Thank you for checking out the story. I have read a few of the other fanfics for Divergent and I didn't really see one similar to this. So I thought I would write it. I hope you all like it.

Prolog: Two years before…

My heart starts to beat faster as I grab the door handle. He's home. He is always home early on days like this. I turn the handle and open the door as if my heart isn't going to jump out of my chest. It's starting to get really hard not to lose it. I'm abnegation and it's getting really hard not to lose it with my father. My heart and mind aches every time I hear the snapping of the leather or the hard boned backed flesh of his knuckles hitting soft easily bruising flesh… I slowly wipe my grey little shoes on the carpet and shut the door without looking up. I am very aware of where he is. He is always in his worn arm chair that, even though I tried, the dull black stains of blood are still on the arms and back. No one ever asks about them. The stains just look like normal wear and tear. But really, no one is ever going to ask otherwise. Not here at least. Slowly I roll my eyes as I hear the door click shut. His eyes are on me.

"Where were you?" my father asks right after the click. I glance over at him and I can tell he just turned and looked back at his paperwork. His 'friends' will be joining us from the looks of it. I turn and look at him.

"I was at school." I tell him firmly. "Then I decided to stay and help clean up after the Dauntless and Candor mess in the cafeteria." I add with a sigh. "Was there a reason I needed to be home early?" I try to sound kind. It's hard, but I manage. My father looks me up and down before turning back to his paper work.

"How old are you?" He asks as he reads a paper. I raise an eyebrow at that question.

"Fourteen, sir." I state with only a hint of confusion. I watch his head nod.

"I thought you might have been sixteen." What is he talking about? "Considering you're the first one home on the aptitude test day." I feel my body get cold. Bass…

"Well, he might have gotten caught up with helping someone." I suggest before starting for the stairs.

"Don't you think you need to greet your own father?" He asks without lifting his head. Didn't I just talk to you?

"I'm sorry." I walk over to the living room so I'm in his line of sight and nod my head. "It's good to see you home early, sir." He nods and I start walking again.

"Stay." I bite my lip as I set my foot back on the ground and fold my hands in front of me, submissively. My father finishes reading and sets the paper on the stack before him. "Aundrea Eaton, you have no clue what's going on, do you?" I reframe from biting my lip.

"No sir, if you tell me I might understand a little bit." I state hopefully. Though I know there is no hope. He looks at me with a bored look.

"You are so stupid, Abnegation are not supposed to be curious." The look in his eyes threaten me, no dare me to lung at him. But I choose not to move as he stands. "Did I raise an Erudite?"

"No sir." I look to the floor as he walks closer to me. His hand rests on my cheek.

"Then tell me, why are you curious?" I tell hear the smirk on his lips.

"I don't know. I'm not smart like one." My voice is low as I feel his hand moves to my chin. He yanks it painfully up so I have to have my face towards him. So I dart my eyes to the ground so I don't look at him and cause him to get on the offensive.

"That's true." He starts to caress my face. "Why are you afraid of me?" Why? Sometimes, I'm not sure if that's the right word. But right now it is.

"I don't know sir. You haven't given me a reason to be." I almost whisper. That's a lie and he knows it, but it's a programmed response. I… I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to take this.

"That's right." He says before letting go of my face. That's tells me to prepare myself. I see his hand pull back and clench. I take in a deep breath as the hard rough knuckles hit me right in the eye. Black eye for tomorrow. My head jerks to the side as I fall to the ground. One hit, that's all I need to go down. I fall next to the coffee table and I feel my eyes well up. "Get up." he says as I find my palms on the ground and push myself up. With help from the table, I'm back up in the same place and position as before. My left eye is shut, but I can still see him move. His knuckles hit me again. This time, in the jaw and again, I fall to the ground. "Don't make excuses for your brother." I nod as tears stream down my face and I stand up. "Go clean up. I'm having people over." I grab my backpack and walk up the stairs as if nothing happened. In the bathroom, I wash my face clean by feel. There's no blood and won't start swelling yet. Good. That's when I hear the door open. Bass is here. I work on cleaning my face up and walk out of my bedroom and see Bass walk into his room. I didn't hear anything break, so he should be fine. So I walk back into my room and start on my homework. Before long, there is a knock on my door. It's one simple knock. Bass. I get up and trip over my backpack and land on the ground with a thud. The door slowly opens and I look up from the ground.

