DISCLAIMER: I own neither the Divergent world nor the characters, they belong to Veronica Roth.

Chapter 65

Tris

Tobias asks Caleb if he wants to go to help Zeke set up the stage after we've finished our breakfast.

"You think I'd be of any help to him?"

"You helped us a lot yesterday, so why not?" Tobias encourages him.

"Cause I'm not good with stuff like that."

It's the first time I hear Caleb say that he's not good at something. I used to believe that he thought he was good at everything.

"See, Zeke can instruct you. I'm sure there is something you can do to help. Just tell him I sent you and that you want to make yourself useful."

"You think? Well, I'm a fast learner," Caleb states proudly and gets up. "Can I leave you to do the dishes?"

"No problem, we'll come down to the pit to watch the interrogations at noon," I say.

"Alright, then I'll see you later."

As soon as he's out of the door, I turn to Tobias.

"You're being mean, you know? Poor Zeke is gonna pay it back to you, that's sure," I laugh.

We both know that while Caleb might be very intelligent, he's not talented at construction.

"I just couldn't stop myself, Zeke has been teasing me constantly since we've become friends, so it's only fair if I tease him a little in return."

I shake my head in amusement while Tobias refills our cups with coffee.

"Right now you sound more like Uriah."

"That's because I'm traumatized. Your brother just tried to give me a sex talk."

I can't suppress a giggle as I imagine Caleb trying to play the protective brother - and that while talking about a topic he's absolutely awkward with.

"Hey, don't laugh!" Tobias nudges my side. "It was very serious!"

"Was it?"

"Yes, indeed, it was." He starts grinning. "He reminded me of how we both were at the beginning of our relationship, when we tried to talk about sex. Oh, he was even more awkward, if that's possible. You know which words he used for 'sex'?"

I shake my head. I have a few ideas, though.

"He referred to it as 'intercourse' first, and then he used 'the act of physical bonding'."

"Wow, the last one is almost philosophic," I laugh.

"I was almost expecting him to use the word 'coitus' next," Tobias adds, smiling.

"I'm glad we learned how to talk about this with each other and can laugh about it now," I admit and take Tobias' hand on the table.

"Me too, I can assure you," he says and gives my hand a little squeeze.

We enjoy each other's presence in silence for a bit until I can no longer ignore all the things I still don't know about yesterday. I should know what happened before the interrogations begin, but I'm reluctant to ask Tobias for the details he hasn't told me yet. It's only going to make me aware of the stress and pressure I put on him and my friends. Perhaps it's a good thing that there's only an hour left for us to talk.

"Tobias, can you tell me what happened yesterday? I feel as if I only know the big headlines," I begin.

He inhales deeply before he starts speaking. The pain he's recalling makes me uncomfortable, but I force myself to deal with my guilt. He deserves that I hear his side of the story. It'll help both of us to move on from here.

I listen to Tobias as he tells me about how he woke up, realized where I was heading and how he went looking for me everywhere in Dauntless, and that he even went to Erudite.

"Lauren was there for me, she helped me through what were the painful moments of the whole day. While I'd been hoping I could still keep you from turning yourself in to Jeanine up to that moment, the instant I saw you and Uriah walk into Erudite, the world crumbled down on me. It was like a curtain closing in front of me. I realized I had lost you, and Lauren held me and stopped me from running into Erudite right behind you. She convinced me to stay with her, that it would be better to make up a good plan and get you out later."

I remember walking into Erudite with Uriah by my side, glad to have a friend with me. I knew I couldn't talk him out of coming with me, neither would he have been able to talk me out of it. Recalling this moment, knowing that Tobias was actually so close to me at that time, that I would just have had to take a closer look at my surroundings, fills my heart with sadness. I could have saved him a day of despair, because I don't think I'd have walked into our enemy's territory if I had known he was watching.

I'm glad Lauren was with him. There are not many people who could manage to calm Tobias, and that he would allow to take care of him. I can imagine her supporting him with her serene yet firm way. Maybe us Divergents tend towards each other because we can understand each other better than anyone else ever could.

"We owe Lauren a few drinks at the next event, I guess," I say.

Tobias nods. "That's a good idea. There surely is gonna be a big party after all this mess is solved. It wouldn't be Dauntless if they'd skip an occasion to get drunk and celebrate."

We change the topic and Tobias tells me how they spent the morning working out a strategy and dealing with Caleb and Marlene's amnesia. I didn't realize the full consequences Jeanine's serum could have had on them, given that Caleb was already back to being himself when I met him after the whole rescue mission, and I was too exhausted to picture what the situation looked like in the morning.

