-Chapter 23: A Place to Call Home-

The dawn was breaking over the lands inside the great walled bastions of humanity, signaling the start of the new day. Farmers across the fertile plains of Wall Maria and workers from the surrounding towns and villages rose from their slumbers, feeling the cool early summer breeze on their faces as they prepared for their morning toils.

Though there was one among the remaining human population that was not readying to work the fields or open a shop. No, instead this large statured figure had secluded himself in the deepest parts of the woodlands of Maria, inside a small makeshift arena built from the surrounding trees, shaped in the form of a pyramid.

This imposing figure was none other than the man from beyond the walls, the great titan slayer, the bane of all giant kind, the chosen champion of gods and deities from realms beyond, and the icon of worship and hope for thousands inside the Walls…

But most folks just called him Maverick.

In this woodland area he practiced his martial skills, moves and stances taught to him by masters long ago in his life. Each of his movements and strikes were quick and precise, cutting through the air itself.

The series of markings, symbols, and runic writings etched into his tanned skin glowed a constant blue hue as he moved across the arena, leaving a faint trail of light in the woodlands, and with such speed that was abnormal for a man of his size and build.

Finishing his last set he remained in place, allowing his muscles to relax and his mind to calm itself. Taking a few deep breaths he stood upright, taking in the sounds of the natural environment around him, be they the chirpings of birds or crickets in the grass.

As he listened to the sounds of nature he ran his hands through his hair, which had now grown longer and wilder, as well as his beard which had grown to cover his entire lower face and neck. As he brushed said unkempt facial hair he took the time to reflect, recalling the words of an old friend.

"The body's an odd yet wonderful thing. Our stomachs growl when we need to eat or when nature calls, we yawn when were tired, and our hair grows to tell us how long we've been kicking."

A chuckle escaped his lips while scratching at his grand longbeard. It wasn't as long as a dwarfs, but he was getting there.

'Getting pretty long, avoiding razors like the plague for a year's really paying off.' He said with a smile, while removing a hidden knot, though his smile soon turned downward as he realized what he just said.

'A year…been here for a whole entire year…' He took a deep breath before looking at the sky, seeing the few stars still scattered about. He wondered if any of those distant suns was once the sun he had looked upon on previous lifetimes.

Lost in his own thoughts for a bit he soon realized that the morning roll call would soon commence, judging by the orange horizon. Wiping the few beads of sweat off his chest he allowed the breeze to cool his upper body, before making his way out of the forest and towards the reopened Shiganshina District, to continue with the rest of his day.

-oOo-

Zoë Laboratories, Survey Corps Headquarters

Inside the lab of the Fourth Squad's leader lied the namesake herself, slumped over one of the tables, snoring away. She had attempted to spend another all-nighter planning for a certain event, only to pass out around two in the morning. The sounds of her snores, mixed with her mutterings were the only sounds that echoed in the room. Untill the door to the lab opened, revealing her assistant.

"Hange?" He whispered as he slowly took a step inside the lab, and soon heard the sounds of his superior's snores. That was all he needed to know as he saw the state she was in, a sight that he had grown used to seeing from time to time. "*Sigh* Of course…"

Making his way to his passed out squad leader he looked over to see what she had stayed up all night doing, chuckling to himself as it seemed to be plans regarding today. With a few taps on her shoulder he tried rousing Hange from her slumber.

"Squad Leader, time to get up." The taps weren't working, forcing Moblit to take a page from the captain's book. Offering a silent apology he flicked her head, causing her to spasm and quickly lift her head.

"Ehhh?!" Her head turned rapidly looking for the source of her abrupt awakening. Craning her neck she met the face of her vice-captain and longtime comrade in arms. "M-Moblit?" She asked groggily, her mind still trying to wake itself up.

"Another all-nighter?" He asked with a resigned tone, to which she lazily muttered a confirming moan.

"You have to take better care of yourself." He said as he saw the current state of his superior. Her glasses were crooked, slouched posture, and her shirt wrinkled with what seemed to be a stain of unknown origin, all in all she looked utterly ragged. The assistants comment seemed to go in one hear and out the other, as Hange seemed content with continuing what she started last night.

"Ehhhhhhh…." She muttered, still teetering between sleepiness and awareness. Turning her head back to the table she lazily readjusted her glasses, eyeing whatever she had written on the papers.

"Hmmm?" She continued to stare as her half-lidded eyes started to focus on the writings for a few moments, before those same eyes widened like saucers.

"*GASP*"

As if a switch had finally been turned on in her brain she became much more animated and lively, clutching her head and greasy hair, cursing herself for oversleeping, and on today of all days.

"OH GOD! TODAY IS…I-I-I, DID I MISS ANYTHING, DID WE START ALREADY?!" Turning her head in multiple directions she soon stopped at Moblit's surprised face. "W-Where is he?!" She asked in a very frantic tone, still kicking herself over how she let herself succumb to the sandman's magics.

"In the bathhouse, came back from his outing a couple minutes ago." Moblit quickly responded, to which Hange began to nod her head. "Right! Good, good." As she began to pace around the room Moblit thought it wise to offer her a suggestion.

"Perhaps you should take a trip there yourself."

Hange immediately stopped, and slowly turned her head towards her vice-captain. He nearly stepped back as he saw the oh so familiar light reflecting on her glasses, mixed with the all but friendly smile made her presence all the more unsettling.

"Just what are you trying to say, Moblit?" Her kind tone failed to mask the rising animosity, making the vice-captain go stiff for a moment. Suddenly a familiar unamused voice rang out.

"He's saying you're starting to reek."

Turning their heads they were met with the small statured captain reclining on the door frame, all with his signature unamused stare.

"Oh Levi! When did you get here?" Hange said, only to be rebuked by the halfling.

"Save it and hit the baths. I could smell the stench all the way down the hall." Hange went to offer a rebuttal, but the moment she lifted her arm did she sniff the air, then slowly brought her arm down again. Holding her chin high she made her way out the door, leaving the two men.

"*Sigh* Just when I think she couldn't stoop any lower." Levi said as he entered the room, only to back away almost immediately. "*Eugh* Gonna take days to get the smell out of here." Fanning the air around him he turned his attention to the oddly unaffected vice-captain.

"So what time we pulling this off?" He asked, to which Moblit rubbed his chin recalling what the squad leader told them the day before in private.

"Well like she suggested, we should depart early, give the others time to get things ready. Unless any titans decide to pay the walls a visit." Levi raised a brow at the last part and commented on Berner's claim.

"We have a gate again, remember?" Moblit took pause before letting out a nervous chuckle. Rolling his eyes Levi looked back to the door.

"Guess I'll go get ready too." He spoke, before making his way to the hallway. "I'll go on ahead, just make sure that oafs on the move after he done stuffing his face." With a nod from the assistant Levi soon headed off to his quarters to get some essentials, before embarking to the special location they had agreed on.

-oOo-

Inside the Mess Hall…

The room was rather lively this morning, with the scouts currently enjoying their morning meals. Both veterans and new members sat shoulder to shoulder, discussing various topics, be it the significance of this particular day or other less meaningful topics. The commander himself was among the crowd currently having a discussion with his aides, before the double doors opened to reveal the man of the hour, now dressed in his usual slacks, and a new sleeveless beige colored shirt, which showed off his muscular marked arms. The moment he stepped inside he was met with a barrage of cheers and claps from his peers.

"There's the man of the hour!"

"The Titan Slayer blesses us with his presence. Heh."

"Morning Mav!"

"H-Hi Maverick!"

"Hey, Hey, nice looking beard Mav!"

"The hell happened to your sleeves?"

"Look at this guy, showing off."

Greeting his comrades he made his way to the breakfast table and filled his plate with a large assortment of scrambled eggs and ham, and headed towards the table his squad mates were seated at, which just so happened to be where his specially made chair was placed.

"Morning team leader." Exclaimed the members of Delta Squad, giving them all a smile and a nod he slowly sat himself down and began to eat, only for his squad mates to give him a few odd looks.

"Have something to say boys?" He asked with a cheeky grin underneath his beard. The members of Delta reanimated, looking at one another, as if daring which of them would go first. In the end Abel was the sacrificial lamb.

"Did you…rip off your sleeves sir?" He asked with a bit of trepidation. Looking down at his new sleeveless shirt he chuckled for a bit at his junior's question, knowing someone was bound to speak up about it.

"Oh this? I had this custom ordered a while back. A little something for the summer." The squad let out looks of understanding, finding the new style of clothing quite practical for the hotter weather.

"So I guess that beards coming off too?" Maverick's neck turned with an audible crack in Keiji's direction, spooking the lad quite a bit.

