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.

Chapter 28 Illusions

"We will be severely outgunned and outmatched." Max admits in frustration "Your world is vastly more advanced than ours. The weapons you have brought with you won't be enough to arm the entire city. And we will need everyone to fight in order to stand a chance against Aro and his army."

"If you gather everyone in the city we will outnumber them by the thousands. It gives us a fighting chance." Caius encouraged.

"Not with the weapons you say Aro will bring. With one weapon alone they could wipe us out by the thousands."

"We should remain optimistic." Caius tries again, "During our short time in Erudite Carlisle and I managed to hack into the protective spheres just outside of the walls. It will take Aro a sizable amount of his own firepower just to get through, not to mention I've also reprogrammed them to attack against any perceived threat. With that alone we already have the advantage."

"For how long?" Max asks, "Eventually they'll get through and then what? How are we supposed to protect the city once they get through the safeguards?"

It's Eric's turn to step in then, speaking over his father. "Dauntless holds tanks underground. We can use those once they breach the walls. We know Aro will wait for a full frontal attack until he has those he's looking for and that gives us the upper hand."

Everyone remains silent for a moment at his proclamation. I can feel eyes on me but I refuse to give any sign of my feelings on the matter.

"The tanks won't be enough. We don't have enough to make a sure impact."

I wasn't aware of exactly how many tanks we had stored underground, having seen just a small portion of Dauntless' underground facility in passing, but he seemed so sure it wouldn't be enough. If only there was another way… maybe with what was left of Erudite they could develop new technology to help us win the war. Then again we didn't know when Aro would decide to attack. It would be any day now. We probably wouldn't have enough time to not only create but to mass produce the amount we would need to arm everyone in the city, unless…

"Before I was taken you said Erudite was developing new weapons. How far along were they in the development process?"

Max blinks back at me in confusion as if not remembering the conversation, but then I see his eyes light up infinitesimally in recognition. "I'm not sure…" He answers doubtfully. "To be honest we've been so focused on the trials we haven't had the time to look through every one of Jeanine's labs since we initially invaded Erudite."

I lift a brow in question, wondering why the hell they didn't think it a priority before now. "I'd say it's a good time to check now don't you think?"

Carlisle volunteers then. "I can take a large team with me to search the labs. We'll only include those vetted by the serum trials."

"I'll go with you." Edward joins in, "I was one of Jeanine's assistants. I'll be able to help find anything worth searching for."

Max nods in agreement. "Alright, take as many as you need. We don't know when Aro will attack and we need to get organized before that happens."

"Speaking of organized," I jump in "What about the Factionless?"

They all turn to look at me in stunned confusion.

"You can't be serious?" I almost exclaim, frustrated that they hadn't bothered to include them in our plans. "You continue to talk about everyone in the city joining the fight but you haven't made the initiative to speak to the Factionless. You realize they will need to be swayed to help us?"

Max frowns at me, almost in confusion. "Talk to the Factionless?" He questions, as if that thought had never once occurred to him.

"Yes. You forget I've seen Dauntless' reports on the growth of the Factionless population, and if I remember correctly they would outnumber even Abnegation. They are practically a faction all on their own."

"They'll fight if we need them to." Max says firmly.

"Why would they?" I ask outright.

"Bella is correct." Caius pipes in then, sensing an upcoming argument. "We have observed the Factionless sector from Volterra for some time. The fact is that the Factionless have amounted to a rather large population of people, and in case you were unaware they've also managed to build their own little city within Chicago with the little resources they've scavanged. Going as far as assigning their own leader."

All the leaders of the rest of the factions look stunned at Caius' words.

"That's impossible." Andrew chimes in. "We've been feeding them from our own rations and we've never once seen any form of organization. You must be mistaken."

Caius looks almost apologetic as he answers. "I can assure you that is not the case. Many are sent to the Factionless every year after failing initiation, add those exiled over misdeeds and it becomes a sizable amount every year." Caius clears up. "There are hundreds of Factionless surviving all on their own within the dilapidated buildings of the city."

