A/N: Originally, there was another storyline that could have woven itself into these events but after the past months, I don't feel like writing that one anymore. Instead, I wanted to give you a loose epiloge to sum up this story, tie up the loose ends. But while I planed that one out, my mind had it's own ideas, again, and this now is what came out of it.

I'm not sure how you will like it but I have to say I freaking love it! So, thank you, brain, for overthrowing my plans once again... xD

And here it is, the next-to-last chapter.

Chapter 14: How to train your dragon

Lissy

Dear Diary

You didn't expect to hear from me so soon again, have you? Well, I didn't expect to write to you today again either… But I have to! I know I wanted to draw but… My mind is too full of thought, I need to get rid of those first.

You see… I overheard Astrid and Hiccup talking earlier. And the things I've learned… I still can hardly believe it! Maybe I should start simple… tell you just what I heard and deal with what it means later…

Hiccup is my father. My real father! Not just some man who took me in or something, no. He knew mom back then when they were in college. And I always thought my father had left her or something but... Apparently, it's more like the other way around. She kicked him out and never told him about me!

…

I often thought I'd be angry at my father for not being with us all these years. But I believe what he said. He didn't even know I existed. That's so typical of mom! Always taking a back seat, always cutting down her own goals for other's to reach theirs… No, I don't doubt a word he said about this. I don't know how this is going to work out, I really don't know! But… Oh, I just don't know…

It means I can stay, though. You know, I wanted to go and ask them myself whether I can stay with them after mom's gone. And then I heard them talking. About Hiccup being my father and about mom, too. Astrid cried and for a while, I did as well. I don't always get what happens inside the heads of grown-ups but I guess… Well, I feared Astrid wouldn't want me to be around anymore. That would have been logical, wouldn't it? Because… I've seen them together, Astrid and Hiccup, and they seem to belong to each other. You know that all these days, I wanted them to sort their things out. It's not like they were fighting or arguing or anything but their behavior seemed so wrong. And even logically knowing, I really can't see them not being together. But here I am and for that brief moment, it seemed so logical that Astrid wouldn't want to constantly be reminded of the fact that he had been with mom, too.

I didn't hear what they were talking about. But when Astrid started to cry I thought she was going to ask him to send me away. Because, as much as I would like to be, I'm not a part of their life. Well, not yet I should say... She wants to adopt me! Like… as if she'd become my mother.

I mean… she'll never be mom! But all these months since I learned about her sickness… All this time, I thought I'd be alone after she's gone! That I would end up with some random foster parents until I'm old enough to care for myself. I was trying to prepare myself for that. But now… now, I'm going to have a father and a mother, a family! And Astrid is pregnant so I might even get a sister! And I mean not just another child that ended up in the same family, not another one of these mistrusting kids that would never warm up to anyone. A real baby sister!

…

A few days ago, I was so hopeless. I saw how mom got worse every day and I was so afraid of how I should go on afterward. But now... Now there's a future I can look forward to! Not just years to somehow survive… I'm so happy! I'm not sure I already can wrap my head around it all. But I'm happy! And I hope mom will be, too. I know she was worried about me as well. And I hope she can let go now.

Dear Diary

I don't have much time to write to you today, it's so late already. I spent all day with Hiccup, we visited mom again, for an hour or so, and he let me watch him work again. He even explained how this tablet of his works and how one can build a virtual construct with it. It was awesome! I really think I want to do something like this later, too!

Astrid was busy today. She finally went to see a gynecologist, you know, to confirm that she really is pregnant and that everything's alright so far. And, apparently, it is. So, I'm really going to get a sister! Or a brother, as Hiccup keeps reminding us… I'm not sure which one I'd prefer.

It was a bit weird, but I guess I'll just never understand grown-ups… When Astrid came to the lair this afternoon, she was grinning and beaming and almost squealing, although the gynecologist had only confirmed what she already knew anyway, right? I mean… She and Hiccup really are cute… in a way… She practically jumped into his arms and I guess she whispered something into his ears, because a moment later he, too, began to grin and lifted her up to whirl her around inside his office. I mean, that room isn't all that small but I still think it's too small for behavior like this…

Anyway, we went to Carlo's to celebrate tonight, whatever they meant by that and Carlo promised me he would let me watch or even teach me how to make pizza. Another time though, today he was too busy. But he promised to do so when his restaurant wouldn't be so crowded one day.

Dear Diary

Today was mom's funeral…

She's really gone now, isn't she? I will never see her again. I feel… strange… empty. I knew it was going to happen and I'm glad she's not in pain anymore. But I miss her. And I will never forget her… I don't have to, right? Just because I'm going to have a new mom? My mom will always be my mom…

Astrid said I don't need to call her mom if I don't want to. Legally, she'll be my mother after all this paperwork is done. I'm not sure about the rest though. I really like her but she's not my mommy. And Hiccup… It's the same, I guess. I've tried to call him dad a few times but it feels strange, to both of us I guess from his reaction. Maybe we'll get used to it over time. We'll see, I guess.

