Graphic content warning.
It was the third time Four had witnessed Wayne leaving the compound behind the prying eyes of his camera screens within the last day and a half. Each time, the direction he took before disappearing altogether from sight was the typical way towards Erudite. But that was merely a guess right now. However, he was well aware he was, in fact, going to Erudite having followed him on a previous occasion and he'd bet anything that it was exactly where he was headed right now.
"Subtle, dipshit," Four mumbles to himself.
Four scribbles down the time and date down to the exact seconds the computer tells him so he could review the shots later on.
There was a more tedious and possibly life-threatening task he was going to have to deal with soon. And that would be informing Eric.
Sarah had woken up without Eric sharing her bed. She headed straight for a shower on sore limbs, feeling filthy after their particularly eventful night together. She had let the flow of the shower consume her, brushing her finger against her lips while she reminisced, a slight smile tugging at her mouth.
In her mindsight, she saw Eric kissing her, still felt his body, the ragged breaths, his smell. More specifically, she hears herself gasp and feels the grip of his hand on her shoulder. And while they ravaged her mind, she wouldn't have changed a thing.
Dressed appropriately, she has yet to do her hair when the door to the cabin is opened. In its place stands Eric, holding Jack close to his chest with his heavily decorated forearms showing from his sleeveless jacket. Their eyes lock and she grasps the material of her skirt before running to him. He puts his arm out just in time to catch her on his side, careful of Jack as he holds them both.
She kisses him with urgency, pulling on his neck and biting his lip when he smiles against her mouth. "Sarah… sweetheart…" he tries, mirth playing on voice and Jack coos happily.
"No," she lets out in a whisper.
Eric chuckles. "No what?" But it seems he's still trying to hold back his laughter.
"No... serious," she manages to mumble. "I want to stay here. With you... with Jack." Sarah pulls his mouth back to hers. "No duties." The whine in her voice was evident with the pout she tries to conceal.
Eric shakes his head, scoffing. "Mmm, but we're not alone…"
Sarah stops instantly, eyes widening, then whips her head over his shoulder to Mary and Mark. "Oh…" Mary waves slightly and Mark is gazing away, rubbing the back of his neck before greeting her. Slowly dropping down to her feet, she's riddled with embarrassment. "Sorry."
With panicked hands, she begins pulling her hair back and heads into the room to tie her hair up. Jack yells out and Eric bounces him, following her, completely amused with her awkwardness. "You know, I'm not shy," he mumbles, leering at her.
"Don't," she snaps back, cheeks still pink and unable to look at him. "You should have said something."
"Why? Everybody knows I screw you."
Sarah peers behind him in anxiety that the others can hear, but they stand by the door, chatting to each other in whispers. When she feels the coast is clear, she frowns at him. "You're a rude man, you know that?"
Eric is almost gyrating in his own personal glory. "You like it when I'm rude, Sarah." He stands tall and imposing when she reaches out for Jack, making sure she has to feel his body through his open jacket in their exchange. Without saying anything more on the subject, he grabs the back of her neck, pulling her towards him. He looks intently over her face, then Jack's, and kisses her quickly. The sincerity within his touch is there, and for a minute her heart skips a beat.
"Stay with Mark and Mary for the rest of the day. Johanna has informed me she has come to a decision. I'm due in five minutes."
Sarah's eyes widen in surprise and her smile is hopeful. "Do you think she has accepted; that she agrees?"
"She wants to. But I hear there are festivities tonight, so if that's a clue as any…" He trails off, looking over his shoulder then back to her while rolling his lip between his teeth. "Will you wear your hair down for me?"
His question comes as a shock to her, and she doesn't particularly know how to reply. "What? Later on?"
"Yeah."
Her cheeks burn again with nowhere else to look as she holds their baby. "But, that's against the rules."
"We've probably broken every fucking rule so far, what's the difference in another? You know I don't care about rules when it comes to…" He hesitates and Sarah holds her breath. "...it."
Even though he doesn't say it, he half grimaces, and she knew for a fact he meant her. Her mouth forms a weak smile and they both look to the floor at the same time. "You better get going then."
He moves as if he was about to touch her, then stops, shrouding himself with an untraceable expression. "Mark," he calls, not bothering to turn his head till after a heartbeat passes between them. When her stomach just begins to sink, Eric reaches out to Jack's hand, playing with his fingers and brushing against her collarbone. She finds herself ghosting towards him, just skimming her hand against the hem of his jacket until he moves away. Eric barks some sort of order and pushes himself through Mary and Mark's closeness, heading down the dirt track that leads up to their cabin without looking back.
