Finding Home

Chapter 8

Three years ago…

"I'm here! I'm here!" Tris burst through the doors of her childhood home as all eyes land on her. "Oh shit, did I just interrupt something?"

"Beatrice!" Her mother scolds her, "language."

"Oh, shit, sorry." It takes her a few seconds to realize what she just said. "Fuck, I'm sorry. Shit. Ugh, why do I keep doing that? Do you know what? I'm just going to stop talking." Caleb watches in amusement as his little sister struggle for words. "Don't look at me like that, you smug son of a…uh...ah...right, nevermind."

Tris stops talking and drops her several bags of Christmas presents she bought for everyone. "I'll be right back, there are more bags in my trunk."

"I'll help." Susan, Caleb's fiancé, says immediately and follows Tris outside.

"Hi Susan." Tris goes in for a hug, and her soon to be sister returns it with a smile. "How's the planning for the wedding going?"

"It's great! Thanks for asking." Her expression immediately changes. "I heard what happened with Tobias. I'm so sorry."

The mere thought of Tobias makes her want to curl up in a ball and cry. She really loved Tobias and what he did to her hurt her in so many ways. So that's what she does.

Out of nowhere, Tris bursts out crying. Her shoulders slump and go up and down in a rapid manner as she cries. "I'm sorry, I'm such a mess." She cries.

Susan mentally panics for a moment because she doesn't know how to deal with situations like this. So, she goes with her instincts and wraps her in a tight hug. "Tobias is an asshole." For a moment, Tris is surprised with Susan's language. She usually keeps to herself with it comes to cussing words. "And if he can't see how beautiful you are both inside and out, then he can go to fucking hell."

This causes Tris to laugh. "Susan, you're such a naughty girl for swearing."

She smiles. "Well…I have no words to respond to that, but we should probably go back in."

"Right," Tris sniffs and wipes her bloodshot eyes. "It's Christmas, right?"

"Mhm. Oh, by the way, by brother should be coming soon. He just texted me saying he's going to be a little late."

"Oh cool. What's his name again?"

"Robert."

Tris lets out a breath. "Huh."

"Tris Prior!" Tris turns around is greeted by a familiar looking face. "What are you doing here?

"Robert? I didn't know you were related to Susan." She says.

He smiles, "I'm hurt, she has not mentioned anything about me?"

"No, I guess not. Oh my apologies, come in." Tris moves out of the way and allows Robert to come in.

"It's been what? Five? Six weeks since we met at the café? Small world isn't it?"

Tris, concludes, that he has a very charming smile. He almost looks like Chris Evans without all of the huge, bulging muscles…

Mm…Captain America.

"Yeah, I guess." Tris spends the next five minutes admiring his face. Yup, he looks so much like Chris Evans. Same green eyes, and golden blonde hair. She wonders how she didn't see it before.

"Is there something on my face?"

"No! It's just you look so much like-" Tris struggles for words.

"Captain America? Yeah, I've been told that a lot." He smiles. "It's more of a gift than a curse, I think. I have a line of girls always chasing me around." He deadpans. "I'm kidding by the way."

Tris laughs out loud. "You must be really lucky then. I'd kill to have more own personal Chris Evans with me 24/7."

Robert can't tell if she's openly flirting with him or not, but the thought of a pretty girl like her even talking to an introvert like him brings a smile to his cute face.

Tris and Robert seem to hit it off really well, and he manages to avert her attention elsewhere and not on Tobias temporarily.

"How's your ex?" He asks nonchalantly. So much for distracting her away from thinking about Tobias.

Tris responds with a deep sigh. "I have no idea, and I don't plan on finding out anytime soon. That motherfucker can go die in a hole."

"Beatrice!" Her mother scolds from the kitchen.

"I swear my mom has super hearing." She mutters under her breath. Robert smiles.

Caleb and Susan watch as their siblings continue talking with one another. "Robert and Tris seemed to hit it off really well." Caleb tells Susan.

"Yeah, apparently they've met before." Susan tells him.

"Hmph."

"Oh stop worrying. You're such an over protective brother." Susan scolds. "It's probably nothing, and besides Tris just got out of a long term relationship, she's probably not going to date anyone anytime soon."

"Am not a protective brother! I just worry about Tris sometimes."

"If by sometimes, you mean all the time, then yes, sometimes. But seriously, you shouldn't worry about them too much. They're just friends, that's probably all there is going to be between them."

"Yeah," Caleb sighs in defeat, "I guess you're right."

"When am I ever wrong?"

