A Different Divergent Tale (Eric and Tris)

Chapter 47

I rise before the sun crests feeling incredibly refreshed.  I turn my alarm off and climb out of bed, not without stretching and yawning.  I complete my morning routine and go back to my bedroom in a towel.  I dress in some semi-casual, semi-fitted capris and a folded collared t-shirt.  Eric called this a polo shirt.  I figure that I'm meeting a faction leader today so even though we're probably going near the fields and animals, I should at least look presentable.  I decide to put some boots on, though, since there may actually be mud to trek through. 
I pull my curtains back to a breathtaking sunrise.  I step outside on my balcony to a somewhat chilly morning.  I think about how we're going to Amity today and I smile. I'm looking forward to this.  I do decide to grab a jacket, though.  I step back into the bathroom to fix my hair and remember the paperback instruction book I bought.  Perhaps there's something in there that I can do.  I comb through my hair on the way to my bookshelf.  I grasp the book and flip through to see several braided styles catching my eyes.  One is called a Dutch style and I blink in surprise.  It must be a name or a place.  I dry my hair first before I decide to part my hair as best as I can and do two braids—one on each side of my head.  I braid my hair all the way down but I see another style with two knots.  I figure I'll mix the two styles.  It's a little lumpy with the braids so I take it out partway and redo one knot.  I smile at how cute it actually looks.  I'm surprised that I'm actually doing pretty well with braids on the first try but I'm glad I figured out a unique style.  I redo the other as well. As I'm changing it up... my thoughts oddly drift back to that wedding dress I tried on the other day and I'm not sure why.  It was absolutely gorgeous, though—the most beautiful dress I'd ever seen... but it was so pricey.  I really wasn't expecting that.  Eric's expression when he saw me in that was incredible.  I close my eyes.  I know he wants me to wear that for him.  I could see it in his eyes.  He really does want to marry me.  I was nervous that he wanted me to select an engagement ring already at the jewelry store.  I'm definitely not ready for a commitment like that—especially since I really don't know where he stands.  He's searching though, deciding what he believes.  That's good.  I feel like God is answering my prayer—assisting him in making the most important decision of his life. 
I sigh and focus on the task at hand—getting ready for the day, the one thing I can handle. 
I look over my hairstyle when I complete it and I really like it.  I decide since we'll be outside—possibly around animals and in the mud—that I'm not going to bother with makeup.  I choose to wear the cutesy bracelet Eric gave me, though. 
I brush my teeth, then go back to the bedroom to slip my holster on.  I grab my phone and keys, sticking them in my pocket.  I take my vitamin and decide to cross the hall. 
I step in to Eric's apartment and hear the shower turn off.  I sit on the sofa and wait for Eric to be ready.  I see the Bibles still set out from yesterday but I realize they're not how I left them.  Perhaps he was looking at them, too.  That thought makes me smile.  I pick up the third Bible I selected that I never really looked at before.  I see it's a one-year Bible.  I decide to start reading that one today and leave the others here.  If I borrow this, I doubt Eric will mind.  I read the entry for January first even though it's May.  It has parts from Genesis, Matthew, and Psalms in day one.  I take my time, reading it slowly and meditating on the scripture and meaning.  I ask God for guidance today, to honor him in all I do.  I thank him for everything I've received—the incredible blessings of my home and position... and most importantly, Eric. 
I hear him coming down the hall and I set the Bible aside. 
"Morning," he grins stepping over to me.  He bends down and kisses me.  "Reading again?"
"Yeah," I nod.  "I think I'm going to borrow this one."
He looks the cover over.  "Okay.  Do you want a bookmark?"
I smile.  "Sure.  You have some?" I inquire. 
He pulls open a drawer in his end table.  "Take your pick," he says. 
I lean over to see an opened pack of paper, some pens and pencils, and a stack of bookmarks in there.  I pull the stack out and spread them out on his coffee table.  Most of them are simple paper bookmarks but there are a few ribbons, and some laminated paper ones with ribbon.  There's one that's white with an opaque painted blue-green feather design. It has a piece of twine tied into a bow at the top. 
