Chapter 1

It was during the clean up in the Trost District. He and his squad had been ordered to take out any remaining titans so medics could enter the destroyed district. Petra flew beside Levi on her ODM gear, a tear or two falling down her cheek every so often. That was the one terrible thing about this job: no one had time to grieve.

A wail rose from under the rubble of buildings. Titans had rampaged through the city, knocking down homes and crushing those inside. Blood pooled out into the road, giant footsteps trailing out from the titans.

"Did you hear that, Captain?" Petra asked, her attention averted.

"Pay no mind, Petra. It's probably nothing." Levi replied.

"It sounded like a child!" And just like that, Petra was gone, moving towards the source of the crying.

"PETRA!" Levi yelled, altering his course to follow his teammate. He would definitely scold her later, the stupid brat. The trail of gas was the only thing that helped him keep track of her. She finally landed at a collapsed house, digging frantically at the rubble. A cry emanated from inside.

"Captain, help me get this stuff out of the way. There's a kid trapped under here!" Petra exclaimed.

"Petra, it's no use. The kid's probably going to die anyway. We have a job to do." Levi said, trying to pull her away.

"No! It's a child. We have to help. For the good of humanity!" Petra cried, pushing Levi away and continuing to dig. Levi rolled his eyes and helped her.

"If any titans come our way, I'm making you leave. That's an order." Levi grumbled, tossing a large beam out of his way. With that alteration, he could see a pair of tiny eyes staring back at him.

"Petra, here," Levi said, and she helped him dig. Levi picked the child up out of the debris, seeing a limp hand not too far away. Probably one of the parents.

It was a little girl, not much older than three. Her big blue eyes shone with tears and her auburn hair was ridden with the foundations of her home. Her legs were cut and bruised, and her arms were covered in deep gashes. Levi was surprised she was still alive. She nuzzled closer to Levi, and he wrapped his cape around her.

"Alright, we're leaving." He told Petra, launching himself into the air with his ODM gear. He made an effort to be smoother as he flew, careful not to startle the child any further.

He made it back to the wall and shoved the child into the nearest Garrison soldier's arms. "She's a survivor. I'll take her back once this is through, but until then, keep her out of harm's way." Levi ordered before taking off again. Petra wasn't far behind.

"You're coming back for her?" She asked, eyebrows turned up in surprise.

"I found her, so it's my responsibility to find a place for her. Not some idiot Garrison soldier." Levi rolled his eyes. He quickly slashed at the nape of an oncoming titan, completely unfazed. Petra stared in awe at her captain, wondering what could've spurred on such a soft spot in the man's heart.

"LEVI IS THAT A CHILD?" Hange Zoe exclaimed as Levi brought in the bundled girl. Even though he'd been out killing the remainder of the titans, he barely broke a sweat, his uniform still in pristine condition.

"Petra and I found her in the rubble. She didn't want to leave her." He stated, setting her down in a chair. The little girl timidly looked at Hange. "She's still in shock if you haven't noticed."

Hange immediately was sitting beside the girl, gently smiling. "Hello, sweetheart. My name is Hange Zoe. You don't need to be afraid. Levi and I will take good care of you."

"Mommy and Daddy?" The little girl whimpered, pulling the cloak closer to her.

Hange looked at Levi and he shook his head. She sighed. "Mommy and Daddy are in a better place now. But we're going to be here to help you instead."

The little girl crawled out of the chair and over to Levi, hiding in between his legs. He froze, unaware of how to react to the unexpected affection. When she gestured for him to pick her up, he obliged.

"What's your name?" Hange said, nearing the girl once again.

"N-name?" The girl stuttered, her eyebrows furrowed.

"You don't remember?" Hange asked with eyes widened.

The little girl shook her head.

"What about a birthday? Do you remember your birthday?"

The girl shook her head again.

"Do you at least know your age?" Hange asked.

The girl frowned, trying to remember.

"Okay...is there anything you want to be called sweetie?"

Silence.

"She must have some head trauma. Or the shock is affecting her memory. Either way, I guess we have to think of a name for her, Levi." Hange shrugged. "Any suggestions?"

Levi looked at the girl in his arms. Her hair was still messy, but he could still make out the beautiful auburn beneath the dirt and blood. Her bright blue eyes looked up at him expectantly, innocence lacing her irises.

