Tris POV:
As my mom takes us outside, we start walking to meet my baby's potential adoptive parents, and I think about what my mom had to say. Did she really say she would support anything I chose? Did she really mean it? I would never choose abortion, but it's nice to know that someone's on my side. Although I did grow up believing in God. I remember my parents both telling us about how all life is valued, and being in Abnegation, everyone's is more important than our own. And now here my mother is...telling me that it's okay to end my child's life if I want to.
The choice I'll have to make seems even more difficult than the Choosing Ceremony. I bet it is.
Tobias squeezes my hand, bringing back my attention. "We're here," he whispers.
My mother smiles at me and knocks on the door.
Then she turns to me, "You'll love them. You've known them all your life, after all."
The door suddenly opens. "Natalie! It's been too long! Come in! Oh, and is this Beatrice with you? My, how you've grown!"
Mrs. Ross grins at me and gestures for us to come in. She sees me rubbing my arms and goes to get us tea.
"So," she says, once she sets the tray of tea down. "Who's this?" Then she gasps. "Tobias, I'd recognize you anywhere!"
He smiles slightly. "I'd appreciate if you call me Four."
Mrs. Ross tilts her head to the side questionably. "Okay, Four," she says wearily.
My mom clears her throat, "We actually came to discuss other matters, Lydia."
She nods her head. "Yes, of course. What's the matter?"
"Erm...I'm pregnant," I tell her.
She smiles. "That's wonderful, Beatrice. But I don't understand..."
"Why I told you?"
She nods.
"Well, I'm too young to take care of the child, and I was wondering if...well, we were wondering if you would be willing to adopt."
Mrs. Ross' widens. "You know, I have been looking to adopt. Jim and I, I mean."
"That's wonderful, but I think we'd rather check out other couples before making a decision." I look to Tobias and he nods on, encouraging what I'm saying.
If Mrs. Ross is mad, she doesn't show it. After all, she's Abnegation. She keeps her smiles on, "I understand fully. We all want our children to have the best possible home, no matter the cost." Then she stands.
The rest of us get up and follow her as she soon stands at the door.
She smiles at my stomach. "How far along are you?"
I shrug, "Three and a half weeks."
"That's wonderful. Congratulations, again."
My face drops, and she notices.
"Did I say something wrong? I didn't mean it," she says, panicking.
"No, no," I reassure her. "It's just...um, the baby isn't Four's."
"Oh, I thought you two were a couple. Forgive me."
"We are, it's just that it happened so fast, and...we weren't sure what happened at all."
"Oh, I'm sorry." She frowns pitifully."
"Yeah, I was, um...attacked."
I feel Tobias take my hand. "We should leave," he whispers.
"Yeah," I breathe.
Mrs. Ross sees us talking to ourselves and says goodbye to my mother. Then she smiles at me and Tobias. "Goodbye Beatrice, and, um, Four."
I wave to her.
"Always nice to see you, Natalie," she says to my mother.
Then a minute later we're walking back to my parents' house.
When we get inside, my mom starts talking. "You two must be tired from the day. But I insist you stay for dinner. We've got to catch up. Besaide," she says pointedly, to me. "You haven't seen your father in so long."
I shrug. "That'd be nice to stay for dinner."
Tobias nods from behind me. Then once my mother goes into the kitchen, he ushers me towards the couch.
"Sit," he commands. Then he goes to talk with my mother, who's prepping dinner in the kitchen.
I wonder what they're talking about. And even if I don't mean to be selfish, I wonder if they're talking about me. About how the day went. About how-
I can't stand it anymore. I get up and stretch my legs, slipping off my shoes. Then I walk to the kitchen.
"I'm telling you Mrs. Prior, I'm-"
"Natalie," she corrects. "Call me Natalie."
He nods. "Yeah," Tobias says.
"Continue."
"Well, Natalie, I'm worried for her. Dauntless is a dangerous place."
She nods. "It's very dangerous. And I don't mean to be, well, rude, but imagine if she keeps the baby. It's bound to be Divergent, and while it's very hard to leave a place you grow up in at sixteen, imagine if the child decides to stay in Dauntless. There's no way that it'd be safe."
I clear my throat.
They see me standing in the doorway.
My mom is the first to speak. "Beatrice, why don't you go sit down? Tobias and I've got everything covered."
Tobias nods. "You look cold, let one of us find you a blanket." Then he looks down to my feet. "Your feet-they're swollen. Go lie down, and let us take care of everything."
He places the bag of frozen peas that he has down on the counter, and guides me back into the living room.
Then the doorbell rings. I get up off my feet and answer it.
"Dad," I say sweetly, "It's been too long!"
"Beatrice?" he whispers, as if this is all a dream.
"Yes, come in."
He does, and I shut the door. Tobias and my mother walk in a minute later.
"Andrew," my mother says warmly. "How was your day?"
"Fine," he responds dismissively.
