"Who are you?" the boy asked. He had bright red hair and green eyes to match.
"I'm Gobber, who are you?" I asked, turning from watching my father barter with the village chief to talk to the other boy.
"I'm Stoic," the boy said in response, "My dad's the chief. What are you doing here?"
"Trading," I said, "What do you do around here for fun? This is going to take a while."
"Come on, I'll show you around," Stoic said, gesturing for me to follow him.
With a glance at my mother, who nodded assent, I ran after the other boy, a grin on my face.
...
"Gobber?" Stoic asked, laying next to me in the grass, looking up at the sky.
"Hm?" I responded, looking at my friend. He seemed worried about something, it worried me, unused to seeing Stoic so serious.
"Do you have someone back on your island? A girl?"
I laughed, "Is that really what's got you worried? No, I've no intrest in girls."
"But you said that you want a family some day," Stoic protested, sitting up and looking down at me.
"I do, that doesn't mean I have to like girls," I said with a grin. "I just have to find the right man."
"Intresting," Stoic said with a grin, "Have you found the right man yet?"
"I think I have," I replied with a grin of my own. "He's...strong, brave, stubborn. But I wouldn't have him any other way."
Stoic nodded, intruged. "I take it you know him well?"
"Almost better than I know myself," I said, crossing my arms under my head. "He's from Berk too."
Stoic nodded, a thoughtful look in his eyes. "You really aren't that close to anyone here on Berk...other than me?" Stoic asked.
I nodded, putting on hand on the back of his neck and pulling Stoic down to meet me in a kiss.
"A-are you serious Gobber?" Stoic asked, pulling away.
"Of course I am Stoic," I said with an easy grin, "I've never had a easy time making friends, but you accepted me right away. It's always been you, no one else could hold a candle up to you."
Stoic gave me another kiss, deeper and more firy than the first. "I wish I had been there to help with this," he said regretfully, running one finger along the edge of my prostitic arm.
"Don't worry about it," I said, pulling Stoic down for another kiss. "As long as you're here from now on."
"I promise," Stoic said, sealing the promise with the best kiss yet.
...
"What was that Stoic?" I asked, burning with rage and sorrow.
"I didn't do anything Gobber," Stoic protested, "She kissed me! I was trying to get her off me when you came in."
"I knew it was too good to be true," I muttered, turning away from Stoic. "I hope you two are happy together."
"Gobber," Stoic said, grabbing my arm. "Nothing happened, I swear. Just like I promised you that I would always be here for you."
"Don't lie to me Stoic," I said, breaking out of his grasp. "I'm going home, don't try to stop me."
...
"Is he okay?" Stoic's voice was the first thing that broke through the haze that filled my mind.
"I think so," the Berk healer, Jess, said, "He'll be weak when he wakes, if he pulls through though. We'll be lucky if he makes it through the night. I'll leave you to say your goodbyes."
"Damn it Gobber," Stoic said, I felt him sit next to the bed and take my hand. "I know you were mad, but you didn't have to take that Nightmare on alone. Now I might lose you. I-I can't lose you Gobber. Y-you're the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I-I love you so much."
"I love you too Stoic," I mumbled, squeezing his hand.
"Gobber! You're awake," Stoic cried, throwing his arms around me, "Thank Odin, I thought you were gone."
"You're not getting rid of me that easliy," I said.
"I know that," Stoic muttered, "But you didn't see yourself. Just laying there. I thought you were dead. You lost a lot of blood."
"We'll be fine Stoic," I said, "Don't worry."
"I'm sorry," Stoic said, "For that thing with Valhallarama. It was my fault, I should have realized what it would look like."
"Don't be, I was just being jelous, I should have realized that you would never do that. I was just being an idiot," I said.
"I'm the idiot. It was my fault."
"I think we could argue about this forever," I said with a laugh. "Let's just blame it on the Nightmare."
"Good idea," Stoic said with a laugh. "I love you."
"I love you too," I said, giving Stoic a kiss.
...
"Gobber, are you okay?" Stoic asked, knocking on the door to the bathroom.
