AN: Hello, thank you all for your lovely words via PM and review following the epilogue of this story. Here is Bonus Chapter 1! Each bonus chapter will probably be about 2000 words. There will be 2 or 3 bonus chapters, and then I plan to do an 'epilogue sequel' if you will. (This is essentially a second epilogue, and this one will be a fairly comprehensive one, to see where Tris and Four are, in their personal and professional lives someway into the future. :) )
Bonus Chapter 1
Four looked up and caught sight of Tris. He hadn't seen her in days, since she had left for her 'secret mission'.
He forgot his anger with her and ran towards her, just glad to see her, and glad that she was alive.
As he neared her she looked up and smiled at him, but her smile was a strained, contorted one. Suddenly there was a masked man next to her, with a gun to a head.
Four stopped running and came to a sudden halt, his feet skidding a little as he stopped.
"Tris!" Four yelled in alarm, fumbling about his person for a weapon, but there was no weapon to be found.
A shot ran out and Tris dropped to the ground, a Four was powerless to do anything.
"Tris!" he cried in agony.
And then she was standing again, the same masked man holding a razor sharp blade to her throat.
"No, not again!" Four groaned, checking again in vain for a weapon.
The masked man slit Tris's throat and Four could only stand and watch as hot, wet, sticky blood bored from the gaping wound in her throat.
"No!" Four yelled, falling to his knees, his heart aching, looking like a broken man.
The masked man gave an evil chuckle as Tris's eyes rolled back in her head and she stopped breathing.
"No," Four sobbed brokenly. "Please don't die."
Four woke up in a cold sweat, breathing heavily, his bed sheets tangled around him.
"It's not real," he muttered with a shuddering breath. "She's fine, even if I have no proof of that, and I don't know where she is."
Four looked at the clock. 4.30 in the morning. He knew he wouldn't sleep again, so he got up, dressed in work out gear, and headed for the gym. If he could focus on a work out, and tire himself out, maybe he'd be able to stop reliving his nightmare of Tris dying. Maybe, but not likely.
Four spent the day trying to distract himself, throwing himself into everything he did and trying to make sure he always had something to focus on.
After a long session in the gym he showered, in his mind going over a program he was working on for an agent at another branch. At breakfast he meticulously read every inch of the morning paper, focusing on the current world events and sport section.
On his way out of the dining hall after breakfast Harrison stopped him.
"Four, I want you to work with Peter today. He's been working with Zeke mostly since completing the recruitment phase, but Zeke's having trouble with him in some areas. He was your recruit, so I'm hoping you might have some ideas on how to teach him most effectively. I'd like you to take over his current training for field work, at least for the moment," Harrison said.
Four grimaced, but merely said, in a tight voice, "Okay, I'll give it a shot. I'll find him and get started now."
"Peter, Harrison wants you with me today," Four said brusquely, approaching Peter where he was eating breakfast alone. "We're starting now, so get moving."
Peter jumped up, a little wary of Four, especially since their last encounter, which had involved public showdown, over Marcus, which Four had won, hands down. He silently followed out of the dining hall.
Four led the way to one of the training rooms they had used for hand-to-hand combat in the early days.
"I seem to remember you thinking yourself quite accomplished in physical combat," Four said coolly. "I think it's time for you to put your money where your mouth is. If you're going to be a field agent, you need to keep your hand-to-hand combat skills up to scratch. So, on the mat, now."
Peter looked a little apprehensive, but masked it was a look of cocksure confidence quickly.
Four looked at him, and smiled inwardly. If he was stuck with the little prick, he was at least going to work him hard, and beating him in a fight would be a bonus as a distraction too.
On the mat they each took their stance, ready to commence battle.
Four made the first move, reaching out and striking Peter on the jaw.
A few short minutes later Four had debilitated Peter, with very little trouble involved. He had not indulged himself, and beaten Peter to a pulp, but had merely knocked him around a little until he could pin him down.
"You've got a lot to learn," Four said disdainfully. "We're going to do some target practice now. After that pitiful display, I think we need to check that you're up to scratch on all elements of field work."
Peter followed Four from task to task, silently taking all of the criticism Four heaped on him, not wanting to make more of an enemy than he already had of his current instructor.
Four, for his part, was rather enjoying himself, especially seeing as Peter did not answer back to any of the harsh comments and difficult tasks he set. As the day wore on Four started to enjoy himself a little too much, really letting go and yelling at Peter a couple of times.
It was no less than Peter deserved, especially on account of all the wrongs he was guilty of committing from his recruit days, but he hadn't done much to warrant the dressing down he was currently receiving.
