At three forty-five on the morning of her twenty-first birthday, Tris' phone chirped. She'd had trouble sleeping all night, so the soft noise was enough to wake her up. She unlocked her phone screen and saw a text from Tobias.

4: I know you're asleep, but I wanted to be the first one to wish you a happy birthday. I love you so much. Your gift and flight information will be delivered today. I can't wait to spend the summer with you.

T: Thank you. I love you, too.

4: Why are you awake so early?

T: I don't know. I'm just restless.

4: I woke you up, didn't I?

T: Not really.

4: I'm so sorry

T: You're worth a little lost sleep. I was just dozing. I'd rather be talking with you. I'll try to sneak in a nap this afternoon.

4: Do you have big party plans tonight, since you can legally drink now?

T: We're going to a club. Since I'm the last of my friends to turn 21, Christina decided to make a big deal out of it. She reserved a VIP/party room.

4: That sounds like fun.

T: Better than her first suggestion - she wanted to have a girls night and hire a male stripper. I told her that she couldn't afford to get the only man I want to see naked.

4: Let me guess… Amar?

Tris tried to contain her laughter so she wouldn't wake Christina.

T: So close…

4: I guess I can send you pictures again if that would help.

T: I'd rather have the real thing. :(

4: I'd rather give you the real thing.

T: You'd better - all summer. Have you given more thought to the bucket list?

4: All the time. I think about your "skinny dipping" idea, and joining the mile high club. I want to christen the new bed in the master bedroom, and the shower, bathtub, and dressing room. I want you in the den, and on my desk in the study.

T: It's going to be a long week of waiting, isn't it?

4: For me it is. You have final exams, your friends' graduation, and you have to move your things back to your parents' house. All I can do is wait.

T: My poor baby…

.

Tobias eventually ended their chat, saying that Amar needed his attention on something. Tris dozed off for another hour or so.

Tris had two morning classes, but was done with school by lunchtime. She walked back to her dorm, and was surprised to find that her room wasn't empty.

"Mom?!" Tris said when she saw Natalie waiting for her.

"Happy birthday, Baby Girl!" Natalie greeted her daughter with a hug. "I can't believe you're twenty-one already."

"What are you doing here?" Tris asked.

"I came to take you to lunch," Natalie said.

Tris eagerly traded her backpack for her purse, threw on her pink leather jacket, and walked out of the dorm building with Natalie.

The two women ate Italian for lunch. They laughed and reminisced, caught up on their lives, and talked about Tris' upcoming summer in Albania. Natalie gave Tris her birthday gift, a necklace with two white gold loops and a single pearl dangling in the middle. The design was modern, but classic, and Tris loved it.

When Natalie returned Tris to her dorm, a note was waiting. It informed Tris that party preparations would start at five o'clock, so she had better be showered and ready. Since she had a few hours to spare, Tris decided to sneak in a nap.

.

The alarm on Tris' phone alarm rang a little after four o'clock. Her first realization as she came awake was that she wasn't alone on her little dorm bed. There were people in her room, and one of them was sitting behind her. She quickly shut off the alarm and rolled away from the wall to find Lynn beside her.

"Why are you on my bed?" Tris croaked.

"I'm protecting you from the crazies," Lynn said, pointing to where Shauna, Marlene, Christina, and the entire contents of their closet were spread out on Christina's bed and desk chair.

"What happened to five o'clock?" Tris asked.

"Beats me," Lynn replied. "I just got dragged over here."

Tris groaned, and Christina peeked up like a lemur on a nature show.

"She's up?" Christina chirped.

"No," Tris groaned.

Marlene clapped her hands like an excited toddler. "Go shower," she urged.

Tris gathered her keys and put her shoes on.

"Where do you think you're going?" Christina asked.

"To get my mail," Tris said.

"Nope," Christina said, snatching the keys right out of her hands. "You're going to shower. Lynn can get your mail."

"I'm on it," Lynn said, snatching the keys.

