Emelaine is the first girl to be brave enough to try for Eric's attention after our "break-up". Her long pink hair is pulled up into some elaborate bun that looks like a bow, her eyes are overdone, and her dress looks as if it's been painted on. It's the middle of dinner and Will is talking animatedly about his day in the infirmary. I try my best to focus on Will's description of the training injury he had to stitch up but my eyes keep drifting back to the woman whispering in Eric's ear while her hand slides up his leg. All I want to do is toss a knife at her perfectly made up face.

"Tris, are you alright?" It's not until Christina asks that I realize I've squeezed the peach in my fist so tightly it's mutilated flesh is oozing out between my fingers. She follows my eyes and when hers land on the scene transpiring a few tables away she hands me a napkin and says, "not to sound insensitive, but this is nothing new for him. You're going to need to get used to it or start having meals in your apartment."

"I think that's a good idea," I say standing up and grabbing my jacket from the table. When I look over towards Eric again I don't see him. All I see is a dejected looking Emelaine and Eric's companions laughing to one another.

I leave the dining hall and start towards my office when I turn the corner I'm met by Veronica standing against my door. "I was wondering when you'd get here," she says.

"You know it's well past normal office hours and you could just as easily have been waiting until morning don't you?" I ask her opening the door and holding it for her. When she's entered I close the door behind us. I've been waiting for this since the day Jeanine came to see us both.

"That might be true of anyone else but you've been working later and later every night since Eric was through with you," Veronica's short dark hair is perfectly styled, and as she falls into the chair opposite my desk her already short skirt hikes up and I can make out her toned tan legs. I will never understand how Eric could reject her and settle for me. Her words are harsh but it doesn't appear to be intended as a dig. She wouldn't have much ground to stand on seeing as I at least had my moment with Eric and she has chased him for years. "Don't let it get to you love, he's not exactly known for hanging around."

"Was there a point to your visit, or did you just want to commiserate about Eric's inability to stay in one place too long?" I ask her sitting down and opening my emails.

She straightens up and leans towards me, "I was actually coming to talk about the visit we received the other day."

"What about it?"

"There's a new version of the fear serum, she'd like you and I to come out for a demonstration tomorrow morning seeing as you oversee the simulations." Veronica explains.

We're being set up, I know it because even if Jeanine wanted me to see the serum the second leader she brought in would be Eric. "I'll meet you at the train tracks in the morning," I say.

"Jeanine is sending a car," Veronica says.

Now I know this is more than just a test of a new serum, "then I will meet you at the door."

Veronica nods and leaves my office. Before she can shut the door I'm trying to decide how to word an email to Eric. This could be exactly what Eric's been looking for. Jeanine has broken Dauntless hierarchy by Inviting Veronica and myself and not him, if she approaches us with the idea of possibly defying the majority decision of our vote we have everything we need to prove she's trying to conspire against the leaders who don't agree.

Eric,

I regret to inform you that I will be unable to attend the meeting we had scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. Jeanine has invited Veronica and I to observe a demonstration of her latest adaptation to the fear serum tomorrow morning at Erudite.

If you'd like to reschedule I expect to return no later than 3:00pm.

Thank you,

Tris

There was no afternoon meeting scheduled with Eric I can only hope he understands. His response is near instant.

Tris,

There is no scheduled demonstration on my calendar. I will discuss the oversight with the Erudite administration. I expect you in my office immediately upon your return.

Eric

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Veronica is dressed in her usual tight fitting mini dress with knee high boots and a leather jacket. I wonder what would happen if there were ever an immediate call to action. She can't possibly fight in those clothes. I feel mildly inadequate as I look down at my own clothes. I've put on fitting black pants, a feminine black blouse, and my own leather jacket. My boots are nowhere near as nice as hers but they're comfortable to run in. As I look at Veronica's boots I think it's a stroke of good luck that she won't need to run for the train because with those heels she'd never make it.

We stand in silence until the silver car pulls up and a young handsome man, maybe a little older than Eric, climbs out of the driver's seat and opens the back door. I slide into the seat and Veronica sits beside me.

The drive to Erudite is short and silent and when we arrive we are ushered into the building by a slight girl with dark hair she looks like a little girl playing dress up in her holder sister's clothes. As we ascend the stairs we are met at the top by a familiar face, "Caleb." I greet my brother who looks so different and yet still very much the same. His hair is held into a much shorter style than he used to wear with a substantial amount of product, he's wearing a tailored navy suit and horn rimmed glasses.

"Beatrice," he nods in my direction, "you got a tattoo?" I look down and realize my collarbone is partially exposed in my low cut blouse.

"It's actually just Tris now," I tell him.

"I'm sorry, Tris. It's nice to see you again Veronica," he turns to my counterpart. "Please follow me, Jeanine is waiting in the lab for us." He turns and walks down a narrow hallway lit by florescent light.

