Evenings in the Survey Corps' main base were just as hectic and loud as they always had been and surely would be, but I found that in the time the kids and Hange had been away, I'd grown to miss the chaos... somewhat. But maybe being a mother did that to me - made me think I missed the chaos that they all could bring but knowing all too well that eventually my own daughter would soon be enough to be as chaotic on her own. 

...Anyway, dinner was finally wearing down, but the young scouts were only just starting to get fired up.

We were all sitting at one table, chatting and making merry. By then, there was little food left (and whatever we had still been munching on had been scavenged by Sasha only a few minutes ago), and the other newer forces of the regiment had gone about their evening duties already, though reluctantly so, but Levi had been firm with them. Our own kiddos were expecting chores too, but from what I could see in his eyes, Levi was having a good time and probably wouldn't give these scouts in particular any.

And hell, I wouldn't be giving them any, either.

...At least not right now.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Or... maybe not. Maybe in place of giving chores, Levi'd be dishing punishments out instead? I'd looked up from my food only to see Mikasa, done eating, lazily throwing beans at him. Huh. Sasha must have known better than to try to take Mikasa's food, then. Interesting.

Everyone at the table had been shocked at the sight, rightfully so, and myself included. Right away, knowing how Mikasa was and knowing all too well how my own husband was, I prepared to get up, to keep them from fighting if one broke out. My whole body tensed in preparation for it, but I held firm for now, just waiting for one of them to make a move. 

But they seemed to be at a standstill, at least momentarily. Mikasa was regarding Levi as she usually did, with clear disdain in her eyes. Levi looked furious now, leaning to one side to avoid a bean tossed at his head.

"My mother used to tell me about monsters that looked like people," she began, stalling in her bean-tossing, "that you had to drive out of the house with beans."

"And that pathetic fairytale is the reason you were chucking beans at me?"

"Yes."

"Laps, outside, now. Run until you pass out."

"She's an Ackerman," Connie reminded him. "She'll never stop running in that case."

Levi's eyes snapped to Connie who didn't even flinch. "You wanna run with her, then? You won't be allowed to stop until she gets tired."

"All of you, knock it off," I said. "Mikasa." The girl looked at me, a bored expression on her face. "He wasn't kidding. Go on."

She stood from the table then, heading outside. I sighed, resolving to head out later before I went to bed to bring her in and talk about that sort of behavior. The heavy atmosphere didn't last long, my daughter giggling at something Jean said to her.

As the talking began to flow again, Levi seemed to relax again, and Emi was having a great time, being passed from lap to lap as the stories and jokes ran strong. Connie was in the middle of a story when a scout walked briskly through the hall towards our lone table. Connie continued to talk as the scout approached me, saluting.

"Captain Amaya," she greeted.

"At ease," I said to her. "What is it?"

She held out an envelope addressed to me. "An express messenger from the capital just arrived," she explained.

"Thank you," I said, taking the envelope from her and nodding to her. With a wave of my hand, I added a firm, "Dismissed," and off she went.

Jean piped up to make fun of something Connie said as I opened the envelope, sliding its contents out. There was one lone letter, on thin, expensive paper but the writing was damn near illegible - but I knew it well. It looked terribly out of place on such fine parchment, and I shook my head almost indulgently. Excitement growing in my heart, I tuned out the surrounding noises as I began to read.

Dear Amaya,

That one line caught my attention, and it was only the greeting. I wasn't on a first-name basis with very many people in the capital city. If I needed any further confirmation on who this was (which I didn't), then this was it, because only two in particular stood out to me, and though the thought of either option writing to me was enough to bring a smile to my face, I knew exactly who this was by the handwriting alone.

I hope this letter finds you well, and Levi and your baby, too! I've heard from the queen that you'll be back and forth between the main scout base and the one by the sea, and well, I'll get to the point. I miss you! And I want to visit the sea and see for myself what it's like. I'd like to know if all the talk about it is true or not.

And since I'm only technically a citizen, and a low-level worker at that, I can't exactly just up and leave to head to a military checkpoint that's not even open to citizens yet. But I figured that if anyone could request permission for me, it'd be you.

I know I haven't fought for years to get to the ocean as you have, but it's I think something that as a street rat, I should see before I die. I don't know if that makes sense, but it's what I want. But if you don't think it's reasonable, then I trust your judgment! I'm honestly happy enough being here, and it's only thanks to you that I am here at all. If I could at least visit you, I'd be happier than anything.

Yep, that's right! Even if I don't see the sea, I would love to finally meet your daughter, because it's long overdue, don't you think? I'm sorry I haven't been able to visit before, but the queen's been keeping me busy here, so busy that I couldn't up and leave. Even if I wanted to, I don't think they would have allowed me.

Oh, but anyway, I have some new songs for you. And who knows, maybe your daughter has a pretty singing voice just like you!

Whatever happens, it's always a pleasure to hear from you, my dearest friend.

Lots of platonic love, Mason Reynan.

I couldn't help but laugh at the way he'd ended the letter. Still, he was making a reasonable request. I'd be more than happy to invite him to the coast for the time my family will be there. We couldn't, of course, be there for too long; we didn't exactly have a house out there, and Emi couldn't grow up in a tent.

