Un you ke the scious con, it dict yr lif and you wi c it te
He blearily stared at the letters. There were ones missing, obscured by his geometric tattoo, the lines of it obliterating what would make them obvious. Although Eric didn't need to sit down and play Candor detective to know what they said.
Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.
He used to write it on his arm during his own Initiation eight years ago after finding it in a waterlogged Pre-War book. It wasn't for his soulmate to read, he didn't have one, just a phrase to get him through the unbearable days.
Or so he thought.
And the handwriting he was staring at was sure as shit not his own.
Eric wondered how old they were. He started writing on himself at thirteen, looking for a connection to someone who he was for. Someone for him to love and to be loved in return, but no matter how many pens he wrote dry, no reply came.
Which left the possibility he was a blank or his soulmate hadn't been born yet.
Both options left a bad taste in his mouth.
At least now he could eliminate being a blank. The other option was his soulmate didn't know how to read, but he dismissed that as well. Kids constantly drew on themselves to see if someone would respond. Which left a final option: they just didn't want him.
Eric gave pause to that thought. If they didn't want him, then why write the phrase now?
Sec 4580.777c/Sec 4580.777d/Sec 4601.001a
Eric sucked in a breath, closing his hand as Jack Kang droned on about the last lingering traces of Jeanine's believers. Dauntless was doing the best they could with the resources available to them. They were spread thin since the Factionless seemed to be organizing too well for it to be random.
"Councilman Coulter, if there's anything you can remember that would help," Jack Kang prompted. Eric wondered who he pissed off to get representative detail then remembered he lost an arm wrestling match with Prior.
He maintained she cheated.
"I gave you everything I had and I will remind the Council I did so at great risk to my own life," Eric answered. He had a proposal for an internal investigation of Dauntless geared up to go when he got back. Leader Hathaway wanted to keep it under wraps and had ordered him to misdirect until they had something concrete. "Look, Dauntless is currently concerned with the Factionless-"
"Not this again."
Eric's head whipped around.
"And what do you propose, Councilman Eaton?" Eric asked. He stood, bracing his fists on the table. "This Council asked Dauntless to keep an eye out for irregularities since our people are out there on the street. Unless Abnegation has noticed something we missed."
He pretended not to get satisfaction as Marcus Eaton's face went from pale to an enraged red not usually found in Abnegation members.
"Interesting," Eric said and sat down. He made a mental note to tell Leader Hathaway the moment he got back to Dauntless.
He left the meeting the moment it adjourned. Rather than take the courtesy car Candor offered, Eric walked to the nearest train stop. The early spring wind whipped off the lake, chilling him despite his heavy jacket. He didn't feel like freezing his ass off the top of a building to jump on the train at the moment.
"Your former father is a fucking asshole," Eric said after he sidled up to Four on the platform.
Four blinked at Eric, obviously surprised the other man would take the time to speak with him, considering their history. Lately, Eric had been considering his past sins, especially in the context of how the past six years had been near anarchy after the failed coup and attempted genocide of Abnegation.
Getting perspective proved to be a fucking trip.
"Don't need to tell me," Four replied. It was a fairly even answer.
"We could always sink him in the lake and call it an accident," Eric offered. He let Four onto the train before him. "Look, I know we're not going to be best friends and you don't have to forgive me, but I'm sorry I was such a dick to you."
"Which time?" Four asked. They sat in the back, away from a group of Candor lawyers.
Eric gritted his teeth. Why was apologizing hard?
"All of them."
Four went quiet, leaving Eric to stare out the window. He opened his hand, staring at the numbers and letters. He knew they were laws, but blanked on what they pertained to since his area of legal expertise involved Initiates.
Please not someone in Candor Eric thought. Cross Faction soulmates often ended up Factionless or out in Amity since they had a sanctuary clause in the city charter. He honestly couldn't decide what was worse.
"Thank you for apologizing, I appreciate you taking the time to do it," Four finally said when the train came to a stop a few blocks from Dauntless. "Come on, I don't feel like leaping out."
Eric followed, trying to think of a way to look up the laws without putting up any red flags.
"Lauren using you as a notepad again?" Four asked. He gestured at Eric's hand. "The River Statutes, she's teaching them this week."
Eric nodded.
"Which group is that again?" Eric said. Lauren taught a lot of groups and while he loved his best friend, he had trouble keeping track of what she was teaching to who when.
If his soulmate was eight years younger than he was, Eric planned on throwing himself off a building.
"The elective group, I think it's a lot of Dauntless from the fence who are here for a refresher course or two on protocol," Four answered. He gave Eric another look before making his way to the security center. "I think Tris is helping her teach it this time."
Eric immediately checked the roster when he got to his office. The youngest person in Lauren's class was twenty while the oldest was thirty eight. There might be a four year age gap or a fourteen year one.
He wasn't sure how he felt about that.
The letters were back on his arms along with what looked to be stars around it.
Eric sighed.
"What is it now?"
He looked over at Prior, who was doing her best to collate data for the report they'd spent the better part of three days hammering away at. She was a mess, a stray line of ink on her neck from the uncapped pen she had behind one ear, hair fluffed out, coffee breath, and had worn the same outfit for two days.
Eric knew he wasn't much better, but she pulled off whereas he managed to look like something that crawled out of the lake. Or he could be biased when it came to her.
"You have a soulmate?" Eric asked. He bit the inside of his lip, you didn't ask people that. It was considered rude. He had manners once upon time, he swore it.
"I did."
"You did?"
"They wrote for a while when I was fourteen then it just stopped," Tris answered. She tugged at her sleeves, settling back on the couch next to him. "I never wrote them back."
Eric turned in his seat, watching her.
"It's true what they say about Abnegation and soulmates. The second the Leaders find out writing appeared on an Abnegation child, they instruct them to convince their soulmate to reveal their Faction. If it's not Abnegation, then the child has to get their soulmate to join the Faction," Tris told him. She rested her head on a hand before adding, "I never thought it was fair, so I lied, and hid it. To protect them."
There were times when Tris took him by surprise in the most unexpected way.
"I think they died," she continued.
"Why don't you write something now? To see if they'll reply maybe."
"I did a few days ago. They haven't replied," Tris said. She took a deep breath in before exhaling. "What about you?"
Eric desperately wanted to lie. He spent most of his teens doing it to help expose Jeanine. The whole soulmate thing started at the worst possible time; after years of sniping at each other, he and Tris managed to find a middle ground.
They were friends in a nebulous sort of way.
Friends don't lie to each other, he thought.
"Yeah. They started writing recently, I haven't replied yet. Shock," Eric said. He stared down at his hands, ignoring his cloth covered arms.
"Oh, Eric…"
He looked back up at her.
