A/N: Thank you everyone for reading, following and reviewing this story. A special thank you to my lovely beta reader, It'sHardIKnow.

Updates every Saturday or if it doesn't work out on Saturday then on Sunday, but definitely weekend.

To Karla Sprague: Yes, at some point the parents will show up. But not for a while.

To goldensnitch1: Congratulations for your daughter's First Communion. Like I said, the parents will find out, also Caleb, and Marcus probably last.

To Damn you Kylie: Didn't get to respond to your question from chapter 18. I haven't decided yet on a baby for Zeke and Shauna. I think for them it's definitely too early. But who knows. I'm not teasing, I really haven't made up my mind.

Last thing before the chapter: went to see Deadpool 2. #LMAO all I'm saying.

Enjoy!

Chapter 20

Tris

Initiation starts tomorrow. Next year, it'll be my turn to go through this, and a part of me is looking forwards to it, while the other is reluctant. It is so hard for me to leave my daughter for a couple of hours, let alone ten weeks! As an initiate, I will be required to live and sleep in the dorm rooms with the other initiates, but Tobias told me that, from time to time, I was allowed to and could come home - which was very reassuring. It's known that many Dauntless-born sneak out and sleep at their parents' at least once or twice a week. Most, however, prefer the new-found freedom that the dorm room offers. Thankfully, that will all happen a year on from now. And, I think, by then I'll be able to manage things.

Rose is three months old. She is such a happy baby, and everyone loves her. She is showered with love and attention, and the occasional stuffed animal. I swear, any more animals and Tobias and I could open a stuffed animal zoo.

She finally stopped being colicky a week ago, which was a huge relief. Tobias had to go back to work last month, but has been adamant to always be home on time. He hates that he has to leave, but he has no choice. He is the only one working, and we need the income. Once I pick next year, and finish Dauntless initiation, I'll be able to get a job. Although Tobias suggested that I can always be a stay-at-home mom, I told him I needed to think about it, and decide once my initiation is over.

I've asked Tobias to teach me how to fight, but he's kept refusing me, telling me he doesn't want to hurt me. I argued, saying that's not what I was asking for - I just simply want to learn how to defend myself. We got into an argument, and I called him a hypocrite. He always keeps telling me how strong and brave I am, yet when it comes to actually teach me something Dauntless, he refuses. Not wanting to disturb our napping baby, or make a bigger mess out of our argument, Tobias left the apartment, and came back a few hours later after we both calmed down enough. He returned with a big bouquet of roses and apologized. But he wasn't the only one who was at fault. It was only after he left, and I had calmed down, that I realized why he refused. He is scared that he will turn into Marcus one day, despite my repeated attempts to convince him otherwise. I was very insensitive talking to him the way I did, and I apologized too. Eventually he agreed to teach me, but I could tell he was still uncomfortable. It would still have to wait for a while. As long as I have an infant to take care of, I can't leave to go to the training room. We decided he would start teaching me after we could leave Rose alone with a babysitter for several hours. If I really wanted to learn, I needed to concentrate. I agreed.

Surprisingly though, the girls came up with an excellent idea to get me back in shape after the pregnancy, by still being physical, yet in a more relaxed way. Lauren introduced me to yoga. It is perfect. I don't have to leave the apartment, I won't injure myself, and Tobias seems extra happy when he comes home and finds me in the "downward dog" position. Perv!

My girlfriends would usually come in the morning, after Tobias leaves for work, and we would do a session together. Most mornings, it's just Marlene, Lynn, and I, since Lauren, Shauna, and Tori have work. But even Mar and Lynn will stop once school starts again.

There are times when I miss school. It would have been nice to keep going there, but when I think about it some more, I didn't really like it there in the first place. Kids at school are always mean to the Abnegation kids, and the Abnegation never fight back. Besides, there is nothing left for me to learn. I have already learned more things doing these assignments for Max than I could have learned in school. I don't know why he insists on saying they are purely hypothetical, when I know they are not. How dumb does he think I am?

Speaking of that, Max is sitting at my dining room table, discussing something with Tobias, when he calls me over to join them. Tobias and I don't have secrets, but we don't really tell leadership how much my husband shares with me.

"I have another assignment for you," Max speaks, smiling, pushing the large binder toward me, across the table. I roll my eyes at him. Seriously? After all these months?

"Max, I have a question," I start, and he nods. Tobias watches me intently from the chair adjacent to mine. "Honestly, on a scale from 1 to 10, how stupid do you think I am?" I ask incredulously, annoyed. His eyes widen a little, before he then glances toward Tobias, who just shrugs. "Don't answer that. You must think I'm very dumb, if you keep telling me that these assignments are 'hypothetical'," I mock, making air quotations.

"When did you figure it out?" he asks, not even trying to deny it anymore.

"When? Hm, let me think," I pretend to think back. "Only after you handed me the first one," I spit out, angrily.

"You're right, Four. She is smart," he remarks to my husband, who looks uncomfortable. I glare at him.

"Did you know?" I inquire, pissed off at the possibility that he might have. He vehemently shakes his head.

