Happy Sunday! Thank you so much for your support on this story as we go through the final three chapters! I'm in the lab working on the next story that will start in November! Hope you enjoy this chapter!


"Are you sure I look okay?" Tris asks nervously looking in the mirror.

She opted for a mustard-colored sweater that hugged her torso but fell off one shoulder. Her dark jeans hugged her hips, and she added a pair of brown riding boots. She spent an hour detangling and styling her curls that morning.

Tris had moved into his place three months ago and Tobias had never been happier. They spent most Sundays when they were off shift with Andrew and his family and video chatted with Natalie and Ramon who had just spent two weeks in Chicago for Caleb and Marlene's wedding and to spend time with Tris and Tobias before heading to Atlanta for a week to check on the cleaning business and see some friends. Tobias wanted Tris to get to know his parents better and had arranged for them to have lunch with Marcus and Evelyn.

"You look perfect," Tobias responds, sliding his arms around her waist. "Why are you so nervous?"

"I don't know, when I've seen your father around the firehouse, he can seem kind of intimidating. I only met your mother in that brief moment when you were in the hospital. I just want to make a good impression"

"I have full confidence you can handle my parents"

He gives her a kiss on the cheek and then pulls away to go grab his coat. Even though things were getting better with her father and her mother and Ramon adored Tobias she wanted to make a good impression.

Tris takes in the home Tobias grew up in as she walks through the door. She smiles at the picture of Tobias in the living room with his two front teeth missing.

"I believe you've met my father a few times," Tobias says.

"Good to see you again" Tris smiles at Marcus shaking his hand. "Come on and let's go ahead and sit down for lunch"

Tris feels her nerves dissipate a little as they sit down at the table. Things remind her a bit of how Jeanine likes to keep things, everything in their proper place.

"It's great to see you again," Evelyn says as she sets down the last of the meal she prepared on the dining room table. "I didn't realize you were the same woman from the hospital, I had just assumed… well you're awfully pretty," Evelyn tells her.

"Thank you, Ma'am," Tris tells her as she scoops out some of the chicken onto her plate. Lord, if this didn't look like the same type of thing Jeanine would serve.

"It does seem as though Tris here is an excellent firefighter" Marcus praises and Tris shifts in her seat smiling.

"Tobias said you were Latina, you speak English so well," Evelyn says, trying to put an accent on Latina and waving off her son as she sits down and passes the dish of potatoes au gratin to Marcus.

"Mother" Tobias says with a warning tone as he furrows his eyes. His parents were very conservative, he hoped that they didn't go off the rails, but it had only been five minutes and Tobias was already embarrassed. "You met Tris already, in the hospital at Chicago Med after the explosion, you know she speaks English"

"My mother is Latina, and my father is Black, so yes I identify as Afro-Latina," Tris clarifies trying not to roll her eyes at the comment.

"Oh, Tobias told me you spoke Spanish" Evelyn remarks taking a bite of her food.

"I do, I was born in Chicago; English is my first language, but I grew up speaking Spanish at home with my mother, I've been trying to give Tobias lessons"

Tobias smiles, he was getting a little better at some things. He understands increasingly more from being around Tris, Caleb, and Marlene so much. He even found himself getting into the telenovelas Tris loved to watch and was able to follow the storylines now.

"Do you go to Mexico often?" Evelyn asks.

Tobias chokes on his drink at his mother's comment.

"I'm not Mexican, my mother is from the Dominican Republic, she actually recently just moved back there" Tris could feel her annoyance level rising with this woman and her comments.

"Oh, she wasn't deported was she, what a shame," Eveyln says completely oblivious that Tris was becoming visibly upset.

Tobias curses under his breath at how offensive his mother was.

"Excuse me?" Tris asks, not believing her ears. Was this lunch just going to be one racist comment after another?

"Mom, what the hell?" Tobias interjects.

