Learning to Trust

Chapter 39 - Beatrice

I hear Bea whimper quietly, and Tris quickly looks to Caleb, clearly not noticing his presence since she was looking at me. Her eyes lie on the baby carrier which faces the opposite direction from her so she can't see Bea on the inside.

I walk up to Tris and greet her, wrapping her in a light embrace. She puts her chin on my shoulder and hugs me back, smiling again when we separate.

"We brought a special someone to meet you today, Tris." Caleb comes across the room and also hugs his sister.

I go over to the baby carrier next to Andrew to see my very irritated-looking daughter. Lightly, I pick her up in my arms, still just hovering her over the carrier.

She squirms and full out wails as I lift her up towards my chest.

Oh no.

"Shhh. Let's go meet your Aunt Tris. She can't wait to meet you." I bounce Bea lightly in my arms.

I sure hope this goes okay.

Before I walk across the room, I kind of just stand there.

Do I walk across the room and give my sister-in-law my screaming, wailing daughter, letting this be the first time they meet and have it turn out scary and bad?

Or do I try to calm my daughter down, then give her to her?

I am about to go and step into the hall to calm her down, but then my mind flashes back.

All of us are in our cells trapped in this building of hell. Bullets are being shot, beatings are given, and Natalie is looking like she's going to go into labor.

David comes in, angry as can be. He drags a beaten, bloody woman behind him.

That woman is Tris.

"What the hell did you do to my sister?!" Caleb screams at David.

"Why?! What did she ever do to you? You are a--" I fall silent when I hear a bullet click into his gun.

He points the gun at me through the bars of the cell. Automatically, my hand goes to my enlarged abdomen, wanting to protect my small daughter inside of me in any way possible.

"No!" Tris screams, standing up the best she can, holding onto the bars of the cell for support, and to keep her from falling.

"No, Tris!" I yell at her, but it's already too late.

David points the gun at her and shoots.

"One. For the girl speaking up." The bullet sinks into the back of her already injured left calf.

"Two." The bullet sinks into the center of the front of her calf. "For being stupid and speaking up when you shouldn't have."

Her hands grip the bars tightly, but she does not fall, and she does not scream.

"David! Please! Don't shoot her! Please stop!" I scream, sobbing. She can't take much more of this, and if she bleeds any more, I'm almost positive she will die.

"And three. For the baby. And how all three of you should be dead." He shoots and the bullet sinks into her left ankle, right in between the bones by the ligament between her foot and ankle.

David walks away, slamming the door behind him. Tris continues to stand, her head pressed up on the bars and her hands shaking as they grip the bars so tightly in pure pain.

Then she falls.


If it wasn't for her taking those three bullets, the wailing child in my hands would not be here right now.

Cautiously, I walk over to the hospital bed, carrying my withering daughter in my arms. I stand next to Tris's bed and she smiles at me.

"Want to hold her?" I ask.

"Yes." She croaks, nodding her head, tears already brimming her eyes.

I lightly had her Beatrice and it doesn't even take Tris two seconds to gasp.

Well, I mean, it kind of is her face... I'd imagine she'd recognize it sooner than anyone else.

Beatrice stops wailing immediately once in her Aunt's arms. She silently looks up at her while Tris looks at her, quietly running her thumb over Bea's small cheek and nose.

She looks up at Caleb, then me, then back at Bea.

She's speechless.

And not just because she can't really speak too well either.

Caleb reaches his hand to mine and I take his hand. I rest my head on his shoulder as Tris adores over Beatrice. Very subtly, Caleb takes his phone out of his pocket and snaps a picture of the two without them looking.

My heart melts when Beatrice coos at Tris, reaching her tiny hand up at Tris's face. Tris smiles bigger than I've seen since she's been back, taking Bea's small hand in hers.

After a little time, Tris looks up at us.

"Wh--What's her n-name?"

I look up at Caleb and he looks at me.

"You tell her." I whisper lightly to him.

He takes a deep breath and then smiles.

"Beatrice," he starts. "Meet Beatrice."

I watch Tris for her reaction, but it takes her longer than I expected.

She looks down at Beatrice, then up at Caleb and I, then at Beatrice again.

"No." She says in disbelief.

"Beatrice, not only have you saved Cara and my lives more than once, but you've also saved Beatrice's life too; even before she was born. It's literally the smallest thing we could do and--" he stops short.

I feel my cheeks get hot as I see small tears run down Tris's face as she caresses Bea's cheek.

"H-Hi Beatrice. I'm your Aunt Beatrice." I hear Tris say so quietly to Bea.

There wasn't a dry eye in the room from that point on.

"Thank you." Tris looks up at Caleb and I. "Y-You really didn't--"

"No." Caleb cuts her off. "Thank you. If it wasn't for you, she wouldn't be here, so thank you."

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