The Fall

by Michaela18

It is Harvest Festival time in Amity. What happens when a child goes missing and a leader goes rogue?

Tris POV

"There are too many people here," I moan.
"Since when do you not like crowds," Uriah asks from beside me.
"Since I was tasked to keep an eye on them."
"And," Uriah follows up.
"It is not the compound where there is limited space and everyone knows I mean business when I tell someone he's had enough. Did you ever try to win an argument with a drunken Candor?"
"Uh no. Do I have to?"
"Well, if you want them to go home in one piece and be able to catch a break, then yes, the knowledge would be invaluable," I remind him.
"So you just don't like the Harvest Festival," Uriah tries to nail me down.
"I liked it growing up. It was the only thing that Abnegation let us attend that was not within Abnegation. We helped out with the harvest and we were allowed to stay on and help with the festival, well, small children were allowed to enjoy the freedom it brought more than the others," I admit. "Now that I have to provide security, it is a whole different ballgame. People are everywhere and it seems the only ones not out of line are the Dauntless on duty. Just look at those Erudite," I point to a young man with some friends. "See how they are talking, shaking hands and passing around that bottle?" Uriah nods. "That's for whoever loses the bet to drink from, but Erudite usually forbids alcohol to be consumed, so none of them are used to it. What do you think will happen to them?"
"They will behave like the rest of us," Uriah jokes.
"They will either cause trouble for others, get sick and need medical attention or pass out cold - all those options create more work for us," I lament.
"Do you need a hug to cheer you up," Uriah teases, and I glare at him.
"That's not funny," I state.
"It took your mind off for a second," he retorts. "Did you eat yet?"
"No, I don't have time for that," I groan.
"Of course you do. Just a second..."
Uriah looks around and whistles loudly.
"Zeke, Shauna," he shouts, signalling for them to come over.
"Tris needs to eat something, she is grumpy as hell..."
"Hey," I protest but they all just nod at Uriah.
"What do you need us to do," Shauna asks.
"I am fine," I huff.
"You need to eat because you are spoiling all the fun I had," Uriah deadpans.
"Oh, I am sorry," I quip, but he just ignores me.
"Stay here and look around, keep an eye on those Erudite with the liquor bottle. Tris says they don't allow alcohol in Erudite so they will act like initiates," Uriah explains and then drags me off to the far side where the food stalls are.
"What do you want to eat, Tris?"
"Something quick. Probably need to rush as soon as I take a bite," I whine.
Uriah looks around with determination before pulling me to one stall that is surprisingly empty.
"We need six to go and two bottles of water," he tells the man manning the stall.
"What..." I start but then stop when I see the set up.
There are big bread wheels, a variety of salad ingredients and a big spit roasting meat in front of something looking like a heater.
I inhale deeply when the man starts cutting the meat right off the spit while it continues to rotate. It smells heavenly and my stomach growls.
I watch in fascination when the bread is quartered and then sliced open before the man starts filling it with everything out there.
"No onions or tomatoes for me," I shout quickly and the man nods while never stopping his task.
Each filled bread quarter is wrapped in tinfoil and then placed into a cardboard box before a lid is added and everything handed to us. Uriah pays the man before I can even think about it and once more I am following Uriah blindly to the barn that has tables and benches for those in need.

We sit down and I greedily dig in, moaning as the first bits hit my tongue but quickly swallowing to assuage my rumbling stomach.
"This is good," I mumble in between bites and with my companion being Uriah, he doesn't mind me talking with my mouth full.

I am just about done with my first bread when the thing I feared would happen does happens.
"Where is Peter," an older Erudite woman asks a younger one who just led a bunch of kids into the barn.
"I don't know,' she shrugs and continues to lead her charges over to some free tables.
"Irina, where is Peter," the older woman repeats more sternly.
"I don't know. There are a ton of children here and I just have one pair of eyes."
"When did you last do a head count," the older woman continues.
"A head count?" Irina blanches visibly and I sigh. Here we go.
"Keep eating," Uriah mumbles and takes a big bite out of his second helping.
Fuck it! If she needs help she has to ask. I am allowed to eat in peace.

I successfully blend the women out and manage to eat half of my second bread quarter before I feel someone approach me.
"Excuse me, are you working security," the older woman from before asks.
"I am," I confirm, wrapping my bread back in the tinfoil and placing it back in the box. "How can I help you?"
"I am Mona, the Erudite preschool teacher, and it seems one of my charges has been missing for some time," she admits.
"Some time," I ask carefully.
"We did a head count leaving the bus but we split the children into smaller groups and the chaperone never counted heads since then. Some children remember Peter coming with them to see the animals and walk past the stalls, but since the playground nobody remembers interacting with Peter."
"How long have you been at the playground and how old is Peter," I ask quickly.
"About an hour for his group. Peter is three, one of our youngest but brightest," she adds with pride.
"Can you come with me to point him out on the security camera feed from the bus stop?" I motion for Uriah to put his food aside and come with me.
"Sure, just a moment."
Mona hurries off to talk to Irina and I turn to Uriah. "Grab me some extra guards and tell Zeke what's going on; I'll need him and Shauna to cover for us for longer. If Eric questions them they can explain the whole thing," I instruct, grab the box with my lunch and turn to meet Mona by the door.

