Hey guys so I noticed a problem with the chapter 11 upload this morning, not sure how long it had been all weird but just a heads up that you may want to go over it again just to check you got everything when you read it. Sorry about that. ~RainbowVeins

"Eric?" Free said gently as she opened the door to Eric's room and peered inside, it was quite late so she hadn't knocked due to fear of waking him up. The room was dark, so it took a few moments for her eyes to adjust. "Eric?" She repeated a little louder this time since she got no reply to her first attempt.

"I thought I told you to go away?" A voice perked up from the bed, he sounded sleepy which was another tone of voice Free would never get used to hearing. Free came into the room and closed the door gently behind her, plunging them into near complete darkness, the only light coming from the moon in the cloudy sky outside the window. "I'm sorry," She began, "I didn't know you were there when Four and I kissed and I didn't know it would upset you." She told him and took a couple of steps towards the bed. "But I can't apologise for kissing Four." She was shaking her head even though he had his back to her. "I didn't do anything wrong, I can kiss whoever I like and if you want that to be you then maybe you should…." She trailed off, Eric had rolled over and was now staring at her. He lifted half the covers up and nodded his head between her and the bed. Free welcomed the invitation and crawled in beside him.

"You often ask me questions and I ignore them, you know?" Free said as she cuddled into him, relishing in his warmth. "I had noticed that, yeah." Eric replied as he wrapped his arms around her. "I'll answer them." She told him, "Not right away, it might take me some time since I don't usually allow people to know things about me but I promise there's no one I want to know more about me, than you."

Only moments later and they were both fast asleep.

Six thirty and Free was up and dressed all ready – It hadn't taken her long to find something wear since the majority of her clothes had been left in here anyway – Eric lay still half asleep, the covers pulled right up under his chin. "Eric are you busy today?" Free asked gaining her a sort of half grunt half whine noise that told her absolutely nothing. Free stood at the foot of the bed, "Eric?" She asked again, Free had never been the most patient girl. When she received no reply she took hold of the bed covers and gave them a firm yank, exposing and only half clothed Eric to the chilly breeze that was coming in from the open window.

Eric squeaked, it was the most unmanly noise Free had ever heard escape his mouth and also the funniest which is why she couldn't stop the fit of giggles leaving her own lips. "You think that's funny do you?" Eric said, his voice sounded angry but the smile on his lips told a different story. "I asked you a question, I demand an answer." Free said with a grin.

Eric laughed, "Your torture methods are quite impeccable, Free." He'd moved towards her as he spoke and now he wrapped his arms around her as her favourite colour began to fill the room, a later sunrise this morning. They stood in silence for a moment before Free decided to take a deep breath and speak, "Bethany." She told him and he looked at her confused, "Bethany Locke. That's my real name." it sounded so strange to say, it was her name but it didn't feel like it belonged to her anymore. It had taken a lot for her to tell him, she hadn't even told Katie that the night before. A lump had formed in Free's throat as she waited for his reply.

"Bethany?" Eric said and it sounded even stranger coming from his mouth. Free shook her head, "I don't want you to call me it, I just wanted you to know." Eric nodded and said "Okay." He felt like he'd been given a gift, something meant only for him.

Free had thought he would kiss her then but he didn't and she was disappointed. Instead he pulled the covers back on the bed somewhat neatly and began to get dressed, "Why'd you want to know if I was busy today?" He asked as Free sat down on the couch and began to pull her boots on. "I wanted you to come through my fear landscape with me." She replied. "Four's done it but I'd really like you to see it before the whole faction does tomorrow." Eric clenched his jaw at the thought of Four going through some of Free's worst imaginings. "Sure, When?" He asked and she told him after breakfast. "Will Four be there?" He asked and for some reason he wouldn't meet her gaze. "Yes, is that a problem?" She asked and Eric shrugged, "Not at all."

They walked to breakfast holding hands which Eric noted as a new but welcomed development.

Breakfast came and went too fast, Free felt like she had barely sat down before she was leaving again this time with the group of initiates. "So how'd it go with Eric?" Katie asked as they walked and Free shrugged, "Well, I think." She replied, "I'm taking him through my fear landscape today," she added and a pit of dread formed in her stomach. She wasn't sure how he'd react to her fears, especially the one that involved him.

Katie looked at her friend curiously, "Have you told him what to expect?" She asked and Free shook her head. Katie sighed, unlike Eric she knew exactly what was in Free's fears "You should have at least warned him a little." Katie told her but then upon seeing the look of pure dread on Free's face she quickly added, "But I'm sure it'll all be fine, just try to keep him and Four from fighting and it'll be fine."

Free waited, Four had called Katie in about half an hour ago, actually he'd told the initiate before her to send her In. Free hadn't seen him all morning, he hadn't been at breakfast and he hadn't left that room for the whole morning. There were only two initiates left now and then she'd be last, she was always last to go in.

Katie came out, her skin was a tad pale and it took her a moment to say anything but she was definitely getting better. She told the next initiate to go in and retook her seat beside Free. "You're getting so much better." Free told her and Katie shook her head, "It never gets any easier though."

A while later Katie had left and the last initiate had been called in. That's when Eric showed up, "I'd started to think you weren't coming." Free said as he claimed Katie's seat beside her, resting his shoulder against hers, "I was busy with... Things." He replied and Free was about to ask what those things were when the door to the other room opened and the last initiate came out and told her she could go in.

Free gulped and wondered if she could change her mind at the last minute. Eric ushered her into the room which answered her question with a firm no.

Free took the seat she'd spent so much time in recently and tried to get comfortable, which proved to be very difficult. She smiled at Four but he wasn't looking at her, his eyes were set in a firm glare aimed at Eric who had took up his position beside her chair. "What's he doing here?" Four asked but Free didn't answer instead she asked her own question, "What happened to your face?" A large dark purple bruise had formed under Four's right eye and it was a little swollen. Free glanced up at Eric but he was avoiding her gaze. Silence dropped in the room. After a moment of receiving no reply Free grew frustrated, "Fine, we'll discuss it later then." She concluded and looked to Four, "Eric's coming with us today." She told him firmly, "Now let's get on with it." To her surprise Four did as he was told, Eric looked away as Four inserted the needle into her neck and looked like he would be sick when Four punched it into his, potentially afraid of needles, Free noted. Finally he administered the syrum to his own neck and a moment later the room around Free began to fade into the first of her fears.

Heyyyyy Thanks for reading guys, I quite liked this chapter and I absolutely smashed word count so gold stars for me on that front. Let me know what you think so I can write better future chapters? Thanks again, ~RainbowVeins