"Hi." I laugh out as he looks at me. This is a normal sight. He walks in and helps me up.

"You shouldn't put your backpack in the middle of the floor, Ann." Bass's voice is calm and quiet as he steadies me on the ground. I smile at him and laugh quietly.

"I do. It just likes to attack me, Bass." I defend as Bass lets go of me.

"Whatever, we need to eat. He is having some council members over." I nod and follow him out and down the stairs quietly. Our father is still working as we raid the cabinets for food. I grab two good size carrots and I look at my brother as I hold it like a weapon with a smile. Bass grabs the end of it and breaks it off before handing it to me with a simple shake of his head. I roll my eyes and eat the end he broke off. Bland and old, oh well. It's health. I walk to the fridge and look around as Bass gets two glasses of water ready for us. I pull out two chunks of cheese and throw him one. Bass silently sighs as he catches it after setting the glasses on the counter. Then he gives me a look. The look tells me I did something wrong. Instantly, I shrug my shoulder and look confused. Abnegation really shouldn't act the way I act, but I don't care. I'm not really Abnegation, I'm abused and frighten. That's what I am. There is a knock on the door and I shut the door as Bass walks to the stairs. Normally, I don't go upstairs. I stay down and help cook dinner, then I go study. I look at my father as Bass walks up the stairs with his dinner and glass. He glances at me as he gets to the door and nods his head. I'm staying down here for a bit so I can cook for them. I take a bite of the broken carrot and start pulling stuff to make food as he opens the door. Chicken, mash potatoes and peas is what I'm going to make. Simple and sweet, just like abnegation likes it.

"Hello, Marcus." It's Andrew Prior voice. "And Aundrea." I stand up from the cabinet I'm at and nod my head.

"Nice to see you Mr. Prior." I tell him before going back to pulling out two pans to cook the food. I tune out the greeting my father gives him and start cooking silently. More people file in and I give a simple greeting. Soon, I have enough chicken for everyone here, seven. Now the challenge is grabbing the plates without dropping them. I'm short and there in the top cabinet. I look at the offending cabinet as I take a bite of my other carrot. Not a moment later, Andrew Prior walks over and pulls out the plates for me. I stiffen up as I glance at my father, who doesn't seem to be paying attention, which means he is. "Thank you." I whisper to him as I take the plates from him and set them in place around the table. He joins me and sets the forks and knives in their place.

"You're welcome." He smiles and I look to the ground as I move past him and grab the two severing trays and set them in the center of the table. As they cool off, I need to get the dishes washed. I turn and watch Andrew start the water to wash the dishes.

"Mr. Prior, I am more than happy to wash the dishes. You're our guest, I will be fine." I whisper quietly through a smile. I'm going to be beaten for this for sure. He looks at me.

"You worked so hard on making us dinner; you shouldn't need to do all the work." He says with a kind smile.

"But sir, you're here working. You are serving our whole faction right now with this work. Helping me is something minor compared to the faction. I will be fine, sir." I can use his abnegation against him. He nods and sighs.

"If you need any more help just let us know." He smiles before walking back to the group. I watch him and see my father looking at me. We meet eyes for only a moment. His seem calm and quiet, which means he's pissed. I look to the floor and take over washing the dishes and putting them away. By that time, dinner has cooled down enough. I walk over to my father and stay there until he acknowledges me.

"Yes, Aundrea?" He says in a calm caring voice.

"Dinner has cooled down enough so you all can eat." I state in a quiet voice that I'm so used to using, it's second nature. My father nods.

"Thank you so much for making dinner." He says. Then the others chime in with thank you. I remain there and nod my head. From the looks of things, they are working on last minute details of initiation that will start tomorrow. Each one of them takes turns on training the initiates, sharing the burden of turning people with selfish tendencies into selfless people is so odd to watch sometimes. Other times, it's pure beauty. "Do you have homework to work on?" He asks and I nod.

"Yes I do, but I wanted to make sure you had everything you needed before I retire for the night and study." He smiles. I'm acting like a good abnegation child.

"No I don't." he states and I turn and walk up the stairs.

"Marcus, your daughter is a very beautiful abnegation little girl." A woman states as I reach the top.

