Tris POV:

That night at dinner, I don't see Tobias. I stare at my macaroni wanting to burn holes in it and ask if it knows where Tobias is, but end up eating it before I get a chance.

"Tris," Christina calls out.

I turn my head in her direction. She waves me over and I get up and walk towards her. "What?" I snap, more annoyed than I intended.

She shrugs. "You looked lonely."

I sit down next to her, and my stomach grumbles.

"You look tired," she says. "And hungry." She looks at my tray, and then whispers in Will's ear. He gets up and walks away.

"What was that?"

"He's getting you a burger. You can't just eat carbs, Tris. Your baby needs vitamins and minerals."

Then Will comes back with a burger and a plate of broccoli. Surprisingly, when he sets it down in front of me, I eat all the broccoli, but push away the burger. I put my head down on the table.

"Tris, eat."

I groan, "I'm too tired to."

"To tired to eat? Wow. Well, goodnight then. Why don't you take the burger to Four? I haven't seen him here tonight, and he must be really hungry. He never skips dinner. My god, I've seen him in a burger eating contest. He wolfed down four in a minute and afterwards..."

I roll my eyes. "Night, everyone."

Will waves, and I smile. He giggles at Christina, who's still talking about Tobias. She looks at him for an answer and he just nods and she goes back to talking as I walk away: "Am I right or what? Tris? Tris?"

As I push open the doors to our new apartment, I see a sight I don't see every day.

"T-Tobias?" I stutter out.

He looks up to me from his hand. He smiles. "How was your day?"

"Fine," I say, wanting to move on and see what happened. "I brought you a burger."

He looks to the plate I have in my hand, and I giggle and place it in his uninjured hand.

"What happened?"

He takes his time to conveniently chew, swallow, and take another huge bite, repeating the process. Then he answers. "Eric." Then another bite.

But that's not good enough for me. "Explain."

He gulps down yet another bite slowly. "He gave me a note, saying that he would do everything in his power to get back on to Max's good side and destroy your baby." A tear trickles down his cheek. "I just had to get my anger out, Tris, and I couldn't find him. So I went to the training room and broke a punching bag off it's hinges."

"Ah, Tobias," I start, but he shushes me. "Let me see your hand," I whisper.

He holds it out and brushes burger crumbs off of his other hand. Once I take a good look at it, I see knuckles that are on the verge of bleeding, and skin that is peeling on the front side of his fingers.

I gently drop his hand and rummage through our bathroom, looking for gauze and some healing slave that the Infirmary gave me when I was there. I come back to Tobias a minute later, and wrap up his hands. I brush my lips to his knuckles, and I can feel Tobias grinning ear to ear like an idiot.

But if it were me, I would be doing the same as him.

"How was work?" I ask, once I've put away the supplies.

Tobias shrugs. "Difficult to adjust to."

"How was Uriah?"

"Pretty good."

"And everyone else?"

"Fine," he says dismissively.

I squint my eyes at him. "There's something you're not telling me."

Tobias sighs, and scoots his chair even closer to me. He takes my hand, "Tris, you know, I've been thinking," he scratches the back of his neck. He must be nervous. "Do you want an adoption? You've been mentioning that, and I've been wondering if you really want to. I mean really really really want to, and even though I want to protect this child and keep Eric from hurting it, don't you think we're too young to be dealing with one?"

I look down.

"Tris-" he starts.

I turn my head up and look directly into his eyes. "What do you think?"

"Tris, it's your decision."

"That's what everyone keeps telling me, but if I can't even tell Christina and Alexis the date of our wedding, how can I decide the fate of-"

"Tris, wait a sec. Calm down. We don't have to decide yet, but-"

"Yes; let's. You and I are too young, and if we find a nice Abnegation household willing to take it when we go on Saturday. And if we want to back out, we still have eight months."

Tobias gulps. Then he smiles. "If that's what you want, then I'll stand by your wishes." He gets up, then turns to me. "And if anyone tells you that what you're doing is wrong, ruin them."

After breakfast on Saturday, Tobias and I head out to Abnegation. Once we're safely on the train, Tobias brings me closer to him. He kisses my three ravens, along with the two new ones that I got when I came out of the Infirmary.

"I'm glad we're doing this," he breathes. "Once this is over, we'll know that our child is in good hands, and we can feel free to be Dauntless."