I reach for that one.  "You said any one I want, right?" I confirm pulling my hand away. 
He laughs softly and picks the one I was contemplating up and places it in the book for me.  "Consider them both yours," he says leaning down to kiss me again.  I respond back to him.  As he parts from me and pulls me to standing, I sense something different about him. 
"Is everything alright?" he questions grinning. 
"Yeah," I say holding his hand. 
"Are you hungry?" he inquires. 
"Yes, are you?" I ask. 
"Yeah, let's go.  We've got some training to do," he says. 
"I thought we were going to Amity," I reply confused.  I look him over to see he's also wearing boots, long cargo shorts, and a polo shirt as well under his holster. 
"We are but you're going to be driving," he grins. 
"Wait..." I say nervously.  "You're having me drive the whole way?"
"I can back out and get us on the road if you're worried," he shrugs. 
"Okay," I nod thinking getting away from people and vehicles would probably be best. 
"Let's go," he insists.  He pockets his point card and grabs his keys.  He opens the door for me.  I step out and wait while he locks up. 
Eric looks to me, grasps my hand, lifting it to his lips, and kisses the back of it.  I smile at how sweet he is.  He laces our fingers together as we walk down the hallway.  "Elevator or stairs?" he questions. 
"Stairs?" I shrug. 
He nods and we walk down side by side.  We pass a soldier in the hallway.  He must be returning from a night shift.  He seems surprised but acknowledges us.  I greet him kindly, Eric just nods.  I elbow him when the guard is out of sight. 
"What was that for?" Eric laughs. 
"You're not very friendly," I point out. 
He shrugs in response.  We exit the stairwell and I notice there aren't many people around.  I look to my watch to see we're earlier than usual.  I guess I did get up before the sun today.  We pass through a primarily empty Pit. There are a few people in the cafeteria. We get in line and I see an unusual egg concoction cut into squares. I get a little closer and read that it's an egg casserole.
"This looks interesting," I say to Eric.
"I prefer the one with sausage," he says. "The bacon one is kind of bland."
"Sold," I grin getting a slice. He gets three. I select some hash browns and a small bowl of strawberries. "I think these are some early strawberries."
"Hmm?" Eric questions.
"I think the strawberries are in season. Those are better than the greenhouse ones," I explain.
"I didn't know there was a difference," he replies.
"Can't you smell them?" I ask surprised.
"They do smell good," he agrees. He gets a larger bowl also. "I could use a cup of coffee," he mentions.
"Didn't sleep well?" I ask.
"I slept great, actually—just less," he explains.
I nod and get a warm cup of coffee while he gets an iced one.
"Are you cold?" he asks motioning to my jacket.
"I stepped outside earlier. It was kind of cool this morning," I say.
"You went outside already?" he asks confused.
"On my balcony," I explain. "I saw the sunrise."
"You were up early," he nods.
"Yeah," I agree.
We sit down at the leaders' table. We're the only ones here yet but there are some soldiers and a few people in the cafeteria. I see Dana sit down with her breakfast. I wave to her. She laughs and waves back.
I start on my eggs and think they are incredibly tasty. "You were right," I tell Eric.
"Aren't I always?" he teases.
"Usually," I grin.
He leans forward and kisses me. When he backs away, I notice him eyeing me.
"What?" I question.
"You look beautiful," he says.
"Thank you," I smile.
"Aren't you going to return the compliment?" he chuckles.
"You always look good," I tell him.
He's struggling not to smile now and leans forward to kiss me again.
"I think Johanna is going to be happy to see you today," I tell him.
"Oh? Why's that?" he questions.
"Because you're just bursting with love," I shrug and move on to my hash browns. "These are good," I point out. They're incredibly crispy.
I look up to Eric giving me a look and biting his lip. "I love you," he tells me.
I smile and can't help leaning over to kiss him again. My eyes are closed as I back away from him. There's just something about him that feels different today, but in a good way. "I love you, too," I reply. I open my eyes to meet his. He's already staring at me.
