I don't own Divergent.

Sorry for being so MIA. Time flies...when you don't realize it's going by? Anyway, for a full explanation, check out chapter seventy-one of A Divergent Dauntless (which you should read anyway because it's very awesome in my opinion). Sorry.

Enjoy the update!

Tobias growls in frustration. He knows I'm right, and it kills him. "Whatever." And he stalks off to go to bed. I get ready for bed, too, and go back into our bedroom, sitting for a moment next to where he pretends to sleep, facing away from my side. I kiss his head and let my palm linger on his cheek a moment extra. "I love you, Tobias. I hope my family and I don't let you get hurt in all of this."

He doesn't reply, so I slip into the bed next to him and cuddle up to him from the back. He doesn't acknowledge me. I sigh, kiss his head from behind, and drift off to sleep.

My parents leave today. It's been a week since they said they were "leaving soon." Tobias has been cold but better than that night.

We decide to drop AJ at Susan's house for a playdate and then drive my parents to JFK. Currently, I'm helping my mom pack.

"How're you and Tobias?" she asks, folding a shirt.

"I don't know." I put the rolled-up pair of pants I just rolled in. "He's pissed still. I think we'll probably talk on the way back from the airport today."

She pats my cheek. "Stick with him." Her eyes glaze over slightly. "When I first met your father, he was a real mess, kind of like Tobias is internally. He was beaten by his father, too. Andrew was the son of a politician. Andrew was a screwed-up drug addict. I was a messed up kid from foster homes. We met when we were seventeen and ran away from Indianapolis to Chicago and graduated there. We saved each other, Bea. That's what you and Tobias need."

I sigh and put the last of my pile of pants in the bag. "Okay, Mom."

She grips my chin. "I'm dead serious, Beatrice. Fix your relationship."

I meet her gaze. "We'll try, Mom."

She kisses my head and hands the bags to my dad, who just walked in. "Thanks for having us, Bea," Dad says.

"Thanks Tobias," I tell him.

My parents grin. "We will." Mom kisses my head and hugs me. Dad smiles, ruffles my hair, and puts an arm around me as we walk down the stairs.

Tobias waits for us outside. He leans (quite sexily, I might add) against his truck, reading a newspaper. When he hears us, he helps my dad with a suitcase and then hops up. I take my place in the front seat, and my parents sit in the first row of backseats.

"You guys ready for your flight?" Tobias asks politely.

"Tobias, we aren't stupid," my dad soberly informs him. "It's quite obvious that you're pissed."

Tobias scowls. "I don't want to talk about this. Let's just go."

I end up sitting in the backseat of the truck with my mother, and Dad sits in the front with Tobias. Dad chats amiably at Tobias, who sits stiffly and drives, no facial expression whatsoever on his face.

When we finally get to the airport, I hug my parents tightly - Mom first, and then Dad. I say, "I'll come as soon as the season is over. I'll get Max to give me a little time off."

Mom kisses my cheek, and Dad kisses my head. "We love you. See you soon."

I wave and get back in the truck, this time next to Tobias. I lay a hand on his thigh as he drives, softly kneading his flesh through the basketball shorts he's wearing.

"What?"

"Tobias, please. Just talk to me." I let my hand drift slightly further upward. He doesn't push it away.

"I don't want to." He keeps his eyes on the road.

"Oh, for God's sake, Tobias. Stop being such a baby. It's fine for you to be hurt, disappointed, whatever. I don't care. I just won't let you be so immature about it. Tell me what you're thinking and feeling and we can talk about it." My hand continues to knead his flesh, though I'm angry with him.

He huffs. "Well, for starters, apparently I'm not important enough to know the goings-on of things that involve me."

"Tobias, I told you everything I know." My scowl deepens. "And there are rules for being a Divergent. They're very - specific. They include vows of secrecy to protect both those involved and those blissfully uninvolved. Hell, I was breaking about five of them telling you what my parents told me. I'm high-ranking in the group, because I've been an active member since I was fifteen, so I have higher security clearance. I'm not even told everything. Everyone involved is on a need-to-know basis." I move my hand slightly higher again and touch my boyfriend's cheek. "Tobias, neither of us is more special than any other Divergent, Insurgent, or Allegiant. My parents have to follow protocol with us, and I have to follow protocol with you."