I wonder if he notices that he said 'our child' instead of 'your child.' I wonder if he's beginning to think that my child really is his, after all that's happened.

When the train gets closer and closer to Abnegation, Tobias and I stand up.

"On four," he whispers. "One..." he takes my hand. "Two..." he bends his knees. "Three..." I bend mine, and grip his hand so tight it turns purple.

"Four!" I shout.

As I pull him with me, he yells against the wind. "...Loves Tris!"

I giggle as I land on top of him. I roll over him, out of breath.

He stands up, and pulls me up with him. Then he stares into the direction of the Abnegation houses. "It's been too long," he whispers, so lightly I'm afraid he didn't mean for me to hear.

"Come on," I say, shaking the thought off. "I for one remember where to go."

Tobias sticks his tongue out at me.

When we pass Marcus' house, Tobias' grip on my hand tightens.

"Walk right past it," I whisper to him encouragingly.

Soon we are at my parents' house. I pause, and take a sharp breath in.

"We can always go back if you don't want to-"

"No," I say. "We didn't come for nothing." Then, to prove my point, I knock briskly on the door.

"Beatrice?" a familiar voice asks.

I turn my head. "Mom, it's been too long."

She smiles down at me. "Come in, it's cold outside." Then she turns to Tobias. "And you too." She tilts her head and smiles. "Four, is it?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Oh, no need to be formal. Call me Natalie. And come in before you catch a cold."

We follow my mom into my parents' house, and she immediately is an amazing hostess.

"Sit down," she says, but she doesn't sit with us. "Can I get you two anything? Tea? Water? Or if you'd like something to eat, I've got-"

"Mom," I say. "Water is fine."

"Oh, okay then."

As she gets our water, Tobias and I look around. My parents have left everything exactly where it was when Caleb and I left: the single family picture we have is still hanging over the mantle and the ever-gray couch and single rocking chair are positioned near it. I remember when my mom moved everything towards it, and she told us not to look at ourselves, but at our family and how we can help them. But I suppose she just liked seeing us all smiling together.

I wonder if that will be me in a few years. Do I want it to? No, but I cannot change anything.

Then my mom walks back from the kitchen. "Here you are," she says.

"Thanks," Tobias and I say simultaneously.

"So," she says. "I could have sworn I've seen you somewhere before initiation, Four."

"Mom," I warn. "Not now."

She tilts her head down and mutters. "Sorry."

"Can you keep a secret?" I ask.

She nods.

Tobias squeezes my hand. "I'm p-pregnant."

My mom opens her mouth, then closes it. "Congratulations," she says.

"It's not what you think," I assure her.

She takes a sip of water. "You mean...?"

I nod. "It's not Tobias'."

"Tobias'?"

I gasp. "I mean Four's. Whoops," I awkwardly laugh to myself at my stupidity.

But my mom ignores me. She stands up and smiles. "Welcome to my home, Tobias."

"Thanks," he says.

Then my mom forgets her selflessness. Ignores the rules of the faction she chose. Forgets that she'll be wearing gray forever, and never again making physical contact.

She embraces Tobias.

He stumbles, startled.

"Your father has missed you," she whispers. "He's been so stressed lately."

I see Tobias' hands ball up into fists.

Then she turns to me. "As with your father. It's almost as if...as if they're growing selfish." She smiles pitifully, then tilts her head and smiles ever so slightly at me. "Back to what you were saying?"

"Oh, right. Um, how do I put this? It-the child I mean-isn't Four's."

My mother sucks a deep breath in. Then she hugs me. I do what I do to Tobias every morning, and give in to the hug.

"I certainly wasn't expecting that," she admits.

I nod. "We know."

"I know you most likely have told this story many many times and do not want to repeat in case you explode, but can you tell me what

"What are you planning to do with it?" she asks, once we are seated again.

"Adoption, we hope. We actually came to tell you and dad the news, along with asking you who you think a good couple would be to adopt." I take a breath in and add, "If you'll allow us of course."

"Oh, Tris," she whispers. "Of course I'll allow you to do it. If you want an abortion I'll stand by you-"

"No," I say firmly. "That is never an option."

"Tris, you're seventeen-"

"And way to young to be caring for a child. I know, mom. I'm trying to do what's best for it, and myself. If I decide on an abortion, I'm not helping anyone." I finish for her.

She smiles at me. "I know just the couple."