Sorry for the delayed update, this chapter has been floating around in the back of my mind for a while now but I wasn't sure how to tie it all together properly. Add in the rampant plot bunnies that insist upon breeding new ideas every other day and regular updates are rather thin on the ground.
As I stated the last chapter, don't be alarmed if I disappear for another three or four weeks. Even if it takes a good amount of time I'm not one to abandon fics, and that goes for Amortentia With A Twist and Disillusioned as well, for those of you who may be following some of those.
To anyone who missed the note above chapter six, I want to clear up some issues with the timeline. Though I have edited it now, I originally began this fic the night of Al's suicide. I have since changed it, so please consider chapter one as having occurred the night after Tris's fight with Myra instead. I apologize for the confusion there.
Also on the subject of timeline, I did push back Visiting Day to flow with my plot line better. In the books Visiting Day is the same day stage one rankings are revealed, but in this I'm pushing it back to roughly three or four days following the beginning of stage two. Again, just for the sake of plot convenience as I needed this chapter to happen.
As I stated in my recent two shot Conquering Fears (check it out if you want some quick Eris smut), after extensive googling I have discovered what I believe to be a canon last name for Eric, and will be using it from this point on both in this fic and any others I write that involve him.
Enough rambling from me, I want to get this proofread and posted for you all so I'm gonna shut up here. Friendly reminder that Divergent doesn't belong to me, and if it did I wouldn't have to write fanfiction about it to get my way with these characters or any others. :)
Many apologies for the ridiculously long Author's Notes here, and I hope this chapter makes up for the severely delayed update.
If you would be so kind as to leave me a review I would appreciate it more than you know, I absolutely adore receiving those emails. :)
Tris swallowed nervously as she made her way down to the Pit, wondering if she would be one of the initiates who stood awkwardly in a corner while the others visited with their families. She remembered the betrayed look on her father's face the last time she saw him, and her stomach clenched uncomfortably.
Tris's eyes began scanning the crowd the moment she reached the Pit, overlooking the Dauntless families and only lingering briefly on the few transfer families. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Christina standing with her parents and sister, and smiled knowing that her friend's family came for her. Tris gave the room another close look, heart sinking when she didn't notice anyone in gray. Just as she began to turn, though, Tris noticed a small gray clad figure off to the side, having been hidden from her view by a bulky Dauntless man.
Tris felt tears form in her eyes as she shoved her way through the crowd toward her mother, who didn't notice Tris approaching until she was almost in front of her. Her mother looked at her uncomprehendingly for a moment before a smile creased her face and she held her arms out. Tris hugged her mother tightly, grateful that she had overlooked her betrayal and come for her.
"Dad?" She asked nervously, biting her lip.
Her mother looked at her sadly. "Your father is being selfish," she said matter-of-factly.
Tris felt her eyebrows raise at the word, applied so rarely and never in a good way. But if her mother was using it, then it had to be true.
"Well tell him I love him, okay?" She asked her mother sadly.
"I will," she promised. "How are you Beatrice?" She asked, holding her shoulders fondly. "You look so beautiful, you're filling out."
Her mother pressed her hand to the side of Tris's neck and she felt a lump grow in her throat.
"You first?" Tris offered uncertainly. It felt odd not to.
Her mother shook her head. "Today is my gift to you, so lets talk about you."
Tris nodded. "It's going well, I like it," she said honestly. "We just started the second stage of training."
Her mother looked around them carefully before answering, dropping her voice to almost a whisper. "How are you doing? What's your time?"
Tris gave her mother a surprised look. "I'm doing really well," she told her, stomach curling at the partial lie. It was true, she was doing well. But in her case, doing well wasn't such a good thing.
"Too well?" Her mother mouthed, glancing around quickly once more. Tris bit her lip uncertainly, Tori's warnings ringing in her ears. "You can tell me sweetheart," she whispered.
"Yeah, or so I hear," she said carefully.
Abruptly her mother's volume rose to a normal pitch once more. "Just do your best sweetheart, take your time. That's the only way you'll get better."
Tris nodded, acknowledging her mother's warning and her advice. Her mother looked over her shoulder then and smiled briefly, before taking her arm and guiding her to a vacated table.
"So who's the boy who keeps looking at you?" Her mother asked, a smile in her tone.
Tris gave her a startled look, bewildered. "Who?"
"The one with all the piercings and neck tattoos, he keeps looking over at you." Her mother's knowing smile told her everything she needed to know about the looks he must be giving her.
"That's Eric," She said. "He's one of the leaders. He's..." Tris trailed off, uncertain how to describe Eric. "Complex," she decided. Complex was accurate, complex worked.
