Author's Note: I've decided that 2020 is the year I finally get my shit together and wrap up this story. Working full-time and going to grad school full-time is a wild ride to say the least, but I'm determined to finish this up relatively quick. I'm so sorry for the delay, I hope this is worth the wait. Thank you all for your patience and kind words, I hope you enjoy this chapter as we head into the home stretch! After this chapter, there will be two more chapters and an epilogue to wrap us up with a total of 36 chapters. To those of you who've held on this long and encouraged me to come back to this story: thank you. If it weren't for you, I probably would have abandoned this long ago.

"We could go over the trials again."

"No, we did that all day yesterday. Let's talk about something else."

"We could talk about when exactly Tris and Four started—"

"No!" Tris shrieks before Uriah can finish that thought, and it's probably for the best.

"We could play truth or dare."

"Indie still can't speak, and you know she's not allowed to leave the apartment except to visit the infirmary."

"Strip poker?"

"Do you want Eric to rip off your arms?"

"Zip lining?"

"What part of she's not allowed to leave the apartment wasn't clear—"

"Thwack!" Every eye turns to me as I smack the whiteboard, gesturing wildly to the word written in the center in thick, black marker.

"Does no one in this room understand that she has to stay inside this apartment—"

"Wait, we could totally get Bud to come to us! Indie, you're a genius!"

I am dating an Erudite, I write with a smug grin as Christina rolls her eyes good-naturedly at my loophole. Uriah rushes off to go find Bud and drag him back to Eric's apartment or, as I've come to call it, Prison.

Since Jeanine's arrest and my brush with death, Eric and I have barely seen one another, excluding that first night we shared my infirmary bed. He's splitting his time between Candor and Dauntless, providing information to unravel Jeanine's whole network in exchange for immunity. He's also preparing Four and Tori to take over his leadership duties, which takes up a lot of his time. But, no amount of distance is enough to stop Eric from keeping me safe in his own misguided ways.

For one thing, I am never left alone. I hadn't known peace since the ten minutes between when I woke up from surgery and when Eric came to my side. Since the job choosing ceremony has been postponed until after the trials, my friends have nothing but time on their hands and set up a rotating schedule. Hence, someone is always by my side. Always. I love my friends, and I enjoy the freedom to spend time with them unencumbered by an impending sense of doom, but if I don't get some privacy, I'm going to lose it.

Babysitters aside, I'm confined to the walls of Eric's apartment with the only exception being my weekly appointments in the infirmary. The first few weeks, I didn't mind, aching from head to toe and hardly able to keep my eyes open for more than an hour, but as my energy increased, so did my desire to escape. I almost managed to make a break for it last week while Uriah was on duty, but Four caught me before I even left the hallway.

The look on Uriah's face when Four escorted me back into the apartment is a memory I will treasure all my life.

"Ah, my favorite initiates!" Bud says by way of greeting as he returns with Uriah, a bag of supplies slung over his shoulder. "How are we today?"

"We are sick of being called initiates, for one," Christina grumbles. Still, Bud just smiles, dropping his stuff on Eric's kitchen table as he starts to set up a makeshift workstation.

"Sorry, baby Dauntless, but you're all initiates to us until you pick your jobs." He loads ink into the machine, turning to me with a softer smile. "Mutes first?"

Hilarious. I scrawl, making sure to include the period to convey my displeasure at the new nickname. Even so, I hop up onto the table and lay back with my arms stretched to either side like I'm zip lining and not trapped in this apartment.

I can hardly recall the feel of the wind blowing on my face.

"Do you have something in mind or dealer's choice?" When I shake my head in the negative, his grin widens. "Shirt off. I have an idea."

"Don't let Eric hear you say that."

By the time Eric strolls through the door six hours later, Tris is the only one left. Once Bud finished my newest piece, he had to run back to the shop, and Uriah and Christina soon followed. I most appreciated my time with Tris, especially since I'd been so concerned I'd never have it again.

Tris had been my first visitor in the infirmary when Eric was needed at Candor, the two switching posts with genuine smiles to one another. I didn't question the new dynamic, too weary of any changes to our relationship to raise a brow. She'd surprised me when she crawled into the bed with me and wrapped her arms around me, both of us silent as we processed our trauma together. When her shift ended and Uriah arrived to take over, she'd slipped from the room without a word.

