Chapter 27- In Love and War

'I am Mayor of Security for a reason,' he laughs, a menacing laugh. His retreating feet are the last blurred vision I see.

Everything goes black.

Tris POV

There is a special procedure to be followed whenever a fatal accident occurs: a sudden rush of people swarming in to saves lives, people crying over their loved ones, a doctor and possible a nurse huddled together over a patient. By definition an accident is an 'event that is without apparent or deliberate cause.'

That isn't what happened here.

Something wakes me. A whisper possibly, a murmur of conversation, something mumbled yet unusually aggressive. The sound is shut away after a few mere seconds.

My eyes open slowly, and my neck screams out in pain as I turn the position of my body to see my surroundings, I move my hand to pull myself up, fully expecting to see Tobias and his beautiful eyes and chiseled jaw, but then I feel a cold metal slashing around my wrist painfully and the sound rattles in my ears.

White cold tiles and metal bars surround me. I am in a holding cell. I gasp and suddenly look around, the events of how long ago comes flooding back to me and I scream.

'Four!' I exclaim, banging my wrist that is attached to a metal chain in hope of being free, as I try to bang on the bars of the cell at the front.

'Four!' I call again, my eyes flooding with tears yet I won't let them drop. They couldn't have done anything with him. Please God, take me and not him.

Tobias doesn't respond from the cell and I don't see him, therefore he must be somewhere else. A pain stabs my heart that I have never experienced before and I clutch my stomach before falling to the ground in sorrow.

My breathing increases as I wrap my hands along my knees and hug them. I sob quietly.

As early as the day we arrived here, I began to suspect that the end was approaching. If he dies, this will be the end.

I promise you that.

I must have dozen off because the next time I am awoken by a small sound of the cell gate opening. My eyes spring open at the sound, followed by my feet springing to action so that i stand up. The abrupt movement makes my shoulder sore.

'What do you want?' I spit at a guard. He doesn't seem fazed by my tone, instead he looks ahead but if I looked at me through his eyes then I would want to laugh too. I am a child. I am not brave. I am not selfless.

I realize that now more than ever.

He places a tray of grim looking food on the cement bench where I slept on and retreats back to lock the cell again. Before he reaches the door I grab his shoulder and pull him down with my weak body.

Bad move.

He slides out a gun and jabs it into my side and I scream out in pain from the force. Something about the gas they chucked in the Mayor's office makes my body feel every single movement, every single ounce of pain, a thousand time more painful. I grimace. What have they inserted within me?

I manage to temporarily dismiss the rising vomit in my throat and shakily spit out: 'Tell me where Four is.'

He laughs, it isn't a cruel laugh or a menacing one, but it is one that is largely associated with psychopathic things.

'He's dead. Had the his execution this morning.' He states calmly, a wicked smirk rising on his face that I want to smack off.

'You're lying.' I say, 'he's not dead.'

He laughs again and straightens his form. 'What a child you are.'

He abruptly turns around and strides out of the cell. Everything happens at once as my mind goes fuzzy: the slow sound of the lock twisting in place, the harsh metal crashing into each other, and the slow horrible creak of the gate. It all pounds in my ears, harder than an experience boxer, as I collapse to the ground.

He's dead.

There is a tingling feeling in my toes, instructing me to bounce on my feet. The wind flows past me somewhat beautifully, somewhat encased aggressively like a wild beast tangled in a net. I ascend my buoyant arm, rising it up in the air, as graceful as a ballerina.

The air is still, but I feel every waking moment of it in the centre of my body. I rock my head around my neck, feeling the sensation of the bone cracking and muscles expanding.

I bounce and tip toe on my feet again. My body shifts back and forwards slightly as I fight against the wind. It is a long drop down off the cliff. The beautiful view of greenery spreads out along the horizon, forcefully dragging from the inside of my stomach like a wounded bear dragging his heavy self along, tearing my inside apart. An explosive feeling like a sinuous flame scarcely striking a naked flame invades my stomach, as I slam my eyes open.