…

The funeral though… it was… strange!

It was a quiet occasion somehow. Hiccup and Astrid were there of course and Heather and Fishlegs, too. And Dr. Pierce which was a nice surprise. He helped mom and me so much during the last years. And it was nice to see anyone from our life caring enough to come… In a way I'm glad it wasn't too crowded, mom wouldn't have liked that anyway. But still…

Astrid had asked me whether there was anyone they should inform but I really don't know that there is anyone else. She asked me about mom's parents, any family, but there is none. Mom always said that… that she had no family but me. Only once, she had added: "Not anymore." You may remember, I tried to find out then. About our family…

Mom's parents live. In another town, quite some distance away, but they live. When she'd said this Not anymore I thought that they would be dead, but they are not. They just didn't want anything to do with her anymore. Not after she came home with me… When I told Astrid that, she got angry. And then she became thoughtful and troubled and I don't know why, really. I think she told Hiccup and he, too, became thoughtful and troubled. But then, I might be wrong…

Dr. Pierce, though… He was surprised to see Hiccup. They seem to know each other somehow and Heather and Fishlegs, too. I think it surprised him when Hiccup told him I'm his daughter. They talked some more after that but, to be honest, I didn't really care.

It really was a strange day…

Dear Diary

Phew! Times goes by they say, right? It really does! How long is it since… Since I'm here? Three months? I think…

It still feels strange but it also becomes more normal with every day. Hiccup enrolled me in school here. It's a rather fancy one, not what I'm used to. But they have very interesting chores and clubs. I like it there. The teachers are friendly and the other kids… Well, they are alright, I guess. Very different from the kids in my old school, friendlier, too, I'd say.

But they are giving me the same strange looks when I answer one of the teacher's questions. And… Well, there is something else, too. I can't put a finger on it but… I don't know… Some of the parents give me curious glances as well and the other day, there was this woman. She said she was a reporter and just wanted to talk to me and asked whether her partner could take a picture of me. I'm not sure what to make of that and then Mr. Dycan, my math teacher, came and send them away anyway, but still…

I told Astrid about it and she became furious, I'm not sure why. She said she would take care of that but I can't say I know what she meant by that. Later, I heard her and Hiccup talking. She was still angry and I think he was, too, though thankfully not at each other.

They also talked about a dragon, which I didn't really understand either. Something about talking to it…her? And meeting her? I don't get it…

Astrid

Astrid stared out of the passenger window of Hiccup's black Porsche and looked for the by now familiar strands of silvery blond hair. More and more kids were streaming out of the school building in all directions and she needed to catch Lissy before she made her usual way toward the bus station.

"You really think this is a good idea?" Hiccup asked, not for the first time. "She made very clear what she thinks of Lissy…" He sounded worried just like he'd always done whenever this topic had come up during the last weeks and Astrid couldn't blame him, really. She was worried, too! But she nodded nonetheless.

"Well, she can't act like a prima donna forever!" Astrid said and Hiccup snorted.

"It's a bit more than that…" he mumbled.

"It is not!" she replied, her eyes still on the kids outside. "She's just offended that she had no say in any of this. But really, it wasn't any of her business and it's about time she realizes how stupid she's acting!" She heard Hiccup huffing and even without turning toward him she could imagine how he looked right now, troubled and worried. It was more than just that though and she knew that.

Hiccup was afraid. He was afraid of how this meeting would turn out and how it would affect all their lives in the future. Dealing with Lissy during the last weeks had been surprisingly uncomplicated. She was easy to be around, talked to them when something bothered or troubled her and put in a lot of effort into adapting to their life. She really was special! All in all, it was a lot easier to include her into their life than Astrid would have anticipated.

There was, however, something else that she hadn't anticipated.

Dealing with Valka during the last weeks had been a nuisance! Astrid hadn't thought of telling her about Lissy, it seemed like something Hiccup should talk to her about. But, apparently, Hiccup hadn't told her either and when she'd found out two weeks later she'd been furious. Obviously, she didn't approve of their decision to take the girl in and Astrid could only guess why that was. Yes, Hiccup had told her about the blackmail attempt but none of that mattered anymore. And that hadn't been Lissy anyway… To blame her for her mother's actions… well, that was just stupid!

But whatever the reason, Valka had refused to talk to Lissy or even meet her aside from that first brief meeting in the lair's training room all those weeks ago. She refused to accept her as part of their family, their life and wanted nothing to do with the girl. It was so stupid and it had made Astrid angry but she'd put up with it nonetheless. For the moment at least…

But it was all or nothing. When the whole thing with the adoption was through, Lissy would legally be their child. And she indisputably was Hiccup's daughter, there was no point in denying that. Astrid had worked hard during the last two years to slowly mend the relationship between Hiccup and his mother, for all their sakes. But now, the older woman seemed to be determined to tear down everything they had been able to build up. Because there was no middle ground, no in between. There was no going on like they had been before and simply ignoring the girl. Valka would have to accept Lissy or lose Hiccup again, irrevocably this time. It was all up to her. And Astrid was done waiting for her to realize that!