"The opposite of yes." The squad went silent, surprised by their superiors haunting tone. Reclining in his seat he brushed his jet black colored beard, a proud look on his face as he spoke. "Growing big beards has been a staple of my family for generations. My father had one, my grandfather had one, my great grandfather, and so on."

"Well I think it suits you." Came the voice of one of Miche's squad mates, that being the pony tailed female of the squad.

"Thank you Lynne." The young girl nodded, getting back to her seat, all the while hiding the small tints of red on her cheeks.

"So you see boys, I have no intentions of ever shaving my beard off, for I would be spitting on my family traditions, plus I made a promise to an old friend to keep it growing whenever I woke up again." Looks of surprise were on the seated scouts, while others held looks of respect towards the large man. To keep a long standing family tradition, as well as a promise to an old and most likely long dead friend, was truly commendable.

"W-Well, when you put like that…" Keiji struggled to say anything after that, to which Maverick patted his squad mates shoulder and laughed off his comment.

"*Chuckles* Relax son, not gonna strangle you for asking." A short laugh escaped the scouts breath, very much relieved to hear he hadn't upset his team leader. The next few minutes after Maverick's little spiel were spent comfortably as everyone continued to enjoy their morning meals, with Maverick entertaining his comrades with a story of when he hunted down a monstrous dire bear capable of slaying would-be hunters in one strike.

After his story concluded the man had made his way out of the Mess Hall alongside his squad mates, only for Erwin to speak out and stop him in his tracks.

"Maverick a moment?" Erwin said, motioning for the large man to come closer. With a few heavy steps Maverick looked down at the blonde haired man.

"Something you need commander?" A smile formed on Erwin's lips, as did his aides and other veterans seated close by.

"*Chuckles* Nothing in particular, simply something that needs to be said." He soon stood from his seat, and despite the height difference, looked at Maverick straight in his glowing orbs. The hall went silent almost immediately at the sight, as all turned their attentions to the two men.

"Maverick, I believe that I speak for everyone here when I say that for the last year you have truly brought us hope for a better future. It almost seems like yesterday when you charged out of the forest, stark naked and saved our regiment. And so much more…" Many voices from the veterans spoke out in agreement, while a few of the newer members voiced shock and confusion at the mention of Maverick's nudist escapade.

"It's come to a point where I…struggle to imagine how our lives, of the people inside this Wall, would be like had you never arrived. Quite frankly I'd rather not." He muttered the last part, though it was still audible enough for Maverick to pick up. As a smile formed under his beard as the commander continued with his speech.

"Which is why we have something special for you, as a thank you from all of us in the Survey Corps." Maverick's eyes slightly widened, though he chose to remain silent.

"Though we did plan this a bit on short notice, I'm positive you'll enjoy what we have in store for you." Now he was curious, just what exactly did they have planned? A plot of land? A large sum of money? A golden statue built in his honor? Or perhaps a gift card of sorts, if they had something similar here.

"Really? And pray tell, what is my little surprise exactly?" He asked with a raised brow. Before he could get an answer the doors to the Hall opened suddenly, revealing the form of the Fourth Squad's leader and her assistant/caretaker.

"You'll just have to follow us and see Mav!" She exclaimed while striking a pose. Moblit waved his comrade hello which the marked man reciprocated.

"Well then, lead the way then Hanji." The squad leader nodded vigorously, her expression one of glee and excitement.

"Yep! Come on!" With that she quickly turned around and made her way out to the building, leaving the rest of her squad behind. Maverick gave a questioning look to his friend who already had an answer prepared.

"It's quite a distance away, we'll be taking the horses…ohhh." Moblit suddenly stopped speaking as he remembered the issue with the horses. With a chuckle Maverick reassured the man as he patted his shoulder. "Eh, don't worry bud, need to burn off the calories anyway." That got a few laughs from the scouts, especially since Maverick's form always stayed the same, regardless of how much he ate.

With that they headed off, following the sound of Hange's giddy laughs. As they left Erwin turned to Miche and the two nodded, for it was time to prepare for the second part of their comrade's surprise.

-oOo-

Inside the Shiganshina District, near the interior gate

The members of Delta soon set out from their headquarters towards the interior of Wall Maria, though not without an immediate roadblock, in the form of the denizens of the district. The moment they opened the large doors to their headquarters they were met with quite a large crowd of townsfolk. At the sight of the marked man they began to holler and cheer, singing their praises to the one who had saved them a year prior.

There were some who stopped cheering and stared at his new look, though they seemed to be the outliers of those gathered as he got the usual praises and reverence from many of the people, though their enthusiasm seemed to have escalated in fervor, especially with those residents who had returned.

"Or savior! Thank you for everything you've done!"

"Were forever in your debt, Slayer!"

"M-May I s-s-shake your h-hand? Please?"

"I know it's not much but please take this…"

"Mister! Look! I made you this!"

These were but a few examples of how many showed their thanks to the marked man. For today was more than a day to honor and remember those who died in the attack, but to revere and celebrate the one who had saved the district itself.

Despite the many times he tried to remind people that he wasn't alone in the fight, they remained stubborn and sung his praises. Though not to say that the scouts and the garrison who fought that day received their kudos, it was simply that the living demigod was a greater presence, didn't help the fact that a cult had arisen to solely worship his existence.

Speaking of them…

"Oh mighty Slayer, would you honor my family by blessing our newborn with a name!"

"May the ground you walk quake as you pass!"

"Our great champion of humanity, bless you and all your endeavors!"

"Please take my daughter!"

"I'll do my best to bear you as many children as you want!"

Despite their fervent worship that rivaled-no, surpassed that of the most zealous Wallist, Maverick took it all in stride and treated them with the same courtesy and respect that he gave to anyone else in Maria.

The exchanges between Maverick and the townsfolk continued for the next few minutes, which was fine for Hange and Moblit, for this gave the others time to get the next steps to their plans prepared.

Soon the crowd had departed, heading off into the greater district to do Lord knows what. By the end of it all Maverick had amassed quite a bounty of gifts and offerings, so many that he hand to use both hands to hold them all together. Hange took it as a sign to get moving, and so she did. Even as they made their way Maverick still took time to respond to a greeting or praise from a passerby, especially from some familiar faces.

"Mathew, Carolyn! Didn't expect to see you two back in the district." Maverick said to the elderly couple that he had met so long ago. For last he saw of them they had decided to spend the rest of their twilight years in a town east of the walls, Bergen.

"No, were doing just fine away from the district thank you very much. The misses and I just wanted to visit the folks who saved our lives." The elder man replied just as his wife shuffled forwards, with something large in her arms.

"We also have a little something for you dearie." She held out her shaky arms with Maverick taking the large piece of folded clothing. "Something nice to relax in."

Curious he slowly set his gift on the ground and unfolded the clothing to reveal a very nice brown colored robe. It was a well put together piece, the stitch work was well made, with small detail patterns, and fur cuffs at the end of the sleeves. Not as glamorous or high end, but one could tell it was made with love and effort.

"Oh, it's beautiful!" Maverick said with an admirable tone, earning him a wholesome smile from the elder woman.

"Care to try it on?" With a nod Maverick did just that, careful not to cause any rips or tears. Tying it all together he admired himself, feeling the material on his body. "Fits like a glove!" Carolyn clasped her hands, letting out a relieved sigh as she voiced her pleasure.

"Thank goodness, I was worried I made it too big." She then turned to the other members of the squad.

"Don't think I forgot any of you either. A few neighbors told us about your team." Receiving a box from her husband the elderly woman handed them to Hange who took out its contents, revealing to be smaller robes. "I know they're not as big as his but-"

"It's the thought that matters ma'am thank you." Moblit reassured. The articles of clothing were passed around and enjoyed by the scouts, minus Hange who found herself without one.

"Here dear, this one's for you." Holding out a similar colored robe Hange took the piece and noticed a very interesting detail about it.

"Oh, look Mav, we match!" She exclaimed in a very happy tone. Maverick let out an amused huff as he watched his squad leader hold the smaller robe out to him, though he couldn't help but turn his sights to the elderly couple who had some rather cheeky grins on their wrinkled faces. Feeling it was time to get moving he spoke his farewells.

"Well, thank you again for these gifts, and it was good to see you two again." He said in a genuine tone. The couple simply smiled back and returned the thanks.

"Oh its nothing dear. You and your friends do so much for us after all." A warm feeling filled the scouts hearts, knowing that their efforts and sacrifices were not ignored. Her husband than approached, placing an arm over his wife's shoulder.

"Plus, who in their right mind turns downs some free handmade clothes from the finest sewer in Maria eh?" Mathew remarked, awarding him a warm laugh from his wife. With their farewells they turned back towards the interior gate back to the interior, ready to enjoy the rest of their morning.

