A/N: A bit of a plot twist there at the end. This will be something that will affect Eric and Raven and will need to be resolved before they can move on, if they do.

Chapter 8

She nodded and pulled me in a hug. "I think it will be ok for her to come and I know you miss her. Just be prepared Raven, Jeanine Matthews isn't a well-liked person around here. No one really close to you will mind because they basically know, but others might that you thought of as friends….or possibly going towards more." She said near my ear and softly.

We pulled away and entered the dorm and walked into someone very close to being killed.

Zeke was holding Eric back. Though looked to barely be restraining himself from attacking none other than Shane. I love the bruising and swelling he has going on. I can't help the smugness I feel inwardly about that.

Eric looked to me and Tris "Have her pack now and take her to your place." He said coldly then looked back to Shane.

As soon as Shane saw me he started to me smiling as if nothing was wrong but I saw his hands and how they were tensed and twitchy. "Stop right fucking there Shane." If Eric thought his voice could go cold, his had nothing on mine now. Death would be scared of it and the look on my face and the smile I had on it. Shane was one of the few I let see my good and bad. I was letting him see just how bad I could get.

"You are lucky you are alive. You were only saved because someone pulled me off of you. You won't be so lucky next time you come near me or touch me. Once was enough and never again. Did you really think I wouldn't find out about you and all of the girls you have been with? You messed up Shane because the only thing holding me to you was a very fucking misplaced sense of loyalty. I don't love you and probably never have just like you never loved me. You thought my Father's influence would be good for you. And you only followed me here because without me there my Father had no further use for you. We know what happens when he doesn't have uses for people, don't we Shane. That could be why I sent him the last email I will ever send him telling him my sad news. My long time relationship with you is over as of last night. Now he really has no further use for you."

Shane practically shits himself. Licking his lips and his eyes start shifting around. "Raven…I'm sorry. It will never happen again. I wasn't thinking and I told you that." He swallows nervously and almost whispers "You didn't really message him that did you?"

My only answer is my smile and it isn't a nice one at all.

He mumbles something and looks at Zeke and Eric then shakes his head and tries to take on a tough appearance and tries to sneer at me but doesn't quite pull it off "That's fine Raven, not like I have wanted you since you stopped even wanting me to kiss you after our first time."

This didn't have the desired effect because Zeke snorts and then turns trying not to laugh.

Shane falters but then tries again "Besides, she is much better in the sack then you would ever be."

This time Zeke moves faster than anyone who hadn't seen him move would imagine and he is far from the normal smiling Zeke as he lifts Shane up by his throat. "You don't get to talk to her or look at her. You are fucking a speck of shit compared to her. If I ever get a hint you have even thought her name you will think initiation has been a fucking cake walk to what you will be put through. Be careful Shane. People fall into the fucking Chasm all the time. Dauntless sure as shit won't miss a fuck up like you."

He throws him towards the door and past me where Shane lands on his ass then scrambles out without looking back.

It is quiet before I move without saying a word to anyone and go to my wardrobe area to pull out my bag and start packing it. I know I will need to pack enough for a few days because I am sure they are going to insist. I am stopped by a hand on my arm. I know it is Eric the moment contact is made and turn to look at him.

"Are you in your detached space?" He frowns at me looking worried.

I smile at him "No why, should I be?"

He shrugged "I don't know I guess I wouldn't have been as calm if it were me."

I laughed genuinely, still marveling how I am just letting Eric continue to see me. Maybe I am acting different because he is? "Maybe because I got out the physical aggression this morning, I just needed to say the words and now that is done." I look around for Tris and look back to Eric. "Did Tris leave?"

He nodded still looking as if he is worried about something. "I told her I would take you to her office and then you two can head to the parlor if you want to go ahead and shower here. I can plan on waiting and taking you up to her. Zeke went back to do a few things and then head back to Control."

I tilted my head and thought and then shrugged. "I don't mind showering here. It would be more efficient anyways since quarters are on the other side away from the offices and the parlor."

He grinned and shook his head. "Yeah because everyone basis getting to shower in a private bathroom or the dorms on efficiency."

I giggle a bit, trying not to blush at my extreme nerdiness. "The bathrooms aren't that bad now that they are separate and there isn't anyone to hog all of the hot water. Well, now there is but hey that is just how the cookie crumbles."

I finish packing what I will be taking with me but leave out my matching toiletry bag and grab a towel and washcloth from the dorm linen. I start to pull out the jeans, crop top tank, underwear and bra and set those on top of my towels. Eric is looking in my wardrobe which every initiate has. It as a part with drawers and then a part for hanging items with a flat section for shoes and other items to be stacked.

"You know I heard you guys were organized but I don't think I have seen this level in initiates. The ones stationed on the fence and in the patrol barracks yeah, but not anyone living in compound housing." He mutters as he looks over it all. He pulls out the dress uniform that we were issued that I have starched within an inch of its life.

"Did you iron this yourself?" He asks checking the line of buttons.