I smile again in response and move back to my breakfast. I have a sip of my coffee and it's incredibly creamy and delicious. It's definitely making me feel more energetic. I was already excited about today but I'm feeling even more so. I see Jude striding over to the table, tray in hand.
"Good morning," he grins taking the seat beside me.
"Good morning," I reply.
"Eric, I had a box of newspapers put in your truck to take to Amity today. I'm handling Candor's," Jude says.
"Ok," Eric nods. "Did we assign someone to deliver the case to Erudite?"
"I sent it in a truck that's picking up supplies from there this morning. They just left," Jude explains.
"So, I should be expecting a call from Jeanine in about an hour," Eric nods.
"You think she'll call you?" Jude asks.
"I'm sure the moment that shows up, I'm the first she's going to freak out on," Eric replies.
"You think it'll be that bad?" Jude questions surprised.
"I have no doubt in my mind that she'll be livid," he says.
"What's your plan?" Jude questions.
"I don't know. I was kind of putting it off. I guess I'll say it's something leadership discussed. We all decided that we'd do it together, so safety in numbers," he shrugs.
"If you're needing someone to take the blame, just say I was pushing for it. There'll be an article in next week's paper about my initiation. You can tell her it's my aspiration that the faction becomes more like it used to be. We were hoping to encourage the youth to stay within Dauntless on their Choosing.  It's our ambition that the paper will communicate our intentions," Jude says.
"I doubt she'll buy that," Eric responds.
"Why not?" Jude questions.
"Because of the article about Tris's parents," he states.
"Tell her that the others were ready first so we published those. I'm often out of faction at Candor for trials and sentencing so it'll be easy to suggest that I was unavailable for an interview for the article in next week's paper. I'll be gone soon enough that there won't be any backlash on the remaining leaders afterwards," Jude says. "All this is true—by the way. I'm also the one who insisted that we put the Prior article in the first publication."
"You sure you want to take the brunt of Jeanine's wrath?" Eric questions confused.
"You've put up with her long enough. I've been aware of something fishy going on in Erudite for a while but I think I can handle it. There's nothing she can do to me. I've also wanted the truth to come out about this since that first article was published. Tris mentioning the issue during her interview with us just confirmed what I suspected—that it was false. Let me take the blame for this," he requests.
"Alright," Eric nods sadly.
I notice Max approaching the table. He greets us all but sits beside Eric. The two are speaking in hushed voices. Max glances to me and nods to Eric. I turn to my strawberries and take a bite. These are really good. They're definitely in season.
We finish up our breakfast and rise to leave. I set my tray on the return. Eric takes my hand kissing the back of it again as we exit the cafeteria. Four is standing in the hallway watching us pass. I decide not to acknowledge him because I really don't want to encourage his attention in any way. I think he reads too much into simple polite gestures and I'm certainly uninterested in having to start all over again with him.
We stride down the hallway toward the parking garage and I get a little nervous about having to learn to drive today. I can smell the familiar scent of rubber and automobile exhaust as we step into the parking garage. Sounds feel amplified in this space, echoing off of the walls. It's kind of noisy with all sorts of vehicles coming and going. Eric strides into the small office. One of the attendants gives him his keys, mentioning the box delivered to his trunk this morning. Eric thanks him and we're on our way. He guides me to a nearby truck.
"This one's mine," he tells me. He opens the trunk. I see the box in here along with some cloth bags set aside and I wonder about how many boxes of cake I should get. I know I'm not up for baking just yet but I'd be happy to buy some until I feel ready to cook Dauntless-style food.
"You think you'll be able to fit a cake in there?" Eric teases.
"I was planning on several," I tell him.
"How many people are supposed to be attending this lunch, anyway?" he inquires closing the trunk.
"About a hundred," I shrug. "Maybe more."
"That many people go there?" he questions surprised.
"I don't know. The building looked maybe half full the other day. Dana said somewhere around that number may show up. She said not to prepare for everyone, just for maybe ten to twenty so there will be a variety to choose from," I explain. He nods and walks me over to the passenger's front door. He opens the door for me.