When she returned the next day, she crawled into the bed again but, this time, she spoke. About Caleb, who he used to be, and how awful it was to see who he'd become—and maybe, she now realized to her growing horror, who he'd always been. About the nightmares, waking up with visions of her being too late or too stunned to do anything but watch her brother murder her best friend. About our divergence, and the very different ways the loves of our lives had attempted to protect us. By the time Uriah walked through the door, we'd cried so much that Uriah almost ran to grab a doctor.

Now, she sits curled up on the sofa with me as we look through Erudite import documents to see if there are any discrepancies to help build Candor's case. She rises without a word, brushing my shoulder with her hand as she greets Eric before slipping from the apartment to go find her own boyfriend. He doesn't say a word as he hands me a brown leather-bound journal before stumbling over to the bathroom, the shower turning on moments later.

I stare down at the book in confusion, unsure to whom it belongs and why it is now in my possession. When a few minutes pass and the book hasn't exploded in my hands, I gingerly pull back the cover to explore. The first page is blank, save for a set of initials I can't place scrawled in the top right. The second page provides no explanation, nor the third. But, comprehension begins to dawn on me as I read the words "Subject 237 – Amity" across the top.

"Subject entered the lab in good spirits, as always. Brought freshly baked blueberry muffins for the whole staff, tested a sample, and found no traces of peace serum so were deemed safe to consume. Shared humorous story of Subject's child climbing a tree in Amity's apple orchard, evidently impressive due to the height of the tree and the young age of the child. Subject made an offhand comment about how the child was likely to choose Dauntless once of age, inviting probe about faction loyalty and blood. Subject stated they would be proud of their child no matter which faction they chose, so long as they chose the right faction for them. When probed further, Subject admitted they would miss their child but expressed gratitude for Visitor's Day. Subject gave no indication of a desire to abolish the faction system. Still, they did express that faction before blood was 'foolish.' Will continue to monitor faction sentiment."

A splash of wetness drops onto the page, and it isn't until then that I realize I'm crying. I furiously wipe away the tears when I notice Eric watching me, but his expression is empathetic, so I relax. He doesn't say anything as he sinks onto the couch and wraps an arm around my shoulder. He tucks me into his side as I struggle to control my breathing with the little gasps and sobs escaping me despite my best efforts. Once I've calmed considerably, he speaks.

"Found a box of Amelia's old lab journals today, stashed in a storage closet no one ever uses in Erudite." When I don't reach for my whiteboard to comment, he continues. "I thought I was fine, that it didn't bother me. I even sat down right there in that closet and flipped through a few to see what they were about. But then some Erudite made a flippant comment about there not being anything worthwhile in there, and I just…lost it. Completely overreacted, Four had to pull me off of him before I killed the guy."

Is that why you're home so early? I scrawl, and he nods, looking uncharacteristically embarrassed.

"Anyway, Four found that one." He nods to the journal still in my hand, cracking a small smile. "Figured it had to be your father. Amity transfers to Dauntless are pretty rare, and something tells me you've always been brave."

Seems like everyone knew it but me.

"Sometimes, we can see others more clearly than we can see ourselves."

Why were you at Erudite?

"Jack wanted us to do a final sweep of the building, make sure we didn't miss any hidden files before the trials start."

Did you find what you needed?

"Yeah, turns out Jeanine liked to stash incriminating documents in the ceiling tiles of unused storage closets. I think the journals were just tossed in there because nobody knew what to do with them, and then forgot. Either way, they led us to what we were looking for. Amelia was always good at that."

So was my dad.

"Speaking of, that fight wasn't the only reason I got sent home early today." He looks uncomfortable, shifting around in his seat to look at me. "Candor is ready to begin trials tomorrow, and they're going to start with Jeanine."

What does that have to do with my dad?

