Perhaps some of you were looking for me to update my other stories but I already had this chapter ready, so I put this update on instead of Eradicate. Sorry about not updating that one yet. It should be (crossing fingers) hopefully at the end of this week.

So my boyfriend is into Game of Thrones. I decided to add in some of the characters from there. If you noticed I put in a couple during Eric's POV and put in a couple in here as well.

I do not own Divergent. Credit goes to Veronica Roth.

Dinner was a formidable affair. I dreaded every minute of it that went by. Of course America and I had to dress properly once again. I hated it.

Other than the night that we went to eat at the restaurant for his birthday or the double date we had last night, I usually did not dress like this. I mostly put on a pair shorts and a t-shirt, usually Eric's. And the other time we ate out at Sonic, I was dressed the same.

Now though I was using a dress. I could tell that America was not happy with it either. Maxon's mother had just arrived before dinner and was there at the table as well. Eric's mom and Senator Schreave usually held the conversation.

"So, Alexandria is it," he said. I propped my head up quickly and almost kicked the table in my rush.

"Sorry," I mumbled for so to Eric who sat by my side. "Yes it is," I nodded to Senator Schreave.

"Have you ever been to Illea?"

"No, Senator," I shook my head. "America tells me that it's a beautiful state."

"It is," he lifted an eyebrow at her and then turned back to me. "You'll have to come and see for yourself when you and Eric come down during the Summer."

I had not been told about that trip. Eric reached for my hand under the table and gave it a squeeze. "I'm looking forward to it," I replied.

Cara and Myra had called to say that they saw a photo of me standing with Eric for yesterday's political luncheon.

"Yeah, she's," I paused. "She's something else," I told Cara and Myra as we were face-timing. "You should have seen her at dinner last night. It was so, I don't know. But it was like I wasn't myself."

"No one can be themselves around someone like Senator Jeanine Matthews," Myra responded.

"Is your phone tapped," asked Cara.

"What?"

"It's just that I remember Will saying that Mrs. Matthews had Eric's phone tapped last year or something like that." Cara looked at Myra who shrugged. "She just seems like the type of person who would..."

"Put a tracking device on her son," I finished.

"Most parents do that though, Cara," said Myra.

"No, like she actually placed cameras on him and everything too," Cara replied.

I gasped and looked up in horror. A memory of something happened last night. When we were eating dinner I swear I could have heard a whirring noise coming from the centerpiece on the dining table. I thought I even saw a small red light in between the flowers.

"She was recording us last night," I gulped. "During dinner, I swear I saw it," I told them.

"Please be careful, Alex," said Cara.

"I will. I got to go. We have some other luncheons, press conferences, or whatever," I waved my hand. "I'll call you two when the witch leaves on her broom."

"Bye, Alex," they both said and we ended the call.

I glanced around the living room wondering if she put any camera in here.

The following two days that Eric's mom was here was complete torture. Eric and I barely had time alone and when we did finally escape to his room, both nights we fell off to sleep almost immediately as we hit the bed.

After that first luncheon, we were paraded around at another event. Eric was right. This was different than going to charity balls, social events, or other miscellaneous important dinners that I went for my Dad.

The young daughter of a representative was tripped by another young woman and got her dress dirty at the second luncheon we went to. America and I both assisted her and helped her get cleaned up. She was still crying about her dressed getting dirty and falling, so we decided to cheer her up. We had taken her for a spin around the dance floor, twirling her and making her laugh.

A reporter took a photo and it ended up on the afternoon news.

"What song were they dancing to," one of the campaign advisers questioned as America and I sat down in the room. Everyone was in complete hysterics.

"They were both dancing with little Shireen," asked another.

"Was Shireen happy in the photo?"

"Someone stated that she was crying earlier and that she had fallen," another spoke. "Miss Singer and Miss Kent went to assist her."

"They should have stayed seated in their spots," Eric's mother stood up from her seat at the opposite end of the room. "I thought you said she wasn't going to leave your side," she pointed at Eric.

"Alex went to the restroom, mother. If I had followed her in there you'd be dealing with a different story on your hands than the one you have now. Besides, I don't know what the big deal is about her and America dancing with Shireen Baratheon."

"She was being careless," Eric's mother screeched.

"They were both careless," Senator Schreave glanced at America and then back to Maxon. "I told you that she didn't know how to behave. She should have stayed back in Illea. Kriss was sitting there like a good young woman ought to."

"Kriss was there," I whispered to America.

"She's the one who tripped Shireen," America replied.

"They were helping a little girl who was crying," Maxon stated.

"Mother," Eric said. "This is a good thing. You and Senator Schreave have been trying to get Representative Baratheon to agree with you on several issues."

"That's right," Maxon added in. "A former veteran would have been nice on your cabinet as your Secretary of Defense. He's been rejecting you folks ever since. But I saw his face when he saw Shireen with America and Alex. He enjoyed the fact that they took an interest in his daughter."

"If anything, Alex and America helped you folks out rather than carelessly went to dance," Eric explained as the room fell silent.

