TWO: Arrivals
"MOM! DAD! Santa's been!"
The ear-splitting yell was accompanied by the impact of two children hitting the bed simultaneously. The effect was instantaneous. Hiccup jerked and sat upright, blinking owlishly while Astrid snapped upright and grabbed her offspring by the fronts of their pyjamas, lifting them off the bed.
"SILENCE!" she hissed then released them, slumping back onto her pillow and closing her eyes once more. Hiccup pressed a finger to his lips.
"Shh," he hissed. "No waking Mommy if you want to spend Christmas with all your limbs!" The kids cringed and silently got off the bed as Hiccup slowly clambered out of bed and shooed the children out of the bedroom. "Now shall we see what Santa brought?" Nodding urgently, they grabbed his hands and all but dragged him down the stairs into the cool hallway. Glancing through the window, he saw the snow was still falling steadily, the wind causing the flakes to swirl and pile up against the trees. And then they stumbled into the living room.
"Look," Fink said in a hushed voice "Santa's eaten the mince pie and had the mead and Rudolf ate his carrot."
"Well, I guess he had a lot of work to do last night-what with all that snow making visibility very bad," Hiccup commented. Then Fink squealed, his hand pointing at the window.
"Elf footprints!" he whispered in awe, his eyes round. Zephyr smiled and pointed to the fireplace.
"And glitter," she added. "Santa was here." Then they looked at the tree and-as expected-a large number of foil wrapped presents had been carefully placed around the tinsel-swathed bucket at the base. Fink froze, his mouth open and hands pressed against the side of his head.
"This is so AMAZING!" he announced and ran at the tree, mistiming it and skidding straight into the branches. Hiccup raced forward and managed to grab the tree before it went over, though the Nativity scene was sideswiped. Baby Jesus and a sheep ended up in the bowl of nuts.
"Whoops," Zeph commented and fished them out. "I promise I won't tell Mom." Struggling, Hiccup managed to wrestle the tree upright, replaced the handful of baubles that had fallen off haphazardly and sighed as he saw his children each scoffing a chocolate novelty.
"Okay-one small present and one annual each," he said. There were groans. "C'mon, kids-you gotta be fair. Mom wants to be here for you opening your main presents but you know she doesn't do early mornings. Especially as she's been working so hard to get everything ready for today." The kids carefully sorted through the piles of gifts until they made their choices while Hiccup relaid the fire and lit it, then watched them open their gifts. Zephyr was sensible and generally ensured her brother behaved: Hiccup suspected that she no longer believed in Santa but she was playing along for her brother, for which he was very grateful. She had always been very protective of her brother and wouldn't want to ruin his Christmas. He looked up and saw her inspecting him before she smiled and ripped the paper open on the parcel which contained the science kit she had asked for. Fink had roller skates which Hiccup instinctively knew would cause chaos.
But he made sure they had a hearty breakfast and carefully fished our his gift for Astrid, which he slid under the tree as well. It was wrapped with green paper covered with glittery Rudolfs so it stood out a bit but he knew she would spot it. Then he let them play in their rooms as he had a quick shower in the family bathroom (to allow Astrid her sleep) and sneaked in for his clothes.
"Did they destroy the house?" Astrid asked in a tired voice.
"No-still standing…though we may have to move things from the hall to allow Fink to practice on his skates," Hiccup murmured, leaning over to press a kiss on her forehead. She wrapped her arms around him.
"Oh no, Mister Skinny-you do NOT get away without a proper kiss on Christmas morning," she said and looked up with desire in her eyes. They shared a passionate kiss and then she finally let him go. "And I didn't kill the kids, did I?"
"Nope-but they may remember why you don't wake Mommy early," he explained. "Fink almost knocked over the tree and I think Zeph doesn't believe in Santa any more but I haven't asked and won't." She smiled lazily and stretched.
"Have you had breakfast?" she checked.
"Not yet," he admitted. "I've prepped the turkey and he's in the oven now so we should eat on time. And now you're awake, I can make us scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and lemon mayo." She sat up.
"Now that's the reason I needed to get up!" she said and threw the covers off. "Is it still snowing?"
"Coming down steadily," he nodded. "A good foot overnight." She yawned.
"Well, if the kids go stir crazy, we can send them out for a snowball fight or to make a snowman," she commented as she got up and headed for the en suite. "I heard you have your shower, by the way. You are the sweetest, most thoughtful person I know." He wrapped his arms around her.
"And you are the only woman I will ever love," he murmured. "Happy Christmas, Milady."
