Four stretched, blinking his eyes a few times and taking in his surroundings. Being in the interior of the building meant he couldn't get any sense of what time it was ― his least favorite part of staying in the dorms. He rolled over, checking the time on his watch: 6:48. It was the latest he'd slept in a long time.

He slipped a shirt on and ran a hand through his hair before opening his door. He expected Beatrice to still be asleep, or at the very least avoiding him. Instead, she was sitting in the hallway, directly across from his door. Her arms were wrapped tightly around the tablet, which was pressed to her chest.

"Hi," he said.

"Morning."

Four stood there, unsure of what to do. She wasn't crying or yelling at him. She didn't even look upset. He took it as a good sign. When she stood, he noticed she had his note in her hand, too. "Thank you," she whispered. He nodded as her hand gripped the piece of paper tighter. He felt like she was squeezing his heart.

"No problem."

Her eyes flicked back and forth, looking between her room and him. He thought for a brief second that it might be an invitation until his senses came back. Beatrice was just being polite and didn't know how to excuse herself without feeling out of place. He took it upon himself and walked away, leaving her standing there alone.

She wanted to say so much more than thank you. The words almost came out as she watched the muscles in his back tense slightly as he walked down the hall. He deserved to at least know that she appreciated the gift and understood what the gesture meant. It will be okay. Her fingertip ghosted over the note. She hoped he was right.

She curled up in the corner of a couch, and swiped on the tablet. Beatrice, it said, underneath a little folder. She tapped it, just as she did in the early morning when she woke from a nightmare to find it sitting on her desk. She felt the press in her chest and the sting in her eyes as her mother, father, and brother appeared in front of her.

She took her time studying, examining, and memorizing every last feature of their faces. She recalled the moments when she was present in the photos, too ― sorting food for the factionless with her mother, walking with her brother to the bus stop, listening to her father speak in front of a crowd ― and let her emotions take over.

Beatrice cried harder when she came across the photo of her mother laughing. She was both surprised and not surprised that a camera had managed to catch it. She loved how her mother would laugh despite the looks she received from the other Abnegation and how she always seemed so young and carefree. The memory made her smile. She felt like a jerk for acting the way she did the previous night, knowing Four must have spent a lot of time putting this together for her.

She wiped her eyes to get a clearer view of the last picture. The four of them were smiling as they walked down their street. They were probably on their way to church. She never thought about the lack of photographs in Abnegation, but after seeing them all together, she thought it was the worst rule they had. How were they supposed to remember their loved ones when they were gone? How were they remembering her?

She sighed and stood. Beatrice gave the tablet one last hug before putting it back in her room and taking a long, hot shower. As she came out, Four was returning. Her breath hitched in her throat for just a moment. This was the second time she had seen him like this ― sweaty and out of breath, his muscles firm and taut ― but it still caught her off guard. He gave her a nod as he passed her in the doorway and headed towards the shower. She blushed when she realized they only just missed each other, and that the bathrooms were not separated by gender like they were in Abnegation.

Beatrice combed her hair, pulling and twisting it into its tight bun. Her fingertips brushed over a black tank top tucked away in the drawer she had left slightly open. Her hand hovered as she tried to gain the courage to put it on; it would show far more skin than she had ever dreamed of showing. She let out a loud breath and pushed the drawer closed, keeping her baggy blue shirt on instead. She sat on her bed, waiting until Four appeared in her doorway.

"Ready?" She nodded, even though she didn't know what the day would bring.

She followed silently as they wove their way through the Bureau. Things were beginning to become familiar; she knew she would at least be able to find her way to the cafeteria and back. She stuck close to Four as the line filled up behind her, listening to the various conversations and greetings being exchanged.

"Four!" Her heart thumped in her chest. The last time someone shouted his name, he left her alone. She watched as a man not much taller than her with a shaved head and dark skin jogged up. They shook hands, and his eyes immediately landed on her.

"Amar, this is Beatrice. Beatrice, Amar." She could hear the strain in Four's voice.

"Pleasure," Amar said, holding out his hand. Her eyes glanced down before flitting over to Four and back to Amar. He lowered his hand when she didn't take it.

"Forgive him. He doesn't always remember the customs." Four said it much harder than she thought necessary.

"It's okay," Beatrice said. Amar gave Four a smile that made her look between the two of them again, before turning his attention back to her and bowing his head. She did the same.

"David sent me to find you," Amar said. Four sighed. "Said it was enough―"

"Time. Yeah, I know." Four's face somehow hardened even more. "We'll be there after breakfast." Amar gave Beatrice one last look before leaving. She felt like he had criticized her even in that short amount of time.

They ate in silence. Beatrice watched people around the cafeteria as she had in line, but found herself looking at Four more and more. The way his jaw clenched when he chewed. The way his forearm flexed as he held his spoon. Even the way she could hear him breathe sometimes over the din of the cafeteria. She felt her neck get hot, and kept her head down for the remainder of breakfast.

Four led her to an area she had never been to before. Things felt different as she continued down the halls, more formal. Beatrice was reminded of the Council meeting she sat in on when they were learning about government in school. Four knocked on a door and gave her a small smile just before it opened. "Ahh. Come in, come in." Four stepped in, and she followed.

