A/N: Thank you to all my readers for making this journey so amazing. Thank you to It'sHardIKnow for helping me editing this. Hugs and kisses!

Please, check out my non-Divergent story on Wattpad, called "Bionic Luna". It's a werewolf story with a sci-fi twist.

Happy reading!

Chapter 25

Tris

I've been up since five a.m. Tobias didn't wake up for a while when I did, and I was glad for that; I needed time alone to think. The prospect of seeing my mother again, after a year and a half of being apart, is daunting. So much has changed since we last saw each other. The biggest change of them all is Rose. I know I kept telling myself I don't care what my parents will say when they find out I got knocked up, but truth be told, I worry; maybe not so much because of Mom, but definitely because of Dad. And it isn't just because of his relationship with Marcus, but the fact that I don't know who my father is anymore. He has become a mystery to me.

When Caleb called yesterday to tell me that he had managed to convince Mom to meet him, I started shivering. I was so nervous then, as I am right now. A million things could go wrong; or a million things could go right.

"It'll be fine," Tobias tries to calm me down. He is sitting at the kitchen island, Rose in his arms, as he feeds our daughter.

"I don't know. Maybe this was a mistake," I mumble, glancing at the clock. It is ten minutes before ten a.m.

"Honey, from all you and Caleb told me, your mom is a good person, and she seems to miss you just as much as you miss her. It wasn't her choice for the two of you to be apart. Think of how you would feel if Rose did that," he points out, and I snap at him.

"I did it because I had no other choice. They put me in the situation in the first place. I would never, ever, do that to my daughter," I argue a little loud, and see Rose's bottom lip stick out. She almost starts crying, and I inwardly kick myself. "No, baby. Don't cry. Mama isn't upset, please baby," I plead with her, but it's futile. She starts crying, which then prompts me to cry.

Tobias starts rocking her gently, singing to her the way he always does when she wakes up from a nightmare. He sends me into our bathroom to wash my face, reassuring me that it's okay to be stressed out. I feel guilty for making my daughter cry, but he dismisses me, telling me we have to remember thatwe are only human. I nod my head, and do as he says.

When I emerge, and exit the bedroom, I hear him in Rose's room. I go inside, and find her sitting on her daddy's lap in the rocking chair. I walk closer, and kneel down. I caress her little head, and she looks at me curiously.

"Mama, sad," she utters softly. She's managed a few more words like: sad, happy, hungry, and potty. She isn't yet articulate but we get what she means.

"Mama is sad, but you make mama happy," I reply, and she beams. She always makes me happy, no matter what. Just then, we hear a knock on the front door. I look toward my husband, and he kisses Rose's cheek.

"Mama and Dada need to go outside. Will you play with your unicorn like a good little girl?" he asks her, holding up the stuffed animal. She smiles happily, and nods her head. I kiss her other cheek, and Tobias puts her in her crib where she won't be able to climb out.

We had already decided to leave Rose in her room while we talk to my mother. And there's a lot to talk about. We cleared the living room of all the toys, and deposited the highchair in the closet. Before we tell my mom she is a grandmother, I need to know where we stand.

Tobias takes my hand, and, together, we go to open the front door. I take a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves, andopen the door, revealing my brother and mother. The moment Mom sees me, her eyes go wide, and her jaw drops. But it doesn't last long until she pushes past my brother, and steps inside, hugging me tightly to her chest.

"Beatrice, oh, my God!" she says breathlessly. She pulls back slightly to look at me before she starts kissing every inch of my face. "I was so worried, sweetheart. Where have you been? How are you? Are you alright? I've missed you so much. Oh, Beatrice, I'm so sorry," she starts crying.

