Very sorry about the time skip. I will cover all of their moments in between in my Hahn/Ackerman special in a few chapters' time as I do need to make a jump to the present soon. Sorry for all of the Ioana exposition/info dump near the start. It's all to build up her character in later chapters.

Finally incorporating a touch of Irish mythology (my own twist on it) and introducing my final main character character. Any other characters introduced after this aren't too important. Niamh is pronounced like [neev] or [nee-uv] (dialect depending, in Ireland, we say both and it's all based on preference of the person.) The name means bright and radiant. The image attached is from an image I made on art breeder - it's the most accurate portrayal of Bláithín I could make.

And so, the months and months trickled by seemingly without any issues for once. By lack of issues, this meant no issues surrounding Ioana Meyer. And nothing out of the ordinary happened either.

In fact, time seemed to drip by slowly and days and weeks rolled into each other.

Bláithín did paperwork for Levi when he couldn't and he'd train the squad more. Expeditions happened and ticked by and more recruits transferred from the Garrison or Military Police, much to Erwin's appreciation. And conversely, much to everyone's dismay, Hange got the go ahead to launch a few Titan captures in the new year. The start of the new year marked a new set of cadets in the Training Corps also. Life in the Walls was stable for once.

Stable, by a Survey Corps' soldier's definition, just meant no Titans kicking down Walls again. So, all in all, a good year, perhaps?

Talk of the town was that the next winter coming would be the worst one humanity had to face in a long time. Bláithín didn't mind winters; being from the Inner Walls meant colder weather than normal. She could recall moments from her childhood when she was at her parents' house, she would throw herself down into the snow with Elise, only to get scolded by their parents when the snow melted and they had tracked water all over the house. She smiled at this fond memory

However in mid December of 846, no one further down the Walls was expecting snow of all things. People's skin lightened with the now lack of sunlight, even someone who was sort of tanned like Ioana. Bláithín's alabaster skin remained unchanged, she had always been rather pale, but with the crisp temperature, her cheeks were often flushed now in a desperate attempt to cling to warmth. Bláithín was one of the few soldiers who was mentally prepared for this reality and had knitted a few scarves for those around her. She knitted one for each member of the Special Ops squad, even the dubious Ioana Meyer.

She finished up her latest creation late one evening and tossed it at Levi's head. "Here."

The two had formed a habit of doing paperwork together if they found themselves unable to sleep. They'd walk down to the Mess Hall and do it then and… it eventually became a habit to sit in silence and just work away. Conversation would flow naturally here and there… as would glances at each other when the other person wasn't looking, staring for just a second too long. Sometimes, if Bláithín was feeling cheeky, she'd kick him under the table. He'd stand on her boots with his own and that would shut her up.

This all happened with tea, of course. Duh.

Levi caught the item in his grasp just before it landed haphazardly on his head. He released the vice grip of it before inspecting it. Almost like he was checking the quality of it. "Didn't know you could knit, Hahn."

"What kind of girl would I be couldn't knit?!" she guffawed.

Levi raised a brow but didn't look at her either, returning his focus to his paperwork. "Shit, Bláithín, I don't know. A girl who couldn't knit?" He said plainly.

"I'd be pretty damn useless if I, a lady from Mitras, couldn't even sew or knit?" she asked, though it was a rhetorical question. Levi realised that in her tone and shrugged. She pursed her lips together as silence fell between them. Though she didn't mind silence, she did like keeping Levi entertained at least… whether he appreciated it or not. She just felt way too comfortable around him now. "You need help, Levi?"

This made him look up at her and he scanned her briefly. Her hair was in dire need of being cut, it was getting too long. While it was normally tied up, anything could happen out in the wild; a Titan snatching her or her hair getting caught in her gears. Still though, her hair framed her face elegantly (as elegantly as you could keep your hair as a soldier) and the candle lit between them made her blue eyes shine beautifully. It highlighted every detail about her that he had become so accustomed to; her slightly angular eyebrows, the bridge of her nose, the pout of her lips.

Saints, he was in way too deep. And though she never showed it, it's not like she wasn't far behind him.

The candle continued to flicker and she couldn't help but notice the way it illuminated his cheeks in just the right way to show off his features yet conversely show off how gaunt he looked, and that the bags under his eyes didn't help this. Grey eyes that held years of pain but were glazed over with a cold facade; grey eyes that stayed awake no matter how tired he was and no matter how much his mind ached to switch off.

Grey eyes that found the occasional few moments of quietness in her blue.

Grey eyes that spoke volumes and were secretly praying, imploring, begging whatever divine power existed above for her to not be the next one to die.

The same way she was tired of being looked after by him but appreciated it nevertheless.

However emotionally constipated the pair of them were, people like Mike and Hange were blue in the face of them occasionally staring at each other. Especially when both would deny it ever happening. It had been a painful few months of them just sitting in each other's company, not doing or saying a whole lot together, but being together regardless and Hange, in particular, was getting sick of it. Then again, what could you expect from a thug who grew up in the Underground and a girl who never even had her first kiss yet?

Levi broke the silence first, not that it lasted long in the first place. "You need to cut your hair, Bláithín. Can't have you getting snatched by a Titan, who else would do my paperwork?"