It's okay though because she knew Eric Coulter well enough now to know that that was a huge effort on his part. All she had to do next was to face Mark and Mary for the rest of the evening.
But it doesn't help when Mark asks her, "Did you get a good sleep?" with a sly smirk while Mary nudges him with her elbow. "Ow."
Mark's busy chatting with a group of Dauntless that have been situated at Amity for the patrols. Sarah guesses he knows them by the way they joke and gestures between them.
She finds him rather attractive considering Eric had captured her tastes. He had a genuine smile that was natural and innocent while Eric's was always somewhat... forced.
She can't help but glance at Mary pushing herself back and forth slowly on a tree-tied swing, unabashedly staring at him. Around them, the Amity people sat in groups on log seats with small fires while music played and a woman sang in the distance. It cast a tranquil feel, almost dreamy, and it felt strange to what they were used to. However, the Dauntless don't seem too fussed, used to this obvious event when Johanna probably made any decision. Any excuse for a party.
Jack begins to fuss, grabbing her attention, so she lays him in her arms, stroking his face as she dotingly rocks him side to side. "He's a nice guy. Good-looking, too." Sarah bites her lip on her awful attempt at prying.
"I really like him," Mary says but she sounds sad, pushing herself back to swing higher.
Sarah frowns at her sister. "Is there something wrong?"
"How is a typical stiff and a Dauntless patrolman ever going to get a shot at being together. It's unheard of and it's not like he's got authority that he can throw around…" She looks at Sarah hurriedly. "I didn't mean that horribly."
"I know."
"It will never work between us."
"At the moment, the only person I hear doubting and saying that, is you."
Mary stops swinging. "Because it's true."
"Have you told him how you feel? What you think?"
"We spoke last night. And to be fair it didn't help." She smiles. "It was…" She sighs, throwing her legs out to swing again. "Amazing. We just spoke for hours on the cabin steps and then he insisted I go to bed while he kept watch. I fear that I won't see him tonight if Eric puts him on duty…" She's abrupt, suddenly stopping and walking over to Sarah, sitting beside her. "If I have Jack-"
"I can't let you do that. I've missed him." Sarah leans to kiss Jack's head. "My beautiful baby boy."
"But when will I get the chance to look after Jack again? Or be with Mark, or even have you in such close proximity when you go back to Dauntless?" Mary asks. "It's stupid, but with Jack with me, I felt like I had a purpose. I felt like I was helping you."
Sarah smiles. "Being here with me right now, you are helping me."
"It's the first time in a long time that I've seen you happy."
"I am happy. I wish we could stay like this, but you know we can't. It's not reality."
"It made me realize how much I want my own children."
Mary's omission startles Sarah and a small smile forms on her lips. "A certain man wouldn't happen to have you thinking like this?"
"He loves Jack. And he said he was in love with...me."
Sarah shakes her head. "Mary, no. You know what happened last time. I don't want you rushing into anything-"
"I believe he means it, Sarah. I really do. But it's me putting a halt to everything. He doesn't make me say or do anything I don't want to. He's honest. Polite. I feel safe with him." Mark waves over at the two of them exaggeratedly while they both only wave hesitantly. He must sense they're talking about him as he says his goodbyes quickly and begins heading their way. "Let's change the conversation."
"Agreed."
Mark is a whirlwind of clumsiness and being openly awkward. He falls between Mary and Sarah on the grass, breathing heavily and takes off his cap to hit it on his knee. "What you girls doing?"
Sarah smirks at his lack of awareness to people's space, pulling her skirt out from underneath him. "Talking about you."
"Oh, yeah? What are you saying?"
When she sees Mary threatening her by slicing her neck, Sarah tries to stern her face. "We were just wondering about the people you know here. How you know them."
"Two of them are older and know my sister. The other lot just by hanging around in Dauntless." He frowns harshly in front of him, cracking a smile that's enhanced with the moonlight shortly after. "What the-"
Sarah follows his eyeline and sees Amity dancing, just as the vocals raise and the music echoes. "Do Amity drink?"
"The peace serum I think… Among other things."
"And you know this…" Sarah begins but his cheeky grin was enough to answer her question.
"Part of training we have to spend a week here." For some reason she feels heavy, thinking about Eric's reply back in the truck about Amity. She wondered if any of the girls were around now. She unconsciously grips Jack tighter as the insecurity infects her but dares not say anything. Mary didn't need to even think along those lines either. But luckily he continues, "We have to go to each faction to get a feel for it. Amity is always the longest. It's further away."
