Disclaimer: I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin (Attack on Titan) I write this for your enjoyment only. Unlike the others I've written so far, this story is mostly from Hanji's POV and her memories of her time with the Jaeger family. I really recommend reading 'What He Really Is' to better understand this story because it is the one in which Hanji reveals her relationship with Doctor Jaeger and his family to Mikasa as well as the origins of Eren's titan-shifting abilities.

A Secret History Revealed

Winter, Year 855, present day…

The wind slowly died down as a dark-haired woman approaching her prime made her way through the snow-covered ground until she reached her intended destination. When she arrived at the right spot, she stopped to catch her breath as walking through the wind and snow took quite a bit of energy. After the woman had finally managed to relax, she sighed.

"I'm here, Carla… It's been a long time and I apologize for my tardiness but watching your son over the years have taken so much of my time and energy so I hope you'll forgive me…"

Thirty-six year old Professor Zoe Hanji-Smith, chief science officer of the Survey Corps and now wife of Commander Erwin Smith, clutched the bouquet of flowers she was holding to her chest. After Wall Maria was retaken and rebuilt as well as re-inhabited again by the citizens, the government had a memorial built to honor the victims who perished when the walls were breached by the titans in 845. Carved upon the nearly three-hundred foot long black marble memorial in bold white letters was the name 'Carla Jaeger' one of the first victims claimed in the titan attacks as well as one of Hanji's dearest friends.

After setting down the bouquet, the professor wrapped her scarf and long brown coat more tightly around herself. It was a cold winter day and the ground was covered with snow as well as the surrounding trees, buildings, and the memorial itself. Normally, loved ones of the victims do not come during the winter months because the snow covered the names carved upon the walls and made them more difficult to find but Hanji, who participated in the memorial's design, knew exactly where to find Carla's name even though this was the first time she was actually able to visit the memorial herself since it was built in spring of 852.

After brushing aside the snow covering Carla's name, Hanji was able to set down the bouquet of flowers and stood up, looking briefly at the blue-grey sky. It was early evening and most people have already gone home from work to be with their families. Very few people were out and about unless they had no choice and Hanji was one of the few who actually chose to be outside of her own free will because she had no idea how long it would be before she had another chance to come pay her respects to her old friend. Looking to the sky, the professor sighed.

"It's cold… but beautiful…" she said to no one in particular except the friend she hoped somewhere could hear her "Just like the night Eren was born. Do you remember, Carla? I can't believe it's been twenty years already, yet I still remember it like it was yesterday. Your son has become such a fine young man and I know you'd be so proud of him; we couldn't have won the war against the titans without his help. The world may see Eren as humanity's savior, but he is so much more to us then just that. I've never seen you happier than you were the night he was born. Do you remember, Carla? I could never forget…"

SSSSSS

Winter, year 835, twenty years ago…

Sixteen year-old Zoe Hanji threw open the door and rushed up the stairs of the Jaegar household as soon as she heard a shrill scream from upstairs. After nine months of anticipation, the long-awaited day had finally come to welcome the first-born child of her mentor and his wife into the world. It was fortunate that Carla's husband was a doctor with experience in delivering babies so that they did not have to trouble themselves with hiring midwives but Doctor Jaeger could still use some assistance in the birth of his first child so he chose his favorite student, Zoe Hanji, to assist him.

"Zoe! You're finally here!" Carla gasped when she saw her young friend throw the door to her room open. She looked like she had already been in labor for at least an hour before the arrival of her husband's student who was struck with a pang of guilt for not being able to make it sooner. The teen-age girl bowed her head in apology after she had managed to catch her breath.

"Forgive me, Carla; I would have been here sooner but the snow makes it so difficult to even see, let alone get a ride. I was lucky I found someone willing to bring me here even though he was getting off work!"

"It's alright, Zoe" Doctor Grisha Jaeger said as he turned to her and wiped his brow "We got more important things to worry about now; please, I need your assistance!"

Hanji wasted no time. "Yes, doctor, right away!" she cried as she rushed to her mentor's side. Being so young, the girl had never experienced labor herself but heard that it was painful and seeing the agonized expression on her friend's face made Hanji worry not only for her life, but the life of the baby she was carrying as well. Wanting to help in any way she could, Hanji allowed Carla to take her hand and did not flinch when she felt the older woman's nails cutting into the flesh of her hand, hard enough to draw blood.

"Ok, Carla, we're doing everything we can to help you but we're going to need you to help us as well. Now push!" Doctor Jaeger instructed as he tried to keep his own emotions in check. Being a doctor, Grisha Jaeger had delivered countless babies before, including the new daughter of his friends, the Ackermans, only two months prior. But this time, however, he felt much more anxiety because it was his own wife in labor as well as his own child he was trying to deliver and it would be a cruel irony if he were to lose them both. Sensing his thoughts, Hanji silently patted her mentor's arm to let him know that she would do anything and everything she could to help him keep that from happening.

