Disclaimer: See Chapter One

A/N: Here it is! It's finally happened! I hope you enjoy it and I can't wait to see what you all think! =D


Chapter Eight: He's Here

Night had nearly fallen as I paced the halls. All I could think about was Eric. After seeing him and then having to confess about him, I couldn't push him from my mind. Not even for my own sanity. I had seen him. I had touched him. And yet I ran from him. I knew I had to. He told me to. I knew I couldn't stay with him, but it was eating me alive to not be with him. If I hadn't ran, if I had just let him catch me, maybe we'd be together right now. Instead all I got was a head wound and a debilitating guilt in my stomach.

"Finally found some peace and quiet?" Tris asked falling in step with me.

I sighed and nodded, "I've got a lot on my mind."

"Eric?" She asked. When I didn't say anything she scoffed and shook her head. "Pen, he is not a good guy. You shouldn't want him so badly."

"You don't know him like I do, Tris." I told her. "He's kind and gentle when he wants to be."

"I have a hard time believing that." She replied.

Frowning, I stopped and faced her. "Do you honestly think that I would let him blind me to the way he really is?" I asked. "Because I'm pretty sure you know me well enough to know that I do not put my faith and trust in people that don't deserve it." She nodded at me. "And whether you like it or not, I am in love with Eric. Whether Four likes it or not I am in love with Eric. Nothing will ever change that. He is my Four."

"I don't see it." She stated as we walked up the stairs toward the balcony that overlooked the city.

"You don't have to." I shot at her. Stopping in the stairwell we had turned up, I sighed, "You know, I think I'm going to call it a night."

"You don't like me very much, do you?" She asked me.

"I'm trying to!" I yelled at her. She lowered her eyes, scuffing her shoe on the step. Sighing again, I crossed my arms. "Look, it's not that I don't like you, Tris. I simply don't respect you very much." I told her, briefly meeting her eyes before I walked away. I wanted to adore her for Four's sake but I was having trouble. She was single-minded and short-sighted. Not to mention her disdain for Eric was annoying. Everyone's was.

"You okay?" Claude asked as I dropped onto my cot next to hers. She was sitting with Terra, leaning into each other with hands held.

"No." I replied sadly.

Claude sighed, moving to me, lying down and faced me. "I know you miss him. But it's better that you're here."

"No, it's not." I replied. "I need to be where he is."

"He'll get you killed, Pen. He's working for Jeanine." She reminded me.

"Not by choice." I stated.

"Did he tell you that?" She asked. He hadn't, so I couldn't answer her honestly. She knew I believed it but I had no way to prove it. "He has done terrible things. You can't pretend that he hasn't."

"I know, Claude." I said sadly, tears springing to my eyes. "But I'm choosing to believe that he feels guilt about what's he's done. That Jeanine is pulling his strings and forcing his hand. I'm choosing to believe that he's doing what he has to do to stay alive." Letting a tear fall, I took her hand. "He loves me, Claude. And I love him more than anything."

She put her hand against my face, gently rubbing my cheek with her thumb. "Then I'll get you back to him." She smiled.

Falling asleep together, we were woken by the sound of shattering glass followed by screaming. Darting awake, we were instantly in motion. Grabbing Claude who reached for Terra, we moved to the wall, grabbing those around us as well. Silencing a little girl with my hand over her mouth, we lined the wall, listening. Swiftly moving to my bag, I had just reached my gun when the door burst open and shots were fired. Firing back, I grabbed the little girl and disappeared through a side door with Claude on my heel. Shooting two more blue-banded Dauntless, I rushed into a stairwell, moving as far below as I could. We were in the bowels of the building, making our surroundings quiet. Shots sounding everywhere above our heads, accompanied with screams and the sound of panicked running and bodies falling. Several had followed us and were huddled behind us, stammering and crying as they stared at us like we were their salvation.

"Quiet." I shot at them, the little girl gripping my waist. "Take her." I told a middle aged woman, pushing the girl toward her.

"No." The girl cried.

"Sweetie, I have to go help the others." I told her, forcing her into the hands of the woman.

"What are you thinking?" Claude asked me, a gun in both hers and Terra's hands.

