To Change a City (Divergent/Eric) 3 of 3 COH Series

Chapter 16

(Hosanna's POV)

After breakfast, we have a short meeting with David and the leaders of the city in the auditorium. The remainder of our guests sit in back of the auditorium listening in. We need to discuss our plans on what we were really meant to be handling in Amity.
We decide as a group to honor those lost and the coming out of information by starting a new holiday within the city. We will hold the observance soon but every year after this will be on the same day as the initial confrontation. It will be similar to Visiting Day where factions will come together with their families, but we will read the names of those lost and ring a bell in Erudite in their memory on that day.
There is some difficulty we're having on deciding the name of the holiday. Some want it to be Remembrance Day but they already have a holiday of the same name here on the outside. After much discussion and shooting down ideas like Descry Day and Revelation Day—which Andrew and I both agreed sounded like a Biblical end of the world kind of event—we decide to call it Disclosure Day.
I mention that until all of those who followed Jeanine and aired on the side of kill now, ask questions later are captured, that Riley should accompany us to Dauntless.  We'll set him up with armed guards and have his residence on lockdown, restricted to those who are trusted.  He agrees easily, now that he's aware of how many people on his staff followed Jeanine blindly and lied to his face. 
We file out of the auditorium at the conclusion of the meeting and grab our bags from the dining hall where we had left them earlier this morning. Eric and I head toward the exit. It kind of makes me sad leaving here. In a way, it sort of feels like a second home, similar to the cottage. Our family is here, close friends as well... even David feels like family to me, the way he cares for us.
Sam walks beside me.  I give him a small smile as we proceed down the hallway together.  "Mr. Wells?" I hear David call from behind us. 
"Yes, sir?" Sam questions turning around. We step aside to let some of the others pass by.
"I just want to make sure you were explained about the procedure on your return," David says joining us and walking alongside.
"I was told to wash all of my clothing and bathe before contact with the baby," he elaborates.
David pats him on the back. "Good man," he laughs. "Ava's working during the day and the baby is at the nursery."
Sam nods. I'm sure he's familiar with her schedule. "Yes, sir. Thank you for the reminder," he confirms.
David continues to escort us in silence for a while. I feel Eric squeeze my hand a little tighter. I think he's uneasy about the letter tucked inside my guitar case. I'm not worried; even if they find it, I'm telling Julia about him anyway and there's nothing they can do to stop me.
We arrive at the checkpoint. There are several people gathered around saying goodbye to us. I notice Bureau security pushing several crates on dollies passing by the checkpoint. "David? What are those?" I ask him pointing to the crates.
"That's honesty serum for Riley's interrogations. We feel they're necessary for him to use since many in Erudite might be duplicitous," he admits.
"Oh," I nod remembering that he was going to use that like truth serum on his staff and others in Erudite.
George and Amar approach us.  They're both accompanying us to the halfway point beyond the fence for our protection.  I hug them anyway and say goodbye since there won't be an opportunity to do so later.  Eric does so as well.  His father approaches us along with his mother and Lizzy.  Janice looks like she's on the verge of tears but is holding back. 
"Eric," his mom says hugging him.  She cries softly.  I join in the embrace and rub her back.  I'm surprised at how people just watch our interaction. 
"Hosanna, dear," she says embracing just me.  She sniffles but calms herself somewhat.  We separate and she holds me at arms length.  "Don't let her get away with anything.  Raise her how you would your own," she advises. 
"I will," I nod.  She smiles knowing that her daughter is in good hands. 
Christopher moves over from embracing his son and hugs me.  "I was going to tell you the same but she beat me to it," he chuckles.  I grin.  "Take care sweetheart," he kisses my cheek. 
"You, too," I reply softly. 
I see Janice hugging Lizzy and she's sobbing uncontrollably.  "You remember what I told you," she tells her daughter through her sobs.  Lizzy nods even though her mother can't see.  "Eric will take good care of you.  He always has."
They separate and Chris hugs his daughter patting her head.  "Call us anytime okay.  We'll see you soon," he comforts.  Lizzy was quite calm with her mother but she's looking to struggle a little more with her father. 
"Okay," she whispers.  He kisses her like he did to me and I see her bottom lip quiver. 
I notice Jack Kang off to the side of the room speaking with Lucy.  He kisses her and I turn away to give them some privacy.  I'm actually really happy for him and from what I hear, she'll be sent into the city soon, sometime after Jeanine's trial since she knows her. 