"I'll say," her mother chuckled. "He looks like he's ready to kill someone until he sees you."
Tris couldn't help her curiosity. "And then?"
"And then he looks like he remembers the reason he's enduring the torture," she whispered.
Tris flushed, unsure how to respond. She was saved, though, by Four's abrupt appearance, setting a slice of the chocolate cake in front of them.
Tris turned and gave him a confused look, wondering what was up with the random generosity.
"No one should go without tasting it at least once in their lives," he answered with a grin.
"Thank you," her mother responded, accepting the plastic fork he offered.
"Four this is my mom, mom this is Four, one of the instructors."
"Pleased to meet you," he said, voice somewhat stiff as he shook her mother's hand. Tris noted the uncomfortable way he shook her mother's hand, somewhat surprised. If he wasn't used to shaking hands, then he had been a transfer.
"And you," Her mother responded, giving him a sharp look. Clearly her mother had noticed the stiff handshake as well.
Four must have noticed her scrutiny, and she saw when he withdrew and made to take his leave. "Well I have to get going," he said quickly, head nodding forward briefly.
The motion niggled at Tris's subconscious, but she saw recognition dawn in her mother's expression, and she stood quickly.
"I thought you looked familiar," she said warmly. "I almost didn't recognize you."
Four's jaw clenched uncomfortably, but he remained silent and Tris wondered briefly what was going on.
Her mother glanced around carefully once more, ensuring no one in the vicinity would hear her words much the same way she had with herself earlier.
"There are a few of us who are happy you made the choice you did," she said softly. "I'll make sure to pass along the word that you're doing well here."
Four gave her mother a look of shock. "Thank you," he replied uncertainly.
Tris's mind spun as she listened to the conversation, and his actions and her mother's words combined with the subtle nod he gave her suddenly fell together in her mind. Tris looked quickly down at her cake, not wanting Four, Tobias, her mind supplied quickly, to see the look of shock on her face.
Tris didn't look up again until her mother returned to her seat and Four had walked some distance away, finally giving voice to the question in her mind.
"Is it true?" She asked her mother quietly. "About Marcus?"
"Evelyn confided in the few of us she considered her closest friends," her mother returned in a whisper as she began to eat her own cake.
Tris nodded to herself, and they sat in silence for a couple of minutes before Tris spoke again.
"Are you going to Erudite next?" She asked.
Her mother shook her head sadly. "I wish I could, but things have gotten worse. Erudite aren't allowing Abnegation into their section at all."
"But Caleb..." Tris trailed off sadly, unable to stop the image in her mind of her brother standing alone among the other families, looking for their parents.
"Once you've passed initiation you'll be able to go yourself," her mother told her. "When you can, let him know that-"
"Wait, they won't let you in for Visiting Day?" Came a shocked voice from behind them.
Tris looked over her shoulder quickly, relaxing slightly when she saw Eric.
"No," her mother answered, her sadness apparent in her tone. "My son Caleb is an initiate there, but my husband and I were told we weren't to visit."
Eric's face twisted into a scowl. "Well that's bullshit."
Glancing at his watch, Eric looked at her mother as though he were considering something. His eyes flicked briefly to Tris before he seemed to make up his mind.
"I've got nothing to do for the rest of the day, I can bring you."
"Oh, I wouldn't want to inconvenience you at all," Her mother said quickly, though Tris could see the desire to accept his offer in her mother's eyes.
"She would love that," Tris said firmly. Eric smirked when her mother shot her a look.
"Will they let you?" Her mother asked uncertainly.
Eric straightened his posture and scowled slightly, becoming the intimidating leader she was familiar with around the rest of the Dauntless. "They won't say no to me."
"Then that would be wonderful," she said gratefully.
...
Tris glanced at her mother in the side mirror of the car as Eric drove, the gun he had given her feeling strange at her hip.
"Just in case," he had told her.
Tris glanced around and noticed the Abnegation sector coming up on the left. "We should get my father, if you don't mind," she told Eric, knowing her mother would never ask.
Eric nodded and turned off without a word. "Where at?"
"Just up here," she responded, pointing ahead. "This one right on the corner."
Eric parked quickly in front of her old house, and Tris's mother spoke up uncertainly.
"Honey I don't think he'll come," She said sadly. "I already tried to get him to come see you and he wouldn't."
"Stay here," Eric instructed them, getting out of the car and striding purposefully around it. Tris saw Susan and Robert's mother staring at him in shock, and Tris could only imagine what he looked like to her.
...
Eric strode to the door with purpose, ignoring the stare from the woman next door as he knocked quickly. Footsteps sounded from inside, and when the door opened he was met with a thin, middle aged man who had Tris's wide blue eyes.
