A Different Divergent Tale (Eric and Tris)

Chapter 76

Sunday is typical—a wonderful day at church, a bit of travel, and the rest of the day relaxing. Eric and I spend our time in each other's company and I receive that massage I was hoping for... but mine was from the man I love. 
Monday, I rise and get ready for my day. Eric said we should handle our office work first since we need to deal with Aries. We head off to breakfast together and I'm incredibly antsy. As we sit at the table together, Max assures me that he'll be with me for this and we'll meet to discuss everything. I feel comforted by that.
We make our way up to the offices momentarily. Eric checks his inbox and email telling me he has nothing more pressing than the prisoner to deal with. I nod in understanding. We head to the conference room. Max is already there with his stack of papers and computer. He has the projector set up.
The two of us join him at the conference table.
"Is it just us three?" Eric asks surprised.
"Lydia wants to be here for everything and Ryan might join us if we use truth serum to... you know, play," Max explains.
Eric laughs at that.  "I might have to get some just to mess with him," he grins teasingly. 
"You know, we can replace it easily enough," Max tells him with a wave of his hand.  "Do what you want."
"You guys seriously are okay with this?" I inquire shocked. 
Lydia joins us and takes the seat beside me. 
"What'd I miss?" she asks. 
I fill her in. 
"They're usually very responsible but when it comes to something personal, I don't see a problem," she shrugs. 
I'm in awe of everything they're saying. 
"You guys would really abuse your power like that?" I say finally laying it out there. 
"Well, when you say it like that..." Lydia trails off. 
"It's not abuse of power, sweetheart," Eric tells me seriously.  "I was going to use it anyway.  I was going to ask him if he'll ever attempt to force his way in with you again or if he's learned his lesson."
"Oh," I reply softly. 
"But what Ryan wants to do afterward is absolutely abuse of power," Max starts.  "But he shouldn't have put himself in that position anyway.  We should be able to trust our members to protect, not overpower, not ignore.  His actions are his own fault.  If there happens to be serum left over enough to humiliate, perhaps he'll think twice about doing whatever asinine things come to mind.  Maybe he won't listen to that devil whispering in his ear," Max elaborates and I get it.  They can do whatever they want after work is finished and it's his own fault for making leadership question him in such a manner. 
We view the footage from the control room surveillance.  He actually went to every single bar looking for me.  The karaoke one was the very last one and he saw us exit and followed us to the next.  He approaches me at that bar where I reject him.  Then, he joins up with his friends in the Pit.  They sit around some rock area I saw people hanging out at during initiation.  They drink there excessively.  It looks like he had hard liquor—not mixed drinks—and drank most of a clear bottle filled with brown liquid.  A few of his friends go off with girls.  It appears as if they were waiting to go home with them.  Perhaps this is their typical routine and he actually expected the same from me.  But a thought occurs to me. 
"Why was he looking for me?" I ask rhetorically confused. 
"Because he saw that I was out and you weren't with me," Eric explains.  "He asked about you and I was going to say nothing and let him think what he wanted."
"But Uriah opened his trap and got defensive.  He was insulted by the rude things Aries said to Eric," Max continues. 
"What'd he say?" I question surprised. 
They play the recording for me. 
I sigh.  He really can be a jerk, can't he?
"What do you want to do about him, sweetheart?" Eric asks me.  "Do you want us to handle him since he is older, intimidating, and this is your first?"
"Maybe," I say staring. 
"We'll be with you," Lydia says placing her hand on mine.  "You know, we're here for each other.  We work better together.  We support each other. Plus, the big oaf is definitely going to get an earful from me."
I smile at that and thank her.  They decide on what to question him about and we go down together to the lockup facility. 
"I thought you said you wanted serum," I mention softly to Eric confused as we step out of the elevator. 
"They're waiting in Interrogation Room One," an attendant says rising and saluting us. 
"Thank you Private Riggs.  Please escort the perpetrator to the interrogation room.  Also, have him bound," Max tells the soldier. 
"Yes, sir," he nods and grabs some keys.  I see another private still saluting us.  His name plate says Dallas. 
I look to Eric and he motions to the room. He opens the door for me. I see Jude and Ryan in the room waiting for us. There's also a black box on the table. I realize they handled it. I step in and we all take a seat. Eric and I are in the center with everyone surrounding me. There's one chair placed across the table but there's enough distance between it that I doubt even a man of his size could reach me. I'm not expecting him to, though. That would be foolish. Eric passes out the list of questions for everyone. I look them over. They're quite good and to the point.
