Alright, so this chapter is basically a connecting one - nothing major happens. I'm not planning to let everything be happy yet, still a few hurdles along the way.
To say that Levi was antsy is an understatement - as soon as he received the call, Petra had to wrestle from his hands the car keys, since he had to try at least twice just to enter them in the ignition.
They've found her, they've found her...finally!
Currently Levi and Petra are sitting in the waiting room, the man's knee bouncing up and down, waiting for Mikasa - God, I can't believe that this is happening...
The doors open, revealing an officer, who takes notice of them and jogs over to the couple - "Levi Ackerman, I presume? Sorry for the wait, we just had to notify of the rescue, to the higher ups, so now we're just getting everything ready - they're just asking her a couple questions, making sure she's ok, and then she'll come with you." At the excited face of the couple, the officer inhales, hating what he has to say next.
"I have to warn you - she was trapped in that place for years, so she won't be immediately ready to have normal interactions like you may remember - it's going to take some time, and please be respectful of her space, and don't over stress her, ok?"
Levi had stopped listening to the cop the moment he had seen the face of his sister - she changed from what he remembers - Of course you dumbass...more than a decade passed!
But he could still recognise her anywhere - his sister was alive, and coming back with him - he almost wants to cry, but he promised himself that he would hold himself together.
That promise gets broken the moment that Mikasa passes through the door, tears falling down his face and running towards her, stopping just before giving her the biggest hug of her life, noticing her scared expression.
He waits for her to recognise him, but all she does is lowering her head, making herself appear smaller - it is one of the most painful things Levi had ever experienced.
"Mik...it's me! It's Levi! Your brother...don't you-"
As if a light has been turned on in Mikasa's brain, the mention of his name makes her rush into him, hugging him tightly, with both siblings crying their eyes out, neither one wanting to let go of the other.
"I thought that I was going to be there forever...I wanted to die...I-I never thought I was going to be able to see you again..." Mikasa utters, slightly garbled from the sobbing, hugging Levi stronger with every word, wanting to reassure herself that this is in fact real and not a dream.
Levi only holds her tighter, whispering in her ear - "Now you're here, that's what's important, you're finally going home", weeping as well.
"Mikasa...do you remember me?", a slightly sniffling Petra asks, one hand going to rest on Mikasa's shoulder, retrieving it immediately once she sees the flinch in her body - "Petra...you're still here..." - Mikasa feels like she has cried continually for years, but for once she doesn't want to stop - she's finally free from that hell.
"We should talk, Mr Ackerman - there's going to be a trial, and Mikasa will likely be called as a witness - you should prepare yourself to see those people again", the officer says, looking at Mikasa for that last part. "But it's possible that it's going to take a while, so you have time to get better"
"Thank you so much for your help, officer"
"Don't mention it - it was a raid, we were scouting that place for months, noticing strange activity - so we finally had permission to breach. Everyone is happy that this is done"
The trio finally has received permission to leave, after making sure that Levi and Petra understood exactly the state of Mikasa's mental status - although she is beyond happy, she still has that same response to loud noises, and tries her best to avoid any contact with strangers, putting herself between Levi and Petra, their comforting presence allievating the stress.
"Mik? Now we're going to go to Mrs Jeager's house, is that ok? I'm sure they are both eating their nails from the wait"
Mikasa's barely looks up, slightly turning her head towards her brother - "B-both?".
Levi smacks himself for forgetting such a detail - "Oh yeah! I forgot! I'm dumb, sorry - Eren is going to be there"
Eren hasn't moved from the living room, sitting on the couch after helping his mother clear the table - it's as if he's a kid again, waiting for santa claus to appear so that presents will be there for him to open - it's a weird feeling when he thinks about how now, he's waiting for Mikasa, after more than a decade apart.
"Eren? You ok?" Carla asks, wondering what exactly his facial expression means - Carla was waiting as well, disguising her impatience at seeing the girl again with cleaning everything in sight - "Eren, why don't you help me clean? It will help you think of something else and also Mikasa will be in a tidier place, how about it?"
She's surprised at how fast he starts grabbing the broom and sweeping the floor, seemingly almost on a mission. But the cleaning stops once they other hear the rumbling of a car, both going to the window to see outside, and as soon as they see Levi's car, they are almost launching themselves to open the door.
