Hello again! Midnight here :)

Thanks to all those who stuck around, and to the new readers that have jumped on board along the way. *stretches out and yawns* Getting these chapters written and posted is hard work, especially between all the life changes that have occurred this year, and just in this past month! Wouldn't you believe it, in less than three weeks, one of my sisters (I have three) moved away to a new country, and another just announced that she is pregnant with her next child - meaning that I potentially have SIX nieces now? Or perhaps five nieces and one nephew!? Who knows, but it's an exciting time!

As always I appreciate the support, kind words, and encouragement yall leave behind for me. You make it both a joy and privilege to be able to write and I thank you for it.

Enjoy the read!

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The remainder of the trip had been spent in silence, though it hadn't bothered Petra like it usually did.

Her focus had been lost to a myriad of thoughts and attempting to sort through them while conversing would prove to be a difficult task, especially considering the only person she would be speaking with was the same one who had her thoughts running wild.

She was admittedly angry at herself, among other things. Now that the heat of the moment had passed, she wished she would have stuck up a bit more for herself instead of hoping things would somehow just play out in her favor. As if that wasn't enough, she still felt very unsatisfied about how the interaction between her and the Captain had played out in the end.

What she had told him before, it was all true. He treated her notably different then he did the rest of the squad. He made her feel so ostracized – it was almost like he went out of his way to show her just how unwelcome she was. He always made a point of focusing on her flaws, and if she ever spoke up in the group or tried to make changes or have any influence whatsoever, he would just give her a long, unforgiving stare as though trying to get her to stop speaking up at all.

The worst part was, it actually worked.

Forget appealing to his good graces; she was constantly tip toeing around the Captain, hoping to just make it through the day without somehow showing up on his radar.

Above all, through all the emotions she was feeling, she felt like a fool. It had taken her a long time to be able to put her finger on it, but she knew doubtlessly that the reason she was so unsatisfied was simply because running her mouth wasn't what she had really wanted in the end.

At the end of the day, she wanted results.

She wasn't looking for an apology, wasn't looking for them to become best friends – but she was hoping through some twisted sense that if she pointed out how unfair he was being, brought to light that yes she noticed and yes it was wrong, he would realize the harm it was doing and change his ways. Maybe it wasn't even him that needed to change – Petra wasn't so blind as to think she was perfect – but if she needed to change so being on the same team was at least feasible between them, he at least needed to be open to communicate with her. She wasn't expecting anything dramatic, she was a logical girl after all, but something had to give sooner rather than later.

Certainly the Captain understood that their team, his team, could not function with the two of them always at odds, right?

She let out an exhale; the first sound that had been uttered since they had left the town.

As true as all those things were, she knew that snapping at him was not going to encourage him to open up and freely communicate with her. If that was her goal, she had taken a large step back. She needed to change her tactics.

"Captain." Petra stated quietly, looking ahead as she wasn't able to bring herself to look at him just yet, "Why are you doing this?"

She had planned on adding more to her question, to clarify her meaning. Something like, 'Why are you still here?' or 'If you are unhappy here, you can leave, it won't hurt my feelings' came to mind, however Petra found that the words died on her tongue, so her single vague question hung in the air.

She heard him respond in an equally quiet tone, his voice devoid of emotion, "Well. It's not like I have anything better to do."

Petra didn't have an immediate response, and the pair fell silent again.

"Um…" Petra looked upward as she tried to recollect the small details she hadn't thought too much about until now, "I can't be positive, but I'm guessing that father has a cot set up for you in his workshop. If not there, then possibly the common room – though I sort of doubt that due to the lack of privacy."

They had traveled the remaining leg of the journey and were now only a few blocks away from her home. Earlier when they had gotten to the cross roads that led around the forest, Petra had decided that she really didn't care how much longer the journey became – if only for today, she was done fighting the Captain.

She had weakly asked which way he wanted to go, careful to ask in a manner that showed it was a legitimate question and not challenge, and he nodded into the forest wordlessly. His choice had legitimately surprised her, though she pretended like it was no big deal, and they took off. They had gotten to the edge of the forest without incident – no 'told you so' or quip from either of them. It seemed they both were sapped of the strength required to be at each other's throats after the day's long travels.

