Author's Note: Hey guys struggled to write this chapter and just decided to release it even though I'm not completely satisfied with it. I just started school again so I'll try to update this at least once a month. I'm looking for some ideas on filler chapters for in-between Shoto's growth periods so please comment if you have some ideas. Also, I can't believe this story has reached 8,000 views! And a special shout out to those who faved or followed the story. I replied to reviews at the end.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of the My Hero Academia universe, manga, characters, tv show, movies, etc. This is just for fun

Chapter 10:

Once Aylee reached the hallway Shoto and Hawks were anxiously waiting in, a weight began to slowly lift off of her tense shoulders. Although she had a hunch that it would go that way, It was a very intense and draining conversation to have with a narcissistic parent. She could only hope that his mother was a bit more reasonable and calmer than his short-tempered father. She needed to find out more, there's something she was missing from the overall picture of the Todoroki family. Shoto needed stability now more than ever, and having a father he doesn't feel safe around and a so far absent mother wasn't helping.

Unbeknownst to Aylee, a small red feather trailed past her feet completely unnoticed before the door shut behind her.

They both looked up at her as she walked out and stood up immediately from the uncomfortable standard waiting room chairs. Shoto quickly approached the still flustered woman and ran up to hug her tightly in his small grip. It was like he was afraid she was going to disappear from his sight forever. Everything in his life would crumble if he went back to his father in his current state. It made her absolutely livid to hear what the Todoroki patriarch said before about taking him away from her. Her eyes narrowed in remembrance of the harsh words the flame hero spit out in anger. That would only be possible over her cold, dead, body.

Her peppermint was so special and sweeter than most of the other children she has taken care of in the past. Aylee is well aware of the unspoken rules in this profession: you're not supposed to have favorites or even start that fragile line of thought. But, he grew on her. Even after his sudden temper tantrums and stray icicles, he was still gentle and innocent in all of his intentions. Shoto even began to build bonds with his teachers and fellow classmates at UA. It gave Aylee hope that he would be ok after he became himself again soon. As long as he kept smiling and enjoying his life, Aylee would call it a job well done.

Aylee closed her eyes and hugged the boy's small form back just as tight.

"I'm ok sweetie. Let's go back to our dorm room and watch a movie together, you can pick which one. Does that sound like fun to you?" She said with an encouraging smile that tugged at her lips.

They walk together towards another less gaudy elevator and get on. The group gradually relaxed with every floor they passed until they reached the bottom floor again. They stepped out into the still relatively busy lobby with its still glaring receptionist.

The shrewd woman focused her harsh stare mainly on Aylee, who took notice but didn't care enough to start another scene in Endeavor's hero agency. Shoto also spotted the receptionist's sharp gaze that was directed at Aylee. He absolutely hated how she was looking so disrespectfully towards Aylee when she did nothing seriously wrong. Shoto's heterochromatic gaze shifted to the receptionist's desk and spotted her coffee. It was in a cup that appeared to be just brewed judging on the small steam wisps rising from the top of the mug. And suddenly, the disciplined and well behaved young Todoroki had an idea.

"MMMMMMMMMMM"

A loud muffled shriek caused everyone in the lobby to turn abruptly towards the eardrum piercing sound. The receptionist's lips appeared to be frozen to her coffee mug. Someone seemed to ice her lips right at the moment she tried to take a sip from it. Her panicked eyes flew across and over to all the heroes currently in the building. None of them really knew what to do in this complex situation. The few who had actually witnessed what happened firsthand were a bit afraid to help. One look at Shoto's smirk and all the heroes and sidekicks knew the haughty receptionist had it coming. Or, at least in the perspective of their boss's prodigy son now turned 5-year-old.

Aylee turned her head back towards the commotion before she looked down at Shoto who avoided her probing gaze. The adult woman restrained a large grin from breaking out on her face and put on her best poker face.

"That wasn't a very nice thing to do, Shoto." Shoto's eyes peaked up at her through his red and white bangs sheepishly but in seconds they narrowed in determination.

"But, she wasn't nice to you."

Aylee nodded her head before looking him directly in the eye, to convey the seriousness of what she was about to say. "That's true. But, we treat people how we want to be treated ourselves. Remember that when you become older again. Ok?"

His head bobbed in agreement and she took up his hand again as they walked out of Endeavor's Agency.

