IMPORTANT A/N: Please make sure you have read Chapter 10 before continuing with this chapter. When I posted the previous chapter last week, Fanfiction servers were experiencing difficulties; many authors' updates disappeared, including mine.

Welcome all to my first Divergent fanfiction (original novel by Veronica Roth.) This story is rated T for moderate violence, language, and sexual themes. Please review; I'd love to read your feedback.

Ciao, Gabrielle.

Chapter 11: Scorch

Nina drifted in and out of consciousnesses and lost all grasp on time. Her limbs felt heavy and weak. Voices came and went, echoing loudly in her head. Sometimes she wasn't sure if she was hearing voices at all, or if they were just figments of her imagination. Some voices she recognized: the healer, Sonya, Max. Others tugged at her memory but she could make no connections.

"... peace serum..."

"... not working..."

"... she's hallucinating..."

"...undiagnosed..."

"... heart valve malfunction..."

Waves of red and orange colors swirled before her eyes. A shriek pierced the silent clinic. The agonizing scream seemed to crack Nina's head open. She cried out and covered her ears. She launched herself up from the bed and spun around wildly. Her friend was in the bed beside her, pale and motionless. There was no scream. It was all in her head.

"Maddie, Maddie..." she chanted.

A healer lead her back to bed. She laid down compliantly. Ice moved in her veins, freezing her vital organs. The bed was a glacier. Snowflakes fell onto her skin, and white lights flashed. She shivered uncontrollably. A thick blanket was laid over her, melting the ice in her veins. Beautiful, familiar icy eyes comforted her. "It's ok, Nina. Go back to sleep."

Time passed, or didn't. Vibrant patterns pulsed in the air. She heard sobbing. A voice, pleading. She turned her head and saw a young man caressing Maddie's cheek.

"Who are you?" she slurred.

The boy turned to her. His eyes were dark and vacant. "It's me, Amir."

His face blurred. Fading memories took place. Amir hugging Maddie. Amir on a train cart, wearing the white clothing of Candor. Amir dropping a gun, its bullet accidentally lodging into Maddie's skin.

"Don't hurt her again," she begged.

His reply didn't reach Nina's ears, and time passed. She felt each of her limbs slowly turn to stone. Paralyzed eternally. The clinic was stagnant and static. Her heart beat drummed loudly in her head. She focused on trying to move her fingers. Small tingles pricked at her fingertips.

A scaled head floated before her eyes. Cold eyes that she recognized. A malicious grin spread from ear to ear. His reptilian tongue danced. "It would be so easy to end you now. Your friend is already out of the picture thanks to her fucked heart. Two competitors, out of the way."

The pillow was cold and stiff. It pressed against her mouth and nose, smothering her. She struggled to move her useless limbs. She was pinned to the cot by invisible shackles. Her heart beat erratically, and her lungs were stone in her chest.

Stars danced before her eyes. The void called to her. She gave in.

Nina peeled open her eyes and blinked at the sudden bright light. Her throat was parched and her head felt heavy.

"Good morning, kitty cat." Sonya was sitting at Nina's side in a stiff chair. Her tone of voice was light, but her dark eyes expressed anxiety and sleep deprivation.

"What's going on? Is Maddie ok? What happened to me last night?" Nina's voice was dry, and she was grateful for the glass of water that Sonya handed to her. She looked around and saw that Maddie was still in the cot beside her, asleep. A female healer was tending to her, taking her vital signs and recording them in an electronic chart.

"One question at a time, kitty cat," Sonya chuckled darkly. "Maddie's doing ok. She was awake a little while ago, but the healer wants her to rest as much as possible. She's been given a sleep aid to help." She paused and shifted uncomfortably. "Nina... Your friend had an undiagnosed heart abnormality."

Nina drew in her breath sharply. "What does that mean?"

Sonya grasped her hand. "It means Maddie's heart has to work extra hard to pump blood. It's usually an asymptomatic disorder, which is why she was never diagnosed. But now that she's being pushed daily in training, her heart just can't keep up with her body. The physical exertion could be fatal if she's not more careful."

Nina wept openly, her chest shaking and heaving. Suddenly all those moments made sense. Moments in which Maddie complained of a chest ache. Of having difficulty breathing. Of feeling light headed. Nina had always brushed it off, thinking her friend was just tired from training. She was wrong, so wrong. Staggering guilt and fear flooded her.

Sonya wrapped her arms around her and comforted her. Her cries eventually subsided, and Sonya offered her some tissues. As she wiped away the tears, she made the decision that this would the last time she cried. Tears wouldn't help Maddie. Tears were weak and childish. Tears had no place in Dauntless.

She took a deep breath and crumpled up the tissue in her hand. "Thank you. Please don't tell anyone I cried."

"There's nothing wrong with crying, Nina."

Nina pleaded with her wordlessly. Finally Sonya nodded. "Ok. Fine. So, your other question. Last night... Well, Eric and Four told me you really freaked out when Maddie collapsed. Do you remember any of that?"

