A cool breeze blows my hair across my face as I make my way to the carrousel at the Navy Pier. It's nearly 12:45 a.m., and the only light is coming from the big, beautiful full moon above me. Tonight we're playing capture the flag, a Dauntless tradition, or should I say everyone else gets to play, and I have to settle for sitting on the sidelines, watching.
I went to see Zander first thing this morning after five very long days of bed rest. Will and Christina volunteered to watch Tyler and Tessa for us while Tobias pushed me to the infirmary in a borrowed wheelchair. There was no apprehension during the trip. We laughed and talked the entire journey. I've been feeling great, more than great actually, and my blood pressure proved it. It was the lowest reading since I got pregnant so he took me off all restrictions. The only thing he wanted me to continue doing daily was blood pressure checks but instead of traveling to the infirmary each morning or having someone come to me, he let me borrow a portable machine that goes on my wrist. He explained that it isn't as accurate a reading as having a professional take my blood pressure but it's better than nothing. I have to be honest, I was quite surprised when he didn't have a problem with me coming out tonight. I just had to promise not to overdo it. He actually thought the fresh air and minimal exercise would do me some good. He just wants me to watch my stress level, which should be easy now that the bitch is gone.
I sit down on the deserted carrousel and wait for whichever team decides to jump off the train first. I'm hoping it's Tobias and Zeke's team but I wouldn't mind hanging out with Christina and Uriah for the evening. Tobias, the kids, and I were together all day. After we finished up in the infirmary, we stopped by the commissary and picked up all the ingredients for spaghetti and meatballs with all the fixings, chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter fudge, and Rice Krispies treats. Tyler was happy when we picked him and his sister up and told him we were going to spend the entire day together just the four of us. When I let him pick which dessert to make, he chose all three and since I was having a major craving, we went ahead and spent most of the morning making cookies and candy, which wore him out. After a light lunch of Caesar salad with grilled chicken, Tyler took the longest nap he's ever taken. Tobias actually had to wake him when supper was ready. Gravel crunching beneath someone's feet drags me from my reverie. I turn with a smile on my face, fully expecting to see Tobias or one of my friends but no one's there. My smile quickly fades as my pulse quickens.
"Is someone there?" I call out, my voice loud and clear, somehow not betraying how nervous I suddenly am. I listen carefully but all I hear is the sound of crickets singing. Just as I convince myself that I must have been hearing things, the sound of footsteps begin again but this time it is closer and seems to surround me. I quickly scan the area but still don't see anything in the shadows. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to come out here by myself. I get up from the bench and ball my hands into fists, readying myself for a fight if necessary and start walking toward the car, carefully measuring each step. Not a minute later I hear voices and laughter and know that one of the teams is on its way. I expect my heart to calm but it doesn't.
I try to ignore the unease building in my chest and turn my attention to the approaching Dauntless party. Just like last year, each team is comprised of an equal number of transfers, Dauntless-born, and members bringing the approximate total to 20, including the co-leaders. When I see Tobias and Zeke leading the way, I finally begin to relax. I look at the group behind them and smile. The team looks remarkably similar to last years', narrow shoulders and small frames. He's definitely consistent. He also picked some of the smartest in my opinion. They'll not only be quick on their feet but quicker with their brains. I chuckle to myself when I realize that Christina and Uriah, who both were on our team last year, didn't learn a thing from Tobias. They assembled their team based on brute force.
"Hey, Tris," Tobias says with a relaxed smile as he reaches me. I want to throw myself into his arms, which I know would calm me but that's not appropriate right now.
"Hi," I say. "Nice team." He smirks at me, knowing exactly what I'm referring to as we continue to the carrousel. When we stop, Zeke, Tobias, and I stand on the ride and face the team. Everyone gathers around.
"Listen up! In approximately 10 minutes the other team will be jumping off the train and finding a place to hide their flag," Tobias says. "I suggest you use this time to come up with your strategy. We may not be Erudite but mental readiness is one aspect of your training. In fact, I think it's the most important part." He takes the glowing neon green flag out of his back pocket and hands it to Avery. "Get to it." The initiates all start excitedly talking at once giving their ideas on where to hide the flag and how to find the other teams. I look toward the Ferris wheel remembering last year.
"It's hard to believe that an entire year has passed already," I say, not meaning to say it out loud. He gives me a knowing smile.
"Thinking about climbing the Ferris wheel?" he asks.
"Yeah," I quietly say. "I wonder if anyone will think of it this year."
