Merry Christmas Eve to those who celebrate! I have a lot of cooking to do even though it's only two of this year so I'm posting early! Thank you for your reviews last week, I'm working to make sure everyone gets some great surprises from your asks for the final chapters!

The next afternoon, Tris has an off game, she just couldn't get out of her head. She misses shots she would normally make, she has two turnovers in the first half. Tobias can tell she's tense and distracted.

"Come on Tris, get out of your head," Tobias says as he bounces TJ against him in the skybox of the arena. He groans when she misses another shot.

"Let me take him," Evelyn tells Tobias as she grabs TJ.

"I don't know what's going on with her this week, something's bothering her for her game to be this off" Tobias comments not taking his eyes off the court.

"Talk to her Tobias, ask her to tell you what's going on"

"You know? She told you?" Tobias turns his head to his mother. Why would she tell his mother and not him?

"You two have to learn to communicate. That's how marriage works. Go easy on her Tobias, she has so much on her plate, she's having trouble sorting out her feelings"

Tobias nods and doesn't ask any more questions but it worried him. Tris was clearly upset and he ran over the events of the last week and couldn't figure out what he would have done to throw things off balance. They had been doing so well since she came home from Rome, or at least he thought they were.

Tris is frustrated about her overall performance in the game, taking a loss to the Washington Mystics didn't help her mood either. She knows she needs to talk to Tobias but she was still trying to work out exactly what she was feeling.

She puts on her best smile after the game for her media interview being honest that she was having an off day. She and Tobias take Evelyn to the airport for her flight back to Charlotte and o meet Nicole who going to pick up TJ during her layover from a trip to LA.

"Things will get better, Sweetheart. You know you can always call me if you want to talk" Evelyn reassures her as she gives her a hug at the airline check-in area as Nicole and Tobias had off all of TJ's things.

Tris nods and tries to give a forced smile. She was appreciative of her mother in law, she knew she understood where she was coming from but at the end of the day she needed to talk to Tobias, she just wasn't sure what to say just yet. After not sleeping the last two nights, playing like crap, and losing, she just wanted to go home and crawl in bed. The Bulls championship parade was the next day and she knew it was going to be a long day.

Nicole notices that Tris looks put off as Tobias holds TJ, making him laugh as he says goodbye decides to twist the knife a little. Tris did steal her man after all. All of the social media attention the two of them were getting made her sick, she couldn't believe people were praising Tris and Tobias for their relationship, it was such bullshit. She had to admit, Tobias was all into the whole father thing, much more than she expected him to be.

Well if she couldn't beat them on that front, she could defiantly mess with Tris's head she decides with a smirk leaning close to Tobias to give TJ a tickle on his belly. She places her arm around Tobias' waist to press them closer together. Tobias was focused on TJ and not paying any attention to her movements or how close she was to him.

It gut punches Tris, as she watches from a few feet away in the terminal after Evelyn heads off to go through TSA. Tobias gives TJ kisses and he giggles at his father. Nicole is smiling and laughing too.

They look like a perfect family, Do I have to give up my career to have that?

Tris feels like there is a weight on her chest. She knows Tobias loves her without a doubt but was he going to get tired of her putting her career first? Even though they have made amends, its still what broke them up in college. She takes a deep breath and wills away the tears threatening to form.

The more Tobias thought about it, he wasn't sure what to do but he just assumed that Nicole coming to pick up TJ and being around, in general, was what had Tris so off her game, he hoped it would be a smooth exchange and Tris would perk up once they got home and had the house to themselves again. He knew how frustrating things were after you had a crappy game and a loss but he felt like it was more than that bothering her. He had thought about it the ride home, in silence he was starting to feel this way about Nicole.

"Baby are you okay?" Tobias asks after a long silent ride from O'Hare out to Lake Forrest as they walk into the kitchen.

"Tobias, I just need a minute," Tris says quietly as she headed to go upstairs to their bedroom.

