November, 1944

Winter had fully set in and Annie was worn down by her worries. She needed to know what had come of Armin Arlert, Eren, Mikasa and Ymir. Were they still alive? There was no doubt they would be suffering wherever they were and that thought made Annie wish for death. The young woman was on lockdown since returning to her father, not only was she not allowed to leave her room she was not permitted to talk to anyone either. While the officer was busy working he ensured that one of the young soldiers would be on guard to make sure Fraulein Annie couldn't attempt anything—it was much too early for her to gain back her father's trust. It didn't help that she hadn't spoken to him since the day she stood shamefully in his office, it was quite apparent that he was still too disgusted by her treacherous actions. Deep down, Annie knew that all the grovelling in the world, sincere or not, would most likely be in vain. Her father had never been a trusting man, he was a stoic brute and if she had not been his only daughter, she knew he would have sent a bullet right through her skull. Instead of having her work, he had decided to practically cast her out and feed lies about her being so sickly that she was bedridden, at least to everyone with the exception of the few soldiers who were sent to her home. On occasion, Bertolt Hoover would be stationed on guard at the house and although he was better than some of the others who would scrounge about in the kitchen, smoke, drink and play her father's records on the phonograph, she had been reluctant to even look at the lofty soldier after everything. Despite this, she had acknowledged the fact that she needed someone's help. Annie wasn't going to fool herself into thinking she could manage it alone, as much as she would have preferred to.

The problem was, Bertolt refused to speak. A week prior, he had voiced only that he was under the strictest of orders not to communicate with her. The blonde had scoffed upon hearing this; while she may not have been incarcerated in a cramped cell behind bars, she was a prisoner of sorts.

"I suppose you still resent me," the girl sighed, knowing that he was behind the door that evening. Bertolt's brow twitched into a frown, "You do realise it's pointless following his orders? Everything will fall apart soon and he'll bring you down with him." There was a long pause and Annie could hear the man shuffle on the other side of the door, "I bet you're biting your tongue right about now." her lips twitched up into a smirk when she heard the doorknob turn. As much as she resented opening her own mouth after what happened, especially to Bertolt, she had to. She had resigned herself to do anything for Armin, anything to free him.

Annie's crystal like eyes looked up when she heard the soldier enter the room. Bertolt's eyes were downcast as he stood in the door frame, he was so tall his head was just centimetres shy of skirting the top; "I loved you." his voice was steady but low, Annie remained silent upon hearing the confession. She really didn't want to hear any of this and her eyes turned their attention away from the man to the window where it was sleeting outside, adding a fresh blanket on top of the existing combination of ice, snow and slush. When Annie heard the door close, she cocked her head to the side and faced him once again, "I loved you…I still love you, Annie." The same fire that was present in his eyes in the barn house was back; it looked as if he wasn't defeated just yet despite the hopelessness of it all. But, the words that would dampen the flame in his heart rested on the tip of Annie's tongue.

"I've made myself clear, I don't love you. If you claim to love me, help me escape this hell and allow me to save not only his life, but the others as well."

"You're making a fatal mistake" Bertolt yelled, his long face was morphed by pain and anger.

"This conversation is over." the blonde stated nonchalantly.

Overcome by emotion and tears threatening to spill over his green eyes, Bertolt uttered the words Annie least of all wanted to hear,

"The boy is dead."

The girl's heart dropped into the pit of her stomach and her body went rigid. A ringing in her ears drowned out the sound of the door clicking shut behind the soldier and she stood there, numb to her core before slowly sinking to her knees. She stuffed her burning hot face into her hands and wasn't sure why the news had shocked her. During the little sleep she had had in the last two and half weeks, she had been plagued endlessly by night terrors depicting the devastating outcome Bertolt had just conveyed.

In the next couple of weeks that passed, Annie sank into a depression. The girl felt drained of every drop of joy she had ever experienced and her self-loathing had reached new heights. Yearning to be free of the pain, she had taken the gun from the cabinet on several occasions and pressed the barrel to her temple, but in the end had placed it carefully back inside and returned to her bedroom. The little she had attempted to eat never stayed down and it was almost as if her body was rejecting life, or so she thought. Annie couldn't have cared less, Armin was dead and she no longer had any reason to be alive, all she wanted was to slowly wither away. Thinking back on her life, she came to a realisation that the only reason she had been able to survive before was because she had recoiled into her shell and locked her heart to the world, but now, there was no hope of returning. Her deep depression didn't even stem from the fact Armin was dead, people died all the time after all. It was because Armin was dead because of her. It was her fault. Part of the reason why she hadn't ended her life already was because death was a cowardly escape and as punishment for what she had done, she deserved to see out the rest of her wretched existence. Another reason was because a part of her was still clinging to the tiny shred of hope she had that Armin was still alive; after all, she hadn't seen his body and couldn't fully trust one of her father's underlings, especially not Bertolt with that kind of information.

It was not until the last week of November, pushing six weeks after their capture, that something dawned on the young woman.

