A Different Divergent Tale (Eric and Tris)

Chapter 67

Eric drives us back to Dauntless.  We both showered, packed our bags, and put a few perishable items into the freezer for our next visit before we headed out.  I wasn't experiencing any aches or pains so we knew it was time to leave.  We discuss the Marcus Eaton situation and it would appear that he was voted out.  That's not getting published though, and only Dauntless knows the real reason for his removal from office.  He may remain in leadership but will never hold the position of head again.  He also won't have the sway he previously had. 
Eric pulls up to the parking garage in Dauntless and parks his truck.  I climb out and hold onto the side of the vehicle as I walk around it. 
"I've got your bag," Eric insists. 
"Are you sure?" I ask. 
"Of course," he smiles. 
I nod and thank him.  He puts an arm around me and guides me toward the guard shack.  He returns his keys and the attendant does a double take looking at me. 
"Hi, Reese," I greet him.  I remember being introduced once before. 
"Tris?" he questions surprised. 
"Yeah," I laugh lightly. 
"Wow, that treatment you've been on must've worked well," he replies in awe. 
"It did," I smile nodding. 
"Congratulations," he grins back. 
"Thanks," I laugh again.  I wave to him as we leave.  "He seems nice."
"He's also a gossip.  Everyone will know by tonight," Eric tells me. 
I don't mind that, though.  We walk into the Pit and it's fairly empty currently.  It's just after eleven in the morning so nobody is really going to lunch just yet.  We ride the elevator up to our floor.  He takes me to my apartment first.  I start a load of laundry and walk back to the living room. 
"Your plants aren't dead," Eric comments. 
"I asked Christina to take care of them while we were gone," I tell him. 
"Good plan," he nods. 
"Thanks," I chuckle. 
We cross the hall and he starts a load of laundry as well.  He dumps a clean load out first, though. 
"I'll fold that later," he waves a dismissive hand.  "Early lunch?" he offers. 
"Sure.  I'm starving," I nod in agreement. 
We take the elevator to the main floor of the Pit and there are a few more people out now—many of whom are heading in the direction of the cafeteria.  Eric turns me down the corridor leading to a less traveled hallway—the one I first entered at the beginning of initiation.  As I walk, I don't know what happens but I trip.  Eric catches me and holds me firmly.  I can't help but chuckle in his arms. 
"What happened?" he asks trying to stand me up. 
"I don't know.  I think I took a page out of your book and tripped over my own feet," I laugh attempting to steady myself again in these flip flops since they're all I have that sort of fit. 
Eric's grinning.  He leans forward and captures my lips.  He deepens the kiss and I respond. 
"Good news for me," someone says at close proximity.  "Once Tris finds out you're cheating on her with someone like Lena, she'll dump you immediately and come running back to me."
My head snaps in Four's direction. He's wearing his uniform—must've just come from the office nearby.  "You think I look like Lena?" I question surprised. 
Four peers closer at me.  "Wait, that's not Lena... but she's obviously just as loose if she's messing around with you," he states. 
"Please leave, Tobias," I tell him tiredly.  Eric chuckles at my comment. 
"Whatever you say," he mocks and walks off. 
"Ignore him.  He'll figure it out in five minutes or less," Eric says soothingly caressing my cheek. 
"That was rude," I tell him frowning.
"It was," he nods in agreement.  "But in a couple minutes, he'll be eating humble pie."
I laugh at that and we continue on to the cafeteria.  We enter and I see Four in line not too far ahead of us.  We get to the counter and I select the toasted sandwich with fried chicken. I get a whole one.  There's some sort of cold salad with vegetables—it's not pasta, but it's called farro and it looks interesting.  I get one of those along with a big dish of raw veggies and hummus.  There's some chips and I grab those as well. 
"Missing the carbs?" Eric teases. 
I smile in reply.  I get a fruit juice and Eric a lemonade.  We head to our table.  I see Four is seated at his.  Zeke is already there beside him.  Four's watching me as we stride to ours.  While we continue on, his expression changes from disbelief... to recognition and regret. 
I sit down and don't look at him again. 
"What?  I don't get a hug?" Max protests since he's the only one here. 
