Dauntless

Dauntless: Daddy Dearest (Part 2)

It must have been the look on my face that gave me away.

Max turned to look at me from across the table where plans lay for the new building Erudite wanted to construct. We'd have to move out a lot of factionless in order to tear down the old warehouses and build new ones that are going to house the computer systems.

I didn't give a shit about that part, though. What I cared about is the fact it's going to happen across the city and Max wanted me to be the head of it.

"Eric, you look like you want to say something." Max said after a moment, glancing around the room. Yeah, I knew there was more then just us in here. Four and his bitch girlfriend stood across from me, her face pinched; she didn't agree with moving the factionless out. Melanie stood beside me, looking bored; she didn't like being taken away from the armory and polishing her guns. Normally Camille would be in on these types of meetings, but I suddenly figured out why she hadn't been invited to this one.

"I can't lead this op." I said, point blank. Max didn't look very surprised. "I can't be across the city right now."

"Eric ---."

"No. Camille' seven months pregnant, she's already psychotic. Do you really want her rampaging through Dauntless throwing hissy fits and causing riots because you sent me off?" I demanded, narrowing my eyes. "Or do you want Dauntless to burn to the ground?"

Max actually sighed.

Camille's pregnancy has been a whirlwind from the very beginning. The night she'd told me, I'd had to leave for rescue mission, to retrieve a member of Dauntless who'd been held hostage by some factionless.

I'd voted we let them have him, but everyone else said otherwise. I'd been more worried about what would happen if I died on that mission then any other I'd ever gone on; I didn't want to leave Camille on her own with a baby. She had enough baggage, she didn't need me dying on her.

I'd almost missed her first doctors appointment with the baby because I'd been on a mission for Max, and still she throws that up in my face when she's mad enough. If I bailed on her in the last two months of her pregnancy, she'd skin me alive.

So no, I'm not going on any mission, I'm not leading any fucking ops. Max could assign someone else, my girlfriend and our child take top priority right now. I intended to lead Dauntless one day, but I also intended on having someone at my side as I did it.

Max wouldn't understand, he'd never knocked anyone up or had that responsibility on him.

But I did. I had to handle this my way --- and sometimes Camille's way.

Mostly her way.

"Eric, you're the best I have at keeping everyone controlled when away from base. I need you on this assignment; Ms. Matthews asked for you specifically."

Of course she did, but that didn't mean I'd come running. I'd left Erudite for a reason, I'm not going to be their little bitch now.

"Send Four," I said, throwing him under the bus. "He can do nearly as good of a job as I can. Hell, send his girlfriend too, they'll be fine."

"Four is in intelligence, not leadership."

"Well, what the fuck do I care?" I glared at him, getting pissy at this point. "I can't run off and leave my girlfriend. And I can't take her over there where she'll be in danger, she's the size of a fucking crater right now!"

"Wow, Camille must love spending time with you," Melanie chuckled, cutting her eyes at me from beneath her blonde dreads. "Do you call her a crater to her face?"