But something about what he said worried me. He thought the ocean was something he should see before he dies. It was a simple enough statement, but as someone who grew up underground, we were all far too susceptible to sickness.

How many people died of starvation or illness down there? Death ran rampant in that city, and it wasn't exactly clean. It was a cesspool of diseases, what with all the rot.

Something tugged at my heart at the mere thought of losing Mason to a sickness. Hell, losing Mason at all was something I feared. There was a kind of urgency in the letter. It was short, to the point. Maybe that meant his time was limited. No. I was probably overreacting. But I still couldn't shake the thought.

I folded the letter and slid it back into the envelope. "I'm turning in for the night," I said at a lull in the conversation, standing up from the table. "I'll see you all in the morning!"

I could feel the weight of their gazes on my back as I left the mess hall, but I continued to walk, all my thoughts focused on the possibility of losing one of my oldest, dearest friends. I headed to the office I shared with my husband, unlocking it before stepping inside.

I dropped the envelope in the center of the desk as I squinted in the dim room, looking for where we'd left the matches and at least one candle. I fumbled around on the desk for a moment before my fingers grazed over the box.

"Ah!" I caught the box before I could knock it off the desk and struck a match, using the light to find the closest lantern. I lit it, and went around the room, lighting them as I went. Once done, I settled into my desk chair, gathering before me what I needed to write.

Dear Mason,

I stopped writing almost immediately. I read the letter again, hoping that perhaps I'd missed something where he said that he was doing well. There was nothing. I sighed, flipping the page over. Still nothing. I chewed on my cheek as I thought about how best to approach my response.

Fortunately for you, your letter found me and my family very well. My baby is healthy and would love to meet you. And I find that I'd love to learn these new songs you have for me, and think it'd be wonderful to have you at the coast with us.

Official permission to follow:

I, Captain Amaya Ackerman, hereby grant you, Mason Reynan, permission to travel to the base of coastal operations of the Survey Corps. You will be granted access to rest and to acquire supplies at each of the checkpoints leading there and will be offered lodging once at the base. You will be free to stay for as long as you deem appropriate, and you will be seen safely back to the capital.

If anyone questions you, feel free to send them my way.

The door suddenly opening caught my attention, stealing it away from the paper. Levi closed the door behind him, Emi set against his hip. Once the door was closed and locked, he looked up to meet my eyes. He glanced down at the paper I was writing on, then back up into my eyes. I smiled at him before returning to my writing.

I look forward to seeing you on the coast, truly. It's been much too long. Honestly, I think it was a mistake for Historia to hire you. Sure, the capital is pretty, and you have plenty to do, but did she honestly have to keep you over there for so long? Maybe I'll have a chat with her. Working yourself to the bone in a castle is no way to spend your newfound freedom, no?

Levi approached the desk, tilting his head as if to try and read what I was writing from the other side of the desk. "What are you up to, brat?"

"Writing a letter to Mason," I answered.

"He doesn't write often," Levi said, eyes catching the envelope still sitting on the desk.

"No," I agreed. "Historia keeps him busy."

"Is everything alright?"

"Yes," I said. "He just wants permission to come visit us on the coast. The letter's there, you can read it." He reached down with one hand once he had the permission to, using only one hand to take the letter out and unfold it. He held it up so he could read it as I continued to write.

Everyone will be extremely excited to meet you if they haven't already, and those that do know you will be just as excited to see you again - but none will be as excited as I am to see you, my dearest friend.

Lots of platonic love, Amaya Ackerman.

I folded the letter, pulling open one of the drawers to retrieve an envelope. I put the letter inside and addressed it. A scoff escaped Levi's lips as he finished reading the letter. "Lots of platonic love," he read aloud. He lowered the letter to the desk again. "What a strange one." I reached for another sheet of paper and scribbled my usual ledger. He watched me work curiously for a moment. "What are you doing now?"

"I'll send word to the soldiers manning the checkpoints," I explained, "so that they don't give him any trouble when he makes his way there."

"That's fine and all," he said, readjusting Emi in his arm. She had a thumb in her mouth, her cheek pressed to his shoulder, clearly getting sleepy. "But you know the messengers don't head out this late unless it's an express messenger, and those are only for emergencies. And you never work this late. Something's got you worried." He slid the page out from under my hand and lifted it up and away from me. "So spill it."

My eyes widened. "Am I really that easy to read?"

"To me, you are," he said. "So talk."

"I might be reading too much into it, to be honest," I admitted. "But he mentioned that he felt the ocean was something he should see before he dies. And something about it... Mason was never one to joke about how close he always was to death. He was always telling me about how strong he was, how capable. And his legs have always given him problems. So for him to say something like that..."

"Do you think he's sick?" Levi asked once I'd trailed off.

"Maybe," I said with a sigh. "You know how easily people who grew up down there get sick, and especially if untreated and I don't know if being brought up here and being worked to death is doing him any favors. But... It's probably nothing. I'm sorry."

"Did you just apologize for being worried?" The look in my eyes must've answered it for him. "Idiot. Either way, this can wait until the morning. Working late isn't healthy."

He set the page I was writing on down on the desk and headed into the bedroom, gesturing with his head for me to follow.

"You're telling me that, now?" I asked, leaning back in the chair. He stopped in the doorway, looking back at me. "Weren't you the one who'd work through the entire night if I didn't drag you to bed?"

