Freedom From Fear Chapter 6: You're Different, a divergent trilogy fanfic

A/N- I am so sorry this story has been on such a LONG hiatus, but I just had a baby, and she has taken all my time! I can't promise an exact schedule for updates, but I love writing and it's my outlet from the stress of work and home, so I will keep writing, if you keep reading. Please review and let me know what you think!

Veronica's eyes fluttered open, before shutting immediately against the bright lights burning above her. She groaned in annoyance, before finally opening her eyes slowly, allowing them time to adjust. She sat up, trying to get her bearings as she realized she wasn't in the dorms but in the medical area.

"Hey." Will said from the bed next to hers, making her jump in surprise.

"Hey." She said once she recovered, appraising him carefully. He had a butterfly bandage over one eye and several deep bruises, but otherwise seemed no worse for wear. "You alright?" She asked him.

Will nodded, giving her a small sheepish smile. "They said I could leave, but I wanted to stay until you woke up too." He shot a look at the heavily tattooed nurse who was working on some kind of paperwork at her desk. "I don't think she likes me much. Said I ask too many questions." Will whispered to her.

"You?" She asked him with a small laugh. "I don't believe it."

They were interrupted when the nurse realized Veronica was awake and she approached her with a calm efficiency, using a small flashlight to check her eyes, asking rapid fire questions to verify her memory was intact and doing a quick physical check. "You can go." The nurse told her with a quick nod, before turning to Will. "You can go too." She reminded him with an impatient huff.

Veronica snickered at Will, who ducked his head in embarrassment, rubbing the back of his neck. "Oh, Dom came by, he couldn't stay but he left you a note." Will told her, pointing to a folded sheet of paper on the table between the two beds.

Veronica opened the note as she stood from the bed, pulling her sneakers back on.

Ronnie,

Come find me when you wake up from your nap.

-Dom

P.S. Stop getting punched.

Veronica rolled her eyes at the short letter, but couldn't suppress a smile. She knew if he'd done anything else, she should be worried that she was dying. She and Will walked back to the initiate dorms slowly, both still nursing headaches, though they were both provided with small pill bottles containing pain killers.

When they entered the dorms, the other transfers were gathered around a large electronic board, where Four and Eric stood, explaining the rankings to the initiates. Four glanced at the two late entrants, motioning them to the group.

"Tomorrow the combined rankings will be revealed and the 4 lowest ranking initiates will be escorted out of Dauntless." Eric was finishing his speech to the initiates, his arms crossed across his chest, a small smile playing across his lips as he spoke.

"Until then, try to relax, enjoy your night off." Four added. He saw no reason for them to all worry about something they couldn't control. In fact, the only reason the combined results weren't released immediately was because of a new rule Max, Trinity and Eric voted in. They enjoyed watching the initiates sweat. They said it was a good show of their characters.

Eric switched the board on, and a list of the initiate's names and ranks appeared on the screen. While the group pushed towards the board, all wanting the first look, Eric and Four stepped to the back of the room, observing them.

"You two alright?" Four asked Will and Veronica as he passed them, his deep blue gaze settling on Veronica. They both nodded, too eager to see their rankings to chat, though Veronica did pause long enough to see Four give her a small nod and what she thought was a smile, though it was too brief to be sure. She smiled back, before making her way to the board.

10. Drew

9. Myra

8. Jeremy

7. Al

6. Christina

5. Molly

4. Will

3. Peter

2. Veronica

1. Edward

Veronica let out a breath, trying to not be disappointed. Edward had won all of his fights, though she had too. Unless they counted our fight today. She thought grimly, turning to ask Eric or Four if that was the case, only to see that they had both slipped out. She made her way back to her bunk, where Christina, Al and Will were chatting excitedly. "The Dauntless born initiates have almost twice as many people as we do, so the odds of Jeremy or Al being eliminated are next to none." Christina told her with a smile.

Veronica smiled back, nodding in agreement. She didn't care about Drew, and her feelings about Myra were pretty well known, so even if they both left, she wouldn't care.

"We are going to get tattoos." Al told her as he gathered his things for a shower. "You should too."

Veronica raised her eyebrows with a smirk. "I don't know about that."

"Are you scared?" Will teased, backing away before she could smack his chest.

