Stay Alive - Levi x OC (Book 2)

by docoo

Book 2 of the Don't Die Series. After returning from the north, Aubrey and Levi are finally reunited. But that doesn't mean their problems have disappeared. The titans still exist and they pose a greater threat than ever now that Wall Maria has been lost and Wall Rose was only barely reclaimed. But, the Scouts find hope in a boy with unbelievable and unfathomable powers.

29. Chapter 28

WARNING: Mentions of death and child abuse.

Aubrey followed her father down the hall, Levi's hand in hers the entire time. The tension in the air was palpable and Aubrey felt like every breath took an enormous amount of effort. Her body was buzzing, completely alert as her father started to turn toward a dark wooden door, completely indistinguishable from the others in the hallway. His house was so pristine, so neat, so… lifeless. It had no warmth. And Aubrey hated it.

Her father pushed open the door, holding it for them and stepping back. Aubrey hardly had a chance to process her father's movements before she felt Levi's arm wrap around her waist, holding her back and up against his chest as he stared her father down.

"You first."

Aubrey blinked and then realized exactly what was going on. Levi didn't want to go in before her father and he certainly didn't want their backs exposed to him. She understood all of that perfectly. She felt the same.

So, Aubrey glared at her father, silently telling him to follow Levi's instructions. She wasn't going in unless he went in first.

All he did was huff a small laugh and reply flippantly.

"Very well."

Without a second glance, her father turned and disappeared into the room, the door left standing open.
Aubrey tried to take a step forward, but, once again, Levi moved faster than she could even comprehend and she was behind him again, his hand gripping her wrist while his other hand hovered over his blades. He was prepared to do absolutely anything if her father so much as took a wrong step. And as happy as she was that Levi had those abilities… they also scared her. If he went over the edge and hurt her father, they probably wouldn't be getting the answers they needed. But Aubrey already knew Levi wouldn't give it a second thought. Her safety was far more important to him than any pastors.

So, Aubrey would just have to hope that her father would behave himself. Which… was unlikely. But, so far, he hadn't pulled any dangerous stunts. So, maybe, just maybe, he'd only do what he'd promised to. Maybe he was really just going to help her.

Aubrey held onto Levi's waist as he crept through the door. She almost felt the exact moment his eyes landed on her father again. His muscles tensed and he moved even slower, backing into a corner again and pressing her up against the wall.

Aubrey did as he wanted for now, but she knew he'd have to let up a little in just a minute. Her father certainly couldn't treat her ribs if Levi had her squished up against a wall. And her father seemed to be thinking the same thing.

"I can't help her if you have her pinned like that."

There was a slight pause and Aubrey heard the door shut softly. Levi tensed again. He was obviously upset that their escape route had been cut off. But Aubrey figured that didn't really matter. If her father tried something, Levi wouldn't hesitate to start and end things right in this room. If he decided to kill her father, he'd do it right here.

"Come here, Aubrey."

Aubrey absolutely loathed the way her body seemed to wriggle toward him just from the sound of his voice. How could that instinct still be so prominent even now? It had been fifteen years since she'd taken orders from him and yet her body still seemed to want to follow him like a puppy.

She hated it. But she had to go, anyway. Even if Levi didn't want her to, she couldn't be helped if he kept her pinned.

So, with a little squirming and shoving, Aubrey managed to make it out from behind Levi's back. But, the instant she did, she felt his arm around her waist again, holding onto her as they moved forward.

Aubrey didn't question him. If that was what he needed to do in order to feel like he was keeping her safe, then she had no problem with that.

As they moved forward, Aubrey allowed herself to get a good look at the room they were in for the first time. Levi's back had done a good job at blocking out her surroundings.

The back wall had a large window and was lined with cabinets with glass panes that let her see exactly what was inside them. It looked like… medicines. Medicines and bandages and everything one could possibly need to treat any kind of wound.

Aubrey wasn't necessarily surprised. They'd had a room just like this when she was a child, a room completely dedicated to treating injuries.

The rest of the room was mostly bare apart from a table in the center that Aubrey already knew she'd be sitting on. She couldn't count the number of times she'd sat on a table like that as a child, either her father or herself treating all of the injuries he'd given over the course of a day of training. She was almost sure that her twelve year old self had treated more cuts and scrapes than any other twelve year old on the planet.

So, she knew that table well.

Aubrey's eyes flashed back to her father as she heard the clink of glass. He was at the back of the room with the cabinets, sorting through all the vials of medicines as he looked for what he needed. Aubrey would have to be cautious… and she'd have to trust him again. Her father certainly knew how to make poison. He'd even taught her how. But she didn't think he'd be trying to kill her today. Killing her would only bring down both Levi and Erwin's wrath and he'd end up dead with the entire family at the mercy of the Scout Regiment. And she was sure those were the last things he wanted.

Aubrey watched as father finally seemed to find what he was looking for. Two glass vials and some kind of bandage. She had no idea what was in those vials or what he planned to do with the bandages. She'd always been told that there was no way to treat a broken rib. One simply had to rest and let it heal.

But, apparently, that wasn't the case.

Her father walked over to the table at the center of the room, setting down the bandages and the vials he'd grabbed. And then, he turned to her.

Aubrey was still a few steps away from the table. Levi had stopped her before she could actually approach it. But, it seemed he wouldn't be able to hold her back for much longer.

"Up."

Her father didn't even look at her when he gave the instruction. Instead, he only continued to fiddle with the vials, shaking them to mix the ingredients and then examining them closely.

Aubrey tried to take another step forward, but, as she'd expected, Levi tugged her back again. But she had to go. If she didn't her father wasn't going to help her.

So, gently, Aubrey pulled on Levi's arm, trying to get him to let her go. She still wanted him close, as close as he could be, but she needed to get up on that table.

