New chapter! Remember, time jump will come. First the present, then a tome jump. I hope you'll be able to follow. Enjoy!

The next morning I wake up cold and alone. Jim's gone. Amar is gone. Lily, Mary, and Jeff still haven't gotten back to the house. Probably enjoying their time away from my crying.

I'm alone.

I place a hand on my head. Pounding headaches have become a normal afterwards after I drink. That and... I reach for the trash can beside my bed and barf. I stomach twists and trurns as I sit up on my bed. No work today, thankfully, so I planned on staying home.

My mind drifts to home. Not Amity, where I have ran away to hide for a year. Not Erudite, where I met a boy and loved to read. I begin to think of my Dauntless home. Dauntless, where I fell in love, stained my skin, broke my mind, and began to sharpen my body. I almost longed to go back.

Then Lily burst into the room. "Abby!" I grimace at the noise. She runs up to my bed and wraps her arms around my body. "I missed you."

I chuckle. "I missed you too, kiddo. Mind helping me with some stuff around the house?"

She perks up. "Sure!"

This... this is why I can't leave. I love this family too much. They took me in and I grew a bond with them. I can't leave.

Months pass. Everything is back to normal. I haven't had a vivid dream of Amar since. Now, I'm in the bathroom about to take a bath. I look at my body. My tattoos show slightly when I face forward. The flames still lick my sides. Amar's name is still on my hip. I let out a shakey breath.

"I need a hot bath," I say as I submerge myself in the steaming water, not caring about the heat.

As I wash my body, I think about the Dauntless compound. The walls, too dangerous to climb. The smell of the dust in the training room. For the past five months I knew that I had to go back. I have to go home. I can deal with Max. I can deal with Four. I wonder how Eric looks now. Still, I know I have to go back.

I climb out of the tub and wrap a soft yellow towel around my body. Opening the door, I find Mary with black cloth in her hands. Her green eyes shine brightly with concern as we lock eyes.

"Um," Mary says as she stares at the silk. "I found this while cleaning. I- I knew you were Dauntless and they had odd attire, as we all do, but" she opens the cloth to relveal my dress. The one Amar got for me. " Abby, was this a wedding dress?"

My breath catches. "Uh... I don't... I don't know."

"Abby!" Lily says as she bounces up. Suddenly she gasps. "What happened to your back?"

I'm too busy looking at my dress to look at her. "My dress. My back. Um..." I swallow. "Let me change and I'll explain everything. And I mean everything."

Lily's small hand touches the top of the towel, pulling it down a little. "A-Abby?"

I turn to face the worried child. Her bright blue eyes shine with tears in them. Placing a hand on her small face, I reassure her that I'm ok.

I scurry to my room. Once I am in my room, I go to the bag under my bed. The bag that contains my Dauntless clothes. I slip into the dark cotton.

I take in a deep breath. I never really told the family why I came to Amity. They just accepted me. Now, I have to explain.

I go to the kitchen and take a seat at the table. After a few moments, Mary and Jeff come in hand-in-hand. Mary, in her red pajamas and Jeff in his yellow pjs, both look at me with worried eyes.

"I don't know if Lily will join us." Mary whispers. "If she does, it would be nice."

I clear my throat. "Well, I should start at the beginning. I transfered from Erudite a little over a year ago. I went to Dauntless. I, uh, met someone. His name was Amar. Over my time in Dauntless, we dated."

I hear a small sneeze. Lily pops around the corner. "Sorry."

"It's fine." I smile. "Come join us."

She nods and sits at the bar. I nod and continue.

"He liked my dress. He was with me with I got my tattoo. That thing on my back. We got each others name put on our skin. We, um, we were engaged." I hold up my left hand, showing her the ring I still wore. "We were in love. Then..." I swallow over the heavy lump in my throat. "He died."

Mary gasps and pulls away from her husband. She wraps me in her motherly arms. Tears spill from my face and I pull her closer to me. "Oh, sweetie... That's who you pine day and night?"

I nod. Sniffling, I sit up and wipe my eyes. "After he died, I kept going down. I played my ex. I kissed my best friend. I played my leader. I'm such a... word I can't say because of the little ears in the room."

I wipe my eyes again. Jeff sighs and wipes his eyes as well. "And now... you want to go back? I'm guessing from your outfit, at least."

I hug my body and nod. "For now... I just want to go visit the compund. Just for a night."

All three people look at me. Silence stretches out.

Finally, Lily speaks up. "You want to leave?" She speaks.

I go over to her and pull her into a hug. "Baby, I don't belong here. I have to go home."

Lily nods against my chest. Her small body shaking as she starts to cry. My heart breaks. I wish I could say... but what I told them was true. I have to go home.

Mary sighs. "We can't force you to stay with us. May I offer a suggestion?" She adjusts in her chair. "Visit tonight, come back tomorrow morning. Then, maybe, stay the rest of the year with us. You can leave on Choosing Day."

I rush to her side. Wrapping my arms around her, I start crying. "Thank you."

I kiss Jeff and Mary on the forehead and Lily on the cheek. I rush to the bathroom and change into my dress. It still hugs my body the way he wanted it to. I almost cry again. I come out of the bathroom.

Walking to the door, I call behind me. "See you in the morning!"

Then I start running.

Some feedback would be nice, yall! Let me know what you think!