"I wonder why the serum didn't work on them, though. I mean, I'm more than relieved that it didn't, but it makes no sense. They aren't Divergent."

"We didn't have time to think about that yesterday, but you're right. Perhaps they used another version of the serum on them?"

"Do you really think that's something Jeanine would do? Give someone a weaker version of a serum when she could use the one that could take full effect? She's never shown any mercy since I've known her."

"That's true. Maybe they didn't have the right version of the serum available at the moment?"

"Could be possible. But with Jeanine, doesn't it seem unlikely that she doesn't have all the serums in stock? They're producing them, I'd assume she keeps a few dosages of everything, just in case."

"Mh, I hope we'll find out later today. I don't know if Jack is going to ask about this in particular, maybe he's going to cover the main facts only today and going to interview the prisoners again later, without all the audience. - But then, that wouldn't be very candor-like, with their policy and all."

"We can only wait and see how things turn out. I'm thankful there's such a thing as truth serum after all. At least we can be sure that they'll have to say the truth."

"Yes, and it made Jack believe us in the first place. He wouldn't have believed us if we'd just told him about our suspicions without going under truth serum."

"So anyway, after giving everyone something to do, you went to the factionless again?"

"Me and Zeke, yes. I told him about Evelyn. I couldn't make it through that conversation with her alone."

"Was that finally something that made him speechless?"

"At least for a while. I don't think he'll leave it with the information I gave him. I'm sure he'll ask more questions at some point."

"You're okay with that?" I ask cautiously.

He looks out of the window, thinking.

"Yes, kind of. I didn't have time to worry too much about it yesterday, and I don't want to regret telling Zeke. Apart from you, he's my closest friend."

I remember how much conscious effort it cost him to trust me with the details of his past, and swallow past the lump in my throat. I will never understand the things his parents did to him. What I hope is that talking about it can help mend Tobias' soul.

Minutes later, I hear what Evelyn asked from him in return for her help and I can't believe how perfidious she is. How dare she force him to accept weekly meetings with her when he's made it clear that he didn't want to stay in contact with her? She's a coldhearted tactician. She can't have missed how desperate Tobias was.

"I can't believe she took advantage of you when you were so vulnerable! That's unacceptable!" I've jumped to my feet and started pacing up and down the apartment, trying to keep my anger in check. "As if that would improve anything! Why can't she see that she's only making it worse? - If that's possible at all."

"I don't know, Tris. It's because she's still the way she's always been since she decided to leave me behind. I'll just have to endure it for three months and make it through those meetings with her without raising her hopes, and then I can walk away from her for a change."

I stand behind Tobias, sling my arms around him from behind and place a palm above his heart.

"If she hurts you again, I won't just sit and watch. Believe me, I'd stand up against her for you. I don't have any memories of her she can mess with, so she'd better not mess with yours."

"I should take you with me when I have to meet her." His hand covers mine on his chest. He turns his head around and looks up at me. "And then I should mention how you shot Eric. That was badass, by the way!"

He smiles acknowledging. I can't get enough of seeing him smile. Now that we've saved Dauntless and Abnegation, I think I'm going to see this happy expression on his face more often - at least when we don't have to have lunch with Evelyn.

"You'd really want me to accompany you?" I ask.

"Why not? You belong to me, Tris. I'm not going to hide what you mean to me anymore after these trials are over. Nobody's going to kick us out for being together after what we've done for our faction. Besides, we're in charge of being the leaders until we've figured out a way to determine who's going to do that in the long run."

"Oh. I haven't thought about that yet."

"There wasn't much time to do that. But it's kind of logical, don't you think? Someone has to lead Dauntless during the next days, or we'll have nothing but chaos. We, the whole Allegiant group, have to declare our claim to interim leadership."

"All of us? You mean, including us initiates?"

"You're not initiates anymore. You're Dauntless."

"But don't you think people will say that we're too inexperienced?"

"Age doesn't matter that much in Dauntless, haven't you noticed? I mean, look at Eric. He became the youngest leader ever, and people didn't doubt that decision. Or maybe they did, but on the quiet. With our coup against the traitors, we'll have earned the members' respect and trust. I'm not saying we'll be leading this faction forever, but we can make a few changes and then figure out a way how things are going to work in the future."

I lean down and kiss Tobias, long and slow and deep.

"What was that for?" he asks with that sexy half-smile he sometimes puts on when I surprise him.

"You sound like a born leader, Mr Eaton."