CHAPTER 28

I AM GOING TO BE SKIPPING TO THE TRIAL! LES JUST SAY THAT SCHOOL WAS UNEVENTFUL OVER THE WEEK.

TRIS POV~~~~~~~~~~
I wake up to the sun shining through the window and the birds chirping.

Ahh..... Saturday.... I think to myself and close my eyes again.

Wait.... Today's Friday. Trial day.

My eyes practically bulge out of my head and a sob racks my body. I have a gut feeling that today is going to turn out badly.

I quickly put my crying to an end and I can just barely hear mom and dad getting ready in their bedroom with the occasional sniffle.

I slowly sit up, not wanting this day to begin.

I put my head in my hands and just rock back and forth.

Sooner or later, someone sits down and gently pits their hand in my shoulder.

"Go away." I say thinking its Evelyn who slept in the couch the night before.

"Tris." I hear a deep voice say. Tobias.

He peels my hands away from my face and pulls me into his lap.

"I'm not going to tell you it will be okay because it might not be. But I will tell you that I will be right next to you during the entire thing and I will never leave you. Okay?" Tobias whispers leaning against the bedpost.

A tear slips down my cheek as I nod and Tobias swiftly wipes it away.

"No need to cry. Not yet anyway. We don't have to be there until one o'clock. Don't think about it yet, Tris." Tobias slowly rocks back and forth lulling me into a partial sleep.

Slowly but surely, I feel my clenched hands uncurl and my muscles relax, not tense anymore. And then the darkness.
TOBIAS POV~~~~~~~~~
I begin rocking Tris back and forth in an attempt to make her relax. After about fifteen minutes, though, I watch all of the energy leave her body and her eyes close.

Not wanting to wake her up, I keep on rocking, just staring at her beautiful face.

All of a sudden, her arms that were around my neck begin to relax and her fists uncurl. I guess she want fully asleep yet. Oops.

I gently place Tris under the covers and plant a kiss on her forehead. I walk out and close Tris's door due to moms sobbing.

That means she knows that Marcus is going to win. This is bad. Really bad.

TIME LAPSE TO TRIAL~~~~~~~~
TRIS POV~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We all walk in to the waiting room. We including mom, dad, Evelyn, Caleb, Colby, and Tobias.

My stomach turns to knots and I am forced to swallow down the lump in my throat.

When I see Marcus, I can't show him what his effects were. He preys on weakness.

Soon, an officer walks in with a clipboard.

"Beatrice Prior?" He asks looking around.

Tobias squeezes my hand as everyone stands up.

"Follow me." The cop says.

He leads us through a maze of hallways and offices and finally he opens a set of double doors and in we go.

The courtroom is cold and not just physically. I can tell that there is a lack of emotion here and this stabs at my insides.

I can't do this. I know I can't.

"Go sit to the right side and wait." The officer says.

I walk down and its next to Tobias willing myself not to burst into tears. I am scared. Really scared.

About five minutes later Marcus walks through the doors with two officers around him.

I immediately stiffen and Tobias grabs onto my hand.

His eyes travel down the row of people here with me until they land on me.

His cold eyes burn holes through me and an evil smirk plays on his lips as if to say 'you are so dead.'

He sits down on the left side as the judge enters.

"The case against Marcus and Beatrice." The judge says as if he is bored.

We all nod and he moves on.

"Okay, Marcus is suing Beatrice for lying and putting him in jail and for causing him emotional harm."

"Yes, that is true, your honor." Marcus says.

"And Beatrice's counter claim is that he tortured and abused her since she was ten when her parents died."

"We actually didn't die, but we're told we weren't going to make it, so the doctors told the kids that we were dead." Dad says.

"Okay. Marcus please prove your case to me."

"Well, Beatrice never really did like me. She would always lie and this time she went to far. She convinced my wife, Evelyn and foster son Caleb, that I beat her. She told the police and I got arrested." Marcus says.

"That's not true!" Evelyn cries out.

"Please one at a time." The judge says.

"Beatrice, you were allegedly in the hospital for a week when Marcus beat you with his belt. True?"

"Yes. He used his belt and he threw glass at me." I stutter.

"Do you have evidence to support you claim?"

"Yes we do." Mom interrupts.

Mom gives images to the judge and Colby explains that he was my doctor and how and why I came in.

"Well, I see that this looks pretty severe. How do we know this isn't photoshopped?" The judge asks.

"Because I have proof." I say through clenched teeth.

I glance at Tobias and he nods understanding what I am about to do.

I turn around and lift up my shirt, so you just see my back.

"Is that real or makeup? Because according to Marcus, you lie a lot." The judge says.

I turn around and just stare in shock that the judge still doesn't believe me.

"It's real! He's the liar!" I cry.

"If I may interject, your honor," Marcus says with that lying tone of voice. "Maybe she was under some kind of illusion or maybe some of that forgetting serum that you can get at the Abnegation store. You know how you can erase and replace people's memories with that stuff. She could be under that."

"That is quite possible. Beatrice any counter claim?"

"Why do you believe him? That's ridiculous! I am in the hospital for a week and I am faking? No. That doesn't happen! He beats me! He hurts me! And if you can't see that... Well.. Well then your just a really stupid, idiotic old man!" I yell.

"That's it! Judgement for Marcus! He now has full responsibility over you and you will live with him until you are old enough to move out which is 18!" The judge yells back.

I just stand there expressionless. I am still repeating his phrase over and over in my head, "....you will live with him until you are 18..."

Suddenly mom yells out, making the judge stop short.

"We are her real parents! Don't we get to let her live with us?"

"That is good question m'am, but unfortunately Marcus has full possession over her because you put no connection with her on the foster papers, since you thought you were going to die."

