A/N: If you haven't yet, please read 'Toughest Part of Life' before going into this chapter for it will make a lot more sense; this takes place after that story.

There were many notions on Hiccups mind as he sketched in his journal. He enjoyed the activity but the current sketch was not for leisure. Even his hobbies pertained to business now. It was past the new harvest season and he had dealt with many leaders coming and going in the summer before and these guests were forced to sleep in the Mead Hall—on the hard stone floor under furs and coverings. They were leaders even, and Hiccup felt like he was a horrible host. Sometimes he could convince those families with extra room to put up the visitors but when he did that he felt like he was intruding.

His tired eyes concentrated on the char-tipped stick of birch that carefully made lines that depicted the interior of a grand lodge. He thought if there was one big empty lodge in the village, it could hold those who came to Berk for diplomatic discussions.

He had been doing well as chief, had been building new alliances—mostly with the Danes of the eastern shores. They had dragons and found Hiccup's teachings very useful.

He had lost the loyalty of the Western Clansmen though due to Berk's Celt-Viking alliance—which was troublesome as they were crude and only a few islands away from the barbarians. Hopefully barbarians did not make alliances.

Everything seemed to be going pretty well. Harvest had been good, much, much better than last. Hiccup even had spent a whole day helping with it. Never had he seen so much wheat and barley.

The only thing that felt like a sliver, wedged in these good circumstances was the mysterious fact that Calvin the Lecherous had disappeared awhile ago with no word and that his treacherous brother hadn't shown up to even ask about it. Those facts made Hiccup wonder if they both had died or Alvin was planning something sinister. It was awful to think of it, but it would be easier and not to mention put his mind at ease if they had died for sure. No matter, Hiccup was always on edge—waiting for the worst.

He didn't feel so bad for Alvin but Calvin had always been polite and had even managed to befriend Stoick the Vast during his time in Berk. He was almost sorry that if Calvin were to have died mysteriously. No bodies were ever found though and Hiccup had searchers comb the island.

Fishlegs continued to believe a wild Nadder had eaten the man—who had only gotten three quarters of the way to learning all that pertained toward training dragons. Perhaps one wrong move sent him to a dragon's stomach.

Hiccup was sitting back in his chair that was in the main room of his home. Svenan the younger was on the floor, stacking wooden blocks. He noticed his son really liked to stack things, to see how high something could get before falling. He was five blocks up without the tower being too unstable. Maybe his son was fit to build structures when grown. Hiccup grinned to himself thinking of his son's future as a potential carpenter.

Though he'd love to teach him the ways of the forge—there was just something so special about having one's son follow in their father's footsteps and he could finally realize where his own father was coming from in that aspect. He had always wanted Hiccup to be the best Viking of his own generation—to be chief.

Well look at me now Dad—I'm doing a pretty good job of it.

Svenan added one more block and the tower wobbled and leaned before falling. But Svenan wasn't deterred, he merely started again.

Hiccup had once told Fishlegs that words really couldn't describe how much love he held for his child and that moment only fueled the fact. Determination.

"Hey buddy," Hiccup set his journal down and called. Svenan looked up from his endeavor and smiled.

"Dada!"

"Come 'ere!"

Svenan pulled himself up and approached eagerly, "Why?"

He was answered when Hiccup swiped him up and began to poke at the lad's ticklish spots. Svenan squealed shrilly and began to laugh, wiggling with all his might out of his father's grasp. Hiccup and his father never rough-played like so—however Valhallarama, his mother often played the tickling game him when he was young.

"What is all this noise?" Astrid stepped into the main room from the adjoining food preparation area. Toothless had been lounging on the floor next to Svenan but jumped up at the sight of her, possibly attempting to beg for some food.

It was early morning, the sun had just risen and both Haddock males waited for morning porridge. The dragon sniffed around her and then let out an odd sound. Hiccup had heard it before but soon forgot about when or where, his attention settling again onto his squirming son.

Svenan popped out one more giggle before Hiccup positioned the child upright in his lap, "Nothing my heart, just playing."

She raised a brow and he saw a smirk hidden in the scrutinizing set of her mouth. There was a brightness in her eyes he hadn't seen in a long while and he wondered what could have made her so happy. She saw his inquisitive stare, her voice became serious, "There is something I need to tell yo—"

He jumped as there was a sudden knocking on the front door. It sounded urgent. He gave a concerned look to his wife and stood, setting Svenan back by his toys.

Hiccup was prepared for the worst, an attack from former allies, the news of a death, even Alvin bloody Treacherous or his ghost arriving to haunt him. He would have been prepared for anything—anything but what stood at his front door.

A man who was tall, lean, well muscled and was boasting a few new scars across his cheek but stood there, leaning against the door frame and couldn't have looked any more pleased with himself.

"T…tuh…Tuffnut?"

"Hey! So, I was just letting you guys know that I'm getting married!"

Hiccup's mind barely processed that. He stared forward with wide, unbelieving eyes.

"NO! Wait! No...HOW are you even alive? Your boat smashed to pieces, Camicazi even took the time to come here and tell me so! You can't just show up without explanation and tell me you're getting married!"

"But...I am getting married."

"That's not the point! I'm shocked that you are alive!" Hiccup reached out and dared to poke the being, he was solid—ruling out the chances it was an apparition.

