Tara's POV
It was midafternoon and the daycare was bussing. Tara loved her job here and couldn't picture herself working somewhere more typical dauntless like fence guarding or the tattoo parlor. Out of her peripheral vision she caught sight of an adult in the room, his huge form clearly sticking out and looking up she could see it was their youngest leader.
'What could he possibly want here?' She wondered walking over.
"Eric, what can I do for you?"
"Are you Tara?" Eric asked in is usual stern tone.
"Yes, that's me. I'm also in charge here." He knew her name? She never thought he would bother himself with learning names of people like her. People who had jobs that weren't very dauntless, that is. She always assumed he would feel far too superior for that.
"Good. I want to get my child enrolled."
'What? Did he just say he want to enroll his child?' She felt flabbergasted until it hit her. Eric had made a joke. Who'd ever know their ruthless leader had such a deadpan humor?'
Tara laughed out loud.
"I never knew you were one to joke around." Still laughing she added: "Seriously now, what do you want?"
"I want to get my son enrolled in daycare." Eric glared at her.
Tara sobered up.
'He was serious. But Eric didn't have a child. Or did he? Now she remembered a rumor she heard some time ago. Someone told a story of someone else who had claimed she saw Eric with a child. They all had laughed at that. But the story went even further apparently Eric had carried the child while it had buried his head into his shoulder. They had laughed even harder. As if Eric would ever show that amount of affection. After this first rumor there had been others. One time he had just been walking the corridors with a kid and some even claimed he had been seen at the playground. But apparently those rumors had been true. A part of it that is, for she still believed Eric would never show that amount of affection to anyone.
"Wait, those rumors are true?" She blurted out much to her embarrassment. 'Way to go, Tara.'
Now Eric looked truly incensed.
In an acerbic and iced tone Eric replied: "I don't know which rumors you are talking about, as I am well aware there are plenty."
Tara could hear he was slightly bitter.
"I'm sorry, Eric." Tare apologized.
His eyes bored into hers searchingly. Apparently he found what he was looking for, since he gave her a short nod to indicate her apology was accepted.
Feeling relieved she tried to stay on his good side: "Come with me so we can fill out the forms. I need his age, name and a way to contact you in case something happens."
At the last point he looked at her sharp.
"I mean if he gets sick or something like that."
Eric nodded. "His name is Ted. Ted Coulter."
'So it really was his child.' The last doubts of who this mysterious child might be leaving her mind.
Eric continued with his information: "He is three and a half. If you need to contact me just call the leaders office. If I'm not there they will know how to contact me."
Finishing the form Tara handed it over to him.
"Anything else, we need to know? Allergies or something?"
"He has no allergies I'm aware of."
Eric had signed the form and there was only one thing left to ask:
"So what time would you drop him off and collect him?"
"What's the earliest I can drop him off?"
Glooming about the fact the Eric was going to be one of those parents who'd get rid of their child as long as possible, Tara answered aloof: "We would be open from 7 am to 7 pm. Most children will come at 7:30 and collected during the afternoon." To clarify things she added: "Normally only those who come in late would stay late due to their parents' schedule." Perhaps that would give him a hint. Halas, Eric didn't seem fazed in the slightest. Pour Ted.
"I will have to drop him off early in the morning. The times for collecting will differ. I also will come to fetch him during his stay if I am able to get a long enough break."
'What?' Again Tara had to correct her assumptions about their so called ruthless leader. He was the first parent ever who'd want to spent time with their child during work break.
"Well that unusual." Tara though pleased and then noticed she said it out loud.
Shortly after Eric left and right when he had walked around the corner, the others came over.
"So it's true, he has a kid?"
"I can't believe it!"
"Poor kid. I bet he's glaring him into submission."
"Glaring? You think he'd stop at that?"
Whoa! She had to pull a stop to it right now.
"Stop." Tara said sternly. "None of us knows him offside of leadership. So I don't want to hear any badmouthing, let alone will I tolerate you getting your fantasies running wild, Cara! Did I make myself clear?"
Cara nodded.
Good. Usually Cara was a good kid but one of her weaknesses were that she believed easily in rumor and alas, there has been enough bad rumors about Eric along with his cold and harsh way with people, which didn't show him in a positive light. "You will, along with everyone else, know soon enough how he treats his son. If he mistreats him I will talk to the other leaders about it."
And that she would. These children were her responsibility. Although by the way had reacted earlier she was fairly sure Eric would do no such things, at least not knowingly.
.
.
A week has passed and today Eric would bring his son for the first time. Tara had a hard time with her crew. Some of them were simply exited while Cara had gone ahead of herself a few more times due to rumors she heard and her past experience during initiation. Cara had been in initiation after Eric had just made leader and apparently had been borderline cruel while Jessie had been in last year's class. According to her Eric hadn't been cruel but very strict and simply short tempered at times.
