Where is he!? Where the hell is he? Hannes was nowhere to be found. He wasn't at his usual table drinking his life away. She needed to find him though.

Yoni's mind was racing. This fight wasn't like the usual ones.

FLASHBACK

Armin, Eren, Mikasa, Yoni. There isn't a day where you wouldn't find them together. And they're attackers knew that.

They met at the river bank. Armin had got groceries from the market, Mikasa and Eren were carrying firewood, and Yoni had some sweets that she made for her friends.

"Armin your hair is getting so long." Yoni walked up and ran her hand through his hair.

"Yeah I know, I need to cut it."

"Why, it looks great on you, you look like a model." They all share a laugh. Probably the last one they would share for a while.

"Oi Yoni, do you have any sweets for us?" Eren's eyes were full of excitement.

"Mochiron!" Yoni pulled four slices of pound cake out of the little basket her mother made for her.

Everyone sat down at the riverbank with cake in hand and began an almost daily ritual of talking about their dreams.

"Yoni I could eat your sweets forever." Eren exclaimed.

"Un! How do you get them to taste so good?" Armin was always analyzing something. It could be anything from Yoni's sweets to what's outside the wall.

Yoni looked at Mikasa. As silent as ever. "Do you like the cake Mikasa?"

Mikasa looked at Yoni with her signature blank stare and gave a slight nod.

Yoni smiled softly. She knew expressing oneself wasn't Mikasa's strength, so she took whatever she got from her and was grateful.

Erin looked up to sky with a serious look. "Guys, what do you think is out there?"

"Ah, that reminds me." Armin pulled a book out his messenger bag. It was an encyclopedia. The four kids were shocked. "This very illegal guys so don't tell anyone about this."

The four looked through the book throughly. As though their life depended on it. They saw the oceans, deserts, ice caps. They saw everything the world had to offer and became dissatisfied with what they had. Eren specifically.

"I'm going to be a scout." They all looked at him.

He had that look.

He could have said that he was a penguin with that look and they would believe him.

"Eren why would you do that? I know it's expected of Yoni but you don't have any reason to. Why don't you just join the garrison or military police?" Armin answered.

He was right. Both of Yoni's parents were scouts. Her mother died when she was five, and her father has been on active duty and hasn't been seen for three years. She believes that he is alive, but her faith has been wearing thin these days. Ever since her dad left she decided she would become a scout and find him. Alive.

"I want to see the world Armin. I can't do that if I'm inside the inner walls. And I don't wanna become a drunk like Hannes."

That lightened the mood a little. They could say what the wanted about Hannes but he was there when they needed him. Especially for Yoni.

"What are you guys doing over there?" A new voice entered the environment.

Armin immediately puts his book away and the four of them turn around.

Ugh not them again. Yoni was tired of these cadet dropouts bothering them. They seemed different this time though. They usually just taunted them from afar, however this time they were coming up close. Probably to inflict harm. Yoni was on her guard.

The three cadet rejects walk up to them. Confident smiles on their faces. One of them ended the silence. "I thought I asked a question. What are you guys doing over here. This is Rene turf, so get lost."

That explains it. They've fallen in with a gang. This can't be good. The lead gang member turned his focus to Yoni, then to her basket.

"What you got there?" He lunged for her basket. Yoni pulled it away.

"What do you want Brel?" Eren stood up ready for the fight of his life.

"I want the basket." He said simply

He lunged again. He grabbed Yoni by the collar of her shirt, and lifted her off her feet. Yoni was shaking with fear. She felt her pants and leg become wet.

Brel exploded with laughter. "I can't believe it. She pissed herself." Eren ran to her but his plan was thwarted by the second stooge. Brel grabbed the basket, emptied it of its contents and pocketed them. "I heard your sweets were the best in the district." He inspected the basket once more then threw it into the river. Yoni's shaking stopped and her eyes widened. Tears rolled down her eyes. The basket her mother made for her, the last she had to remember her by was slowly floating down the river. The tears came faster now. Brel ragged her collar to bring her attention back to him. Yoni grabbed his wrist to ease the pain.

"I don't know why you three hang around scum like this." Brel raised his fist to hit her. With her closed with fear, yoni took a breath and squeezed Brel's wrist in anticipation.

Brel yelled out in pain.

