A/N: While it may feel like the end is near, and it is, there are still quite a few events left to go. Thanks for al the reviews, follows and faves!
***Tris's POV***
After I got the call from Peter saying Eric was dead, a weight fell off from my shoulders. I would no longer have to keep looking around for him to pop out. I wasn't in immediate danger anymore. With the wedding fast approaching, I'm finally content.
I feel like up until this point, my life has been this huge jigsaw puzzle, and I've finally got all the pieces to click into place perfectly. They paint a picture with ocean blue eyes. They reveal Tobias and I together. All I want is to be with him and have Christina as a friend.
Peter and Lauren have had no contact with us since the call, and the corn field party before that. I guess Peter's a decent enough guy, and Lauren and him deserve each other. Eric's dead, Julia's who-knows-where, and Molly and Drew haven't been spotted since the ferris wheel at Navy Pier. All that's left is the wedding and aptitude test.
Oh, and my cousin Al, who has flown in early with my aunt and uncle from New York. They're a whole two days early, which may not seem like much, but it is for me. To start out, my aunt and uncle are very blunt people. That can be a good thing, unless they disapprove of your fiancé. Then there's Al, who has always been nice to me. The problem is that he creeps me out with his borderline flirting.
So, the past twenty-four hours of my life have been spent giving Tobias apologetic looks and dealing with a cousin who keeps trying to talk to me alone. They had arrived at three in the morning and barged in, so my day had been especially long. Tobias had already planned on coming over around seven for breakfast and wedding planning, and then there was the whole "wedding rehearsal." At dinner, Tobias and I sat in the middle of the table while Al tried to usurp all of my attention. He's one of the groomsmen, along with Will, Uriah, Caleb and Zeke.
Having Zeke and Uriah there for the dinner was okay, considering Zeke is a cop and Uriah's just simply Uriah. He competed with Al for who could flirt the best in an unofficial way. Marlene seemed completely unfazed, as she spent most of the time talking to Zeke's wife and one of my bridesmaids, Shauna. I didn't like Shauna at first, but we warmed up to each other by the night's end.
My maid of honor is Christina, obviously, and my other bridesmaids are Marlene, Susan, and Shauna. Marlene really wanted her friend Lynn to be a bridesmaid as well, but we just couldn't work it out. Lynn therefore will not be attending the wedding, considering she's too pissed about the whole ordeal.
Now, though, I'm sitting at breakfast on the morning only a few days before my wedding with Al here and no Tobias. He's running late, probably having another incident with his father. His parents don't know about the wedding and will not be invited. I talked to Tobias about having his mother there, but he said it wouldn't be good. I respected his wishes and let it go.
"So, Tris, this is it, huh? You're really getting married?" Al asks me, a bit sadly.
I nod my head. I'm in shorts and a simple shirt today, not feeling like getting properly dressed. My mother is still cooking, and my dad's reading the paper as usual. Caleb's watching TV and waiting for Susan to arrive and go out for the day. They are being awfully secretive, so I assume it has something to do with the wedding.
"Guess so. How about you, Al? Are there any girls in New York?" I ask him while shoving a forkful of eggs into my mouth.
He sighs. "There are a few, I suppose. None of them are really right for me, though."
I pat his arm. "You'll find someone, I'm sure. You've still got two years left. Look at Tobias, he found me, and he only had a few months left."
He coughs and gets up, muttering, "Ya."
He leaves the room in a haste, causing my mom to look up at me with confusion written all over her face. She uses the spatula to point in the direction Al went.
"What's his problem? Did you say something to him, Beatrice?" she asks with motherly concern.
I roll my eyes, gaining me a sharp look from her.
"I don't know."
She huffs and puts her hands on her hips. "Well, why don't you go see?"
When I don't respond at first, she goes back to whipping the spatula around. I groan and begrudgingly get up lethargically. I trudge towards the stairs, only to hear the doorbell ring. I hop over to it, calling out that I've got it, hoping that Susan is in a talkative mood for my sake.
I twist and pull the doorknob to reveal…
"Tobias!" I squeal, jumping up to hug him. He hugs me back and swings me around in the air, making us both laugh. I push some stray hair that has fallen into my face away. His eyes look tired and puffy, but overall he looks happy.