I am speechless; I didn't really know what to say before either, but this reaction was completely unexpected. My mother isn't behaving like a typical Abnegation right now. I don't move; I can't move. She is holding me so tightly that I can barely breathe, but, for some reason, I don't care. I feel every emotion inside me rushing to come out, and, no matter how hard I try to keep everything bottled up, I can't. I start crying, again for the second time today, and wrap my own arms around my mother – happy that, for the first time in what seemed like a lifetime, I can be a scared child, even if it is for a brief moment... because I am scared; I am scared of what tomorrow will bring; I am scared of what my mother will tell us; I am scared of how she'll react to the news of being a grandmother; I am scared of what will happen once she knows the truth about the Eaton house; and I am scared of how she'll keep it a secret, if she will keep it, from dad.

"Beatrice," Mom whispers, pulling back slightly. We both cried for a long while. I don't even remember how we got into the apartment, but, somehow, we ended up on the couch.

"Mom," I begin, but then a lump forms in my throat. I don't know where to start; I don't know what to say. Do I jump right in, or do I prepare her in some way?

"I don't understand," Mom mumbles, and looks from me to Caleb who sits on the chair slightly behind her, and then to Tobias who sits on the small ottoman next to my brother.

"It's a very long story, Mrs. Prior. Can I bring you something? Coffee or maybe tea?" my husband offers, and Mom asks for some tea. He nods, and then walks away. Caleb jumps up, telling Tobias he'll help too. Coward!

I look at my mom, and try to smile. But I can't. What I have to tell her is very difficult. I look at her worried face, but I see something else in her eyes: love, regret, pain.

"Mom, there is a reason why I kept my whereabouts secret," I start explaining, and mom just stares at me. I take a deep breath. "I will tell you everything that has happened, but I need you to promise that you won't tell anyone, not even dad. Can you do that for me? Please?" I ask her. Her eyes widen in shock, but then a determined look settles in. She nods, and I take another breath. Why is this so hard?

I glance down at my hands, and see my wedding ring. I smile when I remember how Tobias asked me to stay his wife, and how we vowed to be always there for each other. We could have both chosen to move on to another partner. Here in Dauntless, we could have found someone new and still be friends and co-parent together. But we chose each other over anyone else. Everything new is daunting at first, but the experiences they bring with them are worth the risks.

I look my mother in the eyes, reaching for her hands. I hold them tightly, as I begin my story. Tobias is right. We need to have faith. And I'd always trusted my mother. I also always trusted my father, and that didn't work out so well. But with her I'm confident that she didn't know all there was when she supported Dad – at least, I hope so. Caleb assures me of it, but I need to see it for myself.

I don't hold back at all. I even offer more details than when we told Caleb our story. When I get to the part where Marcus threatened to take Tobias's place if he wasn't man enough to have sex with his own wife, I see Tobias clench his fists, and glare at the ground. Mom gasps in shock, and Caleb uses an expletive to describe Marcus. But the worst part is when I have to recount what happened only days later – when Marcus almost killed Tobias. That night was the worst night of my life. I still have nightmares because of it.

I start crying uncontrollably, and Tobias immediately comes to where I sit. He sits down behind me, wrapping his arms snuggly around my body, shielding me from the memory. I know he thinks he failed me because Marcus got to punch me twice that night, but the truth is I failed him.

"I thought he killed him, Mom," I sob, and hold onto Tobias tightly, "I wanted to kill him so badly," I add, feeling my rage seeping through. I am so emotional because of it, that Tobias takes over. He tells my mother how I went to Candor and found a lawyer, how I came back with both a lawyer and a doctor to take care of his wounds. He also tells her how we both recorded our stories under truth serum, and how we started planning our escape. He even tells her how we went through the plan several times, making sure we didn't forget anything.

"I know you must have thought the worst of me when you saw me choose Dauntless, Mrs. Prior," Tobias says. "I had to. And I didn't do it for myself, I did it for Tris. She didn't deserve that life, no one does. But I loved her too much already to condemn her to that hell. I promise you, Mrs. Prior, I love Tris with all my heart. I would die for her, and I would die without her. We might have been forced to get married, but since then a lot has changed. We fell in love, and when we started living here in Dauntless, I asked her to, well," he speaks, with a chuckle, "I asked her to keep being my wife. A part of me wishes I had the opportunity to court her, and ask her to marry me, because we loved each other, not because our fathers forced us to. But I don't regret being with her. She has been my salvation in so many ways, and I am eternally grateful to her for choosing me."