They were just about to open up when Eric arrived. Holding onto his hand was a cute looking boy with a nervous look in his eyes. He had blue eyes and his fair hair matched Eric's.
"Tara." Eric greeted her.
"Eric." She said coming over. "You are early."
"I told you as much." Eric sounded annoyed. Then he turned to his son and Tara couldn't help but notice the change in his voice: "Teddy, this is Tara. I told you about her."
"Hi Tara." The boy greeted her politely in a small voice.
Teddy seemed to be rather shy. She'd never had guessed a son of Eric could be shy. Tara crouched down to make him more comfortable:
"Hi Teddy. The other children will be here in some time. Until then I'm sure we will have some fun together."
Standing up again she hold out her hand so he could take it, like she did with every new child but much to her astonishment Teddy seemed only to cling tighter to Eric. That was a first. Never had a dauntless child shied away from her. She filed it away for further survey. Due to his reputation she expected Eric to get angry at Teddy. At least she expected him to scold him for being fearful and readied herself to intervene if necessary. Much to her astonishment Eric got down on one knee so that he would face his son and started talking to him in low warm voice she'd never harmonized with his reputation.
She could see Teddy listening attentive, then nodding earnestly at Eric before he let go of his father's hand.
"Now give me a hug." Tara heard him say and she knew by now she must be staring. Right before her kneed their so called ruthless leader giving his son a tight hug that would have made the Amity proud.
"Okay. Now have fun." He said, straitening up and like that Teddy came over taking her hand.
Of cause Eric had caught them starring, though he simply rolled his eyes hat them without giving them a snide remark. Instead he simply said goodbye to his son:
"Bye Teddy."
"Bye Eric."
Hu? Why did Teddy call his father by his given name? That was odd and definitely something she would look into.
.
.
Eric's POV
While he stood on the rooftop waiting for the initiates to arrive, Eric's mind wandered to Teddy. Dropping Teddy of this morning hadn't gone without obstacle, but in the end Teddy had stayed there willingly. He had talked about going to daycare with Teddy several times to prepare him. Told him he would get him any time if something happened. He even went as far as to tell him some of his own memories. Of cause daycare at Erudite had been very different at what he had seen at Dauntless, so he had to stick to some more neutral memories then his science-for-kids lessons. He wondered why Teddy, who had been all exited, seemed suddenly a little afraid. Perhaps it had been because there weren't any other kids there at that time, something Teddy had looked forward to.
At midmorning Eric had to hold himself back from looking after Teddy. Sean, with whom he had been in a meeting at that time, had eyed him with a knowing smirk. Eric huffed at the memory. Of cause, Sean had been there and done that. In the end Eric hadn't giving into his urge to check, at which Sean had given him an acknowledging pad on the back. Also, Eric had promised Teddy to come to check on him at lunchtime and that he would do. It would be the right thing to do since Teddy wasn't used to be away from him for a longer time. There would be those days were he wouldn't have time for him within office hours but this day wasn't one of it.
Eric heard the train arriving and went to his usual spot on the roof so he could get a good first impression on this year's initiates. He put on in best leader-face while the initiates jumped out of the train and chattered excitedly on their way over.
"Quit!" He boomed, at which the dauntless born immediately fell quit followed by the transfers shortly after. Apparently he hadn't lost his touch. Eric smirked inwardly before he continued:
"My name is Eric. I'm one of the leaders. Dauntless welcomes you, but if you want to get into dauntless this is your only way in." With that he pointed down the roof to the hole and like every year the initiates looked at him wide eyed, some of them with more fear, some only slightly scared.
"So who's first?"
.
.
It had taken a while but about half an hour later everyone had jumped, well everyone but one. Eric looked at the kid. It was a lanky and skinny boy from Amity of all factions.
"Any time now, initiate." Eric addressed him.
The boy looked him in the eye but didn't move.
'What was up with him? He seemed to be stuck.'
Later Eric would wonder why he did it, coming up with different reasons. Truth was, the boy reminded him of Ethan as a kid. Eric sighed.
"What's your name, initiate?" He asked resigned.
"Tom, Sir."
"Now Tom, care to tell me what's up?"
There was pause before Tom answered quietly: "I'm afraid of heights, Sir."
"Dauntless isn't about being fearless Tom. It is about overcoming your fears. So now is the time to get rid of it."
Tom nodded getting slightly closer to the edge.
Eric had to make a decision. He could start training here and help the boy or he could leave him, which would most likely ended with Tom not jumping and becoming factionless.
There would be plenty of opportunities to get him cut later if he wasn't fit for dauntless. So what harm would be done if he gave him a little mental push?
"All right Tom. Imagine your family down there. Your little sister perhaps?"