Eren is the first one out, looking in the car, and seeing her - She...she's here...god she's changed...I almost don't recognise her, he thinks - both mother and son watch as Petra is talking softly in Mikasa's ear, eyes sometimes looking up towards them.
Levi exits the car, closing the door as slow as possible, and then motioning for the duo to follow him, leading them away from the car - "So. She's kind of ok - apparently she was kidnapped and...and-" Levi doesn't manage to finish the sentence, his hand closing into a tight fist to stop himself from crying. "She was kidnapped. Let's leave it at that - and now due to that she's extremely afraid of , well, basically everyone"
Levi can see the hurt on their faces, shock clearly taking over them. "It will probably take a couple of seconds for her to remember you -" he turns to Eren completely, a serious look on his face - "Don't shout, or raise your voice in any way - we want her to remain calm - got it?" he finishes, dropping the pretense that he wasn't only addressing Eren.
Before any of them can answer, they hear a car door open, and some soft footsteps, not moving too far away from the car, waiting for the other person to join them. Mikasa is hunched over, head lowered, arms wrapped around her stomach - after some convincing from Petra, she raises her head and looks at the 2 figures standing near Levi.
For a while, nothing happens - Eren is basically using all of his willpower to not run at her and hug her with all he has, knowing that Levi will drop kick him into next century - then, Mikasa opens her mouth, and whispers, almost too soft for anyone to hear - "C-Carla?" . The woman, after sneaking a glance at Petra for confirmation, walks over the girl, who starts crying at seeing her, she now realises, closest thing to a mother figure she has. Carla doesn't waste time to hug the girl, protecting her with her arms, and letting her cry on her shoulder, kissing her head and whispering soothing words. "It's ok now...you're safe...you're really here, this is real..."
Levi nudges Eren with his shoes, motioning at him to go, moving his head towards Mikasa with a brisk nod. "M-Mik? Uh- I'm getting closer, ok?", he warns, imagining the she must be in her little world right now, not wanting to spook her. The raven lifts her head from Carla's shoulder, weeping tears, and Carla detaches herself from the hug, giving the 2 friends room.
"Mik...it's...it's me! Eren...do you- do you recognise me?"
The girl seems to be having an internal conflict going on, tears streaming down her face, hands fiddling with each other, moving from one finger to the other in a continuous loop - Is it really him...she looks past the boy, looking directly at Levi, who only smiles and nods his head.
Eren is now basically in front of her, still very wary of not doing anything that will stress the girl - "Mikasa...do you"- before he can mamage to finish the sentence, Mikasa bring herself to close the distance between them, releasing a loud sob and hugs him, one arm over his shoulder and circling back to the other side, and the other underneath, gripping his back, finding herself having to slightly stand on her toes. Eren at first doesn't know how to react, his brain seeming to work slow, experiencing everything in slow motion. He forces himself to move his arms, reciprocating the gesture, still unsure of it. The moment both arms are around her, though, like a grenade going off in his brain, he puts more strength in the hug, him too openly and quite loudly crying for finding his best friend again.
She's here again! She's here!
The trio is looking at the touching moment, barely holding in tears, happy that those two are finally able to see and hold each other again
Everyone is inside the house, now, happier than they've ever been for these past years, but not explicitly showing it, still showing restraints around Mikasa. After they got in the house, Carla was quick to set aside a spot for the girl, who, after seeing and smelling the remaining food, quickly asked Levi if she was allowed to eat, Carla again taking over and basically cooking her a full meal.
That particular choice of words is burned into everyone's memory, Levi quickly excusing himself after hearing it to go out and just kick at the walls, making sure that his sister couldn't see.
They broke her so much that she had to ask her brother if she was allowed to eat? ALLOWED?
Levi just now realises how much they would need to help her to get "normal" again, and winces at the thought - me and Eren are sure to be the front runners for this, but we both aren't the best persons for the job, very clearly - just how much help do we need from Petra and Carla?
After letting loose some anger, Levi makes his way back inside, noticing with a smile how Mikasa and Eren are basically attached at the hips, even though there's not much communication going on between them. Mikasa is still eating, basically scarfing down every morsel of food she can get her hands on.
There's so much I want to ask her, Levi thinks, ultimately deciding to not bother her for the time being - instead just letting her feel safe. "Mik...do you want to see again our old classmates? I'm sure they'll love to see you!" Eren offers, ready to bring this situation back to normal - he's also happy that he feels like he can begin to have a healthy relationship with them - truth is, he misses them like crazy. Mikasa stops eating, the thought of meeting more people quickly making her anxious, and it shows on her face right after - "Maybe it's better if for a few days we let her rest fully - if Mikasa wants, you can tell them, but don't organise anything without talking about it first, ok?"
