Neither one of them was able to get much sleep in the early morning, as thoughts of what had happened ― and what was yet to happen ― raced through their minds. Tobias thought about Tris: how he had opened up to her and what would happen afterwards. Tris thought about the same things, but also pondered her role at the Bureau and what the consequences would be if she didn't want to fill it. She was starting to believe that she was going to have to make a hard decision in the near future, one that would anger a lot of people.

They traded their failed attempts at sleeping for working out hard in Dauntless before they headed to a late breakfast. One thing they were both able to agree on as they made small talk was that Matthew was a piece of their puzzle, and they had to start using him if they were going to figure anything out.

"Good morning," Matthew said as he moved aside to let them in. "You're here early."

"We need to talk," Tris said.

Tobias shut the door behind him, locking it. Matthew raised an eyebrow. "We need to keep up appearances, but we also need to start digging," Tobias said.

Matthew rubbed his hands together. "I'm in. What are we looking for?"

"We don't know," Tris answered. "We just know there's something to find."

Tris sat down and spent some time filling Matthew in on what happened in the Fringe, and the suspicions that had arisen in her mind when she received help from the boy. Matthew was silent the whole time, processing every last word in a way she had come to associate with the Erudite. When she finished, he looked between the two of them for a moment, an amused expression on his face.

"I have to say, I'm glad that someone is finally as smart as I am." He flashed Tris a wide smile that she returned. "I've been suspicious for so long, I was beginning to think it was just me. But the problem is the same as it has always been: where do we begin?"

Tris looked at Tobias, who shook his head. "We were hoping you could help us there," he said. "You hacked David's email once. I think if there's anything incriminating, it's probably in there."

"Yeah, once. And that was a couple years ago. But there wasn't anything that I thought was worth looking at twice. His emails with your mom are only relevant now because you're here."

"Yeah, but things have changed since then," Four reminded, and Matthew nodded.

"That they have. I wasn't even allowed to see the results of the blood work I took from Indianapolis. The computer locks me out after testing begins, and the results transmit straight to David now." Tobias raised his eyebrows. "Yeah, tell me about it," Matthew said with some bitterness.

"Wait, why wouldn't they want you to see the results of your own work?" Tris looked between the two of them. "Matthew, we have to get those results. What if there's something in there?"

"I'll see what I can do. In the meantime, let's keep up appearances."

They walked down the halls, Tris taking up the rear. She slowed her pace for a moment, caught off-guard when she spotted David down an adjoining hallway. She hardly ever saw him anywhere outside of his office, let alone on this side of the compound. She watched him lean down, talking privately for a moment to a short man with dark hair, before the two of them casually exchanged pieces of paper and began walking towards her. She raced forward, quickly catching up with Tobias, who was looking over his shoulder.

"Do you know who that is?" she asked as the two men walked away from them. "They seemed awfully engrossed in conversation."

"That's George," he said. "He travels between cities, gathering information."

Tobias had no idea George was back, since he was supposed to be gone for at least another three weeks. Tobias wondered if Amar knew, or if talking to him would glean any information that would be of value to them. Whatever happened, he knew he had to tread lightly; Amar was exceedingly loyal to the Bureau. He took one last look before continuing on.

"Are you sure about this?" Matthew asked as he picked up an electrode. They had decided not to share their adventure from the night before with Matthew, but Tris was finding it hard to keep up the charade; she was getting curious about what her own fears would bring.

"I'm sure," she said, sitting down. A part of her couldn't help but be nervous; if Tobias's fears were any indication, she knew it wasn't going to be easy, but they had to do whatever was necessary to stay off David's radar.

"Now, there's a high chance that you'll be aware that this is a simulation. Most Divergents are, so it's nothing for you to worry about," Matthew stated as he placed the electrodes on Tris. "But the first time is the hardest, since you don't know what to expect. Sometimes it can take people a while to realize they're in a sim, and sometimes they don't know at all. I've even seen them go back and forth between knowing and not knowing, depending on the fear and how they react to it. Everyone's different. If it gets too bad or you get stuck, we'll be watching on the monitors and we can administer another serum to pull you out, okay?" Tris nodded, trying to fight down the worry that she might get stuck in one of her fears.

"So here's how all this works: the serum we use stimulates the fear center of your brain, then translates those fears into simulations that are either literal or symbolic representations of that fear. For example, you might be afraid of choking to death. That could manifest literally with someone wrapping their hands around your throat, or eating a meal and choking on the food. Or, it might be more symbolic, like standing on a stage in front of a crowd and being too scared to force out any words or draw in any air. Now those are the fun ones, sitting around afterwards trying to figure out exactly what it is that you're afraid of." Matthew gave a small laugh and shook his head, muttering the word 'ladybugs'.

