After exuberant hugs from Tris and friendly handshakes with Tobias, Zeke and Shauna were led out to the airplane.

"Uri is gonna flip!" Tris said excitedly.

The men handed the luggage over to Amar, who was waiting to stow it beneath the plane, and Tris led the way up the stairs, followed by their newest guests.

Everyone gasped at the sight of their friends, then started talking at once. It was pure chaos for a few minutes as they all exchanged hugs and introduced Kelsey and George to Zeke and Shauna.

"I can't believe you're here," Lynn said to her sister as they exchanged a long hug.

"Let's take a picture for your moms," Tris suggested, pulling out her phone. She snapped a picture of Zeke and Shauna on the jet with Uriah and Lynn, then sent it to them so they could send it to their parents.

Tobias got everyone to settle down for takeoff, and soon they were flying high over deep blue ocean. The flight attendants served a lunch of sandwiches, chips, fruit, and cookies, along with a round of drinks.

"Truth or dare time!" Uriah said as they ate.

"Uri, how can we do dares on a plane?" Marlene asked.

"Never have I ever?" he suggested.

"I don't want to get drunk before we even get there," Christina said.

"How about just truth then?" Uriah pressed. "We can keep score of the things anyone refuses, and they'll have to do something later as punishment."

"I'll play," George said.

Tris smiled. George always enjoyed having fun, and she hoped he and Amar would relax and hang out with them some during the trip.

"You go first then," Tris offered. "Pick anyone in the group and ask them anything you want. If they lie or refuse to answer, we'll mark one score against them."

"Christina," George said, "what's your most embarrassing moment?"

Christina laughed and told everyone about the time her bikini top came off at a waterpark and she flashed an entire pool of people, including some young children.

"I take it you've never been to a nude beach then," George said in reply.

"Not yet," Christina answered cheekily. "Do you have those in Albania?"

"Not in Albania," Amar answered, "but they have them in Greece and Italy."

"Next trip," Christina said, pointing at Tris.

"Or this one if you're so inclined," Tobias said.

"Yes! You! Four!" Christina exclaimed. "I pick you. Where are we going?"

"Are you sure you want to know?" he asked in reply. "It won't ruin the surprise?"

"Like peeking at Christmas presents," Tris added.

"Tell!" Christina exclaimed.

Tobias noticed that the others were nodding in agreement, so he gave in. "Jamaica," he said. "We have a private villa that sleeps six, and two other small houses that can house a couple each. George and Amar have a villa just a short walk away so they can have a bit more privacy, and our villa comes with a butler and housekeeper.

"The house was owned by Ian Flemming, the man who wrote the James Bond books - in fact, he wrote many of them right there in the villa. There's a private beach, and it's attached to a resort called GoldenEye, so we can do things through them, too.

"We have reservations for a few different things during our five day stay. One day the guys are going deep sea fishing and the girls are going to a spa. Another day we're all climbing a waterfall. You can do things on your own, too. There are paddle boards and other water toys, snorkeling, glass bottom boat rides, things like that. Everything you want is included, or can be charged to the villa. All you have to worry about is applying sunscreen and buying souvenirs if you want them."

"Oh my god," Marlene moaned, leaning into Uriah's side.

"Seriously Four, this is amazing," Shauna said.

Tobias shrugged. "As Christina reminded me earlier, I am taking Tris away to the other side of the world. A memorable vacation is small compensation for what you're all losing, but I also promise to take good care of her for the rest of my life and to bring her back to visit any time she wants."

Tris wiped a stray tear and crossed to where Tobias was sitting. He moved to make room for her on his lap and held her close as she began speaking to him in Albanian. "Shqipëria është shtëpia ime tani. Unë dua të jem me ju, por do të më mungojnë miqtë e mi. Faleminderit që na morët me pushime."
(Albania is my home now. I want to be with you, but I will miss my friends. Thank you for taking us on this vacation.)

"Shqiptari juaj po bëhet shumë mirë," (Your Albanian is getting very good) Tobias replied, impressed.

