Seven: Dinner and Discussion

Time had flown and when Hiccup looked up from his computer screen, he realised it was close to six and he had worked far longer and more productively than he had for months. A sudden surge of panic shot through him and for a second, he feared that Hanna wasn't being looked after. And then he remembered that he had Astrid and he was able to get his breath, giving a sigh of relief and glancing at the little picture of Heather and Hanna that sat on his desk. Until he had panicked, it had almost felt like it had before he lost Heather.

He sat back in his chair and looked up at the little picture, seeing the smiling faces of his dead wife and his child, their matching green eyes both crinkled with laughter. While he was buried in his work, he had a respite from the pain of loss but now he had finished work, the distraction was gone and he was back where he started. Wearily, he closed his computer, gathered his things and dragged his coat on, then headed home.

It was dark when he got home and as he opened the door, he was aware of the quiet, that there wasn't the habitual chaos and mess that accompanied any babysitting event by Ruff and that the delicious aroma of food was filling the house. He closed the door and put his computer bag down before he walked into the kitchen.

The first thing he saw was Hanna, standing on a step stool, helping Astrid wash up and flicking bubbles at her. As he watched, the woman dabbed a little blob of bubbles on the little girl's nose and then she giggled, splashing at Astrid who chuckled as well before noticing he had returned. As he watched he saw her lean towards the little girl and gesture in his direction-before Hanna turned and her face filled with excitement.

"DAD!" she yelled and jumped down, racing to him and hitting him at full speed. She was wearing a small pink pinafore with Rapunzel on it. Feeling his face stretch into a huge smile, he scooped her up in his arms and hugged her tightly.

"Hey, Princess! How was your day?" he asked her, seeing her grinning and happy.

"It was super awesome, Dad," Hanna said, her words tumbling out in her excitement. "Astrid picked me up and we walked back and then we did painting and watched Frozen and Astrid showed me how to cook and we made bread, Dad and you gotta have some of mine..." Looking up in amusement at his daughter's eagerness, he saw Astrid manage a wry smile and gesture to the baking tray resting on the counter. There were a number of neatly formed and beautifully risen bread rolls...and four rather smaller and misshapen ones. Hanna grinned proudly.

"Mmm. They look really tasty," Hiccup said as Hanna leaned close.

"I put extra cheese in them, Dad," she said conspiratorially. "I know you like cheese." Astrid winked.

"I made sure they are actually cooked," she added. "But they are probably very cheesy..." Chuckling, Hiccup put Hanna down.

"I've eaten worse," he admitted. "My room-mate in College was the worst cook ever. I mean, he managed to burn pot noodles, pot rice, pot pasta, minestrone, ramen...and tea."

"I guarantee I was worse," Astrid told him without shame. "I was completely devoid of any skill-I even gave the entire Year vomiting over Snoggletog with something I whipped up called 'Yak Nog' in Junior Year. What was I thinking? I think it contained raw yak milk, soured yoghurt, raw eggs, yak fat, blitzed bacon...I mean, I was forced to do cookery lessons throughout the rest of Junior Year and through Senior Year-and when I was in France, I kind of kept it up. You've got lamb mince ragu with pappardelle, mediterranean salad and freshly baked bread rolls. Hanna is really excited about the bread rolls."

"I'm really excited about the food," Hiccup admitted, heading to the table with his daughter in tow. "This smells amazing..." Smiling, she gave wiped her hands and swiftly poured out the pasta, then served up as Hiccup and Hanna sat waiting. And then they both gasped as they were served up. Astrid offered butter with the rolls and Hiccup grabbed one of the smaller 'Hanna' rolls, buttering it and taking a bite. It was rather chewy and incredibly cheesy-but very fresh and he hugged his excited daughter and thanked her before they started the meal.

It was indeed very good and Hiccup was amazed that his daughter eagerly polished off her food, despite it being something new to her. He suspected that Astrid had gotten her to taste it while it was being cooked and he found himself cleaning his plate as well. After dinner, Astrid nodded and he took Hanna to the living room, chatting to her about her day and reading with her while Astrid tidied up. And as she paused at the kitchen door, she saw him sitting with the little girl on her lap, hearing Hanna carefully read the story of Mr Happy. It was obvious to her that he loved his daughter and the way he interacted with her warmed her heart and made her even more determined to prevent the odious Gerda Jorgensen from separating the two. She shook her head and returned to the drying up. Why anyone would want to prise a little girl away from a loving and caring father when there were so many other families with much worse problems out there?

Hiccup allowed himself to be hauled upstairs for Hanna's bath and as she headed upstairs, she saw him kneeling by the bath, laughing and gently drying his daughter. She paused and felt a smile lift her lips at the girl's laugh and then she headed into her room to get some painkillers for her knee. The day had been a little more stressful than she had expected and her knee was aching fiercely-but she didn't want to let Hiccup down. She had already silently promised that she would do everything to protect the little family and a gimpy knee wasn't going to stop her. But she had barely swallowed the pills when she heard her name and she emerged swiftly, seeing Hanna standing outside her room in her pink pyjamas, holding her plush acid pink Teddy and smiling.