Dauntless initiation alone had sent over ten of our initiates this year, I was sure the other factions had dropped a few of their own too. Not to mention we'd also kicked out two for breaking Dauntless' laws. At the realization of that I turn to look at Tris in slight alarm.

Sensing my gaze her eyes shift to mine and so do Tobias'.

Peter and James would be a part of those members. And they would most definitely stand against us. If anything they'd gladly stand idly by watching our demise. And if those two were an example of what the rest of the Factionless population were comprised of, we'll surely be fucked.

"They won't agree to join us." Tobias says aloud.

"They won't have a choice." Max argues.

"You can't be sure of that, Max." I argue back. "I highly doubt the Factionless will be as willing to fight with us as you think. Yes, it's life or death, but ultimately they could so easily leave the walls of Chicago without looking back. It's not like they have anything here to fight for or to protect. Not to mention they will all be holding grudges for having been shunned by their own people in the first place."

But besides the anger and resentment, they ultimately had nothing left to lose. They barely even had food to eat. Actually I was surprised they hadn't attempted to leave the city already after we broadcasted Eric, Caius, and Carlisle's trials. They had no reason to stay, if anything they had more reasons to leave, greater opportunities of finding a better life out there in the unknown.

"Fine. Then we will speak with them." Max begrudgingly agrees in the end, still it's not enough and I can see his attitude won't be so open to a discussion with the Factionless.

"We'll need to offer them something in return." Johanna, the head leader of Amity helpfully pipes in, trading looks with her fellow leaders in search of some support.

Instead she gets the opposite reaction.

"Please tell me you are not considering offering them a place back into the faction system." Jack says with barely disguised abhorrence.

"And what would be so wrong with that? What system are you trying so hard to protect?" I question angrily. He looks back at me in stunned silence, but I'm so over both his and Max's unwillingness for change. "You realize after this war we might never be able to return to what we once were? Or have you not bothered to consider the possibility that some might choose to leave the borders of this city to explore what's out there?" I question incredulously. "And you won't be able to keep them caged in when they do either." I inform them.

There is a stunned silence that fills the air at my proclamation. And now I'm also stunned at their naiveté. They couldn't possibly think that there won't be those who would choose to leave. Even if we wanted to we would never be able to keep everyone here, not that it would even be remotely justified if we tried.

"Bella" My dad starts calmly, "I think that is a conversation for another time. Right now we need to focus on the task at hand." He says, trying to diffuse the sudden tension in the air.

He was right, and I knew I needed to give them all time to come to terms with it. I realize how hard it must be to face such a drastic change in the life we once had. But we couldn't stay in denial forever. Eventually, they'll have to face the facts and acknowledge that the faction system we once carried out will not continue to work for much longer.

I release a long breath, trying to calm my own outraged emotions. "You're right, that's a discussion we must all have in the future… but I'm not wrong when I say the Factionless will be unwilling to aid us. Johanna's right, we'll have to convince them that helping us to protect the city will benefit them in some way."

"So convince them." Max says tightly.

I stand my ground and nod in the affirmative. If he thinks I'll back down because he's put me in charge he's sorely mistaken.

"I'll go with her." Caius suddenly jumps in. "We'll take a small group with us to show we're not there for a fight. We'll request to speak with their leader and take it from there."

"I'll go with them." Eric volunteers but as soon as the offer leaves his mouth Caius refuses.

"No. You will be needed with Max in Dauntless. You are one of the few who knows what needs to be done to prepare the weapons we do have, including the tanks."

Eric looks about ready to protest, seemingly very unwilling to let me go without his 'protection'.

"I'll go with them." Tobias interjects, knowing Eric would be settled if he offered to join me. Everyone knows Tobias would stop at nothing to keep me safe.

I internally frown at Tobias' immediate response to reassure Eric. Since when did my brother start caring about Eric's feelings?

"Me too." Alec seconds. "We'll take a group of our own army. They might be more agreeable to a group of strangers than a group of Dauntless soldiers who might have taken part in their banishment."

