"Dr. Matthews, you have to see this."

Jeanine Matthews, head of the Erudite faction, looks up from her microscope to find Dr. Morgan, head of the Erudite Pairing Project (EPP), coming toward her. Morgan's hands are clutching a pile of papers, and his aging face is lit up by the kind of joyous expression one in Erudite only sees when a great discovery has been made.

EPP is the result of issues within the factions of Chicago. Divergence was misunderstood, causing too many people to fail initiation and end up factionless. The factionless were breeding at alarming rates because they didn't have access to basic healthcare and birth control, while individuals within the factions were not reproducing enough. The heads of the five factions, led by the Abnegation Council, decided on a course of action that would shift that dynamic and strengthen the genetics of its citizens without forcing people into new behaviors.

Erudite began performing extensive physical and mental examinations on Chicago's sixteen-year-olds in conjunction with their factional aptitude tests. Steps were taken to make initiation easier in all factions except Dauntless. The factions implemented programs to provide for dependents and pair up healthy young members to reproduce. The factionless were provided with greater access to birth control and other basic healthcare.

For the most part, people are free to choose their own partners and go about their lives as usual. But Erudite has the authority to approve or deny lab-created reproductions based on genetic combinations. If, for example, a young woman wanted a baby but didn't have a man to impregnate her, Erudite would provide the most suitable match possible, at no charge, based on her genetics. Healthy young men and women who did not want to raise children were encouraged to contribute genetic material - sperm or eggs - that could be implanted in those willing to bear and raise children. A surrogate program sprung up to provide wombs for gay men, single straight men who wanted children, and for women unable to carry their own pregnancies.

So far the program has been very successful. The population balance is shifting in favor of the factions, and the children born under the EPP have been healthier, more intelligent, and more divergent than the generations before them.

"Something from this year's new initiates?" Jeanine surmises, knowing that the day after the annual Choosing Ceremony would find Morgan and his team sorting the initiates into the factions they had chosen for themselves.

"Something incredible," Morgan enthuses. "I've never seen anything like it! One of the new Dauntless transfers is a match for Coulter. Not only that, but it's the most perfect pairing I've ever seen!"

This gets Jeanine's attention. Eric Coulter grew up in Erudite, and she had known the brilliant and obviously divergent young man since he was just a small boy. His intelligence scores were extremely high, as were his bravery, dominance, and other strong leadership traits. She'd had high hopes of grooming him to take over Erudite when she retired. But - damn his deadbeat mother and the bisexual father who had impregnated her then transferred - Eric wanted nothing to do with staying in Erudite, and had followed his father to Dauntless.

Jeanine hadn't stopped watching the young man. As she expected, he excelled in initiation. In spite of finishing second to the Abnegation transfer now known as Four, Eric became the youngest leader in Dauntless history when Four declined the position. She had noticed that the young leader had inherited his mother's rather voracious sexual appetite, but showed no inclination to settling down or reproducing. He also had a propensity to overwork himself, and was a perfectionist. Others saw him as driven and self-disciplined, but Jeanine attributed it to the young man's lack of love and approval from his promiscuous slut of a mother, and his abandonment by his father.

Eric transferred to escape his mother's reputation and forge a relationship with his father, but he had been disappointed again. George Wu hadn't known that Madeline Coulter was pregnant when he'd transferred to Dauntless. George was factionally divergent and sexually divergent, and he'd left Erudite at sixteen to start over and try out the other sides of his personality. He'd formed a tight bond with a gay man named Amar, and the two of them had been happy together. Sadly, George was killed in the line of duty by factionless rebels just months before his son transferred.

George's sister Tori, and his partner Amar built a relationship with Eric when he transferred to Dauntless, but the disappointment had cut the young man deeply. His mother had never wanted him, and (though unwillingly) his father had abandoned him twice. Eric had turned to work, women, exercise - anything to fill the hole. Anything to make himself feel valuable and in control.

"A pairing for Coulter?" Jeanine asks Dr. Morgan.

"A near perfect pairing," Morgan elaborates gleefully. "Genetics and compatibility. Ninety-nine point six two seven percent. I've never seen a correlation this strong."

"Who is she?" Jeanine asks, surprised to feel a tug of maternal concern. What girl could be good enough for the boy she had watched with such high expectations?

"She's an Abnegation transfer," Morgan explains.

"Andrew Prior's daughter?" Jeanine interrupts. "Beatrice?"

