As soon as Commander Ross and the other NAA representatives arrived, things began to change for the better. He was kind, patient, and took everything to heart when he was approached with concerns. Tris and Tobias pleaded to have Jeanine and anyone involved with her plan to overthrow Abnegation held responsible for their actions, while Zeke, Christina, and Uriah made arguments on behalf of the Dauntless, since most of them were innocent and only a small few were complicit in the attack.

The NAA monitored the city closely until back-up could arrive to help restructure both the Bureau and the city. Cara was quick to mention that one of the reasons Jeanine did what she did was because of the existence of a video. Alexander knew what she was talking about, and was able to secure a copy for them to watch. All eyes were on Tris when Edith Prior revealed her name and her hopes for the city; the scrutiny made her uncomfortable. Those from the city agreed that the message was too important to keep hidden any longer, advocating for it to be broadcast citywide to let the citizens decide what should be done. Everyone deserved to know the truth, and if anything was going to change, this was the logical first step.

Though Tris was happy that things seemed like they were going to change for the better, it felt like the video message was another reason to pull away. She didn't want to be the center of attention, nor did she want any more responsibility thrust upon her. She'd had her fill of everyone looking to her when they had questions. She knew they were important questions, but she simply didn't have any answers to offer.

Alexander sensed her unease and pulled Tris aside, giving her files on her family history and the importance of the Prior name, including everything she could possibly want to know about her parents. She secluded herself for the rest of that day, poring over the information and asking if he had any more when she was finished with what he'd given her. Alexander was more than happy to hand over whatever he thought she'd like to know: he gave her access to files that included everything from Jeanine's history to David's appointment and tenure as head of the Bureau. He respected her opinion, and wanted her to be as involved as possible with restructuring the city. She was a direct descendant of the first volunteers, and having her willing participation would make a good impression on everyone.

Tris wasn't terribly surprised when she learned that Jeanine and Briggs were related — cousins, in fact. The files detailed how they had been discovered in the Fringe. Briggs's father, who had been trying to get them all into the Bureau, was killed by someone on patrol who had perceived him as a threat. The children had been devastated, and Jeanine had argued on the spot that by killing the only adult around who had taken care of them, the soldiers were now responsible for their well-being. Intrigued, the patrol members had brought them to the Bureau.

Briggs and Jeanine had gone through the required testing, and while neither was genetically pure, Jeanine's intelligence had measured off the charts. In fact, the file indicated that she had scored the highest out of everyone they had ever tested. The Bureau had immediately wanted to begin grooming her to be one of their scientists, but she was obsessed with life inside the city walls and had refused to accept any other assignment. She had cooperated only when everything was precisely the way she wanted it, and when David promised that Briggs could accompany her when she was ready to be placed inside the city.

Some of Alexander's files contained documents that Matthew had discovered and sent to the NAA as evidence. It turned out that David had maintained communication with Jeanine —who had been placed in the experiment a couple of years before Natalie was found— almost the entire time she was in Erudite. They had fought virtually every time they had spoken. Tris was able to piece together from the notes that at the last minute, Briggs had been held back from going with Jeanine; the Bureau wanted to avoid any suspicions that might arise should two new, unknown people enter the city together. David had refused to consider sending Briggs in after that, using him instead as leverage to ensure that Jeanine would do exactly what he wanted. David had groomed Jeanine to take over for Norton; convinced that intelligence was the superior gene, he had felt Erudite was better suited to be in charge of the city.

As Tris reviewed the arrangements made to insert Jeanine into the experiment, she recalled her discovery of Jeanine's odd paperwork in the Erudite archives. The discrepancies she had found suddenly made perfect sense to her, now that she knew Jeanine had come from the Fringe: her paperwork would have been falsified just as Tris's had been. It felt strange to know that she and Jeanine had both been manipulated and betrayed by the same person, sent to Erudite for the very same purpose.

Tris shook her head as she continued to piece things together, learning that a vengeful Jeanine had used David's own goals against him by trying to dispose of the Divergent, the very people he valued most. Since Jeanine had been such an integral part of the development of the aptitude test, she also had direct access to its results and to the extensive data, which indicated that Abnegation had the highest population of Divergent. Tris shut the file down and rubbed her eyes, still feeling like she was more of a problem than a solution.