"Gee, Levi, I don't know. There are tons of people here," Bláithín retorted, twiddling with a strand of hair. It was getting long though, and her terrible joke - if you could call something so terrible a joke - following just confirmed it. She placed said strand of hair and hung it over her upper lip and coughed to clear her throat. "'Can't have you getting snatched by a Titan, who else would do my paperwork?'" she quoted, her voice now an octave lower.

Levi grimaced at this horrific impersonation. "If you're trying to imitate me, you're doing a shit job at it. I don't sound like that."

"'I don't sound like that'," she parroted with a goofy smile.

"Bláithín, if you don't-"

"'Bláithín, if you don't-'" She interjected, quickly.

His lips parted for a bit as he stared but they quickly shut again. "Shut the fuck up, you're so annoying." He grumbled.

"Go on, ruffle my long hair, I know you want to." She sang and she leaned her head against the table, head covering his paperwork.

"Let it be known that I have my inkwell right here and I will topple it over if you don't stop fucking annoying me," he threatened with a scowl, initially failing to release the major flaw in that argument. His eyes remained narrowed with annoyance but there was a glimmer of something else in his eyes… though she failed to identify it.

"Let it be known you're too much of a clean freak to ever do that and you'd be spilling black ink alllll over your work," she teased back. "And I would not be helping you with that."

"You damned brat," he muttered and pushed her head up again. "Go to your damned niece or something. fucking hell."

"Levi, it's midnight, and she's not even with me today," she said, flippantly, brows raised. She had clearly pissed him off enough. "Alright fine, you midget bastard, I'm sorry. I'll go make tea."

Given how he didn't turn down her offer, she can assume it meant yes. She only had to refill them anyway since a pot had already been made. But it was Bláithín adding a dash of ginger to the tea that made it more, uh, special, perhaps.

She placed the cup back in front of him and he grunted, and she could only assume this was out of appreciation. Comfortable silence fell between them as they scribbled away, Bláithín working out budgeting-related problems when she spoke suddenly. "Oh, it's December fourteenth!" she beamed.

"So?" Levi replied, taking a drink of the tea.

"It's my birthday!"

Levi almost choked with how casually she said it. That, and the fact that Hange didn't seem extra excitable as of late for one of her best friend's birthdays… He could only surmise that not even Hange knew. In fact, whenever other soldiers had birthdays, especially if they were friends, Hange was always the first to jump at their throats with glee and poorly contained energy, even if it was days away.

"Who else knows?" He asked.

"Just you." She mumbled.

Levi was silent for a bit, not knowing what to say. "No one else? Don't tell me you're expecting me to sing."

"God, no, I wouldn't subject you to that kind of torture," she said to him with a smile, "birthdays were never big at home for me, despite what you may think given my upbringing."

Levi didn't speak. He just listened as she rambled, aimlessly. Her eyes remained fixated on the numbers of her sheet, zoning out almost.

"'You never should have been born in the first place' was always shouted at me on my birthdays by my uncle, so, I mean, not much to celebrate if you hear that every year…" she mumbled, pupils dilating a bit as her gaze moved towards the flickering candles and back to her papers. "Blah, blah, blah, mean uncle bullshit, blah, blah; you've heard it all before." She said, dismissively.

Well… that was sad. Levi was always a bit stumped whenever she chose to speak of her childhood, the few and fleeting times she did. She was right to tuck all those memories away and keep them from resurfacing. Not when she had been so on top of everything for the past few months, especially. All he did was blink, Levi's facade rarely betrayed him.

He cleared his throat, trying to dispel the awkward silence that she accidentally created. "Hope you weren't expecting a gift, you gave me no notice."

"You? Get someone a birthday gift? Please," she huffed. She was now laying down on the sette and Levi smacked her on the shoulder so that she'd get up. "Ow… what, are you saying you'll get me one next year?"

"If you succeed in not annoying me for a whole three hundred and sixty-five days, then yes." He replied.

She furrowed her brows together. "But… that's impossible, you're so easily annoyed… especially by me."

He gave her one of his rare smirks. "Exactly that, Bláithín," he said. She pouted, though it was playful. She stood up about to smack him square on the upside of his head but he was always quick to grab her wrist. "Feisty tonight, aren't you, Hahn? Really temperamental and irritating."

She blew a raspberry at him and she pivoted on her heel. "Whatever, I'm going to bed."

Another smirk from the short man followed. "Finally, some peace and quiet."

She muttered a curse under her breath, but there was a smile on her lips also. She knew the man was joking.

She knew the man a little bit too well.

The day was seemingly uneventful until the onyx haired man was called into the commander's office after speaking to Bláithín. They were going to be training the squad later in the weights room since the weather was too cold.

Levi knocked on the door to his superior's office and entered. He had come to respect the blond commander over the years he had been in the Survey Corps. Sure, he would never forget how Erwin knew long of Lobov's plans even while he, Isabel and Farlan were out to kill him, but that was in the past and Levi had long since pulled up his big boy pants.

"Please, sit," Erwin said as he gestured to the brown leather arm chairs. Levi took a seat and slouched back into it. He had no idea why he was being called in. He couldn't recall being more of an asshole than normal to warrant a scolding. "I have finally processed that report on Ioana Meyer."

