Heading inside the office I was greeted by all my sidekicks and a few interns as I head for my office, this morning had been hectic and now it was the time to get caught up on the events inside.

My secretary walks up, matching my speed as she hands me a folder, "As usual you have to confirm these requests yourself, and I felt this one was one you should handle yourself." She points to the post-it

"And what about this call has you smiling, Asuka?"

Chocolate eyes sparkle, "Call back this number and you'll see."

I shake my head as she walks away, and I step into my office. I set my bracers aside as I start to sort out my new tasks and organize the next shifts workload before I start to return all the calls until I get to the post-it.

Staring it over I look out the window of my office as Asuka hurries by, black hair trailing behind her as she makes her way around the office having the next group moving out to help the police.

To hell with it.

The phone rings and rings and I opt to hang up after the fifth ring, "Hello?!"

I look at the phone before placing it to my ear, "Hello?"

Sudden giggles fill the room before they clear their throats, "Um, is this Ground Zero?"

"Do you know that prank calling my agency isn't smart?"

They gasp, "No! This isn't a prank call; we were calling to hire you for a birthday party." The girl explains.

"Our birthday!" The boy chimes.

"Yes, our birthday is April 20th, and we saved up all our allowance and snack money to ask for this favor Mr. Ground Zero."

"We even mailed an invitation!" The boy adds.

I look out the window and for a moment, "Out of all the heroes, why pick me?"

"You're our favorite hero, you've always been."

"Tsk, Keep your money, kids." There's an audible shock, and hushed panic on the other line. "I'll find the invitation."

It's a moment till they stop cheering before an answer comes through, "You're the most awesomest! No one holds a candle to you!"

"Where are my grandkid's and why are they shouting?" An older voice calls out, and they panic.

"Thank you again, bye! See you at our party."

The line goes quiet and I set the phone down, shaking my head, "I guess I have plans after all." I press the intercom on my desk, "Asuke, have the fresh meat pick through the mail for a birthday invitation for 04/20," I look out as she pokes her head over one of the cubical, "I have a suspicion the card is me themed."

"Yes, sir!"

6 Years Ago

It was funny watching them squirm beneath my gaze as I set the food at the table and take a seat. The young lady, naturally pale, beside me looks like death after her color drained from her completely.

On the other side of me sat my son, red and angrily avoiding eye contact.

I clear my throat and lift my bowl of rice, "Let's dig in."

"Yes, ma'am." The girl responds as she robotically moves to eat, and I try repressing my laughter.

"Why the hell are you here?!"

"Oh, he can speak," I fill my bowl with the sides and look at him. "It isn't a crime for a mother to visit her son."

"No, but it is illegal to enter someone's house without permission, Hag." We glare at each other before he jumps and shoots her a look, where she glares at him over her bowl. "What was that for?!"

She sets her food down and meets his gaze, "It's not right to call your mother names."

"You act like you never called your mother a name."

"Katsuki," I warn at the sight of saddening in her gaze.

"It's okay, Mrs. Bakugo, I know a lot of kids who did and still do speak that way to their parents," A soft smile graces us before she looks back to my son, "However, I didn't, nor have I, because I was just thankful for Mr. and Mrs. Yamazaki to have wanted me as a part of their family."

It has been a long time since I've seen him make that expression, "I'm sorry I said that."

What?

Sorry?

I reach out and pat his head effectively startling him, "Wha?!"

"You've grown again while I wasn't looking."

"I'm a freaking grown man! Quit patting my head dammit!"

I lock him in a headlock and give him a noogie, "You'll always be my little boy, you pain in the ass."

A melodic giggle fills the room and we both look to the girl who for the first time in this whole awkward mess looked, well, relaxed.

"Sorry."

"No need for apologies." I smile at her and release my son who runs a hand through his hair, but it stays pretty much the same. "Though I do owe you an apology for this morning, uh,"

'Souma, Souma Yamazaki."

"Souma, I hadn't known my son had company, let alone a girlfriend."

Rosy cheeks greeted our vision as she nervously laughs, "We should have heard you come in, some heroes we are."

