A/N:

I can already see the rolling of eyes and ready hand to slap me. I am EXTREMELY sorry this has taken FOREVER to get this up. It was actually a surprise to myself that I had this entire chapter written out and I hadn't posted it. So here, sate yourselves. But just give yourself a moment to find your inner zen and gloss back over the older chapters for a catch-up as this takes straight off from the last.

So, go ahead. Go do that now. We'll wait. :D

Ugh, I feel like such a horrible person. Forgive me.

Sarah lays on her front with her arms tucked under her, propping herself up on her elbows as she watches Eric lie down on his back with a huff. She can't help but smile, laying her head down to only pick it back up again, her lips parting to talk then hesitating. His eyes are closed and unless he had the ability to fall asleep in two seconds, he isn't asleep just yet. "Eric?" She feels giddy saying his name, squeezing her pillow in her hands. "Eric?"

"Mm?" he only hums in response, throwing an arm behind his head, still pretending to be asleep. After a moment he glances out the corner of his eye to the svelte of her back and then to her breasts beneath her.

Sarah thinks of what he had done - his surprise for her. He'd made one of the abandoned rooms and a place usually used for storage, and turned it into an office solely for her at the end of the hall. It had been painted fresh white and had white-wood furniture, a plant like Eric's on a shelf on the wall behind her new desk. It was neat and ready for tomorrow, to which she could officially store all her work and take up residence proudly during the day. No more boardrooms.

She lays down to reach a hand out to his chest, brushing over the dusting of hair and watching as goose bumps prickled under her hand. "Thank you for you did. I really wasn't expecting that."

Eric flinches, tickled by her wanderings. "Don't fucking do that," he mumbles grumpily, snatching her hand away. "No need to thank me. I wanted to." He sounded anything other than happy though, but that wasn't going to stop her excitedly sharing her thoughts with him.

"I wasn't expecting it. It was a really nice surprise."

"Don't act as if it is the only thing I've ever done."

Sarah scoffs to herself, allowing him to idly play with her fingers. "You don't get it, do you?" He raises an eyebrow, watching a length of her hair fall over her shoulder. "You went out of your way. It's, kind of, almost, romantic."

He stares blankly back at her, then sighs, "You live in a dream world."

"So, you didn't do that romantically?"

"I did it because you needed it."

"And?" she prompts him, still smiling.

"And what, Sarah?" He laughs to himself, sitting himself up more on his side to face her. "I don't know where you are going with this. But…" He pauses, a lopsided smirk appearing on his lips. "I like the look on your face." She blushes, dropping her eyes to the pillow in front of her. "Actually, there is something…" He reaches out and caresses her cheek, letting his thumb run across her bottom lip, then over the small scar. "She's still in there. Not that crazy one from earlier."

"You have such a way with words."

"You wouldn't like me if I didn't talk like this."

"I think you'd be more ruthless," she says quietly, avoiding his stare. "I wouldn't know your true intentions if you weren't so blunt. I think it would be more… intimidating. Watching you think long and hard and not knowing exactly-"

"There is something long and hard in this room and I know exactly what it's thinking."

"That's vile, Eric. Eric!" she shrieks as he places her hand under the covers, fighting him off until she can pull free, but his hold is still tight around her wrist.

"Kiss me," Eric asks, his eyes fluttering across her face as she catches her breath. "Kiss me like you used to."

Sarah's expression drops into something more serious, studying him. Out of everything, that was an unusual request. And out of instinct, she knew that his behavior was off. However, they'd argued so much recently, bringing it up would only start another heated debate. "Like I used to? I always kiss you, always have, the same."

"You used to be nervous and shy. You used to shudder. That doesn't happen a lot anymore. I… I miss that." He shrugs his shoulders as he talks, drifting away from her face for a fraction of a second.

"Are you asking me to? Or are you demanding?"

"Demanding, of course. That's all I do, apparently."