"That we go fight for what we believe in." I told her.

"And get ourselves shot?" She frowned.

"I can handle it." I replied.

She furrowed her brows, "Well, I can't."

"Yes you can." I told her. "You're the toughest person I know." Then I grinned at her, "Besides, that's why you have me."

Opening the door, I moved up the stairwell, the commotion had quieted slightly. Though as soon as I'd thought it, a pair of Dauntless came down the stairs, quickly seeing their armbands, I shot them before they could shoot us. Moving further up, the bodies started to appear. Crouching, I checked the vitals of the one closest to me. They were alive. Looking around, we could see them breathing. They were all alive. Frowning, I checked the body for where they were hit. Frowning harder, there was something round imbedded under the skin. There was no doubt in my mind that it was yet another serum to knock everyone out.

"I am so sick of all these serums." I whispered to Claude.

"We need to find Four and the others."

"I know."

"What about Henry?" She asked.

"Are you seriously asking me that right now?" I frowned at her.

"We can hate him. Still doesn't mean either of us wants him dead." She replied.

Sighing, I nodded. "If we see him we save him. Otherwise he's on his own."

"Fair enough."

"Come on." I said and started to move again.

Moving from one level to the next, we exited the stairwell only to listen to what was happening. Moving up yet another stairwell, a familiar sound finally reached my ears. Stopping, I spun, looking up to see Four.

"Opie."

Swiftly moving to him, I threw my arms around him, hugging him tightly. "Four."

"They have Tris." He told me. "We're moving up the staircases until we reach them."

Nodding at him, I smiled, "Then let's get her back. They're all clear below us."

He nodded, briefly gripping my hand before we were running again. Now flanked by our comrades, we followed the staircases, clearing the floors on the way. At one point we were sure we heard Tris scream. We ran toward the sound of her voice, only then another scream was heard and my blood ran cold.

"Eric." I said and picked up my pace.

"Wait." Four said gripping my arm and yanked me to a stop. "We don't know what we're running into. Wait here."

"No!" I yelled. "You came to save your love and I will save mine."

"Hold her." Four told Claude.

"Eric!" I yelled and moved to rush forward only to have Claude grip my arms, holding me back. "No! Let me go!" I yelled. "Four!"

"Stop." Claude told me, spinning me to face her. "Pen, stop it."

Meeting her eyes, mine were already flooding with tears. "It was just hours ago when you told me that you would get me back to him. He's here, Claude. I need to go to him."

She nodded, letting me go. Darting away from her, the tears were already gone. I felt like I was flying as I followed the small commotion and the voices ahead of me. Hearing Eric cry out again, I pushed through the crowd to see Eric sitting on the ground, his hand on his leg as he looked up at Four who had his gun aimed at his head. Rushing forward, I dropped to my knees, sliding in front of Eric, blocking him with my body as I looked up at Four, my gun aimed at him.

"Don't." I told him, my hand steady, my other arm around Eric.

"Pen." Eric said from behind me, his hand against my back, he was shaking.

"I won't let you hurt him, Four."

"Opie, get out of the way."

"No!" I yelled at him. "If you kill him you'll have to kill me too." Four glared at me, his grip on the gun tightening, as well as his jaw, as he took a fraction of a step closer to me. "I swear to god, Four. If you hurt him all bonds between us will be broken."

"He shot a child in the head." Four stated. Moving my eyes for just a second, I took in the bodies of the Divergent. "He kills our kind."

"He can change." I told him. "Four, he has changed."

"Pen." Eric repeated, his hands moving up and down my sides and back. One arm snaking around my waist as he pressed a kiss against my neck.

"I'll take responsibility for him. If he ever attempts to harm an innocent again, I'll kill him myself." I pleaded for his life.

"Right before you commit suicide." He stated.

I looked at him sadly, "I won't live without him. I refuse."

"Pen." Eric repeated again, his hands and lips sill moving across me.

"Eric, I'm attempting to save your life. You're being awfully distracting." I shot at him over my shoulder. He wrapped his arms around me but stopped groping me. Looking back at Four, I could see a change in him. His resolve was faltering. "I'm in love with him." I told him, Eric's grip tightening around me. "Please, Four. Let me take responsibility for him. Let him make amends for the damage he has done. He can be a good man."

