After reading the jury's verdict, the judge concurred, and sentenced Derek to life in prison for the two sexual assault charges, as well as the attempted murder charge.

For Isa, she felt a smug sense of satisfaction at the thought of Derek, stuck in jail for the rest of his life.

As for the officer who took the bribe, he would be dealt by his commanding officer, who Isa learned, was one of the few decent Military Police higher ups.

Despite the way the day started, things were starting to look up for Isa.

She walked with Levi outside the courthouse, and she couldn't stop the joyful smile on her face as she turned to look at Levi. "We…we did it, Levi."

His lips curled in a small smile, eyes lighting with admiration as he shook his head. "No, you did it."

Her smile turned affectionate. "Maybe, but I wouldn't have been able to do it without your help."

Her heart fluttered at the warmth that came into his eyes.

He grabbed her hand, pulling her in the direction of the inn's stable. "Come on, I want to show you something."

They made quick work of tacking up their horses and set off to whatever it was Levi wanted to show Isa.

Isa followed him as they rode out of Stohess, and she enjoyed the openness of the surrounding area. As much as she loved the hustle and bustle in Trost, Stohess was full of the snobbish people of Wall Sina, and she preferred to stay far away from that.

Besides, there was something calming about riding through the open fields of Wall Rose with Levi.

As they rode, reminders of what had happened earlier flashed back into her mind, but she shoved them aside. She didn't want to think about that, didn't want the memories. She just wanted to enjoy the rest of the day, and enjoy whatever it was Levi wanted to show her.

She wasn't fond of riding a horse while wearing a skirt, but the only pair of pants she'd brought had been too dirty to keep wearing, so she'd had no choice. She'd removed her jacket, letting it lay on Luna's saddle in front of her, enjoying the feel of the warm sun beating down on her, a light shirt the only barrier.

When they were close he had her close her eyes. He took Luna's reins in his hands as he led them forward.

When he finally told her to open her eyes, it took them a moment to adjust, but when they did, she gasped, awe and wonder filling every fiber of her being.

In front of her was a giant meadow, full of flowers of all colors. The green in front of her was dappled with reds, purples, yellows, blues, oranges, every color imaginable.

To her left was a small grove of trees, the dark green contrasting against the richness of the field of flowers.

She felt something wet on her cheek, and when her hand brushed against it, she realized that a few tears had trickled out of her eyes.

"Levi, it's...it's beautiful. I…I've never seen something so beautiful. And this was here inside the walls this whole time?"

Too excited, she leapt off of Luna to run through the flowers, the smells enveloping her. The feel of the bright sun shining down on her sent a joyful warmth through her.

She turned to see Levi watching her, her skirt billowing and hair flowing in the wind as it swirled around her, and she couldn't contain herself. She ran up to him, throwing herself into his arms as she wrapped hers tight around his neck, his coming up to wrap around her waist.

"Thank you for bringing me here, Levi. It's one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. I didn't know I needed this, but I did."

His only response was to wrap his arms tighter around her.

She could sense that something was bothering him, she could tell by the way his hands had clenched into fists at her back.

She brought her hand to brush at his hair. "Levi, what is it?"

When she received no response, she pulled back so she could cup his face in her hands. She thought she saw a hint of guilt in his eyes. "You can tell me, I'm right here."

He looked to the side as he tried to figure out how to put into words what he felt, before bringing his gaze back to hers. "I…I hate that he put his hands on you. That he did this again."

Her voice was hushed as she realized what he meant. "You think this is your fault, don't you?"

His brow furrowed. "I…I'm not sure. I just hate that you were alone."

"Levi," she murmured as her thumb brushed across his cheek, "I want you to listen to me very carefully. I wanted to be alone this morning, and if you had followed me, then I would have been upset with you."

She let her fingers thread gently into his silky hair, watching as his eyes stayed focused on hers, ignoring the fluttering of her heart. "The only reason he even got that far, is because I let my fear take over me. I hate that he put his hands on me again too. I can still feel them on me, his mouth on me, and that's going to take time to go away."

She scratched lightly at his scalp, and she felt his hands unclench against her back, moving towards either side of her waist to draw her closer. "All of you, you were what gave me the strength to fight back, both this time, and against Uma. I fought back, and I won. I wouldn't have been able to fight back, if I hadn't been training with you."