She heard Levi let out a frustrated huff of air, but, ever so slowly, his arm started to loosen until he was only holding her hand. Aubrey didn't give him time to change his mind. She walked forward, finally reaching the edge of the table. She reached for it, intending to pull herself up, but she soon realized that it hurt her ribs to do so. She felt Levi shifting behind her, probably so that he could lift her onto the table… but her father beat him to it.

Before she could comprehend what was happening, her father set down his vials and his hands slid under her arms. Aubrey couldn't believe how easily and how nonchalantly he lifted her onto the table. He acted like picking her up as a full grown woman was no different than when he'd done it fifteen years ago. And he didn't seem phased at all. He just returned to his vials, picking up one in particular and starting to shake it again.

Aubrey stared blankly at him and she could hear Levi huffing beside her, his hand tightening around hers. He obviously wasn't very happy. But the shock only intensified when her father spoke up again.

"Shirt off."

Levi actually growled.

Before she knew it, his hands were on her waist and she knew he was completely ready to pull her away the instant he was put over the edge. But, all Aubrey could do was stare blankly.

Her father was still unphased, acting like he'd asked her nothing out of the ordinary as he spoke again.

"I can't treat your ribs if I can't see them."

Aubrey blinked and Levi growled… again. He obviously wasn't a fan of the idea. But what her father had said was true. How was he supposed to treat an injury he couldn't touch? And, as awkward and horrible as it would be… she'd still do it. This man… her father… he was her father but he wasn't. She would have been ten times more mortified taking her shirt off in front of Erwin.

So, Aubrey reached back and squeezed Levi's wrists. He needed to let go of her now. Just for a second. But he wasn't ready to give up. He only moved closer to her. Aubrey tried again, squeezing a little harder and tearing her eyes away from her father to look at him. He definitely looked unhappy. In fact, he looked rabid again, but she couldn't indulge his protectiveness right now. She needed to do this.

So, she gave him a hard look and squeezed his wrists one more time. And this time, he seemed to get the message.

He huffed for a few more seconds and then, slowly, his hands loosened around her waist and fell away. But he did shift closer to her, his hand resting on her thigh as he watched her father like a hawk.

Aubrey bit her lip and reached for the seam of her shirt. But she wasn't embarrassed or ashamed. She only wished she didn't have to let her father this close. But she would. If he could help her heal faster, she'd do almost anything.

So, with one swift movement, Aubrey's fingers closed around the fabric of her shirt and she pulled it up and over her head.

She tossed it behind her, not bothering to look at her father's reaction until she'd completed that task. But, when she did look at his face she saw… disgust.

Aubrey's brows furrowed instantly. What was there to be disgusted about? It was just a body. But then… she followed his eyes and realized exactly what had disgusted him. He was staring straight at the trail of marks Levi had left on her collarbone just a couple of days ago.

He clicked his tongue and looked away from her.

"Disgusting."

Aubrey glared at him. For some reason, she wasn't embarrassed, only spiteful. She spat at him.

"I'm a married woman now, Father."

His eyes raised to hers as he fiddled with the vials again, the disgust still clear in his eyes as he answered her.

"Yes, I can see that."

Aubrey just scoffed at him. She didn't care what he thought or if he had some strange, lingering sense of fatherly protection. He could get over himself.

"And you have scars."

Aubrey narrowed her eyes at him, silently daring him to keep talking. As a child, even when he'd beat her, he'd always been careful to never do anything that would leave a scar. That was why bruises were always his favorite way to torture her. He'd always told her that she had to avoid scars at all costs. Something about 'staying pretty' since it was an advantage in the world to be attractive.

"I don't care."

Her father's eyes raised to hers and she stared him down lifelessly. She really didn't care. She didn't care what he thought at all. He wasn't important anymore. She didn't care.

Her father's finger brushed over a scar she'd gotten a few years back while sparring with one of her soldiers in the north. They'd added knives into the mix and he'd gotten a rather good angle and swiped right across her side. The cut hadn't been that deep, but it had left a decent scar. Her father didn't appear to be a fan of that fact.

But he didn't say anything else. All he did was give an angry hum and move on to inspecting all of the scabbed over cuts and scrapes she'd gotten on the expedition. He examined every single one carefully, but when he was done there… he moved on to her ribs. He clicked his tongue again at the sight of the bruise that had formed there. Aubrey knew it was bad. Levi frowned at it every time he saw it and kissed it as if that would somehow make it go away. She appreciated the gesture, but it still hurt like hell. It was a deep purple and black color with disgusting shades of brown around the edge where it had started to heal ever so slightly over the past few days. It definitely wasn't a pretty sight.

"I assume you managed to break these on the expedition a few days ago?"

Aubrey's eyes widened as her father brushed his fingers lightly over the bruise. The expedition?

"How did you know that?"

Aubrey blurted the question out before she'd even thought it through, but as soon as her father started to explain she realized that if she'd taken a moment she probably would have been able to figure it out.

"I already told you I check the records and expeditions aren't private events. The papers never shut up about them." Aubrey's eyes softened for a second as she processed her father's words. But he wasn't done yet. "This last one was quite the failure, though, wasn't it. Heard you lost too many men and that Commander you love so much was going to be thrown out." Aubrey's jaw clenched. She wanted to punch her father right then and there. "And then he went and pulled that stunt in Stohess. I wasn't there, but your cousins told me all about the destruction. Hundreds dead, hm?" He paused and smirked at her. The look made Aubrey want to scream. "You call me a monster and yet you left me to follow someone like him…"

Aubrey could feel Levi's hand tightening on her thigh. He was just as angry as she was. Her father was making assumptions about someone he didn't even know. About the person who had saved her. And she wasn't going to allow it.

"Do not mention Erwin ever again. You know nothing about him and he is not a monster. He's not anything like you."

Aubrey wanted so badly to slap him across the face. Her hand was twitching, just aching to make contact with his skin. How dare he? How dare he?