Grateful for his student's assurance, the doctor smiled and calmed down a bit. "Thank you, Zoe… we can do this so let's get to work!"

"Yes, sir!"

After another hour of difficult labor and nerve-wrecking anxiety to all involved, they finally heard the heard the loud cries of a healthy newborn baby fill the air and Carla was finally able to catch her breath and relax as her husband took their new infant son in his arms. Excited, Hanji looked over his shoulder to see that it was a robust baby boy with the most beautiful turquoise eyes she had ever seen.

"Oh, congratulations, it's a boy! I'm so happy for you both!" she squealed.

Doctor Jaeger smiled as he leaned over and kissed his student on the cheek. "We couldn't have done it without your help, Zoe. Thank you so much…"

Hanji blushed. "You've both been so good to me, it was the least I can do…" she said shyly "May I hold him?"

The doctor turned to his wife who smiled and nodded her approval before he finally handed his newborn son to his student who gently took him in her arms and stood up.

"He's so beautiful…and his eyes are unlike any I've ever seen before. Who could he have gotten them from since both of you have hazel eyes?" Hanji asked curiously.

"Perhaps from my parents" Carla answered. "My mother's eyes were blue and my father's was green."

"True" Doctor Jaeger agreed. "Genes have been known to skip generations."

"I see…interesting. Anyway, have you decided on a name for him yet?"

"Let's see… what name do you think would suit him best, Zoe?"

Hanji raised an eyebrow "Are you asking for my opinion?"

Carla chuckled "Why not? You're as good as family to us."

"Well…I thought you already had a name in mind for him since he is your son. But since you did ask, I feel that he will be a very strong person one day so I think that Eren may suit him best. It is ancient Hebrew for 'strength'."

Doctor Jaeger smiled. "You're very well learned, Zoe. Yes, I also agree that Eren would be the perfect name for him, Eren Jaeger. What do you think, Carla?"

His wife gave a soft laugh, secretly glad that her husband's student saved her the trouble of deciding on a name for her new son as she often had trouble making up her mind about such things.

"I love it. So Eren it is then. And thank you again, Zoe."

The teen-age girl shook her head. "No, thank you for letting me be a part of this. I don't know why but I feel like your son will do great things one day" Hanji said as she smiled and gently rocked the newborn one more time before handing him back to his father.

As Doctor Grisha Jaeger took his son in arms once more, he said "I feel the same way too, Zoe." Looking Eren in the eyes, he smiled, his voice dropping to a whisper as the baby cooed and made gurgling sounds. "You have much to offer the world, my son, and so much potential too. You will be perfect, humanity's finest and greatest hope against them…"

Though the doctor's final words were no more than a whisper, meant for his son's ears only, Hanji's senses were sharper then he thought and she did hear what he had said to Eren but out of respect for her mentor, never mentioned it to anyone. Neither did she truly understand the meaning of those words until she saw the baby's greatest secret revealed years later…

SSSSSS

Spring, year 838, three years later…

"Are you sure this is what you want, Zoe?"

Nineteen year-old Zoe Hanji turned to face her mentor and his wife. She was clad in the uniform and green cloak of the Survey Corps and preparing to go on her very first expedition beyond the walls. There was a large crowd of people gathered at the gates of Wall Maria to see their loved ones in the service off and today was the most exciting day of her life yet she could not help but be disappointed that her dear friends, the Jaegers, did not seem to share in her enthusiasm. Joining the Survey Corps was what she had always dreamed of because they were permitted to leave the walls while ordinary citizens were not, even if it was for the purpose of fighting and studying the dreaded titans. It was the only way the young woman could put the knowledge that her mentor had given her to good use and she thought that he of all people, would be happy for her, but Doctor Jaeger could not help but worry because this was not what he had in mind for Hanji when he took her in as his student.

Trying to put her friends at ease, Hanji merely smiled and said "Please don't worry about me, you two, I am more than capable of taking care of myself. The commander is an excellent leader who only has the best interests of his soldiers and the people at heart and I trust him with my life. I also feel that this is something I have to do otherwise, how else will humanity ever hope to leave these walls? We can't very well stay behind them forever."

