The Encounter

by ClubLulu333

Weeks into her initiation, Everly is struggling with her decision to stay in Amity. Pressured to stay by her family and friends, things become even more complicated when her chance encounter with a certain Dauntless leader puts her right on his radar. Will he be the one to change her life, or is she just another trophy on his hunt? This is an Eric meets Everly in Amity story!

28. Chapter 28

Thank you so so so much to Bamberlee for editing!

Thank you ALL for reading and following along. It has been five years since I started writing The Training, and it's been amazingly fun to get to expand upon this universe. Thank you so much for all the support, the kind messages, the mean messages lol, and all the opportunities to share my writing. I appreciate you all so much, and I hope you have enjoyed the stories.

The epilogue will be posted immediately after this chapter.

Thank you so much for reading for all these years! 💙

---

The world doesn't catch fire, but my stove does.

"Eric! It's burning!"

I tear my stare away from Daniel to see Eric glaring at his father with fierce hatred. It seems his time in the Erudite hospital hadn't exactly brought them closer together. It might have been Eric's abrupt departure or his complete disregard for any and all follow up instructions, but whatever the case may be, it's clear they haven't seen each other until now.

I nearly drop the card when Daniel walks closer, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Everly, are you…when is your due date?"

The great thing about having a lot of people very invested in your life, is that there are plenty of distractions. Before I can answer him, or ponder what exactly my title in Dauntless means, Rylan rushes past to help Eric. There is a duck shoved in the pocket of his jacket, peeking out to watch as Daniel's attention moves from me to the stove, and Jason loudly greets Forrest. Leif and Wesley show up at the same time, with my mother, Harrison, and Hank and Kerrie. The fire only grows larger as Eric glares at everyone, and the careful secret of him and me is exposed.

Much like my lack of functional smoke detectors.

"Everly, did anyone inspect this place? I thought I sent Joe to check it out." Harrison ignores the literal kitchen on fire as he climbs onto a chair to toy with something high up on the wall, and he pulls it apart with a grimace. "Shit. The batteries are dead. He swore he was an electrician. And an EMT."

"I don't know who Joe is, but no one came by," I answer, and the chaos continues. I feel exhausted watching it all, then sort of queasy as the smoke burns higher. "Um, Eric our dinner is burning."

"I've got it handled," Eric hisses, and he glares at his father hard enough to make him frown. "Why are you here? No one invited you."

"Eric!" I gasp this at the same time Rylan does, but for different reasons.

The flames reach a whole new level, and Eric merely raises an eyebrow in mild annoyance.

"Um, is anyone going to stop this before Everly's house burns down? And why is Eric here? I mean, it's good to see you, Eric. Nothing but love for you, my only brother in law, except for that I heard you tried to murder Everly. You're lucky she's so forgiving." Forrest throws Eric a nod, and he looks at me. "Wait, Everly, are you pregnant?"

"No, I'm not, Forrest. Thank you for asking." I answer sarcastically, stepping away with a shriek as Rylan dumps water all over whatever is burning, and it only makes things worse. "Oh my gosh, what are you doing?! Just move the pan!"

"I'm saving you, EVERLY!" Rylan loudly proclaims, and Jason laughs so hard he drops his phone. "Jason, stop recording this and try to help us!"

"ERIC!"

The party isn't quite complete yet.

Zander arrives with Paisley and Holly, and they stare in pure horror as everyone clamors to see what's going on. Paisley is shoved out of the way as Zander makes a beeline for Eric, and in an act of heroic adoration, he throws himself right in the middle of things.

"Zander, come here, buddy! Let them put the fire out," Hank tries to coax him back, but everyone shrieks when Rylan's prophecy comes true.

The toaster explodes.

Out of nowhere.

Someone must have gotten it wet, or maybe the house really is haunted, because it bursts into flames on cue, and Rylan and Eric both freeze, staring in pure and utter horror as the crowded room becomes far more frantic than the time Landon showed up with his army.

I actually think that might have been less chaotic than right now.

I stare at my toaster, lit up like a fiery inferno, and I try very hard not to look at Rylan.

I fail.

"I told you so. I told you the wires were crossed," Rylan looks right at me, and I decide I'll skip dinner and just go to bed.

"Please leave. All of you." I announce right as Willow shows up, and she looks around in sheer horror.

She clutches Woody to her chest tightly as she backs away slowly, right into May.

"What is going on? Is everyone okay?"

No one answers her, but most importantly, no one leaves.

No one even bothers to listen to a word I'm saying, because the fire is finally put out, and every single person in my kitchen decides they're staying for dinner.

---

The dinner, a lovely arrangement of everything and anything that could be made quickly, is overwhelming.

Everyone is crowded around two tables shoved together, and nothing is more Amity than everyone here, sharing a meal.

Except for Eric's father, doing his best to convince me to come stay in Erudite for a few weeks.

"I just think having the baby in Erudite would be good for you. We have the most advanced facility out of all the factions. Nothing can go wrong there. You could get some rest, relax, I could clear the whole floor for you," Daniel insists, and he graciously accepts a bowl of salad from my mother. "Not to mention, we reinforced all the emergency exits so no one can leave."

"Doesn't that defeat the purpose of an emergency exit?" Harrison sits across from me, by my mother. Next to him is Four, looking understandably overwhelmed, and Tris, looking understandably uncomfortable. She glances around a few times, and every so often, our eyes meet and she looks away. It's like she's afraid I'll leap across the table and smack her, though I have no reason to. "Maybe you should see what your fancy little hospital would do if it caught fire?"

"Oh, like here? Where everything is…made of wood and incredibly flammable? There isn't even a fire extinguisher!"

"Daniel," Camille, having shown up right after Willow, elbows him. Unlike the dinner with Blythe when Daniel sat quiet, Camille isn't sitting silently. She'd been incredibly helpful since she showed up. She helped recook dinner, she, my mother and Kerrie set the table, and she'd carefully listened to Daniel talk while also carefully eating the meal before her.

Everyone, except for Rylan, was concerned if it had peace serum in it.

It didn't, but I was regretting that decision. I've never been one to want to drink peace serum, but everyone here is making me feel anxious. I stare at their faces, one by one, and I swear the dining room is ten times smaller than it was.

"He means well, Everly. I think after everything that's gone on, everyone is just very worried about you and Eric. And what could happen, if you give birth here."

"What's wrong with giving birth here?" My mother looks at Camille with as much insult as one would expect from her. "Willow just had a baby here and they're both fine. We have an excellent birthing staff."

"Oh, um I'm sorry. Congratulations. Has…. has your baby seen a doctor since…he was born?" Camille stares at Willow, eating while Woody sleeps in her arms, and she looks stunned. "You had him here? How?"

"Well, I just went into labor and so I went to see Eden. How else do you have a baby?" Willow looks at Forrest, and he shakes his head.

"You did fine. In Erudite, some people believe you need medical intervention for everything. Even for things like the common cold. Or a broken leg," Forrest scoffs, and even Kerrie nods. "You could have given birth anywhere. The woods. Or the barn. It's warm. The horses do it all the time."

"See," I look at Eric, and his expression is so hilarious I have a hard time not laughing.

Our private bubble of being in this house, alone, is momentarily gone. Eric sits at the head of one table, staring at everyone in complete horror. His friends are not far away from him, both cheerfully eating the pizza my mother made, and taking turns insulting the others choice of toppings. Leif and Wesley sit at another table, with Paisley and Holly, and they all watch Jason and Rylan in rapt fascination.

Zander sits with Harrison, and every so often, he waves from his pile of noodles, completely content with everyone talking all at once.

"You are not giving birth in a barn," Eric hisses, and his words attract the attention of Four. Four laughs, quietly, into the sandwich he's eating, and he does his best to avoid Eric's glare. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did I say something funny, Number Boy?"

"I thought you two were friends now," I look at Four in confusion, and they both turn to me in sheer horror. "What, I thought you forgave him? Or did you take it back? Because Peter said Four –"

"I never forgive anyone," Eric reminds me, and he reaches for the drink Forrest poured him. I stare at the tall glass, and I try to stop him before he takes a sip.

"I wouldn't drink that. Forrest made it and it's –"

"Absolutely delicious. Made with the finest wheat Amity has to offer. How do you like it? Everly is a complete hater, but she can't have any anyway, since she failed to tell anyone she was pregnant." Forrest crosses his arms over his chest, and he stares daggers at me. "I thought we were close. You were my favorite sister."

"Hey!" Both Paisley and Holly protest, but they lose interest when May hands them a plate of garlic bread.

"I thought you would have figured it out by now. Or maybe when my dresses stopped fitting." I smile brightly at him, and Rylan laughs so hard he spills his drink. "That's not funny. I had to go buy this one today."

"It's great. You look really nice," Rylan eyes me with disapproval. "Did you have fun at the Salem witch trials?"

"Rylan!" Christina looks horrified, and somewhere, May informs Rylan he has to give the duck back. His answer of never is quiet, and I predict he'll fight her for the duck.

Little does he know, he'll probably lose.

"It's just…very…you know, in Dauntless, she had clothes that didn't look like they were made from haunted fabric." He pauses, and he scoots his chair further away from May. "Lots of clothes. I got to help carry them upstairs."

"Eric likes my dress. He said it was nice," I retort, and Eric chokes on his beer, again. "That's what you said earlier!"

"Okay, well we all know he's a liar," Rylan grabs another piece of pizza and looks at Four. "Hey, Four, can I throw you and Tris a baby shower? Christina and I were thinking it would be fun. Tris is pregnant, Everly. If you come to Dauntless, your baby can be friends with her baby. If Eric allows that."

"I won't," Eric scowls, and my mother listens with the hint of a smile on her face.

"Ever?"

"No!" He scowls again, but everyone ignores him in favor of staring at Tris, busy eating her salad. She looks different than I remember, less severe and exhausted, and it is clear her pregnancy is going as favorably as mine.