Levi stares down the brunette, him feeling disappointed but also understanding the reasoning behind, which Levi appreciates. Eren turns to Mikasa, carefully approaching the question -"What do you say, Mik? Do you want me to tell them?", he asks, a small smile on his face. The raven looks at him, trying to remember their names and faces, but, after a few seconds, gives up on that - They'll come back to me eventually, she thinks, and then manages a small nod, almost too little to be seen.
Eren releases a soft chuckle, already imagining how their friends would react to the news, and moves to get his phone, eager to start the conversation with them.
Petra looks at the girl, noticing how she's trying to stay awake, her eyes blinking rapidly , and turns to Levi, catching his attention - "Maybe now we should go home, I'm sure Mikasa wants to get a good night's sleep, uh?", she finishes while looking at the raven, waiting for her reaction.
"C-can I? Do I have to do something? I-I'll do it! I'll clean! O-or, I'll-" Mikasa starts talking, not sure who she's supposed to ask, so looking at everyone, switching between them every couple of seconds, before Levi stops her putting a hand on hers, "You don't have to do anything." He finishes, trying to not show how angry he is - I want to kill those bastards...
Eren, still flabbergasted by her response, can only look at the girl, wondering where the old Mikasa was, or if she's there at all... He doesn't like that last thought, so he archives it, not wanting to dwell on it longer than that. "Levi? Can I come with?", he asks, wanting to spend more time with the raven, trying to get her to open up more. Levi at first doesn't answer, still thinking if it would be a good idea or not - After all they've known each other basically forever, and it could be somewhat beneficial to Mik...
Mikasa doesn't say anything, her head pointing down, sure that they're going to make her do something, cleaning, or something worse - she met her fair share of sick people with weird fantasies. Don't get your hopes up - if you want to stay in this world, you have to work for it.
"Eren, maybe it's better if you don't go - let her acclimatise at her own pace, ok?" Carla's voice breaks through, interrupting the silence building up - "But this way it would happen faster! I don't want her to feel scared anymore! I mean, look at her! She's basically trembling!" - the girl in question just stares down at the table, uncomfortable with the sudden attention on her - memories of her being ignored until those people wanted her to serve someone come back in a rush, making her take in deep breaths, in order to calm her racing mind.
"Eren -" Levi interjects, eyes almost burning a hole in the brunette's one's -" Don't raise your voice. I told you that", he stops, sneaking a glance at Mikasa, checking if she's getting agitated, which, to her credit, she was trying to hide it from them. But is it because she too wants to get better or because she thinks we're going to hurt her... Eren grits his teeth, wanting to snap back at the shorter guy, but stops himself once he sees the unfocused eyes of the girl, looking down at the table.
Petra and Carla take charge, noticing how the mood is quickly shifting towards panic on one side and anger on the other, Petra sitting next to Mikasa, rubbing her back, and Carla staring daggers at the two men, motioning them to come in the kitchen.
Once in there, the woman starts talking in a hushed voice, not wanting to stress Mikasa by talking too loudly.
"Eren. I know you want to stay with her - believe me, I want that too - and we all want her to get better. But pushing her to experience new things isn't the way to do it, especially if she was just rescued today : she's tired and probably wants to sleep." the woman notes, then quickly turning to Levi -" Levi. She needs you right now to stay calm - just because you're acting stoicly doesn't mean that other people won't get anything from you - your default expression is kind of angry. Smile more"
The trio is in silence, still listening to Petra whispering soothing words to the raven.
"We all want her to get better - getting on each other's nerves isn't helping" she finishes, letting out a deep sigh.
After some convincing, Eren relented and agreed to stay at home, even if it was basically forced on him. After noticing that Mikasa didn't have a phone, Eren quickly grabbed one of his old ones, and inserted everyone's number in - "If at any point you feel stressed, call me, ok?". The girl doesn't respond, still wondering if they are really letting her have a phone - somehow sensing her doubt, Eren pushes the phone towards her, merely saying "You can have it - it's yours now"
After saying their goodbyes, Carla and Eren watch as the trio drives home. They don't move from their spot until the car is no longer visible.