Wordlessly, begrudgingly, and exhausted, they made their way into the sleepy town.

Petra had spent the last few moments of their journey cramming in as many need to know facts as she could think of so the Captain could be best prepared for the week.

"Now Father is a Carpenter so I tried to warn him, but in truth I don't think you'll be able to escape there being random bits of sawdust everywhere throughout the workshop." She looked nervously toward Levi, who gave her an even stare in return, more so trying to mentally paint a picture with all the numerous details she was providing in such a short amount of time.

"It's not like I expect you to suffer or be uncomfortable…" Petra began, "I mean, we're dirty or anything, but if the place isn't to your liking it's not meant to be an insult or…" She paused, trying to find the right words. She gave a sigh, "Just don't go overboard when Father is around okay? I don't want to hurt his feelings."

"I get it." Levi cut her off, giving her a pointed look, "What else?"

Petra nodded, "Right. Well, when you first walk in the door that's the common room. There's a closet just to the left when you come in, so you can hang any coats and leave your shoes there if you want. Not that you have to. Now the common room has three open ways," Petra continued, speaking with her hands as she pointed each way to illustrate, "There is another doorway to the left that leads outside to the back property. As for the other two, the doorway straight ahead will lead toward the bedrooms, and the one more to the right will lead to the kitchen and dining area."

Levi gave a nod, and Petra continued, "As for the hallway, Father's room and workshop will be to the left when you first step in the hall. Father's room is the first door on the right, and the workshop is just straight down the hall at the end - can't miss it. My room, if you ever need me for anything, is on the opposite end of the hall, straight back. In the hall there's a utility closet to the left that's probably full of junk." Petra sighed irritably, and Levi quirked a brow, silently asking what was so notable about this particular closet to warrant such a reaction.

Petra rolled her eyes, waving her hand, "It's supposed to be a linen closet. It has room for our cleaning supplies - oh, the cleaning supplies are in that closet by the way – but either way, Father likes to cram things in there more often then not. Last time I was there it was filled to the brim with random odds and ends, scattered throughout the towels and soap and such. Just keep in mind, it's a bit chaotic in there to say the least."

The Captain said nothing to this, and Petra exhaled, thinking a moment longer before continuing, "Speaking of which, the closet also has shampoo, conditioner, toiletries– most bathroom supplies you'll find in there if you need anything. The washroom is around back, straight behind the house. Father usually keeps a few chickens roaming around out there and they won't bother you much, but watch out for that rooster. He doesn't seem to like males as a whole, and he tends to get aggressive once your back is turned."

The Captain's eyes seemed to light up at the thought of a rooster attacking from behind, and a bemused expression crossed his face. Noting this, Petra gave a fond smile of her own and nodded with a light chuckle, "Yes it's cowardly but Father says he's protected the chickens well enough so far." She placed a hand to her chin, thinking out loud, "Let' see, I'm trying to think if I missed anything…" She thought for a moment longer, and then looked at the Captain directly.

"Any questions, or something that I forgot? I know you'll be fine either way, but if there's something you want to know just ask."

The Captain looked ahead, any traces of previous amusement gone from his face. His eyes narrowed in thought, "Does your father approve of you being in the Scout Regiment?"

A moment of silence fell between them, and Petra blinked, somewhat perplexed. While she had opened the floor for questions, she hadn't expected questions like that. She had been meaning any concerns about the house, where things were located, or maybe the week's schedule. For a moment she thought about asking him why it even mattered if her father approved or not as it wasn't any of his business, however the question was innocent enough, even if it had taken her by surprise.

She waited a moment to collect her thoughts and gave a slight 'eeehh', then a shrug, "He… well, he…" Petra sighed in defeat, giving a lopsided grin, "No. Not really anyways. He's not exactly comfortable with his only child battling Titans for a living. He always wanted me to take over the family trade, or marry a guy that would I guess. Honestly we don't talk about it much."

"I see."

She looked toward the Captain, grinning a bit before looking back toward the road, "It's nothing to worry about though. Of course his opinion matters to me, but he's just being a typical over protective parent - you know how that is." She chuckled for a moment longer as she thought about the various conversations her father and her had exchanged over the years, amused at how stubborn the both of them could be, as it was still considered an unresolved discussion to this day.

