*Don't kill me.*

Chapter 23

Tris POV

They stayed up talking all night, finally getting to catch up the way they would have, had they not fought.

"I think my ten minutes is up, Bee." Tobias whispered teasingly, late into the night. "I think I should go."

"No!" Tris whined, grasping his arm tightly and snuggling in. "I'm not ready for your ten minutes to be up yet. Please stay."

Tris could see him smile through the dark of her room. He kissed her hair. "I have to go eventually, Tris. I've got to go back to my day job tomorrow, and you need to start training."

Tris looked around her large, extravagant room. The whole place was huge. Too much for one person. "Tobias, please, stay."

He squeezed her close and kissed her. "Tris, what's wrong?"

"This place is big…" She said in a small voice. "I spent all that time in a dorm with people sleeping all around me. And, I really don't want to be alone."

Tobias chuckled, and settled into the bed, pulling the covers up around them. "I think I can stay. But maybe just for tonight."

"Just for tonight." Tris nodded and inhaled Tobias' warm scent. God, she had missed this so much. Everything about him. She hadn't realized how much she truly needed him in her life until he was gone.

There had been so much hurt that had transpired between the two of them, but now, as they were laying together, all was forgiven. Tris had apologized, so had Tobias. Tris' heart was finally light again, and with Tobias be her side, she felt like she could do anything. Slowly, his breathing evened out, and Tris wrapped her fingers around the flames on his ribcage. He is strong, lithe, and certain. She pressed a kiss to his chest, gently.

Tris had become so scared that they weren't meant to be together, that they'd both break. But she learned she was like a blade, and he was the whetstone—She was too strong to break so easily, and she became better, sharper, every time they touched.

She smiled, and Tris rested her head on Tobias' chest, letting the strong beat of his heart and calm breaths be her lullaby to sleep.

When Tris woke the next morning, Tobias was already up and grinning.

"What time is it?" She yawned and sat up.

"I think six o' clock. I'm an early riser, I hope you don't mind." Tobias walked over and leaned down to kiss her.

"Mm…" Tris moaned, smiling. "I think I can live with it…"

Tobias laughed, and pulled away. "I'm going to go change, but do you want to get dinner tonight?"

Tris nodded, and as Tobias was about to walk out she called, "Wait!"

He turned around quickly and smiled. "What's up?"

"Um…I was wondering…you know, this place is kid of big, and…"

His smile was growing wider by the second. "And…"

Tris glared at Tobias. "Shut up! This is nerve-wracking!"

"You're right." Tobias said, still grinning, coming back to the bed and sitting on it, reaching for Tris' hands and holding them comfortingly. "I'm sorry. Try again."

Tris smiled a little. "Okay." She took a deep breath, and sighed. "Tobias, I was wondering if maybe you'd like to move in with me."

He grinned and rolled his eyes. "You know, I don't know…"

"Four!" Tris shouted, hitting his arm.

Tobias laughed and kissed Tris deeply. "I'd love to live with you. I'd love nothing more."

Tris smiled and kissed him. "I love you, Four."

"I love you, Six."

Tris pouted. "Poor five."

Tobias laughed and said he'd be back soon with breakfast. Not five minutes later, Tobias was back, and pounding on the door.

Tris laughed and went to answer the door. "Tobias, you can just come in, breathe, it'll be—"

"Tris, we need to stay here." Tobias said quickly, in complete Four mode.

"Tobias, what's going on?" Tris asked, concerned.

"Those injections…they weren't trackers, Tris."

"What are you talking about?"

Tobias sighed, and ran his fingers through his hair. "We have to get to the control room. I need to figure out what's going on. Have you finished looking through the apartment?"

Tris shook her head. "No, why—"

He started to run around the apartment, opening closets and drawers. "Go, get dressed, I'm going to look through your apartment." Tobias turned around and ran back to Tris, holding her face in his hands and kissing her. "Right now, I need you to please just trust me, okay?"

Tris stared at him. She needed to trust him. That's what he was asking of her. Could she do it again? "Okay. I'll go get dressed."

He smiled and kissed her again. "Thank you."

Tris got dressed, and brushed her teeth quickly. When she came out, Tobias was at her kitchen table, loading weapons. Tris' eyes went wide. "Those were all in my apartment?"

Tobias shrugged. "I figured you would be well-equipped. You're going to be a leader. You need to be well-prepared to defend yourself if necessary. I don't think anyone anticipated it'd be this soon. Come on, grab a gun, and we'll head for the control room. We're going to need stealth and skill. It's a good thing you were number one and so was I." He looked up and winked as she shoved a gun in the waist of his belt.

