I've never been more relieved to see Axel had come along.

The new 'friend' was thrown off by my sudden insistence we sit together, telling me I should be with Eric instead. The tentative Dauntless head is with Jack Kang on the front row. I don't bother pointing out there weren't any seats left.

There was, but I politely urged Veronica to take it instead.

Most of the trial consisted of Axel staring at me weirdly.

"What?" I whisper. Jeanine is standing on the middle of the platform, face red and pained. She breathes heavily, recovering from the statement she gave earlier. Without her prim, lint-free suit, she resembles a recently showered factionless. The blue jumpsuit is unflattering. Her hair sticks out from all angles - a result of struggling with the serum.

I hope Eric's trial went nothing like this.

"Are you trying to make him jealous?" Axel whispers back. He leans close, our shoulders almost touching.

An hour in, and the hearing has been nothing but a bore. I regret leaving my dogs with Amy to amuse her. I would give anything to cuddle and fall asleep with Gunner as a pillow. Jack had asked if I could bring all three along and if they could play with Amy while he worked. It was a weird request, especially when I stressed again that Sabre was the animal who left Cole in his wretched condition.

All the father did was look at me squarely and asked if I trusted the dogs with my life. And when I unhesitatingly said yes, he asked the question again but replaced me with his daughter. It was an incredibly strange exchange, for him to place his defenseless… what? Five-year-old? Into the claws of three manslaughter-capable animals with only a twitchy vertically-stretched pug for protection.

"No? Eric hasn't even looked our way." Hasn't looked at me. We came in separate trucks; we entered the room at different times. He didn't wait for me as he does every morning before we leave, nor did he acknowledge my presence as we gathered by the trucks.

Axel leans back on his seat and clasps his hands on his lap. "Then?"

"Then nothing. I didn't want to sit alone." I mumble distractedly. Far below me, Jack pulls away from the rest of the judiciary. He nods to them and visibly draws a breath. Calling for the attention of the conversing Dauntless leaders, he begins discussing.

"There's Kyle over there. He's a nice guy," Axel points out. His finger is aimed at the head three rows below ours, right behind Eric's. Eric doesn't react to his friend's gesture, even though it's clearly in his peripherals. "You should be sitting with the leaders, not the commoners."

I sigh. "Look. I just need a break. It's been a hard week and I'm not in the mood of deciding the fate of someone I could care less about." I'm not sure why I agreed to come along in the first place. It would've been easier to have stayed back and take a late morning nap. "Also, I don't think it's a good idea for me to be there to help 'decide'," I air quote. I doubt my opinion will not hold weight until I officially become one of them - a leader. "I'm considered a victim. My father died as collateral damage, remember?"

Axel's eyes widen in embarrassment. "Right, right, sorry," he replies quickly, nodding his head with a bit too much energy.

I frown at his amplified response. "No need to apologize. There's nothing to apologize for anyway." Jack nods to the leaders and twists back to face the convict. He starts speaking in a loud voice, but I only catch the very beginning.

"Of course, there is! I'm sorry for being so thoughtless. Eric has always said I'm-" I wave a hand.

"I don't expect you to understand, and I don't mean this rudely. It's hard to empathize with something you've never been through, so don't worry about it." Axel has a panicked look. The knuckles on the armrests blanched. I sigh. "No, I'm not going to say anything to your 'cinnamon roll'. Will you please calm down?"

He relaxes immediately and smiles sheepishly. "Sorry. Eric tells me that I say a lot of stupid stuff. Tessa calls me Vomit Dick because of it."

"Tessa?" I ask. From my muddy memory, the name of Eric's sex buddy doesn't sound like Tessa. Though, I believe their names do start with the same letter. I ask anyway. "Isn't that Eric's fuck buddy?"

I must've said it a bit louder than intended, for Axel pales and jerks from his seat. Once he's sure no one heard us – though I doubt they'd even care to begin with – he settles back down. "No, Taya is our friend, who was, for some time, Eric's… buddy. Tessa is my girlfriend. She won't let me marry her, cause, and I quote, 'not serious enough'."

Huh. "Are you?"

