AN: Haha... remember how I said this would be a two-shot? Yeah... well, it's not. It grew into a three-parter. But that's it then! xD

Hope you... enjoy this second part.

To Ulcaasi: Not sure whether you can get access there xD It's mainly for writers, but you'd have to ask the founder who's story with way over 500k words you lately read too ;)
And yes, black ops might be more fitting. The details weren't all that important to me here... ^^"

. o O o .

Chapter 2

"Happy birthday!"

With a happy squeal, Bri jumped onto the bed, thoroughly jostling him awake. Hiccup groaned a little, but a quick glance at the time projected onto the dark ceiling told him that it was no use to try and get back to sleep. At 6:30 in the morning, not even extra cuddles would be able to calm Bri down for long.

So he gave in to the inevitable, and wrapped her into a playful hug, cuddling and tickling her until she squeaked. Laughing with her, he said, "Thanks, little monkey. How about a lazy pyjama breakfast with pancakes and hot chocolate to start the day?"

As expected, Bri was more than on board with this idea, and immediately bounced away, presumably to carry her Elsa-theme step stool from the bathroom over to the kitchen to help with the batter. Chuckling to himself, Hiccup attached his prosthetic leg and followed her.

Eight years ago, when an accident had robbed him of his leg, he'd thought his life would be over, worthless. He'd been chained to a wheelchair for what had felt like forever, hadn't been able to keep working as a paramedic anymore, and a slightly detached part of him had severely mourned regularly patching up the fierce blonde woman he'd developed a crush on.

But by now, all dark thoughts about losing his leg were gone. With his prosthetic, he was almost as mobile as he'd been before. Sometimes he missed taking care of patients, but he didn't exactly regret having made his hobby into a profession either. He loved to draw, and taking commissions to even get paid for it was great. And in addition… he'd never have been allowed to date a regular patient, so he ultimately owed it to that accident that he was now married to said fierce blonde. And his staying home had made the decision to become parents all the easier. No, there really was no reason to mourn how his life had developed – except maybe the fact that sleeping in on any day was simply impossible.

Although, it was a nice start into a day, Hiccup mused as he washed remains of raw batter from Bri's fingers. Fun and comfortable, and he refused to be nervous in any way. Astrid had said she'd be back until today, and even though he'd been eagerly waiting for the sound of her footsteps for days now, he wouldn't let any dark thoughts cloud his mind. Bri was enough to keep him occupied otherwise anyway. As usual.

He was just done laying the table for their breakfast, when a knock was audible from the front door. His head whipped up, and anticipation filled his heart as he hurried over to open the door. Of course, Astrid would be able to let herself in. But maybe she'd hurt her arm and couldn't do so? That had already happened once or twice.

When he reached the foyer, however, he directly saw through the milky glass of the door that the huge person with dark hair wasn't Astrid.

"Happy birthday, neighbour!" Eret greeted him with a wide grin across the loaded box in his arms, and Hiccup stepped aside to let him in.

"Hey, Eret. Thanks. For remembering and for..." he vaguely gestured toward the box that contained his usual purchases, fresh vegetables and fruits, meat, eggs, flour, and other things. Eret tended to get them for him when he had time to spare, and Hiccup was endlessly grateful for every single time he didn't need to do so himself.

"No problem. It's not like I have much else to do when I'm off duty," Eret called back cheerfully from where he'd already placed the box onto the kitchen counter.

"Uncle Eret!" Bri exclaimed as she came running, and wrapped her short arms around one of Eret's knees in greeting. "Do you want to eat breakfast with us?"

Eret sniffed exaggeratedly into the direction of the hearth, then grinned down at Bri. "Oh, are you having pancakes?"

"Yes, daddy and I made them!" she announced proudly, looking so much like her mother with her tiny golden curls and the big blue eyes that it almost hurt.

"Well, then I bet they are delicious." Eret threw Hiccup a questioning look, and upon receiving a shrug and a nod replied, "And I'd love to have one."

Smiling to himself as Bri chatted non-stop to Eret, Hiccup went to get an additional plate and forced himself not to be disappointed. Eret was a good friend and always good company.

And Astrid had said she'd come today. He could be patient.

…

"Hey, my boy. Is everything all right?"

Hiccup blinked, then forcefully tore his gaze away from the front window to focus on his mother instead. She had an oddly worried expression on her face, and Hiccup made an effort to pull himself together again.

