Morning guys!

Hopefully this week wasn't too long for you. Honestly, I just woke up and I'm still half asleep so Imma just not say much because, ya know, morning.

Yall enjoy the chapter!

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"Here we are, Captain." Petra gave a nervous smile and nodded toward the door, "This is it."

Levi merely nodded, and Petra took a breath of preparation, pausing in place for a single moment as though working up the nerve, and eventually, she grabbed out a small key, opened the lock, and moved into the house.

Inside there was a small entry way, and Petra spoke softly, an obvious nervousness to her voice, "Uh, here. This is where you can leave your shoes if you want, Captain. You don't have to, I mean, Dad really has never cared about shoes in the house, but none the less. I should-"

"Princess? Is that my baby girl? You home?"

It was undoubtedly her father that was speaking, and Petra's eyes widened, speaking more loudly as she called back out to him, "Yeah, uh, it's me Dad. Made it back okay." She immediately turned toward Levi, her voice a tense whisper as she watched him with narrowed eyes, "Levi, how did he know I was coming?"

He responded simply, his voice equally as soft, "Erwin. Once you confirmed that you'd be taking the vacation time, he sent a letter to your father and had it rushed out. He thought it for the best that he get the heads up."

Petra grumbled and rolled her eyes, slipping out of her shoes as she responded with a bitter huff, "Oh sure, I try to mail out letters and they all get blocked. Erwin gets involved and his letters get rushed. How is that-"

"Petra, that hardly matters right now."

"Hardly matters? Captain, before we had the element of surprise on our side. Now that he's been tipped off, he'll be all the more impossible! He's had time to think, and he'll be that much more of a pain in the ass! You don't know him like I do! All Erwin did is stoke the fire."

"Perhaps that's true, but at the very least the man's actually here, right? Would have been a real shame to come back to an empty house." Levi watched Petra shake her head, obviously thinking of a number of things all at once, and he placed a hand on her shoulder, giving her a direct stare to grab her complete attention, "Petra. Go and see your dad, because anger or not, I know you miss him. I'm going to start grabbing the bags, okay?"

She took a breath and nodded a few times, trying to bolster her resolve, because of course, her Captain was right. "Okay."

Levi gave her shoulder a reaffirming squeeze, and Petra turned around, walking out of the entry way and into the house, uncertain of what she might be walking into. She stepped into the main part of the room, eyes scanning the room to find her father.

"Over here." Her dad stated from the side of the room, nearing the kitchen, and Petra turned toward his voice, all but freezing in place as her eyes met his, feeling a number of things all at once and uncertain what to respond to first.

Her father.

It had been so long. There was so much left unsaid between them. She was furious with him. She was deeply hurt. She wanted him to understand; to accept the life she had chosen and to somehow win his impossible approval. She wanted to yell at him, to demand his respect and a well-deserved apology. She wanted to tell him everything. She wanted to tell him about her daily life with her other family; the serious nature of Gunther, the unrelenting pride of Oluo, and the charm of Eld – who she was certain her father would get along with, if they ever got the opportunity to meet face to face.

She wanted to tell him about the gas shortage, how she had somehow been placed in such a position that revealed she had a rather unique skill, and how she had eventually created a solution that would change the course of the entire military and how they used the resource. She wanted to watch his eyebrows raise, see his surprise after hearing how accomplished she was – tell him that the other factions were bribing her because they wanted to use her skills in the future as well.

She wanted…

Well, what she really wanted most of all…

She wanted to tell him about Levi.

An uncertain, cautious silence filled the air as the two regarded each other warily. Her father watched her in equal hesitance, and after a few moments, he gave a long sigh and smiled at her, a lopsided sort of grin, and he crossed his arms, "So uh, can we hold off on the fighting for a few moments? We both know it's gonna happen, but even still Baby, it's been a while since-"

Before her father could finish his sentence, Petra had moved across the floor, a single hesitant step at first, but quickly gaining momentum until she was all but running toward him, throwing her arms around him in a crushing embrace as tears came to her eyes.

