CW: There is a scene of sexual assault in this chapter

She was a young girl of about seven. The morose expression etched into her innocent features was a complete contradiction to the normally cheerful girl. The scene before her was imprinted in her mind forever.

The muted click of the front door had drawn her out of her slumber. Then came the voices. The pleas. Confused, she had peeked out from around the curtain that sectioned off her makeshift bedroom. The blood in her veins had froze when she saw the scene in front of her.

Blinking, a cold settled over her as her child's mind struggled to comprehend.

Blink.

Her parents were on their knees.

Blink.

A pair of pliers in the man's hand.

Blink.

A pile of fingernails growing on the floor beside him.

Blink.

His questions that didn't register in her mind.

Blink.

Finally, the man realized that they were not going to give him the answers he needed. He pulled a knife from his pocket, the giant blade glinting in the moonlight. She stood frozen, as he drew the blade across her dad's neck, blood gushing out from the wound as he collapsed. Dead.

Her mom glanced her way, eyes widening as she saw her there in her doorway and screamed, "RUN! Baby, get out, g-." The sound of a knife tearing through flesh filled the air, cutting her mom off mid-sentence. The girl stood rooted in place, unable to move, the cold engulfing her.

The man turned and looked at her. The grim look gave way to a malicious grin reaching his cold, gray eyes. "Well hello there. Yes, you'll do just fine. I'm sure to get a pretty penny for you in Mitras. Lots of couples there lookin' to buy a child cause they can't have one." The malevolent tone of voice had her stomach lurching. "Looks like this whole excursion won't be a complete waste after all."

Tears staining the girl's face went unnoticed as she took in the lifeless bodies of her parents. Their blood that was running warm in their veins only minutes prior, now lay in a cooling puddle, pooling around them. Before the girl could even register what was happening, he'd grabbed her.

She was now in that small room, in the house in Mitras, surrounded by darkness, its cold tentacles enveloping her, suffocating her, as she cried out, "Mama, Papa, help me! Help me!" Not fully understanding that her parents were gone. No one could help her now.

"Help you? Why would anyone help you when you can't even help your best friend." Sherri's sneering face broke through, reminding her of her failure. "Look at Lucy, look at her!"

The darkness released her as she turned to look, now outside the walls, and saw Lucy screaming as the titan tried to shove her down its throat. Isa did what she'd done the first time. She went as fast as she could, trying to reach the titan in time, but it was as if the distance kept growing instead of shrinking. When she managed to reach it and slice the nape, like the first time, she was too late.

The titan lay in a heap on the ground, with Lucy trapped in its mouth. Except, now, instead of soothing words, her last words were harsh and bitter, cutting through Isa.

"You're a failure Isa. This is your fault. I hate you. You killed me. You did this."

She was surrounded now, by all the people she called a friend. Isabel. Sherri. Furlan. Hange. Ethel. Even Levi was there. All of them were sneering at her, their voices echoing.

Failure.

Pathetic.

Useless.

Waste of space.

"It should have been you and not Lucy." Sherri's voice sliced through her.

"It should have been you and not Lucy." All their voices melded together on those words, as they kept chanting.

"It should have been you and not Lucy." They stepped closer to her, suffocating her.

'No!' She screamed, dropping to her knees. She rocked back and forth, sobbing, head held in her hands.

"It should have been you and not Lucy."

'N-no! I-It wasn't my fault. Please believe me.' Her voice trembled. Her breaths came in pants as they came closer, practically on top of her now. She shrank into herself, trying to get away.

"It should have been you and not Lucy."

Now Lucy joined them.

"It should have been you instead of me."

Isa woke up in a cold sweat, her heart pounding in her ears, tears staining her cheeks. The moonlight pouring through the window told her she hadn't been asleep for long. Wiping the sweat and tears off her face, she rose and dressed. She knew there would be no going back to sleep.

She found herself walking towards the entrance to the roof of the base. She'd been there only hours ago with the trio, and now she was back, only this time she was alone.

She stood at the edge of the roof, staring out into the endless night. Another sleepless night. She let out a restless sigh.

A forlorn look etched into her features, she sat on the edge of the roof, trying to rein in the barrage of worries. She wanted to scream. Throw something. Instead, she drew her legs in, and buried her face in her knees, taking a deep breath, willing away the grotesque images from the nightmare.

As she sat, she felt a presence behind her. Twisting around where she sat, she saw Levi approaching behind her, footsteps as quiet as ever. Ignoring him, she let her head fall back onto her knees.

"I'm surprised someone from Mitras even has trouble sleeping."

Her head shot up at that to glare at him. "You seem to be under the impression that because I lived in Mitras, my life had no problems. I can assure you that it did."

When he only looked at her with that same bored expression, something snapped inside her, the effects of the nightmare she'd awoken from still ever present.

"I'm sorry I saw that damn memory Levi." She growled. "If I could take it back I would. I don't know how I saw it or what that was, and I don't know how to get you to believe me. But, if it'll make us even, I'll give you a memory of mine. It's not going to be a happy one, because you didn't like that I saw a happy memory of yours, and I won't like you knowing a shit memory of mine."

