Chapter 27 (Tris' POV)

Twenty minutes after the encounter with Hestia, I was still furious and working to check in my anger. How that witch thought she could rake her nails down Tobias' chest, use that sickeningly fake voice, especially with me standing right there angered me to no end. Did she have no shame? I heard my mother tell me, in the soft undemanding voice that all Abnegation used, to not hold grudges, to let it go, not let it get to me. Still, she'd ruined my relationship with Tobias before- I wasn't allowed to let it happen again.

"Tris." Tobias' low grumble shook my from my train of thoughts.

I could almost sense him giving the "you've nothing to worry about" speech- but no, I wasn't worried about Hestia taking Tobias away from me. I was secure and confident in our love. It simply bothered me that people like Hestia had no shame and self-respect and willingly chose to demean themselves like that... Yes, that must be it.

"Yea, I'm fine. What time is it?"

As it would turn out, it was conveniently just at this time that a group of teenagers came rushing down the hallway towards the cafeteria.

"Well, I'd assume that that means it's dinner time," Tobias said, redundantly, with a small playful smirk on his face. "Which means..."

A few seconds later found him running down the hallway toward the cafeteria, with me over his back- not voluntarily, although I can't say that I was entirely against it. For the sole purpose of playing along, a shrieked playfully and futilely tried to resist. Oh, how much I've changed the past year from a shy and quiet girl to... Tris.

Slowing down a few feet before the entrance, he set me down, and we walked in attempting to look just like professional, intimidating instructors, and nothing more. I could tell from where many of the initiates sat that some (namely, Clement and Justin) were still somehow scared of the flimsy mask I'd thrown on before entering.

However, I didn't have much time to contemplate on that, as I noticed Uriah, Marlene, Lynn, and the group of friends that I had grown close to in a short period of time.

Waving us over as they typically did, we went to their table after getting a meal, even though I didn't feel particularly hungry. I nestled into Tobias' side, a little tired after what had happened.

I glanced around the the massive room, searching but not knowing what I was looking for until I found them: Skye and Aly.

Somehow, I'd gotten familiar with them, more so than the other initiates at any rate. Well, I did know Skye for a year prior to initiation, but Aly... Something about her seems intriguing. She was strong outside, and didn't hesitate to make sure that those who doubted her never doubted her again. But on the inside, I knew something was up. She couldn't just be that tough Dauntless girl, not when she was in Amity before! And that light suspicion grew more after what I'd witnessed this morning and afternoon. Who were those two people in her Fear Landscape? They weren't too much older than her, and they bore no facial resemblance. That meant that they couldn't have possibly been family. Were they friends? No... That couldn't be. She wouldn't fear her friends, especially not after I'd seen how loyal and dedicated she was to those she considered her friends, namely Snow. And Skye, I'd known him before. But somehow, he never ceased to surprise me. For the past year that I've known him, I'd learned enough about him to know that he typically didn't make lasting (or any) attachments of the romantic sort. So what had happened? Not that I'm objecting to his new-found happiness with the girl who I'd probably list as my favorite initiate or anything. What had happened to make him change so much? It seemed like one day, they were just fellow initiates, and the next they were so much more.

My thoughts halted as I found them. It was remarkable, the bond that the two shared.

They sat with a small group of friends: Snow, Tesa, Ivy and Jess. I knew from keen observation (not to sound stalker-like or anything) that Aly and Snow were best of friends, despite their completely different upbringings. However, at the moment, it seemed as though Aly and Skye were in their own personal bubble, deep in discussion.

Something nudged my shoulder and I turned around with Tobias' face not two inches from mine.

I flinched back in instinct, before laughing and leaning back onto Tobias' shoulder.

Barely thirty minutes later, Tobias and I were back upstairs, and a short while later, we sat in the bed in our apartment, leaning back onto a miniature mountain of pillows.

In Tobias' hands was a notebook containing information on the initiates.

Stage One Scores/Ranks

1. Skye: 15

2. Alyssa: 15

3. Ivy: 15

4. Blade: 14

5. Jess: 14

6. Snow: 13

7. Roxy: 13

8. Tesa: 13

9. Xavier: 12

10. Michael: 12

11. Scarlett: 12

12. Zane: 12

13. Clement: 11

14. Jose: 9

15. Hestia: 8

"Hestia and Jose are most likely going to be cut off," Tobias said, satisfaction lacing his voice. "Finally... They're two of very few people who I believe truly belongs there."

I nodded my head in agreement, but I couldn't help but focus on one thing: Skye, Aly, and Ivy were at the top of the list, with Snow very near behind. In addition to that and their fear simulations being manually uploaded, it would be too suspicious. Tobias and I... we had to prepare them for the Third Stage, where we couldn't just erase the record. All the Dauntless leaders would watch, and it simply wouldn't do if one of them accidentally acted out in an abnormal manner.

"Tris, what're you thinking about?" His voice gently nudged me out of my thoughts as his shoulder brushed my arm.

"Tobias, how are we going to protect four Divergents? We only have a few more days before we move on to the Third Stage..." my voice trailed off as I reached the implications of what would happen should Tobias and I fail to protect them satisfactorily. The dread and heaviness weighed down on my shoulders as if it were a real thing, and I slumped down on the mountain of pillows.

He was silent for but a moment before he spoke, "Tris, we won't fail. I pulled you through first last time, didn't I? We can do it again, especially now that we're together."

I grasped his voice and the words that came as a beacon of light, pulling myself up from the well of stress of protecting people only a year younger than me from monsters that we were supposed to look up to. Holding his hand, I nodded slightly, knowing that I could handle this. Only a few more days before the initiates passed onto the Third Stage, but with Tobias, I could do it. I had no alternative.


A/N: I'm sorry it's so short, but this is kind of a filler chapter. I'm losing motivation and grasping onto whatever I can find. Next chapter will be the second day of Stage Two, but I don't know what to write. Any ideas for the fears, or plot? Thank you all...

M heart T: Thank you so much! Your simple but sweet review means much to me :)

Sullybean1: Oh uh... I never watched Mean Girls and I have no idea what it's about. Thank you for reading!

Candorinitiate: You reread the story? The whole story?! Oh maii- you are an amazing girl/guy. Nonono don't thank me for updating- I should be thanking you for your awesome review and your dedication to this story :) So yea... thanks :)))

Totallyaromantic: It sucks being sick, but thank the gods (Percy Jackson reference, lol) that I'm better...Thanks for reading and reviewing and for your kind words- they mean a lot!

Deborahhh: I know that you love Skylyssa and Fourtris (since you said so) and since this chapter isn't very focused on them, and is really just a filler, I can assure you the next one will have them! Thank you for the review!

fanficforyou: Thank you! I liked writing that ending, so I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed it- I thought that the ending was very sweet, personally. Thank you for the review and motivation.

~myperfectionismyimperfection