Mommy's Little Protectors:

This was Astrid's least favorite part of motherhood: being confined to bed rest for a week after birth. Of course she knew why it had to be this way, you needed time to heal following a birth, especially after giving birth to a baby as big as Viddi. But just because she understood the purpose of something didn't mean she liked it. Today, though, she had some visitors. Valka had to go run some errands, so the twins had been left in the master bedroom with their supposed-to-be-resting mother. Not that Astrid cared. She needed a change of scenery. Plus, as occupied as she would with caring for the newest addition, she missed her two older miracles.

Annly and Torinth were playing on Hiccup's side of the bed (that was currently unoccupied because he was out doing his chiefing business), creating some elaborate war between the wooden figures and the stuffed animals. Or rather, Annly was creating a war between the wooden figures and stuffed animals. Torinth was too fascinated by the squirming little thing feeding in his mother's arms. He'd reach out every now and then and poke the blankets covering his new sister, as if to see if she'd jump out at him or something.

Annly, it seemed, had already gotten used to the baby. She'd been overjoyed the entire first day after Viddi's birth, running all about the village proclaiming "I's got a new sister! Here name is Viddi!" But that was three days ago, now the baby was just a part of everyday life for her, tip of the hat really. She ahrdly paid mind to the fussy infant laid over her mother's shoulder to burp as she knocked a stuffed yak off the bed with a wooden Nadder.

"You didn't t'ink fast enough, Ravi," she shook her head in disgust at the shamed stuffed toy as she hopped off the bed to fetch it.

Astrid laughed at her daughter's antics as she through "Ravi" back onto the covers and hopped back up after it.

"Now," she told the yak. "Watch Uma," she picked up a stuffed seagull and held it in the air. "She know w'at up."

Astrid laughed again. "You're a mess, child."

"No," Annly frowned. "I c'ean. I take a bat' 'is mawning!"

Astrid laughed again. "I know, you're just silly."

Annly huffed a sigh. "'at's Daddy's fault too, huh?"

Astrid about busted a gut as she , bent over to place Viddi in her crib. "Yes, it's Daddy's fault," she answered as she snatched the little girl into her lap, causing her to squeal.

"Because you're too smart for your own good," Astrid ruffled the little girl's hair as she spoke, and sighed. "Too smart." Annly wiggled out of her mother's grip and smoothed her hair back out, and indignant scowl on her face. "Just like your father."

Torinth watched on with a calm, indifferent look on his face. A look his father had often worn during their younger, riding days whenever the older twins would cause self-harm or shenanigans to each other. Come to think of it, Hiccup still wore that face around Ruffnut and Tuffnut. And so did Torinth.

Astrid smiled at him, and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned and looked at her, and she signed "you're too smart for your own good, too."

Torinth paused for a moment, then signed back one word.

"Okay."

Astrid chuckled and poked him in the belly, causing him to recoil in smiles.

"Oh, no, Uma gots the mads!" Annly cried as she began to violently beat the seagull against the bed. She stopped abruptly, and handed to wooden Vikings to Torinth.

"'Old dese," she instructed.

Torinth stared down at the two toys in his hands, looked at the pile of toys on the bed, then tossed the pair of Vikings into his mother's lap and picked up his favorite toy Night Fury and hugged it to his chest.

"Uma and Ravi gonna fall into the sea!" Annly screamed. "Asher's gots to save 'dem!" She picked up a stuffed Nightmare and began running around the room, making dragon calls as she did so. Torinth watched her for only a few seconds, then began to throw his Night Fury into the air and catch it repeatedly.

Annly squealed and somersaulted back onto the bed, right into Torinth, knocking him backwards.

"Annly, be careful!" Astrdi scolded as she reached for her son. "Torinth, are you okay?" she asked, forgetting for a moment in her motherly panic that her son couldn't hear.

Torinth sat back up and Annly leaned towards him in concern. "Torint'?"

Torinth looked at his sister in disgust, then stuck out his tongue and blew raspberries at her. Annly recoiled and wiped her face. "Ew! Torint'! 'At nasty!"

She scowled at him. He scowled back, and blew raspberries again.

Annly tackled him, and he retaliated. Astrid reached over and broke the twins apart.

"Alright, you two. Enough!"

As this was going about, a creaking came from the door. Astrid turned, expecting to see Hiccup, or Valka, but was shocked to find…

"Spitelout?"

"G'day, Astrid, I was just coming by to see how you and the new baby were doing."

Astrid clutched the blankets up to her chest, as she was wearing nothing but a very loose night gown to make nursing Viddi easier. The twins, seeming to catch onto their mother's distress, stopped their quarrelling and turn all their attention to the big man in the room.

"We're both fine," Astrid replied in a polite, but obviously irritated tone. "Thank you."

Spitelout nodded, a smug smile, that made Astrid very uncomfortable, on his face as he walked towards the cradle. Astrid scooted closer to the edge of the bed, closer to her baby as Spitelout leaned over and looked down at her.

"My, my, healthy specimen, isn't she?"

"Yes," Astrid replied, unsure where this was going. "She a very healthy baby. Hiccup and I are blessed."

"That ye are," Spitelout agreed. "It would seem you're very good at delivering healthy babies. 'Cept for that one," Spitelout pointed at Torinth. "But that wasn't yer fault, you got attacked whiel with child. Coulda happened to anyone."

"Excuse me!" Astrid dropped the blanket as she set her hands on her hips. How dare he say such things about her son? And right in front of him!

