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 Goddess, Munzke, Navywife, and Roxhall for your reviews! I love Eric so much! Jai Parker is one of my favorite actors in Hollywood right now. I hope everyone is doing great! My mother-in-law is still in town and will be here through the weekend, but I'm gonna try and get chapters out to you guys on time! I feel loads better today with my migraine gone! Update, the baby is doing great, and I can now feel him moving around more and more! Thanks so much for all the support, guys! I couldn't do this without all of you! Don't forget to follow, favorite and review!

Bella woke early, looking over at Eric. She fell asleep again, and knew there would be some questions if anyone noticed that she was absent from her bunk. She got up carefully, glancing over at the clock… 4:25am. She got her clothes pulled back on then she left, closing the door behind her silently. She went to the training area and started in on the bags, warming up for the day.

After a few moments, she heard footsteps and she glanced over at Jasper, who was frowning at her. She stopped assaulting the bag and faced towards him. "What's up?"

"Bella…" Jasper started. Bella could tell that his face was pained, and she wasn't sure why.

"Jazz, everything okay?" Bella frowned, going closer to him.

Jasper shook a little and reached out and just pulled her into his arms, hugging her tight. He buried his face on her shoulder, and then he was crying.

Bella's arms went up around him mechanically, still frowning. "Jazz… what's wrong? You don't… you don't cry normally. You can tell me anything you know that…"

"Tris." He managed to choke out when he pulled slightly away from her.

"What about her Jazz, she still asleep in her bunk?"

Jasper shook his head, and just cried more, not able to speak now.

Eric walked in, seeing Bella and Jasper together and he frowned, but then saw the serious look on Bella's face, and that Jasper was crying. "What's going on?" He called out. His palm pilot died, and he was going to his office to change it out, and decided to cut through the training area to see if Bella was training already.

Jasper pulled away from Bella and looked at her. "She's dead Bells." He whispered.

Bella shook her head. "What? That doesn't make sense. Jazz, you shouldn't joke about things like that."

"I'm not." Jasper said, his eyes red. "I…"

Eric walked all the way over then, seeing the panicked look on her face, and neither had answered him. "What is-"

"Tris is dead." Bella repeated, her eyes wide and round as she looked at Jasper, how distraught he was, and how serious he was being. "She's…."

Jasper brought his hands up over his face and ran them over one time. "I should have… I should have stayed up last night. I…" his voice broke.

Eric shook his head. "Are you sure?"

Jasper looked at Eric. "Don't you know anything? Four hasn't contacted you?" His voice shook but was elevated.

Eric looked at Bella. "No."

Bella's eyes started to water. "Um… where did they take her Jazz?"

"Sick bay to process her. Four… he uh, told me I had to go. That I couldn't… I couldn't stay there. I was just going to train, but then I found her. Oh God…" His chest constricted.

Tears slid down his face and he started to crumble, and Eric caught him, pulling him against him hard before easing him down on the ground. Bella was shaking now, and he could see her holding back. Jasper just sobbed on the ground, and Bella was starting to look like she was going to pass out, so Eric reached for her, and she folded into him automatically; the tears flooded worse.

Eric held on to her tight, her face buried in his chest. "Shhh." He soothed. "Bella, hey… please don't cry so hard…." He murmured and refrained from kissing her on the head. "I have to go check with Four."

Bella nodded, taking in some deep breaths to steady herself. She had to be strong, Jasper was a wreck now. She couldn't lose it right now, not now with Eric right here. "Go." She said, her voice strained, and she went to the ground next to Jasper, and pulled him into her arms, and Jasper went to her, and he cried more, while she held him.

Eric's look was grim as he looked at Bella. "I will figure out what happened to Tris. I promise." He said and she nodded, before he left, going to sick bay.

Four was standing there with Jenna, Caius, Maria, and a few other Dauntless when Eric walked in. Four looked up. "You haven't been answering. Your palm pilot went straight through to the voice messaging system."

"It died in the night; I didn't swap them out last night before I finally left to catch some rest." Eric said, his voice calm and level.

Four sighed. "It's a mess."

"What the fuck happened?"

"Jasper Whitlock. He found her like this. She was hung from the catwalk." Four said. "I would say suicide but… she's been… assaulted Eric." Four relayed.

