A/N: Finally, the new chapter... I'd say "Have fun reading" but... well, it's not a funny chapter... ._.

It's not learning the truth that would make it true

Astrid

Astrid sat on the closed toilet lid in their bathroom and waited. She was on edge, shaking and every now and then, she threw a glance at her phone. Still 12 minutes… she could take a look before that, knew it might not take that long… but the 15 minutes it was supposed to take at its worst where her last reprieve. Only 12 minutes left…

She hadn't been able to do this yesterday, had been too afraid of the outcome either way. She'd hoped for and dreaded the result of this test, whatever it would be. Because she'd thought about it long enough, hoped for it with everything she was, wanted it… And yet, she couldn't think of a worse timing!

On Monday, everything had been fine and her plan to secretly buy that box had been in place already, even before everything had turned crazy. But now…

She threw yet another glance at her phone.

10 minutes.

Now, she wasn't sure what to think anymore. She'd been so sure of her and Hiccup's future but now, everything was in chaos and she didn't know how they would end up. There were decisions to be made, decisions that would affect so many people. So many different facts and facades were to be considered and Astrid was sure she didn't know everything that was to know yet. All she could do was hoping that everything would turn out well. Maybe she was wrong on one or more of her assumptions. These decisions could turn out fairly easy to be made then, even though it was possible that she would hate them. Gods, please! She begged silently. Please, please, please!

A part of her was selfish enough to hope. To hope she would have some sort of claim at least. To have a chance… She wrapped her arms around herself as she began to tremble. Stupid! She chided herself. As if things would be that easy…

8 Minutes…

She should hope for an easy solution, for one that wouldn't hurt too many people. That wouldn't hurt innocent people especially. It could have been simple, she just would have needed to wait for a few more days and pretend everything was as it always had been. Then, he could have made his decision without further pressure, chose what was right, without… without… A quiet sob escaped her throat.

But Heather had been right. That didn't make much sense, really. Hiccup had a right to know everything if there was anything to know. And not knowing didn't change the truth anyway. Of course, right now she knew nothing. She could pretend everything was as it had been last week, could ignore everything else and pretend. But that didn't change the things that already were, even without her knowing about them.

5 minutes left…

(On the previous day)

Astrid stared at her reflection in the mirror, at the white damask that clung tightly to her body, at the thin lace that covered her décolletage and neck and at the white roses made of cloth attached to the fabric in a few places. It was beautiful! Even breathtakingly so! Why then did she feel so out of place in it?

She hadn't thought that much about what kind of dress she would like to have. There hadn't been time for that really, with all the work she'd had to do since Hiccup's proposal but she hadn't thought it would be this difficult to find a suitable dress. But apparently, it was. All these dresses she'd tried so far had been pretty but they hadn't been hers. And neither was this one!

"T?" she called with a sigh and a moment later, the long face and dreadlocks of Tuffnut Thorston appeared amidst the curtains that separated this private changing area from the larger room. His gaze wandered up and down her body and then he grimaced.

"Huh… I'd say you look fabulous because you do… But I guess this one's not for you, either? A pity, these roses suit you. Hang on a minute, I'll find another one!" He was already about to retreat but Astrid held him back.

"T, wait!" she called and he turned back toward her. "I think, Heather was right just now. These dresses are wonderful, really, they are, but… I don't know, maybe these tight fits aren't right for me. I know, I mentioned those, but… Do you have something more… I don't know… something wider? A bit more lively, maybe? And not as tight around here?" She pointed at her waist and hips, swallowing. Even without her fears… hopes… whatever they were… she would have wanted another kind of dress. She could hardly move in these tightly fitting prisons…

"'course," T said, shrugging. "You want me to pick a few for you or do you want to look for yourself first?"

Astrid considered for a moment but then shook her head. "Just… pick some you'd think would work, alright?" T nodded and disappeared and Astrid began to peel out of this latest dress. It was too tight, in many ways. What if… what if she was right? What if the modifications took longer or they wouldn't get a suitable location in time? Or…

No! She shook her head, tearing herself away from that last line of thoughts. In both cases, a too tightly fitting dress that emphasized every single one of her curves would be highly disadvantageous. Not for the first time lately, Astrid wrapped her arms around herself and, again, stared at her reflection in the mirror, now barely covered by her plain white underwear only. What if…

Some minutes later, a knock sounded from the door and she heard Heather's voice. "Hey, can I come in?"