"Thank you," I say as he helps me step inside. He closes the door and walks around to the other side.  He opens his door and climbs in.  I observe as he inserts the key into the ignition and looks at what I think are mirrors. 
"Seatbelts," he says to me as I see him grab one beside him.  I do the same and click it into place like he does.  I watch him as he backs us out of the spot, then switches to drive forward.  He turns the steering wheel and I'm trying to take in everything he's doing—hoping I don't mess up. I wasn't expecting this vehicle to be so huge.  He calls this a truck but it's more like an armored vehicle.  It's absolutely massive and I hope I don't hit anything when it's my turn.  He turns out of the parking garage.  I realize we're on an incline and the main level we just came from was underground.  As we rise to the ground level outside, I can see how bright it is.  I have to squint since it was so dark inside the garage.  I guess spending most of my days in the interior of Dauntless, I'm just not used to this.  I grin that we get to spend the entire day outside. 
Eric turns right out of the garage and we're now on the main street. He drives a ways making a few turns.  Once we're near the boarder of Dauntless and Factionless, he pulls over and parks the truck.  He removes the keys out of the ignition. 
"Your turn," he smirks passing them over. 
I cautiously take the keys from his hand and open my door.  I climb down and walk around to the other side before I open the driver's side door.  I climb up into his seat—which really is a climb for me. I sit down and close the door. I realize that I can't really reach much. I observe as Eric moves his seat back to get more comfortable. I do the same attempting to adjust mine as well.
"You should be able to reach the pedals," Eric tells me. I look down where my feet are. I see two black pedals on the floor. With a little more finagling I can eventually reach. I notice that I can barely see over the steering wheel, though.
"Can I move this higher?" I ask Eric motioning to the seat and my visual.
"There's a lever on the side. It might lift you up a little," Eric says gesturing to the far side. I reach for it and it does help a bit.
I put my seatbelt back on and adjust my mirrors like he instructs. He shows me how to put the key in the ignition and start up the vehicle. I laugh in surprise that he's given me this ability—to drive a vehicle for the first time. It is kind of exciting. I put the truck into drive and idle moving the steering wheel around—avoiding potholes and debris. He has me accelerate and I'm surprised how fast a little touch throws us.
"Sorry," I apologize.
"Gentle pressure," he advises me.
I nod, getting it down quickly. Pretty soon I'm turning all through the area and making my way out of the city, onto the gravel road that leads to the fence.
"Should I stop?" I question.
"No, you're driving to Amity," he insists.
"Are you serious?" I ask worriedly. I don't feel like I have any sort of skill or experience at this.
"Yes, you'll do fine," he tells me calmly.
"What do I do when I get to the fence?" I inquire.
"Start to slow down when it gets in sight. Come to a stop when the guards approach and put it in park when we're stopped," he elaborates.
"What happens if I knock down the fence?" I question jokingly.
He chuckles at that.
"If you happen to knock the fence down, you're fired," he teases.
"Nuh uh," I protest. "This position's for life."
He guffaws, "Then you owe me a new truck."
"What if I just dent it a little?" I continue with a grin on my face.
"Then you'll match Lydia's and Ryan's," he laughs. "And I'll be taking Jude's when he retires and you get mine."
"Did they really dent their trucks?" I ask seriously.
"Yup," he nods.
"How about Max?" I inquire.
"He and Jude are excellent drivers. After my first driving lesson with Ryan, I asked for Max," he tells me.
"You seem pretty skilled for the three roads you've driven on with me," I tell him.
"Thanks. I figured my parents passed away in a car accident so it's important to me to handle a vehicle well. Jeanine is also a scary driver. She has her own personal chauffeur for a reason. She always would freak out whenever she got behind a wheel," he explains.
"My neighbors across the street had a car. Occasionally I'd get rides to school with them but I mostly rode the bus," I say.
"You're handling it pretty well for having no real experience in vehicles before. I would expect no less from you, though. You always catch on so quickly," he compliments.
"Thank you," I whisper.