…

"This is Peter," Mona states, pointing somewhere on the screen.
"Freeze, enlarge and distribute," I order and turn back to Mona.
"We will try to find him but you need to be ready to notify his parents if we can't. Peter might have walked away from the compound and if he doesn't respond to us calling for him we will have to search the surrounding area. This is a worst case scenario," I explain quickly when I see Mona's face.
"His parents will not be happy, they warned us to keep an eye on him because he is too curious for his own good. The curse of the gifted child," she adds as if that would explain everything to me.
"We will find him, it is just a matter of time," I promise. "Can you stay close by, maybe in the barn, until we finish searching the compound?"
"Sure," she agrees quickly and rushes out when I open the door for her.
Uriah is just approaching with Chris and Will and I leave the scanning of the screens to them while I sit down at a small desk to finish my lunch.

"Gosh, he looks like he could be your child if you were to fuck Eric," Christina exclaims while Will and Uriah nod in agreement.
"What?! Let me see," I demand and look at the security camera footage of our little escapist. He has blonde hair and gray eyes but the weird thing is it looks like his hair is a carbon copy of Eric's do, all the way down to the way it is cut, and his facial features resemble mine.
"Okay, this is weird," I admit, but that doesn't matter in the overall picture because this little boy is not where he is supposed to be. "So, where was he last, who was with him and which way did he go?"
"Patience," Will demands and hits a few more buttons.
"He is looking around the stalls on the left," Uriah says, pointing to our target.
"Good, and then," I ask.
We all stare at the cameras and watch him leave the screen.
"What is behind those stalls," Will asks suddenly.
"I don't know. Why?"
"Because to me it looks like he keeps turning his head that way and I am wondering what caught his attention."
I grab the map Johanna gave me out of my pocket and open it.
"The animal pens are there. Cows, sheep, goats and some horses. Sounds like a dream come true for a child from Erudite," I groan.
Will looks over the camera list in front of him and curses..
"There are no cameras in that area."
"So that's where we start. We look around the pens and if he is not there we will spread out and search the area. Let me call Max while you go ahead. Grab whoever passes you in case we need to go further," I instruct, already dialling.

"Tris," Max greets me.
"We have a missing child and might have to search the surrounding area for him," I start and he groans.
"Erudite," he asks.
"How did you know?"
"Happens every other year. Let me know if you find the kid. If not, just let me know how many people you are taking and I will send backup. Keep Johanna informed and don't forget the emergency kits," he reminds me.
"Will do," I reply while walking out into the crowd.

It is ten of us looking around and asking about the missing child, but apart from those who saw him with the animals, nobody saw him leave in any direction.

"Ten teams of two," I shout. "Find a partner, grab a kit and tell me which way you are going," I shout and they all scramble.

…

Will and Christina are the last ones in line but I stare down at the two backpacks in front of me.
"Eric left on his own," Will mumbles.
"Excuse me?!"
Will clears his throat. "Eric just turned around and left down the path next to the barn," he says more clearly.
"For God's sake," I growl and shove one of the bags into Will's hands. "You go down towards the lake and I will catch up with Eric, he can't have gotten too far. I'll call Max and let him know. Johanna is in charge, when you come back you check in with her."
They both nod and I pull out my phone again.
"I need twenty and a new leader," I say as soon as the other end is picked up.
"Eric gone rogue," Max teases.
"Shut up! He forgot the emergency kit," I hiss into the phone. "Now I have to go and find him."
"Good luck," Max wishes me.
"Yeah, Eric needs it," I retort and cut the line.
Johanna is already approaching and I quickly fill her in, she promises to talk to Mona. I look once more around before shouldering the backpack and following the path Eric took.

The path is clear cut along the pastures, well used by all the animals and humans tending to them, and it is easy going at first. When I approach the forest. I am looking at a narrow muddy line through the grass and fallen leaves though.
Thanks to the mud I do know Eric took this path and, with a deep sigh, I follow him, shouting his and Peter's name sporadically.

The deeper I go into the forest, the more trepidation I feel. Why did Eric go this far? Was he following footprints just like I am doing?
The trees thin and I can see brighter light up ahead. The end of the tree line is coming and once more I shout for Eric and Peter.
"Tris," I hear Eric's voice and it is music to my ears.
"Where are you?" I shout back.
"Halfway down the quarry, lock out before you leave the forest," Eric returns and I carefully make my way past the last trees. Fuck, if that wasn't a good call. The trees basically grow into the side of the pit and had Eric not warned me, I might have landed at the bottom of it.
"Shit," I hiss when I see Eric and our missing child a good way down on a terrace like outcropping without outside access.
"Are you hurt," I shout down.
"Twisted my ankle and Peter most likely broke his arm," Eric answers.
Double crap!
"Okay, let me see what I can do," I tell them and retreat a little bit to make sure the ground is secure.

Opening the emergency kit, I find a thick rope that will hold Eric's weight and dig into the first aid kit for some bandages and a fabric triangle. Securing the rope to a tree further inland, I make my way back to the sloping edge and peek down.
"I have a rope and some wraps, Eric. I need you to get both of you sorted as much as you can and secure Peter's arm so he doesn't get hurt further when I pull him up," I instruct.
When Eric nods I carefully drop the end of the of the rope with the triangle full of bandages down and Eric gets to work, quietly talking to the boy.

