A/N: Thank you everyone for your continued support and thanks to my beta for making this story so much better.
I'm gonna shamelessly advertise for my werewolf story on Wattpad; it's called "Bionic Luna" and it's something different from the usual werewolf stories. I love strong female leads, and as you could see from the "Divergent" fanfics I wrote, my Tris is rarely a sissy, so I wanted to make a female in a werewolf story (where mostly the guys are mega awesome *total eye roll right now*) be more than you expect and totally kick ass.
Enough advertising.
Happy reading, initiates!
Chapter 26
Tobias
Today is my little girl's first birthday and I think I am even more excited than Tris and the baby put together. Tris and I started celebrating our birthdays once we came here to Dauntless, but this day is even more special - maybe because we never had birthday parties in Abnegation so Tris and I don't really care for presents and such, but it is nice to celebrate with your friends anyways.
Celebrating your child's birthday, however, is a completely different story, though. We are excited because Rose will never have to wonder why it is considered selfish to celebrate that another year of your life concluded, and a new one is just starting.
I don't care how selfish anything is, as long as my little girl is happy.
The apartment is decorated in pink and gold with paper cups ready to be filled with punch, plates ready to hold the precious cake my wife baked for our daughter, and the birthday girl jumping up and down in her uncle's arms, as Caleb tickles her.
Both he and Natalie have visited several times over the past two and a half months - although Natalie, like she asked me to call her, is here more often than not. I am glad for Tris, but also for Rose. And, if I am completely honest, I am glad for myself too. I never knew what a wonderful person Natalie Prior really was before she became a part of our new life. Not only is she a wonderful grandmother to Rose, but she is also a wonderful mother to Tris. And, while technically she is my mother-in-law, Natalie has become something like a mother to me as well. I often find myself sitting with her in the car when I drive her home, and talk to her. It was awkward at first, but then, as time passed, I saw many of the things I cherish about Tris in her mother as well.
It was a huge surprise to all of us when, on Tris's birthday in January, Natalie found a long lost friend. It seems, while Natalie grew up here in Dauntless, she and Hana Pedrad, Zeke's mother, were best friends. But, with the old rules in place, they had lost touch over the years. Since then, however, they've tried to make up for lost time. Max and Harrison also remember Natalie, but weren't really aware that she had married Andrew Prior, hence never knowing that Tris was Natalie's daughter.
"Tobias, stop daydreaming, and help me with the food," Tris scolds me, snapping me out of my reminiscing. We invited a lot of people over and, since we don't have that much space to seat everyone at our dining room table, Tris has made several salads and other snacks for everyone to munch on.
I kiss my wife on the cheek, and she pretends to be upset with me, but the small smirk that creeps onto her face tells me she is just nervous. This is a big day after all.
It is still early for all our guests to arrive, so it's just Tris's mom and brother here as she wanted them to come earlier so that they could spend some quality family time with us and our girl.
"You're so bossy, Mrs. Eaton," I whisper in her ear, before kissing the sensitive skin behind it - where I know she is a little ticklish, but also gets her turned on.
"I'm not bossy, Mr. Eaton," she argues with a playful eye roll, "I am the boss," she adds, and turns her head slightly so that she can look up at me. She grins widely, and it is my turn to roll my eyes. We kiss quickly, keeping it chaste and sweet. We both know that, if we deepen it, we might have to excuse ourselves, and run to my office, to have a quickie. Sensing what is going through my mind, Tris blushes, and elbows me lightly.
"Keep it in your pants!" she scolds, but keeps her voice down.
I laugh at her, and kiss her cheek again. I love these moments. They are a constant reminder of the good decision we made when we chose Dauntless. While Tris still has her Choosing Day ahead of her, I am absolutely certain she'll choose our new faction - even if it wasn't for Rose and I, because I know she's wanted to choose Dauntless for the longest time. Living here, making friends, and having a family has only reinforced her conviction that Dauntless is the right choice for her.
"Do you need any help?" Natalie asks, coming into the kitchen. We turn to look at her, seeing a soft smile on her face.
"No, thanks, Mom. I mean, we're almost done anyways. You should spend some time with Caleb and Rose," Tris replies, while finishing up.
