Chapter Text
Christina sat in the corner of her cell. Her new home. For two weeks she had sat in this cell, her black clothes dulling over time. Time blurred, and simultaneously dragged. Each breath made her chest heave, her cracked lips pulled on the skin as she gasped for air once again. The tray of food across the room from her taunted her, wafts of artificial beef traveled to her nose like smoke. The chain wrapped around her ankle clanked as she moved, pulling her knees to her aching chest. A part of her, small and selfish, just as she felt, regretted ever meeting Tris, ever feeling that heart flutter at eye contact.
Now, her boyfriend, Will, was dead, as was her best friend, and Tris’ boyfriend, Four, was too, she was sure of it. Her dry throat ached as she swallowed tears down again. They surely would have come to get her by now, were they alive.
Christina could still remember when she was brought here, she had been on the way back from Abnegation. From the horrors she had faced, from the terror of waking up, only to see her gun pointed at the face of an innocent person. Her chest roiled with guilt as she tried desperately to keep up with the train, almost slipping as she climbed into the crowded train car. She looked around as she squeezed herself into a corner, but couldn't see Tris or Will for the life of her. She supposed she could do with the comfort of her friend. Or her boyfriend. The word that usually caused a flutter to fly through her chest this time only regarded her with a cramping of her heart. A strange grief encompassed her. He was fine. She was sure of it. When the train reached Dauntless headquarters again, she was among the first to jump off of the train, and the first to jump into the hole on the top of the building, only to realize that the net may not be there after she jumped.
As she stood, stumbling off of the ropey net, her limbs aching, begging her to collapse in bed, and then wake up and drink the pain of the day away. She landed on the cold concrete floor, and regained her balance for a minute, only for a harsh hand to clamp around her bicep. Christina groaned in pain, and raised her elbow to jam it into her attacker's mouth, only for her other arm to be apprehended, and tugged behind her back, in a manner that made it all the more painful.
“Christina, you are under arrest for assisting treason.” Eric sounded smug, as he yanked her arms again, and another person tied them together.
All Christina could think of, once she passed the confusion, is how much more she wanted that drink.
“What-?” She began to ask, only to be silenced by a punch in the chest. She gasped, and would have fallen to her knees, if not for her wrists still being held. She looked up through teary eyes. It was someone she didn't know.
“Robert.” Eric chided, an amused lilt to his voice. Christina hated how close his breath was to her ear.
“Don't you think you're getting ahead of yourself?” A burst of panic stampeded through Christina's chest, at the reminder that Candor and Dauntless interrogations were surely much different things. She desperately wanted to kick Eric or Robert. Christina found she couldn't stomach the thought of how much worse her interrogation would be if she made more of an enemy out of Eric, and swung her leg forward, feeling the satisfying feeling of her steel-toed-boot, landing right where Robert’s crotch was.
Robert let out a strangled noise, and Eric wrenched her arms further behind her, causing her to let out an anguished scream, as her arms and ribs burned more than when she had dangled over that ledge. Something heavy landed against her nose, and a cracking noise echoed in the hall.
“Bitch!” Robert exclaimed, his tone still pained, as she was maneuvered to the floor, a dusty boot pressed on her wrists to keep her there. She heard Eric call for backup, as the pain finally allowed her to pass-out.
Christina shook herself out of her morbid reminiscing, as she stared longingly at the tray across the room from her. She could reach it, she was sure she could. All she had to do was go and get it. Her hunger strike could come to an end, they didn't care. She licked her metallic tasting lips with her dry tongue as she made an effort to stand.
Her limbs ached as she got to her feet, and she only made it a few feet before she tumbled back to the ground, a clanking noise echoed through the room. She looked behind her to see the chain stretched taut. She looked back to the food, only to see it was just out of reach. Nonetheless, her aching starving body wouldn't allow her to stop trying. She reached forward once more, and let out a dry gasp at her fingers scraping the edge of the tray.
Her joy turned sour, as the second her finger hooked over the edge of the tray, the old and squeaky metallic door screeched open. Eric stared down at her with something akin to disgust, he stomped his foot over the tray, narrowly avoiding her fingers that jerked back towards her chest. His foot entirely squished the burger, and caused the water to rock perilously as he dragged the tray out of the room with his foot, before closing it again without a word.
Christina choked down a sob as she retreated to her spot in the corner, gently rubbing her ribs to ease the pain that sparked and only got worse after her fall.
It was about half an hour after that encounter, that the door squeaked open once more. She couldn't stop herself from flinching, feeling so far removed from Dauntless as she did. As a dark, leather boot entered her line of sight, she couldn't help but wonder what Tris would do in the same situation. How many people she would have knocked out or killed in her efforts to escape and survive. With what ease would Four have overpowered Eric that first day? Christina felt so weak, feeble and alone. She hoped whoever was coming in now would just make it quick.