I rise chuckling and hug him.  He's sitting beside Eric. 
"You look good," he tells me.  "I can't believe how well that worked.  Eric mentioned you'd grown quite a bit and your appetite rivaled his."
I throw my head back in laughter at that thanking him before I sit down.  I take a big bite of that tempting chicken sandwich.  It's got some flavorful sauce on it that's not quite mayo but similar. 
"So, what's first order of business?" Max asks us as I chew. 
"New clothes for her," Eric replies in my stead as I masticate my enormous bite.  I nod in agreement. 
"I could see how that's a problem.  Are you wearing sandals?" he inquires. 
"The only thing that would fit," I mention between bites. 
"Her shoes were too small, mine too big," Eric explains. 
Max nods at that. 
"Oh my goodness!  Look at you!" Lydia says in disbelief.  She sits next to me and side hugs me. 
"I know, right?  I'm still struggling to believe this is me every time I look in the mirror," I tell her hugging her back. 
She laughs lightly but surveys me in wonder. 
Ryan joins us and he's befuddled as well.  He sits beside Max but keeps glancing back at me in confusion as I eat my farro.  It's outstanding.  I love the chewy texture.  The vegetables and sauce are sublime, too.  It's like a honey mustard and cheesy dressing but it's light and flavorful.  I'm eating my vegetables and hummus as Jude arrives.  He pats my shoulder gently and tells me I look good—healthy—as he passes by to sit with Ryan down the table.  I smile and thank him. 
As I start on my chips, I feel Eric scoot closer to me and put an arm around me. I grin at him as I continue on my food.
"Why so snuggly?" I ask in between bites.
"Just letting everyone know you're mine," he whispers in my ear. He grazes my cheek with his lips before he pecks me there.
I smile in reply. I don't know why but glance up. Four is gaping at me. I sigh and start to look away when I notice I've got the entire group of fighting league members gawking at me, too.  They're pointing at me and talking. Aries tries to get my attention but I focus on Eric.
"This is going to be a problem, isn't it?" I mention.
"It doesn't have to be," he shrugs. "I'll be with you. If you want to go out with friends, I could send some guards."
I nod. I'd feel safer. I don't like the lewd manner in which some of those guys are looking at me. If they were in the army, they'd be disciplined. Perhaps we, as leaders, ought to do the same to members who show disrespect.
I finish my chips and see a few still left in Eric's bag. "Are you done with those?" I ask him since he hasn't touched his tray in a few minutes—just snuggling with me.
"They're all yours, sweetheart" he tells me passing it over.
"I can't believe I'm the one finishing off your plate now," I mention.
"I had two sandwiches," he points out.
I nod and enjoy his chips. I drink my fruit punch and he sips the rest of his lemonade. When we finish we say goodbye to the others. While we put our trays on the return, Four proceeds toward us.
"You're not supposed to approach her, Four," Eric mentions.
"I'm sorry," he tells me.
I nod and step away.
"Wait," he calls out.
I stop and turn around. I sigh and motion for him to say whatever he was going to say.
"What happened?" he questions.
"I've been receiving treatment—this time at the hospital. It worked," I tell him.
He nods. "You look... different," he mentions. "Really... pretty," he says.
I blink in surprise.
"Thanks," I say softly. "Goodbye, Four," I tell him turning and leaving. He doesn't follow or protest.
"I so wanted to ask him how that humble pie tasted but he wouldn't have gotten the joke," Eric teases. I smile in reply.
We exit the cafeteria and I notice Christina approaching the entrance.  She doesn't recognize me.  "Hey, Chris," I call out to her. 
She does a double take.  "Wow, you've changed.  It really did work," she says hugging me. 
"Yeah," I reply. 
"You must need new clothes," she says taking me in. 
"I do," I nod. 
"I'm on my lunch break but I'll be back at work in thirty minutes if you want to stop by," she offers. 
I glance to Eric and he nods that he'll bring me. 
I smile and thank her. 
"Oh, I'm scheduled in ladies' intimates today but I can help you anywhere," she tells me. 
