CHAPTER 80 GUYS! And Eric and Issy are still not together… I am sorry but it said slow burn on the tin so you should have all understood what you signed up for… ;)

Also I've posted a new story. For now it'll remain a one-shot with additional content of GF but if I get any more ideas for it, I may add to it…

"C'mon," Eric nudged her with his elbow. He was still smiling down at her. "We better catch up with Max or he'll leave us here without realising it."

Even as Issy followed after Eric, she got the feeling that he wasn't joking…

After they had got back to the compound, Max had dismissed Eric but led Issy to his office. She was almost bouncing with anticipation when she sat in front of his desk. With a small smile Max had given her permission to re-join the squads and Issy had yelled happily, leaning over the desk to hug him. Issy had received a text message from Captain sometime after notifying her that they were on night shifts and expected her in the garage for the usual time.

That was yesterday and Issy spent most of the day after running laps and practicing her knife work to try to work off her excitement. It wasn't working. Due to her excitement, Issy was dressed for her patrol by five in the afternoon. It was nearly ten past five when she practically ran to the garage. Inside was mostly quite. There were a few squads preparing to leave. Near 226's truck stood Captain and Harrison. Issy nearly skipped up to them but stopped when she noticed that they appeared to be in some kind of argument. Their arms and hands are waving around with whatever they're saying but when Captain gestures directly at Issy, her curiosity is spiked. What could they be on about? When Harrison sees Issy watching them, he grabs Captain's arm and pulls him away to Steve's office by the garage doors.

Issy shakes her head before walking into the S.W.A.L.T room and going to her locker. She puts all her personal items into it and takes her helmet and her rifle out. Unfortunately, her rifle had bent to the point of almost snapping so she was issued a new one. When Issy walked back into the garage, she was greeted with cheers and happy yells from the rest of her squad. Rainbow ran up to her and hugged Issy tightly another rib may have broken. Issy was joking off course.

"Oh my god!" Issy breathed when Rainbow let go. "I think my ribs just rebroke…" When Captain shot Issy a dark look, she held up her hands. "I'm joking of course." She greeted the rest out them with hugs while laughing. Her excited grin was contagious and soon the whole squad was grinning along with her. When she got to Red, he was staring down at her sternly. Issy knew that he was worried for her and she appreciated it. But the look he was giving her made Issy think he was about to start crying. "It's okay Pops, I'm alive." She tried lightening the situation as she wrapped her arms around the man that had become like a father figure to Issy. She knew that he and the rest of the older squad members had been in a similar place years before and lost two members. So she guessed for Red he had nearly relived it.

"You could have died."

"But I didn't?"

Red pulled away with a frown on his face. "But you nearly did."

Issy shrugged, a small smirk on her face. "Agree to disagree?" She started to poke him in the shoulder until a smile made its way onto his face. Red pushed her away lightly and she laughed.

xXx

Throughout the whole patrol Issy had a grin on her face. There was a cool gust promising the cold bite of winter. A striking difference from the blinding heat and warm wind of summer. That made Issy smile even more, seeing the leaves begin to fall. She never really cared for summer, though autumn and winter were a different story. Autumn was her favourite. It did give her the perfect reason to bundle herself up in hoodies, blankets and jumpers.

Red kept one eye on her just in case she suddenly collapsed. Issy didn't call him out on it, after all, he was probably reassuring himself that she was fine. When they stopped for their break halfway Red's cautiousness let up.

Captain was still staring thoughtfully at Issy, though now he looked more sure of himself. Whenever Issy tried to ask him about it, he'd disappear quite quickly. Issy wanted – no, needed – to know what was going on. It was something about her and Harrison knew about it. That meant Max probably knew too. Though if Issy went up to either Leader to ask them about it, she got the feeling their response would be the same.

The patrol finished quickly enough and once they were back in Dauntless, Issy still had the grin on her face even as she blinked heavily with sleep.

xXx

The next couple of days worked in the same routine. Issy would wake up around midday, go out for a light run and go to the cafeteria to see if she could spot any of her family to chill with before she had to get ready for her six o'clock start. The friends that she had made while at Amity were happy that she'd been put back into patrolling and often saw her still grinning at the squad left the compound.

When Issy re-joined her squad, they were just entering the second week of night shifts. Meaning that she only had a week working before she'd be off for another two weeks. It bothered Issy a little bit but she wasn't going to start complaining.

Her weeks would probably be filled with pranks, wedding plans and crazy shit with Uri and Zeke by her side. her brothers seemed to be getting rather relaxed and Issy thinks that that's gotta change. They won't be expecting it and that is the best part.