"Is he saying mean t'ings about Torint', Mommy?" Annly asked as she crawled closer to the action.

"Yes," Astrid answered through gritted teeth.

"Don' say mean t'ings 'bout my bwot'er!" Annly shouted as she jumped to her feet and crossed her arms. "Only I's can do t'at, 'cuz I's don' really mean it!"

"Oh my, touched a nerve did I?" Spitelout asked as he took a step back. "Alright, alright, my apologies. I didn't mean to upset anyone."

Astrid all but growled at him as Torinth, seeming to guess that he was being talked about, curled up in her lap, and she locked her arms around him.

"Besides, I only meant to complement you on your healthy strong brood, and to offer you a proposal."

Astrid's eyes narrowed. She didn't like where this was going. "What do you mean?"

"Well, as you know, my son's wife has been missing for three years now, and he still has no sons, just one measly daughter-"

"Jadis seems like a very strong and healthy child to me."

"Yes, but she's small," Spitelout rolled his eyes. "Moving on. Since we need a boy to carry on the Jorgenson name, and Eleetha's nowhere to be found, I was wondering if you would mind…erm..shal wee say, assisting in our dilemma. Snotlout's always fancied you, anyways, and it-"

"How dare you!?" Astrid thundered. "How dare you even suggest that I cheat on my husband just so you can get a grandson. And after I've just given birth to Hiccup's child no less. Third child, I might add!"

"Oh, come on," Spitelout groaned. "It would only be one time. You're obviously fertile, you can give Hiccup, oh, I don't know…six more babies to make up for it."

"You really think that's gonna work?" Astrid was fuming. "You really think this is how the world works? To revolve around you and your every whim?"

"Look, it's a-"

"Get out!"

"Now, listen-"

"Get out!"

"Now-"

"Hey," Annly jumped in front of her mother, crushing on of her mother's toes in the process, and faced the huge man down. "You make Mommy mad! And Mommy tell you to go, so go!"

Spitelout glared at the child. "You really think you can tell me what to do, little girl?"

"Uh-huh. I live here and you don't!" Annly crossed her arms with total confidence. Spitelout was taken aback by the girls' logic, but soon recovered.

"Now listen here, little girl-"

"I not little," Annly insisted. "I dwink milk!"

Spitelout had to take a moment to process the comeback again. He opened his mouth to say something, but Annly cut him off.

"You need to dwink more milk, instead of that funny smelling stuff that make you act silly."

Spitelout was absolutely dumbfounded for a moment.

"Now…now you listen here, you little brat, you-"

Annly turned her back to Spitelout to turn to her brother.

"Torint', I can use help here!"

Torinth stood up and walked to his sister's side, a scowl on his face.

"Oh, now what?" Spitelout rolled his eyes. "Are you going to grunt me away?"

"Hey!" Astrid shouted, but the man and two toddlers ignored her.

Torinth scowled at Spitelout a while longer, then tossed one of the wooden Vikings he'd left in Astrid's lap earlier right at Spitelout's head. Spitelout grabbed his forehead as he shouted in pain and stumbled backwards.

"Ow! What in the name of-" the other Viking hit him in the nose. "Oh!"

The two twins chuckled at the older man's pain. At that moment, the door opened and a very concerned looking Hiccup stepped in.

"What on earth is going on?" he asked, before practically jumping out of skin at the sight of the old Viking rolling on the floor, clutching a bloody nose. "Spitelout? Kids, Astrid, what is-"

"He say mean t'ings about Torint', and then say t'ings at make Mommy mad," Annly explained as she pointed to Spitelout. "So I tell him to leave, and Torinth threw toys at him."

"That so?" Hiccup asked in a disapproving voice as he turned to the older Viking.

"Let me explain, lad-"

"Yeah, go ahead," Astrid crossed her arms in amusement. "Go on explain how you came in here proposing that I go lie down and have a child with Spitelout so you can get a grandson to carry on your ever-so-glorious name behind my husband's back. I'd love to see you pin that in a reasonable light."

"You what?!" Hiccup was practically fuming.

"Now let me explain, lad."

Hiccup crossed his arms, waiting for the explanation, just so he'd have all the more reason to sock Spitelout in the face.

"It would only be one time, and-"

"Yup, heard enough," Hiccup announced as he grabbed the older man by the arm and slung him out of the room, following after him, shouting: "Get out of my house!"

The ruckus and groaning downstairs indicated that Hiccup was giving Spitelout more than just a piece of his mind as he led, or forced, him out of the house. He returned upstairs and into the bedroom.

"The nerve!" he fumed as he sat down on the bed and took Astrid's face in his hands, going from angry to concerned in an instant. "He didn't hurt you, did he?"

Astrid smiled and shook her head. Hiccup placed a tender, but prolonged kiss her forehead, before leaving a shorter, but still as soft, kiss to her lips.

"Ew!" Annly cried as she and her brother covered their faces in disgust.

The couple turned to their children and Astrid pulled them into her lap. "I had a couple of Viking warriors protecting me."

"Oh, did you now?" Hiccup asked as he beamed at his two children. The twins nodded enthusiastically.

"We kick his butt!" Annly cheered.

"That you did, my little shield maiden," Hiccup agreed as he rubbed his nose against his daughter's. "And you," Hiccup set a hand on Torinth's head, before signing "Good job Warrior" with the other.

Torinth thought a while, then singed back a single word.

"Okay."