Hello! Another week, another update! For those of you who have read the first version, there may be a character appearing that you recognise in this chapter... hehe! Anyway, thanks folks, hope you enjoy!

ROBYN POV

I left the dungeon.

"Enjoy your play date?" My Captain's voice drawled from behind me and I smirked as I turned. He had a brow raised, and as he caught up. "Well?"

"Jealousy doesn't look good on you, Captain."

"Mm." He rolled his eyes and he began leading me towards where the Scouts had been gathering. Not as a specific meeting room or anything, but somewhere without being constantly watched by MPs or Garrison. Being so used to being out in the wilderness, as a regiment, we preferred less watchful gazes.

I fell into step with my Captain. "Has the Commander got his strategy in place?"

"In a manner of speaking, yeah." Captain Levi sighed and opened the door for me. "He's asked me to have a word with you about that. The date of the trial has been set."

"Oh? When is it?"

"Tomorrow."

I jolted and looked around the large meeting room, small clusters of Scouts littered around, and Commander Erwin stood at the head of a table, talking hushedly with Hanji and Mike. He glanced in my direction and gave a small nod before returning to his conversation. Tomorrow? So soon, and yet clearly Eren had no idea. No preparation. No way to psyche himself up.

"Why hasn't he been told? Or will he be?"

"Not likely." My Captain clicked his tongue. "The MPs don't want him 'strategising'."

I wrinkled my nose. "The fuck?"

"I know, I know. But look, this trial tomorrow is not going to be pleasant. The MPs are determined to get a hold of Jaeger, to start studying him and pulling him apart like an old waggon. We want to do anything we can to prevent that. And so…" My Captain looked uneasy, searching for the words.

A sense of foreboding sunk into the pit of my stomach, like I'd drunk really cold water on a hot day. "And so..?"

"Look, tomorrow is likely going to be messy."

"Messy?" The word caught in my throat like a barb and sent that cold feeling down through my legs. What the hell had the Commander cooked up? "The hell is that supposed to mean in the context of a trial?"

My Captain sighed and ran a hand through his hair; uneasy, shifty, uncomfortable. "We may have to take things to… An extreme."

"Again, the hell does that mea–"

"I'm likely going to have to make it clear the Scouts can… Handle the kid."

He didn't look pleased about what he was saying, but I still didn't like that tone. Handle. Like Eren was some kind of animal that needed breaking, a troublesome horse in need of being brought into line and saddled properly. A tool. A beast of burden. I glanced towards the Commander and he glanced back, quickly looking away again. Because he knew I'd hate what Levi was telling me. The room suddenly stank of it, of the assumed bad reaction.

I glared at the Commander while I spoke to my Captain. "So you're gonna be pretty brutal if push comes to shove?"

"If the moment is called for, yes."

I gritted my teeth. "And how're you determining that?"

"Brat, you know I don't want to–"

"Seriously not the time to try and bring me into line as well, sir." I sucked in a breath. "And I'm keeping that line in place so I don't have to confuse myself any further than this already is."

"What do you mean?"

I gestured to the Commander, finally dragging my eyes back to my Captain. "Because why else is the Commander having you tell me this, rather than doing it himself? He expects me to toe the line better with you, because he knows we've gotten closer?"

My Captain's mouth pressed into a thin line before he answered. "Erwin trusts that I can have a good rapport with all my Squad members. He doesn't know anything about that for certain. And even if he did, I doubt he would think it would help."

I raised a brow.

My Captain rolled his eyes. "You're hardly the type to suddenly melt because you're fucking someone."

"Glad to know that's clear to everyone." I swallowed hard, trying not to imagine Eren in chains. His bright green eyes dulled by fatigue, by being kept in a small dank space, no one to talk to or even tell him what the hell was happening. Poor kid. "Le… Captain Levi, can I assume a fair amount of pain will be involved in this?"

He nodded. "In all likelihood yes, otherwise it's not much of a show of force. We need to prove that the Scouts are willing to do what is necessary with Jaeger if things go wrong, as well as being capable."

"And your reputation doesn't do that alrea–"

"On Titans, yeah, but we're not exactly sure what Jager is yet, are we?"

"F-Fair point." I hated it, but this did make sense.

The MPs were all talk, whereas the Scouts actually got things done, and we needed to show that first hand to the ones judging what to do with Eren. Surely that would Zackley right? He was in charge of the whole shitshow of a military I think.

