Hey readers, here is the next chapter. Thank you to everyone who continues to support this story through your various ways. I hope you enjoy this chapter. I don't own Divergent. I only own the plot, any military-related mistakes are mine. Just a reminder I have taken some liberties in regards to the military. Happy Reading!

Chapter 28: Crazy?

Three sets of eyes stare at me. My hands shake, holding Tobias's orders and the photographs that were sent. I feel like I'm going crazy! Sam whispers, "Are you okay?" His eyes bounce between my hands and face. He steps closer. Chris glances at Will with concern sweeping across her features like she might have said the wrong thing. I shove everything into my back pocket and push open the front door, answering, "Yeah, I'm fine," attempting to sound confident with my answer. When the front door shuts, Christina turns, glaring at Sam, a smile tugs at her lips, "So, will you meet Stacy? Will you give her a chance, at least? She seems like a sweet girl." I whirl on Christina, a deadly look in my eye. I snap sarcastically, "You mean Four's crazy, psycho, ex-girlfriend?"

Christina stares, asking, "Four had a crazy ex-girlfriend, who was psycho? I don't recall you mentioning this." A look of hurt crosses through her eyes. Nodding my head, smacking my hand on my forehead, I yell, "Yes, Chris, I did!" I feel like screaming at the top of my lungs from the frustration. I continue, "Do you remember me calling you, telling you about the gossip happening between my neighbors who moved in next door when I was still with Peter? She taps her chin momentarily, her eyes widen, asking, "Yeah, wait, that was Four? He had a girlfriend named Stacy? That Stacy turned out to be crazy? How do you know this is the same Stacy that used to go out with Four? There is more than one Stacy in the United States." Christina glances at me like I have lost my mind. Her eyes dart between Sam, Will, and me.

"I just know. Listen to me for once in your life. I saw her this morning when I got a flat tire on the truck. She stopped on the side of the road because she saw me. She believed I was still with Peter and that I married him when she saw my wedding band." At Peter's name and wedding band, Christina's face turns white. She looks like she is going to vomit or pass out. Interestedly, Christina asks, "How did you answer her question?" Shrugging my shoulders, I reply, "She didn't give me a chance to answer. She was too busy asking about Four, questioning what finally made him sell his truck after all these years, and wondering why he wasn't returning her phone calls. I never told her we were married. I wasn't aware she was still calling Four's cellphone."

Chris asks, "Why the hell didn't you tell her that you were married to him? Why didn't you tell her to stop harassing him!" Confusion crosses her features momentarily. Sarcastically, I reply, "That would have made for great conversation, Chris! I can see it now, in my mind, how that would have gone over! Hey Stacy! Remember your ex-boyfriend, the one you are still pining for after all these months, I'm sort of married to him. We had a fake wedding in Vegas, and, about a month later, we had a real wedding. It's none of her business!" My eyes dart toward Sam and Will and the sound of laughter in the tense room. They both look ready to die of it. Sadness fills Christina's eyes, "Four and you had a ceremony in Vegas? Why didn't you ever tell me?"

Exhaling deeply, I reply, "To be fair, we never told anyone really. We were drunk when we got married without a license, and I woke up wearing part of Tobias's dog tag as a wedding ring. After a small misunderstanding, he came back to the room with a wedding band for me to wear because he felt awful about the situation. I was wearing my wedding band at Andrews, and I was telling everyone it was a commitment ring." Chris's bottom lip trembles, asking, "I thought I was your best friend, why didn't you tell me?" I answer back truthfully, "You are my best friend, but I didn't want to hurt your feelings. I was attempting to protect you, and I knew you wanted to design my wedding dress whenever Tobias and I really tied the knot. It's all you talked about. I was stupid. Can you forgive me?" She shrugs her shoulders. Slowly, her arms wrap around my waist, pulling me into a hug, muttering, "I guess, but I better be getting a baby named after me." I giggle, "I'll discuss it with Tobias, and we will see what we can come up with, whenever we have a baby." My eyes glance at Sam and Will while my mind drifts to Tobias's one request today: replace the spare tire on the truck once on base. I ask, "Can one of you help me find a good auto shop around who won't attempt to sell me a million things because I'm a woman? I need to get a tire replaced. Tobias will have my ass if I'm driving around on that spare tire for too long."