"She just needs to get to know her," Astrid said after a pause. "She just needs to see…" She shrugged, a little helpless. If only Valka would give Lissy a chance… Absentmindedly, she placed a hand on her stomach. It was all or nothing…

"Yeah…" Hiccup huffed again. "Let's just hope this plan won't backfire. She likes to be in control and can get a bit nasty when you take it away from her…" Astrid bit her lip. Hiccup was right and she knew that. But Valka had turned down every attempt of either Hiccup or Astrid to even talk about Lissy. And now, the gossip reporters started to be after the girl as well… Valka had already proven her capability to keep those in check, she could do it again. If only she wanted to…

When Astrid spotted Lissy leaving the building, she got out of the car to whistle once, loud, to get her attention and waved her over.

"Surprise!" She greeted her with a grin when Lissy reached the car and nodded toward the back seats. "We're going out tonight, to Carlo's. Get in or we're going to be late." Astrid winked and the girl grinned. She was just the same hopeless pizza addict they all were.

Hiccup

They arrived at Carlo's just in time. Only a few parking spots away, Hiccup spotted Valka's golden Range Rover and through the big windows on this side of the restaurant, he already could see a few vaguely familiar faces. So far, everything went according to plan.

He got out of the car and his eyes fell on Astrid on the other side. She was absentmindedly gazing at the lid windows as well, worries clear on her face. She was right, they had to confront Valka with this but that didn't mean it would be easy. Two weeks ago, they had announced Astrid's pregnancy to her and she'd been delighted. The deferred wedding had disturbed her at first but in the end, she hadn't minded the reason much. And she'd been happy to become a grandmother.

Hiccup remembered all too well how that statement had stung. His mother had never behaved like one and when she'd refused to acknowledge Lissy's existence he'd blamed her lack of any motherly feelings for that. But, obviously, that wasn't the truth. She wanted to be a grandmother… Why couldn't she behave like one then to the granddaughter she already had?

In the end, that was why he'd, at last, agreed to Astrid's slightly crazy plan. After tonight, either Valka would have to accept his family as it was, with every member, or he would finally have to accept that he had no mother after all.

He walked around the car toward Astrid. She jumped a little when he reached for her hand to entangling his fingers with hers but relaxed a moment later and leaned against him.

"You ready?" He asked in a low voice so Lissy wouldn't be able to hear him. The girl had given them curious glances during their ride here, he'd seen it in the rearview mirror. She, too, knew that this was not just a normal night out.

Astrid took a deep breath and nodded. "Let's get it over with."

They entered the restaurant but instead of going straight to their table in the more reclusive area, Hiccup turned to the left, toward the big common room. He knew Astrid would hold Lissy back and wait for a few minutes before they would follow.

He spotted Valka immediately. As expected, she sat at the table they'd reserved for tonight, a bit to the side of the room, a bit separated from the other tables by plants and decoration, but still very much in this room. When she saw him, she gave him a genuine but also confused smile.

"Hiccup," she greeted him, straightforward as always. "Where's Astrid? This table is far too big for just the two of us."

Hiccup bit back any comment on that. Of course, the first thing she'd do would be to subtly insult their favorite restaurant by remarking how not up to her standard their understanding of etiquette was… But it wouldn't help their case if he directly angered her with a sarcastic response. "She'll be here in a minute," he said instead and sat down beside her. "And she won't be alone."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw how she tensed at his words. "In that case, I'd better go." She announced and made a move to stand up.

"Sit!" Hiccup said, his voice low and calm, but it was an order nonetheless and Valka glanced at him curiously. Never before had he used this tone on her, this commanding voice and the cold mask he wore now. Hel, he hadn't used those on anyone in a very long time and it had needed Astrid and her utter trust in him to come to terms with this part of him. With this part that behaved like he deserved obedience, in any situation.

Valka didn't obey though, but at least she wasn't leaving right away. That was something at least. "Why?" she asked coldly. "To meet that criminal's offspring? I thought we were through with this. I don't want anything to do with that child!"

Hiccup wanted to ball his hands into fists, to angrily glare at her or reply with a harsh comment but all that would only harm their cause. Instead, he just bit down on the inside of his cheek for a moment and then replied in an even voice: "Because there are several reporters in this room, all dying to be first-hand witnesses to us making a scene."

Ha! That got her attention! Her face turned into a stony mask but she slowly sank down on her chair again. "Why?" She asked again but this time he could hear her anger boiling inside her.