While Tris was consumed with discovering as much as she could about the people who had directly affected her life, Tobias gave her the space she needed by volunteering to head into the city with Amar, Uriah, Zeke and Christina. The five of them helped lead a large group of NAA guards into the city to arrest Jeanine, the leaders of Dauntless, and those that were complicit in the plot to attack and overthrow Abnegation. It was agreed beforehand that all leaders were to be brought back alive for interrogation, and that the others were disposable if there was any armed resistance. The NAA broadcast the Edith Prior video message before they entered the city, as well as one from Commander Ross telling them to remain calm and that help was on the way. The guards were heavily armed and expecting a fight when they arrived, but other than a few scuffles and one death, the messages seemed to have taken the fight out of the traitor Dauntless.

It was easy to verify who was complicit and who wasn't, thanks to the obsessive record-keeping of the Erudite. Jeanine was eventually located and had to be injected with truth serum to divulge the whereabouts of her data, a few Erudite even stepping forward with some of their own. A small group of Erudite, including Cara, were appointed as temporary leaders of their faction — at least until things could be resolved in the city. Cara was a little uneasy with the decision to include her, but she accepted, knowing she would be able to help keep Erudite on the right track; the couple of NAA guards left behind helped to ease her discomfort.

With Erudite secure, Tobias's group made their way to Candor to have a meeting with Jack Kang and the Dauntless refugees. Zeke, Uriah, and Christina searched frantically for their friends and loved ones, and even Amar was reunited with some people he knew. Tobias stayed off to the side as they and the Candor gathered in a large hall to listen to the NAA guards speak. Things were quiet at first, until the Dauntless became rowdy, yelling out questions and taunts, some of the Candor even joining in.

Jack was quick to silence them, and offered a compromise: if any of the NAA guards would volunteer to go under the truth serum, then their testimony would be accepted as definitive and the NAA would receive full cooperation. Amar and three others volunteered, all of them receiving an injection and answering Jack's questions. When he was satisfied that they were telling the truth, Jack offered the guards all the help that Candor could provide.

Though the Dauntless were restless and eager to get back to their home, they reluctantly agreed to spend one more night at Candor. The NAA guards would then escort them back to the compound, which would still give them adequate time to set up a temporary chain of command and communication protocols at Candor.

Tobias felt awkward and out of place as he selected a bed for the night; he didn't really belong to these people, these factions. The only thing he felt a part of anymore was tucked away back at the Bureau, trying to decipher her own life and how it had led to the things she had been through. He sighed, wondering how long it would take before she realized that if it wasn't for him, she would have never been in this position in the first place.

"Hey." He looked up to see Amar staring intently, Uriah waiting patiently behind him. "You okay?"

"Fine." Tobias waved his hand. Amar didn't buy it, and raised an eyebrow. "Alright, fine. It's a little… odd, being here."

"Then come with us," Uriah said, a wide grin spreading across his face.

Tobias followed the two of them across the large, makeshift dorm until they met up with Zeke. "Four, this is our mother, Hana. She wanted to say thank you for helping Uri and, you know, stopping this whole thing."

"Oh, I didn't. You don't have to—"

The older woman stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his torso without a word. She was much smaller than her boys, but Tobias could tell right away that she was Dauntless to the core: she had a death grip on him that held him firmly in place. He awkwardly patted her on the back with one hand, feeling heat creeping up his neck when he heard a few snickers from nearby.

"Alright, Mom," Zeke said, grinning as he tried to tug on her arm. "Don't smother him."

"Ezekiel, I am an old woman and I can smother whoever I want."

She placed a hand on Tobias's cheek after she released him, looking up at him with tears glistening in her eyes. "Thank you for saving my sons."

He leaned into her touch, just enough to register with Hana, who gave him a soft smile in return. He could feel the love she had for her boys, a love he missed from his own mother. "You're welcome," he replied quietly. Hana patted his face gently, elbowing Zeke in the ribs as she passed by on the way to her own bed.

"She's lucky she's my mom," he said, rubbing his side for a moment before slinging an arm over Tobias's shoulder. "Let's get something to eat, man."

Their small group found a table to sit at together in the cafeteria, Christina joining up with them after some time spent reuniting with her family. Tobias was slightly overwhelmed at meeting so many new people. He repeated their names in his head — Will, Lynn, Shauna, Marlene — and was met with the same response he always got when he introduced himself. "Four? The hell kind of name is that?"