"Okay," he said, clapping his hands together after a moment. "So there are a few ways to get out of the simulation and force it to move on. You can calm your breathing and heart rate or you can face the fear head on, like jumping off a bridge or building. In your case, you might just recognize that it's a sim and the program will simply push forward. Oh, and there's manipulation, too — making something you need appear out of thin air to help you out. Most people have around fifteen fears, some more, some less," he explained, his eyes flicking over to Four. "But the one thing everyone has in common is that they were all able to get through it." He grinned at Tris before turning to retrieve the serum from storage.

Tris took a deep breath as she sat in the chair; it felt larger sitting in it alone. She gave Matthew a tight smile as she processed everything he'd said, then looked over at Tobias. He stepped forward as soon as he saw the uncertainty in her eyes and took the syringe from Matthew, brushing her hair aside the same as before, his fingers lingering on her neck. Something welled up inside of her at his touch: curiosity, desire, courage. She wasn't sure if it was one or all, but her thoughts echoed her memories of the previous night; she found that she liked these new feelings. She closed her eyes as the needle pinched her neck, opening them to see Tobias staring down at her. "You got this. Be brave, Tris," was the last thing she heard.

She opened her eyes to see a vast wasteland spread out in front of her. She blinked a few times, trying to get her bearings, the sun bright and hot above her. Tris circled around slowly, seeing only scorched, dried fields. "Hello?" She saw a flash of black out of the corner of her eye, and turned to see nothing. "Hello? Anyone?" she called out again. There were no buildings or trees or anything within sight to give her a sense of distance or direction or time. She was completely and utterly alone.

The extreme heat was making her increasingly uncomfortable. She glanced down at her clothing and thought about removing her shirt, but her exposed skin was already burning; being in just a tank top would make it worse. She let out a heavy sigh and began to walk.

Tris felt like hours had passed as she wandered, though the sun had not moved at all. In fact, she was certain it was growing larger, hotter. Her clothes were drenched in sweat, her mouth dry from thirst; she knew she was going to die from dehydration if she did not find shelter and water soon.

She tried to lift her arm to wipe some of the sweat from her face. She looked down when her arm didn't respond, discovering that her feet and arms were now bound to a stake. She heard a loud whooshing sound, and looked up to see a large bird flying overhead: a buzzard. The sun was now easily twice its size, the heat nearly unbearable as she panicked, struggling against the ropes that seemed to dig harder into her already tender flesh. "Help!" Her voice was weak, raspy. She knew it wouldn't carry far. The buzzard landed in front of her with a thud, its beady eyes taking her in. She stared at it warily, certain it was simply waiting for her to die.

Determination coursed through her, and she began wiggling her body back and forth, trying to save her arms from the pain of the rope cutting and digging into her flesh by loosening the stake from the ground. If she could at least free her feet, she could try to run away from the bird that was slowly inching its way closer to her.

Eventually, hopelessness set in and Tris let out a discouraged sob; despite all her effort, the stake had not moved at all. No tears came as she let out her anguish, dehydration taking its toll. She closed her eyes and let her head hang, resigned to die alone, her carcass picked clean by the patiently waiting bird. She took a deep breath, and let herself relax, refusing to die in fear. She let out a yelp when she fell to the ground.

"It's moving on," Matthew said, looking at the timer that was running alongside the image. "And after only four minutes, too. She's faster than you."

"Quiet," Tobias said, focusing on the screen. He didn't like seeing Tris like this, and the last thing he needed was Matthew taunting him about his own fears and times.

Tris sat on the ground, blinking, unable to see anything until a low light began to emanate from nowhere. She was confused at first as she looked around, until she realized her vision was limited by dense, dark fog. She reached all around her, feeling blindly in the thick gloom for anything to tell her where she was. "Hello?" she called out; the air was so dense that she swore it swallowed up the sound of her voice, preventing it from traveling out.

"Beatrice!" She froze, trying to figure out which direction the voice came from.

"Hello?" she responded. She stood and took small, tentative steps, trying to feel for anything that might be in her way.

"Beatrice! Over here! Hurry!"

"Mom?" She surged forward, her hands outstretched in the darkness. She had no idea where she was or why her mother would be calling out for help, but she knew she needed to get to her.

