A/N: Thank you everyone for reading, reviewing and liking this story. It means a lot. :)

Special thanks to ItsHardIKnow for the beta-read and edit.

To answer a few questions:

1. LUCY1925 - I'm glad you feel that way about Marcus. I tried to imagine what would absolutely outrage me about him, and tried then to create the Marcus you guys read about.

2. goldensnitch1 - you are right with your assumption. It is explained in this chapter.

3. Divergent Rebel 4664 - wouldn't be the first older creep to get a Stiff because of a young girl. Also, I needed him to be this creepy.

4. A lot of you expressed how insane Marcus is for calling Tris a slut and whatnot and for lusting after her. He is power-hungry, and forcing himself on someone weaker (regardless of whom and in what form) tickles his ego.

Updates every Saturday! Happy reading!

Chapter 10

Tobias

It has been a month since my father beat me to an inch from death. I barely remember that night. Beatrice told me everything that happened after I passed out, all the things Marcus threatened her with, how she struggled to pull my unconscious body up the stairs, how she cleaned my wounds, cleaned the house, and made sure everything was back to normal for Marcus's return. She stayed up all night to take care of me. She was so scared, and I was so useless.

I remember waking in the middle of the night from a nightmare. I opened my eyes to see her lying there on her stomach, copying me. She held my left hand in hers, and close to her chest. Her face was tear-stained and I could see a bruise forming on her jaw. I watched her eyes flutter and, for some reason, I closed mine. I was too ashamed to face her. I failed to protect her. Her small hand landed on my cheek, caressing my frowning face. Her touch was gentle, soothing.

"I love you," she whispered. I was so shocked by her statement, that I opened my eyes. She kept looking at me, her eyes worried, but also on fire. Silence fell between us, until I couldn't bear its weight anymore.

"Say it again," I demanded. I couldn't believe my ears heard her right. I must have dreamt it.

"I love you, Tobias."

It took some convincing on her part, but I finally accepted that she loved me. I still can't believe that she does, but I am selfish to cherish it nevertheless. I told her I loved her too, and how sorry I was I couldn't protect her.

"Don't be stupid, Tobias. You did protect me. All of this happened because of me," she said, and tears started flowing again. She blamed herself for speaking up against Marcus, but I always knew she was too brave to let someone like him pull her down. She is like a blazing fire that only waits to unleash its full destructive power.

Since that day, she vowed to me she would find a way for us to escape Marcus. She no longer wanted to leave me behind, like she initially planned. We would leave together. And we would live in peace far away. She asked if I was willing to leave my home, my faction behind, and I told her I would live factionless for the rest of my life if it meant I could be with her. I no longer cared what happened to me. Everything I did was for her. She changed me. She changed me to be better. Not with brutal beatings, but with love. She was more of a wife than she could ever imagine. She was my better half, the part that made me stronger, the part that made me want to be a better man, and fight the evil in my life.

Marcus must have noticed that too. My father was many things, but stupid was not one of them. He knew exactly that Beatrice only behaved because she tried to avoid beatings for me. But he also noticed how I stopped cowering. How every time he would yell at us, I would shrink back less. Beatrice warned me to stop doing that. No matter how much I wanted to punch my father, I had to keep my emotions hidden from him. Whatever I would do would affect Beatrice as well.

She is strong, though, much stronger than I could ever hope to be. Two days after the beating, Marcus announced he had to leave to go to Amity for three days, for the monthly City Council Meeting. Each month it takes place somewhere else, and since Amity is far away, he stays there overnight. The moment Marcus left the house, Beatrice checked with me if I was alright to stay up in our room for a couple of hours while she ran some errands. It was only after she returned much later, and with someone with her that I learned what my wife did.

She remembered me telling her about that shelter for women in Candor, and went to see what it really was, and if we could get help. She came home with two people. A man, and a woman. The man was a doctor, who was the brother of the woman, and both promised to keep the information they learned in Marcus's house hidden. While the doctor examined me, and prescribed me pain medication, Beatrice was downstairs with the woman. I didn't know what to think of them, until Beatrice revealed that despite wearing gray clothes, the man and woman were both Candor. Dr. Parker is the woman's older brother, while the woman, Vanessa, is a lawyer.

