Almost one year later...

Therapist's office, 11:25.

"I am mostly pleased with your progress, Mr Todoroki. And you should be happy too. I know it hasn't been an easy way."

"Thank you, doctor" Endeavor said as he relaxed on his chair. "Retirement and family issues came to me abruptly, but I am doing my best. And today I have one last thing to do in headquearters."

"I know" the doctor smiled. "We are all looking forward to it."

Endeavor was in peace with the result he would announce that night. Shoto had surpassed him and now he was the head of his own family, which should be the dream of every self-respected father.

"Back to my family, I am glad I have been able to do things better. I'm afraid there is a lot left to do though..."

"Any news about your elder son?" the doctor asked in sincere concern. "Remember: everything you may share here shall remain confidential."

Endeavor looked down before answering. Touya was one of the most, if not the most, recurrent issues he needed treat on those sessions.

"We have been receiving some letters" he confessed. "Well, actually my wife has been receiving most of them. He doesn't give a clue about what he and his friends are doing next, but there are words for his mother, his siblings, and sometimes even for me. Not the nicest, but I am glad anyway. Ironically, Shoto is the one able to get closer to him" Endeavor held his breath everytime his two sons involved in a new hero versus villain fight, but the fact Shoto was saved by his brother last year kept his hope alive.

"And how are the new members of the family?"

Endeavor sighed. Rei and him were definitely having a new life as grandparents. After Fuyumi's and Natsuo's, the new baby twins made five grandchildren.

"I am more out of practice than I remembered," truth to be told, he didn't recall his old self feeding or changing diapers, "but I like to think of it as a second chance..."

The session was interrupted by a loud cry from the little chart next to the desk.

"Excuse me" Endeavor growled, as he bowed to see who was the singing voice  this time. The winner was the red haired boy.

"It's okay" the doctor waved his hand. "This shows how committed you are."

Those two babies' parents were loving and responsible, but also full time Pro Heroes, so grandparents' help was sometimes required.

As soon as Endeavor took the crying little boy and tried to calm him, he received a new phone notification: Rei needed reinforcements with the other kids.

"Sorry, I have to go. There is trouble at home."

"No problem. It's almost time anyway."

Endeavor got up to leave, but then the little black haired girl began to cry too. Bad signal. She didn't cry as often as the boy, but when she did...

When he checked her, he confirmed with an upset sigh what he already knew: the baby girl needed to be changed. Shoto's twins seemed to synchronize with each other to torment him. Their Dad would be proud.

Endeavor wouldn't complain though. He promised a long time ago he would atone for his past sins and put his family before anything else, and he would keep his word.

"The toilet is on the left" the doctor pointed. "See you next week, Mr Todoroki. Remember on Tuesday we'll start with the family therapy."

Endeavor remembered. That should be an interesting experience for any professional. Even for the doctor who once helped Katsuki Bakugou with his anger issues.

*****************

Heroes' headquarters, 19:30.

"Well, here we are at last!" an excited reporter said in front of the cameras. "Nine months ago, Endeavor announced his official retirement. Since then, the first position on the hero ranking has remained vacant, with various heroes disputing it. And finally, the Hero Commission has officially recognized a winner and it's ready to be announced... oh wait a second, please" the woman carried a hand to her ear to listen to what her colleagues had to announce. "Wait... he isn't here? What?" she asked in disbelief. "What do you mean he's not..."

The reporter looked back at the confused cameras and the crowd that stood there, cheering for their respective favorite heroes and particularly the name they all wanted to hear that day.

"Well... we have just been reported: All Might won't be joining us today" the reporter announced, only able to imagine the shock of the audience at home. "As you all know, he was meant to introduce the new Number One today, but he has declared he is urgently required someplace else... and asked Endeavor to take his place for tonight. He has refused to share further details..."

People before their televisions at home would be shocked for sure. The reporter wasn't less intrigued, but she was at work and show must go on. Luckily she was able to find and interview a couple of celebrities from whom the general public was always happy to know. Specially since they became parents.

The reporter almost squealed at the sight of Shoto and Creati's adorable twins.

"So, you excited about the result to be announced tonight?" she asked sharing her miscrophone.

"Not really" Momo answered, as she tenderly held their baby boy and petted his red hair. "I think we all know the result already. We are just here to share the occassion in family."

"But, Shoto, you have been among the favorites for years. And your father shared a long time rivalry with All Might, like yours with Deku and Dynamight. Why do you think he has accepted to replace him so easily tonight? Is everything okay?"

"There is no need to worry about" Todoroki said calmly, holding the black haired girl. "Heroes are always where they are needed the most. I can't tell you much more, but I assure right now All Might is in the right place. My father understands pretty well and that's why he's got him covered."

"But the people must know! What can be more important for the greatest of all time than this occassion??"