Matthew approaches me and I frown.  I hate this part.  "I'm going to miss you both," he says.  He hugs me and I start to tear up.  "It's okay," he comforts patting my hair.  I try to take deep breaths.  "We'll talk soon, alright."  We separate and I nod at him.  I kiss his cheek and he laughs. 
"Eric," he calls out reaching for my husband and embracing him.  "Thanks for everything."
"No problem, brother," my husband responds.  "Keep in touch, okay?"
"Yeah, I'll call you this week," Matthew tells him.  They pat each other's backs before pulling apart. 
We get closer to the checkpoint.  Our bags are loaded on the conveyor belt but the security guard pauses at the guitar.  He looks up to David in question. 
"You have a guitar now?" the leader asks me.  I nod. 
"It was a gift," Matthew says as the guard opens the case and begins inspecting it.  "Emily wanted her to have it," he continues. 
That grabs David's attention and he looks to Matthew in question, then to me.  I nod to his unspoken inquiry. 
"We could say that it was a gift from Amity," Eric chimes in. 
"That's a pretty good idea," he agrees.  "A Dauntless leader that sings and plays an instrument?  That would definitely help to close the gap between boarders, to set it in motion," David nods.  "This is fine."
"Thank you David," I say softly. 
"Anytime," he tells me. 
He reaches out and hugs me. "You know, I do think of you like my own daughter," he whispers softly as he squeezes me a little.  I hold him tightly. 
"You are definitely one of my father figures," I admit quietly burying my face in his chest.  I pause, noticing the familiar scent of babies on his suit.  I blink in surprise.  He said he wasn't married but yet he always smells of baby powder—a gentle underlying scent along with his masculine cologne.  I thought it was just a coincidence last time... that's so odd.  He slowly releases me. 
"We'll see you soon," he grins.  "Take care, sweet girl."  He kisses my head and leaves, probably to watch us go on the monitors. 
I observe him as he walks away.  When he's out of sight, I look to Matthew.  "Does David have children?" I ask him quietly. 
Matthew looks to me confused.  "Not that I know of," he responds.  "He keeps his personal life quiet but I know he's never been married.  I don't think he's the type to play the fields either," he says just as softly.  "Why do you ask?"
"He always smells like babies, at least on this visit," I explain. 
Matthew furrows his brows.  "That's weird," he agrees. 
The line ahead of us progresses.  It's time for us to pass through the scanner.  "Goodbye, Matthew," I say squeezing his hand. 
"Bye," he responds waving to us. 
Eric and I walk through the scanner separately.  He goes first and I immediately follow.  I wouldn't be surprised if Tobias struggled with this since it's such a long, dark, narrow passageway.  I emerge on the opposite side to see my husband checking his firearms.  He places each of them in his holster before he begins to check mine over.  I slide my holster over my shoulders then strap my knives onto my thighs.  He slips my guns in place for me and kisses my nose softly.  I grin and hear the female security guards nearby sigh.  I watch as he slides his knife into his boot. 
"You ready?" he asks. 
"Yeah," I nod. 
"Let's go home," he says grasping my hand and walking by my side.  We stride across the massive hangar, through the large doors.  Our convoy of vehicles are parked just as we left them.  Some guards load up our bags and my guitar case.  I thank them before I walk to my door.  Eric and I climb into our truck.  I'm surprised Lizzy is already buckled in, ready to go.  I smile at her and she returns the gesture.  She appears almost happy to be going home.  I notice she's behind Eric though and Tori is in the middle seat.  I turn around completely to see she and Uncle Dave are holding hands.  I grin widely before turning back around. 
Eric buckles his seat belt and so do I.  He starts the ignition and checks his mirrors. 
"Are we all ready?" Christopher's voice calls out through the speaker. 
Eric looks to me in question.  "Yes, we're ready," I say pressing a button on his dashboard. 
"Alright, follow me," he says.  Eric drives forward getting behind his dad's vehicle.  I look in the rearview mirror to see Max pull behind us, the rest getting in line.  Amar and George will be at the rear of the group.  We drive through the compound, several guards bidding us farewell.  We pause at the gates as a couple men pull them open one at a time. We progress through the gate. I roll my window down waving to Ben as we pass by. Eric honks his horn and waves goodbye, too. The gate guard smiles and salutes us. "It's a shame we never met up with him," Eric says.
"Maybe he didn't think we were serious," I reply.
"Well, next time we'll make sure we know when he's available," he replies. 
We drive through the area quietly for a while. "So, Tori? Are you going to be my aunt?" Lizzy questions.
I snap my head around as Tori coughs awkwardly. "Um..." she laughs looking at Dave.
