Hey everyone! It's been a long time since I've updated and I cannot apologise enough!

This is, at last, the final chapter of Holding On And Letting Go.

I've so enjoyed writing this story and hope you guys have all enjoyed it and this last chapter.

I'm always worried my character are OOC, the events, wants, desires etc are all wrong, but in the end I decided so what?

It's impossible to please everyone, get everything 100% right. This is fanfic, ppl are here to read more of their fav characters, different ideas, etc, so it's best to just try and enjoy!

So I hope you can enjoy mine, too! :)

Thank you all so, so much for the support, beautiful reviews etc. It means a lot!

Usual disclaimer apply and I also took the dialogue n the first paragraph from the episode to make it correct!

Chapter Seven

Levi could feel the emptiness of the castle bearing down on him, but he point blank refused to let it get to him. Between that and the inevitable, official, revoking of Eren's custody, he felt enough things were already against him.

His walls had started to crumble at the top, revealing a layer of things he'd long ago blocked out.

It was time he started rebuilding those walls, just like the city was it's own.

He'd realised on his way over to the castle that now his custody of the brat had been metaphorically ripped in two, what was stopping the rest of his world being changed?

His team was completely gone and the future of the Scout's was very much in jeopardy.

It would be just his luck - the world had always seemed to be against him.

Yet, he'd always risen above it, refused to let something as tripe as 'fate' or 'destiny' decide his path.

Picking up his cup of tea, he wondered why the hell they were still sitting there. Erwin had relayed a message to him, stating that he needed to talk to Levi and Eren. He was supposed to be here before Nile Dok's men came.

"What's the hold up? Erwin's never late. They should be here. At this rate the damned MP's will show up first. That'd be our luck," he muttered, taking a mouthful of his tea. "Who can say - maybe they're all taking a shit. Duty calls, right?"

A half heated, awkward laugh came from the boy at the end of the table.

"You're-a .. Sure in a talkative mood today," he stated carefully.

"So what if I am? Doesn't mean I was talking to you."

Levi could see Eren glance around the empty room but still didn't look towards the Titan shifter.

A sudden lance of pain shot through the Captain's leg, emanating from his shattered ankle he'd received trying to stop Mikasa being battered by the Female Titan.

He gripped his leg with a grimace - it was as if the pain was punishing him for trying to pretend things were normal.

Eren noticed the sudden grimace of pain from his Captain and looked down, shame rolling through him. Levi was only hurt because he and Mikasa had to chase after him to save his ass - again.

"It's my fault, sir. I made the choice. If I'd had thought this through, none of this.. We wouldn't..."

Neither men made eye contact, Levi looking at the floor by his feet, Eren at his clenched fists on his knees.

"You made a judgment call. Look, no one expects you to be clairvoyant," Levi stated, his tone back to his usual unreadable one.

Behind him, the heavy wood of the door creaked, the bolt and hinges squeaking slightly as it was pushed open. Erwin's deep voice sounded through the room.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

"Sir," Eren stood to salute his Commander, before making an sound of exclamation at seeing Mikasa, Armin, Jean standing in line with Erwin. "What the... Why.. Why are you all here?"

"We believe we've uncovered the Female Titans true identity," the tall, blonde man's face was deadpan and Levi felt a small stab of victory.

Finally.

Eren gave a little gasp, shocked that, not only did he know, but it was obvious his friends did too. Why else would they be there, looking so tired and down.

"She won't slip away his time," Erwin promised, his voice menacing.

Levi notices that Erwin wears a haunted look, Jean, Mikasa and Armin all looking down with troubled expressions.

His friend tells the newest Scout recruits to take a seat before pulling a map from his cape and smoothing it across the table.

"The day after tomorrow we'll be passing through Stohess District en-route to the Capital. That's when we'll strike. It'll be our first and only chance to do so. Once we've set foot in the interior the Government will assume custody of Eren and the Scout's authority to continue Operations will be limited. Thus, unless we wish to concede defeat, we must flush out the enemy now."

Eren nodded across at him with a determined face, glad something was finally happening. Erwin placed his hands on the table and leaned forward slightly.

