The sun shone brightly through the gaps of the dark green curtains. Brushing the mounds of red hair from her face, Merida rose slowly, stretching and yawning away her sleep. Slipping on her slippers, she rose from her bed and made her way to the restroom, the coldness of the room making the hairs on her arms stand on end. She brushed her teeth, gave one look of disdain to her wild hair, and then made her way out of the room. It was Christmas morning, and judging from the still quiet of the apartment, her roommate was still asleep. Merida walked into the living room, smiling as she caught a glimpse of some poorly-wrapped presents sitting next to the much nicer ones she'd placed under the tree the night before. It was ten minutes after Merida had awakened that her roommate joined her in the kitchen, startling her while she was in the middle of making hot chocolate.

"Yer awake! Before noon!" Merida remarked.

Hiccup smiled, rolling his eyes, opening a cabinet door and picking out his favorite mug. "No jokes this early in the morning, Mer. Not before my chocolate fix," Hiccup muttered, his voice deep and gruff from sleep. He held his mug out, and Merida took it. The two maneuvered around the kitchen in a quiet, clumsy harmony, Hiccup making waffles and Merida preparing the hot chocolate for both of them. After their breakfast was prepared, they both silently marched to the living room, sitting on the floor with their backs to the couch.

They watched The Nightmare Before Christmas in comfortable silence, neither one of them paying attention to the fact that they were sitting so close together their arms were touching, or at least they pretended they didn't notice.

"Well, I guess we can't put it off any longer," Hiccup said once the movie ended and they had both finished their breakfast. "Time to open presents!"

They huddled under the tree, and Merida noted that his hands seemed to be shaking. They exchanged the first of three presents, and Merida eagerly unwrapped the first one. Lifting the lid off the box, Merida burst out laughing, holding out a pair of fluffy bear slippers.

"Oh mah god, Hic, Ah love them!" She exclaimed, kicking off her old slippers and slipping on the new ones. Hiccup smiled, a light blush coating his cheeks as he unwrapped Merida's gift. Hiccup smiled as he pulled out a small cat collar with the name 'Toothless' engraved into it.

"This is...thank you," he said, setting it gently aside.

They both opened the second gift at the same time, an unspoken race happening to see which one could unwrap their gift the fastest.

"A sweater and rain booties for Angus," Merida laughed, holding up a green sweater and small, red rain boots. Meanwhile, Hiccup was in the process of putting on the new pair of motorcycle gloves Merida had gotten him. He clenched and unclenched his fists, testing out the fit. Seeming satisfied, he smiled at her and then took them off.

With their third and last presents in hand, they stared each other off, and then both began unwrapping furiously. Merida gasped, meanwhile Hiccup stilled. Merida held a small, velvet box in her hand, a silver arrow necklace with the word 'Fate' engraved on it rested neatly inside. Hiccup held shakily in his hands a fully restored watch. His dad's watch, that had been broken in the car crash that had killed his dad two years ago.

"Ah knew ye wanted to fix it, but never had the time because of yer job, so...Ah went ahead and got it fixed for ye," Merida said slowly. Hiccup set the watch aside, gently, and then grabbed Merida's shirt, pulling her towards him onto his lap and into a crushing hug. Merida wrapped her arms around him, with no intent of letting go, and said nothing. They stayed like that for who knows how long, until Hiccup's sniffing subsided, and he slowly released her. Merida leaned back enough to see his face, and she carefully wiped the tears that were still running down his face. Their eyes locked, and blush began to cover Merida's freckled cheeks.

"Ah-" was all Merida was able to get out before Hiccup leaned in, bringing their lips together. The kiss was gentle, because they both knew there was no need to rush. Hiccup's right hand wrapped around Merida's waist, while his other hand gently caressed her face. They were both so afraid to ruin the moment, their movements slow and careful. They had waited for so long for this moment to happen, and now that it was here, words couldn't describe the feeling. It was like they had been drowning in their longing, and now, they could finally breathe. Just then the bell rang, and they both pulled away, smiles broad on both their faces.

"I think that's Jack and Rapunzel," Hiccup said.

"They're early," Merida pointed out.