She nodded towards the Captain, clearing her throat, "What else?"

He gave a small shake of his head, hardly a response at all, watching the road with an unreadable expression. Petra opened her mouth to speak, about to ask for a third time if she forgot anything, but stopped herself as she realized the repetition wasn't really necessary. The conversation came to an end, both silent as they slowly moved through the street.

They continued at their gentle pace, until Petra nodded at a small brown house at the very end of the street they were coming up on, "That's it right over there," she pointed, "We made it."

They moved toward the house, and Petra instructed that they could leave their horses around back at least for the night and move them to the town's stables in the morning – everyone would be asleep by now so no point in trying to go there now.

Hopping off her horse and showing the Captain the best spot to tie them down for the night, Petra almost smiled as she noticed that there had been a large wooden troth left out that was full of water. Her father must have put it out for them, expecting a late arrival.

Petra looked toward the Captain for a moment, then set to work on untying all the knots that secured her things to the saddle, "Captain, this week, don't feel like you have to do anything special out here. You are our guest and I know my father wouldn't have you trying to do anything to earn your keep. We serve breakfast in the morning, lunch is usually a fend for yourself kind of deal so you're welcome to whatever you can find, and we usually have dinner together. For that though, don't feel obligated to join if you don't want to."

He gave a silent nod as he also set to work in grabbing the various bags he had packed for the journey, asking after a moment where she wanted the saddles placed.

After they had grabbed all their bags and luggage, Levi moved toward the sidewalk, waiting for Petra to join and lead the way into the house, regardless its obvious location. After a few moments of waiting idly while she pet her horse in a nervous manner, the Captain spoke up; feeling rather impatient at having to wait for the suddenly dawdling Petra, "…You coming?"

"I've been thinking…" Petra stated after a moment, bringing an arm around herself and rubbing her forearm in thought, displaying a sort of nervousness in her stance as she spoke, "About earlier today in town."

At her words, Levi quirked a brow and crossed his arms, turning more fully toward her. His voice was guarded, "What about it?"

Petra gave a slight shrug, "Well, I… What I'm trying to say is…today when I was talking and trying to explain… It's just - I'm sorry I guess. How the conversation came about like that, the fact you had to intervene at all…" she bit her lower lip and shook her head, "I shouldn't have put you in that position. At least not like that. I'm sorry Captain. You… you did train me better."

He watched as she continued to rub her forearm, clutching at it from time to time in either memory, or pain. He wondered briefly why she kept doing that – her unease was agitating to him - but he then realized that was the same location where he had grabbed her before. He had purposely applied great force to move her away from the men, and being her Captain, he knew she could handle it. A part of him couldn't help but wonder if he had unintentionally injured her in the process.

"You didn't put me in any situation," he corrected, disregarding his thoughts and watching as surprise etched across her face, "And as for apologies, I couldn't care less. I didn't do anything I couldn't handle, and it was an action I would take for any of my subordinates if it became necessary. Don't think too much about it."

"No, really Captain I…" Petra's voice was urgent at first died down as she thought over the circumstance again, then looked up at him nervously, "Thank you."

Her golden orbs captured his, and she looked so hopeful, so vulnerable. He watched her for a moment, not sure how she was expecting him to respond to her words and her far too vulnerable gaze. He gave a sigh as the silence began to draw out, watching her evenly, "…I already said don't worry about it. Now are we going inside, or do you just want to stare at me with that dumbass expression all night?"

Petra blinked, then her expression melted into the tiniest of smiles, "Very well Captain."

They made their way toward the front of the house, and Petra gave a small smile as they approached the door, giving a light knock while simultaneously turning the door handle and stepping inside.

"Hello?" she called out in a whisper, seemingly not sure if her father would be awake or not, "Father, you up?"

There was no response, and she turned back to Levi and shook her head once, taking a cautious step inside and carefully slipping off her shoes as she made her way into the living room, purposely making as little noise as possible. She waited for the Captain to follow suit, hearing him shuffle behind her and the click of the lock as he fully stepped into the room behind her.

