All characters from Divergent belong to Veronica Roth as well as all characters from Twilight belong to Stephanie Meyer. I own nothing except my version of events.
A/N: A couple of things before you start reading:
My aim is to post twice a week like I did on my last story (Thursdays and Sundays) but there is a giant 'but' attached to that statement. I have a lot of stuff going on this month, especially the last week of June, and so I might not be able to keep that as consistent as I was able to on my last story. Sorry in advance.
Another thing I wanted to make clear was at what age Tobias and Bella were on the last chapter, they were eighteen and sixteen respectively. That's right, I've changed the choosing age to eighteen which is different from the books. And for extra information it has now been two years and Bella is now eighteen, so that would make Tobias twenty.
I think that's it for now so enjoy the first chapter. It starts off with a bang… literally ha ha
Chapter 1 A Call to Freedom
"Are you sure you won't go to Erudite with me?" He asked for the thousandth time, pressing his body against my back. His lips trailing a line down my neck while his hands held onto my hips firmly.
"Don't ruin our last time together." I said boldly, not sparing a care for his feelings.
He bent down to grasp onto the bottom hem of my long shirt, pulling it up to slip his hand under my pants. He slid his long fingers into my folds and rubbed my tight bud before speaking again. "It never hurts to ask." He said breathlessly as he heard my moan in response.
I tilted my head back, looking up at him with half opened lids. "I guess" I said, biting my lip as his pace remained slow and calculated "but my answer will never change, Edward."
He sighed in disappointment, much like he always did when he asked. I honestly didn't know why he bothered. He knew I wasn't the kind of person to be easily swayed nor was I an emotionally available person to give him what he really wanted from me.
Edward and I had started our sexual relationship months after Tobias had left. I had become so lonely with his absence that I just needed something to somehow fill that void he'd left behind. Knowing how attracted Edward had always been toward me I had approached him one day, asking him if he were willing to do non-Abnegation things with me. He had readily agreed and ever since then we had maintained a sexual relationship. At first I had felt slightly guilty for inadvertently given him hope, but after repeatedly informing him otherwise, it never made a difference. I was consoled by telling myself that no matter what I said he would never end our relationship, even if he wasn't getting what he really needed out of it. And so he'd continued to meet me in the trees. A better person would have spared his feelings from the start but I had been too selfish to even consider that as an option. If it weren't for my sexual needs I would have let him loose long ago. But I needed this. It was the only thing that made me feel alive. Rebelling against my faction brought me pure joy even if it were a secret that had to be maintained strictly between him and I.
My thoughts were interrupted when I felt him slide his fingers inside me. I knew he'd noticed my mind drifting and he'd refused to allow for that to happen in his presence. His pace began to quicken, forcing me to join him in that blissful state he was currently in, the thumb of his finger circling my clit as his other two fingers pumped inside of me. I moaned when I felt his other hand slip under my shirt and under my bra, squeezing my breast and making me throw my head back against his shoulder. My mind now desperately searching for the release I've been craving since the last time we were together.
"I need more." I gasped, lifting my hand up to run it through his hair.
He moaned at my touch and suddenly removed his hands from under my clothes. He turned me around, pressing my back against the tree nearest us and got down on his knees. He quickly got rid of my pants and wasted no time shoving his face into my folds.
I gasped and released a pleasured moan, sliding my fingers through his silky smooth hair and forcing his face deeper into me. He groaned and lifted one of my legs over his shoulder, forcing me to open up further for him to slip two of his fingers inside me again.
"Oh God, Edward." I exclaimed, thankful we were deep into the woods where no one would be able to hear us. Even if someone had, at this point my mind was so fogged up in a cloud of pleasure I would gladly let whoever intruded into our space stay and watch. I'd deal with the consequences later as long as they allowed me to reach my peak. "Don't stop." I begged, feeling his tongue swirl deliciously over my clit, and he didn't. If anything it had spurred him on moving relentlessly, not giving my body a chance to detect my orgasm until it was suddenly upon me. I stiffened in his hands, releasing a relieved moan that wouldn't cease until my orgasm was over.