I watch Mom carefully, as she reaches out her hand, and grabs Tobias's. She lifts it to her lips, and kisses his knuckles. I stare at her, surprised.

"Thank you, Tobias. Thank you for keeping my little girl safe," she states, and looks at him directly. He assures her that there is no need to thank him, but she disagrees, and so do I. He always plays down his role, but he was a very important part in keeping me safe in Marcus's house.

I hug Mom tightly to my body, happy that I can do it again. Tobias is still sitting behind me, rubbing my back, while Mom starts telling us about how she had several fights with Dad because of the situation. The worst fight they had was when she went to see Caleb on Visiting Day, and he called him a traitor.

"I couldn't believe my ears. Caleb wasn't a traitor. And I told your father that. He was in Caleb's shoes once. We both were," she rants. She tells us how they met in school and fell in love. But with him being Erudite, and her being Dauntless, it wasn't really a situation their families agreed with. So, they chose a faction that would accept them. Interestingly enough, because as selfless as the Abnegation pretend to be, they are filled with prejudice and archaic moral values that have nothing to do with true selflessness. "I told him, instead of blaming our son for choosing his path in life, he should look at what he did to you. He forced you to marry a boy you didn't even know, and then the boy left the faction," she continues, "it was him who drove you away. I couldn't even let him blame Tobias, like he tried to do, how Marcus did. Marcus even oscillated between blaming Tobias for your disappearance, only to blame you a moment later for Tobias's disobedience. I got sick of them both. I've told them to never speak of the issue again in my presence. Your father tried to talk to me again, but I just shut him out. I blame him, Beatrice. But I mostly blame myself for being such a coward. I should have stood up to him."

Tobias tries to assure her that it wasn't her fault, but she is too emotional. Just then Rose starts crying, and Mom swivelstoward where the sound comes from.

"I'll go," Tobias offers, but I'm quicker. I am not ready to share this information with Mom yet. She must have figured it out, though, because her eyes betray it. I hurry into Rose's room to check on my daughter.

"What is it, honey?" I ask her, but, by the smell, I guess she needs a fresh diaper.

"Potty," she says, sniffing miserably. I pick her up, and kiss her cheek. It's salty from her tears. I talk to her to calm her down and tell her how we're going to get rid of the stinky diaper, wipe the bottom, use some talc, and then put a new, fresh, diaper on. I am concentrating on my task, when I hear my mom.

"You are doing a great job," she praises, and my head whips in her direction.

"Mom?" I ask, surprised by her sudden appearance. I don't even know why I am so surprised. It's not like it was so difficult to figure it out. I smile at her sheepishly. "Thanks."

"Mama," Rose babbles, and I smile at her.

"She is beautiful," Mom tells me, coming closer, "she looks just like you when you were a baby, except for her eyes. They're Tobias's. Mind telling me how this happened?" she asks with a chuckle, but,instead of the accusatory tone I almost expected, her voice is calm, and even soothing. She doesn't seem angry, not even upset, just curious.

I pick up Rose and hold her in my arms. I motion to Mom to go back into the living room, where we resume our places on the couch. I ask Tobias to dispose of the dirty diaper, while Rose excitedly jumps up and down in my lap calling for her uncle.

"UncLeb," she squeals, and we laugh. It'll be a while until she can talk, but it's cute when she tries. We always encourage her anyway.

