Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Life keeps its own schedule you know? Doesn't matter what your plans are, life doesn't care. It's going to do what it feels like, regardless of what you say about it. One moment your walking down the street to go to work, the next you wake up in a police station with nothing but a sports jersey and a bag of cucumbers. Here's to hoping you're on the right side of the bars when it happens." ~ Anonymous

If you have asked Levi ten years ago where he saw himself a decade from now, you would have gotten a cynical laugh and been told to check the morgue. At the time, it wouldn't have been an unreasonable prediction.

At that time in his life, he had been up to his elbows in the criminal underworld. Up over his head in organized crime. Along with it had come the drugs, and the hookers, and the occasional moment of his life he recalled nothing of.

That was before the knock on his door in the middle of the night, the baby on the front mat, and the note saying, "Congratulations, she's yours!"

That was how his daughter Mikasa entered his life, and she changed everything.

---

It was early, too early to be up in Levi's opinion. The sun had yet to even peak above the horizon and only the streetlights provided any illumination. From the way Mikasa was asleep in the passenger seat, Levi could tell she agreed with him.

He turned at the light, entering a upper-middle class neighborhood. The Jeagers lived on this street, and they were Levi's first clients today.

Since Mikasa came into his life, he had turned everything around. No more drugs, no more hookers, and no more crime. He had cut his ties with the criminal underworld, going so far as to fake his own death in order to make sure nothing from his past came back to bite him. He now worked as a freelance housekeeper in order to pay the bills.

The Jeagers were one of his better clients. Dr. Grisha Jeager was a renowned doctor, having even won a Nobel Prize for his discoveries in treating plagues. They weren't filthy rich, but they could afford to hire a housekeeper to come by their house five days a week, and Levi was glad for the work.

More to the point, Mikasa was friends with the Jeager's son Eren. With both of them going to the same school and being in the same class, Grisha Jeager was all to happy to drop Mikasa off at school with Eren.

They were also willing to feed her as well, and the way Levi saw it, the more breakfasts Mikasa could bum off the Jeagers, the more money he had to funnel into the "shit happened" fund.

As he pulled into the driveway, he nudged Mikasa awake. "Oi, wake up, we're here."

Mikasa mumbled to herself as she woke up, but duly grabbed her backpack and climbed out of the van. Levi retrieved his tub of cleaning supplies from the back and walked with Mikasa up the steps to the front door, and rang the doorbell.

It was answered almost immediately by Carla Jeager. "Ah Levi, you're here! Come on in." She stood aside to let them enter, than immediately herded Mikasa into the kitchen. "You probably haven't had a chance to eat breakfast yet have you? Here, there's some cereal and bowls in the cupboard, help yourself. Eren is just getting dressed and should be down shortly."

Levi was familiar with the routine, it happened every school day. Soon enough Eren would come barreling down the stairs to join Mikasa at the breakfast table, followed shortly by his dad who would be driving them both to school. He in turn would spend two hours going over the Jeager's house, before driving off to his other clients.

Carla, satisfied that Mikasa had settled in, turned to him. "Levi, just a warning. Grisha spilled some chemical on the basement carpet yesterday. I can't pronounce what he said it was, but he said it was harmless. It's created this strange bright orange spot though. I don't know if you will be able to get it out. Just a heads up."

Levi could feel his teeth grinding. It was going to be one of those days, he could tell.

---

His attitude that morning turned out to be prophetic.

He was just finishing up his last job of the day, when his phone rang. It was Carla Jeager, calling from her work.

"Hey Levi, listen could I ask a favor of you? Would it be alright if you Eren could hang out a your place for a few hours after school. Somethings come up a work and SHIT!"

There was several scuffling sounds and a loud bang.

"Sorry about that. I know this is short notice but I'm not going to be able to get off work in time to pick him up. Would it be okay if you picked him up with Mikasa after school? Grisha will be by to pick him up when he gets off work."

Looks like all those free breakfasts were catching up to him. It wasn't as if it was an unreasonable request either.

"Yes, I can do that," Levi sighed into the phone. "It's no trouble at all."