"Damn. And to think I'll have to explain to Bakugou..." Todoroki thought, as he looked at the baby girl like he was asking for some help.

Like a miracle, the baby girl started to squirm and cry, and her brother followed her.

"You'll have to excuse us" Momo apologized as they softly hushed their children and started to move on. "But we must take our seats."

In a matter of minutes, heroes, reporters and audience had their attention focused on the last person to hold the rank of Hero Number One, who was up on the stage.

Endeavor was never a show man like All Might or Present Mic, but he introduced the top ten heroes for that year the best he knew. He dedicated an honorable mention to Hawks, who recently left his work as a Pro Hero and wished him the best of lucks.

"The Hero Commission is rotten to the core, and I can't take it anymore" he had told him during the wedding. "After I survived in Tartarus, they got rid of evidence. They know I will soon try to expose them. I must be ready and step one is getting out of the public eye. Don't worry: I have plans for the future..."

Endeavor was intrigued, but that wasn't the place or time to think about it. It was the place and time to introduce his youngest son as one highest on the top and publically announce how proud he was of his son's deeds as a husband, a father, a hero and a new UA teacher.

Finally, the moment arrived to announce the new Hero Number One. The Symbol of Peace the people had already crowned time ago.

The crowd went ecstatic when the name "Deku" got out of Endeavor's mouth, announcing he would rightfully take the place once belonged to All Might.

"And now here comes the bomb..." he thought.

Endeavor was about to give the bad news, but then a big explosion was heard from the front line. It looked like Todoroki had just told the information to Bakugou.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE ISN'T COMING? All his freaking life dreaming with this moment... all we have worked and fought... all the headaches and problems he has given me... AND NOW HE ISN'T EVEN HERE!?!? WHERE IS THAT BLOODY AND SELFISH NERD RIGHT NOW!?!?!

Todoroki sighed and closed his eyes at his dumb mistake. He should have known better their friend and followed a different order to give him the news.

"What?!" The reporter cried in the distance, more talking to herself and to the audience. "Deku is officially the new Symbol of Peace, but we are seeing no All Might, no Uravity( who has been out of the public eye for months), and no Deku tonight?! What the hell is going on here? Where are those three?"

********************
The hospital, 20:10.

Deku had received the warning just some hours ago, when he was hundreds of kilometres away because of work, and now he was running the fastest he could on the opposite direction of the ceremony he had dreamed of all his life. Inko called and reported they needed him.

Ochako's parents and her mother in law had taken her to the hospital in a hurry. They were having some chill days in Atami, but the new member of the family had decided to come to the world earlier than expected.

Now she was on a bed, struggling with the pain every woman who is mother for the first time goes through, as her husband and her father held her hands tightly.

She had been pushing and sweating for hours, even before Deku arrived in a hurry, after crossing miles of land to be with his pregnant wife. Because of his speed, he practically brought the door down to enter, jumpscaring all the nurses around.

"Haaaah... haaaaah...haaah... AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"

"Breath, Ochako, breath! You are strong and you can do it!" Deku cried as he had his hand tritured by her grip.

"Oh my... it hurts so much!!! I don't know if he's coming out at all!!"

"Of course he is, dear!" her mother comforted her. "I know it is hard, but it will be worth of it!"

"Almost there, Mrs Midoriya!" the doctor announced. "Just a little more and the baby will be able to get out!"

"Deku... I'm sorry... the baby was supposed to come in a couple of weeks..." Ochako managed to say.

"Forget the ceremony!! Today I only care about you two!!" Deku replied as he caressed her forehead and later her belly.

That managed to melt Ochako in the middle of her pain. Those words would be a plus to encourage her and she kept pushing.

Ochako was doing it great and they came closer to the final push. However, then the alarm of the hospital began ringing. A nurse informed a villain that was meant to be treated on the low floor had woken up and now was irrationally destroying everything.

That could only be some Nomu. And there were no heroes on that hospital, like the doctor confirmed in terror.

"Deku... please... you have to stop that thing..."

"No way! I'm staying with you!" Deku refused. "You are my wife and you are giving birth!"

"Oh come on, I've got this!" Ochako declared, trying to look far less tired than she actually felt. "I am a hero and I've been through worse, you know!"

"Please, Mr Midoriya. We need your help" one of the nurses begged.

"But...!!"

"YOUNG MIDORIYA!"

"Please sir, this is a woman giving birth!  Only the father and close family!"

"It's okay!" Inko cried. "I called him too! Let him in!"

Ochako kept pushing and screaming harder than before, and for a second Deku could only wonder if he was seeing things when his long time mentor and childhood hero entered the room. The doctor, nurses and the rest of the people didn't look less surprised to see All Might trying to attend to a childbirth.

