Like Johanna had declared, the rebels were deported exactly one week after the trial. There were exactly 127 of them, mostly younger men, that didn't make it into dauntless or were already born factionless. Eventhough, they wouldn't have posed a real threat to the faction system with these numbers, they still could have done enough damage, if they´d made it into our compound.
Eric came home a day after the trials, seething. He just found out, that there indeed was a traitor in dauntless. He was a lower ranking patrol officer, but still had enough clearance, to get into the control room and forward information to the rebels. He was added to the 127 and deported with them.
Neither I, nor Toby went to see our mother a last time. It would have caused too many questions and accusations, as that we could ´fraternize with the enemy´. But Eric, being the love of my live, managed to sneak some letters to and from her.
I wrote in mine, that I was sorry, that I couldn't see her again, but that I was glad, she wouldn't be executed.
Her letter to me also contained excuses, but hers weighed heavier. I didn't know, if I could ever forgive her for leaving us like that, but I wasn't someone to hold onto anger, so I knew, I would eventually forgive her, but never forget.
She explained a few things, how she managed to fake her suicide by leaving a note and just disappearing, how she survived in the factionless sectors and how she finally managed to gather their forces.
But what she didn't say was, what happened to her baby, my half-brother. I guess, he didn't make it.
Eric was highly interested in the aspects of how she managed to unite the factionless, since they usually always fended for themselves.
Once erudite, always erudite.
Not only were the factionless deported to the X-zone this weekend, but Marcus´ trial was held the day after. This would mean, I had to spend two days completely alone. Eric was busy with both, overseeing the first and functioning as a judge at the second, leaving me on my own to take care of Theo.
Not that I had to do much usually, he was an overall pretty easy infant to handle. He only screamed when he was hungry, or needed a diaper change and let himself be calmed down easily. Especially by Eric.
But that didn't mean that it was easy all the time.
Not at all, because if he really started to scream, Eric would be the only one who could calm him down. But he had to attend countless meetings as a leader, so that made it hard for him to be able to do so.
And Theo was having a meltdown right now. He had been screaming for the better of two hours, refusing to drink anything or fall asleep and I was exhausted.
I´d been getting up all night, because he was fussy and when he finally fell asleep, it was 7 am, meaning I wasn't able to get back to sleep. Theo slept for almost 4 hours, before he woke up screaming bloody murder.
The only solution for me now was finding Eric. So I strapped my son into the harness, Eric had brought home with him, and left the flat.
On my way to the training room, where I knew he would be, to keep up his stamina, a lot of people were staring at me and the wailing toddler in my arms.
I had one of my hands protectively folded behind his head, while humming to keep him quiet. It only worked little to keep him from screaming through the halls, so I hurried, while making sure I wouldn't fall on the uneven floor.
I finally arrived in the training room, where a lot of people were sparring, running around or beating the punching bags.
One of them was luckily my husband and for one moment I was so mesmerized by his shirtless back, riddled with muscles and glistening with sweat as he pummeled the bag, until an extra loud scream brought me back to reality. A lot of the exercising dauntless turned towards me, curios about what was wrong and Eric was one of them.
Recognizing it was his son crying, he bowed down and grabbed the towel and water bottle that were lying at his feet. He first wiped the sweat off his face, before slinging it over his shoulder. As he came towards me, he was tilting his head to take a mouthful of water, his Adam's apple jumping deliciously with each gulp. I knew he was putting on a show for me. And it would have worked, if the little man here, hadn't put me on the brink to exhaustion.
"Who do we have here?" Eric asked, as he freed Theo from the harness, taking him and rocking him back and forth. "Na na, there´s no need to cry like that." He muttered softly to the infant in his arms and being the traitor he is, Theo instantly calmed down.
"That´s right. I can see who´s going to be your favorite parent." He joked, smirking at me.
Not funny.
"Well, I´m sure his favorite parent will have no objections to feed him from his breasts, since
mine are pretty sore, so have fun." I glared at Eric, making him roll his eyes in good humor.
"Don't take everything so serious, love."
Rubbing my hands over my face, I sighed. "That would be a lot easier if your little monster hadn't been screaming for three hours without a break." This made him frown.
"Why didn't you call me?"
"Because you were in a meeting and I didn't want to disturb you."
"You would never disturb me with something like this." Eric declared, still rocking Theo in his arms, before looking up at me.
"Why don't we go to visit that idiotic uncle of yours in the control room, while mummy is taking a little nap? She´s not really friendly when she´s sleep deprived." He addressed Theo, while stripping me of the harness, using it for himself.