I scraped my hair back. "All right, makes sense. Just… Fuck, this is all messed up."

"I know." My Captain looked to the side. "I am sorry for it, believe me."

"I do." I swallowed and then shuddered as the image of Eren in chains flashed before my eyes again. Too close. Too familiar. I moved away. "Excuse me."

"Sanshi?"

"I'll be just outside, I just… I need some air." I dipped my head at his concerned gaze, and made for the courtyard.

The dying light of day cast the grey stonework in a fiery orange. The warm air did little to refill my lungs as I gulped at it, trying not to think of chains, experimentation tables and looming syringes. No. We would be saving Eren from that, with this brutality. Right? So that made it okay? Maybe that was going too far. It would never be okay, but perhaps it was necessary. A needed evil.

But who was it that decided that it was needed?

It's for the work. It's all worthwhile you damned rat, so stop snivelling and take it. You need to. For everyone else you selfish little shit.

Justification. Reasoning. Bargaining with the damned devil. I perched on a nearby small wall and clasped my hands in my lap. Stop thinking of that damned basement. It wasn't the same. It wasn't. That little girl wasn't here anymore, she was dead and gone, burnt up with her mother on the floor of a bloodied kitchen. Shit. Stop!

Eren would not be brought to that kind of low, made to question how much his life even mattered off a table. No. He was a good kid, the type that should be free to dream. And he dreamt bigger than anyone else. We could make this count, make this power do something more tha–

"I'd know that peach of an arse anywhere."

Wait.

I knew that voice.

"You gonna turn round and greet me properly or do I have to shove you off that wall?"

"K-Keza?" I laughed, turning and jumping from the wall.

She stood with hands on hips, head tilted, green eyes sparkling. My Keza. She had a brow raised, red lips smirking, every bit the gorgeous woman I'd grown up with. Her brown hair shifted in the evening breeze and the dark blue silken dress hugged her perfectly. As always, a vision. Except, she was very real.

Her smirk split into a grin. "Finally Numbnuts, figured you'd fallen asleep on that damn perch."

I flung myself at her. Bugger manners. Sod decorum. I wrapped my arms around her neck and held tight. Small pieces of me were hauled back into place as she hugged me back, laughing against my shoulder. Perfect. This was just what I needed. A hug. A hug from her.

"How'd you find me?" I sniffed, trying to find some semblance of composure before leaning back, beaming. "It's so good to see you."

"I should think so." She snorted and then booped her nose to mine. "Someone was snooping around for me at the old haunt, so I found out why and what name pops up? My dearest Robyn." She grinned and then smooched me straight on the lips. "You're as stunning as ever."

"Right back at you." I hugged her again.

"As much as I'm on board with the affection, Love, you doing okay? You don't usually cling like this unless something's spooked you."

"I love that you remember that." I laughed thickly, before stepping back and leading her to the wall where I perched again. "Just a lot rumbling around my head, nothing new. I hope it was okay that I went looking for you. I didn't want to–"

"I'm glad you did, dumbass." She nudged my leg and leaned against the wall, drawing every eye in the area to her as the sunlight caught along the finery of her dress and figure alike. "Now don't dodge the question again, what's wrong? There's been a lot of hubbub going on out there about you lot."

"What, the Scouts?"

"No, the military in general. Something about a kid with a power being captured, and some kinda trial looming, I dunno. But folks are pretty uppity about it. Is this headache you're having something to do with that? Or is it just lover trouble and your Daddy issues are in the way?"

I flicked her head. "I never had lover troubles when we lived together, you menace."

"Oh I know, believe me, couldn't get you to come out of your shell for anything. Be it man, woman or anyone else! But hey, I'm still hopeful you can find someone to be with you big moron, you need someone." She threw her head back and cackled. "Never known someone so against being near people and yet so desperately in need of company."

I blushed and looked around, spotting no one on my team at least. "Could you lower your damn voice?"

"Robyn, if these folks have known you longer than twenty minutes, trust me, they know all this already."

"Don't miss a beat, do you?"

She grinned. "Do my best."

And I think that was the best part of this – aside from the newfound warmth filling my chest, and the way my eyes seemed intent on watering with happy tears – it was like we hadn't missed a single day together. No awkwardness. No silence. Just us. Me and Keza; two little lost girls and now two grown women stumbling our way through things. Not that she looked like she stumbled much at all anymore.

