Hello again!

Thank you for your patience and welcome back to the next chapter! I uploaded a little bit earlier than I expected, because heavens, yall seriously spoil me with your responses. (And if I'm being transparent, I REALLY wanted to get this posted asap for reasons you'll figure out along the way!) I love getting to read your thoughts and comments through the reviews you leave, so as always a huge shout out to those who take that time out of their day. You make my heart smile :)

Without further delay as I know we left off on a bit of a cliff hanger last go around - here's the next chapter! Enjoy!

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She was what? What did the Commander just say? That she was being discharged?

Petra was instantly on her feet again, "I'm what? Why? Is this some kind of a joke?"

They were discharging her? Well not like this they weren't! She'd fight them on it the whole. She had worked so hard, done everything that the Captain had told her to do, so where was this coming from? And speaking of the Captain, why hadn't Levi said anything about this?

Levi…

As she was shouting, her eyes instantly went in search of Levi, though the Captain merely kept his gaze to the floor, his expression just as unreadable.

That action alone spoke more to her than anything that Erwin had said and the inner fire left her all at once. Levi wasn't talking, he wasn't advocating on her behalf, wasn't shocked at the announcement; he knew. He knew, and there wasn't anything he was going to do about it.

She was being discharged from the military.

The air seemed to leave her lungs at this revelation, and Petra struggled to breathe.

"Petra, please understand it's not our choice." Though Petra heard the voice, Hanji's voice, she inwardly noted, it was difficult for her to clearly understand, as though she were being spoken to while under water.

Why, why was she being discharged?

Had she not been enough? Had she ever been enough?

But she had been specifically recruited to join Levi's squad…

So why wasn't the Captain doing anything?

If he wanted her to stay, then he would have done something…

But he wasn't.

She heard muffled voices in the background, something or someone, though she hardly could hear them.

"Petra, you need to calm down; you're hyperventilating. Petra? …Levi, she's not responding."

"So what do you want me to do about it?"

"Well…something!"

"I told you this wouldn't go smoothly. If she passes out then you'll just have to finish when she comes to, simple as that."

"Ugh, Erwin!"

"Levi, she's your subordinate - do something."

"Fuck, what do you…" A sigh, "How hot is your coffee?"

Suddenly Petra felt cold, wet liquid splash over her and run down her face, and she gasped loudly as her mind was jolted out of its manic state. She looked around the room, catching her breath and attempting to bring her heart rate down to a more normal level.

She swallowed thickly, wiping the water off her face and -she frowned, her hands feeling oddly sticky and smelling strongly of coffee.

…Not water then.

She clicked her tongue and glared at Levi, who was holding a suspiciously empty coffee mug and watching her expectantly. She shook her head, wiped her hands on a somewhat dry section of her pants and took a step toward Levi directly.

"Why."

They both knew her question had nothing to do with the coffee.

Hanji cleared her throat as she stepped toward Petra, wedging herself between the threatening ginger and the stoic Captain, "Petra please, listen. The situation is out of our hands, but even still, we wanted to give you as much notice as possible before everything took place. If it helps, we just found out about this today; that's why I interrupted your training session earlier. This is serious to us too."

Petra concentrated on bringing air consistently into her lungs and she gave a weak nod, taking a small step towards her chair and sinking into it slowly, her head still spinning from her previous episode. She buried her head in her hands, cursing herself as she felt tears start to well in her eyes.

She did not want to cry in front of her superiors.

"Guys, what's going on? I don't understand why you're getting rid of me."

Erwin's voice grabbed her attention, though she remained rooted in her spot, staring at the ground as she listened, "Do you remember about three months ago give or take, your term was nearing its end and you were presented with the option to sign another contract, or to retire and resign your post?"

"Of course." Petra responded, voice hindered by tears that were threatening to fall, "I chose to sign another four-year contract. Did that not get approved properly or something? Maybe…did I fill it out wrong?"

There was shuffling of papers across Erwin's desk and he continued, "Oh no, we got it. I actually have a copy of it right here confirming that you wish to extend your contract with the military. The problem we're facing is your legal guardian, a Mr. James Ral," Erwin's voice drawled off as he scanned whatever document for the details, "Aka your father, does not grant consent and demands that your term end at its expiration date, which coincidentally is..." He paused to review the paper again, more shuffling papers being heard, "Well, the end of this week apparently."

Petra slowly sat up, fully confused at this revelation, "My…father?"