Tris groaned, but obeyed.

After her shower, Tris was disappointed to learn that the only mail Lynn had found in her box was a very bland birthday card from Caleb. He had written nothing in the generic card, just signed his name like he was signing a check.

"Caleb is such a dork," Christina said as she looked at the card. "He might as well fold a piece of paper in half and write 'It is your birthday' on it."

Tris laughed as she threw the card in the trash. "I'd wager good money that Mom made him send that. I doubt he knows when my birthday is."

"Oh come on," Marlene objected. "That's your brother!"

"No," Lynn said, "she's telling the truth. Caleb is more of a pet robot than a brother. Remember that one time when we were like twelve and he almost burned your house down with his chemistry set?"

"That was hilarious," Christina interjected.

"The police came," Tris added. "They thought he was cooking meth. My parents were furious, but Caleb was only upset because he couldn't get his experiment to work."

"How did your parents - some of the nicest people on earth - make a son like Caleb?" Shauna asked.

"Oh, Caleb is exactly like my Aunt Jeanine," Tris said. "She's my dad's sister, and she's a robot, too. She's married to her job in medical research, and the only kid she ever looked at with anything other than utter disdain is Caleb, and she didn't care about him until he graduated high school early and got into Erudite."

"Does Caleb know about Tobias?" Shauna asked.

"They met over Christmas," Tris said. "Caleb was a total ass and Tobias and Amar went full-on guard dog. To keep us apart, Amar literally stood in the doorway with his arms crossed."

"What did Caleb do to provoke that?" Marlene asked.

"He told me I was embarrassing him, and he told Tobias that he was wasting his time hanging out with me."

"Wow," Marlene said. "You guys had just met. I think he liked you already."

"Mmm," Tris hummed in agreement as Christina began working on her hair.

Someone asked Shauna if she and Zeke had found a location for their wedding reception, and Tris found her mind wandering. Why haven't I heard from Amar about my flight? she wondered. It's after business hours here and after midnight there. Tobias said I would get it today. Calm down; stuff happens in transit. I thought he would email, though. Maybe he got busy today. Maybe Tobias changed his mind, and he doesn't want to tell me on my birthday. No, I can't think like that. He loves me. But what if he found someone better?

"Tris?" Christina quietly interrupted her best friend's racing thoughts. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing," Tris said, forcing a smile. "I just got distracted thinking about my homework."

"Uh-huh," Christina said, obviously not believing her.

"What am I wearing tonight?" Tris asked, successfully distracting Christina.

.

The girls met up with Will, Zeke, and Uriah, and the eight of them got two taxis to the club.

Dauntless was a small school in an affluent community. Because of the high cost of living, most DU students lived in the dorms all four years. It also meant that there were a number of really nice restaurants and clubs in the area. For Tris' birthday Christina had secured the VIP section at The Candor Club. Candor was known for its speakeasy theme, the great bands and DJs they featured on the weekends, and for a tequila-based signature drink known as "truth serum."

Thanks to their VIP status, Christina led their group past the line waiting to get in. She gave Tris' name to the bouncer, and the young man snapped to attention.

He used the radio on his shoulder to call inside. "The Prior party is here," the bouncer said.

Just seconds later, the door to the club opened, and two people walked out. Tris' gasped, and her mouth dropped open when she looked into a familiar face.

"Peter?" Tris said, unhappily recognizing the male employee. He wore black slacks, a black shirt with rolled sleeves, white tie and suspenders, and a black and white hat. The female employee with him wore a black and white pinstripe dress. Both looked like they were in 1920s gangster Halloween costumes.

"Prior," Peter said in a smarmy voice as he leered at Tris.

Christina looked at Tris apologetically. Peter was a student at DU, and he and Tris had unsuccessfully tried dating their sophomore year. Peter had pushed Tris for sex, and she gave in just to find out he was also sleeping with two other girls that he had been stringing along at the same time.

