A/N: Thank you all so much for your patience! I cannot describe the thrill I get when I read your comments. I'm so glad you're enjoying this. Please let me know what you think!

Chapter 3: It's Not How Big, It's How Mean...

He is given an apartment.

It feels odd to have his own space. There are locks on his doors and no one else around that he has to avoid. It is his.

The walls are bare and he is lacking in essentials. He had things in his former residence, but there's no chance of him going to retrieve them. Anything of sentimental value, he carried with him to his training.

He is given a day to organize his apartment before he is put back to work. It is enough time to arrange his bed, obtain the necessary items and get groceries. He already knows how he will fill some of the open space. It will just take time.

There is a knock on the door. Eric pauses from where he is putting away the food he obtained. Erudite has a cafeteria, but he learnt long ago to fend for himself. He hesitates. This place is already a sanctuary. He does not want it defiled if his parents have deemed it their duty to visit.

He straightens his spine into steel and opens the door.

To his surprise, it is not his parents. Stanley stands on the other side with a woman who bears a startling resemblance to Amelia. It is her mother, he realizes.

"I apologize for the intrusion," Stanley says. "I know you are adapting."

"Not at all," Eric replies, still in shock. "Come in." Eric moves out of the way and motions for the couple to enter. He is only a little disappointed that they are alone, but he does not allow it to show.

"I'm Rachel," the woman introduces herself.

"My wife," Stanley says.

"It is a pleasure to meet you," Eric says before shaking her hand.

Stanley continues talking. "I came to drop this off." Only then does Eric realize the man is holding a bundle in his hands. "It's not much, but I thought you might appreciate being in uniform. Consider it a welcome gift." Stanley hands it to Eric. He unfolds the bundle. It is a new jumpsuit, one that matches Stanley's. It is far closer to Eric's size.

He does not know what to say. The only person to ever truly gift something to him was Ethan and that was long ago.

"I have no words," he finally admits. "I was already in your debt over the internship."

"Nonsense," Rachel says with a smile. "You're a young man who is now a fully-fledged Erudite. It's a small token to welcome you to the faction."

"The internship you achieved on your own merits," Stanley adds. "You would not have succeeded if you did not work hard for it."

Eric's throat tightens. "Thank you."

They both smile at him.

He clears his throat before nodding. "Can I offer you anything?" He asks. "Something to drink?"

"No, thank you," Rachel says. "We simply wanted to offer our congratulations and to bring you that." She smiles warmly. "I have heard many good things about you, Eric. It is rare that Stanley sees potential in one your age. I hope you will continue to make him proud."

Eric nods instantly. "I will." His mind is reeling and he can feel a flush crawling up his neck at this rare praise. If Rachel has heard about him, then likely Stanley has spoken about him at home. Amelia must be aware of him too.

"We won't keep you," Stanley says. They turn to head back to the door. "I expect to see you first thing in the morning."

"Of course."

"Oh!" Rachel pauses and faces Eric. "Is there anything you need for your household? I understand that it is a big responsibility to undertake."

"I'm alright," Eric says. "I have the basics and went grocery shopping this morning." He looks at Stanley. "I considered your advice. I have an ancient recipe book I thought I might try, now that I have space." The book was given to him by Ethan. It was supposed to be a joke. He never bothered to open it. Until now.

"I'm glad to hear it," Stanley says.

Rachel looks a little surprised but she smiles again when he looks at her. "It is good to know you have it well in hand. You'll have to come over for dinner sometime."

Eric feels as though the world has stopped. "I would love to."

"Excellent. Have a good night Eric."

"You too, thank you again."

They both wave him off and leave him. Eric closes the door and faces his apartment, stunned. He was invited to dinner. Amelia's parents stopped by his apartment to bring him a gift and invite him to dinner. Stanley spoke highly about him in his home. His girl knows he exists.

This family is a drastic change from any he has known. It is a terrifying relief to know that Amelia did not face what he did. This family continues to surprise him at every single turn. He knows there's at least one more that he has not met. He wonders what awaits him when he does.

He resolves to try out one of the recipes in the book Ethan gave him so he won't come to dinner empty-handed. Something simple that he can practice until he can produce a perfect result. Nothing less would be acceptable.

Eric is on his way to meet Stanley in one of the labs when he sees her.

It's the first time since his meeting with Jeanine. She looks exactly the same. Her hair is tied back and her posture perfect as she heads to a stairwell that will likely take her towards the library.

