Torn 18

Eric found Mandy in the infirmary working. He walked up to her just as she was about to take a patient's blood pressure. Mandy was so busy checking the blood pressure cuff she did not notice her patient stifle a gasp as they saw the tall, angry looking Dauntless leader approach behind the nurse.

Eric grabbed her upper arm and pulled her out the door into the hallway.

"Eric! What are you doing?" Mandy started to panic when she saw Eric's face. He was pissed and it showed in his eyes.

"I need you to listen to me carefully." Eric's voice was low and steady. He needed to get his point across to this woman. "Do not…Mandy…listen to me." Eric grabbed her chin, as she looked away from his piercing blue eyes, to move her back into his line of sight. "You do not go near my child…..do you understand?" Eric squeezed her chin to get his point across. Mandy grimace as she felt his nails dig into the side of her face. "Do. You. Understand?" Tears sprung to Mandy's eyes as Eric slammed her head against the wall as each word fell from his lips. Mandy nodded her head yes.

"Say it!" Eric's tone was deadly as he moved closer to her face. He was just a mere inch from her.

"I understand." Mandy managed to get out as more tears decorated her cheeks. Eric let go of her chin and watched as Mandy slid down the wall in tears. He looked at her with a hint of amusement in his face. Please with her response Eric headed back to your room. Mandy stayed seated on the floor against the wall as her body shook with sobs. It could not be over between her and Eric. She was not going to let it be over. Mandy gasped as her right cheek stung from a slap across her face. She looked at the palm of her hand and smiled as she slapped herself over and over again until her cheeks were flaming and red.

"Everything alright?" Eric's mom asked as she tore her eyes away from her grand-daughter she was just humming and rocking in her arms.

"Yeah. Everything is alright." Eric looked down at his daughter. "I just had some business to attend to." Eric fingers pulled at the soft light blonde curls on top of his daughter's head.

"She is the spitting image of you when you were born." Angelina nuzzled her nose in the baby's neck. "God she smells divine. Have you two thought of a name?"

Eric looked over his right shoulder at you. You looked exhausted and was fighting sleep.

"Where are your parents?" Eric asked not seeing them in the room.

You focused on Eric to keep your eyes from closing. Licking your dry lips, you told him they went to rest a little at your apartment.

"There is not enough room for them in your apartment." Eric walked up to you and you smiled faintly at him as he gazed down at you.

"Jen is going to stay with Charles a few days while they are here."

Eric handsome face frowned a little as he took out his tablet and started typing.

"There are plenty of guest apartments for them to stay in. There are a couple that are empty on your floor. Someone will escort them to apartment thirty-two at the end of your hall." Eric's finger swiped his tablet and put it back in his vest pocket. His attention turned back to you. "Now what are we naming our daughter?"

You licked your lips again before answering. Eric turned around to the small dresser by your bed and poured you a glass of cold water from the pitcher and handed you the cup.

"Thank you." You whispered as you took a drink. You were pleasantly surprised he noticed that you were parched.

"I was thinking Abigail." You looked up at Eric for his reaction. He had none.

"That is beautiful Y/N. Abigail means my father's joy or father's delight. It is perfect." Angelina walked up and handed Eric his daughter. You beamed as Eric took his tiny daughter is his muscular arms. Her soft pink blanket she was cocooned in was a stark contrast to Eric's all black Dauntless attire.

His whole demeanor changed while holding his daughter. He was relaxed not as stiff and stern as he usually was around the complex. You knew it was only something he would only allow you and his mom to see.

"Is this a name you thought of yourself." Eric ask eyeing you his lips pressed together.

"Yes. It came from me."

Eric's finger grazed his daughter's button nose. "Abigail….." he whispered to her. You could tell by the way Eric was looking at his daughter he was pleased with the name.

"Abigail Elisabeth." You leaned over and rubbed Abigail's head. Four thought of Elisabeth but Eric did not need to know that. A lumped formed in your throat as you said her name out loud. It just amazed you that she was finally here. You never thought in a million years you would have ended up where you were at this moment when you let your blood drop on the lit coals in the Dauntless bowl many moons ago. You were a mom. You were responsible for a human being, another life. You were also in love with two of the top Dauntless leaders. How did you end up here?

"Abigail Elisabeth Coulter." You saw Eric flinch a little when his mother stated Abigail's full name.

"I love it." Angelina smiled down at Abigail. "Eric I'm going to go freshen up and rest a little."

Eric nodded. "Keys are in my pocket." Eric thrust out his right hip to his mom. She dug in and grabbed his keys.

