A/N: Let me start this with an apology. I know it's been a long time since I posted and I'm sincerely sorry. Unfortunately, life has been a little complicated as of late and I've been busy fighting my own demons, many of which made it hard to get out of bed for far too many days. Fighting them left me with very little time to help Ri and Ezi figure out how to fight their own. I'm doing a bit better now and managed to finish off this chapter. I hope to have more coming in a more timely manner to finish off this story. Thank you so much for your kind reviews and your loyalty. I appreciate them all and hope that this chapter lives up to your expectations. 3's

Four

I'm bereft of ideas at this point.

I had deposited Caleb at the infirmary quickly before heading over to find where Amar and Uriah had taken Zeke. Locked out of the room, we waited as the doctors worked on him. Tris arrived but was as helpless as the rest of us in this situation. I have no clue what to do or how to handle this.

Hours later, a doctor informed us that Zeke was out of surgery but still unconscious. It's been like that for a day now. Tris has spent the entirety of it sitting sentry over him, refusing to leave or sleep. I can barely even get close to her to suggest taking a break to rest as Uriah immediately positioned himself as the gate keeper to them both. Neither will see reason right now.

Finally, I give up and go to lean against the wall just outside the room door. I don't really understand what I'm feeling or why. Something about Tris's fierce protectiveness over Zeke, the way she won't leave his side and how Uriah is standing guard over her like a protective watch dog, is tearing at me deep down. Something like anger mixed with dread is quietly and gradually settling into each part of me.

"You're as pathetic as Ezekial can be. You know that, right?" Amar raises his eyebrows when I meet his gaze. His words are harsh but his tone isn't.

"What?"

"You're jealous."

"Of who?"

"Ezekial."

"That is ridiculous. I'm not jealous of him. He's lying unconscious right now, for crying out loud, Amar."

"You may not be jealous of his physical state at this moment but you're certainly jealous of Lady Zeke's affection for him."

I can't look at Amar's face because I can tell from the weight of his stare that I'll find a knowing and paternal look on his face right now.

"I've just never had a family like that so I'm not used to people acting that way."

"What a load of bullshit. Just say that you're jealous because you're nervous that there's not enough room in her life for both of you." His hands clasp my shoulders tightly, shaking me until I look up into his eyes. "You know, after you and Tris told Ezekial about your relationship I had to tell him how much of a jealous ass he was being about all of it. So I'm going to tell you what I told him: Lady Zeke will have room for all of the people she cares about, no matter what you think. Let her make the decision about caring about you instead of trying to assume and make decisions for her. "

"She doesn't care about me the way she does them."

"Of course not—you're not her brother. You don't want her to care about you the same way she does Ezekial or Uriah or I."

"You know that's not what I meant, Amar."

"Like I said: let her make the decision about whether she cares about you as much. I'm sure you'll be surprised to find out that she does." He moves so he's standing next to me, leaning against the wall as well. "You know, people always think that Ezekial or Uriah are the protective ones but really it's always been Lady Zeke. When Ezekial was ten he got a terrible fever. Lady Zeke perched herself at the foot of his bed and refused to leave him, tending to him until he was better. A year or so later Uriah broke his leg and she did the same thing. I would rather cross Ezekial than Lady Zeke any day."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you're being an idiot and right now she needs you to not be an idiot. She's not sure whether her brother is ever going to wake up. She's realizing that she could have lost all of the people she cares about and that she very well might lose one of them. Lady Zeke will always have room for the people she cares about and she's just as dedicated and loyal to each one. So stop worrying and go be there for her."

"She doesn't love me, Amar."

"Yes she does."

"No, she doesn't. I told her I loved her before our mission and she didn't say anything."

"Of course she didn't: she wasn't expecting that. Just because she didn't say it right then doesn't mean she doesn't love you. Now is not the time for you to worry about this. You need to go be there for her right now because whether she wants to admit it or not, she's scared that she's about to lose someone she loves."

I heed his advice and walk back into the room where Tris sits, her eyes red from fatigue, watching Zeke as though he might wake up at any moment. The steady beep of the heart monitor is the only sound in the room.

We remain like this for two days with me leaving briefly to sleep and deal with the Erudite and Dauntless that we had arrested in connection with the planned takeover. Tris still refuses to leave, refuses to eat or really sleep. I sincerely fear that she's approaching the line of insanity at this point. Even Uriah allowed Marlene to drag him away briefly for a few hours of sleep.

Finally Amar and I with Janet's help persuade Tris to drink a cup of tea that she doesn't know also contains a sleep aid. Within twenty minutes she is fast asleep in the chair next to Zeke's bed and I quietly pick her up and carry her to her apartment to rest. Oddly enough no one really gives me strange looks as I walk through the compound with her unconscious in my arms.