"Well, the lawyers are going to dig deep into everything that led up to the moment of Jeanine's arrest, including Amelia's study. I don't know how they got their hands on it, but they found a list of all her participants. Your dad is on that list. Considering that a lot of the other people on that list ended up dead supposedly by their own hands, they're going to deep dive into your dad's suicide. I don't think they'll try to call you or your mom to testify or anything, but I didn't want you to be blindsided at the trials tomorrow."

I get to go?

"Of course you're going." He scoffs, softening at the sharp look I send him. "I have specific duties as a leader, so Tris will be in charge of your wellbeing. She won't let you out of her sight the whole time, you're taking an Erudite car there and back, and the second you start to feel overwhelmed or tired she is under strict orders to drag you back here if necessary. But you're going. You're the whole reason we were able to bring Jeanine down."

Pretty sure it was a team effort.

"Yes, but there wouldn't have even been a team if it wasn't for you." Before I can think of a retort, he switches gears to a new topic.

"Kang said that after this week they shouldn't need me anymore, once they get through all the top dogs all the peons should reveal themselves. Four and Tori want me to stay on until the job choosing ceremony that they've set up for next week. After that, I'll have a few days to rest before I start."

Since Eric would no longer be a leader, he needed a new role in the faction. Four wanted him out leading patrols, but Eric was hesitant to jump straight into another leadership role. It was important to him that he earn back the trust of his fellow Dauntless. However, Four and Tori both insisted he already had after coming clean and appointing them his replacements. The idea of him training initiates was tossed around, but he struck that down as he probably shouldn't be anyone's first introduction to Dauntless. In the end, they created a brand new role for him: retraining commander. To ensure that all our soldiers stayed in tip-top shape, it was determined they'd complete retraining every three years. The program was set to be a bit like initiation on steroids, but Four and Tori were confident that both Eric and our faction would thrive. He'd never admit it out loud, but it was their faith in him that caused him to accept rather than the actual role.

"Have you given any thought to what job you might want?" He asks, skimming his hand across the tops of my shoulders. The action calms me immediately, though the question does not. I'd been wrestling with it ever since I was released from the infirmary, and it was clear I would live long enough to see the job ceremony.

Four tried to talk to me about leadership, but I told him I wasn't interested. Eric snorts as he reads the words, shaking his head.

"How ironic, Four trying to lure people into leadership and not the other way around."

Faction ambassador sounds interesting, but I'm not wild about traveling all the time.

"You'd be great, all the best ambassadors are transfers." He murmurs, kissing my forehead. "What else?" He presses, knowing I wasn't done.

I'd like to help overhaul initiate training. If we want to get back to our roots, we've got to start with our newest members.

"You'd be a great trainer, better than Four." He cracks a grin to show he's kidding, but I elbow him anyway. "Well, whatever you decide, I know you'll be the best at it. Have your friends made any decisions?"

Will wants to revamp the whole control room, so I imagine he'll pick that.

"He'll have a hard time wrestling control away from Perry, but the kid's persistent. Has Four talked to Tris about leadership?"

She said no, but I think she's coming around to the idea. She didn't seem to hate it quite so much when we talked yesterday.

"And Christina?"

Something in the infirmary, maybe nursing. She spent most of her shifts asking questions when I was stuck in there.

"Anyone else?"

Uriah wants to be an ambassador. He understands the other factions in a way most people don't, even though he's never left his.

"He'd be an asset, especially with Amity." At my look, he continues. "Johanna seemed quite taken with him when you two went over there. She keeps asking if she'll see him at the trials."

And what did you say?

"That if she wants him so bad, I can give her his number." I slap his shoulder, but he only laughs, tugging me into his chest. "I wasn't sure, but given his rank, he'd likely end up in a role where they crossed paths often. Did I tell you he thanked me the other day?"

For what?

"For trusting him to go with you to Amity. Said it gave him the chance to know he made the right decision staying in Dauntless."

You should be thanking him, you know.

"What for?"

If it wasn't for him, I probably would've never jumped off that train.

"Well, then I'll definitely make sure to send him some flowers for bringing you to me." He beams, kissing my cheek. "What do you think, pink roses or white lilies?"

Roses, for sure.

