A/N: Sorry for the delay. I had problems with my internet yesterday.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter and all the new followers. Your support is much appreciated.

Special thanks to ItsHardIKnow for beta-reading this.

Mrs. Eaton 4321, about your review *chuckle* When I wrote "You And Me Against The World" I had at least one pregnancy request per chapter until it finally happened. Just a fun fact that brightened my day when I read this.

Happy reading everyone!

Chapter 11

Tris

Finally, tomorrow is Tobias's Choosing Day. I am so excited. Tomorrow, this nightmare will end and we can start our lives together, far away from Marcus and Abnegation. There is nothing left here for us, except for pain and suffering. I am glad Tobias understood how important it is for us to leave. I know I am asking a great deal of him, but Marcus will never stop abusing us one way or another. And I know that Tobias has increasingly more trouble keeping himself from killing his father. Just like he stopped me when I tried killing Marcus that first week I came to live in this house, I am stopping him now.

Marcus is out preparing everything for tomorrow's ceremony, and the arrival of the Abnegation initiates, fully expecting his son to be one of them, while Tobias tells me how he caught his father tamper with my birth control again. I am not surprised. This will be his last chance in a long while to have his son impregnate me. He must think I am infertile or something, since I didn't get pregnant. Did he really think I wouldn't notice the minty scent of the pills he replaced? How dumb does he think I am? Unfortunately for him, he can't take me to the clinic to check my fertility, because technically the birth control meds should work. He can't explain his sudden desire to see why I can't conceive, if I'm not supposed to. I smile to myself.

Sometimes I have nightmares. The words Marcus said to me after he beat Tobias nearly to death resonate in my head. He told me he would take Tobias's place, and make me his whore. I often woke up from nightmares involving Marcus forcing himself on me, and Tobias lying dead on the floor beside the bed. I didn't care that Marcus was raping me, as much as I hated the fact that he killed the only man I will ever love.

When I first told Tobias, he was fuming. He knew that his father was more than capable of actually doing what I dreamt about. He held me the entire time, whispering how much he loves me, and how he'll always protect me. I wanted to tell him another secret, but decided against it. The sole memory of it makes me gag.

After Tobias and I made love one time, I had difficulties falling asleep. I was just lying there quietly, just enjoying the warmth of my husband's embrace, when I heard the unmistakable creak of Marcus's bedroom door. He was awake, and the idea of him coming into this room terrified me. I had no time to ponder further, when I heard our door open. I shut my eyes, and steadied my breathing as much as I could, while pretending I was asleep. I was hoping that, once Marcus saw that Tobias had fulfilled his marital duties, he would leave. But to my uttermost horror, he stayed. I silently prayed that Tobias wouldn't wake up just in that moment, because the sight before him would have been disgusting and sick.

Marcus pulled himself out, and started stroking himself. He didn't last long, thank God for that, and once he climaxed all over me, he tucked himself back into his pants and left the room. I felt so disgusted, soiled and damaged that I wanted to cry out. I kept it together, and once the reassuring sounds of Marcus's snoring filled the night, I snuck out of my bedroom and hurried into the bathroom. I took a quick shower, scrubbing Marcus's foul stench off of me.

I thought about telling Tobias right away, but I reconsidered. If I was to tell him this before we leave Abnegation, he'd be more than capable of actually killing his father. I wouldn't shed a tear for that bastard, but I don't want Tobias to be imprisoned or even executed. I will have to wait to tell him once we are both safe.

Tobias helps me to clean the house, and finish dinner. Marcus will be home soon, and I only hope he won't be thinking about beating up Tobias tonight just for good measure.

My prayers were answered, and late at night, after we heard Marcus's infamous snoring, we snuggled close together, whispering to each other. We mainly talk about tomorrow, and our plan, minding the fact that Marcus could still ruin everything. But I don't want to think about him anymore. Tonight is the last time I will spend with Tobias. Tomorrow he'll be choosing Dauntless, and for the next ten weeks he'll be there, and I will be in Candor.

"Make love to me," I request, and a charming smile appears on his face.

We make love three times, and each time we're hungrier for the other than the time before. We know that we won't be able to hold each other for a long time, and giving ourselves to the other is a silent promise that we will be back together. Nothing will stop me from being with him.

"I love you, Beatrice," he whispers to me as I start drifting.

"I love you, too."