"He's rather large so I would assume the serum will only last for about two minutes or less," Eric comments.
"Probably," Jude agrees.
"At least there aren't many serum questions," Ryan says excitedly.
I hear a knock on the opposite door and a soldier enters—different from the two in the entrance. But the second guard is Private Riggs. He's holding onto Aries. He's wearing a black jumpsuit with a six digit number on it. His hair is down and shaggy—not slicked back like it usually is. He looks different, less menacing. He also has some stubble on his square jaw like he hasn't shaved—which makes him appear even older. I actually see some grey in his beard. His green eyes meet mine and I see something there—possibly regret.
He's seated across from us and actually gets his handcuffs and legs chained to the seat by the soldiers.  The two guards stand at attention behind him when they finish—Private Riggs and Private Nelson. 
"So, do you know why you're down here?" Eric asks Aries. 
"I must've done something stupid while I was drunk," he shrugs. 
"Do you remember what you did?" Eric asks. 
"Not really," Aries shakes his head. 
"Stop playing stupid, Aries.  They will get the truth out of you," Lydia advises. 
"Don't know what you're talking about," he replies to her dismissively—kind of rudely for a supposed friend. 
"Okay, then.  You deserve everything you get," she says folding her arms.  "All yours, Eric.  You might not want to waste your time."
"I don't mind.  There's nothing pressing in my inbox currently and I'm actually enjoying this.  For every lie he tells me, I'll add a day to his sentence," Eric replies smoothly, completely at ease. 
I can tell Aries looks confused.  Lydia must keep her work completely private—even from her partner and his best friends. 
"Before you were intoxicated, you searched for Tris.  When you found her, you followed her to a bar.  Why?" Eric asks. 
"Looking for a date," he replies easily. 
"What'd she say to you?" Eric asks. 
"Can't remember," Aries shrugs.  "Something like see you later."
I'm gaping at him.  I guess that wasn't remorse. 
"That is not true," I say. 
"What'd you say, sweet thing?" he grins. 
I repeat the entire conversation verbatim.  He looks shocked that I actually recall every word. 
"Just so you know, Tris has a photographic memory," Eric states.  "I trust her more than I trust you."
Eric continues to ask from the list and Aries is being evasive, disrespectful, and avoiding admitting to anything. 
"We've got two minutes," Eric says setting his watch. 
He motions for the guards to inject Aries.  Aries looks surprised at the serum. 
"What is that?" he asks confused. 
"Truth serum, of course," Ryan says tauntingly with a laugh at the end. 
"That's not real," Aries denies. 
"I would beg to differ," Lydia replies. 
"Are you serious?" Aries says freaking out.  He's attempting to avoid the guards but he's restrained in his chair by the bonds. 
"I told you not to lie," Lydia says. 
He's held down and injected. He goes slack.  Eric starts the countdown.  He asks the questions.  Aries tells the truth.  He was ecstatic that I wasn't with Eric.  He was searching for me.  He assumed I was drinking and hoping my guard was down. He knew I rejected him but he thought I was just playing games.  He thought I was doing some sort of dominatrix behavior.  He admits he enjoys BDSM and thought I'd be one of the fun ones.  I'm gaping in horror as he continues. 
"Tris isn't interested.  Will you stay away?" Eric asks. 
"She's obviously interested.  You don't know what you're talking about," Aries denies. 
"I am not interested in you.  Eric is my boyfriend.  I love him and have no interest in anyone else—especially someone as loose in their morals as you," I tell him. 
"That can't be true," he persists. 
"And yet it is," Eric says tauntingly. 
"What you said just now absolutely disgusts me," I state seriously.  "I wasn't interested before and now I might just take the longest course necessary to avoid you altogether in passing."
"You can't be serious," he says disbelievingly. 
"And yet she is," Eric says mockingly.  "Are you going to stay away from my girl or do we need further disciplinary measures?"
"Fine.  If she's not interested, no biggie," he shrugs.  "There's plenty who are."
"You understand that you've crossed the line and disobeyed a faction leader.  You put your hands on her without her permission. She ordered you to release her and you didn't. You've already been imprisoned.  If you do it again, you're out," Eric states. 
"Out of what?" Aries asks. 
"This faction," Eric responds. 
"You can't do that," he denies. 
"Yes, he can," Lydia says quickly.  "Answer the question.  Tell them you'll stay away from Tris in the future."
"Fine.  I'll stay away from her," he says surprised. 
