A/N: Hello my dear agents. I'm sorry it took so long. I had several things happening in my life, some good, some not so good. I don't know if you care, but last week I turned 30. OMG! Can't believe I'm this old
As for the delay. A few weeks ago, my muse hit me hard with inspiration, and I started writing a fanfic for my favorite anime, Full Metal Panic. The story is called "Abraham's Daughter". Feel free to check it out. But mostly I was caught up on my own reading and watching new movies, such as "Ghost in the Shell" and "Power Rangers". Enough of this gibber gabber. Here's a new chapter for you.
Chapter 23: Aftermath
The world seems to devour Tris as she feels herself plunge to her certain death. The wind is rushing making her hair swirl around frantically; loud noises of who knows what are heard in the distance; someone screams but she doesn't know who it is and at this point it doesn't matter. They would share her fate.
But the inevitable crash doesn't come. The chilling noise of this piece of land tumbling down on the ground below is never heard by Tris. The final moment of Tris's tumultuous life is postponed.
How?
Tris ponders if she should open her eyes or let the peacefulness that has suddenly enveloped the world let her be sucked in as well. Her curiosity wins the battle, and tentatively opens her eyes. Bright light is penetrating through the narrow slits and she blinks furiously, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.
"There you are, Sleeping Beauty," she hears Tony's voice but can't see him yet.
"Am I dead? Is this hell?" she asks. At that, someone else laughs and another person just chuckles.
"Are you saying I would end up in hell?" Tony asks offended.
"Where else?" Tris replies snappy.
She finally manages to open her eyes and stares into the ones of her old friend, Tony Stark. She looks around and finds Uriah sitting on the other side of her bed and Coulson standing behind him. She tries to sit up but finds it difficult. Her whole body feels as if she worked out for days without break. But she can't remember doing anything like that. The last thing she remembers is Sokovia and the city crashing to the ground.
"Let me help you," Uriah offers and helps her sit up.
"What happened?" Tris asks, and realizes her voice is hoarse.
"What is the last thing you remember?" Coulson asks, his eyes fixated on her, trying to read her, but his smile assures her he is curious about her well-being.
"I was running toward the helicarrier when it flew away, and then I prepared myself to die. I closed my eyes, and when I opened them I was here. What happened?" she asks again, and looks at each man, one at a time.
"You don't remember anything else?" Coulson asks. Tris shakes her head. She looks at her boss, pleading with her eyes for him to explain it to her, explain how she is still alive.
Tony starts explaining, since he was there, and saw it all. He explains to her that he saw her from afar, while he tried to help some remaining Sokovians to safety. Just as he turned around to get her off the falling city, a bright, blinding light enveloped her, and when he was able to see her again she was floating with her wings stretched out.
"You looked truly like an angel," Tony says, smiling softly at her. Tris can't quite understand what he is saying. She was floating?
"Did you know you could do that?" Uriah asks her, pulling her out of her own thoughts. Tris can only shake her head.
"I've arranged for Lincoln to stay in Chicago for a few weeks to help you with this new development. After all, he is the closest thing we have to an expert." Again, Tris is speechless, and can only nod.
The three men leave her to rest, since Jemma threatened to kick them out if necessary. Who would have thought such a small, skinny girl can be so fierce? Only those who don't know Jemma Simmons yet. After checking Tris's vitals and administering a mild sedative, the young doctor leaves her friend rest, while writing down her report.
According to the blood and tissue tests SHIELD ran immediately after the Sokovia mission, nothing has changed in Tris's anatomy. Lincoln himself theorized that Tris could do this, and probably more, with her Inhuman power but couldn't yet fully control it. He explained it to Coulson and his team that sometimes yet dormant powers in an Inhuman are awakened when said Inhuman is in grave danger, like Tris was.
Tris could only sigh in defeat. She was too tired to even think of what all this meant. All she wanted was to sleep. And more importantly, she wanted to sleep next to Tobias.