"So here's what we do. While in Stohess we use Eren as bait, luring the target into this underground passage. The deeper the better. Get her well beneath street level. That done, she should easily be immobilised, even in Titan form. If she transforms before reaching the tunnel... Well at that point she'll be your responsibility, Eren."

Eren gave a huff of breath in shock and sat back. They were willing to unleash him in the middle of the Stohess district?

"Right. So we know she'll be in Stohess? There's no chance she'll bolt before we get there?"

Erwin lowered his head, looking up at Eren from under his eyebrows.

"No. She won't risk going AWOL."

"Wait, you mean she's..."

"Armin here identified her."

Eren glanced at Armin beside him, who gazed back with an unhappy look.

"She's an MP, likely responsible for the death of Hanji's test subjects. And a fellow trainee in the 104th Cadet Corp," Erwin delivered the earth shattering news, leaving Levi wondering how the hell someone so inexperienced could be so sly as to stay under their radar.

"Wha... You can't be serious?" Eren asked, jaw clenching with disbelief and eyes wide with shock. "I trained with her?!"

"I'm sorry, but yes. She's one of us," the Commander confirmed.

"No, it can't be!"

The air was heavy and tense as Erwin delivered the name of the one who had taken so many from them. Who had done the most heinous of crimes against her own kind.

The name that would forever bring shamed memories to the Military.

"Her name is Annie Leondhardt."

The plan was simple in theory, requiring a lot of stealth and secrecy.

In reality, Levi knew it would be one of the hardest things to pull off. There were too many variables, too many chances for this to go wrong.

If Annie were to escape or catch onto their plan before they got her underground, they would not only have lost their element of surprise, but they would have to let Eren take charge.

Meaning there would be two Titan Shifters loose in a heavily populated, not to mention, central, area.

The number of civilian casualties could be astronomical. The Scout regiment would be on the line for mass murder.

Even if the plan did go accordingly, they would still be under strict speculation.

Putting people at risk, allowing Eren, who was already a red flag to them, to be allowed free reign?

They would definitely be putting their heads on the chopping block, so to speak.

However, underneath all this doubt, all the worries, was the unanimous need for one thing - to take Annie down and make her pay for all she'd done to humanity.

This was what Levi was explaining to his soon to be ex-Squad, anyway - or rather trying to reason with himself out loud. Even to him, this was risky.

"So... That's it? A gamble? Either we get that bitch or the Scout's could be looking at more deaths than we can foresee and possibly have our asses locked in jail, at best?" Eld asked, scratching his blonde goatee.

"Pretty much, yes," Levi frowned, arms crossed as he sat in a semi circle with his team.

"Sounds like we've no other choice," Eld surmised with a shrug.

"Captain... I just think... There has to be another way," Petra reasoned, her worry showing in creases on her forehead.

Levi turned his gaze to Petra, his eyes boring into hers.

There had been an immediate tension between the two from the moment the Captain had walked in, Petra was sure of it.

After the last dig about their... moment... Levi had left her with, Petra hadn't stopped running over and over what he could have meant or was thinking.

Of course she got nowhere because this was Captain Levi she was dealing with.

Now, sitting across from his dark, brooding glare was making her not only flustered, but it was starting to grate on her nerves.

He was the one who had kissed her, after all.

He'd brought it up the next morning, then brought it up AGAIN after she'd given him an easy out - now he was giving her these looks (as if she could decipher them on a normal day!) that made her feel like she was being judged or blamed.

Her blood was definitely starting to boil.

It also didn't help that she couldn't stop replaying the kiss over as well.

At first it had been just to try figure out who was more responsible in the end - namely, exactly how much emotion had actually gone into it, who had broken it off first, who had held who in what way.

As she'd replayed these details, her thoughts had started lingering on particular moments, on the feel of their skin and lips touching...

His deep, onyx eyes centimetres from hers, hands in her hair... Breath and tongue skimming and mingling with hers...

She'd found herself staring into space, a finger trailing over her lips or washing the same mug for ten minutes, several times.

Petra was pretty sure Aurou and Eld thought she'd lost the plot.

"And what else do you suggest, Petra? Because if you have an easier solution, please I'm all ears," Levi stated in a deadpan tone.

