"Mommy? Why does Hiccup have a metal leg?"

Astrid stared at her daughter as the clatter of the skillet hitting the stove echoed through the main room. Instinctively, her head snapped round-to see the man staring at her, green eyes huge with utter horror, his face ashen and shoulders beginning to heave with ragged breaths. He was already shaking his head, backing up a step.

"No, he doesn't, baby," she said firmly, turning back to her daughter. Emma's face folded into a scowl that Astrid recognised from the mirror and she flicked her small braid as she glared.

"Yes, he does!" she insisted. "I saw his leg leaning against his bed when I went to the bathroom." Then she slid from her chair and raced inexorably towards Hiccup, who was backing away, shaking his head and raising his hands to fend off the girl. But completely oblivious, Emma ran up to the man and banged her hands against his left leg below the knee. "There-metal!" she said triumphantly.

"Come back here!" Astrid told her smartly and the girl turned around, scooting back to the table and returning to her cereal. Big blue eyes looked unashamedly at her mother.

"Why does he have a metal leg?" she insisted. Astrid swallowed, willing herself not to look at Hiccup and concentrate on her inquisitive and stubborn daughter. She forced herself to smile.

"Hiccup was involved in an accident," she said truthfully. "His leg was very poorly and the clever doctors had to make it better by giving him a metal leg."

The girl scowled, munching her cereal.

"Does that mean when I have accidents, my leg will fall off as well?" Emma asked her thoughtfully. Astrid's azure eyes widened and she covered her mouth, trying desperately not to laugh.

"Oh, baby-no, not that type of accident," she said urgently. "No, this was a car accident where a very bad man in a truck ran into Hiccup's car." Emma frowned and then nodded.

"Okay," she said acceptingly and turned back to her cereal. Only then did she look up at the man-to see him standing staring at her, his body shaking and tears sliding down his face, dripping from his chin. She rose and walked towards him and he backed away, shaking his head and throwing his arm across his face.

"Hiccup?" she asked as he backed away further until he hit the wall.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. She advanced, her heart breaking a little at his misery and realisation settled on her.

"This is why she left you, isn't it?" she said. A tiny, shamed nod was followed by a sigh.

"Um...she said that I wasn't a man any more when I lost my leg," he mumbled. "That I wasn't really a human...and I was useless and worthless to her. That my stupidity caused her to get hurt and I should have listened to her and left earlier so it was my fault and I...I'm sorry..." He cringed back-as she closed and wrapped her strong arms around him, pulling his shaking body against hers. He resisted for almost a second before pressing hard against her, his face burrowing into her shoulder, his arms winding around her.

"It's okay," she soothed him gently.

"Please don't leave me," he whimpered into her shoulder and her hand slid up to gentle his hair.

"Shh, shh," she soothed him softly. "You mutton-head! Why would I ever leave you? You're my friend-the kindest, sweetest guy I ever met."

"She did," he mumbled. "All our friends did." Her hug tightened.

"I'm not going to leave you," she insisted.

"But-but she said I repulsed her," he murmured, his voice thick with misery. "That I made her sick just to look at me..." She nuzzled against his soft auburn hair, feeling him shuddering and realised how badly he had been hurt: struggling with the aftermath of the horrific crash that had put him in intensive care and lost him his leg and wracked by PTSD, the cruel and inexplicable rejection of his fiancee had shattered his self-confidence and left him alone to deal with the consequences. Without thinking, her lips brushed against his head and she sighed.

"This was why you limp?" she murmured.

"Yeah..." he mumbled awkwardly. "Still healing...and haven't really attended any physical therapy since I got home." She paused, remembering he wouldn't go in a car and almost certainly wasn't able to walk to the hospital. She sighed and dragged him back to the table, still swiping the tears from his face.

"You...you..." she began, her brows dipping in concern.

"Mutton-head?" he suggested, lifting his shining emerald eyes. She nodded.

