AWARE (After Allegiant)

Chapter Fifteen - We'll Protect You

Tris

"David, what is this... 'Elite Squad'?" The judge asks. Everyone moves forward, everyone's sitting on the edge of there seats, eager to hear more about the 'Elite Squad'.

"It's my group of assassins." David blurts. His eyes widen as if to say, did I say that out loud? He quickly adjusts himself and tries to regain composure.

"What do you plan to do with these assassins?" Judge Timblick asks jotting something down on a piece of paper. David's face contorts. He shuffles around, trying hard to keep his secrets within himself. It's not working to well.

"Kill." David says sharply. "Kill Tr-Tr-TRIS PRIOR." He shouts looking directly at me in the most menacing fashion possible. Another gasp from the courtroom. Everyone turns their head to look at me. Some with sympathetic faces but most horribly disgusted. My heart skips a beat. Butterflies flutter inside my stomach making me feel dizzy. He wants to kill me, again? I feel Tobias rub his hand on my back, soothing me. He whispers in my ear.

"I won't let him lay a hand on you." I turn my head towards Tobias and give him a small, grateful smile. His eyebrows are furrowed and his lips pursed. Maybe this is what's meant to happen. I die and then I come back to life only to be killed once again but in a more brutal way. None of this, shoot and your dead stuff. He'll make it as inhuman as possible.

It might not be such a bad thing though, it would mean that Tobias would be able to move on, surely he wouldn't mope around anymore if he knew I was gone for good. They wouldn't bring me back to life, it would be too much hassle. They'll leave me dead this time, they'll leave me to rest.

But, than again. Tobias and I, we were just starting to sort things out, we know we aren't perfect just now but in a few more weeks we should be fine, back to normal. Or maybe we were only okay before because we didn't have much time for ourselves, always fighting against corrupt governments, always arguing with each other, always getting jealous, always loving each other, there was always something going on. There was never a dull moment, constantly moving, like the ocean. Sometimes it's calm, only a few waves here and there and other times there are tsunami's. Big waves that crash onto the shore, hurting anyone that's in a close enough proximity.

Maybe it wasn't meant to be forever, it might've just been for a little while. I was too naive back then to think it would last, I thought everything would be great after initiation. God, was I wrong. I don't know if I'm okay with everything thats going on right now, but it won't matter if I'm okay with it or not, I'll be dead before Tobias can even try to end things.

I stare at the bench in front of me, not bothering to listen to anymore of what David has to say. I just sit there zoning in and out of consciousness. I wait until the trail is over to quickly get up and out of my seat. I run to the public restroom, turn on the tap and splash my face with cold water. The door opens, creaks from rusty hinges fill the room making me cringe.

"Tris?" Christina asks. I turn around to look at her. I probably look like a monster seeing as she took a small step back when I looked at her. Bloodshot eyes, puffy sockets, tear stained cheeks. Not the kind of thing you'd want to be welcomed with when you're trying to comfort a friend.

"I'm so sorry Tris, you know we'll protect you, we won't let anything happen to you." I nod. She's right. They'll do everything they can to keep me safe, I'm just worried that it might not be enough. The people in the Elite Squad must be good if David hired them. Only the best and most heartless could work with someone as cruel as him. People like Peter. People that enjoy killing people, watching people suffer. Only ice cold and heartless people.

"Come here." She says gesturing over to her. I walk over to her and she wraps her arms around me in an embrace. I cry slightly on her shoulder, trying desperately hard not to get her shirt wet. After a while we pull away. I wipe my tears from my cheeks. After all, Christina and I aren't people that cry together, we fight together.

"Thank you." I say gratefully. She nods her head as she guides me out of the restroom.

"Sometimes tears are a good thing." I'm taken by surprise slightly. Never, would I have ever thought such a sentence would come out of Christina's mouth. I see Tobias standing in the lobby biting his nails. He sees me and runs over.

"Are you okay Tris? We won't let anything happen to you, I won't let anything happen to you." He rambles saying the last part closer to my ear. He hugs me and picks me up, spinning around. I laugh.

"Tobias!" I squeal. "Put me down!" I shriek still giggling. He puts me down gently and we head back home. I'm in need of some rest.

+++

We arrive home and I go straight to the bedroom, eager to catch a few Z's. I change into some pyjamas and hop into bed. I look at the clock on the bed side table. 2:37 pm. It's probably a bit to early to go to sleep but I'm tired and on my period so I can do what I want. I close my eyes and fall deeply asleep, dreaming of happier days in Dauntless, with Al and Will and Christina and Uriah. When we were all happy, not a care in the world. Purely focused on initiation and getting through to the next stage.