At least she was with Four for most of it.

She finally looks at Four, then me, and her eyes are wide. "He didn't help Peter. He just told him he was turning off the cameras. A team followed him for a while, but he sat parked at the edge of the forest forever. They sort of forgot about him. Kacie got in major trouble for it."

"Everly –" Four starts to say my name, sounding just as apologetic as Tris, but he's cut off by Christina.

"Tris, can we? I've been wanting to ask you!" Christina brightens up, and this is the first time I've seen her happy since she got here. She'd been very quiet while all the chaos went on, and oddly quiet when my mother showed her where to sit. I got the feeling she thought I was mad at her, but I'm not.

I'd been looking forward to a second alone so I could say hello.

"No." Four answers flatly, and when Tris elbows him, he shakes his head. "No, thank you. We're fine. We don't need anything."

"Nothing at all?" My mother stares at him, and even Harrison looks concerned. "You must need something."

"He needs a lobotomy. That's what he needs," Eric mutters, but it's not as angry as one would think. "Just let Rylan throw you a baby shower. I've seen your apartment. It's bleak."

"You've been to Four's apartment?" I stare at Eric, still choking down Forrest's beer, and he closes his eyes tightly. "I thought you weren't friends."

"We aren't. I was sent to get him so he could meet with Max," Eric resumes looking annoyed, and his stare goes all the way to Leif and Wesley, trying to coax Rylan to hand over the duck. "When he opened the door, I got to see the blandness in which he lives."

"Sounds…very nice," my mother busies herself with feeding her children, and encouraging Zander to eat something other than noodles. She gives up when he answers with a parroted version of Rylan's never, and next to her, Kerrie asks about planting lavender in her garden.

They talk for a second, and everyone lapses into smaller, less intense conversations. Forrest forgives me for not telling him I'm pregnant, and I forgive him for being completely unobservant. Rylan does challenge May to a fight, winner takes all –including Indiana Duck, and to my relief, Harrison informs him a duck won't survive in Dauntless, no matter how chill it is. Leif and Wesley leave the minute they're done eating, Hank and Kerrie talk to Tris and Four about all the things they'll need for a baby, and Christina, Paisley and Holly talk about where the clothing in Dauntless comes from.

I listen to all of it go on around me, and I startle when Eric touches my hand.

It's quick.

No one is looking at us or paying any attention, especially not when Zander tips over an entire bowl of pasta sauce, and no one even blinks when we both stand up.

They're assuming we're going to grab something to clean it up. Jason even yells for us to grab him another napkin, and I catch him laughing as Zander dips his noodle in the sauce all over the table.

"Hey, will you grab me a drink, too! Zander just spilled mine!"

We don't.

Instead, we leave them at the table, and head right out the back door.

---

The night air is still cold.

The days are not.

In fact, they're warming up enough to hint the next round of initiation will soon start up in a few months. No one in my family is eligible, but there's an ominous feeling in the air, like something big is about to happen. It makes me nervous, but not as nervous as the cramping feeling across my stomach as Eric leads me away from the house.

We walk around the black porch, down equally black steps, and into the night. The few homes nearby are lit up with a warm glow, and every so often, there's the sound of the woods, not at all far away. Eric's head tilts at the noise, and I know he's thinking the same thing I am.

Dauntless is quiet.

Very quiet.

Secluded enough it would be hard for all these people to show up.

"Where are we going?"

I navigate carefully down a few steps, and Eric's hand doesn't leave mine. He holds on tightly, fingers slid between my own, and he turns to help me step down further, into the garden that is not mine. It's wild; feral flowers grown from wind and rain and bright sunlight, hidden between the houses. Eric stops halfway, and he looks at me carefully.

"Do you feel okay?"

"I feel fine, I swear." I have to crane my head to look up at him, and he's frowning. "What's wrong? Is it…everyone who stayed for dinner? Or did Harrison say something to you?"

He frowns further.

Harrison is a sore subject for Eric, mostly because everything is still unresolved between them. They weren't outright ignoring each other, but they mostly steered clear, unwilling to admit they both were worried what the other was doing. I know Eric had little choice in how he dealt with Jeanine, and it made it all the worse knowing had he protested the second he walked in the room, I more than likely would have died. Harrison knew what Eric did and why, but he hadn't exactly forgotten what he'd walked into.

They were both trying to make it right by being the one who would finally keep me safe, and in turn, they each disliked what the other was doing.

"Do you really want to live here? You really want to stay in a faction you hated, just because there are…ducks and a lot of people who can make dinner?" Eric's eyes find mine, dark and heavy. "I can make you dinner."

"I know you can," I start, and he bites down on his cheek. "You want me to leave with you, don't you? Before the baby is born."

He cocks his head, the piercing in his eyebrow catching the low light from the house, and I watch him slowly pick the words he thinks will convince me to leave.

"I want you to come back with me. I don't want you to stay here anymore. Not only is it not safe, it's far. If something happens while I'm in Dauntless, I might not be here."

"What are you thinking is going to happen?" I step closer, reaching up to touch his shirt. It's black, and he looks down at me with a hint of impatience. "Was it the barn thing? That pushed you over the edge, didn't it?"

"Yes."

His answer is flat, half snarled and half hissed in exasperation. This time hasn't been kind to Eric. He's balanced both trying to deal with everything in Dauntless and coming to see me, but it was starting to wear on him. Throw in three fathers, all wanting to tell him what he was doing wrong, enough family members to make anyone's head spin, and I couldn't blame him for being in a bad mood.

Our world, quiet and just us, had come to a grinding halt with the realization we'd have to live somewhere.

The problem was each faction was hoping it was with them.

"And you think I'm trapped? That I can't leave if I want to?"

"I think Harrison wants you to stay because he can keep you safe and I couldn't, and you don't want to upset him. I think your mother wants you to stay, and so does everyone else in your family. But I don't think you actually enjoy living here. I know you don't. I think you want to leave, but you don't know how to say it." Eric says this triumphantly, and I know he's planned whatever is coming. "If you told Harrison you wanted to move to Dauntless, what would he say? No?"

"I don't know. I never went through initiation in Dauntless, and I didn't even finish the one here. If I go to Dauntless, I'm showing up as someone who got pregnant and –"

"You'd be showing up as my wife. I'll marry you in front of the faction. Give me two weeks. You can live there, with me, and I'll take care of everything. I'll give you whatever title you want. Just...say yes." He stares, and behind me, something croaks in the distance.

I consider this, and I wonder if he knows about the card Arlene sent.

"Now is the part where you say yes," he stares at me darkly, and he looks incredibly out of place amongst the flowers.

"Are you…are you proposing to me?" I watch his expression turn unamused, and I struggle not to smile. "I already told you I accepted your proposal. And, in case you've forgotten, I'm pretty sure we're still married."

"We are," he informs me flatly, and the romance is hidden beneath the scowl on his face. "So, come back to Dauntless. Where you belong. I'm sick of explaining why my wife lives in Amity."

"Eric," I say his name quietly, and his grip tightens. "I don't think –"

"Are you saying no?" He interrupts, looking visibly nauseous. "You're really going to stay here?"

My future hangs in the air.

It sways back and forth with these tempting, but not really, offers from both sides. Staying in Amity, a faction I'd made known I didn't belong in, was as safe as Harrison could make it. Political stance aside, he'd made his own army, cleaned up the faction, and would make sure no one hurt me. I had all my family here and then some. I would have help and support, my child could grow up as part of a happy, and accepting community, and I wouldn't lack a babysitter ever.

The downside to Amity was I'd never belonged here. I didn't want to raise a child amongst farm animals, nor did I want everyone knowing my business or dropping by to tell me I should marry some random farmer for the sake of my child.

Dauntless came with its own concerns. Sure, I had paperwork saying I lived there. I had a card with an official title, and if Eric announced I belonged there, no one would outright question him. I would have freedom, room for growth both personal and in whatever path I chose, and I would feel less stuck. But it is dark and dangerous, less welcoming than where I am now, and far more foreboding. I am more likely to wind up dead by tripping down the stairs or taking a wrong turn into nothingness.

But Dauntless has Eric, and Amity does not.

The thought of being away from him hurts. I'd spent weeks staring at his name in my phone, daring myself to press call. Weeks thinking of him, wondering if he was thinking of me. Days when the thought of him and I together was all that kept me going. I wasn't willing to throw this away, especially not if it meant going there with the opportunity to be a valuable member.

"Okay, but you have to be there when I tell Harrison. You have to promise him this is it. There are no more secrets." I look up at Eric's face, carved from years of hard work and emotional repression, and the relief cracks his façade ever so slightly. He relaxes, his shoulders untensing as he moves closer, trying to close the distance between us.

It proves impossible, but like I was finding out, nothing is impossible with him.

"We'll tell him tonight." I find it hard to breathe suddenly, the idea of leaving here again, to go home with Eric a reality. "Before he goes home. Do you promise you won't keep anything else from me? The stuff about Ashley or…whatever else you work on?"

"I promise there is nothing else," Eric insists, and his eyes flit over me, back to the house. "I'll tell Harrison whatever you want, but he was pretty angry the last time we spoke."

"I think he'll be okay with it if it's what I want. I think he'll…he'll…" I stop talking, and I can't get another word out. The rush of pain is sharp, an attack on my insides, more violent than anything I've ever felt.

"He'll what? Everly?" Eric lets go, but he grabs me by the arms to pull me closer, and his grip is tight. "What's wrong?"

I say nothing.

I can't actually speak. I wait for the pain to stop, the feeling close to what I'd felt a few days ago but far more intense, and it doesn't.

It leaves me desperately trying to breathe, willing myself to relax.

It doesn't work.

Nothing works.

"Everly!" Eric barks at me, knowing something is wrong. The look on his face is pure, unadulterated fear and he attempts to get me to walk a step. I shove him away, and when I can stand up again, the relief lasts a mere few seconds.

