Chapter 15

—Tris

"What else needs to be packed in here?" I ask Bea as she puts the rest of the toys around her in the box. "I have one hand to help, maybe two if Layla lets me put her down."

"She won't," Bea laughs, pushing the box out to the hallway. "Can you help me put the stuff on top of my bookcase and dresser in that box? I need to fold my clothes but that takes two hands." She says and I nod, shifting baby Layla in my arms as I stand. I move the few pictures frames and books she has into the box, and I also roll up the small are rug she has by the edge of her bed.

I find myself shocked when I look over and see her folding her clothes the exact same way both my father and Caleb fold their clothes. She makes large neat squares with the clothing, but they are not compact at all.
The way my mother taught me to fold is completely different than this, and once I learned her past it makes sense that this is how she folded clothes. Everything works in tight, compact squares where you can fit more in an area.
It also is the typical way that Dauntless fold clothes. 
I don't think she learned her folding technique in Dauntless though, because she was older once she moved around, then to the Bureau, then Chicago, then Dauntless. She must have picked it up from not having much space when she was younger, or maybe from having small living quarters in the Bureau.

There always have been subtle signs of not just divergence, but just cultural differentiation in my mother, even from when I was a child.
It's just taking me my whole life to notice them, and each time I notice I find myself more shocked.

"Hey? There she is!" I see Will pop his head in the door.
"Did you loose your daughter?" I laugh, handing him the baby.
"I wouldn't call it loosing her," he says, raising his eyebrows. "Just unsure of her exact location inside the apartment."

"So you're rephrasing the statement to make it still sound like you lost her." I say causing Bea to laugh.

"Hey I gave her to Cara—"
"Who gave her to me over a half hour ago!" I laugh, knowing that I'm annoying him. He forfeits the false argument, taking his daughter from me as I laugh.

"They're just about done loading the kitchen boxes and furniture into the trucks. Do you think some of this will be able to be put on one of those trucks as well?" Will asks.
"I think the two of us can fold and pack these up pretty quickly," I say, picking up a shirt, folding it and packing it in the box.
"Okay, I'll let them know." He leaves the room and Bea and I continue to fill the box with clothes. It doesn't take very long until the tow boxes are filled, shut and being sent down the stairs to a truck.

I follow Bea down the stairs and see Tobias chatting with Cara next to the front door. Out the window I see the three trucks with their beds packed and strapped down, clearly ready to go.

"Wait, is that everything?" I ask and Cara nods.
"Other than the bed frames in both Bea's and the guest bedrooms. One group of us is going to come back there while you, Four and whoever else go to your parents' to get their stuff." She continues and I nod, following her out the front door.

"Hey honey," Tobias wraps his arm around my waist as I join the group out front of the apartment complex. In front of us are the three trucks, loaded up and strapped down, ready to go.

"Does everyone have our new address?" Caleb asks and I look to Tobias who nods.
"We will meet you all over there then," He smiles and pulls his car keys from his pocket. We all disperse to our vehicles and head out for the fifteen minute drive across the city.

+ + +

I lay back on the couch, thinking back to the huge house that we moved my whole extended family in to just about three weeks ago. The light brown outside, two stories and a basement, a beautiful rusty red door, just to open the door and be met with a beautiful staircase located centrally to the spacious entryway—

My thoughts are interrupted when Tobias enters our front door, smiling from ear to ear. I can't help but reflect his smile, hoping I know what it means.

Three weeks ago one third of the bureau troops left the fence.
That following week, the following two thirds also proceeded to leave the fence.
There was worry that they might come back a week, maybe two after leaving, but so far nothing had changed.
Overnight a note was sent, no one was sure if it was positive or negative, and Tobias left in the middle of the night for a meeting over at Erudite.
Now it's just barely five in the morning, and he's been out all night while I've been home worried sick.

I stand up, eyeing him suspiciously as he doesn't use his words for an answer.

"So?!" I shake his arm slightly and he laughs, pulling his lips to mine. He deepens the kiss, his hand wrapping tightly around the back of my lower waist as my hands pressed to his chest.

"Tobias—" I put my thumb between our lips, "What did the message say?" I demand.

"It was passive aggressive, per usual, but they're gone."
"Gone gone?"
"Yes," he presses his lips to mine again shortly before I cut him off.
"Like, gone for good gone?"
"Gone for good gone," he laughs, his smile making my heart swoon.

I'm hit with a wall of emotion.
We're safe again.
The Bureau somewhat trusts us.
There isn't anything to worry about.
There isn't a constant threat right outside our fence.
Thomas will be safe.
Our little family is safe.

My breath almost leaves me at my next thought, and the words fall from my lips without any control.
"We can try for a baby now," I feel tears in my eyes as I look up at Tobias.
He nods, brushing his thumb over my cheek.

"I never thought I was going to be able to say that, yet alone think it," I say and Tobias leans down, pressing his forehead against mine.

"Great news just in time for the holidays," he smiles, brushing a tear from my cheek that I didn't even notice was forming.
"I love you, Beatrice," he says and I smile.
"I love you too," I say, following with my lips meeting his, the same passion as moments ago sparking within us once again.

It's been hard to become passionate with all the stress of life in this city. It's been easier for our friends, or even just normal citizens to shut out the world around and go on with life. As for Tobias and I, it was harder because of not only my history with the Bureau, but also his job causing him to be right in the middle of the scenario.
The idea that this worry— this severe anxiety, is over, so easily helps me loose myself in the current passion.
His lips to mine, his hands barely grazing under my shirt, the pads of my fingers running over his toned torso, his scent— so easily I am lost.
I'm gone.
For the first time in a while, it's a good kind of gone.
Not gone in paranoia, not trying to shut out the world around me.
I am here and so is he.
Together we make our own world, and together we will get lost in it.