"Maybe," he said, "but why are you now not following your own advice?"

"Because," I started, but immediately trailed off with a huff. "Shut up."

"Are you coming to bed at some point tonight, or what?"

"I'm going to go downstairs for a minute," I said, "but after that, I'll be right up."

"Alright," he said. "Don't take too long. We leave tomorrow afternoon, you know."

"Yes, sir," I said, pushing the chair back and standing.

As he headed into the bedroom, I left the office and went downstairs, and then outside. I made my way to the road looping the grounds used for laps and waited for a moment. After a few minutes, Mikasa turned a corner, running her laps. When she noticed me there, she regarded me with a nod.

"Mikasa," I called out when she was close enough to hear, "that's enough. I want to talk with you for a moment."

I set my hands in my jacket pockets as I waited for her to slow to a stop in front of me. "Yes, captain?"

"I'm relieving you from the rest of your punishment," I informed her. "It isn't to go easy on you, but I don't find that running for you is any punishment. You will see an increase in your daily duties tomorrow and onward, however. Again, I don't think it's that much trouble for you, but you need to be punished somehow."

"With all due respect," she said seriously, "I don't think what I did was that bad."

"I'm sure you don't," I agreed. "However, you must understand how it looks to the other scouts, those that don't know us and our history. How are we to explain your behavior to them? How are they to take us seriously if you don't, especially if you don't get punished?"

She did not answer, so I continued.

"Mikasa," I said evenly, "you were throwing beans at my husband. I shouldn't have to tell you why that's inappropriate."

"You don't."

"Good," I said. "I cannot stress this enough: you cannot openly antagonize your higher-ups. Would you do the same to Erwin?"

"No."

"Hange?"

"No."

"How about me?"

"Never, captain."

"I don't care if you don't respect him personally," I said. "But you need to show him the proper respect when in uniform. He worked hard for his position. Though I'd argue we're in a rather peaceful state of things right now, you are still a soldier, we are still captains, and the chain of command remains. Understand?"

"I understand."

"You and your friends are still at the bottom," I continued. "I realize that you may never forgive Levi for what he did to Eren in that courtroom, and if the man I loved was beaten like that, I'd be upset, too."

Rightfully, she looked embarrassed. Emboldened by this, I went on.

"Still, you cannot openly disobey and disrespect your commanding officer," I reminded her. "Being protective is one thing, but it'll be a damn hard thing to protect Eren if you've been detained and are locked away somewhere."

"Yes, captain."

"It's obvious you're not fond of him," I said gently, "but please understand that you and the others set the example for the others. While not an officer yet, you do have some responsibility to this regiment."

"I'm sorry, captain."

It wasn't lost on me that she apologized only to me, and didn't extend it towards Levi, but at this point, I didn't expect much more out of her on that front. It also was not lost on me that these were trained answers, ones meant to appease. Whether or not she meant it was certainly in question, but I didn't care to push the issue right now, so I finally dismissed her, and we headed back into the base together. She bid me goodnight as she disappeared down towards the general barracks, and I went back to my office.

As soon as I closed and locked the office door behind me, and made my way into the bedroom, I couldn't help but smile at the sight in front of me.

Goodness, these moments never got old. I hurried to change into pajamas and joined my husband and daughter in the bed, snuggling up to Levi's side as he read a story to her.

The smile didn't leave me until Emi was fast asleep against his chest, and we set her in her crib. A quick kiss to Levi's lips, and we were settling into bed, curled up together, his arms around me.

—

"Now that's a view I missed," I said with a wistful sigh as I watched the waves roll over the sand.

"Amaya!"

My head whipped around at the call of my name. Hange ran up to me, breathless and heaving to recover it. Onyankopon walked up after her, offering me a smile as he came to a stop next to her.

"Hello, Hange!" We'd arrived at the coast early this morning, and most of us had promptly passed out to sleep the rest of the morning away after our several-day journey. After my nap, I felt refreshed, and had just come to watch the water for a bit. "And hello to you as well, Onyankopon. How have you been?"

As the only one with breath left to answer me, he spoke first. "Very well, captain, thank you. And yourself?"

"Can't complain," I replied. 

Hange caught her breath then and stood up straight. "Amaya, are you busy right now?"

"No," I answered. "Is something wrong?"

"Apparently, a patrol group went out to establish a route to a nearby forest so we can maintain gear training."

"And?"

"And they haven't come back yet," she said. "All the Marleyans are here, so the lieutenant believes they're just slacking off. But, of course, she has other groups to watch, and Levi said he was too busy watching Emi and-"

"I'll go grab them," I said. "Where's the forest?"

"West of here," she said. "If they did their jobs, you'll see markers lining the way."

"Alright," I said. "I'll be off as soon as I replenish my gas."

"Thanks, Amaya," she grinned at me. "You're the best!"

"Oh, hush," I protested with a laugh. "I'm just doing as my superior tells me."

Hange rolled her eyes. "Don't start with that. Alright, I'm off. Onyankopon?"

"Actually," he said, "might I tag along with you, Captain? I have to say, I've been curious about how the gear works. All the soldiers here wear it, but I haven't seen it in action yet."

