A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, and to my wonderful beta reader, Rosalie! It's been a long, crazy week, and I really appreciate your support. (And by the way, to anyone who was wondering from the A/N in the last chapter - both the cat and the keyboard are fine now.)
Chapter 29: Tori – Visiting
I wonder if it will ever feel routine to visit my brother. After so many years of thinking he was dead, I doubt it. Still, it's become its own type of normal to stop by the Kaizen faction after most city council meetings – at least, after the ones that don't run for six hours due to Evelyn being a pain in the rear. Like last week's.
She was in full form again today, insisting that if Dauntless can't find a way to accommodate our aging members, we should fund a second faction for them so they don't keep draining her factionless resources. As my own age creeps up, I can't entirely deny she has a point, but it's certainly not her business how we handle our own.
The arguments play through my head as I walk the streets toward George's place, and they certainly don't improve my mood. It's difficult not to growl at Four when I enter the Kaizen gathering room. I'd never be stuck working with his mother if he hadn't convinced us to ally with her to get rid of Jeanine.
But the anger dies when I see Tris sitting next to him. Her presence reminds me of why Four did what he did – I've never seen anyone as desperate as he was while she was in Erudite. And really, it's a damned good thing he cared that much, or the whole city would have been lost to NUSA. It took the two of them together to stop that army.
So, I nod at them in greeting before pulling my brother into a tight hug. Amar gives me a quick embrace, too. Sometimes, my old friend does that, and sometimes I think my Dauntless appearance is too much for him, even a year and a half after his brain injury.
"Are you joining us for dinner?" George asks as he sits back down and gestures for me to take a seat next to him. "Or will this be a short visit?"
The comment surprises me, and I glance at my watch before realizing that the meeting took more than four hours. They must be getting ready to eat here, though not quite yet, since not everyone has arrived. So far, it's just George, Amar, Four, Tris, and Shauna. All of them former Dauntless members.
"Sure, I'll join you, if that's okay."
From the other couch, Tris says, "That's fine. We made plenty of food." She glances at Four, and I realize who "we" is. I always forget that they take turns with that type of chore in this faction – I'm so used to the size of Dauntless, and to having dedicated staff and meals that never run out. Watching them here reminds me of why Evelyn makes some of the arguments she does. Not everyone has as much as my faction.
"Thank you," I tell Tris, giving her a small smile. In some ways, it feels like I've known her forever, even though it's been less than two years. I guess I still feel a connection to all the Divergents I tested, and she was the most Divergent of them all.
Once in a while, I wonder how different things would be today if I hadn't been the one to give her that aptitude test. If it hadn't been me, it would have been Elena, the tester from Erudite. She had a habit of "encouraging" people to switch from Abnegation, and of manipulating the test to accomplish that. It's possible she would have gotten Tris to go to Erudite the same way she did with Caleb. But it's equally possible she would have seen Tris' Divergence and reported it. And then Tris wouldn't have survived much past that day.
"How was the council meeting?" George asks, drawing me out of my thoughts.
"Rotten," I answer, letting my eyes move to Four. "Your mother is still a pain, you know."
He chuckles. "Tell me about it."
Tris' mouth flattens. "But does she have a point?" she asks, and I sigh in response. Trust Tris to make it about the issue and not the personality. She must have been a great president.
"Yes," I admit reluctantly. "She does. We need to think of better ways to allow Dauntless members to grow old without dying or leaving the faction."
"Feeling your age, sis?" George asks with a grin, and I smack his arm in retaliation.
"Yeah, yeah. Shut up."
The others laugh, but Four looks thoughtful. "I have some ideas on that, if you're interested." He shrugs when I frown at him. "I spent some time thinking about it during my brief tenure as a leader there. Back when I thought that Evelyn might actually work with us." He glances at Tris, and I know he's not adding: before his girlfriend turned herself in to Jeanine, and his entire focus shifted to saving her.
It's difficult not to sigh. I've already spent the day listening to Evelyn, and I'm really not in the mood to have her son throw ideas at me, too. But all things considered, I owe him that courtesy.
"Why not?" I mutter. "Go ahead."
He nods. "Your biggest problem is handling mobility issues." His gaze turns to Shauna for a moment, and I have to agree with him. We don't do a good job of accommodating members who can't walk – or walk well.
"And the primary reason that's an issue is that all your shops, and your cafeteria, and most of your apartments are in the Pit and the lower levels."
"Which isn't a great place for them, anyway," Shauna chimes in. "Think about it – how much trouble did you have with mold in your tattoo shop, because it was built into rock below ground level?" I don't answer aloud, because she clearly already knows that it was a major problem, but I tilt my head in acknowledgement.
She gives a half-smile as she continues. "I haven't had any of those issues in my shop. And that's just with tattoo materials. It must be even worse with food and clothing and furniture."
"And medical supplies," George adds. "And don't forget that it's terrible for patients to be breathing moldy air."
"That would all go away if you started relocating those services," Four says. "You could put them in the building above – which has elevators – or in any of the surrounding buildings. If you want to get fancy, you could even connect the buildings through covered walkways, the way Erudite did."
"I don't know," I answer, shaking my head automatically. "So much of Dauntless' personality is based on the Pit, and we shouldn't lose that."
