"Well that's settled then. I'll be your new little sister Golden Eyes and you'll be my new big brother Joshie."

"I'd like that."

Another week of training went by and it was today where Issy would find out who she would be fighting: Alec or Kayden. They had already eaten lunch after a morning of sparring and were on their way to the training room as they do every day unless told otherwise. Issy didn't join in with the conversation, her mind was too occupied with the same thought: 'Alec or Kayden.' Both were good fighters, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Alec is quick with his punches, strong when he defends but slow with his kicks. Kayden handles his fights with brute force and dirty tactics. Out of all of the transfers Kayden is the biggest with the broadest shoulders. Noah has the same body structure as Kayden but no where near the muscle. In some ways, Kayden reminds her of Eric just a darker version with Kayden's black hair, tanned skin and he's just a bit smaller than Eric. Issy has been analysing Kayden since the start of the fights, looking for a fault in his movements. So far she had come up with nothing other than the same fault all men share: the groin region. She didn't know who she'd rather fight today but she'll find out soon enough. 'Alec or Kayden. Alec or Kayden. Alec or Kayden.' The same thought was repeated in her mind as they entered the training room and headed over to Four and Eric who stood next to the chalk board. Some of her friends gasp as Issy searches for her name.

Zara vs Jess

Cody vs Noah

Korey vs Bree

Kayden vs Issy

Alec vs Charlie

Tom vs

As per usual, one initiate doesn't have a fighting partner so when all the fights are finished someone will volunteer to fight the remaining initiate. Kayden. She's fighting Kayden and her jaw drops slightly. She turns to see Cody and Noah give her supportive claps on the back. Her friends look at her with sympathy and from the other side of the room Kayden gives her a look between amused and hoping if he glares at her hard enough, she spontaneously burst into flames. Honestly, she doesn't know what to make of it. Issy looks to her instructors as everyone else whispers to each other. Four gives her a firm but subtle nod and Eric lifts his chin up a little bit, silently challenging her. In response she closes her mouth, straightens her spine and puts her shoulders back. Eric nods back, the corner of his lips twitching up before he addresses the rest.

"Zara vs Jess!" This should be quick. Neither are good at fighting, Jess still can't keep up when they run and Zara hasn't improved at anything since day one. A few minutes later Zara goes down from a poorly executed punch.

"Cody vs Noah!" Bree, Alec and Issy all wish them luck and before they head into the ring they clasp hands. In the ring all previous friendships fade. As the fight goes on, she notices Cody's defences begin to fall, Noah must notice it too as he kicks him in the knee. Cody is taken be surprise and falls to the floor. Cody starts to panic while he tries to dodge a punch but moves right into it, losing the fight.

"Bree vs Korey!" With a quick squeeze on the arm Bree makes her way into the ring. She needs to do well in this fight as she's not that far off of the red line. With fingers crossed they hope and wish for Bree to at least stay in for ten minutes if she can't win it. Every time Korey goes to punch or kick her she blocks with precision and then retaliates with quick and sharp hit with her elbow. On and on they do this dance, Bree blocking and hitting and Korey is starting to get frustrated. Korey fakes a punch to her left and then hits her temple and she goes unconscious. Noah runs into the ring and takes her out with permission from Four to takes her to the infirmary. Just a few days ago Noah and Bree had gotten together and had been gooey ever since – Bree later confided in Issy that they were doing it only make Luke back off. As Noah passes Issy he gives her a reassuring smile.

"Kayden vs Issy!" Four calls out.

Sighing deeply, she walks to the ring and takes her shoes and socks off. She faces Kayden and gets into her stance. Before Eric even finishes saying go Kayden is already swinging his fist at her, sending her down to her knees in shock and surprise. Quickly, she regains her composure and sweeps his legs from beneath him. She gets up and delivers a kick to his ribs and bounces back when he gets up. Once again Kayden rushes at her and punches her in the ribs. A loud crack echoes throughout the room while Issy gasps and staggers back. Stepping forward, she ignores the pain as her fist connects with his nose creating another sickening crack. Kayden lifts his leg up to kick her in the knee but Issy dodges it by grabbing at his leg and pushes him back. When he falls to the floor he flips back onto his feet in no time and starts advancing again. This time instead of waiting for him to charge she does. Issy fakes a right upper cut which he automatically pulls away from just like she'd hoped. Bringing her left fist up, she punches him square in the jaw, then does the same on the right side of his jaw. She finishes her new combo off with an under cut. Fake upper cut, left, right, under cut; her combo works again. Having enough, Kayden tackles her to the ground and pain shoots around her body from her ribs. He goes to straddle her but Issy swiftly kicks him not once, but twice in his groin. Gasping, he falls to his knees and she bounces back up again, slamming his head into her knee and more blood streams from his nose. Staggering up he stares at her. Just as she delivers an upper cut she thinks she might win but that thought soon dies when he doesn't fall back down. It hit, she knew it did, she felt it. Changing tactics, she goes to kick him in the ribs but just like what she did to him he grabs her leg and slams her back down. She cries out loudly in pain when more of her ribs crack and the last thing she sees is Kayden's foot connecting with her nose before darkness greeted her like an old friend.