Normally, I'd be hesitant to let someone from a foreign territory see how our top line of offense worked. But the look in his eyes was so genuine, and he'd deflected to our side so readily and so quickly after Yelena took charge.

In the short conversations we'd had, he'd seemed completely invested in the success of our little island, and I couldn't see a clear reason as to why he couldn't tag along. I glanced at Hange, who only shrugged, meaning it was my call.

"Sure thing," I said.

"You picked well," Hange said to Onyankopon. "She's one of the best gear users we've got."

It was my turn to roll my eyes. "Not after that pregnancy, I'm not."

Hange set her hands on her hips. "Have I demoted you, Amaya? No? Well, don't you think that's for a reason?"

"You love me," I teased. "That's why."

"Well, alright," she laughed, "there's that, and once you got back into training, you were still able to fly circles around all of us. Now stop questioning your commander." Despite the serious words, her tone was playful, but I saluted her anyway.

"Yes, ma'am," I said with a grin. "Come on, Onyankopon." He followed behind me as we walked back through the camp towards my tent, where I'd stashed my gear before dropping into the cot for my nap this morning. I glanced back at him. "You can walk next to me, you know."

"Ah, yes, captain," he said sheepishly, falling into step alongside me. I led the way to the tent my family was occupying for now, peeking my head in to make sure everyone was decent before I held the flap open for Onyankopon to step in.

Levi was seated sideways in his chair at the desk, an arm draped lazily over the back as he read through a report. Emi was playing with a stuffed animal on the bed, happy little sounds escaping her. Upon us stepping into the tent, Levi's eyes found me first, but flicked curiously to the man next to me. "Hello, captain."

Levi greeted him with a nod. I stepped further into the tent to the corner where Levi and I had stacked our gear. "Hange making you go after that patrol?"

"Yes," I answered as I knelt to attach the gear. "She told me about how busy everyone else is at the moment." I glanced up at him briefly, a mischievous smile adorning my lips. He looked away from me, pointedly returning his focus to the report.

"Whatever. Someone has to watch the kid."

"I know," I said, my own attention returning to the gear.

"You tagging along, then?" Levi asked Onyankopon.

"Yes, sir," he answered. I returned my focus to my gear, but it was pulled away once more as I noticed Onyankopon's eyes widen upon seeing... something of interest.

Levi hummed noncommittally, looking back towards what he was reading. "Keep her out of trouble."

"Yes sir, captain."

Even as he spoke, Onyankopon's eyes had found the desk, and the items set atop it, aside from paperwork of course. There were a few of our personal effects there, ones we hadn't sorted away yet: a folder of our personal work, a few of Emi's things, a letter or two we had to address, some reports we had to review with Hange, and... an old locket. It was the very one that Caden and I had gifted to El for his birthday - his last birthday alive.

It was of that stunning silver, though scratched and dented from its use before ending up at that shop we'd bought it at. I'd shined it up a little, but it remained as it had been for the most part. The only real difference we'd made to it was adding Caden's drawing to the inside where something else might have fit inside.

Onyankopon must have found it terribly interesting, though.

"I didn't know you had these here on Paradis," he commented, and right away, I knew he meant the locket, circular and catching the light prettily.

"Lockets? Sure," I mused. "What, is jewelry not common elsewhere?"

"Locket," Onyankopon echoed. "Is that what you think it is?"

"Um," I uttered, suddenly embarrassed. "Um... Yes. Is that..." I cleared my throat. "Is that not what it is?"

"Might I see it?"

"Of course," I said, nodding. He took the... locket in hand, and smiled warmly at it. Then his eyes found my own.

"This is no locket," he spoke surely. "It's a pocket watch."

"...Huh?"

"A pocket watch," he repeated. He opened it with a click, and inside was where the drawing was hidden. "Hm? What's this?"

"A very old and very dear drawing," I answered. "My little brother and I thought it was a locket, so we... bought it and gifted it to someone."

"I see," he said. "May I?"

Knowing what he meant, I nodded. "Yes," I answered vocally. "Just be careful."

Gently, he tugged the picture out, and I took it when he offered it to me. Seeing the old sketchings, the tiny details that were so carefully drawn by Caden, I felt my heart warm. I had brought it here so that at the very least, the spirits of my family could see the coast, see the world they'd been born into. If nothing else, at least their ghosts could be granted that which we had all wanted so dearly.

"Ah, see? This is where the watch would go," Onyankopon explained to me, pointing it out. "Seems it's lost its parts, but it should be a fairly easy thing to fix, given the tools." Then his eyes met mine once more. "That is... if you'd like me to."

"Oh," I said, considering it. "I'd... I'd like that, actually."

"Our stockpile should have the parts needed," he said, smiling now. "I'll fix it up for you in no time."

"Thank you," I said, at a loss of what else to say. Now that my gear was ready, I straightened up, then set the drawing back on the table. I went to the cot, picking Emi up. She protested as I lifted her, taking her out of the world she'd built in her mind, but she smiled once I peppered kisses on her cheeks.

"I'll see you later, little one," I cooed to her.

"How long will you be gone?" Levi asked.

"It shouldn't take too long," I told him, "but any amount of time from this little darling is too much time!"

