"She's awake!"

It was the first thing that she heard from an overly excited voice. It must have been Sasha's. She felt warm fingers catching her own. She was lying down. A soft mattress laid beneath her. Her soft pillows supported her head just right. She wasn't wearing her glasses. Levi had probably taken them off for her. Her headache returned and shot through her forehead. Nathalie winced. She didn't dare to open her eyes. Her free hand reached for her forehead. She rubbed gently.

"Nat?"

She finally allowed the sunlight to penetrate her eyelids. It was still morning, so, she guessed she hadn't passed out for long. She looked at her kids. Connie and Sasha were sitting on both sides of the bed around her. Jean was sitting beside Connie on the left side. Eren, Mikasa and Armin were standing no further away, staring down at her worriedly. They all had worried looks.

"I'll go tell the Captain!" Eren offered and he rushed out of the room.

"Hey, Nat, how are you… how are you feeling?" Jean asked worriedly.

Despite the pain, Nathalie gave him a smile. She didn't know whether Levi had told them. Maybe he had. Or maybe he hadn't. She was still going to try and hide it though. She didn't want to get the same reaction from them that she got from Historia. It was heartbreaking.

"I'm alright, Jeanie," She said, but she could still tell she wasn't convincing him. She forced out a chuckle. "Don't worry," She turned at Connie. He was the one holding her hand, sitting beside her on the bed with Sasha. He had a worried look on his face. "Connie…" her fingers gave his own a gentle squeeze. "…you shouldn't be here. You should be with your mom,"

Connie gave her a nervous smile. "Mom's gonna be alright… thanks to you… but you-" Connie couldn't bring himself to say it. He just looked away from her and he sucked in a deep breath. It only fuelled his need to cry a little more. "I guess I… I can't have two moms at once, can I?"

Pain. It wasn't the headache. It was emotional pain, and it hurt more than anything else she had ever felt. The way Connie's voice trembled and he let go of her hand and he buried his face in his hands. Sasha let out an exclamation. She climbed on the bed. She didn't care whether the Captain was going to scold her for climbing on his side of the bed. Sasha buried her face in Nathalie's neck and she started crying.

"I don't want you to die!" Sasha wept against her neck and Nathalie's hand reached for the girl's hair, caressing weakly.

Jean gritted his teeth. "You're dying, and you didn't tell us?! How could you keep this from us?!" He was trying his best to turn the sadness into anger. He was trying his best to keep a straight face.

"I'm so sorry, kids…" Nathalie tried her best not to start crying. But she couldn't help it. Not when Sasha clutched on her like this. "…this is exactly what I was trying to prevent,"

"Screw that," Mikasa growled. "We had a right to know,"

"You're important to us too, you know," Armin added.

Levi and Eren walked in and everybody tensed up. Connie immediately wiped his tears and Sasha pulled away immediately. "I'm so sorry, sir! I'll clean off the bedsheets myself if you-"

"It's alright, Sasha. At ease," Levi cut her and Sasha sighed in relief. He hated it just as much as Nathalie did. That was exactly why they both had agreed to not tell their brats about it. They didn't have to know. They didn't have to be the mess that they all were now. He tried his best to ignore it, and he approached her. Levi dropped on one knee beside the bed, coming to her level. His hand reached for her cheek, cupping gently. He wiped her tears with his thumb. His eyes, soft, as he looked at her. "Are you feeling any better?"

Nathalie sighed heavily. Her eyes shined with tears. "I'm trying,"

Levi sighed. He hated watching her like this. He stood back up and he turned at his brats. "Everybody, stop crying. Hange said she figured this out,"

Nathalie's eyes widened. Sasha pulled her head off her chest, Connie stopped crying. Armin gasped. "Wait… you're saying she figured out how to stop the braincells' degradation?" Armin asked. Eyes widened in surprise.

"No way," Nathalie said. "We don't have the technology and knowledge for that,"

"But you do, don't you? Those labs beneath the Royal Palace's Catacombs?" Jean asked confusedly.

"Calm down," Levi drew their attention. "She didn't say what it is that she figured out. She set off with Moblit right away. They should be back any minute-"

"LEVIIIIIII! I BROUGHT THE GOODIESSSSS!"

Hange's voice came from downstairs. She sounded excited. Hers and Moblit's footsteps could be heard as the two of them rushed upstairs and barged into the room. Hange pulled a syringe out of her bag, with an all too familiar liquid.