"...I didn't know." Sarah briefly wonders if she should have deflected to Amity. She could easily see herself fitting in here. It was a fact though that most Abnegation deflections were to Amity, and at the time she didn't want to be another statistic.
A crunch behind them has them all startle towards Eric's darkened figure looming over them. "Do you know how long I've been fucking looking for you?" he grumbles and Mark's the first to stand, then Mary. But Sarah doesn't, not wanting to disturb Jack. "Luckily for you, Mark, I bumped into the patrol who had just spoken to you." Eric's face clearly portrays he was just about to lose his shit.
"Sorry, sir. I didn't think-"
"Clearly not." Eric pockets his hands. Now Sarah tries to move, uncrossing her legs. It was best they get back for Jack anyway.
Mark jerks towards her under Eric's limelight, helping her stand. "Do you want me to escort your wife back?" he asks.
"Wife?" Eric coughs the word out, his mouth hanging open in utter disbelief.
Sarah grabs Mark's arm, speaking quickly. "Oh no, Mark. Me and Eric, we are not-"
Mark scoffs. "Really? That's unheard of! Abnegation doesn't believe in children before marriage, so I just assumed… Mary didn't explain, said it was hard..." Mark stutters and Sarah digs her fingers into his arm harder. Trust him to put his foot in it, and to continue to do so like verbal diarrhea.
Eric steps closer, tilting his head. "What are you trying to say, Mark?"
Mark thinks Eric's joking and laughs at first but it slowly rockets down when he realizes Eric is the least bit amused. "I just thought it was funny that-" His face drops. "Nothing. Nothing, sir."
"Spit it out!" he snarls, his nostrils flaring while his jaws tick in agitation.
Mark gulps. "I just thought it would be funny that you'd still allow her to technically be classed as 'single', that was all."
A deft silence falls and Sarah looks to the ground. "Get the fuck out of here." Eric's words are final and he indicates to Mary also, glowering at them both. They are quick to remove themselves.
Sarah can't help but think Mark was right. Whether it be that small insecurity creeping back from earlier that made it feel worse, she would rather turn on her back on Eric in this moment then face him. To be fair, she had never thought about it till now.
"Johanna agreed." His voice is gruff behind her, the sound of his boots scuffing the ground as he gets closer.
"That's great." He swoops in on her exposed neck, linking his arms around her waist to pull her back against him, but she is tense, almost trying to shrug off his advance. "Can we head back? I'm tired."
Eric snorts through his nose, most likely aware of her shift in mood, however, doesn't remark on it. "Did Mark put Jack's things at our place?"
"Yes." The music is joyful, filtering through the terrain but Sarah feels the complete opposite. Maybe she was just tired? On that thought, she forces herself to turn and smile at him but Eric isn't fooled.
In the darkness of the Dauntless hallways, Four bides his time, arms crossed and leaning against a wall in the shadows. The corners of his lips lift when he sees Wayne officially allowing himself back into the compound with his card. After all this time, it seemed the guards also liked to mess with the man. Perhaps it had something to do with his complete ass arrogance he was so cocksure of and used on the people around him. A complete asshole in many ways, but he didn't have time to linger on it.
Wayne was so easily predictable that Four knows he would come this way. He would go to the security room, across the chasm bridge in order to wipe footage if it was too revealing or check the database of any reports on his movements.
He watches Wayne pushing back the longest part of his hair on top of his head, smiling to himself as he unsuspectedly heads in his direction.
With as much force as he can muster, Four grabs Wayne's jacket, blocking the right hook that flies out in surprise. Pushing him up against the wall, he pins him there and watches as his face changes to try and fool him.
"Where have you been, Wayne?" Four slams him back against the rock for good measure. "Did you have a nice day out? Was the weather good?"
"Mr. Sassypants has a chip on his shoulder today." Wayne spits through his teeth, still leering. "Be careful, you're putting proof to what people say about you batting for the other side." Four growls in response and Wayne laughs at him. "Touched a nerve?"
"How was Jeanine?"
Wayne hesitates for a moment, then licks his bottom lip and grins arrogantly. "I'm now aware that she likes anal."
"When Eric is back, he is the first to know about your secret liaisons. You know that, right?" Four hisses out through clenched teeth.
"Feisty for a guy without a brave bone in his body. Your refusal of Leadership is a real bother..."
Four scoffs, loosening his grip somewhat, tired of Wayne's constant avoidance. All of a sudden, every inch of control flutters away - he jerks Wayne from the wall, kicking out his bad leg and pushes his head over the edge of the chasm. "Shut up! What's the story behind mine and Clair's involvement?"
