Celine was surprised to find a wagon waiting for her in the street outside her father's homestead in Trost. She was even more surprised when she crossed the short walkway to see who was in the driver's seat.

The open-aired wagon's sole passenger spoke up before Celine had a chance to ask the inquiry on her mind.

"Before you say anything," Moblit said, coming forward to help Celine up. "She insisted."

"I need something to do," Hange said, gripping the reins with a hardened expression. "And I wanted fresh air."

"So it seems," Celine said, setting her crutch on the floor of the wagon before taking a seat on the bench beside Moblit. The vehicle lurched into motion as Hange urged the dark gelding forward with a click of her tongue. Celine had honestly been more surprised to find that Hange had followed up on her vague promise to get her a ride to Headquarters this morning more than anything else.

"How are things at home?" Moblit asked, regarding the two-story house of red brick from over his shoulder.

"Marco's quiet," Celine said. She looked to the side, taking in the row of quant houses passing by. "We spend a lot of time in the parlor sitting in silence. Sometimes Jean comes by – he'll also just sit next to Marco not saying anything. I'm glad, though; they find comfort in each other."

"What a mess," Hange said. She glanced at Celine over her shoulder before returning her attention ahead. "Nothing can go right for us, can it? We lost almost a dozen soldiers … one of which being Annie Leonheart. Her talent would've helped us a lot in the long run."

Celine recalled a dainty laugh and playful smile. It was a pity she knew Annie so little.

Moblit leaned his elbows on his knees, dipping his head to run a hand through his hair. The hints of gray at his temples were a testament to how much everything which had happened over the past few months were beginning to drain on him.

"And now," Moblit said, letting out a sigh. "Eren has the power of the Female Titan."

Celine's expression fell. The status reports over the past week had all come back the same – Eren had holed himself up in his quarters and refused any visitors. Even Armin and Mikasa were turned away, the latter spending hours sitting by his door in the hopes Eren would show his face. He never did.

"It was the right thing to do," Hange said, downtrodden. Celine caught a dip to her shoulders. "But my heart still breaks for him."

The wagon turned a corner, entering a street lined with small trees and a number of shops. Celine caught a glimpse of their reflection in a storefront window – the color appeared muted.

"Have you reviewed the proposal?"

Celine turned back to Moblit, meeting his weary gaze.

"I have," Celine said with a nod. "And I agree – everything should be ready by then."

Moblit's proposal was to have the expedition pushed back by a month. Celine couldn't fault his logic – their equipment was already in Calaneth, the first wave having retreated there after the attack since they'd been more than halfway to their destination when it had happened. The training routine with the Titans would need to be adjusted … although Celine felt a month should be enough to prepare for that if Eren reemerged anytime soon.

"I'll inform the other Commanders and Premier Pyxis during our next meeting," Hange said. She rolled her head from side to side. "Which will be … my fourth one after we reach our destination."

Celine felt like she'd been caught in the eye of a whirlwind. Devastation surrounded her on all sides, yet she wasn't part of the storm. All she could do was reach her arm in and try to pull others out of it. Celine was strong for someone her size … but not strong enough.

The street grew dense with traffic as their wagon approached Headquarters. For this reason Celine didn't turn her head at the sound of another set of hoofbeats over cobblestone. It wasn't until the corner of a green cloak flicked in her peripheral did she glance over. Something in her chest clenched.

"You're hard to track down," Levi said.

He rode alongside the wagon atop his gray mare, looking down at Celine with a level expression. No trace of emotion crossed his face as he held her gaze.

"You know, I used to find it endearing when you'd ignore Erwin's requests to put you on medical leave," Hange said. She looked at Levi with a heavyset frown. "From where I am now, it isn't so cute."

The cloak around his shoulders didn't fully hide the sling cradling Levi's left arm. His injury caused him little more distress than an afterthought. "I don't know what sort of paperwork you're doing, but mine doesn't require strenuous exercise. Your concern is unfounded."

"You're missing the point entirely," Hange said, unamused.

Celine sat up in her seat, catching Levi's gaze. "I was going to wait until your medical leave is over, but I also wanted to talk to you about something."

The wagon pulled to the side of the road, rolling to a stop. Hange draped her arm over the short divider as she turned in her seat. "Levi – give Celine a lift to Headquarters. You two can take your time; Moblit and I will go at a quicker pace so I'm less late for my meeting concerning what to do with the new Armored Titan."

