Annie awoke with a start and landed on the ground on her knees. She took several long large deep breaths, her lungs felt like air hadn't filled them in ages. Which is probably true, she has no idea how long she's been in that crystal, it's probably been months. Maybe even years. She looks around but it's completely dark, she can't see a thing. she gropes around in the dark trying to find something that might indicate where she was. After several moments Annie hears a door creaking open. a dim ray of light reveals a silhouette of a boy.

"Goodmorning Annie. it's a new day."

It's Armin. she could never forget his voice even though it's slightly deeper than the last time she heard it. a small feeling of warmth runs thru her body at his presence. but it quickly diminishes as she realizes what might happen to her now that she's out of the crystal.

"Armin...what are they going to do to me?" Annie asked

Armin walked towards a desk in the corner completely ignoring her question. He shuffles thru some papers on the desk and picks one up. "It's been awhile since anyone else other than me's been in here. Even Commander Hange stopped coming a few months ago. I guess there really is no reason to anymore."

"What are you talking about? What's going on with you?" Annie asks

Armin nearly steps on her as he walks by and he doesn't react at all, not even a glance in her direction, as if she wasn't even there.

"It's been almost 2 years. Everyone's given up on getting you out of there."

He lights an oil lamp, illuminating the room in a dull glow. Annie can now see that he is taller, his hair, noticeably longer is pulled back into a small ponytail. His facial features more mature, but the looks in his crisp blue eyes; curiosity, hope, innocence, shows her that he is still the same Armin. Her Armin.

"But I haven't." He says staring off into space. "I haven't given up yet, I never will."

Annie stares at him, confused.

"I know you'll come out of that crystal…" He walks behind her with the lamp in his hand. "One day."

Annie turns around to see what he's doing now, and what she sees makes her eyes widen in shock. Armin, standing in front of her crystallized prison, with her still inside.

Annie was confused at first, but then it hit her, hard- She wasn't out of the crystal, wasn't awake. She was having an out of body experience. she was still trapped in that crystal she created. And Armin couldn't see or hear her.

"I know you're scared." Armin says to her body. "I would be, but you don't need to be scared. I won't let anyone hurt you Annie."

Annie wants to reach out to him, to touch him, to hold him but she knows he won't feel it.

"I need to get going." Armin says as he sets down the lamp back on the table. "I'll be back soon." He blows out the candle and heads out the room.

Annie stands up and follows him out.

She follows him around all day, wanting to see what life was like for him now. It started out with him doing things for Commander Hange. Annie finds out he's working under her, learning to be as good of a researcher as her. Most of the rest of his day consisted of this or other tasks around the compound. She noticed people talked about and to him with alot more respect and authority than she remembered. This was because he had earned the rank of captain within the last two years she found out. The sun began to set when Armin ran into someone that made Annie's breath hitch-Eren.

She should have figured this would happen. Him and Armin were best friends after all, but the thought of seeing Armin cross paths with him never ran thru her mind. Annie took a step back. She was scared to see him, although she knows he can't see her, she has an odd feeling that despite that, he'd sense her presence and she knew out of everyone she'd hurt and betrayed; Eren's the one that'd hate her most for it.

"Hows it goin Armin?" Eren asked

"Been good. Hange and I have found out a lot of stuff about titans that could be really useful."

Eren put his hands on Armin's shoulders "Armin stop, you're starting to sound like her. Next thing I know you'll be talking my ear off all night."

Armin laughed, "don't worry, I don't think I can go that far."

"Good. So anything else you've done today?"

Armin looked at the ground. "N-No…"

Eren crossed his arms. "Armin...you are a really bad liar."

Armin sighed in defeat "I went to go see Annie today."

"Her? Again?"

"Yes again."

"Dude you need to forget about her. she's never coming out. And I don't even understand why you'd want her too. Nobody does! She betrayed us. All of us."

"Everyone makes mistakes, it doesn't make them a bad person."

"She's killed hundreds of people!" Eren yelled, his anger rising.

"And how many have you do you think? 2, when you were saving Mikasa all those years ago? I'm sorry to say that's not true."

"What the heck are you talking about? Of course it is!"

Armin shakes his head "Do you remember that last battle you had with Annie? when she fell on the church killing everyone inside?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Those were your kills Eren."

Annie was taken aback at Armin's statement. How can he think they were his kills and not hers?

"Are you insane Armin?" Eren asked "It was her body that crushed them!"

"But you knocked her into them"

Eren didn't say anything.

"You're the one who, knocked her into the church, she had no control on where she landed. Technically she was just a tool in their murders, You were the murderer." Armin frowned "She may have done horrible things Eren, but so have you. You have no right to judge her."

Eren clenched his fists and grinded his teeth "Fine. But You're just setting yourself up for heart break. So if and when she comes out and tries to kill us all, don't say I didn't warn you." He stomps off.

Annie was speechless. Armin might've just lost his best friend, standing up for her.

By the time They got to Armin's quarters it was completely dark outside, with only waning-crescent moon's light keeping the world from being totally engulfed in darkness. Once inside his quarters, Armin took off his jacket and hung it up before sitting down on the edge of his bed, rubbing his eyes and sighing. "Connie, Jean, Mikasa, now Eren, Next thing I know I'll lose my military rank too." he lays down "But it doesn't matter, I'm not giving up on her...ever." within a minute he's fast asleep.

Annie looks at him. He's still in uniform minus the jacket. as she stares at him, a feeling of dread fills her heart. "Armin…" She sits next to his sleeping body "I'm sorry. I know you can't hear me, but I am so sorry. You've lost everything dear to you, because of me. I know you want me out of the crystal, part of me does too. But...I'm not quite ready yet. I want you to understand that. But one day I will be, and I promise you when that day comes your faith in me won't be in vain." She reaches to touch his face, instead of feeling his soft skin under her fingertips he hand fazes right thru it. She closes her eyes. "I love you Armin. When I do awake, I still wanna be a good person to you."

That night, the smallest of cracks formed in the thick crystal encasing Annie Leonhardt.