Knowing I wasn't done Edward remained where he was, his tongue languidly lapping at my juices until he felt me release all the tension from my body. He stood up then, looking incredibly pleased with himself as he watched my relaxed expression. It had taken a lot for us to learn what we needed to do and how to give each other the sexual pleasure we craved. Sex was a topic that had never been discussed to us before, at least not in regards to sexual pleasure. In Abnegation it was more about reproduction of our species than gaining anything out of it. Again, Abnegation were not supposed to seek any form of self-gratification… and I mean that in every sense of the word. It was an incredibly stupid notion but unfortunately it was the world we currently lived in and there was nothing I could do about it. Well at least not in regards to publicly breaking their rules.
Secretly though Edward and I had not stopped practicing until we had both succeeded, which hadn't been all that hard for him to get to but tended to be a bit trickier when it came to me. I had to give him credit though, he was persistent and dedicated as he had always been when he wanted something. Not giving up until he had made me feel just as good as he did. Now he was an absolute pro at it… at least in regards to me.
Even as I thought about our past he was currently running his member slowly through my folds, quietly prepping me for the next part, which he honestly didn't need to. I was already more than ready.
"I'll miss you, Isabella." He said quietly, looking down at me deep in thought.
I smiled and shook my head, "I'll miss this." I said honestly, as I moved along with him.
Instead of getting mad at my words he just chuckled, rolling his eyes at me before pushing himself fully inside. We both gasped together but before he made another move he slipped my shirt over my head and removed my bra for me. "You're beautiful." He whispered, his eyes roving over my body and trying to cement it to his brain.
I smiled, knowing how much he liked to touch me everywhere, something I didn't mind in the least, but not happy with me being the only one without clothes I tugged on his shirt. Knowing exactly what I wanted he pulled it over his head, leaning forward to kiss me with a smile playing on his lips as he started to move, lifting his hand up to grasp onto my breast. "I'll miss the way you feel." He said breathlessly, then lowered his lips to kiss along my neck. "I'll miss the way you taste." His words sent a thrill all over my body. I'd never developed feelings for him but hearing him say those things about me and mean them, still made me feel wonderful things.
I tightened my hold on his shoulders, squeezing him as I moved along with him but it still wasn't enough. I slid my hands down his chest, his eyes shifting down and completely riveted as he watched my hands slide down his body. I continued my trail over his hips to his back and under his pants to grasp onto his cheeks to pull him forward. "Harder." I ordered, the force of my action forcing his pants down as he scrunched up his eyes closed throwing his head back on a loud moan but he did as he was told.
"I'm almost there, Isabella." He said gruffly but I wasn't as close as he clearly was. He opened his eyes to look down at me and he could tell by my expression that I wasn't where I needed to be so he decided to slip his free hand down in between our bodies, sliding his fingers over my clit again. I gasped in pleasure then, starting to feel the knot at the pit of my stomach slowly spreading through the rest of my body. He moved frantically then, completely uncoordinated until he stilled and I knew he'd reached his peak. He didn't stop for much longer as he continued to move his fingers over me until I finally tensed and reached my orgasm sometime after him.
He was breathing heavily against my neck, sagging into me but remaining on his feet. "If you ask me to go with y-" he tried to say but I clamped my hand over his mouth before he finished and shook my head.
"Don't do this to yourself." I warned.
He quietly nodded and I slid my hand away from his mouth now that I was sure he wouldn't finish what he'd started.
On the surface he didn't look hurt but I also knew he'd learned how to hide his emotions from me long ago… or at least he thought he had. I'd never admit to seeing right through it. Having this kind of relationship had forced him to be that way with me but I was too selfish to push him away to spare his feelings. Lucky for me, after today, it wouldn't be a problem any longer.
Today was our choosing ceremony.