"Oh, big bad V is scared of a little tattoo?!" Christina chimed in, a wide grin on her face. "Come on, it'll be fun. I was going to get my hair dyed too."

Veronica sighed, she didn't have anything better to do, and she did want to feel like a member of the faction. What better way than a tattoo? "Alright." She conceded, starting to gather up her toiletries for a quick shower.

"V." Veronica turned to see Edward standing a few feet behind her. "Talk to you a minute?"

She narrowed her eyes at him, but nodded. "I'll catch up." She told her friends, waiting until they were out of earshot to ask Edward, "what?" She had to struggle to keep a smirk off her face when looking at his swollen nose and blackened eyes. It served him right.

"You broke my nose." He told her as she examined her work.

"Good." She retorted. "You broke my head."

Edward sighed running a hand through his short hair. "I'm sorry… about that."

Veronica was stunned. She'd assumed the Edward she'd known was long gone, and all that was left was a heartless alien in an Edward suit. "I'm not the only one you should apologize to." She reminded him.

"Yeah. I know." He said with no enthusiasm.

"Edward?" Myra asked from the door, impatiently waiting.

Edward put a finger up to indicate he'd be another minute and Veronica flicked her eyes to Myra's unhappy face. "She's probably not going to make it." Edward said in a low tone.

"Probably not." Veronica agreed. She wasn't trying to be cruel. It was a fact that she and Edward both knew.

"It's my fault she came here. She didn't belong here, I shouldn't have let her pick Dauntless." Edward shook his head. "I was selfish. I wanted her with me. I didn't know they would kick people out."

"Guess it's a good thing you didn't pick Abnegation then." She said.

Edward scowled. "She's just as good as the Amity kid, almost as good as your friend Al. Why can't they give her another shot?"

"Because that's not how things work around here." She reminded him. "Maybe she'll get lucky and there will be Dauntless born below her. Veronica could not be Candor. Her ability to lie was too good.

"She needs someone to protect her." He mused. "But, I can't just give up my future for her, can I?"

Veronica was shocked again. "You would be factionless to be with her?"

"I love her." He said quietly. It stung to hear him say that, almost as much as it did the first time he'd told her he wanted to be with Myra.

"You can do whatever you want Edward. It's your choice. Veronica told him, though she wanted to grab his shoulders and shake some sense into him. He couldn't give up a spot in Dauntless for Myra.

"We'll figure it out." Edward said thoughtfully. "Anyway, I gotta go." He said, obviously uncomfortable. He turned on his heel and left the dorm quickly, not sparing a glance back at Veronica.

Veronica, Will, Al and Christina made their way through the maze of Dauntless hallways to the Pit, talking loudly and laughing often. Christina, wearing a black dress that hugged her curves, the skirt falling much higher on her thighs than anything she'd ever worn before spotted Jeremy further down the hall and shouted for his attention.

Jeremy met them with a smile. "What's going on guys?"

"We're going to get tattoos." Will told him.

"You should come with us." Veronica told him. She liked Jeremy a lot, he'd managed to keep his kindness while still being brave. She wanted him to make it through initiation, she thought he could teach some of the Dauntless a thing or two.

"I wish I could, but I can't." He said, not looking upset at missing it.

"You're clearly broken up about it." Christina observed. "What could you possibly doing that's better than hanging out with us?"

"It's not like you've got a girlfriend to worry about." Al joked. Jeremy's cheeks bloomed with color as he ducked his head away from their gaze.

Veronica and Christina exchanged shocked looks. "Who?" They asked simultaneously.

"She's not my girlfriend!" Jeremy insisted. "We're just…spending time together."

"Who?" Veronica asked again, poking his arm with her finger.

"Daniella." He confessed.

The group racked their brains to place the name. "Is that the Dauntless born with the blonde and blue hair?" Christina asked.

"Yeah." Jeremy said with a goofy grin.

"She is hot!" Al told him approvingly. The others nodded their agreement.

"Well, then go!" Christina insisted, giving Jeremy a small shove. He waved at them as he walked backwards, his trademark goofy grin plastered on his face.

"How is it the Pansy has a girlfriend and we don't?" Al asked jokingly.

"Shut up." Christina chided, giving him a playful shove. "You're just jealous."

"I am!" He agreed.

"Candor are so weird." Veronica muttered to Will.