It doesn't take long before Peter is ready to go and I make short work of pulling him up as gently as I can.
Once he is securely seated by the tree holding my rope I start on getting Eric up. He must be more injured than he wanted to admit because I have trouble getting him up thanks to his inability to help me in any shape or form. This is further confirmed when the pull of the rope is what drags him over the edge and closer to me, he doesn't even attempt to stand or crawl.
"Spill it," I demand when I untie Eric from the rope.
"I am okay,' he growls.
"Okay, stand up then," I request and Eric gives it a try before ending up in a heap on the floor.
He doesn't have to tell me, I got a good view at the limbs he tried to avoid using and he is sure to spend some time out of commission.
"So you fractured your ankle and probably something around or in your shoulder, you have cuts and bruises and you don't look fully coherent. Did you bump you head on the way down," I ask quietly.
"Look, I broke the boy's fall," Eric tries to defend himself.
"Why did you need to break Peter's fall," I follow up because that doesn't make sense. Did Eric find Peter and they went exploring together? No, not even Eric would be that reckless.
"I found him stuck, hanging off one of the tree roots and thought I could pull him up."
"But because you forgot the emergency kit you were without a rope to secure yourself," I voice what Eric left unsaid.
"Yes," he growls at me. "Happy?"
"No, I am not. Now I have to figure out what to do with the TWO injured people I have with me. It is getting dark, by the way," I end my little tirade.
Without another word I bend down and help Eric into a kneeling position before slowly helping him stand, avoiding contact with the injured side as much as I can.
Slowly we make our way back to where I left Peter.
"How are you doing," I ask the little boy when I carefully place Eric beside him.
"My arm hurts," he whines.
"Where," I ask with a bright smile.
"Here!" Peter indicates the area from his shoulder down to his elbow.
"His arm was stuck in between two roots and that's how he didn't end up at the bottom of the quarry in the first place," Eric adds.
"It hurts," Peter tells me with tears in his eyes.
"I know, sweetie, but I am not sure if I can give you any of the pain relief I have here. How old are you, Peter?"
"I turned three thirty five days ago," he tells me proudly.
"Wow, you are a big boy already," I praise. "Did you come here with your mom and dad?"
"No, with Ms Nash," he tells me. "I am in preschool already," he boasts.
"Really," I tease. "And did Ms Nash give you any rules to obey for being allowed on this trip?"
"Uh, maybe?"
"Maybe? Maybe you have to stay home a little bit longer if you can not remember the rules your teacher gives you," I tease and see his eyes widen in fear before tears come rolling down his cheeks.
"Tris," Eric admonishes but I pay him no mind, I feel bad already but this has to be said.
"Peter," I say and wait for him to look at me. "Going to school is a privilege. It means your parents think you are responsible enough to listen to your teacher and follow all the rules. Ms Nash knows what you need to learn to stay safe. It is a hard lesson to learn but very important. Just look at Eric," I say and Peter turns to look at Eric beside him.
"Eric is a grown up, right," I ask.
"Yes," Peter answers me with a puzzled look.
"When you went missing we looked around for you, but when we couldn't find you I asked everyone to find one more person so we could go out in pairs and look for you."
Peter keeps nodding his head.
"Did Eric have someone with him when he found you?"
"I don't think so," Peter admits.
"Did Eric get hurt trying to help you on his own?"
"Yes, he fell down the hill," Peter tells me.
"Did Eric bring a backpack with him?"
"Uh, I don't know," Peter tells me before turning once more to Eric. "Did you bring a big bag as well," he asks him.
"No," Eric answers truthfully.
"Why not," Peter follows up and I know I don't have to say much more.
"Because I left before Tris handed them out," Eric admits.
"Why did you do that?" Peter looks perplexed. "Look at all the cool stuff she has in there. The rope was useful," he adds,
"Because I thought I knew better," Eric admits with a pointed look my way, "Look, Peter, we both made some mistakes and you need to learn that it is better to listen to others who know what they are doing."
"Then why didn't you?"
I like this kid.
"Because I am stubborn?"
I snort and both turn my way.
"So you came to find Eric," Peter asks me.
"Yes, I did and look, I found both of you. Now let's get you looked after and we need to see how we get you back. It is getting really dark now."

I pull out two foil blankets and with a bit of wriggling we manage to get one beneath Eric and Peter and one around the two of them.
Next I try the phone but the connection is quite bad and I highly doubt Max understood much because I can't even say if it was Max who answered the phone.
"Well, Erudite needs to work on better connection out here," I tell nobody in particular.
"My mommy and daddy can do that for you when we get back. They are really smart," Peter boasts.
"I think they have other worries until they have you back and then they will have their hands full taking care of you," I state before digging through the backpack again.

I find the bottle with painkillers and read the label carefully to see if it tells me anything about doses for children. There is nothing at all so I put it aside for Eric and continue with my search.
"Aha," I exclaim when I find a few vials and a epi-pen style syringe to go with them.
"Okay, Peter. Did your mommy or daddy ever give you this?" I show him the vials and the machine.
"Yes, I broke my hand and they gave me some to make the pain go away."
"And you felt better," I follow up.
"Uh huh," he answers.
"Good, I will give you just a little bit, alright?"
"Please." Peter suddenly remembers his manners.