She leaned against my lap. "So… what is on that jumbled mind?"

"There's a trial in process yeah, or rather, it's coming, but… the kid involved, he's a good kid. I just don't want him to get chewed up by the shitty system."

"Ah." Keza bit her lip. "You've found a puppy to look after."

"Oh for fuck's sake, that was one–"

"One long ass winter in which we coulda starved because you had to go and get gooey over a skinny little mutt!" She laughed and shook her head. "You were determined! Would hear nothing else but saving that pooch. Thank fuck we got that baker to take it in or I'd have murdered you myself."

"Then the dog, you evil wench." I chuckled. "But seriously, this kid is a great guy, I just don't want the MPs to get hold of him."

"Hmm… Well I won't ask for more details, no doubt that's a no no for a civilian such as myself. But do you know anyone that might have enough influence to do anything about it?"

"My Captain's already thinking of a plan that will help the kid end up with us Scouts instead, and there… Well the kid would definitely be better off. And he's wanted to join the scouts ever since Maria fell."

"Oh, was he there?" She frowned, humour vanished as her eyes searched my face.

We had exchanged a few letters in those early years, so she had known I had survived the fall of Maria. It seemed kinder to message her directly, rather than let her read the news and wonder how far back I'd gotten before things kicked off.

"Right in the thick of it. Saw his house crushed, his mother killed, it was hell on earth."

"Yet he wants to go back out there… So he's as mad as you are." She snorted. "I can see why you like him then. Anything I can do?"

"You've already helped. I came out here to breathe and you're the best kinda fresh air."

She winked. "Oh your charm is sharper than ever."

Boots marched towards us from the main doors, descending the steps. I looked back, half expecting my Captain to be there, wondering why I was taking so long to refill my lungs, but instead I found the Commander. He dipped his head to me and then glanced at Keza. Then glanced again. A classic Keza-is-in-the-room double-take. Poor soul. I turned on the wall, facing him as I remained seated, and she turned to lean against it, elbows propping her head up casually. Effortlessly sexy as ever, she smirked at the momentarily dazzled man. A new target had been acquired.

"Sir?" I prompted, when the silence continued for a solid three seconds without him having managed to look away from Keza yet.

He blinked and cleared his throat. "Apologies, yes, Sanshi. I came to see that you were all right after the Captain had explained part of our intentions for the trial."

I raised a brow. "He only said 'messy', and that was all he seemed inclined to say. Why? Did you want him to tell me more?"

"Best that we keep these things contained." He then glanced to Keza again and dipped his head. "Apologies for my clumsy entrance Miss…?"

I put my hand over my face. "Oh fuckcakes, sorry. Keza, this is Commander Erwin Smith, leader of the Scouting Regiment. Commander, this is my Keza."

"He looks like fun." She chuckled, standing straight and holding her hand out to him, wrist limp, hand elegantly lingering in the mid air. Not a shake. An offer for him to kiss it. Not that I had doubted it at all, but at that moment I knew she was as brazen as ever. Thank goodness. She smiled sweetly and tilted her head. "A pleasure to meet you Commander, have you been looking after my little Robyn well? Treating her nice and proper?"

He cleared his throat, bowed a little and then took the hand to lightly press his lips to it. He took the bait. And by all accounts, with the way he looked up at her from where he was bowed to, he liked it. Oh boy. Poor man. "I assure you the pleasure is mine, Miss Keza. Sanshi is a fine recruit, and an exemplary Scout. We treat her as well as we can. Is there a last name that I should address you with Miss, or just Keza?"

"Keza will do just fine, sounds rather lovely coming from you." She winked and gently retrieved her hand back when he had failed to let go. "Sorry if I was keeping her too long, we started to catch up and got talking."

"It's absolutely fine, we're not on duty right now." He straightened up and nodded to me. "Feel free to spend the rest of your day with your friend, Sanshi, perhaps even invite her to dine with us this evening."

There was a hint and a half.

I looked to Keza with question and she smiled sweetly again, and then put her hand to her chest whilst sighing oh-so-forlornly. Good god. She was having a blast.

"I am ever so sorry Commander, but tonight I'll be engaged in one of my performances, I've been doing a little travelling lately, usually I'm in the central city of Stohess you see."

