TRIS POV

"Ready?"

Tobias's sharp voice makes me jump. We haven't spoken much during the train ride, aside from sporadic input on how to further improve our plan. If I'm being honest, we don't have much of a plan, just the hope that if we exchange valuable information then I will be offered asylum instead of being turned in.

Which is foolish in and of itself.

But this is my only chance of returning home, and I am not going to squander the opportunity because of how foolish our only idea is. I would rather take it and be thrown out on the streets than not risk anything at all.

"Yeah," I say softly.

I meet his worried eyes. We didn't discuss our argument on the way over here, and I don't think we have to. For now we will have to agree to disagree because our trivial fights aren't our main concern.

And I don't want to fight with him. All the millions of ways that this could go wrong flash through my head, and I cross the train car to press my trembling lips against his. It is short since our destination is approaching quickly, but the way his hand curls around the back of my neck to keep me there gives me all the strength I need to face this dangerous situation.

"I don't see any reason why this shouldn't work," he says with a shake of his head as I let go of his jacket.

I can. Starting with the obstinate, untrustworthy leader that is Hunter.

"Are you sure you'll be fine jumping out with your leg?" I ask. He has mentioned that it is nearly fully healed but that the pain tends to come back to shock him at times.

"Yes," he stresses. "It's one jump. I have to get off this train somehow."

I cock an eyebrow at him. "Jumping a foot off the ground and sticking the landing is much different from leaping a few feet through the air and onto a rooftop."

The prospect fully settles upon me, and now I have a new wave of fears that I didn't have before. But I let the clicking of the train lull me. If Tobias ever dies, it will be because of bullets, not something as stupid as missing a jump; he is far too agile for that.

Yeah, let's not think about that.

"I'll be fine," he reassures me, nodding up ahead. "Time to jump."

We pass the glass of the Pire in a flash. To get a head start, we back up to the wall of the train car and watch the buildings to time the jump.

He counts down, "On three. One, two, three—"

Running a few steps, we jump out at the edge of the train and safely land on the gravel. I groan as I roll onto my back, only to have a gun pointed at my head.

"Hey," Tobias growls. "She's with me."

Hoping it is safe to move, I maneuver myself into a sitting position and face the Dauntless guards upright. There are four of them, each armed with a rifle and watching me warily.

"You have access in and out of the compound," one of the men says. "She does not. And quite frankly, she is a criminal and there is no reason why we shouldn't take her into custody right now."

"That's part of the reason why we're here," Tobias fires back. "We need to speak with Hunter."

The guards exchange looks as they silently debate how to handle this. Eventually they come to the conclusion that it isn't in their job description to decide who can and can't talk to their main leader, so they offer assenting nods.

"Fine, you can come with us. But we have to search her first."

Tobias doesn't object, and neither do I. However, I do gasp out in shock when two of them wrench me to my feet with unnecessary force, almost ripping my arms from their sockets as they shove my backpack from my shoulders. Their fingers dig into my upper arms so hard that I know I will be sore for a while.

"Hey!"

I hear the click of a gun, and I twist my head around to see Tobias aiming at one of the guards manhandling me. In turn, the two free weapons are aimed at him.

"Do not hurt her," he snarls defensively. "We agreed to a search, not abuse."

I want to tell him to calm down, that my comfort isn't worth making these guards angry when they clearly have the advantage. But their hands clutch me tighter like I will slip out of their grips at any moment, and all I can do is clench my teeth so that I won't cry out from the ache.

"Four, lower your gun," someone warns.

"Not until they take their hands off her." He is hotheaded and an idiot for making this point, but while my heart pounds with anxiety, some part of me is enthralled by the fact that he would stand up for me over something as little as this.

Finding that it isn't worth a gunfight, one of the guards commands, "Let her go." As soon as the two men do follow the order, Tobias lowers his handgun as promised, and the others do the same.

With my arms screaming in pain, I extend them out to my sides so that I can be patted down. They find a knife in my back pocket and search the bag to find my gun. I guess that doesn't help my case of seeming dangerous, but I should have the same rights as every Dauntless member does.

Tobias is still having a face-off with the other two guards. Before they lead us anywhere, a tall one holds his hand out for his gun.

"Seriously? I'm not a fugitive," Tobias challenges. I know how much he hates being unarmed.

"You were belligerent with us a few seconds ago," the guards states. "Do you really think we would let you see the leader with your gun after that behavior?"

With a roll of his eyes, Tobias presses his pistol into the man's palm. Someone else hands the same man my backpack.

"You'll get these back. Maybe. It depends on how this meeting goes."

They lead us to the other side of the rooftop, where a door stands on top. When they open it, an elevator lies on the other side. Strange, I didn't know there was any other way down from these rooftops except for jumping into the net. I haven't lived in Dauntless for too long though, I suppose.

"You didn't have to do that," I mutter to Tobias in the elevator, referring to his brilliant idea of pointing his gun at four guards. "I could have handled it."

