The words hung in the air, filling it with unneeded tension. I knew this question was coming. Erwin knew Jameson would ask it as well. Neither of us could think of an immediate answer even with all the thought we had put into our responses.

Jameson sat across from us, waiting patiently for our answer. Finally, I spoke up. "How would you send us back?" I asked. "By using the Machine?"

He nodded. "Yes, and a special serum we created that makes the process easier. Using the serum would send you back to the time to before you left," he explained. "What was the last thing you were doing before you woke up here?"

I thought for a moment. "I was visiting Erwin in a hospital room after we returned from being outside the walls." I glanced at his right arm. "His arm was gone…" I said softly, not wanting to recall the memory of his dismembered arm.

"Then you would return to the world only moments before that happened," Jameson told me. "It's not hard to return you to a particular spot in time."

"What would happen to us here?" Erwin asked.

"Well," Jameson started, "depending on how long you would return to that world, you would probably be in a monitored hospital room so we could easily gather data and make sure you're still healthy." He looked from between the two of us. "The offer still stands," he stated obviously. "Understand this, however: to go back would mean leaving behind this world for however long you're spending time in that world. It's for the equivalent amount of time. You spend a month there, a month passes here."

Erwin creased his eyebrows together. "We've been gone from there for three years. How could we possibly go back to a time before we woke up here?"

"Simple," he replied. "Start over from that particular point and go from there. It's almost like a video game, really. You save the game at some point, you continue playing when something happens making you start over from your last saved point, almost as if the last few minutes playing have never happened."

"Simple," I repeated quietly, unsure of whether or not I liked that particular comparison. He played with people's lives and compared his experiment to a game.

"Now," Jameson said, reaching into a drawer in his desk and pulling out two sheets of paper. "As I said, the offer still stands. You can be sent back to that world for however long you wish to be there. My brother and I are still conducting the experiments and so the longer you can spare, the better." He handed us each a sheet. "This contract basically says you will allow us to put you under to send you to the Titan world for a period of time. You may choose how long you go. Afterwards, you must consult with us to tell of your experience and how the world may be changed for the better. Maybe you spy a glitch of some sort or—"

While looking over the contract, I kept imagining what it would be like to return. I had imagined this many times in the past week. Would I continue in the Survey Corps like I had before now that I knew what the Titans really were? Or would I leave the military and go live in the Interior in relative safety? I imagined myself living in a beautiful, almost Victorian style house, wearing pretty dresses and believing all was right with the world because I was away from the outer walls. What would happen to Erwin? Or to Michael? The moment I thought of my son, I knew I could not return to the Titan world and leave him here alone. There was no way I could leave him behind, nor could I bring him with me. I would not allow that to happen.

"I'll do it." His voice cut through my day dreaming.

"W-what?" Jameson was taken aback for a moment, surprised to be interrupted and hear the words coming from Erwin's mouth.

"I said, I'll do it," Erwin repeated.

I stared at Erwin in shock. "What? No!" I exclaimed.

Erwin looked at me, his eyes pleading. "Ariadne, I need to go back. There's unfinished business I have there."

I shook my head quickly. "No, you can't," I panicked. "Erwin, you can't...!"

Jameson shuffled uncomfortably in his chair, watching the two of us. "I can give you both time to talk this over with each other… We don't have to rush into anything."

Erwin turned his attention to Jameson. "Give us a month and you'll have your answer."

"Certainly. Take all the time you need."

The next hour or so passed by in a blur. I felt like a ghost within myself. I was so distraught, I hardly remember leaving Jameson's office, the building, or even the drive home. I had never considered Erwin would actually agree to going back. My heart hurt. How could he do that? Did he not have the same priorities as me? I knew eventually we would have to talk it over.

As soon as we arrived home, I walked through the house, avoiding Erwin. I had no recollection of retrieving Michael from the baby sitter's, but I found him in my arms, sleeping peacefully. I rocked the chair I was sitting in, forward then back. Forward then back. Forward then back again. I seemed to be able to watch myself rock from another point in the nursery. I saw a woman with her hair falling gently over her shoulders, a baby in her arms, and a fearful and worrisome expression on her face. She was not staring at anything in particular. She finally stared at the door when it opened suddenly. I could see through her eyes again.

"Ariadne," Erwin said softly as he entered the room. "We should talk."

I shook my head. "I don't want to. Not today." My brain was still whirling from everything we learned from Jameson. Erwin's decision topped everything.

He knelt in front of me, his hands gently on my knees, making me stop my rocking. "Ariadne, please." Something in his voice made me obey him. Maybe it was the way his soft, pleading tone cut into my heart, making me feel vulnerable. Michael stirred lightly in his sleep, seemingly aware of the ceased motion.

"Ariadne, please, try to understand," he started, staring up at me. His voice faltered, unsure of what to say next. He sighed heavily and looked down at Michael. He stretched out a hand to flatten Michael's tuft of hair, but decided against it and put his hand back on my knee. "Who's going to lead the Survey Corps?" Erwin asked rhetorically. "I can't allow the Military Police to take over. There's no one else to take my place."

I stayed quiet, listening intently, but not quite reacting.

He continued, his voice steady and quiet. "Ariadne, I do not plan to be gone for long. Maybe a month, if that." He tried to meet my eyes, but looked away towards his hands instead. "I'm not asking for your permission. I'm asking if you're going to be okay." He searched my face for any kind of answer. "Will you be okay without me for a while?"

