Chapter 39

Willow finds Reiner in the crowd of soldiers that congregate around one another at the train that will take them to Liberio. She stealthily approaches him, standing next to him without his notice. She smiles as she says, "Glad to see you back with the living."

He jumps slightly at the sound of her voice, but his shoulders quickly loosen when he looks down at her as a soft smile presses to his lips. "Hey," he says in a rough tone, "Well don't you look great for someone who took on a lot of damage."

"Better than you, that's for sure," she teases him with a playful nudge that he slyly smiles to. "Did Porco tell you I came and visited?"

"He did," he says looking away from her. "He also said he isn't your errand boy."

"Oh, but he's so good at it," she jests condescendingly and Reiner smiles at this.

"I don't think he likes that you saved him back there," Reiner explains to her.

"I guess I should have let him die. Maybe next time," she exhales and he doesn't smile at her joke, focusing on the words 'next time'.

"Oh my god, it's her!" Gabi shakes as her voice cracks at the sight of Willow standing next to Reiner. "The Female Titan!" she swoons.

"Why don't you go say hi?" Falco asks in a flat tone as he stands next to Gabi with his thumbs laced through the straps of his backpack.

"I can't just go up to her and say hi!" she yells at him as if he were an idiot for suggesting it. "Did you see the way she fought out there? Her control over the Titan? I've never seen anyone use the Female Titan that way!"

"You've never seen anyone use the Female Titan before her," Falco corrects her.

"Whatever!" she snaps at him. "I hear the older soldiers say they've never seen any Titan fight like that! Especially jumping out of their Titan and changing with the amount of damage she sustained in their fight." Falco rolls his eyes, approaching them. "What're you doing!" she whisper-yells at him.

"Hello Vice Chief Braun," Falco approaches the two as they both look down at him. "Uh… Miss Willow?" he says uncomfortably. "Sorry, I don't know how to properly address you."

"Willow is fine," she smiles down at the blonde boy who resembles Reiner in many ways.

"My name is Falco," he tells her. "I am working to become a Warrior one day, and over there is Gabi. She's doing the same."

Willow's eyes land on the brunette girl that fumes at the boy from a distance, before reluctantly approaching the trio. "It's nice to meet you, Falco. You too, Gabi," she says to the brunette as she encroaches on their encirclement.

"It's nice to meet you!" Gabi erupts with excitement. "I saw the way you fought back there. You were amazing! The way you turned when your arms were gone! And the way you took out those turrets! I hear some of the soldiers who were stationed with you speak about other fights you were in. Is it true you took out an airship by throwing yourself at it and turning midair?" she wildly attacks the blonde with her inquisitive questions.

"Ugh, thanks, yeah," Willow says with a lopsided smile on her face as she scratches the back of her head. "I heard you were the one who took out that armored train."

"Yeah!" she explodes with excitement, eyes wider than dinner plates. "I compiled a bushel of grenades and tied them to my ankle and after stripping myself of my uniform I—"

"Alright, Gabi, enough sharing war stories," Reiner interrupts, rubbing the top of her head and messing her hair as she swats his hand away and pats down her wild hair.

Once they are all boarded onto the train, Willow sits herself in a corner and continues to read the appointed texts she's to complete in order to be trusted by the Marleyan military. Though she has dedicated four years of her life acting as their sword, they still find endless amounts of text to throw at her to get through and brainwash her into thinking they were the victim in this all.

The cabin of the box cart that they have been shoved into is loud with the boisterous voices of the soldiers that fought at Fort Slava and hot with the mass of bodies pressed together in the windowless crate. Willow can't help but think back at Reiner's words when they were given their rooms on the locomotive when they fought together; how he believed their arrangements were nice, and understands now what he compares them to.

The alternative would be sitting in a chair with the other Warriors and the Marleyan officials, but she finds herself sitting amongst the common soldiers more engaging. She'd rather be with the men and women who risked their lives out there, instead of the officers that watched.

She doesn't focus too much on the commotion that happens around her, hearing the drunkenness in the soldiers' voices while smelling the bitterness of alcohol linger in the air. She's been around plenty of soldiers in her life to know that sometimes they need to drink and celebrate after a long and draining day of war, and doesn't stop them from what they need to get their mind at ease.

Reiner joins her with the rest, probably not willing to sit next to the glaring eyes of Porco or hear the jabs from the officers on their disappointment with the failed Paradis mission. Here, before all the soldiers, he's a savior; a beacon of hope; the shield that brought down the last resistance to the Marleyans.