Hiccup closed his eyes for a moment, trying to calm down, to not let her see how her belligerent behavior affected him. "Because I want you to give her a chance! She's just a child and-"

Valka snorted. "The child of a moneygrubbing criminal!"

"Stop calling her that!" Hiccup was close to losing his patience. "You have no idea who her mother was, what she did. Stop judging her when you don't know anything about her at all!" He took a shaky breath. "And because she is my daughter, too, or have you forgotten that?" He hated how his voice shook but there was nothing he could do about it. "She is my daughter and that's won't change just because you decided to ignore that fact! Lissy is a part of my life. And if you don't want her to be apart of your life as well, then this is where our ways part!" He forced himself to look at her, to meet her glare straight on and not shy away from her.

"You can't be serious!" She hissed, hard pressed to not let her face show any emotions. "You can't-"

"I can and I am!" He interrupted her. He took a deep breath and when he continued, his voice was calmer, almost soft. "Please! Let's just eat together. Talk to her. She's just a child, for Thor's sake! Give her at least a chance! You don't have to love her right away. Just…" He shrugged, a little insecure now. He hadn't meant to show this amount of emotions to her.

For a moment, Valka was quiet, the atmosphere between them unbearably tense. But then she nodded. "Looks like I don't have another choice anyway." She snarled and Hiccup relaxed a bit.

"Thanks!" he breathed. She huffed irritatedly but he knew that was just her way of trying to keep up appearances. She'd lost this argument!

Hiccup looked up at the waitress near the entrance and gave her a slight nod, the agreed upon sign and a few seconds later, Astrid and Lissy entered the room, chatting amiably. They had agreed to not let Lissy in on their plan so the girl wouldn't be disappointed in case Valka choose to keep her distance but when her eyes fell on Hiccup and the woman next to him he couldn't detect any surprise on her face at all. She just paused for the fraction of a second, nodded slightly as if just to herself and without a word sat down across from Valka.

Astrid

The first few minutes after they'd entered the main room felt horribly awkward, to Astrid at least, and from what she guessed Hiccup didn't feel any better. They talked alternately to Valka and to Lissy and every attempt to engage them both into one conversation was thwarted by Valka's determination and Lissy's unusual reticence. The girl watched the older woman warily while in return Valka made no attempts to hide her dissatisfaction over Lissy's presence.

But that was nothing she and Hiccup hadn't anticipated. It was a first step that Valka even had agreed upon staying although she hadn't had a choice, really. It hadn't taken much work… They only had needed to talk to Carlo and reserve his restaurant for this evening so no unwanted customers would be here tonight. And they had needed to contact a few of the more amiable reporters in town and to invite them and their families to Carlo's with the promise of an interesting headline for tomorrow's news if they could behave unsuspiciously, thus using them as a bargaining chip against Valka. That wasn't playing fair, of course. But Valka hadn't left them many other options.

Now, however, it was time for the next part of their plan. Valka had stayed, now she needed to listen. Astrid gave Hiccup a meaningful glance and he nodded, though only reluctantly. The first part had been relatively easy. Hiccup had a thick skin by now when it came to Valka's verbal attacks and there hadn't been much to do anyway. Just confronting her with the inescapable situation she suddenly was in. This now would probably be harder. Astrid had yet to experience how sharp Valka's words could be and the hormones had made her overly emotional anyway. And trying to talk some sense into Valka… Well, all she could do was trying, she guessed.

"Lissy?" Hiccup started after the last topic had ended in only more silence again. "Shall we go looking for Carlo? He promised to let you watch, didn't he?" Lissy gave him a flat look, clearly knowing why he suggested this now but didn't say anything. Under different circumstances, it would have been funny how utterly impossible it was to fool her but today, nothing was funny.

"Sure," she agreed, jumped off her seat and led the way into the kitchen. Hiccup swiftly squeezed Astrid's shoulder in passing and then hurried after the girl. Astrid's gaze followed them with a small smile before she turned back to Valka and her unyielding glare.

"How can you play along with this foolishness?" the older woman spat as soon as Lissy and Hiccup were out of earshot, not holding off in the least. "How can you bear that girl's presence? I would have thought you of all people would have the most reasons to hate her!" Astrid sighed. She had expected nothing else but it stung nonetheless.

"Why, on Midgard, should I hate her?" She asked as evenly as she could muster. She knew why, knew it would hurt to hear Valka say it, but she needed her to say it nonetheless.

"Because he cheated on you! You have loved each other since High School, you've said so yourselves. And yet, he's been with that other woman and now her offspring is going to ruin his life. Your lives! How can you bear it? You should have kicked her out the moment she showed up."

Yep, it hurt! Astrid bit her lip and closed her eyes for a moment. She'd hear and also read these words and others so many times during the past months. Of course, they hadn't been able to keep Lissy's identity a secret, hadn't even tried to, in fact. Hiccup was nothing if not honest, on the long run at least. And of course, there was the question why they'd set back the wedding… This whole affair had called forth again the voices who predicted their break-up, had almost demanded her to kick him or her or both of them out. She'd gotten hate-letters for still holding on to Hiccup, for being a disgrace to all women who ever have been cheated upon. No-one seemed to even want to see the truth, to see what really happened but then none of these people really knew them. With Valka, it was different though and in a way, it hurt even more for her to not see, either.