The person who stepped in was familiar, tattooed skin and dyed hair sending a faint flicker of remembrance through her brain, only to be crushed by her stomach's low grumbles. The woman held something resembling a platter in her hand and the scent of something delectable shot right through to her empty stomach.
She approached slowly, Christina couldn’t help but notice. She still watched with trepidation, waiting to see what this woman wanted from her. There was no such thing as a free meal, especially in Dauntless.
“Christina.” The woman said. Her voice was also familiar, so Christina was half sure she did know her. The woman looked annoyed, the word didn't quite come to her mind, but her feet tapped the floor where she stood, and her shoulders were taut, like an animal about to attack.
“Christina, I need you to listen to me.”
Christina found herself nodding attentively. If there was a chance that she was gaining an ally here, she had to take full advantage of it. She did her best to try and ignore the aching pain in her stomach that the food had ignited.
“There’s no easy way to say this - so I’m just going to be blunt with you. Leadership are preparing for a trial by combat. Do you know how that works?”
The words took a minute to settle into Christina's brain, but the second they did, her blood ran cold.
“You can’t shut down, kid. Not now.” The tattooed woman warned.
A feeble thought crossed Christina's mind, it wouldn't save her. I'm only sixteen. It didn't matter, Christina knew it immediately. She was Dauntless. She was supposed to be brave. But faced against her aching stomach, and surely imminent death, she could only feel young and scared.
“I'm not.” Christina wheezed, her voIce fluttering in and out of audibility as she spoke. “I'm not shutting down.” She clarified.
“Good,” The woman soothed, setting the tray down, pushing it closer to Christina. “Eat slowly or you’ll be sick.” She warned, leaning back against the wall.
Christina slowly uncurled her legs from against her chest, feeling her ribs burn at the effort. A grimace appeared on her face as she leaned forward, shoveling the first handful into her mouth, akin to a feral dog, before she even processed what it was she was eating. For all she knew, it could’ve been drugged, or poisoned, and she didn’t even care.
“Slow down.” the woman ordered, stern. Christina found herself reluctantly complying, despite how terrified she was that the food would be taken away again. She felt like she could trust the woman, but the weeks of imprisonment had gotten to her.
By the time the food was gone, the woman looked almost bored, her head slightly tilted as she stared at Christina, who gently wiped her mouth with her sleeve. It was at that moment she realised just how thin she had gotten, the muscles formed and carved by training, stolen away by her imprisonment.
“Where are you injured?” The woman asked, crouching before Christina.
“My ribs.” Christina answered. “Did you bring any water?”
The woman took a bottle of water out from one of the pockets in her slightly oversized jacket, which Christina only now noticed had a strip of blue fabric attached to the sleeve jacket. The woman noticed her eyes, and shifted her shoulders. Uncomfortable.
Something within her begged her to push, instead she acquiesced, looking down at her lap.
The woman's hands gently reached forward, and then brushed over her midsection as she looked for injuries, cold hands pressed down on every rib she felt, until Christina hissed in pain, resting her head against the wall, as she stared at the slate grey ceiling.
“Good news is, I don't think it's broken. The bad news is, it's at the very least bruised.” The woman eventually said.
“What's your name?” Christina eventually croaked out.
“I'm Tori. Listen. You aren't going to see me again. After today. Remember you're Dauntless. Okay? Be brave.”
How am I supposed to be brave? She thought. Instead, she nodded, leaning back into the wall, watching with tired eyes as Tori grabbed the tray, and left the room.
Tris's eyes widened, as she watched a limping Tori, held upright only by Zeke, make their way towards the Candor doors. Before Tris could react, guns were fixed on them, and jeers, labeling them as traitors, filled the air. Tris found herself dropping her broom, and making her way towards them, striding over, halting at Tori’s side.
“What happened?” She demanded, eyeing the blood pooling over Tori's thigh, oozing out from a bullet wound, staining her entire leg.
“They figured out we were spies. We've been traveling for days” Zeke answered, voice straining over holding Tori's weight, his other hand held high in surrender. Tris's mind went blank. Before she turned around, and told people to put their guns down, and help them inside.
“How are we supposed to believe you?” A voice from the crowd demanded.
“Look, you can interrogate us all you want. Just please let us rest, handcuff us if you need to, tie us down somewhere even, just, please, get her some medical attention.”
Tori just stared weakly, her eyes vacant. Tris felt sick to the stomach at the sight.
Tori whispered something, but Tris didn't hear her.
Murmurs, discussion, happened behind her, and suddenly a few people surged forward, and dragged them inside. Zeke’s lip curled in irritation, Tori remained passive.
A few days later, after a fight with Four, and everything had gone to shit once more, Tris sat at the end of Tori's bed. Now a lot more alert than she had been. After asking and receiving more information about Jeanine's plans, Tris stood to leave, only to be stopped by a hand on her wrist.