She goes into the bathroom, shuts the door, and turns on the water to the huge garden tub but doesn't stop the drain so the tub doesn't fill up, and lets it run while she sits on the cold tile floor leaning against the tub. She lets the tears fall freely now, the sound of the running water growing out the sound of her sobs. On top of the loss and the crappy game she had, she couldn't stop feeling guilty about how much seeing Tobias with TJ made her feel completely inadequate. She thought he was the sweetest child but it was like a knife being twisted in her gut having to see Tobias, Nicole, and TJ together.

She doesn't know how much time passes as she sits there crying with her head down resting on her arms which are against her propped-up knees. She doesn't hear the door softly open as Tobias creeps in. He could tell Tris had been putting on a brave face all day. He knew she was really trying but seeing her like this was almost too much to handle. He turns off the water running from the tub and sits down next to her, not saying anything, and gently pulls her close to him. They sit there on the floor with Tobias holding Tris as she cries while he rubs her back and kisses her forehead. After a while, Tris is all cried out, her eyes burn and her head hurts. She feels mentally exhausted as she sits up and wipes her face, her eyes puffy and red.

"I'm sorry Tris, I hate that I hurt you. I keep trying to make it right" Tobias says quietly. He thinks that he understands, having Nicole around reminds her of everything about their past, and their time apart that was his fault.

"I'm not trying to punish you, Tobias, I just can't help how I'm feeling"

Tris was still a little shaky and she still doesn't know what to say, she was hurt but there wasn't anything anyone could do about it so she just nods as she gets up off the floor her legs a little numb from sitting on the hard floor. She throws water on her face from the sink and wipes it with a towel. She throws off her clothes, grabbing one of Tobias's t-shirts she liked to sleep in, and ties her hair up with her sleep scarf on before crawling into their king-size bed.

Tobias tries to give Tris some space. He looks at the time, it was only 9 pm but he follows suit and gets ready for bed too. He slides into bed behind Tris and wraps his arms around her pulling her to him against his chest. He kisses her shoulder gently wanting to give her some kind of comfort.

"Do you want to talk about it? I'm struggling Tris I don't know what to do here" He whispers trying to be honest.

Tris sighs before formulating her words as she continues to lay on her side and stare at the wall.

"There's nothing you can do Tobias, that's the problem. I asked you to choose me, and you did and….I have to be okay with all of this" Her voice wobbling again and a fresh set of tears threatening to spill from her eyes start to build up.

"Oh Baby, I'm so sorry, I never wanted you to feel this way" Tobias is choked up now. He turns to face him and she immediately wraps her arms around him. She buries her face in his chest and sniffles when he tightens his arms and they tangle their legs together.

After a few minutes, she untangles herself from him and sits up leaning against the headboard with him following to mirror her position.

"Is it something I did today? Or did Nicole say something to you?" Tobias asks curiously. He wanted to make this right. If Nicole did something, so help him he was not going to stand for it.

"No, it's just seeing the three of you makes me very insecure about me and... about us" Tris admits with a bit of hesitancy.

Tobias has a confused look on his face, and Tris covers her face with her hands trying to fight back the tears again.

"Hey, you can talk to me Tris, you are my wife, there isn't anything I wouldn't do to make you happy"

Tris bites her lip, feeling scared to admit her feelings. Tobias sees her hesitating and grabs her hand to give it a squeeze.

"Be Brave, Baby, you can be honest with me,"

"I know, I just get overwhelmed seeing the three of you as a family, I felt left out I guess and it's a reminder that here I am choosing basketball over us"

Tobias sits back stunned, he had no idea Tris was feeling this way. He knew balancing Nicole and TJ was going to be difficult for her and Nicole wasn't making it necessarily easy but he thought things had calmed down over the past six months or so.

Tobias takes a deep breath before he responds, he wanted to get this right, especially since it appears Tris has been holding all this in.

"I know how unfair of me it was to put that choice on you in college but I don't feel like that now. I thought we were doing good, making it work"

"Yeah, but seeing you with Nicole and TJ makes me want a baby, our baby Tobias and I can't."

"Tris, if you want us to have a baby we can, you just say so."

"It's not that simple. What am I going to do? Put a halt on my season? Have to sit out for an entire year, not go back to Italy?"

