Chapter 31 - Eric's POV

I stretch out on Raven's bed while Raven grabs the clothes she will be changing into and Jeanine tilts her head and looks at me before she goes with her into the bathroom.

They walk back out and Jeanine winces. "Didn't those ones down the spine hurt?"

I look up at that and smile slightly at the memory of our shared moment. Raven smiles at me and our eyes meet again. I can't help but feel a bit better because her blush and her smile say maybe she can forgive me. Her Aunt looks between the two of us with a small smile on her lips and Raven nods to her. "There was a bit of pain yes, but I had help focusing on something else." She slips on her tennis shoes and grabs her jacket then neatly hangs up and puts everything back in its place before locking up again.

I stand and walk along with them and chew my lip wondering if I should ask about my sister. "How is Rachel, Jeanine?"

Jeanine looks over at me. "She is well. She just had a little girl, she named her Erica."

I nod. "Please tell her I say hello."

"Of course, I am sure she wouldn't mind you visit at some point. In fact I know she wouldn't."

I frown in thought of her husband. "Albert wouldn't like it very much."

"Albert is a pompous ass and I am glad she divorced him. She married Alec last year, it was very small. She wasn't sure about letting you know given matters." She frowns and nods at me.

"I may see if I can contact her by email then. We can see where matters stand from there." I nod back in thought. It would be good to see her again. She did name a daughter almost my name. That is another glimmer of hope.

We enter the obstacle course room and Four, Tris there and Caleb are there. Caleb's face breaks into the biggest smile I have ever seen him have as he looks straight at Raven, he breaks out into a jog and comes over to us. He nods to Jeanine and I. "Jeanine, Eric…good to see you both."

He turns to Raven and blushes and smiles with an almost lovesick look and I frown at him. Did they date? "You look beautiful as ever Raven. Dauntless certainly suits you."

She smiles at him, pleased to see him but not as if they are dating, I hope. "Thank you Caleb. I am surprised to see you, you didn't tell me you would be coming this visiting day as well."

He shrugged "I was worried about you so wanted to come. Tris said you hadn't been doing well the past few days." There is that gut punch again because I know she was fine until I hurt her.

"Oh, thank you. Are you going to watch me run the course too?" She looks at Four who is not liking Caleb's attention any more than I am but that isn't new for Fourzilla. I almost smile at that term.

"Yes, Tris was forever going on about each progression." He rolled his eyes and they laughed.

She nodded and took off her jacket and I stepped forward to take it frowning at Caleb who looked like he was about to do the same thing.

"Thank you sir." She smiles at me. It's not Eric, but it is a start.

"You're welcome Raven." I mumble.

"Which one should I do?" She turns to Tris and Four but Max answers.

Max tilts his head. "How about the first version?"

She nods and smiles and I see that love of this activity back. The difference is immediate and I think Max notices because he looks at me with his head tilted.

"Warm up Raven." I frown and caution her.

Tris scoffs "This is her warm up."

Four laughs "Still warm up. We have been keeping you pretty inactive after disappearing on us that one night."

She glares and huffs at him. "Get a little drunk and suddenly you are ten again." She mutters.

But I already know that was a lie. I was apparently masochistic enough to have the footage pulled from the night. It broke my heart to see that she had cried herself to sleep on the tower. It was part of why I was filled with such anger at myself. I had even watched closely enough and there had been a moment when she entered her void. I could tell by the way her face just lost the life. Even then she was crying.

"What was that?" Four asks a little testily "Did you just say you don't want access to guns for another week?"

"Je l'ai dit votre mère était un hamster et votre père avait une odeur de sureau ( I said your mother was a hamster and your father smelled of elderberries)" She smiles sweetly at him and it sounds so beautiful coming from her mouth but is also hilarious.

I throw my head back in laughter and Jeanine giggles and smirks. To think that is a favorite movie of mine.

Four shook his head. "Do I even want to know?"

She smirks and shrugs. "Guns all set?"

Tris nods in answer and she starts to bounce then roll her shoulders as the other leaders talk with Caleb and Jeanine.

I walk over to talk to Raven to be alone hopefully. "Max is working out a deal to maybe get more materials for obstacle courses for the different stages. Something to make setup and break down after easier; maybe even to construct different ones too."

She nods and looks at me with my knife in my hands with a slight smirk. "Not a bad idea. Ease of transition means faster turnaround from member to initiate."

I start tapping it on my nails and she smiles at me. "Yeah it isn't easy to break these down so you can move on to the next level."

"What level are you on now?"

I shrug. "I didn't want to break out the second set of three so just the first courses final version."

"Upside down target firing and rappelling. Seriously shiver fucking inducing!" She grins and it is infectious and right. It was pretty awesome. Though I won't admit it took me two fucking times to get the shit.

"Yeah it was pretty damn amazing." I smile back.

The new tour groups of families are led into the room and put behind the caution line we made too be sure to put down. Zeke and Lauren are in charge of explaining everything and handing out earplugs for those that need it.

Caleb and Jeanine stay with the other leaders. I walk with Raven over to the start of the course and where Four and Tris are calling Raven too.

"We made a few changes so work them out like you normally would. Randomized targets are still that. Take this thigh holster and this hip holster." He hands them to her and she starts bouncing and smiling.

"Two! Two! Fucking finally!" She laughs and we all shake our heads and chuckle.

"Same for the last they get hit before they start the decent." She puts on the hip holster and hell it gives me an excuse so I help her with the thigh one and ignore the hell out of Four frowning at me.

"Ready Raven?" Max asked and she smiled. God I love her fire and I never want to see how she has been for the last two days.

"Sir, Born ready Sir."

"Go!"

With that she was off running the high lows after loading her gun and working her way down course.