By the time Astrid had finished her shower and emerged, Hiccup was downstairs fully dressed (including his Christmas jumper, a fluffy snowman swathed in lights) and finishing breakfast. Astrid had got the kids washed and dressed so they were positively bouncing with excitement as the couple had breakfast and they had another snack (because a breakfast at six in the morning doesn't last two active children very long on Christmas Day). And because Hiccup had prepared for a big family Christmas, he opened the prosecco and gave his wife a glass with orange juice added as she had her breakfast. He sipped his own and smiled as he saw her, chatting with their children. With her long golden hair loose over her shoulders, her blue eyes sparkling and cheeks flushed with happiness, she was exactly the young woman he had married and he fell in love with her all over again. Dressed in simple dark blue jeans and a dark red top with silver reindeer all over, she looked perfect.
"Have I got something on my face, Babe?" she checked, finishing her toast. He shook his head.
"Just thinking you don't look a day older than when I married you," he told her honestly. Her eyes lit and she smiled happily.
"You are the sweetest guy on all Midgard," she told him honestly, staring into his wide emerald eyes. His dark auburn hair was tousled, framing his face and his smile was as lopsided and cute as it had been as that awkward teen she had fallen in love with. His skin was still pale with a few faded freckles and he had toyed with a beard but he had shaved it off in November for a bet and Astrid thought he looked younger for it. "Now it's time for presents, I think!" She rose and ignored the cheering, helping Hiccup tidy up and check the turkey before they headed to the living room. The fire was dancing in the hearth and they settled down, watching the kids attack their presents. There were a couple of badly wrapped presents (from Fink) and securely imprisoned presents from Zephyr who was currently at the phase where she believed that Christmas wrapping paper worked better when wholly enclosed in sellotape. The kids had been saving all year because they had decided the previous Christmas that they would give their parents presents as well.
Fink was ripping his way into the huge parcel that contained his new bike (in kit form that Hiccup, a talented mechanic as well as software engineer, could easily assemble) while Zephyr was carefully unwrapping her parcels in reverse by unfastening every single piece of sticky tape and folding the paper back methodically to reveal new karate kit as she had almost outgrown her previous one. She also got a new bike, for the farm had plenty of tracks suitable for the kids to ride safely while Fink got the new 'Thorstein the Soldier' action figure with a tank, winter gear, several rifles and alternate Viking outfit. He also received enough lego to built a new fort for his 'Thorstein' to play Ragnarok with his other action figures. Zephyr also got books, paper, a simple digital camera and a Mechano set which she thanked her parents for honestly. Fink gave the pair a hug and then stampeded up to his room to begin the battle.
"He'll be gone for a good hour while he sets them up to destroy each other," Astrid sighed as Hiccup handed her the little parcel.
"For you, my ferocious Valkyrie," he murmured and watched as she ripped the paper away-Fink had definitely inherited his unwrapping gifts from her. And then she gasped as she saw a slim box from Tiffany's. Her eyes flicked up guiltily.
"Babe-you shouldn't have," she murmured but he smiled and nodded, his heart pounding in his chest.
"Yes, I should," he said. "Milady-we have been married twelve years and those have been the absolute best years of my life. Please-open it…" Swallowing, her eyes shining suspiciously, she opened the box to reveal a beautifully worked white gold chain with an elegant pendant on it. Composed of a circle, it had four brilliant diamonds set into the coiled white gold and on the gold were the names that meant so much to her: Hiccup, Zephyr, Nuffink…and her own name as part of the circle. In the centre of the circle, held almost floating by almost invisible struts was a gleaming sapphire.
"Our family," he murmured as he saw her blinking. "The people who mean most to me-and you." She stared at it her hands trembling. "And you hate it. I'm sorry…" But Astrid looked up into his eyes and she blinked against tears.
"This is the most thoughtful, meaningful gift you have ever given me, my love," she murmured, sniffing. "It's totally beautiful."
"May I…?" he asked and gently fastened the necklace round her neck. She sighed and smiled. Zeph looked up and gave a hopeful thumb's-up. Hiccup nodded.
"Awesome, Dad-I told you Mom would love it," the little girl said seriously. "Under her scary exterior and threats of limb removal for waking her up early, she's a bit of a romantic. Like you." Hiccup chuckled and accepted a very passionate kiss from his wife.
"I'm not even slightly scary but I am a romantic," he confessed as Astrid reluctantly pulled away from him and pulled a gold foil-wrapped present from behind the couch. She smiled and handed it to him.
"I hope this is okay," she said worriedly, her uncertainty very un-Astridlike. "It's nothing compared to your magical gift…I mean, you are the best gift giver ever…but I hope you like it…" He carefully began to peel back the sticky tape and Astrid watched in exasperation as he methodically peeled the paper back. She fidgeted, folded her arms and tapped her foot. "Hiccup! For Thor's sake! Open the damned present!"
