Crush

by beautifulramblingbrains

Summary:

A memory from Eric's past plays tricks on him. And it's all about the girl, Abbey Ainsworth. (Eric, OC, Divergent)

Chapter 1

Abbey Ainsworth.

Fuck. He hadn't thought of that name in over three years. If it wasn't for the number boy he probably wouldn't have thought of it for another ten.

But today is different. Today he has the time to sit in remembrance. He has time to reminisce about what was - even if the memories give him a heated inner core and a bad case of the Monday's.

Stretching his legs leisurely under the table and sitting further back in his recliner chair, he has no further duties that require his personal attention for a good hour. He was enclosed and cocooned by the safety of his dimly-lit office with the blinds half-mast. He was safe here to empty the trashy thoughts that seemed to have crept up on him out of the hazy mist of his youthful brain.

Abbey Ainsworth.

Eric lazily flops his arm down to the drawer on the side of the desk, pulling the secret cigarettes that he always kept there. In fact, they weren't really a secret, he would smoke if he wanted and wouldn't care for who's say so. But he liked to think for his health that it was his dirty little secret, and right now, there didn't seem any better time than to pull one, bite the filter and light the damn thing. It was a need, a must, and he's already blazing it habitually as the name seems to simper back into his brain again.

Abbey Ainsworth.

He couldn't really remember when they became friends back at Erudite. It just, sort of, happened…

She used to be in his class. Brown bob, skinny, and her teeth too big for her head. They hadn't even spoken in between the years, he didn't even really know she existed and treated her to that same effect.

Eric regarded her as any other little annoying girl and that boys didn't hang around with girls, they were disgusting, vile, whiners.

That's until they got put together randomly in biology.

He'd just turned thirteen and honestly, couldn't think of anything worse than having to discuss with her the ecology and evolution of life through frog dissection. Having a girl as his lab partner… he all but groaned as he imagined her freaking out or possibly hurling like Sandy Morrison. But she didn't.

In fact, she'd taken the knife out of his gloved hands, smiled up at him through her vented safety goggles and sliced the stomach open before the teacher even gave them the go-ahead.

It was in that moment, the little annoying girl with the brown bob and teeth too big for her head, professionally and enthrallingly slicing and pulling apart the frog's skin like she was a complete psychopath - It was in that moment he knew they would be the best of friends.

It only seemed to get better as the year passed.

She helped him cheat in his Math's test at fourteen. They had devised a unique tap of the foot in the silenced room, to which she swirled numbers on her back with a finger once he'd alerted her to his entrapment, sometimes throwing a coy smile over her shoulder when authority wasn't looking. Afterward, they ditched all further lessons and took to the biggest oak tree they could find.

It was her idea.

She climbed first, swinging her bright blue bag over her shoulder and tying her woolen knitted jumper to her waist, calling him "Chicken shit," when he didn't attempt to climb in the first instance. But to be fair, he was just trying not to look up her dress as she uncaringly climbed from branch to branch.

There, they sat for hours until their asses felt raw, talking nothing but utter nonsense and mocking over the nerdy freaks in their class. Soon, it seemed to become a regular thing, so much so, that one day they both carved their names at the top - No hearts or any other drivel, just their names. But she drew a smiley face…

At one point when they were fifteen Abbey never turned up for school one day. It wasn't like her, she always turned up and he couldn't understand why.

It wasn't like he could message her - he got his phone confiscated by his parents when it got reported they had prank-called Desmond Drip too many times in one night.

But in the one day, he'd never felt so lost. Not even his other friends shared the same sense of indulgent humor as they did, and it was a plain fact he'd clock watched the entire day until he could go looking for her.

He'd found her, eventually. She was at home, and she'd answered the door barely able to look at him.

"What happened to your face?" he asked, and she diverted her eyes to the floor. There was one specific eye blackened and shining as a massive indicator of injustice, and the mere thought and sight made his blood boil to an inhuman temperature.

He knew by the way she was looking indirectly to the floor, that nothing was alright in the life of Abbey Ainsworth. He knew this look, it was a look he did himself, one of loss of pride, but also something she'd been trying to hide.

"Sarah Mackey." The words fall from her quivered but rosy lips.

"Why?" He watches as her eyes well up, but she won't cry, won't allow herself to, not in front of him.

"Because she says I'm a whore for hanging around with boys."

He'd left her that evening having found the new knowledge of deep personal interest. He'd found Sarah Mackey's older brother by the bench of the south entrance the next morning and, quite frankly, beat the living shit out of him.

"That's for Abbey!" he let bellow from the pit of his stomach once he'd dropped him. But it also earned him a matching black eye amid the chaos - that he wasn't too pleased with. It didn't matter though, as when he went to see Abbey later on that day, they matched…

Her smile beamed from ear to ear and strangely she threw her arms around his neck for thanks. It was their first ever hug… but it wasn't their last.

At sixteen, Abbey's hair was long. She'd filled out perfectly and she sported breasts, whereas he sported half-decent facial hair for once. But they still acted as if they were thirteen, name-calling, jinxing, free-hits.

They had their aptitude tests at the beginning of the year, and Eric was unsurprised to find that he wasn't Erudite after swiping the knife in the fear simulation and easily obliterating the dog. They weren't allowed to say what they got, but it didn't mean he hadn't the insatiable urge to ask Abbey. They settled for: "Not Erudite" instead, and that's the way it stayed.

Eric's father passed halfway through that year from a sudden heart attack.

The news was delivered to him after being escorted from their English class by their main professor and he was sent home accordingly. She turned up later that night, she didn't say anything, didn't have to. He saw she was already aware of the news. Instead of offering her condolences, Abbey pulled him into her arms, his face in her peppermint hair, her nose against his neck. He couldn't figure out how long they stood like that, but it was a long time. But it was enough, being with her at that moment was enough…

Then one day everything changed.

Abbey found him after class and jingled a cigarette in his face, well, what he thought was a cigarette. It was not until they were back at their tree within the ruined cities wilderness that he actually found out it was a joint.

They smoked that shit till their lungs burned and eyes bled.

They practiced blowbacks and he'd burnt his lip. She tried to teach him to blow rings but he Just. Simply. Couldn't. However, that didn't matter, they laughed highly for what seemed like hours at practically nothing. And it was the best time of his life.

Laying softly on the small pit of earth beneath the tree, watching the branches sway in the light breeze as the moon decided to make an appearance. He remembers it being a full moon, the dewy blue haze settling upon them softly and deliciously cool - that eventually he felt cold fingers slide over the back of his hand, placing themselves entwined with his.

The breath practically hitched in his throat and he'd froze, but it didn't stop him from turning his head and noticing the way she was looking at him. When their eyes met she'd smiled softly and chastely said:

"You're my moon."

Before slowly turning her gaze back up towards the tree and the sky and whatever else she was looking at. However, he didn't, he allowed him a few extra minutes to take in her never-noticed-before features. The gradual slope of her nose, the puckered lips, her long lazily blinking eyelashes as she was pooled by a pillow of her own chestnut hair framed around her head. It was in that moment, he realized how beautiful she was and wondered why he'd never seen it before.

They held hands in silence until midnight.

Eric's life came to a blazing, sharp, gut-wrenching, panicky ball of nerves when Abbey's parents invited him to dinner. He'd spent the whole day of the Friday panicking. He'd gone home and changed between four shades of blue before finalizing on something parent-worthy but utterly, boringly, blue... But what got to him the most was how he couldn't really figure out why this bothered him so much…

Of course, he'd met her parents, but briefly. And usually, it was because they were in trouble or he was coming to see if she was home. It was never formal, however.

All night he put on his best behavior and told them stories about himself, how he was doing in his classes, things he liked and didn't like. But in his side-view, Abbey just smiled at him from across the table as he spoke. He would almost say it was as if they were the only people in the room and his gray eyes would hold hers for moments far too long.

Till she slid her foot up his leg…

And continued to do so through dessert, earning him a temporary cough and marks in between his fingers from his own nails.

At seventeen, they had one year left to the choosing ceremony. And this seemed to pain Eric more than he would like.

He hadn't told her about which faction he was planning on joining after Erudite. He was far too broad and significantly provoked in the Erudite navy uniform with his great height and strong jawline. He wasn't in the slightest muscular, just athletic, but better built than the average men he'd seen milling around. But it wasn't just that…

Eric wanted more. He wanted freedom. He wanted power. He wanted to be Dauntless… But all those things he wanted with Abbey. However, the unknown faction of her choice was simpering on the fine edge of earth shattering heartache.

However, he could never find the right words to tell Abbey appropriately, even when every inch of him screamed him to out it. And when he felt that perhaps he had stumbled upon them and was about to let them slip, she turns and smiles at him, holds his hand, plays with his hair. It's like she knew what he was thinking.

At break, with his head in her lap and under the familiar oak tree. She lazily picks the petals from a flower. Nipping the petals softly, letting them flutter past his head, while he stares between her face and the puny white monstrosities of flower spawn. Then unexpectedly, she meets his eye.

"I want to show you something…" Abbey's cheeks ignite, and a million things run through his head. Had he missed something? Nothing usually gets by him.

She pushes him to sit and he drawls "Okkkay," unsurely.

Abbey blushes as she looks to the floor again and Eric hides his embarrassment for her.

She shrugs off her cardigan and slowly, her dainty fingers work at the buttons of her white shirt, painstakingly leisurely. All he can seem to do is stare with his Adam's apple bobbing repeatedly as he tries to swallow the saliva that's decided to form quicker.

She throws off her shirt and sits in a white lacy bra in front of him with her milky skin exposed. He tries his hardest to keep her gaze but he can't help the momentary acts of defiance his eyes seem to make.

"Wh-" Eric tries to talk with his jaw slack, but she hushes him quickly.

"Shh." She shuffles closer on her knees. "Don't ruin it." Slowly, she moves forwards, her eyes searching each of his and he stares back with the same passionate glint that he sees beginning to form in hers.

She kisses him.

His first kiss.

Her lips were hot and lusciously soft against his own, and he let his eyes close along with hers.

She bites at his bottom lip while pulling away slowly. He was surprised at first, but smiles when she tilts her head back to roam over his face briefly, maybe checking if he was possibly still breathing.

"Chicken shit," she says. "You're supposed to kiss me first."

"You're not exactly conventional." And she kisses his smile. This time he opens his mouth a little and she responds instantly, sliding her sweet tongue to search out his, hands sliding round to the back of his head and through his hair. He grips at her waist and pulls her forward, sliding a hand up her back and finding the lacy material of her bra, mentally trying to figure out just exactly how he's found himself in this scenario and whether he's the most luckiest son of a bitch on this planet.

"Take it off," she practically purrs, moving back a little to catch his reaction.

"What if someone sees us?"

"What if…" She shrugs. And like a classical school-boy, he fumbles for about five minutes trying to figure out the stupid clasp and can't fathom why it won't naturally move the way he wants it to. She merely giggles, and with a special superhuman ability – unclasps it with one hand.

Eric doesn't want to look out of courtesy but just can't help it. Perfectly pert, untouched skin sits before him, the nipple hardened and tempestuously pink.

"I want you to touch me, Eric." And he didn't need telling twice. The soft skin sits pleasantly against his palm as he lightly squeezes. Abbey leans in and kisses him again, pushing him further and further backward until he's almost lying flat and she hovers over him.

That day she tells him.

"I think – I think I love you…"

But he doesn't say it back, and she doesn't appear to be disheartened. She knows him too well to be put off by his uniquely restrictive mind. To be honest, he didn't even really know what love was, so how could he say it? Was this love?

Abbey had always been more openly emotional in front of him to some extent, she was a blunt girl when it came to him. Apart from physically showing emotional attachment, they'd never really talked about it…

But not only that, she didn't know that he was planning on choosing Dauntless next year. That's where his mind took him and it would be unfair to whisper the sweet nothings to her if he had no plan on staying.

Being with Abbey here was ultimately pleasing too, but he was so sure she would pick Dauntless. She had all the strengths and cunning, and if he was going, she would be going too. He could feel it, he knew it, no doubts.

Things became serious the day before the choosing ceremony.

Abbey shows up at his parent's place and is shown to his room by his mom throwing the door open unexpectedly. "Thank you, Mrs Coulter," Abbey says sweetly and smiles while stepping into his room.

Eric throws the book he was reading to one side and takes a minute to take in her appearance. She's sodden, walked there in the rain.

"I wanted to see you… before tomorrow, in case…" She shivers.

He signals for her to sit on the bed and throws her his towel. Her damp, flattened locks lay limp by her face. She looks pale, almost frightened.

"Don't, we shouldn't say…"

"That's not the only reason why I'm here. Lock the door," she talks very seriously and he complies - with a little sense of hesitation. She holds her hand out as the lock clicks and sighing lightly under the unknown, he walks over and holds it. "Lie down with me." Her eyes appear watery, hazy and he wonders what exactly is going through her mind right now. He moves, but she stops him. "Without your clothes."

"Are you sure?" He wasn't going to detest.

"I've never been so sure."

He would like to say that it was the most perfect sex anyone could have for their first time, but he would be lying. They were a giggling set of fools, clumsily roaming parts of their bodies that he'd never thought he would have the delight of seeing… or feeling. He'd made her squirm uncomfortably on their first try and he pulled out apologizing only to be dragged back with Abbey's natural stubbornness.

What was more thrilling was the fact that they could've been caught. However, they were lucky on this night, his mother had left them to their own devices. He did think that perhaps she maybe knew why Abbey was here and that was the reason she had let them be. Eric guessed he would never know and for in that moment – didn't care either…

Abbey gets called to choose before him, throwing him a long look before fixing a sturdy gaze towards the bowls of factions.

Eric can't help the nervous shifts and racing heart as he waits somewhat patiently, his mother's hand lightly laying on his knee for small comfort.

"She's a smart girl," his mother tells him. "And I know how close you two are but you have to do what's right for you, not for others…" At the time he didn't think too much of it, but his mother had openly predicted their fate.

…Abbey chooses Amity.

Every inch of skin on him is ablaze as he watches her make her way to sickening pink and yellow. looney nut-jobs. She looks utterly lost and tries to look back for him but is pulled into one of the open seats with the Amity faction. Abbey smiles to other members, but it's not her usual, he should know, he knew her better than anyone else. However, he didn't expect this, never knew which way her heart was taking her.

If he'd thought about it hard enough, the signs were there: Their oak tree, the outdoors and love of flowers, hate of violence with Sarah Mackey, the relaxing smoke they took together under the moonlight and hugging him obsessively for the last three years.

He'd always classed it is a warped sense of Dauntless, never Amity.

His blood burned with a sense of betrayal. It felt like she had lied all this time, but he knew she hadn't and that he couldn't truly be mad of her choice in all respect. The anger was more at himself for feeling how he did towards her, and for the main element – he'd have to let her go.

The last time they saw each other, he shared an expressionless look towards her watery eyes as they parted ways on their journey to their new factions.

Dauntless was his new home.

---

Sighing as he pulls himself from his lost thoughts, he once again curses Four for his untimely reminder of Abbey Ainsworth and wiggles the mouse of the computer to check the time.

11.50AM

Eric clicks his tongue on the roof of his mouth in annoyed anticipation that he would have to deal with this onslaught of deliverance. Amity would be arriving soon. Their trucks dirtied and thick tiered tires crunching the broken concrete of Dauntless instead of their plush fields, laden with the hippies of Amity and batches of produce for the glutinous warrior faction.

Just fucking dandy.

Every vertebra clicks as he stands, his room washed with the smell of a chain-smoker and an awful temper for inconveniences. He doesn't bother to pick up his phone, but he attaches his gun to his right thigh and an A4 page of the checklist he will no doubt develop a headache over.

The walk from his office to the warehouses isn't long, and he's never bothered by anyone. No one now would dare talk to him when he was in this mood, nor even make eye contact, and that was the way he liked it these days, a far cry to how he was in Erudite.

He supposed the behavior was always there in a way. He spat at the youngsters and she would laugh. He would fetch the ball from the moat and she would stay by the shore and dry. He would physically beat anyone that touched his Abbey and was always rewarded by her smile.

Eric shakes his head vigorously; he's not going back down that road again. That was a hell of enough for one day.

"So glad you could join us, Eric." Max stares out to the trucks rolling up in front of them. "I had a feeling you might not even turn up."

"Is that a sense of sarcasm I'm hearing?" Eric places his hands behind his back and imitates the strong look towards the truck, unbothered by the small questioning glance to his rather unusual passive state. "Let's just get this done."

The few subordinate Dauntless soldiers run a-mock as they divert the trucks to their certain bays. The heavy beeping and shouting drowning out even the deepest of thoughts as the gassy smoke from the exhausts back-fire and smolder the burning oil towards his nostrils.

Eric has stood here and overlooked this arrangement fifty times over, and as far as he was aware everything was working out the way it should before him and he didn't feel the need to intervene.

…Until one of the trucks stall and the backdoor unhinges, sending bags of produce tumbling out the back and smashing onto the floor, spilling ungracefully across the lot.

"Fuck," Eric mutters and Max sends him an incredulous look, unmoving from his position. "Fine. I'll go then."

Eric closes the gap brutally with his swift stride and arms himself for the onslaught of abuse that he's going to send the clumsy Amity packing-with. The Amity and Dauntless alike in the nearest vicinity move hastily in retreat and he doesn't bless them with even a small act of acknowledgment.

Instead, he grips the door handle of the red rust-bucket truck and yanks on it with limited grace. "You want to tell me what the fuck-"

He stops mid-sentence.

Eric must've have smoked too much tobacco and daydreamed far too much to be imagining her blushing down at him from the wrecked material seats of the truck.

Abbey.

It was her, he was sure of it, albeit a little more mature and magnificently filled out to the svelte of her curves. It was her.

Abbey's hair was still chestnut, her eyes still green and flecked with hazel, her adorable pout, and perfect nose. But she had bangs, side-swept bangs that were the only difference.

"I'm really sorry…" She begins and he wished he could have said anything other than:

"Abbey?" The word was so out of character and soft that he didn't believe he'd even said it. He naturally pulls his features into his usual frown, but the eyes are less intense, it was all about the eyes.

He physically hadn't said her name in years, it was all mainly in his thoughts from earlier. Fuck, he hadn't even thought of her since - until today…

Abbey's face is a maze of assumptions as she mulls over exactly who's standing in front of her. Slowly, but surely, disbelief arises. "…No way…" She whispers under her breath and his skin prickles at the sound. "Eric?"

He takes a small look around him to make sure no one's really paying attention before shifting closer. "What are you- why are you here?"

And as casually as ever, she laughs, smiling that familiar smile he remembered so well. "What does it look like?" He could bite his own tongue off for his stupid questions and stupid face so pitifully brimming on a long-lost hope.

Abbey slides down the seats and roams over his attire, curling her nose up a little and probably taking in the thick tattoos swamping his neck along with the piercings above his brow and multiple ear pieces. "Wow, Eric, you look…huge…like…really big…" Her eyes light up as she talks and expresses each word specifically. "Buff."

She looks pretty, too fucking pretty at this moment in time and every inch of him is trying to suppress the urge to grab her by the arm and take her all the way back to his apartment and bite at her skin and relish all the ways that he missed that knotted feeling at the pit of his stomach.

"You know me, full of surprises…"

"I heard you got ranked really highly… a Leader… Wow, look at you…" She rubs his arm and he thinks perhaps she doesn't know how offensive that would be if it were anyone else, but he lets her anyway.

Eric breaks the intense study he's performing over her appearance and directs a sharp look to the Amity standing around. "Well, don't just stand there, clean it up!" he snaps and Abbey shifts beside him, turning fractionally to do as he says. "Not you." He should say something else, something casual. However, he's somewhat out of practice. "You haven't changed a bit…" Good one.

"You certainly have. I mean, I barely recognized you. It's been-" She peers off in thought, her lips pouting slightly.

"Three years."

"Somebody has been counting…" She devours him with her eyes and he's actually nervous… nervous… he is never nervous. But he supposes every monster has their weaknesses.

"I, er, have been thinking about you…" Eric practically whispers, breaking any personal contact with her. "-because of the deliveries and Amity, and I knew you were-"

"I've been thinking about you, too." She stops his murmuring and lightly touches his arm again. "I hoped I'd get the chance to see you again."

His expression must ask the question 'why' as she answers anyway.

"I want you…" She hesitates for a split second. "I want you to come to my wedding…"

What. The. Fuck.

"No!" Eric spits the word venomously, a heat running from the base of his spine and blanching onto his neck. "Don't be stupid, you're not getting married."

"Erm, yes I am… In two weeks."

Eric knew she couldn't possibly love her fiancé; he wouldn't be enough for her, no one ever would be. Only Eric was meant for the girl. - This girl of all his firsts. This girl that spent far too much time clogging his mind today and sculpting his childhood.

The possessiveness was beginning to peak under the new assault of jealousy and lust. He would rip any person that would touch his Abbey, from limb to limb and enjoy himself while doing it.

"No," he says gruffly. "No I will not come to your wedding and you're an idiot for thinking so…" He leaves the words to linger in the air and it physically hurts when her face unravels in absolute surprise at his outburst and brutal honesty.

"Have I… done something to offend you?" She shrugs with her palms towards him in great apology, but it's not enough.

Eric beats down the eloping misery and turns away from her, feeling her eyes burn into the back of his head and the ripping sensation in his chest.

Loudly he snarls, "I hope you have a very happy life together."

This was not what he planned, not what he wanted to say, but the monster that was him couldn't bare her anywhere near him anymore. Not with those hideously exposed revelations.

Abbey will not marry another man… not while he still breathed.

He just needed time to figure out how. Marking his own words, he'll fucking stop her from devoting herself to someone else. He had the power swaying heavily in his favor and contacts heavily primed in Amity to help him do so.

Mark my words, Abbey Ainsworth will be mine.

Chapter 2

Two weeks. That was all he was given to productively try and get the girl that seemed to run a mock in his mind.

"You look like shit." - Not only that, but it appeared she now ran a mock on him physically as well. Max casually strolls into Eric's office, a flowing mix of witty criticism in his perfectly timed steps. The door slowly creaks to close behind him and Max runs his eyes over him for a little while longer before sighing and bringing his lips to a fine line. "You been up all night?"

"Something like that." Eric doesn't stop rummaging through the bottom drawer of his desk, then busies himself onto the paper in front of him. His pen flicks ferociously and papers get signed in the same fashion as that of an electronic machine. "You got those reports?"

"You mean, the Amity reports? That you requested? The faction you couldn't give two shits about any other time of the year?" Max leans on the back of the chair that sits opposite Eric's desk and finally, he lifts his head to meet his questionable gaze.

"I now have business at Amity. So yes, I am talking about the Amity reports."

"This wouldn't have to do with that little brunette would it?" Max rounds the chair and plops himself loosely in it, rubbing the side of his head animatedly and Eric guessed it was another one of his migraines resurfacing. "Don't deny it, I saw what I saw."

"What you saw, was an old friend of mine. And she wanted me to go to her wedding..." He's already said too much and catches himself before he says anything further.

"Fuck that, I went to Johanna's and -"

"If you have the reports, can you hand them over and show yourself out." Eric divulges himself back into the stacks of paper and bites the inside of his cheek obsessively. He really wasn't in the mood for Max's rundown of Amity weddings. It only seemed to solidify something in his chest further thinking about it. Right now, the distraction was paperwork and nothing else. He peers up briefly, not moving his head from the hovering position and catches Max's tense expression.

Max nods, three times, very slowly, while all the while narrowing his eyes. "I just came to a conclusion, Eric. I know you very well. And right now, you are furthest to anything but feral. You're pissed she's getting mar-" He doesn't get to finish before Eric pushes himself up from his desk haughtily, cluttering his pen pot from the force and the computer screen wobbles slackly from the jolt.

One hand is at his mouth while his free arm crosses itself instinctively over his body. All is heard is his sharp, annoyed exhales of breath while he tries to control the inner urge to hurl obscenities. "Get out, Max. If you know what's good for you…" He rounds the desk to the window and opens the blinds to the concrete jungle below him.

He couldn't fathom why, after so many deliveries and so many times Amity had been mentioned, that for some reason yesterday she clams up his mind and appears in the same day. He didn't really believe in fate, but that was close to it.

When he first joined Dauntless, and throughout his initiation, he'd cut his losses and swept Abbey into a small box stacked into the back of his head with an iron padlock. He had moments where he would fleetingly slither back upon a recollection, but never in so much detail. When he was conscious of himself undertaking it, he would snap himself back to reality without any qualms in doing so.

Yesterday - he'd let himself wander too far, reaching the furthest, blackest part of his mind that he knew he shouldn't have divulged himself to. But it was too late. The feelings he'd tried to push away, his humanity, his heart; had painstakingly resurfaced and it hurt. The very things he'd denied himself for three years had come stampeding back into his fucked up array of emotions, and he knew for certain that it didn't mix very well.

But he also knew for certain that he had to have her, and nothing else would do…

Max clears his throat, still unmoving from the plastic covered chair and leans back on an audible breath. "I can help, you know. If you'd just ask." The tone he uses is legitimately sincere and rumbles deeply within his throat from the sense of meaning he tried to shift behind it.

Eric just glances at him, regarding him with high suspicion. But anything right now would help with the tangled web of his brain. "What are you talking about? What's in it for you?" He snaps his head back to the view outside, not willing to show the small inkling of embarrassment that had begun to bristle through the base of his back. Weakness wasn't an option in front of another senior member of Dauntless, and especially not someone who he worked alongside in the runnings with Jeanine.

"Well, to put it quite simply, I know how you're feeling right now."

"You have no idea how I'm feeling. Don't try to patronize me."

"Give it rest, Eric. I've known you for far too long to be put-off by your blasé attitude. You haven't been right since yesterday with that little Amity who showed her face – for once you're actually working on your paperwork, you fucking hate paperwork!" Max kisses his teeth and shakes his head with utter annoyance.

"You know what I hate more, people getting in on my business."

Max stands, irrationally perplexed and closes the few steps Eric's created between them. He speaks to the back of his head, as he still hasn't bothered to face him. "Whatever, but I'm sorting a few arrangements and checks with Amity. I was going to send Lauren, but, if there was someone far more suitable for my job, then I'd like to know now…"

The silence in the room is deadly. Max leaves his words to linger, still hovering himself, waiting for any bodily cue that Eric has for once let the words sink in and forced himself to actually listen to the underlying reason that he's mentioned it.

Eric turns, dodging eye contact and tracing an invisible line on the floor. "How long?"

"I can process the arrangements today. They will believe it's any other dutiful visit. And…and I can place you there for as long as we need… I mean, you can work back and forth, but it's a free unquestionable pass for your movements."

Meeting Max's hopeful eye, he debates internally for a while. But he'd already, besottedly, made his mind up yesterday after the small run-in. He was just too god damn stubborn to bring himself to openly admit it so eagerly. "Okay."

"Okay you are going, or just okay…"

"I'm going. But I don't want to hear any more of it." As much as the words were cold, he could actually feel the electric white buzz of excitement for once. "This stays between me and you."

"Like I said, I know what it feels like, and I wish someone had given me the opportunity."

Sighing, he felt like he really should ask seeing as Max had relatively gone out of his way. "What are you talking about?"

"I lost someone close to me through my pride and it's too late for me now to go back and change that." Max turns to leave, causing Eric to wonder if he's temporarily covering his sorrow for his random exit. "Just don't fuck it up. Do the job, as well as your own…" The door doesn't slam like he anticipated, just gently clicks.

Eric stares after him for a little while longer. Quite simply thinking about what the actual fuck he was doing.

---

One truck rolls up, kicking dirt and grass into the thick humid air surrounding Amity while Johanna gazes out to the devilish approach surrounded by her peers. Her face drops a little when her least favorite person appears from the cab and hops down to a stiff stance just feet from her position.

The dust from the tires drifts through the air and solidifies the sheer and also bleak annoyance that she tries to stifle through her painted smile. "Eric, Amity welcomes you."

"And so they should, Johanna." He smirks at the uncomfortable pose and shifting stares from her right-hand men standing around her.

Eric remembers one of the guys to her left as a man he'd met briefly while counseling the Amity deliveries for Dauntless. The guy was a fake ass rat and pretended that his fear didn't run deep when faced with the reputable members of Dauntless. "Mark," he greets him, just as stand-offish as his sharp incline of a nod he receives back.

Johanna shares a look between the two and stands forwards a little more. "I'm glad you two know of each other, saves for the introductions that I know you so characteristically hate, Eric."

"You cater for me so well, Johanna. Extremely thoughtful." He motions towards her office "Shall we?" and she extends an arm reverently. He doesn't wait for her and simple strides towards the barns doors and covers the entwining steps in a matter of seconds.

The thought of Johanna's office is abysmal, and he can't understand how someone habituates in such a horse-shit, fly-covered, hot box that she seemed to redeem as a place worthy enough to be called an office. He lets his lack of fondness show predominantly on his face while he scans the room, finally settling on her sweaty, unfit form as she plonks herself behind her desk.

"Max has ordered a routine check, I see." The annoying woman gasps out between labored breaths.

"Yes, that, and to check with the small team we have that resides here. There has been no problem with the factionless I hope?" But his tone is bored and he still eyes the room disinterestedly instead of politely acknowledging her.

"None at all. Dauntless have treated us very kindly." She peers up to Mark having finally made the stairs and he walks passed him, taking his bitch-like place next to Johanna.

"Careful, Johanna. I think somebodies looking for a promotion." Eric leans forwards on the desk and raises an eyebrow to the man who seems to give him a frown of displeasure. He knew he didn't really like him and he wasn't going to sugar coat it and pretend he didn't notice it so obviously. "I'm only joking, buddy. Didn't mean to offend."

"So, how many days are you staying Eric?" Mark graces him with a fake smile. The voice is mocking, but he also doesn't care.

"I haven't quite decided. Been a while since I've been to Amity. Was going to take my time, you know. Take some of the old scenic views and fresh air in…" Eric lands himself in the chair opposite her desk and flicks at a piece of straw towards Mark. "I hope that's not a problem."

"Of course not. Everybody is welcome."

Fucking hippies.

The chair legs scrape on the floor as he pushes himself back and up again, swirling with absolute arrogance. But to be fair, he was eager to run a report on the Amity systems and check Abbey's status. "I gather you've received Max's email, so I presume there is nothing else to discuss?"

Johanna purses her lips, throwing a draw open on her desk hurriedly as she gets the notion he's about to leave. "Keys. Unless you want to sleep in your truck?"

"How kind of you."

Johanna and Mark watch Eric's head disappear from the steps and Mark throws a look down to her. "Seriously, him?"

"We don't question, we don't provoke. Everybody is welcome at Amity, especially Dauntless. We need their protection."

"I understand but he never-" She throws her hand up to silence him before removing herself and taking the steps. "-he never comes to Amity…" Mark says quietly to himself.

---

Having spent time batting the cob-webs and disposing of the sickening flowers that sat too freshly in a vase in his room. Eric felt two percent happier being in his small wooden hovel with the camp bed and small desk, quietly enclosed to the bright colors and nerve-popping Amity folk. If he got one more well-wish he was about to snap somebodies neck and laugh insanely while doing it.

But right now, it was quiet. He was far away from everything Amity and Dauntless and completely lost in a computer search on his electronic pad. He'd easily hacked the Amity database and could read Johanna's emails if he really wanted to - there was no time for that, as interesting as the idea sounded.

In his mind, he was thinking of the thousand ways he could 'accidentally' find Abbey. And when he did, what exactly would he do… Apologize? Say he'll go to the wedding to start a conversation? Ask her to walk with him for a while? A drink?

Fuck.

He wasn't sure how Amity folk sufficed with stuff like that and whether she would just tell him to fuck off after what he'd said. He was an asshole, much more so now than he ever used to be. But to get Abbey back he was going to have to work on it, play a piece of the dead-and-burnt charm he once had, piece it back together and form something extraordinarily old-school that she would wake up and smell the horse-shit to exactly what she was about to do.

Just as the boxes of numbers, names and locations begin burning into the back of his irises, Abbey Ainsworth appears.

Eric actually laughs to himself. At first just a quick snort and exhale, then audibly. Of course, what else would Abbey be doing – Floristry – just like the shitty white roses he threw out the moment he stepped foot inside. He hated flowers, they reminded him of her… their first kiss… No, now was not the time.

Eric's disturbed by a loud knocking on the door.

He's only just aware of his tranquilized state, the loose legs under the desk, the arm bent at the elbow towards the electronic pad sitting upright in front of him. He'd ultimately lost his ferocious attitude, because of her… again.

The door knocks another time, and Eric comes to the conclusion that knocking is one of the most meticulous aggravations on this earth. "Fucking wait you impatient dick."

"I hope you don't kiss your mother with that mouth."

Eric crosses the screen out and turns the pad off quickly. Standing rigidly, a clammy feeling begins to rise.

It was her. She was here. Of course, she was here…

Taking a deep breath, he opens the door, leaning on the frame with a side-smirk on his face while he crosses his arms… A complete picture of composure; a little something he'd trained himself to do even on his worst days.

Abbey smiles up at him, even if he's leaning overconfidently towards her in the doorway. And even though she doesn't waver in her stare, he can't help but roam over her white summer dress and small straps running across her shoulders, really noticeably in front of her.

"Abbey…" He says, rather hypnotically, and he practically prickles in joy as she blushes somewhat. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you same! Why didn't you say you were coming?" She rubs a hand on her forearm nervously while double checking her surroundings – or maybe distracting herself, he was unsure.

Eric shrugs, walking away from the door casually, leaving her at her will at whether she would enter or not. It was great that he didn't have to go searching for her after all, she willingly turned up at his door. Did he expect it or not? … Now that was the question.

"I'm a busy man, Abbey."

"Eric… why are my flowers out by the door?"

Shit.

"They stank…" Double shit. Why does he have to be such an ass? "They made me sneeze." Now he sounds fucking pathetic.

"You're not allergic to flowers! Christ sake. …Did they offend your masculinity?"

He sits back at the small desk, leaving his legs wide but keeping his composure, even if his thoughts were a mess. Instead of answering, he deciphers to avoid. "Fuck the flowers. How'd you know I was here?"

"Word gets around quick…" Her voice is almost lost as she scours the room and sheepishly places her small frame onto the bed opposite him. "Plus, there is only one Eric I know."

"Should've guessed." He places an arm over the back of the chair as he talks. "Let's go for the question why you are here?"

"We used to be friends, Eric. And I still feel that we are, no matter what's changed over the years."

"Does your fiancée know you're here?

She shifts uncomfortably. "No." A wry smile forms on her face. "But what he doesn't know, doesn't hurt him." At least she hadn't lost her sense of adventure.

"Does he know about us?"

"About us? You say as if there's some hidden secret between us."

"Does he know we're friends?" He rolls his eyes, still impatient as ever for swings and roundabout ways of talking.

"Are we friends?"

"We can be if you want to be?" Eric smiles at her and she blinks a few times from his husky voice. Her hand finds her knee and he can see the knuckles whitening as she grips onto it for some type of support.

Fuck it.

Eric stands and then proceeds to sit intimately close to her on the bed, their thighs touching, and he can feel her heat and frigid stance that forms from the movement.

"…I …I …." She stands abruptly, but he grips her wrist and pulls her back to him. "I shouldn't have come here." As she talks he stands, they're almost chest to chest and she has to crane her neck to look up at him.

"You damn well should've. Who's stopping you?"

"Nobody… it's just… if someone sees…" She bites her lip and Eric resists the urge to kiss it, his fingers digging further into her wrist in distraction.

"You're not pissed off with me?" He tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear and she avoids his gaze, roaming down his chest or elsewhere that seemed enough to bestow some other form of thoughts in her jumping mind. Her hands brush up his chest and lay palm-side against him, small and familiar. The spark is still crucially there, begging to reignite.

"No, I know you too well…" She peers between each of his gray eyes, then briefly to his lips in the close proximity. "…to take anything you say…" She barely flinches as he snakes a hand to her hips, then on the small of her back as she tries to lean away in some form of defiance that he practically wanted to laugh at. "…offensively."

"Good," Eric says cockily, moments away from her mouth, and her lips part, whether in anticipation or not he couldn't tell. He snaps his head back. "You got flowers to pick, hippy? Or are you just going to stand around here all day?" He smiles in his win.

Abbey's hands push at his chest and she releases his grip, tripping over her own feet as she takes a step away. "Er… yeah…" She catches herself, standing straight and inhales deeply. "I have lots to do… Yeah, loads, actually…"

"Yeah looks it…"

"Goodbye Eric. I hope you enjoy your stay at Amity."

"Mmm-hmm." Eric still smirks unabashed of any actions he's made towards her. She walks backward, not willing to turn her back on him in some sort of prey instinct and he leans one hand up against the door as she witheringly steps out and onto the dirt path, eyes still glued on him.

He guffaws when she trips further up the track, throwing him one more look and he shakes his head in amusement when she disappears.

Poor Abbey.

Not just the old boy she remembered, but a testosterone filled man with power easily at his fingertips. She'll be back.

This won't take long…

Chapter 3

Nothing else brought him as much joy as the demure looks from the Amity folk. The trying to appear chaste and welcoming, when in fact he knew that they were counting down the seconds till he would lift his foot from the Amity turf.

"Good morning to you."

"Good day."

"What great weather we have…"

Rehearsed, fake, pathetically-annoying, and unneeded. Did they actually think he would acknowledge them? Had they really been on the Peace Serum for far too long to realize what hostility was?

Hostility was him practically snarling in their face and staring them down. But at this rate, he was just going to have to tell them to fuck themselves as they seemingly weren't getting the hint.

At least the animals knew. The dogs would scamper and the cats would hiss or jump a tree. He couldn't help but have the sneaking suspicion that the animals were far smarter than the people here, and maybe they ran Amity covertly.

But then again, maybe he was being a bit hasty to label these guys.

Abbey was here after all, and as much as he'd seen to date, she was perfectly clued on. She would have been a fine article at Dauntless. She would perhaps have made it far – or maybe that was wishful thinking on his part because he liked the girl.

His inner asshole echoes out to him that she wouldn't have lasted five minutes – the woman in question was a florist for fuck sake.

Eric finally comes to a stop outside the dark oak open doors of Johanna's barn, waiting somewhat patiently. This time he'd decided he wasn't going in. He couldn't stomach another trip up to the fly-haven loft so instead deciphers to wait it out, perchance on the surroundings in the quiet five minutes.

He squints to the furthest figures in the fields in the distance. Two women, laughing, hair flowing freely. For a minute he thinks he can hear them, but it's just his imagination because although it's a hot and bothersome day, the wind is raucous against his ears.

"Makes a change from Dauntless, doesn't it?"

Johanna appears from behind him. Eric already knew she was there, just preferred to register her as disinteresting.

Johanna roams over his sharp outlook, the bowed eyebrows, and creased forehead. She would almost say he looks confused, lost even. Perhaps, in a way, she liked to think he uncooperatively liked the laid-back few days he was given – he would never admit to that though.

"We are opposite ends of the spectrum, Johanna. We have our jobs. Dauntless offers protection - promoting violence. Amity farms and radiates peace and tranquillity… Both our factions are alien to each other. Change wouldn't be the term I would use."

"What term would you use then, Eric?" He can feel Johanna gaze over her shoulder at him and he finally relents, giving her a flashing cold look, almost rolling his eyes.

"For you Johanna, I'll simplify it by saying: polarity." However, she just chuckles under her breath. "Originally I was going for antithesis. But by the looks of you, you've never touched a book in your life. Mud and insects seem to be your sort of thing."

"You could win awards for your cunning. Have you ever thought about entering Erudite's spelling contest?"

"Don't mock me, woman." Even though the appearance of him is threatening, his tone is not. However, Johanna doesn't say anything, just pushes her view back out to the woman and takes a similar stance to him, letting the silence wash over them. Eventually, Eric sighs, having grown bored with the company and the serene picture in front of him and covers his chest with his arms. "So, are you going to tell me the truth about the factionless reports or are we going to fuck in a minute with our new found bond?"

Johanna purses her lips in distaste and frowns at him which he gleefully smirks to, and she swears the smile this time reaches his eyes as he got the reaction he was looking for. "As you know I can't have disruption among Amity, or panic, that's why I didn't want anything said in front of the men. Word gets around here quickly."

"Funnily enough, I've gathered that."

She ignores his sarcasm and continues anyway. "But there have been a few disturbances if that's what you want to call them these days…"

"Like what… define, please. I'm in no mood for guessing games."

"Break-ins, a few assaults further towards the city and away from Amity. We've had a few livestock taken…"

Eric keeps his poise and seems to lack any emotion on his face as she talks. His two piercings glint from time to time from the concentrated sun capturing her eye. "Your livestock is irretrievable and possibly non-existent, so don't have any hope Daisy the cow will be coming home anytime soon. As for the break-ins, you'll have to take me to the sites and we'll up the watches. But as you know, Amity is pretty wide-spread for cameras and to be fair I don't want my men watching the grass grow."

"I figured as much. The extra watches will have to do. But I want to keep this between us. No one else from Amity is to know. Not even Mark knows."

Eric scoffs hearing his name. "Oh yes, I forgot about your little bitch."

"Mark is a good man. I've never had any problems with him." Her bracelet rattles as she readjusts the long gaping sleeves on her orange and yellow dress.

"Whatever, Johanna. I don't care for him..." But he did care for Abbey. His eyes flick to the floor having slightly hesitated to end the sentence and he has no doubt she's caught the slight betrayal his over-charged body seems to be depicting. For some reason, he feels wholly embarrassed having outed a slight suspicion to the fact he did actually care about someone other than himself and especially to the likes of Johanna.

Johanna keeps her eye-line dead center and the top of her lip ever so slightly curls upwards. "Abbey… Abbey Ainsworth."

"What?" Eric snaps his head over to her, his composure completely spoilt. But he keeps the deadly look in his eye, distrusting of the woman before him.

"I know of your history together. Is that why you are here?"

"How the fuck do you know?"

This strangely gets underneath her skin. An insult to someone as patient and attentive as her. "I'm the spokesperson for Amity. I like the chance to get to know my people, unlike Dauntless." She keeps his eye and doesn't weaken, proving silently that she meant her words.

"You know nothing."

"I know that Abbey was riddled with guilt when she arrived, telling me about her best friend, a name of a boy I had no idea would become a future leader for the warrior faction. It doesn't take a genius to put two and two together."

Eric takes a long moment, appearing to roam over her conclusion, fighting internally as to whether or not to say anymore. "Who is she marrying?" He gyrates on his heel a little, clearly uncomfortable with this conversation.

"A very nice young man." Johanna can feel herself softening, because as she said those words, Eric looked anything other than defeated - albeit it was for a split second.

She didn't fool herself, Eric was powerful and could easily handle his own. He was headstrong, determined, but also very much human like the rest of them - and that meant the unfavorable human emotions that came along with it. She was unsure how a man like him would cope with that. But if she believed in anything, it was love, and from Abbey's recent interest in the Dauntless movements and the lack of work she had been doing. Johanna needed to know, needed to help - to stop a possible future mistake. "Go and speak with her. I'm guessing you have already marred the database of Amity, so you know where to find her."

Eric stares straight ahead for a long moment and Johanna steps away from him, heading back towards the shadows of the barn. "I know where to find her. I'm just unsure of what else I may find…"

Johanna laughs, turning a little to peer over her shoulder at the tall, muscular man still frozen just outside the doorway. "… Perhaps reconciliation."

---

Eric did not want to do this; didn't want to be anywhere near the nauseating spawn of the devil - flowers. Even worse… an entire shop of the stuff.

The door chimes as he strolls in. He knew of the Amity flower workshop from all the work they did with the other factions; the displays outside Erudite and similar checkpoints between Candor. There were also presentations at Authoritative gatherings and then there were personal exceptions. But it doesn't mean he's ever set foot inside of Amity's natural germination haven and thought he'd never have to – until now.

The women in here basically freeze when they see him, and he's sure he even sees one run out the back in fright.

Eric smiles.

"Afternoon ladies."

"Good afternoon, sir." The roundest, most flush woman speaks first, still sharing inquisitive looks with the others as she's temporarily stuck under his limelight.

Eric walks to the counter that she seems to feel relatively comfortable behind and leans forward on it, peering up to her wide, surprised eyes. "I heard through the grapevine that Abbey Ainsworth works here." He plays with the cuttings scattered from a bouquet sitting to his right.

"She does." The woman nods and her double chin wobbles, eyes flicking to his hands and eyes in caution.

"What's your name?" Anyone else that truly knew him, knew the tone he used was way too overly sweet and charming.

"Sandra."

"Well, Sandra. I'm looking for Abbey, is she here?" He tilts his head, scanning her futilely to see if whether she was going to lie or not.

"You just missed her… You'll have to come back after two thirty." The frightened eyes of Sandra peer to the door and back to him, practically begging him to leave.

"Where is she… Sandra…" He notes the way she also glances to the woman out the back who's popping her head through the doorway to look at him until she finally deflates her restricted chest with a hefty conquered lungful.

"Follow the stream out of Amity. Through the bush towards the small waterfall. You'll hear it before you see it. You're more than likely to find her there."

Eric stands, nodding his head. "Thanks, Sandra." He makes a point to also acknowledge the women ogling him from the back, saluting them exaggeratedly. "Ladies…"

---

Eric had no idea what he was doing here. His uniform was too black, too hot, too forced against his arm muscles, and he had streams of sweat trickling down the sides of his face. It wasn't as windy now as it was earlier, which made it seem all the more blistering.

The little stream runs on his left and he follows the abandoned dirt path alongside it. Crickets and other insects seem to fly and jump around him as he moves and he can hear his own breath as he pants from the heat like some feckless dog.

He's in two minds to turn back when he all of sudden catches the reverberation of running water just beyond a small parting of worn bushes in front of him, perfectly defined to a small human shape.

He closes the distance quickly and holds a hand out in front of him as he pushes his way through the shaded leafed alcove. He immediately stops dead in his tracks. The small 'waterfall' is only about two people high surrounded by boulders of some sort that catch the water into a natural pool. The place is wild and alive with adjacent trees and weird flowers that remind him of cauliflowers.

There she sits, her back to him on a small boulder just by the water, her hair pulled into some messy bun, and he's pleasantly enthralled to see her sporting some mint green dress sitting snuggly against her body. She's totally unaware of him in the early afternoon sun and for a minute he smirks incredulously to himself over the situation.

What does he say now? Does he say that he was looking for her? Did he stumble randomly to this place? Did he see her walk up here? … his evil side kind of wants to push her into the water, mid-thought.

Eric doesn't know what he's going to say, but he was going to approach and figure it out quickly on the spot. He was good with on the spot pressure and that's what he was going to work with.

"Abbey?" He places his hands in his pockets and peers to the floor, biting his cheek, before fixing himself steadily and confidently back onto her having found his steel backbone before she would turn around and see.

For her unsuspecting form, she still turns her head relatively slowly over her shoulder. "Eric?... Oh my god… What are you-"

"I came to… find you…" He's really just lying out his ass now. "And I lost you further back there and was about to turn back – good thing I didn't."

Abbey's face rests in suspicion, then she smiles. "You were looking for me?"

"Yeah…"

She chuckles and pushes her side-swept bangs out of her face that had fallen from her messy bun. "You wanna… sit… or something with me for a bit? Only until I have to go back to work... I'm sure you're really busy, too."

"Okay." He cuts her off quickly. Eric sits next to her on the same boulder and pulls his knees up, looping his arms over the top of them as much as he could from his strained uniform. Suddenly, he feels like he's thirteen again.

"You look hot…"

"You don't look so bad yourself…"

"Eric…" she giggles softly. "I'm saying you look like, really sweaty. You're wearing black for goodness sake." But he smirks back at her and she finally realizes that he was joking. "Wow. So, Dauntless really suits you." She studies him as he slips off his jacket. "Look at those tatts!" She grabs his arm without thinking and he watches her eyes as they roam over the skin. "I'm so jealous."

"You want a tattoo?"

"Yes, why? I think a tattoo would suit me, don't you think?"

"Amity aren't allowed tattoos. And no."

She sighs. "Yeah, like I don't know that already…" and smiles sweetly at him. "I see you still like to try and boss me around."

"I don't think you should get one. It wouldn't look like…." He trails off, not quite wanting to finish, or not even really knowing how to. Eric had wanted to say: you.

"Okay, so you're allowed and I'm not allowed..." She runs her hand down a crack in the boulder and pulls moss, lobbing it at him. "Still such a chicken shit."

"Careful, Ab's. I'll chuck you in if you keep talking like that. Especially to a big, bad Dauntless Leader." He motions with his head to the water.

Abbey gives him a blank look for about a second. "Ohhhh, you were talking about yourself?" And then begins laughing. "I'm terribly mistaken."

Eric grips her ankle and tugs it harshly, causing her to hit him away and eventually landing on her elbows, lying further back. He copies her, just so that they were on the same level.

Abbey's finger traces the indents in the rock but his eyes never lift from her. "I'm sorry I just like, outed I was getting married, out of the blue, not having seen you for so long. I was just really shocked and couldn't find the words to say what I wanted." She blinks a few times before finally lifting her head, meeting the gray-colored haze that stares back at her. "When I saw you, it bought a lot of things back."

"I understand."

"No… no, you don't." She sits up now, throwing something out to the water. "I thought I'd never see you again." She grows quiet, picking at something else instead of looking back at him - and it's utterly annoying.

Eric's really not used to this kind of behavior or emotional put-out. He really doesn't like explaining how he feels, or what's on his mind. It's been a long time since he's seen a woman so conflicted, or even given them enough time to be. Usually, they were in and out and he would barely speak to them again. Abbey was the only woman he could bring himself to actually be pleasant to.

"Well, you're rather depressing me." Eric holds himself on one elbow, lying back casually as he peers out to the small holding of water. Abbey's jaw drops and she shuffles forwards, nearer to the water, and splashes him. For a minute, there is a deadly silence, and he watches the droplets dripping down his crisp vest.

"Shit… I didn't think… sorry…" She begins rambling off, crawling over to him to pat at the water stains on his chest.

"You know; I'd hang you over the chasm if you were an initiate, right…"

"Still find pleasure in pain, Eric?"

"Oh, that's only the start…" She stops patting and evades his gaze, watching his hand as it slides onto the top of hers, swamping them. However, she doesn't pull away, rather plays with his larger fingers, anything to avoid him. She pushes until they are palm to palm and Eric instinctively closes his fingers interlocked with his hers.

"Don't marry him…" The words are out before he even realized he'd thought them. And right now, his heart pulses in his ears, his breathing quickening. It was a long shot, but it was worth the try.

"Eric… I…" His free hand grips onto the back of her bent knees and pulls her further towards him. He doesn't care about her pretty dress, the miniscule distance between them if they were caught, or her fiancée.

"Cancel the wedding. Say you need time."

"Time for what? You'll be back to Dauntless and I'll be back to what I was doing before, alone, giving up the chance someone took on me. Do you know how long it's been since someone took a chance at me? To even ask me out? Men were scared of me, Eric, for years… I was too intelligent, too mischievous, too vivacious."

"Perfect… and every other fucker was stupid – including me, for not seeing it sooner." He sits up, pushing back the sticky hair on her face, trailing the outline of her jaw he knew so perfectly well. His other hand still remained strictly entwined with hers.

"I'm sorry, Eric… I can't, do this, again." She motions with her free hand to the small absent space they had between them. He could feel her words breezily feather against his skin, meaning absolutely nothing to him as he could sense they meant absolutely nothing to her either.

"Fine…"

She peers up as Eric stands. Green flecked orbs wide-eyed and wistful before him, yelping as he picks her up fluidly from the ground in one motion and hurls her into the water. She splutters when she resurfaces and her hair lies flat against her head, strands feathered across her bronzed cheeks.

"You asshole!"

"Don't be like that, it was a bit of fun." He's trying his hardest to stifle the laugh clawing its way up his throat.

"At least help me out, the rocks slippery. I've fallen in before."

"Should I ask?" Valiantly, he holds his hand out, unthinking.

"No, just help me out, shit head." Her cold wet hands grip his, but she's anchored to the water and when he finally looks her in the eye, she's smiling, and now he knows his mistake.

He desperately tries to keep his balance but it's impossible. The angle, the unexpected, her unwomanly strong grip, but mostly her smile.

The water splashes harshly from his militantly dressed body and baulk. Abbey goes under for a few seconds from the momentum but she's laughing when his head finally comes back up.

Strangely, for once, he lets himself laugh with her at his own undoing. Droplet sprinkled faces, flat unkempt hair, and full dazzling wide smiles. The water is actually a relief, and it's deeper than he thought.

To his shock, and his smile faltering, Abbey wraps her legs around his waist. The tips of his feet just touch the bottom to keep them upright as his arms pull her closer, that distinct slippery feeling forming in the base of his stomach in anticipation.

Fuck his now broken phone.

Fuck his sodden unusable gun.

There are goosebumps on her skin, but she's never looked more beautiful, naturally beautiful compared to most of the women he's shared a bed with over the years. Almost hesitantly, she loops each arm over his neck as he wades backward trying to find steadier footing, their eyes never wavering – until she clears her throat.

"Remember that song that I used to sing you, that you absolutely hated…" She keeps her grip firm and his arms reposition till they are sat neatly underneath her ass.

"Please don't, you sound like a squealing pig."

"Okay, okay, I won't sing. But you remember, right?"

"I had nightmares consecutively after every incident." She hits him, splashing water into his face "Yes, I remember."

"At least you remember that." Her eyes drop and she finger-walks down the blocks of his tattoo's, he lifts his head so she can get to the base of his neck.

"I remember everything." She seems too busy checking out his tattoo's rather than listening. "I remember what you taste like..."

That stops her.

Eric audibly hears her swallow, smirking to himself. "I remember what you sound like…"

"Oh, stop it…" She's blushing, but her thighs tighten on his hips.

"I also remember what you feel like…" He watches as her lips part again. Was this some unique cue that she wanted him to kiss her? He's never noticed that before, not even when they were younger. Perhaps it was just something he'd learned with age and he was a little more observant now. "Does your fiancée say these things to you?"

"Does that matter?"

"You don't love him. If you did you wouldn't be here like this, with me." Eric pulls one of his arms from the water and wipes the droplets on the side of her cheek. "You said you loved me once. I know that hasn't changed." He watches as her lips purse themselves into a fine line. Without a push, he knew Abbey wouldn't productively sort her life out. "I'm going to give you an option. You call off the wedding amicably, or, I'll stop the wedding myself."

"Don't be stupid. I'll be hated, they'll gossip. I can't-"

"Okay, don't see it as an option then. It's going to happen, one way or another." Eric feels her wriggling, fighting the conflicted emotions.

"You can't just waltz into my life after all these years and call the shots."

"I think it's about time I did. So, I am now." Abbey sighs against him, closing her eyes and tilting her head back. He makes a point of grabbing her attention by gripping the back of her legs harder, pressing her against him.

"Just give me a few days." She's peering down at him while he watches her lips, and it's positively mesmerizing. Eric comes to the conclusion he could spend the rest of the day in this position – and also that he wants to bite her. "What are people going to say?"

"Fuck everyone."

"That's such an Eric thing to say, I'm not like you." He lets her fingers adventure around the piercings of his ears, the nape of his neck, slipping themselves underneath the shoulders of his vest. Eventually, she leans forwards and brushes her nose against his and he lets out a small suspended breath. "My moon came back…" Abbey whispers, almost agonizingly-defeated, clamping her eyes closed.

Eric can't think of anything reasonable to reply with, so instead, he settles for:

"I did."

---

It's those damn crickets and shitting frogs keeping him up in the night. But not only them, Abbey. Eric wonders if she's with her fiancée right now and the thought makes him feel sick, gripping at the base of his stomach and tightening his chest. He turns over for the billionth time.

Just as his eyes start to slowly close, someone begins pelting on his door. "Sir! There's been an incident!" Eric responds instantly on auto-pilot, throwing himself out of the covers and grabbing his pants. He's dressed within a matter of seconds and yanking the door open to the young Dauntless member scared shitless before him.

"What is it?!" Eric pushes past him without giving the young lad a second thought, heading for Johanna's office in the first instance, unsure as to whether that was particularly where he was meant to go but the young Dauntless follows him so it was a good a guess as any.

"The factionless have taken two Amity trucks. One of the drivers is fatal." The boy pants from behind him.

"Was it a night-run?"

"Yes, just the two. The drivers were left out by the road."

"Where?" Eric's voice has taken on a darker tone, viciously snapping at the youngster having grown impatient.

"That's the thing, it was literally just outside Amity."

---

Eric storms through the already open barn doors in the blackened night and marches the twirled steps. Johanna's already here, looking like she just rolled out of bed herself, her face twisted under the pale lighting. "What are you not telling me, Johanna? And think very carefully before you lie to me." He comes to a stop as his legs hit her desk, using it as some form of restraint on himself before he automatically throttles the woman.

"I-I, I thought it was under control."

"I'm guessing it was food or mechanical support you were offering them. Which is it?"

"They said if we fed them then they would leave Amity alone…" Johanna trails off, turning her head away from the burning hate in front of her.

Eric slams his fist on the desk. "You'll be prosecuted for this - aiding the factionless! You know that right?" He huffs, heaving his chest painfully, the adrenaline and annoyance on full flow. "Why did they attack? Food payment not on time? Or something else?"

"We didn't have enough to cover them, it's been hot, the crops are dry and there are many mouths to feed. I thought they wouldn't miss one delivery."

"You've painted a fucking target on Amity, you know that? You stupid cunt!" Eric says the words with utter venom. "If you have any self-respect left, you'll let me guide the movements from Amity, without question, from here on." Eric motions for a phone from the boy behind him, leaving Johanna in her guilt-ridden position as he can't bear to look at her.

"What are you doing? Who are you calling?" Johanna speaks to his large, shadow-covered frame - predominately to the back of his head.

"Someone's got to sort this shit out."

---

Eric stands in the early hours, hands in his pockets, roaming over the small wooden hut standing in front of him.

Abbey lives here.

He's not stalking her – he tells himself. He's just checking to make sure she was okay, make sure there was no factionless hanging around. And with that in mind, he brings himself to the door and knocks timidly.

A light flicks on outback and he can hear the sleepy occupants footsteps tread towards the door.

Abbey opens the door a crack, her eyes puffy and tired, a light robe pulled around her. "Eric? Are you okay? Has something happened?" She lets the door swing wide open and gleefully he watches the way she checks him out in complete worry.

"I'm fine. Are you alone?"

She nods, then smiles. "I am. My fiancée is not here if that's what you're asking? He respects my need for my timed independence."

"Let's not go over this again," Eric shakes his head.

Abbey takes a step back, chewing her lip, looking behind her briefly. "You want to come in?"

"I just came to see if you were okay. You should really go back to bed, it's late and you must have plenty of flowers to pick first thing..." He smiles, but it's forced. He's more tired than he's letting on.

"Oh, right… You, er… wanna sleep here?" She shifts nervously, and he quirks a brow at the unexpected. "Just sleep… nothing else, you idiot."

"Okaayyy." Eric suddenly feels sixteen again and stuck under the oak tree of where she first kissed him.

She holds her hand out, an elegant but working hand with finely cut nails. He hesitates for a split second in a natural second instinct, a trick, or a game that he wouldn't put past her. He gazes at her palm before meeting her green and accustomed eyes that are smiling at him, crumbling every defense he has ever built towards her.

Eric is a condemned man – when he slips his hand in hers.

Chapter 4

Eric lets her pull him inside, his hand loose in hers, but Abbey keeps her grip tight.

Eric peers around him for the briefest of moments, taking in his surroundings out of habit. It's clean and tidy, mainly dark stained wood, and a lot smaller than it looks from the outside. The kitchen and living space is crammed together but that's all he can make out from the lack of light.