By the time Tris and Uriah returned to Chicago, the whole world knew about what went down in Sokovia. Everyone wanted to know what happened, who the person or organization behind the attack was, who those gifted people next to the Avengers were. Suddenly, the whole world was made aware of something extraordinary going on, and Tris wasn't sure that was a good thing.
Uriah left her in front of her apartment building, after Tris insisted he did, and left to go to his apartment to rest for the remainder of the day. It was already six p.m. and Tris figured he must be as tired as she was, and needed sleep.
As Tris reached her floor, she realized she didn't have any keys with her, so she knocked on the door and waited for it to be opened. Tobias was watching the news, trying to wrap his head around the events of the past couple of days, like everyone else, and wondered if Tris was there. He recognized the Avengers and knew that SHIELD must have probably gotten involved also. But he hoped with all his heart that his wife wouldn't be so reckless as to go to such a dangerous place.
He is pulled out of his thoughts upon hearing someone knock. It couldn't be Tris; she had keys. And secretly hoped it wasn't his parents or hers or anyone who would pry too much into his life. He was flabbergasted when he saw her and it took him a moment to realize she was really standing there, in front of him, outside their apartment.
"Tris," Tobias whispers the moment his voice returns to him.
"Hey," she replies, her voice low and shaking.
Without waiting for anything else, Tobias pulls her close into his arms and holds her tight to his body, wrapping his arms around her small frame, to keep her shielded from all the bad in the world. Tris holds him close to her, enjoying the warmth of his body, relaxing for the first time in days. She didn't know she had missed him so much until now. But now she was back, she was home.
"Are you alright?" Tobias asks her without letting go, his face buried in the crook of her neck, inhaling her scent.
"I am. I will be," she replies which makes him grimace and push her a little, so that their eyes meet. Tris can see the ocean of questions he has, but decides to not reveal classified information outside in the hallway. She pushes him inside and locks the door behind them. "I need a shower," she just announces and Tobias wants to protest. She hadn't called him in two days and now she is avoiding his questions. But before he could even say a word, Tris grabs his hand in hers and leads them into the bedroom and then their bathroom. She quickly gets rid of her clothes, leaving him dumbfounded standing in the door, before she turns around with a shy smile coaxing her head to the side to signal she wants him to join her. He quickly gets rid of his own clothes and joins her in the large shower.
"Tris, what happened?" he asks. He knows something must have happened for her to be this quiet and in an apparent slow motion. He isn't sure he wants to know, though.
"I was in Sokovia," she says, knowing he must know by now what went down there. "I had to go. My friends needed me. I am fine. I am mostly uninjured, nothing I couldn't handle." Tobias knows he shouldn't argue with her, but can't help it.
"Tris, you promised, no more missions," he says, trying to keep his voice even, and not accusing.
She looks up at him, her eyes searching his for a moment before she wraps her arms around his waist and lays her head on his muscular chest. He is firmer than when they first met. All that training defined his muscles. He is still lean, but stronger.
"I know, baby. But I had to. Even if I wasn't ordered, I had to go. They needed me. But this was it. I can't do this anymore. Unless my Inhuman abilities are required, which they aren't really, I won't be assigned any mission. The only one right now for me is investigating your kidnapping."
They remain like this, silent, in each other's arms, enjoying the warmth of the water. Tobias doesn't dare to move, and Tris only wants to feel close to him and forget the things she saw. This could have been the end. Before, she wouldn't have minded dying. She was trained for such a scenario. But now things were different. She had him. She didn't want to leave. She wanted to be with him. As long as possible. She hated it when her parents put her in the situation to marry a complete stranger. But that stranger turned out to be someone she loved. Actually, someone she loved so much she would not only die for, but return from the dead to make sure he is happy.
She often wondered if she ever loved Peter. Probably, but not the way she loves Tobias. With Peter, it was more the thrill, the excitement, and while she truly cared for him even after he betrayed her, she realizes now she never really loved him the way a woman loves her man. At least, that's what she gathers from Marlene's lovey-dovey novels that she forced on the young Inhuman.
"I love you," Tris finally says.
"I love you, too."
A/N: Tell me what you think.