"My partner in science is finally awake!" Hange rushed over to Nathalie and she caught her hand. "No worries, sweetheart. Your big sis Hange's got you,"

"What's in that syringe?" Levi asked.

"It's the serum really! It's supposed to heal all wounds and restore all damaged cells, right?" Hange answered and Nathalie's eyes widened. She couldn't believe she hadn't thought of that. "Three millilitres of Eren's purified TSF, and seven millilitres of Mrs. Springer's TSF,"

Connie gasped and Hange turned at the young boy placing a hand on his shoulder.

"That's right, young man! Your mommas are saving each other," Hange turned excitedly at Nathalie and she gathered her friend's sleeve over her elbow. "Now, now, that's going to replace and heal all damaged tissue, and that's including braincells, right?"

Nathalie tried her best not to start crying again. Oh boy, she was crying all the time lately. I'm so damn sensitive. But Hange was saving her life right now. "Hange… you're a genius," Nathalie said gratefully as she watched Hange injecting her with the serum and she chuckled.

"I know," Hange smirked. "But I shouldn't get all the praise. If it weren't for Moblit, I wouldn't have figured this out," She admitted.

Levi found himself almost smiling. Why shouldn't he? Nathalie… His Nathalie was going to be okay. He was indebted to Hange and Moblit indefinitely. He placed a hand on Moblit's shoulder, who was just standing there with a smile on his face.

"Moblit, Hange… we owe you two," Levi said.

Moblit chuckled and he gave Levi a smile. "Don't mention it, Captain Levi,"

"Just Levi," Levi almost returned the smile. "Let's grab a drink sometime," He suggested and before he could get an answer from his comrade, he turned around and set off to walk back downstairs. "I'll get you two some tea,"

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"So, like… Nat's gonna be okay now?" Connie asked confusedly and Hange nodded.

They had all gathered in the dining room, with their cups of tea served right in front of them on the large wooden desk. Nathalie seemed livelier than she had been the past few days. Her blue eyes were once again shining bright, and her lips were almost curled into a smile almost in the entirety of their long conversations. Levi wasn't speaking. He was just staring at her. He was just being reminded of how much he had missed the feeling of knowing that she was safe. That she was going to live. That they were going to have the life that they had dreamt of. A massive burden had been lifted off his shoulders. He owed Hange and Moblit a great deal.

"Yes, don't you feel any better?" Hange turned at Nathalie and Nathalie gave her a wide smile and she nodded.

"Yeah, thanks to you two,"

"I'd suggest that you keep taking dosages of that serum for -let's say- once per two months. Or three, if you're avoiding to recall memories that might damage braincells again," Moblit suggested and Hange nodded.

"Yeah, Mobby's right, I'd still suggest you avoid doing it. We don't know yet what kind of side-effects this serum may have if administered to one person more than a few times," Hange said and she turned at Nathalie. "You also better go to a doctor. Have them run a few tests on you, just to be sure,"

Nathalie nodded. It made sense. "Alright,"

"I'll take you," Levi said and she opened her mouth to object, but he cut her. "There's no way I'm letting you ride on a horse on your own after going through this,"

There was no way she could convince him to give her the permission to go on her own. Nathalie gave him a smile, and she ignored it. He was just worried. And he had a point. "Okay, darling," Then she turned at their brats who were enjoying their Captain's tea. "But let's leave that for the afternoon. Our brats are due for some training,"

Everybody groaned.

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He couldn't say he liked it, but Nathalie trusted that particular gynaecologist, and he should probably trust him too. Still, leaving his wife with a man in the same room without him being there -even if that man was just a doctor- it brought a slight unease in his stomach.

Levi only frowned once more, but he walked out of the room anyway. They had taken an enough large sample of her blood, to run tests and check out her health. All results seemed good for now, but Levi and Nathalie decided they'd check up on one more thing since they were still there.

It was night. The sun had finally fully hidden behind the mountains of the horizon, and darkness had started to fall. The people had started leaving from the hospital to retreat back in their homes for the day, so when Levi walked out of the room, the hall was almost empty.

But his attention fell on one person that he wasn't expecting to find there. Erwin. Levi clicked his tongue in utter displeasure. It was all that bastard's fault and nothing could change Levi's mind on the subject. He remembered when he gave the order to his Nathalie.

