Within minutes we're all on the train, bright eyed and slightly breathless, the atmosphere in the gently rocking car electric. It's been such a rough week for me and Tobias that we really need not only the distraction but the fun. He is keeping me close, his hands resting low on my hips. As a matter of fact, with the exception of running to catch the train, he's had one or both of his hands on me in some fashion since we were at that ancient parking structure working on our differences. I guess he's craving intimacy right now just as much as I am. I lean up and brush my lips against his neck and he looks down at me.

"You read for this?" he asks.

"I am," I say.

"Remember, you don't have to do anything you don't want to do," he says and I know he's referring to the drinking. We've enjoyed wine a couple times with dinner but I've never drank anything stronger, and I'm a bit nervous and a little intrigued. I've always wondered what it tastes like.

"I'm going to take a drink just like everyone else," I say. "It's no big deal."

"That's the spirit," he says.

"How long will this take?" I ask, looking around the crowded car.

"It really depends on where the dares take us. I've played with less people than this and it went all night long but then again I've played with more and it only lasted a few hours." He lowers his voice and says, "Why? You in a hurry to get somewhere else?" I coquettishly smile up at him as I wrap my hand around his neck and pull his mouth to mine. I immediately thrust my tongue between his moist, parted lips and make love to his mouth. I soon pull away, not letting the kiss deepen and see his eyes dilated with desire. "This is going to be a long night." Yes, it is.

"Hey! I'm only going to say this once so listen up," Zeke calls out, gaining the attention of the entire car. "The game is dare. The first person picks someone and gives them a dare. You can't refuse and you can't trade, you have to do that dare."

"So if you're a pansycake you can leave right now," Uriah says.

"Hey, idiot!" Zeke roughly pops his brother on the back of the head. "Did I say you could speak? I begged Mom and Dad for a guinea pig but no they had to give me you instead." He disgustedly shakes his head while glaring at his brother who pouts as he rubs the back of his head while the rest of us snicker. "I don't need any help. Sorry for the interruption. Where was I? Oh, yeah. The person who is going to do the dare takes a drink from the sacred dare flask then does the dare." He holds up a large silver flask that's seen better days and wiggles it back and forth. Tobias clears his throat and Zeke says, "Right, drinking is no longer mandatory, and recklessness will not be tolerated or this night will end a hell of a lot earlier than anyone wants it to. Once the dare is done that person picks their target and so one. The night is done when everyone has done a dare – or died trying."

"Has someone actually died playing this game?" Al's doppelganger asks, his pitch that of a squeaky teenage girl. Laughter erupts in the car but I notice it's only coming from the experienced players and those born in Dauntless.

"No one has ever lost their life during a game of dare but believe me, with some of the dares I've witnessed, people have tried to kill themselves or others," Shauna says. "With that in mind, let's have fun tonight and let's get everyone home in one piece."

"Bruises, scrapes, and broken bones are highly acceptable though," Uriah says as he chuckles maniacally, and I can't help but roll my eyes. He must already be drunk or well on his way.

"All right, let's get this show on the road," Zeke says. The excitement already running through the car like an undercurrent explodes and everyone cheers. "Since I'm the keeper of the flask now, I'll go first." His eyes scan the crowd, and they momentarily land on Tobias with a mischievous glow, which doesn't surprise me but then he looks away, which does. I thought his mission in life was to torment my husband. "Ana."

"This is a surprise," she says. Yes, it is.

"I dare you to walk into Erudite headquarters and flash the people in the lobby." Everyone laughs as her eyes go wide. She blushes more deeply than I've ever seen as he tosses her the flask, which she easily catches.

"Bottoms up," she says with a shrug then she takes a big swig. She grimaces slightly then holds the flask up and lets out a loud whoop. "A little help, babe." Brody, who is just as good at hiding his feelings as my husband stands behind her looking apathetic but I imagine he doesn't like her dare because he's glaring at Zeke, probably plotting revenge. She stands with her back to him and within a minute she's pulling her bra out the armhole of her t-shirt. "I guess I don't need this." She swings it over her head then tosses it out the open door into the darkness, and the place goes wild.

"This is going to be one hell of a night if the first dare involves nudity," Uriah says. Several smaller flasks are being passed around as the party atmosphere continues. Tobias circles his arms around me and kisses my neck as I watch our friends.

