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"I need some bandages over here! " Natalie yells to Tori. She, Tori, Hana, Tris, Christina, and Cara were helping with all of the Abnegation members coming in. Chavis and Victoria along with Jack and his team were out by the perimeter as another influx of Candor evacuees came as soon as word got out that there was an attack on Abnegation. It had been a long night getting people settled as best they could, and attending to the injured. Natalie felt as though she was doing something meaningful as they worked. Hana sent her upstairs around midnight to rest. She could hardly sleep that night as the strike team stayed put to look for more survivors, Even though Max had checked in with her knowing she would worry. He called over the radio an hour ago to tell her he and the rest of the team including Caleb, Stephan, and Marlene were on their way back to Dauntless.
"This is it?" Tris asks her mother as she looks across the training room. She notices many people that she knows from Abnegation. Children are crying, and women sobbing. It was devastating.
"There are some outside in the heated tents, we wanted to get the elderly and those who needed medical attention in here, Amity will be taking most of them in a few days but they were hit hard" Natalie was sick to her stomach looking at all the injured. Evelyn and her radical thinking were responsible for this.
"Elena!" Natalie calls as she sees her friend come into the training room, her eyes dart around and she looks nervous, Emilia and Grayson each holding one of her hands. Even though she and the kids are dressed in all black she looked out of place as she took in her surroundings.
"Ms. Natalie…..Tris!" Emila squeals and she and Grayson take off running. Tris smiles and bends down to hold them in her arms as Natalie hugs Elena.
"Oh look how big you two have gotten! I've missed you" Tris grins as she continues to embrace them.
"We missed you too! We get to be Dauntless now like you and Daddy!" Grayson says excitedly.
Tris looks up at her mom and smiles as Elena still looks hesitant.
"I couldn't think of any other way to explain it to them," Elena says softly almost embarrassed.
"Don't worry, Max is going to take care of you. We have a great apartment set up for you"
"Apartment?" Elena says with tears filling her eyes and she brings her hand to her mouth. She had been hesitant at first about working with Dauntless but Stephan had pushed her to think about this. She'd known how much he missed living in Dauntless and even though it was dangerous, betraying Evelyn, he trusted Natalie that they would be given an opportunity for a better life.
"We look after our own," Tris says proudly seeing the emotional look on Elena's face.
"Oh Thank God" Natalie interrupts as she sees Max, Caleb, and Marlene walking through the door. She walks quickly and reaches Caleb first. She'd been so worried, she had been able to sleep the night before while they waited.
"I'm so happy to see you, I missed you so much Mom," Caleb tells her with a smile as she hugs him tight, loving that his mother didn't want to let go. It had been months since he'd seen her and he missed her dearly.
"Oh Sweetheart, I missed you too. Are you hurt?" Natalie asks pulling back and looking him over.
"I'm fine Mom, I promise," Caleb tells her, secretly loving how she was fussing over him and inspecting the cut above his eye, He grins when he sees his sister and Natalie moves to hug Marlene and Caleb turns to hug Tris.
"Oh I missed you Caleb" Tris smiles hugging him tight.
"Me too Sis, It's good to see you. I want you to meet my wife Marlene" Caleb says proudly as motions his arm to Marlene who had linked arms with Natalie.
"Mom has told me all about you, You must be glad to be back in Dauntless," Tris tells her after greeting her with a hug.
"Yeah, I am but I would have never met Caleb if I didn't leave," Marlene says with a smile as she looks at Caleb.
"You're a damn good soldier, Caleb. Nat, you would have been so proud seeing him in action. You trained him well," Max declares patting Caleb on the back. Marlene smiles big as Caleb blushes.
"He was the bravest one of all of us" Marlene gushes leaning over to kiss Caleb on the cheek.
Max pulls Natalie in for a hug and kiss. He assures her that he is fine after she looks him over.
When Tris kisses Tobias after he walks up with Stephan, Harrison, Amar, and Uriah. Caleb raises his eyebrows which causes Natalie to chuckle.
"Well it's about time" he shrugs and Tris playfully shoves him.
"Tobias!" Emilia and Grayson squeal as they get a glimpse of Tobias after greeting Stephan.
"Hey, you two!" He exclaims and bends down to pick Emila up. She wraps her arms around his neck.
"Did you miss us?" Emelia asks excitedly.
"Of course I did" Tobias chuckles as he tickles her sides.
"We get to be Dauntless now!" Grayson tells him hugging his legs.
"I heard and guess what I have your first mission for you," He tells them putting Emila down and squatting to be at eye level with them. Emilia and Grayson have wide eyes as Tobias motions for them to come closer.
"Here in Dauntless, my name is Four, and only a few special people call me Tobias. We can't let everyone know my name, Tobias. It's top-secret information. Can you call me Four now? "
"Yeah, Four!" Grayson exclaims as Stephan ruffles his hair. "We can keep a secret!" Emila chimes in.