“I've heard what people have been saying. Christina is not a traitor.” Tori said, bluntly, but with a fear in her eyes that would be hard to match.
“What?” Tris asked, although her voice sounded non-existent.
“They're blaming her, she's being put on trial.”
“Wait. Hold on.” Tris put a hand up, but Tori kept speaking.
“It's a trial by combat and they have been starving her. She's going to die.”
“No, that can't- No!’ Tears pricked her eyes as Tris's thoughts looped over themselves, as she thought of Will, as she thought of how she hadn't known what to hope, when Lynn had informed her.
She had decided to hope that Christina had found somewhere safe to hide. Even if it was in Erudite. She thought of Cara and Christina's sister, asking about her, to any Dauntless they could see, She thought of Christina's face, her eyes that seemed to glow in the right light. And felt sick to her stomach immediately.
“What's she on trial for?” She eventually asked, her voice croaky.
“The same thing you were for here, or so I heard.” Tori replied. “For causing the simulation.”
“But she didn't-”
“I know that. As do you, as does Eric. But she’s a scapegoat, somebody to blame.” Tori looked sympathetic, if not annoyed.
“But she-!”
“Tris. Go cool off.”
Tris felt a low groan building in her throat, feeling exactly like the teenager people dismissed her as. In Dauntless she was considered an adult so she fought it down, and left the room as calmly as she could, only to dissolve into sobs in a quiet hallway. Shudders wracked her body as she curled in on herself, grappling with all the information she had been given, as well as the reckoning of her relationship with Four.
“So, you’re saying Christina isn’t a traitor?” Uriah asked, leaning closer from his side on the opposite of the table, flecks of food sitting on the corner of his mouth.
“That’s what Tori says, and I trust her.” Tris responded firmly, her head raising so their eyes met.
“I mean. One less traitor has got to be good. Where did Tori say they’re holding her?” Uriah asked, at the same time Lynn butted in.
“I don’t buy it.”
“You don’t have to,” Tris countered. “We just need a majority to. But you’ve known Christina for how long now? We know more than anyone how she feels about Erudite, would you be able to sleep at night knowing you might’ve condemned someone innocent to die?” Tris protested, voice growing more intense with each sentence.
“Trial by Combat? Dauntless hasn’t done something like that for… years? Decades?” Marlene’s voice was barely loud enough for Tris to hear, sounding stricken.
Tris swallowed thickly. “...they want to make an example of her. Send a message to the rest of us that this is what happens when people get close. We have to save her.”
“Sounds like a trap,” Lynn warned. “How do we get around that? We have quite a few people, but nowhere near the brute strength we’d need.”
“We don’t need brute strength, we just need a plan.” A sudden voice came from the doorway, the sound of it making Tris’s heart pang with pain and relief in equal measures.
“Four.” Tris’s voice came out a whisper, as he sat down beside her, leaning close and folding his arms on top of the table. She fought back the urge to lean her head on his broad shoulders.
“Plan shman.” Uriah laughed, causing a wave of laughter around the table.
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“I still think brute force is the way to go.” Lynn grumbled, her back to one of the rocky Dauntless walls.
“Of course you do.” Marlene sighed, reaching over and grabbing Lynn’s jaw playfully.
“Focus.” Four interrupted. “Flirt later, once everybody’s safe.” He chided.
Marlene groaned, but put her hand back onto her gun, she leant back until her head bumped into the wall, and looked over into the next hallway.
“Coast’s clear,” she advised.
Tris felt her heart pounding in her skull, her knife clutched tight to her chest. Guns were… not yet. She felt Four’s arm wrap gently around her, squeezing once, then, almost reluctantly, coming back to his gun.
It was too quiet. Tris couldn’t help but feel suspicious.
“Split up.” Four ordered, “into groups of two.”
Footsteps seemed to grow louder, and then quieter. She didn’t know whether it was allies coming to help, or whether they were just trying to psych her out before the match. All she could do was sit tight, clutching the impromptu weapon she’d crafted out of a plastic spoon. If they were going to take her down - she was going to fight with everything she had.
It had been around a month since she was taken prisoner, judging by the tally marks under her rusted iron bed, so she had spent as much time trying to prepare as humanly possible. She had tried to be as quiet as possible, knowing that if they heard the chain rattling they would investigate.
But here she was. Footsteps were getting closer and faster. Something tightened in Christina’s chest, her grip tightening on her makeshift knife. It sounded as though someone was running her way and she knew. They were doing it now because Eric was gone.
