Thank you all for continuing to stick with this story, especially those of you who take the time to review. I promise I read, reread, and appreciate each one. I've seen authors say it before, but reviews really are our pay here on FanFiction. So, for every one of you who has left me a review, thank you again for taking the time do do so. It is wonderful to hear that you continue to look forward to my little story.

Thank you is also due to Bahrfamily for all of the time that she puts into each of these to help make sure they are edited better than when I try to do it myself!

Uncle Samuel- (mentioned) Hana's uncle (Dad's brother) in Abnegation. He was mentioned briefly in an earlier chapter.

Chapter 52 Complications

Uriah's "cough" is driving me crazy. Every time we go visit Abram, he comes back with this "cough." He's my sweet boy, and I understand that he wants to stay with his grandpa, but this pretend cough so that he can become Factionless like his grandpa has gotten old. It's been old ever since our second monthly visit to go bring Abram and Evan some supplies, and a year later, it's still old.

He coughs again as we walk through the Chasm. I wish there were some way to make a three-year-old understand that he doesn't really want to be Factionless, but the idea of getting to wear any color he wants and being with Grandpa all the time seems to have trumped the fact that there is no Dauntless Cake. Gritting my teeth, I ignore him as we walk through the Chasm. I've found that ignoring him makes the coughing stop sooner, but it's almost enough to make me want to stop taking him to see Abram.

A woman in blue with dark curly hair in a ponytail puts her hand on my arm. I look over at her and stop in my tracks as she tells me, "You really should make an appointment for your son's cough."

I glance at Uriah and Ezekiel. They are both staring at the woman in blue. After all the work I've done to discourage this with Uriah, it's about to be undone. I can tell. "I don't think it's that bad."

She clears her throat. "I'm headed to the infirmary now. Maybe you should come with me to see if they can work you in."

If I could think of a way to let her know I'll come by for something else while she is there, I would tell her no. I want to tell her that in about an hour, my son will forget to cough like his grandpa does, and it will all be better, but I can tell from her eyes that there is a reason that she desperately wants to see me. I check my watch. We're about on time, and Eli he knows it can be hard to drag the boys away from Abram, so he doesn't worry if we're running a little late. "My husband is expecting us back soon, but we'll come with you and see what we can do."

I haven't seen her in years, and the last time we spent any time together was because things were getting dangerous for her. She was almost caught transmitting to Natalie. I have both boys with me today. Marissa had better be careful about what she says around my boys, because after seeing what the Abnegation serum did to Amar, there is no way I'll give it to either of my sons.


"How are my spies?" Eli asks the boys as soon as we walk into the apartment.

The first time we went and saw Abram, the boys had to tell everyone about it, which caused a lot of raised eyebrows. After all, Faction before Blood extends to the Factionless. Eli created the "spy" game before we went to see Abram again. Every time before we leave, we remind them they are spies who are out to see what they can learn about a pretend Factionless invasion. Abram is in on the game and he and Evan, when he's around, help keep the game alive. The boys know that spies only tell their commander about what they have learned. We take turns being their commander. If Eli can't go with them, he's the commander. If he can go, we usually let Taylor play the part so she can hear about Abram from the boys.

Ezekiel walks up to Eli and salutes him. "Agent Grandpa was tired today. He said he was up late last night."

I head off to the bathroom to look over the note that Marissa handed me after she checked Uriah out and gave me a recipe for homemade cough syrup. My hands tremble as I open the sheet of paper. I expect the note to be worrisome.

But not as worrisome as it is.

I'm being watched. Pleasesend the following message.

It looks like she's done it. She willstart trials in about a week. I have a copy. If you can be atLurie Garden tomorrowat 4pm, I can give you a copy of thenewtest then.

I send the message to Natalie, but I wonder: if Marissa is being watched, is it really a good idea for Natalie to meet her?


"Is he really as bad as Ezekiel makes him sound?" Eli asks as he pulls me onto his lap after I put the boys to bed.

I take a deep breath. I didn't hear what Ezekiel had to say, but I saw Abram today, and I know he didn't look good. I start with what I did hear Ezekiel tell him. "He was very tired."