"Precisely!" she told him and sighed. "Why didn't you tell me?" He palmed his cheeks dry and his head dropped.

"Because I didn't want to lose you," he admitted. "Ana found the fact I have only one leg so repulsive that she dumped me the moment I woke up-without even giving me a chance to explain." Her heart jolted a little more in sympathy for his plight and the pain in his voice.

"Hiccup-I'm not losing you," she promised, her voice sincere. "It doesn't matter how many legs you have: it matters what sort of person you are. And you are so kind, so generous-I mean, you took Emma and I in without hesitation; you got a lawyer and contacted the police and took out the restraining order against Dagur." He blushed.

"Well, you're my friend," he mumbled. "And what sort of friend would I be if I left you scared and homeless when I could possibly help?"

She blinked, her eyes suspiciously bright.

"Damn that Ana," she said thickly. "How could she possibly leave you like that if she really loved you? If you love someone, you love all of them, no matter whether things are good or bad..." His hand found hers and squeezed as he shuddered with a sigh.

"You know, I've been thinking about that ever since she dumped me," he admitted heavily. "And the only conclusion I can come to is-she never did. Not really." He closed his eyes. "And that makes me feel so absolutely worthless..." Astrid tightened her hand around his but another hand grasped his other hand-a small soft grip that had him peering curiously down into a pair of round blue eyes as Emma held his hand tightly.

"Don't be sad," she said. "I'm sorry. I didn't know your metal leg was a secret..."

"It's okay." he said despondently. She scrambled into his lap.

"No, sorry," she said firmly and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Mommy will be your friend and so will I. Will that make everything alright?" He cautiously wrapped one arm around her and gave her a gentle squeeze.

"Yes, it will," he said gently, forcing a smile onto his face. "Thanks, Emma. Thank you, Astrid." She wrapped her arms around her friend and her daughter and hugged them both.

"You have us both, you idiot," she whispered. "We're your friends and we're here if you need us!" He nodded wearily.

"You-you don't know how much that means to me," he mumbled. She pulled back and smiled, her daughter still determinedly hugging him.

"Y'know, I think I can guess," she admitted. "And we're going to have to do something about your therapy sessions..." He stared at her as she frowned at him. "Look, even I can see you need your physical therapy sessions and I know you didn't attend any psychologist appointments for your PTSD either." He shook his head.

"You know I couldn't get there," he admitted, feeling Emma settle to sit comfortably in his lap.  Astrid sipped her coffee and shrugged.

"Well you have me now!" she told him firmly. "I seem to recall telling you to organise those appointments a couple of days ago. So either you ring up and reschedule those appointments so I can take you..."

"Or-let me guess-you will," he finished wryly. She smiled.

"You see? We're on the same page now!" she told him smugly.

"Yes, Mom," he replied sarcastically, the words reminding her of the Hiccup she knew before the crash. "Thor-why do I feel so whipped?"

"You don't mess with a Hofferson!" she told him smugly and he sighed.

"I'm learning that," he admitted, then smiled. "And I'm grateful for it too." He paused. "You are the only ones who know about...the leg. Except Ana but she kind of dumped me so she doesn't count..."

"You know, that's the first time you've said that about her," Astrid noted quietly. He stared at her then nodded.

"I guess I must be listening to you," he admitted with a shy smile.

"Now all you have to do is believe it," she said.

oOo

Emma was watching cartoons on the TV as Hiccup sat on the couch, talking to Hoark. Astrid had scooched at his side, leaning close and listening in to the conversation. The proximity of Astrid and the warmth of her body pressed against his had caused a light blush on his pale cheeks and he could feel his gear fluttering in his chest as he struggled to concentrate. The lawyer had executed the Restraining Order against Dagur via his parents where Eret Eretson, the PI Hoark always used, had said he could be found. And though his parents had lied to the officers of the court, Hoark was there and they had been confronted with the evidence their son was there and had reluctantly called him.