Moblit's hand immediately darted into his pocket. He pulled out a watch, flinching with a silent curse.

Celine frowned. "What about –?"

"I'll leave your crutch at the front steps," Hange said, shooing Celine away. "Everyone knows it belongs to you and wouldn't dare to look at it, much less take it."

Celine's eyes darted between Hange and Levi. She set her mouth into a firm line and used the side of the wagon to help her balance as she stood.

"Hold on."

Levi dismounted. He held up a gloved hand, standing still as stone. His eyes tracked Celine as she tentatively placed her hand in his and accepted his help exiting the wagon.

"Both of you have clear schedules, so take your time," Hange said. She shot Celine a weak grin before looking ahead. "Hang on, Moblit – this will be bumpy."

A flick of the reins and a shout from Hange left the wagon jolting forward. Celine caught a glimpse of Moblit hanging onto the side for dear life before the wagon whipped around a corner and vanished.

"You get on first."

Celine turned her head as Levi released her hand to bring his horse closer. She bunched the material of her long skirt in one hand while grabbing the wide saddle with the other, swinging herself atop the horse without much trouble. She'd had plenty of practice at this point and had become accustomed to the new center of balance. Her grip on the reins only faltered when Levi crossed to the other side and used the free stirrup to nestle himself at her back.

"Turn left at the street up ahead," Levi said, leaning his head over Celine's shoulder. She fought the urge to flinch. "It's less crowded."

Celine did as Levi asked, trying not to focus too hard on their proximity. His horse rounded the corner onto a quiet side street brandishing a tailor and tea shop before branching into a number of streets with townhomes.

"I came to apologize to you."

Celine turned her head slightly to meet Levi's gaze over her shoulder.

"You and Moblit made the right call," Levi continued. "So did Hange. I allowed a wedge to sow discord in our dynamic because of a personal grudge. It shouldn't have taken the length it did for me to see reason. I want you to know I have no intention of being dismissive in the future; I hope we can continue to work together without issue."

Celine raised her brows. She turned to look forward before Levi could catch the hint of something painful snaking its way across her features. "I see … My apology might take a bit longer."

Levi made a dismissive sound. "I don't know what you have to apologize for. I told you – you made the right decision."

"It isn't that," Celine said. She strengthened her grip on the reins. "I've been … very selfish. You've helped me many times when you didn't need to. There was that time in the graveyard, then with the ODM lessons, plus our talk about my injury. I haven't been nearly as thoughtful toward you as you have been for me."

Levi's tone sounded less than convinced. "It sounds like you're making a problem out of nothing. I don't place a value on actions; yours or mine. Our interactions shouldn't play out like a transaction where we need to worry about there being an equal exchange. And you speak as if you've never assisted me in any way; you've made significant contributions to our mission."

The comment had the opposite of Levi's intended effect; Celine's shoulders slumped. "You see? All the things I mentioned about myself had to do with personal matters. I've completely failed you in that respect."

"I'm still at a loss of what you mean," Levi said.

Celine glanced at the small gardens in front of the townhomes. A weak smile grew on her face. "I've noticed you're not very good at asking for help. You're good at recognizing when someone needs it, though. I admire that a lot about you; I'd like to be more like that, myself."

It took her more courage than she'd thought to meet Levi's gaze. "Losing Erwin must've been hard."

Levi's eyes widened. He stayed silent for a moment, his eyes roving over Celine's dejected expression.

"It was," he said. "But I don't believe I require special treatment to handle my emotions."

"Simply talking about it isn't 'special treatment,'" Celine said. "And I never asked. Even if you were mad at me before … I should've let you know I was still there for you. You don't have to grieve alone. I want to be here to listen like you were for me."

They were looking right at each other, but Celine got the impression Levi's attention was elsewhere. He came back to himself a moment later. "Erwin isn't a topic I want to talk about."

Celine dipped her head, turning forward.

"Yet."

Celine raised her eyes. She gently guided the horse to the right, the stone towers of the Headquarters building peeking over the rooftops.

"Your squad," Celine said. "The one before … this one."

"What about them?" Levi asked, his tone tentative.

"I knew … what you had against Annie," Celine said. She dropped her eyes to her lap. "I thought I knew. I figured you hated her in the general sense for what she did; the same way everyone hates the Titans. That reasoning made it easy for me to label you as irrational when Annie suddenly became an asset. I didn't think about …"

Celine couldn't decide if it was a blessing or a curse that she couldn't see Levi's expression.