"I was just asking, my goodness" Evelyn huffs "You know those people just come here undocumented and we as taxpayers end up paying for everything for them."

"Those people," Tris scoffs.

Tobias starts to bounce his leg. He knew his parents were set in their ways, but this was getting out of control. He looked over at Tris and could see her trying to keep from exploding. This lunch could not end fast enough.

"See this is the problem with you people, you get offended about everything, I was simply asking a question" Evelyn snaps putting her fork down.

"Yes, a racist question" Tris snaps back gripping her fork in her hand.

"You're calling my wife a racist" Marcus booms.

"No, I said she made a racist statement. There's a difference," Tris clarifies placing her fork down.

"We can never make you people happy; I just don't understand it." Evelyn huffs.

Tris rolls her tongue over the back of her teeth. She was about to lose it. She abruptly stands up from her seat. This had been a disaster and she wasn't going to sit here and listen to anything else.

"Thank you for the meal. I would say I hope to see you again, but that would be a lie. Tobias, I'll see you at home" She gets up to grab her purse and coat. It was snowing heavily outside but she could not bring herself to stay in that house another minute.

"Well, I never" Evelyn huffs.

"Tris, wait" Tobias calls but she continues out the door.

Tris pulls out her phone and quickly looks for an Uber, she hopes that with the weather that it won't be too long of a wait. She groans out of frustration when she sees the nearest car was 15 minutes away.

"Can you blame her, Mom, you were out of line!" Tobias practically yells.

"Out of line! I can't help it if she got offended" Evelyn shrugs.

Tobias shakes his head as he gets up from the table.

"Tobias, you need to ease up on your mother," Marcus says as he throws his napkin down on the table.

"No, I don't, I'm not going to lie, I lived in this bubble of privilege with you two here. Then I met Zeke and Shauna and started to see that I had no idea what it was like for someone who didn't look like me. When I met Tris, she opened my eyes even more"

"So, you're one of the liberal woke people who think everything is about race now" Evelyn yells as she follows Tobias to the living room as he puts on his coat.

Tris is standing by the window on the porch since the snow was steadily coming down. She can hear every word Tobias is yelling at his parents when they move into the living room.

"Tris is the love of my life and the woman I'm going to marry. When we have babies, they are going to be people of color who speak Spanish and English. And believe me when I say you will never lay eyes on them if you don't realize that you need to learn to accept that your hateful beliefs and privilege are what's wrong with the world" Tobias yells back.

He doesn't say another word but puts on his coat and grabs his keys. He slams the door forcefully causing Tris to jump when he does.

"Tobias, I'm sorry, but I can't stay here. I called an Uber, stay as long as you want, and I'll see you when you get home" she says slowly.

"I don't expect you to stay here and put up with that, no need to call an Uber, we're leaving right now"

He grabs her hand, and they walk as quickly as they can out to his car in the driveway/ The newly fallen snow crunches underneath their feet as they walk out on the street to the Mustang.

Tris cancels the Uber as soon as she gets buckled in, wincing at the cancellation charge. Tobias turns the heat up hoping to get Tris warm as he sees her shivering a bit from standing out in the cold. They don't speak as Tobias navigates down the street and Tris peers out at the houses out the passenger side window. She was so angry she could feel it radiating through her body. Tears fill her eyes. She wanted to hit something, scream, something to let out her frustration.

Tobias looks over when he stops at a red light and sees Tris fighting back tears and her jaw clenched. He grabs her hand and brings it to his mouth kissing her knuckles.

"Baby, it's just me here, you can let yourself be in pain. I know you're upset. You can let it out"

Tris nods as the tears automatically start to fall at his words. Tobias carefully continues to hold her hand, while driving with care.

"It's not that I haven't experienced racism before. Hell, I halfway expect it in some situations. But damn, it doesn't get easier"

Tobias doesn't speak, he just listens.

"Why do people think that it's okay to just say hateful shit, and think that I'm just supposed to sit back and smile?"