Sam smiles, "I know of one place, near my base. They do work for really cheap. Actually, if you get the new tire, I can probably fix it for you myself at the shop. The guy who owns the shop lets me work on my car there all the time." My eyes widen at Sam's words. What else has Sam learned to do in our time away from one another? My wandering mind is interrupted by Christina's groaning voice, "I know you are keeping juicy details from me about the story of Stacy and Four! Now, you are attempting to change the conversation by telling me about a fake wedding in Vegas. What else aren't you telling me?" Rolling my eyes at her, I grin, "Nothing." She smirks, "Good, now spill the beans about Stacy. I want to know all the dirt on this crazy girl." I groan, "Fine, Stacy mentioned she was a clerk or something like that at a local Wawa. I wasn't paying much attention to her. She invited me to hang out with her. She wants to catch up as if we were buddies in California. That girl is batshit crazy. She is nothing but trouble. Trust me, in California, I went out with her a few times before Tobias and I were together, and every single time we went out, she cheated on Four because he was overseas. Wait, she told you she was single, Chris?" Chris nods her head. I continue, "That's funny. I doubt she threw away her relationship with Eric. I mean, he was a major part of the reason why her and Tobias's relationship failed in the first place. She told me once that she loved Eric more than she could ever love Tobias, and that Tobias was merely a convenience to her, in the end of things. A tiger never changes its stripes." My eyes angrily turn toward Will's green beret held in his hand. I snap, "And you, mister, 'I will have to shoot you if I tell you what I do for a living in the Army,' I know what you do! I know how to read a damn uniform now, thanks to my husband." I notice Will gulp. Christina glances at Will with curiosity, and he shrugs his shoulders. Confusion laces his eyes at my sudden outburst. Suddenly, I storm out the door, down the porch steps, and leave everyone standing in my house in shock.

I glance down the road, attempting to decide which way to storm. Anger and frustration consume me. Frustration shoots through my chest. I'm frustrated with Christina for not listening to me and trying to set Sam up with Stacy. I'm angry with Will for lying to me about what he does in the Army. A male voice yells, "Tris!" I can't stop walking, unable to contain my anger. Quick footsteps continue to follow mine, running after me. I continue walking toward an unknown destination. A hand wraps around my wrist, as I spin around, ready to punch whoever is touching me without permission. Sam immediately drops his hand, holding both hands up in the air. He asks, "Tris, what the hell happened back there?"

Tears form in my eyes, unable to contain the moisture any longer. Frustration explodes within my chest. I yell, "Will lied to me! You know, the one time I asked him what he did in the Army in New York, he said, if he ever told me, he would have to kill me, and now I know how to read his uniform thanks to Tobias. I know he is an airborne ranger, a green beret. Why couldn't he have told me that before?" Sam stares at me, a smirk tugging at his lips. Slowly, he wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me tightly against his chest while the tears continue to flow from my eyes. While he rubs my back, murmuring, "Maybe, he was messing with you. We have both known Will for years. He is the type of guy who likes to joke around. He was probably doing that."

I cry, "Don't make excuses for him," as the ugly tears continue to leak from my eyes onto his shirt. I wish Tobias had been in the crowd of people at the National Guard hanger today or with Will. I feel stupid for getting my hopes up for thinking such a thing! Sam's voice breaks my inner turmoil, whispering, "He probably doesn't want to worry Chris or you, but you do realize Will is special forces, right?"