She brought her hands back to cup his face, holding firm on his gaze, letting him know the truth of her words. "So don't feel upset or guilty that it happened. We beat him, and he's going to be locked up for the rest of his life. I just want to move on from it, because we won. It'll take time, but as long as I have you, and everyone else, but especially you, Levi, I know I'll survive."

She pulled his head down so that his forehead lay on hers. "Knowing you're always here beside of me, I know I can get through anything."

That gentle smile and the warmth in his eyes came back, and her heart thrummed at the sight. He leaned in to place a sweet kiss on her forehead, as he'd done so many times before. And just like all the previous times, her heart flipped in her chest as the red crept up her face.

He drew her close to him again, wrapping her up in his arms.

She lost track of how long she held him, hand reaching up to stroke at his soft hair. Again, she got the faintest sense that he didn't want to let her go, the same way that she didn't. She felt it in the way his arms held tight onto her.

His hand had come up to cradle her head, fingers threading themselves into her hair. She could feel his cheek leaning against the side of her head.

It amazed her to no end how far he'd come when it came to hugs. She remembered the first times she'd hugged him, and how he'd awkwardly just placed his hands on her waist, clearly uncertain of what to do.

It brought a smile to her face at the difference between then and now.

I love you, Levi.

She didn't want to break the silence, but something about the moment pushed her to speak, wanting him to know how much she cared about him, even if she couldn't tell him she loved him yet. "I…I don't know what I'd do without you, Levi."

He was quiet for a moment before speaking, voice so quiet she barely heard it. "It's a good thing you don't have to find out, because you're stuck with me, like I'm stuck with you." His voice was too quiet for her to hear the pure affection in his tone.

Hearing him say words she'd said to him all too often brought a shy, content smile to her face as she pulled back to brush her lips across his cheek, thumb rubbing across it as if to seal the kiss.

She turned to face the horses behind them, and with her back to Levi, she didn't catch the faint pink that had slowly crept onto his face, or the way his eyes darkened ever so slightly, nor did she catch the deep breath he took.

She pulled off Luna's tack so that the mare could enjoy the field without the uncomfortable saddle. She bent to pick some of the flowers surrounding them, and started braiding them into Luna's mane, enjoying the way the colors looked against her dappled coat.

Sending Levi a sly grin, she turned to Spartan, and braided some into his mane as well. She heard him huff out an amused breath, and she turned her head to look at him over her shoulder. "What? He deserves to be pretty too. He's such a good boy."

Levi rolled his eyes, though they were lit with humor as the corner of his mouth twitched.

If she thought the colors had looked spectacular against Luna's coat, they looked magnificent against Spartan's. His black coat was the perfect canvas for the array of colors now laying in his mane.

She felt something slide against her ear, and when she reached up, she felt a flower tucked behind it, and turned to give Levi an amused look, though she couldn't stop the flutter in her heart or the creep of red as it moved up her cheeks.

He avoided her gaze as he shifted in place, and she couldn't help but giggle.

Maybe he does…but…if he does, what am I supposed to do? Why doesn't he do something if he does?

Is he waiting for me to do something? But why? Why not just make a move?

What am I supposed to even do to show him I want more? I feel like it's so obvious from me sometimes.

Am…am I that confusing like Nanaba said?

…She said to just go up and kiss him, but I don't think I can do that. So how do I show him I want more?

And what if I do try and I am wrong? Or what if I don't do something right? What if I end up being a disappointment?

Dammit how do I get rid of these thoughts?

Shoving the thoughts aside, not wanting to ruin the day, a lighthearted grin came to her face. "Ever play tag with a horse, Levi?"

His eyes met hers as he raised a brow. "Definitely not."

"But it's so much fun, watch." She turned to look at Luna over her shoulder. "Hey Luna," she called in a singsong voice.

Luna's ears pricked towards Isa, eyes lighting with something akin to whimsy as she recognized the tone.

"Come catch me if you can!" Isa took off through the meadow as Luna threw back her head and a playful whinny filled the air.

She raced through the field, doing her best to keep away from Luna as the mare chased her, cheerful giggles filling the air.

Isa knew that Luna could catch her if she wanted, but she loved to play, and pretended to miss as Isa dodged and evaded.

Her elated, musical laugh filled the surrounding air, echoing across the land. The trauma of earlier that day, the pain of yesterday completely forgotten in the moment, as every bit of joy she'd ever felt washed through her, the love she felt for all her friends, both lost and still present, and for Levi filled every fiber of her being.

