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

Chapter 112

(Hosanna's POV)

Eric and I sit side by side quietly eating our dinner in the cafeteria. It's been an extremely long day. We reviewed the remainder of the fear simulations after lunch and sent a report to Jeanine. Eric was the one to send it because I, of course, am unable to lie. He told her that the two initiates in question have been eliminated and that our first day of the second stage revealed no threats as of yet. He assured her that we will continue to search the recordings daily for discovery of any other possibilities.
She surprisingly sent an immediate reply back thanking us for our hard work and was grateful for the speedy response. She informed us to attend her meeting with Max this Thursday. It will be in the late afternoon and shouldn't interfere with our daily testing. She also mentioned that she and Max discussed a delivery we're expecting on that day as well and we'll be talking about that in a room prepared near our loading dock in Dauntless.  So, I guess we're not making the trek to Erudite this week. 
I look up from my half-finished meal and gaze over the crowd of people slowly diminishing in the cafeteria when I notice something odd.  "Eric, is it just me or have all of the initiates been missing from dinner tonight?" I ask my husband. 
He looks up from his plate and nods.  "I think you're right.  We better deal with this," he agrees.
"I didn't see them at lunch either," Mia comments.  "It's the first day of stage two, right?"
"Yeah," I say. 
"If it wasn't for April and Ellen pulling our butts out to the shops last year, we all would've probably moped in the dorms for the whole week," she explains. 
Eric and I finish up our meal and head to the dorms. I step in the boys dorm and the sight before me is exactly as Mia stated. Moping is precisely how I would describe what they're all doing. Everyone is laying or sitting in bed. Some are attempting to sleep but tossing and turning. Others are rocking themselves in attempt of comfort while a few are freaked out and trembling.
"Attention!" Eric announces. He looks to me as we gain every eye in the room.
"I want a show of hands.  How many of you ate dinner?" I ask.  Not a soul raises their hand.  "Who ate lunch?" I inquire.  Two people raise their hands.  "Okay.  Everyone get ready.  I want every single one of you in the cafeteria in five minutes.  Understood?"
"Yes, ma'am," they all reply—some shakily, some strongly. 
We step out to the girls dorm.  I get about the same responses from them.  Some follow us out the door, others take a few minutes.  Eric and I lead those who are ready to the cafeteria.  We stand around and make sure they at least fill their plates before sitting down at an almost empty cafeteria table.  Kay walks by and I notice there's no dessert out.  "Kay, is the cake all gone?" I question. 
"I'm sorry, that's been gone for a while.  I saw your brother take two pieces," she laughs. 
"Of course he did," I mumble.  "Eric, darling.  Would you go buy something for the initiates at that shop you like?  Make sure you get enough for all of them," I say kissing his cheek. 
"Alright," he grumbles.  I smile at him as he leaves. 
I take a seat at a table right beside Tris and Christina.  "Hi," I grin. 
"I thought you couldn't socialize with us," Christina questions taking a bite of the chicken.  She looks at it a moment before taking another bite. 
"It's really good fried chicken, isn't it?" I ask.  She nods.  "I figured that everyone is here so it's no big deal," I respond to her question as several other initiates join us at the table. 
"Thanks for forcing us to come.  I feel better already," Tris tells me. 
I smile widely at her.  "Aren't you going to eat anything?" she asks me. 
"I already ate," I explain with a shrug. 
"Oh," she replies. 
Tris digs into her macaroni and cheese. "I've never had this before. I like it," she tells us.
"You really did come here for the food, huh?" Christina laughs. I look to Tris in question.
"It's just a running joke we've had going for a while," she shrugs.
"Well the food is definitely better here. No more plain oatmeal," I state. I see Eric arrive with several boxes in his arms. He places them on the table between the initiates before bringing a box in our direction.
"Is this for us?" Lynn asks in surprise.
Eric nods. "Thanks, Eric!" she says excitedly.
"You can thank my wife. I never would've given you anything without her asking me," he responds turning away and striding over to me. Lynn grins anyway.
Eric opens the box before me. I see an assortment of cookies in there and I'm a little lost. I've only had chocolate chip before because someone brought them to my party once. I raise my eyebrows in question at Eric.
He chuckles and points each kind out to me, "Chocolate chip, peanut butter, oatmeal raisin, sugar cookie, and cranberry orange."
"Um... I've only had chocolate chip before. What would you pick?" I ask him.
"Anything but chocolate," he grins.
I choose the sugar cookie. "Figures you pick the plain one," he mumbles picking me up, taking my seat, and setting me on his lap.
"Thank you," I say kissing his cheek. He chooses a peanut butter one.
"Wait... you've really never had cookies before?" Christina questions me.
I shrug. "Just once," I tell her taking a bite of the cookie. It's so incredibly delicious.
"You know that's my favorite sound," Eric whispers in my ear. I elbow him playfully in the ribs. He chuckles.
"What faction are you from? They have different desserts here every day," Christina points out.
I just stare at her wondering how she hasn't put it together yet. "Your Candor friend is pretty dense," Eric tells Tris.
Christina gasps in offense. Tris doesn't defend her. "You do realize that Tris is my childhood friend, right?" I explain slowly.
A beat passes and I can practically see the cogs slowly turning in Christina's head. "You're... from Abnegation?" she whispers harshly in complete surprise.
I nod. "Wow... I never would've guessed," she says in awe. "So that means that Four is, too."
"Don't go spreading that around," I plead. "He doesn't like that information broadcasted. I could care less."
She frowns but nods in understanding. "Good thing Dauntless is full of dummies," Eric laughs. I elbow him in the ribs again and he chuckles harder. "You are so getting it tonight," he whispers in my ear. I hear Tris gasp in offense.
"Stop making my friend uncomfortable," I insist.
"What?" he asks defensively.
"You say that all the time anyway," I state.
"I'm just giving you proper warning," he says tickling my neck with something, probably his nose.
"You two are really affectionate," Christina points out.
"And?" Eric questions her.
She shrugs. "I've heard that's a sign of a good marriage. My parents were definitely not like that. They could barely be in the same room together. It's nice to see it," she explains.
I smile warmly at her.
"So what's your brother's real name?" Christina asks me. Eric laughs.
"If you ask him and he tells you, you're part of the club. If not, well... I guess he doesn't want you to know," I say.
Christina makes a pouty face and looks at Tris. "Do you know?" she questions.
"Yes," she responds.
"How about you, Eric?" she asks.
"I only know because I guessed right and my wife assumed I already knew his name when we met," he admits.
"You were at the same Choosing Ceremony," I defend.
"If you think I had my attention on anything there but you, you're mistaken," he says.
"Aww," Christina coos. She grins wider. Eric must be making a face at her and she's getting used to him.
I notice Tris looking through the box of cookies. She chooses the chocolate one. "You and Four," Eric mumbles as she takes a bite.
"What?" she asks him in question.
"My brother is obsessed with chocolate," I tell her.
"Oh," she replies grinning.
"Aren't chocolate chip everyone's favorite?" Christina asks choosing one as well.
"No," Eric and I say together.
"Touchy," she mumbles through the bite in her mouth.