That evening, Emi went to sleep in her own bed again. I briefly worried about her having another nightmare-filled night, but she quite confidently told me she was brave, just like her father, and that I should go to her if I got scared. I smiled and assured her I would and thanked her for being so strong for me.

Then I pressed a kiss to her forehead, reminded her that I loved her, and combed through her hair with my fingers gently until she fell asleep. I left the room only once she was sound asleep, the light sound of her breathing the only other sound in the room other than my own.

I enjoyed a quiet cup of tea with the doctor on the other end of the couch only a few short minutes later, and all was quiet. We didn't talk, for the most part. There was no need to. There was nothing to talk about. Nothing of substance, anyway. A few quiet conversations came and went, but for the most part, all was quiet by the fire.

Without any reason to stay in the living room, I left after I finished my cup of tea, and then the next. The dishes were washed, and I excused myself to my bedroom. The taps on the floor of the crutch were the only sounds to occupy the space once the door was closed behind me. Moonlight poured into the room, but I lit a candle on the nightstand to make it easier to see. I already had enough problems right now. I didn't need to strain my eyes, too.

Once again, I found myself gathering Levi's clothes to wear for bed. If he were here, he'd tell me to, anyway. And I would argue with him, tell him that I had my own clothes to wear. But I would always give in. Oh, what I wouldn't give to have that silly, playful little argument with him right now.

As my shaky fingers got to work unbuttoning my blouse, I watched the flickering of the candlelight against the furniture of the room, noticing the way the shadows danced across the room. I got dressed into my nightclothes, cursing slightly when I nearly lost balance as I pulled the clean shirt over my head.

I crossed the room to reach the bed once I was dressed, getting comfortable with my back to the headboard. The crutch I left to lean against the nightstand. The curtain behind my head was still open from earlier today, the moon's glow casting my shadow on the bed in front of me. I reached to the nightstand and gingerly picked up the letter. Not the one Levi had written to me, that had been stowed back away in the drawer already.

No, I started a letter to him earlier. He'd told me he wanted him to write him letters, one a day. And I'd already failed even that, having forgotten to do so until today.

It hadn't even been that long since I'd seen him. Everything had happened so fast. Only the evening after the day of the battle had I returned to Reyes' home, with the way that for part of the trip, we'd taken the railway, which expedited things a bit. And that night we'd returned home. It hadn't been long at all.

Yet somehow, I'd already managed to forget to write him so much as a letter detailing what had been happening, like he'd asked. At least I'd done it today. I added a few more things, dodging the doodles that Emi had made on them before she went to bed. Then I signed it, dated it, and folded it. I'd nearly written my entire title on it, my usual ledger that I'd grown so accustomed to writing. But I'd held back, merely leaving it as sincerely yours, Amaya.

I set it aside, reaching now for the letter Levi had written me, almost without thinking. But... I forced my hands to still when they instinctually began to unfold it. No, I can't read it yet. I want to, but... I lifted my eyes away from the paper, focusing instead on the dresser on the far side of the room. He said to read it if he died. But as far as I knew, he... I knew nothing. Which is why I couldn't read it yet. Not until I knew.

If he came back to me tomorrow, or the day after, or twenty years from now, I would refrain from reading it. I'd only ever read it if I knew. If I got confirmation. To that end... if I never got that confirmation, I'd read it on my deathbed. If I could be so lucky as to know when I was dying, that is, then that's what I would do.

My eyes closed and I lifted the letter to clutch it against my heart. One day, I would read it. But not today.

Opening my eyes slowly, I set it on the nightstand without having to look. I leaned over and blew the candle out, the wisp of smoke dissipating into the air as it went out. It'd do me some good to get to bed. I hadn't exactly gotten fruitful rest last night, and I was incredibly tired. Perhaps my mind would be kinder to me, tonight. But even more than that, I wanted Emi's to be kind to her. She needed the sleep more than I did.

Before getting comfortable, I shut the curtains, blocking out all light in the room. I slid under the covers, getting as comfortable as I could while being mindful of my leg. I exhaled, sinking further into the mattress. It was all too easy to imagine my husband there with me when I closed my eyes.

It was all so much, so hard, and so quick. If I was having this much trouble, I could only imagine how Emi was feeling. We'd been without him for a month together before everything went wrong. And then I'd left too. We fought several battles in a global war. Was that original months really not long enough?

Fate truly was a cruel mistress. Letting me reunite with him, only to tear us apart again. And the uncertainty... god damn, the uncertainty was the worst part. If I knew one way or another, how he was, that'd be a whole hell of a lot easier.

For several long minutes, I sat there in bed, unable to sleep. My mind was absolutely racing. I got out of bed. Walked through the house. Opened the front door. Stood on the front stoop, protected from the rain by the overhang above.

The air was deliciously cool. The scents were fresh, clean. The rain was light, only just above a drizzle. The clouds thick, but only in some places, allowing the moon's glow to break through and illuminate the land. We needed the rain. It would wash away the dust, the silt, the ash, and the blood, from our island. I leaned against the railing, crossing my arms over my chest.

While the moon's glow was visible, she herself was not.

I really needed to get a hold of myself. Levi had been strong for me in the past. It was time for me to be strong for my family. For Emi. For myself.

Wallowing was going to get me nowhere. I knew that. And yet here I was, doing it. El... had been a single parent. Not by choice, he'd lost Ellie when he did plan on starting a family with her. But... now I was in a similar situation. If I couldn't be strong for myself, I could be strong for her. I had no choice.

But...

They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder... but what comes after that?

You move on, I suppose. Not completely, never completely. I couldn't do that. But I couldn't keep doing this to myself. I can do this. I can.

It was about damn time I stopped saying something, and actually started believing in it. Believing in myself.

It couldn't be that hard, right?

I nodded resolutely. Back through the house I went, though slowly, to ensure the crutch didn't beat too loudly against the wooden floor. I went right back to bed, and, as though the universe was content with what I'd come to as a conclusion, it allowed sleep to find me easily.

Thankfully... my sleep was uninterrupted. Dreamless, yes, but gloriously uninterrupted.

—

I'd only come outside to the garden for a few minutes. That was the plan, anyway. Emi had come out alongside me, her little hand in mine to help me down the steps even though I had my crutch under my arm.

I had come out with the intent to water the plants and that was it, but... something compelled me to stay out a little longer. It wasn't as though I had much to do today, anyway. And besides, Emi was taking her break as my assistant, and we finally had a day warm enough to be out here and play.

Watering the plants didn't take long. When I finished, I set the can down and stood, adjusting the crutch under my shoulder as I did. I sighed lightly, the sound escaping me without me even trying to stop it. Maybe one day I could get rid of this damn stick for good. Then, I laughed; it'd only been a few days since I'd started using it, and I was tired of it already.

Perhaps I was just destined to remain off the battlefield. Forever forced to the wayside, to be nothing more than an onlooker. Others had tried keeping me to the side, and so had fate. And now... I no longer had the means to rejoin the fight. Ah, well.

It wasn't that I wanted to put the gear on again. I didn't want to fight anymore in any capacity. I didn't want to use my knife or the gear blades or a gun ever again. That wasn't the issue. But walking unassisted was something so simple, and I'd fallen for the trap of taking it for granted.

I sighed again. One day, maybe...

I was gently pulled from my thoughts by Emi's twinkling laughter, the sound something akin to windchimes, of birdsong, of spring. It was refreshing, it was light, it was happy and jubilant and everything wonderful. It was no surprise that it brought a smile to my lips as I turned to face her.

She was in a pretty little dress today, pale pink with a cute white bow wrapped around the middle. A matching ribbon was what I'd used to tie her hair back while she played in the garden. Already, there were patches of dirt stained on the skirt and streaked on her skin.

Just how she had gotten that dirty so quickly was beyond me. The sun had dried the earth, so it wasn't like there were puddles of mud she could splash in. It was just dry, hard dirt, and somehow she was already completely covered in it.

"Someone is going to need an extra-long bath tonight," I called to her. She didn't even look up from what she was doing – which was trying to coax some bugs out of their hole, by the looks of it – when she replied to me.

"No thank you, mommy!"

I rolled my eyes, hardly able to hold back my chuckle. At least she remembered her manners as she denied me.

Slowly and carefully, I made my way to the bench situated by the fence of the garden. I left the crutch leaning against the side as I lowered myself to sit. I crossed my left leg over the right gently, taking care to avoid brushing anything against the injuries. Then I smoothed the skirt I was wearing over my lap.

