A/N: Yes, I picture Eric as he is in the movie, because hello grrr Jai Courtney. I own nothing and no money is being made, so let's get on with it here is the next chapter and please REVIEW!
"It's okay Tris," I say taking the gun as she gives me a nod her head in Tobias shoulder. I have to take deep, hard breaths to get enough air. Good thing the crowd around me is so loud that no one can hear me. We march toward the doors. At the front of the pack is Harrison carrying Tori on his back like a child. She laughs, her arms wrapped around his neck. "Tori," I laugh with Tris and Christina.
"What have you done?" he says. "I was just told that Kyle is missing from his holding cell."
"He was under our jurisdiction," says Tori. "We gave him a trial and executed him. You should be thanking us."
"Why …" Jack's face turns red. Blood is darker than blush, even though one consists of the other. "Why should I be thanking you?"
"Because you wanted him to be executed, too, right?'
"I was supposed to turn him over," Kang said "Hold off as long as possible, we are going to take on Erudite Kang," I say my hand on his shoulder "Please don't put your people in any more harm than necessary," I say to him our eyes meeting.
"You want us as an ally Kang, after this war Erudite is going to be on a very short leash."
"I will do as you asked, but time is of importance," he walks away. Everyone shouts, and somehow their screams pierce the haze in my mind. The entire crowd presses forward at once.
The Candor in the corridor yelp and dive out of the way as we spill into the hallway like a burst pipe, Dauntless water spreading to fill the empty space.
Marlene's grip on my arm breaks. I run down the stairs, chasing the heels of the Dauntless in front of me, ignoring the jostle of elbows and all the shouts around me. I feel like I am an initiate again, storming the stairs of the Hub right after the Choosing Ceremony. My legs burn, but that is all right.
Outside we all smile the rain making us a little happier as the pavement it slick, my bag bumps my shoulder, every few moments. We splash through puddles, Christina is on Will's back, staying dry as I laugh "Come on Tris," I say as she jumps on my back.
She isn't very heavy as we jog, its good exercise I see Tobias with a smile as he watches us, when it hits me I scream out "TAKE THAT ERIC, I AM THE YOUNGEST DAUNTLESS LEADER NOW," everyone looks at me, a few smile Tori laughs her face covered in rain.
We enter the compound, but we have one objective before we do anything. A hundred yards away, Bud passes out paintball guns. Someone else passes out paintballs. Soon the hidden corners of Dauntless headquarters will be coated in multicolored paint, blocking the lenses of the surveillance cameras.
"Hey, Tris, Ava," Zeke says, joining us at the railing. His eyes are red and swollen, but his mouth is curled into a small smile.
"Hey. You made it." Tris smiled.
"Yeah. We waited until Shauna was stable and then took her here." He rubs one of his eyes with his thumb. "I didn't want to move her, but … wasn't safe with Candor anymore. Obviously."
"How is she?" I asked.
"Dunno. She's gonna survive it, but the nurse thinks she might be paralyzed from the waist down. And that wouldn't bother me, but …" He lifts a shoulder. "How can she be Dauntless if she can't walk?"
"She can," I say.
"Tris, Ava. She won't even be able to move around."
"Sure she will." I look up at him. "She can get a wheelchair, and someone can push her up the paths in the Pit, and there's an elevator in the building up there." Tris point above our heads. "She doesn't need to be able to walk to slide down the zip line or fire a gun."
"She won't want me to push her." His voice cracks a little. "She won't want me to lift her, or carry her."
"She'll have to get over it, then. Are you going to let her drop out of Dauntless for a stupid reason like not being able to walk? She is Dauntless, and we don't give up and that also means on each other Zeke," I say. Things have to change here.
Zeke is quiet for a few seconds. His eyes shift over my face, and he squints, as if weighing and measuring us before he wraps both of us in a massive bear hug "Cant breath," Tris gasped.
"I'm gonna go shoot things," he says as he pulls away. "Want to come?"
Bud hands each of us a paintball gun, and I load mine. Its weight, shape, and material are so different from a revolver that I have no trouble holding it.
"We've mostly got the Pit and the underground covered," Bud says. "But you should tackle the Pire."