The door flew open and a cry tore out of her throat as she tried to lunge towards the intruder, to find herself disarmed, her wrist twisted just enough to force the spoon-knife to fall from her grip. Through the fear, it took a moment for her to recognise Four’s face. Once she did, all she could do was lean into him and sob. Though her ribs were mildly less painful now, they still protested the exertion. His arms awkwardly embraced her, as did another pair that she immediately recognised as Tris. The tears came harder, and Tris shushed her, trying to stroke through Christina’s matted hair. Christina tried to stifle the sobs, aware of Tris's discomfort around misery in general. Not long after her tears had ceased, Four gently repositioned her so that they could break the chain holding her captive. Tris kept looking out through the doorway, clearly waiting to see if their reunion would be cut short.
Just as Four had looped the chain around his foot, to create a bit more tension, his gun pointed squarely at the chain, Tris saw Uriah making his way down the hallway, she saw the way his eyes widened as he caught sight of Tris.
“Hey, Tris! We've searched about half of this compound now. Haven't seen any signs of her-” Uriah’s sentence was cut short when he laid eyes on the girl huddled in the corner of the room.
“I see you had better luck then we did.” He smiled. “I'll go get the others. This place seems pretty empty though.”
“You forget the orders already?” Four asked. “Teams of no more than two. You’re lucky we found her so quickly.”
Uriah nodded, successfully cowed, as he made his way back to the others.
Christina shuddered from her place in the corner, eyes locked onto the gun still pointed at the chain.
Tris didn’t hesitate to kneel down beside her, wrapping her jacket around the emaciated girl. “Are you ready, Chris?” She asked, voice soft.
Christina nodded firmly. Shame curled in her gut like smoke. She felt weak enough, she didn't need help feeling worse. regret curled just below her sternum as she thought of how she launched herself at Four. She shook her head to clear the thoughts.
The gunshot rang through the room, rumbling through the floor and walls and Christina's bones, ending by vibrating in her ears.
Footsteps echoed, running, coming from the hall, until Lynn, Uriah, Marlene and Zeke stood in the doorway, faces ashen, guns clasped tight in their hands.
“Alright. Let's not stay here longer than we need to. Think you can walk on your own, Christina?”
She nodded, trying to rise to her feet, yet gravity had other plans. She stumbled backward, back colliding against the wall. It knocked the breath out of her, reigniting the burning pain of her ribs.
“Christina!” Someone panicked, but she just pinched her eyes shut, focusing on the sensation of the cold stone wall, for just a moment. Her legs were numb and trembling, threatening to give in, but surely she was allowed this one good thing, right?
After that moment, she pulled herself up onto her knees, steadying herself with her hands on the wall. She desperately ignored the eyes trained on her, and managed to hold a hand up, when Four surged forward to help her up.
“No, I've got it. Just- a minute, please.” She pleaded, breathing through the pain.
“We don't have forever.”
“Four!” Tris protested.
“Did you forget that this is almost certainly a trap? The longer we leave her flailing on the floor, the longer they have to get reinforcements.” Four's arms crossed over his chest.
“Where's Will?” She asked, if only to distract.
“He’s not here, Chris. He tried to kill me when he was under the serum. I’ll tell you more when we’re all safe, I promise.”
The admission, almost tear-streaked, was so honest and so regretful, Chris couldn’t be angry at it. “You’re okay?” She asked hazily.
“I agree with Four. Someone should carry her. We don't have time for this.” Lynn stated.
“Christina can make her own choices.” Tris's voice raised.
“Of course she can. When she's not endangering all of us.” Lynn shot back.
Christina's chest ached, as she tried once again to force herself to stand. Her legs now visibly shaking with the effort. Christina had just started to get used to the weight, mentally begging her legs not to give out again, as she took a step forward, and her legs collapsed once again. Christina cried out, more from frustration than pain. And suddenly there were arms under her, lifting her into a hold. When she heard Four ask, “Can somebody grab my gun?” She felt a chest rumble against her side.
In a moment of weakness, wracked with grief, she let herself relax in his hold.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Uriah come forward to grab the gun. Christina felt safe, safer than she had been in what felt like a lifetime, and willed herself desperately not to fall asleep.
Christina stirred to the sound of hushed voices and soft murmurs. It was hard to make out individual words or phrases, but the voices sounded familiar. That was probably what stopped her from waking up screaming like she had in the cell. She recognised the clattering sounds of the rails and knew she was on a train. There was something soft under her head, and it took her an almost embarrassingly long time to recognise it was someone’s legs.
Christina was almost tempted to pretend to sleep longer, if only to enjoy the comfort of Tris cradling her.
Eventually, Christina sat up, slowly, as she fought against her aching, shaking limbs. She pulled her legs to her side, as she leaned against the same wall Tris was sitting against, trying to ignore the way Tris’s hands followed her nervously.
“Hey! Mornin’, sleeping beauty.” Someone chuckled, before handing her a bottle of water that she gulped down. She only realised how fast she drank it when she found herself tipping the bottle back for the last drops.
