Here is another chapter, hope you enjoy it. Thanks for reading and please review…I own nothing you all know the drill. Thanks to my beta Monsterpanda, check her Harry Potter story out!

It's the day before we leave, I sit in my room my hair in a loose ponytail. I dressed in a red pair of crop capri pants with a red crop top, my stomach showing it would get hot fast in the fields, my brown sandals with red fabric wouldn't allow my feet to stay clean. Tris was in a matching outfit, her hair short now "Girls go to my office now," mother said pushing open my door her face was set in a frown.

"Mother is everything alright?"

"I said go now Ava," then she was gone, I reach for my dagger but her gun will show, so it's left "Come on," so we run through the halls together. We run through the dome were Amity members have gathered to talk, but we just ran up the circular staircase seeing Tobias, Caleb, and Peter waiting for us.

"Erudite was seen coming to Amity, they will arrive any moment. Stay up here, don't move or talk," then mother walked out as Tobias and I walked to the window. In the distance black trucks could be seen "Well, Tobias. We could run, the tracks are to the east of here, we just have to get to the cover of the trees." I pointed.

"We could, but now it might be too late," his sharp eyes on the roads, they are nearly up to the Amity buildings "Tris destroy it now," I watched as Tris grabbed the Disk smashing it until nothing was left, Peter looked devastated.

We move away from the window but I can hear a voice I know it to be my mothers "Our Erudite and Dauntless friends are looking for some people,"

"Four members of Dauntless, and a former Erudite initiate." She smiles. "In the interest of full cooperation, I told them that the people they were looking for were, in fact, here, but have since moved on. They would like permission to search the premises, which means we have to vote. Does anyone object to a search?" but the tone in mothers voice suggests that if anyone does object, they should keep their mouth shut. I don't know if the Amity pick up on that kind of thing, but no one says anything.

"Three of you stick around," a woman says to the Dauntless guards clustered by the entrance. "The rest of you, search all the buildings and report back if you find anything. Go."

Tobias and I moved at the same time, Max and Eric are with my mother, Max holds her arm, you could see it turning colors "I know she is still here, your daughter," he raised a gun to her, I slipped my dagger out.

Peter was next to us watching "Max, Eric up here!" Peter yelled, Tobias punched him, Peter was close to the window now.

"You fucking traitor," I kicked Peter with all the force I could muster, the kick landed full force to his chest sending him out the window his body landing on the ledge before he rolled off falling from view.

My eyes moved landing on the dark eyes I haven't seen in two weeks, Eric who looks as dark and menacing as always "Hurry get up there and grab them before they escape," I turned "Run,"

"Go, I will buy you a few minutes. I will meet you at the train tracks," before anyone can protest I climb out the window I just sent Peter through "No Ava," I hear Tris as I jump landing on top of Max, he was alone.

My mother fell from his grasp, she was moving away from him "Lay another hand on my mother again," I snarled punching him three times, before I embedded the dagger into his left palm hearing a very male scream of pain, then gunfire right above my head.

I took my dagger out of his hand, looking over my shoulder seeing three coming at me one was Eric "Bye Max," I kicked the right side of his temple with blunt force.

"Bye mother, I love you" I ran as fast as I could, the wind rushed by me Amity members started blocking their path but Eric just ran them down. But I used the field, I knew it soon I would have the vast cover of the trees. I see Tris, Caleb, and Four further ahead I turn seeing Eric running at full speed "Faster," I scream, now I have no clue if he wants me dead. Tears burn my eyes.

Our only chance is to make the train "Tobias, train!" I call my legs pumping seeing Caleb near passing out, his body not meant for this "Right on time," we see it coming as we leave the shelter of the tree's, but Eric still hasn't given up.

"I thought they gave up" Caleb gasped "That's my ex, he hates Divergents wants us all dead," I called as we ran Tris jumped first landing on her belly, Tobias was next, then Caleb who rolled on his face, as I took hold of the handle swinging myself up looking back.

He was smiling that damn smile "I love you," was mouthed I could read his lips as I blew him a kiss "Always," I mouthed walking into the car.

I stop dead we aren't alone a group of ten are with us all around our age, in dark clothes, some had a red shirt, or grey, maybe blue. The factionless.

The wind whistles through the car. Everyone is on their feet not all are armed, they look as if they are merely on their way home. A women in black pants and a red shirt eyes me, a knife in her hand "Remove the gun from his head now, or else," I say in a calm voice as they all laugh, I am just some Amity to them.

Before any move, think about laughing again, I am at the man's throat my dagger digging in a few drops already running down his neck he wears an eye patch "Unless you want to die, remove the gun from my brother's head. We don't want trouble," he lowers the gun as Tobias moves and I move so us four stand together.

The factionless man with the gun looks familiar "They aren't Amity," the man with the gun says. "They're Dauntless."

