Chapter 25

Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan.

I looked at her for a very long time. I couldn't believe my mom was right there in front of me.

"Miku." She said her familiar gentle voice with her accent.

Why is she here? Why now? Where the hell has she been? What was she even doing?

All these questions I kept popping into my head over and over again, trying to grasp this sudden shock.

"Come home with me." She said sweetly with a smile.

Next thing I knew I was leaving the diner, running for my life. By the time I realized it, I was in front of the Recon Café, out of breathe.

"Oh Mickey, you're home!" Petra greeted my outside the café. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?" She said reaching her hand out and wiped a tear off my cheek.

"Oh…" My eye became blurred with tears. Petra quickly pulled into her arms and hugged my tightly while rubbing my back.

"It's okay. It's okay." She said in a soft, gentle whisper like you would to comfort a child.

I didn't know why I was crying. I don't if it was from happiness of seeing my mother was okay or upset that I might have to go back with her.

I wanted to tell Petra what happened but nothing came out of my mouth. What would happen if my mother came her one day and asked for me to come home? Would Petra and Erwin let her? Will I have to leave this life and go back to my own?

Some part of me wanted to go with my mother and go live in our little apartment like we used too but the rest wanted to stay here, with my friends, my boyfriend, my family.

I don't want to leave. I want to stay.

"Let's go inside." Petra said, putting her arm around my shoulders and walks my up the stairs to my room.

…..

It's been a few days since then. Nobody has asked what happened the other day. Nobody pushed it and I didn't try talking about it.

I don't even know what to do about it. I don't know anyone who would even understand what's happening.

But today isn't the day to think about all that drama with mom because today is an anniversary.

A very dark anniversary.

Today is the fifth anniversary of the Titan Plague. School's out for the day so that's a win.

Those who have fallen victim to the disease had to set up a little memorial for them. It's a depressing day.

I got dressed and head for the Café floor. As I entered I saw Erwin pushing his right sleeve up. I looked a closer at his arm. His skin color was different from the rest.

"Oh Mikey good morning!" Petra greeted me. I greeted the both of them and pointed at Erwin's arm.

"Are you…" I couldn't finish the question. I felt that it was a stupid question.

"Yeah." Erwin answers and flexes his right arm. "I lost my whole right arm during the Plague. I have a fake arm now."

"Armin are you almost done in there!?" Petra shouts into the kitchen.

"Yes Aunt Petra!" Armin came out with some picture frames with headshots of three different men.

"Those were me and Levi's friends from college." Petra explains. "Eld Jinn, Olou Bozado, and Gunther Schultz." She had a sadden look in her eyes as she looks at the picture of the men. It must have been awful losing all three of them.

"Is Grandpa at the window?" Erwin calls out to Armin. Armin nods his head and puts the pictures on a table facing the window.

"Grandpa?" I questioned. Is it the one Erwin talked about?

"It's on Armin's father's side." Petra explains. "He died in the plague too. The disease made him loose his neck. It…was really gruesome."

"Sorry to bringing it up." I apologized. I must have been awful to lose someone that way. Petra simply rubs my back and walks towards the tables to help. Then Armin and I's friends came in.

"Hey!" Jean greeted everyone as everyone from school followed him inside.

"The café isn't open yet!" Petra scolded but Jean laughs it off. Eren heads straight towards me, ignoring everyone.

"Good morning." He said softly and turning away. He seemed different today.

"Is something wrong?" I asked but he doesn't say anything. Suddenly I felt glares on me. I looked behind him and see Mikasa staring daggers at me.

"So it's the anniversary…" Connie speaks up. "I heard the town you lived in was hit pretty hard during the plague. Did…you lose anyone?" he asked curiously. Ymir elbows him hard in the ribs.

"I did know some people that did die but…" I was going to that I didn't really care about them I stop myself. That seemed to cold. "Never mind." I looked away awkwardly. Reiner smacks Connie in the back of his head. Connie cringes in agony but kept his mouth shut.

