Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan!

Chapter 5

It was the middle of the night when Levi stumbled into Ava's room, a vial of liquid clutched in his frost-covered, gloved head. Ice and snow clung to his black hair, and his face sported bright, pink patches of wind burn in the glow of the bedside lamp. Hanji lunged out of the chair she had been napping in and collided with him, one hand pulling him close while the other wrapped around the vial.

"You're my favorite," she said, stealing a very chilly kiss from him before turning to Ava's bedside.

"How is she?" Levi demanded. He stepped closer to Ava's bed, wondering why she hadn't immediately woken up when he burst in.

"Take off that coat, you're dripping everywhere."

"Hanji."

"The fever's worse," Hanji said. She was busy putting together an injection, screwing the vial into a syringe, "She hasn't woken up for a few hours, but she'll get better now." She had to get better now.

Levi sat down heavily on the edge of his daughter's bed and yanked off his gloves. He pressed one cold hand to Ava's cheek, the numbness melting away against the heat in her skin. She stirred and mumbled, curling toward him. One blue-grey eye opened into a squint before the other forced itself open.

"Papa," she breathed.

"Hey, chatterbox," Levi said, rubbing his thumb over her cheek, "Don't get weak on me now, got it?"

"Won't," she sighed, pressing closer to him. A wet, harsh cough shook her, and he patted her back as she got her breath back. "Don't…go again."

"I'm staying right here."

"'Kay," She smiled a little before her eyes closed again. She slipped back into an uneasy sleep, exhausted by the fever that was trying its best to destroy her.

Hanji rushed over to the side of Ava's bed and sat down beside Levi, picking up Ava's arm at the same time. She tapped her pale little wrist, looking for a vein, and the moment she found one, she slid the injection into it. Ava stirred again, but she didn't wake up this time.

"There."

And now it would be waiting game to see if Levi had been in time or not. It was cutting it close, but Hanji hoped that the medicine would kick in. It had to.

Leaning over, Hanji dropped the vial onto the bedstand table, amongst the mess that was already there. She drooped against Levi's shoulder for a moment and then looked him over. "What'd you do, fight a yeti? You look rough." She reached over and tucked a dripping lock of hair back behind Levi's ear.

"You look terrible, too, Four-Eyes," Levi said, his voice betraying how tired he was.

Hanji gave a quiet huff of a laugh and bumped her forehead against his.

"Did you sleep at all?" Levi asked.

"Sometimes." Hanji leaned back and tugged at the sleeve of his coat. "Take that off, you really are dripping everywhere, you pint-sized icicle."

Levi let her help him out of the coat, feeling exhaustion seeping into his muscles. He and Mike had ridden almost non-stop after their last break, pushing the horses and themselves to the breaking point. Only a brief break in the weather had given them an edge. He rolled his arm in its socket and rubbed his shoulder, his eyes on his daughter. Her breathing was raspy and shallow, and he could see that the red mark had creeped up her collarbone and was spreading over her neck.

"She'll be fine," Hanji said, her hand resting on his arm, "You got here in time."

Levi didn't say anything. He had to believe it, since the alternative was incomprehensible.

00000000000000000000

Three Days Later.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?"

"Out to play!"

"Over my dead body," Levi said in an even tone as he walked over in front of the door. Ava was sitting on floor, trying to shove her boot onto her foot over two pairs of socks. Her eyes were bright with mischief instead of a fever as she looked at him, but he could still see that she was tired.

"But Remy and Anders and everyone else wants to go ice skating…" Her lower lip poked out. "I just wanted to watch."

"You just said you wanted to go play."

"I was kidding." Her grin did not melt his resolve a single bit.

"You're still recovering," Levi said. In fact, he was still recovering as well. That ride had taken it out of him. After he had gotten back, he had spent the whole next day nodding off in a chair in Ava's room. Her fever broke that evening, and she had been slowly getting better ever since. However, three days of reset did not suddenly mean she was ready to go out and play in the frozen wasteland of the district.

"Aw, Papa," Ava said, giving up on putting her boots on.

"Don't even start with me." Levi reached down and tugged the hat off her head. "Back to bed, chatterbox."

"Ugh…bed is a prison," Ava grumbled, but she got up and trudged back up the stairs, making sure each step was loud on the stairs.

Levi liked the noise. It told him that she was well enough to start fussing and putting up a fight. He smirked when Hanji's arms encircled him from behind and her lips briefly rested against his neck.

Her breath rustled his hair when she talked. "She gets the attitude from you."

"Yeah. I know."

He liked his kids just the way they were, attitudes and everything.