"I am, but I want to spend some time with you two as well," she points out, rubbing my arm gently as she steps closer to us. I smile at her, and hug her, before kissing her temple, "thank you for allowing me to spend time here. It had always seemed so unfair that I couldn't celebrate yours or your brother's birthday - I really couldn't see how celebrating a joyful occasion can be deemed selfish," she adds with a frown.
"I don't know, Mom. But Tobias and I have promised ourselves to celebrate every holiday with our children," Tris says, without looking up. We never really talked about having more children, but I'd be lying if I was to say I don't want them. Before I met Tris, I never even hoped to have someone love me, let alone allow me to father her children.
"Are you planning on giving me more grandbabies?" Natalie asks, and looks up at me, smirking. I feel myself blush, and just smile at her sheepishly. Tris seems unfazed by the question. She either did not even register what the conversation was about or is too focused on her task.
"Well, yeah, someday," Tris speaks absentmindedly. She carefully picks up the salad bowl, and hands it to me. I raise an eyebrow, signaling that I would like to know more on the subject of future babies.
"What?" she asks, confused.
"Is there something you want to tell us, honey?" Natalie asks with a wide grin. Tris scowls, and then looks at the both of us sternly.
"What? No, of course not! I'm not pregnant, if that's what you're insinuating?" Natalie makes an "o" with her mouth, but the smile in her eyes doesn't fade.
"Mom," Tris whines. "I can't get pregnant now. I will have my Choosing in three months, and then at least two and a half months of Dauntless initiation. I don't think a pregnancy would be wise at this time," she explains. I nod my head. It would be a catastrophe if that happened. As much as I want more children with this wonderful woman, if she got pregnant now she wouldn't be able to go through initiation, which would mean she'd become factionless. That can't happen! Natalie, probably sensing a shift in our moods, takes the salad bowl from me, and excuses herself. I look at my wife, and she stares back. She lowers her head, and sighs deeply.
"Are you," I start asking, but she interrupts me. She raises her head, and I see unshed tears in them. I immediately go to hold her tightly to me.
"I want to have your children, Tobias," she starts saying, "but I need to be a member of this faction first."
I nod my head, and kiss her crown. It warms my heart, and reassures me, that she still wants a family with me. We are a family, Tris, Rose and I, but it would be nice to add one or two more children. I've never had siblings, not that I ever wanted them to face the hell I faced in Marcus's house, but it would have been nice. Therefore, maybe, if Tris and I have more children, I can experience this through them. On the other hand, the friends I've made here in Dauntless are family, even if we are not blood related. Zeke and Amar have been nothing other than brothers to me, and even Uriah, that little pansycake.
I squeeze Tris a little to make her look up at me.
"Babe, I fully agree with you. Don't worry about me," I tell her reassuringly. "But, just so you know, once you are a member, I'm going to have my way with you, and put another bun in the oven," I utter seriously and she laughs a little.
"You're terrible," she scoffs, punching my arm lightly.
"What? I am madly in love with my beautiful wife, and want to make lots of babies with her," I tease her, although there's a lot of truth behind my words. We kiss for a moment, and then Tris shoves me away with a smile. We still have a few things to prepare, and I really want everything to be perfect for Rose.
Within the next two hours, everyone we'd invited comes to say "Happy Birthday" to my daughter. She laughs and babbles happily, as everyone files in, kisses her, hugs her, and shows her boxes wrapped in colorful paper containing her birthday gifts. The honorary grandparents, along with the actual grandmother, sit in the living room talking about who knows what. Rose plays with Jason's sons, Dylan and Paul nearby my mother-in-law, where she is able to keep an eye on them. The girls sit at the dining room table, discussing the upcoming Choosing Ceremony. Everyone in our group will choose Dauntless, and they are all excited about initiation. It was really hard for me to keep the initiation process secret from Tris, despite her recent attempts to seduce it out of me. But I know she'll enjoy everything more if she doesn't know what is coming. I even kept the net a secret. Unlike me, I'm absolutely certain she'll have a blast jumping off that building.
"We should kick it up a notch," Lauren suddenly says, capturing my attention. The guys and I were on the balcony, some of us drinking beer. It is an unusually warm day so I thought it to be okay to leave the door slightly open.
"Yeah, I agree. We've been doing some lame shit lately. You up for kicking ass, Tris?" Lynn asks excitedly. Kicking ass? I knew the girls had already started preparing for initiation, Tris told me, but I hoped they wouldn't go into full training mode just yet. I know that she needs to learn how to fight, but the thought of Tris ever getting hurt is just heartbreaking for me. I never want her to get hurt, which, during initiation, will be impossible to avoid.