"Um, yes," Morgan says, consulting the forms in his hands. "She goes by 'Tris' in Dauntless. She's mentally divergent - thirty-two point five percent Dauntless, twenty-six point three percent Abnegation, twenty-four point nine percent Erudite, eleven point four percent Candor, and four point nine percent Amity. She's brave enough for Dauntless. Her IQ is on par with Coulter's, which should aid in communication and ensure that she doesn't bore and annoy him. She's honest enough not to run around on him like his mother, but she's not Candor enough to babble on about whatever pops into her head. Her Amity percentage is low enough that once she gets used to not living in Abnegation she should be able to stand up for herself, even against a dominant type like Coulter."

"And her Abnegation will give Eric the care and affection he's lacked all his life," Jeanine concludes.

"Yes," Dr. Morgan agrees. "We think it will offset some of his perfectionist and workaholic tendencies. She would ensure that he cares for himself properly."

"What are the girl's weaknesses?" Jeanine asks.

"Physically, she's small," Morgan says. "Coulter's size should create a balance for their progeny, but it will prove challenging in Dauntless initiation. She's also rather weak - a product of life in Abnegation. Proper training and nutrition will help. Of course Abnegation upbringing doesn't do anyone any favors, but life in Dauntless should cure some of that."

"And sexual compatibility?" Jeanine asks. "Is she attractive enough? I saw the Priors at the choosing ceremony, and I don't recall being impressed."

"No one is impressive in Abnegation's shapeless grey clothing," Morgan remarks, wrinkling his nose. "She's a bit plain, but pretty enough. I think that with physical training, a Dauntless wardrobe, and maybe a few tattoos or tasteful piercings, she'll be more Coulter's type. Besides, she's very strongly heterosexual, well over 90%, so she should respond well to an alpha male."

"Very good," Jeanine said, tapping a finger on the counter in front of her as she thinks about the situation. "We've been looking for a pair for Coulter for over two years. He has a lot of promise, so I want to see him well-matched. This has a lot of potential, Morgan, I don't want it messed up. I'll call Max this afternoon, and we'll get the Prior girl on a nutrition plan, get her some extra training, have him keep an eye on her and Eric. Maybe he can put them in proximity, just to see how they respond to one another. Ideally they should fall in love on their own, but if they don't we'll at least have to keep them from falling for anyone else."

Morgan is well aware of Jeanine's maternal feelings for her former protege, maybe even more than Jeanine herself. His boss is personally invested in the young Dauntless leader, and Morgan knows that his own life will be miserable if Coulter isn't paired well. He sincerely hopes that the young couple finds their way together, for all their sakes.

…

"Eric, come in here please," Dauntless' head leader says, paging his underling from the intercom on his desk. Max understands the issues with Chicago's population. The other factions had been generous in agreeing to leave Dauntless initiation as challenging as ever since they are the city's security force. He appreciates all of that, but he still hates participating in Erudite's matchmaking program. Now that Jeanine found a match for her pet, Eric, Max knows it's about to go to new levels of crazy. On top of that, the girl is Max's distant relative, and he likes the young leader. He would hate to see them become pawns in one of Jeanine's heartless clinical schemes.

Eric taps on Max's door as he walks in. Even a straight man like Max can admit that the young leader is an impressive specimen. Eric is tall, well over six feet, and broad and muscular. His close-cropped ash blonde fauxhawk always looks freshly trimmed and perfectly held in place by product. His steel grey eyes are intense, but steady. Everything about him exudes dominance, strength, and the military bearing of the ideal Dauntless.

"Take a seat," Max says to the younger man. "Tori will be here in a minute."

Eric wonders why his aunt, Dauntless' head tattoo artist, is coming to a meeting with leadership, but he doesn't ask. Eric is a good soldier; he doesn't ask questions if he doesn't have to.

Tori arrives and greets her nephew and Max. She and her deceased brother, George, had coloring and features more like their father, who was of Asian descent. Their mother had been genetically Scandinavian, but her fair skin and blonde hair were not very visible in her children. When George created Eric with Madeline Coulter, another blue-eyed blonde, the recessive traits had combined to give Eric lighter coloring, but he certainly shared his body type with George. Sometimes, from the back or when Eric wears a hat, Tori could swear that she's looking at her brother again.

"I had a call from Erudite this morning," Max says wearily. "Apparently we have a few exceptionally promising new initiates this year. Eric, I want you to spend time getting to know them, especially the transfers. We also have some personalized nutrition recommendations. One of the Transfers, a former Candor named Albert, has some excess body fat and lacks cardiovascular stamina. Make sure he gets caught up. He's a large kid and could be a valuable soldier if he has the right spirit. Two of the female transfers, Myra from Erudite and Tris from Abnegation, are undernourished. Jeanine wants them both on vitamin shakes that she's sending over."