It was a sky blue and went down to my mid-calf, with a white button-down shirt tucked into it. The skirt length, perfect for the season, also was perfect for displaying the bandages wound over the entire length of my leg up to my knee.

Only this morning, I'd sent the doctor away from my home. I could walk well enough. I'd go to his office in Trost for therapy and regular check-ins, but I didn't need him around the house anymore. For the first day or so, as I went through figuring out what I could and could not do with this injury, his help had been appreciated. But no more.

I'd gotten injuries before. I could handle myself. He gave me the exercises, and the referral to other doctors should I need it. But I could manage.

Shortly after sending him off, I'd gone down into the basement. I hadn't known exactly which wines had been... contaminated by Zeke's spinal fluid, but I didn't want to take a single damn chance of ingesting it. So, I'd taken what few bottles of wine we had stored in the basement – gifts from people, mostly, because we never bought any for ourselves, little as we drank – and promptly poured them all out.

And now, thinking back on it, my fingers grazed delicately over the skin on the nape of my neck. I'd have to thank whatever higher power existed in ensuring that I hadn't had any. I certainly didn't like leaving things up to luck, but... I'd been lucky.

After I'd dumped the wine out rather unceremoniously into the sink this morning, Emi and I had gone to town for breakfast, just to get out of the house for a bit. Strider was resting now from the ride in the paddock, and every so often I noticed the buckskin lift his head from grazing, as if to check that I was still here.

Levi's mare was out there, too, sticking close to his side. I'd had to ride out to get her from the Corps stables just yesterday. One of the farmers up the road had noticed her and, because I hadn't known she was there, it was a shock to me when I opened the door to reveal a very angry neighbor yelling at me about neglecting her.

I explained the situation, then immediately took Emi and rode out to get her. Apparently, Levi had made a spur-of-the-moment decision when deciding whether to use his own charge when he brought Zeke out to the forest, and that decision had been to not bring her at all.

I wasn't sure what compelled him not to bring her – maybe it was because he knew how lazy she was getting – but he didn't, and when the entire military congregated in Shiganshina only a month later, well... no one had been around to take care of her over the past few days.

She'd been on her own for a bit, but she was perfectly fine now. The clever girl had managed to get loose of her stable and had free roam around the grounds. I was happy she was alright, though. Levi would be devastated if anything happened to his mare.

At least that pair was back together. All we needed now was Levi, and then we could be complete.

I still clung to the hope that the boat managed to get away. Lots of boats were in the harbor that day... that day... that fucking day. Had it even been a week? It must've been, by now. Goodness, what a long week it had been. It felt like I'd aged years in only this one week.

At least things were getting better, slowly but surely. I'm sure I wasn't taking nearly good enough care of my leg. I should've been on bedrest for, I'm sure, weeks longer than that single evening that I'd spent with that family on the coast. I'm sure I shouldn't be putting any more weight on my left leg than was necessary – which was exactly no weight.

But to sit and be stationary... I couldn't even do that when I was pregnant. Some pain (unbearable pain, but I wouldn't admit that to myself) wouldn't be what made me sit still for once. Ah, well. I always was stubborn. I had the rest of my life to heal from this injury.

Ideally, it would have only taken two weeks for the destroyed tissue in my leg to heal, and several weeks to a few months for the bones to heal as well. Recovering my mobility and the strength in my leg would take longer. And... that was only assuming that I followed the doctor's orders.

Fat chance of that happening.

"Mommy, mommy look!" Emi called. I looked towards her, only to laugh when I noticed the earthworm now wiggling around in her palm. She came closer, her free hand cupping underneath the one the worm was in to keep it steady as she walked over, quickly as she could.

"Goodness, Emi," I said as soon as she was at my side. "Did you catch that all by yourself?"

"Mm-hm!" She proudly presented the worm to me, and I briefly wondered if she wanted me to take it.

...She did.

"Hold it, mommy!"

"Ok," I said hesitantly. I picked the thing up gingerly between my thumb and forefinger and she laughed happily as I delicately placed it into my palm. "It's... very nice, Emi. Good job."

"Thank you!"

Then she was off, hopping her way back through the garden again in search of more worms, if I had to guess. I looked down at the worm in my palm. It didn't belong in my hand, it belonged in the dirt. Certainly, Emi wouldn't mind if I saved its life, right?

When she wasn't looking, I tossed the creature into the grass a few feet away. Not that it stayed there for long. A bird very quickly dove down, landing just where I'd tossed it. "You damn bird," I hissed, making a futile attempt to send it away with a wave of my arm. "Shoo, shoo. That wasn't for you."

The bird lifted its head, the worm in its beak wiggling uselessly in its attempts to escape. The bird looked at me, its head tilting this way and that. I tutted lightly. "You already picked up the damn thing. I know you're not going to let it go, so you can just fly away now." The bird only continued to look at me. "What? Creepy little thing. Stop looking at me."

It didn't listen. It stared at me for a moment more before turning to look at Emi. "Yes, that's the little girl you're upsetting by stealing that worm, you asshole. Just go, will you?"

The bird's eye met me once more before ruffling its feathers in preparation for flight. It unfurled its wings and took off to the sky. "Strangest bird I've ever seen," I muttered to myself before a sigh escaped me. "And there I was, talking to it. Maybe I am losing it."

"Mama," Emi called again, running back over to me. She had, thankfully, no new friends in her hands, and she set her hands on my right leg as she peered up at me.

"Yes, love?"

"I'm thirsty," she told me.

"Ok," I said. "Would you like to go inside for something to drink?"

"Yes, please!"

"Alright," I said, hefting myself up to stand. "Let's go then."

She skipped along ahead of me as I made my way to the backdoor. Like the sweetheart she was, she opened it, and let me in first. Emiko dashed away to the kitchen table, climbing up into her usual chair as I got her a glass of water. When I made it to the table, she took the cup eagerly, beginning to down it immediately.

"Slow down, love," I advised gently as I walked through the archway into the living room. I lowered myself to sit on the couch, relaxing back into the cushions with a wistful sigh, only to sit back up immediately. It was the sound of wagon wheels, and I'd only been able to hear it because I'd opened all the windows to let the house air out.

It wouldn't have caught my attention if the wagon wheels had kept going, but the sounds had stopped, the wheels grinding to a halt on the dirt road that met the end of the little stone pathway leading up to the house's front stoop. Then I heard voices, the squeaks of the wagon's suspension leaning to one side as passengers got off, and finally, the sound of the reins against the charges pulling it and the wheels moving again only moments later.

Someone... was here. But who? Who'd take a wagon...?

It couldn't be Reyes. If Reyes wanted to visit, he had a horse. And I'd only told the doctor to go home just this morning. If it were Reyes' family, they'd all take their own horses, and I'd seen them just the other day, and there'd been no talk of a visit soon. So, that left...

"Emi," I called urgently, catching her attention as she finished her glass. "Come here, please."

Without a single word uttered she obeyed, coming to a stop at my side just as I stood from the couch. I adjusted the crutch under my arm and took Emi's hand. My mind was racing, not a single coherent thought coming through the noise. And my heart was racing faster, faster, faster...

Emi pulled the door open.

The next few seconds seemed to move in slow motion.

As the door opened, the bright sunshine from outside poured into the house, leaving the two of us to stand there, blinking with watery eyes, squinting until our eyes adjusted. Things returned to focus one at a time and slowly, giving me plenty of time to breathe in each and every single detail.

The green of the grass was vibrant, though yellow dandelions sprang up in clumps in the yard. The stone pathway was stark and gray against the gorgeous green of the grass, and the deep brown of the dirt road running perpendicular to it. The sky was a beautiful blue, dotted with clouds just as the vast fields on the other side of the road were dotted with wildflowers. Far in the distance, there was no Wall in sight, only the far-off district of Trost and the horizon even further beyond that.

A wave of warmth rushed into the house, replaced very quickly by the cool breeze, as though nature herself was apologizing for the sudden heat. The wagon was already nearly out of view, taking a turn down a road and disappearing behind a hill. In the pasture behind the house, I could distinctly hear the delighted whinny of one of the horses – mine, I was sure, excitable as he was.

A butterfly crossed the yard, landing gently on the petals of one of the flowers lining the pathway. It fanned its wings, grateful for the rest. A bird took off from a tree on the other side of the road, a feather dropping from its wing as it took off.

Everything seemed to sway in the breeze together, dancing in the wind to some rhythm I couldn't follow and a beat I couldn't hear. But I could feel it, in the rapid beating of my heart and the tight hold my daughter had on two of my fingers.