Bud points up at the glass building above us. The sight pierces me like a needle. The last time I stood in this spot and stared up at this ceiling, I was on a mission to destroy the simulation.
Zeke is already on his way up the path. We run to catch up with him, I understand why Tris is having problems. But she is doing well pushing them down.
Once we're in the Pire, Zeke lifts up his gun and aims at one of the cameras near the ceiling. He fires, and green paint sprays across one of the windows, missing the camera lens.
"Ooh," I say, wincing. "Ouch."
"Yeah? I'd like to see you do it perfectly the first time."
"Watch and learn Zeke," I aim, then I squeeze the trigger and the paintball hits the camera, spraying blue paint across the lens. Zeke mutters something under his breath that doesn't sound pleasant.
"Hey, can't talk to me like that now. I am a Dauntless Leader," I said aiming my gun at him "I forgot, the youngest yet," he smiled. Tris hit hers on the first time causing Zeke to mumble more offensive words, making us laugh. "Hey!" shouts a cheerful voice. Marlene pokes her head above the glass floor. Paint is smeared across her forehead, giving her a purple eyebrow. With a wicked smile, she aims at Zeke, hitting his leg. I grab Tris "Sorry Tris," I use her as a shield she gets nailed in the arm as I fire three into Marlene hitting her in the heart, shoulder and boob "Not, fair,' she cried out.
"Zeke get her, avenge yourself," I laughed as we finish the cameras, he runs off "You okay Tris?" I ask.
"Yeah, it's getting better. The handling a gun. Tobias. Everything. How are you? I mean it, you did really well in the meeting,"
"Thanks Tris. I am okay, it was hard seeing Eric again though," I say as we walk back down.
Someone raids the Dauntless kitchens and heats up the imperishable kept there, so we have a warm dinner that night. I sit at the same table I used to claim with Christina, Al, and Will. From the moment I sit down, I feel a lump in my throat.
Christina sits across the table as Uriah drops down next to Will we are all tired and sore from the day. We are soon joined by Lynn, Hector, and Marlene. I see a flash of movement under the table, and see Marlene's hand meet Uriah's over his knee.
Their fingers twist together. They are both clearly trying to look casual, but they sneak looks at each other. To Marlene's left, Lynn looks like she just tasted something sour. She shovels food into her mouth.
"Where's the fire?" Uriah asks her. "You're going to hurl if you keep eating that fast."
Lynn scowls at him. "I'm going to hurl anyway with you two making eyes at each other all the time."
Uriah's ears turn red. "What are you talking about?"
"I am not an idiot, and neither is anyone else. So why don't you just make out with her and get it over with?"
Uriah looks stunned. Marlene, however, glares at Lynn, leans over, and kisses Uriah firmly on the mouth, her fingers sliding around his neck, under the collar of his shirt. I notice that all the peas have fallen off my fork, which was on its way to my mouth.
Lynn grabs her tray and storms away from the table. Christina watches her face priceless, Lynn could have been Candor.
"What was that all about?" says Zeke.
"Don't ask me," says Hector. "She's always angry about something. I've stopped trying to keep track."
"If you don't know, not my place to say," but I understood just fine what was going on with Lynn, my heart went out to her.
Tobias rests his hand on Tris good shoulder. A few of his knuckles are split, and the blood looks fresh. "Sorry, I can't stay."
"Can I borrow you and Ava, for a few?" he asks but it doesn't sound like a question.
So we get up, waving a good-bye to everyone at the table who is paying attention—which is just Zeke, really, because Christina and Will are wrapped around each other and Hector are staring at their plates, and Uriah and Marlene are talking quietly. Tobias and I walk out of the cafeteria.
"Where are we going?"
"The train," he says. "I have a meeting, and I want you both there to help me read the situation."
We walk up one of the paths that lines the Pit walls, toward the stairs that lead us to the Pire.
"Why do you need me to—?"
"Because you're better at it than I am." His eyes on me. "I am, but you still won't take what I say into account," I say to his frustrated sigh.
We ascend the stairs and cross the glass floor. On our way out, we walk through the dank room in which I faced my fear landscape. Judging by the syringe on the floor, someone has been there recently.
