Author's notes: I love Mikasa and Jean together. They make a great pair because Mikasa is just awesome and Jean is talented and a good leader. I think they would be great together because Mikasa needs someone who is as devoted to her as she is to those she cares about.

Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan, I wish I owned something that cool.

Chapter one:

No one expects to find any survivors in the rubble. I can see it on the 104th's faces as we move chunks of building and wall only to find more and more bodies. The hope that there was anyone still alive in all this destruction was all but extinguished.

I keep Eren and Armin close, the titans are gone but the danger isn't, we've already lost two soldiers during this search and rescue mission. I have also kept a careful eye on the other members of my group, Eren and Armin are my main concern but I am also worried about the rest of my squad.

"Someone help me!" Jean shouts urgently.

Before Eren or Armin can react I am sprinting towards Jean's voice. Jean isn't the type to mess around, after he lost Marco he takes missions like this very seriously. The idea of something happening to Jean, a member of my team, has my blood burning.

I speed around a large pile that used to be a library and find Jean kneeling next to a small tunnel into the rubble. He doesn't even look up as I approach, his attention focused on the hole. As I get closer I understand, there is a faint baby cry coming from the hole.

"I can't fit down there!" Jean explains angrily.

I nod and start to strip off my jacket.

"Mikasa what are you doing?" Eren demands as he and Armin round the corner.

"Going in" I dart down the hole before anyone can try and stop me.

I am the only one who can save this baby. Eren and Armin really hit their growth spurts this last year and now both are good three or four inches taller than me and have gained a lot of muscle. Krista could fit down here better than me but no one is going to send her down a possible death trap. I am the only one who can do this.

The baby's cries suddenly stop and I feel panic shoot through my body. I force my way deeper despite the crumbling tunnel around me. I have to save it, it may be the only survivor in the whole village. I have to dig the tunnel a little larger at one section and I am sure it is gonna crumble and bury both me and the child beneath the city, it holds and I continue on.

The cries pick back up and I let out a sigh of relief.

I find the baby and immediately understand why it survived. The sobbing child is wrapped safely in the arms of its dead mother. It's almost too heartbreaking to look at. She died to protect her child, sacrificed everything and I am gonna get the child out of here or die trying.

I crawl over to the baby and pry the mother's arms away from her child.

"I am sorry" I whisper to the lifeless woman "I promise I'll protect your child"

I clutch the whimpering child to my chest and begin my very careful exit. Getting out takes me a lot longer than getting down, I move slower to keep the risk to a minimum.

"Mikasa!" Eren carries down the tunnel.

"I am coming out" I call back.

As I break into the sunlight everyone gasps, the baby is covered in its mother's blood.

"What happened to the poor thing?" Krista asks.

"It's mother had it clutched to her chest… she gave her life to protect her child" I explain.

Everyone's eyes drop to the ground, a moment of silence for the woman who didn't make it.

"What have you got there?" Commander Benton demands.

Levi couldn't come with us so Commander Benton is temporarily our Commander. He isn't the most honorable man and I have found very little reason to follow him.

"A child Sir" Armin informs him "Our first survivor"

"Give it to Squad leader Lin-"

"No"

Everyone turns to stare at me,they have only seen me disobey direct orders when Eren is involved. My refusal is a surprise to the Commander as well.

"What?" His face is fiery red "That's an order"

"Respectfully I decline" I hold the now silent child closer to my chest.

"Take it" he growls.

Squad leader Lin and her four squad members start to march down to take the child from me by force. I'll dead before they take this child from me. Before I can voice my opinion of Commander Benton's orders, Jean steps in front of me.

"Back off" Jean snarls.

"Yeah!" Eren steps up to Jean's side.

"Disobedience can be cause for discharge!" Benton growls "Step down and you will be spared"

Eren laughs loudly.

"You think you could get any of us discharged?" he laughs again "that's priceless"

Squad leader Lin and her Squad glance back at Commander Benton questioningly as my Squad moves to shield me and the child.

"I am the titan shifter, Mikasa is second only to Commander Levi in fighting skills, and our entire Squad has killed more titans individually than your entire unit" Eren spits "Please try and have me discharged"

Commander sputters angrily but is forced to back down. Eren may be arrogant and loud but he is right they can't discharge us, they need us too much.

Squad leader Lin glares at me as they retreat back to Commander Benton's lookout. She will not forget the offense soon.

We return to the search and I find the Jean is sticking much closer than before.

Armin helps me make a sling for the baby out of my jacket. The baby has been silent since we escaped the tunnel, but it watches us with keen interest.

The baby is a boy. He has sandy blond hair and steel gray eyes, he is a very handsome baby and I am sure his mother was extremely proud of him. He is quite content snuggled against my chest and after a few moments he is asleep despite the commotion around him. He wakes after an hour or so, he doesn't cry but he does fuss a little and I begin to worry about trying to find him some food.

After an entire day of searching we head back to our temporary base and I begin the search for food. Jean follows me, worried Lin's Squad will try to get even with me while I am out alone. Connie and Sasha tried to come along as well but I put my foot down. We don't need the whole squad traipsing through camp stirring up trouble.

"What are you gonna do with him?" Jean asks.

I shrug. I haven't really thought about it. I knew I couldn't give him over to Benton, that he would end up alone in some orphanage or worse a casualty to the poverty within the walls. A baby in the Survey Corps is crazy, he would constantly be in danger.

"I don't know"

Jean nods. He is very understanding, never pushes me to say more then I want to. He has a kind heart and probably understands my dilemma better than anyone.

"I made a promise to keep him safe, I will not turn my back on that woman's sacrifice"

"Then don't" Jean says seriously "Let's take him back to Levi's Castle and you can assess your options there"

We find an older woman solider who knew of a substitute formula we could feed the baby. She helped us make a batch and showed us how make sure it's the right temperature. Jean took some notes in the sketch book he carries with him.

"Just in case we forget something" he offers.

I thank the woman and we hurry back to our little group.

Eren and Armin are waiting anxiously when we return. Sasha, Connie, and Annie are all seated around the fire and get up to greet us.

"Did you find him food?" Sasha asks worriedly.

"Yes" Jean answers for me.

Annie watches the baby warily. She has been back with the squad for more than a month but she still hangs out on the fringes, an able to believe that we accepted her back so readily.

"We taking him back to Levi?" Eren asks.

I nod.

"What are we gonna call him?" Connie asks.

"Yea!" Sasha agrees "He can't just be the baby"

The rest of the Squad comes out of their tents to join the conversation.

"He needs a strong name" Reiner declares.

"But it also needs to be cute like him" Krista says.

I glance down at the now wide awake child and find him watching my face. He needs a name that reflects what he came from. His village had survived so long outside the wall and he needs a name that pays homage to their fighting spirit.

"Titus" I decide.

"What?" Ymir asks.

"Titus" I repeat.

"It's strong" Reiner agrees.

"It's cute too" Krista coos.

"Whatever" Eren groans "It's late and we have a long trip back to Levi's Castle tomorrow"

Baby Titus falls straight to sleep, he has had a few really stressful hours I am not surprised he doesn't fight his tired eyelids. I place a protective hand over his back and hold him to my chest. His gentle breaths slowly lull me to sleep.

End Notes: I chose the name Titus because in Latin it means "Saved" and Titus was saved twice, once by Mikasa and the first time by his mother. In Greek Titus means "Titan" and I think that one speaks for its self. What do you guys think?