Hey everyone! I was planning to update sooner, but I ended up in the hospital again. While I was there, I was in so much pain that they had to put me on pretty strong pain killers and, long story short, I basically slept for three days. So I'm back now and I hope you like the new chapter. Shoot me a review and tell me what you think!

Olivia-Ivy – Glad you liked my take on last chapter. To answer your question, I was looking at a map of Navy Pier for an attraction to center my capture the flag chapter around that wasn't the Ferris-wheel or carousel when I noticed the "Amazing Chicago Funhouse Maze", and I thought that could be fun.

hidden-behind-the-stars – I am glad to hear that you like my version of Eric and my story! As for your question, I have had the end of this story planned out and basically written since before I posted chapter one. Obviously I can't tell you how this story ends, but I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Still don't own Eric or the Divergent world

Chapter Nine

Eric's POV

I walk into my apartment and fling myself into my bed. I clench and unclench my fists angrily as I replay the conversation from earlier through my head for what must be the hundredth time. Today was Max and I's meeting with Jeanine Mathews and It was every bit as unpleasant as I had envisioned…

"What, exactly, are you proposing?" Max asked, resting his head in his hands.

Jeanine leans forward in her seat, studying Max in the same predatory way that she looked at me the day that she told me I had to choose Dauntless. She smirks, "Exactly what I said, that our two factions align to remove the self-righteous Abnegation from power and to implement a system that works for all parties."

Max sighs, "And how, may I ask, do you intend to do that?" Although I already know the answer I am hoping that her answer will prove the sick feeling in the pit of my stomach wrong.

Her eyes move from Max and over to meet mine for the first time since I entered, before shooting back to the older man, "Leave the details to me, all I need is your assurance that you will act with me when the time comes."

"I have done a lot of things, Jeanine, terrible horrible things, to further your plans without asking for much in return but…"

Jeanine swiftly cuts him off, "Then you realize that it would be illogical to start questioning me now, when I have never lead you astray before." She shuffles the papers on her desk for a moment before gesturing toward the door, "You can go now, Maxwell."

I stand to follow the furious older man out, but halt at the sound of the Erudite leader's voice, "Wait a moment Eric, I still need to speak with you about something."

I glance at Max, and after a grudging nod I position myself in the seat in front of the desk and wait for the sound of the door clicking shut. I wait for her to talk, but after a couple of moments she has made no move to open her mouth, she just continues to shuffle through the papers on her desk. I haven't been alone in the same room with Jeanine since the day before my choosing ceremony, and now that I am I remember why I have avoided this moment for as long as I have.

Finally, she lets the pages fall and brings her eyes to meet mine, "From what I hear from Max, you just barely succeeded in what I asked you to do at our last meeting." She pauses to study me, waiting for me to make up some sort of excuse I suppose. When I don't respond she continues, "The next portions of my plan require much more focus and precision." She pulls an envelope out of one of her drawers and hands it to me, "I want to make sure that you are putting your mission first, and not allowing anything," She pauses as I open the file, "Or anyone to distract you."

I forget to breath for a moment as I flip through the contents, a series of security camera still frames. In one Gabby is kissing my cheek in the pit the night she colored her hair. In the next she is leaning against the wall while I unlock the door to my apartment. The final picture is from the night before last; it shows the two of us emerging from the maze building, I am wearing a huge smirk and she has paint smeared across her face.

Once she is satisfied with my reaction, Jeanine continues, "I am not telling you that you can't be close to anyone, in fact quite the opposite as I need you to homologize with the Dauntless for my plan to work." She leans back in her chair and gives me a sympathetic look that is as forced as the come, "I just need you to understand that if she distracts you, or starts getting in the way of my plans for the divergent, I will have to remove her from the equation. As you know, I don't enjoy lacking control over all the variables."

After a moment I nod and she motions toward the door. When I get out to the hall Max is leaning against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. We walk out the back way to avoid drawing attention to ourselves and are about half way back to the train when I finally speak, "What do you think?"

Max considers my question for a moment before replying, "I hate that woman, don't get me wrong, but we're in too deep to quit now." He pauses and studies the sky for a moment, "We'll agree to help with whatever her plan is."

I open my eyes, brought back to the present by the sound of a soft nock on my door. I glance at the clock on my wall; it's nearly midnight so I have no idea who could be bugging me this late.