I see the fence coming into view and I start to slow down a little. When we get closer, I'm at a crawling pace. The guards approach and I stop the truck. I put it in park.
"Good. Let's step out. They need to inspect the truck," Eric says.
He unbuckles his seatbelt and opens his door. I follow his lead and climb out. I walk around to meet him. A guard approaches him and shakes his hand. Eric explains that we're going to Amity for the day. The small group of soldiers inspect the vehicle. One asks about the box. Eric handles the details of answering but a couple of the guards look back at me grinning. One of the guards congratulates Eric on landing me and I chuckle in response. He smirks and pats the guard on the back. They tell us they're done and everything looks good. Eric motions for me to drive once more.
I return to the driver's seat and get situated. When the fence opens and they signal me forward, I put the truck in gear and release the break idling forward. Once we've cleared the fence, I sigh nervously and accelerate. I can't help but admire all the apple blossoms as we pass through the dirt road to Amity. It's lovely out here and so incredibly serene. I follow the straight path through the orchard arriving at the headquarters.
"What do I do?" I ask Eric.
"Pull up there near the barn and park. The grass would be better. The truck might get stuck in the muddy spot over there," he says.
I nod and park similarly to how I did approaching the fence. I remove the keys and Eric takes them from my grasp leaning in for a kiss. It's gentle and chaste but so full of meaning.
We climb out of his truck. He grabs the box from the trunk and we approach the entrance. I notice Johanna Reyes step out to greet us.
"Dauntless, thank you so much for joining us," she greets.
"Thank you for making the time," I say.
I step in and hug Johanna. She laughs happily and hugs me back.
"It's Tris, isn't it?" she questions.
"It is," I smile.
"It's nice to finally meet you," she replies. "And Eric, I'm so glad to have you visiting again."
"It's nice to be back," Eric responds shaking her hand.
"What have you brought us?" Johanna asks.
"This is a case of our first newspaper," Eric replies.
"Really? I look forward to reading it. We honestly haven't even decided what to put in one. We're so busy this time of year that I don't even know who to appoint for the staff," she says.
"One of my friends from initiation worked for the school paper. He actually offered to work on most of ours. He was former Erudite so the task came easy for him," I explain.
"It is a small paper," Eric shrugs. "It just has a little bit of news in it. Perhaps it will encourage you and others with ideas for your own."
"Thank you. We appreciate it," she smiles. "Won't you both come in."
I smile and follow behind her. I see the horses—some in the barn and some grazing. I'm looking forward to petting them when we leave. We climb the staircase up to her office. I actually love the smell in here. It smells of cedar wood and fresh hay—very natural. I think I would've enjoyed living in Amity except for the constant happiness. But then I recall, I'm almost always happy in Eric's presence. We take a seat in her office in the chairs across from her desk.
"Would you mind it terribly if I had a look at your newspaper?" Johanna inquires.
"No, of course not," Eric replies. He sets the box down beside her desk and opens it taking out one paper.
"This is nice," she says admiring the layout. "It's not too much, just a glimpse of what's going on," she compliments. She turns the paper over and smiles. Clearly she's seen the image of Eric and me together. Eric grasps my hand and I smile at him. "So... the article in Erudite's paper was false?" she questions surprised.
"It is," I nod.
She shakes her head in confusion. "The reporters even dismissed the girl saying they should interview you?" she continues.
I nod when she looks to me.
"Jack is probably going to call them as soon as he sees this," she mumbles, almost to herself.
"I'm sure Jeanine will call me, too," Eric adds.
"Why's that?" Johanna inquires.
"She's my aunt," he shrugs. "She'll also be upset that my girlfriend is calling her out on lies she approved."
"I could see how that could be problematic," she nods. She sets the paper aside. "So... what would you like to discuss now that you're here in Amity?"
"Well, I guess I'd like a little information on what Amity does here. I'm familiar somewhat but I think I'd like to explore the faction today," I tell her.