"Our stop is just up ahead," Zeke says and I'm surprised that we're close to Erudite already. It seems like we just got on the train. "Get ready." One by one we all leap out into nothingness. Some of my friends tuck and roll while others land on their feet. I'm amongst the latter group. I take Tobias' hand, and we hurry after the excited group in front of us. The tracks are close to their headquarters so our walk is a short one. We gather in front of the mammoth building, gaining some odd looks from the occasional members coming and going. Even though it's after 10 p.m., there are still a lot of people mulling around.

"Okay, here goes nothing," Ana says, a wild look in her eyes. She grabs Brody and roughly kisses him then disappears through the big glass doors.

We inch our way closer so we can witness her exhibitionism. The doors are airtight and very thick, not allowing any sound to penetrate but it's obvious that Ana says something because all heads turn to look at here then she lifts her shirt. A woman standing beside a young adolescent boy covers his eyes but he manages to get away from her grip, a huge smile on his face. While the Erudite members are frozen and speechless, she puts her shirt down, turns around, and comes racing back to us giggling her head off, embarrassed. We all take off running, laughing and celebrating the first successful dare of the night as a handful of rather large Erudite guards burst out after her. I push my legs harder than I have in months and luckily there's a train arriving just as we get to the tracks. The guards give up their chase when they see us boarding.

"Holy shit!" Murphy says. "That was intense. How do you feel, Ana?"

"I feel good!" she says, her cheeks bright pink and her eyes sparkling. "Not that I want to do that again." She starts looking around the car then tosses the flask to Avery. "I dare you to get your nose pierced."

We spend the next hour-and-a-half in the tattoo parlor at Dauntless fulfilling various dares. Avery gets a small stud in her nose, complaining about it the entire time until Callen tells her how sexy he thinks it is. She then dares Afton to get a tattoo, which she does. She gets a small simple heart on the inside of her left wrist with Declan's name in it. She then dares Will to get a tattoo. He looks like he wants to run away but finally settles on the date Liam was born on his right biceps in large bold Roman numerals. By the time Tori's finishes, he looks like he's going to pass out and Christina is trying really hard not to laugh.

"Kevin," Will says once the anxiety passes as he tosses him the flask. "I dare you to climb that big red sculpture in the heart of Erudite. You know the one that's surrounded by the three big dark buildings."

"I know which one you're talking about," he says. He opens the flask and takes a long swig. We hurry to the train and once we reach the Erudite section, we jump off and jog the rest of the way to the sculpture. When we come out from between two buildings we all slow, taking in the sight of the massive structure rising up from the patched concrete, several spotlights shining on it from the ground. I'm sure it looked a little different before the war but it's still an intimidating piece of metal that must stretch at least five stories into the sky if not more. Time has caused some corrosion and rust but it's still standing tall after all this time.

"It's bigger than I remembered," Kevin nervously says as he stares nearly straight up.

"You be careful," Murphy says. "We have big plans remember?"

"How could I forget? Here hold this for me," he says as he turns to look at her. He hands her the flask as he says, "I don't have any pockets." He gives her a lingering kiss then steps away from her. He walks around the sculpture, studying it closely.

"What are you waiting for, pansycake?" Uriah asks. "Are you going to climb it or cry like the little girl you are?" Kevin's eyes turn to steel as he looks at his heckler.

"I'd shut up if I were you, Uri," Tobias says with a near silent chuckle. "He's big enough to drag your ass up there with him and leave you hanging." Everyone laughs at the scary look Kevin gives Uriah, and I swear I see him pale at least two shades.

"Just get going," Uriah grumbles. "We don't have all night."

"He hates having the tables turned on him, doesn't he?" I whisper to Tobias.

"Yeah," he mumbles. Kevin starts on the far end of the sculpture and utilizes rivets, divots, and holes worn in the metal by years of weathering. He's fast as first his hands find their holds and then his feet. Before we know it, he's at the top.

He stands on a rather flat, wide part, raises his hands above his head and screams out, "I'm king of the world!"

"I heard that once in that big boat movie," Marlene says.

