Solitude where we are least alone

Part thrity-four: Crippling Loss

Annie's eyes fluttered open. She looked up to see Eren sitting next to her, looking down, crying into his hands.  "Eri? What's wrong?" She asked.

Eren immediately stopped making any noise as his breathe was fought in his throat.  He had to tell her that her some is dead. "A- A-... I...I'm so sorry."  Eren cried, looking at her.

"What is it?  What are you apologising for?"

"Annie I... I killed him." Erwin said. "Our son. Marco, he's dead."  Eren looked into her eyes, tears streaking down his face.

"What?" Annie said, terror spreading across her face as she remembered the events that had happened the past night.  "No... where is he?"

"I Historia and I buried him out by the beach tree.  I'm sorry." Eren said, disgusted with himself.

Annie smacked him in the face.  Then again. "You sick fuck.  You killed him.  You and your uncontrollable anger killed your son.  How does that feel?"

"When I saw him holding you, I just couldn't control myself." Eren said.

"Reiner?  He just showed up and started claiming that he would fix me.  I tried to tell him off but he wouldn't take no for an answer." Annie explained.  She finally broke down, tears streaming down her face in a state of grief that Eren didn't even know was possible.  He reached over and grabbed her pulling her close as he put a hand on the back of her head.

"Shhhhh.  It will be okay. I am so sorry but I can't help what happened." Eren whispered into her ear.

"It's not your fault.  We will have another child.  I will protect this one with my life.  Nothing will ever happen to the next one." Annie cried.

2 hours later

Historia was extremely grief ridden as well but she knew that it was nothing compared to what the other two must be feeling.  She had to stay strong for them and keep pushing forward.  She had gone shopping, buying clothes and various camping supplies for their inevitable journey.  Not only did the Scouts now know their location, so did Reiner.  She was operating on limited funds due to the fact that she needed to save some for the next village.  She ended up only being able to buy one four person tent instead of two three person tents.  Also, Eren and Annie would have to share a large sleeping bag instead of having one for everybody. Almost all of their belongings had been destroyed in the fight that reduced their house to rubble.  Somehow, the horses had managed to survive with no harm done to them along with their saddles.

As Historia returned back to the inn that they had been staying at, she decided to stop at the daycare she had been working at to say goodbye to the children. "Please don't go, Hisu nee-chan!" One of the little boys cried, grabbing her leg.  She had adopted the title of big sister during her time working there and she was just as pained to leave them.

"It will be okay. Some day, I will see you again." She said, patting the boys head.  "Someday, everything will be peaceful and I can return."

A/N: sorry for the filler!  Also, I had a lot of complaints about the last chapter and while I do appreciate suggestions, I do not like being told how to write my book.  I do not enjoy writing about dead kids, but I found it was necessary to do so to take this book into the final act.