"I just think it's too risky. There could be a million and one complications," Petra argued back, determined for once, not to back down and submit to her superior.

Not on this.

"So what, we should roll over and give up? Run from the responsibility?" Levi snapped.

"Not all of us are as sure of the other's intentions and final expectations, sir," the doubly-laden words were out before Petra could stop them.

Too late.

She didn't miss the slight glint of a challenge light up in Levi's eyes and she knew she'd poked the bear - his gaze was squarely on her now and she could practically predict the route this double conversation was about to take.

"Sometimes the end game's worth the risk, Petra. How can you know until you've tried?"

"Maybe this course wasn't obvious until now. I mean, you only found out about the plan recently yourself, didn't you Captain?"

"That may be, but I can see the prospects of the plan. And if everyone involved was willing to put in the effort, go the extra mile, then we'd stand much more of chance."

Petra gave an incredulous little laugh, at both meanings of his words.

"So you think you're the only one willing to try their best? I'm sure the other soldiers are just a bit unsure as to how to process and handle such an unclear area, Captain. Especially considering this is not a situation anyone thought we'd find ourselves in."

"I think they're just in denial because they're afraid of the risks and not looking at what would happen if they didn't move forward. If we stay in the state we're in now, we'll all end up missing the bigger opportunities or making life complicated for the future," Levi narrowed his eyes at her and Petra found she had no response.

On either side of them, Eld and Aurou were looking at the two and then each other.

Did Petra have a death wish?

And why was the Captain being so belligerent? He usually would have just pulled rank and told Petra that it was orders and to take them.

Also, Petra usually wouldn't dare argue with Levi.

Something weird was going on, more than just the horrible situation they'd all been thrown into.

Giving each other a look, Aurou broke into the uncomfortable silence that had now taken root in the room.

"Ah, yes well, good points... But I think, as far as plans go, everyone just wants to keep Eren safe. He is our best chance, even now, against the Titans. And I, for one, wouldn't mind seeing him take that whore down. And I'm quite sure Erwin only has the best intentions for Humanity's chances."

Levi and Petra both looked at Aurou, seeming to be snapped out of their trance.

"Of course, I wasn't implying that," Petra gruffly amended, "I'm sure the Commander has thought it all through, I just meant.."

She sighed and closed her eyes, trying to fully plant her mind in the real conversation.

"A lot of people are going to be at risk and Eren's already in so much trouble. And now he knows that he's trained with the Female Titan, it's going to make it harder for him to just blindly attack and take her out. He's not a monster."

"No, but his Titan hopefully won't have a problem taking her on, if needs be. He just has to push past whatever feelings might stop him and turn. Hopefully, the rest will just.. happen," Eld sighed.

"It all depends on Leondhardt. She'll be the deciding factor," Levi said in a more neutral tone.

Whatever tension had built had disappeared once the team had focused solely on the problem.

"Not that this concerns any of you, logistically. You're all officially off duty until you're cleared. If there's anything to be cleared for, once this goes down," the Captain frowned.

"I can't believe we have to just sit idly by," Aurou ground out.

"Deal with it. You'll just have to see what the situation is when you're ready to come back. Until then, go home, rest and do... whatever you damn well please."

Without another word, Levi stood up, placing his chair back against the hospital room wall.

"I trust you all realise that this conversation goes no further than this room. For everyone's safety," he looked each of them in the eye, lingering slightly longer on Petra, who just looked back serenely.

"Yes, Captain," they chorused, deflated and defeated.

"Right. Well, look after yourselves," Levi said, not even looking at them anymore, halfway out the room.

The door swung closed a second later and he was gone, no longer their Captain, just another soldier to them now.

"Well, guess we shouldn't be surprised at the lack of heartfelt goodbyes," Eld shook his head amusedly.

"All our years in his Squad.. It's hard to believe we're done," Aurou nodded in agreement, heaving a sigh.

"No. There's no way," Petra shook her head angrily, frustrated tears threatening to spring up and out her her eyes.

"There's no way what?" Eld asked tiredly.

"How can we just sit here and let this happen, let the Captain, Eren and all our comrades fight this alone? After everything, I can't believe we're just... out," she sat back heavily in her seat, feeling helpless.

