Though I might be a little early with it, I wish you all happy New Year!

14 – All in one afternoon

Mike's POV

Jack and he had taken Teddy to the pit. There weren't much people there at this time of the afternoon and he had taken this as an opportunity to spoil the kid with some dauntless cake while Eric was in a meeting with Four. Mike had taken a liking to the kid in the last weeks, as well as Jack. Though Teddy wasn't shy around them any longer, Mike had noticed that he was still a little bit jumpy when it came to loud noises, although it was getting better every week. Eric really had done everything in his power and as much as Jack and he were concerned he had done a pretty good job. Mike still remembered how unsettled Eric had been with the situation in the beginning, fearing he wouldn't be the right one to raise the child but honored bound by his word and friendship with Ethan. Work wise Sean had apparently cut him some slack and then Julie had also helped him on occasion. Mike was glad Eric had begun to work closer with Sean and to cut his ties with Max. In his opinion Max was a bad influence on Eric something he had seemed to notice lately.

"So Teddy, tell me what's your favorite food?" Jack addressed the boy.

Teddy was lost in thought for a short while before he answered: "Spaghetti with tomato sauce."

"Um. I never had that. Did you, Mike?"

"Yeah. My mother used to cook it, when I was a child. "

"You never eat it?!" Teddy exclaimed in-between.

"No never, Teddy. It's not served in the cafeteria." Jack explained.

"Oh. But, Eric can make it for you."

"You think he will do that?"

Teddy nodded: " 'Cause! You are his friend!"

Mike laughed out loud: "I can almost hear you asking."

"You think I won't do it?"

"I dare you to ask him in front of everyone at the next patrol-meeting." Mike challenged Jack with a gleam in the eye.

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay. I'll do it."

Teddy looks from one man to the other, trying to understand what was happening.

"Sorry Teddy." Mike addressed the child. "Now, do you want to know my favorite?"

The conversation continued for a while drifting from food to various other things they could think of. After a while Mike noticed Jack glancing at his watch.

"Is it time?"

"Yupp. At least if the meeting went as planned."

Eric had always been very punctual and even more so now that he had Teddy to take into consideration, so Mike had no daubt his friend would stuck to the time they scheduled.

"Hey Teddy" Mike prepared the kid. "We gotta go back in a while, okay."

"Okay. I want to get a cake for Eric, can we do that?"

Eric would definitely love that.

"Sure, you want to get it for him on your own or shall I go with you?" Mike knew he was pushing the boy a little but there weren't any other people at the counter at this time and Frank, who was serving, was a nice dude.

After some thinking Teddy decided: "I get it myself," before standing up and walking over to the counter, sporting a determinate look on his face. Mike could see him talking to Frank who handed him a plate with a piece of cake. Looking down at the plate Teddy was on his way back, crossing the space near the entrance when Four walked right into him making the boy stumble and drop the cake. Immediately Mike and Jack stood up and headed over to the boy who stood there frozen, looking at the cake with desperation while Four looked down at the boy astonished and a little apologetic.

"I'm sorry."

They had arrived and Teddy looked up to him. "I lost the cake." Tears began to spring into his eyes.

"Don't fret. We'll get him another one." Jack tried to reassure the kid while completely ignoring Four who tried to excuse himself:

"I didn't see him there."

"But that was the last piece." Teddy said with clear despair.

Mike glared at Four: "You ought to watch were you're going!" He had no patience for the other man. How was he getting the kid out of his misery?"

Now Four got angry himself: "What is he doing here anyway? Shouldn't he be at the daycare or something?"

"Watch it." Mike gritted out. "He has every right to be here." He could see that Jack was also glaring daggers at the other man.

Four just huffed and took off.

Looking down on the wasted cake Mike cursed silently. Well, fuck.

He crouched down to comfort Teddy when he heard a female voice:

"Hey, you can have my cake. See, Teddy, I didn't touch it yet."

Looking up he saw a young women. Her face was framed by long brown hair with pink and purple strains. He didn't know her but apparently she knew Teddy.

"Mia." Teddy said.

'Ah, this is her, the shop assistant Eric had been talking about.'

"Hi." She now addressed him. "I'm Mia."

"Mike." He looked at her friendly.

"Jack." His friend introduced himself.

"Really?" Teddy asked Mia. Then he added: "Thank you."

"You are welcome. Now enjoy you cake."

Teddy looked at her: "I wanted to give it to Eric."

Mia smiled warmly at him: "I'm know for sure he'll like it."

Teddy nodded at that and catching sight of Four again he leaned into Mike and Jack:

"I don't like him. He is mean!"

Trying to do the right thing, although he wasn't a fan of Four, Mike said:

"I'm sure it was an accident Teddy. He didn't do it on purpose."

"No. He was mean to Eric!" Teddy exclaimed.