"Astrid-can you do my hair please?" she asked, looking up into the young woman's eyes. "Dad can't do my braids like Mommy could. His is always wonky. And your braid is awesome! Please?" Smiling, she crouched down and glanced over at Hiccup, who was tidying the bathroom. He looked up and gave a wry smile, nodding.

"Of course," she said and accepted the comb Hanna gave her. She sat back on her heels and smiled. "You know, I used to braid my little sister's hair. She always hated it and used to take her braids out as soon as she could, usually before we even finished walking to school. She's actually had her hair cut much shorter now..." But as she spoke, she efficiently but gently combed Hanna's fine hair and deftly made two small braids, fastening them with little bobble hair bands.

"Thank you," Hanna said brightly and then walked back to her father. "Daddy-can I have stories now?" Hiccup sighed.

"Honey-we already had a couple. Don't you want Astrid to do stories?" he checked but Hanna sagged, looking disappointed.

"Oh-kay..." she said and then looked up, big green eyes pleading. "But I haven't seen you so much today and I wanted the story where you do the funny voices..." Sweeping her into his arms, he swung her round and kissed her.

"You, young lady, know exactly how to twist your Dad round your little finger," he sighed as she looked at her hand and frowned.

"But my little finger is very little and you are very big, Dad," she protested as he walked her to her bedroom. "I don't see how that could happen?" Chuckling, Astrid headed downstairs as Hiccup tried to explain the old saying as he took her to bed. Finishing tidying up, she put Hanna's toys away and cleaned the kitchen before sitting on the couch and resting her head back.

"She really likes you," Hiccup said, making her start, for she hadn't heard him walk down the stairs. "She couldn't stop talking about you but she's happy that you're here." He smiled. "And I think she already thinks you're awesome."

"She thinks my braid is awesome," Astrid pointed out. "While yours is wonky?"

"Heather-my wife-used to do the hair things," he admitted, shrugging and glanced at the wedding photo on the bookshelf. Then he gestured at his messy auburn mop. "You can see my level of hair expertise..."

"I'm not trying to usurp your place or anything," she said swiftly. "I just tried to be a good Nanny...though not quite Mary Poppins..." He grimaced as he sat in the chair and shook his head.

"I am delighted," he admitted. "First that you took the job and second that you and Hanna have got on so well. Is the room okay?"

"It's beautiful," she said and then paused. "It was kind of strange in coming here at first but you have a lovely home." Giving a small sad smile, Hiccup's eyes drifted back to the photo.

"All Heather," he admitted. "I'm more of a mechanical, engineering guy. I fixed my car and rebuilt it from scrap...but put me in front of a bunch of cushions to choose and I'm hopeless."

"Not really a cushiony kind of girl," Astrid admitted. "My apartment in Lyon was fairly modern and minimal. My Mom was exasperated because she wanted to fill it with ornaments. And pictures of me. And my medals and trophies..." Hiccup smiled.

"Heather had very firm ideas on decor," Hiccup admitted. "I'm a bit more messy but I try really hard so that no one can criticise the place. When Mom was alive, she was kind of like me and she and Heather did clash when she came over...I believe they had a stand up row over a porcelain dragon ornament when Heather was expecting. Heather wanted them placed strategically around the room while Mom wanted the ornament grouped with the others all in one place by dragon class..." Astrid started chuckling.

"Oh Thor, that is really weird..." she commented.

"Mom was a Veterinarian and herpetologist," Hiccup explained. "She loved dragons-even the extinct ones. She always believed there were a few of the smaller ones still out there in the wild, cold places up north...but she never got round to that expedition she had always planned. When she and Dad died in that car wreck, it was just Heather and me. And now, it's just me and Hanna." Sitting up straighter, Astrid inspected him. His emerald eyes were glittering with memory and there was a small smile on his lips.

"Would you like a cup of tea?" He nodded and she swiftly got up and made him one as he clasped his hands and looked into the fire, glancing up and thanking her genuinely as she handed him his cup. She settled carefully onto the couch, her good leg folded under her and bad knee stretched out. "That's better." He smiled.

"Are you okay?" he asked and she nodded.

"It just aches sometimes," she admitted. "I'll be fine once I've rested. Don't worry-I won't let you down." His eyes widened.

"I never thought you would," he reassured her. "I mean, I did look you up after you accepted the post. Wow. I mean wow. Everything I could find said how determined and reliable you were. Are." Glancing up and seeing him looking a little flustered, she chewed her lip.

"I try," she admitted. "I'm the oldest of three kids so I've always been asked to help look after my brother and sister. And I was always taught you should always keep your word and always finish what you started."

