AN: Thanks for all the lovely reviews on the last chapter, it was a nice welcome back after my mini hiatus. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 14

"Another phase of criminal profiling is case linkage," Harrison explained. "There are times when it is necessary, and helpful, to analyse crimes of a similar nature in order to attempt to make a breakthrough in whatever mission you are working on. As we have covered, in previous lectures, profiling may not be the most glamorous role, but it can often be one of the most important tools when investigating, and completing a mission."

The recruits were all listening intently, or most of them were.

Marlene was subtly trying to distract Uriah by rubbing her foot up and down his calf.

Peter was rolling his eyes and looking bored, in an attempt to silently express that he thought that they had already covered profiling enough, and that delving into case linkage was superfluous.

Otherwise, the others were intent on making notes, all typing quickly away on their cell phones.

"They really know how to make Fridays fun," Christina said woefully, as they left their lecture an hour later. "I mean, we couldn't have a cool tech workshop today instead?"

"At least we haven't had to see Eric on any Friday yet," Will pointed out, squeezing her hand sympathetically.

"There's still time," Tris said grimly. "Three weeks down, two to go."

"Then we're ranked, again," Christina finished.

"And we'll be one step closer to being Dauntless," Tris said, determination ringing in her tone.

"So girls, are we having fun this weekend? Or are you both locking yourselves away to study?" Will asked, stopping outside their dorm with them.

"I think we have this weekend off, we can study next weekend, that way, our revision will be fresh for the last week," Christina suggested.

"Okay, but we're definitely studying next weekend, or I am," Tris said with a smile. She knew Christina would try to get out of a long, hard weekend in a week's time. Christina lived for the weekend, and if she couldn't enjoy it fully, she usually tried to find a way to do so.

Tris and Christina grabbed fresh gym gear from their dorm, then they stopped at Will's room, and he grabbed gear too, and they headed for the gym, as they often did. Gym sessions were usually scheduled for the afternoon.

"Man, the way Four hits every target, dead centre, no matter what, is just crazy," Will was saying enthusiastically. "I don't think I'll ever be able to do that, no matter how long I practice."

"He's got years on us, we're getting there," Christina pointed out. "But you're right, that target course was so hard, and he was so accurate."

Tris smiled at the mention of Four, she liked that her friends were impressed by him, and she liked that he was that good at his job. She just wished she had the right to act like a proud girlfriend. It had been almost a week since their rendezvous in the pool, and she had barely seen him since. In fact, she'd only seen him in training, twice. She was hoping to use her free weekend to see him, even if that wasn't what she'd be telling her friends.

Following that line of thought Tris said, "I don't mind what we do Saturday during the day, but I'd like to spend the evening reading. I haven't had much time to read, and I miss it."

Christina grinned broadly, appreciating that Tris was choosing to do something alone so that she and Will could spend time together, without making Tris the third wheel.

"Then we'll find a room and watch a movie together," Christina decided.

"Or not watch it," Will said with a wicked grin.

Christina gave a little squeal, and smacked him playfully.

After their gym session Tris showered, and headed to dinner.

In the dining hall she saw Four in the food line and managed to subtly move into line behind him.

As they had their trays filled Tris said softly, "Tomorrow night? Same time and place?"

"Sure," Four said softly, a smile on his face.

He imperceptibly reached down and touched her hand gently, making it look more like an accidental brush, than a sign of affection.

On Saturday morning Tris headed to the computer lab and wrote a long email to her mother, as had become her habit.

Hi Mom,

So, it's time for my weekly email. Instead of sitting alone, at a computer, writing in silence, I pretend I'm sitting in the kitchen with you, drinking orange juice on a Saturday morning.

It's early October now, so I guess there grass isn't growing enough for Dad to need to mow it. I suppose he'd be out, sitting in the sunshine, reading the paper and drinking his coffee.

If Caleb wasn't at school he'd be watching the morning news. I still can't understand his obsession with the morning news.

It's been another long week, Mom, but I'm still loving it here. Every day I learn something knew, and I learn more about more about myself as time goes on.

Its odd being away from you sometimes, but it's also teaching me a lot. The girl I share my dorm room with – Christina – is a really good friend. I've never had a friend like her. I think you'd really like her. Maybe she'll be able to make a trip home with me some time or other.

I'm glad to hear Caleb is doing so well at school – we always knew he would.

I hope Dad has been remembering to look after himself, and relax more than once a week. Keep reminding him that he enjoys golf!

Tris wrote on steadily for another fifteen minutes, and when she was satisfied, sent off her email.

She quite enjoyed writing to her mother, she could be fairly honest in her messages, if she didn't provide specifics.