I sigh in relief and thank her promising to see her in a little while.  Eric and I leave. After tripping again with my tiny flip flops, we decide shoes should be first. I let him choose the store since I really don't care too much about my shoes. He takes me to a place he frequents insisting they have the best shoes. We step in and the quality and styles are nice. I see the prices reflect that but my feet shouldn't be growing anymore. I ought to be good to get some that'll last longer. I figure they're worthwhile and a good investment. He has a salesman measure my feet and I'm going from a size five to a nine. I get two pairs of regular trainers, a pair of combat boots, and a pair of casual shoes. Eric talks me into some dressier shoes so I get a pair of flats and heels. I see a display of flip flops and I try those on as well seeing that I need several sizes up from what I'm wearing. After we pay for them, I put a pair of trainers on with some socks he bought me.
"That's so much better," I sigh. 
I thank Eric for buying me the shoes.  He points to his lips and I smile obliging him with affection. 
We take the bags back to my apartment and I put my new shoes away placing what I had in my closet in a box. These'll be taken to a secondhand shop in Dauntless. It's a law here that none of our intact clothing can be given to Factionless—for good reason. They've had some people attempt to enter the faction trying to get food, weapons, or information in the past. So, it's a rule that only the most tattered clothing can be donated—clearly recognizable as Factionless. It's a shame but I understand that it's a security risk.
I try on the rest of my clothes doing inventory on what fits and what doesn't. Eric folds most of the clothing for me and puts it in the boxes he had delivered. I take a box into my room for my undergarments. The panties are a little tight so I might need a size or two up. My bras are way too small and I find that shocking. I've been wearing a sports bra and it's definitely tight but I wasn't expecting these to not even fit at all. I fill the box with my entire drawer—with the exception of what I'm wearing and the clothes currently in the washer.
Eric and I head out to shop going to Christina's work first. We cross the Pit and enter the building.  We ride the elevator up to the floor where she's stationed and we exit.  She mentioned she worked in this department today and I know I need these the most out of everything... but I didn't think about bringing Eric to the ladies' unmentionable department. 
"I can wait for you over here," Eric says motioning to some seats by the elevator. 
"Alright," I nod relieved.  "Just help me find Christina first."
"Done," he chuckles motioning behind me.  "She's right there."
"Oh," I laugh lightly in surprise.  I turn around and see her smiling and waving.  I give my attention back to Eric.  "Thanks.  I'll see you soon," I tell him before pecking his lips. 
He grins at me as I walk off with Christina. 
"So... how about I measure you this time?" she offers.
"You know how to do that?" I ask her.
"It's the first thing I asked to learn here," she nods. "I figured if you didn't know, maybe others didn't either. I've heard girls complaining about their bras not fitting properly so I asked the manager to show me."
I sigh in relief as she takes me off to a fitting room for privacy. She closes the door.
"Are you wearing one now?" she asks.
"Sports bra," I tell her.
"Does it fit?" she inquires.
I shake my head.
"Why don't you take that off? I can measure you outside your shirt?" she suggests.
I'm about to protest but she steps out of the fitting room. I figure I should've known my friend better. She knows what I'm comfortable with and what I'm not. I remove my sports bra and put my snug t-shirt back on. I tell her I'm ready and she returns with a sewing tape measure in hand. She has me lift my arms slightly but not two high. She takes several measurements and we go out to select bras in several different styles.  When she picks the first one up, I'm thinking she's got the wrong size.  I question her about it but she shakes her head and insists I just try it on.  I'm shocked.  It's the same band size as before but the cup is two sizes larger than my last.  We enter the fitting room and I'm expecting them not to fit.  I try the first on and it is a little big.  We move onto the second and it does fit.  I'm shocked. 
"Told you so," she teases.  "That other one is pretty but that line is notorious for not fitting like the rest.  I can get you one that I think should be your size but the measurements will be different," she explains.
"It is pretty," I mention. 
"I'll be right back.  You try on the rest.  They should be true to size," she tells me. 
"Alright.  Thanks," I tell her appreciatively. 
She steps out.  I try on the others while she's gone.  All of them fit but there are a couple that I really like the best—the most comfortable, best fit and prettiest. I decide to get more of those.  Christina knocks and hands me the bra over the door along with several types of panties.  I try them all on.  The bra fits really well and I'd have to say it's definitely my favorite.  I try on the panties and they fit—only one size larger than before.  I come out with my choices in hand.  She hangs the others on a rack to return to the shelves later.  She helps me choose multiples of my favorites and I checkout on this level, then change into a new set. 