Erwin nodded slowly, and Petra blinked a few times, "I'm sorry Commander...I don't understand. All do respect, but who cares if my father consents or not, it's none of his business."

Erwin shook his head, "I'm not saying I agree mind you, but legally speaking, as a female you are still represented by your father in the court of law. Females have different rights than males do, buying property, legal representation, voting rights, etc…"

Petra's frown only deepened and Erwin shrugged, getting to the point.

He cleared his throat, "Anyway, now that we have received official licensed documentation that your father does not consent for you to extend your contract, there is nothing we can do. Legally speaking, you are viewed as his property and therefore under his complete authority. Put simply, his statement is viewed as more pertinent and legally binding than your own request to extend your contract."

Petra looked around the room again, struggling to find words at the sheer absurdity of the situation, "I…I don't – but my father has never agreed with my being in the military, so why is this only a problem now? Why was I granted the ability to join the military in the first place, if he had this supposed 'master' authority over me the whole time?"

Erwin shrugged, "It wasn't a problem because we've never received any formal documentation about it, so the decision was always left to you in terms of renewing your contract or not, but as of now…it seems that's no longer the case. It's now officially a legal matter and your father has full representation and jurisdiction over you. I wish that it weren't the case, but our hands are tied here. Even if we tried to dispute it, we'd just be laughed out of court. This is common law and even within the Scout Regiment, we are held to these same standards."

Petra held up a hand, "So let me get this straight, I've been in the military for almost eight years now, I am over the age of eighteen, but just because I'm a girl, my father gets the final say over my life choices and my say means absolutely nothing here?"

Erwin stared at her evenly, and Petra's mouth fell open, "You've got to be…Is there at least an appeal process? This is insane! I'm not…I'm not property, I am well of age to make decisions for myself; my gender should have nothing to do with it! If I were a male I would be a legal adult and this wouldn't even be a problem. How is this even remotely fair?"

Erwin gave her a sympathetic look, "It's not. Trust me, if there were anything we could do to negate this, we would already be doing it. We've considered rushing you over to your father's house to see if there's any way you can convince him to repeal his claim-"

"Do it!" Petra encouraged quickly, "If you just let me talk to him, I'm sure I could reason with him. Or beat him within an inch of his life…" she added darkly, then shook her head, "It's worth a shot right? If you just give me the chance I know I can-"

Erwin gave a sympathetic smile, her eagerness only making it worse. His voice was gentle, "Petra, you're forgetting the time limit."

Petra paused mid sentence, and Erwin gave another extended sigh, equally frustrated by the turn of events, "Even if you were to leave right now, there's no earthly way you could get to your father's district, convince him to change his mind, then get the document back to us in just three days' time. If I'm not mistaken, it's about a four-day journey just to get there right?"

Hanji added in matter of factly, "The timing here was without doubt strategic. My guess is he knew you'd try something similar and made sure that he left no time for last minute negotiations like this. Like you, I don't know why only now this has become a problem, but unfortunately the why's don't matter anymore. He's made his move and there's nothing we can do to get out of check."

"In other words," Erwin added in, looking first toward Hanji then back to Levi's subordinate, "That's checkmate."

Petra gave a weak nod, sinking back into her chair wordlessly, her previous hope quickly deflated by the reality of her situation.

Petra looked around the room, at Hanji, at Erwin, then at Levi.

He had moved back to his spot against the wall and was again staring into the floor pensively; he had yet to say even a single word to her about it.

She understood now, why he had just stood there like that, why he had been so quiet during dinner. There was nothing he could do, and while she logically knew that everyone, even Levi had their limits, a part of her was simply expecting that Levi would just fix it.

Still though, did she really have no other option?

She sighed and looked back to Erwin, her voice a mere whisper, "Commander…what do I do?"

He gave a small smile, "Make the most of it. The way I see it, you have three days to make lasting memories, pack up, and say your goodbyes. You should be proud of yourself and what you've accomplished in your time here Petra. When it's all said and done, I hope you can walk away with your head held high."

Petra nodded, unsatisfied by his answer, though trying to remain respectful, "Yeah…I appreciate it…I guess. I'll just, go and do that then…"

She stood up slowly, hardly able to feel her legs beneath her. She slowly moved away from the Commander's desk, pausing as she neared the door.