There's a collective nod in agreement and thankfully the tense conversation over the Factionless ends and we move on to assigning groups to send to Dauntless next.

I'm tempted to leave it as it is, but finding myself being at odds with Max leaves me unsettled. So instead I discreetly pull him to the side, not wanting to appear as confrontational as I'd been earlier in front of the rest of the leaders. "I'm sorry for the way I handled the situation with the Factionless." I ultimately say, figuring I'd start with an apology so we could settle the argument quickly.

He releases a stress-filled sigh and shakes his head. "No, Bella. You were right." He acknowledges. "We've neglected the Factionless for far too long. I realize when this war is over things will need to change. Many of us fear just that, but it's something that must be done. We won't be able to continue on living the way we have been and it's time we all realize that soon enough."

I nod in agreement. Feeling so much better at seeing him more open about a future discussion. "You know it would help if you spoke to the Factionless directly. I don't mind taking point but I'm also not a faction leader myself. Your word will carry out a lot more weight than mine ever will."

He stays silent for a long moment, considering my words quietly.

"You're right. I will go with you, but Bella… you don't seem to understand that you're a leader too. It might not be official but it doesn't really need to be. Just look around you." He states, his eyes looking over the group of leaders among us. "They've all taken you in and accepted you as a voice of reason."

I frown in confusion. "It's only because what I said makes sense."

"Partly, but that is not the only reason. We all see a great leadership quality in you, Bella. You might still be young and somewhat inexperienced but you've braved the outside world and have come back victorious. Not only that but you've brought back an army with you, an army that not only follows but listens to you, a powerful aid to our survival. That is not something that can be easily ignored. Whether you want to or not, Bella, you have become a leader too."

I'm too stunned to respond, and I think Max acknowledges that fact.

He squeezes my shoulder, quietly excusing himself to leave me to my own thoughts. Moving to speak with the other leaders of Dauntless to make arrangements for his absence.

I didn't think myself a leader but maybe Max was right. Maybe I was one.

And it was stressful just to think about.

So as always I push it to the back of my mind to think about at a later time.

I notice Tobias and Tris speaking quietly to each other on one side of the room and I move in their direction catching the tail end of their conversation.

"You're going back to Dauntless?"

She turns to me and nods in the affirmative. "Yeah, I know I can't go with you guys." She says, biting her bottom lip in worry. "Not when we could come across James and Peter… And so I figure I might as well help where I can. Plus if I stay here I'll only be worrying about you two and that won't do me any good."

I'm glad she acknowledges the danger herself but I don't like seeing her looking so worried. So I lightly smile at her words trying to dissipate the somber expression on her face. "Look at that. Little Trissy worrying about me. I'm truly honored." I lightly tease.

It works like magic, dissipating her worry… at least for the moment. "I'll always worry about your crazy ass, Bella." She teases back, then more seriously adds. "And I know you'll need Tobias to back you up in case anything goes wrong." She adds.

"You're right, but hopefully it won't come to that… though I'm also not above beating them to a pulp if I so much as catch a whiff of them. But unfortunately beggars can't be choosers. We need them whether we like it or not." I confirm. It might not be what they wanted to hear but it was the truth. I would never lie to them. "Hey, do you mind bringing me back a few of my things when you return?" I ask. "I kind of need a few changes of clothes." I say, looking down at my borrowed Candor outfit.

"Of course."

We split up shortly after, everyone going their own way, but before I can take the elevator down with Tobias and Alec, we're unexpectedly interrupted by Eric.

"Can I talk to you for a moment?" He asks quietly.

For a second I consider refusing.

Since our conversation earlier we hadn't spoken again and I was actively avoiding making eye contact as much as possible. But something about the distress in Eric's expression forces me to agree whether I want to or not.

Without answering I step out of the elevator, silently motioning for Tobias and Alec to go on without me.

Eric waits for the elevator to close again before he speaks. "I need you to be careful out there."

I nod without responding. I already knew I should be careful, I didn't need him to tell me that.

"If you detect any form of danger. You get yourself out of there." He says firmly.