"Um…did you guys you know lose anyone too?" I said awkwardly as I took a seat at one of the tables. They guys pushed some tables together and all sat down with long, sad faces.

"Marco…" Jean spoke first. "He lost his one of his arms." Oh I didn't know that.

"Luckily most of us didn't lose anyone or any limbs." Sasha points out and Reiner, Bertolt, Annie, Connie, Ymir, and Jean nodded. "But we had to watch so many people suffering." She adds.

"I…" Erens finally spoke up. "I almost lost an arm and a leg. But I also lost our mother." Eren looked like he was in some far away land. He didn't even look at us. He looked down, seeming like he was remembering some things that he didn't want to remember. Mikasa pats his shoulder, trying to get him to relax a bit.

I felt so depressed. They went through so much that year. The people in Brass who died from the disease were most criminals but a few were good people. When others were suffering, I hid in my apartment the entire time it was happening. I felt ashamed of myself. I didn't even have a single nerve to even face that reality. Then I felt a hand on top of mine.

I slowly looked over and saw Eren's hand on mine. He gave a little squeeze. I gave him a squeeze in return.

For the whole day, we all watched the TV and see names and pictures of the ones who died. Policemen, doctors, nurses, soldiers, children, just so many people that were shown all from different ages.

…..

It became sunset and everyone was preparing to go home.

"Good night Mr. Levi." I said to him. He only gave me a glare went out the door.

"See you later Mickey." Bertolt said to me as he and the others were leaving the café.

"I'll take you home." Armin grabs Annie's hand. She nods and they head out the door.

"Mickey," Eren calls out to me. "Do you want to take a little stroll?" he asked. I nodded my head and we also left.

We walked down the street hand in hand but we didn't say anything to each other.

"Mickey, I want to show you something." Eren says to me and pulls up his left sleeve, revealing a nasty scar. "This is my scar from the disease. I also have one on my leg. There are times when I can't feel my arm so I bite my thumb." He said.

I didn't say anything, not even a little sound. I reached out and gently touched the scar with my index finger. Then a caressed the mark with my whole hand.

"You went through a lot didn't you?" I said looking at the scar. "You are really brave…and that's what makes you so great." I said with tears threatening to fall. I felt with gaze on me as I spoke. "You have some much courage in you. You were able to hold yourself strong. I, in the other hand, am nothing like that." I said wiping a tear of my cheek. "I hid in fear in my room while everyone was in pain, suffering at the time. I'm an awful person."

"I don't think you are." Eren speaks up. "I think it's a normal reaction. We all have fears and when we do come across something terrifying, we all try to avoid it. Some people will try to overcome. But not everyone can be like that. We are all different." He said reassuringly as he caressed my cheek, wiping my tears.

"I'm sorry for what happened to you." Then he takes my hand and kisses the back of it.

"It's alright. I really wanted to share this with you."

"I'm glad you did." I gave a little smile and kissed his cheek.

"I see." A familiar voice says behind us. We looked behind and see Mikasa with her arms crossed, smiling.

"Mikasa." I said.

"I misjudged you Mickey." She said. "I thought you would take pity on Eren like everyone else but I was wrong. I'm sorry." Mikasa bows.

"It's that why you have been glaring at me and saying strange things to me?" I asked.

"I was trying to protect Eren from getting hurt. But after seeing and hearing this, I feel bad that I would think you were the same as everyone else. Feeling bad about what happened to him and his family, staying with him because of pity but your words speak truth. And for that I feel relieved."

"Mikasa." I smiled.

"Come on Eren let's go home before dad gets angry." Mikasa says to him as she walks by.

"'Night." He said and gives me a quick kiss. I watched them go down the road, feeling relieved that I found out what was going on in Mikasa'a head. 'She's a great sister.' I thought and turned around to head back to the café.