"He never cheated on me and you know that perfectly well!" Astrid said as calm as possible. She didn't want to make a scene and hoped Valka wouldn't be too stubborn. "You know we were no couple back then, didn't even were in contact in any way. Why are you of all people repeating this stupid gossip on me? I really thought you were above behavior like this!" Appealing to her pride, the easiest way to get her attention… Valka didn't respond, only kept glaring at her but Astrid saw something else in her eyes as well. She saw a flicker of doubt. That was all she had needed.

"Why are you really so depreciative towards her?" She asked in a low voice and Valka grunted condescendingly.

"Her mother-" she began but Astrid shook her head.

"Her mother made some stupid decisions. But you of all people shouldn't judge a person by his mother's stupid decisions!" She raised an eyebrow at the older woman who fell silent. "Besides, Carina might have made mistakes but not even you can dispraise her reasons behind them. And who knows what would have happened to your son if she hadn't been there to help him. We wouldn't sit here now if it wasn't for her!" Astrid forced herself to keep looking at Valka, to not avert her eyes but also to not let her own emotions show too much. All this was true. She didn't want to think about Hiccup with her, didn't want to picture her in his arms but she knew how much they all owed to Carina.

"This girl still shouldn't be here!" Valka grumbled. "She doesn't belong here, to you, to us. Surely, there must be someone else who could take care of her!"

At this, Astrid bit her lip again and desperately fought against the tears that threatened to well up in her eyes. She remembered Carina's funeral and how there had been nobody who'd cared enough for her, not even her own parents. "No," she whispered. "There is nobody else. And…" She paused. This now was the crucial point. Everything else so far had been just brushing aside prejudices but if Valka continued to deny this truth then there would be no point in arguing further. "And she really is Hiccup's daughter! They are so much alike… If only you would get to know her, she's amazing! She belongs here, with Hiccup, with us and nowhere else." Astrid could see how Valka's mind was working through all of this. She hadn't denied or brushed aside anything Astrid had said so far so there was hope, at least. Astrid gave her a few more moments to think about what she'd said before she added: "You told me once how you've hoped to be able to make up for the lost time. Don't make the same mistake again!"

With these words, Astrid stood up but paused again and said. "I'll go and see what Hiccup and Lissy are doing. You can stay or you can go. It is your decision. But you'll have to accept it, it'll be final." Then she turned away, leaving an unusually quiet Valka at their table.

Hiccup

Hiccup leaned against the wall in Carlo's kitchen near the entrance door, arms crossed in front of him and watched Lissy and Carlo as the bulky man showed her how to add toppings to their pizza. His eyes were on them but his mind was not. His thoughts kept wandering back into the other room, toward that table, and toward Astrid. He worried about how this conversation was going, how hard his mother would be on her. He knew how hard she could be… He wanted to be there, to support her in any way but she'd been right. It needed to be Astrid who had this conversation with her. He'd tried to argue against it, that it wasn't her responsibility to stand up against his mother, that it wasn't her fight at all. Her reply though… If he hadn't been completely and irrevocably in love with her he would have been so then.

Yes, it is my fight as well. Because I care for her just as much as you do!

Those had been her words and they'd meant more to him than he could ever say or explain. Because Astrid really cared for his illegitimate daughter. She didn't just put up with her, she really cared! He took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh again. He just hoped she was alright out there, fighting the one dragon he would always be afraid of.

A few minutes later, the door next to him opened and Astrid was in his arms before he realized it had been her who'd entered. Silent tears were running down her cheeks and he did his best to secretly wipe them away before anyone else would notice them. He knew what she must have been through just now. When they'd talked about this plan to convince Valka it had been clear that Astrid would have to relive a lot of unpleasant memories during this conversation and in her current state there was only so much she was able to endure without bursting into tears.

And there had been everything. The dreadful headlines and articles of the last few weeks, the accusations and demands that had reached her and her disability to defend herself in any way. The memories of the lonely years they'd spent apart and the knowledge of what they'd both done during this time and also the memories of how cruel life could be, even and especially to those who didn't deserve it. And finally the reminder of those for her most painful three days she'd spent at his sickbed. He knew how all that must've gotten to her and he hated that all he could do to help was holding her in his arms.

"How did it go?" He asked quietly after she'd calmed down a bit. They wouldn't be able to hide in here for much longer…

"We'll see, I guess." Astrid sniffed. "But at least she listened until the end, so there's hope." She cuddled more closely against his chest and he drew her tighter. "What are we going to do in case she's gone now?" she asked in a whisper. They hadn't talked about that so far, hadn't allowed themselves to consider that possibility but, of course, Hiccup had thought about it.