The painful memories came back quickly to Nina. Her rash decision, her cold words, her fear, her panic. Maddie's limp body. A sting in her neck. And then darkness. She nodded dully. "Yea, I remember..."

"Well, Eric gave you a peace serum. He didn't know what else to do. Do you know what a peace serum is?"

"Yes, of course. Amity uses them all the time. They're used to make someone calm and peaceful."

Sonya nodded. "Well. It totally didn't work on you. Like, at all. You were hallucinating all night. It was really terrible. We thought you had lost your mind. We didn't know what to do. "

Nina put her head in her hands. "Oh god. I remember. It was really frightening... Why didn't the peace serum work on me?"

Sonya shrugged. "The healers have no idea. They've never seen anything like it."

They sat in silence for some minutes as Nina processed the overwhelming information. Her mind was heavy with dreadful thoughts. All she wanted to do was sit in total darkness and scream until her voice was hoarse.

Nina sketched fervently in the far corner of the tattoo parlour. All day the parlour had been bustling with Dauntless members enjoying a day off. Smiling. Relaxing. Laughing. She wanted to shut them all the fuck up.

The only person she could stand to be with right now was Q, and she was glad to see him come in. He didn't offer empty condolences or meaningless small talk. He was quiet and thoughtful, which was just what Nina needed.

He calmly flipped through her sketch book. It was filled with ideas for tattoo designs and patterns. He paused at the drawing of a mouse and smiled softly. He tapped the page and pointed to his shoulder.

Nina nodded, understanding what he wanted, and began to prepare the tattoo gun. She wanted to know why Q wanted a mouse tattoo, of all things, but she understood that he was a reserved individual who only disclosed information when he wanted to. She rolled his shirt sleeve up and began the tattoo.

She finished after half an hour and felt much calmer. The act of tattooing was always very relaxing for her. Q thanked her wordlessly with a small smile and nod. Then he spoke to her quietly "I always called my little sister my mouse."

When he left, it was closing time and the parlour emptied for the evening. Sonya allowed her to stay with the promise of locking up behind her. She contemplated visiting Maddie again, but the thought of seeing her friend weak and pale in the clinic cot made her feel sick. She instead opened her sketch book and began putting the finishing touches on the drawing of a phoenix. There were two versions of the drawing: a flowery, feminine version and a darker, masculine version. She contemplated making a sketch for Maddie to cheer her up.

Someone knocked on the glass door of the tattoo parlour. Nina continued drawing as she yelled out "We're closed!"

The person pounded again. Nina rolled her eyes and put her pencil down. "Can't you see the fucking sign on the door?!" She looked up and saw that it was Eric. She sighed and got up to unlock the door.

She wordlessly let him in, but hoped he wouldn't stay long. She was in no mood to put up with him, not tonight. She had enough things on her mind, and Eric... well, he always managed to confuse her. She never knew what he wanted, and she definitely didn't know what she wanted either. She felt a pull to him, but she knew it was wrong. With all the things going on in her life, the last thing she needed was a distraction like him. A dark, alluring, and dangerous distraction.

She sat in her familiar seat and continued drawing. It was the finishing touches, really, but Nina never felt a tattoo sketch was truly complete until had been inked permanently to someone's skin. Until then, she would continue adding small details and erasing here and there. Eric sat quietly and watched her sketch, though she tilted the book away from him to hide the drawing. She felt strangely comfortable drawing in front of him, though it was something she usually preferred to do alone. She finally stopped moving her pencil, realizing that there was nothing else she could add to this drawing. It was as done as it ever would be. She snapped her sketch book shut.

Suddenly Eric was pulling his shirt off, revealing intricately inked skin and muscles that were hard from years of combat training. Nina forced herself to look only at his face. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I want a tattoo," he explained succinctly.

"You can't just march in here and demand a tattoo. We're closed you know," she stated jokingly as she pushed on his chest lightly, causing him to lean back in the padded seat. "Close your eyes," she demanded.

"Why?" He asked suspiciously. Eric was a cautious individual. Closed eyes made him susceptible to perceived dangers, and he preferred to always be on high alert. Nina was accustomed to the way his eyes scanned every room for details and exits upon entering, and the way he never had his back to a door.

"Just trust me, please?" She pleaded with him, biting her lip; a nervous habit.

His mouth turned down but he complied, settling back into the chair stiffly with his eyes closed.

Nina began to assemble the tattoo gun and filled some ink wells with different colors: shades of black, red, and yellow. She cleaned the blank spot on Eric's chest with a wet wipe then dried the area with a small towel. She opened her sketch book to the drawing of the phoenix for reference. Then she brought the needle to his skin and began to draw.