"I know. I feel so useless," Eld muttered.

"Well, you're in no fighting shape with your leg, Eld. But us?" Petra looked to Aurou, "We shouldn't be sidelined. We shouldn't be..."

"Replaced?" Aurou filled in for her.

Looking at her team mate, Petra knew she wasn't the only one feeling it.

"Yeah. After all our effort, our work... We were chosen by Levi himself. We gave everything, lost Günter... I mean, what are the chances that this thing is going to turn out perfectly? We might never get the chance to step back in," the caramel haired soldier voiced her worries.

"Firstly, thanks, for knocking me out of the equation," Eld teased Petra, understanding she was only being truthful and was upset, "Secondly, it's seriously pissing me off, too. We chose this life and took the Scouts as our fighting family. Now, thanks to this Annie, we're useless to them. And we're not even getting the chance to get our revenge for Günter."

The three sat, stewing in their anger and indignation until Aurou burst first.

"Damn it all to hell if I'm going to sit here and let this be the closing chapter in our military careers! The Captain doesn't want us gone, we don't want to be gone, so why should we lie down and take it?! I'm going to fight and I know you are, Petra, and after you're better, Eld, we'll make sure you're back in," he slammed his hands down on arms of his chair and there was a fierce determination glowing in his eyes.

Petra and Eld found themselves getting pumped by their comrades enthusiasm.

"Yes! That more like it, Aurou! Finally, I agree with you on something," Eld smiled, making Aurou pause for a second.

"I'm going to go tell Captain that we're going to fight. No matter what," the wavy haired man stood, adrenalin and determination giving him a confidence boost, enough of one to go defy Levi's orders.

Petra had been quiet, thinking of the secret words spoken between her and her Captain.

If she'd understood him and hadn't been just presuming he was, indeed, speaking of them as well as the mission, then from what she gathered he was all for exploring things further. Petra still wasn't sure what she really felt or wanted, but she knew that she cared for the man deeper than just in just a working capacity.

She was also still trying to get over the fact that he, Captain Levi, was interested in.. no, she was fairly sure he was actually attracted to her. Whatever way she looked at it, he was definitely trying to push past a purely camaraderie style relationship.

That was something she couldn't wrap her mind around. Never did she imagine she even registered to him as being a woman, not just a soldier, except in pure strength terms.

As new as it may be to them both, he was clearly thinking of her now.

He'd been very quick and clear on his responses.

Damn it, if he knew what he wanted and could make it known to her, why couldn't she?

She wasn't the emotionally closed off one of the two, after all.

Which was how she found herself saying no to Aurou.

"Let me. He's more likely to listen to me and besides... I have one more point to my argument," she looked at them both, knowing they had not missed the strange exchange between her and Levi.

Hopefully, they just didn't catch the undercurrent of it all.

Glancing at each other, the two men shrugged before Aurou held his arm out to the door, indicating for her to go ahead.

Petra strode out of the room, a fuel in her soul making her stalk down the halls towards the stairs and the exit.

She'd have to move quickly if she was going to try catch him. If she missed this opportunity...

No, she would catch him.

Once she'd neared the lobby, Petra's chest was already starting to burn and thrum, but every beat was his name, every burn was the longing to figure this out, to know once and for all.

Slamming out through the main doors, she whipped her head left and right, trying to figure out which way he would have gone.

She felt something pull her to the left and she was once again flying down paths, eyes roving for her dark haired Captain.

Finally she spotted him walking through a tunnel of buildings, quite a bit ahead of her in the setting sun, the streets quiet and abandoned around them.

Petra forced herself to ignore the pain and broke into a sprint, slowing when she was nearly in hearing distance. Taking a few gulps of air, she called out to his back.

"Captain!"

She saw him pause, becoming alert at the sound of her voice.

"What are you doing out here?" Was all he asked after turning and regarding her for a few seconds.

"Captain, we need to talk," Petra said, still slightly breathless.

"Oh? I thought we'd said it all, already," he quirked an eyebrow at her, challenging her to take the bait.

So she hadn't imagined the double meaning to their heated words.

"Some. But one thing wasn't made clear. Captain, with all due respect, there is no way we are going to stand by and watch you guys fight this battle alone. This is as much our fight as it is yours."

