From Marley, with Love.

Chapter 40: Ymir

Rosanna had retired back to harbor staying with the Marleyan soldiers and making some reports for the brass back home and for her own journals. Zeke and she had avoided contact after their altercation and she did not feel comfortable facing Pieck after all the bullshit that occurred between the war chief and herself. "I should've just huffed and shrugged..." she whispered to herself, "Not antagonized him more..." she frowned, "Even though he started with that remark." She chuckled, "Such a jerk." She jolted up when the door to her cabin was slammed open by a soldier, "Miss Bauer, you are needed at the wall!" he ordered her. Rosanna dropped her pencil and stood up to grab her bags. "What is going on?" she asked as she stomped over the deck to Pieck who was standing ready at the port. The soldier shrugged, before gesturing for her to go. "Fine..." Rosanna sighed and climbed onto the Cart titan's back, the two ran off quick, Rosanna had to clutch onto the reigns to make sure she did not fall off. "Do you know what is going on?" she asked Pieck, "Reiner and Bertholdt returned, with someone." Rosanna frowned, "Who? Did they find the founding?" she asked, grasping a lock of the titan's hair "No, Reiner said that it's the person who ate Marcel 5 years ago." Rosanna froze and looked in the distance, "Marcel..." She smiled, remembering the little boy. "Let's go and take a look then." She said reassured.

Pieck confidently climbed up the hill, "Where is Zeke?" Rosanna asked, only seeing the small camp. Not seeing the war chief, she bumbled around a bit, accidently kicking a half cup of cold coffee over. The cup echoed as it rolled, Rosanna quickly picked it up and chucked it in the wash bucket. She spun around when she heard scuffling come from behind her, a very sleepy blonde peeked out his head from behind the tent canvas, he groaned and rubbed his eyes. Rosanna tilted her head to the side and looked at him, slightly confused. "Was this the jaw titan?" she was ready to apprehend him until he opened his eyes and looked up at her. "Oh. hello, miss Bauer." He said, smiling at her. Rosanna smiled widely as the man stood up to his full length and he looked down at her confidently. "By god, Reiner... I didn't even recognize you!" she exclaimed, "Yes, you've shrunk, I see." Reiner chuckled. Rosanna took on a fake offended expression, "Mister, I am not that old..." The both chuckled before Rosanna remembered her kicking the cup. "I didn't wake you, did I?" she asked, Reiner shook his head, pointing at the tent. "Bertholdt kicked me in the face." He reassured her. "Ouch..." Rosanna responded. Reiner looked at her, "Not as much "ouch" as what happened here." He pointed out the bruises on her neck and jaw. Rosanna rubbed her bruises, "Oh... they don't hurt... don't worry." She smiled at him, "Got in a fight with someone in wall Rose. Some drunkard." The two looked back when they heard Bertholdt roll out of the tent. "Miss Bauer!" he greeted her, standing up and gently patting Reiner on the shoulder as he passed him. "So... where is the jaw?" Rosanna asked. Reiner and Bertholdt looked back at a sleep roll further up the wall. "I'll go get her..." he said, jogging over to the sleeping girl. "She can sleep while in full daylight?" she asked Reiner, the teen shrugged, "She just knocked out as soon as we got here, two nights ago." Reiner explained. "Aha, did you see Zeke by any chance?" Reiner nodded, "Yeah, he went back to the "Threshold" last night." Rosanna frowned, "Oh... that's odd, I haven't heard a peep from him for all of yesterday and today...." She responded. Reiner raised an eyebrow, "Well, he probably is doing his Zeke-stuff." Reiner smiled. Rosanna chuckled in a huff and nodded. Bertholdt walked up to them with a slender girl following him. "Miss Bauer. This is Ymir." He introduced the woman and the girl. The two looked at each other, taking in each other's body language. Ymir looked apathetic, tired perhaps. Even though she had slept for two days she had large circles underneath her eyes. Rosanna reached her hand out, "Nice to meet you, Ymir" the girl looked at the woman's hand hesitantly, before taking it and shaking it weakly. Rosanna felt how cold and clammy the girls' hands were, "You have an interesting name." Rosanna remarked calmly. Ymir raised an eyebrow, "It's a long story..." she looked at Bertholdt across Rosanna's shoulder. "Are you The Beast Titan?" The girl then asked. Rosanna snorted and let out a small chuckle, "No. No I am not. You must've just missed him while you slept." Rosanna cast down her eyes, "You might meet him as we get back to the threshold." Ymir nodded, Rosanna frowned and noticed the girl shivering in her ripped shirt and trousers. She took off her coat and put it over the girl's shoulders. "Let's go back, chief probably wants to talk to you two." She said looking at Reiner and Bertholdt. The two boys nodded and walked after Rosanna and Pieck, Ymir reluctantly followed, looking back multiple times before jogging up to Rosanna to walk next to her.

