Sorry for the long wait! I kind of had a tough year apart from being quarantined but I'm finally back! I went back and proofread all my past chapters and did a few changes. Thanks to everyone who has supported me so far. Thank you for all your comments! Anyways thank you for reading this far and I hope you enjoy it.

Mikasa sat in her high chair eating her breakfast. She giggled as she played with the spoon in her hand. Levi glared at her as he ate his food. After attempting and failing to feed her Levi let her do what she wanted. Today marked six months that Kenny brought her to his life. She was almost a year old and Levi didn't notice until now how much has grown. She knew a few words and she played more often. She crawls perfectly and can sit on her own now.

"Apa!" She yelled out as she threw her gerber at him. She laughed at the annoyed look on his face. He put a dish rag in front of her and crossed his arms.

"Clean up your mess." He calmly spoke. She nodded her head no and giggled at him. "I'm taking you down to the orphanage after breakfast." She slammed her hands down on the table in a playful manner. He cleaned up her dirty face and hands before picking her up from her high chair. He placed her in the new walker he bought for her the night before. She jumped up and down on it a few times before she shrieked and began to run around the living room.

All morning while Levi cleaned his house he could hear Mikasa's screams and running around in her walker. He shook his head each time she would bump into something. After deeming his house clean enough Levi picked up Mikasa and went to take her a bath.

"You're kind of annoying, you know that right kid?" He asked her and she shook her head no. 'No' had become her favorite word after Eld taught it to her. He hummed a song to her as he scrubbed her clean.

"Papa." Mikasa held her hands out wanting to leave the tub. She yawned feeling all the excitement from the morning leave her. Wrapping her in her towel, Levi went to dress her in a unicorn onesie. He hummed as he rocked her in his arms pacing back and forth in the nursery. She held onto his shirt tightly as she slowly drifted to sleep. As soon as he placed the sleeping baby in her crib there was a knock on his door. Quietly closing the door to her bedroom Levi left to answer the front door.

…

His freshman year of high school was ending soon and Levi was more than ready for the summer to begin. The Smith family invited them to their vacation home in another district and Levi was going to start packing soon. They were going to be away for two whole weeks before returning back home and going on a camping trip. Levi's summer was already planned and he was excited.

Getting home, Levi left for the garage where he slept. He was doing his homework when the door slammed open to reveal his anger filled mother. She held up the credit card Kenny had given him years ago.

"I found this when I was in here earlier!" She yelled out. "You had hidden money and you didn't tell me? We have been struggling and here you were with Kenny's money?"

"It's only for emergencies." Levi got up from his seat. He began to pace back and forth and panicked. He couldn't raise his voice or say anything unless he wanted to trigger one of her episodes. 'How can I get that card back?'

"You think the way we're living isn't an emergency? We could have used this money a long time ago!" Kuchel frustratingly spoke.

"Mom, give it back to me. Please?" He asked her as he neared her. She rolled her eyes and stomped back into the dirty living room.

"No, this is mine now." She sat on the couch and took her phone out. "Just wait until David gets home from his friend's house and finds out you have been hiding money from us."

Levi ran back to his 'room' and looked around to his few items. He knew what needed to be done and had no idea if he would be allowed back into the house afterwards. He could hear as his mother dialed a number on her phone and began to laugh a bit.

"Hey Justin!" She excitedly spoke. "No not the regular. See I found a little bit of money." There was a pause on her end before she chuckled. "No of course not. I want forty of the best you can give me." She dangled the credit card on her left hand as she spoke. "I'll be here,"

"Fucking hell." Levi muttered as he kicked one of David's empty beer cans. He knew he should have got rid of it. He stopped using it after meeting Erwin and his family. No longer needing it because the Smith's took him in as their own. Levi heard the front door open and shut. David sat down next to the couch with a grinning Kuchel. Levi discreetly watched them from a small crack in the door.

"Look what I have!" She held up the credit card to his face. "Kenny is rich and we won't have to worry about money now."

"Did you call Justin already?" David grinned.

"Of course, but he won't be able to come for another few hours. I'm gonna go down to the corner store in a bit to take out some money." Kuchel placed the card in her bag.

