Beatrice POV
When I reach Uri he automatically takes Justin from me, it's like second nature now, and starts trying to quite his cries, while I do the same with Taylor. By the time Dauntless had finished cheering for us the twins were back to normal, and if we were lucky they'd both be sleeping by the time the ceremony was over.
The last person had chosen and now we were running out of the Hub with the rest of Dauntless. It was a little harder to do this with a baby attached to you front, but thankfully Uri and I had known that this was going to be the case ad had done some extra training for it. The twins weren't happy, but I just kept reminding myself that I just had to get them to Dauntless and then things would be easier. I wasn't stupid enough to know we weren't going to have to jump onto the train so my mom had made Uri and I each a wrap to place the babies in so we could have two hands to get ourselves in the train. Poor Uri looked a little ridiculous in the wrap but he was one hell of a determined uncle and didn't care what anyone else thought.
Once we had both successfully made it on Uri took his wrap off and came to sit on the side of me. A Candor transfer sat on my other side and introduced herself as Christina.
"Tris" I replied. I had decided that I wanted to keep the name Bea special to me with only Uri, Zeke, Tobias, Caleb and my parents calling me that.
"So, these are your kids?"
"Yeah" I pointed to Taylor in my arms, "this is Taylor and that right there is Justin. They're twins."
"And who is that holding Justin?"
"That's my twin Uriah, Uriah say hello to Christina."
"What's up?" Uriah replies.
"Did you know that it's very rare to have twins in back to back generations? Statistically speaking there is always a generation in between," some Erudite informed us.
"Well, we're special then" Uriah cut him off. Neither one of us ever really talked about the fact that we weren't actually twins, because to us, we were. Plus no one here needed to know that Uri and I didn't in fact share any DNA.
She nods her head in Uriah's direction. We all get down so that we don't fall over, the twins are whimpering right now, upset by all this moving around that they're not really used to.
"They're jumping off!" Someone shouts so we all get up. Uri and I each place our own twin back in the wraps. I'm starting to get nervous about seeing Tobias. I wonder how he's going to react to seeing me with our kids. They minute he sees Justin I know there will be no doubt in his mind that these are his kids. Plus, being Tobias, I know that he'll figure it out anyway. Christina, Uri, and I watch a few people jump off before we decide to join them. I skin my elbow a little bit but I'm determined not to show any weakness so I ignore the little bite of pain. Uri can tell but he stays quite, knowing me so well. We check the twins and they are each doing just fine.
"Listen up! My name is Max! I am one of the leaders of your new faction! Several stories below us is the members' entrance to our compound. If you can't muster the will to jump off, you don't belong here. Our initiates have the privilege of going first," an older looking man informs us. He's standing on the ledge of the roof like it's no big deal, like he wouldn't end his life with one simple misstep. While everyone ponders this I look at Uri. I would normally be okay with this, but jumping off a building with my four month old infants isn't really high on my list of priorities. Reasonably I know there is something down there to catch me, or else they would have no initiates left. I'm just hoping it's not something that will hurt my children.
"Someone has to go first. Who's it gonna be?" he taunts. I know it has to be me. Being a "stiff" is enough, but being a mother too, these people aren't going to take me seriously unless I make them. Uri, seeing that this is my train of thought gives me a slight nod letting me know he's on board.
"Listen for me before you jump, if I say nothing it's safe to jump with the baby, if I start screaming figure out a different way to get my child down there," I whisper to Uri.
"Me," I say loud enough for everyone else to hear. I've removed my outer coat because I know that it's not going to help my fall. I can hear people saying things about a stiff stripping but I ignore them and keep walking to the ledge.
"Well, well, well, the rest of you should feel pretty stupid right now. Momma Bear here is about to jump, taking one of her cubs with her and the rest of you won't even jump down with just yourselves to worry about," Max continues.
I decide that now is not the time to think, now is the time to act. I pull my baby closer to me and I see Max give me a little wink while looking at her. I know this is his way of telling me she is safe. I don't need any more reassurance, I jump.