The next morning, everything happens in a blur. Marcus went out early to prepare everything in the Abnegation headquarters, and Tobias is taking a shower. I put everything in order in the kitchen, before heading upstairs to check on him. I enter our bedroom, to find him just in his boxers. His back is turned to me, and I cringe at the sight of the scars. I know I've seen them before, even when they were deep wounds. But every time I get a glimpse of them I feel a profound sadness for the pain and suffering Tobias went through all these years. Today, he'll choose freedom, and I will join him. We will break free from Marcus, from Abnegation, from everything that threatens our lives.

"You nervous?" I ask him, and he turns around. He smiles when he sees me.

"A little."

"It'll be fine," I tell him reassuringly. I walk over to him and wrap my arms around his waist. I rest my head on his chest and shakily breathe in his scent. How long until I will be able to see him again? How long until we can be so close to each other? He kisses my head, sensing my sadness, and then slightly pushes me away. He bends down to capture my lips, and I melt against him. How is it that he has such an effect on me?

We pull apart, and I let him finish getting ready. We have a long day ahead of us. Vanessa told me she will be waiting in a car down at the Hub, and the moment Tobias chooses Dauntless, I am to make a little scene and run out of the room. I can only hope that Marcus will be too stunned to react for at least ten seconds so that I can get a head start to the elevator. Tobias and I have already talked about it. We will make it look as if Tobias chooses Dauntless without telling me about it. The moment he picks up the knife, and cuts his palm, the legal guardianship over me shifts from Marcus to him. Until he is officially a member, I will be in a legal limbo, where technically no one can take care of me. Thankfully, everything is planned out, and ready.

By noon, Marcus, Tobias and I walk alongside other Abnegation members to the entrance of the Hub. Tobias and I walk slightly behind Marcus and hold hands. Thanks to the fact that we are married, no one questions our touching. It is highly frowned upon for young people to show any kind of affection in public. Hand-holding is allowed only if the couple is married.

"Hello, Marcus," I hear a familiar voice. I look up, and see my father, mother, and brother. Great! I feel Tobias squeeze my hand a little tighter. I don't look up at him, but I know he must fight with himself to call my father out on his poor behavior toward me. Tobias and I often talked about the strange behavior my father displayed in the days after our parents decided to marry us to each other. He never forgave my dad for just abandoning me, even if he didn't know Marcus was abusive. I was angry at my mother too, but Tobias figured that maybe she didn't want to upset my father. I don't know what to say about that, but I have no intention to waste any more thoughts on it. They made their choice, and I am making mine.

"Beatrice," I hear my mother's excited voice. She pushes past him, and comes to where I am standing with my husband. She embraces me, and pulls me tight toward her. What is happening? I know this isn't something the Abnegation do in public. Why is she acting this way?

"Natalie, please, we are in public," Marcus chastises. She pulls back slightly, and smiles at me. She then turns to look at Marcus, and apologizes.

"It's just, I haven't seen my daughter in so long," she says, and I hear her choke up.

"Calm down, Natalie. She will come home today, after Tobias is taken to the initiation center," my father says with a smile. I am surprised to hear that. I thought they kicked me out for good.

"Actually, I think it'll be better if she stays home with me," Marcus interjects. Both my parents look at him, and I feel Tobias stiffen next to me. We both know why Marcus wants me to live in his house. So that I can take Tobias's place as his punching bag or even so that he can rape me.

"But that's highly inappropriate," my mother protests. I hear a fire in her voice, I've never heard before.

"Why is that, Natalie?" Marcus asks sweetly, but I can see the disgust in his eyes. If he could've, he would have slapped my mother for her comment, "Beatrice is my daughter now. And my house is her home. Well, until her husband takes his rightful place in our community and Abnegation gives them their own living quarters." I see mom wanting to protest, but dad pulls her toward him.

"Besides, I am sure the moment Tobias's initiation is over, they will resume trying for a baby. They've practically tried this whole time to get pregnant," Marcus adds, smirking. I can tell by the shocked look on my parents' faces that this is the first they've heard of this.

"But Beatrice is too young," mom argues, breaking free from my father. She comes to me again, and wraps her arms around me, as if trying to shield me, slightly pulling me towards her, and away from Tobias.

"Don't be ridiculous, Natalie. They are married. It's only natural that they want to start a family," Marcus insists.

"Marcus, a word?" my father asks, and I look at him. He looks angry. I've never seen him angry, except for the time before I got married, and I rebelled. Marcus follows my father to the side, while Caleb steps closer.

"Are you crazy? You want to get her pregnant? She is just sixteen," Caleb says angrily, and glares at Tobias. My husband remains quiet, and just glares back at my brother. This is not a fight between them.