"Opie." Four said shaking his head.

"He can be a good man!" I yelled at him. Dropping my gun, I held my hand out to him, the other on Eric's thigh. "I am begging you. If you don't reconsider you'll not only be killing him but one of your closest friends. Your family. Are you going to willingly put my blood on your hands?"

Four glared at me, "Don't make me do this."

"Then kill us." I shot at him. "Kill us both."

"Let him live." Claude said stepping out. "Come on, Four. Don't do this."

Then Henry pushed through the crowd, pale with blood still on his clothes. "Let him live."

"Let him live." Tris said, though it was clear in her voice that she truly wanted the opposite. I knew she did. She was saying it for me. I'd never appreciated her more than I did in this moment. "Let Pen try. If she fails, we kill him."

I looked at them before meeting Four's eyes. For a long moment he just looked back at me, than he nodded. "Bind him." He said lowering his gun.

"Four." I said as my stomach dropped. He glared at me. Swiftly turning to Eric, I took his head in my hands. "It's going to be okay."

He took my head in his hands, kissing me deeply, smiling, "I love you."

"And I love you." I told him. Then his hands were torn away, being bound behind his back and he was pulled away from me. "Eric." I said reaching for him.

"Pen." He replied with fear in his voice.

Getting up, I moved to follow him when my waist was grabbed. "Wait." Claude told me softly. "Just let them take him. He'll be alive the next time to see him."

"Come on." Four said gripping my arm and dragging me in the opposite direction from him.

He brought me to a small room. Marcus was there with Jack Kang. "What's going on?" I asked, trying to sound brave and put together even though I was terrified.

"By your factions laws he should be killed." Kang practically yelled at Four, pointing his finger at him.

"He's alive for now. It doesn't mean he's going to stay that way." Four replied.

"Four." I said harshly.

"Enough out of you." Four shot at me. "Eric killed one of Jack's children. Still think he should live?"

"Yes!" I yelled at him.

"You're blind!" Kang yelled rushing forward and backhanded me.

It wasn't hard enough to drop me, but it stung like crazy. If I had to guess, that was the first time he'd ever hit a woman. Especially when guilt crossed his face.

"We don't know why he's done what he has. For all we know Max and Jeanine are holding something over his head." I told him calmly. "Give him the truth serum. Let him tell you what's real."

"Do you honestly believe that he is a good man?" Kang asked.

"I do." I nodded. "He has done horrible things. I know he has. But there is more to him than what you've seen. He is caring and gentle. He feels tremendous guilt for what he's done."

"He told you that just to get you to sleep with him." Four shot at me. "He will never be the man you believe him to be."

"How do you know?" I frowned at him. "You want to believe that. I get it. But I choose to believe that he is worth saving. He's worth everything to me. And how can you put him to death without knowing exactly why he's done what he's done?"

"Because I've seen what he's done." He said getting in my face.

"So have I." I nodded at him calmly. "And I still love him." He scoffed and paced away from me. "Remember, Tobias." I added, certainty in my words. "Every move you make against him is made against me as well." He just shook his head at me. "If you can't see past this that's fine, I'm not going to hate you for it. Kill us."

"Stop saying that!" Four yelled, once again getting in my face. "Just stop! I'm not going to kill you, Pen! I would never do that!"

"Then listen to me!" I yelled back before lowering my voice. "Do what I'm asking."

For a long moment we just stared at each other. Four was fighting what he should do and what was right. I knew that killing Eric would be the logical thing to do. He'd done enough to earn his fate. Even I couldn't deny that. But I was madly and irrationally in love with that man and the thought of him dying made me already pray for death. I'd seen what loss had done to others. I wasn't going to join them. Where he went, I went. Even if it was to our graves.

"Fine." Kang stated, breaking the loaded silence that had filled the room. "Get him."

"We'll do it tomorrow. The next day if needs be." Four told him. "Our people will want to hear what he has to say. We need to talk and decide things before we bring him in front of our people."

"Fine." Kang repeated and left.