The obstacles started earlier than what I had run and were different too. She had to vault over a low wall, drop and fire, run slide under and pop up and fire for a total of ten more times. Three more wall vaults with higher walls and then she dropped and rolled to pick up and quick load two guns while stowing two more mags. She worked at firing both guns at the same time at the different random targets that went between friendly and enemy going down range again.

She put on a burst of speed and had to vault over another wall. Then go into it rolling to aim up and double fire at targets up at the ceiling while carrying out the roll to pop up on her feet. I am grinning at how fucking sexy and fast she is at this.

She reloads and safely holsters then goes into tire runs, long jump, swing over water. Then she rolls out to the knife throw, picking up the knives on the roll out. Final leg was to quickly climb the rope, swing over to the top of the wall, rappel down and the draw and double fire at the targets as she walked down. They had added the auto launch of targets and she didn't miss a single freaking one. She safely holstered and called it clear.

"Clear" She yelled her chest heaving with adrenaline and smiling. Applause breaks out and I smirk at her performance. Now I needed to know her time because I was so going to have to fucking do that shit.

"Time 2:37 seconds Raven, personal best and with the additions to this course." Four called and you could hear the smirk in his voice.

Tris looked at me and laughed. "So when are going to try and beat that?"

I shrug "When everyone gets the hell off the course maybe. By the way who came up with the upside down rappelling/target firing? Because they need an award? Have you done that yet?"

Four and her chuckle. "That would be Raven. It came to her in a dream she said. And yes it is pretty addicting. I think we aren't going to be able to allow most of our current initiates to try that gem, not until I know they can do the regular rappelling without breaking their damn necks."

Four and I share looks of agreement and I frown. "Well that makes about six in about three days Four, our agreeing on something." I mutter and walk off while Tris chuckles and Four looks horrified.

I am also just trying to wrap my head around how much I fucked up with Raven. Gods I need to make things right with her, I just don't know how.

Jeanine was clapping and beaming at Raven as Zeke and Lauren started talking about what this was and how it came to be.

"Raven that was amazing." Caleb gave her a lopsided grin and side hug.

"Thank you, it felt fucking amazing to have guns in my hands again." I smile at Raven as I pass her.

Astrid introduces me to her father Frank, but I actually do know him. He was Dauntless-born and though no one really knows the truth, he transferred to Amity by the request of Leadership to watch the fence and make sure Amity was taken care of. Amity could be persnickety about being open about their troubles.

Frank shakes my hand "Eric nice to see you."

I nod "Frank. You should be proud of your daughter she is doing really well."

He nods and smiles. "I am, both of them." And indicates his head to Raven and I frown. He smiles "Raven and Astrid have known each other for five years."

I look to Raven with my head tilted. He had just put in a major request to give his daughter guardianship of his little boy if his wife passes."Was Raven or Astrid the daughter you were requesting permission to file as legal guardian of your son should something happen to your wife?"

He smiles sadly. "Raven. I love Astrid dearly but Raven has been a mother to little Jeff when he needed it. In fact, he sees her as his mother." I nod mulling that over.

"Did you get everything taken care of?" I ask quietly and he nods.

"It is all in order. So as long as the worst should happen it will be legal and he can come to be with them here. I hate doing it, but I will still be needed in Amity and with my Isla gone Jeff will need them." He smiles at his little boy as he starts to try and run the course with help from Uri.

"I will try to help where I can." I smile at the little boy who is running everywhere.

We look to Astrid and Raven who are talking and I shake my head when I hear the conversation.

"How much do you love me Raven?" She asked too sweetly.

"The answer to that is unconditionally. The answer to your next question is hell no." She lifts an eyebrow at her.

I hear Frank chuckle as Astrid pouts. "It would just be one song so Jeffery can hear you sing again."

"Not both of you! Blue eyes! Why are blue eyes my fucking downfall!" She yells as her Aunt and Astrid seem to have joined forces.

Astrid claps "Lex is waiting in the pit with the guitars."

She scowls. "I knew I smelled a set up.

Astrid links her with Jeanine and walks in front of Raven who is grumbling.

"You're singing?" I ask quietly as I join her in walking to the Pit.

"Apparently fucking so." She grumbles and I smile.

"I missed it at the party so I am glad you are going to be singing again."

"I didn't realize you had been to the party." She frowns looking at me and I nod frowning.

"I am sorry about everything Raven."

She shrugs. "Thank you, but you don't have to be Sir. Like I said, it was a lesson learned. I keep moving forward."

I put out an arm to stop her from walking further and blurt the first thing on my mind. It shouldn't be something I say but his looks to her are driving me crazy. "Are you dating Caleb Prior?"

Her eyes squint and she looks confused and then it turns a bit upset. "Am I dating someone of another faction and the brother to one of my best friends? No Sir, I have only ever dated one guy and that just ended."

My jaw tightens because I really suck at this. "Would you want to…" I pause and scratch my head. "Do you want to borrow a book?" I inwardly roll my eyes. Really? so fucking smooth Coulter? That is what you came up with over two days? That same damn thing about the book.

She looks at me and paused too. "Sir…" She stops and chews her lip. "if you would like to lend me one then that would be very generous."

I let out a breath and again my mouth gets ahead of me. "Can you just call me fucking Eric again Raven?"

She turns to walk back to the pit. "I shouldn't to be honest. You said it was for the best right?"

"Yes because I am an asshole. And I have done some bad shit Raven. I just didn't want you to see that part of me Raven." I shrugged not able to just get out that it wasn't that I hated her or even really about Jeanine. But about everything I can't live with myself about.

"If you would like to lend me a book Eric, then I would like that." She says quietly and smiles softly as we reach The Pit. I breathe a sigh of relief and join the table of all the leaders, Jeanine, and Astrid.