A Different Divergent Tale (Eric and Tris)

Chapter 32 (Eric's POV)

I walk Tris down to breakfast and I'm already regretting not bringing her with me.  I just think I probably shouldn't be taking her to her ex-faction so soon—it wouldn't look good.  We'll do a faction visitation but maybe next week or so.  I'll see if I can schedule that today actually. 
"So which faction are you going to?" Tris asks me. 
"Abnegation," I say. 
She turns to me in the elevator.  "You're just telling me this now?" she questions. 
"I'm going to make an appointment to bring you for your visitation soon if I can.  I really shouldn't take you to your faction of origin before you complete more of the paperwork," I explain.  There is some important information in the training that explains how to deal with other factions and especially ex-factions for transfers. 
"Oh," she responds.  She sounds sad but understanding. 
"Your mother thought meeting me right away would be best, to get things moving," I explain. 
"Okay," she nods meeting my eyes.  She really does understand. 
"Hey, you get to train with Max," I say nudging her as we exit the elevator. 
"Yeah, I'm looking forward to that," she smiles. 
"I always enjoy training with him.  He prefers the afternoons though and I prefer mornings," I say. 
"So, he's catering to me today?" she asks beaming. 
"Pretty much.  He's doing me a favor.  Plus, he's incredibly impressed with you," I say. 
She lights up happily. 
We enter the cafeteria and I'm guessing pancakes for breakfast but I see crepes and I'm pretty excited. 
"These are like a thin pancake with a filling," I explain.  "There's sweet and savory.  It looks like they're all labeled so take your pick."
I get one with spinach and Swiss cheese.  Another with eggs, bacon and cheddar, then a cream cheese one with raspberries.  I get a big helping of scrambled eggs, hash browns, and sausage.  I look back over the options and decide I've got enough.  Tris has two crepes, a little bit of eggs and some bacon.  I grin that she's actually getting a decent amount of food and I realize that she does look like she's grown a little.  She hasn't sprouted overnight or anything but she does look better—healthier.  I'm glad. 
I decide to get an iced coffee and I watch as Tris does the same.  We walk over to our table and I realize the cafeteria isn't as busy as usual.  Then I recall this is an early morning meeting.  We're the only leaders here yet. 
Hale and Lydia walk in together.  He practically lives at her place.  I really don't understand why she doesn't marry him.  I guess she's from a broken home though and it sounded like her parents argued a lot.  If I could have divorced Jeanine growing up I would have...
I start on my crepes and look over to Tris.  She's watching me cut mine, then doing the same.  I rub her back and she smiles at me with the bite in her mouth. 
I eat my food quietly almost regretting not taking Tris with me today.  Lydia joins us, then Max. 
"Good morning," Max says sitting beside me. 
"Morning," I nod sipping my coffee. 
He takes a sip of his hot one and leans back. 
"So, Jax mentioned to me yesterday that they've been looking into the surveillance and computer issues.  It's still happening.  They were looking into past and present.  Still going on," he tells me quietly.  I realize that the cafeteria is filling in with people and it's not likely we'll be overheard on any recordings. 
"Yeah," I nod at a loss.  "I've got nothing to stop this," I say dejectedly. 
"Me either.  I really have no idea what to do," he says. 
"I am visiting another faction today.  Maybe I could ask them," I say throwing the only thing I can come up with out there. 
He looks at me and shrugs.  "It's worth a shot.  I doubt Stiffs could counteract this but you never know.  Maybe somebody transferred there from you know where," he replies. 
It occurs to me.  "Tris's father was from there," I say. 
"Yeah, that's right.  Andrew was," he nods. 
"You know her dad?" I ask. 
"Same year in school.  Your parents, Jeanine, Natalie, Andrew... I can't think of anyone else..." he explains.  "Oh yeah, Marcus Eaton and Evelyn—his wife," he adds.  "It's weird though.  I really have no memory of Natalie being younger.  I remember your dad and even Hannah—Zeke's mom—but I really only remember that one year."
"That is weird," I agree. 
I finish up my breakfast and decide to head out before Tris is even done.  "I'll see you later.  I wouldn't think this should take too long.  I'm expecting to be back by lunchtime," I whisper to her. 
"Okay," she says squeezing my hand on the table. 
I stand with my tray and notice Four still watching her like always.  He looks away as I stare him down. 
"Keep an eye on her.  Number boy still is gawking," I tell Max. 
He sighs irritably but nods. 
"See ya sweetheart," I say squeezing her shoulder gently.  She looks over her shoulder at me and smiles, watching me walk away. 
