A/N: Welcome to a new story! I'm only going to say this once, so be warned. This story is FUBAR x10. If you've read other works I've written, you've got a vague idea of what to expect. If this if your first time swimming through the remenants of my brain fodder, I apologize in advance and suggest therapy.

So, some warnings: There will be violence. Graphic violence. Lots of violence. Against lots of people. By lots of people. There will also be death, graphic and mentioned. There will be implied and graphic acts of terrorism. There will be graphic and implied acts of torture. There will be sexual descriptions of both the consensual and semi-consensual kind. There will be implied non-con at times. There will be things that make you feel sad inside. There might be things that make you feel nauseous. Mainly, there's a lot of fuck-up-ery going on.

If that hasn't scared you off, keep reading and enjoy!

-ALT

"Eren, get dressed, the guests will be here soon!" Carla called down the hall. Eren looked up from his game to check the time, and his eyes widened.

"Shit!" he yelped, dropping the controller and rolling off his bed.

Even as his knees slammed against the floor, the sound wasn't loud enough to drown out his mother's call of, "Don't swear!"

"Here," was all he heard before a shirt was thrown in his face. The familiar scent of cinnamon and pine engulfed him before he felt the shirt being pulled down over his head, trapping his arms against his body. When his head was finally pulled through the neck opening, he gave a disgruntled stare at the bland face of his sister.

"Thanks," he groused. She just gave a small smile, backing up and reaching for her own clothes to change into. Her back was turned to him as she pulled her school uniform off and began slipping the dress on. Eren struggled to free his pinned arms, finally getting them loose enough to slide the shirt back up, pushing his arms through the long sleeves, and then back down, hiding his naturally golden skin from view. His sweatpants were swapped for a pair of slacks, and he had to dig out a pair of trouser socks - they were still in the wrapping, never needing to be worn before - and then the new, shiny shoes he had never had the need to wear either.

After all, he didn't tend to leave the house. If he went anywhere, it was with his father to work. But that was a long time ago, and now he was too busy with school to have any outings with his dad. But his mother had decided to host a dinner party for several of the neighbours and Eren was expected to look his best, and when his mother demanded the best, no one denied her. She was already annoyed that Eren's dad, Grisha, was called into work for an emergency, and she had been quite short-tempered with Eren and Mikasa all day because of that.

"We've been planning this for weeks!" she had been arguing with her husband, even as he was changing into scrubs.

"It's an emergency and I'm on call. I can't prevent people from needing surgery, I can only perform it."

Eren could hear them arguing from his room, but he tried to stay quiet and out of the way. They had been fighting more and more in recent months, and he had no desire to get in the middle of their arguments.

"At least try to be home before seven," she had finally said, dropping into her chair and burying her face in her hands to hide her misery. Grisha then knelt down, fully ready to walk out the door and head to work, but he took the time to place a gentle kiss against her hair.

"I can only do my best. But I wouldn't miss this for the world. Why would I give up the chance to eat your apple crisp?"

She looked up with a weary smile.

"I love you," she said gently, and he kissed her again.

"And I you. Now I need to go so I can return that much sooner."

While they had resolved their fight, Carla had been on edge. So when the phone started ringing twenty minutes into the party, Eren rushed to answer it, hoping it wasn't his father calling to say he couldn't make it home.

"Jaeger house!" Eren greeted, pressing his back against the wall next to the phone. He could see the guests in the living room, his mother flitting around and doing her best to look perky and cheerful. He could see the tension next to her eyes, but he knew that the guests would never notice a thing. They didn't know how to spot it as well as Eren could, having memorized the way his mother's expressions changed on a daily basis.

"Hi, is your mom or dad home?" a voice spoke, and Eren relaxed as he realized that no, the shit was not going to hit the fan tonight. His dad wasn't going to be at work all night again.

"They're busy," he replied, as he knew that disturbing his mom in full 'social butterfly' mode wasn't a thing that was done. She needed to be the center of attention, to entertain her guests, and she couldn't do that when talking to a stranger on the phone.

"Oh, I know. Eren, is it? I'm sure your mother would make an exception."