The office was plain, even compared to Abnegation standards. She felt uncomfortable, out of place even, as the man who answered the door stared at her. She guessed that he was David, and that he was the one who was in charge. What it meant beyond that, she didn't know. His eyes were wide-set and the same shade of brown that she could still see in his graying hair. She assumed he was somewhere between old enough to be her father and old enough to be her grandfather, yet he didn't look at her like either one. He looked at her the way a starving dog looked at food. Perhaps that was why she felt so uncomfortable.

David knew the instant he saw Beatrice take her test that he would have a hard time separating her from Natalie. Her standing there in front of him didn't help; she was small and unassuming, with the same wide eyes full of curiosity, only in gray instead of green. David looked her over, troubled that he had let his feelings for Natalie deter him from someone with great potential, even if only for a moment. If Beatrice had even half the drive her mother had, she would be an asset no matter what.

"I'm sorry. Where are my manners? My name is David Saunders, and I am in charge here at the Bureau. I was the one who decided to pull you out of the city." Four stiffened at David's words. "There is a lot to explain to you, unless Four here has done that already?" He looked over at Four, who gave him a small nod. "Very well, then. Before we get started, we need to run a few tests. Find out where we stand."

Beatrice's mouth went dry. She looked at Four; the look on his face made her nervous. "Four?"

Her voice wavered, and his head immediately snapped to her. "It's okay," he said softly.

She wasn't sure why, but she wanted Four to be there every step of the way. She already felt as though she could trust him and that he wouldn't let anything happen to her. David smiled again. Beatrice knew she could probably say no, but she would have to do whatever he asked of her eventually. It was better to just get it over with. She looked at David and nodded.

Four led the way while David hung back and talked with her, Zoe catching up with them as they walked down the hallways. The two of them said so many things she knew nothing about that Beatrice felt like they had to be making things up. She didn't say anything to them, though; she didn't feel like hearing answers that would contain more words she didn't understand. She simply nodded along to everything.

"And these are the airplanes," he said as they passed a large window.

She stopped, only just realizing they had said the words air travel. Her jaw dropped a bit as she took in the sheer size of them. "These fly?" she asked, a small smirk on her face. Four had his back to them, but he still smiled. He could hear the excitement in her voice.

"They do," David said. "And after your tests, Four can explain how they work to you and maybe Zoe can arrange for a trip up."

Her face broke into a huge grin. Four looked over his shoulder, unable to contain his curiosity. She looked as happy as he had imagined. David and Zoe continued to talk, but Beatrice wasn't listening. Her mind was stuck on the airplanes.

"And here we are," David said as they stopped walking. "You'll be in good hands with Matthew here. I'll leave you to it, Four." He nodded at the both of them before taking a tablet from Zoe and retreating back the way they came. Beatrice tilted her head up. She caught the hardness in Four's eyes; they softened when he glanced at her. He knocked hard on the door.

"Jesus, Four," a tall, lanky man with dark hair said when the door flew open. "I know you're security, but do you have to knock like you're coming to arrest me?" He had a teasing grin on his face, and Four visibly relaxed in his presence.

"Hilarious. Matthew, this is Beatrice Prior, our new extraction."

Matthew gazed at her intently as he stepped aside. "Well, don't just stand out there. Please, come in." His voice was higher-pitched than she expected, and he seemed to have a permanent smile on his face. He was friendly and real, she decided. She liked him.

"Thank you," she said, stepping inside. It was a small office, made even smaller by shelves upon shelves crammed with books. All medical, from what she could tell.

"I know what you're thinking." She turned to see him looking at her. "And you're right. I tested for Erudite." She didn't know what to make of a statement like that, so she nodded. It wasn't surprising, at least. "My other office is in the research labs, but we don't have to go there just yet. Save you from the frenzy that occurs daily down there. We start with a blood draw first anyways, and I can do that here. Are you okay with that?" She definitely liked him. He didn't demand things, he asked. Beatrice nodded and he motioned for her to sit in the chair in front of his desk.

Matthew wiped his hands and the crook of her arm with a strong-smelling antiseptic before pulling on a pair of gloves. He pulled a syringe and a few vials from a case before prepping her arm. It was painless and over in a few minutes. "Should have the results in a few hours. Stop back by around lunch?" Four nodded, and they shook hands again before they left.

"Matthew seems nice." Beatrice slowed her pace as they passed the airplanes again. Four was terrified of them; he thought about how he would make himself scarce when she decided to go up. He paused so she could stare.

"He is. One of the few people I respect around here." Beatrice looked at him for a moment. She had so many questions now, but she didn't know where to start. She also worried that he might not answer them. Four seemed like the type of person who didn't waste words.

Instead, they walked. He wanted to hole up in the dorms with her. Talk about the city and everything he missed and didn't miss. Ask what it was like for her, and maybe even take her back to the storerooms and show her some of the things he'd found in there over the years. Things that didn't mean anything, but which were still a link to their respective pasts. But he turned right instead of left and headed back through the research wing, past the screen bank and out into the warm summer air.

