Sorry this one is on the shorter side guys, but I hope you enjoy it anyway. I'll try to go back to bigger chapters again asap. Much love to all who have read, reviewed, liked and/or followed. You guys are awesome xx
Chapter 11
Eric had gone with Four, Max, Zeke and most of the patrol crews to the compound that the factionless had held them captive. For the entire trip back out there, Eric would sight something familiar from their trek the previous day and be reminded of Maggie back at Dauntless. He didn't know how she was recovering and that bothered him. He should have listened to her the night before when she told them to keep going to Candor. If he had, she would be in much better shape right now.
"You're sure she's alright? Nothing happened to her while I was gone?" Eric was interrupted from his own guilt by Four's. He had been grilling Zeke about Tris since they stepped into the truck.
"She wasn't hurt. Just worried about you. We all were." Four's face remained bothered although for a different reason now.
"You know there'll be hell to pay when I get back. I didn't even get the chance to see her before we had to leave again."
Zeke laughed, knowing all too well where the wrath of Tris could get you. "Yeah, Man, I don't envy you that reunion!" Zeke clasped Four on the shoulder. "She won't stay mad for long. Besides, Max has made sure to keep her busy in the control room. It would have fallen apart if she had disappeared along with you."
Again, Eric was reminded of how skewed his priorities had been all this time, having no one in his life who might be concerned for him. He chose to stay silent for the trip, needing to focus so that they could learn everything they could and get the hell out of there. Eric figured no factionless would be left out there, but on the off chance they hadn't run, he needed to have his wits about him.
Max sat beside Eric in the truck and was watching him now.
"What is it?" Eric inquired of the older man.
"You doing alright? You don't seem yourself."
"Yeah," Eric tried to explain away his current demeanour. "just been a long few days."
Max nodded, scrutinizing his young friend "Once we get back, the three of you are having some time off." He held his hand up as Eric went to protest "No arguments. I'm ordering it. At least a week." Great! Eric thought to himself. How will I keep my mind off her now?
The truck closed in on the area of the compound and Eric directed the driver to adjust his course a little. Once the trucks reached their destination and were lined up on the outside of the fence, Eric could feel his adrenalin begin to flow through his body. Come on out you sons of bitches! Let's do this.
The place looked empty but that didn't stop the dauntless men from leaving their trucks with caution, all heavily armed with guns, knives and hand grenades. Eric lived for this shit and he couldn't help but hope for a fight.
As they marched through the place, they found nothing. No bodies littering the ground, only blood and bullet shells were left behind. As they went through each shipping container building, each space was left bare. No furniture, no papers or plans. No sign of where they could have gone.
"It would have taken a lot of men to clear out all those bodies and their stuff in a day and a half." Four said to Eric. "How many do you think there are?"
Eric's arms were crossed over his chest. He had wondered the same thing. "I can't wait to find out."
"I for one, don't want to wait until they attack us at home again." Four stated in hushed tones, mirroring Eric's posture. Eric could see the whole ordeal had struck a cord with Four and he motioned toward him.
"Come with me." Four followed Eric to the back of one of the other trucks that had been in their convoy. He started to tell him his plans as he opened the back of the truck. "I was thinking before we left that this place could use some surveillance. I figured it would probably be empty by now but there's no harm in watching for them to return, right?" Four gave him a half smile, finding himself on the same page.
"I'll set these up now." And he started gathering everything he would need to set up cameras around the compound.
As he was working, Four thought back to one of his hushed conversions with Maggie on their walk home. It had been earlier in the day and he could tell she was troubled. Eric had to have goaded her again. He knew just what to say to turn Maggie from the easy-going, caring girl Four had befriended into a fiery she-beast from the pits of the underworld. He didn't want her to go into her dark place when they had such a long journey ahead of them so he decided to distract her with his own conundrum. He knew he trusted Maggie so her opinion would go a long way.
"Maggie, how long have you known Max?" he had started with when they had created enough distance from Eric. She looked over at him, perplexed by where this question could have come from.
"I met him when I was six – he was in leadership training under my father. After Dad died, Max found a family to take care of me. He checked in on us regularly to make sure I was alright."
Four mulled that over for a moment. "So, you trust him? You think he's a good man?"
