Author's note: Woo, it's a new chapter! I might get another one done this week since it's spring break, otherwise it'll be up within the next few weeks. Thanks again for the reviews, favorites, and follows and I hope you enjoy!

Are you going to help us or not?

I need some time to think.

Erwin's words and Annie's response from a few hours ago rushed through Annie's mind a she struggled to figure out what she was going to do. "Do I betray everything I've ever known on the off chance that they're right?" she asked herself out loud.

"When you put it like that it does sound a little farfetched," came a voice with a nervous chuckle. Annie tensed up as Eren walked through the door to the entrance of her cell. "Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop. I just thought you might be getting a little lonely," Eren said, rubbing a hand on his neck.

"Since when have I ever needed to talk to someone?" Annie asked, regaining her composure.

"I can leave if you want. But you seem to have a lot on your mind," Eren noted.

"How long was I in that crystal?" Annie asked, catching Eren off guard, both with her question and the sudden change in the subject. "I must have been in there a while if you want my help," she said.

"What makes you say that?" Eren asked.

"To me it's only been a few days since I crystallized myself. I still consider you my immediate enemies. But you…you've had time to find other enemies," Annie noted.

"I…I hadn't thought about it that way," Eren admitted. "You were in there for a few months," he added, giving Annie her answer. Annie's eyes widened. "How long did you think you'd been in there?" he asked.

"A few weeks," Annie admitted, her mind whirling. "How long did it take you to find out about Reiner and Bertolt?" she asked.

"Just a few days after we captured you."

"Those bastards," Annie muttered under her breath. "I knew they didn't trust me, not the way they did Marcel. A few months? And they never even bothered to try to rescue me? I don't why I expected anything different," Annie said her anger and frustration revealing themselves in a rare show of emotion from the blonde.

"I…I think they wanted to. When they captured me, Armin told them you were being tortured, and you should have seen how they reacted," Eren said, attempting to comfort them.

"That makes it even better," Annie said with a bitter laugh. My father truly is the only person on my side.

"I really think they do care about you," Eren said reassuringly. At that moment, Annie realized she was wrong. Her father wasn't the only person to care about her. She had a choice. Even though she failed her mission, she could still go home, and by helping humanity she could make sure that she could do it.

"I need to see Erwin," Annie said, a fire brewing in her eyes that Eren couldn't recall ever seeing before.

"Are you going to help us?" Eren asked his voice picking up.

"Yes."

"Now, I realize that you've agreed to help us, but I'm afraid we must still take a few precautions. While Eren may trust you, most of the other scouts don't. You'll join them for dinner tonight so that we can test everyone's reactions before you start working with Eren tomorrow," Erwin explained.

"And them?" Annie asked, gesturing her head to the soldiers surrounding her.

"They are here for your protection as well as ours."

"And you expect me to eat with me hands tied behind my back?" Annie asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Can you blame me for not trusting you entirely?" Erwin asked. "You have a habit of freeing yourself whenever we think you are secure," he noted. Annie sighed.

"Let's just get this over with," she said, already dreading this meal. The door opened to the mess hall. Cheery conversations filled the hall, and Annie was grateful to be somewhere besides her jail cell. The hall turned silent, however, as one by one the people in the mess hall notice the person that just entered. Annie felt daggers being stared at her from every direction.

"Attention soldiers," Erwin began, getting the attention of the few people who hadn't noticed Annie. "As I'm sure you are all aware, Annie Leonhardt, also known as the Female Titan, came out of her crystal prison a few days ago. Miss Leonhardt has agreed to join our cause, so I expect all of you to treat her as any other comrade. You may resume your meal," Erwin said before sitting at a table to observe the ensuing events. Whispers of discontent quickly sprouted as the soldiers around Annie lead her to an empty table. Any soldiers sitting near her table quickly moved away, resulting to standing when there were no more seats.

"This is going to be a long night," Annie muttered as she sat down. A tray of food was placed in front of her. "How am I supposed to eat this without my hands?" she asked, wiggling the hands tied behind her back.

"You could just starve and save us all the trouble of killing you when you inevitably betray us," a cold voice said.

"And here comes the beast in all her glory," Annie said dryly, still looking down at her food.

"That's rich coming from you," Jean said, coming up from behind Mikasa.

"Leave her be," a voice came from behind them, a voice that still gave Annie chills. "You heard Erwin," Levi said, and Annie looked up at him. Reluctantly, Jean and Mikasa backed away, but not before glaring at Annie. "Are you scared of me?" he asked, noticing her reaction.

"I'd be an idiot not to be. You're far stronger than any human has the right to be," Annie said, still tensed. Levi's expression didn't change.

"Don't mistake my aid for trust. I lost my squad because of you," Levi said, his tone turning darker.

"I'm aware of that," Annie said, unblinking and unflinching. After a moment she broke eye contact. "If you don't mind, I would like to eat dinner sometime tonight," she said, turning her attention the plate of food as Levi stepped away. Annie stared at it for several minutes, too proud to ask for help.

"Need a hand?" a sympathetic voice asked.

"I'm surprised you aren't attached to Mikasa," Annie snarked, refusing to give in.

"Come on, Annie," Eren said, his tone serious and sympathetic as he sat across from her.

"I'm not going to let you feed me if that's what you want," Annie said dryly. Eren chuckled.

"Of course not. Guys, why don't you let her use her hands?" he asked, addressing the guards surrounding Annie much to her surprise. "She's not going anywhere. I trust her," Eren added after the guards didn't budge. Hesitantly, the guards looked to each other and then to Erwin, who gave them a nod. Reluctantly, they cut the ropes binding Annie's hands. She slowly brought her hands in front of, using one to grab the spoon on her plate.

"Thanks," Annie said reluctantly after a moment. The guards watched her nervously, poised to take action. "Relax. Like he said, I'm not going anywhere," she added, clearly annoyed. I'm not suicidal like Eren, she thought. Eren grinned.

"I'm glad you decided to help us," he said with a small smile. Annie shrugged.

"Don't thank me yet," she said dismissively. "I'm almost surprised that only Jean and Mikasa decided to stop by," she added.

"Well, the night's still young," Eren joked, much to Annie's annoyance. "Most of them aren't sure what to feel. They're angry, but you were still one of us. Hitch and Marlowe feel the same way," he explained.

"I suppose I should be thankful that they're taking turns, though I'm not surprised that Mikasa and Jean decided to stop by," Annie said.

"Mikasa thinks you're too dangerous to keep alive, and Jean thinks you killed Marco," Eren explained reluctantly.

"Oh, I'm perfectly aware that they have no intention of trusting me," Annie noted.

"They'll come around," Eren said optimistically, placing a hand on top of Annie's, who recoiled at the touch. "I, uh…sorry," Eren said after a moment, embarrassed.

"We start work in the morning. I hope you're ready," Annie said, placing what just happened out of her mind as she stood up, the guards close behind her. "Good night," she said as she was led back to her cell.

"Good night, Annie," Eren said, mentally kicking himself.