I chuckle with a slight smirk, proud of my uniform and organization. "Yes starched to within an inch of its life. I actually do all my friends because they said they know I like to do it and they aren't wrong, I do. I draw the line at doing their boots for them though. Want to see my locker?"

He hangs it back up and smiles as he turns to look at me. "Is it anything like this?" He has already started to walk over as I unlock the locker with the key that opens both.

All of my own personal sparring gear is neatly sectioned off from the issued gear. My tactical vests and jackets are in place and everything is polished with the pockets for small items like medkits, ration bars, backup batteries for our equipment that still uses it, a few pocket knives. It is all neatly in those pockets. I have two spare pairs of combat boots that I bought and one issued and all are polished ready to wear. I have two spares of running shoes and I am wearing another. Gun maintenance, shoe polish, whetstones are all sectioned off and in a definable area for what it goes with.

He crouches down and looks over it all as I move to finish packing.

"Am I keeping you from something by taking a shower here?" I ask as I add in the jewelry I will want and makeup.

"Why do you have your own gun maintenance kit or whetstones?" He asked curiously.

I shrugged "Because it's something I will need and why wait to get it when I can have it now. I still use the one that Four brings out anytime we work with firearms but I will be issued one when I become a member so just better to have it. The whetstones is because if you look in the 3 tactical vests I have them outfitted with a few pocket knives and because I have an obsession with things that need to be sharpened. Throwing stars for instance. Four has those though and we pull them out when I practice my throwing." I say as I bend down and pick out the boots I am going to wear. Which are almost identical to my combat boots but with a slight heel and they zip not lace. I throw in a pair of low heels because I know Shauna is going to insist I dress up tomorrow.

I turn and Eric is going through my tactical vest and grinning. I laugh at his face as he pulls out one of the knives I have and flicks it open and smiles at it.

He looks over to me, grin still in place. "What? I happen to like knives and this is a pretty nice one too. Must have set you back some credits. The other one is smaller but still nice."

I take off my work out jacket and unbraid my hair nodding. "Yeah Shauna was pissed because I refused to buy more clothes. Or at least the kind she wanted me to buy. I got those instead but Zeke talked her down and then I appeased her with something else she likes me to do."

"Shauna backed down? What did you appease her with?" He asked putting everything back "You even polished the hardware on the vest along with the boots. I thought I was the only one to do that. Hell, I know I am the only one to do it on the vests."

I shrugged, pleased about his obvious pride in his voice. "Maybe the saying is true then." I turn back to him and wink. "You know great minds think alike."

He closes the locker and locks it and pulls the key out smiling as he hands the key to me again. "Or maybe great Erudite minds think alike."

I tilt my head appraising him. "Yeah it fits."

I throw my workout jacket into my hamper for laundry after I pull out my phone with wireless headphones and take a quick look at it. I see I have a few emails but don't look at them now. Eric sits back on my bed and pulls his out.

"You never answered the question about Shauna." He eyes me over his phone as he flicks through things.

I shrug and sigh. "She likes me to sing and especially when I do it and play guitar. In fairness it does seem to help the baby when he is keeping her up at night with hiccups or when he is lying in a rib."

He lowers the phone and looks at me. "Have you sung at the open mic nights I hear they have?"

I shake my head with wide eyes. "Hell no and I don't have plans to either. It really has only been at the parties my friends have or when I have spent the day with Shauna at her apartment. She was having a tough time when I was still going out and doing more things with my, well family. I would stay there and take care of her. Which allowed Zeke and Uri to not worry so much."

He smirked at me. "Then maybe I will take Zeke up on one of his persistent invitations."

I blush and try to keep my cool. I would go into my detached space but it never really works around him. "They are your ears to torture. I am going to go ahead and get a shower." I grab my toiletry bag and clothes.

He smirks at me but nods. "I will be here."

Yeah that is part of the problem, I think to myself. I walk through the bathroom the girls claimed and head for one of the shower stalls then set everything up. Even in here it is all about efficiency. I lay out my body wash and wash cloth on a shelf. I add my shampoo, conditioner, and face wash then take out my toothbrush and squeeze some toothpaste onto it then put that on the shelf. I set my towel for my body and the one for my hair over the frosted glass door. My clothes I leave on a bench outside of the shower stall so they don't get wet. My makeup and jewelry in my toiletry bag waits for me on the bench along with my socks and boots.

Once I have everything I need I strip and drop my dirty clothes just under the bench. I wasn't lying about wanting the hot water. So I turn it to the almost scalding temperature I want and step in then flick open the lid of all my bottles. I indulge in letting the water run over me for exactly two minutes, kept track of by my waterproof watch then begin to clean wash up. First it's shampoo and I massage it quickly into my hair then soap up the washcloth and lather my body and scrub. Once that is done I rinse the shampoo from my hair and the soap from my body at the same time. I move on to the conditioner next and work that through my hair before moving on to washing my face and rinse off both again. Last is turning on the cold water and brushing my teeth while cooling down my skin and closing my pores. I quickly turn off the water and twist my hair to get out all excess water, wrap it in a towel then towel myself off. I grab all of my stuff from the shower and step out. I dress quickly and dry everything off. I rub in my moisturizer, remove my towel and do a side braid then dab on some light makeup.