She hurried, the fog seeming to darken further. Tris stopped abruptly when her hands ran into something hard and rough. She pulled back, cautiously reaching out until her fingers connected with what was in front of her again. Tris stepped closer, squinting to see anything as she ran her fingers over the rough, flaky surface. "Amity," she said, inhaling the scent of the tree in front of her and running her fingers over the bark. She paused when she found a large gouge, like someone had started to cut it down but had stopped. She felt her way around the tree carefully before continuing on.

"Mom, are you near the barns?" she yelled, hoping to hear something in return. She held her breath, not wanting anything to distract her as she tried to locate her mother's direction.

"Beatrice!" She spun, hearing her father behind her.

"Dad!"

"Beatrice!"

"Caleb? Caleb!" She felt that no matter which direction she faced, her family was always behind her. She turned around and passed the tree, deciding to go after her brother and her father at the same time.

She wandered, calling out occasionally, almost certain that their voices were coming from everywhere but the direction she was heading. The fog darkened yet again, and she slowed, coming upon another tree. It was odd to her that they were placed so far apart, but it was possible that she was in an area she hadn't been to before; Abnegation only helped with some of the harvests, and Amity was a large place. She ran her hands over the bark slowly, making her way around the tree when her fingers caught on a gouge. She dismissed it as coincidence and moved on.

"Caleb? Dad?" She called out as she wandered. She began to panic when there was no response. "Hello? Mom?"

"Beatrice!" She stopped dead in her tracks; her mother was right in front of her.

"Mom!" she screamed, taking off at a full sprint. She could see her, somehow, through the dense darkness. She ran hard, crying out in pain when rough bark scraped her cheek.

"No!" she screamed out, confused as to how she could make such a mistake.

"Beatrice!" her mother's voice rang out again, this time from behind her. Nothing was making any sense. She stood and ran her finger over the bark, shaking her head when she touched the large gouge in the trunk yet again.

Their voices stabbed at her from every direction, swirling around in her head as they grew louder and more desperate. She felt hopeless as she sank to the ground again in despair. Her family was calling to her, but she was stuck in an endless, repeating purgatory. The guilt inside her grew; Tris knew she would never be able to help them, never be able to reach them. She would have to leave them to fend for themselves. She closed her eyes and curled into a ball, their voices coming from all directions.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm sorry."

"That's rough," Matthew said. Tobias nodded as he watched her give up on saving her family. He hadn't realized her guilt from leaving them ran so deep. Matthew gave him a pat on the shoulder as the fear sim faded out, her heart rate having finally calmed down.

Tris was running through the factionless sector, her breathing heavy and her heart racing as she turned down street after street. She had no idea why she was so panicked, but she knew that she needed to get to safety as soon as she could. She burst through an intersection — Abnegation was in sight, security within reach.

"Stop!" she heard a female voice scream. She turned her head to see an Abnegation woman pinned against a wall, and skidded to a halt. A man twice her size was running his hands all over the woman as she squirmed in discomfort. Tris looked towards Abnegation for a moment, but knew she couldn't leave her.

"Hey!" Tris shouted, walking up to them.

The man leered at her over his shoulder and she recoiled, second-guessing her decision. "Oh, you want some of this, honey?" She felt her insides twist as the man looked her up and down, licking his lips. "I got enough in me for the both of you."

She shook her head and backed up slowly. The man turned, letting the Abnegation woman go so he could pursue Tris. She saw another man emerge from somewhere out of the corner of her eye, then another, and another. They were all larger than she was, and they all had the same hungry look in their eyes.

She spun quickly, searching frantically for a way to escape. A loud rumbling caught her attention; she froze as chunks of the surrounding buildings rained down onto the streets and sidewalks. Tris brought a hand to her mouth, noticing that there were now tarps everywhere, gaunt figures peeking out from behind them to watch. Her eyes caught on a child — pale and thin, with sunken eyes — as more haggard, desperate faces appeared around her. Her eyes widened in horror as she realized that her city, her home, had been transformed into the Fringe.

A deep, menacing laugh emanated from the man in front of her, drawing her attention. "Get away from me," she growled, backing up slowly. The other men joined in, their laughter echoing all around, their intentions obvious. She screamed when a large pair of hands grabbed her from behind.

Tris flailed as the men closed in, pawing at her as they pulled her down an alleyway. She tried to fight as she writhed violently, screaming until her voice began to crack; she whimpered when no one came. The men threw her on the filthy ground, one straddling her as the others swarmed around; she swung her arms, trying to claw her way free.