Present Day…

"Red! No, purple! No, blue! Red! Wait, Tris, what color do you think would look better with this dress?" Christina holds up several bottles of nail polish as the lady behind her patiently waits for her to finally pick which color she would like.

"Go with the black that cracks and turns gold." She tells her as she gets her nails painted on herself.

"Oh Tris, what would I do without you?" Christina hands the nail polish over to the lady, Juliet.

"You would die, of course." Tris said, flipping her hair.

"Hey! That's my line."

The two girls spent the next hour and a half getting their nails done in the salon.

"So I'm thinking of going to the mall. I still have to get Susan's and Caleb's present. And don't forget about my adorable niece. I got a really long email from Caleb saying how he doesn't want me to get his daughter anything. Apparently, I spoil her too much. I don't spoil Arianna, right?"

Christina looks at her friend like she's crazy. "Tris, last Christmas you bought her a freaking iPad. She was one, I don't think it's very much appropriate to give a one year old an iPad. You're already corrupting her mind with the damn technology we have. Get her a normal gift like a doll, or any toy, whatever, I don't care. Just turn it down like several notches." She tells her.

"I'm a terrible person, aren't I?" She asks quietly.

"No, no! You're not, you are just incredibly thoughtful and you tend to think out of the box most of the time. She's two, get her something you'd think she's like." Christina says.

"Okay." Tris nods her head, agreeing with her best friend.

They spend the next few minutes in silent as they watch the nice young women expertly paint their nails.

"Hey, Chris?"

"Hmm?"

"I never got to tell you how funny it was after you dumped that glass of water on top of Four's head. That was absolute perfection." Tris compliments. "But I sort of feel guilty that I found it so funny. I mean, I think we may have ruined his date by getting him soaking wet."

"Tris, you have to stop caring about other people's well being. And out of all people, Four? Seriously? Like I said, he can go rot in hell. I seriously don't understand why he keeps showing up in your life these days." Christina rants. "Maybe if I send him a long and threatening text, he'll stop talking to you."

"You still have his number?" Tris asks, surprised her friend may have kept it for all these years.

"Oh hell. I deleted his number as soon as you broke up with him. Did I say send him a text? Well let me rephrase that then. I'll send Zeke the long, threatening text so he can show it to Four." Christina corrects herself. "Why do you still have his number?"

415-679-6028.

Even after all these years, she still has it memorized at the back of her head.

"No." She says after a while, which isn't an entire lie. She deleted his number as soon as she broke of their wedding. However, that doesn't change the fact that she still somehow managed to remember his number after like three years.

"Beatrice." Her friend says in a warning tone.

"I don't!" Tris throws her arms in the air. "Here," She pulls out her phone, "you can even check if you don't believe me."

Christina narrows her eyes at the phone for a while until she shakes her head and looks back at her friend. "No, I trust you."

"Okay."

After they finish getting their nails done, they walk around the shopping mall for any stores that seem appealing to them.

"When are you going to fly to San Francisco?" Christina asks, breaking the silence.

"In two days." She answers, surprising her friend.

"Huh. Have you started packing yet?"

"Haha, nope. I usually do it the night before. It'll only take like half an hour, maybe less." Tris smiles.

"Oh Tris, you are such a procrastinator." Christina puts a hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah, that will be my New Year's resolution. Stop procrastinating. I'll start trying to do stuff at the beginning just to get it over with, and then less than a week later, I'll go back to procrastinating because no one actually follows their New Year's resolution. All a bunch of bull crap." Tris sighs. It is true, New Year's resolution is only made for a person to set a whole bunch of goals for themselves just so it can be broken and forgotten as well.

"That's true."

"Actually I take that back, my New Year's resolution is to eat chocolate once a day. Yeah, that's something I'll actually do." Tris says, jokingly.

"Wow, Tris. Has your life really come to this?"

"Oh shut up, Chris." She says playfully. "You're just jealous of this beach body." Tris runs her hands up and down her body.

"Ugh, I so am." Christina admits. "What do you think you are going to get Arianna?"

Tris sighs. "I literally have no idea. I don't want to get her a doll, that's the thing. That's so cliché. I feel like that gift is way too overused. We'll see when we get there." Tris says.

"Okay." They enter Target, and Tris immediately goes to the toy section for girls. She walks through all the aisles and nothing seem to appeal to her interest.

