"WHAT were you two thinking?! You're only 15!", Carla scolded angrily.

Eren and Mikasa sat on the couch in the living room, dressed again, and both looked very embarrassed still.

Mikasa had a very shameful look on her face, unable to look up from her lap.

"Mom, lay off, we're careful!", Eren snapped, still red.

"Don't use that tone with me! What if she were to get pregnant?! Then what?!", Carla demanded.

"Carla please, this isn't all Eren's fault. It was my idea too...and we're careful. You can check our dressers", Mikasa assured.

"Your dressers?", asked Carla.

"I have like 10 condoms hidden in them, and Mikasa takes birth control to be extra safe", Eren explained.

"Oh my god!", Carla paced angrily.

"We're sorry Carla...we just love each other", Mikasa apologized.

"Mikasa...", Carla sighed, she had trouble getting mad at Mikasa.

One could even admit she spoiled Mikasa a bit. She never played favorites between her son and Mikasa, but the truth was Carla wanted to have a daughter after having Eren.

Carla had a complicated delivery and almost died after having Eren, and so she could never have any other children.

She always saw Mikasa as a daughter in law since she knew how serious her son was about being with Mikasa.

To top it off, Carla always felt horrible for what Mikasa saw as a little girl, both her parents murdered.

"It's still irresponsible...", started Carla.

"Leave it dear", Grisha said then. "What?!", cried Carla.

"Come now, they are 15 years old. They're teenagers and as long as they are careful and it doesn't interfere with their studies, there isn't much we can do", explained Grisha.

"Are you insane?!", yelled Carla.

"We weren't much older then they were you know", Grisha reminded her then. Carla suddenly blushed.

"DAD! Seriously! Too much info! I do not need that image in my head!", yelled Eren.

"All right fine, but you both need to promise me you'll be careful! Understand?", Carla said firmly.

"We promise", Mikasa assured. "Don't worry, we'll be careful", Eren added.

At the school, despite it being late Armin stayed to do some schoolwork in the classroom.

He was in deep concentration when he suddenly heard the piano playing from the music room.

"Someone else is still here this late?", he asked, looking up.

It sounded really beautiful, whoever was playing it was very talented at it.

Curious, Armin put his books away in his bag and went to the music room.

When he slid the door open to the room, he saw it was Rubi playing it. 'Whoa...she's really good...', he thought as he watched her.

The music she played sounded very beautiful and gentle.

When she finished, Armin smiled. "You're amazing", he said. Rubi blinked, seeing him.

"Oh...I'm not that good", she blushed. "You are! That was great, do you practice late often?", Armin asked coming over.

"Sometimes...what about you? Why are you here this late?", Rubi asked. "I sometimes like to study here late", admitted Armin.

"It is nice and quiet here once school is out", Rubi agreed.

"Hey listen Rubi...I haven't gotten a chance with all the stuff going on but...I really appreciate the way you helped my friends out", Armin smiled.

"It's no problem at all, we've all become friends", Rubi smiled.

"I mean it, Eren is my best friend and Mikasa is like my sister", Armin said.

"Mikasa's been through a lot...its amazing how strong she is", Rubi admitted.

"Mikasa is strong...but not so much emotionally as she is physically", Armin admitted sadly.

"Seriously? She lost her parents yet she seems so nonchalant", Rubi said surprised.

"The truth is Rubi, if it weren't for Eren, I wouldn't be shocked if Mikasa would be in a mental hospital", Armin said seriously.

Rubi looked at him, both shocked but also horrified.

"She was only 9 years old when she saw her parents murdered, she would have shut down completely if Eren hadn't gotten to her in time. She seems like it doesn't bother her still, but trust me. If you look close, you'll always see a grim look in her eyes", Armin explained.

"I admit, at times her eyes do seem somewhere else", said Rubi softly.

"But anyway...thanks again. You're a great friend Rubi, to us three. Welcome to the trio", smiled Armin.

Rubi smiled back, but there was a slight hint of disappointment in her eyes. It was no joke the two had a crush on each other, but both were too shy to admit it.

By morning, Eren and Mikasa were planning to meet in town. On his way there, Eren was texting with Armin.

"DUDE! You friendzoned her! NOT cool!"

Eren texted this, shaking his head.

He then blinked, getting a text back.

"I know, I feel like an idiot now, but I panicked!"

Eren sighed, putting his phone away. "That moron", he said.

He walked down the street, and finally saw Mikasa. She was across the road from him, waiting for the light to turn red for the traffic to stop.

