"Hey, when are you going to talk to Oliver?" Tobias asks. We're on our way to the infirmary for a meeting with Zander. He's finally started getting results back on the samples taken in the chasm from the week before last.
"I should have done that before I went to Amity for the council meeting last week," I say. "The final fights are what, Wednesday?" He nods. "If he wants to stick around for Phase II he's going to have to change his attitude."
"Remember what I said. I want to be present when you talk to him," Tobias says.
"Don't trust me?" I'm only kidding, knowing his overprotective nature, but there's an edge to my voice. I don't like being told what to do, and by the look on his face, he knows exactly what I'm thinking.
"I trust you wholeheartedly, love. You know that," he says, slinging his arm around my shoulder and kissing my forehead. "But there's something about that kid." He shakes his head, his look troubled. "I don't like how he watches you. It's like he's made you the center of his world here." My head snaps around.
"What are you talking about?" I ask, befuddled. We stop in the middle of the path. He stares into my eyes as he obviously gathers his thoughts.
"I noticed a change in his demeanor when you welcomed him to Dauntless at the net. It was obvious he found you attractive but when you singled him out, his pupils dilated, his jaw tensed, and hell, his breathing became erratic. I know what desire looks like, Tris, so I've kept an eye on him."
"I knew I made a mistake the moment those words left my lips. I still have no idea why I did it," I say, shaking my head at my own stupidity. "But desire? Are you sure?"
"Positive, love. He looks at you the way I do," he says.
"I know he's always watching but I really had no idea."
"That's because you still don't see yourself clearly," he says. "You're strong, beautiful, loving, caring. You are the best friend, leader, daughter, sister, wife, mother, lover. You are a very desirable woman, Beatrice Grace Eaton." I grab him by the shirt and pull his mouth to mine. I blush bright red as a group of Dauntless members move around us, snickering. I totally forgot we were standing in the middle of the busy path. Tobias grumbles a bit at the interruption then turns his loving eyes back to me. "I just want you to be careful when dealing with him."
"I will," I say. "And thank you for the compliments, husband. I love you."
"I love you, too, wife," he says. He gently takes my hand in his, and we continue on to the Pit floor. "So how are you feeling? Do you think breakfast is going to stay with you?" The medication Isobel prescribed for my nausea has helped tremendously but I still get sick from time to time so I've been trying to keep my diet as bland as possible but this morning I couldn't say no to the blueberry waffles and sausage Tobias made. They smelled too good and tasted even better.
"I have my cookies with me just in case," I say, patting the front pocket of my stretchy pants. No more jeans for me. Even though I'm only about 14 weeks, I'm definitely showing. I can hide it with baggy shirts but it's blatantly obvious in the skin hugging outfit I have on right now. Tobias and I have even started getting congratulated in the hallways of the compound. The twin news is still under wraps for the time being but we plan on telling our friends soon.
"Do you want to stop by the cafeteria and get some ginger ale?" he asks noticing that the ever-present bottle that has become a fixture is absent.
"Yeah, actually I do," I say. "I can't believe I left it on the counter after I filled it." We detour to the cafeteria and grab a drink. It's late enough that our table is nearly empty but we stop to say hi to its lone occupant.
"Hi, Will," Tobias says, breaking him out of his reverie. He looks up but doesn't smile.
"Oh, hey," he mutters.
"Something wrong?" I ask as I slide onto the bench across from him. I know we should be going but I can't leave a friend looking so forlorn.
"I was just thinking about something," he says. He opens his mouth to say something else but then shuts it.
"What is it, Will?" I pry.
"You know I had lunch with Cara last week," he slowly says after a beat. She obviously told him their good news but he's unsure if I know.
"Yes," I say. "And she told you their news."
"Oh, thank God you know," he breathes. "I finally told Christina this morning, and she didn't take it well. I'm not sure she's happy for them."
"What makes you think that?" Tobias asks. Before Will can answer I speak.
"She told me they're trying to have another baby." I turn my attention from my husband to my distraught friend. "I'm confident she's happy for Caleb and Cara. She loves them both very much. She didn't take our," I motion between Tobias and me, "news the greatest either but she's pleased for us. I know it's hard on her though. She's been trying to get pregnant for a long time, and I got pregnant on accident. Again. I can't say I know how she feels but I can empathize with her."
"I would love to give Liam a little brother or sister just as much as Christina does but it's not the end of the world if it doesn't happen," Will says. "I think this might destroy her, destroy us, if she doesn't get pregnant soon. It was bad enough when it was just Ciara that was pregnant but now her best friend and sister-in-law are expecting too. I don't know what to do."