It was terrifying. And slightly hot.

Tris shook her head, and quickly grabbed the two loaded guns left on her table. She stuck on in her boot, and kept the other in her hand. Tobias handed her a knife, and Tris stuck it in the other boot. They were ready to go. Tris took a deep breath, and followed Four—because this wasn't Tobias anymore—out of her front door. Tris locked it on the way out, and stuck her key into her bra. She saw Four's eyebrow raise in amusement and she just shrugged.

As they made their way through the Dauntless compound, neither of them said a word. It was early, dark, and cold. The control room was in the very depths of Dauntless, and they descended further, the musky scent combined with the moisture of the cave-like area was suffocating. As they began to descend down to where the control room was, they finally heard voices.

It was Eric and a woman.

"Everything is going just as we planned." The woman said.

"Abnegation will decimated, and the information will stay secret. They threatened to destroy the faction system." Eric said.

Tobias turned around and looked at Tris. He mouthed "Jeanine". Tris was shocked. The leader of Erudite. She had been violently attacking the Abnegation. The trackers…they must've been serum that she invented to create—

"Mindless soldiers." Jeanine laughed. "It's beautiful. They know what's going on, but everything they think they should protect, they're programmed to destroy."

"So then what do they protect?" Eric asked.

"Themselves. If anyone tries to attack them they're programmed to kill."

Tobias moved around the wall too quickly for Tris to tell him it was a bad idea.

Tris stayed pressed against the wall.

"Four. What are you doing here?"

"Stopping you."

Shots fired, and Tris went on high alert, and she swung her body around the wall. Jeanine was cowering behind a file cabinet, and Four and Eric were currently in a shoot out. There were shouts and pounding of feet. Backup.

"Four!" Tris screamed. "We need to get out of here!"

Eric's eyes immediately went to Tris. "Six." His gun pointed at her.

"Don't you fucking dare, Eric!" Four shouted, shooting at Eric, who quickly moved out of the way. Tris could barely bring her gun up to shoot.

"You're going to die." He hissed. "You took everything from me. I wish the Candor had pushed you off the edge into the Chasm."

"You knew about that?" Tris said, her voice shaking as soldiers began to appear. They were surrounded.

Eric sneered. "I told them to do it."

Tris couldn't breathe. She was frozen. It was like someone had turned off her brain. She could hear Four screaming at Eric as the soldiers began to close in around. When they took Four around the arms, it was like the lights went back on.

"Let him go!" She shouted, beginning to step for him.

"Don't move!" Eric screamed, shooting at Tris' foot.

"Six," Four said, fighting against the arms holding him. "Don't—"

One of the soldiers told him to shut up and smacked him. Jeanine came out of hiding and she had a black box. She pulled out a syringe.

"No." Tris said, soldiers now advancing on her. "Don't touch him!"

"Jeanine," Eric said, bored. "Can I shoot her yet?"

"Hold on, just let me—"

Tris didn't think, she just shot. Two loud cracks went off, and Tris' vision was going black around the edges. The last thing she heard was Four's blood curdling scream.

Then her world went black.

*Thoughts? Next Chapter will be from Tris' POV. I think that there will be another...four or five chapters, and from what I'm hearing, everyone wants a sequel, so then that will start. Here's a working idea of what I want to do with the sequel. Let me know your thoughts! Also about the chapter, because I'm sure you have PLENTY to say about this chapter.

It's a war fic, but not really.
Essentially, I would pick up the sequel a year into the future. Before the new initiates arrive. However, because if the issues that happen in Chapter 23, Eric is finally getting removed as a leader after all the political red tape and bull crap. Four gets offered a leadership position, and this time he takes it. Max then takes Tris and Tobias on a tour, and is letting them in on all the secrets that only leaders get to know.
Tobias and Tris are faced with a dilemma. What do they do with this information? So while they work to develop a way for Divergent to be okay among the faction system, when they discover Divergents within the new kids, Tobias and Tris develop a plan to try and get everyone to a place where they can live happily.
Also, the plan is for Chris to be in the middle of planning her wedding, and I'm debating some big things for Tris and Tobias. Just some first thoughts. Also, I'd like to develop Carson as a character more. I'm thinking he helps out with all of what's going on because Tobias can trust him, you know?
What are your thoughts?

All my love, Always, Rosaline*