"Can I help you, mister..." The man's phrase turned up at the end, a question.
"Coulter," Eric responded quickly. "Eric Coulter, I'm one of the leaders of Dauntless."
"Andrew Prior," the man returned, not offering his hand. Eric hadn't expected him to. "What can I do for you?" He asked uncertainly. "Is something wrong?"
"Nothing to worry about," Eric assured. "I just need you to come with me."
"Of course sir," Andrew replied quickly, shutting the door behind him. Eric led him to the car, opening the back door for the man and shutting it quickly as soon as he was in.
"-Going on, Natalie?" Eric caught the tail end of his question as he got back in the driver's seat and pulled away quickly.
"He was nice enough to offer to escort us into Erudite to see our son," Natalie responded, and Eric smirked at the cold reminder in her tone.
Eric glanced at Tris quickly, wondering why she hadn't acknowledged her father yet, and noticed her hands twisting nervously in her lap.
"Tris, your jacket covers the gun, so if someone starts getting up in your face just put your hand on your hip. The moment you move it aside and they can see the gun they'll back right down."
Tris nodded, shooting him an annoyed look as her father looked sharply at her.
"Beatrice?" Andrew asked, shock coloring his tone as he looked at her. Out of the corner of his eye Eric saw Tris brace herself before turning in her seat to face her father.
"Hi dad," She said, and he could hear the insecurity in her tone.
"You look... Different," he said uncertainly, and Eric held back a scowl at the disappointed undercurrent in his voice.
"Your daughter is doing incredibly well with us," He piped up, glancing at Andrew in the rearview. "Ray is planning on retiring this year, and if Tris keeps up the hard work his spot will have her name on it."
He turned and smiled briefly at Tris, wishing she would relax some. "We could use more like her."
Glancing in the mirror again he saw Andrew shoot his daughter a surprised look. "That's wonderful news," he said quietly, and though his voice was uncertain, his tone was sincere.
A movement in the mirror got his attention, and when he looked he noticed Natalie attempting to catch his eye. He raised one eyebrow minutely in question, which she returned with a glance down to his shoulder followed by a look at Tris. He furrowed his brow slightly, not catching her meaning.
Natalie glanced at Tris again before meeting his eyes and flicking her eyes down to his shoulder, reaching up to rub a spot on her neck as she did. Eric's stomach flipped slightly when her meaning dawned on him and he reached up to touch the dark, mouth shaped bruise on his neck reflexively.
Natalie smiled and gave a nod before flicking her eyes to Tris once more, glancing back to him and raising her eyebrows slightly. Eric caught the rest of her meaning then, her silent inquiry of whether it had been Tris to leave the mark on his neck. Try as he might, Eric couldn't keep the flush from his cheeks, which worsened when Natalie noticed it and smiled wider.
Eric returned his gaze resolutely to the road in front of him, which was blessedly close to their goal. He pulled up and parked moments later, escaping the vehicle as soon as he could and waited for the others to join him. He relaxed slightly when Tris appeared at his side, and focused on her in an attempt to waylay his embarrassment.
"Remember," he told her, bringing his right hand around to rest on his hip and pushing his jacket back slightly. "Just like that, real casual." Tris nodded and imitated the motion, glancing absently to the side as she did.
Eric grinned at her. "Perfect, you're a natural." Tris flushed slightly at his praise, and he glanced back at her parents. "Follow me," he instructed. "It's just through the doors here in the main hall."
Eric turned and began walking, barely glancing at the still familiar surroundings. Tris walked just behind him on his left, letting him lead with her mother close at her side, both of their eyes wandering and taking in the new surroundings. On his right he noticed Andrew level with him, showing as little interest in what was around him as he was.
Suddenly, Tris and her brother made more sense. He could see by her mother's posture that the bowed, humble stance of the Abnegation was a learned behavior for Natalie, that she had come from somewhere people stood proud and tall. Somewhere like Dauntless. It was barely noticeable anymore, but he could see it. And by the look of the man beside him, he was as familiar with Erudite as Eric was.
"They completely renovated the library about six years ago," he said absently, knowing from experience that the curiosity never truly went away. Sure enough, the man's eyes fixed on him as he spoke, and Eric relaxed as he described the changes that had taken place in recent years.
He saw the guards at the doors tense when they saw Natalie and Andrew, and reached around to place his hand gently on Tris's back to draw her level with him. "By my side, act like you belong here."
Her parents fell back behind them, and Eric noticed Andrew reach out to take his wife's hand as they did so. Eric nodded once at the guards, drawing himself up to his full height as he strode forward.
