A/N: Please make sure you've read the last chapter before you read this one. The email notifications weren't working when I posted it, so you might have missed it, and you definitely need to read it before this one for it to make sense.
That said, thank you to everyone who trusted me enough to take a chance on the last chapter, particularly those of you who took the time to review it. I always appreciate your support. Thank you also to my wonderful beta reader, BK2U!
Chapter 20: Tris – Confrontation
"So, tell me, everyone, how do you feel about returning to Boston?" Max's voice booms through the room, met instantly by an enormous cheer from the audience. The level of enthusiasm startles Tris, as people whoop and whistle and stomp their feet with exuberance. She hadn't realized that so many of them wanted to return to that city.
Instinctively, her gaze seeks out Tobias, wondering for the first time if he misses Boston, too. But he's already looking at her, frowning to indicate his dislike of the project – or perhaps of the fact that Nita is apparently going to be leading it.
She watches him as Nita's presentation drags on, seeing the way his eyes move from person to person around the room, and she knows he's wondering who will leave and who will stay. It must be disconcerting to think about losing touch with so many friends.
Briefly, she glances at Christina. Surely, Will won't leave her at this point? They've been very happy together, and she knows that Christina is thinking about marriage and babies and the whole shebang. Particularly whenever they babysit for Shauna and Zeke. Tris is pretty sure that Will is on the same page…. But she doesn't know most of the others in the room well enough to judge.
It's not until Tobias' gaze lingers on George that it occurs to her that he and Amar might go, too. She knows that it was a challenge for them to come here, with the effort of moving George's karate academy and establishing new friendships, but she doesn't really know what they left behind. Do they have family and close friends they miss in Boston? Will they welcome this chance to return? And what would it do to Tobias to lose them?
She's thoroughly uncomfortable by the time Eric retakes the podium. "Yes, thank you, Nita," he proclaims, giving her a look that's close to a leer. "I'm sure many of our talented staff are looking forward to that opportunity." He faces the audience. "But for those who prefer to stay in Chicago, we have a great choice here, too – one that came about because of the excellent reputation this team has established in the Windy City."
Tris feels her hopes rise as Eric turns toward Tobias, wondering if he's about to be given a key role in the project here. "In fact," Eric adds, "we owe this opportunity to our very own Four Eaton. Or perhaps we need to start calling him Tobias now, since that's the name our new client uses for him." Confusion seeps in as Eric gestures grandly to the side of the stage. "It is my pleasure to introduce our newest client, Abnegation Industries, and their representatives, Andrew Prior and Marcus Eaton."
"No way," Christina mutters beside her, her hand clutching at Tris' arm. But Tris barely notices, feeling numb as she watches her father and Marcus step onto the stage. She certainly didn't expect to see them today.
Clearly, Tobias didn't, either. He seems to have gone rigid, and she can almost feel the pain and fear emanating from him as he stares at his father. It raises the same emotions in her, but despite that, she finds her own gaze burning a hole into Andrew instead. She decided long ago that Marcus was capable of anything, but she trusted her own father much more than this. How could he have betrayed them so badly?
Yet the longer she glares at him, the more she doubts his role. There's shock on his face as he watches Marcus approach Tobias – as if he had no idea that the younger man was involved in this project, or even that he worked for this company. Is it possible that Marcus did this entirely on his own?
Either way, her murderous hatred turns squarely upon Marcus when he calls out, "Son," opening his arms wide and approaching Tobias for a hug. All she can do is stare, appalled at the sheer nerve it takes to force his presence onto his son after everything he's done.
Tobias is just as rigid, his expression masking the panic that she knows he must be feeling. How could he possibly not? No matter how strong he is now, she knows there's a unique horror associated with facing someone who abused you for so long.
She doesn't register that she's on her feet until she's shaking off Christina's grasp, suddenly feeling a desperate urge to get to the stage. She can't just sit by and let this happen.
To her enormous relief, Amar seems to feel the same desire. "Mr. Eaton," he snaps, stepping firmly between them and extending a hand in what could either be a karate block or the start of a handshake. "I'm Amar, Four's project manager."
Marcus stops, clearly surprised by the disruption of his plans, and Tris feels a brief flash of triumph. Tobias may never have explicitly told them about his father's abuse, but judging by hints she's received from both Amar and George, they both know perfectly well what happened. And neither is the type to tolerate it.
Perhaps Marcus figures that out, because he forces a smile as he shakes Amar's hand, keeping the rest of the room from sensing that anything odd is occurring. But then he speaks, turning to Eric and stating, "I was under the impression that Tobias would be our project manager. That's what the contract says, right?"