"I don't know. She told me not to interrupt the party upon pain of death," Eren admitted. "How do you know my name?"

"I've known your parents for a long time. They talk about you often, and I admit I wish I could meet you in person. Can you let your mom know she has a phone call?"

"Maybe you should just call back?" Eren suggested, and the person on the other side laughed heartily.

"Oh, I'm sure she'll forgive you this once."

"Fine, but you're the one she gets to yell at," Eren gave in. "What should I tell her?"

"Tell her that her favourite big brother is on the phone," the voice said, and Eren gasped.

"You're Mom's— you're my uncle?!" he said, excited. He had never met any relatives before; he didn't even know he had them!

"I am! You'd probably not know that, when your parents got married, the family didn't take it so well. They haven't spoken since before you were born. Now hurry up, time is money!"

"Oh, right!" Eren said, setting the phone carefully on the counter before dashing to the living room, sliding past the mingling guests easily and coming up to his mother's side. She glanced down at him, the look in her eye clearly showing her disapproval - both of his early entrance and his haste - but her expression cleared up quickly at his message.

"Tell him he knows better than to rush me. Keep him busy until I'm ready."

"Why didn't you ever tell me I had an uncle?" Eren asked, but Carla shooed him away.

"Not now, Eren, time is money."

Eren rolled his eyes, heading back to pick up the phone. He rested it against his shoulder, levering himself onto the small counter built into the wall beside the phone. If he was going to 'keep him busy' he wasn't going to do it standing up the entire time.

"Mom's busy and said don't rush her. So I'm supposed to talk to you until she's done."

"How like Carla. The apocalypse could come and she'd tell it to give her time to finish what she was doing."

Eren laughed, delighted.

"Yes! She would, wouldn't she?"

"Did you pick that trait up from her? Or are you more like your dad?"

"Neither. Mom says I'm the best of both of them. I think she's full of sh— er, crap."

"That also sounds like your mother," his uncle said, amused. Eren grinned.

They continued to talk, Eren telling him about all the cool things he got to do with his parents because he was homeschooled. He loved being able to talk to a family member that wasn't Mom, Dad, or Mikasa, and when Carla came to finally answer the phone he reluctantly handed it over.

"Don't pout, it doesn't suit your handsome face," Carla scolded, running a thumb over his cheek to smooth out his frown. "You'll be able to meet your uncle in person soon enough. I think he's calling to let me know he's coming into town finally, like he planned to. Now go find your sister and go make nice with the neighbours."

"Yes, Mom," he said, and turned to go do just that. But he caught his mom's reflection in the looking glass beside the coat closet, and he felt his feet freezing in place.

His mom had never looked like that before. All humour and kindness had faded from her face. His uncle had said she hadn't spoken to the family in years, but even at her angriest she'd never looked so…

So cruel. So mean.

"I understand. I will do my best, Commander," she said, hanging up the phone. The way she was facing, she couldn't see that Eren wasn't gone like she had told him to, and instead she pulled the closet door open and reached inside.

What is she doing, there isn't anything in there except— Carla pulled out the large gun the family kept in there in case of burglars.

He didn't have time to wonder what she was doing before the screams started, and the sound of bullets leaving the weapon filled his ears.

Red painted the floor and walls behind the guests as Eren's mother gunned them down before they could flee. Eren felt his heart leap into his throat, and his eyes went wide.

What was going on? Why was his mother killing them?

He turned and fled down the hallway, barreling into his room. He couldn't see Mikasa - where was she?! No time for that, Mom was…! He ran over to his nightstand and pulled the single drawer open.

Inside rested the pistol his parents gave him for his tenth birthday. He pulled it out, checking to make sure it was still loaded. It was, and he flicked the safety off as he turned back to leave his room.

He didn't know what was going on, but he knew who was causing it. His throat felt tight.

Mom—! His mind screamed in terror, but he forcefully shoved it aside. He let the gun rest at his side as he went to go join her.