Oh. If Teddy had witnessed one of Four's rants to Eric it was no wonder he had been so pissed off about him. Mike didn't found it in him to defend Four any longer and even Mia didn't looked surprised at all by Teddy's firm indignation in behalf of Eric. Nonetheless Mike decided it would be best to head back before Teddy got worked up any further.

"Well, thanks Mia. We really appreciate it. The cake, I mean. I guess we gotta get going."

"Okay then, bye Teddy. Mike, Jack."

"Bye Mia!" Teddy waved at her cheerfully, eager to get the cake to Eric.

Four

He couldn't believe the bullshit Eric was puling once again at initiation. First he had thought things would go better since finally a least the trainers were allowed to finish a fight if the opponent was going to get hurt too much. Apparently some of the other leaders had put his food down. He was sure the rule that forbid the initiates to tap out in a fight had been introduced by Eric, since it had been established the shortly after someone had decided it would be a good idea to put Eric in leadership. He still remembered the glare Eric gave him when he reminded him it had been a good thing that rule hadn't been applied when the two of them fought during initiation. Now Eric informed him that some of the ranking would be decided by him alone and when he asked on what grounds he was going to rank them, Eric had the guts to tell him to mind his own business and that it would be none of his concern. Apparently he had somehow talked the other leaders into it, though for the life of him he didn't know how. Therefore when their meeting had ended Four was irate, slamming the door once more. Then Sean had come out of his office and seeing him, wanting a word and Four had thought it to be a good opportunity to finally voice his concerns regarding Eric, since he had always respected Sean. Maybe this was the chance to talk to him about Eric's new involvement in initiation.

Flashback

"Have a seat." Sean told him looking none too pleased. Nevertheless, Eric's attitude was serious, so Four had to try and put a stop to it now.

"Four, I wanted to talk to you about initiation and Eric."

Four piped up at this, this might be what he had been waiting for.

"Of cause, Sean, I had wanted to talk to you about Eric as well." He answered.

Four could see the other man furrowing his eyebrows but still Sean said:

"Go ahead."

"First, where's Eric going with the new rule about him doing some of the ranking all on his own?"

"I can hear clearly, that you don't like it, well you don't have to. It's cleared with all of leadership and no, I won't tell you more." His tone was slightly harsh. "Was there a second?"

Four frowned. This didn't go well. Cautiously he looked at Sean. But, he really was concerned about Eric's involvement with initiation especially since he seemed to have developed a drinking problem. Things would end badly for those initiates Eric took a dislike to.

"I'm concerned." He began trying to find the right words.

"What about?"

"Well, talking to Eric I couldn't help but notice his red rimmed eyes and dark rings under his eyes."

Sean looked much more open now, nearly friendly. So Four took his chance and came out with his concern:

"Wouldn't his drinking interfere with his duties in initiation?"

Sean's expression changed in a heartbeat. He looked closed off and even exasperated. Perhaps it hadn't been such a good idea to question the other leaders' ability to do the right thing about Eric. Sean rose and when he spoke it was with anger:

"This is exactly why I wanted to talk to you. Only, things are apparently a lot worse. You will show Eric the respect he deserves as your leader. No more door slamming and most of all you will stop spreading lies about him. If I hear one more of your so called facts about the things you think Eric does, I will take action. That man looks like shit because he takes leadership serious and his working himself into the ground despite everything else going on. Yet the only thing you assume is a drinking problem." Ire evident in his voice he finished brusquely: "I hope I made myself clear." Sean got up. "Now, out!"

With that Sean opened the door and Four got out flabbergasted and taken aback. He hadn't expected that. Apparently things were way worse if Eric had been able to get Sean on his side.

'Eric, working himself to the ground.' Four snorted. 'Yeah right.' For weeks he had hardly been at his office.

Four headed to the pit. He really needed a coffee now and maybe he would find Tris there so he could talk things over with her. Deep in thought he wasn't paying attention were he went when suddenly he felt his lower legs colliding with something. Looking down he saw a very young child trying to get his balance.

"I'm sorry." He told the boy.

'Where did he come from?' Four wondered. Then he noticed Mike, the head the patrols, appearing along with some other member of the patrols he didn't know the name of. 'Was the boy with them? He never knew Mike had a kid. Perhaps the boy belonged to the other man?'

"I lost the cake." The boy told Mike as soon as he arrived, clearly miserable.

Looking down once more Four could see a piece of dauntless cake on the ground and Four felt slightly bad because the boy seemed close to tears.

"I didn't see him there." He tried to apologize but neither man payed him any attention. The unknown patrol guard addressed the boy instead:

"Don't fret. We'll get him another one."

"But that was the last piece." Apparently the boy had wanted to give the cake to someone else. Fleeting the thought crossed his mind that that was more an Abnegation thing to do. Despite the fact that it had been an accident Four now felt slightly guilty for the distress. That was before Mike rebuked him harshly:

"You ought to watch were you're going!"