Levi stood at the end of the pathway. He wasn't alone. Standing on either side of him were Falco and Gabi, looking tired but not too worse for wear. My eyes were immediately drawn back to Levi as Emi and I took the first steps out of the house, onto the stoop, and onto the pathway.

A breeze rolled through the fields. If I'd have turned my head to look, I would've seen the wind blowing through the grass from the mountains, seeing it long before I felt it. But my eyes remained fixed on Levi as I tried to make sense of what I was seeing. He was here... unless my eyes were deceiving me. But they weren't, were they? This wasn't a dream. It couldn't have been. This all felt very real.

This wasn't like the dreams I'd had, where I was guided along by some driving force I couldn't see. I was in complete control of myself and every detail - from the grandest to the most minute - was far too real for this to be a dream.

Levi was really, truly, standing before us.

Emi's hold on my fingers tightened, and she reached up to clasp her other hand over them, too. We came to a stop only two yards or so away. I didn't want to be, but my brain was still... hesitant. Was that the word?

It didn't want to dare believe it was real yet. It felt that deep down this was real and right and true, but it didn't want to dare hope, just in case it wasn't, and I woke up with a broken heart once more.

My heart was the complete opposite. It wanted nothing more than for me to just run into his arms right now.

But I couldn't do that, not with my injury, and especially not with his. He seemed reluctant to put any weight on his left leg, just as I was. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with it from what I could see, but I could tell by the way he was standing that he was putting very little weight on it. Gabi, on his right side, was standing close to him, but wasn't helping him stand. Falco, on the other hand, was on his left side, an arm around his midsection to help him.

When my eyes returned to Levi's, I smiled, because he was already looking at me. Under the bandages – thinner now – I could tell he was, if not smiling, at least smirking. And that was good enough for me. Emi tugged on my hand gently.

"Mama," she said quietly. "Can I go see daddy?"

I looked down at her and nodded, a warm smile adorning my lips. "Of course, sweetheart. But be careful, Emi. Be gentle."

She nodded and let go, only to run to him. I watched on as he bent over slightly, aided by Falco, to catch her when she leapt into his arms. I walked closer, closing the space between us and coming to a stop, leaning on my crutch when I was just in front of them.

"Look at you," Levi said. He forced his voice to remain even, but even I could hear the way that he was fighting back tears. "You're getting so big. I thought I told you not to grow up while I was away."

"I'm sorry, daddy!"

"You're such a big girl now," he said, trying not to choke up. He held her close to his chest, and she was leaning only far enough away to be able to look at him, tears in her eyes despite the wide smile on her lips. "Have you been helping your mother?"

"Mm-hm!" She sniffled, her urge to cry overwhelming her as everything caught up to her. "I've been putting my toys away every day! And... I m-missed you!"

"I missed you too, Emi," he said, cradling the back of her head in one hand as he lowered his head to hug her close. She threw her arms around him, clinging to him as tightly as she could. She started to wail, her head burrowing against his neck. His eyes squeezed shut and I had to bite my cheek to keep from sobbing too.

I held back, staying where I was. I wanted to give them this time to reunite, to bask in the joy of being together again. I'd seen him only days ago. Emi hadn't seen him in much longer. So I wanted to give them this time. I felt that they needed it. But...

But then I couldn't take it anymore and I dropped my crutch to the side, throwing both my arms around my two loves. One of Levi's arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer even though that resulted in me stumbling a bit. The two kids helped steady us, teary-eyed and fighting not to cry too, and I figured I would thank them later. I was crying far too much right now to say anything coherent.

We stood there for a few minutes, I'm not sure how long, but our crying came and went in waves. We'd start to calm down, and then of course we were reminded that, wait, Levi was back in our arms, our family was complete, and it started all over again.

And, of course, by we, I mean that Emi and I were bawling our eyes out. Levi seemed to be keeping himself together... mostly. His breathing was certainly shaky, but with the way his head was buried against my shoulder, I couldn't exactly tell if he was crying or not. But I kept my arms securely around him, one cradling the back of his head, my fingers curling into his hair, the other around Emi.

It took some time, but eventually, Emi's crying calmed, and she grew tired, and my own sobbing subsided not long after that. "I finally get back," Levi muttered after a few minutes of silence, "and you two start crying. Should I leave again?"

"Don't you dare," I said, shaking my head against his shoulder. "I'm never letting you out of my sight ever again."

He chuckled. "I like that sound of that." He pulled away, and I lifted my head, and for the first time in a long time, I allowed myself to believe it. To believe that he was here. Good god, Levi was home.

"Don't start crying again," he said quietly. I took a deep breath in, letting out a light laugh as I exhaled. I couldn't deny him. Of course he knew I was just about to burst into tears again. But I could hold it together, if only because he told me to.

"Welcome home, my love," I said softly. His hand that had been securely around me came instead to my cheek, his thumb swiping underneath my eye with all the tenderness in the world.

"I'm not going anywhere," he assured me.

"Good," I said with a smile. "I wouldn't allow you to, anyway."

Emi let out a quiet, tired sort of whine, and we both broke away from our gazes to look down at her. He adjusted her slightly and she plopped her cheek onto his shoulder. "Let's go inside," I offered. "We can lay her down for a nap."

"I don't think she's letting go of me anytime soon," he said before planting a kiss to the top of her head.

"I'm sure that's not a problem for you," I teased lightly, stepping away, only to stumble slightly. Thankfully Gabi was there to steady me. "Thank you, darling," I said to her. "Could you grab my crutch, please?"

"Of course," she said, reaching for it already. She handed it to me, and I set it under my shoulder.

"Thank you," I said again, getting a smile out of her. Gabi seemed reluctant to get too far away, just as Falco never strayed too far from Levi. Levi had watched the whole interaction closely, his eyes expressing his concern clearly. "I'm alright. We'll head inside, and I'll see about getting these two little stowaways something to eat. You all look exhausted."

We all started to walk, slowly and carefully, but happily. Levi was home. We were a family again. And a... growing family, apparently. When we made it into the house, I told the two kids to get comfortable in the living room while I went to the kitchen. Levi sat down as they did, and when I returned, I set a bowl of fruit down on the table and sat down next to Levi.

"It's not much," I said to them, "but it's something to hold you off until dinner. You are staying for dinner, aren't you?" Both kids nodded, looking quite happy by the prospect of food, which made me laugh lightly.

"Thank you, Miss Amaya," Falco said.

"Thank you, captain!" Gabi chimed.

I smiled but shook my head. "Just Amaya, you two."

I sat as close as I could to Levi while still being comfortable and... mindful of the two young ones seated together sharing the loveseat just across from us. Emi was already starting to doze off in Levi's arms, but absolutely refused to let go of him.

She was fighting sleep, all the crying and pent-up emotions rushing out of her had tuckered her out. Not that I blamed her. Even I could go for a nap right about now. If it meant falling asleep in Levi's arms in our shared bed for the first time in a long time, then I would. But I had questions I wanted answered first. Lots of them.

"I suppose we should do introductions before our little one falls asleep," I said, looking down at Emi. Seated in Levi's lap comfortably, she was leaning against him, trying to remain as close as possible to him. "Falco, Gabi, this is our daughter, Emiko." Upon hearing her name, Emi lifted her head, turning as best she could to see me. "Emi, love, that's Gabi, and that's Falco. Can you say hello to them?"

Her eyes lazily followed the direction I pointed in and she waved at the two kids. "Hi," she said. The two kids chimed their hellos back, and having done what she needed to, Emi nuzzled back into Levi's embrace.

"So," I said slowly, looking at the kids, "tell me. Why did you two come back to Paradis?"

Levi chuckled warmly, choosing to answer for them as the kids just smiled sheepishly and shared a sly look. "These two brats wanted to see that I got home alright."

My heart melted on the spot. If I could run to them and hug them, I would, so I settled for clutching my hands over my heart. "Thank you both for seeing him home safely," I said to them, then directed a pointed look to my husband. "I'm sure you didn't stop to see a doctor, now did you?"

Levi unabashedly met my gaze. "No. I wanted to get here as quickly as I could."

I couldn't help but smile affectionately at him. I'd expected as much. "Well, I noticed that you were hurt. What was it?"

"..."

"Levi. Tell me."

"A Titan bit me."

"You... what?! How even... We need to get you to a doctor, Levi!" I was just standing up when Levi reached out and grabbed the back of my shirt, tugging me back down to the couch. I looked at him with surprise. Sure, he didn't exactly like going to see medical officials, but even he must know that a Titan bite counted as a major injury, right? "Levi..."