But her father didn't look bothered at all. All he did was turn back to the vial in his hands, finally popping to the cork off the top.

"You're unusually devoted to your Commander. Is there a reason for that?"

Aubrey scowled at him. There was absolutely a reason for that. And she'd absolutely love to tell him about it.

"He's important to me. He gave me a purpose when I needed one. He saved my life. And he's my family."

For a second, her father went completely still and she thought she could see a look of realization on his face. She was right.

"So… he's my replacement. Interesting."

Aubrey felt a fire light within her. Her father and Erwin were so different, there was absolutely no way that Erwin could ever be his replacement. He was something else entirely.

"He's not your replacement. There was nothing to replace. You were never family to me, only a torturer that I couldn't wait to escape. So, no, Erwin is not your replacement. All he did was fill in the gaps you left wide open."

There was silence for a short while and Aubrey stared her father down again. Green eyes met green eyes, each hardened and filled with darkness. But, just as he'd been doing the entire time they'd been here, her father laughed.

"You seem quite hung up on the torture part. Do you really think what I did was torture? Do you regret my teaching you? If I hadn't, you wouldn't be a Scout. You never would have met your precious Commander, and you never would have met your husband. Do you really hate me so much for teaching you how to stay alive?"

Aubrey glared at him and this time she couldn't help herself. Her hand shot out, grasping her father by the collar. She tried to pull him closer but he wouldn't budge, so she just kept on.

"Do not try to tell me that my life is all because of you. Do not try to tell me that my happiness is all because of you. I left you and I found my own happiness. And I left you behind."

Aubrey waited for his reaction. But, when she saw it, she nearly gasped. In his eyes… she saw… pain. Real, true pain that ran down to his very soul. It was so intense, so strong that Aubrey's hand loosened on his collar and it instead slid down to rest on his chest. She could feel his heart beating under her palm, as steady as ever despite the look she saw in his eyes. He had complete control of his body, but in this moment, he'd lost control of his feelings.

But all of it was gone in a flash and he soon returned to his usual, cruel and cold self.

"So unappreciative…"

Aubrey was still in shock. So shocked, in fact, that she hardly noticed when he found the hand she had on his chest with his own and placed it on his shoulder. He was going to start working on her ribs now. But she didn't feel ready for that. She had more questions, some very pressing questions. Never in her life had she seen that look in her father's eyes. Not once. It was like she was realizing that he was human. And it felt… strange.

But that strange feeling quickly faded when her father's fingers brushed over her ribs again. And, this time, she knew he was going to do more than just look. He was actually going to help her.

But Aubrey wanted to know how he was helping her.

"What is that?"

Her eyes trailed over to the vial in his hands. He was now pouring some of the medicine onto his fingers. It looked oily. And oil base, then. That meant she probably wouldn't be drinking it. It was for external use only.

Her father's eyes raised to hers for just a second as he set the vial down on the table next to her, beginning to warm the medicine on his fingers.

"It's for the pain. It'll numb the area slightly. You should be able to breathe more easily."Aubrey's eyes widened. He'd given her a simple, straight forward answer with no snarkiness, only a sharp and clear tone. It transported her back to her childhood. The matter of fact voice that demanded her attention whenever he was teaching her something new. It was so… familiar. "I'll give you the recipe."

Aubrey found herself even more shocked than before. He was going to give her the recipe? Willingly?

As shocked as she was, she didn't have much time to think about it.

Only a second after he'd spoken, his hand moved forward and his fingers found the bruise on her ribs. But they were so… gentle. He was pressing just hard enough to spread the oil onto her skin and nothing more. It didn't even hurt.

Aubrey stared at his face, but he wasn't looking at her. His attention was on her ribs, his brows slightly furrowed in concentration.

But, despite the gentleness her father was showing her ribs, Levi didn't seem convinced. He was completely tense at her side, his hand still gripping her thigh tightly. She didn't really blame him, though. Just one wrong move and her father could have her in unbearable pain. Or dead.

But that wrong move never came and her father pulled his fingers away from her bruise, wiping the excess oil off his fingers on a cloth. Her father didn't seem phased, but it seemed that he had taken notice of Levi's intense stance because, as he picked up the bandages, he spoke to him for the first time since they'd entered this room.

"I'm not going to hurt her. Relax. That hovering is horrifyingly annoying."

Aubrey found herself shocked again, but Levi didn't hesitate to answer.

"Why should I trust you?"

Aubrey watched as their eyes met for a moment. The tension in the air was stronger than ever as they stared each other down. But it was over in a few seconds. Her father seemed to have realized that his chances of getting Levi to back off were slim to none, so he turned to her instead.

"You certainly picked a loyal one, didn't you, Aubrey?"

She almost couldn't find her voice. Her throat was still tight and sore from shock and surprise. But, somehow, she managed to speak.

"I picked one that loves me."

Aubrey looked straight at him and, for just a moment, she saw another flash of pain in his eyes. It took her breath away. She'd never seen that look and she'd never expected to see that look. But, again, it was gone in a second and her father only responded with a low hum.

His hands were on her ribs again in a second, but now he had a bandage. Although, Aubrey was starting to realize that it wasn't a bandage at all. It was tape. He was going to tape her ribs.

"This part is going to hurt. I'm going to set the bone with tape rather than wrapping your whole rib cage. It won't restrict your breathing and it should speed up the healing process."

Aubrey nodded at him, expecting him to continue. But he didn't. Not yet. Instead, he turned his eyes… to Levi.

"Watch carefully. She won't be able to do this herself. It'll be up to you."

For a moment, everyone was still and Aubrey shifted her eyes to Levi's face, watching as he processed her father's words. Her father was right, she wouldn't be able to do this herself. The break was in an awkward spot for her to get to and she'd need Levi's help if she was going to be treating it like this. And, eventually, Levi seemed to realize that because he turned his eyes to the bruise on her ribs, looking like he was examining every small detail.