It returns like a wave, strong enough to push me beneath it.

"Are you sick? Are you going to throw up?"

I might.

I feel everything in me tense up again, until it hurts so bad that my eyes are forced closed, and I dig my nails into the skin of his arm. He lets me, and he's just as pale as the moon when I manage to grit out would he please go get my mother.

He listens.

He takes off, leaving me standing amongst wildflowers, cursing his name.

---

Turns out, Willow was right to tell me not to go through with it. At the height of the pain, I realize I dislike Eric just as much as Willow disliked Forrest.

The feeling of labor is not something I am prepared for.

By the time I realized what was going on, right in the middle of dreamy flowers and a swirling, starry sky, I was swearing so loud a neighbor wandered out to see what was wrong. My water broke, effectively ruining the dress I'd just bought, and my lack of medical care bit me in the ass when I discovered I was further along than I thought.

I'd ignored a lot of the lesser symptoms while I was pretending I was tired. Stressed. Caving to the pressure of trying to live my life in Amity without dying, yet also while proving I could fit in in the Dauntless faction. I'd explained away a headache, exhaustion, lightheadedness, but I couldn't explain away the nausea. The never-ending ebb and flow of emotions, ranging from believing I was strong, to thinking I was weak. I couldn't ignore the feeling of the baby kicking, often choosing nighttime to remind me of his or her presence, and I couldn't ignore the way my clothes started to fit funny.

I most certainly couldn't ignore the waves of razor-sharp unbearableness, not even when my mother and Camille and Kerrie and Willow showed up. For a brief second, when the pain lulled enough for me to stand up, I looked at all of them, their faces wrought with concern, and I knew I would be fine.

In that moment, I knew everything would be okay.

I might not make it to Erudite, like Daniel had been insisting not more than thirty minutes ago.

I might not make it to Dauntless, like Eric had so carefully planned and insisted upon.

I might not even make it more than a dozen steps into my own home, but I would survive this.

I would prove everyone and everything wrong, because it was clear there was no more waiting around.

Half an hour later, not in a barn or a fancy hospital, not even in the Amity birthing center or clean and efficient facility in Candor, or anywhere with emergency exits, I give birth to my son.

---

He looks just like Eric.

There's an unfairness to having carried him for nine months, enduring months of feeling like utter garbage, only to have him look like his father. His hair is the same shade of dark blonde, his eyes are light, and he came into the world with the same collision-like force Eric came into mine.

I barely made it upstairs. Once my mother realized what was going on, she instructed me to try and follow her. My options were to make it inside or give birth in the garden. I chose to keep walking, and it helped lessen the pain for a few minutes. By the time I reached my own house, I decided everything was a mistake. Telling Eric my name was a mistake, kissing him was a mistake, and not climbing off of him when he said I should was a definite mistake.

I probably looked like a lunatic once I got to the dining room, stumbling past the dinner table with everyone still eating, and announcing I was fine, I just needed to change. My mother and Kerrie hurried after me, and Camille followed. She was torn between telling Daniel what was going on and helping with the birth. Daniel had taken a phone call out front, Jason loudly announcing he was talking to someone named Greg, and Greg was calling with a pressing issue, and no one answered him. We all knew Daniel would more than likely insist we head to Erudite this second, and I bet he'd even drive me there himself.

But I couldn't.

By the time I got to my room, I knew it wouldn't be long. The contractions were so intense they felt manic, and the wave of euphoria that followed was a high I never knew existed. By the time Eric made it upstairs, his boots clomping up the steps and shrieks of everyone at the table following him, it was almost over. My mother shoved him up by my head, telling him to be quiet and not move unless someone told him to, and his protest was ignored completely. He tried to take my hand in his, but the movement made me feel sick all over again.

I eventually shoved him away, ignoring the flash of hurt, but a moment later, our son was born. He was immediately given to me, small and warm and wailing, and placed right on my chest. He cried until he looked up at me, his face red and scrunched up in fury at being cold and evicted from his former home, but he stopped crying when I touched his head.

For a brief second, it was like being in the simulation again. I wasn't so sure he was real. He was larger than I would have imagined possible, and angry over the cold air, the hands carefully wiping off his face and checking on him, and the teary gasps of how adorable he is.

My mother looked proud, her eyes wet when she saw he was just fine and healthy as ever, so did Willow. She flat out bawled like she was the one who had given birth, holding Woody even tighter and quietly telling me I had done great.

Kerrie cried, too.

The only person not crying was Camille. She was busy frantically trying to figure out how to perform her normal, Erudite hospital worthy newborn infant check in a bedroom with no medical equipment. She looked annoyed when the best she could do was accept some towels from Forrest, and behind him, was a crowd of family members and friends waiting to see what was going on.

I rated my own birthing ten out of ten stars.

What followed was not at all what I was expecting. There was more to giving birth than I had remembered, and everyone seemed far more prepared than I was. Eric watched silently, his skin pale and his eyes fixed on the baby, and he barely moved when someone asked him to help. I was dimly aware of him being instructed to cut the baby's umbilical cord, and someone helped move my dress so I could hold the baby closer. Eric's motions were slow, careful and precise, and when I finally looked at him, he stared back.

I wasn't entirely sure what he thought, not at first. I could feel the mess of my hair as it fell in my eyes and out of the quick bun Kerrie had put it in. My dress was askew, having been pulled up and down, and my feet were bare. I held onto the baby tighter, giving in to the surrealness of all this, and I saw it.

Eric looked at me, not at all unlike the nights when I'd looked up at him with what felt like all the hope in my heart, and I saw his world shift.

The leader of our most violent faction had been through hell and back over these past few months, and here was his chance at redemption. He'd been serving his time on his own; he'd paid a penance only he knew, by doing the absolute best he could and staying in a faction he loathed. He'd made me a priority at the risk of his own faction falling apart, or it being made known he wasn't exactly adhering to the factional code he once lived by.

I saw all of this on his face, pale and pained, at the exact moment he decided he wasn't returning to Dauntless alone, nor was I staying here alone.

His lips parted, his black shirt standing out against the pale colors of everyone else, and he tilted his head. There was a lot in his stare: pride at my giving birth without anything to help, and fear, that I would be hurt or that something would happen. Horror, as there was more blood than either of us were prepared for, and ultimately, a sense of contentment that existed in him in some hidden, ignored space in his chest.

His eyes moved from my face, to his son, to my hands cradling him. When Camille finally thanked him, gently insisting someone should check on me, he walked over. Eric sat down on the bed beside me, and he said nothing.

He simply stared at our son, and I knew nothing would ever be the same again.

"He looks like you," I look up at him, feeling deliriously invincible. The pain from earlier is gone, except for a dull ache in my abdomen and a powerful urge to curl up and go to sleep. What's left is a rush of adrenaline, the feeling like I could conquer the world, and my body wanting to rest after giving birth. "What do you think?"

I wait for Eric to say something, but he's quiet. He finally reaches out and very gently touches the baby's head. His hand seems impossibly large by comparison, and I swear no one moves when we all wait for him to answer.

"He does."

I add a few more stars to the rating system when Eric leans in, shifting to move both of us closer. My mother whispered when I felt better, I could get up and take a shower, and the rest of them busied themselves with cleaning up. They gave us privacy, slipping out to grab some tea and yelping what sounded an awful lot like Harrison's name, and I sink against Eric when the door shuts and my mother informs me she'll be back to help clean up the baby, too.

My face presses against Eric's chest, and he moves his hand to touch my cheek.

"Did you know…did you know he was…it was today…?"

His words are jumbled; the eloquence I'd seen in his rousing speeches to Dauntless is gone as he fumbles with the tangible proof of his feelings for me. Our son looks up at him, blinking the same indifferent stare in his direction, and Eric's lips turn up in the most impressed smile.

"He's bigger than I thought he would be." Eric looks down at me, and I would kill to know what he's thinking. Was he expecting our child to be my size, or worse, that perhaps he'd have a child he didn't know what to do with? I can see his mind whirling as he stares, thinking of all the things he can teach his son.

If he can get him to Dauntless.

"Do you want to hold him?" I start to ask, but Camille quietly returns, asking if she can clean him up. I agree reluctantly, not really ready to give him to someone else.

"Let me just get the blood off him. We'll get both of you cleaned up and then you can get back in bed." She pauses, and her eyes lock on Eric. "I'm sure you've already guessed, but your father is about to lose his mind downstairs. I don't know how much longer I can keep him from coming up here. He'd like to take Everly and the baby to Erudite."

"I don't think she wants to go to Erudite," Eric answers, but his words tell me he does. "Though it would be good for both of them."

He side eyes me, and I shake my head pleadingly. The decision is mine, but I want him to support me on this. There is no need to go anywhere else. I'm fine and our son is fine. The house is warm and quiet, and we're already here. Not to mention, I'm too tired, and I now have a valid excuse to kick everyone out of my house.

"I'll tell him you're alright," Camille reaches for the baby, and I have to admit, the thought of taking a shower and climbing right back into bed sounds heavenly.

Luck is on my side again.

Twenty minutes later, Camille finishes helping me brush out my hair for the second time. She helps pull the nightgown over my head, and she quietly explains what to expect now that I've given birth. I listen in rapt horror, and I decide the minute I can, I will sign myself up for every shot in the world if it means never having to do this again.

She and I leave the bathroom together, her dark blue shirt bright against the wooden walls, and she tells me almost everyone who doesn't live here has been kicked out by Harrison. She asks if I'm okay to have Daniel come up and see his grandson, but I don't answer her.

I don't know what to say.

I pause to memorize the sight before me.

Eric sits on my bed, holding his son in his arms with a funny look on his face. For a brief moment, I think he's going to leave. The baby, still unnamed, is small compared to him. He hadn't felt small while I was giving birth, but he's miniscule compared to his father. Eric stares at him with narrowed eyes, and before he realizes I'm watching, he very delicately brushes his son's hair to the side.