"Home sweet home." She stated quietly with a smile as she stood in the middle of the room, happy that her father had left a few candles lit so the room wouldn't be engulfed by darkness when they first entered in. She looked around, "Well, I don't see a cot set up here for you. I think its safe to say that you'll be in the workshop after all then. Again its right through that doorway and-"

"Petra?" A voice echoing from the other end of the house caught her attention, and an excited smile flashed across her face that warmed her expression.

She looked at Levi brightly, "That's Father. Sounds like he's up after all!" She turned back toward the doorway, "Dad, we're in the living room!"

In a few moments, a middle aged man with fading brown hair and glasses appeared in the doorway, setting the candle he was holding down on a nearby table and moving quickly to his daughter, hugging her tightly. Observing the two and allowing them a moment, Levi inwardly decided that Petra must have taken after her mother, as she hardly resembled the tall man before him.

"And who is this?" came the man's voice after a moment, standing up straighter and resting a hand on Petra's shoulder as he observed him.

'Scratch that,' Levi thought as he exchanged stares with the man, looking back at his subordinate for confirmation, 'Petra has her father's eyes.'

"Dad, this is my Captain. Captain, this is of course, my father."

"Sharp looking lad- Petra's told me a lot about you. We're well met." The older man took a step toward him and held out his hand. Not sure how to respond to his previous statement, Levi merely gave a nod and returned the handshake firmly.

"Levi." He stated simply, and he watched her father nod.

"Peter."

As if a moment of understanding had passed between them, Levi decided simply that he liked Petra's father; for the most part at least.

Her father, Peter, looked between the two of them with a smile, "Well what would you like to do? I'm sure you're tired, but in the off chance you're not we could have a midnight snack and play cards or something. It's been a long time since I've been able to see my only child."

At this, her father placed a large hand on the top of her head, musing her hair playfully and earning an outraged 'hey' from Petra as she swatted at his hand with a large grin, clearly not as offended as she pretended to be.

Levi made a mental note that she had her father's smile as well, absentmindedly wondering why Petra was suddenly staring at him with an expectant gaze. As an extended moment passed by, he realized she was waiting for him to make the judgment call about whether they would stay up or not.

He suppressed a sigh.

He wasn't sure why he was the one to make the decision; he supposed it was just their way of being considerate. He internally debated staying up for a while later and spending time with the Ral family. Truthfully he didn't care either way if they stayed up or not, though he didn't exactly know all that many card games, and frankly didn't want to spend hours pretending like he actually gave a damn about what the rules were.

Besides…

"I'm pretty tired actually."

That, Levi thought to himself, was a lie. It was hardly like he'd have a good night's sleep – however the interaction between himself and Petra's father had gone well enough and he didn't want to ruin it by offending either of them somehow. It would be better to keep his distance instead of being overly friendly and step on toes by mistake.

Peter gave a nod, "I understand. Allow me to show you the space we've got set up for you; it's right this way."

As Levi bent down to grab his bags and follow after her father, his hand brushed against Petra's and he jolted slightly in surprise, withdrawing for a moment before looking up at her in silent question. She had apparently moved to stand beside him, half bent down as she also moved down to grab his things from the floor.

She was holding onto one of his duffle bags as she stood up slowly, and it seemed the interaction had embarrassed her as her face began to quickly turn red. She took a breath and explained herself, "Sorry, I was trying to be helpful considering you're a guest and all…" her voice died down and she awkwardly extended her arm out, holding his duffle bag by the handle toward him, "But…you don't really need help carrying your things I suppose. Just force of habit I guess. Here."

...The hell?

Levi gave a slow nod, watching her with a confused expression, avoiding touching her again as he grabbed his bag back from her, the interaction odd to say the least, "Yeah, uh, thanks."

He watched her for a moment longer, and her face only got more and more red as he observed her. She looked to the ground, "Um, sleep well I guess. I'll just… well, I'll see you guys in the morning."

She grabbed her bags and moved toward the hallway, stopping in front of her father with a small grin. Her father gave a slight laugh, musing her hair once again.

Petra quirked an eyebrow and gave a sarcastic smile – it was obvious the two were very close. "Night Dad."