"Where is he?" I asked Four. He left without replying. "Four." I said following him. "Where is he?"

"No." He stated coldly.

"Four!" I yelled, making him stop. "Whether you like it or not, I am with him. Now tell me where he is. I won't stop until I see him."

"You are not allowed in the cell." He stated.

"Fuck you!" I yelled at him. "You aren't a leader of Dauntless. You can't tell me what to do. Now pull the giant stick out of your ass and take me to the man I love."

He glared at me before starting off again. Following him, we were silent, both of us too pissed at each other to even attempt to break words. We'd already said too much. Not that I cared. In this moment the only thing I cared about was Eric. Rounding a corner, I saw two Dauntless keeping watch outside one of their cells. Rushing forward, Four told them to let me in before he turned and stormed off.

"Eric." I said running through the open door, not stopping until I had my arms around his neck. His hands were still bound, but he pressed against me, burying his face in my neck. "I love you." I whispered to him. "Nothing you have done will ever change that."

"You don't know what I've done." He whispered.

"It doesn't matter." I said shaking my head as I took his in my hands. "Baby, it doesn't matter. As long as you are alive, that's all that matters to me. I love you, Eric. I have loved you for a long time. I love you despite what you've done. Even if you tell me more that's not going to change."

His brows furrowed and he shut his eyes as I ran my thumbs back and forth across his cheeks. "Kiss me." He told me. Not needing to be told twice, I kissed him deeply, unable to breathe. Putting my hand behind him, I put it in his, lacing our fingers as I wrapped my arm around his neck. "I love you, Pen." He told me, both of us breathing hard. "I've done a lot of wrong, but loving you is the best thing I've done in my life."

Smiling, I kissed him again, "And it will remain so."

He laughed lightly. "God I wish I could touch you." He told me, pressing his forehead against mine.

"Soon enough."

"What are they going to do with me?"

"Either tomorrow or the next, you're going to be given the truth serum in front of our people and the Candor."

"No." He stated forcefully. "Just let them kill me."

"Eric." I frowned, running my hand down his chest.

"I don't want you to hear what I might say." He replied sadly. "You don't need to know."

"I don't care." I told him. "I've already told you that."

"You will care." He nodded.

I took his head in my hands, "Eric, baby, listen to me. Everything is going to be okay. I don't care what you've done. Things have been so messed up. We've both done things we're not proud of."

"You don't understand, Pen." He frowned stepping away from me.

"Eric." I frowned again, stepping toward him.

His voice was forceful, nearly a yell, "No."

"I won't let them kill you." I told him, mimicking his tone.

"You won't have a choice." He replied as if it was no big deal. "I won't let them give me the truth serum." Then he met my eyes and his brows furrowed, pain entering his voice. "I won't do it, Pen."

Slowly stepping toward him, I pressed my hand against his chest. When he didn't move away from me, I wrapped my arm around him, my other hand finding his face. "I love you. Unless you stormed Amity and killed my family, nothing you have done will hurt me. Everyone I care about is alive."

"You should go." He stated as he moved away from me again.

"Eric." I frowned. "Tell me now. What did you do?" He clenched his jaw, turning and sitting on the edge of the bed that was in the wall, leaning forward with his eyes on the floor. "I can't react to the news tomorrow. You need to tell me now."

"Pen, please." He said still not looking at me. "Just go."

"Eric, look at me." I frowned at him. He slowly raised his eyes to meet mine. "Tell me what happened."

He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "It happened so fast I didn't know what I'd done till it was over." He started. Stepping toward him, I put my hand on his shoulder, the other against his thigh. "When I let you go, and we were shooting at you, you were hit." I nodded at him. "I thought I'd killed you. I thought I'd killed the only person I've ever loved. I – I – panicked. Flipped out. I shot two Dauntless, putting my gun to my head, screaming the whole time. But when I pulled the trigger, the gun clicked. I was out."

"Eric." I frowned, taking his head in my hands, my stomach dropping and for a moment I forgot how to breathe.

"I reloaded but by that time I was too numb to try and kill myself. Instead grief took me over. I turned back into Amity, scanning the crowd for…I don't even know what. Then my name was yelled and I was confronted by a young woman. She looked a lot like you."

