Tobias - after Allegiant ✔

24

The next day I'm only ten minutes late and I already ate breakfast. I did better than yesterday. I say hi to the lady at the front desk. She looks at me strangely and I walk to the elevator.
   
The office Johanna and I work in is like a second home to me. If my apartment will ever burn to the ground, I'll move my mattress here. I think Johanna thinks about it in the same way. Sometimes it looks like she never leaves. She's always already here when I arrive and leaves after me – if she ever leaves.
   
Today, Johanna sits already at her desk as well, her eyebrows furrowed, looking at her computer.
   
"Good morning," I say and I sink in my chair.
   
"Is your car already fixed, Tobias," she says immediately.
   
"Hello Tobias," I say with a high pitched voice. "No, my car is total-loss, it's not going to get fixed, Johanna."
   
"Then whose car did you drive yesterday?"
   
"I borrowed it," I say. It's the truth; I did borrow it from the Bureau.
   
"Hmm," she just says.
   
"Wait, did you start a whole investigation or something?" I asked with raised eyebrows. "It's not like I did anything illegal."
   
"It looks like I did. Because I received from the front desk worker the information that there were two men from the Bureau for you two days ago. And you went with them."
   
I shift in my chair uncomfortable. Johanna doesn't trust me. It has to be, or else she wouldn't have started an investigation.
    
"You see, Tobias, I know you hate the Bureau. And I used to be Candor, a long time ago, but I still can see it when someone lies. And you, Tobias – you're one of the worst liars I've ever met in my whole life."
   
"I suppose I've something to explain," I sigh and then I tell the whole story.
   
I tell her about the photos and how they forced me to come with them, because I didn't want to. I tell her Williams couldn't shut up about Tris and how I got confused when he started about a coma.
   
"Then he opened a door, and the she was, alive and breathing," I finish.
   
"Are you trying to tell me there's another death faked?" asks Johanna.
   
I nod. "It's the third. First Evelyn, then Amar, and now Tris."
   
Johanna nods slowly. "Thank you for your honesty. And I'm really happy for you two. I really am. And I wish all the happiness to you."
   
She walks over to me and embraces me like only former Amity members can.
   
"Thank you, Johanna," I say.
   
"You're welcome." She picks my bag up from the floor and places it on my lap. "Now, go, to your mother, because she freaked out because of your behavior."
   
I chuckle and walk downstairs.
   
Evelyn is already there. When she sees me, she says, "Where were you? I went to your apartment every hour and you weren't there."
   
"I was at the Bureau," I say. I decide to say everything, but a shorter version of what I told Johanna.
   
Evelyn laughs in disbelief. "Sure. Tobias, who hates the Bureau like no one else does, decides to sleep there."
   
"Tris is alive, Mom," I say.
   
She looks at me with sad eyes. "Tobias, she's already three years..."
   
"In a coma," I finish for her. "She was in a coma for three years and woke up a few days ago. Around the same day as I did."
    
"I'm sorry, Tobias, but I don't believe you. She's dead. You have her ashes in your apartment."
    
"Which are not her ashes. Mom, you of all people, should know how a faked death looks like. And I'm sorry if you don't believe it, but you're not going to get a different story. Besides, I don't think you'll be the one she wants to see first."
   
Evelyn looks away.
   
"Where are you going?" she asks.
   
"Johanna told me to go to you, but since I found you here, I thought: might as well take a ride to tell the others. People who hopefully do believe this. I'll see you later, Evelyn." I walk to the Bureau's car.

+ + +

Once a Nose, always a Nose. Caleb stayed in Millenium all the time. Not in the head quarters luckily, because I wouldn't have been able to get inside that building without thinking about the time I spent there as prisoner.
   
I know where Caleb lives – I've been at his place once – but he'll probably be at work right now. But I don't know where his work is.