The female club employee glared at Tris and poked Peter in the ribs. Must be his next victim, Tris thought. Poor girl.

"Let's get you to the VIP section," the gangster girl said, gripping Peter's elbow and dragging him back into the club.

"There's a good reminder of how far you've come in life," Shauna said quietly to Tris as they walked into the club. Christina smirked, and Tris and Shauna high-fived. Uri explained to Marlene, who hadn't been at DU when Tris dated Peter.

The VIP area was impressive. The space sat a few steps above the club's main floor, and only their party was allowed in the section. It came with private waitstaff, which meant they'd be stuck with Peter all night. It also came with a buffet of assorted appetizers. The group of friends settled into comfortable couches, and the boys started in on the food. Christina ordered a round of Truth Serum for everyone.

"Who is paying for this?" Tris asked as she looked around the plush VIP lounge.

"Don't you worry about that," Christina said. "It's your birthday!"

Peter and his counterpart, who introduced herself as Jessa, delivered the drinks. Tris' friends held their glasses in the air.

"To Tris," Zeke cheered. "Happy twenty-first birthday to the baby of the group. We love you, Little Sis!"

Everyone cheered and tossed back their drinks. "Let's dance!" Christina yelled.

Tris slipped off her pink leather jacket. Beneath it she was wearing a strappy, fitted, little black dress. It was shorter and tighter than anything Tris would usually wear, but the hemline of the skirt had fringe that helped it not feel so short. The fringe also made the dress really fun to dance in. Soon their whole group was together on the floor.

Christina grabbed both of Tris' hands and moved them around. "I love this song!" she yelled at Tris, who just laughed.

A minute later, Tris felt large hands on her shoulders. She tensed, but Christina grinned, so Tris relaxed. She felt a warm presence against her back and neck.

"May I have this dance?" a deep, familiar voice said in her ear.

Tris spun on her high heels. "Tobias!" she squealed. "What are you doing here!?"

Tris didn't wait for an answer, but threw herself at him. For several minutes, the couple just stood and held one another.

"I think we pulled it off!" Tris heard Christina shout at Tobias over the music.

Tobias laughed, and Tris felt his chest rumble against her cheek. She pulled back enough to get a good look at her boyfriend. "I can't believe you're here!" she yelled.

Tobias laughed again, then leaned in to kiss his girlfriend. "Gëzuar ditëlindjen," he said.

Tris smiled, recognizing the Albanian birthday greeting. Tobias tucked Tris into his side, and she leaned her head against his chest.

"It's nice to see you again, Christina," Tobias yelled.

Christina gave him an enthusiastic hug, which Tobias awkwardly reciprocated. "We did it!" she cheered.

Tris hugged her friend. "I can't believe you kept a secret!" she teased.

Christina pointed in the direction of the VIP section, then grabbed Tris' and Will's hands, pulling them off the dancefloor. By the time they got back to the velvet ropes, their entire friend group joined them.

"Amar!" Tris crowed joyfully when she saw Tobias' assistant waiting for them. She hurried to hug him.

"Gëzuar ditëlindjen," Amar said.

"Ju lutem," Tris replied.

Tobias sat on one of the couches and pulled Tris onto his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck, then introduced Tobias and Amar to her friends.

"Okay everybody," Tris said, "this is obviously my boyfriend, Tobias, and this is Amar. Guys, you know Christina. That's her boyfriend, Will. Next to them is Zeke, and his fiancee, Shauna. Next to Shauna is her sister, Lynn. That's Uriah - he's Zeke's brother, and in the pink is his girlfriend, Marlene, who is also Lynn's roommate."

"It's nice to meet you all," Tobias said politely.

"Um, where are you from?" Zeke asked, noticing Tobias' accent.

"Albania," Tobias explained.

"Sorry," Shauna apologized for her fiance. "He's been told several times, I swear. Remember, Zeke? That's where Tris is going for the summer."