She paused, gathering herself.

"The people in Mitras who raised me, they tried to mold me into something I wasn't. And when I failed, they would throw me into this dark room in their cellar. I told this to Isabel a while back, but what I didn't tell her was that one time…" She took in a deep breath before continuing. "One time the woman of the house got so fed up with me, she tried to kill me." She stopped, needing a moment after the admission, never having told anyone this.

"She'd had some nobleman and his son over, and they'd had plans to arrange a marriage for us. That morning she told me to behave in front of my potential future husband. I spent that entire day doing everything I could to keep the nobleman from agreeing to me marrying his son. I succeeded." She gave a mirthless smile as she remembered how she'd gone out of her way to act as unladylike as possible.

"When they left, the woman was furious. I'd thought all she'd do was throw me into the cellar like she usually did. At that point I could handle it. I'd been there enough. Except this time, I'd gone too far." Isa's breath hitched at what she knew was coming.

Her voice had turned hollow, devoid of emotion as she continued. "She had me shoved up against a wall, her hands wrapped around my throat, as she tried to squeeze the life out of me." Sometimes Isa could still feel the bony fingers around her neck as the grip grew tighter and tighter. "She finally came to her senses and released me, though I know it was only because it wouldn't look well on her status should others find out she'd killed her adopted daughter."

When she stopped, she had to wipe the tears from her eyes that she hadn't noticed before.

"How old?"

She looked at him, a morose expression on her face. "I was fifteen."

When he said nothing else, she stood.

Before she left, she gave him some final words. "I know my past may not have been as difficult as yours, but it was nowhere near perfect. Remember that next time you question my motivations."

With that, she walked away, leaving Levi behind with his thoughts.

The weeks passed, full of endless training as the scouts relentlessly worked in preparation of the upcoming expedition. The intensity of training had picked up as the leaders worked to make sure that their teams and squads would have a higher chance of well…not dying.

Their training was focused on speed and endurance. They ran the titan course, constantly working towards shaving off seconds and minutes each time, as their leaders demanded more. They did long distance running with their gear and packs on their backs. Drills working on maneuvering on and off the horses.

She'd noticed as time moved forward that some of her stuff had gone missing. First it was a hairbrush. Then some underwear. A bra. She thought perhaps her stuff had gotten mixed up with some of the other girls' things in the barracks, though she thought it was strange for that to happen.

She didn't know what to make of it, so she just wrote it off and hoped nothing else would disappear.

As Isa sat in the courtyard writing in her journal after another hard day of training, she couldn't help but feel impressed by how far her squad had come. The addition of Levi, Isabel, and Furlan, had immensely improved the overall strength of the squad. The squad was now a force to be reckoned with.

Their squad wasn't without flaws of course. She herself had a tendency to focus too much on the well-being of her comrades, which could be fatal outside the walls. Levi tended to avoid working as a team, preferring to attack the dummies solo. Isabel was easily distracted and Furlan sometimes took too long to decide on a course of action. Sairam spent more time trying to outperform Levi, and more often than not, he failed. Isa personally thought that he did best when he focused on his strengths.

She'd tried to tell him once, and he'd told her to mind her own damn business, and that he didn't need some 'princess' rookie telling him how to train. Needless to say, she hadn't bothered telling him again.

Derek…Isa just couldn't shake the feeling that he was constantly watching her. And if he was too busy watching her, then that meant he wasn't focused on training. She'd prefer it if he would focus on training versus leering at her. Anything would be better than the constant feel of him looking at her.

Even with their weaknesses, she still felt that their squad was one of the stronger squads.

Isa personally thought that if they removed Sairam and Derek from the squad, they'd be damn near perfect.

She appreciated that Flagon was pushing them harder than before in training, despite the fact that she found him on the same level as Sairam personality wise. At least he wasn't hostile towards her, but he was still as abrasive as ever towards Levi, Isabel, and Furlan.

The amount of laps she'd had to run for calling him out on his treatment of those three…she'd lost count.

Her mind strayed back to Levi, as it often had since she'd met him.

Over the past few weeks, Isa felt that Levi had become…somewhat less suspicious of her. She wondered if sharing that memory from her past with him had helped, but she couldn't be sure. She still had doubts that she'd ever be able to get him to trust her, but progress was progress.

It didn't help that her daydream from weeks prior kept playing back in her mind. She struggled to understand the unknown rush that always flowed through her if she was near Levi.

Is this what desire feels like? I've read about it in romance books, and it feels similar to what was described. But it's one thing to read it, another thing to experience it.

Ethel and Isabel are under the impression that I'm interested in Levi in a way that's not just about getting him to trust me.

It would just be my luck that I would be attracted to someone who can barely stand the sight of me. But it's not possible. Surely that can't be what this feeling is.

Then what is this?

"Isa!"

