A/N: Thank you so much for all of the wonderful reviews of the last chapter! I really appreciate the support. Thank you also to my fantastic beta reader, Rosalie.

Chapter 37: Tris – Rehearsal Dinner

In Abnegation, there's no such thing as a wedding ceremony. It would be selfish for the couple to focus on themselves, so instead they do the minimum required to make the marriage legal. The two stand before one of the faction leaders as they exchange vows and rings and then sign the paperwork, and that's it.

The closest thing they have to a celebration is that the families share dinner together afterwards, if they live in Abnegation. That formalizes the union.

For a brief time after Tobias and I became engaged, we considered following that tradition. Neither of us wanted to wait long to be married, and since we didn't grow up with any expectation of a ceremony, we didn't have anything specific that we wanted to do for it.

But it didn't take long for us to realize that our faction-mates would kill us if we deprived them of a celebration. So, we opted instead for a service similar to Zeke and Shauna's.

And then spent the next two weeks panicking about how to actually make that happen, given our total lack of experience with the subject…. Fortunately, our friends and family members began stepping forward to help at that point, as soon as they saw how much we needed it.

Christina took charge of coordinating the event – and of taking me shopping every weekend to find the perfect dress. Anna enthusiastically agreed to officiate, and Caleb was beyond thrilled when I asked him to escort me down the aisle. Margaret begged to be our flower girl before Tobias even had a chance to ask her, and Kevin volunteered his son to be our ring bearer before we had time to begin wondering who, if anyone, would fill that role.

Even the location was handed to us, when Amar and George revealed the rooftop garden that they'd spent weeks carefully putting together on top of our building. It's a breathtaking space, yet simple, and is absolutely right for us.

Between all of their efforts, everything comes together smoothly with barely any work on Tobias' and my part. Instead, we spend our days renovating the second floor of our building, since after considerable debate, we decided to move into an apartment there once we're married. The faction needs more common space, and we want the extra privacy of living a little apart from the others, so it seems like a better choice than moving into Tobias' current place.

Besides, sooner or later, the faction is going to need a second floor, given how many people have been asking to join. And since Shauna is now pregnant.

Oddly, that reality makes me more nervous than the upcoming wedding. I know that I want children someday, but not yet, so I'm glad when Tobias makes it clear that he doesn't think he'll be ready for kids for a few years. That timing definitely works for me.

We finish the new apartment several days before the wedding, moving most of our possessions into it but keeping just enough in Tobias' current one to stay there for now. We want our first night in the new place to be right after we're married.

Once we're done with the renovations, we immediately turn our attention to setting up my old apartment for Micky and Luella. They'll be staying here during their visit from Pittsburgh, while Lauren will stay in the room next to Zeke and Shauna – the one they'll use as a nursery after the baby is born.

Our three guests arrive the day before the rehearsal dinner. Adam must have driven them, but he doesn't come upstairs – presumably instead heading to his room in Anna's house so he can sleep after the long drive. That's okay. We'll see him soon enough, at the wedding.

Anna is the one who escorts our guests into the gathering room, where we're all sitting around in conversation after dinner. I rise automatically to greet her, Tobias beside me, but she hangs back with our two quieter visitors while Lauren steps forward first.

"It's good to see you both again," Lauren says, extending her hand Dauntless-style to me and then to my fiancé. As Tobias shakes it, she adds, "You finally found the guts to ask her, huh?"

He just raises an eyebrow, keeping his face straight as he answers. "No. She asked me." He still finds that particular fact amusing.

Before Lauren can figure out how to respond, Shauna bumps her way past us, clearly wanting very much to greet her old friend. I smile as I watch them embrace and begin chatting, but for a moment, I have trouble reconciling the current with the last two times I saw Lauren. When she was putting me and Caleb into a car and rushing us out of Greensburg to safety. And long before that, when she was covered in blood as we sent her into the unknown with little chance of survival while we continued on an insanely dangerous mission without her.