She felt light, as if nothing in the world could touch her, as if nothing in the world existed except for her, Levi, and their two horses.

Walls, when was the last time I laughed like this?

The stoic man watched on, a small, affectionate smile on his face, humor lighting his eyes as he watched Isa play with her horse, that same warmth washing through him as he wondered how someone who had suffered something so cruel, just hours ago, could now run and laugh through a meadow as if she didn't have a care in the world.

When Luna finally caught her, Isa collapsed onto the ground, next to where the mare was now laying, letting her head rest on Luna's back.

Her eyes fluttered shut as her breaths slowed, her senses heightening. She could hear the breeze whispering through the grass and flowers, the leaves in the distance rustling from the wind. Birds chirping and singing in the distance filled the air surrounding her. The heat of the sun as it beat down on her warmed her from the inside out, bringing a peaceful smile to her face.

She could hear quiet footsteps approaching her, and her eyes opened to see Levi standing above her. She patted the ground beside her. Their shoulders brushed as he lay down next to her, letting his head rest next to hers on Luna's back.

She turned her head to meet his eyes, heart fluttering as she took in how close they were, his eyes drawing her in as they always did. "You need to relax more, Levi."

His lips quirked in amusement, eyes lit with warmth. "I do relax."

She raised a brow, her own lips twitching at the humor written on his face. "No, I don't think you do, not the way I do it. Here, let your hands rest on your stomach, and close your eyes, and just let yourself feel, hear, smell everything around you."

She watched as he did as she asked, gave him a few moments before eagerly asking, "Are you relaxed?"

He opened an eye that was full of mirth. "Well I'm certainly not going to be relaxed if you ask me."

"I…that's a fair point." She let herself close her eyes, and just enjoying one of the few things she always looked forward to, no matter what.

These simple days, where she could just lay out in the sun, and pretend that there was nothing in wrong in their world.

That there weren't giant, man-eating beings roaming around outside their walls.

That there hadn't been a breach in one of the walls leading to one of the worst missions in their history bringing a loss of hundreds of thousands of people.

That there weren't people within the walls who wished to make the lives of others a living hell, simply because it made them feel better.

That there weren't people within the walls who tried to take what was never offered.

That there weren't people inside the walls who sought revenge on others for the wrongs that happened to them.

Even though the day had started off in the worst possible way, moments like these, where she could just lie in the sun, next to the man she loved, were days she lived for.

Her eyes fluttered open as she turned her head to look at Levi, and her heart swelled with her love for him when she saw the completely relaxed expression on his face. She didn't think she'd ever seen him this at ease, even when she'd seen him sleeping.

Not wanting to disturb him she looked up at the sky, watching the clouds float by. She was taken back to those days in her childhood in Mitras, those moments where she'd been free to do as she pleased, and she'd lay on the ground, looking up at the sky, just like she was now, and watch the clouds move across it.

She'd always loved looking to see what shapes the clouds formed, sometimes she saw animals, flowers, people, it didn't matter.

As she watched the clouds, she saw a dog forming in one of the fluffier clouds, leaping as if about to catch something.

Beside it, she saw a cat, curled up, snoozing in the sun.

Looking up at the clouds brought a reminder of happier times, bringing a small smile to her face.

She felt Levi watching her and turned to meet his eyes, and she couldn't stop the smile on her face from widening at the pure content look on his face. "Ever look for shapes in the clouds, Levi?"

He shrugged. "Never really had the time to."

She nudged his shoulder with hers, giving him an encouraging look. "Well now you do, try it. What do you see?"

He turned to look up at the sky. "A titan."

Her lips quirked as she poked at his shoulder. "Really? That's the best you could come up with?"

He looked at her from the corner of his eye, though she could still see the humor in them. "A titan that doesn't want to kill us."

She feigned a sigh of frustration, flipping to her side, propping herself up on her elbow. "Come on, you can do better than that."

He sighed in mock exasperation before looking back up. "Fine. I guess that one looks kind of like a horse."

"What's the horse doing?"

"Does it matter?"

"It does to me."

"It looks like it's maybe running."

"Now was that so hard?"

She heard him grumble and could have sworn he said 'pain in the ass.'

She gave his shoulder a poke. "Grouchy ass, I know you enjoy the company of this 'pain in the ass, so don't even try to complain."