I could feel all the people staring at us, too fascinated and still unbelieving of what was happening in front of their own eyes, to look away. Not one of them ever saw Eric smile, nevertheless act lovingly or take care of a helpless creature.
Their dubious faces were almost comical.
"Language, Eric! And I don't want you to insult my brother in front of my child." I scolded him, only making him chuckle
.
"You see what I mean, little man?" It was so adorable I almost didn't roll my eyes.
Almost.
Sensing that I was annoyed as well as tired, Eric smiled at me. Not his cruel one, or the one that was supposed to mock people, but one of his rare, genuine smiles, as he grabbed my hand and guided me out of the training room.
"You look as if you´ll pass out any second. Go home and take a nap, you can meet us later for dinner at the mess hall. I´m going to take care of Theo." Eric said lowly, making me turn towards him.
"Don't be ridiculous, I can handle it. And you have to work." I stated, going to grab Theo, even if the nap sounded like heaven right now.
But Eric stopped me.
"I mean it. Go home. No one will care if he´s with me and if they do they won't dare to say anything. Not to mention that it´s never too soon to start leadership training." His last sentence was accompanied with a wink, showing me, that it was a joke.
But knowing my husband, there was always a truth behind his words and that, when he really wanted something, he would get it. So I kissed the both of them goodbye, but not before telling Eric how much I loved him.
All I got in return was a swat to my behind and a shouted order to get my butt into bed.
With glowing cheeks, I did just that and as I fell into bed, dead tired, I knew that having Eric as a husband was like winning the jackpot.
Whatever that means.
.
.
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The next day, every available member was mobilized, to cover the compound and the patrol sectors, since 300 of the guards were needed to transport the rebels out of the city. Eric had told me last night, after we finally lay in bed, that they didn't expect a riot or complications at the transport, since every rebel had one of the devices implanted, that could be triggered by the leaders.
He had taken Theo to the control room with him, where he had peacefully slept, while Eric and my brother were talking about things and monitoring the factionless sectors.
At dinner that night, Max had indeed been joking, that our little one was starting to follow in his father's footsteps.
The rebels were loaded into special tanks, that have been modified to transport prisoners, while our soldiers were following with their tanks. At 8 am the dauntless started to load them into them and were ready to drive away at 9.30 am.
Since they would transport them that far out, I was really starting to worry. Not one member of our city had been as far out there as they were all going to be, for 100 years and no one knew, what to expect.
Therefore, my farewell to Eric had been a little dramatic, but he just shrugged it off and kissed me goodbye.
One way would take approximately 3 hours and they had a lot of organizing to do, so I didn't expect him to be back before 6 pm.
In reality it was later, much later.
I was already in bed at 11 pm, half asleep with Theo snuggled up on me, as Eric sauntered into our bedroom.
Seemingly exhausted he stripped out of his uniform, only sparing me a glance, before disappearing into the bathroom. I heard the water starting to fall, as he took a shower.
Five minutes later he emerged, still wet and only dressed in briefs, as he let himself fall into bed beside me.
As I turned to face him, he was already watching me with hooded eyes.
"Why are you home so late?" I inquired, while reaching out to caress his jaw. I could feel the tiny stubbles under my fingers.
He needed to shave.
"Had a few flat tires. Not to mention that the forest got so thick, we had problems to get through it."
I concluded from his annoyed tone, that the soldiers, that accompanied my husband today haven't had it easy.
I let my gaze trail over his face, memorizing the line of his jaw, how his grey eyes, that usually seemed to burn with intensity, were now sleepy and how his eyebrow piercing moved, when he frowned at me. Following my gaze with my fingers, I traced his face, until I was lightly running them through his hair.
Eric closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation of my short nails against his scalp.
"What was out there?" Opening one eye, he scrutinized me.
"A lot of trees and beyond that, nothing really. A few train tracks leading into vast spaces and a damn lot of grass, but no signs of civilization." He muttered, before closing his eyes again.
I watched him for a few minutes and as he started to snore quietly, I, too, closed my eyes and slipped into dreams about foreign places and foreign people.
.
.
.
The next day promised for Eric to be as tiring, as the last one. He had to go to candor, to supervise Marcus´ trial, that would only be accessible for a few chosen people.
Tobias and I being one of them, but I had decided after my mother´s trial, that I wouldn't go. I had neither someone to watch Theo, nor did I want to listen to my father, as he spilled his guts.
I didn't want to know what was happening in that demented brain of his.