"Stop it!" she screamed, pushing against the man on top of her. His hands were roaming over places no one had ever touched, and she fought hard to make sure he couldn't put them there again. The other men crowded even more; she froze for a moment when she realized they all had the same face ― the face of the burly man she had seen in the Fringe.

She clawed at him again — trying to tell herself these men couldn't be real and that the city wasn't the Fringe — but his weight and his foul stench and the way he looked at her made it nearly impossible. She threw her hands out to the side, looking for anything that might help force him off, and rejoiced when her hand touched cold metal. She grabbed it, lifting it to see a sleek knife from Dauntless. She wrapped both hands around the handle, letting out a guttural cry as she thrust it down into the man's leg with as much strength as she could muster.

"She manipulated it." Matthew's face was bright as he looked between Four and the screen. "She realized what was happening, and she flipping manipulated it." While he had heard stories of it being done before, Four had never seen it with his own eyes. He knew he should feel pride, but her fear of the men and her home had his mind racing, his heart worrying.

Tris opened her eyes, yawning and stretching, repositioning herself in her bed. She couldn't remember the last time she was so comfortable; when she heard a knock at her door, she debated ignoring it. Not wanting to be rude, she threw the covers off and trudged to the door, opening it to reveal a smiling Zoe.

"Good morning!" she beamed. Tris gave her a forced smile. "I hope you slept well, because we have a big day planned for you!" She nodded her head and shut the door on Zoe to change.

She and Four followed Zoe to David's office, neither one of them knowing what was planned. David smiled up at them quickly as he typed on his keyboard, finishing up some paperwork, she assumed. "If you'll give me just one moment, I'll have everything together for you to look at." Tris gave Tobias a questioning look, concerned that David was being uncharacteristically friendly.

Eventually, David looked up at Tris and turned his screen towards her. Picture after picture of her and Tobias scrolled by ― some were everyday happenings and some were more intimate, like their shared kiss in his fear simulation. She scrunched her eyebrows, wondering how he was able to get evidence of that, since even they couldn't see in the utter darkness. Then there were pictures of her, back in Abnegation, staring directly into camera after camera. She had no recollection of doing that, though she must have since she was looking right at herself. Finally, the slideshow ended with a picture she recognized as blood work results. When nothing else happened, she looked at David.

"Tell me how you did it." David's voice was soft, and he smiled as he said it.

Tris stared at him in confusion. "Did what?"

"Come now, Miss Prior. You know exactly what I am talking about. Just save us a lot of time and energy and tell me how you did it."

She looked over to Tobias again and saw him subtly shake his head and shrug. "David, I don't know what you're talking about."

"Your genes!" He slammed his hand down on his desk, picking up a folder and throwing it at her. She stood there, shocked as it hit her torso and landed at her feet. She didn't take her eyes off of him as she bent down to pick it up. Inside there were two pictures: one had the GP-273 marker on it, the other had nothing. She lifted her gaze back to David.

"The picture on the left shows the blood test result Matthew submitted, proving to the Bureau that your genes were pure. But the picture on the right is from a blood test that I conducted on you myself, and there is no marker, Miss Prior. You are a cheat and a fraud and a liar. We have wasted so much time and far too many resources on you." He took a deep breath, his jaw clenching. "How did you do it? Did you know about the Bureau? You were caught looking at the cameras more than once. Did you pay Matthew to submit fake genes? Were you trying to seduce this one to smuggle information out? Answer me!"

"N-no," Tris stammered out. "David, I have no idea what you're talking about. You're the one who pulled me out! I had no idea any of this existed until then."

"Lies. This experiment is a failure because of you. Your dishonesty is singlehandedly responsible for the dismantling of Chicago and the miserable welfare of its inhabitants, and you will be charged accordingly. Tobias, take her into custody."

Tris stood slack-jawed, her head swiveling back and forth in disbelief. She had no idea where any of David's accusations were coming from. Nothing made sense as her hands were pulled behind her back, Tobias securing her wrists together. She knew everything David was saying was wrong; she wasn't a failure, she wasn't responsible for anything. And now Tobias was arresting her…

"Tobias," she said, her head snapping towards David. "You said Tobias. You would never call him that." David's face paled as he watched her summon her strength, her face reddening as she used sheer force to shatter the shackles that held her arms behind her back. She grinned as she held her hands up, the scene fading away.