Her father, rather used to his daughter's aggressive hugs that she often greeted him with, merely smiled and returned her embrace in an equally fierce manner, one hand around her back, the other moving through her hair with an affectionate sweep of his palm. He could feel his daughter quake in his arms as she cried, at once reminded of just how tender hearted she truly was, and he couldn't help the smile that came to his lips, "Shh, Petra. It's okay. I'm glad you're here; it's been such a long time, baby girl."

The man's voice cracked as he spoke, and Petra merely nodded into his shoulder, wetting his shirt with her tears and struggling to speak as her emotions continued to overwhelm her, "Yeah Dad. Almost two years now."

He kissed the top of her head, blinking a few tears out of his eyes as he spoke softly, "I've missed you, sweetheart."

"I know. I miss you so much, every day, Dad." She took a breath, her grip across him firm as her hands shook because after all that had happened between them, a considerable amount when they hadn't been face to face like this for some time, even still, the circumstances and brewing storm didn't retract from how much she cared about him, and she found that even if it was only for a moment, she was grateful for a moment like this, where she could focus on what truly mattered between them.

"It's always hard to be away from you, you know you're my world."

Her father gave a long sigh, rubbing her back as he spoke in a solemn, broken whisper, "So why then, Petra? I just don't get it. If you miss me that much, then why didn't you just come home, for good, when you had the chance? I know you viewed it all as being forced, but I know you can make a life out here. If anything, you've proved that you're adaptive, so we both know that you could have-"

"Dad," Petra exhaled, closing her eyes because the sweetness of the moment was beginning to fade away all too soon, already being replaced by the bitterness of their situation.

Her father pulled her back so he could look at her directly, his eyes not narrowed in anger, but rather in concern as he watched her with obvious hurt. His voice was still quiet, "Petra, why did you do it? Why did you get married? Do you hate me that much, where you'd rather marry a stranger than come back home, where you belong?"

She opened her mouth to speak, struggling to find her words, and she shook her head before giving him a remorseful, but serious stare, having hoped that maybe they could avoid fighting for at least the first ten minutes. She took a breath, "Dad, I 'belong' in the military. Someone like me has no place among civilians; we've talked about this. Even knowing that though, instead of respecting my choice, you decided to try and force me back instead. You know how I feel about that; what did you think would happen?"

Her father released his hold on her, a look of irritation flashing across his face at her sudden line of questions, his tone more serious as he responded curtly, "What did I think would happen? Petra, I thought you'd come home. And sure, I knew you'd be angry at me, I knew we'd fight about it for months on end, but like I said, you've proven that if anything you're tenacious and adaptive. You'd readjust to life just fine and drop this do or die mentality. What I didn't think would happen is that you'd be so desperate that you'd end up getting married. Married, Petra! And you didn't even tell me!"

Petra gave a huff of offense, her eyes wide as she defended herself, "Dad, it's because you left me no choice! I don't know how many times I have to say it for you to understand – I want to be in the military! I have no intention on settling down right now, and no thanks to you, you made it so that was the only option left for me! I had to get married because it was the only way I'd legally be able to sign a new contract! Had it not been for-"

It was as she was speaking, aggravation clear in her tone, that Levi came into the room, a few bags strapped around him as he walked into the tense room, and her father looked toward him slowly, his mouth dropped open in disbelief.

"No." he stated lowly, his eyes locking onto Levi's with a shake of his head, "Petra, please tell me that he's only here to issue me a formal apology regarding how everything has been handled between me and the Scout Regiment. Is he here just to make sure that you made it back home okay? That better be all this is. You can't… you can't possibly mean to tell me that…"

Levi looked toward Petra, then toward the man that he had never met face to face before, but had heard of numerous times, through Petra's various stories and letters throughout the years. He held the older man's gaze flatly, noting that it was a very familiar shade of green that was staring back at him.

