Morning everyone and happy Sunday!

Gosh yall, what a week it has been, right? Yall have been so sweet, and yeah, I'm doing alright. While I am an essential employee, I am officially joining the band of people who get to work from home, so while that adds new challenges to my day to be sure – my exposure to the elements is greatly limited as my husband works from home as well now.

Anyhow, onto the chapter!

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…

"So Petra, your cast comes off tomorrow, right?"

Petra nodded toward the Commander with a smile, looking toward Levi in excitement as she responded, "Yeah. Hard to believe it's been six weeks already. I had another follow-up appointment last week and the doctor said everything was progressing and healing properly. I can walk without crutches now, my rib is solidly back in place, my left side still has a few minor scratches left, but all in all I'm in good shape and ready to go!"

Erwin smiled all the more at her obvious enthusiasm, "That's excellent news. I called you both in here because I've got a few things to go over, and I figured that in light of tomorrow, this would be the best time." Erwin wore a suddenly serious expression and shifted some papers across his desk in preparation, "We'll go ahead and start with the most recent results of the training. It's been a full two weeks since the training has been completely rolled out to the entire Scout regiment, and now that we've addressed the outliers, the numbers have started to stabilize. We are seeing a consistent fourteen percent decrease across the entire regiment as a whole. On that note, the Royal Government has since received the deck comprised of all the data and, not surprisingly, has taken a rather vested interest in it. I should make you aware that I gave you full credit for the idea, as well as the methodology regarding how each team was to be coached. Needless to say, they are beyond impressed because such a development saves funding, manpower, natural resources; everything."

At Erwin's summary and confirmation that he had taken very little, if any of the credit for the major changes that had been taking place in the Scouts over the past month and a half, Petra found herself shaking her head quickly, a sort of nervousness building within her because she hadn't been after any attention and the fact that Erwin had put the project under her name alone was unexpected. "Commander, it wasn't just me – we all played our part and-"

Hearing her scramble to take some of the spotlight off herself, watching her blush and suddenly avoid his gaze so expertly, Erwin chuckled at her gentle nature, "There is no need to be modest, Petra. Considering I'm the one who challenged you in the first place, I know full well where the credit is due. The idea was yours from the start, and how the data was to be used and implemented, also stemmed from your brain. Yes, Hanji, myself, Mike, and Squad Levi notably played a large role in the implementation process, but you cannot state that the results would have ever come to fruition if it hadn't been for yourself."

Petra gave an uncertain shrug, still unconvinced, and as Erwin watched her in further amusement and looked toward Levi who appeared equally as amused by her response, the Commander took a breath and nodded back toward the ginger factually, "I know that your working side by side with me is still a relatively new experience for you, but something you should know about me; I have no interest in taking credit for the accomplishments of my men. You did well Petra, and no one from leadership intends to use your success to their advantage – at least in a way that puts them in the spotlight instead of you. Naturally, many people are benefiting from your work, the government is pleased with the Scouts as a whole – something I will shamelessly leverage when the time is right – but…in the meantime."

The Commander watched as a stubborn and soured frown came over her face, and Erwin studied her for a long moment before speaking, admittedly surprised because the longer she seemed to dwell on his words, the more uncomfortable she became. He folded his hands across the desk and watched her pointedly, "Mrs. Ackerman…you seem, increasingly uncomfortable by this, which I certainly didn't expect. This is a good thing – the government is highly impressed by you, as for the Scout Regiment, the troops are more prepared than ever for the next expedition, your skillset has undeniably grown, this will open up a lot of avenues for career growth in the future… Care to explain your ill ease?"

Petra gave a hesitant sigh at his question and looked over toward Levi, then the Commander nervously as she tried to explain her suddenly unsorted thoughts, "Well, Levi told me before all of this, and during this project no less, that I really needed to be a bit more intentional with things like this because it would cause changes and get my name out there to some extent. It's not that I am afraid of the acknowledgement in the here and now per say; I'm more so just afraid of what comes next. I've been so busy that I really haven't had time to sit down and think about what I want, and now knowing that the Government has gotten ahold of the results where my name is out on the front lines it just…makes me anxious I guess, because I feel they are one step ahead of me now. Captain said that I needed to be ready and…I'm just…not."