"Lillifee." Tom added.
'Lillifee? That was, well Amity.' Eric had to hold back a scoff. He tried to come up with a realistic scenario for Amity. "So Lillifee is down there and she needs your help. There is no one there to help her. Either you jump down and rescue her or she will be slaughtered by wild animals."
That seemed to be the right thing to say. He could see the Tom getting a look of determination on his face. Slowly but steadily he was approaching the edge and climbing up.
Shit. He seemed to get stuck again.
"Lillifee." Eric reminded him and was rewarded when Tom took a huge breath and jumped down. Who cared, that he screamed his guts out while falling?
.
.
The tour around the compound was finished and the initiates along with the instructors had a lunch break. Time to visit Teddy.
Like before he could hear the children's chatter from afar. Coming closer Eric noticed the children were setting the table for lunch. Well the older ones anyway. The younger ones like Teddy only carried small things and unbreakable ones like little plastic cups. After setting his cup down Teddy turned around looking at the entrance.
Did he look for him?
Getting closer Eric noticed, that Teddy's eyes did look like he had been crying recently.
'What the hec? What happened?' The only good thing was that he didn't appear to be in any distress now.
Then Teddy's eyes landed on him and his face lit up. "Eric!" Teddy screamed running to him.
Tara's POV
So far Teddy had seemed to settle in well. He even made friends in a little girl, Anna, and another boy named Chris. Of cause there were too young to really play together yet but they set together and talked with one another. By now it was nearly lunch and Teddy seemed to get restless. He kept looking to the door ever so often.
"Teddy, what are you looking for?"
"Eric."
"Why are you looking for your daddy?"
Teddy looked at her with obvious confusion.
"No, Eric. Who's Daddy?"
Now it was Tara's turn to be confused. Didn't Teddy know the term 'daddy'?
"Daddy is not a name, like your name, Teddy, or like mine, Tara. It is what kids call their fathers."
"O, like Papa?"
The old fashion term wasn't something she ever expected hearing in dauntless. Tara was getting more and more curious.
"Exactly like that. So why are looking for your papa?"
"Not Papa. Eric. Papa is dead." Teddy's eyes began to water.
O no no no. Frac!
It was obvious she had unknowingly dropped a brick. Tara tried to comfort the boy who luckily seemed to calm down after a while. She set him up to some light chore in order to prepare for lunch and saw him looking at the entrance again and again.
While busying herself with her own chores she contemplated what she knew now. Apparently Teddy's father had died and his mother had to be dead too or out of the picture in any other way. It must have been then, that Eric adopted the boy. She realized now Eric never giving her the name of Ted's mother. Then she remembered the couple whose death had been celebrated recently. That must have been them. They must have been very close friends of Eric's for him to adopt their child.
The dinner table was almost set when suddenly she heard Teddy cry out: "Eric."
Looking up she saw him approaching with a smile on his face looking at Teddy running towards him, but suddenly the leader turned his head giving her his famous glare. She should have known his good mood wouldn't last. The glare was gone the moment he refocused on Teddy. Smiling again he scoped the boy up and after talking with him for a short while Eric came over to her with his glare again firm in place:
"What happened?"
"Nothing happened. He..."
"Don't play dumb with me." Eric cut in, his voice cold. "You think I'm stupid? He's been crying."
Although Tara could slightly understand where he was coming from, she felt affronted. However, she had to keep in mind who she was answering to: One of her leaders, who was short tempered and apparently cared a lot about his adopted son.
"Just let me explain."
Eric continued to face her irked, but motioned with his hand for her to go ahead.
"Earlier Teddy started looking at the entrance again and again, so I went over to ask him who he was looking for. When he answered - you, I asked him why, since you hadn't mentioned that you would come for him at lunchtime."
Eric gave her an annoyed look: "I told you the day I enlisted him, I'd come for him during daytime."
"That you did. Only normally a parent would inform us, when the child is dropped off in the morning."
"I won't be able to tell you every time beforehand." He replied still annoyed "And you still haven't explained the 'nothing' that happened."
Tara told herself to calm down.
"While I talked to him I referred to you as 'Daddy'..." Tara could see Eric tensing. "At first he wasn't familiar with the term but once I explained it to him he told me his parents were dead."
"Nothing more?" Eric seemed still tense about it.
"That's it." She noticed Eric relaxing slightly. "I take it you adopted him?"
"Yeah and I advise you not to pry into it." His no nonsense voice gave her the chills. "If something like this comes up again, you come get me."
"Of cause."
"If anything else comes, you treat him like any of the others."
Now that she liked. Finally he was showing some kind of confidence in her.
"So I've come to gather Teddy for today."
With that Eric turned and walked over to his son, told him to say goodbye and like that there were gone.