He immediately dropped Yoni and held his hand in pain. "The little bitch broke my wrist!" Brel drop kicked Yoni in the face, sending her flying into a nearby wall. Mikasa and Eren sprung into action. Armin went to go check on Yoni. He lifted her head up and was saddened by what he saw. She was bleeding from a deep gash on her temple. He took a look at the back of her head and found nothing wrong visibly, however Yoni was barely cognizant.

Armin grabbed her arm to get her attention. "Stay here Yoni I'm going to go get help." before he could run away Brel grabbed the back of his shirt and started pummeling him with his one good hand.

Yoni struggled to open her eyes. she looked at her friends. Mikasa was holding her own, it wouldn't be long before she over powers her opponent, however Eren and Armin weren't doing as well. Yoni looked at them then towards the river. She could still see her basket, she could get it but her friends probably wouldn't make it that long. She went back and forth in her mind on what to do until she finally ran to find Hannes.

With tears in her eyes she thought 'I won't forget you, I promise mom.'

PRESENT TENSE

Where is he? Why isn't he at his usual drinking table. Yoni stopped at the table and asked the other soldiers where he was.

"He's around the corner taking a piss.." he slurred without looking at her. "Woah, what happened to you, looks like your leaking from all over huh?" he looked down at Yoni's wet pants. His drunk friends laughed like it was the funniest thing they ever heard. She quickly ran to the corner and bumped into a large figure. Her vision blurred. This gash on her head was no joke. The thing she bumped into leaned down and touched her head.

"Yoni what happened, why are you bleeding?" she recognized the voice and Hannes. Her father figure ever since he actual father left for active duty.

Yoni got up immediately and pulled Hannes along. "Oji come quick, Brel and his friends are in with the Rene gang now, and they came and started fighting us. They're down by the river!"

Hannes was at a loss for words. Why would those kids pick a fight with those little kids. He looked down at Yoni. A kid he looked as his own, bleeding from her head profusely. She could barely keep her eyes open but she was running at full speed to lead him to her friends.

The arrived to the scene. Mikasa had taken care of her and Armin's attackers. The three of them were standing off against Brel.

Brel wheeled back his good hand and began to attack, but he was stopped in his track by Hannes. "What is the meaning of this Brel? I hear you've fallen in with a bad crowd. And that you attacked my god daughter and her friends."

Brel looked a less confident. Sure he could take some little kids, but not a squad captain in the Garrison regiment. "uh.. Ah… I didn't know she was your god daughter Hannes taishou."

Hannes walked up to Brel with a look as hard as steel and punched him so hard that everyone present was positive that it broke every bone in his face

"You two." Han looked backed at the two goons that Mikasa had handled. "Take your friend and get out of my sight. It's not hard to wonder why you got kicked of the cadet corp. You wouldn't know honor if it punched you in the face, which it did. I better not see your faces around here again." The defeated gangsters got up and shuffled around Mikasa like scared cats and ran to the friend. When they lifted him up his whole face was bloodied. After they scurried away they turned their attention to Yoni, who was staring at the river intently. That's when Hannes noticed she wasn't carried her coveted basket.

"What happened to your basket Yoni?"

She turned around to face him and pointed to the river.

Hannes almost broke down from what he saw. Tears were streaming down from her closed eyes, she was baring her teeth but her eyebrows gave the guise of a soft expression.

"Yoni." Hannes bent down so he was eye to eye with Yoni.

She opened her eyes and the tears came down like waterfalls. "They threw it in the river."

Hannes looked towards the river, he couldn't see it. The rivers speeds up rapidly past the canal. That basket was gone, he knew Yoni knew that. It broke his heart. He was there when her then pregnant mother was making it for her then unborn child. He was forced to help and made it seem like a bother, but in reality he was happy to be there. He looked at Yoni with teary eyes and opened his arms. Yoni walked into his arms and nuzzled her face into his neck. Eren, Armin and Mikasa heard her now muffled sobs felt sorry for their friend. She really didn't deserve what happened to her.

"Why are people so cruel Oji?"

"I don't know Yoni. It's just how the world is." That was the best answer he could give. He knew the world hated her for just existing and that there was no comfort he could give her.

"I don't want to live in a world like that." She looked into his eyes. She looked so tired and beaten down.

