AN: As promised, the new title page has arrived. Please look up Dreamangel-ren on Deviantart and support her.

I apologize once again for keeping you all waiting. Lots of things happened. I went to my very first anime convention, got some things signed by the voice actors who did Annie (YES!), Ymir, and the Beast Titan, I had to house sit for over a week, but in the end, I didn't exactly focus on this story. However, during this time, I made a very important decision: I turned off my Patron account and removed the moments where I tried to link you guys to it in previous chapters.

I went into that account very naïve and ignorant about what I was doing, and I needed to be called out on it which my co-writer ended up doing. Making money off of YouTube video reviews is one thing. It's your own content. However, making money off of Fanfiction, where you are piggyback riding on borrowed material and using at least half of the scenes and lines from the anime, it's unethical. Once again, I thank Necromancy101 for being a friend that was willing to call me out on what I was doing. I made a mistake, and I rectified it. Any money given to me was returned (granted, it was one patron, but still.) I hope you all understand, and I am sorry for making that decision in the first place.

Also, if anyone who is reading this currently makes money off of their Fanfiction, just keep in mind that due diligence must be done to the original creator and their work must be supported first and foremost. It is our duty as fans who are borrowing their stories to pay them homage. That's is all I will say on the matter.

In the meantime, we have a chapter to get to.


Chapter 15: The Next Step

Back before he enlisted, Dillon always found carriage rides boring. The way they moved so slow through the districts annoyed the hell out of him. Now, though, he didn't mind boring. It gave him time to process so many things, like the fact that he was going to introduce Annie to his family. He wasn't worried that they wouldn't like Annie; he was more concerned with how many jokes they were going to make at his expense.

Just roll with it. He coached himself. Besides, I'm an Amsdale. I can take a joke.

Yarckel was quite different from the other districts. Located on the west edge of Wall Sina, the town was where most of the industry happened. It wasn't just weapons being manufactured. Building materials for homes, packaging meat and other foods properly for the safety of the consumers, creating and fine-tuning the ODM gear, and much more. Considering how much the people of the Walls depended on these things, the workers were paid handsomely for their services. To many people, they have earned their keep.

Dillon's heart skipped a beat when he saw the familiar street. The reality of returning home was hitting him with the force of a Titan's fist. Three years was a long time, and he was worried about how things have changed. Still, part of his anxiety was curbed after seeing his mom in action. She still had it.

Once the carriage came to a complete stop in front of his house, Dillon opened the door, taking in the atmosphere of his old home. "Welcome to Amsdale's Forge, Annie!" He breathed in the familiar air and let it out. "It's good to be home."

Annie hopped out and looked up at the building. "Sure is nice to live in the Interior," she said in a bland tone.

"Well, that's what you get to look forward to now."

Annie smirked a bit. "That a proposal or are you just talking about the food?"

He tilted his head in confusion. "Uh, I meant since you're joining the Military Police, you get to live in the Interior."

"Too easy," she muttered.

"I don't understand," her clueless boyfriend said.

"Guess you don't." She put her hands in her pockets. "So, do we knock?"

"Considering that the bottom floor is the store, no." He opened the door, a bell ringing in response with his girlfriend following him quietly.

Finally, Annie found the person to put to his name. He had a very good physique, confirming that Dillon did indeed train under him. His brown hair was well-kept, and there was a small beard on his face. He managed to make the unshaven face look nice.

"Welcome to Amsdale's Forge! You looking to–" Matthew stopped what he was doing and stared at his son in surprise. "Dillon?"

"Hi, Dad. I'm home," he said sheepishly.

The older man closed the distance between them, wrapping him in a tight embrace. "Thank God you're all right!"

"I'm alive, Pops," he assured. "I'm alive."

Annie stared at the two quietly, an unmoving statue just standing in the entryway.

She got noticed when Matthew's eyes drifted to her. "Give me a second, Dillon." Releasing him, Matthew walked over to her while clearing his throat. "I'm sorry, Miss. How can I help you?"

Her reaction was delayed, as though he shook her out of a daze. Then, she looked him up and down. "I'm with him," she said with a jerk of her head.

Matthew's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait... you're Annie Leonhart? The one that my son liked to write about in his letters?"

"Didn't Mom tell you we were coming?" Dillon asked, confused.