Even though I'm not the one on trial, I wake the next morning with a pit in my stomach. Eric is up and gone long before my alarm goes off, summoned to Candor for final preparations at dawn. I go through the motions on autopilot, making myself presentable as I choke down a protein bar. If Christina and Tris notice my dour mood when they come to collect me, they keep it to themselves as we walk down to the carport.

The Erudite car is sleek and quiet, almost unnervingly so. The trucks we used in Amity were loud and bumpy, often in need of repairs. Christina spends the drive reminding us how the trials in Candor work, if only to fill the silence with something other than nerves. The courtroom is open only to leaders, the Council, and invited guests due to the magnitude of parties involved. However, to ensure transparency, the trials will be broadcast in real-time to all the factions.

Defendants are injected with truth serum before being subjected to an interrogation by Neil Gromund, or a member of the interrogation team. He has a list of questions drawn up based on the investigation, but the leaders of all the other factions are allowed to add to his list. Erudite is, of course, excluded from this courtesy given the transgressions of their leader. Dauntless would be banned, too, if it weren't for our role in all this.

Tris explains that we'll be seated at the end of the row so that we can slip out if it becomes too much, reminding me of the ground rules Eric laid out last night. She hesitates but warns me that Jeanine has done her best to drag Eric under the bus with her, explaining his repeated trips to Candor. Kang granted him full immunity, but I'm not surprised that she's still trying to drag him with her. I already knew this, of course, but I appreciate her attempt to avoid any surprises.

There's a large crowd of people from all factions gathered outside when we pull up to the Merciless Mart. Several large screens have been set up to display the trials, and I notice with amusement that some have brought picnics to sustain themselves all day. I'm considering asking a Candor family with a large cheese plate if I can join them instead, but I allow my friends to usher me inside.

Zeke meets us in the lobby looking haggard but pleased to see us, having stayed on at Candor full-time to guard the prisoners we collected in the raid. Dauntless had more holding cells, but keeping them in Candor allowed easier access for investigators. Conditions weren't ideal, but he'd made it work and ensured everyone arrested was kept secure until their trial. Eric admitted he'd been pleasantly surprised by Zeke's initiative, organization, and adaptability. He urged Four and Tori to let him redesign the system in Dauntless.

"Ah, finally, some familiar faces!" He exclaims as he pulls each of us into a friendly hug, looking pointedly at me as we step back. "I'm surprised you've been allowed out of your cage."

I made a break for it when he wasn't looking.

"That's the Indie I know."

The courtroom is packed from wall-to-wall with all the faction colors, like a neat color-coded sea. Amity sits in the spot furthest from the entrance, Johanna has brought with her the same members who voted that night. Jax barely holds himself back from leaping out of his seat and running across the room, but he settles for sending me a small wave. Cara and the other Erudites sit beside them, chatting quietly amongst themselves as they do their best to blend in.

The grey-clothed Council sits in the center, looking a bit overwhelmed by all the noise but relatively calm. Marcus Eaton is the only one who seems agitated, but if anyone else notices they don't say a word. Most of the Candor are busy running around the courtroom, arranging last-minute details. Still, there's a strange sense of order to their chaos.

Dauntless takes up most of the seating. Not only is everyone from the raid on the control room present, but Eric also brought along the faction ambassadors, supervisors from the control room, and the leaders of the patrol squads. I'm almost beginning to think we're out of luck on snagging some seats when Uriah waves us over, looking far too excited for someone at a trial.

"You just missed Eric, Kang pulled him and the others into the back to talk about something. He made me promise to save your seats three times. It's like he was afraid you'd leave if I didn't. It was adorable."

"He'll be thrilled to hear you've called him adorable." Christina quips as we take our seats, shooting me a wink.

"I call it like I see it." He shrugs, unbothered though I know he won't dare repeat it in front of Eric.

Christina opens her mouth to tease him some more, but falls silent as the remaining leaders file into the room. Eric catches my eye with a relieved smile that lends some truth to Uriah's recap, and I smile brightly in return. The Dauntless leaders file to their spots upfront in the Dauntless section as Jack calls the room to order.

"Quiet, please!" He commands, firm but polite as he hops up onto the raised platform in the center of the court. Chatter falls away almost instantly, and I can only hope to command a room one day with so little effort. "If everyone could take their seats, we can begin."

