A/N I do not own the characters, story lines, quotes or anything of the Divergent books. I just borrowed them for entertainment.
Chapter 7 Meeting With Marcus
When they arrive at the bureau the security grinned. "About time you came to see us cutie. So is this mister hottie that you talk about all the time?" The woman at the gate asked.
"Hi Tessa! Yes this is Tobias and his mother Evelyn." Tris said as she held her hand out showing off her engagement ring.
"Oh my GOD! Guys come check it out, Tris is engaged." Tessa called to the other guards who came quickly to check her hand over.
"Congratulations Tobias." The guards said with big smiles. It took a couple minutes to get away from the guards and then they parked in the visitors parking.
"Sorry about that. Guess I talked a lot about you whenever I was on guard duty." Tris says.
"You worked guard duty?" Evelyn asked.
"Yes once a week for two years. I am surprised the others never noticed me working the gates."
"Maybe they noticed but thought it was their minds playing tricks." Evelyn says.
"That might be and I never thought of it that way." Tris says as they get out of the car and walk toward the building. Once inside Tris flashes the badge that gets her into the hospital ward. "Hi Becca! How is Marcus today? Is he up to visitors?"
"Marcus has been asking for you since he last saw you. Yes he is very much looking forward to visitors. Wait is that an engagement ring? Marcus' son?"
"Yes and yes I am engaged to Marcus' son." Tris responds.
"I can't wait to meet him."
"Well good cause this is Tobias Eaton and his mother Evelyn Johnson." Tris said as she introduces the two people behind her to Becca.
After a few more staff checked out her ring Tris leads the family to Marcus' room. "Hey handsome!" She greets as she walks into the room. This greeting makes Tobias and Evelyn go still. "So I brought some guests with me."
"You got engaged!" Marcus said softly. "He is a very lucky man to have you as his future wife."
"I am the lucky one." Tris says as she pulls up three chairs next to the bed. "Despite how he was raised he still is capable of love and he gives that love to me despite the hurts I have caused him."
"Thank you for coming Four and Evelyn." Marcus says and this shocks Tobias.
"Why did you call me Four?" He asks.
"I assumed you don't want to be associated with the name Eaton anymore and had legally changed your name to Four. So I wanted to respect you and use the name you chose for yourself." He said quietly.
"So when do you get to blow this popsicle stand? I mean you will be there at my wedding I hope." Tris says softly taking Marcus' left hand in hers.
"Well I guess we will have to see how this visit goes before I can say if I will be at your wedding." Marcus says with a soft smile.
"Well you better start talking as I don't know how long I can expect them to stay while you chat with me." Tris says as Torin comes running into the room after having been passed around the staff in the hall.
"Mom they did it again!" He says wiping his cheek off in disgust. "Why do women find me so irresistible?" He says and Tris laughs.
"They find you irresistible because you look like your father and grandfather!" She says as she grabs a tissue and wipes the lipstick from his cheek for him. This caused the room to laugh.
"Hi grandpa! So what story will you share with me about my father today?" He asks. Tris had brought him before and each time Torin learned of how evil his grandfather had been toward Tobias.
"Well I think it's time I tell you about the day he choose Dauntless over Abnegation." Marcus clears his throat as Torin climbs up to sit next to him hugging his grandfather's side as he listens. Tobias watches in awe of his son as he listens to the story.
"How can you allow him to be that close?" Tobias whispers to Tris.
"Watch them and wait you should figure it out yourself. Plus remember you always said I was a good judge about situations we were in so trust me."
When Marcus finished Torin then sits up and asks for his favorite story. "I want the one about daddy as a boy when he made you the proudest you ever had been."