Four and Dom sat at a table on the edge of the pit with Lynn, Zeke and Shauna. As they drank their beers, watching the activity buzz around them. Every year the initiates, both Dauntless born and transfer, were wild after the first phase was over, and this year was no exception.

"My brother is an idiot." Zeke told them, motioning to Uriah, who was walking on his hands for a group of Dauntless born initiates.

"Takes after his brother." Shauna said teasingly.

Zeke pointed at her with a stern expression. "Woman. I will…"

"You will what?" Shauna demanded, rising from her chair and standing over him.

"Just… don't test me." He grumbled at her. Shauna smirked at the others before taking her seat.

"Hey, there's your sister." Lynn told Dom, pointing at the small group leaving the tattoo shop.

Dom cupped his hands around his mouth and bellowed, "Ronnie!"

Veronica turned towards his shout and made her way through the crowd of the pit, Christina, Will and Al in tow. Veronica was dressed more casually than Christina, but was showing just as much skin. Her black shorts and black tank top left a strip of flat stomach exposed. She'd dyed the tips of her dark hair with a bright blue recently, and it hung loose around her shoulders.

She scowled at her brother as she reached him. "I told you not to call me that."

"And I told you to come find me." He reminded her.

"You can't tell me what to do." She said childishly.

Dom looked at her incredulously. "Actually, you do. I'm a leader remember? You do what I tell you."

"OK we'll see about that." She said with an eye roll.

"Your hair looks good." Lynn told her, before taking another pull of her beer.

"How's your head?" Dom asked her, his eyes appraising the bruise on her cheek.

"Fine." She told him, her hand absently touching her temple. "Little bit of a headache." Her eyes followed Four as he told the others he was going to get another round. "I'm gonna get a drink, you guys want one?" She asked Christina, Will, and Al, who all readily accepted. She walked towards the bar, her pace quickening to catch up to Four.

"Can I ask you something?" She asked him after ordering.

He raised an eyebrow at her in response, waiting.

"Did the thing with Edward…" She began, not sure how to phrase it. "Did it lower my score?"

"Yes." He told her bluntly.

She blinked, surprised by his directness. "Oh." She said, trying not to sound disappointed.

"Some of the leaders thought you should have let their fight continue until," He explained.

"Until Edward killed him?" She snapped.

Four sighed. "You did the right thing." He told her, holding her gaze.

"Yeah, I know." She told him. "I just… I don't know. It just sucks." She looked away from him, uncomfortable with the closeness.

"Did you get a tattoo?" He asked her, changing the subject abruptly. He couldn't give her his full opinion on the rankings, and it didn't matter anyway, what was done was done.

She nodded, lifting her shirt to expose her right side, Where the Dauntless symbol was tattooed on her rib cage. Four wasn't surprised. Most initiates chose that as their first one, himself included. There was one slight change in the familiar symbol however. The circle that surrounded the flames wasn't a black line, but instead, black script reading:

We believe in freedom from fear

Four smiled slightly, his fingertips brushing the newly tattooed skin. She shivered involuntarily at his touch, and a prickling sensation lingering from the contact. "Most people don't know that portion of the manifesto." He observed as they gathered the drinks waiting for them.

"I know all of it." She told him.

He chuckled under his breath. "Of course you do."

"What is that supposed to mean?!" She demanded as they made their way back to their waiting friends.

"Erudite."

"Abnegation." She responded. He stopped and stared at her, his eyes narrowed. "What? I thought we were comparing old factions." She teased. Her smile dropped as she examined his face. "What?" She asked more seriously.

"How do you know that?" He demanded.

"I, uh…" She began, suddenly very nervous. "I knew you weren't Erudite, and if you were Candor at least one o the initiates would have heard of you, so it was either Abnegation or Amity and you aren't very…umm... kind." She muttered the last part, looking away from Four's stern face. "No one knows." She added. "If that matters…"

Four rubbed the back of his neck in frustration. How did she always figure out the things he kept hidden? "The initiates won't respect me if they think I'm a stiff." He explained curtly.

She furrowed her brow. "I respect you."

"You're different from the rest of them." He said quietly, avoiding her gaze. Her eyes studied the lines of his face as she tried to find the deeper meaning in the simple sentence.

"So are you." She responded, looking straight ahead, not daring to look his way.