Christina looked at the person who handed her the bottle. He looked like Tris’s friend, Uriah. Only older, with different coloured eyes, and his nose shape differing a little. She’d heard his name before, but only in passing, so she just nodded in thanks.
She tried to keep her eyes off of Four, who sat on the other side of Tris, seemingly perfectly relaxed. She also tried to partially ignore Tris, as embarrassment burned through her veins, making her cheeks red and her forehead warm. She couldn’t stop emotionally kicking herself for having to be carried.
Eventually Lynn tossed a packet of non-perishable food into Christina’s lap, and she watched as they tucked a packet of Dauntless cake back into the duffel bag they had beside them. She heard Four scoff a laugh and Tris, demanding they share, with an amused lilt to her tone. Christina allowed her head to fall back against the train wall. Her hands clasped around the food, so tight she could see that her knuckles had turned white. She wanted to release it, she was more than aware that she was being a coward. Being weak, the opposite of Dauntless. Instead, she continued holding on. If she found any of them in the same situation, she’d offer them the grace. She saw no reason why they wouldn’t do the same. Christina tried not to focus on the rumbling of the train, she entirely avoided the memory of the last time she was on the train, consciously, at least. It was a trap. She found herself still wanting that alcohol she had promised herself, but to a lesser extent now.
“You okay?” Uriah asked, his thoughtful, perceptive gaze settled on her. Christina nodded in response, not finding it in herself to speak.
A short while later, she realised they’d find it suspicious if she didn’t eat. She knew she had to, or else they’d start asking those questions, too kind, too concerned. Reluctantly, she pulled open the plastic packaging and took a bite. It tasted like cardboard, she decided numbly.
After a little while, of Christina sitting by Tris’s side, Tobias finally managed to get Tris’s attention. Christina was sitting stone still, staring off into the distance like it could protect her from something. He flicked his eyes from Tris’s unwavering eye contact to the door behind him until she got the hint.
The two excused themselves, and Tobias felt his eyebrows twist sympathetically when Christina’s entire body jerked forward at the news, her eyes wide as she stared at the two of them, scanning over each of them like she could scan through them to figure out what was wrong.
The door shut, and Four rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to plan his words carefully. “Christina’s…” He trailed off. “There’s something different about her, it seems.”
“No shit, she’s been held captive for over a month. We’d be different too.” Tris defended.
Four held up his hands placatingly. “That’s not how I meant it.” He soothed. “Bear with me, okay? And promise not to stab me?” He left out a deep sigh.
Tris stared at him questioningly.
“I don’t know if you’ve noticed this too, but she has been seeking a lot of comfort from us in particular. I might be going crazy, but she was muttering in her sleep a few times. She’s only slept if she’s had some sort of contact from you or I, and she relaxed in my arms the way you did back when Al…” He trailed off.
Tris stared at the train floor, eyebrows furrowed, like they did whenever Will or Al were brought up. Her eyes flicked from left to right as she thought. Connecting the dots.
“You’re saying…” Tris sighed, “You think she likes us?” Tris made eye contact.
“You-” She chuckled a little. “You’re blushing!” It was said like an accusation, but the laughter softened it, enough that it didn’t feel like she was tearing him apart to find his inner secrets.
He couldn’t help but half-smile back.
“I don’t know, but either way, right now she just needs our support. Anyways, if she did, how would you feel about that? Don’t act like I can’t see your face going tomato red.” He teased.
Tris chuckled a little, thinking, before looking back through the dirty window at Christina. Her knees were curled close to her chest, eyes wide, Uriah sat beside her, saying something that made Lynn chuckle, judging by the way her shoulders moved. Christina reacted too, but only slightly.
“ I think,” She began, softly. “I think I don’t mind. What about you?”
“I’m gonna need some time,” he warned gently, gently squeezing her shoulders in reassurance. “But I think I can get my head around it. Now, go rescue your girl from Uriah and Lynn.”
The door squeaked as it opened once again, the wind substantially louder as the train turned a corner. A gust of air entered the cart, alongside Tris and Four, who sat back in their previous spot, Four’s arm around Tris’s shoulder.
“See! I told you! A lover’s spat can fix all sorts!” Zeke exclaimed, his arm wrapped around his middle, his breath came in the kind of pants that told of many, many, jokes..
Neither Four nor Tris missed the way Christina’s shoulders sank minutely. Tris pulled Christina closer, so that Chris’s head rested against her shoulder.
“We’ve got you,” Tris whispered. “I promise.”
Christina let out an almost imperceptible sigh, and Tris’s heart fluttered at the sound.
The ride back to Candor was almost peaceful, with jokes, laughter and the knowledge that Christina was safe, and they would never let her go again. Christina would be taken to a medical bay, where they would check her over. She would go and see her family, and then Four and Tris had every intent on looking out for her, as much as they could.