Abbey leads him through a small doorway to a square hallway, only there to connect the bathroom and bedroom and only big enough for two people to stand in at the same time. Eric has to keep himself from sneering at the stupid Amity design and lack of imagination.

Gleefully, he latches back onto Abbey in front of him, her robe floating behind her. It seemed his luck was in. She's offered him her company for the night - he had no plans to abuse it however, if anything he was enjoying spending time with her.

Abbey turns back and smiles at him. "It's probably far from Dauntless, isn't it?" She let's go of his hand, leaving him in the doorway and crosses the room to sit on her bed.

"You're not wrong."

Eric mulls over her room, a typical woman's room, apart from the fact it was dressed typically Abbey. A dark, wooden framed bed with white sheets and far too many pillows that one person would ever possibly need, sat positioned out into the room from the farthest wall. There were floating net curtains by the only window with a dreamcatcher to one side, a dresser with a mirror on top with personal vanity lotions and other things he didn't particularly care for sitting opposite the end of the bed. What grabs him the most are the roughly stuck pictures around her mirror, and he casually strolls over to them.

A picture of her parents, Abbey with some straw hat on her head holding up the biggest, sickeningly sweet bunch of flowers she could possibly have found. More pictures of flowers… He eventually lands on one of interest and he recognizes the picture well. Eric flicks it, admiring the young girl and baby-faced boy. "Seriously, you have got to get over me…"

"Ha-ha, very funny." He peers over his shoulder, smirking at her before turning back and unsticking it from the edge of the mirror. Abbey crumples her face up, detesting the way he was destroying her room and untouched organization – and also for the fact that he really didn't care either. "I like the picture. We came second in our presentation. It was a proud moment for us and my parents."

Eric huffs, rolling his eyes, his thoughts roaming onto all the ways he was always placed second. Second to Four, second to Abbey's fiancée, second in biology… He tags it back messily and turns to face her. She looks tired, so he's not going to keep her any longer. "So, who's taking the floor?"

Abbey shrugs. "No one. Kind of thought we'd share? We're both adults and it's not like we haven't before." She plays with the bed sheets, suddenly peering up at him. "Don't tell me, Dauntless has led you to be too used to sleeping alone?"

Eric steps in front of her and continues to watch him from her seated position. "From time to time I'm not always alone…"

"Good, so it shan't be any bother, then." She stands, her head reaching to just below his neck. She was getting all moody with him and his eyes dance playfully over her. "Stop looking at me like that!" He pouts. "Or that!" She laughs and eventually, she falls quiet, gazing up at him.

Was she expecting something? … Now, this was awkward.

"You going to sleep in your full Dauntless uniform, or?" Abbey doesn't wait and lets the light robe fall off her shoulders. She nimbly chucks it to one side, still standing before him – he notes the way that just under the silky material of her mint-green vest and matching shorts, that she is definitely not wearing a bra, so that meant - no underwear either.

One of her hands reaches out to him and he sighs, flicking his eyes back and forth between her face and how her hands work against his jacket, loosening the poppers, then yanking on the zip underneath. "I can undress myself." He lets the words rumble from his throat rather than spitting them nastily. He didn't really want her to stop.

Keeping his eyes down on her. She doesn't look up and ignores him, motioning for him to take it off, watching him furtively, the air so thick it could burst. Abbey's small hands find the bottom of his vest and she pulls it up a fraction revealing the pale flesh underneath, then meets his eye.

A silent exchange happens. Eric couldn't really place what it was, and his heart felt suddenly like a ton of lead.

He takes off his vest fluidly and throws it to one side, presenting her with finely defined muscles that held themselves taut from years of work. Abbey finds it hard not to look down to the V of his waist, counting the ab's he had kept hidden from her till now. "Roids are really bad for you, you know…" Eric covers an airy chuckle, and she breaks away to the light, flicking it off, leaving just an orangey glow from the lamp beside the bed.

Abbey flips back the sheets and slides herself in, waiting for Eric to finish undressing. Their escapades had gotten way too personal and deep, leaving her a little strangely breathless. Eric pretends that he can't hear it and makes his way over, hesitating for a fraction of a second before getting in himself while Abbey turns off the lamp.

He feels too highly strung that he may not sleep, a tension in his shoulders and a small tingling down his arms… Until Abbey does what she does best – talks. "So, there is no one waiting for you at home?"

"Never has been." Eric shuffles till he's comfortable on his back, looking up at the ceiling. But he's fully aware that she's facing him.

"So, you just find someone who's favorable that night and take them back to yours?"

Yeah, it was pretty much like that – "They're gone after an hour, it's nothing special." And it only made him feel shitty afterward… until the next manly urge took a hold of him. "Wouldn't be jealous now, would you, Abbey?"

She snorts into her pillow laughing, any other person he'd probably shove off the bed and tell them how vile they are, but with her, it's attractive. "You are so smooth. Where do you get this shit?" – she was mocking his simplistic flirting methods, which was just drawing a word out longer than usual…

"Years of practice." He turns his head fractionally towards her. "You should get some sleep."

The blackened room makes their silhouettes just visible, and Eric can see Abbey's bright eyes shining up at him more than anything else. She shifts till she's touching him, then grabs his arm, throwing it up and placing herself at his side, lying her head on his chest and arm wrapped around her.

Her warmth seeps over him and for a minute he's ridged but gives in when he can feel her breathing against his chest.

Eric would never let any old woman sleep near him. He'd be toe punting them out the door the minute he got his fix. But the fleeting thought occurs that perhaps after all this time, that this was why. He just hadn't gotten over Abbey, and by the looks of her, she hadn't either.

"I've missed you," she tells him. "…I had no idea." Her aching voice vibrates against his chest. "Everything's messed up."

Eric pulls her closer, running a hand over her back in comfort, still managing to feel her spine even through the material. It may have been a selfish act before, maybe even whimsical to get Abbey back, but it was so much deeper than he had realized. The journey was harsher, the reality raw.

Eric opens his mouth to say something and she digs her fingers into his body. "It's okay, I know you don't like that kind of stuff." She sniffs and now he's unsure as to whether she's crying or not. The ape-like instinct to grip her head back and search for evidence surely wouldn't go down well.

"Just hold me… like this… just for a while," she pleads.

God, why did he have to be such a cottoned dick? But the simple fact was he actually couldn't openly trust his emotions being aired. He could air hers, memories - but his feelings, no. He was spineless. Emotions and feelings had represented weakness to him for far too long that he mentally ignored them, he'd never realized how powerful they could be.

When Abbey's breathing becomes softer, slower, he allows his own itching eyes to close. Tomorrow he will do Abbey a favor. One that would stop her pain.

He was going to find her fiancée, and make him break up with her…

---

Eric wakes on his side, Abbey's back pushed up against his chest and his arms thrown over her. It's warm and clammy and he has a hard time coming to terms with leaving. But he has multiple jobs to do and he has no idea what the time is now. All he can make out is the bright light shining in through the window and he knows he's already late.

Eric pushes himself away, rolling onto his back and slipping himself carefully out of the bed. He studies her precariously when he redresses, trying not to wake her. Hopefully, he'll find her pain in the ass inconvenience quickly and get the job done before she's any wiser. Then there is the problem with the factionless that needs his attention.

His phone call yesterday was to Max. He'd asked for more men as he had no doubt that in the next few days there would be disruption with the factionless. But with the extra support, he knew they could intervene before anything made its way to Amity.

Eric's first mistake is throwing her front door open and stepping outside without checking who is around. In fact, he didn't really care. They hadn't done anything worthy of gossiping, but still, the other faces that appear wide-eyed in passing make him realize he better do this quick before word gets around. There was still one small problem though, he still didn't even know who he was looking for and he had a strange sense that perhaps he was - for some reason, in hiding. Did he possibly know about their connection? Eric guessed he must, their picture was stuck by the mirror after all.

The best place for him to go and find out was none other than her little friends at the flower shop who would be so willing to give him everything he needs if he so asked. A small wry smile forms on his face as he sets off… today will be interesting, he can feel it in his bones.

---

Eric went back and showered so quickly he was sure he left soap still in on his skin. But he felt better, tired, but there was excitement lingering in his veins. The same feeling he gets when he knows he's about to do something really bad.

Was it normal to feel that way – in the sense that he enjoyed tension, eerie vibes? He actually didn't give a fuck... Eric strived to get what he wanted and would flatten anyone who got in his way.

Every muscle in his face tenses when the door chimes as he enters. The stench of pollen thick in the air, damp, sweet and sickly. It takes everything not to hold fingers to his nose to block the smell. He scans the room briefly, a bored expression sitting on his face as he puts his hands casually behind his back. It annoys him that no one comes out to check who has entered straight away – until he sees his dear friend Sandra pop her head up from out back. She looks like a rabbit caught in the headlights, eyes wide and jittering with unsure looks as if she may be about to be arrested or even attacked.

"Hello, Sandra."

"Abbey's not here."

Eric smiles. No, that's right, she's probably still asleep in the sheets that now smell like him. "I'm actually not looking for Abbey. I was wondering if perhaps you may be able to help me with a little something?"

Sandra looks confused as if she can't possibly fathom what he was talking about and what exactly she could help him with. "Yes, of course…"

"I need to pass a message to Abbey's fiancée, but I've seemingly forgotten his name…"

Sandra's face flushes just a little. "He's one of Mark's men."

Shit… He must've been standing with Johanna when he arrived on the first day and he didn't even realize. That must mean he definitely knows who he is and he has for sure been trying to avoid him. "I need a name, Sandra," Eric snaps, growing impatient.

"Matt, Matt Wallace."

That was all he needed, he could find everything else on his electronic pad. "Thanks," he says abruptly, marching through the door and slamming it shut to the bell chiming behind him.

---

Finding Matt's details were easy enough. Finding the right words to use, however, was a whole other subject. He had no idea what he was going to say. He was just going to think of something on the spot as per usual.

Eric knew where to find him, he was a bitch of a bitch so it wouldn't be hard. He'd be around Johanna somewhere.

When approaching Johanna's office, he begins to wish he'd left Abbey's shack much more secretly. He's only just made it inside the barn doors when voices shout and reverberate from above him. Stepping on the first step, Mark looks down at him, and for a split second, he swears he sees joy sweep his features.

"Talk of the devil…" Mark says to the yelling voices and there's a load of footsteps echoing above him.

A man pushes passed Mark, looking absolutely frantic, and he knows he's found the Matt he was looking for.

"Matt, I presume?" Eric says rather calmly, watching as Matt's face contorts in anger. Then to his excitement, the young lad barrels himself down the steps towards him, arms outstretched.

Eric allows him to grip his jacket. Maybe he deserved it. He wasn't sure how Amity fellow dealt with emotions like anguish. It was strange to see an Amity so angry, highly entertaining.

Grabbing his jacket would be the only thing he would allow him to do. He knocks Matt's feet out and slams him backward with one arm, pinning him to the ground against the hay and dirt. "Easy, boy."

"Why were you at Abbey's this morning!?" Matt hisses, trying to push against his locked arm to no avail.

"We're friends, Matt. Have been a long time…" Matt then tries to push him harder and Eric slams him into the floor again, knocking some of the tension out of him. "Easy. If it's a fight you're looking for, you won't win. I can assure you that."

"Let him go, Eric!" Johanna screeches from above. The commotion has bought some Dauntless from one of their watches, guns pointed to the blushing guy on the floor.

"Ease down," Eric commands to the guns, motioning with his free hand to lower them while still holding the front of Matt's jacket, keeping him pinned easily to the floor. Eric's gray eyes have glazed over slightly, a little darker than they were before and he peers down to the sweating, grimacing face of Abbey's fiancee. "I think it's about time me and you had a little chat…" Eric picks him up with the same amount of effort he used when he pinned him – nothing, and pats his jacket down from the hay. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves here, nothing has happened between me and Abbey." He makes sure to tell the room who are all cautiously listening. "We've known each other since Erudite, that's all."

"Everyone out. Eric, Matt, in my office. Sort this out now and then concentrate on the real situation at hand here!" Johanna raises her voice and everyone leaves, bar the Dauntless who Eric signals eventually.

Matt throws a hand to his forehead and rubs roughly till red marks paint on his skin. His dark hair is clinging to his head with sweat and he agitatedly paces once or twice before storming back over to the steps and up.

Eric follows him a little less hasty and Johanna gives him a long look when he gets to the top, pleading with him almost - what for, he wasn't sure.

"Sort this out between the two of you. After today I don't want to hear any more about it. We don't need this kind of negativity on the verge of attack," Johanna lets out loosely, so he guesses that everyone at Amity now knows the shitty situation she's been trying to hide from them.

"I'm all for that," Eric says, smiling, peering between the two, and Matt appears as if he just can't stand to be anywhere near him, opting to stand a good distance away from him.

Johanna leaves with one last look over her shoulder and the barn falls quiet. Eric inhales a large lungful of air. "Let's not beat this round the bush. She doesn't love you." Well – someone had to start somewhere.

Matt laughs, still pacing. "Right. She tell you that?"

"She doesn't have to. I know her extremely well."

"I know that. I didn't know to what extent. I was just letting you guys have your little reunion. But finding out you walked out of her place this morning, that crosses the line!"

"Nothing happened. I give you my word." Eric walks casually and takes a seat in Johanna's chair, kicking his feet up on the desk. "However, I want you to call the wedding off. She's not happy with you."

"Oh right, but she is with you. Does she even know you're here?"

"Not exactly. But I know for a fact she won't marry you. One doubt and Abbey is extremely stubborn. So…" He fixes a steady look on the stressed man in front of him. "I'm going to give you a free get-out-now with a reasonable excuse… Cut your losses and never think about her again."

"Shouldn't this really be Abbey's decision?" Matt crosses his arms, but he's reluctantly absorbing his words.

"She'd never tell you, she's too Amity, so I'm doing it for her. She won't call off the wedding as she doesn't want bad feelings. However, if you call it off, you get to be the asshole for the day, but then everyone gets what they want."

"Everyone gets what they want … and what you want is Abbey."

Eric stands, rounding the table and perching his ass on the edge. "I won't deny it, nor will I acknowledge it. Call off the wedding today. Find Abbey and tell her this morning, and I'll see to it you get a promotion," he shrugs. "You can work alongside the Dauntless watches if that's what you want." When Matt doesn't reply, he shifts to stand. "Look at this way, it's not really an option."

There's a long pause, the young man's heart breaking into tiny pieces in front of him. He almost felt guilty - almost. "Okay. Just - just don't hurt her."

Eric chirps up instantly, gleefully moving towards the stairs on his exit. "I wouldn't dream of it, buddy."

Matt watches as he disappears, sighing to himself extremely audibly. But secretly, deep down – he kind of knew this was going to happen… but that didn't make it hurt any less.

---

Eric's pristine in his uniform standing tall and particularly intimidating. He's crowded by other Dauntless as he instructs the watches and movements around Amity. "Every two hours, switch back. Take that path that runs alongside the fences, skim the woods. Nothing is to be left unturned. You got that?"

"Yes, sir." They chime between them, and he watches the one in front flick a look over to one side. "Incoming…"

Eric turns to the wrath that is an angry Abbey.

"Here she is!" He steps away from the Dauntless, but they begin to disperse around him anyway. She looks as though she's been crying, or just shouting as she's red in the face – he wasn't really good at this shit.

"You!" is all she says before throwing a right hook into his arm, propelling away from him in agony from crumpling her knuckles on his solid arm muscle. Abbey hisses loudly, throwing her hand around and biting her lip in agony.

"Woah, Ab's! Let me see."

"Stay away from me!" She's still whimpering under her breath. "You are the biggest asshole I've ever known!"

"Oh come on, that's a bit harsh." Eric tries to conceal his amusement, a smile cracking on his lips and it only riles her further.

"You told Matt to call off the wedding! What… you didn't think I was capable? Why do you have to throw yourself into my business?" When he steps forward, she slaps his arm, then again. But it's petty.

"Gossip got around. The same gossip that you were trying to avoid. He confronted me and it slipped out," he shrugs nonchalantly. A little white lie wouldn't hurt. He couldn't exactly tell her that this is what he was planning, but either way, it panned out pretty well for him. "It's better like this, is it not? This is what you ultimately wanted. Even if you couldn't bring yourself to say it."

"Don't test me, Eric. I'm so close to kicking you in the balls, it's unreal…" She paces just like Matt did and Eric begins to wonder if that was a passive Amity thing.

Abbey's fiery spirit compels him, and after a second he steps forwards, motioning to his head to the people standing around them. "You want to talk about this somewhere else? I mean, we can do it here if you want? I don't really care."

"You've made me look like a bitch! Him an asshole – depending on who believes what in the rumors. No! No, I do not want to talk to you. I don't even want to look at your stupid face!" Abbey begins walking away but he follows her. She walks to the entrance of a stable and filters her way through in the dimmer lighting. "Stop following me!"

"I'll stop following you when you tell me that you don't want me."

Eric folds his arms, and Abbey freezes, her shoulders curled inwards on his words. She doesn't turn, just seems to be taking a moment.

Eric begins closing the distance slowly. "Tell me you don't want me, and I'll stop." A horse nickers to the side of him as he passes and he runs a hand over the muzzle softly. "Say it Ab's." He's now within a few steps from her.

She suddenly shivers as she feels his approach and turns to face him, keeping her eyes downcast. Eric reaches her, tilting her chin up, locking his eyes on hers and watching as her lips part again. His other hand grips onto her shoulder, sliding onto the soft skin of her neck.

"Well?" he asks, faltering slightly as her fingers grip onto the top pockets of his jacket, pulling him forward. He doesn't resist.

"I can't." She brings herself up on her tip-toes, him leaning down to her, their faces fractions from each other as they both hesitate. Eric can't help the shuddering breath that escapes.

And she kisses him.

Very, very gently, almost non-existent at first. He tilts his head back, wondering if he imagined it or not. But the warming sensation is left pulsing as its own evidence.

She pulls him a little more severely - and when their lips collide, a thousand things seem to pass between them that were left unspoken.

The fumbling young boy and clumsy girl were gone.

At one point their teeth clash, and Abbey lets a small moan escape from her throat as Eric's tongue moves faultlessly against hers. He bites at her lip and lets his hands drop to underneath her ass as she jumps and wraps her legs around him easily.

This felt right. Everything felt right.

Two hands sit on either side of his face as she tilts it back and holds him there, practically leaving him wheezing as she covers his mouth again. "You… are such… a chicken shit," she whispers between frantic, long and loud kisses. She rolls her hips on him and his erection is practically fit to burst.

Eric would take her here in front of the horses but he doubts she would appreciate that - and the fact they could be spotted at any moment. He was still up for it, though.

He lets his fingers curl underneath her inner thighs, beneath her dress, pulling the skin apart where he can already feel the heat pouring from, and she groans. Teasingly, one fingertip runs along her underwear, testing the flimsy material and she grinds against him. "Eric..." Her head rolls back a little before she brushes a finger on his lips. "Not now…" she breathlessly says, her lips swollen and red.

"We're not finished here…" He bites at her again and quite simply wants to fuck her brains out, right here, right now.

He makes sure he leaves marks on her neck. At first running his tongue across the clammy, salty skin before pulling it into his mouth and sucking.

She presses into him and lets him stay there for a little while - till she realizes what he's doing. "Eric, stop! I've got to go to work…"

He laughs against her neck and eventually brings himself to look at her, licking his lips under her gaze. "You're so fucked…" He paints a coy smile on his face, absolutely delighted with himself.

Abbey thumps his back, leaning forward against his lips as she speaks, flicking her eyes between each of his. "I was fucked the moment I met you…"

And she was right…

Chapter 5

Eric had multiple things that demanded his attention. His top priority being organizing Dauntless around Amity, then coaching Amity folk, who Johanna had asked, to be briefly instructed on movements so they weren't left out of the loop. – Johanna's words, not his.

That damn woman wouldn't let it rest. She just had to have her two cents in whatever was going on. Didn't she realize he needed to report her liaisons with the factionless to Max and Jeanine at some point and possibly get her prosecuted? Any other functioning human being with a brain would be keeping their head low; inconspicuous – not Johanna.

But what seemed to pain him the most when the sun began to set across the rolling fields and throwing shapes and shadows upon the odd Amity buildings, was that he still hadn't seen Abbey. He actually didn't have time and it was a specific guilt that had begun to burn, slowly at first, then he was almost beginning to feel frantic with it and he wanted nothing more than to try and rid of it, however, he had no idea how. He'd actually never felt guilt like this. To some extents, on small personal levels, yes. But not like this.

It was practically written across his face as a group of Dauntless appeared from one of their rounds and found him at Johanna's office, telling him for the umpteenth time that nothing was happening or out of the ordinary. But he knew it was only a matter of time. Today, tomorrow, a week. Eric had amazing gut instincts and very much relied on them. Right now, they were telling him something was coming, he just didn't know when.

Eric had been using Johanna's building all day as a temporary workplace, a meeting point easily reached by others to handle small problems. - At one point, he had to dismiss accusations that the Dauntless were too loud during meal times. It was extremely bothersome.

As the Dauntless group finally leaves to continue their rounds, he calls it a night, grabbing his stuff off the desk and sighing to himself. This barnyard was a sweat box and he couldn't think of doing anything other than hitting the shower first thing.

"Knock, knock."

Abbey chinks a bottle of something on the side of the staircase railing as she talks, and Eric roams over her for a second before a creeping winning smirk begins to form. She couldn't have been all that mad at him earlier, possibly just shocked which caused her to react the way she did. She smiles back at him and he closes the distance, meeting her on the stairs.

"What's this?" He points to the bottle in her hand but not before touching her, running fingers down her arm, anything.

"You're in Amity so it's wine." Her eyes follow his hands. "I thought you might need it… could use it. You look a little stressed."

"I've been stuck around here all day. Of course, I'm stressed." His tone is a little snappier than he'd like but she doesn't take any notice. "You trying to get me drunk, Abbey?" He quirks a brow, unsure as to whether she was celebrating being free from her fiancée or the fact she was actually being slightly seductive, or both.

"Yeah, so I can take advantage of you. I'd have no chance of overpowering you and having my wicked way with you if you were sober," she laughs lightly. "Of course not. I thought we could just, you know, relax…" She motions something stupid when she says relax and he bites back how provocatively endearing she appears.

"I need to shower before I do anything."

She juts her bottom lip out. "You could shower at mine? And I can cook now." She says expressively and excitedly. "Nothing like that awful meal I tried to feed us when my parents weren't in that time." The memory floods back to him, he overlooked the black bacon and burnt eggs - she really can't cook. "So, I'll make you something?"

"Fuck no, you'll poison me."

He descends the stairs after her and she turns back a little, throwing her arm through his that sit casually in his pockets. "Okay, fine, you can cook us something, deal? Great, thanks for offering."

"Dick."

"You owe me anyway." She pulls on his arm throwing him off balance.

"I owe you nothing."

"Eric… You went without my word to my now ex-fiancée and told him to break up with me. And for that you owe me. I could seriously have hurt you with all my impressive Amity taught fighting skills."

"Get out of here." He tries to shrug her off but she holds on. "Stop rubbing your Amity tripe on me."

They make it back to where he's staying and he throws the door open, grabbing his bag of stuff sitting by the bed. She continues to hang off him when they take the small walk back to hers and in a way, he kind of liked it. It was like she was afraid to let him go and wanted to be as close to him as possible; like he was going to make a hasty escape – he seriously wouldn't of course. But to him, that's what the actions meant.

She had also managed to talk the whole way, about what he was entirely unsure and he just hoped he wouldn't have to acknowledge or repeat anything.

Eric whacks the shower to icy cold, taking sharp intakes of breath when he steps in, but being so hot all day it was an instant relief. What he wasn't prepared for when he steps out and throwing just his boxers on, is her busy in her small kitchen. She turns slightly, her eyes dropping down him, and it was the exact reaction he was looking for as she tries to divert her eyes.

"Here." Abbey scrabbles for the glasses of wine she's poured and passes it to him, taking a long gulp of hers. She continues to watch him as he collapses on her small couch and eventually snakes her way over to him, placing herself clumsily next to him. "You hungry?"

Eric rumbles a small noise from his throat before replying. "Nah. Tired." He was a little but he couldn't be bothered.

"I've been meaning to ask-" She dips her fingers in her wine and skims it across the top of her glass. "When do you plan on going back to Dauntless?"

"When things are settled here."

"So that's soon, right?" Her tone echoes disappointment. "And then what? Do you ever plan on coming back?"

"Usually no," Eric says sharply, noting the way she nods to herself, her lips pursing together. "Usually there is no reason for me to come back unless there is some sort of unrest. But, as it so happens, I may have other business here."

"I want you to come back."

"Oh, you do, do you?"

"Don't get me wrong-" She shuffles a little closer. "I know how hard it is for two people of two different factions to have a relationship. And considering you're a Leader, it triples that by ten…"

"You mean multiplies…" He rolls his eyes.

"Whatever."

Eric puts his hand on her leg. If anything it was to silence her dribble. "Is that what you want?" She appears doe-eyed, suddenly not prepared for the low tone and impressive way he's caught on to her unsubtle hints. "You want to be in a relationship with me?"

"Don't play dumb, Eric. I knew you would never say it, so I have to. Don't tell me that it's not what you want either." Abbey places her glass to one side, playing with her fingers nervously. "I just wanted to know… that while you were gone… that you wouldn't be with someone else…"

Eric hums to himself, putting his glass down too, grinning at the way she's suddenly grown ridged. "I think that I could be persuaded." His eyes flash down to his lap and a wry smile forms on her lips. She climbs over him, sitting on top of him, knees either side as he sits back casually looking up at her.

"If you wanted me to sing, you could have just asked." She flirts at the same time her arms rope around his neck.

"There's far better things that we could be doing." Eric notices the way she blushes a little, biting at her lip. "Come here." He flicks his head and she leans forward, a little confused. When he moves to whisper in her ear, she pulls away, snuffling a laugh.

"What? … Don't do something stupid." Abbey tilts her head, speaking in a dulcet tone that's almost complaining.

"No, I just want to tell you something…" She leans forward but mumbles to herself, something along the lines of 'You're so lying right now,' and it kills the seriousness of his actions and he laughs, unable to continue his prank.

"I knew it!" She whacks him, trying to scrabble away and off his lap but he keeps her locked. "You are just as bad as me. I damn well knew that you were going to do something." Abbey stops trying to get away and caves, leaning forward against him and resting her head on his shoulder, her nose nuzzled against the skin of his neck.

Her fluttery breaths sliver across his bare chest and there's a long, almost suspended tranquility while they stay like this.

"Eric?" She says in a tone that's wrapped in all significance. He hums, a slightly sleepy feeling shadowing over him in this warm and smothered position. "You were right."

He raises his eyebrows; to which she can't see, his eyes daring to close. "About what?" Usually, he would have a witty reply, but right now he felt utterly sedated.

"Nothing's changed." When she sits back, he frowns, not in distaste but in confusion.

"I do still love you."

Even if he felt uncomfortable, he will not push her away, not give her any reason to doubt him or herself. Instead, he pulls her towards him, one vast hand casing almost the entirety of her shoulder, his thumb digging into her delicate neck, as he kisses her.

Probably his first ever initiated kiss towards her.

This time it's not rough or frantic, but warming, the taste of sweet wine in passing. She sighs against him before she resettles her head back on his shoulder. They are both exhausted from a seemingly hectic and pivoting day that neither had expected. – Eric, a little.

"Let's go to bed," Eric whispers into the quiet as she hums, and he's glad to find that they were on the same level.

Like usual, the militant soldier raises its ugly head and he stands, her still balled against him while he strolls the way into the bedroom, ungracefully depositing them both on the bed with a tumble. They don't readjust, just stay limbed together messily and at an angle on their sides.

Eric waits for her to fall asleep first, he always liked to be aware of the levels of consciousness when he was in a room. But his own consciousness has seemed to falter when he suddenly realizes why she fell asleep so fast. For the first time in his life, he's dotingly massaged her back without even realizing, the entire time.

A sweeping sense of displeasure forms within, he's gone soft, too easily leashed, but mainly he was afraid for Abbey. People wanted to hurt him - kill him even. But in all reality his enemies never could, whether that be the factionless or someone else closer to home. Eric had now given them other means to get to him.

He's ultimately passed that baggage to Abbey, and what makes it worse is that she doesn't even realize…

As he peers down at her sleeping form in the blue light, all he imagines is her dreaming about silly fucking flowers, perhaps shitty little trees - completely none the wiser. He had no intentions of ever changing that. But the simple fact is, is that it would change, whether he liked it or not. Selfishly, he wasn't going to give her up and he was pretty sure she would be as adamant as him.

Eric would quite simply die before he'd let anything happen to her… Which was also expected of him in his job back at Dauntless…

The thoughts stop dead as Abbey shuffles closer, nuzzling into the cover of the bed and throwing a leg back over him in her sleep. He could forget everything for now, for at this moment in time - This was enough.

He reminds himself for the second time in one week how he still doesn't believe in fate. … And the sentence has only become to feel a lot less meaningless.

---

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, another, hot and glorious day at Amity…" Abbey swerves through the doorway already dressed, some blue looking child's dress with weird white lace over the shoulders while she disastrously juggles two hot cups of coffee in each of her hands. One spills slightly on the floor. "Shit…"

Eric can't help but laugh as she stupidly wears some weird wicker hat on her head to add to the full effect. "What the fuck is that?"

"It's my hat for when it's sunny and I don't want to burn. Dip. Shit. Don't mock my favorite possession."

"It's awful. Get rid of it." Eric sits up to the head of the bed. They slept with no sheets and he still doesn't cover himself in them. In fact, he has barely moved from the bed, he was enjoying the time here.

"I don't like your black, Dauntless, weird, restrictive uniform, but I don't say anything…" She tries to pass him the cup and he waits till her fingers begin to burn on the edge with a one-sided smirk on his face. "Take the cup!" She tucks one leg underneath as she sits next to him, sipping on her own. "For your information, I'm heading to the fields today. I've got some things I need to do. That's why I'm wearing my hat. Smart ass."

"What fields? Why do you need to go into the fields? Is someone going with you?"

"Relax, I do it all the time. When we get certain orders we have to see to them. But also, we have a huge sunflower patch and its great!"

"You make me sick." Her coffee tastes vile but he doesn't say anything. "It's not a good idea anyway, I'd rather you wouldn't."

"I survived three years without you. It won't be any different from all the other times," Abbey says, putting her coffee down on the bedside table next to him and shuffles on her knees, gradually sitting on top of him again. "It's okay, you can say you are afraid." Her index finger pulls on his bottom lip and he allows her.

"I'm not afraid. There's trouble with the factionless and the fields are very open. Can't you leave it for someone else?" He has a hard time keeping focus as their skin touches.

"You and I both have jobs to do, Eric. I can't not do mine because you say so, because you are afraid." She smiles.

Eric discards his own cup and places his hands on her hips, pulling her tightly against him. "Keep saying that and you'll find yourself in trouble."

"I'm terrified…" She says while smirking at him.

Eric pulls her forward as her hands slide down his chest, gliding across his ab's, reaching the bottom of his boxers where she runs along the band. "Keep doing that and you'll also find trouble."

"I'm really asking for it now." Her hat knocks his forehead, and in one swift movement, he throws it from the top of her head. "Hey!" However, she doesn't have time to protest further as he grabs a fistful of her hair and kisses her. When she shudders, Eric pushes her off his lap and continues to do so till he can climb on top of her, making a point of pushing his hips like deadweight against her while she tries to laugh it off. But his eyes have clouded over with utter lust, this was a position he'd wanted her in since he'd seen her for the first time back at Dauntless.

"Eric," she gasps as his mouth and tongue work against her neck, leaving wet trails in their wake. And without much self-control on his part, his hips grind against hers. He can feel the heels of her feet run down his thighs and the muscles in her tanned legs as she tries to pull him closer.

"You like that, Ab's?" he coyly asks, lifting himself away to look at her flush face. She nods, bravely reaching for him again. This time her hands travel lower as he braces himself on his elbows, watching their intended destination. "And what are you planning to do when you get there?" He grins back at her and watches as her lips begin to tug slightly upwards.

"For an ex-Erudite, you're stupid." She jams her hands in his boxers roughly, giggling at his flinching reaction, then stopping as she finds the tip of his erection and sliding her hands timidly over it till she's fully gripped him.

"Big mistake," he hisses, pulling her up to sit and yanking at the bottom of her dress.

"Don't rip it!" she squeals out, but he doesn't give a shit. Wrenching it roughly over her head and watching the way her hair wisps in every direction, he lobs it somewhere in the room. She's not wearing a bra…

Eric's mouth finds the soft skin of her breast, licking carefully and watching the way she squirms underneath him. "Hold still," he tells her, trying not to laugh at her efforts. He trails down her stomach, reaching the flimsy strap of what she called 'underwear' and slowly hooks his fingers underneath, pulling it down her legs gradually.

"How can I hold still when you insist on moving so slowly?"

For that he parts her thighs and puts his mouth against her, flicking his tongue against her clit. He had every intention to fuck her right now. He couldn't wait any longer and he could taste that she was already ready for him.

While she groaned out above him, his own personal ache was fit to burst. So, when he comes up for air, he begins ridding of the restricting boxers while she eagerly watches him, biting her lip as his erection springs loose and he strokes himself a few times.

Abbey waits in anticipation, staring wide eyed at the scene unfolding in front of her. All man. All muscle. And extremely turned on. Her own body was laid out completely exposed to him and the thought makes her blush for a split second.

"I can't wait any longer, Abbey."

Clambering back on top of her, he guides himself to her entrance, making sure to keep her eye contact. She fleetingly runs her fingers over his hair, pulling him forwards and kissing him.

At the same time, he pushes into her.

She licks his lip in complete ecstasy at the sensation, enjoying the wet, slippery feeling forming between them. Eric becomes faster, at one point leaning on his elbow for a better position and holding her leg. But she meets him thrust for thrust.

Sweat beads on his head. He doesn't want to admit it - but he so wants to fucking come right now. Abbey must sense it as her hands slip between his and pull them in to touch her. Suddenly growing ridged, she lustfully emits a caught sound in her throat, then sighing higher and higher and louder every time he pushed back into her with much effort on his part. "Eric…"

Shit.

Abbey saying his name was enough, and as her nails dig into his back and walls tighten and spasm, he comes, hard, spilling inside of her and crumbling towards her. "Fuck…" She bites his shoulder and it's hard enough to bruise but he likes it.

Still inside her, he rubs his sweaty forehead against an arm and she's looking relatively pleased underneath him. "That was a lot like making lurve…" she whispers mockingly.

"Thought I'd better start off at entry level as you were so terrified. Give you time to adjust or whatever a true gentleman is supposed to say."

"I had high expectations of the cruel and cold Dauntless Leader…" She leans up to whisper in his ear, "Fantasies, even."

He couldn't give a shit about where she had heard such rumors. Eric isn't quite done with her just yet and is more interested in what, exactly, her fantasies consisted off, and what she had been doing about them. "Well, you can tell me all about it while you're on your knees. You better change your sheets later."

---

"So, this is the perimeter of Amity," Eric speaks expressively to Johanna over an old-fashioned unrolled map spread across her desk. - He's in a fucking good mood.

"Yes. There are also fields beyond the wall that are used every day but that's mutual ground."

"I want you to mark every spot of any disturbances however insignificant they may seem that have taken place recently. Look for a point of activity that may be unseen from us, might be how they come and go without being noticed." Eric's finger traces the roads. He also can't help the way he calculates exactly what field Abbey has gone to today. He's about to say something else but is interrupted by clumping boots up the stairs.

"Sir, it's Max." And Eric wonders why he didn't ring him directly, then remembers his replacement phone and how Max would still have the water-drenched phone number from before. No wonder he's been at peace for a few days.

The young Dauntless passes him the overly bulky handset. "Max."

"How's Amity?"

"As you would expect."

"I've been in contact with Jeanine," Max says gruffly, and Eric sighs.

"Yes? And?"

"There's been some hear-say. Words got around that you've been at Amity and she's afraid of an attack at Erudite. They're more important apparently."

"I can't be in two places at once. An attack is inevitable at Amity, it would be unwise to for me to leave just yet."

"I think you may need to take a trip to Erudite to explain this to Jeanine yourself as my voice is falling on deaf ears. I understand the controversy of Dauntless being situated there at Amity so long, but then again, if we didn't, we wouldn't be doing our job…" Max sounds torn just from the reluctant way he talks. Eric thinks for a second he's possibly looking for some sort advice or anticipating Eric's return to Dauntless. Perhaps he was just airing random thoughts and ranting whatever was on his mind.

"You got that fucking right. We can't seem to win at the minute."

"Fine. Well, you send an email to Jeanine so she knows we've spoken. I'll call someone else to pay a trip to Erudite and hopefully that'll do - I can tell you won't be back for a while. But you do realize, the moment we do that, Candor and Abnegation are going to be pissing themselves and asking for the same." While Max is talking Eric strolls over to the window, peering out across the land viewable from here. There's Amity folk ambling past, groups of Dauntless roaming in between. Then he spots the stupid wicker hat in the crowd. "You even listening?"

"Yeah, something's come up."

"Any success on the other job?" Eric's bite on his shoulder suddenly throbs and he runs a hand across it - that woman can bite hard. He watches as Abbey chats to the girl with glasses next to her, baskets in their hands with huge bunches of wild flowers he's never seen before.

"You could say that."

"Good. But just don't let it get in the way. There are bigger things at stake." Abbey gets stopped by a group of Dauntless and they hit the hat off of her head – that fucking hat.

"I've got to go." He hangs up before Max can answer and as Eric leaves, Johanna walks over to the window curiously, watching as Eric strides out into the chaos that usually follows Abbey around and she sighs, shaking her head.

Abbey grabs the bunch of flowers tightly out of the basket, whacking one of the Dauntless round the face with it as petals and leaves sprawl out around them. The next minute she's dragged away steadily and spun, being shaken to her senses. "What the hell are you doing?" Eric asks her, looking completely furious.

"They stroll around like the own the place!"

Eric turns his head to the Dauntless. "I want reports now. And I want to know why you find it's acceptable to behave in such a way within a place that has welcomed you so amicably."

"She was asking for it…" one of them mumbles as Eric turns. That was all that was needed and Abbey folds her arms, eyebrows raised with a cruel smile on her face as she watches Eric close the distance between his men.

"I guess you wouldn't mind helping out with the garbage disposal considering you have enough time to push the little Amity's around?" To make his point extremely clearer, he takes another step forward. "If I hear of one more situation like this, I will personally see to it that I deal with you in the same manner as I do with my other unruly initiates. I can break you as quickly as I made you. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir!" they call at the same time.

"Now get back to work!" He gives Abbey an expressionless look. "You-"

"Oh, don't start. I had that handled anyway. They'll think again before-."

"Oh yes, that's right, because hitting them round the face with petal power is really going to stop them." Eric grabs her by the arm and heads back towards the shadow of the barn. Johanna waits just inside the doorway.

"Abbey…" she greets. "I see you still manage to shock me. I wouldn't worry Eric, it's not the first time Abbey's shown ferocity before." Her features suddenly become stern. "We don't act irrationally. We are a faction of peace," Johanna tells her and Eric scoffs, still keeping Abbey locked in his grip. "If there is trouble you should have just reported it."

"Nothing ever happens when we do, you know that!"

"Maybe there's a little bit of Dauntless in you, Abbey?" Eric chucks out playfully. He meant in more ways than one.

Abbey pulls away from him, embarrassed. "I like standing up for my rights, Eric…"

Johanna's smiling to herself watching the two stand-off, but it's not horribly, it's complete bicker. "I heard you have broken off your engagement?"

Abbey composes herself, entwining her fingers together in front of her. "He broke it off with me."

"Coincidental with Eric suddenly reappearing, isn't it?" Johanna's still smiling, her frog-like face stretched wide and frankly irritating. Eric makes sure he frowns at her.

"Yes, well, things happen at weird times…" Abbey pulls the poorest excuse she could find. "If you don't mind, I now have to recollect my order and I'm already running behind." She dusts off her dress, turning with a sense of purpose and Eric hides his smile under a hand with his head down.

"Remember violence is not the answer, Ab's!" he calls out, checking out her ass as she walks away. She just gives him a quick death glare.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Eric…" Johanna says after a long moment and now that Abbey's out of earshot. "You've possibly ruined her chance of ever running a normal life at Amity, you know that?"

"Leave it out, woman."

"I hope you have intentions on marrying that girl. That's all I ask." Once again, they are stood side by side, not looking at each other. Something that's been happening more than Eric would like.

"What's it to you anyway?" His slate eyes still watch after the girl that's scarred his entire being.

"I look out for my people. She is my people. You broke off her engagement and I hope you have all the right intentions on fixing it. I don't care for your history with Dauntless and your extremely rude and obnoxious behavior with me or anyone else, I just don't want your actions to be impulsive and then leave her here for me to pick up the pieces. Her reputation will be dashed under your limelight."

Eric finally turns his head while placing his hands behind his back, glaring at Johanna. "Do you honestly think that's what I would do?" he snipes horribly, almost spitting the words. "Fuck up her life and leave?"

"I actually wouldn't put it past you." Johanna doesn't waver, even if her heart had skipped a beat in fear. But she wanted her thoughts outed to him. At least push him to answer honestly, which only ever seemed to be when he was angry with her. "I promise I won't say any more. But please… just do the right thing…" Johanna brings herself to walk away, shaking her head, lips pressed together firmly and inwardly hoping that he'd taken some form of resolve from her words.

Eric's left awfully stuck in the doorway.

Marry Abbey?

Now that was whole new other subject…

Chapter 6

Eric has his first smoke in days, blowing curling waves of white into the non-existent wind.

He only just realizes after a few drags that he didn't particularly want one. He'd only lit up because he was torn, Johanna's words running through him.

Marry Abbey.

Of course, the entire time of trying to break up her engagement and reignite something between the two – which he had to say, was extremely successful after this morning. He'd really not thought about marrying her, or really what he was going to do after things were settled and he was back at Dauntless. Was she maybe expecting him to ask her now?

Shit.

This was exactly why he was smoking.

He chucks it after another pull and crushes it into the ground with the heel of his boot. It was past lunchtime and hours since Abbey's run-in with the Dauntless first thing. He'd expected Abbey to come find him, but she wasn't here. Maybe he expected too much, he usually did. Maybe he should find her?

Maybe it was the fact she wrapped her flowers round someone's face and had to re-pick them all. – He bets she's regretting that like a god damn thorn in her side.

Eric shakes his head, he can't go wandering off looking for her. Not only that, he was fatigued by Amity's early rising and constant late nights. It didn't help they'd scheduled work times around the sun which required them to be out fielding, or in Abbey's case, flower picking, by half seven.

He has too much for him to oversee and he still has to compose that damn email to Jeanine. So as per usual, he's clomping back up the steps to take his seat behind Johanna's desk. Every report needs to be signed by him, dated, then typed up and sent to a Dauntless database. At least it didn't require him to use his brain too much and it was like a habit now more than anything.

He's only half hour in and it must be around 2.30 when he hears someone treading lightly up the steps.

"Hello, Abbey." He grins from behind the desk as she approaches, her little blue dress floating from off of her hips. - That fucking hat…

"Just because I'm here, doesn't mean I'm not annoyed at you for when you tried to embarrass me in front of Johanna this morning." She's actually not. She's got a brown paper bag in her hand as she stops just next to him, then flops into his lap. "What you doing?"

"The usual, working." Eric lightly pulls on the back of her hair. "What are you doing?"

"The usual, nothing." She smiles. "Can you stop working now, please. I bought you lunch…" she sings, trying to lure him as she leans back and swings her legs that are hooked over his arm. "I was thinking about you while I was gone…" She kicks her feet.

"Oh yeah…" he drawls, biting the inside of his cheek and squinting at her close proximity. She was a devilishly cute little thing that he sometimes wanted to randomly maim.

"Yeah… There was this wasp and it was chasing me. Long story short, it reminded me of you…" She laughs as he digs his fingers into her side. "Come on, let's go outside, eat out there. It's such a nice day. You could use some sun on your face."

"That's enough. I don't exist to be plagued by your petty insults. Get off." He begins pushing her and she sighs. "Plus, if I'm seen sunbathing and eating picnics with you, what sort of image does that give? I'm turning into a fucking pansy."

"No. It gives off a good image… One that says 'I do what I want and I don't give a fuck.'"

Eric frowns at her. "You have a disgusting mouth."

"I thought you liked my mouth…" This time he actually shoves her off. "Eric, come on, I'm just playing…" She holds her hand out to him while he's still seated, furiously glaring up to her while she smiles down at him. "You won't regret it," she sings again.

---

Eric is regretting it.

It's a long grassed field, the area flattened around them while he lies, propped up on his elbow. It's itchy, hot, and there are flies. However, Abbey seems unbothered. She's lying on her front picking at grass, facing him. "You see your mom often?"

"Not as often as I'd like," Eric answers, still watching her intently. "You?"

"They come here every so often." She rolls over staring up at the sky. "I miss them. Sometimes I think I miss Erudite."

"You're talking shit now."

"I said I think because there's little things I miss. I don't miss the uniform though, yuck." Turning her head, she smiles at him.

"Hmm, yeah. I remember that little skirt you used to wear. The one with the pleats… You still got it?" Eric grins suggestively back.

"I'm sure I could find something similar." Knocking his elbow out, she rolls and lies on top of him when his head hits the grass. She slips her hands in his open jacket, running up his sides and resting her chin on his chest. "You feeling brave?"

Eric frowns at her. "Why?"

"I want you to tell me that you-" Before she can finish, Eric rolls her off, flattening her underneath him. He quickly finds the skin of her neck. "Good avoidance techniques…" she whispers while he begins kissing up her jaw. "We can… we can work on that…" His hands find themselves under her dress. Then he stops suddenly.

"Do you ever stop talking?"

"I'll only stop talking if you kiss me." But he doesn't move and his features scrunch up. "Eric? This is the part where you are supposed to kiss me…"

"Be quiet." He covers her mouth with his hand with her eyes frantically wide while staring up at him. There are voices carrying from somewhere in the field. The voices of men. Eric knew all the routes taken by his men. The particular field they were in was set back towards the trees and not something used by many people just from the way the grass grew high.

"You tell anyone you were here?" he whispers and Abbey shakes her head, mouth still covered. "Get in the grass. Stay down. Don't move." But she shakes her head a little more forcefully, gripping onto his jacket to keep him there. "Do it." He pulls his gun from his leg, clicking the safety as Abbey begins crawling slowly into the untouched grass. He passes her hat and rubbish from lunch and she grabs his face, kissing him quickly. "Stay there."

"I love you."

He hesitates for a split second, then smirks. Eric turns without another look, crouching and then slowly rising to the same height as the vegetation around. Two men stroll casually out into the field, talking, but every now and then looking over their shoulders, forcing Eric to duck.

They look like Amity.

He trails after them silently, just the grass rustling against him as he breaks a new path, snaking his way over to theirs. He continues to sneak lowly and closes the distance before they turn again. His gun is held out threateningly in front of him.

"Nice afternoon for a stroll..." he calls to the two men and they instantly stop in their tracks.

"We're Amity," one of them says before his eyes land on Eric standing viciously before him. That was also something highly suspicious to just randomly blurt out.

The young Amity looking guy who spoke begins putting his hands into the air and the other copies. "We're just… checking the fields."

"Names. Orders.," Eric barks.

"Zander. Tate. The orders were to check the fields," he repeats while the one on the right who stays quiet lowers his hand slightly and Eric aims the nozzle of his gun towards him.

"Good. So there won't be any problem coming back with me to check?" Eric says distrustfully while tilting his head.

The instant the two men look at each other, everything happens so quickly. They jump apart and Eric fires his gun, missing one by fractions. The one who was on the left begins pelting out into the field and the one on the right has fallen onto his back. Eric strolls casually over to him - and shoots him in the leg.

Crying out loudly, Eric ignores him, pulling his phone. It rings only once. "West furthest field of the dome. Immediate assistance." Then he starts after the one he can still see running in the distance.

There's a good minute of just the sound of grass whipping against his pants and his own breath battering against the heat to draw some type of oxygen in. But he's gaining regardless. There was nothing athletic about the Amity. The young guy then suddenly changes direction, looking like he's heading towards the line of trees. Eric susses he may lose him in there, so stops, aims, breathes in, and fires.

It's a direct hit.

The guy throws his limbs out as the bullet pierces into his back somewhere, then he falls forward. Eric buttons up the hefty conclusion that he quite possibly killed him.

Panting as he brings an arm to his brow, he peers over to the Dauntless guards who have begun swamping the area almost immediately after his call. Three of them run up the path towards him. "I think I may have killed the one over there," he tells them when they stop silently behind him. "Find his body and bring him back, see if we can find anything on him."

"Are they factionless?" one of the Dauntless ask. But Eric's now looking towards the patch where he left Abbey, completely distracted.

"Must be. If they aren't, you can tell their families they shouldn't have ran." Eric leaves it as that, noticing the one who he shot in the leg getting dragged away by some of the men further across from them.

His once composed stride turns into a small jog as he goes back for Abbey. "Ab's!" he calls out to the grass, eyes scanning the area somewhere around the flattened patch they were lying not too long ago. There is a small rustle and Abbey appears. She hesitates momentarily before leaping up and running to him. "Abbey are you-"

Abbey doesn't care for the people standing around and springs into his arms, wrapping her hands around his neck and legs around his waist. Her mouth finds his immediately, hysterically, and after a moment she pulls away, allowing him to breathe and form a coherent sentence. "You're so stupid…" she says, grabbing at his face viciously to smother him again.

"Abbey it's fine," he mumbles against her lips. "I'm fine."

"They didn't hurt you?" She leaves no time to answer and her teeth pull at his lower lip and now he's utterly lost against her. "Oh my god, I swear, if anything happens to you..."

"You've been in Amity too long."

"No, I've been without you too long." She descends down his neck and he shudders at the tickling sensation. – This is why no other woman would do. "Take me home, Eric." She grips the collar of his jacket, yanking briskly and forcing him to look her straight in the eye. "Now."

"Yes, ma'am."

---

It seems the shock of possibly losing him has ravaged her innocent soul. - Even though that was completely laughable. She had no idea about a number of situations he got himself into.

Abbey's on her knees, head shoved into the mattress as he thrusts brutally into her. She's making these pleasant noises that are beginning to crumble his once lust-driven motives of outlasting her.

It also doesn't help that the view from above is utterly extraordinary. Her pale, usually unexposed flesh that's been left untanned from the world, on full display to examine and do with however he wishes. He'd be lying if he didn't say he spent half the time admiring the way he glossily slid in and out of her and took great pride in the way she throws her head to one side to look up at him, gripping small fingers into his thigh, pulling him closer and deeper.

His hands sit on her ass, almost ripping the skin as he pulls her back. "Harder, Eric," she gasps when she can. And he's trying. She's utterly insatiable right now.

Eric tries to picture things in his head, sucking in his bottom lip and peering up at the ceiling. Work. Flowers. Johanna's face…

"Yes. Yes. Yes." – It's not working.

He growls when he slaps her on her thigh, raking his blunt nails back up and onto her hip. It's almost unbearable as she fidgets against him. Throwing his hand to her shoulder he yanks her up, her back curled to keep him steady and he lets a hand roam down her stomach then further down to where they are joined. She twitches and moans, almost jumping to get away, but he doesn't let her.

Abbey extends fully, turning her head to try to kiss him, catching him off guard. Without much resistance he lets her push him down as she climbs on top. – This will be his undoing.

She throws her hands to her hair as she grinds against him. "I'm gonna…." She sighs. – Good.

Once her movements become sloppy and she leans forward, he fists her hair, dragging her down to him as he keeps up with each thrust. His other hand finds her backside again and he holds it viciously, practically pinning her to him, and that's how she liked it.

She's coming, unable to form any words, just dribbles of ecstasy and he lets himself go with her, unsure of exactly what was exiting from his mouth either. – But he feels the way she fucking bites him again.

He pulls her head back by the hand still locked into her hair once they have descended and she pants euphorically. "You going to bite me every time?" He raises an eyebrow critically.

"Quite possibly... I think I need professional help." Her lips look red and sore, her eyes slightly hooded.

"I'd love to hear you tell them your little problem." He releases her and she flops against him.

"Hi doc, I have a little situation. When I'm fucking my boyfriend I also like to take chunks out of him. Is this normal?" She uses a high pitched voice, the words tickling against his chest as she talks against it. She lifts her head and smiles at the airy laugh Eric makes. "I better shower. Are you going to be working late?"

"As always. I'm behind schedule now anyway because of you… And then there's my factionless buddy." He groans as she moves, he can tell she's planning her hasty retreat as she throws a look to the bathroom just outside the door.

"Will you sleep here tonight?" Abbey says while her fingers skim over the piercings in his ears.

"If you want. Don't wait up."

"Way to sound enthused. Don't make it sound like a chore, Eric. Maybe I'll be busy tonight… with someone else who prefers my company."

Eric pushes himself up, gripping her tightly. "You, will not." His fingers curl against her jaw as he makes her look at him. "Can you not tell by me just being here, how much I fucking want you? Now get your flowery ass in that shower and stop your womanly, emotional crap."

"Okay." She smiles, feeling a little triumphant having got a little bit of committal out of him. "You coming?"

---

"They were factionless," Johanna sighs, wearing some overly bright, yellow, floor-length skirt that's burning into Eric's eyes and into the back of his brain. "One of them didn't make it."

Eric clears his throat. "Right. So it seems factionless have been disguised as Amity. I had my suspicions. Just needed proof… The main subject is, apart from the food problem drawing them in – thanks, Johanna. They may also be lurking in numbers. Thoughts? Suspicions? Give me something…" Blunt. Direct. Straight to the point.

Mark's here, Johanna's right-hand man. Eric watches as the guy goes to say something then hesitates, seemingly looking like he's thinking too hard. "So you're saying we're harboring the factionless?" he eventually spits out.

"No. I'm saying how do you know they aren't covert here?"

Mark squares his chest a little. "Johanna knows her faction well, thank you. She would know."

"It was too easy for them to slip in here, wearing their Amity clobber and going completely unnoticed. Surely your people would know; sense a difference? Not recognize the faces perhaps? Johanna wouldn't have to directly know of them. When did you last do checks on your people?"

"The problem with your theory, Eric, is that Amity wouldn't be watching out for strangers or attacks. We are a faction of peace." Johanna braces her arms to her sides, her hands flexed, she looks completely distraught.

"You… are… sitting… fucking… ducks," Eric hisses, leaning to emphasize the words. "Again, I reiterate, checks… on your people?" Mark and Johanna share a look. "Is that a hard fucking question?"

"We can start first thing tomorrow."

"Look for odd numbers. Ask about unusual activity, a meeting point, house, neighbors… At the moment though I wouldn't be surprised if they throw a hasty retreat. They'll know we're on to them. But perhaps it will work in our favor, be enough to rock the boat and there will be noticeable commotion and it'll bring something up."

"Very well," Johanna sulks. "We better start on the preparations for tomorrow. Come, Mark."

"Woof, woof," Eric sneers after him.

---

In the pitch black, Eric tries Abbey's door. It's unlocked and creaks open. Stupid girl, he thinks. But then again, at Amity, they didn't know any better but to be trusting.

Her whole hovel is dark and he stumbles around for minute kicking his boots and jacket off while making his way to the bedroom. He can just make out her sleeping form when his eyes begin to adjust. She's positioned to one side, buried beneath the covers, peacefully slumbering with her head crowned by the incredible amount of pillows.

Eric tugs his shirt over his head and discards his pants, pulling at the covers slowly to not disturb her. Abbey's breath hitches for a moment as he gets in and he strokes some hair off her face as she makes some throaty 'humph' noise. "Shh, it's me. Go back to sleep." At his words, she throws a leg over him and he holds it protectively. Sometimes, just laid like this, with this indescribable amount of responsibility that washes over him for her. Sometimes, he could almost whisper the words she really wishes for him to say.

---

"You're going already?" Abbey sulkily says, shuffling to the side of the bed. Her pajamas are skew-whiff, her hair tousled from sleep. "Also, you don't make coffee in the morning! You know that's a criminal offense, right?"

"Don't get me mixed up with someone else," Eric huffs while he zips his jacket quickly. "Also, reality calls and I must work at some point."

"You worked all night, though?" She pouts. "I had to play by myself…"

"Abbey!" he snaps her name condescendingly, giving her a sharp look. "Quit it."

"I can't… I keep imaging you all serious and sweaty with your gun..." Her eyes widen as he steps in front of her, taking her by the jaw again.

"It's my job. Now leave me to do my job and I'll tend to you later."

She scoffs, "Tend to me later? Like I'm a vegetable patch? You going to tend to my vegetable patch, Eric?"

"You're infuriating sometimes."

"Yeah and your use of words-" He kisses her quickly. "Suck." She knows she's never going to get him to stay, his kiss was the end of the debate. "Fine. I'll see you at some point… whenever you have time today."

"Low blow." He marches out to the living space heading for the door. "Bye, Abbey. Try not to get in any trouble."

Abbey sighs, crossing her arms once the front door slams. "Trouble?" she mumbles.

---

Mark appears from the steps slightly out of breath and Eric smirks at him. "Hello, Fido. You been a good boy?"

"Just because Johanna takes your shit, doesn't mean I will."

"Your bark is worse than your bite. That's the saying isn't it?" Eric sneers at him. "I'm guessing Johanna's busy trying to head her reprieve. How's it going back there?"

"Nothing's come up. When are you leaving again?" Mark squints at him.

"When I feel like it. I don't think I've possibly been around long enough yet to really get under your skin. So, another week tops." Mark shifts angrily in his stance and Eric can feel the rise out of him beginning to build. "Fido must be hungry…" Eric says under his breath. "Don't keep me waiting any longer. Why are you here?"

"I want to know the intentions for the factionless man being currently held. We don't want him here."

"I have a call with Max in less than fifteen minutes-" Eric's borrowed phone begins vibrating on the desk. "Scrap that, right now, so please make yourself scarce."

"Max…" Eric answers, giving Mark daggers as the man seems to hesitate before drawing in a lung of air, turning his back and leaving.

"I got your email. Seems we have a break-through?"

"Quite fitting really. I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner. Factionless was spotted here. I took one down, the other resides in the Amity Hospice as we speak."

"Should have known, sending you there, I could have seconded guessed drama."

"I don't like failure," Eric smiles to himself. "Besides, if I weren't here, we wouldn't have made as much progress as we have."

Max hums in agreement. "I'm trying to come to a term with Erudite to track Amity. You know, like we've tracked our own."

"How's that holding up for you?"

"We got the go ahead. Jeanine's practically pushed us to do it. Anything to head-hunt the inconvenience… But I had a few concerns with Johanna accepting it so we've made a few readjustments."

"What?"

"It's not a serum, but a band that's fitted to the wrist and their perimeter is restricted. Effectively they can't leave Amity without us knowing or authorizing it. No band, not Amity. Easy, huh?"

"To what effect?" Eric has a spasm of worry in the base of his gut that he tries to swallow down. Anything that involved Amity involved Abbey.

"Anyone that isn't authorized, it will flag them immediately on breach."

"To be fair, Max, I can't see Johanna agreeing to that either. They live by their freedom. Breach of human rights etcetera, etcetera."

"It's too late, I've ordered it as a protocol now. If they have nothing to hide then it won't bother them anyway. Plus, the cargo is already on the way."

"Thanks for letting me know," Eric says sarcastically.

"I know you already have enough on your plate, so I headed this movement. You can instruct Johanna of my decisions however you wish, but just get it done… Also, I'll be running by Amity later this evening, so I'll see you then."