"I'm fine," he told me gently. "It's not like I lost it."

"Yes, but..."

"A few of the soldiers that were there helped him," Falco piped up. "It's probably messy work, but it did get looked at."

"That isn't exactly reassuring," I said to him.

"Your leg looks like it's in bad shape too," Levi mentioned. "What happened there?"

"A grapple went clean through it," I told him. I had no reason to lie about that sort of thing.

"A grapple," he repeated incredulously. "Not your own." I sighed, nodding my head to confirm his suspicions. "Who?" He demanded. "Who did it?"

I now saw a reason to lie about that sort of thing. "I... I don't know," I decided to say. "It happened so fast, and-"

"I know you're lying," he cut in. "You're just trying to protect them, but I don't give a shit about that. Who did this to you?"

"I'm not telling you," I said firmly, meeting his gaze evenly. "You promised that we'd be done fighting after this was all over. And it's over, right? It's finally over."

"It is," he affirmed, "but I'm not about to let some brats think they can get away with hurting you."

"I don't even know where they went, Levi," I said. "Even if I told you their names, I wouldn't know where they were for you to go... talk to them."

"I don't care," he restated. "You might not be able to walk on your own ever again. They don't get to get away with this!"

"Levi," I sighed, "they're not worth it. And... there's something else."

"What do you mean?"

"They did something else," I explained. His eyes widened, his brow furrowed, silently telling me to continue with a slight nod.

Stifling another sigh, I lifted my left hand. I was sitting on Levi's right side, meaning it was all too easy for his eyes to follow the movement. I drew my hair back, gathering it in my other hand and draping it over my other shoulder.

My eyes were now directed downwards but, in my periphery, I could see the way his eyes widened more and hear the slight hitch in his inhale. His hand reached out, delicately grazing across my cheek to land, feather-light, against the wad of bandages over where my ear once was.

"Maya," he said quietly. "They..."

"Wanted to use me for information," I told him, still not meeting his eyes. "As though I knew Eren's plan." I laughed lightly, though I'm sure Levi wouldn't find my next words funny. "They thought you'd come back, forgoing the fate of the world for me."

I didn't say the words to be nasty, conniving, or anything of the sort. I certainly didn't say them to make him feel bad, to make him feel like he should have. They were simply the truth. When faced with either the fate of the world or the life of one person, we'd always known what our own answers would be. As painful as it would be, and as painful as I'm sure it was for him to go off, not knowing how I was... the world came first.

"I wanted to," he said quietly. "I almost did, if Hange hadn't told me off."

"Always so level-headed," I mused with a smile. "How is she? I'm assuming she's taking care of things with the others, if she didn't come back with you."

"She's..."

The way he trailed off told me everything. But I couldn't accept that she died. Hange? Dead. It couldn't happen. Not until far in the future, until she learned everything there was to know about... well, everything. For just a moment, everything seemed to stop.

"No," I said, shaking my head with a laugh. "No, you don't mean that. She wouldn't." He didn't reply. "Levi, I... If this is some kind of cruel joke, just tell me."

"It's not," he said. "Hange sacrificed herself so we could get away."

I shook my head again, my gaze drifting away from him. "Tell me what happened," I requested. "Please. Tell me everything."

—

"Let me see," I mused, turning away from the sink now that all the dishes were dried and put away. The kids had been at my side helping me and Levi was still seated at the table. "Not that you two need to go to bed right now, but when you do, well... we've got a guest room downstairs, but only one bed. You'll have to share."

"S-S-Share?!" Falco stammered. His entire face seemed to darken with blush, the flush even creeping down his neck and to the tips of his ears. "N-No, that's ok! I-um, well, I can take the couch!"

"Really?" I asked. "The couch is rather uncomfortable." I gestured towards Levi with a movement of my head. "We both know that from experience."

"No, t-that's ok!"

"How cute," I said through a chuckle, leaning back against the counter. "Fine, do what you like. Still, I'd say the bed downstairs is far more comfortable than the couch, but if you're that insistent, then you are certainly welcome to sleep there. There's extra bedding in the hall closet." I set an arm around Falco, pulling him towards me lightly so I could plant a kiss to the top of his head. "Feel free to stay up as late as you like, but please try to keep it down. Emi's already asleep."

It was late in the evening; after Levi had recounted the final battle (with the kids piping up every so often with what they knew), we'd had to start dinner. It was slow going, because I was something of a bumbling idiot now in a kitchen with this bum leg, but with the kids' assistance, we'd managed to get it done and we produced a rather tasty meal at the end of it.

It was late, especially because we'd spent a while sitting at the table long after the food had been finished, but finally we were starting to all get ready for bed. I'd put Emi to bed not too long ago. She was reluctant to let go of her father, but we assured her he'd still be here in the morning.

I could say with certainty now that he would. Something in my heart just... told me so. It told me that I could relax, I could breathe, I could trust that my family would be ok. It was a long time coming, but... it truly was final, now.

The battle had ended and though I still could not quite wrap my head around the fact that Eren was dead, and by Mikasa's hand, I knew that it was now over. Everything was over now. Years of fighting – not just Levi and my own, but that of the kids, and so many generations of Paradisians and Eldians before my time – had finally amounted to something.

But to think that billions of people were now dead... it was an unfathomable number, but there were still people out there. Things to see. Things to do. People to meet. Knowledge to gain.

For Erwin, and for Hange, I would go learn all that I possibly could.

For El, for Caden, for all my lost scouts, and for Eren, I would continue to live.

Falco unintentionally pulled me from my thoughts by wrapping his arms around my midsection, hugging me tight. "Thank you for letting us stay here," he said.

"Of course," I said, doing my best not to outright coo, as though talking to Emi. He was just so sweet; I could hardly take it. "You made sure my husband got home alright. Did you honestly think I'd make you sleep outside?"

Falco laughed, but then was mindful of his volume and quieted down. "No," he answered, smiling up at me, "but I still wanted to say thank you."

"Well, aren't you a sweet one," I now cooed. "But do make yourself at home. If you need anything, don't be afraid to ask." I looked up to smile at Gabi then, and gestured for her to come over. She did, in a nearly reluctant sort of way. Perhaps she was shy.

Regardless, I wrapped an arm around her too, pulling her close. Falco smiled at her as she accepted my hug. I pressed a kiss to her hair, laughing quietly at the wide-eyed look she sent me just after I did it. "Goodnight, both of you."

"Do you need us to help you to your room? We can help you if you need it," Falco offered.

"We'll be just fine," I assured him. "But thank you both. Please, don't worry about us. Just go get some rest."

"Oh, ok," Falco said. Both kids drew away from me and headed into the living room, but not before they both turned to smile at us. "Goodnight," they chimed in unison.

"Goodnight, darlings," I called.

"Night, brats," Levi said.

And finally... we were alone. I set my hands on the counter on either side of me as I leaned back against it, and I allowed myself to just... take him in. He really was here.

"I still can't really believe it, you know," I said quietly.

There was nothing illuminating the room other than the few candles that we'd lit, their wavering flames dancing with the most minute shifts in the air in the house. Levi looked quite handsome in this light, the warm tones making the cool blue of his eyes pop and his pale skin stand out against his dark hair.

And the way he was looking at me... as though I were some kind of treasure. As though I was nothing less than the prettiest thing I'd ever seen. As though I was perfect. It was amazing, really, just how much I could see from only his eyes - or at least, the one that was uninjured. Maybe it was because I'd been looking at them for years, but it didn't really matter, because I had learned to read him, and I was so very grateful that I had. 

Goodness, he was gorgeous.

"Can't believe what?"

"That you're here," I replied. "It's funny, really. I was hardly able to get through even a single night without having a nightmare."

"I must be rubbing off on you, then," he teased.

"About time, no? We've known each other for a long, long time."

"I got here as quickly as I could," he said, diverting from the slight playful bout we'd just shared. "It was slow going. There was a lot to clean up right after the battle. I'm sorry. I should have been here sooner."

"Don't apologize," I said to him, pushing away from the counter. I hobbled over, ignoring the shooting pains running down my leg. I sank down gratefully into the chair just to the right of his, pulling it closer to him. "I'm just happy that you're here now. And... only somewhat more injured than how I left you." I huffed playfully, swatting his arm lightly. "I mean, honestly. Getting bitten by a Titan. What are you, an amateur?"