Did you go through your fear landscape today?" Tris says her hand in Tobias, you could see the love just pulsing from their eyes.
"What makes you say that?" His dark eyes skirt to hers. He pushes the front door open, and the summer air swims around me. There is no wind.
"Your knuckles are cut up," I say. "And someone's been using that room." she adds
"This is exactly what I mean. You're both far more perceptive than most." He checks his watch. "They told me to catch the one leaving at 8:05. Come on."
We walk to the tracks. The last time we did this, he wanted to show me that the lights were on in the Erudite compound, wanted to tell me that Erudite was planning an attack on Abnegation. Now I get the sense we are about to meet with the factionless.
"Perceptive enough to know you're evading the question," Tris says.
He sighs. "Yes, I went through my fear landscape. I wanted to see if it had changed."
"And it has. Hasn't it?" I asked him.
He brushes a stray hair away from his face and avoids our eyes. I didn't know his hair was so thick—it was hard to tell when it was buzzed short, Abnegation hair, but now its two inches long and almost hangs over his forehead.
"Yes," he says. "But the number is still the same."
I hear the train horn blasting to my left, but the light fixed to the first car is not on. Instead it slides over the rails like some hidden, creeping thing.
"Fifth car back!" he shouts.
We break into a sprint. I find the fifth car and grab the handle on the side with ease into the car, my feet landing with grace. "Damn it Tris," I am bending down checking her knee.
"It's shallow, it will heal," she says.
We stand I am on Tobias right and Tris to his left when checks his watch. "They'll be here any minute."
Dread, Evelyn and Edward standing next to the tracks. They run before the train passes them, and jump in with almost as little trouble as Tobias. They must have been practicing.
Edward smirks at me. Today his eye patch has a big blue "eyeball" stitched over it.
"Hello Ava," he says.
"Edward," I give a nod of my head, seeing the way his good eye moves over my body, I am still in my clothes Marlene put me in.
"Hello," Evelyn says to us like Tris isn't even here.
"Nice meeting location," says Tobias. It is almost dark now, so I see only shadows of buildings against a dark blue sky, and a few glowing lights near the lake that must belong to Erudite headquarters.
The train takes a turn it doesn't usually take—left, away from the glow of Erudite and into the abandoned part of the city. I can tell by the growing quiet in the car that it is slowing down.
"It seemed safest," says Evelyn. "So you wanted to meet."
"Yes. I'd like to discuss an alliance."
"An alliance," repeats Edward. "And who gave you the authority to do that," Edward raises his eyebrows, looking impressed.
"Ava and Tobias are now Dauntless leaders. They both have the authority," Tris speaks up.
"Interesting," she says. "And is she also a Dauntless leader?" her eyes on Tris
"No," he says. "She's here to help me decide whether or not to trust you."
"We will, of course, agree to an alliance … under a certain set of conditions," Evelyn says. "A guaranteed—and equal—place in whatever government forms after Erudite is destroyed, and full control over Erudite data after the attack. Clearly—"
"What are you going to do with the Erudite data?" Tris interrupt her, this is wrong. She is also an Erudite hiding in plain clothes.
"Obviously we will destroy it. The only way to deprive the Erudite of power is to deprive them of knowledge."
My first instinct is to tell her she's a fool. But something stops me. Without the simulation technology, without the data they had about all the other factions, without their focus on technological advancement, the attack on Abnegation would not have happened.
"What would we receive in return, under those terms?" Tobias says.
"Our much-needed manpower, in order to take Erudite headquarters, and an equal place in government, with us."
"I am sure that Tori would also request the right to rid the world of Jeanine Matthews," he says in a low voice.
"I'm sure that could be arranged," Evelyn replies. "I don't care who kills her; I just want her dead."
Tobias glances at us "You already know my stance on this subject, Four. You're a fool to trust her. You will regret it, then we will have another mess to clean up after your mother tries to destroy our lives." Whisper to him.
"Ava, it's our only choice,"
"As I said. You feel your judgment is more proficient than mine. But I seem to think different and have proven to Jack Kang and others,"
"Then we are agreed," he says.
He extends his hand, and she shakes it.