Hastily, Astrid wiped away the lone tears on her cheeks and tried to pull herself together. Everything would work out… Somehow, everything would be alright! "Sure!" she called back, her voice a little too high to sound normal. Dammit, she had to do better! Heather would notice immediately if she showed any signs of her uneasiness… But apparently, it was too late for that anyway.

Heather entered, closed the door behind her and gave her a long scrutinizing look. Obviously, she wasn't here to talk about dresses again… "What's up?" She finally asked and Astrid turned away from her friend, not sure she could have a conversation like this right now. But Heather just went on, ignoring her defensive gesture, on purpose probably. "Lissy just said, You ad Hiccup have been anxious and keyed up last night. What is it? Did you two… talk?" This last word came out hesitantly and with a grimace, Astrid remembered the advice Heather had given her yesterday in the hospital. She realized that her friend probably knew more about her problems right now than she did herself. Well, not really, but…

"No, we didn't talk," Astrid sighed. "It's… nothing" She could practically feel Heather's relentless glare on her back and wrapped her arms tighter around herself. Talking to Heather had always helped her, whatever her problem might have been, but this… She couldn't even admit it to herself, couldn't even think the word. How should she explain it then to her?

"You're a terrible liar, you know that, right?" Astrid heard the rustling of heavy fabric and a moment later, Heather wrapped the warm dressing gown Ruffnut had laid out for her around her shoulders. "You should wear this if you're cold. You've just been sick, that was enough, don't you think?" This caring gesture made a lump rise in Astrid's throat and she averted her eyes as Heather made an attempt to walk around her.

"I'm not cold," she whispered but buried her fingers into the thick fabric nonetheless, if only to have something to hold on to. She felt like everything that meant anything to her was slipping through her fingers, faster than she could ever hold on to it. There was nothing she could do about it. Nothing, but wait and hope… and it drove her crazy! Waiting and hoping had never worked out for her, really. She needed to do things. Suddenly, she felt Heather's hands on her upper arms as she guided her to one of the cushioned chairs and crouched down in front of her. Only then she realized that she was shaking vigorously.

"If you're not cold then what the hel is up with you?" Heather asked calmly but Astrid heard the tone beneath this calmness. Concern and determination. Dear Heather… She wouldn't be able to get away with her evasiveness any longer… She bit her lip and closed her eyes, trying to hide a moment longer, knowing perfectly well how futile that was.

"It's late…" She finally whispered, staring at the floor behind her friend.

"Huh?" Heather grunted, puzzled. "No, it's not. We still have plenty of time if that's what you're concerned about. We'll find a dress, don't… worry…" She trailed off when Astrid shook her head.

"No, not…" She bit her lip, gathering all her courage. She would say it… She had to… "My period. It's late." There, she'd said it… There was no going back now. No going back to pretending this wasn't happening…

"What?" Heather asked disbelievingly and it took her a while before she continued. "But… but I thought you're on the Pill. And late for how long? There can be many reasons, you know? Stress or a change in your regular routine. You sure had both during the last weeks. And you were sick, too. " Dear Heather, always efficient, rang Hiccup's voice through her mind, the memory of him saying this on so many occasions and Astrid smiled despite everything. He'd been so right… But in this case, Heather was too late, she'd done her own research as well.

"It's been just four days, but… but it has never been late a single day before, no matter how stressful my life had been. I have been sick, yes, but not at the time of… of ovulation." She gulped. "And… I'm not on the Pill, not anymore…" At this, Heather blinked once and then her eyes grew wider and wider.

"You're… not?" She asked and Astrid shook her head.

"We've… talked about it and I thought it over for a while. And… well, Hiccup was so caring and sweet when I was sick, you know? And… and then I realized that he would be a wonderful dad. So, I stopped taking it."

"That was only recently then? This could be a reason for a late period as well, you know? And did you… I mean, is it even possible, did you have sex at the right time? There was a lot, I mean… So much happened and Hiccup was gone on that business trip, wasn't he? Are you sure, do you remember?"

But Astrid just snorted. Whether she remembered? How could she ever forget that day? "Yeah, it is possible," she just answered lamely. No need to tell Heather all the smutty details… "And I know, it still can be just late, but…" She trailed off and wrapped her arms around her belly once again, a small smile tugging at her lips.