"Of... Of course." The older man shook his head in annoyance. "I've been in the Forge too long." He held his hand out. "Matthew Amsdale."

Annie looked down at it for beat, then withdrew one hand from her parka to take Matthew's. "Letter Girl," she deadpanned.

"Catchy name."

"I guess so." She pulled her hand back, a slight smirk coming to her face. "Exactly what was in these letters?"

"Lots of things, actually." His own smirk was much wider.

And it begins. Dillon grumbled to himself.

"Why don't you show Annie around the shop?" Matthew suggested heading to a back door. "I'm gonna go check and see if his mother is finished with dinner.

"Uh, sure." Once the man was gone, Dillon gestured around him. "So… this is the shop. What do you think?"

Annie craned her head to look around. "It's different than I imagined." She walked over to one of the walls and inspected the display.

Her eyes swept the line of weapons, and she paused at one in particular, something that seemed outside the norm. Her cold eyes reflected the gleam of the metal and she leaned in close. It was a hammer like object with a spike on one end. Definitely not a typical weapon to be used. "It's a war hammer," Annie said softly. "May I?"

Dillon had a feeling she would be drawn to that first. Most customers were. "Of course. Be careful. It's a bit heavy."

She hefted it easily, but she didn't swing it. Instead, she guided it through the air in slow motions, then ran her fingers over it. "You family made this?"

"Yeah, we did," Dillon answered, walking over to her. "One of the hardest projects we've ever done. Getting the weight right, using the right amount of resources, it was a challenge."

"Why?" Annie said, then paused. "It's not a very... practical weapon in the interior, is it?" She reached up and pointed out the spike on one end. "This is for piercing armor. It wouldn't do a thing against titan skin. Then there's this." She tapped the head itself. "This will kill any unarmored person by cracking their skull. But even if you wore a helmet, the stress it would put on the head and the neck... are you expecting armored opponents?"

He chuckled at how her mind was trying to process its existence in the shop. "No. We built three of them. This was the first, and the other two were commissioned by weapon collectors."

Annie set it back into place. "Did they commission it after they saw this piece and wanted it for themselves?"

"Yes. We didn't sell them this one because..." He sighed wistfully. "It was the first project my dad and I did together." He traced his hands over it. "Heavy materials, trying over and over to get the right shape, so many burns and scratches, but we came out on top in the end."

"It's a hard piece for a first time."

She scanned the wall, seemingly unaware she'd become more talkative and less guarded. "This I can understand." She traced the dull side of a long falcata almost to the tip. "It's designed for flesh and light armor."

"Do you like it?"

"Very much," she murmured. "It's practical. Not for ceremonial use or mere dueling." She gestured to a set of thinner blades nearby.

"Would you like to have it?" he offered.

"Huh?" She blinked as though brought out of focus for a moment. "What?"

Dillon detached the sheath from the wall. "You like it, and I want to give it to you. Consider it a late birthday present for you."

She gaped at him in disbelief. "That sword has to be worth more than all I own and the clothes on my back."

"I've got it covered," he promised, putting the falcata in the sheath and handing it to her.

She took it gingerly and stared at the sheathed weapon. "It's beautiful." Then she shook her head. "Where would I keep...?" Her practical side warred with a side of her Dillon didn't know she had. "I'll make it work." Her fingers tensed and relaxed and she clutched the weapon to her chest. "Thank you."

He smiled back. "You're welcome, Annie."

"Come on up, kids! Dinner's on," Matthew yelled from upstairs.

"Coming, Dad!" Dillon called back. "Annie, leave the falcata here. We'll get it on our way out."

"Kids," Annie scoffed under her breath as she took his advice. "Anything I should know before I stick my head in the wolves' den?"

Dillon chuckled, leading her up the stairs. "You'll be fine, Annie. If anything, I'm gonna be the one on the chopping block."

Her smirk was short-lived as she said, "Wait," while grabbing his shoulder.

He stopped, looking down at her. "What's wrong?"

"Dillon… are you still going to join the Scouts?" Annie asked.

The blacksmith was tempted to tell her that now wasn't the time to ask that, but he just decided to nod. "I can save more lives that way."

"If you're sure," she responded with a sigh.

"You're upset with my decision."

"A little," she admitted. "I know I pushed you to join, but that was before Rose got invaded."