He kissed her forehead softly, putting a hand on her shoulder in a side hug, "Good to see you princess. Get some rest."

At that, Petra turned down the hall, her light steps echoing across the dark hallway and Peter's gaze moved back toward him. He grabbed the candle he had been holding onto previously, "Shall we then?"

They moved down the hall, and Levi couldn't help but think that the escort was far from necessary. It was a single hall, and for that matter, Petra had already told him where the room was. Not that her father would have known their conversations, but still. The Captain remained silent and followed dutifully behind the older man.

Petra's father opened the door as they reached the end of the hall, stepping to one side of the hallway to allow passage, "And here's my workshop." Levi took the first steps in, moving past Peter as he stepped into the open room.

As expected, it was a large spacious area, full of different types and flanks of wood, random projects that were in various stages of completion, large tables, and as Petra had predicted, saw dust in every nook and cranny and surface of the room. Rusted old tools, piles of wood and scraps, as well as random bits of storage bins were placed haphazardly around the room to such an extent that unless Levi were being guided by some form of light, there was no way he could safely navigate through the room without bumping something or toppling something over.

As unpleasant as all those things were, there was still something oddly comforting about the distinct aroma of cedar throughout the room, and Levi found that for all its lack of order, he didn't hate it.

Seeing a cot set up in the back right corner, Levi made his way toward the backend of the room, weaving throughout the random piles of wood and tools before reaching an area clearly set for a guest, setting his things down on the cot and surveying the provided area.

He heard Peter clear his throat as he followed after him, "Not too often we get guests out here anymore so apologies if the cot is a bit lumpy; it's getting a bit old."

Levi didn't have a response to this, and Peter continued, "There's a dresser here, night stand, and there's a handful of hooks on the wall if you need to hang anything up, all of which you are welcome to use of course." He paused, a perturbed look on his face, "Oh shoot, I knew I was forgetting something. I forgot to grab some hangers for you. Well, just ask Petra for some in the morning, most of them are in her closet anyway."

Levi gave a faint nod, looking at the bit of provided furniture and giving the room another once over as Peter continued, "Anyway, we have candles set out all around the house; I also put some in the top drawer of the dresser for you as well."

Peter looked toward him directly, "What else? Any questions, or something that I forgot maybe?"

At his remark, Levi almost smirked, remembering that Petra had practically said the exact same thing during their travels earlier. Even if the family resemblance didn't run that strong between them, there was no doubt they were cut from the same cloth.

He shook his head, "It's fine."

Peter gave a nod, "Alright then. Now that that's settled, I'd like to have a word with you – man to man if that's okay."

Levi watched as Peter sat up on the dresser's edge in a comfortable manner, suggesting that he may be there for quite some time and Levi had to resist the urge to cross his arms. He wasn't sure what sort of conversation he had in mind, but if it was something that required the absence of Petra, he was rather wary to say the least.

Unfortunately it didn't seem like he had much of a choice in the matter, and Levi gave a shallow nod, "Sure."

"I hope you won't think me rude, I don't want to be too direct or demanding, but I am a rightfully concerned father. You see Petra and I, we don't really talk about the military often due to the fact that we don't agree on the matter – but she writes about the squad from time to time, your squad if I'm not mistaken. She wrote that the team is specialized and you yourself are very skilled. So, I guess my question here is-"

Peter paused, looking up directly toward him, his expression gravely serious, "Can you protect my daughter?"

Levi observed him squarely, a long moment of silence passing between them. He didn't want to validate the question with a response. Trying to explain the dangers of the Titans, the uncertainty of all things the military had to account for while outside the walls, the fact that so many men - good men - had been lost at no fault of their own, was fucking impossible to explain to someone outside of the military – to someone who had never seen a damn Titan in the first place. Aside from that, the fact of the matter was that while Levi himself wished he could protect Petra, his squad, and his comrades, at the end of the day, he was only one man, and the Titans were still so strong.

