As autumn passed, Tris felt more and more confident about her Albanian. Rebekah was a good teacher. She was also leaning toward accepting the job as Tris' assistant, thanks in no small part to Amar, who had talked up the opportunity when he provided the young woman with a full job description and job offer details.

Tobias was planning to come to Chicago during winter break to spend Christmas with the Priors. After Christmas, he was taking Tris back to Albania for a week to celebrate the new year and handle some of the wedding preparations. Tris invited Rebekah to join them so she could see what life would be like at the Eaton estate and meet the rest of the staff.

Over in Albania, Tobias was busy updating his house. Tris' list of home improvements had been minimal - mostly fresh paint and floor refinishing in a few rooms, a new dishwasher, and some minor repairs in the servants' wing. He had also gotten the antique writing table and chair back from the restorer, and they were in the master suite waiting for the lady of the house to come home.

In mid-September, the art appraiser from London and the expert from the Van Gogh Museum came to see Tobias' paintings. Amar had found records in the vault relating to Tobias the second's art purchases, and everything was above board, which the experts confirmed. Naturally, the appraiser tried to convince Tobias to sell parts of his collection, with the auction house getting a handsome cut. The man from the museum tried to convince him to donate. Tobias informed them both that he would do neither in the near future, but would consider those options down the road.

It didn't take long until rumors began to leak about someone finding a lost Van Gogh, though no official story linked the news to Tobias. He met privately with the national museum in Tirana and made a plan for a three-year loan of the Van Gogh. He also funded some renovations to increase security and manage the logistics and advertising so the museum would be ready to show the piece along with an assortment of other items from his collection, starting in June. The art show would open with a grand reception right after he and Tris returned from their honeymoon. For the time being, everyone was keeping silent about it.

As they had the year before, Tris and Tobias made time every day to text, talk on the phone, or video chat. They missed one another as much as ever, but the ache was eased somewhat by the knowledge that they would be married at the end of the school year and would never have to live apart again.

.

Tris went home to her parents' house for the long Thanksgiving weekend. Caleb was there, too. When Tobias learned that, he was nearly frantic. It took the combined efforts of Tris, Amar, and Natalie to keep him from breaking important plans and rushing to Chicago.

Tris and Caleb had never been terribly close. When they were younger, Caleb had been kind of a loner. He was smart, socially awkward, and constantly buried in books. Tris was social, personable, and warm. The siblings had coexisted peacefully, mostly because they went their separate ways. After Caleb went off to Erudite, he had come home self-important and vocal with his many criticisms.

At first, Tris had rolled her eyes and ignored her brother. She was still in high school then, and blamed his attitude on some kind of superiority complex based on his early graduation and acceptance to the prestigious university. When his attitude got worse the second year, she decided he was showing off because his school had a better reputation than hers did. When Caleb became involved with their Aunt Jeanine's research, he had become insufferable. By the time Tobias was in the picture, the Prior kids' relationship was completely fractured.

Tris drove home on Wednesday morning, and Caleb flew in that afternoon. Natalie picked up her son at the airport, and gave him a thorough warning about his behavior, especially toward his sister.

"Mother," Caleb replied testily, "Aunt Jeanine already instructed me on communicating with Beatrice. Her fiance has valuable resources Jeanine wants to court."

"Caleb!" Natalie scolded. "That's your sister and her future husband! They're not donors for you to suck up to, they're family!"

Caleb shook his head and gave his mother a look clearly expressing that he found her views quaint and out of touch with reality. Natalie vowed to herself that she would keep an eye on the way her son treated his sister over the long holiday weekend .

.

On Thanksgiving day, the Prior family got up bright and early, packed their car full of food, and went to one of the Chicago fire stations. They prepared a full Thanksgiving dinner at the station and ate with the firefighters who had to work. Fortunately there were no calls during their meal.

After dinner, Tris was in the kitchen starting cleanup when one of the firefighters brought in some more dirty dishes. "Hey," the young man greeted as he placed the armload of plates on the counter. "You're Tris, right? I'm Jackson; you can call me Jax. Want some help?"

"Thanks Jax," Tris replied, "but we're here to serve you today."