"Come one, let's get you all settled so you can rest," Tris tells them. Since Tris and Tobias were moving in together, Caleb and Marlene would be staying in her apartment. Stephan and Elena would be taking a larger apartment on the leader floor next door to Max.
Marlene squeezes Caleb as she watches him take the Dauntless compound as they make their way to the Pire. She couldn't wait to take him closer to the river.
Max and Tobias take Stephan and his family to their apartment while Caleb asks Tris and Natalie to stay behind.
"Andrew is dead, he took a bullet to the back while we were escaping," Caleb tells them all. He looks to his sister and mother to see their reaction. Natalie lets out a big sigh and Tris bites her lip.
"Are you okay?" Marlene asks Caleb placing a gentle hand on his arm.
"Yeah, I…I thought I owed him something, but he didn't regret anything he did to all of us…"
Natalie takes Caleb and Tris by the hand. "Today we all close that chapter of our lives and let it die with him. This is a new start for all of us, no more holding on to the past and what he did to us"
"We love you, Mom" Tris tells Natalie and she squeezes her hand.
"I love you both so much," Natalie tells them, tears welling up in her eyes. They were all finally free of Andrew Prior.
Christina juggles the takeout bags in her arms as she uses the key she has to Will's apartment. The past few weeks she'd been swamped with assisting the Candor refugees. Amar had started training those who wanted to join in the fight and Christina was assisted with recording and screening all the refugees and those who wanted to fight.
She pauses at the door when she hears laughter and frowns but decides to enter anyway. She is surprised to find Tori and Cara with Will as they share a meal.
"Hey Chris" Tori greets. She and Christina had started spending more time with each other as she and Zeke dated and Christina and Uriah got closer. She'd had a few conversations with her since she and Uriah had been on the outs, offering a listening ear. She understood Christina's confusion.
"I didn't know you had company," She says feeling a bit awkward as she moves to set the bags on the kitchen counter.
"Yeah, Cara asked me to tag along to check in on Will. We've been telling Erudite stories" Tori smiles.
Christina nodded "I'll just put this in the fridge for you to eat later"
"We'll get going…I have to work on the report on the serum for Max and Hana tomorrow anyway. I think we're close but I can come by tomorrow and we can look it over together. " Cara says giving Tori a look and sensing the awkwardness in the room.
"That'd be great," Will tells her with a smile.
"See you tomorrow, Will, glad you are on the med and back working with the team," Tori says as she and Cara exit.
"I didn't know you and Cara were friends now," Christina tells him leaning on the kitchen counter. She hated that she sounded jealous.
"Come sit down" Will motions for Christina. She doesn't say a word but joins him on the couch where his leg is propped up on an ottoman.
"You know you don't have to take responsibility for taking care of me"
"I know…" Christina says in almost a whisper picking at a thread on the sofa.
"Then why are you here bringing me dinner every day? I can accept some fault here because I told you I needed space and I didn't hold to that after I got shot. But if you still have feelings for Uriah, what are you doing? Look at me, Chris"
Will leans back in the armchair and looks at her while she gathers her thoughts. They sit there silently for a few minutes before Christina is ready to speak.
"I guess I feel guilty that you didn't have anyone, that if I hadn't fallen for Uriah, I would have been here with you"
Will nods, he knew this, he just needed Christina to say it for herself.
"I keep pushing Uriah away and I think I broke us this time. I was just so confused and worried about you and I didn't know how to support you and be with him and it's been so much going on with my mom and sister here now…" She sighs wiping her tears that were now falling. "I really messed up Will"
"Hey, it's okay, But if you want to fix things with Uriah, you can't keep feeling guilty about what happened between us."
Christina nods and wipes her tears.
"Thank you for everything Chris, having you around has been comforting, but I'm okay Chris, really. Cara, Tori, and I have gotten close since we've been working together. Zeke Amar and I hung out the other day too. "
"Thank you for always telling me the truth" She smiles.
"And by the way, you don't have to be jealous of Cara, she's into girls"
Christina falls back on the couch laughing hysterically. Will laughs too, he appreciated Christina and he knew there was someone out there for him.
Caleb looks around the apartment that he and Marlene were living in. Tris and Tobias had cleaned it up when they moved all of her things but Marlene had added a few of her own touches. It was more than enough space for him and Marlene. He wondered just how long would they be there, would he ever go back to Abnegation? It had been three days since they arrived. He looks at the rows of clothes that now fill the closet. Max had arranged for him and Marlene to have credits to purchase things. He thought Marlene and Tris had gone a little overboard with the clothes they had gotten him but he didn't say much. The week in Dauntless had been interesting. It was a whole new world for him. Trying new foods, seeing the river rushing through the chasm, hearing laughter and excitement, it was all new to him. His wife seemed alive in a way he hadn't experienced before. She loved showing him all her favorite places inside the compound.