She sniffles and wipes her tears.

"I wanted today to go so well, and now your parents hate me, just fucking great" Tris throws her head back against the headrest.

"Tris they had no right, I'm not okay with any of that. I know I have a limited view of things and you've taught me so much and I still have so much to learn, but I'm going to fight for what's right. No more hiding behind my privilege"

Tris sniffles and smiles at his words. Tobias had really been committed to expanding his views since they had been together. Tris had been proud of him for doing the work, reading books, and stepping up at the Firehouse on issues of diversity.

Tobias pulls into an empty parking spot in front of their townhouse and puts the car in park and stops the engine.

"I don't want to come between you and your parents, Tobias"

Tobias grabs her hand again. She had opened up to him about how Nita chose her parents over Tris. He could see how she would be taking this situation; the issue was just focused on her heritage rather than her sexual identity.

"Tris, I'll always choose you. No one, not even my parents, is going to change that. I promise you that"

She smiles, and she realizes his actions were showing that. Nita didn't stand up to her parents for her.

"Come on, this snow is really picking up. Let's get inside and we can cuddle on the couch and watch a movie"

"That sounds good, I feel like I'm emotionally exhausted right now" She admits. "I'm so glad we went grocery shopping after shift this morning and you already salted the driveway."

They walk up the walkway to the townhouse together and Tris stops dead in her tracks, the fur-lined hood of her coat pulled over her head. The snow was swirling as she looked at Tobias walk up the walkway and he stopped to unlock the front door.

"Tobias…"

She had been running the afternoon through her head, she knew she shouldn't, but she was still pissed off and she remembers hearing what Tobias said before he walked out the door of his parent's home while she was standing on the porch. All of a sudden, the anger leaves her, and nervousness fills her body. Did he mean what he said? Or was he trying to piss off his parents? She wanted him to mean it. She loved him, and she didn't want anyone but him.

"What's wrong Baby?" he asks as he turns around and sees her just standing there.

"You told your parents you were going to marry me, and we were going to have babies…"

Tobias grins as he sees her blinking and the look of shock on her face. He hadn't realized she heard that part of his rant at his parents. He was just so angry, it came out. It wasn't that he didn't mean it, he'd thought about it, and it was true. Tris is all he wanted, to build a life with her, a family.

"It's true, I want to marry you and spend the rest of my life with you" He admits as he walks back to her.

He stops right in front of her and even though she still had a dazed look on her face there was a slight smile tugging at the corner of her lips. Right there on the walkway with the snow coming down, Tobias goes down on one knee.

"You belong with me, and I want you, for the rest of our life. I want us to have kids and I want to help you teach them to speak Spanish and how to bachata and about Juneteenth and the importance of Black History Month"

Tris feels the tears start to build again as Tobias speaks. He wanted to enrich their children in her culture, and not just let her do it, he wanted to be a part of it.

Tobias takes a deep breath and grabs both her hands. The snow was wet and soaking through his jeans as he continued to kneel on the ground, but he didn't care. He hadn't planned to do it this way, but he just went with it.

"Marry me Tris Prior"

"Hell Yes, I will, Tobias Eaton! I will! " She squeals. As soon as she gets the words out Tobias leaps up and lifts her in the air.

Tris lowers her lips to his and kisses him hungrily, the snow and the cold are forgotten at the moment. When she finally pulls back Tobias lowers her back down to the ground only to quickly pick her up again bridal style as she squeals with delight.

Tris and Tobias hole up together as the snow barrels down on Chicago and they have an entire day to do nothing but make love until they reported to shift again.

Tris pulls the quilt on the sofa around her body intent on getting something to drink.

Tobias playfully pulls the quilt causing Tris to fall back onto the couch into his arms.

"You have to let me up sometime, I'm hungry" she laughs as his hands move over her naked body.

"I wish we didn't have shift tomorrow" He groans against her neck as he places light kisses.