"Yeah," I said, opening the door, seeing Stoic standing worriedly on the other side. "Don't worry, I'm fine."
"Gobber," Stoic said, giving me a look that told me that he didn't beleive me.
"I'm fine Stoic. Perfect even," I said, giving him a smile. "Remember what we were talking about when we first got together?"
"Having a family," Stoic said promptly. "Are you saying you're...?"
I nodded, "I am. I found out yesterday."
Stoic let out a whoop, grabbing my hands and spinning both of us in circles. "This is great Gobber!"
"I know it is," I said, laughing at my husband's antics. "It's fantastic."
...
"How is he?" I asked worriedly.
"Small," Stoic said, "He's weak. But he's a fighter, Jess is worried he won't make it through the night."
"He will," I said, determined. "No son of ours is going to give up so easily. Not if he's anything like you."
Stoic sat down on the bed next to me. "It's worse than when you lost your leg. He's so weak, and young, we barely even know him yet, we can't lose him now."
"We won't Stoic," I said, taking his hand in mine. "He's our little boy, part of both of us. And we're the most stubborn Vikings who ever lived. He'll make it through this."
...
"What are we going to name him?" I asked, holding our son as he slept.
"I don't know," Stoic said, looking over my shoulder at the baby. "He's so small."
"What about Hiccup?" I asked, running one finger along his cheek. "He's so fragile, I'm afraid I'm going to break him."
"Hiccup's a good name," Stoic said softly. "He's stronger than he looks Gobber, just like his Poppa."
I hummed in agreement, leaning my head against Stoic's chest. "Our little Hiccup."
...
"Poppa?" Hiccup asked, sitting down at the table for lunch. "How come I don't have a mommy?"
"You don't need one Hiccup," I said, trying to keep my tone light. "You have me and Daddy. Why would you need a mommy?"
"All my friends have mommies," Hiccup said softly. "Snoutlout said that only weirdos don't have mommies."
"Well Snotlout needs to learn to keep his mouth shut," I said, "If you ask me, Snoutlout is the weirdo, not you."
"But I'm the only one who doesn't have a mommy. Astrid has one, Fishlegs has one, the twins have one. It's just me," Hiccup said. "They already don't like me. I don't want anything else to make me weird."
"Hiccup," I said, pulling him into my lap. "You aren't weird, you are special, you are unique. You have two parents that love you, and that's all you really need, isn't it?"
"I guess so," Hiccup said, snuggling into me closer. "When is the baby going to be born?"
"Not for a couple more months," I said, giving him one last squeeze and setting him down on the floor, why don't you go play?"
"Okay Poppa," Hiccup said, running towards his room to play with some of the wooden toys Stoic had made for him.
I looked after Hiccup for a minute, worrying my bottom lip. I had never thought of the effects this would have on Hiccup. Berk was so much diffrent than my home island, back there you could have two dads and no one would judge you any diffrently. Sighing I rubbed my belly where the baby was kicking and stood up to do a bit of work before Stoic got home.
...
"Gobber?" Stoic asked, standing in the doorway of our bedroom.
"Something's wrong," I ground out between my teeth. "It's not like last time. Get Jess."
"Will you be okay while I'm gone?" Stoic asked, hesitent to leave.
"Go!" I said, groaning as another contraction hit.
...
"Poppa?" Hiccup asked, standing in the doorway, just like Stoic had a few hours before. "Are you okay?"
"Come here Hic," I said, patting the bed next to me.
Hiccup ran into the room, carefully climbing onto the bed and snuggling into my side. "What happened? Where'd the baby go?"
"Odin called her to Valhalla to be with him," I said softly, running my hand through Hiccup's hair.
"When can I see her?" Hiccup asked.
"You won't baby boy," I said, "Not for a long time at least. She's with Odin."
"Why?" Hiccup asked, finally realizing what I was saying.
"I don't know baby. Maybe Odin desided she would be a good bride for Thor when she grows up. So it's just gonna be you, me, and Daddy."
"I miss her," Hiccup mumbled, burrying his face in my shoulder.