She listens as a drunk blonde that Willow vaguely remembers to be Falco's brother, swoons over Gabi and her performance on the field. He and the other soldiers cheer as he lifts her onto his shoulders and praises the girl as if she were a deity.

"Not the first time I've seen her up there," Reiner says watching Gabi as he approaches Falco who glares at the commotion next to Willow at the corner of the box cart.

"I really wish they'd stop letting my brother drink. And Gabi gets carried away too easily," Falco sneers as he watches the two lead a loud band of restless soldiers.

"That said, if she keeps on performing at the level she has been, she'll get the Armor," Reiner presses a smile to his face.

"Yeah," Falco sighs dejectedly. "The girl who looks up to you more than anyone will inherit your Titan, and will die at the age twenty-seven," he grunts and Willow looks up from her reading as Reiner looks down at the boy with widened eyes. "And that's if an artillery shell doesn't take her down first. Are you really okay with that?" he asks him and Willow watches the exchange through her lashes.

Reiner slams his hand against the wall of the box cart. "Did you just say what I think you did?" he growls quietly at him as he leans down to the boy's level. "How dare you claim that inheriting one of the Nine is less than an honor?" Falco gasps at Reiner's harsh tone and Willow watches him with narrowed eyes. "If I chose to report this, it will be you and your family dropped out of an airship as Titans next."

"Wait, please don't do that! I'm sorry!" Falco panics. "Allow me to correct myself," he begins as he lifts his hand to swear his allegiance. "I, Warrior Candidate Falco Grice, wish to atone for my ancestors' crimes and for my wicked blood. Towards that end, I pledge my life to Marley," his voice cracks towards the end.

"And what are your thoughts on the honor of inheriting one of the Nine, Warrior Candidate?" Reiner presses and Willow watches him carefully.

"Inheriting one of the Nine makes you an honorary Marleyan. Nothing would make me prouder than to be given such a chance to display my loyalty to the motherland."

"Then you must want to inherit the Armor," Reiner suggests and Willow begins understanding what Reiner is telling the young boy. Her face turns downwards with distaste at their conversation and Reiner's manipulation on the boy to save his own family, knowing what inheriting the Titan will mean for him.

Falco glances over at Gabi, a subtle blush touching his cheeks as he watches the girl atop his brother's shoulders. "I don't just want to inherit the Armor, I have to," he tells him with strong conviction in his tone.

"That's right," Reiner says taking hold of his shoulder and leaning in so no one else can hear, but Willow is still close enough to catch, "Spare her from the dark future we face."

Reiner pulls away from Falco, seeing the confusion take over his enlarged eyes at the words that Reiner leaves him with. He lifts himself from the boy and glances down at the blonde woman that looks up at him with disappointed eyes. He looks down at her, it's another one of her looks that he doesn't like to see, knowing that she heard him and is upset with him.

She lifts herself up from her seat and presses past the bodies that cling together in the cramped space. He sighs, following her because he doesn't want her to be angry with him.

They reach the end of the box cart where they have a space to be alone since most of the soldiers attempt to press towards the front of the box cart where the majority of the commotion comes from.

"It's good to see them in such light spirits," he tells her as she leans against the wall of the box cart. She hums at him in agreement and opens her book, keeping her eyes off of him, something that he has recognized over the years to mean that she's upset with him. He sighs as he places his hand on the wall behind her head and entrapping her against the cart.

She glances up from her book, her blue eyes meeting his hard golden gaze as he stares down at her. His eyes drop from hers to look at her lips, but quickly return back to her eyes. "Don't be mad at me," he commands her.

"Why would I be mad? Falco will make for a great replacement for the Armored."

Reiner tightens his jaw and she can see the muscles pulsating against his skin. "You understand the importance of words. Someone could have misunderstood his intentions."

"Yeah, we wouldn't want anyone to believe he thought this was all bullshit," she says and he blinks at her, unimpressed by her harsh words.

She looks away from him, lifting her shoulders up and hating the proximity of his face to hers, feeling increasingly violated by his closeness when she's this frustrated with him. "He's a child, Reiner," she breathes with a slight whine in her tone.

"I was his age when I got the Armor," he returns with a flat tone.

Her eyes transfer to his and he watches her with an unreadable expression. She swallows hard, looking up at him, almost fearful of him as she says, "Maybe if there was someone who could've spoken up against—"

"There wasn't," he speaks over her harshly. "I inherited the Armor because I was the best candidate for it. Falco will do the same," he tells her sternly and she looks away from him. He sighs, knowing his words to be untrue, but he will never admit to her that Marcel took that truth from him.