"Well, first of all, we'll need new jobs, I guess." He stated soberly and Astrid nodded. It wouldn't be possible for them to keep working for Valka when she was determined to further ignore Lissy. "And aside from that… well, she didn't play that much of a role in our lives so far, we're just going to go on, I guess" He trailed off, voice thick with emotions and felt Astrid's arms around his torso, squeezing him comfortingly. Valka had never behaved like she was his mother, not having her in his life, again, wouldn't make such a difference. And if he kept telling this to himself, maybe he would even believe it one day.

"I'm sorry…" Astrid mumbled against his chest and he nodded, his nose buried in her hair. A moment later, he released her though and put on a small smile.

"She had enough time now, I think." He stated, trying – and failing - to mentally brace himself for the possibility of a renewed rejection by his mother. He took her hand and turned toward Carlo and Lissy, to see whether they were finished preparing their pizza but the girl apparently had watched them more closely than he'd noticed. As usual. She was already on her way back toward them, waving at the pizza baker over her should and thanking him before she gave them a stern look. She seemed to have a fairly good idea of what was going on… "Let's go…"

They returned to the main room, Lissy a step ahead of them and Astrid at his side, still arm in arm, as close as was possible in this moment. He so dearly hoped he wouldn't need her closeness and her consolation now but when his eyes fell on their table, his heart clenched painfully.

It was empty

Astrid

Astrid heard Hiccup taking in a ragged breath and felt him tense up at her side when their empty table came into view. She squeezed his hand reassuringly in an attempt to make this any easier for him although she knew there wasn't much even she could do right now. His mother had decided to leave rather than to stay…

Apparently oblivious to the tense atmosphere, Lissy just went on, sat down on her chair and took a sip of her lemonade before throwing them a curious glance. She and Hiccup were still standing in the gangway, frozen in place. Their plan had backfired, the trap they'd set for Valka had become their own. Because breaking down now, here, that was not an option. She clutched his hand more firmly when she felt him trembling and tried to pull him along but he didn't give in. Instead, he pulled her against his chest to take her in his arms. Just like minutes ago, when she'd needed his closeness to cope, he now needed hers.

She heard and also felt his heavy breathing, his face hidden in her hair while he desperately tried to pull himself together. He leaned heavily against her, putting more weight on her than usual but not more than she could hold. It was over. Valka was gone and there was nothing they could do about it anymore. She had chosen, just like they had wanted her to and now they all had to live with the outcome. Astrid threw a glance over Hiccup's shoulder toward the table, toward Lissy.

For her! They'd done it for her, she had to remember that. Hiccup had to remember that. He had made his decision before when he'd agreed to this plan. His daughter or his mother. If he couldn't have them both in his life, who would he choose? And he had chosen…

Astrid met Lissy's curious eyes with the attempt of a smile, trying to reassure her that everything was alright. Somehow… But Lissy didn't look worried. Curious, yes, but not worried. No… The look she gave them now wasn't worried at all but rather… pitiful? Astrid frowned at her and the girl shrugged and nodded toward the place where Valka had sat before. Her eyes wandered, too, toward the only half-emptied glass and toward Valka's jacket that still hung over the chair. And widened.

She heard Hiccup's gasp and felt his fingers digging into her back just as realization dawned on her. She turned around, her eyes following his gaze to where Valka stood, the hastily reapplied make-up around her redrimmed eyed only noticeable if one knew what to look for.

"I won't…" she whispered. "I won't make that same mistake again!"

Hiccup

Hiccup sat mutely on his chair and tried to process what was happening in front of him. Every now and then, he felt Astrid's hand on his, tightening its grip or caressing him soothingly. He still wasn't over the shock, over the almost-breakdown from a few minutes ago but he got better. With every second that passed and with every word he heard he got better.

Up until that moment when he'd seen their empty table, he hadn't really believed it would be possible, hadn't really considered the possibility that his mother would leave. Oh, sure, logically he'd known it was possible but he hadn't thought it would be a real option. He'd thought it would be hard and even painful to convince Valka but he'd never doubted that they would do so eventually.

Seeing her empty chair then… No… he still wasn't able to consider what it would have meant. His mind had shut down completely in that moment, trying to ward off the pain that had threatened to overwhelm him. A small, detached part of him was taunting him right now, laughing at how he still clung to his mother's approval even after all this time. He'd thought he would be over this by now but he slowly began to realize that he probably never would be.

"So, you've never taken any additional courses at school?" Valka asked now, dissatisfaction clear in her voice. "No advanced courses, no clubs for handcrafting, not even for music or any sport?" Lissy only shrugged, shaking her head and Valka snorted.

