Chapter 43

"Jake and I had our first fight," I tell her

"That's tough, what was it about?" She asks

"He says I made the wrong call acting like that on the train. That I almost got myself, and everyone else killed" I say

"Oh," Katherine replies

"I mean, I guess..." I start, but then stop

"What?" Katherine says

"I guess, he's not wrong," I say

"Hm," Katherine says "Well I am definitely staying out of this"

I laugh a little and says "Yeah"

"You guys will be fine though. He loves you, you guys will pull through"

"Thanks, Kath" I smile at her

"No problem Ro," Katherine says, slinging an arm across my shoulders

"What are you two talking about?" Jess says coming up to us, slinging her arm across my shoulders too from the opposite side

"Jake," I say

"Ah, ya I saw. Looked messy" Jess says, looking forward

I keep my eyes on her until she realizes. "What?" She asks

"You have no chill," Katherine says

We all laugh and keep walking to the warehouse, talking on the way there. When we reach close enough I move to the front, and Jess and Katherine follow behind me. We walk in, and just like before I see the factionless swarming around inside.

"Ah, look who decided to come back," The man from when we first came says

"Nice to see you again too, sir," I say sarcastically, joking with him

He laughs a little and then, a black-haired lady appears in front of me.

"Rose," My mom says "You came back," She says smiling

"Yes, I did. Tobias couldn't make it, but he says hi" I say. I know he didn't say hi, but it might make her feel better

"Ah," She says smiling again "Well of course I'm glad you came but was there something you needed or?"

"No, I just thought it was time I saw you again. You're here now, and I can't ignore it forever. Might as well get to know you again right?" I tell her

She smiles and pulls me into a hug, so I hug her back. "That was all I've ever wanted to hear," she says.

I smile at her and she says "It looks like you've changed a bit from the last time you came" She says, touching my hair, keeping a hand on the inside of my elbow

I laugh and say "It's just some blue dye"

"Oh, how rude of me, are these your friends?" She asks, pointing to my friends behind me

"Yes that's Jess, Katherine, Jake, Jonathan, Emma, and Dean, who I forgot was here," I say pointing to each of them

"Wait yeah, why are you here?" Jake asks Dean

"You don't think I wanted to see the long lost mother. I had to see if you were telling the truth or not," Dean says "Plus I'm friends with Jess so I came along"

"Ah" Is all I say.

"Oh come, let's talk. Would you guys like something to eat?" My mom asks

"Oh no, we just had dinner," I tell her. I don't want to take any food away from the factionless, and I think everyone else thinks the same, so they all say 'no' as well. We walk over to where there are couches and sit down, Jake sitting next to me. We don't say anything to each other, so I'm glad when Katherine begins to ask my mom questions.

"So, Ms.Eaton" Katherine begins

"Oh, I changed my last name back to Johnson. And please, call me Evelyn" Mom says

"Oh, my bad sorry. So, Evelyn, you don't have to answer but, was Marcus abusive towards you as well?" Katherine asks

"Yes, he was. Marcus always had anger issues and took all of his pain out on me and his kids. It was like a living hell in that house" Evelyn says

Katherine nods sadly and doesn't ask any more questions after that, so Dean asks a few.

"Oh, Evelyn, when did you decide you wanted to see your kids again?" Dean asks

"Well, I knew I would talk to them again when they were out of Abnegation. I couldn't talk to them while they were still in Abnegation for the fear of being found out" Mom says

"Ah, that makes sense," Dean says.

Mom gives me a funny look saying 'many questions', raising her eyebrows and tilting her head. I smile and look down, happy that I can see my mom again from now on.

"I hope the train ride here with the rest of the factionless wasn't so bad," Mom says

We all laugh at that and she asks "What's wrong"

"I didn't think getting a gun pulled on us was the most ideal thing" Jonathan laughs

"They pulled a gun on you?" Mom asks

"Yup," Jonathan says

"They must have thought you were impostors or trying to hurt them or something," Mom says

"He put a gun on Rose, even after she said she was your daughter," Jake says

"What? Who did that?" Mom asks

"Adam," Jess says

"Logan, bring Adam please," Mom says to the boy who's standing a few feet behind her

Logan goes to get Adam and soon after they both come back.

"You asked to see me, Evelyn?" Adam says

"You pulled a gun on these kids, even after they told you Rose was my daughter?" Evelyn asks

"She was giving me attitude. The girl had to be put in her place" Adam says

I glare at him and Evelyn says "You're not entitled to put her in that place, got it? Don't pull anything on them again, or you'll get kicked out of factionless too"

"Evelyn, you do realize you have nothing over me. Everyone here can turn on you any second, It's not like we have a council, we're factionless" Adam says

"The factions may not know I'm leader, but I am," Mom says getting up, closer to Adam's face "Now if you have a problem with that, you can leave."

"Fine. Everyone, Rose, I apologize for pulling a gun on you." Adam says

"It's not a big deal to me anymore, anyways, Adam," I say honestly. It is a big deal to get a gun pulled on you, but I was being a smart mouth. I would pull a gun on someone if they talked to me like that too.

"Really?" Adam asks

"Yeah, I was being an ass. I can't use being Evelyn's daughter as an excuse for that" I tell him

"Wow... Thanks" Adam says

I smile and he walks away, smiling a little as well when he turns. The conversation picks up again, others asking my mom questions.

Jake whispers to me and says "Did you mean that Ro?" curiously

"Why wouldn't I?" I ask him

"I mean, you apologized for being an ass when he was the one who pulled a gun on you. Why would you do that?" Jake whispers

"Me being an ass almost got everyone killed. Almost got you killed like you said. And, I don't know, maybe if I wasn't always rude more people would..like me?" I say. I guess I didn't need to include that last part. I look down and Jake continues.

"Ro, being you is how you found the right people, who love you the way you are. I love you the way you are." Jake says, putting his hand over mine, which is resting at my side. "Listen, I'm sorry about the way I said things earlier."

"You don't have to apologize Jake. It was my fault, I'm not gonna say it's not" I tell him

"It was my fault too. So, I'm sorry" Jake says

"I'm sorry too," I say, finally looking at him.

He smiles and says "Love you, Ro"

"Love you too, Jake" I smile back.

Just then my mom starts to ask me questions.

"Rose, how have you been doing lately? How's Dauntless?" My mom asks

"It's great, I like it a lot" I reply

"How's your brother been treating you?" Evelyn says smiling

"It's Tobias, you already know protective, serious, scary, the usual" I joke

She laughs and says "Yeah, that's him". I smile and she continues "Have you been seeing anyone?"

Katherine and Jess laugh a little and they give each other the 'OooOOo' look. I smile and roll my eyes at them.

"Oh my god, there is someone," Mom says "How are you guys doing? Do I know him? Have I seen him anywhere?"

"Um, we're doing fine, yes I think you've met him because he's sitting right next to me" I laugh

"Oh!" Mom says "You and Jake?"

"Yup," we both say at the same time

"Aw, that's sweet, I'm happy for you," She says smiling. I never thought I'd see the day where my mother would talk about dating with me. It seems so...2020.

"Oh, It's getting late, we have to be back to the compound soon," Jess says, checking her watch

"Okay," I say getting up, and everyone else following "It was nice to see you again mom."

"You too honey. Will I see you again soon?" She asks

"Definitely," I say smiling

"Great," She says hugging me. "It was great meeting you all," She says to everyone

"You too," Everyone says.

"Bye mom," I say leaving, everyone following behind me.

"Bye, stay safe," She says.

We walk through the fields, heading back to the train. This time, I can say I'm happy and mean it.