How Allegiant Should Have Ended

Tris:

After Caleb convinced me I could do this, I join his side and walk through the doors. A mix of "ooh"s and "ahh"s escape the crowd, but there is really only one reaction that I'm paying attention to.

His lips are pressed into a hard smile, and one hand is wrapped tightly around his wrist. He's happy, yet nervous. Like me.

"I'm sorry, Tris," says Caleb.

"What for?"

"The whole erudite thing. I was being stupid, and-"

"Just forget about it," I interrupt. "It's behind us." I turn my head to finally look at him. He nods. "I'm sorry too."

"Why?" he asks.

"We didn't have the perfect brother-sister relationship that we could have."

"Isn't that what we have now?" he smiles.

By that time, we're at the altar, and I'm already tearing up. Caleb takes my hand and symbolically places it in Tobias's, then takes his seat in the front row. For a minute, I forget the real reason I'm here. But I remember now. To be with Tobias, forever.

***

"Repeat after me," says the priest, looking at Tobias. "I Tobias."

"I Tobias."

"Take you Beatrice."

"Take you Beatrice."

"To be my wedded wife."

"To be my wedded wife."

"To have and to hold."

"To have and to hold."

"From this day forward."

"From this day forward."

"For better, for worse."

"For better, for worse."

"For richer, for poorer."

"For richer, for poorer."

"In sickness or in health."

"In sickness or in health."

"To love and to cherish."

"To love and to cherish."

"'Til death do us part."

"Til death do us part."

"And here to I pledge my faithfulness."

"And here to I pledge my faithfulness."

He turns to me. "Repeat after me." I nod. "I Beatrice."

"I Beatrice."

"Take you Tobias."

"Take you Tobias."

"To be my wedded husband."

"To be my wedded husband."

"To have and to hold."

"To have and to hold."

"From this day forward."

"From this day forward."

"For better, for worse."

"For better, for worse."

"For richer, for poorer."

"For richer, for poorer."

"In sickness or in health."

"In sickness or in health."

"To love and to cherish."

"To love and to cherish."

"'Til death do us part."

"Til death do us part."

"And here to I pledge my faithfulness."

"And here to I pledge my faithfulness."

He turns to look at both of us, and then faces the audience. "Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

And he does.

I hear the roar of the audience behind me, but I don't pay attention. All that matters is him. I enjoy the moment that I'm in, and savor every part of it. We only pull away when the applause dies down. He smiles down at me sheepishly.

"I wish we were alone," I whisper.

"I almost always wish that," he says.

We share a brief smile, before the priest concludes the ceremony. "It is my great honor to introduce to you, for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Tobias and Beatrice Eaton. "

We smile at everyone as they applaud us. Uriah stands and starts hollering. All of our friends soon join him, followed by the rest of the Church. I take that as our cue to leave.

Tobias leads me back down the aisle, with Christina and Zeke following us. I'm blushing the whole time and saying "Thanks." to everyone who tells me "Congratulations."

When we get to the back room, Christina runs up and throws her arms around me, not even giving Tobias a chance to say anything. "Oh my gosh, congratulations Tris!" she screams. "That was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life! I actually started crying when you guys were saying you're vows. I mean, did you see me?!"

I try to ignore her, but she drags me into the bridal room, and it's hard to get out of her grasp. I turn to Tobias, and he's just smiling at me. "Help. Me," I mouth. This just makes him laugh harder.

Right now, I really don't care. I am his and he is mine and it has been that way all along.