Year 854, Spring

A deer and its fawn were in the distance. There was a glimpse of mother and child dipping their heads toward the water of a still lake before the scene disappeared from sight. The trees rushing by outside the window provided fleeting patches of shade. Two occupants within the train cabin flickered in and out of the window's reflection. They sat opposite one another – one regarding a report in hand while the other mumbled to themselves, the latter cursing on occasion for every sudden dip or turn in the tracks which caused the lines being drawn on a pad of paper to be anything less than straight.

"I told you the ride wasn't smooth enough for you to work on any diagrams, especially without a ruler," Celine said. She placed the report she had in hand into a briefcase sitting on the bench at her side. The square glasses on her nose moved to the collar of her deep green dress before she crossed her arms. "And less than an hour ago you were lecturing me on overworking myself. That's a bit hypocritical of you, Papa."

"I'm just running into a few issues spacing the machinery for the new manufacturing line," Samuel said. The sketchbook he had in hand closed with a snap. He sighed as he ran a hand through thinning hair touched with gray.

"Why don't I stop by the new plant and take a look at the space?" Celine said. "I'm sure we can come up with something."

"Absolutely not," Samuel said, tucking a pencil behind his ear. "You're overtaxing yourself as it is."

"Hypocrite."

"Our situations are vastly different," Samuel said. He leaned forward in his seat with a hardened expression. "I'm not about to give birth."

"And I am?" Celine said, offended. "I still have over a month, so lay off! Being pregnant doesn't suddenly mean I'm made of porcelain!"

Samuel sat back with a huff. "You should be resting. I'm going to have a word with your husband about making you stay at home."

Celine's eyelids drooped. "Papa, you and I both know you're too intimidated by Levi to ask him to do anything."

There was a failure for Samuel to hide his discomfort as he turned his head away. "W-well … That's …"

The train began to lose speed. Celine leaned toward the window with a frown. "We can't possibly be at Laurel, yet," she said. "Where is this; Trenton? Since when did they put a stop here?"

"It must be new," Samuel said. The train began to move again, farmhouses and fields of infant crops drifting past. "That's been happening quite a bit, it seems."

"It defeats the purpose," Celine said with a dismissive wave. "I didn't come up with this method of transportation only for it to get bogged down. If it stops at every little village or township, the ride from Trost into Stohess will take the same amount of time as on horseback."

"That's a bit of an exaggeration, Sunshine," Samuel said with a chuckle.

A line formed between Celine's brows. "The assholes at the Transportation Department must be looking for an excuse to see my pretty face. I'll indulge them with a meeting since it seems like I've been neglecting them for too long."

"Once again, here you are taking on more work," Samuel said. "How many–?"

The door to the cabin slid open. Celine's disposition did a complete flip as she put on a dazzling smile. "There's my little princess! Were you able to find the bathroom alright?"

"Yeah – it was easy," the young girl said. She hopped into the seat next to Celine, adjusting the wayward frills of her pink dress. The black curls obscuring her face became tucked behind her ears as Celine helped tidy the girl's appearance.

"Are you working?" the girl asked.

Celine's smile turned sly. "Not anymore – Papa won't let me have a moment of peace. What is it, Suzy? Do you want to play a game?"

Suzy's curls bounced as she shook her head. "No – Big Brother just told me to ask if you were working."

"'Big Brother?'" Celine said, regarding her younger sister with a frown. "Do you mean Levi? He's not here, Princess – he's going to be meeting us in Stohess."

"We took a detour," a familiar voice said.

Levi appeared on the threshold, his hands in the pockets of his gray suit. His following statement was interrupted when a blur dashed around his knee.

"Mama!"

"My goodness!" Celine said. She leaned forward to run her hand through the messy, ash blond hair atop the head of the boy smiling up at her. "Look who came to see me! You're so dressed up! Your dad even gave you a little bowtie to go with your dress shirt. Did you want to look extra nice today because Mama was coming back from her trip?"

"No!"

The statement was shouted from the mouth of a child bordering on three-years-old; it didn't mean it stung any less.

"I see …" Celine said, her eyebrow twitching. "You're still happy to see Mama though, aren't you, Erwin?"

Erwin nodded, a sparkle to his deep blue eyes. "Can I go? Dada said can go when I say hi."