"Maybe I should just get her clothes." Tris whispers to herself. She keeps walking around with Christina following behind her until something finally peaks her interest. Tris seems to find the little toys adorable, Hex Bugs, that is, even though they are little robotic toys about two inches long. She finds them really fascinating as shown in the video in front of her that displays what the little robot creatures do.

Tris ends up deciding to get a whole set including a little course for the Hex Bugs that she will give to her niece.

"I found it. Do you need to get anything?" Tris sees that her friend is empty handed.

"No, I'm fine. I don't need anything because unlike someone, I bought all of my Christmas gifts on Black Friday."

"Well I'm sorry. I have a major procrastination problem, and it's very bad. Like very bad. Did you know, one time, I bought Caleb's birthday present the hour before he had his birthday party in junior year." She says.

Christina places her palm over her forehead and sighs. "I know, I was with you when we went to the mall that day."

"Oh right. Well anyways, let's go. I'm already sick of this place."

"So...," Zeke starts. "How was your date with Shauna?" Tobias sends a glare towards Zeke.

"It was damn awful." He says without elaborating any further.

"What happened?"

Tobias ignores his question and decides to ask him something else. "I'll get to that, but are there any cute girls at work?"

He gives Tobias a curious look. "What? Why are you asking."

"You oblivious son of a bitch. You know, when a girl hints that she wants to have dinner, I'm pretty sure she implies that she's like to have dinner with you." Tobias shakes his head. "To answer your question, my date with Shauna was a disaster and for several reasons. One, she likes you, but you're way too unaware to notice a damn thing, and two, apparently Tris and Christina decided to show up at the same place. I got water dumped onto me, but now worries. No worries at all, because my date with Shauna was just dandy!" Tobias exclaims sarcastically.

"Oh." Zeks say, deflated. "Wait, Shauna likes me?"

Tobias groans in frustration. "Yeah, she does." He says this as if he is explaining something to a little child.

"Oh, that's awkward."

"Mhm!"

"And she just told you this?"

"Yup!"

"Wait, you mentioned something about Tris."

"Oh, yeah. Can we have a heart to heart conversation without it being all sappy and romantic?" Tobias asks.

"Yeah, what's up."

"I still love Tris."

Zeke gives a look as if he's asking if he's stupid. "And I have a brother named Uriah. Oh no shit."

"Okay, well. I still- I don't know what to do. After...we broke up, we just stopped seeing each other. I lost all communication, social media, everything! And I want her back, but how the hell am I supposed to get her back if she doesn't want anything to do with me."

"Well that sort of happens when two people break up, Tobias. I mean like don't blame her, you were the one that cheated on her. Of course she's not going to want to see you ever again."

"Well thanks for making me feel better." Tobias watches as he fiddles with his thumbs.

"If you want my honest answer, I have no idea what to tell you. But the thing is, Tobias, if you love someone and want them to be happy, let them go, if they truly love you, they will find a way back to you."

"But I don't know if she still loves me. Fuck, she was engaged to another man. I don't- I don't know what to do. And I really tried with her. Tris was my first real relationship and everyday it hurts to know that I was the one who messed everything up."

"Wow. This got depressing real fast." Zeke says to himself. "But did you at least try to get her back." Tobias says silent. "Exactly. Who would have known, maybe if you tried harder, tried much more to win her forgiveness and get her back, you two may be married right now with four children. No pun intended. That's not really a pun, but you see what I did there?"

"Gosh Zeke, I'm not four."

"But you are." Zeke points out. Tobias stares blankly at Zeke before cracking a small smile. "Okay, I have to admit, that was pretty good."

"I know, I'm amazing, really." Zeke places his hand over his heart.

"But on a serious note, I think you're right. I wished I tried harder. I'm an idiot." Tobias covers his face with his hand.

"You are."

"This is the part where you are supposed to disagree with me, to help me feel better." Tobias verbalizes.

"I'm not saying anything, you are an idiot."

"Shut up." Tobias takes the nearest throw pillow at chucks it at his friend.

"But if you're really desperate, than I may know a way I can get you two together, but it's going to be pretty difficult. You know Tris, she's stubborn as fuck. And then there's Uriah...I don't know what to do with him."

"Uriah? What does her have to do with any of this shit?" Tobias asks, now with sudden interest.

"Oh yeah...about that."

"No, no, no, no! Uriah, that's not something you're supposed to eat!" Tris chases Uriah around her house as she laughs loudly. While on the other hand, Christina being the couch potato she is, continues browsing Tris' Netflix account.