"Stop showing off and get your ass back down here," Murphy yells but he doesn't seem to hear her or he's choosing to ignore her, which would be strange. Those two are madly in love. He celebrates for another moment then turns to start coming back down. We all gasp when he's about halfway down and he loses his footing. He slips until he's precariously dangling from the sculpture with just one hand.

"Oh, my God!" I say. We all race to the area below him. If he falls from this height it won't be deadly but there most definitely will be severe injuries.

"Hang on!" Murphy cries. "What should we do?"

"I know!" Shauna says. "We'll catch him like when we're zip lining. He's not that much higher."

"Hold on, Kevin," Murphy hollers. We all stand below his dangling body and weave our arms together, forming a net of limbs for him to fall into.

"Listen carefully," Tobias says. "As you let go, kick your legs out in front of you so you fall into our arms back first instead of feet first." I see him frantically nodding but he says nothing. He's obviously scared but he's trying not to show it. Typical Dauntless. "On the count of three. One – two – three!" Kevin swings his body back and forth kicking his legs out in front of him like instructed then let's go of the metal sculpture and without making a sound falls into our arms like a lead weight. When we get him to his feet Murphy launches herself into is arms and adheres her mouth to his. Someone mutters get a room so lowly that I can't make out who it is making a hushed chuckle move through the crowd.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again," Murphy says as she releases her boyfriend then she hits him in the shoulder.

"Ow!" he says, rubbing his arm with a grimace on his face. "What was that for?"

"I thought I was going to lose you before I even get the chance to marry you." Marry? I look up at Tobias and he shrugs.

"You're getting married?" Ana asks.

"We have some news for you guys. We were going to tell you at the end of the night," Kevin says. "I asked Murphy to marry me last night and she said…

"Hell yes!" she excitedly hollers as she holds up her left hand, which is housing an oval cut diamond in a vintage-looking platinum or perhaps silver setting. Cheers, hugs, and congratulations erupt around us. I don't know how we missed that rock on her finger all night.

"Congratulations," I say as I tightly hug Murphy and then Kevin. "I love your ring. It's beautiful." Tobias kisses her cheek then shakes his hand.

"Thanks, Tris," Murphy says. "I always thought I just wanted a tattoo instead of an engagement ring but the moment I laid eyes on this beauty, I changed my mind."

After the celebration and congratulations are over Zeke says, "We better get going. Kevin?" Murphy hands him the flask, and he looks around.

"Christina, I dare you to go into Abnegation's headquarters and dance to the next song on my phone," he says. This should be classic. She has zero rhythm and can't dance a step unless Will is leading her. I hope she doesn't hurt herself or anyone who happens to breach her orbit. She nearly broke Ciara's ankle at last year's Welcome Ball. We run from the sculpture to the train and ride as close to Abnegation as we can. After reaching our destination, she guzzles almost half the flask then completes her dance, if you can call it that – she looks more like a spastic chicken hopped up on cocaine in the middle of a seizure than a human being. Surprisingly the Abnegation members just stare at her confusedly before she dares Marlene to lick the sidewalk for 15 seconds who in turn dares Shauna to give her clothes away to the factionless. When she's left only in her bra, underwear, and running shoes, she dares Callen to switch clothes with Avery. Now he's standing here in a tank top with a red bleeding heart on the front and a black and red pinstriped skirt. I can't stop laughing.

"That really looks good with your boots, babe," Avery says as she ties a knot in the front of the large black Dauntless t-shirt she's now wearing. If the sweatpants Callen had had on didn't have drawstrings they would be on the ground right now. "I have to get a pair. They're perfect for that outfit."

"I'm glad I could help," he dead pans.

"I love you," she says.

"I love you, too." He scans the crowd after giving her a tender kiss then says, "Uriah, I dare you to go to the farmer's market and kiss other faction members without saying a word to them until one of them doesn't slap you." As he passes the flask to him, I examine Marlene. I know how I would feel if Tobias got that dare but if she's upset, she's not showing it. As a matter of fact she looks like she's trying really hard not to laugh.

"You got it," Uriah says as he takes a long draw from the flask. "I'm not a pansycake." We run back to the train for the short trip to the Navy Pier.

"Love, are you okay?" Tobias asks when I sway a bit as the train dips on the track indicating it's almost time to jump off again.

"I'm fine," I murmur.

"Are you sure?" he asks, his lips pressed against my ear. "You look a little pale."

