Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Twilight or Divergent. Those rights are reserved for Stephanie Myer and Veronica Roth.
Writer's note: Thank you Sassy, Goddess, Roxhall, Hufflepuff, and Navywife for your reviews! Seems like the bad guys are getting taken out one by one, who will be next. *smiles* As always, I appreciate all of you, I will attempt a third update later today. Hope everyone is enjoying their Friday! Don't forget to follow, favorite, and review!
The news of Max spread like wildfire. There were people that were happy he was dead, and others that were not bothered by it whatsoever. Eric's life got busier. Max handled a lot of the administrative tasks, so he was tied to a desk most of the time, and that just wasn't Eric.
For now, he was standing in the pit, the board updated to reflect the loss of Lukas. It had been a week since the deaths, and training had to continue on. The search for the "shooter" stopped and focus shifted. Which is what Eric needed and wanted to happen. His chest was healing, but he was still having some weakness in his left arm, which concerned him, but he didn't let anyone know that his arm was weak. Not even Bella.
"Today you're going to face your fears in a simulation. We call these your fear landscapes. You may have one fear, or you may have a hundred. This will take all day. We're going in order of the board, so if you're at the bottom, well… that's just tough." Eric said his speech. "To hurry the landscapes along, I'll do half and Four will do half. I don't want to hear any complaints, or whining. If you're gonna whine, then you'll be running until you puke. Am I clear?"
There was a choir of yes sirs, and then Four nodded. "Andrew." He said and went to the simulation room they set up.
Eric looked at the board. "Demetri." He called out and Demetri followed Eric.
Bella blew out a breath and looked at Tris. "How many fears do you think you have?"
"Hopefully not a lot." Tris said with a slight laugh. "How are you feeling? You had broken ribs."
"They're fine." Bella said and then she pulled her shirt up.
"Oh, a new tattoo, I haven't seen it yet." Tris said and inspected it. "It's amazing."
Will and Christina moved to look at it, and so did Jasper and Al. "Wow, that looked painful." Will commented.
"Not so much. I had my ribs broke, so nothing can really top that right?" Bella said with a smile. All week, her and Eric hadn't really seen each other, not since the night he shot Max, so she was itching to just be alone with him, but he was incredibly busy, and snappier than usual. She was worried about him.
Bella focused on physical fitness while she waited, and the others followed suit, it was the only thing that seemed to pass the time by steadily.
Eric opened the door and Jasper came out. He looked okay for the most part. "Bella." He called her name, and she got up from the door from doing sit-ups and went to Eric. He shut the door behind him, and then looked at her side. "You got a tattoo. I didn't notice before." He murmured.
"I got it the night Max was killed." Bella said and looked at him. "Are you okay?"
"I'm okay. Just… I miss you." Eric said and leaned in and kissed her softly.
Bella smiled, kissing him back. "I missed you too. But I'm here for my landscape."
"Right." Eric said and kissed her again, before he moved to the console, and he took out a syringe. "Relax, and breathe. I'll be able to see what's going on in your head on my monitor." He said and he injected her, before hooking her up to the machine.
"This will be embarrassing." Bella muttered, and closed her eyes. She felt her body become heavy, and then she was there in Dauntless. She looked around, getting a feel for the area, and what was going on. She heard Tris' voice calling to her, and so she went towards the sound. "Tris?"
"Bella!"
Bella rushed towards Tris. She was tied up to a chair. "What happened?"
"Peter."
Bella looked around, and when she turned, she got blindsided by Peter. She went into hand to hand with Peter.
"You don't belong and neither does she." Peter growled as he fought her. When she pushed him back, he pulled a gun and pointed it at Tris.
Bella knocked the gun away, and they went back to fighting. Bella swung her leg around, kicking Peter backwards.
"Bella! It burns!" Tris cried out.