"Why have you not switched to a keypad entrance?" Angelina asked eyeing his set of keys.

"I will soon." Eric responded as he sat down.

"Alright I will be back later tonight. Y/N do you know when you will be discharged?"

"Hopefully tomorrow." You answered in between a set of yawns.

"Okay…..get some rest and I will see you later." Angelina grabbed her purse, leaned over and gave Abigail a kiss and headed out the door. It was just you, Eric and your daughter. You sat back in bed and looked over at your daughter and her father.

"We have a lot to talk about." Eric told you not taking his eyes off his daughter. You let out a heavy sigh thinking of the impending conversation. "I need you to rethink the God-father situation." Abigail grabbed her father's index finger and squeezed it tight. Eric's heart jumped and he smiled a rare smile down at the curious blue eyes staring back at him.

"I am not." You told him in a huff. Eric slowly tore his eyes away from his daughter and looked at you. You looked back into stormy blue eyes undeterred. "You can death glare me all you want Eric. I am not changing my mind."

"I'm not acknowledging it."

"Whatever." You shrugged your shoulders at him. Eric continued to glare at you. He hated when you treated him with indifference and since he had come back from Erudite it was very prominent.

"You were not going to let me know you were in labor, were you?"

"No…..I wasn't." You saw Eric clench his jaw. "Why would I Eric? You left me and shacked up with that bitch." You quickly covered your mouth thinking of your baby's sensitive ears.

"She can't understand you." Eric rolled his eyes at your ignorance.

"What was I supposed to think Eric? You left and you refused to see me when I went to Erudite. So, I assume you did not want anything to do with me and the baby. Do you have any idea what I went through those five months? To have in your brain that the man I fell in love with, gave my body, mind and spirit to did not care for me at all. My heart was ripped out of my chest Eric!" Your voice started to raise.

"Stop being dramatic." Eric scolded looking at you as if you were a child having a temper tantrum.

"How the hell is that being dramatic Eric? I am telling you what state I was in when you left me. I'm telling you how hurt I was when I came back to find Mandy between your legs. You could not have waited until I got back?" You held back the tears threatening to spill. You hated he still had such pull over you.

"What's done is done." He said matter-of-factly.

"Is that all you have to say?" You were dumbfounded. "No apology?"

Eric snorted. He was unbelievable and you wanted to slap the shit out of him.

"Apologize for what? I had a need and you could not fulfill it." It was all Eric offered in response to the situation that tore you two apart.

"I do not want her near my child. Abigail will not go to that cesspool you call a home."

"You can't keep me from her. You know better to even try. Trust me you don't want to start a war with me Y/N. You will lose."

"Eric! I do not want her near my child!" You were now shouting. You started to shake thinking of Mandy's claws on your innocence child. Eric put his index finger up to his lips motioning for you to be quiet.

"She's asleep." He harshly whispered at you. "What are you doing?" Eric looked up alarmed from your movements.

"I have to go the bathroom." You told him swinging your feet around off the bed. You grimaced a little. Eric shot up and gently laid his daughter back in her hospital crib and quickly rushed to your side.

"I'm fine Eric." You shot at him as he grabbed your arm to help you up. Eric ignored you and lifted you off the bed. "I said I am fine Eric!" You snatched your arm away from him so fast you caused yourself to stumble back. Your arms flew up as you reached for the bed to break your fall. You missed and Eric arms quickly snaked around your waist and caught you just before you hit the ground.

"You were saying?" He asked raising his pierced eyebrow at you. You glanced at the shiny, black metal studs pierced above his eyebrow and wondered how bad would it hurt if you snatched it right out.

"Put me down Eric!" You yelped as he leaned over and scooted up your legs to carry you to the bathroom just a few feet from your bed. You bawled your hands into fists and started to punch him along his board shoulders and thick arms. You didn't hit him to forcefully as he was carrying you and he would most likely get pissed and drop your ass on the floor. You might as well be hitting stone as he completely ignored you, walked you to the bathroom, pushed the door open with his boot and sat you right in front of the stall.

"You need to calm down Y/N. Mandy is gone." He finally told you. He should have told you earlier but he enjoyed when you worked yourself up.

"She is?" You stood looking up at him.

"Yes she is." No need to tell you about the incident earlier.

"Good." You sighed with relief. You motioned for him to get out. "Privacy please."

Eric slowly looked you up and down before he backed out and shut the bathroom door. You stood there staring at the close door trying to fight the heat of desire that was creeping up to your face.

Why the hell did he look at you that way?