This conversation had started rather awkwardly and only very slowly, it was turning into something a little more comfortable now. Valka had wanted to switch places with him so that she would sit closer to Lissy, and also probably so that he could sit next to Astrid. His mother had seen how pale he'd been after all and knew how much he needed Astrid's presence. She then had slowly started to talk to the girl, had asked rather formal questions about her name and her age and various other sober facts. She'd been happily surprised by Lissy's school grades, though the lack of any additional education obviously irritated her.

"There hadn't been any additional courses and barely any clubs in her old school," Astrid interjected on Lissy's behalf now. There was something like a barely hidden smirk on her face.

"That's a pity, really," Valka said, frowning. But Lissy just shrugged again.

"I think those courses would have been boring anyway." The girl state nonchalantly and involuntarily, Hiccup's lips twitched into a small smile as well. He knew what Lissy meant, he'd always thought so, too, after all.

"Knowledge is always interesting!" Valka explained firmly and gave Astrid a confused look when she chuckled.

"Lissy…" She began. "Would you mind showing Valka a few of your sketches?" Hiccup had to bite down on his lip to not laugh out loud. They hadn't made any further plan for after Valka had agreed to talk to Lissy but obviously, Astrid actually had thought about this as well. Hiccup hadn't thought much about Lissy's talent and general intelligence so far, not since he'd accepted the fact that she really was his daughter at least. And he didn't like this plan, it felt too cool and clinical but Astrid was probably right. If there was one way to convince his mother that Lissy was worth spending time with than it probably was showing her how gifted she was.

Lissy scowled though. She didn't like other people looking at her drawings, he knew that all to well by now. "Maybe just one?" He asked and leaned forward to tab lightly against the condiments between them.

"That one?" Lissy asked disbelievingly and wrinkled her nose. "Sure…" It wasn't a picture that held any meaning, she'd just drawn it to kill some time. But it was perfect for this case as it showed just what they wanted Valka to see. Lissy leaned down toward the backpack she always carried around, pulled out the sketch-pad and thumbed through the pictures until she'd found the one she'd drawn here, in this very restaurant all those months ago. She hesitated for a moment and then handed it over to Valka.

For a while, it was awfully quiet at their table. Hiccup and Astrid waited tensely for Valka to finally react, her eyes solidly glued to the detailed drawing while Lissy's gaze wandered from one to the other, her confusion growing with every second.

"You did this?" Valka finally asked, her voice barely more than a whisper and for the umpteenth time, Lissy shrugged.

"Yeah," she said unabashedly. "While Hiccup and I waited for our pizza that one day…"

Valka huffed and finally looked up questioningly, looked at him. He swallowed and nodded. Yes, she really was that good already. Valka looked down at the drawing for a little while longer before she handed the sketch-pad back to Lissy and eyed her with a strange mixture of feelings on her face.

"How about your new school here?" She finally asked, picking up the former topic again as if there hadn't been any break at all. "Have you found any interesting courses or clubs there?" Her voice was much friendlier now than before. He couldn't be sure… But Hiccup wanted to believe it was because his mother had realized that Lissy wasn't just some lazy kid, that she'd meant it when she'd said those courses at her old school would have been boring for her.

At that question Lissy blushed though, something Hiccup hadn't seen her ever doing before and he perked up curiously. He noticed that Astrid, too, leaned the tiniest bit closer and that Lissy threw him a quick glance before hastily looking away again, fidgeting.

"Well…" She began hesitantly. "There's one club that sounded… It's about something that… well… I was interested in that already and then… a few months ago, after…" She trailed off, flushing even more.

Out of the corner of his eye, Hiccup saw how Astrid raised a hand to cover her mouth, to hide her grin and when he turned toward her, he saw the humorous glint in her eyes as she looked at him. Did she know what this was about?

"Something interesting?" Valka asked kindly and Lissy nodded.

"It's about engineering"

Astrid

Astrid leaned back in her chair, subconsciously placing an arm over her belly and simply watched as the conversation went on. After Lissy had mentioned which club she'd joined there was no holding back anymore. Both Hiccup and Valka inquired after what exactly they were doing there, asked about her ideas and cautiously gave suggestions on how to approach one problem or another.

Lissy had told Astrid about this club a few weeks ago, had asked whether it would come across cocky or presumptuous for her to pick this as a hobby with Hiccup being so exceedingly good at it. Astrid hadn't been able to stop grinning then and had assured her that there would be no problem. But she'd asked the girl to not tell Hiccup about it, not yet.

Astrid smiled to herself while the other three were completely engrossed in their conversation. Everything had worked out perfectly, better even than she had dared to hope for. This now had been the last icebreaker. After all the prejudices and reservations were gone, this now was the one topic they all could talk about.

After she'd eaten as much pizza as would fit into her, she closed her eyes, suddenly tired, and dozed off lightly, only listening to their rambling with half an ear. It had been a long day, long days really, with lots of worries over the outcome of this meeting. And she knew, this day wasn't over yet, she would need just a little bit more strength later…

She jumped as suddenly a hand was on hers. She looked up and into Hiccup's brightly gleaming eye as he leaned over to peck her on the cheek. He interlaced his fingers with hers and there were no words needed for them to know the other's feelings. Relief and gratitude and hope and love. Above all else, always love.