Those not already in their seats scramble, but the room stays relatively silent as all eyes remain on the Candor leader. Another man, presumably the Neil that Christina had mentioned in the car, steps forward with a briefcase and begins setting out his materials next to the interrogation chair. Jack waits for Neil to stop fiddling with the syringe before he continues, calm and commanding even though nearly every eye in the city is on him.

"Candor must ensure that the truth is revealed and justice is delivered. As the leader of Candor, it is my solemn duty to see to it that every accused who enters this courtroom receives a fair trial, and nothing impedes the discovery of truth. Given the unique set of circumstances leading to this moment, we've created a set of ground rules. Neil Gromund, our foremost expert on the truth serum and Chief Interrogator, shall be the only one to ask the accused questions directly. This ensures consistency with the response to the serum and disallows leading questions that act as an obstacle to truth. However, leaders of the factions—except for Erudite—may, at any time, submit additional questions to my staff or me for Neil to ask. They've already assisted us in developing the questions we plan to ask. Still, in the course of a trial, sometimes additional questions arise. This is a court of order, so no one is permitted to speak, aside from the accused and Neil. If you cause a commotion, you will be removed without exception." I may have imagined it, but I swear Jack snuck a look at Eric when he said that last bit. "After each interrogation, leaders will gather together to vote on what is to be done with the accused. Erudite does not have a vote, but they are invited to provide their input to the discussion. Once we've voted, we'll return to read out the sentence before moving on to our next trial. I understand that these are emotionally charged trials for us all. Still, I urge you to remember that you sit in a room of decorum and prestige. Do not do anything to tarnish the traditions of this room."

In other words, as angry as you might be, don't cause a scene.

The double doors behind the platform open to reveal Jeanine being led into the room by three dauntless soldiers. She smirks as if this is all utterly hilarious, the fact that she is about to stand trial for attempting to wipe out an entire faction. The look on her face enrages me so much I don't even notice I've clenched my fists until Christina forces them to unfurl. Once Jeanine is secured in the restraints of the chair, as if she needs freedom of motion to cause damage, Neil steps forward with the syringe. For all her bravado, even she can't help but wince at the sting of the needle entering her neck. He waits, watching the seconds tick by on his watch until the serum takes over. I can see the exact moment it happens, watching how her expression melts into confusion with a touch of fear.

"Please state your full name for the court."

"Jeanine Fiona Matthews."

"And what is your faction of origin, Ms. Matthews?"

"Erudite."

"The same faction you chose during your Choosing Ceremony?"

"Yes."

"What was your role in Erudite?"

"Leader of Erudite."

"The baseline questions are complete," Neil announces, tapping away at his holopad before continuing. "Ms. Matthews, what were you doing in Dauntless on the morning of September 17th?"

"My team and I were there to lead the raid on Abnegation." Though the words come right out of her mouth without hesitation, her expression twists into one of bewilderment.

"I see, and why did you need to be in Dauntless to lead this raid?"

"Dauntless is closer to Abnegation in terms of distance than Erudite. Additionally, the serum only works within a certain radius from the operator, and we couldn't very well trust the Dauntless to operate."

"What serum?"

"The guvermens serum."

"What does this guvermens serum do?"

"It renders the host unable to control themselves, almost like a wall is separating their free will from their actions."

"Whom did you use this serum on?"

"The Dauntless soldiers."

"Why did you inject the Dauntless soldiers with this serum?"

"So they would raid Abnegation, even if they didn't want to. The serum doesn't work on the Divergent, so it would also out them to my team of hunters."

"Why did you wish to raid Abnegation?"

"The Abnegation are a corrupt faction of liars, criminals, and accomplices. Someone needed to remove them from power, by any means necessary."

"What makes you believe the Abnegation to be worthy of any of those accusations?"

"They've been hiding Divergent scum for years, always faking glitches and illnesses during aptitude tests to manually overwrite results. Every Abnegation is taught to be a sneaky, dishonest anarchist—a faction like that should not be in charge."

"Ms. Matthews, I'd like to further discuss this guvermens serum you mentioned earlier. How did you inject the Dauntless with this serum?"

