A nine-year old girl came bounding down the stairs of her home, footsteps thundering in excitement.
"Lauren! No running!"
"Sorry!" she yelled back, tone definitely not apologetic as the smile in her lips never left her. Today was going to be fun, she thought. Her dad—adoptive father, if you will—told her he was visiting the orphanage for some updates. He was a council head, tasked to help run the orphanage that had been personally supported by the Queen herself, located somewhere in the rural area of Wall Rose.
And, just like her father's previous visits, Lauren was coming with him.
The orphanage was one of her favorite places to go to, especially after meeting new friends there who were around the same age as her. Maybe it was also because she came from one before her current family took her in, but she felt a connection between the kids there. Except for this girl named Ella—Lauren wouldn't go so far as to say she hated the girl, just that there was this sort of rivalry between them going on. It all started when Ella made fun of her favorite pink bear plush which she always carried around with her, which led Lauren to attack her—and by attack, that meant a tug of war but with hair instead of ropes.
To Lauren's defense, she was very attached to that bear plush. Although she could never put a finger as to why.
"What's all the fuss this early in the morning?"
Lauren turned and saw her adoptive mother stepping out of the kitchen, apron hanging around her waist, a hand on her hip, and a ladle on the other.
She beamed. "We're going to the orphanage, mum!"
Her mother, a beautiful woman in her early forties, sighed but with hints of a smile. "You're not leaving without breakfast. Come over here."
"Eh? But.. Dad and I can get food on the way—"
"No buts, young lady," a third voice interrupted behind her, startling her. She whizzed around and pouted at the towering figure of an auburn-haired man with a growing stubble around his chin.
"And what do you mean we can get food on the way?" The man ruffled her hair as he ushered her into the kitchen. "There's food here at home."
Lauren huffed, but followed inside nonetheless. She seated herself beside the dining table, where a meal and plates had already been set. As the family of three settled themselves around the table to enjoy a hearty breakfast, Lauren's mother decided to ask her father if he had any other places to stop by besides the orphanage for today.
He swallowed a piece of food first before answering. "I'll stop by the HQ at Mitras. The Scouts are heading over to Liberio later—y'know, that Marleyan city I told you about, and I need to be there for the meeting."
Her parent's conversation flew through Lauren's ears from one to the next, preoccupied in finishing her food quick so that they can leave for the orphanage sooner.
Lauren had little care for what was happening to the world beyond their walls. All she knew was that there were enemies on the other side of the ocean, and that the titans were not their sole enemies all along. Other than that, she just wanted to spend her days in bliss like any other nine-year-old.
"Oh right, Lauren," her dad called for her attention. "Refrain from causing trouble with Ella later, okay?"
She pouted. "She's always the one who picks a fight with me."
"Doesn't mean you should be easily provoked," her dad sighed, lightly bonking her head.
"No way! If she wants a fight, I'll give it to her!"
Her dad—Baldrick Lovof, looked at her in resignation, before he exchanged looks with her mother. They both knew of her fiery personality. Somehow, it was already there when they took her out of the orphanage. Maybe she got it way before; after all, the one in-charge did say she was left there by military soldiers—which would explain a lot. Having a child, even though still at a young age, surrounded by soldiers was bound to have ingrained something inside her.
Lauren's mom remembered something and turned to her. "By the way, sweetie, I washed LJ earlier while you were asleep. I hung him in the clothesline outside."
With the way Lauren looked at her, you would have thought she just took her most prized plush and fed it to the titans. "Eh?!"
"It's been weeks since it was last washed—"
Without waiting for her to finish, Lauren abruptly stood up, the chair scraping behind her as she zoomed out of the kitchen.
"Lauren! You didn't finish your fo—"
"I'm done!"
Both Baldrick and his wife looked at the plate, and sure enough, it was clean. They looked at each other and sighed at their daughter's antics, although it didn't change the fact that they loved her just as much.
Lauren burst out of the door and rounded the house, sprinting to the back where they hung the laundry.
They were situated some distance from the downtown city, a little bit more secluded, although they could still see the city in the distance. Her father had said he preferred peace and quiet.
When she reached the backyard, she skidded into a stop, finally seeing the pink plush that was hanging by two clips on its ears.
She tiptoed and pulled the plush down—glad that it had already dried. She broke into a smile as she looked at the pink bear in her hands.
Its name was LJ. She never knew what it stood for—the manager who'd been in charge of the orphanage was the one who told her of the name, saying that a tall blond military man was the one who informed her of it.
And through the years, Lauren always kept this plush by her side, for reasons that were unclear to her. She never found an explanation for it, but every time she saw this plush, a sense of comfort seemed to engulf her in an embrace. A warm office, filled with laughter and yelling, and distant chatters from blurry faces that kept on calling her name with affection. Gentle hands, soft, blond hair, the scent of some cleaning agent, and there was even something small and furry that came with the vague memory.
That was all she could remember.
She heard shuffles of footsteps in front of her, and lowered the plush.
Levi stared at her.
Separating the two of them was a wooden fence, enclosing a bricked house inside. In her hands was a familiar pink thing—one that he used to despise so much, as it was an object that had been named after him in jest.
Long dark hair. Crystal-blue eyes.
She looked like—
"Levi! What are you standing there for? Let's go!" Hanji's voice called. They were just passing by this area on the way to Shiganshina, to prepare to head over to Liberio—the beginning of the last phases of this blasted conflict between Eldians and the world.
Levi was glued to his spot as he stared at the girl, who had tilted her head at him in curiosity.
For a split moment, he swore he saw them in her.
You were here all along.
A mixture of joy, relief, nostalgia, and a hint of bittersweet overcame him the longer he stared at the young girl.
You've grown.
Then he watched in mild surprise as the girl balled her fist and placed it over her chest in a proud salute, beaming at him. Judging by her reaction, she most likely no longer remembered him, but she probably recognized his uniform as a soldier.
Lauren looked happy.
In that rare moment, Levi smiled at her.
"Levi! What are you waiting for?"
He finally teared his eyes from Lauren and continued walking, catching up to Hanji some distance ahead.
His forest green cloak ruffled behind with each step. Their uniforms had long been redesigned to a new one, but he still kept wearing their signature cloak, to carry the legacy of those who'd died before him, and for old time's sake.
He craned his neck, staring at the sky, mentally assuring his old friends that, their little girl had been safe all along and had grown just fine.
It was fine with Levi that she didn't remember. Just the knowledge that Lauren was safe and sound, away from the dangers of this world, was enough. She didn't need to know about anything else and feel miserable like the rest was. She didn't need to know that, three of the people who loved and took care of her when she'd been an infant was gone from this world.
He returned his gaze ahead and saw Hanji, picking up his pace to catch up to her.
Mike, Isanna, Erwin.. I swear on my life, I will give meaning to your deaths.
And that was his promise.
THE END