She smiles and gives me some basic information on what Amity produces, the lifestyles of the members, the attitude they all share. I grin and nod as she explains. We discuss what I'm familiar with, the shipments to Abnegation. She speaks on dispersing their goods throughout the city, how it's organized and distributed. She speaks on the specific shipments to Dauntless, the days and times, the types of foods and products delivered. She asks about what I'm interested in exploring. I mention the cheese production, the arts, the animals, greenhouses, etcetera.  She pulls out a small copy of a map and shows me where everything is located. I take the offered map and thank her.
"Would you like me to have someone give you a tour?" she offers.
"No, thank you. I think I'd just like to stroll around and take my time," I respond.
"Well, everyone is aware that we have visitors today," she tells us. "You're welcome to join us at the dining hall for meals."
"Thank you," Eric replies.
"Is there anything else I can help you with while you're here?" she asks.
"Are there any issues or concerns you have that Dauntless can help with?" Eric offers.
"No, I think we have good relations with Dauntless. Everything is going smoothly. The patrols are keeping us all safe," she responds.
"Alright. Well, I think Tris has an interest in seeing the horses first," he tells her.
I laugh. "Yeah, pretty much."
Johanna smiles, "They are magnificent creatures."
We thank her for her time and excuse ourselves from her office. I climb down the stairs quickly.  I start in the barn and there are a few horses still in their stalls.  I reach out and pet a light brown one.  I see Eric's hand reach near mine and I smile that he's enjoying this, too.  The horse is very happy to have the affection.  We pet a few horses for a little while.  Then, we move outside and walk around hand in hand. 
"So, what's the plan?" Eric asks me. 
"I want to see all of these," I say motioning to the map Johanna gave me. 
Eric takes it out of my hand and looks it over.  I circled everything I want to see for his sake—I already have the map mostly memorized.  "Do you want to do this area first, then lunch, then head over there?" he asks motioning to the shops and greenhouses over here initially, then the fields, animals and fishery after.  "We could drive to those," he offers. "But here everything is fairly close together."
"Good plan," I say tugging on his shirt to kiss him.  He leans down and captures my lips with his.  We walk together hand in hand.  Amity greet us as they pass.  They're all smiling and overly happy.  I actually feel that way being here, too. 
We stop at the cheesemaker first.  We get a tour through the shop.  I'm explained the products they produce here and how everything is made—when rennet is added for cheese making and a bacterial culture for yogurt.  I see someone actually making yogurt, pouring the mixture into glass jars and setting them in a warm place to grow the culture.  Another person is making mozzarella cheese.  I observe the steps and I'm fascinated.  I glance to Eric and he appears interested, too.  We're shown a room with hard cheeses—they're aging them.  We leave afterward, thanking them for the tour. 
"I have to admit.  That was pretty impressive.  I didn't know what all went into production of dairy products," Eric says. 
"Yeah," I nod in agreement. Neither did I. 
"Where to next?" he inquires. 
"The butcher shop," I say. 
"I thought you didn't want to go to the slaughterhouse," he questions. 
"This is different.  They're not killing the animals here, just processing them," I point out. 
"Into what?" Eric asks.
"I don't know, but my guess would be bacon and sausage... things like that," I reply. 
"Okay, I'm regretting not doing this on my trip to Amity before," he grins. 
I smile. I definitely see the Erudite in him. I always have, now that I think about it. I wonder if he's actually Divergent...  I'm brought out of my thoughts by a phone ringing. I check mine but it's Eric's. He shows me the caller. It's Jeanine. I nod in understanding as he walks a bit further aside.
I pray that all goes well with this confrontation. I know it's probably been on his mind all along. He paces while he speaks with her under the shade of a tree. I'm leaned up against the building we were about to enter. He appears incredibly nervous and actually looks back to me several times as they converse. He eventually hangs up. He sighs dramatically before returning to me.
"What happened?" I ask worriedly.
"Jack Kang from Candor already called her. Jude must've delivered his papers first thing. He was upset that she approved a false story with hearsay and poor reporting. He told her that if she doesn't have them post an immediate retraction, he will sue her for libel and defamation of character on yours and your parents' behalf," he explains.
"How did she take it?" I question concerned.
"Not well," he says looking away from me.