A tiny fake cough sounds from the hallway. I don't have to look to know who it is. I look at Eli and roll my eyes. Uriah was so busy telling his dad about his meeting with Agent Grandpa that he forgot he was supposed to have a cough until now. "Uriah, why aren't you in bed?"

There's another fake cough. "I have a cough. I need my medicine," he explains seriously.

"What medicine?" Eli asks under his breath.

"I'll explain once I get him back in bed." I stand up. "Let's go to the kitchen. I have everything I need to make it there."

Uriah waits for me to get there and takes my hand. "I'm sicker, Mommy. I should stay with Agent Gran'pa," he tells me solemnly.

I pick him up and settle him on my hip as I carry him to the kitchen. I brush a kiss on his forehead, pretending to check for a fever. "I don't think you are that sick, and we have the new medicine to try on you."

"It doesn't work."

I set him on the counter and pull out the "recipe" that Marissa entrusted me with: Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, cinnamon. What is Marissa thinking? This is going to taste awful. I quickly turn away from Uriah with the excuse of putting everything together in a medicine cup, so he won't see me smile. Marissa is brilliant. That's the whole idea behind it. She told me to only use it on a cough like Uriah has, and that's because it is designed to taste bad and make him quit pretending to cough, not because it is supposed to help cure a cough.

I hear another fake cough from Uriah and turn around and hand him the cup. "Drink up."

Uriah makes a face at how bad it tastes. "It hurts my tongue, Mommy."

"I'm sorry that it makes your tongue hurt, but it will make your cough stop. We'll have to keep using it until it works," I tell him with a straight face.

Uriah's mouth changes from the round "I'm about to cough" look and he tells me sincerely, "It works!"

I kiss the top of his head and put him down on the ground. "I hope it does, too. Now let's get you back to bed."

Uriah's hand wraps around mine, and he snuggles up close. "I sleep better with you and Daddy."

I look at his big brown eyes that plead for more attention. It's hard to say no to him, but Eli and I have way too much to talk about tonight to have company. "You need your own bed." We go straight to his room and I tuck him in. "Good night, Buddy."

From there I take a quick side trip to check on Ezekiel. That boy will never learn how to sleep on a bed. One leg dangles off the edge, and his head is up against the wall. I shake my head and walk over to straighten him out just a little. I still think I did the right thing, talking Eli into moving his head against the wall after the night he fell out of bed four times. He still falls out of bed occasionally, but now it is monthly instead of at least once every night like it was before.

"Are both boys ok?" Eli asks me when I finally walk back in.

"Uriah's cough should be about over," I say with a smile as I sit back down on his lap. "I ran into Marissa today, and she created a cough syrup for Uri."

"That's not going to help. It's not a real cough." Eli sounds exasperated.

"She figured that out. The cough syrup does nothing." I grin. "Nothing but taste really bad."

Eli shakes his head. "You really think that is going to work?"

"I do. He told me the medicine makes his tongue hurt. I figure if I keep it up long enough, he'll stop, and if he doesn't, we'll just go back to ignoring it."

"Should I know Marissa?" Eli asks, his forehead puckering as he tries to place her.

"Marissa is the respiratory therapist from my smoke inhalation and Ezekiel's asthma." I'm pretty sure he doesn't know about her connection to Natalie, and I'd like to keep it that way. The problem is, with the message Marissa gave me and the response I got from Natalie shortly before I put the boys to bed, I'm not sure I'm going to be able to keep it that way.

"Oh, that's right." He looks relieved to be able to place her.

Part of me would like to grab onto this topic and keep it going as long as l can, just so I can avoid the two conversations we really need to have.

But putting it off won't change the fact that we need to discuss both of them.

"Do you want to talk about Abram or Natalie first?" I don't know which conversation I'm dreading more.

Evidently Eli agrees with me. "Neither. Can't we just forget about both of them for the night?" He cups my face in his hand his thumb tracing my cheek.

I lean in and kiss him. My lips barely leave his when I tell him what he's agreeing to. "We can, as long as you are okay with me doing something for Natalie tomorrow when I pick up Ezekiel." Picking up Ezekiel and sometimes one of the other kids is part of our cover for seeing Abram. We try to be random about it: sometimes we pick up Amar, sometimes Shauna, sometimes Ashley. We've even picked up Lauren and brought her home with us once or twice. Just a Dauntless hour or two with the kids, exploring the city. They all bring home exciting stories of new things they have tried on our wanderings. It makes a good cover for our missing time when we visit Abram.