I set my tray down and Four is actually watching me leave.  I step out the double doors and head down the corridor to the main section of the Pit.  I get a call on my phone.  It's Max.
"What's going on?" I ask him. 
"Four is following you.  I've got the control room on Tris's phone," he says. 
"That's interesting," I say surprised. 
"Why don't you turn down a hallway and confront him?  Tell him we're getting tired of this crap and if he doesn't stop, he gets to go to lockup.  If it continues after that, then a one way ticket to Factionless.  I'm not going to have either of you living like this any longer.  It's been almost a week," he says irritably. 
"Okay.  Thanks for the information," I tell him hanging up.  I turn down the next hallway heading towards the net area.  I stand there, leaning against the wall and wait for him to follow down this hallway.  A minute later he peeks his head around the corner. 
"What do you want, Four?" I ask, practically in his face.  He clearly wasn't expecting me to be here. 
"Nothing.  I'm just going to work," he says. 
"No you're not.  The control room just told Max, who just told me that you're following me.  Do you not understand what it means when you're being monitored?" I ask. 
He scoffs.  "I'm not following you," he denies. 
"Your work is nowhere near here," I point out.  "Your work is actually in the opposite direction.  What do you want, Four?" I ask again. 
He shrugs.  "I was just seeing where you were going," he says. 
"My business is none of your business," I state. 
He looks away pursing his lips and nods. 
"Are you hoping to get her alone?" I ask. 
He looks down to his shoes but doesn't respond.  "You realize if you approach her, you will be incarcerated.  If it continues, Max will kick you out of Dauntless.  I suggest you stop trying.  She will not be left alone.  Her condition currently is somewhat unstable.  She's been collapsing from exhaustion.  You saw her last Saturday so you should know," I explain. 
"She's really that sick?" he asks concerned. 
"She's growing," I shrug.  "Weren't you like that as a kid?"
"So, that's the kind of medicine she's on?" he asks. 
"She has a hormone imbalance.  Dana is doing what she can to correct it," I say.  "Can you stop trying to push this?  She doesn't want any more trouble."
"Because of you?" he asks. 
"Because of you," I state.  "You're pissing her off.  She was trying to be nice about the breakup.  She thinks you're immature and you don't listen.  You following me right now is another symptom of both of those.  What leadership does is none of your business," I tell him.  "I've got somewhere to be.  My advice is to get a life of your own, Four, and stop trying to invade everyone else's privacy.  You're not welcome."
I step away and start walking.  "If you follow me, you will be put into lockup so don't try it," I say into the hallway.  His footsteps stop.  "See ya, Four."
I turn back into the Pit and head towards the parking garage.  I look to my watch to see that I should still make my appointment on time.  It was good that I left early. 
I grab my keys at the desk and take my truck out.  Maybe I could teach Tris to drive next week.  I open the door and start the ignition.  I back out and the attendant opens the garage door.  He salutes me as I drive through. 
I pull out of Dauntless's garage and head in the direction of Abnegation.  I've only been there once when Ryan took me for my training.  An elderly man who was hard of hearing showed me around.  I think he was a retired board member that just still wanted to be of use.  At least their retirement isn't expulsion or death, though.  That's probably the worst part of Dauntless.  Maybe I could just leave the city and camp out at my grandma's cottage until I die.  That sounds leagues better than starving to death or jumping in the Chasm.  I nod that that's probably the best plan.  I could fish everyday.  Even in the winter.  Dad taught me how to ice fish once.  I could even cut down trees for the fireplace when the power gets turned off for lack of payment.  Or I could empty my points in advance at the power company and pay for twenty years worth of service.  I wonder if Tris would like it there...
I pass through the boarder between Dauntless and Factionless.  I see the building I kissed Tris in.  It looks like more collapsed from the storm.  It's a good thing we got out of there when we did.  I start to drive through Factionless near the outskirts of the city and I see a few people rooting through trash bins and sitting around on the streets.  I really don't know why they don't go get jobs or something.  I recall that they have the options to clean some of the factions—not Dauntless, though—they could drive busses, trains, or even work in factories.  Maybe I could ask the question today or with Tris's faction visitation. 
I turn out of Factionless and see the grey homes of Abnegation.  They're so boring and plain.  The only difference is the size—I would assume for larger families or possibly when all of their children leave.  That thought kind of makes me sad.  Both of Tris's parents lost their kids at the same Choosing Ceremony.  That must've been a shock.  I make a final turn and park on the street just before the main headquarters. I take my keys out of the ignition and lock up. This is rather close to Factionless and I don't want my seat cushions or anything else to get stolen.