"Took you nine months? I wrote that damn report back in March, Eyebrows," Levi spat. Levi had every right to snap at his commander for this, what took him so long to finally get around to briefing him on any updates. There clearly weren't any, given that Ioana had not been punished.

This could only mean…

"I couldn't go ahead with any kind of discipline as there was no proof that she tried to kidnap Bláithín's niece, Eden Hahn," Erwin explained. "While what happened, if true, was terrible and Bláithín must have been terrified, I couldn't have gone ahead unless there was sufficient evidence. Personal accounts from you and Bláithín aren't enough."

Levi cocked a thin brow. "It took you nine months to tell me this?"

Erwin stood up as he shook his head. He went over to the mahogany bookshelf, looking for something. His fingers scanned over books and files, all of which seemed to be organised very well. Alphabetically, perhaps. If nothing else, Levi had to admire the man's ability to be neat and tidy. Erwin let out a gasp when he found the file he was looking for.

"Under normal circumstances, I would have gotten back to a soldier of your rank much sooner," Erwin spoke as he opened this mysterious file. "That was... until Bláithín couldn't shake this feeling of doubt and suspicion, even after switching Eden to a new nanny, that she asked me to do a background search on her."

This grabbed Levi's attention swiftly and he sat up straighter, bringing a hand to his chin in thought. He knew Erwin was a powerful man, able to get his hands on any information he so desired. Bláithín knew this and exploited him and his title. He may not have been a noble or that high up in terms of importance, but a commander of any regiment could sway and manipulate people to some degree.

For nine months, seemingly, Erwin had been sneaking around to past commanders of the Survey Corps, other high-ranking MPS and perhaps even the commander of the Military Police, Nile Dok, searching information on one Ioana Meyer.

"For starters, I found out what she does on her time off and where she spends her money," Erwin began, slipping forward a stapled sheet of dockets. Levi scanned through them quickly. "She is a noble lady hailing from the so-called Meyer family."

Her transactions seemed normal. He had to assume that Erwin couldn't get a hold of every copy of these purchase dockets, but there was enough to get a good read on her. She spent some of her money on transportation back to the Inner Walls - regularly at that - and other fine clothes and jewellery. Nothing of note or significant importance-

Wait.

Levi realized the blond phrased that last sentence in a specific way. He peered up to meet the man's cerulean eyes.

"'So-called'?" Levi parroted.

"So you're quick to catch on, Levi," Erwin acknowledged with his lips twitching upwards in pride. Levi shrugged, not thinking it was anything remarkable. Erwin reached for the file and flicked through it until it came to an empty sheet with just 'Ioana Meyer' written on it, another set of inverted commas around her surname. "The Meyer family all perished in the fall of Wall Maria. Meaning… Ioana has come from the Inner Walls, but the last of the Meyer family members perished last year."

Now, this was suspicious. If Ioana 'Meyer' was going to take the identity of someone, why didn't she do the extra bit of digging to find out if the family existed or were alive in the first place? Better yet, why was she using a surname different to her own?

"She has no reason to hide her identity," Levi began. "How could she even get a hold of a surname and claim it as her own?"

"With the fall of Wall Maria, heaps of records, birth certificates, civilian data - anything of the sort - was lost. And, with the Garrison having lost many of its soldiers from being the first line of defence that day and the Survey Corps being consistently low on numbers, we'd take anyone. There were reports of a Ioana attending a private school in Sine, but her true surname is not known."

Levi snuffed at this. He had never thought about it but it only now registered to him that Levi didn't even have a birth certificate initially, or even a surname. Being born to a prostitute in the Underground, they were barely considered citizens of the state there. Levi, Isabel and Farlan got to join the Survey Corps and didn't have to provide any information (and even if they had any, they probably wouldn't have provided it just to save their own skins.) Of course, once Levi became a full-fledged and official member of the Scouts, he was made to fill out all of that tedious documentation.

"Nice to know the Scouts are as desperate as ever that they'll even accept people to join their ranks who have committed identity theft." Levi remarked, casually, his gaze casting to the side of the room to keep his eyes entertained.

"Nice to know the Scouts are as desperate that they'll accept mercenaries from the Underground who have knowingly killed tons of people, robbed and stolen, verbally and physically harassed hundreds more." Erwin said, though Levi knew that at this stage in their professional relationship, he didn't mean it to cause offence. He also didn't mean it to be funny though either… Even so, Erwin had smirked after uttering those words to him.

"Wipe that shit-eating grin off your face, Erwin." Levi said with a dramatic eye roll.

"I have personally seen the girl train, and I will say she is good. If she wasn't a good soldier, I'd have no interest in keeping her but if a rare soldier comes alone, you grab and seize it."

That was a reference to Humanity's Strongest who sat before him, eyeing him up and down. Erwin Smith was a strange man. Happy to make offhanded comments like that, but also equally happy to step on others and use their titles and rank to get what he wanted. That was what convinced Levi to stay after that fateful day (not that he had anywhere else to go besides back to the wretched Underground.) He knew Erwin would get things done and would consistently make progress and push humanity forward, even if it wasn't by a lot. His oceanic eyes were looking forward to something - at something - and this kept him going, while having his army trudge behind him none the wiser. They all blindly followed him into the depths of hell because they all knew Erwin Smith was after something and a man like him would give it all up if it meant humanity could take even just one measly step forward.

