Tales from the Sea Chapter 7: Astrid's Surprise, a how to train your dragon fanfic

Astrid's Surprise

A/N: This one is partially for Litwick723, who requested a similar idea. I'm afraid something happened in the writing process, and the concept changed rather drastically. What was meant to be a short, funny little piece turned into a longer, fluffy and sometimes angsty story. So I'm afraid the original idea got lost in the reworking. (More on that in the A/N at the bottom.) But I hope you all enjoy it.

And Happy Father's Day!

"Dear Thor…sweet Odin…what am I gonna do…what am I gonna do?"

Astrid paced back and forth, her hands twisting together in frustration and fear. This was the last thing in the world she'd expected. It had just been a little bit of sickness, that was all. She'd been perfectly content to just wait it out, convinced it was just a bug she'd picked up at some point, but Hiccup, being his usually paranoid self, had begged her to see the healer Gothi. She'd gone just to shut him up, and now…now…

Now she was pacing around the den of the house she shared with her husband, waiting for him to come home. He, along with every other able-bodied man on Berk, was helping repair the Great Hall, the roof of which had partially caved in during a storm, and he had not yet returned. The sun was starting to set over the horizon, however, so she figured he'd be back fairly soon.

She was right. Only a few minutes later, the front door opened and Hiccup, looking weary, sweaty, and bedraggled, traipsed in and sat heavily in a chair. Astrid fetched him a mug of cold ale and handed it to him. "Hard day?" she asked sympathetically.

Hiccup took a deep gulp of the ale and nodded. "It's coming along, though," he replied. "I'd say another day or two of work and it'll be good as new." He took another swig. "So…did you see Gothi today?"

Astrid winced. She still had no idea how she was going to tell him. She decided to stall. "Yes," she said slowly.

"Good," Hiccup said. "And did she find out what was wrong?"

Astrid nodded. "Mm-hmm."

There was a pause.

"Well am I going to have to guess it?" Hiccup asked, perhaps a touch irritably. He was tired, after all.

Still Astrid hesitated, and then she said, "Well…there's nothing wrong."

Hiccup didn't look entirely satisfied with this answer, but he was too exhausted to argue. "Well, that's good," he sighed, draining the last of the ale from his mug. Astrid took it from him and promptly replaced it with a full one. "Thanks," he said, taking a smaller sip. Then he asked, "Won't you have one with me?"

Astrid stiffened for maybe half a second. Then, her voice shaking slightly, she said, "No…Gothi said I shouldn't drink any alcohol while I…while I'm pregnant."

She watched Hiccup, gauging his reaction. For a moment it seemed he hadn't realized what she'd said. He merely nodded as if to say, "Suit yourself," and lifted the mug to his lips. And then he froze, the rim only an inch or so from his mouth. His eyes nearly popped out of his skull as he turned to face his young wife. He tried to speak, but nothing came out except a faint croak, so he quickly closed his mouth, only to open it and try again. In that second he looked almost like a fish.

Then he managed to splutter, "D-did you…did you just say…pregnant? You mean you're gonna…I'm gonna be…we're…you're pregnant?!"

Astrid just nodded wordlessly, a small smile turning the corners of her mouth.

Hiccup didn't move for several seconds. With shaking hands he set down his mug and ran his fingers nervously through his sweaty hair. "I…I think I need to sit down for a minute," he said weakly.

Astrid couldn't help but let loose a single, slightly hysterical laugh. "Hiccup, you are sitting down," she pointed out.

"Oh…" Hiccup looked down at his knees. "Yeah…guess I am…" His eyes turned back up to his wife. "I…I can't believe it…you're serious? We're really gonna be…parents?" The last word came out as the most un-masculine squeak Astrid had ever heard.

"Yes," she replied simply. "We are."

There was a long pause. Astrid could almost see the gears turning in Hiccup's head as he tried to process this new, staggering information.

