Chapter Five: Choices of Ghosts

Tobias

I should technically be more respectful as I'm dating his daughter, but I don't like Andrew Prior. In fact, I can barely stomach looking at him.

I know that he's a decent man - someone who loves his family, wants the best for the people of Abnegation. He was the most level headed of all of my father's council members.

None of those things can temper my hate for him. Andrew and Marcus are not only colleagues, they're friends. Friends. And that means that Andrew is either too dumb to realize what Marcus is and what he's done, or he's too cowardly to do anything about it. Ignorance and cowardice - two factors of ruination.

He knows who I am. I see the recognition in his eyes.

Tris squeezes my hand, and I squeeze back. She's stopped crying - finally. I've never seen her lose control like that, not even the night she was nearly killed at the Chasm.

I knew she shouldn't have come today, but she never listens.

"We need to go," I say, mainly to her.

She hesitates only a moment before nodding, and some of the tightness eases in my chest. There she is.

"Tobias, wait-" Prior begins.

"My name is Four." I keep my voice purposefully low and quiet, but his eyes widen as if I've screamed at him. "If you have the slightest shred of intelligence, then you know that right now - you're putting your daughter in danger. We're going to the Hub for the ceremony and you are going to stay the hell away from us. Let's go, Tris."

Tris looks up at me, startled and obviously confused, but she doesn't pull her hand away. I turn away, holding her to my side.

"What gives you the right to speak to me that way?" Andrew steps forward, reaching for Tris. "And my daughter doesn't have to go anywhere."

"Dad, you need to step back. Four's right - we need to go our separate ways."

"Beatrice, wait just a moment-"

He reaches for Tris again, and I pull her behind me.

"Enough," I growl and Tris's mom comes to put her hands on Andrew's shoulders. "You must have a death wish. If you want someone to put a bullet in your skull so badly, you don't have to wait for an Erudite to break up this little reunion - I'd be happy to do it ... But I'm not going to let you get us killed too."

"You hate me." Andrew replies as if it's something he's just realized. "You loathe me, and I don't have the slightest inclination as to why."

The rage coils, spilling out in waves before I can force it down.

"Don't you? There's no need to keep up appearances now. You know who I am - what happened to me and to my mother while you and everyone else did nothing." Andrew's eyes shoot to the ground and Tris gasps behind me. Her hand trembles in mine. I spare a glance toward her and find her glaring at her father.

She steps forward, toward her mother, still holding onto me.

"Did you know?" She asks without hesitation, and the color drains from Natalie's face. "Did you know what Marcus was doing?"

The brief silence is painful.

"I had my suspicions," Natalie looks up, finally, and finds my eyes. "I didn't say anything, or ask any questions. To be truthful, I didn't want to know. I didn't want to believe Marcus was capable of such a thing."

My mouth goes dry, and my head throbs – blood pulsing in my ears.

"You didn't want to believe it?" Tris demands, her voice low but outraged. Her hand tightens, flexing in mine. Her anger almost matches my own. "You could have stopped it. You could have stopped him. You're cowards, both of you."

"Beatrice," Andrew pleads, red faced. "You know, perhaps better than anyone that life in our faction system isn't nearly as simple as we pretend it is. We didn't step in because of reasons beyond my control ... Marcus is our leader. To question him or his reputation would have torn Abnegation apart. It was one of the most difficult decisions I've ever had to make, but I did so with pure intentions. We had to protect Abnegation."

"At the price of my mother's life?" I ask. "At the price of mine?"

Andrew releases a shaking breath and nods.

Tris's face curls in disgust, and I feel like I'm going to be sick.

The sound of voices behind us breaks me from my thoughts. I look covertly over my shoulder to a group of Candor smoking near the entryway.

"I hope Marcus knows how fortunate he is to have you at his side." I say finally. Prior flinches and Natalie has tears running down her face. "I'll only say this once - start using your heads. A stunt like this can't happen again. I really don't care what happens to either of you, but I won't let anything happen to her. Keep your distance. We'll keep ours."

I turn with Tris at my side and start walking; the alley's shade suddenly feels too cold – stifling. I crave the open light.

Neither of us look back.

I spot Mikey, a member of the patrol standing near the Dauntless entry. He nods to me with a friendly smile before moving aside to give us some space. Another knot of anxiety gives way – he didn't see anything.

"Hey," she stops once we're safely past him. "Why didn't you tell me?"

She curls her fist into my shirt, using the leverage to pull me close. Our reflections blur together in the glass panes of the door.

It's a difficult question, one that takes a moment to answer in my own mind.

"Because I love you," I say finally, and her eyes grow wide. "I know how much you love them, so I just decided to deal with it – for you."

She puts her hand – small and steady against my neck, her fingertips tracing the veins there.

"I'm sorry for hiding it, and for today. I didn't mean to snap – I shouldn't have. It was stupid and dangerous."

"Don't, Tobias." She pulls my forehead to hers. "Don't … What they did – it makes me sick. I don't even know who they are anymore."

"I don't want you to hate them because of me." I trace her lips with my thumb, staring deep in her eyes.

I know what it feels like to be alone – truly alone. I don't want that for her.

"Things have changed – I've changed, " she says quietly, but sure of herself. "I've chosen my own path and made a life for myself, found a home-"

"At Dauntless?"

"Yeah, for now at least." Tris smiles in that soft, secretive way that makes me desperate to know what's going on in her head. "My home is you – where we are doesn't matter."

I lift her around the waist so we're the same height and crash my lips against hers.

This girl - my entire life.

The door hinges creak as its pushed open, nearly knocking us over.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Christina exclaims. "Can you give it a rest for one minute? You're already late – come on!"

Tris laughs, unwrapping herself from around my waist. She slips her hand into mine, pulling me forward.

Edited: 1/1/2021