A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, and for all of the good wishes about my daughter's graduation! It involved a lot of walking in very hot weather, but it was definitely enjoyable.

Thank you also to my wonderful beta reader, Rosalie!

Chapter 52: Tris – Round Two

(Tris is 30, Tobias is 32, Abigail is almost 4, and Christina's daughter Emily is close to 3)

Birthday parties are still a strange concept to both Tobias and me. We never even tracked our birthdates growing up, let alone celebrated them, since the Abnegation don't believe in either. But we're slowly learning to do more, thanks to everyone else in our faction.

For Abigail's first birthday, Christina and Shauna threw a surprise party, filled with decorations and presents and noise. I'm not sure if it was more overwhelming for Abigail or for Tobias and me, but I'm pretty sure it would have been a complete failure if they hadn't served copious amounts of Dauntless cake. That was Abigail's first taste of the dessert, and she immediately became a fan.

The next two years, Tobias and I took the lead in planning our daughter's party, mostly to make sure that no one else would. We held a small party each time, inviting just our family and closest friends – and Abigail's playmates.

This year, though, is different. Abigail is old enough now to make some decisions about what she wants to do and who she wants to invite. So, we make a point of including her as we begin planning in late July.

"I want it in the park," she immediately proclaims, "like Avery's. And I want to invite Emily and all my friends from preschool. But not Jeremy. He's mean. And I want chocolate cake, and a tightrope."

The last part clearly startles Tobias. "A tightrope?"

Abigail nods enthusiastically. "Like Michael had."

Tobias' gaze meets mine, somewhat confused, and I remember that he didn't attend that particular party. "It was a Dauntless theme," I explain. "The tightrope was four feet in the air, with a big pad under it for when the kids fell. It was actually pretty fun."

He looks at us like we're crazy, but Abigail chimes in again. "Not just pretty fun. It was really, really fun, Mommy!" She looks at me, waiting for me to agree, before it seems to occur to her that her father is the one who needs to be convinced. Turning to him, she says, "Please, Daddy? I really want one. Please?"

"We'll think about it," he says noncommittally, but it's obvious that he's not thrilled with the idea. For a second, Abigail stares at him, biting her lip as she debates whether to continue pleading, but she's apparently learned by now that she never gets her way when she does that. So, instead she sighs, looking dejected. I really don't think she's doing it on purpose, to be manipulative, but the reality is that her current expression stands a better chance of working than anything else. Tobias hates seeing her sad.

He clears his throat uncomfortably. "Do you want any presents?" he asks, trying to change the subject.

She thinks about that far more seriously than an almost-four-year-old should. "Can we get a new brain for Uri?"

"What?" I ask, choking on the word.

"Well, Chris-tina said he needs one, 'cause his doesn't always work."

Beside me, I can feel Tobias' silent laughter, and it doesn't exactly help me contain my own reaction. But Abigail hates being laughed at, so I try to keep my face straight as I answer.

"I'm pretty sure that Christina was just joking about that, sweetie. Sometimes, she gets annoyed with Uriah, but he doesn't need a new brain."

"Oh." She looks confused. "But Zeke said it, too."

My mouth is open to answer when Tobias beats me to it. "Then I guess they must be right." His tone is completely serious, and there's only the faintest trace of amusement on his face. "We'll put a new brain for Uriah on the top of your list. But is there anything that you'd like just for you?"

I swear I see her eyes twinkle as she says, "Just my own tightrope."

"So, exactly how are we getting Uriah a new brain?" I ask as I plop down next to Tobias on the couch. Abigail is sound asleep, so it's a safe time to discuss it.

He smirks. "Oh, I imagine that Cara or Caleb can get us something that will work. You know, a hat that he has to wear for a few days while the brain sinks into his head." He snakes his arm around me, drawing me close as he adds, "Preferably something itchy and uncomfortable."

I laugh. "You're going to miss her gullibility in a few years, you know."

"Yeah." He leans down, running his nose lightly along my jawline and kissing behind my ear. Even after all this time, he still knows how to take my breath away. "We could do something about that, you know."

"Keep her from hanging out with the rest of the faction?" I suggest.

His chuckle vibrates from deep in his throat. "I was thinking more like giving her a little brother or sister."

It's a surprising comment, and I draw back a few inches so I can look at him. "Really?" It's not that I've never considered having a second child, but I've never felt a driving need, either. Abigail has always been enough, and it feels greedy somehow to ask for more than her. "I didn't know you were starting to think about that."

His shoulder lifts. "As you said, she's getting older – almost school age. That's good in quite a few ways, but there are things I'm going to miss. I could definitely get into having a second one." His lips curve upwards. "And I'll never object to the process of trying…."

