Hello again, dear reader! It's been a long while since I updated. I don't even know how time went by so fast without me even realizing it. I hope you like this chapter and I will try not to take so long in the future.

Also, there's a moment between Tobias and Tris, that hopefully will make up for the time.

Enjoy!

Chapter III

Tobias looked furiously at the group of people who wore white laboratory gowns before him. He knew that they were right, but he was not going to admit it. The defiant part of his brain prevented him from doing so. Even though it was for the best, he just could not see her this way. He peeked over a glass window at the end of the room and on the other side of it, Tris laid on a chair. It was the same as on previous years, when Jeanine had strapped her there in order to study her Divergence. It brought back horrible memories. She had almost died here.

"We weighed all possible solutions very carefully, but this was the most efficient one." Matthew explained, as they observed Cara move slowly towards Tris. She held a syringe in her hands while the other woman moved harshly on the chair. Or at least as much as she could. She was tightly secured with straps on her hands, torso, legs and head. She struggled as Cara placed the syringe on the side of her neck and slowly drifted to sleep.

"This is completely unacceptable!" Tobias shouted in exasperation and pressed the bridge of his nose.

"Listen, Four-" Caleb started to speak, but not before he was interrupted by the same person he was addressing.

Four's voice raised so much that even Cara noticed in the other room, "No! You listen," he threatened him with a murderous look in his eyes, which shut Caleb up completely. It angered him that her brother, who she sacrificed herself for, also agreed with this. Hell, he probably came up with this sick idea. After all that Tris did for him, the least he could do is stay out of this issue. "She's not your fucking laboratory rat."

Matthew held his hands up to try to calm Tobias down while talking slowly as if he was a bomb about to explode. "We all want to help her," Four scoffed, "This is the best way to know what is going on with her and then we will be able to do something about it."

Tobias lowered his voice,"She has been attached to that chair for three days. Three days without moving." He looked at her sleeping figure and his anger turned into sadness. He knew she feared powerlessness and even if she did not act like herself anymore, this probably scared her to death.

"She's dangerous," said Cara softly while placing a hand on his shoulder. "She could have killed Christina." He turned from her sight and scanned the people around him. He looked at Christina's leg and guilt struck him for allowing that to happen. She was looking down at her shoes but said nothing, not that he expected her to. Any person would be resentful if someone was the reason they could not walk for weeks.

The rest were looking at him intently, "There has to be another way," he was not going to plead but he had to at least try to change their minds. "I understand that she is unstable. But this will definitely drive her crazy. It will only make it worse."

"Even if we wanted to, we cannot release her," answered Matthew, "Direct orders from Johanna. If she's a threat to the community, she needs to be locked."

Tobias rolled his eyes, "I never suggested that she should be allowed to walk around on her own. She must be controlled but that is too extreme," he pointed at the several straps around her body. "When I was under a simulation, no one threw me in a laboratory."

"And because you were in a simulation, you have to understand how dangerous people can be when under one." The group directed their gazes towards Tris and he got the message. They were referring to when he almost killed her. And although that was not truly his fault, there is nothing he would have regretted more. He would have never been able to forgive himself if he actually did it.

He ignored the dark thoughts of the event and concentrated on his present, "Yes, I was uncontrollable. But I was not brought back by laboratory idiots," he knew that he offended them when he said that, but he did not care, "Only she brought me back." Nobody said anything for a few seconds. "I don't want her first memories after she comes back to be about this."

And for the first time, Christina spoke, "I agree with Four." They were surprised that she commented, and even more so that she actually spoke in favor of Tris. Tobias mouthed a 'thank you' and she nodded in acknowledgement.

Cara looked at him tiredly and sighed, "We might be able to release her but she would still have to be constantly watched over."

"I will do it." Tobias' eyes relaxed for a second before his expression turned serious again. No one seemed to notice. "Anything useful that you have discovered so far?" He spit the question. He needed to know that these three days were not completely pointless or he was going to strangle someone. Caleb, preferably.

Matthew moved towards the computer and started to type on the keyboard. Two images appeared on the screen showing human brains. "The one on the left is Tris' brain, the one on the right is yours." He turned for a second to look at Tobias' reaction, who did nothing but stare at the images. Taking this as a signal of approval, he proceeded, "As you can see, this would be a typical brain during a simulation. The brain activity in the amygdala is intensified due to an external stimulus, the serum, which affects the way you perceive reality." He pointed at the lower part of the image where a lot of red dots were located, as he continued, "However, the brain on the left presents no irregularities in said area." he moved his finger almost towards the bottom of Tris' brain. Nothing. "So in other words, she is not under a simulation. She's completely conscious."

He closed the apartment door behind him. Tris stood a few feet away from him, with handcuffs securing both arms. She did not say a word on the way from the laboratory, and he realized that she had not spoken since she reappeared. His brain was trying to figure what had happened to her. It could have been many things, really, but a simulation was the most expected. He only hoped that whatever it was, was not irreversible.

She looked at him expectantly and lifted her tied hands. Tobias suppressed a smile at her raised eyebrow. "You know I can't, Tris." He looked calm on the outside, but on the inside, he was nervous. Not only because she was not saying anything, but because they hadn't been alone for years. However, his 18-year-old self was pushed aside by his current worries. Tris ignored his comment and her eyes explored the new environment. They landed on a bed at the end of the room. She walked towards it and sat on it, he followed soon after.

He kept his distance as he did not want her to feel threatened by him. But he was curious to know if this new Tris was also scared of closeness. He cleared his throat catching her attention, "You will be sleeping here. I will take the couch." He waited for her to say something, but she did not, so he continued, "If you want to use the bathroom, I will remove your handcuffs. But only at those times." He looked at her apologetically. She could easily escape or kill him in his sleep. And as much as he wanted to help her, he could not risk it.

He could hear the shower for a while. It relaxed him to know that she was there, safe and sound, just a few meters away from him. But as much as he was glad that she was there, it still felt like she was far away. He needed to hear her voice; he felt like he did not remember it anymore. And he did not have the patience to just try to figure out what she wanted when she didn't speak. He was already getting irritated about it.

The shower stopped running and he heard Tris get out of it. From his position on the bed, he could see her when she stepped in front of the sink wearing a towel and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked back at him through it and he expected her to close the door. Or do something. Anything. But she didn't. She only stood there and held his gaze... Yet she did not look scared or uncomfortable.

Before he could process what was happening, he started to move in her direction. He could not stop himself and he honestly did not think he wanted to. He stood behind her without breaking eye contact and then placed his head against her shoulder. He inhaled her scent for a moment and started to move his hand up and down her arm. Her skin was soft and a bit cold from the shower. But it was perfect; he wanted more of it. On the other hand, Tris did not move one centimeter, maybe even stopped breathing. Suddenly he realized how completely out of line it was. He mumbled "Sorry," and exited the bathroom quickly.

As he closed the bathroom door, there was an almost inaudible "Don't be."

But he heard it.

That's it for Chapter III! I would like their relationship to be like in the books, slowly built. But I think, however, that they are not teenagers anymore so it will be more... mature.

Let me know what you think. I would love to hear opinions, theories or anything you want to share. If there is a good response, I would be motivated to update earlier. But anyways, I will still try to update soon.

Thank you for reading the story!