I kissed her cheek again, making her giggle. She planted sloppy little kisses on my cheek once I pulled away, not quite sure what she was doing.

"I'll be back before nightfall, no doubt, if it's the forest I'm thinking of," I added. "It's small but will suffice for gear training for those that remain here."

I set Emi down, turning my attention to my husband who was waiting patiently for his loving. Not like he'd say anything, not with someone else here to see it. Emi returned to playing and I stepped closer to the chair he was occupying, leaning over slightly to be level with him. I smiled.

He rolled his eyes and lowered the report. I tucked a hand under his chin, meeting him halfway for a quick kiss only after Onyankopon politely turned away.

"Mm," I hummed happily. "I'll see you soon, my love."

"Don't do anything dumb out there," he said, looking back down at the paper. "I won't be there to save your stupid ass."

"I would never," I said teasingly. "But I think I might, if it means you'll be summoned to save me."

"Go," he said, and with a laugh and final "I love you", I was off, Onyankopon right behind me. I refilled my gas canisters, and we tacked up our horses, and then we were off.

—

"So," Onyankopon said, "you mentioned earlier that this forest would be good for those that remain here on the coast."

"Mm-hm," I hummed, watching as the landscape drifted by. The forest was on the horizon. It wouldn't take us long to get there now.

"What did you mean by that? Are you and Captain Levi not sticking around?"

"We'll be here for a bit," I said, "but with Emi as young as she is, we'll be heading home to settle down for a while."

"Will you be back, though?"

"Oh, sure," I said. "But there are recruits at the main base inside the Walls that we'll need to watch over. Hange's more than capable as a commander, though, so you'll be in good hands."

"That wasn't worrying me," he admitted. "It's just nice, I think, for the soldiers from Marley to see a family. A family of soldiers, even. I didn't realize militant protocol was so lax, here."

I laughed. "It's not that it's lax, it's just that Levi and I made it clear early on that we weren't exactly going to hide what we had for each other. We were in love before we joined the military, so that wasn't about to change once we joined. There are technically rules about fraternizing with comrades, but the most trouble would come from those of different ranks. If, for example, I was a regular soldier, and he was my captain."

Even at the pace we were riding, I felt comfortable talking so much without fear of biting my tongue. I knew Strider and how he rode so well by now, I was used to his rhythm.

"But as far as all that goes, within the scouts it's not the biggest deal, to have soldiers being intimate with each other. What happens in the barracks stays there."

"And why the scouts specifically?"

"Of the branches of our military," I explained, "we have the highest mortality rate. We're the only ones who ventured past the walls, right into titan territory. Because of how dangerous our work was, and how anyone could be killed no matter how skilled, that rule is rarely enforced. We didn't have the leisure of being able to say that we could marry when we retired, for example, because many scouts do not live that long."

"I see," he said. "And as captains of your caliber, I'm sure no one would have questioned you anyway."

"Captains of our caliber," I repeated. "What do you mean?"

"The other scouts here told us stories," he said, "while you all were away. They told us the married couple - the pretty lady and the scary man - were the two strongest soldiers they had, and even went so far as to say you two were the strongest in the world. They said Levi could take anyone in a fight, and you probably could too, but you'd charm them out of it, somehow."

"Of course, they did," I sighed. "Whatever they told you, we did not ask for those titles."

"I'm sure you didn't," he smiled. "Still, it's an absolute honor to be riding alongside you, Miss Blue Wing."

—

The forest wasn't terribly thick or deep, but it'd work for what was planned for the area. As such, we didn't need to ride very far in before I caught glimpses of the soldiers' horses. We slowed to a stop beside the horses, hitched to low branches of surrounding trees in a small clearing. There was a small pack of leftover materials they'd used to create the markers leading here left haphazardly in the middle of the clearing. There were four horses, grazing lazily.

"Interesting," Onyankopon said. "Where are their riders?"

"They must be further in," I said. "Maybe up in the trees." I kicked into Strider's sides, urging him into a trot. "Come on. Keep your eyes peeled for movement."

Only a few quiet minutes passed before I caught a glimpse of color against the dull green and brown of the forest. Thank goodness our uniform pants were so obnoxiously bright and white.

"Got them," I said, tugging on the reins to turn Strider towards them. Trotting closer, Onyankopon a few strides behind, I could see that they were paired off, making out on the forest floor. "Oh, for the love of... Hey! On your feet now, soldiers!"

I was met with surprised cries as they scrambled to their feet, fixing their clothes and hair. They saluted me as I came to a stop in front of them, turning Strider so I could look down at them. I let my gaze pass over each one of them, red-cheeked and clearly embarrassed to have been caught. I sighed disappointedly and set one hand on my thigh as I regarded them.

"You lot were supposed to be back already," I said. "We were worried something had happened to you."

"Captain Amaya," one of them piped up, "I can explain-"

"I do not need you to explain what you were doing," I said. "I know what kissing is. I'd prefer it if you didn't do it during an assignment, however. If I don't get to make out with my man during a mission, then neither can you guys."

I deflated slightly at the sight of their scared looks. Oh, to be so young and in love.

"I won't be telling the lieutenant or Hange exactly what it was you were doing out here," I continued, "but they will be told that you were slacking off." They smiled, sending excited looks to each other. "But I expect to never hear of more trouble from this group, got it?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Good," I said. "Now get out of my sight." We watched as they scurried away, laughing all the while. We followed, but by the time we reached the clearing where they'd left the horses, they were already gone.