She grabbed the handle and turned around after a moment, desperation evident in her voice, "Erwin…There's really no other option? Considering that I'm over eighteen? My tenure? The fact that I'm an elite soldier doesn't exclude me from this ridiculous form of representation? I just…this is really hard for me to accept. I was expecting at least four more years, and I'm being told I've got a mere three days instead. There's got to be something that can be done."

He frowned sincerely, "Petra. If we come up with some way to get around this archaic law, you'll be the first to know. None of us want to see you go, and I will personally be working around the clock in hopes to find something we can exploit in your favor."

She nodded, a fire returning to her voice at Erwin's devotion, "I'll wait then. I'm not saying goodbyes or packing up until you're certain. I will hold out until the last possible moment, or until I'm kicked out. I'll even make a big spectacle about it if that helps; it'll be real ugly."

She was half joking, but half not. Erwin appreciated her dark humor and gave a chuckle, "Well, we certainly wouldn't want that." Erwin looked toward Levi with a grin, as though checking to see if the Captain found amusement in her words as well. Levi's expression was blank, however as he stood there silently, arms crossed and a slight tenseness to his posture, it didn't escape the Commander's notice that his knuckles had turned white from his suddenly tight grip.

Erwin's lip twitched. Just as obvious as it was that Petra was not giving up so easily, it was equally as clear to Erwin that Levi wasn't ready to let go either. He gave a quiet exhale at this observation and redirected his gaze toward Hanji when she also chuckled at Petra's words.

The Scientist turned towards her, "Petra I appreciate your enthusiasm, and truly we will keep looking, but I don't want you to get your hopes up for nothing. I don't see any possible path forward here, so it may be best to give your friends the proper closure. I know you'd want nothing less from them, right?"

She looked first toward Hanji, then stole a glance at Levi. She gave a small, half smile as she watched him, "It's true. And perhaps it's purely me being selfish and childishly refusing to accept things that don't go my way, but if anything, I'm stubborn. My Captain, he… he can vouch for that much at least."

She saw Levi smirk at her words, and she found herself taking strength from the simple gesture. She gave a nod toward her superiors, "I am going to go shower off...again. But you all know where you can find me. I'll be waiting."

…

…

There was a soft knock at her door, so soft that had she been asleep she wouldn't have even stirred.

Petra sat up in her bed, adjusting the light and moving toward the door. "Coming…" she called out weakly.

While she hoped beyond all reason that it was someone with good news about her situation, in truth she was simply grateful for any distraction at all. She had attempted to go about her night as usual, waiting with bated breath for a message that would never come. After staying up a significant margin later than she normally would, she decided to call it a night and go to sleep.

By all definition she had indeed gone to bed, though actually falling asleep was another matter altogether. She had certainly tried, but her brain was perpetually running over any possible scenarios she could come up with, ways that she could somehow reach her father and demand he see reason, all within three days – and try as she may, sleep stubbornly eluded her as the hours dragged by.

Opening the door a crack, Petra squinted at the light spilling in from the hall and focused on the figure in front of her.

"Captain," Petra acknowledged after a moment, not sure what his visit might entail, and not wanting to make any grand assumptions one way or another, lest she get her hopes up for nothing.

"I, uh… what time is it?" she asked as she watched him from the door, trying to get a read on him, though as usual, coming up empty handed.

He watched her for an extended moment, not moving forward to the door immediately, simply observing her.

"Were you sleeping?" He asked after a moment of thought, seeming to avoid the question.

Petra gave a half smile and shook her head, opening the door fully and retreating back into her room, "Well I tried, but no luck so far. I know I'll regret it in the morning come training, but I'm so wired, my mind just won't stop."

Levi followed behind her, closing the door softly and moving to sit on the lone wooden chair by her writing desk.

Petra sat down on the edge of her bed and rubbed her eyes in exhaustion, "I don't want the guys to get any ideas, so I planned to go about my day like normal as best I can tomorrow, but problem is I never stay up like this. I'll just have to make the coffee really strong or something to perk me back up." Petra yawned widely, "Seriously what time is it, like two something?"

Levi's eyes shone with a hint of amusement, "More like…three something."

Petra gave a small chuckle and hung her head as she rubbed her forehead, "Oh great."

As she looked at the floor, Levi's voice, more quiet than normal, rang through the night air, "How you holding up?"

Petra furrowed her eyebrows in immediate response as she stared at the floor, and she slowly sat back up, inhaling and exhaling slowly as she tried to find an answer to his question.