"I have no idea…" Wayne grunts out from underneath him.
Four places his knuckles on Wayne's throat. "I was lied to!"
Wayne snorts and glares up at him. "By who?"
"My only involvement was helping Sarah from the premises. Why do I feel differently now with Clair's sudden change in behavior?" He puts a knee into Wayne's stomach, slowly applying pressure. "Why do I feel there is more to it than that?"
"Clair?!" Wayne tries to control the desperation in his voice and winces as Four leans his full weight on him.
"Clair won't speak to me; acts as if nothing has changed. Then I hear factionless have dauntless weapons. It's one of two people, Wayne."
"Oh, that weren't you?" Wayne arches an eyebrow and pouts mockingly.
That does it for Four. He grabs Wayne's hand, snapping back his fingers. Wayne grunts out in pain as Four leans over him to hiss, "If I find out my name has been used in anything but what I thought was the right thing to do, there's going to be a problem."
"I would love to see you run crying to Eric's sorry, weak ass. I don't think he'd take it well that beloved little Four knew of the 'big plan'. I bet he'd be really pissed... Who gives a fuck that you weren't aware of your involvement? You were involved, whether knowingly or not."
"But you were…" Spit flies from his mouth in his agitation but he doesn't care. "You were aware."
"I wanted my position back! No Stiff was going to take that away from me, screaming wolf the moment I came on to her. She should've been honored."
Four's grin is wide. He pulls out an audio recorder and waggles it in Wayne's face. His eyes widen before Four knees him in the groin and he gets up to leave.
The creak from the small wooden porch has Eric turning his head quickly over his shoulder. When Sarah comes to a stop beside him, her hands entwined in front of her, he turns back around.
"What are you doing?" Her question is innocent and her soft voice so soothing that he could almost think that he'd imagined it in his head.
"Taking a breather." His reply is short, but not ill-tempered. In fact, in this moment there wasn't anything particularly bothering him. He had air in his lungs, the sound of crickets chirping along with the discreet music echoing from the nearby Amity dome. The open room they were staying in didn't need him loitering around as Sarah settled Jack into his temporary cot, so he had found an alternative option.
Sarah's smiling to herself. "Is that so?"
His eyes glide over her, more specifically to her hair and frowns. "You didn't wear your hair down for me." Sarah fumbles a hand to the back of her head, pulling out her hairband and flattening the crimped waves. "That was an order. I don't like being disobeyed."
"I can't disobey if I genuinely forget, Eric. Tying it up is like second nature to me, just like breathing." Her slight fingers keep twirling through a strand of hair long after they needed to. She also keeps her eyes down to the floor, making her appear smaller, just reaching his shoulder.
"Second nature should be listening to me," he grumbles, trying to keep a stern face, although looking at her sheepish demeanor almost made his lips quirk upwards.
"That sounds rather demanding."
"Yeah, but you've got a little kink going on with the subject of demands, Sarah," he mumbles with a wolfish grin and nudges her softly.
There is the slightest flicker in her brow before she turns her head, gazing at the pocket of his jacket. "When are you going to stop teasing me?"
She addresses the issue almost shyly, and that's what intrigues him. "When you stop biting." She moves away from him, about to leave when he suddenly grabs her, causing her to gasp. "Where are you going?"
"To bed."
He pulls her against him and instinctively she reaches up to drape her arms on his shoulders. His hands come to rest on her hips, and only then he realizes that she is swaying slightly from side to side.
Yes, he could hear the music too, still droning on in the distance. He never favored music, especially when it was so goddamn awful. Eric never liked dancing, but he purses his lips, deigning her the pleasure of the moment.
"Eric, I don't want to change Jack's name…" Sarah closes her eyes, slipping one hand down his chest and he is about to tell her some home truths until she continues on. "I don't want him to unless-"
"Don't, Sarah. I know what you are going to say and I'm going to have to disappoint you and I don't want to do that right now."
"What are you afraid of?"
"Afraid?" he asks incredulously. "Nothing. I can't-"
She breaks away from him. "Is it really that problematic for you? I love-"
"Finishing that sentence is stupid."
"I love you," Sarah says despite his warning. "You know I do. We have a child together. We are happy together when your insecurities are distracted. Jack is happy!"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Both their voices raise and he can't help himself and the step he takes forward, causing her to flinch. "Insecurities?"
"You always build a wall between us to fit in with your perfect depiction of a Dauntless Leader..." she trails off, suddenly unsure of her words, comforting herself by crossing her arms and hugging herself tightly. "Are you ashamed?" she asks with great caution.