"Then change it." he said to her. Those were the same words her mother said to him the day she died.

Yoni didn't say anything back, she just put her head back in his neck and closed her eyes. Hannes looked at Yoni's head and remembered that she was still bleeding. He took out a cloth from his pocket and rested it between her head and his neck to keep pressure.

"Eren, Mikasa, Armin lets go to Dr. Yeager. We need to get her head patched up.

On the way back they parted ways with Armin because it was getting late and his grandfather had been expecting those groceries hours ago.

Hannes handed Yoni to Dr. Yeager. "I have rounds until late, so I'll come check up on her tomorrow morning."

"Ok, I'll inform the orphanage that she'll be staying here tonight.

Hannes watched as The Yeager's took Yoni inside. The only thing on his mind was how horrible a god father he was. Yoni was literally bleeding from her head while he was somewhere getting drunk with his friends. He needed to clean up his act, for Yoni's sake.

Dr. Yeager went to work to immediately. He started to clean the wound which woke Yoni up with a force. She was frightened just for a moment, but then she realized where he was. She looked around. Eren and Mikasa were sitting next to the bed, looking on intently and Dr. Yeager stitched up her gash.

"Gomen Yoni, this is going to leave a big scar." Dr. Yeager cut the stitching thread and looked at his work. "The rest of my tools are in my office in Trost so I had to make do."

"Thank you for everything Dr. Yeager. Sorry for being a nuisance again."

"Impossible, you keep me sharp Yoni. Never a dull moment when you're around." He laughed as he packed up his inferior tools.

Eren's mother came into the room holding some clothes. "Yoni, I've run a bathe for you. Here are some clothes until yours are done washing. These are Eren's old clothes. I was going to give you some of Mikasa's but you don't look like the type to like dresses. They might be a little big for you, but you can keep them."

"Arigatou Oba san."

She was right. Ever since she was young Yoni abhorred dresses and skirts.

"Eren let's go to the other room and give the girls their privacy." Dr. Yeager led Eren out the room.

Yoni headed to the bathroom and Eren's mother followed. "Take your time ok."

"Ok Oba." Yoni turned around and took off her shirt as Eren's mother closed the door. Mikasa caught a glimpse her back before the door closed. A small gasp escaped her mouth. She walked over to change the sheets on the bed where Yoni was.

"So many scars." She thought.

After dinner, they started getting ready for bed. Mikasa and Yoni would share a bed for tonight. Eren was upset that he wasn't invited to the sleep over. Yoni sat up in the bed while rubbing her scar.

Mikasa looked over at her suddenly remembered what she worked on after dinner.

As Yoni felt her stitching she finally realized how big of a scar it would actually leave. "At least I'm alive, I still have to find papa." She thought. Her thoughts were interrupted by Mikasa shoving a soft cloth in her face.

"What's this?"

Without answering, Mikasa put Yoni's twists up in a quick bun. She moved behind her and tied the cloth around her forehead to cover her scar. She then got off the bed to get some extra cover for them to share, it was going to be extra cold tonight. Yoni was speechless and confused until she remembered Mikasa's scarf that she got from Eren. She was doing the same thing for her that Eren did for her. She was so grateful that she could cry. She was interrupted again by Mikasa. She placed the sheets on the bed and looked at me, indicating that she needed help making the bed.

In the bed they were facing away from each other. The pounding in Yoni's head subsided enough for her to fall asleep. Until Mikasa muttered something.

"Where are those scars on your back from Yoni?"

A small silence ensued. Yoni let out a breath.

"They're from the sisters at the orphanage."

"Why do they do that to you?"

"I don't know. That's just how it is."

"Does Hannes know?"

"If Hannes knew he would shut the orphanage down. The other kids don't have anywhere else to go. The sisters don't hit them, only me. It would be selfish of me to take away their home."

Yoni heard ruffling in the bed then felt Mikasa's chest on her back and her hands wrapped around her. Yoni felt drips on her necks. Her eyes widened at her realization.

Mikasa was crying.

"You shouldn't have to live like that."

"Oi, you haven't had it easy either Mikasa. Don't worry about me, as long as I have you guys I'll be fine. I promise."

"I promise we'll always be here."

No response was necessary. They fell asleep snuggled together to keep warm on that cold night, totally unaware of what they would face tomorrow.