Christina laid in her room, her old one, the one she had left two months ago to join the Dauntless. All but a few of them slept on a different floor. Earlier, Tris had come into her room, and offered to talk more about Will, she shook her head, desperately, he was dead. Gone. She knew enough. She had already spent a month grieving, and didn't see how added information would change that. She had already seen the guilt in Tris's eyes, the guilt that made her stomach twist in on itself, she never wanted to see Tris look like that again. Not so small. Not so broken.
She refused to lose her the same way she lost Al.
Christina’s arm was thrown over her chest, it felt considerably better, with the addition of pain killers. She stared at the bottle on her desk in relief. Before she finally stood and made her way down to the Gathering Place, She grabbed a hoodie that had been left by Tris the last time she visited. It smelt like both Four and Tris, she noted, as she tugged it on, and deduced it probably belonged to Four, because nothing Tris wore could fit Christina. A fact she regarded with disappointment, before she quickly shook it away. She shouldn’t be wearing Four’s hoodie either. She should take it off and hand it to one of them. It was soft though, and she was cold. So she threw the hood over her head, held it closer to her chest, and just decided to hope neither of them noticed.
She made her way down to the Gathering Place slowly, careful of each step, her legs still protesting too much movement, but now it more surfaced as pain, rather than collapsing.
The second she made her way in, it felt as though all eyes were on her, she couldn’t help but shrink into it and search for a familiar face. Any would do, except for-
She looked over at one of the far tables and Tris’s vivid blue eyes met hers, sealing Christina’s fate for the morning. She headed straight over, hoping they would let her sit quietly and process the past month in company.
A hand landed on her shoulder as Four indicated for her to take his spot, he mentioned needing to go run an errand anyway, so he insisted that it wasn’t a problem at all.
Something uncomfortable coiled in Christina’s gut, but she sat down anyway, and the smile on Tris’s face when she did made the feeling coil tighter, winding around her stomach.
Four stepped around her, gently pulling Christina’s hoodie down. It must have been an accident. Surely.
Tris didn’t say anything to Chris for a moment, seeing Four off with a soft kiss that she should’ve looked away from. She should’ve averted her eyes or something.
“Oh, come on.” Uriah groaned playfully. “Just because she’s injured, she gets all the special treatment? I’m going on strike.”
Marlene laughed, tugging Uriah closer to her for a hug. “If you wanted more cuddles, you just had to ask,” she teased, watching Uriah blush.
Lynn made eye contact with Christina from across the table, and rolled her eyes exaggeratedly. Before poking towards her mouth, and miming retching, causing Christina to giggle, her arms wrapped over her ribs to stabilise them, just as the doctors had warned
Suddenly, she had Tris’s full attention, gaze directly on her. “Where does it hurt? Do you need anything?”
“I’m okay, I just need food.” She admitted, a half-truth.
“Don’t worry, Four should be back-” Tris cut herself off, feeling guilty for spoiling the secret.
“I know you’re attracted to him, Tris. But that doesn’t make him an actual snack.” Zeke sighed, patting her shoulder sympathetically, and shaking his head.
“Oh, so that’s where he gets it from.” Marlene sighed, her head now resting entirely on Uriah’s shoulder.
“Gets what from who?” Uriah asked, shaking his head, like he had just zoned out.
“His horrible sense of humour.” Lynn retorted, stretching her hand out across the table to hold his.
“I’m going to sue you.” Zeke sighed.
“What? Me? What did I do?” Lynn asked, retracting her hand to put them both up in defense.
“Defamation is a serious crime. You’ve gotta pay.”
“Psst, it’s more slander,” Christina advised Zeke with a smile. “At least you’re in the right faction?” Christina tried to joke along, quietly.
“At least someone’s on my side.” He sighed, hand flung across his face.
Christina turned to look at Tris, trying to judge if they had made her laugh too. She was staring off into the distance, her expression almost painfully fond. For a moment, Christina allowed herself to believe it was because of her, and her chest felt warm and light.
She heard footsteps and realised Tris had seen Four returning, and she felt her face heating with humiliation, pulling her hood up and holding her hands on her lap.
Four and Tris kiss once again, and Christina couldn’t look up at all, staring at her lap. She stayed that way for a moment, until she realised that Four no longer had a place to sit. She raised herself swiftly, doing her best to ignore the swaying of her legs, until Four’s hand landed on her shoulder once again to stabilise her.
“Christina?” He asked, concerned. He shouldn’t be concerned about me, she thought. I was crushing on his girlfriend.
She swallowed thickly, trying to drum up words.
“I’m fine. I need to go back to my room, I forgot something.” Her words came out faster than she intended. Even someone not from Candor would be able to pick up on that.
“I can go grab it for you, what is it?” someone asked. But Christina’s vision was practically swimming as she shook her head.
“No. No, I’d rather grab it myself, It’s in my bedroom.”
“Oh.” They backed off, quickly enough to offer Christina a second of relief.