Both Aubrey and her father took that as the go ahead and her father suddenly pressed a clean cloth into her hands. She glanced up at him, slightly confused for a moment.

"Bite down on this if you have to."

She understood immediately. She took the cloth and shoved it between her teeth. She would try her best to be quiet. Any sounds of pain would cause Levi a horrible amount of distress, but she couldn't make any promises. Those broken ribs really did hurt like a bitch.

But, when her father gave her one more glance, she nodded… and he started working.

The first thing he did was find the break again. It didn't take as long this time since he had a good idea of where it was, but it still hurt like hell. Aubrey bit down on the cloth in her mouth and managed to hold back most of her whimpers of pain. But a few still slipped through and Levi's hand tightened on her thigh again.

Aubrey still did her best for him, though. The quieter she was, the more comfortable he would be.

But she soon realized that was going to be terribly difficult.

She heard the stretch of tape and then, suddenly, her father was speaking to her again.

"I'm going to have to move the bone now. It's slightly out of place. This is going to hurt. A lot."

Aubrey found herself already clenching her teeth on the cloth. Her father wasn't one to exaggerate. If he said it was going to hurt, it was going to hurt. So, she nodded.

And then the pain started.

Fire ripped through her entire chest and all the way down her side, sending lingering flames licking all the way down to her ankles and all the way to the crown of her head. It hurt. Bad.

"Fuck!"

Aubrey's scream was muffled by the cloth between her teeth, but it was still clear what she'd said. Levi let out a noise somewhere between an angry grunt and a helpless whimper. She just hoped he wasn't getting distracted. If he wasn't watching what her father was doing down to the last detail, she was going to be pissed at him later.

Aubrey kept screaming, even though she tried to hold back somewhat for Levi. She just couldn't help it, though. It hurt like hell.

Without really thinking about it, her head dropped forward and landed on her father's shoulder. She didn't really care at this point. The pain was intense enough that she didn't care what happened so long as it was over soon.

She could hear her father talking to Levi, probably explaining what he was doing and how to replicate it, but she didn't pay attention to a single word. Her mind was still overridden with the pain in her chest.

But, eventually, it came to an end. She felt her father's hands fall away from her body and the burning and horrible pain was replaced with a dulled throb. It still hurt a little, but that was only to be expected after her father had quite literally shifted her bone around with his fingers.

But, it was over now. Aubrey took a few breaths, trying to keep them steady and somewhat shallow. Deep breaths would still hurt no matter what her father did. After only a few seconds, though, Aubrey felt a hand on her chin. It wasn't Levi's.

She lifted her head only to find her father staring at her with a neutral expression.

"It's done. The bandages won't stay put in water, so you'll have to have your husband redo it for you every time you bathe. It'll hurt like that for about a week, but it'll get better after that. If you're consistent, you should be back to normal in three weeks rather than a month or more."

Aubrey felt her lips twitch. Three weeks? That was even better than she'd expected. Even one month was a rather optimistic view of how fast she could heal, most people took about six weeks. But three weeks? She'd take that. Gladly.

Aubrey nodded eagerly, removing the cloth from her mouth and setting it aside. She didn't care how bad it hurt. She'd be consistent and she'd make Levi do it for her every day even though he'd hate it. She knew he'd hate it. She was already surprised that he hadn't gone ballistic at the sound of her screaming. But she was happy that he hadn't. This was good. Three weeks.

Aubrey blinked when she felt fingers on her skin again. But, this time, they weren't on her ribs.

She glanced down and saw that her father had opened the other vial. This one looked oily, too. And he was smoothing the substance over her cuts.

"What is that?"

Aubrey asked the question immediately and her father didn't hesitate to answer.

He smoothed the medicine over a cut on her side and moved behind her to start on her back.

"It'll help the cuts heal faster. Again, I'll give you the recipe."

Aubrey's eyes widened. He was even going to help her cuts heal faster. She couldn't fathom it. All of this seemed so… strange. Why was he doing this? Never in her childhood had he been so… gentle. And never had he gone out of his way to help her unless it was to teach her a new lesson. But this was all new. Why?

"Why are you helping me?"

Aubrey's words were just above a whisper, but her father's fingers stilled instantly on her back. He'd heard her. Loud and clear.

There was silence for a long time. No one spoke or moved and the atmosphere was tense and cold as everyone waited. Seconds ticked by unbearably and Aubrey's breaths started to come quicker despite the fact that she knew she needed to keep herself calm. But her father's answer came eventually.

"Because you're my daughter."

Aubrey felt her entire body tense and she flashed her eyes to Levi, hoping to find some kind of comfort. His hand was still on her thigh, but his eyes were on her father, watching for any sign of danger. But, despite the fact that he wasn't even looking at her, he still seemed to know what she needed. His hand left her thigh and instead he locked his fingers with hers, squeezing tightly. Aubrey squeezed right back.

But she still had questions swirling in her mind. And she needed answers.

"Am I?"

Everything froze again, her father's fingers stilling on her back and Aubrey's breathing coming to a halt. The room was so tense it felt like it might explode at any second. Aubrey squeezed Levi's hand even harder than before and he returned the gesture, trying to offer her some kind of comfort. It helped, it really did. But what Aubrey really needed was for her father to speak. And, luckily, he did.

"You're my blood and I raised you. So, yes, you are my daughter."

Aubrey's eyes drooped in both sadness and frustration.

"You know that's not what I meant."

There was silence again, but her father kept working this time, his fingers brushing over every little nick and graze on her torso. He didn't speak and neither did Aubrey. Both of them were still processing the words that had just been spoken. They were broaching a topic that neither of them had ever addressed before.

"Do you have any other injuries?"

Aubrey blinked. In her daze she hadn't even realized that her father had made his way back in front of her, her shirt in his hands as he held it out to her. Carefully, and cautiously, Aubrey reached out and took it from him, intending to shake her head and answer his question. But Levi spoke before she could.