A slight breeze trickled in and around them as Levi contemplated her words, trying to figure out what she was thinking. He dropped his insistent attack on their relationship development, taking her track instead.

"Petra... As much as I want my Squad fully operational, it's just not an option. You've all suffered enough for this. It's time you take a step back," he said softly, not looking at her.

Even if he wanted to let them in on this mission, if they weren't hurt, it wasn't his choice. This was a delicate operation and he wasn't even going to be involved past his obligatory presence for several reasons.

Besides, he couldn't help but feel they'd given enough already. He couldn't ask them to take this risk, too.

"Captain, this is what we signed up for. Especially accepting your squad position. We knew it was dangerous and it was probably only a matter of time before we were killed. We're not going to turn and run now," Petra insisted softly.

"You can't and that's the final point. You're injured already and if things go south, chances are you wouldn't be in a state to help," Levi insisted back, not wanting to even think about the fact that if they went, his remaining team could be caught in a fight of a lifetime at only half their capabilities.

Frustration flared up in Petra's chest as she realised he wasn't going to agree.

"I don't care, sir. I can't stand back and let you..." Shutting down her emotion fuelled words, the petite soldier took a deep breath to calm herself.

"Let me? Let me what, Petra?" Levi asked with narrowed eyes, his automatic response jumping back to rank power. "May I remind you, you don't 'let me' do anything."

Ok, this was so not how she'd planned this on going.

All visions of her giving a heart felt speech about fighting by his side and him accepting and telling her he'd see her on the battlefield or something equally badass, were washed down the drain.

"Captain, you know that's not what I mean! I just meant that I can't stand to think of you going out there without us backing you up. Without knowing we're there to help you," she shrugged, holding her hands up helplessly.

This was getting them nowhere.

Levi knew he had to nip this in the bud, stop letting her hopes get higher just to be undoubtedly dashed.

Besides, this wasn't easy for him either, basically shutting them out of his life when he'd chosen them specifically and fought and lived with them for years.

After everything that had happened with him and Petra over the last week, it also wasn't fair that the only time in his life he'd ever thought about having something equivalent to a normal relationship, everything was against it.

Including Petra, it seemed.

So excuse him for not feeling like having a heart to heart.

"I don't understand why you want to come. After all, you made it clear things were too risky to even try," he taunted, arms crossed over his chest as he glared her down.

"You know that's not what I meant -"

"Do I? Because you were arguing your point very strongly in there, Petra."

Taking a step towards her, Levi stared deep in her eyes, so close now he could the swirl of golds and browns flicking through her irises as he delivered his blow.

"Or is it because fighting makes you feel 'alive'? Like you'd be getting back to normal? Something we both need, right?"

Petra couldn't believe she was hearing this. She wasn't an idiot, she remembered her words to Levi the morning after the kiss.

Narrowing her eyes, she leant away from the Captain.

"Fighting wise, maybe. Yes," she clarified, thoughts and emotions pulsing around her brain so it was making it hard to form intelligible thoughts.

"And other wise? Is being there to back me up the only reason you so desperately want to come?" Levi pushed, finally feeling like they could be getting somewhere.

"I.. Well, I obviously want to be there to fight for everyone, not just you," was the genius that came out her mouth.

Petra could have slapped herself, she was getting so jumbled and annoyed, she couldn't keep straight which thing they were actually talking about.

That, clearly, was the right answer to the wrong question, because Levi's eyes flashed before his expression went to his usual closed off one and he took a step back.

Ok, so maybe they weren't on the right track, Levi fumed to himself. She couldn't have made it clearer - this really all did mean nothing to her other than pure soldier loyalty.

Fine.

"Well then, Petra. I'm afraid you'll just have to deal with the fact that soldiers die and you can't protect them all. Especially now you're not in fighting shape, anymore. But don't worry, there are plenty of us soldiers. You'll get over it," he stated in a neutral voice before turning away from her.

No point hanging around to see how much more she could knock him down.

"Captain, no, wait! Ugh, you're wrong," she called after him, panic lancing through her.

What had she done? She'd royally screwed up.

"Captain!"