"I brought a shipment of vials with me when I came to observe the initiates fear simulations during their final test. Their leaders injected every member with the serum after the test, claiming it was a new tracking device."

"How did you get Dauntless leadership to cooperate with you?"

"Eric Coulter owed me a favor, from before he transferred to Dauntless. I cashed in on that favor once I began to develop my plans."

I can't help but glance at Eric, hating to be caught off guard. I thought we had no more secrets between us, but I guess I was mistaken.

"What sort of favor did Mr. Coulter owe you?"

"He once beat a man so badly he was in the hospital for over three months. I made the charges disappear, on the condition that he would one day help me make something disappear in the future."

"How old was Mr. Coulter when this deal was made?"

"He was 16, a few months before the choosing ceremony."

"Why make such a deal with a 16-year-old boy?"

"I knew he'd transfer to Dauntless, and I knew he'd rank well enough to become a leader. I wanted someone on the inside who could convince the others."

"Convince the other leaders to do what?"

"Hunt the Divergents in Dauntless and eventually overthrow the Abnegation."

"And did he?"

"Yes, but due to no coercive skill or intelligence of his own. Harrison loathed the Abnegation, and Max would've done anything for more power. They were all too easy to persuade."

"Why did you want the Dauntless to hunt the Divergent?"

"They are a menace to society, they don't conform to the faction system, and pose a threat to our very way of life. They are a threat that must be eliminated."

"How does one identify these alleged threats?"

"Divergence in Dauntless begins to appear during the fear simulations stage of the training. They are immune to the serum and have a consciousness their peers do not. This gives them an unfair advantage and results in far superior performance. Dauntless leaders would watch footage of these simulations and, once they confirmed the initiates were awake, disposed of the threat."

I knew it was coming, but to hear it spoken out loud in such a cold and clinical manner was jarring. I felt myself physically deflate as the air whooshed out of my lungs. The only thing that kept me grounded was Tris and Christina on either side of me, squeezing my hands in theirs.

"Ms. Matthews, if you don't mind, I'd like to return to the events of September 17th. Walk me through what happened once you arrived in Dauntless."

"Max, Harrison, and Eric met us in the vehicular entrance before escorting our team up to their control room. We set up our equipment and reviewed our plan of attack before we began to activate the serum to wake the faction. After a few moments, when nothing happened, it became clear that the serum had failed. Before we could do anything, soldiers in black with guns flooded the room and began arresting us. One of my protégés, Caleb Prior," Tris gasps beside me but doesn't let it show on her face, "managed to overpower one of the soldiers and held a knife to her throat. Another soldier, his own sister, shot him, but she was too late as he'd already slit the soldier's throat. When Eric sprinted across the room, even in handcuffs, to fall at her side, I knew I'd been betrayed."

A hushed murmur erupts in the room but quiets at a sharp look from Jack. Neil reads over the next question on his holopad, professional facade faltering for a moment as he looks to Eric. When he nods, Neil speaks.

"Why do you believe that Eric betrayed you?"

"I imagine the slut whose throat was slit had something to do with it." Eric tended but stays seated, not falling for the bait.

"During our investigation, we discussed that topic heavily with Mr. Coulter ourselves. In fact, the only reason we are standing here assembled today and not with an entire faction dead is because of his betrayal. I would like to verify some of those reasons for his betrayal with you today. Ms. Matthews, did you murder Amelia Coulter?"

For the first time since she took the stand, Jeanine begins to sweat.

"Resisting the serum will bring you nothing but pain. I suggest you answer the question."

"Y-yes." She stutters.

"How did you murder Ms. Coulter?"

"Euthanasia serum."

"Her official cause of death is strangulation, and the suspected strangler was recorded to be her boyfriend, Lionel Draper. How did you achieve this?"

"I'm a leader, I can do what I want. I made it look like she was strangled, leaned on the medical examiner to write what I wanted, and coerced investigators to look at a known Divergent. He fled before he could be arrested."

"Why did you murder Ms. Coulter?"

