WARNING: Rated 'M' for slight sexual situations.

Standing with one's back to the wall was never really comfortable for long stretches of time. But if Leonhart's crystal prison was anything to go on Sierra figured it wouldn't take much for the two inside that cell to conclude it was a waste of time. The traitor wouldn't be emerging anytime soon, and vital information that could be used to help humanity was going to take even longer to acquire. She had a feeling a lot more lives were going to be lost in that search but in any survival situation, you did what you had to do.

She sighed, leaning her head against the cool bricks. Guess we're doin' this the hard way. Yippee.

Sierra let her mind wander to an event just over a year prior to the 57th Expedition. It was one of her rare visits to the old castle that lasted three months. Considering the fair amount of men living there, it felt like a lifetime. But good, sweet lil' Petra Ral had practically begged on hands and knees for her to extend her visit.

The rest of the Levi Squad stood a respectful distance off while the tiny female petitioned her, the infamous Titan Ripper-Humanity's Deadliest-to stay over her usual two to three days.

"But Major doesn't it get lonely over at the barracks by yourself?"

"Nope. As long as I stay out of sight, they don't care what I do."

She remembered tears pricking the corner of Ral's large amber eyes that made her look like an innocent 12 year old girl instead of a deadly killer. Well, if you went by team standards she had a semi-decent kill count. The problem was Levi. He seemed more interested in having her run errands and play nurse to the wounded and dying than letting her slaughter titans.

It figured. Can't have the woman he loved putting her pretty self in harm's way now, could she? Nope. Stay back honey. Let the men do the heavy lifting. Go play nurse to that soldier and ya won't get yer clothes dirty.

Sierra snorted at the memory. God help that shrimp if he tries somethin' like that on me.

To this day, the short woman still couldn't figure out why she agreed to Ral's begging. It made no actual sense.

"Please stay longer Major!" The ginger clasped her slender hands in front of her chest. "I promise this is the only thing I'll ask of you. The men won't bother you and you'll have the whole castle to yourself." When the younger woman didn't respond right away she thought she'd pushed too hard.

Releasing an annoyed sigh, Sierra started walking toward the castle door. Thinking her superior was going to pack her things Ral caught her sleeve.

"Please!"

She shot the petite woman a sideways glance. "If I get a room with a big ass window, will that shut you up?" She yanked her arm free and continued on her way, ignoring the puzzled "Huh?" that escaped from Ral's mouth.

Petra couldn't believe her ears. Did the Major really say yes?

She shot her squad a frantic look.

"Eh?"

Her eyes flew to Levi standing across the courtyard with the others. He met her gaze and nodded once to confirm.

An enourmous smile split her face.

Sierra just reached the front door when she heard Ral's joyful shouts reverberate across the courtyard and beyond it, echoing in her ears.

Sheesh. I'm just staying LONGER. She don't need to hype out over it.

Her suspicions about the two being romantically involved was solidified one cool, clear night. During the tail end of her stay, she'd woken out of a troubled sleep plagued by nightmares. The moon was full and the stars were bright pinpricks of light. Sliding her legs over the side of her bed, Sierra grabbed a light robe, pulling it over her sleep wear consisting of a simple pair of black shorts and shirt. Careful not to disturb the castle's quiet she eased her door open, which was only three doors down from Levi's room.

How convenient.

She tiptoed barefoot down the dim hallway, past steady burning torches lit at odd intervals. When the demons in her mind became too much, there were only two places in the entire castle she went to that helped her fall back asleep. One was the parapet by a stack of crates. The other was the supply room in the castle's subbasement. Granted it was lit up, but the amount of gas tanks, double and triple stacked crates and random odds and ends made it the quietest room when not in use. Which was preferably at night.

Her feet made no noise as she crept through the deserted mess hall. But when she reached the door leading down a straight staircase to the supply room, she found it slightly ajar.

Who other than Levi could be up this ungodly late? He hardly sleeps. Curious she pulled it open and snuck downstairs.

Halfway down she started hearing strange noises coming from the inside of the spacious room that sounded like breathy moans. The lower she descended the louder they became until finally clearing the last step she poked her head around the lintel to see what was going on.

Sitting on a crate halfway towards the back-way too close to her little alcove for comfort-with her head thrown back in ecstasy was Petra Ral. She wore a thin nightshirt but it was clear she was naked from the waist down. Her hands clutched a double handful of raven hair and her ankles were crossed over a man's bare back.

Black hair. She blinked out of her stupor long enough for him to come into sharper focus. Only one person she knew fit that description.