"Thank you. She has learned a lot from all of us." My father says quietly. "After her mother passed away, Aundrea has been working hard to become selfless." I walk quickly to my room and sigh. I'm going to get it, I just know it. I touch my door handle and I stop. My hand leaves the handle and I knock twice on my brother's door before walking into my room. Our little way of telling the other we are fine. I shut my door slowly and sigh again. That isn't the last time I'm going to see my father tonight. So I'm not going to change, I just strip of the big grey jacket and the long sleeve shirt and throw it on the floor next to my desk before sitting in the chair and staring at the book I need to learn.

Math. Why do I need to learn math? I'm not smart enough to be Erudite. So why learn it? I read the formula over and over again and make notes in my little journal of things I think are important and then start on the fractions. My grad level isn't on something as simple as fractions, no they are all working on things like multiplying and dividing negatives and stuff the erudite teachers call algebra. Something, I'm not good at. So I'm the only one in my class with four levels below my grade. I'm consisted stupid by my father and someone who knows nothing by the Erudite teachers. I groan as I start doing my best. Bass knows all this. But I can't see him right now and I have a test in two days. My face slams into the book and I wince as my jaw and cheek touch the pages. I almost forgot. Slowly I lift my head and just slid my journal onto the page and shut the book.

"I'm going to work on history before this." I mumble to myself as I move the book away and grab the Faction history book. All about destroying people pretty much. I roll my eyes and open it.

000

My eyes open as I hear the steps in the hallway by my door. I lift my head from the book and see the page I feel asleep on. The title says Abnegation manifesto. I blink a few times. This is the second chapter. I had read this book cover to cover countless times. I look at my journal and groan. I fail this test each time. The teacher says she wants to throw up her hands and give up on me. She says I'm a stupid, unreachable Abnegation child. I'm really have been sliding along because the teachers don't want to talk to Marcus about holding me back until I learn something. I know it, but I don't at the same time. It's hard to explain. After a moment, I relies that my father didn't come in here. That's not good. I stand up and walk to the door and trip again.

"Backpack." I groan out as I push myself up again and kick it under my desk. Once up, I grab my shirt and jacket and put it in the hamper before pressing my ear to the wall next to the door. I don't want to get hit in the face with a door opened by my father. That will make matters worse.

"This is rank with self-indulgences!" I hear my father shout. He found his trunk. I swallow and look to my dresser as I hear something crash to the ground. No… "It poisons this house with selflessness!" he shouts more. My heart beats so fast, I think it will beat out of my chest. The beating starts. I hear something crash again.

"Choosing ceremony, Dad!" It hurts me to hear my brother cry out like that. I step away from my door and sit in my chair. I know what that means. I skip the book forward to the Erudite section and start reading as I hear my father's steps in the hallway again and my door opens. I bite my lip before looking up.

"Yes?" I ask him in a quieter voice, my tired voice. He looks at me as he tries to find something wrong with my room.

"What are you doing?" He asks as he walks in. The door doesn't shut behind him and if I look over, I could see into Bass's room. I tap my pencil to the book.

"Reading about the Erudite in my faction book. I have another test coming up and I don't want to fail it again." I tell him truthfully. "Do I have to learn about the Erudite? I know about Abnegation. Shouldn't that be enough?" I ask him as he looks at the book. I rest my head on my propped up hand. "I'm not going to be able to understand anything else."

"You do as you're told until you leave school." He says after slapping me in the back of the head. "I will be back in here later." My father says before leaving my room and walks down the hall to his room. I lean back in my chair a bit and I regret it instantly. Bass is on the ground, cowering against the dresser. He is crying. I look at him and see pure terror in him. I want to help. I want to stop our father from doing this, but sometimes I'm afraid of him. I want to stop him. But I can't. He looks over at me and wipes his face clean and my heart breaks. I have to do something. Bass didn't do anything wrong. He did nothing at all expect be a human. I bite my lip as I hear our father's steps in the hall. So I put the chair's front legs back on the ground and bite the eraser of the pencil as the man glances into my room. I look at him and put on the most innocent look I can muster. I must stop him. My heart is pounding so fast and it's hard to keep myself still. Slowly, he shuts my door and I shut my eyes. That's when the lashings begin. Each time, I wince and grip the side of the desk harder. The lashes will be easily covered. Bruises on the face, not so much. Well his face, I'm considered a trip hazard. So people learn to expect it. My father can get away with hitting me anywhere. My breath becomes heavy as the lashing stops and the sound of things breaking starts. Bass's things. I glance at my dresser and bite my lip with each breaking sound. Every little thing is being stepped on, thrown, or whatever he's doing. This must be breaking Bass's heart. Those were his things. My breath stops when I hear his footsteps again. I note a few more things down and flip the page to the manifesto. He will believe that this is taking me forever. Not always the fast at understanding. My door opens and I swallow hard before looking at him and standing up and getting into a submissive stance, head bowed and hands behind my back. My father walks right past me and to the desk. He looks through my journals and then the other books before throwing them to the ground and looking under the bed. He pulls out the trunk and opens it on the neat bed. Inside are blankets and sheets. "Where's your stash?" He snaps as he looks at me.

