Author's Note: So, here it is, my last chapter before my month-long posting hiatus. I don't move for a couple more weeks but I want time to be able to prepare and to spend some time with my friends, since I'm going to be living several states away from all of them soon. I'm still going to reply to PMs and I will still accept Beta requests, but I will not be publishing anything new until the very end of the month. In other news, I recently had the opportunity to go to the second-biggest anime convention in the country which was amazing! I found out so much about the future of Attack on Titan, including information on the movie, the anime, and the manga! I'm not going to say much here, but I'm very excited for the next couple of years!

As for the chapter, I really wanted to write more Mikasa-Eren-Annie drama for all of you but I really wasn't feeling it whenever I tried to write it, so this chapter is going to focus a lot more on the relationships between the Shifter Trio, since I really enjoyed writing their interactions in the last chapter. I hope you all enjoy, even though the focus is a little different, and I'll see you all at the end of the month!

Chapter 14: Past

Today is the day...the anniversary of the Fall. I...today is always a hard day but there's so much more guilt! I'm still not technically allowed to see Eren but I...God! The guilt is eating away at me! I'm not sure how much more of this I can handle! -Annie's Journal

Today marked a grim anniversary for humanity. Exactly three years ago, the Shiganshina District had been breached and Wall Maria had fallen to the Titans. Exactly three years ago, over a third of the remaining population of humans had been killed. Exactly three years ago, three people who were barely more than children became responsible for the deaths of thousands of people and the displacement of even more.

The recruits had been assigned to complete a survival drill in the forest this day, to replicate conditions they might face if they were to become trapped outside the walls. They were supposed to start alone but could group up with other trainees once the drill had started. Annie and Reiner had come across each other within the first ten minutes of the drill, and were currently searching for Bertholt.

"Bert! Buddy! You out there?" Reiner called. "Annie, maybe you should try calling him too. He might answer for you."

"I doubt it," Annie said in a low tone. "Things have been awkward between us since the incident last week. You've been too oblivious to notice."

"Oh, that? He's still bothered by that?" Reiner asked as he began laughing. "Damn, I didn't think he was that bothered by the Ereannie!"

"Shut up!" Annie hissed, punching Reiner in the stomach. "I hate it when you call us that!"

Reiner crumpled but continued laughing, irritating Annie more.

"What is it?" she demanded.

"Eren's brought out a side of you I haven't seen in years! You're actually displaying some emotion around people!" Reiner explained. "It's nice to see you actually being open about things for once!"

"So? What's the big deal if I'm more emotionally open?" Annie asked.

"I dunno, it's just nice," Reiner said, shrugging.

"Meanwhile you're just as obnoxious as ever," Annie snorted.

"Oh come on, I bet I was worse when we were kids!" Reiner teased.

Annie paused and chuckled lightly. "I still think you're worse now."

Reiner rolled his eyes at her and laughed again. The two resumed trekking through the forest, occasionally stopping to call for Bertholt. The morning wore on and soon it was the early afternoon, still with no sign of their friend.

"Hey, Ann, do you hear that?" Reiner whispered after hearing some voices nearby.

Annie nodded and the two walked closer to where the voices were coming from. They could make out three figures through the trees, but couldn't see much detail through the thicket. Once one of the figures spoke Annie gasped, recognizing the voice immediately.

"Eren! You need to calm down!" Mikasa insisted.

"No! Mikasa they're still out there! They destroyed our home and they're still out there!" Eren cried.

Annie began clenching her fists, wanting to run over to them, but she restrained herself.

"What's he going on about? He was fine when we left the barrack this morning," Reiner asked.

Annie turned to Reiner, a vacant look in her eyes. "Three years ago today was the day Wall Maria fell..."

Reiner's eyes widened and his face grew pale. "Oh God...no! We were just doing what we were told to do! I didn't want to do it!"

"If I ever find the Colossal Titan I'll kill him with my bare hands! He destroyed everything!" Eren raged.

"Bertholt..." Annie muttered.

"I'll kill him! I'll kill them all! I won't stop until every last Titan is destroyed!" Eren screamed through the thicket.

Suddenly there was a loud thud and a yelp from Eren. Annie began walking in the direction of the others but Reiner grabbed her wrist, preventing her from going to them.

"Let me go!" Annie spat.

"You can't!" Reiner pleaded. "I need you here with me!"

Annie's gaze softened and she moved closer to Reiner, causing him to drop his hand. The panicked look on his face began to disappear and he sighed sadly.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

The two moved away from where Eren and Mikasa were, then crouched down on the forest floor. Reiner folded his hands and put them up to his mouth, while Annie glanced over him. She hadn't seen Reiner get this agitated about the Fall since it actually happened, it was strange to see the most easy-going member of their group break down like he had. Maybe hearing someone so upset about it triggered something...she thought.