Reiner entangles his fingers around a stray golden curl that falls in front of her face and pushes the hair behind her ear. "Don't let it bother you," he tells her more as a command than a suggestion. "He will make a strong Titan one day."

She turns her face away from his and he grabs her chin lightly, turning her head to face him again. "He will save a lot of lives out there. All these men and women you see in this cart that depend on us to save them need someone like him," he says as her eyes dart from his to look at the back of the heads of each cheering soldier they saved today. Her eyes return to his hard golden stare as he says, "He will be a great Warrior."

She looks up at him, seeing his eyes softening before her and she nods once at him. He smiles back at her as her resolve in fighting this melts away, and he turns back to the commotion of his comrades, freeing her from his entrapment.

Before they reach Liberio, Willow changes out of the white pants of her uniform and into an olive-green skirt that reaches her ankles. She continues to wear her black boots and off-white overcoat, that the others share, with her white button-down shirt tucked into the waistband of her skirt. She feels more comfortable in the skirt, no longer feeling the need for the pants since she isn't fighting anymore, and notices that Pieck wears a similar outfit, but with a maroon skirt.

Once she is dressed, the train screeches to a halt and the doors open to soldiers rushing out of the confines of their cabins to the open air of Liberio.

Willow steps out of the train to instantly choke on the muggy air. It is hot and humid, with a thick smog in the air that Willow is not used to breathing. It is not as invasive as the air during a battle, but it can't compare to the clean air on Paradis.

She watches as Porco slogs a practically incapacitated Colt as the boy drags his legs to the nearest crate to sit atop, holding his head from his overindulgence in alcohol the night before cracking through his skull. Gabi cries out wildly with happiness and excitement to return home, while the other shifters join the group around Colt and Porco.

Falco angrily grits his teeth at the sight of his older brother in this sorry state, while Pieck happily admits that she was the culprit that equipped the drunk with the intoxicating liquor.

Willow stands next to the group as they all praise Gabi for her actions on the field, and promising her a successful career as a Warrior. Willow's eyes flash from her beaming face to Falco's prominent frown and she tightens her jaw at the sight. With Reiner's heavy words weighing the boy down, she can tell that he feels the pressure of surpassing the girl, and the idea that he does so because he has feelings for the girl breaks her heart more than anything.

Willow follows the rest of the Eldians as they are escorted to the Internment Zone where they will be reunited with their family. Willow stands next to Reiner as they hang back from the rest of the group that huddle together.

Once they are before the large gates of the Internment Zone, Willow's heart begins to flutter at the idea that there is no one over that gate that waits for her. She can feel the collective anticipation and excitement of everyone around her as they prepare to reunite with someone who they love, and who was waiting for their return, and the realization that she never had someone wait for her weighs heavily on her chest.

She scans the area as her fellow comrades are reunited with their loved ones. Her eyes find Felix as he approaches a short blonde woman with a maroon headscarf covering her hair. He lifts his arms up to her to embrace her, and she begins crying in his hold. She looks up at him as her hand shakily goes to touch his eyepatch, but falls to his shoulder as she pushes out another sob. He frowns and hugs her tightly, whispering something to her that Willow can't hear.

She turns from the lovers, and her eyes land on Henri, who's embraced by his mother and father. His arm is secured in a sling and she can see his mother turning her worry to his bum limb. She notices a shake of his head and his mother returns with a saddened expression. He uses his good hand to rub her shoulder comfortingly.

Willow's eyes search for Elias, who returns with no serious injuries, as she desperately looks for a happier reunion than the ones she's seen. She notices the blonde searching the crowd for his father with a large smile on his lips. There is a skip in his step, and he is one of the happier of the soldiers that searches for his loved ones. She glances around the group of civilians that pile over each other to find their family members, and figures the boy will find his father once most of the families have been reunited and returned to their home.

She turns her attention from them as she stands awkwardly amongst the reuniting families around her. She isn't sure what to do since she has no one waiting for her, and lingers for a moment in the back of the crowd, hugging her arm tightly to her chest waiting for Theo to meet with her and take her to her apartment within the Internment Zone.

"Willow!" she hears her name being called out, but it is not from who she expects. She turns to see Gabi waving at her with her mother and father trailing behind her. "Mom, Dad, this is Willow! She's the Female Titan!" she announces happily to her parents.

