Eric's POV

I should have fucking told her to leave, it was on the tip of my tongue. She stood there in the doorway of the elevator, waiting for me to say something, anything and I just fucking stood there and told her goodnight. No matter how hard I tried, I cant keep away. I was bad, I do bad things to people who sometimes deserve it and who sometimes don't. I knew that, I know I'm intimidating and people keep away from me. That's what I prefer, but she doesn't. She stays close, almost too close sometimes and I fucking let her. She put her trust in me today, not that she can't trust me, I'm as forthcoming as can be. I won't lie and cheat my way through life, although I have in the past. Coming from Erudite into Dauntless was a way for Jeanine to implement herself in the faction and she has in a big way, especially now with her assistant here. Jeanine was keeping tabs on Max, making sure he was coming through on his end of their deal and mine. Although I doubt Allie knows what she's really looking for, I've seen the way she stands there with that tablet. When she isn't fighting with it to cooperate with her, she's typing away whatever Max throws at her.

I should have told her to go, the same way Four did. He was right, it's not safe for her here but neither is Erudite. Being so close to Jeanine is dangerous, not just because of Jeanine but here there are other threats. The factionless want her gone and if she quit trying to overthrow the council, it won't be long before they too will retaliate against her but her need for control has her head so far up her own ass. It won't be long. Maybe that's why I feel the need to stay close to her.

I had just walked into Harrison's office when the alarm sounded from the elevator shaft, Harrison was knee deep in paperwork littered all over his desk. The only organised chaos that comes with Harrison. He stands immediately and I know that something's not right, I'd left Allie about two minutes ago.

"Call Max" I bark at him, knowing he'll do as I say, I race from the room at full speed as I hit the elevator button. It doesn't budge, the elevator is stuck on the level it's alarming at. Luckily for me, I know what floor it's stopped at as it's displayed above the double doors. The stairs. Max and Harrison reach me just as I'm moving to the door to the staircase. I climb them two at a time as Max and Harrison follow closely behind, I don't look back. I push upward till I reach the level furiously pulling open the door, I don't see them at first, I head to the open elevator doors and notice the few spots of blood on the control panel. That's when I hear the gasp and some shuffling, I turn and I can clearly see that stupid bitch from Four's team with her hands around Allie's throat and I act quick. Rage fuels me forward as I pull the girl off of her and throw her as hard as I can, she whimpers as she hits the ground and immediately starts crying and apologising. I want to kill her, maim her, but I don't. I stand over the top of her, ignoring her protests and apologies. "You're done. Do you hear me? Done. I suggest you pack your shit, if I so much as catch a glimpse of your face around here I'll kill you myself."

I leave her there, going against my better judgement of just to throw her into the chasm and be done with it.

I rush to Harrison and Max's side, she's bruised and bloody and I can still see the handprints against her pale skin. Gone is the smile that she left me with, "She needs a doctor" Harrison informs me but I'm already on it. I pick her up in my arms and lift her, she moves her head closer to my chest and I know that she'll be okay. I carry her all the way to the infirmary, it's not hard. Even as a dead weight in her unconscious state she's light enough to carry the distance it takes to get there.

As soon as I walk in, a flurry of nurses come rushing over as I lay her down on one of the available beds. They circle around her and it takes me a moment to step back and away, her throat is marked with Tracey's fingers and her cheekbone has a welt the size of a golf ball forming underneath the cut that lies there and her hair had been pulled free from its original place atop of her head and it was matted with blood. The look of her makes me shake my head, I should have walked her the rest of the way.

I don't see her again for a few hours but I don't sleep, I stay seated outside the infirmary with my hands clasped together in my lap. I hear footsteps approaching and I see Four walking this way, a look full of concern for his little sister. He goes to barge straight in but I stand with my hand on his chest, "They're still in there with her. There's no point you going in there making a scene while they're trying to do their job, so sit down and get comfortable." He goes to protest against me but I square my shoulders, "Sit." He sighs, looking defeated as he sits down reluctantly.

He runs a hand through his hair, "She shouldn't have been there tonight. I shouldn't have allowed it."

I take the only other seat next to him, as much as I loathe the guy I have no choice but to be civil. Especially that it's Allie in those rooms. "There's nothing you could've done. That bitch was a psycho. She was dirty because she was failing and she picked someone else to blame."

Just as I finish speaking, the doctor comes out and both Four and I stand at exactly the same time. I don't think the doctor expected us to be there because he falters at the sight of us, "How is she? Is she okay?" Four asks and his whiney voice grates over every single nerve in my body.