She could of course not mention Four, or anything along the lines of having a boyfriend – or whatever he was. Her mother would want to know too much, and Tris knew that their communication home was monitored by Dauntless, to maintain secrecy, not to pry.

At the lunch table, Tris, Will and Christina tried to pick something to do for the afternoon.

"We could visit the pool again?" Will suggested, hopeful of seeing Christina in her skimpy, black swimwear.

"I'd rather not," Tris said. "How about a game of some sort?"

Christina backed Tris up in not wanted to go to the pool, and Tris was glad. She sort of felt that the pool was sacred now, a special place that she shared with Four. It seemed somehow that going there with anyone else would be wrong. She assumed she would at some point – they did train there from time to time – but until then, she wanted it to remain a special place, for as long as possible. Especially as she was meeting Four there that evening.

"You guys looking for something to do?" Uriah asked, joining them.

They nodded, looking hopeful.

"Zeke and some of his friends are getting a game of baseball going right after lunch," Uriah told them. "We still need players, you should come."

"But where can you play baseball here?" Will asked curiously.

"The roof," Uriah told them succinctly, grinning from ear to ear as they all looked back in surprise. "See you there. And if anyone invites Peter, I'm pushing them off the roof."

The roof was very large, with easily enough room for a baseball game.

"Just don't fall off, newbies," Zeke warned them laughingly. "The only thing we replace that goes off the roof, are balls, so if you fall off, you're not coming back."

"Noted," Tris said with a grin. This was going to be fun.

"What if people see us?" Christina wondered.

"It's not a big deal," Lauren said. "We're high enough up that we're rarely noticed, and we're rarely out here. There's green Astroturf over a lot of the area, which just makes it look like a rooftop garden. They're not uncommon."

Curiosity satisfied, Christina nodded.

"Alright, let's get into teams," Shauna called. "Zeke, is Four coming?"

"He's got a meeting, poor bastard," Zeke replied.

Tris had assumed he wouldn't come, his dislike of heights would make rooftop baseball distasteful.

The recruits and agents were sorted into teams, the gear was handed out, and the game began.

Tris had always enjoyed baseball in school, and the extra thrill of playing on the roof gave it a little something extra. The fact that they were out in the sun, in the fresh air was also invigorating.

Tris enjoyed the game immensely, and appreciated the chance to interact with her instructors as peers, instead of teachers, especially as they were Four's friends.

After dinner, Tris met Four on level 17, her bathing suit on underneath her gym clothes.

"I hear you played your first game of roof top baseball," Four said as she stepped out of the elevator.

"And I noticed you weren't there," Tris said teasingly. "Have you managed to avoid every game so far?"

"I played once, so no one would suspect that I'm not fond of heights," Four told her with a grin. "Conveniently, I am a fairly busy guy, so no one suspects anything when I have 'other' plans."

Tris giggled, and slipped her hand into his. The corridor was dark and quiet, so hand holding seemed safe enough.

Once more, Four let them into the pool room.

This time, there was no reserve, no shyness, and no need for preamble to make them comfortable.

Tris slipped out of her clothes, revealing a sleek one-piece, and sat down on the edge of the pool, letting her legs sink into the pleasant water.

She heard Four drop his shirt on one of the poolside benches, and he was sitting beside her in a moment.

"I like this," Four said, gently running a hand over the torso of her swimsuit.

He cupped her face and turned it towards his, kissing her gently.

He pulled her closer as they kissed, their touches becoming more urgent.

Tris pulled away first, breathing heavily.

"I, I need a moment," she said softly.

"Good idea," Four agreed, moving backwards.

Tris smiled at him, a little shyly, and then said, "So, did you really have a meeting this afternoon?"

"I did, actually, one of the senior agents from another branch was in here, comparing training notes, and I was asked to sit in, owing to my role in training," Four explained. "They also wanted to check in with how I'm progressing with what I do when I'm not training."

"What do you do, when you're not training?" Tris asked, slipping fully into the water.

Four followed her in.

"Well, I have field assignments, but when I'm not on assignment, or training, I work a lot in technology, especially development of software," Four answered. "I've always been good with computers – I'm quite a skilled hacker, and Dauntless likes to make use of natural gifts. They like to let agents work in areas that they naturally excel, in an effort to give people roles that will get the most out of their abilities."

"Is there anything you can't do?" Tris asked, impressed.

"A few things," Four muttered, his expression darkening.

Tris moved up behind him and put her arms around his waist, resting her cheek on his shoulder for a moment.

She lifted her head and admired his tattoos, illuminated by the dappled moonlight. She looked at each tattoo in detail.