"Such a nice couple." Remarked Rashad, watching the two disappear into the crowd. Maverick couldn't agree more, as the two reminded him of his own elderly years, spent with his past beloveds. He hoped those two would find one another again when they passed.

"Alright! Now, let's get to those stables!" Hange said with a raised tone, snapping Maverick out of his thoughts. Lika a mother goose she lead her squad mates towards the interior gate and out into the greater lands of Wall Maria, ready to get things back on track.

"Maverick!"

They were so close, the y had made it outside the opened gate, only to be stopped yet again by another denizen, this one being an old local of the district, who also seemed to know the marked man by name.

"Tobi!" Maverick said, approaching the smith, who was dragging along a cart behind him, filled to the brim with tools and boxes of varying sizes. As the two greeted one another the smith remarked on Maverick's current predicament.

"Looks like folks have been paying you tribute, eh?." Receiving an amused huff the smith turned his sights to the other scouts gathered close to the large man, especially to the woman whose googles shined in the light. "Going somewhere?"

"The lads are taking me somewhere, they say it's a surprise." Maverick responded, emphasizing the word, causing Tobi's brows to raise up before letting out a laugh.

"*Chuckles* Guess with the wall all sealed up, ya got more free time." Maverick let out a sharp laugh as the smith practically hit the nail on its head. The small banter between the two continued for a few more minutes before Toby looked back at his cart.

"Well I won't keep ya long, just came by to deliver your order." This caused the scouts minus Maverick to watch with very curious eyes as the man scrounged through his cart for something, only to fish out a large rectangular package, wrapped with rope as to better carry it.

"Sorry for the wait by the way, the folks down at Eisengrad got me busy almost every day, had to hire some more help just to keep up." Maverick waved off his apology, for he personally knew the struggles of having to maintain a business.

"No worries bud, I understand that feeling completely." With a grateful smile Toby held out the package with both arms, as if it was a prized relic of sorts.

"Well, here you are. A pleasure doing business with ya." With their business done the smith turned back and set off back to Eisengrad, though not before saying a few parting words to the others. "And thank you folks for everything you do, I mean it!"

With smiles on their faces the members of Delta waved goodbye to the smith as he made his way across the road.

"So, what'd you order exactly sir?" Abel asked with many of the others voicing out their curiosity.

"Oh nothing much, just some necessities." His remark left more questions than answers, especially for Hange who inquired further, while also snaking her way to the package in his arms.

"What kind of necessities?" As she spoke she made sure that his eyes were on hers, and not on her hand that was slowly, ever so slowly, making its wat to the packages lid, eager to find out its hidden contents. Only for Maverick to turn the package away from his squad leader's grubby mitts.

"Ahhh ta,ta,ta,ta,ta! Nope." Like a child denied their sweets she pouted and huffed to the humor of the others. "Show me this surprise of yours, then I'll show mine."

With a now determined look she took the lead again, heading to their stables. This time however there would be no stops, no greetings, no fine howdy do's, no reminiscing talks, no-

"Oh Maverick! Kids look, this is the man who saved the district!"

Confound it all…

-oOo-

Later, inside a heavily forested area inside Wall Maria

The members of Delta were finally making their way towards the secret location, following the lead of their squad leader. She hummed a tune as they went along the old path, turning back occasionally to see if everyone was catching up, more specifically Maverick, who had the pleasure to drag along a cart they had procured from the stables.

Used mostly to transport supplies and wounded, it now served to bring along all the trinkets and gifts the people of Shiganshina had gifted him, including the mysterious and very enticing package.

Turning her eyes forward once again she squirmed slightly in her seat. For she couldn't wait to show her dear comrade his surprise, she was certain that he would enjoy it, maybe even earn her a few headpats. Yes, it would all be worth it in the end.

"Were pretty far from any town out here…" Rashad suddenly remarked. Indeed, the path they were taking was rather isolated, as they hadn't seen another town nor village in almost an hour.

"And any nearby rivers too…" Abel added, to the nods from the other squad members. While they trusted their superior to lead them to their apparent destination, a little reassurance that they were getting close wouldn't hurt. "Squad leader are we heading the right way?"

Hange turned once again and gave a reaffirming nod and smile. "Mhm! Don't you fret boys, were getting close!" It seemed to satisfy them as no one said another word as they continued, listening to the sounds of nature around them.

"Sooo…just to assure myself, this isn't a plot to kill me right?" Maverick suddenly asked. This made everyone turn to the marked man with a variety of questioning expressions, minus Hange who turned to him with a very appalled look as she stopped her horse.

"Of course not!" She exclaimed. The volume of her voice was enough to make a few birds fly away, as well as some critters to scatter.

"The government hasn't paid any of you off?" He continued in a rather serious tone, eyeing everyone who shook their heads, making Hange's expression even more dismayed.

"NO! Why would you ever think of that?!" She stared deeply into his glowing eyes with a concerned and questioning look. The two stared at one another for what seemed like minutes on end, till a small but very audible chuckle escaped Maverick's lips. "Just checking."

Hange clicked her tongue, realizing he was simply messing with her. Though a small smile did form afterward on her face as she kicked her horse into gear. With the previous mood back they continued to trot along the heavily forested and old road.

"I take it it's happened before?" Moblit asked. Looking to Maverick he was met with the man looking back at him in utter silence, smiling under his beard. "R-Right, answered my own question." A few chuckles erupted from the others, knowing this wasn't Berner's first time doing this.

"Hmph, who'd be dumb enough to go after you?" Keiji remarked, for the idea that their team leader had would be killers sent after him, or that they themselves would attempt the act was quite ludicrous.

"Ohhh plenty of people Keiji, plenty of people. Leagues and brotherhoods of assassins, uppity nobles, cannibalistic bandits, desperate mercenaries, champions of the ruinous powers, monsters of all shapes and sizes, daemon princes, the list goes on."

The young members stared at their superhuman superior with wide eyes. Seems like there were people dumb enough to try and take his life, and something told them that those few examples he provided were barely scratching the surface of his rouges gallery of enemies.

"Heh, reminds me of this old bounty hunter I used to bash heads with." The younger members of Delta listened in with intrigued looks. "Name was Durge, now what made him special was-"

"Oh here we are!" Hange suddenly interrupted. Turning their heads the scouts were met with the end of the tree filled path as the light from the sun began to shine through the exit. Upon entering the wider area they were met with the most peculiar sight.

In the clearing was the sight of a large and quite old castle, a castle that had definitely seen better days.

"Our gift to you Mav. Surprise!" Hange exclaimed as she turned to him with wide arms. Maverick however still had his sights on the castle and its state, noticing the large amounts of vegetation that amassed atop the towers and turrets, a clear sign of mother earth slowly retaking the land.

"Wow…an old castle in the middle of nowhere…" He said in a joking manner hiding his true surprise and appreciation. Hange gave a knowing look as she dismounted and approached her comrade, trying her hardest not to just hug him right then and there.

"Not just any old dusty castle! This was once the Survey Corps headquarters!" Maverick's brows rose, intrigued at this little tidbit while she turned to the others, mostly though to Rashad and Abel. "As you two so cleverly pointed out, this castle is far from any of the nearby towns and rivers, making this location entirely useless to our operations."

"How long has it been here squad leader?" Harold asked, surprised that such a facility was still standing, much less in operation. Hange however seemed to not have a clear answer as she scratched her head.

"Oh, since as long as humanity has been inside the Walls, I think." Maverick's eyes turned to her for a few moments with a perplexed look, before resuming to inspect the castle. Best save those previous thoughts for later.

As Delta approached the castle they kept their eyes on the state of it, noticing that despite the clear age of the fortification it wasn't entirely in a state of disrepair.

"Still looks in decent condition." Maverick said aloud. Yes a decent place….for bandits. "You did scope this place out before we got here right?" He suddenly asked with a raised tone, though his concern was met with a nonchalant wave from the squad leader.

"Yeah, yeah, don't worry. Had Miche and his squad check the place for any ne'er-do-wells lurking around." That seemed to put Maverick at ease, the last thing he wanted was to be peppered by arrows from the windows, or gods forbid being accosted by a Frenchmen atop the castle wall.

"Still, an entire castle, just for me?" Maverick asked to which Hage stopped and turned to him once again. "It's the least we could do Mav, for everything. Besides we've been meaning to find some use for it." Then her smile turned more gleeful as she grasped his left arm.

"Also you can think of it as a home away from home! A place to call your own here inside the Walls." Her very happy tone as she spoke surprised the large man, which proved to be infectious as soon he had a smile of his own, which only made Hange's brighten even more.

"Sooo, do I need to sign something?" He asked, for he doubted that the higher ups would simply just let him have this entire fort all to himself.