Sarah moves closer to him, still on her front. He waits patiently, her lips is what he focuses on. Gently, she leans more towards him until their mouths connect warmly, the taste of him so specific to her memory. His free hand already tangles itself into her hair and she opens her mouth when he nudges forward with his tongue. As she pulls away, he bites on her lip softly, groaning at the loss of contact. "Sorry," he exclaims, and is too quick for Sarah. She giggles as he drags her toward him, pushing her onto her back and climbs on top of her.

"You tricked me! And to think I was beginning to feel sorry for you. I actually thought-"

"What? That I felt I was being neglected? I meant a lot of what I said, you know. A bit."

"Now I find it difficult to believe you." Especially with that smirk on his face. He's heavy, pushing her into the mattress, scouring ever part of her skin, his lips to hers in a moment. He lifts and manipulates her easily, deepening their kiss by bringing her back off the bed by a hand underneath her. She lets her eyes close, and him consume her.

"She hates me," Sarah tells Stacey as they walk from the Infirmary to grab lunch. "It all just came flowing out of her yesterday. I was really trying. She threw everything back in my face. Said she couldn't wait for Eric to divorce me."

"Oh shit," Stacey gasps.

"I told Eric about what she said. He's not bothered by her at all, But I am. It's the daughter I raised, and… I'm scared of her."

"Why would she say specifically about you two divorcing each other?"

Sarah shrugs. "Arguing. But to be truthful, there hasn't really been anything we don't argue over, so I don't get it. Maybe she wanted that in my head, or Eric's. I don't know."

"Eric won't divorce you even if his life was on the line. You're good for him, everyone can see it."

"Not everyone thinks that." They make a turn towards the Mess hall, avoiding groups of people they pass. "And now I think maybe that's what everyone is saying." Sarah looks around, trying to suss people's thoughts uselessly.

"I haven't heard anything. I would shut that shit down if I did. Nobody talks about my best friend like that. I'd refuse them antibiotics and watch them fester before they could get away with it."

"What a good, murderous friend you are." Sarah walks ahead to open the double doors, almost walking into an Eric and a cluster of his usual friends and acquaintances around him. It appears he had been waiting.

He turns slowly, using his cuff to wipe his mouth and stands straight, a courteous smile towards Stacey. "Can I eat with my wife, alone?"

Stacey peers between his friends, and having known Glen through them for a while, nods and squeezes Sarah's hand before leaving with him to hit the lunch queue. "I'll catch you later."

"Sarah," he starts and she puts a hand up.

"Do you know what, I knew something was up last night. Just tell me straight." It was all too good to be true.

Eric's mouth opens and closes, stumped a little, also somewhat agitated with a quick exhale through his nose. "I'm going away for two nights. I've got some things to do beyond the wall, to do with the stuff you told me about through Erudite and the sanitation issue. Just a skirmish. Easy enough. I need to evaluate the next steps we take."

"And when do you leave?" She crosses her arms, trying to keep her face stern.

"Later today."

Sarah's shoulders slump. "What about April?"

"I've put her on night shifts for the rest of the week."

"So you knew you were going to do this days ago?"

Eric pouts as he thinks. "Yeah, I suppose."

"You suppose?"

"Yes," he reiterates a little more sternly. "Of course. It's my job. I had planned to go to Candor but, as this appears to be more important from all the bitching I'm getting, it's costing me time from there." Glancing behind him, he pockets his hands, smiles, and cheerily suggests, "So, I thought we could eat together."

Sarah can only stare at him. "Oh…" Stunned a little from his invitation, he tilts his head to prompt her. "Eat together?" She thinks about it quickly. "I'd love to." She walks past him, leading the way to the queue. "It's not often we eat together in the Mess hall." Eric rubs the back of his neck quickly, grimacing, then stops as she turns around. "Does this mean you're leaving after lunch?"