Tobias sighs and then is quiet as he drives. "I'm not really mad," he admits. "I just don't like the thought that my dad could be coming after us and I don't have all the information."

I kiss his shoulder. "I think it'll be fine, Tobias. My parents are good at throwing people off."

"What about when you go to Chicago for training?" he asks quietly.

I sigh. "I'm not helpless, Tobias. I can hold off a few men bigger than me, and I'll book a day time flight with some of my dad's guards to pick me up and drop me off." I sigh again and make a face. "And I think I'll need to go meet with Tori. Have you met her? She owns a great tattoo shop. Tori Wu. I got my tats there on visits here. She always does them free for me. Caleb, she made pay."

Tobias nods knowingly and traces the birds - three originally, four since AJ - on my collarbone. "I'd like some more work done on my back."

I slip a hand under his shirt and gave him a skeptical look. "And where exactly would you put this new tattoo?"

He shrugs and shifts his gaze back to the road. "Shoulder blade, maybe. Heck, maybe I'll get something on my arms."

I sigh. "Like full-sleeve?"

He shakes his head. "Like an armband." Tobias shakes his head, reconsidering. "Full-sleeve might be cool, though. If you designed it."

I shake my head. "Please don't get full-sleeve." I shake it again. "This conversation got drastically off-track." I trail a hand up his arm. "AJ is at Susan's until the game tonight," I hint. "And you don't have practice for a few more hours. I think we have time for some, um, dancing at home."

Tobias glances at me, face and crotch aroused. "Really?"

I nod and kiss his cheek. "Girls get horny, too, you know."

When the time to get ready for the game and pre-game practice rolls around, Tobias and I are laying in the bed, bare skin pressed against each other, staring at the ceiling. Tobias suddenly kisses my head, rolls over onto his stomach, opens the drawer in his bedstand, and pulls out a familiar velvet box, opening it towards me with a hopeful look. I lay a hand on his cheek, kiss him, and roll out of bed to shower and get ready. Despite the muggy New York summer air, Tobias' brownhouse is cool with the air conditioning blasting. However, our, um, activity has made me hot and sweaty again, so I turn the water temp down low and let the cold water soothe me. A minute or so later, Tobias joins me, making no effort to get me to marry him again.

I turn around in the shower and wrap my short arms around his neck, not kissing him, but staying close. I look into his eyes. Tobias gives me a small, unconvincing smile. I kiss his cheek, letting my lips rest there for a moment before they drift over to his ear. "I'm sorry, Tobias." I hesitate. "Just keep trying, okay? For me. One day I'll say yes, I promise."

He brings his lips to my ear. "I know someday you'll say yes, but how much longer will that be? I know I'm ready to marry you and live out the rest of my life with you, Tris, and I know you love me as much as I love you. What's holding you back?"

I bury my face in his bare shoulder and mumble, "I don't know. I don't know, Tobias, but I'll know when I am ready."

Tobias sighs and wraps his arms around my waist, putting his own face in the crook of my neck. "Okay, love."

After that, we truly shower and get ready. We're on-time to practice, but we separate at the field. I go to my office and work on my records. A few minutes in, there's a knock at my door.

"Come in!" I call, not looking up.

"Miss Prior, they need you on the field for, um, well," a bat boy stutters.

I look at him and recognize Brandon, one of the bat boys preferred among the players for his willingness to do things quietly, quickly, and well. He has dark, shaggy hair, sparkling dark eyes, and lightly tanned skin all year. If he weren't like five years younger than me, and I wasn't going out with Tobias, I might consider going out with him. He's cute.

I give him a friendly smile, until I see his dark frown. "What happened?" I ask, standing. "Is someone hurt?"

Brandon bits his lip. "No, Miss -"

"Tris," I automatically correct.

"- Tris," he continues, almost smiling. "It's about Albert Lee." Another dark look crosses his features.

"What happened?" I repeat, following him out the door, making sure to shut and lock it behind me.

Brandon gives me a sad, dark smile. "He's dead."

"How?" We turn a corner leading to a door that enters onto the field.

"Well, we don't know yet. They're announcing it in the briefing they're having now." He bites his lip. "I think he killed himself, though. I heard Max talking about the East River and a body."

I chomp down on my own lip, open my mouth, close it again, and then say, "Did they find it?"

Brandon shrugs. "I don't know."

I put a hand on his shoulder. "Did they say why?"