Hange's voice pulled her out of her thoughts, and she looked up to see her friend running across the courtyard. She smiled at Hange as she plopped down beside of Isa.

Hange was practically vibrating with excitement. "Isa you'll never guess what I heard!"

"What?"

"There's an end of season festival happening the day before we leave for the expedition."

"A what?"

"A festival. There's music, dancing, plays, food, all kinds of stuff. They're celebrating the end of the summer. I think it'd be fun if we went."

Isa couldn't help but get excited at the thought. These sorts of things never happened in Mitras, or if they had, she'd been unaware of them. She didn't even have to think twice about her answer.

"Absolutely, it sounds amazing."

Hange squealed and shook Isa. "This is gonna be so much fun. I'm going to invite Shorty and his friends too. They could use a break from this. "

"Shorty? You're really going to call him that?"

"Yea. I'm gonna invite the short, angry guy from the Underground you're clearly interested in, as well as his two friends."

"Wh-what? I'm not interested in him!"

What is it with everyone thinking that I'm interested? I'm not...

"Isa, don't try to deny it to me. I have eyes. I can tell you're attracted to him."

"N-no I'm not. I think your glasses are making you see things that aren't there. Besides, we have an expedition coming up that I need to stay focused on. I don't have time for that sort of thing."

Hange gave Isa a look that said she wasn't buying it, but that she'd let it go for now. Instead, she seated herself more comfortably beside Isa, content in sitting and enjoying the late afternoon breeze with her best friend.

That night, Isa went for a walk around the base, needing to clear her mind for the expedition next week. Her nightmares had gotten worse as this expedition neared, and she hoped the fresh night air would calm her mind enough to let her rest. The nightmares had calmed down somewhat months ago after she'd seen her mother in her dreams. But as the dreaded day neared, they were coming back tenfold, an amalgamation of her parents' murder, her childhood, and Lucy's death.

She was near the stables when a voice had her blood chilling.

"Hello Isa darling."

Isa froze mid-step at the voice. Like prey caught in the aim of a hunter's crossbow, her head shot up, eyes wide, and the shadow she saw in front of her had her stomach lurching as her body filled with dread.

Something told her she needed to get away. Now.

Swallowing, she willed her feet to keep moving, she was so close to the safety of the buildings. "Derek, leave me alone."

She tried to walk past him, but like that night so many months ago, he grabbed her wrist in an iron tight hold.

"Come now Isa, why do you keep resisting me?" He probably thought his voice was soft and soothing, but it just made her skin crawl. His eyes held that same glint she'd seen all too many times before when she caught him watching her.

"I'm not resisting anything. I already told you I'm not interested." She tried to keep her voice firm, but she couldn't stop the tremor. She didn't understand what he was talking about. She wasn't resisting anything. She'd never given him any indication that she was interested. She'd even told him that night months ago that she didn't want him. Yet here she was, yet again, caught in his hold because he had some delusion that she did.

"I've seen the looks you send me when you're with those two criminals. You use them to try to make me jealous." His voice lost its false sweetness, turning abrasive, clearly irked that she spent time with Levi and Furlan.

Instead of answering, she started walking, desperate to get away. When she tried to yank her arm from his grasp, he only yanked back, dragging her and slamming her up against the wall of the stable. She grunted when her head smacked into the wall, which effectively disoriented her.

He drew her wrists up above her head, pinning them with one hand, and leaned in closer to her, forcing her gaze to meet his. "Are you trying to play hard to get? Are you trying to make me want you more?"

Shaking away the dizziness, she dug deep for anger, used it to push out her words, trying to make her voice as forceful as possible. "I'm not trying to do anything. You're just not getting it. I. Don't. Want. You."

The look that flashed into Derek's eyes had her shrinking back as he towered over her, her anger completely overtaken by the fear pulsing through her veins. His free hand wrapped around her throat, a warning.

The hairs on her neck stood on end when she felt his mouth on her ear, and her stomach threatened to hurl.

His whispered words horrified her. "You're just making me want you more."

She didn't know what to do. She couldn't fight him…she was nowhere near strong enough, her skills in close combat were awful, and he was almost twice her size. Before she'd been able to shove him off her, catching him off guard, but now it was as though he was expecting it. With her hands pinned and him pressed up against her, she was defenseless. Nothing was getting through to this guy. She'd said no, multiple times.

Tears started to trickle down her cheeks as she felt his mouth on her jaw, working its way towards her mouth, the urge to vomit growing with each press of his unwanted lips on her skin. She tried to turn her head to avoid him, but he took it as invitation to plant his lips on her neck. She struggled against his hold on her wrists, but his grasp was unbreakable.

She cried out for help as she sobbed, but she didn't know if anyone was near enough to hear her. He was quick to move his hand from her throat to cover her mouth to keep her from shouting.

"Come on Isa, I know you want me. I can make you feel good if you let me." His voice was pleading, and borderline maniacal. His hand moved from her mouth down to grope at her breast.

