Chapter 6: This Burden Came To Me

Hiccup stared in awe at the monitor screen, even as he lost some feeling in his fingertips from how tightly Astrid was squeezing his hand.

That tiny little lump was… was, well, it was potential.

When his dad had foisted him off on their neighbors and friends, and had never seemed to be there when he was growing up, he'd promised himself that he wouldn't make those same mistakes.

He squeezed Astrid's hand.

He would be there for her.

And, if she wanted to have their child… he'd be there for it too.

Hiccup listened with half-an-ear as the doctor worked on her, setting up an appointment for checkups into the future, assuring them that the embryo looked normal and had implanted in a safe place, and taking samples of blood and cervical cells, and sending Astrid off to the bathroom to give a urine sample.

While she was gone, Phlegma turned to him. "So. Henry. I'm going to violate my medical ethics here for a moment, but you seem fairly attached to her. Do you love her?"

Hiccup nodded. "More than anything."

"Good. Don't let her father get his hands on her."

"Of course! Hel, I took a beating to keep that from happening just a few hours ago!"

"Good. Because Astrid's mother should have been able to have more children, and was pregnant after her… but they were all girls. Do you understand me?"

Hiccup stared at her, his eyes feeling like they would pop out and go rolling along the floor. "WHAT?"

"I won't share my suspicions… but I will mention, strictly offhand, that Mrs. Hofferson had three other pregnancies after Astrid was born. She 'lost' all of them, after they were sexed. Understood?"

Hiccup swallowed. "Yeah. I got it."

"And just to emphasize this… Mister Haddock, if you tell anyone that I just told you that, I could lose my job, and my license to practice medicine. You didn't hear it from me, understood?"

"Then why tell me?" he asked plaintively.

"Because I remember when you were born. And when Astrid was born. I've been Berk's primary obstetrician for nearly twenty-five years."

"That's not an answer," Hiccup insisted.

"Yes it is. You just don't see it as one," she said. "Now… as for determining paternity… we can't yet."

Hiccup cocked his head to the side. "Why not?"

"I'll wait for Ms. Hofferson to get back, but, in short… is there any doubt that you're the father?"

Hiccup shook his head. "No way in Helheim."

"Then wait. Because right now, there's too much risk to the embryo. We'd have to get a sample. It's the size of a blueberry, and much more delicate."

Hiccup swallowed and nodded. "I got it."

The door opened at that moment, and Astrid walked in, a sealed plastic jar filled with liquid in her hand. "Here. Need anything else?" she said wryly.

"No, that will do. I'll have them sent over to the lab for analysis. As I was just discussing with your partner here," she said, and Hiccup felt a moment of terrified glee at the realization that, yes, he was Astrid's partner now, "we can't do a paternity test just yet. Not without risk to the embryo, especially in light of the fact that Henry here isn't denying or questioning paternity. So I'd advise that you wait; there are non-invasive options available, but we have to wait for the pregnancy to develop further."

Astrid drummed her fingers on on her arm. "What sort of options?"

Hiccup listened and took notes as the doctor described the options. They could wait and go to a specialist, who would use a needle to take a very small cell sample for direct genetic comparison. Or they could wait another week or two, and use a new option—testing for the genes of the fetus using cell-free fetal DNA, as a small portion of the fetus's DNA would start appearing in Astrid's system over the next few weeks. Within the next month or so, they could do a blood draw, ship the sample off to the lab, and get confirmation that way.

But, since he wasn't rebutting or denying that he was the father—and was actually helping and supporting Astrid—the doctor advised that they wait before engaging in either option. "See if the court even needs it," she finished. "If they don't, then don't bother, unless we need to check for birth defects. Beyond that, I think that we're done here, and I have more patients to see. Best of luck to both of you." With that, she left them in the exam room.

Hiccup looked at Astrid, who was looking at the printout of the ultrasound with an inscrutable expression on her face.

"You all right?" he asked gently.

She picked up the printout, with the small lump of potential highlighted with a marker, and tucked it under her arm. "Yeah. I… I'm just sore, tired, and… and it just became more real, you know?"