Levi chose not to answer and instead reached out with his right hand, taking my left. His thumb rubbed lightly over my ring before shifting to interlace his fingers through my own, pulling it into his lap.

"Are the kids coming home?" I asked quietly, not wanting to disturb the relative peace of the house right now.

"They said they would," he told me. "There's a lot to do now. But those kids... they'll be the ones to put things right."

"I think so too," I mused. "I'm so relieved they're alright. They better remember to visit."

He chuckled. "I think they will. They were all worried about you."

"Now I feel bad," I whined lightly. "You should have all been focusing on the fight, not me."

"People are allowed to worry about you," he said. His eyes flickered to my ear. "You really won't tell me who did it?"

I shook my head. "I won't. If they know what's good for them, they'll never come near me ever again."

"What happened? During the battle."

"Which one?"

"Both," he answered, "but first, the Rumbling - I wasn't there. What happened? Jean told me you... weren't doing well."

"I wasn't," I affirmed, and I didn't miss the way Levi stiffened. "It was awful. Soldiers dropping in from above, Titans down below, and a million other things happening all at once."

"Amaya," he said firmly, and I knew what he wanted me to tell him.

"I wasn't thinking," I told him honestly. "Once I saw Zeke show up, and realized you weren't there, I just..." I drew a deep breath in, unable really to articulate my thoughts. "I couldn't handle it. And I fought recklessly. I was on my own and killed soldier after soldier and Titan after Titan."

"Oh, sweetheart," he said quietly, starting to reach for me.

His hands halted when my eyes found his own. "But you had to do the same, didn't you? Kill your own soldiers. The very people who looked to us for guidance... we had to kill."

"Yes," he answered. "I did."

"Awful," I breathed out, looking away. "Just awful. I..."

"However awful it was," Levi said surely, "we fought through it."

"We did," I agreed. "Oh - I can't believe I didn't tell you."

"Hm?"

"That day," I said, referring of course to the day of the Rumbling, "something weird happened to me."

Levi tensed, unable to hide his concern, and I smiled to ease his worries away - or attempt to, anyway. "I was on my own, fighting for my life against so many enemies and at one point, I almost gave up."

"Maya..."

"But," I continued, "I didn't. A Titan nearly grabbed me but all at once, I knew exactly what to do and how to do it, and despite my exhaustion, I had the strength to carry it through."

His brow furrowed, clearly confused despite knowing exactly what I was alluding to. "Like Mikasa and I...? But how?"

"I don't know if it's exactly the same," I said, "and I can't be sure if it wasn't just adrenaline. But it felt like how you described it. I knew what was happening around me and exactly how to get out of it alright. And I did - it worked. I found the strength to fight on."

"Then maybe it isn't unique to our blood," Levi mused.

"Or maybe it is," I said, "and maybe by some marvel of science, I inherited it. You know, when making Emi, I did have to use some of your genetic material. So maybe..." Levi's eyes were wide, hardly able to believe it, and I giggled. "Crazy, right?"

"Tch," he uttered. "You're probably making it up."

"I'm not," I pressed, knowing he did believe me and was just playing around. "I promise!"

"You and your promises," he mumbled. "So, the harbor."

"The harbor," I repeated. "Well, once again, I was on my own. Stupid on my part, but... it was working, in the beginning. Mimi came after me."

"Firmin?"

I nodded, and that, coupled with the sudden far-away look in my eyes, told Levi what he needed to know. I'd had to... take care of her. My eyes were far too focused on the grain of the table in front of me to really notice when Levi had wrapped his arms around me.

"Oh, love," he said quietly. "Come here." I allowed my face to burrow against his neck, squeezing my eyes shut and pressing them to his skin to try to keep the tears from coming out. "I know you love them like your own kids. I know. Let it out, Maya, it's ok."

He let me cry, though I hated to do it again. It was a happy day; it should have been completely free of tears. But I couldn't help it.

"She went after you," he said. "She should've known better."

"It was so easy," I protested. "Why was it so easy to kill her?"

"She was for global genocide," Levi responded. "It didn't matter how well you knew her; I know you. You'd never allow that."

"I know, but..."

"But nothing," he argued. "You did what you had to."

"I'm sorry," I said quietly, not bothering to lift my head from his shoulder. "I don't mean to cry so much."

"How many times do I have to tell you not to apologize for that kind of thing? You damn woman."

That got a smile out of me. "It might make you proud to know that before they cut my ear off, I pissed the shit out of them."

He chuckled warmly, pressing a kiss to my hair. "That's my girl."

"They had me tied up," I told him, sitting up so I could see him clearly. "It wasn't like I could do much more than run my mouth." I lifted my head, looking him in the eyes once more. "Thankfully, the family living in the house they broke into helped me. I think it was when Falco transformed that the Yeagerists left me to die in that living room. The family came out and helped me. They're the reason I'm still alive."

"I'll have to thank them," he murmured.

I laughed lightly, saying, "I already did. They told me not to. But they saved me and secured me a ride here. They wouldn't accept any form of repayment. The Yeagerists really did think that if they captured me that you'd come back for me. Though... I suppose I didn't really keep my promise, did I? I promised that I'd return to you safe and sound, and yet... you returned to me."

"It still counts," he said. A few quiet moments passed, one in which neither of us spoke. Not until Levi did, rather unsurely. "We had to kill Eren."

"I know," I responded. "He came to see me."

"Do you want to...?"

"Know about the battle?"

"Yes."

"I do," I told him. "But only if you're comfortable talking about it. Don't push it, Levi. I know you're exhausted. The details can wait."

"The details can wait," he echoed, glancing away briefly. "Hange sacrificed herself, and Mikasa killed Eren. That's when we all remembered."

I nodded, remembering my own conversation with the boy. "We talked in the castle, he and I."

"Tch. At least you got that."

"Mm? Where did he meet you?"

"That damned courtroom." I couldn't hold my laughter back if I tried. "The hell are you laughing about?"

"What do you mean? That's funny!"

"It is not," he pressed, shoving me away lightly. I recovered easily, leaning against his side and looking into his eyes teasingly.

"Did he ask you to beat him up again? For old time's sake?"

"No," Levi muttered embarrassedly. "You brat."

"Speaking of Eren," I said, sitting up. "He showed me. I saw, you know."

"Saw what?"

"The battle for Shiganshina."

"I see."

"I watched you fight the Beast Titan," I continued. "And... you used my method. You used the Titans' bodies to get close."

"I did," he confirmed, grimacing. "Was a lot of work, that's for damn sure."

I chuckled. "Tell me about it."

"Did you want to see it? Or did he show you to..."

"I wanted to," I assured him. "He asked first. But to think that all of this, all that's happened... that he knew, that he was setting everything up for so long so that we could be in position to live..."

"He saw everything," Levi added reflectively, "and decided this was the best outcome." He clicked his tongue, looking away. "Makes you wonder what the hell else he'd seen, if those were worse."

"I don't know," I said, leaning against his side more comfortably. He set his arm around me, keeping me close. "He sacrificed everything for us."

"He did."

"It's strange," I said softly, "how much has changed here already. A lot of the people here are turning to support the agenda the Yeagerists are pushing. They're the heroes of Paradis, not us. I can tell. When I was heading to Reyes' home just the other day, the stares I got... they knew. They knew I wasn't really on their side. I'd fought against Paradis, against the Rumbling."

"They've never left the island," he reminded me. "Of course they wouldn't understand."

"I know, but... I know we have the scars and people around here know us, but... I don't want to always be recognized for being a soldier. Especially not now, as a soldier also known as a traitor. I love this island, but... do people really support the entire world dying just so that we may live?"

"We can't take violence away from humanity," he responded. "If the Rumbling finished, there'd eventually be civil war here. And now that it didn't, the world will only retaliate."

"Not right away," I said. "I'm sure of that. Everything needs to... recover, first. But do you think... will there come a day where people won't recognize us for being soldiers? Where if we walk down the street, we're just Amaya, Levi, and their daughter Emi? Not Captains Levi and Amaya Ackerman. Not the Blue Wing, not the White Wing, just... us. I thought that maybe after the battles were over, we could just be normal for once, but that can't happen."

"We're not normal," he replied quietly.

"I know," I said, fighting to bite back a laugh even though a smile appeared on my face anyway, "but I thought that maybe we could pretend to be, anyway. At least in the public eye, we could be normal people, and not soldiers."

"I think... that day could be soon," Levi said, uncharacteristic hesitance lining his voice.

"What do you mean?" I prodded gently. Where the hell was he going with this?