The day I would finally see Tobias again. I had already taken the choosing serum a few days ago and found out that my parents' suspicions had been true. I was Divergent. I'd managed to trick the system, fully aware that I was in a simulation and forcing my results to name Dauntless as my only faction. I knew that I was different in many ways but now I knew for a fact. I was entirely different to the greater part of the population. From what little my parents knew about the subject was that we thought differently from everybody else. We didn't fit into one single faction but multiple factions at once, something that was illegal to be in this world. Divergents were unpredictable, definitely not what the government wanted in its people and something they were deathly afraid. We posed a threat to the faction system and any form of threat to that carefully constructed world our founding fathers had built so long ago, meant it was a danger that needed to be extinguished. For me it only meant that I had to be careful, that I needed to think before I acted to keep that fact about me hidden from everyone.
I didn't bother to worry about it now though. I just wanted to revel in my post orgasmic bliss and focus on the good parts of my life. I focused on the excitement I felt for what was to come. I was more than ready to leave this hell. The only pain I felt at my departure was that I would be leaving my parents behind, but they had chosen their path long ago and now it was my turn to choose my own.
I pulled away from him first, moving to retrieve my clothes from the floor to get dressed. Edward watched me silently as I moved with a deeply thoughtful expression on his face while he dressed himself almost robotically. I knew he had something to say but I waited for him to spit it out on his own.
"You're not scared, Isabella?" He finally asked.
I looked back at him fully clothed now. "Why would I be?"
"Because… every faction has heard of how difficult Dauntless initiation is. As a matter of fact, Dauntless has the highest percentage rate of initiate failure. Most end up factionless because they can't pass their initiation process."
I smiled at his concern, sparking a little warmth into my heart. "Are you worried about me, Edward?"
"Of course! Why wouldn't I be?"
"Well you shouldn't be. I'll be fine." I said, trying to reassure him. To be honest he was lucky I was actually trying to comfort him... and it's not like it mattered. We weren't going to the same place anyway and after today I would never see him again.
"Still, I figure if you really want to leave Abnegation there are other options."
I rolled my eyes in annoyance. "I'm not going to Erudite with you."
He huffed at my stubbornness, "I'm not saying Erudite but maybe you could try Amity or Candor instead."
I outright laughed at that, he was being so ridiculous right now. "I can't tell the truth to save my life and I would rather die than go to Amity. Just the idea of being around all of those annoyingly happy peppy people makes me want to throw myself off the highest building."
"Erudite has the highest building in the city, Isabella."
"Don't be smart." I said in annoyance, feeling like I was about ready to be done with this conversation.
Seeing me starting to get upset he raised his hands up in surrender walking slowly towards me. "Ok. Nevermind." He said, as he pulled me back into his arms. I was tempted to pull away from him but I figured the least I could do was give him a proper goodbye after everything we'd done together. "I hope you find the right place for you, Isabella." He said quietly, grasping onto my face tenderly.
"You too, Edward, and thank you for being so willing to break some rules with me." I said with a reluctant smile.
He smiled back, "my pleasure" he said rather cheekily and I chuckled. He bent down for the last time and kissed me sweetly and though I didn't love him or feel anything for him other than maybe friendship, I was happy I had chosen him to experience these things with. He pulled away this time and smiled one last time before leaving me alone in the trees.
I waited for a couple of minutes before making my way back to my own home wanting to spend the rest of my morning with my parents before I would inevitably have to leave them behind.
As I walked through the city of Abnegation I realized how unusually quiet it was. It shouldn't have been a surprise, it tended to be on this particular day as our faction gave its members the day off to spend their final moments with their children. Those who didn't have children choosing that year would mostly volunteer their free time to feed the factionless because again… it would be too selfish to take a day off when there were others out there in need.
I slipped back into my home looking around at the plain white walls and simple couch pressed up against the right side of the room. Nothing that wasn't necessary like decorations or picture frames present in our home, nothing that would differentiate us from all of the other Abnegation homes. Deciding on making breakfast, I headed for the kitchen glancing at the space around me but finding it again as empty and plain as the living room had been. I had to say, I really wouldn't miss looking at this place.
