Tobias' POV

"Hello, Tobias," she says.

Her hair is the same shoulder-length from many years ago, however appeared to be glowing under the scorching sun. She looks to be wearing the same clothes as I had last seen her – but dirty – and blood was smeared throughout what was once was clean set. A bullet wound was on her arm, her stomach, and her other shoulder.

It comes to be of no surprise about my hallucination of Tris at the current moment. Lying here on the ground, with God knows how many bullet wounds myself, I almost couldn't care that this was merely a fragment of my wish.

"Am I done yet?" I say, pain coursing throughout my body. The bullet wounds achingly pulse in rhythm with my heartbeat, black and white splotches appear and disappear in my view.

Tris seems to give a smile as tears flow down her cheeks, and an unknown force of energy envelops me in urgency to get to where she is to comfort her.

"Yes," she says. "You're done."

Relief floods my body as I begin slipping away from the pain, but my mind bashes itself awake. I have to savour every moment of Tris.

A thin, gentle hand touches my face and I look up to see her flushed cheeks and bright smile, although with tears. "You're done, now," she repeats. "It's okay."

I muster every ounce of energy to raise my trembling hand and wipe her tears, giving a smile of my own. "Where have you been all this time, Stiff?" I say.

She lets out a sob as a laugh and brings me closer to her, holding my hands. I can smell the sun from her as tears begin to swell in my eyes. How long has it been since I had last been embraced by her?

"I've been right here all along, Tobias," she says. "Right here."

Her tears drop on the cheeks of my face and her warmth tells me she's there.

Tris. My Tris. Embracing me.

I smile as my body forces my eyes to close, ignoring my starving mind's pleas to see more of Tris' beautiful figure. A thread tugs at me with a stronger irritation, and a sharp gasp of pain escapes me.

"I...I love you, you know," I manage to say.

I hear a trembling sob as her gentle lips finds mine. Warmth springs through every share of my body as more tears overwhelm me.

"I know," she replies, breathless. "I love you, too."

She presses her lips against mine once more, and I let the thread take me wherever.