The silence extended longer still, and Peter sighed, "I know that's not exactly fair to ask, and believe me Petra would be furious if she knew I was talking to you like this, but…she's all I have left." He gave an extended sigh and adjusted his weight across the dresser's surface, speaking lightly, "Her mother died at a young age so it's just been me and her making it through life together. You can imagine my surprise when Petra comes home one day, grinning ear to ear and telling me she's going to join the military. Honestly I don't even know how the idea got in her head as I sure didn't put it there. Had I known how serious she was back then, I would have responded differently." Peter waved his hand dismissively with a shake of his head, "It's in the past now, but she's already gone so much as it is; I don't want to completely lose my little girl."

There was a note of finality as Peter watched him, and Levi gave a slow understanding nod, wondering how to best respond to her Father in a respectful, yet still honest way.

He spoke slowly, picking his words carefully, "Petra is… She's got sharp intuition, probably the best on my squad actually." Thinking further about her uncanny ability to make the best call in a pinch, the Captain narrowed his eyes, "While that may not sound like a lot, I can promise you that's what keeps you alive out there, more so than strength or speed."

Another pause.

"…I'll bet those things don't hurt to have though."

"No, not at all." Levi looked up toward her father, "I don't know how much Petra has explained about my squad, but we are the best at what we do; she won't be picked off that easily. While I won't make false promises, I can say that I don't make a habit of letting my team get hurt if it can be prevented, and that includes Petra."

Peter gave a nod, taking in his words for a moment before responding, "I understand, and appreciate that. You see, a large matter of concern to me is that Petra wrote so often about how excited she was to join the squad at the start of this year, trying to explain that it was a really big opportunity." He paused, looking up at him with a raised brow and a slight smirk, "To this day she speaks so highly of you – you know she has a whole lot of respect for you, right?"

Levi looked toward the ground, his voice almost a whisper, "…I know."

Peter sighed, "To be honest with you, while I am happy Petra seems to have motivation and direction for what she wants to do with her life, I was hoping that after a few years in the military, she'd get over this apparent glory tirade and come back home where she belongs. I thought she was going to resign at the start of this year - instead I find she's only getting further caught up in the Regiment and seems even farther away than before. I feel I have been patient enough with her, supportive and kind through these past many years, however enough is enough. I have every intention in bringing my daughter home through whatever means necessary. To be straight with you, I intend to see to it that as soon as she can leave the military, she returns home and away from you and your wild lifestyle."

"My wild lifestyle?" Levi repeated testily, watching her father with a slight glare.

It was irritating enough to hear that Peter didn't give a damn about any of Petra's wishes, lacked any respect for what she had accomplished in the short time she was on his squad, but his statements about him and his 'wild lifestyle' weren't fair.

There was a pause as the men regarded each other, and Peter gave a sigh.

"…That was worded poorly. You above all know how dangerously the Scouts live, especially in comparison to the average civilian." Peter folded his hands, "I want to clarify that I am not against the military, and am not against the Scouts by any means. On the contrary, I understand full well that someone has to go, and I appreciate you putting your life on the line so that those who live within the walls can live out their days peacefully. As selfish as it is, I don't want Petra to have to make that ultimate sacrifice and intend to get her out of your team, and out of the military, as quickly as possible."

Levi tried to keep his tone neutral, though he could feel his patience starting to wear thin at the thought of Petra being removed from his squad. "Why are you telling me this? What occurs between you and Petra is not my concern. While I can say that Petra seems very devoted to the Scouts and rather content with her current lifestyle, I wouldn't stop her if she chose to live as a civilian instead, if that is your concern."

"I appreciate your understanding and-"

"However." Levi interrupted, unable to stop the nagging impulse to cross his arms, finally lacing his arms in front of his chest and leaning back against the wall, "I will not be encouraging her to leave my squad either. I took a lot of careful considerations when creating my team, and she's proven to be a good fit. More importantly than that, she has great potential within the Regiment and as her Captain I intend to see to it that she reaches that full potential."

The two men stared at each other for a long moment, both waiting for the other to speak further.

Peter gave a sigh and shook his head, an ironic sort of smirk at his lips, "I know full well that Petra is a treasure to have; I understand better than most why you wouldn't want to give her up so easily." He paused again, looking toward him with conviction, "I bring this to your attention simply because the fact of the matter is, I am well aware that Petra's heart no longer resides in this household. I will be talking with her and doing what I can to redirect her focus, however if my attempts fail, then you need to be aware and own up to the fact that she is under your watch – I have been left with no choice but to trust you to watch out for her on my behalf."