"Oh no, this buildings' still in the scout's ownership. As far as the governments concerned were just repurposing it." Moblit responded. With a nod he grabbed ahold of his cart once again as they continued making their way into the castles entrance.

"Housing humanity's greatest soldier, can't think of a better reason." Abelm remarked, with the other scouts agreeing, minus Keiji who scoffed at his friends ass kissery. As they dismounted and placed their horses inside the surprisingly still standing stables they all took a chance to gander at the castles patio.

"Well its certainly seen better days." Maverick remarked. Besides the well there wasn't much to look at, other than the remains of what used to be barrels, the aged wooden door, and all the weeds and vines that surrounded the exterior walls.

"Gonna take a month at least to get this place fixed up." As if on que one of the window blinds from the second story fell down, nearly hitting Rashad on the head. "Maybe three…"

Hange chuckled as she patted his lower back. "Don't worry you have us to help you!" The others nodded in agreement to which Maverick gave an appreciative smile. "And since we showed you your surprise..." Maverick already knew what she was going to say. "Now you gotta show us what you got in that package!"

Nodding he did just that. Fishing it out of the gift covered cart he presented the rectangular box to everyone present. Wasting no time he untied the rope and opened the case, revealing its contents.

Everyone gasped as they saw the assortment of large smithing tools placed inside. Maverick took out the smithing hammer, holding it out for all to see.

"It's just your size." Hange remarked, stating the obvious. Maverick nodded as he placed it back with the others. Though seconds later another gasp escaped her lips as she soon realized what this meant.

"D-Does this mean-" She didn't even finish as a grin formed underneath Maverick's beard, pretty much answering her question. She erupted into a giggling fit, eyes sparkling with joy. All they needed was a forge and her comrade would be in business.

Suddenly the entrance door opened to reveal a figure. Despite his current appearance the narrow eyed and uninterested look was very much familiar.

"Took your sweet time-" Whatever Levi was about to say was put on pause as he took one glance at the Maverick's summer attire. He was honestly taken aback, a very rare state for him to be in, but somehow Maverick had found a way to make it happen. Maverick as well took pause at the sight at his short statured comrade, who was adorned with a bandana around his neck and armed with a broom, bucket, and other cleaning materials.

They two continued with their little staring contest, utterly perplexed at the appearance of one another. Though soon Maverick made the first move, in the form of a joke.

"Wow, not enough you gave me a castle, but a maid to boot?" Levi's grip on the broom suddenly tightened, utterly unamused by his comment. He did plan to let Maverick have the easy jobs, considering the special occasion, but now he thought it was a much better idea to put his strength to use.

-oOo-

And so the members of Delta, with the addition of humanities second strongest soldier, began their work on cleaning Maverick's new home to Levi's high standards. Keiji and Abel were tasked with the patio, Harold and Rashad were on window and vine removal duty, Hange and Moblit got the old barracks, and Levi himself set out to clean the dining room in its entirety.

This of course left Maverick with the task to clean the many passageways and halls of the castle. Since he was a big man, and blessed with a plethora of divine blessings, then it should prove no problem for him, as the halfling said. Besides it was his home now, and his responsibility to take care of it. It wasn't because of the little comment he made at Levi's expense, of course not.

Though to the halfling's slight annoyance the big man took it all in stride with a smile on his face, just as he did when they cleaned the HQ before the rookies arrived. He didn't bitch or moan about any of it, he simply grabbed a rag and duster, both far too small for his hands, and went at it. A commendable effort.

This kept everyone busy all afternoon, with the occasional breaks in between cleanings. By the time it was two o' clock they had roughly about half of the castles rooms and outer walls done.

Hange was seen making her way across one of the many passageways of the castle, with a grin that stretched from ear to ear. She was currently searching for the new owner of the castle, as she had the most wonderful thing to tell him. As she continued through the clean halls however she suddenly began to hear a faint sound just up ahead.

"*Humming*"

It was the oh so familiar voice of her comrade, humming a tune. Her quick pace suddenly began to slow as she listened. She had heard him hum melodies and little tunes in the past, however this one seemed more…serene, if the tone of his voice was anything to go by.

The volume of his voice increased as she approached, to the point where she was practically near him, the only thing separating the two being the corner wall. She was about to step out and meet him, only for him to begin singing.

"Quand il me prend dans ses bras.

Il me parle tout bas.

Je vois la vie en rose…"

She stopped in place the moment she heard him. This new foreign tounge was certainly not the English she had spent many months learning with him. No, it was something completely different, something new, something she would very much like to learn.

"Il me dit des mots d'amour.

Des mots de tous les jours.

Et ça me fait quelque chose…"

She could hear the passion in his voice, though this was not similar to the times whenever he fought titans or told old stories. No, this was a different kind of passion, one that held a large amount of fondness and yearning.

"Il est entré dans mon cœur.

Une part de bonheur.

Dont je connais la cause…"

Hange remained hidden as she heard his voice began to rise, despite the urges to come out. She didn't want to interrupt as he continued to sing this wonderful melody.

"C'est lui pour moi, moi pour lui dans la vie.

Il me l'a dit, l'a juré pour la vie!"

His voice echoed across the halls as he finished the verse, before continuing to hum out the remainder of the song. Hange remained in place still processing what she just heard. She struggled to think of the words to best describe what her ears just listened to.

Deciding to get to the bottom of it she slowly turned the corner, careful not to make much noise. Turning her head she saw the sight of her 7 foot tall comrade, brushing the dust off the walls with a duster far too small for his hands. He continued to sing out the enchanting melody, unfortunately without lyrics.

"Dah, da da…dah, da da da…Da-" He stopped the moment he turned, as his glowing blue eyes met the bespectacled eyes of his squad leader. "Oh Hanji, what's up?" He asked nonchalantly, as if the last few minutes didn't happen at all. Deciding to play along she answered.

"I-I just came to check on you. Figured you might need a hand." Her nervous smile clued him in on what she was really up to, but he chose not to say anything for now as he simply offered her a smile.

"Well, that's quite kind of you madam." A snort sounded from her, easing her previous nervous expression. "Well, if you don't mind helping out with that side that'd be great."

She did just that, grabbing a rag from a nearby table, dipping it into a nearby bucket, and cleaning the layered walls, especially the smaller and harder to reach places. They continued to clean in comfortable silence for a few minutes, until Maverick spoke aloud.

"So…how much did you hear?" Hange's hand stopped immediately after he said those words. A part of her knew he had heard her make her way across the hall, another simply wished he had chosen to ignore it. Suppose the cat was out of the bag, as he'd say. With a deep breath she answered him as calmly as she could.

"A bit…You sing…very nice." She gave a genuine smile, though on the inside a cacophony of voices screamed their displeasures at her poor choice of words.

Maverick meanwhile didn't seem to mind as he gave an appreciative look to her, though a somewhat hollow chuckle left his lips soon after.

"Thanks. Me and an old…companion…would listen to it quite often. Suppose it just stuck with me after all these years." The way he said the word companion set something off in her mind, as she recalled many of the stories of his past.

Based on his stories alone Maverick had many he had called companions throughout his lifetimes. But the tone when he said it now made her take pause, reflecting on the word itself. It usually meant someone that accompanied another, or could be used to describe a comrade, a friend, or hell even…

Ohhh…She should have guessed. With a life like his he was bound to have someone like that in his life, or lives for that matter.

She decided not to continue questioning him on his private life, and instead ask in regards of the melody itself. "Does it have a name?" With a quick response Maverick revealed the name of the foreign tune.

"*La Vie en Rose*" Despite its foreign name, it sounded just as lovely as the verses sung by the marked man. "Certainly doesn't sound English." Maverick nodded in response.

"*It's French.*" He said. Hange repeated the name of the new language a few times, getting a feel for it. Before a grin began to stretch across her face.

"Think you'll teach it to the rest of us sometime?" Maverick let out a sharp laugh at his comrades sharp tone shift. He said nothing as he simply pated her head, a goofy grin still on her face.

"*Let's not overload that brain of yours, alright?*" With a pout she relented and turned back to the wall getting back to the task at hand. Suppose she could ease back on her demands, it wouldn't do her any good trying to learn another language so quickly, especially since she was still very much learning one new tongue.

Though someday, not today, not tomorrow, maybe not even a year, but someday she'd learn it, and maybe in the future they could perform a duet.

-oOo-

They continued to clean the hall for minutes on end, till they felt satisfied. It was then did Hange finally remembered why she even left to find him in the first place. For she had managed to locate the old workshop once used by the scouts in the eastern section of the castle. And just their luck it contained an old forge, which earned her a smile from her large comrade.

By her lead they made their way across the castle, passing by a few of their members, till eventually they stopped at the double doors of the old workshop. Opening the doors for him the large man stepped forward taking in the sights of the antique workplace, and the decrepit state it was in.