"Lynn!" Marlene chastised. "Sorry. She's just straightforward like that."

"It's my name," Tobias said, taking a bite of his sandwich and ignoring their stares. They all seemed a little skeptical of him at first, but the majority had met or heard of Amar at some point, so they accepted him quickly.

He was quiet when the topic turned to where they were when they woke up from the sim, and consequently, whether any of them had killed someone. Most of them refused to answer. Zeke couldn't handle the shift in their moods, so he told a dirty joke that got a chuckle out of the group and left Tobias blushing. The group continued to share good memories and lighthearted stories, feeling more at ease as time passed. Zeke nudged Tobias every once in a while, always with a wide, welcoming smile on his face. Tobias finally gave in and smiled back, only to have Zeke announce loudly that Tobias was, in fact, not a robot.

On their way back to the dorms, Tobias realized that even if they had all been brought together by sheer accident, he really liked working with this small group. They were definitely Dauntless, but underneath the tattoos and the piercings and the dyed hair there was a kindness, something he had assumed to be true of Amar because he was Divergent. But it was present in all of them, Divergent or not, and he felt like if he hadn't turned his back on the city, he would have noticed it sooner. That things might have been different if others had recognized it, too.

They woke early the next morning and thanked Jack again before piling onto a train. Tobias couldn't help but be reminded of taking the train to Erudite with Tris as he stood near the doorway, watching the city pass by. It already looked different to him, better, but he knew that feeling wouldn't last if he stayed on and kept going until they reached Abnegation. He dropped his eyes, lazily focusing on the blur of the ground passing by.

"You seem a little deep in thought."

He glanced over to see Zeke. "Abnegation," he said, a frown forming on his face. "There's still some things that need to be taken care of."

"Yeah," Zeke said, nodding. "But I don't think there's many of us who could stomach going back there right now."

Tobias understood the feeling. Still, Abnegation was a pressing matter that couldn't be ignored. "I'm assuming the guards will stop by Amity, too. Perhaps they might be up to the task."

"Yeah, yeah!" Zeke said, trying to sound hopeful. "I mean, they have more equipment anyways. Shovels and stuff…" He cleared his throat. "Hey man, listen. I overheard some of the NAA guards talking about setting up camp at Dauntless while they do what they need to do in the city. I don't know what your situation is, but if you want to stay, I have a comfy couch with your name written all over it."

Tobias smirked. "I'll think about it."

The cameras at the Bureau did the Dauntless compound no justice. Tobias was awed as he took it all in, ignoring the smirks and giggles of those closest to him as he walked into the Pit. Zeke and Uriah gave him a quick rundown of things as he stood by, observing as the NAA worked with the Dauntless to set up temporary leadership. It was loud and informal as they all shouted their recommendations and votes, but he was impressed by how well the whole thing ended up working in the end.

Tobias showered, changed, and settled into Zeke's apartment, both looking and feeling a little more Dauntless. He enjoyed seeing the compound in person, and gladly slipped into the real Dauntless training room, impressing the group with his shooting and knife-throwing skills.

"Not human," Lynn dismissed. "What, did they enhance you or something in their fancy labs outside the city?"

"Aww, jealous?" Uriah joked.

"He's better than you, too, you idiot! I'd love to see him go through a sim. Won't be so amazing then," she mumbled.

Tobias stifled a laugh as Amar walked up, the group dispersing to head to the cafeteria. "Well, what do you think?"

"I think I like it here," Tobias answered, eager to try the cake straight from the source.

Commander Ross motioned for Tris to sit down after summoning her to his office. He watched her closely, noting the dark circles under her eyes; she looked like she hadn't slept a wink since they'd arrived. He wasn't quite sure where to begin, and he opened and closed his mouth a few times before speaking.

"Tris, I must say that I feel a certain amount of… responsibility to tell you whatever you'd like to know, since you are directly affected by all of this."

"I'm not the only one," she said quietly. "We're all affected."

He sighed. "I know this. But being a direct descendant…" She flashed him a hard look at the reminder. "I know you've received a lot of information, but there are always things that aren't necessarily recorded in any paperwork."

Tris shifted in her seat; she wondered if she really needed to know about more lies before realizing that she still had questions, probably always would. She gestured for him to continue.

