Chapter 11: Tris

Three weeks after I see her, Christina comes to visit us and when she arrives I see her eyes light up.

We both left our factions and came to Dauntless and even though there are no more factions we still look like this is where we belong.

"Hey guys!" She sits with us at breakfast when she gets there.

"Wasn't expecting you here so early," Tobias says through a mouthful of eggs. "You take the day off work?"

She nods and steals a bite of my toast. "There's really only so much you can do when you're working in the office of a politician, Johanna gave me the day off."

"Well we have training today but you could join us." Her eyebrows shoot up and a smile takes over her face.

"Of course I do, let's see what you're teaching these people Stiff." We finish eating and follow the recruits up to the training room, my group is shooting again today so we say good bye to Tobias and walk over to the targets.

"Today we're going to use rifles, they're much different than the pistols you've been accustomed to as far as weight, kick back, and obviously the way you hold it. Christina is going to show you the proper way to aim and shoot."

When we were initiates Christina was the best shot in our group so it makes sense to have her demonstrate. And even though she hasn't used a gun since then she's still a great shot. When she's done the recruits each pick up a rifle and get to work while Christina comes back to the table and stands with me.

"So this is basically what you do all day?"

"This and physical training, they still learn fighting but it's not as gruesome as initiation was. And every other week they have classes to sit through to learn the rules and laws of the city."

She looks impressed and crosses her arms. "How do you think they're doing?"

"Let's just say if you ever have an emergency send someone to find me or Tobias."

After an hour to watching the group shoot I pull them away from the targets and show them what to do if the rifle jams as well as how to reload. When I'm done showing them I have each of them try it out.

Christina and I are walking around watching them when there's a shout from the mat and Tobias shakes his head.

"Get him to the infirmary and then you guys can go to lunch." Watching his group leave, Tobias joins us and I see his lips are pressed together. "Stupid, I can't believe we're putting out lives in their hands."

"What happened?"

Sometimes it still bothered Tobias that Christina was a Candor and that she still talked like one, but he was getting over it slowly. "Let's just say we might have another Peter on our hands."

Christina whistles and I sigh. "Is it Peter bad or Eric bad?"

The recruits around us were listening in trying to figure out what we were talking about, "Thankfully it looks like just another Peter, but let's not give him a chance to get as bad as Eric."

I dismiss my group for lunch and I can tell they're all still talking about what they heard, and while we start to sweep up the rubber bullets Christina tries to understand more about the guy.

"So he just stomped on her ankle?"

"Obviously trying to hurt her, and mostly because she's doing much better than him in every aspect."

I put away the broom and turn towards them. "But do we even want someone in the program that's willing to hurt someone else because they're going better?"

"That's something for George and Amar to decide but I'll make sure to bring it up when I see them."

We each grab a sandwich and I lead Christina to the apartment since she hasn't seen it yet.

"It's very…you." She says taking a bite of her food. "I can see where it used to be all Four but now it has touches of you in it."

"Like where?" To me, the apartment will always belong to Tobias and I want a place that is ours.

She points to the bed, "The way the bed is made for starters."

"That's how all Abnegation make their beds."

"The shoes by the door." I can only laugh, she's only pointing out Abnegation traits that he and I both have but I let it go. "Have you given any more thought to what was in your fear landscape?"

"You mean about getting engaged?" She nods and leans back in the chair. "I would love to marry Tobias, I want to start a family with him and spend our lives together. But I also want to go on dates and have a normal relationship without worrying about dying or having to run away."

When it comes to kicking me in the butt and pushing me in the right direction Christina is the one I turn to and today she doesn't disappoint. "Listen, nothing about your relationship is what anyone would consider normal. You guys were both divergent and kept each other alive when everything went crazy, when all the fighting started you two were the strongest and led the rest of us in the right direction to get what needed to be done, and then you died Tris and Tobias mourned and had to go through all of that. He's not going to give up now and even if you want to have a normal relationship you can't. You guys are the strongest couple I have ever seen and I think that if you don't marry that boy I'm going to force you."

"Alright," I jump off the bed and pull my boots on. "I have to get back to training are you sticking around?"

"Can't, I have to go visit my mom. But just so you know, my sister is planning on joining the force when she's old enough so make sure she's not killing herself."

We say good bye and I meet my group and get on with training.

When we break for dinner I grab Tobias and kiss him hard.

"That was nice." He mumbles into my neck. "Are you hungry at all?" I shake my head and run a hand down his spine absentmindedly touching each tattoo. "Want to go for a ride?"

Grabbing our jackets and run out towards the train and jump off by the old pier. "What are we doing here?"

"I thought it would be nice to spend some time here together, every time I see the ferris wheel I think of the paintball battle." The night we climbed the giant ferris wheel was the first time we had spent time together alone and the night I found out he was scared of heights. "Even though Dauntless is gone I still like to think that we could use what we learned there for what we're doing now."

"Why can't we?" His strong arms are around me pulling my body against his. "Let's take our groups out for a paintball battle through the city just like we did during initiation. Let's take them zip lining."

He laughs but I can tell he likes the ideas. "I might just wait at the bottom for the zip lining but I think the paintball is a good idea."

"Of course it is, it'll show them real experience in shooting and give them moving targets." I lean my head back into his chest and feel him breathing. "And because I came up with it."

We stand in silence for a while staring at the things around us before he whispers into my ear. "You're quiet."

"I've been thinking about something," Taking a breath and watching it exit in a puff I ready myself. "I wanted to hold off on getting married because I wanted to try and have a normal relationship first. But, we're never going to have a normal relationship. We've been through too much to try and make it normal now."

Tobias turns me in his arms and I wrap mine around his neck. "Beatrice, we can move as slowly as you want. I'm not going to pressure you into marrying me just because you think that whatever we do now will bore me." His eyes grab mine and I see his smile in them. "I love you no matter what, and if that means that we wait until you're ready, I'll wait with you. I want to be with you for the rest of my life, I'll wait forever if that's what you want."

"Why wait when we can start our forever now?"

Our lips meet slowly at first and the warmth is welcoming, his hands press me closer to him and I know that I wouldn't want to be with anyone else.