He was enjoying being able to see his mother and sister every day. His aunt Hana gushed over him and they were planning to spend more time together. It seemed too good to be true at the moment as they waited to see what Erudite and the Factionless Army would do next.
He hears the door open and Marlene comes in and Caleb smiles. She'd dyed her hair blonde. She looked beautiful. It made him wonder if the council made them go back to Abnegation would she still choose Abnegation and more importantly choose him?
"Do you like it?" She asks hesitantly as she approaches.
"Of Course, you look beautiful" He reassures her and stops before he kisses her noticing the small stud in her nose that he hadn't seen since Choosing Day.
"Too much? I shouldn't get so comfortable, should I...I just figured we would be here a while..…" Marlene bites her lip unsure of everything now. She felt relieved to be back home and enjoying everything she'd missed. She had gone to the salon impulsively and Uriah had suggested she get her nose repireced, reminding her she could always take it out again.
Caleb pulls her into his arms and hugs her tight not saying anything.
"What's wrong?" She asks against his shoulder.
He sighs and then pulls back to look at her.
"You're home and so happy and I want you to enjoy it, I'm just worried about what happens for us. What if you realize I'm..."
Marlene looks at her husband and cups his face with her hands.
"You are my home and I don't care what your aptitude test says, You're more Dauntless than you think. Your mom and Max are working on a way for us to stay if that's what we want…but I know I can make it anywhere if I have you. That's all I need."
Caleb smiles and gives Marlene a quick kiss. He goes to the kitchen to fix himself a glass of water as he continues to think. Before meeting her he would have never thought he'd shoot a gun or become a soldier, but he had. He reminds himself that they might not be able to go back to the old way of life.
"Can I ask you a favor?" Marlene's sweet voice cuts through his thoughts.
"You know I will do anything for you," He tells her as he pulls her close.
"I want to go see my mom and I want you to come with me"
"Of course" Caleb reassures her knowing how difficult her relationship with her mother was.
Caleb holds her hand as they twist and turn through the hallways, he tries not to stare as they pass people with tattoos, pierces, and an array of hair colors.
Marlene stops in front of a door and she takes a deep breath.
"I'm right here with you" He reminds her.
She nods and knocks on the door.
"What?" Comes an indignant yell from the inside.
Marlene's face twists in conflict. "Mom it's me Marlene" she calls back.
The door opens and Marlene stares at a man she's never met before. His purple hair was spiked and he had several piercings on his face.
"Who are you?" He asks taking a swig of a beer.
"I'm Vickie's daughter, Marlene" Marlene glares back at him. She knew how her mother was, it wasn't the first time she had to stand her ground with one of Vicke's lovers.
The man shrugs and walks back into the apartment. Marlene and Caleb follow. Marlene sees her mother on the couch with a beer.
"Hi Mom" she greets. "I thought I would come see you…."
"What the hell are you doing here? You transferred you aren't Dauntless anymore" Vickie sneers and looks Marlene and Caleb up and down.
"I did, but…" Marlene thinks about it, deciding not to say anything about being divergent. "I went to Abnegation but I've been helping Dauntless the entire time. I came back a few days ago when the factionless attacked. Max is letting us stay in Dauntless for now."
Vickie snorts and rolls her eyes. Of course, her daughter would turn out to be Abnegation, and from the looks of it so was the man with her even though he was dressed in black.
"And who is this?" She asks motioning to Caleb.
"This is Caleb, my husband. His mom was Dauntless born and he has family here too… he's a good fighter" Marlene explains knowing how Dauntless her mother was and trying to get her to see how brave Caleb was.
"What do you want?" The man asks annoyed. Vickie was leaving to go on guard duty at the perimeter the next morning, he wanted to get back to their private evening.
"I just wanted to see my mom" Marlene snaps.
"Well you can get the hell out of here, I don't associate with Stiffs." Vickie snaps. "I'll be damned if I let everyone know my daughter's a fucking Stiff now"
"But Mom…" Marlene says in a whisper hurt by her mother's words.
Caleb had enough, he wasn't going to let anyone talk to his wife that way.
"You're daughter is the most amazing and brave person I've ever met. She just led an entire mission to help Abnegation escape that attack. She's what Dauntless should be. If you can't see that, then that's your loss" Caleb snaps.
Marlene wipes her tears and grabs Caleb's hand. Neither one of them says anything. They turn and leave the apartment slamming the door shut. Caleb is furious as he walks, still holding his wife's hand. He stops when she suddenly does and smiles as she pulls him into a passionate kiss in the middle of the hallway.
"I love you Caleb and I don't need anything in this world but you"
"I love you, and I meant every word of what I hell with your mom. We have family and we have each other." Before he can finish Marlene kisses him fiercely again and he chuckles.
