Warning: This chapter contains the difficult topics that may upset you. Reader be warned.

Chapter 4

Straps. She would never get used to them. The damn things were causing marks on her skin. Levi had them all permanently rubbed onto his body through years of usage, so she had expected it to happen. But that didn't make them any more comfortable. She tightened her belt as Levi entered the bedroom. He stopped and looked at her either in admiration or confusion, she couldn't be sure. Her Captain wasn't exactly the easiest to read. The gentle light of the sun filtering through the windows gave a decidedly calm atmosphere given the day before. She had woken up just as she always had, feeling no different but still without a period. Levi took notice as well.

"Why are you putting that on?" He asked, crossing the room. He'd already strapped up his own gear, having been up since the crack of dawn. She had been too tired to get up with him.

"Because I have to?" She said, not wanting an argument so early in the morning. She yawned deeply, tightening the last of her straps. Her voice was still cracked from sleep, her eyes unable to stay open easily. She heard him move up behind her. His hand came sliding across her belly and no amount of coffee in the world could have woken her up faster.

His chin rested on her shoulder, the heat of his chest warming her back. "You don't think maybe...it might be a problem?" He questioned. His thumb grazed across her abdomen, tucking under the straps.

"No, I'm still small enough it's not uncomfortable. I mean it is uncomfortable, but only as much as it's ever been," she said. She felt Levi smile against her neck.

"Take it off," he whispered. Rui sighed. She'd just gotten it on.

"I told you it's fine. There's no need -"

"Rui...take it off," he growled into her ear. Goose bumps pricked at her skin as his fingers trailed down her shoulders, sliding the straps off over them. She placed her hands on the bed in front of her, feeling each strap slowly inching down her body. His hot breath drifted over her neck, his hands pulling up her freshly tucked shirt.

"You smell so good..." He whispered. Rui giggled. He was really laying it on thick this morning. She felt a pinch on her shoulder, knowing he had bitten her. She laid her head down, closing her eyes as his hands yanked away every scrap of clothing between them but not completely removing anything.

A rapping at the front door tore her from the moment, she blinked, though Levi didn't so much as slow his movements.

"Wait...someone's at the door..." She breathed. He only gripped her tighter, biting her shoulder again.

"I don't give a shit," he breathed. She gripped the bedsheets as the knocking persisted louder. Rui groaned, knowing this would ruin Levi's mood for the entire day. She could feel his frustration rising as his movements and hands became more forceful.

"Levi..." She whispered. He pushed himself off her, allowing her up. She watched only a half second of furious rage flash across his face before he was in control again. He quickly adjusted himself, leaving the room. She fixed her clothes, rushing out to make sure he didn't impale the person responsible for the interruption, but Levi remained surprisingly calm as he opened the front door to a hysterical Eren Jaeger.

"Captain! It's Mikasa, She's been framed!" Eren said loudly. Levi grabbed his shirt and pulled him into the house, shutting it behind him.

"That's not something you scream out in the open, Eren. Besides that, why come to me? Where's Erwen?" He asked. Rui walked into the entryway, confused.

"I told him and he told me to tell you. He thinks it's because she's an Ackerman. He wanted me to warn you because the military police have been digging up on both of you. Apparently they've also been searching for any other possible members of the Ackerman clan hiding out anywhere. After everything that's happened, I think you're making them nervous. They want to get rid of you," he said.

Levi rolled his eyes, stepping over to Rui and fixing her loose straps.

"That's neither surprising or new. What did they frame Mikasa with?" He asked. Eren lowered his head.

"Murder..." He mumbled, "of a member of the military police."

Levi's fingers froze. They were willing to go so far as to kill their own to set someone up?

"That's interesting. And you're absolutely certain she didn't do it? Your friend is a bit of a loose cannon," he said, crossing his arms. Eren shook his head.

"No, she was with me all last night. But the Commander says my testimony won't matter because of my Titan form. They don't care what I have to say. Not only that, it's an inside job, so all the evidence will be fake. She'll be executed for this!" He said loudly.

This was insane. Why did the military police hate the Ackerman clan so much? It was true they were incredibly powerful, but that was also a reason to keep them fighting for humanity.

"We'll figure it out. I'll talk to Erwen today and find out what we're doing. Don't do anything stupid in the meantime. It might also be best to keep all this to yourself for now," he said, gesturing for Rui to head out with them. He opened the door, allowing Eren out.

"Okay..." He said softly.

000

Rui felt sick. She felt so sick. Now that the idea of being pregnant was in her brain, the queazy feeling wouldn't relent. She groaned, bending over with her hands on her knees. She was so hot, a cold sweat stuck to her brow.

"Are you gonna be okay?" Levi asked, preparing to have a meeting with the Commander. She nodded, trying to breathe deeply. This was the worst. She absolutely was not going to be okay. But she was not going to argue with him right now. She didn't have it in her.

"I'll be back soon. Just try and take it easy," he kissed her temple, walking in the direction of Erwen's office. The courtyard was a nice wide open space with few people and a fantastic spring breeze. Despite how wonderful it all was, Rui still felt miserable. The straps were bothering her more than usual, putting pressure on her chest which was starting to feel sensitive in a gross way.

She bent over the grass, feeling her body twitch and tighten. She was going to throw up. Or at least that's how she felt, and that feeling just would not go away.

Two boots stepped up to her. She watched them approaching, unable to move from her doubled over position. She took a deep breath, trying to pull herself together.

"Miss Rui Stone..." She heard in front of her. She finally glanced up into the terrified eyes of General Walker. Without saying another word, he grabbed her arm, yanking her out of the courtyard and into the building. She didn't have the energy to fight back, but she was petrified that she'd done something wrong without realizing. She wasn't an Ackerman! What did he need her for?