Willow smiles awkwardly at the girls' parents. "Hello," she says bowing her head respectively.

"Willow, you should join us tonight!" she almost demands as she turns to her parents. "Can she? Please!" she begs her parents.

They both look down at their daughter stiffly, turning to a blonde woman behind them with prominent smile lines around her lips and crow's feet around her eyes. Willow's eyes flash from hers to Reiner's and notices the similarities between the two of them, figuring that she must be his mother.

"Well, it's up to Karina," Gabi's mother lingers as she turns to the blonde.

She doesn't seem keen on the idea, but before she can awkwardly fumble through a refusal, Reiner speaks over his mother, "That's a good idea, I can show you your apartment afterwards."

She smiles up at him, feeling grateful that she will not have to spend the day alone after years of being surrounded by people, and without any verbal objection from his mother, she joins Reiner and the others to their home in the Internment Zone.

"Willow is an amazing cook," Reiner tells his mother. "She can help you with dinner tonight," he says cheerily as he volunteers her for the task.

"Of course," his mother states with little excitement in her tone.

When they arrive in the small home, Willow removes her overcoat and places it on the rack at the door. She rolls up her sleeves to her elbows and asks Karina how she can help with dinner. It is clear that she doesn't seem happy with the idea of Willow helping her in the kitchen, and after some clear hesitation, she informs the blonde to begin chopping carrots.

Willow complies without a word and takes the knife in her hands to begin chopping. She notices the stiffness in Karina's shoulders at the sight of her with a knife, and Willow wonders why the woman greets her so adversely.

After his shower, Reiner joins the rest of the group in his plain clothes as Gabi and her father sit at the table waiting for dinner, while Willow, Gabi's mother, and Karina all work in the kitchen to prepare the meal.

Reiner approaches Willow, hanging behind her as he looks over her shoulder to watch her stirring the stew. He inhales deeply as a moan rumbles against his chest. "Smells amazing," he grunts as his breath tickles the back of her neck.

Willow smiles at his compliment while Karina watches the two with a hard side-eyed glance. She notices the proximity of the two of them as Reiner lingers behind her closely, and though he keeps his hands off of her, she can't help but shake the closeness between the two of them.

Once dinner is finished, Willow moves to set the table while everyone takes their seats. Reiner sits at the head of the table, patting the chair next to him for Willow to take her seat to his right.

They all begin eating and Gabi's father is quick to compliment the food. "Willow, this is amazing," he groans with a mouth full of food.

"Thank you," she smiles sheepishly, "But Miss Braun is the one to thank," she says respectively.

"No, I've had my sister's food, and this… there's something different… whatever you did, it's amazing!" he says between bites.

"Willow is an amazing cook," Reiner affirms. "We spent a lot of nights on that island testing her recipes."

Willow awkwardly chuckles as the blonde woman watches her from across the table, eating her food with small sips as if it were poisoned.

To Willow's relief, Gabi wastes no time to begin her discussion on the battle and her accolades. She watches as the brunette girl excitedly recollects her accomplishments in the battle, describing her bombing of the armored train, and her near death miss when Porco saved her in the last minute.

To Willow's disgust, the family praises her hard work, focusing on her win against the Middle Eastern forces, and not her narrowly dying if not for the Jaw's actions.

"You should have seen the Female Titan out there!" Gabi wildly speaks as she brings the attention onto Willow. "Reiner and Galliard were fighting another armored train when the enemies had a turret pointed at their back! Willow saw them and ran after them and then BOOM!" she shouts as she shakes the table with her fists hitting the table. "They blow off her head!" she cries out and everyone gasps at the gruesome retelling. "We all thought she was a goner, and so were Galliard and Reiner, but that's when Willow pulled out of the Female at the perfect moment and transformed right in their trenches, blowing them all to bits! She even changed with her arms blown off!"

"Oh wow," Gabi's father awkwardly laughs at the retelling. "That sounds like some amazing fighting out there!" Willow bows her head awkwardly, unsure of how else to respond. "Looks like our little girl is on the fast track to end up a great fighter just like you!" he continues as he hugs his daughter close to his chest.

Willow swallows hard and Karina speaks up, "Reiner, do you think Gabi will become a Warrior like you?" she says emphasizing him and not Willow.

Reiner lifts his head, mind clearly elsewhere during the entire conversation. "Yeah," he nods, "After what she pulled off at Fort Slava, she's all-but guaranteed to inherit my Armor," he says and Willow's brows tangle together, remembering his words to Falco.

