Happy Sunday! Hope you enjoy this chapter! Love Ya'll
Tris and Max make their way through the Factionless section. They were scoping out areas to place more cameras as well as see if they could get a look at any surveillance particular to the Factionless. He had intentionally wanted Tris to work on the factionless section to give her an excuse to be able to see Natalie. Today he wanted to see her in action, watch her make decisions. He could tell she was creative in addressing problems and he wanted to see how she processed information to make decisions in the field. She was going to be a great leader one day.
"Daddy, can I ask why Dauntless doesn't help all the older members instead of telling them they have to leave? No other faction does that"
Max thinks about it for a moment as he drives and the trunk bounces along the uneven road. He could tell his daughter was naturally curious, her erudite aptitude showing often.
"I guess it's been the way it's always been done, that's what I was taught when I became a leader"
"So, you could change it? You're in charge, all you have to do is ask for a vote" Tris asks him turning to him. She'd spent the weeks since initiation was over reading Dauntless law, trying to learn everything Tobias had been studying for the last year and some things just didn't make sense to her.
Max thinks about it as he pulls the vehicle to a stop.
"I guess you're right. Is that what you would do?"
"Yes, we could help them, find a place easier for them to get around, they are our family and friends, we shouldn't just throw them away" Tris states before she opens the door to the truck.
She stops as she closes the door and then feels bad for what she just said. Max can see her demeanor change. He walks over to his daughter and places his hands on her arms.
"What's wrong Baby Girl"
She bites her lip and then looks up at him still feeling embarrassed.
"I guess it's still hard for me not to think like the Abnegation"
"Growing up in Abnegation, being divergent, Abnegation is a part of you. Don't think that you shouldn't embrace that. Do you know why we picked Christina for the task force?"
Tris thinks about it for a minute, and she understands what her father was hinting at. Christina was using her Candor skills to aid Dauntless. She could do the same from her Abnegation upbringing.
"And what about Uriah? And your Aunt Hana. It's naive of us to think we can't use everyone's strengths"
"Did you always think this way?" Tris asks. She liked the fact that her father didn't mind her curiosity, especially since Andrew always frowned upon it.
Max walks to the back of the truck to grab their backpacks and weapons as he thinks.
"Honestly no, since I learned about you and found your mother again, it's really changed how I see things. I used to only think about Dauntless and how things in the city affected Dauntless. These past five months have been a learning experience for me"
Tris smiles as she takes a gun and places it in her holster on her hip. She was glad that her father was growing and changing his thoughts, and she was a part of that. It made her feel like she had a purpose.
"And one day, you will be a leader, you already think like one, maybe when I'm gone you and Four can help make Dauntless even better"
They started walking slowly away from the truck and Tris could tell Max was thinking about something as he scanned the area.
"You want to be Factionless with Mom, don't you," Tris asks looking over at him.
Max sighs. He never wanted to lie to his daughter, he'd missed her so much already, and he didn't want to give her a reason not to trust him.
"That's what I wanted but your mother, she's stubborn, and then once I met you, I couldn't leave you. I have this chance to get to know my daughter and I don't want to miss any more time with you. But one day when I'm too old to be in Dauntless, Nat and I can finally be together"
Tris nods. She could understand. Her parents had missed out on a lifetime together. Her father was right, she was going to be a leader and she could change things.
Max points out to Tris as they walk the existing cameras. As many times as Tris had walked the section, she'd never noticed them before. He gets her to start looking for places for additional cameras and she asks questions about the patrol area perimeter, patrol rotations, and patrol staffing. They stop and converse with a Dauntless patrol and hear about what they've seen so far that day.
"You're kind of good at this," Tris says with a smile. She'd had more time to watch her father interact with people and give out commands. He listened and could decide on a course of action quickly.
Max smiles and feels his heart warm at this daughter's compliment.
"It's taken many years for me to learn some of it."
"Stop here" He puts his hand up. They were outside of the patrol area now and he heard movement. Max pulls them into a doorway and draws his weapon.