"That's wonderful," she bumped his shoulder with hers. He couldn't bear how happy she was for him. If anyone deserved a soulmate, it was Tris. The sheer fact the odds were stacked against her and she came out on top always blew Eric away when he thought about it. "Am I going to have to fight Lauren for who gets to do the shovel talk?"
"You can flip a coin."
They worked longer in silence. His focus was shot. None of their data sets or collected information indicated Jeanine left anyone to step up after she was gone. They'd arrested all they could find down to the one boy in Tris' Initiate class, Peter something. He shuddered at the memory of the executions because examples needed to be made.
"This is all a smokescreen, it's misdirection and bullshit!" Tris threw down a stack of papers. She kicked the low table in front of them. "It's too perfect-"
Eric watched a play of emotions over her face before she frantically began going through another file. She held out a hand for a pen, flapping it. He gave her the one behind his own ear, staying quiet as she worked.
"The patterns, they don't make sense if you apply them to how Jeanine worked. What would she want with anything in Amity? At most they have that drug that pacifies them, but she had her own labs to create stronger things," Tris said. She pointed at another field report, "Why steal an expired case due for incineration from Amity?"
"Erudite created the serum, they have the formulas," Eric said. After the events of the past few years, serums were slowly being phased out. Amity fought the longest and the hardest before conceding to the law of the land. He suspected they still used it sparingly, having a finite supply meant no restock. "It can't be synthesized in Amity, we'd know."
"And the only other things stolen were rusted over spare parts," Tris said. She tapped the table with the pen. "You got some ink-"
He rubbed blindly at his neck.
"Let me," Tris licked her thumb and erased the mark. "Huh, looks like you'll need soap to get it off. How are we always losing pen caps?"
There were no words for a week.
The fact Eric got roaring drunk had no correlation with the aforementioned issue. He laid on his bed, going over everything. He hadn't written, unsure what to say other than his name just to get to the point of the whole issue.
"Eric, is that a bottle of the mechanics' finest rot gut? That shit'll melt your insides," Lauren scolded. She bounced on his bed next to him, stealing the bottle to take her own slug out of it. She hissed. "It never gets easier. What's wrong?"
"What makes you think something is wrong?" Eric slurred. He stuck his tongue out at her after she punched his arm. "Mean."
"You don't get this drunk unless something is wrong and it's been a few years since you did," Lauren replied. She settled down on the bed next to him, holding his hand. "Either you tell me now or tomorrow when you're hungover."
He rolled onto his side, looking over at his best friend. Eric felt like there were times when he didn't deserve her friendship. It had hurt so much lying to her all those years ago, but she stayed at his side despite it. He did sport a black eye for a week after he told her the truth though; he got off easy considering she could've kicked his balls into his throat with her favorite pair of steel toed boots.
"Have a soulmate apparently," he confessed. Then told her everything in a wandering manner due to how soused he was. He thought he might've talked about pen caps at one point.
"I'm surprised you haven't demanded their name and location."
What?
"What?" Eric said. He tried to focus on Lauren's face.
"Eric, wanting a soulmate has always been your thing. Don't try to bullshit me, you want someone to love," Lauren said. She shook her head like she knew everything about him, which to be fair, she did.
"I love you, that counts," he protested.
Lauren shook her head.
"No, Eric, I meant someone to love romantically. You're stupid and I love you too, but you need someone to care about who isn't me," she explained, tapping his chest. "You're just a softie with a hard candy coating."
"Am not, hard candy all the way through. Love is for suckers."
"Sure it is, Coulter, then you totally didn't advise Christina on what to get her girlfriend for their anniversary and you don't get all teary eyed during spring weddings," she poked at him. If it was anyone else he'd have denied it. "And it's not because you like free booze with your cake."
He didn't concede that she was right, just placed his head on her shoulder. Lauren understood all the things he never wanted to say, but had a horrible habit of making him anyway.
"What if I'm not enough?" Eric whispered.
"Then we'll sink them in the lake," Lauren said. She ran her fingers through his hair. "They're going to love you, Eric, not because they're supposed to, but because you're you."
"Stubborn, arrogant, and a dick," Eric said. He winced after she tugged his hair.
"Yeah, asshole, you're all those things, but you're also kind, caring, and brave to the point of stupidity. Try to sleep, tomorrow is going to suck," she ordered, getting off the bed. She kissed his temple before leaving.
Eric threw himself onto his back.
He was stupidly brave, Lauren was right. He took another swig of rot gut and like all of his drunk decisions, convinced himself it was the best one he'd made since forever. Eric fumbled for the marker he kept on his bedside table, yet once he uncapped it, he had no idea what to write or where.
Darling, I suffer. Please help.
Eric stared at the words he'd written above his knee. It was another quote from the waterlogged book, it said everything it needed to, for how was he supposed to convey the heaviness in his heart in any other way?
Mistakes were made, Eric had regrets, and hated how it was his own fault.
Never again. It was a lie he told himself while his head pounded and his mouth felt like he'd been sucking on sand. Never drinking again. Eric ignored the fact he was convincing himself to accept such a falsehood as he dumped the rest of the rotgut down his bathroom sink.
Lauren had mercifully come in before going to work, leaving her hangover cure along with the blackest coffee she could find. It would be a few months before Richards could get the premium beans from Amity due to growing seasons. Eric chugged the cure first, wincing at the taste before taking his time with the coffee.
He leaned his head against the wall of his shower cubby, one hand holding his coffee cup out of the spray, and only years of practice let Eric to wash with one hand. Before he could wash off what he'd written on his leg the previous night, words began to appear.
Darling, I know you suffer. That is why I am here for you.
Eric blinked.
How did they know the next part of the mantra? The book was left in Erudite when he chose Dauntless. And despite the small collection of Pre-War books in the archives, Eric never found one with the same content.
He washed off his words, got out, finished his coffee, and found himself sitting on the edge of his bed with the marker in his hand. He tapped it against his kneecap, trying to think of what to say next. Eric deeply hated his drunken self for writing something that came across as desperate.
Good morning.
It was simple, but worked.
His stomach was still sloshy despite the plain toast, but the after effects of rotgut took at least three days to go away. Eric stretched in the private Leaders training room, getting in a quick workout before dealing with the folders on his desk.
Leader Hathaway wanted them done as soon as possible. Working out let him mull things over, not to mention it distracted him from focusing on how his greeting was quickly returned with "morning." Which led him to believe his soulmate wasn't a morning person.
"You look terrible," Tris said. She was in her usual hoodie and leggings combination, feet dragging as she dropped her gym bag next to his.
"I would say you look the same, but that'd be a lie," Eric replied. He wondered where that came from after she smiled. Might as well double down he figured, "You look good."
