Chapter 53: Homecoming (Nordisk Edition)

(Eret's POV)

This is New Berk. At Snoggletog, the greatest time of the year. The lights, the hunting songs. The holiday shopping. The Yaknog shooters.

Don't try them. They're made from Astrid's recipe she made years ago, back before Becky was banished from Old Berk. Try saying that five times fast.

Anyway, the only thing missing (besides my mum) was…dragons.

It's been ten years since Vikings and Dragons agreed to live apart. But that doesn't mean we've forgotten our flying friends.

Ten years.

They say time flies fast when you have children of your own, and they were right. It seems like just yesterday, Becky was almost due with our first child together. Then Ruby was born, and time hasn't slowed since.

She's 10 years old now, two years older than Zephyr, Astrid and Hiccup's daughter, and five years older than Nuffink, Hiccup and Astrid's son.

(I'm going with Dean DeBlois' ages, not the script's ages)

Loki has come around more often, trying to make up for the years he's missed with Becky, my wife and Loki's biological daughter. They've grown closer in the past six years.

"Dad, tell me again what we do on Snoggletog Eve?" Ruby asks me. My daughter sits in front of me in front of the fireplace. Becky and her father are out Snoggletog shopping before Black Plague Friday hits.

"Well, Ruby, your mother and I make Skullcrusher and Amethyst their favorite meals."

"What were they?"

"Well, Amethyst likes tuna and Skullcrusher likes red snapper. And even though they're both gone, we still make it for them, to keep our loved ones in our hearts even though they're far away."

"What do we do to remember Grandma Ruby?"

"Well, every year, we get a portrait commissioned of our entire family. Your cousin, your aunts and uncles, your grandparents, including Grandpa Loki, and you and your mum and I. We include Grandma Ruby so it's like she's still here, even though she's gone."

"Is it true Mom met her on your guys' wedding night?"

"It is, Ruby. I hadn't seen my mum for ten years, and there she was, in spirit form."

"Is it also true I was named after her?"

"It sure is. You were named after her, and your mum's real mother."

Soon, Becky and Loki return, laden with gifts.

"Well, how was shopping?" I ask my wife and father-in-law.

"It was good. Bumped into my sister with Fishlegs and Hanna."

"So, that's what took so long. I never suspected you as a talkative person, love."

"I'm not usually. But, hey, it's my sister."

"Fair enough. Hey, when do we need to meet with Hiccup and Astrid about their ideas for new Snoggletog tradition ideas?"

"I said as soon as we got back. Ruby, you still okay with watching Zephyr and Nuffink?"

"Of course, Mom! We get along great!"

"Good. Let's get going."

"I'd better go as well, sweetheart. Your uncle doesn't like it when I'm late for our own traditions." Loki says, hugging his daughter.

"Tell Uncle Thor, Heimdall, Odin, Frigga, my mom and mother-in-law we said hi."

"I swear to you I will, my daughter."

"Thanks, Dad. Have a safe trip home."

"Will do."

We see Loki off before heading to the Haddock's.

Ruby knocks on the door.

"I'll get it!" We hear Nuffink say. He opens the door.

"Uncle Eret! Aunt Becky! Ruby!"

"Hey, bud! How's our favorite nephew doing?" I ask.

"I'm your only nephew."

"That's true. But you're still our favorite!" Becky says.

"Hey, it's the Nordisks. Some of our favorite people."

"Chief, you flatter me...us." I say after my wife lightly nudges me.

"Dad, where are you and Mom going?" Zephyr asks.

"We just have some grown-up things to take care of with Becky and Eret. That's why Ruby is staying with you and Nuffink."

"What kinds of things?"

"Just things around the village."

"We'd better go. Have fun, kids! Be good for Ruby!" Astrid says.

"We will!" Zephyr says.

We leave the children and head to the square to brainstorm ideas for new Snoggletog traditions.

"Why don't we bring back the Snoggletog pageant?" Hiccup says.

"The what?" Becky and I ask.

"Years ago, back when I was little, well, littler, there was a Snoggletog pageant the village put on. But we may need to change the script."

"I think that's a great idea, Hiccup. Everyone will love it." Becky says.

"Uncle Eret! Aunt Becky!" The four turn and see Nuffink running towards them, a panicked look on his face.

"Nuffink? What's going on, bud?" Hiccup asks.

"It's Ruby. She thinks she's having a heart attack!"

Becky and I look at each other, and we all run back to the Haddock house.

Becky and I enter, both fearing the worst for our daughter.

We see Zephyr off to the side, looking guilty. But then we see our sweet jewel Ruby on her knees, gasping for air.

"Ruby, our little love. We're here." Becky and I kneel in front of our daughter.

"Dad...Daddy."

"Shhh. Daddy's here. We're right here, Rubes. Let's get your breathing back under control."

"I'm...I'm having a heart attack."

"No, you're not. You're having an anxietyattack." Becky says.

"An anxiety attack?"

"Yes. Your mum gets them, and sometimes, so do I. We know the symptoms and we know what to do."

"Help...me. Please."

"We'll do what we can. Take my hand." Ruby shakily takes my hand. I place it on my chest.

Where the branding scar is.

Where my heart is.

"It's beating fast."

"That's because I'm scared for you, Ruby."

"You are?"

"We both are, sweetheart." Becky tells our daughter.