"Ugh!" Christina groans loudly. "There's literally nothing to watch! How the hell am I supposed to meet my TV hour goals if I've seen everything? And you two! Stop acting all happy and crap, you guys are making me feel so uncomfortable right now."

"You have a dedicated amount of hours of TV you watch everyday?" Tris asks.

"Yeah, as a journalist/news reporter I literally have nothing to do all day. I just show up at work from three a.m. to noon and then I have the rest of the day off. So I have a goal of watch four hours of TV everyday, maybe even more. It used to be six, but then that made me sound like a total lazy bum." Tris looks at Uriah with a blank look on her face.

"Sometimes I don't understand your logic, Chris." Tris sighs.

She sighs dramatically. "No one ever understand me. Now, pass me the chips." Tris rolls her eyes and tosses the bag of Lays at Christina whom easily catches it.

"Thanks, darling."

Tris then turns her attention back to Uriah, who then gives her a mischievous grin. "You better watch your back, Prior."

Tris had been watering her plants that she started harvesting several years ago when she first moved into hers (well, Robert's house before he past). She's all about the organic vegetable and fruit garden. Not only is organic produce better because it lacks of chemicals, it takes better because it is much sweeter and well...natural.

However, while watering her plants/garden, Uriah decided to ask her if she needed any help. What was intentionally about to be a serious conversation of him confessing his feelings for her, resulting in the opposite direction. She ended up joking about some girl she met at work and wanted to know if he was interest or not. Of course he wasn't because he only has eyes for one girl, and one girl only. The girl that he would probably never have.

Tris sprays water directly at Uriah's face. His expression causes her to giggle out loud. Uriah smiles to herself. He loves seeing her enjoying herself especially if he is the one delivering that joy to her.

"What are you doing?" He watches as Tris bends down on her knees to pick something up. She scoops a pile of mud and chucks it directly at Uriah's forehead.

"You can't get me." Even as a twenty-five year old, she still manages to act like a child sometimes. However, her intentions are planned exactly how she wants them to be. Of course Uriah and Tris have been going through a prank war since the dawn of their middle school carriers, and now, it's Tris' turn to get back at Uriah for his last prank.

Uriah had asked his uncle if he could borrow a chicken from his uncle's farm. His uncle complied, and Uriah placed the chicken into Tris' house and it ended up pooping all over the house for a good week. Uriah had refused to take the chicken back until Tris had admitted that he was the better prankster.

So in return, Tris needs Uriah to stand at a certain spot. Though this prank is totally unoriginally, Tris thinks it's absolutely funny.

As she runs around being chased by Uriah, she "accidentally" trips over a rock.

"Holy shit! Are you okay, Tris?" A very concerned Uriah asks.

"I'm fine. Can you be a doll and fetch me that rag over there?" She pretends as if she's in pain.

Uriah turns and walks toward the freshly washed rag that Tris had pointed to. She quickly gets up and silently runs over and pulls a lever that she spent hours on to hook up the several buckets that currently hang above Uriah's head (she finds it funny how he didn't notice them before).

As the lever is pulled downwards, the bucket of tar is tipped. It lands on top of Uriah's head first before splattering everywhere else on his body. After the bucket fall, another follows, which consist of white feathers. But this isn't the last of them. Two pounds of corn flour falls and covers the mess that has already been made.

Although Uriah's face is covered with not only tar, but also flour and feathers, Tris can still make out the glare that he is giving her.

She bursts out laughing and isn't able to stop for a good five minutes. Eventually, Christina hears all of this commotion and looks at both of them wide-eyed. She too, joins Tris with her loud laughter.

"Oh my gosh, Tris!"

"Take-take a picture! Take a picture!" Tris tells her friends in between laughs.

"Alright, alright."

Tris diverts her attention back to Uriah, whom is still giving her a hard glare.

"Oh don't be a Debbie Downer. You have to admit, that was pretty funny." Uriah's glare gradually turns into a grin.

"Fine. You win this time, Prior, but next time, it's coming at you real good." Uriah smirks.

"Sure it will, hun. But in the meantime, smile for the camera." She quickly takes a snap of Uriah and the complete mess Tris made. "Oh this one is definitely going on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, everything! Maybe if you're lucky, you'll even become a meme. You never know, Uri." Tris taunts on and on.

"I really hate you sometimes."

Tris smiles. "No, you totally love me."

"Unfortunately." He says under his breath.

A/N: Sincere apologies for this terribly long wait and for any other errors in this chapter. But can I just say, shower Four, is so hot and a major turn on. Tris as well, but when you but Theo and Shai in a shower together...oh man!