"In the beginning, it was believed that Chicago was advancing at a much slower rate than the other cities. Rather than immediately call the city a loss, the people in charge of the NAA decided to let it continue to serve as a control group of sorts. Milwaukee was also an experiment of ours, and, to put it bluntly, it failed miserably. Unlike Chicago, they were given full disclosure on the project. The people inside expected their children to be immediately fixed, even though they knew that the experiment needed time. When they revolted it was... I can't even begin to describe to you what happened, but they tore down their wall and spread out."

"What happened to the people?" Tris asked.

"Some stayed inside the city, but the majority of them left, opting to not be anywhere that was under government control. The Fringe already existed, albeit in a much smaller form, and that's where most of the people settled. Over the generations it grew too large for us to try and manage, so they were left to fend for themselves. There were occasionally Divergent children that we discovered, like your mother, but they were considered anomalies based on the population size."

Tris welled up with tears at the mention of Natalie. Hearing Alexander talk about the Fringe, she still couldn't imagine how her mother, so young at the time, had lived there alone, nor could she imagine the hardships she must have endured. She was glad that Natalie had been discovered and brought to the Bureau.

"I blame myself for things getting out of control."

Tris tilted her head and studied the older man's face. "Why?"

He offered her a rueful smile. "I've been in my position for almost twenty-seven years. Like many others, I believed without question every report David sent to us, but I should have known better. I should have checked the research myself, or had it independently verified. What's worse, though, was that none of us ever stopped to think about the circumstances we left these people in. How were they meant to better themselves when the lives that they were living were never going to give them an opportunity to do so?"

Tris shook her head. Alexander was right. The people in the Fringe were tossed aside the same way the factionless were. They were given nothing, yet everyone looked down their noses and blamed them for where they ended up.

"With Chicago, we thought we had found the solution by implanting false memories and implementing behavior guidelines — what you know as the faction system. The behavior guidelines kept the masses under control, but seemed to slow the progression of healing. We assumed there would be curiosity for those that were showing signs of Divergence, but the reverse happened. Prejudices formed and fear of something different took hold; the successful became a target. I would have given orders to intervene earlier, had I been properly informed."

He paused and looked directly into Tris's eyes. "It's important that you understand that it was never the fault of the Divergent, Tris. Being different was never the root of the problem. I have learned over time that humans naturally are meant to have flaws, yet I let my own purity blind me. I didn't question what was happening enough, and for that I am truly sorry."

Tris sighed as Alexander waited for her to process his words. While his apology wouldn't fix what she and other Divergents had been through, and it wouldn't bring back all of the lives that were lost because of the lies David told, it was at least a start she could live with. "So, what happens now?" she finally asked.

"Well, we acknowledge the mistakes that were made and we try to fix them. The disaffected need homes, jobs, food, clothing. No more fighting just to live another day. Since this still falls under my jurisdiction, I would like to set things in motion to open up the city, and extend an invitation for you and your friends to be directly involved."

"We're just kids," she snorted. "What do we know about rebuilding a city?"

He shrugged. "Seems like it would be something your ancestors in particular would want. Besides, you seem to have developed more compassion and understanding in your sixteen years than those of us who have been here much longer."

"I can't speak for the others, but I'll think about it." She pushed her seat back to stand when a thought crossed her mind. "Actually, I have a question I'm hoping you can answer."

"I'll do my best," he offered.

"The gene marker. I know that David had fake results he sent to you, but how was he able to get away with those results if people in other cities were healing?" She bit her lip, waiting for an explanation of what separated her from Tobias. She still didn't understand why she was considered so special when everyone else was not.

Alexander let out a heavy sigh. "David was very… convincing in his reports. But the marker itself was never meant to be the sole indicator of healed genes. Realistically, the marker is more of a fluke than a standard, and we knew that going in. The test for Divergence is the more reliable source, and that should have been the main indicator David was looking for. Instead he seemed more focused on the marker."

Tris was stunned. "Do you know why?"

Alexander shook his head. "I won't pretend to know what his obsession with the marker was; I assume that someone like you was seen as superior in his eyes. But you can't be more healed than anyone else; you either are, or you aren't. In the end, the marker is incidental. A secondary verification, if you will. Divergence is the true key."

Tris mulled over Alexander's words. She wasn't sure if she understood the Bureau's motivations any better, but it helped to have as much information as possible, and to know that the people who could effect change were on their side.