"Maggie." I said airily, my hands falling away from him.

He nodded. "She told me she knew who I was and asked if you had made it out. I was so angry that all I wanted was for someone to share my pain, so I told her that you were dead. That I had killed you. I believed that you were dead." He paused and took another deep breath. "As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I felt like I was looking in a mirror. She completely broke down. For a while I just let her yell at me. Hit me. She was screaming at me, how could I kill her baby sister. It broke my heart." He paused again, his eyes glazing over, a sniffle escaping him. "Then I was yelling back, towering over her but it had no effect on her. Just like you." He added with a smirk. "So we stood there, screaming at each other with everyone watching. She continued to shove me and hit me. My soldiers were too afraid to step in. One tried but I shot him in the head."

He paused, a distant look crossing his face. Tears were streaming down my cheeks. I knew what the ending of this story was going to be. Shaking, I walked to the other side of the room, sitting down against the wall.

"It was as if she just realized I had been holding a gun. She stilled for just a moment, looking at me straight in the eye saying 'for Pen' before she went for it." He said meeting my eyes. "I fought her for it. We were both so grief-stricken we didn't know what we were doing. Then it went off. She fell away from me. For a moment everything slowed down. I looked at her lying on the ground, my breathing the loudest thing in my ears, your mother standing in front of me, her mouth open in a scream of horror." He paused again for a long moment, his eyes drifting away, going back to that moment. "I'll never forget the look on her face. Or of Maggie just…lying there." He blinked, a tear sliding down his cheek. Shaking my head, I put my hand over my mouth, tears streaming as I looked at him with shock. "Then the sound returned and everyone was screaming. Your dad rushed forward, as I stumbled back, taking her in his arms. But there was nothing he could do. She was dead within seconds."

The tears kept falling as I tried to scream. To say something. But no sound came out. I couldn't breathe, let alone talk. When I finally took in air it was a giant gasp as I turned against the wall. In the next second I'd thrown up against it, mainly bile, burning my throat and leaving a bad taste in my mouth. Shaking violently, I took in a deep breath, screaming as I pushed it out. For a moment I sobbed, then they seemed to suddenly stop. Pushing myself onto my feet, I pressed my forehead against the wall. The coolness of it welcoming.

"Maggie." I said softly, the tears running freely as I shut my eyes. "No. No, no, no. No!" I screamed, turning toward him. "She was my sister, Eric!"

"You were dead!" He yelled back.

The sobs returned as I tried to wrap my head around it all. Meeting his eyes, my arms limp at my sides, I held my breath, trying to see him as the man I loved but all I could see was a murderer. For a moment my strength returned, rushing forward I punched him hard across the face. He fell from the bed, both of us landing on our knees. Folding over, my strength gone, I put my hands over my face as I rested my head against the floor, sobbing and repeating my sister's name over and over and over again. He had killed her. She was dead.

"Pen." He said leaning against me. "I am so sorry." Sitting on my heels, I turned my head and looked at him. "Baby, I am so very sorry. I would never want to hurt you like this. It was an accident. We both thought you were dead."

"I need to go." I told him, wiping the tears and snot from my face as I got to my feet.

"Pen, please." He said getting to his feet as well. Reaching the door, I turned to look at him, watching as a tear slid down his face, fear in his eyes. "Don't go." My heart was breaking right now. I'd never seen him look so weak. "I need you, Pen. I've never needed anyone but I need you."

I nodded at him. "I need you too." He smiled with a sigh of relief. I couldn't bring myself to smile back at him. When I spoke, it was through sobs. "But – I – just – can't look – at you – right now."