"Nuffle's nards, they really let this place go." He said with a disappointed tone. "Seriously look at this, did they just drop everything and bail?" He asked picking up a bucket of spilled nails up from the dust covered floor, though not before fishing out a spider that had made it its home.

"You got me there. By the time I joined, that old complex in Shiganshina was already our HQ." Hange replied, while she too looked around the depressing looking room with a frown. This room would need much more than a thorough clean up, it would need a complete renovation, with the most up to date necessities.

Then again Maverick did have experience with old forges, so maybe they wouldn't have to put so much resources in it. Though a cleanup was certainly in need.

Spotting a cloth covered piece in the corner of the room she wasted no time and uncovered it. Although she seemed to have done it a little too fast as a cloud of dust filled her vision, and mouth. Spitting out the dust and wiping her goggles she soon laid eyes on what was covered and let out a gasp.

"*Gasp* MAV, MAV, LOOK!"

With a few long steps he made his way to her side just as she pulled out a sword from the now revealed weapon rack. Though she seemed to struggle holding it, having to use a bit more muscle than usual.

The sword itself looked quite similar to their own, with a similar one edge shape and segments along the blade. Though one clear difference was that instead of controller grips was the more traditional hilt, guard, and pommel.

"Can you believe this?!" She exclaimed while holding the blade towards him. "These are the swords that the scouts of old used to use!" While she continued to ramble on and admire the weapon in her hands Maverick grabbed one from the rack and inspected it for himself.

He held it with one hand, and like many of the weapons and tools in this world, it was far too small for him. Though he had little trouble in wielding the small weapon as he took a few swings at the air. Hange watched in amusement as he struck an imaginary foe, aiming for vital points, before shifting his hold into a reverse grip and striking a defensive pose.

"Hmmm…still in pretty good condition." He remarked, running his large finger across the segmented blade. As he continued to inspect it he was surprised by the considerable lack of any rust or wear in the blade, a surprising detail considering the decades it was in this abandoned fort.

"That's probably due to the iron bamboo in the sword." Maverick raised a brow, for this was the first time he had heard of this odd sounding material. "Iron Bamboo?" He repeated, receiving a firm nod from his superior.

"Yep. Sure it's pretty much outdated now but back then-"

"What're you two doing?" Turning their heads they saw the figure of Levi standing near the open doors, his usual flat uncaring look staring them down. "You got time to lean, you got time to clean." He said, slowly making his way towards the two.

"Just taking a little break, is that a crime?" Maverick asked with a smirk. Taking Levi's silence as a yes he restarted his conversation with his squad leader.

"So what were you saying about the bamboo?" With a smile she continued while presenting the old blade.

"Well, like I said it's pretty outdated by now, but back then it was pretty much humanities sole resource against the titans." She elaborated. "It's a rare kind of plant that's believed to literally absorb the metallic elements from the ground, thus making it very hard and durable!"

She continued to list off all she knew of the mysterious material, even Levi listened in with some minor interest as he took a look around the room. She further went on about how despite it being completely phased out in favor of ultrahard steel it still managed to find some uses as a component to the nets their new restraining guns used, as well as the much larger varieties used by the Garrison.

"Thinking about setting up shop here?" Levi suddenly asked.

"Well it'd be a waste to just leave this entire smithy to rot." Hange let out an excited giggle while Levi simply nodded. "Which is why we should get back to it."

Handing Maverick a broom all three began to clean the workshop in earnest, each of them taking one spot in the room. As the two members of Delta began to work and talk, Levi started to get lost in his own thoughts, more specifically at the prospect of their glowing comrade crafting a variety of weapons.

He wouldn't say it aloud but the idea of having a weapon crafted by their resident demigod sounded quite promising, despite the political shitstorm that would most certainly occur the moment the bigwigs in Sina got word.

Still, the promise of a set of blades crafted by him outweighed the consequences, in his opinion. If he could give them an edge in killing titans then by all means go ahead, wouldn't find him complaining. Besides, what the hell could they possibly do?

The people of Maria loved him, the people of Rose were warming up to him, a literal cult was formed just to kiss his ass, he had the unofficial support of the Premier and other military officials, and not to mention the fact he had the strength to bisect a titan with his own hands. If the man wants to make some weapons for them, then they'd dam well better let him do it.

Not like they had anything or anyone even close as an equal to him…

-oOo-

A while later…

The sun was beginning to set by the time they had completed in their cleanup operation. While they hadn't been able to clean the entirety of the old castle, they had made quite a respectable dent, despite some choice comments from the halfling.

"Well, still not much to look at, but you can eat and shit inside." He said, looking back at the now lit up entrance to the castle. As both the first and second strongest scouts stood outside the sudden sound of jingling alerted the smaller of the two. Looking to the marked man he was met with a large hand holding out a few coins to him.

"Here, for your services." He looked up to see the large man looking down at him. Despite the large beard masking his lower face he could dam well see the shit eating grin. "I'll be sure to put in a glowing review for y-"

Maverick never got to finish as the end of a broom handle struck his stomach. Letting out a hoarse laugh he went down on one knee, still holding the coins in his hands. Despite his state Levi could tell he was faking it. With a huff he looked back towards the outer field, not before pocketing the money.

He'd be stupid not to take free money. If that's how Maverick wanted to waste his pay then so be it.

"It'll cost you more next time." A small smirk appeared on his face as he watched him get back up, as if it didn't happen at all. Only for it to disappear as he spotted a group of people making their way out of the forest. "Oh, right on time."

Maverick looked in the direction the halfling was looking at and smiled, waving at the now revealed scouts as they approached.

"*Chuckles* This the next phase of my little surprise?" He asked while receiving a couple waves back from the arriving group. Levi nodded and, in a rare act of camaraderie, patted his lower back.

"Consider it the housewarming party." He said all that needed to be said as the two watched in comfortable silence as Erwin arrived at the castle atop his white mare, alongside Miche, his squad, Moses, Klaus, and many of the scouts.

"Did you bring the entire regiment?" Maverick asked, looking past the commander to see many more scouts on horseback making their way out of the forested area.

"And a few others." Erwin turned back and gestured to someone behind him, revealing themselves to the marked man. It was none other than Commander Pixis, dressed in a rather casual sweater vest and slacks. Dismounting his horse he approached the man of the hour and the two shook hands.

"Dot, didn't expect to see you." Maverick said in a jovial tone, a feeling reciprocated by the elder commander.

"*Chuckles* I wouldn't have missed an occasion like this for the world my giant friend. Besides it gives me the chance to present you this." Going for a satchel attached to his horses saddle he brought out a package and presented it to the large man.

"Oh, thank you." Opening the gift it revealed a large box with a printed emblem of a moustache and a comb, with a passage on the bottom.

"~The essentials for any dapper gentlemen~"

"Had these made with your size in mind. Cost me quite a bit, but when it comes to one's hair, no price is too high." He said while stroking his moustache. Maverick closed the case and gave the commander an appreciative smile as well as a gentle shoulder pat.

Turning back to Smith he saw a figure that he didn't recognize by the commander's right side. Though his face was a bit familiar, he was ashamed to say he was drawing a blank.

"And you are?" The figure looked a bit surprised for a moment, before he sighed and dismounted as well.

"Hmph, not even a year and you've already forgotten eh?" The figures voice was immediately recognized, and Maverick let out a very audible "Gegh?!" As he realized who he was speaking to.

"K-Keith?!" Maverick shouted. He couldn't believe that the now bald and ghoulish looking man was the same man that had lead the scouts year prior.

"Keith's here?" Came Hange's voice from inside the castle. Seconds later she and the rest of Delta appeared out the entrance door, only to stop in place as they took their first looks at the bald man standing before them

"Zoë." Was all he said to confirm his identity. Hange had to readjust her goggles a few times, in order to make sure what she was seeing was truly the previous commander, while Moblit simply stood with a slack jaw. The other members simply stared in confusion at the bald man in a Training Corps coat.

"Wow, Comm-Keith….you've uh…changed." Hange tried her best to not sound too surprised by his change in appearance. The previous commander simply nodded, just as Maverick began to speak again.

"S-So how's it going? Last I heard you joined the Training Corps." A small smile appeared on his face, though it soon went away as he talked in regard to what he'd been doing since he resigned.

"You heard right. Been trying to get the 101 in shape, getting them ready for when it's their turn to choose." He let out a low and resigned sigh. "Suppose the soldier in me doesn't want to leave yet."

"He rarely does." Maverick agreed. "Especially when it's all you've known all your life." He knew what the previous commander was going through, after all, it wasn't that long in his lifetime when he had to readjust to a more peaceful existence.

