Chapter 26 - Eric POV's

"Christ….one fucking second Raven." I whip out my phone and fire off messages to Tris, Max, Andrea and Leo about us needing to meet now. To Tris I ask her to start telling Max and that we need to see about looking at this now. "Come on Tris will be waiting there." I mutter and guide her again but a little bit quicker than I had been walking with her before.

She frowned looking worried. "Was there something wrong with all of that?"

I take a breath and mutter. "No, a bit shocked but I guess I shouldn't be."

I guide her into the conference room in Control and they are already there.

Before we even come to a stop I am already launching into it. "Did Tris tell you?"

Max tilted his head with a glint in his eye. "She only got to the part about they have supervised the creation of an obstacle course and Raven has been running it. She said the others at first went but she is the only one running it now."

I chuckle and shake my head, my eyebrow quirked. "Doesn't fucking surprise me considering what the first version involved. How many versions is it at now?" I glare at Tris and she juts her chin out smugly and proudly looking at Raven

"There were a total of three of the same as the first but with variations on heights or lengths of the obstacles. The completely reconfigured course had new things added and most everything changed so it wasn't even the same course. That also had a total of three all with the same kind adjustments as the first. We just finished her third course and it went through the three variations but we added some of the first two back in making it the longer course." Her eyes were still full of pride but my mind was whirling with possibilities.

I look over to Raven and nod to her encouragingly. "Tell them exactly what you told me about the first course."

She nods and takes a breath. "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 of 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 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."

The others were seeing what I saw. That one course had more than we covered currently or previously. Tris smiled at her still. "When she first proposed letting her run the course she came up with all of the obstacles and we helped her make it. We had that big unused old training room in the annex that was perfect for our needs. I agreed because after she listed everything and why. I saw something that could benefit further initiation trainings and even member trainings. I even ran it. Hell all of us ran the courses in all variations. I wasn't going to let her run something that I didn't think would at least benefit her. The latest one I will freely admit I still haven't been able to complete. I am not sure about the others because we started to do them at different times. It is a bit embarrassing when your own initiate not only beats you in time but can beat you on obstacles that you can't even complete."

I have this habit of playing with knives when I think and I was working that thing as I digested that. So the last course none of the others had even completed it. But Raven and obliterated it. It is quiet and I am still thinking when I notice Tris throw out sign language to Raven and I stop. Hardly anyone knows that and most of Dauntless don't even know proper military hand signs.

Tris signed 'don't worry they are just thinking' to a frowning Raven.

I stopped and looked between the two with my eyebrow quirked but Raven locks eyes with me and never looking away signs back 'if you say so'. She is appraising my reaction and even challenging me a bit.

I shake my head and my mouth twitches into a slight smile and resume my tapping of my knife against my nails.

"I think we should see this course and Raven run it. Not tonight but maybe tomorrow morning. We can decide what we want to do from there with that course but at the very least…" Max looked towards Tris "...can the first course be set up again in that or another space?"

I nod, exactly what I was hoping for. "You want to have them to start running it this initiation."

Max smiles "There will be some downtime while they are being outfitted and trained for the next stage and from what I hear the first course has elements from the next stage anyways."

Leo and Andrea nod their agreement and turn to Tris.

"Absolutely it could be set up again. The room the current course is set up in has plenty of room and that was the smallest of the courses so it could be set up there as well." She replied smoothly.

"Could it be set back up by the end of regular off days?" Andrea asked.

Tris thought about it. "We should be able to have it done. Raven, Four, Zeke and Uriah along with me put the first one together. The longest part of it was getting the materials to begin with. We were able to plan for the other versions ahead of time so we were ready once she transitioned."

Max smiles "Well then I am sure with enough of the staff and Eric, Leo, Andrea and I pitching in we could get that up quickly. Maybe even in enough time to run it ourselves."

Raven grins at Max and he winks at her. I can't help but feel they know each other really well. He looks at her fondly almost like a daughter. "Actually Raven I had been meaning to talk to you. Tris told me you were the one that helped her get Johana's approval for the survival training being held in Amity."

Raven blushed as I turned to her but her and Tris' back stiffened. There was something they both didn't want said. "I just gave her a few pointers on how to sweet talk her."

Max nodded and smiled understanding whatever they didn't want said. "After your off days why don't you come and see me. I think I would like to get a few pointers myself."

She nodded and gave a tight smile. "Yes Sir, I can meet with you."

Max sighs and stands up and I nod to him as he looks at me pointedly. He wants me to make sure she is watched. I already planned on doing just that. "Well then I think I will head back to get started on some paperwork. Eric and Tris very good work and quick thinking. Raven I look forward to seeing tomorrow morning."

