Thank you SO much for the kind reviews! Love those! This chapter is... THE APTITUDE TEST! Yaaay! Please enjoy, everyone!

xxx

Anastasia's POV

Finally. My moment. My moment to reassure myself I'm Dauntless. Dad tells me there's no doubt about it. Mom acts like she disagrees, but I don't know.

The train arrives at the Hub and I jump off with Jason, Vicki and Parker.

I laugh as I jump, doing a forward shoulder roll on the small hill. I see a lot of the other factions looking at us, probably thinking we're crazy. I agree with them.

We've traveled so far from that day at Willis Tower. Parker and Vicki getting together. Then getting engaged at only 15. Me getting a little brother.

Everything has been figured out. Everyone has been figured out. Except for this. Except for this, the biggest day of our lives.

"You ready for this?" Parker asks me. I chuckle. "I was born ready." I reply.

We high five and the doors open. We walk in, though we're very anxious.

Jeanine Matthews greets us with her speech about what will happen in the Aptitude Test and the Choosing Ceremony. I'm ready for this. I have been for 16 years.

Vicki squeezes my hand and I smile.

We're ushered into a hall and stand in front of doors. Vicki is to my right and after her is Parker, and Jason is to my left.

I beckon them and we group together.

"Dauntless? No matter what result?" Jason clarifies. "No matter what." Vicki says. "Totally and completely." Parker says and takes Vicki's hand.

"This is it. All the little moments in our life have led up to this one big moment. And we can do it." I say and take Jason's hand and Parker's unoccupied one. Vicki takes Jason's other hand and we stand there for a second, all of us holding hands.

Then we get back in front of our doors silently.

They open a minute later and I step in mine as they step in theirs.

I see a woman who looks about five years older than Mom and Dad.

"Hey, I'm Tori. I'll be doing your Aptitude Test, Anastasia." The woman says. Tori. I think I remember Mom saying something about a Tori doing her Aptitude Test.

"Ok," I say and sit in the chair.

She shoots something into my neck with a syringe. "Just try to relax." She says and I close my eyes.

I open them a second later and see no one. I'm in the same room, but no one is there. My forehead wrinkles slightly in confusion. I look down at my hands and see the same thing I always see. Ivory skin with a few scars from running and climbing falls.

I get up to find my legs still work. A huge mirror is in front of me. I look in it and see myself. I see the same thing again. What did I expect? That I'd be different in some way? Have golden skin? Flaming orange hair? I think not.

I then see a whole line of mirrors. The small room appears to have expanded and brightened. I look around at the many versions of myself that plaster the walls. They all look identical. I can barely tell which is which and who's the real one.

Then, one of my many reflections speaks. "Choose." She says to me. I look into my own eyes, confused, but the reflection's face doesn't mirror mine. "What for?" I ask. "Just choose." She says. "What for?" I repeat, annoyed. She points to two baskets. One holds a large hunk of cheese and the other, a knife.

"Choose. Before it's too late." She warns me. "Why?" I ask again. The reflection then turns back into me and I'm left with an angry look.

A snarling causes me to whip around. A vicious looking German Shepherd is stalking me. I sink to the ground immediately, remembering from practice with Vicki's dog that dogs can sense fear. When you look into their eyes it's showing you're dominant, and it can trigger them to pounce. But when you look away, it's submissive. Always hold out your hand for them to sniff before you touch them. All this I know.

It begins to approach me and my heart pounds so loud it sounds like thunder. I wonder if the dog hears it too. I then try to calm myself, breathing slowly and deeply. My heartbeat slows and I soothe myself.

I then hear a whining and look up. I can't help it. I don't know the dog is there and our eyes lock. I expect it to pounce but it doesn't. It's pink tounge hangs loosely and one of it's ears droops.

I laugh lightly and reach my hand out to the dog. It doesn't show any signs of distaste, so I gently begin to scratch the dog's neck. It wags it's tail and I laugh louder.

"Puppy!" I hear a child's voice squeal. My gaze lifts and I see a young child who looks identical to me as a 6-year-old.

I chuckle and then a horrible thought strikes me. Before I have time to warn her, the dog turns back into a terrible, angry creature. A monster.

Without thinking, I launch myself at the dog. My arms wrap around its neck. It sinks to the ground and I pin it to the ground.

Then the child and the dog have disappeared. I feel a little as I do when waking from a good dream. I'm back with Tori. I feel good about myself, but she looks concerned.

She rips the wires from my temples and I wait anxiously for my result.

"Tori?" I ask.

"Look, you can't tell this to anyone." Tori says sternly.

"But... what did I get?" I ask.

She sighs and leans her head in a little closer. "When you saw the angry dog and remembered facts about it, it showed traces of Erudite." She says. I get a bitter taste in my mouth. Erudite? I'm Dauntless. Dauntless for life. That's the motto, right?

"But," She starts and the taste dissolves. "When you pounced on the dog, it showed lots of Dauntless." I'm reassured.

"However when you did that, you did it to save the child. Which shows Abnegation." Tori continues.

This means nothing to me. "So, what's my result?" I ask.

Tori sighs again and looks left. "It's something that they call... Divergent." She says this very quietly.

"Divergent?" I ask.

"Shh!" She hisses. I cover my mouth and look around, expecting someone to materialize from thin air and scold me or take me into custody or something else irrational.

"Sorry. What's Divergent?" I ask.

"It means you showed equal promise for Dauntless, Abnegation and Erudite." She speaks quickly.

I then remember something from when I was small that always puzzled me. My mother and father were fighting, something they almost never did. I heard her yelling, "She's Divergent, Tobias! We can't change it!"

And then I knew they were talking about me. Who else? I was all they revolved around. They were devoted to me, and they still are.

"What faction do I pick, then?" I ask.

"Just... any of them. That's what the Choosing Ceremony is for. You decide. Don't speak of this to anyone, not your family, your friends, not anyone. Understand?" She asks.

I nod slowly. "My family?" I ask.

"You got sick from the serum." Tori answers.

I nod curtly and walk out.

xxx

I push through the door and see my mother reading with my younger brother, Jake. I smile warmly at them.

"Tasi! What are you doing here? Did the test go ok?" She asks worriedly.

"I just got sick from the serum. I'm fine." I reply.

She gets a misty, far-away look in her eyes as if she's remembering something.

"You ok?" I ask.

"It just astounds me how alike we are." She answers.

I look at her, confused.

"No matter," She says and smiles.

"How's baby Jakey?" I ask Jake. My one-year-old brother giggles and reaches for me. Mom hands him over and I bounce him in my arms.

"Are you hungry? Do you need anything?" She asks.

I shake my head. "I'm fine, thanks." I reply.

"Ok. I'm going to go read if that's ok." She says.

"Yeah, that's great, do whatever you need to do. We'll be ok." I say and she smiles gratefully. Then she bustles out.

I kiss Jake's silky brown hair and he nestles into my neck.

I can't help but think of how I might have been at his age. So sweet. Easy. Fresh, in a way. That changed for me.

It will for him too.

xxx

How did you like the chapter? I hope you liked it! Sorry for the mega-long wait. I have my state's standardized testing next week so I've had tons of homework. I'll probably update tomorrow and if not, the day after. Love you all and PUH-LEEEEEZE review!