Dillon resisted the urge to groan. "In other words, we're back to square one."

She shrugged. "I guess you could say that."

He sighed, leaning against the wall. "Ugh."

"Let's not ruin dinner with that, though," she said, wishing she didn't bring it up.

"Yeah, we can discuss it later," he agreed, opening the door to the dining room.

Basic tables were made of dull wood and the chairs would be no different. The wood for the table, however, almost seemed like it could reflect the sun when it would shine through the windows. One could imagine how much work went into creating one. Even the chairs seemed to be of the same design with padding on the seats no less.

"There you are," Carolyn greeted once they entered the dining room, hiding their dishes under lids. "Glad you two could make it."

"Hi, Mom," Dillon said, gesturing to his girlfriend. "This is Annie Leonhart."

She walked up to the blonde, holding out her hand. "A pleasure to meet you at last, Annie."

Annie reached out her hand. She at first went for a firm grip, then found herself second-guessing the move, leading to the most awkward mid-change handshake she'd ever been a part of. "Hi. Uh, I'm Annie... Leonhart... like he said."

She smiled sweetly at her, letting go. "You two hungry?"

Dillon breathed in the fumes of the familiar food, his mouth watering. "Three years since I've eaten in Yarckel."

"Try my whole life," Annie said under her breath. She tried not to look impressed, failing miserably.

"You can relax, Annie," Carolyn assured. "No one's going to bite."

Annie gave a stiff nod.

"So, how did you beat us here?" Dillon wondered. "I know we left before you."

"I borrowed a horse," she answered. "It was a lot faster than a carriage."

Fair enough. "Well, we're ready to eat!" Dillon announced, clapping his hands with excitement.

"Uh-uh," Carolyn said sternly. "Wash your hands first, young man. You, too, Annie."

He made his way over to the faucet. Oi, I have not missed being told to do something that is so simple.

"Hear it is," Matthew said, holding out one of the letters.

Dillon's eyes widened. "Dad, please don't!"

"Oh, I want to hear this," Annie stated with an evil smirk.

All Dillon could do was glare at Annie as his father read his first letter.

"Let's see, let's see. Ah, here we go. This letter is dated to when you two first met."

Once he finished washing his hands, Dillon was looking for an escape route, but there was none to be had. He was trapped in the bowels of humiliation.

Annie washed her hands quickly and practically ran to the table.

'"Today, I had my first day of combat training, and I came across the creepiest girl I've ever seen,"' he read.

Dillon buried his face in his hands, sinking into his chair.

'"I mean, she looked nice and all, but her eyes. Cold and unnerving. One would think she was about to kill someone at a moment's notice.'"

"Night is still young," she commented, glaring at Dillon.

'"She calls herself Annie Leonhart, easily the—"'

"No!" Dillon interrupted. "Do not finish that sentence."

"The what?" Annie asked, having a feeling she knew what was at the end of the sentence.

Matthew went on as if nothing happened, enjoying this immensely. '"—easily the second shortest person I've seen here.'"

There was a loud thumping as Dillon hit his head on the table.

"Short, huh?" Annie repeated, eye twitching.

"Honey, that's enough," Carolyn scolded, snatching the letter from him.

"And there goes my fun," Matthew lamented, though he was still smiling.

"Annie, please don't be upset at him," she urged.

"Oh, don't worry," she assured, smiling wide. "I won't do anything… yet."

Matthew brought out another one. "There's more where that came from."

"Matthew," Carolyn warned. "You're getting the couch if—"

"Trust me, honey. It'll be worth it." He opened it up. '"Dad, I need your help. Remember that Annie girl I told you about? I want you to send over two boot knifes that I've made for her birthday. I think someone like her would like a gift that has a practical use. You're probably wondering why I'm doing this for her. See, the thing is I want to brighten up her day a little. When I talk to her, she seems sad most of the time, and I feel bad that I can't do anything about it. I only made her laugh once, and that was nearly a year ago. I just want to make her happy just once and let her know that I care about how she feels. I want to see her smile. I bet you anything it's a beautiful smile."

He did indeed receive a smile and a blush from said girl as she looked away.

Balancing humiliation with heartwarming content. Well played, Pops. Dillon thought.

"Thank you for saving my son's life, Matthew," Carolyn said in a deadpan.

