A/N: Hey guys! I'm back with a whole new story :) I know I said "a few weeks" like six months ago, but… who's counting? Lol anyways… I really hope you enjoy this FourTris fic brought to you by myself and my lovely Beta Reader BAMBERLEE! If you stick with it, it'll be a great ride, I promise :) And so it begins…

Chapter 1

TRIS

Things have been quiet in the house since last week, since my choosing day. With Caleb gone my parents don't seem to want to talk about much of anything. His transfer to Erudite took us all by surprise. He was always so good at being selfless, and so ready to chastise me when I wasn't. His acting was so flawless that at first I thought this could not possibly be real; it was all just a dream. But night after night the sound of my mother's stifled crying and the whispered solaces of my father remind me that it's not.

They mourn him as if he were dead, but I guess as far as factional law is concerned, he might as well be.

I do miss him. But more than anything I feel betrayed by him. And though I'd never say it out loud I'm angry that he chose first, because when he made his choice, he made mine. I couldn't leave. I wanted to leave but I couldn't. My hand dangled over the coals but only for a second, only until I thought of my parents. They wouldn't have survived losing us both. And as selfish as I may be, I'd never want to be the one to cause them pain.

I guess that's all that's been keeping me together since I've been back. Because I'm not selfless, and trying to feign selflessness day in and day out usually takes its toll on me. But waking early every morning to make breakfast before I head out for community service only to return every afternoon to make supper and clear the dishes doesn't feel forced or unnatural. I guess because even though I chose Abnegation, I didn't really choose to be selfless. I chose my family. I chose to be the glue that will keep my parents together until they're strong again.

Grabbing my grey robe from the edge of my bed, I decide that it's probably time to go make supper before my mother beats me to the kitchen. I'd rather not go through the usual charade of her protesting and me insisting.

Quietly closing my room door behind me, I begin to make my way to the kitchen. But as I walk through the small hallway and get closer to the stairs, the commotion in the living room catches my attention. I hear my parents' voices and then another, a man's. I shouldn't interfere, but the tone of their voices makes it impossible not to. Something is definitely wrong.

Stealthily, I stoop by the edge of the stairs, just outside their line of sight and that's when I hear an unmistakable voice say, "No! We had a deal, Andrew."

What's Marcus doing here? , I think.

"I understand that," my father says. "But Beatrice seems to have some interest in the Black boy. Robert."

No I don't, I mentally scowl. And why are they talking about me in the first place?

"And after everything that has happened with Caleb," my father continues, and I hear a trace of sadness in his voice as he mentions my brother's name, "I feel like I owe it to their family. He gave them the impression that he would court their daughter, Susan, and apparently now she's heartbroken. They all thought that it would end in marriage. Her mother says she hasn't eaten since the Ceremony."

Marcus scoffs. "That young girl's puppy love is not my concern, Andrew. And giving Beatrice to their son would certainly not make things right. Besides, your son's transfer is a direct result of your own incompetence as parents. I will not suffer for it. You will do as you have promised. Don't forget that I have the power to take away everything that I have given you."

Marcus' voice is threateningly low and though I can't see his face I can hear the poison in his expression. My mouth falls open and I become more than a little confused and offended all at once. Why did the leader of Abnegation make it his business to come into our home and threaten and insult my parents? Intimidating others doesn't really classify as good Abnegation behaviour, quite the opposite actually. Marcus, of all people, should know that.

My mother begins to whisper what sounds like a plea and I lean forward in order to hear her better. But my feet slip and suddenly the room is filled with the sound of my hands slamming against the wooden floor as I try to break my fall.

"Beatrice?" I hear my father say, and I know that it would be stupid of me to remain hidden when my presence here is no longer a secret. I push myself off the floor and with an embarrassed smile I walk down the stairs.

"I was just coming down to make supper when I missed a step," I innocently explain. "I didn't know that we had a guest. Good evening, Marcus. Will you be joining us for our evening meal?"

Normally it would be wrong of me to be so forward. But I test it out, seeing that I'm now a member of Abnegation; an adult.

"No, Beatrice. But thank you for the offer," he says kindly. His tone is so different from just now, when he was threatening my parents.

And as is required, I insist, "You must. It would be a pleasure to have you."

I arrive at the bottom of the stairs, only a few feet from where they are all standing. I wear my fake Abnegation smile and Marcus wears his.

"Maybe another time," he says. "I believe you have some family matters to discuss." He looks at my parents. "Besides, I have some matters of my own I must attend to. And thank you for the tea, Natalie. It was lovely as always."

Gracefully, my mother nods and my father escorts Marcus out the door.

After he's gone, Instead of heading for the kitchen like I'm supposed to, I fold my arms and I ask, "What's going on?" and I'll admit it feels good being able to ask a question without Caleb chastising me.