"Heard her? The door was locked, the spare is in the room, how did you even get in?"

I grin, "You gave me a spare."

"The hell I did."

I tap his bowl and give them both a look, "Come, come. Eat up before it all gets cold."

Grumbling his irritation, he reluctantly digs in and the meal passes without another word. When we finish, they both get up and wash the dishes before she excuses herself to wash up and change for the day.

"So, She's a nice young lady."

"She certainly is."

Entering the house that evening and the scents of dinner filled the air. I drift in to find my husband setting the table, apron still on, he was still as handsome as the day I first met him.

"Masuru," He walks across the room to me, "Our son has a girlfriend."

Brows lift and that soft smile appears, "What grand news, though I do question the method you used to uncover this truth."

Arms reach out for him, seeking his warmth, "A mother is allowed to go visit her son's apartment."

"Did you knock and wait for him to answer?"

I avert my gaze as he hugs me and I rest my cheek against his chest, "Dinner smells great."

He gives a soft laugh and leads me to the table, "Let's eat."

I snicker inside and join him at the table.

"Do you have to go?"

Souma looks to me and adjusts her duffle, "Yeah, the center called to let me know another mother and child didn't check back in at all last night, but the building was evacuated during an attack, so no one knew till just now."

She sighs and extends her hand, subconsciously I accept it and her shoulders slump, "What?"

"I have to wait for next month till I can come back."

I shake my head, "You could have looked into more agencies here in town."

She nods but we both know that her new agency was her next option regardless of how she would come to leave her previous agency.

"My next off day I'll go over, Sora is probably missing me."

"Ha!" She scoffs but smiles, "You bet that little brat does. I'm about to make your place her forever home."

The train sounds off and she makes that face that makes an irrational part of my brain want to keep her from going, but I let go and we part once again.

Retracing the steps of Ms. Shimizu, I learn the last place she and her son were seen at was the park no more than a block from the center.

I had the Intern reviewing all the footage we recovered from all the surrounding buildings with working cameras. Her quirk allowed her to do it in half the time had I done it myself so, instead, I walk to the grounds searching for anything that could tell what had happened.

I come to the furthers part of the park, more heavily shrouded by trees and left beneath one of the trees was a small blanket, tousled from being ran across. I follow the faint footsteps to the edge of the street and am met with a back road where I spot the small bear that never left Asas's side, black streaks left beside it on the old road.

Dread forms inside as I mark it and get the police to canvas the area.

Back at the office, I place the photo of mother and child on the board in the back room I devoted to this case, my case. The case that got me kicked out of my old agency.

"Do you think they're connected?"

I look back to our office mother, Maya, and nod, "Yes, they just confirmed it was the same make and model of the van from a few of the other abductions."

She walks in and hands me a nice hot cup, "Hot cocoa to the blues away."

"Thanks," I take a sip and set it down, "But these blues are navy after today."

She pats my back and hands me a file, "Thankfully you came to us, after all, our agency has much more accesses than others to less," she smirks, "accessible information."

I accept the file and start to scan through it and I hurry over to the wall and I hadn't even noticed when Maya left the room as I watched a plan begin to unfold.

Walking into my parent's house I get to watch my father and Sora curled up and sleeping in front of the tv and I slip silently into the kitchen where my mother sits at the table calculating the expenses for the month.

"Mama, I'm home."

Lighting up she marks her place and stands to meet me in a hug, "When did you get back?"

I join her back at the table and snag an apple from the little bowl set at the center of our tiny table, "I got her about 11 and was at the agency until an hour ago," I bite into the sweetness and smile, "I see papa and Sora are getting along."

She fills me in on the shenanigans that ensued my absence. Father woke at some point and we all have dinner together before I pack Sora's things and transfer her back home.

I video chat Katsuki and Sora were fighting me for screen time before we both settle down and nod off for the evening.

In the weeks that follow I follow leads, infiltrate groups, and so all I can to find any clue as to what they were doing with all the missing people.

Another month passes and I sit with closed eyes as I listen to the audio files from a recently reopened case. I had taken the two file boxes home with me so I could get to the last of the tapes.