I finally look up at him, frowning at his words. "I can't leave without my team."

I can tell he wants to argue but knows better than to suggest I should look out for only myself. He begrudgingly nods. "Just be cautious. Keep your eyes open and trust your gut. If it doesn't feel right, retreat."

"Ok." I agree simply.

"Bella, I–"

"Eric!"

We both turn at the sudden call of his name, seeing Tori with an irritated expression on her face and motioning for him to join her and Harrison while they're planning their trip to Dauntless. They don't look particularly thrilled to work with him.

I guess I'm not the only one who can hold grudges.

Eric nods in their direction quickly before turning back to me, releasing a ragged breath. "I know you don't care to hear this but… I need you to come back to me in one piece, Bella." He says softly, lovingly.

Without waiting for a response he turns and walks away from me.

I watch him as he leaves, frozen in place, fighting against the instinctual part of me that wants to run to his side and take one desperate kiss from him before we depart, but that would only give him hope. I might be mad at him but I couldn't be unnecessarily cruel, not like he has been to me. I couldn't tell him I'd forgive him when I didn't feel it to be true.

So instead I turn to leave down the elevators.

Once I catch up to Tobias and Alec I find they've already amassed a group of Volterra's soldiers. As soon as I reach their side, Alec turns to me holding out a handgun.

"Take this. I know we're trying to appear friendly but we also can't go in there unarmed." He states.

I nod and take the gun, making sure it has the safety on before sliding it into the back of my pants.

Max and Caius stand in front of the Candor building motioning for us to gather around.

"Stay frosty. Everyone keep your eyes peeled the closer we get to the Factionless sector. We're approaching this calmly but with caution. If you see anything that looks remotely suspicious do not hesitate to say so."

We all nod in the affirmative.

I feel my body locking, becoming consciously aware of my surroundings, in a way it reminds me of the way I felt in Volterra. And I hated the reminder of a time when I felt the most vulnerable, stripped from the power to protect myself and those I loved. Of course this expedition was copletely different. I was currently armed and surrounded by people I knew would protect me no matter the cost. Still it didn't leave me with a comforted feeling.

We begin walking through the empty streets of Chicago. Tobias, Alec and I walking near each other but not close enough where we can easily make conversation. We're all too wary for that, but also not overly so, not while the soldiers had formed a protective barrier around us, Caius, and Max.

After some time I see a body slowly falling back, trying to look casual at the attempt. It's anything but. Especially not when the figure stops once he's reached my side and keeps pace with me.

I instantly know what he wants. It's been a long time coming.

I'm tempted to just wait him out. To let him be the one to start the conversation, but I'm also not known for my patience. So I end up breaking the silence, so ready to get it over with once and for all. "What do you want?" I ask, openly displaying my displeasure.

Caius continues to quietly walk beside me.

I can see Tobias eyeing our closeness, his eyes silently asking if I need him to intervene.

I refuse the offer, it's better to get this conversation over with and I'm also slightly curious to know what Caius has to say.

Though as time continues to pass by in complete silence I also become curious to know why he isn't immediately taking the opportunity to say what I'm sure he's been dying to say to me for a long time. At least since the last meeting we'd collectively had with the other two leaders in Volterra. I'd purposely sat the furthest I could from Aro, but that had left me the nearest to Caius. Even then I'd noticed the surreptitious glances he threw my way, the way he pursed his lips with anxious eyes as if wanting to tell me something but had been prohibited to.

Eventually he does break the silence. "I don't want anything from you, Bella." He declares.

His words make no impact and I arch a brow. "No?"

A small little smile graces his lips and it's so similar to Eric's that my throat suddenly feels tight. "I can see what they all see in you." He says abruptly.

"Who is 'they all'?

"Aro, Alec, Edward, Max... Eric." He states. "The list goes on and on."

"Is that your way of calling me pretty?"

The smile playing along his lips grows wider the more I speak. "Oh no, it goes so much deeper than that."

I hum quietly, moving my eyes away from him as I casually walk beside him, focusing my sight on the empty buildings surrounding us. "Is that it?" I ask, referring to the unimportant conversation at hand.