He leans away, offended. "Of course I am! I'm sick and tired of finding new girls to sleep with. It takes too much energy convincing them."

I nod slowly, making a conscious effort not to squint. "I see why she calls you Vomit Dick."

His head tilts, followed by horror. "No, no, I'm not trying to bed you. That whole threesome thing? It was a joke. I was drunk that night. Please don't tell Eric." I think I'm starting to see why Eric hangs out with him. Axel is stupidly funny; so long as I'm not Tessa.

He sticks out his hand, turning serious. "Wait, let's get back to the problem at hand." I squint. He squints back and nudges his head towards the platform. On the platform is a crestfallen Jeanine. Jack is still booming away. I return to Axel, confused. He proceeds to exaggerated eye gestures and jaw jerks.

"What?" The hammer slams.

Axel stares long and hard, not quite believing my confusion. With one more eye stab towards the platform, he clicks his tongue. "What's wrong with you and Eric? Why are you avoiding him?"

Oh. "Nothing's wrong. We're fine."

He suspiciously wags a finger between me and the oblivious man below. "And everything's fine between the both of you."

"Yeah, of cours-"

Stacy enters the room.

I shoot out of my seat immediately. "I'm gonna go. Come." Grabbing Axel by the wagging finger, I pull him out of the seat too. He instantly resist, frowning.

"Go where? What's wrong?"

On the platform, a male Candor is conversing with her, a syringe in hand. "I don't want to hear this. I'm going to find my dogs and wait till it ends. Do you want to come?" I rush out quickly.

He's still frowning. "Oh. But I don't think it's a good idea I should go leave with you, Eric might-"

"Look, it's not a big deal. If he asks, you can just say you're protecting me." I doubt he will even notice. "But, if you're truly worried, you can stay. It's fine really." My feet are jittery, ready to waltz out of this place. "So, you coming?"

"Are you sure?"

I shrug. "After what I've told you, you tell me."

Skylar places down the fork and cleans her mouth. She scrutinizes me, her normal bubbly persona non-existent. "I think you should… eat your food. You love the pasta here."

I sigh and pick up the fork. The dish hasn't been touched, and Skylar's done with hers. The three dogs are watching quietly. They've eaten their fruit snacks already. Jabbing the tomato coated noodles once, I wave for the waitress. "Not hungry. I'll eat it later."

"Oh, and get an apple cider too," Skylar adds, interrupting my exchange with the lady.

"I don't want an apple cider," I reply flatly.

"Fine, make that whiskey."

"Or any form of alcohol," I grit out. I refuse to distract myself in the most reckless way possible. The waitress looks between us uneasily, then to the staring dogs. With an awkward nod, she scurries away, almost tripping over Hawk's tail.

Skylar throws her arms out exasperatedly. "What? You're not eating, neither are you drinking. Do you plan to drown in your worries?"

"I drink water! And I did eat recently!" Yesterday night, if it counts.

Skylar covers her face and groans. When her arm falls away, a scowl is in place. "Look, I won't say Eric isn't using you as a replacement for sex and alcohol, but from what you told me, it sure the hell seems like it. And I won't say he's changed since you came, because I don't know him well enough to know if his actions to keep you happy are to keep himself happy. That said, it does sound a lot like love. Happy wife, happy life. You know that phrase?"

"I don't know. He hasn't said anything of that sort. Is Zack like this?" Eric's actions are confusing and hurtful, especially now I know his true intentions.

Skylar laughs dryly. "Well to start, he didn't stalk me for a year, which is, to say the least, pervy as heck." I sigh. "We're a bit different from the both of you. He does things to make me happy because… well because he wants me happy, not for his own 'benefit' per se. That being said, this doesn't add up on why Eric's avoiding you."

The woman returns with the package of food. I thank her and settle the payment. Skylar tries to pay for her orders, but I wave it off. There are too many points on my account anyway. "I don't know. Maybe he's just trying to keep me happy you know? Like in perfect equilibrium? He doesn't open up, not unless I figure it out myself and confront him on it." Just like Jeanine's project. He had no intention of telling me he was going against her. Which hurts, for I thought we were equals. He told me I was strong. "He only wants me happy to keep him happy. He doesn't actually care."