There was a moment before one of the campaign advisers spoke up.

"Mrs. Matthews," he cleared his throat. "Representative Baratheon is on the line."

He had invited all of us to dinner that evening. The purpose was to thank the two young ladies who had helped his daughter. The only good thing about that dinner was Shireen doting over America and I. We continued to talk to her and kept her in high spirits. It was pleasing to both Eric's mom and Senator Schreave when Representative decided to join in on their campaign. And that was all because we helped his daughter.

The following day America was caught on camera singing to an elderly woman in the hospital that we had gone to visit and I had a picture taken of me helping an elderly man to sit down in front of the window so he could look out at the gardens. There were just small acts of kindness but it got the campaign their Secretary of State and Secretary of Treasury.

The morning that Eric's mom left she asked to see me in her office.

"You're not pregnant are you," was the first question she asked.

I looked at her appalled. "No, I'm..."

"If you ever do get, you'll end the pregnancy," she stated. "This is the number for my personal assistant who will help you. The last thing I need to hear is that I am going to have a grandchild born out of wedlock."

"Wouldn't it hurt your campaign more if I terminated the pregnancy," I questioned at her as I took the business card.

"It probably would if you let it get out," she stared at me. "I do not like you Miss Kent. I do not like your attitude, your mother or your father, or the fact that you convinced my son to go to University instead of coming to Washington DC with me. However," she paused and looked away. "I will say that your presence has reared my son in the right direction. There has been close to nothing, except that little article in the paper, that has had to be cleaned up or taken care of."

"Is that a 'thank you'," I asked.

"No," she turned back to me. "It's a warning though," she stood up. "Everything you do from here on out will be criticized. And it will reflect poorly on my son and then later on me."

"Are you threatening me?"

"Perhaps. If you don't comply, I will make sure my son leaves you this instant."

"Your son and I love each other," I said.

"Love," she laughed. "Men say that only because they want one thing."

"Eric isn't like that."

"He is the same as every other man."

"You don't know him at all," I spoke louder. "You belittle him at every chance you get. You only came to one of his football games and that was to look good for the press. Nothing you ever do is for him. How can you be so..."

"Now you listen here Miss Kent. You will behave," her eyes bore into mine. "If you so much as mess up just a little, I'm taking my son to Washington DC and you'll never see or hear from him again. Your father's career will be over, your mother may end up in yet another uncompromising situation as last year's hospital bombing, your brother's scholarship to DU will be gone, and you Miss Kent," she leaned forward. "You will wish you never went out with my son. Is that understood?"

"Yes ma'am," I told her.

"Good, now get out of my sight."

I stood up and walked to the door. I turned around to face her. "Just to let you know, I recorded this entire conversation. If you come near my family or hurt them in any way," I pulled up my phone. "I won't hesitate to turn you in. You leave Eric alone and you leave my family out of this."

I pulled out from my other pocket the three small cameras that I had found over the past two days.

"I'm still seventeen years old, Mrs. Matthews. Did you know that it is illegal to film a minor without parental consent in the state of Divergent? We wouldn't want the Police Commissioner, my father, to arrest you on the start of your presidential campaign now would we?"

Jeanine Matthews smiled and walked around the desk. She came to stand right in front of me and smiled. "Well played, Miss Kent. Well played."

"Are you okay," I asked Eric that night after his mom left. He had been on the other end of the phone when I went into his Mom's office.

Eric shook his head quietly staring at the fireplace in one of the living rooms. He looked up and pulled me into his lap, burying his head into my neck. "I'm glad it's just you and me again," he said softly.

Eric moved so he could lie back and wrapped his arms around me so I was lying on his chest. "I can't believe she would threaten me."

"I can," he murmured. "Thank you for trusting me and taking your phone with you to record it."

I nodded against him. "I love you, Eric."

"I love you too, Alex. To be honest, I'm hoping that she does get elected," Eric said. "I know the Country will be chaos," he paused. "It's selfish I know but I want her far away from me and you. If she loses that means she stays and I don't want her anywhere near us."

"Let's pray that America and I helped her and Senator Schreave gain a lot of supporters, then," I joked causing Eric to chuckle.

He kissed me gently as we continued to lie down there. It was not long until we both fell asleep on the couch in the living room.

I woke up the next morning, knowing that Aidan was coming back in the afternoon. Cara wanted to have a little dinner for him, just us friends, games and snacks. That day Eric spent with his two cousins while Cara and Myra came to pick me up.

Maxon and America were going to leave on Saturday, which was tomorrow. I was going to miss her terribly when she left. I think it had a lot to do with the fact that we were in the same situation as one another and could relate. We agreed to exchange phone numbers, emails, and even physical addresses.

America said she loved to write and I told her that I would not mind if we sent letters to each other also.

"How was the rest of your week," asked Myra who looked groggy.

"What's up with you," I said from the back seat of Cara's car, ignoring her question and asking my own.

"She's been up all night face-timing with Edward," Cara said as she and I both started to laugh.

"I miss him," Myra pouted. "I'm so glad that he gets back."