He chuckled and peeled back the paper so her could slide a book out of the paper. He frowned as he turned it over to inspect it.
"I knew this was so important to you," Astrid said quietly. "So I've been working on this since the summer…"
The book was bound with leather and featured an image of young Hiccup with his parents on the cover. Inside, there was the Haddock family tree-all the way back to Viking times. There were images of his forebears and little vignettes on them…until they reached Hiccup's great-grandfather. Astrid had sourced ancient photographs and paintings to fill in the gaps…until he reached Hiccup's immediate family. Then, the book became an album with hundreds of images, many of which Hiccup had never seen and had been supplied by Hiccup's father, godfather and Uncle. The images continued all the way, including so many of his late Mom and of the children until the last page was a new studio picture of Astrid and the kids, taken three weeks earlier. He stared.
"Is it okay?" she asked. He closed it and flung his arms around her, almost crushing her, his face buried in her shoulder.
"Gods, I love you," he said in a rough voice. "This is the most magical, perfect gift I could ever have received. I love you so much…" He kissed her urgently and Zephyr stared and then rose.
"Time for me to go and check on Fink," she announced to no one in particular and then walked out. There was a pause.
"MOM! DAD! There's someone at the door!" she yelled and stood on the bottom of the staircase, trying to peer through the snowstorm in the window. There was muffled cursing and the pair walked into the hallway to see a shape in the window at the very top of the door. Sighing, Hiccup unbolted the door and stared at a short, stocky shape wrapped up in multiple layers, his head wrapped in a winter hat with earflaps tied under his chin, mittens, three scarfs and a pair of crutches. There was a huge carrier bag at his side.
"What the…?" Hiccup exclaimed.
"Hiya Cuz," Snotlout said, shivering. "Any chance of coming in? I'm absolutely frozen here." Then he sighed. "I understand if you say no. I behaved like an ass but the chance to spend time with Dad…well, he's rarely around since he got remarried and I thought…hoped, really…that we could maybe do some things together but…" He shrugged. "Obviously it didn't go so well. So I am really sorry to have let you down and hope you will forgive me…"
Hiccup hugged him and gently pulled him into he hallway, then grabbed his carrier bag and a crate of beer resting behind him.
"What happened, Snot?" Astrid asked spikily. She folded her arms and eyed him up, recalling how upset Hiccup had been. Stocky and a head shorter than his lean and lanky cousin, Snotlout was unwinding his many layers of scarves, hats, mittens, coat, two sweaters and gilet. He gestured to his left leg, which was in a brace from the ankle to the knee.
"Never ever ever allow my Dad to organise anything…or if I am muttonheaded enough to be taken in, ask some very specific questions," Snotlout told them.
"Such as…?" Zephyr asked, sitting on the bottom stair and taking a picture using her digital camera. Snotlout sighed.
"My step-Mom…Larissa…was there," he sighed. "And my step-brother Ivar-who my Dad insists is called Fartlout. And he's the most monstrously spoiled brat in the whole world. My sister Bente refused to come which I only found out when I got there so I had to listen to Larissa bad-mouth her non-stop. Then Fartlout sabotaged my skis and gave me a huge shove so I ended up shooting off the piste and crashing into a tree, about half an hour after starting. I spent all of yesterday in the hospital getting X-rayed and bandaged-and when I got back-by taxi since no one came despite my phoning them-they had already scoffed dinner and all I got was toast. No one wanted to spend any time with me and I realised that I was basically going to spend Christmas on my own, despite being with my family. And I realised too late who my real family was." He looked up honestly. "I called Mom but she's in Winnipeg with her wife and she has never once asked me to see her or meet her new partner." He shrugged. "And Bente isn't answering my calls either. I'm so sorry, Hicc. I was a muttonhead. And I can go-but I wanted to drop the kids' presents off at least…"
"Wait," Astrid said abruptly, her eyes thoughtful. "You've had a pretty miserable time." Snotlout slowly used his crutches to fish up his discarded clothes and made his way to the cupboard, hanging them up.
"I'm not going to be giving any yak rides this year-but my new girlfriend Mindy has taught me how to peel potatoes, carrots and parsnips so I am happy to spend my time working for my lunch," he volunteered. "Look…I don't expect anything…"
"But you will be getting something anyway," Hiccup interrupted. "Snot-you're forgiven because I know how your Dad is. I know how overbearing he is and that it's almost impossible to say 'no' when he has decided something. But even I never thought he would be so heartless. Though Fartlout…" And he burst into laughter. Astrid was covering her mouth and trying not to laugh. Zephyr stared at them.