"I swear, babe, I didn't. I just told Max how smart you are, and how fixing things comes so easy to you," Tobias praises. I turn my gaze from him, and back to Max.

"So, you gonna tell me what this is all about?"

"Training," he simply replies with a grin. I roll my eyes again.

"Yeah, I need a little more. I might be smart, but I ain't a damn mind reader."

"Alright. You deserve to know the truth. Ever since Jack came to me about a year ago with a thick binder, we both knew that the person who put it together is very smart, like Erudite smart. But unlike those noses, this person had the people's best interest at heart. Imagine my surprise when I heard that a girl from Abnegation, who sought out refuge in Candor, is behind it," he explains, and my eyes widen in shock. Is this the person Jack wanted to show my research to? I look toward Tobias, and see the same confusion on his face. "You are right, the assignments are real problems, which you helped fix. Did you really think I would waste your time - and mine -by making you file things?" he asks with a smirk. I shake my head.

"I still don't get it. I mean, the things you handed over must be top secret faction stuff. I mean, I know they are. So, why me?"I question, still confused.

"It's simple. You are a fresh pair of eyes and your opinion about the majority of these things is untainted. Plus, you even taught yourself the entire Law Codex of our city which, in itself, is quite thefeat. Not only do you approach every problem with Erudite rigor but you also look for loopholes like a Candor lawyer, you think of others before yourself, just like an Abnegation, you find solutions that are kind, and actually bring joy to others, like an Amity,and you break down walls with that Dauntless fire inside you," he rambles. By the time he finished his little speech, my mouth's hanging open in shock assilence falls between us.

"That's such a huge pile of horse crap!" I exclaim, and push the binder back to him. To my surprise, he bursts out laughing, before I then give him a stern look and shush him. Rose is napping right now; I don't need her to wake up.

"Sorry, but I mean it Tris. I have big plans for you!" Max announces.

"What kind of plans?" Tobias asks with curiosity. He has been quiet this whole time, probably just as speechless as I am.

"Well, I think someone like her to be on the Council would actually help a lot of people. All the things I've asked you to do, they are real life problems of real life people. I, and the other leaders," he starts, glancing at Tobias, "have been able to help many Dauntless with various problems, and what we've managed to do thus far is unprecedented, and it's all thanks to you. You two don't know this, but many years ago, after I just became a leader, I was approached by Jeanine Matthews. I think you two can guess what she wanted," he continues, and his entire demeanor changes to a more somber one. We both nod, urging him to proceed.

In very few details, he explains how the former Erudite leader tried to bribe him. At first, he kept his distance, wanting to avoid getting dragged into something that, even at the early stages, seemed dangerous, and, more importantly, illegal. It was only after he found out that Jeanine wanted to kill all the Divergents in the city that Max knew what to do. His mother was Divergent, and he was always convinced that she was killed because of it. When he was an initiate, he fell in love with a girl, who was Divergent too and got killed as well. When he found out that two of his friends, now fellow leaders, Harrison and George, ended up on Jeanine's kill list, he knew what to do. Pretending to be on Jeanine's side, he then gathered information about her, and her co-conspirators, while feeding that intel to Candor leader Jack Kang, and helping George and Harrison to prepare a counter-attack.

As I listen to the head leader of Dauntless, I realize, it was him. He and the other two Dauntless leaders were the ones who stopped Jeanine. They avoided innocent bloodshed and, probably even a war, by the looks of it.

This is the most personal conversation I've ever had with the man, and, when he finishes, he has tears in his eyes. I walk around the table, and give him a hug. I kiss his cheek in a friendly way. I am sorry for him; he's lost so much and risked his own life to save people he didn't even know.

"I kinda hate you right now," I tell him, as I return to my seat. He gives me a questioning look and I chuckle at his confusion. "You've made being mad at you really difficult," I elaborate, and he smiles.

"Listen, Tris. I don't know what will happen in a year from now, but I think it's clear that you will choose Dauntless," he states, and I nod in confirmation. "Depending on how you do during your initiation, you will able to pick a job. But, whatever you pick, I hope I can still annoy you with these assignments," he tells me, with a hopeful look on his face as he places his palm over the binder. I nod my head again with a smile.

Tobias decides to invite Max to stay over for lunch, since we were about to eat when Max dropped by. He agrees, especially since I told him that I made his favorite, pot roast. The conversation is much lighter than it just was, and while Tobias goes to reheat the food, I take the binder into Tobias's home office. I check on my daughter, who is still sound asleep, and return to the two men waiting for me. I think of all the things Max told us, and I realize I misjudged him. I always knew he was a good guy, but now that I know this part of his life, I see just what a great heart and moral compass he has. He is right. It's still a long way until I get to choose, and whatever my ranking will be, I will always help him if he needs me.

A/N: So, Max has something in mind for Tris? What could it be?

Whether you like the music of Christina Aguilera - the singer has released three songs from her new album. I really recommend you to listen in at least once. "Twice" is a powerful ballad that still gives me goose bumps no matter how often I've heard it already and the duet with Demi Lovato, "Fall in Line" is, in my opinion, the epitome of a positive message to every woman alive and the generations to come after us.