Tris snorted, tossing the hoodie down, and stretching.
"Want to spar?" She asked.
Eric took his position, watching her as she circled him. They usually partnered up because no one else wanted to deal with either of them. Tris fought like she still had something to prove while Eric hit like a hammer because he hated losing. Well, to anyone but her. Tris made him work for it, so if she beat him, it was fair.
Her attack came from the left, barely in his peripheral vision.
And she fought dirty.
Eric dodged a cuff to his ear, grabbing at her shirt to throw her to the ground. Tris rolled back onto her feet then to the side, always moving like he'd taught her years ago. He feinted to the left then went right and low, tackling her middle.
He snarled when she punched him in the kidney.
"If I end up pissing blood, we're having words, Prior," Eric warned. It sucked in a breath then elbowed her in the breast. "Fair's fair."
"Okay, I deserved that," Tris conceded, grabbing her breast for a moment.
He threw a few punches, she blocked, and they circled.
Here was where the fight would be decided.
Eric watched her eyes as she watched his back. It was the one lesson she remembered the best; your opponent's eyes gave away their next attack.
He surged forward, intent on sweeping her feet out from under her. Tris leapt over the sweep, flipped over Eric's shoulder, and it was over. She wrapped an arm around his neck tight enough to cause slight discomfort, legs around his torso, and her breath in his ear.
Eric knew he could throw his head back, bashing her nose to get her to let go, but he didn't want to. He tapped the mat, she let him go, and then he struck. He got a foot under himself, grabbing her by the upper arms, and slid her under him.
"Jerk," Tris hissed. Eric dropped part of his weight on her stomach.
"You were the one who decided fighting dirty was the way to go. I'm just following your excellent example," Eric countered. He liked how her lips twisted up in frustration as she calculated how to get out. "If you just concede, we can call it a draw, and get breakfast."
Tris grinned.
Then pinched his inner thigh. It stung despite the thick cloth of his pants. Eric yelped, scrambling off her. He flexed his hands to distract from the pain. Tris plopped her full weight down onto his side until she was sitting comfortably on his hip.
"Aww, is the great Eric Coulter defeated by a little pinch?" Tris teased him, pinching his shoulder.
Eric rolled onto his back, making her sit on his stomach, and grasped her hands to stop another onslaught.
"You have bone ass fingers," Eric said. He felt the change in the air, it was heavier and at the same time anticipatory. He rubbed her wrists with his thumbs, she swallowed, watching his face while he did the same. "Fuck it."
She didn't say the words either, but Eric saw it in her eyes.
Then her lips were on his, her hands grasping his shirt to pull him up. Eric surged up, arms around her to keep her in his lap. It was wonderful, amazing, and he wanted more. Allowing Tris to take the lead, she was on top after all. Were he not distracted by her, Eric would've snickered.
"Nice," Eric breathed. He couldn't believe it was happening, all he managed to do was stare into her eyes.
"Only nice? That really hurts a girl's ego," Tris smiled as she spoke.
"Phenomenal, outstanding, surprising," he punctuated each word with a kiss and she giggled.
"Badly timed," Tris stopped him with a finger on his lips. "But at least we know now?"
Eric grinned. There'd always been a sort of "will they/won't they" between him and Tris according to Kyle...and Richards...and Lauren...and pretty much anyone who'd spent time with them both for a few hours. He couldn't help but feel disappointed at the bad timing.
"You know me, I like knowing things," Eric said. He took her hand to let her have the illusion of pulling him up. He crossed his heart, "Won't happen again."
It happened again. And again. And kept happening. Eric stared down at his thigh, trying to figure out what to say. By now he knew surface things about his soulmate like their favorite color (purple) and their favorite time of year (summer because it's warm all the time.) Though this was a more serious matter, skating into territory he'd hoped to get to eventually.
I'm kind of seeing someone Eric wrote. If he were a better man, an apology would've been included, but these days, he was working on just being an alright one.
...Me too. Awkward…
He smiled after the writing appeared. They were quite the pair it seemed.
Problem for later?
Yeah, I want to get to know you better before face to face. (And put off actually being responsible).
They must be hot, he put next.
Stupidly hot. But also kind of an asshole in the good way, honorable but doesn't think they are. Yours?
Stupidly hot and capable. Likes me for some reason, puts up with a lot of my shit. They're a saint Eric smiled as he wrote. I think you'd like them.
Can't wait to meet them.
He marveled at how the curve of her hip fit perfectly under his hand. Eric kept a tight grip on the handrail above them, swaying with the train as it moved along the tracks. Despite Tris being half asleep, her hand was curled around the hilt of the knife he kept at his back under his vest. To anyone looking at them, it just appeared she was using him as an anchor while dozing.
She was, in fact, dozing, but years of training allowed for Dauntless reflexes to be used if needed. Eric kept her upright, chin on the top of her head as well, just enjoying the ride in the midmorning light.
Her other hand clutched the shirt fabric right under the collapsed baton he kept strapped along the seams of his vest. On Tris, he could easily reach the stun gun holstered at the small of her back or if he slid his hand forward into her front pocket, a pair of his brass knuckles. After all, Eric had been the one to put them there.
Armed and always ready; one of the unofficial mottos of Dauntless.
Eric gazed around the car, taking a moment to glare at Kyle. The receptionist was grinning like the cat who ate the cream. Lauren kicked the tall man before Instructor Dmitri cleared his throat as a warning. Instantly, all three of them stood taller except for Tris, who kept on pretending she was sound asleep.
There were few members of Dauntless who could bodily throw Eric across a room without breaking a sweat, Instructor Dmitri held a place in the top three. Formerly in Psyops, he took an instructor position when Leader Hathaway was installed as Max's replacement.
The guy was an absolute hard ass; Eric respected him for it.
They got off at the docks, the mix of ranks and positions indicated Dauntless was looking at new training grounds for the next round of Initiates. In truth, they were meeting another group who'd arrived an hour before them.
Eric hated the smell of the waterfront. It was slightly chemical with an underlying note of rotting fish. This part of it was probably used for shipping things off onto the lake before the war. The only evidence remaining were the crumbling sea walls and boat launches.
"Cozy," Eric said under his breath, following Tris into the maze of empty shipping containers until they got to one with a peeling green door.
Inside was the entrance to Dauntless Psyops. The entire division lived in and operated out of a secure compound made of the shipping containers. He submitted to scans and surrendered his weapons.
"Welcome to Psyops," Leader Hathaway said after they'd been led into a meeting room made of two shipping containers welded together. She may have come to Eric's shoulder, but he was terrified of her. "Coulter."
"Hathaway," Eric replied. She'd been his main handler before the coup. Now she was his handler and his boss. "What are we looking at?"