"Sorry, I came as fast as I could. Good to see you all again!" All Might looked like he had run all the way there too. "Now, Izuku..." he grabbed the hand Deku was refusing to let go at that moment, "... you are needed down there. Don't worry, I will support her for the final pushes. This child is important to all of us, after all."

"All Might... I..."

The sound of the chaos caused by the Nomu was getting closer and louder.

"I see the head!" the doctor reported. "Just a little more!"

"Just go, go, go!" All Might encouraged Deku.

"I'm okay, Izuku!!" Ochako yelled.

"Or I better be in a minute!!" she thought.

When his wife called him by his name, Deku knew no arguing would be allowed. Finally, Deku nodded and trusted his old teacher the last moments of support Ochako needed.

When he got out of the room, this Nomu was closer than he expected.

Good. The hero felt like punching that terrible timing enemy very hard.

*********************
Thirty minutes later...

"I'm sorry, really sorry..." Deku cleared his eyes as he nervously apologized to the nurses in the room. They were bringing more and more towels and moping the place after he flooded it with his tears.

"Don't worry, son. I did the same when you were born. Oh my, he is so beautiful..." Inko smiled at the true protagonist of that day once more before carefully returning it to his tired mother.

"Yes, he is. Right, you precious?" Ochako rubbed her nose against the cooing brown haired baby boy. His partially opened eyes were green and innocent like his father's, and his cheeks were very much like his mother's.

"Just like his mom" Deku let the infant grab his finger with his tiny hand.

"Oh, you should have seen him once he was out" Ochako teased. "He only stopped crying when he saw he couldn't compete with you."

"Excuse me, Mrs Midoriya" a nurse approached, as the little boy silently yawned. "We must take your son to the observation room. Both of you need to sleep now."

The new parents had just met their first child and already found hard to separate from him. However they agreed everyone would need to rest considering it was way past midnight, specially Ochako and the baby.

Deku carefully hugged and kissed his wife, before she quickly fell asleep. She had always been there for him. The girl who had given him so many priceless things since the very moment they met: smiles, encouragement, support, help, a life together... and now a child.

Like her husband, Ochako was the kind of person who never seemed to get tired of giving.

"Hikari, huh?" All Might asked him when master and pupil were out alone.

"Yes" Deku answered. "We chose it when we knew it would be a boy."

"It's a nice name."

"Thank you, All Might. After all these years, it's like you always find a new way of being my hero..."

"Well how could I missed the ocassion?" All Might asked. "That was my own hero's son who was being born there. Speaking of which, did you heard the news about...?"

" I had totally forgotten" Deku admitted. "But then Kacchan called and told me everything on the phone as nicely as he could."

"I'm sure he missed you a lot on the ceremony, like everybody else. But you were exactly where you must be, no matter how much you had expected to be there. This may come as nothing new, but I am really proud of you, Izuku."

"I knew a good role model for that" Deku responded with affection. "Jeez, now I am definitely starting a new life..."

"There is something else I wanted to tell you..." All Might said.

"Really? What is it?"

All Might had made his calculations. If the baby was born that date, it could only mean one thing: he was already being gestated by the time his mother was temporarily holding the power of One For All. And it remained a mystery how that would affect the young Hikari.

"All Might?" Deku asked again. "What is it?"

"Nevermind. It is not important right now" All Might said, after a second thought. "What matters now is that your son is here, healthy and about to grow up within a loving family."

"Yes" Deku was at a new level of happiness. "No matter what, I promise I will take care and protect my family. A family I want you to be a part of, All Might."

"I don't know. Am I not a bit young to be a grandfather?"

"As young as my mother" Deku smirked. "Come on, you are still my teacher. I might need some guidance as a family man who takes care of his kids."

"You know I have some new projects" All Might muttered. "But... fine. I'll stay near for a while."

The Sun was already rising outside. Like a childbirth, that always meant the beginning of something new for people who could see it. And heroes, younger or older, were no exception.

Parenthood was a challenge not even All Might could actually prepare Deku. But that wouldn't stop him or Ochako from being the best at what they had just become.

End of chapter 50.

Well. It took me a long time, but this is the end of the story. There will be an epilogue, but this is exactly what I wanted for Wedding Bells when I started writing it.

I promised this story would have an ending and... here it is.

Once more, I want to thank you all who kept reading for your patience, votes, comments and support. You have made this more enjoyable than I ever possibly imagined, my Watties.

P.D: the Todoroki twins and the name Hikari already appeared on the fanfic Hikari Midoriya: The Next Successor by RyanTheNerd. I liked that fanfic and I wanted to conclude my own with some reference to that universe.

Now I am at the end of the story, I
may need a new thing to fill my free time with XD. I would love to write a story with characters of my own someday.

But seriously, thanks a lot, guys. Lots of love for you.

If I write something new in the future, I hope you liked it too! See you 🧡🧡🧡!!!