Chapter 8

Uriah and Tris arrived at the station. He had Tris cracking up. He knew she was down, so he was telling her random jokes.

"Uriah," she laughed. "I am dying."

"Hopefully that's a good thing."

"Yes," she chuckled, "it's very good."

They walked right past Tobias's desk while she was cracking up. She took a short glance at him, and their eyes met. He seemed upset, but she was laughing. Sure on the outside she was laughing, but the inside was another story. On the inside she simply felt… blue. Blue was the word. She was sad. Sad nothing happened, sad he lied to her, and sad he was such a jerk. Such a hot, hot jerk. But that's what she deserved after trusting somebody outside their little group. She genuinely thought he was a great, trustworthy guy, but she thought wrong. She didn't know why she even began trusting him in the first place. She should've known better.

Tris didn't know why she didn't see the similarities in Four and Tobias, and that made her feel like a complete and utter idiot.

They were back at their desks, and Tris put the name "Edward Young" into the system. He had a clean record. Looked like a totally normal guy judging by this record. She also entered Tony Franklin and Jay York.

Both of them had attempted robbery in their record, but nothing else. Neither of their addresses were listed because they'd just gotten out of prison.

Josh Newberry was next up.

Clean slate. Nothing.

This got Tris nowhere in the case. Looked like she'd have to wait for information from forensics and Marlene's autopsy.

So she got up from her desk since it was 5:15 and said to Uriah, "See you tomorrow, partner."

"See ya," he said.

She was walking home when someone appeared in the shadows of alley.

"You lied to me," she said. "That was an unforgivable lie, Tobias."

He jumped down from the fire escape. "I know." He wasn't wearing his little costume. Just a plaid t-shirt and jeans with tennis shoes. She wasn't afraid to admit he looked pretty good in it.

"I know that it's unforgivable," he told her. "I know that you probably hate me. I know that you most likely never want to speak to me again. And I know that you still have feelings for me."

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "What makes you think that?"

He stepped forward, a foot away from her. "The way you looked at me in the station today. When you were laughing with Uriah. Your expression… I will never forget that expression, Tris. Never. You looked at me with love and hate, admiration and disgust all in one look. And that made me realize that I want to be with you. Even if I break your heart. As long as you'll allow me to be by your side, I'll be there. Please just give me another chance, Tris. Please."

She didn't say anything for a minute. "Four—"

"Please call me Tobias."

"Why?" she asked.

"It's the only true thing I know about myself."

She sighed. "Tobias, you realize I could have you arrested right this second, right?"

He nodded. "Most would probably leave town, but not me."

"Well why the hell not?" she asked.

"You. You're here."

Tris shook her head. "You're insane, Tobias."

"I know. How I know this is because I'm in—I like the woman assigned to arrest me."

"Tobias…," she said. "I'm supposed to hate you!"

"Supposed?" Tobias asked.

"Yes! You've lied to me countless time, Tobias. Countless. And somehow I still can't bring myself to hate you. I honestly don't know why I don't hate you, and it's really confusing me," she dryly chuckled.

"Tris, there are so many times I've wondered that myself, and the fact that you're still here has to mean something. Anything, Tris. Even if it's the slightest bit of feelings you have for me still, we could make it work. No more lies, no more confusion. Just happiness. You deserve to just be drowned in happiness. And I can make that happen, Tris. I truly think I can make that happen. But only if you let me."

Tris didn't know what to say. Too many emotions were flooding her mind with "What if" and "Why."

But she forced herself to decline. "I'm sorry, Tobias, but I can't do that. I… There are just too many risks, and I really don't enjoy getting my heart broken. In fact, it's rather agonizing."

"I know that, Tris, but if you just give me—"

"Another chance," she said for him. "If I just gave you another chance, maybe things would work. And you know what?—maybe they would. But like I said," she told him, "my heart just can't afford it."

She walked past him and in the direction of her apartment.

"Tris…," he said. "Please."

She pretended not to hear him though. She knew she wouldn't be able to handle the look of disappointment and sadness on his face if she turned around.

"I'm not going to stop!" he shouted.

She stopped in her tracks, but didn't turn around.

"I won't stop until I prove to you that I'm good enough. My whole life, I've never been good enough, and I've never tried to be. But this time I'm going to try. I want this happen, Tris. So badly. And I will be good enough, and maybe then you'll accept me."

Tris kept walking, then wiped a lone tear rolling down her cheek. She couldn't help but hear the desperation in his voice that made her want to melt and just tackle him with kisses. Tris knew she couldn't do that though.

She knew it was for her own good to just stay away.