She's alone like she often is. He wonders if she has friends. He rarely sees her with other people and the few times he has, she hasn't looked impressed. It doesn't matter. When he finally gets her attention, she won't be alone anymore. Neither of them will.

A couple of Dauntless, close to their choosing day if he has to guess their age, run up the stairs past her. He sees one of them bump into her. Eric is too far away to catch her, to stop her from falling. No one else tries.

Amelia tumbles down the stairs and he hears the crack echo across the hall. It feels as though it's branded into his mind. She doesn't scream. The Dauntless turn to look. The one that knocked her over laughs.

"Get your head out of your books and look where you're going, nose!" he says before they take off.

Eric sees red. It is only the fact that Amelia is still on the floor that stops him from chasing after them.

Eric shoves his way forward, past the few people that are just standing around and watching her.

"Are you alright?" he asks, bending down to her level. Her arm is broken. He can see the bone sticking out of the skin.

He meets Amelia's eyes. While there are tears, she has not let them fall. Instead, she looks furious. There is a fire in her eyes that sparks something in him.

"I'm fine," she says. She moves to stand on her own but Eric steps closer and helps her up.

"You need the infirmary."

"I'll walk," she says. She takes a deep breath and holds her injured arm close to her. Eric hears the small whimper she makes, but she doesn't show it. She holds her head high. "Thank you," she says before she leaves. He hesitates on letting her go alone before someone calls her name and runs up to her. They lead her in the direction of the infirmary.

Once Eric knows that she's safe, he leaves. He has something to take care of.

It isn't hard to find the Dauntless.

They tend to travel in packs. Eric was right about the age as he overhears them talking about their Choosing Ceremony next year.

He plots out the likely travel path and waits. When the kid passes him, miraculously alone, Eric calls out.

"Hey!"

The Dauntless turns and Eric slams the textbook he's been carrying into their face. He does it again before they knock it out of his hands. Eric grabs him. The Dauntless is more physically fit, but Eric is older and uses his size and experience against him.

The Dauntless strikes at his chest, hitting his ribs. Eric grunts but does not let go. The kid yells and Eric tries to grab his mouth or chin, anything to keep him from making more noise. He gets an elbow in his stomach for his efforts.

The kid tries to slam his fist into Eric's face and he just barely manages to dodge it, getting hit in the shoulder instead. The pain just fuels Eric's anger.

The Dauntless tries to get away, calling out. Eric yanks him back.

They grapple for a moment before Eric manages to knock the kid over the railing. He watches as the Dauntless falls, smashing into another railing before finally hitting the ground. Eric watches for a moment, feeling more satisfied than he expected.

He won. The Dauntless are known for their skill and strength and yet Eric won. He sheds a layer, using his jacket to clean up the blood that has spilt where he's standing. He grabs his book and checks that nothing is out of place. He tosses one last look at the boy on the ground before he leaves.

He knows that they'll consider this an accident, one of the Dauntless doing some foolish act that got out of hand. He chose the spot for a reason. There are no cameras and no proof. He has no regrets. The boy got what was coming to him.

Eric stares at himself in the mirror that night. The bruises from the few hits the kid got are starting to show. The part of him that wanted to be Dauntless approves at the sight. They are signs of a fight he won but he'll have to be careful to conceal them until they fade away.

As he gets dressed, he makes a decision. He's going to need all the knowledge and skill he can get. Jeanine planned for him to be in Dauntless but that does not mean her plans have failed simply because he chose a different path. He needs to be stronger. He needs to train.

The librarian greets Eric like an old friend. Considering the help the man inadvertently gave him last time, he tolerates it. Barely.

"How are you enjoying Erudite as a new member? Of course, I was not surprised when I heard. Jeanine knows what she's doing." The man says as he grins at him. "Is there anything I can help you with today?"

Eric pauses for a moment and considers his options. It's not that he won't be able to find what he needs, but he knows that the process will be done a lot smoother with assistance. "I'm looking for anything you have on self-defence?"

The man stares at him for a moment before he nods. "Follow me."

He leads Eric through the stacks, pausing for moments before he pulls books off the shelf. Eric follows silently as the man moves quickly. He finally stops and turns to face Eric.

"I pulled some of what you're looking for and some recommendations. I suggest, if you are looking into the field, you start with these." He takes the three books off of the pile and hands them to him. "These are the ones that will suit your purpose." He hands over the rest of the books.

Eric glances through them. None of the names are familiar but The Prince and The Art of War stand out. They do not seem like instruction manuals. "This will be sufficient."

[tbc]