"Oh, Gods!" Heather exclaimed. "You're serious, aren't you? Holy Freya, you really think you could be pregnant?" She was silent for a moment. "Did you test it already?" Astrid shook her head. "You should, as soon as possible! I can go and get you one, right now, it won't take long. I can take Lissy with me and then you can test it tomorrow morning. You'd-"

"I have a test," Astrid interrupted her. "I bought it yesterday, but… well, I didn't dare to test it yet… because… " she bit her lip and hoped Heather would be too distracted to notice her lapse.

"Why didn't you dare? A test won't get you pregnant, you know? Either you are or you are not. Whatever it is, you can stop fretting about it then and start to actually deal with the situation. What did Hi-" She interrupted herself and clapped a hand over her mouth, eyes suddenly wide in shock. "Hiccup doesn't know, right?"

Again, Astrid just shook her head.

2 minutes left…

Yes, Heather had been right. Either she was pregnant or she was not. It wasn't learning the truth that would make it true! And Hiccup had a right to know. Which was why she was doing this test now. She was a coward, though… She did it now, when Hiccup was already gone, taking the bus to get to the dragon's lair while he'd left his car with her. So she could keep on going with the preparations for their wedding… She was a coward and a hypocrite! She knew very well that, if all the things she suspected were really true, there probably would be no wedding. And yet she couldn't help herself… She couldn't help but hope.

Her phone beeped once and she took a ragged breath. Her reprieve was over. She swallowed once, stood up and walked toward the sink where she'd placed the pregnancy test on the shelve. With shaking fingers, she reached for it and pulled up the cap to reveal the small window at the side of the plastic stick.

There, clearly visible and without any room for interpretation, were two lines.

Lissy

"These are delicious!" Lissy exclaimed and reached for another one of the proffered appetizers. There had been a tray of those in every place they'd visited so far, prepared just for them so Astrid could try the kitchen as well while she was looking at the festival rooms. "I'm not sure I can eat any more for lunch later."

Astrid gave her a small smile and reached for one of the appetizers herself, without eating it though. "We really don't need to eat any more, do we?" She said while idly toying with the food, slowly pulling it to pieces. "We could do a little more shopping instead, there's plenty of time until our next appointment. Something to decorate your room, maybe?" She hesitated and Lissy noticed her tensing up slightly. "I… can call Hiccup to cancel our lunch meeting. I'm sure he'll understand. With all the food we already had…" Lissy looked thoughtfully at the blonde woman but then just shrugged.

"Sure, why not." She wasn't interested in shopping, not really. Both, Astrid and Hiccup, had apologized for her room being so uninviting but that wasn't really bothering her. As long as they would let her, the walls would be plastered with drawings soon, anyway. Astrid had been very quiet all day though and hadn't really eaten all that much, so when she was looking for a reason to not see her boyfriend… Well, that was none of Lissy's business. It wasn't like a meeting in some restaurant with her sitting between them would help them sort out their problems anyway.

Lissy began to nibble at another appetizer while Astrid searched her leather backpack for her phone. She was already reaching for the next morsel when she finally found it, though only because it had started to ring. She saw Astrid staring at the display for a moment, perplexed, before she answered the call.

"Hey, Babe," she greeted the person at the other end, Hiccup obviously and Lissy paused, listening and waiting. Could it be… "No, you're not interrupting anything, we're done here anyway. They have different rooms depending on the number of guests, the food is good and they are completely booked up for the next five months." She sighed. Just like all the other locations, as well. Lissy thought to herself. But they all had been beautiful, what had Astrid expected?

"Of course, they'll see what they can do but I don't want them to cancel some other already existing agreement for us. I'll just-" She paused and Lissy wondered, again, what was so important or special about Astrid that the owners of these locations would actually let other customers down, just for her sake. Because without exception, they all had offered to do so, some subliminal and polite, others more direct. She could hear Hiccup's voice through the phone but didn't understand what he said.

"No, I… I don't want to wait that long…" Astrid answered sheepishly and Lissy frowned. She surely was no expert but from what she guessed, five months weren't that long in case of wedding preparations.

"I… Listen, let's talk about this later, alright? We… really should talk later…" Yeah, talk! Lissy thought hopefully. Maybe they would get their things sorted out after all. Yesterday, during breakfast, they'd been far more relaxed but last night had been just as tense as the night before and today it had been even worse. Whatever it was that made them both anxious like that, Lissy honestly hoped they would be able to settle it soon. For their sake and for her own as well.