"This has been nice," she admits before they start kissing again. Things had been so cozy.

"Should we go look for a ring for you?" Tobias asks between kisses.

"I don't need any of that, I just need you," Tris tells him with a soft smile

"Everything we need is right here," Tobias says, looking into her eyes as he pulls back.

"Everything we need" she repeats with a smile before kissing him again.


"Hey Chief, do you mind if I do the cleaning assignment for this month during morning announcements?" Tobias asks Max as they make their way to the briefing room.

"Sure," Max says. Tobias looked like he was floating, he wondered what was up.

"Okay everybody, I have the cleaning assignments for this month. Rameriez, you are on trash duty"

Fernando groans and everyone chuckles.

"Barnes, and Porter, you two are bathroom, Rig washing - Newhouse, Vega, Collins, and Cater"

Everyone nods as Tobias looks down at his clipboard.

"That leaves lunch duty for …" He pauses for a moment and looks down at his clipboard again then points to Tris "My fiancée"

Tobias grins pointing his clipboard at Tris who was blushing as the room erupted into cheers. Max comes over and slaps Tobias on the back as Marlene and Christina squeal with delight running over to hug Tris.

"Oh my God, when did this happen? I can't believe you haven't said anything" Christina gushes as she pulls away from her hug with Tris.

"A few days ago, I told my mom yesterday so next up was our 51 family," Tris tells her as Marlene goes in for a hug.

"I call planning the bachelor party" Zeke yells as he pulls Tobias into a hug and the rest of the guys let out a cheer.

"Okay, Okay, everyone let's focus and get to work" Max booms with a smile.

As everyone shuffles out of the briefing room, Shauna lags behind and nods her head for Tobias to give her and Tris a minute alone.

"I just wanted to say, I know I haven't been a big supporter of you and Eaton but I'm happy for you two" Shauna tells her after letting out a big breath.

Tris raises her eyebrows in shock as she listens. In the year that she and Tobias had officially been together, she and Shauna still avoided each other even though Shauna and Tobias had made up and were back to normal.

"Umm, thanks," Tris says with a little hesitation.

"Look I know I was the one who drew a hard line with you and gave you a hard time"

Tris nods her head; she and Tobias had a few conversations about Shauna and Tris had resigned herself to just keeping her distance and not forcing anything.

"I know you were just looking out for him, and I made a lot of mistakes, but it was hard for me to figure out my feelings. I can promise you Tobias and I are good; I'm going to spend the rest of my life trying to make him happy"

Shauna can see the love and sincerity in her eyes. This was actually the first time that Shauna considered that Tris was really struggling with how she felt about Tobias and Nita.

"I'm glad he has someone who loves him"

Ambulance 61, Truck 81, Squad 3, Industrial Accident 5419 State Street

"Thanks, Preston" Tris gives her arm a squeeze and they run out the door to respond to the call.


"You ready to do this?" Uriah asks Christina as they walk up to the Main Street Diner. He links his hand with hers and squeezes tight.

Christina doesn't say a word, she just nods her head and squeezes his hand looking down at the engagement ring that was newly positioned on her finger. Christina had finally decided to reach out to her sister once things with her and Uriah were back on track. Uriah had been there for her. Uriah had proposed the week before confessing that he had purchased the ring before the bombing. Christina didn't want to move too fast again considering they had already moved back in with each other, but she could tell Uriah was committed to continuing to work through his issues. She'd even been to a few therapy sessions with him as he wanted to show her how committed he was to learn to live with his PTSD.

She was excited to learn that her sister lived in Washington D. C. and as soon as Christina responded to her messages, Rose hopped on the first flight she could to Chicago to meet her sister.

Uriah holds the door open for her as they step into the diner. Christina feels her heart race as she scans the restaurant. She lets out a gasp when she sees a woman sitting with two young girls and a gentleman. She looked just like Stephanie. Uriah can sense her anxiety and he squeezes her shoulder as she wipes tears from her face.