So I stayed home, busying myself with cleaning, taking care of Theo, who was laying on a blanket in the living room, fascinated by his mobile, and helping Eric out, by filling out some of his paperwork.
Since the ambassadorship training dealt with such things, I knew what to fill out, so I could disburden him a little, since he usually, too, got up in the night, to change diapers. And it was a great way to divert my attention and keep the anxiousness, I was feeling at bay, as the day went on.
Around 2 pm, someone knocked at the door and I opened up to find Tris and Uriah standing there. They came in and while Uri went straight to cuddle Theo, Tris flung herself onto the couch, rubbing her belly.
They´d came to keep me company and so they did. I hadn't had much chance to think about Marcus, while Uri was trying to get Theo to smile (not that it took much) with making funny faces and Tris complained about being a beached whale.
I had to laugh at that, since I knew exactly, what she meant.
Time flew by and I was just finishing dinner, Uri setting the table, as Eric came storming through the doors, flinging his jacket onto the couch and disappearing inside the bedroom. All of us were staring after him, flabbergasted, as Toby came through the door, closing it behind him with a sigh.
Tris went to hurry over, but he just waved one of his hands dismissingly, before walking over to the cabinet and pulling two scotch glasses out, filling them. He raised one, to question if someone wanted one, too, but only Uri agreed, since I was breastfeeding and Tris, well she was pregnant.
Eric came back out of the room, now dressed in a wifebeater and combat pants, snatching the glass out of Toby´s hand and downing it in one go.
I stayed silent, just watching the two of them. Only months ago they were beating the shit out of each other in front of the whole faction and now it seemed, as if they were able to read one another´s mind.
Eric swayed his gaze through the apartment, stopping for a moment, when he saw Theo sleeping on the couch, inside a prison of pillows, to make sure he wouldn't fall down, before stopping at me. He strode over, pulling me by my hips towards him and kissing me deeply. Almost needy.
"Promise me one thing." He spoke softly against my lips.
"Anything." My response was breathed, breathless.
Eric leaned his forehead against mine, before going on. "If I ever even think of doing some of these horrid things to you or my children, shoot me on the spot."
Shocked by his demand, I looked over to my brother who snorted into his glass. "She wouldn't be able to get you first."
"I hope that´s a promise." Eric replied, letting go of me, before sitting down at the table with his head in his hands.
The both of them looked utterly exhausted and repulsed and I knew what they had been through.
I lived through it for eighteen years.
"So what did daddy dearest tell you?" I asked, seemingly unbothered. But I couldn't hide the slight shake of my hands and I knew Eric saw it, as I was fiddling with glasses.
"Do you want the lively recount of all the things he did to us or do you want to know why he did them?" Tobias sassed, looking as if he was ready to drown himself in the depths of his scotch glass.
But instead he downed it.
"What, you mean? ´It´s for your own good´ wasn't a valid reason?" My voice was dripping with sarcasm.
"No, apparently he´s always had the urge to hit things, but didn't want to deflect to dauntless, because he was sure he wouldn't make it through the harsh initiation they had at that time." Toby´s speech was interrupted by Eric´s muttered "Coward", but he went on. "Not to mention that he wanted to lead the council, so he chose abnegation. Because he knew that he could make it to the top with manipulation and acting."
"Yeah, in pretending things he was always the best." I muttered.
"No wonder you were able to take that beating in initiation." Uriah piped up from the couch, looking thoughtful. "I never saw anyone take so many hits before blacking out."
"Don't talk about that!" My brother scowled at him, clearly remembering that one incident from my choosing year.
We were fighting and I was paired with the biggest guy in my class, thanks to Eric. He knew I was Tobias´ sister, so he thought he would test my fighting abilities.
Just too bad I had none.
"Well, the only reason I made it into dauntless was my ability to endure pain. Oh yeah, thank you Eric, for that great experience. It´s marvelous to wake up in the infirmary and be told that you had been out for two days." Raising my eyebrows at him, I tried to give him my best glare, but I wasn't really mad about that.
It´s dauntless life. Get used to it or become factionless.
That's how it is.
Eric rubbed his neck and looked slightly apologetic, before straightening up and smirking at me. "I´m glad, too, since that was the first time I actually noticed you. Your endurance impressed me and let me tell you, only a few initiates were ever able to do so."
"What an honor." My brother snorted, glaring at Eric. "I swear I never wanted to kill you as bad, as when you let some asshole beat the women, who mean the most to me."
Chuckling, Eric turned to Tris, who only stared at him, clearly waiting for an outburst. "What can I say? Number girl was another one to impress me, but that doesn't mean it wasn't stupid of her to protect that coward. How´s the ear by the way?"
