"Killing The Cliche"
Rated T/M (violence and language)
Chapter 12 (Tobias's POV)
-oo0oo-
"You want us to do what?" I ask, my eyes wide and my voice hoarse with disbelief. Are they crazy?
"I understand that you may think that it is too risky, and that nothing good will come of this plan, but we truly believe that it will work, with no harm to either of you." One of the officers says, and by the look of him, I'd say he's a superior around here. The chief, perhaps. Or at least something fairly close to that position.
"How can you be so sure?" Tris questions, her eyebrows knitted together tightly. "If one of us did get hurt, then what? It's way too dangerous."
"It's the best plan we've got," the officer replies with confidence. "The only plan we've got, in fact. We are going to give you some time to come to a decision together, but we need your final answer by tomorrow morning. So, until then, we will be taking you for something to eat and then to a room here in the station - not a cell, somewhere much more comfortable, and most of all, safe."
"But.. we'll stay together, right? I've had enough of you all taking us away from each other every five minutes." I say, clenching my jaw.
"We shall ensure that you two are able to have rooms close together," he promises. "You will be able to move through to each other's rooms freely, as the corridor will be shut off and protected in every way possible."
I'm about to argue further but Tris slips her small hand into mine, and I manage to bite my tongue. I know she wants to be away from all of this as soon as possible, and so do I, which means my arguing will not make this situation any better.
"Thank you." Tris says in a small voice, but her lips are tugging up into what I think is a forced smile.
It moves quickly after that - we are transported to another part of the seemingly never-ending station, and are allocated our cells. As promised, they are literally opposite each other, and inside our cells is just one bed, with nice enough looking sheets. But I'd sleep in a real cell if it meant finally feeling as if we were really safe.
I tug her into the one on the left and close the door behind us. This is the first time we've been left alone since we were in the interviewing rooms, and that feels like a century ago. So I take this opportunity to kiss her, because I'm not sure how long we've got to be alone, anyway, so I want to make the most of it.
I cup my hand to her cheek and press my mouth to hers. Her own hand comes up to the back of my head and runs through my hair as I pull her hips up against mine, trying to get as close as possible.
"As much as I want to continue, I think we have a lot of stuff we need to talk about." She says through kisses, but she keeps her body up against mine and shows no signs of pulling away so I just cover her mouth with my own once more and press her gently against the wall.
After a good few minutes of just making out, she eventually pulls away and we sit down on the small cot together in silence, neither of us sure of what to say first. We have so much to discuss, and not enough time in the world to do it.
"This plan... I think we should do it," she eventually says, her eyes trained on her hands. "It's not like we have any other choice, is it? The officer said so himself, its the best plan we have-"
"And the most dangerous."
"Yes, okay, it does hold a lot of risk," she huffs. "But everything we've done to get here was risky and dangerous. But we got through it, didn't we? If we do this we can leave all of this crap behind us for good. If we do this.. well, maybe we'll have a chance to really have a life, one that we don't have to spend hiding and lying and running. I don't know about you, but that's what I want. I want that life."
"I want it too, but what if this plan goes wrong? What if we don't even get an opportunity to live that life? I understand what you're saying, but you must see the other side if it. I want a fresh start as much as you do, but we have to look at this realistically, Tris." I counter, running a hand through my hair in frustration.
"I am looking at this realistically!" she protests. "I've been looking at everything that way. I mean, why do you think it took so long for me to agree to go to the police with all of this? We came here for help, for a way to escape this nightmare. And now we've been offered a solution, and I want to take it. We have to take it."
"But I don't want you to get hurt!" I suddenly shout, standing up from the bed, unable to stay still any longer.
"Don't yell at me, Tobias." She says quietly, her eyes stilled on mine.
"I'm sorry, but you can't seriously expect me to take this lying down, can you? I will not risk losing you, Tris!" I exclaim. "You told me not to say goodbye, but you're so eager to go through with this and risk your life, leaving me to pick up the pieces. We said that we'd get through this together. But how are we supposed to do that when you go along with a stupid plan such as this and practically beg for death? We're supposed to be a team, remember? You said that we have to stick together, but I didn't realise that rule only applied to me."
"You think this is easy for me? Because it's not! But I want to see justice here, because it was me who was lied and tricked and kidnapped. It was me who caused all of this. It was me who put you in danger. So it should be me who has to fix it! We are a team, but sometimes we have to make difficult decisions. And this is one of those, don't you see?"
"I've got nobody left, Tris. No one left that I care about! Apart from you. And I don't want to lose you aswell as everybody else." I shout, before turning my back to her and resting my forehead against the cold wall.