"Please take a seat, Beatrice," my mother says, her voice faltering. Quietly, she sits in the seat across from me and then my father joins her, nervously taking her hand.

"Mom? Dad?" I ask, slightly panicking now. I have no idea what's going on, but it looks serious and from what I heard, I have something to do with it.

"Beatrice," my father begins. "Your mother and I had to make some tough decisions in the past. Decisions that we made in order to protect our family, in order to give you and your brother a good name and a good life. Marcus was a strong ally when your mother and I were struggling to get on our feet. He gave me a seat on the council and he gave your mother a very respectable job overseeing the distribution of goods to the factionless. We owe him much."

I don't understand why. He's the leader of the faction. Isn't it his job to make sure that his members are taken care of? We owe him nothing.

"What does this have to do with me?" I ask anyways.

"Because of all that he had done for us, your father and I thought it selfish to deny him of any requests and we made certain promises to him," my mother says, her voice breaking. "But Beatrice please know we never imagined that these would be the types of demands that he would make. We learned much too late what kind of man Marcus really was. Is," she corrects herself softly, hanging her head.

"What has he asked for?" I ask, but no one answers. At this point it feels like my heart will beat itself right out of my chest. "Mom, what has Marcus asked for?"

"Do you know Tobias well?" My father says after a while.

I try to but I don't recognize the name. "Who's that?"

"Tobias is Marcus' son," he answers.

I shake my head. I don't know him well, but does anyone? I never knew that he existed until his choosing day two years ago when he joined my mother's community service project as a part of his initiation. He barely comes outside and even when he does he doesn't speak to anyone. He rarely makes eye contact and quite honestly it's kinda creepy. I honestly don't even remember the last time I saw him.

"What about him?"

"Marcus has been training his son to take over his role as leader of Abnegation," my mom says. "And when he turned sixteen Marcus started looking for a suitable match for his son and that's the first time he came to us. He figured that because your father and I were good people that it was only natural that we would raise a fine daughter. Apparently he's been watching you and he is rather impressed with you, Beatrice."

I almost laugh. Only ten minutes ago he referred to them as incompetent parents. Why would he assume that I turned out any better than Caleb did? Why would he be impressed with me? Is it just because I stayed in Abnegation? That's a rather poor excuse. Most Abnegation-born never leave, and I never stayed because I wanted to. Marcus obviously hasn't been watching me close enough. I am the epitome of what every Abnegation girl should not be.

"If I may say so, he is a fine boy, Beatrice," she adds. "He will make a good match for you."

"So Marcus wants his son to court me?" I ask quietly. I'm not sure I want to be courted. I don't know the first thing about boys, and I'm certain that I would be miserable trying to fit the mould of what a nice Abnegation girl should be. The best way for me to fit into this faction is to remain alone or with my parents.

"No, sweetheart," my mother replies. "He has asked for your hand."

"What?!" I yell, and I jump out of my seat so fast that my head spins. "That's ridiculous! I won't! You can't just give me away like I'm some piece of property! Why do you think you can make these types of decision for me?! I don't even know him!"

"It's not like that, Beatrice," my mother begs as she stands to her feet. "You know that we both love you so much and that we would never make this decision for you. Whatever you decide, your father and I will deal with the consequences."

"What happens if I don't do it? What are the consequences? What is Marcus gonna do?" I blurt out all three questions at the same time.

"We lose everything," Dad says. "I lose my seat on the council. Your mother loses her job as well. And we don't care about the status, Beatrice. But Marcus will deny us work anywhere in Abnegation, and the entire faction is loyal to him. Without his support, your mother and I would not be able to sustain ourselves within this faction. And out of spite he might also discourage any other family from letting their son court you, jeopardizing your future as well."

"He can't do that," I scowl with an incredulous tone, not that I would mind that last part. "Our faction wouldn't allow any of its members to be treated that way."

"He can, Beatrice," my father replies softly, setting his hand on my shoulder. His touch surprises me and I look up into his eyes. "Marcus holds a lot more power than you would think. But even so," he says, "As difficult as things may become, we're ready to face it all if you're unwilling to marry the boy. Your mother and I will not force you into marriage."

Slowly, I sit down again and suddenly I'm not so sure what I want and don't want to do anymore. The only reason I came back to Abnegation was to make sure that my parents would be ok, but if I hadn't come back they wouldn't have been put in this position any at all. And if I don't marry Tobias, I'll be making their lives more difficult than it would have ever been if I had left.

All of a sudden the room looks blurry and I realize that there are tears in my eyes. How could this all be happening?

"I don't know what to do, Mom," I say when she takes a seat beside me on the small couch. "I don't want to marry him, but I don't want you and dad to suffer because of me."