"You're up early." My dad's voice sounded behind me. "Nerves?"
I smiled silently to myself, leaving my father oblivious to my morning excursion. "Excited." I said instead, turning to look at him.
Him I would definitely miss.
He lightly chuckled while shaking his head at me knowing how unshakeable my confidence really was. "Silly me, how could I ever doubt you?"
I finished the eggs and plated them, placing the plates on the table just as my mother walked in.
"Oh Bella." She cried, practically running to me to embrace me in a tight hug.
I caught her in my arms and soothingly rubbed her back as she cried into my shoulder. I knew how tough this day would be for her, my father would miss me but he had always been the tougher one out of the two. A quality I had undoubtedly inherited from him.
"I love you mom." I said simply, not having anything else to say to make her feel any better because staying in Abnegation was completely out of the question.
"Come on, Sweetheart. Let's have breakfast together before it's time for Bella to go." My dad quietly soothed, pulling her gently away from me so he could guide her to her seat.
She released me, using her napkin on the table to dry her tears. I frowned at her but tried my best to make pleasant conversation while we ate. My father continuously throwing me reassuring glances throughout our meal while simultaneously distracting my mother from her incessant tears.
We cleaned the dishes and put everything away together as a family when we realized it would soon be time to leave.
"Remember to stay under the radar and to watch that mouth of yours. I know it will be hard for you to not speak your mind but in order to get through initiation without raising suspicion you're going to have to humble yourself." My dad lectured me for what felt like the thousandth time.
I rolled my eyes at the obvious. "I know that, Dad. I know I have to stay quiet and remain in the shadows. It'll be hard but I've had years of practice." I've lived in Abnegation all my life for god's sake. I was a pro at staying quiet and keeping my thoughts to myself.
He rolled his eyes, looking over to my mom for some help. In turn she released a small giggle watching the frustration on my dad's face. It was a common occurrence when he was trying to get me to grasp the enormity of a certain situation, thinking I wasn't understanding. I always understood but I didn't like to stress about things I didn't need to. "We've taught her all we can, Charlie. We just have to trust that we've done enough and that Bella knows what she needs to do. We've raised her well. Besides, if she has troubles Tobias will surely be there to help her get through it." She said with a sweet smile and I was thankful she had finally run out of tears.
I smiled at her words too, completely overjoyed with the fact that I would see Tobias again in a few hours. I just needed to get through the ceremony and Dauntless' initiation tour before I'd hopefully get a chance to look for him somehow.
"You're right, Renee. If anything happens I'm sure we can count on Tobias to get her out of whatever mess she gets herself into."
I rolled my eyes in annoyance now. "You guys act like I can't control myself. Where's the faith?" I grumbled.
They both laughed at my question and pulled me into a tight embrace, placing me in between them.
"Oh Sweetie, we believe in you completely." My mom said lovingly.
"But we can't help but worry about you. We love you so much and all we want is for you to be safe and happy… even if it has to be away from us." My dad added.
I almost cried at the sadness in his voice, I hated that I had to leave them but I had no other choice. There was no way I could live in this place for much longer. "I'm sorry I couldn't be Abnegation enough." I said remorsefully.
"Don't be, Bella." My mom said softly, "We knew since the day you were born you didn't belong here. We've had many years to make peace with it and we only want you to be happy, just like your father said."
At their tear filled eyes I couldn't help but release my own. They had been the best parents growing up, and I don't think I would have ever survived in this world if it weren't for them. Knowing they not only accepted me but encouraged me to be who I wanted to be, despite our living situation, showed me just how much they loved and cared for me.
"I love you both so much. Thank you for being the best parents I could have ever asked for." I said, settling for those words because there were no other words to express how I really felt about them.
"And we love you, Bella, more than you will ever know." My dad said gruffly, trying to stifle his own pain to prevent me from feeling guilty for leaving.
We heard the alarm then, the sound reverberating through our home and announcing it was now time to go. Thankfully since it was my choosing ceremony my parents were allowed to come with me. I was grateful for any amount of time I was given to spend with them, no matter how little. I may be eager to leave Abnegation but I wasn't eager to leave them.