"Yeah." He takes two trays and slides them along. There was food they could eat from the middle but Eric had more than enough points to queue for the good stuff; food that was usually hot, anyway. He chews his lip watching her make an order over the counter, following up behind with his own. When Sarah makes a move to take her tray, he grabs them both, and she smiles devotedly.

It was only making it worse. But he was a master of disguise. Like she would notice…

All he had to do was get this hour out of the way, while she smiled and talked endlessly about things he would never remember, eating like some inept snail as she did so. Then he could go and see their son, and pretend it never happened.

He's too lost in thoughts when he feels Sarah's hand touch his from beside him. He'd followed her to an end of a table where they could be alone, sitting next to each other. "I know I've asked already. But what are we going to do about April? I'm worried. Perhaps she needs to see a doctor or something? It's not normal to be that… that aggressive?"

"She doesn't need a doctor, she needs a strict fucking ass beating."

"I want you to advise her to see a doctor, or at the very least speak to someone," Sarah clarifies and Eric rolls his eyes.

"Don't be stupid."

"Eric, she came at me. If you weren't there…" She tsks and rearranges some food on her plate. "She is Dauntless and I am not. I'm not equipped to deal with her the way you do. One day she's going to take it too far and you're not always going to be there-"

"Sarah, you are overthinking it. She's had her warning, that is the end of it now." Sarah sighing forces him to look at her. "If she oversteps her boundaries again, she's out."

"That's not what I was implying. I would never say such a thing. I don't want that."

"I also don't have time to be dealing with an unruly teen. I'm so sick to the back teeth of that child," Eric seethes, stabbing at his plate.

"It's exactly that. She's a child. Not just a child, but our child. She will not be factionless." Sarah plants the seed. Eric wouldn't allow any children of his to be condemned, let alone the gossip and taunts afterward.

"You know, you're right." His piercings above his brow glint in the dim lighting when his eyebrows raise. "The lowest place I have is the wall. If she doesn't sort herself out, if we have another incident, I'll position her at the wall."

Sarah's expression is pained. "Have we failed as parents?" she asks. Eric glances at her wedding ring exposed by the hand lying flat on the table and brushes his fingertips over it.

"I never fail at anything, and neither will you." Sarah sadly smiles, so he strokes down the side of her face to comfort her, ignoring the crowded room, and pulls her gently by the neck to kiss her forehead.

In the furthest corner, covered by the liveliness of her friends, April festers back in her chair, arms crossed. "How does she do it?" she asks herself, ignoring everything but the way her father tipples to the pathetically innocent way Sarah clings onto him.

###

Jack walks into the tarpaulin tent they called home to cheering and long claps. "Here he is!" somebody shouts from across the room. His arm is still pulled taut up to his shoulder in a fancy cottoned tourniquet with comfortable fitted straps; supposedly allowing him more movement and apparently intended to give him a better night's sleep.

"Allright, ease down, guys." He waves them off with hand, nodding to Jessica who passes with a slight tap on his good arm, than waiting for Chip to arrive behind him. The same friend who had been visiting at any point he could. When he appears, they make their way over to their beds, and Jack sits down with a grunt. "I don't have to guess who it was that told everyone I was allowed out today."

"C'mon! One of our team gets shot and survives, a hero's welcome is by all means necessary."

"Friendly fire, Chip. It's not like I was at war."

"No," Chip laughs. "We were just taking a stroll. That makes it even better."

Jack watches a group leave, and others chatting among themselves expressively. He kicks Chip opposite him and motions with his head. "Where are they going?"

"We've been going into Amity when we can. They have a fest pretty much every night, camp fires and all."

"Are you going?" Jack asks,

"Nah, thought I'd stay with the cripple." He's not looking, untying one of his boots slowly.

"Well then," Jack stands, stretching his back carefully. "You'll be alone with an imaginary cripple all night, 'cause this one's out,"

"You think that's a good idea? Doctor said to take it easy and remember the pain meds at eleven..." But Chip is talking to his friends large back as he makes a break for the front of the open tent. "Wait, Jack!" He smiles to himself, half stumbling over his unlaced boot, thinking that chasing after this Coulter was going to become a regular thing.