"We should convene in a week's time," she says. "In neutral territory. Most of the Abnegation have graciously agreed to let us stay in their sector of the city" she says.
"Avalon my dear one, I love you most of all," her hand came towards my face as "I will toss you from this train, making sure it runs your useless corpse over," my face was blank. Tobias, the legendary Four can't see through her.
Edward, who has been leaning out the side of the car for a few seconds, says, "It's time! Good bye Ava, see you soon. I really want to finish what we started," he smiled.
"See you in a week," Evelyn says.
As the train dips down to street level, Edward leaps. A few seconds later, Evelyn follows. Tobias and I remain on the train, listening to it hiss against the rails, without speaking.
I turned my cold eyes on Four, but I see Tris looking the very same "Why did you even bring me along, if you were just going to make an alliance anyway? She snapped at him.
"You didn't stop me."
"What was I supposed to do, wave my hands in the air?" I scowl at him as Tris yells at him, I want to throw him under the train. "I don't like it." She says.
"It has to be done."
"I don't think it does," She says. "There has to be another way—"
"What other way?" he says, folding his arms. "You just don't like her. You haven't since you first met her."
"Obviously I don't like her! She abandoned you!"
"They exiled her. And if I decide to forgive her, you had better try to do it too! I'm the one who got left behind, not you." The way he spoke to her, it was like the apple didn't fall to far from the tree.
"This is about more than that. I don't trust her. I think she's trying to use you."
I saw everything in red as he turned on Tris, I grabbed him flipping him on his back my knee in his neck "Who do you think you are talking to? I told you not to. She left me too Four. You fool, she is using you. SHE DOESN'T CARE! And when you finally see it you will also see you lost me, and pushed Tris away. I forgot about how your biases cloud your judgment. If I had remembered, I wouldn't have come," I punched him before getting up.
Tris looked scared as Four got to his feet blood coming from his nose, I see light up ahead. It belongs to the Pire.
"I have no brother. Not anymore. You have chosen her over me, I told you once she was using you, the way she talks to the women you say you love,"
"I won't talk about your mother again," Tris says "Maybe I won't talk to you, "she says as I jump out, running a few steps to keep my balance. Tobias jumps out after us, but we don't give him a chance to catch up—I walk straight into the building, down the stairs, and back into the Pit.
"Come on let go check out the old dorm," Christina says as soon as she sees us, but I stop looking over the Chasm climbing over it straddling it. Looking around waiting for Eric to pop out of the stone walls yelling at me "He isn't going to," Tris says.
We walked it looked normal except one thing all the chest are open but one…mine. We look at each other "Open it," Will said.
I fired the gun the lock falling off Christina opened the lid, his sweater was folded inside. Guns, knives, kits, supplies and clothes but at the very bottom was a sealed note. I sat opening it as Will took all the supplies out it was stockpiled in there.
"Ava,
I don't have much time, I hope you are okay. I will try my best to send you information as I get it, my mother trusts me, but once I met you that was her mistake. I will be missing you until we are together again. If anyone hurts you I will kill them. I love you forever my divergent, my number one.
Eric"
I gave it to Tris and Christina who looks shocked he could care about anybody.
Now two days have passed… nothing has happened we train almost all day. I have been to meetings, but other than that I haven't spoken to Four and Tris has avoided him, its tearing him a part, you can see it, he isn't sleeping or eating. He is afraid of losing Tris, I know how much he cares for her.
She was laying on her cot, I get up covered in his sweater I have to go I have to see it. I walked through the tunnels my bare feet taking me in the same direction he used to, his strong arms carrying me. The tears already forming, starting to fall covering my face, my hair a mess. I opened his door, it was just like I last saw it I walked around everything in its place. He was a neat person. I turn on the blue bulb and sit on his unmade bed, it smells of him. It surrounds me as I pull his pillow to my face letting out heart wrenching sobs wetting his pillow.
"I asked you not to cry," his voice was so soft, I spun seeing him in the darkness "How did you…?"
"It wasn't easy," his wicked smile that pulled at his rings came over his handsome face as he made the bed dip under his weight taking me into his arms. "I just miss you," tears coating my face, his thumb brushes them away.