"Isabel." Levi blurted. His own suggestion shocked him.

"Wha-Levi are you sure?" Hange asked, eyes wide. Although she didn't know his old friend well, her heart ached for Levi.

"Sure, Four-Eyes." He replied hesitantly. He glanced down at the girl. "You like that name?"

The girl nodded.

"Great." He said, passing the girl off to Hange. "Go get her cleaned up. I need to get this scum off of me."

The little girl looked back at him, afraid to part from him for even a moment. "P-please?" She said, reaching for the man. Please don't leave me. Take me with you. Please don't leave me alone.

"It's alright, sweetie. Auntie Hange will take good care of you." Hange said, carrying her to the baths. "We'll get you all nice and clean, and then you can see Levi again, okay Isabel?"

The girl looked at him one last time before accepting help from Hange. "O-okay." She said, and Hange carried her the rest of the way in Levi's cloak.

After a much-needed bath, Isabel finally started to look more like a child. Her hair was tied back in braids and she wore a male shirt like a nightgown. It was the only thing they could find at the moment, but Levi would be sure to go into one of the districts and pick out some outfits for her. Her arms were bandaged to cover the gashes.

"Alright, Isabel, it's time to go to bed," Hange said, trying to coax the child towards her room. Isabel clung to Levi for dear life.

"What is her deal?" Levi groaned.

"It must have to do with the fact that you saved her. She knows you'll protect her." Hange replied.

Levi sighed. "Fine. Come on, kid, it's time for bed." He gently nudged her forward, and she obliged. She climbed into one of the bunks in an empty room and Levi promptly shut the door. A couple of seconds later, it opened again, a pair of blue eyes poking out.

"Oi, what do you think you're doing?" Levi scolded, marching back over to the room. The girl simply looked up at him, cocking her head to the side.

"Tuck me in." She said, grabbing his hand and dragging him to her bedside. He rolled his eyes and knelt down, pulling the covers up to the girl's chin.

"You happy now?" Levi asked.

"Story." The girl replied.

"I don't know any stories. Go to sleep." Levi said, starting to stand back up.

"No!" The girl whined, sitting up with a start. Levi quickly sat back down, hoping that this girl wouldn't break into tears. That was the last thing he wanted to deal with right now.

"Please?" The girl asked, her eyes full of hope. Levi sighed.

"Okay okay. But just one." Levi said and cleared his throat. "Once upon a time...there was a girl...named Isabel." He started. The girl smiled at her name and settled back down into bed. "She absolutely adored animals. Sometimes, she would fly like a bird with her friends. All the animals that stumbled upon her instantly befriended her, and she cared for them all." Levi's mind flashed back to his old friend. His little sis. Her green eyes sparkled with joy and her red pigtails poked out slightly. "She would help them in any way she could, helping them find light. She taught the birds to fly just like her. She would find a good spot of dirt for a worm. She wanted every creature to be loved, and because of her kindness, everyone else loved her."

Levi looked up at the girl and saw her eyes were closed. Quietly, he got up and left the room, closing it softly behind him.

"What a beautiful story," Hange said.

"No one asked you. Besides, I knew that if I let you tell the story, the girl would never get to sleep."

"Isabel." Hange corrected.

"Right," Levi muttered.

Hange's eyes softened. "You know, it's okay to miss her. You can talk to me about it. I didn't know her well, but she sure was special."

Levi glared back. "I don't even know what you're talking about. I'm going to sleep." He stormed out of the room, leaving Hange to her own devices.

He crept up to his room and sighed. He got swept away in a measly little story. What was wrong with him? But as he opened a drawer in his desk and laid eyes on the scout patches, the memories came flooding back to him. Farlan and Isabel, the only people he would admit were his friends. The ones that shouldn't have died. The ones he should have died with. A single tear rolled down his cheek, lost in the memory.

The girl...Isabel entered his mind once again. That childlike innocence. That need for protection. That longing to be by his side. It all reminded him of her: his little sis. And he vowed that the new Isabel would not meet the same fate as her namesake. He would make sure of that.


AN: I don't know exactly what spurred on this story, but all I thought was "I want to see Levi with a little kid. How would he react?" This is just a whim, so it's probably not going to be the best story, but oh well. There won't be any ships in here btw!