He chuckled. "I may be cruel, but I'm not that cruel."

"All right. Let's dig in!" Carolyn removed each of the lids, revealing fresh boar steak, surrounded by green beans, potatoes, and corn coated with lemon-brown butter dressing.

Annie unconsciously licked her lips. She hadn't had meat in years.

"First things first." Matthew stood up, raising his glass. "A toast to the men and women who fought in Trost to keep humanity safe. May the survivors find solace, and may the dead be at peace, knowing that their deaths were not meaningless."

"Here, here," Dillon said, clinking his glass with them.

"H-here here," Annie agreed, clinking her glass with theirs quickly before gulping down a drink.

Dillon took a sip and instantly winced. "I am not gonna be a drinker any time soon."

Once they all sat down, they dug into their meal.

One bite of the steak made Annie's eyes widen. She chewed slowly, savoring the taste and trying not to make any noise. The moment she swallowed, she looked to Dillon. "I owe Sasha an apology. She isn't crazy."

He grinned, knowing that not even his stoic girlfriend could remain that way after having meat like that.

"You like it?" Carolyn asked, hoping she did.

"Yes." Annie was already cutting herself another piece.

"Careful, Annie," Matthew warned. "Some of it is getting in your mouth."

In a choice between glaring, giving a biting comment, and eating, Annie chose the latter.

Dillon rolled his eyes, but he changed the subject. "So, how have things been in Yarckel while I was away?"

"I hired a couple of experienced smiths to help me out with the Forge temporarily," Matthew said.

"Temporarily?" Dillon asked.

Matthew sighed. "They thought it best to leave after a couple of months."

A frown creased the boy's features. "Sorry, Dad."

"Downsides of being an Amsdale?" Annie decided to ask.

"Unfortunately," Carolyn admitted. "My job does not make it easy on Matthew and Dillon."

"There's a reason I had my education at home," Dillon added, sounding a bit glum.

That explains a lot. Annie gazed at Carolyn. "Why do it? If it causes you grief, then maybe you should consider another line of work that doesn't involve putting your lives in danger."

The bluntness surprised Carolyn, but she didn't think too much about it. "Because if I don't do it, things will remain the same. More MPs will continue to abuse their power and hurt the people that get in their way. I know what I do is dangerous, but it's something that has to be done."

Annie's look seemed to bore into Carolyn until Matthew decided to change the subject.

"I can't believe the Titans got in again," he said.

"That Colossal son of a bitch," Dillon growled. "One minute he's there, and the next, he's gone after making a hole in the wall."

"You saw him?" Carolyn asked, worried.

"He was hard to miss," he replied, not wanting to give details.

"Honestly, your mother and I are relieved you made it out alive," Matthew said.

"You and me both." Dillon would never forget that moment for as long as he lived.

"Can you imagine having that power?" Matthew asked. "To transform into a Titan?"

Dillon shook his head. "Pass. I wouldn't be able to handle the power. I think I'd be freaking out for days."

Carolyn couldn't help but notice Annie had a downcast expression on her face now. "Annie, are you okay?"

"We lost good friends that day," Annie answered quietly. "Eren couldn't save all of them."

Matthew sighed. "It's a terrible price to pay and I'm sorry you two had to go through that."

That downed Dillon's mood instantly as the memories of his fallen comrades came into his mind. "Thomas Wagner, Mina Carolina, Vaughn Hoffer, Elsa Glöckner, and Marco Bodt are the people I can think of at the top of my head. They were good people that were gone too soon."

"They'll be happy knowing that the battle is over and that the Titans can't get through for a while," Carolyn said as she looked to her son. "Dillon, have you decided what you're going to do now?"

Dillon didn't want to face Annie, wanting to stand firm in his decision. "I'm going to join the Scouts like I originally planned."

Carolyn's sadness was very apparent. "There's no shame in the Garrison."

"And work with a coward like Voormin?" he growled. "Not a chance in hell." He composed himself quickly so he didn't go off on a tangent. "You all know what I can do. I was able to give the Titan a hard time out there. I killed some of them." His eyes brightened up a bit as he spoke, his eyes fixed on Carolyn. "After all that, how can I not go through with my plan? If I do nothing to help people with my powers in the best way possible… then I don't deserve them."

Annie didn't respond to that, though her normally cold eyes were now tinged with melancholy. "You really believe that, don't you?"

