𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝗱𝗲 | 𝗿. 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗻

𝗶𝗶. 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲

"Damn it, damn it!"

"Levi, calm down..please."

The man, Levi, continued to pace the floor, his hands gripping his hair and his body shaking with anger and worry.

"We shouldn't have left Corinne, Natalia. We shouldn't have."

"And you think taking her with us would've been a better idea?" Natalia replied back, her face scrunching up in disbelief. "Of course not! I just..I don't know what to think right now. We're the only ones that's seen what these filthy bastards can do. Corinne is just a child."

"I know, Levi. She's okay, I can feel it. Let's hope she's with Carla and her kids." Natalia reassured, though it didn't Levi ease down any. A knock on the door had both of them startled and alerted that they jumped up at the quiet sound.

"Levi, Natalia.." They heard when the door opened. It was Captain Erwin of the Scouts, and he had a look of relief on his face. The question of why slipped their minds as soon as they saw a small head pop in from behind the door.

"Corinne!" Natalia was the first one to hug the young child as she entered the room. However, something was wrong. Natalia had let Corinne go to check her for any signs of injury, but nothing was there. "Corinne..honey, are you okay?"

There was no answer. There wasn't even a mutter or a whisper. Natalia furrowed her eyebrows in worry before looking up to Erwin with the burning question on the tip of her tongue.

"Was she with a woman and two kids?"

"There were three kids with her, but no woman. Was she a friend?" Erwin asked, but Natalia didn't answer either. Her heart had sunk upon hearing it. She knew, deep down, that Carla, her best friend, was gone, that the Titans had got to her. There's no mistaking it. If she was alive, even if she was separated from the children, she would've still found her way to them. Natalia looked back down to Corinne, the young child's eyes now pooling with tears as she looked to her mother.

"I went looking for Eren and Mikasa and..that's when I saw it. The Titan that ate Mrs. Jaeger.." Corinne whimpered out, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

"I'm so sorry, baby. Come here.." Natalia murmured, hugging Corinne tightly as she cried softly into her mother's shoulder. "Erwin..can my daughter stay with us? Just for tonight?"

"She may. But she'll need to go in the children's shelter tomorrow."

"Like hell she's going th-"

"Levi!" Natalia shouted, looking to Levi and shaking her head. Levi went to say something else, but Corinne beat him to it. "I'll go. Armin, Eren, and Mikasa will be there and they'll probably be wondering where I went."

"Okay, Corinne. We'll take you to your friends tomorrow." Natalia assured, Corinne letting go of her mom to hug Levi, her small arms just barely wrapping around his waist.

"I'll bring back a change of clothes and some food. You'll be fine here for tonight, kid." Erwin stated to Corinne as she pulled away and nodded.

"Corinne, what do we say?" Natalia asked with an assuring smile as Corinne looked to her mother then returning her gaze back to Erwin. "T-Thank you."

Erwin responded with a smile before he left the room, shutting the door behind him and leaving the family to themselves.

"Mom?" Corinne called quietly whilst letting Levi go, her hands clutching her tattered dress. "I'm scared..what if Titans reach us here?"

"If they do.." Levi intervened, both Natalia and Corinne looking to him, waiting for him to finish. "We'll fight them. That's all we can do. But let's just hope that won't come any time soon." Levi ruffled Corinne's hair in reassurance before he walked to the window.

"Why don't you get some rest, baby? You've had a day.." Natalia stated, Corinne nodding and tip toed over to the long sofa in the room. Corinne laid down, her mind wondering a lot of things. About Mikasa, Eren, and Armin. About the Titans outside the wall. About everything that happened. It was hard for her to close her eyes when all she could see was that Titan that feasted on Carla Jaeger. Just the small glimpse of that Titan made Corinne whimper and a shiver run down her spine. But the sense that her parents were in the room and that she wasn't alone made her less tense, but what happened today will always stay fresh in her mind. A scar that won't heal properly. Maybe it never will.