"Her knees."Aubrey's head snapped to look at Levi and her father did the same. Levi didn't look the slightest bit rattled, though. All he did was repeat himself, making his words a little more specific. "Her knees are torn to shreds."

There was a beat of silence and Levi squeezed her hand again. Apparently, his desire to get her away from her father was being overcome by his desire to help her injuries. And, for the moment, Aubrey was completely fine with that. She had more questions.

So, when her father kneeled at her feet and started untying the laces of her boots… she was only shocked for a second. But she was certainly shocked. Her father was taking her boots off for her? She could hardly believe it. Since when had he become so… helpful?

Aubrey blinked at him a few more times, completely dumbfounded until Levi pressed her shirt further into her hands, reminding her that her upper half was nearly bare.

Aubrey took the hint and slid the shirt over her head, hastily pulling it down and over her body as her eyes stayed on her father. She still felt like this was a dream. So much so that her father had her boots completely unlaced and off before she could really process it all.

"Pants off."

Aubrey hesitated for only a second. She'd already taken her shirt off in front of her father, what was the difference? Plus, the uniform pants were somewhat tight. There was no way she'd be able to roll them up past her knees.

So, Aubrey slid off the table, quickly removing her pants before Levi lifted her onto the counter again. Her father didn't even blink.

He stayed kneeling on the ground, his eyes scanning the torn skin of her knees. Aubrey had taken a look at her knees after the expedition and determined that, just like her ribs, there wasn't much she could do. She'd cleaned the wounds and wrapped them until they'd started to scab over, but now they were just angry cuts and gashes that couldn't be helped. But, maybe her father could help.

His fingers brushed over the skin around her wounds and Aubrey watched him carefully, her mind churning. She clutched Levi's hand as her father reached for the same oil he'd put on her other cuts. It seemed that was all he could really do. But that wasn't all Aubrey wanted him to do. This side of her father, this part of him that supposedly cared about her, that supposedly still saw her as his daughter… she wanted this side of him to give her the answers she'd been waiting fifteen years for. And she was going to get them.

Aubrey squeezed Levi's hand so tightly she was sure it must hurt. But he didn't say anything. All he did was hold her hand back. And with that tiny bit of support and encouragement, Aubrey took a deep breath… and opened her mouth.

"Why did you do it, Father?"

Aubrey saw his fingers falter on her knee for just an instant, but he quickly recovered himself and continued.

"What?"

Aubrey narrowed her eyes. She wasn't willing to wait anymore. She couldn't wait anymore. She needed to know.

"You say I'm your daughter and yet you never treated me like one. You didn't raise me, you trained me. You hated me. Why, father? I need to know why."

This time, her father really did still. His hands stopped on her knees and the room went silent again. Aubrey took shallow breaths. Was this it? Was he finally going to tell her the reason behind his torture? Was there a reason?

Aubrey waited, her hand squeezing Levi's as she stared down at her father. But, when he answered her, it wasn't exactly what she wanted to hear.

"Let's pretend for a moment, shall we?"

Aubrey froze again. What?

Her father started working on her other knee as he continued.

"You say you have no children, which works out well for this scenario. Probably easier to imagine."

Aubrey felt her mouth fall open a little bit. He wanted to role-play to explain the torture of her childhood?

"Let's say that at some point, you decide to have a child and you get pregnant." Aubrey couldn't comprehend it. What in the world was he talking about? "Now, I don't know much about your husband, but I do know he was raised by Kenny. And, from what I know about Kenny, I can't imagine his upbringing was very affectionate or full of love." Aubrey felt like she couldn't breathe. She shot a look at Levi, seeing that he'd frozen, too. Neither of them had a clue how they should react. "And, for the sake of my story, let's say that you, at least, have a handle on love and parenthood and how to raise a child." More silence. Aubrey couldn't even speak. "So, your husband, who knew no love or affection in his childhood, is relying on you to teach him. He has no idea how to raise a child or how to be a good father, so he's relying on you to show him." What? "Now that we've gotten the background out of the way, let's say your pregnancy goes by perfectly. It's long, but you're both excited and can't wait to finally meet your child. And then the day finally comes and you go into labor." Aubrey was still completely dumbfounded. This was a completely awkward and strange conversation to be having with her father. But they were having it. "Your husband goes to get the midwife and comes back and then you wait. Hours pass by and, soon, the midwife tells your husband that your birth is taking longer than usual. He tries not to panic. He knows that can happen sometimes and just hopes that both you and your child are going to be alright." Aubrey knew. She knew where this was going. It was too specific, too real, too much like her father was recounting her own birth. "More hours pass. You've been in labor for over a day now and your husband is on the brink of tears watching your pain. But, then, finally, your child is born." Aubrey felt her body start to shake. No. No. She knew where this was going. "The midwife hands you your child, a healthy baby girl, and you cry of happiness. Your husband joins you and, for just a moment, everything is perfect. And then it's not." Aubrey felt like she was going to cry. "You won't stop bleeding. There's too much blood. The midwife starts to panic and does her best, but she soon realizes that there's little she can do. So, your husband sits by your side, your newborn child in his arms, and he watches the life slowly leave your body. And you die."

Aubrey could only stare blankly at him. He didn't look affected on the outside, but his eyes… they had that look of pain again. Pain that ran so deep Aubrey could feel it herself. But her father wasn't even done yet.

