*

The meeting went smoothly and Ana was soon caught up on everything Jeanine planned to do. She wanted to eliminate Abnegation, solely for the belief that they would eventually ruin the faction system and were harboring Divergents.

Ana wanted to warn her friends and thought of any way to get them out of it before realizing that it would be too dangerous for them.

Jeanine had ordered Ana to stick with Eric and Max since she was new to the leadership role. The three of them would patrol the streets, looking for potential Divergents. If any were spotted, they were to be shot on sight.

Meanwhile, the rest of the faction would operate under the serum that they had been injected with. They were to line up the Abnegations in the street before executing each of them when Jeanine gave the order.

Panic was a permanent feeling in Ana's veins now. She thought of Naomi and her new life in Abnegation. She thought of Tris' parents.

The plan that each of the leaders had come up with to take Jeanine down wasn't simple. Max had hoped that she'd keep someone in the control room with her, but the woman made it clear that no one was to bother her or the other Erudites.

With less than a few hours until the beginning, the leaders were at a loss when trying to figure out how to get in the compound. Their guns would be too loud but a fight may be enough to cause a distraction, depending on how many guards Jeanine had outside.

"It's too bad Tris wasn't offered a leadership position." Ana said to Eric and Max in the safety of her apartment. At Eric's curious stare, she continued. "She's from Abnegation, so she probably knows it like the back of her hand. She could've found another way inside."

Eric was quiet as he contemplated. He sat on Ana's couch, forearms on his knees and fingers entwined. She frowned at him after a moment, taking in the tight line of his lips. "What?"

He sighed, taking his hand up to his eyes. "If Jeanine is occupied with whatever she's doing in her room, one of us could sneak off and find a way around."

"Unless she has cameras." Max stated, leaning against the kitchen counter. "If she notices one thing out of place, you will become a target."

"Then we all stick together and look for a way in while we do our job." Ana said, reaching up to twist at her hair.

"We have other people looking into it also." Max said. "This is going to work out the way we want it to. All we have to do is show up tonight."

He pushed himself off the counter and stepped close to Ana, reaching out to squeeze her shoulder briefly. "Leave the worrying to everyone else, okay?"

She smiled at him with tight lips, nails digging into her fingertips as she watched him leave her apartment. Her palms felt sweaty, and she sighed, reaching up to slap a hand to her forehead.

"He's right, Ana." Eric's voice was quiet but firm as he spoke. He patted the seat next to him and Ana moved, sitting with her thigh touching his own. Eric wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled Ana into his side. "We've been planning this for weeks now. It'll go the way it's supposed to."

"I just..." She stopped and shook her head. "There's too many things that could go wrong."

"And there's a lot of things that could go right." He answered, easily. "Max is right, you need to stop worrying."

Ana didn't reply, instead moving her eyes to the clock on the stove. It was close to eleven now and Jeanine wanted everyone in the compound by six that morning. Eric kissed Ana's shoulder, pulling her out of her thoughts once more.

"Let's try and get some sleep before tomorrow." He suggested.

"I won't be able to sleep tonight." Ana whispered, feeling too wired to even try to sleep now.

"Just try." Eric kissed her shoulder again before moving up to her cheek. "Lying in bed is better than sitting out here and thinking about every worse case scenario."

Ana twisted, meeting Eric's eyes. His lips quirked up at her, but she could see how tired he looked, too. She closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against his own. "Fine."

Eric stood first, grabbing Ana's hand as he did and pulling her up behind him. She shuffled behind the man with her hand tucked in his. The bedroom was dark when they entered and neither bothered to turn the lights on.

Ana dropped Eric's hand to go to her dresser. She pulled out her own pajamas while Eric changed into his own behind her. They changed in silence, each of their minds too occupied.

Eric was already in bed when Ana finished changing. His eyes were closed hands tucked behind his head. Ana crawled in next to him, placing her head under his chin. One of Eric's arms wrapped around her, squeezing her in close.

"I'll wake you up when it's time to go." Eric whispered, lips pressing to Ana's head. "Get some sleep."

Ana closed her eyes, content in the safety on Eric's arms.

*

She must have fallen asleep at some point because, next thing she knew, Eric was shaking her awake.

He was already dressed in an outfit full of black, his blonde hair slicked back as usual. "You have to get up, Ana. It's almost six."

Ana grunted, her stomach already filling with nerves. She pushed herself up after a moment, rubbing her eyes as she placed her feet on the floor. Eric pressed some clothing into her hands. "Come on."