I give the minimum dose for his age to Peter and a full dose to Eric.
"Looks like we will be here for a little while longer. Peter, we might need to stay out here for the night because I only have one light and it would be quite dangerous to separate. We will eat and drink and then you need to try and sleep. Think you can do that for me?"
"Yes!" Peter bops his head up and down.
"Good," I state and get to work.

We all eat and drink, using most of what we have in the backpack, and before long Peter is yawning.
"Come here," I say when I squeeze myself close to his other side, careful to not move his arm too much. I pull the last emergency blanket from the backpack and pull it over the tree of us. Peter sighs with the added warmth from my body and closes his eyes, humming happily.
"Sweet dreams," I wish and kiss his forehead.

Eric is quiet until Peter's body sags, indicating that he is indeed asleep.
"Do I get a kiss goodnight as well?"
"No, you bumped your head and I would prefer it if you stayed awake. We don't know if you have a concussion," I groan.
"Can I still get a kiss," he asks me.
"No!"
"Why not?"
"Why should I kiss you," I ask exasperated.
"Why not? It's not like you never did before," Eric retorts.
The fuck?!
"I am not going to give you a kiss!"
"How about something else to keep me awake?" Eric wiggles his eyebrows suggestively, well, it looks like it in the artificial light.
"Are you for real? We are stuck out here in the middle of nowhere at fucking Amity, you should be in hospital with all the injuries you sustained and all you can think of is getting some?!"
"It will help me stay awake and Tris, we are really good together," he tries to convince me. "Come on, I know you like my cock."

"We decided to never talk about that again," I hiss.
"You decided we wouldn't talk about it and I went along the first time because you were my trainee," Eric growls.
"And the second time," I blurt out.
"That was the day you became a leader and it does not count."
"Does not count for what?! Sleeping with your trainee," I snort.
"We didn't sleep," Eric reminds me.
"Semantics and you know it. We had sex when I did not know that I would be getting my stripes ... but you knew... why did you not wait until after if it bothered you so much?"
"What are you taking about," Eric hisses at me this time.
"You know, I wasn't the one insisting on a training fight that day and I especially wasn't the one pushing all your buttons. You decided to strip down to your shorts and nothing else, and it sure as hell showed me how excited you got trying to pin me down," I remind him, my face getting warm thinking back to how he looked. Black boxer like shorts, covered in sweat, panting and on top of me with his lips inches from mine. He lowered his face...
"You kissed me," I shout and he pushes his hand on my mouth to silence me while staring down at Peter. He doesn't move and after a few seconds Eric pulls his hand back.
"You kissed me and that's how it all started," I repeat.
"So," Eric asks, not looking at me but at the sleeping child between us.
"Why?"
"Probably for the same reason it happens all the time," he states.
"There is no 'all the time'," I growl.
"If you think having sex with me at least once a week for more than two years is not all the time you are in denial Tris," Eric hisses.
"I...," I start but trail off when I realise he is right. What started as a once off in the middle of an adrenaline rush turned into more after the second time, the day I got my leadership marks. We turned to each other for sex more and more frequently and damned if he is not correct when he says it has been more than two years of us doing it at least once a week. I have never been at Eric's place and he never set foot into my apartment. We don't prearrange it but we do tend to follow a pattern, I admit to myself. The training room is our main area, so to speak, well, the shower to be exact, but the office is no sacred place either. My musings bring me back to the initial question.
"Why?"
"Why what? Why do we have sex all the time?" Eric looks at me closely.
"Why did you initiate it in the beginning? I am not saying I wasn't willing but you were the one who started it and I am wondering why. You never seemed to like me that much, you basically tried to make me factionless during initiation,' I remind him.
"Maybe I just changed my mind and found you worthy of being in Dauntless," Eric hedges.
"Bullshit. I earned my place in Dauntless when I ranked first. Being deprived of physical fitness in my previous faction tells you nothing about my qualifications and suitability for Dauntless. You kissed me on purpose with the intention of seducing me the day I became a leader and I am asking you why, god damn it. Just answer the fucking question already and we are done for today."
"Because I wanted to."
I growl loudly but Eric just shuts me up with his lips against mine.
"Don't wake the kid," he reminds me when he retreats.
"Eric," I groan, feeling once more exasperated.
"Yes?"
"What did you expect to get out of having me as a secret fuck buddy for years? I mean, what what the endgame? If I had gotten myself a boyfriend, would you just have turned around and found a new one?" I am curious but Eric looks a bit stunned "What?!" I demand to know.
"What do you mean by 'you could have gotten yourself a boyfriend'? You have a fucking boyfriend yet you keep fucking me willingly. I took your virginity, I keep you satisfied and you keep going back to him, sometimes without showering and ... what the fuck, Tris? Even I did not think a former Abnegation had it in her but damn, woman, I found myself feeling sorry for Four and that is just... wrong!"
Eric got louder and louder until he was shouting the last bit and now it is my turn to put my hand over his mouth and shush him so we don't wake Peter with our argument.
"You seduced me and took my virginity to get one over Four," I hiss. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"
"I did not," Eric exclaims and I growl at him before I shush him once more.
"You got me hyped up, wore me down and then you fucking stripped and stepped into the shower beside me."
"It is a communal shower and you were there with me every step of the way," he reminds me.
"You pushed my buttons," I growl.
"You push mine all the time," he retorts.
"You kept fucking me thinking I was cheating on a boyfriend you hated," I throw another verbal punch.
"How else could I show you that you had options. You were willing, so who was I to say no?"
"Fuck you!"
"You did and it was good," he croons and I slap him.
"You deserved that," I declare instead of an apology.
"Don't do that again," he tells me harshly.
"Or else?" God, I should have shut up while I was ahead.
"I will claim you in front of the whole damned faction, repeatedly, after I scare Peter to death and give him an advanced biology lesson right here and now," Eric adds like an afterthought.
"You can't!"
"I sure can and will if you keep going like this."
"This is getting ridiculous. Why can't we just shut up and never ever talk about it again? I don't know why I engaged in the first place! God, you really know how to push my buttons," I groan and he smirks at me. "Wipe that off your face," I demand.
"So you really are single," Eric asks.
"Yes. Are you applying to change that?"
"I know Four has been auditioning for the role as your boyfriend for the last four years," Eric gets back into aggravating me.
"He is my brother," I state.
"I don't think he agrees," Eric huffs.
"No, Eric, Four is legally my brother and we have never seen each other differently," I admit.
"Don't think I am stupid, Tris. I know who Tobias Eaton is and unless you are Marcus Eaton's secret love child I call bullshit on your claim."
"Eric, what I am going to tell you will never ever leave your lips! More people than I can count will kill you for uttering a word." I pause to wait for his concession. "Tobias Eaton may be biologically Marcus's son but he was raised by my parents after his mother died, and when it became apparent that Marcus was an unfit father, custody was transferred to my parents. The only thing that was not allowed to change legally was Eaton as his last name but he was raised a Prior."