Erwin looked back toward Levi for only a moment, and then nodded factually, "Ah. That I can understand. He's a wise man Petra, with experience and knowledge that you'd be foolish to not take advantage of. Luckily, you do have myself, Hanji, as well as your Captain, where we each have our own vested interest in your skillset, and you as a person, and comrade. Granted, we are notably biased and will want to use any of your future talents for ourselves, but I hope that you can trust that we'll give you solid advice that will steer you away from making any regrettable judgement calls."

Petra gave a quiet, accepting nod, and Erwin spoke casually regarding the next item of business, "The Government asked for permission to forward this material to the other factions, considering it is presently Scout exclusive material that we have sole rights to. I presume you don't mind that I granted them each access for implementation as well; after all, the Scouts need all the allies we can get and this is a great way to build those bonds and wager future deals between the factions. Seems the material was sent over last week, with the same caveat that it all stems from a certain Petra Ackerman of the Scout Regiment."

Petra rolled her eyes at the comment, feeling that the branding was now just overkill, and Erwin found himself smirking, because if she thought that was a bit much, she was in for quite a surprise. He watched her in anticipation, "And on that note, we get into the meat of the conversation matter, because it seems the bribery has officially begun."

…Bribery?

Petra gave him a look of concern, and there was a sort of grunt from Levi, who seemed less than thrilled at Erwin's announcement, because he himself had been on the receiving end of the different faction's bribery on more than one occasion, and it irritated him endlessly to watch the military just throw their resources around as though people's loyalty could be outright bought. He supposed the perks and lavish gifts were nice enough, but still, it felt like poor stewardship of their scarce resources. Regardless his distaste, Levi never could quite find it in himself to reject their offerings of specialized, rare tea leaves, and no thanks to that, Levi was certain that he had enough tea to last him a decade, even if it had cost him some considerable time training miserable glory-seeking up and comers.

All in all, perhaps bribery did have a place in the military – the ugly politics that ran deals and forced stubborn agreements behind the scenes – and Levi tried to turn a blind eye more often than not and just stick to his lane.

There was an undeniable smirk on the Commander's face, and he shook his head as he grabbed an envelope from off his desk and unfolded a piece of paper from inside it, "It seems that as a thank you for your hard work and visionary tactics," Erwin glanced over the edge of the page toward Petra in obvious amusement, "And in no way related to any future career advancement because bribery is illegal on that front-" Again Levi scoffed from the side of the room, and Erwin looked back into the paper and continued undaunted, "the Garrison heard about your accident, and as a thank you for your 'Revolutionary material in such a difficult time', they hereby issue you a check to cover any expenses occurred during your past six weeks, considering that you've been statused as being on leave. Looking at the amount, it seems they've thrown in quite a hefty bonus as well, and I'd wager that wasn't an oversight. I didn't think you'd mind too much, so I didn't correct the back office when they asked about it."

Erwin handed the envelope toward her, and Petra seemed to stall in place hesitantly, looking first at Levi who merely motioned toward the item with a tilt of his head, and with a sigh, Petra bit her lip nervously and grabbed the envelope from the Commander, "They also wrote that if you ever need anything, be it personal effects or some luxury trinket as some sort of favor, to let them know as they'd be more than happy to work something out in the future. I'll give you the fair warning on that front, in case you can't tell that's a solid offer, but know that it would come with strings attached - often negotiable from both sides at the time of the offer, so it's not nearly as shady as it sounds in summation. Just keep it in mind for the future, because it's a resource you may find yourself needing to leverage one day."