Eric hangs up the phone, suddenly feeling reluctant, more so than he had moments ago. He taps his fingers on the desk thrice. He didn't get paid enough for this shit-show.

---

Eric's seen to it personally to pin the Amity flower shop down. Two birds with one stone.

Abbey smiles brightly at him when he walks in, slightly faltering as some of his men filter in after him. She looks utterly beautiful. She wears yellow, not like Johanna's yellow, but it's the same floaty cut as all the other dresses she tends to wear. "What's going on?" Her eyebrows bow and the corners of her mouth tug downwards. Her head whips round as some of the Dauntless head out the back. "Hey! You can't go in there!"

"Relax, Abbey. It's nothing bad." Eric pulls the specific band out of his pocket that he had kept behind just for her. "Safety protocol. Come here."

"No. I don't want to be tagged… like… like pigs!"

He guessed this would be her reaction. "It's only to track your location. Look at it this way, I'll always be able to find you… Now come here, you haven't got a choice."

She puts her nose up at him and turns her head while holding her arm out. Eric grips her, yanking her forward towards his chest. He slides the band on her wrist, making sure his fingers linger a moment too long on her skin. Eventually, she meets his eye and all the ferocity has disappeared as she stares up at him. He takes it to his advantage to retrieve the pen-like device that slides into a hole on the side. It tightens strangely and other-worldly against her skin and beeps once, holding a green light.

"Eric, I don't like it!" She flaps her arm around, trying to get rid of the ugly black thing that's sat skin-tight against it.

"You'll forget it's there in a few days. Stop doing that. Relax… Relax." He pulls her towards him and she rests her head on his chest. "You're so fucking feral sometimes."

"Says you…" she muffles against the fabric of his clothes. "Are you really busy? I haven't seen you all day?" She turns her face up to him, giving him the innocent look he was beginning to become accustomed to. It literally begged him to spill everything to her.

"Yes. Max is on his way." His head spins towards the door outback as the Dauntless come strolling back through. "Times up," he tells her, stroking hair behind her ear. "I probably don't have to say that I'm not going to be back again till late."

"I know," she sighs. "I'm trying to keep myself busy here but it still doesn't numb the fact I miss your stupid face. What am I going to do when you go back to Dauntless?"

"Stop. I'm not going back yet. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." His phone begins vibrating in his jacket. "Shit. I'll find you later."

"Okay," she says disappointedly, pecking his lips. "Love you."

"Don't do anything stupid, okay? Have you eaten?"

"Yes, don't worry about me. You're obviously needed somewhere else. I'll be here if you need me." Eric knows that tone, a particular way a woman talks when she's pissed off, but he can't let it get to him.

Eric squeezes her hand and leaves to the chime of the bell, walking broadly out towards the groups of people while pulling his phone and shoving the thing against his ear.

Abbey sighs after him, biting her lip. Sandra appears from out back with the same matching wristband, cautiously stepping up to the counter and towards Abbey who's looking a little tense.

"He scares me, but I've never heard him speak so softly… He's hot Ab's. Like bad-boy, scary, shouldn't-be-hot but is…" The older woman throws out and Abbey turns, smiling at her.

"I know." She tilts her head back and feels a burning, twisting sensation unraveling in her stomach as she watches him walk away.

Another smaller woman with glasses who goes by the name of Clem, appears behind Sandra, leaning on the desk as the retreating image of Eric gets smaller and smaller. "Like really hot…"

"Yeah, I know…" Abbey briskly faces towards the girls. "Do you think he's out of my league? …I think he's out of my league."

"Oh god, no! You both have your own leagues… You're just in different ones," Clem begins rattling on, nudging Sandra to also say something.

"Yeah, Clem's right. He should count himself lucky..."

Abbey's chest feels tight, her eyebrows knitting together tautly as she still chews restlessly at the skin on her lip. "Is this going to work – this thing we have?" She didn't really know why she felt the need to ask them, but she needed someone to ask or at least vent the silly thoughts in her head to. "Am I deluded? Are we moving too fast?" Her lips almost bleeding now and inwardly she tries to convince herself that they're not and that they've known each other since they were thirteen so that ultimately made it very long time.

"Hmm…" Sandra utters. "I don't know the man, but I can tell you that he looks like the type who would make it work regardless of what anyone else thinks…"

Abbey flicks something on the counter as she leans up against it. Even if her friend had honestly outed what she finally wanted to hear. She couldn't help but think that they were only saying it to save her feelings. But then again, she was just as messed up as Eric. They were quite the pair.

Only a few days ago she was convinced she loved Matt and could happily spend the rest of her life with him. But after seeing Eric and him conveniently coming to Amity, she had no doubts it was just a deranged outplay from an eager mind that wanted sanctuary. Eric was beyond sanctuary. He was home and had been for years.

She, in fact, was almost completely sure her entire being was meant to be with him. A thought she had when she was sixteen.

And the thought had never changed.

---

Eric waits as the Dauntless gray trucks roll up the Amity track. Max is in one of them somewhere, probably having already spotted him watching from afar.

Dust kicks up as it stops. There's been no rain. No mercy under the pure, unswerving sunlight. It had been days since he'd seen a cloud and everything was covered in the same frosting of dirt. He couldn't think for the life of him why Amity hadn't invested in some sort of Treadway, it would be highly efficient.

But right now, the sun was descending, and Eric guessed it was around eight just by the glooming colors plunging upon them and the fresh breeze making it all the more comfortable.

Max hops down from the truck in front, holding his hands out to the sides in greeting. "Johanna…" he drawls. "Eric," he says a little sharper.

"'Bout time you joined us." Eric smiles. "Thought for a minute you may be slacking on the job."

Max has got that glint in his eye, that same glint he sees whenever he decides to mock him and he knows he won't say anything insulting back in the presence of others. "Running Dauntless solo is hardly slacking." Max's eyes flit to Johanna's barn in obvious impatience, forcing Johanna to clear her throat.

"Shall we take this to my office?" Johanna throws Eric a look. "Although Eric has been pretty comfortable there of late."

"Johanna here thought it was acceptable to strike a deal with the factionless and feed them - Someone had to take control." His smile is fake and drops instantly.

"Now, come on guys, let's get along amicably. I think there is enough trouble here already then going for each other's throats," Max says smoothly, but he notices the way Eric grimaces slightly, then trails off into the distance trying to obviously distract himself from the delightful thought. "Johanna, if you don't mind." Max passes by her, marching off militantly in front while they follow behind.

Once they scale the steps, Max motions for Johanna to sit courteously, keeping that stupid smile on his face; the one he makes when he's under observation and Eric could literally gag. Eric would never show anyone that amount of goodwill. "How did my protocol go down with Amity?"

"They didn't like it, but then again, we weren't really given a choice," Johanna snaps the words a little acidic.

"It's for your own safety, and to track any possible occurrences. Alternatively, it promotes peace." Max is still smiling. "Look at it this way, at least we didn't plague you with chemicals."

Johanna grimaces, pulling all her features into a crumpled mess while her mouth laid steadily straight. "How thoughtful."

Eric leans on the banister, nearer to the stairs, crossing his arms, a crooked smirk on his face, loving the little show-down in front of him. He knew though that they were friends – but that always came second.

"And I also have to address the betrayal to the factions by you feeding our enemy." Max seems to sigh; it was now a boring issue that had been repeated too much for anyone to really care anymore.

"They were hungry. They threatened us. I had to do something, and that something was the most humane way. We don't-"

"Promote violence… and so on," Eric cuts in. "Tell us something we don't know."

"I've held off on informing the other factions just yet of your… crimes" Max seems to take a while to choose the right set of words. "Until this issue is resolved, all other concerns follow last. So that means you, Johanna."

"You're not perhaps working for the factionless, are you Johanna?" Eric mocks.

"Seriously, does he need to be here!" The frumpy woman has finally had enough, her voice has raised slightly higher as she throws an arm up into the air. This is a sheer pleasure for Eric to see. Every day he bashed her over and over and finally… finally, he'd cracked a little something from her.

"Eric…" Max warns and Eric gives him a wide smile.

"Sorry, Max. It's just been a long day…" Johanna rubs her head exaggeratedly. "The amount of explaining we've had to do… Amity's slightly distressed at the minute and it's going to be a while to fix. Not only are we being backhanded for possibly harboring the factionless – which we haven't." She gives Eric a quick dig. "…But also we still have our usual work towards the other factions and the weather hasn't helped." Eric notices for the first time how drained she looks. Her usual beaming face was drawn and she'd also lost a bit of weight. "It's going to affect the number of transfers we receive during the choosing ceremony and it couldn't happen at a worse time."

Max – the easily swayed oath, walks over to Johanna and places a hand on her shoulder. "At least Dauntless are here now. We will get to the bottom of this, and I will see to it that I inform the other factions of Amity's struggle. You can go, there is nothing else at the moment that we need your help with." Johanna stands with his hand still on her shoulder, smiling gravely. "Tell Joel I said hello."

"I will. Thank you, Max." Johanna lifts her cheeks again, her hands grabbing at her long skirt to stand and she walks passed Eric slowly, her eyes squinting at him for the slightest of moments. "Eric," she nods and takes the steps.

There's a brief silence until Max moves and takes Johanna's seat. "As if we didn't have enough to do…" His fingers find his mouth and he chews on a nail restlessly. "Now, potentially, we're all going to starve…"

Eric remembers Abbey's stupid words she used, things happen at weird times… "Perhaps we can rope Abnegation in on some of the work, I'm sure they'll oblige."

Max scoffs, leaning back. "I can't take much more of this shit. Jeanine's giving me a bad case of the blue balls."

"Nice."

"I can't even jack-off with her calling me at ungodly hours," Max continues regardless.

"As I said – Nice."

"What's going on with your little rose?"

"Abbey?" Eric's eyebrows raise slightly and he shrugs. "I stopped her marriage. I've stayed at hers a couple nights."

"You thought about what's going to happen when you go back to Dauntless and she has to stay here?"

Eric inhales for a long second, tilting his head slightly upwards, this was not what he wanted to go over at the minute. The honest truth is that he knew he would have to be back on forth – when he had time. And for a fact, he knew that wasn't going to sit well with Abbey.

Perhaps if he wasn't a Leader than things may have panned out differently and he would have had more of a chance to get away and spend more time with her – but that was out of the question. Even if that was weighing heavily on his shoulders, he knew he still wanted her and it would seriously fuck up his entire being if that was to suddenly change.

"I've thought about it, yeah. I just don't know what to do about it. Abbey's a little gutsy when it comes to these things and it's a discussion best served at a different time. There's too much happening at the minute." Eric thinks about it a little longer. "Fuck… Johanna told me to marry her."

"Not a bad shout. Alternatively, that gives her permission to stay at Dauntless without question as long as her duties are overseen on her time away. I can't remember the name for it now but it's some type of leave."

"I can't marry Abbey. I'll be putting a target on her back, spinning her blindfolded and leaving her somewhere I can't protect her." Eric runs a hand through his hair, trying to distract himself from getting angry by noting how dark it's become outside.

"Up to you, but if you don't, I think you'll regret it. Someone else might step into your boots while you're gone on one of those long winter nights..." Max shrugs indifferently to him. "I think you're a fucking idiot if you don't."

"Fuck you." Eric straightens himself out, seemingly done with this conversation.

Max sits up a little straighter, clearing his throat from the relaxed and accustomed way he was used to talking with close friends. "Eric…" Max tries to say but it's already too late.

"I can't, not now. I have no intentions of marrying Abbey-"

"Eric!" Max then sighs leaning forwards and scratching his forehead exasperatedly. "Shit, man…" he mumbles under his breath.

"Is it true?"

Eric's face drops. He actually doesn't even want to turn around; he wants to rewind the last two minutes. He hadn't even heard the little dainty thing coming and goose bumps rise on his arms suddenly from the mere thought of facing her. "Ab's, what are you doing here?"

A tear drops from her green flecked eyes, running across flushed cheeks. "Is. It. True?" Her lips really curl around the word as she fights back their trembling.

"I don't know how much you heard-"

"I heard enough!" She spins on the step and disappears as quickly as she came, the sound of a muffled sob echoing from below.

Max purses his lips and is sat like still on Johanna's chair, not brave enough to move as he feels the anger radiating throughout Eric's usually cool composure. "I'm sorry, man. I tried-"

"Fuck…" And Eric paces once or twice before he briskly stomps off after her.

Fuck.

Chapter 7

Eric should have kept his stupid mouth shut.

But as always, he was a high-flyer when it came to his thoughts and actions, whimsical even. And right now, he was going to pay the price.

Before, Abbey was a young girl he could practically shame or embarrass without so much as a second thought. She would never cry or show heavy emotions to him, never take anything too offensively and laugh it off, fight together and make up within the hour with no regard to what harsh words were said. They were both learning at the time and their relationship was fine.

Now, however, it was different. She was a woman with feelings, needs, attachments. Things he failed to recognize time and time again. He should have also learned of all these things by now... which he hadn't. He had troubles tapping into that blackened side of him. He had tried, for her - probably his first ever chase of a woman, only to disregard her feelings, put his own first with what he wanted and not what she needed.

He cursed his reputable training from Dauntless for some of it, asking himself how much of it was by personal choice or whether it was just created to survive. But then, he couldn't always blame that. He had to blame himself. After all, he was the one who allowed himself to become this way. He shut out all the things he associated with weakness. All the things Abbey had obviously opened herself up to... Feelings... Needs... Attachments. But if anyone was going to understand him, it would be her.

And that was why he would never give up on her.

No matter how much she hated him right now. No matter how long she wouldn't talk to him. He would not quit. He wasn't a quitter and he had no aims of adding that to his long list of attributes.

Abbey's hut is lit up like a beacon. He sighs in relief in not having to go around looking for her or possibly tracking via her band.

Once his boots hit the steps with a heavy thud, the door comes flying open, swinging precariously on its hinges, and a furious Abbey launches his duffel bag with such ferocity he's almost shocked at her strength.

"Abbey, I don't know how much you heard but you've got it all wrong."

She just slams the thing violently in his face.

"Seriously?" Eric says mainly to himself, his face quivering into a look of disbelief and verging anger. "Abbey open the fucking door!"

"Go away!" her muffled voice sounds from the other side. "Go away… I swear, I'll hurt you!"

Eric bites his lip, trying to contain the small lift of his cheeks and placing his hands in his pockets. "Let me guess," he says lightly, leaning up against the frame of the door, his face illuminated by a light coming from her kitchen window and he bats at a moth that hits his forehead. "After I've left, you're going to drink coffee and sit in the bath for over an hour while singing that stupid shit song to yourself." He hears movement from inside but she doesn't say anything. "I'm right, aren't I?"

"You are not right!"

He chances a glance through the window, trying to not make any noise and she's flicking off the kettle – with force. "I can see you. Just open the door…"

"Fine, but I'm warning you…" She opens the door and he gives her a one-sided smile. However, she pushes him with both hands using all her pathetic weight. "No intentions of marrying me, huh?" She pushes him again. "Just wanted to ruin my chances of happiness and scamper back to Dauntless, did you?" Eric's now on the dirt track outside her house and she pushes him again. "An easy fuck because you already knew me and you were jealous that someone else was having me?" She looks absolutely crazy but completely fucking hot at the same time. He's trying his hardest… hardest to stay serious, but he can't, not with her. "And you're laughing!"

"I admit, I may have been jealous." A light flicks on from a nearby building. "Can we just go inside?" he motions with his head.

"No. We can't. Because I don't want you inside – Me, or my house…" she spits, uncaringly, digging him quickly with her eyes and trying to emphasize their meaning. Turning on her heel, she reaches the door slamming it closed without looking back – again.

Eric now actually considers her to look like a little pixie in her dinky, floaty dresses. A very angry pixie. And he still wants to fuck it.

"It's pointless trying to ignore me, Abbey. I'm a very hard person to hide from. Especially when I know what I want…" He waits a minute in case she felt a change of heart, but nothing. He sighs, shaking his head. "Have it your way…" he speaks to himself, "just for tonight."

---

It's busy, bright, bustling, and Eric has been non-stop harpooned with a series of different questions and situations. Right now, a group of Dauntless approach him while he's halfway chuffing a cigarette and he throws it arrogantly onto the floor near the feet of the closest member.

Eric watches as the young boy's eyes flicker down to his actions, then up to meet him. Eric smirks. "What is it? And if it's another fucking complaint about wristbands, frankly, I don't give a shit."

"No, Dom is sick. We need a replacement, "the young boy says, trying his best to steel his chest.

He doesn't know Dom and doesn't care. "What do you want me to do about it?" He throws a hand out towards the boy and he flinches, however, Eric taps the side of the Dauntless boy's head with an index finger roughly. "Were you dropped as a child? If someone is sick, send them to the nurse and find someone to cover… Use a fucking Amity for all I care! Just get it done, and don't hassle me."

Eric had every right to be in a bad mood. He'd fucked up. Abbey was angry with him and also running through his mind, which completely threw him off work. So much so, that he dreamt of her most of the night and could only imagine her curled up upset in the middle of her bed from words he had uttered. He had no worries though. He was confident Abbey would eventually succumb to him. They had too much history together.

"We don't want an Amity on our squadron…"

Eric's zoned out, and he catches sight of his main priority of the day, just like he was hoping. Having been in the most central location, it was just a matter of time. The young lads still talking as Eric just… walks off, towards the crowd.

Abbey's strolling with that dork with the glasses, huge long baskets swinging from their arms and he falls into pace with them. "Abbey…" Her eyes widen up to him and he roams down her orange polka-dot dress and the way she's tied her hair back for once. – Probably an act of defiance.

"Do you have no shame?"

"Well, you should know…" He smirks, catching the look the girl next to her sends him. "Threes a crowd. Bug off, four-eyes."

Abbey's mouth drops open. "No! She's not going anywhere…" She grabs a fistful of flowers and incorporates the same tactic she's probably used a hundred times before – and whacks him round the face with it. "C'mon Clem…" She grabs her friend by her arm and saunters off.

He probably deserved that.

---

Lunchtime pretty much winds up the same. But now he was starting to become desperate, a feeling he loathed.

Eric watches her walk in with a few people. She's still bouncy and expressive, but he can tell otherwise. Sometimes she would fade out and stare off and away from the others, shaking her head and sighing occasionally. No doubt it was him troubling her every thought, and cruelly he kind of enjoyed it.

He watches as they get into the queue and he makes his move. He closes the distance between them quickly and she's none the wiser as she slides her tray along.

Abbey's dithering over new potatoes or jackets as he steps up next to her, hovering over her shoulder. "Decisions, decisions…"

"Go away."

"Woah, Ab's, come on. I think it's time we put this behind us."

"This is just a game to you, isn't it? Don't you get it? I don't want to speak with you." Her ponytail almost hits him in the face as she flicks her head back and a waft of her usual shampoo deadbolts his stomach.

"This is not a game. You're childish by not listening or even being willing to talk to me. I'm just waiting for your signal to when-"

She flips him the bird. "How's that for your signal?" She then shoves her tray into his chest, her face a mix of mainly angry and frustrated emotions before storming out.

She's fantastic.

But this will be harder than he thought. "I guess she wasn't hungry…" Eric tells the person next to him who stares up with wide eyes. He dumps her tray upside down onto theirs, cluttering and mushing their food together.

Before he can stop himself and complain about how much he looks like a love-struck puppy, he's chasing out after her. She's walking swiftly, but he's taller and catches up without breaking pace. "Ab's!"

"Don't Ab's me! It's Abbey to you. I don't want to talk to someone who leads people on, uses them… and can't voice their intentions clearly. I would never have called off my engagement if I'd have known you weren't serious. Way to go, Eric. You ass!"

"I said I can't marry you and all you've clearly concentrated on is the word intentions, failing to ask me anything. Think about it – For. A. Fucking. Second."

She turns mid-step, marching back to him, poking him in the chest. "Don't try and make me appear stupid. Me and you fell from the same tree, but only one of us fell into the pile of shit… you!"

"Very creative. Now can we talk properly? Or shall we just shout at each other in front of everyone? Honestly, I don't care for which way-"

"I don't want you, Eric!" Abbey throws her hands to her head, obviously distraught. "That's the keyword for you to leave me alone, isn't it? I don't want you."

Eric peers down to the ground, he'll give her the two minutes of explosive anger at him if that's what she needs.

"I don't want someone who feels they can't marry me before they even ask me to. That there is absolute bullshit! Us. This… Thing – was never going to go anywhere. And never will…" Eric grabs her arm as she's walking away. "No, Eric!" she says sternly, yanking herself free. "Do you know what hurts the most? The simple fact you can't even say you love me." Searching his eyes, he exhales in defeat having not pre-empted her. "Just as I thought. Enjoy your stay at Amity and DON'T come looking for me again. I'm done."

This time he lets her go.

---

Abbey's pulling the plants out by the root, the mud flicking around her, and she could care less for Clem cautiously watching her every movement.

"Er, you want to … um, talk about it?"

"There's nothing to talk about." Abbey's lips purse themselves into a fine line as she rips at another. "He's an asshole. The biggest…" A root gets stuck and she pulls harder, almost flying backward. "God damn it!"

Clem stifles a grin behind her. She obviously did want to talk about it but her pride had gotten the better of her.

"He's an asshole and now I'm the one left feeling guilty… I mean, how does that work? He should apologize."

"Has he tried?"

Abbey stops yanking at the flowers and breathes deeply, wiping at her forehead. "He said a few things, but not sorry. And I'm not apologizing first." She stands, letting the wind flutter around her to cool her burning skin. "…I said some really mean things. I said I didn't want him."

"Well, do you?"

Abbey frowns, mainly to herself, placing her hands on her hips and looking to the floor. "Of course I do. But I'm not happy with the fact he feels he can't be with me. I feel like he's trying to hide me away from everyone. I told him I loved him…" She shakes her head. "He didn't say it back. Never says it back. That there is just a joke." She bends over picking up the basket of flowers.

Clem follows behind her, their pace typically slow under the heat and through the tall grass, but she makes sure she caught up, just to be a pair of ears for her friend to vent to.

"I don't want to force him. I just want him to say it… at least once. It's always me..." She takes in the small crowd and hovering Dauntless further up the track. "I'm so stupid. I should've known. He's a Dauntless Leader now. For all I know he's got them all lined up at home, that's why he won't even consider marrying me. Why would he anyway? Look at me, I'm the opposite of everything he is."

"Abbey you're being stupid now. As a friend, I can say that. There's probably a reason why he can't. Yeah, you are opposites, but your stubbornness seems to be the same. Plus, marriage isn't everything."

"It is to me. It's commitment, loyalty… I'm just angry. I feel like an idiot. I need time to-" Abbey cuts short as something crunches underneath her foot. "What?" She crouches down, squinting at the patch of dirt that's been turned over.

Digging the turf with her hand, she pulls out wristbands and stares at them. Clem's mouth drops open. "I thought we couldn't take them off?"

Abbey stares at the three bands, holding them up in front of her. "No. No, we can't." For some reason, a blossom of worry but also excitement runs in her veins. "These have been cut."

"Why haven't Dauntless been alerted?"

Abbey shakes her head. "I don't know," then grimaces back over her shoulder to her friend.

---

Eric's sitting in the sweat-box barn and his feet lay heavy upon the desk. He's done nothing. And plans on doing nothing... And he's been smoking again.

Johanna hits the top step and takes in the unusual sight before her. "Hmm, let me guess. You've done something bad and this involves a certain someone." Johanna stops in front of him. "You are your own worst enemy."

"And you are the pain in my ass, Johanna," he quips off casually, falsely grinning at her.

"Max told me. He thought I should know in case of…" she sneers at the cup he's using as an ashtray. "This."

"I don't do heart to hearts, and especially not with the likes of you."

"Well, that's good because I haven't come here for that. I've come here to tell you that you're a fool. And a good thing too, look at you!" Bravely, the woman walks over and plucks the cigarette out of his mouth and stubs it in the cup to which he glares at her.

"I'll do things my way, Johanna. Your contribution is not needed." Eric shifts to sit up straighter, gradually feeling the prickling of heat rise from his chest and grips his hands together trying to control himself. He just wanted a peaceful afternoon and to be left alone. He should've known better; society can't seem to function without him.

"I just want the hard-working Dauntless Leader back overseeing everything who sometimes would crack a smile while lost in thought. And Max wants that, too…" Eric's lip snarls at the mere thought of Max discussing him with the likes of her. "How're your tactics working for you? Any closer to making Abbey listen?" His silence and rolling of his eyes tell her otherwise. "I thought as much."

Eric tilts back in his chair. "I suggest you leave now before I do something I probably won't regret."

"I wouldn't want to add another to your long list of regrets, Eric." Johanna smiles, rubbing her hands together before leaving to his annoyed stare.

Touché.

Throwing his legs back on the desk, he puts his hands behind his head. His expression softens and he floats back off into thought… until he hears multiple footsteps stomping the way up the steps.

"What is it now?" he barks, not looking for a second.

"I found something out in the field."

Eric's legs drop immediately from the desk and he stands, walking up to Abbey without a second thought. He eyes up the Dauntless guards next to her and flicks between her dirt covered hands and her hiding friend.

Abbey stands central, she was unafraid of him, but everyone else was. Eric wanted to touch her, but from her diverted eyes, she was still mad at him. So he keeps his face stony and signals to the guards to present him with whatever she found.

Wristbands. Cut wristbands. Each one identically vandalized and removed as the others. "Where?" His eyes flick up to hers and he catches her watching him.

"My field… The shop's field." She bounces on her heel. "Do you know where that-"

"Of course I know where that is," he puts bluntly and she audibly huffs, crossing her arms.

Eric squints to the Dauntless guards. "Appears we have some rebels on our hands. Send word. Search for anyone without a band and I want a group to take these to Erudite and figure out how they were removed and why we weren't informed."

"Yes, sir," they chime together and nod as they leave.

Abbey and Eric just stare at each other through the movement. Clem gives them both a curious look before removing herself, catching on to the unsaid hint. "I'll, er, um, catch you later..."

"Can't stay away?" Eric leers, turning his back on Abbey.

"I was dragged here." Her arms are still crossed, watching after him.

"Convenient, isn't it? You could have refused."

"Yeah… right."

"I'm enjoying my stay in Amity by the way. Thanks. Oh, and it looks like you found me, not the other way around." Eric sits behind the desk, fully expecting her to walk away at any moment. "I remember you saying you were done but you obviously aren't if you're still standing here, so what is it?"

"My God, I thought for a split second you may have been brave enough to apologize or something, but still with your crappy attitude!"

"Apparently, we fell from the same tree, Abbey." He gives her a cool smirk. "I'm not apologizing and you won't get one. I won't marry you and live happily ever after… Because. I. Can't." Abbey goes to leave. "Don't you keep walking away!" She's finally hit a nerve. "You stay here and you listen!" His tone had taken on the same one he used for initiates. He actually didn't like speaking to her that way.

"No!" She barely reaches the top step as he closes the distance and drags her back, pulling her till she's sat in Johanna's chair and he places both his arms either side of her, trapping her. Abbey stops fighting and looks up at him wide-eyed, before frowning… frowning… at him in utter defiance.

"You, are the most annoying, infuriating, difficult, obnoxious woman I've ever known." He hushes her as she opens her mouth to say something. "Shut up and listen to me very carefully. What I said to Max-" He's leaned in incredibly close to her and he can feel her elevated breaths batting at his face. "Is completely true. I'm not a bitch. I won't deny the truth or what I said. But if you heard the rest of the conversation we wouldn't be like this."

"What is the truth then, Eric?"

He shakes his head, avoiding her eyes for a minute before fixing back on her solidly. "With me, you are in danger. We're not kids anymore. We have responsibilities. You are one of my responsibilities."

"Don't speak of me like an inanimate object!"

"Fuck you, Abbey. Don't twist my words." She slaps him, hard, and he sucks at his cheek. "People want me dead. If you're with me, they will go after you too. I don't want that."

"Don't make this about you trying to protect me. I'm safer with you, you know that. People already know of us anyway so what's the difference?"

"It makes it official. An open file to anyone who wants to take a look."

"Oh yeah, that's right! That means commitment again, doesn't it?" She slaps him again unexpectedly and he grabs her wrists, tilting the chair back and holding her off balance, trying to force back the snarl that's threatening to expose itself.

"If you want to fight me, go ahead. If it makes you feel any better." Abbey kicks him directly in the shin. – It isn't the first time.

He winces but he takes it, then pulls off her stupid ballerina shoe and lobs it across the room. He does the same with the other before yanking her to her feet and spinning her around until her back hits his chest. The whole time she fights against him and he lets her, feeling her slowly beginning to tire. Back in the day, they would play fight continuously untl one of them got hurt. But they weren't thirteen anymore.

"Stop this, Ab's. This is not us," he whispers gently next to her ear even though his jaw is tight.

Abbey pants, dropping slightly in his arms. She wipes at her face and he guesses that she's crying again. "There is no us. Not like this," she quietly mumbles. "Why did you have to come back? Why now?" She turns against him, burying herself against his jacket.

"This is not just about what I said, is it? You blame me for not being here, even after all this time. But I'm here now, and you're making a big mistake."

Pushing him away, her hand goes to her mouth. "I can't… I can't do-" She flees in the same manner as the night she overheard them, and Eric kicks the desk.

"Fuck!"

She wasn't wearing any shoes…

---

There is a few of the Dauntless around Eric. The young boy that always seems to be ready to command and some others. They are sieving through the crowds, watching every single person without saying a word to each other.

The Dauntless around him hold their guns loosely in front of them. Eric, however, prefers the small handheld, and that still sits on his thigh. Every now and again his hand would shift to it, lightly grazing across it as he fended off the terrible urge to pull it and cap someone in his annoyed front.

From in the distance he can see Johanna approaching slowly, huffing and puffing from the heat until she comes to a stop in front of him, blocking his view completely. "I brought you this," she presents him with a thin, long box and Eric peers over his shoulders at the others, a little unsure of what was inside.

"Get going. Keep on top of the checks," he orders casually and steps towards Johanna as the others disperse around him. His hands find themselves behind his back as he looks down at her. "What is it?"

"Tomorrow night is the flower harvest. It's tradition to-"

"What…" Eric interrupts her. Shaking his head and peering around him agitatedly, Johanna begins to unfold a piece of paper from one of her multiple pockets.

"Tomorrow night is our yearly flower harvest, Eric. Though, it probably won't be as nice as all the other years in the recent weather."

"Don't you think we should have been told? We can't risk a distractive, obsolete night when we are on the verge of terrorism." Eric grabs at the papers and views the small descriptive plans of the evening. "A Bonfire? Gathering? Are you fucking insane?"

"We will not let the unrest get to our faction. If we cancel tomorrow night, we can say goodbye to Amity's spirit and peace," Johanna says sternly, peering up at him. "It's tradition."

"And when were you planning on letting Dauntless know?"

"It's been on the cards a few times but, as I suspected, it's been overlooked." Eric shakes his head about to say something but Johanna raises her voice… and her nose. "It's going ahead, with or without you."

"You are in no position to be overriding my say."

"Please, Eric…" Johanna begs. "This is my faction. It means a lot to the people here."

"Is this why Abbey has been in the fields? For this stupid harvest?"

"She's been planning ahead, yes. This is her area after all."

Now it all makes sense. The wild flowers. The fields. He couldn't fathom before why Abbey would be so busy this time of year, now he knows. Eric takes a long second, biting his cheek and swearing inside his mind repeatedly. "Dauntless will be present." Johanna thanks him to which he ignores. He wasn't doing it for her. "And what's that?" he motions to the thin box in her hand.

"Take a look."

Hesitantly, he takes the misshapen box and opens it quickly. "What the fuck am I going to do with this?" He shrugs with one small, unique flower in full bloom situated inside it.

"It's a sign of peace. You give it to someone," she frowns at him, then slowly softens with a sigh. "Give it to Abbey."

"You want me to give Abbey a stupid flower?" After their last argument, he would be surprised to even set eyes on her again.

"It's not just a flower, Eric. It's a white carnation. She will know the meaning of it."

Eric scoffs, shutting the lid on it. "She won't even talk to me, let alone accept a gift from me... And she knows I hate flowers."

"Maybe it will make her listen." This damn woman was too hopeful.

"Fine."

"You'll give it to her?" Johanna says with excitement.

"I'll think about it. Now leave me alone."

Johanna's smile reaches from ear to ear. "I knew there was still hope for you yet, Eric." – Try telling Abbey that.

"Yeah, and you're still a wench!" he calls out after her retreating form.

---

Taking one large breath, he pushes the door and listens to the sickening chime it makes as it opens. He's here, the germination station, once again.

This time though, everything feels wrong, like he shouldn't be here.

Sandra peers up from behind the counter and almost sighs at the sight of him. "She's not here."

"Good."

He throws a look around the reeking shop before landing back on Sandra. "I have something for Abbey. Can you make sure she gets it?" He leans on the desk; a tactic of intimidation he had practiced over the years.

"Well, yes. I can. What is it?" The older woman says cautiously and Eric squints at her prying for a mere second before softening.

"A… flower." His tone is confused and slightly irritable. He'd never really given a gift to anyone before and particularly not flowers, not in his wildest dreams.

Sandra almost smiles, almost, but keeps herself neutral, holding a hand out. "What type of flower?"

As much as Eric didn't want to get into this conversation or even waste any more time on it, he can't help his own curiosity on what it actually meant. He opens the box as he says, "A white carnation."

"Do you know what this means?"

"Do I look like I know what it means, Sandra?"

"Okay. Well, it means pure love. Telling the person you think they are kind, the perfect symbolization of someone you've loved for a long time, and especially singular, it means you've thought about it." She seems to stare down at the flower saying the words, dreaming of something, or someone, in her mind.

Eric mouths 'What the fuck' to himself and stands rigidly straight. "Whatever. Can you just give it to her?"

"I most certainly will," she nods. "Anything else you want me to pass on to Abbey?"

Eric glares at the woman, then plonks Abbey's ballerina's on the counter. "No." Then turns on his heel.

The bell chimes as he leaves and Sandra breathes a sigh of relief, watching him carefully till he's out of sight. "He's gone!" she calls out and Abbey appears from the back, chewing her nails restlessly. "Should I ask?" Sandra motions towards her shoes.

Abbey's chest begins wracking before breaking into a full sob into the palm of her hands.

Sandra hurries over and pulls her in, hugging her. "From my point of view, your both in the same amount of pain. It's silly..."

And Sandra was right.

---

It's in the dark of night when he's left with idle thoughts and nothing to distract him when everything hits the hardest.

He's stripped off, lying on top of the covers, listening to the bugs hitting the window. Amity is quiet. Too quiet. He wonders for a second if this is what being home-sick felt like. But then again, did he really miss Dauntless – or a certain free-spirited woman who throws his life into turmoil?

That god damn wench set him up. Big time. Flower of peace… bitch. But still, he did the one thing that Abbey would've loved, even if it pained him greatly to do it. He managed, it didn't mean that it still didn't fully embarrass him or even bring his ego down a notch. But fuck it, he gave her the flower.

He actually can't believe he's wondering about what she's doing right now. Was she sleeping? Eating? …Or perhaps thinking about him in the same way he was thinking about her?

It's a little early for him to be in bed and when his phone begins vibrating next to him he's hardly surprised. "Max…" He answers, a little less fierce than usual.

"Sorry to call, but they didn't have your number so they asked if I could." Max hesitates and Eric sits up, a slither of panic corrupting him in the moment's pause.

"…It's your Mom."

---

"Mr. Coulter," the skinny man in the white lab-coat addresses Eric the moment he throws open the two-way door and storms in, looking completely menacing and irate. His uniform stains the pristine whitewash Erudite hospital and he watches as people eagerly fling themselves out of his way.

"Where is she?" Eric demands, his knuckles turning white as he digs his nails into the palm of his hand in distraction while his eyes glaze over, scouring every doorway in sight.

"I'll take you to her as soon as you calm down. You're scaring some of the nurses."

"Do I look like I care? Where is my Mother?!" He tries to step past and the Doctor stops him. The doctor's expression grows loose and he places a hand on his shoulder. Eric knows this look, the same one he got when he found out about his Father.

"We've held out as long as we could but her organs are failing. There isn't much time."

"She was fine, there was nothing wrong..." Eric trails off, reading the man's face in front of him very carefully. "She didn't tell me."

"She's been a regular patient for the past year. The preventative treatment was going well, but gradually it has been becoming ineffective as the symptoms worsen."

Was that how long it had been? Why didn't she tell him? "I want to see her. Now!"

"Of course." The doctor motions him forward and he bites back the sting in his eyes, trying to keep his composure. They reach a white door with a number on and he's waved through. Bracing himself, he takes a large breath of hospital-potent air and turns to face the bed. She's hooked up to various machines, a ventilator, a heart-monitor and multiple IVs. In that moment, he realizes his Mother's life is artificial.

"What is it?" Eric speaks very quietly, unable to look away.

"Pancreatic… But it's spread. She is highly sedated." The doctor's smile is mutual, almost flat, his words grave. "I'll leave you. Call if you need anything."

Eric doesn't answer him and coldly stares down at his Mom. He is expressionless while he waits for the Doctor to leave. Taking two steps forwards after the door clicks behind the Doctor, he tucks his chin to his chest, anchoring himself down by pulling at the material inside his pockets.

"I should've…" he tries to say and then stops himself. "It's too late for apologies." There's a plastic seat next to her bed and he neatly sits himself into it.

Throwing his hands to his face, he rubs his eyes till specks of white gather and he exhales out, feeling like he hadn't breathed from the moment he walked in. "Everything's fucked…" he tells her. "You'd be having a right laugh. The one thing you never complained at me over was meeting Abbey. Now, I've gone and fucked that up as well." He looks up between his fingers, wanting to hold her hand and doesn't know whether he should. In the end, he forces himself to touch her. She's warm but the skin almost translucent and he's afraid of hurting her. The usual life is gone from her normally strong and comforting touch. "Tell me what to do…"

He sits back in his seat, knowing he's never really going to get a reply. But he waits anyway.

---

Eric stands outside the door as Doctors requested her body was moved to the morgue until further preparations had been made. He watches as they take a more standard bed inside the room and he tries to ignore the flashing images of them moving his Mother's lifeless body, momentarily closing his eyes.

When the door swings open he clears his throat, watching as they shuffle her cot with her body covered. Trying to hold his breath was futile, it wanted to wrack, wanted to break… he had no one now. But regardless, he stands with his hands behind his back, completely still.

He doesn't notice when someone steps up next to him, and his eyes chance a glance down to the smaller person beyond his shoulder. Abbey's wet face tries to smile up to him, then her hands find his and she squeezes as tight as she can, and he allows her.

If anything, her presence is softening the repeated blows he's recently taken from a hard, unpredictable, and shitty life.

As they wheel the cot away, Abbey moves towards it, placing Eric's unique flower on top of the covers.

She bites at her lip, then crumbles completely and Eric draws her in, cupping her head and shielding her from the hideous bright lights and curious glances.

She cries for the both of them.

---

Eric brings the Dauntless truck to a stop. The engine dying when he pulls the key and he peers over to Abbey shoved up against the opposite door asleep, her cheeks still stained. She fell asleep crying and they hadn't really talked, in fact, they hadn't said a word.

The only person he'd spoken to before he left the hospital was Max. He offered his condolences and told him he'd authorized Abbey to go. It was laughable really, Max knew Eric more than he knew himself sometimes, and for that he was grateful. – Though he would never tell him.

Throwing the door open, the air is fresh and birds sing in the early morning, promising another glorious day ahead. Amity is deadly quiet, not a movement and the paths empty. Eric rounds his way towards Abbey's door and opens it slowly. She jumps a little but he catches her and for a minute she seems confused, eyes fluttering as she slips down into his arms, rubbing her face exhaustedly.

If he was protective and taken by her before, the feelings had only intensified and then some. Eric had come to the conclusion that he'd finally found his weakness, now his only weakness: Abbey Ainsworth. "Come Ab's," he tugs at her and she wobbles. He sighs exasperatedly and picks her up, her legs hooked over his arm and she holds onto him.

He can feel her staring up at him as he walks but he didn't want to recognize it, his mood was basic, and he got the feeling she knew. This time he takes her back to the place where he was staying, throwing the door open with little effort and placing her on the bed. His clothes are discarded and she wiggles out of the stupid dress she was wearing and waits for him. They don't hug it out, they don't entwine their bodies, Eric didn't want that, he didn't want her remorse. While flat on his back, she just laces her fingers through his, wordless.

Eric doesn't sleep.

---

"Why were you late, dipshit?" Eric snaps at the young Dauntless boy, his tone agitated and foul. His eyes sting and he feels slightly removed from himself, as if going through the motions, watching his life play out in front of him. "You think we are here for fun?" He can almost see the boy shake from where he sits behind Johanna's desk. He didn't even need to impose body language to frighten people today, just the air around him was enough. "What is your name?" This was the same boy he'd been liaising with a few times and he'd only gotten around to recognizing him.

"Caden," the young lad eventually replies.

"Well, Caden… Take this moment as your last fuck-up. I have a feeling that everyone here is a little too relaxed for my liking. Do you want to go back to Dauntless with a bad report? Do you know what happens if you get a bad report?"

"Er…"

Eric's being unreasonable, he sort of knows, but he can't help the anger that's built up inside of him. "They get sent to the fucking wall for the rest of their days. Is that what you want?"

"Of course I-"

"Then stop pissing me off!" he practically roars. "Get out of my sight." – Leave before he does something he may regret.

The boy spins on his heel and almost runs into Johanna.

"Fuck off, Johanna," Eric spits as she treads across the wooden floor of her office.

"I've come to offer my condolences on your loss. I take it that you may be absent in the next few days while you make arrangements for your Mother," she says confidently, but her body language speaks differently.

"It's taken care of. Now, I reiterate… fuck off." Eric signs something on the desk barely looking at her.

"Maybe you should take some time off?"

"Maybe you should listen for once in your God. Damn. Life," Eric snipes a horrible look at her, just with his eyes, barely moving his head. "I'm busy. Don't bother me."

"Very well." When Johanna leaves, he does take a moment to stare up after her, the blood boiling in his veins.

Suddenly something solid hits him directly in his chest and he brings an arm across all the paperwork in front of him. Grabbing a cup, he launches it across to the other side of the room and stands, kicking the chair over. Trying to restrain his hands by his sides, scared of what other damage he may cause, he walks over to the window… Then he puts his fist through it.

---

"Eric, what have you done?!" Abbey runs over to him from outside her shop, dropping the flower bouquet on the ground without so much as a second thought. She reaches him and he tries to ignore her question. "Eric!" But he doesn't slow down, just keeps walking. When she grips his arm, he shrugs her off.

"Not now." He has his sights set on a Dauntless patrol that he'd witnessed just casually chatting between themselves and barely acknowledging the people around them.

"Eric, no!" she says with force, pulling on his arm again. "You're bleeding. Look." She's merely an annoying fly hanging off him.

"Like I didn't notice, Ab's."

"Fucking STOP!" He does, glaring at her and also catching her as a reflex as she trips from his abrupt halt. "Come home with me."

"No, I-"

"Today is a shit day, I know. I'm feeling it, too. Just come home with me." Abbey's eyes well up and Eric kisses his teeth. He didn't want to see her like this. "Eric, please. Stay with me." The wind kicks up her hair and he can feel the red-hot hate slowly degenerating. "She was like a mother to me, too. Please, don't push me away."

Eric diverts his eyes, but once she pulls him again, he allows himself to follow. His anger was flat-lined.

They walk silently, and he notes the way she doesn't look at him, nor says anything else. They get back to hers and she takes him to the sink, running water over his hand and he watches her face. She still doesn't look at him.

"Why won't you look at me?" The questions erupts from him before he can think it through. He watches as she shifts slightly next to him, and then he hisses as she pulls a splinter from his knuckles unexpectedly. His other hand covers hers and she does eventually peer up at him, although it was fleeting.

"Because… because I can see how much pain you're in. Everyone else probably can't. But I can. You're covering it with your anger. But I can… feel it when I look at you." She sucks on a plump lip and it doesn't go unnoticed.

"You can feel me?" Eric says condescendingly, lifting his good hand up to her chin, the water dripping from it and down her neck as he tilts her head up. Her eyes flick between his and her mouth parts slightly. He'd wanted to touch her this way for days, and right now he needed to touch her, his thoughts dilapidating back to earlier. Feelings. Needs. Attachments. Those three things he now shared with her. "What else can you feel from me?"

"I can feel… you. I - I can, feel how much you love me, even though you won't say it and no matter how much you try and deny it. To me, or yourself…"

"Oh, is that so?" Eric shuts the tap off without looking, moving closer to her and she inhales sharply. "What else?"

"I can feel you don't want to be alone. And you feel alone."

Eric drops his hold, pulling himself away from her. He leans on the counter, putting his whole weight into his arms. One of her hand's stroke down the length of his back.

"You don't have to be alone."

"I'm not alone, Abbey. I have an entire faction backed up behind me. That's hardly fucking alone."

"That's not what I meant and you know it." Eric tries to pull away but she grips his bicep. "Don't. Don't go. Stay here, with me. Lie down with me." She tries to hide her trembling lips. She felt strained from the amount of crying she'd been doing recently. Eric's Mother's passing was just another huge blow and if anything, it proved that life was too short to idle over petty things.

"I don't want to lie down. I want to fucking kill something."

"Even more reason for you to stay here. Don't do something you'll regret."

There's that word again. Regret. Everything he touches is doused in regret… He'll regret not accepting her offer.

Abbey laces her fingers through his good hand on the counter and tilts her head. "Please. I need you to lie down with me."

Need. One of Abbey's three things.

Slowly but surely his resistance gives in. She passes him a towel and then they make their way to her bedroom. She lies on her back, never letting him go and he fits on his side beside her. She stares at him for a while, holding the towel over his hand for him and he bites his cheek in thought, eventually relaxing back and she blinks tiredly.

Abbey hums her shit song quietly until Eric eventually doesn't hear it anymore.

He falls asleep first.

---

"Ab's, what is the time?" Eric is frantic as he sits up. He's unused to being clueless. All he knows is that it's dark. "I better go."

Abbey hums from the bed still half-asleep.

"Ab's, get up. Tonight... Hippy flower harvest."

She's up in a blink of an eye. "Shit, shit, shit." She scrambles off the bed, practically falling and Eric catches her. "Are you coming tonight?" she slurs, her hair poking up while in his arms.

"It's my job."

She kisses his lips habitually, a sweeping moment washing over her in her actions as she almost blushes. "I better… take a shower…"

"I'll ...see you there."

---

Eric's watching the snaking flames lick into the dark sky. There's music by a band playing to one corner, and for that, he's allowed himself a mugful of wine.

He's here for two reasons: One is for safety. The other is to keep an eye on Abbey.

Security has been upped for the night. All of the Dauntless based at Amity are hovering in the surrounding areas and all Eric can manage to concentrate on is the burnt smell of lavender bleeding into his nostrils, fully wishing that Abbey would turn up soon so he can get rid of his twisted gut feeling and away from the area.

He's about to finish his cup and throw it to make another skirmish around the perimeter when something catches his eye. It's caught his eye for the main reason that the woman is looking directly at him. She's dressed in white, the dress almost to the floor and flowing behind her. There were random braids either side of her head and a crown of white flowers sitting neatly on top. When she stops directly in front of him, she's situated at the height of his chest, peering up. And for a minute he thinks he's been spiked.

"Abbey?" His hands are immediately on her, fingertips running through the ends of her hair and sliding down her shoulders. She's wearing minimal makeup, but whatever is framing her eyes makes them glow electric green and quite hauntingly fascinating.

"Hi, Eric." She half smiles, watching his hands for a split second. For a moment, she peers down at her clothes embarrassed, then grabs at the length of the dress and twirls. "You like? It's tradition…"

"You look…" He needs to find the right words, but in fact, he had none. She was the opposite of everything he'd seen from the last three years. Most of the time it was fierce, muscled woman with dyed hair and bathed in tattoos that usually graced his presence. She was none of those things… and he liked it.

Looking down, she tries to cover her uncertainty, but he pulls at the flimsy fabric and she lands against him. "Be gentle with me," she breathes.

"You know that's not going to happen." He grips her jaw like he usually does and makes her look at him directly in his steel eyes. "Are you feeling refreshed from our little nap earlier?"

She thinks about it for a second, playfully. "Yeah."

"Good."

"You're becoming a really bad habit of mine…." She's trying her best not to lean into him, her back arched but held fully into his body. Both their eyes dance from eyes to lips and she feels she's about to ignite.

"Oh yeahhh…" Eric says lowly, leaning towards her, watching as her lips part. He smiles to himself.

A flash of light goes off next to them and Eric stares down the kid with the camera in his hand. The brat freezes and stutters, "It's for the harvest…" before pelting away from them and into the darkness.

"Hmm, seems I'll have to get a print and put it next to my mirror," Abbey says, looping her arms around his neck.

"Like fuck."

Abbey whacks his back. "I'll need something to remind me… of you… when you… go back to Dauntless." She loses concentration as he begins sucking on her neck, trying not to moan as his teeth grazing along the delicate skin.

"I can leave you with a little something of me when I go back to Dauntless."

She tries to laugh but it's distorted while he's at her neck. "That was the worst. Also, stop doing that, I don't want marks."

"Fine."

Eric kisses her hurriedly, pulling her closer and she lets him. He lets his tongue slide over her lips and pauses momentarily to catch her eyes to see what truly laid behind them. What he finds is everything he was expecting, and so much more.

"I'm sorry." The words slip from him without his acknowledgment. But right now - he doesn't care.

"Me, too." She pulls at him, then deliberately slows her movements against his mouth, trying desperately to express what she felt through their touch.

"Fuck…" Eric groans as she heads along his jawline. "Keep going and I'll fuck you right here in your pretty little dress, right in front of all your Amity lot. Maybe they'll cheer." He listens as she chuckles against him, placing her head against his chest.

"I've missed you. Let's never do that again. I don't care for anything but you. I don't care about intentions or differences... the thought of losing you... my god, I just-" Her eyes clamp shut.

"You do have a wicked little temper on you… I actually really wanted to shove my d-"

"Eric! You're ruining this moment."

Eric grabs her hand in his and begins leading her away from the shadowy figures of the night.

"I've only had this dress on for half an hour," Abbey smiles up at him. "I haven't even presented the display yet…"

"No shits given and half an hour too long. I've got you now and you're coming with me." Even though she's reluctant, she allows him to pull her, all the while smiling. "Good girl," he says thickly as her fingers lock harder against his.

Mark sits on a wooden, hand-crafted log with his men, finishing the cup of drink in his hand and using the toe of his boot to nudge one of the nearest around him. One flick of his head and they stand, leaving him to stare out over the fire, his eyes lit up red and orange as a small lop-sided smile begins to form on his face.

In the black of his pupils, the reflective image of Eric walking away with Abbey hand-in-hand, appears to be his main focus.

Chapter 8

Mark swipes his balding hair to one side with a clammy hand.

It's not that he was nervous. No. It was an excitement bleeding through him and spreading into every limb, jamming at the tips of his fingers as an indescribable but pleasurable twitch.

Ahead of him lays Amity's Hospice but his eyes aren't concentrated on it, they are flitting from side to side, behind him, on the ground of where he walks as he contemplates his next cautious move. Then, with a small grin of glee, he finally lands on a few of his men lingering by the door.

Outside stands the young Dauntless guards and as he approaches they seem to slip their hands over the trigger of their guns in anticipation… until they notice who it is.

"Mark," one of the men greets him and he bows his head respectfully in response.

"Johanna has sent me on an errand. Would you believe it, someone has burnt themselves on the bonfire tonight! Only minor thankfully, but I must get some treatment."

There's a moment's pause but he's not worried. This was plan A. Plan B involves a little extra force, if he so needed.

"Okay. But make it quick," the seemingly head-honcho of the Dauntless guards replies and he's nudged by one of the others while they whisper between themselves for a few seconds until Mark overhears, "He's Amity… Johanna's…" And with that, the argument is settled and he's being waved through.

But he stops between them, eyeing the one on his right. He leans a little into him and whispers, "Long live the resistance."

Everything's sudden and thought through. His men pounce and they use a particular serum to wipe their memories from the past few hours, temporarily knocking them unconscious.

"Place them in the fields. They will think they drank too much."

Only one of Mark's men follows him into the hospice. They slip by unnoticed, past the nurse too busy with her nose in a book behind the counter, and follow the line of rooms until they find the one they are after.

The man inside is cuffed onto the bed, his leg bandaged from Eric's nippy weapon. When he sees Mark his eyes light up. "Thank God! You came! Get me out of here…" he pulls on the restraints for the added effect.

Mark's pace is slow, casual, stepping lightly towards him. "I'm sorry, Tate. You are an unreliable source to us now." He pokes his index finger directly into his wound and at the same time clamps his hand over his mouth as Tate garbles a high cry into his palm.

Over his shoulder, he gives a quick signal to one of his more reliable men.

"Pliers…"

---

Abbey's laying bare on her side, her hands running over Eric's stomach, tracing the taut muscles until she reaches the more softer skin of his crotch. "Rise and shine sleeping beauty." She knows he's kind of awake but not quite ready to move yet.

"No," he replies quickly.

"No?" She pulls away and balances on her elbows for a second. "I think somebody needs a little practice in the arts of politeness."

"Somebody is trying to sleep."

Abbey furrows her brows, a disastrous attempt, and pokes him in his side. "Well, I'm getting up and I'll make coffee."

"No, no. I'm up. Don't bother. Your coffee offends me…" He suddenly jolts upwards, pushing her over. "…In many ways you can't imagine," he snidely finishes, close to her face.

"Pfft, so what? I'm still alive."

"Your blood is used to the poison you produce, I'm not surprised." Eric strolls out of her room naked and Abbey can't take her eyes off his butt. – Until he turns suddenly and smirks across at her.

"Very cheeky." His laugh echoes from the other room and she allows herself to roll onto her back under the small strip of light fluttering in from the curtains. "Eric?"

"Yeah!"

She hesitates, suddenly thinking about all the times his mom opened the door to her and greeted her with outstretched arms as if she was one of her own. "Do you want me to come with you?"

"No."

A few minutes' pass and he reappears, still as butt naked as he was before and is surprised by Abbey fishing around in one of her drawers. "Ab's, what are you doing?"

"If I can't go, then I want you to take something with you." She barely looks at him, disappearing past him out of the door and to the bathroom.

"Don't even-"

She pops her head back in the room and smirks. "It's not an option."

"Not flowers." He tries a more straight-to-the-point reply and command wrapped into one. His mouth is slightly agape as he tries to fathom the dynamics and inner workings of the creature he shares a bed with.

"Your Mom liked flowers. Every woman likes flowers," her voice echoes from the bathroom.

"I'm not carrying flowers with me."

"Don't be so masculine all your life…" She slips back in the room, washed and underwear-clad before rummaging back in the drawers. "You act as if it's a major sin, like they'll infect you." He watches her carefully when she pulls out a coral dress and throws it over her head. Her efforts in getting ready and appearing graceful in seconds were unmatched to any other.

"Can we restart this morning again?"

"No. Eric listen-"

"You're not letting this go, are you?" His face is back into its usual frown.

"Nope."

Eric pulls himself up, grabbing his clothes from the floor and dressing at an inhumanly possible speed. "If you can catch me before I leave for Erudite, then I'll take them." He leaves without another word, just a smug look on his face.

Abbey shrugs. "Game on, Mister."

---

Abbey smiles to herself.

Like Eric was going to leave and not say goodbye or check she would be okay in his absence. The thought was laughable. She knew him too well. – But not only that, she had in fact managed to keep up with him.

His gray eyes peer down at her, each side of his mouth etched up slightly as if he somehow knew exactly what she was thinking.

"Here," she passes him a delicate bouquet and without much choice he takes it. – Although, he does lob it somewhere into the cab.

The trucks are sitting idle. Two of them are leaving today. One with some of the Dauntless who are swapping with refreshed members. The other, Eric's, is going to Erudite.

"I'll be back tonight." He touches her arm briefly. "Don't miss me too much." He leans in and brushes his lips against hers in a tiny moment, then he's moving away and pulls himself up into the cab. "While I'm away… shave your legs…" He winks handsomely, slamming the door.

"Ass." But it's light and she didn't mean it.

She's trying desperately not to show her emotions towards the arrangements with Eric's Mother. Eric's faux attitude was just a way to hide how he was feeling. She really hadn't said anything about it or mentioned it and he'd mainly kept it to himself. In a way, Abbey thought he may have confided in her, but he didn't, which was also expected of course. It didn't mean it didn't hurt. And bottling up emotions were hardly her forte.

His hand waves out of the window as the truck pulls off, scrabbling at the graveled turf underneath and Abbey flutters her fingers lightly at him.

"Good morning, Abbey." She's caught off guard and turns to be faced with Johanna.

"Hi, Johanna."

"How's Eric holding up?"

Abbey sighs, "Erm. He's okay I guess. He hasn't really said anything." She frowns, staring down at her feet, feeling slightly embarrassed that she was the only person close to him and she didn't really know what was running through his mind. "He's handling it in a very Eric kind of way."

"I gathered."

"I… better get going. I'm supposed to be opening up this morning."

Johanna puts a hand on her shoulder as she tries to pass. "If you need anything, anything at all. Please, just come and find me." Her smile falters a little. "I have some extra time on my hands these days and I'm not one for being side-lined… As much as Eric would like me to shift into the shadows and denounce my role, I will fight. I will fight for Amity, to keep it as it once was."

"I'm sure things will go back to normal once the problem with the factionless gets sorted."

"I hope so, dear, I really do." Johanna pauses, her eyes seemingly questioning or debating something internally. "You ever thought of taking a more suited role within Amity?"

"I'm very happy with what I'm doing."

"Just think about it. I see so many beneficial things presented in you that it's hard to ignore… You have the fire I sometimes wish I had. Eric sees it. I see it."

Abbey shakes her head. "I'm a florist, Johanna. What can I possibly contribute towards Amity?" she laughs. "Thanks for considering me, though."

Johanna stares off after Abbey, now a little brisker in her steps. Johanna's words were no doubt swimming through her mind. To herself, Johanna mumbles, "More than you know."

Abbey was a part of Eric now. Eric was sure to be the next main voice of Dauntless once Max had begun his slow abdication into the back-seat in the years to come. Having Abbey as a potential hierarchy in Amity, her position would be greatly unmatched with her connection to Dauntless, securing all the things Johanna had had to mold around and beg for. Protection. Personnel. Supplies.

Dauntless' connection with Erudite was also strong, and Abbey being ex-Erudite, the numbers laid heavily in her favor. If she was guided, taught the ways of Leadership, Johanna had no doubts Abbey could run Amity and she could think of no person better for the job.

The reason her thoughts had expanded on the subject was because of the severity of the situation. There was danger lurking behind every faction. There was no need in the past to have a line-up for her role and she'd never given it much thought. But now, if something happened, the only potential suitor was Mark who was heavily supported. And for some reason, she was becoming to detest the thought.

But the only person to convince Abbey to even think about the role was the fool she had to put up with in the past week… Eric.

---

Abbey's lost in her own troubled thoughts, no thanks to Johanna who seemingly threw a spanner in the works. As if there wasn't enough on her plate at the moment.

She actually liked her job. She liked what she did, the casual element to it and never, not once, thought about changing her role and especially not to anything Johanna had been obviously planning for.

Some Dauntless on her right gives her the eye as she passes and she tries to quickly smile at them. They still watch her and eventually, she turns a corner - not before glaring at them.

Whatever they thought about her, or her and Eric, she couldn't care less for. She was her own person, her own being and ruled the way in which it panned out. If she wanted to be with Eric, she had to accept the obvious distaste the Dauntless would probably have for her Amity skin. She would just have to steel her backbone a little more. In some ways, she had to be a little more like Eric, but in her own way, like how they were when they were younger.