Eren waved happily, while Mikasa waved back. She waited patiently for the light to turn red, wearing her scarf, and her favorite pink jacket, white shirt and jeans.

Finally the light turned, and the roads seemed clear. She started crossing the street, when they both suddenly heard a skidding noise.

Eren looked over, and Mikasa had no time to react. Mikasa froze in fear, her heart sunk as a black pickup trick was speeding right towards her.

"MIKASA! MOVE!", Eren suddenly screamed, his heart sunk in fear. Mikasa actually tried, but before she could run, the truck sped up and hit her.

It all happened in a split second. The truck crashed into a nearby building, as Mikasa lay in the street, in a pool of blood.

Eren's heart sunk, and his eyes grew wide in fear. He was frozen, as it felt like time stopped. This didn't just happen...it had to be a nightmare.

Mikasa lay in the road on her side, blood was all around her, even on her scarf. She was motionless.

"MIKASA!", he then snapped out of the shock, and ran over to Mikasa. He fell to his knees beside her limp form.

She was laying on her side, and had several bruises and cuts, and a bad wound that went from her arm and to her back. It looked deep.

"Mikasa...!", Eren gently lifted her up, tears filling his eyes. "Mikasa...baby...come on! Open your eyes!", he pleaded.

When he looked around desperately for help, he noticed the driver of the truck, who was unconscious from the crash...it was Annie's father.

Eren glared dangerously, holding Mikasa close.

He then saw someone hurry over, having seen it. "Call 911! Please!", Eren pleaded.

"O-Of course!", the woman quickly got her phone out.

"Hello? 911? A girl's been hit by a truck!", she yelled into her cell, urgently.

Eren's stomach turned then, he noticed Mikasa was much too still. He listened for her heartbeat, but there wasn't one.

"No...! Mikasa...!", He quickly lay her on her back, and began performing CPR.

He blew a lungful of air into her and pumped on her chest.

"Come on Mikasa! Breathe!", Eren pleaded fearfully. At first she didn't respond. Eren gritted his teeth, and tried harder.

"Come on Mikasa! You're stronger than this! BREATHE!", Eren pumped on her chest hard, and blew a lungful of air in.

Mikasa suddenly started to cough, wheezing.

"Mikasa! That's it, that's it, deep breaths!", Eren helped her sit up a little bit, rubbing her back. Mikasa coughed and gasped for air.

"That's it, that's my girl, deep breaths...", Eren rubbed her back more, as Mikasa continued gasping.

"Easy, easy, rest baby, the ambulance is coming", Eren soothed worriedly. Mikasa's mind was very foggy from shock, and her hearing was muffled too.

But as she became more aware and awake, a sudden sharp, unbearable pain hit her ribs.

Mikasa suddenly grunted in pain at first, clutching her chest.

"Mikasa!", Eren yelled fearfully, seeing she was in pain. He knew she had to be critically injured. Mikasa was strong. She could endure injuries so easy...but now, she was clearly in dire pain.

Mikasa gritted her teeth, and the pain got worse and worse. Bullets of pain shot through her rib cage like lightening strikes.

It was never ending, and finally she couldn't take it.

"AAHHHH!"

She suddenly screamed in agony, tears filling her eyes.

"Mikasa!", Eren's heart sunk at the sound of his beloved screaming in pain. It was a horrid sound...a sound he never wanted to hear before.

Mikasa suddenly coughed more, and she began to wheeze.

Every single time she tried to breathe normally, more bullets of pain shot through her ribs. She was also dripping with sweat from the severe pain.

Even though she was only trying to breathe normally, it felt like she was inhaling in so hard that it strained her ribs.

"Mikasa...baby, what is it?", Eren asked fearfully. It seemed like the ambulance was taking forever, when it had only been a few seconds.

"I..I c-can't breathe...", Mikasa replied shakily in between uneven gasps.

Just then they heard the siren approaching, and the ambulance was in view.

The paramedics quickly got Mikasa into the back of the ambulance.

"She can't breathe right...!", Eren let them know as he got in the back with her.

"It sounds like fractured ribs, how did this happen?", the paramedic asked Eren as the ambulance drove fast.

They were getting oxygen on Mikasa. Eren's heart sunk. Fractured ribs...no wonder Mikasa was like this. It was incredible she was conscious.

"We need morphine in her system NOW! She's going into shock from the pain!", a female paramedic cried urgently as they got the IV in Mikasa's arm.