"Gentlemen," he greeted coolly, nudging the side of his jacket aside to show his gun and pulling slightly on Tris's to expose hers as well. The men's eyes fell to them briefly before standing aside, and Eric held back a smirk as the men let her parents pass without question.
The moment they were through the doors a woman he didn't recognize stepped forward with a clipboard.
"Initiate's name?" She asked, not looking up.
"Caleb Prior," Eric responded curtly. The woman's eyes found the name on her sheet and she responded quickly.
"I'm sorry, you're not permitted to be here," she told him crisply, still not looking past her clipboard.
"I'm afraid you're mistaken," he said coldly, and the icy tone in his voice finally drew her eyes up to him.
The woman was tiny, smaller even than Tris, and he stepped toward her slightly, towering over her by over a foot. She gave him a frightened look and stepped back from him quickly, looking lost for words.
"Caleb Prior?" Tris asked sharply, drawing the woman's gaze to her before placing her hand absently on her hip. Again Eric fought his grin, Tris made the motion look completely natural, and the woman paled considerably.
"Of course," She said breathlessly. "Right this way." The woman turned and strode away quickly, and Eric shot Tris a wide grin and a nod before following the woman to a table against the back wall.
"Caleb," The woman said when they reached a lone, lanky young man with dark hair and green eyes. He looked up at her with a concerned look on his face, clearly hearing the fear in the woman's voice.
"Beverly?" He asked, sounding confused. The moment he looked up, however, his gaze fell immediately on Eric and he too paled slightly. His eyes went to Tris next, and he saw the moment of confusion before he recognized her.
"Beatrice?" He asked, shock coloring his tone. Eric caught the smile on Tris's face as she walked forward to hug her brother and smiled briefly to himself as her parents stepped forward as well.
"Beverly," he said sharply, making the woman freeze in his peripheral vision as she tried to slip away. All of their eyes turned to him, and he gave her a menacing smile, feeling his piercings pull as he did so. As with everyone else he used that trick on, she looked aside quickly.
"Aren't you going to explain the misunderstanding to your initiate here?" He asked quietly, the threat clear in his voice. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Caleb's eyes flick to him in confusion before the woman answered reluctantly.
"I was instructed to not allow anyone from Abnegation to enter," she whispered. "I'm terribly sorry for any confusion." Eric nodded once before turning his back on her, and he heard her shoes click as she hurried away.
Eric stood back slightly from Tris and her family, catching snatches of their conversation but not truly listening, instead letting his eyes linger on Tris as he considered her and what they may or may not have.
There had been little time for them to be alone together since the first morning in his apartment, room only for him to kiss her briefly when he passed her alone in the hallways or elsewhere. He felt an involuntary smile curve his lips as he remembered making love to her nearly a week ago now, and thought to himself that he would have to find the time again soon.
"Eric," Tris said suddenly, drawing him from his musing.
"Pardon?" He asked, stepping closer to them and letting his persona fall back into place. "Sorry, I was thinking about something else."
"I'm Caleb," The boy introduced, holding his hand out. Eric accepted it, impressed with how quickly he had picked up the gesture.
"Eric," He returned.
"I wanted to thank you for bringing them here today, I didn't realize..." Caleb trailed off, and he nodded in understanding.
"Not a problem," Eric responded quickly. "It was no trouble."
"Eric?" A female voice inquired from somewhere off to his left. Eric placed the voice instantly and closed his eyes briefly in annoyance before turning to face the owner of said voice.
A thin, severe looking woman made her way through the crowd toward him, a tall man with dark hair and gray eyes following behind her, staring at him with a reserved look.
"Mom," he greeted coldly. "Dad." Out of the corner of his eye he saw Tris shoot his parents a surprised look before stepping slightly closer to his side, sensing the tension between them.
"I didn't recognize you until I heard you talk Eric, what did you do to your face?" Her voice was crisp and emotionless, showing no sign of happiness at seeing her only child for the first time in two years.
"I joined Dauntless," he responded coldly.
"Obviously, but did you have to get those awful marks on your neck?" His father spoke up this time, and Eric could feel anger burning in his chest. He opened his mouth to respond, but surprisingly enough Tris beat him to it.
"They're leadership tattoos," She told his father coldly. "Only five people in the entire faction have them. It's an honor."
"I see," his father returned. "And you are?"
"One of my best initiates," Eric responded for her, stepping slightly closer to her.
There was a tense silence, and the next voice that sounded made him want to hit something. Did he have to run into everyone he absolutely did not want to see today?
"Eric," came another woman's crisp voice.
"Jeanine," he responded evenly, turning to face her.
