Happily Ever After

chapter 21

Tobias's POV

    "Okay, Haley, do you know how to play?"  I ask as Tris sits down on my lap.

    Haley looks embarrassed and says, "Umm...not really."

    Chris explains to her, "It's kind of like truth or dare, but more extreme.  What you do is, you ask someone 'Candor or Dauntless?' and if they say Dauntless, you have to make up a dare.  If they say Candor, you have to ask a question.  If you don't want to do something, just take off an article of clothing, excluding shoes and socks."  Haley nods understandingly.  Then Tris offers her her jacket as a layer, since she wasn't warned about the game.

    "I'll start." I say.  "Uri, Candor or Dauntless?"

    "I am no pansycake!  DAUNTLESS!!!"  He replies.

    I think up a dare and it is perfect.  "I dare you to let Zeke put something from the kitchen in your mouth.  You have to swallow it and," I look at Zeke and say, "it has to be edible, Zeke."  Zeke pouts and Uriah accepts the dare. 

    Everyone walks into the kitchen and after he blindfolds Uriah, Zeke grabs cinamon from the spice cabinet and puts a whole tablespoon of it in his poor brother's mouth.  Uriah's face turns sour as he attempts to swallow it.  When he does, I hand him some milk, laughing my butt off.  Then we head back to the family room and Uriah asks Christina, "Chris, babe, Candor or Dauntless?"

    "Well...  Dauntless."  She says.

    "Tobias, Tris.  Is there a place where we can play seven minutes?"  He asks.  I show him the way and they go in the room.

    When they come back, Chris says, "Wow.  That was refreshing.  Anyway, Haley, Candor or Dauntless?"

    "It's my first try so I guess Candor."

    Christina thinks for a minute.  "Hmm. . . I'll say. . . .  What was Skylar's father's name?"

    "Harrison Lopez.  Tris.  Candor or Dauntless?  Please say Candor.  I don't know any dares."

    Tris laughs.  "Okay, Candor."

    Haley asks, "When did you first fall in love with Tobias?"

    I look at Tris curiously and she says, "I don't know, really.  I know he started to love me the moment he caught me from falling off the net.  I guess it was when we climbed up the Ferris Wheel together during my initiation.  It was my first time playing Capture the Flag."  She looks at me and smiles.  I kiss her cheek, making my way down to her lips.  She whispers, "I love you."

    "I love you too. . .Beatrice." I tell her.

    She kisses my cheek and says, "Shauna, Candor or Dauntless?"

    "Mmm. . . I'll say Candor."  She replies.

    "Are you pregnant?"  She asks.  She says it like she already knows the answer.  Geez, how do women do it?

    Shauna cracks a smile and Zeke puts his arm around her, hugging her tightly.  She says, "Is it that obvious?"

    Tris shakes her head and says, "I have had triplets and twins.  Trust me, nobody's stomach will ever be as big as mine was."  We all laugh and Shauna asks Zeke. 

    "Definitely Dauntless."  He states.

    "Okay."  Shauna thinks for a while.  "When we get home I'll tell you, handsome."  Zeke grins and kisses her on the lips.

    Then, he asks me and I choose Candor.  "What are you naming your new baby?" 

    I say, "If it's a boy, we will name him Gale.  If it is a girl, we'll name her Primrose."  Then we stop the game to make our Christmas Lunch.

Tris's POV

    "First, Shauna, Haley, Aly, and I will make the green bean casserole and gravy."  I am assigning jobs to everyone while the guys, who are taking care of Percy, Will, Cody, and Kishan cook the ham.  "Chris, you, Skylar, and Natalie make the mashed potatoes and the orange ginger carrots.  Shay, you can show your Aunt Cara and Grandma Evelyn how well you can open the cranberry sauce.  Then you two can cook the stuffing." 

    Everyone gets to work and I get out all the ingredients.  I look over to see Annabeth in her walker and my niece Suzanne in an extra baby swing that we have and smile.

    After I have all the ingredients I ask Shauna, "Do you know the gender?" 

    She replies, smiling, "Not yet.  We want it to be a surprise.  Who knows?  Maybe we'll get triplets like you two when you made it a surprise."  I smile and giggle.  "If we have a girl we are going to name her Alana Gwen.  If we have another boy, we'll name him Drake."  I hug her and we get to baking.

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Tobias's POV

    Once the ham is finished we let it sit for a few minutes.  While we wait, I ask Uriah, who is holding Kishan in his arms, "Did you enjoy your seven minutes alone with Chris?"

    "Oh yeah." He laughs.  "I guess we have to wait until morning until we find out if we finally did it.  She has been really stressed that we haven't had another baby."

    "What will you name your baby if it does work?"  I query.

    He answers quickly.  "We're thinking about Bethany if it's a girl.  Named after that one girl who got bitten by a shark but kept pursuing her dream of becoming a pro surfer.  She is Chris's role model.  And if it's a boy. . . .  Well, we're just hoping it will be a girl."

    I laugh uproariously and Zeke, Will, Cody, and Caleb come over.  Caleb is carrying Percy and Will and Cody are playing some hand game.  When we're all ready, we head over to the girls with the ham to enjoy our Christmas together.