"I don't mind," the young firefighter said with a smile. "My mother taught me to help with the dishes. Getting to spend time with a pretty girl doesn't hurt, either."

"Thank you for the compliment," Tris said, "but I'm seeing someone. We're actually getting married in June."

"And where is the groom-to-be?" Jax asked. "Shouldn't he be with you on the holiday? Didn't he want to spend Thanksgiving with us firefighters?"

Though Jax kept his tone teasing and playful, Tris felt insulted. "My fiance lives in Europe," she replied testily.

Jax threw his head back and laughed. "You can just tell me you're not interested, Tris."

Tris' anger dissolved, and she laughed, too. "Okay, that sounded dumb. But it's actually true. My fiance's name is Tobias. He lives in Albania." She pulled out her phone and started swiping to find a picture.

"So where's your engagement ring?" Jax asked.

"At home," Tris said. "Cooking and washing dishes all day, it just didn't seem like a good idea to wear it."

She handed Jax her phone with one of her engagement photos displayed on the screen. The young man let out a low whistle as he zoomed in on the picture. "That's quite the ring," he said.

Tris blushed. "He's quite the guy," she countered.

"He's a lucky guy, for sure," Jax added. "So where is Albania?"

Tris and Jax talked about her upcoming wedding and move while they worked on dishes. Natalie came in to cut and serve the pumpkin and apple pies they'd brought.

Soon the station was all cleaned up and it was time for the Priors to leave. Jax offered Tris a handshake. "If things don't work out with your fiance, you've got my number," he teased.

"I do?" Tris asked, wondering if the young firefighter had added his number to her phone or something.

"Yup," he replied with a wink. "If you need a fireman, just dial 911."

Tris laughed. "Does that line ever work?" she asked.

"Not yet," Jax admitted.

The firefighters helped the family load their car, and soon the Priors were on their way home. Within minutes, Caleb lit into his sister. "I can't believe you, Beatrice. You're engaged to be married, and you just spent the whole afternoon flirting with some fireman. What would Tobias think?"

"Caleb!" Tris exclaimed. "I was not flirting; I was washing dishes, and Jax was helping."

"Are you that naive, or are you that much of a slut?" Caleb spat, causing his parents and sister to grasp. "First you didn't wear your ring, then you stripped down to a tank top and spent the afternoon giggling side-by-side with a strange man."

"Not that it's any of your business," Tris replied through gritted teeth, "but I left my ring at home because I was there to serve, not merely observe like you. I spent the morning cooking. After dinner I spent the afternoon cleaning. You should have tried it, it's kind of the reason we were there!

"I took off my sweater after lunch because I was up to my elbows in dishwater. That's not exactly stripping. And when Jax offered to help, I made sure he understood that I am not available. Most of our conversation revolved around Tobias and Albania."

"He gave you his number," Caleb accused.

"He said I have his number - if I ever needed a firefighter I should dial 911," Tris corrected. "It was a dumb joke!"

"That's enough," Natalie said from the front seat.

The remainder of the drive home was quiet. When they arrived, Natalie and Andrew made Caleb unload the car.

Seeing the look on Tris' face, Natalie stopped her daughter just inside the door to the house. "I was in the kitchen with you," Natalie said. "I saw nothing inappropriate in your interaction with that young man. He's a hopeless flirt, and he obviously enjoyed your company, but you were forthright with him. Nothing I saw looked flirty on your part. In fact, I found myself wishing that you and Caleb could get along like that."

"I wish that too," Tris said, her shoulders slumping in defeat. "Caleb has always been odd, but since he went to Erudite, he's turned into such a prick. What happened to him?"

Natalie sighed and looked around to make sure they were still alone. "I blame Jeanine," she said. "That woman has always… Well, she's your father's sister, so I'm not going to start. She has given Caleb incredible opportunities, but I'm afraid she's also given him a big ego."

Tris nodded in agreement, and Natalie wrapped her daughter in a hug. "You worked hard today," she said to Tris. "Why don't you go rest. Maybe watch a movie or something."

Upstairs, Tris took a quick shower and changed into lounge clothes. She slipped her engagement ring back onto her finger and sighed, then settled into her bed. While she was scrolling through movie options on her laptop, her phone lit up with a text.