"What stash?" I ask him as I look him in the eyes respectfully.

"Of selfish and pointless things." He says as he stands up and walks over to me. His knuckles connect to my right cheek and I fall to the ground on my side. My hand covers my face as the other one helps me up.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Father." I hold back crying as I sit up on my side. "I don't have anything selfish in here." I look at him in the innocent look I mastered. "I'm sorry, sir. I don't understand." He groans as he grabs my wrist and yanks me upward. My throat tights as I hold back a cry.

"Of course you don't understand, you are a stupid child." He throws me to the bed and walks into my bathroom to search it. I curl up into a ball as my face starts to swell now. It's had enough. Towels are thrown out of my bathroom and into the door way. "Where is it?" I start to cry.

"Father, I don't have a stash of selfish things. I'm not like that." I cry out as I hold my legs. "I'm sorry." I watch him stand up and look at me.

"Stand up." I nod and do as he says. "If you going to dress this way, I need to remind you why we don't." He says in a calm voice. "Off with the shirt." I slip it off slowly and I'm left in my bra and I look at the ground. My door it still open, but I can't bring myself to see if Bass is watching. I don't want him to. "Grab the dresser." I grab the dresser slowly and the belting begins. It hurts worse without having clothes to block the blow. I bite my lip as each hit come. It's not long before I feel bruising and swelling. I'm not the biggest person around abnegation or the strongest. So a few hits and I have to be done or something is going to break. My father doesn't care. He hits me fourteen times before stopping and handing me my shirt back. "Dress yourself and finish studying." He says. I take a shaky breath before pulling on my tank top and standing up straight. I will get numb in a little bit. So I walk over to my desk picking up the books and journals as I go. After each beating, I normally do homework, or sleep. But I need to finish taking notes on something. I glance as my brother's room and the door's closed. I hope he's okay. It didn't seem good. "Your brother is very disobedient. I will not be able to hold back soon." I swallow before setting everything on the desk and organizing it. That's when he leaves me alone and goes to his room. Once he leaves, I let myself crumble. I will not be able to hold myself back soon either. I groan and sit back down and start organizing things again and start noting things down again.

"I need to check on him." I bite my lip and look at my math book. It might help. "He needs to get out of here." I sigh and look to his door. Our father should be in bed soon. So I will wait.

000

My fingers hit the cool silver metal of the door handle. My mind tells me I shouldn't, but I must. I grip the handle and open the silent door and slip into the room. The door makes no sound as I close it shut with one hand. I look in front of me and find my older brother sitting on the edge of the bed with his back away from me as he faces the window. Slowly, I set one knee on the other side of the bed as I see the bruise that is starting to from right at the end of his grey sleeve. He grabbed him too rough again, as well. Bass doesn't move as I settle more weight onto the bed.

"You're not supposed to be in here." His voice is quiet and really weak as I lay down on my stomach next to him, holding a wince back.

"Hasn't stopped me before." I deadpan. "What's so different about this day?" I know the answer, but I think it's stupid really.

"What do you want?" He asks as he looks out the window. I yawn and hold my book out in front of me.

"Why does there have to be a reason to come in here?" I ask him. My brother looks at me with his dark blue eyes as he is telling me to leave. "He's asleep. It's like one in the morning. He has to be places tomorrow so he isn't going to bother you or me anymore tonight, Bass."

"You sure about that? Last time you were caught in here, he put you in the closet over the weekend." There is no emotion in his voice. I can tell he is holding back pain.