It's amazing that we all lived to see this day.

The thought brings me to our other guests, and I feel another shock of memory as my gaze finds Micky. I certainly never doubted that Tobias was telling the truth about our connection through him, and through my ring, but it feels utterly surreal to see him here. In my mind, he's peering at me from a nearby building, offering hope on one of the darkest days of my life, and I feel a fresh surge of affection toward Tobias for causing him to be there when I needed help the most.

Beside him, a woman who I assume is Luella is looking around, wide-eyed. Conditions in the UCA have improved dramatically over time, but I know that this place must still seem luxurious to those who grew up in NUSA.

Tobias steps toward them, shaking Micky's hand firmly as the two stare at each other silently. This is the first time they've met since Greensburg, and I'm sure it's an emotional moment for both of them.

"It was a pleasant surprise to be invited," Micky finally says, his expression showing how honored he feels. "I didn't honestly expect to see you again."

Tobias shakes his head, clearly at a loss for words. "Of course we invited you," he finally answers, his voice low. "After what you did….." He turns to me for several long seconds before focusing his gaze on Micky again. "I can't express how grateful I am for everything you did in Greensburg."

Micky smiles a little, but there's a deep seriousness behind it. "You don't owe me anything for that." His eyes flick to me and back to Tobias. "Either of you. I was incredibly glad to be able to help, after everything you've both done for all of us."

He chuckles before adding, "Besides, you weren't kidding when you showed us what Tris could do. All I had to do was get her a gun, and boom – she was out of there on her own. I didn't do enough to earn your thanks."

I don't contradict him, but his words do nothing to reduce the gratitude that I feel toward him. To me, he will always be the man who saved Caleb's life.

Instead, I step forward to greet him, and somewhat to my surprise, I do it with a hug instead of a handshake. With all the connections between us, I can't help but feel close to him.

"Thank you, regardless," I murmur. And I can feel him nod against me.

When I release him, he turns to the woman next to him, pulling her gently to his side. "This is my wife, Luella," he says. There's pride in his voice, and I smile instantly, seeing clearly how much he loves her. Her lips lift, too, as she reaches out to take my hands in hers.

"I'm so glad to meet you," she tells me shyly. "It feels like I've been hearing about you forever, and it's such a privilege to actually get to talk to you. Let alone to attend your wedding." The words touch me deep inside.

"You know, I feel the same way." I give my fiancé a soft smile before returning my attention to Luella. "Tobias has told me a lot about you."

She nods, her expression sweet, as she reaches one hand out to rest on his arm for a moment in greeting. But when she releases both of us in favor of leaning on her husband, I realize just how exhausted they are. Of course they'd be hungry and tired after such a long trip.

"Can I show you where you'll be staying?" I offer quickly. "And get you some dinner?"

"That would be wonderful," she murmurs.

We end up spending a quiet evening together – Micky, Luella, Anna, Tobias, and I – talking about life under NUSA and now in the UCA, and about what Pittsburgh is like these days. They ask countless questions about Chicago and about my term as president, and they freely share details about the previous time they met Tobias. When he gave them new rings to replace mine – and then used them in a ceremony to renew their wedding vows.

It's a thoroughly enjoyable visit, and by the time we part ways to go to bed, I feel even better about the ring on my finger. It binds us all together – the three women in this little group who've worn it, and the men who gave it to each of us – in a way that's beyond words. And as I snuggle against Tobias' chest a little later, once the two of us are alone again, I can't imagine how anything else could ever symbolize our love as much as this does.

We hold the wedding rehearsal on the rooftop, enjoying the clear, warm air as everyone practices the flow of the ceremony. Kevin's wife, Miriam, plays wedding music on her keyboard, and their son, Michael, carries our rings on a small pillow with clips to ensure they don't fall off.

It's admittedly difficult to remove my ring for the short time before Tobias slides it onto my finger again, but it's worth it to see the light in his eyes as he does so. And my stomach squirms with pleasure as I realize that by this time tomorrow, we'll be married. Truly and permanently. It can't get here soon enough.