"Ryan?" Eric waves a dismissive hand in Aries's direction. 
Ryan grins and starts asking the most perverse things I've ever heard.  I blush and cover my ears.  I'm horrified by the things Aries has done.  When it looks like the serum has worn off I remove my hands. 
"I hadn't realized she was so shy," Aries says surprised. 
"Former Abnegation," Jude states. 
"No way.  Really?" he questions in shock. 
"I told you not to talk like that in front of a lady," Max says smacking Ryan in the back of the head. 
"I didn't hear much, Max," I admit.  "But what I did horrified me."
"Are you a virgin?" Aries asks me.  He actually sounds remorseful. 
"Her home faction didn't allow physical contact.  What do you think, genius?" Lydia says. 
"Man," he responds in awe.  "I've never had one of those."
"And you never will," Ryan mocks. 
Eric laughs at that, hard and long.  He actually gets up and high fives his best friend. 
"You do realize... you're kind of a dirty old man compared to her.  You're double her age and you're excessively promiscuous.  The good girls in this faction want to steer clear of guys like you and not be pestered continuously," Max states. 
Aries looks confused. 
"Before your time, this faction was not so loose—people mostly just stayed in the confines of marriage," Jude says. 
Aries scoffs at that. 
"It's true," Max agrees. 
"My mom left here. She thought that people fornicating in the hallway was disgusting," I add. 
"She also left to be with your father, though," Max adds.  I look to him.  "It was obvious she and Andrew fell in love."
I smile in reply. 
"You and Eric look just like they did together," he confides. 
I touch my heart so moved by that. 
"I never realized she was so boring.  I guess I had her pegged all wrong," Aries says. 
"Well at least you're acknowledging that we wouldn't suit," I reply trying not to be insulted. 
"Eh, maybe someday he'll grow up and stop taking his pants down for every girl that passes like the child he is," Eric says and I try not to laugh.  "He's running out of time, though."
Even Jude laughs at that. 
"I'm not old," he denies. 
"You're in the fighting league," Jude tells him.  "You've got maybe ten more years tops.  You better figure out what else you want to do because nobody comes to watch the washed up old villains."
Aries frowns at that. 
"It's time to apologize," Max tells him. 
Aries looks to me.  "I'm sorry.  I thought you were interested," Aries tells me. 
"Nope.  But apology accepted," I reply. 
"Anything else you want me to ask, sweetheart?" Eric questions. 
I shake my head. 
"Why didn't you do this yourself?" Aries asks me. 
I look to him.  "You realize I'm still in training, right?" I mention. 
"You seem kind of weak to me.  I don't know why they think women suit leadership," he responds. 
Lydia gasps offended. 
"I could've broken your arm the other day but I gave you the opportunity to let go of me," I reply. 
"No, you couldn't have," he disagrees. 
"Are all convicts this difficult?" I ask the others. 
"They're not normally this stupid.  Perhaps all the fighting knocked the common sense out of his head.  All that remains is picking fights and playing with girls," Max responds.  He sounds like he pities him.  He rises, so do the rest.
"Yeah, sad," I reply standing up. 
I go to step out but I see Lydia walking up to him.  She has security remove his restraints. 
"I saw how she had you.  She could've broken your arm.  I would've," Lydia tells him. 
"Whatever, Lydia.  You're nothing without your man," he insists as he rises, towering over her to intimidate. 
She grins smugly.  "I figured you'd say that," she replies.  She grabs his arm quickly and pulls it around just like I did... but actually does break it. 
"Two weeks for pissing me off... then whatever Eric wanted to add," she says walking away. 
Eric laughs at that.  "I'll let you know.  I haven't decided.  Perhaps I'll watch the recording and count the lies, then I'll add how many rude, offensive things he said.  He'll be lucky to see the light of day in less than a month."
"You can't be serious," Aries says gripping his broken arm. 
"I think in your downtime you need to learn how to treat your leaders.  You also should respect the ladies.  We'll reevaluate you when your time is up.  If you can't behave yourself by then you might be getting a ride to Factionless," Max shrugs.  "Then you'll need those nice, quiet married couples from Abnegation to feed you."
Max puts his arm around my back and escorts me out.  Eric is on my other side. 
"Should we get the medical staff down here?" Private Dallas asks saluting us. 
"Whenever you feel like it," Lydia says dismissively. 
"Yes, right away, please," I respond. 
He looks confused.  Eric nods to my order. 
"Yes, sir," he replies and calls the infirmary. 
