Tris

"It's over, Tris." David says. "You have no way out."

I'm crouching behind some boxes in the Weapons Lab. Completely unarmed and defenseless. I clearly didn't think this through when I forcibly told Caleb to stay outside and entered the Weapons Lab in his place. I think of Tobias and how he would react to what I did if I don't make it out alive. I look around me trying to find something I canuse to defend myself. Tobias has always told me to use my aptitude for Erudite and come up with any plan possible.

Suddenly I see it. A gun lying on the floor a few feet from me. I have no idea where David might be standing but I don't care. I need to grab that gun. I carefully crawl towards it hoping that David isn't right behind me. He hasn't said a word and that scares me. Nevertheless I take the leap of faith and almost dive for the gun.

"Come out and face me, Tris. Aren't you Dauntless?"

I take a deep breath and slowly stand up with my hands behind my back. I walk out from the pile of boxes until I'm standing several feet from David like we are in a Western standoff.

"I'm not afraid of you, David"

He grins, evilly. "Well you should be. I created you and I can destroy you just as easily ."

He raises his gun and I close my eyes for a moment.

I am selfless and I am brave

I open my eyes and don't hesitate as I quickly pull out my gun at the same time he does. It all happens so quickly that I don't even feel my fingers pulling the trigger until a gun shot is heard.

I lower my gun feeling my body for any entrance or exit wounds. As I'm doing so I hear a gasp and a groan. I look up to see David's eyes wide and his hands clutching his chest as blood is pouring out and soaking his suit. He looks at me as he slumps to the floor. I'm breathing heavily as I stare at his lifeless body, unable to move.

Suddenly I hear the door to the Weapons Lab burst open. I see Evelyn enter flanked by her army of Dauntless and Factionless members. I see Christina push through the crowd as she runs towards me and envelopes me in a tight embrace.

"Tris!" Christina screams as I hug her back tightly.

"Are you all right, Tris?" Evelyn asks me as Christina lets go of me.

"Yes." I reply, looking down at David's body.

"We'll take it from here, Tris." she says. "Don't worry."

"Where's Tobias?" I ask, as I scan the group that entered with Evelyn and Christina that includes Uriah, Caleb, Marlene, Will, Zeke and Lynn.

"He's in one of the cells. I had one of the guards escort him back when he saw Caleb outside. Go to him Tris."

She hands me the key card and I quickly place my hand on Christina's arm before exiting the Lab.

PAGE BREAK

I run all the way to the cells. As I'm nearing the room I see the shadow of a figure through the glass door of the biggest cell. The figure then stops moving. Tobias. I quickly swipe the keycard in the scanner and as soon as the door opens I run in and leap into a pair of open, strong arms. I press my lips to his fiercely and feel him immediately kiss me back. We kiss until we both need to come up for air. He sets me down and takes my face in his hands.

"Tris..." He says, just above a whisper.

I bring my forehead to his so we're breathing the same air.

"I'm here." I say.

"You didn't leave me." He says

"Never."

"Please...don't ever do that again."

I smile. "I promise." I say as he kisses me again.

"We should get back. Evelyn probably needs us." He says.

"Okay."

We exit the cell and head back to the Weapons Lab. As we enter I see some Dauntless guards carry David's body out.

"Everything has been taken care of" Evelyn says. "I will be sending out a message to the city about what has transpired here. You saved us all, Tris."

"Thank you, Evelyn"

"So what are your plans?" Evelyn asks Tobias.

"I think Tris and I will head back to Dauntless for the night. She needs to rest. We will head back to the Factionless sector tomorrow."

"Very well."

As we are leaving everyone takes turns hugging me. I happily hug each and every one of them back telling them how lucky I am to have them as friends.

PAGE BREAK

Tobias and I exit Erudite Headquarters and neither of us look back at the place that has brought us so many horrible memories. I hold his hand tightly as we head toward the train tracks. We stop and wait as the train arrives not a moment later. We both run and launch ourselves onto the train. Tobias sits down and pulls me down with him holding me close. After a few minutes we stand and prepare to jump off. We both do so with ease. We walk towards the hole in the building, the entrance into Dauntless. It feels surreal being up here again after what feels like a very long time.