The question is like a blow to the stomach, and Tris' attention snaps over to Eric, revulsion filling her when she sees him nod. Marcus negotiated a contract that would force his son to be around him? And Tobias' company agreed without even asking him? It's so far beyond sick she has no idea how to grasp it.
Tobias seems to, though. He backs away, his expression showing an unimaginable depth of despair as he stares at his father. "No," he chokes out. "No. I am not working with you. I'm going to Boston."
The declaration rouses an all-too-familiar nightmare – the idea of him leaving again – but to her surprise, it takes no time at all to brush that worry aside. Tobias is clearly acting out of panic, and it doesn't matter what he says under that kind of duress. Her focus needs to be on reaching him and being there for him, and she keeps her mind on just that as she moves forward.
Unfortunately, it's impossible to run in the ridiculous heels that Christina convinced her to wear, and in the long, formal dress that keeps tangling around her legs. Before she even reaches the stage, Tobias stumbles off it, disappearing into the backstage area. Behind him, Amar physically blocks Marcus from following, skillfully directing him toward Andrew instead. Her father meets them, his expression the coldest Tris has ever seen it.
She steers clear of them as she slips onto the very end of the stage and behind the curtain, her gaze meeting Amar's fleetingly as she heads after Tobias. And then she's pushing her way through the dark backstage area, calling his name. But there's no answer, or any other sign of him. Eventually, she finds her way to an open door and emerges through it into a hallway. A sinking feeling fills her gut as she looks both ways, seeing no one. He's gone, and she can't even tell which way he went.
For a long moment, she stands there, sagging against the doorframe, trying to think. It seems to take forever to settle on the idea of calling him. He probably won't answer under the circumstances, but it's still her only option. So, she turns back, retracing her steps toward the table where her purse is, with her own phone inside it.
She's partway through the backstage area when she hears deep voices arguing.
"You had no authority," Andrew insists vehemently. "I can't sit back and ignore this."
"Oh, don't give me that," Marcus snarls in return. "Alice was delighted with the contract, and she's not going to toss it aside just because you object."
Tris' feet take her closer through the darkness.
"This isn't about me," Andrew snaps back. "It's about your son. You can't force Tobias to be around you. It's not right."
She's only a few feet away, hidden by the shadows, rage boiling hotter than ever through her veins. Dimly, she's aware of Eric's voice booming from the other side of the curtain, trying to recover the situation and calm the heated murmurs of the audience. Perhaps that's why neither her father nor Marcus has noticed her yet – and why they haven't noticed George coming up from the other side. He stands between them and the stage, his expression stony as he glares at Marcus.
"Tobias doesn't know what's good for him," Marcus growls, shaking his head furiously. "He never has. That's why he needs me around – to guide him. For his own sake."
A moment ago, Tris would have said she couldn't possibly get angrier than she already was. But those words release a wrath beyond anything she has ever felt before. How many times has she heard Tobias gasp that phrase in his nightmares, the same one he told her Marcus used to say at the start of every beating? This is for your own good.
She steps forward, all rational thought gone as she hyper-focuses on the monster before her. "Beatrice," Marcus begins, startled by her sudden presence, but he doesn't get any further before her fist is connecting with his nose, crushing it in a perfect karate punch. A savage satisfaction rips through her at the feel of the cartilage shattering, a loud crunching sound echoing through the backstage area. That nose will never be the same again.
Marcus flails backwards, crying out sharply in pain and then crashing thunderously to the floor. In the main room, Eric's voice falters to a stop.
"You fucking asshole," Tris snarls, her high-heeled shoe catching on her elegant dress as she attempts to kick him. "You had no right to do any of this. To do anything you've done." Hiking up her dress, she drives her foot violently into his stomach, the heel hitting as much as the toes. "Stay out of his life!"
"Beatrice," her father breathes weakly, holding out a hand as if he thinks he should stop her – but isn't entirely sure he wants to. Beside him, George looks distinctly proud of his student.
"I just want to see him," Marcus moans, trying to simultaneously protect his nose and his stomach from further damage.
"You lost that right long ago," Tris snaps, kicking him in the groin this time with a ferocity that leaves him utterly incapable of speech. "You're not his father anymore, and it's time you fucking realized that."
"Beatrice." This time, Andrew does step forward, taking her arms in his, his expression pleading. "I know you're angry, but this won't solve anything."
Her fury turns solidly on him. "It's better than doing nothing. Better than just continuing to work next to him and letting him get away with it all!" She yanks her arms back. "How could you let this happen?"
Desperation fills his face. "I didn't know, Beatrice. I swear I didn't."