You looked in the mirror and gasped at your reflection. Good God…..how could anyone find you attractive right now. Your eyes were blood shot, with bags prominently on display below your eyes. Your hair was falling out of the bun your mom fixed for you earlier. You frowned at your reflection when you felt your bladder remind you again it was full. You pulled up your gown, pulled down your panties and grimace as you sat on the toilet. God please let it be clean. You really wanted to crawl in your own shower.

Shit!

You needed to change your pad. You put your forehead in your hands. You did not want to call Eric for anything.

"Do you need a sanitary napkin?" You heard Eric ask through the door.

Fuck! How did he know?

"Yes." You called to him. You wanted to die from embarrassment. Eric slowly opened the door. You quickly pulled up your underwear so he would not witness your soil napkin and reached out for the napkin hoping he would not come in. He walked in anyway.

"You aren't bleeding too bad, are you?" Eric looked down at you with sincere concern.

"I'm fine." You snapped more from embarrassment than irritation. You leaned forward and snatched the napkin out of his hand. Eric made no effort to move out the bathroom. If you were not about to die from embarrassment you would have found this situation comical. You just gave birth to the man's child and here you were embarrassed that he saw you sitting on a toilet.

"What?" You asked him.

Eric didn't say anything and walked out. You quickly relieved yourself, changed your pad, flushed the toilet and washed your hands. You found Eric standing right outside the bathroom door. He walked behind you as you slowly walked to the bed, helped you crawl in and pulled the covers over you.

"I have to go. The office just text me. Will you be okay?" Eric asked as he rolled Abigail next to your bed. He leaned over and kissed her sleeping face.

"We are fine."

"If I'm not back tonight I will see you in the morning. Mom might stop by later."

"Ok."

Eric did not motion to move and just stood staring at you. What the hell has got into him?

"We are not done talking." He explained.

"I know Eric." You guys did not even scratch the surface. You still had a lot to talk about and establish. Eric watched you for a few moments as you pulled the band from your hair and tried your best to make it into a presentable bun. Seeing your frustration Eric slapped your hands away from your head. He efficiently pulled all your hair up, a little too tight, and pulled it back into a tight-fitting bun. Satisfied with his work he told you again he would see you later and left out the door.

You were woken away by a gentle nudge on your shoulder. You smiled when you open and your eyes and found Eric's mom looking down at you with a soft smile.

"Hi sweetheart. Sorry to wake you. Abigail is back in the nursery?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Well that gives you and me a moment to talk."

You groaned inwardly. You just wanted to sleep.

"I know my son has hurt you." Angelina grabbed an empty aluminum chair from the corner of the room and sat beside your bed. "I know he was wrong in his actions and I hope you won't punish him by keeping his child away from him." All traces of her smile had left her face. She was looking at you with a serious and stern expression. It was an expression you had seen time and time again on her son's face.

You shook your head no.

"No. I would not do that. I didn't want Abigail near his…his….-"

"That slut." Angelina answered for you.

"Yeah her." You were relieved that she said it for you.

"She is out of the picture." Angelina gave a slight dismissive wave. "I'm glad you are not letting his stupid mistake keep him from his child."

You looked at his mom perplexed. "I'm sorry but it was not just a stupid mistake. Eric left me when he knew I was pregnant with his child…..no…wait let me back up…..While me and his unborn child were recuperating from an almost fatal stabbing from his ex-girlfriend, he cheated on me with said slut and left me the next day….for FIVE MONTHS!" You were trying not to get loud but you were failing miserably. "And on top of everything that he has done he shacks up with the bitch!" You felt bad for getting so worked up. Eric was the one you needed to be yelling at.

"It was an erroneous error in judgment on his part."

You scoffed and slightly turned your head from her gaze.

"It may not seem like it now to you Y/N but my son is a very good man and you should be honored that you have given him his first born."

You whipped your head so fast back to her penetrating gaze you almost gave yourself whiplash.

"Excuse me?"

"My son loves hard, and is very loyal-"

You could not help to chuckle after she said loyal. She ignore you and continued.

"My son loves deeply. He will not show it emotionally often if ever but when he does you will know it. I know he has feelings for you and you seem like a woman with a head on her shoulders. So, I am telling you from mother to mother. Do not break my son's heart." Angelina grabbed your wrist and wrapped her fingers around it. You gasped as her nails dug into your sensitive skin on the inside of your wrist. "Do I make myself clear?"

"You have no idea what is going on between Eric and I do you?" You snatched your wrist from her vice grip.

"No I don't and I don't care. You will woman up and make it right. Eric is Abigail's father and he needs to be in her life. I am her grandmother and trust me I will be in her life. I want Abigail raised by both her parents. So, Eric needs to be in your life."