We head into the elevator.  Lydia seems really upset.  Her arms are folded defensively.  The door closes. 
"I can't believe him.  He's always said those kinds of things to me... but he insisted he was joking," Lydia grumbles. 
"He's a liar clearly," Jude replies. 
"Hale is going to be so mad," she says. 
"At you?" I question. 
"No," she scoffs.  "When he found out what Aries did, he was enraged.  I bet when he gets back there will be an unscripted fight."
"We could get tickets to that," Eric laughs jokingly. 
I grin in reply. 
We return to the office. I go through the stack of newspapers on Eric's desk first, reading what's going on around the city.  Candor quotes Erudite mistakes and elaborates on them in their most recent editions.  They also call their opinion reporting foolishness. 
Dauntless has information about our patrols—citing comparative statistics from past incidents to more recent ones.  They're on the rise. There's a section devoted to a questionnaire since Will promised and Abnegation confirmed that we were first to complete the census.  There are several questions about Eric and me—wondering how things are going with us and speculating about our future.  There are a few others dealing with future initiations and Will responds that leadership is looking to change the setup and requirements for the future.  He explains that we're planning for it to be more like what the founding fathers intended listing off a few of our ideas—more trainers, more attention, longer training time, the use of points for ranking and job selection but not necessarily elimination if the individual is genuinely trying. 
Amity's paper lists about the plants harvested currently.  I'm looking forward to trying out some of those vegetables I've never heard of.  There's also an article about how there haven't been any issues with predators.  They thank Dauntless for bringing this time of peace about at their farms.  They cite that the treatment Erudite concocted for a rampant insect is working wonderfully to deter the pests.  There are several larger animals birthed as well, mostly they're just listed by numbers but the horses are all given names. 
Erudite is listing that they're planning on doing filmed reports within the next month and releasing them nightly.  I raise my eyebrow in surprise at that. 
Abnegation has a double edition with statistics about the census.  It's mostly just numbers with a few details highlighted in articles.  All details are available for faction leaders but the most common are listed for the city to view. I see information about how the quantities of food delivered to each faction is more than adequate with the exception of Erudite.  Their distributed quantities are slightly below what they currently require so it will be adjusted effective immediately.  The first shipments go out this morning and should arrive with delivery of their newspapers.  It also states that the census will be run every decade from now on and if any faction has future issues, to let Abnegation know so that proper changes can be made in a timely manner.  If situations do arise that are determined to require another census, it may be conducted once more out of turn—possibly on a smaller scale and within the faction experiencing problems.  It will be handled on a case by case basis, though.  I think that sounds feasible. 
I go on to read another article in Abnegation's paper.  It does mention the concern of Dauntless's primarily male population and that Abnegation has several ideas they're currently discussing.  I wonder what they're thinking of implementing... 
I return back to the Factionless counts and it specifies that only a small percentage of their faction participated in the census—those who hold jobs and those who receive food regularly.  There is a small paragraph explaining that most of Factionless does not work or receive handouts.  Those numbers were unable to be determined since they did not participate. 
I set it down and see Eric beside me reading another.  He hums in surprise and looks to me. 
"Jack is not pleased," he mentions. 
"When it comes to your aunt, he never is anymore," I nod in agreement. 
"Did you read what Erudite had to say?" I inquire. 
"Not yet," he shakes his head. 
I hand it over to him and he raises his eyebrows in surprise.  "Looks like they've found a new way to spew out their propaganda regularly," he states. 
I chuckle at that but it's true.  They're really pushing their opinions. 
He reads the rest and I sit beside him as he does so. I admire him—how attractive he truly is as well as caring and considerate. He handled the situation today quite well without becoming petty, jealous, or aggressive. He was quite mature—opposite to the man we spoke with. Aries was rather childish and immature in his behavior. He's definitely a person to watch out for. I'm certain that he will be on leadership's list of suspicious individuals to monitor for quite some time in the future. If he would've just apologized and left it at that, he likely would've been released—well, with the exception of the lies... and rudeness. But he went on to insult Lydia and me... and the men for appointing us. He must've thought we would've done nothing to him and that we're pushovers. I guess he'll learn that's not the case.
Eric sets the papers down and kisses me gently before returning to his desk and working on his stack of paperwork. I continue with mine where I left off on Friday. I complete a substantial portion of what's left. Near to lunchtime, Eric asks me if I want to do something different for lunch.
"Sure. What'd you have in mind?" I ask.
He smirks in reply.
I'm wondering what he's planning...