Tobias feels like a complete idiot for missing that Tris would be upset about that. Of course, she would and of course, she would be worried about him thinking she was choosing basketball over him.

"We can wait to start our family together Tris, You don't have to put this kind of pressure on yourself."

Tris nods, starting to feel better about him understanding where she was coming from but she still didn't think he fully got why she was struggling with her feelings about them expanding their family.

"It's just one more thing that I have to deal with being a professional basketball player and a woman that you don't have to even think about. I already have to work twice as hard as any NBA player, I play half the year in Rome and I still don't get paid half of what you do in a season over there, my WNBA salary is a joke. Even with all of that I love playing, it's all I've ever wanted to do. If I sit out one season to have a baby then what happens? I'm doing so well right now despite my shitty ass game today, I just don't want to give up what I've worked for and…." Tris was breathing hard as she spilled out all of her jumbled thoughts as she started to cry again.

Tobias feels horrible as he puts together all the things that Tris has been holding in and what the situation of him having a child with Nicole has added to what she was already feeling. He pulls her into his lap so he can hold her.

"I'm so sorry Baby" he whispers, placing a kiss on her forehead. "You are one of the best damn basketball players I've ever seen and I hate things are stacked against you like this. It isn't fair, but you are doing it despite everything you've had to overcome"

Even when they were in high school Tris always complained about how she was treated differently because she was a female compared to him playing basketball. Some of it he got, some of it he just assumed it was because his father was an NBA player. But now he finally got it, really and truly. She was a better ballplayer than the majority of the guys he played against. She worked harder than he ever had at trying to improve her game. This was just another thing to add to the list of how she had to navigate life and her career differently.

"I feel horrible for being jealous of a baby, who's innocent in all of this" Tris finally admits. "I'm your wife and I didn't even get the option of naming our first child after my husband, it's just unfair"

"This is my fault Tris, and I'm so sorry Baby" Tobias leans his head back on the headboard in frustration. Part of him wondered if they were ever going to be rid of all the dumbshit he did before they were married.

"No it's not your fault Tobias, You can't help the way the system is set up or I'm jealous that you and Nicole have a child together"

"No I created this dynamic in college, I made you feel that you had to choose between us and basketball. I should have never done that. I'm going to be here, for whatever our future looks like as long as we are together that's all I want. I want you to go for your dreams too "

Tris smiles a little and wipes her face. She snuggles into Tobias. She needed to hear him say that even though she was still unsure of what to do.

"Besides I fully plan on bragging that my wife is the WNBA MVP and being your arm candy at all the red carpet events you'll get invited to. I've been secretly bummed that Caleb got to be your arm candy for the ESPYs"

Tris snorts with laughter while sitting up and putting her hands around Tobias's neck. She had been awarded College Female Athlete of the Year at the ESPYs after her senior year at Dauntless. It was her first red carpet event and she had been mortified to take her brother. She was really looking forward to this year's awards show since Tobias had been nominated.

Tobias wraps his arms around her waist tighter and smiles.

"You really think I can be MVP?" She bites her lip and smiles placing her hands on his shoulders.

For Tris, playing at a high level in high school was somewhat challenging physically, learning to play at the college level was hard physically and mentally but she had done it, even then those who excelled with natural talent stood out. Now playing at the professional level where everyone was just as good was intense especially since she literally played all year round. There were so many legendary players that were MVP, she didn't dare be as so cocky as to put herself in that category.

"Of course I do Tris, you are the real deal, you've always been the best ballplayer I knew. We'll have a baby when the time is right for us and I'll be on the sidelines with a diaper bag and one of those things that straps our kid to my chest cheering you on when you and the Sky win a championship"

Tris chuckles, Tobias had really done so much to show her he was all in with her and she knew he wanted to do everything in his power to make her happy.

Tobias leaves a kiss on her shoulder and slides his hand under her t-shirt to cup her breasts. Tris sighs. She always reacted instantly to Tobias when he touched her.