"I have good information that Dauntless is going to be patrolling Abnegation, we might have an opportunity to gain more weapons"
Tris furrows her eyes as she listens to the woman talk.
"Evelyn will want to know as soon as possible," A man with a deep voice asks.
"Do you think she knows what she's doing meeting with Erudite without Natalie?" the woman explains with a hint of arrogance in her tone.
"We'll deal with Natalie when we need to, She's preoccupied now, and Evelyn thinks she's lost her way. But she can't stop what's coming"
Tris grits her teeth and balls up her fists.
Max grabs her hand and puts a finger over his lips telling Tris she needed to stay quiet. The pair keep walking and Max waits a few minutes before he looks out to make sure they are gone.
"Are they going to hurt Mom?" Tris asks in a panic.
"Not a chance in hell" Max reassures her. They move quickly, making their way to Natalie's home.
Tris feels her face fall when they get there and hear yelling coming from inside.
"Calm down, she's okay, I know she is" Max reassures her in a whisper.
"What do you mean Evelyn, we can't do this, we discussed this," Natalie yells.
"No, you decided that Natalie, the rest of us didn't" Evelyn snaps back. "If you actually spent any time with the council, you would realize that. We aren't in Abnegation anymore. We have to take what we want by force. Marcus and Andrew need to be exposed. You don't think Marcus and Andrew need to pay for what they did to you and me?"
"If you cared you would want to see your son, and not just think about making Andrew and Marcus pay. Your son needs you…" Natalie snaps crossing her arms. She couldn't believe Evelyn. After all the years they had spent supporting each other, Evelyn was just out for her own interests.
"Just because you have this fantasy you are living, thinking you and your children can live this happy life and you're still factionless, doesn't mean I want that Natalie. Stop lying to yourself that this is going to end up with some fairytale ending…"
Evelyn stops when she sees two Dauntless entering the door.
"Max, Tris…" Natalie gasps when she sees them too.
Tris runs into her mother's arms. It had been almost four months since she'd seen her mother. Tris looks at the woman as Natalie hugs her close and she looks familiar. Then it clicked with the argument she had just overheard.
"You're Tobias' mother, aren't you?" Tris asks in disbelief. She remembered going to her funeral. It was the first day she met Tobias.
"That was a different life," Evelyn says coldly.
"But he needed you, he still does…You have to tell him you're alive" Tris pleads.
"Contrary to what you think I don't" Evelyn replies smugly.
"Watch yourself Evelyn" Natalie warns taking a step toward her and pushing Tris behind her.
Evelyn rolls her tongue over the back of her teeth. Natalie was always Dauntless no matter how much she tried to hide it, and its times like this, it reared its head.
"You know where to find me when you come to your senses" Evelyn challenges as she walks to the door. She knows the truth now, with Natalie standing with her family. She would never choose the Factionless now.
Natalie grabs his arm when Max goes to move. Max follows her with his eyes but doesn't say anything. Natalie lets out a sigh when she hears the door slam. She was still angry with Evelyn, but she didn't want to ruin the moment.
Before she can say a word, Max pulls her to him, hugging her. It had been a few weeks since they had seen each other. He never failed to make her knees go weak when he held her.
"You okay?" He whispers. She nods and he dips his head giving her a kiss. She had missed him so much these past few weeks. Max chuckles when Natalie smiles against his lips when a giggle comes from the other side of the room.
They both turn their head and see Tris smiling from ear to ear. Tris moves over to her parents and Max wraps them both in his arms. He hears Natalie sniffle against his chest, and it damn nearly breaks him.
"I have wanted this moment since the day you were born," Natalie tells Tris who was also crying. "I'm so sorry it took 18 years" Max can't hold back the tears anymore. The feeling of having Natalie and Tris in his arms completed him in a way he couldn't describe with words, and he could tell Natalie felt the same way.
"Hey, we're together now, that's what matters," Tris tells her.
"She's right" Max reassures her with a shaky voice.
They stay like that for a few more minutes. Max knows he would lay his life down to protect both of them. He realizes things are closer to boiling over than he thought, and he has to keep them both safe.
