Thank you to all you reviewers. This is my attempt at Eric's POV, as requested. In my mind, Eric is more mature than Tris and it seems like it might be a good challenge to try to write his character. Watered down as it might be, I tried. Merry Christmas, here's your gift!

oooo

Eric watched Tris intently, thoroughly bothered that the girl was proving impossible to break.

Not only was she refusing to back down from his rough (and slightly less than practical) physical training, she was picking up the necessary office skills annoyingly well. As part of her training, Tris received a basic course in computers and he had expected her to flop. The Abnegation weren't very technologically gifted, after all.

To his chagrin, Eric found that she typed with moderate speed for a beginner and her responses to a few emails regarding some internal affairs were damn near perfect. He had expected to take an hour to correct her drafts, but it had only taken him ten minutes while he ate dinner to read through and edit what needed to be changed.

She could have originated from Erudite if Eric hadn't known better.

It was really starting to grate on his nerves.

Here he was, waiting for the girl to give up when she was surprisingly perfect for the job- when she kept could keep her mouth shut.

That was the issue, wasn't it?

Did her insubordinate tones and sarcasm really mean she couldn't be a leader? He had been sure it did, because he had been positive that Tris was someone he could never respect.

Sitting across the table in the cafeteria, he eyed her with annoyance rather than finish eating the suddenly unappetizing meatloaf in front of him. He hated the idea that she might be better than he had expected, for that meant he had underestimated her again.

To appease himself, Eric snapped at her for a few grammatical errors that were really very minor, but he couldn't find anything else to berate her for on her work.

She apologized, not even bothering to sound upset about his sharp words.

"I'm going to get a slice of cake after all," she told him, standing from the table suddenly and heading to the line.

Eric shook his head in disbelief, hating how she blew him off so easily when he had been trying so hard to get under her skin.

From the corner of his eye, he saw movement in Tris' direction and his lip curled with an instant and unavoidable disdain.

Since Four worked midnights in the control room now that initiation was over, Eric had considered himself lucky not to see too much of the other man, but he couldn't stay lucky forever.

Four moved towards the line with purpose and it was easy to see what his purpose was. It was always plain to see, for anyone who cared enough to look. Whenever Tris was around, Four's attention was focused on her. It was part of the reason the rumor mill flowed so freely where the two of them were concerned.

He felt slightly queasy now, watching the two Stiffs make eyes at each other and he had to restrain himself from going to retrieve his initiate.

It wasn't his business what Tris did during her free time, Eric had to remind himself of that.

He was just becoming used to her ever lingering presence, as the girl had no friends and had taken to eating her meals with him, though it was really the only time they didn't have to spend together. For some reason, she chose to sit with him, making it seem like training was ever ongoing.

Now, he clenched his fists as he watched Tris smile at something Four said to her and brush a stray piece of hair out of her face. She was terrible at hiding her emotions, Eric thought with a scoff. It was so obvious that she was head over heels for Number Boy that it was pathetic.

He felt the burn in his gut intensify as Four touched her shoulder and she didn't stop him. The rage inside was close to boiling over and Eric scowled, standing up now. He wasn't sure what he would have done if she hadn't turned to leave on her own accord, perhaps drag his initiate back to the table by her hair.

He forced himself back into the chair, quickly quieting his emotions.

When she returned back to the table Eric sat at, her cheeks were red with a light blush and she was seemingly uninterested in her chocolate cake.

"You trying to become factionless?" Eric hissed to her, grabbing the girls' attention at once.

"What? No." She looked as confused as Eric felt, but he couldn't seem to keep his mouth shut.

"That's where talking to Number Boy is going to get you and I think you know that, Stiff." Eric watched her eyes narrow in his direction, but she waited for him to speak rather than give one of those witty retorts she always came up with. "You don't even know how close you were to being removed from Dauntless."

"What do you mean? I haven't done anything wrong!"

Ah, there it was, Eric thought as her sharp tone cut into him.

"Really? I guess it's a good thing there was no way to prove you didn't consort with Four to get your number one spot, " he spat back, satisfied inside as he watched her cheeks turn even redder in anger.

"I would never."

That was all she said, but Eric saw a quick flash of hurt behind her eyes. He supposed she hadn't quite gotten used to the whispers that accompanied her presence.

"I suggest you stay away from him then. You might just give Leadership a reason to reopen the investigation."

She paled visibly at this, though it was an obvious lie on Eric's part. It took her a moment to react, but she gave a short nod and pushed her plate of chocolate cake in Eric's direction.

"I understand," she muttered, her long blonde lashes fluttering as she dropped her gaze to the ground.

Satisfied, Eric returned her nod, using his fork to take a large bite of the cake Tris had apparently lost her appetite for.

Four had his chance. He had done his job, to the best of his ability, nearly letting the girl be cut during the first stage. And now Eric was going to make her a leader, if she didn't break first.