Her eyes went immediately to Tris's parents where they stood with Caleb and narrowed slightly. "I wasn't aware you were coming today," she said evenly.
"I took the liberty of escorting them," Eric told her, noticing his own parents taking the opportunity to slip quietly away, shooting him a mildly disgusted look as they went. Good riddance.
"I see," she said slowly. "Beatrice," she greeted next, spotting Tris standing next to him. "How nice to see you again."
"Jeanine," Tris greeted civilly.
"I have to admit, you surprised me at the choosing ceremony given your test results."
"You see those?" She asked, and he looked down at her sharply, not liking the direction the conversation was going or the minute hint of nervousness in her voice.
"Of course, I see all the ones that don't go as planned. Your result was manually entered as Abnegation, so naturally I was intrigued when you chose Dauntless."
"It felt like a better fit," Tris answered her smoothly. "Just because you're good at something doesn't necessarily mean you want to do it the rest of your life."
"Very wise of you," Jeanine complemented.
The rest of the conversation was lost to him as the obvious came together in his mind, making his blood run cold as the truth dawned on him.
Eric thought back to her behavior since she had joined Dauntless, and was amazed that he hadn't seen it before. The subtle behaviors suggested Abnegation, the way she always let her friends get their food first at dinner and the way she had stood up to him for Al. Her aptitude for Dauntless was incredibly clear in her behavior as well, but now he thought back on it he realized that she had an equal aptitude for Abnegation.
The afternoon on the roof came back to him then, the way she had stepped forward to jump first, almost without a second thought. At the time he thought nothing of it, simply thinking she was where she belonged if she was that brave. But now he thought back on it he realized none of the Dauntless born initiates had shown any sign of stepping forward either. It wasn't bravery or selflessness that brought her to that ledge that day, Eric realized. It was logic.
Which pointed to Erudite.
Dimly he realized Jeanine had walked away, and with effort focused on the people in front of him.
"I'm sorry about this but I just remembered I have some paperwork to get done," he said quickly, unable to keep the tension from his voice. He saw Tris give him a long look and knew what she had to be wondering. Unable to help himself he glanced down at her, seeing the sharp awareness in her eyes.
He looked away from her quickly, jerking his head toward Caleb and her parents who were currently saying their farewells. "You should say goodbye to your brother," he told her quickly.
She flinched the slightest bit at his cool tone, and he watched her lose a little bit of color as she did as he said. Tris said her goodbyes quickly, and as soon as the three of them were done he began leading them quickly from the building, not slowing until he reached the car and climbed inside.
Eric's fingers drummed a tense rhythm on the steering wheel as he drove, panic flooding his system as he considered what he knew. Tris was Divergent, and from the looks of it Jeanine was already on to her, which meant that she would expect him to learn the truth and then get rid of her.
Dimly he remembered his own aptitude test, the tense look on the man's face as he told Eric to wait. Jeanine had walked in several minutes later, unaccompanied and with a syringe in her hand. When he asked what it was she had been honest with him.
"It's a euthanizing serum," she had told him bluntly. "You'll go through the rest of your day as normal, and when you fall asleep your heart will stop and you won't wake up."
He could still recall the terror that had raced through him at her words, his confusion at why she would want him dead. When she told him he was Divergent the panic had nearly taken over, but somehow he was able to retain enough sense of mind to beg for his life, to offer to do anything she needed in exchange for letting him live.
"Well, there is one thing," she had told him. "Your aptitudes are for Erudite and Dauntless. The leaders there are reluctant to work with me, and I could really use some inside help."
"Done," he agreed instantly. "I'll do anything, just let me live."
Eric shook himself free of his memories and looked down at Tris once more, becoming alarmed at her pallor and the shallow way she was breathing. A moment later remorse stabbed through him as he realized she had been warned about what it meant, that she had probably been told that anyone finding out equalled her death. She shot him a furtive look that turned to terror when she met his gaze, and he recognized the look in her eyes. It was the same one he'd noticed in his own, reflected in Jeanine's glasses when she told him she was going to kill him.
His stomach twisted when he realized she probably expected him to throw her into the Chasm himself. A glance in the mirror proved what he already suspected, that her parents were watching the pair of them with rapt attention, probably thinking along the same lines as Tris.
Ignoring the fact it was sure to make them uncomfortable, Eric reached over and took Tris's hand in his own, lacing his fingers through hers. She turned her head and gave him a cautious, confused look, not responding to him in any other way.
He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it tenderly, holding it there for a long moment before speaking quietly. "I can't promise no one will find you," he told her honestly. "But if you go over that rail you'll be in my arms the whole way down."