Chapter 13-

Father!Levi x Child!Character

I know it's been a while. Way longer then I want to admit, and honestly, I've feel like I as an Author has let many of you readers down. I remember when I first had one story, I'd only work on that, and write at least a chapter per week… Honestly I don't even remember how I managed to do that now because I have five stories I'm working on and all require me to think extremely hard to create. I'm talking late hours into the night and sometimes 4 in the morning. While I want to give you all genuine chapters, I feel that I've been putting off a lot of chapters due for a long time only because I either don't want to write about that story or I am legit just stuck. So… My apologizes for not updating for so long; and I'm so sorry for not keeping to my own schedule. From now I'm going to start updating my stories once a week again, on Sundays at 8 PST. Is that agreeable?

-Zavier Dedallious

"Whoa! Dad, you really didn't have to get this for me." Ensrahi smiled, holding up one of the more advanced scholars book on war statistics and tactics theory on a snowy day at HQ. Levi smiled, ruffling her hair in the dim candle light. Snow fell vigorously outside, as Erwin always called a winter break during the season due to the inability to efficiently move during the heavy snow fall.
"It's the least I can do for a book you specifically requested, something that surprisingly isn't in our library." Levi sighed, as he tiredly picked up his tea and began to drink it.
"I hope my present to you is good enough." Ensrahi smiled grimly, only earning a smack upside the head. Lightly of course.
"Your presents are always the best." Levi grumbled opening the letter to find a photo that nearly tore his heart to pieces. It was of him, with Farlan and Isabel… in old days when he was still in the Underground, it looked a little burned, but otherwise recoverable.
"Where did you get this…?" he murmured, covering his trembling lips with his hand the shadow cast from the candle light. Unfortunately the memories of his friend's bodies could never be burned nor erased from his mind no matter how hard he tried.
"I had Erwin come with me. I thought it'd be something more… sentimental."Ensrahi admitted as she found herself suddenly hugged by the man.
"You're a damn fool Ensrahi…" He murmured, finding himself holding onto Ensrahi even closer than before.

"If that's the case, so are you Dad…"

-Levi-

Levi found himself waking up in bed alone, back home in HQ with snow falling outside the window. Sitting up with grim outlooks, his arms hung by his side as he looked to the side of his room bare of any sign that he had a kid. Bare of any sign that he had someone in his life at all. However he found himself with a major head ache, and a urge to get out of bed. They had just come home from Sina last night, and he nearly tripped over something on the floor. It seemed to be a glass with melted ice spilt all over the floor. Taking up a rag to clean up the mess, he found scotch under his bed and his Christmas present on his bedside table with a note written in easy handwriting that he could recognize as Hanji's.
"Ensrahi told me you started to drink again after she gave you the photo on Christmas. When you remember to read this note, I've been taking care of Ensrahi for you."

'What…? I don't even know what day it is.' Levi grumbled, opening his closet door hoping to find his uniform there, only to find clothing that he had worn in his old thug days. Uniform was missing, clothes back there that he had shoved under his bed for a reason. So he dawned on a normal button down shirt, and brown pants with knee high leather boots before opening the door into his office to find Erwin going through his paperwork. However, the Commander looked up to surprise to see the Corporal standing there.
"How long…" Levi could only murmur, as Erwin held out a document to him. It was already January 3rd.
"A little bit more tipsy this time, I didn't realize that photo was going to shake you up so bad." Erwin murmured, leaving the rest of Levi's paperwork on the ebony desk. Levi sat down at his desk, a mountain of paperwork left for him to do. Most of them leave requests, some permission to take cadets on wall training again, others requests for exhibitions outside the walls… Levi sighed, running his hand through his hair. He didn't even know where Ensrahi's drawing was, or the black book, or any of her clothing was for that matter, and he felt so damn foolish to allow his grief to get in the way of her. That was something that little girl of all people did not deserve.
Levi began to rummage through his drawers to see if anything had changed, and to his surprise it had. His normal quill set was back, everything immaculate as it was before Ensrahi had even come into his life. As he could barely remember the day Erwin requested they go out to Trost to look for survivors.

"Levi, I want you to go check Trost for any survivors, and eliminate all Titans that may be left after Eren closed up the hole." Erwin commanded as Levi gave a small scoff.
"What would I find there but bones and puke. I don't need to go."