---

Somehow, when Carla had said Eren, she had also meant Eren and his friend Armin. (Who was supposed to go home with Eren until his grandfather's meeting at the local university got off.)

At first he had been worried about two strange kids running around his house. Mikasa didn't usually cause trouble, but he also knew that she tended to follow Eren's lead in whatever they were doing.

Now however, it was entirely too quiet. When kids were that quiet, it usually meant trouble was brewing. He ruthlessly squashed the nagging voice in his head that told them they were in Mikasa's room doing drugs and having sex. They were nine for god's sake! That didn't stop him from walking by Mikasa's room and peering through the open door.

The three of them were sprawled out on Mikasa's bed, glued to a documentary on the Sahara Desert playing on the old TV in the room. Just like they were doing the last time he checked in on them.

That reassurance didn't stop him from checking in five more times in the next hour, and the only thing that changed was the documentary on TV. (Now on the Great Barrier Reef.) It was a relief when the door bell rang, signaling that at least one of the boys would be going home.

It wasn't Grisha Jeager. It wasn't Armin's grandfather. It was an impressive looking blonde man wearing an expensive black coat and tie.

"Can I help you?" he asked, cracking the door. Not even bothering to undo the chain.

"I'm here to pick up Armin," the man smiled.

"And you are?"

"Erwin Smith," the man introduced himself. "I'm Armin's uncle."

Levi shut the door in his face. Erwin could hear Levi speaking through the door, presumably into a phone as he could only hear one side of the conversation. The door then swung open, Levi snapped a picture with his phone, and then slammed the door shut again. There was silence on the other side of the door.

Then Levi opened the door again. "Right, come on in. Armin's just getting his stuff together."

"I take my credentials passed inspection?" Erwin remarked as he followed Levi into the kitchen.

"Can't be too careful these days," Levi replied. "There's a lot of sick fuckers about."

"A sad truth today," Erwin agreed. "I take it you're Mikasa's dad?"

"That's right."

"Carla speaks highly of you," Erwin replied. "That's quiet a recommendation. She doesn't trust just anyone with Eren. It's a list I'm unfortunately not on."

Levi's eyebrows rose. "Should I be letting Armin go home with you?"

Erwin laughed. "Nothing like that. Me and Carla just have a few ideological differences. She thinks I'll be a bad influence on Eren."

That, actually made a lot of sense. He knew for a fact that one of the main reasons Carla liked Mikasa so much was because Mikasa would at least try to step in before Eren got worked up and did something stupid. He was about to open his mouth and ask just what "ideological differences" Erwin was talking about, when Armin emerged from Mikasa's room, his backpack slug over his shoulder.

"I'm ready to go Uncle Erwin," he announced, going to stand beside his uncle.

"It was nice talking to you Levi," Erwin bade, as he herded Armin out the door. "Maybe we'll get the chance to do it again some time."

"Yeah sure," Levi grunted, shutting the door behind him.

Grisha Jeager arrived soon after to pick up Eren, and soon Levi once again had the house free of kids that weren't his.

Mikasa emerged from her room a few minutes later, as Levi was making dinner, taking a seat at the kitchen table.

"Armin said his Uncle came to pick him up," she eventually spoke.

"He did," Levi confirmed.

"Is it true he works for the FBI?"

Levi froze. "What?"

"Armin said his uncle works for the FBI," Mikasa repeated. "Do you think it's true?"

"Who knows," Levi replied. "Go wash up. Dinner is almost ready."

Mikasa dutifully got up from her chair and went towards the bathroom. Levi returned to the stove, his mind going back to the impressive blonde man who claimed to be Armin's uncle.

He's a fed!?

Chapter Text

Levi was seeing Erwin everywhere now. Twice at the grocery store, once when picking Mikasa up from school, three times during midnight milk runs, again when picking up Mikasa after a sleepover with Armin and Eren, and two chance encounters at red-lights.

It was probably nothing. He was the uncle of one of the Mikasa's friends. He was frequently looking after Armin when Armin's Grandfather was busy. He had probably seen him around before, but was just now noticing because he now knew who the man was.

It was probably nothing.