Hiccup glanced at the printout and nodded. "Yeah. C'mon. Let's go home. I'm hungry, I'm betting you're starving, and I bet Dad's not done yet with his legal maneuvering."

She paused, and then came over and hugged him. "Okay."

#

Astrid and Hiccup found Stoick in the same office that they'd left him in, and settled in on the chairs. Her boyfriend's father was deep in a conversation on the phone, and, lacking context—and Astrid lacking a great deal of the legal jargon being thrown about—she tuned him out. Instead, she turned to Hiccup and leaned against him.

She glanced at the clock on the wall; it was early afternoon. A day ago, she'd been pacing her room, 'enjoying' mood swings between bursting out in tears and screaming in fury as she had stared at the locked door. It had taken her another few hours before she'd managed to calm herself and come to the realization that her best option was to run for it. She'd hated that thought at the time. She never ran from anything. She was strong, stubborn, and willful. But, as she'd sat there in her room, she had come to the painful, aching realization that she had no leverage, no resources, and no control over her own life.

So she'd sat, thought, come up with a plan, and executed it with what she'd had available.

And now she was here. With Hiccup, and his dad, who, while terrifying to be sure, had turned out to be much more supportive than Hiccup had led her to believe he was. And she felt safer and more loved here than she ever had before in her life.

She picked up his hand and started to stroke his fingers with her thumb. He looked at her, his expression soft, and laid back in the chair. She had the distinct feeling that if he were a cat, he'd be purring.

Finally, Stoick finished his call and turned to them. "All right. Lass. I got a judge who is a friend of mine to issue a temporary Non-Molestation Order on your behalf, pending review of the evidence next week. Your father is not allowed to harass you, and if he does, it's a criminal offense. So we'll get that before we head home. Second, I checked in with the Academy. Your tuition was already paid up through the end of the term, and I told the Dean what the situation was." He scowled. "You did know that your father is one of the big donors, though?"

She nodded. "Yeah. He's a legacy, and always going on about how I have to uphold the family honor and tradition."

"Aye, not surprised. So, I don't know what he's going to try there, but I imagine that it'll be something." He scowled and sighed. "On top of that… Lass. I'm working as your advocate, but right now, I'm working strictly defensively, trying to keep him from hurting you more. But we need to talk about what you want from here on out."

She felt a chill. "What do you mean?"

"There are a number of issues that need to be dealt with—and I will admit that this is not my area of specialty. But from what I do know, there are decisions that have to be made," he said.

"Such as?" Astrid asked, a feeling of nausea that she was pretty sure wasn't caused by morning sickness rising in her gut.

Stoick started to tick off on his fingers.

"Do you want to try to seek emancipation from your parents? Do you want to go home, or stay someplace else—"

"I don't want to go back there!" she blurted, and clutched at Hiccup's hand hard enough that he yelped. She shot him an apologetic look, and blurted out, "Sorry! Uh… I don't. I don't ever want to go back there except to maybe rescue any stuff of mine that he hasn't destroyed. And I can find a place with friends—Anna is off visiting her family back in Norway, I could crash in her room at the Academy and not…"

Hiccup twisted next to her and she noticed that his eyes were wide and hurt. She froze and realized what she just said—and remembered that he'd already offered and she'd accepted. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek, and then said softly, "I didn't want to assume that your dad would…" she turned and looked at Stoick, "but… can… can I stay with, with you?"

Stoick smiled at her. "Lass. Of course you can." His smile shifted slightly into a lopsided smirk. "Certainly it's a bit irregular… but you're family now." Hiccup looked like Yule had come two months early, and hugged her.

The casual acceptance from his father, and Hiccup's loving embrace broke her in a way that her father's disappointment never could. She wept into Hiccup's shoulder, with great hacking sobs and snot flowing from her nose, and tears dripping down her face. She looked up to meet Stoick's eyes as he looked at the two of them fondly.

Then his phone rang. Stoick slumped, rolled his eyes, and answered it. "Aye, Gobber? Ah, she signed it? Good. One moment." He lowered the phone with his hand on the mouthpiece. "You two done here?"