"So, you are the one that ate Marcel?" Zeke said, peering at Ymir from his seat. The atmosphere in the room was tense, Rosanna looked nervously from Reiner to Zeke and from Zeke's glare back to Ymir. "You have made a glorious mess of our missions, Ymir. He thought for a second, "But we might have to thank you after all, for bringing back Jaws to us." Ymir nodded. "The jaw released me from a lifetime of torture." She responded, "I am grateful for your Marcel for doing such." Rosanna nodded, she could see Bertholdt visibly shiver, Zeke always had been good at cooling down rooms with his icy demeanor. She gently squeezed his arm, hoping he would be able to ground a bit. "Ymir... I think you know what will happen when we return too Marley?" Zeke stated. Ymir nodded, "I will be eaten...." She said slowly. Rosanna could only see the side profile of the girl, not her full expression. "Yes, for the sake of the continuation of the existing Eldians on the continent." Zeke said, he looked at Rosanna. "Doctor, please take Ymir to a room where she can rest up a bit." He glared at his warriors and gestured at the two chairs in his room. "Reiner and Bertholdt, spare me some of your time. I want to ask you some things." Rosanna looked at the two boys and nodded reassuringly before putting her hand on Ymir's shoulder and leading her out of the room and into the hallway.

She installed Ymir in a spare room and walked out to her room to use the kitchenette to make a pot of tea. She returned to Ymir with two large cups and a big metal teapot. "Here, to warm up a bit." Rosanna offered the tea, Ymir took it and wrapped it in-between her hands. "Thank you." She murmured before carefully taking a sip. Rosanna curled up in a large chair, looking out the window, she heard the captain on deck give orders to his men. "I am sorry I mistook you for The Beast." Ymir said softly, "But for all clarity, who are you to this whole bunch of morons?" she asked, smirking. Rosanna was surprised by the girl's lightening mood. "I am a doctor, specialized in titan science." She said matter of fact. "Ah, I see." Ymir took a sip of her tea. "You seem too nice to take on the beast anyway." She spoke. Rosanna smiled, "Just think of me as just another moron. A less lethal one." Ymir chocked on her tea and started cackling with laughter. "You are one surprising character! You have to work with these murderers and you act like you are a mere company of actors." Rosanna raised an eyebrow at Ymir's outburst. "We are mere actors..." she said wise, "We are acting so that the Marley don't eliminate us." Ymir's expression dropped. "Wait, It's still that bad?" she asked. Rosanna simply nodded, "It has only gotten worse." Rosanna said. "There are only so many missteps we can make until we and our families are shipped off to paradise." She looked into Ymir's eyes, "But, I don't have to explain how that feels... do I?" she asked the girl, her voice darkening. Ymir shook her head, "I know exactly what you mean." She responded. Rosanna looked up when she heard the boat creak and push away from the harbor. The two women sat in silence; Ymir silently drank her tea while Rosanna thought as she swished the tea in her cup. "Ymir, take this how you want, view this as you want. For the sake of you bringing home Marcel... it's something that is of immense worth to me." She sat up and bowed her head, "Thank you..." Ymir looked shocked, her mouth agape. "No problem..." she said coolly, making Rosanna smile.

Rosanna had trouble falling asleep, it seemed that Reiner and Bertholdt slept in the room next to her and Bertholdt's bed must've been against the wall. Every couple of minutes Rosanna was woken from her slumber by a loud bang or smack against the wall from one of his arms or legs. She groaned and stirred underneath her blanket, she peeped when she heard a loud "THONK" on the wall. "That's it..." she said irritated, kicking the blanket off of her and toddling around the room. She scratched her head, tying it back with a ribbon she found. "I need a drink..." she snuck to the door of her cabin, slowly opening it and stepping into the dimly lit hallway. She heard Reiner snore softly from his room, she grinned, it felt good to have the gang back together. She remembered that the warriors had stashed some liquor in the bottom cabinet of the ship's kitchen. She shuffled to the kitchen, she frowned when she saw light come from underneath the crack of the door. "Damn it, just my luck..." she thought. She took a deep breath and carefully pushed open the door, hoping it wasn't the brass having a midnight snack. Two blood shot, blue eyes looked up at her, Rosanna froze at Zeke's appearance. She immediately turned to walk out and shut the door, not feeling good to run into him when he was so vulnerable. "Wait..." he croaked weakly. Rosanna turned her head, he pointed at the bottle of liquor. "Want some?" Rosanna smiled, "Please." She spoke. taking a chair and shoving it so it faced Zeke. "Were you crying?" she asked as Zeke poured her a glass of alcohol. Zeke shook his head, taking a swig of his drink. "You don't have to lie to me, Zeke." She said calmly, taking a sip. Zeke glared at her, opening his mouth to say something before closing it. "You can at least tell me what is bothering you, instead of downing a quart of Marley rum." She remarked. Zeke huffed, "it's good stuff, isn't it?" he asked. Rosanna nodded. "Just get it off your chest... Yeager." Zeke downed his drink, swishing it in his mouth before swallowing.

"I have a brother... on Paradis."