The art of tattooing was a therapeutic one for Nina. She gave in to the relaxation of the act and let her thoughts escape her mind. The lines she traced slowly filled Eric's chest, leaving her permanent mark on his skin. She let the whims of her creative impulse control her hand. The creature on his chest slowly came to life. Flames ignited on his skin, dancing with hues of red and orange. Nina periodically wiped away blood and running ink. This was her first truly intricate tattoo, larger and more complex than any of the others she had done, yet she felt totally at ease. Drawing and tattooing came natural to her, and being with Eric also felt natural. In the hours she spent there, in the dark room, Nina lost track of time. She was completely absorbed by the lines she drew on his skin, and his even breaths calmed her. She felt her own lungs expand and compress in time with his. This was home to her.

Eric reached over and traced the tattoo on her arm, his icy eyes skimming her skin. The lyrics that encircled her upper arm were only partially complete. His touch made goosebumps rise on her skin. "Is this the song you were humming on the roof last week? You promised you would sing it me."

"I thought I told you to keep your eyes closed," Nina demanded.

Eric rolled his eyes but complied.

"Anyways," she continued, "I never promised I would sing to you, I said I might." She contemplated as she shaded in the final section of the tattoo. "Maddie's a better singer, you know."

"I don't want to hear Maddie sing," he said gruffly. "I want to hear you."

She felt her heart skip a beat. She began to hum the song gently, letting the familiar melody soothe her. "Well, if I'm going to sing, you have to keep your eyes closed. If you look at me, it'll make me nervous."

He smirked but kept his eyes closed. "I make you nervous?"

She ignored him and continued to hum. She never sang in front of anyone, ever. In truth, she didn't have a bad voice and she definitely could keep a tune. But singing just felt so intimate to her. It didn't come easy to her like it did for her mother and Maddie. Yet here she was, about to sing in front of someone else for the first time ever. Her heart should be racing. Her skin should feel clammy. Yet it felt natural. It felt natural to share this song from Amity with a man who detested any mention of allegiance to other factions. Did he really, then? What did this mean for her, and what did it mean of him? Nina forced herself to push the convoluting thoughts out of her head and focus on what felt right. And what felt right, at the moment, was singing for Eric.

She let the words fly out of her mouth like a song bird. Her soft voice filled the quiet room. The phoenix on Eric's skin was animated, the flames surrounding it seemingly dancing. She continued to work as she sang. She put the finishing touches, wiped away spots of blood and ink, and disassembled the tattoo gun. All the while, the lyrics flowed naturally. Years of hearing the words in Amity, years of dreams of a phoenix, years of humming the tune to the beautiful lullaby, culminated in this moment, a moment in which she could finally share the song with someone who was important to her. She didn't understand why, but maybe she didn't have to understand.

The song finally ended and Eric opened his eyes. His steely eyes assessed her with a gentleness she hadn't ever witnessed. He looked away from her for a moment to admire his new tattoo. Nina felt self-conscious. Did he loathe it? Was it what he wanted? He slowly traced the wings of the phoenix on his skin, and she wondered what was running through his mind. She would always wonder about him.

Nina stopped thinking when Eric stood up and pulled her head towards his. Their lips crashed together, and she felt wildfire spread from her mouth down through her chest and legs. He wound his hand through her loose hair, pulling lightly. His lips were soft, the only soft thing about him. She nibbled gently on his bottom lip, and Eric moaned lightly. His lips left hers and kissed along her jaw down to her neck. He gently kissed and sucked a spot on her neck, and she felt her limbs shiver with delight.

"Oh, Eric," she moaned out. She placed her hand on his hard jaw and tilted his head up. Their lips collided again, passionately. She ran her hand over his bare chest, forgetting the tender new tattoo. Eric wrapped an arm around her lower back and pulled her closer to him. His other hand slipped under her shirt and gripped her waist. Her lips were tingling against his. His skin and lips were cool yet she felt like she was burning up with desire. His body molded perfectly to hers.

Suddenly, Eric's communication device was ringing. Three quick, high pitched noises indicated an incoming message. He pulled away and reached for the device.

"Eric, don't you dare answer that," Nina demanded.

He glared. "I have to. It's Max."

"Fuck Max. Are you fucking serious?"

He turned away and brought the device to his ears. After listening to the short message he turned back to Nina and began to slip his shirt back on. "I have to go."

"This is so fucking typical. He really has you on a fucking leash, doesn't he? Hanging that damn promotion over your head," she snapped.

His eyes narrowed. "How do you know about the promotion?"

Nina panicked. 'Because I overheard a secret conversation with dangerous information that I definitely shouldn't know.' Instead, she thought quickly and answered. "It's pretty obvious."

"This is my job. I'm a leader of Dauntless," he reminded her sternly with his arms crossed. His lips were slightly swollen from kissing her. Nina struggled between wanting to hit him and wanting to pull him close again.

She was seething. "Whatever, Eric. Just fucking go. This didn't mean anything anyways."

He scowled back. "Fine."

"Fine!"

And then he walked out, leaving Nina alone with her emotions.

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