Then, after a few minutes, he managed to stammer, "That's…that's wonderful!" He stood up and rushed forward to pull Astrid into a tight embrace. She wavered a little, caught off guard, but she recovered quickly and returned the hug. "That's the most wonderful thing I've heard since…since…well, I can't remember when!" And then he started laughing with pure joy. He pulled back just far enough to lift Astrid up and spin her around. She let out a startled little yelp: she'd never seen Hiccup so exuberant before and didn't really know how to react to this. But his beaming smile was infectious, and soon she was laughing along with him. Toothless, sitting in a corner of the room, added his dragon chuckle to the mix until the whole house seemed to ring with the sound of it.

Hiccup announced the news to the village the next morning, and everyone seemed delighted to hear that they were going to have an heir. The chief and his wife received an endless number of congratulations throughout the day, and Hiccup's smile never left his face for an instant. He asked Wodensfang to fetch his father and then met the Sea King down at the docks to deliver the good news. Stoick was thrilled at the prospect of being a grandfather and pulled Hiccup into a hug that almost broke his ribs.

The months passed by, and the baby grew within Astrid's body. She became a little self-conscious as her belly started visibly swelling outward, but Hiccup tactfully soothed her. "It's the baby that's grown, not you," he told her, and while this didn't exactly make things better, she was touched that he was trying to help.

And then one evening, as the two of them were relaxing in their house atop the hill, something happened. It came totally out of nowhere, and neither of them was expecting it. Astrid suddenly sat up straight and gasped, her hands flying to her rounded middle. "Astrid?" Hiccup asked, suddenly concerned. "What's wrong?"

Astrid blinked a few times, and then her face broke into a warm smile. "Nothing's wrong," she replied. "It's just…she's started kicking."

There was a beat. And then Hiccup hurtled out of his chair and knelt down in front of her. "Really?" he breathed, and he pressed his hand gently over his wife's belly. Smiling, Astrid guided his hand to the right spot. He waited…and waited… "I don't feel anything," he said sadly.

"Wait for it," Astrid replied, and the words had no sooner left her mouth than Hiccup felt a faint movement against his palm. He inhaled sharply, his eyes widening and his mouth dropping open in sheer awe and wonder.

"Oh my gods," he breathed. "He's moving…he's really in there, moving around…" And then he gasped again as the baby shifted rather drastically.

Astrid giggled. "I think she likes the sound of your voice," she remarked.

Hiccup glanced up at her. "You think so?"

Astrid nodded. "Don't sound so surprised," she said. "Your voice won me over too, remember?"

Hiccup smiled. He did remember. Then he looked back at his wife's belly and said softly. "Hello, my little one. Can you hear me in there? It's…it's your dad." The words sounded so strange on his tongue, yet he liked the way they sounded. Apparently the child did too, for it moved once again.

"She likes you," Astrid murmured, smiling serenely.

Hiccup looked back up at her and cracked a small smile. "She?" he repeated teasingly. "How do you know it's a girl?"

Astrid shrugged. "Woman's intuition," she replied. Then her smile flickered slightly. "Were you hoping for a son?"

Hiccup shook his head. "It doesn't matter to me. I just want it to be healthy and happy."

Astrid's eyes suddenly stung with tears, and she looked away, blinking rapidly. But Hiccup didn't seem to realize that what he'd said had touched her so deeply. He was gently running his hands over her stomach, whispering, "I love you, my little one. I love you with all my heart and I can't wait to finally meet you."

But this happiness and bliss didn't last long. A few more months along, as Astrid's pregnancy started to wind down, Hiccup's joy began to fade and was replaced with a rapidly-mounting sense of worry and outright fear. He smiled less and less, and some of the villagers began to fear that something bad had happened. But that wasn't the problem.

Astrid finally confronted him about this sudden change in mood. "Hiccup, what's wrong?"

"Wrong?" Hiccup repeated blankly. "Nothing's wrong." The words rang false even to his own ears.

"I know you well enough to recognize when you're fretting about something," Astrid said gently yet bluntly. "So come on, let it out. What's bothering you?"

Hiccup hesitated. Then, deciding there was no avoiding the question, he sighed and said, "I'm worried about…about the baby."

Astrid nodded. She'd figured it was something like that. "Relax, Hiccup, I'm sure everything will be fine. She's still moving around in here." She rested a hand on her now-quite-large belly. "She's flipping and flopping around like a fish, in fact."

Hiccup's body went tense. "That's exactly what I'm afraid of," he said quietly.