When they finally break apart Tris and Natalie work together to prepare lunch for them out of the supplies they had brought. Max unpacks the other things he brought for Natalie and as he sits back, he tries to soak up everything about the moment, wanting to remember it forever as he watched the love of his life and his daughter chatter together while they cooked.
Tris smiles as she watches her parents together. They fit perfectly together; in a way, she knows Natalie would never have fit with Andrew. It makes her feel complete in a way. Over lunch, Natalie reaches over and grabs Max by the hand, as Tris talks about how much she loves her Aunt Hana and her cousins and the morning she and Max spent at the shooting range.
"Nat, we need to talk about what happened today," Max tells her setting his fork down.
Natalie nodded, knowing that this little bubble they were in couldn't last forever, no matter how perfect the last hour had been.
"Evelyn is…determined. She has the ear of the Factionless, she's going to take what she wants by force with or without the support of Erudite" Natalie explains.
"Why was she made Factionless?" Tris asks with concern in her voice.
"She had an affair too, Marcus deemed it a fitting punishment. No one asked questions, because the Abnegation are too damned short-sighted to make it their business and even ask questions"
Tris feels the anger rise up in her at Marcus and Andrew. "How can people just let them do things like this?"
"We're going to stop them, I promise" Max reassures her.
Natalie wants to believe Max, but Marcus and Andrew have been doing what they wanted for over 20 years.
"Why doesn't she want to see Tobias?" Tris asks quietly.
"I don't know Baby," Natalie tells her honestly. "She never looked back when she became Factionless, except for wanting revenge. I've tried over the years especially after we found each other but she hasn't changed her mind"
Tris quickly wipes a tear from her cheek. How could Evelyn be so cruel? Tobias deserved better. Natalie reaches over and gives her leg a squeeze to comfort her.
"Nat, we overheard two people talking, I'm worried she might try and make an example of you or at least try and get you out of the way, especially after the argument we walked in on between you and Evelyn," Max confesses.
"What did they say?" Natalie's eyebrows furrowed. She knew things were strained between her and Evelyn, but she never thought she would turn her back on her.
"That Evelyn's been meeting with Erudite behind your back, they had some intel about us patrolling Abnegation too" Max wondered where that information was coming from but that was the least of his worries right now.
"They said they would have to deal with you" Tris adds in the anger evident in her voice.
Natalie clenches her jaw. If this was how Evelyn was going to play the game, there would be no turning back.
"Nat, we need to get you out of here," Max tells her. "It's time"
"Not yet" Natalie challenges. She had a plan, and knowing that Evelyn didn't trust her, she needed to move quickly.
Max sighs and shakes his head. Natalie had to be the most stubborn person he had ever met.
"I don't have a good feeling about this, Nat, Evelyn knows you aren't on her side, they are meeting without you, every day you stay here you are in more danger."
"Not yet..."
"But Mommy..." Tris had a nervous energy now as she looked between her parents, neither of them backing down.
"I need to figure out a few more things, as soon as I have a plan and as soon as I take care of everything, I will leave. I just need some more time, hopefully only a few more weeks, I promise"
Max nods in agreement. There was no changing her mind and he knew it but this time he wasn't going to let her dictate everything and he was going to make that clear.
"The first sign of trouble you call and get the hell out of here and head to Dauntless. I'm working setting up safe houses," Max says his voice gruff and full of emotion, locking eyes with Natalie. "I will not lose you again. Do you hear me?"
She nods, tears burning her eyes. Max looked so fierce and determined. His look told her that he would drag her out here if she didn't come willingly. Tris scoots closer to her mother and Natalie puts her arm around her. She knew she had to fight for her family just like Max had tried to and every time she was the one to pull away and stop it.
After another hour, Max knows he and Tris need to get moving. He lets Tris and Natalie have a moment together before he says goodbye.
"My precious girl, I am so proud of you, ranking first, going into leadership. This is what I wanted for you, the life I wanted you to live," Natalie says as she holds Tris by the shoulders so she can look at her. It made all the hardship she had endured worth it. Max smiles as he sees Tris stand a little taller as her mother praises her.