His only response was to stare at her with warm amusement in his eyes, a small smile on his face that had her breath hitching, as her own face filled with an affectionate smile.

She let herself settle back down next to him, watching the clouds gently move, enjoying the feel of the breeze on her skin.

Her thoughts traveled through the events of the last couple of days, and some of Martha's words came back to her.

"Hey Levi."

"What?"

She turned her head again so she could look at him as she spoke. "Those people are part of the reason why I'm having to deal with any of this."

He turned his head to meet her eyes, and she could tell he didn't like the fact anymore than she did. "I know."

Her brows furrowed. "I wonder why, I mean, I know they always wanted to sell me off as most of the nobles do with their 'heirs,' but, what I don't understand, is why they bothered when I'd already ran away? And, when did they do it? Was it after I finished training or before? I remember he always gave me odd looks that set me on edge during training, but he didn't try anything until right before my first expedition."

When he didn't respond, she nudged at his shoulder, humor lining her voice as she teased him. "What? The old wise man doesn't have an answer?"

He rolled his eyes, a smirk crossing his face. "I'm not that much older than you."

She giggled. "Maybe not, but you're still older, which means I get to call you an old man."

He flicked her forehead. "Such a pain in the ass."

She poked his shoulder. "Better than an old grouchy ass man."

He huffed.

She nudged at his shoulder again, gently this time. "It's okay, I don't know why they did that either. I guess some things just aren't meant to be known, or some things just don't have a reason. Who's to say why people do what they do sometimes."

He gave her shoulder a nudge of his own. "Now who's the wise one?"

She couldn't stop the smug smile on her face. "I'm known to have my occasional moments of wisdom."

A teasing light filled his eyes. "Really? Because this is the first I'm seeing of it."

She giggled. "And you say I'm a pain in the ass."

"You are, and a smartass."

She clutched at her heart with one hand, the back of her other hand pressed against her forehead. "Stop, my heart can't handle such sweet words."

Her heart fluttered at the sound of his chuckle that escaped him, not his breathless chuckle, but that small one she'd heard only hours before. "If you wanted someone who'd give you sweet words, you should have found another friend."

"That's why I have my other friends. If I need soft words, then I can just go to them. But I can't joke with them the way I do with you. It's different. I mean, I can't make fun of them for their adoring fans wishing for the Captain Levi," she let her tone turn breathless at the words, "to whisk them away."

He groaned in exasperation. "Not this again."

She gave his shoulder a playful poke. "You should hear some of the things I've heard. You'd…you'd be shocked. And not even all of it's from random people. I've heard people within the Scouts say things about you, that…that would probably shock the neutral expression right off your face."

She thought the look on his face was borderline begging her to keep quiet. "I definitely do not want to hear what our comrades say about me."

'He looks like another one that knows how to please you. I bet he makes up for his height in other places.'

'There's something about his eyes that just tells you he'd fuck you boneless.'

'So Isa, tell me, what's Levi like? Is it like we suspect? All his height went elsewhere?'

Her face flushed at the reminder of every observation she'd heard about Levi and laughed nervously. "Yea…you're probably right."

He took in her expression, brows raised. "Is it that bad?"

The red on her face deepened, and she avoided his gaze. "It…it probably depends on your perspective."

"Well now maybe I should know."

She stood, dusting off her clothes. "Nope, not happening." She grabbed his hand, pulling him up and practically dragging him to where she'd left her satchel before leading him over to the grove of trees. "Come on, there's so much I want to draw, and those trees are the perfect place to sit."

She led him to a tree where she leaned against the bark, the curved shape of it a perfect spot for her back. Eager to start, she ripped her sketchbook out of her satchel, and flipped to a new page.

She looked up in time to see Luna rolling around in the flowers, and she sketched as fast as her hands would let her, barely registering Levi sitting next to her.

Her charcoal flew across the page, fingers moving to spread the charcoal, shading, creating depth as she worked to capture the spirit of the mare in such a relaxed state. As Scouts, outside the walls, their horses were often on edge as much as their riders. To see Luna so free and so at ease had Isa's heart swelling with love for her horse.

When she was satisfied with her sketch, she moved onto Spartan, who was standing watch over Luna as she enjoyed the sun and flowers. She could tell he was just as relaxed as Luna, even if he was less inclined to show it, preferring to keep an eye on Luna, making sure nothing happened to her.