Warm tea slithers down to fill my empty stomach as I try getting anything new from these dusty tapes.

"Maybe I should have stopped to grab something from the corner store to snack on, I forgot to buy groceries again." I tell Sora who rests beside my leg, "Perhaps I'll go after this tape."

She rolls over and I rest my head on my crossed arms and resume listening.

Something yummy wafts through the air and rouses me as I open my eyes to see a cute sight as Sora sits up and extends her nose to touch Katsuki's as he works on cutting something up before turning and adding it to the pan on the stove.

I giggle and rest my eyes again before I shoot up and stare at him again, "Look who's finally awake."

He had barely finished the sentence before I tackle him with a hug that sends us both toppling over.

"What are you doing here?!"

He gives me that heart slaying smirk as he traps me against him, "Finally got a few days off, it's been crazy out there recently." I nod because there was an influx in crimes all over which is why old cases began to surface anew.

"We better get up before your food burns."

We rise and I help finish up the yummy dinner before demanding cuddles on the couch as we half-watch some television and talk more about topics we didn't share over the phone.

"Hey, you know that song you're always humming, Fight Song, right?" I nod and he starts to play with my hair that fell over his hand as I nestled closer. "It came on the radio each time I decided to turn it on, and it got me thinking, Why, do you like it?"

I yawn and take a deep breath of his calming scent, "Because it was the song that played whenever I felt I wouldn't be able to go on," I look up at him, "Studying to be a hero was harder for me to say the least."

He scoffs and raises a brow, "With the way you fight without using yours I doubt that."

Guilt.

"You'd be surprised."

It was funny to watch him smooth out his clothes for the millionth time as we approach the restaurant, "Nervous?"

"As if," He opens the door for me and I take his hand, "Don't say a word."

I smile and tighten my grip on his clammy hands, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Heading to the hostess she looks up my parent's table and leads us through the bustling room till we find my parents tucked a little off to the side. As we reach the table, I give them each a hug as Katsuki pulls out my chair for me.

"Thanks," I say as I lower in time with his pushing it in allowing me to sit flush to the table. "Mom, Dad, this is Bakugo Katsuki," I gesture to him as he quickly wipes his palm off and offers it to my father, "Katsuki, My mom and dad, Mr. and Mrs. Yamazaki"

A firm shake between dad and Katsuki, a gentle one for my mother who held hesitation in her gaze. I reach for her hand as Katsuki takes his seat and squeeze it before taking a glance at the menu so I could decide quickly what I wanted before the conversation began.

"Bakugo, it's a pleasure to finally meet the person behind that big smile she wears nowadays."

Posture perfect as he gives a gentle smile that melts my heart, "I'm proud to be one of her reasons, you guys have raised a strong young woman," He looks to me, "She deserves to be happy."

GAH! *Critical Hit* Does he not know how hard it is not to swoon when he says such things!?

"Flattery will get you only so far young man." Mom beams and I shake my head embarrassed.

The meal passed with laughter and long conversation and I knew that I wanted this to happen more, a lot more.

"What's left on the list?"

I look to my dad as I glance at the little ones running around in the yard, "I lost an invitation, but it was okay since a couple of the kids caught something and I don't want it to spread to any of the guests."

I flip through the sheet of checked off items and stare at one I had crossed off even though the kids really wanted it. I felt bad, but I wasn't ready yet.

"Um, aside from that, their costumes are almost ready, I think I have a few more things to touch up, but other than picking up the cake we're ready for next week."

He smiles and walks over to hug me, "I'm sorry you've had to do all this alone."

I shake my head and hug him back, "I'm a mother and a grown-up, this is a part of life, and I enjoyed planning their first big party. They're my little troopers and they deserve the world as you and mom gave me."

His eyes water and he hugs me tighter before stepping back and clearing his throat, "You're Mom would be proud."

"What's for dinner?" I look down at happy children who were starting to sweat from all the running around.

"How about I grab some fried chicken?"

They cheer and my dad pats their heads, "Go clean up and change and your mom will be back before you know it."

Kissing their heads, I head out the door comforted by the faint familiar scent from the past.