Astrid blinked, confused. "What?"

Hiccup looked down at his feet. "Astrid, I'm not human. At least not naturally. I'm a merman. It's in my blood. The sea is a part of my entire being. What if…" He closed his eyes tight, as if he could somehow prevent his terrible vision of the future from coming true if he just blocked it out. "What if she's like me? What if she's born with fins instead of feet? Astrid, there's no precedent for this. There's never been a child born of both human and merman before. I have no idea what this baby will be like when she's born! What if she's visibly different or deformed? Will the village accept her? Will the other kids her age want to play with her? Will the—"

"Hiccup, stop," Astrid interrupted, taking his hand in hers. "You can't let yourself think like that. You'll only torture yourself, and there's nothing to be gained by it. Listen," she went on quickly, for Hiccup seemed to be about to interrupt, "I've wondered about this too, and yes I've worried. But worrying won't change anything. We'll just have to wait and see what happens. And if she's born with fins," she added with a faint smile, "well, I guess we can take her to your dad. If he could change you into a human, then why not her?"

Hiccup didn't look soothed, and after a few seconds he said, "There's something else. What if…what if I just don't make a good father? I mean…" He cast his eyes around, searching for an easy way to explain his fears. "My dad and I…we didn't always see eye-to-eye on things, you know? Before he turned me into a human, we used to get into all kinds of fights and arguments…we'd sometimes go for days without speaking to each other at all. We just…we didn't have a good relationship until really recently. What if I can't be the father our child needs? What if we don't get along? What if…what if she hates me?"

"She won't hate you," Astrid said, reaching up to stroke his cheek. "How could any child hate you, Hiccup? You are the sweetest, most tenderhearted man I've ever met. And I've seen the way you interact with the children here on the island. You're great with kids! So you have nothing to fear. I have no doubt whatsoever that you'll be a terrific dad."

Hiccup smiled weakly and did not argue, but his worries would not go away so easily. And as Astrid's due date drew near he started to fear for her health as well. He never told her about that, knowing that she would merely try to talk him out of it, but he couldn't stop himself from asking from time to time, "How are you feeling?" or "Are you all right?" Each time Astrid would answer with some variation of, "I'm fine, Hiccup," although once she snapped, "If you ask me that one more time I'm going to toss you back into the ocean!"

He didn't ask her again.

And then, at long last, the time came. Hiccup found himself pacing outside the door of his house, Toothless watching him silently, his big green eyes glowing in the darkness of the night. Nearby stood Gobber, who stood with his arms crossed, observing the young chief as he fretted and panicked.

After some time, the blacksmith said, "Calm down, Hiccup. You'll make yourself dizzy if you keep that up."

Hiccup shot him a glare and didn't reply, nor did he stop his pacing.

Gobber sighed. "Astrid will be fine, Hiccup. You're not gonna do her any good worrying yourself to death."

"How can I not worry?!" Hiccup snapped, pausing to address his friend. "My wife is in there giving birth to our child! So many things can go wrong! What if there's a problem? What if the baby doesn't make it? What if…what if Astrid…?" He stopped. He couldn't bring himself to complete the thought.

Gobber shook his head. "What if, what if, what if! What if your baby is completely healthy? What if Astrid does just fine? What if you and your wife and your kid get to live happily ever after?"

Hiccup didn't answer, and silence fell between them, silence broken by Astrid screaming from inside the house. It was hard to make out exactly what she was saying, but it seemed to Hiccup that she was threatening to chop off certain body parts the next time she saw him. He felt momentarily nauseous.

"Oh gods," he moaned, putting his head in his hands. "I can't believe this is happening! Dear Thor Above, what am I gonna do?"

Gobber answered, "Here's what you're gonna do. Close your eyes."

Hiccup frowned, but after a moment's hesitation he did as told.

"Good," Gobber commended, nodding. "Now…picture yourself going up the stairs and into your bedroom. Astrid is lying on the bed, looking a bit tired but smiling happily. She looks up at you as you enter and holds a little bundle in her arms. You step closer and see that it's a little baby boy—"

"Girl," Hiccup interrupted quietly, his eyes still closed. "Astrid believes it's a girl."