"I'm gonna go take a shower then. We can go together afterwards." David got up from his spot and left to his bedroom. Kuchel placed her purse next to the couch and faced the wall. She yawned before closing her eyes ready to take a nap.

Levi waited until he knew his Mother was asleep before he snuck into the living room. He grabbed his mother's purse and grabbed the card. He was getting ready to destroy it when he heard rushed footsteps.

"What are you doing brat!" David yelled out as he slammed Levi on the floor. Kuchel quickly shot up from her spot.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"The nuisance has the card." David growled. Levi got up from the floor and glared. "Give the card back to us and I won't hurt you too much."

"No." Levi venomously spoke. David threw a punch at Levi but the young boy side stepped and pushed him down to the floor.

"You're going to regret that." The dark haired man chased Levi all through the room. Levi effectively dodged all the items launched at him. Levi ran into the garage to grab his bag before trying to escape. David grabbed the back of Levi's collar and pulled him harshly. Levi turned back and punched him as hard as he could in his right eye. He could hear Kuchel's yells in the background as his adrenaline began to sore. David slammed Levi harshly on the concrete floor. Levi felt David's hands circle themselves around his neck.

"Mom!" Levi cried out to the frantic woman. David laughed at Levi's cries for his mother as the teen struggled to breathe. Levi kicked David as hard as he could on his stomach effectively getting freed. He crouched on his hands and knees trying to catch his breath. Quickly grabbing his phone Levi ran out as fast as he could not caring about his belongings anymore.

He ran as fast as his legs could take him. He had to get out of there, he couldn't go back to that house. He couldn't forget the look of his mom's face as he was being attacked, how she didn't bother to help him. She was just as ready to get rid of him as fast as David was. So he ran. He needed to go back to the place where everything started. Back to where his life was beginning to change. He needed to go back home. But home was too far from him.

…

She stood at his door with a clean set of clothes on and her hair nicely brushed. He noticed she had new shoes on and her face was clean. She smiled at him and pulled a few strands of her long brushed black hair behind her ear.

"Mom, what are you doing here?" Levi asked her. He glanced over at Mikasa's bedroom door before looking back at his mother.

"A few of my friends told me you had a baby with you when they saw you. Is it true?" Kuchel asked him.

"Yes." He noticed David standing on his lawn glaring at him smoking a cigarette.

"Can I see her please?" Kuchel looked at him with hope in her eyes.

"Come in." He moved to the side to let her in and closed the door behind her. He led her to the nursery and signalled her to sit down on the rocking chair by the window. He grabbed Mikasa and rocked her as she began to fuss at being woken up. "Sh, it's okay." He hummed a bit until she calmed down.

"She has the Ackerman genes." Kuchel spoke as she grabbed on to the sleeping baby. She rocked on the chair and softly smiled at the baby. "This is Kristi's baby, isn't she?" The older woman cried.

"Yes." Levi answered her question.

"I can see so much of my sister in her." Kuchel whispered as she kissed Mikasa's forehead. "I know our relationship has always had our ups and downs, Levi. I'm sorry for everything and for the pain that I caused you."

"The past is in the past Mother." Levi told her as he held on to Mikasa's favorite teddy bear.

"Levi, I've made a lot of mistakes in my life and I was only a child when I had you." Kuchel looked up at him. "I've always loved you and did the best that I could. I was going through so much when I got pregnant and it all followed me. I wish that I could have been a better Mother to you and I have so many regrets. But I can never regret giving birth to you." Her sobs caused Mikasa to wake up and start crying. Taking the baby from his mother's arms he patted Mikasa's back until she stopped crying. "You have so much of your uncle in you. Kenny was the only one who could calm you down when you were born. You did always love him more than me."

"Mom, don't start please." Levi whispered as he rocked Mikasa in his arms.

"It's true. That's why I moved out when you were two. Every night you would cry for him. It took you a whole year to forget about him." Kuchel looked down at the floor. "Levi, do you hate me?"

Levi's breath hitched at her question. He didn't expect her to come over nor ask him something like that. He hugged Mikasa close to his chest. He looked down at her sleeping face and looked back at his mother. There was something he had been wanting to ask her.