Doctor Jaeger sighed sadly as he took his young student in a gentle embrace. Being a former science officer of the Survey Corps himself, he knew all too well how dangerous it was beyond the walls and had always hoped that Hanji would become a teacher instead of pursuing the last career he wanted for her but at the same time, he knew she was right. As long as humans remained ignorant of the titans, they could never leave the walls and re-inhabit the world outside. "I understand, Zoe…" he said. "I believe the same as you but I still feel like it should be me shouldering the burden of the corps' science duties, not you…"

Hanji shook her head and she gently let go of her mentor. "No, doctor, you have a family now and your place is here with them…"

"We understand" Carla said "Follow your heart and do what you feel you must. But please be careful as Eren would be very sad if something were to happen to you…"

Hanji frowned as she looked upon the three-year old little boy that Carla was holding in her arms, the boy that brought just as much joy and laughter to her life as he did to his parents' from the day he was born. "Of course, Carla, I promise. May I say good-bye to little Eren, please?"

Carla nodded her consent as she silently handed her young son over to her friend. As Hanji took the little boy in her arms, she smiled and ruffled his soft brown hair. "Good-bye, Eren…" she whispered in the child's ear "It's been fun but I must leave you for now. Be a good little boy and mind your parents, ok?"

Although the child was too young to understand everything she said, he could still sense that his playmate for the last three years was about the leave him and frowned.

"Don't go, Zoe, I be sad…" the boy sniffed.

Upon hearing that, Hanji felt her heart sink but she knew she had a duty to fulfill and that the boy would eventually get over it. After all, Eren was one of the reasons she joined the Survey Corps so that he and other children like him will one day be able to experience and enjoy the world beyond the walls. But she had to admit that she was going to miss the little tyke terribly.

"Shhh…" Hanji cooed "This isn't going to be good-bye forever. I promise I'll be back before you know it and play with you again!"

Upon hearing her promise, little Eren's eyes brightened and he smiled. "Really? Promise?"

"Yes, I promise…" Hanji assured as she bent down to kiss his forehead.

"Hold that pose!" she heard a voice call and before Hanji knew what happened, a bright flash blinded her for a moment before subsiding and saw a middle-age man approach her with a camera in his hand and a photo.

"What was that all about?" she demanded, not appreciating what he had done.

The man bowed his head in apology. "Forgive me, Miss. It's just that you looked so cute holding the child that I couldn't resist taking a picture. Would you like to see it? As an apology for not warning you, I'll let you have it for free."

Hanji turned to the Jaegers and Carla nodded before taking the photo from the cameraman. When she and her husband saw the photo, they could not help but laugh. He was right: Hanji did look cute holding their young son like that and Carla showed her friend the photo. Upon seeing it, the young woman's irritation subsided and she found herself smiling as well before handing Eren back to his parents.

As Doctor Jaeger took back his son, he could not help but smile at the effect his student had on Eren and vice versa. As he was their only child, the boy thought of Hanji as a big sister and his best friend. "Would you like to keep the photo to remember him by?" he asked her.

"Yes, I would like that, thank you." Hanji answered as her mentor handed the photo to her. "I will miss Eren…and you…" she told her friends as she placed the photo in her pocket "But I promise I'll be back with stories to tell, just like the one you told me, doctor."

"I'm sure you will" Carla said. "Take care, Zoe; we have faith in you and look forward to seeing you again as Eren does."

"Thank you…all of you. I look forward to seeing you again too. Good-bye and take care…" Hanji said as she mounted her horse and prepared to join her comrades. Before leaving the walls, the young woman turned and waved her final good-bye to the couple who had been so good to her for the past four years as well as their young son and thought about how much she was going to miss them as she was closer to them than she ever was to her own blood relatives, especially Eren since she never had any siblings of her own. She did promise that she would be back soon, especially for Eren, and Zoe Hanji always tried her best to keep her promises.

Unfortunately, it would be almost thirteen years before she saw that little boy again…

SSSSSS

Fall, year 850, twelve years later…

Thirty-one year old Professor Zoe Hanji looked down from a balcony of the Military Tribunal courtroom at the dark-haired young man who was being chained to a post like an animal and forced to kneel like a slave while being tried for his life. Though she had not seen him in over a decade, she knew right away who he was. He was Eren Jaeger, the only son of her mentor, the little boy whose birth she witnessed and with whom she used to play with until she left to join the Survey Corps in the spring of 838. Hanji knew it had been so long since she last saw him that it was unlikely the youth would be able to remember her or the promise she was unable to keep to him. Still, the boy was of great interest to her, especially when she learned of his titan-shifting abilities that she knew his father must have had something to do with as well as still being dear to her personally.

So it is you, Eren. I never thought I would see you again. I wish I could have kept my promise to you but so much has happened since that day I didn't even have time to write, let alone visit...

Hanji remained silent throughout the trial and let her commander do all the talking on behalf of the Survey Corps' interest in obtaining custody of Eren. In truth, Commander Smith was unsure at first if letting the youth join was a good idea since his powers appeared unstable but the professor had managed to convince him the day before the tribunal that with proper guidance and supervision, Eren's powers could be controlled and used to humanity's advantage in the war against the titans. Her arguments also piqued the interest of Corporal Levi Rivialle in the boy as well. Hanji was grateful that she had managed to convince her superiors but convincing the rest of the court would be much more difficult. Still, she was willing to try anything to save Eren's life.