I cross the room and open the door to find Gabby standing nervously in the hall. I quickly move to the side to let her in before shutting the door, the picture of the two of us outside my door from the file in Jeanine's office flashing into my mind.

"Is now a bad time?" She knows me too well; she knows that something is bothering me. I shake my head and she closes the distance between us. Her lips meet mine for only a second before she moves her mouth to hover near my ear, "You should have been Candor, you're a terrible liar."

I laugh, feeling more like myself than I have since Max and I left this afternoon to meet with Jeanine, "I'm a fantastic liar, just not when you're around." She smiles and pulls my hand until I follow her to the couch, when we sit down she looks at me expectantly. "I just had a rough day," I respond dismissively, she seems to take the hint.

She turns her head to yawn and I catch sight of a fresh bruise on her jaw. She notices me staring and covers the injury self-consciously with her hand, "It looks worse than it is."

I reach out, barely touching her jaw when she flinches away. "How did it go today?" I ask softly as I pull myself up off the couch to go get her some ice. I've missed training the last two days; but from what I gathered from Four she did really well with knife throwing yesterday, despite lack of sleep from playing capture the flag.

She turns and smiles at me, "I won." After a moment her smile fades, "But I won against Jessica, so that means this will hurt her ranking, so it doesn't feel quite as good."

I hand her the ice pack and sit back down, after a moment I turn my body so I am facing her, "No offense, because Jessica seems like a cool kid and all, but all I care about is your ranking and that you're safe from getting kicked out."

She smiles at me uneasily before shaking whatever thought had entered her mind away. We sit there in silence for a moment before her eyes gloss over and she gets a distant look in her eye.

"Something else is bothering you," I observe.

She takes a deep breath, "Tomorrow is visiting day."

I nod, I had almost forgotten about visiting day with everything else that happened today. I think back to my own visiting day, how nervous I was and how badly it hurt when I ended up eating lunch alone while most of my initiate class caught up with their families. I can't really blame them for not coming, after my father called me to his office for the meeting with Jeanine he was convinced that she wanted me for a high position within the faction. I can only imagine how crushing my "choice" to leave would have been.

After a moment Gabby clears her throat and touches my shoulder, "I ran into your mother, on visiting day last year. She was really busy in the lab or you know she would have come."

I nod, before turning and kissing her forehead, "Even if your parents don't come, you always have that big dope of an older brother." I smile at the thought of seeing my best friend after so long, and it seems to be infectious because she smiles back at me.

Soon we have settled into a comfortable position; me leaning against the armrest with her head on my chest. I have a hand buried in her brown and blue curls, twirling a lock lazily around my index finger. We talk about everything and nothing for the next hour; it's the longest conversation we have been able to have in at least two years. I have forgotten how nice it is to just be able to talk without having to worry about being the person I have to pretend to be in public.

After a while her responses start becoming shorter, her voice is softer and her words sound like they are difficult to get out. Just when I think she is about to fall asleep, she sits up, "I should go."

I place an arm on her shoulder and gently pull her back toward me, "Stay."

"I can't," She says without conviction and despite her words she allows herself to fall back against me. She groans after a moment, "I really can't, people noticed last time."

I stay silent for a moment, "By the way, do I need to rough up that guy who walked in on us the other night to make sure he keeps his mouth shut?"

She thinks for a moment, "You mean Carl? No, he won't say anything."

I nod, "I could still beat him up though, just to be safe."

She turns around in my arms and her eyes feel like she is trying to burn a hole through me, "That isn't even a little bit funny." I raise my hands in surrender and she nuzzles her face into my shoulder.

"I have to get up early," I say after a moment, "Stay and I'll make sure you get back to the dorm early enough."

She laughs softly into my chest, "Wouldn't I get more sleep if I just went back now?"

I open my mouth to respond but for a moment I can't think of a good response and I just end up making a weird wheezing noise. "Yes, but you know you'll sleep better here; quality over quantity, right Gidget?" I ask softly.

She puts her hands on either side of my shoulders and pushes herself up. She stares into my eyes for a moment before growling softly and letting the upper half of her body fall back down, "Fine, you win."

Visiting Day and stage one rankings next chapter! If you have any fear landscape/simulation ideas, I can still use a couple. Love you guys!