Petra nodded at his advice and gave an overwhelmed sigh as she tried to mentally process it all, "Wow. Apparently I have friends at the Garrison now. I kinda feel weird. This is…crazy." She looked at the included check curiously, double taking at the amount and mouthing a silent 'Wow' to herself, because the amount was substantial – almost doubling what her pay would have been, had she actually been receiving her normal paychecks for being on active duty.

Well, that was some bonus. No wonder questions had been raised.

Erwin chuckled at her reaction and grabbed yet another envelope, and Petra's mouth fell open in amazement, "No. There's more? Are you serious?"

Erwin merely gave a laugh at her animated response and nodded, "Well of course. The Military Police isn't one to be outdone, and after hearing about the Garrison's generosity, they – also unrelated to your future in the military mind you – wanted to issue their thanks as well. As a token of their appreciation for providing them with your training regimen, and in light of the fact that your leave has already been cared for in terms of compensation, they have reached out to me and have made arrangements to extend some… rather generous time off, with pay no less. They are prepared to offer you a full four weeks, to be taken at your leisure between now and the next three months, if you're interested."

Erwin quirked a rather large eyebrow and almost leaned back into his chair with a smug grin, "Not bad, huh?"

From the side of the room, there was a snort.

"Four weeks? Where the fuck are those funds coming from?" Levi demanded lowly with a sort of huff, and Erwin rolled his eyes and turned toward the bitter Captain more directly.

"Levi, they're better funded than us. You know this. It's just a drop in the bucket for them."

"Shit, the MP's make me sick. You know if they really wanted to help us out then-"

"They don't want to help us out, they want to help out Petra and get in her good graces because we all know that the end of year reviews are coming up and she's got three and a half years left of her standing contract. That's tempting for any faction, and you know full well that-"

"Of course I know; she's my subordinate so if those MP's think they can fucking charm their way in and-"

Petra ignored Levi's continuous banter with the Commander and set the previous envelope inside of her jacket slowly, speaking in confusion over Levi's irritated words, because it was clear they could keep going for a while, and she was certain she had misheard the Commander. That, or perhaps it was also an offer with undisclosed strings attached? She cleared her throat and looked toward Levi with a quirked eyebrow, then directed her attention back toward Erwin more completely for some much-needed clarification

"Commander, you said paid time off, as in vacation, sir? I suppose I'm flattered because I – wow, four weeks, that's something – but Erwin, I'm a little confused. Why within the next three months? Isn't that a bit obscure? Why does it even matter?"

Again Levi gave a scathing huff, rolling his eyes bitterly, and Petra would have outright laughed at his childish demeanor if it weren't for the fact she was legitimately curious, so her attentions were focused solely on the Commander for a response.

Erwin also gave a chuckle, and Petra became suspicious that the answer to her question must have been obvious, as both males were watching her with heavy stares. Erwin leaned over his desk and whispered in a teasing, no duh fashion, "Your review is coming up in three months, and the MP's are hoping you'll join their ranks."

Petra blinked, and Erwin sat back up with a mirthful smile and explained further because it seemed she really didn't get it. "Petra, they don't want you starting out your theoretical role as an MP by taking four weeks of vacation right off the bat. In the event that you were to change factions – a conversation we are not having right now – they would want to put your skills to immediate work, and that would be difficult if you were gone for a month and a half, for either faction. If I had to guess, the Garrison and Military Police collaborated with each other before sending either gift our way, for that very purpose. Drama aside, the factions actually work pretty decently together and are rather considerate about not stepping on each other's toes."

Erwin paused and stole a side glance toward Levi, a small smirk painting his lips as he spoke in after thought, "Ignore Levi, he's a pitiful example."

Petra outright laughed at Erwin's half joking words, and she sobered her expression and gave a thoughtful sigh, "I guess that makes sense, and all of this is really humbling but there's no way I can step out now and leave you guys in the weeds. I know the numbers have stabilized, but there's still so much work to do."