"They won't know who we are... beyond Paradis Island."

"You mean... if we left?"

He nodded. "We can move away. Go somewhere no one knows us. We can raise Emi there, and be far from all the fighting.

"Where will we go? How will we pay for a home?"

"We can sell the house and the horses, pack only what we need, and go wherever we want. Onyankopon offered us a place to stay while we get things set up, if we wanted. Or we could travel."

"Onyan... no, wait, this is all so sudden. Move? A-And I don't want to sell Strider. He's a good horse and I love him. And I know you don't want to sell your horse, either."

"I don't," he confirmed, "but they're bred special here. There aren't other horses elsewhere like them. If we bring them, they'll know."

"But..."

"Amaya, you know I'm right," he chided.

I sighed. He made good points, sure, but... to move? We'd always lived here. And we were older now, moving to an entirely new country would be difficult. What with possible language barriers - not everywhere spoke our language, of course - there were also different currencies, legal systems, governments, everything. It'd be tough to acclimate to an entirely new country.

But I had to admit that it was probably the best course of action for us right now.

"We're not welcome here anymore," I murmured. "The Yeagerists already tried taking me into their custody the other day, if not for Reyes' family and their neighbors butting in."

"It'll only get worse," he told me. "The world that's left is still gunning for this island. You know that."

"I know," I replied. "But is this really the right thing to do? To abandon our home?"

"It abandoned us first," he said, "when the citizens and military moved to support the Rumbling." I didn't reply to him right away. He took my hand again. I let my eyes drift towards where our hands met, at the wedding band sparkling on my finger. "You're scared."

It wasn't a question. He knew how I felt.

"It's a lot to think about," I told him truthfully. "We've always lived here. It hasn't always treated us kindly, but..."

"However badly it treated us before, it'll treat us worse now. It doesn't matter what we did for humanity before. Because we didn't join the Yeagerists, they'll only see us as traitors."

He was right. It didn't matter how many titans we'd killed, how much hope we brought humanity. We were the Blue and the White Wing, and only if we were together could humanity hope for freedom. That's what we'd been told. Stay strong, people had told us. We're all counting on you.

So much for that.

Everything leading to that moment - where we publicly went against the Yeagerists and therefore against the island, was for naught. Nothing else we did mattered. Tears welled in my eyes again. All of that was for nothing? I didn't want to forever be known as a hero, to be in the spotlight.

But to know that all that work wouldn't be appreciated by the public that once regarded us so highly even if the rest of the military didn't... It was the innocent people that couldn't fight that we fought to protect. They're the ones who motivated us. And to have those same people go against us... It hurt.

"I'm terrified," I told him. "There's a lot to go into moving by itself. To move to another country... And besides, there's a lot I want to wrap up here, before we leave."

Levi's eyes widened. "You want to?" I met his gaze. I nodded. An almost relieved look passed across his face then and he let out a breath. "Ok. There's stuff I want to do, too. And we'll only leave if you're absolutely sure about this. I won't force you to leave if you don't want to."

"I think... it's a good idea," I said. "It's better than staying here, in any case. And you said Onyankopon could help us?"

"That's right," he said. "There are lots of places that speak the same language we do. And he'll help us learn everything we need to know."

"Ok," I decided. "Alright. We'll move."

—

"I'm almost nervous," I laughed, waiting for someone to answer the door. "I don't know why."

"Don't be," Levi said. "It's just Historia."

"I know that," I said, rolling my eyes. "You stupid man."

The door swung open just as Gabi and Falco tried to conceal their snickers at our playful banter. Historia was the one to open the door, her eyes landing on me first. Her blue eyes brightened, and she let the door open all the way. She threw her arms around me in an excited hug, and I didn't hesitate to hug her back with one arm, the other holding tight to my crutch.

"Amaya," she greeted happily, pulling away. Her eyes drifted away from me and down to Levi. "Captain Levi. I'm so happy you two are here! And Emi, too!"

Emi waved happily from her spot in Gabi's arms. "Hi!"

Historia giggled. "Hello," she said in return.

"Just Levi," my husband piped up, correcting Historia.

"Oh," she said. "Alright. Come in, all of you. Levi, would you like help getting the chair inside? I can call for-"

"I'm fine," he said. "I'm not completely useless."

"No one said you were," I chimed in. "She just offered help if you wanted it."

"I don't," he argued. Without being asked, Falco was at his side then, helping him up from the chair.

With his rehabilitation and reluctant visits to the doctor, Levi's injured leg was recovering relatively well. So was my own. But for now, we still needed a bit of assistance here and there. I didn't mind it, but Levi... Well, as someone who hid all his vulnerabilities behind a wall, he was still quite hesitant to request for help but even he knew when to take it.

Gabi offered her free arm to me, and I let her help me into the house. The last time I had been here, so deep and secluded within Wall Sina that it was hard to believe we were even still on Paradis, had been during that month that Levi had been away. It felt like forever ago now, and yet... only a few precious weeks had passed since then, and shorter still since he returned.

But I was excited for today. I'd been waiting eagerly to meet her baby, and today was finally the day. When we all settled into the living room, and introductions were over, Historia lowered herself into a seat just across from us. Emi reached for me once Gabi put her down and I lifted her into my lap.

"You're in luck," Historia said. "She just went down for a nap."

"I'm so excited to meet her," I said with a warm smile. Someone entered the room then, and my smile grew at the sight of Historia's husband and nestled securely in his arms was their daughter.

"Would you like to hold her?" He asked, noticing the growing excitement in my eyes. I nodded and he made his way over to me. I passed Emi to Levi, seated right beside me, who took her and wrapped his arms around her middle. She looked curiously on as I accepted the bundle and lowered her to rest against my chest.

"Hello, beautiful girl," I said quietly.

I tucked one finger under the blanket swaddled around her and tugged it down slightly so I could see her whole face. She had Historia's fine, golden hair and fair skin. Historia's husband sat down next to his wife, wrapping an arm around her. She leaned into him, watching on as I gazed at their daughter.

"What's her name?" I asked.

"Ymir," Historia said softly, so much pride and love laced in her voice.

"Ymir," I repeated, looking back down at the sleeping girl in my arms. "It's so nice to finally meet you. I'm Amaya, and this is my husband, Levi."

"Hi," Levi said curtly, unamused.

"And this is our little one, Emi," I said, leaning into Levi's side gently. Emi, seated in her father's lap, tilted her head slightly at the girl. "Emi, this is Ymir. Can you say hello?"

"Hello," Emi repeated shyly.

"You used to be this small, you know," I said to her.

"Nuh uh," she protested. "That's a baby!"

"That's right," I said, smiling all the while, "but you were a baby once, too. You're still my baby."

"But I'm a big girl!"

"You are," I said, conceding with a light sigh.

But then Ymir started to stir, and I got my first glimpse at those beautiful blue eyes she inherited from her mother. She began to make the telltale sounds of a baby demanding her mother, and I looked up only to see Historia already standing, reaching for her. I passed her off gently, and Historia held her to her chest and left the room, cooing gently. Her husband, now left in a room of strangers, took off after his wife.

"Tch. I like ours better," Levi said quietly.

"Levi," I admonished gently. But then I looped my arm with his, letting my head rest on his shoulder as my other hand brushed through Emi's hair. "I do too."

—

There had been lots of loose ends to tie up, holes to fill, and deals to make before the Ackerman family could finally move. But finally... Well, today still was not that day. But we were getting close. Today, as a matter of fact, was the day of our going-away party.

Everything had moved so quickly since Levi had come back home, the two kids in tow. We'd done what we needed to, and really all that was left to do was to finalize the sale of our horses to the kind farmer up the road who would surely appreciate the extra charges and sell the house which would take only my signature and Levi's to finish.

And then... we'd leave.

It was so close; it was hard to believe. Though this island was full of amazing memories for both of us, it was also riddled with awful memories. Ones that we didn't want to relive or ever be reminded of.

Starting, of course, with the Underground City. Though where we met, and where El had taken care of me, and where we'd worked with Farlan and Isabel, that disease-ridden town had been terrible for both of us. Just after visiting Historia, we'd stopped by one final time, and only for me to offer one last farewell to El. I was so happy to say that I would never go back down there again.

...Back to the party. Because a lot of our furniture had already been sold, we were having it outside in the yard. It was a beautiful day thankfully, and Reyes had come by the other day to set up some picnic tables for us to use.