"What? You should be used to this, Petra. At lest now everyone knows the others expectations," Levi called over his shoulder without turning.

Oh, ok, so he was going to fluster her, totally twist her words and meaning and then have the nerve to throw that in her face?

Oh no, no way!

"Captain!" Petra called again, anger colouring her tone. "Captain!"

He didn't turn, didn't acknowledge her at all.

"Sir, wait!"

Damn it all, there wasn't a chance this was how she was letting him walk away from her.

"Levi!" His name rung from her lips and she got the result she'd wanted.

Stopping dead still, her Captain turned slowly, eyebrows raised, to merely stare at her.

"What?"

Not waiting for him to say anything else, not giving herself a chance to say anything that would ruin this for good, Petra did the one thing she could do, wanted to do, now that words had failed her.

Striding across to Levi, she didn't pause as she grabbed the front of his collar, pulled him to her level and kissed him with all her might.

She put all her fears, anger and everything else that was bursting forth into the kiss, hands still tightly gripping his collar.

She wasn't sure how he was going to react, but she was going to make sure he knew that whatever this was, it wasn't nothing.

Maybe she wasn't totally sure what she wanted, but she knew, in more than a Captain/subordinate way, she wanted Levi in her life.

A pair of strong hands came up and took hold of her face, Levi immediately taking charge of the kiss, his body leaning into her, almost curling around hers.

A surge of something hot and primal filled Petra's stomach and she gave an involuntary little breath as Levi's tongue swept against hers.

This kiss wasn't sweet and exploratory like the first one - this was rough and full of frustration and pent up emotions.

Levi pulled back very slightly, leaving Petra's lips feeling naked without his burning into them.

"About time," he growled against her mouth, his eyes burning with dark desire.

"Shut up, Captain," Petra breathed, for once not caring at taking such a disrespectful, familiar tone with him and just wanting to bury herself in his touch again.

Giving a slight grunt of acknowledgment at her tone, Levi nipped her bottom lip before taking total claim of her lips again, moving his hands down to her waist and waltzing her back against the wall of the tunnel.

He now had her pinned and totally at his mercy - somewhere she was utterly willing to be.

One hand draped out over his shoulder, Petra dragged her other hand through his hair, loving the contrast of the soft lengths to the sharp bristle of his undercut scraping along her fingertips.

Levi moved his mouth down her throat, hands whispering across her waist and teasing their way under her shirt, trailing up her stomach.

Petra had to bite her lip as his attentions moved away from it, tilting her head up so he could fully kiss the length of her throat.

She was sure he could feel the flutter of her pulse under his mouth, it was beating so hard.

Having reached the top of her throat again, Levi once more pulled back, the two breathing heavily, bodies still pressed together and looking into each other's eyes.

Dark eyes turned down to Petra's bottom lip, where he ran his thumb down it before leaning in to kiss her again, long and slow this time.

Petra was sure she'd melt into a puddle at his feet.

When they pulled away, Levi stood with his hands braced either side of her head, looking at Petra with a look that left her as hot under the collar as his touch had.

"You could have just done that earlier, saved us both some time," he raised an eyebrow at her and she gave a little laugh, still catching her breath.

"Well, that would have implied I'd known I was going to do that," she shook her head, reaching out to straighten the front of his uniform, "Truth is, I had no idea if it was what I wanted, what you wanted, until today."

"And now you know it's what I want? What do you want?" Levi asked, still looking deep into her eyes, as if he could see her thoughts and truths behind the gold that hid her soul.

"Things are so uncertain right now, we don't even know how this whole mission is going to pan out, what's going to be normal anymore... But, I know that I want to be with you in whatever way I can," Petra told him. "Is.. Is that enough for you? Because I don't know what we can promise or plan right now."

Levi was silent for a few seconds, contemplating her words. She was right, things weren't going to be easy - he didn't even know where he'd be after the mission in the Stohess District.

Looking at Petra standing before him, the setting sun leaving her hair and skin seeming to come to life under its glow, her heart tentatively offered to him, he knew anything with her would be enough.

"It's enough. And if not, I'll make sure we get it," he promised, catching a strand of her hair and running his fingers down it.