Dillon nodded. "Yes."

Matthew sighed, but he was expression was that of understanding. "We had a feeling you would say that, and we'll still support your decision."

Dillon looked at them, a little surprised. "You guys aren't mad at my decision?"

"Son, you're an adult now," Matthew stated. "This is your life, and you're free to choose how you live it. I think you've made a good decision. Granted, we're very worried about your safety, but we'll support your decision. Honestly, I think it's better than joining the Military Police."

That made him smile a little. "Thank you."

"So, Annie, what made you decide to enlist in the MPs?" Carolyn asked.

Swallowing her meat, Annie said, "Because I want to survive. Staying in the Interior means I'll stay as far away from those Titans as I can. Not everyone has an ability that can put the odds in their favor."

"I see," Carolyn replied. "Just be careful. It's easy to become… complacent in that line of work."

Annie stopped, putting her fork down. The icy look had returned, now directed at Carolyn's mother. "What, you're planning on arresting me, too? Another corrupt MP to add to your collection?"

"Annie," Dillon said quickly, taking her hand into his. He needed to salvage this situation before things got out of hand. "She didn't mean it like that. Before I left for training, they warned me about not falling into a bad crowd. You know how that is, right?"

At the urging of her boyfriend, she started to calm down a bit despite the thoughts in her head about his mother. "Sorry. Shouldn't have said that."

"It's my fault. Dillon trusts you and I shouldn't have implied that there was a chance you would…" Carolyn let out a sigh. "I don't care how many MPs I've managed to convict over the years, Annie. We all know how bad things are in that regiment. When MPs abuse citizens, I need to stand up for them."

"And how many clients survive you standing up for them?" Annie asked.

Carolyn hesitated before speaking again. "Sometimes, they'll try to intimidate my clients to stay quiet or call off the whole thing. Their families, their friends, their businesses… it's all fair game to them, and there's no concrete proof linking them to the crimes." Then, a small fire appeared in her eyes. "But if I let them intimidate me, intimidate the people I'm trying to help, the Military Police wins. I will never let them do that."

Annie locked eyes with her almost like she was having a staring contest. "Then you'll be happy to know I'll be keeping my nose clean." It was small, but the edge was there.

Once again, Matthew was there to turn things around. "Well, it's nice to know we'll have another friend in the MPs."

She raised her eyebrows. "Another?"

"Not all MPs are horrible people," Dillon pointed out.

"Corporal Kyler Hauer," Carolyn explained, feeling a bit more relaxed. "She's a good woman. It's thanks to her I was able to help indict many of the corrupted officers. She wants to fix the Military Police as much as I do.

"Unfortunately, Annie's stationed in Stohess," Dillon told them.

"So is Kyler," Matthew said.

His eyes widened. "Wait, what? When did that happen?"

"A month ago, Kyler was approved a transfer," Carolyn explained. "She thinks that Stohess has a lot more corruption than Yarckel now, so she's going to try and straighten the MPs out over there. You can trust that woman with your life, Annie."

An idea came to Dillon with this new information. "You know, while I'm in the Scouts, I could send letters to Annie through her."

"That's a good idea," Annie admitted, "provided I don't put her in danger."

"Talk to Kyler and ask for advice on that," Carolyn stated.

"I will," she replied, continuing to eat her meal.

"Unfortunately, MPs who actually want to make a difference are hard to come by," Matthew pointed out.

"But one day, things are going to change for the better," Carolyn said. "I just hope we're there to see it."

"I'm sure you will be," Annie said.

"Hey, Dillon, would you mind stepping outside for a bit?" Matthew requested.

Nodding, he got up, though he gave Annie's shoulder a gentle squeeze before leaving the kitchen.

"Annie, perhaps you could tell us a bit more about yourself," Carolyn suggested, both pairs of eyes on the blonde.

Feeling on the spot, she asked, "Hasn't Dillon told you everything he knows about me?"

"Nothing too personal," Matthew assured. "You don't have to tell us your life story."

"There's really nothing to talk about. I escaped Wall Maria when it fell, I had to survive for a couple of years, and I ended up in training so I could get out of my hellish life."

"And Dillon?" Matthew pressed. "How does he fit into your life?"

