It's a day late, but Merry Christmas anyway! I wanted to have this up for you guys yesterday as a Christmas present, but the last week has been absolutely crazy and I didn't have time to finish it. This is what you've all been waiting for, so all I'll say is enjoy the chapter and don't forget to review!

TRIS

He sits down on the couch, so I go to the opposite side of the room and sit in the chair. We sit in silence for a few moments, but then our eyes meet. He opens his mouth to speak, but then closes it again.

"How are Christina and Uriah?" He finally says.

"Good," I say, "they're good."

"So what happened with those two?" He asks. "Zeke won't tell me anything about it, I guess Uri doesn't want the fact that he has feelings getting out. Might ruin his reputation."

"You're a fine one to talk."

At this he grins widely. He chuckles a little, his deep voice the only sound in the room.

"Until I met you," he nods his head, his eyes tracing over my every feature.

"Yeah, well," I pause, "apparently they broke up because the doctors are unsure if Uri is ever going to be able to have children, and he knew that Chris wants kids more than anything. But they talked it out and she said that it's a risk she's willing to take."

"Well, it's good that they worked it out," he nods his head again. "So what else is new that I don't know about? It's been a while since we've talked, and other than Zeke, you're the only one that tells me interesting information."

"I think Peter is normal," I blurt out before I mean to.

"What do you mean normal?" His brows furrow.

"I don't think the memory serum worked on him," I explain.

"What makes you say that?" He asks, his body tensing and, undoubtedly, involuntarily moving toward the edge of the couch.

"Well," I begin, "he's got to be Divergent. That's the only way to explain him not being under the Erudite simulation," I pause, "and I don't know how to explain it, really, but it's in his eyes. They have that same cold look behind them."

"He sure knows his way around Dauntless pretty well," Tobias nods his head. "I've seen him on some of the cameras. Do you have any kind of proof?"

"Not yet," I frown. "Christina's supposed to follow him around and find out what she can, but I've kept her a little preoccupied lately."

"Maybe I can dig around, look back at the cameras, ya know, that thing I do," he grins.

"The scary boyfriend thing?" I tease before I realize it.

Everything that's happened today, combined with the lightheartedness of our conversing, has almost made me forget everything that he's done. That I want to hate him. Our eyes meet, and he suddenly looks very serious.

"We need to talk," he says, his voice suddenly sounding rough and deeper than usual.

"Yes, we do," I agree. "I need to know what happened, Tobias."

"I told you," he says desperately. "They drugged me or something.."

"I know, you said that," I sigh. "I need to know what happened the entire time that I was gone, Tobias. I know something happened between the two of you."

"Nothing happened," he protests.

It gets quiet for a minute, he's staring at the floor, his eyes moving back and forth and his hands twitch.

"We said no lies," he mumbles finally. "She kissed me a few times."

"How many times?" I glare at him and I can already feel the bile rising towards my throat.

"I didn't count," he scoffs. "It wasn't anything huge. We'd be talking and then she'd just kiss me."

"And you let her," I scoff back at him.

"No," he grunts. "It's not like I kissed her back. I could have, plenty of times, but I didn't."

"Oh plenty of times, huh?" I scowl.

"I was alone, Tris," emotion is thick in his voice. "I was alone and they didn't even know if you were going to make it. I tried to see what it would be like to talk to someone else the way I talk to you and it was horrible. Everytime I tried, well for one I had to be drunk, but it still didn't feel right. I couldn't do it. I went on what could be considered a date with her and I felt like I was dying inside. She came to hang out in the apartment and she kissed me and I thought I was going to be sick. I don't know what possessed her to get whatever tattoo she has that you mentioned, but it wasn't me. Yeah, there were a few times that I thought about it, but that's it. It never went anywhere and it's never going to because I love you, Tris. Being without you was unbearable. It was like Erudite all over again except this time I couldn't save you no matter how hard I tried. If you had...I thought about what I would do. Take memory serum to forget it all, jump into the chasm, off the ferris wheel.."

"Tobias Eaton!" I interrupt. "I don't care what happens to me, you will not do something like that. Don't you ever even think about it. Do you know where this city would be without you? Don't you think Zeke and Shauna and Uriah and everyone else would miss you? Where would Dauntless be without you?"

"I know that. I understand that, but I told you before," he pauses, "you die, I die, too," he looks at the floor. "I don't love her, Tris. I don't care about her. Yes, it's crossed my mind, what if? What would it be like to be with someone like me? You're way out of my league, Tris. I didn't realize it before, but since the war, I'm not good enough for you. You're so smart and beautiful, and selfless and brave, and just so amazing. I can't compete with that. So, yeah, I've thought about being with someone on my own level, and every time it made me sick."

"Tobias," I scoff. "Have you completely lost your mind? When I met you, I was a skinny, ugly, little girl from Abnegation that wouldn't have made it through stage one if it hadn't been for you - the only other transfer from Abnegation and the Dauntless prodigy. You taught me everything I know, you kept me safe, you saved my life, you hid my divergence. Do you think I would be able to do any of fhat? From the very beginning, it's been you that's too good for me. The night we climbed the ferris wheel, I couldn't believe that you even thought my idea was a good one, not to mention that you're afraid of heights and you still climbed up after me. You, Tobias, are smart and selfless and brave, and look at yourself, you're gorgeous."

We stare at each other for a few minutes, both of us letting everything that's been said sink in. I stand and cross the room, and then slowly climb into his lap. He hesitates, but then he wraps his arms around my waist. I wipe my palms on my dress and then look him straight in the eyes.

"So how did she kiss you?' I ask.

"I don't know," he whines and his brows furrow.

"Well, was it like this?" I ask as I lightly touch my lips to his. "Or was it more like this?"

I press my mouth to his hard, pushing him back into the couch. I wrap my arms around his neck and fasten my fingers in his hair. When I feel his tongue asking for entrance, I grant it and sigh when we tangle together. His hands move from my hips, to my backside, and to my thighs, then back again. It seems like it lasts an eternity, but at the same time it's over far too soon when he pulls away.

"No one has ever kissed me like that," he answers, panting as his forehead rests on mine.

I close my eyes as I wait for my breathing to return to normal, and I think about every moment we've ever spent together, good and bad.

"Tobias," I laugh a little.

"Hmm?"

"Do you remember our first date? Our first real date?" I ask.

"Of course I do," he smiles, his eyes staring straight into mine. "How could I forget that nasty Erudite fizzy stuff?"

"It was pretty bad," I say and my nose scrunches.

"That was one of the best nights of my life," he says, placing a kiss on my nose.

"Mine, too."

"Don't leave me, Tris," he says after a few moments of silence.

For the first time, his voice sounds small. I feel a teardrop hit my shoulder, and then I feel more, and then it's a monsoon. He latches onto me and holds me so tight I can barely breathe, but I just snuggle into him. When he's calmed a little, I lean back, take his face in my hands and look into his eyes.

"I won't, Tobias," I tell him. "Ever."

I know it's a promise I shouldn't make, especially given our history. But the thought of ever being separated is suffocating me. I get up and go to the front door, making sure it's locked and then I stand in front of him. I extend my hand, but I can feel the heat creeping into my cheeks and I know they're bright red.

"You haven't seen the bedroom yet," I say suggestively, and it only takes a millisecond for him to jump off the couch and run in there, pulling me with him.