Levi showed no reaction to his words, though listened intently as Peter continued, "I have to know that you will be there for her when I can't be; that you are someone who can stand up to and help guide my daughter in my absence. Petra has always been so strong willed, sometimes downright impossible to work with – just like her mother – but she's got a good head on her shoulders and a heart as big as the sky. I need to know that I am not the only person who cares about what happens to her out there."

Peter paused for a moment, his voice quieting slightly, "I know it's asking a lot and I know that it's not fair to put the responsibility of a father on a young man that I've just met, but these are hard times and I'm out of options. Is Petra in safe hands where I can trust her under your care?"

Levi quirked an eyebrow, admittedly surprised at the sharp turn the conversation had taken. It was as though he were making more of a business deal than simply engaging in a 'man to man' talk like he had been told previously, and he was half tempted to force the conversation to an end just for the hell of it. Why should he have to make any special deals or show extra effort, just because she had family back at home? Technically speaking, it was Petra's job to watch out for her damn self, not his. Besides, she was certainly skilled enough, and for that matter Peta would be furious if she caught wind that he was watching out for her just because her father requested it. Still though, as Peter watched him for a response, his amber eyes begging him to understand, to care just a little bit more - Levi gave a long, low sigh.

Fuck it.

"I already made that decision long before she came to my team." Levi began, looking up toward the ceiling in contemplation, "Even if she doesn't like it and fights me every step of the way, I'll always be watching over her shoulder; ready to step in when she needs it. Those times have already come up before, and she never responds well as she's ridiculously stubborn. Still though, I am her Captain, and she is my subordinate."

Peter gave a small smile at his words and an accepting nod followed, "Well that's one way of putting it I guess. Alright Levi, I'll trust in your words. Petra doesn't follow just anyone after all, so the fact she listens to you at all is proof enough for me. I am counting on you to protect her, Captain. Keep her safe."

At this he stood up and extended his hand, another firm handshake being exchanged between the two men.

While Levi wasn't completely comfortable with how things had turned out, there was something about the exchange that made him want to try that much harder, for Petra.

Difficult as she was and try as he may to keep her at arm's length, she had long since proved her worth on the squad. In the past many months she had become an undeniable source of wisdom and encouragement to the others, and as she had stated before, she was consistently ranked the highest in many of their performance goals.

Still though, he had always wanted to keep his distance from her because while he knew it was selfish and knew that it wasn't fair…

He gave a light sigh, shutting down his train of thought and refocusing his attentions back to her father. Now was not the time for that.

"And again just to clarify," Peter stated as he dusted the bits of sawdust off himself, "I don't want you to feel unwelcome or that you need to tiptoe around me this week. While it's true that I don't necessarily approve of my daughter being in the military, it's a privilege to finally meet you after all this time. Feel free to make yourself at home while you're here; I'm sure it will be a wonderful week for you both."

The formerly tense atmosphere continued to dissipate as Peter gave a chuckle, his voice dropping to a slight mumble, "Oh, and let's just keep this little chat between us if it's all the same with you? It's not that I don't trust Petra or anything, but she thinks I meddle in her business too much as it is. With this being the first time she's been home in so long, I don't want to upset her with something like this."

Levi could only shrug, "It's fine."

Even with what little Levi knew of Petra, he could only imagine the sort of things she would have said had she actually been present for the conversation that had transpired between them. Looking back it was no wonder her father had waited until she was gone; she would have been furious.

Peter smiled, "I appreciate it. Well, I think I'll leave and let you get some rest. It was nice meeting you Levi, and thanks for choosing to spend your free time with my family. I think Petra was really worried for you."

At that, the older man gave a polite wave and walked out of the room, leaving Levi alone in the large workshop.

…Worried for him?

Levi shook his head at the thought, finding it difficult to imagine the ginger haired hellion being worried for him about something so frivolous, finally taking a seat on the provided cot – sighing as he realized it was every bit as lumpy as Peter warned him about previously. Levi inwardly noted that he would have to fix that, but the task could wait for a later date. For now, he just needed to unpack, unwind, and get some damned sleep.