"All this train hopping is making me dizzy," I finally reveal. He takes my hand and pulls me to the back of the car while our friends start jumping off. "What are you doing, baby? We're going the wrong way." I get my answer when he swings me up and cradles me in his arms.

"I'll jump for both of us," he says, his look concerned. "You look like you're not feeling well. Maybe you should grab a bite to eat when we get to the Farmer's Market or something to drink at least. I don't want you getting hurt."

"I love you, Tobias," I say. I run my fingers through his hair as I nuzzle his neck.

"I love you, too, Tris," he says. He gives me a quick kiss that sets my heart to fluttering in my chest. I don't want it to end but he pulls away any way. I tighten my arms around his neck as he firms up his grip on me then he runs toward the black hole in the side of the car and hurtles us out into the night. He easily lands on his feet and within a few paces he sets me down.

"Thanks," I say. We hurry to reach our friends who are already in the Farmer's Market building. A slap echoes around the huge space as we walk through the door and Tobias laughs.

"Looks like Uri's not having much luck," he says.

"There you two are," Christina says, her eyes laughing. "You're missing it. I think Uriah's been slapped six times already."

"Damn," I mutter.

"Let's get you a little something," Tobias says as he drapes his arm over my shoulders and steers me to the soft pretzel cart.

"Can't you wait until after dare to 'give her a little something'?" Zeke humorously murmurs. I roll my eyes and shake my head.

I lean in so only he can hear me and say, "Believe me, Zeke, there's nothing little about my husband." I pat his cheek and mentally fist pump the air at his shocked expression. I'm sure he was expecting me to shrink back but not tonight, although I don't know why. Usually I'd be blushing like a schoolgirl. Tobias pays for my pretzel and small cola then turns back to me.

"Don't antagonize him, love," he says although there is a proud glint in his eyes. "We don't want him irritating us all night."

"I'm not irritating," he whines.

"You're the most irritating man I know," Shauna giggles, "but I love you anyway." She kisses his cheek. "Now leave Four and Tris alone."

A loud crack booms, breaking the near silence gaining our attention, and we look over just in time for a young Amity woman to scurry away, her cheeks bright red. Uriah moans while grasping the side of his face as he looks around for his next victim. He shrugs then walks up to an Abnegation woman who happens to be holding a baby in her arms. He makes a face at the sweet chubby-faced girl, making her laugh then lightly kisses her mommy on the cheek. I really expect her to haul off and hit him but she just glares at him as she maneuvers away from him, protectively holding on to her daughter like she thinks the maniac in front of her will snatch her away at any moment. He throws his arms up in victory, both cheeks inflamed not from embarrassment but from being slapped multiple times and marches to where we're all standing.

"Thanks for that, Callen. I didn't think it was ever going to end," he says as he pulls Marlene into his arms. He looks around and when his eyes land on me, his lips turn up into a mischievous grin. "Tris, my friend. I dare you to go to The Congress and get us a souvenir."

"The Congress?" I ask. Why does that sound so familiar and why is everyone looking at me with wide, confused, and slightly frightened eyes? "What's that?"

"You don't know about The Congress Hotel?" Avery breathlessly asks.

"It sounds familiar but I can't quite place it," I say.

"It's supposedly haunted," Ana says. Haunted! "You haven't heard the stories?" I shake my head then look up at Tobias, and he shrugs, obviously not in on the rumors either.

"A haunted hotel?" I nervously giggle. "You guys are kidding, right? You're just trying to scare me."

"No," Christina sincerely says, draping her arm over my shoulder and leading me out into the cooling night air. Instead of heading back toward the train, we start walking south. I guess it must not be far. "I remember hearing stories about that place for as long as I can remember. Cold spots, apparitions, disembodied voices, shadows – the works." I feel my eyes fractionally widen further with each one of her excited words. I think she would gladly take this dare.

"I heard the city started to refurbish it about 20 years back. They were looking for an affordable alternative to building a new apartment building in Erudite but the workers ran out of there after one week and refused to go back inside because of all the crazy things that kept happening," Will says. "I've even heard that one of the men had a heart attack and died in the hotel because he was so scared."

"You couldn't pay me to go into that place," Avery says as a shudder moves through her body raising gooseflesh on her arms.