My parents hugged me tightly for a few seconds longer before finally releasing me. "It's time, we can't be late." My dad said, wiping his tears away and clearing his throat to push his feelings away. Funny how I did the same.
My mother struggled a bit more to pull it together but finally nodded silently as she held my hand as we headed for the door. I squeezed it tightly in mine before we were forced to let go as soon as we opened the front door.
We stepped out united, receiving looks from our neighbors as they watched us walk to the edge of Abnegation's borders. Halfway there I caught a glimpse of Edward and his sister walking beside their parents. They too would be attending the ceremony since both of their children would be choosing today. Edward glanced my way and smiled lightly, he looked so sure of himself as he walked. I idly wondered if his parents knew he would be choosing another faction today. I highly doubted it. Edward had never given me any indication that his family was any different from every other ordinary Abnegation family. Because of that, I found it surprising that he'd known so early on that he would be switching factions. I also wondered if he was Divergent too, not that switching factions was a sure way of knowing but it was an indicator. Switching factions wasn't common, especially in Abnegation. I knew the upheaval we would receive for defecting and not only because we were from Abnegation but because we were both also children of Abnegation leaders.
In our world it was going to be a very big deal.
We boarded the buses that would take us to the ceremony and I caught a glimpse of Marcus up at the front of the bus. I glared daggers to the back of his head stupidly hoping I could will him to disappear. All this time Marcus had remained as one of Abnegation's leaders. In fact, he was known for being one of the most devoted to his faction. It was laughable, but because of this he would be officiating this year's choosing ceremony. Lucky me. Secretly I hated that Tobias had stopped my parents from exposing him for what he was, but I also completely understood. Tobias was kind and loving, everything that I wasn't, and even though Marcus didn't deserve an ounce of it he was still lucky enough to receive it. I'd like to think if he were my father maybe I would've chosen to spare him just like he had…. Ok, who am I kidding? I thought with a laugh. I would've probably danced in glee watching him fall from grace, but that's just one of the many ways Tobias and I differed from each other. He always had hope that people could change and be better. I knew he'd held on to that hope, wishing for the day his father would revert back to the loving father he'd been for the first eight years of his life. I was devastated for him that it had never happened and never would.
I stared out the window watching the view of our dilapidated city before us. There was still a large portion of our city that had been decimated because of the war. We only had so much resources and the little the city had at the time was used to reconstruct the areas that would be inhabited by the established factions and nothing more.
Before I knew it we had reached the building where the ceremony would be held. We all climbed out of the bus but waited along the sides, allowing for the other faction members to enter before us. I tapped my foot in irritation but received a nudge from my father to still my movements. Darn it, I was still Abnegation for the time being and I needed to act like it. It was just so hard to do right now with my freedom so close I could nearly taste it.
Once all factions were inside we all slowly migrated inside, taking the stairs because it would be too selfish to occupy the elevators just in case someone else needed it. There were a lot of flights of stairs, I could hear the huff and puff of a few people as they grew exhausted with the exercise. Meanwhile I had to pretend like this was a lot of effort for me too when really I could have probably ran up the steps without feeling out of breath. When we finally reached the top we all got into our seats quickly, not wanting to inconvenience the rest of the factions by delaying the ceremony because of us.
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
I took my seat and looked ahead, seeing Marcus standing proudly in front of all of the factions present. Ugh, I hated him so much. I perused the crowd sitting below me and found Edward again. He was looking down at his sister in thought, I wondered if he would be sad to leave her behind. I was sure she would choose to stay in Abnegation. Beatrice was the perfect little Abnegation girl if I'd ever seen one.
My attention was diverted back to the front as I heard Marcus begin to speak into the microphone. "The faction system is a living being composed of cells, all of you." He started dramatically. "And the only way it can survive and thrive is for each of you to claim your rightful place. The future belongs to those who know where they belong." He said, his voice echoing through the open space as he looked around him and over each faction before him. "When we leave this room, you will no longer be dependents but full-fledged members of our society." Then he paused again for dramatic effect before he spoke his last words, "Faction before blood."