“Do you want someone to walk you?” That voice was unique enough for Christina to recognise. Lynn.
She pondered it for a second. “I’d like that.” Her voice was taut.
“Alright, give me a second,” Lynn sighed, standing up from the table with a stretch. “Hey Uriah? I think we deserve some chocolate cake, if you can whip up a batch.”
“I don’t know how!”
“Zeke, I mean.”
Zeke laughed, before nodding briskly, out of the corner of her eye, Christina saw him make his way to the kitchens.
“Are you okay, Christina?” Tris asked, “Your eyes are really red.” Christina dared herself to make eye contact, and found that Tris was sitting on Four’s lap, her head tilted slightly to the side.
Four’s hand removed itself from Christina’s shoulder, and a part of her mourned the contact. She wobbled, and his hand came up again, this time holding her just before her wrist.
“Hayfever.” She lied, more believably that time.
“Are you ready?” She asked Lynn.
“Yeah, let’s go!” Lynn agreed “Just had to convince Hector to stay where he’s sitting. You know, little brothers.”
“Yeah.” Christina agreed. She absolutely did not.
The walk back to her room was slow, Lynn supporting some of her weight.
“They should move you to the ground floor. That’d make your life easier.” Lynn sighed
“They could. But it wouldn’t be my room.” Christina explained “I grew up here remember?”
“You’re in your childhood bedroom?”
“No, I’m in my childhood dorm room. Once you’re 10, they boot you out.”
“Damn, self sufficient queen!”
“You flatter me,” Christina joked, smiling genuinely for the first time in a long time.
By the time they made it to Christina’s bedroom, the two of them had been jokingly idly for so long that Christina just let her in.
“Huh, this place is…”
“Homey?”
“Cramped.” Lynn sighed, flopping down on her bed so hard she heard the springs groan.
“I know I left, but this place still feels significantly like home.” Christina sighed. Sitting down at her desk, and taking her scheduled pain pill.
“Is that all you needed to grab? I could have come and got it for you.”
“No, I also needed a breather.” Christina sighed, holding her hand over her heart to listen to the erratic beat of it.
Lynn looked at her, really looked at her, and she seemed to understand instantly.
“Did I ever tell you about how Marlene and I wound up with Uriah?” She asked, out of the blue.
“No, why?”
“Trust me, let me tell you now.”
Christina remained quietly puzzled, but gestured for her to continue.
“At first, he was just always there, y’know? We were all training together at times, and he and Marlene were really close. So it wasn’t unusual for him to be around during dinners, when we moved, and one night, Marlene came to me, near tears. She told me that she was starting to feel things for Uriah, but she also loved me. I reflected on it, and realised that I had somehow fallen for that idiot too. It took him some time to realise we were actually flirting with him, and we had to all but come out and say that we liked him. I wasn’t mad with him for liking Marlene first, it gave us time to get to know each other. I’d kill anyone if they tried to fuck with him. That’s how we ended up as we are. I hope you get what I’m saying. You’re allowed good things.” Lynn’s voice was a lot more gentle than Christina was used to. She let the words soak in.
“I… understand, but this is a bit different.”
“Okay.” Lynn sat up, cross legged, and scooted to the end of the bed. “How?”
“Well, you and Marlene weren’t as established yet. You all realised you liked each other around the same time. I’m not just going to follow them around, and wait for them to maybe like me too. I’m not a homewrecker. I keep looking at their accidents like love, and it might break me. Especially after Will.” Christina’s voice cracked.
Lynn snorted, despite herself. “Have you paid attention to the way they look at you? The fact that they’ve been following you? Four asked Tris to leave that hoodie, Tris asked Four to get you food, Four carried you out of Dauntless. I was bound to secrecy, but they wouldn’t want you hurting like this. They care about you so much. They’ve been so scared they’ll push you away by saying it outright. You didn’t see them on the train when you were out cold. They kept taking turns to watch over you.”
Christina felt a blush come over her, and shook her head to clear it.
“What if I’m misreading it?” She whispered.
“You ever know me to lie?” Lynn asked
“I-” Christina took a steadying breath.
“Do you think we scared her off?” Four whispered, as he frowned at the doorway.
Tris’s face was stricken. “I hope not, what do we do if we have?”
“We give her space, and then we apologise. Maybe we misread the signs.”
Tris nodded, leaning closer to his chest.
“Why is love so hard?”
“It's not. It's just… tricky to navigate sometimes.”
“What if we're manipulating her?”
“You need to set out to do that.”
“Yeah but-”
“Shh, it's okay. Stop thinking.”
They sat there in silence for a few moments, body heat warming each other.
“Hey, Cake's rea- woah! PDA alert!” Zeke exclaimed, covering his eyes with his arm and diving to the side, barely avoiding knocking the cake over.
