The days went by in a flash. By the end everybody knew who . The mood seemed lighter, maybe because I wasn't as sad. Maybe because I wasn't mourning the girl I love.

A week later, orders came. At dinner, we began to discuss them. "We are summoned to Trost. Eren's free. He will join our squad. Petra must be tested for 'certain things.' That's all."

Armin spoke up. "I guess the things are whether you're a shifter or not - "

"What?!" Petra was surprised.

"When Ymir came as a human, she could do the same."

"So you all know how I would've come back?"

"Nobody told her?" Poor Armin. As boyfriend, I should get the honors. "I'll tell her."

Her gaze shifted. She looked so innocent. "You ate a shifter - either Ymir, Riener or Bertholdt."

I can't even describe the look on her. The guilt. The shame. The disgust. "Of course, we forgive you - they were traitors." She settled down slightly. I hope I helped. Everybody else was not accusing her. It made the whole affair easier.

The next day, we left. Petra complained about not sharing a horse. "That was great," I admitted.

We got to Trost in the night. The morning after, Petra and I were alone again. I was watching her. Sometimes just that was looked so relaxed and normal. Her making tea in the kitchen was the antithesis to the crazy, stupid world around us. That was when I got to really know her. Could anybody have had a more normal life? A normal family, a normal childhood and a normal girl at the end of it - that's who I'd end up with. I'd told her my past as well. She knew everybody. Her ears were better than Mikasa's, but maybe that was my opinion.

"I look pretty don't I?" She asked, noticing my stare. "Always."

"You know, it would be funny if I were a shifter."

"Why?"

"Remember how little I trusted Eren?"

"It's alright. I trust you. Hange trusts you." But I'd be in love with a shifter…. Actually, so what?

"I hope I'm not a shifter."

"Why?"

"I don't like the idea of being a titan. They're so disgusting." Had she been anybody else, I'd have said 'that's why you're alive.' But I couldn't. I knew how much she disliked that fact, as much as everybody forgave her for it. She was the first person whose feelings I really cared about.

Mikasa came down. This was the second time she'd interrupted our talks. Petra offered tea once more, but this time being less awkward, she asked Mikasa "What did you mean by the ghosts?"

"Levi once told me that there were ghosts in his life who he would've loved."

"I included friends."

Petra nodded. She knew my past well enough.

Eventually, we all gathered at Hange's office. It was Erwin's old one, which reminded me that he was dead. Eren was waiting there. He was about to freak out about Petra, but I shut him up quickly.

Hange lead us out to the courtyard. "Guys! Clear the courtyard. Except you, Petra."

Atop the roof, Hange called out: "Petra, your mission is to get the tree from the other end of the courtyard and move it here." The nodded reply was invisible.

Petra bit her right thumb. With a flash, Petra was gone and a titan appeared. The tree was moved quickly. Petra re-appeared out of steam. Using her gear, she climbed up. "Please never make me do that again."

That was all the certain things Petra failed, there may have been more tests. I was to meet Hange in her office.

I walked in. "Hey! How's Petra?"

"Great."

"That's it? Don't make the same mistake." The mistake of not letting Petra know I loved her. Hange said, she probably loved me back. Why does she have to be right about everything?

"I haven't."

"Oh? Good for you!"

"Thanks."

"How close are you guys?!"

"Close?"

"You know… kissing and …"

"Not yet."

"Take your time." With that, and the actual business of the survey corps, I left.

Petra was waiting outside my office. "Levi! Come with me!"

"Where?"

"To my father's."

"What? Why?" We weren't that far in our relationship.

"Oh… it's nothing to do with us. I had promised him that he'd meet you one day."

"Fine." I couldn't say no to her.

As we walked out, she held my hand. I guess this was the first time she could do that without being noticed. It felt nice. As we left, Eren walked by. Whatever, I didn't care about much.

We got to her father's house which was further inside wall rose. She knocked at the door when I remembered when I last saw Mr. Ral. 'As her father, I uh, … I was thinking it was probably too early for me to insist she get married, you know… she's still too young and has her whole life ahead of her, so...' He trailed off in my memory as he opened the door. "Petra!?"

"Hey, dad!"

"Wait… That's Captain Levi!"

"Hello." I hope he didn't bring up our previous conversation.

"Why didn't you come earlier Petra? Come on in!"

"Can I make you guys some tea?"

"Oh Petra! I missed your wonderful tea! Captain! Come on in."

"So, captain, how were the last four months?!"

"Busy."

"Not a man of many words, are you?"

"No."

"Has Petra lived up to your expectations?"

"Yes."

"Petra! You hear that! You lived up to his expectations!"

"Thanks, captain!" Petra wasn't going to tell her dad anything, so then why was I here? Whatever, more time with her, I guess.

Petra emerged with the tea. It was the usual, good tea. It was hard not to look at her as I did in the mornings.

"So, Petra, why didn't you write like you usually do?"

"I couldn't." She was going to tell him. But, it would take time.

"Why not?"

"I uh… I … was … I was dead." Quicker than I expected.

"Dead?"

"Yes."

"What! How!?" This wasn't going to be easy.

"Well… I don't really remember." The gazes turned on me. That's why I was here.

"You see, Mr. Ral, the day we first spoke, she had died."

"What?! But she's right here."

"In order to enter the walls without further casualties, we had to lighten the carriages by discarding the dead."

"What!?"

"It has been done many times."

"But then, how is Petra here?"