It was not in Peter's character to take much criticism, or many insults, and he'd more than exhausted his minimal supply of supply of self control for the day, let alone the week.
"I can't believe Harrison stuck me with you," Peter muttered sullenly.
"Oh really?" Four said, his voice icy and dangerously calm. "Yes, I heard what you said, you ungrateful, useless, untalented whelp. You know what, I can't believe Harrison stuck me with you. You're clearly not up to the standard of a Dauntless field agent, and I can't believe I'm wasting my time trying to train you!"
Peter was silent, annoyed with himself for further angering Four and earning his apparently immeasurable wroth. Contrary to the behaviour he had displayed in earlier days, he didn't really want to be on Four's enemy list, and he didn't really want another dressing down. He made up his mind to just take whatever else Four threw at him, he did have some sense of self preservation.
"What, you have nothing to say now?" Four sneered. "It seems to me that you always have too much to say, especially when you shouldn't be saying anything! So why stay silent now, huh? You're a big, important guy, and you clearly think you know more than me, even though it is abundantly clear after today that you don't even know a fraction of what I know. Go on, say what you're thinking."
"I have nothing further to say, sir," Peter muttered dourly.
"Really? Or are you just scared of what I'll do to you if you say anything more?" Four asked, a slightly feral look on his usually commandingly schooled features. "Look me in the face while I'm talking to you, you little prick. You will show me the respect I deserve, the respect I have earned!"
By this point Four was yelling at the top of his lungs, his vocal chords screaming at the strain he was putting on them.
Zeke and Lauren, who had been walking down the corridor outside stopped, looking at each other in alarm, and headed straight into the room where they could hear Four yelling.
"Peter!" Zeke exclaimed, as they quickly assessed the situation. "There's some paperwork I need you to look after for me. Head up to my office now."
"I'm not finished with him," Four growled.
"You are for now," Lauren said firmly. "I need to talk to you."
Four reluctantly ceased his tirade, and Peter slunk out gratefully, leaving Four with Lauren and Zeke.
"Have you lost your mind?" Zeke asked him incredulously. "You sounded like that lunatic Eric, and you always hated it when he treated other agents that way! What's going on with you man?"
"You're not acting at all like yourself," Lauren agreed. "You look exhausted too."
"I'm just sick of that little shit!" Four cussed.
"I think someone is pining for his girlfriend," Zeke said astutely with a cheeky grin.
"That's none of your concern," Four snarled.
"So that is what's making you crazy," Lauren said triumphantly. "Not that there were many other options, but still."
"Four, you've got to calm down, man," Zeke said seriously. "We all get that Tris leaving the way she did was tough on you, but you can't let that get in the way of your work. Sure, that Peter probably deserved everything you gave him, but you won't like yourself very much when you think back on this when you're calmer."
"He's right, Four," Lauren agreed. "Did something happen to make you more upset? I thought you were calming down a bit, but you seem even more upset than before, if that's possible."
"I had a nightmare," Four admitted in tired defeat. "It woke me up pretty early and it was pretty disturbing. No, I don't want to get into it."
"Okay," Lauren said evenly. "But we're here if you need anything. And seriously, try not to worry. She's going to be fine, you're going to be fine. You just need some time, time to calm down, and time to talk things through."
"Thanks," Four said quietly. "I think I'm going to head up to the pool, have a swim and try to clear my head."
Lauren and Zeke watched him go, neither of them bothering to conceal the concern they felt, on their features.
"He's going to be okay, right?" Lauren asked, a frown creasing her brow.
"I'll give him a little longer to sulk, and then I'll work on cheering him up," Zeke said decisively. "He likes to sulk, but he also needs help to be brought out of an intense sulk."
True to his word Four headed up to the pool and began to swim laps. The cool water passed over him as he cut through the water with clean, crisp strokes.
He was grateful to Zeke and Lauren, they were right – he would have hated himself had he done any worse to Peter than yell. He also felt relieved by just having mentioned his nightmare. It somehow made the darkness of his thoughts less potent, less real, and something that he could start to let go of, because it was only a nightmare, not reality.
Reality was doing his job to the best of his ability, regardless of his personal problems. Reality was knowing that Tris was gone, doing the job that had been given to her, and that she would be coming back to him. Reality was facing the problems that had come between him and Tris and working through them. Reality was deciding to take control over his mind and emotions, and not letting negative things get in his way. He was Dauntless and he needed to hold on to that. Everything was going to be okay, he would work hard to make sure of that.
AN: Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed Four bitching Peter out, and a little insight into what Four went through while Tris was away :)
Other stuff to come in the bonus chapters include more detail of the pool hijinx, another call between Four and Tris while she's away. Plus, Foutris's first Christmas together!
Please review :)