Chapter 2: Fear

"Where do babies come from?" her sweet small voice appalled the attention of the dark haired woman showering life on the budding flowers sprouting from the earth. The blooming buds reminded her of Emily, her own little source of joy silently poking the life crawling on a petal with her doll-like finger. Her little girl had grown up to be a resplendent and diligent child, she felt a slight amount of shame in failing to notice it sooner.

Her grey orbs lifted to gaze at the blue painted sky that seemed to be endless from where she stood, its clouds were softly dispersed on its bright hue. Then her thought came to the little girl's guiltless question. It was a nostalgic feeling clouding her memories, it all came back to her in a flash of light. She asked that exact question to her mother too and she would answer the same words, she decided.

"Ask your father. He knows every single detail," her strong hands had plucked a blighted weed caught in sight. It was an awkward subject to discuss that she'd rather not do the bidding of telling it.

"Father told me you would lie by saying that."

"Your father's an idiot. You'll know once you're older," her words were like glaciers melting down in the ears of the child as she met the curious gaze of her daughter.

"Okay."

Her white palm cradled a ladybug, she looked at it in awe on her very first discovery of the insect. She described it as a red wonder lurking in the leaves of her garden. Truthfully, their backyard used to be dull for the eyes, until Emily started planting all sorts of colorful flowers in bright shades of red, yellow, or even orange. It looked livelier with her touch.

Mikasa went on her knees beside her daughter, her small frame for a body made her more determined in protecting her child, she would never lose her, not her. Emily was the blood of her blood, her offspring with the man she loved for years ever since she found the world sickening in ways she never conceived.

"Emily," she called, it felt nice to be able to say her name with a loving sense, "Don't ever think of becoming a soldier," she said once again. The child haven't showed signs of being gifted in combat yet, but she could tell that it won't be soon, "Don't become like us," her hand softly caressed the cheek of the child, her face was so small and looked very fragile, "Ever."

Mikasa and Levi shared the fate of shouldering humanity's grief and fought for their sake even with the remaining of their life span. Each days had passed as if they were sent off straight to their graves when the titans wrecked through the great walls, if it weren't for their exceptional strength they would've died long ago. But they were never safe, no one was.

The girl remained silent and only blinked, Mikasa couldn't guess what her silence meant. Could she be refusing her words? She didn't know what was reeling inside the mind of her own daughter, she was hard to read considering that she was in fact, innocent.

"Okay," she finally said, the word seemed like it was the only word she knew to speak, but it relieved the tension building in Mikasa's mind. As a mother, her instincts were already telling her she'd sway from her promise, but why? She was such a docile child, and yet the feeling of distrust won't leave the pit of her thoughts.

"Promise me," she swallowed and looked intently into her deep grey eyes that mirrored her own, "We're only protecting you."

I don't want to lose you.

She didn't answer, she didn't want to promise. That was the decision of the small fragile girl in front of her.

"But who will protect you?"

"That's not important," her voice was smooth yet firm, "Promise me," she repeated.

Nothing escaped from her mouth.

Her instincts proved right in no time. What was wrong with this child, she thought. However her decision with Levi was final, Emily would live normally, never letting her set foot in the battlefields, never be offered for humanity's redemption.

They raised the little girl in their own distinctive way. Unlike other parents who'd reward their child when they'd done good, they provide Emily with gifts for as often as they could but for one reason alone: because she was here, because she existed and came to their lives. She proved how beautiful their world can be with a small glint of an innocent smile she rarely showed.

"Lunch is ready," said Levi, his head poking out through the kitchen window, he wore the same white apron that Mikasa had usually worn. Ever since he fathered Emily, he turned out to be a good cook as well, perhaps better than Mikasa.

"Go on Emily. I need to talk to your father alone."

"Oh," she stood from her knees and dusted off the grass on her skirt, and paced towards the house to help set the table.

"What now?" Levi asked with a lazy tone. His beaded eyes followed Emily off.

"What did you tell her when she asked?" She crossed her arms and glared sharply at her husband.

"Be more specific, Mikasa."

"About... making children."

"You knew more than I do."

"That's not true...!" she defended from his small tease.

"Is that really what you want to talk about?"

Mikasa dug her nails into her palms and started to think about no other than Emily and her probable attention into being a soldier. She showed signs of interest from reading books about titans, from learning basic combat movements, and from her parent's success stories in war before, "Why would she have assumptions to join the Survey Corps? Tell me," the feeling of dread crawled into her body like a venomous snake, "Of all people, why did it have to be her?" she sounded as if she was on the verge of weeping, "Our little girl..."

Levi only blinked then answered, "It's in our blood and you can't deny that." Strength ran down their veins and it may be transmitted to Emily naturally. It was an obvious trait that will be passed onto her and not to mention her perceptive mind that became apparent to them or anyone the little girl spoke to.

Mikasa started to raise her voice, "Don't tell me you're starting to accept it."

"I don't want her giving a damn of becoming a soldier as much as you do. There's still time to have her change her mind," his hand took her cheek gently, she was so worried and he didn't want her burdened, "We're not losing her, Mikasa," his voice was soft and sultry just to ease her even just a bit in his touch, "Not for duty, not for honor and not for any kind of bullshit."

Mikasa nodded, "We'll keep her safe."

They knew what it meant when people used to say that joining the military was equal to death, that's why people who aspire to become as one were often discouraged and if not, encouraged for social statuses.

The people of mankind were expecting another hero and they would welcome Emily with open arms. It was obvious, each time they roamed the streets of towns, they eyed her with admiration and hope that she will grow strong to protect them.

However, Mikasa and Levi were willing to tear off her wings just to keep her safe and sound.

