Chapter Eleven

Ember was finally asleep in bed, and I was in the couch in my pajamas drinking wine. My eyes were puffy and red all evening from crying, knowing what was going to happen next.

Dabi came up to me, his hands in his pockets. "I umm.."

"Please don't." I choked out, refusing to meet his eyes.

"I can't."

"Don't do this, please," I begged, looking up at him. "I can understand you not wanting to be around t family, but please don't walk out on Ember."

"It's only a matter of time before police show up and take me," Dabi cleared his throat out. "I'd rather do it without Ember watching. She doesn't need to see me go to jail."

"Ember also needs her dad, Dabi." I stood up, looking at him. "She has never been so happy with anyone until you came along, and that was before she found out you were her dad. You need to stay."

"I promised you I would protect you and make sure no harm would come to you not Ember." He turned his back to me, heading to the door. "That promise is broken, meaning I have to go."

"Dabi please," I grabbed his hand, stopping him in his tracks. "Don't leave Ember. Don't leave me."

Dabi looked at me, pulling his hand back gently. "I just have one question for you."

I watched as red and blue lights flickered over his face. "What?"

"Would you do it all over again?"

I stared into his ice blue eyes, suddenly having the same butterfly feeling I had when he knocked that one guy out when we first met four years ago.

"Yea." I nodded.

Dabi took my hand and kissed my knuckles before leaving, closing the door softly. I dropped to the ground, crying into my hands.

dabi POV

I walked over to the police officers, holding my hands in the air. "Dabi, you are under arrest-"

"For everything I've done, yeah I know." I waved them off. "Can you do me a favor though? Turn the lights off, my daughter's sleeping inside and we finally got her down half an hour ago. She doesn't need to see me go to jail."

"Daughter?" One officer said as the other turned off one of the vehicle lights.

A third came over and took their Quirk resisting cuffs and chained them to my wrists behind my back. "How old?" He asked quietly.

"She just turned four today." I answered back as he led me to the car.

"Well that stinks you'll miss out on the rest of her childhood." He muttered, his tone hinting he felt bad.

"It's for the better." I insisted, being seated in the car.

~*.*~ Three years Later ~*.*~

"Ember, cmon!" I called out, grabbing my keys and purse. "We gotta go!"

I watched Ember emerge from the hallway, wearing her red school uniform shirt, black shirt, and white socks with black shoes. Her white hair fell over her face as her eyes were to the ground. "Sweetie, what's wrong?"

"I don't want to go."

"Well it's your first day, you aren't missing it."

I motioned for her to grab her backpack and follow me out there for, locking the apartment behind me. "We're seeing Miss Amī after school today, okay?" I rubbed her shoulder.

Ember didn't respond.

"Ember." I brushed some hair from her face, seeing a small burn on her cheek. "Hey what happened here?"

She swatted my hand away, looking back down at the ground.

Ever since Dabi was arrested, Ember had not been the smiley, happy girl. She cried every single day, and every Saturday she cried in the kitchen and wouldn't eat her breakfast. She fell into an extreme depressive episode, and a month after the nonstop behavior I got her in to start seeing a therapist.

Even steer three years of therapy, Ember still had depressive episodes. And it doesn't help that some of the daycare moms told their kids not to befriend my daughter due to who her father was.

I got us in the car and drive to her new school. Due to recommendation by her therapist, and some supportive funding through the government, I was able to get her into a new environment where no one knows who we are.

I pulled up to the school drop off zone and looked at Ember, seeing her looking down. "Hey, have a good first day, okay?"

Ember nodded, unbuckling herself and getting out of the car. "I love you." I added before she closed the door, walking toward the para calling out to her. I sighed, watching her go inside before heading to work.

Ember's Pov

It was homeroom and I was in the far back corner, sketching my dad, when a shadow loomed over me. I pulled the book closer to me, looking up and seeing a girl staring down at me; she had black hair and orange eyes, and a devilish smirk on her face.

"Whatcha drawing?" She asked.

"Nothing.." I muttered, quickly closing the book.

"Nuh uh-"

"Hey!" I reached toward the book that the girl yanked from my hands.

"You don't get to hide your secrets from me, new girl." She snarled, looking at the pages.

"Hey give that back!" I stood up, trying to yank the book from her.

"Oh my, who's this attractive man?" She teased, pointing at one of the sketches of Dad without his scars or piercings.

"That's my dad, now please-"

"Wait, you draw pictures of your dad? That's sad.." she scoffed, closing the book with one hand. "Do you have any other hobbies or just useless drawings? Or is that your Quirk- draw anything and it comes to life?"

"Look, I don't know you now please leave me alone!" I reached toward the book again, she holding out high above her head. "And give it back!"

"Or what, daddy's girl?" She smirked down at me. "What are you gonna do? Draw me to death?"

I was about to reach before seeing the book get snatched by a taller person. The homeroom teacher. "Miss Aoi, I suggest taking a seat unless you want to tell your father why you're in the principals office again." She warmed.

The girl rolled her eyes and walked away. The teacher waited until she was far enough before handing the book back to me. "I suggest keeping your sketches out of the classroom, Miss Ember." She had a gentleness to her tone.

"Yes, ma'am." I nodded, immediately putting the book back in my bag.