Caius was studying Tris's pale body. "She's a message."

"How?" Eric asked, frowning.

"She was Divergent, yes?" Caius asked, raising a brow.

Eric shook his head. "No, I didn't do her simulation, and she's the last person I would suspect as a Divergent."

Four blew out a breath. "She was. She has a Divergent tattoo. Right on her ribs."

Eric walked over to her body and then pulled her shirt up on the side. The tattoo matched Bella's, and he wondered if Bella and Tris had made a pact. "Hmm. Tell Tori Wu to come to my office. She's tattooing people. Her brother George had been Divergent, perhaps it's time I have a chat with her."

"Someone is killing recruits." Maria chimed in. She was beautiful, her body sculpted perfect, her milky skin a bright glow under her tattoos. Her hair hung to her shoulder in a bronze wave.

"Yeah, and she was Divergent. It wasn't me, was it you Caius?"

Caius shook his head. "I leave the dirty stuff to you Eric. Though dropping Divergents off in the chasm is a signature of yours." He purred.

Eric arched a brow. "I would never assault a woman, even if they were Divergent. It's a pet peeve of mine."

"So, it is." Caius said. "Four?

Four shook his head. "I don't believe the same way you fucks do." He muttered. "I don't give a shit who is what. I'm here to train recruits. That's it."

Eric shook his head. "Send Tori to me. Four, cancel training today. Caius, start questioning recruits. Someone fucking did this if it wasn't any of Dauntless leadership. She wasn't even a god damn target." He muttered and then kicked over a trash can. "Fuck." He cursed, his anger getting to him now.

"Someone's really upset about this." Maria pointed out.

"Of fucking course, I am Maria. Do you think I want recruits dropping each other off into the chasm? What's the point of training them to become Dauntless if they all act like a bunch of cowards and try to take the easy fucking way? I don't need people like that here." Eric roared now.

Caius stepped forward, his arms behind his back. "Perhaps it is the same person who shot you and Max? We never found the shooter."

"Don't you think they would have just shot her?" Four asked and he had a point.

Eric looked at Four and then back at Caius. "I don't know Caius, there were a lot of people that wanted Max dead. Including several of us on Dauntless leadership. Maybe someone wants me dead as well. Maybe, Tris being Divergent had nothing to do with her death. Maybe, there's just an asshole amongst the recruits. I don't want fucking maybes. I want the recruits gathered up and questioned. Now." He barked out the order.

Four nodded. "Yes sir." He muttered and looked at Caius and nodded.

Eric stormed away, going towards his office, the same office that had been Max's. When he got there, he smashed the dead palm pilot against the stone wall, and then ran a hand through his hair. He paced for a little bit before there was soft knock on his door. He opened the door and saw Bella standing there. She looked emotionally drained. He pulled her inside, and then shut the door. "I don't have long Bella; I have someone coming in here for me to question. You need to be in the sleeping quarters while Caius and Four round you all up."

"I know." Bella said. "Eric… Jasper isn't doing good. He loved her."

Eric swallowed. He would likely react way worse if he lost Bella like that. "Baby…" He murmured. "I don't know if I can protect you from everything."

"I know how to handle myself." Bella said softly. "Find who did this to her."

Eric nodded. "Bella… she was Divergent."

Bella frowned and shook her head. "She would have told me… I'm her best friend."

"She had the tattoo. On her ribs. Ask Jasper. Maybe he knew. If they were intimate, he would know about her tattoo, and maybe what it means." Eric said.

Bella nodded. "Okay." She said and then leaned in and kissed him softly. "I love you."

"I love you too… I'm so sorry I broke my promise…. I told you I wouldn't let anything happen to her."

"You didn't. Someone else did." Bella said, and then kissed him one last time, before leaving his office.

Eric blew out a breath. Bella had calmed him down some. He sat down at his desk, and pulled open the drawer and pulled out a charged palm pilot then logged in. He got all Four's messages then. He scrolled through them all, before there was another knock on the door. "Come in." He said gruffly.

Maria opened the door, her hand around Tori's arm tight as she pulled her into the room. "Here you go boss. She's all yours." She said and then left, closing the door back.