"She's losing a lot of blood from this wound! Apply pressure!", another paramedic ordered, urgently.

Eren could barely focus on any questions, watching the paramedics work hard on Mikasa. She had become extremely pale from blood loss, and she also felt very weak suddenly.

The pain had been so severe she could barely move now, every part of her body felt heavy as led.

Her eyes were opened but, she seemed somewhere else from the shock. Her breathing had become eerily shallow and weak. Like she had given up on trying to breathe properly because it hurt too much.

"EREN! How did this happen?!", the paramedic repeated urgently.

Eren snapped out of it, but he didn't take his eyes off of Mikasa, gripping her hand.

"Mr. Leonhart, he purposely ran her over", Eren replied urgently.

"I see...we have him in a police car now. Not only was he speeding and ran a red light, but he was heavily intoxicated", the paramedic said.

"We've alerted your father at the hospital we're coming in", he added.

Eren nodded shakily, he gripped Mikasa's limp hand.

"Just focus on my voice Mikasa...I'm right here, don't give up baby, just hang on...", Eren pleaded fearfully, tears filling his eyes.

"That's good son, talk to her. It's crucial since she's in shock, we're almost at the hospital", the paramedic said urgently as he inserted more morphine into the IV.

"Mikasa...hang on baby, okay? You're going to be fine, just hold on...squeeze my hand if you can hear my voice", pleaded Eren fearfully.

Mikasa's vision was blurry, and her hearing muffled. She seemed so far away from all the chaos. She could hear Eren's voice, but she was too weak.

But with her remaining strength she had left, she gave a very weak but at the same time firm squeeze.

"That's good! That's my girl, just hang in there, we're almost at the hospital", Eren assured her worriedly.

The ambulance pulled into the ER parking lot then. They quickly got Mikasa onto a stretcher, wheeling her in.

"What's happening?!", Grisha asked urgently, hurrying over.

"It's fractured ribs, bad ones. She's also lost a lot of blood, and she's in shock from the pain", replied the paramedic quickly as they wheeled her in.

"Dad, is she going to be okay?!", Eren asked fearfully.

"We'll do all we can, you need to wait out here, your mom is on her way!", Grisha replied urgently.

"No, I won't leave her!", Eren yelled angrily.

"Please Eren, we need to work on her now! I know how you feel son, but you must wait out here", Grisha ordered, grabbing his son's shoulders as the doctors wheeled Mikasa into a Emergency room.

"I promise we'll save her", Grisha said. Eren looked at his father, he nodded shakily. Grisha then quickly hurried back into the ER room to help Mikasa.

Eren stood there, starring at the ER doors.

"Eren!", Carla suddenly ran in worriedly. Eren then gritted his teeth angrily, he suddenly punched a wall.

"Eren! Sweetie!", Carla grabbed her son to calm him down.

"It's all my fault! I should have protected her!", Eren suddenly sobbed.

"Shhhh, no..it's not your fault sweetie, its not...", Carla pulled her son close, rubbing his back.

"Damn it...how could he...", Eren shook furiously.

"He's been arrested, we won't be hearing from that bastard or his daughter...", Carla said. Eren looked at his mother surprised, she never swore before, at least not in front of him.

There were also tears in her eyes. "She'll be okay...Mikasa is very strong. We just need to sit tight and let your father work on her", Carla assured tearfully.

Eren nodded shakily, clenching his fists. It had happened so sudden and fast. He couldn't get it out of his head, the look of pure fear on Mikasa's face.

He failed to protect her, and he would never forgive himself.

"You better call your friends", Carla said then.

"Oh...right", Eren got his phone out, while Carla went to get them a drink out the vending machine.

Eren called Armin.

He was at the arcade with Rubi, it wasn't a date, they were just hanging.

Armin then blinked, his phone ringing. "It's Eren", he answered. "Eren? What's up?", he asked.

"Armin...you and Rubi need to come to the hospital. Mikasa's been hurt", Eren said shakily.

Armin stood up then, his heart sunk. "What do you mean hurt?", he asked. Rubi looked over then, worried.

"Annie's lunatic father hit her with his truck...its bad", Eren replied. Armin's eyes grew wide, horrified as his heart sunk only more.

"Oh God...okay, we'll be right there", Armin quickly hung up. "What's going on!?", cried Rubi fearfully then.

"Mikasa's been hit, by a truck. Annie's father...come on, we got to go to the hospital", Armin grabbed Rubi's hand, and the two hurried out.