"What did you think we would be discussing?" He asks curiously, as if trying to figure out how my brain works.

Well good luck buddy cuz it was inside my own head and I didn't know either.

I carelessly shrug a shoulder. "I don't know, but I thought it would be a lot more interesting than this."

Finally a chuckle leaves him and he casually tucks his hand in his pockets as if he's now comfortable with the interaction.

I quietly analyze him as we walk, noticing he's much leaner than Eric, though it seems from down here they are both about the same height. His hair is much lighter than Eric's though, pale blonde, almost to the point of white with no visible gray hairs. He looks extremely young but so old at the same time, but not so much in age. More like exhausted and extremely weary, probably aged from all the stress he's had to live through every day.

I would probably be the same way if I had to deal with someone like Aro my whole life.

"I know you have questions, Bella." He starts again, "I'm simply here to give them to you."

I frown at the offer. "I heard everything I needed to during your trial." If anything he'd said too much. I was starting to think I didn't want to hear anything more to do with Aro, Volterra, and the world that lay past it. It was just too much too soon and I was just trying to live my life and get over this war so we could all find a way to move past it.

"Maybe." He says thoughtfully but also unbelievably, "But somehow I know there are more questions swirling around in that head of yours."

I frown at his answer, "Why do you care if there are?"

He tilts his head slightly, his brows furrowing deeply at my question. "I'm sorry the world hasn't been kind to you, Bella. You are so guarded and full of mistrust."

I roll my eyes. He made it sound as though I needed his acknowledgment. "Okkk." I deadpan unamused.

His concern doesn't dissipate though and my attitude does not dissuade him either. "Ask me anything, Bella." He encourages again.

"You're strange." I openly admit instead. And he really is, we've started this conversation a while ago and I'm still unclear as to why.

"I apologize. Lack of human interaction, I suppose." He explains it a way.

"What does that mean?"

He sighs in exhaustion as if just thinking about what he was going to say next would take more years of his life. "I've… secluded myself from the world, Bella. I don't bother to know what goes on around me because I don't care. My whole life has been centered around Chicago. From birth I was groomed by my own father to take over once he retired. It was a tradition I was willing to continue when the thought of having my own children first crossed my mind. It turned out much differently than I thought, however." He remained silent for a beat, absentmindedly drumming his thumbs on his thighs. "But after Aro had taken a position in leadership beside me, my views shifted over the years. I tried to fight against him, to maintain the ideals my father had instilled in me. I thought I'd been close to removing Aro from his position when he told me he'd injected my unborn child into a woman in Abnegation. I knew I'd lost the battle then. There was no way I could ever interfere with the experiment at the risk of losing my unborn child in the process."

Ok. I understood that part. I mean, the thought of having my own kid had never once crossed my own mind… but I could imagine what a tangled web that would weave. How the fear of losing them would overpower everything else, tying you to another being that was practically made from you. It was a scary but beautiful thought, and I distractedly wondered where Aro's life had gone so wrong. Of when he'd lost that parental instinct that was supposed to care about his children the way Caius had instantly cared about Eric. If he'd even had it at all…

"Was Aro always so… Aro?" I ask stupidly, but I find no other words to better express that question because I had no idea if there was ever anything more to him. All I knew now was that he was heartless, seeking only his own power over everyone and everything.

"He'd always been arrogant." Caius cautiously starts, "Always viewing himself superior to all. Even growing up and going to school together Aro had always deemed himself smarter than our classmates, but back then it had only amounted to an eagerness to get the best grade in class. He was an incredibly bright kid and later man… but if you're asking me when exactly he lost his soul, I could never tell you."

"Are you sure he's genetically pure?" I suddenly ask, clear doubt weaved into my question. Because he honestly seemed like he would have made the perfect Erudite, most likely given Jeanine a definite run for her money.