"I'm glad Aidan gets back also," Cara said. She looked at me in the rearview mirror.

"I missed my brother but I still want alone time with my boyfriend," I stated.

"Too much politics. Am I right," Cara shook her head.

"Too much dirty politics."

We decorated the house, well not really decorated but we threw streamers and balloons around in the house. Eric, Viktor, and Ivan pulled out a huge metal bin and filled it with ice for the drinks. Half of which were alcoholic.

"You're condoning underage drinking," I told Ivan.

"Technically," he said coming to stand by me with a beer in hand. "I'm underage, too. I'm only twenty years old," he nudged me as we both started to laugh.

"The girls just got here," said Eric walking in.

"There's going to be other girls," I asked a little flustered. Cara and Myra were already here so I was briefly wondering who else was coming.

"I invited a couple girls from my high school, well my old high school," said Viktor. He laughed and so did Eric. But I did not. Ivan cleared his throat and nodded towards me but I was already exiting the room.

I headed towards the back where Cara and Myra were. America was also there out back, awakened from her nap and ready for the party. Eric followed me outside and tried to talk to me but I ignored him. He should have come to my defense. I don't know why I was suddenly feeling insecure and jealous again but I was.

It didn't help that when the little get together started, it ended up turning into a bigger thing than just a dinner. There were more girls here than I thought possible. Aidan had even invited over some boys they met at Spring training. It was getting kind of crazy in here. I mostly stayed but Eric's side until Justin asked to dance. I looked at Eric who said that I could.

"How was DU," I asked.

"It was awesome," he said. "I can't wait to go."

"Well we still have two more months of high school left," I replied.

"Hey stop being a buzz kill," he said. I laughed and pushed him a little.

"You're already a little buzzed."

We continued to dance a couple more songs. I even got pulled on to dance with a couple boys from training, one of them was named Robb and the other was Jack, the boy who had knocked Eric out. It wasn't long until I made my way back to the kitchen. I had hoped Eric was there. He was there, unfortunately with someone else.

I saw one of the girls from Viktor's high school basically leaning against Eric, pushing her chest against his and rolling her body across of his. I wasn't one for seducing someone else or being sexy. I didn't think I was sexy. I didn't think I could be. In fact I got nervous half the time I tried to be. It is when I'm with Eric that I feel beautiful and sexy. Right now though I felt like nothing.

I moved through the crowd and got close enough to hear her whisper that she wanted to go upstairs and have fun. Eric told her that he had a girlfriend and she whispered back that I didn't need to know. He leaned over to tell Viktor something who nodded his head suggestively as if to say 'go get em'. What hurt more was that he took her hand and left the room.

I almost started to cry. But I was so angry that I took a glass from the table and started to chug it down. I had gotten through half of the bottle of vodka and my eyes were tearing up when a hand came and ripped it away from me.

"Hey, you okay?"

I looked up to see Viktor.

"You should not drink that much."

"Why did you bring her here," I yelled as tears fell down my face.

"Who?"

"That slut who was all over Eric. You know what, never mind," I shook my head and started to walk away only to bump right into Eric. "Well what do you know," I said out loud. "It's my cheating ex-boyfriend."

"What are you talking about? Eric looked behind me and then back at me.

"I saw you. I saw that tramp all over you and you didn't even push her away."

"I did push her away. You weren't here to see it. But I pushed her so hard that she fell back on her ass. I went to look for you after and saw you dancing with the boy from Winterfell High."

"I wasn't cheating on you," I screamed. "And even if I was dancing that didn't mean that you had to leave with that succubus!"

"I didn't say that you were cheating. Alex I trust you. It was just a dance and he didn't even have his hands on you. I knew you were going to get asked to dance by them, you're a pretty girl and you're sweet. I know other guys are going to look. But I trust you, Alex," he said calmly. I looked up to him as he softened. "As for me leaving, I went outside to send that succubus home in a cab. She was starting to get on my nerves. I didn't want to push her again because I didn't want her to fall down."

"I wished she had fallen," I said quietly crossing my hands over my chest and letting out a huff.

"Alex," he pulled me close but I didn't uncross my arms. "Alex, look at me," he whispered. "I am in love with you Alexandria Kent. I told that girl 'no' almost all night. I would tell her 'no' tomorrow, next week, next month, next year. I would continue to tell her and every other girl 'no' because I have you, Alex. I'm sorry I made you think I was leaving with her or that I didn't get away from her sooner. I really am. Alex," he held my face in one hand while the other was on my back keeping me close. "You're all that I need. If I could go back in time after I had pushed her away the first time I would have ripped you away on the dance floor and made sure that everyone knew you were mine. I want you to only be mine and I will only be yours. Will you forgive me?"

"I hate that you had to say it that way," I practically melted in his arms and with every word that he said I was sent back into our own little world. It was just Eric and I together again, despite the noise that surrounded us.

"Do you," he whispered as my arms dropped, allowing him to be closer and nuzzle our noses together.

"Yes, I forgive you," I said before meeting his lips in a soft kiss.