"Probably not," he says. "You're one of a kind, love. Just in case I never told you, that was genius."
"Not genius," I say, blushing in the pale moonlight. "Can you believe what that started?"
"Oh, it started before that," he says, bumping his shoulder against mine affectionately. He glances toward the initiates who are arguing with each other then gives me a short, soft kiss. "I'm not hiding who we are and what we have anymore. I want the entire world to know you are my wife and that I love you very much. I think we made a mistake by not telling the transfers from the start. Maybe Oliva wouldn't have done what she did."
"Yeah, maybe," I say, not wanting to talk about the bitch. This is supposed to be a fun night, one full of Dauntless comradery and teamwork, and I already feel uneasy because of what happened earlier. I don't need to be reminded of her. Tobias looks down at me with his brows furrowed.
"What's wrong?" he asks. How does he do that? Do I tell him the truth now or wait?
"Right before you got here I think someone was watching me," I say. "I heard footsteps and thought it was you guys but no one was around. I dismissed it until I heard it again. It startled me." He immediately transforms into Four and looks around us.
"Why didn't you say something earlier?" he says.
"The minute I saw you, I calmed down," I say. "I didn't think it was a big deal. It was probably an animal."
"We just made Olivia factionless, Tris," he says. "She could be looking for revenge. I knew I shouldn't have let you come out here by yourself. That was stupid of me. You're not leaving my side the rest of the evening."
"How?" I say. "Zander said I can't play, I can only observe and give advice."
"Then that's what I'll do too," he says. "I'm not taking my eyes off you." Part of me is glad he'll be with me all night but the larger part of me knows that he shouldn't be shirking his responsibilities because of me … again.
"Can I talk?" I hear Faith loudly say, exasperated. Everyone, including Tobias and I stops talking and looks at her. "My old friends and I used to play a version of capture the flag when we were growing up minus the paint guns of course. Brody and I were pretty good at it. If the other team is listening to him, I know what their strategy will be."
"Tell us what you think we should do," Tobias says.
"We split our team in two. Half will guard the flag but we leave only one or two people visible, sort of like bait, and the rest will be hidden so they can ambush anyone who approaches. The other half will split into pairs and search for the other team's flag. Whoever finds it signals the other players and then everyone will converge on the area. While one person retrieves the flag, the rest of the team takes out the guards."
"That sounds like a great plan," Avery says. "I just have one question though. If your friend gives the same advice won't they be waiting for us in an ambush?"
"It's possible," she says. "It was just a thought."
"It's a good idea, and I think we should do it," says Murphy. "Faith, I think you should be in charge of offense, and I nominate Avery to be in charge of defense. You both had the best ideas."
"Tris and I will stay with the flag as the bait," Tobias says, handing me a paintball gun. This makes me feel like I'm actually participating, which makes me a little giddy.
"Alright," Faith says. "Avery, don't forget to keep a count of how many players you take out."
"Okay, let's divide up the players." They huddle together talking about who they think will be strongest in what positions. Avery chooses the shooters with the greatest accuracy while Faith chooses the ones she thinks are fastest.
"Anyone have an idea where to look first?" Faith asks, looking our direction. We both shake our heads.
"I heard that last year one team hid their flag here and the other one was in the park at the end of the Pier," Neva, a pretty, petite Dauntless-born initiate, says.
"Maybe we should find a different place to hide the flag instead of the carrousel," Avery says. "But we should still leave Four and Tris here as decoys." Great thinking, Avery!
"That's a great idea," Faith says. These two work very well together. They both have bright futures in Dauntless. After a quick look around the area they find a great place to hide the flag. Amity workers planted a lot of trees, shrubs, and flowers outside the Crystal Gardens building and also around the Ferris wheel, wedding arbor, and outdoor reception site in an effort to spruce up the area for weddings. They hide the flag in the low shrubbery behind two large boulders next to the building. All you can see of it is its faint glow reflecting off the glass of the building.
"Offense, make sure any phones are on vibrate," Faith calls out. "We don't want a phone call alerting the enemy to our position. Whoever finds the flag needs to text your position to the rest of us. When we meet, the person who found the flag will sneak in to get it while the rest of us ambush their guards. Any questions?" No one says anything. "Good, let's go." They all take off running, making sure that they stick to the softer grass so they don't make any noise.