"A two part exploratory mission, we're going to shake some trees to see what falls out in Amity," Hathaway began. She sat down, indicating the rest of them to do as well. "It's going to piss off Johanna, but that's what we're aiming for."
Eric sat back, fiddling with a pen as he listened.
"Dmitri and Tris will go out with a fresh behind the ears driver, someone who wants to prove themselves but seems to be an easy target," Hathaway explained. It was a classic Dauntless gamble; provide a tempting target then see who comes out of the woodwork to take a shot. "Eric and Lauren will be leading security teams into Abnegation. There's something there, as we've suspected, but as to what, Psyops can't tell."
"Marcus Eaton won't approve that, Jack Kang will back him up," Tris said. After the attempted coup and genocide, Dauntless was booted out of Abnegation. It was one of the concessions Hathaway made to keep Eric along with a few other of her operatives. "Unless there are extenuating circumstances."
Hathaway threw a small plastic bag onto the table. In it was a black steel knife, Dauntless made.
"Unless dead men can talk, I sincerely doubt Marcus Eaton will protest this. He was found dead in an abandoned building almost three hours ago with this in his back," Hathaway replied. She gestured at the bag, "Anyone want to take a guess at who killed him?"
Eric reached for the bag. He gripped the hilt through the plastic, it felt wrong even with a barrier between them. He hefted it, the balance was wrong. Also the make; it was based on a Pre-War SOG knife, only unlike the ones given to Leadership, the top of the hook at the top was too pronounced, not slight. There was a stress fracture in the steel as well, something Dauntless knives didn't do.
"This isn't Dauntless made," Eric said. He tossed it back onto the table. "Seems like they couldn't be fucked to fake a micro-serial number."
"Or they don't know we do that," Tris piped up. "Only Dauntless in upper administration do."
That made the pool smaller since upper administration meant from the Instructors to Leadership. It also meant the knife wasn't made in Mechanics or at the Armory. Whoever fabricated it assumed it would pass.
"We bring this to Jack Kang and the Council, they'll start back on their theory of leftover pockets of Jeanine's followers. Right now, we're going to cover it up, and let it spin as missing persons," Hathaway said. She gestured to behind them, "Psyops can monitor to see if there's any chatter here and there, but until then, we're going to need to step lightly."
Eric paid half attention, knowing he'd read it in the encrypted debrief in his office. He uncapped the pen before drawing a tic tac toe board on his palm. He put an X in the center, hoping his soulmate was up for a game as a distraction.
An O appeared in the upper right corner.
He put the next X in the bottom right corner.
Tris muffled a giggle by trying to pass it off as a cough. Eric watched her draw something on her own palm. It was an O which then appeared on his own. As if on autopilot, he put an X to block her victory. Then to reaffirm his eyes weren't being bastards, drew a star on his thumb.
A star in the same style appeared on her thumb.
Eric sucked a breath in. Tris was his Soulmate with a capital S. His brain tried to process the information as his heart screamed, "YES, HER! IT'S HER! DO SOMETHING!"
Instead, Eric pulled on a pair of fingerless gloves, abandoning the match. If he interrupted the meeting, Hathaway would kill him. Also, he didn't know how to broach the subject to Tris other than falling to his knees and just thanking something it was her.
A small voice in the back of his head piped up about her being too good for him. That it was either a cosmic mistake or cruel joke. Eric crossed his arms, glowering at the table. Lauren raised an eyebrow at him from across the table. He shook his head.
"Everyone know what they're doing? Good. We'll start now. Coulter, get your ass to Abnegation, Four will meet you there," Hathaway said. He must've looked confused because she added on, "We told him since he had to encrypt the security footage of his father going into the building, he'll help to soften the blow when dealing with Abnegation leadership."
Then Tris was out the door behind Dmitri and Hathaway. Eric's throat closed up, stilling his tongue so he couldn't call after her.
"Eric," Lauren shook him. "You okay?"
He was pretty fucking far from okay.
Jack Kang waited with Andrew Prior at the border of Abnegation. In Marcus Eaton's absence, it meant Tris' father was acting Leader. Eric walked next to Four, both men not visibly armed, and trying to look as harmless as possible.
"Leader Kang, Councilman Prior," Eric said. He stood with his hands at his sides, body language open.
"I supposed Dauntless is here to coordinate the search for Marcus?" Andrew asked. Eric heard the challenge under the question. If Dauntless took it over, that would be a violation of the agreement, and they'd be not allowed to cross into Abnegation.
Eric still had enough Erudite in him to lie well.
"No, Sir, we have been instructed to follow the orders of the Abnegation Council and to provide support in any capacity that is needed," Eric lied. He scanned the crowd, watching for reactions aside from wariness and disbelief. "We are at your disposal."
Natalie Prior crossed her arms, tilting her head slightly. As a former Dauntless she knew it would get his attention Eric thought.
"If I may interrupt," Natalie Prior said. Eric bit the inside of his cheek to keep from smirking as she made her move. "We could use some of you to guard the children while the adults go out to search."
"If that's what is needed, we are grateful for the opportunity to earn Abnegation's trust back," Four said. Eric stepped back, allowing the other man to take the forefront. "For the comfort of the parents we will have the women go. Where do you need the men?"
Eric wanted to clap him on the shoulder. Abnegation underestimated women, especially Dauntless women. Children absorbed everything they saw and heard and as an added bonus, had no filter when it came to talking around those they identified as caregivers. Or if they thought they weren't being monitored.
Jack Kang was watching the entire proceeding with barely contained interest. If Eric wanted to place a losing bet, he'd put credits down on Candor's Leader thinking Dauntless would push until it took over the operation.
Which meant they now had no idea what to expect. Eric found it to be very Psyops, but it was just Leader Hathaway's speed. Smoke and mirrors until she was ready to do a big reveal with what she knew or what she'd found. Eric approved of it, only due to the fact he was in on the plan this time.
"We could use a guard with every group going out," Andrew said. The man remained wary, probably because he half expected the Dauntless guarding Abnegation children to teach them how to swear or something equally as scandalous, like thinking for themselves.
"A pair of guards. Dauntless protection works better with two," Four said, cutting off any chance of Eric voicing his thoughts. "It's a procedure that allows us to be accountable for our fellow Faction members. And if anything, Abnegation understands Dauntless' desire to insure accountability."
A few hours later Eric found himself bringing up the rear of a group led by Four. The Abnegation members had no idea how to form a search grid. All the better, Eric supposed, since it was an exercise in futility. They were preoccupied with trying to get into buildings with basements that had been sealed for over a decade, refusing to acknowledge if they couldn't get in, neither could Marcus.
He wondered how Tris was making out in Amity. If she was the one who had to rattle Johanna or if she left it to Dmitri. He wanted her quick return because it was becoming harder and harder not to write the truth on his hand.