"Lizzy, that's kind of rude and presumptuous," I tell her softly.
"But we're Dauntless, right? Manners aren't important," she says.
Eric glances at me while he's driving. "Well, even though that may be written in the manifesto, you're taking that out of context. It's referring to doing the right thing, even if it's rude, not being nosy in questions just because you're curious," I clarify.
She frowns and looks down at her hands. "Oh," she says sadly, guiltily.
"The right thing to do would be to apologize," Eric tells her gently.
"I'm really sorry," she tells them softly.
"No harm done," Tori replies patting her on the leg.
Lizzy is still looking down though. I squeeze her leg, telling her it's okay.  I look to Tori and David. "It's not a terrible idea though," David says seriously.
"Well, aren't you incredibly expeditious," Tori laughs lightly.
I glance back at their interaction. Tori seems lighthearted and fun loving but David... I think he may have been serious. He meets my eyes and smirks. I smile back at him before turning around and looking out the windshield.
We drive on the same path as always, yet somehow, this time seems so much faster than usual.  Christopher pulls over to one side of the highway.  We wave as we pass by.  He honks his horn and climbs out waving to us, wishing us well.  The procession keeps going.  I look in my rearview mirror to see Amar and George waving to everyone beside Eric's dad. 
We continue on, making a brief stop at the pond in Amity just to be sure everyone is with us.  We progress on to the gate, which takes much longer than we anticipated since each vehicle has to be checked. 
We finally arrive at Dauntless.  Jax greets us at the garage, along with a team of guards.  "It's good to finally have you all back," he says shaking Eric's hand. 
He hugs me.  "Was the meeting productive?" he questions. 
"Very," I respond grinning.  "We'll have to meet with you after lunch to talk about everything."
He nods in understanding, probably glad to be informed. He steps aside and welcomes everyone else. 
I invite the other faction's leaders to stay for lunch since it's about that time.  The majority of them decline with the exception of Riley and Caleb.  I wave them along with us as the guards kindly unload our vehicles. 
"Welcome to Dauntless," I tell them as we step into the Pit. 
"Wow, this is amazing," Caleb says in awe. 
"You should see the members' entrance," Eric chuckles. 
We cross through the Pit, catching just about everyone's attention.  I do hear gossip going around though.  "What are they saying?" I whisper to Eric. 
He looks to me and blinks.  "Something about Jasmine and an epic breakup with her boyfriend," he shrugs. 
"Oh," I frown.  I hope it's nothing like what Ava went through, but at least her issues with Tyler were mostly private. 
We arrive to the cafeteria. Eric throws the door open roughly as usual. Our companions jump beside us. My husband surveys the crowd of members as they watch us, either surprised at us being back or to see the blue-clothed citizens beside us. Eric grabs my hand, leading me to the line. Our Erudite guests follow. We get into the line and I'm getting excited about what I smell coming from the kitchen.
"Looks like tacos are on the menu today," Eric says.
It's been months since the last time they've made those. They're actually really good. I hear Eric warning Caleb not to get the spicy ones. He doesn't think a former Abnegation can handle it. Caleb takes his recommendation to heart and grabs a plate of mild tacos.
Ralph passes by and I compliment him on the menu. He smiles at me informing me this is his favorite. I grab two tacos, some rice, a tamale, and some salad. "This looks really different from anything I've had before," Caleb comments. It looks like he gets the same as me.
"You know," Riley starts beside me. "I've heard stories about how good the food is in Dauntless."
Eric chuckles. "It is pretty good, but my wife's cooking is better," he informs him as we walk to the leaders table.
"Hmm, I'd like to try that someday," he grins at me. We take our seats and I wave Riley to sit beside me.
"Well, maybe if what David is hoping for happens eventually, you might just get an invite to one of our Sunday suppers," I smile.
"Let me guess, after half y'all spend the morning at service?" Riley smiles.
"Maybe," I chuckle.
"I've been attending in Erudite. It's a little too formal for my taste," he responds.
"We go to Candor.  I hear it's a more relaxed service than that one," I explain before taking a bite. "These are better than last time."
Tris and Tobias join us at the table.  Tris sits beside her brother.  The other leaders are here, too.  I look around and notice Lizzy isn't with us, though.  "Eric?  Where's your sister?" I ask. 
"She wanted to go back to school.  She said something about missing Hector.  She's getting cleaned up and Aaron offered to drive her in," he explains. 
"Oh, that was nice of him," I say.  He nods. 