Eli slowly pulls away. "Natalie first, then if I can handle it… we'll talk about Dad."

"Natalie needs me to meet someone in Millennium Park tomorrow," I tell him hesitantly.

"When?" Eli sounds like he has an idea of what I'm about to say.

"Right after I pick up Ezekiel and Amar from school." I bite my lip, waiting to hear what he has to say.

"So, you're supposed to meet someone with all three boys?" He sounds incredulous. "What is she thinking?"

"She doesn't know what she is asking me to do. She just found out about the meeting, and she would go herself, except her daughter has a doctor's appointment."

Eli is quiet for a moment. "It's pretty important?"

"Very important," I tell him solemnly.

"What is going on with Dad?" Eli surprises me by suddenly changing the topic.

I blink a couple of times, trying to change gears, then bite my lip trying to figure out how to tell Eli about our visit. "He was very tired today. He had his legs up when we got there, because his legs were very swollen. He put them down when we got there. I think he was trying to keep me from seeing it. And Evan was there…"

What Evan put Leeann and Nick through is inexcusable, but there is a tiny bit of good that has come from it. He's been Factionless for over a decade. He knows how to survive. He's also become our eyes and ears for all the things that Abram wants to hide from us.

There is a pause before Eli finally asks, "What did Evan tell you?"

Eli never gives him the title "uncle". He once told me that Evan forfeited that title when he abandoned Nick and Leeann. I take a deep breath. "Abram's cough is getting worse. According to Evan, he's trying to only use Dauntless rags when he needs to wipe his mouth after a coughing attack. The rest of them show blood."

Eli closes his eyes and holds me tight. I can only imagine what he is going through. Even if my parents go through this, it wouldn't be the way Abram is. Gayle or Isaac would take them in. They would be cared for, have plenty to eat, medical care. If they tried to refuse it, saying it is too selfish, my siblings would tell them it is more selfish for them not to. I know this, because I watched Dad and Uncle Samuel do that with their parents when Grandma had cancer.

Abram has none of that. He doesn't have much of anything, besides what we smuggle out when we make our clandestine visits. It helps that Natalie keeps an eye on him. She makes sure to see him or Evan every week. She gets him medications that we can't, and reports to me what is going on with him, but even she can only do so much. Even with her help, we can't take care of Abram the way that we could if he were still in Dauntless.

"We'll deputize Amar. I'll figure out the best way to explain this to Sultana. Where are you supposed to meet this contact?" he asks me.

"The garden in Millennium Park," I answer, puzzled again at the turn the conversation is taking.

Eli thinks for another minute. "That should work. Pick up the boys at school, remind them they are spies, take care of Natalie's errand as discreetly as you can, and meet me at Dad's. I want to see Dad and if the boys are deputized…"

"They can't tell about what they see. You're brilliant."

Eli grins at me then leans in and kisses me. "I know. I married you, after all."


"Remember, spies only tell their commander what they see when they are on a mission," I remind all three boys as I send them off to explore the park. "And Amar is in charge."

I watch the three boys as they scamper around looking for something to do. It doesn't take Ezekiel long to find the terrace walls to try to climb. As soon as Uriah sees what he is doing, he has to join him, and as expected, that starts a quarrel. Amar takes his position of being in charge seriously. I watch as he steps in and steers Uriah to a different section of wall to climb and walk on. It is shorter, which Uriah doesn't like. He thinks that since he is almost as tall as his older brother, he should be able to climb on a wall that is the same height. But Amar has a good dose of Jazz in him. He quickly points out to Uriah the benefits of his section of wall. The crisis, for the moment, is averted. But I feel the familiar sensation of danger that I sometimes get when I watch him. Amar is too Amity for his own good.

It doesn't take me long to spot Marissa. There is a boy about Ezekiel's age with her. He wears blue, like her, and I remember that she was pregnant when Ava "died." She must have had a boy. He has her dark hair that waves in places. He hands her a plant; when he sees me, he glares at me, making me feel like I shouldn't be here.