4: Happy Thanksgiving, Beautiful. Did you have a nice holiday? How was the fire station?

T: Things went well. The food was good. I got hit on, but proudly informed the interested party that I'm happily engaged.

4: I guess I should have bought a bigger diamond.

T: Lol, no. This one is too big as it is. I wasn't wearing my ring.

Three dots appeared and disappeared several times, but Tobias' reply never came through. Tris realized that he must be hurt by her comment, and hurried to explain.

T: I was cooking and doing dishes. I didn't want my ring to be damaged or lost, so I put it safely in its box before we left.

T: Please tell me you're not upset. I promise I was just trying to keep my ring safe, not hide anything.

4: Ok

T: Ok? That's it? Talk to me, Tobias.

4: Ok. I understand. It's late here; I'm going to go to bed now. Goodnight.

T: I love you.

Tobias didn't reply.

Tris barely noticed the movie on her laptop. She stared at her phone, watching the battery drain, but nothing else appeared on the screen. Is he still upset? she wondered. Have I hurt his feelings? Maybe I should have worn my ring to the fire station. Caleb certainly thought so. Tobias seems hurt that I didn't. Even Jax gave me a hard time. Am I a flirt? No, that's a stupid thought. I have no interest in attention from other guys. I only want Tobias.

Tris' mind was still racing when she wandered downstairs in search of a snack. In the kitchen she found Andrew, who obviously had the same idea.

"Everything alright?" Tris' dad asked.

"Yeah," she said distractedly, "just hungry."

"Me too," Andrew said. "It's funny how you feel so stuffed on Thanksgiving that you think you'll never be hungry again, but a few hours later, here we are."

Tris laughed as her dad handed her a storage container of leftovers. Soon the two of them were at the table together with plates of food.

"How are you doing, Sweetpea?" Andrew asked.

"I'm fine," Tris said dismissively.

"You can talk to me," Andrew said, taking a bite out of a baby carrot. "I know how you feel; I did grow up with Jeanine."

Tris sighed. "Caleb is a big mouth pain, but it's not just him. I think Tobias is upset."

"What happened?" Andrew asked, obviously concerned.

"He texted earlier. I mentioned that one of the firefighters had hit on me and that I was proud to tell him that I was taken. I thought I was being flirty, and he just shut down."

"There's no tone of voice in a text," Andrew reminded his daughter. "Are you sure you're not misreading the situation?"

Tris set down the cold chicken she'd been nibbling on. "I'm not sure of anything," she said. "I thought I was just being friendly and doing dishes with that firefighter today, and Caleb said I was flirting. Then I tried to flirt with Tobias and he got upset. I don't know what I'm doing. I'm no good at this! I'm also tired of living in limbo. I love you and Mom, but Caleb makes being at home stressful. I miss Tobias. I want time to go faster, but I want it to slow down, too. I just can't win."

Tris laid her head on her arms and sighed. Andrew set down his food and put a hand on Tris' back. "My girl," he soothed. "Growing up is hard. Moving on, starting a new life. It's hard for everyone, but you're dealing with it on a large scale."

"Daddy," Tris whimpered, "What if Tobias is mad at me?"

"Oh Beatrice," Andrew said, wrapping his arms around his little girl. "If Tobias is upset, you'll work through it. Call him in the morning, maybe video chat, just not text. Look him in the eyes if you can; don't make assumptions."

Tris nodded against her father's chest. "Thanks, Dad," she said.

"Any time," Andrew said.

.

Tris tossed and turned all night. Her mind vacillated between worry based on Caleb's cold words and Tobias' texts, and soothing herself with her parents' comforting assurances. Sometime after two in the morning, she drifted off to sleep.

"Beatrice." Tris heard a familiar cold voice saying her name disdainfully. "My research indicates that this serum might be the breakthrough we've been looking for, but one of the compounds in it can be lethal. I need to know if the combination changes the effect. You are finally going to be worth something in this world; you are going to test it for me."

Tris turned her head from side to side, looking for the person speaking. She saw only blank white walls and stark metal and glass lab equipment. When she tried to move, she discovered that she was fastened to the table with heavy metal shackles.