When the group came back from their trip into the city, each of them took Commander Ross up on his offer and agreed to a position that would help benefit the city and its surrounding areas. Tris and Christina decided to work together in housing and transportation, while Zeke and Uriah tagged along with Tobias and Amar, working with the NAA guards to arrange for security when transporting new city inhabitants and coordinating with the Dauntless for patrols around the city.

"Do you have the new housing list?" Christina asked as she came into Tris's office. "I don't need it, just tell me how many units there are so we can start arranging for transport."

Tris tapped away on her keyboard, squinting when the files came up. "Looks like only twenty-three were cleared this month."

Christina sighed. "That's all? Why can't we just snap our fingers and have everything fixed all at once?"

"Because then we'd be out of a job."

Tris smiled when Christina laughed, but there were times when Christina was too cheerful for Tris, and today was one of them: Tobias was coming to the Bureau for a visit, and she was anxious. Sensing her unease, Christina put on a serious face. "You know, you two really need to talk."

"We do talk," Tris defended. "We talk all the time, actually."

Christina gave her a pointed look: Tris knew what she meant, but was obviously avoiding facing it. "Okay, but not about what you should be. Like how you've both been dealing with what you each went through, alone. Or the things that are keeping you apart, or how much you love each other—"

"Chris," Tris groaned, and ran a hand down her face. "It just takes time."

Christina huffed in exasperation. "I know that. But it's been what, five months?"

"Six," Tris murmured.

"Six! Six whole months you two could have been working things out instead of avoiding each other and being apart?" Tris rolled her eyes. "Look, I'm not saying you have to rush right back into a relationship, but it couldn't hurt to make more than your polite Abnegation talk. A blind man could see that you two care about each other. You both deserve happiness."

Tris knew deep down that Christina was right, but it didn't change how complicated things were. Talking with Tobias had done little to reassure him that he'd never hurt her, that he could never be like Marcus. Instead, the brief conversations they'd had over the months had merely highlighted every crack in their relationship and reaffirmed to them that being apart was the right decision. Tobias had confided once that he had nightmares about all that they had been through, but he wasn't the only one that suffered from sleepless nights. Between the pressure put on her to help make the city a success and losing her family, Tris felt broken beyond repair.

Christina had urged her to talk to someone, but Tris had refused, trying to downplay the seriousness of her thoughts and the images that invaded her dreams. Christina would check in on her frequently, making some tea to calm her and hopefully help her get some rest when the need arose. While their friendship had developed quickly, Tris's nightmares were what had brought them even closer; Christina cared for Tris as though she were her own sister.

Tris sat in the cafeteria with Christina, the two of them waiting on Tobias and Will. They could see a few of the people that travel back and forth making their way through the cafeteria, waiting in line or greeting people they knew. They finally came in together, Will rushing to Christina, while Tobias stopped to talk with Emma.

"Four! How are they treating you in there? Not feeding you enough, I see." Emma lifted an eyebrow as she looked him over.

"They're feeding me just fine," Four said, a smirk on his face. "Just been too busy to make it to the gym every day."

She narrowed her eyes at him before nodding her acceptance. "Okay, I'll take your word for it. But if I find out—"

"Emma," he interrupted with a grin. She waved her hand at him before closing in for a quick hug. Tobias accepted the affection, missing the interactions he used to have with almost everyone at the Bureau.

As soon as he looked up, his eyes locked onto Tris. She was fidgeting in her seat, looking away every time her eyes landed on him. His heart sped up as he made his way to the table, taking a seat across from her.

"Hey, Four!" Christina smiled as Will wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I'm glad you guys are here. We've missed you."

"We?" Will asked, smirking.

"Yes, we. We missed you, too," she added, kissing the tip of his nose. Tris looked over to see the skeptical look on Will's face, and laughed.

"Oh, now it's funny?" Will said, trying to hide his smile. He held a hand over his heart, feigning hurt.

"Okay, Mister Drama. Let's go get something to eat."

Christina gave Tris a wink as she and Will walked away, leaving the two of them alone. Tris looked at Tobias quickly, then looked away, trying to decide how to start the conversation they needed to have, or if the cafeteria was even the right place to bring anything up. She couldn't figure out why it was suddenly so difficult to speak with Tobias.

"So, how long are you staying?" she said, opting for something safe to start off with.