Well, that answered that question.

Petra cleared her throat and gave a sigh, "Dad, this is Levi. He's-"

The man's green eyes hadn't left the Captain's for even a moment, and his voice lowered in obvious impatience, "Petra Marie Ral! I know who he is; you've talked about him for years and any moron with half a brain would recognize the Scout's right-hand man. What I want to know young lady, is who is he to you?"

At her father's harsh tone, Petra had opened her mouth to speak, but Levi turned toward her father more directly, his jaw set firmly as he spoke, "I'm her Captain, and more recently, I'm now her husband as well. For the record, nowadays she goes by the surname of Ackerman…no thanks to you of course."

Petra couldn't help but blink at Levi's words, because while he wasn't being disrespectful by any means, he certainly wasn't pulling any punches regarding his thoughts or where he stood on the matter, and instead of responding directly to Levi's words, her father's attention snapped back toward her directly, "For real Baby, you married this guy? I'll admit I hadn't really thought too much about it; I had somewhat expected that it was that one blonde guy or whatever. You said you and him got along pretty well, so some part of me just assumed it was him because, well, let's face it - it's not like you would have had a huge line of guys trying to date you or whatever."

"Alright Dad, what's that supposed to me-"

"You seriously mean to tell me that you married this guy? Him? The guy you said has no sense of humor and enjoys terrorizing people? He's so…" he paused and looked the younger man over with a disgruntled frown, his eyes narrowing at Levi's quirked brow that almost dared him to continue, and her father gave a bitter huff as he looked back toward Petra, a sneer to his lips as he spoke in surprise and indignance, "He's clearly not your type. I'm your father, and I know a good match when I see one. This just isn't it. He's no good for you, Petra."

Levi's hard-set expression didn't change, though he couldn't deny he was inwardly amused at how Petra had apparently described him before their marriage, and then…not so amused at how simply her father had written him off with a literal passing glance.

Petra's voice showed signs of sheer agitation, her voice gaining in volume as she responded because it was obvious she didn't have a lot of patience for her father's evident dislike, "Alright Dad, there's so much wrong with what you just said. First off, the guy you're talking about is Eld, and yes, he's a good friend of mine, but no, I'd never be anything other than friends with him because, if you recall, he has a fiancé that he's very much in love with, and he's more of a brother to me anyway. As for how many guys are or aren't interested in me, that's none of your business. And as for Captain and I…well, it doesn't matter if we're a 'good match' or whatever, because it's a done deal so it is what it is."

She took a breath and added in as a sort of afterthought, "And about what I wrote earlier about him…yeah. That's all still true. He really doesn't have a sense of humor and he's pretty sadistic more often then not. So yeah, I guess you've got me there, but considering it's your fault I had to get married in the first place, I wouldn't dwell on it too much or you may start to actually feel bad about it."

"Right, and it's all thanks to me. You really mean to say that you look at this whole mess as though I caused it? Did you ever think that you just didn't have to get married? You could have let your term come to an end and just leave that mess behind you. Most Scout's aren't lucky enough to escape with their life and I gave you an easy out – you just had to take it!"

"Dad! I'm not looking for a way out! I love what I do, why can't you understand that? Why do you always have to belittle me or talk about my life in the military as something to be ashamed of?"

"All I wanted was to give you a better life, Princess! I don't know why you're treating me like a criminal!"

"Because what you did is not okay, regardless your intentions! Just because you don't agree with me doesn't give you the right to live my life out for me. I'm a grown adult Dad! I'm not a child anymore so-"

"Well you're certainly acting like a child; throwing rebellious tempers, running off and living so recklessly, like your life doesn't even matter to you in the slightest. Like it or not, but you're still young. You don't know what you want out of life and as your father it's my job to-"

"No, it's not! You need to respect the fact that-"

Sensing that this was going to go on for a while in a manner that didn't require his two cents, Levi motioned toward the bags and looked at Petra flatly, "Oi Petra, where do you want me to put these?"