My face drops. I say, "I know the green berets are special forces." Sam sighs, "Will might be more than just a green beret." Glancing at Sam, I ask, "How do you know?" How does Sam know that when I don't? Sam shrugs his shoulders, answering, "Call it a hunch. Did you see the patch on the right upper shoulder of his arm? The one with the red arrowhead and the sword on the inside. That's a special forces patch." Glancing at Sam, I ask, "What kind of special forces?" He murmurs, "I don't work with the special forces guys very often, especially Army guys, but there have been a few times I have, and Will is definitely some sort of special forces type in the Army." Staring at Sam, I ask, "Is that why he takes off all the time without a word? You know Chris calls him James Bond behind his back. He really is like a secret agent." Sam adds, "Perhaps," shrugging his shoulders. I continue, "Actually, he is more like Batman. He is usually never in his uniform. Is that why the Army lets him get away with having facial hair and longer hair? I always wondered why everyone else had to be clean shaven, and Will didn't have to be." Sam smirks at me, a knowing smile crosses his lips when two sets of footsteps approach behind me. I turn to find Will and Chris, trailing up the road. A worried expression, playing on both of their lips. I glance at Will; a new appreciation blooms in my chest for one of my best friends. He comes close to death every time he leaves in the middle of the night or unexpectedly. When Will draws closer, I jump from Sam's arms, and I pull him into a tight hug, whispering, "I'm glad you are home and safe."

Suspiciously, Will smiles, answering, "Me too. I missed you and Chris. Now, let's go unpack all those boxes of yours." I smirk, "Sounds like a plan." I lead everyone back to the house, and, with Chris leading the team of Sam, Will, Mattie, Stephen, and I, we manage to arrange the house in an orderly fashion. While my eyes skate around the living room, a smile falls upon my lips. This is just the way I imagined it. While unpacking, Will continues to tease me about my odd outburst while Sam and he move the furniture into the proper places. Meanwhile, Christina and I stand by a window, watching them struggle. Rolling my eyes at Will's last teasing remark, I grin, "Let's have the pizza now!" Will pats his stomach, smirking, "You mean the pizza I ate for lunch?" Christina tosses a pillow at him, laughing, "You pig! That was for everyone!" Stephen snatches Mattie up from the ground, happily smirking, "Daddy is supposed to be stopping over for a visit on his way back to New Jersey, and this one needs a bath before he gets here." A giggle escapes my lips when my eyes fall onto Mattie's appearance. She is covered in bubble wrap head-to-toe, looking like a wrapped Mummy. Giggling, I wave, "Bye, Mattie!" She runs at me, singing, "Bye, Miss. Tris! I miss you! Come visit!"

I smile, "I'll see you soon, I promise, " while Stephen picks her up, tickling her, walking out the door. Sam glances at me, replying, "Beer and pizza sound like a fantastic dinner idea to me." Glancing at Will and Chris, I ask, "Are you guys in?" Will gives Christina a questioning look. Their eyes meet, and I can tell they have missed each other deeply. Will kisses Chris on the forehead, pulling her into his chest. She giggles, "Tris, as much as we would love to stay for pizza tonight, I already sort of planned to make Will's favorite steaks for dinner since he was coming home today." I sigh, "That's fine," standing to hug them goodbye. While saying goodbye, Will reaches into his jacket pocket, smiling, "I almost forgot to give this to you. It's from Four. He asked me to give it to you whenever I saw you." My heart pounds in my chest when my fingers make contact with the letter. My eyes are drawn to his messy handwriting and my name written on the front of the envelope. I place the letter on the table, waiting to open it when no one is around.

When Will and Chris leave, Sam and I decide to make pizza bagels and watch a movie like we used to in high school, but neither of us even glance at the screen the film is playing on. We are too busy reminiscing about the good old days while we devour the food and drink the root beer on the floor under a fleece blanket. Under the glowing light of the massive flat-screen television and after our lengthy conversation about the good times, we attempt to figure out a plan to deal with Stacy after the Christmas holiday is over.

Thoughts and opinions on this chapter? I can't wait to hear them! What do you think is going to happen with Tris meet with Stacy? The next chapter will be updated on the weekend of February 26.