My body is stationary, yet my pounding head is spinning so violently that I feel as if I have just been hit by a fast moving car. My heavy tired eyes roll upwards around the cell. In a sitting position on the floor in the dark corner of the cell, I deeply inhale and exhale: trying to reframe from gasping for air every other second.

The rumble of steps slamming on stone floors and deep murmurs of men talking makes me fling up to the cell gate where two security guards are walking, armed, towards my gate. I let out a breath when I realize its Daniel and Richard, the first people I ever met during this mission.

'Miss Prior, it seems there has been a big miscommunication. You are free to leave from the cell and will be escorted to the Mayor.' Daniel states.

'No! I will not speak to the Mayor!' I scream, 'not after what he did to… to…' I can't seem to finish the sentence. My eyes begin to water but I don't let them fall.

'Tris,' someone whispers, a female voice.

'Tris,' she repeats, gently moving into the cell, as if I am a frightened animal, she is trying to make sure I don't sprint away.

And God, I feel like running away from it all.

Then I remember her sweet soothing voice, her graceful appearance. It's Serena: Eddie's girlfriend.

I let my hands fall to my sides and I walk towards her, she throws me into a hug.

'Oh Serena.' My voice sounds weak. 'What has happened?' I croak.

She smiles and pulls back from the hug; she is one of the most beautiful girls I have ever seen. 'I'll tell you when we get out of here and meet up with the Mayor.'

My head remains pounding as I speak, I raise my hand to support it, 'please tell me where Four is. They said… they said he was dead.' I whisper. A tear drips heavily down my cheek.

I freely let my feet drag me to my next destination, with not a care in the world. 'Tris,' Serena says as we walk out of the metal cell and down towards the elevators, 'he isn't dead.'

Her beautiful grin shatters, and almost as without warning as an exploding bomb, she grimaces and in a low heart beating tone she sneers 'they have sick ways of treating people here.' It's then that I notice her black and tired eyes.

We walk along through the dark cells and out of the stone, cold looking floor in silence.

My tired, shaking legs embrace the white marbled floor of one of the main centre rooms I have never been in. It is a large, lean room with glass lining the great walls. How come something this beautiful can be seen here yet a couple metres down people are screaming in cells? Our factions have holding cells but nothing like this.

As if tracing with my finger along the great room, my eyes linger on certain objects before lingering to the back of the room. It's then when my blurry vision evaporates and I see him.

Tobias' sculptured back faces me as I gasp and springing my legs into motion so that I am sprinting towards him. Even from a twenty metre distances, I can still notice his muscles contract in his back and his tattoos twisting around his neck.

'Four!' I exclaim. He sharply turns around at my shout and he doesn't have enough time to react before I fling my arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug.

'You're here,' I mumble into the crook of his neck, my voice drained by my head being in his shoulder as he wraps his arms stronger around my waist. My lips meet his in an aggressive kiss. 'I thought I lost you,' I cry. 'They said, they said...' My voice croaks as I begin to sob into his shoulder.

'Shh, don't cry,' he whispers stroking my hair like a mother would to a child, 'I'm here. I'll always be here.' He whispers, taking my head between his hands and lowering so that we have the same eye line. He moves his mouth and kisses down my cheek, kissing each tear until I have none left.

'They said you were dead too,' he mumbles and I lean back. I realize now how his eyes are puffy and they look like they have been full of tears.

'Sorry to cut the reunion short,' a loathsome voice sneers, 'but we have work to do.'

Tobias pulls back from my embrace and stares towards the Mayor, in full Four mode. A loud crack comes from the door and I swing my eyes over there only to be met by a very tired looking Zeke, Uriah, Marlene, Shauna, Will and Christina. Bit late guys I think.

'Finally!' A frustrated Zeke exclaims, 'you're bloody security wouldn't let us in. What is going on?'

He meets my eye and rushes towards us.

