks at her feet like she's trying not to blush. "He likes you." "...yeah." I'm not surprised at all. I'm almost positive that everyone else sees the fire in her that I see. Undoubtedly, that fire can be a dangerous thing, but it seems like what she has is what everyone needs some of. It's definitely made my days more interesting to watch her and guide her - if she listens - and to see how she influences others and all in such a short amount of time.

"You don't feel the same?" I ask, forcing the words to sound like a question even when they want to come out as a statement. "No," She replies, looking at her hands out in front of her. "He's just… God. I don't know why I'm telling you this. I'm sorry. You probably couldn't care less." I smirk a little. "No, actually. It's a little amusing." Her head snaps up. I couldn't help but think of how ridiculous it would be to imagine Tris and Al together or how ridiculous it was of me to get so bothered by what I overheard earlier. Their natures don't mix in the slightest... and I'm foolish to believe for a second that it would be appropriate to have feelings for Tris.

"A little amusing that someone likes me, I know." She says bitterly, but I'm not sure if the bitterness was directed towards me or her. I almost want to laugh at her naivety, but also my own inclination. "No, a little amusing because Al is incredibly delicate compared to you, which doesn't exactly help his image." She squints a bit at me. "Your intensities don't match. The theoretical relationship wouldn't stick." I state, shrugging. "Okay, matchmaker, what attributes are appropriate then?" She challenges and folds her arms. "Intensity if they want to keep up with you!" I spout as I lift my eyebrows. "And maybe someone who you can rely on to make it in Dauntless." She scowls for a minute, but then she nods and says, "Or safer: someone who is Dauntless..." I sigh. "Look. the last thing you'd want to do is get attached to someone who may not always be around. You may have made friends here who support you, but at the end of the day you need to make sure that you can rely on yourself when no one else is around. That goes for everyone that you might get close to, even aside from Al not being 'for you'"

I'm not sure if the advice I just gave Tris was for her or me. I've already learned that lesson on my own. She has yet to figure that out. Oddly enough it seems as though we're both in a place we may not fully belong in, but I have the feeling that she's capable of adapting.

"Can I ask you a question?" She urges. I nod, realizing that I've been speaking far too much today. "Did you ever… miss home? You never really answered me when I asked if you were a transfer, but I can tell by the advice you're giving me that you were." I clench my jaw and look to the side as I try to figure out how to bypass the question altogether, but I have to answer it somehow. I almost want to tell her that we technically know each other… though telling her may change quite a few things. "I… I guess I miss what I thought was genuine care for my well being and that… well that just dissolved as I got older. Then I learned that I could only rely on my own damaged methods of comfort even if it meant doing so on my own." When I look back at her she's staring at me intently and her eyes shine bluer under the hue of the hallway lamps.

"I'm not much help to you, Tris. I can tell you had a supporting family, so you have every right to miss them no matter how much you adapt to Dauntless lifestyle. You won't hear that from many people in whichever faction you choose, but at least you're hearing it from someone who tells you that because it's all you really have in life. Knowing that you had something that you miss is better than never really having it in the first place." Tris's eyes dart back and forth between mine. I hadn't noticed how close we'd gotten until now. Should I take a step back? I don't want to, but I probably should. I'd prefer to close the space between us- but she does it first.

Swiftly, she reaches up and kisses me. Is this happening? Her lips are really warm like I imagine the rest of her face is from blushing so much. My arms move instinctively to bring her closer, but she pulls away and puts a hand over her mouth. "Oh my god! Why did I do that?!" She blurts, stunned by her own actions. She has a horrified look on her face and steps back closer to the wall. "Tris-" "Oh god!" I reach out to tell her it's okay. "Tris-" She holds her hands out in front of her chest defensively, like she's trying to surrender. "Four, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have- ugh!" She's still freaking out, but she won't let me get a word in. Instead, I push her back against the rocky wall by the arms. "Stop." I insist and I press my lips on hers. The last thing I see before I feel her warm lips again is her eyes widen.

Her body is tense for a minute, which is understandable seeing as I just pushed her against a wall, so I bring my hands to her face and it's like she melts underneath me. Literally. Her body is radiating so much heat for such a small person and I hadn't really noticed how small she still was despite her training. Finally, she allows her lips to move with mine. I can't help but notice how familiar she feels, despite either of our past experiences (or lack thereof) in Abnegation. Her hands rest on my wrists and we kiss silently in the dimly lit hallway.

Of course, I can't help but think of how inappropriate this is for someone in my position to be doing. Not only am I older than Tris, but I'm her instructor. If we get caught I don't see how anyone wouldn't think that I'm playing favorites if Tris succeeds in the second round of training. My mind is racing between the current buzz I'm experiencing and the varying repercussions of getting caught…

In the distance I hear footsteps quite a ways down the hall. Damnit! I pull away slightly. "Someone's coming. Break apart or continue in hopes that they won't care?" I whisper. "Uhh… is that usual?" She asks. "If we're lucky enough that they don't notice us they may even cheer." I smile. The footsteps become louder and we both look in their direction before looking back again. She bites her lip for a second. "Oh, what the hell." She reaches up again and wraps her arms around my neck. I adjust her hands to cover the tattoo on my neck so I have less of a chance of being identified. The footsteps are a few meters away, so I wrap my arms around her and pull her closer. Despite the fabricated (and frankly out of league) passion we are displaying Tris's lips are delicate and fluid against mine. I may have almost completely not noticed the passerby because of it, were it not for them blurting "Get it!". I smile against her lips and we laugh in response.

"That was… surprising." She states. "For both of us." I agree and we laugh again. I release my hold on her. "Hey. At least now we know for sure that you aren't lacking in bravery." "Mmmmm I'm still not sure if that wasn't just 'emotionally impulsive' again." I shrug. "Whatever it was, I liked it." She gives a small nod. "Me too." She pauses for a moment. "I didn't know you felt that way about me." "Neither did I, really." I admit. "I guess that goes for both of us." I don't blame her. "We both probably felt like we were slipping out of bounds by even admitting to ourselves that there was something between us." "What is this anyway?" She asks. "Well, it's nothing for now… in a way." "Obviously nothing out in the open. That's risky for both of us." "When you get through the second round and we can figure it out from there." "And that's assuming then that I make it in Dauntless?" "You can do it. I'll help you. It's my job to coach everyone through it, but I have a feeling you'll do great." She sighs and we stand an acceptable length away again. "I hope so."

"Are you still heading to the Pit?" I ask. "No… I doubt any of my friends are there anyways. They're probably still with their families." She looks lost in thought for a moment and sort of frowns. "Did your family ever come see you on Visiting Day?" Tris asks. I rub my neck trying to figure out how to evade this question too. "I think that's a story for another day... It's kind of complicated." "That's okay." She gives me a half smile. I try to think when the last time I checked a clock was. Damn. "Hey, Tris. I hate to take off, but I'm pretty sure I have some briefing to do on tonight's rankings and round two of initiation." "That's understandable." "I'll see you after dinner in the dormitory for the rankings though, okay?" "Okay." She smiles and I smile back. I kiss her cheek and turn to leave.

"Hey, Four?" I turn around again. Tris walks up to me and wraps her arms around me. "I think that sometimes you might need a hug as much as I do." I hug her back tightly and focus on her chest rising against mine as she breathes. She lets go of me and I kiss her forehead. "Thanks for that." I say. "Thanks for the advice. Now, go do your instructor business." She laughs as she pushes me towards the Pit. I take one last look over my shoulder as I walk away and realize how much simple reassurance from the right person can mean.