"Now your husband is left with a child he doesn't know how to raise and a wife he doesn't know how to grieve. He has to raise a child and yet she seems almost like a foreign object. He has no experience with children or parenthood or love apart from what you promised to show him. But you're dead. And he's on his own." Aubrey felt like she was going to faint. She couldn't believe he was telling her this. Was he actually telling her this? "So, your husband doesn't know how to be a parent and he doesn't know how to raise a child. But what he does know, is how to train a soldier."Aubrey gasped. Actually gasped. She hadn't meant to. She really hadn't meant to. But it had slipped out anyway. And now there was no taking it back. But her father didn't seem to even process the noise she'd made. He only continued. "He knows how to train a soldier and he knows that those skills are the only gift he can give to his daughter. So, he trains her exactly as his own parents trained him. Because he knows nothing else. His wife, the only person who had ever loved him, is dead. And, now, the only thing he can fathom is teaching his daughter exactly how to outlive him. The only thing he knows is how to teach her to stay alive. So, he does. He teaches her everything. He builds a stronger family organization than ever for her and raises her to be the ultimate leader of it when she's older, even if that means sacrificing any kind of love or affection. Because he's still too lost in grief for his wife to do any of that, and he wouldn't know how to do that, anyway. But, she grows to hate him. And he knows it. But there is nothing he can do about it. The damage has already been done and, even when she runs away, he still doesn't know how to love. So, he lets her go and hopes that, above all else, she stays alive."

Aubrey shook her head, her breath shallow and tense. Levi had wrapped his arm around her at some point, trying to give her some semblance of comfort as her brain was overloaded. It helped, it really did, but all of this was too much. Even Levi's attention wasn't going to calm her right now. And that was saying a lot.

"But, then, despite your husband's efforts to keep her alive, your daughter joins the Scouts. The most deadly job she possibly could have taken. And, for years, your husband checks the records and the papers and the casualty lists, hoping every time that he doesn't see his daughter's name. And he doesn't. And, then, one day, she shows up on his doorstep. She looks just like him, but… the way she acts, the way she moves, the way she speaks, all of it… is just like her mother. But she has a husband and a life of her own and she hates him. As she should. All he's ever done is show her cruelty. That's all your husband ever knew. But, even after all of that… she is still his daughter."

Aubrey was completely frozen at this point. She didn't know what to do, what to say. It seemed like she'd forgotten how to think, how to breathe, how to speak. The table beneath her felt cold and clammy and Levi's arm around her shoulders felt hot and tight. The room was blurred, the only clear image the picture of her father's face before her, his eyes still pained and torn. She wasn't sure when he'd finished treating her knees, but he was standing now, his arms crossed over his chest as he waited for her response.

But, she didn't know how to respond. All of it was… too much. Too much. She'd never known all of that before. Why hadn't he told her? Why hadn't he tried to love her? Even if he'd been grieving, even if he hadn't known how, surely he could have tried. Maybe their lives could have been so different. Not perfect, but not miserable. Maybe, if he'd just tried… he could have been her father. Really her father.

But he hadn't tried. Perhaps he really had been too lost in grief to do anything more than keep her alive. Based on the pain she could see in his eyes, Aubrey thought that might be the case. But, for a second, just a second, she found herself wishing that he'd managed to push past it and be her father, be her friend.

That chance was long gone now, though. He hadn't been a father to her, only a torturer. And that was all he'd ever be. His chance was gone. And no matter his reasons, no matter his pain… he'd done what he'd done. And there was no changing that.

Aubrey gripped the edge of the table. The feeling swirling within her was strange, unlike anything she'd ever felt before. She couldn't describe it. It was cold and empty, and horrifying… and it hurt. But her father was waiting for an answer. He wanted to know what she thought now that she knew his side of the story. But her position hadn't changed. She had her answers now, but they didn't change what he'd done to her. No answers ever would. So, somehow, Aubrey found her voice and gave him the response he'd been waiting for.

"I don't forgive you."

Aubrey watched her father's face closely, but she saw no sign of surprise or disappointment, only neutrality.

He nodded, grabbing the vials of medicine he'd used and carrying them back to the cabinets. Aubrey almost didn't notice that he was wrapping them in cloth rather than putting them away, but she was soon distracted again by his words.

"I didn't expect you to and I don't want you to. I did what I did and I know it wasn't out of love… it was out of grief. You were a child and I left you without a childhood. For me, there was no other way. It was all I knew. But that doesn't mean I expect you to forgive me. If you did, you wouldn't be the daughter I raised."

Aubrey clenched her jaw. She supposed that was true. In her years since leaving her father, she'd forgiven quite easily. She'd forgiven both Levi and Erwin after Isabel and Furlan's deaths and she'd forgiven them countless times since then. But she wasn't a push over. Levi had wronged her back then, but he'd loved her and he'd shown her that. So, she'd forgiven him. Erwin had been the same. But her father… he had hardly ever shown her an ounce of kindness in her life and he'd left her with wounds and scars that would never fully heal. And that was the sort of thing she'd never be able to forgive.

But there was one more question she still needed answered. One more question that, compared to what he'd just told her seemed somewhat trivial. But she still needed to know. So, she opened her mouth and asked.

"And why am I still your successor, Father?"

That made her father pause again. His back was still to them and she could see his muscles flexing beneath his shirt as he tensed. But it didn't take him long to move again, opening a drawer of one of the cabinets as he answered.

"Well, I just told you I wanted you to stay alive. And then you joined the Scouts. So, I kept you as my successor because… I thought you might want to return to the family."

"What?"

Aubrey didn't even need to think to question that response. Return to the family?Why in the world would she ever want to do that?

Her father huffed at her shocked tone and continued to explain.

"You got yourself a job that will likely kill you at some point. But, if you left the Scouts, you could come back. You could take my place, you could be the leader I raised you to be, and you could be safe. You would have all of the money and resources you would ever need and you could bring your husband and start a family of your own if that's what you want."

Aubrey's mouth fell open. She'd planned from the second she'd gotten here to show no weakness to her father, but she couldn't help it. She couldn't believe the things that were coming out of his mouth. He'd kept her as his successor for her sake? Not for his own, not for his pride? It was like he was an entirely different person than she'd ever imagined he could be. It didn't make sense. But she knew what she needed to tell him. There wasn't even a second of hesitation as she answered.