Erwin watched her with a knowing smile, because it was clear she was overwhelmed and trying to find a graceful way to back out, "You know, before you make any hasty calls here Petra, let me remind you of a few things." Erwin shifted in his chair and moved more papers around his desk, clearly looking for something specific as he spoke, "First thing: As for the Scouts, all the kinks have been worked out and it's just a matter of staying the course. We can handle four weeks on our own. Second thing: It's bad form to reject a gift. I know you're aware that Levi and the Military Police have something of a history, but you don't, and there's no reason to embitter your standings with them because their resources are undeniable, and what's more, you've earned it."

Erwin grabbed a new manila folder and set it in front of himself, apparently having found what he needed, and he looked toward her seriously, "As it stands now, I've already allowed you to work off the clock for six weeks while you should have been given time to rest and recover. Granted, I won't apologize because even if I could go back, I'd do it the exact same all over again, but I'm well aware that my actions have been less than noble and pushed you to the point of breaking in more ways than one. You've been gracious to us in a time where you had every right to take a step back from your duties, and as always, your dedication to the Scout Regiment is notable, noticed, and appreciated."

Petra shrugged, not certain how she was supposed to respond to his claims, because they both knew that even if Erwin had been resistant of her help, she would have undoubtedly fought him on it the whole way and weaseled her way into the project eventually.

Erwin's expression sobered, "Third thing, and possibly the most important: There's actually something else you need to be aware of Petra."

The Commander leaned forward in his chair, his hard-set expression showing that their conversation had shifted to something much more serious in nature, and Petra watched him curiously as he opened the folder with a collective exhale. He took a slow breath, and as though thinking his words over but seemingly at a loss, Erwin merely grabbed a small collection of envelopes from within the folder and handed them across his desk toward her with an expectant nod.

With a questioning glance, Petra reached forward and grabbed them from him, a silence falling over the room as she reviewed the small collection of extremely familiar envelopes, four in total, and she looked up toward Erwin with a shake of her head, because she knew exactly what they were, but as to why Erwin had them…

"Commander these are…my letters. I started writing my father again, maybe a few months ago?" She looked them over and looked back toward him in greater confusion, "Why weren't they delivered? I'm not seeing any return stamps or anything so, if they weren't returned then-"

"I've been intercepting your mail, intentionally." Erwin finished for her in confirmation, and Petra looked up from the papers with a hesitant, concerned stare, not understanding what would have ever led to such a thing. She shook her head as she tried to find her words, looking back into her envelopes one more time and shaking her head in dismay, "Commander I don't…I'm sorry but I just don't understand."

Erwin nodded, grabbing the folder as a whole and handing it to her passively. Petra moved up from her chair and grabbed it from him with a perturbed expression, flipping through the pages in growing agitation as he explained himself further, "In that folder is a collection of all the correspondence we've received from your father throughout these past few months."

Petra's tone changed, from concern to sudden irritation, and she looked up from the contents of the folder in warning, "Wait, these are from my father? I haven't gotten anything from him since before the wedding – you've been taking them? Commander, I'm…I'm sorry to speak out of turn, but you've got no right!"

Erwin simply nodded back toward the folder calmly and explained, "I'm sorry to tell you this Petra, but allow me to clarify. In terms of letters from your father to you specifically, we actually haven't received anything. He hasn't been writing you. If you take a look at all the documentation we've received, all contained within that folder mind you, the addressee is to the Commander of the Scout Regiment – myself. At least on that front, there's been no foul play."

At his clarification, Petra felt a bitter taste in her mouth and she cleared her throat forcefully, "I see. Still though…why would my father write to you and…not me? He's said nothing to me, nothing at all, and it's been almost eight months since his last letter. I figured that if I wrote him consistently, four letters in two months apparently, he'd be forced to say something, sooner or later. Now you mean to tell me that you've been stopping my mail from ever reaching him in the first place? Why?"