"Well, I have places to be tomorrow as well. I'm not concerned much about him." My older brother rolls his eyes. "I got some math work I need help with. How do you add fractions? I have a test on it and I can't figure it out." Bass sighs as holds out his hand. Slowly, I set the book in his hand and he opens it up.

"You make them like fractions and add the numerator only." He says after a moment of reading. He glances at me and sees confusion written all over my faces, so he moves slowly on the bed to set the book down between up. "Like factions are factions with the same dominator, the number underneath the line. The numerator is the number on top of the line."

"Oh, I get it now." I laugh out quietly and I take the journal and note that down.

"That wasn't the only reason why you came in here." Bass states as I write.

"So." I say as I write.

"Ann." He deadpans. I look up at him.

"You need to leave Abnegation." I tell him firmly. "You need to get out of here."

"I won't leave you with him. Not at all." He is firm and I groan.

"Even if I asked you too?" my voice is quiet, like a whisper. "Even if I tell you to think of yourself for once. Things will be as they were if you stay. He will be the same and you won't be able to do anything about it. So why don't you take care of yourself and leave? Get away from here." He shakes his head .

"I can take you after the month into my house." I look at him as if he's stupid.

"That won't be allowed, Bass and you know it." I tell him. "I'm stuck here until my choosing ceremony and there is no way in hell I am staying here."

"You shouldn't talk that way. It's not becoming of you." His voice is gently again. Lying on the bed like this is getting annoying. So I move and sit next to him.

"I don't care. I'm not Abnegation, you know this and he knows it. You hear him when he yells at me. So why bother even pretending?" I tell him as I lean onto his shoulder where I know there isn't a bruise. "Can't you just leave? Make it better for yourself?" I ask him in a weak voice. "Things won't change with you here. You have been through a lot and you need to take care of yourself for once." He doesn't look at me anymore. Instead, he stares out the window at the dark night. "What was your test results?" I ask him after a minute. I might be able to persuade him if I know it. He can't stay here any longer and not because of me. I watch as his jaw tightens.

"I'm not supposed to talk to you about it." He says, not as firm as before.

"I really don't care, Bass. Tell me." It takes him a moment. "We tell each other everything." I remind him.

"Abnegation." He says quickly. I can't help but smile and look up at him.

"Well, aren't you a selfless person. It really doesn't surprise me." I shake my head on his shoulder and get it up. "In that case." I look him dead in the eye. He slowly turns and looks at me. It may hurt saying this, but I need him to do this for himself. Things are going to get worse, but it has to be this way for his safety. "Do this for me. I can't see you cringe every time he walks past me. I can't stand to see you hurt because you are standing up for me." I shake my head again. "I can't let you hurt yourself because of my stupid actions…"

"You're not stupid." He cuts me off firmly.

"I'm called much worse." I shrug my shoulders and continue. "You are hurting me every time you stand up for me and being my hero. I don't need you to. So please, for me. Chose some other faction. I promise that I will join you in two years. Even if I'm don't like it." I plead with him and he, at first doesn't show any emotion.

"I can't have you do that." He states. "Why do you want me to leave so badly, anyway?"

"Because I can't stand how he treats you. I can take it. But it hurts you and me when I see him go after you." I tell him in a soft, but firm voice. "If one of us is here, than the other one won't get hurt twice. You are the older one. You have a chance to leave this place and get away from him. Why not do it? This is the chance you been waiting for. I can always go to…"

"If I go, you will follow?" He asks as he cuts me off. I shake my head yes as I stop talking. I think I have gotten to him. "You promise?"

"I promise you I will. I don't think I can handle any place for too long without you anyway. Two years is just enough time for me." I give him a smile and he still frowns. "Can you not frown all the dang time? It makes me feel like I can't talk to you." I ask him a little joking tone. I never really did act like I should. Maybe that's why he gets upset with me a lot. My brother gives me a small smile before pulling me into a half hug. It hurts both of us, so it's short.

"I'll think about it." He says before letting go of me. My heart falls. He is going to do it. He just not sure where yet. I know him well. But this is for his good. I guess I have a little selflessness in me when it comes to my brother. That might be it. "Time to go to bed." I sigh. I really don't want to leave his side. This is the last time I get to see him until visiting day. Unless I'm not allowed to go. If that's the case, I will find a way to get to see him.