"Yes." She said simply. When she had noticed Four's troubled face, she felt the need to justify her statement. "He has always done right by me. Sure he's not perfect, no one is, but I know he cares for the faction. Does this have to do with their questioning yesterday?"
Damn, she was perceptive. He nodded. She didn't pry further and he was grateful for that. It was also the end of that particular conversation and now, as Four worked on setting up the cameras around the compound, he decided to trust Maggie's judgement and open up to Max about who those men had been looking for. It might be the key to ending this war.
. . . . .
When the men had returned home again, Four requested to see Max in his office. Still not entirely sure about Eric, he made the request when the burly man was out of earshot but when Four entered Max's office fifteen minutes later, the two of them sat there. Max on one side of the desk, Eric in a chair seated beside an empty one that Max motioned Four to occupy. He breathed deeply and had to remind himself that Maggie trusted Max and Max trusted Eric.
"What can we help you with, son?" Max inquired when Four hadn't spoken after a while.
"When we were captured, I was taken in for questioning." He looked at Max, who nodded. This didn't appear to be news to him so Eric must have told him already. "They asked a lot of generic questions about dauntless, nothing noteworthy, until..." he stopped, uncomfortable opening up about this in front of Eric. He just watched silently, his face impassive as ever, as Max encouraged him to continue. Again, Four took a breath before continuing. "they said they were looking for Tobias Eaton."
Max leaned forward "Did they know who you were when they ambushed the three of you?"
"No." Four shook his head "they said they would let the three of us go if I led them to Tobias."
"Did they say what they wanted with you?" Eric wanted to know.
"No. They only started asking about me right before the first shots were fired outside." At that, Four shifted in his chair, wanting to leave. He needed to see Tris. It had been long enough. "That's all I know, but I thought it might be important."
Max stood up, extending his hand for Four to shake "Thank you, it's helpful information to have. Let's all think on it for a couple days. We'll have a meeting then to decide what to do with it."
"Thank you, Sir." Four said, shaking his hand. He nodded at Eric and left the room.
After Four was gone, Eric leaned forward on his chair, his hands clasped before him, elbows rested on his knees. "What do you think?"
"I think it's probably our best bet at getting an upper hand on the factionless. Hell its all we've got!"
"You know he'll have figured that out too? Being the wonder boy that he is, he'll act on it."
"You want to keep an eye on him? Make sure he doesn't do anything to get himself killed."
Eric gave a humourless laugh "We're not exactly friends."
"Yeah, well, we've lost a lot of people recently. We need to plan this shit out. Make sure he's willing to wait until we come up with a plan." Max's tone showed that this wasn't up for argument so Eric grumbled his agreement before leaving the office. He remembered Four talking to Maggie about getting drinks when they made it home so he might as well start his babysitting detail there.
. . . . .
Maggie had been in the infirmary for most of the day but thanks to the brilliant minds of Erudite, their healing serums had Maggie good as new in a few short hours and she was discharged. She was torn between the call of her comfortable bed and a cold, thirst quenching beer. With Ro bouncing off the walls enthusiastically, she knew sleep would have to wait. At least Max had ordered her to take a week off work so she would have some time to rest.
One thing, however, could not wait. As soon as Maggie stepped foot into her own living space, the shower practically sung for her to step into it. She made quick work of stripping off the filthy clothes she had been wearing for days and stepped under the hot stream of water. She actually moaned at the feeling of cleaning herself. She took her time, washing her filthy hair and body, examining the small scar left from her gunshot graze. The healing serum was truly amazing and she was grateful to not have to feel that pain anymore.
Once clean and dressed, Maggie and Ro walked to the pub, arms linked the entire way. Maggie had to admit, she was bursting on the inside knowing she would see her friends again. She was so grateful they were all unharmed in the attack. As they arrived, she could see Zeke, Uriah, Will and Christina already waiting for them. They all jumped up, taking turns to hug Maggie and welcome her home. She had apparently seen the boys as they had picked her up from the building she had been holed up in but she had been far too out of it to remember.
"Where are Four and Tris?" she asked, looking around. Uriah laughed.
"Don't expect them for a while, M. They are...catching up alone before they come out." He winked at her.
"Enough explanation needed." She quipped.