I suppose it doesn't help he originates from the most selfish faction.

Skylar's lips twitch, irritated. "I have a sudden urge to punch him now, but I'll probably be kicked from the faction after."

"Be my guest." I would like to punch him too.

"Maybe you should take a break, go visit Amity or something. I'm sure Johanna would let you stay there a couple of days if you want to. You and John are close right? It might be nice to spend some time with him," she suggests earnestly.

"I'm not going to run away," lifting an eyebrow when she mumbles maybe you should. "I still have a job and no matter my relationship status with him, I'm still going to do it." Whether or not my relationship with Eric landed my job in the first place, I'm not going to let him define it. "I just need to re-strategize and recuperate. Find my bearings and move on." Shouldn't be too hard, theoretically.

Skylar's reply is faraway. "And the best way to do it is to divert your attention by…"

I blink. "What? I just said I'm not going to use alcho-"

Skylar eye rolls. "Not alcohol." She tsks, insulted by my completely logical assumption. "Something else."

"He looks like a creep."

Skylar ignores me, continuing to pluck out the DVD cases. The man on the cover wears a suit, with the name of the devil behind in red led lights. I suppose he does fit the description of tall, dark, and handsome; with dark being figuratively. "No, he's hot as hell," she says seriously, then breaks into giggles. "If you get what I mean." Eyebrow wiggles for effect.

"Are you blushing?"

She giggles. "Maybe. He's really hot." In her arms are six cases – six seasons of the series.

Skylar had brought me here, insisting I needed to 'watch my worries away'. She rambled off about seeing a different perspective. And from the way she's acting, I don't think she meant it constructively.

She lifts a case to me. "Doesn't he just look so… devilishly handsome?" I stare at the cover skeptically. It's the same man but in black and white. Black graffitied wings are sprayed on the wall, giving him the appearance of an angel.

Still a creep to me.

Not obtaining the desired response from me, she turns to the dogs. "Isn't he handsome boys?" She proceeds to lean closer to the dogs, and I catch wind of her whispering how he's better looking than Eric.

I clap my hands. "Okay. I am not buying this." Skylar is possessed, possessed by this fictional devil.

Skylar straightens and faces me, a big grin exposing her teeth. "Yes, yes you will."

"Peanut butter or chocolate spread?" I hold out both jars to Gunner. He glances at both, then to me. I believe that is the dog equivalent of a shrug. "I suppose peanut butter is healthier… and you guys can eat it… oh look! There are ones with jelly options too! And chocolate!" Never have I appreciated people having different preferences till now. I pluck out all three options; peanut and strawberry, peanut and grape, peanut with chocolate. Whoever made this is a genius.

Plopping the peanut and grape into the basket, I head for my favorite section - the meats. "You know, Skylar was right. I do need a break. Do whatever makes me happy you know? For myself." Gunner flanks me. His movements are slow and lazy – lion-like; one heavy paw over the other. Today's training session was held outside. Without Four or Eric's help, I decided on a game of hide and seek with Liam. We alternated holding the dogs while the other hid for five minutes spent. So far, their record time is forty-five seconds.

I stop in my tracks. "Hey, do you know what's up with Eric?" Gunner blinks. "He's been acting weird right? Veronica told me he took up the job. I didn't expect him to, but also did. Why though?" I resume my path towards the refrigeration area. Gunner resumes too and ignores me, writing off my honest concern as mindless babbles.

I sigh. "Do you think that maybe this job… is his… you know… distr- umpfh." The peanut butter falls out. The basket jabs into my side.

"Oh my, so sorry," comes an irritatingly familiar voice. Gunner moves to stand in front of me. He's focused on the green-haired woman walking away.

Did she just?

I stare at the large space left of me. It could've easily fit three people side-by-side. My eye twitches. "Stay." I stuff the peanut butter into the basket and set it down beside Gunner. My trained guard shakes his head and huffs.