"Wait-we really have a cousin called Fartlout?" she checked. Snotlout nodded.
"To be fair, I had uncles called Griplout and Hedgelout," he admitted. "My family is not very good in the naming stakes."
"And I thought our family was bad," the girl commented, pointing her camera at the three. "Budge up-I might as well use this." So Astrid and Hiccup stood awkwardly each side of the newcomer and smiled as Snotlout gave his cheesiest grin. Zephyr snapped the image. "For the next volume," she said and then got up and trotted up the stairs.
Sure that the kids were okay for a few minutes, Hiccup threw another couple of logs on the fire in the living room them followed the other adults to the kitchen, resting Snotlout's crate of 'Startled Sheep' beer in the utility room. He brought one bottle out and poured it for his cousin, who was already commandeering a peeler and beginning on the potatoes.
"I can head home once the storm dies down," Snotlout volunteered honestly. "I'm not the most mobile." Hiccup stared at him and then nodded.
"That's why we're putting you in the Den." he said. "The sofa in there is a sofa-bed so Astrid or I can make it up. And it backs onto the range so it's always warm in there. And it's just through there…" He pointed to the door next to the utility. "So no stairs." Snotlout stared at the table for a moment and blinked.
"You know, you're the best person I know and I really don't deserve you," he mumbled.
"Possibly not," Astrid told him. "But you got us anyway. And what you did hurt Hiccup but if he's willing to forgive you…then so am I." Snotlout looked up and his clear blue eyes were misty.
"I really don't deserve it," he mumbled and then he frowned, looking around. "It's pretty quiet. Where is everyone?" Hiccup winced and took a swig of Snotlout's beer.
"Everyone cancelled," he said baldly and then he forced a small smile onto his face. "So we were having a small family Christmas rather than a big one." Snotlout looked stricken.
"Gods, I'm sorry," he said in shock. "You should have said. I could've told Dad where to go because where has he been when things have really gone south? Nowhere. You and Astrid helped me through the divorce and all that unpleasantness while he was just parading his new woman and Mom upped and left for Canada…" He winced. "I am sorry."
"It's in the past," Hiccup decided. "You're family and let's be honest…Christmas with your Dad is no picnic." Then he grinned. "Though you are going to have to peel a lot of spuds because you're here now." Grinning and moving his braced leg to ease a cramp, Snotlout threw a salute.
"Yessir!" he grinned as there was a hammering on the door followed by an urgent ringing of the doorbell. Frowning, Hiccup rose and walked out into the Hallway. Fink poked his head through the bannisters as Hiccup opened the door cautiously and a blast of arctic air rolled in with a flurry of snowflakes.
"SON!" a voice bellowed and Hiccup gave a double-take at the wrapped-up shape facing him. Another shape almost as big shuffled behind him.
"Dad? Gobber? What are you doing here?" he asked in shock. Stoick huddled into the doorway, snow liberally dusting his white-streaked flaming red hair.
"Well, you said we could come up once we had finished the reunion," the big man said, his shoulders hunched against the arctic blast. Hiccup pulled him in and ushered Gobber in as well, helping them with their bags and slamming the door closed against the weather.
"But this soon…?" Hiccup checked. Gobber gave a sour expression. He was a solid round man with a prosthetic right foot and left hand from injuries sustained in the service of his country. Piercing blue eyes were scornful as he brushed ice from his long braided blond moustache.
"I think we'd forgotten why we never went to any reunions and didn't break any sweats to catch up with those guys," he grumbled. "Bunch o' freeloaders."
"I think they expected us to host them, put them up and pay for everything," Stoick put in, his tone a little distant. "I guess they knew that I had been mayor and assumed I would be able to just snap my fingers and lay everything on. They didn't like the fact that I insisted we all paid for our tabs fairly."
"And they seemed to be fishing for financial help," Gobber added. He sighed and looked over at Stoick, seeing his old friend looking sad. "When we said we couldn't lend them any money, it went downhill. So we sent them off to their next sucker…though I saw them heading for Phlegma's Bar…and we came up here. If you'll have us, of course…?"
"Grampy Stoick! Unca Gobber!" Fink yelled and flung himself down the stairs. Stoick caught his grandson and swung him round until he was dizzy.
"If he's sick, you can clean it up," Astrid noted shortly from the kitchen door.
"Right ye are, lass," Stoick grinned.