I just want to make her understand how much she really does mean to me. But I've never been good with words, and I'm not sure how to tell her about what's going on inside my head, as well as what her presence does to my heart. I've never had so much to lose before.
After a minute or so, I feel a pair of small, thin arms wrap around my waist from behind, and she presses her forehead between my shoulder blades.
I'm not sure how long we stand there like that, but I never want the moment to end - once it does, I know we'll have to keep talking, and that's the last thing I want to do right now. I hate arguing, with anybody, but I especially despise having a conflict with Tris. It doesn't feel right, shouting and arguing with her, I mean.
Sure, I've broken a few noses and split a few knuckles before, but that's different; that wasn't Tris. That was pointless fights with guys who thought they were tough, and started to mouth off at me, which resulted in me losing my temper. But when I argue with Tris it's serious, it means that whatever decision we come to will be important.
I've never been very good at communication, in any form, but I'm working on it. This is just one of those times that I have to try and hear her out, even though what she wants is dangerously idiotic. But I can't tell her what to do, I won't. I never want to treat her like Marcus treated my mom. I'd never forgive myself if I ever laid a finger on her during an argument. The thought is as unimaginable as it is daunting.
In truth, I'm scared. Scared that now I've told her how I feel, that I've expressed my anger and frustration, she'll decide that I'm not good enough for her. And she'd be right too.
A few months ago, I would've never dreamed of us being together like this - she was smart, popular, kind, well behaved.. and I was the rebellious kid who sat at the back, was hopeless at school work, ignored everyone, and royally pissed off every teacher in that place. It shouldn't work, really. But I know that I speak for both of us when I say that we are different people now. At least, we are to each other.
"You know, Tobias," she murmurs against my back. "When someone cares about you - I mean, really cares - you can tell them how you feel... they won't just go away."
It takes a moment for her words to sink in, and when they do, I feel a tear drip down my face and fall onto my hand. It's just too ironic - the one person who did care about me has gone away. But Tris cares about me too, and despite my explosion a few minutes ago, she's still here, hugging me and reassuring me, making me cry, even.
Usually I'd be embarrassed about crying like this, as I haven't done so since my mother's funeral. But i feel as though I don't have to hide from her, because I've seen her at her worst too - in the motel room, crying and panicking and having a breakdown. And now she is seeing me at my worst, and I'm glad she's still here, and she's still touching me like she did yesterday.
I spin around to face her and wrap my arms around her shoulders, pulling her to me. I can't mess this up. It's the one thing in my life that I know I want, so I'm going to try my hardest to keep her.
"Let's do it, the plan, I mean." I say, sighing into her hair. I don't want to go along with the mad idea, but Tris is right - we have to make difficult decisions in life, and this is one of them. The plan itself holds a lot of danger, but everything we have done up to this point has held just as much, and we made it through. This could be our one chance, and I don't think it would be wise to waste it.
She pulls back a little, just enough to look me in the eyes. "Are you sure? We can talk with the officers, see if we can come up with a new plan -"
"No, you were right, Tris. We have no other option." I interrupt, attempting to reassure her. "I don't like it, but we don't have the luxury to deny a plan that could work. The others may be less risky, but I'm willing to bet none would be as strategic and ingenious as this one. So let's do it."
The plan itself is pretty smart, I must admit - to con Tris's 'parents' into thinking that she wants to meet up. They arrange a place which will be rigged with cameras so the officers can see everything that happens when Tris goes to meet with them. There would be officers with weapons very close by, in case anything were to go wrong and they needed to get her out fast.
I would've liked to accompany Tris, but I've been told to stay put and watch via the cameras with the other officers here at the police station. That's why I'm so hesitant - the idea of her facing them alone is enough to make me want to vomit.
They've killed her family, and now they want to kill her too. What if they've done stuff before that? There are a good few murder cases that went unsolved these past few years, which could've been them, for all we know. So that means they are capable and willing to kill her off, and she has to walk in there alone, with nobody to protect her from the inside.
The officers could get there too late - Tris could've already been shot or stabbed by then. But we have to take that risk, no matter how much I dislike it.
"It's going to be okay," she says softly, slipping her thin arms around my waist. "We're going to be okay. I just know it."
"I hope so." I sigh, skimming my hand over her hair.
But I'm not quite sure whether I believe it or not. I guess, only time will tell.
-oo0oo-
Authors Note:
Hey guys, sorry for the shortness of this chapter, and for the slow update too. I'm really not motivated right now, and it was a struggle to even write this chapter. I've got a lot going on right now, so I really am sorry for the lack of updates and even the quality.
On a good note, however, we're one review away from 100 which is seriously crazy! Your support means a lot to me, and I'm pleased to see that you all enjoy my writing.
- GuiltyMind
