TWO AND A HALF YEARS LATER

Four

The sun was setting over the city, making an orange glow spread across the sky that melted into a light shade of pink farther out. I was on my balcony, leaning against the railing. The war was over. The factions no longer existed and peace had been restored to the city…but it had its costs. Uriah was dead and the guilt still hung over me every day even if Zeke had moved on from it. I couldn't though. Although Shauna had adapted to her wheelchair, the fact that she still had to be in one was just too much. Marlene and Lynn both joined Uriah in the grave as well, but their memories lived on and we always would remember them. We'd remember Marlene and her joyful behavior at times and remember Lynn's stubbornness. And of course we'd also remember their smiles and the mark they left on all of us. There were also others as well who were lost early, like Will, and other Dauntless who stayed loyal after the Erudite attacks.

The death that had impacted me the most was Tris, though.

The girl I loved.

For the longest time I didn't think I'd get over her death. I couldn't believe that she was gone. The first girl I ever loved, and might ever love the way I loved Tris, died. The pain was absolutely unbearable when I first found out and the months that followed her death. It was awful. That ache in my chest that never seemed to fade, the time I spent crying in private, and the reality that I'd lost her for good. With time I was able to move on with my life and slowly get over the depression of losing her. The pain was still there whenever I though too much of her at one time or was reminded of her in some way, whether it was when in birds that flew past my window in the morning or saw the number six. They represented her to me, to anyone.

Now here I was on my apartment balcony watching the sun sink into the horizon. Even after almost three years, Tris's death still hurt. But tonight it was not just Tris's death I was thinking about. I was thinking about Ellie and Eric. I remember when the doctor first told us she was gone, I froze. It wasn't the way I did when Cara told me about Tris, but I froze. I can still remember Nina, Lori, and Candace crying while Ben and Max tried comforting them as best as they could.

Ben and Max were both killed by Erudite soldiers in one of the attacks.

Nina, Candace, and Lori were living somewhere else in the city. We stayed in touch and I occasionally visited them since we all know what it's like to lose someone we loved.

Losing Ellie was hard, she was a close friend to me and to Zeke, but she was more to Eric. Before I lost Tris, he lost Ellie and I didn't know what it was like to lose a person like that until I lost Tris. How Eric could become so cold and ruthless the way he did was always a mystery to me.

Until I lost Tris.

I looked up at the sky. I understood now. I understood the pain Eric told me about before he died. I understood why he became the person he became. Even though the things he did were inexcusable… I understood the hurt, the pain, the grief…I finally understood.

The sky was now becoming darker, the orange and pinks fading to dark blues and blacks. I let out a breath. "I get it now, Eric." I said. "I get it."

THE END

A/N: Oh my God where do I begin? I can't even BEGIN to thank everyone for the complete and utter support I received for this story. There are so many people that left the best reviews I have ever received by anyone in the last year I've been publishing on here and I can't even tell you how appreciative I am to you all. This story was so much fun to write and I teared up so many times writing some of the chapters. I am so thankful to all of you for all your kind words and everyone who followed and favorited the story as well. I love all of you so much for the support!

Chapter 34 is a bit of a stretch, but I wanted to make a happy ending within a sad one. I knew I wanted to write that chapter since I started, but didn't know how it would turn out. I hope it was okay :) Again, thank you everyone, the support was amazing and the reviews took me away and I feel very accomplished by this story in particular. It is my time to say that this is the end of Broken Parts.

Thank you all again and most importantly

Be Brave

~Backstroker98