Perhaps I really should be spending more time at home? Celine thought, feeling another pang in her chest.

"Don't be a brat," Levi said. He grasped the back of his son's suspenders, lifting the toddler off his feet and holding him in a similar fashion as others would a package tied by string. "We're leaving – but I won't take you to see the engine if you fail to practice any manners. Greet your family properly."

Erwin's squirming came to a halt. He lifted a hand in a small wave. "Hi Grampa. Hi Mama. Hi Suzy. Hi Uncle Merlo."

"Look at that," a man with broad shoulders said, stepping into view. The freckles on his cheeks shifted as he smiled. "Erwin's almost got my name right."

Celine covered her mouth with a gasp. Her father provided a helping hand as she scrambled to her feet.

"You're back!" Celine said. She squeezed by Levi to throw her arms around Marco's neck. "Thank the walls! Don't ever agree to a mission in Marley again! I was going to come after you before too long – this baby would've been born a citizen of Marley! Why would you do that to me?!"

Marco laughed as he returned the embrace. "No offense, Celine – but you're not made out for undercover work. Subtly isn't one of your strengths."

"I haven't seen you for almost seven months, and the first thing you do is insult me!" Celine said between tears. "You're so mean! Why do you make your big sister cry like this? I bet you don't make Suzy cry!"

Erwin started to wriggle in his father's grasp. The boy was handed off to Samuel as Levi spoke. "Unlike some of us, your sister has learned how to show restraint."

Celine pulled away from Marco to hit Levi with a scowl. "Wanna fight?"

"I'll do whatever you ask," Levi said. He took Celine's hand, giving her fingers a light kiss before walking past Marco. "We can have it out when we get home if that's what you want. For now, the rest of us will be at the front of the train while you two catch up."

"Come on, kids," Samuel said. He balanced Erwin on his hip while taking Suzy's hand. "Let's go check out the engine. I can point out all the improvements I would've made over what my daughter designed."

Celine's expression grew sourer as Samuel gave her a kiss to the cheek. Marco also received a peck from Samuel before his father and the children in tow made their way toward where Levi was waiting at the other end of the train car.

"Papa's reaction gives me the impression he also knew you were coming," Celine said. She kept her gaze on the group across the way before the door closed behind them.

"You can't blame him for knowing before you did," Marco said. "I'm sure the news reached Headquarters in Stohess first. It seems they had enough time to send a messenger to meet me when my ship docked. I was a little surprised when I was escorted to Trenton, but Levi was waiting to fill me in before getting on the train."

Celine hummed. She returned to the cabin, placing a hand on her belly as she took a seat. "So, it was a conspiracy. That explains why Papa came down to meet me in Trost in the first place. I thought something was off for him and Suzy to travel all that way just to turn around and head back. My assumption was him using the ride to corner me for a lecture."

"Understandable," Marco said. He closed the door to the cabin before taking a seat across from Celine. "You know how he worries. Has your health been well?"

"Completely fine," Celine said with a shrug. "Papa is the only one who complains. No one in the department has mentioned a single thing about my upcoming due date and the amount of time I spend working."

"You're a Section Commander in the Military Police," Marco said with a grin. "There aren't a lot of people who'd dare to."

"As it should be," Celine said, returning the grin.

"Have you and Levi decided on a name?"

Celine nodded. "Hange."

The playfulness behind Marco's smile shifted to something gentler. "And if it's a boy?"

"Still Hange," Celine said, running a hand over her belly. "We figured it would work for either."

Marco knew well enough there was no point in asking the next question on his mind. If Hange's Titan had been located during his absence, Celine wouldn't hesitate to share the fact. He pretended not to notice the way Celine's eyes didn't match her smile.

"You look in better shape than I was expecting," Celine said, changing the subject. "Although … I don't know how I feel about the beard."

Marco frowned, running a hand over his chin. "I kept it fairly short," he said. "Levi also mentioned it seemed out of place. Is it that bad?"

"It's different," Celine said. The light behind her eyes grew dim. She reached out, Marco giving her his hand as she squeezed his calloused fingers. "They didn't do anything terrible to you over there, did they? You don't look injured, but I know first impressions can be deceiving."