I was, as usual, a busybody trying to get everything set up. Or as much of a busybody as I could be with this damn leg of mine. Right now, Levi was with Emi inside, probably still getting her ready. She tended to make that into a hassle these days. The two kids were proving very helpful today. They'd spent all day yesterday making decorations. They'd made streamers and signs and all kinds of things – Emi helping where she could – and it all looked terribly cute now that it was all getting set up by the two.

Just yesterday, I'd finished up and mailed my letter to Mrs. Dawk. I'd wanted to meet up with her, but instead I figured I'd just wanted to send a letter. I don't think I could've handled meeting her and her family right now. Besides, I could say what I needed to in the letter. And they'd have my words for as long as they wanted them.

So at least I did that. Perhaps not the way I'd wanted to, and I'm sure it was definitely not the way Nile wanted me to do it, but it wasn't as though I could take a horse and go take a leisurely ride to go see them right now.

A chorus of voices coming from the other side of the house distracted me from setting up the napkins with a paperweight set atop them to keep them from blowing away in the wind. I stood, setting a hand in my hair to keep it from flying into my face as I turned to face the house. A horde of children came running towards me and I sat back down at the table, preparing for their onslaught. Reyes' children all but swarmed me, nearly overwhelming me with the force of their hugs.

"Why are you leaving?" Maggie demanded. "I don't want you to leave!"

"None of us do," Kai spoke up. "We only found out this morning when dad told us we're going to your going-away party!"

"I'm sorry, darlings," I said, shrugging as they let go of me one by one. Falco came rushing out of the house then, in a frantic sort of way.

"I'm sorry!" He called out. "I meant to give you more warning, but they rushed the door!"

"That's just how they are," I said. "It's alright."

"Do you have to leave?" Maggie whined. "We'll all miss you!"

"My family isn't really welcome here anymore," I told her honestly. "I won't lie to you kids. I'll miss you all too, but Levi and I are technically traitors to Paradis."

Maggie pouted. "Why not just change your names?"

That made me laugh. "It's a good idea, but a lot of people know our faces around here."

"The queen could hide you," Kai offered. "Aren't you friends with her?"

"She could," I agreed, "but I'd rather not stay on one plot of secluded land for the rest of my life. That's no way for us to live, or for Emi to grow up. Right?"

"Right," the kids conceded sadly.

"Falco, love," I called to him. He perked up slightly. "Go see what's taking Levi and the girls so long, would you please?"

"Ok," he replied, turning on his heel to rush back into the house. Reyes came out of the house then, Edith walking beside him with an arm looped through her husband's. Both had radiant smiles on their faces as they approached.

"You're early," I said to them when they came to a stop. The children took off to look at the food, leaving us adults alone to talk. "Not that it's a bad thing."

"Better to be early than late, I suppose," Reyes shrugged. "We're proud of you, kiddo."

"Proud of me for running away," I asked teasingly.

Reyes rolled his eyes. "Please. You're both making a wise decision for your family. And... a growing family, at that. Did you adopt those kids, then?"

"Falco and Gabi are from Marley," I told them. "They're Eldians, just like us. They made sure Levi got home alright, and they've kinda just... stuck around. We've no intentions of adopting them formally, but if we do, it'll just be one of them." I leaned in conspiratorially, then added in hushed tones, "they're smitten with each other."

"How cute," Edith cooed before looking towards where her own children were making a ruckus. "Oh, goodness. What are they doing? Maggie, young lady, get off the table!" Reyes followed his wife a few paces back as they went to get ahold of their children, and my gaze once again redirected to the backdoor of the house.

The door opened again and out stepped Emi, dashing into the yard. Ignoring me completely, she went to her favorite spot in the garden to play. She was followed by Levi, aided by Gabi to get down the step and into the yard while Falco held the door open. As soon as they were outside, Falco dashed back into the house.

Gabi helped Levi sit down next to me. As he settled onto the bench he sighed, and Gabi rushed back into the house again too. "What's their rush?" I asked him.

"Who knows," he replied. "Maybe they both had to shit."

I didn't even try to hold in my laughter. The sound had Levi smiling, just a little, easily mistaken for a trick of the light. I leaned over, planting a kiss to his cheek. He looked away, a faux look of annoyance on his face. But when I kissed his cheek again, a light laugh escaping my lips as they met his skin, he gave in.

He turned his head to kiss my temple before I could get too far away. He pulled away quickly then, and I was left to wonder why until I, once more, looked at the door to the house. It was open again, Falco and Gabi rushing out with wide smiles on their faces.

"What are you two up to?" I asked, playfully suspicious. "You two have been running back and forth a lot."

"We're trying to be helpful," Gabi explained.

"And now we are," Falco chimed. "I'm finally able to warn you before the next guests get here!" At our looks, Falco beamed. "The Warriors and the scouts are here!"

My heart leapt into my throat and I got to my feet, my crutch under one arm. With everything going on, and the way they were in the capital setting things up with Historia, I hadn't been able to see any of them since the battle. "They're here...?"

My free hand fisted my skirt nervously in front of me as I waited for them to come out of the house. Goodness, why was I nervous? I shouldn't have been nervous. But I was. I had to work to stifle a laugh; I'd trained and worked closely with my scouts for years, and here I was, nervous to reunite with them.

The first one out of the house was Jean. Taking long, fast strides, he made it to me quickly and thankfully his hug held me up, because otherwise the force of it would have me toppling over. My crutch fell to the wayside as I threw my arms around his neck, tears threatening to spill from my eyes immediately.

It took no time at all for me to begin crying, just holding him in my arms. I'd just been so worried for all of them, but with the way Jean and I had just grown so close... it was tough just hearing that he was fine and not seeing it. And to think he'd been worried about me after the battle, when I hadn't joined them on the ship... I felt awful about it. Hopefully, he could forgive me.

"Jean," I said uselessly, hearing him start to cry too, doing all he could to hide it in my shoulder. "Jean, sweetheart, don't cry."

"You're one to talk," he scoffed.

"I'm allowed to," I argued. "I'm in charge here, and I'm telling you not to cry."

"Still giving out orders," he muttered. "Once a captain, always a captain."

"Oh, hush," I said through a laugh. "I was so worried about you all."

"Once again," he said, pulling away from my shoulder and standing up straight, "you're one to talk."

"I'm sorry for worrying you," I replied, beaming up at him with watery eyes. "I'd heard that one of the ships got destroyed. I didn't want to believe that it was the one you were on, but... no one knew for sure."

"Magath sacrificed himself," Jean explained. "He took it upon himself to destroy the other cruiser so the Yeagerists couldn't come after us."

"And you did it," I murmured. "You won."

"I'm still not entirely sure how, to be honest," he admitted. "But yeah, we did." A quiet, contemplative moment passed, and when my smile grew, he broke down again, pulling me back in towards him. "Dammit, I..."

"It's alright," I said quietly, only for his ears to catch. "It's overwhelming. I know, Jean. I know."

He drew away only enough to look down at me, at my leg, then back up into my eyes. "But you're alright? You're standing and... you're alright? Truly?"

"Yes, Jean," I murmured, setting a hand on the back of his head and tucking him back against me, however awkward it was with the incredible height difference. It didn't seem to matter to him, though - he came willingly into my embrace. "I'm alright. Hush now, hush."

"Oh, god," he hissed. "I'm so relieved..."

"I know, sweetheart. I know."

"Jean," Connie spoke up, "why are you hogging her? We were all worried about her, you know!"

"Shut it," Jean muttered, stepping away anyway. I laughed and accepted Connie's tight embrace when it came.

"Look at you," I said, jubilant laughter bubbling out of me when I pulled away. "Your hair looks great!"

"Thanks," Connie said proudly, running a hand through it. "Grew it myself."

"And I'm so proud," I laughed some more. My smile grew a bit more serious then. "I heard about your mother," I said. "How is she doing?"

"She was a bit confused at first," Connie shrugged, "but she's doing great now."

"That's wonderful to hear," I said to him. "I'm only sorry we couldn't do the same for the rest of your village."

"I'm lucky that even mom got out ok," he said. "I'm happy she's back."

"Let her know that I say hello," I said to him, "and that you're one of the finest soldiers I've ever known."

He whistled, blown away by my words. His eyes shimmered with pride as he said, "High praise, coming from you. But I'll let her know."

He stepped away and Armin took his place. "Hello, Armin," I said. He hugged me gently, the first of the bunch to seem aware of my injuries.

"Amaya," he said happily. "We were all so worried."

"I know," I said. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't apologize," Armin said when he drew away. "If anything, we should. We weren't there to support you."