"She's okay, she's a bit banged up. Two broken ribs, twelve stitches on the side of her head but there doesn't seem to be any serious damage. We've taken some scans and are just waiting on results to come back from Erudite from their specialists. She's got some minor damage to her oesophagus and vocal cords so we're keeping her sedated for a couple days till the swelling subsides but other than that, she's going to make a full recovery. I suggest you come back in the morning and then you can come in and see her, right now she just needs rest." The doctor is gone before we get a chance to say anything more.

Four nods and goes to leave but I stay put, he looks at me a little confused. "You go, I'll let you know if I hear anything." We lock eyes and he juts out his chin in thanks, but he can't say it and I really don't give a fuck either way. I'm not staying here for him. I wait till Four is gone before I push my way into the infirmary, I'm not waiting till morning.

The doctor goes to protest my arrival but I hold up my hand to stop him, "I need to see..." the words die as I walk to the end of her bed. She looks worse than before except less blood on her cheek, there's a butterfly clip on the cut on her cheek and the bruising has grown to a darkened blue and I just take the seat beside her bed and wait.

Allie's POV

So far I'd been in the infirmary for three days now, two of them were mostly sleeping. I'd woken up on the second night in a daze and a complete panic, I had no idea where I was and the last thing I remember was Tracey's hands wrapped tightly around my throat and everything after that was a blur. To my surprise though, Eric was here by my side the moment I woke up. He didn't reach for me or grab me like I thought he would, except the heart monitor alerted the staff that I was awake and a couple nurses came rushing in to check on me. They basically told him to get out because he was hovering very closely, watching what everyone was doing. Like he was waiting for someone to do the wrong thing so he could yell at them. All this morning I'd been talking to the doctor who stitched me up, well it was mostly the doctor talking. I on the other hand could only rasp out my answers, it hurt like a mother fucker to speak but the ice chips the nurses were giving me helped a hell of a lot.

It was lunch time by the time Christina and Kyle came down to visit me, I was gifted lots of jelly and yogurt and was told I could eat all the ice cream I wanted. This, I was very pleased with. In abnegation, ice cream was practically a sin. So when I arrived in Erudite, it hadn't taken me long to find some and it was now its own food group for me.

I was now sitting up the best I could with Kyle sitting in the available chair next to my bed while Christina sat cross legged on the end of my bed by my feet, Kyle had just finished telling us his newest shift change and that was patrolling the wall.

"You've always been on patrols near Erudite, why the sudden about face? What'd you do wrong?" Christina just finished asking as she dug her spoon into her bowl of ice cream, she was practically shoveling it into her mouth. Usually the going dessert around Dauntless was chocolate cake but the chef's came through on my behalf and made copious amounts of ice cream for the faction as well, whoever demanded that change was a godsend.

"I don't know, Eric is in charge of the patrols and I haven't even spoken to him so I don't know how I pissed him off." Kyle sighs, it's clear he's annoyed by this development.

"I have an idea," Christina chuckles and I watch as Kyle looks at her expectantly and so do I.

"Well are you going to enlighten us, or..?" I rasp out as I spoon some of my ice cream into my mouth, it's smooth and creamy and slides down my throat easily.

"I could tell you, but I'll let you figure this one out on your own."

"How noble of you," Kyle groans out, clearly annoyed with her lack of better words.

I just stare at her questioningly but she just shrugs, she knows something but she's choosing now to stay silent on the situation.

A cough by the door has alerted us to someone else in the dimly lit room, I look up and my brother is standing in the doorway with Tris by his side, she throws me a warm smile and I smile back. She's obviously spoken to Four and told him to come and talk to me because when he walks further into the room, she lingers back. "Can I talk to Allie alone for a bit, you guys can come back later." With that both Kyle and Christina get up and Christina takes my now empty bowl.

"I'll come back later with more." Christina tells me as she walks out with Kyle and Tris, leaving me alone with Four.

I wait for my brother to sit on my bed before reaching for his hand, he eyes me wearily.

"Before you say anything, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have hit you and I regret the way I acted towards you." I rasp out, I'd been carrying a large chip on my shoulder and needed to get rid of it. Our conversation would no way fix things between us but it was a start. "I was just mad and stupid, you left and didn't tell me you were leaving and I held a grudge for so long. You know Tris asked me to talk to you?"

"She did? You have to know, I didn't ask her to do that." He sighs and takes my hand in both of his and just holds it as he looks at the both of our hands together, his shoulders slack with relief when I don't pull away.

