The cheers end and Miles steps off the mat, and stands next to his sister, just as someone happens to take his place. "Someone get him up, and take him to the infirmary please." A deep, raspy, baritone voice says, and two Dauntless members step onto the mat and pick Eric up by each of his arms, and wrapped them around the back of their necks. His whole body was limp, and his head dangled as they dragged him out of the training room. Jade sees Lauren pick up his shoes, piercings and jacket, and follow behind them. "It's now clear to me that I've made a mistake," Max, the owner of the deep voice says.
He stood with his hands in his pockets, and his eyes on Four. The crowd begins to whisper and gossip as they continued to listen in, some audience members had even left the training room, and came back with more Dauntless members. "What mistake?" Jade asks curiously from the sidelines. She looks at Four confused, and he looks at her the same. Max looks at Jade, and then steps closer to her boyfriend.
"I realized my mistake was that I choose the wrong person to be this faction's future leader, especially after seeing that fight." Max explains, and Jade watched as Four's expression contorted into distaste. And she wonder as to why. Max clears his throat, "Eric has shown me his true colors throughout the years, and I recognized his arrogance, his incompetence, and not to mention his cruelty, as poison to this faction. He's hated by many, and loved by few, and it's clear to me that this faction needs someone that's not only brave, but someone who is also more responsible, more trustworthy, and believe it or not, more selfless, than Eric ever was." Max slowly explains, and Jade then realizes the fight was definitely about more than just her and her father's ring. The enlarging crowd had begun gasping and murmuring about Eric and Four. "As of this moment," Max raised his voice as he steps to the middle of the mat, and faces the crowd, "Eric is stripped of any and all authority, and his leadership ranking, is now revoked." Max pauses and looks around at the crowd, taking in its large size. It stretched so far back their were people standing on other arenas, and even people sitting on other people's shoulders trying to get a better look at what was happening.
"And since majority of this faction stands before me now, by a show of hands, who would want Four here, to take Eric's place?" Max questions, making his voice boom and echo throughout the training room, while gesturing to Four. Max watches as hands began to shoot up into the air, while Four looks to his left to see Jade and Miles with their right hands already up. People in the far back even had their hands raised. It got to the point only a handful of people out of the hundreds kept their hands down. Four looks around at the crowd in shock.
Max looks at Four, and raises his own hand with a smirk, "The people, have spoken." He says, just before bowing his head a bit. Just then the crowd started cheering, clapping and... celebrating. Everyone was more then excited for Four, and for the future of Dauntless, especially Jade. She walks up onto the mat and hugged him, and he hugged her back. But while they embraced one another, Jade could feel how tense Four was.
She looked up at his sour expression, and she was curious as to what could possibly be bothering him after the big news. While scanning his eyes she realized exactly what was wrong. Her expression softened and she picked up his shirt and handed it to him. As he put it on she also picked up his jacket and held it, as he quickly put on his shoes. She pulled him to the exit of the training room, and to his apartment in Dauntless.
Once they were in front of his door, she opened and closed it behind them. She watched as he stepped to the end the bed and stood there, rubbing the back of his neck. She stepped in front of him, and looked up at him. He looked down at her, but it was only for a second before he looked off to the side, as if he was . . . ashamed. She gently grabbed his chin and tilted his head to look back down at her.
"I use to be clueless as to why you would always decline Leadership. But now, I realize why you do." She says to him quietly, gently running her hand threw his soft brown hair. She realized Four was unhappy about becoming a leader because it meant he'd have to be involved with all the other faction leaders, which included his father, Marcus. She knew all to well he didn't want anything to do with his father, considering their past. Jade embraced Four once again, but this time, the way she held him around his neck made it feel all the more meaningful. He buried his face into the crook of her neck and held her endearingly.
Jade could feel his body relax in her arms, and he even slouched a bit from being so alert. He pulled away and gently placed his lips on hers. The kiss was soft yet fierce. She kissed him back and wrapped her arms around his neck loosely. He had an arm wrapped around her torso, and one at her waist. She melted into his touch as his hands graced against her skin.