"I miss her too Hic," I said, wrapping one arm around his shoulder.
...
"Poppa? Can I tell you a secret?" Hiccup asked a light in his eyes that I had never seen before, at least, not since his sister died. It had effected him stronger than I had thought it would effect a five year old.
"Of course Hic," I said, looking up from the new weapon desiens I had been working on. Stoic had just left to try and find the dragons' nest, leaving Hiccup and I to our own devices for a few weeks.
"Promise not to tell?"
"Promise," I said with a chuckle.
"I found something in the woods, something that's going to help me with the dragons. I'll be the best in the class!"
"You already were going to be," I said, ruffling Hiccup's hair with my hand, "You always do your best Hic, that's all Dad and I ask."
"I know," Hiccup said, smiling. "I've got to go, lots to do."
...
"Did you know about this Gobber?" Stoic asked, pacing the deck of the ship, glaring at the dragon bound at the front.
"He was happy Stoic, happier than I've seen him since he was five. He said he found something in the woods, something that would help him in dragon training. I didn't think it was a pet dragon though. I've not seen him that happy since I lost her. If we do this, we'll lose him again. This time for good."
Stoic rubbed his face roughly, "I can't not do this Gobber. I promised the men that we would find the nest, if I don't do my best...you know what they'll do."
"But what's more important to you?" I asked quietly, "Your position or our son?"
"I'm doing this for him," Stoic said, "If they try to get rid of me, they'll come to the house. Hiccup would be there, and he could get hurt, or even killed, if things got too far out of hand. I'm doing what's best for him."
"I'm not so sure," I said softly, watching Stoic as he paced again.
...
"How's he doing?" I asked, sitting next to Stoic, next to Hiccup's bed.
"He's a bit better, been stiring a bit. Toothless' anxious too. It shouldn't be much longer. I can't beleive we almost lost him," Stoic said, a sob tearing from his throat.
"It'll be okay," I said, taking his hand in mine. "He's strong. Always has been."
Stoic shook his head, burrying his face in his free hand. "It's all my fault. I should have trusted him."
"You couldn't have known. Toothless is a dragon, we'd been taught to hate and kill them. It's not your fault."
"Dad?" Hiccup's voice was hoarse, "Poppa?"
"Hiccup, how do you feel?" I asked, turning to him instantly while Stoic composed himself.
"Like I was run over by a wild yak," Hiccup said, his voice a bit stronger, sitting up.
"Do you remember what happened son?" Stoic asked.
"We-we were fighting the dragons. Where's Toothless?" Hiccup asked, looking around frantically. "He's not dead, is he?"
Toothless sat up from where he was on the other side of the bed, resting his head on Hiccup's lap.
"Hey bud," Hiccup said, stroking the dragons head, a smile growing on his face. "I'm glad you're okay."
The dragon churred, closing his eyes, a dragon's approximation of a smile on his face.
Hiccup wrapped his arms around the dragon's head, he really hadn't been this happy in a long time, five years.
...
"Poppa, are you okay?" Hiccup asked, worried, as I heaved up everything I had eaten for the tenth day in a row.
"I'm fine," I said, getting up and cleaning myself off a bit.
"I don't like seeing you so sick," Hiccup said. "I haven't seen you so sick in a long time."
"Don't worry Hiccup, everything will be fine," I said with a smile. "In nine months."
"Months?" Hiccup said, the worry growing in his eyes, "Why months? Wait nine? Are you...?"
"I am," I said with a smile, "Don't tell your father yet though. I'm not ready to tell him yet."
Hiccup nodded with a smile, bouncing excitedly. "I've got to go check on Toothless. See you at dinner!" he said, giving me a quick hug and running out of the house.
...
"Are they okay?" Hiccup asked worriedly from the door.
"Come in and see for yourself," Stoic said with a soft smile.
Hiccup entered quietly, coming to the side of the bed and looking at the baby in my arms. "She's so tiny," he said softly.
"You were smaller," I said, "I thought I was going to break you if I even looked at you."
Hiccup laughed. "What's her name?"
"Erika."