I didn't know what to say, and I wanted to be furious at Beatrice for going to a Candor loud-mouth to blab about our family situation. I should have known better. She told me how she sought out a lawyer specialized in family law, and the moment the two women met, they trusted each other. Vanessa told Tris how her mother escaped an abusive husband, and why Vanessa urged Candor leadership to have the women's shelter created. I was flabbergasted when they told me how Beatrice went willingly under truth serum to tell her story, and because there was no official complaint, everything she said is sealed away, until we need it. They even asked me to let them take pictures of my back for evidence. I was reluctant, and that's why Beatrice was trying to persuade me.

"Tobias, I came up with a plan," she told me excitedly. I furrowed my eyebrows, still angry with her because she went behind my back. It wasn't hard for her either, since I could barely move to go to the bathroom by myself.

"Beatrice, this is insane. You don't even know if you can trust them," I told her, and she looked at me disappointed.

"Listen to me. We need to have faith. If we stay here, Marcus will kill us. He is out of control. He won't ever stop. And I would throw myself in front of a train before bringing a child into this family," she told me, and I gasped. Was she so repulsed with the idea of having my child that she would do that? Somehow, she managed to read my mind, I think, because her hands cupped my face, and a gentle smile adorned her face. "I meant, Marcus would have yet another life to ruin. I can't do that to my child." I nodded.

"Tell me."

She smiled again, and kissed my lips. She started telling me her entire conversation with Vanessa, and what could be done. She even brought Vanessa in to explain in more detail how things would evolve the moment I chose my faction two months from then. It was an unexpected beacon of hope, and it made me understand why Beatrice wanted to hold onto it so much. I was still scared, but she was right. If all things fail, we run away to live factionless. She is my only family, now and forever. If I want her to be happy, I need to be brave.

In the past month, I went twice to Candor for my own truth serum testimony. It all happened in Vanessa's office, and she went through all the details of our plan with me. According to the law, the moment a dependent gets married, the parents lose legal guardianship over their child. In our case, it's a bit complicated. Because both Beatrice and I were dependents when we got married, Marcus became Beatrice's legal guardian. That will change literally the moment I choose my faction. I have talked a lot about it with Tris, and we both decided that Dauntless is our best option. She always wanted to go there, and while I believe I would be better suited for Abnegation, in Dauntless I can learn to protect my wife from anything and anyone.

Once I choose Dauntless, I will be Beatrice's legal guardian. The only problem we face is that Beatrice would have to live with my father until I am an actual member. Vanessa had a suggestion, that was tricky, but the moment I told my wife about it, she beamed at it. Legally, I will be Beatrice's guardian, and until I finish initiation, she can either opt to stay where she is, go back to her parents, or go to a shelter. No one can force her to choose any of those, which means whatever she chooses will be deemed legal until I come back to claim her.

The plan sounds perfect, but I am still nervous because of it. For the next few weeks until my Choosing, we need to be careful not to make Marcus suspicious. And, after I choose, I need to work extra hard to pass Dauntless initiation and become a member. Vanessa reassured us that, once I am a member, I can take Beatrice into Dauntless with me. Dauntless leadership can't stop me from doing so, because that would be illegal.

She would then become a Dauntless dependent, but unlike Dauntless-born dependents she wouldn't receive a stipend from the faction, and I would have to provide for her. I wouldn't mind. We are both used to little, and I am sure we will manage. If, however, Dauntless leadership are to refuse her entry into their compound, she could remain in the Candor shelter, legally choosing to be abandoned. That would mean that she would get an automatic divorce from me, and will become her parents' dependent again. Whatever happens, Beatrice is right. We can't stay here. Marcus is mentally unstable, and snaps from the smallest things.

As for his promise to Beatrice to be patient until I finish my Abnegation initiation, I caught him tampering with her pills. He obviously pretended they fell off the shelf when he was looking for his shaving kit, and was just putting them back, but I knew better. He hopes to tie us down to him, by forcing us to have a baby. It is a good thing Beatrice had the foresight to get that contraceptive shot. She won't be needing it after my Choosing. At least not for a while. I smile to myself.

Since the first time I made love to her, and we gave our virginities to the other, our relationship evolved into something beautiful. Adding the fact that we are in love, makes our lovemaking so much deeper and meaningful. Each time I surrender myself to her, and she to me, we become closer than we've been before. I often wish we would live alone so that I could hear her cry out my name when I make her climax, just for the selfish reason to know that she wants me, and only me. Because I only want her. She was my best friend at first, but now she is more. She is my soulmate, my better half, my partner in everything. I trust her with my life and heart, and I know they will be safe with her, just as she will always be safe with me.

A/N: What do you think of their plan? I'm excited to hear about your opinions. Until next Saturday.