"I know, she cares about you."

He nods and smiles while thinking of her and in that moment, I know he loves her.

"She seems good for you, I don't know if it was Dauntless or her. But you seem... Stronger."

"It's a bit of both actually, she makes me a better person. But so do you, besides now of course." He laughs at this and I do too.

"Well that's what happens when you get the shit kicked out of you by a psychopath."

He just smiles but it doesn't quite reach his eyes, "She followed you and Eric back, I didn't even realise she was gone till all the other initiates started going down the zip line. I don't normally go but I was feeling spontaneous. Technically I should've been on the train too, I was kicking myself that I wasn't."

"That would explain a few things then." No one had actually filled me in on how she got there, but I don't dwell on it too long. It's over and done with. "I heard Eric kicked her out, she was made factionless."

"He's taken a liking to you, Eric has..." I raise an eyebrow at him questioningly, "He's been here a few times, if I didn't know any better I'd say he cares. But I do know better, you need to be careful with him."

I sigh releasing his hand and run it through my hair which is still matted since I haven't been able to shower since the incident due to me being asleep for the last two and a bit days. "Toby, whatever you think is happening with Eric and I... we are just.. friends, I guess."

He grimaces at my nickname for him but decides not to mention it and instead just looks to me, "You don't sound too confident about that. Either way, I'm just looking out for you. Just, be careful."

"Always the big brother, looking out for his kid sister." I smile and he smiles too, "But I'm not a kid anymore. I had to grow up fast and I did and I left and it was the best decision I made, and I realise that it's the best decision you've made too. I'm still pissed at you, but I understand now."

"You shouldn't have gone to Erudite" He speaks out quietly, like he's afraid someone will overhear, his tone his serious now as he looks at me. "You need to figure out a way to get out from under Jeanine. You could be caught in the crossfire if something ever happens."

"What's going to happen?" I ask confused, my eyebrows knitting together, "Do you know something?".

"Listen, all I know is that it's not safe being so close to her. Promise me, you'll try?".

His eyes are pleading now, I don't know what he expects me to do but I nod. "Is she really looking for Divergent's? Are the rumours true?".

He doesn't say anything but he nods, a knowing look crossing his face. He knows why I've asked, I can see it cross his eyes but he doesn't want to say it out loud. "It's why I said to be careful with Eric, he's been tasked to find them and bring them to her. That was part of his deal with Erudite. His fate was sealed when he came to Dauntless. Although, lately he's passed that on to Max while he focuses on the factionless."

"How do you know all this?", the thought had crossed my mind. I knew him and Max were close with Jeanine, Max more so since I've been working for her. Nothing about Divergent's was ever mentioned in my presence during meetings but there were many times that I wasn't there to witness what's being said and I'm suddenly afraid to go back, maybe she knows.

"I just know." He gives my leg a pat and I can't help but think about his words long after he leaves, it's eating me up on the inside. If I did figure out a way to not work for Jeanine, what would I do? I was still training and I know that she would find out things about me if I stayed too long but I have no idea what I could do. I only went to Erudite to escape having to come here. I wouldn't fit in Candor or Amity and I certainly couldn't stay in Abnegation. If I can't stay in Erudite, there was only Dauntless. I was mentally kicking myself and regretting being so caught up in myself not to realise where I truly belonged. Or maybe I was supposed to be factionless.

I fall asleep after he leaves, dreaming of a better life. Where there were no threats and I was happily laughing with a group of my friends which unfairly consisted of everyone here in Dauntless and Angel back in Erudite.

I only nap for an hour or two but when I do wake up, I'm not as disoriented as I felt earlier and I'm hit with the familiar sent that is the other occupant by my bedside. How he always manages to smell so good is beyond me.

"Hey" I smile sleepily at Eric as he sits forward in his seat, gone is the vest and in only a black fitted shirt but I can still see he's wearing his same pants that he always wears but today there is a gun attached to his hip but he's still looking much more casual now than I had seen him last night. He looks tired and burnt out, it looks like he hasn't slept in days and his hair isn't as fixed in place as it normally was.

"Hey" He mimics my words and it makes me smile brightly, as best I can with the bulging welt on my cheek. "How're you holding up?".

"I'm fine. Sore but fine. The medication the doctors are giving me seems to be working." I'm lying on my side now, it's more comfortable this way and it's giving me a great view of his steely grey eyes boring into me.

He stands up suddenly and I watch him closely as he takes off the gun holster that's on his hip and places it on the table beside my bed. "What's wrong?".