A deep exhale accompanied Marco's shoulders slumping. "I was very lucky," he said after a moment. "There were four of us posing as workers in Marley's armory. Our team had been split between having papers claiming we were Eldian or Marlian so we could scope out more areas without suspicion. I happened to make a good impression with the supervisors using some of the things I picked up watching Dad manage his factory back home. Since I was masquerading as a Marlian, they promoted me to a floor manager position. I was able to make some connections and find the right people to bribe for information. That was how I learned my partner who was also pretending to be a Marlian, Viktor, had been discovered. We failed to get to him in time; Viktor took his own life before Marley's soldiers moved in."

The grip on Marco's fingers intensified. "I'm so sorry," Celine said. "Knowing you, I'm sure you did all you could to help him."

Marco nodded. "I still have regrets," he said. "The three of us who made it out all feel the same, although I know we'll work through it together. We're going to pay a visit to Viktor's family after we're settled." Marco gave Celine's hand a reassuring pat. "I know you have the clearance, but that's all I should say until we're dropped off for the briefing in Stohess. It looks like we're on the outskirts of Laurel now, so let's talk about something more positive before we arrive."

The smile on Marco's face returned as he regarded the door. "I noticed Erwin seems to be developing a brazen personality; I can only imagine where he's getting it from."

"Not from me, that's for sure," Celine said with a furrow to her brow. "Levi's the one who's home with him all day. Any complaints I get about my son acting out are pointed right in his direction."

Marco found this amusing. "Has the former captain been enjoying his retirement?"

"Probably too much," Celine said. The cheery nature to her expression returned. "Aside from the housework and looking after Erwin and Suzy, his tailoring skills have vastly improved. Almost everything Erwin was wearing just now were articles Levi made by hand. He's been custom fitting all our clothes at this point, but last we spoke he was going to give making a coat from scratch a try. I wouldn't be surprised if he also insists on making all the clothes for the baby."

Marco laughed. "You would think hearing about Levi making baby clothes would give the perception of him being less intimidating. Sometimes I still can't help but feel like a child under his stare."

Celine giggled. "I never found him that unapproachable, although I'm dumb enough to have the sort of ego to skew my judgment. I suppose Levi still has the skills to seem threatening – he finds the time to keep himself in shape and provide ODM lessons for elite soldiers. He's certainly someone Marley has to be worried about."

Marco broke their gaze to look out the window. "So, if it comes to it … Levi will be asked to fight?"

A shadow fell over the cabin. The train was crossing under Wall Sina, passengers of the nearby ferry waving from downriver. Celine examined Marco's face for a moment before following his gaze. Two pairs of brown eyes reflected gold in the sun when the train moved out of Sina's shadow.

"He will," Celine said, her tone curt. "And he'll choose to fight. He has the right to make that decision. A long time ago, Levi told me he would make every effort to return home alive after a mission. Every Titan we know of on this island has been captured or disposed of with him keeping that promise. I have no basis to doubt going to war with Marley will be any different if it comes to that."

Marco looked back to Celine with a warm appearance. "I admire the faith you have in him. It sounds like you wouldn't feel the need to run after Levi into Marley to make sure he's safe."

Narrowed eyes turned back to Marco, Celine picking up on the sarcasm. "I don't have to worry about Levi because he's ruthless; he'll kill without hesitation if the need arises. You won't – you care too much. You caring makes you a good protector, but it doesn't make you a good aggressor. That's why I worry about you putting yourself in danger more than I worry about him."

The train began to slow as it pulled into the station. Marco gave Celine's hand a final squeeze before getting to his feet. "I'll do what I need to in order for you to not worry, Celine," he said. "So please, don't put that burden on yourself."

Celine accepted the offer helping her to her feet. "I don't want you changing a thing about yourself," she said. A smile was given in the face of Marco's confusion. "Let me worry, because your nature is what defines you. Seeing you lose yourself would be almost as bad as losing you entirely."

Marco reflected Celine's expression. He waited as Celine gathered her things, a train attendant knocking a moment later with a cheerful greeting.

Leaving the quiet cabin and stepping onto the bustling platform was a shock to the senses. Marco didn't have a chance to fully absorb his surroundings when Celine was suddenly swallowed by the crowd and a tackle from behind knocked the air from his lungs.