The dismay, the sheer betrayal and hurt in her words was obvious, and Erwin gave a long sigh and leaned over the front of his desk, speaking more softly in attempts to deescalate her rising anger, "Plain and simple Petra, your Father still wants you out of the military, and like before, he is attempting to go around you and force our hand. I understand if you don't agree with my methods, but after watching you marry Levi for the express purpose of remaining in the Scout Regiment, under Levi's command specifically, I felt it best to not bother you with the details of your father's demands because it would only cause you further stress over something that was properly cared for at the wedding."

Erwin watched as Petra's eyes widened, and he held up a hand to clarify before she got the wrong idea, "Legally speaking, you are covered completely even now; I want to stress that there is no documentation or demands your father can make that will ever overstep the authority of your legal husband and that hasn't changed. Your contract with the military still stands Petra, so don't worry about being discharged. Because of that fact alone, when it comes to handling these sort of requests further; the complaints your father has and his frequent pushback, that really is more my job as the Commander to protect my troops and use discretion regarding what information gets back to them. Your position is quite secure, and considering everything was written to myself, at the end of the day you just didn't need to know."

Petra gave a tense exhale and continued flipping through each page in the folder, surprised when most of it wasn't so much hand written requests, rather more legal jargon and demands; proof required of such and such within a certain degree of time regarding their response to article and sub article – Petra shook her head because most of it was far above her understanding, and Erwin continued.

"We intentionally did not send any documentation about the marriage outright, because the longer he could be kept in the dark the better. The first letter we received from him, I believe was a month or so after the wedding? It was exactly as you'd expect – a confirmation that you were not yet returned home, and that if you were not present in his household in the next sixty days, he would be within his rights to bring you home by force. We intentionally did not respond, and after that two month time frame give or take, we got an additional letter with a majority of the forms you see included there – that was a rather hefty document we received - reviewing his legal rights as your father, military and civilian rights and correspondence expectations – in summation, a long and arduous way of saying either give me my daughter, or prove that you are legally within your rights to maintain her present custody, you have thirty days to respond."

Petra was still busy viewing the various papers her father had sent in, not sure where she stood on all the information the Commander was throwing at her, and Erwin adjusted himself in his chair with a sigh, "For that we didn't have to respond, but knew that it was for the best because we certainly didn't want him showing up at our front door unannounced. We waited it out until the last possible moment and sent him a few articles that simply confirmed you were legally married, and due to the effective date of your marriage, you were able to sign a new contract before your previous term expired. We confirmed that you were still acting as an employed member of the Scout Regiment because we had a sanctioned, binding contract that permitted you to do so."

As she flipped through each page contained in the folder, Petra finally noticed a standalone, handwritten letter at the end, and Erwin nodded as she read it over. He folded his hands over his desk and watched her evenly, "Now here we are. In response to all that, we got that letter just last week. As you can see for yourself, it's a formal request that you return back to your father's house for a visit. It seems your father understands that you are legally remaining in the military, and apparently he wants to talk things out with you in person, requesting that with the present situation, I make an exception and grant you the needed time off so that you can discuss your future with him directly."

Petra read over the letter, over the familiar penmanship of her father's handwriting, with a furrowed brow and Erwin watched her as she studied the document with a serious expression, "For the record, he understands that you are married, but he isn't aware of who you married at this point in time. I was very specific about keeping that from him, because while it is perfectly legal, there is some admitted red tape with the fact that Levi's still your Commanding Officer and that's a bit tricky to convey through the written word. While I'd like to believe that your father's intentions are perfectly innocent and that he just wants to address the fallout between you, I can't help but remain skeptical. If you are a reflection of your father in any way, now that he's picked this battle, I can't see him just giving up so quickly."

There was a long silence that fell over the room as Petra thought his explanation over and she dropped her letter into her lap and took a collecting breath, "Why didn't you tell me my father was still causing you trouble? And more than that, why…why were you intercepting my mail? I get that none of these letters were directed to me, that's one thing, but my mail? That was personal, Erwin. Between me and my father – not you."