"It's so cute when they plan on being little warriors," Uriah says, snickering. I turn my gaze to him, and smile weakly.
"I still think all that fighting is unnecessary," Caleb snorts.
"You shut your yap, Nose," Uriah spits with a scowl on his face. Fighting, to the Dauntless, is as important as Dauntless cake, which says a lot.
"Hey, that's my brother-in-law," I begin, and Caleb smiles a little when I defend him. "It's not his fault he is a pansycake. Tris got all the bravery in their family," I finish, smirking.
"You suck, Four," Caleb groans, and we all burst out laughing.
"Tris, you have got to teach me that move," Marlene speaks suddenly, and my attention is back on the girls inside. I shush the guys, and we all listen intently.
"Yeah, man, I mean, your moves are out of this world. I still can't believe you taught yourself all that," Shauna adds with admiration. What are they talking about? I thought Lauren and Shauna were showing the younger girls how to fight. I turn to look at my friends, who all look confused. Zeke shrugs and Uriah comes closer.
"Meditation. You need to let go, and become one with your surroundings. I know it sounds dumb, but it works. When I first tried it, it was very difficult. Remember when Lauren made us do pull-ups, and then we had to hang there for ten whole minutes?" she asks. I am curious to find out what happened. It seems the girls must have nodded, because Tris continues. "I closed my eyes, and just relaxed. I forgot about the pain in my arms, and just let go. Not literally, of course," she says, with a chuckle. "It's like an outer body experience, only you don't die."
"You were Zen," Tori offers with a chuckle herself.
"Exactly!"
The girls start laughing, and I look at the guys. George goes to explain what that whole Zen thing means, but I still can't understand what that has got to do with anything. He explains that it is a state of mind where you are completely relaxed, where you almost don't feel your body anymore. He says he never really tried it out, but his sister did.
"Still, the moves you know are so badass. I'm sure you'll rank first," Lynn says, admiration clear in her words. Tris tries to dismiss her, but both Marlene and Shauna encourage her.
"The girls are right," comes from Lauren. "You work really hard, and you have shown a level of self-discipline I've rarely seen. It wouldn't surprise me if you could beat up your hubby." The girls laugh, but I can tell that Tris is embarrassed.
Is she really that good? I mean, I don't care if she's better than me, which I still don't quite believe, but it would interest me how she got this good. I make a mental note to explore that later, but I have to think of a way to bring it up so she won't know I eavesdropped on her.
After a while, Tris comes out, and tells us to come inside for the cake. At the mention of cake, Uriah bolts inside, almost knocking me, my wife, and Jason over.
"Kid sure loves his cake," Jason comments, and we all laugh.
It was decided that we would all gather around the dining table, Tris would hold Rose, and I would stand next to her. Everyone starts singing to my little girl, and pride fills my chest when I watch them celebrating with us. Tris is smiling widely, her eyes sparkling with excitement, while Rose's laughter fills the room once the song ends.
"Now you have to blow out your candle, honey, and make a wish. Okay?" Tris explains to our daughter. I watch them interact, and smile down at them. I would have never believed that I would have a family of my own, let alone such a beautiful one. Rose smiles at her mother, babbles excitedly, and then looks up at me.
"Don't worry, princess. Mommy and Daddy will help you blow out that candle, so your wish comes true," I tell her reassuringly. I know she can't really understand what is happening, but her excitement is contagious, and I can't help but grin widely at her.
"Dada, cake," she coos.
"Yeah, yeah. You want cake. You are just like your Daddy. If you could live off cake, you'd be the happiest," Tris jokes, rolling her eyes in amusement.
"What's so bad about cake?" Uriah asks, pouting, and we all start laughing, including the babies, who probably laugh just because we do.
Tris brings Rose closer to the candle, and instructs her to blow hard when we get to three. Rose looks at her mom with wide eyes, and I can tell she is trying to mimic my wife.
"Come on, Daddy. You gotta help," Tris urges. Rose looks from her to me, and all three of us breathe in, as Natalie starts counting to three. The moment she reaches three, I encourage my daughter to let out the air in her little mouth, and blow out the candle. I know that she didn't, because she turned her head to me when Tris blew it out - we praised her nevertheless.