We reach the end of the hall and there's a room entirely glassed in and I can see Jeanine and a handful of men and women in white lab coats. They are all standing around what looks just like our simulation room. There is a young Erudite boy lying in the chair with several wires leading from sensors at his temples and pulse points. He looks calm and at peace with what is about to happen and I wonder if he's done this before, if he will choose Dauntless when he's old enough, or if he is so calm because he has no idea what he's in for.

Caleb swipes a key card and the door slides open. Jeanine turns to greet us and she smiles and it appears warm but it doesn't reach her eyes. Her cool and calculating nature is evident in the way she stands and the way her eyes are constantly surveying the room. "Ladies I'm so glad you could join us. I am very sorry there seems to have be a miscommunication and the invitation for today's display did not reach the other leaders of your faction. I'm happy that at least the two of you could make it."

"I can't wait to see what you've come up with Jeanine. The serum we've been using has been the same for years now," Veronica says. "So what's different with the new serum?"

"It's marvelous really. The new formula continues to allow you to monitor all of the vital functions and brain activity, and it also has a component that will allow you to monitor for breakthrough consciousness without the subjective opinion of the tester." She's found a way to detect divergence in the sims.

"That's incredible!" Veronica says stepping closer to the simulation area that's been setup.

I know I need to say something, and it needs to be convincing. "Jeanine this is very impressive, you're minimizing the chance for administration error. Is there the risk of a false positive?" I ask.

Jeanine smiles and I know I've asked the right question, "As a matter of fact there is very minimal risk for a false positive. The brain activity detected in those suffering from simulation awareness, or breakthrough consciousness, is distinct. The serum shuts down all activity in your conscious part of the subjects brain, if there is any activity then the person is experiencing breakthrough consciousness."

I listen closely to what she is saying knowing that I will need to relay it back to Eric later but I also need to make sure that Jeanine thinks I am absolutely into it.

"I have two subjects for you to see," Jeanine explains. "The first is Evan." The boy in the chair waves. "Evan is 15 and while he has yet to take his aptitude test he has volunteered the information to us that he is interested in choosing your faction when he turns sixteen. We have run this with him several times and each time he does better. I believe this is the progress your initiation process requires." Veronica and I nod. "Caleb if you would please administer the serum." Caleb steps up to the chair and injects the boy in the neck.

Jeanine holds her tablet out to Veronica and I and when the diagram of Evan's brain begins to light up she gestures to a small part of his brain which is dark. "See how this entire section has shut down? That's the Cerebrum. It's been completely disabled and he is acting purely on instinct and unconscious thought now." We watch Evan as he advances quickly through his fear landscape. He has nine fears most of them standard, none of them are new. Evan's time is impressive but again nothing stellar or outstanding.

When he is though his landscape he wakes up sweating and out of breath and an Erudite in a lab coat helps him out of the room. Another scientist brings in a girl who appears older than Evan. "Ladies this is Emily. She is seventeen and has been working with us to develop this particular improvement. She is routinely simulation aware. This is of course more commonly referred to as Divergent. You will be able to administer a stronger dose to combat the awareness. Tris as the leader in charge of initiate training you will have access to all sim data, you'll know who amongst your new members is not safe. You'll be able to do whatever is necessary to protect your faction. "

Emily sits in the chair smiling as if we are not discussing that she is what Jeanine hopes to eradicate.

"Caleb, the serum please." Jeanine instructs. As he injects Emily Jeanine says, "Emily became aware of her Divergence during her aptitude test and did the right thing. She came to me and offered to participate in any research necessary to help us to find a cure for this concern. Now if you will look at the monitor again and watch the same section of the brain and see that the serum is having no effect."

Emily is in her landscape for less than six minutes. She emerges from her landscape as though she's barely been tested. "Its remarkable how easily Emily navigates each fear, recognizes the signs that it is in fact a simulation, and moves forward to the next." Jeanine says.

"Jeanine, forgive me if this is a stupid question," I preface, "but she's Divergent. Is it really safe to keep her so close to your research?"

Jeanine nods fondly at me, "I am so very relieved to know that your thinking is so in line with what we need. I hope that when the time comes I can count you amongst those whom I can call on for assistance."

"I have sworn to protect this city. I will do whatever is necessary to insure the safety of our citizens." I will not condone her actions but I will make sure she believes I do.

"I knew from the moment I saw you at choosing that you were going to make a fantastic soldier Tris. I'm glad to that you are proving me right. I have another serum I am working on, one that I will be able to control from one central location. I should be prepared to explain it to you next week." She dismisses her scientists and turns to Veronica and I. "Have either of you made any headway with Eric? I simply don't understand what's changed. His brother is one of my best scientists, loyal and intelligent, I don't understand why at such a crucial time Eric has chosen to abandon an endeavor that will protect this city."