"How have you not heard of The Congress?" Brody asks. "Some of the older kids would drag Faith and me there to explore for hours on end when we were growing up. Apparently they heard piano music playing once but there was no piano around. It's creepy as hell but Faith and I never heard or saw anything strange while we were inside."

"She was a Stiff," Lynn says, although not unkindly. "She didn't know what Halloween was when she came to Dauntless." I feel my cheeks heat. I didn't know about a lot of things when I jumped into my new life. "How could you expect her to know about a haunted hotel near the Erudite sector?" A soft growl emanates from Tobias' chest but I shake my head at him. She's not being rude or condescending; she's just speaking the truth … or at least I hope that's all she's doing.

"Makes sense I guess," Brody mumbles. Abruptly we stop in front of what looks like two towering buildings connected by a smaller one in the center.

"Is this it?" I notice a weathered S – S – H – O on top of the northern most tower. I guess it stands to reason that at one time it said Congress Hotel.

"Don't forget this," Uriah says as he holds up the flask.

"You don't have to drink if you don't want to," Four says for everyone to hear.

"It's okay baby. I'll take a drink," I say. "It's part of the fun, right?" Everyone cheers as Uriah holds out the flask to me. I take it with a trembling hand then breathe deeply, trying to steady my nerves. I unscrew the silver lid, put the flask to my lips, tip it back, and take a small swallow. The bitter liquid burns all the way down my throat, making me spit, sputter, and cough. I grimace and shake my head trying to forget the fowl tasting drink as I get my breath. "Ugh! What is that stuff? It's pretty nasty." Tobias hands me a bottle of water, which I quickly drain.

"That's whiskey made in Amity. It's a lot smoother than their other spirits."

"Smooth? Yeah right!" I mutter. I stare up at the foreboding building looming before me. "So what souvenir do you want me to bring back?" I need to do this before my shot of liquid courage wears off.

"How about a lighting fixture? I'll let you decide what kind – sconce, chandelier, lamp, whatever," Uriah says. "Old buildings like this are a treasure trove for items like that."

"Here, you're going to need this," Christina says handing me a small flashlight.

"Pansycake!" Uriah calls out.

"It's better to be safe than sorry, Uri," Marlene says. "Who knows what kind of shape that building is in? We don't want Tris getting hurt."

"All right," he mumbles. "We'll stay right here and wait for you." I once again stare up at the building in front of me, my heart thundering in my chest.

"Are you feeling up for this?" Tobias asks. "You were pale and dizzy not that long ago."

"The food helped," I say. "I'll be fine." He draws me into his arms and hugs me tightly.

"Be brave," he whispers in my ear, his hot breath tickling the sensitive skin. He releases me and I press a quick kiss to his lips then make my way into the old hotel. A dirty, musty odor overwhelms me once I clear the front doors, immediately making me nauseous. I pull my shirt up to cover my mouth and nose as I gag. Hopefully, this will keep me from throwing up my snack. I switch on the flashlight, silently thanking my best friend for her forethought. If anyone else has one, they sure didn't offer it up.

"Okay. I can do this," I mutter to myself. I sweep the light over available surfaces within my reach looking for any kind of light fixture I can find, trying to keep track of where I've been. About five minutes later I enter this opulent open space that must have been used as a ballroom for parties, weddings, or meetings at one time. There's a second story balcony with what looks like wall sconces that I should be able to reach but I don't see any stairs. Ugh! "This is harder than I thought it would be." I release my hold on my shirt and it falls back into place and an unpleasant moldy scent hits me making me gag again. It takes a full minute for me to gain control. Apparently the draperies have drawn moisture over the years, making them mold and decay. I don't dare try to climb them.

Noticing the wall in front of me is lined with doors, I figure one of them must hide a staircase. I carefully open them one by one until the last one reveals what I'm looking for. Yeah! I hesitantly put my foot on the first step and test that it will hold my weight just like I did with the rungs that night on the Ferris wheel. After bouncing slightly, it seems like I'm good to go. I gently place my foot down on each tread and pray I'll safely make it to the next level. I finally breathe a sigh of relief when I reach the second story landing. I find an open doorway that leads onto the balcony and quickly locate a sconce dangling from ancient wiring. I reach up on my tiptoes but it's just out of my reach. I look around for something to stand on but don't see anything, so I take a few steps back, run, and jump at it. My fingertips hit it making it sway and I know I can get it. It's just going to take a few more tries, so I step back and repeat my jump.