Caius chuckles softly at my question. "Just because someone is genetically pure it does not mean they're perfect, Bella. Human fault is in every one. Some learn to manage it and grow despite their faults but not everyone has the will nor the dedication to be the better version of themselves they can possibly be. Even before genetic modification there were wars waged for inconsequential reasons. Land, resources, monetary gain, power, control… Humans have died from wars and conflict every day since the beginning of time. It's human nature after all."

"So the world will come to an end eventually no matter what we do?"

He looks at me with a hint of a smile on his face before he answers, "Someday. I don't know when but either we will cease to exist or the earth we live in will… but does it really matter? We fight for what we believe in today, and every day after continue to fight to stay alive. We fight to keep what we love the most alive."

"What do you fight for?" I curiously ask.

"Eric." He answers without hesitation.

Ok, clearly a stupid question to ask. "There's no one else? No one that means anything to you?"

"No one… and everyone." He admits.

I frown at his cryptic answer.

He smiles again as he looks at me. "I would like to see the world strive to survive. To be better than what we are today. To continue to thrive in a world I hope I have in some way helped heal before my time here on this earth comes to an end."

It was a nice sentiment, one I think I shared too, but if I was being honest at the moment I only cared about my family surviving the war against Aro than this world surviving from the disasters created by its own inhabitants. "What about Marcus?" I finally ask, trying to move away from the philosophical tangent he'd just gone off on.

"Marcus is… complacent."

"To be a part of Aro's army?"

"To stay safe." He clarifies. "Marcus is not one to rock the boat. He remains in his position because it keeps him safe, and really because it's all he's ever known."

"That's fucked up." I announce. "He's a coward. He can't stay complacent when so many lives are at stake. It's not right."

"It's not." He agrees softly, "But you can't expect everyone to think the way you do. To perceive inaction as cowardice like you do… not everyone is as strong as you are, Bella."

"You think I'm strong?" I ask in slight shock, my mouth gaping slightly open at his comment.

He chuckles lightly at my reaction, "Of course. Stronger than anyone I've ever met, maybe even Eric." I guess my face must have shown my displeasure at the mention of his name that Caius tilts his head again in interest. "You have every right to be angry with him."

I frown at him in confusion, it sounded like he was on my side. I wondered why that was. I figured with Eric being his son it would guarantee he'd take his side. "I thought you would ask me to forgive him."

He remains silent for a while, as though critically thinking over his answer. "Of course I would want you to, but it's pointless to do so." He finally admits. "My son has made his mistakes and now he must suffer the consequences of his own actions… or inaction in this case. He was wrong by omitting the truth. I understand why he did it but ultimately he was unfair to you. I admit I would give anything for you to forgive him and make him happy once again, but I also understand it is not up to me to make that decision. And I respect yours, Bella."

I remain quiet for a moment. I appreciated his words. Not that I needed him to understand my point of view but it did make me feel slightly justified. I mean I have been lied to my whole life by my own biological father. Used as his pawn and to a point Eric's too, just for an experiment. It made me feel so… used. Like my life, my wants and needs were unimportant when it came to the wants and needs of others. Both Aro and Eric included. Because Aro had needed me for his experiment but Eric had wanted me to stay by his side. He'd known lying to me was wrong and that if I ever found out I probably wouldn't stick around. So instead of telling me the truth and risk losing me in the process he'd decided to keep it from me.

Taking away my right to choose.

"He lied." I grit angrily. "He broke my trust. All the time I knew him, built a relationship with him, he'd pretended to be someone else… someone he thought I would want." I say, as if I have to break down the endless amount of transgressions Eric has committed against me to explain why I couldn't so easily forgive him.

"He did." Caius acquiesces, "Though for much of it he had no real choice."

"There's always a choice." I argue.

"To an extent." He agrees slightly. "Nothing is ever simply black or white, Bella."

I don't know what to say to that so I remain quiet again.

Suddenly I'm supremely annoyed and disgruntled at having this conversation with him. Eric is always a sore subject for me, and finding myself currently talking about him with his own father is outrageously disconcerting. I mean, I was talking to the father of the man who held my heart, as unwilling as I was about it. Because really I only wished I had the power to give it away to someone else, someone who deserved it. Someone like Alec or Edward… but I didn't have a choice in that… I never had…

And dammit now I see what he means.