Four sighed, his tone amused, as he gently slid Tris off of his lap, and stood up to help Zeke.
“I think I'll take a few slices to Christina and Lynn.” He stated, placing a plate in front of Tris, as he spoke.
“No, don't leave me here to process on my own.” She pouted, before laughing.
“Wait, what are we processing?” Uriah asked, breaking eye contact with Marlene as he did so
“Cake.” Tris deadpanned.
“Oh, yeah, that'll take at least a year to process, if not two. How could Four leave you in such a time as this?”
“I know.” Tris sniffed, melodramatically. “So cruel to me,” she shook her head. “When I needed him most, he leaves me with cake.” The smile that refused to leave her indicated she was full of nonsense.
“The world's worst boyfriend…” Four chuckled, pointing to himself as he left the room, carefully balancing the plates on one arm.
“There he goes.” Tris sighed, as Uriah leaned forward to grab his own slice of cake.
The room had finally silenced when there came a knock at the door, Lynn looked up from the bed, now laying on her stomach, with her legs kicking in the air.
“You gonna get that?” She asked
Christina groaned as she stood
“Oh my legs! Oh god! The pain! How could you do this to me?” She cried, as she made her way to the door. She was only a few steps away when it burst open, to reveal a very concerned Four, whose expression grew more bashful by the second.
“I- uh, I’ll fix that. Anyways, I brought you some cake so Uriah didn’t eat it all- enjoy!” He blurted.
“He would too, I say forgive him!” Lynn called, leaning past Christina to grab the cakes.
“I didn't realise it was up to a vote.” Christina said.
“Yeah, better get used to it.” Lynn winked, walking back to the bed.
“Don’t eat cake on my bed.” Chris hissed.
“You okay?” Four asked, as Lynn sat down on the bed, leaning over to avoid getting crumbs on it.
“Yeah, I'm okay, I was just being overdramatic.” She smiled up at Four, and in a moment of bravery, set the cake aside and hugged him, for just a moment. She hoped the message came across either way.
Four froze under her, and she immediately took a step back, kicking herself for misreading the signs, and simultaneously ready to tell off Lynn for pranking her like that. Only for Four to lurch forward, bear-hugging her.
A week had passed, Christina no longer had to take pain meds for the ribs that were broken, and Christina was doing a lot better. She still had to work hard to regain the muscle that had been eaten away from her, and the strength in her legs that still wobbled much too easily for a Dauntless girl. Lynn was helping her to work out; slowly but surely, progress was being made. Four and Tris were still being so patient with her, so much so that she wanted to give back to them somehow. Especially now it was clear her feelings were reciprocated equally.
It was a calm day, when she felt brave enough to try..
The hall was long, and mostly empty, just her, Four, and Tris.
Christina was wearing one of Four's hoodies, a different one to last time. Her hands were wrapped around the cuffs of the sleeves. She breathed slowly, carefully, in an attempt to calm her racing heart. The hoodie was flipped to the point she almost couldn't see them, she was only aware she was walking past the two, huddled by the water fountain, when Four reached over, flicking her hoodie off of her head.
She didn’t give herself time to second-guess herself, reaching over to ruffle his hair affectionately, before turning her attention to Tris and affectionately squeezing her shoulders. “See you guys later?” She said, before continuing to the Gathering Place - half walking, half jogging - where she bumped into Lynn.
“Hey Christi- what happened?” Marlene asked. “Look at her blush.” She said to Lynn
“Oh my God. You did it. Didn't you?”
Christina's cheeks puffed as she nodded. Lynn peered around Christina.
“You wanna talk to them? Cause they’re on their way.”
Her face felt hot as she swallowed nervously.
“I’m just gonna go grab some food - then I will.” Her determination surprised even herself.
She had just sat down with her food, when she felt two separate sets of body heat beside her, she turned to her left, and there was Four. A strange, blotchy, blush on his face. She couldn't tell whether or not he was smiling, because his knuckles covered his mouth.
She turned to her right, and she hadn’t seen Tris’s eyes look so bright apart from… oh. Oh. She really did like her as well. They liked her. She wasn’t making this up after all.
She cleared her throat, feeling a playful smile drawing up her lips.
“You guys come here often?” She asked. “Also, what are you doing later? I know some pretty good spots for a first date.” She raised her eyebrows, before her next words came out in a ramble.
“PleaseletmeknowifI’mreadingthiswrongbutI’velikedyoubothforsolong-” She felt her face growing hotter and hotter with embarrassment and she pulled her hood up over her head and face. Her words were cut off when Four barked a laugh.
His arm gently wound around her back, tugging her hood back down in the process, his hand meeting with Tris’s.
“9pm, tonight, work okay for you?” He asked.
“Oh my god, we haven't had a first date.” Tris's eyes were wide.
“9pm is fine with me.” Christina agreed bashfully. “I’ll pick you guys up from your room?”