But by the time we're done with the rehearsal, it feels like tomorrow will never get here. Christina makes everyone practice over and over to ensure that nothing can possibly go wrong, and whenever I think she's finally satisfied, Anna interrupts to point out something that wasn't quite right. I know they both have the best of intentions, but I'm thoroughly worn out by the time they finally declare we can eat dinner.

Tobias links his hand with mine as we lead the procession to the dining hall. Courtesy of Evelyn, we have guest cooks for tonight and tomorrow, and I can feel everyone relax when we reach the main floor of our faction and smell the amazing meal they've prepared.

We crowd around the table, using extra chairs we pulled in from all of our apartments, and begin passing the dishes around as quickly as we can. Everyone is hungry by now.

That's probably why we eat in virtual silence for the first ten minutes, people speaking only enough to ask for a particular dish to be passed. But gradually, the conversation builds, fractured into a dozen simultaneous discussions around the large table. I laugh as Margaret's description of her upcoming debate mixes with details of Shauna's pregnancy test, making it sound like she's arguing against peeing on a stick.

We're all interrupted by the sound of Zeke clinking a fork against his glass.

"I think we've reached that point," he says with a grin, "where we get to harass my friends under the guise of toasting their future."

"Yay!" Shauna calls, immediately lifting her own glass. "I'd like to start." Smiling, she turns her attention to Tobias.

"Four, the first time I saw you, I thought you were absolutely out of your mind to be transferring to Dauntless. You were skinny, and dressed all in gray, and I thought there was no way a Stiff like you would make it through initiation. But I have to say that you surprised me."

She hesitates, and her face turns serious as she continues. "I would have been factionless – or worse – if you hadn't taught me to fight, and if you hadn't protected me from Eric." She swallows hard. "Because of you, I had two years with my sister that I wouldn't have had otherwise. I will always be grateful for that. And, of course, for saving my life after I was shot."

Her gaze moves to me. "I don't even know where to start with you, Tris…. When you first transferred in during Lynn's initiation year, I felt like history was repeating itself. A Stiff taking first place, and fighting back against the things that were wrong in our faction…." A half-smile lifts the side of her mouth.

"And then I found out that you were Divergent, and I let a bunch of stupid stereotypes override my common sense." Her expression is sad now. "But despite my whole family's stinking attitude, you saved my brother's life, and then turned yourself in to the Erudite to protect the rest of us. And I was left realizing that you were a far better person than I was."

She shakes her head a little, and I feel a strong urge to tell her that she's wrong, that I'm no better than she is at all. But Tobias squeezes my hand hard, and I know he doesn't want me to interrupt. Shauna needs to get this out.

"I'm not sure exactly when I realized that you and Four were perfect for each other," she continues, her voice softer now. "I suspected his feelings early in initiation, when you visited the fence on your field trip. There was just something about the way he looked at you. And he was so obviously jealous of the other guys around you, though he didn't want to admit it."

There are scattered chuckles around the table at that statement, but a twinge of sadness goes through me. That was one of the last conversations I had with Robert before he died on our mission. Before he died alone, while the rest of us fought off the NUSA military. I've never told Susan that particular detail about her brother's death – it doesn't seem like something she needs to hear – but at moments like this, it still bothers me.

"Regardless of the timing," Shauna adds, "it quickly became clear that Four was head over heels about you. And that you felt the same way." She lifts her glass farther upwards, in a toast to us. "You two are a damned good couple, and I wish you a lifetime of the happiness you deserve."

The others call, "Hear, hear" as they tilt their own glasses towards us. I clink mine against Tobias', exchanging a small smile with him before we both sip. The liquid is some sparkling, fruity drink I've never had before, and I make a mental note to keep my intake low in case it contains alcohol. Presumably, it doesn't, though, since Shauna and Margaret and Michael are all drinking it.