Abbey has the key for the door clutched tightly in her hand as the shop sits quietly and lifeless in front of her. - She would have to work on the outside of the shop, the display was abysmal.

Under the arch of the doorway, she's about to put the key in the door, when down by the floor, something wrapped in ripped cotton and some standard yarn tied into a neat bow, captures her eye. Peering down, she nudges it with her foot thinking its rubbish or something blown in from the pathways. It's slightly heavier than expected…

She doesn't know why, but her hands become clammy. She twists the key in her fingers, a wave of anxiety sweeping through her before crouching down, checking around her. Had someone left her something here? Or was it something for the other girls?

With a timid, prodding finger, she unwraps the bow. But the material is stuck to whatever it is and she can't imagine grabbing the thing. She uses the key to pull at the material. Slowly, there's a sticky, wet, peeling sound and situated neatly in the bottom… is a tongue.

It knocks her off her feet and she scrambles backward, withholding the burning scream clawing at her throat. Using her hands to scrabble at the dirt, she peels off and away from the shop, the bottom of her dress fluttering behind her as her legs pump and the air scorches in her lungs.

Of course, the Dauntless guards are now gone, so she heads for Johanna's office. The barn door is open and she sprints inside and up the steps - landing into Mark. Johanna looks wide-eyed and taken aback at Abbey's panicked and sweaty form.

"The shop… There is… By the shop" Mark rubs her back as she tries to spit the words out.

"It's okay, Abbey. Calm down." Johanna rushes to her, pulling on her arm, placing her into her chair.

"What's by the shop?" Mark asks.

"There was a tongue. Wrapped outside the shop."

"What!" Johanna puts her hands to her chest. "Mark, go! Now!" Abbey's hyperventilating in front of her while Mark dashes down the steps. "It was probably cattle and some teenagers messing about. We've had reports on missing-"

"No! It was more than that. It was smaller! I know what I saw!"

"You're saying it looked human?"

"Yes!" Abbey rubs at her face messily. She'd never seen a removed human tongue before but it wasn't hard to recognize. "Christ sake," she whines against her hand. "It had an A carved into the middle of it. It was meant for me! I thought we were safe?"

"We are safe. And I will make sure that this situation is of the utmost importance. We'll get to the bottom of this, I swear."

Feet sounds on the steps and Abbey hums through her fingers, "Who is it?" Her voice a little shaky and eyes darting wildly.

"There was nothing there?" Mark shrugs as he approaches. "Just your key in the door."

"Impossible! I dropped the key. I mean, I used the key to open whatever it was wrapped in, then I dropped it. I never put the key in the door!"

"The key was in the door, Abbey. Are you sure you saw what you saw?"

"Would I make this up, Mark!?"

Johanna puts both hands on her shoulder. "Of course not. We believe you." She scowls at Mark a little with his brashness. "Take the guards and check around," she says while still looking at him and he nods, leaving just as quickly. "Maybe you should go home? Stay at home for the day? There must be a lot of things on your mind."

"Johanna, I swear, there was tongue wrapped in the doorway of the shop! Someone was there. They took it. They were watching me!"

"And I believe you. I will send someone to keep a close eye on you." She strokes her head. "I'll walk you home."

Abbey stands, wiping at her eyes furiously. "Okay, thank you." She barely finishes talking as a Dauntless runs up the steps.

"Johanna… we have a situation."

"What now?"

"The factionless being held at the hospice… he's gone."

---

Abbey feels as though she's drained of complete color. Her hair sits sticky on her head and she all but drags her feet to her door. She gives the Dauntless guard a small nod as she opens her door and now knows why Eric is so furious that she never locks it.

Johanna couldn't walk her home, she needed to address the missing person, figure out why no one saw him leave, and why the guards in front of the hospice weren't there. – It was made harder by the fact that the guards originally there were probably already back at Dauntless by now.

Even though a Dauntless is standing outside, inside her home is eerie now that she is alone. It's cooler in here and the air still, more comfortable than outside, but somehow, she still feels deprived of the usual homely feeling.

Her dress is pulled over her head and thrown on the floor as she makes her way to the bedroom. She can still smell the evidence of Eric's deodorant or aftershave – not being able to make up her mind which was which as for when he was close she was always overcome with his familiar scent. She plops herself onto the bed, it's cool on top of the sheets and she nuzzles her nose into the covers. – Yep, she can definitely still smell him.

Abbey missed him. Already.

It was hard to sleep without him on the days they were having their dispute, but she knew he was still around. Today is different, she knew he wasn't here and wouldn't be for a while.

Moving her head to the side she trails across to her mirror, blinking a few times, thinking her eyes had deceived her.

The picture from the harvest.

Eric's leaning into her, her holding on to his jacket, and he's smiling down at her as she smiles up at him. It's rare to see him caught in such a natural, undefended way.

The picture is overly large compared to the others, printed even, not a proper photo. She finds herself crawling to the end of the bed and then sitting, staring at it.

Eric wouldn't have put it there… would he?

Why didn't he say anything? Did he come here before he left? Was there time for that?

She unsticks it from the mirror and turns it over. There is only a date written on the back. Yesterday's date. Taking another minute to really take in every aspect of the picture, she then smiles lightly to herself. He must've put it here. Who else knew apart from the kid who took it?

Looking at him gives her a new spark and she pulls herself up. – No, the sick prank will not get to her. That's all it had to be, some sick prank. Human tongue – was she mad? She did have quite the imagination sometimes…

It had to be some kids or teenagers, maybe trying to get to Eric through her. Maybe even some of the Dauntless guards? This is what they wanted, they wanted her crying all the way home to Eric.

No.

She will go to work.

---

"Abbey! Oh my god! I heard, are you okay?" Clem rushes to her. "Johanna was here first thing when I arrived and told us."

"Yeah, I'm fine. It was just the shock. I'm fine now. Probably some… kids." She bites at her lip and tries to act confident.

Upon her voice, Sandra appears from out back. "Doesn't make it right."

"Can we talk about something else?" She rubs at her temple. "It's all that's been running through my mind all morning." Abbey brushes a small hand through her locks, wanting nothing more than today to be over with. Now she was here she was slightly more nervous than she thought she would've been.

Sandra and Clem share a look. "I'm sure Clem has some gossip."

Clem blushes an awfully close color to the bunch of roses nearest to her. "I certainly do."

"It's highly criminal!" Sandra chuckles.

"What? What is it?" It was the perfect distraction, what Abbey really needed. "Well? Don't keep me waiting." She inhales a large breath and puts on her usually bouncy façade as she drags Clem to the desk and plonks her on the shoddy wooden stool.

"He's one of the Dauntless guards."

"You didn't!" Abbey controls the urge to hop on the balls of her feet, a common excitable expression that Eric ripped her for. "Clem! I never would've thought!"

"It's a secret. Plus, he's gone back today, so I don't actually have to face him."

"What happened?" Abbey's hands are by her mouth in anticipation, her eyes never leaving the girl in front of her.

Clem's aflame. "Well let's just say, once you go Dauntless, there's no time for Abnegation, Amity, Erudite or Candor." Abbey chokes on laughter. "I can see why Eric was so tempting!" Sandra crosses her legs, holding her stomach. "I wonder what being Dauntless is like…"

"I guess we sort of know!" Sandra bellows and the whole shop almost lifts in their high-spirited giggles. Their laughter descends and Sandra motions with her hand. "We better get the rest of the harvest flowers into the water, before we lose them all."

"I'll get them." Abbey floats past the girls and through the small archway into the back. Out here is not so luxurious as the front, just a small kitchen, a desk covered in papers, rolls of ribbon tacked onto the walls. There's one more door that leads to a small toilet and then the trashy, paint-chipped backdoor. The lock is unhooked and the chain dangling to one side as Abbey kicks the door open. Sandra has already been busy putting away the excess flowers from the night and she grabs at the nearest load. They look a little wilted and sad already.

She marches back through to the shop. "Maybe we should give these out to some of the main buildings. There's plenty enough-" She stops, taking in Sandra and Clem ducking behind the counter, just catching the shadowed back of someone disappearing from view. "What's… going on?" The backdoor slams from behind her and the two women scream. They all rush to the front of the shop and Abbey is the only one to pause, wiggling the key from the inside port, and throwing the door closed behind her.

As she blinks up, a dark clad figure stands incredibly close, inside the shop, up against the glass.

Their face is covered, and it tilts at her ever so slightly as their breath marks the window. Then from one hand, a syringe tip is scraped slowly across the glass of the door, in the letter of an A.

Abbey turns the key, locking them in.

The other hand of the figure is slowly turning the handle, the knob twisting under Abbey's own palm. Then they realize, pelting their fists onto the door and she stumbles backward.

"Run! … Run now!"

In the midst of their wracking breaths, the shop window is smashed.

---

Johanna paces in front of them. "This can't go on." She mainly speaks to Mark. "We are being terrorized within our own sanctuary. We need to know who is doing this, and we need to know today… We also need to find the missing factionless man…" she grumbles, a gripe at Mark. She heads back over to the girls and comforts Clem who is the most shaken, putting a warm hand on her shoulder.

"It's me they are trying to scare," Abbey speaks up. "They are not after you," she tries to comfort the others, but it's doing nothing for her and her tone is mixed with the same affliction as she peers down at her shoes.

"It seems to me that they have planned this for exactly when Eric wouldn't be here and that only solidifies that it's him they are really trying to provoke." Johanna snaps her head up. "Mark, leave us. Put the word out and get some people to clean up the shop. Check for any evidence." She then walks over to her desk, grabbing her phone. "I'm going to call Eric."

"No! No, you can't. He's at his own Mother's funeral. Now is not the time, just… just wait for him to get back," Abbey pleads.

"He's going to be awful with me if he finds out I didn't call him at the first instance."

Abbey thinks for a second. "Call Max then. Just don't call Eric."

Johanna puts the palm of her hand to her head and rubs. "What are we going to do until he gets back?"

"I'll stay here… until the end of the day." Abbey tries to figure out exactly how many hours it would be until 'the end of the day'. "I'll wait here until Eric gets back."

---

Johanna watches Abbey sleep. She's sat behind her desk and Abbey's sprawled out on the small sofa situated to one part of her loft. They've been here all day, escorted to the toilets and back, never leaving each other's sights. There had also been no news or evidence - in which she could have second guessed.

The small lamp on her desk is the only dim light in the room and for the hundredth time, she yawns into her hand, feeling herself giving in to the nightly hours. She felt so helpless, so undermined. But her indifferent backbone and motherly nature is what keeps her awake.

Headlights scan the room from outside and just by the shrill braking of the loud truck, she knows Eric has arrived.

It takes only a few seconds for him to come bowling into the room, scanning the scene before him, and then without a word, heading over to Abbey.

Crouching down, he pushes her hair to one side and she wakes instantly, throwing her arms over him.

"You're back!" she muffles into the side of his jacket and he cups her head defensively. Then his anger strikes.

"Can somebody tell me what the fuck happened when I was away? Did everyone just suddenly go apeshit?" He pulls Abbey's head back, thumbs over her cheeks and peers deeply into her eyes, almost trying to access the hidden information, checking possibly for any injuries.

"Somebody has taken it upon themselves to terrorize Abbey while you have been away. We didn't know to what extent until the shop incident." Johanna tries to speak sternly, even though she is exhausted.

"He had a syringe in his hand! With God knows what! Writing my initial!" Abbey's resolve has disappeared and her words frantic. "I was just there! Just outback! If I hadn't…" She's breathing heavy and anxiously looking towards the stairs. "If I'd have been any slower…"

"Don't. That's enough." Eric pulls her closer. "I'm here. I promise nothing is going to happen to you." His voice is deceptively calm and fluid, but also affirmative. – One Johanna hadn't heard before.

"Have you made arrangements with Max?" he asks without looking, catching Johanna from her wanderings. His hand now cups Abbey's brown locks in his hand, massaging his fingertips slowly into her scalp.

"He's processing more men, sending another squadron. They're due any time now."

"Good," comes Eric's clipped reply and Johanna raises her eyebrows.

Slowly he turns to face her, standing and tilting his head back. "Good, because I'm leaving and going back to Dauntless."

"What!" Abbey shouts, but he holds his hand out to quieten her. His face is practically unreadable but hers is furious.

His eyes glint mysteriously for a minute as they roam over her, a ghost of a smile playing on the sides of his mouth. "And Abbey is coming with me…"

"You can't just disappear back to Dauntless. Abbey's life is here." Johanna's brows are dipped so far into the middle of her head, Eric has a hard time of taking her seriously.

"Abbey is safer with me."

Johanna scrabbles for a reasonable argument. Finding none, she throws her hands in the air. "She'll be eaten alive at Dauntless! How can you guarantee her safety at Dauntless?"

"I am present you know," Abbey mutters.

"Oh, but leaving her here to an unknown force, chasing her around shit-covered fields, is? Dauntless seems a much safer bet than Amity at this moment. It will be a week or two max. I'm not risking leaving her here. I'm not playing games. Until Amity is secure, Abbey will be with me. And in the meantime, I'm going to send in as many Dauntless as possible to sniff out the factionless." Eric puts his hands behind his back and takes one or two steps closer towards Johanna. "Perhaps Jack can help?" he talks lowly to himself, eyes trailing off in thought. – Perhaps he'll just ransack Amity and that would be the end of it.

"You can't do this, Eric," Johanna shakes her head.

"Wouldn't Dauntless, be like, really disapproving of me being there?"

"Oh I can, and I will. This situation is completely reasonable for these type of actions. And the effect is immediate."

"I don't wear black." For that Abbey earns herself a simmering frown from Eric.

Eric turns back to Johanna. He's pristine even under duress, through the hours, and highly intimidating now that he's got more than one reason to be. "No one is to know she's gone, where she's gone, or who she is with. Do you understand?"

"Wouldn't be hard to guess…"

"Abbey!" he snaps to quieten her.

Johanna tilts back into her chair, the breath catching in her lungs slightly. She wasn't going to win this. "Okay, but I want regular contact. Just me. And I can assure you I won't say anything. It's not like I have anything to lose once this all blows over."

"Eric, I'm not leaving without my stuff," Abbey pushes his arm, recapturing his attention.

"Grab essentials. But don't pack those silly dresses, you won't be wearing them."

"Ohhhh no. No way." Her eyes close as she expressively shakes her head, but is snapped out of it by Eric gripping her arm and yanking her towards the stairs.

"We leave tonight."

Every step she practically misses but is held tight with just one of Eric's hands. "I'm not playing Dauntless. You can forget it."

"Scared of wearing pants for once in your life?" Along the hay-strewn floor, he continues to drag her, out into the night, heading directly for her place.

"It's not that… It's stupid…"

"You're stupid if you can think you can skip and dance around dauntless in what… Orange? Pink? … Maybe a bright yellow?" his sarcasm is what Abbey mainly rolls her eyes at.

He pushes on her hovel's door and it swings open. He chucks her a dissatisfactory look. "This stops now. You have to be more careful."

Even though it was her that was supposed to be packing, Eric's taken it upon himself. He's like an unrelenting tornado as he throws himself into every room, chucking random items onto the bed that he thinks she will need. When she pulls out her own duffle bag – with pink flowers on, he jams different mixtures of shoes and empties one of her underwear drawers entirely into it before rushing to the bathroom.

Abbey names it, Panic-packing.

When he comes back in she's picking things out, neatly placing them back into the drawers, throwing trainers to one side of the room.

"Abbey, seriously? We don't have time."

"I haven't worn some of this stuff in months…"

"Just pack your fucking bag."

"If you'd let me pack, I would. You seem to be just dumping the nearest thing in here. I mean…" she pulls out a pair of skin-coloured tights, "Why would I need this?"

"We don't have time. We need to leave before anybody notices I've been back." With that, he throws three types of body lotion, hairspray and a hairbrush she barely uses into the bag. "That's enough, let's go."

Gasping, her mouth drops open. "You've been in my vanity cupboard?"

His eyebrows ask the question 'And what?'

"Okay… I'll just get my toothbrush-" But he bowls out of the room and comes back with it in hand.

"Let's go." He tautly zips the bag throwing it over his shoulder and grabs her arm. Abbey spins as she was facing the wrong way, looking back into her room wantonly.

"Bye," she says quietly to her things. "Eric, wait! I need to lock-"

His pace is furious. "Johanna will do it."

Abbey pants as she's still dragged towards the truck and he opens the door, launching her bag across the seats before pushing her quickly up by her ass. "Eric!" But he's relentless, pushing her more so that he can get in, not bothering for courtesy or spatial awareness.

The trucks thrown into reverse and Abbey lurches forwards into his held-out and ready arm. "Put your seatbelt on," he tells her while pressing his foot down onto the pedal and skidding across the dirt that he would be happy not to see for the next fifteen years.

Out of the glowing lamp of Johanna's barn, she watches from the window, a ghostly silhouette peering out after the pale gray truck disappearing quickly up the track. She sighs. But this was good. This will be good for Amity – she tells herself.

If she can convince Abbey to take a small role into leadership, her time at Dauntless would be invaluable.

Chapter 9

Apart from the headlights from the truck, there are no other lights, not yet.

Amity didn't litter the roads or nearest part of the city with lights. They felt it was unnatural and wasteful, a cost to wildlife and their civilization they couldn't justify.

It's been silent for a while now, the obsessive roar of the engine floating between them, and in her being so quiet, it makes Eric peer over his shoulder. "What are you thinking?"

"Stuff." Her feet are up against the dashboard and her face, dare he say it, looked bothered.

"What kind of stuff?"

"Today."

"Well, this is unusual, one word answers from Abbey Ainsworth." He concentrates back on the road, biting the inside of his cheek. Her simplicity annoyed him. He could feel the white flood of anxiety through his legs and arms, imagining it was him that she was bothered by, just like when they had their argument.

He feels her look at him. "No, I'm fine. I'm just tired. Today was a little hectic, to say the least."

"The night isn't through yet."

"Yeah… yeah, I know." Her voice is a little off. He chances another glance and she's looking out the window, seemingly lost. – He doesn't blame her. "So, how did everything go?"

"As planned." Off in the distance, he can see the beginnings of streetlights that mark their way to Dauntless. "Your parents left a sympathy card." The drive won't take much longer, his foot is to the floor the entire time.

"Were you surprised?"

"I suppose a bit," he admits, catching her eyes this time. "It's been a while."

"Apparently they still spoke every now and again." Her reply was also another thing Eric wasn't aware of.

Suddenly she shivers and he taps the seat next to him, whacking the heating up. "We're almost there."

She nuzzles into his side, closing her eyes. "I'm actually a little scared," she pauses, looking up at him, "but also excited? … Is that weird?"

"You're a freak." He leans forward as if it would get him a better view. Dauntless begins rising up out of the tall buildings and plentiful shadows. It's just as daunting as its name and also thrumming with life, different to Amity at this time of night.

"Welcome to Dauntless, Abbey."

"You've got to be kidding me…" Lights flash from rooftops into the sky, reaching so far they disappeared. The streetlights now become more often, the roads smoother, the rubble removed. He can't help the grin that sits on his face at her reaction, her head swiveling, not knowing what to look at first, or even in fact what she was probably looking at. "I mean, I've seen pictures of Dauntless, but…" she trails off.

Concentrating on the checkpoint coming up, her gripping harder onto his leg doesn't go unnoticed.

Eric doesn't stop, only looks at the guy behind the boxed booth and the barrier flies upwards. They are waved through and he pulls to the left of the main entrance, into an overshadowed area where Lauren and some men wait patiently, just as he'd requested.

"Stay in the cab," he says while throwing the door open and marching towards the waiting faces.

"Took your time…" Lauren, as per usual, jokes with him.

"You got what I asked?"

"Various sizes. A small woman is a hard measurement to predict. Shoe size wasn't so bad." She motions with her head and is passed a pile of clothes clad with a pair of boots. She juts it out towards Eric as if she was the one that bore the package the entire time. Her hands fall on her hip as she speaks, "I can only imagine she's a pretty little thing,"

"Keep your thoughts to yourself." But Eric's cheeks rise slightly, his eyes glinting dangerously at her outspoken, but true words. Without another question, he's walking back up to the cab and Abbey's positioned herself behind the wheel, as if she's about to take off at any minute. "What are you… doing?" he squints, putting the clothes in the foot-well.

"I, er…" The blowers are on full whack, pumping freezing air into the cab. "Fine…" Her head falls back. "I touched one of those buttons," she flippantly motions with her hand.

Her breath hitches as he grips either side of her hips, pulling her down from the seats and putting her treacherously close to his body. "Feeling adventurous, are we?"

She just smiles.

"Put these on." He shoves the clothes towards her and she lifts the bottom of her dress up to undress.

"Not here!" He yanks it back down again. "In the back." Sliding the door open that sits a fraction behind the front, he watches as she climbs in. – The little minx. Furtively, he stands guard, turning his back to the truck and roaming across the milling bodies floating around here and there going about their duties. After a minute he fetches the keys from the cab and her stupid flowery-ass bag, the engine whirling as it dies and the side door suddenly slides open.

"Ta-da!"

Eric actually has to take a minute, his voice suddenly lost. He had every belief Lauren would pull through for him, that woman definitely didn't fail.

Abbey's not entirely Dauntless, not an inch of muscle, but the black paneled leggings, tight-fitting top, and half-mast jacket weren't to be questioned. – He now wants her to take the clothes off.

"Do I look Dauntless?" she twirls, knowing full well what effect she's having on him by the look on her face. Half twirling, she stops and wiggles her bum. "I'm wearing pants."

Eric could face-palm. What monster had he created?

"Okay, Queen of the night, let's get inside," he flicks his head towards the entrance.

Abbey joins his side and throws an arm through his that are jammed into his pockets. "I think I've got this down-packed…"

"Yeah, looks it." But Eric's first mistake is to not notice the prying eyes of Lauren and her gang, they wait amusingly for him to approach. He could have predicted this, Eric bringing a woman from another faction would be the high-end gossip he really couldn't care for but got anyway. He blamed it on his self-righteousness.

"Hi-" Lauren begins, the smirk never leaving her face.

"I'm Abbey," and she holds her hand out, still attached to Eric's side, to which Lauren glares at. Slowly the feared Dauntless woman reaches out, for once, a look of uncertainty on her face, and Abbey shakes it enthusiastically.

Any other time Eric would've probably walked away or reprimanded her, but he liked the uncomfortable effect she brought among the group in front of him, and for the simple fact she didn't seem to see it or care. But as she goes to say hello to the others, Eric tugs her, and lightly he says to the group, "You fuck with her, you fuck with me," before then pulling her casually away.

Lauren scrunches up her face, hushing the burly guy next to her that's about to speak with a quick hand. Listening to the impossibly alluring giggle of the new woman and watching the profiles of the two strolling to the main entrance of Dauntless, she finally speaks, "… Tread lightly guys."

---

Abbey's stomach is swimming, fit to burst with the excitement the music seems to carry throughout the place. She barely hears Eric when he tells her that this is The Pit – which she, at first, thought he had said Tit. "I… want… to…" she mumbles, leaning on the white stone barrier, peering down from the balcony above.

Eric's not watching The Pit, he's watching her face, the jet of lights streaming across it. "What?" But the multi-tasker he is, stops a young member and he pushes Abbey's bag into them. "Take this to mine. Leave the key in the door," before continuing his wanderings. "You want to go down there?" She slowly nods, stepping away from him and onto the metal staircase.

When they reach the crowds, its boisterous and multiple times Abbey slips between groups of people. But still, he follows her.

"Eric! You're back!" The most annoying, nasally guy in the place stops him, making him drop his eyes from Abbey still wandering.

"Not now…" he tells Peter, then continues to mull through the crowd. When people catch the sight of him they move, then some would sometimes follow his eye-line. He begins to wonder if she will notice that he's not directly behind her but she seems too absorbed in the atmosphere to worry - until someone grabs her arm…

Taking a moment, he wanted to see her reaction, what she would do. The guy seems to tell her something that she doesn't quite catch, then she shouts back at him, throwing the most delicious look back over her shoulder at Eric. - He can't hold out much longer.

Eric looms as a shadow behind her, her skin bristling instantly when he was near. His hands slide onto her hips then pull her back against him as he leans close to her ear, talking ever so slowly. "I think that's enough for one day." Then he looks straight over her shoulder at the guy, "Fuck off," before walking with her attentively pulled back against his chest.

"Do you live far from here?" Abbey's eyes close a little while she leans into him, his strong arms wrapped around her.

"At the moment, a little too far." His fingers squeeze an unimaginable hold onto her, leaking everything possessive, wanting, and promising through the heat of his touch. His lips would scathe against the skin of her neck as they walked, his breath fluttering around her. He was like a dead-zone to her when around, depleting every tangible thought.

He takes the stairs double, lifting her every second step to get away from the raucous and into the place he exactly wanted her – underneath him.

To Abbey, it seemed he lived in the highest tower of this maze. But gradually the flow of people gets less and less till they hit a quieter floor and he spins her towards him, lifting her up from underneath her thighs.

"I like Dauntless." She pulls at his neck, elbows resting on his shoulders. "I can see the attraction."

"Can you feel mine?" He squeezes her ass, pushing her up against the door of his apartment while he unlocks it – it's taking too long.

"Somebodies getting a little impatient."

The door flings open and he descends upon her neck. "Too right." He uses one hand to pull at her jacket and her legs grip him to her. Both her hands land either side of his face, her mouth immediately inviting him in to taste her.

Eric hits a counter on his way through, paperwork fluttering around them, but Abbey's working at his jacket, then tugging at his top. He 360's the room a little lost in her, tripping over her bag, before heading for his bed after managing to get his bearings.

Eric's apartment is open plan, the only doorway leads to the bathroom and his bed is situated to the far corner, away from the monstrous and multiple windows. Throwing her down, he yanks the pants clean off of her, her back arched to aid him, and one of her boots hit somewhere in the room.

"Love me like an Amity, fuck me like a Dauntless, isn't that the saying?" she asks.

Eric shrugs indifferently. "It can be whatever you want it to be." Once his pants are discarded he pulls her top over her head, unclasping her bra roughly as if it shouldn't belong on this earth, freeing the flesh he so longed to see.

Abbey's pulling at her underwear as he discards his boxers and he enters her before the material even hits the ground. He's rewarded with a mewl of satisfaction. "You come when I tell you to," he groans between them, placing his hand toe-churningly against her clit, his fingertips swirling at all the right moments. His mouth explores every piece of skin possible, it was all his, no one else's but his.

For a split second his jumbled brain tries to process why he suddenly wanted to ravish her from the moment they got here. Was it because he finally had her in the place he wanted from the first time he saw her in the truck? Or the strange fact that while he was in Dauntless he felt more control over her?

But it doesn't seem to matter when she hums some incoherent response and drags her nails down his sides.

Abbey props herself up, pushing him up and he stands, still gripping her to him. Perching himself on the edge of the bed, her knees rest either side of him as she goes to work in this favorable seated position.

Eric makes sure to push her hair to one side instead of allowing it to fall in front of her face.

"I… want…"

"To come? Is that what you want?" his tone stays relatively kept, even under the situation.

"Yes!"

But instead, he holds her up, not allowing her to accomplish her desirable goal. "Beg…" Through his grip, her body wiggles against him and he allows her a little lower before stopping her again. "Beg me."

"Eric…"

"You're going to have to beg." Her eyes meet his and she… blushes.

"Please."

"You can do better than that." Eric twitches beneath her, almost causing her head to fall back. "Where's that adventurous side gone?" He lets a finger wander low.

"Please, I want…" The finger causes a whole new warm and budding sensation that she hums to, then suddenly she gasps out, "Shit… Eric, please. I need…"

He slams her down on top of him. It doesn't take more than a few rides and lick of his tongue across bare skin to watch her crumble into tiny raw pieces in front of him. Capturing her loose, uttering mouth, his own end comes into play, her hair rolled up in his hand, their bodies pressed impossibly close together.

Through the pit of their dwindling ecstasy, clammy bodies, and exchanges, Abbey says, "Nice place."

---

Eric leaves her sleeping, her face covered by the sheets and just a tuft of hair visible. He crosses the room to the furthest side, finding his phone from his discarded jacket and dials Max's number.

Max answers immediately. "Eric… I hear that you're back."

"I would've called a little sooner, but I was…" he smirks, mainly to himself and a little tongue in cheek. "…busy."

"How's Abbey holding up?"

The answer was 'Too well' but instead he settles for, "Okay. Any news from Amity?"

"As far as I'm aware, they haven't traced the missing factionless man. He quite possibly could have been the one terrorizing Abbey, but that's just a guess at the moment. The new Dauntless squadron arrived first thing this morning. Some members are from the wall. I had to split the cover… I'm heading down to breakfast in five, I think it's about time I finally met Abbey a little formally…"

"Yeah, I'll see you there." Eric hangs up, peering over to her sleeping form that still hadn't moved, and ops to shower before she wakes.

It was great to be back; back with his things and usual routine. His shower takes all but two minutes and he throws the door open to Abbey standing outside the door. The thought washes over him that this was how he wanted things to stay.

"Why didn't you wake me?" She rubs at her eyes and tries to smile, but it's a half-assed attempt.

"You needed the sleep." She pushes passed him and seems to diver over her appearance in the mirror, pushing the hair away from her face, wearing his shirt from last night.

"I'm going to take a shower." She strips off carelessly in front of him and steps in, the water running the instance she does and she yells out, "Eric! It's boiling!" Her body, blurred through the distorted glass, flinches away from the sprinkling water. "Your place is a lot bigger than I expected." Her silhouette leans into the flow. "I'm so going through your vanity cupboard; you know that right?"

"Perks of the job," Eric answers, fixing his hair back the way it usually was. "I have nothing to hide, you do what you want, just hurry up." The water shuts off on his words and she steps out, snatching the towel from his waist.

"You don't have to wait for me, I'm not forcing you." She dries her body, then wraps her hair up in it.

"Oh yeah, and have you leisurely lost around Dauntless. What a fantastic idea." Someone knocks on the door and he sighs, "Stay here." He throws a clean pair of boxers on before hurling the door open to Peter staring wide-eyed up at him.

"I lost you last night, man. You coming for breakfast?"

"Yes." He squints at him.

"Cool…" Peter tucks his hands into his pockets, nodding his head and diverting a look down the corridor.

"What are you still doing here?" Eric snaps at him.

Peter seems to stumble for an answer. "I'm… waiting for you..." he shrugs. The growl that starts to echo from the bottom of Eric's throat is suddenly interrupted as Peter's mouth hangs open and he stares off inside the room. Crossing his arms to stop himself from throttling him, he turns.

Abbey has one leg up on the bed, rubbing lotion into her thigh and down her calf. Thankfully she bothered putting underwear on, but her hair still sits wrapped up in the towel above her head. She peers over her shoulder and slightly smiles, being completely unaffected, and continues her unique morning routine. Eric grins, leaning up against the door frame. "Peter, meet Abbey."

---

Peter's a lick ass, and what's worse is that he's completely licking ass, right now, at this very moment. He's telling Abbey about his initiation, how Eric was, what the training was like and going into stupid details. Eric rolls his eyes and Abbey looks at him in a funny way whenever Peter got too absorbed. He tried to tell Peter to get lost, but she stopped him.

He's thankful for the loud and obnoxious sounds coming from the canteen and nobody bothers to look at them when they enter. Max holds his hand up from one of the tables and Eric strolls over, throwing his leg through the bench and Abbey sits next to him, Peter following her like a lost puppy.

"Abbey, what a delight to see you again," Max smiles.

"Hi, Max." Then her eyes fall on the oatmeal and fruits in front of her, the milk and juice cartons sitting in a delicious array. Lauren is situated on the other side of the table, her eyes not once leaving the Amity woman as if she was trying to suss something out, and Eric stares at her for a minute, warning her. "Hello, again," Abbey greets when she realizes.

"Hello, Abbey," Lauren smirks.

"So, what're your thoughts on Dauntless?" Max throws out and Eric now wants to leave because he's got a cocky look on his face that he doesn't like.

"It's very different to what I'm used to, but it's great." She shoves something in her mouth while Eric nudges her, the formal meeting with Max was now over, there were too many people trying to get in on his business.

"Eat up, we have a busy day."

"Why? What are we doing?"

Eric simpers at her. "You'll see."

---

"You want me to what?" Abbey folds her arms. "No."

"Abbey, it's for your own good."

"Don't tell me that learning self-defense is beneficial for me. Amity is against this."

"It is, especially after yesterday. What are you afraid of?" He throws his jacket off and she puts her nose up at him. "Don't argue with me over this. You're causing a scene," he motions to the many people in the training room which sometimes turn to look at them.

"You should know me enough by now to know that I don't care…" She's still stubbornly puffed her chest out, barely looking at him.

"Don't be stupid."

"You're stupid."

"Abbey."

"Eric."

He marches over to her and pulls at her jacket, getting one arm loose. "You have no choice."

"It feels like you only bought me here so you could beat me up. No."

"It's self-defense!" He finally gets her jacket off. "You may need it one day."

"You promised nothing would happen to me. With you around, I won't need this, or are you planning to not always be around?" she frowns.

"You're being an idiot." He pulls her towards the mat throwing her off-balance. "I'm just going to show you a few things."

"Show me in the bedroom." Her sharp reply has her spun into his chest, his hand clamped over her mouth. She's fucking giggling.

"I'm going to kidnap you, what are you going to do?"

"Not resist…" she mumbles through his hand. His exhale has her rethinking her reply, "Fine." Her free arm grips onto his inner thigh and she digs her nails in.

"Good. Things you need to know: Ears, eyes, neck, and the center of the body is where you want your hits to land. The toughest part of your body is your elbow. Lacking the space, you'll use the top of your head. Now try to hit me."

"Okay." She throws out her elbow lazily and he knocks it away.

"Aim here," he motions with her arm towards his neck, "Or here," then to his face. "You can use the palm of your hand to break your opponent's nose, or a fist to the throat."

"I don't like this."

"It doesn't matter whether you like it or not, it's essential. What if that guy got you back at the shop? Would you have fought back, or just let him take you?"

Abbey doesn't really have an intelligent reply. What she didn't tell Eric this morning, is how much the dark figure had taken up most of her dreams in the night. "I would've fought back, obviously."

"But you'd have been useless. You have no muscle, no weight, you can't fight and you let your fears get the better of you."

"I think you're forgetting that I'm not Dauntless, Eric…" Abbey's blunt reply has him tilting his head back a little. "And if I'm honest, I couldn't care less for this…" She bends, picking up her jacket.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Back to the apartment - to hide. It seems that's the only thing I'm good at." But her jacket is yanked from her hands. "Give it back!"

"Make me." She tries to swipe it, but he pulls it just out of reach in time. Abbey's face gets a little redder and she tries again, this time feigning interest, then jumping at him to which he catches her, letting her slide back down his body to the floor. "Ah, so there is a little bit of fight in you." He knew for a fact she did have a vicious side, it was just tapping into it.

"Give it to me. I'm trying to leave. It's my right…" He throws it behind his back. But that's what makes Abbey snap.

She smiles up at him - then jams her fist into the center of his chest, just under his ribcage, causing him to repel away from her, not from pain, but from shock. "Have I passed your class for today?"

Eric smirks down at her, trying to cover his amusement. "Amazingly so." Nope, not at all. Not even in the slightest. This was just the beginning...

---

Max throws a look to his phone that's vibrating on the desk. At first, he tries to ignore it, penning something on the sheet in front of him, but it continues to obsessively ring.

He pinches the bridge of his nose and grabs it, "Hello Johanna."

"I'm worried."

Max lets his eyes close for a minute and readjusts slightly in his seat. "I can gather why."

"I'm worried for Amity. Everything is falling to pieces. People don't feel safe and we've been questioned over why Eric has left. They fear the lack of his presence is going to corrupt us further and invite the factionless to us. Some even say that he left because there is no hope for us."

In a way, Max had predicted this, Eric leaving Amity was a cause for concern. Eric was an asshole, an asshole who was terrific at putting the fear into others, more so than any other Leader of any other faction.

"If you think he's heading back anytime soon, you're incredibly wrong. And I can't force him, so don't ask me."

"He fears for Abbey's safety, I know that. But that's not the only thing I'm worried about and I'm thinking maybe you could help." Max's silence pushes her on. "I want Abbey to be the next in line for Amity." She's halted by a garbled laugh, an incredulous, disbelieving laugh. "Think about it. Imagine the bond the two factions would have. Imagine the effect with Erudite. You and I both know I'll be losing my position within the next few months, it's inevitable, but do you really want to see someone like Mark step into my boots?"

"I don't know the man," he puts bluntly. "But you have a point."

"I need you to get Eric on your side to convince Abbey. I know she is the one."

"Stop with the Amity voodoo. I'll see what I can do but I'm not making any promises. If Eric says no, it's no, and there is nothing I can do to change that."

"Abbey becoming the main voice of Amity will have very many beneficial things for Eric. For one, control over their futures. I'm sure that's an ultimatum that neither of them could resist."

Max nods a few times to himself. "That didn't really work for us though, did it?"

Johanna's silence says a million things.

---

Eric's office is untidy, well, it would possibly look tidy if there wasn't so much paperwork strewn across the spare chair and desk.

"Mr. Coulter," Abbey says in a deep voice to his sign above the door. "Is this where you punish all your naughty initiates?"

"No, I prefer the chasm for that…" He sits behind his desk and watches her, biting at his cheek as she steps lightly around the room, taking everything in. This is where everything had started, the day that fate had led her back to him. And now here she was, standing before him and very much his.

"You have no pictures."

"Pictures are unnecessary."

She laughs, "Let me guess, they make you weak? Or is it just a way to depersonalize yourself?" When Eric doesn't say anything, she finally catches his curious eyes. "Actually, that's something I need to talk to you about."

"Go on."

"Did you leave a picture of us in my bedroom before you left Erudite?" Abbey nips her bottom lip between her teeth anxiously.

"I think you know the answer."

"Okay, so who did? Only the kid…" Abbey jumps as Eric stands, pulling out his phone.

"Fuck Abbey, you should've said!"

"A lot has been going on, I didn't-"

"It's me," Eric speaks to the phone, but he expressively points to his head, telling her to use her brain and 'think'. "We need to keep an eye on the youths of Amity. I'm talking between… seven and twelve. I have reasons to believe that the factionless have been using children to do their exploits." When he puts the phone down and sits, Abbey's face is scrunched up. "We didn't tag anyone under the age of twelve…" he sighs.

She diverts her eyes and he pats his lap, tilting his head as she approaches. "I'm not angry at you, I'm angry at them. And it's because of me that all of this is happening." She plonks herself down on top of him. "I need you to tell me everything."

"You know everything now." Her fingers brush along his chin and across his jaw. "Oh, wait. I had this really weird conversation with Johanna when I waved you off. She asked me if I'd ever thought about taking a more suited role in Amity. I laughed it off at the time… Do you think perhaps someone knows that too? Maybe that's also why?"

"Maybe... Is that what you want to do, take a better role at Amity?"

"My reply is still the same, I'm a florist," Abbey chuckles. "It's not what I want."

"What do you want?"

"Babies." Eric nearly chokes and tenses every muscle in his body but Abbey snorts in a fit of laughter. "I'm joking. I don't really know what I want… I only know that I want you."

"Good."

"I want babies by the time I'm thirty…" she drifts off. "Two…"

"Get off me!"

---

They are mid-burger when two guys plonk themselves opposite. Abbey watches as they flit between her and Eric and the one on the right smiles. Politely, she smiles back.

"We didn't know you were back."

Eric huffs under their company. "Abbey, meet Luka and Noah."

"I'm Noah," the one still smiling at her says, reaching for her hand and shaking it very gently.

"Nice to meet you, Noah."

Lauren then pushes the two to the side to sit between them, coming out of nowhere, and Eric huffs again. Abbey can't really figure out why.

"You coming tonight?" Lauren shoves just the beef in her mouth, taking a very messy and large bite.

Eric tries to refuse but Abbey speaks over him. "What's tonight?"

"The same party they have every night." Eric averts his eyes and roams through the endless faces around him, trying his best to express how bored he is of this conversation.

"Oh wow," Abbey gasps.

"No Abbey."

"Tonight is different. You're back, for one. Two…" Lauren's eyes flick from the brown hair, green eyes, and chest of Abbey. "You have a very pretty acquaintance with you."

Abbey snorts, shaking her head at them, "We're not acquaintances. Eric's not my acquaintance, he's my boyfriend…" The three opposite stifle their laughter. "What's funny?"

"Abbey, leave it," Eric huffs, rubbing his temple.

"Oh my god, she's pure class… You have to come." Lauren leans further forward, enticingly speaking and directing a promising look towards Abbey, "We can go shopping, get away from Eric's boring monotone work-life." Eric throws bread at Lauren. "Oh, come on, she'll be fine with me!"

"Oh I know, a little too fine." He nudges Abbey with his knee, "she bats for the other side."

"Yeah, and you're all jealous because I can get the girls!" She holds a hand up suddenly as if she was under oath, "Not that Eric does that anymore, mind you. I don't see why he would."

"Can you stop…" Eric kicks her under the table as she yelps a little.

"Can I… buy a dress?" Abbey's eyes glisten as she looks up at Eric and he knows he's lost her to the world of shopping when she turns back to Lauren.

"Whatever you wish," Lauren smiles.

"Fuck sake."

---

Much to his reluctance, Eric had to go back to work, leaving Abbey with the fabricated threesome. Of course, with threats that he would keep to if she wasn't back by the time he got in.

Eric's actually a little nervous about what Abbey is going to turn up with or look like, or whether he was going to have to break somebodies nose. – He kind of wished she would break somebodies nose and he would revel in all her taught brutality.

When he opens his door, he knows she's back, he can smell the distinct fresh smell of her many lotions. He's not going to alert her that he's here, catch her unguarded.

She has her back to him while she fumbles in the bathroom. A small strapped dress fitting at the top her body and flowing out just under her bust, treacherously short to mid-thigh. Leaning one hand up on the frame, he decides not to jump her at the last minute. After recent events, it probably wasn't the smartest of ideas. "Not Dauntless, but scandalous."

"I didn't hear you," she smiles back at him through the mirror.

"I gathered." His hands trail over the straps, then down the material, inspecting every inch. "How many heads am I going to bash together tonight?" He twirls a piece of her hair around his finger.

"Hopefully just mine." She smirks at him while his eyes still trail over her. "You like?"

"Like? Loathe… people will look at you."

"I'm taking that as a compliment. What's a fire shot?" She finally turns, lacing her arms over the back of his neck.

"You're not doing them."

"I want one." The door knocks, but this time with multiple pelts and someone shouts, "Duty calls!"

Eric glares down at Abbey for a moment. "So, I may have invited them up here to meet us before we went?" Eric looks to one side in annoyance but she pulls his face back. "You shower, I'll let them in," and she kisses him quickly.

What the fuck was she doing to him?

Abbey straightens her dress one last time before opening the door to the three waiting. They all seem to trace down her clothes before meeting her eyes. Noah pulls at her hand, kissing it. "Madam…"

"I bet Eric's really mad," Lauren says as she's waved inside.

"Why?"

"I think it's the steam in the air. Or perhaps you look fucking edible… - I bought drink." She slams a bottle on the side with clear liquid. "I know where the glasses are." And Lauren's off, rummaging around Eric's cupboards and leaving Abbey in the sight of the two guys which just stare awkwardly back at her.

"You look… nice," Abbey awkwardly compliments them, kneading her fingers together.

Lauren pours the liquid into small cups and passes Abbey one, looking at her expectantly, "Bottoms up." But before she can shot it, Eric comes up behind her and takes the cup, sniffing it. Abbey can smell his aftershave clearer now. He's obviously thrown the razor across his face quickly and his clothes are another random shade of black.

"If I didn't know any better, I would say you were trying to get us drunk…" and Eric shots it instead.

"One or two won't hurt," Lauren shrugs.

"You won't be invited for a threesome if that's the plan."

"Am I being that unsubtle?" Lauren pours another, handing one back to Abbey.

It's like an experiment as they watch her, all waiting patiently, not touching their own. Abbey brings it to her lips and downs it in one. Wiping her mouth, she finally catches on. "What? An Amity girl can't drink?"

---

"Maybe we should stop her?" Lauren nudges Eric.

"Nah, let her get it out of her system…" He watches Abbey from the small wall they're perched on. She's got one hand in the air, a drink in the other, practically spinning rather than dancing with her eyes closed. Falling into someone, she recovers and waves over, and he lightly waves back, his hand tensed.

After tonight she'll hopefully never feel the need to come here again...

"So… this is the one?"

"That's Abbey," Eric says without looking, knowing perfectly well what she was implying. The beams of light roam between them, the music bass-filled and unrightfully loud.

"She called you her boyfriend."

"She calls me a lot of things, sometimes things that are not so flattering." He crosses his arms and places his foot flat up against the wall.

"But you liked it?"

Eric glares at her now, she'd earned it with her prying. But he's pulled back to the center of The Pit where Luka and Noah join Abbey. He won't stop her because she's happy. Eventually, he mumbles, "… A coalition between two factions is fucking bad news. Nothing is official between us yet." He's lying out of his ass, but that's what he'll keep telling himself. He wanted nothing more than to freely be with her, however, his Dauntless image and profession haunt him otherwise.

"Don't be so formal." Lauren takes a sip of her drink, eating an ice-cube. "If she goes back to Amity now and you have to stay here, what are you going to do?"

He shrugs. "Bring her back occasionally, or go there when I can."

"What if she doesn't want that?" Lauren holds her palms up submissively, "I'm just trying to understand your logic."

"That's the way things are, there's no other option. There are rules over this stuff."

"Rules and regulations are meant to be broken, you know that. Well… you knew that, once." A silence drifts between them and Lauren has seemingly given up – until he speaks.

"I won't commit to Abbey until the factionless have been eradicated. It's too risky…" Noah spins Abbey and he can almost hear her laugh. All these feelings and serious talks about personal matters make him uncomfortable, and he readjusts the neck of his shirt.

"That could take years."

"Then I'll wait."

"But will she?"

Eric shoves off the side. He's done. Pushing past the other intoxicated bodies, he catches Abbey mid-spin, her eyes half hooded as she focusses. "You came to dance?"

"I came to take you to bed."

"Oh, that sounds intriguing…" Abbey flicks his lip, stumbling backward when she does.

"You can barely stand. And that," he skims his head around him, "was not dancing, it was spinning."

"Spinning with style." Eric grabs her arm and pulls her towards the stairs as she stumbles after him.

"You can thank me in the morning." He growls at her uselessness and hitches her into his arms once they are away from curious eyes.

---

By the time he makes it back to his door, she's asleep, her head floppy and arms dangled down by her sides.

Amity girls can't drink.

Eric puts her down on the bed, crouching to unzip the side of her dress while she all but flops onto his shoulder. Slumping her down again, the girl is so fucking drunk she doesn't realize what's going on around her.

For some reason though, he's not tired in the slightest, be it Lauren or other things playing on his mind. He opts for water instead of sleep, but half way there he trips, again, on Abbey's bag.

Sitting on the top of her open bag is a large, blown up photo of them both smiling at one another and him holding her attentively.

The one the boy took at the harvest.

Eric would've taken the time to admire it a little more, perhaps even appreciate it; the natural, innocent element it held.

…If it didn't look like they were at their fucking wedding.

Chapter 10

"Oh no…" Abbey speaks to herself. She's on her front, unable to move, completely hungover-crippled.

"Oh no…" she whines. "No, no, no…" Knocking some hair from her face she licks her dry lips. But it calms her when she realizes that she is securely comatose in Eric's bed, star-fished in the middle.

When she's finally able to turn her pulsing head and fend off nausea, telling herself that it will pass and not to cry, she spots her dress neatly folded on the counter. Using the other arm to pat around her, she searches out Eric.

"Eric?"

But he's not there. The energy she's used makes her head drop back down into the pillows, it's not safe to get up yet, but at least she can lie unladylike in this position for a little while longer.

However, she's eating her own thoughts when the door slams.

"The temptress has risen!" Eric crosses the room over to her and Abbey merely grunts at his energetic and fluid movements – he's moving way too fast.

Eric sits down on the bed exaggeratedly, causing everything to move underneath her. Her sickness arises again at the unpleasant sensation, and he shoves some food wrapped in foil in front of her face.

"Not feeling so good there, Ab's?"

"I want to die… Leave me to die…" She pulls the cover over her head but he yanks it down, sitting on the edge of it so she can't pull it up again, so she opts to appease him. "Where have you been?"

"Where haven't I been while you've been lazily asleep in my bed… let me think."

"Okay, don't bother, I actually really don't want to know anymore. I'm this close…" she motions with her index finger and thumb, "To slowly slipping into my own demise, I can't even tell you. And your stupid healthy antics will not make me feel any better either, so save it."

"That kinda sounded like a threat." Eric's smirking the whole while, she still hasn't moved. "You're a force to be reckoned with in the mornings."

"Don't say I didn't warn you."

"I thought Amity girls could drink?"

"Go away." But he pulls the covers all the way down, slapping her ass peeking out through her underwear. "I may be useless now, but I would stop that, because later… I'll be much angrier than I am now."

"I'm terrified." He slaps her bottom again, but this time digging his fingers into the muscle in an attempt to roll her. She has no fight.

"No!"

"Life is eagerly awaiting you, Abbey. You just have to reach out… and grab it." Finally planted on her back, she hits out at him.

"I'll start singing… I swear!"

"Food," he bats her away and throws her the foiled package. "Eat it and get your flowery ass moving."

Abbey glares at him while he amusingly watches her eat a mouthful. It's just plain, buttered toast. "I hate you." She didn't mean it. Her hateful look falls onto the toast which she bites with vengeance. "So, where have you been then?"

"A run, then breakfast. There were a few things that I needed to sort out in the office so I took the liberty of resolving the issues. And now I'm here." He scoffs, "Lauren asked after you. Feared you may not have made the night."

"When you see her, you can tell her I'm fine, and thanks for the concern… But I wasn't that drunk."

"You don't remember flashing the entire Pit from the balcony, then?"

She stops chewing and tries to decipher whether it was true or not until he laughs. "Don't do that!" His eyes turn vicious and two strong hands pull on her thighs, dragging her further down the bed. The toast is even harder to swallow as his hands slide up her inner leg, trailing over each side of her underwear and across her stomach. The hangover is a mere fragment of her imagination.

"There was this really fuckable girl twirling around in front of me all night…"

She tries to hide her smile, "Oh yeah…" His fingertips swirl lazily before slipping the band and she chews her lip under his downcast eyes.

"Brownish hair, green eyes, body to suit… Her dress was completely asking for it."

"Does she… have a name?" Abbey giggles, peering over the slice of toast in her hand before taking another bite trying to distract herself.

"That's the bit I can't remember…" Casually, his wandering digits find their destination, steadily exploring the moistened area with utter patience, until he lets one finger dip.

She feels her muscles tense, trying to ignore the urge to move her hips against him or squeeze her thighs together. It doesn't mean she can stop her hand from running up his arm though, and for a moment she frowns. "You're all sweaty." Another finger. "I… like you… like this."

Eric positions himself better, he's not ready to stop toying with her in this submissive state. "I like you like this, too." He looks down to his hand, and before he's any wiser, she's slipping her underwear off then pulling him, unsatisfied until he's hovering above her.

"I like you like this better." Nimbly her hands pull at the tie of his joggers, using a foot to pull them down. "I may be the fuckable girl, Eric. But I don't want you to just fuck me, I want you to make love to me sometimes too. And sometimes that means slowly." She admires the small sparkle in his eye, maybe of confusion, lust, but she wished it was love.

And as if it was a command, he slips slowly inside of her, their eyes locked the entire time.

No matter how shit she feels, today she will be having a good day, as today, she finally hears him pant her name.

---

Max wouldn't use the word surprised, but shocked. He was shocked.

When he knocks on Eric's office door and is called through, he takes in the sight before him. The usual paperwork clad chair is empty with Abbey perched into it, five piles sorted out on the end of Eric's desk, and she has two sheets in either hand. Eric's tapping away on his computer, casually biting the side of his cheek. But Eric doesn't look up, only Abbey, who smiles that angelic smile that has Eric seemingly so caught up.

He was surprised at that, but he's shocked at the blinds wound completely open, the window ajar, the bright daylight and fresh air circling the room. And for once, Eric is not in the slightest hostile or bothered by his presence.

"Good morning, Max." Abbey is still smiling at him, probably because he had no feasible expression on his face.

"Morning, are you feeling better?" He lifts the side of his cheeks now, he didn't want to appear mocking after what Lauren had told him of their night – but she did look a little pale.

"I'm fine, thanks."

"What do I owe the pleasure?" Eric seemingly clicks out of something multiple times and sits back in his chair, sharing a quick look over at Abbey. His jaw twitches somewhat as something is passed between them in just a look. It made Max feel a little uncomfortable.

"I need to speak to you… alone."

"Very well." He leans forward and Abbey grasps the hint.

"I'll go wait down the hall… Nice to see you, Max." And she daintily flows out through the door.

Max takes a few steps towards the desk, his hands in his pockets as he peers around the room. "I have to say that this is unusual." Eric just raises a brow at him, waiting patiently. "… I spoke to Johanna."

"What now? What could possibly be the problem?"

"She's asked me something, and I wanted to speak to you about it first." Slowly he lowers himself into the spare chair, his back tweaking a little. He was getting too old for this shit. "I'm just going to come out and say it as there is no other preferable way to… Johanna want's Abbey to take her place when she steps down."

"I don't think so."

"Listen, she said Mark is most favored to take over after she leaves. Do you want to be dealing with that bitch?"

"Abbey is a lot of things, but she is not authoritative…"

"Neither is Johanna. It just needs a sharp mind." Max leans forward, "Think about it, the benefits for the both of you."

"I can't risk it."

"Fuck man, listen to yourself for a minute. The Eric I know would do everything to see to it that this threat was taken care of. Everyone's a target here. I'm a target. That will probably never change, but we take the risk. If Abbey is anything like I imagine, she will want to see an end to this too. In the meantime, you do your best, keep on top of Dauntless' presence at Amity…"

"I feel like Johanna is in the room with me…" Eric huffs, "I'll think about it, that's all I can tell you right now."

"Does Abbey know about what Johanna wants?"

"Yes." Max nods under Eric's sharp reply. "But there's more actually…" Eric goes into one of his pockets. "This was in Abbey's bag. I saw it for the first time last night. What are your thoughts?"

Max unfolds the paper, staring down at Abbey in her white dress and Eric holding onto her. "It begs me to ask 'why wasn't I invited?'"

"Exactly. What's more troubling was the fact she found it in her bedroom. She thought I put it there…" Max throatily laughs then stops when Eric frowns at him. "Someone knows exactly what impression this gives."

"Makes you wonder why." Max rubs a hand over his stubble, mysteries weren't his forte. "What do people care anyway?"

"I don't know. But I'm going to find out."

"I know that look." Max leans back.

And Eric smirks.

---

"No."

"Hear me out, Ab's."

"No."

Eric walks incredibly close to her, their shoulders bumping as he keeps his voice low while on their way to the canteen. "Think of it as role-playing."

"I'm not doing it. You can't make me. Are you mad? Did you hit your head or something?" Abbey's pace ups but it's actually a preferred speed of his.

"It's the link we need to the factionless. You're aiding all the factions." She just continues to shake her head at him, and a growl rips from his throat as he grips her arm and pulls her to one side. "I don't want to put you anywhere near danger, but in order to live a relatively quiet life, we have to have a plan. Everything links back to Amity. The hints are subtle, but they're there."

"So you, Max and Johanna can use me?"

"Johanna thinks you're capable."

"That makes me feel so much better…" She crosses her arms. "Have you thought about whether I want to be involved in this? Have you taken a second to think maybe I'm happy with the way things are already? I was chased out of work by a mad-man, Eric! This is only going to make it worse!"

"Nothing will happen to you, I pro-"

"Promise? You promise? Don't give me that crap! You and I both know you can't stay at Amity and that leaves me there on my own, with a position I don't want, in a scenario I'd rather avoid." Abbey peers off down the corridor. "… I'm not even hungry anymore."

Eric rubs the side of his face, she pained him greatly sometimes. "You won't be on your own, I'll know where you are at all times. You'll be watched, and I'm going to teach you a few things."

"This is what Max wanted to speak with you about?"

"Yes." Grabbing her hand, his fingers entwine against hers. "I'm not forcing you, but I know you can do this. As soon as everything's back to normal, you can go back to…" he stops, her face is changing, softening even. - Fuck, she's going to cry.

"That's the thing… I don't want it to go back to normal… I'm not even sure if I could slip back into the normal routine…" She wipes her eyes with the back of her hand as people pass and Eric watches the tattooed and colorful haired group for a minute till they're out of earshot.

"When I said normal, I meant you with me."

"You mean that?"

"No, I'm bullshitting you." He pushes back her hair gently, posture relaxing, and a genuine smile gracing on his face as her cheeks rise a little. "Stop being an emotional dick." She laughs, a choked one, but it was a laugh. "You can do this."

"If you say so," she nods, staring into his eyes and he suddenly feels the weight of his words bearing heavily upon his shoulders.

"I know so."

---

"A little more to the left…" Eric closes one eye and moves her elbow to reposition her. He hasn't started with rifles, he's training her with a smaller gun, hand-held, the same as his own. Their bodies are close; he consumes her as he stands intimately close behind her. "Lightly squeeze the trigger, don't pull." He goes to move away but she flinches.

"Don't let go!"

"Okay." He steadies her arms. "…Now, breathe… squeeze the trigger." Eric notices she closes her eyes as she fires a shot, her body falling back against him. "Ab's, you need to see where you are shooting… Also, remember the recoil." Her hand drops down to her side in annoyance and he quickly thrusts her arm forward, towards the targets. "The weapon is fucking loaded!"

Eric steadies her back into position. "I'm sorry!"

"Just concentrate… The weapon is an extension of you." Lined up again, he smirks at her determined expression, "When did my best friend get so hot?"

"Not helping…"

"You see the target. Shoot the target. Eyes open. Remember the recoil." She squeezes the trigger, the sound of the gun echoing around them…

But instead of its intended destination, a puff of feathers explode into the air.

"Oh no! … Eric … what have I done!"

"Just a bird. We get a lot of them up here. The initiates sometimes use them as practice…" He's barely finished as she's running over to it and Eric exhales and peers back to the roof entrance. He didn't care for the bird.

"It's still alive!"

"So?"

"We can't leave it like this!" she calls over, crouched down low. "I think I hit its wing."

Eric's boots crunch the gravel and he grabs the bird from the floor, gripping its neck.

"What are you doing?!"

"Putting it out of its misery, it's going to die either way." Eric suddenly feels wrong, like what he was doing was twisted by the way she looks at him.

"Wait."

"We don't have time for-"

"I want to do it." Eric squints down at her and she seems to flicker her eyes up and down him. "I shot it, I should do it." She wipes her clammy hands on her pants, then grips the flapping bird, putting her hand exactly where Eric's was.

"Ab's…"

She hushes him. "I need to do this. If I can't kill a bird, how am I going to actually shoot someone if I need to?" She puffs a few times, building herself up to the act. The bird twitches it's head at her and she squeals a little.

"Think… like… a… Dauntless…" Abbey whispers once she overcame the initial fear of it.

And much to Eric's surprise, he hears the pop in its neck.

---

Johanna had been expecting this, the work-boots clumping up the steps, the sharp, spiteful look, the twitch in the lip.

Mark peers down at her behind her desk, his hands clenching, then stretching his fingers distortedly. "You're demoting me!?"