"I'm not coming back, Father. I never will. The Scouts are my life now and I will fight with them until I absolutely cannot fight any more."

Aubrey was surprised to see her father nod immediately. It seemed he might have been expecting that answer.

"That's what I thought, but the offer will stand until I die." There was a slight pause and then her father went on. "Which I should tell you won't be long."

Aubrey froze again, her throat closing as she processed his words. When she spoke again, her voice was squeaky and tight.

"What?"

Her father turned back to her, the cloth-wrapped vials in his hands along with a few small papers that he'd pulled out of the cabinet. But he didn't look worried or upset at all.

"It's my lungs. They've been worsening over time. Coughing fits and blood. I'm dying."

For some reason, Aubrey felt like crying. She wasn't sure why. She had her answers, she'd gotten what she'd come for. But… her insides were screaming.

Her father only continued to speak as if his death was the most uninteresting thing in the world.

"But, I suspect I still have a good amount of time left. Years, probably. It progresses very slowly. I might even make it to seventy."

Aubrey shook her head, her vision blurring again. So much. All of this was too much.

Aubrey blinked as her father tossed her pants into her lap.

"Get dressed. It's time for you to go." Her hands didn't seem to work. Time to go? Why? "The pastors are being held in the basement of a tavern in town called the Royal Oak. Go in, find the bartender and ask to see his selection of wines. He'll ask if you're looking for anything in particular. Tell him you're looking for port, champagne, merlot, chardonnay, and riesling in that exact order. He'll ask if you're sure that's what you're looking for. Knock on the wood of the bar with your knuckles one time and say 'yes, absolutely. Only the best, please'. He'll tell you to follow him and then he'll take down to the basement and into a hidden room. That's where you'll find the pastors. They're all yours. Now that their secret is out, I have no reason to continue protecting them. I can't blackmail them anymore." He paused again and wrapped his hand around Aubrey's chin, staring her straight in the eyes with a look that she recognized far too well. "Repeat it to me. What are you going to do?"

Aubrey spoke without even thinking.

"The Royal Oak. Find the bartender. Ask for the selection of wines. Port, champagne, merlot, chardonnay, riesling in that exact order. Knock on the wood of the bar one time and say 'yes, absolutely. Only the best, please'. Get the pastors from the secret room in the basement."

Her father let go of her chin immediately and nodded.

"Good. Take all of the handcuffs and supplies you need from the hall and take an extra carriage and a couple horses if you need them." Her father glanced down at her still bare legs and then back up to her face. "I said get dressed."

Aubrey's body moved on its own. She slid off the table, quickly pulling the pants back onto her legs. Levi helped her, steadying her body as she worked and then handing over her boots. He wouldn't be able to lace them for her right now. He was still watching her father.

So, Aubrey crouched down, working on her own laces and finishing with them in record time, despite the fact that her hands were shaking uncontrollably.

But, when she stood again, she saw that her father had grabbed even more things from the cabinet and he now had a small cloth bag in his hands, too. He explained before she even had time to ask what all of this was.

He set down the two vials from before that she'd seen him wrap in cloth.

"Take these with you. The one with a yellow tint goes on your ribs to numb the pain. The one with the green tint goes on your knees and other cuts to help them heal." He proceeded to put the two wrapped vials into the cloth bag he had and then set down two small pieces of paper. "These are the recipes for those. The descriptions, uses, and ingredients are all on here." He put those in the bag, too, before grabbing the tape he'd used earlier and throwing that in as well. She already knew what that was for. But, that wasn't all. Her father had one more vial and one more piece of paper. He hadn't used three medicines on her before. What was it? But, before she could ask, he grabbed her chin again, forcing her to look him dead in the eyes as he stared her down. He looked deathly serious and Aubrey knew that whatever he was about to say wasn't trivial information. "This next vial will block pain. Almost all pain. Drink the whole vial and you won't be hurting for at least four hours. But, do not take this lightly. Just because you don't feel the pain doesn't mean you aren't doing damage. You could be tearing your injuries right back to where they started and you won't feel it. When it wears off, you'll realize that you have to start the healing process all over again." He pulled her closer. "Only use this in emergencies."

Aubrey didn't hesitate. She nodded.

Her father let go of her chin and wrapped the third vial in some additional cloth before placing it in the bag with the others. He slipped a third piece of paper in, too, and Aubrey figured that it was probably the recipe. But she didn't get long to think about it.

Her father took the now filled bag and placed it in her hand, closing her fingers around it and then meeting her eyes one more time.

"Now, like I said, it's time for you to go."

Her father put his hand on her shoulder and promptly turned her around. Levi didn't like that.

Before she knew it, he'd grabbed her hand and pulled her up against his chest. If she had to guess, she'd say he was probably glaring at her father again.

But her father didn't really seem to care. His expression remained indifferent and, knowing that Levi would make him go first anyway, he walked straight to the door and into the hallway.

Everything was moving so fast that Aubrey could hardly process it. But Levi didn't give her a break. He whirled her around, his hands on her cheeks and roaming all over her body as a pitifully helpless expression settled on his face.

"Are you alright? Did he hurt you? Do you feel okay? Are you-"

"I'm okay, Levi. I'm okay. I promise."

Aubrey heard him let out a tiny sigh and his lips crashed into her forehead. But they both knew they couldn't linger. Her father was waiting. So, their hands locked and, silently, they walked into the hall.

Her father was, in fact, waiting for them, but the instant his eyes landed on them he turned and started walking again. This time, he walked straight out the front door and onto the front porch.

Aubrey could see that Hange standing, leaned over some cabinet that they'd no doubt been exploring when they shouldn't have been. But Aubrey saw no reason to scold them, she was just happy to see their face.

"Come on, Hange. We're leaving now."

Hange broke from their daze and quickly straightened, a tiny but crazed smile forming on their lips.

"Do we know where the pastors are?"

