CHAPTER 3

November 12th 2157

It's been almost two months since that night Eric and I slept together. He claims he doesn't remember a thing, so I just told him that we got drunk and danced then I took him back to his place and dumped him on his bed. I don't remember much of that night either but I know we definitely slept together.

How am I sure about this? Its because of what the people in the infirmary have been trying to convince me of for the past twenty minutes.

About two hours ago I was in the middle of a leaders meeting, going over the reports for the initiates that are getting ready to go through their final fear landscapes this year, and I fainted. I fainted in front of all the other leaders.

So here I am after a spontaneous, two-hour nap, in the infirmary having Marlene try to convince me of the results of a blood test they did while I was asleep. I'm refusing to believe her even after twenty minutes of her explaining the solid evidence.

"Tris," she sighs, "how about we do an ultrasound to prove it?"

"Yeah, whatever. The only thing it won't prove is that I'm pregnant. Because I'm not." I'm almost shouting.

"Tris! I'm going to need you to calm down, lay back and lift your shirt." Marlene demands softly.

"Okay this is going to be cold." She says once she has the machine set up. She squirts the cold jelly on my empty stomach and moves a wand around looking for a non-existent heartbeat.

Thump. Thump. Thump. Fills the room and I look over at Marlene with wide eyes. She was right.

"Oh my god," I mutter with tears in my eyes. "That's my baby."

"Do you believe me now Tris? You look to be around seven weeks." She tells me.

"Seven weeks and three days." I reply, not taking my eyes of the monitor.

"How do you know the exact time?" She asks.

"Because seven weeks and three days ago was the last time I had sex and I hadn't had sex for about four months before that." I tell her.

"Tris, I'm going to print a few pictures off for you and then I'll need to take your weight and some measurements, as well as your blood pressure. If that's okay, of course." She hands me some paper towel.

"Yeah, yeah, that's fine." I say wiping the gel off.

"Well Tris, it looks like your baby will be due around June 28th next year." She hands me my ultrasound pictures and then she weighs me and takes my measurements.

Once we're done Marlene takes me to the front desk and asks for my pregnancy medications and I sign myself out and leave.

The second I walk in the door to my apartment I collapse on the couch. This day has exhausted me, I have so many questions and I don't know what I'm going to do.

Am I going to tell Eric? Am I going to be able to raise this baby alone? Will I still be able to be a leader? What am I going to tell people? Can I even afford this?

Before I stress myself out too much I decide to sleep all my problems away for the next couple of hours.

~0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0~

I wake to a banging on my door and slowly get up to see who the hell wants to bug me now.

"Okay, okay, I'm coming! Shut up!" I yell.

I swing open the door ready to yell at whoever is at the door and it reveals Tobias. I automatically relax and offer for him to come in.

"So, what are you doing here at nine o'clock at night Tobias?" I ask sleepily.

"I heard you were in the infirmary today, I just wanted to see if you are okay." He says gently. "So, are you okay?"

I just nod my head but I don't look at him.

"Tris, what's going on? You know I can tell when you're lying." He states.

Instead of answering I just break down in tears and he comes over and comforts me and lets me cry. After I'm done, he asks me again what's wrong and I tell him that I'm pregnant and that I don't know what to do. I tell him that I'm scared to do this alone.

"It's not mine, is it?" He asks after a while.

"No," I chuckle tiredly, "it's not yours. We haven't had sex in over six months Tobias, I'm almost two months."

"Holy shit." He mutters.

"Holy shit Tris! It's Eric's isn't it?" He asks loudly.

"Yeah it is and I don't know if I should tell him. And if I do tell him, what do I do if he doesn't want it?" I question him desperately. At the moment it feels like he has all the answers.

"I don't know Tris, I don't know how he would react but what I do know is that I'm going to be the best uncle in the world and you will never have to raise this child alone because you will always have people around you. Your child will always have someone to look up to no matter what Eric says." Tobias states proudly.

"Thank you," I say through the tears, "you have no idea how much this means to me. Thank you."

He spends most of that night asking me questions and trying to keep my mind off of all the bad stuff that could happen.

