Hey guys, sorry for not updating yesterday, too many things on my mind, writersblock, just to name one. Anyway, here it is now.

Enjoy!


Chapter 4. Announcement

He stared at her, completely in shock. He didn't say anything, he just stood frozen.

"P...pregnant...?" he choked.

She nodded. "Wrenlou said so. About two months, or so he believes."

"You're... pregnant...?" Hiccup asked again, disbelief still written on his face, "b...but..."

"I know this is a lot to take in," Astrid said, gently rubbing his cheek, "but we can work it out together, and... Hiccup? Hiccup, are you okay?"

"I... don't... feel so good..." Hiccup mumbled and before Astrid could react he had collapsed.

Astrid gasped and dropped to her knees, shaking his shoulder gently. "Hiccup," she urged, "Hiccup, wake up."

Hiccup groaned a little, and she breathed a sigh of relief. She helped him sit up, rubbing his back while he leaned forward, his hair falling over his eyes.

"I think I fainted..." he mumbled, wrapping his arms around his stomach.

"You did," Astrid said with a faint smile, "I think it became too much for a moment. Are you okay now?"

Hiccup nodded and looked up. "You're really pregnant?" he asked.

She nodded. "I am. As far as Wrenlou can determine. But I doubt that he's wrong. I haven't known him for long, but he hasn't been wrong yet."

"Right..." Hiccup mumbled, and he got up, seeking support at the house.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Astrid asked, placing her hand on his cheek, "look at me..."

"You're pregnant..." Hiccup whispered, and before she knew what was going on he had hugged her, his arms tightly around her shoulders, "that's so wonderful..."

She smiled and hugged him back, and they stayed like that for a while. When Hiccup finally pulled away and looked at her, she gasped. She gently brushed his hair away from his forehead, seeing the blood underneath, just above his eyebrow.

"You hit your head..." she said softly, looking around for something he could have hit when he fell, "you didn't feel that?"

"No," Hiccup said with a frown, touching his eyebrow, "not at all."

"Come on," Astrid said and she grabbed his elbow, "lets go see Wrenlou."

"Astrid," he protested, "I don't have time to go see Wrenlou. I have tons of work to do in the forge, and my dad wants me to do some chiefing paper work with him or something. I'm sure it's nothing."

"I'm pregnant Hiccup," Astrid said with a smile, "humor me."

Hiccup sighed. "Why do I have the feeling you're going to be using that to make me do whatever you want the next 8 months?"

"Don't worry," Astrid said, wrapping her arm around Hiccup's shoulder, "I'll try to keep it to a minimum."

"We're going to have to tell my dad," Hiccup groaned, one hand on his head, "and the village. Oh Thor... what will they think of me..."

"I'm sure it will be fine," Astrid said, "really. Don't worry about it too much, okay?"

"How do you expect me to do that!" Hiccup said, "I... you weren't supposed to be pregnant yet! I'm going to be a father... I'm not ready to be a father! What if I suck at it... what if he'll will hate me..."

"He'll never hate you," Astrid said lovingly, "or she... we could have a daughter..."

Hiccup smiled and nodded. They had reached the healers hut and Astrid pushed the door open. This time Wrenlou wasn't busy with a patient, he was mixing some herbs together and looked up when they entered.

"So Hiccup," he said, abandoning his workstation, "congratulations are in order."

"So are stitches." Astrid said and Wrenlou frowned. "He fainted when I told him," Astrid explained, "hit his head."

Wrenlou laughed a little and Hiccup glared at him. Astrid smiled as well, directing her attention to the ground.

"Sit down," Wrenlou said, "I'll take a look at it."

Hiccup sat down on the edge of the bed, and Astrid sat down next to him. Wrenlou brought over a bowl of water and a soft cloth, and quickly washed the blood away.

"It's not deep," he said, "I don't think it needs stitches. You might have a slight headache for the next few days. Have you told your father yet?"

Hiccup shook his head and sighed. "I guess that's the next stop," he said softly, "and then the village... and we have to postpone the wedding... gods there's so many things I have to do, and I haven't even seen Toothless in two days! I'm not ready to be a father..."

"Take a deep breath," Wrenlou said, sitting down on Hiccup's other side, "you'll be a wonderful father, I know it. Besides, you don't have to do it alone... Astrid will be there, I will be there."

"I know that," Hiccup said, "we just... didn't plan for children yet."

"It'll take some adjusting," Astrid said with a nod, "but we can make it work. Are you sure he doesn't need stitches?"

"I can put one in if you want," Wrenlou said with a shrug, "but it's not really necessary."

"Thank you," Hiccup said and he stood up, "we'll be going now."

"Hey!" Astrid protested, "don't I get a say in the matter?"

"Not this time," Hiccup said smiling, "come on, let's go tell my dad he's going to be a granddad soon. Thanks for the help Wren!"

"Anytime," Wrenlou mumbled, and as soon as the door closed, he sighed.

He looked at the table, where the jars of dried leaves and herbs still stood along with the mixture he had been making. Hiccup's words had made him realize he hadn't seen his own dragon in a few days.

"Screw it," he mumbled after a few moments of pondering, "I need a break anyways."