However, when you had a background as shady as his, Levi was well aware of the fact that a Federal Agent suddenly appearing in your life could be a very bad thing.

It had been ten years since Levi had so much as jaywalked, and he had always been careful about evidence. The cops had never been able to get so much as a good look at him, let alone lay any charges against his name.

But, forensics wasn't as instantaneous as on TV. It could take years to process evidence and build up a case. Did he screw something up all those years ago? Was Erwin just keeping an eye on him so the Feds could swoop in when they had everything in place? Had someone ratted him out? Could he still wind up in prison, even after all these years?

That thought brought another round of worrying thoughts. If he did get sent to prison, what would happen to Mikasa? Would she go into foster care? Not if he could help it. Where then? Family?

Levi didn't exactly have any family besides Mikasa. At least, none that weren't already currently in prison, and certainly none that he wanted knowing Mikasa even existed.

Where then? It's not like he could just drop her off at the Jeagers and let her stay there forever.

The lightbulb went on in Levi's head.

---

Mikasa was already asleep in bed when he picked up the phone and dialed the Jeager's residence. It was Carla Jeager who answered.

"Levi?"

"Hey Carla, sorry to bother you. I've been thinking about things and I wanted to ask you something..." He took a deep breath and plunged right in. "If something happens to me. Could you look after Mikasa? I don't have any family other than her, and I don't want her going into foster care if I can help it."

"Of course!" Carla's replied instantaneously. "We'd be happy to. Has... has something happened?"

"Aside from a FBI agent suddenly keeping an eye on me, and the fact I might get shipped of to prison at a moments notice?"

"No," he answered, instead. "Nothing in particular anyway. I've just been thinking about things and I realized I didn't have anything in place in case I'm not there to look after Mikasa."

"Ah..." There was a note of understanding in Carla's voice. "Well, just know that Mikasa's always welcome at our house at any time for any reason. If you want to make everything official we can meet some time this week to discuss it and sign the papers, is that okay?"

"Perfect," Levi replied, relief loaded on his voice. "Thanks."

---

Levi had made of habit of avoiding Erwin whenever he saw him. Whenever he saw Erwin walking down the street, he would cross to the other side. He once spent two hours in the grocery, doing complex maneuvers between the aisles so that he continuously stayed out of Erwin's sight. It was paranoid, he knew that. But over twenty years of hard living had hardwired the instant distrust of law enforcement into his brain, so he kept on avoiding Erwin Smith whenever possible.

Then came the moment he was dreading, the moment avoiding Erwin Smith became impossible. Namely, Mikasa's taekwondo class.

Mr. Leonheart had said the class would be running a little late. That was an hour ago.

Most of the other parents had drifted off somewhere in the meanwhile. Carla Jeager had ran off to get the three of them coffee. Leaving Levi and Erwin watching each other from across the hall.

"So..." Levi was the first to break the silence. "Mikasa says you work for the FBI."

"That's correct," Erwin confirmed. "Is that why you've been avoiding me?"

Levi's eyebrows rose.

"I have to admit your maneuvers at the grocery store were particularly impressive." Armin's uncle continued. "If I hadn't seen you get into your van in the parking lot, I wouldn't have even realized you were there."

Shit

"Possibly," Levi hedged. "I don't trust cops. Bad experience when I was kid."

Erwin nodded to himself. "And afterwards too it seems. You're practically a legend in my department."

Levi felt his blood go cold.

"Oh?"

Erwin smiled. "Don't worry Levi. We're not investigating you. Even if we were, you've done much too good a job covering your tracks. Besides, it's been ten years since we've heard a peep. I doubt we're going to be finding any new evidence against you."

"You'd still say that even if you were investigating me." Levi pointed out.

Erwin nodded to himself, conceding the point.

Before the conversation could continue however, the doors to the school gym burst open and a stream of excited children flooded the halls looking for their parents.

---

Levi wasn't seeing Erwin everywhere anymore. While he still met the man any time Mikasa was out with her friends and Armin's grandpa was too busy, his "chance" encounters with the man had dropped considerably.

He wasn't sure it was a good thing or not.

