Thirteen years after the events of HIS II, Tris Morgan is an eighteen-year-old woman discovering herself. As her relationship with Jack Marston develops, can her relationship with her father remain strong? How will Arthur react when he finds out his...
You and Tris look up as the door opens. Tris's eyes widen when she sees her father standing there. For a moment, they just stare at each other, neither of them quite sure what to say.
Finally, Arthur clears his throat. "Tris," he says, his voice low and hesitant. "Can we talk?"
She looks at you but you simply smile, nodding to her that it was going to be okay. Leaning over to take her mug you stroke her hair before slipping past Arthur.
"We'll talk later," Standing up on your tiptoes you kiss his cheek and whisper, "You've got this," before closing the door behind you.
Tris blinks at her father, still uncertain. But she can see the genuine remorse in his eyes, and it softens her heart. She lowers her knees and nods, gesturing for him to come in.
Arthur enters the room, feeling a mix of nervousness and determination. He takes a deep breath and sits down on the edge of Tris's bed, looking at her earnestly.
"I- uh," he picks at a callous on his palm, unsure where to start, "don't really know where we go from here." Arthur squeezes his eyes shut at the memory playing through his mind, "Jack he... Well, he..."
"Didn't deserve to have a shotgun thrust in his face." Tris finishes for her Pa, her eyebrow raised.
"No," Arthur drops his head, "No he didn't."
Tris studies her father for a moment, taking in the genuine remorse in his eyes. She can see the weight of the guilt he's carrying, and it tugs at her chest making it ache
"I know you didn't mean to hurt Jack, Pa," Tris says softly. "And I'm sorry we kept it from you. And..." She draws her knees back up to her chin, hugging them tightly, "...I'm sorry for what you saw." Her voice is barely a whisper as she utters the last part.
Arthur's throat tightens, his chest seizing. It was an image that would surely give him nightmares for years to come.
"Yea. Me too," he blows out a breath attempting to clear his head. "Tris listen-."
"Pa?" Tris cuts him off. "Do you still love me?"
He snaps his head up at that, his eyes meeting Tris's. He can see the vulnerability in her gaze as tears well up in her eyes making their blueness that perfectly matched his shine.
"Christ sweetheart." He reaches out to touch her hand gently. "Tris," he says, his voice filled with sincerity. "You are my daughter, and I will always love you, no matter what."
Tears spill down her cheeks as she nods, feeling a mix of relief and reassurance. She had been afraid that their relationship might be irreparably damaged after the events of the last few hours. Turning her hand in his she clutches it tightly and crawls forward, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face into his shirt.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Arthur immediately shifts his weight, enveloping her in a tight hug and burying his face against her hair as he feels her sob.
"I-I thought..." She sniffles, her fingers gripping his shirt. "I thought b-because of...because of..."