Mentally, she was aware she was swaying but she didn't understand how. Her body still hurt all over and the pain from her ribs was excruciating. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open and saw the ceiling moving. She noticed that she was, in fact, swaying as someone was carrying her. She tried moving slightly to ease the pain but that made it worse and Issy groaned out in pain. The person carrying her stopped and looked down at her. Steely-blue meeting pale blue, all the gold vanishing as the pain takes over.

"Are you okay?" His voice unusually soft. Her eyes flutter shut again as she groans. "Issy don't close your eyes, look at me." She opens her eyes to find pleading in his. "Are you okay?" Eric repeats.

"It hurts." Issy moans as she turns her head away and shuffles it into his shoulder, allowing her eyes to trace the paths in between the blocks on his neck.

"Where?"

"My ribs." Her answer is muffled by his top.

"Okay Issy, we'll be at the infirmary soon."

No matter how much she protested that she could walk – realistically limp – there, Eric refused to put her down. They both knew it would be more efficient if she was carried but Issy didn't want to seem weak. They kept a simple conversation going to prevent Issy from going unconscious again and Eric assured her that she wasn't.

"Will it drop much?" Issy asked and Eric turned his head to the side to look down at her.

"Hmm?"

"My rank. Will it drop far?"

"It'll drop because of your loss but because you were on the verge of winning it shouldn't drop that much." They had just another two hallways to go until they were at the infirmary. "You need to be thinking of your fight with Alec next week if you want to win."

Issy snorts. "You just want to win the bet."

"That too." He grins down at her as they enter the infirmary. Eric walks over to other side of the infirmary, going into a private room. Gently, he places Issy onto the cot in the room and then walks out again. The door reopens when Issy is trying to shift herself further up on the bed as Eric strides back over to help her. Once again he picks her up and moves her up before placing her back down and standing in the corner. Issy looks up to the door to find Marlene stood there with an expression Issy can't pin down. Marlene walks forward to the other side of her bed.

"What hurts?"

"Ribs." Issy winces as Marlene carefully jabs them and raises an eyebrow.

"And what else?"

"What do you – Ouch!" Issy yelps in pain when Marlene pokes her left leg, the one that Kayden had grabbed. Eric shifts on his feet and looks between the two.

"Where else?"

"Face, prominently my nose. Back, left leg, right knee." Issy glares up at Marlene as she pokes each place and Issy responds each time with a sharp hiss.

"One fractured rib, two bruised and one broken. Nose not broken just bleeding. Leg and knee both badly bruised. Sit up." Marlene waves at Eric to help her up and he surges forward, gently holding her up. Marlene takes one look at her back and instantly cringes. "Back very bruised, it's going to be sore for the next few days which is such a pity for tomorrow."

"Why?" Issy turns her head to face Eric. "What's happening tomorrow?"

"Visiting Day. It was announced at breakfast." Marlene answers for him, heading to the door. "I'll be back."

"As Visiting Day is tomorrow all initiates have the day off. You won't be fighting again this week or any intense running. There will be certain restrictions on what you can and can't do, anything you're unsure of ask me," Eric pauses. "Or Four." He adds as a afterthought. "Do you understand me?"

"Yes si– "

"Eric." He interrupts and Issy looks up at him confused.

"Pardon?"

"Don't – don't call me sir." Issy is surprised at how soft his voice is. She scans his face for anything else.

"Okay Eric."

The door opens to reveal Marlene carrying tub after tub of different salves. She looks up just as Eric backs up a little bit, still supporting Issy in his arms. She comes over, unscrewing the lid of one of the tubs.

"Right so, I need you to lean forward as much as you can while I rub this on your back. Brace yourself, it'll sting like a bitch." Out of the corner of her eye she sees Marlene take out a large dollop of it.

"Is there anything in Dauntless that doesn't sting like a bitch." She can feel Marlene smirk as Issy, with the help of Eric, leans forward. Issy hisses as Marlene applies the salves, her eyes watering as it burns into her skin.

"Told you." Marlene continues to rub it onto her back and sides before motioning for her to lean backwards and starts to do the same to her ribs. Issy bites at her bottom lip until she tastes copper in her mouth. Marlene rubs different salves and creams on her leg, knee and face before motioning Eric to put her back down. She turns to Eric and watches him. "I'll send yo the details like last time. Now, I need to speak to Issy and you need to check in with the transfers and Four. Go." Surprisingly, the young Dauntless Leader does as she says, sparing one final glance at Issy before he closes the door. As soon as Marlene is sure he is out of the infirmary she turns onto Issy and raises an eyebrow. "So, what was that about?"

"What was what about?" Issy's eyebrows furrow in confusion.

"Eric has never acted like that with an initiate. Yes, he's carried some in when Four has been busy but never has he stayed with one to make sure they're okay."

"He's just making sure for Dec."

A knock at the door interrupted whatever Marlene was going to say. The door opened to reveal Bree standing with a plate of food.

"Dinner finished ten minutes ago and I was told that I could bring you something to eat."