"My entire career, my entire life, I've worked to rid our city of divergence. Then comes along this perky young thing who thinks that my theories are 'based on outdated research' and that her studies see 'promising results' for Divergents in our society. It disgusted me, and I knew if word got out, I'd be the laughing stock of the faction, and my career would be ruined. So, I did what I had to do."

"What did you have to do?"

"I made sure no one would ever doubt the dangers of divergence."

"Ms. Matthews, do not attempt to skirt around the truth serum, or I will increase your dosage to the point of delirium. What did you do?"

"I switched out the serums in her study. They had a progressive effect on the brain, almost mimicking symptoms of schizophrenia. Subjects would get progressively more paranoid and deluded until the suicidal thoughts took control, and they killed themselves." Even though I'd already heard this from my dad when I was unconscious during surgery, to listen to it spelled out with no remorse was awful.

"Do you know the identities of these victims?"

"Victims? Divergents are not victims!"

"They were innocent people from a variety of factions who, based on preliminary findings by Ms. Coulter, posed no threat to society. Did you know their identities?"

"No. Amelia always traveled to the different factions for her studies and never wrote down their names."

"I see. I'd like to move on to the events of a different date, September 12th. You were giving a demonstration to Dauntless leadership of the effect of the guvermens serum on Divergents, is that correct?"

"Yes."

"You tested this serum on a young, Divergent boy from the factionless, correct?"

"Yes."

"What happened during the demonstration?"

"His anxiety overwhelmed the serum and overrode our system. He ran headfirst into the wall, over and over until he died."

"What was his name?"

"Why would I know his name?"

"Do not skirt around my questions, this is the last time I'll warn you. You know his name because it appeared on missing child posters all over the city the next day. After the Abnegation accused the Dauntless of kidnapping that boy, isn't that right?"

"Yes."

"What was his name?"

"Lucas McCreary."

"Why did the Abnegation believe the Dauntless kidnapped him when they claim they did not?"

"I sent my security team to do it, dressed in black so that if there were any witnesses, they would point to Dauntless."

"Why did you target this boy?"

"I was told he was Divergent."

"Who told you?"

"..."

"Ms. Matthews, do not fight the serum. Who told you about the boy?"

"..."

"Ms. Matthews, this is your absolute last chance. Who told you about the boy?"

"..."

"That's it, get me another 250 milligrams of this—"

"Wait!" Jeanine shouted, gasping for air as she gave up her fight. "Wait, I'll tell you!"

"Who told you about the boy?"

"Marcus Eaton."

For just a moment after her proclamation, the whole courtroom falls silent. No one speaks, no one breathes, nobody moves a muscle. Then, all at once, everyone snaps out of it.

Four is on his feet in an instant, practically flying across the room with Eric hot on his heels. They wrestle a struggling, shouting Marcus Eaton to the ground in handcuffs as the Abnegation protest. The Amity look shell-shocked while the Erudite preen a bit, relieved to see they aren't the only faction with questionable leadership. Jack runs up to the platform and shouts for order, but his calls fall on deaf ears. Jeanine cackles gleefully, thriving in the chaos she's unleashed. Eric and Four drag Marcus over to where Jack still fruitlessly attempts to calm the room to no avail. The three speak quickly and quietly, before passing Marcus off to some other Dauntless guards as chaos spins on around them.

"Quiet, this is a courtroom, I demand—"

"He's a liar!" Jeanine cries over the chaos, pointing her finger straight at Eric with a malicious glint of satisfaction crossing her features. "He's no better than me or anyone else on trial! He chose a better deal, and he'd be up here with the rest of us if it weren't for that cun—"

"ENOUGH!" Neil bellows above the din, succeeding in quieting the room long enough for Jack to restore order.

I don't hear whatever else he has to say, rushing out before anyone can try to stop me. I don't know where I'm going, but I know that I can't stay in that room for even a minute more.

I end up on the roof, relieved to find it empty. Now that I'm no longer actively escaping, exhaustion swoops in and sweeps my legs out from under me. Doctor G warned me to ease back into physical activity, and now I can see why.

A sob rips from my throat beyond my control, silent tears streaming down my face. This reaction shocks me, as I already knew most of what Jeanine spewed out in that courtroom today. Jeanine manipulated our leaders into cooperating in a genocide of the Abnegation. She tampered with Amelia Coulter's study that resulted in the suicides of many, including my father. She coerced Eric into being her little Dauntless lap dog until he betrayed her.