"But.. But..." Mom says tears brimming in her eyes.

"Case dismissed!" The judge yells.

I feel my knees give way under me and I fall to the floor tears streaming down my face. This was enough to make the judge stop, but not for very long.

I hear everyone's voices yelling around me and I feel a hand pick me up, but I squirm out of the grip, thrashing.

"Tris! Tris stop!" Tobias yells.

I slowly stop kicking and punching and I realize that I was hurting Tobias.

He has a slight trickle of blood running from his nose and his eyes are wide with fear.

"Well, now that I own you, time to come home." I hear Marcus say from behind me.

I scream and I can feel the hot tears falling down my cheeks. I see Tobias wildly search my eyes and he pulls me and wraps his arm protectively around my weak figure.

"You can't take her." Mom and dad say at the same time.

"Actually according to the Judge I can." Marcus says with his evil eyes looking straight into mine.

"She has to get her stuff from our house." Tobias says.

"Fine, since we are neighbors, she will be allowed to get the stuff and then I take her home." Marcus says starting to walk away.

"I would hurry if I were you Beatrice," Marcus yells and then realizing that some police men were still there, he says "don't forget I promised we would make cookies together."

My brain buzzes with everything that has just happened and I feel myself give way to the fatigue and nervousness.

TOBIAS POV~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We lost. Tris lost. Tris has to go live with Marcus. Marcus. The evil man.

Marcus has just walked out when I see Tris's mind turning.

All of a sudden, her eyes roll back on her head and she falls into me.

"Oh my.... Beatrice!" Evelyn and mom yell.

I quickly swing her up so that she is in my arms, bridal style.

Colby rushes forward and puts two fingers on her neck. "It's okay." He breathes. "She just passed out."

Caleb rushes forward and holds his hands out to me.

"What." I ask irritated.

"Give her to me." He says his eyes red.

"What? No way!"

"I am her brother and I am going to carry her!" Caleb says angrily.

"Caleb let it go." Mom sobs.

We walk outside to the car and I sit in the last row with Tris next to me. I quickly strap her into the seatbelt as dad pulls out.

I can tell that he is trying hard not to cry, while mom and Evelyn don't care who see's them. They're full out sobbing.

Colby looks as if he is praying and Caleb just has his head in his hands. I can feel my own sadness coming, but not as much as the anger that comes with it.

Tris's head begins to slide due to all of the twists and turns of the road, so I gently place her head on my lap and stroke her beautiful gold hair.

Just as we are about to turn onto our street does Tris wake up.

I can see that at first she is sluggish, nor remembering what has happened, and then it comes to her.

I watch helplessly as her eyes open wide and fill with fear. Silent tears begin running down her face as she looks into my eyes.

"Shhhhh........" I whisper wiping away the river of tears.

We slowly park and everyone stumbles out except for me and Tris.

"Tobias.... I can't. I can't live with him. You can't let me. You can't let me!" She whispers frantically.

"I know Tris, but just think what will happen if you don't go back to him. Bad things. Worse than what will happen if you go back to him now. And at least you'll have Evelyn and Caleb with you. And every night I will climb over to your room, okay? And you can climb over to mine." I whisper.

"Yeah, but....." Marcus's voice slices through the air.

"10 minutes, Beatrice!" He yells.

"Oh my gosh." She whispers.

"Pretend to still be passed out." I say quickly.

She searches my eyes for a second with curiosity, but does as I say.

I climb out of the car and hold Tris up higher so Marcus can see.

"She passed out. I don't know when she will wake up. We'll pack her stuff and when she does wake up we will send her to you. I don't think you just want her lying around your house do you?" I ask.

".....No. But as soon as she's up. You bring her to me." Marcus growls stomping back in his house.

Everyone walks in and I place Tris on the couch.

She sits up and begins to sob softly into her hands.

Mom, dad, Evelyn, and Colby quickly surround her and talk to her in hushed voices.

Caleb walks alongside me upstairs to my room where Tris's suitcase still is barely touched.

I throw in her clothes and all of her bathroom supplies and walk back downstairs and place it by the door.

Colby has left, but not before giving Tris twenty containers of numbing cream.

Evelyn is telling Tris everything there is to know about Marcus and mom is crying next to her, while dad is trying to comfort her.

The phone rings suddenly and I jump to answer it.

"Hello?"

"It's time. Only Beatrice. Evelyn and Caleb don't get to live here anymore."

The line goes dead.

My stomach turns to knots.

"Tris he says it's time to go. And Evelyn and Caleb don't love there anymore." My voice cracks.

Tris looks up at me her eyes red and puffy and slowly get up.

Everyone gives her a hug and tells her that they'll be right here and to come if she ever needs anything.

She just nods and walks over to me. Without thinking about the people in the room, I lightly press my lips to hers.

"I'll be here. Just like I promised." I whisper against her lips.

"And I'll be waiting. Just like I promised." Tris says with a smile.

I smile sadly and walk her outside to the cruel man next door, not believing that I am giving her up this easily.

TRIS POV~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I walk with Tobias next to me and I know what he is thinking.

"You don't have control over this. If you resisted handing me over, he would have made this worse."

"I know. I love you Tris."

I suck in, not believing that he said love.

"I love you too Tobias." I whisper and ring the doorbell.

Marcus answers with evil smirk and grabs the suitcase from Tobias and throws it up the stairs.

"Go boy. Leave before I harm her more because of your stupidness."

Tobias squeezes my hand one last time and gives me a look of determination, which I interpret as a look that he knows I can handle him. He knows I'm strong. And with that he walks away and I am left with an evil man yanking my arm inside.

HOW WAS THAT! I KNOW I AM SO MEAN! BUT I KNOW WHATS GOING TO HAPPEN AND YOU DONT!😏😝

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