Swiftly leaving, I ran from the building, taking turn after turn. Ricocheting off wall after wall, I kept moving, even when my legs started to burn from the effort. My chest was heaving and my breathing was more gasps than anything. I didn't stop until I found a deserted corner to hide in. Dropping to my knees, I screamed, shaking racking my form, tears and snot flowing freely as I sobbed. Falling to the side, my back against the wall, I rolled back and forth, not knowing what to do. Not knowing how to react. Maggie was dead. She was the kindest person I'd ever met. She was my best friend before I transferred, and still was after being reunited with her. She was the brightest light in my life only to be extinguished by the man who held my heart. I was so mad at him, yet I knew that it hadn't been done to hurt me. He hadn't done it on purpose. It was a tragic accident and yet I couldn't be so quick to forgive him. Not this time. I needed to process. I needed to grieve. After putting so much energy into defending him and keeping him alive, he had killed one of the most important people in my life. I wasn't sure I could forgive him for this. I loved him. But every time I look at him I would be forced to remember that it was his eyes she had seen last. His grief and anger. He had been the last thing she had seen in this world. How could I face that? How could I forgive him after this? How happy could I be with him? I didn't know where to begin to process and make it okay. How do I make it okay? Curling into a ball, I sobbed until exhaustion took me.

When I woke the sun was beating down on me. My eyes were puffy and heavy, but Eric was still the first person I thought of. Rolling onto my back, I looked up into the blue sky, wanting to go to him. Wanting to be with him. And yet I couldn't seem to move. Feeling tears again, my brows furrowed as I shut my eyes, the tears rolling from the corner of them. Sitting up, I leaned my back against the wall, letting last night repeat over and over again in my mind. Sighing, I wiped the tears from my cheeks, slowly getting to my feet. I felt exhausted. My body felt like it was weighted down and my chest ached with every breath I took. Running my fingers through my hair, I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to hold myself together when all I wanted to do was fall apart. Maggie. Dead. Maggie was dead. I silently cried as I made my way back to Candor headquarters. When the building came into view, Claude was pacing in front of it, rushing to me as soon as I was in sight.

"Where have you been?" She asked. "What's wrong?"

"Have they started yet?" I asked her through a raspy voice, wiping the freshest tears from my cheeks.

"No." She replied. "They haven't mentioned Eric yet. But Kang is going to make a speech."

"When?" I asked with a frown.

"Pretty much now. Come on." She replied, practically dragging me to the auditorium.

Going through the doors, Kang is already in the middle of the room. "Quiet down, everyone!" Kang called out, lifting his hands, and the crowd goes silent.

Pushing to the front of the crowd of Dauntless, my stomach was turning and my mouth was dry. All I wanted was to get this meeting over with and to have Eric exonerated. Then we'd deal with the rest. Maggie was dead by Eric's hand. But he was still alive and his life was hanging in the balance. I may not know where we stood right now but I still couldn't handle anything happening to him. He deserved his chance at redemption. He deserved to prove that he wasn't the man everyone thought he was. He would show them all who I saw every time I looked at him. They would accept him. And if they didn't then it would be the last day alive for both of us.

"I know many of you are confused and shaken by what happened yesterday." Jack stated. "I have heard many reports from a variety of perspectives, and have gotten a sense for what is straightforward and what requires more investigation."

"Investigation?" I frowned at Claude who just shrugged at me.

"What seems to me to require more investigation is the Divergent." He went on.

"Shit." Claude said and leaned closer to me. "He's gonna be just as bad as Jeanine."

"Not necessarily." I replied. "He's agreed to let Eric tell us his truths. He's let us stay here so far."

"His kid is dead. I'm not sure how understanding he's going to be." She stated. I sighed and nodded. "I mean, look at him. He's exhausted. He's looks almost as bad as you."

"If you are one of the Divergent, please step forward so that we can hear from you." He called out.

Scanning our group, I found Four, watching as he stepped forward. I'm already at the front of the crowd, watching my friend and brother move toward me. Claude and everyone around us were moving away from me, letting Four pass freely. Tris followed him, then Uriah, and the others among us. I looked up at Jack Kang who's standing with his shoulders back. Only then another moved through the crowd and it took all of me not to attack him. Despite all that had happened I still loathed the man.

"Marcus." I said with a dangerous tone.

"Don't." Four told me.

"You, Marcus?" Jack said as he reached the middle of the room and stands on top of the lower scale in the floor.