"Follow my breathing, Rubes. In...out...in...out." Ruby follows my breathing pattern until her breathing gets back to normal.

Ruby collapses into my arms, shaking and sobbing.

"Shhh. You're okay, little love. You're okay."

"Now, how did this occur?" Becky asks, standing up, her arms folded.

Zephyr explains what occurred to Becky and I and her parents.

"You guys tried to torture our daughter? For sheer fun?" I ask. I don't get mad much anymore, but when I do, I mean business. I rarely get mad at Becky and Ruby, knowing Becky has had a rough past, and Ruby…she's just a kid. She doesn't deserve my anger. Neither does Becky.

"Yes. We're sorry." Zephyr says.

"Guys, this is not okay. At all." Astrid says.

"I agree. Torturing someone related to Becky, you might as well be torturing Becky herself. And she's gone through enough torture."

I clear my throat. I shake my head at my chief when Hiccup looks at me.

"That being said, you two are not to torture anyone like that anymore. You hear me?"

"Yes, Dad." Zephyr and Nuffink say.

And, so, ends Zephyr and Nuffink's antics...for now.

~.~

Ruby and Becky and I head home. Ruby, still a bit shaken up, heads up to her room for a nap.

"I can't believe Zephyr and Nuffink would do such a thing." Becky says, her voice wavering as she leans on me on our couch.

"I know, my love. I know."

"Ruby should never have to experience an anxiety attack. It breaks my heart that she went through that."

"It breaks mine, too, darling."

"I heard what occurred, sweetheart." We look up and see Loki standing in front of us.

"How did you know?"

"Instinct. A father's instinct. Do you want me to teach those kids a lesson?"

"Dad, they're just kids."

"Yeah, that's a good point. I'm sorry for even thinking of such a thing."

"It's alright, Loki. We understand. We'd do anything to protect Ruby. Except hurt kids." I say.

"Good point. We wouldn't want to stoop to their level."

"Dad!"

"Kidding. I'm kidding. Remember, I'm the god of mischief and pranks?"

Becky and I give Loki a stern look.

"Alright, alright. Ehehehe. I won't do anything to hurt Zephyr and Nuffink. You have my word."

"Grandpa Loki!"

"There's my favorite granddaughter!" Loki hugs Ruby after she comes down the stairs, our conversation seemingly forgotten.

"Dad, do you think you could watch Ruby for a while? We need to go have a talk with Hiccup and Astrid."

"Of course, my princess of Midgard."

"Thank you. We'll be back."

~.~

"Trust me, guys, we hear you loud and clear. We will make sure that Zeph and Nuffink don't do this again. To anyone." Hiccup tell us in the Great Hall. Gobber and Valka are watching Zephyr and Nuffink.

"Thank you, Chief. We hate that Ruby had to go through an anxiety attack."

"Well, rumor has it, this wasn't her first." Astrid says.

"What?!"

"Yeah, I hear that she went into a cave that Ruff and Tuff designated as their new dark soggy alone place. She got scared, Ruff and Tuff caught her in there and helped her through her first anxiety attack."

"Why didn't you two tell us about this?" Becky asks her siblings, who have walked up to the table.

"Tell you about what?" Tuffnut asks.

"Ruby. Her first anxiety attack. She had another one just a couple hours ago."

"Is she okay?" Ruffnut asks.

"She will be. But I won't be until you tell Eret and me exactly what occurred with her first one."

"It went something like this…" Ruffnut starts.

6-year old Ruby had found her way into my and Tuff's new dark soggy alone place we had found when he and I needed some alone time away from our loved ones.

It was dark, it was cold. And she was scared.

Tuff and I were in there, just being by ourselves, together.

We heard sniffling and hard breathing. We looked at each other, and we rushed towards the noise, thinking it was Becky.

We then saw Ruby, in tears and shaking, breathing hard.

"Ruby? Are you okay?"

"Uncle Tuffnut? Aunt Ruffnut?"

She was gasping for air. I nodded at Tuff, him knowing that he's the best one at getting someone's breathing back to normal when they're having an anxiety or panic attack.

"Ruby, look at me, sweetheart. I'm here. Your Uncle Tuffnut and Aunt Ruffnut are right here." Tuff took her hands and gently pulled her close to him, and he breathed slowly and deeply, and soon, so did she.

She copied his breathing pattern and soon calmed down. We brought her home. It was late, so we put her to bed without anyone noticing. We left swiftly and quietly, like creatures in the night.

"And that's how little Ruby survived her first anxiety attack." Tuffnut says.

Hiccup, Astrid, Becky and I are looking at the twins, stunned.

"Well, that's quite surprising. She never told us about it." Becky says.

"No, she didn't. But we're not going to confront her so soon after her last one."

"No, we're not, Eret. It just really breaks our hearts after…after everything we've gone through as a family, Ruby has her second anxiety attack, and we feel helpless."

"But we know what to do in case she has another one. In case any one of us has another one."

"Good point, babe."

"Thank you, my love."

"So, shall we get back to planning the Snoggletog pageant?" Hiccup asks.

"Good idea, Hiccup."

Soon, we come up with an idea to plan the pageant how dragons and Vikings became friends.

The pageant itself…was a disaster…

I'll spare you the details.

But…I'm sure this is one Snoggletog none of us will ever forget.