"Yes, mum, everything's fine. I just…" He took a deep breath, and ran his hand through his hair. "Well, I'd hoped Astrid would have come back by now." It wasn't even noon yet. There was still time. No need to panic.

Valka's features softened, and she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I know exactly what you mean," she sighed, then let her eyes wander to where Stoick was playing catch with Bri. The ridiculous difference in size between the 6'9'' man and the four-years-old girl should have given him an unfair advantage, but the truth was that his not being able to catch her wasn't an act at all. Bri was fast. "I remember all too well how jarring it is to always wait…"

Her eyes clouded a bit, and Hiccup was reminded that he wasn't the first or only one to ever go through something like this. His father was a veteran, so yes, his mother understood his pain. As did many of his friends.

But that knowledge didn't help. Not at all.

His shoulders slumped, eyes closing on their own accord. It would pass. She'd be back soon, he was just overreacting. This wasn't the first time she was gone, after all.

"You look tired, son," Valka's voice tore him back into the here and now a minute later. "How about this: we take Bri to the playground and get some snacks on our way back, and you go upstairs and get some rest. Because you look like you need it, and I'm sure there won't be much time for that later."

Hiccup took a deep breath and let it out again. The idea was tempting, just closing his eyes for ten minutes or so, taking a nap and refuelling. But then he shook his head. "No, I'm fine. I don't want to miss her if–"

"Ah, don't be daft, boy," Valka chided him gently. "How likely is it for her to come back at exactly this moment? Who knows where she was sent this time, it could be weeks before she returns. Are you planning on staying awake that long?"

Hiccup bit his lip and, letting his gaze drop to the floor, shook his head. Astrid had said she'd be back until today… But that wasn't exactly something he could tell anyone. She'd broken who knew how many laws by uttering these few words, and Hiccup surely wouldn't betray her trust.

So he gave in, waved Bri and his parents goodbye as they wandered down the street, and after placing a simple note onto the table in case she would return now after all, slumped down on the double bed that always seemed to grow bigger and emptier the longer Astrid was gone.

He'd barely drifted off into slumber when a pair of small but strong hands caressed his back and a soft voice whispered into his ear. "Hey babe," she breathed, her voice the sweetest of sounds, and Hiccup felt as if a huge weight was lifted off his chest. Astrid was back!

Humming, he leaned back against her behind him, seeking her warmth and reassurance. Astrid giggled, let her hands run down his back, and Hiccup quickly turned to pull her into a tight embrace and a kiss. He could hardly make out her lithe body beneath the fabric of the blanket, barely felt her warmth, and his arms tightened to pull her closer. Gods, he needed her, needed to know that she was…

Suddenly, she was gone. As if she'd dissolved into thin air. Hiccup blinked into the dimmed light around him, at the crumpled blanket in his arms – and the empty room beyond.

With an agonised groan, he fell back into the cushions, and buried his face in his hands.

Astrid wasn't back.

It had been nothing but a pipedream…

…

"Happy birthday!"

Hiccup smiled at the small group at the front door, even as he fought to not let his disappointment show. "Thanks, guys," he said and waved them in, pointing Atali to the kitchen where his mother took the big salad bowl from her.

At least it had been just his friends, just Mala, Atali, Dagur, and Scott. Sure, he'd rather welcome Astrid back, but this was still better than.. than the alternative. Rubbing one hand over his face in an attempt to wipe that thought away, Hiccup closed the front door again and joined his friends in the living room and kitchen. They'd all come for him, after all, for his birthday. Not that he had invited them or had planned anything in advance, but that was just how it often was. They were a tight group around here, everybody knowing everybody else. And always happy to have a reason to come together.

But as happy as the gathering was – with everyone having brought some sort of food, Bri and the other kids cheerfully playing in the garden, and the highlight undoubtedly being the big chocolate cake Hiccup had baked with Bri the day before – he couldn't quite enjoy it all. And it was more than his usual introverted nature that kept telling him that there were too many people around.

As much as he tried, he couldn't keep his thoughts from wandering roads he'd rather wish they didn't. 'If everything goes smoothly, I'm going to be back for your birthday.' That had been her words. But a considerable part of his birthday was already over, and she still wasn't back. Where did that leave them?

