Sasha opened the front door to see Eren standing on her doorstep late in the morning the next day. He carried his son close to his chest and managed a tiny smile for her, but the dark circles under his eyes and his pale, blotchy skin gave his reality away.

"Good morning," he said tiredly.

Sasha bit her lip. "Good morning."

Connie came up behind her. "You alright? Rough night?"

Eren nodded. "We were up for most of it, so I let him sleep as late as he wanted. Sorry, I originally planned to be here earlier. I want to be there when Levi wakes up." His smile disappeared when he felt his son tug at his shirt, and he knew that the boy still hadn't calmed down. Any mere mention of Levi was enough to make the tears start again.

Eren looked like he wanted to cry, too, but not in the same way he had the day before. Yesterday he had been confused and sad and trying to be strong for his son. Now he looked utterly defeated, like he was guilty of some horrible crime and hating himself as he fell apart at the seams. His persona concerned Sasha and Connie, but they didn't say anything out of fear that even the slightest step into how Eren was feeling would cause him to break down.

The tall man suddenly knelt on the ground and settled his son there. "Be good for Aunt Sasha and Uncle Connie, okay? I'll come get you later today. If we're lucky, we'll be able to visit Papa. But, for now, try to have a little fun, okay?" He smoothed the boy's unruly black hair back and waited for a response, but none came. He just looked away even as Eren kissed his temple and said, "I love you. Bye bye."

When the front door closed, the boy just stood there in front of it, shoulders slumped and eyes downcast. Sasha glanced at Connie, but the man just shrugged and shook his head as if to say that he didn't have any idea of what to do either. They had also had a long night between Connie recounting the details of the disastrous expedition and Sasha crying into his chest for hours. She had tried to blame it on her hormones, but both of them knew that was a lie. And, really, there was no point in trying to cover their emotions up. It wasn't like they were the only ones coping with the situation.

Not knowing what else to do, Sasha cleared her throat and said, "You didn't bring your Titan plush friend? Isn't he lonely at home without you?"

The boy shot her a poisonous look, green eyes narrowing dangerously. "I hate that stupid toy," he growled. "There's no such thing as a good Titan. It deserves be lonely forever."

Sasha's eyes widened. "I thought your daddy said that it was your favorite."

The boy snorted and looked at Sasha as if she truly were an idiot. "Daddy and Papa always told me that that toy would protect me. So why was it with me yesterday? If it protects people, why didn't it go with Papa? Papa was the one who needed protection, not me." He crossed his arms. "So it's horrible and bad and evil just like all the other Titans out there. Daddy tried to make me bring it this morning, but I didn't want to because it didn't do its job. It didn't protect Papa."

Connie's and Sasha's mouths dropped open, and they finally realized the reason for Eren's change in mood overnight. That toy was supposed to be a happy, friendly version of his Titan form. Of course he and Levi would tell their son that it would always protect him, because his daddy would always protect him. Eren, it seemed, unfortunately had taken that idea a bit too literally, so now the poor man was beating himself up for not protecting his husband and for giving their son the best reason ever to hate him.

Suddenly the child whimpered. "And why…why didn't Daddy protect Papa?"

"I HAVE AN IDEA!" Sasha's hand shot straight up into the air, catching the child's and Connie's attention. After a moment, she genuinely smiled and said, "Why don't we make a care package for your papa?"

The boy's eyes widened. "A care package?"

"Yeah! You make one for somebody who's hurt or sick or going through a tough time. Basically, you fill a box up with all sorts of goodies that are supposed to make the other person feel better. So we can make a really yummy soup full of medicinal herbs and healthy foods and put it in there. Um, we could put of a bouquet of flowers in there! And maybe you'd like to make him a get well soon card? Stuff like that. We'll fill it up with all sorts of treats and presents that'll put a big smile on your papa's face!"

Connie rolled his eyes. "Like anyone could put a smile on Levi's-!"

Sasha stepped on his toe with the heel of her boot.

There must have been some magic in Sasha's words because the boy's face visibly brightened as he lifted his head to look at her. His green eyes transitioned from venomous to shining in a matter of seconds, and his entire body relaxed as the stiffness of anger melted away. Finally, a little smile appeared, and Sasha nearly jumped for joy at her victory.

"…Okay."