Rose gets up from the table with a smile and makes her way to Christina and she also has tears in her eyes.

"Oh my God" Christina sobs as they embrace each other. It's a long moment before they let go and both pull back wiping tears from their face.

"I never thought I would actually find you," Christina says with a nervous laugh. "I'm sorry it took me so long to respond"

"We're together now, that's all that matters" Rose smiles through her tears.

Uriah feels a pang of guilt at her words, knowing that she had been overwhelmed and not ready to deal with everything because of him.

"This is my fiancé, Uriah," Christina tells Rose and Uriah smiles offering his hand but chuckles when Rose pulls him into a tight hug. Christina and Rose walk arm in arm down to the table where Rose introduces Uriah and Christina to her husband and her daughters.

Uriah smiles as they all get to know each other. Katrina and Kristen, Rose's daughters who were five, were taken with their aunt, moving to sit on either side of Christina by the time they ordered lunch. They squealed with delight when Christina told them they could sit in the fire truck at 51 if they came by for a visit when she was on shift.

Rose's husband, Andre worked as chief of staff for a congressman from Philadelphia, Rose worked at Howard University in Student Services. Christina felt at ease with both of them and she could tell Andre and Uriah would get along just fine. They venture to a nearby park after lunch to spend some more time together. Andre and Uriah let Rose and Christina have some alone time making sure the girls were occupied while Christina told Rose all about Stephanie's death. Uriah looked over at them sympathetically when he saw Rose crying again while they sat on a park bench.

"She's had it rough, I'm glad she and Rose found each other" Uriah comments as she and Andre watch the girls laugh and giggle taking turns going down the slide.

"Well, it looks like you two were supposed to find each other too," Andre tells him with a smile not missing how Christina and Uriah looked at each other throughout the day.

Uriah wipes the back of his neck and grins. He had no doubt that he and Christina were destined to find each other. All they had been through led them to this point in time together.


"Never have I ever…" Christina looks around the cabin and smirks "Had sex at 51"

"Ugh…Ya'll are ganging up on me on purpose" Tris groans as she takes a drink from her cup as Shauna, Tori, Marlene, and Christina all fall out laughing.

Tris and Tobias were getting married the following week and this little overnight between shifts was the official bachelorette and bachelor weekend.

"Okay, my turn" Shauna announces. "Never have I ever had sex at Dauntless"

"Ugh" Tris groans as she takes a drink and then raises an eyebrow at Tori and Christina.

"Damn Prior…" Tori laughs as she brings her cup down.

"The sinks in the bathroom are at a great height" She giggles feeling the liquor run through her thinking about the time she and Tobias had sex in the bathroom at Dauntless one night when the bar was packed for a Bears Playoff game.

"So are the bar stools" Christina giggles.

"Dawson, I'm surprised at you" Marlene laughs as Christina puts a hand over her face laughing but making a note to tell Uriah maybe he should stop by when she was doing inventory alone again.

"How drunk do you think the guys are right now?" Tori wonders.

"Way drunker than we are" Tris reasons.

"And I bet there are strippers" Christina whines not liking the idea of Uriah looking at another woman's ass.

"Oh, let them have fun" Marlene chuckles as she takes a drink.

Just then there's a knock at the door. Tris furrows her eyebrows wondering who could be at the door.

"Maybe you should answer it Tris" Marlene giggles looking at Tori.

Tris gets up and her eyes go wide when two men, one dressed as a firefighter and the other as a police officer enter.

"Tris Prior, we heard you were in need of assistance from a couple of first responders" The one dressed as a police officer states in a serious tone. Tris rakes her eyes across his body noticing how tight his shirt was against his biceps.

"Well come right on in" Tris grins, as she steps aside.

"Really, you could have warned me" Shauna groans as she rolls her eyes as Tori and Marlene laugh and Christina's mouth falls open.