When he looks up at me, having finally realized I'm watching him, I decide neither of us will leave Amity for a while.

---

Daniel is very calm and collected.

At least, as calm and collected as he can pretend to be.

He sits on the edge of my bed, holding his grandson in his arms, grinning down like he's not trying to give him a medical exam at the same time. He mimics Eric's actions from earlier by touching his hair, and he smiles at the blue pajamas and the matching blue blanket Camille found. I didn't have the heart to tell him the pajamas were the last ones I'd unpacked, and probably the first pair she'd found.

Still, he holds him with great pride, and he smiles warmly at me.

Until he absolutely cannot take it anymore.

"Can you please let me take you both to Erudite? I can have Greg get everything ready. Just a few days, maybe four or five. It's very quiet and no one will bother you. We have a wonderful staff and I would just…there are some tests that should be done to make sure everything is fine."

"Thank you for the offer, really," I lean into Eric's side, safely hidden half behind him. Eric glances down at me, and to think that hours ago, I was planning on taking his shirt and pants off and doing the absolute opposite of giving birth. "I think we're okay. Camille said she'd stay here tonight, and you can, too. I don't really want to go anywhere."

"Are you sure?"

The disappointment is heartwarming.

Daniel looks crushed, perhaps having had high hopes of his grandchild being born in his own hospital, but he eventually relents when I yawn, and my head finds Eric's chest.

"Alright, well…Camille and I will stay. I'll have Greg on standby anyway." He pauses, moving to push his glasses up, before he smiles even wider. "Have you picked out a name yet?"

"We haven't really talked about it," I confess, and Eric shrugs in confirmation. We'd never once spoken about what we'd name our child, but for the life of me, I couldn't think of anything that felt right. My assumption is Eric will want something strong sounding. Dangerous, even. I have no real preference over how deadly the name sounds, and my only real concern is anyone thinking I'm about to name him after something in Amity.

"You have time," Daniel grins again, and he frowns when his phone rings. "I'll hand him back now. It's Camille's assistant. I was supposed to be back hours ago."

"Are you leaving?" Eric stares up at his father as Daniel hands me the baby, and I wait for Daniel to tell him yes. Despite him saying he'd stay, we both knew his position in Erudite often won over everything.

But his father shakes his head, and he looks the happiest I've ever seen him.

"No. I just have to tell Gilly this so she can cover for me."

He stands up to answer his phone, and I glance down at our son, barely noticing Daniel slip out the door. Eric pulls the two of us closer, sort of reclining us back so I can lie on him, and I've forgotten how good it feels to be close to him.

How warm he is.

How solid.

"Is he tired?"

Eric's words make my eyes open, and I look up at him. Camille had helped me nurse him right away, and it took some practice. I was confident in my ability to take care of him, but it was terrifying to know I was responsible for him.

"Yeah, I think so." I stare down at the baby's grey eyes and his sleepy expression. He looks exactly like Eric before Eric falls asleep, and his brows knit together when he begins to cry. It's clear he's over being awake and over having us look at him, and I nearly fall off Eric when I realize I have no crib for him. "There's nowhere for him to sleep."

"Jason and Rylan are building the baby furniture as we speak. They're also staying. Rylan came up here when you were in the shower. He's…both incredibly excited at having a godson and impressed at how quickly you recovered," Eric informs me, and he exhales heavily as he pulls me even closer. "He said he already claimed the third floor, and he'll move his stuff in later. Just…close your eyes. I'll make sure the baby doesn't fall."

"Okay," I agree readily, because I'm so tired I can barely form a coherent thought, let alone a logical argument over why Rylan can't live here.

My night had taken a turn of the extreme, but I have to say, it worked out pretty well in the end.

It works out even better when I do fall asleep, my cheek pressed against Eric's chest and his fingers in my hair, and so does our son. He falls asleep between us, dressed in fancy pajamas and a blue blanket, after one more grouchy cry.

I fall asleep holding onto him, while Eric holds onto both of us, and I'm so tired I don't even hear Rylan yell that he's finished the crib or that the closet door to his room has opened all by itself and he's going to need an old priest and a young priest.

---

The late morning feels early.

It feels even earlier when I slowly accept a cup of decaf coffee, scowling at the cheerfulness of everyone around me.

I wasn't expecting anyone to be here, but I'd forgotten Rylan had temporarily moved in. Now that I was awake, he and Jason offer up every single suggestion for a name they can think of.

The birth of their friend's son is a big deal, and it's elevated to crisis when we admit we still haven't thought of a name. My night was spent sleeping for a few hours, waking up to feed the baby, and falling back asleep before I could answer Eric's question of was I okay. It was a blur, but a good one. I had only gotten up out of bed because my mother made breakfast, and I walked down the stairs slowly, clutching the baby to my chest, half expecting half of Amity to be here.

To my surprise, there was only Rylan and Jason, and enough baby furniture to start my own store at the market.

"Lightning."

"Bandit."

"Wario. No, not Wario. Bowser."

"Wait, no. What about Eric Jr. or the more formal, His Majesty, Eric the Second?"

The options ran far and wide. Jason leaned toward the more supernatural, going as far as to suggest Fox, after some character on a show he'd been obsessing over who hunted aliens on the government's time. Rylan leaned toward anything that popped into his head, including a tribute to himself, Ryan.

"Without the L. There has to be a way to tell us apart."

"Do you and Christina want to have a baby?" I stared at him, his hair held back in place in a low bun tied with a piece of flower print fabric, and I had the feeling one of my sisters had tricked him into letting them do his hair. "Maybe not right now but…"

"Already securing the baby friends. Nice work, Everly. I like the way you think," Rylan winked. "Actually, it's a possibility. Christina and I quite often fu—"

"Would you like pancakes or waffles?" My mother interrupts him cheerfully, cutting him off before he could teach Zander a word he'd undoubtedly repeat endlessly. "Jason how about you?"

"I'm good with pancakes or whatever you're making. Thanks for even offering," Jason beams, trying to finish putting together some toy someone had sent. "Is Eric sleeping?"

"He's taking a shower." I glance upstairs, and the separation feels worlds apart, rather than a single floor apart.

It was the hormones.

I'd nearly cried when he got out of bed to get water and the feeling of abandonment lasted long after he returned, despite him pulling me back against his chest.

"Do you want me to go get him?" I half hope Jason says yes, but he shakes his head no, then freezes in place.

"I've got it. Vladimir. Half vampire, half Dauntless warrior."

They both turn to look at me, apparently in telepathic agreement, and I hold my son closer, like they might try to grab him and register the name before I could stop them. I finally shake my head no, and I fight off the urge to run back upstairs.

"Thank you for the…. interesting suggestions. I'll see what Eric thinks." I lie, not at all cheerfully, and I'm so tired I feel like I might fall asleep at the table. "Actually, I think I'm going to go back to bed."

"You should eat something. You had a long night and you barely ate dinner," my mother is insistent, and she sets down a plate of food in front of me. Her dress is pretty, and I stare at her in pure horror of thinking she'd had so many children and who on Earth convinced her that was a good idea. "Once you're done eating, you should go lie down. Harrison is coming over to see Eric."

"I should probably stay awake for that," I yawn, but the idea of sleep wins out. "Eric said Harrison was mad the last time they spoke."

"Well, he was…like most people who heard about what happened, it was a little shocking to hear Eric couldn't stop what was going on or explain why you were brought there." My mother lingers only to give Jason and Rylan their plates, and her words are oddly sharp. "He knows Eric is trying to make things right. Harrison blames himself for not catching it sooner."

"Well, I don't want them angry at each other. How can Harrison live here and be mad?" I ask a logical question, since Amity practically demands forgiveness, and the look on my mother's face is enough to tell me Harrison would stay mad as long as he wanted. "Fine. I'm eating and going back to bed."

"I'll take him when you're done," my mother returns to her cheery tone, and she sits down next to me. "Actually, why don't I hold him while you eat?"

"I'll hold him."

"Oh shit," Rylan blurts out, and he busies himself eating the pancakes and waffles combined. "Hey, Harrison. Fancy seeing you here. In your…daughter's house."

"Why are you two here? Aren't you supposed to be in Dauntless? Who's overseeing the faction?" Harrison is here. He smiles at me, his eyes dropping to his grandson, sound asleep in my arms, and he doesn't look mad at all. "Is Max there?"

"Max and Tori," Jason drinks his coffee with a wink, then shrugs. "Technically, Four is working, too. He left horrified at having so many people involved in anyone's life and threw himself into work. I think he may have volunteered to help out until Eric is back."

Everyone looks at me.

I hold the baby tighter, and I know what they want.

A confession of what will happen when the day comes when Eric's responsibility to his faction trumps being here.

"When is he supposed to be back?" I take a sip of my own coffee, and Harrison takes the seat on the other side of me. He waits patiently, and when our eyes meet, he smiles even wider. I hand him the baby, and he leans back to hold him.

Everyone watches silently.

Harrison's shirt is plaid, and it clashes terribly with the blue pajamas. His hair is messy, like he'd been walking around outside before coming here, and his boots are heavy. He looks like he belongs here, at home amongst a different kind of wild, especially when Zander shows up and makes a beeline for him.

Zander's expression is every storm that's ever come through here. He howls in a fit of rage at his father holding another child, this one small and more demanding of attention than Zander, and he shrieks when Harrison doesn't immediately hand him back. He's not even pacified by our mother insisting he stop yelling, and he yells louder when the baby starts crying.

"GET RID OF HIM!"

Zander yells at the top of his lungs, and his rage is nothing more than someone else getting attention he isn't. He's too little to understand the baby isn't taking his place, nor will he go on any of Zander's adventures for a long time. He keeps yelling until Rylan picks him up and distracts him by letting him pour syrup all over his plate.

Zander does so without blinking, never taking his stare off his father, then me.

"Everly, get rid of him!"