Johanna holds her breath, peering to the side before meeting his eyes again. His hair is sticking to his head that's obviously been swiped to one side with a working hand from the black stripes running across it. Suddenly, Eric's annoyance at how news traveled Amity hits her in the chest. He was right.

"I'm doing the best I can under the circumstances. I'm preparing for my leave. I've made sure to leave you in the best position I can."

"Security… I'm a guard… a servant. After everything I've done!" saliva flicks out from his mouth as he spits the last words.

"Of the highest position…"

He closes the distance to the desk, slamming his hands down violently. Johanna leaps into the back of her seat, blinking at his actions. "Mark, I must ask you to not-"

"Oh. Shut. Up."

Johanna's hands fly to the phone on the desk but he knocks it to the floor, smashing the screen to tiny pieces that scatter to the furthest corners. "How dare you!"

"A servant? You'll make me a servant… I don't think so."

Johanna's scream is unheard as Mark lunges over the desk.

Pulling the syringe from his back-pocket, he plunges it into her neck, her sighing in mumbled pain until the serum takes effect. "Now, be a good girl, would you… and begin my succession."

---

"You need all five of the faction's authority to approve of your position. It's not going to be hard, you already have two without a doubt." Eric paces in front of Abbey. After lunch, he decided it was best to take her back to the apartment, she looked pale today still. But not only that, he wanted to run through a few things. She sips coffee, her eyes following every movement and it's highly distracting. "The three remaining factions won't scrutinize, Amity's actions are not of their concern."

"Okay," she nods, but her eyes scream disinterest. "Will you sit with me now?"

"Are you even listening?"

"Of course." She sips her coffee again. "But I'm also really tired and need snuggles."

"Later…" The word is out before he can stop it.

"Oh, so that's the word you think of when curled up next to me?" Abbey wiggles her brows. "I knew it."

"Don't be a shit," Eric digs her with his eyes. "You need to know everything. You can't act unknowledgeable. And that means listening for once…"

"I am a really good listener, I'll have you know."

Eric drags the cup from her hands, pulling her up to her feet and she flinches a little, ducking away and throwing her hands up protectively, making him freeze. "Don't," he whispers.

"I-I, I'm tired. I wasn't expecting you to do that."

"Anyone else, but not you. Don't be afraid of me."

"I wouldn't be here if I was," she strokes his face. "Is that what you think I see? Some scary guy? Harsh words and impressionable behavior?" When he doesn't say anything she laces her arms around his waist. "When I look at you…" she pauses, mainly because his eyes are so intense she feels them piercing completely through her. "…I see the other half of me, like always, like it's always been. I know you see that too." He exhales through his nose and looks anywhere but her. "You're my moon. I said that all that years ago and nothing's changed. Without you, everything stands still."

When her lips brush against his, a feeling of inner dread rises in his chest for all the plans that are forming around them. For once in his shitty life, he really wasn't one hundred percent on his role in this daring game. It was mainly because it was out of his control, it wasn't him head-hunting.

He fretted for Abbey, her role, and the effects of it. The effects it's already having. It was becoming so bad that every time he remembered his duties, a rip-tide of bile would rise in his throat.

He was beginning to lose his touch.

But all Eric could think about when she pulled back and their eyes swam between each other, was how she was his Earth, her magnetic pull so strong that he could only exist to orbit around her. He'd never seen it before and he was a fool.

Without the Earth, his humanity was lost.

---

It's still dark when the hammerings on the door shake Eric from sleep. Abbey merely grunts in distaste at the wake-up call, but Eric is already throwing his pants on as Max's voice calls out to him.

"Eric, answer the damn door!"

Panic-stricken, Abbey throws her head up. "Wh-what is it?"

"It's fine. Stay there."

Eric's barely got the vest over his head as Max bellows, "Eric!" He throws the door open to an unusual stricken face of Max. "You need to come with me, now!" Max looks like he's sweating.

"What's happened?"

"You need to fucking see this…"

Like a nail to the head, he motions five minutes with his hand. "Abbey get up."

---

"…And it's much to my sorrow to step down from my position and call on an election for the next figure to take my place. We need to steer Amity back to how it was and replenish the peace back to our faction, and I believe that begins with a new era… I'm greatly honored for my time here and can only thank each and every one of you for your understanding. Peace be with you all…"

Abbey's mouth is agape, Eric raging with heat and Max chewing his nails while they watch the footage over his shoulder.

Max moves and swivels to face them. "The message has been sent to all the other factions, and to every Leader at Dauntless. But that's not the only thing…" He rewinds the message and it begins playing again. He taps the screen multiple times as the words stutter out of his mouth, "This…this is not Johanna."

"It looks like Johanna," Abbey speaks quietly.

"No, look. Watch the eyes. She doesn't blink, not once." He plays it again to them for good measure. "We need to stop this footage reaching the other factions, it's false."

"Fuck!" Eric shouts and Abbey stands back.

"Can we stop it?" Abbey asks, still in the quiet tone. "It's already been sent?"

"Eric can."

"I can delay it by blocking it momentarily," Eric speaks through his fingers as he rubs his face. "But I can't erase it." He sighs, "Not without Four."

"Four people?"

"No, he's a person, Ab's. His names Four and stop… right there…" Eric frowns at her, knowing full well she was about to comment on it. Any other time he would have been ecstatic, but now was not that time. "Get him up here, he's the only one who knows how... I need your computer," Eric's already pulling Max out of the chair as a weird display comes up on the screen. Abbey can only make out the names of the factions, then times and dates flash by, then the numbers mix and the words are weird and spelled incorrectly. "We caught it early, the links are unopened."

"They haven't seen it?"

"Wait… shit. Erudite is trying to access it." While Eric's typing, it seems to skip a line down, then he retypes the same. "It's Jeanine. It wouldn't be anyone else this persistent at this hour." He punches the enter key and a line furrows across the entire thing. "Got it, but it won't last long. It will try to restore the networks then eventually resend it." He throws a look over to Max, "Where's Four?"

"He'll be here any minute." Max's hands go to his hips as he peers down to the ground.

Eric's characteristic brow rises, his piercings glinting. "What are you doing going through your messages at this time?"

"I tried to get hold of Johanna. Her phone was dead. It's not like her… Then the message came through."

"Really?"

"Yes… really…" Max snaps back under Eric's suspicious squint.

"Johanna's a really nice woman," Abbey says with a gleaming smile and Eric and Max stare over at her charismatic form. "But she's married to Joel," she shrugs. "He's really nice, too."

'What the fuck,' Eric whispers to himself, incredulously looking at her. "Abbey… reel in the Amity. Now's not the fucking time."

"When I get nervous I talk…"

"Yeah, I know," Eric cuts her off. "Where the hell is Four?" he growls, checking the screen again.

"Why did he choose the name Four anyway?"

Another unexpected voice makes all three of their heads turn simultaneously.

"Because I only have four fears." Four peers down to Eric, his brown eyes slightly smiling as he then nods at Abbey in an informal hello. "I understand you need my help?"

"Not help, but collaboration," Eric smirks falsely back up at him from behind the desk. "No time for questions."

"I hardly expect any of your time at all, Eric…" Four huffs as he plants a laptop next to Eric's main computer, booting the thing up.

"Because you always waste it."

"Your clocks are set back five minutes…"

"Wouldn't want to be late."

"The clock was a Metaphor."

Abbey throws her hands up to them both, "Woah! Can we concentrate on what we're doing? …Max?"

Max just shrugs between the two glaring at each other, until Four breaks it. "Anyone want to tell me what's going on?"

---

The sun is just coming up and Abbey trails over Eric's larger fingers while lying on their sides.

After the run-down with Four, they headed straight back to the apartment to rest before another full and probably bountiful day ahead of them. But neither of them can, seemingly too caught up with everything running through their minds, so opt to comfortably lay facing each other, fully clothed, hands dancing…

Eric kneads his fingers into her hair, massaging her scalp. "Stop thinking."

"I can't." She chews her lip. "I'm worried."

"Let me worry about it." But Eric wasn't worried at all. He was hours away from gathering a hunting party and invading Amity till he got answers because he, quite frankly, had had enough. Not that he'd told her any of this yet.

Rolling till she's on her elbows, she keeps one of his hands, picking his cuticle. "Who did this to Johanna?"

"An idiot who is going to get caught." His words are blunt, tired of the parade that seems to follow them around and sick to death of the shit Johanna brought into his life.

She smiles at him, "Max loves her."

Laughing a little to himself, he couldn't quite believe it either. "I know…" Falling onto his back he exhales out exaggeratedly into the quiet room. "Although, I didn't really know until earlier." Max had kept that one quiet, and in that thought, he throws an arm behind his head. He winces as Abbey decides now would be the right moment to mount him.

"They're going to have trouble dealing with a …" she flicks around the room a minute while she thinks. "a Damitless."

She's fucking stupid, but so fucking cute at the same time.

"A what now?" his whole body shudders with laughter underneath her, uncontrollable laughter that wasn't usual for him. Every evil thought process in his conjuring mind was nothing more than a fleeting memory.

"You know, half Amity, half Dauntless."

"You're just fucking Amity. No way are you Dauntless. I can't even believe you manifested from Erudite. You're a…" he's laughing so hard he can barely talk. "…You're an abomination."

"My front is just a façade," she shrugs. "And screw you… dip shit."

"Aww, Ab's, c'mon. I'm laughing with you…" Eric juts his lip out, keeping his tone light and stopping her from crawling off him by grasping her hips,

"…I'm not laughing, at all." But Eric still is. "Stop it." But he doesn't. "Eric…" Shifting until both her knees are dug into his biceps to try and hurt him, he finally looks up at her.

Instantly stopping, he licks his bottom lip, a line forming just between his eyebrows. He seems to think long and hard about something, the pain visible on his face as Abbey fidgets and appears confused before him. But he does notice how her breathing has slightly increased.

The words are there.

The words he wanted to reel off freely without any qualms, but something physically stops him every time. It was like, once he said them, then that was it, some grave or crippling mistake would be scribbled through his entire being, ready to for him to fuck it up, or latch on to his faults and ruin him. - Faults in which he had many.

It threatened to crumble every wall he had built around him.

But how can it be a mistake if he meant it?

Blocking out the nagging voices, the number of problems that awaited the moment he stepped in his office later that morning, and how exactly he was going to force a raid on Amity. Right now, it only came down to one thing and the rest of it was bullshit in comparison.

Abbey was the sledgehammer to his one-hundred-foot wall.

And if he didn't tell her now, he never would. He would be damned to never get the chance to say it. After all, it had only taken him since a teenager and timespan of around six years to pluck up the courage…

Settling for a mutual expression, his fingertips graze along Abbey's neck, pushing up until they cup against her cheek and she doesn't move, afraid to breathe, her eyes stinging from trying to keep them as wide as possible to take in every fiber of his being.

She watches his lips as he says: "I love you."

Chapter 11

Since this morning, Eric has done everything and anything to keep himself occupied.

Mainly because he was slightly thwarted by the three little words he said to Abbey earlier. Her reaction wasn't what he entirely expected, it was silence.

A silence that had him wondering if he should have said them… until she smiled and everything became a glorious blur.

In a way, it was the perfect reaction, he didn't want to have to explain why, or act out how much he did, because she already knew. Of course, she did, she wasn't that stupid. It was just unexpected, on both their parts, that it fell from his mouth.

She's sitting in the spare chair in his office while he apparently must do some work but he simply can't because his eyes keep wandering over to her. She doesn't look up or even know he is, and this makes him fidget.

Why won't she say anything? …Did he want her to? The answer was yes. She was the open, honest, forgiving one out of the two of them and her nonchalant attitude was beginning to drive him mad.

He clears his throat for the fifth time, "Ab's."

"Yep." Her eyes still skim across the paper in front of her, but without another word from him, she peers up over it, her green orbs dancing across his bothered face. "What is it?"

"Is… something wrong?" He hates the hesitation, the uncertainty in his voice and she catches it instantly from a small flicker of her lashes.

"No," she shrugs. "Why would it be?"

Eric breaks her eye contact for the smallest of moments, nerves fully on edge. "You're quiet." He tries to stop his knee from jumping under the table.

"You looked busy."

"Are you well?" That was stupid question, and she even frowns at him with his stupid question.

"I'm fine, Eric." Her eyes drop to the paper and back. "Are you well?"

He frowns back at her. "Yes."

Smiling, she puts the paper on the desk. "I'm glad we have that settled then." Sitting back, she plays with a piece of her hair. "There's something else you want to say?"

Yes. "No."

"Okay…" she chirps, still watching him. "To me… it looks like you have something else you want to say." Her hands skim the desk as she stands and rounds her way over to him. He stays slumped back in his chair, his feet loose out in front of him. "You actually look… a little distracted…" She knocks his slack knees with hers. "There wouldn't be something on your mind right now?" She unzips her jacket a little, "Would there?"

"Something's beginning to develop."

"So it's not all muscle…" she straddles him, playfully watching his mouth. Her hands grip onto his jacket pockets, a handful of material in each hand as she makes sure to keep his full attention. "I'm a little distracted too." Her lips lightly touch his.

"Oh really?"

Leaning in towards him, he turns his head slightly as she delightfully whispers, "I'm not wearing any underwear…"

… And his office door is thrown open.

Lauren and Noah look struck by the sight in front of them, but Abbey merely throws her head back over her shoulder to them. "Oh, hi guys." Noah shifts and Lauren gulps. Abbey peels her limbs from Eric and strolls to the door, "I'm going to make coffee, I'll bring you guys some," still smiling as the door clicks behind her.

Leaving the room in a deafening silence, Eric glares at the two once he pulls his eyes from the door, now left completely unsatisfied.

"You're one lucky son of a bitch, you know that, right?" Lauren eventually finds her tongue. "How can you get any work done with that hanging off your every word."

To be fair, Eric does try his hardest not to smile. "It's not a bad way of life."

"You'll have to teach me."

"Some things can't be taught." His smirk is devilish. "Now that you're here. I have something I need you to do for me."

"Being?"

"I'm going to Amity. And Abbey is staying here. But she doesn't know that yet." Simultaneously his computer beeps and a message from Max is displayed, even though his room is three doors down. "I need you to keep an eye on her."

"Consider it done."

"No parties. No going outside of Dauntless. No shopping. You take her to eat, then back to the apartment while I'm not here." Eric exhales, pulling himself more upright.

"Is there…" Lauren shares a look with Noah, "Some sort of danger we should know about?"

"That's a question I can't really answer. But I don't want to leave her here at Dauntless alone."

"Well, when you get back and Abbey is officially my girlfriend, can you assure me that there will be no bad feelings?" Lauren has a lop-sided smile on her face.

"You can have the role as ball massager, how about that?"

"Disgusting."

"As always…" His smirk drops and the usual expressionless mask is fixed back onto his face. "There are only a few people I trust around here, you three, Max and Abbey. So, Noah, I want you to be a part of my team for this afternoon. I know Luka is assisting Four for most of the day."

"Of course," Noah nods. Eric mainly liked him for his quiet demeanor unless alcohol fuelled. And from his seemingly quiet morning, he could think of no one better to suit his mood.

But the three whiten as Abbey steps back into the room, holding a bloodied hand in the other, biting at her bottom lip.

She peers up, simply saying, "Oops."

---

"Eric, I'm fine. The infirmary will wrap it up and it'll be good as new." He's holding the wrist of her sliced hand, furiously marching her through quick glances and hushed voices. "Go back to work, I don't need an escort."

"Only you…" he drifts off through the heat of his own anger, mumbling something else to himself.

"I dropped the spoon and it fell down the back of the counter… I put my hand down there and there must've been a splinter of wood or something…" She's met with just a growl and a sharp tug. "…You're overreacting!"

The infirmary door blows open and the nurse jumps from behind the desk. Eric's eyes swing left to right and he takes full advantage of his rank and stomps through into one of the many examination rooms, the nurse scurrying quickly behind them.

"Patch her up," Eric merely snarls at the little troll. But he's highly penalized by the look she gives him, no doubt she thinks he did this to her. But without paying her mind, he crosses his arms and his lips set resolutely tense on his face.

Abbey slips onto the cot and holds the injured hand in the other, staring down at her feet. A slight metal trolley is wheeled up and the nurse dabs at the wound methodically.

"Good news, it's not too bad. It looks worse than it is," the small nurse smiles up at her.

"It was an accident…" Abbey smiles back, watching her work.

The nurse just hums in response, unconvinced. The side of her left hand is then wrapped, the bandage wound between either side of her thumb.

"I'm going to give you a shot, ease the pain."

"Oh no, it's fine, I'm Amity. We believe in herbal medicine and the body's natural ability to heal over minor things like this."

Eric's head tilts somewhat. "She'll take the shot," and directs a serious glare at her in warning.

The nurse's blue eyes roam over Eric, her forehead pinched, and she fetches the shot without another word.

"No, I don't want it," Abbey says more forcefully, a little over-embellished in Eric's eyes. And when her face softens, she stammers, "I get… sick when anything is put into my body." It's said mainly to the nurse, knowing that without a reasonable explanation Eric would probably give her the shot himself.

"Allergies?"

"No… I-I don't know. It's the way it's always been," she shakes her head, shrugging.

"What do you use for birth control?"

Abbey glows in embarrassment under Eric's inquisitive stare. "Non-hormonal…"

"That's an extremely old method," the nurse says curiously.

"Everything else made me sick, like I said. Can I go now?" Abbey looks at Eric as if just his presence being here has betrayed her. But he is impassively staring at her.

When the nurse nods, Abbey slips down hurriedly, throwing her arms around her and rubbing at her shoulder. She doesn't wait for Eric, he's too lost in inquisitiveness, his pace slowed as he walks behind her. She casts a mysterious glance to him over her shoulder, her eyes a little shinier than usual.

She's upset. But she's also hiding something.

Eric's more curious now as to how she thinks she can escape him; escape the one of many questions dancing on the end of his tongue. He purely grinds his teeth together in the silence of the stairs, the corridor, then his own apartment. Be it an Erudite habit or a small fascination he couldn't tell, but calmly he closes the door behind him.

Abbey's leaning up against the sink in the bathroom, her head hanging between her arms. "Why didn't you tell me?" he says with a calm, assuring tone while inclined upon the doorframe.

"Because it's not important."

"What if something happened and I didn't know and you reacted-"

"Nothing will happen."

"What if you got sick? An infection?"

Abbey laughs, but it's not in amusement, it's incredulous. "If you haven't already noticed by now, I don't get colds and flu, I've never had the chicken pox, tonsillitis, coughs, rashes… I only vomit furiously, pass out, or suffer from severe headaches when something foreign is considerably dosed and put into my body. Hence why I avoided the bread at Amity… The headaches were the worst."

"Your aptitude test?"

"I vommed for a while and was released without a second thought." She turns to face him. "I've relied on natural, herbal remedies. Plants, herbs."

"The natural florist in you…" It suddenly makes sense to him. "Your wound?"

"Will heal quickly."

"So what are you saying… you're immune… to everything?" He tries to hold back the mocking and incensed voice he uses, but it's no good as it tumbles out in a half-laugh.

"Obviously not hangovers…" she tries to play it off lightly but Eric doesn't budge with the unrecognizing look on his face, as if he actually doesn't see her anymore, but someone else standing in front of him.

Abbey's eyes meet his and her lip trembles. "Don't look at me like that." Eric scratches at his face about to speak but she cuts him off. "…Don't look at me like I'm the next experiment of Erudite!"

"That's why you left and that's why you didn't choose Dauntless…" His tongue plays against a tooth and he feels fucking stupid for not putting any of the pieces together sooner.

"I left because I knew they would find out and I wouldn't have a chance." A sob leaves her and Eric turns his back, his thoughts wild in his head. The beast of his swelling anger was rising its ugly head so fast there was no time to chain it.

"You should've told me!" He thumps a fist on the wall.

Closing the distance between them and lowering his head to her level, Abbey blinks up at him a few times from the startle and the heat that seems to be billowing off of him. "I watched you at the choosing ceremony, one hundred percent convinced you were Dauntless. My mother consoled me after you chose Amity - the ultimate betrayal. You knew all along I was choosing Dauntless and I couldn't follow you. You even had the audacity to blame me!"

"I thought-"

"Fuck what you thought." Eric marches to the door and Abbey chases after him. "Do you know what position this puts me in?" he barks out, just as he touches the handle. Abbey almost runs into him but stops and stays quiet. "You're some kind of fucked up Divergent. Do you know what I do to Divergents?" Abbey shakes her head. "I put the barrel of a gun to their head… and I blow their fucking brains out. When I said you were an abomination, I couldn't have been more right…" He throws the door open.

"Where are you going?!"

"To start the raid on Amity. That's where all these god damn secrets are hiding, are they not?" Eric's inconsolable, Abbey knows she's lost him to his wicked anger and she gives him the most degrading look she can fathom as her cheeks are slick with streaming tears. "What? Next, you'll be telling me you're working alongside the factionless, seduced me because I was fair game to your cause?"

Abbey slaps him straight across his right cheek, the sound echoing off the four walls. "How dare you…" She storms off into the room and Eric slams the door closed behind him.

He wipes the blood off his cheek with the cuff of his jacket.

---

Eric oversees the Dauntless soldiers format themselves into the trucks with precision. Max stands to his right, throwing him a look every now and again, glimpsing the shrewd nail marks on his face but doesn't say anything.

Only Eric's jaw flinched from time to time and Max imagined him to be even taller than he usually was. There was a raw ferocity to him. It was unnerving. His eyes so dark and detached, he looked like he was out for blood… Or about to rip the nearest persons head off…

Max clears his throat, remembering he had a sphincter. "Any problems-"

"There won't be." Eric doesn't even look at him. "Abbey's not to leave my apartment under any circumstances…" Then Eric marches to the starting trucks and grabs onto the side of the first one as the wheels spin out from underneath it.

This is not good.

---

Max feared that if Eric found out he went to his apartment to find Abbey, that this would be close to treachery and ruin the seemingly workable bond they had made over the years.

But what he doesn't know, doesn't hurt him, right?

Max knocks twice. Inside he can hear Abbey fumbling around - much to his relief, with what he wasn't sure. "It's Max," he says gruffly, but with a quietness to his voice in case anybody else was around.

As soon as Abbey opens the door, Max exhales a sharp breath, "Hell no!" He looks down her Amity clothing. "Whatever Eric's done, it's fixable. But you are under orders."

"He can't order me to do anything!"

"As much as I understand Eric's impulsive actions, I don't believe he would hurt you. So what's the problem? Because he looked mighty pissed when he left."

"Good!" she just calls back over her shoulder, packing that hideous flowery bag of hers.

It wasn't even lunch yet and everything was already floating down shit creek. "I can't allow you to leave."

"What are you going to do? Lock me in?" she says sarcastically.

"Unfortunately for you, Abbey, that's exactly what I'm going to do. Coming to Dauntless makes you property of our faction while you're still on our turf. We are responsible until otherwise stated from the Leader of the faction that brought you here, and Eric's orders were for you to stay in the apartment until further notice." She scrambles for the door but he side-steps and locks it from the outside.

Shit, maybe he was a little harsh.

---

The Amity scream and run for the nearest hovels. Mother's pull children and the men motion for them to get back. Five trucks scuff to a halt. The Dauntless soldiers jump from the sides and back in their full gear and hardened faces. Guns pulled, they push the nearest Amity towards the Dome.

Eric drops down from the cab, a dead stop as his boots hit the gravel - again. Each step is weighed down heavily, but there is a dangerous smirk on his face. He was enjoying this. This was exactly what he needed. He felt betrayed in more ways than one, personally and professionally - and completely and utterly torn.

Mark slides through a hovering group of Amity towards him, and he merely ignores him. "Eric, what is this?" He doesn't speak and Mark tries to consider what was more dangerous, a cocky ass of an Eric or a quiet one.

Eric's followed by his devoted guard, heading straight for the office.

"Johanna's not there!" Mark calls over and this captures his attention.

But his face is blank, his eyes unseeing. "You're all under arrest until further notice." His grouped guard rush around Mark and the Amity, pushing them back and away.

"This is an injustice!" Somebody shouts.

Eric clicks his neck. "If anybody tries to run, shoot them."

---

Lauren knocks on Eric's door, keeping to her word. "Abbey… I'm a little late, sorry."

There's no reply or the sound of movement from inside.

"Abbey?" She wiggles the handle but it's locked and she places her ear against the reinforced wood. Running a hand through her dreadlocked hair, she stands back, throwing her foot to the handle, again and again until the lock busts. The room is tidy, but also empty. Rushing to the window she peers down to the concrete ground, grinding her teeth together in utter frustration. Could she really escape from up here?

"Shit!" She pulls out her phone, dialing Max's number. He answers on the second ring, a nervous cut to his voice. "I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, but Abbey's missing..."

---

Mark was right, Johanna was not at her office. Apparently, she was sick at home with her husband which he found out later from one of the guards of Amity.

When Eric storms through Johanna's door, his ensemble turn and block entry to anyone else behind him. Her husband rushes from what Eric assumed was the bedroom, the older man's eyes taking every one of his attributes in, recognizing him instantly.

"Johanna's sick," is all Joel manages to put through his fear.

"Oh, I know," he snarls, pushing passed him and taking in Johanna's sweating and withering form, a fan blasting directly on her.

"The doctors don't know what's wrong."

"She's been in a simulation. And if I'm correct, she still might be." Eric stands against the edge of the bed and peers down at her. "Hello, Johanna," he smirks. "Remember me?" Johanna just groans, her face scrunched. She was off the planet right now. "This is not a simulation we use. This is something else." He touches her face with uncharacteristic delicacy, her skin inhumanly aflame. "The simulation is going to kill her."

"What!"

"Whoever is doing this has programmed it to kill her. In a way, a trick of the mind… Marvelous, isn't it?" Eric shakes his head from his sickening fascination. "Take her to the hospice. The only thing we can do is a transfusion, try to flush the serum... But the chances are slim." Eric's already detached himself from the thought of Johanna possibly dying, and as he passes Joel, he stops. "I'm sorry for your loss."

---

Four kisses his teeth for the hundredth time. "I can't find her."

"She's wearing pink, how can you not find her?" Max rubs his shaved head. He's seconds away from alerting Eric. "How did she get out of there?"

Lauren shrugs, leaning on the back of Luka's chair, "No idea, but this is a woman of Eric's we are talking about. Picked the lock, or the window."

"She went out the fucking window..." Max says with mirth. "Anyone check she wasn't splattered at the bottom?"

"Actually, yes," Lauren smiles. "It was the first thing I looked for."

Max points to the screen, "Check the footage from the corridor again." The footage plays and just a few regular faces pass by. Speeded up it shows the door never opening, and eventually, Lauren appears on the screen, kicking the door down. "Shit… Lauren, gather a search party-"

"Wait…" Four says. "You wouldn't believe it…" On the screen, it shows Lauren entering, then seconds later Abbey ducking out of the apartment and out of the camera's view. "She walked right past you." The smirk is audible through his voice and he throws a look over his shoulder to Max's scrunched nose.

Max immediately implicates Lauren within one look. "No way. I didn't see her. I didn't hear anything!" she throws her hands up.

"Obviously… And get someone to fix Eric's damn door before he gets his ass back here!"

---

Inside the Dome, the noise of traveling voices is monstrous. Eric bowls through the entrance and comes to a halt. Everyone's moving and arguing among themselves, and the only thought that springs to his mind is corruption...

"We want answers!" "You can't hold us like this!" "Where's Johanna?!" Many of the voices shout over and over.

"Citizens of Amity!" Eric barks over the noise. The incessant rumble comes to a halt almost immediately and the faces peer at him, some blankly. "…Amity is under heavy surveillance because those of you who don't know - Johanna was attacked. She's been put through a simulation for the intentions of causing disruption. And until we get to the bottom of it, we need you to cooperate, for your own safety!"

Mark nods to one of his men.

"We elect Mark!" "Yeah!" "New voice of Amity!" The many voices gather turbulence and one of the Dauntless guard's shoves someone back into the center who pushed forwards.

"That's not your decision, that was Johanna's - which she made clear before she went under the simulation."

"Yeah, that's right! … You're wife!" Mark finally speaks up, the crowd turning to him. "Amity doesn't want links to a hateful, controlling faction! We cannot accept the new proposed elected!"

"That's not your choice to make," Eric speaks quietly, glaring at Mark to silence him. But there's a ripple in the crowd which can't be ignored. "And the newly elected is an Amity, just as much as yourselves" he breaks Mark's eye contact and coolly addresses the crowd again. Some of the Dauntless look worriedly over at him, and another person is propelled back into the crowd.

"The proof is in the pictures!" Mark holds up the one of him and Abbey from the harvest. "They are interfactionally married! The elected is only to benefit Dauntless! We can't stand for this!"

The crowd mumbles and people nod their heads.

Mark finally lands the deal breaker, "We want Dauntless out of Amity and any involved to be factionless!" His eyes glint as he looks at Eric.

"Wait!" someone screeches, pushing through the bodies. "Abbey's my friend!" Clem adjusts the glasses on her face. "She's a friend to most of us here, and we trust Johanna, don't we?" Sandra appears behind, gripping her shoulder.

"Johanna is not fit for Leadership," Mark snipes her. "Are you involved in this mockery?" But he doesn't give them time, the crowd is hooked, his men placed randomly in the gathering. "Out with Dauntless and their perpetrators!" One of Mark's men elbows Clem in the face, smashing her glasses and blood spills from her nose.

Eric pulls his gun directly at Mark at the same time his men point theirs.

A gloomy silence falls.

"Looks to me like Dauntless has lost this round, Eric," Mark smiles. "You don't want this blood on your hands, do you?" He pulls at a child to stand directly in front of him, Eric's eyes flashing up and down him. "Eric – Remembered for mass murder at Amity… has a certain ring to it, doesn't it?"

For a minute he feared Eric would pull the trigger anyway, but he dared to call his bluff. One single shot and Amity would be lost.

Eric lowers his gun fractionally, stepping to the side and dragging a sobbing Clem and Sandra with him and out of the crowd, placing them into the hands of one of his men. "Amity who don't want involvement with this crime are being offered this one chance to return to Dauntless. But listen closely… For those of you who don't - you will face the consequences."

"Amity doesn't take orders from Dauntless anymore. And we especially don't feed the factions. It's about time we looked after our own. Our hands are now tied…" Mark says lowly, and nobody dares to move from behind him.

"So be it…" The Dauntless back away, guns still drawn. But Eric dares to step closer, growling every word towards Mark, "I'll be seeing you very soon…"

Mark squints back, still smirking, "Oh, I hope so…"

---

Max sees the two woman crying into each other first. The small woman has a bloodied nose, comforted by the other. Just from the look of some of the drawn faces, he knows something is considerably wrong, and with his added notary, things were only going to get worse.

When Eric comes marching in, he's absolutely furious.

"Eric…"

"Amity have deflected. I've pulled Dauntless out to halt a bloodbath." His fingers run through the side of his shaved hair and he peers back to Johanna being wheeled in on a cot. "We need to alert the other factions." The sudden urgency to check on Abbey washes over him and he begins for the steps. It was, for a fact, that she in his thoughts and had stopped him from pulling the trigger.

"Eric, there's been a problem…" Max exhales a long while and Eric's face changes in front of him, almost as if his lucid tone was enough to suffice enough information.

"Abbey's missing…"

Chapter 12

Eric is a colossal motion of built rage. The Dauntless closest back away, eyes wide, the breath hitching in their throats as they throw themselves to the side as he walks along with Max in tow. And so they should. Eric had rightfully earned his place and Leadership among Dauntless. He was known for his brutality, quick mind and fierce appearance - the attitude to match.

"I leave Lauren with one task!" Eric growls to Max. "And she's missing! An Amity…" he says disbelievingly.

There is a slight hesitancy on Max's behalf as he had already fully suspected this would be Eric's reaction, "She was trying to leave, I had to stop her. Then when Lauren went to check, she slipped out." There was also no real explanation and no further information to repeat to Eric. The redundancy of this situation infuriated him, so he keeps himself guarded under Eric's ferocity by creating a small distance between them.

"She slipped out, just like that… Where's Lauren? I'm going to strangle her myself." He pushes the security door open and Four throws his head back to look at him. The earpiece is pressed with his hand against his ear and he nods at Eric.

"The trucks patrolling the roads to Amity have reported seeing no one." Then Four mumbles back into the piece.

Max clears his throat. "Lauren has taken a group to the train but Abbey had a good fifteen, twenty minutes on us." He watches as Eric leans up against one of the monitors and dares to move closer. "What exactly happened?"

"I didn't touch her if that's what you're thinking... We argued. She… kept something from me and I couldn't see through my anger, as per fucking usual!" he slaps a palm onto the side. "Fuck! Anyone care to explain how she left through the check-point? Did she hand them flowers? Maybe she took them hostage… I can't make my mind up with what one sounds more believable."

Max hums, "Well, that's to be questioned, and I'm going to see to that myself. But I wasn't going to until I spoke to you first… Where would she go if not Amity? The factionless will be all over this."

"Yeah, I know…" He drags a hand down his face, suddenly stopping. "That's a good question… a fucking good one. Of course…" Eric peers off in thought. "Luka, call Noah. You two are coming with me."

---

The truck hisses as it comes to a stop and Eric jumps out, peering up at the war-torn buildings, checking the roofs first and any potential danger from above and adjacent windows. They were stupid as kids, stupid little teenagers who didn't think of the consequences of bunking off school. But now he knew. Now he habitually checked every open space before allowing himself to venture further.

The tree is still there.

Still standing in the squared off dirt, it looks smaller than he remembered, but the branches and chipped bark are just as haunting.

"Why are we here?" Luka shouts from the cab and flicking a cigarette towards the crumpled curb.

"Shut up." He still peers up to the highest branches, their names will still be up there, weathered, but etched for as long as the tree stood. He's mainly here because he needs time to think, to put himself in Abbey's mind and think about where she would go. "Where are you?" he says in barely a whisper. Her whereabouts would be very limited and he couldn't imagine she'd be stupid enough to hitch a ride back to Amity.

In his mind, he runs down all events he's ever come across with her, that smile, the eyes, the laugh, ghostly playing out in his head as vivid images.

Only one time she never turned up to school. One time she hid and didn't tell him.

He turns back to the truck to Noah's and Luka's confused stares.

"I know where she is."

---

Erudite is pristine. It's much more glamorous than Dauntless and stands higher than any other building, dressed from top to bottom in gleaming windows that seemingly baked in the unusual and thirsty weather. Dauntless couldn't be overlooked with its impressive intimidation of military presence and its sheer width, but Erudite is a step beyond that with the tippled edge of upper class shoved in your face by the way the towering building beckoned to be admired. They deemed their knowledge on par with their construction abilities.

The pathways are even etched and signs say 'Do not step on the grass'. It's more the glances and hushed whispers that still gripe him though, even to this day. - But the sudden urge to kick tufts of the green stuff and dance on the lawns was slightly tempting.

Erudite were snobs, and when they set eyes upon the Dauntless here, their noses were immediately turned upwards. It was funny how they abandoned the signs warnings and stepped onto the plush greenery to escape Eric's direct stride…

He's waved through immediately by the Dauntless guard and several Erudite. He knows exactly where he is going.

Floor 50, Apartment 205.

They are not stopped by the front desk; the woman appallingly hides with a small squeak and a flutter of papers in surprise.

Even in the lifts, Erudite refuse to get in with them, especially while they're armed. And when it chimes on their floor with the luscious pronunciation from a woman's computerized voice, he knows the corridor like the back of his hand, peeling around various corners and unbothered to count his way to the intended apartment. The gleaming silver numbers of 205 sit on the white glossed door in front of him, still as new.

He raps once, then places his hands in front of him, waiting patiently.

The man who answers is completely bald on top with hair shaved around the sides. His Erudite blue cottoned sweater was neatly worn with the white collar of his shirt poking out from underneath, looking exactly how Eric remembered him. His brown eyes drop down Eric and up, then he smiles. "Eric… I would say I was surprised, but I'm not."

"Mr. Ainsworth," he nods in greeting. "I'm looking for Abbey." He watches attentively as the older man glances behind him, then his wife appears. Her green eyes are darker than Abbey's, and the hair color is not as vibrant, but just from a glance, the similarities were there. "Mrs. Ainsworth."

"Please, it's Debby and Ben. You know that" she rolls her eyes. Her attitude, in a way, was also similar. Eric lifts his cheeks for their wellbeing and clears his throat. "And yes she is here. But she doesn't want to see you."

"I'm sorry, but she's under orders now."

"Orders, smorders…" Debby throws her hand up. "When have you ever listened to orders? When have either one of you two listened to anyone?"

"Look…" He glances at Noah briefly who still appears utterly confused and too involved in this conversation for his liking. Eric steps closer as if it would stop him from overhearing somehow. "I just need to see her." He still can't manage to pull rank on Abbey's parents. Old habits die hard. "… Things have been left inappropriately and I need to fix it. I don't know how much you know-"

"We know everything," Debby says crossing her arms. "A Mother and Daughter bond is very strong and we take pride in it. Don't we, Ben?" Ben just nods habitually to please her.

"Then you know why I must see her."

Ben looks at Debby and nods, "Fine, but raised voices are not permitted. And that…" he points to his gun, "Is not permitted here, either."

"As you wish." He gives his weapon to Noah and silently they understand to wait outside.

Ben doesn't move from the door as Eric passes, and waves him through instead. Immediately he's hit by familiarity. Everything is still the same and even has the particular soap essence floating in the air he remembered. But Eric had changed. Be it the pounds of muscle and the intimidating height that only enhanced his persona, he crippled the apartment with his mass and tainted the white walls with the blackness of his clear-cut uniform.

Her parents' guide him to her bedroom door and he feels a little uncomfortable as they slightly smother him, hovering just behind him as the handle clicks. It was like they were waiting for him to be bitten by the caged animal they held behind closed doors.

But the first thing he should've done is protect his face… He's smacked in the head with a pillow and he merely exhales through his nose.

"Abbey, please…" Debby tries her best to sound unhappy with her daughter's fierce behavior, but they all knew what she was like. She then whispers to Eric, "She's a little annoyed…" before squeezing his shoulder. "Good luck, sweetheart."

Eric steps inside the door and closes it. Abbey immediately throws a golden award at him, which he dodges and it bounces off the wall somewhere. Her room is still the way it was, her parents having no doubt kept it for the memories, a little like his own folks. The awards along the shelf, the plush bedding and pillows, pictures up on every viewable surface. - It was not far off her hovel at Amity.

"There's the little flyaway." He grins cockily at how right he was and how well he knew her. "I'm taking you back to Dauntless." He steps a little closer and she seems to be rummaging through a drawer.

"I'm not going anywhere with you! And especially not back to Dauntless! You made yourself very clear earlier." She pulls her dress off in front of him and his knuckles whiten.

"It's not safe for you to be here… and put your fucking clothes on…"

"I'm not safe with you either," she says while throwing a pale vest over her head. "Why are you even here? To put a barrel of a gun to my head? To name the many ways in which I'm an abomination? To take me to Jeanine? Which is it?"

"I'm here for you." He steps even closer and she throws her hand out.

"No! Do not come near me. Don't try and convince me with lies and promises. I'm tired of hearing them!"

"What I said, I said when I was angry. It shouldn't be taken into account. And you can't stay here." He knocks something other on the chest of drawers to his right as he passes and her eyes fixate on him now. Stuff like that annoyed her. "There's been a problem at Amity. All of Dauntless has been pulled out. Johanna is dying… Your friends are at Dauntless."

"Clem? Sandra? Are they okay?"

"Clem got a nasty hit to the nose, but she's in the infirmary… Abbey listen, when I was there-"

"No, Eric," she whines, closing her eyes. "Stop… please."

"I thought of you when I was there and it stopped me from making a huge mistake." Her ferocity has depleted and he brings himself closer, running a hand down her arm. "It made me realize I'm making another." She trails after his hand then looks up at him. "I've made another… however you want to fucking see it."

"I want to stop crying over you." She bites her lip and eyes brim with unshed tears. "Stop making me cry over you!" she thumps him then winces over her left hand. He grabs at her body and pulls her closer till her head rests under his chin before she can shut off from him again. "You loved me and hated me all in one day. How could you… how can you do that, after everything?"

"I never hated you. I can't. I was just pissed… I'm not exactly the sensitive type when it comes to surprises and omissions." He scoffs a little, "But that's quite an achievement. You should be proud."

"Stop being an idiot," she mumbles against his jacket.

"Come back with me. I'm not leaving until you do."

"What about-" she pulls her head up to look at him.

"What about it? You don't belong here, that I know."

Abbey smiles a little unsurely. "I'm scared," he hears her say softly when she pushes herself back into his jacket.

The door creaks behind them and Eric turns, Abbey's still clutched in his arms and he takes in her parent's dubious faces as if they had caught them in the act. Abbey pushes from him and her head drops a little, probably out of embarrassment.

"We hoped you could stay for dinner?" Debby announces, her eyes still lingering between the two.

Abominations seem to run in this family.

---

Eric pulls at the neck of his shirt. Abbey sits in front of him and smiles sheepishly, and only the clanking of cutlery is audible through the uncomfortable silence. He takes another bite of the roasted potatoes, not taking his eyes off of her and the way she tries to avoid him.

"You've come far at Dauntless, Eric, but what's with the tattoos?" Debby finally speaks, lifting a glass of white wine to her lips.

Was this some sort of parental interrogation again that he'd already sat through all those years ago? Most probably… But times were different now, he was far more confident than he was before.

"They're the leadership tattoos. I opted for the clear representation of them so they can't be questioned."

Debby nods, impressed. His eyes fall back to Abbey and she's smiling to herself while chewing quietly, her hair fanned over each shoulder and cardigan loosely pulled up her arms. He can't help but leer audaciously at her and her cheeks flush somewhat when she kicks him under the table.

Ben, who was once far too consumed by the meat on his plate, wipes his mouth with a napkin, "Are you able to commit to my daughter's safety while she is with you?"

"Most certainly." He gives him a flashing acknowledgment but is straight back to Abbey when she looks up at him and he smirks while the words tumble from his mouth, "But I fear for my own when in your daughter's company. She has quite the formidable temper." Abbey stops chewing and her fork hits the side of the plate.

"That's true…" Ben shrugs.

"Are you two together?" Debby suddenly asks.

"Mom!"

The four peer between each other and Eric's eyes are stonewashed as he does not once take his eyes off Abbey. "I believe so." Her cheeks are on fire under his gaze and it pushes him on, the sudden urge to put everything in the open is almost unbearable. He kicks his feet out leisurely, tilts his head back and gleefully says, "My future goals are to marry Abbey once the factionless cease to exist." Eric smiles wickedly. In a way, he was getting her back for the uncomfortable and nerve-wracking dinner they had when they were younger, ten-fold.

Should the awkward silence make him feel this good? Or was he just one sick and twisted son of a bitch?

"Eric?" Abbey questions, her little face scrunched up, and he just nods at her then smirks one-sidedly, waiting.

Debby purses her lips. "Well, I can't say that was unpredicted really… And you have been eyeballing each other for the past half an hour."

"Mom!" "Debby!"

"What? … It's true."

Eric bites his lip when Abbey blatantly tries to avoid him. Claiming what was rightfully his was leading straight to his groin.

He pulls himself up and swigs the water in front of him, trying to distract himself. "Thanks for the dinner but we really ought to get going. Ready, Ab's?" he says almost cockily.

"It was lovely to see you again," Debby says. "But next time I find my daughter turning up on my doorstep crying… I'll medically remove your nuts…"

"Message loud and clear."

---

Luka drives while Abbey is perched on Eric's lap, her hands somewhere to the back of his neck and shoulders.

Eric strokes a piece of hair away from her face as the lights of Dauntless would flash upon her. She turns slightly towards him, speaking so quietly he has trouble hearing it himself. "Did you mean what you said?"

"Yes."

"But what about-"

"It doesn't matter, it really fucking doesn't… I'm in two minds in what to call you." She crumples her face up at him. "Stubborn bitch from hell, Lost child, Pain in the ass, or Dick…" She elbows him. "Come on, you have to admit the first one is kind of appealing."

"Says chicken shit."

"I don't think that disgraceful nickname can apply to me any longer. Plus, it's getting a little old..." he whispers into her ear and she giggles softly at him while one of his hands run up her side.

Noah clears his throat. "Err, we're, um, … we're almost there."

Abbey kicks him a little with her foot, "What one did you prefer?"

---

"He went with, Pain in the ass… That there is just a joke. Out of all the others!" she moans. It's late at Dauntless and they make their way back to the apartment. A few hours' rest wouldn't hurt under the eventful day it's been.

"Well, at least he didn't go for mine – Stubborn bitch from hell… That was a good two seconds of thought lost…" He throws his door open and walks in, hearing her following behind. He turns to her and she's half-way through a yawn. "You tired?"

"It's been a long day…" She cautiously watches as he approaches, her eyes flicking up and down as he begins taking her cardigan off. She lifts her arms as he pulls at her vest and peers up at him. One hand begins stroking the side of her face. "What happened at Amity?" she sighs slightly as his thumb brushes over her bottom lip.

"They've elected Mark. Threw out anyone involved with Dauntless." Eric's own jacket is shrugged off, his tone impassive while he talks. "Johanna's in the infirmary having a transfusion as we speak. They're trying to flush whatever serum was in her body because I believe she may have answers. But I don't think she's going to make it. We need some kind of miracle to… heal… her…" His eyes flash up to Abbey who is strictly in thought. "No, Abbey."

"Why not? It's worth a shot."

"I promised to keep you safe and I will."

"Nothing will happen, it's just a bit of blood," she shrugs.

"A bit of blood... They will need more than you think. You'll have to be in the infirmary for the day."

"But if it saves Johanna's life? How can we refuse? Maybe they won't need as much as we think, I've never done it before. We can do it in stages."

"I won't risk it. There are two things at stake, you, and exposure." Eric tries to leave the conversation there by hitting the bathroom, shoving a toothbrush aggressively around his mouth and he peers up to her joining him with her own.

"But… if that were me… lying there… not Johanna," she says through brushing.

"No." Eric spits the paste out, dabbing his mouth quickly. He splashes his face and opens up his vanity cupboard above the sink, then peers exasperatedly down at her. "You organized my cupboard?"

"I told you I was going to go through it." She's standing in just her underwear and he can't help but roam over her. "What?"

"You have too much skin covered." His reply has her break a smile, one he wished he could capture and keep. He gently picks her up and she holds onto him tightly, embracing him. "No more running," he tells her. "But I have to know how you managed to slip the check-point?" Eric's removing her underwear as he speaks then places her on the bed.

"Oh, you know… I just said if they didn't let me go they would have you to answer to."

Eric can't work out whether she was telling the truth or not, but he knew Abbey had hidden capabilities when it came to evasion, he had witnessed it first hand on many occasions.

She lightly sighs while his hands scour her skin. Eventually, he watches her as she falls asleep but he falls into a pit of thought, listening to her slight breaths.

The eclipse that was foreshadowing him, was gone.

---

"Abbey!" Clem shrieks in the dining room. She clambers up from the bench and briskly closes the distance, throwing her arms around her. Her nose is covered by gauze and the glasses still not replaced.

"I heard what happened. I'm so sorry," Abbey speaks into her hair from a ferocious embrace but then pulls back. "The clothes are awful, aren't they?"

Clem laughs. "There was no time to get anything. Sandra's here…" she points to the table and Sandra looks up, her face softening and she jumps from the bench. She's a little plumper in her Dauntless clothes. When she reaches them, she throws her arms over both without a care.

"Thank god you're safe."

"I just went home to see my parents," Abbey says nonchalantly, then stops when Max appears behind Clem. "Hi… Max."

"I apologize for my behavior. I hope you can see how it was justified. But no more outings…"

"I'm sorry about Johanna."

"She's still fighting, but we don't know how long she has left. Her husband is with her." Max peers down to his boots and Abbey can feel his heartbreak as if it were her own.

"Ab's," Eric says quietly behind, having not moved or said anything and given them time for their short reunion. He didn't like the way this conversation was going and opted to avoid. He motions with his head towards one of the tables.

"Sit with me," Abbey says while grasping Clem's and Sandra's hands, and stubbornly she pulls them to one of the tables.

"Poor Johanna," Clem sighs. "I wish there was something we could do."

Eric nudges Abbey with his knee, glaring at her in warning. "There is," Abbey says while looking at him. "Clem and Sandra already know."

"Doesn't mean it will work and you could get in trouble…" Clem speaks quietly. "…They could call you Divergent."

"I'm not Divergent. It's a medical condition," Abbey says confidently.

"Care to explain?" Eric mocks.

"It's not just serum, it's everything I have problems with, so, I'm not Divergent. Simple."

"Oh, to live a day in the mind of Abbey…" Eric sighs but stops when she grabs his wrist.

"You want proof and answers, we need Johanna. It's an all-around win-win situation." He tries to retaliate and she grips him harder, "We're running out of time."

---

Eric watches the nurse lay Abbey on the bed, inserting a needle into the crook of her arm and slowly filling a bag of blood. He bites the inside of his cheek lost in thought just outside the door when Clem steps up next to him.

"She'll be fine." Then she drops her head a little. "You really care for her, don't you? I mean, I thought you did, but then I didn't know how much…" she rambles somewhat nasally from her injury.

Eric's over two heads taller than the little freak and arrogantly peers down at her. "Me and you aren't going to be the best of friends just because your buddies with Abbey…" Her face whitens a little. "But I'm glad you're trustworthy enough. And of course, I wouldn't be here otherwise."

"You're a lucky guy."

"So I've been told."

"Do you think if you weren't friends before, then you would be with Abbey now?" Clem is imagining him as Abbey's guard dog, waiting patiently outside of her room and glaring at the littlest of movements going on around them from time to time.

Eric thinks about it for a long second. "She plagued me from a young age, so the thought is unimaginable."

"Good answer," Clem nods, peering back into the room. Abbey waves to them, then lets her head fall back on the bed as the bag fills. "The nurse?"

"Won't say anything if she knows what's good for her," his jaw is tense as he speaks. And if almost by chance, the nurse steps out into the hallway, pulling the door to a little.

"If what you say is true. This will be a miracle, a cure to all simulations and more… But, I'm also afraid there may be consequences."

"I'm not taking her-" Eric rushes.

"No… that's not what I'm saying. Of course, there would be consequences if anyone found out, it's a heavily impressive quality she has. In my eyes, a little wasted…" She holds a hand out in oath, "But you have my word, I won't tell a soul… However, I'm talking on more of a personal level, one that may bring complications into the future."

"What are you talking about?" Eric snaps.

"If everything works to plan, her blood is entirely unique, a gift to some, but also possibly a curse. In all my personal experiences, to which I'm taking a medical guess on because I feel you won't let me study her further…" she squints a little in annoyance. "Without some type of tests and medical intervention, bearing children is next to impossible as her body will confuse it with a foreign obj-"

"Stop talking…" Eric gnaws on his bottom lip.

"It's a very likely theory, Eric. One that shouldn't be ignored." The little nurse watches as Eric pulls the door shut, then leans down to her level.

"Get rid of your theories. Don't you even think about mentioning this to her, do you understand?" Clem wipes at her face and Eric guesses she's crying or something Amity, while the nurse's lip trembles a little. "That's an order."

Eric didn't mean it in a hidden shame, he meant it to prolong Abbey's happiness and not have to be burdened with it. To him, it only seemed Clem was on the same page as him. "Eric's right, now's not the time to tell her."

"So slap that smile back on your face, or I'll do it for you…"

He pushes the nurse through the door and Abbey unknowingly watches, chirpily saying, "I think it's almost full."

---

"Johanna's getting better," Eric tells Abbey who's still laid out on one of the infirmary cots.

"Yay…" Her voice is unenthusiastic though, her face pale. They've been here for quite a while now. "I did a good thing." She sounds high, her eyes rolling a little. They took as much blood as they could without damage, but the effects were exhausting.

"You're never doing this again."

"Agreed, I feel used…"

"C'mon, let's get you back." He pulls her up slowly and gently sets her down from the bed. "You okay?"

"I'm good. But I want to see…" she pushes him a little towards the corridor. "For peace of mind."

Instead of arguing, he takes her to the room where Johanna is, and peers through the crack in the door. Johanna is not withering anymore, she's sat up with her husband drinking from a plastic cup of water. The smile on Abbey's face is weak, regardless of the amount she's eaten or drank to keep her energy up.

"Okay, I believe you. Now let's go home." She stumbles as if she was drunk. "I need to sleep for a week."

---

And Abbey wasn't lying. She slept all night and Eric left her asleep this morning - after checking her profusely before he did.

The nurse's eyes follow him as he retraces his steps from last night and straight into Johanna's room. He's unsurprised to find Max here and Johanna clad back in her normal Amity clothes. He brings himself to a haughty stop with his hands behind his back.

The factionless needed to be wiped out. Now. No more distractions or excuses. And his whole demeanor screamed business as he coldly regarded them all.

"There is no killing you, is there?" Eric says snidely.

"And who would be around to annoy you?" Her smile, the one that reminded him of a frog, was back.

"Who did this to you?"

And that's when Max steps towards him. "It was Mark."

"I could've guessed after our last meeting. Funny though, didn't think Fido had it in him. Hey, Johanna, he kept you in the dark…" She glares irritatingly at him. "No doubt he was the one to plant the pictures. But he better hope he's not the one who chased Abbey from her work. I was thinking of giving him a quick demise, but I may draw it out, pleasure in pain and all that…"

"There's more, we did a background check, he's been linked to all the factions. He's had an unnumbered amount of opportunity and associations to all five of us, records, routines, procedures. Amity was the easiest to intercept and I have no doubt he's been pulling strings. My every belief is he is the forefront of the factionless"

"Great, every viable reason to assassinate him without any second thoughts."

Johanna throws her feet off the cot. "What about the people?"

"They will be unharmed," Max says calmly. "They have been manipulated and silenced by radicalism."

"It doesn't mean they won't be punished or made an example with afterward," Eric cuts him off. "I think we can all agree that the other factions should be notified of the recent activity. Various checks and security measures will have to be called. We don't have any idea to what extent his involvement is or what his next movement will be, so at the minute, we are still walking blind..."

"Without you, Johanna, we would still only be guessing, but now we know for certain without calling debates from the other factions."

"Not me, it's Abbey you should be thanking. It was her blood in the transfusion…" she trails off, mortified by Eric's sigh of credulousness and her mouth clamps shut.

"And why would you allow Abbey to commit to such an act, Eric?" Max asks pryingly, his eyes set into an examining frown.

"What does it matter? It worked, didn't it?" he throws out casually.

"One minute, Johanna is on death's door, the next, she's up and chatting. I believe there needs to be some type of explanation."

"Her blood type is unique. And that's where this conversation is going to end," Eric snarls, warning him. "You got that, or shall I make it clearer?"

"For the sake of the plans of the attack on the factionless, I'm going to ignore we even had this conversation. But afterward, I want answers, I'm tired of being left in the dark."

"You'll leave it if you know what's good for you." And with that Eric marches from the room, leaving Max to push and pull air from his lungs in frustration, and also slightly knocked of hierarchy in front of Johanna and her husband. But he also knew that Eric didn't make idle threats. So with a quick nod and turning on his heel, he sets his mind back on the plans for the factionless.

---

It's like her whole body is burning, every limb tingling. Abbey tries to open her eyes but they are so groggy with sleep she lets them close again. It seems like minutes, but it could be hours until she eventually hears the apartment door quietly open and the distinctive noise of boots approaching her darkened corner.

"Ab's?" She's thankful Eric's tone is airy and whispered. The bed dips and she can feel his hand touching her side through the covers. "You've been sleeping all day."

She wants to say she feels like shit, that there's a burning in her core, and her arms and legs prickle. Instead, she only sighs, "Why?"

"Why what?" the smirk is audible through his voice.

"Why wake me… I'm not ready."

"Well, you need to eat. And I can't go to Amity leaving you like this."

She flips the covers back, pushing herself onto her back. "What? Why are you going back?"

"I'm taking Mark out."

"No, Eric."

"It's my job. And if you hadn't of noticed, I'm pretty good at it." He runs a hand up her thigh. "I'm leaving tonight, and hopefully by tomorrow morning we can begin the reestablishment of Amity and put some of this shit behind us."

A hand flies to her forehead and she closes her eyes. "What if something bad happens?"

"You'll stay here. But nothing bad will happen." She still won't look at him, her mouth opening and closing with whirling thoughts. "Move over." He nudges her, strips his jacket off and discards his boots before climbing in. "It will be fine," he says to her conflicted face while pulling her body towards him. Their noses brush and he kisses her forehead, stroking her lower back.

"Make love to me before you go," Abbey whispers with a sense of emotion behind her tone. He pulls himself up without a word, pulling at his clothes. Climbing back in, she invites him with open arms on top of her, but pauses as she trails a fingertip across the scratchmarks on his face. "I'm sorry I did that to you."

"I shouldn't have shouted at you." He would have said something more if he wasn't situated between her legs.

"Well, if it's any comfort, I already miss your stupid face even if you haven't left yet." She feels him at her entrance, and he slowly begins applying pressure, rocking back and forth a few times until she's adjusted to him. Gleefully, she smiles to herself when a shuddery breath escapes him. His grey eyes dart up in the darkness, serious at first, then he smirks. "You seem to have lost your voice?"

But Eric doesn't answer, and he pushes one her thighs to one side, then bites along her collarbone, her hips rising to meet him each time. But the pace is slow and steady, not messy or impatient. He stops to peer at her, taking the bottom of her jaw in his hand and kissing her as he begins moving again, the groan leaving her lips and into his mouth as her hands tangle in the sheets.

"That was what I wanted to hear…"

---

Mark peers around the room, happy with the new decoration he's added to the loft office. Johanna's things have been removed, the usually unoccupied chairs littered with his men. Some are smoking and a group further back play cards and argue pettishly amongst themselves.

The man directly in front of him, the same one who helped him at the hospice, waits patiently for an order.

Mark's cheery face lands on him and his smile readjusts for the situation. "I have no doubt Dauntless are preparing to make a move on us." He sits up slightly and clears his throat, his head sweaty from the damp heat the office seems to admit constantly. "It won't be long now."

"The resistance?" The factionless man dressed as Amity questions and Mark knows exactly what he means.

"They wait for my go-ahead." He rolls the chair back and the room falls quiet. "Listen up… Dauntless will be preparing to take Amity back any day now. They've had a cooling off period, a chance to converse with the other factions… only because we have allowed them to. We will let them think they are running this show. We will let them think that we are trapped at Amity without so much as a backup plan. - Let them think that it's Amity we are so interested in." He stops, reveling in this long-awaited moment. "My brother leads a small group of resistance to Dauntless once we are notified of movement. It will be just enough to set the trucks back, a façade if that's what you want to call it. But not before we have already done the damage." He rounds the desk and every eye is on him in awe, the feeling close to the most radical high. "We know we can't take Dauntless with their sheer number and mass, but they are unknowledgeable of our numbers and what exactly we are capable of and I'd like to keep it that way. That's why we have to be smart. That's why we have bided our time."

"What damage?" his most trustworthy henchman asks.

"Eric will be coming for Amity. Max, I'm unsure. The others are of no interest." He pulls a bag up from beside the desk and brings out a black plastic box. Inside sits a simulation gun and multiple vials. "I have a little test for our Leaders of Dauntless." He holds it up, showing the room. "It has a range of 50 feet. Once injected, I can activate it from the Amity database. It has the side-effects of paralyzation at first, but it's so much more than that…" He kisses it and it earns a few barks of laughter. "I can program it so that those who are in the simulation can do my dirty work, gather the numbers, see inside Dauntless… and most importantly, write down every passcode to their knowledge."