"Yeah," Zeke said, rubbing his neck. "No offense, man, but I have no idea where that is."

Tobias chuckled. "It's about eight thousand kilometers east of here."

"That doesn't help," Uriah said. "He almost failed geography. East is the right side of the map, Zeke. Albania is over by Italy and… Oh…"

Uriah was a goofball, but he wasn't stupid. Tris watched realization dawn on her friend's face. He held up four fingers and gave Tris a questioning look.

Tris nodded and nuzzled into Tobias, who kissed the top of her head. Uriah grinned stupidly.

"I still can't believe you're here," Tris said.

"I promised you a flight to Albania for your birthday," Tobias said.

"I can't leave yet!" Tris said, sitting up in alarm. "I have finals next week!"

"I have meetings in San Francisco this week," Tobias explained. "I'm here for your birthday, then I'll be back to pick you up next week."

Tris grinned. "You're the best," she said.

"I have to try," Tobias growled in Tris' ear, "because you deserve the best."

Peter and Jessa checked in, and the group ordered another round of Truth Serum. Amar declined, informing them that he wasn't staying but had only come in to say hello and wish Tris a happy birthday. Tris tried to convince him to stay, but Amar stood firm, promising to return at the end of the night. Tris hugged him again before he left.

Dancing with Tobias, laughing with her friends, and snacking and drinking in the VIP area made Tris' birthday celebration fun. Returning to the hotel with her boyfriend made it unforgettable.

.

On Saturday morning, Tris woke with a pounding headache, but a smile on her face. Tobias was already awake, and he greeted Tris with a smile.

"Good morning, Beautiful," Tobias said.

Tris grinned. "I still can't believe you're here."

"Are you ready for your birthday present?" Tobias asked.

"Are you going to give it to me again?" Tris flirted.

"I'd love to," Tobias growled, nuzzling Tris' neck, "but I have something else to give you."

"Tobias!" Tris protested. "You surprised me by flying around the world to be with me on my birthday, and you're flying me to Albania so you can spoil me all summer. I don't need anything else."

"Too bad," Tobias said with a smirk. "I love you, and I'm going to spoil you. Get dressed."

Tris sat up and looked around. The clothes they'd shed rapidly the night before were cleaned up, and fresh outfits for both of them were laid out.

Tris' outfit was something she'd never worn or seen before, a casual seersucker shirtdress with three-quarter sleeves and a thick brown belt. A new bra, panties, and brown sandals were also provided, and everything fit perfectly.

"This outfit is really cute," Tris said, "and everything fits perfectly."

"Amar is good," Tobias said.

"It's still creepy that he comes in here when we're asleep," Tris said.

"Well, you won't have to look him in the eye over breakfast, if that helps," Tobias said as he held up a set of keys.

"Do you know how to drive?" Tris asked.

"I do," Tobias replied, "but I was hoping you would drive since I don't know my way around. I thought we'd go get breakfast somewhere, then you can show me your dorm and the university campus."

"I'd like that," Tris said.

In the hotel lobby, Tobias handed Tris the car keys. The keychain was a metal circle with the red and black double eagle image from the Albanian flag. Around the eagle was a row of sparkly crystals.

"Fancy keychain," Tris teased.

She looked at the key fob and noticed that it had the Volkswagen logo on it. "Um, what car are we driving?" Tris asked.

"Yours," Tobias said, stepping up to a brand new silver Volkswagen Jetta.

Tris stood dumbfounded and stared at the shiny compact. "I, uh… Mine?" she stammered.

"Yours," Tobias repeated. "Happy birthday, Tris."

"Oh my god," Tris breathed, still standing shocked in the middle of the parking lot.

Tobias chuckled and physically guided his girlfriend out of the way of traffic and to the driver's door of her new car. He reached for the keys, still laying on the open palm of her hand, and unlocked the doors.