~0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0~

November 20th 2157

It's been a week since I found out I'm pregnant and I still don't know how to tell Eric. What I do know is that I'm going to have to tell him soon because he wants me to lead a raid in a Factionless building tomorrow. They've taken two girls hostage in exchange for more food and clothes. There is no way I'm willing to put my baby in danger but he's not going to take any bullshit excuse I give him.

I knock on his office door and hear a faint 'enter', so I make my way in a sit down waiting for him to be done his paperwork.

"Yes Stiff, what is it?" He asks tiredly. I sit there contemplating how I'm going to do this. "What is it? I don't have all day."

"I can't go on the raid tomorrow." I state quietly. "I have medical problems."

Yeah, I know. I'm a wimp.

"Look Stiff, you can't just make up excuses when you don't want to do something. We are Dauntless and we are all about protecting others lives." He exclaims angrily.

"Yeah well I am protecting a life." I mutter under my breath.

"What was that, Stiff?" He asks mockingly. I swear he hears everything.

"I said I am trying to protect a life." I shout without thinking. Dammit.

"Yeah, yours because you're 'sick'," he growls. "I don't care what your problem is, you are going on this raid!"

"No. I'm not going because I wont put my baby's life in danger like that. So yeah, I am trying to save and protect another life. If you don't care about that, then I quit." I yell at him, then storm out of his office. I'm pretty sure all of Dauntless heard me.

I slam my office door and start packing up my desk in a rage, wiping away traitorous tears.

"Goddamn hormones." I mutter.

In the middle of my rage fest I begin to get nauseous, so I run out off my office and down the hall to the bathroom, on the way running into Eric.

"Uuugh sorry." I mutter while running. I make it just in time for the toilet bowl to receive my breakfast.

I feel hands holding back my hair and rubbing my back as I heave into the toilet.

"Fucking morning sickness," I grumble. Washing my hands and rinsing my mouth out I turn to thank who ever helped me, only to find out it's Eric.

"What are you doing in here?" I growl.

"You looked like you needed help, so I helped. You're welcome." He says sarcastically.

"Yeah well, thanks for the help." I reply. "I'll be off now, got to finish packing my office."

"Stiff. Sorry Tris," he says when I glare at him. "Just get your ass back in my office."

I grumble as I make my way to his office and take a seat.

"What do you want?"

"I want you to tell me why you didn't let me know as soon as you found out?" Whatever asshole.

"I didn't know how," I whisper. "I've been trying to make sense of this for the past week."

"Tris, I'm going to need to get some information for emergencies." He states. "It's just in case you have an accident while working."

"Yeah okay, fine. Ask whatever you want." I mutter.

"Okay so how far along are you?" He asks.

"Eight weeks, four days. I'm due around June 28th." I tell him.

"Alright, and who is the father? We need to be able to contact him." I hear him mutter something about 'poor guy' under his breath.

Well fuck now I can't tell him, he probably won't even accept it's his kid.

"Yeah, well about that. I've sort of only slept with one person in the past six or so months, but I don't think he remembers the night. Not that I do either, but he doesn't know about the baby." I explain.

"Well Tris, I think you should tell him. He might like to know if he's going to be a father." He states rather harshly.

"I don't know how. How the hell would you react if you found out that you were going to be a dad huh? How that hell do you tell someone that? Do I just go up to him a say 'hey Eric, I know you probably won't remember this but we slept together, so now you're going to be a dad. Congrats'? Do I say that?" I yell, before realizing my mistake. I clamp my hand over my mouth. "Oh shit."

I just said that to Eric. Oh fuck I'm dead. He's not going to react well to this. I just told him he's going to be a dad without preparing for it. I'm doomed. I'm gonna die.

I just sit down in a chair, defeated.

"What did you just say?" He asks in a deadly calm voice.

"Oh shit." I squeak out.

"Did you just say I'm going to be a dad?" he starts pacing behind his desk. "That you're having my kid? When?"

"The night we went out drinking together eight weeks and four days ago," I say in a tiny voice. "I'm sorry."

I rush out of his office, not looking back.

That's the third chapter done. I'll have the next one up probably tomorrow afternoon.