Bella glanced to Tris, and suddenly there was fire surrounding her. The distraction gave Peter enough time to take his knife from his belt and stab at Bella. She got hit in her side, and she growled, twisting at his wrist, and snapping it, making him release the knife. She pulled it from her side, and she went towards Tris, the fire lapping, making Bella shield her face. She took a breath, and she used the knife to reach through the flames, the fire burning her skin, and she cut at Tris' ropes, setting her free. Tris collapsed to Bella, and Bella's arms went around her friend, and she hugged her, closing her eyes, her breathing ragged. She knew this was a simulation, but it felt real.
When she opened her eyes, the landscape changed. She was back in Abnegation. She blinked looking around. She was confused, but she walked forward, trying to figure out what was going on. There were no people it seemed. She kept walking until she saw her mom. She stopped, frowning. "Mom?"
Her mom turned and looked around for her. "Bella? Bella, where are you?"
"Mom, I'm here!" Bella called out and ran towards her mom, but it was like she wasn't going anywhere. Every time she got close; she was back at the beginning again. She stopped running, looking around. "Mom?"
"Bella, Bella where are you!"
Bella shook her head. "Mom!" She yelled louder. That seemed to get her mom's attention because her mom walked towards her now. When she got close, the sky started to turn dark, and the ground shook. The world tilted it seemed, and Bella's mom was falling backwards now. Bella rushed towards her mom, missing grabbing her hand.
"Bella!" Her mom called to her as she started falling over the side of the world. It was like Abnegation was ripped up straight into the sky. Bella looked around, looking for something to use, she saw rope and she grabbed it up quickly. She ran towards the edge, looping the rope around a concrete post, tying her knot quickly, and then she ran with the rope in her hand, and she propelled herself over the edge of Abnegation, sliding with the rope, her hands taking the damage and she caught her mom. Her mom hugged her tight as she quaked from the sudden fall.
"I got you." Bella said, her breathing heavy. Her hands hurt, but she saved her mom. She saved her and that's what mattered. She took a deep breath and when she blinked, she was somewhere different. She looked around seeing the dim lit room. She wasn't sure where she was, and that bothered her. She very carefully walked forward, not sure what would happen. She steadied her breathing, so her heart rate wouldn't jump around. She walked into another room, and then she saw Eric, laying on the ground. She rushed to his side, kneeling beside him. "Eric!" She called his name, and shook him. He didn't respond. "No, no, no, no, no. Please wake up." Bella shook him again.
"Bella." Eric croaked.
"Oh, thank god." Bella said, looking him over. "Where is it hurt?" She asked, but he didn't get a chance to answer her, when the room shut tight, and a fog started filling the room. She looked around, seeing glass now, like a window, and then Tris was trapped on the other side. Her room was filling with gas too. "What?" She looked around.
Eric reached a hand up, capturing hers. "Bella, you have to choose."
"No, I can't do that. Eric, I can't choose."
"You have to."
Bella looked at him, his eyes were in pain, and then she looked at her best friend through the glass, panicking as the room filled. She was certain that the gas was poisonous. She cursed, pulling her shirt off, and searching for the vents that the gas was being funneled in at. She pinpointed the location, and she stuffed her shirt in the vent, coughing a little as the gas hit her in the face. She rushed back to Eric. "Come on, get up Eric, you can do it." She said, pulling him to a sitting position.
"You're not going to save us both. You have to choose." Eric said, his steel eyes looking at her.
Bella stared back at him. "I…" She shook her head. She didn't want to choose. "Dammit." She cursed, and she continued to help him up. "Stand up Eric."
Eric pushed to his feet, wobbling. The gas was still leaking into the room, and he coughed a little. Bella looked back at Tris, seeing her panicked face, and it pained her inside. Bella looked at Eric and then she pulled his shirt off over his head. She let go of him and he wobbled a little, but she went to stuff his shirt in the other vent. She looked around, seeing the door. She had to get it open.
"You have to choose." Eric repeated.
"Fuck." Bella said, when more gas found a way in. She looked around finding something solid and she threw it against the glass that was in Tris' room, but it bounced off. The glass wouldn't shatter. The door was the only way. There was a door to Tris's room, and one out of this room. She looked back at Eric, who stood there, staring at her.