"Well," Zeke says, seizing the opportunity to speak next. "I do remember exactly when I realized that the two of you liked each other. Or at least when I knew that Four was smitten." He grins, and I hear a low groan from Tobias next to me. He clearly knows what moment Zeke is about to reveal.

"It all started with him having a very bad day during training and wanting to get drunk…."

It takes a long time for our friends and family members to toast us. Each one talks about how they met us, and when they realized we were in love – and why they're certain our future together will be perfect.

A wide range of emotions goes through me with the revelations – from tears at Cara's talk about how she learned to forgive me for Will's death and to view me as a friend, to laughter at Christina's Candor observations of us. But regardless of what each toast evokes, I love them all, and they make me feel even closer to Tobias – something that I would have said was impossible before this evening.

We've all finished eating, and Margaret and Michael are playing pool in the other room, when Caleb finally starts his toast. He's had an emotional day, too, since he just learned about Micky's connection to Tobias today, and I see the residual shock in his eyes as he clears his throat to speak.

"It would be impossible to truly sum up how I feel about either of you," he begins, "or how you've affected my life, or even what I think about your relationship. But I'm going to try…."

Not surprisingly, he starts with me. "Beatrice, I never gave you enough credit growing up. I looked at the world so literally then, and whenever you didn't fit into the exact model of Abnegation behavior, I looked down on you for it. That was really dumb of me."

I can't help laughing at his blunt statement, and he gives a wry grin of acknowledgement as he continues. "I have since learned that it's a very good thing to have more than one aptitude in this world. And I've come to realize that you're a much better person than I am. Stronger and braver and more selfless, and even smarter."

He holds my gaze as he adds, "I hurt you so much, and yet you helped me over and over. You saved my life, and you forgave me, and you somehow kept loving me. I don't deserve to still be part of your life, after everything I did wrong, but I'm so glad that you let me be there. I love you, Beatrice."

For a moment longer, his eyes stay on mine, letting me know how much he means the words, and I feel my own answering love for my brother echoing back. It warms me all the way through.

He turns to Tobias next, and there's a long pause as he clearly struggles with what to say. I'm sure he had his speech planned out before he saw Micky today, but now he looks overwhelmed.

"I owe you so much, too," he finally says, his voice soft. "Starting with all the ways you helped Beatrice, and the city, and me." He glances at Micky and then back again. "But mostly, I owe you for how much you love my sister."

He clears his throat. "You showed me two broadcasts, and those changed my life more than I can ever express. They showed me what love really is, and why it's worthwhile, and how it can reshape us. And…you showed me so much more than that."

He takes a deep breath. "You showed me that it's possible to make terrible mistakes – ones that we'd give anything to be able to take back – and to somehow still be a good person. You showed me that we can recover, and learn, and grow – and that we have a responsibility to do that. And most of all, you showed me how to do it – how to become a better person."

There are tears in my brother's eyes now, and I fight the urge to walk over to him and comfort him. But I know that he wants to say this, so I just listen.

"That's the reason the whole country followed your message, you know. You dared to admit to everyone that you were flawed. That you had done things you regretted with every fiber of your being. I could understand that, and I think a lot of other people could, too."

Across the table, I can see Micky and Luella nodding, but no one makes a sound as Caleb continues. "I will always be grateful that you sent the broadcast you did. Not just because it ended the war, and saved all of our lives, but because it helped me to change in ways I didn't even know I needed."

His last words are so soft, I struggle to hear them. "It is an incredible honor to be part of your wedding. And it will be my privilege to call you my brother for the rest of my life."

A/N: The next chapter is the wedding, but I'm afraid it will probably be at least a week and a half before I post it. I'm going out of town for the weekend and will have very limited time for writing during the week after that. So, don't expect it until March 4 or later. But don't worry - I'm not abandoning this story! :-)

Anyway, please take a moment to let me know what you thought of this chapter. Thanks!