I'm late. The revelation struck Annie and she knew that this wasn't just a mere coincidence. I need to find Reiner. She thought, taking in a deep breath and feeling a tingling sensation in the tips of her fingers as the numbness slowly began to fade away.

Mikasa had since lost track of the time. All she knew was that it had been forever since she had seen Eren and for that reason, her sanity was hanging by a thread. The days and nights melted into each other, long and monotonous; the freckled young woman stuck by her side but she couldn't help but feel completely alone. A part of her had resigned herself to the fact that she would probably die, yet another part of her wanted to keep on living, to fight.

It was late in the afternoon and Mikasa was feeling frozen as she shovelled snow, her joints stiff and her fingers blue. The chill had set deep in her bones and it sent her back many years ago to her time on the streets. Back then Levi had come to the rescue and although her life had never been pleasant, it was a hell of a lot better than it was now. The girl's mind wandered off, away from the prison and the work she had to do and she thought of the short Frenchman. She missed him so terribly and dreaded to think what he'd make of her now; that man was stronger than anyone she'd known. He had also been a prisoner once upon a time, but had somehow managed to escape. Mikasa eyed the white grounds of the camp and doom loomed over her once again—there was no way out of the hellhole. Guards and guns patrolled every square inch of the place, preventing her from stepping even a toe out of line, let alone fleeing. Her grey spiritless eyes gazed at her surroundings again and she noticed that everyone looked as wearisome as she felt. Ymir was close by, but the Asian's eyes didn't focus on the taller woman; instead, she found herself staring across the icy grounds to the barbed wire fence that separated the men from the women, which was just five metres or so away from where she was working. She often found herself looking over at the other side with the hope of seeing Eren, but it was hard to differentiate anyone as everyone looked the same with their uniforms and haircuts. Even so, her heart would thump a little harder in anticipation every time, praying to whatever god that she'd catch sight of the boy.

"Oi, Mikasa, stop daydreaming. You don't want to get scolded again by one of the guards." she heard Ymir's voice warn, but Mikasa was only half listening. She eventually reluctantly turned away and her eyes met the snow.

Moments later, she heard the rattle of metal and her head shot up. Mikasa's heart caught in her throat and she dropped the shovel.

"MIKASA!" it was Eren's voice. Eren was there. The girl couldn't help but feel as though she was hallucinating, but he called her name again and it was real. His fingers curled around the wire as he thrashed at the barrier between them.

"E-Eren…?"

"Mikasa!" Ymir hissed, but it was to no avail. The Asian girl ran at a speed she didn't even know she was capable of in her current state.

"Eren!" tears had already begun to stream down her porcelain cheeks, "Eren…"

"Mika…it's okay. I'm here. It's alright." the brunet clutched the steel tighter and it started to cut into his flesh but he seemed to be numb to the pain, only wishing to diminish it and embrace her. It wasn't long before anger flared up inside of the teen, "You've lost weight…"

The Asian noticed tears prickling in the corners of his turquoise eyes but said nothing and looked down, only to notice red droplets staining the white snow below. It was then when she was alerted to the state of his hands, "Eren, your hands…don't…"

"Don't worry about me, Mika." he managed a smile and swallowed away the lump that had formed in his throat, "God, I am so glad to see you…even if it is…like this."

Mikasa raised her hand to meet Eren's and dismissed the sting from the barbed wire as she clasped hold of his hand through the square shaped gap, "We are so close." she spoke quietly, the smallest of smiles etched on her face. "You're alive."

"ACHTUNG! (Attention!)"

Mikasa drew back immediately upon hearing the soldier's order, but Eren's face portrayed his indignation. The animosity he harboured deep within manifested into an angry outburst and by this point, the soldier was right behind him,

"Zurück an die Arbeit, du Stück Scheiße. (Get back to work, piece of shit.)" the man barked but the boy lingered for one second too long,

"We'll see each other again." the corner of Eren's mouth curved upwards in a sad smile while the guard loomed over him with one of the most menacing looks Mikasa had ever seen a man give.

"Was hab ich dir verdammt noch mal gesagt? Zurück an die Arbeit! (What did I fucking tell you!? Get back to work!)" the soldier yanked the boy by the collar, pulling him away from the fence. The boy stupidly writhed free but only to be knocked to the ground as a result.

"Eren!" Mikasa screamed.

"Wer glaubst du zu sein, meinen Anweisungen nicht zu gehorchen? (Who do you think you are to disobey my orders!?)" the guard booted Eren in the ribs, causing the boy to groan in pain. Seemingly getting a kick out of Mikasa's reaction, the guard continued to pound the boy until blood spluttered out of his mouth, staining the snow red.

"Hört auf! Bitte, hört auf! (Stop! Please! Stop!)" Mikasa shouted from the other side of the fence, utterly helpless as she watched the man beat Eren to a pulp.

"Das hast du davon, du wertloses Stück Dreck. (This is what you get, piece of shit.)" he snarled, the look in his eye was totally evil.

"Argh…" Eren groaned and tried to stand, but the soldier knocked him straight back down.