I can feel my back hit what feels like rope when I land. Sure enough when I take a look around I'm in a huge net. The first thing I do is look at Taylor. She's sleeping, and I'm almost proud of her. She wasn't even effected at all. I can see a few hands sticking out and I just latch onto the first one I see. It's not until I feel his arms wrap around me to stop me from falling face first that I realize whose hand I grabbed.
"Just go with it. We'll talk later. For now you don't know me. I promise I'll explain." I hear him whisper in my ear while he takes just a few seconds longer than necessary to help me right myself. I turn to him and keep my mouth shut, not knowing what to say to him and waiting for him to make the first move.
"I can't believe it. A stiff, the first to jump. Unheard of." I hear from somewhere behind him. I see him start to roll his eyes but before he can complete the action I'm distracted by the most wonderful sound.
"Yeah well, not so unheard of when you find out she's my baby sister is it?" I absolutely beam at Zeke. I'm so excited to see him and apparently I'm allowed to know him. The only thing keeping me from throwing myself at him is a sleeping Taylor in my arms.
"Zeke!" I squeal at him. He comes up to me but notices Taylor right before he hugs me.
"Well, what do we have here? My niece? Gosh Bea, she looks just like you."
"Wait till you see her twin! He looks just like," I cut myself off right there. "Well, let's just say he looking nothing like me," I finish lamely. I can see Zeke look at Tobias briefly and there is a hint of an emotion that flashes in Tobias' eyes before he removes it and goes back to expressionless.
"As touching as this is, more people need to jump. Do you have a name?" Tobias asks me coldly. Zeke doesn't seem phased but I'm ready to cry. Zeke sends me a playful wink, knowing me so well.
"Yeah," I say. "Tris."
Tobias raises his eyebrows at me, while the girl who spoke easier says "make the announcement Four."
The confusion must be clear on my face because while Tobias is yelling "First jumper, Tris!" Zeke leans down and whispers later into my ear. I nod and walk over to the side a little bit.
Zeke follows me and says "I'm guessing Uri is going to jump now seeing as you didn't send him any danger signal?"
I laugh and reply simply, "You know us well." Not a minute later my twin is landing in the net and Tobias is helping him out of the net. Uri tells Tobias his name sounding a little confused but Uri always goes with the flow. He comes over to me and Zeke and I can see Tobias stand close enough to us so he can overhear our conversation.
"Okay, I want introductions. This is my family after all," Zeke tells us.
"Well," Uri starts, but I interrupt him.
"Hey! My kids I get to do the interductions!"
"Geez! Fine, I guess as favorite uncle I don't count for much." Uri pouts. I laugh but continue.
"Okay, so this right here," I say pulling Taylor out of my wrap, "is Miss Taylor Natalie Eaton and this young gentleman here," I say as Uri pulls out Justin, "is Mister Justin Tobias Eaton."
"Well aren't you two just the cutest things I have ever seen." Zeke says to them. I laugh a little because they're both still sleeping. Justin opens his eyes a little and you can hear Zeke's gasp.
"I'll be damn, those eyes. I mean it's like looking right at, um, him." Zeke says softly, but enough that I know Tobias heard.
"I know. He's his spitting image."
"Yeah," Uri agrees. "Almost makes you wonder if the third one was a combo of you two of if they kept up the clone theme. I give Uri my best glare. Now so really not the time.
"The third?" Zeke asks.
"There were originally three of them. I lost the third." I tell him. Hs shoulders fall and he gives me a big hug. I can see Tobias tensing up, this isn't how I planned on him finding out he has a dead kid.
By now all the transfers have jumped and the Dauntless born are almost finished. Peter, an asshole from Candor chooses now to start making comments to me and Uri.
