From Here On Out

twelve

"And I keep trying to pretend this ache for you is gonna end, But I know better than that now"

Two and a Half Years Ago

"You must be Tobias." Tris's mother says, as they stand at the door.

"Yes ma'am," Tobias manages to say, nerves coursing through his body. Causing his hands to become clammy and his mouth to turn dry.

Natalie laughs a little, as she can pick up on the fear in his eyes. "Hun, relax will you? I don't want to have to drive to the emergency room tonight."

Tris laughs along with her, as they walk into Tris's childhood house.

Sitting down at the dinning room table, Tris sits beside Tobias, as her mother stands across from them, pouring drinks.

"I've heard much about you," Natalie says, passing a glass to Tobias. "tell me how much of it's really true."

Seeing her smile, Tris laughs. "Well that depends on what things this girl told you."

Tobias says wiping his sweating hands on his pants, "She's mentioned that you live on your own, you're a bartender..."

"So far, it's true."

Natalie sits down, "She's told me that you are looking into possibly picking up music?"

"Yes," Tobias clears his throat. "I've always had the interest to learn to play guitar, just haven't found the time yet."

"Tris has also told me that you spent some time in a rehab facility, just a few months ago." Tris takes in a deep breath, as she knew her mother might bring it up.

"Well yes ma'am I did." Tobias admits, and is somewhat happy that he's meeting with just Tris's mother at this time. Not both her mother and father, for he knows that a recovering alcoholic may not look great to a dad who already is suspicious of him.

Tris grasps Tobias's right hand under the table, giving it a squeeze. "He worked very hard in there, and he's getting better now."

Smiling at him, Tris contributes. "That's good to hear Tobias."

The genuine comment flows easily from Natalie's mouth, and makes some of Tobias's nerves die down.

Natalie can see even after just five minutes, how truly in love the tow of them are. And how head over heels they both are for each other.

/     /     /     /

Present Day 

The beat of the music playing through the speakers, almost becomes louder than the laughs and conversations. In a room decorated in white and crimson, with everything the way they wanted it.

"It really did come together nicely." Tris says, her voice raising over the music to tell her Fiancé.

Al nods, looking down at the woman he can proudly call his wife tomorrow dressed in a tight lace dress. White like the dress she'll walk down the aisle in.

"It did," He agrees. "I just wish I could see your dress right now."

Wrapping his arms around her, she laughs. "You can wait one more day."

Kissing him slowly, "I'm going to go say hi to the girls."

Walking over to Shauna, and Christina Tris can hear them talking lowly about something, but stop when they see her.

"Hey bride to be!" Christina hugs her friend with one arm as the other holds a glass of wine.

Tris smiles, "So what do you think??"

Shauna nods, "I wasn't sure about the deep red, but I like it."

"You nervous?"

"Not quite yet," Tris says. "tomorrow will be a different story though."

On the other side of the room, Al stands among his own friends. Who have brought to his attention that there is a rumor thatTobias is planning to come to the wedding, and crash it.

"You didn't hear it from me though." Peter tells him as he can see the steam coming from Al's ears.

"That's it." Al says. "I've had enough of this guy."

Looking over the number of people to his beautiful fiancée, he knows he needs to do this for their future. She smiles at him, unaware of what's about to go down.

"Listen," Al says as he walks towards the door. "if Tris asks you where I am, tell her I had to run home and grab something for her, got it?"

His friends nod, as he walks over to his car. Slamming the door and stepping on the gas, his blood boiling.

Driving speeds faster than the limit, he soon comes to the house he knows Tris has visited more than a few times.

He stays in the car thinking to himself how sure he is to do this, and soon gets out when he knows the answer.

The front door opens as he walks up the driveway, "Can I help you?"

Tobias speaks as he has no idea who this man is.

"Yeah actually you can," Stopping Al looks at the man with rage in his eyes. "you can stay away from Tris."

Tobias soon puts two and two together, "I haven't seen her in like a month." Scratching his head, sure he's a little tipsy but he would know if he'd seen her recently.

"I don't care how long it's been since you saw her," Al walks closer. "I care about you not coming by or calling her for shit. She don't need you in her life anymore."

"You sure got a pair on you don't ya?" Tobias snaps, but makes Al break more.

He swings hitting Tobias right in the jaw, knocking him onto the ground.

"Stay away from her, you hear me?"

Walking away and not looking back at the man, Al feels he made the right decision. There had to be someone to tell Tobias to back off, to stop going where he's not wanted... and he knew Tris wouldn't.

Now all Al knows he has to worry about is how to explain his knuckles to her.