Once they got outside they quickly discovered that It was raining. It wasn't more than a light shower but Shoto started jumping for joy once he spotted the large puddles. She let go of his hand and he immediately bolted towards the largest one a couple of feet away. Aylee kept a sharp eye on her charge as he examined how to freeze part of it and boil the other. The rain was starting to pick up a bit and large drops began to get caught in her eyelashes. She blinked them away as quickly as possible but more just kept falling into her eyes.

Hawks saw her silent struggle and raised a wing over her head, shielding her eyes from any more pesky raindrops. A large shadow fell over the top of her head and she rubbed off the last of the raindrop with the back of her hand before looking up in confusion. Red feathers hovered above her and the man attached to them was looking at her expectantly.

"A little unnecessary, but I appreciate the gesture."

They continued walking together like that and followed after Shoto's enthusiastic investigation of the large puddles of rainwater.

Hawks looked at Shoto to see if he was out of hearing range, hesitated a bit before he opened his mouth and asked, "So, what did you talk about in there?"

His question broke the peaceful atmosphere but Aylee took in the abrupt interruption with a grain of salt. She glanced at Hawks before looking down at the sidewalk, mentally preparing herself for another tough conversation today.

"Do you want the truth or a lie?" Her hands briefly clenched together into tight balls while anxiously waiting for his response.

"Truth. Always tell me the truth." Hawks gently said while taking her hand that was closest to him and unfurling her whitening fingers. Blood flow rushed back into her fingertips from his actions and also to her cheeks in embarrassment. Aylee let out a shaky breath before nodding in acknowledgement of his choice.

"I showed Endeavor what would follow if he continued to mistreat his son." She said this with a monotone yet threatening voice that had Hawks' feathers twitching in agitation. He calmed down his outward reactions and tried a different tactic to get her to explain what she meant by that.

Hawks let a teasing grin that was slightly forced come forward and softly bumped his shoulder with hers. "So, you see the future now. You could be a fortune teller, I've heard it's a very lucrative business to be in."

Aylee didn't lighten up at all from his tactful jokes and continued, "No. I showed him his biggest fear and nightmare."

He was getting tired of her vague answers, "Which is?"

She turned to face him directly before she said while nonchalantly shrugging her shoulders, "It's not my secret to tell Keigo."

They continued to walk in silence after that. And Aylee refocused her attention onto Shoto, who was now just dodging puddles while he ran. Like it was an advanced obstacle course.

Hawks broke that silence again, much to Aylee's slight irritation. "Then, do you know my biggest fear?" He asked quietly and almost resigned to hear her answer.

Her head snapped back towards him with alarm covering her features before she launched into a panicked explanation.

"No, I would never violate your privacy and use that side of my quirk on you. It's just, something switches in me when parents abuse or neglect their kids, you know. Children are precious and so impressionable. If I had the money, I would open an agency focusing on children growing up in a loving environment instead of competing for parents. So no, I can't see your greatest fear and I definitely can't read your mind like that. I will never break our friendship and your trust to do something like that." She was slightly out of breath after talking so fast and Keigo had to turn his head away from her so she wouldn't see his smile. The woman was adorable at times yet firm in her beliefs and morals. It was an admirable trait.

"I never knew you were this passionate about kids. I mean I knew you had to like them because it was your job at one point."

Aylee smiled sadly as she said, "Well, I was in the foster system when I was younger and I wasn't treated the best. I don't want other kids to have a story like that. It's partially why I became a full-time nanny in the first place."

Hawks tried to not let the shock show on his face too much but, he couldn't hide the pity in his gold eyes from her. It was her turn to look away now as he asked more light-hearted questions to lift the mood a bit.

"So you would run this child care agency by yourself?" She jolted at the question and he could practically see the gears turning in her head from thinking about all of the work that would go into that. She let out a disbelieving laugh before answering.

"Oh god no. That's too much work. But, It would be worth it to see the kids actually enjoy themselves while finding them the perfect family for them, not the other way around."

"That sounds amazing."

She sighed dreamily, "Yeah, but it's only an idea. An idea that needs a lot of refinement and work. Not to mention enormous funding."

"Well if anyone can do it, I believe you can." The rain had fully stopped by this point and Hawks lowered his feathers to rest in their normal spot on his back.

"Thanks, Keigo." He wasn't sure if she was thanking him for saying that he believed in her or if she was thanking him for shielding her from the rain. Either way, he nodded at her grateful words.