She slipped her fingers into his hair, and before she could begin to play with it, she could feel a knot on the back of his head. She gently pulled away with a concerned look, and scanned his whole body. He was cut, bruised, and bleeding all over his skin. She instructed for him to sit, and left to his bathroom, and fetched the same bucket from before, a clean rag and an ice pack. She sat on her knees in front of where he sat on the bed, and examined him.
"You don't need to do-," - "Hush. Yes I do." She interrupted him, took his hand in hers, and began to clean his cut, bruised, and cracked knuckles. It reminded both of them of the time Jade had almost got thrown over the edge of the chasm. It also reminded her of Al, since he was involved in that exact incident. She was still mad at his immoral decision to take part in said incident, but she also felt inhumane for fueling the life changing decision he made after the fact. She focused back on Four, and continued to clean his minor wounds, trying to rid the images of Al's lifeless body in her mind.
She then moved from his hands to his face, where there was a cut on his cheekbone and a giant green, purple, and blue toned bruise on left cheek. She cleaned the cut and told him to hold the ice pack against his cheek, while she went to fetch another for the knot on the back of his head. She held it against his head after she sat next to him on the bed. She leaned her head on his shoulder, and entwined one of her hands with his. Four tightened his grip on her hand just a tad and lifted her hand up to his lips, and placed a kiss.
"Thank you. I couldn't ask for a better nurse." He says to her, making her smile, "and I couldn't ask for a better patient." She responds with, and kisses his cheek. Her heart rate picked up just by looking in his chocolate brown eyes. And while she was gazing, she noticed he had started twisting, and playing with her mother's wedding band, that laid on her right hand. He looked down at the ring just before she did. "I think you and Miles should get started on that plan of yours for Liam. I truly don't think you three should be apart for any longer then necessary, that is, if it does happen to be him." Four quietly tells her, she stared down at the ring on her finger.
"You're right." She smiled widely, but then her mouth immediately dropped. " ...but, -but what if he denies us? What if he's upset that his whole sense of family is flipped upside down? What if Liam isn't even our brother? All these possibilities make me feel like I don't want to." Jade confesses, still holding his hand endearingly. Four looks at her and shakes his head, "you should always expect the worst. And hope for the best. But you should also think of it this way, what if it is him? What if Liam is your brother and you don't do anything to help reunite your family? You never know until you act on it." Four says to her, and it changes her whole look on the situation. She looks at him with a sweet, and thankful smile. She placed a hand on his neck and placed her lips on his passionately, just before throwing on his leather jacket and heading out to find Miles. She first checked the training room, since it was the last place she saw him before heading off with Four.
At first she couldn't spot him, that is until she spotted Tris, standing right next to him. They were smiling, talking, and laughing, all while holding hands. Seeing her brother happy put a smile on her face. She approached them, "hey love birds. I don't mean to interrupt Tris but, could I steal him for a while?" She asks pointing to her brother, and Tris nodded unhesitatingly as she received a kiss on the cheek from Miles. Their relationship reminded Jade of her own, inevitably making her miss Four.
They smiled at each other once more before he walked away with his sister. "Whatcha stealing me for hm?" Miles asks her, and all she does is hand him their father's wedding band. "We've got some work to do. And I'm not resting til we find our brother. Let's go find possibility number one." She says, and she then receives a determined nod from him. The two leave the training room and walk the halls of Dauntless. They walk in silence towards the Entrance of the pit, and just as they both descend from the tunnel-like entrance, someone walks past them with lingering eyes.
Oddly enough they heard the sound of the person's footsteps stop, and a sharp feminine gasp. ". . . Cameron?" The siblings had heard from behind them, and Miles stops in his tracks and immediately turns around. Jade notices and stops walking as well, and turns around to see a woman stepping out of the dark hallway and stand in front of them. "Is... is that your name?" The lady asks Miles, and he shakes his head. "Not my first name no, but it is my middle name." He answers with a pause, "but how did you know that? do I know you?" He asks her stepping a tad closer.
Jade did as well and she scanned the older woman's appearance. She had wavy light brown hair, a narrow jaw, and big green eyes. To Jade the shade of green was familiar, a little too familiar. "No, it's just, you look a lot like someone I grew up with." The lady says, as she scans Miles's eyes harder then ever. "You... you even have his eyes.." she mutters, stepping closer as well.