It was a day just like any other. Levi had just finished up at the last house for the day, and was just on his way to the school to pick Mikasa up, when his phone rang.

"Levi, it's Erwin. I've got something important to tell you so don't hang up. It's about Mikasa." There was a pause on the other end of the line, and a deep breath. Levi could feel apprehension gathering in his chest. "Mikasa was involved in an abduction attempt at school today."

Cold fear stabbed through Levi's heart.

"She's fine!" Erwin continued hastily. "We've got her and Eren at the police station right now. However, there are somethings that need to be explained in person. When is the soonest you can get here?"

Levi didn't answer. He just cut the call, made an illegal u-turn right in the middle of the intersection, and tore back down the road, burning rubber all the way.

---

Even if he didn't show it. Levi was sick with worry by the time he threw open the door to the waiting room the clerk at the front desk of the police station had directed him to.

"DAD!" Two arms wrapped around his waist. Levi dropped down to embrace his daughter, wrapping his arms tightly around her. Mikasa was safe, she was unharmed. The only thing different about her was the red scarf now wrapped around her neck.

It was the same red scarf he had seen Eren wearing when he had dropped Mikasa off at the Jeager's that morning. Levi glanced up. Sure enough, Eren Jeager was sitting slouched down in one of the waiting room chairs, paying bored attention to the drama playing on TV.

A door on the far side of the room opened, and Erwin stuck his head out. "You're here Levi. Good, if you can come in, there are some things we need to discuss."

Levi let out a deep breath, gave Mikasa one last reassuring squeeze, reluctantly released her, and stood up.

Mikasa immediately darted back to the chairs and seated herself beside Eren. Levi spared her one last glance before going inside.

Erwin had seated himself at the end of a square table, a folder of files open before him. Grisha Jeager was also there, his face set into a long, tired line. To Levi's relief, there was also a large two-way mirror set into the wall, giving a clear view of the waiting room, and the two children inside.

"So," Erwin began, as Levi took a seat at the table. "You probably want to know what happened huh Levi?" he pulled a sheet of paper out of the folder and began to read. "The sequence of events, so far as we have it are these. At three o'clock Mikasa was waiting outside the school to be picked up, when she was approached by three men who tried to lure her with promises of candy. When that didn't work, they then physically tried to force her into their vehicle. At this point Eren Jeager intervened, he..."

Erwin's eyes darted over to Grisha Jeager, as if asking his permission for something.

"Let's not mince words," Grisha said with a sigh. "Eren attacked two of the men with his pocket knife. He slashed one man's throat wide open and then repeatedly stabbed the second man in the neck until he bled out. Both men were pronounced dead on arrival by the emergency responders." Grisha let out another long sigh. "Said he was putting down rabid dogs."

Levi stared at Grisha in stunned shock. Instinctively his eyes darted over to the waiting room, towards the bored boy slumped in the waiting room chairs. He certainly didn't look like he had just knifed two people to death in the school parking lot. He didn't look like anything out of the ordinary had happened.

Erwin cleared his throat. "As Dr. Jeager has said. In response the third man abandoned the attempt and retreated into the vehicle. We believe we have identified him, and police are already moving to make an arrest. We don't believe your children are in any immediate danger, though we still recommend you take precautions. However, I would still like statements from the both you, as you are guardians of the children in question."

---

Getting statements from the both of them took at least another hour. Thankfully, someone had thought he give Eren and Mikasa a remote, and so the TV in the waiting room had sufficed to keep them amused.

Levi was just about to exit the room, when Grisha pulled him aside.

"There's one thing I'd like to talk to you about Levi," the man said. "I just want to say, that in light of what's happened today, I understand if you don't want Mikasa being around Eren."

A dozen thoughts whirled through Levi's head. The first and foremost being "What kind of nine year old knifes two men to death?" The second, "What would have happened if he hadn't?"

"Grisha," Levi said at last. "He saved Mikasa from getting kidnapped. I don't want to think about what would have happened if he didn't do what he did. I owe that damn brat a lot."

Dr. Jeager gave a relieved smile. "Thank you Levi."