"Please, just stop. I don't want this." She hated how small her voice sounded, hated the feel of his hand on her, and now she was terrified. She didn't know how to make him stop. Her tears were now running down her face as she realized that there was nothing she could do. She closed her eyes, succumbing to her fate.

Suddenly, he was ripped off of her. Blinking, she looked through blurred eyes and saw her two friends, out of breath and outraged.

Furlan's face had morphed from its usual kindness to a hot fury, the kind that could burn if you got too close. She could practically feel its heat from where she stood, singeing her hair.

Levi's face was set in a cold anger, the kind that could send an icy chill all the way down to your bones as you begged him for mercy. The negative aura emanated from him in waves, and she cowered in its presence, grateful that it wasn't directed towards her, and hoped that it never would be. Even when he'd interrogated her, he hadn't looked at her with this iciness.

Furlan was quick to grab Isa and draw her behind them, and she was surprised at how gentle his touch was despite his fury. She'd half expected his touch to burn her arm.

He gave her a soft look that contradicted the rage simmering in his eyes. "Are you alright?" His voice full of concern.

She could only nod as she wiped away the tears in her eyes.

Levi's face relaxed ever so slightly when he looked at Isa to make sure she was safe. Once he was certain she was out of harm's way, he turned back to the scum in front of him, face hardening to its steely mask once again. He had other matters at hand to take care of.

His voice was a deep, menacing, monotonous growl as he said, "Leave now, and never go near her again. This is your only warning."

Derek ignored Levi, and sent Isa a glare, which was nothing compared to Levi's, but still had her shrinking in place. "I see how it is you little slut. You tease me, but then you'll sleep with these lowlife thugs. One day they won't be around to protect you. You will be mine."

Her face paled and she cowered behind Furlan at his words, her knees trembling as she grasped at his shirt, desperate for a lifeline. She couldn't even imagine what he would do to her, and she sucked at defending herself against people. Her friends couldn't protect her every hour of every day, they had their own duties. She would never ask that of them, couldn't burden them that way. She knew that the next time he confronted her, it would be worse.

The sound of a fist cracking across flesh and a bone snapping filled the air. Isa's eyes widened as she took in the scene in front of her. Derek's nose was now gushing blood and Levi was wiping off his hand with his handkerchief.

"You bastard!" He held his nose in a futile attempt to stop the blood. The tender flesh around it was already turning purple.

He made to attack Levi, but one dark glare from the man had Derek rethinking his actions.

Furlan spoke this time, keeping his body between Derek and Isa at all times. "I believe he told you that was your only warning." His voice was calm, though it held undercurrents of the rage that was prominent in his eyes. "I think you should heed his words now. Don't come near her again."

Derek spat at their feet and walked off as he said, "Disgusting, Underground scum."

The adrenaline was now wearing off, and Isa was beginning to shake, knees threatening to buckle on her.

Her two friends turned to face her just as her knees collapsed. Furlan grabbed her before she could hit the ground, pulling her gently onto her feet, keeping his arm around her shoulders.

The warmth from her friend comforted her, and she sent him a grateful smile. "Thanks, Furlan."

"You don't have to thank me."

"I do though. I…I don't know what would have happened if you guys hadn't shown up. He wouldn't listen to me, nothing I've said gets through to him." Her eyes started tearing up again, and her voice shook.

Without saying anything, Levi handed her his handkerchief. She gaped at it for a second, before taking it, and used it to wipe off the tears from her face.

"Hey," a gentle, shaking hand brushed the hair from her face, "it's okay now, we won't let him hurt you."

She looked up at Furlan, her watery eyes meeting the sure gray of his. "But you heard what he said. You guys won't always be around to help me."

"We're going to do our best to not let anything happen to you. And if we tell Isabel and Hange, that's two more people that can help you." His voice was firm as he promised her this.

"I don't know if I can tell them. I don't know what to say."

"We'll help you."

"Why are you both helping me?"

That seemed to take him aback as he blinked at her, as if surprised that she felt the need to ask. "We're your friends, and even if we weren't, no one deserves to be treated that way, and no means no. If he has trouble understanding that, then we're happy to step in and make it clear."

Levi looked at her, his eyes thoughtful as he took in her words. "You said 'nothing I've said gets through to him.' Has he done something like this before?"

Isa looked down in shame. "Y-yes…the night before my first expedition. H-he…" Her voice trailed off, unsure of what to say.

Furlan's hand stroked her shoulder, his voice hushed as he murmured into her ear. "It's okay. We're here for you, all three of us, and Hange too. Whatever happened, it's okay, we just want to know so we can help you."

She looked up at her friend, his eyes calming her. "He didn't really do much that night. He…he came up onto the roof, and said some weird things, and when I tried to leave, he shoved me against the wall and kissed me." She sniffled at the reminder of that night. "I…I pushed him off and told him I wasn't interested, and he left. I thought that was the end of it."

At Isa's words, Levi's blunt, matter-of-fact tone cut through. "We're telling Flagon."