"Move over" He commands and I just look at him puzzled, "Did I stutter? Move over."

It hurts to move and maybe I'm dumb for not understanding but I shift my body back slowly, wincing a little at the pain in my side. Although I'd been in the infirmary for three days, it still wasn't enough time for my ribs to heal. I watch with wide eyes as he toes off his boots and pulls the blanket back. Revealing the top half of my bare legs under the hospital gown I was wearing, I haven't even begun to divulge how they managed to get me in a gown but that's not even what's on my mind this current minute. "What-What are you doing?".

I immediately panic as he sits on the edge and swings his legs up onto the top of the too small of a bed and lays back against the only pillow before he pulls the thin blanket up over us and I'm completely engulfed by him. His broad muscled shoulders takes up most of the room and he's warm, warmer than any blanket that the Dauntless infirmary keeps on hand. My knees are pressed against the outside of his upper thigh and the fabric is rough against my bare skin and I suddenly feel hot, I'm thankful the heart monitors had been removed because they would alert everyone that my heart was racing a million miles a minute.

He shifts his arm and I have no choice but to raise my head and rest it on his bare bicep, his arm wraps around the back of me in a possessive way and he pulls me gently closer to him. Any and all words have escaped me, he's so close that I can't think straight. Especially when his hand rests on my back through the opening at the back of my gown, I can't look at him. I'm hot everywhere.

"I spoke with Jeanine."

"You did? What did she say?". I look up to him, he's not looking at me. He has his eyes closed again with his body facing the roof, his fingers are dancing on my back. It feels so weird to be this close with him in such an intimate way, he'd been so reserved and structured that I didn't think this side of him ever existed. I don't think anyone ever knew this side of him existed.

"Not a lot, she wants you to continue on as normal once you get out of the infirmary."

"Of course she does. Can I ask you a question?" I chew idly on my bottom lip, I figure since he looks so relaxed in this moment that I'd have a chance to get something out of him.

He opens his eyes now and looks down to me by his side, the look he's giving me makes my heart skip a beat "Do I have to answer?".

"Yes," I smile innocently up at him, his hand stills on my back as I stare up at him. I expect him to look away but he doesn't as he waits for me to continue. "Four told me you're from Erudite, do you still have family there?".

"Yes" Is his only response, I wait for him to elaborate but he doesn't.

"Yes?"

"Fine, yes my mother and no I don't speak to her."

"Why not?"

He lets out an annoyed huff and shakes his head, "It's a long list. Not enough hours in the day to scratch the surface."

"I have time." I push my luck but he doesn't seem impressed, I just smile at him as innocently as I can. Especially knowing he won't push me away now. I decide to be a little brave and rest my hand on his shirt in the middle of his chest, he hasn't taken his eyes off me and I relish in the feeling of his chest rising and falling under my hand.

"Not today. Enough questions, I'm tired." His voice is rough and laced with something I can't place, he shifts slightly as he rolls his body even closer. He must know how this effects me because even with his eyes closed, I can see that he's amused.

I relax against him and close my eyes, I don't sleep though. I've had more than enough sleep to last a lifetime, I just relish in the fact that he's so warm and his hand was still pressed flat against my back. His fingers are rough and calloused and it sends shivers up and down my body. After a few minutes his hand relaxes and slowly falls away. In my 6 days of being in Dauntless, this moment has to be one of my favourites. Not so much with being in the infirmary but being this close to someone, Eric especially.

I was allowed to leave the infirmary the next day, after the doctors received all my scans back from Erudite they concluded there was no serious damage just cosmetic apart from my ribs. I'd managed to shower and with the help of a nurse, wash my hair. I felt more awake and more like myself now. Christina had returned later last night and bought me my tablet and phone and a change of clothes, I was thankful that it was her and not someone else going through my more personal items, like clean underwear. Much to Christina's surprise though, Eric was still beside me on the bed when she rocked up. She eye'd me with a huge grin but didn't say anything, she just put down the bag and gave me two thumbs up as she slipped back out the door. I just rolled my eyes.

Eric left early this morning, I woke up to him tying up his boots in the chair next to my bed. He looked more rested and relaxed than I've ever seen him, I think he slept all through the afternoon and night. If he did wake up, I wouldn't know. After some time of lying with him and after I very reluctantly sat up and ate something a nurse had bought in and after Christina's visit, I fell asleep against him in the same position I was in earlier. He didn't move except for when I lied back down, he subconsciously pulled me against him in his sleep and I let him. It was the first night I had shared a bed with anyone in my whole life, apart from my brother when I was young and scared.