Eric is absolutely silent after my revelation and I sit back, forcing my body to relax, trying to get comfortable.

"So where does that leave me," he finally asks.
"Where do you want to be left," I dare ask.
"Right here beside you," he states and doesn't elaborate further while I don't question him.

We are quiet for longer and as much as I feel like sleep could take over, I force myself to stay awake in case some wild animal wants to check out what is going on here.

"You are the only one I had sex with over the last four years," Eric whispers out of the blue.
"Why," I ask curiously.
"Because I didn't want anyone else," Eric admits. "What about you?"
"I had offers," I admit and Eric sucks in some air. "I never took anyone up on it. I don't know... it felt like I didn't need anything else," I admit and Eric looks dejected. "What we had was good enough for me, no matter how much I did not admit to myself that we had something steady going on."
"And now?"
"Now..." I pause. "Now I am ready to commit. How about you?"
Eric chuckles and then winces. Time for more pain relief, I think.
"I was just waiting for you to catch up," he admits.
"Okay," I sigh and then carefully leave the blanket and move on to the bag.
With the pain relief in my hand I turn back to Eric.
"Here, you need a top up," I declare.
"I just need you to kiss it better,' he deadpans and I ignore him until I injected him.
"There," I say, putting the meds back into the bag and moving to kneel in front of Eric.
"Does it hurt here," I ask, moving my lips to his jacket covered chest.
"Sometimes," he admits.
"Okay,' I drawl and move higher up. "What about here," I ask, running my lips over the fabric of his high collared shirt.
"More than I can count," Eric answers. "Keep going,' he encourages.
"Hmmm, what about here," I ask, running my lips ever so slightly over his.
"They hurt when yours are gone," Eric whispers and closes the gap I left.

I try to keep the kiss soft and gentle, I don't want to jostle him, but Eric has no such qualms and groans in pain when he tries to put his arms around me.
"Are you sick, Eric," a groggy voice asks from beside us.
"Shit," I hiss and move back quickly.
"Shit," Peter tries out, mumbling the word with his sleep addled brain.
"No, don't say that. I used a bad word," I try to explain and his eyes clear further when they widen.
"A mommy and daddy only word," he asks eagerly.
"Yes, a mommy and daddy in very special situations word," I agree.
"Like 'hanky-panky' ," Peter asks now wide eyed.
"Uh, that is a VERY special mommy and daddy word," I caution.
"I know," Peter boasts. "I learned it from daddy but when I used it, mommy got really upset and told me this is a word only my daddy uses and I should not let anybody else know daddy's secret word."
Wow, you really have to be on guard around little kids...
"And your mommy was absolutely right. How do you feel, Peter?"
"My arm hurts and I have to pee," he whines promptly.
"How about we take care of that and then you can try to sleep some more," I suggest and he nods eagerly.

