CHAPTER 18

So, before I start this chapter, I just want to immensely apologise for the massive gap between this chapter and the last. School has been seriously busy and I am trying to write my own novel so that has been my main priority for the past few months. Again, I am so sorry and I am sorry for this chapter being so short, but people have been asking for an update for a while. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

No one was outside when I ventured out into the Abnegation sector. People were probably still in their houses, indulging themselves in all of the things we didn't have outside of the fence, such as mattresses and chairs.

Underneath my shoes, the ground crunched and dirt splayed up to curl and settle on my black jeans. In the distance, the Abnegation Headquarters rose up into the sky. The Headquarters appeared to look the same way it had before we left, the same building that was the biggest in the Abnegation sector.

Inside, my feet slapped and echoed off the ground, letting anyone in here know of my arrival. From behind a beam, my brother surfaced, slipping around a pillar so that he stood in front of me, a small distance away.

He looked terrible; hair dishevelled and dark circles under his eyes. In a way, he looked a little bit skinnier than I remembered him being when I saw him last in Erudite.

"Beatrice," Caleb whispered and I winched at the name. It was only a reminder of the past, only a reminder of what our lives used to be before this war began, before the lies and deceit started. He saw my flinch and instantly he spoke again, correcting himself. "Tris, you came. I thought you wouldn't show up."

I stared at him for a moment, remembering the betrayal he had displayed towards me. "I didn't think I would either."

"You look well, Beatri—Tris." He quickly corrected himself again, raking a hand through his hair awkwardly. "Is it a boy or a girl?" Caleb questioned.

I bristled at the thought of him thinking about my baby but answered him anyway, knowing that he had a right to know, considering Mason was after all his nephew. "A boy, Mason." He smiled slightly and nodded to himself quietly. Suddenly I couldn't take this awkward attempt at conversation; I needed to know why he had betrayed not only me but also our parents, why he had been so ready to send me to my death. "Why?" I whispered, my breath only coming out on an exhale of breath.

All air seemed to evacuate him at the sound of the question, his shoulders slumped forward and his knees seemed to buckle, almost looking like he was about to pitch forward. "I am so ashamed of my actions, Tris, you have no idea how ashamed. If I could take back what I did, I would, if I could make it up to you somehow, I would in any way I possibly could, even if it took me the rest of my life."

"That doesn't answer the question." I said, still seeking the answer that I required. Defensively, I crossed my arms over my chest, waiting not so patiently for the answers I searched for.

He sighed, raking a hand through his hair again. He stalked over to a bunch of chairs that had been stacked in a corner. With a clatter, he let one of them fall onto its legs in front of him before letting it catch his weight with a slight groan. He offered for me to do the same, but I stayed where I was, in the exact same stance, my posture rigid and stiff.

"After Mum and Dad died…" I winched, remembering the way they had sacrificed themselves for both me and my brother, so that we could continue living. I remembered the way I had held my mother in my arms while the last rays of light in her eyes had died. A shiver ran down the length of my spine. "I couldn't think, I didn't know what to do. Jeanine somehow convinced me that it was the right thing to do. She then produced a serum that would "relieve the grief" she said. I should have known that it was a way to control me, to make me not only do what she said, but also turn my back on my family and everything I believed in."

I cursed under my breath, hating that woman even more than I already did. Before my brain had even made up its mind, my feet were stepping forward, one foot after another, gradually inching closer to my brother until he was standing too and his arms were wrapped firmly around my waist, holding me closer to him.

Hot, wet tears spilled over onto my cheeks and began to soak the shoulder of his grey T-shirt, however he didn't care, just continued to hold me. I breathed in his scent and realised just how much I had missed his simple smell of soap and sweat.

Eventually my tears and sobs subsided and I pulled out of the circle of his arms, running my thumb underneath my eyes to remove any remaining tears. My thumbs come away wet. "I missed you," I whispered so softly, I wasn't sure he had heard me. However, I know he had when his grip on me tightened ever so slightly.

***PAGE BREAK***

When I returned back to the house, I was dead on my feet, exhaustion weighing heavily on my shoulders. However, at the same time, I also felt elated that I had finally forgiven my brother and that we could move on from the past and look towards the future.

Tobias was sitting up at the kitchen table, Mason in his arms, when I walked through the house. At the sound of my footsteps, he glanced up at me, concern filling his dark blue eyes. "What happened? Are you okay?" He questioned urgently, jumping to his feet and rushing over to me.

I laughed softly, leaning up to kiss him on the lips. "Yes, my brother and I are going to move on from the past." I answered and gently plucked Mason out of Tobias' arms and began to dance around the room, slowly rocking my baby while humming a lullaby under my breath.

"Tris…" Tobias said warily. "You're acting strangely… it's almost like the time you were put under happy serum."

I grinned at him from across the other side of the kitchen. "I am perfectly fine. I'm just happy to have my brother back."

Finally after my energy had vanished, I collapsed into one of the chairs surrounding the kitchen table. Tobias came around to stand behind me and stood behind me, taking my shoulders between his hands and slowly massaged them. Before I could stop myself, a groan of pleasure slipped past my lips. Behind me, Tobias chuckled under his breath.

We sat there for a few more moments, exactly in those positions before someone knocked on the front door. Wow, I couldn't help but think, we were really popular tonight.

Tobias went to answer it and the sound of Thom's voice wafted down the hallway. I stood up and followed the sound of voices towards the front door. Sure enough, Thom was standing there, his arms crossed against his broad chest.

"Thom, how nice it is to see you." I greeted, smiling pleasantly at him. He nodded at me, shifting his gaze between the two of us. I frowned, this time it was my turn to look between the two men. "What's going on?"

"There's a meeting being held in the Headquarters, tonight at nine o'clock. It is to discuss the future plans for the city."

I guessed I should have expected this, for things to go this fast, but still it was a shock, like a bucket of freezing cold water had just been splashed in my face. We had only been back for at least 24 hours and already plans were going to be discussed.

Together, Tobias and I thanked him for passing on the message before retreating up the stairs to the bedroom. We lay side by side, Mason in his crib and listened to each other's breathing until one of us fell asleep.