Grisha was just out the door when Erwin spoke. "Oh Levi, can I speak to you privately? There are a few more things I would like to go over with you."

Levi's eyes quickly darted towards Mikasa, still glued to her spot next to Eren. Grisha Jeager however, gave a slightly nod, indicating he would wait until Levi was done before taking Eren home. Grudgingly, Levi shut the door behind the doctor, and turned back towards Erwin.

The FBI agent took a deep breath. "Levi, I wanted to speak to you, because there is a chance that today's abduction attempt was targeted, and not a random incident."

Levi froze.

"You made a lot of enemies during your stint on the wrong side of the law," Erwin continued. "While most seem to think you're dead, there is a chance that is no longer the case. Levi, your knowledge of the criminal underground is extensive. If this was a targeted kidnapping, than you could be invaluable in bringing those responsible to justice. Even if it was a random attempt, your help could still prevent other children from going through what your daughter has."

Levi was jut about to open his mouth and speak, when something clicked in his head. "You're trying to recruit me!" He hissed. Everything suddenly made sense now.

Erwin didn't say anything. He didn't deny anything either.

"My daughter was nearly kidnapped by some sick fuckers for god knows what reason, and you want to get me to join the fucking FBI!?" Levi snarled. "Forget it!"

With that he stormed into the waiting room, slamming the door behind him.

---

It had been a week since Mikasa had nearly been kidnapped, and everyone was on edge. The entire school knew that Eren had killed two people trying to stop Mikasa from being snatched. However, child protection laws meant that the media couldn't reveal Eren or Mikasa's identity, so the whole incident hadn't gotten beyond that. There was a brief and blurry cellphone video posted on the web called "Kidnappers get what's coming," but the poster had quickly taken it down when contacted by the police.

The entire school community had tightened its vigil over its kids. Evident by the fact that the school hadn't made any move to stop Eren from carrying his pocket knife around with him everywhere. Levi couldn't blame them. He had started carrying around a loaded handgun with him just in case. In addition, Carla Jeager was picking up Mikasa and Armin along with Eren after school, and letting the three of them hang out at her house until their respective guardians could pick them up.

Eren, aside from his increased vigilance over his friends, seemed completely unbothered by what he did. Mikasa on the other hand, was a different story. Levi wasn't the only one to notice that whenever he wasn't around, Mikasa would stay glued to Eren's side.

While Levi was sure Mikasa would get over it as she started to feel safe again, he was still worried. He couldn't afford a damn therapist if she turned out to be emotionally scarred from the whole thing. Not to mention that Erwin's words were still bothering him.

What if those fuckers had gone after Mikasa because she was his daughter? Was his past coming back to bite, and Mikasa was the one getting the teeth. The thought caused him many sleepless nights.

It was one such sleepless night, when his door suddenly creaked open.

"Dad?"

Mikasa was standing there in her pajamas, a stuffed cat clutched tightly in one hand. She was still wearing the red scarf Eren had given her, Levi noted with some worry.

"Nightmare?" he grunted. Mikasa nodded frantically.

With a sight he shuffled to the side, giving Mikasa enough room to crawl in beside him. Within moments she was fast asleep. There had been many sleepless nights in the past, when he had cursed the woman who had left Mikasa on his front step. This was not one of them. In fact, he had never been more thankful that Mikasa was here now.

It was at that moment that Levi made up his mind.

---

If Levi had not looked it up, he would not have realized that there was a FBI office in the city. It was like any other office building around, aside from the sign on the front law advertising that it housed the "Federal Bureau of Investigation."

When he asked at the front desk to speak to Erwin Smith, he was immediately directed to an elevator and from there to one of the offices at the top of the building. Somehow, this didn't surprise Levi.

Nor did the plaque on Erwin's office door, which identified him as Director Erwin Smith.

Erwin was sitting behind a massive oak desk in the center of the room. Looking closely, Levi could tell that the desk had also been subtly slanted, so that it appeared more menacing than usual.

"Levi," Erwin greeted him, his face unreadable. "It's a surprise to see you here. Have you changed your mind about what I said?"

"Yes," Levi sighed. "Yes I have."