Jessie, Jessica - the girl, is what Jack refers to as she stands impossibly close to him. Every time the conversation turned into a humorous direction and he would laugh, she would to, touching his arm. He can't quite work her out, frowning and feeling awkward with her actions, shimmying half a step to the side to get rid of her. She did this stupid thing, swaying on the spot when she spoke up and got close enough to touch him again.

In the end, he allows her, sipping his Amity brewed beer for relief. Every time he looked up and around the group, Chip would catch his eye, tilting his head to her and he'd smirk it off. The fifth time, he spots someone approaching their group with a rather large stride, gun swinging over their arm.

"Sorry to interrupt," Mark fits himself into the middle of their circle, grabbing Jack's good shoulder and herding him away from them. "I have been looking for you everywhere."

Mark's out of breath and Jack couldn't care less. "Well, you've found me. What's up?"

"I don't know how you don't know. I don't know how much contact you've had…" Mark frowns at him, grabbing his face and gazing right into his eyes. "You've been drinking?!"

"No shit?"

"Do you know your dad has just arrived? He's requested you get yourself to the main office where he is waiting for you right now. I said I'd be two minutes, and I've been gone fifteen!"

"I knew he was coming at some point but not exactly when. Keep your shirt on. Cracking up with your old age, Uncle Mark. You and I both know dad turns up when he wants..."

"Get your ass moving!" Mark marches him off, pushing him from his friends as they chirp a goodbye.

"Chip!" Jack shouts back, an unsaid loyalty in just a simple tone of voice. And again, Jessie looks sad.

Anna even laughs silently, just a small sounding of air when she breathes in to gather herself. Sarah thinks she's sweet, having seen a little more of her today than she had previously. Though, she didn't understand anything Anna mimed, Mary translated. "So, how did you learn? Was it Anna that taught you?"

"Yeah," Mary huffs, putting the last of her equipment away from the days dress making. "I know the basics anyway. I don't know everything. And, as you witnessed, I sometimes say the wrong thing." With a finger in the air, Mary remembers something. "Guess who I saw!"

"I really…" Sarah scoffs. "I don't know. I don't know what you get up to anymore. You seem to be here, there, and everywhere." Mary's kind of majestic to watch as every little piece of her fabrics and tools had a home. It was extremely messy earlier, and miraculously everything had been put away to its unique place in a matter of minutes.

"I'm amazing, aren't I? You can say that if you want."

"I've always thought you were amazing. You know that." Sarah hides her smile with her cup and looks to Anna who hides her mouth.

"You are a terrible liar! But anyway, I saw Dalton with his wife and his grown up kids." She has an awestruck face when she looks at her. "Time goes so fast."

"Is that like, five now?" For a minute she wonders what would happen if her and Dalton had gotten together. It was a stupid thought. Sarah would've liked to have more children, probably the same amount their parent's had. Four seemed perfect. But that was long gone, no way would she have the time or Eric the patience for more children with their own being big characters. "I'm surprised you don't see him more often."

"I'm cooped up in here most of the time or making visits to different factions when I'm not here - to get some orders in. I know he's busy a lot, especially with that amount of kids."

"Do you not want anymore?"

"If it happens, it happens, but I'm too busy. I like the life we have now. We all know our place. Mark's very relaxed in his position at work - well, once this month is over with."

"And on that note…" Sarah stands. "I make my leave."

"Don't be stupid, stay as long as you want."

To be fair, there was nobody at home to go back to. She knew April wouldn't be there; avoiding her or working. But it was dark out now, and she had things to catch up on as the day had been a jumble with Eric preparing to leave. "I've got some arrangements to make. Luckily, Eric has taken off the workload with the sewage problem, I really couldn't deal with that right now."

"That's one thing off the list then, I suppose."