"So, you're the slutty stiff we all heard about. I have to say I really thought you'd be prettier. I heard the dad transferred. Now I get why." I'm choosing to ignore him. I've heard worse. Uri is also not giving into him, this has become a common insult thrown around. People think their clever because slutty and stiff both start with an S, idiots. Zeke though, hasn't heard any of this, and doesn't think that the S's are so clever.
"What's your name initiate?" Zeke asks him, in a scary quite voice. If looks could kill we'd be down a transfer.
"P-Peter." He answers, trying to sound confident and not really succeeding.
"Well, P-Peter," Zeke mocks his stutter, "I'd keep y damn mouth shut if I was you. If I wanted to deal with Candor smart mouths, I would have joined their faction."
I'm even a little scared of Zeke right now. I'm happy he avoided the phrase "baby sister." I know they take faction before blood seriously here and I don't need anyone after Zeke. Tobias, Zeke, and the same girl from earlier, I now know named Lauren, lead our group away.
"This is where we split." Lauren informs us. "Dauntless born with me and Zeke. I assume you don't need a tour of the place." The Dauntless born and their trainers leave us alone with Tobias.
"Most of the time I work in intelligence, the control room, but during your training I'll be your instructor," Tobias informs us. "My name is Four." Oh, Four I get it, but how in the hell did he come up with something that random? I can hear others around me asking the same questions.
"Four, like the number?" Christina asks. I sense that that wasn't the best idea. I look at Uri and he rolls his eyes.
"Yes, like the number."
"What happened? 1-3 were taken?" Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Tobias gets right in her face.
"What's your name?" he asks in the same deadly voice that Zeke did.
"Christina."
"Well Christina, the first lesson you learn from me, if you want to survive here, is to keep your mouth shut. Do you understand me?"
"Yes," and it comes out as barely a whisper.
"Now this is the Pit." And with that he swings open a set of double doors. On the other side is well, a pit. It's filled with what looks like a shopping center almost. All kinds of shops fill the walls around everywhere. "This is the center of life here at Dauntless. You'll learn to love it."
"If you'll follow me, I'll show you the chasm." Four informs us. When we get there I look down and see a river flowing a few stories below us. "The chasm reminds us that there is a fine line between bravery and idiocy! A daredevil jump off this ledge will end your life. It has happened before and it will happen again. You've been warned."
"So," Peter starts while we're being lead to the next place that Tobias is going to show us. "Word on the street is that you won't tell anyone who your baby daddy is. You do know don't you?"
I roll my eyes at this. Again, this isn't the first time someone has implied that I don't know Taylor and Justin paternity.
"Oh, I know, I just don't really see how it's any of your damn business." I reply. I can tell Peter has it out for me, I just don't really know why. Peter then turns to Uriah.
"So, if you're not the baby daddy, then what does that make you, her lap dog? Hoping that if you stick around long enough maybe she'll show you how babies are made?" I think I just vomited in my mouth and Uri turned a little green.
"She's my twin you dumbass." A few people snicker, and this just pisses Peter off more. He doesn't like looking like a fool. He does shut up though. Another Erudite feels the need to inform us how rare back to back twins are and again Uri just tells him that we're special. I actually see the corners of Tobias' mouth lift when he says that.
Tobias shows us the dorms next and while some people are freaking out because it's boys and girls I'm silently thanking my lucky stars. I need Uri at night to help me with these two. They do sleep a lot of the night but they still wake up for feedings. I'm not looking forward to having to feed them here, but I don't have much of a choice. I'm think Uri will help with my privacy issue. Tobias tells us to pick a bed and change. I'm looking around trying to figure out where in the world my babies are going to sleep. I don't particularly like the idea of them sleep separated, one who each me and Uri, because they've never been separate before. They are already going through so many changes. Uriah is looking around wondering the same thing. We each claim a bed farther away from the others, but Christina is the one who speaks up. Brave considering what happened last time.
"Where are her kids supposed to sleep?" Tobias turns around and looks at us.