It was that time of the day again, she thought wearily, the time her parents would kiss her forehead with their uniforms on and leave her with the babysitter, as always. Emily gripped on Lucy as Mikasa fixed Levi's usual cravat hanging on his neck, they were going to leave her for hours she couldn't even bother to count and nor remember.

"Nerissa, don't let her go outside without your permission. Keep an eye on her..." Mikasa was at her usual and same instructions again, she never failed to speak them word per word each day before they had gone to work.

The brunette with almond shaped blue eyes and tall stature nodded with a coy smile, "Yes, Corporal Ackerman," she was eighteen of age and lively in her youth.

"Commander Ackerman," she nodded politely at Levi.

"Let's go," Levi said, placing a hand on his wife's shoulder. He eyed on Emily once more as they were about to leave, "Be good."

Before they could take a step across the doorway, little Emily took hold of the sleeves of their jacket. She lowered her head and glanced at Nerissa suspiciously then to them. Her voice was a soft whisper that only her parents could hear, "Stay," she almost sounded frightened.

Now they felt like resigning themselves from their positions and stay with her, with just a word, a small request, they didn't feel like leaving her for one second, but that was an impossible task to begin with. If it was so easy to drop their swords they would've done it long ago.

Mikasa knelt down and gently pecked her forehead, "We'll be back," she didn't promise to her but to herself that she'd get her paper works done early to come home as soon as possible.

And with that, they left her bitterly in the care of Nerissa.

"Georgie will come again today," the older girl yawned, "So as for you, stay in your room and don't come out unless I told you so."

Nerissa used to be nice, or so Emily thought, but ever since she'd been bringing the scary man she called Georgie, she turned out to be a tyrant and always kept her locked in her room and she was fortunate that she never raised a hand against her no matter how twisted the words that came out of her mouth can be. She wasn't allowed talk about it with her parents, Nerissa threatened she'd take Lucy and gut it.

"Can I go to the garden instead?"

Nerissa threw herself lazily on the sofa and slumped there.

"Yeah, whatever," she yawned another and mumbled a curse under her breath, "And stop hanging around with that blond brat. He's going to get me in trouble."

"Martin?"

"Sure, sure. Now go do your thing," she closed her eyelids and made her way to a slumber on an early morning.

But then she bolted upright and sprinted towards the door when she heard loud knocks that only she could recognize, "Hell, he's early today."

Nerissa welcomed the man she expected to come in an hour or two. The man stood at the door, dazed but waved at Nerissa who slumped on the couch once again.

Since Emily was given permission to go the garden, she decided to gather her tools from the backyard but she was halted by the familiar strange and tall man blocking her way outside, he was holding a bottle of strong wine, "Excuse me, please," her tools barely stayed in her small arms.

"What 'cha up to, little Emily?" his smile was always predatory and frightening but this time it was worse. And his stench made Emily cover her nose with Lucy's sweet soft scented fur. She was never used to the man's presence.

"Georgie," Nerissa whined from the couch, "leave the kid alone."

The huge man snickered and gave Emily an ominous smile, "Be right there. And I'll see ya in a bit," he laughed to himself.

Emily didn't like it.

Mikasa sat on her husband's desk while browsing recent reports from Hanji, her fingertip tapped at each tick of the clock impatiently, which was a distraction to Levi who strategized for the next expedition outside the walls.

"You have your own office," he pointed out as he pulled her by the back of her collar and then onto his lap.

She turned to him, her face a few inches from his, "Just let me do my work here, please."

His lips were approaching hers slowly, "Stop overthinking."

Mikasa twisted her head away from him and stood up, "I can't stop it. I just can't," her shivering arms wrapped around herself. She loved Emily so much that she couldn't get her out of her mind and her worries didn't help one bit. Levi sighed, she was on the verge of breaking down into sobs again. Well it was normal for a mother after all and what a father could do was provide his support. She was overprotective to begin with.

"Mikasa, we're already isolating her," even he was aware of what they've done, "She isn't a fucking doll that we could keep in the house forever."

"What are you trying to say? That we should let her join us?"

"Not this again," he complained. He knew she was only being a mother but as the husband it was hard on his part to maintain calm for his own wife, especially when she tended to overthink every single thing.

"Just say it."

"Distract her."

"How?"

"You're the mother, you should think that yourself. Some other activities should do," he suggested.

She thought for a quick second, "I suppose I could teach her how to knit... and everything what my mother taught me," she smiled inwardly at the idea. It should be fun, she thought.

Hopefully that would work on her. Learning about the oriental culture might just distract the girl from her little farce.

"Good call," his lips softly touched Mikasa's forehead.

The day passed on smoothly, their work had been done early and was heading home right away. Their backs ached from sitting around all day signing and reading papers but at least it was a rewarding feeling. They wouldn't show it but they were very excited to come home and play with their daughter.

As they arrived home, they noticed their front door was left open. Their parental instincts rushed right through them, causing them to barge into their own house, except Nerissa wasn't in her usual spot on the couch waiting for them and nor was Emily silently reading books across her babysitter.

Something was wrong.

When they sprinted towards the kitchen, having hopes that the babysitter was only preparing dinner, instead, they found Nerissa lifeless on the wooden floor, bathing in the blood pooling out of her mouth and throat. An unknown man laid cold and dead beside her, and same as her, his throat was in ruins and several more wounds inflicted on the top of his head. The wounds were fresh and there were shattered pieces of porcelain mixing with blood.

They only found two corpses as they rampaged around the house, but still, no signs of their daughter.

Really sorry for this late update, I notice the good amount of faves and follows to this story, so thanks! Please review or I won't continue the story.

Well then, have a great day! :)