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I can't believe we are at the final story of the year! Wow, this year has been an insane ride!

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WARNING: Possible trigger warning! Will have adult language, sexual content, contains death and violence. Read at your own risk!

This story will be written in both Tris' and Tobias' POV. As well as possible other POV's.

I do not own or take credit for the Divergent series! All credit and ownership goes to Veronica Roth.

About: It's the end of November. An angry, retired military soldier, who is a widow runs a Christmas tree farm. One night during a blizzard he sees the light to his barn on, finding a sleeping, homeless Tris. It's the busiest time of year, he makes Tris a deal that she just can't refuse.

Chapter 1

Tobias the soldier, the husband, the loner

Tobias POV

The Soldier

"Sir, please…. Please… help." I hear from the crowd. Women and men holding up their young and starving children. We have our orders. I shut my eyes for a second, just a second… Blocking the sight before me out of my mind. It could drive anyone crazy, forcing you to be cold and not feel anything. I flex the muscles in my jaw, toughening myself up. I hold on to my rifle tighter, readying myself for anything. One slip, that's it. One slip of orders, one slip of kindness and humanity and it can cost my whole brigade. Good men and women have lost their limbs, if not their lives for that one little slip.

One more week and we head home. One more week and we can enjoy all the little things that Americans take for granted every day. A decent hot meal, a hot shower, ice in our glasses, choices on what to wear, eat and watch. So much we take for granted. So much we wish to ignore. If it's not smacking you right in the face, you tend to ignore it all. Turning your head and pretending like the fight isn't there.

I push beyond that barrier of our base. The wind kicked up the sand making it almost impossible to see.

"Man, that shit is tough… All those kids." Zeke goes off. Shaking his head from side to side. We went towards the back building for debriefing. No one likes this, but it's our job.

The Husband

"Fuck it bro. There has to be something more than just battles and bullets." Zeke says, slamming another shot glass upside down. Zeke laughs as Uriah tries to keep up with his brother, but fails terribly when he coughs out the liquid in his mouth. Obviously not a fan of whiskey. Dumbass.

Zeke stops laughing the minute he sees who just walked in the door. The place is packed beyond what it should be, but I don't think anyone really cares. Just like that Zeke sobers up in a matter of seconds. Taking notice that his highschool sweetheart Shauna just walked in with five other women.

Shauna had always been the one woman that got away from Zeke. Not interested in being in a soldier's life, she decided to walk away from him right before our deployment. Who could blame her? This life isn't for everyone. Shauna's eyes sparkle when she sees Zeke, making her way towards us, she only stops when she is inches from Zeke.

"Shauna." Zeke says, trying so hard to be casual as fuck. But we all know he is dying to grab her and kiss the shit out of her.

"How are you doing, Zeke?" She asks, her smile getting even wider, if that is possible.

"I'm doing good, even better now." He answers, smoothly.

"Really?" She asks, glancing at me and Uriah. "Boys." She greets, casually.

"This is Marlene, Christina, Nita, Molly and Lauren." Shauna points out, "Ladies this is Zeke, his brother Uriah and his buddy Four." I nod at the other women that are with Shauna. One in particular catches my eye.

"I, Tobias Eaton, take Lauren Marie Cooper as my lawful wedded wife. To have and to hold from this day forward, till death do us part." I say, glancing down at the best woman I have ever known. How did I ever get to be so lucky?

"And with those sacred vows I now pronounce you husband and wife." The minister says, "Tobias, you may now kiss your bride." He gestures towards Lauren. You don't have to tell me twice as I lean in crushing her lips with mine. I have to remember that we have an audience before us. We may have kept the wedding small, but we still have an audience. It was a no-brainer to have our ceremony outside in the Millenium park, it was the same spot we had our first kiss and the same spot I proposed to her. It's perfect.

"It will be awesome Four, come on, you know it will…. We can build a store that I can run all year round… And you can run the Christmas tree farm during the holidays and build a barn to work on your furniture business the rest of the year." Lauren says, excitedly, tightening her hand in mine. The realtor closes the door to the house behind us, smiling at the thought of a sale.

"It's a lot of land to care for," I admit, expressing my weariness.

"But we can handle that. You and I…. The dream team. And when we have kids running around we can make it a family business." She continues, "Think about it." Her eyes sparkled, glancing all around us. The two story farmhouse, the potential of so much land, the acres of pine trees… The endless possibilities of our future. How could I say no?

Since we have been married all I have wanted to do was to hand in my weapons for a hammer and nails…To work with my hands and build things rather than take a life with them.

"Okay. Okay." I say, chuckling as I give in. I turn to our realtor who already knows what I'm about to say before the words are out of my mouth. "We'll take it."

And just like that... We became farmers.

The loner

The first six months we really focused on getting things up and running. Getting familiarized with pine tree farming was no easy task. Learning things like temperatures, chemicals, and watering was a lot more than I originally expected. Next we moved on to Lauren's gift shop. It was a 1500 square feet store with a kitchen in the back. Lauren had this big picture of the possibilities. From selling seasonal nicknacks to special one of a kind pieces, even one day selling bakery goods during the seasonal times. We even talked about selling my furniture pieces in the future. We were so blessed, all of our family and friends were more than happy to help out. Christina even helped out with the purchases for the store.

The main house had barely any updates that needed to be done. Just a few rooms needed to be refreshed with a coat of paint. Even the bathrooms we decided to leave in the antique decor, deciding that it fit the house better than updating it to anything more modern.