"She knows about the factionless, in a week she will turn on the simulation when it will be ready," he says before he kisses me it is full of longing and passion "Don't leave me again Eric," I whisper kissing him with passion pulling him as close as I can his hands moving under my shirt. But I didn't stop him as he pulled it off leaving me in only my underwear, his eyes moved over my body, taking in every inch before I felt his hands.
"I never imagined you could be any more beautiful," he whispered, I moaned feeling his lips on my neck while his hands slid up my side to my breast, my back arching pressing them firmly into his hands, they spilled out.
"Are you sure Ava?" I kiss him as a way of saying yes letting his hands move over my very exposed body. My fingers tug at the hem of his shirt before he removed it his bare chest, the tribal tattoos I once traced on display as I touched his chest once again. My fingers trailing over them making him moan before I was kissing my way up to his neck, his hands fisting in my hair pulling me up our mouths meeting, our tongues tangling he was dominate when we kissed.
My head against the pillow as his body covered mine as his hand trailed down pulling off my underwear, before he stood from the bed he removed his pants and boxers, I didn't know if it was okay to stare or look away. "Look at me Ava," his cold but deep voice said my eyes darted to his before they moved over the hard muscled curves of his body, his chest, biceps, legs I tried to avoid looking at his manhood. I was propped up on my elbows on his bed naked as the day I was born, his eyes lingered on me "Do you like what you see Ava?"
"Yes Eric,"
"Good, because I am yours. Just like you are mine, all of you," it was a new sensation the feeling of his body pressed against mine, both unclothed his lips moved on my collarbone moving slowly down, I couldn't help the moans or small screams as I moved under him. His mouth was on my breast making my eyes roll back into my head and my body wiggle under him, before his hands held me down, it was a firm reminder he was very strong.
"You taste so good, wish we had time for more. But they will notice you gone," he groaned when I noticed something thick and very hard against my thigh.
Our eyes locked as he moved my thighs apart moving between them "It's going to hurt for a little love," he said I felt him at my womanhood.
He kissed me his tongue running over my bottom lip, when I felt pressure, it was just getting stronger until I started to feel him my eyes shooting open as I tried to move away "Calm down Ava," he whispered his lips back on mine as I felt his hips rocking into me than he thrust hard once, twice on the third time he groaned I felt him shaking. I felt like I was being split open. Was this supposed to happen?
His body moving going a little deeper inside me, as tears leaked out, it hurt. "I am sorry love," he kissed the tears away before I felt him moving again, the pain didn't last long before an intense pleasure came. I held on to Eric my hand on his back, before he pinned them above my head, his forehead beaded with sweat.
"Oh god Eric," I cried out feeling a knot in my belly, it was getting bigger "You feel so fucking good Ava, I love you," his thrusting was steady when he grabbed my leg putting it over his shoulder making it feel as if he was going deeper. "OOO god," I cried out a few tears falling from my eyes, as he started going harder and faster.
The ball was coming undone as black spots burred my vision "Cum for me Ava," I had no clue what he was talking about but something happened, my head was spinning as it burst, I was lightheaded now a very wet slapping sound filled the room "That's my girl,"
I came again before he was losing his pace "God here I cum," his voice was tense and rough, as he slammed into me, five times, I felt something very hot inside me before his sweaty body covered mine his lips pressed to mine.
"I love you Ava,"
"I love You Eric," he rolled off me it hurt when he pulled out "Sorry love," his fingers brushed my hair from my face as I yawned closing my eyes, sleep had me now fighting me to go under.
I felt him, his arms around me, holding me close "Don't go Eric, stay with me," I whispered as I fall into the blackness.
But when I wake, I am alone, my heart broken seeing him gone, I see a note.
"Ava.
My love, I can't stay even though last night makes me want to even more. I have to know what they are planning. I have to redeem myself, I will always love you, and we will be together soon.
Last night was the best night of my life, I am sure you will give me many more.
Eric."
I hurt, I was so very sore. I pulled on my under wear and sweater taking the sheets to be cleaned once I saw wetness on them. "Where have you been?" Tris said as I sat eating "I was in Eric's old apartment," I sniffled as Christina put her arm around me "Hey, it'll okay." She smiled.
"I know, everything is going to be okay,"