He frowns at me. "Nobody gets to be rough with you," he retorts. "Never." And his stern, dark eyes confirm the fact.

I don't challenge him on it. But my lips twitch upward at the words. It is a breath of fresh air to go from being invisible to having someone ready to defend you against any degree of mistreatment.

At the same time, I know that the issue is deeper for him. I can see it in the way his eyes flick back and forth between me and the path in front of him when we step out of the elevator, like he needs to make sure that I am fine at all times. I can hear the voice stirring in his mind: I wasn't there to protect you yesterday, and I want to make sure that doesn't happen again.

If only he knew how close to death I was when that factionless guard attacked me. It's a good thing that he didn't want to attract attention because otherwise he would have quickly taken me out with his gun, not give me the opportunity to fight back.

A bubble builds in my chest when I remember the grotesque, purple color of the man's face when I strangled him. How he gripped my legs, and then how he suddenly didn't anymore. I still don't know if he is dead.

I clench my hands so they won't shake.

The air of the Dauntless compound settles over me. I breathe in the musty smell and smile at the sound my boots make when they step on the stone ground. For me this is everything; this is home, where I struggled through initiation, where I made lifelong friends, where I found love. Echos of laughter and shouting come into earshot, and I can already see myself falling right back into this life.

I'll have to get through this interrogation first.

Tobias wrings his hands as we step into Hunter's office. The guards nudge us into the two chairs across from his desk, and the Dauntless leader sneers hatefully at us.

"Why in the world do I have a fugitive in my office? Not only should I have you arrested, but I should arrest him—" He points at Tobias. "—for conspiring with a criminal and lying to a Dauntless leader."

We stiffen, our brains shutting down momentarily.

"Well?" Hunter barks. "One of you better start talking before I throw you in prison."

Tobias clears his throat and begins, "We are fully aware of what we are accused of, but right now there is something much more important to worry about."

Hunter's eyebrow raises, and with it, a piercing. "Like?"

"We have information about a plot against Dauntless and the faction system. But while I don't want to hold that back, we want something in exchange." Well, that was gutsy to ask that outright.

The leader leans forward, intrigued. A threat against Dauntless, particularly in times of tension, is not something he takes lightly apparently. "Is it an unreasonable request?" he asks. "Because I can still easily—"

"We want Tris to be granted full amnesty and allowed to live here," Tobias says with conviction. "We won't cause any more trouble, and we will tell you all we know about the physical threat against Dauntless."

I hold my breath as Hunter makes the decision. Instead of answering with a simple yes or no, he states, "I'll decide if that information is worth it." I'm not worried. It is certainly dire enough to warrant his attention. "Now, what exactly did you find out?"

Tobias glances over at me and hesitates. "I think it's better if she tells you," he says. "She was there both times, after all."

I sit straighter in the chair and shift uncomfortably at the attention. Hunter and Eric may not have many similarities, but he somehow still reminds me of him. His hard eyes focus on me, so I begin.

"I was in Amity for a while," I narrate. "I still was yesterday. While I was wandering, I walked past Johanna Reyes's office and overheard a conversation. It turned out that factionless guards were talking about an agreement that they needed her to sign, and she was forced to. The agreement basically said that the factionless are to receive food shipments from now on, limiting the supply going to the other factions."

Hunter chews his cheek before motioning for me to go on.

"Then I was attacked, so I left for someplace else where I could blend in. I ended up in the factionless sector, where Four happened to be," I explain.

"What were you doing there, Four?"

Tobias looks at him levelly and lies, "I saw some sort of conflict there while I was working in the control room. I went to investigate."

Before Hunter can think more of it, I butt in, "We spent the night there. This morning I was walking around to clear my head when I heard voices approaching. I was worried about someone recognizing me, so I hid behind a dumpster, but then I realized that it was Evelyn Johnson and one of her guards. They were discussing an attack on Dauntless."

"What did they say exactly?" Hunter questions, massaging his temples in frustration.

I rack my brain to remember the conversation clearly, since my mind has been running wild with ideas ever since I heard it. "They talked about meeting with Erudite tomorrow for a weapon before they attacked. Supposedly they are going to use this weapon when they do, and they sounded confident in it considering they don't have guns."

He stands with a sigh and asks, "That's all you know?"

"Yes."

After a minute of pondering this news, he turns to one of the guards in the room. "Start setting up a better perimeter. Be prepared for an attack sometime this week. I'll send you more orders later."

I breathe a sigh of relief. He believes us.

"You two can go," he dismisses. "But lay low. I don't want to have to deal with the Candor if they find out that I'm harboring you."

"Understood," Tobias offers briskly. Before Hunter has a chance to change his mind, he takes my hand in his and leads me out of the office.

The guards outside of the door reluctantly return Tobias's gun to him and my backpack to me. With that, we start away from the Pire and toward home; I bask in my newfound freedom all the way.