Before the two could continue Erwin placed a hand on the marked man's shoulder, giving him an apologetic smile.

"As much as I hate interrupting gentlemen, we do have food with us that needs to be reheated." Maverick and Shadis nodded, deciding it was best to save this conversation for later. "I trust you made some progress with the cleaning?" Erwin asked his captain, who gave a quick response.

"Got the major areas. Kitchen, dining room, bedrooms, latrines…" Keiji and Harold began to shudder at the mention of the restrooms. The traumatic task they were given would most certainly give them nightmares for the next few weeks.

"Excellent. We'll get all this set up immediately." Gesturing to Miche and the others squad leaders they dismounted and alongside their squad mates began to unload the contents of the carts they brought. "Need help?" The large man asked ready to assist, only for Erwin's arm to stop him in his tracks.

"No, no Maverick. Allow us." Stepping aside he allowed his new house guest to bring in all the necessities for this large get together. The new owner of the castle was surprised by just how many had arrived, for it seemed that the commander had truly brought the entire regiment today.

For possibly the first time in this land, a bead of sweat formed on his marked forehead, for he worried that perhaps-no, he knew there was not going to be enough seating for everyone. Turning to his squad mates and Levi they all shared the same looks.

In a silent agreement he gestured for them to follow him inside, in a desperate last minute search for anything that could be used for seating.

-oOo-

Inside the Dining Room

The space available inside wasn't enough to house the entirety of the Scout Regiment, so quite a few scouts found themselves having the pleasure of eating in the patio outside the entrance, which they didn't really mind, for the view of the sun setting over the forest was quite a relaxing sight.

Meanwhile the scene in the dining room was nothing short of chaotic. Many a scout were seated shoulder to shoulder on a variety of things that were not even chairs. Barrels, crates, even a few small tables were used as seating. Regardless this didn't deter from the cheery atmosphere as everyone was enjoying themselves.

At the center of it all was the man of the hour himself, seated on his large custom chair that the regiment had brought over from the HQ. To his right sat Smith, Pixis, and Keith. While on his left was Moblit and the other members of their squad. Surrounding them as well were the many senior scouts and a few of their squad mates listening intently to a discussion currently going on in regard to the castle itself.

"So you got this big fancy castle all to yourself eh? Still can't believe a place like this was all the way out here." Moses remarked, eyeing around the castle walls.

"Oh believe it lad, this fortification has been standing since I was but a mere cadet." Replied Pixis just as he took a swig from his flask and reminisced about his youth. "So much history in this old castle, of days when hopes for the Survey Corps were high." The elder turned to the large man seated to his left.

"Only fitting for the man who brought that light back into our lives to claim it. *Chuckles*" Cheers sounded as the marked man and the commander exchange smiles and clicked their drinks together.

"Your words warm my big ol' heart Dot. Still, got a lot of refurbishing to do before I can actually live in here."

"Yeah it's pretty depressing to be honest. N-No offense!" Moses suddenly sputtered out, only to receive a knowing and unoffended look from his comrade.

"Oh don't worry, I'm gonna remodel the shit out of this place. Already got some ideas in the ol' noggin."

As Maverick went on to speak about the plans he had in store for the castle there was another conversation going on between two friends. Seated on two crates were Hange and Marlene, the latter currently grilling her bespectacled friend about her afternoon with the seven foot tall man.

"So…had fun on your little outing?~" She asked as her eyebrows lifted and lowered at a rapid pace. Hange failed or refused to acknowledge her comrades teasing tone as she replied in her usual up-beat tone.

"I did, even learned something new about our dear comrade." This piqued Marlene's interest as she scooted closer to her friend.

"Ohhh? Do tell." Hange was about to speak before she hesitated, as once again she struggled to fully explain and describe what she had heard from him that afternoon, especially considering the implications as to the origins of the melody. Though she would try her best.

"Well…He has quite a singing voice." Marlenes eyes widened immediately at this revelation. Chuckling to herself she patted Hange's back, nearly spilling their drinks in the process.

"Oh-ho! Did he sing you a nice little serenade?" A bit of red appeared on the squad leaders cheeks as she tried to find the right words to describe the context of Maverick's song.

"No…it was something more…personal to him." Marlene raised a brow, a bit confused at what she meant by that. Before she could ask further the sound of a clinking glass sounded.

"Alright everyone settle down." Erwin said in a raised tone. Everyone stopped their conversations and turned to the commander, who had risen from his seat. Coughing into his hand he prepared to give another one of his grand speeches.

"As we all know today is a most sacred day, a day of both sorrow and joy. For today marks two events that have shaken humanity to its core. The first is the attack on the district, when the Colossal Titan breached the outer gates of the Shiganshina District, proving that the Walls are not as impenetrable as a certain religious organization might claim."

"And they still do…" One scout whispered in a sharp tone, with many others voicing out their agreements.

"Of course many lost their lives that day, friends, family, brothers, sisters...Yet this day also marks the day when the scouts met the man who would turn the tide in humanity's favor. For the damage to the district would have been far, far worse than any of us could have imagined, had he not fought alongside us." With his drink in hand Erwin turned to the large man seated at the center of the dining hall, the one for whom they all were gathered here.

"This man, this one man army, blessed by divine forces from countless worlds beyond our reach, dealt a heavy blow to our enemies. Not only by culling the titan horde, but for slaying the one titan that had its sights for the district's inner gate!"

Claps and cheers erupted from the scouts, alongside a few claps from both Pixis and Keith the latter with a very rare smile on his face.

"I know you'll say that it was a team effort, but quite frankly Maverick, you were the MVP." Voices cried out in agreement none more loud than the Gelgar who was already looking a bit lightheaded.

"Yeah!...Wha doesh tha mean?" He slurred to the amusement of his teammates.

"Most Valuable Player." Erwin explained receiving a thumbs up from the scout before he slumped down back into his seat.

"Your actions that day saved not just the district, but the entire population residing inside Wall Maria. Which is why we are here, to celebrate and honor you." He closed in on Maverick, placing his free hand on the man's broad shoulder.

"You've told us many stories of the places you've traveled too, lands far beyond that you have called home. We hope with this you might consider Wall Maria home as well."

Maverick's eyes widened slightly, as a certain warm feeling began to fill his heart. Though before he could speak the commander turned to his scouts once more and raised his glass into the air, prompting the others to do the same.

"A toast to Maverick, the man from beyond the walls! The Titan Slayer! The Savior of Shiganshina!"

Clinking glasses and cries of joy erupted from the dining room as well as outside the castle. Even Levi who was standing by a corner raised his own cup in salute. The cheers lasted for a few moments before Erwin raised his free hand once more.

"But above all else…we are here to say our thanks to our comrade, for everything he's done."

A barrage of thanks and compliments sounded off, all the while the man of the hour reclined in his seat, a smile hidden under his beard. Wanting to put in his own two cents he held his custom made mug and rose it high. "And thank you all as well…for not trying to burn me at the stake on the first day."

"As if we could!" Laughter erupted from Moses' comment. Indeed not even in their wildest dreams could they hope to ever best the man who could slaughter hordes of titans with ease, and as many of his stories told, there were others far stronger than the scouts who had struggled and fallen before him.

"But in all seriousness, I can't tank you all enough for making my time here as pleasant as can be. Considering what we have to deal with outside!" Voices from all present cried out in agreement. With the pleasantries concluded the party continued, with everyone stuffing themselves and enjoying in each other's company.

"So are these little shindigs common in the regiment?" Marlene asked with a raised brow. For she had expected her time in the scouts to be a bit more overall dour with days of all train and no play.

"Oh no, just a lot of reasons to celebrate lately." Hange said looking towards her marked comrade. Her friend nodded in understanding, before a smirk formed on her lips as she returned to the previous topic of their conversation.

"Sooooo….can't help but notice you've been eyeing him up a lot more often than usual.~"

"Eh?" Turning to Marlen she was met with a Cheshire-like grin stretched across Marlene's face. Not wanting to entertain her she attempted to speak as if her teasing wasn't getting to her.

"W-Well, it's rather difficult not to look away from him." Marlene turned back to the large man seated in the center. While she could admit, his bushier facial appearance certainly turned some heads, she knew that wasn't the sole reason for her friend's more frequent gazes.

"Yeah…that new beard is certainly an eye catcher. But that not the real reason right?" She pressed further only for her friend to turn to her with a slightly irritated look. "What are you getting at?" She asked in a hushed tone.

All she got out of her friend in response was a chuckle and a grin, just as the doors to the castles interior opened to reveal the sight of Squad Miche's resident tomboy, with a steaming tray in her hands. "Sorry it took so long Mav, here."

Placing the deep dish tray in front of him she was met with a curious look from the man. "Oh thanks Nana. What is it?" With a smirk she responded.