Eric wonders what Jeanine could possibly see in a couple scrawny girls. Sending custom nutrition shakes is expensive, and Eric doubts that the girls are valuable enough to the warrior faction to warrant such treatment.

Max dismisses Eric, and waits until the door shut before addressing Tori. "We all know how Jeanine feels about Eric," he begins quietly, just in case the young leader is still in earshot.

"Yes," Tori says. "She won't admit it, but she's as invested in him as she would be in her own child. He's her protege, and it nearly crushed her when he wouldn't stay in Erudite."

"She hasn't given up on him," Max says, shaking his head.

"What do you mean?" Tori asks in alarm. "He can't go back, and he wouldn't even if he could."

"I know," Max agreed, "but after he left, Jeanine threw herself into finding him the right match. She called me yesterday. One of the transfers is a near perfect match for Eric."

"Really?" Tori asks a bit eagerly.

Max chuckles. "You're as bad as Jeanine," he teases Tori.

The tattoo artist shrugs. "He's my nephew. My parents are gone. My brother is gone. I can't have children of my own. Amar and Eric are all I have. Now Jeanine says that Eric's perfect match is here? I'm interested. Besides, we both know you're invested in him, too."

It's Max's turn to shrug. "My son transferred out. When Eric showed up a year later, I was looking for someone to invest in. He has a lot of potential, Tor. We all see it."

"So tell me about the girl," Tori prompts.

Max passes along what Erudite said about Tris. He leaves out the fact that Tris is a distant relation of his through his cousin Natalie, and focuses on her attributes, strengths, and compatibility with Eric. He asks Tori to get to know the initiate, and to offer additional training help if needed.

"I'm tempted to tell you to mold her into a girl that would catch Eric's eye," Max says, "but even I'm Erudite enough to know that if she's already right for him, we would probably just mess that up. But do try to help them see each other in a favorable light. Talk him up. Maybe suggest some ink or piercings that he likes. Talk her into a tongue piercing. Every man in Dauntless likes a tongue piercing."

"Oh-kay," Tori says. "Before you start drooling, I'm going to go. I will get to know this Tris. I did her aptitude test, so I know who she is. I'll see what I can do. Okay?"

"Yeah," Max says, still distracted thinking about tongue piercings. "Oh, Tori, try to keep Tris away from other guys. If it doesn't happen naturally, Jeanine is ready to pair them when Tris is eighteen. We just have to keep her from running off with someone else."

"I'll do what I can," Tori says on her way out the door.

...

Tris Prior spends her first week in Dauntless trying to catch up. She's too small, and too weak. Sure, she's brave - she was the first jumper. But she has no muscle, and has never been in a fight. She struggles with the weapons, too. Being small makes it hard to control a gun.

The highlight of her first week is her new friends. Christina, Will, and Al are nice. They'd gone for tattoos together on their second night in Dauntless, and Tris had talked with Tori, the woman who administered her aptitude test. Tori was encouraging. She told Tris that although the physical part was hard, Tris' aptitudes had shown great promise. She even offered to help with training outside of initiation, so the two started meeting in the mornings to do yoga and weight training. Tori gave Tris some suggestions about nutrition, too.

During their first workout, Tris tells Tori about the nutrition shakes that Erudite provides for her. "I'm trying, Tori," Tris says as they do arm curls side-by-side, "but they taste awful!"

"My nephew mentioned that a few of the transfers were put on those," Tori says. "I can bring my single-serving blender and some mix-ins tomorrow. That might improve the flavor of the shakes. But you have to drink them, Tris. You're small, and I know your diet in Abnegation didn't prepare you for the kind of things we do in Dauntless. It's fixable, but you have to stick with the plan."

"Who is your nephew?" Tris asks, trying to think of anyone named Wu, or who looks like he could be related to Tori.

"One of the leaders," the tattoo artist says evasively. "He's my brother's son. He grew up with his mother, but came here at sixteen. Unfortunately, George was killed before he got here, but it's been incredible having a piece of my brother back. He's really sweet, and smart and strong, too. I know Georgie would have been so proud of his boy and the man he's become."

"Who is your nephew?" Tris repeats.

"Eric," Tori says nonchalantly.

"Oh," Tris replies flatly, her tone making it obvious that she has found the young leader somewhat less than impressive.

If her new friends were the highlight of her first week in Dauntless, Eric Coulter was the low point. Eric, of all people, is Tori's nephew.

Eric, who resented her for getting nutritional help from Erudite.
Eric, who belittled and bullied her for being small and weak.
Eric, who hung Christina from the chasm.