Erwin gave a single nod, speaking confidently because at the very least, she deserved answers to her valid questions and even if it upset her, he would take ownership for his actions and not skirt around the issue, "Because Petra, we were blindsided once, and you're too valuable to lose, so for the time being I intend to be more proactive regarding your future in the Scout Regiment. The less information your father has to work with, the better, and I was fearful that you would be a little too soft in your words and potentially speak about issues we were trying to keep a lid on. All do respect, but my fears were in fact validated. Most of your letters pertained to Levi, not as your Commanding Officer, but rather your husband – and that's specifically information that's best kept a secret until we know more about your father's intentions."

Hearing Erwin's explanation, Petra's mouth dropped open and she held up a hand in question as she spoke in sudden alarm, "Wait, do you mean to tell me that you actually read my letters? Commander, that's private!"

Remembering some of the words she had written, details she had told her father regarding her thoughts, feelings, and things she would have never told Erwin regarding her relationship with the Captain, she was beyond mortified. The sheer lack of privacy, the sensitive matters she had written about…

When Erwin merely watched her with a flat stare that confirmed he had in fact read every word, Petra could feel her face turning blood red and she dropped her head into her hands with a furious, horrified growl, "Erwin. Those words were never intended for you. I was writing my dad because I'm aware that I need to make things right with him and that means honest, real conversations, about things that matter – like my husband. You think stopping my mail is going to help the situation? What's wrong with you? When have I ever made you-" She groaned again, pushing her hair to the side of her face with a frustrated sweep of her hand, "I understand your intentions, but what I was writing about Levi was, well, extremely personal and…oh gods…"

She looked over toward the Captain in sudden realization and remorse, for a moment having forgotten that Levi was in the room with them, and as she looked at him fearfully, all but ready to apologize because he would no doubt be curious as to what she was talking about, what words she had apparently written about him specifically - the first and only thing she noticed was that the Captain wore a strange, shadowed expression that spoke of guilt, and Petra felt the breath leave her lungs outright, because there was no denying what that had meant.

She struggled to catch her breath at the way he watched her, her mouth hanging wide open, and she felt a growing sense of betrayal rise all the more from within her, "I don't believe this. You too, Captain?"

She swallowed thickly and stared at Levi with a furious glare that confirmed she expected an answer, and she felt her stomach clench into multiple, painful knots when Levi gave a sigh and responded with a single nod of his head. Petra gave a guarded, quipped nod in return, closing her mouth with a click of her tongue. Her eyes began to burn with unshed tears and her throat tightened as she tried to find her words, uncertain if there was anything she could say, because without her knowledge or approval, she had already said far, far too much.

In her letters, she had written to her father details of their relationship – things she loved about the Captain, traits that she adored and things he had done that had made her feel special, without him even trying, things he wouldn't have even known that she had noticed. She wrote of his devotion, of his work ethic, how she was so jealous of his talents and how no matter how hard she tried, she felt as though she could never quite obtain or catch someone like him, because he was beyond her in so many ways. She wrote about the first time he had kissed her – really kissed her, and how it had made her heart soar because it had just felt right.

Throughout her letters, she had praised his charm and wit – the fact that even though his mannerisms were poor and he had a hard time relating to people, even still she had witnessed countless women fawn over him, because he had been considered quite the eligible bachelor before the wedding, and she knew a lot of women were disappointed when he was officially taken off the market.

She had expressed her fears that she wasn't good enough for him – he was elite and sought after by every faction in the military, private and wealthy Lords were always making him offers that would triple his pay should he consider heading up their personal guard and retire from the military, and she was just some girl that needed him for some selfish reasons of her own.