She dressed quietly into her own black outfit, just shrugging her on her own jacket when Eric offered her a cup of coffee. While she didn't like the taste of the bitter beverage, Ana drank it anyway, hoping that it woke her up a little more.

They were out the door five minutes later, walking down the dim hallways towards the Pit. Max joined them a moment later, the three of them shooting each other knowing looks.

The Pit was already buzzing by the time the three got down there. Jeanine and her team of Erudites were nowhere to be found, instead busying themselves by setting up in Abnegation.

It was up to the leaders of Dauntless to get everyone going.

"Jeanine said she was starting the simulation at six." Max said when they finally gathered together. More leaders came to them, each of them dressed in black leather and each of them sporting various expressions of nerves. "We have five minutes."

"We need to think of a plan, Max." One of the men, Harry, whispered. His voice shook as he spoke. "She didn't call a single Dauntless into the compound with her."

"We have a plan." Max answered back, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "The people who need to know what to do, know."

Ana frowned, wondering why Max hadn't mentioned that last night. "Then what do we do?"

"Act as if everything is normal." The leader shrugged. "You each have your roles, and I've talked to each of you about what they are."

All he had told her to do was stick by his and Eric's side. She frowned at him, but she had to trust that Max and Eric knew what they were doing.

The sound of shuffling footsteps had the group breaking up. Max moved to a cart full of guns and began to hand them out. Ana gripped hers tightly, her palms already clammy.

Her heart began to beat harder in her chest when she saw the first group of Dauntless members. Their facial expressions were completely blank, eyes staring straight ahead as they walked.

Ana watched as they grabbed their own guns from Max and Harry before moving to stand in multiple single-file lines. She shifted closer to Eric. "What do we do?"

"Watch for Divergents." He whispered, shooting her an apologetic look. "Ana, we will have to do what we were told to do here."

Her grip tightened on her gun, and she hoped that Tris was not actually Divergent. There was no way she could shoot her friend.

Ana tried her best not to look through the growing crowds of Dauntless. She felt guilty for not telling Christina, Will, and Tris about what was happening today, and she didn't want to see them under the simulation.

They were nearing the end when someone finally came forward. Ana had never seen him before, a blonde boy who seemed only a few years older than her. Eric's jaw clenched when he spotted the boy moving through the crowds.

"Hey!" The blonde shouted, his brown eyes wide with panic. "What're we doing?"

"There's nothing to worry about." Eric stepped forward, his lips pulled into a cruel smile.

Ana looked away as he pulled the trigger and the boy slumped onto the floor.

When she looked back at Eric, his eyes were downcast on the boy, jaw still clenched tightly. She reached forward and grabbed his hand with her hand, squeezing until he looked at her. "It'll be over soon enough."

Eric merely raised an eyebrow. "Let's go."

Each leader helped rally the Dauntless into train cars. Ana felt slimy the entire time, eager for the moment they could shut down Jeanine's plan. The train car began to move slowly as Ana found her way towards Eric.

They stood along the wall, the door of the train car separating them. Ana's sharp eyes searched the crowds this time, narrowing when they landed on Four. Beside him stood Tris, who looked just as still as everyone else, and Ana breathed a sigh of relief.

They arrived in Abnegation sooner than Ana would've liked and the sun was just rising as she helped Dauntless out of the trains. Other members of Erudite were walking around now, likely making sure that nothing was out of place.

As soon as everyone was off the train, the Dauntless members immediately set out in the direction of the houses. Ana allowed herself to watch for a moment, allowed herself to feel afraid of what could possibly happen, before clearing her expression and squaring her shoulders.

Max was right. They all knew what they had to do now.

She joined the two leaders and the three began to patrol their area. Ana observed the area they were in, trying to figure out who was nearby. Her, Eric, and Max had been placed right outside the Erudite compound, which would've been convenient if a Dauntless leader was inside with Jeanine.

It wasn't long until members of Abnegation began to fill the square. Ana's heart clenched in her chest at the sight of their worried faces. Some were crying openly, others demanding to know what was happening as they were shoved to their knees.

Eric caught Ana's eye, his own stony and cold. This was happening faster than they'd anticipated and they needed something to happen fast.

Max seemed like he was getting restless, too. His pacing was smooth, but his hands were clenching into fists at his sides, his jaw working furiously. More and more people were showing up, their cries and shouts getting louder as they argued.

It all seemed like it would finally work out the moment Ana saw Tris and Four.

Ana pushed past Eric and rushed towards Tris, holding her gun up as if she was going to shoot. "I'm not going to shoot. Put your guns down."