"I got pregnant right before Tobias's choosing. We didn't find out until the last day of initiation. I won't lie, mom. I was scared. We both were. But we wanted her from day one. I have never once regretted my decision," I announce to her proudly. Mom grins lovingly at us, and reaches out to caress Rose's cheek. I realize, I haven't introduced them properly. "Mom, this is Rose," I start, and mom's eyes sparkle with new tears. "Sweetie, this is your grandma – my mama," I try to explain, and Rose looks at me curiously. I doubt she really understood what I said, but she smiles at my mother. Mom starts reaching out her arms to hold my baby, but then retracts them, ashamed. "Do you want to hold her?" I ask her, hoping that she isn't rejecting my daughter. Mom's face lights up when I ask that, and I sigh in relief.

"I didn't think you'd want me to," she mutters with a slight blush.

"I want to. Mom, I never wanted to shut you out of my life. I had to. I couldn't trust you and Dadanymore. You hurt me, more than Marcus ever could. When Dad banished me from my home, I felt so lost, and alone. I had no one to turn to. I knew life with Marcus would be bad, but I never expected it to be that bad," I voice my thoughts, and feel a new wave of tears coming. I blink them away, not wanting to alarm Rose.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I'm sorry I wasn't stronger," she whispers to me, looking away. "I wish I could do something to make this go away."

"Mom, in a way, I'm glad it happened. Not the bad stuff. But Tobias," I say, looking at him. He beamslovingly at me. "I found the love of my life, because of this situation, and I got my daughter. Not everything was bad. The bad parts where Marcus, all of him, and the fact that my own parents chose to give me away like I was some old piece of furniture." I watch as mom looks away. I don't want to hold a grudge. Especially now when I see how it affected her, and I can see her pain, "I don't want us to be apart anymore. I don't want to teach my daughter that it is okay to just give up on the people you love. I can't trust dad, and I hope you understand why." Mom nods, finally looking up at me. "But I want to trust you. I want you back, Mommy. And I want you to be part of Rose's life. I am only a good mom because I, myself, had a good mom. And there is so much more I need to learn, and I need you." By now, Mom's allowed her tears to fall. She reaches out her arm, and I crawl closer, wrapping my arms around both my mother and daughter. I feel so happy right now. I am glad Caleb insisted I meet with mom, and I am grateful for the unconditional support I always receive from Tobias.

We invite Mom to stay for lunch. I don't think she wants to leave any time soon, anyway. I know that Tobias and Caleb want to ask Momto spy on Dad, but I glare at both of them, telling them silently to knock it off. I just got my mom back. I don't want her to even think of that mess. And Rose has finally got to meet her grandmother. Rose keeps babbling on, seemingly telling mom a whole story. Mom just smiles, and occasionally says "really?" or "that sounds interesting!" I'm sure she has no clue what my daughter is telling her, but it is heartwarming to witness how my mother embraces my child, and showers her with love from the moment they met.

I have Mom promise me to come visit again soon, and I am not surprised when she tells me she'll come back as soon as possible. She has now more than just one reason to visit Dauntless, she has three, because Tobias is very important too. She cared for him even before we got married, sensing how difficult it was for him too. But, unlike me, he kept his mouth shut. Nevertheless, she accepts him, and is willing to continue to care for him if, for no other reason, than the fact that he really loves me.

Before I can even begin to make any more plans with my Mom, Caleb and Tobias bring up their idea about spying on Dad. I want to tell them to back off, but Mom immediately agrees. Seeing the determined look in her eyes makes me wonder if it's possible that she was just waiting for an opportunity to snoop around. I know that she has her own suspicions, and, for now, we all leave it at that. Who knows what we'll find?

A/N: What a reunion! Natalie is now in the loop and wants to help FourTris. Will they find out more about what went on with Andrew when he ordered Tris to marry Tobias?

A few weeks ago someone asked why Candor isn't doing anything against Marcus. Just because Tris and Tobias confessed their situation under truth serum isn't enough to bring Marcus to trial and be convicted. After all, he is the City Council Leader, which means he holds a certain amount of power, which the Abnegation leaders, obviously, back. They need more evidence.