Tori looked at Eric, her dark eyes slightly scared of what was about to happen. The death of Tris already made it through Dauntless. "Sir?"

Eric was quiet a moment, before he set the palm pilot down on his desk. His steel eyes looked up at her. "Sit."

Tori swallowed and sat down hesitantly. "What can I do for you?"

"Three years ago, your brother died." Eric started.

"Yes…"

Eric nodded. "You know why he died."

"I do."

Eric was quiet again. "I killed your brother Tori." He said and stood.

"I know." Tori said, her voice quiet.

"Your brother was Divergent, which means you know who all is Divergent."

"I would never tell you- "

"Shut up. I don't want you to tell me. The less people that know who is who, the better."

Tori looked at Eric shocked.

"I'm going to tell you something, and I want you to vow something."

Tori didn't know what he needed or wanted, but she did want to know what he was up to. She felt like maybe he was trying to trick her. "Okay."

"What I tell you will not leave this room, or you will end up in the chasm like your brother, is that clear?"

Tori nodded.

Eric believed that she would keep her mouth shut. "Tris didn't commit suicide, stomp out all those rumors. She was killed, horribly. She was raped and then killed, before being hung from the catwalk. She had a tattoo… a tattoo I know for a fact, you gave her."

"I don't know what-"

"Don't." Eric cut her off. "A tattoo I recognize because George had the same tattoo. It's the Divergent tattoo. Now, I can't confirm if Tris was Divergent. I didn't do her simulation tests, but you did her aptitude test, and according to her file, you overrode her result manually."

Tori was nervous now. "I did."

"You overrode Bella Swan's as well." Eric said. "Bella has a Divergent tattoo on the inside of her right ankle."

"Eric, I- "

Eric interrupted her again. "I don't care. I don't care who you tattoo with this mark whether they're Divergent, or a Divergent supporter. What I care about, is finding out who killed Tris, and put an end to them before they do more damage."

"Okay." Tori said, not sure she was following. "What does Bella have to do with this?"

"I'm protecting Bella, Tori. There's nothing I would not do, to keep her safe." Eric said, his eyes serious, as was his voice.

Tori studied Eric, and realization hit her. "You're in love with Bella."

Eric didn't say anything. "It's clear why it's secret." He said. "She's a recruit…"

"I get it." Tori said. "You're being serious? Do you want to protect all Divergents?"

Eric blew out a breath. "I want to stop what's going to happen in three weeks. Because it will not only hurt Bella, but because… I've had a change of heart."

"Because of Bella."

"Because of Bella." Eric nodded his agreement. "You don't have to like me or trust me. But you do have to listen to me. Bella is special, I would die for her, and almost did." He said.

"You were shot…" Tori murmured.

Eric nodded. "Yes."

"I wasn't sure if that was real or not." Tori said and then nodded. "Okay, if you're serious about protecting Divergents and joining the cause. Then let me tattoo you."

Eric raised a brow. "You want to mark me with the Divergent tattoo?"

"I do." Tori said, her chin held up high now, her voice being assertive.

Eric thought about it. "Alright. I'll do it. I have an empty spot on my chest anyways." He said, and then reached into his pocket and pulled out a key and opened the top drawer on the desk. He had moved the flash drive from his room to this top drawer. He took it, and held it a moment. "To give you leverage… this is a thumb drive. Has the orders on it that I received from Jeanine Matthews to eliminate George Wu." He said and tossed it to her.

Tori caught it and stared at it; her mouth open. Tears pricked her eyes and she pushed them away. "I knew it…"

"And now you have the proof." Eric said. "I said I'd do anything to protect Bella… I meant it. Can I trust and count on you?"

Tori nodded and looked up at him. "You can. What is it you need me to do?"

"I need you, to admit that you tattooed Tris Prior with the Divergent tattoo because she saw it and thought it looked neat. That she wasn't Divergent."

"Done." Tori said quickly.

Eric slid a piece of paper across to her. "Write it down." He said while handing her a pen.

Tori took it and wrote out the statement, before pushing it across the desk to Eric. "Anything else?"

"Yes, I'll be by much later when the shop closes to get the tattoo done." Eric said and stood. "Now, go." He said and motioned to the door.

Tori bowed slightly and left, amazed at the turn of events.