Before he can make his way in, Caleb has pushed between us and is practically running out the door. He doesn't say a word as he passes the Jeep and scurries off to a car just pulling into the drive. It's Susan, and the two-speed away before any questions can be formed.
Tobias lifts an eyebrow at me, and I shrug in response. We make our way to the kitchen, where he sits down and helps himself to some cereal. In the past week, my home has been his home. He comes for breakfast every morning and helps plan all the way through lunch. We hang out the rest of the day, some kissing involved, until it's finally too dark for him to possibly justify staying any longer.
"How are you feeling, Tobias?" my father asks him, looking up from his paper. It makes a familiar swoosh as it comes down onto the table.
Tobias flashes him a smile. "Great, sir."
My dad smiles back at him. He's gotten used to the way Tobias seems rough around the edges, especially in his attire. My father, usually so practically dressed, must have been appalled the first time he saw Tobias's dark clothing. Maybe the sweatshirt I always wear has gotten him more comfortable with him.
"Not nervous at all? You two may be parents soon…"
I blush, whereas Tobias actually considers this. He rubs his jaw.
"I want a daughter while I'm still young," he finally says.
My dad laughs and nods his head in agreement, then returns to his paper. My mom smiles up at us and sits down, her work completed.
"I know how you feel. We had Tris and Caleb when we were nineteen. We're pretty hip parents, too. Right Tris?" she asks with a meaningful look.
I chuckle. "Oh, you're just the bomb. Actually, you're so great that you're going to let Tobias and I go and meet Chris and Will this morning. Archer's Arrows are having a band rehearsal before performing at the reception tomorrow."
My mom grimaces. "Oh, well, alright." She gives Tobias a stern, motherly look. It seems to have a greater affect on him than she intends. "Keep her safe, young man."
"Will do," he says, grabbing my hand and leading me out the door. We make it to the Jeep before he kisses me, leaning across the seats.
The kiss is very short and sweet, but it's enough to satiate me. For now. We talk about light subjects until we make it to the warehouse where the band practices. I really only wanted to talk to Christina and Will, but Tobias wants to hear a song he requested they play at our reception. He won't tell me what it is, but I don't question it.
Inside the warehouse, the lights are dim and everything is coated in a layer of grime. Edward, Will, and the other band members are already starting up, tuning their guitars and plugging in amps. Christina smiles and waves when we enter the large space.
"Hey, Tris! Four!" she says. I've never seen her look this content and happy before.
My smile easily slides on my face as Tobias links his fingers in mine. We walk over to Christina and Will.
"Hi, Christina," I say. "How's it going?"
She purses her lips. "Well, at first Will thought that the speakers were blown from the last gig, but turns out everything's working fine. How about you? Is wedding planning a nightmare?"
Tobias laughs. "Not really. Some of Tris's family arrived early, but other than that, the wedding planning has been fun."
I nod my head. "Yeah, Al's back at my house, but other than that things have been alright."
"I hope Will and I will be able to plan our wedding that well! We still haven't even decided on a venue!" she rolls her eyes.
Will starts strumming on his guitar. "Hey, it's not my fault she doesn't want to go to Vegas!"
Before Christina is able to come up with a witty retort, the door behind us slams open and then back shut. Footsteps can be heard coming up behind us.
"I'll go to Vegas with you, Will!" Uriah calls out.
Will whispers something to Christina and she giggles. I turn to see Uriah with Marlene next to him, his arm slung across her shoulders. He sits down on the hard concrete floor and pats the ground beside him for Tobias and I to sit.
"If you two stand too close, you're eardrums will pay for it," he says.
We take a seat beside him, and Christina sits by Tobias. I'm stuck sitting by Uriah, who wiggles his eyebrows playfully at me before grabbing Marlene's hand. I roll my eyes but can't fight the smile creeping across my face.
The band plays some song with heavy guitar usage, at which point Uriah leans close to me and whispers in my ear.
"I have an idea."
"That's never good," I quip.
He nudges my knee with his fist. "Come on, let's go."
I draw my eyebrows together in confusion. "Where?"
He stands, pulls Marlene up with ease, and then gives me a look.
"Does it matter?" he asks. Tobias, Christina, and I follow behind him. Archer's Arrows don't seem to notice or mind our leaving.