"It's settled then!" she announced. "C'mon, sweetie, let's make our own lunch and then we'll start putting together your papa's care package."

And they did just that. Nearly all the pots and pans were dirtied in the process, but Sasha didn't dread doing the dishes for once (Connie did but he didn't want another attack on his poor foot). At one point, after all the vegetables had been washed, Sasha suggested that her little houseguest try cutting them.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Connie asked as he set the last potato aside.

Sasha eyed him. "What are you talking about? Kids in my village were already out hunting at his age. I think he can handle cutting a carrot as long as I'm nearby."

The boy looked up at her with wide eyes. "Can I really try, Aunt Sasha?"

She smiled at him. "Of course!"

With a quick lesson and Sasha hanging onto both of his hands, the child slowly cut the carrots into bite-sized pieces. He giggled as he did so and commented about how his papa never let anybody help him in the kitchen. When Sasha asked why, since Eren was a decent cook, the boy just shrugged.

"I don't know, Papa just says that he likes cooking for us."

As soon as the boy finished the sentence, he froze, and his lip trembled slightly. Luckily, he had finished cutting the carrots, so he didn't hurt himself when he reached up to wipe his eyes. Sasha noticed his action and frowned, placing her hand on his shoulder. "What is it, sweetie?"

"Papa," the child mumbled, voice cracking, "I'm just…sad."

Sasha sighed and smiled sympathetically. "You know, sweetie, it's really okay to cry. Something bad happened to someone you really love, so it makes sense that you would cry."

"It's not a sign of weakness, even if you're a man," Connie added. "It means you care."

The boy nodded. "I know. I just…I'm sad about Papa, but I'm sad about Daddy, too. I said some really mean things to him this morning. I wasn't good at all." He rubbed his eyes again. "I wanna say I'm sorry later. I hope Daddy isn't angry at me, because I wanna give Papa a big smile when I get to visit him."

Sasha grinned. "I don't think your daddy is angry at you. I think he understands why you were so upset because he's upset, too. Think about it. Your papa might be your papa, but he's also your daddy's husband. Your papa and daddy love each other so much, and I'm sure it was hard for your daddy to sleep without his favorite cuddle buddy last night. He probably wanted to cry and scream, too, but he didn't because he wanted to take care of you. So you should apologize and also give your daddy a big smile when he picks you up later."

The two embraced and Connie smiled. Moments like that made him realize why he had fallen in love with Sasha. She was so much smarter than most people gave her credit for. And now she was developing a sort of motherly wisdom about her, and that made him fall in love all over again. He couldn't help but tear up, too, thinking about how much his own mother would love her if she were around. Losing his mother still hurt, but knowing that he was creating a new family to love made the sting in his heart a little less prominent.

Once the soup was on the stove (complete with small pieces of meat!), Connie took the boy outside to see if any flowers were growing nearby. The last of winter's snow had melted, and the weather was starting to warm up, but it wasn't exactly spring yet. Regardless, they managed to find a few stray dandelions and daisies, which were good enough. "Papa's favorite color is white anyway!" the little boy had said, to which Connie had just rolled his eyes. Of course.

When they returned home, Sasha put the flowers into a small vase and pulled paper and a pen from a nearby drawer. "Here you go," she said, handing them to her little houseguest. "Make a really happy get well card for your papa. I'm sure that'll make him smile."

And, with the biggest smile he had shown all day, the boy agreed and settled himself on the living room floor to draw. Sasha giggled and was about to go to wash the dishes when Connie stopped her, insisting that he do it. Sasha smiled, gave her husband a light kiss on the cheek, and sat down in a comfortable chair in the living room.

About an hour later, the house smelled delicious from the soup. Sasha had suggested that they cook it for a long time so that the meat and vegetables would be easier to eat but also so that all the healthy herbs in it could release their flavors and medicinal effects. Just as Sasha stood to check on it, she let out a little yelp, and her hands flew to her stomach. She smiled wide and said, "Sweetie, come here!"

The boy did just that, and Sasha placed one of his hands on her belly. The boy's eyes immediately lit up, and his jaw dropped in excited surprise. "I can feel it kicking!" he squealed. "Uncle Connie, the baby's kicking!"

Connie grinned. "Pretty cool, huh?"

"Uh-huh! So cool!" The boy's excitement turned soft as he pressed both of his hands against Sasha's belly. "Wow, I was like that once, too."