"Annie," Reiner began.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Thank you for staying with me. I...I really appreciate it. I don't know what I would have done. I've never felt anything like that..." Reiner sighed. "I know you wanted to go to Eren, and I'm sorry that I stopped you but-"

"Its fine," Annie replied.

Reiner deeply inhaled and exhaled, trying to calm himself down more. The two sat in relative silence for the next hour before Bertholt finally joined them.

"Bert! There you are!" Reiner called.

"Where have you been?" Annie asked as he crouched down with them.

"Alone. I needed some space today," Bertholt replied flatly.

"We saw Eren and Mikasa...they were talking about that day..." Reiner said quietly.

"Reiner had a panic attack because of it," Annie added.

"I'm surprised you didn't try to go after Eren and Mikasa, since you seem to care more about Eren than us now" Bertholt said bitterly.

"Shut up Bertholt!" Annie hissed. "I still care about you two!"

"Guys please, knock it off," Reiner mumbled, holding his head.

"I'm not the one putting our whole mission at risk for the sake of some person I met less than a year ago!" Bertholt retorted.

"I am not putting our mission at risk! I want to be able to go home as much as you two do!" Annie insisted.

"Then why are you so insistent on seeing Eren whenever you get the chance? He's a distraction!" Bertholt spat.

"He isn't a distraction! I'll keep him out of the way!" Annie retaliated.

"Why do you keep insisting on seeing him!?" Bertholt demanded angrily.

"Guys! Enough!" Reiner urged.

"Because he makes me happy!" Annie shouted. She paused, catching her breath. "He has made me feel happier than I've been in years. I haven't been happy since we were still in the village and I didn't think I would ever feel that way again. But he actually has made me feel something other than numb and depressed."

Bertholt looked at her and snorted, then looked away. Reiner sighed and shook his head, while Annie started at the ground, shocked by what she had shared.

"Ann-" Reiner began.

"Forget it," Annie said, cutting him off. "Forget I said anything."

The three remained awkwardly silent for the rest of the afternoon. Reiner began gathering wood for fire once the sun started setting and Annie began to set up the tent she had found earlier in the day. Bertholt remained on the sidelines, avoiding the others. Reiner constructed a fire pit then lit the fire, which all three gathered by.

"Do either of you have food?" Reiner asked.

Annie shook her head, and Bertholt remained quiet. Finally, he sighed and reached into his bag, pulling out a small sack of dried meat and bread.

"Here," Bertholt said. "Take some."

Reiner took a piece of the meat and bread and hungrily devoured it. Bertholt held the sack out for Annie, who refused to meet his gaze.

"You need to eat. You won't have enough energy to make it back if you don't," Bertholt insisted.

Annie took a piece of the bread and meat, then took small bites of the food.

"Does this remind you guys at all of when we camped out before coming here?" Reiner asked through a mouthful of bread.

"You're speaking with your mouth full again," Annie muttered.

Reiner laughed loudly and smiled. "Sorry!" he swallowed and continued. "I remember how it was the three of us and Marcel, out in the wilderness like this, just having a good time a being kids."

Annie smiled faintly. "Those were some of the only times my dad would let me leave home. He said it was good preparation for being in the wilderness once we left the village."

"Those were fun times, I wish they didn't have to be something that ended," Bertholt said nostalgically.

"They don't necessarily have to end. I mean, we could turn tonight into one of those nights," Reiner suggested.

"I like that idea," Bertholt said.

Annie nodded in agreement. Reiner smiled at the other two, causing Bertholt to smile as well.

"I'm sorry for blowing up at you earlier. I think the stress of today just got to me," Bertholt said, looking at Annie.

"It's fine," she replied. "I can tell it's bothering you that I'm with Eren, but I'm not going to end things with him any time soon unless I have a reason to."

"I understand. I guess as long as he doesn't get mixed up in this it's alright that you're seeing him. The fewer people involved, the better," Bertholt replied.

Reiner grinned. "Now we're all getting along again!" he cheered, pulling Bertholt and Annie into a tight hug.

"Reiner, get off!" Annie said, jabbing him with her elbow.

"Nope! We're all getting along and happy, just like old times! We're staying like this as long as I can help it!" Reiner enthused.

Bertholt and Annie exchanged a look. He did have a point, this could be their last night where everything felt normal again. Bertholt began laughing along with Reiner, and soon Annie joined in. They might as well enjoy the evening, their mission and seriousness could wait a little while.