"I can say what I want to - most of the time, at least - I just have trouble understanding others," Tris explained. "People talk too fast, and there are a lot of synonyms, so if I know how I would say something, I still might not understand someone else if they used a different word. Does that make sense?"

"It does," Tobias agreed. "I've learned enough of another language or two to feel that same way."

"It's your turn to ask a truth," she reminded him.

"Oh yeah," Tobias said.

He whispered something in Tris' ear, and she grinned as she replied, "Zeke."

"Dude!" Zeke whined. "You don't remember my name?"

"I know your name," Tobias said. "It's Dumbass. I wanted to know which of you would be best for this question. So, Dumbass, what's the lamest pick up line you ever used on someone, and did it work?"

"So many choices," Zeke said, seriously considering his answer, which made everyone laugh. "Okay, I got one. I once asked a girl if she worked at Subway, 'cuz damn, girl, you give me a footlong!'"

Everyone rolled with laughter.

"Please tell me no one fell for that, because that's awful!" Will laughed.

"And not even close to true," Uriah added, making them laugh even harder.

"It did not work," Zeke assured them. "The worst line I ever used that actually worked was 'My brother bet me that I wouldn't be able to start a conversation with the most beautiful person in the club. What should we do with his money?' I dated that chick twice before I realized how stupid she was. Like just plain dumb. I couldn't take having to explain my jokes to her all the time.

"Uri, you're next. Where did you and Marlene disappear to when you were supposed to be giving the best man speech at my wedding reception?"

Uriah looked like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar, and Marlene turned bright red and buried her face in his shoulder. "Uh, the, uh janitor's closet," Uri admitted.

Everyone laughed and threw things at Uriah and Marlene.

The game went on for most of the flight to Jamaica. Along the way they learned that Will had lost his virginity in a car parked in a church parking lot, that Christina was secretly terrified of moths, and that Shauna'd had a crush on Zeke since they were eight years old. George admitted that he tried women at one point in his life, and Kelsey said she'd tried men.

Tris and Tobias admitted that they had joined the mile high club - more than once, making Amar groan and promise to never come out of his bunk when they flew at night. They also confessed to skinny dipping in the Eaton estate's outdoor pool, and George admitted that he had as well when Tobias and Amar traveled and left him home alone for the first time.

Tris asked Lynn to reveal her celebrity crush without using the person's name, and to keep describing them until the group guessed correctly.

"Okay," Lynn said, thinking about it for a minute. "She has dark hair, and I like it best when it's short. She has kind of a badass vibe, and she was in that Underwater movie."

"Oh, oh, Kristen Stewart?" Marlene guessed, and Lynn nodded. "Why didn't you just say Twilight?"

"That's too easy," Lynn said, sticking her tongue out at her roommate.

That question became popular during the game, and they learned that Tris had a thing for Chris Evans, Shauna was partial to Michael Elay, and most of the guys liked Jennifer Aniston.

"I don't get that," Christina said. "Every guy loves Jennifer Aniston, but she's like, old enough to be your mom!"

"I don't know," Uriah said with a shrug. "She doesn't age, and she's just like, girl next door pretty."

"Like Tris' mom?" Zeke asked, bringing up an old confession his brother made when they played truth or dare in high school.

"Ugh," Tris groaned. "I don't want to hear about Uri's crush on my mom again."

"I get that," Tobias said. "Natalie is really sweet, and she looks good for her age, like Jennifer Aniston."

"Not you too," Tris moaned, swatting at Tobias. "Can we not talk about my mom?!"

.

Soon enough they touched down at a small airport in Jamaica. The resort sent three vans to pick up the travelers and their luggage, and Amar oversaw the unloading of the plane.

The drive from the airport took only a few minutes, and soon the friends were standing by the private pool outside of Flemming House as staff members unloaded the vans.