"You knew enough!" Her eyes slice into him. "You knew what he was capable of, and yet you continued to trust him. You can't claim you're innocent here." There's pure venom in her voice. "But since you insist on having everything spelled out for you, let me make something crystal clear. If Tobias goes to Boston, I'm going with him. And you can explain it to Mom. If you don't want that, then I suggest you find a way to fix this. Now."
Hiking her dress up again, she sweeps away from the three men, not caring in the slightest that she emerges from behind the curtains in front of a room filled with staring people. Instead, she simply glares at Eric as she crosses the stage, marching down the stairs and back toward her table.
She mutters a terse, "Later" to a bug-eyed Christina before grabbing her purse – and Tobias' coat – and heading out the door. She has had more than enough.
It doesn't take her long to figure out that Tobias' phone is in his coat, as well as his wallet, so she has no way to reach him, and he has limited options for getting back to their apartment. She debates a little longer, wondering if he might return here or if he'll go directly home, before she decides the latter is more likely. It's a long walk, but he probably wants that right now, whereas he undoubtedly wants nothing more to do with this place.
So, she takes a taxi home and changes out of her fancy clothes. And then she paces restlessly, trying to calm her racing mind and figure out some realistic options. Her first thought is that Tobias could quit. There are plenty of jobs for software developers of his quality, including at her own employer. Except that his non-compete agreement would block some of the best choices, and fighting it would be a nightmare. A friend of hers tried that once, and it took a solid year before he finally gave up.
Next, she tries to honestly evaluate Tobias' options if he stays with Samson. There might be a way to force Marcus off the project – or at least to eliminate all interactions between him and Tobias. The HR department must have a process for handling conflicts from outside the workplace. But that would involve revealing the abuse to a whole group of strangers, and she knows he won't want to do that.
Maybe the best choice is what she told her father. She's never had any desire to leave Chicago, particularly not to move halfway across the country, but it would certainly solve the problem. And it would probably be easy for her to find a job in Boston, given the number of opportunities there. Plus, it would be kind of neat to see the ocean and all of the historical sites.
She wonders if she could talk Christina and Will into joining them. If they came, and possibly Amar and George, half of their friendship group would be there.
But not the other half. Not Zeke and Shauna and their newborn baby, Leo. And not her family, at a time when Caleb is getting married and may start having children. And not Evelyn, just when she and Tobias are really rebuilding their relationship. And not Christina's family. Or Lynn or Marlene or Uriah. It would be extremely difficult to leave so many loved ones behind.
A frustrated sigh blows out of her as she finally accepts that there is no good solution – only less-awful possibilities. And that means she has to prioritize what's most important to her.
That was the process Tobias went through ten and a half years ago, and she can now begin to understand how hard it was for him. But at the same time, she knows that the choice he made last time will not happen again. She has no doubt that they both want to be together – more than they want anything else – which makes it the absolute top priority.
So, the choices are between their jobs, the people they love, and where they want to live.
It abruptly occurs to her that even if they do move, it doesn't have to be forever. There's a good chance they could move back in a year or two for another project. She finds a sort of excitement rising at the idea. She could handle that long away from here; it might even be fun. A new opportunity.
Resuming her pacing, she lets that thought build. Yes, she can absolutely do that, and if her father doesn't come back with a true solution, that's exactly what they'll do.
She's not even upset anymore by the time she hears Tobias' key in the lock. But it only takes one look at his face for the emotions from a few hours ago to come rushing back. He looks exhausted and traumatized, and she's on her feet in an instant, wrapping her arms around his waist.
He's quick to return the gesture, pulling her tightly to him and dropping his face into her hair. "I'm sorry," he whispers. "I'm sorry, Tris. All I could think about was Marcus, and that he found a way to get to me. That he'll always find a way. And I just panicked. I didn't mean what I said."
"I know," she reassures him, shifting so his forehead is pressed to hers. She threads her fingers through his thick hair, holding him close. "It's okay. I don't blame you."
"I wouldn't leave you. You know that, right?" He cups her cheeks in his hands, obviously desperate for her to believe that. "I would never leave you again."
"I do know that." Her voice is strong, and she stares unwaveringly into his deep blue eyes, making sure he sees her confidence. "Tobias, I wasn't worried about that." Her lips lift in a sad smile. "I was too busy being furious with our fathers."
He nods a little, jerkily, at the reminder that both of them have parents involved in this. "I don't know what to do."
Leaning up, she kisses him gently, calmingly. "If you want to move, we'll go together. I'm okay with that idea." He pulls back slightly, his brows furrowing in either surprise or dislike of the idea. "But give it a few days first. My father might come through with a better option." She hesitates before adding, "I, uh, gave him some incentive to do that."
For a long moment, Tobias simply stares at her, his expression slowly losing the despair and misery and shaping into something harder to read. "Tris, what did you do?"