"Just great." Tris deadpanned, making us all chuckle.
"So did he say anything that made sense at all, or was he just condemning us and justifying his reasons?" I turned to Toby, wanting to know what the old bastard told all of our leaders.
"Not really. Just that he was sure, it would teach us discipline and order so I could take his seat at the council and you would make the perfect housewife, not like our mother who obviously was a disappointment. But the rest he blabbered was just nonsense."
It was Tris´ turn to ask a question, since I was too lost in my thoughts. "And what will happen to him?"
"Since there is no law against abuse and the abnegation voted for forgiveness, he won´t become factionless. He knows to much about our city and the government. Secret information. Him as a replacement for Evelyn could be deadly for all of us, so he will stay in abnegation." Tobias sounded disgusted as he said that.
How much bad luck can a person have when it comes to parents?
"Either way he won't be leader anymore and most likely be an outcast in the community. So Prior will take over for him. Seems like a good man. Congratulations, stiff." Eric addressed Tris, making the both of us gape at him in surprise.
"Seriously?!" Tris squealed, throwing her arms around him. "That's so great!" She beamed, still hugging Eric. His face was contorted in confusion, since he has most likely never been hugged, after insulting someone, even if it was meant to be playful.
In fact, all of us were gawking at her, as she somehow awkwardly held Eric in an embrace, her protruding belly making it hard for her to reach him.
But she managed.
Then, a few seconds later she seemed to realize, what exactly she was doing and let him go as fast as possible.
Straightening her shirt, she looked as embarrassed as one can be and cleared her throat. "I mean that´s great for him, I guess."
Her awkwardness and the lower pitch in her voice seemed to amuse Eric, because he started to chuckle, making us all follow suit.
"Who would have thought the stiff liked to cuddle?" He mocked playfully, but smiled at her.
Taking her into a protective embrace, Tris hid her red face in my brother´s chest, as he raised an eyebrow at Eric "Stop harassing her."
"Okay." I intervened, not wanting it to get out of control. Smiling brightly, while displaying a bowl with gratin, I asked with my sweetest voice. "Who´s hungry?"
.
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Ten weeks later, we all rushed to the infirmary at six in the evening. My brother had called around 10 am, in hysterics, claiming Tris´ water had just broken. I told him to calm down and take her to the infirmary, which he did.
We arrived, to a baby screaming and Tris lying in the hospital bed, exhausted. I envied her for her eight hours of labor, since I had to endure more than 14, but I was thrilled to see that everything was alright.
Eric was carrying Theo, while I went over to my brother, who awkwardly held his son in his arms. The little one was screaming his lungs out, so I took him, rocking him back and forth, while shushing him.
After a few minutes he had calmed down enough and I took a look at him. His face resembled my brothers a lot and I had to say, he looked a lot like Theo.
But when he opened his eyes, instead of the slowly turning grey ones, I was looking into deep blue eyes.
"He has your eyes." I smiled at Toby, before walking over to Eric. He took a look at him, before doing the same with Theo, then turned to me and whispered loudly.
"I bet Theo would win."
I laughed loudly, as Tobias scowled mockingly at him. "Let´s talk in a few years, shall we?"
Walking over to Tris, I bowed down and laid the now calm infant on her chest.
"What´s his name?" Tris gazed lovingly at her son, before smiling at me.
"Ben. Short form of Benjamin."
Laughing, I looked over to Eric. "If we go on like that, dauntless will only have dauntless born with short forms of abnegation names."
"I always told you they want to take over the city!" Uriah exclaimed in mock horror, as clasped his hands in front of his face, before he slapped Eric´s shoulder, who was standing beside him. That earned him a glare.
"Yeah, you could certainly say this is the start of a dauntless dynasty." Eric declared, as he threw me one of his charming smiles, leaving no doubt about the things he had in mind to stake his claim further.
Not that I had anything against it.
No, in the contrary.
Because as I held my son in my arms, listening as Tris quietly sang to her boy, I knew this was only the beginning.
The beginning of our family.
The beginning of a family that would indeed one day be considered a dauntless dynasty.
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Soooo… This was the last regular chapter. Meaning that the further ones here will be with bigger time jumps, showing how Amy & Eric deal with their family in the years to come. So if there is anything you would like see them doing or handle different situations you can leave me a message in the comments or on tumblr. I would love to read & write about them :)
The sequel will be about their youngest child and it will be a little darker than this one, but I´m excited to write it.
Thank you so much for reading & to everyone who commented, followed or faved this story! You´re the best :)