"Christina and Will," Amar called, consulting a clipboard he'd pulled out of his carry-on. "Point out your bags and follow this gentleman to Flemming House master. Lynn and Kelsey, show that staff person your luggage. You're going to Flemming House two - the one with two beds. Uriah and Marlene, you're going to Flemming House three. Point out your suitcases to this man. Zeke and Shauna, you're staying in the Pool House. Mr. Tobias and Miss Tris, your unit is called the Sweet Spot. I'll get you unpacked if you'd like to go check out the main house or the media room."

"Amar," Tobias chastised, "you're on vacation. One of the resort staff can carry our bags, and we can unpack ourselves. You should go with George and get settled in your own villa."

"Tobias," Amar argued, "just let me do things my way, please. I need to know how things are laid out."

"Fine," Tobias agreed. "Miss Tris, shall we check out Mr. Flemming's home?"

The house was beautiful, cool, and comfortable - a perfect bit of Jamaican paradise. There were large spaces for the friends to gather, and private bedrooms for them to get away and relax. Each bedroom or little guest house had its own bathroom with a garden shower. The house came with a private stretch of beach, a little swimming pool, and enough comfortable lounge chairs for everyone.

.

That first evening Tobias ordered dinner from the resort, and it was served on a long outdoor table under a canopy of tropical foliage. Tris wore one of the tropical dresses that Amar brought from her closet in Albania. Most of her summer things were still there since she was moving back before the weather got too warm in Chicago anyway. The other girls wore sundresses, and Lynn, who only wore dresses when she was in someone's wedding, wore a pair of capris and a nice top.

After dinner the resort staff set up a firepit overlooking the water, and the group spent the evening around the fire laughing and catching up.

Tris and Tobias were the first to retire to their little house. The Pool House and the Sweet Spot were each little freestanding bedroom/bathroom units with attached private verandas. The Pool House was a little bigger than their unit, but the Sweet Spot offered more privacy than the other options in their group's lodging. After three months apart, Tobias really wanted some privacy with his fiancee, and Tris felt the same way.

Tobias was overwhelmed and in need of a recharge after the day with Tris' social and talkative friends. Tris understood that and sat quietly with him on the veranda, sipping the cold drinks that were left for them and watching the water until it got too dark to see the waves.

.

The trip to Jamaica was wonderful. The days were filled with sun and fun, and the nights were private and romantic. Tris and Tobias filled up on each other while they could.

The day that the guys went deep sea fishing while the girls were pampered at the spa was a huge highlight for everyone. Tobias clicked with Tris' friends, especially Zeke and Shauna, and he enjoyed the day at sea with the guys.

Climbing the waterfall was another highlight. The falls area was a series of short rock climbs in ankle- to waist-deep water. Their group had a guide who kept them together and took tons of pictures for them.

The last day at the resort was cloudy, and Tris' mood matched. She was thinking about leaving Zeke and Shauna in Texas again, and Tobias leaving a few days later. She was at her wits' end with being separated from the man she loved, but at the same time she was grieving the coming separation from her friends and family. No matter which way she turned, it seemed that grief and separation loomed over her.

The group went out for a nice dinner that night. Everyone got dressed up, and they had a private room to themselves in the resort's restaurant. Tris felt like she was having an out of body experience watching everyone laugh and joke while she felt so numb and close to tears.

Tobias didn't say anything, but he worried about his fiancee, and watched her throughout the evening. Back at the villas, everyone went back to their rooms to change out of their dress clothes and into pajamas for a movie night. Tris and Tobias put on the matching "future wifey" and "future hubby" pajamas that her parents had given them for Christmas, and Tris dropped heavily onto the edge of the bed.

"What's bothering you?" Tobias asked.

"Nothing," Tris said.

"I know better than that," he disagreed, kneeling in front of her so he could look into her face.

Tris squeezed her eyes shut to avoid looking at Tobias. She knew that if she looked into his deep blue eyes she'd burst into tears, and she didn't want that.

"Beatrice," Tobias said gently.

Tris shook her head. "I don't want to ruin today," she whispered.