I looked back at him, taking in his facial features that I loved. His high cheek bones and blond hair. His soft lips that were perfectly shaped. His icy blue eyes staring back into my gray blue ones. Sometimes I would recognize some of his features on Michael, but I mostly saw my own. I wanted to answer yes. I wanted to answer no. I was entirely unsure. It was not that I could notget along without him. I did not want to be alone. I was scared of being alone. Alone meant pain and fear. That was not something I wanted to go through again, physically or mentally.

Slowly, I stood, forcing Erwin to move out of my way as I walked to the crib and laid Michael gently inside it. I turned back and knelt on the ground beside Erwin. Immediately my arms went around him in a tight embrace. I could feel his breath at my neck. I took in his familiar touch and scent, not wanting it to end.

"I'll be alright," I forced myself to say. "Just don't be gone for too long."

"I won't." I could feel his throat vibrate against my shoulder when he talked.

Erwin kissed me. It was slow and sad and deep. I felt every emotion I could within his touch. I was hardly aware of the tears falling down my face. I pulled him against me, wanting to drown myself within his kisses, but I knew this would not totally drive out the sorrow building in my heart of his eventual departure. Eventually we pulled away from each other, breathing heavily, but feeling slightly better than we had earlier.

I found it hard to keep myself out of reach from him. I wanted to feel that he was still near, even for a little longer. During the month that passed, Erwin settled his affairs at work and got everything he thought important together. He made sure to spend the last week with Michael and myself, taking trips to Berlin and sight-seeing other places nearby. He made sure to call Jameson and let him know that he was getting everything in order before "going under," as he put it.

The morning came when I knew Erwin would be leaving. Well, technically he was going to be put into a coma-like state and then he would stay that way for the duration of his time in the other world. I was allowed to visit him whenever I liked, but it made me sad to think about it. We had been advised to tell our friends and family he was being put to sleep for medical reasons, since the idea of a different world was currently classified information.

We arrived at the Larson Research Office around mid-day. Erwin, Michael, and I made our way towards the medical wing and met with both Brady and Jameson. Jameson was wearing a white lab coat. Brady towered over his brother, tall and lanky in his ill-fitted suit jacket and turtleneck sweater.

"Good to see you both, Mr. and Mrs. Smith!" Jameson greeted cheerfully. I smiled back despite my mood and adjusted Michael at my hip.

"Hello," Brady said politely, shaking Erwin's hand. "I trust you have everything in order?"

Erwin nodded. "I made sure everything is as it should be."

"Excellent," said Jameson. "Come, follow me." We followed him towards his office and sat down in the same uncomfortable chairs that we had sat in before. Jameson sat in the high backed chair while Brady stood beside his brother. "Now," started Jameson, "last time you were here, you did not sign the contract saying you give us permission to do this experiment." He went on to state some of the facts we already knew and had discussed. He paused for a moment, glancing between Erwin and Michael, who was sitting on my lap. "You do understand what you're getting into, yes?"

Erwin nodded. "Yes."

"Alright." He reached into his desk and pulled out the sheet of paper. He slid it across to Erwin and handed him a pen. "Please sign your name clearly on the bottom line." I wordlessly watched him sign his name. Michael babbled.

About an hour or so after Jameson and Brady explained the procedure to us both, we made our way towards the hospital wing of the research building. We were greeted by more doctors and a few nurses. A few minutes later, Erwin was taken to another room to be tested and to make sure he was capable of going under. It was a very long process and Michael was getting tired (as was I). Soon enough, they were back with the confirmation that Erwin was healthy enough to go.

They dressed him in a hospital gown and lead us to a hospital room with a gurney and other medical equipment, some I had never seen before. Erwin sat on the bed and looked at me. "Do you mind if we have a few moments together beforehand?" he asked of the doctors and nurses. Thankfully, they were willing to give us a few minutes.

Erwin beckoned me beside him and I complied. "You can still back out of this," I said softly, breaking the silence between us.

He shook his head. "After all the preparation we've done? I don't think so," he replied. He took my hand in his. "Ariadne, I'll only be gone for a month. It's not very long. I'll be back with you and Michael soon enough, I promise." He tried to give me an assuring smile, but it did not help my aching heart. I understood this was important to him, but I still did not want him to leave.

"I'll be sure to record a bit of everything Michael does," I assured him, but my voice cracked annoyingly.

Erwin smiled softly and then hugged me. "It's going to be alright." He kissed the top of my head and let me go. He played with Michael for a few minutes before Jameson and Brady entered the room, the doctors and nurses behind him.

"Are you ready?" Jameson asked.

Erwin nodded and then squeezed my hand. "As ready as I'll ever be."

They laid him down across the bed and hooked him up to the various machines. I had to turn away while they did this. Michael laid his head on my chest while I rocked him. Within minutes, they pronounced Erwin successfully asleep, meaning he had arrived in the other world. I shut my eyes, forcing the tears to stop coming down my face.

Listen, if you think reading this stuff is painful, try writing it. Sorry guys, but you're going to have to wait until next time to find out what happens while he's there.

Please leave me a review with your predictions or telling me how you hate me for doing this to them! Or telling me if you liked it, that's all good too. :)

Thanks for reading!