Levi knelt between Petra's legs, her pale thighs clasped firmly in his hands. Sierra heard rather than saw him eating the petite woman out. Even from this distance, the guttering light emitted from the torches highlighted the muscles in his back. She'd given it a quick sweep, then took a few more seconds to memorize it. The man possessed an uncanny sixth sense so she had to be fast.

Heavily toned muscles bunched and stretched as he pleasured Ral with his lips and fingers. His spine was deeply indented indicating it was stronger than usual. It was the kind of back that made a person feel safe. Protected. The coiled power that could cut titans down in the blink of an eye. Had it always been that powerful? That solid?

It didn't matter. She carefully backed up, chest constricting at memories of unsavory men performing that very same action...only it wasn't loving and tender the way Levi did it. A sinister voice that haunted her during those horrible 4 years returned with a vengeance to whisper venom in her ear.

Men are beasts. Don't let that fool ya, girl.

Fueled by anger she took the stairs two at a time, slamming the door shut. Ignoring Ral's startled yelp from below.

Levi's deep shout of who's there?! drove her to the roof. Feet slapping harshly against the stones, pulse thrumming wildly she burst out onto the parapet's walkway, limbs trembling with exertion. Finding her usual spot between the corners of two crates she slumped to the cold stone. Hands stuffed into the pockets of her thin robe as she strove to ease her war-ravaged spirit.

She bit her lips till she tasted blood and turned to face the moon.

"Must be nice ta be above everythin'," she whispered voice slightly scratchy from that old knife wound that nearly cut her vocal cords had it been a few centimeters higher. "Be thankful you ain't human pal. Believe me. Yer not missing out."

For some reason, saying it aloud made her feel a bit better. Her heart rate calmed under the gentle caress of the night breeze and she found herself drifting off toward sleep. Let those idiots drown in their distorted fantasy. We'll see how long THAT lasts.

Sierra felt her mind drifting into a hazy limbo and fell asleep within minutes. She dimly heard the roof door open or a quiet set of footsteps shuffle across the stones.

She stirred as a pair of short, strong arms lifted her off the cold stone walkway and found herself cradled to a man's hard chest. Silver eyes cracked open on instinct. Black hair, steel grey eyes, and pale skin glazed with sweat greeted her foggy vision.

Levi.

Even in the moonlight the man was strangely attractive. He wasn't tall, golden and flashy like Erwin. He had a subtle, refined beauty that was better appreciated up close. But she was too tired to fully comprehend what she was feeling.

Her reddish blond head slumped against his shoulder and she heard him tsk. Muttering under his breath how she was gonna catch a cold or something along those lines, but not with his usual bite.

The next morning she woke up only to discover she was back in her room with the covers pulled to her chin, clothes intact, and thinking the events of that night was just a bizarre dream...

A door creaking open snapped her out of her reverie. Levi and Hange emerged deep in thought until the mad scientist caught sight of her standing against the wall.

"Sierra! I thought you left!"

She shook her bright red-gold hair in denial as she fell into step towards the surface.

"Naw. All the excitement's down here."

The brown-haired woman smirked then turned serious.

"Yeah. We've got nothing to show for this raid, except a high body count and wrecked homes. And left with more questions than answers. Whoever she works for, talking is clearly off limits but this sets us back. I don't like going into a situation like this blind."

"No one said this was gonna be easy, hag. If it was, we'd have moved on this shifter stuff months ago."

Levi remained silent as the two women bickered. She's got a point, but that's all in the past. If Leonhart won't talk we make our own way.

Sierra squinted as the last of the sun's rays hit her eyes.

"So where's Eren at? I wanna meet him soon."

"Infirmary." She flinched a little at Levi's voice. "He's resting. You can meet him when he wakes up."

"Tch, whatever man. Let's hit the sack." Sierra stared up at the deepening dusk. It would be twilight soon. "Gotta feelin' we've hit the tip of the iceberg. Somethin' smells rotten and it ain't the titans."

Levi shrugged. He didn't like the way Sierra had flinched when he spoke and was determined to ferret out the source of her discomfort. Secretly.

"Maybe. But let's not think about that now." His leg was killing him and it took every ounce of self-control not to whimper. "We rest. Like you said, the real work begins."

Alrighty guys here's another chapter! From this point on, there will be SPOILERS for the second half of the manga so if you haven't read that, CONSIDER YOURSELVES DULY WARNED.

Guest 1: Well, you'll have to keep reading to find out. Levi had his reasons. Like I said, stay tuned and you shall be enlightened, lol. :P

Guest 2: Aww thx for the enthusiasm! Reviews like that keep me going! :)