Shoto stopped running around the puddles and began to step into a dirty puddle. Aylee saw this and her dormant nanny mode immediately went on high alert.

"Peppermint please don't do that! We can have fun in the bathtub later, ok?" She quickened her pace and reached for Shoto's hand again to pull him away from the dirty rainwater.

He looked longingly back at the bigger puddles but obediently followed after her.

"Ok."

Hawks picked up the rear and followed after the duo closely while keeping one eye and ear out on the people around them.

Aylee felt a buzz in her pants pocket and she pulled her phone out to read a new text message. It was from Fuyumi. It was a long answer to an earlier inquiry Aylee had about their mother's current whereabouts. Aylee originally thought it would be a good idea to remind Shoto that he had a real mother and subsequently the mom calling phase would come to an end. But, her hopes were somewhat squashed the more she read. Fuyumi explained that their father had their mother labelled mentally unstable and that she has been institutionalized ever since Shoto was 5. That they were almost strangers at this point and that he had never visited her when he was his normal teenage self.

This was troubling and shocking to learn. Then, something in her brain suddenly didn't quite sit right with this new information. She began to think about when Shoto turned 5 last week and his burn scar appeared over his left eye in his sleep. Aylee was told by the teachers at UA that it had resulted from a training accident. But, the timing was too convenient. Things lined up too well to be a coincidence. The worried woman quickly stopped herself from dwelling on those terrifying thoughts once they got back to the dorms safely.

She turned to their volunteer bodyguard with a small smile, "Thanks for today, Hawks."

He nodded and reciprocated her smile before his gold eyes shifted down towards the glaring young Todoroki. Aylee followed his amused gaze and cleared her throat loudly. Shoto didn't seem to quite get the hint and continued to glare at the winged pro hero. His caretaker held in a sigh and put her hand on his back to get his attention.

"Shoto, don't you have something you want to say to pro hero Hawks?"

Shoto's head lowered so that his face was covered by his hair and gritted through his teeth, "Thank you."

Hawks smirked at the strain he heard in the little boy's voice and reached down to ruffle Shoto's hair. "No problem little man. See you next time." He soon left taking off into the sky, leaving the two standing alone in the common area and still dripping wet from the rain.

She could see Shoto seething in anger but then, he looked up at Aylee and calmly requested. "I want to take my bath now instead of later."

"Ok, Peppermint. Let's go dry off first."

They got on the elevator with their shoes squeaking obnoxiously against the tile floor. And just before the door closed, a hand stuck itself through the closing gap. The hand was soon followed by a disgruntled Bakugou. The angry blond teen looked at them like they were the one's intruding on his personal space. His red eyes narrowed down at Shoto before they flicked up towards where Aylee was holding her charge's hand. Shoto looked at his fellow classmate blankly with disinterest and remained silent as Bakugou scowled at the pair. Finally, the temperamental student made eye contact with Aylee and she returned his hard stare with a genuine smile. It caught the hero in training off guard.

"Tch."

Bakugou shoved his clenched hands into his pants pockets before moving back to the corner of the elevator. It was the most distance he could manage while being stuck in an elevator full of extras. Aylee made no comment about his sharp dismissal and remained still as they all watched the digital screen increase from every level.

Not soon enough, they arrived on their floor and the doors opened painstakingly slow. Bakugou in his impatience practically ripped the doors open and stalked down the long hallway back to his room. Aylee watched him leave before she turned back and led Shoto in the opposite direction to the room they shared.

They went into the bathroom together and she plugged the tub. Shoto began to take off his wet clothes as she turned the water faucet on warm. She poured in a standard bubble bath mixture and watched the bubbles form under the running water. Once the water reached almost the top of the bath's rim, she cut off the faucet and checked the temperature again with her hand. It wasn't too hot but was just warm enough to fight any coldness from the rain.

Aylee turned towards her charge and helped him climb into the tub carefully. He sat in the bubble contentedly and started messing with the bubbles surrounding him. She grabbed some water toys from under the sink and held them up for his approval. For this specific bath time, the All Might and steamboat toy were the only one's picked. Aylee handed them to him and then grabbed the nearby shampoo and a plastic cup.