"Choose. "
"Dammit. Eric, I choose you." She breathed, and went to the door and started working on the lock. It wasn't going to budge. She leaned back and she kicked at the lock. Tris's room was still filling up, and now she couldn't see her friend anymore. Bella closed her eyes, a tear slipping through, but she kicked the door again, and the door flung open. She sighed with relief and turned back to Eric, and pulled him along with her, out of the room. They were in darkness now, and she could hear the roar of her heartbeat, and his breathing.
Suddenly she was sitting up in the simulation chair, her breathing heavy, sweat forming on her head.
Eric's hands were there to steady her, and she flinched, moving away. "Bella, baby, it's me. You're not in a simulation, it's just me." He assured her.
Bella looked at him, and then she flung her arms around him, hugging him tight. He held her back, and he sighed, kissing the top of her head. She knew she was in a simulation. She could tell the difference. There were so many moments she just wanted to tell herself it wasn't real, but she listened to Tori. She did her landscapes like a Dauntless would, or at least she hoped.
"Are you okay?" Eric asked, leaning back to look at her. He reached up, brushing her hair out of her face.
"Yeah… yeah, I'm okay. I'm okay now." Bella murmured.
Eric nodded. "Bella, you have three fears. That's good. It took twenty minutes to get through. Your last fear…"
"Eric, I know. It's going to look bad, isn't it?" Bella asked.
Eric sighed. "It will. You get to practice your fear landscapes until the final. You're supposed to get better at them each time."
"Right."
"The faster you get, the better it is." Eric explained.
"What am I going to do when everyone gets to see what's in my head. God, Tris…"
Eric swallowed. "I don't know. We'll cross those bridges as they come." He said then he leaned in and kissed her. "I love you."
"I love you too." Bella murmured, and closed her eyes. It was exhausting, keeping everything to herself. What if his love was enough to overlook the fact that she was Divergent? Could she take that chance? She leaned back. "I guess I should go."
Eric kissed her again. "Yeah. Come to my room tonight, I'll make time, for us. I promise."
Bella nodded. "Okay." She said and then she got up. Eric took the simulation pads off her chest, and neck. "I love you."
Eric smiled. "I know." He said and kissed her one last time, before she left the room.
Bella joined the others, who were waiting anxiously for her to get back. "Hey."
"So?" Christina asked.
"Three fears." Bella said, blowing out a breath.
"Christina." Eric called out.
Christina smiled at Bella. "My turn. See you guys on the other side." She said and walked towards Eric.
With all the landscapes done, everyone was just exhausted. Bella went to the pit, and she sat on the edge by the catwalk, her legs dangling over the side. She was thinking about her landscapes. She was trying to decipher them. What did all of it mean? She heard footsteps and she glanced up, seeing Four.
"I didn't startle you, did I?" Four asked. Bella shook her head. He came to sit next to her. "You look deep in thought."
"Just trying to figure out my landscapes. What they mean." Bella said.
Four nodded. "Maybe I can help. What was your landscapes like?"
Bella shook her head. "I prefer to keep it in my head for now. Don't need both my instructors knowing everything I'm most vulnerable at."
Four smiled a little. "I'm not like most instructors. I care."
"I know." Bella said. "Which makes you an anomaly here in Dauntless."
"True." Four said with a small laugh.
Bella looked at him. "You laughing, is strange. Why are you so… relaxed?"
Four blew out a breath. "Because I'm here with you alone. I'm not being pressured."
"That's fair." Bella said. "So, you have fears. How was your landscape?"
Four nodded. "Yeah, I run my landscape from time to time to keep me grounded. I have four fears. They're the same four fears. In Dauntless, sometimes fears go away, and sometimes you gain more fears. That is why sometimes the landscapes can be a surprise."
"Eric doesn't have any fears?"
Four shook his head. "No. His landscape was just blank. He's the epitome of what Dauntless is. Which is why he's the leader now. He cares for nothing, and has nothing to lose. A man like that, can be daunting."
Bella thought about that. Eric was fearless, or he used to be. He was afraid of hurting her, and she hated that she had changed him in that way.
"Still thinking?" Four asked.
"Yeah, sorry." Bella said, and blew out a breath, she stood, her pants stretching up when she did, and her Divergent tattoo showed on her ankle.