"Living an underprivileged life so that our daughter can live her own life is hardly suffering, Beatrice," my mother says, and she takes my hand. And when I look up into her eyes I know what I must do.

I don't want to be the leader of Abnegation's wife. I don't want or need a good name or social status. The only thing I care about are the two people that would give their lives for me in a heartbeat if they ever had to. Without having to think about it I already know what decision they'd make if they were ever in my position.

I am not selfless, but I chose this faction with the intention that I would at least try to be- for them. Maybe this is my chance to prove myself.

"Ok," I say. "I will do it. I'll marry him."

TOBIAS

I hear the front door open and my fists clench on command. If there ever were a day that I felt ready to stand up to my father, it's today.

He gets to decide what faction I choose. He gets to decide what job I move into. He gets to decide who I can and cannot speak to, but he will not decide who I marry. I wasn't planning to marry at all. The propagation of his vile blood ends with me.

"Tobias! Come down here!"

He yells at me as if I'm still a child even though in the eyes of the law I'm an adult, and I have been for two years. Maybe marrying would not be such a bad thing after all. I'd move out of this house, get my own. It wouldn't be too far away but at least I wouldn't have to worry about him barging through the door with a belt in his hand.

I walk down the stairs holding my head high and my chest out the way he says that I should now that I've officially been declared a candidate for his succession. I don't really think that anybody cares about the way I walk. And even if they do, with Marcus' influence on the council, I will win the election either way.

I don't want to be the leader of Abnegation, but for some reason it means a lot to me that he thinks that I can do it any at all. He's always called me incompetent, weak, a sad excuse for a son. I never fought him about training me for the position because I thought that maybe if I did this, he'd be proud of me for once. But I don't need a wife in order to run a faction.

"Everything is going as planned, Tobias," he says as I make my way across the living room. "The Priors have no choice but to concede. It is after all in their best interest to not defy me."

"You threatened them?" I stop dead in my tracks.

A wicked smile crosses Marcus' face as he takes a seat around the dinner table, waiting for me to serve him. "One of the things you must learn, Tobias, is how to bend people to your will." But I have no desire to learn the art of manipulation.

I don't want to be anything like my father. Yet I crave his approval. I'm pathetic.

"I though you said that you were going to ask the Priors for their daughter. You didn't say anything about threatening them. It's not like I don't have a choice in this," I say, raising my voice a little.

"You don't," Marcus seethes threateningly. He rises to his feet slowly and I know better than to speak. "You will not sabotage everything that I have built for you, everything that I have set in place to guarantee your success within this faction."

"I won't. But I don't need a wife to be successful," I say, trying to sound firm. "Especially one that was forced into this."

I've never spoken to Beatrice. I saw her once at my mother's funeral and then another time at school walking with her brother. She seems like a nice girl, one who doesn't deserve to have one of the biggest decisions of her life made for her.

"You do, Tobias," Marcus says, sounding more irritated than angry. "Being married helps others to view you as a man instead of the little boy that you still are. It forces others to respect you and to see you as one of status. That's why I selected a councillor's daughter. And if the Prior girl is as passive and gullible as her parents are then she will be perfect for you."

As soon as I begin to wonder why on Earth would I want a passive, gullible woman Marcus says, "Believe me, the last thing you need is a defiant, nagging woman like your mother was, tormenting you day and night while you try to run a faction. What you need is a small, quiet and obedient Abnegation girl who will have your meals ready and your house clean. One who respects you and understands that you are in control."

I take a breath and I prepare myself for it. Whether he hits me, whether he yells at me, whatever he throws at me, I will not agree to this.

"I'm sorry, father," I say firmly. "But I will not be forced into marriage. And I certainly won't marry someone who is being forced to marry me."

Marcus steps away from the table and toward me. He doesn't seem upset, but rather resolved, as if what I just said had no effect on him at all. His face is stern. It is a face of wickedness.

"The girl marries you or she marries no one at all. I will see to it. Her father will fall from grace and her mother with him," he says and I immediately step backwards.

A blow to my head I could have handled. A whip on my back I would have suffered. But not this. He is manipulating me, forcing me to choose between my well-being and theirs. And how could I ever do anything to hurt Natalie Prior after all that she has tried to do for me?

"You'd really destroy their lives because I don't want to marry her?" I almost whisper.

"No, Tobias," he says. "You would be the one destroying their lives. If you wish to guarantee her and her family a future, you will do as I say." Marcus simply turns around and returns to his seat at the table, satisfied. He knows that he has won.

I am Abnegation. I can't let them suffer because of me. I won't.

A/N: And that's the first chapter! Really hope you guys liked hearing from both characters. I plan to update once a week for now until I get a little more writing done and can start updating a little faster. Thanks for reading! :) And Thank You to everyone who supported any of my previous stories and for giving me that extra push to keep writing. XOXO