He had sworn and threatened the lawyer and the officers-but as they had called the Police for the visit, he had backed down and just claimed to be upset at being denied the chance to see the daughter he loved. Hoark had smiled and pointed out Dagur and his parents had denied any connection with the child, taken a restraining order out against Astrid and been absent for  years. With a lot of cursing, Dagur and this parents had sworn to get access and the lawyer had listened to their allegations, already planning his strategy to defeat them.

"Good work," Hiccup said as calmly as he could manage to the lawyer and Hoark had promise this update the following day as agreed. Then the auburn-haired man had turned to Astrid.

"At least he and his parents are aware there is an order now," he sighed. "I guess he won't give up that easily-but I would trust Hoark with my life..." Astrid smiled, her azure gaze flicking over his thoughtful expression.

"Problems?" she asked and he sighed, switching to the dating site on his laptop.

"missberserk has emailed me three times asking when we can go on our date," he sighed. "She was the black-haired girl with grey-green eyes who described herself as 'intelligence, cool, determined and inventive'." He sighed. "I can tell her that I'm off the market, Astrid. I mean-who would take care of Emma?" He paused. "I could go on my own," he added more reluctantly.

Her eyes flicked up to inspect his face and saw him looking less than enthusiastic. A part of her wanted him to stop seeing the dates and stay with her...but her sanity kicked her hard and reminded her that Hiccup was kind and generous but he needed someone who didn't come with a child, a psychotic ex- and no prospects. She forced herself to smile.

"No way," she told him. "Honestly, Hiccup-the last two times I let you out of my sight on a date, you ended up shoplifting and totally wasted!" He had the grace to give an embarrassed smile.

"Um...I suppose my reputation for effortlessly consuming manly volumes of alcohol is dead and buried?" he asked.

"Burnt on a traditional Viking pyre, mutton-head," she teased him and he gave a small laugh.

"Okay-so lightweight on alcohol, down a leg and messed up in the head," he sighed. "I really don't know why..."

"Hiccup-if you question why I like you...I'll steal your leg!" she threatened.

"You wouldn't do that to a one-legged man would you?" he asked her, his tone teasing but a hint  of wariness still in his eyes. She lunged forward and pecked a kiss on his cheek.

"Where does she want to meet you?" she asked, smirking at his wide-eyed look.

"Oh Thor..." he read. "Berk Ice Rink..." He looked up. "I don't suppose she wants to go there for the coffee?"

"Let me think...no!" Astrid giggled and then controlled herself as she saw the distress in his eyes. She gently caught his arm, her azure gaze smiling. "You could tell her about your leg," she murmured and he shook his head bitterly.

"Yeah-I can see how that will go," he sighed. "Hi Nightfury29. What-you've got a metal leg? Oh-look at the time. Bye!" She sighed: she understood his reasons for not telling his dates about his disability but she knew it was just making more problems for him. Especially as the dates all seemed to be hell-bent on very active dates.

"Maybe you can just tell her your leg was hurt in a car accident and you can't go skating?" she suggested. "That's the truth and it doesn't give anything away..." He sagged and looked defeated.

"You know I'll chicken out and just go along with it," he sighed. She stared worriedly into his face.

"Hiccup-you can't skate on your prosthesis," she told him. "It will be a disaster..." And he managed a wan smile.

"Hey, that is something I can do. Disaster King?" he reminded her. She swatted his shoulder and leaned close, smirking.

"Hiccup, I'll think of something to stop you breaking your neck..." she promised.

"Oh please..."

"Could you BE QUIET!" Emma said crossly, hugging her bear. "Pascal can't hear the TV!" The two adults shared a glance and burst into laughter at her very disapproving tone. And then Astrid stared at her daughter, an idea forming.

"Emma, baby?" she suggested as Hiccup frowned in concern at her suddenly smug expression. "D'you wanna go ice-skating?"