"Defense, gather round," Avery says. "Four and Tris will be our decoys at the carrousel. Callen will be hidden in the bushes by the flag and the rest of us need to take cover on both sides of the Crystal Gardens, three to the south and two to the north. Watch the stairs closely. Four and Tris, you might want to keep an eye out to the west, just in case anyone slips by us and sneaks up from stairs further down the Pier. Any questions?" Everyone shakes their heads. "Find a place to hide but be aware of your surroundings. Four, will you keep track of how many players we've eliminated and text Zeke?"
"I sure will, Avery," he says.
"Everyone make sure your phones are on vibrate," she says. I watch as the rest of the team head off to flank both sides of the Crystal Gardens. One minute I'm looking at eight other people and the next, they blend into the shadows. Tobias and I sit facing each other on a carrousel bench. I look off over his shoulder to the east, and he looks over mine to the west.
"If we win, Faith and Avery deserve equal credit," I quietly say. "I think they worked well together to formulate a plan. I have to say it, I'm impressed."
"Me, too," he says. "The only thing that would have made their plan better was if someone had thought to climb the Ferris wheel to see exactly where the other team hid their flag. I could be biased but that was brilliant. No one had thought of it before and I have a feeling that no one will think to do it again."
"It seemed like a smart thing to do," I say with a smile. The crunch of gravel beneath someone's feet captures both our attention, and we ready our guns. I scan the area behind Tobias while he's scanning the area behind me. "Do you see anyone?" This time I whisper, trying not to draw any unnecessary attention to us. He shakes his head. Suddenly a person dressed head to toe in black charges at us from the shadows behind Tobias, gun held high. I take aim and hit him mid-chest and he groans.
"Damn it!" Will says.
"Come sit on the ground, Will," I say.
"Nice shot, Tris," he says.
"Why thank you," I say. Even if we lose, I don't think this smile is going away any time soon. We pass the next half hour picking off people one at a time until we have eight prisoners with various colored paint splatters on different parts of their bodies. Uriah and Christina knew exactly where we would be but what no one took into account was the fact that we could hear the approaching players because of the gravel. Faith figured it out though and made sure our players ran on the grass. I'm seeing a totally different side of her tonight. She's friendly, outgoing, take charge. Until now, she's been reserved and a bit backward when it came to the other transfers. The only one she would really talk with was Brody. I hope she continues to come out of her shell.
"Zeke just texted, we got your flag," Tobias announces to the eight people, including Will and Christina who are sitting on the ground by the carrousel.
"Oh, man!" Christina says. "I thought for sure we would win, knowing where you were heading when you jumped off the train. Where is your flag anyway?"
Callen comes out from his hiding place knowing the game is over holding up the glowing triangle and says, "It's right here." The remaining defensive players converge on us and can't hide their jubilation at winning. I remember that feeling from last year, and it's just as sweet tonight. Tobias drags his phone out and reads a message from Zeke.
"Everyone, let's get to the train," he says. We let the initiates and other members walk ahead of us and we hang back with Will and Christina.
"Who formulated your strategy? Faith?" she asks. Will has his arm casually draped over her shoulders and she's reaching up holding his hand while Tobias and I walk beside them hand-in-hand.
"Yes," Tobias says. "Did Brody give you the same idea?"
"Yeah," she says. "How were you able to keep picking us off?"
"We could hear you," Tobias says.
"What?" Will says.
"The gravel," I say. "We could hear when you were approaching."
"That sucks," she says. "Oh, well! It was fun anyway." When we reach the train tracks, the other half of the players are already there and our team is loudly celebrating.
"Guys, quiet down," Tobias says but he has a huge smile on his face. "I want to thank everyone for a great game tonight. This is what Dauntless is about, teamwork. Now, you all don't have to be in the training room until 10 a.m. Use your time wisely. See you in the morning." As usual his timing is perfect. Just as he finishes his speech, the train comes around the bend. When everyone starts running, a pang of jealousy hits me. I miss the exhilaration and slight terror of jumping on and off the train. I doubt I'll remember how to do it once I'm able. After saying goodbye to Will, Christina, Zeke, and Shauna who all opted to ride the train home, Tobias and I walk back to the car so we can drive home.
"I miss riding the train," I pout.
"I know," he says. I look up at him and frown. "You were watching everyone closely while they were boarding with a sad look on your face."
"Everyone did so well tonight, especially Faith and Avery," I say, changing the subject. Missing the train rides makes me feel guilty, although I'm not entirely sure why. "I saw a whole other side to Faith. She's always done everything well but she seemed like an outcast and tonight she looked and acted like she belonged."