We find Eric afterward and Christina takes us down to the ground level for casual and workout clothes. 
"You found some stuff that fits?" Eric asks motioning to my bag. 
"Uh huh," I nod blushing in the elevator and holding the bag tightly to my chest. 
He grins at me but I know he wasn't asking to see them, just glad I got clothes that are the proper size.  I don't know why I'm so awkward with him still at times. The elevator opens up on the main floor and Christina helps me select some casual clothes.  I'm perplexed when I find out I've moved from the petite department to the tall department.  As I straighten out and stand up fully beside Christina, I realize I'm much taller than her now.  Before I was dwarfed next to her. 
"You're not intimidated are you?" I whisper apologetically. 
"No," she waves the comment away.  "I'm actually really happy for you.  You look... outstanding—appropriate and healthy.  Not that you didn't before but I'm just grateful you're cured, you know?" she shrugs. 
I smile slightly in reply, my eyes softening at her response.  I'm touched. 
"Try these on," Eric says giving me a pair of fashionable jeans. 
"Okay," I laugh lightly taking them from him. 
"And this shirt, too," he insists as he grabs one off the rack behind me. 
"He's got good taste," Christina whispers to me. 
I chuckle in reply.  They both pile up clothes for me.  I feel like I spend the rest of my time here in the fitting room letting Eric and Christina pick out my wardrobe.  I think they're bonding.  Eric purchases everything for me and carries most of the bags.  I've got the best-looking clothes of my life now—for casual, work, and exercise. 
"What about dress clothes?" Eric asks. 
"Oddly, a lot of my dresses and everything still fit," I mention surprised. 
"It's just the more fitted stuff, shorter, and not stretchy that probably had to go," Christina nods. 
"Yeah, my knee-length dresses are now mid-thigh," I point out. 
"Why don't we look?" he suggests.  "I remember folding some of your dress clothes to give away."
"Okay," I agree.  I wouldn't mind some longer dresses and skirts.  I'm kind of nervous about going out in something so short.  I've never shown off so much skin before—with the exception of my swimsuit, but that was only for Eric. 
We rise up to the womens' dress and formalwear section in the elevator and I step out.  We walk through the department and my eyes immediately glance at that wedding dress I tried on before.  There's still a variety of sizes available including an extra small, a small, and a medium.  I wonder what size I'd wear now—if it'd be the same or different.  It's varied with my other clothes so far. That dress was really long on me before.
"That one is gorgeous.  I'd never noticed it before," Christina says picking it up and holding it up to me. 
"I thought so, too," Eric agrees. 
"Oh?" Chris laughs in surprise raising an eyebrow at Eric. 
He nods.  "You should try it on again to see if it still fits," he encourages me. 
"No," I decline putting it back on the rack. 
Christina makes an Oh face but she's grinning. 
"It's too expensive," I tell her.  "And a wedding dress."
"This whole section is wedding," she tells me smiling.  She glances at Eric. 
I turn to see him smirking. 
I walk on to the more basic dress area but I know I'm blushing. I start looking around and everything is mostly different over here—new. This stock must change more readily. It's probably because of the significant price difference. I peruse a rack aimlessly.
"How about this one?" Eric asks showing me a dress. It has thin spaghetti straps but the skirt is beautiful. It's somewhat full with rosettes sewn all over the skirt. The bust is made of horizontal layers of fabric. I take it from him. It's just too pretty to not try on. I look around a bit more while he and Christina do the same as downstairs—choose my dress clothes for me. I go to the fitting room and try each on. The dress Eric chose first does show more skin than I'm used to but it's so pretty. It's not revealing or anything. I decide to get it. It's kind of like wearing a tank top with a skirt. He sends in an asymmetrical dress with kind of a floral lace overlaying the entirety of the dress. It's semi-translucent around the collar and arms with only the overlay there as well as the bottom trim of the skirt—which is the asymmetrical part—but the rest is covered underneath. I love this, too, and feel like he should definitely be dressing me from now on.