"I still think we should just kill them."

"What a waste." Mark stands, brutishly hitting a random guy on the side of his head for his stupid opinion. "Once activated it will be like a time-bomb. They will be like a wolf let loose into a herd of lambs, and the little lambs will be none the wiser. Anyone who stands in their way is as good as dead."

He laughs, the men joining in quietly. "Especially if it's the likes of Eric…"

Chapter 13

Eric's hands that are tying the laces of his boots are unusually reluctant. He frowns at the leather embellished gloves, flexing his fingers in the small strip of blue light from the moon. Peering up, he squints through the darkness, taking a minute to soak in the coincidence of her nickname for him.

Glancing over at the unique woman in his bed, curled against his pillow and completely unaware he's dithering over whether he actually wanted to leave or not, he debates waking her. But if he woke her, she would only share his reluctance and no doubt his departure would be drawn out.

He leans down and plants a kiss on the side of her cheek, pushing some of the hair away from her face. "I'll be back soon."

Pulling his collar to shroud his face, he opens the apartment door and the corridors artificial light floods in. Max stands humbly waiting for him, his eyes cast to the floor as Eric takes one last look back.

"You ready?"

Eric smirks at him, "As always… You coming?" He strides the hallway, taking the stairs double, and takes great pride in the way Dauntless rally when needed. They arm themselves in the Pit from rows of tables, lined militantly, a sense of excitement but also nerves drifting through the air.

Max stops him on the metal grated steps before he can descend down. "I've got to stay back." His dark eyes linger out to the crowds, then back to Eric who leans up against the railing, assessing the progression. "We do this quickly, cleanly. There's no time for fuck ups."

"Fuck ups Lauren's middle name…" Eric tries to laugh it off then turns, but he looks morbid. "Earlier-"

"Forget it. I'm over it." Max still observes the crowds. "I'll watch Abbey while you're gone."

"If something happens-"

Max snaps his head back. "I said while you're gone, man. Meaning I know you're coming back. Anyone in their right mind would," his humor plays on his lips, but it's not enough for an efficient smile. "You kill that motherfucker, twice, for me and you."

"I plan to." Eric pushes off the railing and descends into the shuffling bodies while trying to figure out if Max had meant because of what Mark had done to Johanna. However, by one of the tables, he spots Lauren and she beckons him over. He wanders over slowly, feeling the eyes of the men and women around following him.

"I'm coming with you," is all she says, giving no time for a debate. She only looks up at him when he doesn't reply. Usually, a casual quip or a tell-tale gesture was waiting for her, she receives nothing. However, she was ready to go, the organizing of the soldiers was just a Leadership gesture of presence to boost morale. - Not that they were going to need it. "Noah!" she calls out. "Luka!" They hit shoulders in greeting once they approach. "You look absolutely badass!"

"Trying to pull some chicks before the big showdown." Luka's eloquent and confident tone was fool-proof. He glances to Eric, "Hey, don't worry, I got your back."

"Fuck off." Eric spends one more minute assessing the progression, then signals. "Let's go. Time?" Before beginning to head towards the trucks.

Lauren checks. "12.30."

"Let's get this done by 1.30. I want to be home at a decent time."

"Because you got a nice piece of ass waiting for you," Luka sneers from behind.

"The best piece of ass, and one more than you'll ever have with that shrapnel face of yours."

"Eric's on top form tonight, ladies and gentlemen!" Eric flicks him the bird from behind his back. "Let's see some action!" Luka barges shoulders with Noah.

Even if they were the goofiest pair of morons, they certainly lightened the unknowing shadows they faced, and Eric couldn't be more thankful for it.

---

Mark sits behind his desk, he still hasn't called it a night yet. He had too many things actively playing on his mind, but it was almost comparable to anticipation, the buzzing feeling dominant and flowing through his arms and into his fingers. The twitch was back with a vengeance.

"Mark!" someone shouts from the stairs, and he waits patiently till they hit the top step to lift his head. "There's movement at Dauntless! The trucks are leaving with countless Dauntless. Armed. Hearsay is they are coming here. We've been given the signal."

"Tell my brother to stay put until I say so," Mark says nonchalantly. "Put the word out. Get the men ready and onto the tracks, we'll ambush from the treeline." He stands slowly. "We have just under an hour."

"Er, of course. Sir, are you fronting the men? It would sit well."

Mark pulls up the black case and flips the locks, staring down at the simulation gun. "Yes, you idiot, I'm the only one that knows how to use this damn thing! What do you think?" He places a reinforced vial into the back of it and clicks the safety off. "Rally the Amity folk. Tell them the factionless are coming. They will be too caught up to know any better and retreat."

"Certainly," the soldier nods then peels off down the stairs.

"It's time to flaunt your stuff, girl." Mark peers at the liquid, thickly congealing inside the insert. "It is time…"

---

Eric drives with his foot to the floor, his face etched into a permanent squint trying to see beyond the truck's headlights. The trees flash, shooting past either side of them, the forest deep and pitch black beyond the road.

"I'm glad you found Abbey," Lauren nudges him from determined thoughts. "I'm… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have underestimated her."

"Forget it."

"I majorly fucked up."

"You looking for a heart to heart? Because you won't get one." He now throws her a look, but one that's not as nearly as fierce as it usually is. "Get your head in the zone, Lauren." They hit a pothole and they jolt around in their seats ungracefully and he eyes the young boy against the furthest window, guessing if whether or not he really wanted to hear what was going to be said next. "If I was Mark, I would already know we were coming, so why is there nothing here to meet us?" He holds a palm up to the dark and quiet roads, then peering out the side window. Amity lights flicker further in the distance, beyond the woodland. They would be arriving soon.

"I would say he doesn't know."

"I wouldn't put anything passed him. We don't know what he's capable of. I've got a bad-"

But it's too late to swerve, and with the tire bursting from underneath the truck, Eric throws the wheel into the skid, losing complete control. It flips and crashes onto its side throwing them like ragdolls and his thoughts go to the Dauntless in the rear. Neither one of them would've seen it coming, and neither one would be buckled to the benches.

The truck seems to slide for an unaccountable amount of time, and only his belt holds him dangling above Lauren who's braced herself against the dash. The side-window being scraped along the ground pops, and the crunching of metal piercing through them as the side gives way. The young Dauntless cries out.

When they come to a stop it's quiet, just the hissing of the engine. Then Eric realizes it's not the engine hissing in his ears, it's his ears that are actually ringing, and he claps a hand to them. Shaking his head, the noises seem to accumulate as one deafening siren of havoc beyond the tin-can they are strapped too.

"Lauren?" he splutters, choking back the painful constriction in his chest. "… Lauren?"

---

Whatever wakes her is not natural. The whole bed shakes from underneath.

It takes another rumble for her to sit up straight, listening. It's a particular sound that clacks into an echo, sometimes multiple times in a row. Naturally, her fingers find the sheet and she pulls it higher around her as if it would somehow protect her.

"Eric?" Abbey says to the darkness, eyes wide and darting around the room. Then everything begins flooding back to her. Eric wouldn't be here.

The place rumbles again and it's enough to push her into action. She grabs at the nearest clothes, pulling them on violently and kicking her feet into her boots. Small winces and mumbles of uncertainty just roll out of her mouth, "Ohhhh, not good." Her jacket is last and she braces her hands to her head as the whole compound shudders. "Oh, oh, oh…"

Her clothes are uneven and the collar of her jacket tucked in on itself as she throws her body out the door. Someone runs passed her and it makes her pick up the pace, following them, but truthfully to see where they were headed as she didn't have clue.

The noise only gets louder until she finds herself at the Pit. It's not loud enough to say that anyone was inside the building, but it was happening nearby. Very nearby.

Just by the sight of the guards holding their guns ready at the door, it's enough to throw her panic into overdrive. Somebody shouts and it forces her to squeak in surprise, then slap her hands to her mouth. This was no place for her, she knew that, and if Eric was gone, she would need to find Max.

If only she knew where to find him.

---

"Lauren?" Eric's hands drop down to where she was sitting. If he can't hear her, perhaps he can feel her. Maybe his hearing had blown? He knocks something with the back of his knuckle.

"Ow," she weakly grumbles.

"You bitch, I thought you were fucking dead." He coughs, groaning as the seatbelt cuts into his chest and stomach.

"You'll… have to try harder… next time." Her breathing becomes erratic and the cab creaks from the shift of her weight as she comes to. "Holy shit, he's dead! Eric, he's dead!" Her boots shuffle against the dash, trying to push herself away and Eric sighs as he guesses she was talking about the young boy with them who was sitting up front.

"I'm getting out," Eric's voice is hoarse. Gunfire is going off around them and he'll be damned to not cap a single person this evening. "Cover your eyes," he orders coolly, then slams his elbow into the side-window. The pieces glitter around them and thud off their jackets. He chips the lasts pieces out with a gloved hand before bracing himself up against it and loosening his seatbelt. Thank fuck he wore one tonight.

After pulling himself out of the turned truck, he lies on the door, reaching back inside and Lauren grips him with one hand as she unclips her seatbelt. The jolt from her body makes him wince. "C'mon. Up you come, fatty." Once he safely pulls her through the window, he drops down, noticing up the track the tufted holes and indentations sawn from the crash. It was only because of a small rise of ground from a ditch that stopped them from fully hitting the trees and once again he thinks himself as one lucky son of a bitch.

Rounding the way to the back, Lauren limps beside him trying to keep pace. Eric ignores the pain in his chest from the jolt of the belt, the slight wheeze that leaves him sweating profusely. He opens the back door and it slams down from the angle. Inside is a mass of bodies, but some move, thank fuck.

Just as he glances to find backup, a truck barricades them, reversing up in-line with their tipped vehicle. There's a particular thud and ding where shots bounced off around them, it was enough to unnerve the most brutal of men, but Eric realized that if he was going to be shot right now, there was not much he could do about it. He was completely disorientated and slightly detached on the goings-on around him.

Dauntless jump out and begin pulling people from their truck and a woman with a shaved head ducks to position herself next to him. "Sir," she says and Eric ignores her at first as he watches the bodies being offloaded. Was it guilt? Was this his fault? Maybe if he'd thrown the wheel in the other direction they wouldn't be in this situation.

"Sir! There's word from Dauntless." He turns and glares at her. Was this really a time for a stupid instruction or message from Max. "Sir, Dauntless is under attack."

---

Abbey followed a small group of men who seemed to know where they were going.

They approach an armored door and press some type of code into the system. Before the door can shut, she side-steps into the room, feeling like she's entered a whole new world.

Four is huddled over multiple screens endlessly talking into his mouthpiece and then switching to another, the table in the middle has soldiers attentively pointing and arguing among themselves, and Max seems to swing from one side of the computerized room to the next. It's only when he leans on the back of Four's chair that he peers over to the door, spotting her and his eyes harden. "No, you can't be here." He takes a few steps towards her but she ignores him and walks to Four.

"Are we under attack? Have you heard from Eric? What's going on with Amity?"

"You shouldn't be here," Max says from behind her. She turns on his words, trying to keep her composure and fend off the urge to burst into tears.

"I'm not leaving until I know Eric is okay." Max sighs at her and looks to Four, and she eyes the shift in mood. "No. Don't… don't you dare."

"The truck he was driving…" Four pushes the mouthpiece away. "…It crashed. We haven't heard anything else yet."

"No!" Abbey all but shrieks. "You're lying! You have to be lying!" She hits the back of Four's chair.

"Abbey!" Max spins her, shaking her slightly as she flails wildly for a second before focussing on him. "Eric is one hard bastard to kill. I have every belief he survived. Our communication is locked because of so many incoming reports. The factionless are at the checkpoint just outside Dauntless. And if you want to stay here, you have to keep quiet." Max turns for the door after running a hand through his shaved head.

"W-where are you going?" Abbey stutters.

"I'm going to show the factionless…" To one side he grabs a rifle out of a lock-up, clicking the safety off. "…Why they don't fuck with Dauntless."

---

Eric caps a guy right between the eyes.

His body collapses into the brush, and another is shortly replaced in his position. They look Amity, all of them. He can't decide if whether he was actually shooting true Amities or disguised ones. But either way, it was them or him.

Using one of the trucks as coverage, he scans the treeline, then drops an indifferent look to Lauren beside him, "Can you see Mark?"

"I can't make out who anyone is."

"Fuck." He fires again, only to be met back with ground kicking up next to him from the return. "That bastards hiding at Amity."

"We need to go back to Dauntless." Lauren winces as she stretches her back out. "You need to call it in."

"I'm not leaving till he's dead."

Lauren grabs his arm harshly, "You're not thinking, we'll either lose our entire team here and not make any difference, or we suffer considerable loss at Dauntless. We risk complete infiltration."

"Dauntless don't run," he growls, throwing her arm off him.

"We're not running, Dauntless needs us. Our home needs us… Abbey," she finishes, far more determined than when she started. "If you don't call it in, I will." She winces again from her back. "You can penalize me all you want afterward."

There's that fucking word again, Need.

"Damn it!" He stands abruptly, ducking from a few shots, then pelts across the track to another truck. The woman with the shaved head stands with the piece against her ear and he rips it roughly from her head. "Four," he shouts over the chaos around him, glaring to the woman, daring her to undermine him. There's a muffled reply from Four he can barely hear, so regardless, he talks over him, "We're heading back." He points quickly to the woman, "Everyone back in the trucks, we're going back. Now!"

Eric watches as the order ripples. He keeps the headpiece on and runs back to Lauren. "Four, give me the run-down at Dauntless," he says while turning behind it and grabbing Lauren from the floor. She holds a hand to her stomach and Eric finally realizes she's more hurt than she's letting on.

He catches brief words from Four over the obsessant noise and struggles to make sense of the pitted sentences that would sometimes drop. "What the fuck are you saying?" he shouts, then ducks as gunfire rings out. "Max, what?" The cab door opens and Eric begins pushing Lauren up and inside. Stepping up, he looks briefly over his shoulder. "Signals bad, what the fuck are you-"

Something sharp and white hot floods through his left leg, not once, but twice, and he all but falls forwards into the cab, hissing as he braces himself on an elbow.

"Eric!" Lauren shouts. "Eric, you hit?!"

Eric throws the earpiece to the floor of the cab, then peers down at his leg which feels heavier than a ton of lead. Much to his relief, he sees the darts. "It's just darts." He rips them out and throws them out the open window. With a huff, he keeps his voice relatively calm, "I can't move my leg. I'm paralyzed."

"They didn't want you dead."

"Probably bargaining." He's trying his hardest to wriggle his toes. He smirks even under the prickling of his leg, "Better luck next time."

---

"What do you mean 'the line is now dead'?" Abbey furiously crosses her arms.

"He was talking, then… I think something must've happened." Four taps some buttons. "They're on their way back. He will be fine, I'm sure."

"You wanna bet your life on it?"

Now Four truly sees the definite similarities between her and Eric. He holds her stare and she doesn't waver. "He was in the truck, that's the last I heard. Threatening me isn't going to change that." But unlike Eric, she softens and he sees the fear and pain behind those usually resolute eyes. "How do you put up with him?" It was stupid to ask, but he'd rather change the subject and distract her.

"We put up with each other." Her shoulders slump a little and she takes a seat just a few feet from him. A flicker of a dismal smile threatened to emerge from her lips from time to time as she speaks, "We can be very… nasty to each other sometimes…" She looks away is if embarrassed. "But when I think back, it's always been like that… But now it's different. He's my best friend and at the same time the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. However, I also really know how to tick him off…" she chuckles lightly to herself and is surprised Four is still listening intently. "So I guess it just sort of works." She stares up at one of the monitors for a second. "Usually you're meant to leave the past behind, but without my past, I wouldn't be who I am today. Without Eric… I'm half the person I am."

Four drops his eyes to the floor as he notices a small tear dripping down her face. "I don't like him, but I don't hate him. And you are incredible for putting up with him."

She smiles, properly this time. "Yeah, I'm probably an idiot. But he's a bigger one." She leans back on the chair and Four goes back to work.

Under her breath, she says to herself. "And I'll always forgive him…"

---

After the climatic show-down, Max is surprised to see the factionless pulling back to the road. It happens so quickly and precisely, he finds himself shouldering his rifle and standing straighter. Ten of the bastards, ten of those bastard factionless met an untimely death to his hands, and he was proud of it.

"Aid the wounded," he says to a young Dauntless passing by and they nod, scampering on his command. He pulls his phone and dials security. "They've pulled back."

"Yeah, because the trucks are arriving," Four answers, no doubt having caught a glimpse from a camera, and it makes him squint out into the distance, further up the road.

No doubt Four was right. The first lights beam towards them and the rumbling of the procession finally reaches his ears. "Make way for the trucks!" Max points and even pulls on someone's jacket whose dithering outside the checkpoint booth.

The trucks are waved through and skid to quick stops near the entrance of Dauntless. The first soldiers jump out and the real depravity of the situation seems to hit him fully in the chest. It was an ambush, a decoy, but to what effect he didn't know.

"Where's Eric?" he asks of the first few, but from beside him, he sees Lauren jumping down and then reaching out as Eric all but falls into her. He jogs to them. "You been hit?"

"I've been darted," Eric furiously replies back.

"Let's get you inside." He shoulders Eric's arm and notices the way his whole left leg doesn't move. "Paralytic?"

"Looks like it."

They are barely through the entrance as Max sees Abbey peel down the metal steps towards them, not stopping, and Eric pushes him away as they roughly embrace.

"Are you okay?" Eric pushes her hair back, then pulling on her face to check.

"I'm fine." Eric stumbles somewhat and she grabs harder onto him. "What's wrong? What's happened?"

"Nothing, don't worry that pretty little face of yours," he smirks, but it's half-hearted. His head swivels to Max over her, "You got this from here?"

"Yeah, go." But Max is already walking away, surrounded by multiple conversations and waving at people to move and take a step back.

"Let's go back, Ab's." Eric pulls her, hopping, and she moves to under his arm.

The walk back is long, and he tries not to bear any weight on her, using the walls and barriers as leverage. Unlocking the door, she takes him to the bed and sits him down, crouching down in front of him. "Get these off," he says while unbuckling his belt and she nimbly helps him, yanking his trousers down.

"Shit, Eric…" Abbey says to the purple bruises of the dart. "Shouldn't we go to the infirmary?"

"No, it's a common dart. We use them from time to time, usually when we want to capture than kill."

Her eyes flick up to his face and he begins taking his shirt off. "They were trying to capture you?"

"I don't know, but it's my guess.." He yanks the shirt over his head and stares at Abbey who is biting her lips. On his chest are the pronounced seatbelt marks from the crash.

"I thought… for a second… I thought I lost you." She's still crouched in front of him, her arms resting on his legs, then her snappy characteristic form is back, slapping him on his naked thigh. "Don't do that!"

There's amusement in his voice as he begins pulling her up to the bed, "Lie with me?" And their limbs are a tangled mess as she easily flops next to him.

For a second she nuzzles somewhere in his chest. – Which he finds rather explicit for a second, until she raises her head. "Did you get him?"

"Who Mark?" His eyebrows raise and then fall into a frown of annoyance. "Didn't even see the bastard. He was hiding."

"Does this mean-"

"Not now, I'm fucked." He winces as she touches along his bruise, "Ab's, stop it."

"Maybe you should see a doctor?"

His fingers dig into her back and she fidgets. "I just need five minutes, five minutes and I'll be good." But his tone is groggy, his words slurred as his eyes close all on their own.

"Eric?" she questions sitting up, but it's too late.

In his head, Eric suddenly realizes something is terribly wrong but he can't move. The sound in his ears begins as a dull tone of white noise until it furiously takes over and becomes unbearable. He wants to yell, but he doesn't so much as flutter his eyes and every sense of awareness has vanished as he sinks into the black…

Abbey pulls back from him, unlacing her arms from his body and stands, a little hunched over, a sudden prickling of fear rising on her skin. "Eric?" His breathing is shallow. She comes to the decision he's either truly hurt or something is not right, but there is a heady, ghostly warning that emerges from deep within. - The flight sensation mainly.

She grabs his jacket from the floor and goes through his pockets looking for his phone. It lights up from inside of one as she accidentally touches it, and then she pulls it out, unlocking it quickly like she's seen him do a hundred times over.

She finds Max's name first and her thumb hovers over the green button…

Her elbow is knocked and the phone jumps from her hands across the room and skids to a halt beside the door. In a natural instinct, she ducks from the presence behind her but falls onto her ass, pushing herself with her arms to back up against one of the counters.

"Eric, what are you doing!?" Her tone is panicked and screeching from the fright.

Eric's face twitches, his fingers spasming momentarily on stiff arms. But gone is the usual life in his eyes and replaced by a glazed over bleakness.

He steps forwards and she crawls on all fours into the kitchen space and under the table to get away from him. Eric's pace doesn't increase of decrease, it's robotic. With one quick flick of his hand, he throws one of the chairs before gripping the table and completely flipping it, exposing her from her hiding place.

Abbey cries out, mainly a squeal, with her hands to head, staring up at him in complete and utter terror. There was only a wall behind her now and she was trapped. Her lip slightly trembles as she tries to mutter a form of persuasion, "P-please…"

He grips her ankles, pulling her toward him, and she screams.

Chapter 14

Max peers down to his jacket pocket, trying his hardest to ignore his phone vibrating. By the third alert, he holds a hand up to the Dauntless nagging away in front of him, "Give me a second," then fishes out the phone. It's Eric.

"Yeah, what?" he answers with. It's only been fifteen minutes since he last saw him and he really didn't need to be bothered by more shit. - And by how well he knew Eric, it would be migraine developing.

However, the noise on from other side is nothing that he could've expected.

At first, it's crackling and scraping, then further away noises he can't make out. Faintly in the background, he can hear something crash. "Eric, that you, man?" He pulls the phone away from his ear and glances at Eric's name across the front before listening again. "What the fuck's going-"

Abbey screams and he recoils away. Every person in the security room looks over at him, Four even rolls back in his chair.

Four's head twists back to the screens he's monitoring, then from his expression, Max knows something is direly wrong. "There's reports of attacks. Some Dauntless have been restrained, the same Dauntless from the ambush."

"Eric…" Max gasps in realization. "They're under simulation. I want reports on all Dauntless who got darted in the crossfire and I want them contained… now!" Max drops his eyes to Four, "You're with me…"

---

Abbey manages to flip onto her front and digs her nails into the sparse carpet, trying to gain some sort of leverage. It's no use, Eric's strength is impressive and she may as well have been crawling to him willingly.

One swift jolt that bends her nails on the carpet has her crying out and rolling back to face him. "Eric! It's me!" she tries, holding her hands up to him, trying to cover her body protectively, but he instantly backhands her.

For a few seconds, she sees stars and tastes the metallic trace of blood in her mouth. Eric would never hurt her; he'd never touch her like this.

A fist is planted into her stomach suddenly, shooting incredible pain flush throughout her body. But there is no time to take back in the breath that wheezes because Eric's hands wrap around her throat.

It would take nothing but a tiny jolt to finish her clean off. Instead, his hands grow tighter, his fingers curling against the nape of her neck, this time not affectionately or familiar, but deadly lethal.

His thumbs begin to dig into the soft skin of her throat and she grips onto him instantly, scratching bloody lines down his forearms, merging them against his tattoos.

His face is impassive.

The air burns in her lungs as she struggles to breathe, but it's the crushing that's causing the gagging whimpers.

In that moment in time, the only thing she can think about is that if he ever did make it through the simulation that has overcome him, he would only ever be half the man he was, it would destroy him if she didn't find the strength to fight back.

So she brings her knee up to his groin.

Eric growls deeply, his face red as he shrinks away, just enough for her to slam her untrained fist into his esophagus.

Even under simulation, pain was still apparent.

Scrabbling to her feet, she mumbles how sorry she is, but he's already recovering. She reaches one of the drawers in the small kitchen, opening to a selection of cutlery and pulling the biggest knife. As she turns, the point of the knife jams into Eric's chest, not enough to completely penetrate, but just enough to break the skin. For a minute there's a pause and Abbey tries to consider whether he's come to his senses.

He kicks her feet out and the blade drags down his abdomen. She instantly clambers through his legs, putting and willing all the strength into her lower muscles to get towards the bathroom.

The door slams behind her just as he crashes into it, and for a second it's quiet, her panting is only thing audible and echoing off the bathroom walls as she holds the knife towards the door in a shaky hand. Rubbing at the sweat and tears, she moves forward, leaning the side of her face against the heavy wood. "Eric, it's okay," she shouts to the other side. "I'm not…" glancing to the mirror there is thick hand prints on her neck, her lip split and hair damp against her face. There would be other marks that hadn't formed yet and her ankles throbbed as a reminder. "…I'm not hurt," she lies.

"Eric?"

Fists pummel on the door, each with a growl of frustration, and mainly intent. It causes her to move backward, once again covering her ears. "Eric, stop!" she screams. But he continues, furiously pummelling until it becomes singularly and more pronounced each time. "Stop!" "Make it stop!" "Please." "Pleasseee," she says, all the while sinking to the floor. This time when he got her, there would be no escape.

She looks at the knife in her hand, the thought thrashing in her brain. She could take her own life so he couldn't. She would take it and maybe he could find a way to forgive himself.

The blade glints at her as she tilts it to the angle of her wrist…

Max calls out to her and she promptly stands, dropping the knife clattering to the floor. "Max! Eric's-" There's a commotion on the other side, grunts, yells, and numerous bodies stamping around in their boots. Something smashes and she fears the worst.

"Unlock the door," Max orders. Abbey doesn't at first. "Abbey open the damn door!" Max yells again from the other side.

Snapping back into action she twists the lock, taking in the sight before her. It's too surreal, Four and three others pin a thrashing Eric to the ground, his face pushed into the carpet.

Max offers his arm and grips her shoulder as she walks into him, and she finally breaks down, sobbing. "You're safe," he tells her as he ushers her from the room.

---

The nurse's eyebrows are set into a deep frown.

Her hands make light work of the blood and marks on Abbey's skin, the main attention on her lip. She make's her tilt her head back to examine her neck and that's when she exhales, eyes softening. "You're lucky." When Abbey doesn't say anything, the nurse grabs her hands, realizing that one of her nails is split down to the cuticle and grabs scissors to remove any nail left that would snag. "Do you have pain anywhere else?"

Abbey shakes her head, eyes cast to the floor.

"You're lying," the nurse says and watches Abbey frown at her. "Don't feel you have to protect him. He was under a simulation."

This makes Abbey shift her weight, wincing, "My stomach."

The nurse nods slowly, "Show me, dear. Lie back for me." Which she does.

Abbey lifts her shirt and hisses. It hurts more now that the adrenaline is wearing off. "He'll hate himself." She keeps her eyes to the ceiling as she feels the nurse examine across the purple and yellowing bruises.

"I want to do a scan. Check for any further injuries… in case." Her gloves are snapped off of her hands. "In case of anything internal. You took quite a blow. Is that okay with you?"

But all she can think about is Eric, hearing her voice sparse. "I guess…"

---

Max pushes on Abbey's door to her small room in the infirmary. She's on the bed, propped up by pillows. She smiles however when he approaches. "Hello, Max," she says, and he's a little relieved that she's chirpier.

"How you feeling?"

"Prodded and bruised. But I'll live." She watches Max's eyes as they drift to her neck but chooses to ignore it. "How's Eric?"

"That's what I came to speak to you about." He perches himself on the side of her bed. "Him and seven others are all in the simulation. We even found one of them writing security codes and information about Dauntless at the time of their restraint." He sighs, "And I know you helped Johanna." Her eyes grow wide at him.

"I'm – I'm not Divergent… I promise. It's been like this-"

"I'm not here to reprimand you over that. And I'm not even completely sure what your situation seems fit to be called. But all I know is Johanna was saved by you, which is a far cry from Divergence. Divergents can't project their abilities to someone else."

"It's not an ability, it's a fault."

Max frowns at her. "Can you see where I'm going with this regardless? Or do I have to go into more detail?"

"You want me to help the others, and I get that. But at the same time, you knew I would anyway. I would, to help Eric. But that's not all, is it?"

Pushing himself off the side, he cups his arms behind his back. "Good, and no. I want your blood to be tested, and maybe for future use. We can't allow something so crucial to go to waste." The nurses are already entering the room. "If there is anything you need, let me know." Heading to the door, he only hesitates briefly, then nods, leaving Abbey peering down to her entwined fingers. Eric's not going to be happy. He's not going to be happy at all.

---

At first, the control over his fingers is hugely dominate, Eric can move them now. Then his thought process becomes much more connected, and he's able to shift his legs.

Opening his eyes, the light in the infirmary is blinding and he peers up to multiple faces staring at him. He's not pleased to see Four is also in the room, and they all look at him with hesitancy.

"What the fuck did I do?"

He knows that there is some blank space in his mind. When passing into the abyss he figured it wasn't just a paralytic drug consuming his body, but something far more evil.

He suddenly remembers exactly where he was when the simulation flooded his system. "Abbey?!"

Moving his right arm, chains clink on the side of the bed, he's been cuffed to the cot. "Get these off. Now!" Four slowly begins releasing them and keeps his eyes cast away from him. "Tell me what I've done!"

Max finally steps up, hand to mouth. "You have to keep your head cool," he tells him, his tone deep and meaningful. Eric fears the worst for a split second, his whole stomach dropping and his face prickles with a white sickness. "You attacked Abbey, she was the only person in the room with you."

"I need to see her now."

"Abbey's fine," he reassures him. "But, you should know that…" Max peers at Four. "You were trying to kill her, that much is obvious."

Eric throws himself up, peering down to his body. He's only in his boxers, but down his chest is a clean line of an obvious slice cast from some sort of weapon. Being in the infirmary he knew that she would be around here somewhere too, and he can only imagine the damage he's caused.

"She gave as good as she got," Max tries to play humor on him, but it only seems to agitate him more.

"I don't remember. That fucking son of a bitch!" He instantly thinks back to Amity. "Get out of my way!" He pushes Four and stands up, marching the corridor to curious and fearful stares from the nurses. Some eye his boxer shorts.

"Where is she?" he barks, and they knowingly point.

Eric throws the door open and stands in the doorway to Clem sitting beside Abbey in the infirmary bed. He doesn't miss the way Abbey's eyes change to slightly fearful. On her beautiful neck, the marks of his assault are obvious and the guilt riddles him viciously, uncaring for his own mental damage that's been caused by the news.

Clem squeezes Abbey's hand as she stands to leave the room. On the way past she lightly touches Eric's arm, then closes the door behind her.

"Ab's," he closes the distance, hands entwining into her hair and tilting her head back. "I don't even know what to…" The urgency of his actions emits the pain coursing through him, total regret and guilt. His eyes dismal as they roam every inch of her.

"It's okay."

"No! No, it's not. Look what I've done to you." He pays no regard to her protest and begins moving the covers and hospital gown she's wearing.

"Eric, stop," she tries batting his hands. "You were under simulation." His fingertips glide over the one small stitch in her lip. Abbey chuckles to herself, "Your self-defense classes came in handy though."

"My intention was to never have you use them on me. I should've been more careful. I should've gone to the infirmary," he shakes his head, letting his eyes close.

Stroking the side of his face, he almost burrows into her palm. "You couldn't have known."

"I should've, I'm trained." He kisses her lips, gentle to not cause harm on her wound. "Fuck, I should've stayed away." He pulls her more towards him and when she winces he lets go, peering down at her hand to her stomach, "What's wrong?"

"Just sore." She pulls on his neck, and he lets himself lean into her, her arms resting over his shoulders to embrace him, and he breathes deeply taking in the sweet scent of her hair.

His hands glide down to the covers, lifting her thighs and pushing his nose into her shoulder, letting his actions speak louder than words. He picks her up and holds her, using extra strength so that she doesn't have to strain to hold onto him. He walks backward to the chair in the room, moving her legs to the side and sits with her in his lap. The covers drag along the floor with him and he pulls them up to cover them both from the chill that always seems to fluctuate in Dauntless.

"I'm so sorry, baby. I'm sorry," he whispers. She nods against him and he continues whispering lowly to her, in between saying, "I love you, you know that... I'd do anything." Stroking her skin and holding her close, gone was his detached emotional wellbeing, Abbey meant more than anything.

---

Eric is woken with a jolt as the door of the infirmary room opens. It takes him a minute to realize he's still sat in the chair with Abbey in his lap, a sheet over the both of them.

Max leans into the room quietly, almost embarrassed he'd disturbed them. Eric glances at Abbey asleep still against his chest, before meeting his eyes again.

"Just wanted to see how you were doing, by the looks of it, you're fine," Max's cheeks rise a little as he whispers. Eric's blue eyes say more under his silence than anything else. His silence was always gravely threatening. "She okay?"

"She's fine. And when she wakes we're getting out of here." His hand slightly rises to emphasize the meaning.

"Abbey's still needed for the others."

"She's not a juice box or a dispenser. You need her permission; you can't expect or assume." It takes a great deal for Eric not to raise his voice.

"We have had her permission," Max nods. "And the tests prove it only takes a little in the system to clear any serum completely."

"Fucking tests?" Eric's eyes become murderous and if it weren't for the sleeping woman, he'd probably be slapping Max half-way across the room by now.

"We had to know what we are dealing with. I had to know what we were keeping in Dauntless not just for the rules but for our own safety, and the others."

"She's not a secret assassin, christ… Look at her." His body jolts and she shifts, quietening the two for a second, just enough for Eric to cool down. "Afterwards, Abbey's under my guard, and nothing happens without my say-so."

"I get it." Max's eyes flicks to Abbey to make sure she was truly in a deep sleep before speaking further. "The nurse also told me… about… consequences. I'm sorry."

This time Eric sighs, he had still kept it from her. "She doesn't know." And Max seems surprised. "I haven't found the right time to tell her or what I'm even going to say when I do." He strokes her skin under the covers as if the action will subconsciously take some of the problems away.

"The truth, you simply tell her the truth. And from my experience, it's best sooner rather than later." He drops his eyes. "I've got things covered, so take a few days. Be with Abbey. I've got funerals to arrange."

Eric stays quiet. But even from Max's undeniably good acting, Johanna being within arm's reach but unavailable to him was completely and obviously killing him. Eric's relationship with Abbey was too close to home.

---

Mark slams his fists down onto the desk, all accessible lines to the brain activities of the serum were lost. "No!" he growls, his head swinging in between his arms. "No, no, no!"

A resistance guard who stood by the steps, takes a step down, ready to run. The others in the room freeze, all staring at him.

"How is this possible? The effects can't be reversed!" he snaps to his second command behind another laptop.

Warbling, his second command shrugs, "Perhaps they found a way?"

Perhaps they found a way… Perhaps they found a fucking way. He had no doubt it would be something to do with that bastard Eric and his little bitch…

Mark's hands splay ontop of the table, he pushes them harder down to stop the twitch threatening to curl his fingers and takes a deep breath. "Looks like it's time for the second stage of our plan until my brother and I can come to a conclusion." He doesn't wait for someone to ask why or what that meant. "The next few days we will ransack Amity, prepare our goods, and feed our people. I want the lot of you to keep word to the resistance in the city until we finalize." They still stare and he feels the ebbing power of authority as he speaks freely.

The simulation gun sits on the edge of the desk with a fresh vial inserted and in annoyance at its ineffectiveness, he knocks it to the floor in a passing fit of anger. "We can't infiltrate Dauntless without those codes!" If only they could find a way in…

The congealed liquid inside splatters the sides of the vial, and slowly, a sickening smile then begins to play on his lips as his men gaze up at him, the idea catching alight in his brain.

"So…" He shakes his head as if he should have thought of it sooner. "I will need volunteers to play captives…"

…Perhaps his brother would like to play along?

…Oh, and maybe he would fuck that Eric over and force his good friend Matt into the picture to spice things up. That little Abbey would love that.

The thought is delicious…

---

"Sign here, Mr. Coulter," the nurse points to the pad.

Abbey's gathering herself back at the room while he was informed he was Abbey's next of kin while at Dauntless. It wasn't so innocently wrote on paper for the fact they were in a relationship, but for the fact he had brought her here under his command. Either way, he wasn't complaining.

He reads down the courses of action the nurses took in her stay, all the blood works, tests, and exams. There's a note box at the end of the form which he neatly writes that anything else in the future was to pass by him first, before any action was taken, regardless of what Abbey's thoughts were. He smirks while signing it then hands it back.

The nurse seems to take a minute, reading the new set of information. "Abbey needs to come back in a few days. When she feels ready to."

"Why?" he huffs, throwing a look to see if Abbey was ready yet, he really didn't want to be hanging around here anymore.

"Her method of birth control was removed in case of inflammation and a request has been given to have it renewed."

He actually smiles in disbelief. "And Abbey knows this?"

"Well, she had the papers, but whether she read them, that was up to her," she says rather arrogantly. Too arrogantly for his liking.

Leaning forward, the nurse tilts on her heels to get away from him. "You and I both know she won't need one."

"W-We can't be sure. I have had my chance to look closer. It may just be a simple solution of diluting her blood stream systematically. In effect, like what she does to rid of the serums of others. With your permission-"

"Don't. Don't give me shit and lies for just your general interest in a new subject to research."

"I can tell you for sure that Abbey is not Divergent. Just… in unofficial terms, intolerant. Why – it's the same as saying why does somebody get cancer? Why does somebody have an allergic reaction? People are different, genetics are different." She quickly finishes, with some type of hope, "Imagine if it was genetics, her children could carry that gene, for the future. Think of the lives it could possibly save if we knew more about it." Bravely she steps forward, "There's still a chance for her."

It throws him off, his brows a fine line as he squints at her. He would be foolish to live off of biased hope. "Keep your trap shut."

He steps away when Abbey comes cluttering out into the corridor. "Let's go!" she smiles up at him, handing him her bag, completely oblivious to his and the nurse's words to each other.

Once again he finds himself leading her to the apartment – With that fucking flowery, pink ass bag of hers.

---

For the next few days, they confine themselves to the apartment, even going to the lengths of rearranging it so Abbey didn't have to live with the memories of things in certain places. Eric ordered the bathroom door to ripped off and replaced, and somehow Abbey had managed to bring flowers in that Clem and Sandra had picked for her.

He finds himself glaring at them on the kitchen counter from time to time.

The marks of his attack were still apparent, and whenever he looked at her he still felt that pang of guilt. When she caught him looking or contemplating over the marred parts of her body, she would smile, distract him from it, something she was good at. Something she did a lot when they were younger, like she knew exactly what he was thinking.

But things only come to a head, when one-night Abbey straddles him and he knows he's fucked – quite literally. He'd managed to avoid any sexual contact thus far, however, it was inevitable.

"No, Ab's." He grabs onto her wandering hands and she merely takes it as a challenge. "Stop," his words a little final and harsher than he'd hoped for.

"What's wrong with you? Did I seriously knee you that hard?" She's fucking laughing.

"It's not that-" She's leaning down, kissing his lips and he finds himself utterly weak under her perusal. Groaning, he pulls himself away and now she does look confused, if not a little hurt.

"You don't want me?"

"Fuck yes!" He couldn't sound any more convincing if he tried. "But we… can't."

Eric had been mulling over the nurse's words in his head constantly. Whether he believed it or not, he wasn't going to sleep with Abbey without her knowing.

"Why?"

"Because if you'd taken the time to actually care about your health and what people are doing to you, you'd know that you don't have a birth control method and you're requested to go back and renew it." The words tumble out with cut-throat professionalism, his hands still restraining the feisty woman as he speaks.

"Oh."

"Yeahhhh," he rolls his eyes. "You're fucking thick."

"Oi!" she hits him. "So, you pull out? That's cool." She wriggles around on top of him, purposefully grinding and giggling to herself while doing it.

"You really don't care do you?"

Her fingers walk up his chest as she leans on top of him. "Not. One. Little. Bit…" She's a woman possessed. "I love you, you love me." She smirks, peering up through her lashes, "You said you were going to marry me."

"Oh yeah, I did, didn't I?" He smiles, toying with her.

"So whatever happens, happens." She sits up, her features scrunch up, and the corners of her mouth descend. "I thought I lost you. I don't want to feel like that again. I want you all, all of you. And everything to do with you, sooner rather than later, so at least I know…" she pauses and he waits patiently. "So at least I know I had you, and everything with you." She blushes a pretty shade of pink. "Being at Dauntless and seeing what happens here has only made my mind up further."

"You're serious?" he raises a brow.

"Yes, Baby…" she mocks him. "When have you ever called me that?"

His eyes dance around her face when he smiles unashamedly. "When I decided that I rotated around you." He grabs her hips, pinning him to her. "And now…" he fists her hair and pulls her down to him, "You can ride my eclipse."

She laughs as his lips begin leaving trails across her skin. "That was so bad."

"But it worked."

---

Eric didn't heed Max's advice and finds himself back at the office. It was mainly because he was fucking exhausted of, quite literally… fucking, but also too many plans formulating in his mind, ones that broke through his serenity, ones that mainly involved Mark's death.

His uniform is not classically prim like it usually is, and his hair is not styled to how he particularly wore it, however, he'd never felt more truly lethal than he did now.

He's also not surprised to find Max in his office the moment his presence had gotten around. He bowls into the room paper in hand, shoving it down onto Eric's desk, "What is this report?"

"Just the man I wanted to see! And that is an instruction of my skirmish. For your eyes only."

"It's 7.30…" Max pauses, peering at the watch on his wrist, "in the fucking morning."

"I'm an early bird, what can I say?" he smirks.

"How can you oversee plans that are made within the hour, and posted to respective colleagues may I add, without telling me first?"

"I have told you first… you just weren't awake to see it." The smirk still hasn't dropped from his face, and he knows it won't take long for Max's interest to peak.

"So what's the plan?"

Bullseye.

"I'm going to Amity and I'll need four members. I'm ditching the truck near the wall, then I'll be on foot the rest of the way." He looks up at Max who shifts slightly and crosses his arms. It was obvious he had something to say but kept it back, so Eric continues nonetheless. "I've run down all respective reports from multiple squadrons and there's activity going on day and night, so I'm heading down there while there's disruption. It will be easy-"

"That's what we thought about the ambush."

Max was right but Eric knew he could take Mark out. He knew Amity well now and he knew that fucking barn like the back of his hand as much as he hated to admit it. And he most certainly remembered that window he fucked his knuckles on.

He turns in his chair, back to his computer screen, grinning to himself.

"They won't see me coming this time."

Chapter 15

There's a scrap on the stairs.

Mark leers from his desk patiently waiting, clutching his hands that now tremble almost constantly.

When two of his men, and Matt, who is hooked and dragged in their arms comes into view, he smiles at them. "Hello, Matt."

Matt forces the two away from him when they release him, shoving them violently to the side. "You wanna tell me what this is about?" He readjusts his collar and jacket as if he was trying to regain some of his ego and confidence back from being man-handled. He looks at Mark like he was shit on his shoe, but the fearful sweat produced on his forehead speaks differently.

"I'm going to get straight to the point, yes." Mark stands rounding the desk and taking casual steps towards him. "I have something I need of you."

"I'm not doing anything for you. They say you are the resistance, you're scum!" Matt spits. He's feisty, he'll give him that.

"You don't have much choice really, mate." Mark stands directly before him, his eloquent grin still plastered on his face. "I'm sending you to Dauntless with a group. You'll be captured on the roads outside Amity and Dauntless will take you inside their walls." He motions for Matt to sit, "Drink?"

"Fuck you!" For his defiance, a fist is slammed into his gut and he's pushed to the floor, coughing and spluttering.

Leaning down close next to him and grabbing his head, Mark whispers the next words slowly for him to hear very specifically, "You won't remember a thing, and you'll have your chance to get back at Eric." Nodding to his men, a needle is stuck into his neck and Matt becomes heavy, gracelessly dropping to the floor and out of his hand.

"Notify the volunteers, you're leaving tonight."

However, Mark does notice one of his guard's peer down to the shears on his desk, a spark of curiosity igniting before they are quickly caught. His guard doesn't say anything and falls in step with the other.

---

Eric can hear her laugh from just down the corridor. For a minute he wonders who she's with, but hearing the other soft Amity voices it wasn't hard to guess.

Outside their apartment, he hesitates, leaning up against the doorframe, listening in, mainly to her familiar voice with a half-smile on his face.

"…that was not me. Clem, you stepped on my foot and when I yelled that got me in trouble and they thought we weren't paying attention and playing around. I stood outside the class for the rest of the day and was deducted a point!"

"Yeah, sorry about that…" he hears Clem's nasally response.

"I still remember every move though…"

"Even I still remember every move!" Sandra laughs.

"Madam, would you like to dance?" Abbey puts on a posh accent and he scoffs. But they're not fucking dancing in his apartment, so he forces his way in to intrude.

He's smiling when he finds Abbey bent over, one hand out to Clem and the other behind her back curtly in the position he exactly imagined in his head when he heard her speak. She looks at him and instantly stands straighter. "Oh."

"What are you doing?" He roams over her frilly black skirt and vest, instantly liking what he sees and notices the way she blushes.

The other two women are frozen, staring at him. He still feels a little bit of fear radiating off them when he saw them, mainly Sandra then Clem.

"Just reminiscing about our initiation dance." She skips over and straight under his arm. "Would you like to try it? I think you'd be really good."

"Get lost." He feels like telling the other two to get lost too, but for once holds his tongue. "Clem. Sandra." He nods to them.

"Hello," they say at the same time.

Abbey peers up at him hopefully. "You don't mind that they're here, right?"

He shrugs off his jacket, just to make them that little bit more uncomfortable. "What's mine is yours." All the while he's smirking.

He walks to the couch, grabbing his electronic pad from the counter as he passes, and throws himself down into it, kicking his feet up onto the table. "Don't mind me," he says to Sandra, who can't not touch his arm against hers in their cramped, close proximity.

"So anyway…" Eric watches slightly over his pad. He doesn't want to seem interested, but he couldn't help himself in his curiosity. He listens as she speaks. "That time I was standing outside, I missed the steps."

"It was boring and repetitive, a small child could do it," says Clem.

"I know, but that was the last bit I needed. And do you remember we all lined up and he was practically scowling at me the entire time, waiting to see me fail? Little did he know I just copied his command outside. That guy always disliked me."

"He said you were too 'full of life' to be in his class. Translated out of Amity to a 'pain in the behind'" Clem snorts.

Abbey spins on her heel. "It's because I told him his dancing sucked."

Eric laughs and they look at him. "You can't do any better."

"I have a great spin," she tells him.

"Is that all you had to do in your initiation, dance and sing songs?"

Clem shakes her head, almost insulted, "No, we had labor, then horticulture also. We had to swear over the Amity manuscript to always thrive on life and keep the peace."

"What happened to you then, Ab's?" he sneers.

"Simple, I don't put up with bullshit," she says, scowling at him. Afterward, she floats into the kitchen and flicks the kettle on, hopping up onto the side and kicking her legs.

"Not for me, I'm going to head back," states Sandra and Clem nods. "We'll see you at dinner. Thanks for having us, Eric."

"Always a pleasure." He watches as they hug Abbey from her spot on the counter and drift towards the door. He waits till they leave to stand, watching closely as green eyes follow his every movement.

He's like a lion waiting to pounce, his eyes don't waver, and the thought makes Abbey swallow thickly. "What're you doing?"

Eric reaches her, fingering the frills of the skirt. "Pretty, but it would look better on the floor." He pulls it rather roughly and she bats him away. The movement makes him drop the amusement on his face and sigh, trying to grasp at words to tell her exactly what his plans are. There was no easy way around it, so he goes for blunt. "Listen, Ab's, I'm going back out tonight."

"What? Why?"

"We can't leave Mark in Amity. It's not safe. We'll always be looking over our shoulders." Tenderly pushing back a piece of her hair, her eyes close for the briefest of moments. "And I really wanna fucking marry you."

Her eyes spring open, "I don't want you to go. Something bad always happens when we're apart." She puts her arms around his neck and into his hair, gently scratching against his scalp. He shifts closer to her, settling between her legs.

"And it always will until the threat is gone. That's why I need to do this, to keep you safe. Do you understand?" She nods. "I wouldn't go unless I have to."

"Yeah, I know," Abbey says sulkily, her eyes dropping to the floor. "Will it always be like this? … You going away?"

"I want to promise you it won't, but I can't… Not yet."

Pulling him closer, she lets her lips press faintly against his. "I won't say goodbye because I'll know you'll be coming back."

"I'll always come back. I found you again after all these years, didn't I?"

"Just don't make it that long."

His hand cups her cheek, the thumb caressing the side of her face as he leans in again, working his tongue to part her lips and she lets him. When their breath becomes heavy the calmness between them suddenly erupts, their kiss becomes more frantic.

Abbey begins lifting her skirt and when he notices, his hands glide up the sensitive skin of her thighs, pushing her underwear to the side and delving fingers deep inside of her – just the way she liked it.

The gasp is caught in her throat and she pushes her body against his to hold onto him while he works, reveling in the way his lips would brush against the skin of her neck and shoulder. When he begins trying to pull her from the counter, she manages to gasp out, "No, here," and tingles at the way his eyes dilate with lust along with the sound of his belt buckle unclasping.

Eric can't get it in quick enough, and takes her there on the counter, pushing all the way to the hilt. There was something scandalous by having sex partly clothed, the thought flashing through his brain as just 'a quickie', but not as shameful because it was with the person he loved.

He grabs at her ass and scoots her more to the edge, tilting her back till she has to slam her palms down beside her to keep upright. In between, he realizes he's getting close, so manages to pant some form of a coherent sentence. "Get off the counter." She drops down and he roughly turns her around, yanking her underwear down. "Hands on the counter until I say otherwise."

Under his dominance, she reacts quickly, bending forward for him and she moans deeply when he enters her again. Any louder and the whole of Dauntless would know exactly what they were doing.

Smacking her thigh and pulling her hair, he feels her tightening, her cries becoming louder, and then suddenly, she orgasms. Whether she was calling his name or swearing he would never know, as through it all he quickly reaches his own relief.

When they are sated and he puts his dick back in his pants, he smirks to himself, helping her readjust her underwear. "You didn't rectify at what time I should pull out?" he jokes.

She turns towards him, kissing him quickly. "I'll be right back."

He watches her scamper to the bathroom, chuckling to himself while she walks like a fucking duck, and again thinks about how overly lucky he is.

Eric notices the kettle after a minute and remembers she wanted coffee, flicking it back on. "Ab's!" he shouts. "Did you want coffee?" She doesn't hear him as the tap is running so he goes over and bangs on the door, unthinking.

She screams out, a shrill of utter terror, and he takes a step back. "It's me," he says softly. "Ab's open the door. It's me."

"Just… give me a minute."

He can hear her crying from where he stands and he sighs while leaning against the frame. "You should've told me you're still frightened."

"I'm not frightened of you!" she blabs out, panicked. The door unlocks and she stands in front of him, rubbing her eyes. "I'm frightened that it will happen again. I've never thought about taking my own life before, and it… it reminded me-"

"You fucking what?"

"When you were bashing the door in, I thought I'd rather do that than let you… I was about to… I didn't know I had it in me. Then Max shouted out and I stopped," she stutters.

Instead of his normal reaction, which would be to literally scream in her face, he tugs her to him, wrapping his arms around her. "Don't you ever… think like that." He makes sure to grab her cheek gently so she can't look away, "Ever… you hear me?"

He can't yell at her over this, she told him in confidence, she trusted him. He wanted her to tell him everything and never keep anything hidden. He'd guessed there would be some type of lingering feelings from the attack, and at some point, one would become known. But he never expected her reply.

Eric couldn't say that Abbey didn't love him. And he briefly ponders over the scenario of if she went through with it, but he blocks it quickly, something he was good at. It was not worth a spare thought and what-ifs weren't in his mantra.

Heading out tonight will now only be one hundred times worse.

---

Abbey bites her lip, wiping sweaty hands on her leggings. The control room sits in front of her and she can hear the monitors whirling from here.

There was a specific heat that accompanied this room. It must've leaked off of all the equipment along with a weird dusty smell she couldn't quite think of a word for, but it now settled with a type of familiarity, one that scared her.

The only chicken shit seemed to be her as of late.

She pushes the door and a few people look at her, obviously busy with set tasks while they seem to keep mumbling. For a minute she thinks they'll just throw her out, that they'll say she doesn't belong here, but they don't.

It's the pair of soft brown eyes she's looking for in particular, and they are already onto her before she realizes. With a little smile, she approaches Four.

"Hello, Abbey. What are you doing here?"

"Can I sit with you tonight?" She takes the spare seat next to him. "I don't want to be alone."

He seems to think about it for a minute before nodding, "It's fine. As long as you don't start shouting at me like last time."

"I'm sorry about that. It was just-"

"You were worried, I know." He sits forward quickly, checking between screens before looking back to her. "Has Eric left yet?" Four almost seems hesitant, like he wasn't sure of what to say almost. She finds him pleasantly selfless in that regard, he had a notion for second-guessing how people felt.

"He has." She leans her elbow on the desk next to her and balances on it. "Is Eric going to be okay? I mean, really okay?"

"He does this all the time if that's what you're asking."

"Why him?"

Four shrugs, "He's good at it."

There was one particular question in her mind and whether now was a good time to ask she didn't really know. "What does Eric do to Divergents?" It throws him off a little and he spins in his chair towards her. His lips purse while he thinks and she holds her hand out to him, "It's fine. If you don't want to tell me I get it."

"Have you asked him?" His eyebrows raise, so she guessed he wanted to know how much information Eric had spilled to her.

"He told me he 'blows their fucking brains out'" she quotations her fingers, peering at anything but him for a minute. "I never thought of him that way."

"I believe every one of his words that he does - but it's under orders. Many of the Divergents are in with the factionless and we know how he feels about them." Four smiles at her wrinkled nose. "I wouldn't worry though, his hunting Divergent days are now limited, he has bigger problems and the other factions are setting forth Dauntless to control any dealings with factionless, keeping well away. Which I suppose keeps Jeanine at bay."

"Is she the one who he takes orders from?"

He looks back to the screen before meeting her eyes again. "Suggestions or orders… Dauntless doesn't have to take orders from anyone. I guess that's why he gets so much hate from the factionless. He's the main usurper when it comes to foiling their plans and potential people. But I can't fault him, he's good at what he does – the answer to your original question."

She chuckles lightly, "Yeah, sorry. Went a little off topic there."

"No prob-" He's cut short as a small Dauntless woman leans on his shoulder whispering something. His face is immediately burrowed into the screens and he uses a device to zoom into one of the cameras. Four men stand at the Dauntless check-point, hands cuffed, heads sunk to the floor. The Dauntless around hold their guns to them, and one gets pushed to their knees.

Abbey inches closer, realization sweeping her brain and she pushes Four's arm out of the way. "Wait a second! I know him!" she points to the one of the farthest right. Four zooms the camera more on his face and Abbey suddenly feels sick. "Matt?"

---

Eric feels lumbered with equipment, his jacket heavy, the rifle slung over his arm, and every now again his knife would bounce on his thigh. He throws himself into some brambles, shouldering the rifle and stares down to the lights of Amity. He's joined by three others, the young boy Caden, Noah and Luka.

They look at him expectantly and he motions two to the side and Caden with him. "No time for fuck-ups," he whispers to Caden. "You stay low. Follow my lead, you got it?" The young boy nods.

Eric makes light work of the west field of Amity, but his thighs burn from the crouching position which instantly causes a thick sweat and his shirt to stick to his skin underneath his outer clothing. He lets the sweat drip into his eyes, if he got distracted even for a second the mission could be compromised.

A foot-patrol is idly chatting among themselves, walking close to where they are situated and Eric waits patiently until they pass, barely taking a breath. One strip of light from a nearby building beams on his face through the foliage and his gray eyes shimmer as they mark his next trail of passage. As soon as the foot-patrol disappears, he pelts across the dirt path, shimmying up against the barn.

"Foot-up," he hisses at Caden, pointing to an adjoining roof and guttering leading to the small window.

Caden's a small guy, and for a minute he shakes under his bulky weight, but once his grip is secure, he pulls himself up easily, quietly, and full of intent.

There's lighting in the office, dull lighting, dull enough it won't cast his shadow. And he leans his back against the wall taking a minute. Caden's stood back on the path, looking up at him and Eric gives him the go-ahead.

Caden sprints up the path, shouts, and fires his gun erratically. Further in the distance Noah and Luka react and begin their own similar assault. At the same time, Eric smashes the window and jumps through, holding his gun up to the back of Mark's head.

"Hello, Mark…"

---

"Matt's a good guy," Abbey says to Max in his office. Four had brought her here after she recognized him. "He would never be involved with the factionless. He liked his faction. He had plans-"

"You can't really trust anyone these days," Max bluntly says from behind his desk with an exhale.

"They've done something to him!" She finally relents to her frustrated anger, throwing a hand into her hair.

"The matter is, he is only asking for you. I will not permit you to see him; it's too risky and if Eric finds out-"

"Four can come with me."

"He wants you alone. He thinks we're fucking stupid," Max waves her off.

Four is busy rubbing his face when he asks, "Who are the others?"

"Unknown, randomers. They say they managed to escape Amity and want refuge." He laughs, "They must think we're fucking Abnegation."

"Matt knows me; I know him really well. He's probably fearing for my safety right now," Abbey says quietly. "Surely if I speak to him we can find out more. How they escaped and why?"

"I'm sure you could but you won't." With Max's words final, she looks at Four, then storms from the room.

Max must dismiss Four as after a few seconds he comes running up behind her. "Where are you going?"

"To the guards. To see Matt."

He shakes his head. "They won't let you in."

"But they will you," and she grips his arm and drags him with her.

---

Eric doesn't give Mark time to turn or say anything, and with craved delight, he squeezes the trigger.

The sound echoes throughout the room and into the streets. Mark's body slams forwards from the force.

The rippling wave of karma floods Eric almost instantly. He lowers his gun, admiring the hole in the back of the guy's head before approaching. It was a relief, but a dissatisfied relief. He thought maybe Mark would've seen this coming or at least had a few guards to throw into the mix… that in itself seemed strange.

He nudges him with the nozzle of his gun and the body slips to the side floppily and hits the floor.

Eric's half-mast smirk vanishes from his face as the certainty of the situation becomes known.

The man isn't Mark.

An indescribable feeling takes a hold of him, a knowing one, one that tells him he should get back to Dauntless, and now. His radio crackles, throwing him back into real-time. It's Luka, "The guards are Amity, not factionless. Something weird's going on here, man."

He pelts from the room through the window. Dropping to the ground, his ankle twinges from the fall, but he ignores it, and thunders across the field and towards the wall where the truck is, disregarding the men he's left behind.

Through the whipping of the foliage and vegetation, he grabs at his radio, directly contacting through to security.

He has to get back to Dauntless.

---

Abbey still drags Four a little, but he's more willing than the first time she mentioned it. The guards at the door look at them and Abbey pushes Four forward, motioning him to tell them.

"We need to see the young one, Matt."

"Under who's orders?"

Four looks at Abbey and she pleads him. "Eric's," he lies, the words tasting like grit in his mouth as he spoke them. "Now let us through." He suddenly plucks up his tone of voice and barges past the two guards, Abbey trailing behind him.

When they turn a corner, he grabs her shoulder. "This is the last time I ever do something like that."

"I know, I'm sorry, but I know this guy."

Four sighs and begins marching the corridor. "How do you know him?"

"He's my ex."

Four stops again. "You made me lie… over an order… of Eric's… because of an Ex?" he says disbelievingly. "Eric's going to kick my ass…" he rumbles off and begins walking again, laughing incredulously to himself.

"If it makes you feel any better, he'll probably kick mine too."

"You're not funny," he throws out over his shoulder, but he doesn't stop her passing him and running to the room where Matt is sat with his head between his legs.