After a round with the group, Maggie saw Eric walk into the pub. He made his way to his usual seat at the bar. Maggie excused herself from the group and wandered over to him. He hadn't ordered a drink yet and she motioned to the man behind the bar for two drinks as she slid into the seat next to him. Eric looked up at her as their drinks were placed in front of them.
She didn't really know what to do as she gave him an awkward smile and he just continued to stare at her so she drank up instead. It relieved her to see him do the same shortly after and for a time, they just sat there, drinking silently next to each other.
It wasn't until Eric had finished his drink and ordered another round that he began to speak.
"How's the leg?"
Maggie looked down and brushed her hand over the new scar. "Oh, it's fine. I actually wanted to thank you." Eric's confusion made Maggie give him a small, shy smile. "Ro told me you got me to the infirmary. So, thanks."
He shrugged, not used to receiving gratitude. "Yeah, well, you'd taken a bullet meant for me. What was I gonna do? Let you die?" he saw a grimace form on her face and felt defensive. "I would have done the same for anyone."
Maggie looked at him for a moment longer before she broke out in a fit of giggles. He sat up, leaning away from the bar in confusion.
"You're such a douchebag!" she laughed out, but there was no malice behind her words so he smirked at her, all awkwardness forgotten. Eric couldn't help but notice how pretty she looked when she laughed.
"Did you know we went back out there today?"
Maggie nodded "Yeah, Zeke said they had cleared everything out already."
He saw the glint leave her eyes and wanted to see it ignited again but there was only so much he could tell her. "We might have a lead." He watched her reaction carefully, enjoying the hope that filled her anew.
"Good." Was all she said. He was relieved she wasn't in a prying mood because he was sure she wouldn't want Four to offer himself up as bait to flush those assholes out. No matter what they had done to her.
After that, they sat together, not really speaking. He watched her when he thought she couldn't see. She was naturally stunning in that simple black dress she was wearing. It was modest compared to what most Dauntless women would choose to be seen in but he could still see how strong yet feminine she was. He noted the way her usually braided hair was left free to flow down her back. He itched to lace his fingers through the tendrils, to touch her skin. To taste her. He could feel his blood surge through his body, to the part of him that was beginning to ache for her the most. It had been building slowly ever since that first night she challenged him and he saw her ignited with fiery passion. The desire had only grown stronger as he saw her courage strengthen her during their past few days.
He was distracted by his thoughts when he heard Uriah's booming voice call out from somewhere behind him.
"Four!" the jovial younger man leaped up from his chair to greet Four as he and Tris walked through the door.
"She doesn't look like she put up much of a fight about him taking off again so soon." Eric murmured, observing the way the two of them stood close to one another, only linked together by their pinkies. It was such a girly display in Eric's opinion that he was surprised Four would allow it.
Maggie watched them as well, smiling at their small yet honest display of affection. "I think it's safe to say that Tris understands when Four has orders to follow."
The couple sat with everyone else for a while before Four spotted Maggie and Eric at the bar. He whispered something to Tris, squeezing her shoulder slightly. She nodded and gave him a quick peck on the lips before he headed over. By the time he reached the bar, Eric had seen to it that a drink was waiting at the empty space on the other side of Maggie. The gesture surprised Four but to his merit, he simply accepted it quietly.
He raised his glass to Eric and gave Maggie a warm smile before taking a pull of the beer he'd been craving for what felt like eons. Maggie's attention had been taken up since Four had arrived that as she turned back to her own beverage she almost jumped out of her skin to notice how close Eric was sitting. He practically leaned across her to address Four.
"You look pretty calm for someone who has a lot to think about." His cryptic words confusing her.
Four, however, clearly knew exactly what the other man meant. "I've reached a decision."
"No need to rush into anything. We'll weigh up our options in a couple of days with Max." His body was still in close proximity with Maggie's. Their legs were pressed against each other and Eric's arm was draped across the back of her bar stool, his thumb drawing slow circles on her shoulder. She wasn't even sure he was aware he was doing it. But then again, he might very well have reason to distract her considering the ambiguous way he and Four were conversing right in front of her. Whatever his motives, she was entirely too aware of him right now. She could feel the strong steady rhythm his heart was beating in, so opposite to her own which was dancing rapidly even as she tried to hide it.
"We've already lost enough time. We should meet Max in the morning and get something started." Maggie managed to put herself together enough to voice her own questions.