'What the hell happened earlier?!' Tobias exclaims, striding towards the Mayor who is now sitting down on the large conference room desk. I finally understand the statement if looks could kill. 'How dare you...' Tobias continues. The rest of our squad finds a chair as do I and we sit around the conference room, our eyes shoot daggers.

'Enough.' The Mayor cuts him off, shaking his hand as if turning away some dessert. 'I did what I had to do.'

'You did what you had to do?' Tobias sneers, 'you think gassing people and locking them up is a normal thing? Are you all crazy around here?' He stares around the room. I take a seat next to Tobias.

'The gas was not permanent, no harm was caused. You are both alive.' The Mayor replies calmly.

'You said to both of us that the other one was dead!' I exclaim.

'Yes, well,' a smirk appears on his face that I want to slap off his face, 'I had to get you to shut up one way or another.'

'You did that to shut them up?' Eddie shouts outraged. I didn't even realize he was in the room. He, Serena, Daniel and Richard and a couple of other security guards are also in the large conference room along with the rest of our squad. 'Leader Nicholas-Collins would not be happy, you treating our guests like that. And,' he pauses, 'you know I am responsible for our guests and that I am our Leader's assistant.'

The Mayor slowly rolls his head to the side to fully address Edward. 'Do you think I care about our leader? These two threatened us with guns; our partnership with the government clearly states that any threat while armed, we can dispose of any way possible. We have every right.'

'You think they knew that?' Eddie demands.

The black level office chair I am seated in is the cage that prevents the rush of wanting to leave.

Tobias sighs, 'look we are here to find one person, and all we are asking for is for your help. Then we will be out of here, fully out of this place and we will never return.'

'Fine. Once this person is found you will leave and no other punishments will be enforced.'

His hate-fuelled eyes linger on me. 'You're a pretty one,' he addresses me, 'it would be a waste to see you dead, but maybe we could find some other type of punishment.' He winks. Tobias's grip on his chair tightens as he forms a fist.

'How dare you!' I state, disgusted.

'You are a sick man.' Tobias spits out, 'But you have yourself a deal,' Tobias extends his hand. A curl of a smirk lands on the Mayor's face.

'Guards,' the Mayor calls, slamming his hand to Tobias in agreement, 'escort our guests out.'

Slowly, the sound of the Mayor's menacing voice and open glassed rooms eases and dies away. As I walk away, I feel the dust settle between our two governments. Silence returns.

Then comes the moment when I see the horizon, pale but flourishing colorful at each growing moment, the first birds start to sing and the contours of the green terrain begin to emerge indistinctly in the milky-grey morning light.

The air is laden with a piano tune; or rather my head is churning so much I am imagining it. As we accelerate in the car, the distant city lays in a soft luminous glow from its countless almost invisible reflections of the sun and glass. The tune carries on, as continuous as a soft low heartbeat.

I lay my head on the glass window of the car, glad to follow the sun through its journey, moving slowly up into the atmosphere and to feel the coldness of the glass pressed upon my forehead.

A blur of grey, Abnegation grey maybe? –a figure of a man appears in the long grass of fields near the road. However just as quickly as it appeared, it is gone, like a switch of a light. Something about the figure bothers me: its familiarity. But all I saw was a blur. How can that feel familiar?

On the surface, it is all so improbable seeing that figure as familiar, but as I fight the sudden dryness in my mouth, I concentrate on the what lies in front of me as we continue to speed back to the main centre of town.

Today's events have triggered something within me. The thought occurs that I am so afraid of losing Tobias, of seeing him been snatched away from me, when I haven't shown him physically how much I love him.

Tobias flicks open the hotel apartment and the locking sound clicks into my ear, reminding me of the jail cell and I grimace.

Zeke told me what happened to the rest of the squad. After the attack, the Mayor left and the security guards brought our unconscious bodies down to the cells where we stayed overnight. Eddie and Serena were not informed about our whereabouts until hours after we were dragged downstairs, ever since they found out they begged and argued with the Mayor for hours. He dismissed them as if they were servants. Zeke was informed and then proceeded to inform the others, and they were on their way to find us that evening, however Eddie said it would be pointless. We weren't in real harm so it would have to wait until the morning. This leads us up to present day.