Your room phone rung before you could answer back. You picked up the phone.

"I will see you tomorrow. I'm going to see the baby on the way out."

You did not respond to her but watched her walk out.

"Y/N?" It was Eric on the other end of the phone.
"Yes?"

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." You lied yet again. Truth was you were in shock from the conversation with his mom. She was a piece of work and there was no doubt in your mind she gave birth to Eric. Did she expect you to just roll over and take whatever Eric dishes out just because you gave birth to his child? She was in for a rude awakening. You barely heard Eric tell you he could not make it back to see you and Abigail but he will see you tomorrow. You barely acknowledge him with an 'ummhmm' and hung up the phone.

The next morning was a busy blur. You were finally able to take your daughter home. Your room was crowded again with Jen, your parents, Eric and his mom. Four was stuck at work no doubt pleasing Eric. The registrar came in with the birth certificate and you and Eric signed under your respective names. Eric as usual took charge of the situation and had you checked out and home in record time.

"Mom said she had a talk with you yesterday?" Eric laid his daughter in the basinet by your bed. You continued to unpack and did not reply to what he said.

"Did you hear me?" Eric turned around and looked at you as you stuffed your dresser drawers with new baby clothes Angelina had picked up and gave you that morning. Neither one of you mentioned the conversation you had together and you were not about to talk about it with Eric.

"I heard you Eric. I'm sure she already told you what we talked about so there is no need for me to rehash it."

"Actually she didn't she just said you two came to an understanding. What understanding?"

"Later okay?"

Eric walked up to you and towered over you. You almost whimpered when you got a whiff of his masculine scent. The man always smelled good to you even when he was drenched in sweat from running or working out. His pheromones would always turn you on. You daughter let out a small cry and Eric immediately went to pick her up.

"She's hungry." He observed as Abigail turned her head toward Eric's chest with an open mouth. Eric watched you as you took Abigail in your arms, sat down on the edge of the bed and swiftly lifted your shirt and bra for her feeding. Abigail latched on quickly and hard. You grimaced a little as your nipples were sore.

"Do you have any shea butter or lanolin cream?" He asked noticing your facial expression.

You hated he knew every damn thing and knew exactly what you needed before you did.

"Yes." You snapped. Eric knew you were getting frustrated. He smirked to himself and decided he better leave you alone for the moment.

"Hey sweetheart!" You mom popped her head in your bedroom.

"Hey mom!"

You mom walked in and sat beside you giving you a kiss on your temple. You looked over at Eric and saw his back retreating out the room.

The next morning while nursing Abigail, Four visited.

"Hey beautiful." Four popped his head in your bedroom.

"Hey you! Come in." You were happy to see Four. He had been busy since you got home and had not had a chance to see Abigail since she was born.

"When are you going to start pumping. I see you have not used the breast pump I got you." You scooted a little in the bed as Four sat down beside you. Abigail let go of your nipple to yawn and then she latched back on. You were not the least bit embarrassed that Four saw your breast. He has seen every inch of your body and saw you give birth so there was no room for shyness.

"Four, she is just a few days old. I will get to pumping soon. I can't let her go just yet." You leaned over and kissed Abigail's cheek.

"Well I would like to feed my God-daughter." Four cooed as he leaned over and caressed her cheek after your sloppy kiss. "How has she been doing?"

"She is great Four. She is just perfect."

"Of course she is."

Four sat in silence for a few moments as he watched his God-daughter nurse.

"Y/N?"

You looked up into his brown eyes and you noticed a hint of sadness.

"What's wrong Four?" You cradled Abigail in your right arm and caressed Four's cheek with your left hand.

"Are we over?" He asked barely above a whisper. You looked at Four and you can see him aching for you.

"Oh Four…..what makes you think that?"

"Eric is back in your life now. I saw the way you were looking at him on the day you gave birth."

You shook your head.

"That doesn't mean anything Four."

"I'm not going to push myself on you Y/N. I know a lot has happen the past couple of days and I know you are high with many emotions. So, I want you to think about what you really want. Whatever you decide do know that I will always be in Abigail's life." Four caressed your cheek before leaning over and lightly kissing your lips.

You heard a throat clear by your doorway.

"Excuse me are we interrupting something?"

You pulled away from Four and peered over his shoulder to see two sets of blue eyes looking at you with disapproval. It was Eric and his mom. Angelina glared at Four and then at you and then down to your chest. You quickly looked down and saw that Abigail had fallen asleep and had let go of your nipple. So, Eric's mom just caught you kissing Four, with your breast out, holding your newborn daughter. Now who looked like a slut.