"You're losing me now? I am insecure and ashamed?" He runs a hand down his face, trying to keep himself under control. But it snaps in an instant - he rushes forward, grips her arms and shakes her. "Perhaps I'm insecure because you took my fucking memory from me despite you telling me how much you loved me. Perhaps I am ashamed that I allowed you to get so close to me that you were able to do that!"
Her rosy lips tremble and she stares up at him with large eyes, holding up her hands, palms facing him in an attempt to calm him down. Slowly she lowers her hands to touch his arms, the pads of her fingers stroking gently on his skin. "...And I think you know why I did it."
"I would never hurt Jack!" He moves quickly to grip her neck, pulling her forward. "I will never hurt you." He tries to convince her by emphasizing the words, focusing his eyes on hers. "But I need time, Sarah."
Tears stream down her face, she's crying, pathetically and Eric hated crying.
"Are you ever going to be able to forgive me?" She sniffs, trying to turn her head to hide her tears but he keeps his grip tight. "Or are you always going to throw it back in my face?"
"We both need time. Are you listening to me? Can you hear what I'm saying?" Sarah scrunches her nose up and nods at him. "Good. I don't want to hear any more of it."
However, all Eric can think of now is how much he hated seeing her usually bright face appearing so dismal and he mentally rolls his eyes. There was always going to be the issue of falling back into the same old sparring match of the past, no matter how good their future looked at times. All because he was a creature of habit.
Inhaling deeply, he huffs out, lifting her hand to the side. "Are we going to dance or what, then?"
Her plump cheeks shine with tears, but she lights up, almost sobbing a "Yes" in relieving humor.
It's awkward and clumsy at first, swaying too slow for the drifting beat. He spins her when she laughs, pulling her against him midway and her back hits his chest. Clearing the stuck hairs on her dry tears, he pulls the length of it to the side, sucking the pale skin of her neck gently - just like he had wanted to do earlier, but now it felt right.
"You're perfect," he whispers the only words that crossed his mind in that moment. Nothing else seemed more appropriate.
Wayne sits hunched over on his grubby couch, pushing his fingers harshly into his skin while replaying the moment with Four over and over again.
He'd messaged Jeanine, tried to ring her multiple times and she hadn't answered. Wayne was well aware that when Eric got back from his trip, Four was going to be the first to find him. He'd play the audio to him and beg him for mercy all while exposing Wayne's every crime, which for some reason he still didn't know about.
A slow grumble leaves his throat on the thought. The pressure was building inside his mind and he couldn't think straight anymore. His heart pounded constantly, palpitating at the sheer idea of Eric finding out.
His phone rings on the littered coffee table, and when he rushes to reach out to it, he knocks over the half-drunk bottle of whiskey that had kept his interest for the past hour in his desperation. But he doesn't pick it up, he just lets it glug out onto the thin carpet to match the other unknown stains around him.
"Jeanine!" His voice breaks somewhat in a tipsy slur. He clears his throat, waiting for her reply.
"Everything's compromised, Wayne, I'm aware of that. It's time to act now. But first, we need that recording."
"Fuck the recording! I've gotta get out of here. I can't stay here."
"Retrieve the recording and I'll help you disappear."
"Does it really matter?" Wayne is already on his feet, gathering his most precious items - which wasn't a lot. "I'm done."
"You have a day until Eric's return, so my informants tell me. I want that recording disposed of immediately, otherwise, you are on your own."
In his frustration, he grips his hair and starts pacing up and down. "What does it matter? I get the recording, Four can still blab anyway. He might even have other things on me. I don't know what that loner freak has been doing-"
"Clair is my cousin. Her involvement does not need to be exposed and if what you say is true, that Four guesses Clair had been allowing-"
"Excuse me if I'm wrong, ma'am, but that ain't really a hard guess. Who else can log into Eric's computer? Who else can loiter without appearing suspicious - who sees all, hears all..."
"Get rid of the damn recording! Get rid of Four! I don't care how you do it!"
Wayne stops pacing and pouts. "Awh, Jeanine, the pressure getting to ya? Not starting to feel bad for the people you got involved now, do you?"
There's a long pause and he can hear Jeanine breathe deeply. "What you said about Sarah... I can make everything worthwhile."
Wayne hovers his tongue on his lip in thought. "Keep talking."
"When Eric comes for me - which he will, he will not have Sarah with him. Get rid of the brat. I'll deal with Eric. And then you can bring Sarah here. We can...infiltrate her memories. Replace them… with you."
Wayne starts laughing. "Deal with Eric!" His voice is almost hysterical.
"You have nothing to lose either way. If anything you have everything to gain."