"We will as soon as you do." Tris answered, both her and Four armed and ready to defend themselves. Tris' hair was falling out of her ponytail, her eyes red-rimmed. "What are you doing?"

"We need you to trust us." Ana told her, not bothering to acknowledge Max or Eric as they came up behind her. "I know you don't know what's happening, but we have a plan to stop Jeanine. We just need a way in."

Her friend looked skeptical, and it didn't help that Four was shaking his own head at her. Ana lowered her gun, not worried when she knew the men behind her had theirs raised. "Please Tris."

Tris studied Ana for a moment before sighing and lowering her gun. "Fine."

Ana's shoulders sagged in relief, and she moved forward to grab Tris by the arm while Eric grabbed Four. Four scowled at the three of them, obviously not thrilled with Tris' decision, but he followed anyway.

Max led the way to the door of the compound, knocking harshly against it. It opened a minute later, and Ana laughed in disbelief when she saw Peter's smug face. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Helping the cause." Was all Peter said before smirking over at Tris. "I always knew there was something off about you."

"Just let us in." Ana told him, glaring at the boy when he looked towards her. "I'm sure Jeanine will want to see them."

Peter shrugged and pulled the door open further, allowing the five of them to step inside. Ana looked around as she walked, forcing her face neutral as she eyed the screens of cameras along the wall.

Jeanine stood in front of them, dressed in a navy-blue dress with her arms at her sides. She turned away from the cameras when they walked in, her blonde brows arching in surprise. "What's this?"

"We found them walking around outside." Max answered. "We figured you'd want to see them."

Jeanine hummed. "Tobias Eaton and Beatrice Prior. Both prior Abnegation. Amazing."

Ana watched Jeanine as she came to stand in front of Tris. "I never would have guessed."

"What are you doing?" Tris asked and Jeanine began to smile. "Why target Abnegation?"

"Abnegation has been poisoning our faction system for some time now." Jeanine told her as she motioned towards her screens. "This is a way to ensure that they can't anymore. It also helps us to eliminate any Divergent they're hiding."

"The entire point of our faction system was to allow someone to conform to their faction, eliminate the practice of free-will." She continued to explain, and Ana narrowed her eyes at her. "Divergents threaten that system."

Ana didn't see how being a part of a faction took away any sense of free-will. Sure, the Aptitude test gave you your best option, but you still had a choice of where you would end up. You had a choice in who you became and what you did inside your faction.

"Don't get me wrong, there's a certain beauty in your resistance." Jeanine turned back towards them, her eyes darting between Ana and Four for a split second. "But it's a beauty we can't afford."

Four jumped next to Ana suddenly and she turned, eyes widening when she saw Peter injecting a serum into his neck. His expression turned blank, just like every other member of Dauntless outside and Ana's heart sunk.

"What'd you do to him?" Tris squirmed against Ana's hold, causing the girl to tighten her grip on her. They couldn't let this ruin their plan.

"Everything that makes up a person wiped by chemistry." Jeanine answered, her lips pulled into a smug grin. "He's gone."

Four ripped through Eric's grip, marching forward to stand next to Jeanine. He stared ahead at nothing, his arms loose by his sides as he waited for Jeanine to do something.

Beside her, Max and Eric raised their guns and Ana followed, dropping Tris from her grasp now. The girl shot her a look and Ana glanced between Tris and the gun on the ground, hoping she'd get the message.

Jeanine frowned at Max. "What are you doing?"

"What we should've done months ago." Max answered. "This is insanity, Jeanine. It needs to end."

"And it will." She said, motioning towards the screens behind her. Ana looked, her face paling when she caught sight of Naomi on the ground. Her black hair was loose around her shoulders, her tanned skin wet with tears.

Ana tightened her grip on her gun. "Not like this."

Something cold pressed against the back of her head and she tensed, knowing instantly what it was. Peter laughed behind her, his gun pressing harder against her head.

Eric turned instantly, his gun towards Peter instead of Jeanine now. "Do it and I swear to God, you'll die."

Max fired the first shot, turning quickly to shoot his bullet next to Peter's toes. Ana twisted, bringing her gun up to Peter's chin harshly, not bothering to watch him fall before turning back to Jeanine.

Tris was occupied with Four, who left Jeanine's side to attack the girl. Tris had the upper hand, so Ana left her, moving towards Jeanine who was back to the computers. She grabbed the neck of her dress and, with all her strength, turned Jeanine around so she was facing her.