"Shouldn't we get going too?" Onyankopon asked, watching curiously as I dismounted.

I crouched down by the pack that they'd forgotten to grab. I smiled as I dug through it, finding some wrapped provisions. I grabbed them and lifted them up, smiling at him.

"I had a different idea," I said. "Fancy a late lunch?"

—

We hitched our horses where the young scouts had and set up on the forest floor for a picnic. The sun filtered in through the leaves, and a pleasant breeze weaved between the trees. It wasn't the most delicious picnic we could've had, with the food being our usual dry rations for missions, but the conversation more than made up for it.

Onyankopon did most of the talking, telling me about where he grew up, though he had to stop often to explain to me what certain things were. Then he asked about how I grew up, and so I told him, leaving out some of the bits about the crimes I'd committed in my youth.

At some point during our talk, Onyankopon reminded me of why I'd brought him out here in the first place, and so I stood, removing the controller grips from their holders, and grinning down at him. He was smiling too, looking excited to see it.

"Prepare yourself for a show," I said, rolling my neck.

"It just looks like a bunch of metal and wire to me," he said.

"You'll learn," I said with a smile, turning away from him. "Try not to lose me."

With no other words spoken, I began to run, building up momentum before leaping into the air, sending out a grapple to a nearby tree trunk. I swung around it, leaning back and keeping one foot on the dirt, drawing a wide arc in the dirt.

I swung around the tree, and at the end of the arc I finally leapt up on the leg I'd left down, the momentum carrying me further so I could send another grapple out. I flew over Onyankopon's head, smirking at the sight of his wide eyes and gaping mouth. I zipped around the forest, losing myself very quickly in the fun of it all. Since joining the military, obviously gearwork was a lot less about fun, and more about survival.

That was, perhaps, one of the few things I missed about those days, living as scum down there; when we had extra gas that we stole, which we often did, because the MPs were oh so easy to rob when you knew how they worked, we'd do as I was doing now.

We'd go and fly, simply because we could. Sure, there was always a roof over our head but when we flew high above the city and closed our eyes, we could sometimes forget where we were and imagine ourselves outside and free.

It was, now that I thought about it, something that before I had joined Farlan and Levi, I'd watch them do. And I'd been so damn jealous. So now, I really put on a performance, showing the best of what I could do.

Hooked to a high branch, I swung low, letting myself slingshot into the air. I released the grapple and began to freefall, closing my eyes and letting myself fall backwards. Just before hitting the ground I twisted, sending off both grapples in opposite directions. With a jerk I was now hanging suspended upside-down between two trees.

I grinned at Onyankopon before releasing one of the wires, letting the winch pull me towards the other one. And then I was off again, dancing through the trees.

Goodness, this was so freeing.

While pregnant with Emi I'd missed this so much. I'd been reminded so very much by not only the doctors and nurses and midwives I met with during my pregnancy, but also by Levi and Hange and everyone else I knew that I needed to take it easy.

But dammit, it was difficult to sit still for so long. I wasn't one to just... sit around. Levi wasn't, either. There were days when we both wanted to be a little lazy, but the other would drag us out of bed. And that's just how it was, ever since we met, before we even fell in love; we were active people.

When we had free time, we were using the gear, taking walks, working out, sparring, and every other manner of physical activity we could think of. To be suddenly unable to do them, well, it was mind-numbingly boring. So many times I'd been caught doing pull-ups in the barn by Levi, practicing my punches in the base's training room by Hange, and so much more.

"You have to take it easy," they'd say.

"The doctor told me to stay active," I'd always protest.

"They meant taking walks, stupid," they'd remind me. "Or maybe yoga."

There was only so much yoga I could do in a day, and so many laps around the base I could walk before wanting to rip my hair out. To finally be able to work with the gear again was as liberating as it was when I'd first learned to use it.

I heard the whinny of a horse that was much too far from the clearing to be mine or Onyankopon's. I landed in a crouch on a thin tree branch, balanced on the balls of my feet, a hand between them to steady me. I peered between the branches to see a dark horse approach, and I smiled. Only one man in this army had such a pretty mare.

"Captain Levi," Onyankopon greeted.

"Where's my idiot wife?"

"In the trees somewhere, sir," Onyankopon said. "I'm not sure exactly where." As he spoke, I hopped from branch to branch, finding a sturdy one that reached towards the center of the clearing. I inched out further along the branch as quietly as I could, finding myself directly above Levi.

The branch creaked as I moved, and I hushed it, as if it'd listen to me. I glanced down, noting that Levi wasn't looking up. Maybe he hadn't heard it.

I bit my lip as I lowered myself slowly, attaching both hooks to the branch, hoping with all my heart that it'd hold my weight. I began to descend, hanging upside-down. At the quiet sounds of the wires lowering me slowly, Levi looked up, still seated on his horse. There was a big smile plastered on my face when I came to a stop, my face only inches from Levi's.

"Hello, my darling," I said.

"My love," he said in greeting. "Just hanging out, are you?"

I blinked. "Did you just make a joke?"