He drenches everything on Rylan's plate, including the toast and the muffin, in syrup.

"Thanks man, it looks good." Rylan takes the syrup away, and in an act of sheer bravery, he hands him his phone. "Look, I have a game you can play."

"No." Zander refuses, and his stare returns to me. "EVERLY! Take him outside!"

"He's a little baby, Zander. He's only a day old. He won't be here very long," I point out, and everyone's stare whips back to me. Harrison's, knowing and oddly calm, and Jason and Rylan's triumphant. Even my mother smiles, and I have a feeling they knew this was coming. "I mean, if I decide to go back to Dauntless."

"Did you make that decision?" Harrison holds his grandson closer, examining him for a second. "If you do leave, you can keep the house here. Come back and stay when Dauntless gets on your nerves. We'll keep it up for you."

"You wouldn't be mad?"

I stare back, wondering where all this came from. I'd spent my time in Amity mad he was in Dauntless, and my time in Dauntless mad he was in Amity. Now we were both in the same faction, and the only thing I could think of was how I wanted to be where Eric was.

Which made sense.

He was my husband, the father of my child, and he would eventually grow tired of all the back and forth.

So would I.

Which explains why when Harrison shakes his head no, lowly murmuring he'd come see his grandson wherever he lived, it feels like the weight of the world is lifted off my shoulders.

---

"Are you tired? Did Jason call you? He said he was going back to Dauntless."

I balance myself on the edge of the bathtub, bleary as ever, holding the baby in my arms. I'm entertaining myself by watching Eric shave, and every so often, he looks at me through the mirror. There are a few moments of horror when I believe he's going to leave. He can't live in Amity forever, and I have no clue how long he can stay. Word has probably made its way back to Dauntless that his child has been born, but who knew what happened after that. Did he take time off? Was it laughable to think he'd want to be home with his child?

Would the others mock the very man in charge of their violent military for staying home with a newborn?

I have none of these answers. Only a paralyzing fear that if Eric does go back, even if it's just for a meeting or to grab something, the appeal of Dauntless will win out over the baby and me.

So far, our nights were proving interesting.

Our son was a great sleeper, but he woke up every few hours to eat. He cried loudly, proving he had taken after Eric when it came to patience, but he was so sweet looking it was hard to be annoyed. He'd blink away wet, angry tears the minute I picked him up, and he'd doze off the minute he was done eating. Eric woke up mostly to stay awake with me, but half the time, his own eyes closed, leaving me squished in between the middle of the two of them.

It wasn't at all awful. My mother had finally gone home, Harrison and Eric had talked, briefly, agreeing that Eric's job was now to take care of me and our son, and they came to the understanding that Eric wasn't doing anything behind anyone's back. My brothers and sisters had come by, demanding I name the baby whatever they came up with –Braxton, Nugget, Mark, Tony, or Zander, declared loudly after Zander finally came to terms with not being the youngest anymore, and if the baby was staying, then he should have Zander's name.

I shook my head at all of them, for none of them fit. I didn't have any particular name picked out, but whatever we chose, I wanted it to suit him.

Even now, I still can't pick anything. He sleeps in my arms, blissfully unaware of my theory that his father might tire of taking care of us, still nameless.

"He did call. He asked how you were, and if you were ready to leave. Dauntless is fine. Cara and Jack were there yesterday. They send their congratulations," Eric glances at me out of the corner of his eye, and he wipes off his face. "Four also called to tell me Max asked him to move. I'm not sure why he thought I'd care."

"Maybe he's just…trying to be nice," I suggest carefully, knowing their truce, also formed a single day ago, was on thin ice. Eric agreed to be civil because they needed the help, and Four agreed to drop his grudge against Eric.

It was easier said than done, but it was a start.

"He also asked if you're coming back. Apparently, Tris and Christina would like to see you." He presses the towel to his face, and his next words are muffled. "Tris isn't feeling very well, and he went on to say he thinks you two got off on the wrong foot."

"I agree," I stand up when Eric puts the towel back, and I look up at his face. He stares down at me, and there's no hesitation when he moves closer. He pulls me against him, and one hand moves to brush my hair back.

"What's wrong? You look like you're about to cry."

"I'm not," I lie, carefully, and he knows it. "I just…I just thought –"

Eric waits patiently.

He stands in the bathroom silently, surrounded by things so unlike Dauntless it must hurt every time he walks in, and he waits for me to tell him why I'm worried.

"What if you go back to Dauntless and you like it better without us?" I finally work up the nerve to ask him what's been on my mind. I try to think logically, remembering I was still feeling emotional over everything, and the only constant was my inability to feel like my old self. "I have a job there. Arlene and Max sent a card saying they gave me a position. I just can't go back yet. But if I don't, what if you like it better without him crying or me waking you up or wanting you to stay with us?"

"You think I'll go back and decide I don't want you there?" The confusion is all over his face, and he shakes his head. "I asked you to come back. I asked you to come with me."

"Yeah, but what if you get sick of us. How do you lead the faction when you're up all night?" I swallow down the sick feeling of him blearily blinking at me, and the imaginary scenario of him pulling on his uniform after getting no sleep. "He cries a lot and…and…what if I can't get him to stop or he gets sick or…"

I pause, and every single fear I've had over these past few days comes tumbling out. It wasn't so much I lacked the ability to care for my child or to make sure he was safe, but I had no clue how any of this worked with Eric. My memories with him are vibrant, but childless. An Everly in Amity, wearing a dress he could shove up was fun, but an Everly in his apartment with a crying infant wouldn't be.

"What if you just let me take care of you? Like I promised I would." Eric closes the remaining distance between us by pulling me and the baby closer, and his hand sinks further into my hair. "I don't have the answers to everything, but I can promise you I want you there. I wouldn't have come back if I didn't."

I nod, and I work very hard not to cry in front of him.

Not because I think he'd get mad, but because everything has been making me cry, including the thought of leaving Amity.

And I didn't even really want to stay.

"Why don't you let your mom watch the baby for a few hours. I'll lie down with you. I think you might need to sleep longer than twenty minutes," Eric looks at me carefully, and my tearful nod is quick. "I'll go give him to her. She said she was stopping by tonight. I'll walk him there if she's not here. Is he hungry?"

"He just ate," I tell him, and he slowly takes him from me. "Okay, I'll lie down. But just for an hour."

"Sure," Eric agrees, looking like he doesn't believe me, and he waits to make sure I'm alright. "I'll be right back."

"Okay."

He leaves before I can figure out how he knows where my mother is, or if she's even free to watch the baby for a few hours. I take a second to wash my own face, brush my teeth, and I stumble toward the bed in pure exhaustion. My eyes close before I hear the front door open, and I'm asleep before I hear it shut.

I dream of absolutely nothing, except falling asleep on Eric's chest.

---

I wake up on Eric's chest.

The clock beside the bed blinks far later than an hour, and I lift my head up slowly. Eric is dead asleep beneath me, his leg through mine, his shirt tossed aside, and his hair a mess. His arm is thrown over me, fingers curled possessively against my skin, and it's hard to move.

I don't care.

I lie right back down, pushing myself closer to him, and I realize this is exactly what I needed.

When I do wake up, a couple hours later when my mother returns with our son, I feel much more like myself.

---

"Close your eyes. I got you something. Don't open them until I say so."

The air in the room is heavy with excitement, both on my part and everyone else's. I close my eyes obediently, and I wait in impatient anticipation to see what Eric is giving me. It could be anything; another set of paperwork for me to fill out, these pages declaring my official, official place of residence as being in Dauntless, or it could be something he'd found, thinking he would surprise me.

Eric's affection isn't entirely rare, but it is definitely selected for those he wishes to bestow it upon.

I had experienced the gradual way he warmed up to someone, slowly lowering his defenses. He struggled with allowing himself to like me, the idea such a foreign concept for someone who felt emotions were for the weak. Against what he'd conditioned himself to think, he knew he liked being close to me. He liked being the one to keep me safe when he could, and he liked everything that happened when it wasn't supposed to. Arranged, secret meetings, kissing while pressed up against the massive Dauntless truck, while I tripped over the hem of my dress and his hands crept higher and higher up my skin. Eating lunch while he didn't answer his phone, and learning how to message him, slowly working my way into his everyday life.

I offered him the thrill of normalcy.

At first, our rendezvous were downright illegal. Our factions were worlds apart and stood for the exact opposite of each other. He was nothing but dark danger flirting with me on the edge of the woods, and I was every vulnerability he'd ever dreamt of. The allure of having someone soft beneath him, someone who wasn't in competition over who was the bravest or most fearless, but who wanted to be with him, and only him, was what he really wanted. I was who he wanted. I was safe, but not safe, for he had to risk his reputation by coming to Amity, and it had to feel good to finally conquer what you shouldn't want. To his surprise, in his quest to prove he could have me, he found he didn't just want me, he needed me.

It was the same for me.

Eric was living proof of a world beyond sprawling fields of crops and a lone general store. He was very real excitement, a risk given what could and did happen, and he felt like electricity every time I saw him. His life was his own. He reported only to those on his level, only if he wanted to. He had power, freedom, and ultimately, a life far beyond what I could comprehend. His days consisted not of growing plants and skipping beneath sunshine, but heart pounding moments made more real by the team who surrounded him.

There was some triumph in conquering him. It was easy to see he let no one get close. He kept his distractions minimal, and his world orderly. When things only picked up between us, it felt more powerful than any serum out there to watch him show up for lunch, all to spend a few hours with me. I had won. I had reeled him in, coaxing him close like he was the one afraid, until being apart felt more wrong than right.

Even at our closest, there were still secrets and things he preferred to keep to himself. Once the band-aid of his past was ripped off, it became clear his struggles were his own. I couldn't fix what had happened with his father, nor would I ever win his mother's approval. I could offer him something no one else could, and once he realized how it felt to be loved, that was all he needed. He was mine, willing to risk anything and everything to save me, including risking his position as a leader.