She sleeps for twelve hours, which gives me enough time to clean up her apartment, fetch food from the dining hall, take a short nap and prepare myself for talking to her about what we found on Max's computer. When she stirs awake I find myself both relieved and apprehensive. I'm not sure if she'll be angry with me for taking her away from Zeke's bedside even though it was for her health.

"Hey," I quietly call to her, reaching out to stroke her arm tentatively.

She rolls over to face me, her eyes squinting open slightly. "Hey, where am I?"

"Your apartment."

"How did I get here?"

"I carried you here when you fell asleep."

"How long have I been asleep?"

"About twelve hours."

She springs up so she's sitting in bed, rubbing the heels of her hands against her eyes.

"I need to get back to the infirmary. What if Ezi needs me?"

"Tris, he's surrounded by medical staff that are trained to care for him if he needs anything. He's fine. Amar will let us know if anything important happens."

She shifts to stand from the bed but I quickly fling my arm out, around her waist, and pull her back toward me until she topples over on to the mattress. A surprised squeal comes out as she falls.

"I have to get back."

"He's being taken care of. You need to think about how you're going to talk to Max about what you found, Tris."

"I was hoping you wouldn't mention that."

-.-.-.

"Explain to me what these messages between you and Jeanine mean, Max."

He looks over at me, alarmed and helpless after Tris thrusts at him copies of the messages we printed for this conversation. The waves of the Chasm rush and crash beneath us, not very far from our feet. Amar still stands near Tris, though I can't tell if he's protecting her from Max or Max from her. I guess we'll find out soon.

"I haven't the faintest idea why you are looking at me. It's not as though I can help you." I'm careful to keep my voice level, devoid of any emotion.

Max stares at the pages, his eyes not moving across the text. They probably don't need to in order to know what these messages are; he's seen them enough times before to recognize them anywhere without actually reading the content. That fact makes me angry.

"Tris, this isn't what you think."

"You mean this isn't proof that you plotted with her to kill my parents; to make me an orphan? This isn't your messages to and from Jeanine about your plan to kill my parents? If it's not that, then what is it?"

"Your mother wasn't supposed to be involved."

"So just my father was supposed to be killed? Gee, that makes it so much better, Max."

"You don't understand!" Max is shouting now, clearly aggravated. "He never should have been in Dauntless—he should have stayed in Erudite where he belonged. He thought Dauntless was something it wasn't and never should be. He was a liability."

"So you had him killed?"

"He was just supposed to be injured enough to be forced into becoming factionless. The attacker was just supposed to shoot to injure; not to kill. Andrew wasn't supposed to die and your mother wasn't supposed to be injured at all. She wasn't even supposed to be on the train. Jeanine lied to me."

"You seem so surprised that someone who was willing to kill her own brother might not have any scruples with lying to you and killing more people. Because when I think of people in whom to put my trust, I immediately jump to someone who would devise a plan to kill her own family on a quest for power and control. Dear God, I can't believe my parents trusted you or that anyone else has for that matter."

I spot Max's rage boiling just beneath the surface and steel myself for the imminent explosion. It doesn't come yet though.

"So what did she promise you to get you to sell us all into homicidal slavery?'

"Don't you dare talk to me that way! I loved Natalie! She was going to tell everyone that I—" he pauses, casting his eyes about wildly as though searching for his words, "She was going to tell everyone that I killed her—them—if I didn't go along with this plan! What was I going to do?"

"Well, perhaps you shouldn't have gone along with the plan of a psychopath to begin with. That might have been where you first went wrong," Tris responds coolly.

"You're just a little girl; how dare you criticize my judgment!" He lurches forward until I throw my full weight into his path, effectively stopping him in his tracks.

Amar, however, was not as quick with Tris, who rushes up to point a finger in Max's face but only after she manages to rake her fingernails down the flesh of his face.

"How dare you turn me into an orphan! How dare you collude with a genocidal maniac and put our faction in danger! How dare you put my brother unconscious in the infirmary with your ridiculous quest to ease your conscience over a monumental fuck up that affected you least out of all of us!" A strained sob breaks through her shouting and it seems to rob her instantly of her energy, leaving a depth of grief. "You've already taken so much from me. Did you have to take him, too?"

"I didn't take anything from you."

"No, I fear you've taken everything. So here are your choices: you jump from the chasm or you join the factionless. You don't deserve the position you hold."

"That's a tough choice."

"Both are too kind for you, you worthless scum."