"You better not have gotten taller, you bastard!" Jean said, lifting Marco off his feet. "I'd finally surpassed you to be the tallest member of the group! You already have a higher rank, so you have to give me something!"

Marco looked over his shoulder with a chuckle. "Jean … I'm not the tallest member, though. That's Bertholdt."

The playful smirk on Jean's face fell away. He released Marco with a dejected expression. "Bertholdt's on another level … he doesn't count."

"Marco!"

Armin pushed through the crowd, clasping Marco's hand. "It's great you're back! You also look healthy – that's good."

"He does," Jean said, circling around Marco with a frown. "I don't know if I like the beard."

"No one can seem to give me a break about that," Marco said, rubbing the back of his head in a bashful fashion.

"Don't listen to them – I'm a fan," Ymir said. The arm she flung around Marco's shoulders caused him to stoop. "You might actually be able to pull off looking threatening for a change."

"Ah … Thanks?" Marco said, unsure of what else to say. "You look well, Ymir. Long hair suits you."

"Yeah, yeah – I'm radiant," Ymir said with a dismissive tone. She released Marco to toss her hair over her shoulder. "Brushing it is getting to be a pain. I think I'm gonna shave it all off."

"You know you don't need to go that far, right?" Armin said, his smile turning wary. "You could just cut it shorter like I did."

"Maybe I should challenge Mikasa to another contest of strength?" Ymir said. She lifted her arm to flex her bicep. "Loser will have to shave their head."

Marco laughed. He turned his head to scan the crowd. "Where is Mikasa, anyway? And Eren?"

It would've been difficult to miss the passing glances among the group. The smile Armin put on was less than genuine. "Mikasa was assigned to check in on Bertholdt this week," he said. "He really wishes he could be here to greet you, by the way. We can go visit him when your schedule slows down. His restrictions concerning being outside city limits is actually being …"

Marco nodded as Armin continued to ramble. He pretended not to notice the blatant change of subject.

Mikasa still isn't comfortable being around me, huh?

There was a sinking feeling in Marco's chest. It wasn't long ago Mikasa wouldn't stay in the same room as him, much less hold a conversation. He'd hoped Mikasa's icy demeanor had melted somewhat in the months of his absence; Eren had promised to do his best to bring her around. It appeared his efforts were unsuccessful.

She was in love with Eren for years … I can't blame her for still harboring those feelings. I just wish I could still speak to her as a friend like I used to.

"Armin, shut up," Ymir said, crossing her arms. "Marco stopped listening to a word you were saying a long time ago."

Marco flinched. "N-No!" he said, waving his hands. "I was listening! I apologize if I gave a different impression."

Armin chuckled. "That's alright, Marco. I'm not mad. Sorry for carrying on; Eren is waiting in the shade on the other side of the station. He wanted the two of you to walk to HQ together so you could have time to catch up before the meeting."

"And we all know that guy has no patience," Jean said. He gave Marco a firm slap on the back. "Get going – we'll have time to talk more later."

A nod was given in thanks. "It means a lot you all came here to welcome me home," Marco said. He turned on his heel with a wave. "I want to hear more about how you guys are doing after the meeting! I'll see you all there!"

A quick trot brought Marco to the front of the squat, green station building. A number of trees dotted the street ahead to mark the separation of pedestrian and wagon traffic. Marco scanned the clusters of faces beneath the branches heavy with white and pink blooms. He turned when a hand landed on his shoulder.

"You have a fresh uniform and everything," Eren said with a smirk. "For someone who just spent half a year in Hell, you're going above and beyond to look extra presentable for this meeting."

There was no hesitation when Marco wrapped Eren in a tight embrace. The gesture was returned in full force.

"I'm proud of you," Eren said. He buried his face in Marco's shoulder. "Although I won't let you do that again; that was way too long for me to not have you around. Next time we'll either go to Marley together, or not at all."

Marco's smile turned melancholy.

I'm not going anywhere, Marco thought. Marley's making sure we don't have to go looking for a fight.

"I swear I'll never be away again for that long," Marco said. "Heading back to the place I was staying every night meant going to a dark and empty apartment. Without you around, I would say my time there was more along the lines of 'surviving' instead of 'living.'"