She pressed her lips together in contemplation and she shrugged as she tried to find the right words. She looked at Levi directly and gave a slight shake of her head, "Well to be honest Captain, I really…I don't know. I think my mind is still trying to grasp it all. Like I knew my rights as a female were limited, but I didn't see it being such an impacting factor in the military, so I never really thought too much about it after I joined the Scouts."

She paused, trying to accurately name all the various things that her mind kept replaying, "I am really struggling with just the pure shock that my father would ever do this to me. Outdated laws are one thing, but the fact my dad knows my wishes and is hiding behind this stupid rule to force me back home is just...who does that?"

She paused again, then turned her attention back to the floor, resting her arms across her legs as she leaned forward slightly, "And the hardest part to grasp, the part that, I don't know, maybe it's just pure denial but…this concept that my time here…is just, done? I have been on this squad now for years, and I worked so hard to get here."

Petra looked up at Levi squarely, "And you." She emphasized, irritation clear in her eyes, but a shadow of a grin on her face, "After working as hard as I did just to get on this squad, that was nothing. You kicked my ass on the daily, you are impossible to get along with, are pretty much always in a pissed off mood, and as silly as it is…"

She paused and smiled fondly at him, "Well. I suppose I'm used to it. I am used to our Squad and our rag tag team, I'm used to Oluo's big mouth, Eld always nagging me, Gunther taking everything way too seriously. You guys are all like my second family, so just as desperately as I miss my father while I'm here, there's no way I wouldn't be just as devastated to be apart from all of you."

Her smile seemed to break, and she shook her head, "I know that I need to accept that perhaps I truly don't have any options here; I'm not naïve enough to think that the government will make an exception for me – but Captain… I've gone on Expeditions, slayed Titans, I've gone outside the walls and seen what this world could be for humanity one day – and to just…leave? To just go back home and live out the rest of my life as an average civilian? I truly don't know how I wouldn't go mad! I've seen too much, done too much."

She shook her head, speaking more to herself than to Levi at this point, "I can't go back, I just can't."

A long silence followed her answer, Levi observing her for a long moment; not responding to her admission one way or another.

Petra moved her attention back toward him, still not certain if he was coming with further updates, good or bad, or if he was simply just checking up on her – either way she was grateful. It was nice to just talk it out, vent some of her fears and frustrations, and to know that in the event she did have to leave, at least someone knew and understood where her heart was.

"And what about you Captain? You just found out about all of this too right? How are you taking all of this? Bet you didn't know getting rid of me had been this easy all along." Petra teased lightly, and to her credit, the Captain gave a slight chuckle at her words.

"All the wasted years…" he mumbled in amusement, earning a laugh from Petra as well.

Levi straightened up slightly, taking a breath as he also regarded her question, "The short version is, I'm not ready for you to leave the Squad. If you want to leave, that's one thing, but...that doesn't seem to be the case here."

Petra's eyes narrowed, and she quirked an eyebrow, "…And what's the long version?"

He blinked, "The long version? Well, this entire circumstance is shit. The fact your father doesn't have the balls to talk to you in person is shit. Him waiting until the last possible moment to force us into a corner is shit. The fact we can't just go back and edit your documents to state you are actually a male, therefore can make your own fucking decisions, is shit."

Petra smirked at the divulged information, "Fabricating my gender. Was that actually an idea that was brought up?"

Levi rolled his eyes, "Erwin didn't like it."

"Ah," Petra responded with a grin pulling at her lips, now fairly certain who's idea it had been.

Levi continued, "The law being exploited is shit, and the fact such a law exists in the first place, is also complete bullshit."

Petra nodded slowly after the Captain's irritated sort of rant, and she gave a long drawn out sigh, "It's definitely a bad situation…"

Levi scoffed at her lace-gloved description, "It's fucking asinine!"

Regardless the grimness of the circumstance, Petra couldn't help but smirk at the Captain's 'way with words' and a mirthful laugh escaped her.

"What?" he challenged, not understanding the source of her amusement.

She grinned, making direct eye contact with the raging Captain, "Thank you."

Seeing the confused look the Captain shot her, Petra explained with a sheepish shrug of her shoulders, "Not that I thought you were for such laws, or that you wanted me to leave, but just knowing that I'm not the only person upset by all of this…well, it helps. I don't want to leave, but if I absolutely must, just knowing that there are others out there who don't support it and can acknowledge how unfair it is, it will make it all just a little easier perhaps."