"Turn them off." Ana spat at her.

"You showed a lot of promise, you know?" Jeanine smiled cruelly. "Near the top of your class and a leadership position right after initiation. Impressive."

"I don't care." Ana pushed against her harder. "You're killing people. Innocent people."

"No one is innocent." Jeanine winced when her back hit the control panels. "You'll figure that out eventually."

"Turn the damn simulation off. Now."

Jeanine smiled again and Ana was ripped off her a moment later. Peter was behind her, his teeth shiny with blood as it dripped down his chin. "You're a crazy bitch, Ana."

"Not the first time I've heard it from you, you know?" Ana answered, raising her gun in front of her. "Get out of the way."

Peter charged her then, his arms catching around her middle and sending them both to the ground. Ana's gun dropped a few feet from her, and she grunted as Peter's fist caught her cheek.

Ana wrapped her legs around his hips and twisted her own, forcing Peter underneath her. She swung her fist, hitting him hard in the side of the eye, getting off when he passed out.

She reached down for her gun, eyes catching the screens once more when she raised up. Dauntless were now standing in front of members of Abnegation, their guns raised as they readied themselves to shoot.

Ana froze, her breath hitched in her throat. Naomi held hands with a blonde boy next to her, tears still streaking down her cheeks and Ana couldn't tear her eyes away.

Movement blurred in the corner of her eye, and she felt her shoulder being jerked back, forcing her focus from her friend. Eric stared at her for a moment before jerking his chin towards Jeanine.

Tris was beside Jeanine, her hand falling from her neck as she injected Jeanine with her out serum.  The blonde immediately set to work on the control panel and Ana slumped against Eric when she wiped the system.

Tris' own shoulders slumped, and she turned towards Ana, her lips tilted in a smile. Ana nodded at her, too relieved to move now.

"No." Jeanine whispered a moment later when her own simulation had worn off. "No! What did you do?"

"Don't get me wrong." Tris told her as she moved back beside Ana and Eric. "There's a certain beauty to your resistance."

Ana smirked as Jeanine scrambled over her control panel. She looked frantic, her hands shaking now as she moved.

"We need to get out of here." Eric whispered into Ana's ear. "Max is already outside, probably dealing with the aftermath."

"What do we do with her?" Ana asked, her green eyes not once leaving Jeanine.

Four joined them then, holding out a gun in his hands. Ana shifted her focus from Jeanine to Four, and then back to Eric. "Should we?"

"She's not going to stop." Tris said quietly, grabbing the gun from Four's hands. "It's the only way to ensure she doesn't threaten the system."

Ana gripped Eric's hand tightly in her own and nodded. "Do it then."

And Tris pulled the trigger.

*

Ana found Naomi as soon as she could.

The former Amity girl was huddled against the same blonde boy, his arms wrapped around her shoulders. She saw Ana and her eyes brightened as she left the boy's side.

The two girls crashed together, holding each other tightly. It had felt like forever since the friends were together and, after the events of that day, they were glad to be together.

"Are you okay?" Ana asked when she pulled back. "I was so worried."

"I'm okay, butyou don't look like you are." Naomi answered, reaching up to poke at the alreadydark bruise around Ana's eye. "Where were you?"

"Trying to shut it all down." Ana breathed, gripping Naomi's hands in her own. "I didn't think we were going to be able to do it in time."

"I'm glad you did then." Naomi smiled at her, causing Ana to smile back. "I was terrified."

Ana agreed, glancing behind her when she felt Eric brush against her shoulder. "Right. Naomi, this is Eric. Eric, this is Naomi. She was my best friend back in Amity."

"Was?" Naomi teased as she shook Eric's hand. "It's nice to meet you."

"You too." He nodded at her.

Naomi motioned for the blonde she was with to come forward. "This is Jacob. He's a transfer from Candor."

Ana greeted him as well, glad that Naomi had found someone in her new faction. The old friends talked through the chaos of Abnegation, trying their best to ignore the groups of Erudite that walked past in handcuffs.

She didn't know what would happen now that this was over, but she found that she wasn't worried. A weight had been lifted off her shoulders and she felt like she could breathe again.

Eric gripped her free hand, and she broke from her conversation to smile at him. She felt content now, surrounded by her friends and the man she loved.

And that was enough for her.

***

Soooo, this was the last chapter. There will be an epilogue but I am (only a little) glad to have this story end. I loved to write it but I am sorry to keep you all waiting for so long!

I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I hope you all enjoy the upcoming epilogue.

Thank you all for reading <3