"Whose is the car parked under the tree?" Gobber asked. "Yer Dad told me that everyone else called out…"
"Snotlout," Hiccup explained, carrying their bags to the bottom of the stairs and resting the bags of presents by the living room door. "Spending the holiday with his Dad and new family didn't go so well."
"Aye, well Spitelout isn't the most thoughtful of hosts,' Stoick muttered. "I'm sorry Snot didn't have a good time with them. It's sad when families can't be together-especially if the family is too muttonheaded to see what Christmas is all about…" He rested Fink on the ground and he immediately attacked Gobber. The two-limbed man instantly turned him upside down and began to tickle him. "I am sorry, son. I was so stupid to imagine anything could be better than spending time with my son and his family." Grinning, Hiccup gestured to the kitchen as he took the bags of extra presents under the tree. Then he took the overnight bags up to Gobber and Stoick's rooms and by the time he had arrived back at the kitchen, both men had large mugs of ale and were helping with the potatoes and carrots. The kids had joined them and Fink was demonstrating his new 'Thorstein the Soldier' while Zephyr was clutching a book and taking pictures of everything. Hiccup was relieved he had fitted the camera with a huge memory card so she could snap away to her heart's content.
With the new arrivals, the kitchen table wouldn't be big enough so Hiccup and Stoick went to light the fire in the Dining Room and lay the table while Stoick gave a more detailed account of what had happened with his army buddies. It seemed they had made some comments about Valka and that had been the final straw: Hiccup knew his father always missed his wife terribly at the holidays and once they had laid the table, Hiccup sat his father down in the living room and gave him Astrid's present to flip through. There were definitely tears in Stoick's eyes at the images of his dead wife, from their earliest days to the final image of her, surrounded by her family when she had returned home from the hospice. Silently, he snapped the book closed and thumbed the tears from his eyes.
"You hang onto that lass of yours," he said in a broken voice. "Love like hers and your Mom's comes once in a lifetime…and despite the pain losing Val caused, I would never have it any other way." Hiccup hugged him.
"I'm glad you're here, Dad," he said quietly. "It wasn't the same. And with you and Gobber and Snot here, I really have all my family here."
"Aren't Asta and Arvid coming?" Stoick asked quietly. Sighing, Hiccup shook his head.
"Apparently the dog is ill and a cousin mysteriously 'turned up'," he said shortly.
"So they didn't want to come," the former mayor said quietly. "How is Astrid?"
"Disappointed. Upset. Relieved. Angry. Hurt. But I think, mostly relieved," Hiccup said thoughtfully. "I know she wanted them here but she knew-as did we all-that Asta would be picky and awkward."
"The house looks spectacular, son," Stoick told him. "The tree, the decorations…everything…"
"Please tell Astrid that," Hiccup begged him. "I think she would really appreciate hearing it from you." Stoick nodded and levered himself to his feet.
"You know, I'm going to do just that," he said determinedly. "That lass of yours is a treasure and I'll make sure she knows it."
"Thanks, Dad," Hiccup said and followed him in.
There was lots of preparation to be done and Hiccup and Stoick shared the work, for Hiccup's mother had been even less gifted than Astrid in the kitchen. Gobber prepared every single pig in blankets and the sausage meat, confidently predicting they would finish off enough for double the number. Snotlout had peeled and par-boiled an insane number of potatoes and was onto parsnips and carrots. Astrid was mixing her Mom's honey-glaze, the only piece of Christmas cookery she was allowed to do. Hiccup finished the stuffing, made bread sauce and cranberry sauce and basted the turkey, checking the temperature to ensure it was cooking properly.
"Ah-in my day, we never used yer fancy gadgets," Gobber said knowingly, waving his tankard of mead at the meat thermometer Hiccup was holding.
"No-that's why the Berk municipal Snoggletog dinner caused mass food poisoning by serving undercooked turkey for three years running until Dad insisted we actually employed some cooks with methods newer than the tenth century," Hiccup retorted. Gobber chuckled.
"Aye-he's your son," he told Stoick. The former mayor tasted the bread sauce.
"And you can taste it," he hummed. "This sauce is to die for. Or disembowel for."
"DISEMBOWEL! DISEMBOWEL!" Fink yelled. There was a thud as Astrid's head hit the table.
"And that's going to be the word of the holiday-thanks, Stoick," she groaned.
"You're welcome, lass," he grinned, though he looked very slightly apologetic.
"As long as he never learns what it means," Astrid continued.
"Too late," Zephyr interjected. Astrid hit her head on the table again.
"I may need to send him out to make a snowman," she said, shaking her head.
"It's a full scale blizzard out there," Hiccup reminded her. "He may turn into a popsicle."