A long sigh escaped him, and Levi looked at her directly, "Petra, you know that I didn't come here just to check up on you."

Petra nodded, having expected as much considering her Captain wasn't one to have long drawn out conversations for the mere fun of it, "I was hoping not. Do you…have any updates? Good updates, I hope?"

Levi rocked his head back and forth, seeming to try to pick his words carefully. He took a breath, watching her closely, "What if I told you that there might just be a way that we can allow you to stay – legally even – but that it would come at a high, high price. Would you still be interested?"

Petra regarded him for a long moment, knowing that Levi was not one to just debate theoretical scenarios for argument's sake. Her expression was both guarded, all while laced with clear confusion. Levi knew full well that she wanted to stay in the military more than anything, yet even knowing this, he was still cautious about her accepting the solution?

This concerned her.

"So you figured it out? Why wasn't I told about this earlier?"

Levi didn't answer, merely watched her evenly as the silence extended. They both knew full well that those questions were not important; that she was merely stalling from asking the real question at hand. She swallowed, her voice a slight whisper, a small part of her seeming to fear whatever this presented solution was.

She took a breath, "…What's your solution?"

Levi was pensive, "I want to explain a few things first. The reality is this won't change the fact that you can't represent yourself in the court of law; we've gone round table on it so many times and bottom line is, the government plain and simple will never overlook your gender long enough to consider your testimony, be it for the military, property, domestic disputes, etc. As long as your father is in the picture, nothing is going to change and you won't have any real say in matters."

Petra gasped, giving Levi a look that suggested he was insane, "As long as my father is in the picture? Captain you aren't possibly suggesting that-" Her voice rose in octave, "You said it would be legal!"

Levi rolled his eyes, "Please. What is it with you today, no one here is out to kill your old man." Levi paused in thought, "Well, admittedly after today he's not exactly my favorite person, so-"

"Levi!" Petra chided sharply, and the Captain scoffed.

"Fuck, I was being sarcastic. But really, no one here is suggesting that your father be, what, assassinated? What is being looked at instead – and mind you its messy and there are a lot of details to work through here - but what if your father wasn't looked at as legally responsible for you anymore? We can't change that you have to be legally represented, but would you be comfortable if we changed who was representing you?"

Petra shot him a questioning glance, and Levi cleared his throat.

He clarified, resting his arms across his legs as he observed her, leaning forward slightly, "We've agreed it may be best if I act as your legal advocate instead. I would be able to grant you the freedom to your own choice; whether you wanted to leave the military or stay, you have my word that the final decision would be solely yours to make, I wouldn't interfere."

Petra wrinkled her nose, and Levi sighed at seeing her immediate reaction, "However. I understand that such an arrangement might be...uncomfortable all things considered. So before we get into the details and practicality behind it all, would that even work for you as an option?"

Petra shook her head quickly, "Sorry Captain, I don't want to give the wrong idea, I just... of course I'd be fine with that. I don't care who signs off on the paperwork if in theory it means I get to stay."

She bit her lip in contemplation, thinking out loud, "...But, I'm just a little lost, as that's all easier said than done, right? I mean it sounds good - perfect even - but I don't see how you can suddenly gain that kind of authority over night. How can you just replace my father in the court of law, and in what, three days? Reality is I'm a young, single female and the only way that my father won't be looked at as my direct authority is if I were to…"

Petra paused, her voice growing uncertain as the pieces slowly began to fall into place one by one. She corrected her word choice, her bewildered expression only marring her features further, "No, unless you were to…"

Her mouth fell open mid-sentence as she fully realized Levi's intent. She looked up at him in shock, eyes wide. She wordlessly shook her head no, because he couldn't possibly be suggesting what she thought - though Levi merely nodded once in confirmation, knowing she had finally come to the same conclusion.

"Marry me, Petra."

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End of Chapter

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Alright, this plot just has me so hooked, and their interactions amuse me greatly. I have kept writing multiple days a week and am making great progress to ensure that the updates you guys see stays consistent and not like some of my other grave yard pieces. I really feel like this story is so captivating and cringey and so fun to read and write. I hope you guys are just as enamored as I am and continue to stick around as I keep posting the events to come. All the cringe.

Thanks again for your support and be sure to let me know what your thoughts are in those reviews! Did you see it coming? Were you taken by surprise? Any predictions?