Wayne sterns his face, consciously drifting over to his kitchen counter full with papers and other random shit he couldn't be bothered to clean up. Here, he uncovers a copy of Sarah's pass photo, letting his nicotine stained fingers run across her face.
"Four must be dealt with, Wayne. Even in Eric's absence, he still has the power to cripple everything we have been working for. It only takes a group to doubt and it will destroy our ulterior motive. The future needs us."
The thought of one leading faction doesn't seem that bad when he'd be in with the winning crowd. He could have a good position within society, with a woman he'd been craving since he stopped denying the knowledge to himself. "Alright."
Sarah is laying on top of Eric, her head supported by her arms on his stomach while he relaxes back. She plays with the ridges of his muscles as he talks with sleep still on the edge of his voice. She doesn't find the topic of tactical weapons very interesting, but she listens anyway.
Jack yawns in his temporary cot, already fed, changed, played with between Eric and her in bed and already settling for a mid-morning nap. Sarah could happily join him.
"You need to learn how to shoot a gun," Eric suddenly suggests, the conversation having taken a unique turn.
She looks up at him now and he's only staring at the ceiling, putting his arms behind his head. "I don't think so."
"Why not? It's beneficial and it would be stupid to leave you uninformed or ill-equipped."
She smiles to herself before she speaks. "Why would I need to when I have you to protect me?" Eric shifts underneath her, peering over to Jack while the kid begins to snore.
"Are you questioning my knowledge, Sarah?" Her pleasant drift of daydreaming on top of him is interrupted by a wandering hand of his down her side.
"No. I wouldn't dare."
"Get your pretty little ass up here and say that."
"Eric…" she complains while he pulls her up more towards him and shifts lower till he could look her in the face. He ventures up her nightdress, pulling up to her mid-back till eventually, he whips it over her head. She's conscious of her body, till he leans up to her breast, taking the nipple into his mouth while he squeezes and directs her ass on top of his groin. "We can't…"
"He's none the wiser. He's sleeping through us talking." Eric doesn't pause, gathering her hair and wrapping it around his hand to bring her head forward. He tastes like the coffee they had delivered with their breakfast. She didn't favor coffee, but it tastes good on him.
Sarah pulls the sheets up till they completely cover them, though she suspected Eric's feet would be poking out. He glides up her ribcage and it elicits a giggle, the side of Eric's mouth quirking up while he watches her. She bites her lip while gazing down at him and rolls her hips, pushing her nails into his chest.
Eric's too impatient, he reaches down to his dick, rubbing his tip against her core. Slowly but surely, inch by inch, she sinks down on top of him, relishing in the way his mouth parts and his breathing increases. She rocks steadily forward, taking her time, and being incredibly quiet.
Sarah finds this more sensual than before. Even though his eyes did wander down her body, they would quickly snap back to meets hers. He wasn't grinning or smirking, nor seemed elsewhere in his thoughts but exactly here, with her.
Eric groans when she leans down to him and she traces a thumb across his bottom lip. He grips her hips but other than that, he leaves her in control. It felt as though it was his way of allowing her to make love to him. To show him how.
Going back to Dauntless was inevitable. But she took her time, going slow for once. After all, they needed time.
Four wrapped up his shift at the control room. If he was honest with himself, sitting behind a computer screen for hours on end wasn't his forte. He was actually kind of looking forward to the initiates coming in the next few months so he had something mentally and physically challenging to do.
Not that the whole situation on the inside of Dauntless wasn't bothering him into personal madness.
He'd kept the audio on a small USB on him at all times, not daring to leave it unaccompanied in his apartment. He knew Wayne well enough that if he put his mind to something he was surely capable.
From the transmissions in the control room, he knows that Eric was due back late that evening, which meant he wasn't going to be able to catch-up with him until the morning. But he had time.
On that thought he rolls his shoulders, relieving the ache before taking the stairs. The sooner he got back, the sooner he could shut himself away and not worry about anything until the morning.
Four hesitates for a fraction of a second, glancing down the hallway. His anxiety was higher than usual; his mind playing games with him most of the day. Typing in his code, he takes one sweep of his apartment. Noting that nothing had changed and the lack of presence, he shrugs off his jacket and kicks his boots to the side.
He almost feels he should've eaten down in the mess hall, the thought of cooking was tiresome - he just wanted a shower and then go to sleep, and worry about what comes next in the morning. However, his stomach detested unreasonably. He takes a smoothie he'd made yesterday, the only quick drink he could find, downing half before rummaging for something more substantial. A previously tubbed stew would do the trick. Easily heatable on the hob, full of the good stuff.