She had spared nothing in her writings; because fighting or not, she knew her father would see her heart in her words, would see her sincerity and know that even though she was hurt by his actions, he would know that she was happy with her situation and she didn't want him to worry, because even though she had known it from the beginning, Levi was a good man. Yes, their marriage had started as something of a necessity that allowed her to stay in the military, and even though she had once promised her Captain that it was just a meaningless formality, she told her father that she was happy to be with him, truly happy – happier than she could have ever thought possible. She had written, to the man who had raised her and knew her very heart and soul, that she secretly hoped one day, maybe things would change between them, because try as she may to keep her emotions in check…she was falling for him, even if she didn't intend to do so, and it was only a matter of time until her Captain had won her heart completely, without him even knowing it.

Petra took a shaky breath and looked up toward the same man that her letters had praised so outlandishly; her mouth agape, her heart pounding in her chest as she recounted all the details that were supposed to be seen by her father alone. Not by the Commander, and certainly not by…

Again she swallowed thickly, barely holding back tears as sheer disbelief and embarrassment overwhelmed her, feeling suffocated under the weight of the two men who knew far more about her than they had ever let on, who had known for months, and merely pretended otherwise.

She hadn't wanted to tell him. She wasn't ready to tell him, and even in the event that she had been – she should have been able to find the right time, to find the right way; it should have been her words at a time of her choosing, when the moment just felt right and she knew that she wanted him to finally hear what was on her heart. It should have been a moment of tenderness, and understanding, and compassion and anxiousness, because neither of them had ever wanted such an outcome and the fact it was happening on its own was in some ways, a true burden that she wanted to share with him, as they shouldered the weight of it together.

Knowing that Levi had known – that he had known the whole time - it was like something precious had been stolen from inside of her, and the fact it was Levi who had so callously betrayed her trust left a burning, intense ache within her because he knew better and he did it anyway. He knew better, and each day he woke up was another day he had chosen to keep it all to himself, and each day had turned into weeks, and the weeks into months.

He hadn't even tried to tell her.

She dared to lock her gaze with the Captain's, her shoulders heaving as she fought back tears at being so exposed like this, "Levi…how could you?"

Erwin cleared his throat suddenly, though Petra's gaze did not shift from off the Ackerman in the slightest. With a sigh, Erwin spoke, "I apologize for any hurt this brings you Petra; I understand these matters were deeply personal and I know them being brought to light in such a setting would be difficult to process. Rest assured this was not done out of a lack of trust, it was merely a protective measure and nothing more. If it makes any difference, I can confirm that Levi was acting under my instructions as his direct superior; I instructed him to read your letters because he knows you better than I do, and it's possible that even now you know more about this line up of events than you are consciously aware of – details or conversations your father has had with you in the past that may give us insight as to the sheer absurdity of the situation."

Petra took a ragged breath, looking into the ground as she willed herself not to cry, "You brought this up for a reason Commander. Can you just get to the point?"

Hearing her words, Erwin gave a long sigh, attempting to look toward Levi for advice as it was obvious this was not going well, though the Captain's gaze was presently occupied. His attentions were solely focused on Petra as he tried to catch her eye to communicate some wordless something, but eventually, Levi exhaled and looked toward the ground in defeat because try as he may, the ginger refused to acknowledge him further.

With a sigh, Erwin looked back toward Petra, on his own so it seemed, and he crossed his arms thoughtfully, "Very well Mrs. Ackerman. I propose and advise that if you are willing, you accept the Military Police's offer and start your vacation the day after tomorrow. Your cast will be removed, and that gives today and tomorrow to pack, as well as all day tomorrow to visit the medical team if things don't quite feel right or you need some immediate help regarding physical therapy. From there, you could take your horse, visit your father for what, about two and a half weeks, after taking out the time to travel there and back? You could use that time to settle your differences, talk some sense into him if you feel inclined to do so, tell him whatever you need to about your arrangement with Levi, and with any luck, that will put this whole mess behind us once and for all."