Uriah pulls us into some small room that turns out to be long once he flips the lights on. He orders Marlene down to the other side and flashes Christina a smirk.
"Marlene, do you think I have good aim?" he asks her.
She laughs. "No, there's a reason Zeke's a cop and you're not."
He frowns. "Come on, I haven't even been tested yet! I dare you to put this muffin on your head and let me shoot it off!"
He produces a muffin from his pocket, claiming that he had brought it for breakfast. Marlene huffs and allows him to balance it on her head. He looks around for something to hit it with. After a quick trip to a storage room, he finds a small softball.
Christina puts a hand to her mouth. "Marlene, don't let him do this! He's going to hit you in the face and you know it!"
She shrugs. "Give him a chance; he can't be that bad."
Uriah gives Christina a look. "Yeah, give me a chance!"
He steps to the back of the room with the rest of us on the sidelines watching intently. He winds up for dramatic effect before flinging the ball with all his might. Marlene closes her eyes but otherwise doesn't flinch as it comes towards her. Tobias tenses beside me in anticipation of the worst happening. Christina squeals in fear.
The ball knocks the muffin off her head and we all cheer. She runs to Uriah and gives him a hug. Just before we go back to the main room where the band is finishing up a song, Uriah frowns and looks at the muffin.
"I feel like we should have a funeral for it or something."
Marlene snorts. "Right."
"I'm serious," he says with mock offense. "I needed that for breakfast!"
Tobias asks, "So you're saying you would rather the ball have hit Marlene than hit the muffin?"
Uriah shrugs, causing Marlene to smack him in the arm. We all laugh as we come back to where the band is set up. Will talks to us through the microphone.
"Hey, Tris, you're here just in time. Four wanted us to play this song for you today," he says. I'm excited, I'll admit, but I'm also a bit nervous. When the song starts up, I'm reminded that in just a few days I will be married to Tobias.
"I need you right here, by my side
You're everything I'm not in my life.
We're indestructible, we are untouchable
Nothing can take us down tonight
You are so beautiful, it should be criminal
That you could be mine.
And we will make it out alive
I'll promise you this love will never die!
No matter what, I got your back
I'll take a bullet for you if it comes to that
I swear to God that in the bitter end
We're gonna be the last ones standing
So believe me when I say, you're the one
They'll never forgive us for the things we've done
And we will make it out alive
I'll promise you this love will never die!
No matter what, I got your back
I'll take a bullet for you if it comes to that
I swear to God that in the bitter end
We're gonna be the last ones standing
We'll never fall, we'll never fade
I'll promise you forever and my soul today
No matter what until the bitter end
We're gonna be the last ones standing
And everybody said that we would never last,
And if they saw us now I bet they'd take it back
It doesn't matter what we do or what we say
'Cause nothing matters anyway!
No matter what, I got your back
I'll take a bullet for you if it comes to that
I swear to God that in the bitter end
We're gonna be the last ones standing
We'll never fall (We'll never fall)
We'll never fade (We'll never fade)
No matter what until the bitter end
We're gonna be the last ones standing"
By the time the song comes to a close, I'm nearing the point of tears. I'm sure that tomorrow I will be crying when they play this song. Tobias isn't always the most romantically spoken person, but when he does say something, it's poetic. I remember his note in my book and feel a wave of fresh emotion hit me again.
Tobias wraps an arm around my waist, pulling me into his side for comfort. He smells like his sweatshirt and is warm. I lean into his touch and wrap both of my arms around him. Christina and Marlene smile at us, whereas Uriah simply looks more serious than usual.
Tobias pulls me in for a kiss, and finally Uriah breaks the silence with a fake gag. I pretend not to notice him and am able to with ease. All there is in the world is Tobias and I kissing.
Then my phone buzzes. Peter.
A/N: Wedding bells are about to ring! Can you hear them? :D
Question of the chapter: What song would you dedicate or want dedicated to you at your wedding?
Our answers!
JerkZero: She is by the Fray, or the song No Matter What by Papa Roach that is used above!
JerkDestroyer: umm i don't know, maybe Love Don't Die by the Fray or A Thousand Years by Christina Perri
JerkNone: Either Invincible by Muse, or Clair de Lune by Debussy. (Yes, it's a classical piece, but it's gorgeous.)