"Curse Rapunzel's punctuality," Hiccup laughed. Merida rose to her feet, extending her hand to Hiccup, helping him up to his feet. They walked to the door together, their hands still entwined.

…

Hiccup thought the scariest day had been the day of his accident. He could still vividly remember riding in the back of the ambulance, the paramedics struggling to keep him from losing consciousness. Death was all he could think about, and how he was not ready to go yet, he still wasn't finished.

But he had been wrong. The scariest day had been the day he received a call from Rapunzel. He had been at home, pacing back and forth while Jack tried his hardest to calm him down.

"Merida does this all the time, Hic, you know that. She most likely got carried away at the archery range" Jack repeated once again.

"I know that, but this is different! We were talking, she had just gotten out of her car, she was talking and then mid-sentence she was cut off by a loud thud, and then the call cut off. I have a bad feeling about this, Jack."

Jack sighed, standing up and walking towards him. Grabbing hold of Hiccup's shoulder, Jack led him to the couch. "Listen, man, if she's not back by eight then I'll call Rapunzel and then we can all go looking for her. But until then, you need to relax, all of this stress is just going to give you gray hairs."

Hiccup gave Jack and his silver hair a look, before nodding and leaning back against the couch. Jack was about to sit down too when his phone rang. Hiccup watched as Jack answered, a puzzled look crossing his pale face, and then Jack handed the phone over to Hiccup.

"It's Punz, she says its urgent," Jack said, his voice quiet. He sat next to Hiccup, facing him as Hiccup placed the phone to his ear and spoke.

"What is it?"

"Hic, it's Merida," her voice cracked, and Hiccup's heart felt like it had plummeted down a ten-story building.

"She arrived ten minutes ago, she's in bad shape, get over here now."

Hiccup wasted no time hanging up and marching over to where his keys were hanging.

"Woah, Hiccup, wait!" Jack rushed over, slamming his hand on the front door near Hiccup's face. "What did she say?"

"Merida arrived at the E.R. ten minutes ago while Punz was on her shift, and she's in bad shape," Hiccup breathed out. Jack's pale face seemed to grow paler, and he snatched the keys from Hiccup's hand.

"I'm driving," was all he said.

The drive, while only ten minutes, felt like it stretched on and on. And then all of a sudden, they were there, and Hiccup was rushing inside, his green eyes scanning the various beds inside the E.R. His attention was drawn to a certain bed where doctors and nurses were crowded around someone. Amongst the various medical staff, Hiccup spotted Rapunzel's blonde hair. He was about to rush over when Jack placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You need to let them work, Hiccup," he said, his voice more serious than Hiccup had ever heard it. Hiccup nodded, and turned again to watch the doctors scurry around Merida.

"She's coding! Crash cart!" Rapunzel ordered.

Two nurses scurried off to bring the crash cart, allowing Hiccup to glimpse his girlfriend's bloody body. He watched Rapunzel rip open her shirt, and then grabbing the defibrillator paddles. Merida's heart monitor was flatlining, and the only thing holding Hiccup up was Jack's arm around his shoulders. Hiccup's sight blurred with tears, blurring the sight of Merida's body lurching from the defibrillator shock. In between shocks, Rapunzel's eyes locked with Hiccup's. He nodded silently, letting her know she needed to continue.

By the fifth shock, tears were running freely down Hiccup and Jack's faces, and then they heard another doctor say, "I think it's time to call it, Dr. Corona."

"No!" Rapunzel said. She abandoned the paddles, and then began slamming her fist down on Merida's chest. "You don't get to die today, Merida. Not today!" She cried out, and with one last slam of her fist, Merida's heart monitor began beeping again.

"Heart rate's back up!" A nurse exclaimed.

"Perfect, we'll go ahead and take her to the O.R. now. Dr. Corona, you're done, you're too close to this," Rapunzel's superior said, and Rapunzel nodded, watching them wheel Merida away. Once the elevator doors closed, with Merida and the team of doctors inside, Rapunzel rushed over to her two best friends, all three of them sharing a tight group hug where they all let out their anguished and worried sobs. They had always been a group of four, but tonight, they all became aware of how close they were of becoming a group of three.