"You wouldn't have to," Tris says, her mouth pulled down into a thoughtful frown. "Think of all the things you could do with that great big space if it wasn't filled with shops and apartments. You could have a zip-line set up there, and rock climbing, and hang-gliding."
"You could add swimming pools, too," George contributes, "and skating rinks."
"And expand the shooting ranges," Amar says. I'm vaguely surprised at that suggestion from him. He tries very hard to avoid thinking about guns these days.
Regardless, they do collectively make a good point. We could put a lot of optional recreational activities into the Pit and the surrounding area if we relocated the critical services.
A wry smile forms on my face. "Okay, I get it," I admit. "And I'll…consider it."
Unlike Evelyn, they seem to know when to drop a subject, because they turn to lighter conversation at that point. We're still chatting when Zeke enters the room, looking a bit worn, with Christina and Uriah trailing behind him. They were all busy handling security for the council meeting today, along with some Dauntless members, so they had as long a day as I did.
"Hi, Tori," Zeke mutters as he passes me on his way to give Shauna a kiss. I watch the two of them have a murmured discussion while Christina and Uriah drop onto the free couch. There's something about the way they sit – just a little closer than normal – that makes me wonder if anything is brewing between them. It would be nice to see that, after the way they both lost their romantic partners to Jeanine.
Zeke draws my attention again when he turns to me with a much brighter expression.
"Hey, did Shauna tell you that we're engaged?"
"No," I say in surprise, "she didn't." I narrow my eyes at her, wondering how she managed to avoid mentioning that, but she just grins as she holds up her hand to display her engagement ring.
"I thought I'd wait until we could tell you together," she comments.
"Well, congratulations," I say firmly. "I always thought you two were a good couple." And it's true. I watched Shauna pine over him for a long time before they got together, and then I saw how much he missed her when the two of us were spies in Erudite. And how the two of them became even closer after her paralysis and after Lynn's death – traumas that might have driven a lesser couple apart. They belong together.
"When's the date?" I ask.
Shauna bites her lip, looking nervous, and Zeke glances at the others briefly before clearing his throat. "Um, we actually wanted to talk to you about that…." He scratches at the back of his neck in a habit that he probably picked up from Four. "Do you think that you might…be willing to perform the ceremony?"
The request catches me off guard. As a faction leader, I perform many wedding ceremonies within Dauntless. And as a member of the city council, I technically have the authority to do the same for members of other factions – and for the factionless. But no one has asked me that before.
My voice is uncharacteristically quiet when I answer. "I would be honored." And indeed I would.
The ceremony takes place the next month. They opt to hold it in Dauntless, so they can invite their extended family members and friends and have enough room for everyone. Shauna's mother and her maid of honor, Samantha, handle most of the planning, but I arrange cars to transport them, and I clear the glass floor for them. Amar will be here today, and I don't want him disturbed by people on the high-wires or anything like that.
We also kick everyone out of the fear landscape room for the day, using it instead as a prep area for Shauna. It's nice to see some happiness in that place, after all the thousands of times it's been associated with nothing but fear and misery.
I check in on the bride briefly, watching as Samantha pins Shauna's hair up to affix the veil, before moving into the larger room. The others should be arriving soon, from the various apartments being used as dressing rooms.
Zeke is first, walking in with his two best men by his side – he never could decide between Uriah and Four, so he asked them both. I don't know who picked the groom's tuxedo out, but it definitely suits him. He looks as good as he usually claims he does.
The families arrive next, and Zeke's mother beams at him proudly before pulling him into a hug that seems like it will never end.
The bridesmaids file in shortly afterwards, their black dresses laced with red in a pattern that works surprisingly well. They slip into the fear landscape room to make sure everything is set before taking their places.
By the time they're ready, the audience is, too, and I know we're just waiting for Amar and George now – the groomsmen. Their car is coming last, to minimize Amar's exposure to noises and crowds.
He looks a little nervous when they arrive, but at the same time, he seems to draw some strength from his old faction. His back straightens, and he stands tall and proud as he takes his place. It makes me smile as I move into my own position, along with everyone else.
The music starts almost immediately, and Shauna emerges from the fear landscape room, radiant in a gown that drapes over the sides of her wheelchair. Her eyes hold Zeke's the entire way down the aisle, and their hands clasp together when she reaches him, before they turn their attention to me.
It goes too quickly from there. I keep the oration simple, the way Dauntless typically does, and then the two of them are exchanging their vows and sliding rings onto each other's fingers. The audience cheers as Zeke kisses his bride passionately, causing her wheelchair to roll onto its back wheels as he dips her dramatically.
I'm not surprised when they don't do a stately march through the audience at the end. Instead, Zeke takes off in a wild run, pushing Shauna around the room at full speed. Both of them whoop in joy as they circle around their family and friends, Shauna's veil flying behind her. It makes all of us laugh.
Taking advantage of the cover noise, I nudge Four, who's standing near me, and ask, "When's your turn?"
His eyes move to Tris, where she stands with the other bridesmaids, calling her congratulations to the happy couple, and he can't seem to help grinning.
"Soon." His voice is deep and certain. "Very soon, I hope."
A/N: I feel like this chapter was a bit dull, but hopefully it worked okay. The next one is more exciting. In the meantime, please take a moment to write a review. I've been feeling unmotivated lately, with work and home both being busy and with all the computer problems, so I could really use the encouragement. Thanks!