"All right, a little baby girl," Gobber amended easily. "She opens her tiny eyes as you approach. She is not afraid of you. She smiles, her wee little mouth totally toothless…" The Night Fury cocked his head at the sound of his name, but Gobber didn't notice. "…and raises her arms, reaching out toward you…"

Hiccup was totally lost in this fantasy Gobber was creating. He held his arms out, as if preparing to take the imaginary infant from his wife's hands.

"You take her in your arms, and you hold her close. She is the most beautiful thing you've ever seen, and in that moment you know that you'll do anything to keep her safe and happy…"

The front door opened, and all three of them looked around. Gothi stood on the threshold, looking rather weary but pleased. She nodded wordlessly to Hiccup, whose heart missed several beats. "The baby…?" he managed to ask. "Is she…? And…Astrid?"

Gothi nodded again and motioned toward the interior of the house. Hiccup didn't need to be told twice: he rushed inside and took the stairs three at a time, skidding to a halt on the landing. His mouth dropped open. His eyes bulged. For a moment he forgot how to breathe.

Astrid was reclining in the bed. Her face was pale and her golden hair was disheveled, but she was smiling the biggest and brightest smile he'd ever seen on her face. Her sapphire eyes were directed down at a tiny little bundle of blankets she was cradling in her arms. And in that bundle was…

She looked up as her husband entered and, if possible, smiled even wider. She didn't say anything at first, but she held up the thing in her grasp, revealing a little pink face amid the folds of cloth.

"It's a girl," Astrid said after a moment.

Hiccup stepped forward into the room, his legs shaking and feeling as if they might collapse from underneath him. He gazed down in rapt wonder at the little girl in his wife's arms. The newborn infant blinked as she gazed up at him curiously, and then she opened her little mouth in a wide, toothless grin that totally melted his heart. It was just as Gobber had described.

"She's beautiful," Hiccup breathed. "Oh gods, she's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." He reached out and stroked the baby's cheek with his finger, and she burbled happily in response.

"Would you like to hold her?" Astrid asked.

Hiccup looked sharply up at her, fear momentarily licking at his insides again. But he forced his uncertainty aside and nodded, holding his arms out wordlessly. Astrid leaned forward and gently transferred the baby to him.

The moment she was nestled in his grip, something happened to Hiccup, something unexpected and extraordinary. It was as if his entire world had been turned on its head. In that endless second, nothing else in all the world mattered or even existed. He forgot about the village just outside the house, he forgot about the kingdom beneath the sea from which he'd come, he forgot his own name. There was nothing for him to see except for the little child wrapped in the blankets and cradled in his arms. And in that instant his heart swelled with so much love and joy that he thought it might just burst, and he didn't particularly care if it did.

"Hello, my little one," he murmured with a slightly shaky voice. "I'm your dad…crazy, huh? You're my daughter. Yeah…you're a beautiful little girl, you know that? Yes you are…"

The baby made a little noise, still grinning up at her father. Hiccup said nothing more. He'd forgotten for a moment how to talk. So he fell back on the old merman standby: he started to sing. The tune flowed from his throat and out of his lips almost without thought or consideration, a wordless melody that filled the whole house with the sound of his love and delight. It was a beautiful song, and for a moment Astrid closed her eyes, getting lost in her husband's music. The baby too seemed to enjoy it: she stared intently at her father, as if to memorize every feature of his face.

"Melody," Hiccup said suddenly, interrupting his own song. "What do you think? Her name?"

He looked up at Astrid, who smiled. "I think it's perfect."

A/N: I'd just like to go on record saying that I am not a father. So if I got something wrong, that's why. Don't hold it against me.

So…the original idea from Litwick723 was that Astrid would break the news and Hiccup would faint. I thought the idea was funny and set to work trying to make it happen, but…well, something happened while I was writing the story. The scene just…didn't work. I don't know why, but every time I tried it, I just wasn't satisfied with it. And when I took the fainting spell out, I felt better, so…yeah, that's why the story stands as it does. However, the request has not been totally ignored: here is an alternate scene from the beginning of the story. I hope you enjoy it. :)

Hiccup took a deep gulp of ale. "So…did you see Gothi today?"