...

—Tobias

We are lucky that Thomas decided to sleep in today: almost till 8 o'clock.
Thank god that we ended up so cold after our early morning events that we put some clothes back on. There was no need to panic when Tom and Indy barged into the room and climbed in the bed.

"Good morning!" I laugh, trapping Tom in my arms, causing him to screech in joy. Tris rolls over closes to us and begins to tickle Tom, causing him to laugh and screech even more.

Indy, clearly confused, starts barking in defense of Tom, making us all calm down. Tris coddles him, practically pulling him into her arms like he was a huge stuffed animal. I laughed at Indy's face, clearly not liking the bear hug from Tris. When she releases him he bolts across the room, making her laugh as well.

I lay back and Thomas sprawls out on my abdomen, his head laying on my chest. Tris rolls in close to me, her body framing the left side of mine and her head near Tom's, resting on my shoulder.

I can't help but sigh in relief of this moment.

There's so many different ways these past few months could have gone.
We could've ended up moving like Caleb and Cara.
The whole city could've ended up in a massive war with the Bureau. That could've had a whole other million set of conclusions.
Tris might have not of injured her leg again, and we might have had a second kid here or on the way by now.
Tris also might have not of recovered as easily from everything she went through, hell, she could've still been in the hospital all this time.
We all might have not even been here. With all of the Bureau's threats, sometimes I wonder how we are.
But we are.

I'm brought back into reality when Tris reaches over and brushes some Tom's blonde hair out of his face, waking him from his dozing sleep.

"Why don't we put up our Christmas tree today?" She suggests, making Tom grin from ear to ear almost immediately.

And so we did.
Getting out of bed and eating breakfast suddenly was expedited by Tom's holiday excitement.

"Can we put it up now?!" The anticipation is clear in his voice.

"Can you go pick up the toys I asked you to pick up last night in your room first, please?" Tris asks and Tom runs towards his room without hesitation.

I don't realize I'm doing it, but I can't help but smile when I look at Tris this morning. She leans on the countertop, not knowing I'm even looking at her. Her hair is in a messy ponytail, she's in baggy sleep pants and an old long sleeve shirt that even I don't know where she got. She holds her coffee in both her hands, her one leg bent and her gaze drifted off to somewhere probably she doesn't even know.

There was a good amount of time where she hated how she looked.
I'm pretty sure she's been past that for a while now. I don't know if she just gave up caring, or maybe she does see herself better now. Or maybe she's just been through so much that seriously it doesn't matter to her anymore.

Regardless, she is the most beautiful woman in the world. She has the best personality, she's the best mother, hell, she's literally my rock. I seriously don't know what I would do without her.
Not to mention how fucking sexy she is when—

"I'm done!" Thomas runs back into the room, snapping both of us out of our thoughts. Her gaze lifts from its spot across the room, her eyes lifting to mine almost shyly.
God, she makes me melt.

"Well, lets get started then!" I say, my eyes still locked with Tris's and feel myself smile. Eventually our gazes have to separate, and we go into the spade closet to get out the plastic tree we have had for so many years now.

It takes just about two hours to set up the tree and decorate it with the bright plastic balls and some family picture ornaments. Tris found some holiday music on the radio that she turned on, and together we decorated our home.
Tris and I pack up the empty boxes and place them back into the spare closet where they will sit until we take the tree down. We go back out to the living room and I take in my small family.
Thomas begins to move around the ornaments on the tree: hence why the majority of ones at his level are plastic.
Indy lays right at his feet under the tree on the tree skirt.
I look over to Tris as she wraps her arms around my arm, leaning against my arm.

When I was younger I said nothing would ever fix my messed up life.
No kind of love would ever fix the damage done upon me.
I would never have a family, and if I did, it would be like the family I grew up with.

Thank god I was wrong with all of those assumptions.

A slow paced song begins to play on the radio, one I've never heard about before, but it's singing about Christmas.

Smoothly, I move my hand down to take Tris's hand in mine, my other hand wrapping around her waist.
She catches on quickly, swaying along with me to the song, a smile so wide on her face that I can't help but laugh.
The chorus picks up the pace slightly in the song and I lift my arm to spin her. She begins laughing as well and we more jokingly dance now. Our movements are exaggerated, spinning more dramatic: even Thomas begins to laugh at us.

I love my life.
I love my family.
I love this.



.

Hello! Sorry it's been quite a while. I have no legit reason as to why its been a while, I kinda just hit a wall and couldn't write anymore and needed a break.

🎄🎄🎄The song I had in mind with the scene of Tobias and Tris dancing was Christmas Lights by Coldplay. You can imagine any song you'd like, and I never put in a specific song so you can choose to hear whatever you want, but this is what I personally heard with the scene

❗️❗️Ok I was writing this on my laptop and not the app. I'm not sure if there was an error with publishing it bc I posted it about an hour ago and now it's still showing it as a draft... sorry for any confusion!

So yeah, this chapter kinda jumps all over the place... I got myself into a plot hole with the moving thing, couldn't find a way out that wasn't boring, so I time skipped completely out of it, threw in some happy, some good news, a rated M scene, some Indy love, some Thomas/family love and of course I couldn't not throw Christmas into the mix.
So, there's something to please everyone in this chapter lol

7.93k reads!

Have a happy holiday and a Happy New Year if I don't post another chapter before then! ❤️🎄

All the love,
Kat