"I love you so much, do you hear me?" Natalie's voice cracks and Tris feels her own eyes well up with tears as she hugs her mother. Today had been an emotional day but so many of her tears were happy tears. She would treasure this day with both her parents forever.
"I love you too Mom"
Natalie gives her a kiss on the forehead and Max comes over pulling them close to lean against him.
"Always and Forever, right?" Tris smiles as she looks at her parents.
"Yes, Always and forever," Natalie says.
'Always and forever" Max repeats as well.
Caleb wakes up and looks at the ceiling. Jacob Eversley's funeral had been the day before. He hated Abnegation funerals, no one was allowed to fully express their grief, it was controlled and felt forced. The one good thing was that now that the funeral was over and a respectable time of mourning had passed, he and Marlene would be able to move forward with their wedding.
Andrew was still paranoid. Caleb knew of his father's disdain for Dauntless but for once, Andrew seemed comforted by the people dressed in black in the streets of Abnegation. Andrew and Marcus had no idea if whoever killed Jabob was also coming for them.
Caleb had moved into his and Marlene's new home after initiation while Marlene continued to stay in the dorms. He couldn't wait to be with her, hold her close a night with no worries of being proper and having to hide expressing their love. After taking a quick shower he heads downstairs and smiles when he hears a knock at the door. He and Marlene usually had breakfast together since they weren't allowed to spend the night alone. He needed to find some time to see his mother but ever since Jacob's murder, Andrew had him closer than ever. Andrew proposed for Caleb to take the now vacant spot on the governing council which the council accepted. This had always been the plan, but the timeline had been sped up, which Andrew admitted the day before was the one good thing that had come out of the current circumstances.
"You know you don't have to knock" Caleb chuckles as he opens the door but then stops when he sees a Dauntless man with caramel skin and dark hair standing there.
"Caleb Prior?"
"Yes…" Calebs says slowly.
"May I come in?"
Caleb nods and steps aside.
"My name is Amar, I'm the new Dauntless liaison for Abnegation. I'll be here more often as we look to increase security measures in Abnegation. We thought you should have this" Amar hands Caleb a large duffle bag.
Caleb furrows his eyebrows but still takes the bag and sets it on the dining table.
They both look up when the front door opens again, and Marlene comes in carrying a few bags.
"Hi Baby, Sorry I'm late, I was up baking bread this morning with Ms. Haskins to take with me to the Factionless"
Marlene stops when she notices someone else in the house.
"Oh hello," she says slowly moving across the room to set the bags on the table.
"This is Amar" Caleb informs her.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Marlene" Marlene bows her head and Amar does the same. He looked familiar to her; she knew she'd seen him before she left Dauntless.
"Marlene's my fiancée, you can speak freely in front of her"
Amar nods. "Your sister and Tobias say hello" He reaches into his pocket, grabs a letter, and hands it to Caleb.
Caleb quickly reads it and then hands it to Marlene to read.
Caleb,
There are things happening with Erudite. Be careful. The Factionless are also planning an attack and aligning with Erudite. Mom might need to hide out. If anything happens, get out as fast as you can and head for Dauntless. We are still working on putting the pieces together.
I miss you, be careful.
Tris.
"I need to get going to meet with Marcus in case anyone is watching. If you need to contact us…" Amar nods to the bag.
"Thank you for helping us," Marlene tells him, looping her arm through Calebs and resting her hand on his forearm.
Amar smiles as he exits, closing the door behind him.
"They want us to run to Dauntless if something happens…" Caleb says as he puts the things back. as he moves back. He finds a radio, a few guns with ammunition, and a set of Dauntless clothing for him and Marlene.
"Well, if something goes down, where would you rather be? Who do you think Erudite would take out first?" Marlene reasons.
"You're right…Mom said, save as many as we can if something happens"
"Can you go see my mother today? Do you remember how to get there?" Caleb asks.
Marlene nods. Now more than ever she was glad she grew up in Dauntless, if there was going to be a war, she was going to fight to protect herself and Caleb.