"I was surprised to see you and Four partnered up. From what I hear, you're my daughter's right hand man. Where is she?"
He hadn't heard Natalie Prior as she snuck up next to him. You could take the woman out of Dauntless but not the Dauntless out of the woman he supposed, slightly proud he didn't jump when she spoke.
"Tris is with a search and rescue party lakeside," another lie delivered smoothly he thought.
"If you're going to lie to me, Eric Coulter, at least look me in the face."
Eric turned his entire body to face her.
"Tris is with a search and rescue party lakeside," he repeated and added a toothy smile as he said it.
"Better, very Dauntless," Natalie said. She took his elbow as if he was escorting her, all above board on the Abnegation touch chart. "Have you told her yet?"
"Told her what?" Eric asked. He skirted them around a hole in the pavement.
"About you two being soulmates," Natalie stated it as if it was common knowledge. "You didn't know?"
Eric looked around to see if anyone was listening in.
"I only figured it out recently. How do you know?" He quickly dismissed anyone in Dauntless putting it together; there would've been a betting pool. Kyle would've told him about it then offered to cut him in for a percentage.
"I've known for years. My daughter wasn't as sneaky as she thought she was when words started appearing on her arm. And I was in the hospital the day you came in with a concussion and broken nose during your Initiate phase," Natalie told him. He was thankful she didn't mention it was from when him and Four fought. "I was worried when Tris joined Dauntless. You were in no shape to be with her then."
"I am a terrible person," Eric agreed. He kept a lid on the thoughts trying to remind him of every sin and mistake. "She's too good for me."
Natalie snorted.
"Stop being dramatic, you're too smart for it," she scolded. "You've proven yourself to be a good man over and over with how you work for this city. Tris tells me about the things you do, so imagine my surprise when she mentioned her soulmate had finally written her back."
It didn't surprise Eric how Tris pushed the envelope by meeting with her mother. Then again, Natalie Prior probably had a list of secret meeting places as long as her arm. The use of "Faction Before Blood" has diminished in the past six years and as a society they were better for it.
Look what absolute Faction loyalty got them in the past.
"Like mother, like daughter," Eric said, knowing she would read between the lines.
"Indeed. I've been busy at the hospital, it seems the Factionless have been getting into more fights with each other lately to the point you could mistake them for Dauntless," Natalie said in a light tone. "Isn't that odd?"
Eric could read between lines too.
"If you stare any deeper into the Chasm, it might blink back."
Eric looked up.
"Four. It might make my brain shut up," Eric said. He moved slightly to let Four sit. "Sorry about your father."
It wasn't specific enough for anyone eavesdropping to glean information, if they could hear over the roar of the waterfall. They were sitting just inside the tunnel leading to the Chasm with good sight lines across it and behind them.
"Thanks. It's been a trying few days," Four agreed. He scuffed the floor with his boot heel. "What's up your ass?"
"He swears now," Eric said. He hadn't heard from Tris; no news from Psyops and nothing on his skin.
Four snorted.
"I swear, you're just never around to hear it. Try coming down from the Spire when we're teaching the Initiates field survival," Four rested his head against the wall. "Is this about Tris being your soulmate?"
"Does everyone know?" Eric snarled. He was getting real sick of the impression everyone knew but him and Tris.
"No, I just asked where Tris read the phrase she recently started writing on her arm and she said her soulmate used to write it. She's two years younger than us. I remember a certain blonde asshole writing the same thing in the same place. It's not that hard to connect the dots, Coulter."
"That's fair."
"Yes it is. Are you waiting until Tris gets back to tell her?" Four asked.
"I'm not saying shit if I don't have to," Eric answered. He gestured around them, "You know what I've done, what I had to do for this Faction. My hands are covered in blood, Four, every time one of Jeanine's lackeys got too close or were going to take my place as her favorite, I had to deal with it. Yes, it was sanctioned, still doesn't make it easy to live with. I was cruel to not only Tris, but Lauren and you. Not to mention other Dauntless."
Four punched him in the shoulder. Eric grunted at the impact.
"And what you did saved countless lives. Your intel stopped Jeanine's plan to wipe out Abnegation before she began injecting her control serum into our Faction members. The blood on your hands prevented the staining of others hands with innocent blood. You're not some cold, indifferent asshole. You cry at weddings, everyone's seen you," Four said, no real malice in his words. "Hathaway wouldn't have chosen you if you'd actually been who you keep thinking you are."
He felt his throat tighten up, tried to swallow. If Eric let himself believe what Four was saying, he would convince himself to write Tris that very moment. To confess he loved her before he realized she was his soulmate.
"I killed Amar," Eric stated. His arm itched and he ignored it, preferring to stay frozen in place.
"No, you didn't. You let him go," Four sounded exasperated.
"And how do you fucking know?"
Four tugged his sleeve down. There was part of a conversation and a few hearts on Four's skin.
"Hathaway has him out on assignment outside the city limits," Four explained. "Your arm is bleeding."
The itch became replaced by a stinging sensation as more letters began to appear. They weren't deep cuts, about as shallow as a light cat scratch, but they were forming quickly.
GO TO DAUNTLESS FIND ERIC COULTER TELL HIM I AM IN TROUBLE- TRIS
Eric didn't think, just wrote back in blocky letters:
ON MY WAY- ERIC
"I'll meet you in the Motor Pool in five," Four said as they scrambled to their feet.
"Make it three."
The APC lurched down another neglected dirt road. Eric clung to his seatbelt, bracing his feet against the floor. Richards was a skilled driver, taking each mile as best he could while keeping a constant stream of chatter on the radio to the other APC.
Eric had arrived in the Motor Pool, ready to start barking orders only to find it engulfed in chaos with Richards in the center. The ginger man was giving orders, his voice never raising above a steady level. All Eric managed to not to get dismissed was hold up his arm and without missing a beat, he was assigned to ride shotgun in Richard's APC.
"We're approaching where we lost signal!" Richards yelled over his shoulder to the Dauntless in the back. "Be ready!"
Eric breathed out, his heart hammering away behind his ribs while the adrenaline dump made him jittery. He was the only Leader present, but defaulted to Richards because the driver was trained for this.
They slowed to a stop a quarter mile before a break in the trees on one side of the road. He saw broken trunks and the road itself was torn up.
"Mines. Wonderful," Richards hissed. He picked up the radio again, "We may have undetonated explosives, commence sweep. Ballou, I want you somewhere high, shoot anything that isn't Dauntless."
"Roger that and heard," Kyle's voice came over the radio.
"Can you get us the status of everyone in Tris' vehicle along with if we need to move quickly?" Richards asked. Several mechanics walked past the APC, metal detectors in one hand. They fanned out, beginning to search.