"I chose to remain where I was," I told him. "It's not your fault. I just wasn't expecting reinforcements from behind. But I'm alright now." I pulled away slowly and gestured for Mikasa to join the hug. With a small smile, she did, accepting my embrace. "Levi told me what you had to do. I'm so sorry it came to that, but I am so proud of both of you. You're strong, so strong."

"Thank you," Mikasa said quietly. Armin murmured similar words of gratitude as both settled into my hug.

"He meant a lot to all of us," I murmured, "but he meant the most to you two. But you saved the world - or what's left of it."

"There's a lot of work to do now," Armin acknowledged. "The work isn't over yet."

"I heard about that, too," I said, drawing away. Jean, having picked up my crutch after stepping away from me minutes ago, handed it to me as the kids all backed away to offer us some space. I adjusted the crutch under my shoulder and leaned against it as comfortably as I could. "I heard you're all going to be national ambassadors of peace for Paradis."

"That's right," Connie said proudly. "Can't have anyone but the best for a job that important."

"And that's exactly why we've got an offer for you," Armin said. "We think you might be able to help us out."

"Ah, about that," I sighed.

"You do know that this is our going-away party, right?" Levi asked. "We're going away."

"Besides," I said, "neither of us have the patience for politics. No one is going to want to hear from a bunch of old farts like us, anyway."

"Maybe not," Armin argued, "but your guidance would be appreciated."

"I told you all she'd say no," Jean sighed through his nose. "You idiots never listen to reason."

"Be nice, Jean," I said, leveling an even gaze with him.

"That wasn't the only offer we had for you," Reiner said now. I'd barely noticed the three Warriors were here, but they were. Reiner looked considerably brighter and happier than he'd been when last I saw him. Gabi was latched into his arm, smiling up at him. Pieck stood on one side of them, and Annie stood on the other. "Historia would like to offer you, Miss Amaya, a spot on her council as the military advisor."

"Military advisor," I repeated slowly before shaking my head. "No, thank you. For one thing, I won't even be on the island, and for another..."

"We're done fighting," Levi said. "For good."

"I don't want to even think of military strategy ever again," I said with a light laugh. "It's exhausting. We're retired."

"You two, retired?" Connie asked incredulously. "Don't make me laugh."

"Well, retired from the military," I said. "We've got plans, don't worry."

"Plans?" Mikasa asked.

I nodded with a smirk and a wink sent her way. "Plans you'll only get to see if you visit us."

"Amaya," Levi sighed.

"What? Did you really think I wouldn't invite them to visit us? I know damn well you'll miss them, too." He didn't reply and I took that to mean that I was right. Because of course I was. I was always right.

"Min-Min!" Emi called suddenly, gently pushing her way between Reiner and Gabi to get to Armin. With a laugh, Armin picked her up.

"Since when are you her favorite?" I could hear Jean grumble.

"Help yourself to some food, loves," I said to them, finally sitting down again next to Levi. "I don't want any asshole birds stealing any. I've been noticing the birds around here get braver and braver around here recently."

—

"I know you don't want to be sold," I cooed to Strider, rubbing his nose affectionately. "But we can't bring you with us. The farmer up the road will be able to find some use for you though. And you'll be staying with your little girlfriend here, and have lots of cute foals, and be able to retire soon."

I got an uninterested snort in reply.

"Oh, shush," I laughed. "You're a little busybody, just like me. Don't act like you won't enjoy the work, bud."

"Talking to yourself, now?"

"Hardly," I replied to Jean, rolling my eyes. All I'd done was get away from the party for a bit. I figured spending a quiet moment with my charge would offer a good excuse, but apparently people still felt the need to bother me. Still, I couldn't say I wouldn't miss it because I would. I'd miss this all terribly.

"That's what it looks like to me," Jean said, reaching out to scratch behind my horse's ears.

"Well, I think you need better eyes," I teased, "because I was clearly speaking with Strider here."

"Did you find a buyer for him?"

"I did," I answered, stroking up and down the length of the buckskin's neck. "One of our neighbors down the road is a farmer. He could use a couple of strong horses like these two."

"I'd have offered," Jean said, "but we're going to be abroad a lot. And the work will be good for them."

"That'll be incredible for you kids," I said. "Being ambassadors and all that. I'm so excited for you."

"It'll be interesting, that's for sure," Jean murmured.

I directed my gaze to him, noting the slight hint of sadness in his voice. "You don't sound excited," I said gently. "What's wrong?"

"It'll be tough, I think," he said. "Worth the effort, sure, but tough, especially at first. And I'll miss life here. Well... not the fighting. But I'll miss my family. You included."

"I'll miss you too, kiddo," I replied earnestly. "Emi too. But we'll remain in touch, don't worry. As soon as we find a place to settle in, we'll make sure you all have our updated address, alright? And you'll always be welcome, for as long as you want or need."

"It's funny," Jean said quietly. "I always planned on settling down in the interior. I never imagined I'd be traveling the world as an ambassador for peace, of all things."

"I always thought I'd live and die on this island," I mused. "But life works in mysterious ways."

"I'm assuming you two have a plan," Jean said, eyes meeting my own. "I'm sure you're not just going to keep borrowing from Onyankopon until you die."

"Of course not," I said. "What do you take us for?" When Jean snickered, I knew he made the comment on purpose and I whacked his arm lightly. "Obviously, we have a plan. It's something we've wanted to do for a while, but never really got the chance to do."

"And what is that?"

I smiled warmly at him, my eyes flickering briefly to my horse as he nudged my cheek with his nose to request more attention. "Oh, just fulfilling one of Levi's dreams from long ago. We're going to open a little tea shop."

"That sounds nice," he said. "I'll be the one annoying customer barging in only moments before you close."

I chuckled lightly. "Yeah. I'm counting on that. I expect as much from you by now."

Jean didn't reply further, and instead turned his head at the sound of footsteps approaching. Levi in his wheelchair was being pushed along the dirt path to us by Falco, Gabi right there next to him. Emi was sitting in his lap, happy for the ride.

Beyond them, closer to the house, stood everyone else; Reyes and his family looked on, smiling warmly; the scouts and the Warriors stood clumped together, laughing at something Connie said. Falco slowed Levi to a stop just in front of me, and I smiled down at him.

With the thin bandages still wrapped around his major facial injuries, I couldn't discern much of his facial expression, but everything I needed to know laid in his eyes, just like always. He was happy; tired, ready for bed already no doubt with the near-endless socializing he'd had to do today, but he was content.

"It's about time we say our goodbyes," Levi said to me. "We've got an early morning tomorrow."

I nodded at him. He was right. In the morning we'd finalize what we needed to, and then... we'd leave. We'd leave behind our lives on Paradis and move on.

We'd raise Emi how we'd always dreamed of doing it, since she was born; around people and places and things that we hadn't had the freedom to see when we were growing up, in an environment where she might never have to worry about her getting hurt, or her parents getting hurt or worse.

We could live together how we'd always dreamed of doing it, since we had met; somewhere free of violence, where we could finally shed our years of guilt and drop our shouldered burdens that we'd picked up for others.

We could finally – finally – be more than just soldiers. We could be recognized not by our crimes, nor our sins, nor our prowess in battle, nor how good we were at killing others. We could be looked at as something more than just the physical manifestations of the Wings of Freedom, one of stark white, and one of proud blue. We could exist and be known solely as Levi and Amaya, their little daughter Emi, and two stowaway children who refused to leave.

It was a long time coming, and it would require a lot of work, but we were no strangers to work. Not when it came to what we believed in. And this... this we believed in.

One day, a long time ago, I'd promised El that I would keep living and lead a life I could be proud of. I promised to see the world. To remember him.

I made lots of promises to lots of people. I always made it a point to keep them. To fulfill them.

My promises to El were no different. Doing this would ensure I fulfilled them. And in doing so, I'd also be fulfilling my promises to Erwin, to Hange, to Caden, to Reyes, to Eld, to the kids, and to everyone else I'd ever loved in this life of mine.

We were no longer welcome on Paradis, but maybe we could finally find peace with ourselves abroad. Looking at my little family now... I couldn't pinpoint how I knew, exactly, but I knew that we would be alright.

"Come on, Maya," Levi said, reaching for me with one hand. Adjusting the crutch under my arm, I stepped closer, letting him take my hand in his. Emi smiled up at me in a sleepy but happy sort of way, her expression bringing my own smile to my lips.

Yeah. We'll be just fine.

We had each other, and really... that was all we needed.

The End.