Astrid paused again while Hiccup spoke and then answered: "Well, no, you see, I wanted to call you just now, too. Lissy and I have eaten so much already," Right, especially Astrid had eaten tons, Lissy thought sarcastically. "We don't need to get anything for lunch, as long as you don't mind. We wanted to-" she broke off again and her eyes widened.

"What?" She brought forth a few moments later and Lissy perked up as well while Astrid hurriedly began to stuff her things back into her bag. Surely, that meant… "Why haven't you said so sooner? … Yeah, we'll go there directly. See you tonight then. Love you, bye!" She threw her phone back into her backpack as well and looked up at Lissy.

"Change of plan," she said, frowning and pointed toward the appetizers. "Are you finished with those?" Lissy nodded, eyes wide, hoping her assumption was right. "Good, let's go then." Astrid stood up and Lissy followed instantly.

"Where are we going?" Lissy asked anxiously. She watched the blonde woman carefully, who looked tense and anxious as well, her brows drawn together and her lips pressed into a thin line. A moment later her expression changed, though, a smile appearing on her face even though it seemed forced somehow.

"To the hospital," she answered shortly. "Dr. C just called Hiccup, your Mom woke up."

Astrid

Astrid was nervous. Carina Johnson was awake and she would finally be able to meet the woman who'd raised Lissy. Who was her mother… This girl was special in so many ways and Astrid wondered, not for the first time, what kind of person her mother would be. And then…

She shook her head, firmly denying these thoughts from clouding her mind. She wasn't able to think about this, not now when she was about to talk to this person in just a few minutes.

They'd reached the hospital a short while ago and were hurrying along the corridors now with Lissy eagerly leading the way. As expected, the girl had been happy and excited at the good news and Astrid could hardly blame her for that. Her delight was infectious, the way she talked about all the things she wanted to tell her mother about and show her on her sketches made Astrid smile, too, even though she didn't feel all that much like smiling herself.

It wasn't that much of a surprise that she'd woken up now, they'd all expected it after all. Astrid had been prepared for this, had left breaks in between their appointments to be able to come here as soon as possible and also would have canceled an appointment if needed, but still… She couldn't help but feel anxious now. She'd been anxious all day anyway, had dreaded the idea of meeting Hiccup for lunch. She had dreaded the idea of still keeping her secret from him because really, this was not something she could tell him in between teriyaki chicken and baked bananas with chocolate crème. Having a reason to not see him before they met at home tonight was great but she wasn't so sure meeting Carina instead would be that much easier. Because…

"Oh, come on! Hurry, Astrid!" Lissy urged her on and Astrid got a strange feeling of déjà vu, of hurrying along these corridors before and of similar words echoing from these walls. But she got no time to think about it as Lissy took her hand and dragged her along. They reached the ICU in no time at all and Lissy let go of her hand to run ahead. Astrid watched her, following her slowly, uneasily. Her heartbeat got faster and it wasn't just because of their hurried pace. This was really happening. She'd hoped to be in another position at this point, to know more about… about everything. Or less. Knowing less would have been easier, too. But now it was too late to change anything so she would just have to deal with this situation. She could do this! Carina Johnson was just a stranger to her who happened to have a daughter Astrid cared about. Nothing strange or awkward about it, not at all!

Right…

Astrid paused in front of the door that led to Hiccup's former room and braced herself. Just a meeting of two strangers, nothing more…

"Ms. Hofferson?" Astrid whirled around, startled and caught sight of Dr. C jogging toward her. "Ms. Hofferson, thank the Gods. I was hoping to catch one of you here today."

"Dr. C?" Astrid frowned at the surgeon, puzzled. "What can I help you with?"

"Do you have a few minutes? I need to talk to you."

Astrid glanced at the door once more and shrugged. Surely Lissy won't mind being alone with her mother, she thought dryly and followed the doctor into the staff's kitchen on the other side of the corridor, directly across from this room.

"We can talk here so we'll notice if anything happens to your fosterling." Dr. C said knowingly and waved toward a group of chairs clustered around a table. "Have a seat, please. Coffee?" He asked and Astrid nodded, though only to contradict herself immediately, blushing.

"No, no coffee, thanks."

"Tea then?"

She thought for a moment and nodded. "Yeah, a tea would be nice. Chamomile perhaps?" Chamomile was supposed to be calming, right? Calming was good… She watched the doctor preparing two cups of tea before he sat down across from her. "So, what is all this about?" She asked, nervous again. If a doctor thought it was necessary for one to sit down and have something to drink before a conversation that couldn't be a good sign, right?

