Here's part three! Please enjoy!


"So, did the hot guy call you yet?"

"Ruff, I've met him twice. I can't really judge someone that fast."

The lanky blonde rolled her eyes. "Oh, god, Lawyer Astrid strikes again. Leave your 'I need all the evidence' head and go back to your tenth grade self for a minute. Is he hot?"

"Well, I-"

"It's a simple yes or no question." Ruff shook her spoon at her friend.

"Rachel-"

"Do. Not. Call. Me. Rachel." Ruff warned, scraping the last of the ice cream out of the bowl with her spoon. "Is he hot?"

"Stop,"

"Is he hot?"

"Quit it."

"Is he hot?"

"I don't have to answer to you."

"Is he hot?"

"Fine, maybe. He's certainly attractive."

"Good, we're getting somewhere. On a scale from cute to hot damn, where does he stand?"

Astrid tilted her head a bit. "I don't know. Handsome?"

"That's not on the list, Astrid!"

"Your list is ridiculous!"

Ruff rolled her eyes and stood, grabbing both of their bowls and going to the sink. "He has a kid?"

"Yes. She's probably four or five."

"Wedding ring?"

"No, but that doesn't mean he isn't dating someone."

"What's his name again?"

"Henry."

Ruff snorted. "Sounds like a geek. Glasses?"

"No, no glasses."

"Suspenders and khaki pants?"

"Now you're just describing my high school nightmare."

"Glad to know some part of you's still in there, As. I was starting to get worried." Ruff plopped back down on the couch so dramatically that Sierra jumped from her spot on the couch and moved to her dog bed in the corner, her head held high.

"What do you mean?"

Ruff shrugged. "Ever since you went to college, you changed. You have like a one track mind. It's like all business and being a lawyer anymore. That school brainwashed you, I swear."

"Being a lawyer isn't exactly easy, you know. Neither is studying to be one." It had been a lot of hard work and a lot of school, but there she was, in her own apartment in the nice part of town with a very well-paying job.

"Puh-lease, don't use that excuse on me. Fish is a fricking doctor and he's still Fish. We're still in our twenties for god's sake, you should be looking for guys or something, not sitting in the dark watching fourties movies in black and white with your dog like some lonely old cougar lady or something."

Astrid snorted at that. "Did you just compare me to a cougar?"

"That or a mother who's kids all moved away."

Astrid shook her head. "I don't have time for guys. I have a job to do."

"That's not it. Mike humiliated you in senior year by dumping you at the homecoming game and you still haven't recovered. You have Post-Buttheaded-Boyfriend-Syndrome. Although, usually people get over it in less than five years. You're going on eight."

Had it really been that long since she went on a date? Shoot, maybe she was a boring old lady.

But it wasn't because of Mike. Sure, he was a butt, but she wasn't afraid.

"I miss sleeping over your house and staying up until five a.m. giggling about boys. Where'd that Astrid go?"

"Puberty ended and so did that phase." Astrid waved her hand. "You're talking like I'm the only one of us without a steady boyfriend. You're single."

"Am not. Snot and I are just taking a break."

"You guys have been off and on again since eighth grade."

"But he's still technically my boyfriend."

"Whatever you say, Ruff."

"My best friend is a twenty six year old virgin who's only ever had two boyfriends and one of them was in middle school so it hardly counts and she acts like she's forty. God help me."

Astrid opened her mouth to protest but Ruff cut her off.

"If you try to argue with me on the virgin thing, I will beat you senseless with this pillow." Ruff picked up the maroon pillow that was beside her on the couch.

"I do not act like I'm forty!"

"Then go to a bar or something. Get out of the house."

"Gross, no. And anyway, I have work in the morning."

"Whoop, there it is."

"Ruff-"

"Fine, sorry. Just promise me you'll call that geek alright?"

"I can't. I gave him my number and he hasn't called me."

"How long ago was this?"

"I don't know, a few days."

Ruff face-palmed.


Laila climbed up onto her father's bed. He was reading a book, looking completely absorbed in it. She didn't particularly want to bother him, but she had been thinking a lot about a question she had for him. And she really wanted to know the answer.

Toothless picked his head up when the bed shifted under Laila's weight.

Henry reached over absently to pat him.

"Daddy?" Laila asked quietly, sitting back on her legs near her father's knees. She had her most favorite toy, a stuffed dragon, tucked in her arms.

Henry looked up and smiled. "Hey, Princess. I thought you were playing with your doll."

"I was, but I want to ask you something."

Her father put the book down and looked at her expectantly.

"Do I have to go to school tomorrow?"

He frowned and reached over to brush hair off her forehead. "No, Laila. You don't."

"Good."