She was roughly shoved into an empty office, the General slamming it shut and locking it behind him. Rui saluted him, standing at attention. What else could she do? She didn't know what was going on. He stepped closer to her, his posture tight and tense.

"I need you to be honest with me, Miss Stone. I noticed you've been acting a bit strange each time I see you, but now I'm becoming suspicious. Are you...pregnant?" He asked. The word slipped from his mouth as if he'd rejected disgusting food. Her eyes widened. He knew they were in a relationship...was this also against the rules? Was she going to be in trouble for this?

"Umm...we think so...Sir..." She stammered. She wanted Levi here so badly. He would stand up for her or give the General some sort of scathing insult to get him away from her. But now she was alone.

"Do you have any idea how stupid that is? How irresponsible? I mean you're in the scouts! Your body and your life belong to the king! You cannot get pregnant without his permission because it's tampering with the king's property! You're in serious trouble, young lady, serious trouble!" He said angrily. Rui was horrified. She knew she had been considered property of the government the moment she joined the military, but she had no idea it went so far.

"You could be off to war at a moment's notice and then what? You leave your child an orphan, causing more problems for the people you swore to protect. Neither yourself nor Captain Levi are fit to parent and you both know it. I'm very disappointed in you, Stone. I knew you two were going to be a problem," he said.

Rui's chest felt tight. She'd never been yelled at like this before. When Shadis did it in training, she had been aware from the start that it was a scare tactic. When Levi was angry with her, his behavior came from a place of love and frustration. This man didn't like her. It was very clear. His eyes looked at her as if she were unclean to him.

"I was afraid of this. So lucky for you, we can fix this problem right away. Hold out your hand," he ordered. Rui did as she was told. He reached into his pocket and placed a vial into her palm.

"Drink that right now and in a couple hours, it will all be over. No more pregnancy, no more stress. Levi won't know, it will be our little secret. We won't have to worry about another Ackerman coming into the world," he said in a low whisper.

"Another...Ackerman?" She said to herself. She looked at the vial. Inside was liquid that would end her pregnancy. She blinked, realizing something odd.

"I... don't want to get rid of it..." She mumbled. Sure she'd thought a few times it would have been nice not to have gotten pregnant, but she realized she had never once actually considered terminating. She started to understand why Levi had been so upset with her.

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice. Drink it now and it will all be over. Truly, there couldn't be anything easier. Lots of women have to do this, it's not the end of the world."

Rui looked up at him, her eyes determined.

"Maybe not, but I don't want to. I won't take this, I want to try...even if I'm not good at it, Levi would never forgive me. And I don't know if I would ever forgive myself..."

"Levi won't know, just drink the damn stuff and go back to your regular life. It makes no sense to carry the child of a criminal like him. It's for the better of humanity that that thing not exist," he said with a bitter edge.

"What do you have against the Ackermans? What did they ever do to you?"

"They exist, Miss Stone. They exist and cannot be controlled, as I'm sure you've realized in your frolicking with Captain Levi. They are dangerous, pompous individuals with no respect for authority which makes them a liability. If you fight me on this, I'll take it as an action against the crown and you will be arrested. After which, I'm sure you'll realize, we will end this pregnancy whether you like it or not," he threatened. Rui looked at the vial in her hand for half a moment before throwing it against the wall, smashing the vial and splattering all its contents onto the floor.

Walker sighed. "I figured you might do that. I guess we're done doing things the easy way," he pulled another vial from his pocket. Before she could make a move he grabbed her hair, yanking her down and pinning her onto the ground. Holding the vial in his teeth, he cuffed her hands behind her back, flipping her over. Straddling her, he undid the spout and forced her mouth open, dumping the vial's contents in. Rui thrashed her body around, but he held her face steady, covering her mouth and nose with the liquid inside. Her lungs cried out as she tried to get free. She kicked her legs wildly, desperately trying to get away.

Throwing her head to the side with all her strength, she spat out the liquid, rearing back to bite his hand.

"Ow, bitch!" He roared, slamming his fist into her face. She let his hand go, gasping for breath. She spat out blood and as much of the vial's liquid as she could.

"That's fine, Rui. There's more than one way to skin a cat," he panted, lowering himself on her legs. He sat on her knees and held her down by her chest, lifting his fist back. Her eyes widened as he jabbed her hard in the stomach. She felt the wind get knocked out of her as he reached back again, slamming his fist down. Rui was helpless, squirming as much as she could to get away. The third time he brought his arm back, she noticed the hand holding her down lift slightly. She took the chance.

Her body sprung forward, bashing her forehead into his nose. He fell back, crying out in pain as blood poured from his face. Rui pulled her legs out from under him and quickly wrapped them around his neck, crossing her ankles and squeezing as hard as she could.

She could hear him choking. She felt him struggle and it only made her tighten more in her frenzy. He finally went limp, giving her the chance to get away.

Rui tucked her butt and legs out from between her bindings, bringing her arms to her front. She rolled over, trying to stand when he grabbed her leg, pulling her back down. She slid on her back as he climbed on top of her, gripping his hands around her neck.

She jabbed both fists upward, bashing again into his bloodied face. She threw her arms around his neck, bringing her knee up from under him and pressing it tightly on his throat. She pulled the cuff chains down with her arms while pushing up on his throat with her knee. His face went purple and a silent scream was visible on his face. Harder, harder she pulled and pushed until she felt something strange and blood began seeping from his eyes.

Her body jolted. She took the chains from around his neck and shoved him off her. His body hit the floor with a sickening thud. She stared at him as he remained still. His chest did not rise. His eyes did not blink.

She began breathing fast, standing up and shaking. She'd just killed someone...