"He moves too fast," Astrid replied. "Maybe we should move the hall table and break out the roller skates before he gets overexcited…"
There was a hammering on the door.
"If that's my mother, we've had an outbreak of bubonic plague and are all isolating and oozing," Astrid said firmly.
"What happened to the season of goodwill?" Hiccup asked.
"She started it first!" Astrid commented and grabbed the peeler, marching towards the door, her Rudolf apron flapping as she marched along. Hiccup sighed and went after her, foreseeing a stand-up battle between the two Hofferson woman. Then he paused.
There were a number of people huddled in the porch, lightly dusted with snow and staring at Astrid's fiercely-held peeler with anxiety. A powerful shape waved.
"Brother! Happy Christmas!"
"Dagur?" Hiccup stared at the buff shape with the cropped carrot-red hair, the familiar scars on his right cheek, pale green eyes and stubble. Mala, his wife was at his side with her bright green eyes and strawberry blonde page cut. She was elegant and attractive but often a little cool. Two children tried to run past Astrid and she effortlessly grabbed them by the scruffs of their necks and deposited them against the legs of their mother.
"Letty and Theo can stay there, I think," she said coldly. Ruffnut-tall and lanky with a long face, grey-blue eyes and pale blonde hair in thick braids-grabbed them and offered a bright smile.
"You know…kids…" she offered.
"Yes-but my kids don't deliberately break your kids' possessions," she snarked. Ruff stared at her.
"Harsh, Asti," Tuffnut put in. The male version of his sister with dreadlocks instead of braids, Tuff was a wild and free spirit with a wicked pranking streak and no filter. The woman turned to him and growled.
"You think?" she snapped. "Why are you here anyway? You all blew us off for your precious chalet that you didn't bother to tell us about."
"Funny story that," Ruff commented. "This blizzard started just as we were making our way over to Caldera Cay. Our plane was grounded, we were stuck at the airport and eventually we were able to finally get back to Berk Town."
"When we returned home, none of us had any supplies and the shops were closed," Mala admitted.
"So we thought of you, brother," Dagur added, his face eager. "We knew our brother would not let us down."
"Like you let Hiccup down, you mean?" Astrid snapped. There was an awkward pause. "Phones not working? Have all of you lost the power of speech? Or your manners?"
"I am not sure I like your implications…" A deep voice said. A tall buff man with a stern face, short red hair and amber eyes, Throk Stern was humourless and very protective of his wife and family.
"Good!" Astrid snapped. "Because I don't like your conduct. You accept our invitation for Christmas, then you book to go to Caldera Cay and don't bother to tell us at all, just expecting Fishlegs to let us know. Which he did. On the 23rd. In the afternoon. So thanks for bothering to exercise the smallest molecule of politeness or manners. You should've called yourself-all of you!" Her voice had risen and she was gesturing fiercely with the peeler.
"Can't we come in-it's freezing out here…" Tuff whined.
"No!" Astrid snapped. "Well? Anything you want to say? Perhaps an apology. Some grovelling? Excuses? Maybe offer some pathetic reasons why you think we don't deserve the merest courtesy from people who are supposed to be our friends?" By now, Throk had backed up and was holding Ruff and Tuff in front of him. Dagur was looking pale and Mala was frowning.
"Did Fishlegs not tell you until the 23rd?" she checked. "He knew several weeks before."
"YOU ALL DID!" Astrid yelled. "And every single one of you should have called the moment you decided to change your plans. And we would have been disappointed but we would have understood and made our plans accordingly. Instead, no one bothered-not a single one of you. Telling us at the last minute when we have bought everything and prepared everything…that's just rude. And hurtful. You made us feel as if we weren't even worth the effort of making a phone call."
"We delegated to Fish…" Tuff protested.
"YOU ALL SHOULD HAVE CALLED!" Astrid roared and waved the peeler in his face. He threw himself onto the floor.
"Don't peel me!" he wailed. "I'm too young to be par-boiled!"
"Boy, Mom is really mad," Fink whispered loudly to Zephyr from behind Hiccup. "How many of them do you think she'll kill."
"If it was just her, all of them," his sister said thoughtfully. "But Dad hasn't spoken yet." She folded her arms. "Though I'm with Mom."
"Me too," said Fink, mimicking the gesture. "Why am I standing like this?"
"Because Mom always stands like this when she's pissed," Zephyr said.
"I HEARD THAT!" Astrid yelled and both kids cringed. "Language!"
"Oh forgive us, furious vengeful Valkyrie!" Tuffnut yelled from the snow. "It is the season of forgiveness…"
"What?" Astrid's voice had dropped and grown very cold. Letty and Theo-both lanky and blond with amber eyes like their father-crouched down and slapped their hands over Tuff's mouth.