His friends were the recipients of not quite warm comradery, but an unending bond from both childhood and initiation. They were granted small, yet telling, insights into his personal and work life. Their lines blurred, childhood and teenage pacts upheld just like his promise of duty to his faction, and in return, he would kill for them.

They would do the same for him.

In fact, they did.

Two days ago, Rylan was arrested for murder.

The best part of the entire fiasco was Jack Kang came to Amity, on a gloriously sunny day when Eric was sweating and swearing and demanding we return to Dauntless right that very second, and loudly announced Ashley had been found dead. The evidence of her murder was grim: she'd been shot, cleanly through the head, and left with a note saying she had been working with Jeremy to turn the factions against Eric, and she was willing to pay for my murder.

By this point, nothing surprised me. I clutched Evan to my chest, his name selected by Eric in the middle of the night when he decided it had to start with E, and nothing else would suit him other than Eric's own name, and I tilted my head at Jack. He took in the puffy sleeves on my dress, a pretty light blue color with tiny flowers printed on it and made by Kerrie, and I shrugged.

I no longer feared death.

Especially at the hands of Ashley.

Being alive was much more terrifying when you really thought about it. Every day I woke, I could lose everyone I cared about. I tried not to think of it at a metaphoric level, or worse, take into account the risks of Eric's job, his travel, and his age. He loathed when I told him he appeared to be moving slower these days, at the insanely ancient age of twenty-five, and he hotly informed me he'd skipped all required physical therapy, downed a handful of vitamins, and was perfectly fine and just tired.

I was tired, sometimes.

Not all the time, though. I find a strange contentment in spending my days with Evan. Like Eric, he preferred the quiet. He loathed when Zander came over, after one mishap of Zander trying to shove a truck in his face and demanding they play together, and he was happiest on my chest, while I lounged on Eric's chest. He disliked when Eric left, and he and I both sunk into a cranky fit of sulkiness when Eric would return to Dauntless, even for a few hours.

He was in Amity when Jack came storming through, demanding Rylan be brought in for questioning. When pressed, he admitted Rylan was seen on the video entering the building where Ashley lived, then leaving wearing a dark hoodie as he skipped back to his truck. When Jack did call to ask him about it, Rylan cheerfully admitted he'd killed Ashley out of duty and honor to the Coulter family.

By the time Eric stopped snickering and told Jack he could arrest Rylan if he could catch him, Jack realized not only did Eric live in Amity most of the time, and our child was in my arms, Jason showed up and pointed out all the evidence would prove Ashley was guilty. The only outcry for justice on her part was the man who routinely cut her hair, disappointed he'd lost such a charming and gossipy client. We all stood there in a half circle while Jason went on to say, Ashley was just as guilty as Jeanine, and Jack ignored everyone but me. He didn't even notice Eric was wearing one of Forrest's shirts, or his boots were not the ones part of his Dauntless uniform.

He only noticed our son, peering back at him with a look of bored indifference, and he forgot about charging Rylan with anything.

Rylan, too, did not fear death.

He wandered over ten minutes later, winked as he kept walking by, and made a face mocking Jack as he headed to Carole's. He and Jason were here on business, the business of getting Eric and me back to Dauntless, and he had no time for Jack wanting to question him. He'd already admitted he'd killed Ashley, and days later, when Max did make him go to Candor to talk to Jack and his assistant, he was arrested. But once he confessed Peter had filled Four in on Ashley's plans, Four had in turn told Rylan, and Rylan took it upon himself to drop by and see Ashley, they let him go. Rylan made it very clear he didn't approve of anyone trying to hurt me, or his godson, or his best friend, so he took care of her himself.

It would also be revealed she had all kinds of information on me. A family tree, with notes about each member and where we could typically be found. Tiny remarks about how stupid we all are. A dismissive note about Hank being a moron and Kerrie being a homewrecker.

The worst were the notes about me, though: a slew of garbage about a minimal divergence –a cause Ashley was unwilling to let go, notes about my age –still eighteen, my marital status –still married, noted in extra, extra bold letters, and my son –written down only as Everly's child, not Eric's.

She was wrong.

She was also wrong about most of the other notes. I'd never sided with Evelyn, and my track record for attempted murders on my own life should have proved that. I'd never married Landon, never helped Four train anyone, and never once put together a rally for the factionless to have a voice. I don't not think they should have a voice, but not at the expense of my own life.

Eric didn't seem to show a single speck of regret about Ashley, nor did he disapprove of her death. He dryly informed Jack odds were, at some point, someone would realize she'd been an accomplice. Not to mention her own attempt at having Eric murdered, and the thinly veiled plans to have me watched in Amity. Eric and I both learned people were dangerous when they had to be, and in her mind, Ashley had every right to try and destroy us.

The joke was on her when she learned Eric's circle might have been tight, but they were loyal to a fault and it wound up being her demise.

"Can I open them now?"

I shift impatiently on the high chair, and I try not to fall off. Something is set down before me, and there is a murmur of appreciation. I half wonder if it's an animal Rylan has finally stolen. The squirrel he always wanted, or the duck he tried to adopt. Or maybe it was paperwork, asking me to sign up for paperless visits to the infirmary, or a lifetime supply of Arlene approved birth control.

"Yes."

It's none of those things.

I blink away darkness to more darkness but lit up before me is a cake. It's been baked in a circle, lavishly decorated with pale frosting, and covered in sugary, pastel flowers. They spill everywhere, painstakingly hand made to look as real as possible, and coated in faint sparkles. The candles on the cake are gold, and all nineteen of them are lit up.

For a moment, all I can do is stare. When my gaze rises up from the cake, made by Sophia's aunt, everyone in the room is looking at me. My entire family from Amity is here. Harrison is leaning across one of the other high tables, smiling as his staff mills around behind him, and my mother stands by his side. Zander is balanced on a bar stool, and his eyes are not on me, but on the bar, as he excitedly takes it all in and tries to touch the lantern above him. Hank and Kerrie are glancing around every so often, but mostly looking at me, all while they hold Evan.

The others are closer.

Jason and Meghan, waiting for me to blow out the candles.

Rylan and Christina, wearing matching black shirts and drinking matching beers.

Tris and Four, looking less out of place amongst the crowd and more like they've come to accept their lives are intertwined with everyone here. Karl and Jake, in the back, waving enthusiastically from their table with Sophia and Courtney. They're both happy here, deep below the Earth, and content with their chosen jobs. Jason had told me they were excellent soldiers, and it was likely they'd do well here.

There are others.

Forrest and Willow, sharing glasses of wine as he tries to figure out if he's missing a business opportunity. Leif and Wesley sitting by Paisley and Holly, trying to look unimpressed. Quinten, watching me like a hawk. Daniel and Camille, arriving late and in a hurry, but most importantly showing up at all. Charlotte, sitting with a girl I don't recognize, staring at Karl.

Kacie, staring me down like she can't believe I am here.

I glance around the room at everyone, and behind me, Eric leans down.

"Make a wish."

"How do I know it'll come true?" I answer him lowly, reaching out to touch the plate. The room is decorated for me, pretty balloons everywhere, streamers thread through the metal lanterns, and a banner announcing it is my birthday. "Are you going to guarantee it happens?"

I glance up at Eric, and the smirk on his face is telling.

"Yes."

I laugh as he nudges me, and from a distance, Zander lowly begins to chant he wants cake. Everyone laughs as he yells it louder, and when the attention isn't on me, I reach up to touch Eric's face. I hold onto him, fingers sliding up into his hair, and I close my eyes for just a second.

"You promise?"

"I do," Eric answers easily, and I open my eyes.

He pulls me closer, right as I have the feeling that just this once, my wish might come true. After all, things had slowly started working out in my favor, and there was no way a cake as sugary as the one before me would ruin this.

I make my wish, and I decide it will come true.

I'll make it happen.

"I know you wanted a fruit tower, but this was all they had." Eric nudges me with his nose, rare public affection on full display, and I work hard not to laugh as I blow out the candles. Everyone claps, Rylan whistles, and Jason offers to help cut the cake. I lean back against Eric, and he slides his arms around my waist, ducking his head down so his lips brush my cheek.

"Happy Birthday, Everly."

"Thank you. Thank you for planning this," I answer while Jason slides a plate over to me, and Rylan winks.

"How old is she now? Is this finally legal? Does she know you're turning thirty in a few months?"

Eric throws him a dark look, and I laugh at the glare on his face.

"I thought you said you no more secrets."

"I am not turning thirty," Eric hisses, and he takes the seat beside me. "You know what, no cake for you, Rylan."

"Hey!"

The party continues with almost every person having cake. I try to soak it all up, leaning against Eric's chest and watching everyone around me. It was beyond kind they'd all shown up to celebrate. I had imagined celebrating in Amity, where half of my belongings still were, but things had changed quickly, and a few days ago, Eric and I returned to Dauntless.

It wasn't planned by any means, but it made sense.

On a day when Eric had absolutely had it with May asking him if he'd seen her duck, and Andy and Andrea stopped by one too many times to see the baby, he got a call that Four had turned down the open leadership position. It sent Max into a fit of rage, and led the rest of the leaders to demand Eric's official, full time return. There wasn't any real danger lurking on the horizon, but Jason and Rylan were tired, Tori was scrambling to cover for Eric, and Max lost it when two of the newer members backed into the generator and knocked the power out.

Dauntless shut down quickly.

The control room went down, Kacie threatened to kill someone if they didn't get it back up, and the gates were unlocked. Squads that were out were left scrambling for communication, and it took calling Karl and Jake directly to find out where anyone was. When Rylan couldn't fix the generator, and Jason broke a pipe in the locker room and flooded it instead of helping, Arlene was called in.

She fixed everything.

