To Save a City (Divergent/Eric) 2 of 3 COH Series

Chapter 69 (Eric's POV)

Hosanna heads back from the meeting and I rush down the stairs in the Pit to the garage to meet her.  She steps out of the truck and I practically push the guards out of my way.  I embrace her so tightly.  I take her face in my hands and kiss her.  She laughs at the affection but I was so worried.  I can't believe her mother showed up with a mob of armed Factionless.  That was overkill and totally unnecessary. 
"I'm alright, Eric," she insists.  I still examine her nonetheless.  I hold her again and I notice Four step out of the truck.  He's looking pale and irritated. 
"You're dismissed, Four.  That is unless you want to join leadership in the future," Max jokes.
Four looks to him for a moment as if almost contemplating the offer but shakes his head.  I release Hosanna and she embraces her brother.  "I'll meet you after dinner tonight," I tell him.  He nods and excuses himself. 
We proceed to the conference room to discuss this matter. I hold Hosanna's hand throughout the whole meeting and keep her a little closer than normal. We go over all of the information presented today and decide that Evelyn seemed duplicitous in her behavior. Leadership agrees to maintain the same level of security in the compound as well as with my wife and her brother. Hosanna and I part while she exercises with Max. I work in my office until we meet for our next meal.
I seat my wife on my lap at dinner, eating my food with a protective arm around her. When I finish, I observe that she picks at her meal not eating much for a while. "You've been quiet today," I mumble on her shoulder as I watch her move food from side to side of the plate. I've been finished for ten minutes.
"I'm eating," she says putting a small bite in her mouth.
"You're playing with your food," I point out grazing a finger down her spine. She jumps a little on my lap.
"Sorry, I just have a lot to think about," she responds.
"Do you want to talk about it?" I whisper on her neck.
"Maybe later. Tobias is ready to meet you," she tells me nodding to her brother.
"He can wait. You're my top priority," I tell her kissing her cheek.
"It's alright. We can talk when you get home," she insists.
"Okay," I whisper on her neck. "Be prepared.  I'm planning on spending some quality time with you when I'm done, just the two of us," I smirk as I run my fingers down her spine again.  She squirms under my touch and I hear her giggle.  She looks to me smiling. "There's my girl," I say kissing her lips. "I'll meet you at home."
She nods. I look to her guards beside us and they acknowledge me in understanding. They're to stay with her until I return. I'm actually grateful to Max for appointing them. It's nice not to have to worry about her safety.
I stride over to Four. "You ready?" I question slinging my bag over my shoulder.
"Yeah, let's go," he responds.
We head to the training room, stopping first at the locker room. I change my clothes and he does as well beside me. "What do you think of the meeting today?" I ask him as I wrap my hands.
"She's lying. I'm not sure what about but I'm actually glad Hosanna and Max didn't tell her much," he says. "The more she talked, I thought even her apology was fake. I don't know that woman anymore. She may be my biological mother, but she's a complete stranger to me."
I nod. I figured that, too. I notice the flames on his ribcage. "Nice tattoo," I comment gesturing towards it.
He smiles and laughs. "It's funny you mention that. I got this the night before our fight," he explains.
I nod. "Your sister told me something about that," I tell him. "What about the other one?"
He makes a face. "Nobody has really seen it but her and Tori," he admits.
"Too personal?" I ask. He shrugs putting a shirt on.
I show him my forearms. "I got these just after initiation. It's one of my fears. I used to have a reoccurring dream about being lost in a maze and there was no way out. I used to do puzzles like these with my dad when I was younger. After... he died, I started to get those dreams, like I was trapped in a world without him," I explain.
Four nods.
"You about ready?" I ask as he ties his shoes.
"Yeah," he responds.
We both hit the bags together. He's much stronger than I remember. But then again, so am I.  We work out on the bags for an hour or so.  I get kind of tired of the same thing.  "You want to do some weights or spar?" I inquire.
He grabs his swinging bag.  "You're serious?" he questions.
"Yes," I say.
"Aren't you afraid I'll hurt you?" he laughs. 
I chuckle, too.  "I can hold my own against Max and your sister.  I'm not worried," I reply.
"She's seriously that good?" he asks as we walk over to the mat. 
"I'm sure she wouldn't mind sparring with you if you asked her," I tell him.  I take off my shoes and he does the same. 
"I don't think I could ever hit my sister," he admits. 
I laugh.  "She can beat me.  I doubt you could even get a hit in," I tell him seriously.  "But then again, I get pretty distracted staring at her."
"You two have seriously fought?" he questions incredulously.
"Yeah.  That's part of leadership training.  She did wonderfully against all of us," I say smiling proudly.
"I didn't realize she was that good," he comments.  "I was pretty shocked at how well she did in initiation."
"I was thoroughly impressed, too," I agree thinking about how amazing she was. 
We get into fighting stances and pace each other briefly.  I take the first punch and he blocks laughing.  "Your fighting has changed a bit," he comments.
He goes for a punch which I dodge, "Yours, too."
We punch and kick at each other in an odd array of dancing and laughing for some time.  "Is what Hosanna said about your parents true?" he asks panting.
"Yeah," I respond not really wanting to reveal too much about that in front of the cameras here.  I had headphones on listening to Hosanna's recording on Max's computer.  The others in the control room couldn't hear that part of the conversation.
"Do... do you think that our parents' aptitude passes onto us?" he inquires.  "Like maybe it's genetic and not how we're raised."
"It's possible," I say. 
"I probably shouldn't ask this, especially of a faction leader... but what did you test?" he questions me.
"I got Dauntless," I tell him.  He nods.  "But I was prompted like you before your test.  Jeanine asked me several hypothetical questions."
"My sister?" he inquires, referring to how I know. 
I nod.  "We don't keep anything from each other.  I think that's important," I tell him.
"What... what do you think you would have gotten?" he whispers. 
I kick his legs out and he falls to the ground.  "I know I'm like you two," I whisper hovering over him a fist ready to hit his temple but I restrain from connecting it. 
I offer him a hand and he stares at it for a moment before taking it.  I think he's surprised by my admission or maybe just that I'm Divergent as well. 
We head into the locker room to shower.  Neither of us speaks.  We shower side by side before heading out to change.  I get a glimpse of the tattoo on his back and I see why he doesn't want to show that to just anyone.  He might be concerned about being called a faction traitor.  I think that if Hosanna and I can take down Erudite, I'd like to have a world where people don't have to worry about that. 
He catches me looking at it.  "Mine is who I want to be, like my sister," he confides in me and I get it.
I nod.  "Who wouldn't want to be like her?" I ask.

*****Thanks so much for reading! I really enjoyed this one with the interaction between Four and Eric.*****

Words of Wisdom:

""May I continue to find favor in your eyes, my lord," she said. "You have put me at ease by speaking kindly to your servant—though I do not have the standing of one of your servants.""
‭‭Ruth‬ ‭2:13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

""Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.""
‭‭Mark‬ ‭9:50‬ ‭NIV‬‬