"Shut up, Uncle Tuff!" Theo hissed. "You'll get us totally kicked out."
"It's the season to be jolly…or maybe the season of goodwill," Astrid snapped. "Not the season of forgiveness. At all." She cast around and found a beautifully carved duck figure, wearing wellington boots and a woolly hat. Angrily, she brandished it in their faces.
"Put the duck down…please," Dagur said, the certainty in his voice growing brittle as he looked at the motionless shape of Hiccup. "Brother? Anything you want to add. Please?"
"It is the season of goodwill…but we have not shown any," Mala said slowly, her cut glass accent daughter Dagny, her big green eyes peeking out from under the fur-lined hood of her anorak, pressed back against her legs. "And I know that in your place, I would be equally angry, Astrid. We have treated you with disrespect and callous disregard for your feelings. You have been generous and good friends for many years and the one time we were offered your hospitality, we turned it down most rudely. I did not know when I booked the chalet that Dagur had accepted your invitation. He assured me that he would communicate with you. I am sorry it did not happen." Her clear gaze slid over the others. "What other couples do is their own decision. But for my part, I am aware what our appearance here looks like-and we have no right to expect anything."
"No, you don't," Hiccup said quietly, walking to finally stand by Astrid and close his hand around hers, wrestling the duck to the floor. He quickly kicked it away. "And it is likely that our friendships may be somewhat bruised by this episode. But I am Berkian and we do not turn away travellers into the cold-no matter how selfishly and callously they have behaved." He paused to let the stinging rebuke sink in and then he raised a hand sharply. "But there are rules. Your kids stay out of my kids' rooms. You all pitch in. I notice you didn't bother to pick up the presents for the kids on your way here but we have gifts for your children and they can open them after lunch. You will be asked to help with the meal and I don't want to hear a word about the sleeping arrangements. Understood?"
There were nods around and Letty gave a thumb's up.
"Uncle Tuff understands," she said. Hiccup stared bruisingly into Dagur's face.
"And maybe stop calling me brother until you earn the right," he commented quietly. The buff man sagged.
"I'm sorry I hurt you, b…" he said, just catching himself. "I understand. And I think we need a long talk…and I have some New Year's resolutions to make." Hiccup nodded and pulled Astrid back.
"And no one annoy Astrid. At all…" Hiccup added. "Otherwise I will not be responsible for your deaths."
"That seems fair," Throk commented and ushered his family in.
"Dad!" Hiccup called, turning his head to see Stoick standing in the kitchen door. Somehow, he had found Astrid's Chinese-style cleaver and was weighing it in his hand in a very menacing manner. "Can you keep this lot under control. Especially both sets of twins. And keep Letty and Theo away from my kids until I'm there to supervise."
"It will be my pleasure, son," the former Mayor said. Hiccup grabbed Ruff's shoulder.
"Where are Fish and Heather?" he asked pointedly.
"In the car," she said, shrugging off her winter coat. "They wouldn't come in-said they didn't deserve it. They're waiting until we come in-in case you turned us away-and then they said they'd go home." Hiccup glanced over to Stoick, grabbed the keys and then took Astrid's hand.
"We'll be back in a few minutes," he called and pulled her out into the snow. They pulled the front door closed and then scampered through the snowdrifts to the SUV parked closest to the entrance of the drive. They stared at the couple sitting up front and then scrambled into the back, brushing the snow off their hair. Fishlegs turned the heater up.
"It's pretty cold outside," Astrid commented, then sat back and waited for their friends to speak. There was a long, awkward silence until finally, they cracked.
"I am so, so sorry," Fishlegs said in a tearful voice. "I asked them not to come but in the end, they don't listen. Or think. We would have called but the reception is horrible, though we did try. Can't speak for any of the others…"
"It just got harder and harder to say anything as time went by," Heather said, her voice unhappy. She was a slender woman with bright green eyes and raven hair, her narrow face determined rather than beautiful. "And I know I should have said something but I didn't want to upset you…"
"It upset me more that you didn't feel able to be honest with me," Astrid said softly. "Heather, we've trusted each other with everything important in our lives from elementary school. For you to do this when you know how much I was stressed about this Christmas was…" She shook her head. "It was like being betrayed." Heather sniffed and wiped her cheeks with her hands.
"You stood by me when I had those miscarriages and when they said I would never have a child," she whispered. "I am so sorry…" Astrid stuck her hand through the gap between the seats and Heather grasped it tightly.