"I won't see you for two years, can't I deal with one tired morning?" I ask him in my half whiney voice. He looks at me and sighs.

"How old are you, Ann?" He is using my nickname, which means I'm not in trouble. I hold up four fingers.

"That many." I say in the best baby voice I have and he laughs again.

"You're bad at math." He chuckles a little bit.

"Well, I'm four. So that makes since." I tell him with more baby voice.

"Try adding ten to that." He says. "Act your age and you can stay in here with me." I straighten up right away and frown at him.

"Fine." I say in a fake sad voice. "I was only trying to make you laugh." I fold my arms over my chest. My brother ignores my fake act and reaches for my bun and pulls it out, so my hair hangs freely.

"I like your hair down. It seems weird up." He says in a different tone than what tonight means. The last time I get to see him. Does he know I'm sad about him leaving? Of course he does. He knows me better than myself.

"You have never seen my hair down before." I state. "How do you know if you like it down?"

"It fits your personality." He says as he hands me my hair band. I pull it on my wrist.

"Since when is my personality free and loose?" I ask him sarcastically. "No one has seen me like this." I tell him.

"You're true personally." He says as I yawn. "Guess there isn't going to be an all-nighter." He smirks gently as I glare at him.

"Don't hate me for trying. Bro, it's your last night here. Let me enjoy it before two years of solitude." I tell him.

"Ann. I don't have to leave." He states as he breathe out slowly. The pain is getting to him.

"Yes you do. We both do or I'm going to snap. Trust me, I feel it might happen if you don't leave." I tell him. "You need to get out of here before he takes one last hit towards you." I gently touch the bruise on his arm. He winces a little, but he tries to hide it. "I can't handle seeing this." My voice is quiet again. "Because of me." I shake my head and sigh. "You need to leave for your sake, I'm not sure if I'm going to snap or not. I really don't want you here to get the repercussions of it."

"Just go to sleep, Ann." I look back at him with water in my eyes. His eyes don't seem to change much from when I first came in. "I understand." I slowly nod and lay down on my stomach on his bed again with my head on the pillow. It smells like him. I will miss this. I pass out right away.

000

I wake up to my brother nudging my shoulder.

"Ann, wake up. It's almost time for him to wake up." I wake up to Bass whispering. I open my eyes and see Bass next to me with my book in my hand. "The work is done in the journal. Just go." I nod as I roll on my back, forgetting about last night's events and groan as Bass helps me up.

"Thanks." I breathe out as I grab the book and sneak into my room and I hear the door opens to my father's room. I quickly pull my hair back up and sit in the chair, open the book and journal and place my pencil in my hand and lay my head down on the book and shut my eyes. Some spit leaves my mouth as I hear him walk into my room.

"You were able to finish your math." I snap my head up with a gasp and look at him.

"What?" I ask with a tired, stunned voice. I turn and look at the journal and yawn. "I guess I did. I don't remember it though." I tell him as I wipe my face clean. "I don't droll." I state slowly and he shakes his head.

"Time to get ready." He says before walking past the towels on the ground. "Might want to get this cleaned up before you trip again." His voice is calm as if nothing happened. I yawn and watch him go back into his room. I stand up and walk to the dresser and trip on the ground with a loud thud. Bass's door opens slowly and he peers out at me. I look at him and wave before I see him shake his head and shut the door. I groan as I stand up and get ready for the day. It's not long before I'm dressed in my grey jacket, dress, and knee high socks and simple shoes. I walk down the stairs with my hand on the railing and still stumble. Bass and my father glance at me.

"I'm good." I tell them as I steady myself again. Bass hands me a piece of toast and I eat it as our father reads the paper, so I give my brother a once over. He is hurting pretty bad too. I shut my eyes and rest my elbows on the counter and place my head in my hands. I hear Bass sigh. I will not cry, I will not cry. His hand rests on my arm and I bite my lip and glance at him. His other hand motions to his face. I roll my eyes and glance at the stairs and he nods. My story is going to be I fell down the stairs again. My eyes find his again and they well up. That's when I move and grip the counter as hard as I can. "I'm going miss you." I mouth the words so our father isn't aware of anything. He nods and places a hand on my head.