"Hey you!" She continues walking, a bounce in her step. I speed my pace. "Bull-nose Vomit!" That grabs her attention; wonderful. She pauses, back still facing me. I stop a few steps behind. "You got some issues with me?" I'm not sure where the source of courage for confrontation is coming from, but I bet it's got to do with all the poop things going on in my life. To hell if I'm going to let this louse add herself on the list.

Apparently, she does have issues with me. The next thing I know, there's a fist swinging to my face. Pain sprouts at my cheekbone and my face snaps to the side. I press a palm over the area and hold a hand out behind me. Bull-nose scoffs, a smirk playing on her less than average features. I scoff too, pulling my hand away. "You've got quite some nerve punching me like that."

Her nostrils flare in amusement. "What? You're gonna have your dog attack me?" I smile sweetly, flashing my teeth. "Come on then, we all know the dogs are nothing but walking torture devices."

I clasp my hands together and shift my weight to one side. "Well, he would love to, actually. He's off-leash as well, so nothing is stopping him from coming over." I drop the smile to frown slightly. "Though… he has a teeny bit more self-control." I extend a hand towards the canine whilst keeping my focus on her. My palm is facing Gunner. There's not a doubt in my mind he's is still waiting exactly where I told him to. "So maybe, you should try hitting me again, hmm?"

Bull-nose… isn't the brightest. Anyone who heard me would know my question was indisputably rhetorical. Anyone except… her. Nonetheless, I'm more prepared when I see her attempt to punch me again. I grab her arm and yank her forward, kneeing her as she does. She gasps and splutters. I shove her away in revulsion, having felt her split land on my arm.

Disgusting.

She stumbles back, clutching her stomach. I grab her before she trips over her shoes and yank her to me. Wiping my spit covered arm on her shoulder, I say lowly, "Is that all you've got?" I jerk back immediately when she releases an animalistic shout. Her fist strikes toward my abdomen but falls short. I dance around her punches and poorly attempted kicks. Wrily watching her frustration surge like a cartoon character.

The only thing I'll give her credit for is the audible exertions coming from her. She sounds deadlier than my dogs. Brawling with her feels like we're a championship and not in a grocery scuffle. If only she was good, I would be enjoying this fight. Except she isn't, and I have to refrain myself from dislocating her shoulder.

Feet wide apart, leg bent inwards, shoulders dropped, elbows sunken - the stance my mother taught me. Yet despite my obvious preparation, she still sends a fist forward in a fit of rage. One hand shoots forward to divert her target. The other slams into her solar plexus. My opponent shrieks as she's thrown back, knocked back a few feet before her legs give out. I feel the thud as she lands. Straightening, I peer down and tilt my head, unfazed by her death glare. "Nice of you to release your anger. Because I wished I had with mine."

"I'll kill you," she seethes, breathing heavy. Bull-nose's skin is flushed red from exertion. Small beads of sweat form near her awful hairline. I, on the other hand, is calm as if on a morning stroll.

I squat and pout mockingly. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but there are only two options for you, and none consists of me dying," Stretching out my fist, I open the first finger. "One, you lose your job, points, and home for attacking a leader trainee unprovoked. Or two, I finally accept your request and let Gunner have a go at you. Though, I heard it's worse than being shot. However, if you-"

She tries to kick me, and I step back. Her boot still collides with my shin.

I sigh, smiling flatly. "Lucky for you, my only goal is to go back to watching my show. So if you'll excuse me, I'll be going."

Gunner is still by the basket. I pick it up and tuck it inside my elbow. The dog's posture is tense. His focus is still on the girl on the ground. We walk past her, and I don't miss her flinch when Gunner jerks towards her to flare his nostrils.

"Oh, and do me a favour." I throw over my shoulder. "Whatever you're dealing with, don't take out your anger on anyone; pull your shit together."

"Anna, wait."

"Leave me alone Eric." I slam the door close. "Stay." Gunner blinks. Sabre and Hawk have been startled awake from their nap. They climb out of their couch-turned-bed to greet me.

Eric doesn't take the hint to leave. His voice is muffled through the door. "I'm sorry but I can't. Let me check on you." Dumping the bags on the counter, I return to clean Gunner's paws. "Tell me what happened."