"Yes." Marcus replied. "I understand that you are concerned—that you all are concerned. You had never heard of the Divergent a week ago, and now all that you know is that they are immune to something to which you are susceptible, and that is a frightening thing. But I can assure you that there is nothing to be afraid of, as far as we are concerned." He looked sympathetic and reassuring. I can see why people like him. Though for me all he's doing is putting me on edge.

"It seems clear to me that we were attacked so that the Erudite could find the Divergent. Do you know why that is?" Jack asked him.

"No, I do not." Marcus replied. "Perhaps their intention was merely to identify us. It seems like useful information to have, if they intend to use their simulations again."

"That was not their intention." Tris spoke up, making all eyes turn to her. "They wanted to kill us. They've been killing us since before any of this happened."

Jack's eyebrows drew together. The room is so quiet that you could hear the rain as it started to fall against the rooftop. The room darkened and I feel a dread seep through the crowd. Shifting closer to Four, I looked to Claude who appeared to be as worried about this conversation as I am.

"That sounds very much like a conspiracy theory." Jack replied. "What reason would the Erudite have to kill you?"

"Obviously we don't know." Tobias replied. "But there are nearly a dozen mysterious deaths recorded among the Dauntless from the past six years, and there is a correlation between those people and irregular aptitude test results or initiation simulation results."

Lightning stuck, making the room momentarily glow. Jack shook his head. "While that is intriguing, correlation does not constitute evidence."

"A Dauntless leader shot a Candor child in the head." Tris snapped. "Did you get a report of that? Did it seem 'worthy of investigation'?"

"Shut up." I shot at her.

"In fact I did." He replied. "And shooting a child in cold blood is a terrible crime that cannot go unpunished. Fortunately, we have the perpetrator in custody and will be able to put him on trial. However, we must keep in mind that the Dauntless soldiers did not give any evidence of wanting to harm the majority of us, or they would have killed us while we were unconscious."

"Trial?" I spoke up. "You said you would give him the serum so we can hear his truths."

"That is a different discussion." Jack told me.

My head jerked to Tris so fast I thought my neck was going to snap. "Keep your mouth shut. You have no right to speak."

"Enough." Four whispered to me. "Opie, calm down. Eric will have his moment to speak."

"Their peaceful invasion suggests to me that it may be possible to negotiate a peace treaty with the Erudite and the other Dauntless." Jack continued. "So I will arrange a meeting with Jeanine Matthews to discuss that possibility as soon as possible."

"Their invasion wasn't peaceful." Tris replied. I shut my eyes, putting my hand on Four's shoulder to steady myself. Only Four's smiling. He's letting her speak. "Just because they didn't shoot you all in the head doesn't mean their intentions were somehow honorable. Why do you think they came here? Just to run through your hallways, knock you unconscious, and leave?"

"I assume they came here for people like you." Jack replied. "And while I am concerned for your safety, I don't think we can attack them just because they wanted to kill a fraction of our population."

"Killing you is not the worst thing they can do to you." Tris stated and this time I'm with her. "Controlling you is."

Jack's lips curl with amusement. Amusement. "Oh? And how will they manage that?"

"They shot you with needles." Tobias stated. "Needles full of simulation transmitters. Simulations control you. That's how."

"We know how simulations work." Jack replied. "The transmitter is not a permanent implant. If they intended to control us, they would have done it right away."

"But—" Tris started.

Jack interrupted her. "I know you have been under a lot of stress, Tris." He told her quietly. "You have done a great service to your faction and to Abnegation. But I think your traumatic experience may have compromised your ability to be completely objective. I can't launch an attack based on a little girl's speculations."

"You weren't there, Kang." I told him. "You didn't see what they did. You don't understand what happened to Tris, or myself, or anyone else who went through the Abnegation attack. You couldn't possibly be capable of an objective view unless you understand everything that happened."

"Again with the traumatic experience clouding judgement. Otherwise why would you want to save Eric so badly?"

Shaking started to take me over and I felt Tris's hand grip my wrist. Looking at her, she's as angry as I am now. She was no longer a little girl and neither of our judgement was clouded or compromised. Only everyone else in this room will believe the words coming from the man before us.

"You don't make our decisions for us, Kang." Tobias told him.

All around us, the Dauntless shout their assent. Then someone else yelled, "You are not the leader of our faction!"