I approach the entrance and see a box set out in front of the door. That's weird that someone wouldn't just bring it in. It's dented and in bad shape. It's not even sealed closed. I pick it up and carry it in opening the entrance door.
"Excuse me. I have an appointment with Natalie Prior but I just found this box outside your door," I tell the secretary at the desk. Her name plate says Emma Watson.
"Mr. Franklin, we're so glad you could make it," she says nodding. "That's unusual though. All of our deliveries come through the loading dock in the back."
She rises and takes the box out of my hands, setting it on her desk. She opens it and puts a hand to her mouth in shock. Inside is a little baby, almost skeletal and wearing nothing. The only thing in the box besides the baby is what looks to be dried grass. I hear a whimper. I take off my holster and vest before pulling my shirt off and covering the poor little guy. I throw my vest back on and holster as she wraps him up and presses a call button.
"Could you hold him for a moment?" she asks placing him in my arms. I take the baby carefully while she goes to what looks like a storage room. I'm actually grateful for the experience yesterday since I haven't really held a baby since I was five or six. She comes back with a package and pulls out a baby bottle, I think, shaking it. She takes him out of my arms and sits down trying to feed him.
"Emma? What's going on?" a woman says as she comes down the stairs. I'm actually thinking this must be Natalie Prior because Tris looks just like her, except for her hair and eyes.
"This is Eric Franklin, your nine o'clock appointment. He found this baby abandoned by our door," the secretary explains.
"Thank you," she says to me.
"You're welcome," I shrug. I just picked up a box.
"I'll take him, Emma," Natalie says reaching for the baby. Emma hands me the rest of the package and I follow Natalie.
"Forgive me, but he needs immediate assistance. My office is upstairs though," she says leading me up the stairs.
"It's no problem," I say following behind. "I already had my breakfast."
She actually laughs and looks back at me smiling. "What were they serving today in that cafeteria?" she asks.
"Crepes and the basic spread with eggs, bacon, sausage..." I say.
She sighs, "I do miss the food."
"It is good," I agree. "Your daughter and her best friend were joking their first week about coming there for the food."
She actually chuckles at that. "She always did have a good sense of humor. It's a shame that I'm probably the only one who understood it," she admits.
"Your daughter is hilarious," I tell her.
"Oh?" she asks smiling. We stop at a floor and she leads me down to a sink in the hallway as she unwraps the baby setting him on the counter. She realizes it's my shirt he was wearing. She frowns and wraps him back up, searching underneath on a shelf through some grey fabric. She picks up a small outfit and sighs. "This'll have to do. It's the smallest we have." She turns on the tap water and checks the temperature. I watch as she gently bathes the baby with a wash rag and soap.
"So, what funny things has my daughter been saying?" she asks.
"I had to explain Egan's retirement," I tell her.
"That man was mean," she says.
"I didn't like him either," I admit. "Anyway, she found out what retirement is in Dauntless," I say.
"I'm sorry, I'm not all that familiar with Dauntless retirement," she tells me.
I'm kind of surprised at that. "But you were Dauntless-born, right?" I ask.
"I was adopted into Dauntless the year of my choosing," she admits.
"Oh," I say surprised. "I wasn't aware." I pause. I've never heard of that before. "Well, I explained that when Dauntless come to a certain age, they either have to leave to Factionless or... commit suicide," I say scratching the back of my head. Suddenly this doesn't sound so funny. "You're daughter's response was jokingly that she picked the wrong faction."
She actually chuckles at that.
"Then she asked for a redo at the Choosing Ceremony," I admit.
She's having to stop herself from laughing.
"Yeah, that's my little girl. She always got in so much trouble for saying things like that," she tells me. She wraps the baby in a towel and dries him before dressing him.
"Her father had no idea but I kind of knew she was leaving. Caleb was a surprise," she says.
"Are they twins?" I ask.
"No, Caleb was born earlier in the school year," she says.
"But her birthday is in January," I point out.
"She was premature," she explains.
"That's really premature," I say. She'd have to be two to three months premature.
"Yeah, I was afraid we'd lose her at first. But she was a fighter," she tells me.
"She still is," I admit.
She smiles at me and walks me to her office. "I'm sorry but let me make a phone call and I can get him situated. I know someone who will come straight over for him," she says.
I take a seat across from her desk as she dials a number from memory. "Louise? This is Natalie. I have a son for you," she says. "No, I wouldn't joke about that. He was just dropped off." She pauses and listens. "No, you're on the top of the list," she insists. "There is nobody else that would care for him as well as you. You have the greatest need."
