Author's Note:

Third chapter for today!

I've got a smidgen bit of drama planned for this chapter, my friends!

Enjoy!

Wearing His Jersey

Chapter Twenty-Four

Tris's P.O.V.

"Tris, we've been on about seven different rides since we got here two hours ago, and I bet we've ridden this one about five times," Four laughed as I dragged him over to the round up for another round.

"Eh," I shrugged. "It's fun!"

"Can't argue with that one!"

"I know."

We waited one round before we could ride, and again the person running the ride watched our unicorn, which we'd decided to name Shimmer George. We waited for everyone else to get on, the ride started and we spun in quick rounds, then turned so we went up and down while spinning. I laughed and watched the people around me ride.

When we got off, we headed to the drop tower, where everyone around us screeched whenever they dropped down. I laughed, and held onto Four, who was as scared as the rest of us, just for a different reason. He insisted on us riding, even though I said we didn't have to.

After a few more rides, we were heading to the fried dough stand, laughing about everything.

That's when I saw it.

"Oh, Lord," I gasped, my eyes locked on one of the carts on the ferris wheel; the door had come open and I saw a little girl lean toward the opening, reaching out to close the door. I watched as she tripped, fell forward and her shirt caught on the door's latch. I dropped the money I'd held in my hand for the food and darted toward the ferris wheel. Her cart wasn't quite halfway to the top yet.

If they stop it, or reverse the direction, they would be able to get her down in time, I thought.

By the time I got there, I saw the girl looking around, still stuck on the swinging open door, and sucking on her fingers. She looked to be about four or five years old; I couldn't really tell from my place on the ground.

"Excuse me!" I yelled to the person working the ride. "Hey!" They seemed to be in a conversation with someone, but it would be hard to hear anyway over all the music coming from every stand and every ride. Plus, there was a huge line of people between me and the worker. The girl was rising higher. I took a deep breath and ran to the side of the ferris wheel, edging my way between two carts. I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned frantically.

"Tris!" Four said. "What are you doing?"

"I - She - Do you see—?" I couldn't form a sentence so I just gestured up toward the girl, and I knew he saw her when his eyes widened and his face turned to a serious expression.

"Okay, we'll get over to the worker, and tell them to stop the ride, or bring her down or something; come on."

"No! By the time we get through the line, she could fall. I'm climbing up." I reached up for the first ring on the ladder that went through the middle of the ferris wheel, and pulled myself up, slipping my feet onto the bar. I didn't let myself glance down; I couldn't leave the little girl there. I looked up and saw her cart slowly coming to a stop, and looked down to see another group of people climbing onto another cart. I kept climbing, and only noticed Four behind me when my foot slipped on the rung and I felt his familiar hand fly up to my side to steady me. I looked down at him and saw him looking up at me.

"Are you all right, Tris?" I could hear his uneasiness clearly.

"I'm good. Thank you." I caught my breath again before starting back up. "Four, you could have stayed on the ground; this is pretty high."

"No, I couldn't." He paused. "You were coming up, and I couldn't let you climb this by yourself. You shouldn't be climbing it anyway! I don't know how you're doing this… it's like you're hardly human!"

"It's alright, stay calm. Calm. Let's talk about something," I told him. "Distraction."

"Talk about what?"

"Talk. About you, or elephants, or puppies. Speak."

"Okay . . . um, my name is T-Tobias Eaton. I don't like being high off the ground."

I looked up and saw the young girl's cart almost to the top of the ferris wheel; I picked up my pace, doubling it and barely letting my feet touch each step.

"I have one dog; her name is Lacy. She's a golden retriever, and super sweet. She'll lay in your lap for hours, play with you, and if you give her a treat, she smiles and winks."

"Aww," I said, and almost felt a smile come onto my face. I saw the girl's cart stop, about three quarters of the way to the top, and climbed out, crossing the structure to reach the girl, and when she was about two feet away, I jumped from the bar I was balanced on into her cart, right as it started up again.

"Hello!" she greeted when I hopped in, and I immediately gripped onto her arms, not wanting to let go, even to try to untangle her. The next time the car stopped, about halfway up the other side of the ferris wheel, I saw Four standing on a bar.

"I'm coming in," he said and I nodded, holding out one hand for him to take. "No! I don't want to pull on you. I can jump from here." And he did, making it into the cart easily. The second his feet touched the ground, he sighed with relief as he held onto the little girl's hand. She greeted him, too, and he smiled back before working to untangle her shirt from the lock on the cart's door. She must've opened it, stepped toward it and when she tripped, her shirt twisted around the metal. When Four untangled her, I pulled her into the cart and hugged her, even though I hardly know her. When I finally looked at her face, I saw the same grinning one I saw when Four and I were on our way into the park, the same little girl who was pulling her parents's hands and shrieking and laughing.

"You know somefin?" she asked.

"What?" Four responded.

"I was flyin,' and there was a bird that came really close to me and flew next to me for a minute!" I laughed a little, but continued to grip onto her.

"So you made a new friend?" I asked.

"Yeah!"

"That's nice. What's the birdie's name?"

"Abu! You know why?"

"Why?"

"Because the birdie's favorite movie is Aladdin, and Abu is the birdie's favorite character because he is a funny monkey!"

"Really?"

"Yeah!"

When we reached the ground, I pulled the girl out of the car, and looked around for her parents. I saw one of them running around through the line, frantic and calling out the name 'Alli.'

I swung Alli up onto my hip and ran over to her mother with Four right next to me.

"Hey! Wait!" I said. She turned around and when she saw Alli, she visibly sighed and ran toward us.

"Alli! Where on Earth did you go? Don't you ever run off like that on Daddy and me again! Oh, my goodness, I was so afraid!" She was hugging Alli and I could see a few tears on her cheeks. She picked her up and hugged her to her body.

"Mommy!" Alli exclaimed. "I met a birdie!"

"Yeah?"

"Yes!"

Her mother turned to me, and I told Four to go back and grab Shimmer George. He nodded and smiled in understanding and headed off.

"Where did you find her? Thank you so much!"

"Well, I saw her on the ferris wheel. She'd been going up in it, and I think she opened the cart door because I saw her trip, and her shirt got twisted on the lock. I have no idea why she was let on the ride without anyone else." She had tears in her eyes.

"She - She almost fell?" I could see her tighten her grip around Alli. I nodded.

"Yeah."

"Oh, God. Thank God she's okay." She turned to Alli. "Thank God you're okay." Alli was humming what I recognized as "Under the Sea" from The Little Mermaid. Just then, Four returned with the rainbow unicorn, and handed it to me.

"Alli?" I asked.

"Yes?"

"We have something for you. But first you have to promise to be more careful , and stay with your family."

"I promise!"

"Okay," I said, looking over at Four, who was smiling. "Here you go." I held out the unicorn, and her smile was even brighter than the sparkles on Shimmer.