"Remember a while back when you showed me one of your favorite dishes?" A sudden look of realization appeared on his bearded face making the woman's smirk turn into a full smile. "I decided to have a crack at it."

-oOo-

Flashback, a month prior…

It was a few days after the reopening of the Shiganshina district and Maverick had wanted to treat the squad with something special for the occasion, that being a dish from his homeland.

As he entered their HQ's kitchen he was greeted by the head chef Jules and the rest of the staff, including a certain blonde from Miche's squad.

"Oh Nana didn't think you'd be helping out today." He greeted the woman, who was dressed in casual clothing, and sporting an apron that hugged her torso. In truth he had not spoken much to her since he trounced Miche during their mock fight, only the few greetings and looks. He wondered if she still held some animosity.

"Well, I'm not wearing this apron just for show." She said in a sarcastic tone as her narrowed eyes stared into his, only for a small smirk to form on her lips. A huff escaped his breath as the staff let out a few chuckles.

"Well glad you're on board then." A more genuine smile formed on her face as she and the other cooks gathered around him. "So what are we making today?" Asked the head chef with the others joining in.

"Yeah, words been going around you gonna make a little something from your homeland." Maverick nodded giving off one of his signature grins. "You heard right."

With a clap of his hands he continued. "So everyone, first off, thank you for basically doing this dish for me, I'd honestly do it myself but considering everything here is far too small for my sausage fingers." A few sharp laughs erupted from the kitchen. "This dish is a favorite of mine. A little something called Shepherd's Pie…"

He began to explain the recipe and the process in making it. The gathered chefs listened intently and paid close attention as he wrote down all the necessary steps and ingredients needed to actually make this dish a reality. Luckily all that they needed was found in abundance in their pantry especially the meat, as they had received a supply of lamb from a local farm.

With everything needed gathered Maverick had the staff separated into multiple groups. One would be tasked with preparing the vegetables, another the mashed potatoes, and another would handle preparing the minced meat. All the while he would observed them and make sure to prevent any mishaps, which quite honestly wasn't necessary. These people were professionals after all, including Nanaba surprisingly.

"So Nana, when'd you learn? If you don't mind me asking." The woman didn't look back to him as she froze for a moment.

"Ah, well…" She tried to gather her thoughts, before quickly resuming her cutting. "I'm self-taught…"

"Really? No help from your folks?" He pressed, only to quickly realize he had stepped on a landmine as he watched her shoulders rise and her cutting quicken.

"You could say that…" He knew he had brought up a very sensitive topic, for the slight hint of animosity in her voice was clear. Wanting to get things back to the previous good vibes he attempted to stray the conversation back to her cooking abilities.

"Well, you clearly have the talent." He began. "Hell, maybe when all this titan business is over you might consider opening a restaurant, or a food cart." The other chefs present voiced their agreements, all the while Nanaba kept at her work, adamant in hiding her sudden embarrassed yet pleased face.

"That'd be nice." Was all she said offering the large man a sideways glance, a small smile on her face. He was happy to see she had reverted back to her previous mood, he'd have to just steer clear of any topics related to family matters in the future.

After defusing that mine everyone continued with their work eventually putting all the ingredients together to make the pie and placing the dish in the oven. While everyone held satisfied and content looks as it baked, Nanaba was by far the one who had enjoyed it the most.

For it was more than just making an unknown dish for the first time, but to spend some time with an individual she had wanted to get closer too for some time. Ever since that day the two hadn't been on speaking terms, besides the usual greetings and glances.

She didn't hold any ill will to him, whatever hostile emotions she had that day had long since faded. So when she heard he was planning on doing this she saw it as a chance to rekindle their camaraderie.

Yep, just two comrades cooking a meal together, nothing more, nothing less…

-oOo-

Back to the Present…

"Ohhh would you look at that." As he raised the lid Maverick was met with the familiar aromas and the sight of a large serving of Shepard's Pie. He took notice of the well-cooked golden brown mashed potatoes with little bits of melted shredded cheese on top, which honestly surprised him.

"And you did it all on your own?" Nanaba nodded while unconsciously rubbing her left arm, all the while still managing to keep eye contact, at least she thought she was looking straight at him.

"Had the recipe memorized for a while now, thought that today would be a good reason to try it again." He sent her an appreciative smile her way, before taking his large serving spoon and digging into the pie.

"Mashed taters…wow." Gelgar commented under his breath, only to receive a sharp elbow strike to his side, courtesy of Lynne. He was about to double over until he saw the piping hot piece of food that Maverick had on his spoon. What he thought was simply mashed potatoes was only the top layer, while beneath it was a bottom layer of meat and what looked to be some carrots and other greens mixed in.

Everyone remained in silent awe as they watched the large man take a bite, and then watched as his glowing eyes widened for a few seconds. Their looks turned to confusion as he chewed a few times before slowly rising from his seat.

He slowly turned to the blonde haired woman who had a slight look of worry, only for her too to have a confused look as the man placed both his large hands on her shoulders.

"Mav?" She murmured, only to see the marked man give her a very warm yet slightly pained smile under his beard, which made her heart nearly skip a beat.

"You truly have a talent Nana, don't let it go to waste…"

A few seconds of silence remained as he returned to his seat and continued to eat. Suddenly a few claps were heard from the gathered scouts, before the room erupted into cheers, all the while Nanaba held a proud yet embarrassed smile, even her squad leader sent a thumbs up her way. The previous atmosphere returned with everyone getting back to their meals and drinks.

"Ohhh, well wasn't that sweet, right Hange?" Marlene turned to her friend, only to be met with silence.

"Hange?" The bespectacled squad leader said not a word, her eyes still on her squad mate and the blond tomboy from Miche's squad, watching as they continued to talk and laugh.

Her friend couldn't help but stifle a chuckle, as she saw Hange's grip on her drink harden ever so slowly. She could act dumb all she wanted, but for Marlene, a girl who had seen, and felt such feelings before, it was obvious that there was something brewing inside her friend.

Just so happened that she had some competition.

Before she could tease her any longer a conversation between Maverick and his squad mate entered into her ears, and she soon found herself listening in.

"Hey sir, so what you saying back then?" Maverick gave a confused look, to which Keiji reminded the man. "About that Durge guy?"

"Oh yeah, that prick…" His choice of words to describe the person raised some brows.

"I assume this Durge wasn't the most pleasant individual?" Pixis asked while taking a sip from his flask.

"*Chuckles* That's one way to describe Ol' Noodle Boy…"

For the rest of the night the marked man had all in attendance enraptured and sitting at the edge of their seats as he told of his many bouts with the bloodthirsty, borderline psychopathic, and nigh immortal bounty hunter. From their fateful meeting on Ohma-D'un, to their multiple other fights across many other planets, all in a galaxy far, far, away…

-oOo-

After the get-together, atop one of the Castle Towers

It was late in the night, and everyone had either returned to the HQ, or back to Wall Rose. All except Maverick who had decided to stay in the castle for a while longer. It was his new home after all, though he would seriously have to do some major renovations, that old bed in his new private quarters was not gonna support him anytime soon.

Still, an entire castle all for himself was quite a gift, even if the location definitely left much to be desired. But he was never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, especially one as grandiose as this.

Standing near the edge of the castle tower and wearing his new robe he overlooked the view of the forest listening to the crickets and other nocturnal wildlife.

"*Chuckles* Pretty fancy digs they got for me, eh darling?" He took out his journal of photos and flipped to the page containing the images of his last beloved and his children. Even though he had drawn them much younger than they were at the time he departed, it was how he remembered them.

"A year….a damn year since the day I left you all…And dropped into this giant mess of a world…" He said while looking up at the stary realm above. The man sighed as he eyed the many new and unrecognizable stars and possible constellations that filled the night sky.

"Not to say it's all bad…met some good people..." The many faces of the scouts and the people of Wall Maria and Rose entered in his mind, as well as the members of the new Delta Squad. A sigh escaped his breath as his shoulders slumped, as his eyes returned to the notebook in his hands.

"I know we had this talk already…but I…I still feel it needs to be said." He took a deep breath as he attempted to calm himself, preparing to say what he needed to say to his late family.

"Willow, Ella, Malon…no words can describe how happy you've all made me…"

"Meeting you for the first time, the years we spent together, the memories we shared…bringing you two into the world, watching you grow…they will always hold a place in my heart…"

"But it's been a year…and I need to move on." His face hardened as he spoke those words. Despite what he said there was still an ache in his heart, a sign that he still very much cared for them.

"Thats not to say that I've stopped loving you, or any of you." The pages of the book in his hand began to flip around, to the faces of the many he had loved throughout his lifetimes.