"I'll speak to the leaders about it." And he keeps walking to the door. I mouth a silent thank you to Christina and she smiles at me. I place Taylor and Justin on the bed together so Uri and I can change. I'm scared they're going to roll off so I start building a pillow fort around them with my pillow along with Uri's and Christina's.
"Maybe we can get Zeke to get us a crib from somewhere. Then put them in the beds between us. It'll be faster for us to get to them when they cry too. We're going to need some diapers too. Maybe Zeke can get that too. We don't exactly have any money here." Uri tells me.
"Hopefully we'll see him soon and we can ask him. I'm starting to feel like a bad mother not being able to take care of my own children. I mean, there was just no way to bring these things with us. They don't even have a change of clothes."
"Bea, you know that's not true. You've been an amazing mother for four months. We just have to adjust and before you know it we'll have a different place for them. I know we lost Caleb, but the two of us can handle them at night. I have no doubt."
"Thanks Uri." We burn our clothes and then head to the cafeteria. Following behind Tobias. I hope he heard Uri and I's conversation and will get in touch with Zeke and help him pay for this stuff. I know Zeke won't mind paying, but these two are Tobias and I's responsibility.
We reach the cafeteria and the Dauntless go crazy, screaming for us and stomping their feet. This wakes up the twins obviously and they start to cry, scared. Luckily we calm them down before they stop so no one really notices, except Tobias. He looks like he wants to come over and grab them up in his arms, but apparently now is not the time for that.
We all take a seat at a long table, Tobias sitting with us. I see Zeke come over and I thank my lucky stars because I need to ask his help. He sits down and starts to eat.
"Um, Zeke" I say as quietly as I can and still be heard. "Listen I need stuff for the twins, I have literally nothing for them. I hate to ask, but well, they need it and I have no way of getting it."
"Of course. I don't even know why you're asking so shyly. What do you need? And hand one over would you?"
"Okay. Be careful. Make sure you hold his head up. Justin, this is your Uncle Zeke." I tell my little boy looking at me with curious eyes. "Okay I need diapers, a few changes of clothes, some wipes, maybe a few bottles, um, a crib if it's not too expensive. I'm almost sure you can find someone willing to help you pay if you ask." I add the last part in in barely a whisper.
Uri learns over me and adds, "By the way, any idea what we do with these two while we're training? I mean we don't know anyone here who won't be training too. They sleep most of the time, but they still need Bea to feed them and stuff. Plus I'm assuming there will be weapons and I'm not too sure they need to be around things that dangerous."
"All good points little brother. Look, I'll try and talk to Max about all this and see if there's something we can do, in the meantime pass me Taylor, I want to meet Bea's mini me." And so the twins are passed around between Uri, Zeke, Christina, and myself for most of dinner. Tobias looks at them with longing on his face the whole time. When Christina comments about Justin's beautiful blue eyes a faint smile crosses Tobias' face. He knows those are his eyes, and he got them from his mother, not his abusive father so that's even better.
Suddenly the doors to the cafeteria are slammed open and the noise level nearly dies in the room. A guy about Zeke and Tobias' age walks in. He's much grosser looking though. He has too many piercings to count but his long black hair is greasy, making it look like he hasn't showered in days.
He heads for our table, but thankfully he's not eyeing the twins like everyone else, his eyes are trained on Tobias who is doing his best not to make eye contact with him. I don't blame him.
"Who is that?" Asks Christina.
"Eric," Zeke answers, "He's a Dauntless leader."
"Kinda young," Christina comments, but before anyone can say anything else Eric has taken a seat next to Tobias.
"So, going to introduce me?" he asks Tobias.
"This is Tris, Uriah, and Christina." Tobias answers in a voice that most would interpret as him being bored.
"Oh yeah, the Stiff with the kids," this is becoming a theme. I can't wait until tomorrow in training so I can give them something else to talk about. "Welcome to Dauntless," he tells me with a gruesome smile on his face. I don't like the way he's looking at me. It's making me very uncomfortable.