We chat together pleasantly.  Caleb and Riley both compliment the food.  I notice someone sitting at a table near ours by herself.  I figure that I should check on her and see how she's doing.  Jax sent me a list of guards this morning.  He was requesting approval for Riley.  She was on that list but that was before I heard the gossip about her.  "Eric, I'll be right back," I say kissing his cheek. 
I rise and step over to her table.  "Hi," I say taking a seat beside her.  She has the most beautiful long, blonde hair.  Where Elizabeth's is golden, hers is almost white.  Her eyes are a rare shade, too.  They're this odd color of blue—practically violet—but so pretty. 
"Hello," Jasmine smiles at me.  "To what do I owe the pleasure," she laughs. 
"I heard you were on the team to go to Erudite," I comment. 
She nods.  "Yeah, pretty exciting.  I can't believe I was picked."
"Um... I was just wondering, how you're doing?" I say gently.  If she's emotionally compromised, this may not be the best time to put her on the team for such a critical mission. 
"Oh, you heard, huh?" she rolls her eyes chuckling. 
"Yeah, just some gossip though.  I just wanted to make sure you feel fit for duty," I tell her understandingly. 
"I'm fine, a little embarrassed that he would say the things he did, but I'll live," she says. 
"Okay," I whisper nodding. 
I go to stand up and she grabs my hand.  "Aren't you going to ask me anything else?" she questions surprised. 
"Not unless you want to talk about it," I say softly sitting back down. 
She laughs almost uncomfortably.  "It's funny.  I really haven't talked much with anyone.  My friends from initiation have all done their own thing—none of which really interests me.  We have nothing in common now that we're all members.  Our interests are so... opposite I guess, so I haven't had anybody to talk about my problems with," she admits. 
"Well, I'm here for you anytime you need me.  I've also been meaning to see if you wanted to come to my dinner parties on Sundays.  I had Jonah and Dan invite you but you never came," I tell her. 
"I thought they were just being nice," she frowns. 
"I would really like it if you'd come sometime.  You're always welcome," I explain to her. 
"Thank you," she says softly.  She sighs before divulging what's been going on.  Her long time boyfriend—since initiation—has been pushing her for sex.  She said she wasn't interested, especially since he had cheated on her early on, but she didn't find out until somewhat recently.  They were kind of distanced for a while but he still seemed interested in her.  She figured she'd give him another chance since they had a history together but they were never very close.  He had been pushing the physical relationship further than she was comfortable with and she always told him to stop.  He usually did but the last time, he was bare and trying to force himself on her.  She told him no.  He got upset and stormed out the door.  The next night, he wanted to meet up in the Pit to talk with her.
"When I got to the Pit, he confronted me and told me if we weren't going to have sex, then it was over between us.  I told him goodbye then because I really didn't feel anything for him and I don't think I ever did," she explains.  I chuckle a little at her response.  "He got really mad, making a scene in front of everybody.  He called me frigid and said I was like a Stiff.  That kind of hurt," she frowns.  "Just because I want to wait for a real commitment—someone that actually cares about me—that makes me a bad person in his eyes."
"Some people here are just nasty like that.  Not everyone is, though," I tell her.  "It's best that it's over.  He never loved you if that's what he wanted.  I'm sure you'll find someone that loves you completely."
"Thanks," she responds genuinely. 
I glance up to Eric.  He slid down and is talking with Riley.  They both look to us. 
"Who is that with Eric?" Jasmine questions. 
"That's Riley," I tell her.  I look to her to see her eyes on his, his on hers.  "Can you keep quiet about this until your assignment after lunch?"
She meets my eyes and nods.  "Yes, ma'am."
"You'll be working with him, protecting him for a while in Erudite.  He's the new leader," I explain.  She smiles. 
"So what about your ex-boyfriend?" I question after a moment of silence. 
"What do you mean?" she furrows her brows. 
"Has he ever hurt you or forced you into anything you didn't want to do?" I inquire. 
"No," she shakes her head.  "I'm stronger than him.  He knows that."
"What about the Pit?" I ask. 
"No, he never put a hand on me, well, not until I joked about his manhood in the Pit after the breakup," she giggles showing me her pinky.  She flashes a bruise on her arm, like what I received from Dale.  "After that, he grabbed my arm roughly.  For that, I raccooned him," she says laughing. 
Now I furrow my brows in question.  I'm familiar with raccoons.  They're like a rodent that gets into the garbage cans in Abnegation.  She points to the door.  I see a man walk to the line with two black eyes.  She laughs beside me.  "Oh," I respond.  "Do you want to report it?" 
She shakes her head.  "Nah, we're even."