Isa couldn't stop the smile on her face at how similar rider and horse were. Her love for Levi's horse was just as strong as the love she held for her own.

She moved on to sketching out the rolling field in front of her, trying to capture the beauty of it, even if she couldn't capture the colors. She drew in Spartan and Luna, who had now risen to join her friend in grazing.

Isa couldn't help but smile at the friendship between the two horses, and when she saw Luna rest her head across Spartan's neck, she flipped to a new page, desperate to capture the precious moment.

She loved the bond that could happen between horses, the way they would watch out for each other, and stay close together. She couldn't help but notice that Spartan looked even more relaxed with Luna's head resting on him, as if she were bringing him comfort.

Finally, she knew she needed to draw Levi in this moment. She moved back so she could sit across from him, and giggled when he raised a brow at her.

"It's your turn now."

"Why?"

"Why not?"

He grumbled, despite being unable to control the way his lips quirked. "Pain in the ass."

She couldn't stop the affectionate smile that moved over her face. "Stop being such a grouchy ass."

He rolled his eyes.

"Okay, bring your knee up and rest your arm across it."

He complied.

"Perfect, now turn and face the fields, and don't move until I say you can move."

When he did as she asked, she flipped to yet, another new page and began her next sketch, hands moving more slowly now, wanting to make sure she captured every detail of him.

As she'd expected, his face had softened as he looked out over the field, even the most stoic of people unable to resist the sheer beauty of the meadow. She paid careful attention to the way his eyebrows were relaxed, how his eyes weren't as narrowed as they normally were. The way he looked out at the field reminded her of how he'd sometimes look at her, that gentle look that only she ever got to see.

She loved how she got to see his sweet side, the relaxed side. She wondered if Furlan and Isabel got to see this side of him, perhaps not the side that hugged her or kissed her forehead, but the side of him when he was relaxed, almost as if he didn't have a care in the world.

She moved down his body, and as she drew his arms, she couldn't help but remember at how tightly they'd clutched at her when she'd been kidnapped by Uma, and again that night when she'd woken him from his nightmare.

As she sketched his chest and stomach, she shivered at the memory of how it had felt pressed up against her back, the feel of his muscles under her arm as his fingers grazed lightly at her scar, a warm rush now flowing through her at the reminder of how it had felt to be held close against him.

His legs were so powerful, she could see the sheer strength in them. She remembered that first day in training, when he'd kicked off the tree so hard, he'd left a dent in the bark.

As she moved to his crotch, she remembered how close she'd been to being pressed up against him when he'd held her from behind. The way Nanaba had asked if all his height went elsewhere.

Seriously though, is that an actual thing or something people have just made up?

For some reason, as she drew, she couldn't help but feel as if he were watching her, yet every time she looked up, he was still facing the field, eyes looking straight ahead.

She finished and took her place back beside Levi, showing him the sketches.

"You may have missed your calling." She thought he sounded impressed as he flipped through her new sketches, and it brought a rush through her to hear someone think so highly of her drawings.

She turned her head to look at him in amusement. "And what would drawing pictures do for me? It's not like I could make a living off of it." She couldn't help but chuckle at the thought.

He shrugged. "It's not always about making a living but doing something you enjoy. You can find other ways to survive."

"And do you enjoy what we do?"

"Sometimes. In the sense that it means we're looking for a way to end these titans."

"That's how I feel. I enjoy what we do, Levi. I do." She sighed. "Do I wish that we didn't have to fight these battles? Of course. But if it means we can get one step closer to figuring out what these things are, then I'm more than happy to play a part in that. Even with the endless pain. Because it's in the small moments, the ones when we first ride out of the gates and you can feel that freedom, or the small moments we spend with our friends, it's those moments that keep me going."

They sat in silence for a few moments before Levi rose to grab his own satchel from Spartan's saddle. When he returned, he pulled out meat, cheese, and bread, and Isa was instantly thrown back to that day of his birthday, when she'd done exactly this for him.

She gaped at him, completely shocked that he'd done this, but touched, nonetheless. "You shouldn't have wasted your money on this."

He smirked at her, amusement lining his voice as he spoke. "No point in complaining about it now and no sense in wasting it."

She huffed out a breath as he threw her own words back to her face, though she couldn't stop the way her heart flipped.

"Here." He held his hand out, and when she lifted hers, he set her necklace in it.