"That's wonderful to hear," his mother says, "To think that our family will be blessed with two Warriors. It's such a rare honor," she smiles largely as her eyes close to the shape of crescent moons, though her joy does not last long as she grows grim and says, "I just hope you rid the world of those island devils," she says eyes fixated on Willow and no one else. "After that, our people will be able to live good lives."

Willow tightens her fists under the table, keeping her face unreadable and unchanging.

"Say Reiner," Gabi's father speaks up, "Not to pry but… I hear you barely escaped from those devils with your life."

"Leave Reiner alone, Dad," Gabi begins, "His time on the island isn't some light-hearted war story; those devils put him through hell. So even if it wasn't classified, there's no way it's something he would wanna talk about."

"You're right, sorry, nephew. Forgive me."

"No, I can tell you some things," Reiner says thoughtfully and Willow stiffens at his response. "As you know, I infiltrated their military. As expected, they acted like devils; each of them was savage and cruel," he says and Willow tenses her jaw ever so slightly. "During our induction, one devil started eating a potato. When the instructor yelled at her, she told him without hesitation that she stole it because it looked good. She knew she crossed a line, so she bribed the instructor by offering him half the potato, however, the half she offered him was visibly smaller than her half. They don't even know what compromise means there. Each of them was more hopeless than the last. There was one guy that was so stupid, he'd forget why he'd gone to the bathroom. An insincere jerk who only thought about himself. A soft-hearted oaf who only ever thought of others. A brave but single-minded fool, and a bunch of chumps who followed his lead. Alongside all those different people, stood me and my comrades. The time we spent there was truly hell."

The window shutter flies open with a loud bang from the storm outside, making everyone at the table jump at its sudden sound. Willow bites down on her cheeks to keep herself from laughing at Reiner. He has to be joking. There were far more times he can recall upon where those people were true 'devils' to him, with the memory of them cutting his limbs off while they pulled him out of his Armored form being one of them. But he keeps those times to himself and she can't help but wonder if his recalling his time there was more reminiscent on the happier moments he spent with his friends.

Willow's eyes glance around the table, reading the expressions of his confused or horrified family members. Reiner catches these expressions and places his head down in shame, "I've said too much. Forget it."

"What do you mean by 'different people'? They're bad people, right?" Gabi asks, confusion lacing her tone.

"Of course they are, Gabi. They're all devils, and they're holding this whole world by the throat. They could unleash their army of huge Titans at any moment and crush us all beneath their feet. They aren't like you and me. We're good Eldians, and we have to stop them. We have to punish the wicked Eldians who abandoned us, and built themselves a paradise… atop a mountain of corpses," she finishes glaring at Willow and she begins to understand why the blonde hates her so much.

"What about Willow?" Gabi asks and Willow wishes she didn't. "She came from that island, but now she's here with us, as a Warrior."

Karina's eyes fixate on Willow's and she can see the darkness in the woman's eyes. She can't hide how much she hates Willow for being here on this side of the Sea, and being here at her table, sitting next to her only precious son.

"Willow saved my life," Reiner says strongly and the faces at the table all turn to him. "Without her, I would have never returned from that island," he says looking at his mother with strong eyes to stop her prejudice against her. "Additionally, she's devoted her life for the past four years fighting for Marley and learning of the transgressions our ancestors committed against the Marleyans. If there is anyone more devout to repenting for Eldia's sins, and raising Marley to greatness than me, it's her."

They all look to her, expecting her to say something and she knows that she has to. Her heart beats in her throat as she speaks. "He's right," she croaks as they all watch her expectantly. She lowers her head to her dirty plate of food. "Prior to inheriting the Female Titan, I was living a lie. I was surrounded by people who wished me dead and a team that wanted nothing to do with me. It was thanks to Reiner and Zeke that my eyes were opened to the sinful life I was living, and how I could atone for those sins."

She tightens her fists under the table, digging her nails painfully into the palms of her hands as they shake at her words. "I am forever grateful that they opened my eyes to the world I was ignorant to. And through their good grace, I have been educated on my ancestors' wrongdoings, and have been given the chance to atone for them."

Willow glares up at Reiner, seeing that he is satisfied with her bullshit answer.

A/N: I will be out of town next Wednesday, so there will be no update that week, but we will be back on schedule Nov. 17th. Please leave a review and I hope you are still enjoying the story.