"You ok, Eren?" Carla asks, seeing the pained expression on her boy's face. Eren takes a couple of seconds to answer -"Did you see how she reacted? Like it was weird that she was allowed to have things...just what did they do to her..."
"It's going to take some time for her to adjust - the best thing you can do for her is simply being there. I know all you want to do is go back to and see her and talk to her, but she isn't the Mikasa you used to know"
Carla can clearly see the pain in Eren's eyes, and she follows him inside, where he starts clearing the table. "Why don't you go rest as well? I'm thinking that you want to talk with Armin about this" - Eren looks up, eyebrows raised -"You sure? I can clean up, it's no problem - you did most of the stuff today after all"
"I'm sure Eren - go on, now, go!"
Eren rushes upstairs, closing the door of his room behind him - while Levi did pay him, it wasn't nearly enough to get himself a place, but that situation was common along his friends as well. How long ago did I call him first...oh well, better late than never I guess
Beep...beep...beep...
"Hey Eren! How are you? Everything ok?" - Armin's voice replaces the beeps of the line
"Everything is ok, and I have some news -"
"You finally got yourself a job? That's great dude! Man Jean is going to be-"
"That's not it - it's about...it's about Mikasa"
The line goes silent with neither of the boys speaking, both waiting for confirmation from the other that the line is still active
"What...what news"
Eren can hear his friend preparing himself for the worst, and he can't help but to let a small smile escape his lips, when he thinks about the reaction that Armin will have.
"They found her" - before Eren can continue with the explanation, he hears Armin let out a gasp, along some shuffling noises, the blonde kid apparently rushing downstairs, steps ringing loudly -" WHAT? HOW? WHEN?"
"The police called Levi a few hours ago, and so he went and, well, got her back..."
"Is she ok? What happened to her? Dude it's been more than a decade!"
"Well, she's not exactly ok...I hardly recognised when I first saw her...it was brutal seeing her...she was obviously underfed..."
"Ok, we have to meet up soon, I don't want to have this conversation over the phone...is it ok if we pop over real soon?"
"She's not here anymore, Armin. She went home with Levi like 10 minutes ago...and who's we?"
"A, we'd still like to come and talk to you, and B, we as in Sasha, Connie and Jean"
After they graduated college, Armin, Sadha, Connie and Eren remained friends, the trio trying to help Eren out - even after he closed himself, they still tried to at least talk to him, Armin being more successful at it than the other two. In college , they met new people, and to Eren's credit, he did try and get along with them, managing to at least be in a cordial relationship.
"Look, I'd like that...but Mikasa just came back...and I'm not really in the mood to do something else right now...it was weird Armin - she isn't the way she was."
"Listen. Normally I'd respect your choice, but right now I'm putting my foot down, Eren. If she went home, right now there's nothing you can do even if you wanted to. We're coming - end of discussion. We'll be there in 10"
For the entire drive home Mikasa was silent, staring out the window, sometimes recognising streets or buildings that she used to pass as a kid. It was a weird feeling to see how basically nothing changed, except for a few more shops appearing - it came as a surprise to her when they stopped in front of an apartment complex, Mikasa's expression turning perplexed, until Levi explained that that's where he and Petra lived now. She didn't think that they wouldn't go to their family's home, but after mulling over it, she didn't want to step foot in that house. Not yet.
They're inside now, Mikasa curled up on the small sofa, covered by a blanket that Petra gave her, sleeping.
Levi looks at her, before turning to Petra, who is talking to her parents about Mikasa's reappearance.
"Sure, I'll tell him you said hi. Bye mom!"
Petra walks next to the man, softly putting her head on his shoulder - "We should probably wake her in a while, so she can sleep in a proper bed", she whispers, not wanting to wake Mikasa.
"Yeah, I know...but she seems so peaceful right now, it's almost a shame to wake her..." - Levi turns towards Petra -"Are you sure that you're ok to sleep on the sofa? It's not the most comfortable thing to sleep on"
Petra smiles at her boyfriend's thoughtfulness, before replying -" Don't worry shortstack, it's better than the ground - I should be asking you that question"
A few seconds pass, both looking at the sleeping girl in front of them.
"Levi - I know that this is going to be hard, and that Carla already told you to be better or whatever - and while that is all correct, you have to give yourself some leeway - this is a new situation for all of us. Give yourself time to get better at it just the same way you're giving Mikasa time to get better"