He shrugs again and then nods. "He, um, was depressed. And, um, not doing well. They were going to demote him to the minor leagues."

"That's not a reason to kill yourself," I say firmly.

Brandon nods. "I agree."

We reach the field and move to separate, but at the last moment, I grab his shoulder and pull him to sit with Tobias and I and our friends. He sits next to me, almost awkwardly, as I press my face into Tobias' shoulder. His hands find my shoulder and waist and pull me closer. He rubs my back soothingly.

"I wouldn't forgive him," I whisper. "He asked and I said no."

Tobias leans his head down and nuzzles my neck, responding, "He didn't deserve your forgiveness. And there were a bunch of other reasons." I feel his shrug. "He was just weak, Tris. Killing yourself as an escape is just plain weak."

I don't reply, only push my face more into his shoulder. Another hand joins Tobias' briefly on my shoulder, and then drops after a few seconds.

"It wasn't your fault, Tris," Uri whispers. "It wasn't, I promise."

I heave a sigh and shrug. Tobias continues to rub my back, until I hear Max tapping the microphone.

"Yankees and Yankee employees," he growls. "Shut up. Today Albert Lee jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge, into the East River. His body hasn't been found yet, but police are looking for it."

"Why?" someone yells up, over the whispers and gasps.

"His exact reasons are unknown," Max replies. "Today's game was cancelled. Tomorrow, before the game, we will hold a memorial service. You're free to go after this assembly is over."

"When will he be buried? Where?" Uriah asks.

"His family will take charge of the funeral. I imagine he'll be buried in his hometown," Max explains.

"He was a coward," Tobias repeats to me, his soothing circles on my back not doing much.

"Dismissed!" Max yells.

Everyone stands and somberly disperses, except for Brandon, Uriah, Tobias and I. Tobias still has his arms around me, but we're now standing and looking at Uriah and Brandon.

Brandon sticks his hands about as far into his jeans' pockets as he can while avoiding our gazes. "Well," he finally says, "it was nice to meet you, Tris."

"You, too," I answer softly.

Uriah gives him a wide smile. "Next time you meet someone for the first time, you should try not to tell them someone they knew is dead."

Brandon shot him a dirty look. "That's not my fault."

"Aren't you cute," Uri replies. Then he throws his cap back on and grabs his gear. "See y'alls at the barbeque. You should come, too, Brandon. It's at Zeke's and my place. I'm sure Four will give you the address." Uriah salutes and walks off the field, despite Brandon's continuing dirty look.

Tobias pulls out a pen from his bag and gives me an expectant look. I tear a sheet of paper from the notepad in my bag and hand it to him. He scribbles out Zeke's address and hands it to Brandon. It's honestly a miracle Brandon, or anyone, can read it.

"Maybe I should do the writing from now on," I mumble to him, giving Brandon a smile.

Tobias chuckles quietly and kisses my head. "Maybe so." He grins at Brandon. "See you tonight, then, kid."

"See you," he mumbles back.

I wave slightly as we leave, Tobias' arm around my shoulders. Outside the stadium, a few hopeful fans wave balls, posters, gloves and hats at Tobias. He shakes his head, shoulders slumped. "Not today, folks," he calls.

They grumble slightly but disperse as we walk to the truck. We hop in and I lean against the window on the way home.

Susan comes by to drop AJ off at five after hearing about the game being cancelled. Tobias decides to invite her to Uriah and Zeke's impromptu barbeque. She nods yes and leaves.

I throw on jean shorts and an old jersey of mine and walk to AJ's room. I help him into basketball shorts and a Nike Just Do It shirt, along with socks and the new Nikes Tobias got him. I kiss his head and lead him to the kitchen, where we wait for Tobias. He walks down the stairs shirtless, much to my appreciation.

"Tris, do you know where my blue henley shirt is?" he asks, tugging a white tank top on.

"No," I say. I walk over to him and tug the tank top back over his head.

"No…you don't know where it is?"

"No, you're not wearing it," I reply. I disappear into the laundry room and come out with a camo button down to wear with his jeans. Glancing at the tank in my hand, I pull it back over his head and give him the camo shirt. He tucks his arms in and buttons is most of the way, leading the way out the door.

I help AJ into his carseat and buckle myself into my own seat as we wait for Tobias, and then it's off to the barbeque.