"Caleb, enough," I say, and he looks at me incredulously.

"You can't honestly tell me this was your idea," he says, appalled.

"It wasn't. And neither was it Tobias's," I tell him. I think by his surprised look that he understands that neither of us plans on becoming parents any time soon.

"Did Marcus tell you to become pregnant?" my mother asks. I look at her, a genuine concerned look on her face. I want to tell her yes, I want to tell her everything that has happened since I married Tobias, the good, but mostly the bad. But I can't. I am still too hurt over how they abandoned me.

"Don't act like you care all of a sudden. Not once did you come see if I was doing okay. You abandoned me!" I spit. I pull Tobias with me, as I walk towards the Hub. I can hear my mom call after me, but I keep walking. We pass Marcus and my father, who seem to have a heated discussion. I walk faster wanting to avoid answering any of my father's questions. Tobias and I are on a mission. We need to stay focused.

"The plan is still the same," I whisper to him, as we enter the lobby. I see Vanessa standing to the side, and I nod my head. She does so too, and Tobias and I head towards the stairs, where we wait for Marcus. As much as I would like to put some serious distance between him and us, we still need to keep up appearances. He quickly finds us, and orders us to walk behind him.

I walk extra slow, and when Marcus asks us to speed up, I tell him I am out of breath. I am not, but he doesn't have to know that. He rolls his eyes, and keeps walking, leaving us behind. I'm sure he is already thinking of ways to punish us for this, but I don't care. Today will be the last time he will be so close to us to hurt us.

I deliberately fall behind to have a few more minutes with Tobias. Despite knowing that once we do this we will be free, I don't want to let him go. I am selfish, I know. I want him next to me every day from here on out.

"Are you alright? I can carry you," he tells me with concern in his voice.

"I'm fine. I just wanted to do this," I say, and pull his face to mine, kissing him passionately. He pulls back and looks over his shoulder. When no one is in sight, he crashes his lips anew over mine, pushing me into the wall behind me. His arms are around me like a vice, and mine go around his neck. My hands fist into his short hair, pulling him closer to me. How am I going to live for so long without him?

Someone coughing makes us jump apart. As I look up, I see an elderly Abnegation woman shaking her head, muttering something like "young people today". We wait for her to walk a little further ahead, before Tobias gives me one last passionate kiss. I help him look presentable again, and then we hurry up the stairs until we reach the floor where the Choosing Ceremony is held.

We enter the room, and find Marcus. Tobias sits on the chair behind Marcus, and I sit next to him. Luckily, Marcus decided to sit with some of his colleagues, but as we entered, he motioned us to take the seats behind him. This is perfect.

The ceremony starts and some Erudite man gives a speech about the factions, and whatnot. I don't care about that. I am holding onto Tobias as if he is my lifeline. He kisses my temple, telling me he loves me. He knows that it would look suspicious if we would show any more affection than we already did.

The Choosing starts, and a Dauntless man, Max I think his name was, starts calling out names. He starts in alphabetical order. I've heard that sometimes they go alphabetically, and other times in reverse alphabetical order. Eaton is fairly soon on the list, and with Marcus being required to stay put for the entire duration of the ceremony, this will definitely give me a head start to get to Vanessa.

D.

Max called three people whose name start with a D. Next is E, and Tobias is probably the first one. I squeeze his hand, hoping to give him courage to do this. Before the boy in the center of the room finally chooses, I lean in so that only Tobias can hear me, and whisper my goodbye to him.

"I love you, Tobias."

"I love you, too, Beatrice."

"Be brave," I tell him just in time for Max to call his name.

I watch him walk toward the center of the stage where the five bowls sit neatly on a table, each bowl representing the five factions that govern our city. One is filled with soil, which stands for Amity, the next is with shattered glass that represents Candor, the one in the middle is for Erudite, and is filled with water, while Abnegation's bowl holds gray stones, and the last one, on the far left contains the sizzling coals representative for Dauntless. I know his choice, but I can't help but lean in closer to see what he'll do. He picks up the knife, cuts his palm like the others before him, and turns around. Please, don't change your mind. Please!

I then realize he is looking at Marcus. I look toward Marcus too, and see the older man nod. Wait. What? Tobias, don't choose Abnegation. Please, don't choose Abnegation, my love.

A/N: Oh, no! What is happening? Would Tobias really choose Abnegation? What about their plan? How would Tris cope with him betraying her like that? Will she stay in Abnegation too? Or run away?

What will Marcus do if Tobias chooses Dauntless?

I am dying to read your opinions on this.

Until next week.