"Yes," he said, the slightest of blushes rising on his cheeks. "I do that, sometimes."

He reached out and poked his index finger into my forehead, pushing me away, only for me to swing back slightly. I reached out and took his face into my hands, pulling myself to him for a quick kiss. When I pulled away, he cleared his throat and looked away from me. He must've liked it, then.

"So why are you here?"

"The missing patrol came back," he said, "but not you two. I came to make sure you didn't die out here."

"How sweet of you," I said.

"Get down from there," Levi said. "All the blood will rush to your head."

"Okay," I huffed, tucking my legs in front of me, using the momentum to swing myself upright.

Levi backed his horse up to give me room, but the force of getting upright had been too much and the branch threatened to break. A deep crack snapped the branch about halfway along and the sudden change had loosened the grapples and I fell to the forest floor with a shriek. Levi covered his mouth to keep himself from laughing openly as I sat up.

"Captain!" Onyankopon was at my side then, crouched down, a worried look on his face. "Are you alright?"

"Just fine," I said with a laugh of my own. "I'd have hoped for a cleaner dismount for you. I don't always fall when using the gear, you know. I hope you're still impressed."

"I'll just forget this happened," he said with a smile. "That way I won't be lying when I tell people how impressive your work with the gear is."

"Thanks," I said. "Can't have my reputation tarnished by something like this."

"I never said I wouldn't tell people about this," Levi reminded me as I stood up.

"But I did surprise you, right?" I asked with a smile as I brushed myself off, picking off blades of grass that had stuck to my uniform when I fell.

"Did you really think I wouldn't hear you jumping around up there?" He asked.

"I thought I was being pretty quiet," I said with a mock pout.

"You weren't," he deadpanned. "So, tell me. Why were those scouts wasting time out here?"

"They were making out," I told him, looking up at him. I reached out and stroked his mare's neck, earning an affectionate nicker in return. "But that won't be going on their records. They're young, they'll learn."

"You two certainly set a very good example," Onyankopon said teasingly as he began packing up the extra provisions.

—

"Evening, captain," Jean said, holding Emi in his arms. We'd just gotten back to the camp, our horses now grazing lazily with the others. There were a number of scouts and volunteers now working on building a fence for a pasture, something that we hadn't considered building at first when we only thought this would be a temporary setup.

"Mama!"

"Come here, my love," I said, crouching down as Jean set her down. She pranced to me, a wide smile on her face. I picked her up as soon as I was close enough, planting kiss after kiss to her cheek. "Thank you for watching her," I said, turning to look at Jean.

"Anytime," Jean said with an easy smile. "It's always a pleasure to watch her."

"Yes, yes," I said, adjusting Emi to sit comfortably on my hip. "Now, to work with you. This camp won't build itself."

An amused smile found Jean's face. "Yes, ma'am."

—

Fate smiled down upon the scouts because we picked the perfect time to come back. That afternoon, we'd lined up the Marleyan soldiers and, aided by Yelena and Onyankopon, convinced them to lend their services to us.

For the most part, they were rather hesitant about it, not like I could blame them, but with their only way of returning home destroyed and their weapons stashed away somewhere, it wasn't as if they had very many options.

And so, terms were agreed upon; we'd treat them as equals, so long as they respected us and treated us the same. They wouldn't be treated as prisoners, so long as they agreed to help us and upheld their end of the bargains.

Of course, we scouts still had our own precautions in place, such as not allowing them access to their weapons until we knew we could trust them, but it seemed as though several of the Marleyans were warming up to the idea of trusting us, if only because it kept them out of shackles.

And that night, another ship appeared on the horizon. We could see its lights, dim yet obvious against the dark backdrop of the night sky. But from behind that first battleship came several more. We prepared for battle, Armin offering to use his titan considering how many ships there were.

Small scouting ships were deployed as the ships approached the rocky beaches of our island, and at the sight of the Colossal Titan, many soldiers abandoned the ship. Those that did found themselves frantically swimming for shore, but we were there waiting for them. I walked along the rocky cliffs down the trails towards the sandy shores, keeping a close eye on the small boats also finding their way to the shallow waters.

There was a small squad of scouts trailing me, waiting for my orders. Armed with Marleyan weaponry, and aided by one of the volunteers, several squads were preparing to board the larger ships to apprehend those left on board.

"Welcome to the filthy Devils' filthy island," I heard a familiar voice call.

Stepping across a few more large rocks making up the cliffs, I found myself at my husband's side, my squad stopping a few feet behind me. His own temporary squad had their weapons out, aimed at the soldiers that'd just washed up in front of them.

"We have quite a welcome prepared," Levi continued. "How about a cup of pig piss, for starters? You can refuse, of course. But you won't get permission to set foot on the island. And you'll have to swim back to where you came from."

"You forgot to offer honey and sugar to those who want it," I said to him. I leaned forward to see around him and at Yelena, who regarded me with a smile. Goodness, she was tall.

The scouts under Levi's watch began restraining those here, and I led mine to a boat. With the help of a few volunteers, we began to row out to one of the larger ships, were granted access to get on board, and restrained the rest of them. I also secured a set of mission details from the captain's quarters as others secured a radio and other odd little trinkets they found around the ship.