I reach out to him and hold him. He bends down and leans on me for support. I run my fingers through his hair, attempting to calm his racing nerves. He breathes deeply before explaining to me what she said. She questioned him about why Dauntless has released a newspaper. She asked if he's betraying her because of me—his new girlfriend. He told her that all of leadership was behind the publication and Abnegation approved all factions to publish their own. She wasn't happy about that but pressed who in Dauntless was responsible. He relayed the information Jude gave him—about my initial meeting with leadership and the push for that article being in the paper first.
"She said she's looking forward to Jude's retirement and hoping he'll choose Factionless so she can show him her appreciation for bringing about such a situation," he elaborates.
I sigh shakily. "You were right," I say soberly. "She is exceptionally scary."
He nods in reply but holds me tightly.
"What'd she say about us?" I ask. "Or me?"
"I think she figured you had no real control over this. You were questioned twice about it so your stories had to match up. She's told me before that she likes you. But I'm not so sure about now," he admits.
I nod in understanding.
"Well, at least she's not threatening me," I reply hopeful.
"Yeah," he concurs. "Your brother was there, though. It was a conference call—or rather, I was on speakerphone while Caleb was in her office."
"What did he have to say?" I inquire.
"He seemed surprised by the whole situation but he said your testimony was true. He kept quiet the majority of the time," he explains.
"I wonder what he thinks about all of this then, especially if she threatened Jude right in front of him," I say curiously.
"Yeah," he agrees. "How about we get our minds off of this mess for now?" He motions to the shop we were heading to and I nod in agreement.
We step into a large meat processing facility. It seems even larger than the cheese shop. There's a small store in the front with dried products in packaging, various types of sausages hanging, and a cold case with all sorts of refrigerated meats—ground, cut up, whole roasts, and poultry.  We're greeted and brought back by an employee for another tour. Even though Johanna said that they all know we're visiting I feel like they're glad to have us here—to show us their trade and passion. We observe as large sections of beef and pork are sliced into steaks with an impressive saw.  Eric is grinning at this, looking over all the cuts of meat. We're brought over to another station where someone is grinding bits of meat. Another is taking the ground meat and packaging it up. A different worker is taking some ground meat and mixing it with spices. I grin as he does exactly what I was expecting—making links of sausage. The whole ordeal is exceedingly fascinating, his technique precise and honed from what I assume is years of training.  We watch as another person makes hotdogs in a similar fashion except some pink saltpeter is added to the ground meat and linked up as well. I haven't tried those yet.
We're taken to a different section of the facility and shown a meat locker. I'm a little more uncomfortable here with animal halves hung up in the refrigerated and frozen sections.  Next we're led to a covered outdoor area where meats are being smoked. We watch as hams and pork bellies get loaded into various smokers for periods of time. Some are brought out from the day before and we see what looks more like the finished products. We thank the staff for their time and walk out the back entrance.
"I'm already getting hungry for lunch," Eric comments grinning.
I laugh, too. "Yeah, a ham sandwich sounds good. Although I'm not so sure about their bread here," I reply.
"Yeah. I guess we'll have to see what they have," he agrees.
We tour the mill next. They're currently grounding more flour. They apparently harvest the crops and store them in the many silos behind the buildings. When more is needed in the city, they grind it, then disperse it. I learn that they have many grains stored like this—wheat, oats, barley, corn, farro, quinoa, buckwheat, spelt, millet, amaranth, rye, and several types of rices. 
We move onto the greenhouses, starting with the edible tropical plants. I see fields upon fields of pineapple plants. I hadn't realized they were like bushes—sort of. The coconuts, bananas, mangoes, all citrus, and even avocados are in nearby greenhouses. I see cocoa plants, coffee beans growing, and vanilla plants—which look like orchids. The greenhouses are absolutely beautiful and it feels like we're taken to another world.
"I didn't know that bananas and lemons were tropical," Eric says to me. I just nod in reply.
We pass through some greenhouses that grow our typical produce for year round production but the next one is what I'm interested in. I step into the greenhouse containing flowers and houseplants. I look back at Eric beaming.