"It's not all so bad about titans being people…" Nathalie said. "…if humans can turn into titans then there must be some way for titans to turn back into humans,"

"If you and Hange could make it happen we… we could end this… You need to figure this out,"

He couldn't deny it. What Nathalie had figured out was huge and Erwin was right. With a serum that can turn their enemies back into humans, they could capture a titan, and that titan could teach them so much about the outside world. They could indeed end this. They could end it all. But he didn't want Nathalie to pay with her life for their freedom. He couldn't care less about the rest of the world. All that Levi cared about was her. His wife. His Nathalie. His everything. If he lost her, then he didn't know what he would do.

Erwin was still there though. Sitting on a chair outside her room and when he noticed Levi approaching, he stood up right away. His blue eyes were wide in worry. It was only just a few times that Levi had seen that man worried.

"How is she?" It was the first thing that Erwin asked.

"Alive," Levi answered dryly.

Erwin's shoulders relaxed and he let out a sigh of relief. He sat back down on his chair and Levi rested back on the wall. He crossed his hands against his chest, and chose to say nothing more. Erwin didn't need to know anything more. If Levi could let him wallow in worry, then that's exactly what he was going to do. Although, he doubted that man was actually worried.

"Oi," Levi caught his Commander's attention. "Why are you still here? You should be back in HQ,"

"I'm just… worried," Erwin pressed his elbows on his lap and he stared down on the white marbled floor.

Levi clicked his tongue. "Worried, huh?" He said doubtingly.

"Yes. Today when I saw you taking her away…" Erwin sighed deeply as he ran a hand over his hair and he turned and looked at his comrade. "Hange said she figured it out," He chuckled. "Thank goodness,"

"Cut the bullshit, Erwin," Levi growled. He didn't give a fuck whether that man he was his superior. They were out of duty at the moment. He was not his Commander right now. "You're not worried. If you were, you would have never given her the damn order to do it in the first place,"

"I never thought it'd get this far,"

"Even if you did, what were you going to do? Push her to her limits? See how close you can take her to her death without actually killing her?" Levi said, trying his best to keep himself from punching that man across the face. He had been keeping this in for a while. "You don't love her, Erwin. You don't love anybody. You only like her because of how close she can take you to your dreams,"

Erwin parted his lips to speak, but the door opened, and they both jumped on their feet and they turned at the doctor who walked out of her room. The doctor gasped upon seeing the Commander of the Survey Corps there. "Commander Erwin, Captain Levi," He greeted them both with a smile and he tucked his hands in the pockets of his lab-coat. He turned at Levi. "You and your wife are ready to go, sir. She insisted to let you know herself. I checked on the other test results. Everything seems to be normal. There's absolutely nothing to worry about,"

Levi and Erwin both sighed in relief. Levi nodded. "Thank you, Dr. Clifford,"

"Anytime, sir," The doctor turned at Erwin. "Commander," He greeted the man before he walked down the hall to tend to other patients.

Levi walked in and he closed the door behind. Nathalie was putting on her boots, sitting by the edge of the bed. She turned and gave her husband a smile. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I'm not pregnant," She informed him and Levi just chuckled.

He caught her other boot, and he knelt in front of her. He took her foot in his hand and he put on her boot for her. "Yet," He said and he stood back up. He cupped her cheek and he pressed a gentle peck on her lips. She giggled and their eyes met. She had that lively smile on her face. Her eyes stared lovingly back at his own. "You've no idea how fucking relieved I am that you're okay," He said softly.

Nathalie turned her face and gave his palm a kiss. "Me too," She stood up on her feet. "Let's go home," Levi nodded and the two of them walked out of the room, only to find Erwin there. Nathalie's eyes widened. She almost cowered behind Levi but she stopped herself right away.

"I'm pleased to hear you're alright," Erwin said with a kind smile on his lips.

Nathalie forced a smile and looked up at her Commander. "T- Thank you, sir,"

Levi noticed her hesitation. The slight way her fingers tightened around his own. He frowned. Erwin was making her uncomfortable. "If you would excuse us, my wife needs rest," Levi said dryly.

"Of course," Erwin said and he moved out of the way.

The couple walked past him, nodding goodnight, and once they were further down the hall, Levi scooped her up in his arms. Nathalie let out a yelp at the sudden movement. Her hands slipped around his neck right away and she giggled. A small smile spread across his lips as he carried her out of the large building. Nathalie buried her face in his chest and she grinned.

"You know, I can very much walk on my own, right?"

"There's nothing wrong with a man wanting to spoil his wife,"