"The stress can't be helping," I say.
"It's not," he says. "We only have sex when she's ovulating and we argue … a lot. The romance is dead." He sighs. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be unloading on you like this."
"You're not unloading," I say. I reach across the table and cover his hand with mine. "Do you want me to talk to her?"
"Under normal circumstances I'd say yes in a heartbeat but I'm not sure, Tris," he says then sighs. "She's not herself right now, and I don't want to make matters worse."
"I understand," I say. "I won't broach the subject."
"I don't mean to cut this short but Tris and I have a meeting with Zander that we're late for," Tobias says.
"I understand," Will says, giving my hand a healthy squeeze before letting it go. "I better get back to work anyway. I can't sit here stewing all day."
"I'm sorry you're having a rough time," I say as Tobias and I get up from the table. "I'm sure things will turn around soon."
"I hope so," he mutters, making no move to get up.
"We'll see you later," Tobias says. We leave him to his thoughts and head out into the bustling Pit.
"I feel bad for them," I say. "I wish there was something I could do."
"Just be there for them," he says, stopping just outside the infirmary doors. "You didn't tell me they were trying for another one."
"I guess I never thought to tell you about it," I say. "She only told me when she figured out I was pregnant. They've been trying for a long time, since before Grayson was born."
"Damn," he mutters.
"I know."
"Don't stress over it," he says as he tucks an unruly strand behind my ear.
I want to tease him about his worry wart ways but instead I say, "Of course I won't. There's nothing I can do except be there for her."
"If she asks," he says, echoing Will's wishes.
"I know."
"We better go," Tobias says as he pulls his phone out of his pocket. "Zander's wondering where we are." He holds the door open and ushers me through with his hand on the small of my back. Zander is by the reception desk waiting for us.
"Sorry we're late," I say. "We were talking to Will and lost track of time."
"It's okay," Zander says. "I just wanted to make sure we didn't have our wires crossed." I study his face and notice pronounced circles under his tired eyes. He obviously hasn't gotten much sleep over the past week or so.
"Have you learned anything new?" Tobias asks, keeping his question purposely vague.
"Let's talk in my office," he says. We maneuver through the labyrinth-like hallways to his new office. It's much homier than his old one. Gone is the cold black and white color scheme, replaced with warm browns, tans, and taupes complemented with splashes of seafoam green and sky blue. It perfectly matches his personality. "Have a seat." Tobias and I sit on the small, comfortable leather loveseat across from Zander in the intimate seating area in the corner of the room. He tosses a rather thick file on the coffee table between us. "I wish I had better news for you," indicating the folder with the nod of his head. Tobias picks it up and I gaze over his shoulder.
"Inconclusive?" Tobias asks, leafing through the paperwork. That single word seems to leap off page after page.
"Exactly," he says. "There wasn't a single viable DNA sample taken from the chasm walls or rocks. They were too degraded either by water or time."
"How could they be degraded by time?" I ask. "Maintenance cleans down there every month."
"I'd say they aren't doing a very good job of it," Zander says.
"Hhm," Tobias mutters under his breath.
"What is it?" I ask. He hands me a sheet of paper that caught his attention.
"The handprint pattern analysis revealed they were random?" Tobias says, looking over at Zander.
"After entering all the data into the computer, it calculated that there was no discernible pattern, which makes sense if they weren't made at the same time. Also, some of those prints weren't actually blood after all but grease, dirt, and grime from member's hands." Apparently, more people know about our special getaway than we thought.
"What about the hallway?" I ask, giving the handprint analysis back to Tobias. He slips it into the folder then continues flipping through the file.
"The majority of those samples were degraded by the cleansers used by maintenance."
"The chemicals react to cleansers?" Tobias asks.
"Yes, bleach and a handful of other solvents," Zander says. "I double checked my findings with Erudite to be positive. They said that whoever cleaned the hallway must have done a very thorough job because it's damn near impossible to totally destroy blood proteins. But they didn't do a perfect job."
"What?" Tobias and I say at the same time. Zander gets up and retrieves a photograph off his desk. He hands it to Tobias who quickly looks it over then hands it to me.
"There was a single blood droplet in the corner of the doorway to the chasm. It's my opinion that the cleanup occurred with the door closed and that's why it was missed, which was lucky for us," he says. "This was the only sample taken that gave us a clean DNA sample."