"Except your knee was injured," Hiccup murmured. She nodded, sipping her tea.

"I briefly considered going into coaching and doing my coaching badges at Lyon," she revealed. "And they did offer. It would have meant all those years playing and dedicating myself to the game wouldn't have been completely wasted...but in the end, it was just too painful. I mean, I would have been there, seeing girls I played with, girls who couldn't get into the team because I was there and who weren't as good as me, still enjoying what had been taken from me. And I didn't want to resent them and feel bitter because it hadn't been their fault. So I left the career I loved for the other career I had wanted to do. And I vowed never to regret my decision...because I believe that everything happens for a reason. And we may not understand what that reason is or why we have to lose what we love to meet the Gods' purpose, but I hope that one day, I will learn why things happened the way they did."

Hiccup stared at her and then he sighed.

"Wow," he murmured. She gave a self-conscious smile.

"I know-it sounds incredibly weird and pretty simple-minded," she admitted. "But I spent all those hours in the hospital or at home, lying there in pain, struggling on crutches or toiling through rehab and I knew I could either accept that things had happened and that somehow, the Gods knew why...or I could be miserable and bitter and angry at everything. And for a while I was pretty miserable and angry...but I realised it didn't help. It just made me feel worse and not be the person I always had been. And once I realised that, I knew I didn't want to lose myself as well as my career. So I accepted that the injury had happened and looked forward, not back."

Hiccup sighed.

"I wish I could," he mumbled. "But Heather...I just had no warning. And suddenly I had lost the love of my life and was left with a three year old and no family to help."

"Except the family you choose for yourself," she reminded him. "Ruffnut seems a pretty good and loyal friend. And Fishlegs..." Nodding absently, he sipped his tea.

"We all went to school together, here in Berk," he explained. "And we have been friends all through. They have all been awesome in helping with Hanna since Heather died." Sipping her tea, Astrid inspected him, hearing the sadness in his voice as the memories of the times they had all been together swirled around the young man. She sighed.

"Can I ask you something?" she asked.

"Ask away," he said, the wistful tone in his voice reminding her that he was still grieving but was putting the best face on it that he could. She paused and tried-and failed-to find a gentle way to put it.

"Is there an issue with social services?" she asked. Hiccup's eyes widened and he paled.

"What?" he breathed and she frowned: he looked terrified.

"A social worker came round today," she revealed carefully. "She seems...rather prejudiced against you. Is there a reason I need to know about?" Maybe something your friends may inadvertently have done?

"No no no no no..." he said urgently. "No, I have never missed anything. But when Heather died, she was assigned and she doesn't believe a man is a suitable person to raise a young girl...no matter that I jump through every hoop. She seems determined to take Hanna away from me..." There was a hint of desperation in his voice.

"Why?" Astrid asked. Wretchedly, Hiccup ran his fingers through his hair, leaving it wild.

"She's a Jorgensen...so she must be related to me somehow," he admitted. "I have no idea why she's fixated on me but somehow...I think she saw her chance to target me to get at Mom or Dad." Then he gave a weary shrug. "Shame they're both dead so they can't tell me what the problem is or where she fits into the family..." Calming his breathing consciously, he looked at her. "Why-why do you ask?"

"She came round this afternoon...shortly after I walked Hanna back from school," Astrid revealed carefully. "She must have been watching to try to find something to criticise-which is pretty creepy and makes you wonder what else she is supposed to be doing. And she exceeded her authority. She asked to speak to Hanna-and I gave her permission as long as she left when Hanna asked her to." She chuckled. "She gave it to her both barrels, Hiccup. She called her mean and rude and asked her to go. I wanted to cheer her-because she saw right through her."

"She was here?"

"And there was nothing she could complain about," Astrid reassured him. "I pointed out that I am qualified and registered and I reminded her that she needs a reason to come in and that she can only enter with permission."

"If I refused her, she would use it as a reason to say I was hiding something," Hiccup said gloomily.

"Now, I am here and I will make sure that she leaves you alone," Astrid said. He sighed.

"Thanks," he sighed. "But I guess she won't give up either."

"Neither will I," she promised him. "I am here for you both-you know that?" His eyes widened. "And not in a Brandy-the-blonde-golddigger way either. You seem like a good guy, Hiccup. And Hanna is definitely a very sweet little girl. You do not want to see me go Mamma Dragon on anyone trying to harm you...but it will happen if necessary." His eyes widened.

"Are you sure you aren't related to Bertha?" he asked warily. She scowled at him.

"Nowhere near hairy enough!" she retorted. "And I am definitely not an insane dictator!" Smirking, he nodded.

"I hope not," he said. "Because it's Saturday tomorrow and my friends are coming round...so you can get to meet them in person." Sitting back, Astrid finished her tea.

"At least I'll know Ruff," she sighed. "This is going to be interesting..."