"He won't even speak to me," Veronica huffs out. I have to fight to keep down the smile that wants to spread across my face at the thought of him shutting her out.

"Tris, you two seemed rather close, I heard rumors that there was quite the power couple forming," Jeanine mentions.

I sigh and allow just enough hurt to show in my features, "unfortunately Eric doesn't allow himself to become attached to someone too long. It was a rather ugly separation. We have a meeting scheduled for when I return to Dauntless, I will bring it up then."

"Fantastic." Jeanine says, "please don't let me keep you."

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

I let Veronica take the car back to Dauntless and tell her I'd like to ride the train. She nods and laughs telling me she used to love to ride the train too, but eventually it had gotten old.

I spend the train ride trying to figure out how I can get Eric out of his office and into his apartment where there are no cameras. I can't possibly explain everything I need to in some cryptic code. I decide to jump at the roof and down into the net. Eric's office isn't far from the net room and I love the jump.

When I hit the net I expect to bounce a few times before I can crawl off, instead I feel the ropes beneath me shift after the first bounce and I roll into familiar strong arms. Eric lifts me to the ground and his hands linger on my ribs just a split second too long and I step away knowing if I let his hands stay there long enough I'll want more. "Veronica said you had taken the train, I thought you might come in this way," he offers as an explanation for why he's here.

"She's been to see you then, have you already been briefed on the demonstration then?" I ask him.

He shakes his head and says, "not fully. She explained that the new serum is quite fascinating and that you seemed to be very interested."

"There's a very interesting new feature to this version, it's not quiet ready and I believe we should keep it's new features classified until Jeanine is ready to distribute it to us." I explain as we walk.

Eric nods as he clasps his hands behind his back, "I'd still like to hear the changes. We'll go to your apartment to discuss them." His expression and his tone never change.

We make it to my door and Eric keys in my security code. Once we are safely behind closed doors Eric takes my face in his hands and kisses me hungrily. I wish we had time for this to be more than just a stolen kiss but we can't afford to raise anyone's suspicion now. It takes all the willpower I have to end the kiss and smile up at him. "The serum Eric, we don't have a lot of time."

"I can't wait until we get permission to execute Jeanine," he says. "So tell me what the new serum does?"

"It's definitely meant to hunt the Divergent, and we're going to get to test it out on our next initiate class." I say walking to the kitchen and pulling what's left the bottle Uriah and I shared from the cabinet.

Eric accepts the glass I offer and asks, "how does she intend to do that when we've already told her we won't be helping her.

"The serum gives the tester a way to detect sim awareness. We'll be able to see who's just sim aware versus who is actually progressing through their fears and then we would be able to administer a higher dose to combat the awareness. She hinted that my position in charge of training would allow me access to the results and that I could do what needed to be done to keep my faction safe from those who don't fit in."

Eric nods, "I see."

"Eric she's also asked Veronica and I to talk to you, to see why you've turned your back on her." I tell him. He nods as if he knew that was coming. "She also mentioned that she would have another serum to discuss with us by next week, something she could control from a central location."

"That's what we're going to need to know about," Eric says. "My brother mentioned something about a serum she has him working on, where you're fully mobile but completely not in control of your body. She hasn't told the scientists why they're working on it exactly but If she's able to control that serum from Erudite but she wants to administer it to Dauntless she's trying to create an army."

"She wants to turn Dauntless into her own personal Divergent hunting army." I empty my glass and wince as it burns my throat.

"You need to hear her say what the serum is for," Eric explains. "Once she tells you we can go to Candor and start the proceedings."

"What do I tell her about you?" I ask.

"The beauty of that is," he pulls me close by the belt loops of my pants. "is she's given you the perfect excuse to try to seduce me."

I laugh as he kisses my neck, "I suppose she has."

"Obviously we can't jump right back into bed," I pout at his response and he bites my lip. "But it certainly gives you more freedom to try and talk to me more privately."

I look up at the clock and realize he's already been here too long, "if we're still trying to make it look as if we're estranged you should go. I was only filling you in on the particulars of a serum."

"You're right," he kisses me one last time and says, "I'm looking forward to seeing how you try to get my attention."

"I can assure it it won't be as brazen as Emelaine's attempt at dinner last night." His face drops and he swallows hard. I smirk in my best impression of him and say, "besides I'm pretty sure I've always had your attention, I just have to find a way to get you to admit it."

AN: Sorry for the delay between updates but I promise none of my stuff is abandoned I'm just juggling muses and going where the thought process flows. The biggest problems I have seem to be that my dialogue ideas come to me at the most in opportune moments (driving or in the shower) and by the time I can write them out I've lost some key pieces. That being said I'm trying really hard to get quality chapters out. I try really hard to respond to every review but if for some reason I've missed yours (or your a guest so I can't respond) just know that I appreciate every single kind word!