"Faction before blood." Everyone echoing the same words he had, the words that were meant to cement our promise to our society.
He paused after his speech was over at the applause he received from the crowd to preen proudly like I'd never seen before. I couldn't help the roll of my eyes at the display. I didn't even worry about getting caught this time, they were all too focused on him and caught up in the excitement in the air to even notice my reaction. Though my parents did squeeze my hands in acknowledgement, they hated him just as much as I did. After the crowd died down he announced he would be calling by last names in reverse order starting with the Z's.
My last name was Swan so I knew I wouldn't have to wait for long for my name to be called. So far only one guy from Erudite and one girl from Candor had defected. It was a bit sad when it happened, their families had immediately burst into tears as soon as the announcement had been made. They tried to remain as quiet as they could but it was impossible because other than Marcus everyone remained silent, so silent you could hear a pin drop with how quiet it was in here.
Finally, after what felt like forever, my name was called.
"Isabella Swan."
Both of my parents squeezed my hands tightly for a second before releasing me. I slowly made my way down the steps to the center of the stage, trying not to appear eager, stopping only when I'd reached the five bowls representing each faction. I picked up the knife and looked up into Marcus' eyes as I cut my hand open. Every particle in my body wished I would be cutting him open instead of myself. I caught the barely there twitch in his eye and internally cheered at the fact that I had pulled a reaction of him. The blood began to pool into the palm of my hand and I finally looked down, lifting my hand to the left and letting the drops of my blood fall onto the coals beneath it.
"Dauntless." Marcus announced loudly, his voice booming in the open space.
It was followed by loud gasps and low whispering as I turned away from him and walked towards the Dauntless section. They looked absolutely stunned as I approached but a young man in the front row quickly shook off his surprise to stand up, motioning for me to sit in his vacated seat. If I were Abnegation I would have had to refuse… but I wasn't a part of Abnegation anymore. I did a happy dance in my head as I sat down.
Marcus continued calling names after that but I zoned out already becoming eager to step foot onto Dauntless ground.
"Edward Prior." Marcus called after some time. My gaze lifted, watching him stand up from his seat. He received a pat on his back from his father and a hug from his mother before he began making his descent. He reached the stage like so many of us had before him and grabbed a new knife from the table in front of him. He sliced his hand without hesitation and placed it over Erudite's bowl.
"Erudite." Marcus announced, I knew him well enough to know the darker pitch in his voice alluded to the anger he felt at yet another Abnegation defector. I'd lost count of all the times I'd heard that voice directed at me growing up. He was not happy.
The whispers were much louder than they had been when I had chosen. I could see the Abnegation looking at each other in complete confusion. I don't know why they were so confused, their rules were so strict and unrealistic that I was actually more surprised at the fact that not more of us defected each year. Edward looked happy at his choice and as he took his seat in his new faction he turned to look at me with a smile.
I surreptitiously smiled back but found it hard to do so when I caught a glimpse of his family's faces, complete shock and devastation were the predominant emotions and I got my confirmation.
They didn't know.
Marcus, lightly quieted everyone and continued with the ceremony, calling for Beatrice next. She walked slower than any one of us had and I almost wanted to yell at her to hurry up. I already knew where she belonged, she didn't have to delay the inevitable. Slowly she made her way down the stairs looking down at her feet the whole way until she finally reached the stage. She didn't even look up at Marcus as she picked up the knife, staring at it for a beat too long before slicing her hand. She quietly placed the knife back on the table and held her bloody hand in the other, she stood there staring down at her hand for so long a few drops of blood fell onto the carpet below her feet. After what felt like forever she finally lifted her hand over Abnegation's bowl but before her blood had a chance to drip down she moved it further to the left. I heard the sizzle of her blood hitting the burning coals underneath. It had been so quiet that no one needed Marcus to announce her choice as almost everyone audibly gasped… including me.
Holy hell.