Tris handed the baby to me, and started cutting the cake. The first slice was obviously for Rose, then she cut a slice each for Dylan and Paul, and then, one by one, all our guests received a slice. By the time everyone has had a slice, Uriah's already come back for a second, and then a third, slice.
"You do realize that this is my daughter's cake right?" Tris asks him sarcastically.
"Less talking, more cutting," Uriah demands, and Tris raises an eyebrow. She puts both her hands on her hips, one of them still holding the large knife she uses to cut the cake.
"Uriah, control yourself. We have three kids here, and they behave more maturely than you are right now," she scolds him.
"You're not my mom," Uriah protests. The words don't even leave his mouth completely when Hana walks up behind him, and slaps him over the head.
"But I am. Unbelievable! This is not how I've raised you, Uriah Pedrad," she scolds, shaking her head.
"But, Mommy!" Uriah whines.
"Uriah, shut up. I baked another cake... just for you," Tris finally says with a smile. At the mention of a cake just for him, he runs to our fridge, picks up the cake, and bolts out of the apartment. Everyone stares at the front door that he's left wide open, and I shake my head. What a kid!
"Uri, funny," Rose giggles.
"Uri, knucklehead," I respond, and feel a slap over the back of my head. "Ow!" I look back and see my wife glaring at me.
"Don't teach her that," she chastises. "Even if it's true," she whispers, before kissing my cheek.
The party continues for a while longer, until the majority of the guests start leaving. They say their goodbyes, and ask Tris to please bake more of her delicious cake. I laugh at their pleading faces, but Tris just blushes, and nods yes. The last to leave are Jason, Karen, and their boys, and Tris and I are, once again, with her mother and brother alone.
"This was a wonderful party," Natalie announces, holding Rose on her lap.
"Yeah, it was. Did you like it, baby?" Tris asks our daughter. She nods eagerly, and then points toward her presents. We decided to leave the presents for after the party. I go to the pile of gifts, and look for the presents from Natalie and Caleb. Since they are still here, maybe they'll like to see Rose's reaction. I sit on the couch next to my girls, holding the gift Caleb brought.
"Look, princess. This is from your Uncle Caleb," I tell her.
"UncLeb, UncLeb," she squeals in excitement. Caleb laughs at her enthusiasm, and both Tris and I thank him for his gift. I hold it in front of Rose, and decide to open it myself; since it looks, she won't be able to do it on her own. Behind the wrapping paper is an educational game for Rose where she has to put blocks in the right holes in order to learn different geometric shapes. I have to give it to the Erudite, they have boring games. But, for a kid at Rose's age really, anything is exciting. At Christmas, she played for hours with wrapping paper, not even caring about the toys she had got. On the other hand, if this stays a trend, I will never have to wonder what to get her ever again.
As expected, Rose was more interested in the glittery wrapping paper than the actual game, but I'm sure, sooner or later, she'll be excited about it too. I then open Natalie's gift. It was a beautiful baby pink ballerina dress with a magenta Dauntless flame stitched to the chest. I could tell it was handmade, not bought. I look toward my mother-in-law, and I don't get the chance to say anything before Tris leans in, tears in her eyes, and thanks her mom for the beautiful gift.
"Look baby, your grandma made you this princess dress," Tris shows the little outfit to our one-year-old. Rose's eyes light up and she starts clapping her hands. "You wanna try it on?"
"Dess, dess!" Rose squeals. Tris stands up, Rose still in her arms, takes the precious outfit from my hands, and goes into the nursery.
"Thank you, Natalie. It's beautiful," I tell her, and set the now empty boxes aside. Natalie blushes slightly, but holds my gaze.
"It's nothing. I'm just so glad I can be part of this. I've missed Beatrice so much," she says, and gets a little sad. My heart breaks for her the same way it does for Tris when I think of the time mother and daughter were apart.
A moment later, Tris emerges with Rose, and we all get to admire the new dress my daughter got. She beams, and stretches out her little arms for her grandma to hold her. Just when Rose leans in to kiss Natalie's cheek, Caleb snaps a photo, one of many that were taken today. We will never forget this day.
A/N: Aw, Rose's first birthday! How cute!
Who is excited to see what the girls have been hiding from the guys? Who wants to see Tris fight? Check in next week for more.
Love you all!