…

Merida spent seven hours in surgery. It was a quick and clean surgery, and she had no complications. Merida has received two stab wounds to her abdomen, as well as a minor concussion from blunt force trauma to her head, and a broken hand from most likely punching someone.

Hiccup, Jack, and Rapunzel were finally allowed to go in and see her the following morning. Merida was still unconscious, but stable. They all pushed chairs around her bed, Hiccup on one side, and Jack and Rapunzel on the other. They didn't mean to, but they all eventually fell asleep after a night of worrying and pacing. Hiccup jerked up a few hours later to the sound of squealing.

"You're awake!" Rapunzel shouted as she wrapped her arms around her best friend.

"Ow, lass, Ah just had surgery, have mercy. "

Rapunzel backed up, apologizing profusely, only for her place to be taken by Jack, who hugged Merida more carefully. Once he pulled away, they all looked towards Hiccup.

"You...you scared the shit out of me," Hiccup said, and sitting down on the bed and cupping Merida's face, kissing her with more force than he should have been using.

"Ookay, Punz and I are going to go pick up some food," Jack said, wrapping an arm around Rapunzel and leading her out of the room.

"I thought I was going to lose you too," Hiccup breathed once they kiss ended, resting his forehead against hers.

Merida actually laughed at that. "Ye aren't getting rid of me that easily."

"Mer," Hiccup pulled away. "What happened?"

Merida's smile vanished.

"Mor'du."

Hiccup's eyes widened.

"Y-your stalker? He did this?"

Merida nodded. "He snuck up on me while Ah was talking to ye on the phone. He put me in the trunk of his car and drove me who knows where. Ah woke up while he was trying to take me out of the car. Ah clocked him in the nose, and in return he stabbed me. A man walking his dog saw him, though, and he called 911 while Mor'du ran off. Ah lost consciousness before the paramedics arrived."

Hiccup was so angry he could barely sit still, but Merida's hands gripping his is what calmed him.

"I thought the police had already arrested him."

Merida shook her head, "He must've gotten out, or something..."

Tears began to run down Merida's cheeks, and Hiccup wrapped his arms around her. "You're okay now, Mer. I'm here, Jack and Rapunzel are here, and we're not going to let anything happen to you. We're all going to take care of you," Hiccup whispered, and Merida could only cling to him harder. She was safe, and with her friends beside her, she knew she'd be okay.

…

Merida's first time back at the archery range was...well, special, in a way she couldn't have ever imagined. It was her and Hiccup's three-year anniversary, and Hiccup had surprised her with a brand-new bow.

"I took a carpentry class and learned how to make one," Hiccup said excitedly that morning as Merida inspected the bow. It was a beautifully crafted, and Merida was incredibly touched. She usually found it hard to find the right words to express her feelings, so she only embraced Hiccup tightly, and that was enough.

Now, a blindfolded Merida exited the car slowly, clutching the hand of her guide, Rapunzel, tightly. Rapunzel led Merida all the way to the spot on the field where Hiccup and Jack were waiting. Rapunzel placed Merida in the right spot, handed over her new bow and an arrow, and then told her to aim.

Merida hesitated, but aimed none the less. In one quick swoop, Rapunzel took off Merida's blindfold. Merida blinked several times as she waited for her eyes to get used to the brightness of the day. Soon enough, her eyes adjusted, and she was able to make out the neatly-drawn words, "Will you marry me?" On a piece of paper taped to a target, with two checkboxes underneath the fancy words, one for yes, one for no. Merida froze for a split second, the weight of the words having not sunk in yet, and then she looked behind her. Hiccup had gotten down on one knee, a little black velvet box in one hand, and behind him, Jack and Rapunzel stood, Jack holding a video-camera in his hands.

"Merida DunBroch, will you-" Merida wasted no time in setting her eyes on the target again and releasing the arrow. It landed squarely in the middle of the checkbox 'yes'. Hiccup let go of the breath he'd been subconsciously holding, and stood up to meet Merida, who had discarded of her bow and was walking towards him, halfway. He took her in his harms and spun them around, somehow surprised that she'd actually said yes. Merida on the other hand was both terrified and exhilarated.