It was a nice day, typically hot for August. The greenhouses would be crowded, but he felt like losing himself for a little while. He hoped she did, too. "Amity," he said as they approached the large glass domes. She craned her neck as they got closer. They were much larger than the ones in the real Amity, yet there were fewer of them. She was curious as to how many people there were to feed in the Bureau.

Hot, damp air assaulted them when Four opened the door. Beatrice took a deep breath, inhaling the smell of greenery and dirt and the sweetness of apples. It was her favorite part of visiting Amity, when the Abnegation would help with the harvests. A grove of fruit trees loomed large down the center of the dome, but the workers were busying themselves in the dirt around the edges.

Four surveyed the plots before heading over to the least crowded one. He handed her a pair of gloves from a basket and they knelt next to each other, digging into the soft soil. "Now that's a carrot," a woman next to her said as she pulled a large one out of the ground. Beatrice smiled at the irony; she didn't even get to pick something new to her.

They were silent as they worked. It felt a lot like Abnegation, helping out wherever they were needed. She enjoyed it, though. She felt connected to the city, to everything she once knew. Four looked content, too, and she wondered if he felt the same way. She imagined that someone who worked security didn't normally do this sort of thing. She had no idea how much time had passed when Four checked his watch and motioned for her to follow him. Her arms and back were sore, but it was welcome. She felt like she had accomplished something.

They dusted off their clothes and washed their hands at one of the large basins outside. Four dipped his head in the stream, reveling in the cool water. He liked getting lost for a while in the greenhouses, but they were stifling sometimes.

Beatrice watched as he hung his head, letting the excess water drip off before running his hands over his face and through his hair. She had never cared about or noticed things like that before on a boy, but the harder she tried to ignore him, the more she found herself staring. She splashed her own face with water just to distract herself.

Four knocked more gently than before, and Matthew greeted them with the same wide smile. "I picked up some sandwiches. Thought we could eat while we discussed what I found." Four took the chair closest to the door, leaving her to sit further inside the room. He stared at the door for a moment and wondered if he should lock it.

"It's a lot to wrap your head around, I know, but bear with me. Do you know what it means to be Divergent?" Matthew took a bite of his sandwich as he stared at Beatrice.

"I'm beginning to think I don't," she answered. "I just know what I was told, and that it's dangerous."

"Wrong," Matthew said. He swallowed his bite. "That's just what they were told to think." Beatrice lifted her eyebrows. "Super quick summary time. I'm sure Four can fill in any gaps and answer any questions you think of, but centuries ago, the people who inhabited this country started messing around with people's DNA. They wanted to remove the undesirable genes ― the ones that made people have a tendency towards cowardice, dishonesty, sub-par intelligence, cruelty and selfishness ― to make society peaceful and full of nothing but nice, happy people. Sounds familiar, right?" She nodded when she began to understand that their desire to extinguish the negative traits must have given them the idea for the faction system, or maybe how it came into being. "At first, it seemed to work, so more and more people volunteered to be a part of it. Then, for whatever reason, it backfired, and the people became exactly what they were trying to eradicate. It exacerbated the negative qualities instead of eliminating them."

Beatrice's eyes were wide as she sat completely still. It was odd to hear about the past, about the people who came before them. About those that destroyed everything. She didn't dare eat for fear of missing a single word. Her stomach was too busy flopping around to be of any use anyway.

"Those that didn't alter their genes became known as the genetically pure, while those that did became the genetically damaged. The Purity War ensued. The same war they teach you about in school, except they leave off the Purity part. Cities were obliterated. Millions of people died. Eventually, their numbers dwindled and the war died out, but the damage was done. Theoretically, the genes should have corrected themselves at a faster rate over the years because this wasn't evolution or a mutation, but they didn't, and the scientists back then couldn't figure out why. That's where you come in."

Beatrice looked at Four; his face was hard to read. It was common knowledge that there was a war and she even saw the evidence when Four drove her to the Bureau, but the rest seemed so made up she wasn't sure what to believe.

"It took some time, but the first round of scientists that came together after everything settled down decided that the only way to fix their mistakes was to alter everyone's genes again. They put a genetic marker in those that volunteered to be fixed, one that would show up when the genes started healing themselves. The name they gave to those that are healed?"

"Divergent," she whispered. Her heart was pounding so hard she was certain it would burst through her chest. She looked at Four again. This time he nodded.

Matthew typed on his computer and turned the screen so they could see. "There," he pointed, but Beatrice had no idea what she was supposed to look at. Four leaned forward, too. He had to see for himself.

"I'm not sure…" she trailed off. She didn't even know what she wasn't sure of. Everything? Nothing?

"See these three lines here?" She nodded. "Watch." He tapped on his keyboard. The lines got closer and closer until she could see letters and numbers begin to appear.

"GP-273," Four said. He looked at Matthew, who was grinning.

"It's the marker," he said. "Beatrice, you're what we've been hoping for."

A/N:

I know a lot of people hated the gene aspect of Allegiant, but bear with me here. It has its place in this story, but it's not the primary focus of it, so don't bail on me just yet!

As always, thank you for your thoughtful reviews. I love seeing everyone's theories and watching you guys try to piece things together. Totally makes my day!