"I think she gets overshadowed by Brody," he says. "I'm thinking of talking to them both and giving them some advice that Amar gave me when I first joined Dauntless."
"What's that?" I ask.
"He told me that joining a faction is about more than getting through initiation," he says as we reach the car. "He went on to say that initiation is when lifelong friendships are forged, enemies are made, and girlfriends or boyfriends are found." He holds my door open, and I thank him as I get in the car. I think about what Amar told him, and he was absolutely right. I met Tobias, Christina, and Peter during my initiation.
"He was right, although you had to wait two years to find your girlfriend," I say. "Was it a long wait?"
"An eternity," he says picking up our joined hands and bringing them to his lips. "It didn't feel like that at the time though. I didn't know what I was missing but looking back … yeah, it was an eternity."
"I love you," I say. "I had fun tonight. I'm glad I was able to come."
"I love you, too," he says. "I'm glad you were up to coming out tonight, too. I had fun sitting on the carrousel shooting people with you." I start laughing and he joins me until we can no longer breathe. "That did sound like we're psychotic serial killers, didn't it?" I nod, still chuckling.
"A bit," I say. We continue chatting and laughing until we pull into the underground garage then we take the deserted path home. The moment we walk into the apartment, Tobias grabs me and pulls me into his arms and kisses me eagerly, taking me by complete surprise but it doesn't take me long to catch up to his mood. It's obvious what he's thinking about with his erection pressing into my stomach. He went from relaxed to aroused in two seconds flat.
"Baby, slow down," I pant against his lips as he's taking my jacket off. He doesn't say anything, he just rips his jacket off, too, and drops it to the floor with mine.
"Zander said all restrictions were lifted," he says, lust thick in his gravelly voice. "I thought about taking you right then."
"You know what I really want?" I say, running my fingertips down his hard chest.
"I can guess, love," he says pulling me closer to him still.
"I really want … a sandwich. I'm starving, baby," I say. "Or maybe I should say Peanut is starving. Either way I really need my husband to feed me." I place a chaste kiss on his stunned, parted lips and give him a sweet little smile.
"You tease," he says with a big grin.
"I'm not a tease," I pout. "I believe you were the one who just attacked me."
"Guilty," he say, taking me by the hand. He leads me into the kitchen and lifts me up on the island. Before he turns I pull him back to me.
"You're not upset with me are you?" I ask, pulling him to me, wrapping my arms around his neck, and kissing is cheek.
"I'm going to be if you don't quit that," he says with a grin on his face but I can see that he means it so I let him go with a pout. He gets all the ingredients out of the fridge for ham and Swiss cheese sandwiches and sits them down beside me. As I watch him assemble the sandwiches, I begin to regret putting a stop to his amorous pursuit. "What are you thinking about?"
"Whether I like you better in the kitchen or the bedroom," I spit out automatically then blush.
"Have you come up with an answer yet?" he asks with a chuckle as he hands me a plate with a sandwich and some potato salad on it.
"I don't know," I say. "You know how I feel about you cooking." He helps me down then gives me a quick kiss. We sit side-by-side at the island eating our middle of the night snack. I moan appreciatively as I take a bite of the delicious late-night snack. "This is so good. I should let you do all the cooking. You're so good at it."
"That's a heck of a compliment coming from someone who's a wonderful cook in her own right," he says.
"You're sweet," I say.
"Don't say that in front of people. You'll ruin my reputation."
"I'll be sure to make an announcement first thing tomorrow morning over the PA system," I say, straight faced. I look at him out of the corner of my eye, and he's staring at me with a smirk on his face. "What's that look for?"
"You're very trying tonight, Mrs. Eaton," he says.
"Trying, Mr. Eaton?" I tease. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"How about I carry you upstairs and tease you for an hour or two?"
"An hour or two?" I choke, my mouth going dry. "Are you really up for that?"
"Oh, you have no idea how up I am," he says, his eyes twinkling. He grabs me up in his arms, taking my breath away and heads toward the steps, forgetting about the mess in the kitchen. I barely have time to drag in an unsteady breath when his lips land on mine aggressively, his kiss demanding, eager. He plunges his tongue into my open mouth after he bites down on my bottom lip and claims my mouth with his. Damn, I want him, probably more than I ever have. He sits me on my feet in the center of our bedroom, and we quickly remove each other's clothes. Our mouths collide as we fall together onto the bed, and I surrender to his touch.