My appearance has changed in the short timespan of a day.

Before I had gained a slight tan, and while I still acquire it, my skin no longer lacks the glow that makes me look human. My eyes are lighter, my nose discolored and unfortunately even more prominent now. My lips have a tendency to remain neutral rather than turn downward.

It is strange how much of a difference it makes to be home. I'm genuinely joyful enough that it literally shows.

I back away from the mirror in the bathroom, still wary of my reflection and feeling as if I will be scolded for staring. I tiptoe back into the bedroom until I realize that I slept up to the evening, which is when I decide that I want to be loud instead so that Tobias will wake up.

He pretends to be asleep—I'm not stupid, he rarely sleeps through anything after he has rested enough. His eyelashes rest on his cheekbones as he breathes at a constant, peaceful rate, and I watch, mesmerized, forgetting for a moment that I had a diabolical plan to disturb him.

And it may be out of character—though I am uncharacteristically happy for once—but I take the opportunity and jump on top of him. A puff of air and a groan escape him simultaneously, and I laugh, bending my neck down.

"Wake up," I whisper against his mouth.

Before I can retreat, he captures my lips with his. Everything in me relaxes, giving in as my body presses flat to his solid one. Both yesterday and today have been rocky for us, after being separated for three whole months, but I start to forget all about that distance as I lose myself in him.

My fingers tangle in his hair for better leverage. He fights against me and slides a warm hand up the back of my shirt as he flips us onto our sides, making my skin prickle. It feels like he is mapping out familiar territory, and I suppose I am too. But it isn't hesitant or weak, quite the opposite. We are falling back into old habits and recalling how we fit together.

When we release each other for breath, we stay tangled up, staring from across the pillows.

"I missed you," he murmurs. His deep eyes are an ironic combination of elation and intensity. They are the light at the end of the tunnel that I finally reached, where things are real and meaningful, and there is no feigning emotions.

"I love you," I counter, the words rolling off my tongue smoothly.

Tobias smiles gently, making my heartbeat flutter. He runs his thumb over my cheek repetitively before saying, "I love you too."

And that is all it takes to feel like we are back to normalcy.

Suddenly my growling stomach breaks the tender silence. I quirk an eyebrow at him, hinting at the reason why I woke him up in the first place. We haven't eaten since our small brunch that we threw together before collapsing into bed, after all.

"I guess that's my cue to feed you," he hums. I take it that he isn't eager to go anywhere.

"While I would like to stay holed up here, I would rather see our friends," I say apologetically. "I missed them too. And I kind of just up and left, so..."

He shifts closer and starts kissing down my neck.

"Tobias, I'm serious. Let's just go to the dining hall; we don't have to be long."

My voice is breathier than I would like. I don't want to get lost in his ministrations, so I push him away from me and onto his back. He huffs and pushes himself up.

"Fine. But when we get back," he says, "you're mine."

So, laying low isn't working out well so far.

As soon as I step foot in the cafeteria, my friends' eyes land on me like magnets. I can barely do anything besides tighten up when Uriah belts out, "Tris!"

A chorus of voices at the table—Christina, Zeke, Shauna—join in. It doesn't take long for people to start noticing over the noisy crowd, and they stare my way for so long that I'm worried someone will blow my cover. My face heats up, but Tobias doesn't seem to be worried that any of our faction members will betray me as he wraps an arm around my waist and guides me to our table.

"My best friend is home!" Christina squeals as soon as I sit. She pulls me into a hug so tight that my airway gets restricted, so I laugh and pat her back to get her to let go. When she suddenly winces, I apologize.

"Sorry, you okay?" I ask, finding the action strange. Why would she have a bad bruise on her back?

She beams. "Yeah, of course!" Before I have time to question her on it, I am bombarded with questions.

"Where in the hell—" Uriah starts.

"I was in Amity," I explain. "I couldn't exactly stay here could I?"

Zeke bursts out, "How are you back? Four, you should've told me you were going to pick up our little sis, I would've been more of a help!" He reaches across the table to pat my head.

Tobias shakes his head at his friend's antics, while I roll my eyes at the title of little sis. "I had no idea she would be there," he says. "It was just a coincidence."

"We struck a deal with Hunter," I add. I don't feel like darkening the mood, so I decide to leave out the part about the imminent attack on Dauntless.

"Well, however you got here," Shauna says, "we're glad to have you back." She raises her cup to me in a welcoming manner, and I smile in gratitude.

It turns out that we stay in the dining hall for much longer than we were planning to, but Tobias doesn't mind. They catch me up to speed on everything—Zeke's proposal, Christina's new boyfriend Bryce (finally)—and I offer some Amity stories in return. But this time I can laugh at my experiences rather than reflect negatively on them because I am with my family.

It is funny how everything always falls apart around us, but in moments like these, it feels like the outside world doesn't exist.