She clears her throat, not sure how to describe her actions, before deciding to just dig in. "Well, I might have, um, broken Marcus' nose." She makes a squashing gesture with her hands. "More like flattened it, really." She nods to herself. "Oh, and probably rendered him incapable of reproducing again." Her foot moves, miming a kick, as Tobias' eyes widen. "And threatened to move to Boston with you unless my father fixes this mess…." She lifts a shoulder, the corners of her mouth tugging upwards. "Or, you know, something like that."
A strangled laugh comes out of Tobias. "You didn't really, did you?" His gaze moves up and down her five foot nothing body as his hands rub her arms, making sure she's okay. For a second, she expects him to say that she shouldn't have placed herself in danger, and that Marcus will find a way to get back at her, but he doesn't. Part of her knows that it's because Marcus wouldn't live long enough to carry out any threats – Tobias would absolutely kill him if he even thought Tris was in danger.
"I did," she answers levelly. "Despite my evening gown and heels." Her chin tilts up proudly, and she can't help the grin that stretches across her face. One is emerging on Tobias', too, through his incredulity.
"I shouldn't have left," he mutters, shaking his head. "I'd have paid good money to see that."
She laughs, abruptly remembering how many eyes were on her when she left the backstage area. "Don't worry. The rest of your company will tell you all about it. Besides, I'm probably on YouTube by now. Bloody knuckles and hiked-up dress and all."
Smiling in disbelief, he pulls her close again. "Thank you, Tris." He kisses the top of her head. "I can't believe you did that. For me."
The words send a fresh pang of sadness through her, a reminder that no one was there to protect him when he needed it most. What she did today was a drop in the bucket of his life, but at least it was that. "Yeah, well, no one messes with my man," she whispers, trying to keep things light but at the same time knowing that it's true. She would do anything for him.
They're silent for a little while after that, wrapped in each other's arms. He rocks her back and forth slowly, his embrace tight.
"We're not moving," he announces eventually. "And not even just because of you. This is our home, and I am not letting him take it away again. It's just not happening."
She opens her mouth to respond, all of her thoughts from earlier replaying in her mind – but ultimately she shuts it without arguing. Tobias' tone is too determined, and she knows he's not going to change his mind. Besides, it doesn't seem important anymore where they live. As long as they're together, they'll find a way to make everything else work.
"I want to get married," she tells him instead. She's not entirely sure when she realized she wanted that, but every bit of her does. Even the nagging little voice in the back of her head thoroughly agrees. "Whether we stay here or move – either way. I'm ready."
It takes a second for her words to register, and then he's pushing back to see her, his mouth slightly ajar. Slowly, his hands come up to cup her face, and he stares, his breath catching. "Are you serious?"
She just nods, the corners of her mouth lifting. And slowly, he does, too. Taking her hands in his, he walks backwards, pulling her toward their bedroom, holding her gaze intently.
He stops in front of his bureau, fumbling through his sock drawer with one hand, his eyes still focused on hers. Finally, he pulls out a small, black felt box. And Tris feels her heart beating faster as she realizes what it is. She told him before that she wanted to wait until November, and yet he bought this at least four months early. He was that sure of them.
Warmth floods through her insides at the thought, and at the way he's smiling as he watches her. "You did mean to me, right?" he asks, his tone teasing and loving and everything she has ever wanted all at once.
She laughs, her free hand wrapping around the back of his neck and pulling him closer. "Yes, Tobias. I absolutely, definitely meant that I want to marry you."
He's grinning so widely now she doesn't think he'll ever stop, as he manages to flip the box open with one hand, his other still firmly locked on hers.
"If you don't like the style or anything," he says, "we can exchange it. You can pick out whatever you want."
But the moment her eyes light on the contents of the box, she knows she won't be doing that. She has seen many rings in her life that she wouldn't want – large and bulky and just not her. But this one is an utterly gorgeous blend of simplicity and elegance, the gold band and diamond exactly the right size and shape for her small hand.
"It's perfect, Tobias. Absolutely perfect."
She's still admiring it when he carefully removes it from the box, letting the container fall to the floor. Lifting her left hand, he slides the ring slowly into place. For another few seconds, they both stare at it there, before she looks up again, smiling at the rapt expression on his face. He looks like he's seeing his dreams come true, and she supposes he is, given what he told her before about his fantasies.
"You know I love you a pretty unbelievable amount, right?" he finally manages to utter.
Her smile widens even more as she studies the face of her future husband. She has never felt happier in her life. "It's very believable, Tobias." Their eyes lock, deep blue meeting gray. "Because it's the same amount I love you."
A/N: See, I told you that you could trust me. :-)