I growl. "Nothing! Everything is fine." Hawk licks my cheek, I snap to glare at him. He takes the hint to back off.

"The bruise on your cheek sure doesn't look like nothing. Open up."

Beeping noises of him keying in the code. I rush up to slap on the double lock, but the door's already opening. Cursing loudly, I slam my weight on the door. It doesn't budge. His stupid boot is wedge between. "Go away!"

His reply is calm, albeit strained. "Just let me check on you, then I'll leave. Promise."

I clench the cloth. Just for a little while Anna, then he'll leave. No biggie. "Fine!" I gesture for Gunner to scoot further into the room. The dog complies.

I'm back to cleaning when Eric enters.

"Was it Mark?"

"What? No. I haven't seen him around at all, and I've got it under control." When I stand, I'm face to shoulder with Eric. He grabs my face immediately, angling to inspect the bruise better. No eye contact, no sorry for ignoring you, no I miss you. I don't know which of the three hurts more.

After examining my cheek for a few more seconds, he pulls away to examine my arms. I school my face blank. "Are you hurt anywhere else?"

"No." Well, the shin hurts a bit. I'll have to drop by the med bay to pick up some pills.

"Did Gunner attack the man for what he'd done?"

"No."

"Did you report this to anyone?"

"No."

He scowls, dropping my arm in disgust. "You just let him get away?"

I meet his glare head-on. "You know, you're starting to awfully sound like Four."

It strikes a nerve. "Don't compare me to that man," he snarls.

I step forward till we're only a feet apart. "Then stop, acting like him," I reply warningly.

"So long as you don't do stupid shit like this."

I scoff and step back. "First you say you trust me, that I'm strong, smart, and courageous. And when I don't do what you want, I'm stupid?" I turn my back to him, fed-up and incredibly exhausted. Here I thought Eric wasn't controlling. Turns out, he's been manipulating me with compliments. Praising when I do what he wants, scolding me when I don't.

He thinks I'm a dog.

He speaks again as I'm putting the groceries away. "Wait Anna, I don't mean it-"

I whip back to face him. "Then what? This is my issue, I deal with it however the fuck I want. If I don't want him reported, I don't get him reported." I slam the fridge door close. Eric needs to be kicked out as soon as possible before he ruins my night. "I don't answer to you, Eric. I don't need you or your input. I'll do whatever I deem fit, and if you go out of your way to bring the person justice…" His posture is rigid. Veins pop on his neck. Good. "Then you're no better than everyone here."

He doesn't respond immediately, brooding on the spot. The dogs are gathered on the couches, away from the two of us. They're smart not to intervene. Placing the remaining oxtails into the freezer, I fish for a spoon for the peanut butter. I've only watched the first episode of the show, and I intend to continue until midnight. Skylar was right, the main character is unreasonably handsome. His accent and way of words had captivated me within the first half of the episode.

"Fine, I won't step in unless you want me to." I lift an eyebrow. The jar and spoon in hand, I'm ready to start my night. "But now you're an official leader, get the tattoos as soon as possible. I don't want this to happen again."

Greeting each of the dogs in kin, I grab the remote and settle down. "I'll think about it," I reply lightly, kicking my legs out. Veronica mentioned the tattoos are optional, as well as the location. Hers is on her bicep.

"You'll think about it?"

I sigh and throw my head back. "Yes. I'll think about whether I need a fashion statement."

Predictably, his voice rises a notch. "No, it is not a fashion statement. It's a demand of respect."

"Which is exactly what I don't need," I reply sweetly. "I don't want people to respect me because there are black blocks around my neck. They should respect me because they truly do. And as much as I do appreciate the protection you and the dogs are providing, I'm not a damsel in distress. I'm perfectly fine on my own. You of all people should know that."

Pin-drop silence.

"Go ahead. Check the security footage at the grocery if you don't believe me."

A/N

So, I've been distracted/dry/tired lately. This story will be going on hiatus soon. Don't worry, I'll leave the story at a good spot (1-2 chapters more)