"Before I answer your question I need to know something too." Levi told her. "Why wasn't I enough for you to stop using drugs? You said you love me but why wasn't I ever enough for you?"

…

Levi ran back to the motel he first met Kenny in. He walked up to the man behind the counter. The dark haired teen fished out Kenny's credit card and slid it to him.

"My uncle told me to check in while he gets our bags." Levi told him.

"I'll have to hold the card until I see his ID." The man squinted his eyes taking in Levi's disheveled form. He handed him a key card. "Room 3E."

"Thanks." Levi walked to the elevator and got in. The man grabbed the phone on the desk and dialed a number.

"This is the Sherman Police Department." The operator answered the phone.

"I have a kid here at 'The Marriott' on 'L Street,' who I think stole someone's credit card. He's in a room right now." He spoke to the police station.

"What's the name on the card?" He asked.

"The card belongs to Kenny Ackerman."

"Is the kid giving you any trouble?" The operator asked.

"No, I checked him in. He doesn't seem hostile." The man answered him.

"We will contact this Kenny Ackerman and send a patrol car over there."

"Okay thank you."

…

Feeling his distress, Mikasa began to cry in his arms. She wouldn't stop crying no matter how much he tried to calm her. Kuchel got up from her spot and moved to the door.

"Some questions are better left unanswered." Levi told her as he walked her to the front door.

"You look natural together. If I never saw photos of her with her Mother I would have thought she were your own." Kuchel rubbed Mikasa's arm one last time before walking out his door.

Levi sat in his room coddling Mikasa. He massaged the side of her arms and her back humming the song his mom used to sing to him when he was little. His Mother always had perfect timing when it came to contacting him.

…

Kenny drove two hours out of town to pick up his 'stolen' card. He knew Levi wouldn't attempt to get a hold of him like this unless it was an emergency. He met with the patrol car outside the motel and talked to them. He cleared up the mess and was led to the room his nephew was staying in. He knocked on the door and waited for Levi to open it.

"Kenny." Levi nodded at him, his eyes looked dead and his hair was a mess.

"Come on. Let's go get your stuff." Kenny grunted. He noticed the hand marks on Levi's neck and the scratches on his arms.

The car drive to David's home was quiet. The older man had already accessed the situation and decided not to speak. His hands were white from the way he tightly held on to the steering wheel. He was past angry, he was furious. He parked at the curb and instructed Levi to stay in the car. Banging on the door Kenny crossed his arms and waited for the door to open. David swung it open and glared at him.

"What's your problem?" He angrily snarled. Kenny punched him in the cheek and pushed past him looking around for Kuchel.

"What is wrong with you?" He yelled at her. She got up from the kitchen table.

"What are you doing here?" She asked him.

"Don't change the subject Kuchel. I am disappointed in you." He pressed his hands on the table. "I only let you take him because I thought you learned from your mistakes! I trusted you and believed in you. Where's his stuff? He's coming back home with me."

"In the garage." Kuchel whispered. Kenny rushed into the cold room and frowned at the futon in the corner and duffel bag full of clothes. David watched him from the corner glaring.

"You're dead to me Kuchel. I've been sending you money every month. It was all for him to be sleeping outside?" Kenny's bangs covered his eyes. "I've been taking care of you for years Kuchel. All the money I've been sending you. It's gone."

"Kenny you don't mean that." Kuchel cried as she shook her head no.

"Kuchel! That is your son out there." He yelled, shaking her shoulders. "You let some piece of shit lay hands on your only child, do you not understand that?"

"He only choked him for three minutes at the most Kenny. He wasn't going to actually kill him or anything." Kuchel told him.

"Levi is mine Kuchel. I've been raising him since he was a baby. These past six years you had him were the last he has to deal with you." Walking past David one last time he punched him, effectively knocking him down to the floor and kicked him.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Kuchel threw herself on the floor. "I didn't know. I didn't want to hurt him, I promise. He's my son Kenny. He's not yours. He's mine. I'll treat him better just don't take him."

"It's too late Kuchel. I should've never let you have him." Kenny threw her one last glance before slamming the door shut behind him.

Throwing Levi's bags in the back seat, Kenny noticed the teen had fallen asleep in the passenger seat. He turned the heat up in the car and began to drive back to their home.