"Eric has always been different from the rest." Caius starts again quietly, ignoring my unwillingness to continue speaking on the subject. "Secretly I've always wondered if it had been because of the way he'd been created, a direct result of Aro's tampering. And maybe it has... because now I truly realize how very different you all are. Eric, Tobias, Tris, Edward, you… you have all been so utterly extraordinary. So different from everyone else, both from the damaged and genetically pure. Since Eric's been born I've seen something in him. Something that transcended far beyond what Aro and I had seen in him, what we'd planned for him. But it wasn't to change the world." He states as a matter of fact. "It was Eric's heart that had been different, like it had been tied to a belief that only he could understand." He pauses for a moment, looking far off in thought, lost in the past but looking at it with brand new eyes. "When he first saw you on that screen, Bella, I thought I was imagining things… He was just a toddler at the time, barely learning to eat on his own. He'd been a relatively hyper child. I could never get him to sit still. Always running around, moving from one place to another in absolute restlessness. Then one day he just stopped. He stopped and walked towards the screen I had set up in our apartment, the screen I almost religiously watched Tobias and Edward. I'd always been interested in how you would all turn out, if anyone would notice how different you all were. But that day Eric noticed that screen was the same day you had been born into this world. I remember it like it was yesterday… he'd reached out his pale chubby little hand and touched it. Almost as if he were hoping he could touch you in real life. It was something so utterly unexplainable. Even to this day I can't find the words to explain it..." He says, ending the story and shaking his head in complete awe and disbelief, like he had been transported to that time and still couldn't make heads of it.

Neither could I at the moment.

"Eric has always been intertwined with you from that day on. Whenever you were on screen he would stop what he was doing and just watch. As the years passed Aro tried to get him to follow in his footsteps, trying to get him to continue on with his 'legacy'. I tried to keep him away from Aro as best as I could, but I couldn't be with Eric every second of every day, even while I knew Aro was only trying to turn my own son against me. But to my surprise Eric had only played along, agreeing with him and his views and nodding along with every directive because even in his youth Eric had known Aro was not to be trifled with. He knew going against Aro would be an impossible feat, not when you didn't have the power to go up against him toe to toe. It was then I thought maybe he would be the one to bring about Aro's demise… but I had been mistaken on that account too."

"What do you mean?" I ask, unable to keep myself from becoming completely enthralled in his story.

"Eric, didn't care for any of it. If he wasn't watching you through the screens, he spent his time training with our soldiers. Desperately learning to become a formidable fighter like his life depended on it. I'd always wondered why that was… but at the time I had been unaware of Aro's promise."

"What promise was that?"

"He'd promised Eric he'd find a way to get him back inside Chicago. Aro had come to realize early on that his influence in Chicago was greatly limited by the distance. There was only so much he could do through the camera's and so he'd come to the same conclusion he'd had long ago when he'd first implanted the first round of embryos into the experiment. He couldn't just add anyone randomly. The people of Chicago would never have accepted it. He was convinced he needed to find a more creative way to get his own people inside. He worked endless hours in creating a serum that would not only erase someone's memories but also implant new one's altogether. It was the perfect way for Eric and Felix to infiltrate the system without causing a stir."

"And you didn't know? How could you not know what Aro was planning?" I ask incredulously.

He shook his head adamantly, chuckling more so to himself, at his gullibility. "I didn't find out until the day before he'd been scheduled to enter the experiment." He admits. "I tried to convince him to stay out of it. I told him I couldn't protect him inside, but Eric merely shook his head at me and told me it was his destiny."

I stayed quiet for a long time and so did he, letting me process the way I needed to.

"He did it for you, Bella." He finally declares. "Everything he's done has only ever been for you."

What?

"He will fight for you and he will wait until the end of time for your forgiveness. I'm not saying you have to, or that you ever will, but even if you don't… Eric will always be there for you no matter what. Even if one day you decide to move on." He informs me matter-of-factly.

