Now or Never

Chapter Twenty Six

A long moment passes. The bullet never comes. I open my eyes to see his eyes moving rapidly, he's pushing through the simulation inside of him.

"Tobias," I wrap my arms around him, "it's me. Please, just fight it." My head presses into his shoulder, I grip the back of his shirt into my fists. Every pound I feel from his heart, something changes within him.

The gun he once held falls to the ground.

"Amalia," he pushes me off his chest to press our lips together.

Tears run down my cheeks again; relief is sent through me. I forget about everything that happened today, all the pain that aches from my body, to let myself enjoy this moment. To have him back.

Once we detach our faces, he wraps his arms around me into a tight embrace. I place my arms back tightly around his waist, digging my face into his shoulder. I let the sobs I've been holding back come out of me as he rubs my lower back.

We pull apart just enough to look at each other; tears stain his eyes, only a few still linger on his cheeks. I kiss them away, planting another against his lips.

"How did you do it?" I mumble, sniffling.

"I don't know," he admits, "I just heard your voice."

I hug him once more before pulling myself out of his grip and towards the computers, remembering why I'm here.

"What happened to your leg?" He asks when I use him to keep myself upright.

"Those questions are for later. We need to kill the simulation. Now."

He looks at the computers, eyes wide with concern. "Was I running the simulation?"

"I don't know, you could've been just monitoring it. I have no clue how Jeanine managed to create it to work on its own."

He shakes his head. "It's incredible... Terrible, evil... but incredible."

I'm studying each screen until I notice one in the Pire, guards are about to close in on Caleb and the others.

"Tobias. Now!" I let go of his arm.

He quickly sets himself in front of a computer and enters codes that I won't try to decipher. I lean against another desk, sitting on the small part for a moment of rest. My leg has gone numb.

I can see Tris on one of the screens, about to enter the Pire through the opposite entrance of the guards. I hold my breath, they're both close to the opening. I can see Caleb shaking with tears on his cheeks, Peter pointing his gun with a trembling hand.

"Tobias," I warn.

He presses a button. The guards' arms all fall in unison, looking around cluelessly. All the Dauntless across the screens drop their weapons, confused to how they got to where they were.

I take a breath, allowing myself now to sit in a chair.

It's over, I think. For now.

"I still have to collect the data. Or they can start the simulation again." Tobias fishes out a hard drive from the desk and shoves it into the computer, entering in more codes.

I try to find my friends on the screens, in the sea of black and grey; but there's too many people. My eyes strain from just watching.

I pull my eyes away when people begin to point their guns at each other, starting pointless fights.

"Got it," Tobias announces, pulling the hard drive out of the monitor and offers it to me. I take it and slip it into my back pocket.

"We have to get out of here," I stand back up, groaning a bit and start limping towards the door.