Tris hugged Raven before she pulled back. "You going to be ok running that tomorrow."

Raven laughs. "Of course I will, I was literally trying to climb walls earlier. Which was a success, sort of. I still landed on my ass but I will work out the kinks."

Tris giggles. "Is that what you were doing. I could hear your laughter and you yelling that 'fuck that was fun'. Four was groaning that it couldn't be anything good when it comes to you."

She shrugs "It was tame in comparison."

Tris looks over to me and gives me a tight smile, clearly not wanting me here any longer. "Thank you for bringing her to me and making sure she could clean up without anyone messing with her."

"Not a problem, thought I would walk you two to the Parlor while I am at it." I tilt my head observing her and put the knife back in my vest pocket.

"You don't have to do that…" She started to say but I just quirked an eyebrow and let her know that ain't happening. I step aside and motioned her forward. Tris squares her chin and links arms with Raven pointedly and then walks ahead of me. I roll my eyes and follow.

"So did you really email your father about Shane?" Tris her softly.

Raven laughed. "Damn right I did. I wasn't for sure that he had told him to follow me here, but from his attitude and the fact that it is very obvious Shane doesn't have a Dauntless bone in his body I suspected it. That and after he was released from the hospital it took him almost a month to even come near me again. When he did we got into an argument which I mean considering everything isn't that hard to believe. It wasn't until after I had been told by my father we were having a lunch with his family that he finally tried to apologize. I guess I should have realized it then when he knew every single thing to say to truly make me believe it had been my fault and he would of course never really hurt me like that. He was coached by a master after all."

We were going to have to find some way to take Silas down.

"What do you think will happen to him now?"

Raven shrugged and didn't sound concerned. "He will be fine as long as he never plans to leave the Dauntless compound."

"He will be lucky if he is fine here Raven but also very lucky if he gets anything besides the fence as his job offering." Tris laughed and I hope we could just get him out of here by next week!

"Well then we both know he is screwed. As soon as he steps foot out of here you can pretty much run a stopwatch on how long it will take him to be black bagged." She says but then stops and turns white and starts pacing. "I fucked him Tris. Gods I so fucked him."

"Survival training" Tris gasped. What the fuck are they talking about?

"Gods Tris and he won't even have to be taken that far….cause we will already be at fucking Amity. Just drop him outside and it's fucking over. No one, not even him, needs to be there Tris." Raven's breathing turns ragged and her body starts shaking. This has me worried as shit because Raven is normally so calm under pressure.

"Keep it quiet Raven." Tris hissed and I sighed. Fine, I will listen but I am going to have to do some investigation. Something is scaring Raven enough to almost cause a panic attack.

Raven groans. "Sorry I know that is not being announced yet."

"No problem, look here is the thing. You don't know your father will give a shit about Shane anymore. We will just make sure to assign someone to make sure he doesn't come near your but also that will keep track of him in general." I can't help but think this is an act, and it probably is.

"There is always the chance. Shane can still tell him what I am up to after initiation anyways. That may be enough to satisfy him. Tori has a new bottle of whiskey, right?" That last question was serious enough.

Tris laughed "Yes, but you are still going to have to share or else it isn't any fun."

I lead her to small corridor so we can talk privately. "I was going to ask you why you were concerned about Shane, but I get the feeling you wouldn't give me a straight answer. It would be truthful, but not the whole truth. So I won't even try. Do you remember what I asked about meeting me?"

She nods. "After dinner tomorrow at The Chasm."

I smile at her and reach for her hand. "I put my phone info into yours and then put yours into my own. I don't want you waiting by the Chasm so if I am not at dinner at the same time as you, I will find out when you are done and we can leave from there. Don't be surprised if I message you before then, or tonight even."

She smiles and nods back. "Okay that sounds good."

I can't resist but to cup her cheek and run my thumb over it gently. "You did amazing today. I am glad you aren't staying in the dorm tonight, but if you need me message me Raven."

"Thank you Eric, I will." Her voice takes on that breathy whisper and she sighs my name again.

I tilt her face to mine and smile as I kiss her gently. "Try not to get too drunk and don't go somewhere without Tris, please."

"I rarely get drunk but I don't think I will be leaving here without Tris and probably Zeke to take me to Shauna's. I think they want me to stay there tonight and there is an extra room to use.

It is taking everything I have to be this restrained but not in a bad way, I lean forward and kiss her forehead and inhale her scent. It is a light citrus combined with a scent as if you are standing in a cool wind on the train. "Good. I am going to walk you in, wanted to talk to Bud about something."

I walk her in and make sure she gets into the room with Tris and Tori and then go over to talk to Bud.