"Matt! Matt, it's me!" She slams against the glass of the contained room, then looks for the control panel. "Four, open it!"

Matt moves to the reinforced glass and touches his hand where hers is on the other side. "Thank god you're safe."

"I'm fine. Four, open it!"

"No, you can talk here," Four folds his arms.

"What happened to you?" She gestures to Matt's face. There are marks and dirt patterned across it.

"Casualty of the escape," he smiles. "Had to get out of there."

"Four, open the damn door!" she shouts. And after a minute of him contemplating, he keys in a code quickly.

But everything happens so fast.

Matt grabs Abbey the moment the glass disappears and drags her into the room with him, her back against his chest and hands to her already sore throat. Four pulls his gun but he won't shoot, and the whole room is still.

"Quite the predicament," another voice sounds from one of the many containment cells behind Four. "And much easier than I thought."

Abbey glances towards the voice. "Four! It's Mark!" But Matt's hands tighten on her throat, making her gargle out his name.

"Open the door or Matt will snap her neck. Shoot at Matt and you risk shooting Abbey." Matt moves forwards on Mark's words making Four back-up to the control panel of Mark's cell. Matt's hands are set a particular way now against Abbey's head and neck that he couldn't doubt him. "So what's it going to be?"

"Fuck…" hisses Four. Then as Mark slams his body against the cell glass to cause a distraction, Matt moves forwards and grabs his gun, pointing it at Abbey. The movements were not that of an Amity but something that only a trained professional could counter with.

"Now open the cell door."

---

Eric arrives at Dauntless in a hurry, almost ramming the checkpoint, and he leaves the truck directly outside the entrance and still running as he jogs inside.

He hits the control room first and that's when he learns of the commotion down in the containment area.

It takes him five minutes to join the guards at the door of the holding area. They all stare inside and he can hear Max talking. He barges past a group on standby and nudges until he gets to the front, almost falling in his desperation. He spots Mark instantly, free from his cell and next to Matt who holds Abbey. For some reason, Mark's head is shaved and he frowns.

"Let her go," he says calmly. "Matt, I don't know if you're under simulation or not, but you don't want to do this. I promise you, you won't live beyond tomorrow if you don't let her go," he growls the last part. "If you want to hurt someone, hurt me, not Abbey."

"Write down the codes to Dauntless and allow us free passage and we'll let her go," says Mark.

Eric realizes now that this is a desperate move. Why surrender? Why be in the basement of Dauntless? He drifts to Max and talks quietly to him, "His men are nowhere to be seen from Amity to here, keep watch…"

"Why get yourself caught?" Max asks Mark with a raised eyebrow. "Why get yourself back into Dauntless with nothing but idle threats?" Eric recognizes this tone, this a mocking, playing tone he's used a hundred times over in the past.

Eric looks between them, then to Abbey who is clutching at Matt's hands and wonders if this was how he looked when he had attacked her. Her eyes are shimmering, her cheeks wet, and when she notices him watching, her mouth trembles. "I'm sorry, Eric. It was my fault. I forced Four to let me see him."

"Shut up!" Mark spits to her.

"Just shoot him!" she wails and Mark lashes out, slapping her on the cheek.

Eric lunges forwards and Max stops him. "Easy…" Max whispers coolly, gripping his shoulder, only releasing him when he limbers.

"Nothing but idle threats? What makes you think they're idle and that I'm alone?"

"Because you're a little bitch, Mark," Eric says through his grinding teeth.

"Did you check the back of your truck, Eric? Did you really think we wouldn't see you coming? … And what the fuck gave you the idea I was Mark?" He begins laughing, laughing so much he grips his stomach. Then from behind them, more people begin joining in. The Dauntless guards draw their guns, equal parts conflicted on what way was best to turn.

Eric pulls the hand-held on his thigh, aiming it at Matt, checking whether he could get a clean shot. Then he moves towards the new acquaintances behind him and lands on – with surprise - another Mark. It makes Eric chuckle to himself. How could he be so stupid? "Twins?" Eric says, still highly amused. "There's more of you welps?"

"Give us the code and perhaps this won't end in a bloodbath," Mark, the one in his gun-line, pointing his own weapon directly at him, speaks. Eric now knows that this is the Mark he's encountered before, just by the slight glint in his eye. His head is shaved too, probably to keep him unrecognizable and similar to his twin. It only makes him appear that much more desperate. And Eric knows desperation does stupid things to people.

"You won't be able to kill us all before we get to you," Eric sneers.

"No, but you wouldn't want an innocent getting caught up in the cross-fire," he motions his head towards Abbey. "Now, the codes… I'm beginning to run out of patience."

Eric looks at Abbey, and everything slows down. She nods at him… nods… and he can't decipher her intentions until she chomps down onto Matt's arm causing him to yell out.

Mark's twin, by the cells, points his gun at Abbey as her arms only just throw themselves into the sprint to get away.

Max moves forwards, faster than Eric can comprehend.

And Eric aims his gun at one of the Mark's on instinct.

Two shots ring out.

Chapter 16

Eric can only hear his own breath; tight, labored pants that slip through his locked teeth.

Everything seems to plummet into a heavy motionless scene. He sees Abbey in the corner of his eye running towards him and Max stepping forwards, but he just stands still with his gun trained on Mark's head. He should reach for her… he should.

The first shot rings his eardrums.

It all happens too fast for him to directly put all the pieces together. This was usually a sensation he got when dealing with life or death, he liked to call it judgment; a judgment vision that fixated on its victims. It was always mere seconds and it was always life changing, it didn't give a fuck for who it took.

Max tumbles into Abbey and pushes her to the side, the bullet hitting him somewhere in the lower back as he takes a few more steps, then drops to the floor. Eric automatically, on trained instinct, pulls his gun towards the first shooter. He pulls the trigger without any deciphering, watching as he gets a clean shot into Mark's twins head. Perfect, every time.

Matt next to him gets covered in blood splatters as the twin falls to the side, momentarily distracting him, and Four immediately pounces, pinning him down.

"Don't you dare move, Motherfucker!" Lauren's voice is the ushering wave of relief to Eric's ears, he was wondering when that bitch would show up. "Drop your weapons! This shows over!" She practically shoves Mark in the head with the barrel of her gun.

He doesn't comprehend much more after that. He turns to find Abbey leaning over Max on the floor. It takes him two steps to be by her side while she begins cradling Max in her lap.

He skids to a stop and drops down beside him, the blood pools on the floor around the older Dauntless Leader. Eric accidentally puts his hand into it, flinching back as the saying 'Blood on your hands' comes into full mocking effect.

"They got me good," Max smirks, crippled with pain, wheezing as thick droplets of cold sweat form on his forehead.

"Don't talk. Call the infirmary, now!" Eric barks to anyone around him that's listening. He knew the Dauntless guards would be eagerly on call in anticipation, two of their main Leader's in the same room with the anarchy shot was ludicrous, unheard of, and someone has to pay.

The face on Eric darkens when Abbey looks at him, the thought crossing her mind that this should be her. "Eric, what-" she's interrupted by him standing, rubbing the cuff of his jacket over his chin. With his face mottled with anger, he turns from her, barging past the staring Dauntless, heading straight for Mark. "Take him!" she shouts to the Dauntless guard around her, and one woman shuffles to get into her position.

She bounds after Eric, through the path he's made, just as he reaches Mark. His fists grasp a hold so tight on Mark's scruffy jacket that he completely lifts him into the air, his boots scratching on the grit floor.

Eric doesn't stop, he drags him out of the holding area, through the coded doors and into the open space of the Pit like a disobedient dog. The expression on his face is stoic.

Eric finally snaps in the open, throwing the heaviest fist into the middle of Mark's face, causing his nose to explode and to lose his footing. Stumbling to the ground, Eric hovers over him, crouching as he picks him up again, then bouncing his head on the concrete.

Abbey watches from the sidelines, this time stopped by a hand on her shoulder from Lauren. She wants to stop him, but she can't, just like everyone else that's gathered. The place is silent, just the wet knocking sound as Eric carries out the same carnivorous act.

Then he loses it, but loses it in a complete silence, his fists hitting Mark's head over and over. At first, he tries to defend himself but must lose consciousness and energy as his hands fall to his side, his body a ragdoll. It leaves him exposed, and Eric is not going to stop until he isn't breathing.

There are no smarmy comments falling from the man's split lips now. No mocking eye gesture from the ruptured sockets of the Leader of the Resistance. Again and again, Eric's fists hit his face. Eric wants to be the last thing he sees before he dies. And he's going to die.

"Eric!" he hears a voice echo out to him, but he's beyond hearing or reasoning. Hands touch his shoulder and he shoves them away, merely comprehending its Abbey that takes a cluttering fall.

Lastly, he grips the man's neck, squeezing the last remaining life out of him, the anger brimming to the max level and overspilling.

Make a fool of Dauntless… he will not! Shoot at the people he loves and threaten their lives… this shit is over!

Eric jolts the unrecognizable Mark's head up by his neck, gripping the side of his face, and with a quirk, snapping his neck.

He pants in exertion, anger, hate, guilt, before wiping his hands on his pants and standing, still looking at the body on the floor. The place remains silent. He would have probably cared for the stares had he not been so enraged. He probably would've told people to get back to work if the adrenaline had dwindled. The prying faces looking over the balconies probably would've made him bark an order, but they needed to know what happened to people when they fucked with him, and he'll be damned if anyone ever does again.

"Clean this up," his voice echoes, but nobody moves. He does notice however, that when he locks eyes with Abbey, she holds a hand to her mouth, shakes her head and slips away through the crowd.

Eric needs a smoke, and he needs one now.

---

Max is in surgery, the bullet is wedged somewhere in his hip and they are a few hours in on the operation to remove it. That's all that Eric knows at the moment.

He's too mad at everyone to be going back to his apartment and probably having Abbey run her mouth about the way he dealt with Mark. The look was enough to tell him all he needed to know.

He laid hands on her… again…

So he finds himself in his office, a constant parade of people entering the room. Not only does he have to deal with his usual shit, but Max's shit too. He'll be lucky to eat at any point today and having not slept, it enhances the dark rings under his eyes.

It's his hands though, his hands that he hates that still tremble with a ghostly voice singing the same 'Blood on your hands' chant, over and over. He moves them into various positions trying to rid of the sensation to no such luck. The flashing images of earlier also play havoc on his mind.

The way she looked at him.

But the first thing he does is busy himself, sending out an order of execution to those all held responsible and in coalition with the resistance. He signs it off greedily.

The next is an email to all factions explaining the happenings and the end to the threat. But what he doesn't expect is an email from Johanna. She's still at Dauntless but has decided not to face him – which he is thankful for, but the email pisses him off. It's her resignation from the main voice of Amity.

He blows smoke at the screen when he reads it.

Lastly, his next email is an order for all refugee members of Amity to be sent back to their placement. He's rewritten it multiple times as he knows it condescends Abbey being there, and she won't be happy with this either. He's also reluctant, but he finds it within good reason.

He's sending her back.

He can't bear to hurt her any more than he's already done. She's in danger here with him. And shoving her away as harshly as he did before was bound to leave evidence, let alone his assault while under the simulation and having her be held captive to the resistance. She'd never be safe, and he can't guarantee it anymore. There would always be something…

Along with that in the back of his mind, he also roams over the possibility of Max now hitting full retirement – if he ever walks again. This would put him in a position that would hold no time for caring for a woman.

She won't see it like that though, because all he's done since the depraving act against Mark is avoid her, somewhat cowardly, but she had a way of always changing his mind and he can't allow it.

It was only a matter of time till she would heed the news and be storming into his office how Abbey usually does. The thought threatens to grace a small curl on his lip, but his mind was made up, he can't have emotional attachment anymore, not if he wanted to stay on top of the game he's been slacking in as of late.

It was all because of her.

The blame couldn't be totally pinned on her though, it was also his own desires and possessiveness that got him this far.

It may be because of her, but he started it.

There's a light tap at the door and he doesn't bother to move. "Yes?"

The person walks in the room but doesn't say anything, so he sighs, sitting up to peer above the screen, seeing Abbey. He stares blankly at her because in her eyes he knows she's read the email or heard of his orders.

"I thought you had guts, it seems I'm mistaken…"

He stubs out his cigarette, rolling himself in his chair more to the side to get a better view of her. She's changed and clean, wearing her Amity dress that shows off the curvature of her body more beautifully than a Dauntless uniform ever could. This is unusually the way he preferred her and he raises an eyebrow to whether or not she wanted to say anything else.

"You couldn't even bring yourself to tell me personally? After everything?" She hugs her arms to herself now, biting her lip like she usually did under stressful situations.

"I haven't had time."

"Bullshit. Make time." Her head snaps to the side in annoyance or trying to avoid his gaze, he hadn't decided which. It makes him stand, closing the small gap between them. He sighs when he reaches her, causing her to look at him. "You said… you said you wanted to marry me as soon as this was over. You told my parents that… What's changed?"

Eric silently recalls his earlier thoughts on judgment, the snap decisions that alter everything. If he did try to explain she wouldn't see the sense of it or the meaning behind it.

"Everything's changed," he keeps his voice low, but firm. Steeling his spine, he towers over her, however, the soft movement of placing her hair back behind her ear is conflicting with his superiority. In an even tone, the words crush Abbey's heart, "I still love you, Abbey. That hasn't changed."

"Why are you sending me away then?"

"Because I keep hurting you. One day there will be no one to take the bullet for you and it will be you. That's why."

"Sorry, what?" she almost shouts. "Did the Eric I know just suddenly get up and leave the room?"

"It's better for you and me."

Abbey's breathing increases, the knot in her stomach tightening until she can barely breathe at all. He didn't want her around anymore. He didn't want her. After everything, all those promises and vivid talks of a future together and he was tugging it out from underneath her. "Eric… I" she can't even talk, her hand grabs at her hair, pushing it from her face while fragments of her heart pierce her lungs. "Please… don't… Don't do this."

"I begged for them to let you go earlier. I don't beg, a Leader doesn't beg. If I want to stay in my position, there are certain standards I have to adhere to. You make me forget them all."

"But you love me…"

"You don't hurt the people you love," he gestures with his head to the fading bruises, the still patchy red mark on her cheek from being slapped, the grazed palms of her hands and wrapped fingernail. "Anything I love gets hurt or taken away."

"If this is you trying to punish yourself, I think enough has happened for you to be able to be forgiven, don't you think?"

"It's not that."

"My safety then… you can forget it… When have we ever thought about safety? Never, not once. I'm willing to live this life for you, Eric. Don't push me away." She reaches out to his jacket, but he steps back, pulling away from her grasp. He hears her breath hitch and his chest aches painfully for her. If he crumbles now, there would be no going back, so he keeps his feet firmly glued to the ground.

He can't seem to look at her, using the ground as a distraction instead. "I'm sorry, Abbey. Maybe in a few years-"

"Fuck you. Fuck Dauntless. Fuck your job! A few years, Eric? You think maybe, in a few years, you may make up your mind… Well, there's gonna be shit coming to you because I'm not willing to wait for you to finally decide I'm worth calling back for…" She turns towards the door and he can feel himself about to beg for her not to leave, conflicting with everything he's just thought.

Instead, he stays quiet.

"Remember, you pursued me." She looks to his boots and back to his eyes before slamming the door behind her.

Abbey barges past a few Dauntless members in the corridor just as a yell rips out behind her and a loud whack against one of the walls.

They turn quickly away and follow her out.

---

Clem peers at Abbey in the back of the truck. The usually expressive woman gazes off into space, her hands snuggly wrapped in her lap. Her body sways with the movement along with the clanking sound of loose objects around them.

It's been at least twenty minutes like this since they left, and Clem comes to the conclusion that this is bad. Very bad.

But Abbey is the suffer in silence type.

Another five minutes and it seems the thought process of the young woman becomes too much and her head falls into her hands as she weeps.

Silently, Clem nudges her way to the seat next to her, rubbing her back. This will be the biggest mistake Eric has ever made.

---

A week passes by and Eric is still knee deep in multiple operations. It hasn't got any better, if anything the workload had increased.

… And Max finds it the appropriate time to declare his resignation. He's forty-seven, rehabilitation was going to be costly, and it was about time he stepped down so someone could take his place. That someone, was Eric.

Beyond stressed is the dozen plastic cups used as ashtrays and multiple broken chairs. Stressed is the brain finally telling him to go fuck himself and switch off.

He either needs to fuck, fight or throw-up. Which one he didn't know would be more pleasing.

However, that wasn't the only reason he was unhappy. Things at Dauntless ticked by quickly, his position was to be pronounced at midday today with a speech orchestrated by himself. It didn't have to be long but he at least wanted it articulate. At this moment in time, he only had 'I' and the rest was blank.

It was funny though.

The way he was sitting in his office now was very much like the same way he did when he first thought of Abbey. And he still thought of her every day, how could he not? So much reminded him of her.

Also, it was mainly because it was still stifling and he imagined her flowery ass and floppy hat. But word had gone out of major storms approaching within the next few days that would affect her faction.

He'd be lying if he said he didn't miss her, and that he hadn't thought about calling to speak to her. He didn't think she would speak to him even if he tried though. As far as he was concerned, she hated him now, more than ever.

Eric had broken her heart.

But he has to know if she's okay. So downsizing his blank white document with 'I', he pulls up his email, finding Johanna's - now personal, address.

Johanna,

How is Abbey?

Eric.

It was basic, he couldn't deny it was to the point, though.

Now he sits back, legs crossed, biting the end of his pen. He drifts off to whether he was ever really going to write a speech and would just rather roll something off the top of his head like he usually does. He decides to do the latter.

He's about to dial her number when a new email flashes.

Eric,

What do you expect?

Johanna.

Fucking whore. That was not what he wanted to read. He's in a half a mind to send her those exact words too. Instead, he pulls out a piece of paper, writing quickly. At the end of the letter, he signs his name, skimming over it before placing it in an envelope.

The most painful part is writing her whole name, 'Abbey Ainsworth' on the front of it.

---

Another day. Another sweat…

Abbey stretches underneath her covers, enjoying the slight breeze bristling through the linen curtains.

That's until she remembers. She could almost believe everything was alright in those first few split seconds upon waking.

Around her vanity mirror, she removed the photo of her and Eric as children, unable to look at it. The first few days being back at Amity she could barely remember either, just everything was blurry and she couldn't function. It was only a day ago she could bring herself to eat a full meal rather than just a bite or two.

Braiding her hair down to one side after washing, she slips on whatever dress is nearest – along with her big hat.

Her home is quiet now, Eric's presence long gone. But still, she can't find it in herself to hate him.

Halfway to the kettle to make coffee, an envelope under her door catches her eye. She recognizes the handwriting instantly; she'd recognize it anywhere.

With it in hand, she's mulling over if she really wanted to read it. What could he possibly have to say that would be any importance to her life now?

Abbey skips the coffee, she's late enough for work as it is. The door closes behind her, leaving the envelope on the side unopened.

---

Two fucking days.

Two days and still not a reply, a letter, a call, an email, nothing.

It pissed Eric off more than he liked, and it mainly showed through his aggression towards the other Dauntless members.

The aggression at the minute was pinpointed on the young Dauntless soldier in front of him. Caden. "Get out…"

Caden was halfway through telling him about a report, and his stuttering expression mingles with confusion. "You asked me to-"

"I know what I asked, now I'm telling you to get out." Eric's eyes are hooded in darkness, his balled hands turning white.

"Yes, sir," Caden nods, sucking himself up before turning to leave. He barely reaches the door.

"Is there something happening at Amity I should know about?"

Caden had been aware of Eric's recent hostility and the rumors of the Amity girl that had started them all. He'd been given advice not to mention it since he'd seemingly become favored by the new Dauntless hierarchy, so he chooses his words carefully. "They are preparing for the storm that Erudite had predicted."

He hears Eric mumble under his breath, something about 'writing back'. It was obvious to everyone that the burly guy was under confliction and lost after he made the orders to send all the Amity home. He thought Eric was smarter than that. He almost wanted her to come back, it was practically impossible to work with him, his mood would swing drastically.

"You can go," Eric says. Caden takes one second to peer over his shoulder and notices he's pulling paper from his desk the old fashioned way. It's none of his business.

---

An alarm bell sounds in the distance. It's pitch black outside and Abbey had just slipped between the sheets of her bed when they started blaring.

The howling of the wind was the first indicator the storm had finally struck. They had mentioned it would in the up and coming days. But the bell ringing meant something had happened and everyone needed to haul ass.

She jumps out of bed, dressing quickly and throwing on her raincoat and wellington boots. Rushing from her small house, there are others doing the same. The rain stings on her face, and the wind whips out her jacket from either side of her as her boots slosh in the forming puddles and slopping mud.

Grabbing at an Amity guy sprinting past, she almost slips. "What's going on?"

"The stables!" he shouts. "The roof has fallen in and the horses have split!"

Just great…

Laboring seems to be on the menu for the next few days.

---

Max is still hospitalized. He's surprised when his door opens and Eric stands formidably in the frame, hands in pockets.

"You came to see the cripple?"

"Thought I'd give the old man a visit…" Eric's smile is brief, almost sad with his eyes downcast.

It makes Max shuffle on the bed higher. "You're a fucking idiot," he throws out bluntly as he readjusts.

"It was for the best." Eric steps into the room, running a hand across the instruments on the furthest side before turning back to him. After a second he sighs and places himself in the small plastic chair next to the bed. "Or so I thought."

"I've heard rumors of how grumpy your ass has been. Why'd you do it?"

"Look at you."

"This is my job, I protect. I think I did it well." Max helps himself to a cup of water on the hovering table next to him. "By your face, I know she isn't speaking to you."

"This is not all about her." Eric rubs his chin, touching the gauges in his ears briefly. He crosses his arms when he sits back under the lingering glare he's receiving. "I did it for Dauntless. We're down a Leader now and my head needs to be in the job."

"It's far from though, isn't it?"

There was no point trying to lie to Max, he always saw straight through him. With a small incredulous scoff, he leans forwards, resting on his elbows. "I've written to her and I haven't heard anything back." He raises an eyebrow. "I've sent her one every day. She doesn't have an email and she doesn't have a phone." He picks dust off his pants and doesn't look back up.

"Hmm… just give it time."

But Max knew that Eric didn't do too well with being patient, and there was nothing he could do to help, not this time.

---

Another week passes.

The damage to the stables is almost fully repaired, and the storm having cooled the air and washed away the grime from their endless heatwave.

Abbey and Clem stomp up the little steps to her house, laughing about how muddy they are and moaning about how sore their hands were.

"…splinters for weeks…" Clem is saying as they enter the door. They kick off their boots and take off their jackets. She watches Abbey flit around her small kitchen, grabbing at cups to make hot drinks for them. On the side though, her eyes pause on the forming pile of envelopes, all with Abbey's name on. "What are those?"

"They are from Eric," she says, not looking at her but filling the kettle.

"He's written to you every day?" Clem walks over, then flicks through each one. "There's about twenty here."

"Yeah… and?" her tone is biting.

"They are unopened."

"And?" she says again in the same voice, turning to look at her this time. "He doesn't deserve another minute of my time."

"You told me you miss him, though? Why wouldn't you?"

"I'm an idiot. Don't listen to me." Abbey steadies herself on the counter, her arms splayed out either side of her while waiting for the kettle. "He made everything pretty clear to me. I was in the way and Eric did what he does best, he gets rid of them." The kettle clicks off and she begins making them their drinks. "Besides, I'm feeling a lot better now… I'm over it…" The silence from Clem has her peer over to her. "I am, really. It was never going to work and I've accepted it."

"Doesn't look like Eric has…" Clem mumbles under her breath. Abbey doesn't hear her because she hums while stirring, that same song she always does whenever her friend was sad.

---

The blonde minx has been staring at Eric for half of the meeting. She's an Erudite woman, her cheeks pink when he would catch her looking.

He hasn't particularly paid any attention to what the meeting was about because he was in with this woman - that was his guess. He didn't have to show any party tricks or talk to her to get her attention, his presence seemed to be enough.

What he contemplates though, is whether or not he was going to show her any special attention after the meeting ends.

She's nothing like Abbey, she's taller, her legs longer, and she was blonde. She was also quiet, a natural trait of Erudite.

He guessed she was some sort of handmaiden to Jeanine, a respectable position.

More than anything though, he finds his pants tight. It's been weeks since he's been with a woman, the last woman having been Abbey.

The meeting ends while he still in that thought, but he doesn't move right away, just sits casually back in his seat, in his ultimate element. As she passes he doesn't stop looking at her, and when she gets directly next to him, she pushes a piece of paper onto the table.

It's her name - which he doesn't care for, and a number. He takes it though, lingering his fingers on hers and watching her go beetroot. He still had it, even if his mind was only on what was under her shirt.

Even if he was only particularly showing interest so he could forget. So he could forget about her…

---

It's on the way back from Erudite that Eric stares out of the truck window, not listening to anything the people with him are saying.

He came to the conclusion there was no interest in the Erudite woman. He'd dumped the note in the nearest bin when exiting. It did boost his ego, though…

They take a familiar route he knows all too well, leading past the buildings they scoured as kids. And that's when he sees it.

The oak tree.

His foot taps on the floor as his mind splits in two. Forget or remember…

"Stop the truck."

There's a moment of hesitancy, so he glares at the driver. "Now!" They are almost thrown forward from the harsh braking. But Eric's already out the door, walking confidently up to the tree. He can feel them back at the truck watching him but he doesn't care.

He stares up at the old branches, wondering if they could take his weight now. It looked so decrepit to what he remembered.

However, he's already scaling it, and quickly, a whole new plan forming in his head.

He unsheathes his knife when he gets to their well-renowned spot - calculating at what angle and depth would be best to cut the words out of the tree.

---

It's been a few days and there are no more letters left under her door.

Abbey stares for a while at the gap of light dusting in from outside. At least with the letters arriving, she selfishly knew he was still thinking of her, even if she never sent anything back.

Eric was finally over her.

A wave of exhaustion overtakes while thinking about it, so she heads for the darkness of her bedroom. Clem will have to do the work for her today.

---

Eric carved the wood to form a plaque. It had been a good distraction for a few weeks and he kept it in his apartment. He had every intention to send it to her but couldn't bring himself to part with it in case he never saw it again, just like all the letters he never got a reply to.

The weeks seemed to billow by without any pre-warning. Nothing changed for him, it was still the same, still snowed under…

It's an odd night on a random Thursday, Lauren finally shows her face, it's a pitying face though. "That's it!" she declares. "You need a night out at the pit."

"I'd rather cut my dick off…"

"No, I'm serious. I can't see you like this anymore." She walks over and grabs his arm, trying to lift him. "A drink, that's all. Get you out of here…" she wrinkles her nose up to the office and the paperwork piled all around him. "Now, soldier!"

Eric thinks about it. Lauren's probably right. He stands abruptly, causing her to almost fall back. "One drink, but no work related shit." He catches the shrewd smile on her face but chooses to ignore it.

---

Abbey's in the field. The storm may have lowered the temperature for a while but the sun was back out, beating relentlessly down on them. She brings a wrist up to her head and wipes at the sweat, gasping in the air around her.

Clem's still rambling next to her, weeding between the planted flowers. Her voice seems to be continuous and Abbey has a hard time keeping herself cool, verging on the edge of panic. She stands hoping a breeze will catch her, but it doesn't, it only makes her head rush and her vision swim.

"Clem…" is just a gasp before she's falling to her knees, hands grasping at the soil. Before Clem can realize, Abbey falls onto her side.

"Abbey!" is all but a shriek from Clem, then the pain takes over, ripping her from the core outwards. "Abbey! Stay with me! Help! Somebody, help!"

---

"…as you can see, the tests prove the serum is most effective. Any case of Divergent is quickly ruled out because simply, the test will not work…"

Eric's in a transition to two different meetings, being followed by the balding Erudite man as he tramples the halls of Dauntless. A sheet is passed to him and he skims over it briefly before shoving it back.

"The statistics show that this is where a lot of Divergents fail, so we concentrated all our efforts-"

"Sir, the report on the wall you requested." A Dauntless soldier appears to his left.

Eric's at the brink of insanity, being followed by a trail of ants all tipping bucket loads of information on him, all at the same time. He took the stairs hoping they would leave him to his own devices, but that didn't seem to work either. He glares at them from time to time to hopefully warn them.

In no time at all he's trailing the corridor near the meeting rooms, throwing the door open to a table of Erudite and other Dauntless members. The blondie's here.

He smiles to himself.

"Let's get this done, shall we?" he gestures to the room, not taking his eyes off the sheepish woman. A smirk forms as he takes a seat and kicks his legs out under the table. "I'm busy, so make it quick."

"Okay," says an older woman from Erudite who stands. She looks nervous, in fact, everyone was nervous around him lately. "There's new equipment Jeanine wants to be discussed, and also the rota for policing our faction. She doesn't want anything like what had happened here to happen at Erudite."

"So, you came here to insult me?" He sits forwards. "You think we aren't capable?"

"No, but Jeanine doesn't want-"

"Jeanine this, fucking Jeanine fucking that. I'm talking to you, actually, I'm talking to all of you noses here. I want straight to the point facts and plans. But most of all, I don't want to be continuously interrupted by Erudite. I have enough with Max falling into retirement early to be dealing with stupid, unimportant credentials that I seriously couldn't give the slightest shit about." The room is deadly silent. "We will deal with the policing how we see fit. The equipment to be discussed is an Erudite matter, not mine, and certainly not right now. So, now we are clear, what more do you want? … Could this not have been put into an email and sent to me?"

"Well-" The lady is interrupted by the door opening and Lauren looking a little flustered.

She scans the room before landing on him frantically, "Eric."

"What? … What now?" he rolls his eyes.

"You need to come, now!"

In his confusion and her urgency, he stands. "Next time I want it all in writing, that's an order. Meeting dismissed."

Jeanine can stamp her little feet all she liked.

Lauren untraditionally pulls Eric and shoves him into his office, closing the door quickly behind her. "Just try to keep a clear head…" she begs of him, biting her lip and almost whimpering at the thought.

"What? Fucking tell me, Lauren."

"You told me to keep an eye on Amity, right? Well, Abbey's…"

"Abbey's, what?"

"She's - she's in the Amity Hospice… She's sick… really sick… it's bad."

Eric's behind his desk, grabbing at his phone and other random items before he turns to walk past her. The guilt seems to shake him, his earlier thoughts were atrocious while Abbey was apparently unwell without his knowledge. He almost wants to vomit or gauge his own fucking eyes out.

"Eric…" Lauren's voice is unusually softer this time, forcing him to look at her. He immediately sees there's some hidden information that's going to really blow his shit.

"She's… They're saying…" She can't find the right words. It wasn't even her place to say. "She's pregnant."

Chapter 17

Lauren accompanies Eric in the truck to Amity. He says nothing, gnawing his cheek with his foot to the floor, the scenery darting by them.

There was a strange anxious feeling in the air and she wondered if Eric could feel it too. Of course, she knew more than what she had told Eric; the information coming from a Dauntless informant, but it was really not her place to say, not over something like this. She didn't have the authority, nor the technical terms to use in order to comfort him.

"You just tell me if you need me to do anything, okay?" she leaves her words lingering. He doesn't acknowledge, if anything, it feels like the truck speeds up.

---

Strangely, Johanna is the first person Eric sees waiting for him at the end of the track. Her hands are clasped in front of her and she doesn't smile like she usually does. He jumps from the cab, ignoring her ass, and walking past her, heading straight for the Hospice.

"Eric," she says calmly at first, her jewelry cluttering from her jogging to keep up. "Eric, please wait!"

"It's my child and Abbey in there! Why would I wait?" He barely stops, hissing the words at her, not even throwing her a glance.

"Eric, you must stop and listen!" She yelps at his abrupt turn towards her, his hand skimming across his mouth in agitation while his eyes dart between her and Lauren trailing behind. Lauren nods to him, a friendly gesture of encouragement for him to actually spare her a minute.

"What?"

"Abbey is fine, but-"

"That's great," he snarls at her. "But if this is about anything other than her, then you really have some cheek for even mentioning-"

"Fuck sake, Eric!" Lauren yells at him. "Let her talk."

Eric crosses his arms, his jaw tense, and it pushes Johanna on. There was no real way to best approach it. "Abbey is in a very fragile state of mind right now… Your child… They- they didn't make it. She lost the baby. I'm truly sorry."

"What?" He looks at Lauren and she nods meekly. "You're saying… You knew?"

He barrels towards Johanna, face red and blotchy, eyes cast over, words lost. Lauren moves forward and grabs his jacket. "It's not Johanna's fault! It's nobodies fault!" Lauren tells him over and over, pushing him away and grabbing him every time he would shove her. They eventually break away from their scuffle and Eric throws a hand to his head, taking deep breaths as he walks in a circle a few times, trying to release the anger that was more at himself than anything.

"You should know this now before you go in there," Johanna finally finishes once she had watched his bodily cues of the information finally sinking in.

"What the fuck am I meant to say to her?! What the fuck can I possibly do?" he asks frantically, not really wanting an answer. The two women stay quiet. "Is this my fault? Am I really such a fucking asshole that we deserve this?" Everything the nurse had said back in Dauntless was true. It was true and he hadn't told Abbey. He sent her away from Dauntless. He had broken her heart.

Lauren looks to the ground and Johanna keeps her eyes off into the distance as he continuously paces, feeling his whole world sway around him. There were no words, but he knew he had to see her. Suddenly he takes off towards the Hospice, but this time, nobody tries to stop him.

---

Amity Hospice is small; a lone building tucked away behind the dome of Amity. He's slightly deflated from his anger, wallowing in regret instead. When the nurse recognizes him she begins to stand to take him to Abbey's room but he halts her with his hand.

"Down there on the left," the nurse tells him, and he quickly looks back to Lauren and Johanna talking outside the Hospice doors, giving him the time he so desperately needed.

Eric hesitates on the door handle, taking a deep breath before pushing his way inside. He was sick to the back teeth of hospitals and every misfortune he associated them with.

The window is wide open inside, the pulled curtains fluttering as the door opens. Abbey lays on her side away from him, curled up into herself, but by the looks of it, staring out the window. It's only the birds he can hear, sometimes seeing one flutter past the window. It's a serene view, almost like a picture with the woods in the distance and blue sky. On the side sit flowers of all colors in a vase, close to her bed, and Abbey's own dress almost matches the vibrant colors, but the vibrancy doesn't seem to be helping Abbey.

Eric sighs, kissing his teeth and moving closer. She looked like the little girl he remembered all those years ago all of a sudden.

"Ab's?" Saying her name is painful and he closes his eyes momentarily. When she doesn't move, he moves around to the side she's facing, perching on the end of her cot. She has goosebumps on her bare legs and her skin is cold to touch.

Her eyes that were staring out ahead, now flicker down to the edge of her pillow. "What are you doing here?"

"That's a shitty question and you know it."

"Go away."

Eric takes his hand from her, placing them in his lap before tilting his head back to peer out the window. "I'm not going anywhere."

She shifts on the bed, balling her hands up between her legs and pushes her face back into the pillows, closing her eyes. Eric doesn't move.

---

Eric watches her pack her flowery bag up that evening, wiping at her face every so often as she did, and completely ignoring he was even there. She looked drained of color, hair limp, cheeks puffy. As she zips the bag, Eric puts his hand on hers. She pauses, staring at it for a while, the slightest flicker of her finger runs along his, and then she moves away. She leaves the room and he follows with her flowery ass bag in hand.

He understood exactly what that small action had meant. She was thankful he was there.

---

Eric stays at Abbey's for the next week. He wasn't leaving her, not again. He takes the opportunity to work on a few things in the day at Amity as Abbey seemed to have no interest in leaving her house anytime soon. He brought her food back for her and watched her only ever eat half of it, locking herself away in her bedroom after. She had been to a follow-up appointment, though, and only told him that she was fine.

But on a random muggy night, while Eric dozes on her couch, he unexpectedly feels her sit down by the gap near his stomach, a woolen knit blanket over her shoulders. "Hi," she smiles weakly down into her lap rather than at him.

"Hi." His tone is light, but his brows are characteristically furrowed. He rubs a hand on his chest as he rolls back slightly, trying to wake himself and get a better view of her in the darkness.

Abbey's head tilts, a serious expression gracing her features. "I'm sorry."

Eric replies, "Me, too." What for, he didn't know, but it seemed appropriate.

There's a long pause before she speaks. "They say… they say I can't have children naturally. If at all…" Her fingers pluck at the threads of the throw covering him. Eric had been spying in on her activity at the Hospice; he read all the reports. It plainly stated she had miscarried and a bunch of other mumbo jumbo about her blood work that he already knew. "That I'll always lose it because of my blood, or something, they said."

"Doctors say a lot of things."

"You already knew that though, didn't you?" She looks at him for a moment, whispering, "I spoke to Clem…"

Eric doesn't really know what to say. The last thing he wanted her to think is that he had lied to her, or felt ashamed. Maybe that's what she is thinking? After all, he did send her back as soon as the factionless rebellion had ended, and he damns himself for it now. "I was trying to protect you. I thought you'd be happier if-"

He stops when he sees her lips tremble, and she bites it. "They said I could go to Erudite and stay with my parents to try and find a solution. But I… I don't know… I don't know if I want that. I don't think I can do that again."

Eric finds himself talking before he's even aware he thought it, "You don't have to do anything you don't want to." But if anything, it was a complete surprise. He had thought that after this she would be adamant on finding a way to conceive, but no, not Abbey, she still managed to catch him off guard.

But if he was being entirely honest, he was more relieved.

Upon his words, she looks at him for the briefest of moments, then scrunches her nose up, staring down at the cover again. "I want you to go back to Dauntless." Eric begins to shake his head, but she keeps talking, "…find a pretty girl to make you happy, who is strong, and you can have the perfect family with. You deserve it, Eric. You would make a great dad."

Eric scoffs, "Can you even imagine me as a parent, Abbey? Don't be ridiculous."

"I have thought about it, actually," she smiles. "I wanted them with you, for years." Her confession stumps him. "But I think…" she trails off for a minute in thought. "…I think we got our lines crossed. I think we were only ever meant to be friends. We just got a little confused along the way."

"No, I think you're right," Eric says indifferently and she glances up at him. "I could go back to Dauntless and find a pretty girl to have a family with." He hears Abbey audibly swallow. "But I won't. Because I don't just want a pretty girl, I want the girl I've been with my entire life for as long as I can remember. And I know she wants that, too."

"What if in a few years you decide you want kids and… I can't give that to you?"

"What if? You're going off of a what if?" Eric sits up, taking one of her hands in his, placing it against his chest. "You feel that?" Of course she does. "That is yours, Abbey, all of it. And I can tell you now, there is no space left for anything else, you're it." He shakes his head at himself. "I know I can be a massive dick, I sometimes say things that I don't mean, and I can be hot-headed. But I know I mean this." Abbey turns her head away from him, trying to pull her hand away but Eric refuses to let go. "You remember that story about the moon and the sun? Well, I'd happily give you every single day in the sun even if that meant leaving me in the dark for eternity, and I mean it."

Abbey smiles, "That's probably the most romantic thing you've ever said."

"It takes years of grueling practice." She laughs at him, and from the sound, the words tumble from his mouth, "Let me prove everything to you. Marry me?"

"Seriously?"

Eric couldn't say the position they were in right now was idyllic, her covered in some tatty throw, and him naked and disheveled on her decrepit couch. But for them, it seemed spontaneously fitting. "Kick my ass for the rest of my life, Abbey. Call me a chicken shit until I'm eighty. Hug me constantly in public so I can pretend I don't like it. Grope me inappropriately just for the hell of it. Just marry me you annoying, obnoxious, and emotional woman."

Abbey beams for the first time in the days that he's been there. "On one condition."

"Go on…"

"No more pushing me away with shit excuses or reasons. Bad things-"

"Always happen when we are apart," he finishes for her.

Suddenly, that mystical energy Abbey seems to always possess is back. She rolls her lips to hide her smile. "I want you to get down on one knee."

"Oh, fuck off." That was quite enough for one day.

---

Soon the corn field would be harvested. The tall plants stood taller than Eric now, flourishing after the recent storms and plentiful sun. It was the announcement that the heatwave plaguing them for months was finally faltering, pushing them to the beginning of Autumn.

Abbey clutches the letters Eric had written in her clammy hands, ducking down low between the harvest. Glancing down at the familiar writing on the page, she pants out, "Please reply. I miss your criticism on my work life, the abrupt, airy comments on how my-" She squeals when she sees Eric appear suddenly, taking off in a sprint, laughing uncontrollably. Over her shoulder she calls out, "I never knew you were so poetic, Eric!" She takes a sharp left, pushing the drooping leaves out of her face as she ran, using the other hand to hold the front of her dress up with no idea in what direction she had taken.

She's grabbed by the waist, spun on the spot, and tumbles over, pulling Eric down with her. He catches himself, strong arms either side of her body, a killing smile on his face. "I'm more than just poetic, Abbey."

"I'm surprised, no rhyming words about pussy poppy or the deliverance dealer."

"I was fourteen you ignorant shit." Eric takes the letters from her hands, crunching them into a fist and throwing them to the side. He stares down at her for an extra long minute, his eyes roaming across her body and she instinctively arches as the heat begins to pool in her stomach.

Eric's rough with her dress, the pretty buttons littered down the front almost yanked off. "Eric, wait!"

"Why would I wait?"

Abbey grips either side of his head as he scours her skin, skimming around her breast. It wasn't to stop him, she lived for the sensation. Instead, she tilts her head back up to the sky, a wisping cloud above them, the warmth of his mouth more prominent and sensitive. Her mouth parts when he bites, his hands still working her dress down to her waist. "Next time I see you, we'll be getting married. The next few days are going to drag."

"Jesus, Abbey. Couldn't we have had this conversation over breakfast this morning?"

"Well, you're about to eat me, so same thing-" Eric lifts her almost off the ground shuffling back up to her eye level. Now bare, she sucks in her lower lip in anticipation of his next move.

"Shut. Up." He kisses her sloppily, unclasping his belt buckle and pulling down his pants. His face is pushed into the crook of her neck and she holds onto him as he thrusts.

"Ow!"

"What?"

"Something pricked me…"

---

There were a few things that Eric needed to do back at Dauntless. He'd left the arrangements with Abbey and her friends, but he would always be clued in on the plans by frequent updates.

His first big mistake was giving Abbey a phone, she was like an annoying child with it.

Halfway through his meeting that he had scheduled with Jack Kang from Candor, his phone vibrates in his pocket. Lauren looks over at him skeptically, knowing just as well as he did who it was.

He clicks on the swirling icon for the picture to download, and bit by bit the image comes onto his screen. It's Abbey's tits. He hides it a bit better from Lauren but she's already laughing. "Bitch…" He breathes quietly over the photo, and he replies back with exactly that.

Lauren kicks his foot under the desk as Jack prattles on in front of them. "You ready for tomorrow?"

"What's tomorrow?" he jokes. But it was a certain fact that this was a huge thing and the rumors of the ferocious Dauntless leader marrying an Amity on Amity turf, had gotten around like wildfire. Abbey had to even make it worse by sending out invites to relevant people. They were evil looking things with dried flowers attached to the front and fancy writing, but all in all, Eric was taking it like a man.

They were traditionally staying apart until the ceremony tomorrow morning. The next time he saw Abbey she would be walking towards him, and then he'd be giving her his second name. At long last…

Eric's best 'man' was Lauren.

"Remember you're not in the office all evening, we've got to get there on time tomorrow. That's like, my one responsibility for this whole thing," Lauren whispers.

His phone vibrates again and it's Abbey blowing him an exaggerated kiss and he smiles to it. His reply is simple this time, "See you tomorrow."

---

"You got this, man," Max claps him on the shoulder as he jumps down from the trucks, then the ex Dauntless Leader is helped away by a guard as he limps, still trying to pretend that every step wasn't complete agony.

"'Course I got this." Eric's uniform is far more fancier than usual. He even had his name stitched on over the right breast, the flickering flames of Dauntless patched onto the other. It's a stifling feeling though that overwhelms him and he pulls up his collar. Lauren's quick, coming from behind and flattening it again.

"Now that is a move of a nervous man."

"Stop making assumptions about me, bitch." Lauren just smirks at him. He scans quickly around the area, a few Amity with happy, welcoming faces watch them, and he wipes at his mouth under their judgment.

"So, gone is the man that denied Abbey was more than his… entire sole existence," Lauren begins talking again, walking with him to the outdoor arrangement that Abbey had been working on.

"Stop right there," he warns her. "I don't need your twisted words."

"I'm just pointing out that I was right, all along… That I might just know you better than you think."

Eric can't reply and swears under his breath at the approaching forms of Abbey's god damn parents. "Eric," they greet him with smiles. "Looks like we won't be medically removing anything of you, after all."

"It's nice to see you again, Debby. Ben," Eric nods. The next minute, Debby is moving forward and taking him in her arms.

"You are like a son to us, Eric. I would go into more detail but I wouldn't want that to be weird now, considering your circumstances." Eric just scoffs, imagining Abbey coming out with something similar and awkward. "Your parents would have been extremely proud of you."

"You look after our baby girl now." Ben puts a hand on Eric's shoulder, squeezing somewhat. "That task in itself…" He begins laughing and so does Debby, sharing some sort of private joke. "Is, ah, well, let's just say, good luck."

"That's comforting." Eric squints at their retreating figures, shaking his head. Taking one deep breath, he follows the line of people flocking towards, what he gathers, is where their small ceremony is being held. But having passed the barn, the flowered archway over a platform and lined walkway with chairs either side come into view. "You've got to be shitting me," Eric speaks to himself, pocketing his hands and hesitating.

There are flowers everywhere.

"Five minutes, people!" Johanna is signaling and helping people to their seats. Some sort of baggy clothed man stands waiting on the platform, smiling to a group on the front row. Bizarrely, Eric feels slightly stricken that his parents are not here. His parents liked Abbey. They would have loved to have seen this.

He looks over at Abbey's parents who talk quietly among themselves, her friends, and the Amity around them. He wonders if she had infected their lives as much as she did his. Of course she has. Abbey had enough charisma for ten people; the not bothered attitude, and the hidden brains that were always covered up by her loose mouth.

He smirks at that thought.

All eyes are on him right now as he strolls up to the front. He turns on unsteady legs to face them and hardens his gut. He will not let an ounce of nerves get the better of him. All these people knew of his affection for the girl, what else was there now to hide?

Lauren joins him to his side, prim in her own uniform and loving every single second of this. She looks at him.

"Don't utter a single fucking word."

"I was just going to say that the flowers really do a great deal for your image."

Eric doesn't retort, instead, he watches Ben leave the front row and that's how he knows Abbey is about to arrive any minute. He turns a steely look; a scowl at the junked up and super friendly guy on the platform they are on. "Get straight to the point," Eric tells him. "No stuttering and shit."

"Certainly." He bows his head.

The sweat is now trickling down Eric's back.

The single soft voice of a young girl begins carrying from behind him, but he dares not to turn around, though he can hear the cooing from people in the crowd. He couldn't remember exactly how long he was supposed to leave it, he wasn't listening all that well to the plans Abbey rambled on about, but he takes a random guess.

Nobody is looking at him anymore. Abbey is extremely nervous, a simple bouquet tightly gripped in front of her and her arm locked against her Father's who looks like he has pain which radiates from his face. Most of the time she seems to watch her step, her small ballet shoes sometimes peeping out from underneath the long flow of her strapless dress. It wasn't a heavy wedding dress, it floated and shifted as she moved. Her hair was braided back with a curl over each ear, and finally, when she gets to a reasonable distance near him, she looks up at him.

She smiles like she always does while the crowd and singing grow quiet around them, whispering, "I like your suit."

He smirks at her, turning his attention to the guy in front, keeping his eyes forward. "I like your dress." She snorts, and he glances over at her, just as the guy begins talking.

Eric doesn't remember any of the stuff the guy is saying from his notes he received from Abbey, but he was hoping he could fluke it. He was also glad that he had the crowd to his back, and it's only when he accepts her as his wife with a simple 'I do', and him as her husband while facing her, that he can feel the penetrating gaze of the people around them.

Fuck them all.

In a moment that seemed like a lifetime as they fumbled to place rings on each other that Lauren had handed over quickly, it's finally announced they are husband and wife.

They kiss quickly under their new vows.

The crowd suddenly roars, Lauren giving Eric a thumbs up, and Max shaking his head almost incredulously while he slow clapped.

Eric had finally married the girl. He married his lifelong crush.

But the both of them almost skip down the walkway to get away from the spotlight, though it was far from over.

Eric gets a face full of dry flowers pelted at him from Luka as he passes.

---

The dinner is in the dome, still made up with the benches they had previously there, but the cutlery laid out, and the tables decorated. They are halfway in and Abbey sips her white wine, nudging him with her elbow. "I didn't doubt you at all."

"Well, that's a straight up lie."

"Were you as nervous as I was? I actually thought I was going to puke. I was shaking."

"I had a little sweat going on," Eric admits. "Nothing I can't handle."

Abbey laughs into her glass. "Were you afraid I wouldn't go through with it?"

"Fuck no. It's all you ever gushed about for almost a week straight."

"I'm allowed to gush. I got to marry the most handsome man ever."

"You just want me for my body." That makes her laugh even more. Perhaps the wine had slightly gone to her head, it had his. Now that the adrenaline had dwindled, it seemed their bodies had become more absorbent. He wonders, out of the blue, how she would feel with him sliding his hands under her pretty little dress. The thought was surprisingly arousing and he coughs, leaning back and done with the food in front of him.

"Eric," Abbey whispers while he scans the gathering in front of him, using his tongue to clean his teeth. He only hums as a response. "I'm seeing a lot of forlorn here." He has no idea what she's talking about until he follows her eyes. He lands on Max and Johanna staring across from each other, over Johanna's husband, then Max drops his eyes to his lap.

"It's regret. A feeling I've felt, when I thought I lost you." He grins at her, "You're hard to shake."

"My pussy poppy will also be lost to the deliverance dealer if you carry on."

"Doubt that, love. She enjoys the ride too much."

"Is this our first marital dispute?" She doesn't look annoyed with him, it seemed more like a genuine but excited question.

"Won't be the last. Your ass is tied to me now by law." Eric's casually resting on the table with his arms as she leans into him.

"It means you married every little piece of me." He squints cautiously at her seductive tone. "Every little piece."

"Oh yeah, you're right. You gonna give me a sneak peak before later?"

Abbey sticks her nose up. "Not now that I've been made a proper woman. I could do a casual nipple slip, though." Her hands go to the front of her dress but he grabs them, just as her Father, Ben, stands up, clinking a spoon on the edge of his glass.

"Later," Abbey winks.

"…If I could just have your attention please, just for a moment. I have a few things I want to say." The crowd drops to silence, people halting on their food. "I want to thank you all for your contributions between the marriage of my wonderful daughter…" A few of the Dauntless whoop and Eric can hear Max's gruff laugh more than anything. "…And the young boy we've had the pleasure of watching flourish into a grown man. Nothing makes me happier than seeing these two together. Just like I did when they were younger and Eric couldn't trim his baby face properly."

"I never had a baby face," Eric whispers to Abbey, grabbing his drink and downing a huge mouthful to the laughter.

"Me and my wife, Debby, have always said that they were destined to be together, and nothing makes me happier than being able to witness that today. It makes me…" He halts, an uncomfortable, awkward, but emotional air falling around them, and Abbey leans over, touching her Father's arm. His eyes shine with unshed tears as he looks down at her. "… It makes me so proud, of them both." Abbey brings her hands up, wiping her face. "Thank you all again, for making this the perfect day they so deserve." The old guy almost tumbles back into his seat with the flooding of emotion, and thankfully, Max strains as he stands up.

"Let's all raise a glass!"

Abbey places her hand on Eric's through the chaos, knowing full well Ben was speaking for both of his parent's.

---

"This is incredible work, Jenson." Jeanine flips through the pages while hovering over her colleague's shoulder. "Where is this information from?"

"A subtle report from the Dauntless infirmary that caught my attention. Some bloodwork with mutant effects on a strain of serum that was firstly reported being from the factionless." The man, Jenson, almost dances in his seat over her appraisal.

"But why is there no follow-up or details? That seems peculiar." Jeanine scans the papers back to front carefully, turning her gaze back on him.

"There is restricted access from Dauntless. This is the only thing available due to a profile under one of the nurses there."

"So…" Jeanine lets the word hang for a moment before continuing. "Dauntless know of this slip of Divergence?"

"It clearly states-" he begins, but Jeanine shakes her head at him, locking her eyes on his and he shrivels back somewhat.

"There is no effect on simulations, what does that tell you?"

"I immediately thought Divergent, Ma'am. But the test clearly states the bloodwork was used on someone to neutralize a simulation serum from a bloodstream. That is not Divergent."

Damn, Jenson was ultimately correct. All recent laws will not justify her legally pursuing this on the brief underline of suspicious Divergent activity. She'd have to handle this a completely different way.

Jeanine considers him for a moment. "No. You're right." She reads the name of the donor, Abbey Ainsworth. "This is something else. Something far more dangerous." And maybe that's why Eric was being so distant with her and vile with any progress in their work. After all, he was the one to place the restricted access on the account and was marrying said woman today.

Her interest peaks.

---

Eric watches Abbey dance with her father, nursing a cup of Amity produced beer in one hand while seated in one corner. After the dinner, they congregated outside while they rid of some of the benches and tables from the dome and set up a band for the reception. Eric couldn't deny that it was the perfect day, and right now he admired the way Abbey peered up adoringly at her Father as they danced and spoke in between their rhythmic sway. What they were talking about, he didn't have a clue. But he knew Abbey was rat-assed drunk and it was highly amusing.

To his left, Max shuffles over, lowering himself gently into the seat next to him with a groan. "Looking back now, to how we were stood in the warehouse, we've come a long way." Eric glances at him for a moment, his eyes sliding back out to his wife. "You're a far braver man than I am."

"Bravery can be defined differently, Max." Eric watches Max look to his lap for a moment, arching his back in pain slightly, maybe over this conversation or his physical disability, both were justifiable. "What stopped you?"

"The same thing the arrogant boy back at Dauntless tried to swindle his own heart over, the job. But mainly I think it's the sense of responsibility, accepting a small part of weakness. That's some hard shit when you're trained to bypass all of that and let that shit go." Max shakes his head, "But the job can't fill the gap sometimes."

"Why did you never say anything about Johanna?"

"It's irrelevant now," Max dusts off the question with a hand. "She's been happily married for years."

"Happily?" Eric raises a brow and Max smiles tightly.

"You know what I mean. I don't want to cause trouble. I only ever wanted her to be happy and with me, it wasn't happening. My head was in the game… but you're something else. They beat it out of you in Dauntless but you've managed to remain able, kudos for that."

In the distance, Joel kisses Johanna's forehead, leaving the dome. She glances over in their direction and Max sighs. "Bravery would be outing all of this to her," Eric motions with his cup. "Clear the air." He hesitantly talks, not used to giving such advice. It made him feel ridiculously awkward.

Abbey's finished dancing and prances over, landing with a tumble onto Eric's lap. She smiles at Max while linking her arm around Eric's neck. "I think, maybe, I maybe think, I maybe might've drunk too much."

"Maybe." Eric smiles and Max laughs throatily to himself. "It's now or never, Max."

Max nods, standing slowly, and they watch him begin across the makeshift dancefloor towards Johanna.

"What's going on?" Abbey asks.

"Max is going to speak to Johanna."

"Oh." Eric grabs his beer, finishing off the rest of it and Abbey unexpectedly pecks his cheek. "So, husband of mine, the night is about to finish shortly, you got any fun games we can play?"

"I've got one that involves my belt and my dick getting wet."

"Are you drunk?" Abbey snorts.

He was a little. "I haven't had any alcohol all night."

"Me, too."

"Neither," Eric corrects her as she places her lips against his.

"Shall we call it a night?" She grabs his hand and suggestively puts it on her waist. "I'm ready."

"You wanna say goodbye?"

She nods, standing up and taking his hand, pulling him over to her parents. "Just my parent's really, everyone else will continue I think for a while after we've left."

Her parent's faces are full of glee as they watch them approach, Debby standing to hug her daughter and Ben claps Eric's shoulder before shaking his hand. "You most both be exhausted. What a beautiful day it's been," Debby gushes.

"We're not too bad," Eric politely answers.

"I want snuggles with my husband."

"Abbey!" Eric scolds her.

"He wants to snuggle me, too."

"Snuggle?" Ben questions.

"Another time, dear." Debby touches his arm. "You two kids enjoy."

Eric rolls his eyes at their reference to them. Abbey sings, "I will!" as she pulls him away. They don't get two feet out of the dome until Abbey springs on Eric, clinging on to him and possibly ripping her dress as she laces her legs around his waist. "Don't forget, you have to carry me through the doorway properly."

"You're such a dick."

"Chicken-" She can't finish as he digs his fingers into the flesh of her ass, making her laugh. But her mouth Is back on his again, more frantic than before. "There was this really handsome man I married today." Eric smiles against her lips. "He was begging to be-" Eric pushes her up against Johanna's barn as they pass, and roughly, knocking the air out of her. As much as he devours her neck, she devours his, hysterically taking turns.

"Are we done with the romantic shit?" Eric stops to ask her.

"Totally done." She frowns when Eric takes a step back, looks towards the opening of the barn, and begins dragging her inside.

"Eric! I'm wearing my wedding dress!" He spins them, walking her backward blindly till she lands on top of a hay bale. Pushing her dress up, he disappears underneath it. "Nevermind…" she gasps. As her head rolls back, she spots movement from further inside. "Eric!" she whispers, and when he doesn't stop, she taps his head underneath her dress. "Eric, there's someone in here!"

Eric tilts back on his haunches, staring down to the multiple stables. "Let them watch."

"No!" Abbey hears Eric huff as she pushes him away and stands to readjust herself. She sneaks towards the nearest wall, then shimmies against it.

"What are you doing?"

"Shh!" There are horses in some of the stables, so no wonder nobody heard them enter. "I want to see." Eric begins shaking his head until he hears a familiar noise.

"No fucking w-" Abbey threatens him to keep it quiet with a stern look. They sneak so familiarly together, Abbey smiling over her shoulder as she leads the way, ducking past the stables and a random horse that sticks its head out from over its stable door. She almost screams, using her hand to cover her mouth and stifles a laugh.

Abbey's head peers in towards the open stable at the far end first, turning back to Eric with wide eyes and looking pretty pale.

"What? Is it-" Eric pushes past her, getting a full on view of Johanna riding Max – something he knew would scar him for life. Leaning slowly back to Abbey, he takes a breath, a smirk playing on his lips. Max and Johanna were so wrapped up in what they were doing, they never even noticed.

"That fucking son of a bitch," Eric whispers to himself. He should never encourage or give advice, ever again.

Chapter 18

Their sex is amazing. Most of the time it's been wild. A rough battle for who could fuck who the hardest.

Abbey manages to roll them over, her face flush into that delightful, no-holding-back expression, and her mouth open as she whimpered on top of him. Eric watches her breasts move as she rocked brutally back and forth, trying to hide his lop-sided smirk whenever they caught eyes. Finally snapping, her nails dig into his chest and thighs quake. Eric grabs her hips, pumping up into her now useless form, finally letting himself come undone while grabbing at her hair as she leans forward and roughly pulling her down to him. Both pant loudly between the aching muscles and sweat that had formed between them, Abbey giggling to herself until she finally pulls away from him and drops to his side. They lie a while, content in each other's company.

They had been back at Dauntless for a week or so after their wedding. Eric had copious amounts of work to do and couldn't justify staying any longer in Amity. Luckily, Abbey had agreed to come back with him, but there was still a few things that they needed to arrange between the both of them.