"Hello Edward," I say as if he didn't just try to shot my brother "Oh Edward," Tris says.

"Ava, Tris," his gun isn't lowered but no longer pointed at Tobias' head.

"Dauntless isn't what it used to be," I say a small smirk pulls at his lips "I have heard,"

"We're running from the Erudite," says Caleb. "If we get off it will be easier for them to find us. So we would appreciate it if you let us ride into the city with you."

"Yeah?" Edward tilts his head. "What have you ever done for us?"

"Well I seem to remember holding you when you had a damn knife in your eye. After that I made sure I messed Peter up, I took him out of the rankings, took the job he wanted."

"I helped you also that night," Tris added in.

"You two, maybe. But the others?" says Edward. "Not so much."

Tobias steps forward, so Edward's gun is almost against his throat.

"My name is Tobias Eaton, the girl next to me is Ava Eaton" Tobias says. "I don't think you want to push either one of us off this train."

The effect of the name on the people in the car is immediate and bewildering: they lower their weapons. They exchange meaningful looks.

"Eaton? Really?" Edward says, eyebrows raised. "I have to admit, I did not see that coming." He clears his throat.

"Fine, you can come. But when we get to the city, you've got to come with us."

Then he smiles a little. "We know someone who's been looking for you, Tobias and Ava Eaton."

"Great, I don't like where this is going," I say to Tris.

"Do you know who it is?" Tris says, I would like to know myself "I like to know, since my name was used Tobias," I say.

Tobias nods.

"Who, then?"

"It's hard to explain," he says. "I have a lot to tell you. Ava,"

Tris leaned against him.

"Yeah," Tris says. "So do I."

Tobias pulls me away "I love you, more than anything in this world. More than our parents, just understand that."

"You don't listen to me, you act as if my judgement means nothing because you feel your ability to read and judge the situation is logically better than ours. I don't know if I can trust you Four, now you are keeping something from Tris and I."

"I was wrong about that, just give me time to explain. Later not right now," it was time to jump as Tris landed on her feet.

They jumped I was next landing on my feet, I was a little angry as I walked with Tris when Tobias came up to her "It's been a while since I checked that shoulder," he says. "How is it?"

"Okay. I brought the pain medicine, luckily," Tris says. "I don't think I'm letting it heal very well. I keep using my arm or landing on it."

"There will be plenty of time for healing once all this is over." He said but we don't know how this war will turn out, and right now we are at the center of it.

"Yeah." She says but her eyes look over him to mine.

"Here," he says, taking a small knife from his back pocket and handing it to Tris "Just in case." I had my dagger, well it was Eric's.

The factionless lead us down the street and left into a grimy alleyway that stinks of garbage. Rats scatter in front of us with squeaks of terror, and I see only their tails. Edward stops next to one of the crumbling brick buildings and forces a steel door open. I wince, half expecting the entire building to fall down if he pulls too hard. The windows are so thick with grime that almost no light penetrates them. We follow Edward into a dank room. In the flickering glow of a lantern, I see … people.

People sitting next to rolls of bedding. People prying open cans of food. People sipping bottles of water. And children, weaving between the groups of adults, not confined to a particular color of clothing—factionless children.

Tobias takes my hand in his "I love you Ava," his eyes on me.

We are in a factionless storehouse, and the factionless, who are supposed to be scattered, isolated, and without community … are together inside it. Are together, like a faction.

I don't know what I expected of them, but I am surprised by how normal they seem. They don't fight one another or avoid one another. Some of them tell jokes, others speak to each other quietly. Gradually, though, they all seem to realize that we aren't supposed to be there.

"Come on," Edward says, bending his finger to beckon us toward him. "She's back here."

"So Edward, let me tell you about the time Christina and I made Peter pee his pants," Edward smiles "Another time, she is practically dying to see you," he says.

"What's going on here? Why are you all together like this?" Tris asks as we walk.

"You thought they—we—were all split up," Edward says over his shoulder. "Well, they were, for a while. Too hungry to do much of anything except look for food. But then the Stiffs started giving them food, clothes, tools, everything. And they got stronger, and waited. They were like that when I found them, and they welcomed me."

"Funny you call them Stiff's when they are the very reason, you survived, and they survived. Might want to show some appreciation," I say.

"You didn't have to leave Dauntless, you could have stayed and beat Peter with one eye," I say but he just grins.

We walk into a dark hallway. I feel at home, in the dark and the quiet that are like the tunnels in Dauntless headquarters. Edward stops at a metal door and pounds on it with his fist.

"Wait, you said they were waiting?" says Caleb. "What were they waiting for, exactly?"

"For the world to fall apart," Edward says. "And now it has."

The door opens, and a severe-looking woman with a lazy eye stands in the doorway. Her steady eye scans the four of us.

