mended vs. settLed (a FOURTRIS love story)

Chapter 16: A Third Opinion

Chapter 16: A Third Opinion

^^ Later that morning ^^

*Tobias POV*

The first thing I did after hearing Tris out and agreeing to join her on this mission was toss our cell phones into our water glasses at the diner table. As we want to operate in secret we have decided that we need to keep a low profile as to not alert anyone to our suspicions or our investigation. Part of me worries that Tris carried her cell phone with her as she traveled to Chicago, but she assured me she had not turned it on even once since leaving the bureau. Straight from the diner I was able to secure us burner phones that I purchased with cash. She and I will need to remain in constant contact as there will be times we need to split up.

After our brainstorming session and a good breakfast Tris and I started the day. The most important decision we came to was the understanding that in order to find the truth about the baby we had to first solve the mystery of who was behind the abduction and then testing of all of the Genetically Pure women. Through my position on Johanna's team I had already been granted access to the confidential files that the top politicians were given to keep them informed. I had grabbed my secured laptop before meeting Tris at the diner early this morning.

I know that the romantic phase of our lives are past us, now more than ever. I think back to our conversation about the baby.

++o++

Tris takes a bite of her mango and I see the smile that crosses her face, she is beautiful. It is one of the newer fruits that was introduced to Chicago after communication with the outside world started. Tris was not here to see that.

For the first time in months she seems happy. More at ease.

"What are you thinking about?" she raises her eyebrows at me, "You look happy."

I chuckle as she just made the same observation about me.

"For months things between us have been so strained, sitting here with you now...I just like to see you happy," I say as I genuinely smile at her. For the first time the constant desperation I felt to win her back is gone. I've accepted where we are now. She smiles at me too.

Tris clears her throat before speaking, "You did the right thing, letting me go. If we do have a baby, we will need to figure out how to co-parent and I hope we can do it without hurt feelings between us. That last time we spoke at the bureau...I just knew that you were finally done with me. We're both different people now, we just didn't work." Her face is calm, I am unable to read her emotions, if they are in fact there.

I look at her as I try to keep my face neutral. She has no idea how much I still love her. I will love her for the rest of my life, but she is right. We have turned into people who aren't good...together. I regret that things ended the way that they did. I was angry and hurt, seeing her engagement ring was a hard pill to swallow. I said hateful things, I said things that just weren't true.

It has been weeks since our fight and saying goodbye. She is still planning her wedding and wearing his ring. I must have misunderstood her silence at the gym during our fight. I thought it meant that she still loved me, that she cared, but was hurting or scared to let herself trust me. I guess she really was just relieved I was going to leave her alone and go back to Chicago. I swallow the knot that has formed in my throat.

I hate that I am not over her. And I still want her, and only her. James and his damn pictures... I was moments away from running back to her and taking it all back. I was going to tell her that I wasn't giving up and I never would.