She cornered Four and put the living fear of herself in him. When she threatened to erase his memories herself, he took the job and was immediately assigned an office. She banned Jason from the locker rooms. Rylan was given a reprieve, but only until she realized he'd gone home to take a nap. Harrison was called in to help restore power, and the last missing piece Dauntless needed, was us.

Arlene showed up right as we were eating lunch, and loudly announced this had been fun and she enjoyed the drive over, but it was time we get back to our rightful faction.

I had stared at her in confusion until she reminded me not only did I have a job, one which was desperately needed since things were still uneasy between the factions, but that I'd earned my spot there. She pointed out I'd survived being attacked, helped take down Evelyn, attempted to save Four's life, had brought Amity its newest leader, and finally, had gotten Eric to fall in love with me.

Both of us sat there staring at her, and she glared at him, insisting all of that was harder than any initiation I could have gone through and she'd give us three days before she returned with backup.

Leaving Amity was not something I was prepared for.

I'd longed for the day when I would no longer feel like I didn't fit in somewhere, and I'd looked forward to Eric showing up in the middle of the night to steal me away. He'd once boasted he could kidnap me if he wanted to, but it would feel better to be leaving on my own terms.

And I was.

I could choose to stay in Amity if I wanted.

Instead, I agreed to go, and I found myself wiping my eyes against Harrison's shirt as my entire world was packed up. Evan's things were carefully packaged by a fleet of soldiers. Jason and Rylan helped carry out most of the baby furniture, but they left enough so we could return. The house was staying in my name. I had the option of coming back any time I wanted to, and if Dauntless became too much, or Eric and I wanted a break, we could come back here.

The look of relief on Eric's face was priceless.

He stood by the truck, looking pleased as ever, and loudly waved us over. Our ride was quiet; I held on to Evan as tightly as I could, and before I could fully comprehend we were leaving Amity for good, we arrived. Eric parked in the back behind the trucks with my belongings, and he jumped out and told me to wait for him.

Two minutes later, Evan and I walked through the entryway to Dauntless.

I stood in place, pausing as his eyes flew up to the high ceiling, the thin sliver of light beaming down on us, and the cold chill rising up. I waited for him to cry, or freak out at being taken so far beneath the ground and into the dark, but he didn't. He raised one tiny fist in the air, waving it at me, almost as if he approved.

He approves now, too.

I smile at him in Hank's arms, and he blinks. His yawn is next, and he makes a face as Hank hands him over to Kerrie, and they both admire his black pajamas. He puts his head down on her chest and his eyes close.

He fit in here just fine, and I was starting to think so did I.

---

"Are you sure you want to go? Are you sure we have to go?"

I open my eyes to Eric, scowling as he pulls on his shirt. He buttons it with great exasperation, and I sleepily wonder where he's going. I'd gone to lie down with Evan a few hours ago, and I have no clue what time it is.

"No? Can I take this off? You want to stay home? I can order something for dinner. Quinten will be thrilled to do something other than cater Four's wedding –"

"That's today?" I sit up in pure horror, having been dead asleep in his bed.

My return to Eric's apartment felt like a dream. Not only were Jason and Rylan determined to make sure we did come back, they wanted it to be as seamless as possible. Eric agreed to let them turn his guest room into a nursery, and they worked fast. I could tell Christina had been here, too. There were a few girlier touches, a really soft looking stuffed dog propped up on a dark dresser, baby clothes more fashionable than practical, and more luxurious blankets on the rocker. There was a bathrobe for me, a slew of new pajamas and soft looking clothes, and finally, a note declaring we'd have lunch very soon and she could babysit whenever.

My return also meant I was back to sleeping in Eric's giant bed, and it was like collapsing into a bed of clouds. I'd put a suspicious looking Evan down into his bassinet a few feet away and conked out before my head hit the pillow. I was somewhat awake now, horrified at the thought of missing the one wedding I wanted to attend.

"No, it's on Saturday. Tonight is some stupid party for Four and Max said I had to go as part of my punishment for making him work for me while I was gone." Eric finishes buttoning up his shirt, and glances at himself in the mirror. "Jason and Rylan will be there. So will Four's lone friend, Zeke."

"A party?" I sit up further, fixing the oversized shirt so it's not falling off and I try to wake up even more.

It's hard.

The urge to fall back asleep is strong, but the clock beside the bed tells me it's almost six-thirty at night. I contemplate how much longer I could sleep and still go to bed at a reasonable hour, when Eric reaches for his belt.

It suddenly hits me that he's leaving, and I wonder how long he'll be gone for.

"How long is this party?" I peek over at Evan, still sound asleep, and I try not to shiver when Eric's air kicks on. "When will you be back? Seven? Seven-fifteen?"

Eric blinks at me.

He stands at the end of his bed, sliding the belt through the loops of his pants, and his expression is smug as his eyes flick over to the clock. They return to me, and he smirks. "Four is boring, but I'm assuming even he can stay out more than forty-five minutes."

"Oh," I deflate, and I try to think of a reason for him not to go. "Well, um…I'm sure it'll be…great. Really fun. You'll probably be gone all night."

"Everly," Eric says my name slowly, and I look back up at him. "Do you want me to stay home? I'll gladly tell Four I can't go. Tris and Christina were going to come by here if you were awake. I can tell them –"

"No," I protest, pushing the covers back as he walks around. "I'm fine. It's just…this will be the first night I've been alone with Evan. I can call you, right? If anything happens?"

His nod is immediate.

"I don't have a key, though." I look past him at the nightstand, and I don't know why I'd even need one this second. The odds of me getting up and wandering around the faction were slim. "And my phone is dead. So…"

"Your key is on the counter, with your point card, and a map Rylan drew you. Your phone is charging on my dresser. Arlene is only a few floors away if you absolutely panic, and Linda still lives a few doors down. You can also call me, and I'll come back." Eric sits down, and when I think he's going to hug me, he reaches for his shoes. I glare at him while he puts them on, and he shakes his head. "Tris wants to be your friend. Four doesn't want to be anyone's friend, but he has some weird loyalty to you and he asked…he asked if I'd ask you to be friends with her."

"I didn't think she liked me?" I scoot closer, and he slips an arm around my waist. "I tried to be her friend and she just sort of…I don't know. And you really let Four ask you for a favor?"

Eric is silent.

His head leans against mine, and his fingers curl into my side.

Since having the baby, he'd been very careful. He'd helped me out of the truck with all the gentleness he never knew he had, and he only held on so tightly while he slept. He'd barely kissed me past pressing his lips to mine once we were home, and even now, I have the feeling he's determined to prove he won't hurt me.

It was very telling of him, but incredibly frustrating.

He breaks the silence as Evan starts to wake up, and the room is filled with low, snuffling baby sounds. "He'll owe me forever. But…" Eric pauses, and his fingers inch up higher, coaxing me further onto his lap. "It'll be easier if you have friends here. Tris and Christina are two of the safest people in the faction to have on your side. I told him I'm sure it'll work out."

His words mean a lot. I know what he's trying to do, and that's make my life here easy. I never wanted to stay in Amity but we'd returned because Eric's ultimate obligation was to Dauntless. He would have to have given up everything he'd worked for to live in Amity, and neither of us really wanted to stay there.

Still, leaving had been harder than I'd expected. I'd hugged my mom goodbye while pretending I wasn't crying, and even Forrest looked bummed to see I was really leaving.

Being in Dauntless had been fine so far, but even Eric knew I couldn't sit in his apartment all day, with only him to talk to. The offer of friends, even ones who were being pushed in my direction, would be better than one. He knew the happier I was, the less likely I'd want to leave.

"Everly?"

I move closer, toying with the cuff of his sleeve. This button-down shirt isn't one I've seen him wear, but I like it. I touch the skin of his wrist, and he kisses the side of my head, then leaves his head against mine.

"Yeah, I think it will be fine. I'd like to see them," I agree, letting go when Evan starts to wiggle around. It only takes him a second to realize he's alone, and another to start crying. "I should go get him."

"I'll come back the second you need anything. You know that, right?" Eric doesn't drop his arm away just yet, not until I nod. "Okay. They should be here by seven. I'll have Quinten bring you guys dinner."

"Thanks," I slide off the bed, and I head over to Evan. He scrunches up his face in pure rage over being forced to sleep alone, but I was too scared to let him sleep in the bed with me. I had thought maybe it would be easier, but I wound up deciding it was safer if he was in his own space. "Will you call me if it's really fun? Just so I know?"

Eric stares while I pick up Evan and compared to his fancy boy's-night-out outfit, the baby and I are his worst nightmare. My hair is wrecked from sleeping, and Evan's pajamas are the ones he had on after he spit up on his other pajamas.

Oddly enough, Eric is unfazed.

He kisses me goodbye on the forehead. It's slow and boringly careful, so much that I miss the Eric who would have pulled my nightgown off and thrown it aside. It's disappointing when he makes no move to undress me; he touches Evan's head as he offers to help me with anything before he heads out the front door, and I wind up waving him away.

Evan and I will be just fine, and I figure I might as well get dressed before my new friends come over.

---

Eric is right.

Having girls over, even ones who I don't know as well as I know Sophia and Courtney, feels far better than I would have imagined. It's normal feeling, like this could be a common occurrence, and it helps lessen the dull ache of missing everyone in Amity.

Not to mention, I find out all the best gossip while Christina and Tris are over.

At first, there was only the barest hint of awkwardness to the evening. Christina was thrilled to see me, and Tris looked happy, but unsure. It all faded away when I invited them in, told them Quinten should be by any second, and he appeared before they could make it all the way in. Ten minutes later, we all sat on Eric's pristine couch, eating lasagna and salad while Evan busied himself on the playmat someone had given us. I thought he might hate it; it was large and bright, with all sorts of things for him to bat or look at, and he made a face when I put him down.

For a single second.

Then he caught his reflection, and he was busy staring at himself while I ate dinner.

I sink further against the cushion, listening to Christina tell me about Peter trying to get Four to help him take Eric down.

