Memories of You

Chapter Fifty - Evidence

Thank you so much my wonderful readers.  That is all.  Enjoy.

Thank you to Depecher and BarbaraK2U for your tireless work.  You both really are the best.

Tobias' POV

I look at my watch again, counting the seconds until I can leave this room. I clasp my hands together, leaning my elbows on my knees, and continue to gaze at the dingy carpeted floor. I can't decide if waiting was a smart choice.

"Brother?" Claudette's small voice says, interrupting my thoughts.

I look up at Claudette and try to give her a small smile. "Yeah?"

She holds up a picture of a black and white animal. It appears to be a dog, I think. A small, questioning look appears on her face as she continues to hold up her portrait, waiting for my response to her masterpiece. While she has without a doubt inherited our mother's talent, she appears to have taken creative license this time. "Is that Rags?" I ask, hoping I'm right. I really don't want to upset her today. I don't want to have to try and calm her down just moments before I need to leave.

She smiles, looking down at her picture, and nods.

I release the small breath I was holding and give her a wide grin. "That is a really good picture of him. You have definitely captured how...crazy he can be," I say with a chuckle, trying to find the right words.

"Would Rags like it?" she asks with a giggle, looking down at her paper again.

I snort at her question. "Claudette, I'm afraid he would eat it. So, yes, he would like it."

She begins giggling louder and runs back over to the table where her paper and pencils are. She pulls a fresh sheet of paper from her small stack and begins carefully coloring another picture, her tongue sticking out slightly in concentration. Lucien pulls his newspaper up higher, but I can see he's trying to stifle laughter since the paper is shaking in his hands.

I look back down at my watch and note that it's finally time to leave. Standing up quickly, I walk over to the bathroom. I give a small knock and say through the door, "Mom? We need to go."

She opens the door slowly, smoothing down the front of her dark green dress; not a hair is out of place, but I can see how tense her shoulders are. "Ok, Tobias. I'm ready to go."

We say our goodbyes quickly, and Lucien wishes us luck, stating that he will meet up with us at eleven so that none of us are late for the ceremony. I have to remind myself that my mother is wearing heels, but I still rush our descent down the hotel stairs and walk briskly toward our destination; my nerves jangle at the thought of what I'm about to do.

"So, why am I coming with you again?" my mother asks. Her voice sounds frustrated as she keeps pace with my long strides, and her heels click against the cement walkway. "Don't Tris' parents still know Marcus? I really don't want it getting back to him that I'm in the States right now, especially since Claudette is with us. And, I really don't want him to know where you are," she states nervously.

I sigh, looking at her as I slow my pace. "Mom, I only need you to tell them your story. You don't have to tell them where you have been. As for me, I can take care of myself. I would love to see him come after me now," I state darkly.

I look at my mother again and see that the worry still hasn't left her face. "We are doing this for Tris today. She wants to try and reconnect with her family, and while they aren't fond of me at the moment, I hope to be able to change their minds. I know Marcus lied to them for years, but with you there, maybe they can see that Marcus was the enemy — not me." Personally, I would like nothing more than to cut Tris' parents out of our lives entirely. But for Tris' sake, I'm hoping that Marcus simply manipulated them into thinking tearing us apart was the right thing to do, and that he didn't do anything more elaborate that would make it impossible to convince them of the truth.