When we'd regrouped on the deck, I'd been fairly proud of what I'd found, including a fine selection of wines from the captain's personal collection, but when the small box began to talk, I'd nearly tossed it into the sea.

It would take me some time to get used to the odd technology the Marleyans possessed. I was a quick learner - but hopefully, fate would grant me, and all of us for that matter, the time to do so.

—

With the winter months approaching quickly, work on the coast's structures intensified. The capital sent along workers and suppliers to aid us and the Marleyan volunteers as we began building more permanent, solid structures.

If what the Marleyans told us was true, then the weather on the coast would get rough, and our flimsy tents wouldn't bode well against the fervent winds and rains the storms brought with them.

So our days were filled with training in the mornings and construction work in the afternoons after the heat of the day passed. With the hundreds of extra sets of hands – and strong, trained ones at that – the work progressed quicker than anticipated, and a small base of operations was beginning to take shape.

The necessity of the work kept Levi, Emi and I from going home when we were originally planning to, but it was alright. They needed the help, but with how smoothly things were going, Hange wouldn't need us for much longer. The new re-enlisted scouts we had been looking after came to the coast, so it wasn't as though they were left without someone to lead them.

While it was an odd turn of events, living and working with those from across the sea, it was admittedly fun, and each day was lively and fresh. Emi loved it, too, being around so many people who would smile and laugh with her. She certainly loved the attention.

But we let Hange know that when winter came, our family would head home. Though the progress on the coastal base was steady, we weren't going to risk not having steady warmth for Emi. By then, the new graduating class of cadets would be ready to come in anyway, and with the Scouts' new popularity, it was all too likely that we'd get a few fresh faces.

As of right now, it was late afternoon, the sun preparing to set below the waterline on the horizon. A handful of other Scouts and volunteers and I were still hard at work on building the living spaces for the forces here.

I lifted a wooden beam on my shoulder with a huff, walking it towards the structure. Some of the weight was relieved from my shoulder suddenly, and I glanced back to see Mason, who'd joined us a few days ago.

I smiled back at him, grateful for the help, and slid further up on the beam to balance it better as he settled the back end on his shoulder. We carried it and when we made it to the side of the building, other soldiers joined us and helped us lift it towards the others. It was secured in place, and with a smile I stepped back. I wiped my forehead with my arm to rid it of sweat as I looked over the work we'd done today.

"Thanks for the help, Mason," I said as he came to stand at my side, looking up at the structure himself. "I know this isn't what you signed up for."

"I'm happy to help," he said. "It's better than cleaning at the capital, anyway."

"Oh?" I said teasingly. "Don't let my husband hear you say that. He'll try and beat some sense into you."

"I'm not sure if even the castle is up to his standards," he said with a laugh. "Still, it's good to have a job. I enjoy the work, really. And actually, the queen is a very fair boss."

"Is she, now?" I smiled. "Good, then. But I'll see about getting you paid for your work here, too. I'm sure Hange will be more than happy to compensate you for your help."

"That's not necessary," he said. "I'm just happy enough being here, honestly."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely," he said with an easy smile. "I spent my whole life poor. I know how to get by without money."

"And with that," I said, "you've secured yourself a paycheck, even if it comes out of my salary."

"Damn you," he said, though his words held no heat. Honestly, I still could hardly believe it. To even be around Mason again was wonderful enough - and to have him with me here on the surface? Goodness, it was wonderful, truly.

My dearest friend, I called him, and those words were nothing less than the entire truth. To have been there to witness him stepping into the sunlight for the very first time was one thing, one glorious thing, but to be witness to his first time seeing the ocean...

"Captain Amaya," I heard. Effectively pulled from my thoughts, I turned, my eyes meeting Armin's. "Onyankopon has something he'd like to show us all. He'd like you to be there, too."

"Now?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Alright," I said. I whistled, getting the attention of the few workers I oversaw here. "Once you get those last two beams up, you're done for the evening. Go get some rest. Good work today, everyone." I was met with some relieved cheers and thank-you's, even a few salutes. "I'll catch up with you later, Mason. Armin?"

Armin chattered excitedly about what he thought Onyankopon might tell us about as he led me to where everyone was waiting. He was very excited to be able to formally meet him, and I was confused for just a moment before remembering that for the most part, we'd kept the kids out of affairs with the volunteers as much as we could.

Of course, they worked together now, but Onyankopon and Yelena were always especially busy working with Hange, Levi, and myself, so there hadn't been much interaction between them and the kids.

His enthusiasm was endearing and really, rather cute. His happiness was palpable and contagious, a far cry from the sad boy who had appeared in the weeks following the battle for Wall Maria. Gradually, he'd opened back up, especially when we first came to the sea. It was so wonderful to have this Armin back.

Still missing in action, however, was the same Eren I'd met before that court case. Perhaps I could do something to help him, but... the way he'd closed himself off was worrying.

I wanted to believe that this really was just a teenage phase, but none of the other kids were going through one like him. Sure, they all had their quirks, their off days, but none to quite the same scale as Eren.

Maybe he'd return to us soon. I could only hope so.

I could only hope so, for the sake of this regiment, for the sake of his friends, and perhaps for the sake of the entire world.

But I could do nothing for it today, aside from being there for him. Only time would tell - futilely, helplessly so... it was left up to time, as all important things were.