"Can you … tell me about your old squad?" Celine asked. "What were they like?"

Over a minute passed in silence save for the sound of hoofbeats. Even so, the tension left Celine's shoulders. She didn't have to be concerned Levi wasn't going to speak; he wasn't the type to skirt an issue for the sake of politeness. The notion would've been dismissed outright if he had the intention of staying silent.

"Oruo was a boisterous idiot," Levi said.

Celine waited for an elaboration. When none came, she turned in her seat. Her intrigue shifted as Levi only stared.

"Are you insinuating something?" Celine asked.

"That's a matter of perspective," Levi said. The corner of his mouth tilted up. It was a rare gesture Celine couldn't help but mirror.

"I believe I've heard of him before," Celine said. "I think he's still in the records for being only behind you when it comes to solo Titan kills."

Levi nodded. "He was skilled but had a predisposition for finding trouble. It was usually Eld or Gunther's job to get him out of it. Eld had the experience, and Gunther had the ability to direct our attention where it needed to be. They saved my skin on more than one occasion."

Any hint of mirth drained from Levi's face. "Petra was a good soldier. She never questioned my direction, and had every ounce of faith in our squad. She aided in more kills than anyone because she was always exactly where she needed to be. And when it came to Eren, she was the one who truly gained his trust. Petra's unwavering belief in my command brought us together by overshadowing any doubts. That same belief was also the reason they all died."

"You think so?" Celine said. "I'm not so sure."

Levi tilted his head as he waited for Celine to elaborate.

"It's probably more like: Petra's belief in you kept them alive for longer than usual," Celine said. "Every assisted kill she took part in was to save someone's life, yeah? And she could only help because she knew all of you were capable in your own right. Don't give her the disservice of thinking her death only went as far as you."

Levi broke their gaze. "Do you think I'm that conceited?"

"Not really," Celine said, the casual air returning to her voice as she looked ahead. "I just thought it was something you needed to hear."

Life started trickling back into the street around them as the houses fell away at their backs to a wagon repair shop and warehouse for a newspaper. The sounds of distant shouts and hammering heralded them entering a wide square lining Trost's Headquarters.

"That was … sort of a roundabout way of me saying I'm sorry for failing to see things beyond my own concerns," Celine said. "I was told I have that issue. Even though Hange was angry when she said it, I don't disagree. I know surprisingly little about you even after all the time we've spent in one another's company. I won't keep you, but sometime soon I'd like to hear more about your squad."

"That isn't a difficult request," Levi said. He shifted in his seat, adjusting the position of his arm in his sling. "The four of us had been assigned together for some time - I feel I can paint an accurate enough picture of who they were."

A warm feeling elicited a smile on Celine's face. "That's good. I'd like to learn more about them because I feel like it'll give me a better understanding of you, as well. I've been thinking of a number of other things I want to ask you about in that regard. Your family is one, since I've been rude enough to never bring it up."

"I've mentioned my mother."

"Who you didn't like," Celine said, looking back at him with a raised brow. "I'm more curious about any family members worth speaking about."

Levi looked at Celine with a thoughtful expression. Within his eye Celine caught a spark.

"I have two siblings," Levi said. "A younger brother and sister."

"Really?" Celine said, furrowing her brow. "Wow … I never would've guessed you're just like me."

"In a way," Levi said. His features softened. "Their names were Furlan and Isabel. I'll tell you more about them over tea."

"I'd like that," Celine said. Her expression brightened to mirror the glow in her chest. "It isn't quite tea … but can I ask to meet you in two days? I've been working on something, and I want you to be the first person to see it."

"I don't mind," Levi said. "Although I question why you chose me over your brother or Hange."

Celine chuckled as she brought the horse to a stop. Like Hange had promised, her crutch was waiting for her at the foot of the short steps. Unlike what Hange had promised, Moblit was also waiting at the top of the stairs, his frantic shuffling of papers in his arms indicating that there was a report or another he needed her help with compiling, likely for a meeting Hange was in at that very moment. The look of relief on his face when he spotted her made that more than apparent.

"Well, hopefully what I'm working on will be ready in two days," Celine said with a sigh as Moblit pounded down the steps. "Things have been a bit hectic. Oh, and as for why I asked you specifically …"

Celine hit Levi with a wide grin as he helped her down. "I picked you because it's dangerous, and you won't try to talk me out of it."