What was this 'something'? Was it freedom? Was it answers? Levi didn't know.

Even so, he had to commend Bláithín's astuteness for recognising this side of Erwin and for getting him to dig up information on this mysterious girl. Levi was snapped out of his introspection when his commanding officer spoke again.

"You've seen the way she stares at Bláithín, then, I presume? That pair of haunting brown eyes…?" Erwin hinted. "What could she want from Bláithín?"

Again, Levi had to agree. In the first few months of training the new special operations squad, Bláithín had approached both Erwin and Levi upon feeling watched by her. It wasn't something that went unnoticed, but again, what proof did they have? They didn't know why Ioana stalked Bláithín like a hawk. Levi was the first to dismiss her of her worries, claiming they were nonsensical at the time. At the time, yes, he did feel it was probably nothing out of the ordinary for Ioana; maybe she just stared at anyone she had an interest in, and blindly assumed - or hoped - she was doing this to other people.

But it wasn't long before Levi was able to confirm Bláithín's suspicions. Ioana did watch Bláithín a lot, as if she was studying her… collecting information even. When Ioana and Bláithín spoke, even from when she first joined or even after the incident concerning Eden, Ioana always looked on at her soullessly.

Even when Bláithín had her pinned up against the wall, Ioana just stared at her. Levi had pushed people into that similar position before, often with his hands around their necks, and their expression is always similar to that of fear and desperation. He was even disturbed by the fact that Ioana made no effort to fight back and never let her countenance slip.

"Erwin, why are you telling me all this?" Levi asked.

Erwin turned around to face the shorter man. "Must I spell it out? You two are close, but I assumed that since you were there when it happened, you'd want to know. Bláithín showed no sign of knowing Ioana when they first met, correct?" Erwin asked. Levi nodded. "…Which just begs the question why…"

Silence permeated between them as Erwin rooted in his desk for something. Though he kept it to himself, Erwin had long since been curious of Bláithín's family. Why would the head of the family, Sven Hahn, send away its future heir to Shiganshina, and at the tender age of twelve at that? Why Shiganshina specifically? Was Sven Hahn hoping a Titan attack would happen?

These questions began to eat away at Erwin Smith. What could be so important, so life-changing, that the next in line to the Hahn estate, wealth and properties couldn't have seen?

"All this digging… led me to the Hahn family eventually. Though I do not know why Ioana wants to gain information on her, I thought if I dug into the Hahn family, I'd find out why…"

Erwin produced a drawing and a tattered diary, the pages that were falling out were a nasty shade of yellow. Levi, in the meantime, turned his gaze to the pot of tea that was boiling in the fireplace. Bingo, he thought to himself; finally something that would motivate him to stay longer. He brought himself to his feet and leaned into the fire, stirring the coal rocks that blazed. He had two cups of tea made not long after, one stirred and brewed to his own preference and sat down again.

"You won't even bring over the cup to your own superior officer?" Erwin asked, gesturing to the fine china left on the mantelpiece.

"Erwin, last I checked, I'm not your fucking slave." The short man retorted.

"Not even if I ordered you to get it?" Erwin tested. Gosh, this man was in a strange mood today.

"Oh, Christ," Levi growled and got up out of his seat to get the damn cup, and placed it down on the table, making sure to leave a thud sound. "There, sir, your tea."

Erwin let out a chuckle. Levi eyed the sight of the man smiling precariously but decided to say nothing. "So, what did you find?" Levi asked as he flicked over the piece of paper and let out what could only be a noise of surprise.

It was just a drawing, a detailed one at that, of a young girl with a violin in her arms. Her fingers on her left hand were firmly wrapped around the body of the violin, thumb securing her fingers in place in a high position while her bow in her right hand was up in the air. The girl in the photo had long hair that flowed down her back and her bangs or fringe were tied back in an obnoxious and obscenely large ribbon. If Levi had to guess, the girl couldn't have been older than twelve given the height of her.

"All of the Hahns have been an intelligent and musical family," Erwin spoke as Levi inspected the picture more.

"All? Who is this?"

"You can be so smart yet exceedingly dense, Levi," Erwin commented, an almost disappointed look painted across his normally pragmatic and stoic features. "You mean you can't tell what your second-in-command looks like as a child? That's Bláithín, back in 837." He spoke, gesturing to the date. One year before she joined the cadet corps.

"Oh." Came Levi's short reply.

"Her mother, Aisling, was an opera singer and frequently sang in all the luxurious salons and had a very promising career ahead of her… before giving it all up and joining the training corps at seventeen and, later, the Survey Corps. Her uncle, Sven, though he went into chemistry and medicine, was a harpist." Erwin explained, recounting all the information he had gathered on the noble family.

"And this is interesting because…?"

Erwin shrugged. "Interesting how Bláithín and her mother had similar upbringings in music and later joined the Survey Corps."

Levi snuffed at this. "You'd think watching fucking paint dry is interesting, I believe."