I blink up at him in confusion, not really knowing what to say or how I should react to everything he's said. I mean, what the hell was I supposed to say to that?

He looks down at me, a sad expression taking over his features. "I had hoped you'd felt that connection Eric's sworn he's always felt to you. I'm not sure if you do or don't…. But I can honestly tell you that it won't matter. Whether you want to or not, Eric is here to stay. He will be with you always."

I find myself confused. At least that's the most certain conclusion I can come upon at the moment.

When I'd suspected Caius wanted to speak with me I would have never guessed it was for this. And it was all so very confusing. Because what he'd said seemed so unreal, like a fairytale he'd weaved to get me to forgive Eric. But it seemed crazy that a grown ass man would come up with a lie like that just to get me to forgive his son. Not to mention he never once directly asked me to forgive him either.

My head hurts just thinking over everything all at once, and just when I was deciding to give up, one of the soldiers up ahead suddenly speaks up.

"I see movement within the buildings."

Max motions for us to stop. We do.

There's an endless moment of silence where we all take a closer look around us, my eyes riveted to the empty buildings surrounding us.

"11 o'clock. Third floor." Another one states.

"4 o'clock. Multiples, fourth floor."

"We're being surrounded." Max clarifies.

"Guns?" Alec asks quietly.

"No." Max refuses, turning in a circle as his eyes scan the floors above us.

I don't bother. I can sense what feels like hundreds of eyes on us.

"We're not looking for a fight!" Max shouts firmly, no semblance of worry in his voice. "We would like to speak to your leader, Camille."

At the mention of their leaders name there's an obvious shift in movement within the building. An almost audible whisper as if there's a discussion going around.

Suddenly a tall dark figure steps out of the building on the left. He looks dirty, his clothes completely mismatched with holes and tears of misuse.

The man walks forward, followed by a group of four at his side. And like ghosts emerging from the shadows we quickly realize we're surrounded. It wouldn't be a shock except for the fact that they're all holding weapons. How the hell has the factionless armed themselves so heavily? And why the fuck didn't Caius mention it earlier?

I slide my now suspicious eyes onto Caius. He turns to me at my discernible glare but he doesn't react, there isn't a single ounce of worry displayed in his features.

"How do you know her name?" The man who seems to be in charge asks roughly.

Caius takes a step forward, raising his hands as he continues to move slowly. "My name is Caius Coulter. If you've seen my trial then you know I come from the outside."

The man's eyes narrow but I can see recognition in his expression. "State your business."

"We would like to speak with Camille. There is a war coming. We would like to clear the air before the time comes."

The man continues to analyze Caius, his eyes also scanning the group of soldiers present. He takes in their different attire, a barely visible widening of his eyes but not wide enough to be spotted easily. "If you wish to speak with her. We require you to hand over your weapons."

There's a long silence that fills the air.

I can see Max trying to decide if it's the right move to surrender our weapons, our only way of ensuring our safety in this most uncertain of situations.

But then Caius makes the decision for him, "Of course." He agrees.

Max gives him sharp look, as if he could cut him down with just a look. But we're stuck between a rock and a hard place.

They have us at a disadvantage.

We don't know exactly how many more Factionless are hidden in the shadows currently armed. We've made it this far and we had no other choice but to comply. It was too late to retreat now.

Max comes to the same conclusion as I and nods in agreement, raising his hands and slowly lowering one to remove his handgun from inside his jacket.

At the action we all do the same.

I hate that I have to give up my gun. I hate that we're in this situation to begin with. But I have to believe that the Factionless have no real reason to kill us. Not when they're just as aware as we are that there's a greater threat out there just waiting in the sidelines to annihilate us all.

My eyes shift to the bodies closest to me as a few of their men break away and move toward us, quickly retrieving our surrendered handguns and moving back to their previous positions.

For a moment it's silent again, until it's not.

The other men who'd kept watch swing their rifles to their backs and move forward as one. I resist the urge to punch the man who approaches me as he restrains my hands behind my back and pulls a cloth over my face. My vision instantly going dark.

Not again…