"I'm… not sure. I was actually given some time off. I was thinking of maybe tagging along on a trip to a city called Ann Arbor. See what things are like in a city that's considered a success. Maybe I can pull some ideas from it to incorporate here."

"Oh. That sounds really… nice."

Tris bit her lip as she played with the hem of her shirt. She contemplated asking him to stay with her for a couple of days to see what would happen. She thought that maybe she could figure out if what they had was worth trying for, or if they had simply become too broken to fix.

"Dinner?" he said, looking towards the growing line. "I missed lunch."

"Yeah." Tris scurried in front of Tobias, keeping her eyes down until they reached the buffet.

It was easier when they were surrounded by their friends. The conversation was relaxed, fun, and Tris and Tobias both laughed. He leaned into her as he held his stomach, Zeke proud of making him laugh so hard. Tris felt those old, familiar feelings as she leaned in slightly, too: sweaty palms, her heart beating faster and her stomach fluttering. She smiled up at him, but he didn't notice.

"Hey guys," Jones said as he walked up.

"Hi, Ben," Tris said, greeting him with a grin, along with the others. He and Ruby had also been given the option to help with rebuilding the city, and they had both agreed to stay at the Bureau: Ruby put her medical background to use in the infirmary, while Jones worked with the NAA to select the people who would be escorted in from the Fringe.

"Mind if I borrow Four for a couple minutes?" Jones waved his goodbyes to the group as he pulled Tobias away. Tris sighed, trying to ignore Christina's stares from across the table. The crowd slowly dispersed until Tris was left there all alone, waiting. She finally left to go find him; she looked around the screen bank and even passed by the security office, but he wasn't in either place. In that moment, she felt like being alone anyways.

She wove her way down into the underground, avoiding the loud, cheerful laughter coming from the bar, and shuffled into the genealogy room. She could always count on it being empty; in the beginning, guards and officials came in occasionally just to see what the big deal was, but eventually they stopped, the reminder of what they had done to these people too much to bear. But Tris found it comforting. It felt like a way to be around the people she had lost and the people she never got a chance to know. It was her past, present, and future, all in one place.

She touched her parents' names, then Caleb's. She even took a moment to mourn Evelyn before moving on to the Abnegation that lost their lives in the attack. Though Tris didn't have any strong beliefs about what happened after death, she often said a silent prayer for them all. Only ninety-six Abnegation survived the attack, out of five hundred and eight.

The tears began to fall as she imagined Robert digging the graves for his parents and sister; the factionless giving back to the only people who had ever cared for them; Amity and Candor and even Erudite uniting to give those who died the peace they deserved. While Tris was glad that they had all put their differences aside to put the city back together, agreeing to give everyone the food, shelter, and security they deserved, nothing could diminish her sadness and guilt, the feeling that she had failed everyone. She failed her parents when she couldn't bring herself to help bury them; she even failed Caleb by being unable to pick up his ashes from the morgue. Working at the Bureau was allowing her to hide herself away from nearly everyone, trying her best to be strong and do what was right and what was needed for everyone else, yet suffering all the while.

She slouched down and covered her eyes as her sobs echoed off the walls. Even though she knew she wasn't to blame, Tris was sure she would always feel like it had all been her fault. Leaving the city had set off a chain of events that ended with the deaths of hundreds of people, and a memory wipe for those that willingly participated, as well as those that were not participants at all. Even if the others could, she could never separate herself from that. Tris wiped her eyes and took a moment to look around before heading to her apartment.

"Have you seen Tris?" Tobias looked up from his tablet to see the worried look on Christina's face.

"Not since I left dinner. Why?"

"Can't find her anywhere and she won't answer my calls. I'm almost positive she's in her room and won't open the door."

Tobias shut down the files he was working on, quickly leading Christina out of the common area of the visitors' dorm and taking her to the security room, where he picked up an all-access keycard. He knocked politely on Tris's door, then harder when there was no answer. "Tris? It's Four," he called out, pressing his ear to the door. Christina shrugged at him, then motioned for him to use the card.

He swiped it and entered, immediately hearing the shower and seeing a light from underneath the bathroom door. "Tris?" he said gently, knocking. "Are you okay?" He panicked a little when there was no response, and cracked the door open. His heart dropped when he saw her curled up in the bottom of the tub, trembling.

A/N:

And you thought there wasn't time for another cliffhanger... :P

As always, thank you for your reviews!