"Do that again and I will hit you," Tuff frowned. Uncouth and daring still. Though, if Toothless had anything to do with it, a plasma flame would ignite Tuffnut as soon as he raised his hand to strike. "Now why don't you congratulate me? I did to you when you hitched Astrid."

"I can't believe this!" Hiccup was off again, his mind in a whirl at seeing a man he thought dead for certain. He glanced at Astrid who also seemed just as flabbergasted that Tuffnut Thorston was standing there and acting as though he had never left Berk.

"Dude, that's kind of Harsh, even for you," Tuffnut scowled.

"What?"

"For your information, women do like me."

Hiccup shook his head, "That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about you being alive again. You were officially dead you do know? Why has it taken you so long to return? What happened to you?"

"Details, details," Tuffnut shrugged, waving him off.

"Well," Hiccup was at a loss at Tuff's refusal to share, "Did you just return?"

"Yesterday afternoon."

And he had waited a whole day to inform the leader of the village of his return? What had he been doing instead? Hiccup was just so confused on how to react to this situation.

"Who else knows?"

"My mother, my sister, Fish, 'Lout, I guess his wife and his daughter and my niece... hey I got a niece now!"

Odin, everyone knew! Everyone except the person the information was most crucial to. Hiccup had meant for Tuffnut to scout and possibly find new places where alliances could be made—had he been successful at all?

Hiccup nodded helplessly with a half-hearted smile, still processing he was talking to Tuffnut of all people.

"Anyway, so we need you at the wedding since you're the chief."

"Who is your bride exactly?" Astrid finally spoke, getting over her initial surprise at Tuffnut's behavior and revival.

Hiccup finally thought about the separate fact that Tuffnut was getting married. Tuff was one person who always had trouble with relationships in the village, even more so keeping the interest of females. That was only another thing to boggle the mind.

"Do you have her by contract?" Hiccup blurted, figuring he had obtained a bride through his travels.

"Dude, no. She willingly wants to marry me," Tuffnut was taken aback. Hiccup was just as taken aback at the snarky tone.

"Who?" Astrid seemed to be imploding from not knowing who was desperate enough to be joined with the crude man.

Tuffnut smiled, his voice lost most of its harshness in the answer, "Harkin."

Hiccup's mind exploded once more in shock.

"She has no assets, Tuff. You do know this?" Hiccup asked to make sure. Love, if Tuff actually felt that way- was a powerful drug but there were other considerations to take into account when being wed.

"She's so young!" Astrid exclaimed.

Tuffnut brushed Astrid's concern away, "She's an adult. So am I. We're getting married."

"Why are you doing this?" Hiccup asked. He didn't even know how the two came to be so close.

Tuffnut's brows lowered, "Because it seems no one has given a rat's ass about her since I left. She's alone and she has no one and nothing—but now she has me and I'm making sure she gets some of the happiness she deserves. I made a small fortune on my travels and I love her, so is that enough reason for you, chief?"

It actually was.

Not once did Tuffnut mention anything that had the sense of selfishness. He sounded sincere, and he must have truly felt strongly for Harkin. Being married was abolishing the selfishness inside ones self to be joined as a pair.

Hiccup still didn't appreciate the jeering manner of Tuff's words but saw Tuffnut was resolved in his decision. He also resisted informing Tuffnut that his future wife had been on the path to dishonor and thievery that had been adverted by none other than himself. So someone had given her a care, but unfortunately Hiccup's care couldn't extend very far because he had to do it for the whole village, not focus it on one unfortunate girl.

"Very well, you're getting married but I do want to speak with you sometime about what happened to you and why it took you so long to return."

He was also curious o how Tuff obtained a 'small fortune.'

"Sure," Tuffnut shrugged and turned to leave but eyed the three-year-old stacking blocks, "That yours?"

Astrid gave a nod.

"Odin, everyone is having babies!" Tuffnut mused aloud and departed. He must have seen the pregnant state Ruff was in.

Hiccup slowly turned to Astrid, holding his skull, "Did all that just happen? Wow. I mean...WOW."

"It doesn't hurt too much does it?" Astrid teased and took his arm, leading him to sit back in his chair. She kissed him on the top of his head and resumed her path toward the kitchen. He really did seem in a happier mood that most mornings.

"Wasn't there something you needed to tell me?"

She whirled around and gave him a helpless look, "I should tell you later."

"No! If you don't tell me now I will just worry it is bad news until you break it to me."

He had nothing mind jolt after mind jolt that morning.

"You need to relax my husband," she sighed, returning to him and pressed her palms to the sides of his face to soothe, guiding his sight up to see her, "Not all news is bad news."

Not that Tuff's news was bad just really damn surprising. However there was always that edge Hiccup felt he was on—waiting for the worst.

He closed his eyes and took a breath, focusing on the feel of her hands against his skin, how a single touch from his wife calmed him better than anything else. He felt her lips press to his cheek, and then her breath on his ear.

"You're going to be a father."

His eyes snapped open and he pulled away looking her over, baffled by her words at first. He was already a father! His heart involuntarily began to beat harder figuring her meaning. She was only smiling—a smile that seemingly could break the darkness of Helheim.

Then it all made sense. He was going to be a father, again. He couldn't find words to speak, his heart filling with that unexplainable bright feeling—but she was right-not all news was bad.

Though hers didn't leave him with any less of a mind jolt.