The closer they got to each other, the closer Jade was to figuring out what exactly was going on. "What's your name?" She kindly asks her, and the lady looks to Jade with a small smile. "Annalise Harris, but I go by Lacy. And both of yours?" The lady, -now known as Lacy- tells them. And both siblings jaws drop to the floor as they look at one another. Jade put both of her hands over her open mouth in complete shock and excitement.
But they both soon smile widely as Miles gladly sticks his hand out to shake. "Miles Cameron Harris. And this is my sister, Natalie Jade Harris." He pauses, "And. . . I know this might be a shocker but, I-I. . . I think you're our biological aunt." Miles says with genuine surprise. Lacy's eyes widen, "My brother had kids?? My brother had kids!!! OH MY GOODNESS I'M AN AUNT. Put that hand down and both of you come give your aunt a hug!!" She nearly shouts, opening her arms for the both of them, making them laugh. The siblings embrace their brand new relative at the same time, and they held onto her for awhile. They never got to meet their father's sister since she had stayed in Dauntless at the time of their choosing ceremony.
So they hugged her as if they were making up of all the times they could have throughout the years. After awhile they finally released, "No wonder you look like Cameron." She says looking to Miles. It is then the two of the them are swarmed with confusion, and their aunt notices. "Don't you mean Anthony?" Jade questions, and their aunt shakes her head. "No, you look more like your father then he does. He looks like our younger brother." She clarified, but their confused looks stayed regardless.
That's when their aunt finally realized they both had no idea who she was talking about, "your father never told you did he?" She asks in a sorrowful voice. They both shook their heads no. The sad expression on their aunts face stayed as she sighed, "me and your father had a little brother. Cameron was a goofball, he could always cheer someone up if they were feeling upset. Me and him choose to stay in Dauntless, unlike your guy's father. Sadly, during our initiation, one morning I woke to the news that our brother had jumped into the chasm. And I couldn't believe it. You guys would've loved your uncle. I love that Anthony gave you his name, even if it's your middle name." She says sorrowfully. And Jade clasps a hand over her mouth, feeling sadness creep into her heart. The news reminded her of Al again. She tries to picture their uncle while looking up at Miles, since she had said he looked like him. "Let's continue this lovely surprise reunion in my apartment, follow me." Their aunt says and they gladly walk behind her throughout the hallways in Dauntless.
They begin to past other apartments with the letter 'C' and a number on the doors. Their aunt stopped at one of them, and Jade could see the number of her apartment was 'C8'. Which reminded her of Visiting day, when she had mention the letter of her apartment to their mother. She unlocked the door and stepped in, closing the door behind both Miles and Jade. "Welcome to my humble abode. Please make yourself's comfortable." Their aunt insisted.
The two siblings looked around the fairly large, and clean apartment. The door lead straight into a small cozy living room, with an opening on the left, where there was a small kitchen with a fridge, counters, cabinets and a stove. The two sat down on one of the leather couches in the living room, while their aunt sat on the smaller loveseat. "I still can't believe my brother had kids. And to think you both choose Dauntless together as well." She says pausing, "it must've been hard to leave them." She adds. Miles and Jade nod in unison, "it was absolutely heartbreaking, but in the end they where supportive of our decision." Jade responds with, sorrowfully.
"Throughout our whole childhood I'm pretty sure they eventually realized we were Dauntless at heart. Considering we would always get peacefully disciplined and or reminded to be kind to one another." Miles chimes in with, his sister agreed. "Ahh, I see. That's because you have Dauntless blood in your veins. My brother may have chosen peace over bravery but, that doesn't mean his Dauntless-Born genes vanished. They now thrive through both of you." Their aunt says, and the words meant a lot to the both of them. Jade smiles but then realizes her tightly crossed, and bouncing legs. "If you don't mind, could I use your restroom?" Jade asked her, and she nodded. "Of course. It's the first door on the right." Her aunt points to the wide hall behind her, and Jade travels off in that direction, and handles her business.