Four looked at her ankle, seeing the dark ink, and he frowned a little. He didn't say anything, but he stood as well. "Well, you should get some rest."
"In a bit. Too wound up. I'm going to do some exercises first. Thanks for checking on me. I'm fine." Bella said, giving Four a small smile, before she left and went into the training room.
Four let her be. He realized that the reason Bella was so unique, was because she was Divergent. It made more sense. Which meant she had a bigger target on her back. If Eric didn't know what she was yet, he would find out, and then Bella would be killed like all the others. He couldn't let that happen.
Bella worked out for a bit, before she checked the time on her watch. She looked around the training room, before grabbing her shirt and pulling it on. She walked out of the training room, sneaking up to Eric's room. He wasn't there yet, but she knew he was handling Dauntless leader tasks. She pulled her shirt off again, and let it hit the floor. She decided a shower would feel nice while she waited, so she climbed into the shower after getting naked. She hummed a little subconsciously. She turned in the shower, opening her eyes when she heard the door open and shut. Eric paused in the doorway, and leaned against the door frame.
"You are sexy. I could get used to coming back to my room and finding you this way." Eric said, smiling.
"Well, I can't do this every night. Obviously." She said and shut off the water, and he handed her a towel.
Eric smiled. "I wish I could wake up next to you every day."
Bell walked forward, and leaned in and kissed him. "That's the dream, isn't it?"
"Hmm. Yes." Eric said and kissed her, it was slow and deep, and very arousing. They moved to his bed, where he let her lay on her back, completely naked. He pulled his shirt off, his bandage was smaller than it was a week ago, which was good that he was healing up perfectly. He unfastened his pants, smiling at her as he did. "Earlier when I said I missed you… it was an understatement."
"I can tell." Bella said, smiling at him. Eric crawled onto the bed, covering her body with his, his mouth going to hers immediately. His hands brushed over her skin softly, igniting her everywhere he touched.
Bella moaned against his mouth, arching into him as he pleasured her with his mouth on her throat. He traveled down, pausing to kiss over her new tattoo.
He smiled as he paused. "Your new tattoo is interesting."
"It's us."
"Oh?" Eric asked, leaning up further to look up at her. "How so?"
"We're opposites. Like Yin and yang." Bella said then he kissed her tattoo again and moved down, and paused at her naval, kissing her there too.
Eric smiled. "Yin and yang huh?" He murmured, and then moved his mouth to her hip, before his mouth landed on her hot, wet core.
"Eric…" she moaned out softly, as his tongue circled over her. Her hands fisted the sheets as he delved inside her, sending thrills throughout her body. She was getting close, the pressure building inside, and she moaned more as she got closer.
Eric loved to hear her moans; it drove into his brain. It hammered against him, when she rose up, and it cascaded out, he enjoyed the way she vibrated. He leaned up, moving up to her mouth and kissed her as he thrust up inside her, gathering more moans from her. His cock pushed deep inside her, as he shifted to push one of her legs up on his shoulder, to get more access making her moan more. Their hands laced together, and he moved them up above her head as he picked up his pace, pushing into her faster, and harder.
"Yes!" Bella moaned out, her head shifting to the side, and Eric kissed her there, suckling as he pushed deep inside her, before emptying out. He moaned, burying his face in the crook of her neck as he felt the sweet release. The release he had missed for too long.
Both of them were flying high on cloud nine afterwards. Bella lay in his arms, snuggled against him tight. She didn't want to get up. She just wanted to lay with him forever. But she knew that they didn't have those luxuries. "I have to go."
"Stay a little longer." Eric murmured. "I don't know when I'll get to hold you like this again." He murmured.
Bella smiled and leaned up to look down at him. "We'll make time. Remember?"
Eric smiled and reached up, brushing a hand over her face. "I know." He said and they kissed again. "You're so beautiful," he murmured.
Bella blushed a little. "Thank you." She murmured.
Eric smiled and leaned up, kissing her again. They rolled together in the bed, and their passion ignited once more. It was stirring wildly in both of them that they decided, round two was a good idea.