Four checks his phone one last time, setting it on the counter behind him then prepares to cook. At first, it's the heaviness of his eyes that frustrates him, he rubs them for good measure while finishing off his drink and stirring his stew simmering in the pan. But then the sudden spinning in his head, his arms tingling with a strange weakness, turns the cogs in his mind.
He can't make the two steps towards his phone before collapsing, his hand still up and reaching towards the counter. He tries to shout out - to who, no one particular. It was just sheer panic racing through him now.
Rolling onto his back, his arm smacks on the laminate floor and he stares up at the ceiling, only able to hear the lock on his door swirl open. It seems like a long moment till he hears boots stomping towards him, struggling to see beyond his own nose.
"Well, well, well...the formidable Four…" Wayne slants over to lean on the counter, right next to Four's phone. Slowly the one-eyed man peers down at it, picking it up and waving it at him. "This seems like, kind of a familiar scenario we got going on here." Four tries his hardest to speak, to resist, but has no control over his body at all. If anything, only his breathing increases. "No point, bucko. You'll be paralyzed for a good hour now. I felt bad though, and allowed you to be able to hear and see me…" Wayne smirks, lifting up his eyepatch to reveal a lumpy scar from a sewn eyelid. "...See and hear what I am going to do to you." He sucks on his lip, making a kissing sound. "I'll make it quick, I promise. I ain't got a lotta time."
He crouches down, sneering in Four's face. "Did it give you thrills ass-fucking me with your idea of recording me admitting my offenses? Getting one up on Eric's top right-hand man? ...Me and Eric are friends for a reason, pal. We have a lot of similarities." His grin is wide, showing all his teeth. "Soon, we'll have the same woman, too. I'm going to fucking ruin it."
Four rages on the inside but he can't even move his toes.
"You enjoyed your smoothie, then?" Wayne's hand dives into Four's pant pockets, taking out a set of keys, security pass, and the USB. He holds up to him. "Good thing you're a simple man, huh? Could've been here all day earlier, tarring your gear." Wayne doesn't meet his eye, instead, he looks up to the highest cupboards next to them, and stands. From above, he removes a small camera which Four guesses is wired to his phone to make sure he'd officially been drugged. Wayne pockets it, along with everything else he's found.
Next, he turns off the flame of the cooker, the stew having been spitting for a minute on the high heat Four was trying to use to hurry up the process. He knocks all the gas handles on the oven, the hissing evident into the room. "For effect…" Wayne wiggles his nose at Four. "Okay, think we're good."
Four can't yell as Wayne dips down to him, picks up his limp body with effort and heads over to the bed in the open living area. He places him on the bed, taking his time to adjust him. "We could've been friends." He pouts mockingly, then snorts, flinging a leg over Four and straddles him.
Four wanted to scream, kick out and murder the bastard atop of him. All he could smell was a radiating linger of booze and stale cigarettes mixed with an acrid sweat and something else he'd rather not fathom coming from Wayne. Nothing on Four's body moved as much as he tried to force himself. Even blinking was long and took a lot of effort, his breathing unnaturally slow now.
"I want to know if what all the people say about you is true." He bounces up and down on top of him. "Whether you do take it. But...I'm real sorry, I'm just not into all that." It's his final words, everything happening too quickly for him to comprehend.
Four did see Wayne's hand slip inside his jacket but nothing else as a cool, ripping sensation in his stomach begins to burn till he feels the warmth spread and pool underneath him. He couldn't even yell in pain. In his mind, he just tells himself to breathe.
"Shh," Wayne soothes, putting a finger to his own mouth, leaning heavier on top of him. "It's okay, I got this," he whispers, pushing deeper then yanking the knife out. He holds it up to Four like he was displaying it. "Huh, fatal wound. Probably sliced your small intestine and severed your colon - mere guess, though." He chuckles. "But I don't want to leave this half-assed. Wouldn't be fair." He pushes the knife back in one more time, then eases it down into Four, twisting it.
But it doesn't matter now. The coldness of his limbs is fading, a shriveled grainy sight of the ceiling above him, and he feels as though he could just float away in an overwhelming sleep. He doesn't want Wayne to be the last thing he sees. But he wishes Wayne gets what's coming for him, his last and most coherent thought while slowly, his world fades to a shade of blinding white, then black, then…
It's at dinner that Eric received a phone call at the table. It was a relaxed meal before they were due to leave in an hour. But everything had taken a dramatic change.
Sarah watches Eric pace up and down outside the open glass doors. It's a long call and she can sometimes hear his voice booming, tensing up every time.