"So it just leaves Erudite. I'm hoping to get away with a phone call to see how the arrangements are going, maybe email. I haven't decided. Eric suggested I could sort out his filing-"

"He never fails to impress me," Mary says sarcastically, scrunching up her nose.

"I don't mind."

"Do you snoop at all?" Mary asks and Sarah looks at her strangely. "You know, see what he's up to?"

"Why would I want to do that?" Sarah laughs.

"He takes me for a man that has a thousand things going on at once and only tells you one percent of it."

"What does that mean?" Sarah looks towards Anna who is nodding. "Anna?" The girl shakes her hands, apologizing.

"It's just a simple question."

"I'm not a sixteen year old girl with a short-term boyfriend. We've been married for years, I don't think anything on there would be interesting to me."

Mary whispers, "I'd totally be snooping."

"Snooping is asking for trouble," Sarah says slowly, to both of them. "I actually think you two are the biggest snoopers ever, using the cover-up of dressmaking for the excuse to gossip…" She finishes her drink and plants the cup neatly back on the table. "And drink hot drinks endlessly. Not to mention the amount of cake you've made me eat."

"That is Mrs Patrick's fault."

"Either way, I'm going home and to walk of this cake. Tomorrow I will be involved with no snooping but work. Thank you for having me in your gossip den."

"It's hardly a gossip den when there only ever seems to be the same faces." Mary snatches at Sarah's skirt as they walk to the door, playfully fighting, getting rid of the snarky air in Sarah in an instant as she stumbles for her boots.

"Quit it!" Sarah gasps, pushing her away, then hugs her once her boots are back on. "Tomorrow?"

"As always." Mary passes her jacket from the stand by the door, and Sarah makes the same route through Abnegation she took most days.

She's smiling while pushing her arms through the sleeves, flattening the front and buttoning it up quickly to the chill in the air. She glances behind her, thinking of the night of when Thomas caught up to her, but pushes it aside. Coming to a long abandoned section in the street which branched off to different directions, she crosses without looking, sorting the cuffs of her long coat.

The car is silent, a crafted vehicle by Erudite, and she is only aware of it when the tyres screech on the old tarmac, avoiding her by a hairsbreadth. Sarah falls onto her backside, catching herself with her hands.

"What are you doing!" shouts a man, throwing his door open and racing over once the car had come to a stop. "I could've killed you!"

"I'm sorry!" Struggling to get up, she's pulled to her feet instead, grabbing the person for balance.

"Sarah?" It's Blake, those dark eyes even more mystifying in the night. "Are you okay? Excuse me, it's the fright you gave. I didn't see you until the last minute."

"I'm okay." She thinks, brushing herself off. "I didn't hear you. It's my fault. Not many cars come through here at this time."

"Do you know what time it is? You shouldn't be walking around here by yourself."

"Why's that? The streets aren't dangerous."

"I know Eric is away, but I'd have thought he would have someone escort you at this hour." He rubs a hand through the short sides of his hair, still holding her arm.

"You've seen Eric?"

"Earlier today, at the wall. We went through a few things. He left and I'm just coming back from there."

Sarah furrows her brow. "He left? He said he was there for two nights?"

"Amity or something. Some work he has to do. Here, let me drive you home."

"Amity?" Her body begins to feel warm. "You mean he went to Amity? Is that what you are saying?"

Blake shrugs. "I guess."

Sarah nods slowly. Of course. The question is, why wouldn't he tell her. "Did he say why?"

Blake's face softens a little in curiosity. "I'm not sure. Is anyone really that adapted to Eric to even know why he does a lot of things? He's… he's quite a character. That's for sure. Do women really go for that incurable arrogance that he has?"

Sarah looks to her hands, the sudden prickling of betraying tears in her eyes. "I don't know what you mean."

"My female staff have been taken with his ways."

"Female staff?" If his lie didn't hurt enough, this idle conversation was beginning to shatter her resolve.

"Yes. I reminded them promptly that he was taken." He tries laughing it off, but it doesn't even register with her.

