Redemption (Eric and Tris)

First Dates: Part 3

Picking up her mother from the hospital was everything she hoped it would be. Her mother seemed perfectly fine, if a bit shaken up and full of questions. For a faction that was known for not having much personal physical contact, Tris's father would not stop touching Natalie. His arm was always around her or holding her hand as if he was afraid that she would disappear on him again. Tris could not blame him. Every time her mother was out of her sight, she got the feeling that it was the last time that she was going to see her. It was going to be hard to get used to the idea of her being alive and well again. She had just started to come to terms with her death. The three of them headed out the door of the hospital and stepped onto the train that had come to a stop out front. They would take the traditional, abnegation way to dauntless. They would wait until the train stopped before getting off, as her parents were not up to jumping just yet. They sat down and both her parents turned to Tris who gave a weak smile. "So your father tells me you know the man that kept me safe all this time."

"Yes. He is one of the leaders at dauntless. I asked him to come today, but he had business he had to attend to." Tris said, her voice lowering to a whisper by the end of her sentence. Her father cocked his eyebrow.

"Business?" Tris looked up and straight at her father. She was reminded of what Eric had said. That he believed that her father did not like him, that he was only grateful because he had save her mother. For the first time she was grateful he had not come.

"Yes, he does have a faction to run." Her response came out with a bit more bite than she planned. She softened her voice when she continued. "Though he did promise to have dinner with us at some point this week before you head back to abnegation so we could all talk. We just have to let him know when so he can arrange his schedule." Her father seemed to accept her answer and nodded his head. Natalie smiled warmly at Tris's defense of Eric. Her mother always seemed to know when there was more to a story than Tris was telling. Making eye contact, Tris smiled and try to convey through a look, a promise to tell her mother everything once they were alone. Natalie's smile showed she got the message. Once the train reached the dauntless compound, Tris showed her parents to her apartment. Since it was small, it did not take much time to show them everything. Her father set about making them lunch as her mother went to take a nap. Tris sat at the counter watching her father. "May I ask you a question, dad?"

"Of course."

"When you get the chance to talk to Eric about mom, will the conversation stay with mom? Or do you intend to bring up what happened in abnegation?" Though her voice remained calm, as Tris said the words, her stomach was flipping with anxiety. Her father held her eyes for a long moment and she watched the emotion swirling within them. Indecision danced across his face. "Dad you need to understand something. I know that you were at the trial, I know that you know about him being under SIM the whole time. His actions were something that he had no control over. But what you need to understand is what he is going through right now. He has been punishing himself every day since he has come out of the SIM. He is barely eating, he is ashamed, doesn't believe that he should even be around, let alone leading a faction. One man that he killed was a good friend of his. He relives that daily. Part of him was awake during the SIM so he was aware of what he was doing but he had no control over his actions. The last thing he needs is to come here and have you interrogate him all over again. I won't allow it. He is the man, that through the SIM saved mom, hid her from Jeanine though he still isn't sure why he did it. He has been paying for his mistakes every day. I need to know that you will respect my wishes and respect what he did for mom and if he comes here that you only keep the conversation about him saving mom or a neutral conversation. Please. Can you promise me that?" Tris ended her passionate speech with a pleading look at her father. The emotions that had been swirling in his eyes were now much more prominent, although confusion was now among those emotions. However he nodded his head.