0-0-0-0-0-0

"Dad?" Hiccup said, "do you have a moment?"

"Not now Hiccup," Stoick grumbled, "as you can see I'm really busy. I have a ton of paper work, I have to send a letter to the Berserkers concerning the renewal of the peace treaty, I have to settle a fight, about a sheep of all things, there are some conflicts between dragons that I have no idea how to solve, and then there's the Jorgenson Hall. I still don't know if we should leave it or tear it down... I really don't have time for you right now."

"Dad, it's really important," Hiccup said.

"It will have to wait," Stoick said, not looking up from his papers, "I have time tonight. Probably."

"Dad!" Hiccup said, the urgency now clearly in his voice, "now! Please!"

Finally Stoick looked up, turning away from his papers. "Did someone die?" he asked, "did you break anything?"

"No..." Hiccup said, suddenly unsure of himself, "dad..."

"What happened to your head!" Stoick said while he practically jumped up and rushed over, "did someone hit you?"

"No," Hiccup said while he pulled away, "I... fainted..."

"Are you sick?" Stoick asked, concern seeping into his deep voice, "is that it? Is that what you wanted to discuss?"

Hiccup shook his head and looked down. Then he looked at Astrid. She gave him a reassuring nod and he took a deep breath.

"Dad," he started, "we're... well... she... eh..."

"I'm pregnant," Astrid said, grabbing Hiccup's hand, "that's... what he's trying to say..."

For a moment, Stoick stared at her like she had grown wings and declared herself the queen of dragons. Then he sat down again, looking from Hiccup to Astrid and back.

"You're pregnant...?" he said softly, "really?"

"Yes," Astrid said, "Wrenlou told me this morning."

"That's..." Stoick started, "that's great news!"

"It... you think so?" Hiccup said surprised.

"Of course Hiccup!" Stoick said cheerful, "it's not usually quite so early, most chiefs wait till they are married before they have children, but this is just as great!"

"I... I'm not chief yet..." Hiccup said, "And I don't want to be yet!" he added hastily when he caught Stoick's look, "you're doing a great job, no need to retire just yet..."

"This needs to be celebrated!" Stoick said and he stood up.

He walked towards the cabinet and opened it, pulling out a bottle of mead and some cups. After he had filled the cups, he handed one to Astrid, one to Hiccup and took the other one for himself.

"Here's to the day I never thought I'd see," he said, and he looked at Hiccup, "here's to you both."

"Thanks dad..." Hiccup said with a faint smile, and he looked at Astrid, "here's to hoping we don't screw things up..."

"Come on Hiccup," Astrid said, "what happened to your confidence? When it comes to dragons you always know exactly what to do!"

"Dragons!" Hiccup said, "children are totally different! I thought I would have time to plan for this, that I would have time to get ready before I became a dad. And I thought I would have much more time then eight months!"

"I wasn't ready either," Stoick said, "and when your mother was taken... well, you know that for years I wasn't the best father a young boy could have had."

"You were trying," Hiccup said smiling, "and that's what counts. For years all I could see was what you didn't do. But if I can be half the father you were, it's more than I could have asked for."

Stoick smiled and turned away to fill his cup again. When he turned back his eyes were gleaming a little, but Hiccup choose not to comment on it.

"So," Stoick said, taking a long sip from his cup, "how were you planning on telling the village?"

"Eh..." Hiccup said and he looked down, "I don't know... m...maybe tonight? At dinner? You know... in the Hall?"

"Excellent idea," Stoick said, "and what about the wedding?"

"I..." Hiccup started and he looked at Astrid, "we haven't really made a definitive decision yet."

"I think we should postpone," Astrid said, "until after the baby is born. I really would like to wear my mother's dress, and I won't fit into it with a fat baby belly."

"There will be protest," Stoick said, and he stood up, "you know that some people are against babies being born outside of marriage, even if that is planned. You're lucky the girl's father is dead, Hiccup."

Astrid nearly choked on a sip of mead. "L...lucky?" she coughed, "lucky that my father is dead!?"

"I didn't mean it that was Astrid," Stoick said, placing a gently hand on her shoulder, "but you know how he was. He was against sex before marriage. Fiercely against. And if he had found out that his daughter was pregnant before being married, well, it wouldn't have ended well for the father of the baby."

"You mean he would have killed me...?" Hiccup asked.

"Oh no, not killed," Stoick said almost cheerfully, "he would have castrated you."

Hiccup's jaw dropped and Astrid choked on another sip. "He... oh..." Hiccup said, and he cleared his throat, "that's... em... well..."

"A little extreme..." Astrid added, "but it does sound like something dad would have done... to be honest..."

"Right..." Hiccup mumbled, "that's... not really what I want to think about right now."

"You don't have to," Astrid said softly, and she planted a kiss on his cheek, "think of the baby. Your baby." She turned to Stoick. "I think it's best if we wait a little longer with telling the village. Just until we both have gotten used to the idea of becoming parents."

"That's an excellent idea!" Stoick agreed, "come on Hiccup, don't look so dazed! You're going to be a father!"

Hiccup smiled, the idea finally sinking in. He was going to be a father.