"Performances?"

She grinned. "Indeed, I dance and sing a little, at the Chateau bar in Stohess usually, though tonight I believe the establishment is called the Rose, rather unimaginatively." She giggled and tilted her head. "About eight o'clock if you're interested."

The penny dropped in the Commander's mind and he blinked. "I see, I have heard of the finery of the Chateau, though I admit I have never been there myself."

"They all say that." She winked. Fate sealed.

"Indeed." He cleared his throat and dipped his head again. "I'll leave you ladies to talk for the time being."

Lady? Since when was I a 'lady'? Gosh he was floundering. He headed off and I hoped the showers were nice and cold in his quarters.

Once we were alone, I side-eyed her. "Please don't break all the brass."

"Oh but they are the funnest to mess with, usually so calm and collected, so serious and suave and then poof they are little boys again."

"I love you."

"Damn right you do, and right back at you. So! You have a free afternoon it seems, fancy a walk to somewhere with a decent cup of tea and cake?"

I had been given official permission from the Commander...

"Sanshi?"

Ah. But my Captain might have other ideas.

I stood and gave a salute. "Sir."

"Everything all right?" Captain Levi glanced at Keza and then back to me, looking me over. "I saw the Commander come this way, figured you may have given him a verbal dress down."

I baulked while Keza chuckled.

My Captain raised a brow. "You didn't?"

"No! We had a perfectly civil conversation, and he gave me the afternoon off to spend with my friend here." I laughed breathlessly at his assumption, knowing it was fully justified but wishing I didn't have such a clear image of the Commander looking all cowed as he headed back inside after speaking to Keza. I gestured to her. "And on that note, Keza, this is Captain Levi, my Squad Leader. And Captain, this is my Keza."

"You make it sound like I come in a set." She winked and held her hand out to my Captain in the same way as she had the commander, but he managed to turn it into a handshake somehow and quickly dropped it afterwards.

A small part of me, very small, curled at the bottom of my greedy little heart, was a little flattered by his apparent total lack of reaction to Keza's otherwise enthralling beauty. Considering the way he sometimes couldn't keep his hands from wandering around my body, same with his eyes, I took it as quite a compliment. That or he had suddenly gone blind.

My Captain glanced back at the doors for a moment. "The Commander gave you the afternoon off? How gracious of him to decide what my soldiers can and cannot do."

"Well…" Keza tilted her head. "You're her boss, right?"

"In a sense." He responded, stoic as ever.

"And the Commander is your boss, yes?" She continued, smirking.

"Again, in a sense." He shrugged. "It's fine, no case to be made. Go ahead and enjoy the afternoon Sanshi, Keza, but keep in mind that you have to get permission from me as well in future."

I snorted. "And how'd you know I wasn't about to come and confirm with you?"

He looked me up and down. "I've met you."

Keza threw her head back and laughed. "Oh I like him! Short and sassy!"

Mild irritation flashed onto his expression and I gave an apologetic, though half-hearted, look to my Captain. "So I uhm… I'm fine to go with Keza for a few hours, sir?"

"Go ahead, be back for lights out though. Big day tomorrow." He then dipped his head and walked away, disappearing into the gloom of the building. It wasn't clear if that was an invitation to his quarters or not, but I suppose I should probably seek out the squad once back from spending time with Keza. Other than training, I hadn't seen much of them lately.

"So! Where to first?" Keza looped her arm through mine. "Or do you need me to show you around military lady?"

"Please, I'm at a loss in these civilian settings! Save me from my military ways!" I pretended to sob, draping my arm over my eyes.

She snorted. "Glad you haven't lost your touch for the dramatics."

"Of course not, never know when you need to pull a con. Especially in the fucking military."

And there we have it! The famous Keza has finally appeared in person on the page haha. For those of you rereading, are you glad to see her back? I love writing her in all honesty. Thanks for reading, following, faving and of course reviewing when you can. Shoutouts below! I love to hear from you folks! Cya next week!

SHOUTOUTS:

Skiescloud: So glad you're enjoying it, and glad to know it's binge-worthy! And thank you so much, I'm really pleased with how Levi has turned out in this version. I've done way more of his POV this time round and I actually really enjoy exploring it. Cheers! Hope you continue to enjoy!