He didn't know why, but he knew who. And that was all that mattered. He wondered if the man on the phone was really his uncle. The voice had probably lied. Eren had no relatives. He had his mother, his father, and his sister. One of them wasn't real. One of them was missing. One was going to be erased.

"I'm home," Eren heard Mikasa call out as the door to the apartment opened. Eren looked up from the sofa, checking to see if Mikasa was alone - she was - before letting his head drop back down.

"Dinner's on the counter," Eren replied, "welcome home."

"Nightmares?" Mikasa asked, and he grunted.

"How'd you guess?" he asked, and she gestured at him vaguely with a hand.

"You're crying. You only cry when you dream of Carla," she said quietly, and Eren wiped at his face, surprised to feel the damp against his skin.

"Yeah. It was just a dream."

But the heavy weight that pressed against their hearts reminded them both that it was much more than that. It wasn't merely a dream, but a memory. A memory that could never be forgotten. A memory that would never be forgiven. A memory they shared and endured together.

"Come on, eat something before you pass out. How was school? How was work?" he asked, rolling onto his stomach and watching her move around the small kitchenette. She poured herself a glass of juice and leaned against the counter, ignoring the plate.

"It was fine, as normal."

"No one gave you any shit?" he asked, and she raised a brow.

"Would you be able to do anything if they did?" she countered, and he wrinkled his nose.

"I would, and you know that."

"I know, Eren. I'm sorry, it was a long shift and I hate people," she growled, and Eren smiled slightly. There was the grouchy sister he knew and loved.

"But no trouble?"

"No. Same as always. You can do my homework, I'm going to bed."

She put her glass in the sink, and Eren frowned.

"You need to eat—"

"I ate at work, Eren."

"I don't believe you," he said bluntly. "Your hands are shaking, which only happens when your blood sugars are low. You haven't been taking your pills either, I counted, and don't think drinking juice will hide it. You get a pinched look around your eyes because of the headaches—"

"Eren, I am fine," she snapped, slamming her hand against the wall. "I'm tired, stressed, and sick of pretending that nothing is wrong!"

"I'm sorry," he said, turning his face away. "Go to bed. Get some rest. You have to go to class in the morning. Your homework will be on the counter. Please try to eat breakfast and don't get hurt or start a fight at school."

"I will be on my best behaviour. And I don't start fights," she said, "that's you."

"Goodnight," Eren said, not looking at her. He knew she was watching him, reflecting the same worry in her heart that was in his own.

"Goodnight, little brother," she said gently, before going to the single bedroom. Eren waited for several moments before rolling over and stretching.

"God damn it, Mom. I can't do this," he whispered. "Why did you do this to us? Why did you abandon us?"

He eventually got off the sofa, putting the untouched plate in the fridge and cleaning the kitchen, starting a pot of coffee before pulling Mikasa's backpack over. Using her favourite purple pen, he started looking over the homework assignments. Math, English, Biology, and Psychology.

"It's going to be a long night," he sighed, pulling the Biology assignment closer. Might as well go alphabetical.

He was able to finish the homework within a couple of hours, carefully penning them to match Mikasa's meticulously formed letters. Years of practice let Eren be able to perfectly mimic her handwriting, and it came in useful when Mikasa needed a break from pretending to be a normal high-school student. Having to attend school and work to support their meager existence was a lot of pressure on her, and so Eren tried to do what little he could to help her get through it.

It never felt like enough. He wished she didn't have to do it all for them. But he looked too much like his mother and father to safely walk the streets. Mikasa looked nothing like them and already had public school records. It hadn't been hard to keep the world spinning for her after his had stopped in its tracks.

By the time Mikasa was waking up for school, Eren had passed out, curled up next to her on top of the covers. He barely registered her shifting to pull him closer, wrapping the blanket around both of them and remaining that way until she had to go to school. It wasn't easy for either of them, but they had to move on, and they only had each other to rely on. The world wouldn't accept the truth, so they had to live the lie. He only needed to get through one day at a time, and the lie would get easier to believe as time passed.

But Mikasa never came home that day, and the light on the answering machine was blinking. By the time the door was broken down and the room was filled with armoured SWAT units, Eren's trail was cold.