"Not so fast, you might be in need of medical attention too" A voice calls as a woman with caramel skin and curves for days wearing a tight-fitting nurse outfit that you would find in a Halloween store enters before Tris can close the door.

Shauna looks up as Tori and Marlene grin and Marlene tosses a stack of one-dollar bills to Shauna and Tori changes the music on the portable speaker to accommodate their new guests.

"Come on now, we were going to make sure everyone had fun" Tori waggles her eyebrows as the Firefighter drops his turnout coat and Tori tosses a few dollars at him and he begins to dance. She and Marlene wanted Shauna to feel comfortable but also realized that Tris would enjoy both male and female entertainment.

"Wow" Christina breathes as she takes some money from Marlene's stack as the police officer undoes his belt and drops his pants to reveal a tight-fitting pair of shorts as he sways to the music.

"I'll never underestimate you two again" Shauna yells to Tori and Marlene as she tosses a few dollars from her stack at the nurse as she bends over in front of Tris who grins giving her a slap on the ass and Shauna licks her lips as she watches her move her legs to make her ass jiggle.

"Remind me to let you two plan my bachelorette party!" Christina yells as the friends all laugh together.


"This is a night to remember gentlemen, Tobias Eaton is hanging his jersey in the rafters" Zeke yells holding up his shot glass as Tobias laughs as he joins Zeke in raising his glass.

All the men around them throw back their shots, shaking their heads and groaning as the liquor goes down.

"You think the girls are going to be upset we're at a strip club?" Uriah asks Caleb as Tobias and Zeke plop down next to him on the VIP couch while Fernando, Harrison, and Drew watch the girls swinging on the pole on the stage.

"If I know my wife, she probably hired strippers" Caleb chuckles as he takes another shot and while Zeke and Uriah scowl at the thought of male strippers shaking it in front of Tori and Chris.

"So, Zeke, you're the last one who hasn't hung his jersey up now that Uriah popped the question" Caleb chides as he pats Uriah on the back and Uriah grins.

"I mean I've been off the market for a while, we just haven't made it official" Zeke says pouring another round of shots for all of them.

"I have to say, being off the market isn't so bad" Tobias grins as he raises his glass and the friends toast before downing another shot.

There was a time when he couldn't remember the woman's name who woke up in his bed, now he was excited to wake up to Tris every day for the rest of his life.


A few weeks later Tris and Tobias officially tie the knot. Tris picked a simple wedding dress for the courthouse ceremony. Marlene and Caleb's wedding had been a large affair with Marlene wearing a sleek wedding gown and a big reception where everyone partied all night. Tris and Tobias wanted their ceremony to be low key. The reception at Dauntless was full of their CFD and CPD friends with plenty of drinks and dancing. Their week in the Dominican had been perfect. The private house they rented had a private beach. Tris and Natalie introduced Tobias to their family, Tobias was getting better with his Spanish and enjoyed the big party thrown in their honor. Tobias promised Tris that they would come back to her mother's country every year.

"I can't believe this is real" Tobias whispers as he looks down at Tris as the waves lap at their feet on the beach. Tobias leans down and gives her a kiss. They were leaving in two days and Tobias was enjoying the quiet time as the sun was getting lower in the sky.

"I promised you we would make love on the beach in the Dominican Republic" Tris chuckles and bites her lip running her fingers through the hair on the nape of his neck.

"Yes, you did" he responds as he grinds against her eliciting a moan from his wife.

"Te quiero mucho (I love you so much)" Tris whispers as Tobias wiggles down her bikini bottoms and she pushes down his swim trunks.

"También te amo, esposa (I love you too, wife)" Tobias groans as he pushes into her.

Tris grins as she grips his ass to pull in closer spreading her legs wider. Tobias speaking Spanish to her drove her absolutely wild. They lose themselves in each other on the beach, not caring about the sand, only hearing the waves and the water lapping around them.