I hear crying on the line. I realize that something must've happened and the woman who really wants the baby doesn't want to take someone else's place. It's like taking someone out to eat and fighting over the bill—who wants to pay for it. It's a kind gesture and I can really feel for the woman on the line.
Emma comes up and takes the baby back from Natalie. She actually hand-washes my shirt and dries it in a compact dryer.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. This probably isn't an ordinary occurrence in Dauntless," she says.
"We have surprises come up, they're just a little different," I shrug.
"Oh? Like what?" she asks intrigued. I realize she really isn't all that suited for Abnegation. She's definitely more sociable than others I've seen. Tris is very much like her.
I drum my fingers on my lap debating on telling her why I wasn't quite as on time as I was intending. "I was being followed this morning from the cafeteria. I had to confront the person and threaten him," I explain.
"Who would follow a Dauntless leader around?" she asks surprised.
"The man who's been stalking your daughter," I admit not beating around the bush.
"Yikes, that's scary," she says a little freaked out.
"He's been reprimanded already, demoted, and monitored. If he continues, he will be incarcerated or expelled from Dauntless," I explain.
"Well, at least you're keeping a good eye on him," she says. "Can I ask who is so... interested in Beatrice?"
"Four," I tell her.
"Four? Her instructor?" she asks confused.
"I was expecting you to actually know him," I admit.
She looks even more confused. "He did look familiar when I met him but he seemed irritated that I said as much," she explains.
"He's Marcus Eaton's son," I tell her.
"Four is Tobias?" she says baffled.
I nod.
"What had happened to him? Why is he chasing after Beatrice?" she asks.
"He has some sort of infatuation with her. He was attempting to get involved with her during initiation. That's against our rules. He's fortunate he wasn't already expelled from the faction for that," I say.
"Wow, I never would've thought my little girl would have so many admirers," she says looking at me as if she knows what's going on between us. "So... you're keeping her safe?" she asks.
"I am," I nod.
"What about your aunt?" she asks.
"I'm trying to keep her as far from Jeanine as possible," I admit. I bite my lip and just ask the question. "We're having security issues. Have you here at Abnegation ever had anyone break into your computer files or surveillance?"
"No," she shakes her head confidently. "I keep our faction on a tight lockdown."
"How do you do that?" I ask.
"How do I know I can trust you?" she responds. I feel like my girlfriend's mother is not even Abnegation, even though she's wearing the clothes. It's almost as if she's like a spy or something...
"Because I love your daughter and I'd never let anything happen to her," I admit.
"So, you two are together?" she asks. I nod.
"How serious are you about her?" she inquires.
"I plan on marrying her if she'll have me," I say.
She actually smiles at me. "Your parents are good people," she says.
"You mean were," I correct.
"Yes, of course," she says dismissively. "So... about Jeanine, she's raised you since you were ten. What do you think of her?"
"You're sure this camera is secure?" I ask.
"I'm monitoring the feed right now," she says motioning to her computer. "We are having a private conversation."
"I believe Jeanine had someone cut my parents' breaks and caused the accident," I say.
"She did," she nods.
"How do you know this?" I ask dumbfounded.
"I'm sorry but I can't tell you that. Just know that I'm someone in this city that can be trusted to keep a secret," she responds cryptically.
I nod in understanding. "Would you be able to teach me how to keep Erudite out of Dauntless?" I ask.
"I could," she says. "But that depends."
"On what?" I ask.
"I'm sorry but it's a little hard for me to trust Jeanine's son," she responds.
"Please don't ever call me that. That snake of a woman is not my mother. If I had any proof of all the vile, evil things she's done I'd get her executed. But as of now she's got me by the balls," I admit.
"How's that?" this woman who's dressed as a Stiff isn't phased by my phrasing. She's not a Stiff at all—probably never was.
"She's threatening to kill my little sister. She has been every time I disagree with her since I was ten," I state.
"What?" she asks shocked.
"I don't know if she's serious but I'm not willing to risk her life to find out. My parents are gone because of her. My grandmother, too. I only have my sister left and she's holding her hostage. What choice do I have?" I say.
She glances up at the camera in her office. "Who's watching us?" I ask. "I thought you said this was a private conversation."
"Nobody that will harm you. This is a private conversation. You, me, and them," she motions to the camera.
I'm uneasy at that admission.
"Look, nobody has seen much into what's going on in Erudite for years. Jeanine has the most difficult system to hack. I've been unable to find out what she's up to but I know it's no good. She has an obsession for killing a particular part of our population," she tells me.
"You mean the Divergent," I say.