Sasha's smile turned soft, too. "We all were," she said. "Every single person in all of humanity was once like this."

The boy giggled and pressed his cheek against her belly. "Hi, little baby, I can't wait to play with you."

The baby calmed down a few seconds later, and the afternoon went on without any other little interruptions. The soup finished cooking, so Sasha poured it in a travel-safe container and placed it in a spare box Connie had brought in from the backyard. She then wrapped up the flowers nicely and placed them next to the pot. Finally, the little boy place his get well card on top and smiled. It was perfect.

That was when the knock on the door came.

Connie rushed to open it, and there stood Eren with a big grin on his face. Connie copied that grin and said, "Aw man, don't tell me-!"

"Levi's awake," Eren breathed, "and he can take visitors."

"Daddy!" the little boy called, rushing towards the front door with widespread arms. Eren knelt down, scooped him up in his arms, and gave him a big kiss on the forehead.

"Looks like you're feeling better," he commented.

The child nodded. "We made a care package for Papa! Aunt Sasha and I made him a really healthy soup, and I picked flowers for him with Uncle Connie, and I even made him a get well soon card!"

"That was so thoughtful of you guys!" Eren laughed, looking up at his friends. "Really? You guys put all that together for Levi? Thank you, oh man, I don't know how to thank you. Between that and baby-sitting…"

Sasha shook her head. "It was our pleasure."

Suddenly the boy frowned. "Hey, Daddy?"

"Hmm?"

"Um, I'm sorry I screamed and cried so much last night, and I'm sorry I said all those mean things this morning. I was just really sad, so I didn't even think that you might be sad, too, and…"

Eren hugged him again. "Oh, baby, don't you worry about that. I understand entirely."

Sasha grinned. "Well then, what are you two waiting for? Get out of here and visit Papa already!" she said as Connie shoved the care package into Eren's arms.

Eren laughed and stood. "Alright, thanks again! I'll find a way to repay you guys, I promise. Let's go, baby, let's go visit Papa!"

When the father/son duo arrived at the hospital, they had to wait regardless of the fact that Levi had been cleared for visitors. This didn't bother Eren at all, as he still wanted to talk to his son about the whole situation. "Baby," he said when they sat down in the waiting room, "I need to tell you a few things about Papa, so I need you to listen to me very carefully, okay?"

He let out a small sigh of relief when his son nodded and showed no signs of being upset.

"Okay, listen, Papa is okay. I want to make that very clear. Papa is okay. He is alive and breathing and can talk and can move all his body parts, but he still doesn't look good. This is where he was hurt." He drew a line on his right half from his shoulder down to just above his hip in a crescent shape. "This is where a Titan bit him. Now, the good news is that it didn't bite through him, even though it broke the skin. Papa was still hurt badly enough that we needed to get back to the Walls right away though. So, when you see him, he will be covered in bandages, and you might see some weird paste on his skin. That's medicine to speed healing and lessen the pain. Papa's entire right side hurts very much, so you have to be careful if he says you can hug him. He can only use his left arm without being in pain, so he won't be able to give you hugs like he normally does. Also, his voice is very quiet and very raspy, so he might be a little hard to understand. He might seem sleepy, too, because the medicine he took last night made him sleep for a long time. But it's important to remember that he's still Papa, okay? He just might not look and sound like him right now."

The little boy stared at Eren, taking all this information in with wide, curious, understanding eyes. He then nodded and said, "You know, if Papa did lose an arm or a leg or couldn't talk anymore or maybe couldn't see or hear anymore or if he could never hug me again he'd still be Papa, and I'd still love him."

Eren gave him a soft smile. "That's right, he'd still be Papa."

"But I'm very happy that none of those things happened to him!"

"Me, too."

"Mr. Jaeger?"

Eren immediately stood. "Yes?"

A female nurse beckoned for them to follow. "This way please, Levi wants to see you." She led them down a hallway and opened the door for them. "Here you go, we just ask that you keep your voices down for the rest of our patients."

"Sure, thank you."

The moment the nurse closed the door, the boy rushed to Levi's bedside. "Papa!"