"What are you doing to me?" Tris asked, her voice edged with panic.

"Caleb," the voice said sharply, "explain things to your sister so even she can understand."

Two figures stepped into Tris' line of sight - Caleb and Jeanine.

"You!?" Tris exclaimed. "You're my family! Why are you doing this to me?"

"Progress demands sacrifice," Caleb said matter-of-factly. "Our research indicates that this serum could be the cure for society's undesirables. But we can't very well present our findings if it's just going to kill everyone. We need to be sure the fatalities are within allowable limits. You're going to be our test subject."

"There is no allowable level of fatalities!" Tris screamed at her brother. "You can't create a drug that kills people!"

"Beatrice," Jeanine interrupted, "you still don't understand. This drug treats mental illness. It fixes undesirables. It may eliminate a few. Either way, they're eradicated. It's a win-win. We just need to be sure the kill rate is low enough for FDA approval."

"You're monsters!" Tris screamed, pulling at her binds. "You should test it on yourselves, because you're both crazy!"

Caleb approached Tris, a syringe with a large needle in his hand.

"Be brave, Beatrice," Caleb sneered as the point of the needle made contact with Tris' neck.

Tris woke with a gasp and sat up in bed. The clock read 5:12 am. Without a thought, she snatched her phone off the nightstand and dialed Tobias.

The phone rang in Tris' ear, and she focused on calming her panicked and erratic breathing. It rang a second time. "Please answer," she begged in a whisper.

Tobias' phone rang a third time, and Tris felt her heart sink.

"Tris?"

The sound of her fiance's voice on the other end of the line was her undoing.

"Tobias," she choked as tears began streaming down her face.

"Tris?" Tobias asked. "Are you okay?"

"It was a dream," she gasped, "just a dream."

"You had a nightmare?" Tobias asked.

"Yes," Tris said. "It was horrible. I miss you so much. I wish you were here. I love you."

"I love you, too," Tobias soothed. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Tris shook her head, then realized Tobias couldn't see her. "Not really," she said. "It was Caleb and Aunt Jeanine. They had me strapped to a table and were going to experiment on me - something that was probably going to kill me."

"Has Caleb been giving you a hard time?" Tobias asked, deducing the reason for his fiancee's nightmare.

"Kind of," Tris admitted. "Yesterday he was accusing me of being a flirt and a slut because I didn't wear my ring to serve at the fire station."

"He called you a slut?" Tobias snarled.

"Yeah," Tris said meekly. "And then you got all upset, and I just… Well, I felt bad. My parents kept saying that I didn't do anything wrong, but that guy flirted with me, and Caleb yelled at me, and you acted all hurt and shut down on me, and I feel… I feel horrible, Tobias! I love you, only you, always only you, and I don't want -"

"I what?" Tobias interrupted. "You've said it twice now. What did I do? When did I get upset?"

"Yesterday!" Tris said, exasperated that he clearly wasn't paying attention. "You texted me, and we were talking and flirting, then when I said I hadn't worn my ring, you kept trying to reply but changing your mind. When I explained, you just shut down. All you said was 'okay,' then you were just suddenly done talking to me."

"Oh Tris," Tobias said softly. "That text conversation looked very different on my end. We texted, and I was happy. When you told me you had left your ring at home, I thought you were right to do that. I was trying to think of a way to say that in a teasing way, but Amar interrupted. There was a fire in one of my Greek shipyards. I tried to come back to your text, but he kept sending more information. You started explaining, and I just wanted you to know it was okay. I understood. But I had to get up early to deal with the fire, and it was well after midnight here."

"I… I …" Tris stammered, trying to remember why she'd been upset. "I said I loved you, but you didn't reply."

"I didn't get that until this morning," Tobias explained.

"My dad was right," Tris said, sounding dazed. "Tone of voice is lost in a text, and I've been worried about nothing. What happened with the fire?"

Tobias chuckled at the way Tris thought out loud then abruptly changed the subject. "I love you too, by the way," he said.

Tris grinned. "Good, because there's a big pink rock on my finger that says you're stuck with me now."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," he replied, before launching into the story about a minor fire in one of his shipyards.