Erwin watched her for a long moment for a response, and though she nodded pensively, Erwin was well aware that her thoughts were elsewhere. He drummed his fingers against the surface of his desk and when it became obvious Petra had no intention of verbally responding, he exhaled again, "Either way, the decision is yours and you are welcome to choose whatever you are most comfortable with; that would just be my recommendation because as much as I'd like to, fact of the matter is I can't give you a better offer. Four weeks is substantial and even though you are more than worth it, it's just not in our budget so this works out in our favor if you can acquiesce your father's request on the MP's dime. There's no real rush, but try to let me know your thoughts by the end of the day because the Military Police will need to plan appropriately, and the sooner the better. That's all."

Petra took a deep breath and stood up from her chair with a bewildered nod of her head, still keeping her gaze locked onto the floor because she knew that the second she made eye contact with either one of the men in the room, due to her sheer embarrassment and admitted shame, she would start crying outright.

Neither of these men were worthy of seeing her tears at such a moment, and Petra gave a stiff nod as she turned toward the door, "Yeah, I'll do that, Commander. I'll think it over and let you know by dinnertime. If I can't find you, then I'll just uh…I guess I'll tell Hanji in that case."

"Petra, I can-"

It was Levi who spoke, something that surprised Erwin, because though his voice was a mere whisper, the fact he said anything at all at such a time spoke volumes of his concern, but Petra merely walked toward the door as though she hadn't even heard him, "I'll take my leave now."

The ginger moved out of the room without another word, and it wasn't but twenty seconds later that Erwin found himself in an empty room, because immediately after Petra had left, Erwin looked toward Levi in question as though to say 'What will you do now, Captain?', but his expression was lost on the younger male, because Levi was already tearing his way across the room, concern and determination clear in his gaze.

It wasn't until Levi reached the door that he seemed to remember himself, and he stalled in place, one hand on the doorknob, and he looked back toward Erwin expectantly, as though silently asking for permission to also take his leave. Erwin couldn't help the chuckle that left him because even with Petra so embarrassed by her strong feelings that were forced into the light, Levi so concerned for her that he all but chased after her by sheer instinct, regardless the anger he was guaranteed to face – Erwin knew with certainty that the Ackerman's would be…just fine.

He gave Levi a nod and waved his hand passively with a bemused chuckle, and the Captain spared no time, closing the door behind him and undoubtedly meeting up with his wife a mere few feet later. While muffled, their conversation that followed wasn't completely lost on him.

"You read them?" came Petra's irritated, waspish voice, "Why would you ever do such a thing?"

A deep sigh and more footsteps. It seemed the girl was still on the move, and Levi was chasing after her just the same, "Petra, I had no choice! It's my job!"

"Oh you had a choice alright," came her scathing reply, "and you chose to keep me in the dark, probably laughed at me the whole time! Well joke's on you; I made it all up, so…so there! Why are you – ugh, Levi stop following me!"

"Petra, will you just listen to me?"

"No! You've got two legs that aren't broken, right? How about you put them to good use and get out of my sight! Humanity's Strongest, ha. More like Humanity's most insensitive, backstabbing, arrogant-"

Erwin couldn't help the snort that left him at her obvious fury, and he shook his head in wonder because whether Levi had chosen her, or whether it was fate that had pushed them together, Erwin couldn't pretend to know, but he couldn't deny that Petra was a fiery woman and he wasn't jealous of Levi's present position in the slightest. Any further conversation was lost on him as they were seemingly out of ear shot, and with a smile on his face and one final sort of sigh, Erwin grabbed out his stationary and prepared to write a few letters.

…

End of Chapter

…

Aaand this is the OFFICIAL, first chapter of the new arc. We bid the gas shortage arc a fond farewell and move onto a much more anticipated arc…that may or may not be a part of where this story got its name in fact. But…that one is a topic for another day :)

Either way with that being said, let me know yalls thoughts! I LOVE this chapter so much, I love Erwin's little smile at the end and Petra being an absolute spit fire as always – and yeah, bringing up the letters. Yall didn't think I forgot about that, right? It was the right thing to do but yeep, trial by fire on that one.

See yall next Sunday! Stay safe and have an awesome week!

~Midnight