A smile to rival the sun lit up Petra's face at his words and she looked up at him with such happiness, Levi wondered how he could have made anyone look that content.

"Ok then. Sounds good to me," she said softly.

Levi felt like a different person, not the man he believed to be incapable of, and in a completely different orbit to, this kind of relationship with another person.

He would have squarely punched anyone who had teased such a life would be possible for him, not after his start in life and journey into the military.

That's why he could scarcely believe it was actually him leaning in to gently press his lips to Petra's once again, him who was feeling her kiss back and place her hands on his chest as she did that night under the sky.

Resting his forehead against hers, he frowned lightly as he looked at her, trying to drill this into his head that this was real and his and could stay his.

Depending on how everything worked out in Stohess.

As if sensing his train of thought, Petra took a deep breath before speaking aloud, hands still on his chest.

"Promise me you think tomorrow is a good idea? That you think it's our best option?"

Petra wasn't an idiot, she knew better than to ask him to promise he'd be safe, that it would be alright.

As long as she knew he was somewhat sure of the plan though, she had faith.

"I trust Erwin inexplicably. If he says this is our best chance, it's our best chance. So, yes, I think it's our best option," Levi reassured her honestly.

"Ok... It's going to be a while before I see you again, Captain," Petra looked down at where her hands were resting on and beside his heart, his own hands on her waist again.

She was surprised that he seemed so at ease, so naturally reaching out to touch and hold her. Which was making this goodbye even harder.

"Are you going to stay with your parents?"

"Mmhmm. To be honest, I think they're relieved I have to take time off. They especially will be if the civilians get wind of what's going on," she frowned.

"Could be a while, depending on tomorrow."

They were silent for a second until Levi spoke.

"I'll see you off tomorrow. After we've finished. I'll get you on a carriage."

"Really? Thank you, Captain," Petra said softly.

"Petra," Levi gave her scornful look, "I think you can drop the 'Captain', don't you?"

"Yeah, sorry, force of habit," she smiled sheepishly, not showing the hurt it caused her that their new closeness wasn't the only reason for the lack of necessity in using his title.

Bells chimed out across the city from a far off tower, signalling the late hour.

"I have to go. I need to make sure Eren's prepared for tomorrow."

"Yes, sir... Levi, sorry," Petra rolled her eyes at herself.

"This isn't the end," the raven haired man promised her simply and Petra knew she could trust he meant it.

"I'm going to hold you to that," she warned, worry already pounding through her now they were about to separate.

Instead of replying, Levi rested a hand on her cheek and leant into her again, softly pressing their bodies and lips into one.

There was a bitter sweet tang to it, both trying to memorise the feel and taste of this still fresh movement.

Too soon, he was pulling away, stepping back with a reluctant expression.

"It's not fair," Petra whispered bitterly.

"It never is," Levi replied, "That's why we have to fight it."

"Be safe."

Instead of replying, Levi merely gazed at her, his expression more like the one she was used to when they were just relaxing at HQ.

With a last nod, he turned, his cape furling out behind him, once more her mighty Captain he needed to be.

As the streets and sinking sun swallowed him away from her, she felt her insides churn like they did before an expedition.

Because, even though she wouldn't be there in person, Petra would be living every moment of tomorrow with him.

With a last look at his strong profile striding powerfully through the city, she smiled slightly to herself, knowing she'd see him again.

"Until tomorrow, Captain. And then... Who knows?"

Around the parting lovers, in silent reverie, the sprawling cities held their silent breaths, awaiting tomorrow and the revelation that would be unfolded within the ancient Walls.

A revelation that would change everything and tear their world out from under them.

...Indeed, who knew what the future held?

The End

So, that it! The last chapter. I really hope you guys liked it and followed up with the rest of the story.

I had intended to do another, closing paragraph, but it felt it would have dragged it out too much.

Am also seriously considering doing a sequel, I've been reading the manga, though, and a) it'll contain serious spoilers for season two, b) I don't know where it's going to end and c) I don't know how Petra, Eld and Auruo (I know I've been spelling his name wrong, sorry!) would fit in with the timeline... So, we'll see!

Anyway, thank you all so much for reading and reviewing and please continue to do so! :)

God bless and happy readings!

- Dreams Of A Shipper