"Right…" he began. "You and Mr. Haddock are taking care of Ms. Johnson's daughter, right?" he asked and she nodded. "So… Sorry, I'm not trying to pry, this is more about the question whether you are entitled to know this. But how exactly are your agreements concerning Elisabeth Johnsons's fostering?"

Astrid frowned and then shrugged. "We officially became her foster parents, I did all the paper work with the youth farewell myself. As long as her mother isn't able to leave the hospital and can take care of her again, we are her guardians."

Dr. C nodded, grimacing. "Well, that makes this fairly easy. And all the more necessary!" He paused for a moment and gave her a grave look. "It's about Ms. Johnson's state of health…"

Lissy

"And this is my room." She said, holding up her sketchpad with the according page. "I have my own room, can you believe that?" Lissy grinned brightly and saw the weak smile on her mom's face. She wasn't looking all to well, still bandaged, connected to a handful of tubes, tired and even thinner than just a week ago but Lissy was used to that by now. Had expected nothing else, really.

"That's wonderful, honey" Her mom whispered and she patted her head lightly. "Do they treat you well, then?"

"Yes, they are really nice!" Normally, Lissy had to act or exaggerate, when it came to her foster parents. She didn't want to give her mother further cause to worry, after all. But this time, it was different. It wasn't hard to be cheerful about her current foster parent, not at all. "They even bought me new clothes and all. And yesterday, Astrid took me with her to choose her wedding dress."

"Astrid?" her mom croaked, grimacing. She would need to rest soon, Lissy thought. She'd best hurry and tell her everything she wanted to tell her.

"Yeah, she's the one who's taking care of me. She's really kind! And pretty, too. She liked my ideas for her dress, you know? I can't show you the dress though, we left my drawing at the boutique so these weird twins would be able to make this dress for her. And her friends are friendly, too. And her boyfriend! Or fiancé. He even brought me a book about drawing techniques!" She beamed at her mom

"That's really kind of them. I'm glad you're in good care." She said with a sad smile and averted her eyes. Lissy bid her lip, angry at herself for making her mom sad. She probably would have bought her a book like that, too, if she would have been able to afford it. Well, maybe she could distract her at least. She thumbed through her sketch pad until she found the right page.

"Here," she said and scooted closer to her mom on the bed. "This is Astrid. As I said, she's very pretty. And here are Heather and Fishlegs, her friends. They are both a bit weird, but nice, too. And then there's Dr. Cullen and Margaret, the nurse. You probably met-" Lissy paused as her mom reached for the sheet of paper and brushed over it, carefully as not to smudge the black lines that outlined another face. "Oh, that's Hiccup," she explained. "He's Astrid's fiancé. Also very friendly and kind, even though he's a bit reserved sometimes. And these two at the bottom are the crazy twins I mentioned." She finished her explanation and looked back at her mom but she seemed not to listen to her anymore. Her eyes were fixed on her drawings even though she didn't seem to see them really. Lissy frowned and wanted to ask her about it when someone knocked at the door and a moment later, Astrid finally joined them as well.

Astrid

Astrid stood in front of the door that led to Hiccup's former room, Carina Johnson's room, and tried to pull herself together. She tried to compose herself, to gather her strength and courage, to put on a calm façade for what lay in front of her. Knowing less would, indeed, have been easier, so very much easier. But Dr. C had been right, she'd needed to know this, even though it was horrible.

She took a last deep breath and knocked before she hesitantly opened the door and stepped into the room. Lissy was sitting at the edge of the bed, just like she'd done so often herself two years ago, and beamed at her. She waved her over, beckoned her to join them and turned back to her mother with a wide smile. Astrid's eyes followed her gaze and for the first time met the eyes of this other woman. The room was only dimly lid, the curtains closed against the bright midday sun but she could still see those light blue, water-colored eyes. Her hair was cut short into some kind of pixie cut but she could imagine how she would have looked like with longer hair, like Lissy's, like she'd worn on the photo in Lissy's room. There was something in the other woman's eyes, a spark of… of recognition? But how…

"Mom, this is Astrid. I just told you about her." Lissy introduced her. "And Astrid, this is my mom!" The girl looked from one to the other, grinning widely and Astrid forced a smile onto her face as well while she stepped closer to the bed. She wasn't sure how to behave now, what to do, how to react, but then… She wasn't sure whether she was supposed to know any of the things she knew. And pretending she didn't know them would probably be the easiest now anyway.

