The Red String of Fate

A Choice to Make

"It's a match!" the nurse cried out, as everyone but Levi, Mikasa, and Zeke let out a collective cheer.

Mikasa quickly agreed to the blood transfusion, and was taken away by the nurse, being led to a room where she would undergo the needed procedure.

Levi exhaled and looked at Armin, then Zeke.

"See! I told you it was all going to be okay!" Zeke smiled, and took a sip of the coffee he had been nursing throughout the night, " My Nathalie can handle anything!"

"I SAID FUCKING PUSH!" Nathalie's voice was booming as she ordered Anya to try once more to ignore the pain she was feeling, and deliver her children safely. Anya screamed, as she felt the ripping sensation penetrate her to her very soul. Tears streamed from her eyes and down her cheeks. It was the most unimaginable pain, amplified. Amplified a million times.

She did the breathing she was instructed to, the nurses leading her through the motions, but she couldn't help but wish it was him that was there with her - holding her hands and reminding her to breathe. Reminding her of all of the exercises and breathing that they had learned together from Nathalie. Wishing she could see him and hold him there with her until either her babies were being handed to her or she would die.

There was nothing Anya wouldn't do to see him again. She knew he was right on the other side of the door, unable to come in with her, but it felt like he was a million miles away. She had always pictured that at this moment he would be standing next to her, holding her hand. Awaiting their children being in his arms, handed to him by the nurses - instead of them being placed in the bassinets that were near the door, where one of her babies already laid, being watched over by a nurse instead of their father. She could feel the tears in her eyes welling up, this time from more than just the physical pain she was experiencing throughout her entire body.

If this curse was real, if she was to die, he would be left to take care of their children alone. She was leaving him alone again. She was breaking that promise again.

A promise she never intended to break.

But this time, she was leaving him three little pieces of her to take care, and love, and nurture... three perfect little combinations of them, made out of love and adoration. And she knew her words were true - he would be the best father. She knew he would love them, and keep them safe, and nurture them, and put them above everything else in this world.

And Nathalie, She was doing her best - using every moment of training she had undergone to keep Anya there with her and get those babies into the world safely. Get them born into this world. One was already born, and healthy - a baby girl. There were two left. But one... one was already on the edge, and had been for much too long. It was likely - too likely that one was...

No, She couldn't think of that. What she had to focus on was keeping Anya's heart beating until the blood transfusion arrived, making sure she didn't slip away again.

Because Nathalie wasn't sure if she would be able to save her if she slipped away again.

So there she was, giving her the shots of adrenaline that her heart could hardly take any more of, while waiting on Mikasa to finish her end of the blood transfusion. Prolonging the labor in order to hopefully keep her conscious just long enough to get the blood transfusion and deliver the children. And then - she would be rushed into surgery, to stop the bleeding as best they could.

And when Nathalie saw the little head of black hair as Anya pushed and screamed and whimpered and whined. She felt relief wash over her for a moment, and helped guide the little body into the world before passing them off to the nurse. It was a little boy, who had his father's black hair, and from the quick glance Nathalie caught of his little eyes, she saw that he had his mother's bright blue eyes shining behind the tears and screams of coming into the world.