Heels clicked quickly down the empty deserted hallway. Green eyes scanning every door that went past her peripheral. Head of hair brush neatly back into a pony tail. It was Natalya looking for something better yet some one. When she finally arrive to the door she was looking for she opens it. Finding a teenager dressing by his bed, he quickly threw on his khaki jacket, "Ma'am! What are you doing here?"
"Jaeger, I've been granted permission to take you out for my research," she lies.
"Oh, really?" he asks, "That's new to me."
Natalya sighs irritated she straightens her back looking up at Eren, " Are you under minding my authority? I will gladly inform Levi that his method of training is inadequate if you're still questioning my ability to delegate orders."
"No, ma'am, not at all!" the boy answers frighten.
"Well then let's go. Hanji is waiting outside." Natalya grins pleased that everything is going accordingly to plan.
The two soldiers walked outside to the stable where the horses and the others were waiting. The smell of dew and hay entwined with the cool air. Cricket chirps were replaced with bird calls. The sun was barely raising painting the sky a deep purple a lighting burn orange. As Natalya and Eren both approached the stables they notice that there were other cadets out there waiting. Natalya notices a tall blonde man that began to walk to their direction.
"Eren, Good morning!" The man greets the teenager.
"Reiner, don't greet me. Greet her!" Eren jerks his chin to Natalya who was standing by his flank.
Poor Reiner didn't get the hint because a puzzled expression coats his face.
"Oh, don't tell me that's-" He was cut off by a sudden shriek.
"Armida!"
Alarmed Natalya almost jumps out of her skin. A familiar woman with a high messy bun throws herself at Natalya. Hanji embraces her assistant carefully as if the little woman was made of glass. The woman with the glasses whispers in her ear, "What happened to you?"
Natalya tilts her head confused, "Hanji, what are you talking about?"
Before they could say anything else to each other the two women were interrupted by a short bald guy. "Hey, Potato girl and I just finished prepping the horses. We're ready to go when you are."
Hanji had released Natalya and left to gather her own horse.
The tall blonde guy pales looking at the woman, "You're Armida?"
"Yes. Yes I am Natalya Armida." She says as she scans his face wondering what made him look so uneasy.
The tall man throws his fist over his chest to salute her.
"You don't have to do that. I'm not a stickler for proper salutes." She waves at him to stop. She had forgotten that she was a higher ranking then the others. No wonder the man was worrying.
"Yes, ma'am." He drops his fist.
"So how's Krista doing?" Eren asks the blonde man.
He had deep golden eyes that were filled with energy and admiration for the teenager's question. The large man had a heavy built of muscle. "She's at home taking care of Ayden." He answers smiling giving Eren a hard pat on the back. Eren winces in pain Reiner didn't know his strength.
Confused Natalya had to ask, "Who's Ayden?"
A woman with short black hair calls out to Eren, "Eren!"
"Oh man, Mikasa needs me," Eren said attempting to sound disappointed he walks over to the lady.
"My eleven months old son," He boasts, "After all true man has to provide for his family. Eren doesn't know what he's missing out on."
"You have a child?" Surprising Reiner despite what he thought of the assistant, she sounds concern her green eyes sparkles, "Why aren't you spending time with your family?"
"I spend all time I can with them. Today I just got an order to help Hanji out." He answers grinning and scratching the back of his head.
"Lya!" Hanji calls out to her, "Come over here!"
Natalya smiles softly to Reiner, "I hope we can speak again."
"No worries we will soon." He leaves walking up to his horse getting ready to climb on top of its back.
The grass under Natalya boot crumble as she approaches her horse's stable where Hanji was. The scientist looked at Natalya with a solemn expression studying her. Her horse August was behind Hanji patiently waiting for Natalya. Hanji looked as if she was in pain.
"Hanji, can you please explain to me what that was back there?" The assistant mentions picking up her August saddle.
"You're pregnant." Hanji remarks getting teary eyed.
Natalya was taken aback by the sudden outburst she sputters, "N-No, I'm not."
"Yes you are." Hanji swears taking a step toward Natalya.
Natalya drops the saddle on to the dusty floor, producing a small cloud of dust to stir. Frighten Natalya knew that Hanji was never wrong when it came to observation; she squeaks backpedaling wanting to hear her explanation, "W-What makes you say that?"
"Your body." Hanji reports, "You've been eating bread nonstop. Your chest is swollen. You've gain about five percent of baby fat on to your body."
Scared Natalya looks down on her stomach, lifting up her tucked shirt. Natalya shows Hanji her stomach. Natalya sees nothing abnormal her stomach was flat like always.
"When was the last time you and Levi had sexual intercourse?" Hanji pressed.
"I don't know a few weeks," She flushes embarrassed to tell her that Levi and her only had sexual intercourse once.
"Lya, you're not helping this case."
"Five or four weeks…" She confesses fearing the truth. Realizing it Natalya had not had her period yet. She's been so focused on work and other things she had forgotten her period. Natalya recollects their conversation dealing with the beard in the lab.
"I know I've been watching you eat beard for about a week now," Hanji notes audibly to Natalya. "You're giving yourself anxiety."
"Hanji you suspected it didn't you?" she jeers.
"No at the time I didn't. It was a mere analyzes... A hypothesis if you will." Hanji reasons, "But over time I got suspicious."
"I can't tell Levi!" Natalya whimpers, fearing what he might do. Poor Natalya she was on the brink of crying, "Hanji, you can't tell him, either!"
"What?!" Hanji exclaims scared, "Are you insane? It's bad enough that he doesn't like me, Lya. But when he finds out I kept this away from him. He'll… He'll-"
"No he won't! You cannot tell Levi. I promise not to let him know that you knew. I don't want you to get in trouble. I will tell him myself!" she pleads to her captain.
"Fine, I don't feel right about this. When are you going to tell him?" Hanji asks.
"When the time is right." She sighs picking up the saddle off the floor.
"Where is Levi?" Hanji asks.
"He's s-sleeping right, now" Natalya stammers.
"Sleeping?" Hanji repeats, "That's unusual."
"Yes he's was really… tried." Natalya said feeling the air turn awkward.
"I don't think you should go with us." Hanji informs Natalya.
"What?" Natalya snaps, "I don't need another Levi trying to tell me where I should go and what I should do."
"But Lya!" Hanji starts to protest.
"No, I want to go to this site. I will be careful. And that's final."