"Eren…" Mikasa whimpered at the sight of the battered boy, but when she caught the eye of the soldier and saw his devilish grin, darkness swept over her own face and she impulsively thrashed against the fence. "Tut ihm nicht weh! (Don't hurt him!)" she demanded and Eren cried out once again as he was kneed in the face.

The soldier then smirked, brought the boy to his feet and pulled him away from the fence. Mikasa watched as he released him with a push and Eren stumbled to the ground in pain. A firm hand on her own shoulder distracted her from the scene and she too was led away and forced back to the labour she had discarded.

"You were let off lightly." Ymir murmured under her breath,

"That man will pay." was all Mikasa had to say. Tears rolled silently down her cheeks and Ymir noticed how her entire body trembled, but it was no longer from the cold but instead an uncontrollable fury that shook her to her very core.

It was nightfall and Annie's plan was already set into motion. Whoever it was downstairs had since fallen asleep at the kitchen table, not that it mattered either way as the girl had grabbed the gun from the cabinet and wasn't afraid to use it if it came to it. Unfortunately for her, the doors were locked, which meant she had to climb out of window in order to escape. Decked in a headscarf that secured in a tight knot under her chin, her thick winter coat and underneath her uniform—a precaution in case anyone saw her floating about and thought of it as suspicious, she made her way over to the soldier's barracks where Reiner Braun was currently living. There was now no turning back, no matter what the outcome; in her current condition, she knew she wouldn't be able to stay with her father. The blonde gave the door a fierce knock and waited for his response.

"Annie!?" Reiner gaped, unable to mask his surprise, "What are you—?"

"Be quiet." Annie quickly cut him off, "let me in." she continued in a low tone.

The broad soldier stepped back and invited the small woman inside. He led her through to his room and Annie removed the scarf from her head in the meantime, revealing her platinum locks.

"If your father knew you were here—" he started, but Annie wasn't in the mood.

"I need your help, Reiner." her face held a serious yet somewhat calm expression, despite the circumstances. The brawny soldier audibly swallowed and blinked several times, before answering,

"Well that depends, Fraulein Annie. And considering your position, I doubt I can be of any help." Reiner spoke firmly, "You know the severity of your actions and you must deal with the consequences." he folded his arms across his chest and straightened himself out, as if trying to assert his power over her.

Annie wasn't taking no for an answer, that much was evident as she whipped out the handgun from her coat pocket and pointed it in the soldier's direction, "Is Armin alive?" her voice cracked a little as she spoke his name, and her heart thrashed as she awaited an answer.

Reiner's eyes widened and he held up his hands rather quickly in response to the girl's threat, there was a long pause and then finally, he released a long drawn out breath, looked her dead in the eye and told her the truth, "Yes," he sounded exasperated, "He's alive."

The woman closed her eyes for a brief moment and let out a shaky breath of her own, but her hand remained firm as she continued to hold the gun between her fingers. Reiner's eyes moved from the weapon to Annie and back again, "You wouldn't kill me." he almost laughed but abruptly stopped when he saw the fierce look in Annie's piercing blue eyes.

"Try me." she rebutted and thrust the gun forward so that the barrel was now brushing against his chest.

"You can't be serious…" Reiner's confidence was wavering as the girl showed no signs of letting up. Silence filled the air once more before Annie confessed the true reason why she had come to seek his help.

"I'm carrying his child."

Reiner's brows knitted together in confusion and there was several moments before he said anything, "What!? How…?" he finally uttered.

Annie sighed and lowered the gun after noticing how the young man's golden coloured eyes softened somewhat, "How do you think?" she deadpanned.

Reiner placed a hand to the back of his neck awkwardly, "Right," he paused again, "Are you sure?"

"Positive. I wouldn't have come to you otherwise."

The beefy man ran a hand through his short blond hair and sighed, "If," he began, "If I help you…I'd also be a traitor. I wouldn't be let off the hook like you, because I don't have the privilege of daddy being in charge. I'd be shot. You realise that, right?"

"It's the right thing to do, I know you know it." Reiner grunted in response. "You made an exception for that girl back at the cottage. I know you did." the blonde added and watched Reiner's expression turn meek.

"She was young and scared…" he trailed off.

"I can't do this without you." there was a strong sense of urgency in the girl's voice and it wasn't hard to see how desperate and in need she was. Reiner couldn't think of a time he'd ever seen the young woman so vulnerable and he knew that this boy must have meant a lot more to her than he had ever realised. Perhaps he had never known the real Annie Leonhart.

A minute or so passed while the soldier battled with himself internally and contemplated. He was terribly conflicted and was finding it difficult deciding what he should do. Annie stood and waited, her fingers still clutching around the gun in her right hand. The brawny soldier let out one final sigh and after drawing a deep breath he spoke,

"Alright."

"Thank you." Annie declared and immediately slipped the weapon back into her coat pocket.

"What do you want me to do?" he was resolute, Annie could tell by the tone of his voice and the look that shone in his eyes.

"First, we'll head back to the cottage near the town of Mittenwald. We'll get Krista and come back here. We then free Ymir, Armin and his friends Eren and Mikasa."

"How do you suppose we're going to do that?"

"We'll find a way. They need us to."