"What have you been doing lately, Four?" Eric asks. You can tell Eric wants us to believe they're friends, when they are so obviously not.
"Nothing really."
"Max tells me he keeps trying to meet with you, and you don't show up. He requested I find out what's going on with you." Eric responds with a slight hint of bitterness. His friends act is slipping.
"Tell him I am satisfied with the position I currently hold."
"So he wants to give you a job?"
"So it would seem."
"And you aren't interested?"
"I haven't been interested for the past year."
"Let's hope he gets the point then." And with that Eric is off.
"You two friends?" I can't help but ask. I would have asked him this even if I didn't know him, and he knows that so he can't really be mad at me.
"Same initiate class. He transferred from Erudite."
"Were you a transfer too?" Christina asks.
"What was my lesson for you?" He asks her cold as ice.
Zeke sees this as an appropriate time to cut in, "hey I was in your class too! Don't see you sharing that with anyone. No worries. I know I'm still you're best pal right Four? Anyway, Bea and Uri I think there is a certain leader we need to have a chat with. Let's go see if we can hunt him down shall we? And Four, seeing as you're um, the twins trainer do you think you should come with us and see what Max says?"
We all know that when he said the twins he wasn't referring to Uri and I and he didn't really want to say trainer, more like father, but I'm sensing that maybe this is information that I need to keep to myself for now.
"I kinda left something at my apartment that I need to pick up on the way, maybe the four, well six technically, of us can stop there and pick it up too?" I see where he's going with this. He's going to give Tobias, the twins and I the reunion we really need. Thank God for Zeke.
"Sounds like a plan. Can we head out then? The twins will need to be fed soon."
"I'm still needing to get used to "the twins" meaning these two little ones and not you and Uri."
"Hey!" Uri cuts in, "Bea and I will always be the original twins. Taylor and Justin are cool and all, but they can't replace us."
"Sorry Uri, Justin is already cooler than you, and he can't even speak yet." Zeke counters.
"Okay you two, I'm not ready to play ref yet. I've had a whole year off so I need to get back in the mindset first. Give me a few days. Let's go to Zeke's apartment and then to see Max. Christina, we'll see you in the dorms is that okay?"
"Yeah, yeah. I'll just stay here with Will and Al here, you guys go do your thing."
With that the four of us get up and Zeke hands Taylor back to Uri, I guess he's not comfortable walking and holding them at the same time just yet. It reminds me of Caleb a little bit. I tell him this and he laughs while Uri agrees with me and Tobias' lips form a faint smile. I can't wait to get him alone so we can hash some of this out.
We take a lot of twists and turns, so many that I know I'd never find my way out again if I had to. Thankfully Zeke and Tobias both look like they know where they're going. We stop in front of an apartment door and Zeke uses his key to open it.
"Okay, Uri and I will hang out here in the living room for a little while, you four can go in the bedroom and do your thing. Take your time, but not too much because we do still need to find Max. Tobias goes to take Taylor out of Uri's arms and Uri hesitates for a split second but Tobias still sees it.
"She's my daughter Uriah. I'm obviously not going to hurt her," he tells him. A little hurt in his voice. Not that I blame him. I shoot Uri a look and walk into the bedroom with Justin, Tobias and Taylor trailing after me. I'm starting to get a little nervous. I have no idea how this is going to go. Tobias seems so different now and I don't really know how this version of him is going to react to the twins and me. I place Justin and the bed and Tobias places Taylor next to him. I make them a barrier of pillows again and then turn to Tobias.
"Bea" he whispers so low I can barely hear him.
"Tobias" I respond. I barely have enough time to get the whole word out of my mouth before his arms are around me and he's pulled me so our bodies are against each other and his lips are on mine.
AN: I'm sorry for the wait, it will never be that long again, I know how annoying that is. I know I left a little cliffhanger but the next chapter they will actually talk everything out and will get there meeting with Max, training will also start. Until next time.