"This is nice," he agrees.
I stroll around all the beautiful flowers.  It smells heavenly in here.  I see roses like the ones Eric gave me but with all sorts of colors.  I even see one that's white with purple speckled stripes from light to dark in hue.  The sign in front of it calls it a black dragon rose.  There's another nearby that's called light green but it's closer in shade to a lime. 
"Do you have a favorite?" Eric asks me as I smell the roses.  I point out the two that I like and he smiles.  I explain that I like all the shades of purple—of which there are quite a few. 
We peruse the entire greenhouse.  There's a woman cutting some flowers and putting them into deep black buckets.  She greets us.  We explain that we're just visiting.  She nods and smiles offering to be available if there's anything we need assistance with.  We thank her and continue admiring the lovely garden.  I find some beautiful green chrysanthemums and purple calla lilies that I like.  I like the carnations, too.  We continue strolling through and find a section with houseplants.  Most of them are potted.  The orchid selection is unbelievable.  There are whites, purples, yellows, oranges, greens, and a maroon shade.  I didn't realize that they vary in size as well—some large and some with several tiny blooms.  I look at the rest of the houseplants, most of which we've viewed in Dauntless.  We walk back to the exit and I look at the map to see what's next door. 
"There's an underground mushroom facility.  Did you want to go there?" I ask Eric.  It wasn't what I was planning but it's here and I didn't even think about it. 
"Sure, if you want," he shrugs.  He's so easygoing.  I love that about him.  I reach up on my toes to kiss him but he has to meet me.  I kiss him gently and we enter the building.  There are stairs that lead us down.  The walls are actually carved into the dirt but there seems to be supports all around us.  As we move on further, I notice there are brick walls surrounding us.  There are light fixtures on the ceiling with wires leading from fixture to fixture.  I can see tables set up with mushrooms growing all over them.  They're completely covered.  Some people are cutting the larger ones with a special knife and gently putting them into baskets.  I notice a variety of mushrooms I'd never seen before and I'm curious to try them—all of them since there are so many.  We turn back around and head out, climbing back into the sunlit area. 
"It's like going home," I tease. 
"Yeah, we probably have some of those varieties growing near the Chasm," Eric jokes. 
I chuckle at that. 
We peruse the art area next.  There's a painting studio and a glass crafts building.  I find them both fascinating and want to purchase something for my shelf in the future.  We pass by a wooden bucket making shop, a metalsmith, and a ceramics and pottery shop.  I feel as if I could spend the entire day at this area alone but we move on to the orchards.  The plums and cherries have already finished blooming and I can see the evidence of their petals scattered along the ground.  The peaches, pears, and apples are all currently in bloom, though.  I observe a man doing something interesting in a cleared area around the apple orchard.  I inquire on what he's up to and he explains that he's grafting new apple trees.  He elaborates on how it's done and why, that the seeds don't produce true apples—they're a mix of the parent tree and the pollinator tree.  I nod in understanding fascinated by the knowledge.  Eric appears interested as well. 
We progress on toward the fields.  Some areas are being prepared for planting—the soil currently being tilled with work animals and plows.  Some things are just starting to sprout up in other fields.  Further on, some actually are being harvested.  It looks like asparagus is getting cut and put into crates, some greens like spinach and kales as well—I think.  I see some strawberry plants being harvested and it looks like there are mushrooms growing around them, too.  I ask a harvester and he explains that they companion plant these two together—strawberries and wine cap mushrooms.  They are beneficial to helping each other to grow well.  I smile at that and thank him for the explanation. 
Eric and I finish up here and it's close enough to lunchtime to head to the dome for a meal. 
"This is actually pretty fascinating," Eric tells me. 
"I think so, too," I agree.  "It's bringing the inner Erudite out in me."
"Yeah, I'm feeling nostalgic, too," he nods. 
I don't tell him that I really do believe he's Erudite and always was.  He even told the other leaders that he would've chosen it if not for Jeanine's insistence.  The more I think about it, I actually wonder if he really is Divergent, too...