Levi turned his head slightly and smiled. "Hey…there's my baby,"

To say that Levi had seen better days was an understatement. On top of everything Eren had described, his face was sickeningly pale, and his eyelids were dark and heavy. He looked in desperate need of a good meal and more sleep. Still, the smile he wore was enough to bring hope into both Eren's and their son's hearts, as it was the kind that made him look better than he actually was. His injured right side faced the wall, so he reached out with his left hand and gently cupped his son's cheek. The child flinched slightly at his dry, dirty skin, but the touch itself had not changed. That was definitely his papa, his papa who was alive and would get better.

Eren leaned over gently stroked his husband's cheek. Levi turned back to look up at him and smiled as Eren kissed him lovingly. His lips were chapped, but Eren didn't mind. "I love you," Eren whispered between kisses. "I love you, I love you."

"Don't blame yourself, stupid brat," Levi murmured. "This wasn't your fault."

Eren laughed quietly. "If you can still insult me, then I guess you're fine."

"You know it. And I love you, too." Another kiss.

"Papa," the little boy interrupted, "um, Aunt Sasha, Uncle Connie, and I made a care package for you."

Levi's eyes widened slightly, and he turned back to his son. "Really?"

The boy nodded. "We made you a really healthy soup and picked you flowers, and I made you a get well soon card." He reached into the box and showed his papa his masterpiece. The three of them were standing together in a big field of flowers, holding hands and smiling with Levi in the middle. The words GET WELL SOON, PAPA were written at the top a bit sloppily but still legibly.

Levi's smile widened at it. "I love it, thank you, baby." He ruffled the boy's hair with his good hand, earning a triumphant giggle.

Eren grinned. "Hey, baby, why don't you go ask the nurse to put the flowers in a vase?"

The boy nodded. "Okay!" He grabbed the bouquet and ran out into the hallway.

Eren looked back at his husband, still stroking his face. He couldn't help the solemn expression on his own. "I really am sorry that this happened to you. I can't imagine how painful it must have been."

Levi shrugged with his good shoulder. "Labor was worse."

Eren burst out laughing.

When the nurse returned with a vase for the flowers, Eren stood back up straight and excused himself. "I'm gonna go visit Jean. Baby, why don't you tell Papa all about your days with Uncle Connie and Aunt Sasha?" He gave them a little wave and left, smirking at his son's excited chatter.

As soon as Eren appeared back in the waiting room to ask where Jean's room was, he spotted a familiar face. "Armin? What are you doing here?"

"Visiting Jean. How's Levi?"

"Awake and talking. It looks like he'll be okay."

"Oh, that's great news," Armin sighed, relieved. "You visiting Jean, too?"

Eren nodded and the two followed another nurse down a different hallway. When they reached Jean's room, the nurse turned to them with a frown. "Mr. Kirchstein seems okay now, but please refrain from talking about anything that could trigger him. We had to sedate him pretty heavily last night, as that was the only way we could get him to calm down. His physical injuries were minor, on the bright side, just a dislocated shoulder and some bruising on his right side. His shoulder is fine now, and the bruises will clear up in a few days. Still, keep his mental health in mind."

The two men nodded.

Jean looked up from where he sat on his bed when the nurse opened the door. He smiled a bit when he saw Eren and Armin, and the two sat down in nearby chairs when the nurse closed the door. "How are you feeling?" Eren asked.

Jean shrugged. "Fine now. Heh, I must have looked really stupid yesterday, huh?"

Armin frowned. "You had a major panic attack, Jean. You lost control of your gear and would have fallen on your head if Ymir hadn't grabbed you. She couldn't stop you from falling, but she probably saved your life. That's nothing to joke about."

Jean's face dropped and he looked down in shame. "Sorry," he muttered, "it's just…when I saw Levi get bitten…"

"Don't talk about it if it makes you uncomfortable."

"…What about Annie?"

Armin's breath hitched. "…She's currently being held in a prison cell in Wall Sina at the Military Police headquarters. It's not a maximum security one like she had been in, but she did break her probation and leak information, so I don't know when she'll be released or if she'll even be released at all. Reiner and Bertholdt were arrested and taken in for questioning, but I'm positive that Annie was working alone this time, so I hope they'll be released."

Eren groaned and held his face in his hands. "What a mess. Jean had a panic attack, Levi's bedridden, and the person who was once humanity's enemy, responsible for hundreds of deaths, saved all our lives."

TO BE CONTINUED