A note from the author:

This is my first ever fan fic I have published. This was something that had always bugged me, the small age gap between Caleb and Tris, even though it is possible. And I thought it would be a magnificent plot twist to have two characters unknown siblings by blood; but you'll have to read it to find out who!

Please feel free to comment on my writing if there is anything you think I should do differently, as I say, the fan fic territory is new to me. I apologise if the wording is not true to the book, because I am trying to keep it as realistic to my new story as possible. I also apologise if my chapters are quite short, I am trying to make them long but that can be quite hard sometimes!

Disclaimer: as you all know, I do not own or claim any rights to the Divergent series.

I hope you enjoy!


The woman exited the room, trying to stifle her tears. The Amity lady looked at her worriedly, and asked, "Are you sure you're alright?" The crying woman gave an unconvincing nod. Frowning, the Amity lady re-entered the room and pulled the door shut behind her.

She took a seat and pressed her palms to her eyes, trying to grind the tears back up into her skull. This was unacceptable. She shuddered when she realised what her faction would say about it. Taking some deep breaths, she tried to calm herself down. "Shhh. We'll be okay."

She patted her oversized stomach worriedly. She didn't see how.


Tris:

I can't help but feeling giddy as I walk back to the dormitory. My mind flashes back to the date Tobias and I just went on. I still can't believe he let me off quite so lightly. I know I did the right thing, going behind his back, and I know he knows that too, but I still feel like I betrayed him. Luckily, with the help of my truth serum resistance, I managed to clear Christina, Cara and I. Marcus probably won't be so lucky. Neither will Caleb. I wince.

I'm not sure what I want to happen to Caleb.

He's your brother, my loyal side argues. He betrayed me, my heart says. If only I could forgive him. But then I realise something: what would my parents think? And that is it. I can't let Caleb be executed. If he is going to be. He is my parents' child just as much as I am. He belongs to them. And I can't let him die just because he betrayed me. My parents wouldn't want it.


I hate climbing stairs.

I understand why we have to; Evelyn will surely be monitoring the electricity usage throughout the city. But it doesn't make the task any easier.

Next to me is Tobias. I smile at him, and he smiles back, in that secretive way that makes my insides dance. I have had so little opportunity to be with him over the last few days, with the exception of our date a couple of nights ago. Maybe we could break away after the meeting?

I pause, my chest heaving, gasping for breath. My lungs sear when I take a breath. For a moment, I stand there, doubled over, until I feel Tobias's strong arms around me. "Are you okay?" His breath tickles my ear as he leans in to whisper.

"I'm fine," I say shakily. "I just…really hate climbing."

"When this is all over, I promise you, we will live in a house with no stairs." I laugh gently, and turn my feet in the direction of the next flight. "But for now," he says, "we really better get to the meeting on time."

The meeting. I can't wait. After seeing the horrific display yesterday, where Edward smashed up all the faction choosing bowls, I am ready to do whatever I can to escape this place. To dethrone Evelyn. To fulfil the original purpose of this city, like Amanda Ritter said. Like Edith Prior said. My ancestor.
"We better. Because there's no way I'm missing it." If there is any chance I can leave, see what is outside, save our society, I will take it, no matter what the cost is.

Once we arrive, we only have five minutes until the meeting starts. Not really enough time to ask to Tobias, but I do anyway. "Did you find out about Caleb?"
He winces. "Maybe we should talk about that later." That's all the answer I need.

"They're going to execute him, aren't they." It wasn't a question. So I'm surprised when Tobias shakes his head.

"No, not exactly…" his voice trails off, and he looks away from me, staring out the windows to the black night beyond.

"What do you mean, not exactly?" I frown. He doesn't look at me. "Tobias." I grab his arm and pull him around to face me.

"Tris. Not now, okay?" He must see how hurt I am because he hurries to apologise. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that rudely. It's just… we need to talk about this, and now's not the time." I nod. "Hey," he says. "Look at me." I lift my eyes to look into his. They really are a peculiar, thoughtful shade of blue. "We will get through this," he says, and I melt into him. He brushes his lips across my forehead, and I sigh, a million emotions zipping through me. I bring my lips up to his, and we collide. I pull back and grin at him. He grins back and leans in for another kiss.

"Hey! Lovebirds!" Christina yells teasingly at us as she jogs over. "The meeting's starting."

I reluctantly pull back from Tobias. "After," he mutters to me. I sigh. After feels so long away, and all I want to do is kiss him now. I know now he is more than my antidote. I used to think loving him and kissing him could distract me from my own pain. It still does. But I know he deserves more than that, and I know I love and need him more than I ever thought I could love or need someone. I lean in for another kiss.