Annie paused for a moment. "I never planned on someone like him to come into my life, but now that he's there, it's hard to see him out of it. He's a good man, but he's so damn foolish."

"In what regard?" Carolyn wondered.

"He's too idealistic," Annie explained.

Carolyn sighed. "I think he got that from me."

"What is it about his idealism that bothers you, Annie?" Matthew asked without sounding judgmental.

She shook her head. "The fact that he thinks he can change everything. I know he has psychic abilities, but even they have limits. It's almost like he's desperate."

"Examples?"

"He was prepared to go stand in front of cannons in an effort to save his friends," she explained bluntly.

Matthew facepalmed. "He thought he could take out the people holding the cannons, didn't he?"

The blonde gave a simple nod.

"Annie, has this been a recurring thing?" Carolyn asked.

Another nod. "Yes. Yes, it has. Chased after kidnappers with guns alone, went after someone who fell in Titan territory while having low gas and weak abilities, and I had to basically drag him away from betraying the oath he swore in an effort to save Eren." She shook her head. "It's going to get himself killed."

"Annie, going after the kidnappers, saving lives with low resources, preparing to stand in front of a cannon... it has nothing to do with idealism, no matter what he said," Matthew revealed.

Now, she was surprised. "What do you mean? What other things could it be?"

He let out another sigh. "It has everything to do with a fear he has: a fear of failing."

It was like all the pieces of the puzzle started coming together for Annie.

"I just wanted to make sure the only person at risk of injury or death was me."

"I'm not going to lose, Annie. Your respect is too important to me."

"I can't do anything. I can't fix this. I can't save them."

"Annie, if I joined the Scouts… would you break up with me?"

"It all makes sense now," Annie said.

"Growing up in the Interior has been good to Dillon," Matthew explained, "except when it came to the MPs. Seeing the horrible things they did to civilians took a toll on him, especially after his powers began to manifest. When a child is forced to watch a man have his leg broken by a 'servant of the people,' it cuts deep. If Dillon believes that he can make a difference, he's going to dive in head first because he's afraid that if he doesn't, someone will get hurt or die. He's afraid to fail the people around him in that regard."

"Has Dillon told you about the time my husband accidentally dislocated his arm?" Carolyn asked.

Her eyes widened a little bit. "You did what?"

"It was an accident, and I tried to set it back immediately," Matthew said quickly. "Dillon refused and told me to teach him how to set it back himself. Why? Because if it happened to him in a combat situation, he didn't want to burden anyone with his injury and fix it himself. For context's sake, this happened a few months before he left for the Training Corps, so imagine what was going through his mind. His arm gets dislocated, a comrade comes over to help him set it, and both are promptly eaten as a result."

Annie shook her head. Dillon, you moron…

"Annie, are you planning on talking to him about it?" he asked.

"If I don't, he's not going to survive in the Scouts," Annie answered. "Don't worry. I'll handle it." Because, apparently, you two haven't.

Carolyn smiled. "I can see why he likes you so much. Which brings us to something we are legally bound to say."

"If you break his heart, we're coming after you," Matthew promised.

Annie nodded, knowing that these two would follow-up on that threat should it come to that. "I expected as much."

"Dillon, you can come back now," Carolyn called out.

After a few seconds, the young blacksmith came back into the kitchen. "So how much of my reputation did you destroy while I was away?"

"None," Annie assured, rolling her eyes. "As if anything they could say could ruin how I feel about you."

With a grin, he kissed her on the cheek.

The four of them continued to eat, chatting about various things like stories that Dillon left out in his letters courtesy of Annie. She would not let the opportunity to embarrass her boyfriend pass her by. When dinner came to a close, Dillon told them that he had given Annie a falcata.

"I'll pay for it," Dillon assured once Annie retrieved it.

Matthew held up his hand. "Think nothing of it. Consider it a thank-you-for-staying-alive gift."

He paused for a moment. "In that case… can we use the guest house tonight?" Dillon requested after waving down a carriage. "It's getting late and Ehrmich is closer than Trost."

"No one's using it at the moment, so sure," he answered. "Make sure you leave it as you found it."

"Yes, sir," he promised.

"Thank you for the dinner," Annie said. "It was delicious."

"You can thank me by dropping by for a visit whenever you feel like it," Carolyn replied.

"Maybe," she replied in a noncommittal tone, stepping inside the carriage.