Around them, the waitress was cleaning their table and Astrid shook her head, blinking, to clear it of the dizziness. It had gotten later than she thought, time to go home. Almost… She reached for her glass of water and took a sip. There was one last thing they had to do tonight, one promise to keep.

"Valka?" Lissy asked, her tone thoughtful but also casual like she'd talked to the older woman for all her life. Valka, who had just picked up her jacket, looked up at her curiously. "Why do people call you a dragon? You're not scary at all!"

Astrid choked on her water and beside her, Hiccup coughed as well in a futile attempt to hide any reaction. What would it have been? Laughter or a groan or maybe just simple shock? Everything would be appropriate. Because it wasn't like anyone ever called her that to her face…

But to Astrid's utmost surprise, Valka didn't get irritated or annoyed. On the contrary, there was suddenly a mischievous glint in her eyes and her lips twitched into a for her highly unusual grin. "Ah, who knows," she replied, winking while the two of them were on their way out. "Maybe I just can act out being scary well enough."

Hiccup stared after them, mouth hanging open and Astrid guessed she didn't look any better. Then they exchanged a glance and simultaneously began to laugh. It took them a few moments to calm down again before Hiccup held out his hand to help her up.

"Who would have thought it would simply take a little girl to break her icy armor" Hiccup mumbled, disbelievingly shaking his head. There was a trace of melancholy in his voice and Astrid raised her hand to place it on his cheek. He smiled down at her, nuzzling into her hand for a moment before he turned to place a light kiss on her fingertips and whispered: "Thank you!"

Astrid blinked once in response before her lips curled into a grin as well. "Just imagine how much fun she's going to have with her grandchildren!" she giggled and Hiccup snorted. He pulled her into his arms, his hand over her belly. Beneath her comfortable wide clothes, her bump wasn't all that obvious yet but they could very well feel it already. And Astrid could swear she already felt light kicks and punches now and then. She also felt his hands now, warm and loving as they stroked over her.

"Like she's having already?" He absentmindedly asked a few moments later, nodding toward the exit through which Valka and Lissy had disappeared a minute ago. "But that was the point, wasn't it? We probably won't get to see much of them. But that reminds me…" He paused and held out his hand for her once more. "Are you ready?"

Astrid nodded, smiled and laid her hand in his. "Let's get it over with!"

They walked around the makeshift wall of plants and out into the open of the main room where half a dozen reporters and their families sat and waited. They had promised them a headline and they intended to keep this promise.

Hiccup took a deep breath, straightened his back and after one last glance at Astrid, he turned toward the waiting faces, all looking at him. "Thank you all for following our invitation, for coming here tonight and for being good." He began, addressing the small crowd and a wave of low chuckles sounded through the room. "By being here you have helped us immensely and we-" he quickly smiled at Astrid again. "We want to thank you, as promised. I know you all have heard the rumors by now, about our growing family and about why we deferred our wedding. So let me confirm it now. Yes, we're getting a baby!"

Hiccup

About twenty minutes and what felt like hundreds of questions later, Hiccup and Astrid finally left the main room of Carlo's Pizzeria, tired but happy. Lissy sat, again, at one of the empty tables, her drawing utensils in front of her. From the way the bulky pizza baker stood in front of her, she seemed to be drawing a portrait of him while Valka glanced over her shoulder. As they entered the room though, she looked up and came toward him while Astrid, after squeezing his hand once more, went toward Lissy instead.

"That was very well done, son" Valka said in an even voice, nodding toward the other room behind him.

"Thank you," he answered, whispering past the lump that suddenly rose in his throat. It was a long time since she'd called him that but even then it had never felt as right as it felt today. So he added: "mom!"

He saw how her lip trembled a little but she didn't say anything else and turned around to gaze back at the other table again. Carlo had left his position as a model to look at Lissy's drawing and to talk to Astrid as well. She looked exhausted but smiled nonetheless, laughed even at whatever Carlo told her and once again, Hiccup sent a silent prayer of thanks toward the Gods for letting him have her in his life. She placed a hand on Lissy's shoulder and said something else whereupon the girl grabbed her pencil case and sketch-pad and stowed them away in her backpack.

"She really is your daughter, isn't she?" He suddenly heard Valka whisper at his side.

He glanced at her and nodded. "She is!" He paused for a moment before he added cautiously: "And your granddaughter as well" and waited for his mother to react.

It probably took her only seconds to respond but to him, it felt like ages, especially after this day. But then her face lit up, her lips curled into an honest smile and her eyes shone brightly with joy and probably also with a thin layer of tears. "Yeah…" she breathed. "Yeah, I guess she is…"