I know that Eric probably wouldn't have changed course if it weren't for me. Perhaps therein lies the issue. Maybe a small, unacknowledged part of me wishes that I wasn't the reason. Wishes that he'd wised up sooner and saw through all her smoke and mirrors on his own.

"For someone who's never been to Candor before, you sure do know how to find a good hiding spot." Four says by way of greeting as he steps onto the roof a while later. He is alone as far as I can tell, so I don't have much of a reaction when he sits down beside me. "Jeanine said that hoping to provoke Eric into a reaction. I guess it worked better than she thought, though not on the right person."

I don't respond, embarrassed that her pitiful attempts actually worked on me.

"Eric is nothing like Jeanine or anyone else on trial."

"W-what-" I struggle to speak, but he holds up his hand to stop me, wincing at the scratchy cadence of my unused voice. He pulls out his holopad and instructs me to type out my response, whiteboard forgotten in my haste to escape.

What if I was a year younger? He wouldn't have known who or what I was, and he would still be on Jeanine's side. He would be a murderer, and he'd be right up there with the rest of them.

"What if he saw you in Amity and fell in love at first sight? What if Jeanine slipped up and revealed herself? Indie, you'll drive yourself crazy obsessing over all these other possible scenarios. They're not reality, this is. He chose you. He saw the light, and the light was you."

Four pauses, carefully choosing his next words as I consider his response. I suppose it doesn't matter what Eric would have done in those other instances. It matters what he actually did.

"The man that I've hated since my first day in Dauntless...is not the man inside that courtroom. The Eric I thought I knew never would have done everything that he has done for you. He didn't have to go against Jeanine, you know. He could've kept on with his plans, and just covered for you when needed. But he fought back because of you."

Why me?

"Because even the slightest risk that something could happen to you was unacceptable."

We sit in comfortable silence for a few moments more as I ponder this, beginning to see sense. Maybe Eric wouldn't have changed course if it hadn't been for me, but does it matter? The fact remains that he did change, and I couldn't be more grateful.

"Eric volunteered to go under truth serum." The thought knocks the wind out of me, and I begin to shake my head, but Four carries on. "He insisted. Claims he wants to ensure that Jeanine can't talk her way out of this one, but he saw you leave. He's doing it so that you know that everything he did is because of you, not the possibility of some better deal."

We have to stop him.

"It's too late." He tells me, standing up and extending his hand towards me to help me do the same. "They've already got everything set up, they're just waiting until everyone is back in the room. He wants to do this, knowing full-well what it means. Let him do this."

I keep this in mind as we make our way back down to the courtroom, finding it much less full than before. Half the Abnegation have left, no doubt to go badger someone about releasing Marcus. Most of the Erudite have also left, but Kara remains. When Four notices me looking at the empty seats, he fills me in on what I missed.

Andrew Prior—the de facto leader of Abnegation now—sent everyone but the Council out to turn over everything to Candor investigators. Kara dismissed many of the Erudite for their poor behavior and unrestrained glee when Marcus's true nature was revealed. A few Amity left, but only those who already planned to leave after Jeanine's trial anyway. Jack also dismissed all but necessary members of Candor, hoping that fewer people would result in better behavior for all. Only the number of Dauntless remains unchanged, everyone insisting on staying to support Eric.

If anyone is perturbed by my abrupt departure, they don't mention it, instead silently sliding down the bench with soft smiles. Before I can question them, the doors slide open as Jack, Neil, and Eric enter the room together. Jack and Neil talk amongst themselves, but Eric only has eyes for me. His expression is pinched, almost nervous, but relaxes when I shoot him a soothing smile.

He sits down in the interrogation chair earlier occupied by Jeanine without comment. He exposes his neck in preparation for the serum and takes a deep breath. When the needle slides in, he doesn't even flinch, expression relaxing until it is blank. Neil watches the seconds tick by on his watch and then, with one last look at Eric, begins to speak.

"Please state your full name for the court."

"Eric Charles Coulter."