Jack waited for their shouts to die down and then said, "That is true. If you want to, you can feel free to storm the Erudite compound by yourselves. But you will do so without our support, and may I remind you, you are greatly outnumbered and unprepared."

I hated that he was right. We couldn't attack anyone without it ending in a bloodbath. I felt nauseous knowing that fucking Jack Kang held all the power. He had just made it blatantly obvious for all to see and he wasn't shy about pointing it out.

"I thought so." He stated smugly. "Very well. I will contact Jeanine Matthews, and see if we can negotiate a peace. Any objections?"

No one said anything. For the moment there was nothing left to say. The meeting had ended and the room started to empty. Looking around, I couldn't see Eric or any intention of them bringing him out. "What about Eric?" I said gripping Four's shoulder.

"One thing at a time, Opie." He replied gently, for my benefit, I knew he wanted Eric dead sooner rather than later. "Jack needs to have his meeting."

"If Jeanine comes –" I started but didn't know what I wanted to say.

"I know." He replied putting his hand against my face. "We will keep Eric safe. She doesn't have to know he's here. If he proves himself than we can use him against her. Jack knows this."

"I'm scared." I told him with tears in my eyes.

"I know." He repeated, pressing a kiss against my forehead. "Now go keep an eye on Eric if you want." He said turning and moving away from me.

"He killed Maggie." I blurted out. He stopped and turned back to me, wrapping me in his arms. "It was an accident. It was an accident but he did it. My own sister was killed by the man I love." Tris was behind Four, looking at me with a sad and yet angry expression, while Four squeezed me tighter. "She's dead and the worst part is…" My voice dropped to a whisper, "…is that I think I'm okay with it."

He pulled me away from him, taking my head in his hands, "Opie."

"I love him, Tobias. I love him more than anything." I told him as tears ran down my cheeks. "Please do not let them take him away from me."

"I'll do what I can." He said and rushed off.

Looking at Tris, she sighed, crossing her arms as she stepped up to me, "I'm sorry, Pen."

"Me too." I stated.

"But why are you going to defend him when he's killed people you care about? He's killed innocent people and you won't see how wrong it is." She frowned at me.

"If Four killed innocent people, would you still love him?"

"It's different." She said shaking her head.

"No, it's not." I shot back at her. "Eric has done horrible things but you don't realize how heavily those deaths weigh on him. He's not the same man he was. He feels guilt and sorrow. He wants to be punished for his actions. It just can't mean that he gets taken away from me." I told her, sniffling and finally pulling myself back together. "And he'll prove it when they give him the truth serum. He will prove it."

"I hope so." She replied and walked away from me.

Feeling anxious, I turned to see Claude waiting for me. Forcing a smile, she wrapped her arms around me. "I'm so sorry about your sister."

"Me too." I replied more air than sound.

"Come on. I'll walk you to Eric's cell."

Nodding, I knew that she wanted to be with Terra, but I also knew that I could count on her. "Have you seen your family?" I asked her.

"I did." She replied. "But we don't really see eye to eye anymore. I introduced them to Terra and they all clammed up so fast. I have never felt so embarrassed and ashamed in my life."

"Never feel ashamed." I frowned at her. "You are a beautiful woman. And part of your beauty lies in your love for Terra or anyone else. You are strong and confident. Never let anyone make you feel ashamed for who you are. Because I am proud to know you. I am your family. You don't need them anymore. Together we'll be the family we've always wanted. Okay?"

"Yeah." She smiled, resting her head against mine.

"I love you, Claude."

"Love you too, Pen."

Stopping in front of the cell door, I took her hands in mine. "Go make love to that beautiful girlfriend of yours and remember how amazing you are. If anyone says different then send them my way."

"Thanks." She smiled and left.

Turning to the cell, I just stared at the door. No sound was coming from inside of it. I had wanted to be reunited with him so badly, and now I was afraid to walk through the door. I wasn't afraid of him. I was afraid of myself and what I would say to him. I didn't want to look at him differently. I didn't want him to forever be known as the man who killed my sister.

"Just go in." I whispered to myself. "Just go in."

I couldn't move.