Status of you and others + APC Eric wrote on the top of his hand.
Dmitri worst, broken ribs. Cassidy & I minor scrapes. APC on edge of ravine, unsure how it hasn't gone over came the reply U here?
Yes, will have you out soon.
He showed Richards the message.
"Do I have your permission to prioritize Leader Tris and her team?" Richards asked. Eric nodded, trying not to lose his shit on the driver. It was a second of protocol which would save them trouble later and were Eric in a more reasonable frame of mind, he would've done the same thing. Richards got out of his seat, standing to face the back with the radio in his hand, "Our priority is getting our fellow Dauntless out without injuring them further. Once the sweep team is done, we will set up a rope system and the lightest medics will go in for triage and extraction. If we can save the APC, that's a bonus, if not, who the fuck cares?"
"The only thing moving is a herd of deer to the north west," Kyle's voice crackled over the radio.
"Other than the three mines that already went off in the middle of the road, we've found nothing," one of the mechanics, whose name Eric didn't know, reported next.
"Let's get this done, shall we?" Richards stated.
From then on Eric followed orders. He hauled rope, checked harnesses, and tried to keep from slipping into a full blown panic. By the time one of the APCs was backed to the edge of the road to be an anchor for the rope system, he'd torn the cuticle off his thumbnail to the point where it bled. Christina shook her head at him before bandaging it.
Two shots rang out.
A flash of blue from the nine o'clock position caught Eric's attention.
Lauren took off.
Eric followed her, fueled by training that became instinct after almost a decade. In the corner of his eye he saw Four flanking Lauren's other side. They hit the forest line, dodging trees and avoiding the underbrush that threatened to slow them down.
Drops of red were scattered over the ground. Kyle wounded whoever they were chasing; a brilliant move since it left a trail for them to follow.
Lauren's agility allowed her to maneuver better than the men following her. Eric slammed his shoulder hard into a tree trunk after leaf litter made his feet slide, he stumbled for a moment before recovering. He heard his breathing growing heavier, focused on the spot of blue as they gained on it.
His entire world narrowed to blue.
Lauren ran up a fallen tree trunk then leapt. She collided with their quarry, rolling in the dirt. Eric pivoted to avoid tripping over them then turned.
"Another one!" Four yelled before running past.
Lauren took a punch to the jaw, making her rear back. Eric grabbed the boy by the shirt.
Then he was on the ground, wind knocked out of him by a different assailant.
"I know you," Eric said. He grabbed at the One Eyed Man, throwing him to the side.
"You do," One Eye confirmed before he threw dirt in Eric's eyes.
Eric shook his head, trying to dislodge the dirt before it got too far in. He closed his eyes, rolled onto his hands and knees while trying to sense where One Eye went. He heard Lauren curse followed by the sound of running.
"You better run!" Lauren yelled. He felt fingers touch his shoulder, "It's me."
"I know that One Eyed fucker. He was in Tris' Initiate group, Max had him tossed out," Eric said. He let her tilt his head back to rinse his eyes out with water. "He was the first at the top of the boards."
"Edward. On your feet, Coulter," Lauren answered. "Where did Four go?"
"Not far," Four said. He limped out from behind a tree, a gash on his cheek bleeding. "I got bushwhacked before I could grab them. Got this though."
He held out a large scrap of blue fabric.
"They're pretending to be Erudite," Eric said. He took the fabric, inspecting it. "This is shit quality linen and the dye job is patchy. Even the lowest member of Erudite wouldn't be caught dead using this."
Mock Dauntless knives and counterfeit Erudite linen, what would they find next Eric wondered.
"Take this and give it to Psyops when we get back to the city," Eric ordered. Lauren took the scrap, hiding it away in a pocket. "Also dig up any record we have on Edward to send too."
Richards was sitting in the middle of the destroyed road.
"What are you doing?" Eric asked once they got close enough.
Richards held a piece of twisted metal to his nose and sniffed. In front of him was a vaguely rectangular shape made of bits of distorted and charred metal.
"You may want to have the Factionless road work units audited to see who is missing approximately fifteen pounds of thermite," Richards said. He reached into a pocket, taking out a metal cylinder about the size of a muffin. "This is a standard issue Dauntless mine which needs a special key to be detonated. And only three people currently in Dauntless have that kind of key."
Eric found it slightly unnerving how Richards handled the explosive so casually.
"Is thermite in a Dauntless mine?" Eric asked, though he already guessed the answer.
"No. These mines, as sloppily made as they are, seem to be based on Pre-War models, the kind found in antique books. And before you ask, there is a formula for what we use in our mines, but," he tapped his head, "None of it is written down. Just like how you can get the blueprints for most of the mechanical things we make, only if you're not trained in it, you won't know what's missing from them. Security purposes you see."
Eric nodded.
"They made a mine based on what they assumed Dauntless would have," Four said. "Which means they aren't Dauntless, but want us to think we have descent in the ranks."
"More than likely," Richards agreed. He dropped the pieces into a mesh bag, "The medics got all three out safely. Instructor Dmitri's broken ribs did not pierce any of his organs, he's a little concussed and mostly pissed off, so close to his usual mood. Private Cassidy suffered a broken wrist. Leader Prior has a few contusions and scrapes. We are currently working to get the damaged APC up the hill then we'll tow it back to Dauntless. Shouldn't be more than half an hour."
He later would claim he didn't sense her before he saw her. It had nothing to do with being soulmates, but the sheer fact over the years Eric managed to become attuned to Tris.
She was bloodied and there was a hitch in her step, but to him, it was everything. Tris strode across the distance towards him. Eric wanted to move, his feet refusing to and so, he reached for her.
The world clicked back into place.
Tris held onto him like they'd been apart for centuries. Eric tried to keep from clutching at her too hard in order to not irritate her injuries.
Eric closed his eyes. He belonged to Tris, whatever power in the universe was out there, it decided he was hers, and that it was enough.
"I don't see why I have to be strapped in like this," Tris complained. She was in one of the two fold out gurneys which came as standard features in every Dauntless APC. "And you get to sit in a normal seat."
"My whole left side isn't black and blue, plus Richards said you had to and it's his APC," Eric answered. He held her hand, trying to be comforting. She laughed, "What?"
"I can't believe I called you stupidly hot. Your ego's going to just get bigger now," Tris said. She poked the center of his chest, "Good thing you have a heart."
Eric was confused.
"I was furious when I figured out you knew before I did, that you didn't say anything, but I understood why."
Various things ran through Eric's head. There was a lot he needed to tell her, but not here.