He shrugged again. "Maybe so, but what's interesting are the pages I have bookmarked in that diary," he said, gesturing for him to open it. Levi cocked a brow but opened it nevertheless. "Aisling's diary." Erwin further clarified.

Over the months, and thanks to relentless drilling from Bláithín, Levi had become better at reading and writing. She'd smack him over the back of the head if she found out he hadn't been practicing and this would just earn a scowl from him. His scowls did nothing to her though, and while they'd scare the younger recruits shitless, they only amused Bláithín. That damned, cheeky blonde, he said to himself. She even had the nerve to laugh at him when he glowered at her. Clearly, his moody scowl and cold, abrasive face no longer fazed the girl.

Levi flicked to all the pages that had dog ears on them and scanned through them. Clearly Erwin had read through these already but even so, he had no idea what he was meant to find or make sense of. He looked up at Erwin asking for help.

"Aisling, though the cause is unknown and is never explained in this journal… Had this neurological condition in which she'd have seizures, some appearing as just daydreams and some where her body loses complete control of itself..." Erwin began. He leaned forward and retrieved the diary before flicking to a specific page. "Doctor employed at the infirmary at the time explained this condition is called epilepsy. Or at the very least, something similar to that condition. These would often come accompanied with other symptoms - nosebleeds, headaches, nausea and so forth - but…" he turned the journal back and found a picture that had been drawn and coloured in. Levi looked at the image and saw the familiar Hahn blonde hair but the eyes weren't blue in this image… they were, for whatever reason, golden? "Whenever she entered these states, her eyes would glow. I am assuming someone hastily coloured in a picture so that Aisling could get an idea. Also, she would always say the words 'Danu' and 'river' afterwards." He said, gesturing to the aforementioned underlined words in the diary.

"Seizures?" Levi parroted. "Who'd be daft to the point they'd join the military despite knowing they suffer from this? And you have shown all this to Bláithín, right?"

"Of course, I did. And I don't know. It didn't impact her abilities too much. In fact, if ever. She was well on the way to eventually being promoted Commander of the Survey Corps, but… she died shortly after Bláithín's twelfth birthday and I would dread to think she died when she wasn't even in control of her own body…"

Levi stood up, having had enough information thrown at him to digest. He nodded at Erwin in a way to bid his departure and exited, leaving the blond commander to his lonesome.

Erwin stood up and looked out the window, admiring the snow flurries that danced in the air like figure skaters. River… Danu… eyes glowing gold… what could it all mean. I wonder, Erwin said to himself.

The weights room wasn't big compared to the clearing, but with the snow now standing at two inches, there was no point in training out there. It could hold seven people no doubt, but the extra space would have been appreciated. The weights and dumbbells were lined on wooden ledges that had been screwed into the wall. Levi appreciated the order of everything being aligned numerically and scolded Gunther and Oluo heavily when they just placed the weights back carelessly.

Was Levi an asshole about order cleanliness sometimes? Oh, yes, he absolutely was and he knew that. But getting used to order and discipline would shape them into good fighters; he hoped so anyway, that was how he was raised to fight when he lived with Kenny.

The rest of the squad had yet to finish their lunch and in the meantime, Bláithín and Levi were already warming up… violently… through hand-to-hand combat.

By no means was Bláithín any match for Levi still, but she had improved plenty over the months and training with someone much taller meant that Levi's usual tactics - his small stature aiding to his speed and mobility - was proving to be challenged as she had trained with someone who relied solely on size and strength. Still though, Levi had taken down people who towered over him and he was more than capable of doing it to her.

He knew he could have her pummeled into the ground if he chose to, but he wasn't… He was making an effort, no doubt about it, but he absolutely could have been fighting more.

He really was exceedingly dense, wasn't he?

Bláithín stumbled backwards with a pained grunt when Levi's fist connected with her toned abdomen. She was easily winded from this, and if she wanted to avoid further injury, she'd have to avoid his advances for a bit to recover. Her feet skimmed and danced across the canvas of the weights room, ducking and swerving around the shorter man. She should be relying on speed too given that she was only an inch taller than him, but she would never match up to him. She was still so used to ducking and diving and surprising Mike that Levi was far too quick to use this tactic on. His ears picked up on everything, when her arms moved, he could feel the stagnant air brush over his arms and his hair-trigger reflexes clicked in immediately.

She felt like she was fighting a machine. At least Mike made mistakes, however rare they were, here and there. But with Levi, there was none. She reckoned all she could do was wear him out but this man had tons of energy, all the time. The stamina this man possessed was certainly the envy of many soldiers here. While she was catching her breath and her chest was heaving, Levi was raring to go.

Levi then launched forward with his body, adding power to his fist as he aimed for her side but she dodged in the nick of time. She countered this move in kind and perfectly mirrored it and her knuckles ached and throbbed with a dull pain when they met his hardened muscles under his grey casual tee. He was a short man but she couldn't deny how heavily lined his torso was with muscle. Spinning on her toes, she swung a foot into his left side and it ultimately caught him off balance.

He had no idea just how deep he was.

Levi landed on all fours but was then squashed to the floor underneath the sole of her foot.

"Gotcha!" she cheered. Levi turned his head to face her, his teeth gnashed together. "Oh, is the little man sad that he lost? Just let me win against you a few times before I go on the expedition with Hange next month!"

How could one girl become so damn cheeky in the space of a year? He wouldn't admit she was rivalling the likes of Isabel when she got competitive, but damn, she wasn't far behind either. Her arms were stuck in the air still, basking in her victory. Mike would have admitted defeat at this point, but not Levi.

With whatever strength left he could muster, the roles were suddenly reversed; he had kicked her in her behind with the sole of his foot and she fell face-flat on the floor. He pounced over her, hands gripping his shoulders and legs hitched at her hips, preventing her from moving.

While there were a good two feet between their faces, it really felt like there were only inches between them. Her eyes widened at the sudden change in power. Sure, she may have won temporarily but Levi always had the last word or the last say. She felt a combination of fear and security under his grasp all the while he studied her with his grey eyes, like he was sizing up his prey. The reach for the canteen of water that was in arm's reach didn't go unnoticed.

"Oi, what are you-?"

Levi was quickly silenced when she shook the canteen and spilled most of its contents onto the short male. He cursed and quickly leaped off her as he shook his head. The water made his clothes stick tightly to the muscles of his torso and if she wasn't so caught up in this ongoing row, she would have been wholly distracted by the sight. Hell, it didn't really go unnoticed entirely either, for you could hear an audible gulp from her.

"Bláithín, you shitrag, that's not funny," he began, trudging over to her. She started backing away from him slowly with a nervous grin as he raised his hand. She wasn't scared, though; she knew he wouldn't hit her. He wasn't mad, just flustered.

Luck was on her side today as their squad entered the weights room.

"Uh… C-Captain…" Eld began. "Why is your top so we-?"

"It doesn't matter," he grumbled, his hardened gaze growing darker by the second as he stared at the less serious Vice Captain. "Pair up, we'll be doing more hand-to-hand combat again."

The squad members prepared themselves for an intense two hour block of hand-to-hand combat. Levi felt nothing was as good at keeping you alert than hand-to-hand combat. Out in the open, you could never be sure of what will happen, and even if you weren't airborne with your gears, it was always important to be aware of your surroundings.

"Petra, you're with Eld. Gunther, you're with Oluo and Ioana, you can…" he began and an oh-so devious opportunity for revenge struck him. "Test your skills out with Bláithín. She's extra feisty today, knock some sense back into her."

Bláithín snapped her gaze to Levi. Sure, Ioana hadn't committed any further offences, probably because she was caught red-handed with her niece, but even so, Bláithín never felt entirely at ease with her around. She widened her eyes at him, their eyes having a conversation that would go entirely unnoticed by everyone else. This was something they had started doing recently.

Oh, you fucker, her eyes seemed to say. That was a dirty move.

Payback.

You know I don't like the girl, why would you do this?

Levi's eyes gestured to the other five people in the room and he began to survey the two pairs that had already begun fighting. It took her a few seconds but she eventually understood. There were six other people in the room - if Ioana were to do anything plucky, she'd be doing it with six witnesses in her immediate vicinity.

Perhaps Levi wasn't that much of an asshole… Still an asshole, no doubt, but he had his moments of grace.

Bláithín nodded for Ioana and the short girl traipsed over. The blonde studied her form carefully as she stood on her tiptoes, sizing her up and down the way Levi did not too long before. Ioana quickly launched at her, fist aiming to connect with her chest but Bláithín dodged it swiftly with a duck. She swerved around, leg grazing the canvas in an attempt to trip her but Ioana sensed this too. Ioana jumped and had all her weight braced on her hands and her body held this handstand position for mere seconds before flipping.

Elaborate, Bláithín remarked to herself. She flicked her leg forward and Ioana was on the ground even after her impressive acrobatics. By the looks of it, Ioana was stunned momentarily, a flash of shock making itself known on her normally expressionless face. The brunettes zeroed in on the next attack of her vice captain and stood up rapidly, headbutting the blonde and she fell backwards.

Bláithín stumbled and fell onto her behind. Their foreheads touched for only a few seconds, yet it felt like the very skull inside her was splitting. Her senses became muffled and the sounds of punches being thrown suddenly fell silent. She fell to her side, her body totally limp and her head aching so much, it felt like it was going to explode. She let out a pained moan and Levi corked a brow at her melodramatic reaction. He was on his feet in seconds though and walked over to the girl.

Bláithín could hear him yelling at her, she could feel him shaking at her, but her body wouldn't respond. She didn't feel like she was in the weights room anymore. The white hot, blinding pain in her head grew unbearable and she closed her eyes, tears escaping as she grunted. She brought her hands up to her head as she groaned and it was at this point when everyone stopped fighting. She closed her eyes and she couldn't feel Levi's touch any more.

She opened them again and she could confirm now that she was no longer in the weights room. She seemed to be outside in a desert-like landscape, laying on her back. Her eyes widened at the sight of an aurora above her, myriads of root-like paths of iridescent light spreading out from it. She turned her head to the right of the sound of water trickling. She rose to her feet and she couldn't help the feeling of weightlessness in her body.

She walked over to the water and crouched down. She had never seen water so clear before and it looked so inviting… but she had no idea where this place was. She rolled up the sleeve of the long-sleeved top she had been wearing and submerged her arm, getting a feel for its depth. She quickly concluded that though this river flowed slowly, it was very deep, and with Bláithín not being able to swim, she decided against it.

She shook her right arm dry and stood up again when the figure of a young girl caught her attention. No older than fourteen if she had to guess. The girl's hair was platinum blonde and it flowed all the way down her back, just hanging above her hips. She had heavy bangs shielding her face. The girl seemed to notice Bláithín and pivoted around to see her. She lifted up her heavy bangs and Bláithín gasped.

The girl's eyes were… clear. Grey, even. But they weren't a gunmetal grey like Levi's, these were almost translucent.

"Niamh…" Bláithín spoke and then gasped upon uttering those words.

This was a name she had never heard before or even spoke, yet for some reason… she knew her. She spoke her name as though they were long lost friends but she couldn't shake the uncomfortable feeling of unfamiliarity towards the girl.

'Niamh' gasped and smiled at Bláithín, but it quickly turned into a frown. "Please… help me."

Bláithín looked down at her now bare feet; there was no way she could reach the girl, not with this river in the way.

"Help me!"

Bláithín looked behind her to see if anyone else was there. Her heart always crumbled at the sound of someone younger than her crying. Bláithín continued to walk, though not too far, seeing if anyone was there when 'Niamh' spoke and brought her back.

"I-Is it because I'm a sinner? Is that why you won't help me?"

Bláithín narrowed her gaze. What could that possibly mean. "Niamh… What's wrong, why are you crying?" she asked gently, as if she were talking to someone Eden's age.

'Niamh' fell to her knees, her body trembling in emotional agony and mental anguish. She let out a gut-wrenching cry again and slammed her balled fists against the sand. "It's all my fault… It's all my fault… Why didn't I stick around?"

Bláithín stared at her helplessly, her jaw slack. What would happen if she crossed the river? She knew damn well she couldn't swim but gods, she had to help the girl. Bláithín rolled up the legs of her pants and inhaled sharply. Now or never, she had to speak to 'Niamh', right?

"STOP!" 'Niamh' cried, realizing what the older blonde was about to do. "You don't need to swim in it… Just follow the River Danu until you see the bridge…" she said, her eyes focused on the pair of blue across from her.

"Follow…?" Bláithín echoed. "What's at the end?"

"My f-friend is… she's in danger and she's s-sad. I didn't help her a while ago… and now she's in danger, please, help her!" 'Niamh' begged, tears spilling out once more. "No one has been here for ages… I need someone to come with me and help her!"

Bláithín fixed her rolled up clothes and sighed heavily. She hated cryptic messages as much as the next person, but this girl was in hysterics. "What is this place? What is the River Danu?"

"There's no time for questions, please go!"

.

.

.

As Bláithín was in this state of unresponsiveness, Levi and the special operations squad - even Ioana - knelt beside her. Levi patted her shoulders again. "Oi, get up," he barked. "Enough with your pranks, Bláithín."

Bláithín stirred around, her face contorting in pain. Levi sighed, completely at a loss. Just what the hell was happening to her? Sure, she could be dramatic, but she would never faint from a bang to the head. No soldier would, they were much stronger than that!

Levi leaned over and put his fingers to her forehead. He concluded there was no fever and he returned his hold to cup her cheeks. What happened next startled him a tad, but he didn't lose his composure.

Her nose started to bleed, profusely at that. Suddenly, he remembered what Erwin mentioned about her mother. He sucked in a breath, doubting that this was anything related. With his hand still holding her, he swept a thumb under her eyes and separated them by the lids and he gasped.

Her eyes were golden. Levi's mouth briefly fell into an 'o' shape before turning to face Petra, the soldier closest to the door. "Petra, go now, fetch Hange and Erwin!"

By the time Bláithín came through later that evening, she was back in her bedroom.

Her eyes were heavy and it was like her soul had been ripped out of the void and she was plunged back into consciousness completely against her will.

She craned her head to the neck, her head still hurting tons, and noticed a glass of water on her bedside locker. Her line of vision had a haze over it, she could barely see. There was a handheld mirror on her table and she picked it up to look at herself.

She looked so pale and weak. The nosebleed had all been cleared up (not that she was aware that she had one) and the fire that normally blazed in her eyes was gone. She placed the mirror back and noticed a mason jar with two wilted daisies in it. There was a note slipped underneath it.

Happy late birthday, you damned fumbling idiot. I'm only a day late (or a year early, however you want to look at it - I don't really give two shits either way.) Drink some water when you get up. - Levi

She smiled at the gesture but let out a startled gasp upon hearing the door to her bedroom open. She could only assume it was Levi, Hange or Erwin… or all three.

There was a knock on the door that separated her office to her private bedroom. Three knocks, and they were loud. This was Levi.

"Come in." She called out.

Levi opened the door and let it shut by itself. He was now wearing his normal military uniform but without the cape. He pulled a stool over to the edge of her bed but he didn't sit down just yet. Bláithín had already leapt from her bed and was on her way to her bathroom.

The memories of everything finally hit her once again. Niamh, the aurora, this River Danu and the poor girl crying from across from her; all of this combined with a pounding migraine made her want to throw up… and she did just that.