After my shower I took some time brushing my teeth and very gently combing my hair, unfortunately for me I would be wearing my hair up for a while to cover the small bald spot where I had the stitches. It was a painful reminder of what happened but it could've ended a lot worse so I'm grateful for that. As for the clothes I was wearing, I would be walking my way back to my room in my pyjamas. Either Christina couldn't find any real clothes or she was going to get a kick out of seeing the only person in Dauntless wearing pale pink pyjama pants, white fluffy slippers and a white tank top. I looked completely out of place as I walk out of the bathroom to see Christina standing there giving me a Cheshire Cat grin, she definitely done this on purpose.

"I loathe you right now," I scold her with narrowed eyes.

"No you don't", she just laughs haughtily at me with a shrug, this is the reaction she wanted and she got it. "So uh, you look like you had a good sleep last night?".

I walk over to my bag, rather slowly. It didn't hurt to walk that much, it just felt odd to be up and about on my feet but I decided I needed to get up and about as quick as possible if I was going to carry on with my work. I try not look at her as my cheeks flush a bright shade of red, "I don't know what you mean." I try to play innocent but I don't think it works.

"Right, our fearless leader has a hard on for you and you're going to what? Try and ignore it?"

"Christina!" I gape at her, wide eyed. She really does have no filter, "He doesn't have a.." I refuse to use her analogy, "He doesn't have a thing for me, there is no thing. Nothing. We're just, I don't know. He was just checking on me."

"Okay Allie, I'm going to be real with you okay? Never and I mean NEVER has Eric come to the infirmary to 'check on' anyone. Ever! And if he did, he certainly wouldn't be going to sleep next to them where everyone could see."

I sigh as I finish putting my things in my bag and zip it back up, "I don't know what to tell you Chris. He's been great to me but I don't think it's anything more than a working relationship. I'm going back to Erudite in a week and he's probably just looking out for me to help Jeanine. That's it."

"You're waaay in denial like deep deep down in it. But do you know what? I'm going to let you figure this out and when I'm right and I am, I want all the juicy details. I always wondered what he'd be like in the bedroom."

"Don't you have like a job to do? Like an actual job that you do around here?" I can see the smile on her wide mouth and I'm sure my cheeks are flushed now from this highly awkward conversation, but she just steps forward handing me what looks like a room key card. "What's this?", I hold it up and she has a sly smirk.

"My job. It's a new room key, you've been moved to a different room. And it's 'my job' to escort you there."

Christine walked with me up to my new room , carrying my bag over her shoulder. I tried to convince her I'd be fine carrying it on my own but she refused and I have to admit, I was a little grateful. The walk up was tiring, considering the amount of sleep I've had over the course of the four days in the infirmary. When we did pass a few Dauntless members, she did get the reaction she wanted. I heard people laughing and someone whistled at me, causing my T turn and flip them off while Christina bellowed a loud laugh from beside me. We were going in the same direction as my old room but it was a few more doors down, I didn't even realise how many rooms were actually on the leaders floor till now. I'd never really taken much notice in the other three days I'd spent walking up and down these halls.

She stops at a door and hands me the key card and my bag, "We've already had all your things moved here this morning. By the way, it was Max's decision. For your safety and all. Good luck."

I suddenly have a bad feeling as I watch her saunter away, a swagger to her step as she walks back to the lift. I take a moment to look over the key card in my hand, the initials E and C and the room number on the back of the card stand out in silver against the black card. I swipe the card and enter the room, I don't look up till I close the door behind me and my heart nearly jumps from chest and splatters all over the floor. There is Eric sitting at a dark hard wood dining table, eating his breakfast. He doesn't smile or get up, he just continues eating, completely unbothered by my arrival. He's showered and freshly shaven and he's sitting in nothing but a pair of dark grey loose fitting pants, the sight of him shirtless has my eyebrows rising all the way up into my hairline. His muscles are well defined and I can't look away, the room suddenly feels very hot.

Fuck, I'm screwed.

A/N - There is a lot to unpack here and a bit more dialogue than previous chapters but I felt it was needed for this chapter. Allie will unfortunately be leaving Dauntless soon and I have a few things planned and things are going to start changing around the factions and her time in Erudite is also going to start changing as she gets further involved in the behind the scenes. BUT it won't be the last time she steps foot in Dauntless. And I love the ending to this chapter bahaha, he obviously knew she was coming and still decided not to put on a shirt.. hrm! As always, review, follow or favourite as always. Much love SJ xo