"I'll see you guys next time," Dillon assured, embracing his folks. "Love you."

"Love you, too, Dillon," they responded.

With a wave goodbye, Dillon departed, the carriage going down the street.

"You have interesting parents," Annie commented once they were out of view.

He nodded in agreement. "Best in the world. Wouldn't trade them for anything."

"You guys have a guest house?" she asked, trying to take her mind off them.

"It was an investment that surprisingly paid off," Dillon explained. "Helped us stay out of debt for years. Then again, when you live in the Interior, you're bound to make a lot of money somehow."

"By now, your family's probably loaded," she noted.

"You could say that," he agreed.

Annie sighed, deciding to address it now. "Dillon, there's something I need to talk to you about."

"What about?" Dillon asked, concerned.

"It's about a trend I've been noticing about you since I've known you," she explained. "I didn't really put the pieces together until I addressed it to your parents and… it makes sense."

Oh, Lord, what did they say? "Go on."

"Dillon, you are afraid of failing the people around you," she stated. "Especially me."

"We're in a relationship, Annie," he replied. "Shouldn't I try hard to not upset you?"

"The problem is when you do upset me, or when you think you'll upset me," Annie went on, pressing onwards. "The times where you did reckless things and you felt crushed that I got rightfully upset with you. Then, there was the moment when we sparred on your birthday, where you thought I would call you pathetic if you lost. And then you asked me if I would break up with you if you joined the Scouts. That's not normal, Dillon!"

Dillon looked down, heaving a sigh. She was right, and there was nothing to defend himself with.

Annie placed her hand on his. "Look, you're going to upset me. It's going to happen whether you like it or not. And I'm going to upset you. It's only human. When those times come, you need to be able to handle it and move on. Unless you do something incredibly immoral, I'm not going to break up with you. Trust me, it won't be that easy." She gently lifted his head to face her. "Do you believe me?"

He stared into her compassionate eyes and nodded, squeezing her hand gently. "I do."

"And whether you're in a relationship with me or a soldier in the Scout Regiment, you're going to fail, Dillon. You're going to fail badly, but a good soldier doesn't let that get him down. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps and keep moving forward. Got it?"

He gave her another nod, committing this advice to his memory. "Got it."

Satisfied, Annie gave him a short, sweet kiss before she leaned back, resting her eyes for a bit.

A couple of hours later, the sun had set over the horizon, giving way to the night sky. Save for a few clouds, the stars were out in their full glory, shining down on the Earth's inhabitants. It was nights like this that reminded many people that there was still beauty to be found on this planet. Though, in Dillon's case, the beauty was closer to him than the stars.

After paying the carriage driver, the two entered the guest house. It was a quaint, two-story place with all the necessities. A look at the furniture showed that most of the money went into getting the nicest things. Then again, it was a Wall Sina house, so it wasn't that surprising.

"Here we are," Dillon said, putting his stuff down. "Home away from home."

"Definitely a house fitting for the Interior," Annie noted, placing her newly-acquired weapon on a table.

He grinned. "Yeah, the pillows here are some of the best, and this place has a nice view."

"Yeah…" Her voice trailed off as she began scuffing the floor nervously.

Dillon took notice. "Annie, are you okay?"

She didn't answer, her gaze fixed on the ground.

"Hey, talk to me," he said, stepping closer to her. "What's wrong?"

"I never expected this to happen," Annie said quietly. "I always repelled people, and yet here I am."

Dillon looked lost. "I don't understand."

She shook her head, though it wasn't clear if it was out of annoyance or pity, but she finally looked up at him. "Honestly, you probably could've done better with Mikasa. She has a body men want. Hell, Jean foams at the mouth just watching her."

Then, it clicked in his brain, and his eyes widened. "Wait, you thought I was bringing you here to… um…?" Dillon's face turned redder than it had ever been.

Now, Annie was perplexed until she began to realize what Dillon was thinking… or wasn't thinking. "Wait, you didn't bring me here to…?" Even she couldn't prevent the blush from appearing on her face, though it was more out of embarrassment for jumping to conclusions.

Dillon was getting more than a little flustered. "Well, I, uh, didn't mean to imply that I was, um, you see, Ehrmich was closer to Trost, and I didn't think of how this would look to..."