"No!" Levi gave her a sharp look. "I-I mean…I just don't think he's going to really be able to do anything."

"He can pull that piece of shit off the squad and put him somewhere else."

"I just…I don't know if I can tell him. Please…don't make me."

He took in the desperation on her face and sighed. "Fine." His tone was curt with the word. "It might make it easier to keep an eye out for him when we know where he is, but if he tries anything like this again either I kill him, or we go to Flagon."

The lump in her throat made it difficult to speak as she said, "Thanks Levi."

His next move surprised her in a way she hadn't thought possible.

Her eyes widened when he simply lifted a hand and plopped it on her head, gently ruffling her hair, completely contradicting his gruff exterior. The act both shocked her and made her want to purr. She'd only ever seen him do this once before, with Isabel.

In an attempt to hide her reaction, she cleared her throat.

Furlan was next to speak. "We should go tell Isabel and Hange. The sooner they know, the sooner they can help us help you."

Isa nodded, yet her knees buckled again when she tried to take a step. Her legs were shaky and weak now that the rush that had come with her fear had left.

Without hesitation, Furlan scooped her into his arms, carrying her gently, his face flushing ever so slightly as he cradled the girl against his chest. Isa's eyes boggled at the act, which only deepened the flush in his face.

"You can't walk yet, so one of us is going to have to carry you." He grumbled, trying to hide his embarrassment.

Isa shook off her initial shock, and assumed his reaction was just due to the fact that he was like Levi and wasn't big on physical contact.

They made their way to the women's barracks where they grabbed Hange and Isabel. Furlan only set Isa down when he was certain that she wouldn't fall.

Isa did her best to explain what happened, with Furlan and Levi filling in the blanks when she had trouble speaking.

As she'd expected, her two friends were equally furious at what had happened. They both also suggested going to Flagon, but Isa truly felt that nothing would come from doing that. Sure he would get moved to another squad, but what good what that do outside of training. She also feared angering Derek to the point where he escalated further than he already had.

No, going to Flagon would only worsen the situation.

When her friends promised her they would help protect her, she struggled to keep from breaking down. The fact that even Levi was willing to help her…she wasn't sure how to feel.

She was just grateful for all of them.

The rest of the week passed without issue. Derek left her alone, though, Isa felt that had nothing to do with Levi and Furlan's warning, and more to do with the fact that she was never alone. She was forever grateful that her friends had held firm in their promise, making sure someone was always by her side. Easy enough during training and in the barracks, which didn't leave much free time since the Scouts were in full blown preparation for the expedition. She only hoped that it would be enough.

The day before the expedition, Isa awoke early with excitement fluttering in her stomach. She knew the trio had yet to go anywhere since their arrival, and she was elated that they were finally going to be able to see more of what life above ground had to offer.

She'd never been to a festival like this, so she was looking forward for what was to come. From what Hange had told her, there was music, food, all kinds of entertainment. Plays. Dancing. Art.

She quickly jumped out of bed, and grabbed clothes from the shared closet in the barracks. Since she was going to Trost, she decided to wear civilian clothing today. She opted for a simple brown skirt, that hit just past her knees, paired with a yellow blouse which she tucked into the skirt. A pair of simple brown shoes completed the outfit.

It felt odd to her to be wearing something other than her uniform. She rarely had the need to wear civilian clothing now, and hadn't worn any since joining the scouts. She took a glance in the mirror and thought 'good enough.'

She grabbed Levi's handkerchief off her nightstand. She'd kept forgetting to give it back to him after that night the week before. She'd washed it for him, not wanting to give him a dirty cloth back considering how much the man prioritized cleanliness.

She raced out the door, twisting her hair into a braid as she went, too impatient to pause long enough to do so. She skidded to a halt in front of the mess hall, where she found her friends already waiting for her. The five of them walked into the mess hall, planning to eat breakfast before they left for the day.

Before they got too far inside, a harsh voice came from behind them. "Unless you want to end up dead, I recommend you three stay far away from Isa. Hange is already a lost cause. She'll only end up getting the three of you killed."

Isa flinched at the iciness of Sherri's voice. She hadn't even been aware that Sherri was nearby. Her shoulders slumped as guilt overtook her. They hadn't spoken since Sherri had told her that she wished Isa had died instead of Lucy.

The trio took in Isa's appearance, and then looked at Sherri behind her. Before an enraged Hange could leap to Isa's defense, Furlan spoke up. "I think that's unnecessary. Besides, we are more than capable of taking care of ourselves. Even still, we wouldn't blame a suffering comrade for our deaths."

Sherri shrugged. "Just wanted to give you a heads up. I would hate for you guys to die because of her."

This time Levi spoke up. "Oi, you heard him. Leave." His voice was as monotonous as ever, yet, there was a warning edge to it that said he wasn't going to tell her again. Either she left now, or he'd make her.

Sherri glared at him, pale blue eyes meeting firm gray ones. "Don't say I didn't warn you." And walked off.

Isa could feel the four of them looking at her, waiting for her to say something, but she couldn't look up.

When she thought her voice would be steady, she spoke. "I…I should go." Before she could walk away, Isabel had grabbed her arm.

"Isa, stay." Her voice was firm, but there was an underlying softness to it, that threatened to make the tears in Isa's eyes fall. "Furlan meant what he said. We can take care of ourselves. I highly doubt you'd be the reason for our deaths if we died."

Isa didn't want to meet their gazes, didn't want them to see her eyes welling up. She struggled to keep her voice steady. "I…I need to go check on Luna anyways, make sure she's ready before we leave for the festival. I'll see you guys in a little bit." She gently pulled her arm out of Isabel's grasp and made her way to the stables.

Inside Luna's stall, she collapsed on the floor, needing to gather herself, to try to rid herself of the guilt that had been brought back to the surface at Sherri's words.

She hadn't been sitting for long, when a piece of bread landed on her lap, jolting her out of her melancholy. When she looked up, she saw Levi standing outside Luna's stall.

"Eat."

Slightly stunned, she picked at the bread, unsure of why he'd gone through the trouble of bringing her food.

"Your friend seems like she's got a stick up her ass."

Isa gave a small mirthless laugh, as she focused her gaze on the floor, picking at the hay underneath her. "She's…she's been through a lot. She lost her best friend." Because of me. "She probably has a point about you guys staying away from me. I wasn't strong enough to save Lucy."

"Quit moping, I can take care of myself. I don't need some runt's help."

She blinked, taken aback at the name. "Did you just call me 'runt'?"

"Would you prefer shorty?"

She rolled her eyes. "I'd prefer you call me by my name. You only called me that because you finally found someone shorter than you."

He didn't answer.

Isa sighed. "She blames me for the death of her friend." Her voice had lost the haughtiness that had been present seconds ago, and was now quiet, full of grief.

"Did you kill her?"

His blunt question drew a small smile from her as it reminded her of the question Isabel had asked her before. She gave the same answer she'd given her red-headed friend. "It feels like it."

"That's not what I asked."

Her eyes snapped up to his.

"I didn't ask if it felt like you killed her. I asked if you did." His gray eyes held steady on hers, calm as ever as he instructed her to answer his question.

"But I didn't get there in time."

He doesn't seem to understand that I wasn't fast enough to save her. If I'd been faster, stronger, she'd still be alive.

"Still not what I asked."

"What am I supposed to say to that?"

"Simple yes or no."

Exasperated, she cried out, "No! Is that what you want to hear! No, I didn't kill her!" She gasped when she said that, something inside her clicking.

I…I didn't kill her. The titan killed her. I tried to save her. I may not have been fast enough to save her, but it wasn't me that killed her.

Even though it still hurt that she hadn't been able to save her friend, the pain had dulled, as a third part of her was stitched at her admission that she hadn't killed her friend.

Simply saying the words out loud had brought a small dose of clarity that she'd needed. And it had come, somehow, with the help of the gruff man beside her.

She looked up at Levi with wide eyes, unsure of what to say.

How is it that he was able to cut straight to the point and get me to say what I've known for months now, but was never able to admit to myself? Hange has spent the last few months trying to do just that, and he was able to do it within minutes?

Before he could say anything else, the rest of their group made their way into the stables, clearly worried about their friend.

Hange was the first to get to her, wrapping her up in a tight hug. "Isa are you alright? I'm so sorry, Sherri…she's being so cruel to you right now."

"It's fine Hange. I…I didn't kill Lucy." Saying the words again only made it seem clearer. "It...It wasn't my fault."

Hange froze at her friend finally uttering the words she'd been trying to get through her thick skull all these months. She pulled her friend in tighter, grateful that she'd somehow managed to come to the realization that Lucy's death wasn't her fault.

Isa pulled back. "I think we've wasted enough of this day. Let's go enjoy this festival."

As they walked through Trost, Isa couldn't help but be more amazed than ever. It looked so different than the previous times she'd been there.

Along the streets, tables had been set up, with people selling various food and goods. The shop owners had closed their shops for the day so that they could enjoy the festival with everyone else.

The heat of summer had given way to the cool warmth that comes with fall. Some trees had already begun to lose that lush green, giving way to bold reds and oranges.

They stopped at a booth selling various scarves and hats. When Isabel threw on a feathered bonnet Isa couldn't hold back her laugh as the young girl mocked the uppity noblewomen of Mitras.

Hange had put on an elaborate hat that had flowers sitting on the top, and a long veil trailing down the back. She curtsied and bowed at the passersby, drawing odd looks from them.

The woman did look rather strange dressed in her trousers and a simple long-sleeved shirt with an elegant hat on her head. But at the same time, it was Hange, and she pulled it off.

Giggling, Isa couldn't resist throwing a giant top hat on Furlan's head. He glared at her, though it held no malice, only humor. And when she stepped close to wrap a scarf around his neck, she failed to notice the flush creeping up his neck and cheeks, or the way his eyes darkened ever so slightly, as he watched her concentrate as she perfected the scarf's loop.

Isa grabbed another top hat from the stack and snuck over to where Levi stood facing the street, setting it on his head when he wasn't looking. She innocently looked away and avoided eye contact when he turned to glare at her. Though, she couldn't hide the cheeky grin on her face when she saw Levi's peeved expression from the corner of her eyes.

She only laughed when he grumbled about how filthy the hats were and 'how dare' she put something so disgusting on his head.

When he pulled the hat off and his hair clung to it because of the static Isa couldn't hold back anymore. Every bit of happiness she'd ever felt came crashing onto her in a giant wave that took over her entire being. The horror of last week...the sadness of earlier this morning, forgotten for the moment. She dissolved into laughter, unable to control herself or the flood of the pure joy that coursed through her. The rolling giggles that fell from her filled the air at the sight of something as simple as Levi's hair sticking to his hat.

Too busy laughing she failed to notice that he'd paused in the removal of the hat, completely taken aback by the joyful sounds coming from her.

Four pairs of eyes turned in awe as Isa laughed. Never had her friends heard such a lighthearted, musical sound come from her.

Soon, her laughter spread, and Isabel and Hange were now chortling with her, ecstatic to see Isa so overjoyed. Furlan couldn't resist the urge to chuckle, and even Levi's face had gained a peaceful expression at the sight of his friends so happy and free.

When the merchant at the table shooed them away for being too loud, they moved on, the five of them simply relishing in the feel of being alive and completely free from responsibility, even if for only a day.

The happy mood followed Isa, and she held on tight to it, not ready to let it go. She took in the sights surrounding her. Everywhere she looked there were people.

Parents trying to keep up with their children as they dashed around in excitement.

Teenagers walking around with their friends, joking and laughing as they shamelessly tried to catch the eye of their crushes.

Couples both young and old, walking hand in hand as they simply enjoyed each other's company strolling around the streets.

Isa felt a pang of loneliness hit her as she watched the enamored couples.

Will I ever have that?

Shoving that thought aside, not wishing to bring down her mood, she kept moving forward. She was so lost in her observation of everything around her, she failed to notice that Isabel, Furlan, and Hange had disappeared at some point, leaving her alone with Levi who walked beside her.

It wasn't until she felt a sharp pull on her arm yanking her to the side of the street, that the festival's spell on her was broken.

Blinking, she looked down at her arm to see Levi's hand wrapped tight around it, a warm weight that sent tingles shooting through her from where their skin touched. When she looked up at the man attached to the hand, she saw that his face held the slightest hint of irritation. She looked behind her, where she'd been walking, she saw that she'd almost been trampled by a horse and carriage, that enraptured by the sights she'd been.

"Oi, do you make it a habit of walking with your head stuck in the clouds?"

His gruff voice drew her attention back to him, and her breath hitched at how close she was to him. Close enough to see those blue flecks again, mesmerizing and hypnotizing as ever. When she blinked, the people, the smells, the sounds, everything around her faded away, and all she could see were those beautiful gray orbs speckled with blue which had her blood flowing languidly throughout her veins. All she could smell was that faint hint of tea, and that intoxicating, masculine scent she couldn't place. All she could hear was the buzzing roar of her blood rushing through her head. She blinked again and swallowed thickly, as her senses overwhelmed her.

Her eyes dropped of their own accord to his lips, and she wondered again what they would feel like. Even set in their usual frown, up close, they looked soft…warm…inviting. Enticing.

Snap out of it, Isa!

She jolted when she realized she'd been standing there staring at him, and he was watching her with that same calculating gaze, brows knit ever so slightly, waiting for an answer. Flushing she pulled back, hoping that he hadn't noticed her reaction.

"Oh...I...sorry. I mean...thank you. I...I got a bit caught up in everything and didn't watch where I was going. I apparently do that sometimes without realizing it." She scratched awkwardly at her head, desperate to rid herself of the rush flowing through her. "I should probably do better with paying attention." She chuckled nervously, face flushing further when her mouth refused to stop babbling.

Needing distance, needing to clear her head, she took another step back. It wasn't until then that she realized he still held her arm, those same tingles still running through her from where their skin touched.

When he dropped his hand, the tingles stopped, but her arm was left cold in the absence of its heat.

She needed to find a distraction, anything to distract her from the residual sensations still coursing through her.

Looking around she saw some people gathering around a stage that had been set up in the center of Trost.

Without thinking, she grabbed Levi's arm. "Come on, let's go see what's over there."

When she pulled him along with her, she was surprised that he came willingly. She smiled at the irony of her pulling him the way he'd dragged her around before.

When they got to the stage, she was intrigued to see that there was a play of some sort going on.

Curious, she moved closer, completely forgetting that she held Levi's arm captive.

On the stage, the actors were acting out a scene from a play she remembered reading when she was younger. They were at the part where the young heroine was standing on the balcony of her room, pondering her love for the hero.

She swore her love to him, regardless of if he could ignore his family's wishes. The young maiden was desperate to be with her love, no matter the cost. She was willing to give everything she had away, if it meant she could be with him forever.

As the play went on, the star-crossed lovers were sent through a series of events that kept them apart and brought them together. A dance of love that kept the audience enraptured and wondering if there could be a happy ending. Isa looked around her to see that the people were fixated on the scene in front of them.

And when both lovers took their lives, many in the audience had watery eyes at the sight of unfulfilled love.

When Isa chanced a glance at him, she wasn't surprised at all to see that Levi looked as bored as ever. And only then did she realize she still had his arm in her grasp.

Face flaming, she yanked her hand away and gave a nervous chuckle. "Sorry about that."

It didn't even occur to her to wonder why he hadn't said anything.

"We should uh...probably go find the others. We should head back soon, it's getting late, and you guys don't want to be tired tomorrow."

He simply gave her a nod in agreement.

As they walked in search of their friends, she thought back to what happened last week, and her inability to defend herself. An idea occurred to her.

"Levi?" Her voice was a touch timid, unsure of what his answer would be.

"What?" His gruff tone only made her more nervous.

She chewed at her lip. "Do you…do you think you could help me with something?"

"Depends on what it is."

She turned her head to watch him as they walked. "Would you be willing to help me with fighting? I…I want to be able to defend myself in case…" She trailed off, afraid to keep going.

Levi stopped walking and turned to face her, thinking over her request. "Alright."

She blinked at him. "I…didn't expect you to agree that easily."

He shrugged. "Makes sense that you want to be able to defend yourself, which you're shit at."

She beamed at him, not even caring that he'd just insulted her, just grateful that he'd agreed. "Thanks, Levi."

She remembered she still had his handkerchief. "Oh, here. I've been meaning to give this back to you. Thank you, for letting me use it that night. Don't worry, I washed it for you. I know how you feel about keeping things clean." Awkward as ever, she held his handkerchief out to him.

He took it handkerchief from her hand, and his fingers accidentally brushed against hers, sending more of those same tingles up her spine, only fainter this time.

What is that?

She didn't have time to ponder too long, as her friends showed up, cutting off any wondering thoughts.

Apparently, Isabel and Hange had gotten distracted by some of the tables littered with food, and Furlan had stayed behind, trying to get them to keep moving and not devour everything in sight.

Agreeing that they should leave, they started walking back to where they'd left the horses.

As they walked, the same man that had stopped Isa months ago blocked their path.

"You…you people shouldn't be here." He pointed at Isabel, Levi, and Furlan. "You three are those thugs from the Underground. It's bad enough that our taxes pay for the ridiculous branch that is the Scouts, now they're paying for criminals. Enough is enough."

"What the hell is your problem? We weren't doing anything to you." Isabel glared up at the older man.

He sneered down on her. "Listen here, missy, my problem is that my hard-earned money is now paying for bed and board for some lowlifes who don't belong here." He made to poke at Isabel's shoulder, but before he could, Isa grabbed his arm.

She was beyond sick and tired, beyond frustrated, of people judging these three just because they were from the Underground. This man was trying to ruin their day, when they were just out trying to enjoy themselves before they left the walls tomorrow. She squeezed his arm, hard, yanking him down to her level so she could glare into his eyes. The pressure on his arm drew a gasp from the man.

"Don't. Fucking touch her." She spat out. "I thought I told you before that you should be grateful that the Scouts willingly leave these walls to try to learn more. I suggest you walk away. Now. Or these 'lowlifes' will be the least of your problems." Her glare was fierce, cutting through the man, who now quivered in fear despite the fact that he was taller.

When she released him, he left without another word.

She felt four pairs of eyes staring at her, and she turned to sheepishly face her friends, slightly embarrassed after that display of anger.

She gave a nervous chuckle. "Some people just don't know when enough is enough. I had to deal with him a while back, and…well hopefully this time he's learned his lesson."

Out of all of her friends, it was Levi's reaction that surprised her the most. Instead of his usual questions at her motivation or his claims that they don't need help defending themselves, this time, he gave a simple nod, the only indication of gratitude at how she'd had helped Isabel.

Unsure of what else to say, Isa started walking, continuing their trek back to their horses, and the rest of her friends followed.

As they walked, Levi's words from weeks ago echoed in Isa's mind, brought back to the forefront when he hadn't even said anything after she defended them against that man.

'No one does things for others without wanting something in return.'

This time she'd gotten no harsh words, no questions, just a simple nod. For once, it seemed that he'd accepted that she was simply trying to help them.

It seemed as if Levi was finally beginning to understand that she had no malintent towards them.

And with that, Isa knew that at some point, she'd somehow taken a big step towards earning Levi's trust, and the thought thrilled her.

She didn't know how, and she didn't know when, but something had done to make the man's opinion of her shift.

Ethel's words came to mind.

'You'll have to find your own path.'

Isa smiled to herself.

Maybe the woman knows what she's talking about.