Tobias' heart squeezed painfully, and he felt like the breath was knocked out of his lungs. "Are you canceling the wedding?" he asked so quietly Tris could barely hear him.

"No!" she said, snapping her head up. "Why the hell would you say something like that? Do you have so little faith in me? In us? What am I doing wrong? What more can I do to make you understand that I love you?"

"I just…" Tobias stammered. "I'm sorry. I don't know. You won't talk to me. I can tell you're upset, but you won't talk to me, and then you say you don't want to ruin the day, like you'll save it until we're not on vacation. And... and… I don't know!"

"You want to know why I'm upset?" Tris asked, her voice sharp with frustration. "I'm upset because tomorrow we take Zeke and Shauna back to Texas, and I won't see them again until our wedding. I'm upset because when we get back to Chicago you'll leave me again, and I'm sick and fucking tired of waiting and being apart. And once we do get married, then I get to leave for a country where I barely speak the language, thousands of miles from my friends and family, and god knows when I'll see them again. Every choice I have is painful, Tobias! There's loss behind every door I open, but I can't stay here in the hallway anymore! I'm overwhelmed, I'm exhausted, and while everyone else is laughing it up I'm thinking about how this is the end. I've been friends with Chris, Uriah, and Lynn since we were eleven or twelve - that's most of my life. We went to middle school and high school together. We went to college together, and lived together as roommates. I stood between Zeke and Uri at their dad's funeral and held their hands. Prom, graduations, weddings, funerals - these are my people, and I'm just... leaving them! I don't know how to do life without them, Tobias!"

The tears she'd fought all night came pouring down Tris' face. "And the icing on the cake is that I'm starting my period in a day or two - probably tomorrow based on my backache - so the last part of your visit is going to be emotional and sexless! I waited three and a half months to see you, and part of your visit is going to be ruined by my period!"

Tobias tried not to smile. Tris' grief about moving was very real, but he understood that it was magnified by her hormonal state. He wrapped his arms around her and held her for a minute, then picked her up and laid her on the bed so he could lay down beside her.

"I can't do anything to take away your pain, or even your period," Tobias said gently, "but I will be right here beside you. You don't have to hide your feelings from me. I can hold you while you cry, or listen to your feelings, or get you a heat pad and some chocolate if that helps."

"Thank you," Tris whispered.

After taking some time to collect herself, Tris insisted that they join their friends in the main house for the movie. Tobias agreed, unable to do anything else. They slipped on their sandals and crossed the yard.

The house was surprisingly dark, and the couple assumed that their friends had started the movie without them. They opened the door to the living area, and the lights came on. "Surprise!" everyone yelled.

Tris and Tobias were stunned speechless. Their friends had thrown them a surprise joint bachelor-bachelorette party. There were drinks, complete with drinking straws featuring penises for the girls and boobs for the guys. Lynn and Kelsey and George and Amar made a production of trading with each other so they could get the anatomy they preferred.

There were guys vs. girls games, including an old-fashioned "pie eating contest" but with little cakes that looked like boobs. Christina led a game that gave or took away points for things on their phones, like dirty texts, restaurant apps, or wedding reminders. Zeke helped the guys beat the girls at beer pong. The friends showered Tris and Tobias with gifts of lingerie and other things on the sexual theme.

They all drank too much, and after George and Amar retired for the night the young people ended up in the pool in the middle of the night in their underwear. Tris forgot all about the pending separations in her life and just had fun.

Tobias held back a bit on the drinks so he could keep an eye on Tris. He knew she was emotional, and he didn't want to be too out of it to take care of her if she got upset again or drank enough to get sick. When she full-on made out with Marlene on a dare, Tobias decided she'd had enough for one night and carried her back to their cottage.

.

The next morning was rough. Everyone emerged from their rooms with packed suitcases and dark sunglasses, and they were quiet on the drive to the airport. Most of them slept through the flight to Houston, where they said goodbye to Zeke and Shauna before heading back to Chicago.