"You did?" But her voice is distant, and she peers over at the car. "Would you mind taking me home? I know it's out of the way. If it's too much fuss-"

"I would be delighted." Holding an arm out, he escorts her to the passenger door, opening it for her and settling her into the seat. "Are you sure you are okay? You look a little shook up."

"I'll be fine." As he steps back to shut the door, Sarah stops him. "Blake? If you had any thoughts, from a man's perspective, that my husband was… is…"

"He'd be a fool. And maybe the rest of us would be in with a chance."

Sarah smiles at him faintly. The door closes, and she pulls out her phone, bringing up Eric's name.

Chip follows behind Jack nervously with Mark following behind. He can't help but smirk to himself. The main office was a tent much like where they were staying but smaller, and inside Eric's behind the only desk, standing up when he sees him enter. His eyes are on his arm, and he claps him on his good side. "Dad," Jack greets him.

"Does it hurt?"

"No, it's alright." His dad then focuses on Chip behind him who stands too straight and orderly, and he gives him a look saying 'And who's this?' without having to voice it. "This is Chi- Ryan," he recovers. "He's on guard with me."

"Mark, we're good here," Eric dismisses, and from behind him, his phone vibrates on the desk. "Haven't been gone long and my son has a near fatal accident. Can't say I didn't see that coming."

"Didn't want to disappoint."

Eric grins at him, but it's hardly friendly. "Your mom is worried about you. Asks about you daily." Walking back to the desk, he plants himself on the edge of it. "I couldn't get here any sooner."

"How long are you here for?"

"Until midday tomorrow, then I'll be doing the rounds this end - showing my face, then I'm heading back." Eric pierces through Chip again with a agitated look. "Well, there's been a bit of an issue back home, some old building works failing beneath our very feet. I'll be taking some of the guards to supervise the work at the end of the week. What'cha say, Ryan, you up for it?"

Chip snaps his head up and away from the floor. "Er, yes. Yes, sir."

"And me?" Jack asks.

"It's better if you recover here." When his son drops into an expression of disappointment, Eric picks something up from the desk. "Here." It's an A4 pad. Jack immediately gives it to Chip and Eric scoffs to himself. "Didn't take you for a pansy boy. He your new boyfriend?"

"Thanks," Chip mumbles, a shade of red. Jack ignores his father.

"You enjoying the Amity welcome?" Eric simpers, and Jack knows this is leading somewhere uncomfortable.

"It's okay, I guess."

"Back in my day, Amity was the place to be." Eric folds his arms. "As fun as they are, don't get swept up in their peace, love manifesto. They like to hook Dauntless boys."

Jack rolls his eyes. "Can we not… talk about this?"

"There are lots of beautiful girls," Chip cuts in and shrugging when Jack scowls at him.

"Is that so? Maybe you could give a little heads up to Jack here."

"I've tried."

"Dude?" Jack snaps and he mouths 'what?'

Eric clears his throat, the gesture to say that this conversation was coming to end. "I had to see with my own eyes if you were okay. Seems you are. I'm… glad." The phone on the desk vibrates again as a reminder. "We'll have breakfast together tomorrow." Eric picks the phone up and unlocks it with them still in the room, the bright light startling in the downy light of the tent, frowning as he did so. "Eight o'clock."

Jack knew a dismissal when he heard one. "Goodnight." He tilts his head to Chip to leave. "Say hello to mom for me."

Eric doesn't look up, reading Sarah's message, "How's the sanitary issue going?" It was a simple enough message. Hesitating, he types back, "Okay. You want to comfort me then you could send me a little bit of what I'm missing. If you want to…" He could almost imagine her expression so vividly in his mind as she read it.

"I've never been to the wall. What is it like?"

He sighs, turning the phone over a few times. She obviously hadn't caught on to his humor. "It's exactly what everyone imagines. Cold."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight?" he whispers to himself. "Good fucking night?"