"Strays?" she says.

"Not hardly, Therese." He jabs his thumb over his shoulder, at Tobias and myself "This one's Tobias Eaton, the one he next to him with the long hair is Ava Eaton."

Therese stares at Tobias then me for a few seconds, then nods. "He certainly is the girl looks too. Hold on."

She shuts the door again. Tobias swallows hard, his Adam's apple bobbing, I'm just confused as to what is really going on here.

"You know who she's going to get, don't you," says Caleb to Tobias.

"Caleb," Tobias says. "Please shut up."

The door opens again, and Therese steps back to let us in. We walk into an old boiler room with machinery that emerges from the darkness so suddenly I hit it with my knees and elbows. Therese leads us through the maze of metal to the back of the room, where several bulbs dangle from the ceiling over a table.

A middle-aged woman stands behind the table. She has curly black hair and olive skin. Her features are stern, so angular they almost make her unattractive, but not quite.

Tobias clutches my hand "Evelyn," he says, his voice shaking a little.

"Hello." She walks around the table, surveying him. "You look older."

"Yes, well. The passage of time tends to do that to a person."

Now she smiles at me "Hello Avalon, or is it Ava now? You are so stunning my daughter," her cold eyes moving over me looking over every inch of me.

"Who the hell are you?" I say looking back at her "I am your mother" she smiles.

"No, Johanna is my mother. You gave me away, you made your choices. As you made your choice to leave Tobias if my brother is foolish enough to forgive let that be on him," I turned away standing by Tris.

"So you've finally come—" she sounded hurt.

"Not for the reason you think," he interrupts her. "We were running from Erudite, and the only chance of escape we had required me to tell your poorly armed lackeys our name."

"I see." Evelyn's smile remains, but without its former touch of amusement. "Introduce me to your fellow refugees, then."

Her eyes drift down Tobias and Tris joined hands. He gestures Tris first. "This is Tris Prior. Her brother, Caleb."

"Prior," she says. "I know of several Priors, but none of them are named Tris. Beatrice, however …Evelyn Johnson is the name I prefer. Particularly among a pack of Abnegation."

"Tris is the name I prefer," Tris replied. "And we're not Abnegation. Not all of us, anyway."

Evelyn gives Tobias a look. "Interesting friends you've made."

"Tris is his girlfriend, not friend," I say standing off to the side her eyes turn soft looking at me "Avalon,"

"Ava, my damn name is Ava."

"Tobias, if you even try it I will start calling you Four," I saw the corners of his mouth tug up as Tris let go of his hand as she moved towards me "Calm down Ava," she whispered.

"Those are population counts?" says Caleb from behind us. He walks forward, his mouth open. "And … what? Factionless safe houses?" He points to the first line on the chart.

"I mean, these places, on the map? They're safe houses, like this one, right,"

"That's a lot of questions," says Evelyn, arching an eyebrow. I recognize the expression. It belongs to Tobias—as does her distaste for questions. "For security purposes, I will not answer any of them. Anyway, it is time for dinner."

"Tobias, I am leaving, I am heading to Candor," I say "I will come with you Ava," Tris offered.

"You will not be leaving," his voice was calm but iced "Get over yourself, you can't control me. If I want to leave I will, I rather be with Dauntless in Candor then here with her,"

"Ava, please," she smiled coming close "Edward wouldn't get a shot fired before I slit your throat,"

"I was rather good," Edward muttered "But I was better, ranked first, got the job as Dauntless-leader in training."

"Impressive, we could use you,"

"The operative word is use, it's what you do use. There was a reason Jeanine wanted me in Erudite."

"Just stay the night, get some rest. Give me a chance to talk to you," Four said his eyes also on Tris "One night Ava, give your brother that, than we both leave here," Tris took my hand.

"Fine,"

We walk out through the maze "I'm not stupid," she says in a low voice. "I know you want nothing to do with me—though I still don't quite understand why—"

Tobias snorts, I just shake my head.

"I will extend my invitation again and now to you Avalon. We could use your help here, and I know you are like-minded about the faction system—"

"Evelyn," Tobias says. "I chose Dauntless. And Ava is Dauntless."

"Choices can be made again."

"What makes you think I'm interested in spending time anywhere near you?" he demands. I hear his footsteps stop, and slow down so I can hear how she responds.

"Because I'm your mother, I am her mother not Johanna. I went back for her but Johanna wouldn't part with her, Amity tossed me out," she says, and her voice almost breaks over the words, uncharacteristically vulnerable.

"Because you're my son. She is my daughter,"

"You really don't get it," he says. "You don't have the vaguest conception of what you've done to me. At least Ava had Johanna," He sounds breathless. "I don't want to join up with your little band of factionless. I want to get out of here as quickly as possible. I am taking my girlfriend and sister with me,"

"How long have you known?" Tris asks because I am furious.