We stand at the edge and Tobias turns towards me.

"I'll go first. Wait for me to tell you when to jump."

"Okay. Are you sure?" I ask, knowing his fear of heights.

"Yes." He says.

He takes a deep breath and jumps. I hear his scream echo off the walls below. I wait a moment until he calls up to me.

"Okay Tris! You can jump now!"

I step towards the edge and close my eyes as I free fall towards the net. I land with a soft thud then realize why Tobias wanted to jump first.

"Can't believe it." I say, mimicking Lauren's words from so long ago. "A stiff, the first to jump? Unheard of."

"There's a reason why she left them, Lauren." Tobias says as I try and keep a straight face. He lifts me off the net.

"What's your name?" He asks.

"It's Bea..." I trail off.

"Is that a hard one?" He asks. "You can pick a new one if you want but make it good. You don't get to pick again."

"Okay...my name's Tris."

"First jumper! Tris! Welcome to Dauntless."

He smiles and I smile back as he takes my hand and leads me on the familiar path to the chasm.

Once there he leads me through the secret passageway over the rocks. We come to our spot and Tobias sits down pulling me with him. I feel the spray of the water on my shoes. Our hands stay intertwined as we look out into the chasm. The memory of our first kiss comes flooding back to me.

"What are you thinking about?" Tobias asks me.

"Just about the first time you brought me here" I reply, smiling.

He smiles too. "This is where I kissed you for the first time."

"It is. You had just shown me your fear landscape."

"That's right. You are the only one that's ever seen it and that will ever see it."

"Do you think your fears have changed?"

"I don't know. But I wouldn't be surprised if you're in it now."

"Hmm..." I muse, knowing that Tobias is probably afraid of losing me. "You won't ever lose me, Tobias."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

PAGE BREAK

We leave the chasm and head in the direction of Tobias' apartment. When we get there Tobias pulls his key out.

"I remembered to grab this the day of the attack and I've had it with me ever since." He says.

"Ah. Thinking like an Erudite, I see."

He rolls his eyes and chuckles and he turns the key and unlocks the door. He lets me step in first. I take in my surroundings and my eyes immediately land on the words "Fear God Alone" on the wall. I walk towards the bed and sit down.

"I'll get you something to change into." He says as he goes to the dresser. He pulls out one of my tank tops and a pair of his sweatpants.

"Here. Go to the bathroom and get changed."

"Thank you." I say as I head to the bathroom to change and wash my face.

When I come out of bathroom Tobias is standing in front of the mirror in only a pair of sweatpants and completely shirtless. I walk up behind him and wrap my arms around him planting soft kisses on the Abnegation and Dauntless symbols on his back.

"I love you." I murmur against his skin. He twists around and puts an arm around me and kisses me.

"I love you too." He says. "Come on and get some sleep."

I get in the bed as Tobias goes to the closet.

"What are you doing?" I ask.

"I'm taking the floor, remember?"

"I don't think so, Mr. Eaton. I want you up here with me."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. After everything that happened today I just want to feel you close to me."

He smiles. "Okay"

He climbs into the bed and wraps his arms around me.

"Can I ask you something, Tris?"

"Of course, Tobias."

"I know you went into the Weapons Lab to die for Caleb, but when you survived did that change?"

"Yes. When I killed David I realized that while I had something to die for, I also had something to live for."

"And what's that?"

"You, Tobias. And only you."

"Me?" He asks.

"Yes. I've forgiven Caleb for everything that happened in the past, but you've changed my life in more ways than you can imagine. You've trusted me with your deepest, darkest secrets. You didn't just cure my physical wounds when you saved me from getting killed during training. You made me feel like I truly belonged here, even when I was failing. You promised me so long ago that you'd be my family and now I want to make that same promise to you."

He smiles and kisses me softly. "Whatever did I do to deserve you, Tris?"

"Everything and more." I say.

"I'm so excited to start a life with you, Tris Prior"

"Me too, Tobias."

As I drift off to sleep I think about the man lying next to me and how much I love him. It is then that I realize that whatever may come we will always be together. We can be mended. We mend each other.