The next day was her preschool's Mother's Day party. She would've gone with her grandmother had she not had something already planned. If Laila went, she'd be the only child without a mother there. And she was already being teased because she only had a dad.

Laila looked thoughtful for a moment before speaking again. "Where is my mommy?"

She had asked that question many times since she was old enough to grasp that most children had a mother and a father. Most of the time, Henry would reply with something simple and the day would go on. Today was not one of those days.

"That's a good question, sweetheart. I honestly don't know where she is."

Laila crawled into his lap. "Why'd she go away?"

"I think she was scared."

"Of what?"

"Of having a baby."

Laila's lip trembled. "I made her leave?"

She made her mother go away. It was all her fault.

Her father brushed a stray curl off her forehead gently. There was a sadness in his eyes that made her uneasy. "No, Laila. You didn't do anything."

"But you said she was afraid of having a baby. I was the baby." She was five, not stupid.

"It's not your fault, Princess."

"But she was afraid of me." he was lying to her. It was her fault, all her fault, that she didn't have a mommy.

"She was afraid of the idea of a baby, not of you."

Laila sniffled. "That's the same thing."

"Not really. She was more scared of being a mommy. No one could be afraid of you, Laila. You're too sweet."

No, she hadn't been afraid of Laila. Henry had shown up earlier than he had expected and walked in on his ex-fiancé cooing at her newborn, smiling almost wistfully at the wriggly little creature in a pink blanket, making little noises from her plastic hospital bassinet.

Laila leaned against him, almost defeated. "It's not fair, Daddy. It's not fair." she pressed her little fists into her eyes to try and keep from crying, but it was pointless.

It wasn't fair. Not in her little mind. There was going to be a party at school and she'd stick out like a sore thumb if she went because no one would be there for her. Her Nana couldn't make it (she had only apologized about a bazillion times). She wanted a mommy more than anything else in the world. More than she even wanted a kitten. She loved her daddy, of course she did. But she had never even met her mom.

It wasn't fair to Henry either. The party- that was fine. They couldn't cancel a fun thing for one kid. That was just how stuff worked worked. A field trip to a farm wasn't going to be prohibited because one kid was allergic to hay. It wasn't fair to Laila that she had to miss things that her little friends could be apart of. It wasn't fair.

So he just hugged his weepy little girl who was too little to understand the entire situation. He wasn't about to tell her. He didn't want Laila to get the wrong idea about her mother. She was a good person and she didn't deserve to be despised by her own child, not that she'd know. He didn't even hate her. It was... weird.

When Laila's tears had subsided, he moved her from his lap to get a tissue to wipe her face.

She looked exhausted, poor thing. She was watching him with sad eyes.

"Can I sleep in your room?" she asked quietly.

"Of course," he kissed the top of her head.

"Laila, I think goodnight hugs are in order." Steven said from the top of the stairs. Despite being rather stoic, Steven Haddock was really a big softie.

Laila slipped off the bed, more melancholy than Henry had ever seen, to go hug her grandparents good night. Henry followed her into the hallway.

"I really wish I didn't have to miss tomorrow, sweetheart." Valka said, hugging Laila, who didn't respond. She kissed her temple. "Good night,"

Laila, who had already hugged her grandfather, ran back to Henry, who picked her up. She rested her head on his shoulder.

"Do you want to stay home with her tomorrow?" Steven asked Henry.

"Uh..." Henry shrugged. He wanted to. But he did have to work.

"Don't worry about it, son. You keep her company." Henry worked with his father. His dad was his boss.

Henry smiled. "Thanks Dad,"

After last minute good nights and hugs (Henry had learned years ago that trying to resist his mother's affection was nearly impossible) Henry put Laila down in his bed and sat next to her. Toothless curled up on her other side.

"I love you, Daddy."

"I love you too, Laila." Henry smiled, pulling the blanket over her.

Within minutes, the little girl was asleep.

Henry, on the other hand, was not so lucky.

He reached for his phone, unlocked it, and opened the contact list.

He scrolled down to the number he had never removed in five years, just in case he ever wanted, or needed, to try and call her. Heather.

He sighed and deleted it. Permanently.

It was pointless to keep it. She would never need to be contacted. Laila was his daughter, not hers. Not theirs. His.

She had made Laila cry. Indirectly, but it was her fault. That was it. He didn't need her. They didn't need her.

He scrolled up to the most recent addition. Astrid.

You know what? He would call her.

Just not right then. It was late. It could wait until tomorrow.


A/N: Poor Laila! Dang, I made myself sad.

All of you that guessed Heather... wow! I'm impressed, I really am. I do really like her, for the record. I just needed and ex for Hiccup and she's kind of a good fit for that.

What did you guys think of this chapter? I hope you liked it!

See you next time!

~Pink