Fears
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Merry Christmas!
SUMMARY: After a miscarriage and the death of her baby girl, Astrid Haddock is scared that her next child won't survive, either. Drabble.
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Astrid Haddock let out a soft sigh as she climbed into bed beside her husband and placed a hand on her growing baby bump. "Hiccup," she began. "Do you think this one will make it?"
Hiccup reached over to give the braid she had in her blonde hair an affectionate tug. "I'm sure he or she will," he replied as he forced a smile. It felt like his duty to put on a brave face and comfort his wife, though the loss of the previous Haddock children had scarred him just as badly as it had scarred her.
"I just...I just don't want to fail at this again. I mean, if only birthing problems didn't run in my family, our daughter would be a happy, healthy three-year-old with a big brother or sister." The first time she had gotten pregnant, Astrid had experienced a miscarriage. The second time, the poor little baby girl had arrived two months early and had died in her mother's arms only minutes after her birth. This time around, both parents were hoping that the child would be born healthy and push through his or her first month of life - that month in which death was such a likely occurrence.
"Hey, don't blame yourself. You know, my family had bad luck with babies, too. My mom had two miscarriages and a stillborn baby before I came along."
She pulled the furs on top of her and snuggled against Hiccup's side. "I know, but I just...I just can't help but feel like it's my fault I haven't been able to produce any surviving children."
"That's the furthest thing from the truth, darling." Pulling Astrid closer, he kissed the top of her head.
The room grew silent.
"Babe," Astrid began eventually. "What if we never have a baby that lives? I mean, then you won't have an heir and your family name can't be carried on and -"
"And if that would happen, I'd be perfectly content to only have you." Hiccup gave her waist a gentle squeeze. "But it won't. You know why?"
"Why?" She looked up at him questioningly.
"Because you're a strong woman, and our children will always be half of you. So you know, it's only natural that we'll end up with a little fighter someday." Smiling, he placed an affectionate hand over her baby bump. "And I have a feeling that fighter will be this one."
Almost as soon as he was finished speaking, Astrid felt a small twitch against her stomach. "Hic, did you...did you feel that?" she asked.
"That was our baby kicking, wasn't it?" he asked.
Before she could respond, she felt the movement a second time, which in turn triggered the flow of joyful tears down her cheeks. This was both the earliest and the hardest kick she had ever felt from her babies.
"See? He or she is a fighter already." Hiccup leaned in to kiss his wife on the lips.
"Oh babe, I just..." Trailing off, Astrid flung herself against him, her arms fastening about his middle in a tight hug.
Grinning, he returned the embrace. "I love you," he whispered as he felt her still flowing tears soak into his tunic. "Both of you."