For the first time in my life, it felt like everything in my life was on track, where it was supposed to be. Business was on track and I had just begun working out in the barn at night. Sanding wood and shaping the wood to where I imagined it should be. Lauren had just sold not one, but two of my furniture pieces when everything came crumbling down.

I remember the day like it was yesterday. It was a rainy afternoon, I was busing myself with a custom order for a recurring client of mine when it happened. Lauren had plans to meet Christina at an indoor farmers market in town. My mind has replayed the moment thousands of times since that day.

Christina was the first to call me, worried that Lauren was so late to meet her. I didn't think anything of it at the time, of course thinking that it was just the rain that must have slowed her down and made her late. It wasn't until an hour later when the police officer showed up at our door, that I knew something had happened.

It was a head on collision, a drunk driver swerved into Lauren's cop assured me that Lauren had no time to react, she was killed instantly before the car blew up. From that moment on it was like I was living someone else's life. Somehow I couldn't wake up from the nightmare that I had found myself in. But I guess a part of me shouldn't have been so surprised… I was never worthy of Lauren's love. How could I deserve it? My own father couldn't find it in him to love me, my mother took the first chance she could to get away from me. Leaving me behind with the monsterpus man that she chose to lay down with. Of course I wouldn't have Lauren for long… I wasn't worthy to keep her.

We buried her in the cemetery that is actually on the farm's land. Feeling it was the right thing to do, she loves this place. It also allowed me to feel close to her, to visit her as often as I wanted to.

For the first few months, it was like torture. All I really wanted to do was crawl into our bed and die along with her. But I wouldn't die. Instead I just layed there, waiting for anything. It was our friends that really pulled their weight on the tree farm. Treating the pine trees, running the store…. I just couldn't find it in my heart to do it all. It felt like the day she died, she took the light out of me. I no longer went into my barn to create anything, the back of the store stayed empty other than the few pieces that were there before she passed away. But life seemed to not stop, it kept moving along with or without us.

The others tried for some time to get me out, to sell the land and move back in town. To even begin to start to think about dating. But I wouldn't have it. It's not what I wanted and still don't want. Slowly over the years they have all given up on me, giving me the space I desire.

It's been two years and I can still hear the sound of her sweet voice calling for me, the smell of her wet hair when she got into bed at night, the smell of the kitchen and the music that she always blasted as she cleaned. But I know it's just the ghost of her, she isn't here.

I have fallen into a routine though. Getting up every morning at the same time. I make the same coffee, scramble eggs and toast that I always do. Never steering too far from my routine. Once I eat, I clean up and head out to the pine tree farm lands. Checking on the temperature, dryness of the soil and the color of the trees. I adjust whatever needs to be made.

My eyes glance at the barn doors knowing I should go in, I should want to work, but I don't. The doors have not been opened since the cops came to tell me the news about Lauren. Whatever projects I was working on, whatever tools I was using at the time have gone untouched since.

I finish walking the grounds, checking for anything that is loose and not tied down. I make sure the doors and windows to the gift shop are locked and secure and that the lights are off. The clouds are rolling in, black and gloomy. The weather report showed a blizzard heading our way. I've already prepared to be held up in the house for at least a week.

I stare off at the double doors to the barn, the feeling of loss fills my stomach. I clench my jaw, refusing to step forward instead my feet move me towards the house, avoiding the barn all together.

The wind picks up as the house settles with each gust. I sit back in my chair, staring out the window. The trees protest against the wind, the frigid air blows hard as the snow falls like sheets.

My eyes scan the grounds that I can see, the store, the driveway being covered by snow, the barn lit up. The barn? My body freezes in shock, there is no way there could be a light on. No one has been in there since… since….

I see a shadow moving along the windows, someone is in there. I contemplate on what to do. It could be a drifter looking for shelter from the storm, it could be someone trying to rip me off, it could be just some kids….

Be as it may… It doesn't give whoever is in there the right to be there. I climb the stairs to my bedroom, taking two steps at a time. I reach my room, loading up my rifle and grabbing my jacket and snow boots on my way out. Whoever it is, I'm coming for you.

I walk through the snow, my boots sinking almost ankle deep in the snow with each step. Soon you won't be able to walk through this. Damn this sucks.

I breathe the freezing cold air deeply, the cold air cutting my lungs. I open one door just enough to slip into the barn. I quietly move through the barn, noticing my work space not being touched. But notice that the small fireplace is light, warming the space around me. Other than the crackle of wood burning, the place is quiet. I hold my rifle up moving along the barn. The shadow came from the sitting area that I would use for clients. Remembering there was a small couch set up over there.

I walk slowly towards that side of the barn, my muscle memory kicks in to move quietly and not make one sound with each step that I take. That's when I see her, it is a she. Her petite size fits perfectly on the small couch as she is curled up under the two fleece blankets that I kept out here. Her long blonde, silky hair is covering her face. For the first time in a long time I forgot everything in my life. All the hurt and pain. The threatening blizzard outside is forgotten. I take a seat at my small desk across the way, laying the rifle down. I stare at the blonde beauty before me. Amazed at the tenderness and strength that she has.

A/N

And just like that… We have the first chapter of the twelve days of Christmas.

Comment below, let me know what your thoughts are.

Please look out for the next author's note that will be written on Christmas morning.

It will discuss the next project that will start in 2024

Revised by: FDFobsessed

Like always, happy reading everyone, be safe, stay healthy and Happy Holidays!
Trini