"You thought you didn't deserve a soulmate," Tris continued. Eric breathed out, the soulmate thing they could talk about here. The other things, not so much. "Just because I understand why doesn't mean I'm not upset."
"That's what I thought, still think you could do better than me, but I've seen you out stubborn Lauren. It's something I have to work on," he told her. The weight on his shoulders lessened slightly, "I don't expect this or you to fix me, only I can do that."
She lifted their joined hands up to kiss his knuckles.
"I know it's not my job to fix you and I don't want it to be. I'll support you and be here for you no matter what," Tris promised. "After all, I am stuck with you."
"I'm sorry I upset you, that I hurt you by keeping it to myself. That was selfish of me and wrong," he said. Everyone else in the APC's cabin was doing a horrifically bad job of pretending not to be eavesdropping. Eric sighed, this was going to hurt his reputation, "If you want, I can grovel or crawl until you forgive me."
Four snorted and only by exercising extreme restraint, Eric didn't flip him off.
Tris did.
"I forgave you the moment after you wrote back you were on your way," Tris stated. Eric winced at the joyful shriek from Lauren. He loved his best friend, but she was hitting a pitch usually used for breaking glass. "Next time you upset me, I'll just sic Kyle on you. Rich said I could."
"I did," came over the intercom laced with static.
Eric really wanted to know how Richards managed to hear anything over the engine.
A week after Marcus Eaton disappeared, Abnegation was finally given news of his death. What followed made Eric want to chew glass. He sat next to Tris, trying his best to bite his tongue, and not snap at her father. While he was honored at the trust Hathaway put in him to speak for her, Eric was beginning to find it to be so tangled in strings it would take a century to unknot.
Trust me appeared on his wrist.
He glanced over at Councilman Prior, who was haranguing Jack Kang, and therefore occupied, before mouthing back, Always.
"Dauntless is currently investigating Leader Eaton's death, we cannot say anything officially until we finish," Eric interrupted. He understood Abnegation's desire to have the body released to them, but it just wasn't possible. "We apologize if it is not conducive to Abnegation's plans at this time."
He bet Councilman Prior wasn't used to interacting with Dauntless who weren't acting "like hellions." In all fairness that was mostly dependents, Initiates, and anyone under the age of twenty in Faction. And some of the older members when the moon was full or if there was enough booze flowing.
"It is obvious who killed him," Andrew said. "More of Jeanine's people Dauntless missed bringing in. Or maybe this is another power grab. The fact that Eric Coulter is here as a Dauntless Mouthpiece-"
"I would kindly like to remind Councilman Prior that Leader Coulter was an integral part of the operation six years ago as an undercover agent at great risk to life and limb. Since then Dauntless has respected the agreement and the concessions it has made to Abnegation while trying to earn the trust of this city back. Six. Long. Years," Tris said, punctuating each word by tapping on the table; her tone was just the right amount of steady and sincere with an underlying thread of indignation. "At this council's request we are also investigating the alleged resurgence of sympathizers to Jeanine Matthews' cause. What more do you want us to do?"
"An explanation on why you were out in Amity harassing them about the Factionless," Andrew snapped back. That was the card the man was keeping close to his chest Eric realized. Which meant the man either knew something or Abnegation and Amity were trying to pull something off together. "Or why Dauntless is interested in the Factionless at all."
Tris looked at her father, eyes assessing before she answered,
"Firstly, myself and an Instructor were out in Amity as part of a training exercise for one of our new drivers. Secondly, we inquired with Leader Reyes as to the current harvest yield and the percentage allotted to the Factionless, no harassment whatsoever. And finally, Dauntless submitted an amendment to be approved at the next major Faction leadership meeting to finally allow the Factionless to send representatives and play an active role in the governing of this city over six months ago. Which, according to the intel Dauntless has gathered on the clandestine meetings between Abnegation and Amity, predates their plan to integrate the Factionless into their numbers, and by doing so, giving them more weight when it comes to major council decisions as well as more resource allowance."
"What Leader Prior says is true. Dauntless has been working on this amendment for several years. It's well done and air tight," Jack Kang said. It was a surprise to Eric, then again, his area when it came to Leadership was training Initiates whereas Tris specialized into inter-Factional politics and negotiations. "And before you protest Dauntless monitoring you, a child could've followed your trail from the evidence I've seen."
Eric saw the thoughts running through Andrew Prior's head. The man was proud of his daughter, but at the same time fighting against the preconceived notion he had of her now home Faction.
"I want to put forth a motion to suspend any investigation of Abnegation and Amity on the condition both Factions issue a formal apology to Erudite and Dauntless in addition to ceasing annoying this council with unfounded conspiracy theories," Caleb Prior, formerly Erudite Initiate and Current Erudite Leader spoke up. "Erudite has maintained an astonishing level of transparency since the trials six years ago."
Eric found Caleb Prior to be the brilliant sort of bastard he would've befriended in his early teens before joining Dauntless. Despite his age, what pushed him over for becoming a Leader so young was the research and then publication of studies showing that cutting off a teenager's link to their previous lives caused psychological distress which could've been one of the things Jeanine Matthews and Max exploited to bring people over to their cause.
"I shall confer with Johanna and have a reply by next week," Andrew's answer came with an edge.
It meant they'd get the apology in the most backbiting manner both Factions could manage. Eric didn't really care, he enjoyed how Amity and Abnegation ate crow over the whole matter. He missed the mischievous twinkle in Caleb's eyes until the other man spoke again,
"And an official congratulations to my sister on finding her soulmate," Caleb said, clapping.
Eric shook his head when Tris took his hand. Jack Kang's expression was one of rare fondness whereas Andrew Prior's was sour.
"It's me," Eric told them, raising his hand just to be a smartass.
Everything smelled damp, like rotted wood and mildewed plastic.
Eric got his knees under him, trying not to wobble as he stood. It was silent, no noise besides the ones he was making by shuffling around. His head felt like static; no thoughts, just blank space and hissing. There was a persistent ache in the side of his neck and upon investigation, he found a small, raised bump.
He'd been drugged.
Eric took a deep breath in, trying to center himself. He fucking hated the aftermath of being drugged. Each type had different after effects, ranging from splitting headaches to vomiting everything you'd eaten that day.
Dry mouth. Slow reboot of thought processes. A slight high pitched whine in his ears.
A type of basic anesthesia used in minor surgeries Eric mentally recited. Whoever got the drop on him used the improper amount for his body weight. Or they purposely intended for him to wake up at a certain time.
His surroundings were lackluster; an ancient Pre-War holding cell. That meant he was still in Chicago and close to the lake from the slight scent of fish slipping through cracks in the wall behind him.
"You're awake, good."
Four stood at the foot of a cement staircase. The One Eyed Man stood behind him along with an older woman. Eric glanced between Four and the woman, noting similarities in eye shape and face angles.