Tris went into work the next day tired as hell. She was up all night thinking of Tobias. She had absolutely no idea what to do.

When she approached her desk, she was confronted with fifty roses laying on her desk tied up with a bow.

"Looks like you've got a secret admirer," Uriah said to her. His desk was right across from hers.

She took the card laying beside it. It read, "Fifty roses, and all of them combined still aren't as beautiful as you."

Although Tris admitted that was a heartwarming quote, she couldn't accept these.

She looked over in the direction of Tobias's desk, and he was sadly smiling at her. His eyes had happiness written all over them, shining through those cute glasses of his.

Tris didn't smile back though. Just shook her head then swept them into the trash can next to her desk.

"Wow," Uriah said, "that was a bit harsh, don't ya think?"

She shook her head. "No"—she sat down—"I don't."

Tris hadn't spoken to Tobias since the night in the alley.

It's not like she wanted to anyway.

Just like the day before, there were roses on her desk when she came into work.

Except that time there were twice as much.

"Man," Uriah said. "Whoever this guy is must really want your forgiveness."

"Yeah," Tris said plainly.

She read the card.

"One hundred roses still don't compare to your beauty."

Tris shook her head, then looked at Tobias. He stared right back at her with hopeful smile.

She couldn't fight he smile on her face. She carefully set the vase of roses behind her desk where nobody would knock them over.

She looked back over at Tobias and met his eyes through his nerdy, cute glasses. He winked at her and then got back to work.

Inside, her heart fluttered, but on the outside, she just rolled her eyes.

"Ah, so that's who it is," Uriah said. "I thought you two were through…?"

Tris sighed. "We are through."

"Yeah. Because it totally looks like it."

"Well I'm done with him," she explained, "but he's not done with me, I guess."

"I'm going to laugh when you two are married," he chuckled.

Tris rolled her eyes. "There's a 95% chance that won't happen."

"And the other 5%?" he questioned.

She didn't say anything for a minute. "The other five percent is… open to suggestion."

Uriah laughed and shook his head. "My Tris. My sweet, incompetent, blind Tris," he chuckled.

"Hey," she said defensively, "what's that supposed to mean?"

He laughed. "Whoever this guy—Tobias—," he fake coughed, "obviously has really strong feelings for you. Even if you can't forgive him for whatever he did, he won't let up. He's not going to give up on you and this relationship. And judging by what those cards say, he thinks you're the most beautiful thing he's seen in the world. You're lucky to have such a caring guy."

Tris furrowed her eyebrows. "Did you read those?"

"What? The cards?"

"Yeah."

"Of course I did," he chuckled. "And, by the way, I know you threw away those fifty roses yesterday, but I saw you slip the card into your pocket before you swept 'em into the trash."

"How…? I made sure no one was looking."

"I'm a detective, Tris. I see everything."

She sighed. "Can we just drop this topic?"

Uriah just shrugged. "Can you avoid your problems forever?"

The next day there was one singular rose. There was a card too.

It read, "You're going to make me go broke."

Tris quietly laughed to herself, then looked over to Tobias.

He was smiling right back at her, like she expected him to.

She remembered explaining to him the things she liked in a guy. To be kind, caring, funny, strong, brave, tall (a personal preference), honest, modest but still confident, and, most importantly, he treated her well.

Tris wondered if maybe he was going down the list, showing her the things she wished for in a man. So far he'd shown her he was kind, caring, and funny. Tomorrow she expected him show off his bravery.

She chuckled to herself as she reread the card. She shoved it in her pocket and sat down on her desk.

Later that day, she walked down to Chief Max's office.

She knock on the already open door and stepped.

"Hey, Chief. Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"Um, I don't know how exactly to ask this, but are in-office relationships allowed? I mean within the same department. Because I know Marlene is the coroner and Uriah is JD and that they're allowed to be together. Same with Will in forensics and Christina as a 9-1-1 dispatcher. And Shauna the forensics—"

Max cut her off. "I get what you mean, Tris. And no. It is not permitted within the same department. In fact, I'm being quite flexible by letting people be together within the same precinct. Anyhow, is this about the secret admirer that's been leaving flowers on your desk? Those are, uh, roses or something, right?"

She chuckled even though she was a bit disappointed. "Yes, sir. It does apply to that very situation."

"Ah."

"So about the rule. So, me and cop would be restricted?"

"Yes. Is a cop sending you the flowers?" he asked.

"Yeah. But don't worry. I won't give him the time of day." She winked at her chief and walked out.

Tris slunk against her chair when she got back. She thought all relationships were allowed.

It was for the best though. She knew that in her head, but for some reason her heart disagreed.