Aubrey nodded and Hange gasped excitedly as Aubrey turned her eyes forward again. She was happy to see her friend excited, but she couldn't manage to pick up any of that excitement for herself. What her father had just told her… it was going to take her a long time to process it all. And, right now, she was still in shock.

But, when Hange fell in line behind Levi, Aubrey sighed in relief. It felt good to know that Hange was back in Levi's line of sight where he could protect them if needed. Even if all of this was almost over.

Their heels clicked on the wooden floors a few more times and then, without a second glance, all of them followed her father out onto the porch.

He already looked like he'd been standing there for hours, his back leaned against the railing as he looked at them. But, when Aubrey stopped in front of him, he stood straight again, looking her in the eyes as a serious and sad look came over both of them. Aubrey had never thought she'd feel like this after getting the answers she'd wanted. She'd thought she would only be more angry, only hate him more. But she felt neither of those things. She was only more confused. That was all.

But, her confusion only grew when her father reached for her hand. She let him take it, but felt Levi tense beside her. And when her father reached into his pocket, Levi growled in warning. But her father only pulled out… a necklace.

Aubrey's brows furrowed. A necklace? Why?

Her father turned her palm up and dropped the pendant and chain onto her skin, watching it curl up into a mess of gold.

It wasn't complex. Just a small gold chain with a small gold heart with a bit of engraving that looked like it was probably a locket. But, despite its simplicity, it was still beautiful.

Aubrey still didn't know why he'd given it to her, though. Luckily, her father explained.

"It was your mother's. I bought it for her before we got married. She used to wear it every day. It's yours now." Aubrey's eyes widened and she stared at the necklace blankly. Her… mother's? If he'd given this to her, if he'd had it in his pocket… that meant he'd had it on him since they'd arrived. He'd been planning to give this to her before she'd even stepped foot inside his house.

Aubrey felt like she couldn't breathe again. Too much. Still too much.

"I have a last request." Aubrey blinked herself out of her haze, her eyes flitting up to meet her father's again. His expression was final, like he knew this would be the last time they ever spoke, ever saw each other. It probably would be. "When I die… come to my funeral, hm?"

Aubrey's eyes widened even further if that was possible. She stared at him, her mind churning again with confusion and sadness and anger and horror. She couldn't answer that statement right now. So, she gave the only answer she could.

"No promises."

Her father nodded and gave her a light hum.

"Very well."

Silence settled again and Aubrey closed her hand around the necklace in her hand. She hadn't quite comprehended what it was, what it meant. But she knew she wouldn't be comprehending any of this for a long while. But that was alright. She had no doubt she'd get through it. She always did.

So, Aubrey gave her father one last glance, a final farewell in her eyes. A farewell neither of them had ever gotten before. An ending they both needed.

Her father gazed at her for a moment and Aubrey saw a flash of pain again. But, this time, it was covered quickly and her father said his final words.

"Goodbye, Aubrey." There was a small pause and he took a breath. "Stay alive."

Aubrey looked at him for a moment longer, finding herself trying to memorize his features. Perhaps she'd want to remember this moment and perhaps she'd want to forget it. She wasn't sure. But she knew it was time to say goodbye now. A true goodbye.

So, with a small breath of her own, Aubrey filled her lungs and spoke.

"Goodbye, Father."

As soon as the words left her lips, Aubrey turned on her heel and took Levi's hand, holding back the strange tears that were pricking at the corners of her eyes. She could feel her father's eyes on her as she went and she never heard him walk back inside.

He watched his daughter go in silence, both of them knowing that they'd probably never see each other again and neither of them really knowing what that meant.

A/N: OKAY, P.S.A. – THIS MAN IS A CHILD ABUSER AND NOT TO BE FORGIVEN IN ANY WAY. I ADDED THIS PART OF THE STORY TO EMPHASIZE THAT HE IS A PERSON AND THAT, LIKE MOST PEOPLE WHO DO BAD THINGS, THERE ARE OFTEN REASONS BEHIND IT (I.E. MENTAL ILLNESS, TRAUMA, DESPERATION, ETC.). THIS IS NOT A REDEMPTION ARC, BUT IT IS AN ATTEMPT TO MAKE AUBREY'S FATHER SEEM LIKE A REAL PERSON AND NOT A MINDLESS AND CRUEL VILLAIN. HE IS, IN FACT, CREUL, BUT HE IS ALSO NOT A ROBOT.

Okay, P.S.A over lol.

Wait, another P.S.A. lol. – The "medical" aspect to this chapter is DEFINITELY inaccurate, but I didn't really intend for it to be accurate in the first place. I figured it sounded believable enough and it works with the plot, so yay.

Okay, FINALLY, onto the actual chapter.

Ummmmm, how do we feel about her dad now? Like I've said before, I see him as a very grey character. I don't think he should be forgiven and I don't think Aubrey should try to patch together a relationship with him, but I did think it was important to show that he's a person just like everybody else. His story is so sad, tho :' ( He loved Aubrey's mother very much. He's a tortured man himself who's never known much besides pain. And, although he'd never say it straight out, I think he does love Aubrey as his daughter and he regrets what he did to her. But, like he said in the chapter, I don't think he knew how to do anything else.

And then he gave Aubrey her mother's necklaceeeeee. Honestly, Aubrey has so much jewelry now lol. And we all KNOW that she has a whole stash of gold from all of the jewelry Levi has bought her over the years that she just doesn't wear on a daily basis lol. But I feel like this one is special because it's a family heirloom and it's her mother's :' (

Okay, I think that's all I've got to say about the actual chapter, but PLEASE leave a comment and let me know how you feel about her father now. Do you think his backstory ruined his character or was it kind of what you were expecting? I'd love to know what y'all thought. Side note, I'll be uploading the Pregnancy Scare one shot soon, so keep an eye out for that if you like the one shots :)))) Alrighty, thanks for being the best readers ever! Love y'all 333