The Captain set to work on unpacking, first walking around the large room in search of a dry cloth, finally finding one in a nearby cabinet and using it to thoroughly wipe down all the provided furniture he would be using for the week, brushing off the sawdust from the wooden surfaces. He began refolding his clothes and setting them in the dresser, deciding to move the candles to a more appropriate location, again dusting out the fallen bits of wax and dust before sorting his things fully.

A bedspread had been folded and placed on the corner of the cot, and while the large cotton blanket may have been a bit excessive considering the room was a bit on the stuffy side as it was, Levi was grateful for it as he hadn't wanted to lug around a giant blanket during their previous travels.

Looking around at his bags and deciding the rest of his things could wait until morning, Levi set to work on making the bed, determined to get some rest. He wasn't sure if he would actually be able to fall asleep or not considering the new location, however at this point he truly was exhausted and even just clearing his mind would help, sleep or not.

Grabbing one of the nearby candles, Levi moved around the room, blowing out the glowing lights one by one before finally navigating back to the corner of the room, setting the candlestick down and blowing it out as well before laying out across the cot, shifting often in attempts to find a comfortable spot. After a few moments of wrestling across the lumpy old cot, Levi found a decently comfortable position, adjusted his pillow and tried to allow the blackness to clear his mind.

It wasn't until many hours later that his mind was ripped into alertness, and Levi instantly sat straight up from his bed – rigid for a moment until he remembered that he was at Petra's home so there was very little threat of danger. He relaxed slightly at the thought and slowly came to full alertness, allowing his back to rest against the wall as he mused to himself that such a reaction meant he actually had fallen asleep after all.

He really must have been exhausted then.

He briefly wondered what it was that had woken him up like that, however his answer was quickly given to him, the unmistakable, pissed off voice of Petra echoing across the walls and grabbing his attention once again. While it was obvious she was on the other end of the house, it seemed the walls were rather thin as he could clearly hear her word for word.

"Dad! I've told you to just drop it! I can't believe you did that!" It was clear she was livid, and Levi could only assume that her father was with her, seemingly taking a verbal beating for their previous conversation. Petra continued, impressively able to shout without once stopping to breathe, "I am so embarrassed! That's my Captain, my boss, the guy I report to, who I'm trying to impress – the same person that need I remind you always seems to think I'm good for nothing!"

"Now listen sweetie I don't think it's nearly as-"

"No you listen! You don't know the Captain like I do! The last thing I need is him smirking at me with that pompous, smug stare of his, thinking I'm weak or that I need my daddy to watch out for me. You know he's going to rub it in right?"

Levi smirked at this, and he could imagine her expression as her voice dropped in horror, "Oh gosh, if this gets around to the guys back at the compound I'm NEVER going to live it down. This is the worst!"

Admittedly amused by her outburst, Levi laid back down across the cot, adjusting himself again and listening further as the two argued back and forth for a long while, neither seeming to come to any form of agreement – mainly because Petra never allowed her father a word in edge wise.

Slowly, sleep finally claimed his mind again and any further remarks on the matter were lost in the night.

...

...

...

Aaannd that's a wrap!

Alright guys, so apologies here as I feel terrible about this somewhat non-canon thing I have done, as I am one that prides myself on doing the proper research before I start writing. Well, I'm not even sure where I got the idea, however the entire time I've written Petra/Levi, in my mind Petra grew up an only child who didn't have a mom (I imagine death by illness, childbirth, that sort of thing.) where she just grew up with just her father.

Well if you look back at that scene that we shall not speak of, where Levi legit meets Petra's father in the anime/manga – the character makes references to her mother as a very alive and well character in the SnK universe. Ack! Soo…apologies for all who may have been scratching their head, wondering if/when Petra's mom would be making an appearance.

At this point I feel it's a bit too late to magically add Petra's mom back into the mix, meaning the story will remain as is with the knowledge that Petra's mom is dearly departed, long passed and up in the clouds with a delightful pair of fluffy angel wings. We will always remember her fondly as 'Petra's mom.' May her memory live on in her hearts, and not in this story.

Rest in peace.