Cheers erupted from both Jack and Rapunzel, and after Hiccup placed the ring on her finger, they all marched off together to a celebratory dinner.

…

"Are ye sure Ah look okay? This isn't too much?" Merida asked Rapunzel, signaling to her entire body as she stood in front of the mirror, her best friend and maid of honor right next to her.

"You look beautiful," Rapunzel reassured her, wrapping an arm around her and squeezing tightly. Merida breathed deeply, she wasn't used to looking this...nice. Of course, she'd gone on fancy dates with Hiccup and everything before, but this was different. She wasn't just wearing some tight cocktail dress that was going to be discarded carelessly later on in the night, this was her wedding dress, the most important dress she'd ever wear in her life. She felt...so unlike herself, but somehow, that wasn't a bad thing. Smiling at her reflection, Merida turned away and walked over the couch that was next to the window, managing to sit down with all of the fluffy tulle that made up the skirt of her dress, while waiting for her wedding planner to signal that it was time to walk down the aisle.

The room was quiet, as Merida had after all only asked for Rapunzel and Rapunzel only. The silence, however, was soon disrupted by a series of loud and rapid knocks. Rapunzel sprung from her seat, the skirts of her dark green dress flowing as she walked, and opened the door to reveal Merida's parents standing there.

"Mum! Dad!" Merida rose from her seat and ran into the arms of her awaiting parents. They fawned over her and how proud they were up until Merida's weeding planner came in and announced that it was finally time for the bride to walk down the aisle. Rapunzel quickly scurried off to fetch the bouquets, meanwhile Elinor walked out to find a seat, and Fergus waited by the door.

"Ready?" Rapunzel asked as she handed Merida her bouquet.

"Ye bet yer arse Ah am. Let's do this!" Merida exclaimed as she followed Rapunzel out of the room, where Fergus waited to take his only daughter's hand to walk her down the aisle. The ceremony went by in a blur, and before she knew it, Merida was marching out of the chapel with Hiccup by her side, Jack and Rapunzel following closely behind. All four of them got on one car and they drove off to the reception, the rest of the guests not far behind. Once in the car, it finally dawned on Merida that she was no longer Merida DunBroch, but instead she was now Mrs. Merida Haddock. It felt weird, to say the least, but she still found herself smiling at the mere thought of it.

…

"Ah like the name Henry," Merida piped up from her spot on the couch.

"It's too common, though," Hiccup added as he walked back into the living room, lifting Merida's feet to allow room for him to sit. "I like the name Ethan," he said, placing her feet on top of his thighs as he handed her the bowl of pretzels. Merida made a face, and Hiccup laughed, "Fine, I guess we can scratch that one off."

"What if it's a girl?" Merida asked, tearing her eyes away from the tv to look at Hiccup. Hiccup looked back at her. Her hair was in a messy bun, and her skin looked glowy from that pregnant glow all women seemed to have. She looked like Merida, but more. Hiccup didn't know how to make sense of it. A cold toe tapped his cheek, and he realized he'd zoned out.

"If...it'ss a girl...I like the name Alana?"

Merida pondered it over, with a pretzel hanging in between her teeth. She smiled, and nodded. "Ah like it."

Hiccup grinned, and then turned his attention back on the tv. It was a Friday evening. Friday evenings had once been...crazy, to put it shortly. One time, Hiccup had come home to find a paintball gun placed neatly on the porch, with a note saying, "Whoever loses pays for dinner" stuck on the handle. By the end of it all, despite the mess, they hadn't broken a thing, and thankfully, for Hiccup, Merida had only been craving sushi that night.

Friday nights now were quiet. Calm. Instead of paintball gun fights, they had movie night, or they invited Jack and Rapunzel, who lived next door, over for game night, or sleepovers. Their routines were changing, but Hiccup didn't mind.

"Hic," Merida said as she poked his face with her toe again. Hiccup looked over at her again, most of her face was hidden behind the bowl of pretzels. "Ah need to use the restroom."

Hiccup gently dropped Merida's feet to the floor, and then got up to stand before her. Her hands were already outstretched, and she grinned at Hiccup as he lifted her to her feet. "Ah could get used to this."