It does not take long to get Peter sorted but when he sits down in between us again he does let his Erudite shine.
"Do you and Eric have kids, Tris?"
"No."
"But you are married, right? You sound like mommy and daddy talking to each other and they are married," he continues.
"No, we are not married," I answer him truthfully.
"But you love each other. You were making kissy kissy sounds until Eric moaned," Peter states.
"Uh," I look at Eric for help.
"Love is just a word to describe a lot of different feelings," Eric tries his luck. "You can love a type of food, you can love a book, you can love a subject in school."
"But it means that I really, really like it and prefer it over everything else. Does that mean you don't prefer Tris?"
Peter looks at Eric wide eyed and Eric gulps.
"Well?" Peter demands to know.
"Well, if I use your explanation then yes, I love Tris," Eric concedes and gives me a look that tells me he means it in every sense of the word even though we never talked about it before.
Peter is satisfied with Eric's answer but now his attention turns to me.
"What about you, Tris?"
He looks so innocent but I swear this child was born to cause trouble for everyone around him.
"I might love Eric too," I whisper in his ear and he grins widely.
"Then you have to get married next and can make babies," Peter declares.
"Uh, Peter, that is a topic for a different day," I try to appease him.
"Why? I know all about making babies. Mommy and Daddy never lock their bedroom door and I wake up often. They explained that they were working on a little brother or sister."
Wow, his parents must be very liberal.
"Is that normal," I ask Eric quietly when Peter gets distracted by the sound of an owl somewhere nearby.
"For Erudite? Beats me. My parents were conservative, old school, so to speak," he admits.
"So they never talked to you about s-e-x?"
"They educated us adequately as per Erudite standards," Eric huffs.
"Which means?"
"I learned the theory but had to wait with the practice until I transferred."
"A lot of practice," I follow up.
"For someone let loose on a faction that lets you be ... free, quite a bit in the beginning, before my reputation was what it is now."
"Great," I mumble.
"You did not expect me to wait until I got married, did you," Eric asks, his eyes glued to mine.
"Would have been nice," I mumble after saying "No!" out loud.
"Tris," Eric sighs and then motions for me to lean in close.
"You might not have been the first but I hope you will be the last!"
Shit! What do I say to that!?
"Okay!"
"Okay?" Eric follows up.
"Okay," I repeat.
"Good we talked about this," Eric deadpans.

Our time is up and Peter turns his attention back to us.
"Can we go explore more when my arm is set?"

"No," Eric echoes me.

"Why? Don't you think they will be able to fix you real quick and then we can use the second day of the harvest festival to look around properly," Peter demands to know.

"Peter," I start carefully. "I will be working and Eric will have to take it easy for a while. I am sure your parents will want you to stay home so they can pamper you as well," I try.

"They are really busy at work," Peter complains. "They told me they would take time off and take me here but they did the opposite and work day and night. I had to sleep at my friend Brian's apartment but Brian is not in school yet so I had to go on my own. Do you think you can talk to my mommy and daddy," Peter asks hopefully.

"We will see," I hedge. "For now it is really late and we want to be well rested when they come and get us in the morning, okay?"

Peter nods and then cuddles himself into my side again.

"You smell nice," he mumbles as his eyes droop.

"You do smell nice," Eric agrees quietly and I just look at him. "What?! I can agree with Peter one hundred percent; you smell amazing," he whispers.

"Goodnight, Eric! Try to get some sleep."

"Fine," he huffs. "At least you are here…" he mumbles.

With that Eric finally succumbs to sleep. I was just waiting for his medication to kick in because I upped his dose to the maximum to get him to rest without a fight.

Underhanded? Yes, but he does need to rest because we do not know yet if we need to find our way out without aid.

Time passes slowly and I struggle to stay awake but someone has to guard those asleep and it is my turn to make some small sacrifices.

When the first light breaks through the trees I carefully dislodge Peter and take a much needed bathroom break myself before quietly digging through my bag.

We still have water and a bit of food left that will become our breakfast. What I am looking for is something that will help me get Eric out of here.

In the end I opt for finding a sturdy branch that can be used as a crutch for Eric, preferably two of them.

I luck out when I spot some fallen trees a little bit off the path and by the time I am stripping the bark with my knife, both Eric and Peter are stirring.

From there everything seems to be easy. We pack up, Eric is able to use the homemade crutches and despite us moving slowly, thanks to the muddy ground and Eric's injuries, we make good progress.

I am estimating that we walked about thirty minutes when we hear people.

"Over here," I shout and I am delighted to hear Uriah and Will answer me.

It is not just those two who come into view but Christina, Four, Shauna and Zeke as well, and together we make it back to the Amity compound in no time at all.

Peter was glued to my side until he heard Uriah and Zeke bickering, and then he was off to interrogate them about being brothers while they entertained him with tales of all their pranks. Maybe I should warn Peter's parents?

Our little procession heads straight for Amity's small hospital and when we arrive they split us up. Uriah and Zeke stay with Peter, who is too busy chatting with them to pay attention to his surroundings, and Tobias stays with me while I stay with Eric. Will goes off to fill Johanna in who, in turn, will relay everything to Max and Peter's parents.

"He fell on his back, might have a concussion, most likely broke his ankle and something in his shoulder," I tell the doctor as soon as he steps into the room.

"Tris," Eric complains loudly, knowing that he will get a full checkup now.

"What about you," the doctor asks me.

"I am fine. Didn't fall or hurt myself in any shape or form; a bit sleep deprived from staying up all night to guard us," I admit.

"Well, then you will join us with Peter and Eric for an overnight stay," he tells me while poking Eric who curses up a storm.

"Shh, Peter might hear you and we don't want to add to his vocabulary just yet," I caution.

"Bite me," Eric growls.

"Later when you are done," I promise and Tobias clears his throat, looking as uncomfortable as he can be. "What? He needs a reward for being a good boy," I tease.