I try on the rest and I'm in awe of how I look in these.  I'm having difficulty deciding which ones I want so I come out of the fitting room and show Eric.  He's seated in the same area as last time we shopped here waiting patiently.  I tell him my conundrum and he says he'll help me decide.  He's grinning as I model each ensemble for him.  He and Christina discuss amongst themselves each time I step out.  She's smiling as well and I just know that she loves her job.  When I bring them all out, the two of them go over the ensembles—either nodding their approval or setting them aside on the return rack.  When they're finished, Christina helps me at the checkout.  Eric beats me getting his point card out first and pays for everything. 
I thank him with a sweet kiss. I hug Christina, expressing my gratitude to her as well, and tell her we should make plans together soon.
"Okay," she nods.
Eric helps me to carry my mountain of bags back home. I slump onto my sofa surrounded by purchases.
"Are you tired?" Eric asks sliding over a couple of bags to make room and taking the seat next to me.
"Not really," I admit shaking my head.
I grab a bag and pull out some pants. The tag is kind of thick so I decide to get some scissors and a trash receptacle to cut all of these tags off. I sit back down beside Eric.
"You want some help?" he offers.
"Sure," I shrug. "Not this bag," I tell him motioning to the first one I bought.
"Anything you say, sweetheart," he grins.
We sit side by side pulling off tags. Then, I switch my laundry over and start a new load. As I sit beside him with the heap and begin folding a shirt, he starts helping.
"Do you think you can still wear these?" he asks holding up a pair of pants.
"Good point. I'll see if they still fit first," I tell him. I take the pile into my bedroom trying them on. I sigh sadly that most of them have to go. I fold up the undergarments and put them in the box in here. I take the rest back out—one pile in each arm.
"Keep, donate," I tell him pointing to each of the two different piles I created as I set them down.
"I'll fold the donations," he tells me.
I agree and take my stack. We start folding together and he puts them straight into a box. I take mine back to the bedroom along with my unmentionables. I put the few things that fit into my drawers before I take the tags off of my bras and panties in here. I put them into my hamper and bring it out for the rest.
"These are done," Eric tells me pointing to a mountain of clothes on the floor.
"You finished with everything?" I ask shocked.
He purses his lips and nods. "What do you want to do next? It's only three-thirty," he says.
I glance to my watch. "I thought it'd take all day to shop," I mumble biting my lip.
"That's why I go to the big stores. I get it done fast," he shrugs. "So, what should we do before dinner?" he asks.
"I've got more laundry," I mention.
"We could put a load in my washer," he offers.
I grin at that. "Okay," I agree.
We go to his apartment and start a load, taking his out. I help him fold his laundry—both piles. Then we end up cleaning—my apartment and his together. He insists on doing his own bathroom and I do mine but we handle the living rooms and kitchens in our apartments conjointly. We tackle our own bedrooms separately but there's not much to do in mine but dust. My bathroom was fairly clean, too—I just spritzed it and wiped it down. When I finish, I switch my last load into my machine—my unmentionables and a bit more. I bring the most recent out to fold while Eric's still cleaning his bathroom and bedroom. I see a message flashing on my screen. I set my laundry down and answer the call. It's David... and it's live.
"I'm glad you're free," he smiles.
I nod. I'm actually so thankful for what he's done for me.
"I'm contacting you to give you some information about your treatment. We did some testing on you before you left. I was just going to explain what we discovered," he tells me.
"Alright," I agree sitting down.
He tells me about the testing they ran. He said that they were aware of approximately how much I'd grow before they discharged me. They ran testing on everything. He explains that before the treatment, it was likely that I'd have struggled to conceive. I frown at hearing that news. But afterward—he continues—I had shown such positive results that they cleared me for release.
"So what you're saying is that I should be fine?" I clarify.
He nods. "You should be. Go see Dana on Monday and have her do an ultrasound. It's what I ran prior to your treatment. I can look over the images and confirm but it's something she's able to diagnose. I'll let you know but it's likely we'll have the same opinion based on the test," he clarifies.
"Alright," I reply hopeful.
"I also wanted to discuss your results from the other testing—the one Matthew injected you with upon arrival," he mentions.