I drop the used towels and drop the towels in their hamper and grab everything of mine and walk out looking at my watch. I smile when I see it still only took me 8 minutes from start to finish.

"Did you seriously just time yourself?" I hear laughed from Eric and I see him stretched out on my bed.

"I didn't time myself…exactly." I hedge and drop my dirty laundry in my hamper and put my toiletries into my packed bag.

"Well then what did you do exactly?" He quirked an eyebrow but still had a grin.

I blushed but still tried to be casual about it so shrugged "I knew the time going in and I indulged allowed the hot water to work on my muscles for two minutes. I also know how long my showers take and I kind of like knowing I beat the last time, when I beat it that is. They don't last longer than ten minutes regardless."

"You weren't kidding about competing against yourself. I would hate to see how competitive you are against someone else." His tone suggested that he would actually like to see that.

I smirked "You did actually at capture. Which if I am not mistaken I was on your team and we won."

Now he was smirking "Yeah we sure did. Good plan by the way. Not that you are bragging or anything."

"Me, no never." I grab the leather jacket I had bought as my own birthday present to me. It was two toned with black sleeves and collar the main part of the jacket was blood red.

Tucking my phone into the inside jacket pocket I close up the bag.

"That doesn't look like a standard issue bag, but it is nice. Where did you get it?" Eric asked as he stood up and walked over to examine the large blood red leather backpack that has a black dauntless flames throughout the bag but the front pocket has an all black phoenix engraved into silver and serves as the button to close it.

"Tori and Bud got it for me for my birthday at the end of the first month. They had someone burn in the dauntless flames to the leather and engrave the button since that is one of my designs and part of the tattoo I am having done now. The phoenix part is done we are just finishing up details in the body and then the arm and leg part." I shoulder the bag and he nods.

"Pretty nice gift. Can't wait to see the tattoo, sounds like it is a big one." He put his hand on the small of my back as we walked.

I laugh a bit "Yeah I am going to have to find something else to relax me soon besides getting tattoos. Or as Bud likes to call it, my massage sessions. I apparently don't know what a small tattoo is."

"Why don't you go for the new machines?" He looked me curiously.

I shrug "The gun is cathartic I guess. Also because it takes away the artistry of it. If someone knew how to do it I might have it done the way Ancient Eastern cultures like Polynesian cultures did. Besides it wouldn't feel like I had earned the tattoo if I didn't bleed or have some pain."

He stayed quiet for a bit and I looked up to see his nostrils flared a bit and he seemed to be trying to regulate his breathing for some reason. He felt my eyes on him and turned his head to look at me and I saw those same stormy eyes.

"So would you really let them use the method where the tap the ink in?" His voice was a bit husky when he asked.

I turned to look back ahead of us and frowned, his voice is husky and I have only heard it like that when…a shiver goes down my spine. I couldn't suppress it even if I wanted to and not enough that he won't feel it with his hand on my back. I answer quickly and hope it does the trick and distract him. "Yes I would for sure get that kind of tattoo. It was said to be the mark of a warrior and could only be received once a man or woman had reached adulthood and completed their rite of passage. The choosing is a rite of passage and we are the warrior faction. What better way to honor that?"

He again doesn't answer right away but I hear him almost mutter under his breath but all I catch is 'gods help me". He clears his throat. "I asked to see that obstacle course before it is reset. I would like to see you run it so I can get a better idea what you have been working on."

I smile at the thought of running it again. "Four mentioned that and I would be happy to do it. Lauren and Zeke even helped come up with a few of the things. I told Four I would love to see what you could add. Did they tell you what it is composed of?"

He shook his head "No we didn't get around to that. What can you tell me about it?"

"Well it has actually evolved since initiation started. It started out with a combination of high lows with the MP5 then moving on to a small set of physical obstacles at the end of which ended up in a quick load a sidearm and fire at pop up targets. Of course the targets were randomized between friendly and enemy boards. Those were spread out and at the end I had to complete a roll and fire up at a target that was set above me at some distance. I reloaded and had to holster properly and safely and then moved on to some more physical obstacles, that let out at a knife throwing exercise. The final was a wall that I had to get over by climbing the rope that was set up and rappel the short distance down. Zeke and Four would toss out targets and I had to pull my sidearm and fire before they got close to the ground while continuously moving forward. I ran that until as soon as the targets at the end were released I hit them before they could start their descent." He had stopped me from walking at some point and was listening to me tell all of that frowning with his eyebrow into his hair.

"Christ….one fucking second Raven." He exclaimed and he whipped out his phone and started furiously putting in information. He did that a few more times and then put it back up and put his hand on my back. "Come on Tris will be waiting there." He muttered.