"Oi, oi," Eren said. He pulled away to hit Marco with a grin. "Don't say sappy stuff like that. I've already been depressed enough the past few months. Let's swap sob stories after we're done being happy to have you home again."

Marco couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, Eren. Let's do that."

Eren pulled Marco into a kiss. Their lips parted a moment later as Marco leaned his forehead against Eren's with a smile.

"The beard's going to take some getting used to," Eren said. He chuckled when Marco's expression fell.

"This'll be the last time I try changing up my look," Marco said. He took a step back with a dejected sigh.

"Don't be like that," Eren said, clapping Marco on the shoulder. "I didn't say it was bad. We can't all keep the same style since we were kids as if we were the former captain."

Eren's laughter cut short as a finger hooked around the corner of his mouth. He was yanked by the cheek into a stoop, eyes growing wide at the cold stare leveled in his direction.

"I'm a creature of habit," Levi said. "And so are you – you're just as much of a boor as you were during your tribunal five years ago. Since we both seem to be stuck in the past, how about I kick a few of your teeth out for old times' sake?"

A pleading expression grew behind Eren's eyes as he regarded the person walking up behind Levi.

"Sorry, Eren," Celine said with a gentle smile. "I can't help you. You'll have to grovel your own way out of this one."

Levi turned his head to regard Celine over his shoulder. "Celine, is there something wrong with the way I cut my hair?"

"Not at all, Light of My Life," Celine said, stopping at his side. "In fact …" She reached out to run her fingers through the dark hair brushing Eren's shoulders. "… I think our dear Eren is in need of a new look, himself. I'm sure he'd be delighted to have you cut his hair in whatever style you feel suits him."

"Hmm."

Levi withdrew his hand, immediately producing a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe his fingers. "If you were looking for my advice on a timeless cut, brat, all you had to do was ask. I'll think of something fitting. And don't worry – I'll come to you."

The retort Eren was about to make was cut short when Marco elbowed him in the side. He frowned as Marco shook his head.

"Marco."

Marco flinched. "Yes, Cap–?! Ah! Levi?"

Levi sized Marco up for a moment before continuing. "You would be welcome at our home for dinner. The strawberries in my garden are in season; I can bake a pie."

"A-Ah," Marco said, fighting the urge to shrink under Levi's stare. He found it as something of an art form that Levi could still come off as menacing even when discussing baked goods.

Celine looped her arm through Levi's, steering him into a walk. She turned to wave at Marco over her shoulder. "Just ignore him! We'll have you over for dinner another night!"

"What's wrong with this evening?" Levi asked as they stepped away.

"I'm sure the two of them want to spend time just to themselves," Celine said. She plowed on when Levi made a noise as if to protest. "We're talking about my brother, Levi – please don't make me dwell on the concept of what he and Eren will get up to during their personal time for any longer than I need to."

Marco noted the pink hue growing on Eren's ears. The implication of Celine's words hit him an instant later. "Celine …" he said, putting his face in his hand with a groan. "Why does she even need to say things like that? I apologize, Eren."

"It's alright," Eren said. He chuckled at Marco's expression. "That's just how she is."

Eren cleared his throat, nudging Marco with his elbow. "Come on, let's get to the meeting. You're the one everyone's here to see, after all."

Eren slid one hand in his pocket, offering the other to Marco. While Levi and Celine opted for taking a car, the two of them decided to walk to the new Headquarters building of white brick and slopped green shingles looming atop a hill in the near distance. Eren did a majority of the talking – speaking of training the new cadets, going on the occasional patrol, and how he and Jean had to be held back from beating the shit out of one another over a game of chess. The last story made Marco burst into laughter and the resulting grin from Eren implied that outcome was the reason he'd shared it in the first place. Marco didn't think he could be any more grateful for making it home.

"Hey, so …" Eren said. He suddenly seemed to find a cloud drifting overhead fascinating as his gaze remained locked on the sky. "Did you … happen to see him?"

Marco knew immediately who Eren meant. He took in the twitch to the corner of Eren's lip with some pity. "Yes, I did."

Eren exhaled as if he'd been holding his breath. He still kept his eyes locked overhead. "Did you have a chance to give him the letter?"