After the encounter with her mother, they came back to their apartment and made love, missing dinner but not caring. Marlene was happy to be cuddled in bed with her husband.
"Baby wake up," Marlene says as she looks down at Caleb. He was tossing and turning in his sleep and Marlene could see the sweat on his brow.
Caleb sits up gasping for air, not remembering where he was.
"Hey, you're okay…just take a deep breath."
Marlene's words help calm him and take a deep breath.
"Sorry… I was having a nightmare"
"You've had one every night we've been here," Marlene was worried about him. The things they saw and experienced during the attack on Abnegation haunted her too but Caleb seemed to be taking it hard. She hoped that spending more time with their family and focusing on the project with the refugees from Candor and Abnegation would ease his mind.
"It's been a lot on my mind..." He says scooting up to lean against the headboard.
"Will you tell me about it?" She asks moving herself into a similar position, pulling the sheet to cover her naked body.
"I keep seeing you, Andrew, and a few other people in Abnegation being shot down. I'm trying to fight to get to you but can't get there..."
Caleb closes his eyes and leans his head back.
"I dreamed about Ms. Haskins the first night we got here" Marlene admits and Calbe grabs her hand.
"Just give me some time" He assures her leaning in to kiss her.
"Maybe I need to give you something else to think about"
Marlene crawls over him, straddling his lap. He runs his hands up her sides and smiles. Their lovemaking had been on another level the past few days. Caleb attributed it to Marlene letting her Dauntless out.
"If this is what being in Dauntless does to you, we are never leaving" Caleb groans as Marlene grinds against him.
Shauna pulls her hoodie up a little higher as she follows her sister down the empty street. The compound was a buzz with all the Candor and now Abnegation refugees so no one was particularly looking for her. She was determined to find out what Lynn was up to tonight. She'd been keeping to herself ever since the fallout between Lynn and Tris despite Zeke and Four trying to get her to hang out like normal. She spent the week of the snowstorm listening to Lynn rant in their apartment. Something was different about Lynn now. She had a darkness about her that scared Shauna.
When she gets to the abandoned warehouse she looks around and sees Lynn enter after talking to a guard at the door. Two more people approach, and Shauna falls in line behind them.
"What's the password?" The guy at the door, a large Dauntless man with a green streak of hair and a ring through his nose grunts as stops Shauna from entering.
"I…" She stammers having no idea.
"No password, no entry" he grunts grabbing Shauna by the arm.
"Let go of me" Shauna demands, struggling against him. Suddenly Lynn comes up and pushes the guard.
"She's with me, let her go," Lynn tells him forcefully.
The guy lets go and Lynn grabs Shauna's hand and pulls her into the room and a corner while the others milled around talking amongst themselves. There had to be at least 50 if not more Dauntless in the room. Shauna is shocked to see several faces that she knew who worked in the kitchen or at the commissary.
"What are you doing here?" Lynn hisses in a hushed voice.
"Wondering what the hell you've got yourself into" Shauna snaps.
Noise at the front of the room causes them to look up and Shauna is shocked to see Eric at the front of the stage.
"You being here tonight means you know how lost Dauntless has become. We are no longer the faction of bravery, choosing to aid in protecting the divergent instead of getting rid of them. They are a plague on this city, corrupting our way of life"
Shauna fidgets and jumps a little as shouts of support come from the crowd. Being Dauntless born, she knew that's how her faction communicated but they continued yelling and should against the divergent kept going.
"The time has come to fight back and take what's ours"
Another chorus of yells tears through the buildings. More instructions are given and people start to break into smaller groups. Shauna sticks close to Lynn.
"We need to be careful with the Candor floating around. Placing the denotation devices at night."
Eric makes his way over to the group where Lynn is pointing at a map and he notices Shauna.
"Well, what do we have here?" He drawls while drawing his knife and pushing Shauna against the wall.
"Leave her alone Eric" Lynn snaps.
Shauna gasps as Eric takes the tip of his knife to her neck.
"So she can run back and tell all of her friends in Leadership? I don't think so. We took a big enough risk with you"
"She good, Leave her alone" Lynn yells trying to get in Eric's face but he still had the knife pressed so close that Shauna couldn't move.
"I won't tell I promise" Shauna whispers feeling the metal pierce her neck.
"Oh I know you won't, I'll slit your throat if I even so much as hear you've been seen talking to that group of traitors." Eric presses the knife into her skin drawing blood.
"Fuck you Eric" Lynn spits and pushes him. Shauna quickly moves pressing her hand against her neck..
"And don't think I'll stop at you. I'd hate for Hector to meet the same fate" Eric winks at her and Lynn before walking away.
"Don't fuck this up Shauna" Lynn tells her before going back to the group.
Shauna nods. She pulls her hand back and looks at the blood. What was she going to do?