She meets my eyes and looks very seriously at me.
"What do you know about all that?" she asks.
"You sure nobody listening in will have a problem with this delicate subject matter?" I inquire.
"They're probably sitting on the edge of their seat intrigued by what you think," she admits.
"Jeanine wants them executed," I tell her. "I'd never come across one before until now."
"Did you execute that one?" she asks.
"No, she's probably in the training room with Max as we speak since I'm here with you," I tell her.
"Who are you referring to?" she asks me.
"Your daughter," I say.
She blinks in surprise. "You find out my daughter is Divergent and you want to marry her?" she questions confused.
"Yes," I admit.
"So, you're with us?" she inquires.
"I guess so," I say. "If you're about protecting her, all of Dauntless leadership is with you."
"They all know?" she asks in disbelief. I nod.
"Who was killing the Divergents in Dauntless then?" she asks.
"So far, it would seem that it was Egan. He's dead now so no worries there. We're still looking into his files. It would appear that he and Jeanine were involved with my initiation trainer's death, although we're still trying to find proof," I say. She nods in understanding.
"I'm willing to show you how to block Erudite from getting in. Only train those you trust completely on this," she tells me. "I'd use the light green serum in your storage over the truth serum, though."
"You know about those?" I ask.
"Every faction leader has access to those," she says.
"So, Jeanine does as well?" I inquire. She nods.
I mull over that a moment. "Do you know what all of them are?"
"Not every single one but most of them, yes. You don't?" she questions.
"No," I say.
"Perhaps only the head leader knows each one," she responds. "I believe only those who have been head here have access to all of them. My husband doesn't yet, but Marcus and his predecessor does."
"How do you know all of this then?" I ask.
"Let's just say I'm kind of unique in this city," she tells me cryptically.
"You're not forming a resistance, are you?" I ask.
"No," she waves dismissively. "I'm just here to help save lives and stop people like Jeanine Matthews."
"Good," I shrug. "Then I'm at your service."
She turns her head, really looking me over. She nods and glances back at the camera. "Good. I'm glad we've had this little discussion," she says. "Perhaps I will show you how to use the system."
I hear her phone ring. It's an old-style rotary phone. She picks it up from the receiver and hangs up without answering.
"Trying to sell you a newspaper subscription?" I ask laughing.
Her phone rings again and she unplugs it from the wall. "No. I'm not making someone happy. Come over here quickly and I'll give you the breakdown," she insists.
I step around her desk and place my arms on either side of her bending down. She shows me her computer system. She explains how to get into each system, how to see where there's a breach and how to block certain users. "That's all I'll show you for now. Anymore and we'll both be in trouble," she says.
She plugs her phone back in and it rings. "Hello?" she says answering it. "Oh, Andrew. I'm sorry. I hadn't realized you were trying to reach me." She pauses and glances at me. "No, he's here now actually. We were just going to go over a few things. I'll bring him up shortly. Okay, goodbye."
She hangs the phone up on the receiver and stops, looking at my forearm then the other. "You feel like you traded one maze in Erudite for another in Dauntless," she says studying my tattoos.
"I do," I nod when she meets my eyes.
"Maybe we can change things," she says hopeful. "Maybe we can get you out of this cage." She sighs and shakes her head. "So, we better talk quickly about the reason I called you here or my husband will show up and we won't have an excuse for this conversation."
"Did you actually want to talk to me about food donations?" I inquire standing up.
She makes a gesture of not really. "I can show you how to have your staff pack the food so it won't spill in transit," she shrugs.
I guffaw, "So why did you want me here?"
"To size you up," she easily admits. "You clearly have an interest in my daughter and I'm aware that you'll be working together closely. I actually liked talking to you over the phone and wanted to see what you were like in person. I needed to know if she'd be safe with you. If you were a threat..."
"And now?" I ask.
"You have my blessing. Andrew is an entirely different story, though," she explains. I can't stop grinning at her admission. "A smile looks good on you," she adds.
She gets my shirt out of the dryer and I put it back on. She makes a comment that Tris is very lucky to have me and I smirk at that. She takes me to another level and shows me some food containers that would work well for transit—sealed packages for liquid and whatnot. It makes sense and I'm actually glad I came here to meet her. The security alone is invaluable and to really get to know my girlfriend's mother is a special treat.
She takes me up to the top floor of their headquarters and knocks on a door. "Come in," someone calls.
I see Andrew Prior seated at a similar setup to my office but with several chairs not nearly as comfortable-looking instead of a soft couch. He rises and another man stands with him—Marcus Eaton.