Once she was done, she throughly washed and dried her hands before exiting. When she did, she couldn't help but notice a few picture frames on the right hall wall. She examines one of the pictures, which held an image of three people. One of course being her aunt, who sat in the living room as she scanned the picture. Another happened to be an unfamiliar, slim faced, straight haired brunette, and she was fairly pretty to Jade.
And the last, was a little boy. He was sitting in the lap of the brunette, and the photo was caught perfectly to were he looked to be in the midst of laughing. Jade smiled as she noticed all three looked as happy as ever, but she had also noticed this picture was definitely taken years ago. Only because her aunt look more youthful then she did now in the picture. Jade carefully picked the picture off the wall, and carried it to the living room, only to ask the obvious question.
She sat in her seat and showed the picture to her aunt, while pointing to both the brunette and boy. "I couldn't help but notice this picture in the hall, and I need to know, who are these two?" Jade asked as Miles leaned forward to see the framed picture. He then looks up at her with wide eyes, as if he already knew. Their aunt clears her throat, "that's my best friend and her son. Would you like me to tell you about them?" She asked. And the two nodded unhesitatingly.
"Alright. I met her about twenty years ago, at our year of initiation. Her name was Jane Carter and she was a transfer from Abnegation at the time I met her. We got through initiation together, pushing each other to our limits, making sure we would both pass. When we did, we continued to be just as close throughout the years. We were practically sisters. Eventually, she settled down with a man and had told me she wanted to start a family. I was excited for her just as she was excited herself. But after years of trying, she went to the infirmary and the doctors had told her she could not conceive. I knew she'd be heartbroken at the news, considering she was the most family oriented person I had ever met. All she would ever talk about is having kids, and the biggest family. I was there for her through her depression, and even there when the man she had settled with, left her for another. Those years were her darkest years, and I couldn't bare to see her in such a manner. So I did something about it. I prayed for a miracle. I prayed for her miracle. One morning I had watched an Amity truck drive to the back of Dauntless Headquarters, and something in my gut told me to follow it, so I did. That's when I watched from around a corner as Amity's leader stepped out the truck, with a baby wrapped in blue in her arms. I was shocked, and curious as ever. I got as close as I could when I noticed our leader approach her. Apparently Amity had there first set of triplets, and the rules were against the peaceful families odds of staying as a whole. And she had handed the baby over to Max. He said he'd find him a good home. And it was then I realized my prayers were answered, all I needed to do now was act on them. So I stepped out from around the corner and approached both leaders, and told them about my best friend. They both agreed and handed me the precious baby-boy, and they both walked with me to her apartment. I'll never forget the look on her face when I handed him to her." Their aunt told them, with tears pooling in her eyes, "seven years after that day. . . she was diagnosed with what the doctors thought was a terminal illness. Her hair fell out, and she was stuck in an infirmary bed for nearly half a year. But she got through it," she paused with slight smile. "She got better after the first year. She got so much better they decided she didn't need her required medication and treatments anymore. . . . That's where they were wrong. A week without them was all it took and . . . her heart, had stopped." Their aunt explained with few tears streaming down her cheeks. "And in a sense, mine did too. She was an amazing mother. And an even better sister. So I took responsibility, and took her little boy in as my nephew. I knew he would need someone after the lose of his mother, so why not his mother's bestfriend. His aunt Lacy?" She added, wiping the tears from her face. "And there hasn't been a day I regret making that decision." She finishes. And when she finished, she had noticed the both of them wiping their own tears as well.
"Do you have a r-recent picture o-of this little boy?" Jade asks with a slightly shaky voice. And their aunt gave her confused look, but stood from her seat to retrieve said picture regardless. She sat back down staring at the picture in awe, and then handed it to them face down. They both held each side of the picture, still faced down, and looked at each other. It was in this moment they would finally find out what their younger sibling looked like. The moment they flip over the photo, they will finally figure out if it's who they expect it to be, or not. They flip it over.
Short brown curly hair, big hazel eyes, and a smile so familiar, Jade mistaken it for her own for a split second. There was now no doubt in both their minds that Liam, was in fact their little brother.