Now Four got angry himself. Due to recent events he hadn't had much patience to begin with. Why was there a child in the pit at all? He wondered. He never had given it much thought but weren't all the kids supposed to be at the daycare during daytime? He said as much:

"What is he doing here anyway? Shouldn't he be at the daycare or so?"

"Watch it." Mike gritted out. "He has every right to be here."

Four just huffed and took off. Right now he didn't need any more criticism, unwarranted one in particular

Eric's POV

The meeting with Four had gone as bad as expected. Good thing he had asked Mike to look after Teddy. Eric racked a hand through his hair. He didn't know how he would be able to work with that guy. If he had his way he would send Four back to the control room due to his attitude, that got worse each year. It would be better if the initiates got trained by someone who had experienced firsthand what they were preparing them for: actual fighting and defending other people, risking their own life in order to do so. An idea sprung to his head. Maybe he could talk the others into it. Perhaps it would help Four's attitude if he went out patrolling, getting to know real life instead of being secure in the control room. He'd talk things over with Mike and Jack first before suggesting it to the other leaders as he would much likely put Four with their division. Though he felt bad they would have to put up with him, he knew they would do the right thing and looking after the other man without their own feelings interfering. What Four wouldn't realize was that he'd be more of a burden due to his lack of combat experience, only ever fighting in training.

His office door opened and in walked his little boy while Mike held the door open for him. Eric was instantly cheering up. Carefully balancing it, Teddy carried a plate with a piece of dauntless cake.

"Eric." Teddy chirped happily. "I bring you cake!"

Smiling brightly Eric crouched down.

"Thanks Teddy. That's very nice of you." He took the plate of his hands.

"I lost the first. The mean from before yesterday. He made me stumble. It felt on the ground."

'Mean man? Four!' Eric eyes snapped at Mike. 'What has that damn man done to his kid?'

Mike explained: "It was an accident, Eric." Which calmed him somewhat, until Mike continued: "Though, he was an ass about it, questioning the right Teddy had to be at the pit."

Eric had a hard time to rein his temper in. For Teddy's sake he had to stay cool. Oblivious to that inner war, Teddy continued his story:

"It was the last cake, but then Mia offered hers."

'Mia? That had been nice of her.'

"I like her!" Teddy exclaimed.

"That was really nice of Mia to offer her cake. Did you say thank you?"

Teddy nodded, looking slightly affronted. "Cause!"

"Well done, Teddy." Eric praised him. "How about I take a break and we go to the swings?"

"The swings? Yay!" Teddy bounced happily up and down making both of the man grin.

"I'm sorry but I can't come with you. Have fun you both." Mike said.

"Pity." Eric said "But thanks for looking after him."

"Anytime, pal. Bye!"

After Eric had finished his cake, they headed out to one of the playgrounds of dauntless. Teddy was happily skipping alongside Eric on the way. It was only their second time at the playground, but since Teddy enjoyed it so much, he contemplated coming perhaps every other day, depending on his work schedule. Last time there had been alone, which Eric appreciated – at least nobody had been staring at them then. This time however he could see a woman sitting near the sand pit, if he remembered correctly her name was Gabby. A little girl was playing in the sand, which Eric assumed to be her daughter. He gave her a short nod as a greeting and otherwise didn't pay her any more attention but he could almost feel her staring at him. The moment he let go of Teddy's hand, the boy ran over to the swings and began to jump up at down eagerly. Sporting a big grin Eric caught up to him and instantly Teddy sat down asking:

"Can you push me?"

Dutifully Eric did as asked and Teddy held on tight to the strings as the swing went higher and higher, laughing out loud. After the swings they went to the slide and on to the climbing net, Eric keeping Teddy company. Gabby left shortly after and now that they were on they own, Eric started to chase Teddy playfully around making the boy shriek, when Eric finally caught him and in the end they both lay on the ground laughing. Much too soon for both their liking, Eric had to return to his duties, but he felt lighter knowing that for some time Teddy had been unburdened, simply enjoying the afternoon off. When they were leaving the playground they ran into Zeke's girlfriend Shauna and their daughter Liza. Eric nodded at her in greeting, while Shauna jaw dropped upon then encounter, but after the nice afternoon with Teddy, Eric was in a too good mood to care.

Four

At supper Four was told the story of Shauna's encounter of Eric along with Zeke and everybody else. He couldn't believe it, who would let Eric look after their child? This were the rumors from a few weeks back all over again. Only this time it wasn't a rumor. Everyone at their table was at loss, but when Shauna described the boy, the description matched Mike's son he had run into earlier. He told the others and everyone agreed that this would explain it. Mike was one Eric's few friends after all. Finally they had managed to lift the mystery of "Eric's child." But then Four remembered his observation of Eric in the morning, let alone his own anger about his behavior, and promised himself to look out for the child. He feared the worst.