Eric kept quiet, watching and waiting.
"Hands," Four instructed, pointing towards a gap in the cell door. It was once probably used to pass trays for meals. Eric obeyed, watching Four tie his wrists together. Only the way he tied the rope and the knot he used were easy to get out of. Eric kept his face impassive as Four mouthed, You'll know when.
"Today we will begin correcting an oversight," the woman said. Four opened the cell, indicating for Eric to get out. "Getting rid of a threat to the city before bringing its biased Faction system down."
Edward began to walk up the stairs which gave Eric the impression the woman and Four were going to bring up the rear.
"I'm sorry, but who are you?" Eric asked as he stopped in front of the woman.
She slapped him.
"Nice to meet you too, lady," Eric said and followed Edward up the stairs. He turned around at the second landing to look down at the rest of his escort. "I know who you are, Four's mother. The one who abandoned him."
He watched her hand go to the pistol at her side.
Eric snapped his fingers then pointed at her as best he could.
"Evelyn. I remember you. Are you mad at me because I called you "lady" or because Dauntless didn't fall for your whole," Eric gestured up and down, "Jeanine Matthews has sleeper cell operatives charade to destabilize the city?"
It was a gambit, but it paid off when Evelyn punched him in the face. Eric came up with the hypothesis on the fly. Evelyn Johnson-Eaton was a ghost story. The only person to elude detection in the city. And it seemed, all to bring their fragile society down violently.
He snickered through the blood bubbling out of his nose.
They brought him what was left of a bullpen. The desks mouldered and the floor covered with stained papers. There were more of Evelyn's toadies around the room, he counted about fourteen armed Factionless. All of them dressed in blue or brown and only one dressed in black.
Tris.
He remembered.
They'd taken the long way to the train stop after the meeting. Tris led him into an alleyway, pushed him against a wall, and kissed him. He remembered a pinch then darkness.
Trust me he remembered the words on his wrist. It was a command, not a question.
"At least you didn't stab me in the back. Thanks for that, Stiff," Eric snarled. He didn't try to lash out when he was forced to his knees. He stared up at her, "So, all of it was an act then?"
"And you fell for it," Tris said. The smile on her face was tight. "We needed a scapegoat."
Eric was one of Psyops' best operatives. He pieced together Evelyn's plan. If it failed, they'd toss his body somewhere then have Four and Tris feed the information that he'd been the ringleader to the Council while regrouping. Thing was, Evelyn didn't think her own son would stay loyal to his Faction.
Or that the boy she left behind would grow into a man who bore a grudge.
Eric began to tug on the end of the rope to loosen his bonds.
"Kill him," Evelyn ordered. A pistol passed by Eric's periphery. "Prove your loyalty or die with your soulmate. You can survive his death, I did."
That answered who killed Marcus Eaton then again, Eric knew it once he figured out who Evelyn was. He didn't really fault her for it, Marcus had it coming, and probably should've suffered more for laying hands on his soulmate and her son.
Eric brought a foot up. He felt several Factionless point their rifles at him.
"If I'm going die, I want to do it on my feet," Eric said. He took a few steps towards Tris, eyes locked on hers. "Do it. I'd rather you kill me rather than them kill us both. Don't clip your life short because of me."
Please, please hear what I'm asking Eric thought.
"What's a full life without you?" Tris answered. She held the pistol up, aiming it for center mass.
The clip was full. Ten bullets against sixteen targets, seventeen if Eric was wrong against Four.
Eric breathed out then struck. He yanked his hands apart as he rolled, the rope uncoiling. The Factionless followed his movements, lowering their rifles. He heard the shots from Tris along with a couple of others.
He got to his feet, wrapping the rope around both hands, and pulling it taut. The Factionless member closest to him tried to shoot only for Eric to get in close. He looped the rope around the rifle's barrel then yanked down, following it with a knee into the man's stomach.
Eric tied the man up, taking his rifle. Around the room his compatriots were injured in some way; Tris was a good shot like that. Edward was behind Tris, a knife up and at the ready as he protected her flank. At his feet were several Factionless with stab wounds in non-vital areas. Four stood over his mother with his own pistol pointed downwards, who was clutching at her leg.
"Good job," Hathaway strode through the doorway. The imposing form of Instructor Dmitri trailing behind her along with more Dauntless. "Evelyn Johnson-Eaton, the ghost becomes flesh."
Eric strapped the rifle across his back, losing some of the tension in his shoulders. Tris made her way across the room. She grabbed his vest, yanking him down for a sweet kiss.
"I'm sorry," Tris said. "You must be so angry at me."
Eric shook his head.
"You told me to trust you, Tris. What more did I need to do?"
Orange and pink streaked the sky, reflected on the lake, and on the windows which were unbroken in the abandoned skyscrapers around Dauntless. He stared from his seat on the train as it circled the city.
It'd been a week of debriefings, evidence collecting, and writing reports. All of it packaged into a neat packet Eric personally couriered to Jack Kang. There would be a trial, mostly a sham one since leaving Evelyn Eaton alive wasn't an option.
An emergency Council meeting made Natalie Prior the Leader of Abnegation, Edward and Four the co-Leaders of the Factionless once the amendment was added to the city charter. Eric wasn't surprised to find out Hathaway and Kang made that deal with the both of them.
Darling, I suffer. Please help appeared on the top of his hand.
Eric took out the pen he now always had on his person and wrote back:
Darling, I know you suffer. That is why I am here for you.
"I read it in this book when I was fifteen," Tris sat down and held out a green covered book; it was the same one Eric thought he'd lost. "Caleb brought it home one day and I stole it. I think it also led me to Dauntless in a small way."
Eric opened the book, thumbing through the pages. He stopped on one where his own handwriting was in the margins. The book itself wasn't about anything, just a collection of quotes and pictures.
"You recognized my handwriting? What made you think of Dauntless?" Eric asked. She reached over and turned the pages to a very familiar quote. Next to it, he'd written Dauntless, "Oh, that makes sense."
"You're lucky you're stupidly hot," Tris teased. "Or I might reconsider this whole thing."
"You wouldn't. It's fate," Eric replied. He tucked the book into pocket before throwing an arm over her shoulder and drawing her close. "Making the unconscious conscious etcetera."
They missed their stop several times, preferring to watch the sunset then the moon as it rose over the city they protected. And they'd end up walking back to Dauntless from the train yard, but there was no one else either wanted to be with as they did.
Notes: Written for CorinaLannister for the Soul-2-Soul (2021) exchange on AO3.
Quote Citation:
"Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate."- Carl Jung
"Darling, I suffer./Darling, I know you suffer. That is why I am here for you."-Thich Nhat Hanh