Mainly, Eric wanted Abbey to stay at Dauntless.

But it was a like a volcano that he knew would erupt if he mentioned it. Yes, Abbey wanted to be with him every day without a doubt, but she also had a job back in Amity to withhold that she actually enjoyed doing, one that wasn't going to quite fit within the new routine he had begun to make up in his head. A routine that she didn't know about.

"Ab's, we need to talk." She is still blissfully unaware of the seriousness of his tone, a smile gracing her lips with her eyes closed.

"Can't it wait? It's still early."

"Not any longer, no."

Abbey rolls onto her side to face him, her hair unkempt, and she frowns at him. "You don't want a divorce already, do you?"

That does threaten him to smile, though he keeps his face straight, sitting up and back against the headboard, pulling the sheets to cover his waist. "I want us both…" He makes sure to emphasize the word. "To look into a new arrangement with your job role. Soon, all your shit will be moving in here-"

"What?" Abbey says sharply. "Are you actually serious? We get married and I have to change my job role?"

"I'm not exactly in a position to change mine."

"And, you want me to move all of my stuff here? I need a place to stay when I'm needed back at Amity, Eric."

"Don't kid yourself, Abbey. You're a fucking florist. They don't need you. It's not a matter of life and death over wilted flowers." Fuck, he's done it again, always loose with his words. Abbey hits him with a pillow as she stands and heads towards the bathroom, her little feet stomping as she did so. But this time he knows his mistake, being quick to follow her and grabbing the door before she can close it. "I didn't mean to offend you, I'm just trying to make a point here."

"I love what I do, Eric. Can't you see that? You knew what I did before you married me. We knew there would be some time I would have to go back to actually do my job. Now, suddenly, you want to change all that!" Abbey ferociously turns on the taps, grabbing her toothbrush.

"I just want you here with me." Eric comes up behind her, watching her in the mirror.

"I want to be here with you, too. But we are in different factions." She scrubs her teeth with a vengeance.

"We are married now. There is a difference." Eric is losing his calm and patience, very quickly.

"I'm not a stay at home wife."

"I'm not telling you-"

"Yes, you are." Abbey pushes past him and hops into the shower. If she thinks this conversation is over, she best think again.

However, this gives Eric plenty of rational time while he stands and waits, the same expression still planted on his face when she finally reappears - an extremely annoyed one.

She ignores him, typically Abbey-style, moving around him and picking up their clothes from last night, then begins putting on her dress. "I'm not quitting what I love to do. You shouldn't make me quit, either. That's not what partners do. They encourage each other, Eric."

"Maybe I love my wife so much, that I want her here; officially here living with me. What is so hard to understand?" That would perhaps sound romantic, if he hadn't of hissed the words in frustration. "It's like you're just stopping by for a quick fuck. Look! You're putting your dress from yesterday on."

"Because, if I stay, this is going to escalate, and I want breakfast oaties without suddenly losing my appetite because we are fighting. In fact, we are not even talking anymore, this subject isn't even questionable." Abbey has the audacity to begin towards the door, leaving him without so much as a goodbye.

Eric storms over, twisting her on the spot and pushing her up against the wall. "You are my wife! Damn it, Abbey! You need to start acting like it!" She merely scowls at him.

"Fuck you," she whispers.

That wasn't entirely what his words had meant. He meant that she was acting childish, but of course, it came out much more blunt and harsher. He drops his head, breathing a long sigh.

"Fuck you because I have now lost my appetite."

"Abbey," he says more softly. "I'm sorry. That was not what I wanted to say."

"It was extremely clear to me. I'm not a lackey in Dauntless, I am your wife now. I am also your friend. A friend you have known for years. A person who enjoys what they do and you want to change it."

"I don't want to change anything about you. Just, maybe, a compromise in your job role."

"Which involves change." Her lips begin to snarl, her face beginning to redden in anger right in front of him. "Screw you. Get off me!" She shoves him hard, throwing the door open and disappearing. For a minute, Eric looks up to the ceiling, waiting. Abbey abruptly reappears, slipping her feet into her ballerina's and storms off, again.

Oh the joys of marital life.

---

It doesn't take Eric long to find her. She's sat with Lauren and the brainless duo eating her breakfast. Eric's too mad to sit with her, so scans around, finding Max finishing up. While Max dabs his mouth, Eric lands himself in the seat next to him, his eyes casting out a melting scowl directly at the Amity woman.

"Let me guess, you're not smothering each other, so you've had a fight. Am I right?" Max doesn't bother to look at him. In fact, he was very blasé.

"I'm so done with her already today." Eric yanks a bowl towards him, throwing in the oats, then splashing the milk into the bowl. But he's not quite done with his rant. He turns towards Max. "She thinks I'm trying to change her. I'm trying to change her job role so it can be more acceptable for her to stay at Dauntless."

"Maybe she doesn't want to stay in Dauntless?"

"'Course she does."

"Right," Max nods. "I see the problem."

"I don't know whether I want to choke her or fuck her. Or both."

"Man," Max draws out the word, face twisting in disgust. "Too much information…" Max shakes his head. "Listen, you knew of the repercussions of interfactional marriage. This ain't on her to take the fall."

"So, I am?" Eric recoils like Max had burnt him.

"No. You need to accept this is the way it's going to be. She'll be here weeks at a time, a week in Amity or so, every now and again. Maybe it will help clear that blocked head of yours with the space. You've got tunnel vision at the moment."

Perhaps Max was right. He was going about this all wrong. He'll give Abbey exactly what she wants.

---

Busy behind his desk, Eric hears his door open and close. He peers up to Abbey in some navy, frilly dress and smiles.

Her hands are in front of her, wringing together. "Eric, I'm not-"

"I've arranged a truck for you to go back in," he cuts her off. "Leaves in an hour."

Her face drops a little, then she squints at him. "What's going on?"

"Nothing. I've thought about what you said, and you're right. I was being an ass. Plus, I've got a few errands to run the next few days and a trip to the wall at the end of the week. I'm not going to be around."

"So, does that mean that you'll be visiting Amity when you're finished on the wall? You're close, so you may as well. We can stay at mine for the weekend." She smiles hopefully, but he shrugs.

"Probably not." He relaxes back in his chair, regarding her coldly.

Abbey crosses her arms. "You're being a total jerkoff right now."

"I'm being the loving husband bending to my wife's every whim." They stare each other out.

"Jerkoff," she states. "You don't think I know precisely what you're doing?"

"Maybe if you would consider what I say, we wouldn't be in this position. But of course, Abbey knows best."

"You know, for wanting me to stay here, you're doing the complete opposite."

Eric grabs at the paperwork on his desk, shuffling it neatly. "You have an hour. I'll see you next week."

"Tuesday!" Abbey takes off her shoe and lobs it at him. "It's see you next Tuesday'!"

Abbey's just called him a cunt. He pushes his chair back ferociously, storming towards her. "You've blown this out of proportion. It was a simple ask; a suggestion, to make our lives better. Any other girl would want this."

"I'm not any other girl!"

"No, you're being pathetic! Even more so because you're not considering what I'm saying or why I'm saying it." Her eyes drop to the floor and suddenly Eric can feel the mood in the room changing. Her resolve is weakening. He lowers his voice, stepping closer to her and rubs a hand on her arm. "At least think about it. You have countless opportunities now opening up to you."

"I don't want to change who I am."

There's something morbid in her voice. It was clear that, even though they haven't spoken much about it, Abbey felt differently after losing their baby and confirming they may not ever have any altogether. It was like she was trying her best to hold on to the old part of her that didn't know of their problems, and keeping herself busy, wrapped in an old bubble Eric knew wouldn't work. But the pain was still there. As much as he felt an absolute dick for suggesting things and pushing her to, quite frankly, reach her full potential, he was trying to do what was best for her.

"It's not change, it's called flourishing. This is a totally whole new part of our lives only just beginning. And if we're having an honest moment, I don't know what the fuck I'm really doing either." He almost breathes a sigh of relief when she steps into him, her head fitting perfectly under his chin while her arms wrapped around him.

"We're both useless sometimes," she smiles. "And stubborn."

"Unbelievably so."

"You would've come at the weekend."

"Alright, that's enough."

---

Abbey still heads back to Amity for the week. She was going to equally part her things and take some back to Eric's, see in on the shop, and visit her friends while she was there.

It's the second day in, walking with Clem and Sandra as they chat idly between themselves that she hears her name called from behind her. Through the chaos of the people buzzing around them, Abbey only casually glances over her shoulder, towards Johanna's old barn that they pass, spotting a navy blue and sleek looking car parked directly outside it. Abbey recognizes Jeanine from Erudite instantly, only ever really paying her mind when she would come up in topics of conversation when she was younger. The woman had barely aged, still dressed the same. Her brief smile and slight flicker of her hand confirming it was her who had called her.

"What does she want?" Sandra huffs.

"No idea."

"I don't like it," worries Clem. "Anything to do with her is trouble."

Abbey forces a smile to her friends. "I'll catch you guys up." She makes the small distance between her and Jeanine, watching the fine lines of a rare smile on Jeanine's mouth. It was almost if her skin was protesting. "Jeanine."

"Abbey Coulter. It is an honor to meet you." Jeanine's pale hands are cold when Abbey takes it, shaking curtly.

"We've met before." Jeanine raises an eyebrow at her. "Years ago, when I was back in Erudite."

"Yes, I have seen your record."

Abbey feels the pittance of anxiety ignite through her, crossing her arms in front of her protectively. "Do I need to guess why you are here?"

Jeanine begins to laugh. "Oh, you even sound like Eric. But no, I think you know why I'm here."

"Dauntless is closer to Erudite."

"Dauntless is also where I would never be permitted to see you."

Abbey shakes her head. This was a bad idea. What was she thinking even gracing this woman with her time? "I'm busy. Excuse me."

"Abbey, wait." Jeanine grabs her arm gently as she turns away. She considers still walking away, but when she looks down at Jeanine's hand and she releases her, Abbey gives her back the attention she wanted. "I just want five minutes. Privately."

Eric would kill her if he found out. But she has a feeling Jeanine won't leave unless she says her piece. "Fine. Then I want you to go. I can already assure you that you will not get what you've come here for today."

"I'm not expecting anything." But with Jeanine's cocksure approach, it makes Abbey think otherwise; she knows otherwise. Jeanine signals for her guards to stay by the car and they enter the barn, just inside the doors. The barn was rarely occupied now, no voice had stepped up since Johanna's parting and the faction was trying to resettle themselves after the corruption from before.

"So," Abbey leans on her hip. "Talk."

Jeanine doesn't waste time. "It seems genetics in this city are miraculous. My colleague found a brief report on some bloods that are more than interesting. Upon further investigation, we found a follow-up and heard of your loss. I'm sorry." Her tone is clipped though, not an ounce of remorse. "But that is why I'm here. A… precaution."

Abbey glances to the side, talking about it never made her feel any better. "I'm not Divergent." The sentence slips out with practice now, a phrase she's repeated more than once.

Jeanine sighs to herself, her head tilting back while she spoke in a tone that could almost be considered sympathetic. "Would we really be here amicably if that were the case?" She raises an eyebrow to question her, but when Abbey doesn't speak, she continues. "This is something entirely new. But for the safety of the factions and curiosity, we would be very interested in seeing the effects of your blood. Also, if the gene can be passed on, whether it came from a family member and what generation. It also interests me personally, if perhaps the health qualities could be passed on to others."

"I'm really not interested in finding out. I'm not hurting anybody," Abbey tries to plead.

"Think of the sick you could cure. Could you be named selfish if you didn't agree to at least try and help others?"

Abbey shakes her head. "It's a curse. What if the upside can be transferred, but also the downside?"

"That would all be in our mission to find out. And, if you allow us, we may be able to help you, and your womb." Abbey touches her stomach briefly, and Jeanine swoops closer. "All we need is a sample. All these unknown questions could be answered. The doubt of Divergence rectified legitimately."

"I should speak to Eric."

Jeanine clicks her tongue. "You know just as well as I do that Eric would oppose this. He has limited patience with anything to do with Erudite, whether that would be for the good of the people or not. Throw his wife into the mix and it creates a stubborn concoction." Before Abbey has time to think, she speaks quickly. "Imagine the surprise when you conceive and you're able to see full term."

"We are fine with the way things are. We have agreed that this isn't a pro-"

"In ten years' time when your looks fade and you watch the families and friends around you having their own children, Eric will hold you accountable. I'm not saying that out of malice, but you are incredibly young to rule this out. It is a fact however, I've watched the equivalent happen before." Jeanine shrugs, cupping her hands in front of her. "This city depends on the new generation. We are all that is left in this world, the population is key. Do you really want Eric to leave you because of a vacant womb?"

"He wouldn't leave me because of that." Abbey gnaws her lip.

"At the end of the day, he is still male. They are very simple creatures with very simple desires." Abbey's eyes sting slightly on the thought. Jeanine smiles at her. "You know where to find me." As Jeanine leaves, Abbey walks backward, planting herself on a hay bale, a million thoughts running through her mind. "Oh, and Abbey, try and keep this to yourself for the time being. We all know Eric can be rather impulsive. Just the mere thought of us talking and I'm sure he'll think we've been conspiring against him when rather, we've been trying to help him; to help the both of you."

Abbey's mouth opens and closes, but she doesn't say a word.

---

"That bitch!" Roars Sandra. The older woman ferociously starts hacking into the stems of a bunch of flowers in her hand.

Abbey sits at the counter of their shop, nursing a cup of coffee. "What if she's right?"

"That you could cure illnesses? Maybe. But that's for you to decide." Clem shakes her head, "You shouldn't feel obliged."

"No, I meant… about Eric." She watches the steam rising from her cup, shoulders sagging.

"That stupid woman has planted stupid ideas so you think like that so she gets what she wants," Sandra says. "She's disgusting and pure evil. You shouldn't listen to a word of it."

"Shouldn't I at least try and find out? Maybe not for the now, but for later on in life?"

Sandra shoves the flowers onto the counter. "This morning everything was fine until she came along. If Eric said he is good with the way things are, I'm sure he means it. Why question him?" Abbey looks away from her. "You can't be seriously thinking about this?"

"I have nothing to lose."

Sandra and Clem share a look. "At least tell Eric."

---

Eric does relent and he joins Abbey at the weekend. He can see her as they pull up, waiting excitedly at the end of the dirt road as she hops from one foot to the other. She wears the white dress she wore the first time she appeared at the cabin he was staying in, the wind slightly kicking it up around her.

As he clambers down from the truck, she comes racing towards him, jumping when within reach. While she embraces him, he smells the peppermint in her hair, the lotion she uses when he pushes his nose against the crook of her neck.

She tells him, "You smell sweaty."

"I've been working all day, you dick."

"Hey, Eric!" Luka calls, disturbing their reunion. "Where shall I put the truck?" He's half hanging out of the cab.

"I don't care, I've got a hole to fill." Abbey giggles as he carries her.

---

Eric doesn't fill her hole. Instead, after his shower, he flops on the bed with a towel around his waist while Abbey climbs onto his back. She kneads his shoulders, down the intricate muscles of his back and he groans pleasantly underneath her.

"The big bad Dauntless leader, purring like a little cat."

"Try doing what I have been the past week and you'll understand."

Abbey doesn't speak for a moment. "Tell me you missed me." With the slight pause from her fingers, Eric lifts his head, peering up at her tiredly.

He frowns. "What's happened?"

She can't seem to look at him, carrying on her ministrations. Her bottom lip is slightly poutier than usual, though. "Nothing," she says with a sigh.

"Abbey, don't fuck me off." His head lands back on the bed with a huff.

"I've just missed you, that's all." Eric rolls so he can now look at her, rubbing his hands up and down her thighs.

He likes her in this position. "You thought any more on what we said?"

"I suppose it makes sense," she shrugs.

Her blasé tone irritates him. "If it pains you that much then don't bother."

"Don't be annoyed with me, Eric." She scrabbles off the bed, gripping her dress angrily and strides out of the room to the kitchen much to his disbelief. He expected a form a fragility from their time apart, and also because he knew deep down Abbey was still pining, but not this only shortly after being reunited.

Eric pulls himself up, mumbling something about 'only five seconds of peace', to join his turbulent wife. She's standing over the sink, arms crossed, staring out the small window above it.

He approaches cautiously, coming to stand directly behind her. "Don't shut me out, isn't that what you say?"

"I'm just having one of those days. A lot on my mind." She should tell him. She turns to face him, opening her mouth about to.

"You want to go to the hippy gathering later?" This is not something usually Eric would suggest. She frowns.

"Seriously?"

"Spend some time together. Do something you enjoy… I'm not going if you don't want to. I just thought you would want to," he begins mumbling, trying to cover his tracks.

"Of course!" She gently caresses his neck, pulling him closer until he embraces her. "I love you, you know that?"

"You better."

---

They drink until it lightly soothes their minds. Eric sits to one side with Luka who is busy chatting up the Amity girl next to him, leaning towards her on their man-made wooden seats. Eric sips his drink, watching Abbey twirl in front of him, dusted by the firelight as she seems absorbed in herself. He kinda likes it. Dancing really wasn't his forte, but when Abbey puts her mind to it, her hips sway nicely.

She had her own personal space that no one encroaches, her eyes closed, no spinning he could detect like back at Dauntless. The one thing he likes is that she doesn't care what the people around her think. She was her own person – that was for sure. She knew her view on life, knew what she wanted and had no quips voicing exactly that. He watches Abbey's hands glide into her hair, the muscles in her legs bracing as she moves slowly to the beat. She's probably over done it with the alcohol, but again, he would never tell her to stop unless it was ridiculous.

Finally, she opens her eyes and smiles at him, using a finger to beckon him over. He hopes she's had enough. Slightly giddy himself, he allows her to pull on him, pushing their bodies together and she moves against him. She turns around and pushes her ass to his groin, guiding his hands to her hips.

Eric glances around, everyone's too high or busy between themselves, it could really only just be them standing here if he thought about it enough. Eric drops his head to her neck as she tilts it slightly for him, and he breathes her in.

But again, Eric doesn't dance, he's merely an object she uses. It doesn't stop him feeling slightly aroused at the unsaid meaning of the grinds she pushes back on him. When the music dies, she stops, swaying them together, leaning back into him. "Eric…" Her voice is distant, and she peers up over her shoulder. "Are you satisfied like this? Like this forever?"

Cryptic messages he greatly despised. "Does this have something to do with earlier?"

"I need to tell you something. I was about to back at my house and then we got a little distracted…" She turns to face him, her fingers somewhere to the back of his neck. "Jeanine was here."

Every limb stiffens, and he stops, suddenly the reality of where they are irritating him. "Why didn't you say anything?" he spits spitefully, taking a step back.

"You weren't here."

"Do you see now why I want you with me at Dauntless? What was that bitch doing here?"

Abbey becomes slightly defensive, crossing her arms in front of her. "She found the reports. Was asking about my blood. She said…" Eric rubs his mouth in annoyance, turning in a circle before facing her again. "She said that she could clear the thought of me being Divergent from a few simple tests."

"Abbey, I let you do what you want because I know you are smart. But this, this is fucking dumb, and she has no interest helping you but her own." He glares at her for an extra long minute, then takes off. "I'm done tonight."

Abbey rushes to keep up. "Eric!" They pass by people still enjoying themselves and it only makes their bickering seem graver. "Eric, wait!" He stops, looking her up and down. "She said she could possibly help. Help us."

"No." His words are final but Abbey's not having it.

"We could have a baby."

"Abbey, no. Are you hearing me right now? No." He throws his hand out, brushing her off.

"But-"

"No!" He shouts. "You were fine until she came along." Eric stuffs his hand into his pocket, pulling out his phone and the screen lights up. "Fucking bitch. Fucking going behind my back…" he mumbles. "You know," he speaks tightly, half typing on his phone, half glaring at her. "I knew there was something wrong. I knew you were keeping something from me earlier. Couldn't you just tell me? The moment you see me. What's the problem with that?"

"You don't understand."

"She will use you! She's smart. I thought you were!"

"I don't want to hold you back!" Abbey's desperate, almost hysterical as she reaches him. Both are alone now in the open space and the music blocking out their conversation from prying ears. "I don't want you to leave me. I don't want to be the only one!"

"You think I would? I don't know what's more insulting," he sneers.

"Can we not at least try? We have nothing to lose." She braces herself against his jacket, holding him in place.

Eric grabs her wrists, breaking her hold. "Jeanine has no interest in helping you unless she can gain from it. Why do you think I despise everything she is about? Why do you think I keep her at a distance? Allowing this brings her in my personal business, a hold she will have over the both of us!"

"I want to give you children," Abbey cries. "So no other woman can!"

That stops him, his face falling. He begins radiating a potent anger that makes her rethink, taking a few steps back away from him. "After everything I've said?" He's hurt. It's obvious by the estranged look on his face. "I married you, for you. But still, you are not happy. Tell me, Abbey, can I ever make you happy and content with the way things are? Am I not enough?"

"Yes, of course! You're going about this all wrong!"

"Am I?" This time his voice is quiet. His jaw flickers as he mulls something over in his head. "To me, it sounds like you've already made your mind up."

"Eric, I would never do anything without telling you fir-"

"Stop. Just stop. I can't listen to this right now. You do what you want, Abbey, because you sure as hell don't listen to a word I say. Never have."

Her anger flares from his dismissal and his form striding away from her. "Stop being an asshole!" She takes off her shoe, and throws it at him in the distance, hitting him squarely in the back.

She was getting good.

It stops him midstride and she turns to flee as he spins, barreling back towards her. Abbey knows Amity extremely well and takes off down the hill rather than to her house, away from the party and into the darkness. She can hear the fabric of his clothes brushing together as he gives chase, gaining rapidly. It feels like she's hit by a wall when he manages to collide with her, taking her down, turning them so he lands first.

He locks his arms, pinning hers to her body as she thrashes. "Eric Coulter, get off me!" She puffs her cheeks out, trying to lean to one side to get some sort of leverage.

"Big enough to assault me, big enough to take the consequences!" She gets one arm loose, pushing her palm into his face and his head back. It's petty really, and Eric's hyper-aware of not using any more force in case he physically hurt her. They roll, him on top, his head still being pushed, so he pushes hers back.

"Eric!" she screeches but her voice is muffled, beginning to buck her hips until she manages to get a leg up. She tries to prise them apart, kicking him to one side frantically. Then they start to roll down the hill violently, Abbey becoming winded and the velocity breaks them apart.

Wheezing as she lands flat on her back, Eric's already recovering, pushing himself up from the ground to reach out and grab her ankle as she tries to crawl away. He drags her back underneath him, using his hips to pin her down and simultaneously pushing her wrists into the dirt above her head.

Rubbing the sweat from his temple against his jacket sleeves, he pants, "I win," licking his lips straight after. In fact, it was just what they needed. Their frustration always seemed to hit a boiling point, and being physical – one way or another – always dulled their sense of pride and ferocity.

"You have dirt… on your face," she growls. Eric daringly lets her go for a second as he pushes his hand into a dry patch of soil next to them, rubbing her face with it as she powerlessly tries to avoid him.

"So do you." She growls again in response. "Can't take it, don't dish it out."

"We need to try, Eric," she stresses, finally giving up and relaxing under him. "For the sake of our mentality, we need to try."

"I'm not agreeing in case you get hurt. It's bad news." Eric watches her as she looks up to the sky. "Abbey-"

"I'll think over my job position if you meet me half way." Her eyes flick to his, showing she was not about to drop this anytime soon. "You're still in control here. We can back-off if anything happens. We have a great bargaining tool."

Eric shakes his head. "That bargaining tool is you personally, Abbey. I can't agree-"

"Please." Eric still shakes his head so she speaks quickly. "I know what I said before, and I know I sound stupid now, but I need to know, for definite. I'm tired of the unknown. It's all it ever has been. I'm tired, Eric."

"I wouldn't ever leave for that reason. So if that's the only thing on your mind, forget it."

"It's not," she whispers. "I'm thinking more clearly now. I need to do this."

Need.

There was no power struggle between them because eventually Eric always gave in to Abbey – though that was something he would never tell her.

Sighing deeply, he forces out a sincere, "Okay." However, it doesn't mean he hasn't got a few tricks up his sleeve.

But at least Abbey told him the truth. And Jeanine was going to have hell raining down on her for toeing the line on Eric's business. Maybe it was time for a quick trip to Erudite.

Chapter 19

Eric reads through the status report of the conditions of the Mess Hall. It's not an important job, nor urgent, but it still needs to be done. Now that they are back at Dauntless for the time being, he takes the opportunity to delete tedious tasks.

That is why he sits up against the headboard of his bed, one leg thrown out of the sheets as he smiles to the paper, wondering what Abbey's getting up to. He can't concentrate.

"Whatever the fuck you're doing down there, stop." He can just see the top of Abbey's head appear from the end of the bed as she tries to keep low, grunting as she does.

One line on the report annoys him more than the rest. "The seating arrangement?" he says exasperatedly. "A suggestion to rearrange the seating arrangement in the Mess Hall… Can you believe this shit?" He flicks the paper agitatedly and also annoyed Abbey still hasn't joined him back at his side.

Slowly she begins rising from the floor, a stern look on her face, dressed in his jacket. "Can you believe this shit!" she tries to mock his voice, failing miserably.

"What the…" Eric loses his trail of thought completely. "What the fuck are you doing?"

"What are you doing, initiate?" She begins smiling, but it soon drops when his face doesn't change and she shrugs almost apologetically. "C'mon, it's funny. I'm being you."

"Well, that wasn't obvious."

Abbey grabs the opening to his jacket, pulling it further open to expose her breasts to him. "Oops." She turns around, flashing her ass from underneath it. "Oops. I guess Eric didn't put on his underwear tod-"

Eric's fast, jumping up to grab the back of his jacket and pull her down. "It's disturbingly pleasant," he hisses. "Stop it."

"You like it." She bites her lip, staring up at him from her wrong-way, upside-down angle. She looks goofy like this. "Admit it that it thrills you."

Eric rolls his eyes as he sits back in the same position as before, picking up the papers. "Go play dolls or something." He huffs when she begins straddling him, still wearing his jacket. "Abbey-"

"Play with me." His eyes flicker up past the sheets in his hand, trying to keep his cool. He's read the same line twice. "This little free hand here…" She takes it, manipulating his fingers to move down the inside of her leg. Eric furiously tries to keep reading. "…likes to keep warm, right, about, there…" She's right, she is delightfully warm and sticky as she presses his fingers to her clit, grinding herself along it until his tips slick across her hole. She pulls his hand back, bringing it up to her mouth, and sucks on his finger.

Eric loses the will to read. He drops the paper to one side, pulling her down until she's completely horizontal across his lap with her ass sticking up in the air. He grabs an ass cheek, pushing his fingers inside her. She arches up, looking up at him through her hair. This thrills him way more than her stupid little games; the control he feels, and her vulnerability.

Abbey's hips begin to jump but he pushes heavily down on her lower back to keep her in place, rather enjoying himself and getting carried away with the sounds she's making. He alternates between fast and slow, sometimes pulling his fingers completely out and palming her. With his own burning arousal pricking up painfully against her body across him, he loses the will to not fuck her.

Eric rolls her off and she begins opening her mouth to complain until he looms over her from behind, ripping the jacket frantically from her body in an utter state of emergency. Her legs part, the plump ass arching back up for him. The first thrust into an anticipating pussy was always the most satisfying. She mewls, and he shuts her up by pushing her head into the covers, using her hair to yank it back up. She begins giggling. "Fuck you," he tells her. "I have work to do."

"You're a busy man." With Eric's lips running across her shoulder blades at his set rhythm, it begins slowing to something far more loving. She can hear his breath leisurely change to a pleasant groan, a hand snaking around her to grab her breast. They weren't playing or just fucking, he was making love to her now – heavy-handed love, and she relished in it, in the same way he worshiped her body.

An eternity would never be long enough with him. Abbey smiles on the thought briefly, then lets her mind go, giving herself to him.

---

Max watches Eric and Abbey approach, hand in hand, in a humorous conversation by the looks of things as she swings their arms, her head falling back in laughter. Eric only acknowledges his waiting presence outside the Mess Hall when they get within a few feet.

"Hey, Maxy."

Max just frowns at Abbey, glancing at Eric in an unsaid 'Can we talk alone?' and a half 'What the fuck?'

"Hey, Ab's, why don't you go in ahead and I'll catch you up. I got some stuff to run through with… Maxy." Eric smirks at him.

"Sure. But I have to say, you look really well, Max." Max can't help but lift his cheeks as she gives him a blossoming smile before leaving him and Eric alone.

When she's entered the Mess Hall, Max punches Eric's upper arm. "Maxy?"

"I don't know, old man."

"Listen, I did manage to get some insight on Jeanine like you asked. Apparently, her sister's daughter is diabetic and I can bet that Jeanine has every intention of trying to rectify that, hence her interest. But at the same time, this is Jeanine we're talking about. Fuck knows what goes through her mind."

Eric scoffs to himself. "Seems like everyone around here has got hidden weaknesses." His tone is almost suggestive about what he and Abbey saw back at the barn. He still hadn't mentioned it yet. It really wasn't that much of a surprise. But Johanna… Oh, Johanna, he was going to make her sweat.

Max's eyes narrow only slightly. "Yeah, seems it. You still going to Erudite… without Abbey?"

Eric purses his lips, looking back to the Mess Hall doors as he shifts closer, lowering his voice. "I was going to go and kick up a shit storm. But, for once in my life, I don't want to lie… not to Abbey. If I go there and don't tell her and she finds out…"

"She'll think you'll be sabotaging," Max nods in understanding. "It's a sensitive issue, man. I wish I was wise to give you something useful, but I'm not."

"I know Jeanine is going to try and class Abbey as Divergent. She just fed her a bunch of lies about disproving it so she gets what she wants and then has something over me."

"I wouldn't worry about that. You have plenty of people here who would stand up and testify the obvious that she ain't." Max puts a hand on Eric's shoulder, motioning for them to go into the Mess Hall.

"Makes you think though, doesn't it?" Eric suddenly states, confliction etching onto his face. "What if everything we've known is wrong?"

"This is deep, man."

"What if there were people exactly like Abbey and I killed them?"

"You have to learn to live with the blood on your hands." Max shrugs, "I have."

Eric gnaws his cheek, not saying anymore as they share a small moment wordlessly. Eventually, he gives up the brain ache and follows Max into the Mess Hall. Abbey's sitting with Lauren, talking between themselves and he sits down next to her, watching as Abbey attentively listens to Lauren giving a complete rundown of Luka's embarrassing behavior. They eat together relatively content and then leave as a group.

"You're a bastard, you know," Lauren thumps Eric's arm. "I could have done without Mess Hall inquiries."

Abbey begins smiling, talking as if she was to a child. "Did you pass that to Lauren?"She implicates him completely.

"It might've fallen out of my folder when strolling by your office at some point today." His eyes glint mischievously.

"Well, no more accidental on purpose work. I got old shit I'm still covering from the wall. That's where half my afternoon is going." Lauren rolls her eyes.

"Are you telling me what to-"

Lauren interrupts him, shifting attitude into her hip. "Damn right, I'm telling you…" Everything on her drops as she glances over his shoulder. "Erm…"

Abbey's wandered over to a woman and small girl of possibly five or six. She's crouched down to the girl's level and it looks like she has been crying as she rubs her eyes and nods to something Abbey says. When Eric gets there, the little girl shrinks away.

"Oh no, don't be afraid. This is Eric. He is my husband." The little girl thinks over what Abbey said. Eventually, she steps forward and twirls a piece of Abbey's hair in her hand. "What is your name?"

"Sum-mer."

"You are very pretty, Summer." Abbey peers up to the woman standing next to her. "Just like your Mommy."

The lady scoffs. "I'm not her mother."

"Oh, sorry."

"Summer doesn't have parent's." The bluntness of her approach to the subject shocks Abbey to stand. "She's been orphaned for a few years now."

"Does she stay with you?" Abbey asks, feeling Eric touch her waist gently from behind her.

"No, at the small institution for children in similar circumstances like Summer. We have about a hundred children at the moment between newborn to ten, then from there they board at the education center."

"That's terrible. At Amity, the children join other families."

The lady laughs. "We are not Amity. Our influx varies year to year, depending if some of the mothers would like their children back after certain positions."

"I-I don't understand."

"Children aren't convenient."

Abbey's almost speechless. "I… I was told population is key. How can they be inconvenient?" She looks at Eric accusingly as if he already knew this. But he knew nothing and keeps his face passive.

"Maybe to the other factions. Especially to Amity. But here in Dauntless, we are a warrior faction. This is what people choose when they join this faction. They risk their lives… and sometimes those people don't come home. Other instances would be unwanted children. Life moves fast here."

"How can you…" Abbey peers down to the little girl's face. "How can you say that in front of her?"

"Summer already knows her parents are not coming back for her. Most of the children know the deal."

Abbey frowns harshly. "The deal?" Eric places a hand on her shoulder, trying to pull her back. "Please, don't tell me you know anything about this, Eric."

"I don't have the faintest. It's not something I deal with. And it's time we left so they can get on, Abbey." As he pulls her away, Abbey looks longingly over her shoulder, the same time the little girl does before they disappear down one of the countless Dauntless tunnels.

---

Abbey's not the same for a few days after. Eric notices the considerate expression whenever she thought she wasn't being watched; her eyebrows pulled together and the way her top lip would ever so slightly pout further than the bottom when she was really lost.

Abbey sent off a sample of blood works to Erudite under one of Eric's conditions that he didn't want Jeanine's poison messing with her mind again. Her protection laid in Dauntless. She was better here with him. But when she doesn't find the humor in him pulling out her ponytail one night, he begins to feel dejected.

She hadn't even slept with him since.

"Ab's, why don't you come to the training room with me tonight?" he suggests, kind of missing her stupid and sometimes irritating company.

"No thanks. I'm just going to take a shower and go to bed in a bit." Eric doesn't bother pestering or asking again, only double-taking on his hoodie swamping her frame and the way she knots her hair in some sort of bun on her head.

He knows though, when she's ready, she'll talk.

---

A week passes. Eric comes home to Abbey lying on the bed with a book in hand, and he throws down a blue folder next to her.

"What's this?" Her name is on the front when she turns it over and she peers between it and Eric for a moment.

"Your results." Eric stands in the same position, waiting patiently. He didn't know how she was going to react having been so quiet lately and seemingly troubled. It actually made his heart flutter slightly with nerves and his palms feeling sticky.

"Did you… read it?" She tilts her head. "Or is that a silly question?"

Eric sits on the bed next to her, sighing as he does. "Ab's, listen-"

Abbey scoffs, "It didn't work, did it?" She picks at her hoodie, pulling the strings on the front tighter, shaking her head disappointedly.

"In basic terms, the serums do work on you but your body flushes it from your system much faster than an average person before letting any of its productive effects take place. The same reaction your body has to medications and… other imbalances. But it can't cure, not genetic or natural illnesses." He reaches over and cups her face, leaning to kiss her quickly, feeling the small tremble within her lips. "You're a first. Maybe that would explain your extreme hangovers…" Eric smiles at her. "And if it makes you feel better, you're still special to me." His tone is playful, trying to lighten the mood.

"So, does this make me Divergent?"

Eric sighs. "Jeanine will think so."

Abbey stands up from the bed, moving towards the window while hugging her arms to herself. "You want to shoot me now or later?"

"That's just Jeanine, Ab's. There's confliction because your effects can be temporarily passed on, unlike Divergents… It's not even in the same league."

"I was valuable to her when she thought that I'd be able to help her find stupid cures. Now I'm not, I'm labeled as something that could have me killed."

"Nobody is going to touch you," Eric tries to comfort her, walking up slowly behind her as she turns towards him.

"I guess that means I can forget Jeanine helping us?" Eric looks to the ground under her scrutiny. "Good."

A frown begins forming along Eric's brows and he studies her quickly, completely confused. "You've lost me, Ab's."

"I understand now. I believe, Eric."

Eric thinks she's suddenly lost her mind. "If this is going to be some Amity bullshit-"

"Just listen." She takes his hands, leading him back towards the bed and the book she was studying, along with a notepad he'd overlooked. "Everything that has happened, has led me back here. I'm fighting nature, nature who is trying to point me towards something. And I believe I've found it."

"So, this is what you've been up to."

"Not at first, I couldn't think straight after that awful woman and Summer. And then it dawned on me. I've been studying the effects of long-term damage of parentless children…" As she talks, Eric watches her face light up, the way her features come to life, the flutter of her eyelashes as she skims through her notes. "The damage is lasting, creating significant problems through teens making most not follow their aptitude test and staying on at Dauntless regardless of what it says… Half of which these problems pass onto adulthood, creating a whole circle of reoccurring events of unstable homes… And this is just Dauntless alone."

"That's life," Eric says bluntly.

"No, baby, it's not." Abbey stands while shaking her head, beginning to pace in front of him. "My whole life in Amity I've nourished. I'm a florist. It's what I do. I've been granted an issue that affects me having my own children. I bump into you, two weeks before I'm due to marry someone else. I end up marrying you and being here at Dauntless. It's-"

"Fate," Eric mumbles.

"What?"

"Just something I thought of." Eric tries to brush it off.

"And then you ask me to rethink my job role so I can be at Dauntless." She hits the side of her hand against her other palm, sitting back down next to him almost breathless. "I know what I want to do."

"Abbey, have you really thought long enough over this? This isn't an 'in the moment' thing?"

"No, Eric. I'm one hundred percent certain." She takes his hand in hers. "Here's me saying I will never have any children of my own, but the fact is, the more I can help here, the more I affect their lives positively, the more children I've given my heart to is more than I can give to any single child alone. To me, that's being a mother."

"Careful, your Erudite is showing."

Abbey's nose scrunches up. "Did you know Johanna originated from Dauntless?"

Eric shakes his head, snorting. "You got all this information from Max." But to be fair, he had guessed her origin before just from the small flame the old wench held.

"He's a retired leader. He knew more than you because he was one of those children."

Eric kicks his boots off, scooting further onto the bed to lie back. "Tell me everything." As she begins her run-down, Eric pulls out his phone while she's deep in her explanation, texting Four his already typed message.

'Printouts of all Abbey's medical records brought to me. Wipe all knowledge and block Erudite from accessing Abbey's files.' Better safe than sorry.

---

The Mess Hall is a rambunctious place at the best of times but filled with Eric and Abbey and their friends placed around them, it makes it a hundred times worse.

"Eric just kicked my ass for ten weeks. I was sure he absolutely despised the ground I walked on," Luka explains.

"Erm, he did," Lauren begins laughing as Luka throws lettuce at her, nudging Eric who smiles to himself.

"Still do."

"Ah, c'mon, after everything I've done for you?" Luka holds his hands out wide at Eric's provoking.

Abbey stops eating, resting on her arm and speaks politely. "So how did you reverse this unexplained hatred?" Only for a second Abbey catches Eric's eye, her gentle smile warm as she played along.

"I told him the best joke ever, half way between him scolding me at ever approaching him and Lauren. By the way, Lauren liked me at this point."

Lauren shrugs at everyone, focussing on Abbey for the emphasis. "He could down a shot."

"Eric was the touchy one…" Luka's still talking as a Dauntless guard rushes into the Mess Hall, locating Eric quickly.

Abbey is pulled from the conversation just by the urgency and the sudden furious look flashing on Eric's face as he glances at her. He stands abruptly, the same as Lauren and the others like they all knew the drill, and they follow Eric out.

It seems the rest of Dauntless also wanted to see what was going on, The Pit dropping deadly quiet, and Abbey only picks up pieces of the conversation Eric has already jumped full ship on. "Who let you in? Why are you here?" she hears him ask. She can barely hear Jeanine's voice while pushing through the bodies, eventually catching up with Lauren and the thick-skulled twins on the edge of the man-made crowd that's gathered.

Jeanine addresses the crowd, a small group of her own guards standing around her. "I have a request for an arrest under the circumstances of possible Divergence."

Abbey steps forward even though Lauren tries to stop her. "Abbey, wait!" But she's too quick and Jeanine's eyes latch onto her instantly.

"The tests, that I volunteered for, prove the serums work on me, I just can't tolerate them. You're confusing the attributes of Divergence." Eventually, she comes to stand beside Eric while he sighs, obviously wishing she stayed hidden. But she had had enough of hiding. "You want me for nothing more than to experiment on, on an already outlandish hope you can cure your niece, and that has already been proved that I can't. So, the next viable thing to do is kill what you don't know." Abbey puts her hand in Eric's, speaking more to him than anything now. "We don't do that anymore."

Jeanine's face drops. "Perhaps you might want to put a leash on your little lapdog, Eric. She's showing you up." She looks to the tip of his boot and back, but he doesn't move, and she shifts uneasily in his threatening silence. Dauntless watch her with hungry eyes.

Taking an exaggerated inhale of breath, Eric pouts at Jeanine. "You know, I don't know how much clearer I can make things to you. As if my blatant ignorance wasn't enough, or the fact I haven't replied to any of your exponential reports for weeks, what's it going to take for you to realize that Dauntless don't take orders from Erudite."

"You're infringing on the laws, Eric. You will lose your position for deliberately disregarding the rules, especially to a member of authority like myself."

Eric smirks dangerously at Jeanine. "I'm infringing on nothing. This arrest is for an inaptly selfish reason, proved by your own studies that she isn't Divergent."

"The arrest still stands. And you can say goodbye to Leadership should you defy me further."

Eric kisses his teeth. "You see, that threat doesn't sit well with me. In fact, your entire presence in front of me, accusing my wife, in front of my faction, standing there like you have every right to, doesn't sit well with me, at all."

"Try and intimidate me all you like, but she's under arrest until we've completed our investigation," Jeanine says smugly. "A bunch of bloods is far from the real thing. I need a full body exam. And also without the threat of the details being blocked, Eric."

"You are such a liar!" Abbey's words echo, expressed simply but innocently, and Eric puts his arm out to push her back. "She gave false hope. She told me herself she didn't think I was. Why? Why are you doing this?"

"You are a threat to society. We don't fully understand what this is or what this means. You are dangerous." Jeanine turns to the Dauntless watching. "We let one slip through and this is what happens. Anarchy."

"Cut your bullshit, Jeanine," Eric spits. "She isn't going anywhere. Now show yourselves out before I kick you out myself."

"If she wasn't a pretty face, able to hop into your bed, would we be right here, right now? Or would she already be long dead the moment you found out?" Jeanine brings up an electronic pad, beginning to skim through it idly. "Perhaps we should just wait until you get bored." She tilts her head mockingly, eyes still glued to the device in her hand. "You and I both know your bloodline is going to end with her and your patience is thin."

Eric sees Abbey step forward, but Jeanine doesn't. She lands a perfect fist to Jeanine's nose, everything she knew taught by Eric himself. His grin only widens while he crosses his arms, even when her guards raise their weapons and the Dauntless raise theirs in return. It's a total showdown, but Eric's more fascinated at the ferocity of Abbey. It must have hurt, she hides it well.

Jeanine pants in shock as drops of her blood leave her nose, staining her white blouse between her jacket, dripping to the points of her stilettos. "You incessant little bitch!"

"That is for preying on people's weaknesses!"

"I've ordered for you to arrest her! Arrest her, now!" Jeanine points to Abbey hysterically, but nobody moves. Somebody laughs. Eric guessed it was Luka. "I'll arrest her myself!" Jeanine grabs Abbey's wrist, pulling her forward. This was probably her sense of pride taking over her logic, a little trait him and Abbey still shared even now from their Erudite days.

Jeanine doesn't get to pull her far, Abbey throws back her arm, releasing her hold and making Jeanine stumble. "You are the one who is dangerous!" Abbey tells her sternly.

"Give it up, Jeanine. Your showcase of power ends here. And I think it's about time you scampered back to Erudite." Eric tries in vain to hide his humor.

"You'll regret this."

Regret. The cataclysmic bunch of words Eric held deep within him that played fruitfully through his vast relationship with Abbey. But this time, it was different. He wasn't going to regret anything. They knew the truth. He knew Jeanine just wanted leverage over him, her theatrics in Dauntless only to try and gain back something she lost from Dauntless months ago when they hid away and complained when the factionless was so close to shattering Dauntless. Maybe she would've even rejoiced it now if that did happen by the look on her face.

"Oh, I don't think I will." He directs a sharp glare to her guards. "Put your Dauntless assembled guns down, or be shot." Then he's back on Jeanine, a glint of utter repugnance slipping across his smile. "Take your briefly trained Dauntless guards back to Erudite. Read through your notes on divergence to remind yourself. And prepare for a long and lengthy debate on whether Dauntless will ever be prepared to cooperate with Erudite again. We will be waiting with anticipation for our monthly medical supplies as arranged, and if you shall falter, don't think we won't take what we need. After all, we are the muscle of this society."

"Are you… are you threatening me?" Jeanine asks incredulously.

"I think you have forgotten who you are talking to. I am Eric Coulter. The leader of the Warrior faction. The leader of Dauntless. And she…" he looks to Abbey. "Is my wife. Write that in your fucking notes." He snaps from the calm façade, grabbing Jeanine's jacket and dragging her across The Pit to the entrance. "You fuck with her, you fuck with me," he hisses only to her. "And that stands for anything related to us. It would be in your best interests to abide by my rules." The doors of the entrance are opened for them, one of the guards saluting Jeanine with a 'Good day, Ma'am.'

"Am I making myself clear?" Eric demands rather than asks as Jeanine clutters outside the doors, regaining her composure, haughtily pulling her jacket back over her shoulders.

Jeanine looks between the multiple faces watching her, every one of them scowling directly at her. She could almost hear the ghostly growl of the faction reverberating in utter loathing of her presence, feeling like the walls of Dauntless were beginning to close in on around her.

But most of all, she notices Abbey come to stand by Eric, crossing her arms with an eyebrow raised in question. Her warm and living supply of antidote to the serums, so close, but now completely untouchable. The work she had tried to conclude on her blood works was now lost. Her new discovery will never be claimed or known. All of those thoughts flashed in front of her eyes, and she blinks them away. After all, she was Erudite, and they were supposed to be smart.

"Yes."

---

The infirmary nurse wraps Abbey's bruised hand, getting the all clear she hadn't done any major damage. Eric enters the room when the nurse leaves, coming to stand directly in front of her as she sat on the edge of the cot. "Abbey-"

"What Jeanine said, hasn't affected me," she shakes her head with the words, peering down to her lap. "Don't worry."

"That's… that's not quite what I was going to say. I was just wondering if one night you, maybe, wanted to do a few rounds with me? Because that was seriously-"

She thumps him with her good hand. "You are so full of shit."

"My wife hit Jeanine and cracked her face. No man in their right mind wouldn't find that even a little arousing."

"You were great," she smiles up at him, brushing off his advances.

"I was great? She chats shit and threatens to arrest you and I was great? Plus, I'm kind of trying to hit on you under these difficult circumstances if you haven't noticed."

"You always had great timing. And your attempts are terrible. I noticed but didn't want to encourage." She grins up at him but it falters when he slips a hand over her cheek and cups her face.

"Perhaps I should be blunter?" He smirks.

She tries to shrug nonchalantly. "Perhaps…"

"Let me take you home so you can sit on my dick, Abbey."

"That's blunt… but no details. My interest is only half sparked." Eric begins leaning in closer, her head falling back in his hands.

Eric licks his lips and her eyes follow him. "You want me to go into details?"

"Right now, I just want you to kiss me because you look beautiful like this."

He chuckles at her airy voice. "Mood killer."

---

Eric likes their new arrangement better than he thought he would. At night they would now cook together after he got back from work. He would usually cook – remembering back to the burnt bacon and eggs she once did for him as kids.

On the side next to him, Abbey would sit on the counter, rambling away, eating the food before it was ready or adding spice as they went. Sometimes they would talk about his work, sometimes they would talk about hers. Sometimes he couldn't even remember what they had spoken about. Sometimes he burnt the food because they got a little distracted. - Her fault.

But he knew more than he let on, making sure to keep an eye on her productivity and her piqued interest, acting like he didn't know.

"There's no technical name for it yet. Amity is pretty interested in finding a polite term to call it." What Abbey was talking about, was the children being fostered to families in the wide-open space of Amity, to have a fitting childhood rather than kept by blunt women in the back of the dark tunnels of Dauntless – the main thing she despised. They have their aptitude the same as everybody else at sixteen, and chose with a free mind at eighteen, encouraged and uninfluenced as possible by whatever faction. It was their choice.

In between times, Abbey was working in the education center with the older children that were there, and some agreed to try Amity. The ones that didn't, or couldn't because of health or complicated family matters, she visited every day.

It had filled a hole for them both…

But Summer was her favorite, she spoke about her often. And the day she went to Amity, Abbey cried openly in front of him after work, literally. She had stumbled in, stared at him for a moment, and then walked into his chest and stayed there until she was calm enough to explain.

"What about, 'for the love of Abbey'?" Eric suggests, smiling, and she hits him, grabbing the spoon and dipping into the tomato sauce to try it. "Ok, flower girl? Flower power?"

"You're not helping." She sips from the spoon. "This is good, Eric. Can you hurry it up though, I'm starving."

"Patience is a virtue, Abbey Coulter."

"It'll be Ainsworth soon after I divorce your ass for not feeding me."

The thought hits him. "Why don't you call it the Ainsworth project? Or act, or movement, scheme, whatever?"

"It's a little self-indulgent don't you think?"

"No other fucker did it. No other fucked cared," he shrugs, yanking the spoon back off her to stir the sauce.

"Not Coulter?" she asks meekly. "You don't want to be recognized?"

"Ainsworth has more of a ring to it. Plus, it's the Ainsworth in you that's gone ahead and done this. Only someone like you would."

"Like me?" she questions, and it stops him, turning to frown at her.

"You want me to spill some gushing poem lyrics or something that's sickly sweet?" She scrunches her nose up and pretends to gag. Thank god she didn't say yes, he knew none. "Okay then, just accept you're special." He pats the top of her head sarcastically, but she doesn't detest.

"The Ainsworth project…" she murmurs under her breath, getting a feel for the words. "Yeah, I like that…"

Chapter 20: It's all about the girl...

Notes:

Welcome to the very last chapter of Crush. Thank you for reading.

The one thing that bothered him the most was the pathetic use of his legs. They were aged and slow, a shuffle more than a walk and his back had hurt constantly for at least the last ten years. His body was still broad for a man of his age and that seemed to be his downfall, his legs being unable to keep up with the demand.

As he shuffles through the house, from the kitchen into the long hall that lead to the front door and outside, pictures ran across the surface of the cabinets. For some reason, today, of all days, he stops to admire them. They ranged from young to the old bats they were now.

Eric takes a minute to appreciate how truly beautiful Abbey was – still is – but on a different level than before. The first starts as a small one in a frame, the same one Abbey had in her bedroom of them as kids during a competition they came second in. The next, him and Abbey on their wedding day, smiling towards the camera with bright eyes. Between them was the plaque Eric had made, back against the wall and propped up on display, looking as if Abbey had recently dusted it on one of her good days.

The pictures were uncontrollable after and he only had Abbey to blame, but she loved them, the memories she grasped so tightly to.

There is one with Summer as a child, along with a bunch of children smiling with Abbey in the middle with their hands up in their air, shouting God knows what to the camera. The next picture across from it, Summer suddenly forms into a teenager holding the reigns of a horse with Abbey by her side in riding gear.

The one Eric liked the most, and he couldn't particularly remember who had taken it, was Abbey on his back as they laughed, the whole positioning and the brightness of it, a point they had peaked to in their thirties.

But there were also painful photos to look at; one's of Abbey's parents, one's of their friends. Not all of them had passed on, but most. And this is what scared Eric the most. Time was not on their side anymore.

Finally, Eric makes it to the decking outside their house, the sun still warm on his face as he tilts his head into the rays. Abbey sits out here on a bench, the same one they perched in most days when the weather was good enough, and she turns her head slowly, her grayed hair straight and still relatively long. Even through the fine lines on her face, he could still see her.

Eric had lost most of his hair years ago and that was a painfully hard thing to accept. The teasing was almost unbearable until he told her she had a saggy ass and that shut her up.

The corner of his mouth lifts on the thought.

"What were you doing in there?" she breathes tiredly. That's how she was these days, always tired. He still had the up and go, albeit a few aches and pains, but Abbey was plagued by exhaustion lately, having to be helped from bed to chair, wherever she was. There was no specific illness she had, the doctor gave her the all clear that she was healthy enough. It was just age.

"Taking a shit," he breathes in the evening air, turning to give her a crooked smirk. "You need anything, Ab's?"

"No, no. I'm good here." She always sounded distant too, much slower to respond than the quick mind he remembers.

"That's what you always say, woman." He groans as he makes his way towards the bench and she lifts the blanket covering her legs, jolting his mind again.

Cold. She was always cold. And today was stifling and she still sat wrapped in blankets.

Eric's almost made it down into the seat when he sees weeds growing up against the steps - again. "God damn it." He inches slowly to stand, getting to the steps without any particular grace and helps himself down the wooden set of three.

"Told you you'd like Amity," she softly chuckles to herself, sounding like a small child, pronouncing the 'H' more specifically in her giggle.

"Yeah, just perfect. Bugs, flies and weird shit ruining…" Eric grumbles on. He had been keeping on top of the garden, not allowing the little twerps from Amity who'd stop by and offer to help. But Abbey was right. He did like his retirement in Amity. For the most part, they got left alone. He would be lying however, to say that it didn't take him a while to adjust. "It took me four hours to do the entire patch of the front yesterday."

"I know. I watched you."

"Ugly looking things," he mumbles to himself, ripping the weeds out with wrinkled hands covered in sun marks and thick veins.

"She's not coming, Eric."

Eric hesitates only for a second and then continues plucking pieces of weed away from the decking.

"She hasn't been in weeks." He looks up after she spoke, her eyes squinted into the sun. She was referring to Summer, who had had her own children and they were also grown now. She lived the other side of Amity, busy with her life and running things in the stables along with part-time work on the Ainsworth project. When Eric would catch her out and about after one of his many strolls, she promised constantly to stop by in the evenings, which she did do for years. He couldn't be angry with her living her life, the visits becoming irregular and much further between. It's what he and Abbey always wanted – for her to live. But it made Abbey sad and… okay, he, kind of missed her, too.

But she still hadn't been in a while, not even her kids who were adults themselves.

"That's life," Eric mainly says to himself about his thoughts and as a reply to Abbey. She hated it when he didn't reply.

"Forget the weeds and come sit with me. The sun is going down, you're going to miss it." To Eric, it didn't appear any darker than it was five minutes ago. He grumbles getting his back straight, clomping back up the steps to be with her.

He sits down on the bench next to her, the blanket covering both their legs and she puts her hand in his. "That's better," she whispers.

For a while, they sit in silence until Abbey draws a long content breath into her lungs. "What a beautiful life we've had, Eric." She reminds him for the hundredth time. "Let's just live in this moment. And we have to admit to ourselves, that people just don't need us anymore."

Eric keeps his eyes locked on the sun setting in front of them, over the rolling field he requested their retirement home to be overlooking, along with a sapling of an oak tree planted by Abbey herself; still in the early stages of growth.

"I love you, you know that?" she murmurs.

"You better."

When she doesn't say anything for a while he looks over to see her eyes closed, a smile gracing her face as the sun slowly disappears and washing her in an orange glow. He gives her another five minutes then shakes her hand. "Ab's, you're going to miss the sunset." She annoys him, probably dozing again like she always did. And she had the liberty of telling him he was going to miss it.

"Ab's?" He shakes her again, this time her hand becoming relaxed in his. He sits up as straight as he can, turning completely towards her and grips her shoulders. "Ab's?" He touches her face, then hovers a hand in front of her mouth, not feeling any breath. He checks her pulse quickly.

It's like a stab in the chest, a flush of cold white despair gripping his whole body, so much so that it's crippling and makes him loll back against the bench, his head floppy, his own breathing becoming rapid and painful – perhaps he fainted, or is fainting, he doesn't know. "Ab's?" His voice breaks, tears that hadn't fallen for years threatening the corners of his eyes while regripping her hand but tighter this time.

Eric is an old man, his own limited time dangling in front of his eyes, and now is the time she decides to leave him.

He peers up at the sky, his chest racking but not a sound left him. He drifts between the ache in his chest and the pain in his head, a serenity, a surreal cottoned mind. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't go and get help, he didn't think he'd make it ten feet off from the porch in his current blurring state.

But at least now she could dance again. She could run across the fields of Amity, not trapped in an incapable body. He could almost remember the sweet smell of her hair, flashes of her smile, her hands…

"Eric, you're not daydreaming again, are you?"

Through the haze, a voice echoes to him. Slowly lifting his dizzy head, out in the field he could see Abbey. He rubs his eyes, peering to his left to the old shell of his wife, but further into the field still stood the twenty-one-year-old Abbey he tracked down and married over fifty years ago. "Eric, c'mon!" Her laugh is breezy, light, and sounds like pure heaven. She moves almost in slow motion, twirls in a circle in a strappy dress he hasn't seen her wear in years.

Eric stands on frail legs, gripping the twisting pain in his heart as he stumbled to the steps and down, almost collapsing at the bottom of them. "Abbey, wait!" She leads him out into the field, close enough he still had hope to catch her, far enough that she had now reached the small oak tree. "Abbey!" he calls breathlessly.

---

Summer smells the flowers in her hand knowing Abbey would love them. She takes the old familiar dirt track, retracing the walk she has done plenty of times in her life. She smiles to herself as the buildings around her begin to disperse, showing the small house in the distance glowing in an orange fading light.

A frown begins forming on her face, her smile disappearing when she sees Eric out in the field, a hand gripping the front of his shirt, the other reaching out in front of him as he takes a few steps. She wonders what he's doing, where he's going; there is nothing beyond the field of their house.

Suddenly Eric drops to his knees.

Summer sprints across the track as fast as she could, throwing the flowers to one side as she ran to him. "Eric!" she screams frantically, grabbing the attention of some neighbors. Finally getting to his side, she rolls him over, taking in his blanched face, the tears surrounding his eyes. His breathing is faint. "Dad?" she whimpers at the sight of him. "Dad, please. Please, stay with me." She turns back to the people in the distance. "Help! Somebody, send help!"

She strokes back the limp pieces of hair on the side of his head. "You're okay. Help is coming." But his eyes are glazed over. "Where's – where's Mom?" But he doesn't reply.

Slowly his hand reaches up to her face. "Abbey?" he questions and she shakes her head, biting her lip to try and stop her own tears…

Eric is taken back by the youthful look on his hand and the sudden flashing images between Summer, who he thinks is in front of him, and Abbey peering just over her shoulder.

"Tell her we're fine," Abbey asks of him in that floating voice he never wanted to hear the end of. "Tell her she's beautiful."

"You're so beautiful," he manages to stutter to Summer, and she nods her head, wiping back her tears.

"Tell her to keep the project running. We'll watch over her. We love her."

"Summer…" he gasps from the pain in his heart. "The project… keep it… We'll… watching. We - we love you."

"Don't speak. You're okay. Hold my hand, Daddy, please," Summer begs. As he reaches out, he grasps the hand in front of him, but it's not Summer's. He's pulled up, the pain and hurt left behind in an instant.

His last coherent words to Summer are spoken in a state of euphoria, a strange long and breathless whisper he watches leaving the old, crippled man's mouth on the floor as if it was his last literal thought. "It's all about her. It's all about the girl, Abbey... Abbey Coulter."

They really did have eternity together. And he had no plans on wasting a single second of it regardless of whatever the hell this was happening to him in this moment.

Eric inspects his body, that familiar strength back into his limbs, smiling down at himself and the Dauntless gear he was wearing that felt like home. He glances at Abbey stood in the unearthly bright light in the field so angelically.

"What took you so long?"