Hiccup snorted, "What? Me lifting you off the couch?"

Merida nodded and shrugged as she waddled to the restroom, Hiccup right next her with his hand on the small of her back, "That, and ye bringing me food."

Hiccup laughed and shook his head, "Enjoy it while it lasts, once Alana is born we probably won't have a quiet Friday night again."

"Ye seem sure it's a girl."

Now it was Hiccup who shrugged, "call it my manly intuition."

Merida's laugh echoed as she entered the restroom, and she rolled her eyes at him. "No peeking," she warned as she shut the door on her husband's grinning face.

"Oh on, God forbid I lay my eyes on any of that," Hiccup called out from outside the restroom. A soft thump hit the door, and he could only guess it was Merida throwing a roll of toilet paper at it to shut him up.

"If ye don't shut up, ye'll be sleeping on the couch," he heard her muffled voice call. He laughed, just as the doorbell rang. Hiccup's body tensed up. They weren't expecting anybody, which meant it was either Jack, Rapunzel, or a stranger.

"Hey, I'll be right back," he called.

"Okay," he heard her call back. Her voice was shaky, and it only made him angry. A few years back, when Merida and Hiccup had first moved into the house, Mor'du had rung their doorbell. Merida had been home alone, and when she'd answered, Mor'du had tried to force his way in. Thankfully, Jack had been home, and he was at their porch within seconds, hauling Mor'du away from Merida and clocking him in the face. Hiccup remembered coming home to two cop cars sitting on his driveway. One officer was taking Merida's, another one took Jack's, and another pushed Mor'du into the backseat of the car. Hiccup remembered feeling both furious and terrified as her ran over to his wife.

He shook the memory away, though, as he looked through the peephole to see Jack and Rapunzel standing outside. He let out a sigh of relief and opened the door, letting them inside.

"Where's Merida?" Rapunzel asked as soon as they were inside.

"Here," Merida said, waddling into the living room. "What's up."

Jack and Rapunzel both looked anxious. Rapunzel was bouncing on her feet, and Jack kept messing with his hair. "Well, we have something to tell you," he said.

"Uh, yeah, we can figure as much," Hiccup said as Merida came to stand next to him.

"Spit it out, lass," she said to Rapunzel.

"I'm pregnant and we want you guys to be the godparents!" The hyper blonde blurted out. Screams pf "Oh my god," and "Congratulations" erupted from Hiccup and Merida as they all came together in a group hug.

"We don't have any alcohol in the house at the moment, but we do have some CapriSun we could toast with," Hiccup said as they all walked into the kitchen.

"You got strawberry kiwi?" Jack asked as he pulled out a chair for Merida and Rapunzel.

"You know it!" Hiccup called as he rummaged through the fridge. He came back with four CapriSuns, setting them on the table. They all grabbed their own, and once their straws were set in, they toasted.

"To babies," Hiccup said.

"And sex!" Jack chimed in, which earned him a swat on the arm from Rapunzel.

"Well, he's not wrong," Merida said as they all drank from their tiny straws.

…

"Ah can't believe she'll be turning one tomorrow," Merida said as she brushed her daughter's red hair.

"I know, it's like only yesterday we were bringing her home from the hospital," Hiccup replied as he slipped her tiny socks on her feet. Alana gurgled as she brought her dad's toothbrush to her mouth, chewing on it happily.

"She's so...calm. Are babies supposed to be this calm?"

Hiccup shrugged, "Maybe she gets it from me."

"Yeah, besides yer green eyes, personality might be the only other thing she gets from ye."

"A perfect combination."

Once Merida finished brushed her hair, they both stepped back to watch their daughter's reflection on the mirror. She had Merida's hair, except more wavy than curly, and her fair skin. Her eyes were green, and big, and they were always roaming around the room, taking in everything.

"We did a good job," Merida said, and Hiccup nodded. They looked at each other and smiled, they'd been together for eight years now, and they had been the best eight years of their lives. Hiccup held his hand up and they high fived each other, laughing while their daughter watched them through the bathroom mirror.

So, this is a present for my dear friend Lola. I haven't written Mericcup in a long time, so I apologize if it's a bit wack. Anyways, Merry Christmas!