"I do not know precisely. The widely held theory is that Titans have an ability to transform dead humans into their species."

"So she's a Titan?!"

"Was. Upon eating a certain human type - the 'titan-shifter', Titans may become human, but with no memory of their Titan selves."

Mr. Ral was digesting the information. Why couldn't Petra tell him? "So this is my Petra?"

"Yes."

"How do you know?"

"She knows things that only a squad member of mine would and the government has run tests."

He got up and hugged her. "Petra, I lost you once, don't go back." Please come back.

"Father…. I must. I still have a duty."

"Duty? What of your poor father?"

"You can be proud of all I will do."

After their conversation shifted to more mundane things, Petra said her goodbyes.

At the door, Mr. Ral stopped me. "Is that why you didn't speak?"

"Yes." He nodded. "Oh, and Mr. Ral, please tell nobody a word of what I told you."

With that I left. Petra took my hand again.

"The next time you do something like this, please warn me." Petra looked up.

"Sorry, captain." 'Captain'?

"Call me Levi - you're not always my subordinate." She smiled.

"It was a reflex."

"Which you haven't had to use much." Her grin broadened. Truly, of all the people I've deal with, Petra has been the least annoying. Even my mirror image - Mikasa, annoyed me more.

I was going to drop Petra off at her room before returning to work - so as not to arouse suspicions, we limited our time together at the base. As we walked by Mikasa's room, I realized that it was oddly quiet. In Mikasa's room, everybody was gathered. I stopped by the door as Petra also looked in. "What's up?"

Connie moved. "Captain, are you and Petra…"

"Am I and Petra what?"

"In a relationship." Jean completed the sentence. I looked at Petra, and wordlessly asked her to trust me. She replied silently, and I said "Yes."

The shock was immediate. I guess Eren told them. It was easier to reveal it this way. There was a chatter which ascended through the room. Petra and I left. "I hope you didn't mind my telling them."

"I did not." I nodded.

I left her at her room. I wish there was more to our parting. She'd just leave, and I'd tell her 'see you later' or something. A kiss. Kissing that face… We need to do more - I guess the first hurdle was jumped. But, I needed respect, so nothing too drastic.

I got to my room to be greeted by a pile of papers. More than half concerned Petra. It's not her fault the system can't handle the odd situations we deal with. There was a knock. "Come in." It was Eren. "What?"

"Sorry about earlier."

"Who cares?" I didn't anymore.

"I should not have told people what I did."

"Shit happens."

"Sorry."

"Leave." Eren left me to my paperwork. Maybe this is what makes me irritable. Paperwork. Half of it was about Petra's death and new life. She died four months ago! Did they lose my paperwork from then?

I was almost done, just a small report on today's experiment was left. Then came a knock. It was three? Four? I don't even know. "Who's it?"

"Petra." I probably gasped.

"Come in."

She entered. "I thought you would be awake."

"I didn't wake you up or anything, did I?"

"I woke up myself."

I looked at her, and it was almost as if I contemplated the entire universe. "I love how calm you look."

"Same."

"What do you love of me?" I didn't really mean to say that, but I was curious.

She thought. "Everything…" What can I even say? "What about you?" Now I have something.

"Everything as well."

"Don't just copy me!"

"It's too late to think."

"I'll ask again tomorrow." I had better come up with a response.

"Do you still have work?"

"Some."

"What is it?"

"Paperwork. It's about how you died." I doubt anybody got over this fact.

"How did I die?"

"All I saw was you on a tree, looking up. There was blood on the right of your face."

"It asks about the body…"

"Yes. I told you right?"

"If it weren't for that I'd still be dead." All's well that ends well. We were quiet for a while, but I didn't do any work. She looked lost in thought - I wish I knew her point of view.

"I guess I really am here because of a miracle." She moved away. "Why is it me?"

"Why not?"

"I wasn't the best in that squad. It should have been somebody else." It was guilt. That was her deep thought. How do I defuse this? She's wrong. I chose her. "Petra, if you were bad and undeserving, you wouldn't have been in the squad." That seemed to help. If only I always knew how she felt. That'd make life easier.

"I guess. It's just so confusing."

"Why?"

"What is my purpose, since I came back?"

"Isn't that for you to decide? Maybe, the world does not have a purpose for you."

"What?! Doesn't it have a purpose for everybody?"

I hugged her. "I believe it is up to you to come up with a purpose."

She hugged back. Her relaxation was palpable. "I guess I'll go back to sleep. Thanks." I hoped I was re-assuring. Wait… I could kiss her - now.

"Petra." I looked at her as I drew away slightly. I kissed her on the lips. She opened her mouth and made the kiss full, not just a dumb peck at her lips. It was warm and fun. The fun was probably why people did this. We were still kissing. I would never know how much time went by. Somehow it ended. She drew away.

"Good night, Levi." She was somewhat giggly - she'd transformed into a little girl. I'd guessed it was the excitement. Maybe she really loved me more than I ever thought. This was a great relationship.

"See you tomorrow." She giggled. Even I left joyous, but I guess that's not how I react to my great excitement.

I slept, deciding to leave the paperwork for later - it would've been odd to describe the death of the girl I just kissed. That was beautiful.

AN: Sorry about the 'stuff'. It was HTML code for the fanfic - there must have been some error somewhere. Also, if you get something similar on your fanfic, just go back to the doc. The stuff should be there as well... just delete it out and update the chapter...