If everything goes smoothly…

So things hadn't gone smoothly then? What did that even mean? Had there been complications? Had she gotten delayed for a day or three? Or was she injured? How badly? Or was she…

The doorbell rang, thankfully interrupting that particular thought, but it still left a bad aftertaste in his mind. And it got only worse when he spotted the outline of two people in dark clothes through the door.

"No…" he gasped, inaudible to everyone but him. "No, please not…" It was a constant fear, opening the door to some formally dressed agents with that sorrowful look in their eyes…

He stood frozen solid, staring at the door with his heart racing and his breathing becoming ragged. No, this couldn't be. It couldn't!

The bell rang again and someone pushed past him, opening the door.

"Hey, thanks. We almost thought you wouldn't want us at this party. Hey, H! Happy birthday!" Tuff clapped a hand on his shoulder in passing, followed by Ruff lightly punching his upper arm. They both grinned at him, then went to mingle with the others, their trademark torn black clothes standing out amidst the crowd, but nobody minded.

Hiccup took a deep breath and slowly let it out again to calm his nerves. Astrid was all right. She would come back. He wouldn't let himself believe anything else, or he would go insane. She had to be safe… She just had to!

…

"Sleep well, little monkey. Love you." Hiccup placed a soft kiss on Bri's temple, which made her smile even with her eyes closed and her being half asleep already.

"Love you too, daddy."

Hiccup quietly closed the door behind him, and let out a sigh. His birthday was over. All guests had left after having helped to clean up the worst mess, and Bri was in bed, all without him having a complete meltdown. That was an accomplishment, right?

But what now?

Quickly, he went into the kitchen, putting away bits and pieces to distract himself as he prepared a cup of tea. The day wasn't entirely over just yet… right? A glance at the oven clock told him there were still four hours left. Maybe she would still come, maybe all his anxiety was for nothing.

After throwing another log into the fireplace – Astrid loved the cosy warmth of a fire – he carried his mug toward the window that faced the street. He would wait for her. Surely, she'd be back any minute. Surely, she would… He took a sip of his tea, wincing as it was just a tiny bit too hot for his taste, and settle to lean against the wall and watch the street outside. She had to come back…

After a while, the lights of a car illuminating the darkness outside made him perk up, his heart skipping a painful beat and then racing as if to make up for it. "Astrid," he gasped, pressing his free hand against the glass as if to reach out for her.

But the car driving down the quiet side street they lived in wasn't one of the usual black limousines. Instead, it was the once-white-now-dirty estate car of the Ingermans, passing their house until they halted a few houses further down.

Whimpering, Hiccup leaned his forehead against the cool window, breathing raggedly. Gods, he was a mess. What was he doing here? This wasn't the first time Astrid was gone, and it wouldn't be the last time either. This was just the same as always, she would be back when her task was done. There was no need to worry. But he couldn't quite suppress the sense of panic rising inside him, the same that had lingered all day, except it was getting stronger now. Not being content with just simmering beneath the surface anymore.

Because this wasn't like it usually was. She should be back by now, he knew that. And the fact that she wasn't… "Please," he begged to nobody in particular. "Please, don't do that to us. Please…" But of course, there was no-one to answer him. No voice from above, no distant lightning, no ray of light – no other car pulling up in front of their house. There was nobody he could call and ask, he wouldn't get an answer anyway, and he couldn't talk to any of his friends either.

In a sudden burst of something, Hiccup brought his fist against the wall, hard enough that it hurt and a low thump was audible. "Dammit!" he cursed under his breath. "Dammit, she'd been supposed to be kept safe!" A single tear of desperation ran down his cheek, and he bit his lip to keep in the sob that was threatening to tear itself from his throat. This couldn't be happening.

"Astrid, where are you?" he murmured weakly, all strength leaving him after that burst just now calmed down. "I can't imagine a world without you. Please come back. Please…"

But the street stayed dark and silent.

Hiccup wasn't sure for how long he stood there, watching, waiting, and hoping. But when he took another sip of his tea, the brew that had been too hot just now was suddenly cold, almost icy even. Sighing defeatedly, he stumbled away from the window. His leg hurt from standing still for so long, but he barely noticed it. For a short moment, he contemplated going upstairs and try to get some sleep. Maybe, tomorrow things would look differently. But the mere thought of lying alone in that big cold bed was more than he could bear right now. So instead, he stayed where he was, sitting on the sofa's edge, head propped up on his fists pressed to his lips, and stared into the dying flames of the fire.

. o O o .

So, yeah... There's a third and last part coming... soon... :|