"I remember that day very well Torin. Your father was about four years older than you are now no wait five I keep forgetting your age." He says with a grin that speaks of a secret joke between the two of them. "Anyway there was this little girl who had taken a fall on the sidewalk and was crying her eyes out. Her brother was yelling at her about how she wasn't being selfless enough. Your daddy ran quickly into our house and got a bandage and a washcloth which he put some soap and water on. He ran back outside without a word and knelt in front of the crying little girl he gently wiped her knee off. Then he put the bandage on before wiping the tears away with his thumb. Her brother had run off to get their mom and just as their mom got there he moved his hand back. Touch wasn't allowed unless you were married and even then it was limited. That little girl was your mother and that was one of the few times they ever interacted until they both were in the Dauntless faction." Marcus told the story with much pride.
"I remember that day. Was that really you Tris?" Tobias asks her.
"Yeah that was me and Caleb wouldn't stop yelling at me which only made me cry more. I hated disappointing my brother back then. I remember my mom saying something later to me as she cut my hair as that was the day I got it trimmed. Mom whispered, 'he is a good looking boy and one day will be a fine young man.' My mom always seemed to know what was on my mind when it came to things like that. I guess my blush didn't help hide that I thought you were good looking that day. However I was blushing more because the touching was not something we were supposed to be doing." She said softly.
"I am sorry for everything I did to you when you were growing up in my home Four but looking back I know exactly why I did it and it's not something I am proud of."
"Please call me Tobias. I have always liked my name just not the things that happened in our home. I only went by my nickname to avoid the comments about you. I just wanted to escape it all that is until Tris came along and saw me for who I was. She never asked me to be anyone other than who I was. She broke my walls down and gave me a home in her heart. I was safe with her and looking back I have always been safe with her. She could have hurt me that day when I tried to calm her after she skinned her knee but instead she just stared at me as if I was something super special. I felt like I was someone when she was around." Tobias told his father.
"She is amazing at making you feel special when you need it most. Your son is amazing just like you and Tris are. He is the best of both parents. I am sorry you didn't know him sooner Tobias but Tris has truly done the best that she could to get back to you as soon as she could. She would beat herself up anytime she ended up going backward a step."
"Yeah that's when Marcus and I grew to be friends. We both had to attend group therapy at one point and I was breaking fast at the time. I was feeling so lost and alone. I wanted to just curl up and fall asleep never to wake again then Marcus sat next to me that day at the meeting. When I had to speak up that day Marcus just placed his hand on mine and asked me to let him go first. I did and he told of the man I was missing and how much he regretted what he had done to that man. He was upfront with the group about the abuse he inflicted upon his own son and about how when I learned of the abuse I would step between you to keep you safe. He told about how he drove his wife away from his home and how it had almost caused a massive war to break out later on. Marcus asked me after the meeting if we could talk some more and I agreed. He was like a piece of Tobias here when I needed Tobias in my life to get through the rough patch. He had a way of reminding me of the girl I was the way you do. I grew to love him for who he is now not who he was then. We have made our peace with our pasts because we can't change them but we can change where we go from here." Tris said softly.
"I would like a second chance at being your father, Tobias. I don't have much time left but I would love to spend the time I do have getting to know you as the man you are. I will understand if you can't but please think about it." Marcus said as a nurse walked in.
"Hey Tris do you want to do the honors?" She said holding needle toward Tris.
"Think he will trust me to do it?" Tris joked as she took the needle.
"Do I really get a choice?" Marcus asked pretending to look with fright from one woman to the other. The three laughed as Tris prepares the needle. She softly inserts the needle into Marcus' forearm.
"What did you just inject him with?" Evelyn asked with fright in her voice.
"Oh it's a low dose of pain medication to help him fight off the wound he got last week when he decided to kick a bed because he thought he was losing the only person he had left!" Tris says shaking her head at him.
"I know I know you won't leave me completely unless I mess up and hurt your son or mine." He says as his face relaxes as the pain med begins to work.
"How about we come back later today after I show them where I lived and get my paperwork finished? I think you need a bit of sleep to let that fully work." Tris calmly suggests.
"Thank you sweetheart. I will see you after lunch." Marcus replies.