Marissa turns to see what he is looking at. Her face pales. Instantly I understand. She wasn't expecting to see me. She was expecting to see Natalie dressed in Erudite blue. There is nothing she can do with me in Dauntless black with her son there.

For a moment I wonder if we should just leave, but Uriah takes the possibility of just leaving away from me. He spots the pair at almost the same time I do and runs over to make a new friend. "Hi!" He holds out his hand to shake the new boy's hand. Marissa's son coolly looks Uriah up and down and then looks at his mom to see what he should do. Marissa clears her throat and with a slight tremor to her voice speaks to him. "Echinacea purpura is next on the list." Her son nods and takes off.

"Where are you going?" Uriah start to go after him.

"Buddy, he's here to learn, not explore." Something tells me not to use his name with the other boy around.

Uriah's face falls and then he turns to look at Marissa. I know the moment he recognizes her, because he gets a slightly panicked look to his face. "My cough is gone."

Marissa kneels down next to him. "That's good to hear. My boy is here for a Saturday school project. How about if you go play," she looks at me, not at him, "by that little ditch that has a ledge and some standing water in it, by the little bridge that has fallen. That looks like a good place to explore. That way you don't interrupt my son's lesson."

Uriah looks over and his eyes light up. It does look like a good place to explore. He takes off at a run. I want to call him back, to make him use his manners and say good-bye, but I can tell this interaction has already caused Marissa enough concern.

"I'm sorry," I tell her, for more than just my son interrupting her son's learning time.

"You didn't realize." She turns away and walks away, but after about three paces, she turns back to me. "Under the bridge could be dangerous. I hope he stays away from that." Then she walks back to her son. I hear her voice carry one more time. "Close, that is an Echinacea, but that is pallida, not purpura."

I turn over her last comment in my mind while I walk over to keep an eye on Uriah, since he's wandered away from Amar and Ezekiel. "Under the bridge could be dangerous…under the bridge could be dangerous…" I mutter to myself. Suddenly I smile. I know where she's hidden the drive. We may not be able to talk, but I know where to find what she wanted to give Natalie.


"Hana!" Evan catches me in a side street just before the building that he and Abram live in.

He's lost weight since Abram started living here. I vaguely remember my impression of him that first time I saw him, on Leeann's Nuptials Day. When we moved Abram out, in the middle of the night, he fit my memory. Now, he looks even thinner, and his hair is starting to show streaks of gray. I wonder for the first time how much of this is due to having Abram with him. I look over at the boys. "Go on in," I encourage them and watch as they walk into the doorway.

"Do you know what is going on with Natalie?" He sounds worried.

"No, I really don't have any contact with her. It was Leeann that told her about Abram." That was a set up, but except for Eli and me, no one in the family realizes that I was really the one who asked Natalie to help. At least, I thought no one else in the family knew that.

Evan massages his temples with his fingers and thumb. "The one person I don't want to ask for a favor," he mumbles.

"What's going on? Maybe I can ask Leeann for you," I offer, curious as to why Evan needs to get a message to Natalie.

"Natalie hasn't been here in over a week. We're out of Abram's medicine, or at least we will be after tonight. I kept thinking she would show up, so I didn't mention it to anyone." Evan looks up at me, his eyes filled with concern and hinting of tears. "My brother needs that medicine, Hana. Do you think Leeann can get a message to her?"

"I'll see what we can do," I promise Evan as I mentally start composing a note to Natalie. A new thought shatters my peace when I remember Beatrice had a doctor's appointment today. I wonder if she is really ill and that's why Natalie hasn't been around.

"Thank you." Evan's voice is a choked whisper. I hear him clear his throat. "He's weak enough as it is. I'm worried about what will happen if he doesn't have his medicine. Most people who are sick don't last as long around here as he has."

Back when Marissa was pregnant, I mentioned that her son is a canon character. We'll find out pretty soon exactly who he is, but does anyone have any guesses? If you want to guess in a review or if you don't want to guess but you leave a review anyway, I'll send you a POV. Oddly enough, it's not someone who is in this chapter, but rather it's Marissa's husband that has a few things to add to the story.