She blinked at his sudden callout, looking toward him with a flustered huff and motioned with her hands as she spoke, "Uh, right. You can put all our stuff in my room. It's down the hall, take a right, then straight back." She looked toward her father again, "Considering you're clearly hellbent on me living here again, am I correct in presuming that my room is still intact and not turned into a storage closet or whatever?"

Her father's mouth dropped open as he watched the raven haired male readjust the bags and take a few steps towards the hall in question, and he cleared his throat, "Well sure, your room is still there baby, but he-" her father shook his head darkly, "That man is not staying here. He had the nerve to steal you away, take your hand without so much as showing even a hint of respect for my wishes, so-"

Levi paused in place, not caring if the two argued back and forth till kingdom come, not caring if the man hated him outright, but even still…this was her father's house, and Levi had more tact than to stay where he wasn't welcome.

Petra gave a dark laugh, "Oh, is that a fact? Well then." She turned over her shoulder and gave Levi a chilling, sadistic sort of smirk that he knew wasn't intended for him, regardless the fact that he was on the receiving end of her unfitting sort of dark glower, "Captain, it seems we aren't welcome here because my Dad is trying to make a point of his disapproval. If you will go ahead and round up our horses? Sorry for duplicating the work, but it seems we'll have to find an alternative source of lodging."

"Now wait a second Princess. It's not like that, I just don't want some stranger-"

She turned back toward her father and crossed her arms, "Stranger? Dad, just stop because we all know what this is about. I'll have you know that the reason Captain is here is because I asked him to be. I wanted him to meet you, because rocky relationship or not, you are my father, and I feel that it's only right that the three of us sit down face to face and work together to put this whole mess behind us. But if you're going to be such a prick that you can't even be a proper host to the man that has watched over me and protected me as my Commanding Officer for close to six years now, if you can't respect the fact that I want him here with me, by my side, then it is what it is, and we'll be out of your hair before dinner because if he goes, then I go with him. Like it or not Dad, we are married, and so if you want me to stay here, then Levi's staying here with me, and that's a non-negotiable."

At Petra's passionate demands, Levi remained in place, admittedly not enjoying being put in the middle to some extent, but understanding full well why Petra was choosing to fight this battle head on like this. Admittedly, being separated from her for two weeks, while he was at some random hotel and she was here at her father's house, was less than ideal and regardless the extreme tension that now filled the room, he was glad that Petra was bold enough to butt heads with her father so directly regarding where they would be staying. Considering he was a guest, a complete outsider, it simply wasn't his place to speak against her father on such a matter, because at the end of the day, it wasn't his house.

Although, as he watched Petra and her father glare at each other as the silence extended all the more between them, he supposed he shouldn't be all that surprised, because Petra had been nothing but willful for as long as he had known her. Of course, he still considered her to be fiercely loyal and compassionate, at times to a fault because her willingness to forgive was something of a marvel to him. Even still, watching Petra now; the pout to her lips, the way she had popped out a hip and had crossed her arms – the very picture of defiance if he had ever seen one – it was an oddly telling detail.

This more direct version of her, a willingness to express herself so loudly to her father, to be so outright defiant and to speak her mind without even a moment's pause to consider the consequences; it merely highlighted the fact that the two of them were extremely close and their bond ran deep. Deep enough that Petra didn't have to second guess her steps or present herself any one way. Deep enough that she could come home, start shouting at him, and know just the same that their bond wouldn't be broken because it was clear that it ran that deep.

Much deeper than something like this.

A long, challenging stare was still being exchanged between the two, as though each testing the other's resolve, and Levi had to admit he was curious to see who would be the first to break. In truth, he didn't care where they ended up staying – it would all be as equally unfamiliar to him – but to know between the two of them who was the most stubborn, that would be extremely valuable information for him to keep in mind.

Petra was stubborn, perhaps one of the most stubborn people he had ever met in his life, and he knew full well that her father was a stubborn man as well. Could it be that the older man was even more difficult than Petra? Was that even possible?

Eventually, her father gave a long sigh of defeat, causing Petra to smirk triumphantly, and Levi wasn't sure if he was relieved or horrified with the turn out, because while it worked out well enough in this instance, it only spelled out immense trouble for him in the future. It was now resoundingly clear to him that this woman wouldn't listen to anyone. For all his years of being her Captain, she hadn't really ever listened to him, and if the results of this standoff meant anything, it was obvious that she didn't really listen to her father either.

Gods, she was just so troublesome, and he was completely fucked.

"Levi, was it?" her father looked past Petra with a sort of lean, toward where he was standing, and then waved his hand with a bitter click of his tongue, "Like she said, down the hall and straight back. We've got a small stable out behind the house; you'll see my horse, Pammy, there. There's enough room back there for all three horses, but be sure to watch your back because Pammy'll bite at ya. She's not too fond of strangers."

Levi merely gave a nod and continued down the hall, and their previous arguing picked right back up as though it had never stopped.

He walked into the mentioned bedroom, amused when he realized that her bedroom here was almost the same size as the one she had back home at the base. He supposed that undoubtedly accounted for why she hadn't been offended by how small her room was all those years ago when she had first joined his squad. To some extent, without him even knowing it, it had likely made her feel more at home.

The room here was bare, surprisingly bare, although on second thought that may have been more due to the fact that she hadn't been living in her father's house for over eight years now, so he supposed he shouldn't be all that surprised by the lacking amenities or decor. The room was fairly basic, the door stationed at the right corner of the room, a simple, but neatly made bed was placed up against the wall, only a few feet to his left. Aside from that, there was no desk or furniture to speak of, just a bed against the wall, however it seemed that in the opposite corner of the room, on the other side of her bed, was a small door that he assumed was a closet.

He walked around the bed, opening the door and confirming his suspicions in a rather anticlimactic fashion. He was perhaps surprised to see that most of her clothes were still here, hanging up and well maintained no less. Both sides of the small walk in closet were filled with her clothes that she had left behind - clothes that were obviously Petra's because they were far too small to fit a grown man like her father. Aside from the petite size, the type of clothing also was a bit of a giveaway. The hangers were packed with dresses, skirts, blouses – mostly dresses – and Levi made a mental note that it seemed Petra had perhaps preferred to dress more effeminately back when she was younger, before she had come to the military.

In truth, it was difficult for him to picture her in even half of what he saw here; various ruffled garments that were full of lace, gentle colors, and complimenting patterns of flowers or polka dots. Not that Petra had lost any of her femininity over the years, but she had always seemed to be more comfortable in her skin, a freeness to her personality and a sort of charm that didn't need dresses or jewelry to speak to her femininity.

For as long as he had known Petra, she had always seemed to prefer pants, clothes that favored her mobility or outfits that were practical for her lifestyle. However, now that he thought of it, he did recall Petra mentioning that she had enjoyed getting dressed up for the Officer's banquet, and damn, he remembered just how good she had looked, wearing something meant to show off the body of a woman – so perhaps that side of her had in fact been there all along, but had merely been put aside in favor of her blending in with her male comrades.

Levi set the bags down on the closet floor, lining them neatly against the back wall and taking another glance around her simple room as he moved back toward the hallway in a quiet, pensive stupor. From what he could tell, her life here – they certainly hadn't been living in poverty by any means, but it was clear that her background was more humble in nature, simple and holistic. It explained so much of her, in both her contentment for what the military life could never provide her, as well as her hunger for a different life that she believed might be possible outside of the Walls.

Levi moved back into the main room, where Petra and her father were literally shouting at each other, causing Levi to all but grimace as he silently walked between them to get the rest of the bags that were still outside with their horses. Yes, though Petra had confirmed it before, after seeing it with his own two eyes, Levi could only agree that he understood full well where she got her temper from.

From inside the house, Petra was all but pacing back and forth as her father and her continued exchanging heated questions and demands, and Petra rubbed her forehead in irritation as her father continued.

"And this time is no different. Just when you get good at something, you back off and high tail it to something else, and you never really commit to any one thing. We both know that one day you're going to wake up, decide you're done with the military, and the problem is, you'll be stuck in a contract for who knows how long! What will you do then, huh?"

Petra put her hands on her hips and groaned, "Oh gee, I wonder. Finish my contract? And then, assuming I'm done with the military at that point and don't want to start a new contract, then I'd just have to go from there. You're not being logical Dad, just because I may not have pursued a career or whatever in certain areas of my life doesn't mean my time was outright wasted. Everything has a season. Granted, to your point I may not be in the military forever, but it's where I am now so-"

"Yes Baby girl, everything has a season, and right now you are wasting your youth when you should be thinking about, you know, settling down, starting a family, investing in the path that the rest of your life is going to take you down, and not some short, in the moment fling. You need to invest in your future Baby, and the military just isn't it for you. You have no future there!"

Petra gave her father a serious look and shook her head, "To you. In your eyes, I have no future there, but honestly Dad, that's just your opinion. Many people have lifelong careers in the military. Captain is a good example, the Commander of the Scouts is another, the head of the three factions, he's an older gentleman that's been around for some forty plus years – Dad, I have options. And I'm good at it. I don't think you understand just how good I am. I'm sorry that my future doesn't look the way you want it to but-"

"You're going to die, Petra. See, that's how they get you in to start with. They show you people who are successful, and make you think that you too can be like them, that you're something of a rarity or that you've got some unique little gift that will help you go far, and three months later you're being wheeled home in a body bag. I know you think you've got it all figured out, and that you'll be like your Captain or whatever, but Petra, let me just remind you: He is Humanity's Strongest. He is. You are not. You're just lucky to still be here at all."

When Petra's mouth fell open, a look of shock and clear offense that confirmed he had officially struck a chord with her, her father shook his head and laughed, "Oh, did my prideful little daughter actually fall for that lie after all? Petra, you're far too easily manipulated. You said that he asked you, right? That your Captain proposed to you, and the idea originally came from him? Well have you ever wondered if it was simply because they are all so desperate, so willing to exploit others in their bloodthirst, that your Captain asked you to marry him strictly because they wanted to keep their numbers up and their attrition low? I've seen a lot of things in my day, and if you don't think the military has done its own share of misdeeds then you're gravely mistaken."

"Dad, you clearly don't know anything. That's not how the military works! Well, I mean, it is in some areas, but-"

"But not your Captain? Right, I'm sure he's a swell, stand up guy that only wants what's best for you, right? If that were true, he would have let you come back home where it's safe. But no. He married you instead. And you had the gall to bring him here, under my own roof, as though you are actually expecting me to treat the both of you like a proper husband and wife even though your marriage is just a sham; a mere formality to keep you in the military and nothing more."

Petra remained silent, giving her father a bitter stare, and the man continued, "Here you are defending him and acting like you've got such a deep bond - we both know that you married the man because you had to, nothing more. I know how you felt about him because you told me as much – you had respect for the guy but I know full well you weren't in love with him, and I'm getting pretty strong vibes that he wasn't all that into you either. Face it, your marriage to that man is meaningless. He's just using you as a means to an end, in the same way that you are using him. Honestly, I'm extremely disappointed in you Petra, because I raised you better than that."

Petra was looking into the floor, her voice a more subdued, but enraged tone of warning, "Don't. Don't speak about things you know nothing about. You don't know Levi. You don't know his heart. And don't…don't you dare tell me that my marriage is meaningless. It's not meaningless to me, Dad. It happens to mean a lot to me, actually, so you can go and fuck yourself for all I care because-"

There was a sharp gasp of offense from her father, having never heard his daughter speak in such a vulgar manner, and before Petra could even finish her sentence, he had taken a large step toward her and, with a single flick of his wrist, backhanded her outright.

As her father's hand met the side of her face in a brutal and painful smack, Petra had stumbled to one side for a few steps from the sheer force behind his action, giving a startled cry in a mix of surprise and undeniable pain, at once bringing a hand to her face as she tried to regain her bearings because her ears were ringing.

"Young lady, you will not speak to me in such a disrespectful manner, is that understood? You are in my house, and as long as you are in my house, you will treat me with respect!"

When Petra didn't respond, her father crossed his arms at her still bent in half form, furious at his daughter's unbecoming behavior and suspicious she was intentionally avoiding the question. His eyes narrowed, "Petra. Is that understood?"

It was then that Levi moved back into the room, carrying yet another armload of luggage, and all at once he saw a very clearly angered man, considerably more angry than what he had been before, and then a bent in half Petra, a hand over the side of her face and somewhat frozen midmotion, in a manner that spoke to something being wrong – very wrong.

Her father was watching her with a murderous stare, and Petra was still stuck in place, her body tensed and coiled in what appeared to be…pain.

"What happened?" he found himself demanding, a sharp and furious growl tearing from his throat, and at the sound of his voice, Petra jolted and stood up, slowly rubbing her cheek and giving a small nod toward Levi as though preemptively trying to hold him off, her eyes red and glassy from unshed tears. At first he was confused, because what the hell could have happened in the last five minutes, but his mouth fell open when he noticed an unmistakable red welt growing over the side of her face, a welt that very strongly resembled the outline of a hand, and his eyes widened in sheer outrage.

His lips came together in a snap, already preparing to drop what was in his arms and make his way toward her father, when Petra waved her hand more fiercely and cleared her throat, "Dad." She looked up toward her father and took a deep, shaking breath, "I understand that you're mad, but you need to get it through your head that I'm not a little girl anymore. I'm twenty-four years old now; well old enough to live my own life and make my own decisions and my own mistakes. When are you going to learn that…"

Petra swallowed as she tried to force herself to respond, finding tears in her eyes in a mix of anger, embarrassment, and shame, "That you can't force me? It didn't work when I was a girl, didn't work when I graduated out of training, and didn't work when you tried to bring me home by force either. Dad, the more you fight it the harder it's going to make it for both of us. Why can't you just accept it? I am going to live my life the way I want, regardless of what you think!"

At that, Petra gave a cough that was meant to disguise the fact she was crying, stubborn and proud to her core even now, and she turned toward the hall and moved out of the room, practically running out as a single tear slipped down her already bruising face.

A thick silence came over the room, and Levi watched the man's expression change, from anger to eventual contemplation and reflection, and Levi forced himself to take a calming, casual breath. He set the bags down onto the floor, and made his way closer toward her father – not overly close, but close enough.

He spoke lightly, "You're a carpenter, right? That's what Petra said at least. You have any specialties, or are you more of an all-around handy man?"

Her father blinked at the question, clearly taken off guard by the sudden conversation, and he responded hesitantly, "Furniture mostly. Cabinets, kitchen tables, dressers, that sort of thing, but I've done my fair share of framing, wood carving, repairs and mending, house calls, you name it. Why?"

Her father's tone had shifted to one of obvious suspicion at the end, and Levi had to bite back a smirk, because these two really were so similar and he doubted either of them could even see it. Petra had also been extremely guarded the first time he had talked with her, had that same bad attitude, and her inconvenienced glare was a dead ringer. Under any other situation, he might have found the detail to be amusing.

"Some job titles are pretty cut and dry, where hearing the title alone really tells you all you need to know about their line of work, but other times when you hear a title like mine, say 'Captain' or 'Commanding Officer' – in some ways it's a little more vague. By all accounts, you may not be familiar with what it is I do in the military." The man's green eyes narrowed, though Levi wasn't put off in the slightest and continued, "As a Commanding Officer, I am held responsible for the success of my team. It's my job to create an environment where they can succeed and develop their skills, that way when we go outside the Walls and face the Titans head on, they are successful and get to come back home in one piece. So far, I haven't lost any of my subordinates in six years – a rather astounding record in the Scout Regiment - because I happen to take my job very seriously."

"Do you have a point in all of this, boy?"

"Just one. Not that you would know, but Petra broke her ankle after a training accident a little over a month ago now. She just had her cast taken off, all her stitches removed, where even if you can't see it at first glance, I can assure you that her body is very much still in a healing state."

Levi watched as her father's eyes widened, a bit of remorse and horror clearly over his face as he took in his explanation, and Levi paid him no mind nor pity as he crossed his arms and continued, "As you can imagine, it's quite important that she be given time to rest and rebuild her strength. Her rehabilitation falls under my command, and so it is under my guidance and permission that she is here at all, while in those final stages of recovery. However, if I should see that this household is not a healthy environment for her – if being here doesn't allow her to heal and only invites further injury – rest assured that I will find her a new environment to reside in that's perhaps a bit more conducive."

There was a sudden tenseness that filled the space between them, and Petra's father watched him with obvious anger, "What are – are you threatening me? With my own daughter? You little punk! How about-"

Levi's eyes narrowed and he cut the man off with a quiet, embittered laugh, "Alright. Let me say this in a way you of all people should understand, considering the little stunt you tried to pull by reducing your daughter to a mere asset. Because of the marriage, your daughter is now my wife. She is since viewed as my complete and legal property, not yours, and as you're well aware, that changes some things."

Levi took a single step toward the man, looking at him with a firm stare that had made men twice his size quake in their boots; his hands balled tightly in restraint against the sides of his chest even now, because there were much simpler ways to solve problems like this, but Petra would be upset because deserved or not, this was her old man.

"Allow me to make something perfectly clear." Levi's voice was a mere whisper, yet even still, her father had gone considerably pale at his chilling, simple threat because his quiet voice still managed to reflect his barely contained, overwhelming rage, "I don't care who the hell you are in regards towards Petra; if I see you damage my property again, we're going to have a fucking problem."

At that, he walked back toward the bags, picked them up, and moved down the hall without so much as sparing the man a passing glance.

…

End of Chapter

…

And thus, Levi has officially met Petra's father.

Fun little fact – and please remember we'll see more of Petra's father than just this one interaction – but this was the first chapter in the entire series that actually made me tear up a little while writing it out that first time around. You know, the very first reunion where Petra sees her dad and it's been two years and they are just staring at each other wondering what they're supposed to do? Yep. I've got family overseas and I don't get to see them often, so moments like that where there are those bittersweet moments after years apart, knowing its only a small amount of time until they have to leave again for another long, long time – honestly, I doubt I wrote it out right, and I'm not sure I could gasp that moment and paint it out with the written word, but none the less.

There's a lot in this chapter, of course, and I love Levi's sharp mind that's already puzzle piecing some of Petra's life and mannerisms together, simply after doing one walk through of her childhood home. Of course, we love Erwin and he's as sharp as a tack, but a certain Ackerman also has a very analytical mind and an eye for detail, so it's good to get to speak to some of Petra's character and slowly get to unveil some of her weird quirks and the situations that lead her to where she is today.

Wellll, I do feel I've said quite enough. Hopefully yall loved Levi's presence and his taking a strand at the end, cause that last line always gives me chills haha. Thanks yall for your constant support and your excitement for the upcoming chapters. Yall are the best and it really helps me get through the week.

~Mid