Tori wants to smack her nephew. Though Tris is polite enough, Tori recognizes her tone and expression. Eric had already done something to push the girl away. When she and Tris finish their morning workout, she messages her nephew.

Tori: Hey Eric, want to come over for dinner tonight.

Eric: The initiates are fighting today, and tonight is capture the flag, but I can come between them. Thanks Tori

All day Tori stews about what to say to Eric. While she works on tattoos then goes home to start dinner, she tries to figure out how to broach the subject and get her nephew to be nicer to Tris.

Eric arrives right on time, as always. Tori offers her nephew a drink and asks about his day.

"It was alright," the young leader says. "You know I don't like spending the day with Four and watching the weak little newbies train, but they were fighting today, so that's more interesting, at least."

"Any good fights?" Tori asks.

"Edward is really good," Eric says. "He's former Erudite. He took out Molly pretty quick today. That idiot Candor kid, the heavy one? He took a dive. He's big, but he doesn't have it in him. Peter is pretty good. He was up against the little stiff today, and she's not much of an opponent, but he looks good. You should have seen Number Boy. He has a little crush on her - couldn't even stick around to watch the fight."

"Is Tris okay?" Tori asks, doubly alarmed to hear that Tris might be hurt and that another guy has taken an interest in her.

"Do you know her?" Eric asks his aunt.

Seeing the guilt in Eric's expression alarms Tori even more. "We're friends," Tori explains. "We work out together in the mornings."

Eric swallows hard. "Uh, sorry, Tor," he says. "I don't think the little stiff is going to keep going. She got it pretty good from Peter. Last I knew she was still out cold. If she's not released from the infirmary and on the train in time for capture the flag, she's out."

"Out?!" Tori practically screeches.

"Factionless," Eric confirms.

Tori's mind races all through dinner. Leave it to Eric to go all alpha male and unknowingly throw away his own future. Max is going to be upset. Jeanine is going to be furious.

.

When Eric leaves for the night, Tori sends Max a message, then runs to the infirmary. She finds Tris awake, but less than alert, and badly beaten.

"Are you okay?" Tori asks.

Tris chuckles darkly. "Do I look alright?" she slurs, obviously under the effects of pain medication.

"Looks aren't everything," Tori says with a smirk.

"That smirk," Tris groans. "I see the family resemblance when you make that face. You and the devil don't look a lot alike, but then you make that little face, and I can see it."

"The devil?"

"Yeah." Tris trails off. "He made me fight Peter because he doesn't like me. I have a app… apti… aptitudinal… whatever. I belong here. And I was first jumper. But he looks at me and doesn't think I'm good enough. So he's trying to get rid of me."

"Who is trying to get rid of you?" Tori asks, already pretty sure she knew the answer but wanting to be certain.

"Eric," Tris whispers loudly. "I have to be nice because he's your family and you're my friend, but…" she sniffles as she trails off. "He's really mean. I don't like him."

Tori pats Tris' hand. She's starting to wonder if Erudite knows what they're talking about. Eric obviously has no interest in Tris, and she's certainly not a fan of him, either.

Max walks into Tris' hospital room. "How is she?" he asks Tori.

"Loopy," Tori says. "The healing serum knit her back together, but the pain meds haven't worn off yet. She's been referring to you-know-who as the devil and saying that he's trying to get rid of her. He's not a fan of her, either. At dinner tonight he told me that she doesn't belong and she's cut if she's not on the train in time for war games tonight."

"He told me it's a waste of resources for Erudite to send me the yucky shakes," Tris slurs, obviously following along with the conversation better than Tori thought. "He said I don't deserve their attention since I don't belong here anyway."

Max groans. "Why does he have to make everything difficult?"

"Because he's the devil," Tris whispers loudly. "That's what he does."

"Why is she such a mess?" Max asks. "I'm going to get a doctor in here."

Tori tries to soothe Tris while they wait for Max to return.

The doctor looks at Tris' chart and all the machines attached to her. "Oh dear," he says, "they shut off her IV and left the pain drip running. That should have been the other way around. No wonder she's still acting drugged."

"What!?" Max roars. "This young woman's future depends on her getting well and getting back to training. Tonight. Do you want her to end up factionless because you're inept? Get it fixed! Now!"

"I like Max," Tris says to Tori, who's still standing beside her, "but he is very loud. I don't remember him being this loud before."

"He is shouting for someone who can only whisper," Tori says, squeezing Tris' hand.

"That's what Dauntless does," Tris says confidently. "You're a good Dauntless, Max."

Max smiles and pats Tris' leg. She may be small and undernourished, but she's determined and hard-working, and she's quickly winning him over. They just need to get her through the fights and get Eric to see her the way they do.