"Damn it!" I mutter then I stop in my tracks when I hear a strange noise. I scan the area around me and below but I don't see anyone. Then I hear the noise again, much clearer this time. Laughter. "Hello? Who's there?" I'm going to kill whoever is trying to scare me because unfortunately they are. "Show yourself." I stand still, holding my breath, trying to decipher where the sounds are coming from, and all I hear is an imposing silence and nothing else. I release my breath and make another jump for the antique sconce. This time the wiring breaks, and the large light fixture falls into my hands. Laughter from what sounds like young children resonates again and I can't help myself. I take off running. I fly down the stairs without a care to my personal safety. After running for what seems like hours, I have to make myself slow down so I can remember how to get out of this Godforsaken place. After a few more minutes, I burst through the exterior doors and make my way back to my friends.

"Who followed me in there?" I forcefully ask as I toss the sconce to Uriah. "Because it wasn't funny."

"Calm down, love. We've all been standing here wondering when you were going to come out," Tobias says. "You've been gone over half-an-hour. I wanted to come in after you but they wouldn't let me." I study his eyes and know he's telling me the truth.

"If it wasn't any of you then someone from another faction was in there," I say. "It sounded like children laughing. Maybe it's like you said, Brody. There must be factionless children in there goofing off."

"Or it's was ghosts trying making contact," Uriah says.

"Uri!" several of my friends say at the same time.

"It wasn't a ghost," I say, rolling my eyes. "There's no such thing, you big pansycake." I thought the name would irritate him but instead a wide grin splits his face.

"You were scared! Awesome!"

"You are truly an oddball, Uriah Pedrad," I murmur. "Zeke!" I toss him the flask, which he easily catches. "I dare you to perform a little show in Candor's headquarters."

"What kind of show?" he asks.

"Hhm. You're fearless so how about naked acrobatics." My friends burst out laughing, and I swear Zeke is delighted by the dare I chose.

"You just want to see me naked," he says as he waggles his brows.

"Who hasn't seen you naked?" Tobias asks.

"Four has a point," Shauna says. "I think the new transfers are the only ones here who haven't seen you in your birthday suit." That is the truth. Most people give him what they think is the worst of the worst dares trying to get him to balk but he always plays. It's crazy or should I say, he's crazy. After we catch the train to Candor, I feel someone staring at me and turn to find Maeve's wide green eyes on me.

"Is there something I can help you with, initiate?" I ask.

"You really transferred from Abnegation?" she shyly asks. I nod once and her blank look turns to one of wonder. "It's been so hard for me coming from Amity. I can't imagine what it must have been like coming from Abnegation. How did you do it?"

"It wasn't always easy but I persevered," I say. "My friends, both transfer and Dauntless-born, helped me a lot. And if course I met Four."

"I don't really have any friends," she softly says as she casts her eyes downward.

"That's what tonight's for," I say. "Mingle. Get to know people, especially Rose, Oliver, and Hector. They are in the same boat as you."

"I have friends," Hector sasses.

"All your friends are still dependents. You haven't spoken to them in weeks," Shauna says. "And stop being rude."

"Have you even tried getting to know the transfers?" Lynn asks. He just defiantly crosses his arms over his chest and looks away from his sisters. Shauna and Lynn both shake their heads and the irritated scowl on their faces really makes them look alike.

"I don't have any friends either," Oliver says, breaking the awkward silence that has fallen over the group. "Maybe we can be friends … if you want."

"I haven't been trying to make friends since I got here either," Rose says. "Maybe we could all hang out."

"That would be nice," Maeve says.

"What do you say, Hector?" I ask. "Why don't you get to know Rose, Maeve, and Oliver?"

"Whatever," Hector murmurs under his breath. I really wish I knew what his problem was.

"Show Tris and your fellow initiates some respect, Hector," Tobias says. "You know there will be consequences if you don't."

"Why would anyone listen to you, Four?" Hector sneers. "Beat your wife lately?" Shocked, surprised, and horrified gasps travel throughout the train car. Oh, he did not.