Well, the response to the last chapter was... colourful, and greatly enjoyed by all of us here.

-HTTYD-

The whole trip back, Valka was lost in her own thoughts. Which made driving a touch risky, but she made it home in one piece. Physically, anyway. It felt rather like she'd left part of her heart behind in that little flat, with Astrid and her sweet little boy.

Her heart squeezed tight in her chest every time she thought of Henry. He looked so much like Eret, and that fact hit her again when she saw her husband stood outside the house - clearly waiting for her. He'd been out at work when she left to see Astrid.

"Where were- have you been crying?"

"No."

Valka wiped hastily at her face, unaware that the tears she'd been fighting had escaped anyway. She stepped past him, letting herself in to the house and sinking into a chair with a deep sigh.

"Where were you?"

"Nowhere."

"You're not a very good liar."

That's what you think.

"Why do you care? You haven't said a word to me in a week."

And the words they had exchanged last week hadn't been particularly friendly - with the holidays coming up, he'd been even more tense than usual as he complained there were no excuses he could make that wouldn't be met with derision and disgust about why they were still absent their three children. Last year, they'd just not said anything other than "oh, they're busy with work and university", but Astrid had dropped out of university and vanished, and Valka had only communicated with her sons by text that week. That excuse wasn't going to hold year on year, and Eret was too damned prideful to just come out and say that there was family tension.

And still, they'd noticed. Almost an entire year later, Valka vividly remembered being pulled aside and asked if 'everything was alright', the frosty tension between she and Eret palpable. Valka gave empty reassurances, and they returned home to their stony silence and seperate beds.

Honestly, Valka wasn't sure why they didn't just call it quits. She'd come close to saying as much several times - what were they holding on to anymore? They were living like strangers under the same roof. But that would have meant they had to talk, and talking would mean acknowledging the cause of the rift. Eret was never going to agree they should divorce over differing opinions on the sexual relationship between their children.

"Were you seeing them?"

She winced at the way he asked, no doubt in her mind who he meant but his sharp tone was like a knife, driving deeper in to her aching heart as she felt the gaps in their family grow ever larger.

"No."

That wasn't a lie. She hadn't been seeing the twins that day. Still hadn't decided if she was going to tell them.

"Then why not tell me where you were?"

Valka covered her face with her hands, unable to look at her husband without seeing the face of her grandson there.

"Fine. I saw Astrid."

She peered up, just to see his response to her name. His face was a myriad of emotions, and Valka saw the pain that flashed across his features, but only a deep scowl stayed behind when he answered.

"You did what?"

"She's my daughter!"

"She's a sick, sick girl who corrupted my sons!"

It was only great restraint that kept Valka from hitting him just then, but the anger pulled her to her feet again all the same, heart thundering in her chest.

"Don't you dare. You know as well as I do that whatever was going on between Eret and Hiccup was happening long before Astrid was involved. They said as much themselves!"

They'd just had an easier time keeping it a secret - they shared a room, and then a flat together. Nobody questioned twins being close, and they were both tactile, playful types. The more Valka looked back, the more it seemed like it was right under her nose, but she'd just never thought to look.

Eret scowled and looked away, which said he knew Valka was right and he just didn't want to acknowledge it. She waited a minute or two to see if he had more to say, but nothing seemed forthcoming.

"I met her son."

That got his attention.

"She... you... what?"

"Astrid was pregnant, remember? She has a son. Our grandson. He's a little over a year old, and his name is Henry."

And he was still Eret's grandson, whether he disowned Astrid or not, because Eret Jr was still Henry's father.

"Messed up from them being... I can't even say it."

"He's not."

Much as he tried to hide it all, Valka saw that dart of hope, gone as quickly as it appeared but it was there.

"He's not?"

"No. Astrid had tests done to be sure. He's happy and healthy as can be. Do you want to see a picture?"

Eret didn't answer. He didn't look away either. Valka pulled out her phone, feeling guilty for betraying Astrid's trust but hoping she could finally get through to her husband, just a little bit. She pulled up the picture of Henry just waking up, with his bright amber eyes and soft hair and sweet, round cheeks. Eret looked, but only for a second before his face darkened again.

"I don't need to see proof! I already know what they did."

And with that, he stormed off. Unsure if she'd just made things worse - though how much worse could they really get at that point? - or not, Valka sank back into her seat, limp and deflated as she cradled her phone, staring at his little face. Already, she missed him massively. Sweet and curious and excitable, it was so clear he was loved and well cared for by Astrid. And it ws a relief to Valka to know Astrid hadn't been alone all that time, as Henry was obviously close with Heather, and she was visibly at ease around the flat and caring for Henry.

But Henry was over a year old by then. He was walking and talking and growing into a person, and those were all milestones missed by his fathers because their reaction to her pregnancy had scared Astrid away. There had to be more to it all than just that, Valka knew, because otherwise Astrid wouldn't have cut out the twins too. They'd been willing to choose her over their parents, but she hadn't given them that chance.

Eret went back to his avoidance of her, though Valka caught one or two furtive glances at her phone, strongly debating asking if he wanted to look at the photo of Henry again. Those next few days were mostly filled with her agonising over the choice she had to make. Oh, she was dying to go back to Astrid, to hold her grandson in her arms. Not that Henry knew who she was to him. Valka was just someone who turned up and made his mama seem sad. Though he had been quite happy when Valka pushed him on the swing.

But Henry deserved his fathers. Gods, her sons deserved to know their son. Valka knew they didn't consider which of them it was biologically as important - they were a package deal, and she knew Hiccup longed just as much as Eret did to know the boy, ached as strongly for the loss of Astrid in their lives.