"Did it match anyone?" Tobias asks just as I ask, "Did you check it against Shauna's?" She volunteered to give a sample of her DNA to match against the evidence collected in the chasm.
"No, it didn't match Shauna's," he says. "Unfortunately, it's from an unknown male with type O negative blood."
"Damn!" Tobias cries, exhaling in a huff. "I was hoping the results would give us a direction to head into. This doesn't tell us a damn thing." He tosses the file on the coffee table and I pick it up. "Hell, that blood droplet could be from one of the chasm maintenance workers and be totally unrelated to the incident in the Pit."
"Who did you try to match the sample against?" I ask, knowing that not every single Dauntless member's DNA is in our database.
"I've only run them through exemplars we've taken from past and present Dauntless members since I knew you wanted the results as soon as possible," Zander says. "I can have the profile sent to the council and tested against its database, especially since we've had breeches in security in the past from other factions. I don't know if it would be worth it but it doesn't hurt to try."
"I would appreciate it," Tobias says.
"Can we ask for DNA samples from each maintenance worker to eliminate them as the contributor of that blood droplet?" I ask.
"I think that's a good idea," Tobias says.
"Even though we can't legally compel them to comply, I think if we ask for elimination prints and DNA to rule them out that they won't mind giving us samples," Zander says.
"Unless they have something to hide," Tobias mumbles and then he sighs. "So, I just made you do nearly two weeks' worth of work for nothing." He sinks back into the loveseat and looks up at the ceiling. I can tell this news has hit him hard.
"Not for nothing, Four," Zander says and Tobias moves his eyes to look at our friend. "We may not know the significance of that blood droplet but we know it's important."
"What do you mean?" I interject before Tobias can respond.
"Someone went to a great deal of trouble to thoroughly clean up evidence in that hallway," Zander says. "If it was a maintenance worker with a nose bleed do you think they would have taken the time to scrub every inch of not only the walls and floor but the ceiling? I don't think so."
"You have a point," Tobias says. "But it's just so damn frustrating to not know any more than we did before. Hell, I think I have more questions now."
"I understand what you mean," I say. "I thought for sure finding that blood had something to do with Hector and his father."
"Me too," Tobias says.
"It still might," Zander says. "You never know."
"Thanks for all your hard work," Tobias says. "You need some time off. You look like death warmed over, bud."
"Gee thanks," he says, letting a yawn escape.
"You know what I mean," Tobias says. "You're exhausted. I want you to take the rest of the week off. Call the hospital and get someone to cover your hours. We'll pay double for today since it's short notice."
"Normally I'd argue with you, but I'm too tired right now," he says. "Plus, Stella has the next few days off. It would be nice to spend some extra time with my wife. I feel like I haven't seen her in nearly two weeks."
"I'm sorry I worked you so hard," Tobias says.
"Don't apologize," he says. "It's my job."
"And I appreciate everything you do. Now go home."
"I will as soon as I call in reinforcements," he says.
"Well, Tris and I need to make an appearance in the training room," Tobias says.
"That's right," Zander says. "Phase one is nearly over. How are the new recruits doing?"
"We have a great batch of initiates this year," I say. "I'm pleased with their progress. I think they'll be great additions to the faction." With one exception.
"Even Hector?" he asks.
"Hector's attitude has improved greatly since the incident in the Pit," Tobias says. "He works each night in the cafeteria and follows all the rules. I've noticed him socializing with more of the transfers. They're a pretty tightknit bunch this year. I swear they're all friends." Again, with one exception.
"That is something," Zander says. "That doesn't even happen with the Dauntless-born."
"Yeah," Tobias says. "They're pretty cliquey."
"Always are," he says then yawns widely.
"We need to get going, and you need to go home and get some rest," Tobias says. "Forget about work for the rest of this week. When you get back, we'll have a meeting on what exactly we need to do next with regard to that viable sample."
"Sounds like a plan, Four," he says as he pulls his phone out of his pocket. "I better call the hospital before they can't send a replacement for the day."
"We'll get out of your hair," I say as I get to my feet. I pick up the file folder and tuck it under my arm and follow Tobias into the hallway. We quietly chat about the results until we reach the training room door.
"Hey, do you want me to take that for you?" he asks, pointing to the file folder I had totally forgotten about.
"No, that's okay," I say, going up on my tiptoes to give him a quick kiss. "I'll run it up to my office."
"Take your time, love," he says.
"I'll be right back."