"Hello, Ms. Johnson," she said as cheerfully as she could muster. "It's good to see you finally awake again." That was the right thing to say, wasn't it? The other woman just looked at her, though, her eyes searching hers. There was something in them, some knowledge she recognized. This woman knew, just like she did herself. Knew who she was, somehow. Sure, Lissy might have told her about her but… But somehow, there was more, something Astrid couldn't name, couldn't place. Carina Johnson knew more about Astrid than Lissy could have told her in these few minutes, just like Astrid knew more about Carina Johnson.

"Thank you," the woman said. Only seconds could have passed since Lissy was still sitting there unperturbed, smiling at them both, but to Astrid, it felt like an eternity had passed. "Ms. Hofferson, isn't it? Lissy told me you are taking care of her. Thanks for that as well."

Astrid looked at Lissy and couldn't help but smile lovingly. "You're welcome." She answered reflexively and added: "And I mean that! Lissy is great!" Astrid winked at the girl but she didn't seem to have listened to her at all.

"You know her?" Lissy exclaimed, disbelievingly, staring at her mother. "I never told you her full name!"

A few muscles in Carina Johnsons's face twitched but otherwise, she did not react as her eyes left Astrid and wandered back to her daughter for a moment. "Yes, I know who she is, honey." She said, snorting lightly and turned back to Astrid. "About to marry the most sought after Bachelor there is, aren't you? My congratulation."

Astrid gulped but tried not to let any of her uneasiness show. Gods, this situation probably was the most awkward she'd ever been in. If this would have come from anyone else… but…

Astrid grimaced appropriately but kept up her smile nonetheless, shrugging in half fake embarrassment. She was that lucky, after all. "Looks like it. Thanks"

"So, it's Hiccup who's famous?" Lissy asked bewildered and earned herself two puzzled looks. "Why? What's so special about him?"

What's special about him? Astrid thought, smiling inwardly. He was the kindest, funniest, and most loyal man there was. He made her feel safe and light and losing him you be more than she could bear. He was brilliant and whatever problem came up, he was always able to find a solution. She hoped so, at least… But none of that she could say out loud. Not here and not now…

"Oh, that's weird grown-up stuff, honey," Carina Johnson said with a wry smile and ruffled her daughter's hair. "And he's also…" She broke off and bit her lip. "Ah, nevermind..." She closed her eyes, a pained look on her face and Astrid's heart shrank at the unspoken words.

"Lissy, could you do me a favor?" Carina asked after a pause, her voice suddenly weak and tired. She looked exhausted. "Could you go and look for the nurse? I think I need to rest a bit…"

"Sure," Lissy replied after a moment's hesitation, hopped off the bed and left the room. Astrid looked after her before she turned back to Carina to say her farewell. She paused though when she caught the other woman's expression. She still looked exhausted but far less than only seconds ago, her light eyes burning into hers.

"I was determined to hate you!" Astrid heard her whisper and her eyes widened. There was an altogether different person now sitting in that bed, and as surprised as she was, Astrid still recognized a part of herself in that other woman. She was a fighter who would do everything for the happiness of those dear to her. "For so many years, I was determined to hate you… And now I find that I… that I just can't." Carina Johnson closed her eyes and Astrid saw a lonely tear running down each of her cheeks.

"What?"Astrid was perplexed. What was that supposed to mean? For years? How…

"I heard the doctor's voice outside earlier… He talked to you, didn't he? Told you?" The other woman's voice sounded detached now, lifeless somehow, hopeless…

Astrid swallowed and briefly closed her eyes. "Yes," she said simply, not sure how else to react. She deserved honesty, after all.

Carina Johnson opened her eyes again and stared at the ceiling, eyes shimmering. "Would you promise me one thing, then?" she asked and Astrid shivered. Whatever it would be, she couldn't deny it, could she? And yet… Astrid knew, there were things she'd never agree to!

"Promise me you'll take care of my girl," Carina Johnson whispered and her gaze met hers again. Her eyes were burning, hard and strong even through the glistening tears in them. "Promise me you'll take care of my love. Both of them."

D,: Sorry...

Edit: To my dear Guest reviewer... I AM sorry! You obviously have no idea how writing works for me. I cried my eyes out over writing this chapter but it had to be done anyway. The story is in my head like it is, there is not much I actually can change about it. And as I warned, it is not as happy as the first part was.
And I'm not even starting to talk about the 'trust' part... I'll probably leave a longer comment to that at the next chapter...