Astrid gave as large a nod as she dared with her head in the neckbrace. Hiccup also made a noise of agreement.

"Aye. Then let us head," he looked directly at Astrid, "home."

She burrowed deeper into Hiccup's side, and noticed that her earlier nausea was gone—and in its place was a great sense of bubbling excitement, making her feel as if she'd been overfilled with some effervescent liquid, sloshing back and forth and bubbling with foam.

She had a home again. A real one, not a gilded cage. She and Hiccup rose from their chairs as Stoick returned his phone to his mouth. "Aye. We're on our way. Be there in ten." He turned to Hiccup. "If I ordered takeout, would you take offense?" he asked with a small smile.

Hiccup snorted. "I'm a bread-making Viking, dad. I've got some fixings in the freezer that I can throw together."

Astrid perked up even more somehow. "Fixings? For what?" After two delicious meals from him already, she was hooked, and knew it.

Stoick laughed. "Well, I guess that answers that."

"All sorts of things. I tend to make up batches of stuff and toss it into the freezer for later," Hiccup said. "What would you like?" He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "You want it, I'll try to make it."

"Oooh. Well, you're hurt, so what do you have on hand?" she asked as they walked to the car, and Stoick informed whoever it was on the other end of the phone—Gobber?—that they'd be there shortly and that Hiccup would be cooking.

Hiccup started to list off what he had in stock as they drove… home.

Gods. Home. And it didn't mean what it had meant before. Now it meant… love. With Hiccup Haddock at her side.

All she had to do now was tell him.

#

As Hiccup walked into the house, hand in hand with Astrid, he heard an appreciative whistle come from the side, in the living room.

Resisting the urge to cover his face with his hands, he turned to see Gobber lounging on one of the chairs, a manila envelope on the coffee table in front of him. "Aye there, Hiccup! So, this is your lovely lass?" Gobber grinned, displaying the ostentatious gold tooth that he kept, despite his dentist wanting to replace it with a more demure false tooth.

Hiccup sighed, made introductions, and went to preheat the oven and get his ingredients out of the refrigerator and freezer. Astrid came with him into the kitchen. She seemed nervous about something as she kept dry-washing her hands, and, with a smile, he started to hand her ingredients to put on the counter, which made her smile.

He felt that he could spend his life making her smile. She was normally gorgeous, but when she smiled, especially at him, it was like the sun coming out and a choir of Valkyries singing about the beauty that could be found on Midgard. But he rather doubted that she had any such reactions to him. Fond exasperation at his jokes and sass seemed to be more typical from her. But that was okay. Even if she didn't love him, he would always count today as one of the best days in his life—saving the woman he loved from a monster. Even if that monster was her own father, and the extent of his 'saving' had been to hide her and get beaten up.

He wondered what she was nervous about as he caught her wringing her hands again. After a moment's thought, he decided that it was probably her father. That would be enough to make anyone nervous.

He came over to the countertop with an armful of ingredients, put them down, and looked at her. She was leaning over the brushed metal of the countertop, hands braced on the edge, her head as down as it could be in the neck brace. He came up behind her and made a gentle questioning noise. She affirmed, and he put his arms around her. "You okay?" he asked. "Your dad… and everything?"

"It's… it's been one Hel of a day…" she said softly. "And I've come to realize a lot of things."

"Such as?" he asked. "If you want to talk about it, that is."

"Oh, I want to. I'm just finding it hard to say it." She turned in his grasp and looked up at him. "Hiccup, I—"

There was suddenly a pounding at the door, and they both froze.

Slowly, almost robotically, they turned in unison towards the door and started walking towards it, slowly and hesitantly.

"Haddock! Open up in there!" Mister Hofferson's bellow came through the door. "I know you're in there!"

Gobber's distinctive steps sounded on the wood. "Stoick, may I?"

His dad chuckled harshly. "By all means. I had you run around enough for those documents. Go ahead."

Gobber chuckled as Hiccup and Astrid peered around the corner of the door that led from the kitchen into the living room and the front door. Holding the manila envelope in his prosthetic hand, Gobber pulled open the door with his flesh-and-blood hand and said guilelessly, "Hallo there! And who might you be?"