They arrived to the hospital, seeing Eren and Carla in the waiting room.

"Eren! What's going on!?", cried Rubi fearfully running over.

"We have no updates...we know its fractured ribs...she was bleeding a lot too", replied Carla, as Eren sat there, his head in his hands.

"They gave her oxygen and morphine in the ambulance right?", Rubi demanded. She knew a lot about the medical world, her mother was a midwife even.

"Yes...she was also in shock from the pain", replied Carla.

"Eren...", Armin placed his hand on his friend's shoulder. Eren looked up, his face tear stained.

"She'll be okay Eren...she's strong", assured Armin. Eren nodded shakily, while Rubi looked over at the ER doors worriedly.

Two hours went by, Eren and Carla remained seated, while Rubi paced back and fourth. Armin kept getting water from the fountain just out of being nervous.

Finally, the ER doors opened and Grisha came out.

"Dear, how's Mikasa?!", cried Carla standing up with Eren, Armin and Rubi hurrying over. "Is she okay?!", Eren demanded.

"How bad was the fracture?", Rubi asked.

"Slow down...she's very weak right now. She's resting. We were able to get her out of shock and bandage her wounds. She does have a cut on her cheek that will result in a scar. The wound on her back and arm will become a scar as well..the fracture was very bad, but she'll recover", explained Grisha.

Eren felt such relief, he felt light headed for a second. "Thank God...", cried Rubi relieved.

"Oh..thank goodness...", cried Carla tearfully.

"There are some things though...", Grisha said then. "What?", asked Eren.

"She'll have complications for life, won't she?", Rubi asked then. Armin and the rest looked at her.

"Yes. A fracture sticks with you for life. For example...when its icy or rainy out her fracture may hurt, and it could hurt at random, especially if strain is put on her body", Grisha explained.

"What kind of strains?", Eren asked worriedly.

"If she turns her body too hard or too fast, and she cannot train anymore in P.E. The only other strain I can think of is if she ever had children, childbirth would put a strain on her ribs", explained Grisha.

"Really?", asked Carla.

"Well, think about it. Even though childbirth mainly effects parts of the body below, it still effects the entire body in different ways. The entire body becomes tense during a delivery, causing aches and even migraines and such", explained Grisha.

"Makes sense...", said Rubi.

"But those are the only side effects she'll have, it won't effect her ability to have children, but it will be more painful than any normal delivery. Of course we don't have to worry about that until you're both older", Grisha eyed Eren then.

"Right, dad can I see her now?", Eren asked anxiously. "She's out of it, but yes", Grisha replied.

"Thank goodness..she's okay", Rubi cried relieved, she then suddenly hugged Armin.

Armin turned bright red, holding her.

He then relaxed, also so relieved.

Eren entered the recovery room, and he saw Mikasa laying on the bed. She was on oxygen, and there was also an IV in her arm, with morphine.

"Mikasa...", Eren felt tears well up in his eyes. She was so bruised, and cut and she looked so weak. Her most obvious cut was on her cheek.

It was long, and under her eye. Eren walked over, and he gently stroked her cheek, brushing her jet black hair off of the cut.

Mikasa stirred, she felt so weak.

But she knew Eren was there.

"E-Eren...", she cried very weakly, in fact it was barely a whisper.

"Shhhh, shhh...don't talk baby. Just rest. I'm right here, you're going to be all right", soothed Eren tearfully,

"E-Eren...my scarf...", asked Mikasa weakly then. Eren laughed tearfully.

"Really? That's all you care about?", he gently wrapped it around her neck.

"Eren...don't cry...I'm all right...", Mikasa comforted weakly. Eren looked down shakily, he then took her hand in both of his, and gently pressed his forehead to it.

"Shhh...don't talk. I'm the one who needs to comfort you, love. You just rest", he soothed.

He gently kissed her hand, and stayed right by her side as she rested.

Mikasa winced a little bit, gripping his hand a little tighter. "Shhhh, it'll fade love, just hang in there", Eren soothed.

"E-Eren...", Mikasa said weakly then. "Yes?", asked Eren.

"C-Can you...lay in bed with me...?", asked Mikasa then, very weakly. Eren smiled, he very carefully got in the bed with her, and cuddled her gently. Mikasa buried her face into his chest, holding his hand weakly.

"Rest Mika, you're hurt bad...I'm right here, I'm not going anywhere. I promise...", Eren soothed as he stroked her hair.