Chasing a Memory ( Shoto x Oc )

Extra 10- Visiting Lucian and Natasha's grave

" Mommy, where are you going?" a four year old Shizuka asked curiously as Cassie slipped on her shoes preparing to leave the house. Todoroki made his way out of their bedroom picking up Shizuka in his arms running a hand through his messy red and white hair. " Mommy has to go visit some very important people today, Shizu."

Todoroki explained to the small girl who frowned up at her father in worry, detecting the off vibes her parents were practically radiating. " Can we go too?" the girl asked, glancing over at her mom who shook her head offering up a melancholy smile. " Maybe next time my darling little fairy, i'm sure they would love to meet you."

Todoroki kissed Shizuka's head, setting her down gently on their couch in the living room before making his way over to the pinkette who seemed rather uncharacteristically sad. " Are you sure you don't want me to join you? We can get Ray to watch Shizuka?" he asked, reaching out and pulling Cassie into his arms giving her a loving squeeze as he rested his chin on top of her head.

Cassie shook her head, burying her face into the man's shirt covered chest, taking a deep breath to calm her ever growing nerves. " No no it's okay, I should have visited them sooner. I need to make sure their still okay... oh god i'm such an awful daughter Sho." Cassie's voice faltered as she sniffled holding back the tears welling up in her eyes.

Todoroki shook his head rubbing under her eyes gently with his thumb to dry her tears. " No you aren't Cassie, you still care for their grave once a month. I'm sure they appreciate that very much." He knew where she was going, the grave site she had built for her parents after the war in the very center of the forest about a half hour walk from their home.

The cottage they had rebuilt was already a constant reminder of Cassie's past but it didn't cause her nearly as much anguish as where she had laid her parents to rest or more accurately parent singular. For some reason the home where she and her mother used to live together only brought the pinkette comfort while the mere thought of the grave made her want to curl up and cry for hours on end.

It was a strange reaction to have, as technically speaking she had come to terms with the loss of her family and no longer held any ill will towards her father but for some reason she was still struggling to visit them even years after the war against the villains had long since ended.

Cassie gave her husband a quick kiss goodbye promising to stay safe and return as soon as she could. Her walk to their grave was uneventful to say the least and allowed her to at least try and mentally prepare herself. She had been avoiding her parents grave for the past several months, once she had learned she didn't need to stand in front of their resting place to keep the flowers blooming her visits had dwindled, and eventually she had stopped coming all together, she still felt relatively guilty for doing so.

All too soon she came across the small meadow she once saw in her dreams as a child, although in her dreams this meadow was always a source of her recurring nightmares. And yet despite her dreams it was always so peaceful and quiet in reality.

A lone oak tree stood out amongst the dying flowers that Cassie had been using her quirk to keep alive for years, now being left to wilt and wither away. The pinkette bit her lip in distress as she approached the single stone inlaid with her parents' names though only one of her parents lay underneath the ground. Her mother didn't have a body she could bury.

She had transported her fathers body from his temporary grave after she had woken up from her week-long coma. Cassie took a deep breath slumping down against the tree near the grave but not on top of it. She was quiet for a few seconds before she began to speak. " Shizu has part of your quirk dad... and a mix of mine and Sho's she calls it winter blossoms." The pinkette chuckled softly to herself placing her hand on the grass next to her activating her quirk and watching as all the flowers in the meadow sprung back to life.

" I'm sure she would have loved to meet you, maybe not you dad no offense... but mom she would have loved you." Cassie tried to make a joke but she ended up choking back a sob. Tears once more welled up in her wide green eyes as she furiously wiped them away. " Why did you both have to leave me when I finally got to see you again."

Cassie asked, putting her head into her hands in distress as her mental walls that had been keeping her from bursting into tears all this time began to crumble away. " I wish you were here, I got married and had a kid, Ray and I started our own hero agency and we even have fans but neither of you will ever know that."

It was frustrating for the woman, she now knew that up until the war that every time she felt like she was being watched while growing up that it wasn't the woman who had killed her mother and altered her memories but in fact her mother herself watching over her child the only way she could. But because Cassie had fucked up and gotten herself killed, her mother and her newly dead father had given up their remaining source of power, which had kept them tethered to the living world to watch over their daughter, so that Cassie could wake up and continue her life. Because of her, they were now truly and completely gone and had been for years. Cassie couldn't help but feel guilty for everything that had happened.

" Look Daddy, I found Mommy!" a little voice called and Cassie jolted upright, staring in confusion and horror as her daughter raced through the trees and leaped into her mothers lap laughing joyously. Cassie hid her face in her hands not wanting her child to see her in such a state of distress. " Shizu baby, what are you doing here?" Cassie asked quietly, lifting one of her hands to run her fingers through her daughter's hair hesitantly.

The little girl looked up at her mother with bright sparkling blue and green eyes smiling brighter than the sun. " Daddy said you had been gone for a while and he was getting worried because it would be getting dark out soon." she explained pouting up at the woman who listened quietly.

Cassie glanced up at the sky with a raised eyebrow noting that the sun had in fact begun to set on the horizon. She must have been sitting there for a little over three hours and she hadn't even noticed. From behind her, Cassie felt her body being lifted off the ground and she had to wrap Shizu's arms around her shoulders to make sure the child didn't roll off her lap and to the ground.

The pinkette felt the familiar warmth of Todoroki as she was set down in his lap, resting his head on his shoulder and peppering her jaw in light comforting kisses. " I didn't want to interrupt you but knowing you, you would have stayed out here all night without realizing it." the man explained tilting Cassie's head up so he could meet her eyes.

" You seem to have an affinity for trying to freeze to death." Cassie chuckled softly at her husband's dry but surprisingly funny joke, nodding her head as a soft smile graced her lips. The anguish she had been feeling not moments ago began to ebb away and she was left feeling warm and safe. It was going to be winter soon so it was indeed growing colder at night.

Todoroki looked over at the gravestone giving it a small nod. " Good evening Mr. and Mrs. Fox I apologize but I must take Cassie home now." He spoke as if he were having a casual conversation with her parents and not their gravestone. This made Cassie's heart swell as she noted he was trying to pay his respects to them in his own special way. God how did she ever manage to get this luck, she loved her man so much.

Shizu was quick to note how her parents were interacting with the large stone and decided she should talk to it as well, not really understanding why but hoping it would help cheer up her mom. " My name's Shizuka, what's yours?" she asked the rock and Cassie chuckled, petting her daughters hair ever so gently.

" Baby the rock won't talk back, this is where your grandparents stay. I was just paying them a little visit." Cassie tried to explain in a way the little girl would understand which seemed to work as Shizuka nodded her head enthusiastically. " Oh! Hi grandma and grandpa!" Of course there was no reply. Okay, maybe Cassie's explanation hadn't worked out that well, but Shizuka was four so what had she been expecting really?

Todoroki picked up Cassie in his arms cradling her bridal style while Cassie held Shizu kissing the little girl's forehead. " I'm sure grandma and grandpa are smiling down at you right now my darling little fairy. Let's go back home now, okay?''

Cassie continued to speak to her daughter the whole way back, her husband occasionally chiming in here and there as they returned to their house. Cassie was glad she had Todoroki and Shizuka because she knew they would never let her stay sad for long.