Hiccup felt his eyes widen when he saw the man in the nice suit and two police officers standing behind Mister Hofferson.

"And you are?" Astrid's father said flatly.

"Ah. I asked first," Gobber said.

"I'm Cameron Hofferson, and—"

Gobber slapped him in the chest with the manila envelope. "Cameron Hofferson, I'm Gabriel 'Gobber' Blanche, and these are a restraining order for Henry Haddock and a Non-Molestation Order for Astrid Hofferson. You have been served."

Behind Gobber, Stoick rumbled, "And witnessed."

"Have a nice day," Gobber said cheerfully, and slammed the door in Hofferson's startled face, and locked it.

He and Stoick looked at each other, grinned and burst out laughing. "Oh, gods, I've never really gotten to do that before! What a rush!" Gobber exulted.

Astrid gingerly raised her hand. "Can someone fill in the non-lawyers in the room with what just happened?"

"I just gave your dad a pair of orders that he's not allowed to come within a quarter kilometer of either you or Hiccup," Gobber said. "That's what serving means—you've been given the court order."

"And since I witnessed it," Stoick said, "I can testify in court if necessary that he received them. If he violates them now…" He trailed off, a note of smug anticipation in his voice.

Hiccup reluctantly detached himself from Astrid's side and went over to the window to peer out through the curtains "He's arguing with his lawyer…" he said. "Oh wow, he looks like he's going to pop a blood vessel. Hey, Astrid, any history of heart conditions he might have?"

"No, he's disgustingly healthy," she responded sarcastically, still standing by the kitchen door. "Runs marathons, does martial arts… and looks down on anybody that can't keep up."

"Pity," Gobber said, exaggerated disappointment in his voice.

Hiccup kept watching. "And now his lawyer is showing the papers to the cops… they're talking… talking… annnnnnnd they just saw me." He waved and made a shooing motion. "Oh, wow, Astrid, purple is not a good color on your dad… And his cop buddies are holding him back… and he just broke the hold one of them had on him, and… okay, damn, he's calming down."

Hiccup jumped as suddenly there was a light touch on his shoulder, and he jumped in surprise, and whirled to see Astrid there. Together, they bent again and looked out through the gap in the curtains to watch the police officers work to calm down her father. Hiccup could feel her arm resting on his back and luxuriated in it, even as he gave a running commentary to the rest of the room. Much to Hiccup's disappointment, Mr. Hofferson didn't get tasered or anything, even after he took a swing at one of them. Meanwhile, his lawyer was making calming motions and obviously talking loudly.

Eventually, the drama played out. Hofferson got into his car, the police got into theirs, and they drove off—and the lawyer took a moment to compose himself and went up to their door.

"Incoming," Hiccup said.

"We'll talk to him," Stoick said. "You two stay back and don't say anything." He went up to the door and opened it just as the other lawyer was about to knock. "Hello Alvin. How are you doing? Representing an abusive parent—that's a new one for you."

"You don't have a right to talk, Stoick," Alvin said flatly. "Or have you seen Henry for more than a week out of the last month?"

Hiccup cringed, and suddenly found himself being hugged by Astrid.

"Regardless, well done on the Non-Molestation Order. It took some doing, but I got it through his head—and those two cops' heads—that the worst thing he could do right now was his original plan to march in here and take his daughter back."

"Aye. If they didn't arrest him for breaking the order, I'd make certain that their careers were sunk," Stoick confirmed. "So, let's have it out. What does he want?"

"He wants his daughter back. Says that you kidnapped her," Alvin said.

Astrid blurted out, "Oh, fuck that!" Everyone's heads turned to her. "He beat me! He beat Hiccup! And I walked here my damn self! Nobody kidnapped me!"

Alvin shrugged. "All right then. I still have to represent my client. But I'll see to it that he drops that approach. And that he doesn't come near you. Beyond that…" He turned and looked directly at Astrid. "Miss, is there any chance you'd be willing to come home?"