"Eric Franklin, thank you for coming on such short notice. That was incredibly fast," Andrew says.
"I was already here meeting with your wife, but no problem," I say nodding in acknowledgement. I know personal contact is uncomfortable for Abnegation.
"Oh?" Andrew says surprised and looks to Natalie. Marcus looks confused as well.
"We were discussing a large donation Dauntless with be making after every meal," Natalie explains.
They both look dumbfounded and struck in surprise.
"Your daughter and I discovered that we have an excess of food remaining from each meal in our community cafeteria. It made her sick to see so much waste. I agree, which is why I called your wife after Dauntless voted to donate the leftovers," I elaborate.
"Thank you for such a kind gift," Andrew says. "Please have a seat."
I take a seat and sadly it creaks from my weight. "Dauntless is definitely well fed," Marcus comments.
I laugh in reply. "Well, we do the most physical of work in the city, but we're willing to share what remains. I actually think our previous census, if that's what we're going by for food distribution is incredibly off. I think we actually have mostly middle aged to young males in Dauntless, few females."
"So, from what you're saying, unless there are many female transfers soon, Dauntless may fizzle out of existence?" Marcus Eaton asks.
"I hope it's not that extreme but it could be a drastic possibility," I admit. "We're looking to change our initiation rules vastly for next year and we'll see how it goes. How did the meeting pan out with the census issue?"
"That's actually why I messaged you," Andrew says. "I just wasn't expecting so soon but since you're already here, I guess that worked out perfectly. We're looking to order a new census. The problem is that on past occasions, we would share the announcement through the newspaper. Currently, they're printing distasteful, slanderous articles about our leadership. Since you were the one to request the census, we were hoping you'd have a better idea as to how to make it known without an uproar at our oversight of such an easy fix."
"What happened? Is there supposed to be a time frame or something for them?" I ask.
"The man who headed that section of Abnegation suffered from dementia. He didn't train his replacement properly and some vital information wasn't brought to his attention. This mistake would look bad and drag the deceased man, his family, his replacement, and all of Abnegation through the mud for a simple mistake," Andrew continues.
I nod in understanding. "I know of someone who always has the best ideas in delicate situations," I say pulling out my phone and calling Tris.
It rings twice. "Eric? Are you done already?" she asks.
"Not yet. Your father would like some advice. Let me put you on speakerphone," I say.
I press the button and she's live to everyone. "Just a minute. I'm sweating like a pig," she says and her mother laughs. "Really, Eric? Thanks for that," she says and I know she's rolling her eyes at me. "Max is pushing me harder than you. I need to wipe my face."
"Just put us on speakerphone," I tell her.
"But we're in the training room," she whispers.
"Good point. Wipe your face. We can wait," I say.
A moment passes before she comes back.
"Okay, so Max and I are in the storage room. What's going on?" Tris asks.
"Hi sweetheart," Andrew says.
"Hi dad," she says happily.
"I'm here, too," Natalie chimes in. She greets her also and I mention Marcus Eaton is present as well. Andrew explains the situation.
"Well, Max and I were just talking to Will and Christina when we left the cafeteria. Will was wondering where you were... anyway he'd mentioned that we should have some sort of faction newspaper or a message board of some sort. You know, since there's so much gossip around here. Especially since Dauntless laws and announcements are mostly spread by word of mouth. I was thinking that maybe each faction could have their own and publish real news, not the garbage Erudite prints out. I can't believe they took the word of some bully who got kicked out of Dauntless as truth instead of asking me about my own parents. That's just bad journalism. Will was the one that brought that up before. He was willing to fight with me in the dorm over that article about my parents," she says.
"Yeah, I remember hearing about your would-be brawl," I nod.
"You were really going to fight someone about that article?" her dad asks.
"She did—in the ring though for training later on," I explain. "Your son..." I motion to Marcus Eaton. "Had to pull her off of Molly. She annihilated her in the ring."
Andrew actually looks proud. Marcus gives him a look of disapproval and Andrew clears his throat.
"This is actually a good idea, though," Marcus states. "I wouldn't mind hearing what's going on in other factions. I thought that was the whole point of the newspaper."
"We could print them off in each faction and share them with the others," Tris adds.
"We could also ask each faction what they do with their cafeteria leftovers," I point out. "Amity, Candor, Dauntless, and even Erudite all have cafeterias in their headquarters. I'm wondering if we have excess, do they?"
"We have grocery stores and restaurants, too," Max adds.
"Maybe we don't need Erudite to communicate better with each other. We just need to reach out and ask," Andrew says. Natalie smiles and Marcus Eaton actually nods at that suggestion.