Unfortunately, the professor never got a chance to test her diplomacy skills for the corporal already realized that the Military Police was bent on killing the youth and no amount of arguing would convince them otherwise so before she or anyone could say a word after Eren's outburst, Levi quickly started to beat the boy down in front of the whole court to everyone's horror, Hanji's included. Even though she knew the corporal was doing the only thing he could think of to prove that Eren was truly on the side of humans, she could not help but be appalled by the way he chose to protect the boy and force herself to remain silent and appear indifferent as her commander. After Eren finally passed out, Hanji quickly ordered a few of her squad members to unchain and carry him to the nearest infirmary for treatment before he developed any permanent damage; she obviously didn't want the boy's suffering to be for nothing and could not help but shoot Levi a disapproving glare before leaving the courtroom to tend to the now unconscious Eren Jaeger.

Over the next five days, Hanji monitored the boy's recovery progress as he laid unconscious but alive on his hospital bed and found to her amazement and relief that he was recovering at a phenomenal rate with little effort on her part. As the hours and days passed, she noticed that Eren's broken bones were able to set themselves back into place and mend without splinters and that the cuts and bruises on his body healed just as fast and without leaving any scars on his skin. On the second day after Eren's arrival at the hospital, Hanji received an unexpected visit from the very man who sent him there.

"How is he?" the corporal asked coolly as he quietly made his way into the small room after Hanji opened the door for him. Although she was sorely tempted to slam it in his face, she resisted the urge and allowed him in.

"Eren is fine… no thanks to you…" the professor answered coldly.

Levi sighed "I don't expect you to be thrilled but it was the only way to save him and we both know it."

"Perhaps… but you could've at least held back a little since I doubt he'll be of any use to us if he gets brain-damaged!"

The corporal regarded his comrade curiously. "You seem quite attached to the boy, professor. Is there something you're not telling me?"

"I don't need to be attached to him or anyone to be appalled at what you've done! For God's sake, he's only a child!"

A child that can make or break humanity's chances against the titans... Levi thought but held his tongue. He came here to check up on Eren and getting into an argument with his caretaker was not what he or the boy himself needed.

"Perhaps I might have overdone it a little but at least his life was spared."

"I doubt he will see it that way for a while, sir, but I suppose what's done is done. And if you don't mind my asking, aren't there more important matters that require your attention right now? If you're concerned about the boy escaping, you need not be; I can assure you he isn't going anywhere."

Hearing the contempt in Hanji's voice made Levi realize that he wasn't exactly welcomed here so resigning himself to his defeat, he sighed and said "I suppose you're right, professor, I do have work to do so I'll be going now. Please do me a favor and let me know if there are any changes in Eren's condition."

"I will. Have a good day, sir."

SSSSSS

Winter, year 855, present day

Hanji wiped a tear from her eye as she looked up towards the cold winter sky. Since the day she had been re-united with Eren, she had done everything in her power to protect the boy and help him gain full control of his powers as well as improve his relationship with Mikasa who was now his fiancé, often even risking her job to do so. Hanji was also grateful that she was even able to briefly re-unite with her old mentor before his death and promised him she would continue to look out for Eren and be there for him, eventually revealing to the boy her history with his family and knowledge of his powers when he accidentally discovered the photo of her holding him as a child before she left on her first mission as a member of the Survey Corps in 838.

"The road has been long and hard for all of us, but especially for Eren. But despite the hardships he endured from the titans and our own people, he persevered and now his name is known throughout the world. It looks like we named him well for Eren Jaeger is now the epitome of 'strength'. Thank you for allowing me the honor of naming your son, Carla. Until we meet again, rest in peace, my friend. With your husband and love…"

As Professor Hanji-Smith prepared to leave the memorial and head home, the wind pick up slightly and she wasn't sure if she imagined it but thought she could hear a familiar voice calling out to her.

Thank you, Zoe…

A/N: So what do you think of this installment? So far, it's a bit different from my other fics with the constant flashbacks so I hope my readers didn't have too much difficulty telling what happened and when. I thought it would be fun to experiment with the idea of Hanji having a history with the Jaeger family that could have been canon. I tried looking up the meaning of the name 'Eren' and could not find it directly, but did find another name pronounced exactly the same only spelled different, 'Aaron' which is Hebrew in origin for 'mountain of strength' and I thought it suited Eren very well. I also thought about writing a more detailed fic of Eren discovering the photo of himself and Hanji while cleaning out her desk and that is when she reveals what she really knows about him and his powers. If I can pull it off, I'll include it in my saga also.