The two fell into a very awkward silence, purposefully avoiding each other gazes. They never truly thought about this before, even when the cadets had to hear the Talk. However, Dillon would be the first to say that Annie was a very attractive girl. Granted, on a technical level, Krista probably had everyone beat, but he didn't see it that way. Despite the coldness, despite her sometimes-off-putting personality, he found Annie beautiful. She let him see who she was, and he cared about that girl. On top of that, there were times he began to wonder… certain things about her. Even Annie wasn't immune to those thoughts. She knew Dillon had a good physique on him, but to actually see it seemed very appealing. His personality might've been a detriment before, but she started to appreciate that more about him, though she would be there to knock sense into him.

Annie made the first move after taking a deep breath. "Dillon, if you want to… I'm ready."

Dillon didn't expect that, his surprise being a dead giveaway. "What? Are you serious?"

She sighed. "You're going to be joining the Scouts in a few days, and you'll be going on the next Expedition."

"So, you're doing this just in case," he summed up.

Annie nodded. "But it's something I want to do, too."

Dillon let out his own deep breath. "Okay, I was not prepared for this…change of plan. Uh…"

"I'm guessing you've never done this before," she said, that awkwardness hanging in the air.

He shook his head. "Never."

"Neither have I."

Another pause passed between them.

The blacksmith looked behind him at the awaiting bedroom. "Let's head to the bedroom."

"That's a good start," Annie replied, following him inside and closing the door behind them.

"So… this is happening," Dillon said nervously.

"Dillon, if you don't want to do this, I'll understand," she assured. "No hard feelings."

"No, I do want this," he said with a bit more conviction. "I just…" He let out a sigh. "Let's take it slow."

She nodded in agreement. "Whenever you're ready."

Taking another deep breath, Dillon slowly brought his lips to hers. It was a simple kiss the two were very familiar with, but something changed. He felt like his body was compelling him to do more with that kiss, to go deeper somehow. Their kiss became more passionate, more vigorous, and it felt good if their moans were anything to go by.

Their jackets were taken off quickly, along with Dillon's shirt. Annie knew that he had been training hard with his father, but his chest showed it. He had definitely worked out for most of his life. Faded scars indicated the injuries had suffered over the years, including a few burns from working in the Forge.

Without saying a word, Annie ran her hands slowly over his chest, causing him to shiver a little. To have a girl explore his body like this was… there were no words for it. She loved how his muscles felt, how strong he felt. She could add that to the growing list of things she loved about him.

"Relax," she whispered, feeling his heart pounding in his chest. "It's just me."

After he nodded, the two continued to kiss each other with an added sense of exploration. Her shirt was the next to come off, leaving her clad in a gray bra. He noticed there weren't nearly as many scars on her, which surprised him. From what she told him of her training, it was very similar to his, yet her body didn't show nearly as many scars on him. How the hell did she pull that off?

"Do you… like what you see?" Annie asked in a bit of a sultry tone, despite her own blushing.

"Yes," Dillon answered after a brief pause.

"Let's take it to the bed," she suggested, walking past him with a slight sway in her hips.

This was a completely different side of Annie Leonhart. He had seen her cold, happy, and vulnerable, but here she was… wow.

Once again, he followed her and once she laid herself on the bed, he laid himself on top of her, pressing his body against hers. They stared into each other's eyes, taking each other in.

"You're so beautiful," Dillon said softly.

Annie smiled back. "Come on, Amsdale. Don't keep your girl waiting."

The minute his lips fell onto hers, their night got far more enjoyable.


As Matthew finished closing up shop for the night, his eyes widened in horror. "I gave two teenagers who are in a committed relationship the keys to the guest house… alone."

"What the hell was I drinking?"


Remastered Edits: So, instead of push knives, Annie gets a falcata. I, once again, thank my co-writer for giving me a hand with some additional weapons that could be found in Amsdale's Forge. Lord knows I needed a variety than just swords and knives.

The dinner scene has quite a few differences that people might notice. One of my problems with my story was that everything was about Dillon. If you compare this story to the old version, you'll definitely see the difference. Adding tension to what Carolyn does and what Annie wants to be seems to be the right call.

And lastly, due to learning more about Annie's personality, the lead-up to the bedroom scene was changed.

I hope you all liked what you read, please leave reviews should you choose to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter.