Chapter 2

Levi woke up early the next morning and hastily prepared to start cleaning. It was always his morning ritual. One by one his team members came down to help, scrubbing the floors and dusting off surfaces three times over. The sun finally rose and so did Isabel, rubbing her eyes as she walked out of her room.

"Good morning, sweetheart." Petra smiled.

Isabel gave a timid wave, walking over to Levi who was sweeping the floor. She tugged on his shirt and he acknowledged her with a nod.

"Does she have a name?" Eld asked.

"Isabel," Levi answered, the cloth around his mouth slightly muffling his speech.

Isabel looked up at him with wide eyes, clutching her stomach. He cringed, thinking she was going to throw up until he heard a low grumble.

"Are you hungry?" Levi asked.

Isabel nodded, another growl emanating from her stomach.

Levi sighed and picked her up. "I guess we should get you something to eat then." He said, making his way towards the kitchen. They had quick and easy food for the road, but nothing substantial enough for a growing child.

"Here, have this." Levi handed the girl an apple, and she munched on it happily.

"Do we have any assignments today, sir?" Petra asked, wiping off the kitchen counters.

"Hange had some research she'd like to go over. Those captured titans are keeping her busy. But…" Levi glanced back down at the little girl, who smiled back at him. "I guess I have to run some errands as well."

"Anything you need us to do, sir?" Gunther asked.

"Yes. Finish cleaning up and do your paperwork. I'll be in the Krolva district with Isabel. I want those windows spotless by the time I get back." Levi set the girl down and ushered her towards her room. "You'll have to wear those filthy clothes for one more day, okay Isabel?"

"Actually," Petra interjected. "I may have sewn together something for her to wear. It should be on my bed."

"Alright then. Isabel, go find the clothes and get ready. We have to run a few errands." Levi said.

"Okay!" The girl exclaimed and rushed inside to get changed.

Petra giggled. "She sure seems to like you, Captain."

Levi rolled his eyes. "Probably because I was the first person she saw."

"Maybe, but you seem to like her too, sir." Petra chuckled.

Levi quickly changed the subject. "Oi, get those cabinets wiped off while you're at it. All of your grubby hands make them filthy!" He left abruptly, scolding himself for letting his vulnerability show. A child should not make anything change about him. He was still Humanity's Strongest Soldier. He was still the leader of the most elite squad in the Scout Regiment. He had done too much to get where he was today, and there could be no weakness. He had to harden his heart against that girl. Was it too late to change her name? Probably, but sooner or later, she would be gone, and his life would return to normal. He could only hope the adoption process would be swift.

…

"Alright, let's get some new clothes for you," Levi said to the girl as they entered a shop in the Krolva District. Isabel's clothes certainly weren't suitable enough. Petra had tried her best with sewing together something that would fit her, but it wouldn't last long. An altered pair of pants and a shirt looked extremely baggy on the little girl, making her look like one big blob of fabric. Levi couldn't even see her hands through her sleeves, which were way longer than her tiny toddler arms. That may have been for the best, however, considering that Isabel had stitches and bandages running up and down her arms from the invasion. Although she was saved, she was not unscathed. Even now, her bruised little legs couldn't support her for long, and Levi ended up carrying her most of the way.

"Hello!" The store clerk exclaimed as she saw the pair walk through the door. "How may I help you?"

"I need some clothes...for her," Levi said, nodding to the girl in his arms. Isabel waved at the clerk.

"Of course! Clothes her size should be towards the back." The clerk smiled, returning to a customer checking out items.

A couple of other people were browsing, but for the most part, the store was empty. Levi drifted towards the back of the shop, and the clothes progressively got smaller. Finally, he found things that would hopefully be her size.

He set Isabel down and started to collect clothes, holding up a couple of shirts to her to see if they would fit. He grabbed some pants as well, wondering just how many he should get. One for every day of the week? More in case one pair got dirty?

As he pondered, he failed to realize that Isabel had snuck away from him. When he went to go and hold a sundress up to her, she was gone. He flailed around, looking for the small child.

"Isabel. Come back here!" He hissed, attempting to look over the racks of clothes. Sadly, he was too short and was forced to scour the isles for the lost girl.

Finally, he found her over by the main desk, eying a cookie greedily. She pointed at the window and said, "Please?"

"No," Levi replied, scooping her up and returning to the back of the store. He set her down once again and said, "Stay."

Isabel pouted but obliged, letting Levi hold clothes up to her. Apparently, Levi didn't have enough style, because she eventually waddled towards the more expensive items. She ran her fingers along the detailed lace on a dress, her eyes wide with amazement. Another dress was made out of soft, red velvet, and she placed the fabric against her cheek. Rushing back over to Levi, she tugged on his shirt and led him to the discovered treasures. She pointed once again and said, "Please."

"No. You don't need any dresses like that. Besides, they're way too expensive." Levi scoffed, leading the girl back over to where he initially was. Isabel pouted in response.

After Levi had picked out enough outfits (in his opinion), they started to make their way back to the main desk. As they did so, they passed a rack of stuffed animals, and Isabel's eyes went wide. She wriggled out of Levi's grasp and sped over to the rack, grabbing item after item. Levi stormed over and snatched the toys out of her hands.

"No," Levi said.

"P-please?" Isabel pleaded.

"I said no," Levi repeated, placing the toys back in their designated sections. As he looked back at the small girl, his heart dropped. Her lip was quivering and she started to sniffle. Big, crocodile tears started to roll down her cheeks. Her big, blue eyes shone with unadulterated sadness.

Levi tore his gaze away from Isabel. He grabbed her small hand and moved towards the desk, trying to block out the sounds of her sad sniffles. She didn't whine or throw a tantrum, which just seemed to make the situation worse. He could easily scold her for getting bent out of shape, but this…

"No." He thought "I am Humanity's Strongest Soldier. No little girl is going to break me. Never."

…

The entirety of Squad Levi gasped when Levi and Isabel returned. Levi stood with arms completely full, a basket full of clothes in one and Isabel in the other. Isabel held a stuffed horse in her hand, playing with it happily. Levi set her down and walked over to the counter, setting the basket of his purchases down as well. Squad Levi hastily dug in, marveling at the items he had bought.

"A velvet dress? I never thought you would get this for her, Captain." Eld said.

"Toys? But...they'll make a mess!" Petra chimed in.

"Cookies? You won't let us eat anything this sweet!" Oluo groaned.

"Oi, shut up you idiots. Everything I got was completely necessary." Levi lied, kneeling beside Isabel holding a stuffed horse as well. From the looks of it, he was...playing with her.

"Captain...are you feeling okay?" Petra asked.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Levi raised an eyebrow.

"N-no reason," Petra replied.

"Now, someone else needs to play with Isabel. I have to go talk to Four Eyes."

AN: No one can resist the sadness of a little girl who just wants nice things. Not even Humanity's Strongest.

Thank you so much for reading this story! I hope you're enjoying it. Feel free to leave a comment for suggestions and/or constructive criticism!