"About the census, we could just contact the other faction's leaders and explain that we're going to do one. Maybe later after it's completed when we see results and possibly changes being made, we could actually commend the deceased for bringing us together," I say.
"That's actually an excellent idea. An oversight leading to change and growth within the city. That's like a divine perspective," Andrew says. "Taking a bad situation and bringing about good from it."
"You sound like Joseph," Tris says to her dad.
"My thoughts exactly," Natalie agrees.
"You Priors and all your Biblical connections," Marcus mumbles.
"I should be the one to contact Jeanine. I don't think Abnegation talking with her about this will help any matters," I suggest.
"That would be a relief," Marcus comments.
"What's your plan, Eric?" Tris asks. "You're just going to say that we noticed something in our records and thought we needed a recount?"
"Probably," I nod.
"Well, you know her better than any of us," Max adds.
"Definitely," Natalie says seriously.
I look up at the other two. "I certainly don't want to talk to her," Marcus says.
"I have trouble keeping my temper in check with her," Andrew adds.
"After what Eric's been telling me, I don't think I can anymore either," Max comments.
Natalie looks to me in question. "The same that I told you," I say. She nods.
"I'll call Jack in Candor. He wasn't a fan of the paper last time I checked with him. I bet he'd love an opportunity to have his faction write their own paper. It'll be full of statistics and facts," Max laughs. "He'd probably enjoy participating in the census, too—more truths coming out."
"I can communicate with Johanna Reyes in Amity. She's always happy to hear from us," Andrew says.
"She's always happy to hear from anyone," Natalie adds.
We all laugh at that. I find it surprising that it's actually not too terrible working with the Abnegation.
There's a knock on the door. "Come in," Andrew says.
"Mr. Eaton, your 11:30 appointment is here," the woman announces.
"Thank you, Judith. I'll be right there," he nods.
"Well, this was pleasant." He rises. "Thank you for your time. If you'll excuse me." He nods. Andrew and Natalie rise and nod. I only nod. He exits and they sit back down.
"Do you mind if we talk to Beatrice?" Andrew asks.
"It's fine with me. We're done for the day and I'm walking her home now. We're almost there actually. Besides, if I could still talk to my mama, I would," Max says.
Natalie laughs at that. "Everyone loved your mother," she smiles.
"How do I take this off of speakerphone?" Tris asks Max. "Okay, I think I've got it. Bye, Max. I'll let you know if I need you later."
"How are you doing sweetheart?" her father asks.
"I'm good. Dauntless agrees with me," she says. I lean back in my chair and almost regret not bringing her, but then that whole situation with Natalie might've never taken place and it was definitely interesting.
"Is the faction... how do I put it?" Andrew says looking at his wife.
"Are people respectable in public with their behaviors?" Natalie asks.
"What do you mean?" Tris questions.
"Your father wants to know if people are still fornicating in the hallways," Natalie clarifies.
Tris laughs in discomfort.
"We have increased security in public areas since I was promoted. If anyone does more than kissing, they're encouraged to move along. We did have a couple put into our holding facilities, separately of course. Beyond that not lately," I explain.
"Thank God for that," he says appreciatively.
"Is that what you're most worried about?" Tris asks.
"It was kind of commonplace when I was there," Natalie explains.
"Must've been an increase in the birth rate then," I say.
Tris laughs. Her father looks at me seriously though. "It was a joke," I point out. Natalie is smiling, though. "Your wife thinks it's funny," I point out.
"Okay, I'll give you that," Andrew nods grinning.
I smile at him.
"Why'd you leave?" Andrew asks.
Tris sighs, "Well, it's just where I belong. I fit in really well here. I like my friends, it's exciting, I'm learning a whole new way to live. I'm looking forward to helping the city in my new position."
"You are doing well. We were at a loss earlier. You say one word and we're all coming up with ideas and working together," Andrew nods. "I just wish I would've known."
"Yeah, I really wasn't expecting it until my aptitude test," she says.
"You killed the dog," Andrew frowns.
"No, I didn't," she says.
He looks alarmed at me. "I know what her results were. She already told me," I inform him.
His eyes shift to his wife. "Apparently, Dauntless is willing to work with us," she tells her husband. "They all know about Beatrice and are willing to keep her safe."
"Really? I thought several had ended up dead there?" he says.
"Eric says it must've been Egan, maybe several others before his time," Natalie says.
"We've been looking into the surveillance, past and present," Tris adds.
"There have been some discrepancies with computers and surveillance being hacked. Egan also had conversations with Jeanine about Divergent terminations. We're just finding this out," I explain.
