Chapter 3

Birthday Troubles

It had been a few months since the Scouts got custody of Kara and she had warmed her way into their hearts especially the Captains heart. His team was surprised how easy he was on her, but still was crabby, clean freak self. When it came to cleaning, Kara learned fast how bad Levi was with cleaning. Hange was talking of making her ODM gear suite for a 10 year old. Levi was not impressed but he saw the way she looked at envy as others trained with the ODM gear with a longing look.

Levi stood watching Petra and Kara as they did some hand to hand combat. They learned that Kara was a fast learner. Petra trained with Kara and even Levi gave pointers. The girl would hardly sleep and spend her nights would be spent in Levi's office and he would read to her or teach her their history. Both were slowly forming a bond and Kara was looking up to him.

"Levi." Hange ran over.

"What four eyes?" Levi asked as Kara got a good kick at Petra with her foot and Petra grunted as she got kicked in the stomach. Kara ran and tackled Petra to the ground.

"Wow. She's getting good." Hange said.

"Tch. If you got something to say, spit it out." Levi grumbled. Hange held up the ODM gear.

"Perfect timing since her birthday is tomorrow." Hang said. Levi shook his head as he almost smiled. "Hey. We should bring her on a mission."

"No." Levi said.

"She's asking." Hange said.

"I know, but it's still no. She's to young." Levi said.

"One mission won't kill her." Hange said. Levi shot her a murderous look. Hange threw up her hands. "Come on, Levi. Kid wants to see a Titan."

"When she is old enough and goes through Cadet Cores. But no." Levi said. Hange had that evil glint in her eyes. "And your not sneaking her on a mission, four eyes."

"I wasn't thinking that shorty." Hange said. Levi shook his head.

"Brat!" Levi called. Petra almost had Kara in a head lock. Not enough to choke her, but to show her how it was done.

"Captain?" Kara asked as Petra let her go.

"Crazy here has something for you." Levi said. Hange punched him. Kara ran over.

"What is it?" Kara asked. Hange held up the ODM gear and Kara squealed with delight.

"The brat has ODM gear now." Oluo said.

"Can I?" Kara said. Hange started strapping the belts on. Levi stood with his arms crossed.

"You think its a good idea?" Gunther asked.

"It's Hange. She doesn't take no for an answer. She'll have the girl on missions if Erwin didn't step in." Eld said. Levi's eyes soften seeing Kara happy. It took a lot these days to make her happy, but seeing her having her own ODM gear really cheered her up.

"There you go and you can try it out if you like." Hange said.

"She's not going out alone especially in the dark." Levi said.

"Come on d.. Captain." Kara called. Some of his squad raised an eyebrow. Levi sighed. He went to grab his gear and put it on. Kara was waiting, talking to Petra. Excitement was on her face.

"Brat. You ready?" Levi asked. Kara grabbed the handles to the ODM gear.

"Yes." Kara said as she pulled the trigger and sent hooks flying and she flew through the air landing on one of the branches. She didn't look back as she continued. Levi soon joined her. She felt freedom as she soared through the air. Her blonde hair flew in the wind as she soared. She squealed in delight as she moved fast through the trees. Levi couldn't help but smile, hearing her laugh as she enjoyed it.

"Take it easy, kid. Don't need you getting hurt." Levi said as he caught up to her. She smiled at him.

"Thank you." Kara said.

"Don't thank me. Hange is the one you should be thanking." Levi said. Kara nodded. "Let's head back to the others. Its getting late." Kara gave a pouted look. "Don't give me that. We can go out tomorrow if you would like." Kara smiled as she nodded. They head back to see the others waiting.

"So?" Hange asked as Kara and Levi landed on the ground. Kara threw her arms around Hange.

"I love it. Thank you Auntie Hange." Kara said. Hange hugged her back. Levi watched the two and went back towards HQ.

That night. Kara woke up from a nightmare. Kara grabbed her head of her mother laying in a pool of blood and her father coming at her with a knife. She got out of bed and opened the door. It was late but she saw light under Levi's door. She knocked gently.

"No need to knock, Kara." Levi called. She pushed the door open to see Levi sitting at his desk doing paperwork. He didn't look up. "Can't sleep, brat?"

"No sir." Kara said.

"Tch. Its no sleep for us both." Levi said. Kara went over to the couch and sat down, grabbing the book she had been reading from Levi's shelf. She curled up on the couch and read. Levi watched her and bent over the paperwork.

"Levi." Levi looked up. "Thank you for everything." Levi nodded.

"No problem, kid. Try and sleep if you can. You can crash on my couch." Levi said. Levi went back to his paperwork.

Few hours later. He looked up to see Kara curled up on the couch, sleeping. He grabbed a blanket from his room and laid it over her. She let out a soft sigh. Levi watched her. He was protective of her and considered her like a daughter he never had, but wouldn't say it. He went back to finish off the paperwork.

The next night.

"Happy Birthday, Kara." Hange said, hugging Kara. Kara giggled. Moblit brought some cake in. It was Levi's squad, Hange, Moblit, and Erwin in the mess hall to celebrate the girls birthday. Levi stood with his arms crossed as he watched her eyes light up. The kid seemed to never had a birthday celebration. With the piece of shit father she had it didn't surprise him. Erwin came over to him.