"What are you doing?" Tris breathes out as her body reacted to his hands on her. His touch was electrifying. She was just a blithering mess a little while ago and being in his arms, was already making her feel like they were the only two people in the world.

"I think you need a reminder of how perfect you are," Tobias says as he squeezes her breast and moves his mouth to hers.

Tris surrenders, forgetting all her fears and insecurities as Tobias worships her body. She needed to feel close to him, for him to make her feel confident and wanted. And that's exactly what he did.

The crowd is insane at the victory parade to celebrate the Bulls winning the championship the following day. Tris and Tobias talked some more and she was feeling better after her meltdown. Tobias made her promise to tell him if she was feeling insecure again, no matter what. She could tell he was nervous about letting his excitement show

There's a huge double-decker bus for all the players and their families to ride through the city on. It was a sea of red and black for all the players and their families. Thankfully Tris doesn't have a game so she can participate which made her so happy. Uriah holds the Larry O'Brien trophy like it's a child for several photos which makes everyone laugh. It's the most insane thing any of them had ever experienced, Their celebration parades in Atlanta when they won the NCAA championship was nowhere this large. The fans literally cheered and screamed for them at every point as they waved from the open top of the bus as it winded its way through downtown Chicago.

Uriah had been waiting for the perfect moment to propose to Christina, and things were just so crazy he figured he would go with it. He had pulled Tris and Tobias aside earlier to let them know his plans and they would be ready. Tris and Tobias grin and they pull out their phones and start live streaming when Uriah gives them the signal. Uriah grabs Christina's hand as he goes down on one knee. Everyone else on the bus goes crazy. The Bulls' social media coordinator was on board too and quickly started catching the moment on the Bulls' live feed too.

"Chris, what do you say? Will you marry me?" Uriah has to practically yell.

"Yes, Yes!" Christina squeals as Uriah stands up and slides the large 3-carat emerald-cut diamond onto her finger.

"Awwwww, I'm so happy for my bestie and my bro" Tris narrates for her IG followers who are chiming in.

"Chris, show us the ring!" Tris demands looking at the comments.

Christina was crying but smiling from ear to ear as she holds her left hand out toward Tris's phone as Uriah wraps his arms around Christina's waist and kisses her cheek.

"I'm happy for my best friend and his girl, but this woman right here, That's my heart" Tobias narrates as he pans his camera from Christina showing off her ring to Tris smiling.

Tris looks over and sees Tobias is pointing his camera at her talking and she blushes.

"Stop it," she says playfully as she grins at him but still puckering her lips and blowing him a kiss.

Having her with him at this moment makes it that much better. He never wanted to see her like she was the night before. She looked so free and happy, he would do whatever he needed to do to make her happy.

Over the summer with Tobias's outstanding performance in the NBA finals, Zeke negotiates a 4-year 80 million dollar contract for Tobias with the Bulls. He was committed to staying in Chicago with Tris and he had made that very clear to the front office. He had focused and worked hard and his game had improved greatly to where he was consistently scoring 20 or more points a game. Tris had just resigned with the Sky for another 4 years too. It helps Tris and Tobias breathe a little easier knowing their future was secure in Chicago for the time being. Zeke is also able to negotiate large endorsement deals with Adidas and Powerade for Tris and Tobias which helps them work their investments better. Tris and Tobias are both excited about getting to design their own sneakers and athletic wear pieces. There are commercial and print ad shoots weaved in between Tris's games and TJ coming for another visit but they enjoy every minute.

"So Mar, when are you and Caleb going to make things official?" Christina teases as she tries on wedding dresses. Marlene had flown in to spend the weekend while Natalie kept Kai so she could have some fun and time to herself and she and Tris were looking at bridesmaid's dresses.

"I don't know, he knows I'm not into the whole traditional thing especially since we already have Kai. We'll get around to it. Hell, we might have another baby first" Marlene shrugs.

"You trying to tell us you're pregnant?" Christina pushes with a grin as she turns around on the platform. Chistina was on her 3rd dress and was torn between it and the 1st one she tried on.