Stoick held up a hand. "Astrid, don't answer that. That's my advice as your counsel." He turned and looked at Alvin. "You know how this goes now."

Alvin shrugged. "Can't blame me for trying. So, should I bother filing conflict of interest charges here, or do you already have a way out of that?"

Stoick smiled, and it gave Hiccup chills. "Have fun wasting your time, Al."

"Right. Well, I've got your number, and you've got mine. I'm going to get off this stoop now, as you haven't invited me in," Alvin said.

Hiccup snorted. "Sorry, all out of stakes and garlic," he snarked, which made Astrid give him a smile. Alvin gave him an odd look that was half-approving, half-irritated, and left with a wave of his hand.

Stoick closed the door behind him, and said, "Well, this'll be interesting now. Alvin's a sharp operator." He shrugged. "Lass. Why don't you go and relax a bit. Gobber and I will do some digging and see what your options are."

She nodded and took Hiccup by the hand. "Come on. We have cooking to do, and I need you to teach me."

Hiccup ignored Gobber's wolf-whistle as he and Astrid left the room, and sighed in relief when he heard him and Stoick close the door to the office.

He turned to Astrid once he heard them start to talk, their conversation distant and muffled by the thick oak door. "You okay?"

She nodded. "That… went much better than I expected. I… I guess that I'll have to talk to him at some point, but not today. Thank the gods… and your father. And… Gobber?"

"My dad's old friend and partner in legal practice," Hiccup said with a sigh. "But while he's lewd, crude, and can curdle milk by singing, he's a good man."

"What happened to his hand and leg?" she asked, looking curious. He'd told her what had happened to his leg when they'd first undressed each other.

"Military service—a bomb or something, I think," Hiccup said, and turned to the cutting board. "Now, as you're my favorite violent Valkyrie, I suppose that we should start with how to use kitchen knives."

She laughed and accepted the diversion. "Okay. So, how does one hold a kitchen knife, sir chef?"

"Well, you put your thumb on top of the blade, like this," he demonstrated, using an awkward—to him—right-handed grip for her to mirror. "That gives you more control and leverage, instead of wrapping your thumb around the handle."

He started to slice the vegetables to demonstrate, using his left hand to cut them, and she watched, a peaceful smile on her face.

Then she gave a try. He had to correct her grip several times, but she got the hang of it by the end of the fifth mushroom. Then she put down the knife and stepped over to him. She reached up as carefully as she could with the neckbrace inhibiting her movements, and pulled him down for a kiss. And it was a long one; she nibbled on his lip, as her arm slipped around his back and gently stroked his spine. Then she broke it gently, releasing his lip with a small pop, more felt than heard. "Hiccup? Henry," she said, correcting herself, and looked at him straight in the eyes, her expression acutely vulnerable. "I wanted to say first… just how obscenely grateful I am for all of this. And that, well, that—"

The landline phone rang.

They both turned and looked at it. "Oh, for fuck's sake," she said. "What is it?"

"It's probably for dad," he said. "Ignore it." His heart was pounding, wondering what it was that she had to say to him. He was afraid that she was going to say that she liked him, but as soon as this was resolved, she'd be leaving him.

Then his dad called from the office. "Henry! It's for Astrid!"

"What?!" they both said together. "Who would call me here?" she asked plaintively.

"And on the landline?" Hiccup asked, surprised. "How retro."

Hesitantly, Astrid reached over and picked it up. "Hello?"


Business first: Giving credit where credit is due, yes, the similarity between this fic and HeathenVampires' Accident is not a coincidence; I was poking around on his prompt generator when I saw the prompt for this story, which immediately crawled inside my brain and could only be removed by writing it. We've already chatted and he says that he's perfectly alright with me using it.

BrawlerGamer: Yes, they'll be showing up as we go. And Astrid is at least waiting until they get home before trying to confess.

HarryPanther: If the cliffhanger doesn't have you worried, then it's not a proper cliffhanger, right? And, yes, Mr. Hofferson hasn't given up yet, not by a longshot. His degree of abuse is on par with several of your antagonists (and directly inspired by some RL parents of my acquaintence).

GuardianDragon: Thank you!