Eric ends up with a cast from his knee down and his shoulder stabilised. Will popped his head back in to tell us that Johanna got a house ready for those that need to stay and that Peter's father was due any moment.

We are just leaving the exam room when I hear a familiar voice in the room next door. I don't hesitate to push the door open and enter.

"What the fuck," I exclaim loudly when I see Peter on my brother's lap.

"Fuck," Peter tries with a big grin and I curse under my breath.

"A Tris only word," I try to curb the damage.

"Beatrice," Caleb exclaims, sounding more than annoyed.

"Tris, Daddy," Peter corrects and Caleb's eyes widen.

"Peter, is this your Daddy," I ask with a calm that I don't feel.

"Yes," Peter confirms. "He came all the way here to make sure I am alright. I told him all about my night in the forest with you and Eric," Peter continues, not sensing the atmosphere in the room turning uncomfortable.

"Caleb Prior," I growl and take a menacing step towards him.

"You know Daddy," Peter asks, sounding delighted.

"I used to but I don't think I know him anymore," I answer Peter while still advancing on Caleb who tries to hide behind Peter.

"Beatrice…" Caleb starts.

"Tris," comes from behind me.

"Yes," I growl without turning Eric's way.

"Leave the man be," he demands.

"I have every right to be upset that I find out this way that I have a nephew I did not know about. Is this why you avoided me every time I came to Erudite? Why you declined every single invitation I sent your way over the past four years?!"

"Faction before blood," Caleb states proudly and I am about to lunge when Eric puts his good arm around me and pulls me against his chest.

"Caleb," comes another growl from behind us and this time it is Tobias who advances.

Caleb's eyes widen and he looks resigned.

"Okay," he says so quietly, I barely hear him. "Peter," Caleb turns to his son and Tobias takes a step back to stand with me and Eric, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Do you remember when we talked about all the different factions and that you can choose any faction after you turn sixteen," he asks gently.

"Of course," Peter boasts. "There is Erudite, Candor, Dauntless, Amity and Abnegation," he lists off.

"Well done," Caleb praises.

"What is 'Faction before blood'," Caleb asks Peter who scrunches up his nose.

"You must be loyal to your faction and not associate with people from other factions outside of work," Peter recites. "But does that mean I was not allowed to answer Eric and Tris when they came looking for me? Or talk to the doctor because he is from Amity," Peter demands to know.

Caleb looks really uncomfortable but I don't give a fuck. That shithead is so going to get it later, I promise myself.

"There are exceptions," Caleb admits. If you need help you can ask anybody for assistance and it doesn't matter where the doctor is from when he is helping you get better."

"But…." Peter starts.

"Peter," Caleb interrupts. "What I wanted to explain to you is why Beatrice and Tobias are so upset right now."

"Who are Beatrice and Tobias?"

Eric snorts and Tobias growls.

"Tris and Four," I supply sweetly and Caleb groans.

"Tris and Four are my brother and sister, your aunt and uncle, and they are upset because I refused to see them since we are all in different factions," Caleb admits to his son.

Peter does not grasp the severity of the revelation just yet and in a more age appropriate fashion squeals excitedly. "Does that mean they have to go explore Amity with me now? Brian's uncle and aunt take him places and if they are my aunt and uncle they need to do that too, right? Tris said she can't because she has to work and that my mummy and daddy have to do it but if she is my aunt it is her turn, right?"

Is that all Peter got from the conversation?

"Peter, I still have to work and your daddy has to give permission for me to spend time with you," I caution while throwing Caleb under the bus.

"But I have to stay the night," Peter whines. "Can I stay with Eric then? He is so much fun," Peter adds.

All eyes turn to where Eric stands with me still in his arm.

"Maybe we can come to an agreement and you can spend the day with me and when Tris gets off she can spend time with the two of us?"

Tobias and Caleb eye us with varying degrees of dismay and annoyance before Tobias steps forward.

"I am your cool uncle Four and much more fun than those two," Four announces.
"I don't know," Peter says. "If Eric marries Tris he will win coolest uncle for sure."

Tobias whirls around to us and Caleb glares at Eric.
"He doesn't have to marry your aunt Tris to be the cooler uncle," a voice from behind us speaks up and Peter squeals "Mommy!" while Eric's head whips around.
"Gwynn?"
"Hi Ric," the blonde woman says with a cautious smile.
"Ric?" I blurt out.
"E-Ric," Eric supplies but his eyes never leave Peter's mom. "Peter is yours?"
She nods.
"You fucked Tris' brother as soon as he stepped into Erudite," he shouts and the woman quickly covers Peter's ears. "What the fuck where you thinking, Gwynnifer? Were you thinking at all?"
"Wow, Eric, slow down," I try to intervene.
"Stay out of this, Tris. Your brother got my baby sister pregnant weeks after she turned sixteen," Eric shouts enraged.
"And you took my virginity around the same time," I remind him quietly.
"Tris," he groans loudly but most of the heat is now gone.
"Just... leave them be," I recommend but it is too late.
"He did what?!" two voices shout in sync.
"Oh for the love of... Caleb, shut up and Four... just... leave it, okay. Caleb knows it takes two to tango, the only difference is that Dauntless is pushing birth control on all new initiates," I exclaim.
"Hey," Caleb protests while Eric glares at him again.