"Gross." Levi grumbled as he stayed on the other side of the door. When she didn't come out after thirty seconds of dry heaving, he frowned and he walked over with the glass of water from her bedside locker into her bathroom. He lit an oil lantern and let it illuminate the cramped space. He left the glass of water on her sink, not wanting to watch her puke her guts out.

She finished not long after the door had been opened and washed her hands. She made her way back to her bed and crawled under the covers, shivering from the pain of her and the whole ordeal. She peered up at the short man who was gesturing for her to drink the water. When she refused to get up out of pure exhaustion, he muttered something under his breath before sighing. Hearing his frustration made her sit up.

"I'm not feeding you the water, if that's what you were trying to get me to do," he said to her. "Drink it, I don't care if you don't feel well. That's a damn order… not by me, by Hange and Erwin."

She smirked. Good that he clarified, she did not want to hear him order her around. He wouldn't have heard the end of it.

He watched her sip on the water and his frown deepened a small bit more. He had never seen the girl so ill, not since the hospital or since that one fateful expedition.

"How's your head?" he asked.

"I have never had a headache like that… ever…" she mumbled. The word headache reminded her of the pounding ache but she was trying to push past it and stifle it.

"Do you know what triggered… that?" He asked. He had no other way of describing whatever had just happened. Well, he knew it was probably similar to what Aisling Hahn experienced but he wasn't going to bombard her with questions. Not yet, anyway.

She shook her head, her eyelids droopy. She felt completely drained.

He pressed on, this time with caution. "You know when Erwin dug up all that information on your mom?" He began.

She gazed at him again, focusing in on him as much as her eyes would allow before placing the empty glass down. Levi realized he probably should have filled her in on his meeting with Erwin earlier that day. He got her up to speed and also informed her that Hange and Erwin are in the know of everything that happened.

"Sorry." She mumbled, averting her gaze completely and bringing her knees up to her chest. She suddenly realized she was now wearing much looser clothes; pajama bottoms, a tank top and cardigan. She began pulling at the ends of her sleeves, the wool had been fraying over the years.

"For what?" he asked.

"You're taking care of me, as per usual."

Levi didn't say anything to this, now his turn to avert his gaze. He hoped his silence translated into him not being overly fussed like how he used to be years ago. He changed the subject. "You're not upset I had to tell Hange and Erwin?"

She shook her head. "I'm not upset that you did but I want to know why you did." She didn't have an accusatory-like tone, she just seemed genuinely curious.

Levi corked a brow. "The nosebleed, nausea and headache - that's one shitty issue and it could almost be excused if the headache wasn't so painful... But the fact that your eyes glowed golden. It all points towards what your mother experienced and noted in her tattered journal. You're telling me that doesn't sound pretty damn strange to you?"

She stayed silent and Levi continued. Even though she was guilty for having him watch over her - even if it was an order from Hange and Erwin - she found a weird form of comfort in hearing his voice. His baritone was always nice to listen to… when his speech wasn't littered with curses and toilet jokes.

"Not to mention, on your way up here, you kept mentioning the words 'Danu', 'River' and some name beginning with an N…" he added. At this point he noticed the window to her room was open. He walked over to the sill, closed it and leaned against it, watching her from this new angle.

"Who carried me here?"

"Who'd you think?" he replied with an eyeroll. "With Hange's help, you're fucking heavy."

Even in the dim light of the lantern, he could see how flushed she had gotten knowing he had helped carry her here. I mean, he couldn't have let her just lie around in her own sweat, blood from her nose and dirty ground of the weights room. But he also couldn't deny how at a loss of words he was when he saw her in that state. He thought Titans were the most abnormal thing he would ever see in his life, but this incident today threw him for a loop and he didn't like it. He liked knowing what to do in this situation.

The golden hue of her eyes kept haunting him on and off for the rest of the day. He never thought he'd see something so strange.

"It wasn't a fit or a seizure, like what that doctor diagnosed her with… though I can see why," she began carefully. "It felt like a vision or a dream…"

Levi hummed at this. "Last I checked, you don't get nosebleeds from a dream and you don't-"

"Oh, shut it," she barked, interjecting. Levi's eyes widened momentarily but his lips remained shut. "I saw a girl named Niamh and I was by a river, under a starry night… and there was this weird aurora that forked out in every direction above me…"

He heard a bit of shuffling from the other side of the bedroom. "Yeah, I have no idea what to make of that at all." Levi muttered, dismissively.

He cast his eyes over to the girl who had now buried herself beneath the covers. Huh, guess she was done being social with him, but he couldn't blame her. She was obviously exhausted. He walked over towards the door and clasped the knob. "Oh, and cut your damn hair the next time I see you." He said and exited.

Bláithín smiled to herself again for what felt like the thousandth time. She curled herself up into a fetal position and tried to cling to warmth desperately.

He knew how to care for people in his own fucked-up way and it made her feel… well, fuzzy, on the inside.

All fuzzy thoughts aside though, her mind wandered to the little she met in what she could only assume was a place tucked deep away in dreamland.

Just what awaited Bláithín once she reached this bridge?

Pheeeeew, long chapter, just shy of 9,000 words! Do let me know what you think!