"Rin...Holly…Bonnie...Agnès…Shi…Say'ri…Elizabeth…Vert…Leone…Celestine…Newt. You've all made every life I've lived a joy, despite all the craziness..." A small smile then formed on his lips. "And something tells me that I'll find someone like that here again."

The smile fell again as he looked to the stars once more. Despite the many times he had been able to find another significant other, there was always this aching feeling he had. A feeling that he was dishonoring their memories. Regardless of what many had said to him about it. Even if in death they parted and that it was alright to find someone new, the pains in his heart would linger.

"Please understand, you all still hold a place in my heart…but…" He took another deep breath as he could feel the water form in his eyes.

"I….I don't want to live that kind of life again. I just can't…" He cringed as the memories of those lifetimes came flooding back into his mind, but only for a few moments. Nothing more than what-ifs and regrets at this point.

He turned once more to the starry sky, just in time to see a few shooting stars fly across, leaving trails of multi-colored hues as they passed. As he continued to watch the phenomenon a sudden memory flashed in his mind, that being the time he watched a shower of falling stars with dear Ella when she was young.

"Look at the lights papa! They're so pretty!

The image of his dear Ella's smile finally did it for him, as a single tear began to streak down his face. He closed his notebook quickly, just before the drop could stain any of the pages.

His joyful and starry-eyed little girl, how she always loved watching the shooting stars, even dreamed of touching one.

Despite the utter impossibility of that dream, he still regretted not being able to make it come true.

Releasing another deep sigh he placed his book under his arm and simply continued to stargaze, and finally concluding his talk with his many late beloveds, making a wish upon those streaking lights in the cosmos.

"I just hope that one day, when my days are done…when I can finally rest…I hope I can find a place with all of you once again, to hold each and every one of you, and our children, in my arms…to feel your touch once more…"

He stood completely motionless, his eyes still on the night sky, even as the last of the shooting stars departed. Looking down at his hands he clenched them into fists, steeling himself as he prepared to fully live his life in this giant infested world to its fullest.

"Until then…guess I'll just keep myself busy with these titans. *Chuckles*" Stretching his back he made his way down the tower, ready to finally head back to HQ. He had said all he wanted and needed to say to his family. He just hoped that somehow, they had received his words.

Had he stayed atop the tower a couple seconds more he would have noticed one last falling star soar across the night sky, a very special looking one. For despite the speed it moved it was still visible enough to notice it left behind a blue trail of two lights as it passed, a twin tailed star if you will.

A/N: On this day, June 6th of the year 2021, after reading a VERY unsatisfying story I went ahead and finally decided to have a go at making my own fanfiction. I honestly didn't really expect to gain much traction, considering the popularity of this series waning with the anime's finale, and the manga's...ending. This was something I just wanted to do as a form of coping with the story I read.

But lo and behold I managed to gain an audience, to which I am very grateful to have. Its honestly a pretty nice feeling to know there are some people on this planet that think your story is worth getting invested in, especially for a year. I just hope I can continue to give you all an entertaining read for as long as I can.

Once again I thank each and every one of you for supporting my story, and hope you stick around for a couple more years as this story unfolds.

Anyways onto the recap. This chapter, alongside this story's one year anniversary, cements the fact that Maverick has lived on Paradis for a year, with the scouts and the people of Shiganshina celebrating that fact.

The castle gifted to him is of course the same castle HQ that was used to keep Eren in the original series, now instead serving as Maverick's summer home in the Walls. For the sake of the story I placed its location in Wall Maria instead of Rose, as I figured that the scouts of old would have wanted to be as close to the outer wall as possible, regardless of its poor location.

I've also wrapped up that little plot point with Maverick's order from Toby. With access to a forge now expect some new toys to be added into both Maverick's and the Survey Corps' arsenals later on, alongside the ripples that it will cause.

Also got plenty of references and callbacks to some of Maverick's previous lifetimes, some more on the nose than others. I figured that Maverick would reminisce more about his other lives at this point in the story, especially his previous family.

Now I'm no expert in romance and love, but I like to think that a year spent in mourning would be enough time for someone to move on and try to get back on the saddle. Once again I'm no expert in relationships, much less knowing the pains of losing a significant other. Speaking of which…

We get to see the developing feelings of two certain women, towards a certain marked man. I think it was obvious as to who the second of Maverick's admirers was going to be, as I alluded to it a few times in the story. Though I bet some are wondering where the fuck that whole cooking thing came from.

Well first off, I had originally planned to include that whole scene in the previous chapter, but later removed it in favor of including it here, I think the one year anniversary of my story's existence is better suited, also I like Sheperd's Pie, and wanted to include something about it in my story. Pretty sure the people of Wall Maria would have something of the equivalent to Shepard's Pie, but we never get such info from Isayama, so consider this the dish's debut in Paradis.

It also gave me a chance to write a little moment between Nanaba and Maverick, seeing as they're from two separate squads, I figured this scene would help develop their relationship, but why cooking? Well, we don't see much of Nanaba's character in the series, besides the few bits we got before her death, so I decided to include some non-canon aspects of her…personality? Not sure it's the right word. Anyways I decided to add some bits into her character, my main sources being the Junior High Manga, as well as the Attack on Titan Tactics game(R.I.P). Like I've said before I hope I can make their budding relationship as organic as possible.

Pop Quiz! Can you name all the series from which Maverick's previous loves originate from? Get them all right and you'll receive a virtual cookie!

Guess that's all I wanted to say. Next chapter, the scouts will be getting prepared for their future expeditions, with the help form their resident superhuman. Won't say much, other than they will be put through quite the ordeal.

Thanks for reading and hope to see you next time!

Edit 1/31/2023: Changed around the names of Mav's lovers. Done this a few times in the last few months to be honest, apologies for that. The more I think about those specific worlds he's been to, the more I think about who he truly gets together with. So as of now, consider those women the main girls of those respective lifetimes. Till I change my mind and change them around again...

Oh, and for this special occasion, a little special outro for this chapter...

Special Anniversary Closing Credits

Closing Theme: Will The Circle Be Unbroken (Sung by Maverick's imaginary VA, in English.)

As the song begins we see a few shots of Shiganshina, now repopulated and lively. The market bustling with commerce, children playing leapfrog in the streets, people paying their respects to the memorial stones.

As well as the sight of the new outer gates' emblem and a shot of the defensive fortifications, with members of the Garrison being greeted by people below.

Scene changes to the sight of Delta Squad walking along the main street, heading towards an unknown location, all the while being greeted by the people.

View changes to Maverick whom while still keeping a smile, has a rather far off look as he watches his surroundings, just as scenes of old looking towns and cities from his previous lifetimes flashing before his eyes.

They pass by a large cathedral like building, now being used by the Order of the Morning Star, with Cornelius preaching to some gathered denizens. At the sight of his idol he waves to him with many others turning back to do the same. The demigod smiles and waves back to the excitement of his followers.

Looking back to his squad mates he's met with Hange giving him a cheeky grin, which he brushes off to the squad's amusement.

While his squad mates talk amongst themselves his sights are on his surroundings once again, as the summer breeze blows his hair and rustles his beard, he closes his eyes for a few moments, unaware of the many eyes ogling him, especially those of a man in a fedora hidden amongst the crowd.

The scouts make it to a store near the marketplace, though before Maverick goes in he looks at a gathered crowd dancing in the center of the market square, as music is being played. As he stares at one couple enjoying themselves, their figures suddenly change to a much younger version of himself and his first late beloved.

Sighing he turns towards the stores reflective glass, and is startled to see yet another younger, and less altered version of himself. Rubbing his eyes he sees himself as he is once again, as well as what is displayed inside the store. With a smile under his beard he joins his squad as they shop for a few things.

Scene changes to the squad entering the barrier between the residential and defensive areas of the district. As they pass the Wall'O'Guns they greet Hannes and Hugo who are on watch atop the bunker.

Scene changes to Delta atop the wall, enjoying some sandwiches they purchased while sitting on the ledge of the outer Wall. While the younger scouts are seen taking off bits of their food and throwing them at the titans below, the three veterans look out towards the greater lands beyond, with Hange's and Mavericks hands just barely touching.

As the song nears its end the scene changes to a shot of Maverick's new home, as it fades into a shot of the patio, the dining room, the hallways, till finally reaching the basement.

Shot shows a view of Maverick placing something on the candle lit wall, he backs up before readjusting the object and smiling warmly. Shot changes revealing it to be the picture of Willow and their children inside newly bought picture frames and placed atop a shelf installed in the room.

Scene changes to Maverick walking towards the door and exiting the room, not before taking one last look at the pictures, which reveals that he has framed the drawings of his many friends and family of his past lives. Final scene stays on the large mural of hand drawn headshots as the ending credits end.