Empty With You

Things for the past few months had been going okay for the most part. I at least made an attempt to go to classes and stay there, which made things better at home too. I wasn't so under the microscope from Candor or Erudite. It made escaping at night to practice fighting or throwing knives easier to do.

Nothing changed much with Marcus though. It seemed like the closer it got to the Aptitude Tests, the more easily he got aggitated. Any little thing would set him off. Which lead to me and Tobias constantly trying to make sure our sleeves covered our arms or if by chance, a bruises was on our face, we hid it with make up.

To make matters worse, I had to hide my deep dark secret that I was now six months pregnant with Eric's child. I didn't gain much weight so I didn't have to wear bigger clothes, I just, I was scared. I couldn't tell Eric, couldn't bring myself to end this happiness with him. Maybe I would tell him in the future but for now, the only other person who knew anything about it, was Tobias. And he kept his secret very well.

Today, I was feeling slightly okay, just finally finished organizing papers for Marcus as Tobias made dinner for him and his had. I finished the last page and stood up to stretch, feeling the small bump that had formed as my back cracked.

"Well, I finished that," I smiled as Tobias gave me a look.

"How are you feeling today?" Tobias watched me as I shrugged.

"Tired for the most part," I leant against the desk.

"Have you told your boyfriend yet?" Tobias nodded as I shook my head.

"I'm too scared to," I barely whispered. "I'm not even sure I want to keep it yet."

"Why not?" Tobias stopped as he moved closer to me.

"You seen how everything's changing," I gave him a look. "It's not a safe place to raise a child in. I mean, maybe in the future after we all choose Factions, I'll tell him and we'll find our child, but, I don't know."

"Won't it be too late then?" Tobias raised an eyebrow.

"I want whatever it is to be safe," I sighed as I felt tears sting my tears. "And if Janine can threaten Eric like that with no child, what will she do if I tell him?"

"Maybe he'll protect the baby?" Tobias tried to reassure me. "Besides what if you don't end up in the same Faction?"

"I don't know," I sighed as I looked up at the ceiling. "Cause if we don't end up in the same Faction in the first place, I'd be alone, raising a kid. I'm not about to stand in the way of him choosing where he wants to be."

Tobias took a deep breath as he pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers. "I may know of someone who can help."

"Really?" My eyes lit up a bit. "Who?"

"An Abnegation woman, Natalie Prior," Tobias looked at me. "She's helped a few other people out, be it feeding them or whatever. She's trustworthy."

"Are you sure?" I questioned as I bit my lip and he nodded.

"If you stay here for just a few minutes, I can go talk to her. See if she can help," Tobias straightened up. "If you want, that is."

"Alright," I nodded as I pushed myself up a bit.

"Don't worry, my dad was in a council meeting so he should be gone for a while," Tobias smiled and hugged me. "It'll work out."

"Thanks," I smiled lightly as headed out the door and I decided to help pick things up around the house as I waited for Tobias to come back.

It felt like the minutes were taking forever as I heard the front door open and I thought Tobias was back but then I heard the stumbling a bottle clank against the wall. Marcus was drunk and stumblng into the house. I had to avoid him somehow and try to get out of the house.

I decided to keep quiet and slowly pick up my bag which had a few knives in it cause I was going to take Tobias training if he were up for it. The knives fell out of the open zipper and hit the ground with a metal cling as I realized my mistake and it drew Marcus' attention

"Shit," I mumbled as I went to pick them up and almost had all of them when in front of me, a boot clad foot stepped in front of me.

"Get up," Marcus demanded as I slowly stood and pulled the bag around my white shirt I was wearing today.

"The files are all done," I swallowed hard. "I organized them just as you asked."

"Did you now?" Marcus reached down to pick up the knife and examined it. "What's this?"

"It's nothing," I shrugged trying to play it off. "It was a friend's."

"Which friend?" Marcus watched me.

"Does it matter?" I nervously laughed.

"All Candors are such horrible liars," He spat as he twirled the knife.

"I'm sorry, Marcus," I started quietly. "I swear, I won't-"

Before I could finish my sentence, my body was pushed into the wall next to the kitchen with a force I haven't felt before. It was anger, it was jealousy, it was crippling.

"Marcus, please, you're drunk," I winced as he pinned my body into the wall.

"So now you feel the need to tell me what I am?" He seethed as one arm held me to the wall. "You bring knives into my house, rebel against my orders, and feel the need to define what I am?"

"No, please," I winced as he took out the blade and ran it down it my cheek. "I swear, I'm trying not to."

"Trying and failing," He watched me. "All you rebels are so alike. You make yourself out to be so fearless but you beg for your life when faced with danger."

"Marcus," I started as his eyes shifted down when I felt it, the tip of the blade dig into my skin a good inch or two and slide from my lower ribs all the way down to my hip.