I smile as I debate the idea. "She'd be a great big sister."

"She would."

"And we already have everything we need."

He nods. "Plus, we already know how to change diapers, and handle the screaming, and live without sleep."

"Are you trying to win me over or get me to say no?" I ask wryly.

"Just being honest." His expression turns more serious, though, as he adds, "If you'd rather stop with just one, that's fine, you know. Abigail is already so much more than I expected. I'm just…opening the door if you'd like to go that way."

Slowly, I nod, making my decision.

"Yes." A grin spreads across both of our faces as our eyes hold each other's. "It's the right time, and I love being a mom, and I know you love being a dad." His agreement is written in every part of his expression. "So, yes."

There's no way to miss the joy that's radiating from him as his lips find mine, and I know that my own happiness and excitement are just as obvious to him. Somehow, it's even better to think about this time around, now that we know what we're doing – at least somewhat.

"I hope this one has your eyes," Tobias murmurs as he links his hands with mine, pulling me to my feet and toward our bedroom.

"Why?" I can't help asking. "Your eyes are amazing."

His mouth shows his disagreement, and he looks away as he gives a small shrug. "They're nice on Abigail, but I'd still prefer yours." It takes me a second to understand, and I feel foolish when I get it. He spent his entire childhood staring into those eyes on his father's face, and associating them with fear and pain. Of course he'd rather see mine.

Still, he smiles again as he adds, "Your eyes were the first thing I noticed about you, you know." He shuts our door behind us before pulling me flush against his body, his fingers moving lightly down my arms while my own find their way to his chest. "And they drew me in immediately." His lips begin working their way slowly along my neck as he whispers into my skin. "The way they're filled with strength, and intelligence, and energy." He breathes my scent, a hint of a moan in his voice. "I could stare into them forever."

"I feel the same way about yours," I murmur back as I work his shirt slowly off him. "But since I already got my way once, I'll let you have this one." I kiss his chest, allowing my lips and fingertips to explore his skin, feeling the muscles that are still strong beneath it. "But you have to get your sperm to agree."

He chuckles as he lifts my chin so our mouths can meet. "That's always the tricky part."

It's the last thing that either of us says that evening, at least in coherent words. But there are other ways to speak, and we have quite the conversation in those languages.

I make a point of avoiding the rest of the faction after I return from my doctor's appointment. When I first found out that I was pregnant with Abigail, Christina figured it out before I could tell anyone – she just looked at me and knew, in her typical Candor fashion. And then she blabbed it excitedly to the whole room, as she also tends to do. So, Tobias ended up finding out along with everyone else.

In a way, it didn't really matter. He'd been telling me for weeks that I was pregnant, claiming he could tell because my scent had changed. So, all he did was smirk when Christina squealed the news.

This time, though, I want him to be the first to know. Officially, not just because he already suspects it.

I wait in our apartment, letting Abigail stay with Christina and her little Emily for longer than necessary so I can greet my husband without anyone hearing. It doesn't take long for him to come home.

"Hi," I say as he enters, trying to keep my face from giving him any hints as I walk over to him.

He smiles, as he always does when he sees me, and gives me a warm kiss. For all of two seconds, our eyes meet, and I watch as his smile widens into a full-out grin.

"I knew it," he says, chuckling when I hit his arm in annoyance.

"You're supposed to let me tell you."

He pulls me to him playfully, nuzzling into my hair. "You already did, the night it happened. Your scent had changed by morning."

"So, you're saying that I smell now?"

He laughs. "You still smell like Tris, and that is absolutely my favorite odor." His voice deepens as he murmurs, "And trust me, it still makes it hard to keep my hands off you. But it also makes me…more protective, I guess."

It's an interesting comment, and I don't really have an answer for it, so instead I continue to the other topic that we need to discuss. "When should we tell Abigail?"

Tobias frowns in thought. "Maybe we should wait until the halfway point. Nine months is a long time to wait at that age."

I weigh that for a moment, thinking about the risk of miscarriage, which is always highest in the first trimester, and about our daughter's level of patience. "All right," I finally agree. "Then, I guess I'd better talk to Christina now. There's no way she'll keep a secret otherwise."

"Oh, I don't know," Tobias comments as we head upstairs together. "She seems to be learning." He smirks at me. "After all, she did remarkably well with Uriah's brain hat…."

A/N: To anyone who missed it in my last Author's Note, I'm expecting this story to have 57 chapters in total. I'm currently mapping out a handful of other stories, so I'm not sure which one(s) I'll work on next, other than finishing "Becoming Determinant," which will be my first priority after this one. I'm thinking about doing a poll to see what people would be most interested in reading, so please keep an eye out for that.

In the meantime, please let me know what you thought of this chapter. Thanks!