"I have never seen her this happy." Erwin said.

"Tch. Brat is a pain, but she's a quick learner." Levi said. They watched as Eld cut the cake.

"Can I have a quick word with you out in the hall." Erwin said. Levi nodded and walked out with Erwin. He let Petra and Hange know he'll be back.

"What is it?" Levi asked.

"MPs and the orphanage are pushing for us to put a Guardian on the girl or have someone adopt her or she goes to the orphanage." Erwin said.

"She will be out on the streets in a month or worse." Levi said. They hadn't been able to find her father and MPs thought maybe he was killed in the Underworld, but Scouts had seen men roaming around the HQ. Kara wasn't allowed outside without one of Levi's squad or Levi himself with her.

"I recommended you adopt her." Erwin said. Levi's eyes widen.

"Commander..." Erwin held up his hand.

"She is close to you, Levi, since we got her. She looks up to you and your protective of her." Erwin said.

"What's going to happen to her if I die on a mission?" Levi growled.

"Hange can always take over." Erwin said.

"I don't want her as my daughter..." Levi said. A plate crashed to the ground and Levi looked to see Kara standing there with a plate of cake on the floor. Tears filled her eyes. "Kara." Kara turned and ran. "Damn it." Petra stood in the door.

"She came to give you cake, Levi." Petra said. Levi took off after Kara. She was fast. He saw Scouts walking towards him.

"Did you see a girl?" Levi asked.

"Yeah. She was running towards the door to the outside. She was crying." Scout said.

"And no one went with her?" Levi asked. The Scouts share looks. "You'll both be cleaning HQ top to bottom all week! She's not suppose to go out alone!" Levi ran towards the door. 'Fucking recruits.' Levi thought as he saw the door open. He ran out and looked around. The courtyard was empty. "Damnit. Where did the brat go?" A scream fills the air sending a chill down Levi's spine.

Few minutes earlier. Kara ran through the woods near HQ. She tripped over a branch and hit the ground, scrapping her knees. She sat up and leaned against the tree, bringing her knees to her chest. Levi's words ring through her head. Kara felt a tear slide down her check.

'I'm not wanted here either. Maybe I'm better off on the streets.' Kara thought. A twig snaps and Kara's head snaps up.

"Levi?" Kara asked, standing up. She gasped as men came out of the shadows.

"We aren't that runt. We work for your father and he paid us a hefty amount to get you back." The leader said. A man approached. Kara punched him in the stomach and dives out getting attacked.

"Little bitch." Man growled. She ran through the woods. A man jumps in front of her and grabs her. Kara screams and the man punches her. She hit the ground. Her check stung.

"Get up." Leader growled. Kara looked up at him with hatred in her eyes.

"You can go back to my father and tell him I will no longer be in his control." Kara said through gritted teeth. The leader kicks her hard in the stomach and sends her flying. She gasps in pain.

"Your going and no one can help you. Hey." Leader calls for his men. "Let's go. We got her." No one responds. Kara tried crawling away. "Where the fuck are they?" A body comes flying out and hits the ground. Kara gasps as the body was bloody. Someone comes by and punches the leader. Kara felt hands on her and looks up to see Hange bending over.

"Hange?" Kara asked.

"Your alright." Hange said, touching a bruise that was forming on her check. Kara looked and saw Levi beating the crap out of a leader. "Come on. You don't have to see this." Hange helps her up and leads her away from the scene. Men were being tied up by Levi's squad. Hange kept a hand on Kara's shoulder.

"Kara. You alright?" Petra said running over.

"Looks like she's gonna have a bruise on her check." Oluo said.

"Make sure these men get to the MPs." Eld said.

"No." Levi came out dragging the Leader. "We're sending this one back to his master with a message not to mess with Kara again." He tossed the leader to the ground.

"What are you her father?" The Leader said.

"I will be when papers are filed." Levi growled. Kara's eyes widen as Levi's group gasped. "Get this pig out of my sight." Eld and Gunther grab the leader and they disappear. Kara looked at Levi. His eyes soften as he walks up to her.

"You want me? I thought you said..." Kara began.

"You never heard what I was going to say. I don't want to be a father unless there was a plan in case anything happened to me." Levi said. Kara threw her arms around him and hugged him. Petra and Hange smiled.

"Come on, shorty. We won't let anything happen to her if anything happens, maybe use her as a test subject." Hange said.

"Erwin. Hange is not taking charge of her." Levi said.

"I'm kidding shorty. Calm down." Hange laughed. Erwin walks up to Levi.

"Papers are on your desk and write out a plan just in case." Erwin said. Levi looked at Kara.

"Come on. Let's go finish the cake." Levi said.

"Okay, dad." Kara said. Levi smiled for the first time in a long time as he walked with her back to HQ with Hange and Erwin as the others dealt with the others.

Levi had the papers on Erwin's desk the next day and Kara became Kara Ackerman. Kara left her past behind when she took Levi's last name. As the months went. She saw Scouts leave for mission and some never came back, but Levi kept coming back. Kara helped Hange in her office with some experiments not to Levi's liking but Kara was learning new stuff on Titans.

'Two more years and I can join the Cadet Corps and become an official member of the Scouts.' Kara thought with a smile on her face.

AN: New chapter up. Got one more chapter maybe before she's in the Cadet Corps. Till next time.