"Get what started?" when neither of them spoke she pushed further "If you didn't want me to know you should have waited until I wasn't around. Now, what are you talking about?"
"The factionless were looking for me. Only they didn't know who I was when they questioned me at their compound." Four explained and it dawned on Maggie what Four must be planning.
"So, what? You're going to walk up to every factionless you see, declaring who you are until you're taken?" she paused and neither one of them spoke up. "Then what?"
"He won't be doing anything without Max's approval." Eric stated pointedly, his eyes set seriously on Four. Then he turned back to Maggie, his hand stilled on her back "And if it's decided that he will go to them, he won't go without back up."
"What do you think Tris would say if she found out about this?" Maggie implored Four with unspoken words to think this through.
"She and I have already talked about it and she agrees with me. We all want to see the end of this war. This might be a way for that to happen."
Eric could feel the tension in Maggie's body and thought she might snap any second unless someone tried to appease her. "Like I said before, he won't be rushing into anything. And if Max decides this is our best option, then he won't be going in blind. Or alone." Even as he was telling Maggie this, his eyes were boring into Four, making sure he was getting his point across.
Before the conversation could drag on any further, Ro and Uriah skipped over to them.
"Alright you three, we've here to celebrate your safe return and we've barely spoke to you all night!" Ro announced in her sing song voice. "You're coming with us." Maggie and Four stood, knowing not to argue with Ro but Eric hadn't moved. Noticing this, Ro grabbed his hand and moved to drag him along with her.
"You too, beefcake!" she ordered "You don't get to save my M's life and then have to sit like a loner at the bar. We've got shots!" He smirked at her bold display of dominance over a man three times her size and had to give her credit for having spunk. He allowed her to guide him over to the booth the rest of Maggie's group were piled into, noticing how Ro not so discreetly made sure there was room right beside Maggie for Eric to occupy. When he looked at the tiny blonde, she winked at him and gestured toward Maggie and he could have sworn he saw Maggie blush at Ro's boldness.
. . . . .
As Maggie ate breakfast the following morning, she was accosted by Ro and Christina about Eric's handsy display from the night before.
"We saw you two over at the bar. He was all over you!"
"Whatever you think you saw, you were wrong. Stop reading into things." Maggie maintained.
Christina felt the need to back up her own statement by re-enacting what she thought she saw with Ro. She exaggeratedly sat almost on Ro's lap while slinging her arm around her shoulders. Her breasts were practically in Ro's face. Of course, Ro felt the need to join in, turning toward Christina and putting on a throaty, flirtatious voice.
"Oh, Eric!" she breathed out while playing with Christina's hair. Maggie rolled her eyes, choosing to ignore them and turned her attention to Four and Tris since everyone else was currently fixated on Chris and Ro pretend making out.
"Carry on, ladies." Eric's voice boomed from behind Maggie, causing her to jump and blush heatedly, hoping he hadn't heard who the two girls were pretending to be. Christina and Ro didn't even have the decency to look embarrassed, they just continued on, enthralling the boys surrounding them while Eric walked around the table. As he took a seat across from Maggie, she could see he looked uncertain about something.
"I've been thinking about how you said you weren't sure what job here would be a good fit for you." Maggie nodded her head, remembering the conversation.
"Well, the way you coped with being captured and injured shows how well suited you are to high stress situations. In that way, the patrol squads were good placement. How you handled things after the roof collapse has me thinking you should seriously consider training to be a field medic." Maggie lit up from within, having never thought of that herself. It would work in well with her Dauntless upbringing and her Amity aptitude. She looked at Four who had a gleam of pride in his eyes.
"I think it's a good fit." He told her softly and Maggie saw Tris smile at her in encouragement.
"I think so too." Maggie agreed, looking at Eric so he knew she was giving her answer. He nodded, still using his tough, untouchable persona.
"Good. I'll make the arrangements to have your training started when you're recovered. You're still to have the week off so don't think about leaving on patrol before then."
Maggie gave a small giggle, stopping abruptly at Eric's stern expression.
"I won't. It'll be nice to have a few days to sleep in for once."
Eric stood up "Alright. Oh, Christina. A lot of people have impersonated me over the years, but that has to be the worst one I've seen."
