Give and Take

*Heather's Point of View*

"It's a boy! It's a boy! I have a son!" Snotlout shouted as he slammed the front door of the house open.

We all jumped up from our spots in the grass and congratulated him.

"Snotlout that's great!" I said excitedly.

"Does he have a name?" Hiccup asked.

"He sure does! Spikelout Jorgenson!" Snotlout said proudly.

I chuckled. Of course, the poor thing would get one of the infamous Jorgenson names.

"Sounds like a name that will surely get all the girls," Hiccup laughed. He didn't really mean what he said, but Snotlout took it as a compliment.

"Tell that to Willow! The only way I could get her to let me name him that is if I promised to let her name the next one," he said.

I shook my head and glanced over at Fishlegs. He and I had been trying for months now, and still nothing. It had been so easy for Snotlout and Willow to get pregnant.

Later that night Fishlegs and I were in our bedroom. I sighed as I brushed my braid out. My hands fell to my lap.

"You okay, dearest?" Fishlegs asked, looking up from the book he was reading.

I shook my head silently.

He got up out of bed and knelt in front of me.

"What's wrong?" he asked softly.

"How is it so easy for the others to get pregnant? We've been trying for months now, Fishlegs. Months! And I'm still not pregnant. Am I doing something wrong? Is something wrong with me?" I asked.

"Heather… Nothing is wrong with you! Sometimes it just takes time. We will have a baby. It might take us a little longer, but we'll get there. Right now we can just enjoy having two awesome nephews," Fishlegs said reassuringly.

I nodded. "We are pretty awesome at being an aunt and uncle…" I agreed.

"Exactly! And when it is our turn to have a baby, we will be the best parents in all of viking history!" he said excitedly.

I laughed and leaned forward to kiss him. "You are amazing," I told him.

"Thanks. I try," he chuckled.

I shook my head at him and kissed him again.


This half of the chapter takes place a month after Spikelout's birth and just a few weeks or so after the Quakes epidemic mentioned in How to Say Goodbye

"I haven't seen a dress design like this since the last Gathering Of The Chiefs meeting I went to," I said to Astrid, who was standing behind me. I moved the soft fabric between my fingers.

Astrid and I were shopping in the market. Several traders had come in and it was always fun to see the things they brought from far off places.

"Oh, I recognize that design! Bog Burglar, right?" Astrid asked.

I nodded. "I believe so."

"Okay, come on! I need to get some yak chops for dinner. Hiccup has been asking for some all week," Astrid said, linking her arm through mine and pulling me towards the butcher shop.

I pulled her to a stop at the fish cart.

"Hold on, I am going to get some fish for dinner tonight," I said.

I began selecting the fish I was going to buy.

"Uh, Mrs. Ingerman?" the boy running the cart said nervously. It was his father's cart.

"Yes?" I asked, looking up from the fish.

The boy just pointed behind me. I turned around and saw Astrid bent over behind some bushes.

"Oh, gods" I whispered. I picked up my basket and ran over to my friend, reaching her just in time to hold her hair up as she threw up into the bush. I rubbed her back soothingly and knelt beside her, offering her a rag to wash up with when she had finished.

She was so pale.

"Astrid, what happened?" I asked worriedly.

"I don't know. The smell of the eels just made me really nauseous and the next thing I knew…" she waved her arms at the bush she had knelt in front of.

I helped her stand up. "Let's get you cooled off," I said softly.

She let me help her to the stream. Once there, I took the rag from her and cleaned it off. Then I soaked it in the cool water and held it to her face.

"Why did that make you sick? I should go get Hiccup," I said, moving to get up. But Astrid grabbed my arm.

"No, don't get Hiccup," Astrid groaned.

I paused and looked down at her. "Why?" I asked.

"Because… I'm pregnant," she whispered.

"Astrid! That's great! When are you due? How long have you known? Why haven't you told Hiccup?" I asked quickly as I knelt beside her.

"I just don't want him to worry," Astrid said.

"Astrid, he is going to be ecstatic!" I told her.

"I know! I just don't know how to tell him. Please just don't say anything until I tell him," she pleaded.

"Of course. It isn't my place to say anything. But right now I think we should get you back to your house," I said as I helped her stand up.

"I can get there myself. You have to go home anyway," Astrid reasoned.

"Okay… You sure you'll be okay?" I questioned, just to make sure.

"I'm fine! I'll be okay," she said sincerely.

"Then I'll see you later," I said.

I started walking home but turned to look over my shoulder. "Tell him!" I called out behind me.

*two months later*

"I don't know, sister… Do you really think this new training program would be effective?" Dagur asked.

"Of course! I know we are at peace, and we hopefully will be for years to come! But that doesn't mean we can't be ready in case something happens," I explained.

"Okay, well if you and Astrid both think building an arena like the one we had on old Berk will be helpful, then we can definitely do that. Kids can start training when they reach fourteen winters. If that's okay with you, chief?" Hiccup asked.

"I don't see anything wrong with being prepared. I can get the carpenters and stonemasons to begin work next week, chief" Dagur said.

I smiled. "Excellent. Astrid will be so excited. Where is she, by the way?" I asked.

"She asked for a day off. She has been feeling sick lately," Hiccup explained.

"Hiccup!"

"Fishlegs?" I said in surprise as my husband burst into the chiefs' office.

"Hiccup, it's Astrid. She started bleeding and she told me she is pregnant! And she shouldn't be bleeding if she is pregnant and I think something is wrong," Fishlegs managed to say worriedly between gasps for air. He had run all the way here.

"She's what?!" Hiccup shouted worriedly. He started running towards the house.

"Someone go get my mom!" he called back over his shoulder. Dagur immediately left to tell Valka.

I rushed over to my husband.

"She was bleeding?" I asked.

He nodded. "I asked if she had started her cycle or something. She looked like she was in pain," he said.

I felt tears in my eyes. "She's having a miscarriage. I've seen it before," I said quietly.

"Hey, she'll be okay," Fishlegs said. He wrapped his arms around me in a tight hug.

"Can we go?" I asked.

"Go where?" he asked.

"I have to know if she's okay," I said.

"Let's go," Fishlegs said, taking my hand in his.

We left the office and started walking to the Haddock house.

As we approached the house we could hear Astrid inside.

"Oh, gods…" I whispered, tightening my grip on his hand.

"She'll be fine. This is Astrid, one of the strongest vikings we know," he reminded me.

Astrid cried out from inside the house.

"She'll be okay," I whispered to myself.

Soon the yelling stopped and Valka left the house. She had tears on her cheeks. I had never seen her cry.

"Valka, are they okay?" I asked, wiping tears of my own from my eyes.

"It was a little boy," she said quietly.

I stepped forward and hugged her. She let me hug her for a few more moments.

"They'll be okay. It will take time, but they will be okay," the older woman said sadly.

I sighed and looked over at my husband.

"I have to go. Just give them a while to themselves, okay?" Valka told us.

I nodded in agreement. Valka gave us a sad smile before she turned to go back to her home.


Hello Readers,

I am conflicted, so I figured I might ask you guys your opinion on something.

So I have two different ending ideas to this story. One sets it up for another story that takes place after How to Say Goodbye plus a bonus one-shot story, the other kind of wraps it all up in a way.

The only thing is, I went off canon with the one shot. Like it could still technically work in the canon HTTYD universe, but it is a stretch.

I just want to know what you guys think. Should I wrap up the story or give you guys a crazy plot twist?

I will make a poll for it and you guys can vote on my profile!

Sincerely,

EverAfterWritings