Evelyn.

Evelyn was tattooed on his back. His mother's name.

Tris looked again at the scars on his back, that she had first noticed the previous week. There were many, little scars, and they were white, the way scars look when they fade with time.

Marcus Eaton's wife was Evelyn, he was accused of abusing his son, who had moved away to go to school and never came home.

Four didn't like to talk about his family, he never went home, and his mother's name was Evelyn.

Tris moved around to look at Four, wanting to say something but unsure what.

She didn't need to, he saw in her eyes that she knew.

"I figured someone might put the pieces together, after that piece in the paper," he said quietly.

"Oh Four," Tris said softly, reaching out and touching his face gently.

"Don't feel sorry for me," he said stiffly. "I don't tell people because of this. I don't want to remember anything about how it was, I just want to make sure he pays for what he's done – all of it."

"I don't feel sorry for you," Tris said firmly. "I hate that it happened to you, at I hate him for doing it to you, but I don't feel sorry for you. You amaze me. I don't pity you."

Four kissed her.

"That's why I don't let anyone know my real name," Four said. "I don't want to be reminded of my old life. Of course, when I started here the senior Dauntless agents new my real name from my file, but I always called myself Four, so everyone else did too."

"What is your real name?" Tris asked softly, her head resting on his chest.

"Tobias," he answered. "I kind of like having you know. You understand me more than anyone else ever has, and I want you to understand all of me, even the bad parts."

He stroked her head and the cool water rippled gently around them.

They were at peace in that moment, the two of them together, in the quiet of the pool, the soothing touch of the water, and the ease they felt with each other.

"I want to help you, take him down that is. He deserves to pay," Tris said after a little while. "Isn't that why we're here? To defend those who can't defend themselves, and to stop powerful people from doing wrong? If even half of what the paper says is true, he deserves to pay."

"He's guilty of everything the paper said, and more," Four confirmed. "I know several authorities have been watching Marcus for a while, but he covers his tracks pretty well, and does a good job of making sure people don't squeal on him. But don't worry, I'm going to get him, I promise you. I'm waiting to do it the right way, the legal way. I want him to stand trial, to face the consequences of his actions."

"I'd just want to kill him, first opportunity I got," Tris said grimly.

"Well, you're never meeting my father," Four said lightly.

"Yes, I suppose we're not going to have any traditional 'meeting of the family' moments, are we," Tris said quietly, caught by the thought.

"Well, I hope I'll get to meet your parents, that's not out of the question," Four pointed out.

"I'd like that, I want them to get a chance to know you, and like you, the way I do," Tris said, looking tenderly at him.

Four kissed her again, and things became heated, quickly.

Tris felt consumed by Four, her body felt like it was on fire, and she pulled back, overwhelmed.

"It's too much, too fast," Tris said, between breaths. "I don't know what I'm feeling, I need to take things slower."

"I'm sorry," Four said. "It's new to me too."

"You seem to know more about what you're doing anyway," Tris said quietly.

"I don't know why, I'm just following my instincts," Four explained. "In high school I wasn't a social recluse exactly, but I never got involved with girls. High school girls just seemed like a whole lot of trouble, emotional complications I didn't need. Emotions scared me, getting close to someone, anyone, wasn't something I thought would ever happen for me. I was too damaged. Then I came here, I made friends, I found my place here. I was happy enough, I had people I enjoyed spending time with, but I had never found anyone I felt more than friendship for. I didn't have the time or the inclination to go looking for romance, I was too focused on becoming a first rate agent. I thought I'd always be alone, and then you came along."

"Why me?" Tris asked curiously. She had listened with interest to everything he said, and she wanted to know what had made him notice her.

"You captivated me, from the first moment I saw," Four said seriously. "When you fell out of that fear simulation, and I caught you, I felt drawn to you. I wanted to protect you. The days went on and my feelings didn't fade, in fact, I felt a stronger, unexplainable connection. In the end, no matter how hard I tried, I knew I couldn't go on denying what I felt. You constantly surprised me, enthralled me. Your determination, your bravery, your honesty, those tattoos, your smile. And so, here we are."

"Here we are," Tris echoed. "I wish I could say something as eloquent, or explain my feelings that well, but I can't. Just know, that everything you said means a lot to me. When I know how to tell you how I feel, I will. All I have now is this."

Tris kissed him, fiercely at first, trying to express herself in that one action. The kiss became more tender, further expressing her emotions. They would find their way together, one step at a time.

AN: So, there were a few key things in this chapter. What did you think about Tris finding out about Four's family? (There will be much more on that later.) And did you enjoy my substitute for zip lining? Please let me know and leave a review :)