"That's fine." Marlene nods and puts a couple of different labelled containers on the table next the cot. "Each of those need to be applied daily and if you have any more problems come and find me." Marlene smiled at Issy and left the room. Bree settled herself a the end of the bed as Issy dug into the food.

"So what happened after my fight?" Issy looked up to find Bree staring at her with the same look that Marlene had when she had entered the room. Issy still couldn't tell what it was.

"Well, Noah and I had just came back when he pushed you into the ground by your leg. It pained us to see you like that Issy, Alec had to be grabbed by Four to stop running into the ring to get Kayden off of you. When Kayden knocked you out, he just carried on, he wouldn't stop until Eric pulled him off and picked you up. Never, Issy, never have I seen Eric that mad. Not even when you lied about your hand injury." Issy once again scrunched her eyebrows in confusion. 'What were people trying to get at?' Only one thing popped into her mind but Issy nearly snorted out loud. 'It couldn't be that.' But Issy paused and went through all of her interactions with Eric and she realised that they were all different to how he treated the other initiates, even Alec. 'It couldn't be, could it?'

"How did Alec's fight go?"

"He won of course. I think Alec's been wanting to fight Charlie since your first fight." Bree watched as Issy finished eating. "You know it's Visiting Day tomorrow right?"

"Yes I was told. Are you expecting your family to come?"

"I don't know. I mean it'll be nice to see them but all the leaders all go on about Faction Before Blood but then shove our families in our face once a year and I don't think that's very fair."

"I see your reasoning but I think it's more down to the fact its acknowledges that we do have families in different Factions but after that we must do what's needed for our Faction and then, if we have time, what we need for our families, if that makes sense?" Issy scrunched her eyebrow at her own statement, unsure if it did make sense.

"It made sense." Both Bree and Issy jumped as a new voice joined their conversation. The girls turned to the door to see Max stood in the open door with their instructors behind him. "Both of them made sense actually." Max turned to Bree and nodded his head at her. "I understand where you're coming from. And it is hard going from eighteen years with your family to one day a year. It is harder for transfers to come to a different Faction but it also makes them stronger." He motions his head to Four and Eric before turning to look at Issy. "You will be excused from training until your ribs are fully healed."

"What?!" She bolts up without thinking and then gasps as she clutches her ribs and Max looks at her knowingly as if to say I told you so. "What am I meant to do 'til then?" Max just smirks as he moves further into the room, getting out of her instructors' way. Both Four and Eric carry something into the room with smug grins plastered all over their faces. Books. Lots and lots of books. Eric puts some books near Issy and she leans towards him, peering at the title. "The History of Dauntless: Dauntless and Its Leaders." She picks it up and reads the next one. "Survival Skills 101." Issy looks up at Max confused. "You're giving me Homework?!" She groans as she slumps back onto the bed. "You have to be having a fucking giggle?" Issy turns her attention to Four and Eric, their faces giving nothing away apart from the silent laughing in their eyes. Even Bree is laughing at her from the end of the bed. Unamused, Issy huffs and kicks Bree off the bed but Bree doesn't stop laughing.

"As I've been told," Max glances at Eric and Four. "You're a late night wanderer." Issy glares in their direction, Eric shuffles a bit and glares straight back. "So that door will be locked when visiting time ends and it'll reopen when the first shift comes in."

Issy huffs again, breaking eye contact with Eric to look at Max. "How long will this be for?"

"Until you're healed. Now, I'm sorry but you need to leave now Bree."

"That's fine." Bree waves at Issy and follows Four out of the door. "See ya tomorrow Iss." After Four and Bree left Max smiled lightly at her. "Someone will be with you in the morning to help you to join the other Initiates in the Pit." Without another word to Issy and a dip of his head to Eric he leaves the room.

Unlike the other times it had just been her and Eric, this felt tense. Maybe it was because of their glaring match a few minutes ago, she didn't know. Issy was unsure of what to do as Eric watched her so she settled for playing with the edge of her quilt. Her eyes were unblinking as he stepped closer. And then again until Issy could feel the heat radiating off of him. A hand held her chin and lifted her head up, tearing her eyes away from her fingers. Up close Issy could see hints of silver amongst the shades of blue and grey. Eric tilted her head to the side and ran his fingers across the stars on her neck. Issy involuntary swallowed as he traced each constellation slowly.

"An odd collection of stars," He pulled away slightly but didn't take his hand away from her neck. "The Strong Man, The Hunter and The Wolf."

"I like the stories they tell."

"Are you trying to tell your own story with these?" His eyes flickered from her own, to her neck and back up again. His fingers still tracing the stars.

"Depends."

Eric paused. "On?"

"Where you stand." He pulled his hand back but didn't move away. She involuntary swallowed again as he smirked down at her, obviously pleased with how she reacted to him.

"Get some sleep Issy." Eric moved back and smirked again as he walked to the door. He opened it and looked back at her. "I'll be seeing you tomorrow." Issy finally started to breath normally when he shut the door behind him.

Thanks to Bullets1101 For the review and the scene idea that I'll be using soon.