Mary sits next to her, a hand on Jack in Sarah's arms in comfort as they watched. "What's going on?" Mary whispers and Sarah wonders if she felt the surging sickness of dread running through her as well.
"I don't know. Whatever it is, it's not good." Her gaze drifts to the guards hovering around Eric, keeping their distance but ready for any orders. Everything about Eric's face is twisted, his cheeks tinged with pink in anger, eyes squinted and his shoulders are braced. She was sure at any minute that he was going to explode. Even the Amity would glance around them, some looking at her in curiosity.
Suddenly Eric ends the call, liasoning with his guards quickly, then heading back inside. Every part of the genuinely relaxed Eric was gone, he had his Leader guise in full participation. "Mark!" Eric barks, walking up to their group. "I want you to take Sarah and Jack to Abnegation with you." By the time he had reached Sarah, he tries to pull her from the table. "Stay inside. Don't leave until I tell you to."
Eric's too rough and Sarah can't untangle herself quick enough and keep Jack steady all at the same time. "Eric! Stop!" He doesn't listen, putting a hand on her back and pushes her out of the large room and through the doors outside, almost marching them.
"Pack your things. You're leaving." Eric commands, barely looking at her, talking mainly to Mark. "You take my truck. Don't stop for anybody. Keys are in the cab."
"Eric, wait!" Sarah tries again with him almost dragging her. She digs her heels in, pulling away. "What is going on!?"
"It doesn't matter. Go."
"No!"
Eric stares her down but she doesn't budge, so he relents. "There's been a fire. A breach of security. Now go."
"What do you mean? What do you think this is? Do you think this is...Jeanine?" Her eyebrows raise as she talks fearfully. "Do you think she is behind this?"
"I haven't got a doubt that this is something to do with her." He looks over his shoulder, moving closer to her. Lowering his voice, he frowns at her. "Four is dead. He's a highly ranked personnel and it's sent Dauntless into chaos. It's the beginning of what Jeanine wanted, for Dauntless to question their authority. I just didn't think she'd be brave enough to pull a stunt like that just yet."
The news shocked her, emotions burning in her chest for her to tell the truth. "Eric, there is something I haven't told you…"
His eyes widen only slightly, and he drifts back, away from her. "Is this going to piss me off?"
"Yes." Jack lets out a whimper, fidgeting against her in his blankets.
"Do I need to hear it right now?"
"It's relevant." She moves closer to touch his arm. "Four was the one that helped me escape from Dauntless."
"The Stiff?!" he exclaims, his jaw dropping.
"He knew Wayne was bad. He protected me. He was a good man."
"Luckily for him, he's already dead…" Eric sneers in utter fury.
"No, that's not all of it. Wayne...his eye...you did that. You did that when you found out Wayne was coming on to me...when he tried to kiss me. And you banished him from Leadership. You stripped him of everything."
"Why the fuck didn't you tell me this sooner, Sarah!?"
"Because-" she stutters, panicking to say everything so it made it sense as tears slip down her cheeks. "I thought you wouldn't believe me! Wayne told me you wouldn't believe me over him!" She whimpers as if she was being reprimanded by her parents, bouncing from one leg to the other. "I was scared!"
Eric nods his head multiple times, staring at her in deep thought while grinding his teeth. Taking her by complete surprise, he does the one thing she wasn't expecting - he cups the back of her head, pulling her against him. Jack whines between them and Eric kisses her hair, then whispers, "Do you think you're capable of convincing Abnegation to abolish Jeanine?"
"It won't be hard." She tilts her head to look up at him.
"Candor is fifty-fifty. I'm going ahead with or without them. Too much is at stake."
"You're going for Jeanine now, aren't you?" The mere thought was terrifying to her and she knew Eric was going to kill her. Jeanine was possibly more dangerous than she'd ever thought; she had the ownership to Eric's serum and god knows what else.
"Yes."
They peel away from each other, and Sarah does up a button on his jacket with great concern just so she could touch him that little bit longer. "Please be careful. Come home to your family in one piece."
Eric nods but he doesn't pledge himself, kissing her and Jack instead, though his mouth was turned down. And suddenly Mark is leading her away from where Eric stood, stoic while watching them with pocketed hands. She didn't even notice there were people around them. She didn't even hear the truck.
Mark aids Sarah up into the cab in her trance-like state. Not taking her eyes off of Eric, she only feels Mary place a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
A/N
Thanks for reading! There is one final chapter and a small half which will involve a time-jump, left. :(
Of course, my long list of thank you's are endless.
Poor Four.
Have a great week!