"So, we have a faction we can work with on this?" Andrew laughs disbelievingly.
"I'm sure Amity would be willing, too," Tris says. "Maybe not Candor though since they'd tell everyone."
Her mother laughs, "Yeah, Jack Kang couldn't keep that kind of information to himself."
Tris chuckles at that.
They talk about how Tris is feeling and her medication, treatments, reactions... etcetera. Tris tells them a little more about her friends and initiation.
"Have you met any nice young men?" Andrew asks.
"You're talking to him," Tris says and I can hear the smile in her voice.
Andrew seems incredibly surprised. Natalie rises and sits beside him reaching for his hand. "He's a good man," she tells him. "Nothing like Jeanine—much more like his mother and father for that matter."
"Well, that's good to know," he says attempting to smile and he meets my eyes.
"I will take care of your daughter. No, harm will come to her," I assure him.
"Thank you," he says to me. "So, you've chosen Eric?" he directs his question to Tris.
"He really is a great man, Dad," she says. "He's very gentle and kind. He's cares about me and what I think. He's an excellent teacher, very intelligent. He may seem a little scary at first but when you get to know him, you'll love him as much as I do."
I see a real smile on his face.
"It's getting late. We better let them get on with their schedules," Natalie says.
"Thank you for you time," Andrew says to me.
"You're welcome," I say.
"I'm glad I got to talk to you, Dad. Maybe you could come over next Visiting Day. I could practice cooking Dauntless food and you'd have to eat it to be polite," Tris jokes.
Her father actually laughs. "That would be wonderful," he says.
"Maybe I could trick Caleb into coming, too," she says. "I just talked to him like a week or two back."
"I miss him, too," Andrew adds.
"Yeah," Natalie agrees.
"Goodbye, Dad, Mom," she says.
"Goodbye, Beatrice," they both reply.
"I'll see you soon, sweetheart," I tell her.
"See you soon," she says before the dial tone. I hang up.
"Sorry, I wasn't expecting you to ask that yet," I admit.
"Trying to hide it from me?" Andrew asks grinning.
"No, it's just that we haven't made it public yet in Dauntless. There's been a situation and I don't want negative gossip to spread about her. All of leadership is in agreement. Our faction is like a bad game of telephone," I explain attempting for him to understand.
"I can explain it to him," Natalie says.
"Thanks. It's just that with the issue with Four," I start.
"Tobias has a bit of an obsession with her. He's been causing trouble," she adds.
"Thanks," I say. "We just wanted our faction to forget about the news before going public with our relationship. It's not that either of us wants to hide it. I just don't want her to get drug through the mud the way Ryan and I have in the past. You'd think it'd be good for leaders to be single men, not having a girlfriend before but everyone just makes up their own story. None of it was ever true so I guess they just assumed if we weren't doing anything out in public, it must all be private only."
"So you're not planning on hiding your relationship, are you?" Andrew asks.
"No. I've been counting the days. She's going out with some friends tonight. I was taking Ryan out with me to set some things up for tomorrow. We're also planning a date—out with friends to make it obvious to everyone that we're together. There might be some backlash by Four, but he better deal with it better than he has been. Anyway, I'm planning on doing this right," I admit.
"He says he wants to marry her," Natalie tells him.
I look to Andrew and he sighs. He's a little surprised but not really angry or disappointed.
"Well, considering what I had heard about some Dauntless men, it does sound like you're more like your father in that respect," he says. "I'll have to think about that for a while. I just need more time to process this is all."
"I can understand that," I say. "Thank you for your time today."
I rise and they both do so as well. Andrew actually reaches out and shakes my hand. I smile at him and shake back.
"Let me know if you need anything," I say. "I'll be calling Jeanine probably after lunch. That'll be a fun call."
"I'm sure it will be. Good luck with that," Natalie says grinning.
"Once everyone has communicated with the others, we'll send out the census documents with an explanation," Andrew says.
"Alright. I'll let you know how it goes," I say. They walk me to the door and actually escort me out of the building.
"It really was a pleasure," Natalie says.
"Yes, it was," Andrew adds.
"Thank you. I'm glad you invited me. Perhaps after I get our security situated, we could invite you over to talk more in depth on ways Dauntless could be of assistance," I say.
"Okay," Andrew nods.
"Goodbye," Natalie says.
I say my goodbyes as well and pull my keys out of my pocket. I turn the ignition and wave to them as I drive off. They're actually holding hands outside of their faction headquarters.
"Abnegation is nothing like what Jeanine has said," I tell myself.