"Damned right! Birth control," Eric growls and takes two big steps towards Caleb, dragging me along.

"This is fucking awesome," we suddenly hear an excited squeal from the hallway.

"Shh," Will tries to get Christina to shut up.

"I wish we had snacks," Uriah laments. "This sounds like one of Mar's chick flicks but way better because we now know Four's name!"

"Shh," Zeke jumps in. "I still need to beat him back to the compound in order to lodge the correct answer or I won't get the prize money."

Tobias' eyes widen, all anger at Eric and Caleb temporarily forgotten.

"Go and get them to promise to not tell," I instruct and he shoots out the door like a bullet.

"How about we get out of here and over to the house Johanna assigned us? I take it you are staying with Peter this time?" I raise an eyebrow at both of them.

"We are," Gwynn confirms.

"Great, let's go," I order and grab Eric by the hand of his good arm, dragging him out the door, past our gaping friends and Tobias.

"Slow down, Tris. This cast is not made for power walking!"

"Shit," I curse and stop immediately. Eric did not expect that and bumps right into me, hissing when his shoulder gets jostled. "Why don't you lead the way," I suggest and he nods.

…

The following hour is tense but in the end Caleb and Gwynn play nice for Peter's sake. They still think 'faction before blood' is the gospel and not even Peter can convince them otherwise. They fill us in on their lives and we do the same with ours despite Eric's and my leadership positions being public knowledge.

Tobias goes out to grab lunch for everyone when Max shows up to get a personal and detailed briefing. He just smirks when Eric is openly affectionate with me but glares at Caleb and Gwynnifer every time one of them acts stupid, which apparently is a lot.

Max is just about to leave and addresses my brother and his family with their full name when something occurs to me.
"You called your son Peter Prior? What were you thinking?! You are aware that his initials sound like peepee? Do you want him bullied by his peers?"

Caleb and Gwynnifer look taken aback while Max just laughs roaringly.

"Calm down, Tris," Eric tries to get me to stop glaring at my brother and sister-in-law.

"There should be a law preventing children from receiving cruel names," I protest.

"Leave them alone, Tris. It's their choice, just like it's up to them to get the stick out of their asses and allow Peter to see us," Eric reminds me.

"Never gonna happen, he was born this way."

"I promise you we will do better with our kids."

That gets my attention and Max uses my distraction to leave while the others seemingly rush off to hide from us.

"Is that so," I ask with a big grin.

"Oh yes. They'll have lots of uncles and aunts to take them places so we can have some alone time. Maybe work on another sibling," Eric wagers.

"Okay. Their loss," I agree and kiss him squarely on his lips, not caring who is watching.

…

That night I am cuddled up in bed with two men.

Caleb and Gwynnifer reluctantly agreed to stay in one of the bedrooms but Peter crawled in with us as soon as they retired for the night.

"What has you thinking so hard," Eric asks, pulling me closer to his good side.

I snuggle in and sigh contently before I answer.

"I was just thinking about how much I missed out on. I mean, I could have had this for years and Peter…"

"We'll see about Peter, Tris. Somehow I think that he won't let Caleb and Gwynn keep him away from us. He is too much like you. Curious, rebellious and utterly lovable," Eric assures.

"I love you too," I whisper and kiss his chin, unwilling to move out of his arms.

"I didn't say…"

"Shh, Eric. Just accept that we love each other, will be with each other and that's final. Now sleep, I need to you focus on getting better so I can take you home with me when we are done here tomorrow evening," I order.

"Can't wait to take me home with you," he teases.

"Can't wait to make love to you in my bed," I say erneastly.

"How about we make it our bed," Eric suggests and I freeze. "Too soon?"

"No, it's just… are we moving too fast, Eric?"

"No, we are just catching up. There is a big difference," he corrects.

"How about we see how things go over the next couple of weeks before we tackle the next step. You don't even know if you like my apartment. Don't you want to at least look before you move yourself in?"

"I was actually thinking about you moving… okay, maybe you are right."

"Aren't I always," I tease.

"No, but I love you nonetheless. Sweet dreams, Tris!"

"Goodnight, Eric!"
"Night, Uncle Eric, Aunt Tris," a sleepy voice mumbles from my other side.

"Sweat dreams, Peter," I whisper but receive only a content sigh in return.

"Wanna fuck?"

I squeeze my eyes shut and pretend to snore. Eric's chest shakes with suppressed laughter but it is the sweet kiss to my forehead and the possessive arm curled around my side that stays with me as I drift off to sleep.

---

Alright, time for the monologue I didn't dare put on top.

Life is busy. There is always something going on, coming up… we all know how this story goes.

I made a resolution, call it a very early New Year's resolution of sorts that nobody gives a sh… about since 2019 ended. Well, I am going to try more actively to push all those almost finished stories out. I have too many wips to count but the number of those that are 50% done is probably manageable. I am not going to put empty promises here, probably already jinxed myself by writing this *crosses fingers and prays to the god that provides childcare and sleep to parents* but I will work a bit more … strategically… instead of going for the story instinct guides me to. There might be other fandoms, possibly a cross over if I don't chicken out - check the labels of the posts before you start reading to avoid disappointment - but no matter what, I will always keep writing Eris.

Michaela