Relieved tears came to her eyes. "I…I was afraid it was gone forever."

He avoided her gaze, as uncomfortable with gratitude as ever. "I found it, that night, so I took it to have them redo the paint and writing."

She held it out to him. "Can you tie it for me?"

As she had that night of her birthday, she moved her hair out of the way, fighting back a shiver at the feel of his fingers grazing across the back of her neck as they tied the twine. She had to fight even harder when he gently pulled her hair from her hands to let it lay loose against her shoulders again.

She turned back around, an affectionate smile on her face, hand coming up to hold it. "Thanks, Levi. I was worried this was something else she'd taken from me."

His only response was to give her a small smile and ruffle her hair.

They dug in and Isa relished in the savory taste of the meat, the richness of the sharp cheese, and the fluffy lightness of the fresh bread. She hadn't had meat since that day of Levi's birthday. The cost of it too high to be eaten regularly.

She hoped that there would be a day where they would be able to reclaim Wall Maria and take back the land so that meat wouldn't be so expensive and only enjoyed regularly by the rich.

When they'd finished, she couldn't help but close her eyes and groan at the sensation of her stomach being full. "Thank you, Levi. I needed that."

"We're not done yet."

"I…we're not?"

"You can ask me anything you want, and I'll answer."

Her glee filled eyes boggled as she gaped at him. "Really?"

He rolled his eyes, humor glinting in them at her reaction. "Yes." His lips twitched as he spoke, hand coming up so he could poke at her forehead. "But with the condition that if I don't want to answer something, I won't."

She couldn't help but smile at what he was doing, the same thing she'd more than half a year ago on his birthday.

She crossed her legs under her as she thought hard on what she wanted to ask him first. So many questions were running through her mind, and she was finding it difficult to latch onto one.

She settled on one that she'd thought about endlessly since she'd met him. "That first day…" she chewed nervously at her lip, "when I took you guys to the roof to show you the sunset, did you…did you really think I was going to hurt you guys?"

She thought she saw his eyes fill with guilt at the reminder of how they'd first met. "I wasn't sure what to think. I'd never met anyone so friendly without needing a reason to be that way. So like I told you that night of your birthday, I saw what I wanted to see, and just refused to trust you."

"Hey, don't feel bad about that, I already told you I understood. I was just curious to know if you actually thought I was a threat."

She watched as the corner of his mouth lifted, and she thought he looked relieved at her words.

It took her some time to choose her next question. "When…when did you finally realize you could trust me?"

He shrugged. "It was a lot of the little things. I knew that day after you saw my memory, but didn't tell Furlan what you saw. It wasn't enough for me to fully trust you, but I started to realize that maybe you were just that friendly."

She couldn't stop the smug grin that spread on her face, eyes lighting with glee. "So I did pass your little test."

He smirked at her, eyes lit with amusement. "As if you ever doubted you did."

A giggle escaped her at the truth of his words. "Why did you hate me so much, after that expedition?"

His smirk dropped to a frown, as he thought back to that day. "I…I didn't hate you. You were a reminder of what I lost, and I didn't want to be near you."

Well that's fair enough, makes sense.

She drew her knees into her chest, arms laying across them so her head could rest on her arms, eyes thoughtful as she thought back to how she'd shared her tea with him every day after. "So what made you come up to join me on the roof?"

His brows furrowed, as he looked down in the ground, thinking back to what he'd thought and felt in those days. "I'm…I'm honestly not sure. I just think I realized you were one of the few people who remembered them, knew them in a way I knew them, and I decided that I didn't want to lose that connection."

Her gaze grew serious, and as she spoke, his eyes came back up to meet hers. "I may not have known them for as long as you did, but don't ever doubt that I cared about them as much as you did. They were two of the best people I'd ever met, and I miss them every day. I'll never forget that first morning when Isabel kicked me when I tried to wake her up and you just let her."

His lips twitched in amusement at the memory. "I wanted to see how you'd handle it."

She giggled. "If I'd had a bucket of water on hand, I would have gotten her up. It's how I used to wake Hange up."

"Cleans her up and wakes her up."

"Exactly."

She sat there, caught in those eyes lit with warmth as she struggled to come up with another question, needing a distraction from the fluttering of her heart and the butterflies in her stomach.

"You didn't want to be near me, but you still offered to help me with fighting, why?"