"You're still my sister, Heather," she said heavily. "And we're going to need to have a longer talk…but if you think I'm having Ruff and Tuff and Dagur and their kids in the house without you, you're insane!"
"I would never have turned you away…after I'd let Astrid chew the others a new one," Hiccup commented. "And to be honest, the fact you weren't there offering lame excuses was what persuaded me to let them in. I could see you in the car-I just asked Ruff to check why you were there. You would have gone because you were too embarrassed to impose on us when you had let us down."
"I hated telling you," Fishlegs whimpered. "You're my absolute best friend…tied with Heather, of course…and we've been together for everything. And I suddenly feared that I had thrown it all away for being so stupid and cowardly. That would have been the worst thing that could have happened to us…" Hiccup sighed.
"Fish-your godchildren miss you and want to see you," Hiccup said tiredly. "I want to sit down and chat to you once everything is done. And I know who is doing the washing up now." They all looked towards the house…then burst out laughing.
"Ruff and Tuff? Dagur?" Heather asked incredulously.
"I have Snotlout on peeling duties," Astrid explained. "He's rather good at it. And Gobber makes a mean brandy sauce. The turkey is huge and we have enough potatoes. We just need a a few more veg and we'll be laughing."
"Dad and Astrid can make sure the dining room is ready for ten extra people just turning up with no notice," Hiccup said sarcastically. "And the sleeping arrangements will be interesting…I have something special in mind for the Twins, Throk, Letty and Theo…"
"Should we worry?" Fishlegs asked, half-turning to look at his friends.
"Only if you aren't planning on going into the house right now…because it's freezing in here!" Astrid told him.
"Right," said Fishlegs and they opened the doors. The four ran for the house, though Fishlegs grabbed their overnight bags on the way. They arrived in a deserted hall, though there was a lot of noise in the kitchen. Hiccup firmly closed the door and then locked it.
"By the way, the kids say thanks for their presents," he said and turned into a huge hug from Fishlegs.
"I'm so sorry," the husky man said, almost squashing Hiccup. Waving a hand feebly, Hiccup glanced over desperately at his wife.
"Air…" he gasped. Heather swatted the husky man on the back of his head and he released Hiccup with a nervous giggle. Heather and Astrid were embracing as well and chatting at top speed, heading into the kitchen to take charge but Fishlegs hung his coat up, took his boots off and then paused.
"Are we good?" he asked timidly as Hiccup grabbed one of their overnight bags. He headed up the stairs and then paused.
"Getting there," he admitted. "Of course, there are going to be moments and we do need a longer talk, you muttonhead. I mean, even Snotlout told us the moment he was given another offer and his apology when he arrived was so much better." Fishlegs followed him up to the spare room that Hiccup and Astrid had renovated with them in mind. There was a window with a view over the garden and the woods, built in cupboards in the odd shapes under the eaves and a very cosy double bed with a traditional white-painted iron frame. Fishlegs gave a little squeak and placed their bags on the green and pink counterpane.
"We don't deserve it," he murmured as Hiccup rooted in a cupboard and fished out two thick fluffy blankets before he put them on the bed.
"I'm sorry," he said to Fishlegs's surprise. "Everyone was to blame and they left you to do all the dirty work-which wasn't fair. And Astrid may have yelled that at them pretty loudly. You and Heather have always been there for us as well-you remember when Fink fell off the garage and broke his arm? We were in complete bits but you drove us to the hospital while Heather looked after Zeph and baked a pie for when we got back. Fink was fine but you two were…awesome. I forgot all of that when I was upset."
"But we were so mean and cowardly," Fishlegs protested. "What was I thinking-December 23rd? That's a completely asshole move that even Snotlout wouldn't do! We should have done better…"
"You're right-even Snotlout did better," Hiccup told him, though there was a slight smile lifting his lips. "But you kind of redeemed yourself because you were sorry and you didn't come in. You didn't expect that I would just invite you to stay after the way you all abandoned us…even though you know me well. I wouldn't turn you all away into the snow…though I wasn't going to tell the others that." He gave a wry smile then gestured to the room. "What do you think?"
"It's amazing," the husky man said, eyes sliding over the pale cream walls, warm rugs on the floor and cosy cushions on the bed. The little nightstand against the far wall by the little cast iron fireplace with the gleaming mirror reflected the two men.
"We think of this as Fish and Heather's room," Hiccup told him honestly. "We've been waiting for you to stay to take ownership…ooof!" He groaned his Fishlegs hugged him again.
"You're the best friend ever," he said as Hiccup floundered for air. Then he released the auburn-haired man.
"Now, let's go downstairs and help stop my wife murdering our friends," Hiccup said.