The Iron Soldier: A FourTris Divergent Story

Epilog

AN: This book has been an amazing journey for me. Thanks so much for all of you who have taken the journey with me. Now that I know what I'm capable of, that I can tell a good story, that others like my work, and that I am capable of finishing what I start, there is no stopping me now. Thanks for all the votes, followers and comments. I enjoyed reading them as much as I enjoyed writing this story. Until next time.

All my love,

Eden

The banquet hall is crowded and even though I recognize many of the people here, there are also an equal number of faces I don't. I smile inside as I realize how many people Four has touched; how many lives he has impacted.

I turn to my mother who is rearranging the vase of flowers sitting beside the cake. "Is everything ready?"

She flashes me a big smile. "It is. Does he suspect anything?"

"Not a thing." I grin, excited for his reaction when he realizes the real reason for the party.

Four finds me a moment later and he takes my hand in his, leading us to our table beside my parents, my brother Caleb and his girlfriend.

He kisses my mom on the cheek then shakes my father's hand before pulling my chair out for me and taking his place beside me.

I glance at my watch. It's time to start and a flutter of excitement tickles my stomach.

The banquet hall grows quiet as a dark haired man approaches the podium and begins to address the crowd.

"I'd like to thank you all for being here to celebrate this historic occasion," Senator Jack Kang states before he takes a breath and raises his right arm, signaling that all the doors along the perimeter of the room should be closed. As soon as the room is locked off, a side door behind him swings open and half a dozen Secret Service Agents come through, followed by the President and then more men in black.

I feel Four stiffen beside me. "What the hell is going on?"

The President goes to stand beside Senator Kang, waiting patiently for him to finish. "At this time, I'd like to reveal that everyone in this room knows the real reason for this celebration tonight. Well, everyone but one person, that is. We are not here tonight to celebrate my birthday."

Four looks over at me. "We're not?" I smile when his expression changes as he realizes he's the only one that doesn't know what is going on. His defensive nature kicks in as he scans the room suspiciously.

"Mr. President." Senator Kang hands the microphone to the President who then steps forward and clears his throat.

"Ladies and gentleman, thank you all for being here tonight to help us honor one of our country's greatest heroes – a hero that up until a few months ago was treated as a terrorist. He spent most of his life in hiding and then had his memory wiped. I hate admitting mistakes just as much as the next guy, but it's time the truth came out."

Four's eyes lock onto mine. "Did you know about this?"

"Of course," I smirk.

"May I present to you Sergeant Tobias Eaton." The President gestures toward our table just as the room erupts into a round of applause.

Four leans into me, whispering in my ear. "You're gonna get it when we get home."

My face curves into a suggestive grin. "I sure hope so."

The President continues to speak for a few more minutes before he calls Four up to join him at the podium. The two shake hands as Four receives a framed document from the President's hands, representing his full pardon.

The party continues with a multi-course dinner and everyone takes turns coming to congratulate Four. He grunts his thanks as many of his visitors arrive while his mouth is full. He continues to give me dirty looks the whole time. Obviously, he doesn't like being the center of attention anymore than I do.

My mother stands, smiling brightly at the two of us before she walks over to the podium. "I hope everyone is enjoying their dinner. I know I am; especially the variety of looks that my future son-in-law is sharing with my daughter." A quiet laughter travels across the room, causing Four to turn bright red.

She turns her attention directly to Four, speaking only to him. "Tobias, you have been like a son to me for as long as l can remember. You are a true hero and have saved my life as well as my daughter's on more than one occasion. I wanted to find a special way to thank you. So, I did some digging and found this." My mother turns and reaches out to a man standing just beyond the spotlight that is handing her a book. I watch Four's mouth drop open as he obviously recognizes the book.

"For those of you who don't know, this is the Book of Honors from the days of Dauntless. Having your name written in this book was the highest honor a Dauntless soldier could receive. But there is one page in particular that really stands out." She opens the book to a page separated by a ribbon bookmark. "There are only three names on this page; only three people in the history of Dauntless that were good enough to be listed on this page. Although, there should be a fourth name on this list."

Fours runs his hand over his mouth. He knows what's coming and his whole body tenses.

"Tobias Eaton, you were the fourth person ever in the history of Dauntless to earn the Iron Soldier Award, but because of very bad timing on my part, your name was never officially recorded. I'm adding it now, in front of all your friends and family. Now the whole world will know how amazing you are, even though everyone in this room already does. Your name finally joins the ranks of past heroes such as Morgan Heath, Thomas Perrier and Amar Burton."

Four's face is pure joy as he stands up and walks over to embrace my mom. I can't help but cry at the touching scene, not thinking I could get even more emotional than I already have.

And then someone from the back yells out, "Let's see your ink!"

Four looks out into the crowd, obviously recognizing the voice, and grins. As he does, rows of people stand up and his expression slowly turns to shock when the rows of people start walking forward, coming into the spotlight one at a time. I know who these people are and I'm sure by now so does Four.

He can't keep his emotions in check as one at a time, the old members of Dauntless, the good ones that escaped the deadly round up, lead by Zeke and Uriah, come up and hug him. He's a blubbering mess now, surrounded by his brothers from another lifetime.

My heart swells with pride, knowing that this amazing man will be by my side for the rest of my life. He's my own personal Iron Soldier.