"She's good," Matthew said. "And now she's starting to realize when it's not real. Not even fifteen minutes has passed, Four." Tobias nodded, appreciating that Matthew didn't say anything about his name. He had a feeling he probably knew it anyway. Matthew didn't miss much.

There was a bright light shining in her face. Tris shielded her eyes and looked around; she was in a barren room surrounded by white walls. Her body ached as she struggled to stand. She felt a sharp tug on her arms and dropped her head, observing dozens of tubes and wires attached to her.

"Sir, it's moving." She turned her head slowly towards the familiar voice; Tobias was standing with Matthew, David, and a handful of scientists in lab coats. She was separated from them by a thick pane of glass.

"Four," she said, her voice hoarse, "What's going on?" She watched as the scientists began frantically scribbling on their clipboards and tapping on their tablets, muttering to themselves and one another, seeming to keep one eye on her at all times. Her legs were weak as she tried to move; she wobbled like a newborn calf. Unsure of where she was or what was happening to her body, she looked down: her scarcely-covered body was thin, her legs thinner, with almost translucent skin covering bones as if she had never developed any muscles at all.

"Four," she croaked again, dropping to her knees. Pain ran sharply through every extremity as she knelt there, frail and powerless. She reached up and ran a hand over her pounding head; her cheeks were hollowed out, her hair completely gone. She was nothing but a weakened bag of bones.

"Give it minimal nutrition and a sedative. We don't want it moving around too much." Tris grimaced as the door opened; even the cold gust of air was painful. She whimpered as Tobias picked her up with ease, placing her roughly on a cot.

"Tobias," she whispered. She was terrified of the look he leveled at her, his disgust and contempt palpable, as though she were vermin that he would be more than happy to exterminate.

"Do not address me as if you know me," he spat. She felt her lip quiver. "How do you even know my name?"

"You… you told me." Her body became sluggish as soon as he tapped on the machine next to her. She felt her eyes get heavy, her limbs more unresponsive. She shook her head, grimacing with pain again, trying her best to fight whatever was happening to her. "Why would you…" It was becoming increasingly difficult for her to keep her eyes open. Her mouth felt like it was detached from her face. "You would never… treat…"

Her voice trailed off, her mouth unable to move anymore, but her thoughts did not cease. She lay there, eyes closed, her body all but paralyzed as she ran the events over and over in her mind. She knew that Tobias would never treat her with such disdain, that he would never agree to run tests on her or to keep her prisoner. This was not the person she knew.

She felt her eyes move first, twitching, fluttering. She took a deep breath, and with immense effort she opened them. The lights were brighter than ever as warmth from somewhere deep inside of her began to radiate out. Her chest filled with oxygen, her body buzzing with a burning desire to move. Her arms responded first, a primal scream leaving her mouth as she gripped the wires and tubes attached to her and ripped them out of one arm, then the other. Strength surged into her body with each movement. She felt like she was being reborn with a renewed purpose in life, one that gave her a strength she never even dreamed she could possess. She stood, strong and determined, to see Tobias on the other side of the glass, watching her. There was no pain anymore.

"You're not real. You can't be," she whispered as she charged the glass.

Tobias and Matthew shared a glance.

Tris's eyes opened to Matthew hovering over her. "You okay?" He pulled the electrodes off her head slowly as she nodded. "That was great, Tris. Everything recorded perfectly. I should be able to get a lot of information from the file footage." She gave him a weak smile as Tobias came up next to her and offered his hand; she had never been more relieved in her life. She took it as she got up.

"Oh, wow. I think I need to lie down," she said. She brought a hand to her head, the room spinning slowly all around her: she was exhausted. Tobias placed both his hands on her shoulders, steadying her, a worried look on his face.

"Go," Matthew said. "I have more than enough to keep me busy for a couple of days, if not longer." She smiled at him gratefully as they walked towards the door, Tobias's arm around her shoulder. Not only would she get a small break from the testing, she'd have some time to adequately think about what her fears truly meant. She was surprised to see David standing there ― hand raised, ready to knock ― when Matthew opened the door.

"David," Matthew said. "We just finished up some tests with amazing footage and results. We should be able to gath―"

"Perfect," he said, cutting him off. "What's next?"

"Tris is going to lie down," Tobias said. "She's exhausted."

"Exhaustion or not, we have a schedule to maintain. Matthew, please get the MRI ready."

Tris closed her eyes. She didn't have much energy, and she could feel Tobias's grip tighten around her. "Can I at least get a snack?"