Pulling his hair back, Levi growled in frustration. He didn't know where Ensrahi was, nor did he know the state of her condition and if she was alright. But for all he knew, Hanji had her. So with that little to go on, he lumbered out of his office and out the door on his way to Hanji's lab. While he walked the best he could, Levi found himself rather weak from lack of… something. Did he even eat? Or continue working out? He just couldn't remember anything even though he knew that the memory was there somewhere… Is this how Ensrahi felt? Levi felt horrible dread, as he came closer to Hanji's door and knocked on it quietly.
At first, nothing happened, before it slowly opened to a small little girl cautiously peeking out of the door. Levi was relieved to see Ensrahi well and taken care of, but felt more dread seeing that her eyes fell no recognition to his face.
"Miss Hanji, it's that drunken man again." She called, leaving the door as it swung wide open letting Levi in as he walked through the doorway. To his surprise, half of the lab had been redone to create a class room setting for more of her students, and one of them including Ensrahi… which he was very thankful for. Hanji was at the chalkboard drawing out chemical equations that he was amazed his little girl could understand.
"Ensrahi, go to your room for a little bit while the man and I talk okay?" she asked politely, in an almost non-Hanji fashion as his little girl agreed going into a room on the left and going in to shut the door behind her… not even looking back behind her. Levi had come here before, but as he searched his minds for memories, he still found none.
"Why… doesn't she recognize me?" Levi began as Hanji sighed as if she too had explained this all.
"You may have a hard time remembering, because it was about nine days ago. But the house that you all were staying at over Sina was attacked by some underground thieves. Ensrahi and Eren had disappeared for five days and you drunk yourself into oblivion. Even when Eren and Ensrahi showed up out of the blue one night beaten up but alive you didn't even notice because you were in your room. We purposely didn't tell her who you were… because I knew you didn't want her knowing that her father was a drunk man full of grief… So we waited. Till you were done grieving because Erwin figured you'd come back to your senses and may not even remember the entire thing. Which is probably for the best." Hanji explained, still writing on the chalk board the equation she was working on.

'This all seems vaguely familiar…' Levi thought to himself, leaning back on one of the desks thinking heavily to himself… He could faintly remember smoke, and the house on fire as Petra was able to get all of them out except for Arwin, Eren and Ensrahi… He just couldn't remember what happened after that. Another knock came at the door as Eren peeked his head in slightly, seeing Levi and Hanji at the edge of the room.
"Oh thank god you're finally sober." Eren grumbled coming in, as Ensrahi opened the door to suddenly gasp and run to Eren.
"Big brother Eren! I thought you had chores today!" She smiled for him, as it plucked Levi's heart out of his chest… she'd only smile that way for him.
"I finished them early; I thought I'd come by and see you. How is all your homework going?" Eren asked, picking up Ensrahi into his arms easily, as Levi noticed that she was wearing the red dress he had picked out for her before.
"It's going okay, can you help me with this problem?" She asked, dragging Eren back into the room with her, and shutting the door. Levi found himself clenching his fists at this, he was the one she was supposed to depend on… the one she had solace for, the one she was supposed to come for when she needed help. Hanji suddenly thrust his uniform on his chest causing his to blink in surprise.
"Go take a shower, shave and cut your hair. Be her dad again… she'd probably needs one right now." Hanji smiled a bit, as if she understood completely what she meant. Levi was confused himself, but ran his hand over his chin finding stubble, and his hair was much longer then he'd usually have it. If anything, he probably didn't look anything like her father… probably like a drunken man.

"I'll be back."
"Oh and ride your horse into HQ, be her shining knight in armor!" Hanji devilishly grinned, as Levi punched her shoulder earning a laugh from her.
"Thanks shitty glasses." Levi grumbled, a smile escaping his lips as he walked out of the room to change.

-Ensrahi-

"Miss Hanji? Why am I helping tend to the horses today? I thought that was Eren's job!" Ensrahi whined a little, as Hanji simply shrugged in her usual manner. She was petting her own horse, showing Levi's daughter how to tend to them properly, and how to take care of her own. For some reason though, Ensrahi kept looking at a stable that had been empty ever since she came back to this place. She was told that the horse in that stable belonged to her fathers, and honestly, Ensrahi had no idea who that was. The only man she saw frequently was a drunk man that kept coming back to Hanji's room demanding for more liquor and always Hanji hid her in her room whenever he came by. Today she just saw a grumpy old man, with dark almost defeated grey eyes. No sign of the amazing Levi Ackerman she had been told so much about. The Humanity's Strongest Soldier. The man that was her father that got her the red dress that was her absolute favorite. The man who knew her and how to take care of her… So Hanji said. Whenever she'd visit Levi's office, it was empty. Empty of any fact that he had a daughter, and empty of the fact that she even lived. It always made her wonder if Levi was truly her father. It was like either Levi never existed in the first place, or she never came into his life… and how bad she wanted to meet this man who was supposedly her father.
"Oi, are you going to stand there all day in the middle of my stall? Or are you going to let me put my horse back?" a sudden gruff voice demanded as Ensrahi turned around to see a man standing next to a tall black horse. Black hair cut neatly, proud in a uniform that he wore including the green cloak with the symbol.
"I…What…?" Ensrahi stood in awe of the man in front of her. Suddenly she found herself being lifted from the ground onto the big black horse that nickered in recognition of her… had she been on this horse before?
"Don't even recognize your own father? Shame on you Ensrahi." Ensrahi's eyes widened at Levi looking up at her with a sly grin on his face. Ensrahi's eyes watered up with tears, as Levi grunted having his entire head covered by tiny hands and a face bawling for his comfort.
"Daddy! I missed you so much!"