"The Divergent test?" I clarify.
"That's the one," he nods.
I encourage him to continue since I'm incredibly curious about this subject. He expounds on how I'm the most advanced Divergent ever to be tested from the city. I smile at that as he proceeds. He tells me I'm considered 100% pure by their standards. He elaborates on a few statistics about those previously tested.
"What about Eric?" I inquire since he was screened also.
My door opens and I surrender my attention to Eric as he enters. He notices me immediately, then David.
"How about I let Eric tell you the details," David replies as Eric shuts the door. "He's aware of his own results and yours as well. I'm sure you two have a fair amount of matters to discuss," he smiles.
"Alright. Thank you for everything, David," I tell him earnestly.
"Anytime," he grins in response. "Your treatment was well worth it. The discoveries we've made are definitely exciting. Results we weren't expecting in our lifetimes are coming to fruition. It's a very encouraging time to live in."
I smile and thank him again wishing him well. He does the same and says goodbye to Eric. Eric expresses his gratitude as well before the video goes dark. I rise up and place my hand on the screen to shut it down. I turn around to see Eric watching me.
"What did he have to say?" he inquires.
I smile and shove my laundry down on the sofa before I pat the seat next to me. He laughs lightly and takes the offered seat. He puts his arm around my shoulders and pulls me closer to him. I feel a kiss to the top of my head. I explain the Divergent results and then kind of awkwardly explain the rest.
"So he wants you to see Dana for a test?" he confirms.
I nod in reply.
"Alright," he responds. "Was he worried that you weren't developing properly?"
"No," I say shaking my head and meeting his eyes. "He said that he was concerned before the treatment but I appeared to be growing properly. That's why they went ahead and released me."
"Alright," he says softly holding my hand with his other. I feel him running a finger down my palm and I shiver inadvertently. He pecks my lips gently.
"What were your results?" I ask him softly.
His eyes snap to mine and his expression is unreadable for me. "Surprising," he replies.
"Oh?" I respond attempting to coax his results out. He looks like he doesn't want to talk about it.
He nods pursing his lips and looks away. "Jude made a comment before," he mentions. "When I discovered the prison."
I nod in understanding as he meets my eyes again.
"He said that I'm Erudite," he tells me.
"I always thought so," I respond softly.
"You did?" he questions.
"Yeah," I reply gently.
"Since when?" he questions.
"Initiation," I shrug.
"Really?" he asks surprised.
I nod in reply.
"Well... it would appear than I am suited for both," he replies.
"Did you take a different aptitude test?" I press.
"No... it's just that I see it now. I saw my family tree there. Of course I was from Erudite. I was aware my grandma was from Amity, then my dad and grandparents were Dauntless. But... I saw Candor and Abnegation were in there, too," he laughs lightly. "You know how your family's name outside the fence was Ritter?" he questions. I think about it and nod recalling that from the founding fathers' recording. He laughs lightly. "Mine was Coulter. Crazy, right?"
I grin at that. I don't know why, but I can't help thinking about my last name changing to that in the future. I can't believe I'm one of those girls who would practice writing their married name with swooping beautiful penmanship but I might now. "Anyway," Eric says breaking me out of my thoughts. "I just... I guess I can see it now... and... I don't mind so much."
I smile at that.
"My results were 99.9%. They said yours was 100. Matthew told me nobody's was ever that high," he explains.
"I see why David was excited then," I nod.
"Oh?" he questions.
"Yeah," I grin. "We're what they were hoping to achieve. After 200 years, what they were projecting is happening."
He nods and glances to my lips.  I lean in and capture his in a gentle peck.  He deepens the kiss and I smile before I respond.  I can't believe we're the same—that he admits it to me.  I'm so grateful that I'm not alone in this and that we're so well suited for each other—a perfect match.  I feel so overwhelmed, so content, and so joyful all at once.  He slows his assault and pecks my lips softly. 
I sigh in contentment. 
"Are you tired?" he whispers. 
"No," I tell him meeting his eyes. 
"Do you want to go out tonight?" he inquires. 
I smile in response. 
"I feel like celebrating," he smirks. 
"So do I," I agree.