Emergent

Chapter 8

(Noah's POV)

"Just a little bit longer Noah-bear." Keri purrs into my ear.

I try to shake her off, "No, we have been at this for a week now, and all it is doing it making Tessa miserable, and stop calling me Noah-bear!"

Looking hurt Keri sulks, but I can see through her fake exterior, something inside her is wrong and broken, she knows something.

"We are through, I am done with this Keri. I'm sorry," my voice drops to a whisper, "but I am in with love Tessa."

"You love her!" Keri shrieks, and I must put my hand to her mouth to stop the horrible noise from waking the others.

"Yes, I love her."

I hear a rustle in the bushes behind us, and before I know it, Keri is smashing her lips upon mine. I try to push her off, and begin thrashing under her surprisingly strong grip.

After a minute or so, she releases me. I cough for breath, and spit out the sour taste of her mouth upon my own.

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(Tessa's POV)

My nightmares wake me. I hear slight movement in a close by growth, and hushed voices. Scanning around, the only bodies that I find missing is Noah and Keri.

I decide to spy upon them, as wrong as it may be. With a heavy heart, I grow closer. Just when I can see them together, I catch a glimpse of Keri's eyes and then my worst fears come alive. Noah and Keri kissing.

I drop where I stood, and cry silently in a ball.

"What the hell Keri!" I hear Noah say.

"I can't let you go Noah-bear."

"I am not your Noah-bear, I am not your anything!"

A small smile curls my lips, and I rush through the bushes to make my presence known.

"Tessa." Noah seems amazed at my presence, and I waste no time to wrap him in a heated embrace.

My head rests gently on his shoulder, but the ban from my parents keeps me at bys from pressing my lips desperately on his. I don't cry anymore, neither does Noah, we are past tears.

"Let's get back before anyone notices." Noah whispers softly in my ear.

"Do we have to?" I plead, but I know that we should, especially with Keri standing only a few steps away with crossed arms and an eye roll.

We walk back to our tiny camp, in the corner of my eye I see Keri fidget with something in her waistband. Seeing the butt of a gun begin to show, I turn and pounce on her.

"What the hell are you doing!" She cries. Still holding one elbow on her throat, I take the gun from her belt in one swift motion.

"What do you think you are doing, I have that for protection!" I examine the weapon, inscribed on the pink metal is a cursive K M, and a symbol that I have seen before. A circle that includes all five five factions, stacked on top of one another. The symbol of the Allegiant.

"You filthy pig," I slap her across the face,"I know that you are Marcus's granddaughter, I know that you are apart of the Allegiant!" Keri's eyes grow wide with both fear and hate, "Give me one reason not to kill you." I spit at her, a deep growl rises within me.

"Because. You. Don't. Want. To. Lose. Everything." She coughs pathetically after each word. I loosen my grip in her neck.

"Lose everything? I am a refuge of the government, living on scraps with all my family and friends, and I am forbidden from being with the man that I love, what more do I have to lose?"

"You. Have. Your. Family." I let go if her throat, and watch her gasp for breath beneath me.

"How do you know that the Allegiant still won't kill them?" I ask.

"You don't."
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(Tobias's POV)

I wake up with one around around Tris. Gently laying on her stomach as though to protect the unborn child within. I kiss her cheek softly, making her perfect nose cringe slightly. She opens her beautiful light eyes and turns to me, "Good morning Tobias." She whispers.

"Good morning Tris." I whisper back. I kiss her, and she pulls me in deeper. I wrap my arms around her, and pull her close. Remembering that we are in broad daylight, and that the kids and our friends lay only a few feet away allows me to part from Tris.

"Not here." I explain. She nods and glances toward the woods.

"Now?" I ask, "We are up before the others. " I say, taking a brief look around. Tris takes my hand, and I gently help pull her up to her feet.

Our fingers intertwined, we make our way to the growth in the dim light.
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(Tris's POV)

Tobias wraps his strong arms around me and firmly places his lips on mine. "I love you." I say between breaths.

"I love you more." He replies. I smile as he moves his way down to my neck, and even after all of these years, I must wrap my hands in his shirt to hide how much they shake.

He lays me gently on the ground, and holds me in a close embrace. Our heartbeats are one, our breaths are synchronized. We continue to kiss, fitting to one another. We have each other memorized.
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Please comment and vote! I also want to hold a contest for whomever can draw the best artwork of Noah and Tessa hugging, with Keri on the side. Basically portraying the scene in this chapter. Lol, read on my rebels! :-)