"Is Marcus still coming for dinner?"
"Yes, as soon as he finishes at the office; he's finishing some plans for supplying food to the Factionless."
"Again? It seems as if they're always changing it."
He grunts. "They always are. It's just a matter of making sure everyone gets enough. And if the truck drivers go on strike? The plans would go down the tube."
My mother nods on. Then once it's quiet, she speaks: "Well, Beatrice and,...Four will be joining us for dinner."
"Four?" he looks to him.
Tobias looks us.
My father clears his throat, and looks at Tobias closely. Then he murmurs. "Well I'll be-"
"Andrew, what do you say we set the table?" my mom asks, tearing him away from his one-sided conversation. "T-Four and I are cooking up peas and chicken. And Beatrice is resting."
My dad nods, but stays with me. He tucks a stray hair behind my ear. "It has been too long."
"Dad-"
"I'm sorry I didn't come to Visiting Day, this year and last. I've just been caught up in work. And no matter what you think, I'll always respect your decision on picking Dauntless. I could see that you would the day you were born."
"Dad, I-I'm pregnant."
He gasps. "Beatrice-"
Then the doorbell rings. My dad just stands there. "You should answer it," I say.
So he gets up and answers it. "Marcus, how good to see you!"
From the kitchen, I can hear Tobias gasp and drop a plate.
"Tobias," Marcus hisses. "You know so much better than to do that!"
"It's fine," my mom reassures him. "Plates are replaceable. Broken bones are not. Thank goodness you're not hurt."
She picks up the plate and dumps it in the garbage can. Then she sweeps up the ceramic shards.
A minute later, she walks out. We all gather around the table.
We sit down, and hold hands and pray. Then we eat.
As we pass around the food, Marcus smiles at me. "Beatrice, Tobias, to what do we owe this pleasure?"
My mom nods to me.
I put some peas on my plate, then pass the bowl onto Tobias.
"Beatrice," my mother says. "You should tell them."
"I-I'm pregnant," I blurt out.
Everyone is quiet for a minute, aside from Tobias' chewing.
"Congratulations," Marcus says, as he looks me in the eye. Then he glares at Tobias and stands. "Tobias, a word?"
"No!" I shout out again. My father glares at me. "I-I mean, it's not his fault. It's not even his." Marcus looks at me questionably. "The child I mean."
Marcus sits down and Tobias does the same. Marcus takes a bite of chicken, chewing slowly and swallowing. Then: "So if it's not his, tell me what happened."
My father clears his throat. "I hate to interrupt, but Tobias? It's really you? I mean, I had my suspicions, and you all are acting so familiar with each other, but Tobias?"
Tobias nods.
My dad smiles. "Welcome back."
"Thanks, sir."
Marcus smiles. Once the table is silent, he looks on at me.
I wipe my mouth with my napkin and begin. "Umm, I was attacked by this guy named Eric, and am now pregnant?" I finish, the way I would a question. But the more I think about what really happened it, the more I question it.
"Beatrice," my father whispers. "How could this happen? Those...those Dauntless hooligans!"
Marcus nods to me, and points his fork at me. "Actually, I head about this at work. Eric, one of Dauntless' leaders, is becoming Factionless. They wouldn't reveal why, but it all makes sense. I wonder who the new leader will be..."
I look to Tobias, but the smug expression on his face says 'what he doesn't know cannot hurt him.'
My mother takes this as an opportunity to clear the plates off the table.
When she comes back, she smiles. "Thank you for coming, Marcus, Beatrice, Tobias."
Marcus smiles, and looks at Tobias. "Thank you for having us."
Then he walks out the door.
I turn to my mother. "We really should be going," I tell her, anxious to leave suddenly.
"Yes, of course," my mother says encouragingly. Then she hugs me. "Good luck," she whispers in my ear.
Then she smiles at Tobias. She looks to see if my dad is looking. He isn't so she briefly hugs him.
We thank my mother for having us, and naturally, she says that it's her pleasure.
So I kiss her cheek and walk out the door, Tobias trailing behind.
Once we hop on the train, he lets out a breath that I had no idea he was holding in.
"Glad that we got it over with?" I ask.
He nods. Then his expression darkens. "Are you sure that this was the right thing to do?"
"Tobias, we are way to young to be caring for a child!"
"No, not that. Well, that, I totally agree with, but are you sure it was best for Marcus to know? If the baby is a boy, and it's here in Abnegation...I just don't want it around Marcus."
"What are the chances of that happening? Maybe...maybe we could give it to Erudite. There's a chance that it's aptitude is Erudite. I'm one-third Erudite, and Eric came from Erudite. Do you think it would be safe there?"
"You mean as a guinea pig? I don't think so."
As we hop off the train in silence, I think to myself. I mutter, "There really is no safe place for this child, is there?" Then I think: Unless...well, unless we find a way for it to not follow the faction system...but is that even an option? Would it be just as-or even worse, more-dangerous?