"I sent it along with the ring," Marco said. He smiled when Eren finally returned his eyes to his. Their vibrancy never failed to amaze him – not just the color, but the flame that burned behind them. Even now, when Eren's temper over the past few years had dwindled down to only a flicker of what it had once been, that flame never stopped burning. Marco hoped he'd be able to hold out hope for even a fraction as long as Eren did … about this war, about everything.

"I wish I could've spoken to Annie's father personally," Marco said, sadness creeping through his smile. "I would've liked to introduce myself. I had a lot of stories about Annie I didn't end up writing down. Although, I'm sure your letter was also filled with plenty of stories."

Eren nodded. He gazed over a bustling street which hadn't even been here as few as two years past. Things were changing quickly … which Marco figured was good, since he wanted the technology on their little island to expand as much as possible. His sister was already well underway on a project of creating an air force to rival Marley's. With the ability to so easily visit other places … perhaps they would be able to develop a cure for Eren, Ymir, and Bertholdt. The latter only had around three years of life projected to be left, with Eren and Ymir not far behind. Marco tried not to think about that too much.

"After we got Shiganshina back," Eren said, watching the open-aired cars roll by. "I started writing down all the stuff I could remember– all the memories that I knew belonged to someone else. There were a few about Annie's dad, so I made sure to include the good ones. Annie had some nice memories about being in the cadets – she kept to herself a lot, but it turned out she was watching us pretty closely. And not because she was spying … but because she liked us. There were also a lot of memories of the two of you going for runs around that lake that used to be nearby. She used to really look forward to spending that time with you."

Marco fought back the sensation of his throat closing up. "That's good. She was faster than I was, so I used to worry that I was only slowing her down."

Eren laughed. "Don't be an idiot."

The Headquarters building with its sweeping roofs of teal metal came into view. A small structure stood near the northwest corner of the building; a stack of bricks made up the largest remaining piece of the old structure. It was a reminder of what had happened … a reminder that their fight wasn't yet over. Marco felt hyper aware of it as he and Eren made their way up the wide steps. Something along the lines of that devastation could never be seen again in his homeland … not if he could help it.

"In short," Premier Pyxis said. He turned from the window to face the occupants seated at the long table at the center of the imposing conference room. "We're going to war."

His commanders looked back at him with hardened expressions. There wasn't a glimmer of fear. Nile of the Military Police, Rico of the Garrison, and Moblit of the Scouts all sat with their backs straight and heads held high.

"Defending our shores won't be an easy task," Pyxis said. "The enemy still has three of the Nine Titans at their disposal, and the ability to create any number of mindless Titans to send our way. Our forces must be prepared to take them down for good."

Levi's eyes tracked over the members of his former squad. Armin, Eren, Jean, and Ymir all met his gaze with a nod. Mikasa and Bertholdt weren't present, but there was no doubt their expressions would hold the same level of determination.

"Additionally," Pyxis said. "They have technology beyond the scope of our own. We've smuggled out what information we can, but we'll need to work diligently to create measures to counter their war machines." He glanced at the Section Commander of the Technical Department. The stern nature to his features relaxed slightly in the face of Celine's smug expression.

"Lastly," Pyxis said. "We have to stand tall. The forces of numerous nations may be coming down upon us. We can't bend; we can't break. Our struggles over the past hundred years will be nothing compared to what we'll soon face. Many of our own will turn their backs on us when we choose to fight instead of bowing our heads in submission. The most critical thing we can do is rally our people together and ensure they never lose hope. The citizens of this nation can be mocked as being foolish, but not a word will be uttered about us being cowards."

Section Commander Marco Bodt met this statement with a determined smile. There was the possibility one or more of the faces gathered around the table would join the likes of Sasha, Conny, Annie, and Historia before the seasons cycled into another spring. Their military may fail at learning to combat machines and other men for their survival. The walls could crumble, and all courage could be lost.

It's a good thing everyone here is brave when it counts, Marco thought. His eyes landed on Celine. A warm feeling grew in his chest when his sister hit him with a broad smile.

We're going to show the world our strength and everything we can accomplish.

I felt that getting the final chapters of this story out on the day that the AoT show comes to a close would be the most appropriate. A huge thanks to the people who followed along with this story that grew to be FAR more complex than anticipated haha