I flop onto the couch, exhausted from what has happened over the past 24 hours and Tobias comes and moves my legs so they are sitting on his lap.

'How could they tell me you were dead?' I whisper, my voice breaking.

'Please,' he begs, massaging my legs and giving me a stern look. His eyes still look puffy. 'Let's not speak about it.'

'I'm sorry.' I apologize.

'Don't you be sorry about anything those bastards did.' He spits. 'Now come here.' He tugs at my bare legs and I giggle as I slide closer towards him. He places his hands on waist.

'I love you.' He gazes into my eyes and then my lips. He places a gentle kiss on my lips.

I pull back, 'And I love you. I'm so glad we are doing this together.'

He smiles, cupping my cheek with his hand. 'We are a team, and as long as you let me, we will always be one.'

'I'd like that,' I smile and he grins.

There is a spark in his eyes that demands closer inspection so I slip, very elegantly, my hand around his neck and gentle pull my body so I am sitting in his lap. I wiggle my bum in his lap teasingly and he abruptly places his hands around my arms to stop me. I laugh.

'Don't like that?' I raise an eyebrow flirtatiously.

'Teaser.' He responds, kissing my neck.

I laugh once more. 'Not this again. Where is my underwear by the way?'

He wiggles his eyebrows, 'they have been kept safe.'

I shake my head giggling and press my lips firmly to his.

'I'm going to go in the shower,' I kiss his lips, 'and change into something that doesn't smell. ' I say.

'Need any help?' He raises an eyebrow.

I laugh, 'And then maybe, we can continue this in the bedroom.' I wink, whispering in his ear.

'I'd like that,' he grins.

I giggle again while swirling out of his lap and his strong embrace. I walk away from him as he places his jacket on his lap, his cheeks red. I smirk to myself.

Once I enter my bedroom, I run to my closet and rummage through my underwear draw; I quickly find the unopened bag of undergarments that I proudly bought myself a week ago and run straight to the bathroom.

I strip off the clothes I am already wearing and thoroughly brush my teeth, and then use my mouthwash. I walk into the shower and quickly lather my body of herbal soap and shampoo and conditioner. After 10 minutes I feel refreshed, and I step out of the steaming shower. I use some deodorant and add a small line of eyeliner on my top lid and some mascara on my eyelashes.

I dry myself and towel-dry my hair. I open the bag and slip on a black lace almost translucent matching undergarments. At the top the push up bra accentuates my chest. I flick my eyes towards the mirror and I am shock with what I see.

I am no longer Tris Prior the innocent.

I stand on the other side of the door. 'Tobias? Are you in there?' I ask through the bathroom door.

'Yeah,' he replies back.

'Can you go out for a second?'

He laughs. 'I have seen you naked before.'

'Please.'

'Alright, fine. I'll go shower in the other room.' I hear the door close.

I walk into the bedroom and grab my robe from the floor. I then proceed to walk towards my closet to find my black stilettos with spikes. I wore them to a party in Dauntless a long time ago.

I straighten the room up and lite dozens of candles around the room, creating a beautiful romantic ambiance. I dim the lights as well.

I catch myself in the mirror. I can do this I think. I wrap the robe belt around me but you are still able to see my undergarments slightly.

Less is more, I remember my mother telling me. I laugh at the irony.

'Tris?' Tobias knocks on the door, making me jump. 'Can I come in?' he asks.

I look straight into the mirror before answering him. 'I can do this,' I whisper to myself.

It's about time something happened. My heart is beating painfully in my chest as everything slows in time.

He knocks again. 'Tris?' I inhale. 'Are you okay?' I exhale.

'Yes of course. Come in.' I reply, sitting down in the desk chair. My back is straight and my legs are crossed showing my silky waxed legs and heels.

My skin glows with luminous nerves as I focus on the turning metal door knob.

I flutter my eyes close for a few mere seconds waiting upon Tobias' arrival.