"Ha, no, we've talked about it though, we know we want more kids for sure, it's just a matter of when"

"You okay Chica?" Christina asks Tris noticing she had been quiet and not really into the conversation like she normally would be.

Tris had been a little lost in thought that afternoon. She shakes her head, she cherished her time with Chris and Marlene since it didn't happen often. The only thing missing was Lynn being there.

"Yeah, I'm just not ready to go to back to Rome. I'm missing so much, you and Uriah can't even pick a wedding date because of me" she sighs with the frustration evident in her voice.

Christina and Uriah had spent a week in the Dominican Republic over the summer. Tris wanted to go so bad, she hadn't been to the Caribbean since her senior class trip because of her playing schedule. She didn't think she and Tobias would be able to take a vacation like that ever because of their overlapping seasons. He had felt bad and surprised her when she got home from her road trip to New York by decorating the backyard like a Caribbean island, having someone bring drinks in pineapples for her, and making a pretend beach with some white sand and the sound of waves piped in. It was so cute and thoughtful.

"I"m sorry Tris," Marlene offers not really knowing what to say.

"Maybe you should think about taking a Euro season off" Christina frowns.

She knew how difficult things had been for Tris overseas. She missed her and Lynn, there was no amount of facetime and texts that could make up for spending time with friends and family in person. She knows how hard it was when she and Uriah were long distance but it wasn't the same as what Tris was going through. She literally had no idea how Tris and Lynn were still standing playing literally all year round either.

Tris sighs, "Maybe" She needed to figure something out.

Zeke blows out a breath as he walks into his condo tossing his keys in the bowl. He had a productive day but he was tired and he really hoped Shauna was up for just ordering pizza for dinner if she hadn't cooked.

He loosens his tie as he walks to the bedroom and stops as soon as he walks in. There was Shauna zipping up her large suitcase. She looks up when she sees him enter the room and wipes tears from her eyes.

"What's going on?" Zeke takes in that her two smaller suitcases are already sitting at the end of the bed.

"I can't do this anymore Zeke," She says quietly folding her arms across her chest.

"What do you mean, what am I missing here Babe"

"Zeke, you and I both know that you aren't really in this, I deserve better than this"

Zeke puts one hand on his hip and wipes the other down his face in frustration.

"Shauna, how can you say that, I asked you to move in with me, I know I work a lot but I thought were heading in the right direction"

Shauna sits on the bed next to her suitcase. She hadn't come to this decision lightly. She loved Zeke, more than anything but she couldn't lie to herself anymore that he was still in love with Tris.

"Zeke please don't bullshit me anymore, I can't deal with it. You're still in love with Tris. You put on a good front but I can't keep doing this." Tears spill from her eyes as she gets up pulling her suitcase down to the floor.

"I..Shauna...I love you..." Zeke was frustrated.

"I deserve to be the one you put first not second"

"You want me to give up Tris is my client, what am I supposed to do?"

"Zeke this isn't about you spending time with her or her being her client, it's about the minute you think she's in distress you jumping in to save her. Tris is upset about something and the first thing you do is hop on a plane to Chicago or Rome."

"You've gone with me to Rome, how is this about me rescuing Tris!" Zeke defends as he pinches the bridge of his nose with his fingers.

"So a trip to Rome for me is a consolation prize? You don't drop everything to head to Seattle to see about Lynn every god damn month" Shauna fires back now. She was done coddling Zeke about this.

"So that's it you're just leaving and we're done?"

"I think we need some time apart, you need to sort out your feelings. You can't keep pretending that you don't still have feelings for her."

"Where are you going?" Shauna had a job working at Dauntless in the Athletic Department coordinating housing for all the student-athletes.

"To one of the family units on campus until I can find an apartment"

"Shauna, please don't do this..." Zeke pleads one last time.

"I'm not saying we're completely over but you if want us to move forward, I need to be it for you Zeke, not your second choice because Tris doesn't love you like you love her"

Shauna doesn't say another word as she grabs her luggage. Zeke flinches when the front door closes behind her. He looks at the open closet door with Shauna's things missing from her side of the closet feeling completely defeated.