"About a year." He slumps against the wall and closes his eyes. "She sent a coded message to me in Dauntless, telling me to meet her at the train yard. I did, because I was curious, and there she was. Alive. It wasn't a happy reunion, as you can probably guess."

"Why did she leave Abnegation?" Tris was curious.

"She had an affair." He shakes his head looking at me now but hurt crossed his face seeing the hate in mine. "And no wonder, since my father …" He shakes his head again. "Well, let's just say Marcus wasn't any nicer to her than he was to me."

"Is … that why you're angry with her? Because she was unfaithful to him?" Tris doesn't get it.

"No," he says too sternly, his eyes opening. "No, that's not why I'm angry."

She walks toward him as if approaching a wild animal, each footstep careful on the cement floor. "Then why?"

"She had to leave my father, I get that," he says. "But did she think of taking me with her?"

"Oh. She left you with him."

"Yeah." He kicks at the floor. "She did."

"Ava, I trust you and your judgment. I see you don't like her."

"I can see you do," he just looked at me for a moment.

"Tris lets go clean up, leave my brother here with his mommy issues." I say as she gets up, I have a towel, I just want to clean up because I am leaving as soon as possible.

"That's a little harsh Ava" Tris says "Once that woman shows her true colors it won't be," I walked away she could stay or go.

So we wander down the hall and into the bathroom, there are multiple females bathing but we find a single free sink she holds the towel up while I bath myself as best I can, it's better than nothing. I dry my hair and body re-dressing.

"Your turn," I hold up my towel for her as she washed the soap from her hair "Much better," I tossed the towel at her as she dried herself "Come on Tris," she smiled.

She stopped me "I don't trust her either, just so you know,"

"Thanks," I hugged her at least Tris understood, that women was no good.

"Ava a word," Edward smiled "Sure be right back Tris,"

"I am going to find Tobias," she waved "So Edward,"

"I heard you started dating Eric," we walked "I did, it didn't work out. Can't have a healthy relationship when he wants you dead."

"I liked you, did you know that? Well probably not, you were always getting in trouble. But I was so impressed with you, coming from Amity and just showing every other initiate you could hold your own and then some. You were the most pretty girl, I was always trying to impress you," his eye patch had a blue X, on it today.

"Thank you Edward, it was hard coming from Amity feeling I had something to prove," I smiled as we walked when he stopped he turned towards me and before I knew it his lips pressed to mine, his lips warm even his hands are warm as I feel them on my hips.

He pulls away "I have wanted to do that for a long time," he puts his palm against my cheek, I am shocked my body doesn't react to this invasion of personal space. I feel nothing, nothing at all, nothing…When I kiss Eric it is something more, more than this world can contain.

"Edward, we need you," was called "I will see you later Ava," he walked away as I ran down the hall, he kissed me, gross, it was Edward, he was my friend.

When Tris ran into me "Evelyn," she says "What about the she-beast?"

"I told her I knew she was trying to use you and Tobias I heard a conversation with her and Tobias. She wants no factions, I wouldn't like that, but she was saying a drastic change would take drastic destruction. Then she went and said. I am their family. I am permanent. You're only temporary. Soon Avalon will feel the same."

"No you are my family, she is nothing. We will deal with her another time," I snarl "Oh yeah, Edward wanted to confess his feelings, then he kissed me," her eyes became round with a look mixed of awe and disgust.

"It was odd, glad it didn't last long." We walked sitting with Caleb on the floor "Hello ladies,"

"Hey," she smiled I give a nod of my head he passed me the jar of peanut butter, but I hand it to Tris, she scoops it with her fingers and eats it, very charming of her.

"I wanted to talk to you about something," says Caleb his eyes on his sister "Susan wants to go see Abnegation," he says. "And so do I. I also want to make sure she's all right. But I don't want to leave you." Yes there was a few Abnegation refugees here, I knew one was a friend of theirs from before.

"It's okay," Tris says.

"Why don't you come with us?" he asks. "Abnegation would welcome you back; I'm sure of it."

"We have to go to Candor headquarters and find out what's going on," I say. "I'm going crazy, not knowing." she forced a smile. "But you should go. Susan needs you. She seems better, but she still needs you."

"Okay." Caleb nods. "Well, I'll try to join you soon. Be careful, though."

"Aren't I always?" she says, but we smile, it's a lie.

"No, I think the word for how you usually are is 'reckless'. I think Avalon has something to do with that,"

"Caleb, I will kill you if you ever call me Avalon again," I pull out my knife, it still has Max's blood on it "Sorry, my mistake Ava,"

Tobias emerges from the men's bathroom a few minutes later, his red Amity shirt replaced by a black T-shirt, and his short hair glistening with water. Our eyes meet across the room and I know it's time to leave.

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