"No." David's voice was firm, final. She felt herself deflate. "Miss Prior, may I have a word with you? Alone?" he added, eyeing Tobias. She looked between the two of them, confused by the tension, but nodded anyway. David turned without a word, leaving her to follow him to the other side of the room.

"Miss Prior, I know that you are aware that there are certain things that need to happen here at the Bureau in order for the program to succeed." She nodded her head, wondering where this conversation was leading. "You seem to have become nothing more than a hindrance to this system, so you are forcing my hand, leaving me no choice but to ensure you have the proper, shall we say, motivation to comply."

"I don't understand," she said. She could feel her pulse in her neck.

"I know about you. And him." His eyes dragged over to Tobias.

She looked over quickly, before focusing her attention back on David. "You can't force me to do anything, David. I have a choice. I am a free person, and I can choose to not be a part of this anymore." She'd had enough. She wasn't going to allow David, or anyone else, to force her to do anything she didn't want to do anymore.

"Oh, but Miss Prior, can't I?"

David pressed a button on his watch and six men appeared in the room, guns drawn; she recognized one of them as Amar. Tobias's jaw clenched as he and Matthew put their hands up. "Amar, think about what you're doing." Tobias's voice was low, threatening.

"I'm doing my job."

"I don't think you understand how serious I am." David's tone sent a chill down her spine. "Miss Prior, I have given you chance after chance to comply with our program willingly. Now, you and Tobias have become… close. But he is GD, expendable. I can have him replaced in an instant with a hundred others just like him. Ones that won't question my authority or do whatever they can to undermine me."

"Please, don't." Tris felt herself tremble as she looked up at David. "I'll do it. Whatever you want. Just don't hurt him."

"Oh, I don't have to hurt him. I simply have to send him away." He leaned close, his mouth millimeters from her ear; she felt her insides churn. "I have seen the other cities, Miss Prior. They make the Fringe look like Abnegation." His eyes were cold as he pulled away, filling her with dread. "This is your last warning. Do I make myself clear?" Tris nodded, her face falling as her determination broke. She couldn't let Tobias be taken away. David nodded and the guards put their guns down. "Matthew, you will run tests on Miss Prior until I tell you to stop."

Tris stood still, a million scenarios running through her mind as David and the guards left the room. When the door slammed shut her eyes found Tobias, hot tears filling them as she thought about David's threats. Tobias strode towards her, pulling her into his arms, his embrace doing little to comfort her.

"I'm sorry," she whispered into his neck. "I had to agree. I had to. I couldn't let them take you away from―" she choked on her words, pulling him closer to her. His scent, the way she felt at home in his arms as they wrapped more tightly around her, the butterflies in her stomach: she knew she would do anything to keep him out of harm's way. Things were different now, and there was no going back.

She steeled herself as she pulled away, wiping her eyes and giving a firm nod. She reached out and squeezed his hand, taking a deep breath and turning towards Matthew.

"Holy shit. Welcome back," Matthew said as she looked around the room. She panicked, scrambling to try and get away from him, clawing at the wires attached to her. "Tris, it's okay." Matthew took a step back, holding his hands up. She saw Tobias move out of the corner of her eye; his face was pained, but he kept his distance.

"Is this real?" Her voice was small, her eyes flicking back and forth between the two of them.

"Yeah, Tris. It's real." She had never heard Tobias speak so softly before. She let her guard down ― slightly ― and let herself relax. She was finally convinced when her breathing and heart rate slowed down: if she was still in a sim, it would have moved on by now.

"Okay," she whispered. Matthew moved to help her, but Tobias was inexplicably fast, pulling the remaining wires off of her and lifting her to the edge of the chair. She leaned into him, drawing from his strength, his warmth a comfort she desperately needed.

"Go on," Matthew said from behind them. Tobias turned his head, giving him a nod. "I'll send the footage to you, Four. You can review it, if she wants." Tobias knew there was more than just reviewing that was going to take place, and the look on Matthew's face finished his thoughts for him: you two have a lot to talk about.

A/N:

Whew! This was a beast of a chapter, and also happens to be the longest one in the story. I know I sort of chucked information at you guys from all directions, so I hope it wasn't too overwhelming haha. (Thank you BK, again, for putting up with my shit, and having to analyze it 94883 times.)

Now that I can type more than ldfjkdhgkal in response, how about that Allegiant trailer? I think it looks amazing, and I like what changes I am seeing. March is so far away!

And as always, many thanks to everyone who reviews and follows and favorites. It always makes my day! :D