"It's a new Jetta gli Autobahn," Tobias explained. "I wanted to get you a pink Mercedes convertible, but Amar talked me out of it. He said the Jetta would be more practical, especially with Chicago winters. It has an automatic transmission since Christina didn't think you could drive a manual. Remote start, black leather interior, sunroof… What else can I tell you…"

"It's mine?" Tris asked, still stunned. "Like to keep?"

"That's how a gift works," Tobias said. "The title is in your name. Your dad has the paperwork. It's under warranty and insured, and the first year's maintenance is included. The license plates will arrive while you're gone, but your dad will put them on for you. All you have to do is drive it. Are you ready?"

Tris nodded, still speechless with shock. They got into the car, and Tris adjusted her seat and the mirrors. Tobias showed her the car's features and controls.

Tris couldn't wipe the smile off her face as she drove them to a cute nearby breakfast spot. Even after they were seated and had ordered their breakfast, Tris was still in shock. She kept sneaking glances at the car out the window of the restaurant.

"You like it?" Tobias asked when he caught Tris smiling at the car again.

"I can't believe you did that," Tris said.

"I did a lot of research," Tobias said, reaching across the table to lace their fingers together. "Like I said earlier, my first instinct was to buy you the prettiest little car, something unique and decadent, like a pearl pink Mercedes convertible. But Amar convinced me that you would feel self-conscious at school next year, and that it wouldn't be practical in the winter. I thought the Jetta wouldn't stand out or look over-the-top, though I did pick the best trim model and add a few extras, like remote start.

"I also tried to make sure that the car wouldn't be a burden in any way. Like I said earlier, the first year's maintenance is covered, and the warranty should protect you from problems. I also worked with your dad to take care of the insurance, and I got a temporary permit from the university, so you can park in the lot by your dorm for the last week of the school year. The dealer even filled the gas tank, so you should be all set."

"I'm leaving in a week," Tris laughed. "I can drive it for a week, then I'll be gone all summer."

"And it will be waiting for you in August when you come back," Tobias said.

.

After breakfast, Tris drove Tobias around town. She showed him the university, her dorm room, and the coffee shop where she worked. They had dinner with her friends, and Tris was pleased to see how Tobias and Zeke seemed to click with one another.

.

After a second night in Tobias' hotel suite, the couple drove to the Chicago area to spend Sunday with Tris' parents. Andrew was warming up to Tobias, and Natalie was as sweet and welcoming as ever.

They grilled out for lunch, and in the evening Tobias treated the Priors to a nice dinner. Tris played chauffeur so her parents could check out the new car. The two couples talked about Tris' final exams, Tobias' business meetings in California, and the younger couple's plans for the summer.

They also talked about Andrew's work with the Chicago firefighters, and Natalie's challenges at the food bank. She was having some technology problems, trying to run things with outdated computers. Tobias listened sympathetically and got her to elaborate about what would be ideal to help her manage things more efficiently.

On the way back to the house Tobias tapped at his phone for a few minutes. "Mrs. Prior?" he said.

"Tobias," she scolded, "call me Natalie."

"Yes ma'am, I mean… Natalie," Tobias said. "I just want you to know that two new computers and a printer-copier will be delivered to the food bank by the end of the week. The computers were purchased, but the copier is a two-year lease. It's all paid for, as is the IT support for setup. Amar will call you tomorrow to go over scheduling and details."

"Tobias!" Natalie gasped. "I… I… I didn't tell you that to suggest anything. I was just making conversation!"

"I know," Tobias said. "But I love what you do for your community, and I have the means to help, so I'm helping.

"I own sixteen different corporations, and each of them earns me profits. The profits earn interest. I didn't build those businesses. I didn't earn that money. I just steward it. I've spent the past two years making sure my profits aren't earned through exploitation of people or the planet, and setting up a charitable heart for the company to help others. New technology for your food bank might seem big to you, but it is a drop in the ocean to Eaton Holdings."

.

That evening Tris and Tobias had to say goodbye yet again. Fortunately this time they would only be separated for five days.