She dunked the cup into the water and covered his eyes as she poured the warm soapy water over his head. It plastered his two-toned hair to his scalp and she gently lathered the shampoo in her hands. She rubbed the shampoo foam onto his head and carded it through his locks while he forced waterproof All Might into an unwilling underwater adventure.

She hesitantly broke the calm silence. The woman reminded herself that this was something that needed to be done and that she couldn't put it off any longer than she already had. "Shoto, I am your caretaker for the time being and I admit that some of the things that I do for you are what a mother would do as well. It's ok to miss her sometimes, especially now that you're a kid again."

Shoto stopped playing and looked up at her with confusion swirling in his heterochromatic irises. Aylee continued to wash his hair as she spoke.

"However, I'm not your mother. I'm just Aylee. We can definitely make arrangements for you to visit your mother if you want to."

The boy remained silent after listening to her words and continued to stare into his caretaker's eyes. It was like he was searching for something that hid in her jade gaze. She wasn't sure what it was. He turned away from her after a minute and nudged the capsized steamboat in the water that All Might had failed to save on time.

"Would you like that?" Shoto didn't meet her imploring stare and slowly shook his head no.

"Alright, just let me know if you change your mind." She took a towel and began to dry his now clean hair while pulling the drain at the bottom of the tub.

She helped him into his pyjamas and tucked him into bed. Aylee quickly took a shower of what was left of the remaining hot water. Not much. She quickly dried herself off and was about to put on her sleep shirt and shorts when she heard groans coming from the room. Aylee whipped the towel around her body and dashed into the room. She saw Shoto clutching his head with both hands and his body shook violently from underneath the covers.

Aylee immediately dialled Aizawa while holding Shoto's quivering form in her arms. His small hands clawed at her back and she easily ignored the stings. She was just glad that this prevented him from hurting himself instead.

The phone kept ringing. "Come on."

It finally picked up. A gruff and unwelcome voice spoke from the speakers into her ear.

"Hello?"

"Aizawa, something's wrong with Shoto. He's shaking and groaning and clutching at his head in pain. I don't know what's happening to him." Her panicked voice rushed out to explain the situation and the teacher remained quiet to listen attentively.

"I'm coming. But, it's most likely that he's growing rapidly all at once again. Hang on."

Aylee tightened her hold onto Shoto as his shaking got even worse. Thankfully, not at the level of a seizure. Aizawa burst through the room about two minutes later and rushed over to her and Shoto's side.

He felt awful seeing his student suffer through this and vowed to double his efforts to catch the culprit. He held his hand on Aylee's shoulder for support as they watched with bailed breath as the shakes passed.

After 20 minutes, they had completely stopped and Aizawa could notice the difference in Shoto at once. The previous 5-year-old had obviously aged into the physical body of a 7-year-old. Within the span of 30 minutes! His hair was a bit longer than before and he appeared to be about 4 ft tall now.

The boy was breathing a bit easier after his shakes had passed and was limp in his caretaker's arms. Aizawa coaxed the shocked woman into releasing him from her bear hug and back under the covers for the night.

He appeared to be in no pain now and was like a sleeping angel cuddling with his trusted stuffed polar bear. Aylee helped get him comfortable before turning to Aizawa for an explanation.

"Last time he grew in his sleep and likely didn't feel any of the effects from the rapid ageing process. This time, however, I'm guessing he was awake for it." He softly spoke as to not wake up his exhausted young student.

Aylee nodded at his logical deduction, "I'll take him to see Recovery Girl tomorrow morning just to make sure everything is alright." She said firmly. She wasn't asking for permission even though Aizawa technically had more authority over what happened to Shoto than she did. It had never bothered her and she almost preferred that with her clients. But, she reminded herself, this was an unusual case.

The teacher nodded his approval and promptly left the room. Aylee felt relieved that he would be ok for now. On the other hand, she was excited to meet this new Shoto tomorrow and see how he differed from his previous younger selves. Maybe he would talk to her more now? She crawled into the bed beside her charge and couldn't wait to wake up!

Review Replies:

SecretPeach - Thanks! Hawks definitely still respects Endeavor as a hero but he's becoming suspicious of his family life. Maybe that will come into more detail later on. thanks for the idea!

Applejax XD - I like to think our favourite birdman has some jealous tendencies. But our tiny Shoto definitely has more sway over Aylee than Hawks. lol

Thanks for reading and reviewing everyone! Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions.

~ Mad About Love