"Tris," he says frustratedly. "We need to go." I sigh, and walk over to Christina. She rolls her eyes and smirks at me. She opens her mouth, and I interrupt her. "Yeah, yeah." Her smirk widens.

"Let's just go already," she says. I nod and she tugs me over to the meeting room, Tobias trailing after us. I glance back at him, and he is lost in thought. Christina rolls her eyes again, and tugs me even harder. We enter the meeting room just in time to see Cara and Johanna walking out. Wait. Cara and Johanna are the leaders of the Allegiant?

I glance at Christina. She looks slightly surprised, but also as if this makes sense to her. I remember her saying earlier about Cara not having an invitation, and how that was weird. Well, I guess she had a bigger invitation than any of us.

"Hello," Cara begins. "We aren't supposed to be here, so I'm going to keep this meeting short. Some of you-Zeke, Tori-have been helping us for the past few days."

I glance over at Zeke, surprised. He smiles at me and wiggles his eyebrows.

Johanna continues. "We have gathered you here tonight because we know that you, like us, do not trust Evelyn Johnson to determine the future of our city."

I look over at Tobias. His body has shifted slightly, and I can see an excited twinkle in his dark blue eyes. I wonder how he feels about Evelyn being so publicly hated. Labelled as the tyrant in our city. The woman created from steel.

The person who I never would have believed could bend to Marcus's will. That was a different Evelyn. The old Evelyn was capable of love. Whilst she was beaten into nothing she found it in her to love and care for a child. But as soon as she could escape, she lost that love for her child, abandoning him. Then she rallied the factionless and took control of the city. And now, as she is safely in power, she is trying to reach back out to that son she abandoned all those years ago, by telling him that I am an unacceptable girlfriend for him? What would she know? She doesn't even know him! I know him much better than anyone else. I feel that warm glow again, that same one that I felt when he told me that I was the only person he ever willingly let see his fear landscape. I know Tobias.

I realise Cara is speaking again, and I quickly turn my attention back to her.

"We believe in following our founder's ideals. We plan to send a group outside the fence. Even though we do not yet have an overwhelming Divergent population, our city's circumstances have become so dire we see it as an immediate and necessary course of action." She draws a breath. "As the Allegiant, we have two main goals; to send people outside the fence to our founders, and to overthrow Evelyn and her factionless. I will be in charge of the former, and Johanna will be in charge of the latter."

Johanna adds, "But tonight will be primarily focused on the former; sending people outside the fence."

"So," Cara says, "The people who come outside of the fence with me need to be brave. They need to be able to cope with danger."

I glance at Tobias. We are certainly able to cope with danger.

"They need to be able to cope with change also."

I am not sure if I can cope with change very well. Change has never been my ally; but then; it rarely is for anyone. The only positive change I have had in my life was my faction transfer. I coped okay with that. And with my Divergence, which was a good and bad change to my beliefs. And with my relationship with Tobias. Huh. Maybe I can cope with change.

"Not many people will be able to go, because a big group will be harder to disguise. So with that in mind, I have chosen these people; Christina, Tris, Tobias, Tori, Zeke and Peter. You have all proven your skills to me." I feel elated. I can leave. With Tobias, and Christina, and Peter.

"Peter?" I think. At least, I believed I thought it, but a few people glance in my direction.

"He kept the Erudite from killing you," Cara says mildly. "That wasn't easy, by the way, to fake your death." I open my mouth to reply, feeling defensive, but Cara waves me off. "Save your thanks for later. We're wasting time."

"Um, Cara?" Zeke asks.

"Yes?" Cara said, with an air of preoccupation. She was already piecing together a plan in her mind, I could tell.

"I can't go. I don't want to leave Shauna, not while she's learning how to use her wheelchair, and especially not after Lynn…" his voice wavers. I feel a lump in my throat. It still feels surreal that both Marlene and Lynn are gone.

"Okay," Cara says, looking around. "Then we need someone else…"

"I'll go," Uriah says, popping up his hand. "I'm Dauntless. I'm a good shot. And I provide much-needed eye candy."

Beside me, Christina snorts.

Cara rolls her eyes also. "Alright. Now we need a plan." The room is suddenly filled with chatter, and Cara has to silence everyone. One by one, we take turns at sharing ideas and spotting flaws in the plan.

It seems to last forever, but eventually we have a decision. A Dauntless-Erudite transfer will drive the train to the fence for us to ride. Johanna and Robert will drive trucks for us from the fence to past the Amity farms, to where we will truly begin our journey. People volunteer to track Evelyn's movements before our escape, to fetch provisions for us to take. Soon there is only one question left, and Cara asks it.

"When will we go?"

And I volunteer an answer.

"Tomorrow night."