He avoided her gaze, shame filling his eyes. "I…when I pushed you up against that wall, I realized that I had done the same thing that pig had done to you, restrained you against your will. I obviously didn't have the same intentions, I just wanted to intimidate you. But I shocked myself that I had done something so similar right after I'd helped you. I…I wanted to make sure you knew how to defend yourself."

She was quick to move to his side, hands cupping his face. "Levi, you could never be like him. I knew you would never hurt me, even when you were being an ass. It's not in your nature to hurt someone who isn't a threat. You may not have trusted me, but you knew, I know you knew, that I wasn't."

His eyes came back to hers, that soft smile on his face, hand coming up to encircle one of hers on that lay on his face. "You were right, I never had any intention of hurting you."

"I can't be wrong about everything can I?"

That warmth she loved to see but didn't understand came into his eyes. "No, I guess not."

She settled down next to him, smiling as his arm came around her. "I'll give you a break from questions now."

As she sat, leaning up against Levi, she enjoyed the feel of his hand on her shoulder, the other enveloping her hand in its warmth.

She felt him brush across the bruises on her wrists that were laying in her lap. She glanced down and she could see the imprints of where Derek's hand had held onto them, hating that her skin was marked with the memory, though she knew they would fade with time, even if it would take longer for the trauma to heal.

She let her mind wander, moving through memories of her parents. She couldn't help but smile fondly at the happier times she'd had with her mom and dad. Her memories may be limited, but the ones that were there were full of love, laughter, joy.

She thought back to Levi's mother, and her smile grew warmer when she remembered the pure love that had poured from the woman when she'd seen her son. She hated that Levi had lost her so young and had been left completely alone, though she was grateful someone had found him. She didn't want to think about what would have happened if that man had never come across him.

Levi hadn't mentioned him since she'd asked about him, and she thought about asking more. She was curious and wanted to know more about what happened to him, but wasn't sure how to ask or if she should ask.

"Isa, I—"

A flash of light exploded behind her eyes and she cried out in pain as everything around her faded to black.

She's back in the Underground, and she sees that same little boy, only now, he's about twelve.

There's a man below him and the boy is yelling at him, hitting him, threatening him with his knife.

She can feel the boy's desperate need to prove himself, to survive pouring from him and her heart clenches at the thought of someone so young having to do these things just so he can live another day.

Then, the boy glances up, and she can feel anger, betrayal, longing, frustration, emanating from him in harsh, negative waves.

Her eyes glance to where the boy is looking, and her heart drops as she sees a tall man with gray eyes in a trench coat turn and walk away.

Her own emotions, anger, hatred, fear, begin to mix in with the boy's, and it's too much for her to handle, and the memory shifts to one of her own.

She's back in her old childhood home, watching the child version of herself sit in the curtained off bedroom with her mother.

She looks as if she's three or four.

She can feel the love pouring from both her mother and herself, and it mixes with all the other emotions her mind is trying to process.

Her mother speaks.

"Isa, if something ever happens to your dad and I, these journals explain everything about who we are, where we come from, and why we live in the Underground." Her mother points to a loose floorboard hidden in the corner of their tiny closet.

"Why can't you show me now?" Her squeaky voice fills the air.

Her mother brushes the hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear, a warm affectionate smile on her face as she looks on at her daughter. "You're not ready now. But if the time comes, you will be."

The confusion between the two memories, the chaotic mix of emotions pulls her out.

"Isa, what's wrong?"

Isa could barely make out the sound of his panicked voice over the splitting pain in her head. It felt as if her head was being ripped apart. She didn't even hear the screams pouring from her throat.

She was hunched over, hands clenching tight on her head, desperate to ease the radiating sharp waves stabbing at her skull.

She thought she felt a hand on her back, awkwardly rubbing, unsure of what to do.

"Isa, what do you need. Just…just tell me how to help." He tried to keep his voice hushed, but the fear and concern made it difficult.

She couldn't talk, couldn't think over the pain. The light was blinding her, needles stabbing into her eyes, making the pain worse.

Too many conflicting emotions and she couldn't figure out which were Levi's and which were hers. That plus the shift from his memory to hers was too much for her mind to handle.

"The light." She managed to croak out, her screams now having dropped to groans and sobs of pain.

Make the pain stop, make it stop.

She felt a cool cloth wrap around her eyes, sending her into darkness and then a dragging sensation before she was wrapped up in sturdy arms, her face against his body. She sobbed as the pain raged in her head.