"Rylan was like, does he really think the plan would work? It's stupid to think anyone can take down Eric."

"Four told him he turned the cameras off, then sent back up to follow Peter. They only stopped when Peter was sitting at the edge of the woods for hours," Tris looks at me, with guilt all over her face. "If Four knew he was planning on shooting either of you, he would have called someone other than just a patrol squad."

"Did he know where Eric was going?" I listen curiously, trying to remember as much as I can about what they did here.

They both knew a lot about Dauntless, and it was fascinating to hear it from this side. Tris explained working for Kacie was a good job but could be stressful. She told me she'd caught sight of all sorts of things going on; sometimes, she watched fights or arguments play out while the faction went about its day, and sometimes she saw things like a marriage proposal as two soldiers stood on the edge of the roof and leapt off into the darkness. Her least favorite part of working in the control room was watching the members think they were alone when they weren't.

Christina didn't work there, but she knew a lot about Kacie. She also turned red when Tris admitted she'd clicked on a camera only to be rewarded with two people having sex somewhere they thought was private, and she then had to fill out all kinds of paperwork to have the footage deleted.

I laughed when she said Four often caught the worst of the offenders. Apparently, most of Dauntless believed the dark equaled privacy, and it always seemed to happen on his watch.

"He assumed he was going to see you. Eric was…" Tris pauses, carefully eating a bite of dinner. "While you were gone, Eric was a monster. A lot of people think he's a monster, but he truly was. Nothing anyone did would calm him down. He acted like the entire faction had ripped you away from him, and almost everyone was scared to go near him."

"He almost killed me," Christina adds, her tone cheerful as ever. "Rylan and I ran into him in the hallway, and when Rylan asked if he was okay, he tried to attack him. He told me it was my fault, too. But hey, I wanted you here! I told him maybe he shouldn't have been a spy for Erudite and then…it just escalated and…. maybe I deserved getting yelled at for that comment. But it's true!"

I laugh into my salad, picturing Eric storming through the faction and fighting anyone who dared call him out on his own actions. "It is true. I didn't know he attacked you. He left that part out when we talked."

"Of course, he did. He attacked everyone. So yeah, we assumed he was going to see you. Four said Harrison warned him to stay away from you, but he was convinced you were in trouble and going to the edge of Amity was all he could do. I guess he was right..." Tris trails off, and I know she's not Eric's biggest fan. "He did come back and sort of force Four into taking a better job, so there's that."

"Why didn't he want the leadership position? Rylan said it was Four or some guy named Chad and everyone hates Chad." Christina looks at her friend impatiently, and I wait, too. "You have to tell us. Or Everly will make Eric ask Four."

"He didn't want to work with Eric. He said it would be irritating to have to listen to him every day," Tris rolls her eyes. She glances down at Evan, swinging one uncoordinated hand at a dangling star shape, and he makes a noise of frustration when he misses completely. "Is he okay down there?"

"He's fine. I think he likes looking at himself. If he can see that far," I watch to make sure he's okay, then I shrug. "Four should take the job. Eric said they have high expectations for the leaders but they seem to have a lot of down time."

"Oh, they do." Tris laughs, looking at Christina. "I've seen Rylan not working more than I've seen him working."

"They get breaks," Christina retorts, and she sets her plate down. "Can I hold Evan? Rylan said he looks like him."

"Oh, he definitely does," I laugh as Tris snorts. "I'm pretty sure they have the same pajamas."

"They do," Christina coos at Evan, and he protests as she moves him away from looking up at himself. "Oh my gosh, he's huge! How on Earth did you push him out? He's half the size of you!"

I crack up as she feigns struggling to pick him up higher, and he scowls at her. I look over at Tris, and for a brief second, she looks horrified. It's gone as quickly as it came, but I'm sure she's wondering the same thing.

She wasn't much taller than me, nor was she much bigger.

"Well, he was a little smaller when I had him. It was all so fast I didn't really have time to think about it. It just…happened," I answer slowly, hoping my explanation is helpful. "It hurt, but the second he was born, it was all over."

"You really had him in Amity?" Tris looks away to glance at Evan, and she touches the back of his head gently. He turns to look at her, and she smiles when he stares up at her face without blinking. "I know you've probably heard this a lot, but he looks just like Eric. He sort of looks like you, but he could be Eric's clone."

"He's going to be tall. Aren't you?" Christina holds him up, then offers him to Tris. "Here, you should practice before she –"

Christina stops and Tris looks at me sheepishly. I have no clue why, but she very gingerly takes hold of Evan, and she pulls him closer to her. There's a slight apprehension that's gone when he grudgingly accepts that she's holding him, and he stares at her hair with great scrutiny.

"We're having a girl. Or at least that's what the ultrasound tech guessed. Four is terrified she's going to wind up falling in love with Eric's son. He already told me you're very nice and it'll be great to have another mom so close to my age, but…he let it slip that Eric is very persuasive and uh, I guess he's worried your baby will use his persuasiveness to trick another baby into marrying him. He said a lot of people in Amity get married really young."

"Oh, they do," I nod my head, and I reach for my drink. "It's really common to marry right away, and to have a bunch of kids. But don't worry. Eric and I already talked about this. Evan has to wait until he's at least two to get married. Anything else would be completely out of the question."

She and Christina both burst out laughing. Christina chokes on her drink, and Tris smiles as Evan scrunches up his face in disapproval.

"Four will be very relieved to hear this," she laughs again, and Evan stares at her with an unamused glare. "Everly, he looks just like Eric. Eric gave me the exact same look during initiation. Does he sleep well?"

"Sort of," I glance at my phone, and to my surprise, I have ten messages blinking up at me. "He wakes up to eat and then goes right back to sleep."

"That's not bad. Plus, he's pretty cute," Tris tries to make him laugh, and I use the opportunity to read the messages.

They're all from Eric.

I smile at each one, and his desperation to be at home and away from whatever bar they'd gone to becomes stronger and stronger.

I hope you're okay. We just got here. This place is dumb and loud. I hope dinner is good.

Is Evan awake?

Everly.

Are you awake?

Is everyone sleeping?

Did you and Tris become friends yet?

Four is drunk and so is Rylan. I think they're about to fight each other.

Rylan won.

Jason says hello.

Everly, let me know you're alright.

I respond quickly, carefully tapping out that I'm absolutely fine, dinner is really good, and Evan is awake. I tell him Tris and I are well on our way to being friends, I hope Rylan and Four are not really fighting, and I can't wait until he's home.

He responds immediately, and I read it while Christina and Tris shriek in excitement over Evan cracking the barest of all smiles at them.

I have something for you. I'll see you soon.

---

"Close your eyes."

I listen, again, and I wait for whatever surprise Eric has in store.

He'd come home almost exactly right when he said he would, and he dryly informed me he was only a minute late because he had to walk everyone home. Their night out had taken a turn for the drunker when Rylan and Jason kept ordering drinks and Four wasn't really paying attention. Eric and Zeke were the only two not wasted, and therefore the ones to make sure no one died on the walk back.

Once home, Eric helped me give Evan a bath and put him to bed, then he told me to get in bed, and he disappeared into the bathroom.

I listened to him brush his teeth, half asleep as he turned the water off and opened the cabinet. By the time I felt him climb into bed with me, I was seconds away from drifting off.

"They are closed. It's late," I mumble, and he fumbles for my hand. "What are you doing?"

"Just wait."

He takes my hand in his, turning it over and examining my fingers one by one, until he stops. His silence is followed by the feeling of cold metal being slid over my finger, past my knuckle, until it's all the way on my finger.

"I found it in your things. I think Camille packed it up at the hospital and it got put away with your clothes."

I open my eyes to him looking down at me, my hand still in his, and the ring he'd given me sparkling in the low light of his bedroom. He stares at my hand until he's happy with it, and I sit up to look at him. The ring is heavier than I would have thought. I've never had any kind of jewelry like this, or any jewelry at all really. I hold up my hand to look at the dark band, the bright diamond and the black stones, and I try to imagine him picking it out.

Even Eric admitting he had a wife would have been quite the sight.

"I was going to give it to you later, but I felt like tonight was better."

"Do you have one for you?" I watch him nod, and he leans over to pick something up off the nightstand. It's a band similar to mine, maybe a little darker. "Wait, can I see it?"

I turn to face him, ignoring the way my nightgown slips down my shoulder and the sheets are a mess around me. I take the ring from him, surprised at how heavy his is, and I hold onto it.

The symbolism of them isn't lost on me.

"I got them at the market. There's a man who makes them. No one here really wears them, but I thought…I thought maybe you'd feel better if everyone could see you're married. I was going to give it to you before the simulation happened." Eric pauses and his eyes find mine. "You don't have to wear it, but –"

"Let me see your hand," I reach out, smiling when he listens. He watches me intently, quiet as ever while I carefully slide the ring down his finger, and his eyes flash when I smile triumphantly. "There. Now everyone will know who I'm married to. Just in case they get confused."

His smile is quick.

It's haughty, arrogant because he's gotten what he wanted, but also very, very real. There's a rush of delight behind his eyes, something he assumed was only for others, and he grins even wider when I lean into him.

"What was your birthday wish?" Eric lets go to take my face in his hands. He slides his fingers deeper into my hair, drawing me closer, until I'm almost on his lap. He looks down at me, and I look up at him, and I make him wait for just a second before I tell him.

After all, I'd decided I'd make my wish come true, but it already had.

"I just want to be happy with you. Forever. Oh, and that no one would ever try to murder me again."

He smiles again, this time smugly, and his nose touches mine. Eric smells good, like the dark bourbon he'd probably downed while scowling at his friends, and the expensive soap he'd washed his face with. He closes his eyes as I close mine, and his words are low and warm.

"Oh good. I was expecting something like, must live next door to Four and Tris for the rest of our lives."

I laugh right up until he kisses me, soft and slow, completely and utterly content.