Rekindling

Chapter 20: Tris - Confrontation

Special note to Wattpad readers: Unfortunately, they still haven't fixed the problem with the editor on this site, so my stories are still losing their formatting when I post them here.  That makes them harder to read.  So, I recommend you read this chapter on Archive of Our Own (same story name and username) or Fanfiction (same story name but under the username "Windchimed M-Stories").  You'll have a better reading experience that way.  If you choose to continue here, you won't see italics in most of the places where they should be.

A/N: Please make sure you've read the last chapter before you read this one. The email notifications weren't working when I posted it, so you might have missed it, and you definitely need to read it before this one for it to make sense.

That said, thank you to everyone who trusted me enough to take a chance on the last chapter, particularly those of you who took the time to review it. I always appreciate your support. Thank you also to my wonderful beta reader, BarbaraK2U!

Chapter 20: Tris – Confrontation

"So, tell me, everyone, how do you feel about returning to Boston?" Max's voice booms through the room, met instantly by an enormous cheer from the audience. The level of enthusiasm startles Tris, as people whoop and whistle and stomp their feet with exuberance. She hadn't realized that so many of them wanted to return to that city.

Instinctively, her gaze seeks out Tobias, wondering for the first time if he misses Boston, too. But he's already looking at her, frowning to indicate his dislike of the project – or perhaps of the fact that Nita is apparently going to be leading it.

She watches him as Nita's presentation drags on, seeing the way his eyes move from person to person around the room, and she knows he's wondering who will leave and who will stay. It must be disconcerting to think about losing touch with so many friends.

Briefly, she glances at Christina. Surely, Will won't leave her at this point? They've been very happy together, and she knows that Christina is thinking about marriage and babies and the whole shebang. Particularly whenever they babysit for Shauna and Zeke. Tris is pretty sure that Will is on the same page.... But she doesn't know most of the others in the room well enough to judge.

It's not until Tobias' gaze lingers on George that it occurs to her that he and Amar might go, too. She knows that it was a challenge for them to come here, with the effort of moving George's karate academy and establishing new friendships, but she doesn't really know what they left behind. Do they have family and close friends they miss in Boston? Will they welcome this chance to return? And what would it do to Tobias to lose them?

She's thoroughly uncomfortable by the time Eric retakes the podium. "Yes, thank you, Nita," he proclaims, giving her a look that's close to a leer. "I'm sure many of our talented staff are looking forward to that opportunity." He faces the audience. "But for those who prefer to stay in Chicago, we have a great choice here, too – one that came about because of the excellent reputation this team has established in the Windy City."

Tris feels her hopes rise as Eric turns toward Tobias, wondering if he's about to be given a key role in the project here. "In fact," Eric adds, "we owe this opportunity to our very own Four Eaton. Or perhaps we need to start calling him Tobias now, since that's the name our new client uses for him." Confusion seeps in as Eric gestures grandly to the side of the stage. "It is my pleasure to introduce our newest client, Abnegation Industries, and their representatives, Andrew Prior and Marcus Eaton."

"No way," Christina mutters beside her, her hand clutching at Tris' arm. But Tris barely notices, feeling numb as she watches her father and Marcus step onto the stage. She certainly didn't expect to see them today.