My mouth gaped open as Marcus let me go as I slid to the ground. "No Candor is going to change anything. Not Tobias, not the system. Know your place."

My blade fell down next to my side as Marcus gave me one last look and walked out of the door, slamming it behind him. I didn't know what to think. I had seen evil at it's worst and I'll be damned if I'd ever set foot into this house again. It was in that instant, I felt a hatred growing inside me for Abnegation, even though he didn't speak for most of them. He was on their council and their council probably believed all of what he did.

I swear if I made it out of this alive, I'd change some things. I felt the blood leaving my body and tried to get up but couldn't. I knew I was dying but didn't want to give up.

The door to the house opened and I heard Tobias enter but couldn't make a sound. He sounded so far away.

"Ariana," Tobias shouted when he seen me slumped on the ground. "Oh my god, Ariana, who did this to you?"

"Marcus," I whispered out as I seen another woman in the room and Tobias went to carefully pick me up.

If anything else was said, I didn't hear anything. I was fading in and out of consciousness. My mind kept thinking back to the baby I was carrying and how I didn't want it to die either. I didn't want to die, I was going to fight and I was going to do something about this system and these Factions. I knew where I was going to do that now, if I made it through and damn the Aptitude Test. I knew where I could achieve such success.

I woke up to a bright light and the sound of beeping around me. I tried to move and get a better understanding of my surroundings when I felt a hand push me down.

"Whoa, easy," Eric's voice spoke quickly as he pushed me back down on the bed.

"Where am I?" I spoked quietly.

"A Erudite infirmary," Eric looked down at his hands and then back at me. "You were attacked by a Factionless on your way home."

"But," My heart raced as I looked around. "Where's Tobias?"

"Tobias?" Eric raised an eyebrow. "Why do you want to see Tobias?"

"He was with me," I looked at him with a hint of panic in my voice.

"There was no one with you, Ari," Eric watched me. "If he was, the coward ran off as you were attacked."

"Don't talk about him like that," I hissed as Eric looked at me.

"You lost a lot of blood," Eric mentioned. "We lost you a few times back there."

"But," I moved to sit up but winced. "Ow."

"Yeah ow's right," Eric smirked a bit as he lifted the gown I was wearing some. "You took a knife deep into your side. You're going to have a nice scar."

"Wait, my tattoo," My heart raced.

"I don't think they noticed," Eric shook his head. "It's on your right shoulder, this scar's on your right."

"When can I leave?" I questioned him.

"They won't let you go til tomorrow the earliest," Eric played with his fingers. "I'll stay the night with you, if you want."

"I'd like that," I smiled lightly.

"And if you have to stay later, I'm not going to leave you," He took my hand slightly. "I almost lost you for good back there, I'm not going to again."

My body was screaming. I needed to tell him. Needed to tell him what really happened. That Marcus was the one that stabbed me. That Tobias didn't leave my side. Needed to tell him that I wasn't sure if I had the baby anymore. I needed to tell him that I was pregnant.

"Eric," I started as I was about to tell him when my parents, his parents, and a few council members all walked into the room, minus Marcus thankfully.

"Glad to see you're awake," My mother started as they all gathered around me.

"She's weak," Eric glared at her. "She needs her rest. Can't you do this in the morning?"

"Eric," His father warned.

"Now Ms. Simms," A man in Abnegation clothing started. "Can you tell me all that happened?"

"I don't remember much, it's all such a blur," I closed my eyes slightly. "I was walking home when I was attacked. I tried to fend whoever it was off, begged for him to spare me, but I felt the blade go in my side and I passed out."

"A he?" The man raised an eyebrow at me. "You know the attacker was a he?"

"I'm lying in a bed, almost died from a stab wound," I glared at him. "What do you think?"

"I think that a Factionless member took advantage of a young defenseless girl," He started.

"Defenseless, I-" I tried to sit up as Eric pushed me back down in the bed.

"That's enough," The other man who stood next to him, also in Abnegation colours. "Had it not been for Natalie finding her, the end results could be worse."

My eyes looked around the room as they landed on the woman I seen enter the room with Tobias before I blacked out. My mind made the connection, she was Natalie Prior, the one I was told about, the one who was supposed to help me.

"They found your bag," She handed me my bag that I knew wasn't just found. "We'll look into this incident more later. I'm glad you're okay."

Not much longer after, everyone in the room filtered out and Eric went to get some extra blankets. I reached down slowly to get my bag to make sure my knives were still there when a piece of paper fell out of my bag.

"Ariana, I'm sorry he did this to you. I'm sorry.
Natalie could save your baby. It's a son. She took him somewhere safe for the time being. But he still needs a name. Again, I'm sorry.
Tobias"

"Ariana?" Eric questioned as he walked back into the room. "You ok?"

"Fine," I sighed as I looked at him. "Eric, I need to tell you what really happened tonight."