The scent began filtering through the pain, her mind recognizing it.

"Please, make it go away." Her voice was a broken sob.

She could feel his arms wrapped tighter around her, bringing her head closer into his body, a trembling hand stroking at her hair.

"Shh, I'm right here, I got you. Just hold onto me."

Her hands clutched onto his shirt, needing something, anything, that would ease the throbbing in her head.

Slowly, the pain began to fade, as her groans died down to whimpers, body trembling.

She realized that she was currently being held by Levi, her legs draped across his lap, hands still clenched in fists against him. His hand was cradling her head, and she could tell her face was buried in his neck. His other arm was wrapped around her holding her close. She couldn't see anything through the cloth in front of her.

"Levi?" Her throat hurt as she spoke, voice raspy.

She felt a hand brush against her cheek. "Shh, I'm right here. Are you alright?"

She sniffled. "I…I think so. Levi…who was that man?"

"Kenny."

Holy shit.

"He's…he's the man who killed my parents."

She felt him tense, clearly not having expected that admission.

She poked at what she thought was his shoulder. "If you think I'm upset with you in any way, wipe that thought from your mind, right now." Though her voice was weak, the tone in it was firm. "I would never blame you or be angry with you for going with him, for living with him. You were a child, what were you supposed to do?"

She could feel the tension leave him at her words.

"What happened? You were screaming." She thought his voice sounded unsteady, worried.

She didn't remember screaming, but that would explain why her throat was so sore. "I was? I…I don't know, it was like your emotions mixed together with mine and my head couldn't handle the combination, couldn't figure out which emotions belonged to me and which belonged to you. And then it shoved me into one of my own memories for some reason. Maybe because my mind recognized the man and wanted to show me the memory of my mom. When I came back there was this splitting pain in my head, something I've never felt before."

"If you want, I'm going to take this cloth off your face now."

She nodded and she felt him gently remove the covering from her face. She squinted as her eyes adjusted to the light, and buried her face back in her neck, head still too sensitive.

She slowly pulled back and when the pain didn't return, she looked into Levi's face, worry prominent in his eyes.

"I think I'm okay now."

A shaky hand came up to rest on the side of her face, thumb stroking at her cheek. "We need to figure out how this keeps happening."

Her brows furrowed, angry that this was still happening, not knowing how to control it. "I…I know, I'm not sure why or how it does, or what this even is. And I hate that it even happens. I feel like I'm betraying you by seeing memories you weren't ready for me to know."

"It's fine."

Frustrated she pushed off of him, standing, bracing a hand on the tree when she swayed. "No it's not fine, dammit. How can you be okay with this? You should be angrier." She turned away from him. "It's not right that this keeps happening."

She felt hands on her shoulders as they gently turned her to face him. She looked up into his calm eyes, and was overwhelmed by guilt. "I'm sorry, Levi."

His hands came up to cup her face. "Are you doing this on purpose?"

She shook her head, though the act brought a slight twinge of pain. "Of course not."

His thumbs stroked across her cheeks, eyes intent on hers, a soft smile on his face. "Then why would I be angry? It's not something you can control right now. You don't have to apologize for this."

She let her head fall against his chest, and was soothed when his arms came around her, when she felt his head rest on hers.

"I feel like you should hate me because of this." She couldn't stand the idea of him hating her, but she wouldn't blame him if he did. "This is the third time I've seen a random memory of yours that I didn't have the right to see."

His hand came up to stroke at her hair. "If this bothered me in the slightest, I wouldn't be here. You should know that by now." He paused for a moment. "You were right, the first time this happened. I knew you weren't lying."

"Really?"

"Yes."

Despite the slight thrill that went through her at the knowledge that she'd been right about something else, it couldn't push aside the guilt. "I don't know why this keeps happening."

He murmured to her while his fingers combed through her hair. "We'll figure it out. I promise."

Her mind went to that memory of hers, the one of her mom telling her about the journals that would explain everything about who they were.

Those journals may be able to explain why this keeps happening. And how I can control it.

In that moment, she made a decision. She pulled away from Levi, marching up to Luna, braiding her hair as she went. Before she could hop on, Levi had caught up to her, spinning her around.

"Where the hell are you going?" His brows were furrowed, eyes full of confusion and concern.

She met his gaze, determination in her eyes. "The Underground."

A/N: Thanks for reading! :)