Astrid would be livid, Valka knew, if she divulged what she knew to Hiccup and Eret. But was she just being selfish by keeping it to herself, in the slim hope Astrid would allow her to see Henry again? Or was she simply respecting Astrid's wishes?

That was the debate that raged back and forth in her mind for days and days on end. Valka found herself with her thumb hovering over the call button on their names so many times, chickening out at the last second.

One evening, perhaps a week after she'd seen Astrid and met little Henry, Valka was contemplating the bottle of wine sitting in the fridge when her phone began ringing. Hiccup's name on the screen sent her heart shooting up into her throat, and her hands trembled as she reached for her phone. Eret Sr was home... but as soon as the thought came up, Valka dismissed it.

"Hello?"

"Hey mom. Just... checking in. Not heard off you in a few days, wanted to make sure you were alright."

"I... I'm fine."

It was hollow and unconvincing, even over the phone.

"What's wrong? Is he there?"

Something about the way he asked that, so cautious and concerned... Valka broke.

"Are you and Eret home now?"

"... yeah. What's wrong? Did something happen?"

"No, no. I just... I want to see you."

Footsteps sounded on the staircase. Knees shaky with undue anxiety, Valka waited for Hiccup's answer.

"Come on over. Have you eaten? We're just about to make dinner."

The thought of food made her stomach turn, but she agreed numbly anyway.

"Who's on the phone?"

"Not now Eret" she saw him blanch, heard Hiccup's sharp intake of breath on the phone "I'm on my way."

And with that, Valka hung up before she started a conversation she didn't want to have over the phone. Watching shrewdly, Eret saw Valka pick her car keys up from the side.

"Where are you going?"

"To fix this as best I can."

"You can't possibly be thinking of-"

She refused to let him waylay her a moment longer, whirling around and cutting him off.

"I can, and I am. My children are miserable, and alone, and I don't care what it takes to change that anymore."

Valka left before he could answer, slamming the door behind her in her haste to get to her car.

She'd made her choice.

Astrid yawned as she picked Henry up, half asleep but hungry as he reached up to her. She sat back on her bed with him as she took off her sleep shirt to let him nurse, smiling as he settled. With a full tummy and a fresh nappy, he was ready for the day, and that meant Astrid had to be too.

Heather was just waking up on the sofa when Astrid went through. Sleepovers were less frequent, but she did stay over sometimes still.

"Morning."

"Morning. Hey Henry."

"Hi!"

Henry toddled over to the sofa, doing his best to haul himself up until Astrid gave him a boost, allowing him to crawl over to Heather for a nice, energetic morning greeting.

"I love you too little guy, but you are gonna have to stop lying on my bladder or we'll have to clean the sofa again."

Laughing, Astrid scooped her son up so Heather could escape to the bathroom, tickling his belly and enjoying his squeals of laughter.

"Mama noooo!"

He wriggled and kicked, trying to escape until Astrid dropped down onto the sofa, pulling him to her chest as she did so, both panting and smiling.

"Hey, I've been meaning to ask" Heather's voice floated into the room just before she appeared from the bathroom, fixing her bedhair into a tidier ponytail "have you heard from your mom again yet?"

"No. Haven't tried to talk to her either."

Heather sighed, lowering herself down to sit near Astrid's head.

"Are you going to?"

"Probably not. I went from being their dirty secret to hers. I don't need that. I only let her meet Henry so she'd stop bugging me."

Her friend raised an eyebrow.

"If you say so. Breakfast?"

"Sure."

He'd been fed, but Henry still happily (and messily) got stuck into his bowl of yoghurt while Astrid and Heather ate eggs and toast. She scowled at her decaf coffee, but she tended to save her one cup of caffeine for later in the day, in case of emergency energy requirements for keeping up with her tiny tornado of a child.

"You planning on going running today?"

"No, bit sore from last night so I'm resting today."

Heather nodded, managing to move her hand just in time to dodge the glob of yoghurt Henry launched in her direction.

"If you're not gonna eat that, I'm taking it off you."

Astrid warned, but Henry paid her little heed now he'd discovered the fun of throwing it. Sighing, Astrid got up and retrieved the bowl, which earned her a very unhappy grumble from her son.

"I'll clean him, you clean the table?"

"Thanks."

Heather smiled, standing to retrieve a tea towel so she could start wiping Henry clean. Astrid put their plates in the sink, then ran a cloth over the table to mop up the splashed yoghurt there. By the time she was just rinsing it off, Heather was already done with cleaning Henry, taking him to play in the living room to prevent him from causing more chaos for the moment. However, when there was a knock at the door, Heather poked her head in again, both sharing a look.

"Expecting any deliveries?"

"Not that I know of?"

"Maybe your mom sent you something? She knows where you live now. Or maybe your neighbour isn't awake to accept their post yet."

"Maybe..."

Frowning, Astrid wiped her hands down on her sleep shirt and hiked up her pyjama shorts that were falling down so she didn't risk flashing the postman her underwear (again... though that was from a still-crawling Henry tugging her bottoms for attention while she tried to get the post and stop him escaping). Walking over to open the door, a strange feeling overcame her, her hands shaking for no reason. In her chest, her heart was pounding rapidly and she had to swallow as her throat was turning dry. What was up with her, was she getting sick? Shaking her head, she pushed all these weird sensations away. It was nothing, surely.

But as soon as she pulled the door open, Astrid was pretty sure her heart stopped.

-HTTYD-

I mean... no points for guessing.