"Forty-seven?" Hiccup gasped. "Forty seven people replied to my advert?"

"You owe me a coffee," Astrid smirked smugly,

"I never promised a coffee for that!" he protested.

"Cheap..." she teased him and he sighed.

"Okay, you win. One coffee," he conceded. She tossed her braid over her shoulder and came round to sit by him. His eyes widened but he scooched up on the seat and she slid in next to him. He flipped open his laptop and logged on.

NIGHTFURY29
Male
Age: 22
Hair: Auburn
Eyes: Green
Height: 6' 1"
Build: Slim
Senior Year College studying engineering. Enjoys drawing, painting, walking, eating out.

He winced at the description, not because it was unflattering (and he had stubbornly refused to let Astrid put a picture up under any circumstances) but because it sounded so pathetic. Astrid had taken some serious artistic license with his details, especially the fact he walked everywhere, making it a virtue not a necessity. But in his mind, he was cringing because he was an adult and the only way he could get a date was by advertising online.

"Let's have a look at your potential dates," she murmured and he managed a wan smile. He was feeling really awkward with her being mere inches away from him but she wasn't recoiling as Ana had...but then Astrid didn't know. And he would do everything in his power to keep it that way, because he wasn't sure what he would do if he lost her.

"Okay," he said and clicked on the first one. Both he and Astrid stared and the girl burst out laughing at the wrinkled, grey-haired scowl that glared back.

"Gothi!" she giggled. Hiccup gaped.

"Please tell me she's not 20-25 years old!" he moaned. She lightly punched his shoulder.

"Nah, mutton-head, she's ninety at least!" she told him. "And the venerable town Elder. But she clicks on every profile no matter what the criteria. Hel, she clicked on mine when I was looking and I stated males only." She leaned closer. "And rumour is she's never gotten a response!"

"Oh, thank Thor!" he sighed. "Um, am I allowed to reject her?"

"Hiccup, I will punch you if you don't!" she told him bluntly and he sagged in relief, erased the intimidating visage. "Next!"

They looked through four more, two of whom seemed possible but when the fifth opened, Hiccup froze. Ana's smile looked back at him for a long moment before he snapped the laptop closed and bowed his head.

"I can't do this," he murmured. "Gods, what was I thinking? I'll never find anyone..."

Astrid arm wrapped around him in an awkward side-hug and she sighed. "I know it's hard, Hiccup and I know it hurts but I'm not letting up until you believe you deserve happiness! So now we know she doesn't have anyone else either and she liked the look if your profile-as did 45 other people, not counting Gothi!"

"Hmm, isn't it illegal not to count the venerable town Elder?" he mumbled.

"Probably, but what can they do?" she smiled. "Make me work an antisocial job on minimum wage and declare me undateable...? Oh, wait...too late..." His arm wound around her shoulders in a comforting hug as well.

"Join the club!" he sighed then took a breath and opened the laptop. He deleted Ana's reply. "There goes nothing..."

oOo

Astrid arrived at the nursery after work to collect Emma. They had honed the replies down to a shortlist of ten with two reserves and she had gotten Hiccup to arrange his first date before he left. He had agreed-on one condition.

"You have to take me and be my wingman," he told her. She gaped.

"You are joking, aren't you?" she had spluttered. "You can't turn up to a blind date with a female friend in tow!" He had stared at her.

"If you don't take me, I won't turn up at all," he told her stubbornly. "I can't walk back four miles through a freezing Berk night and I can't get a taxi. The only person I trust to drive me-is you."

She stared through the windshield and sighed. His declaration had winded her as she realised how much he trusted her. Finally she had conceded.

"I'll need a sitter for Emma," she had pointed out.

"And I'll pay for that and your gas," he had said quietly. "Please, Astrid.."

"Fine. But I get to check what you wear. If I'm your wingman, I'm not letting you out looking like a poor student!" His wry smile had warmed something in her chest.

"So I look like a poor student?"

"Really poor," she smiled.

She blinked and opened the door, walking into the 'Little Vikings' Nursery, nodding to Saskia, the play-leader and dropping to a crouch to be hit by an eager child. Emma's blue eyes were sparkling, her blonde hair escaping wispily from her little braid and she hugged Astrid.

"Mommy! We had such fun today! We painted our favourite day out and I did that day we went to the park!" Astrid smiled, seeing a smudge of green paint on her daughter's cheek.

"Thanks for keeping her," she said, helping Emma into her pink anorak and zipping it up.

"Really, she's no trouble," Saskia said, grinning. "She chatters all the time. She really is a happy little girl!" Astrid pulled her daughter's hood up.

"She's my angel," she sighed. "I'd do anything for her." Then she caught Emma's hand. "Ready, baby?" The little girl grabbed her pink backpack.

"Yes, Mommy," she said solemnly and bounced alongside her mother, jumping in the patches of snow and then pausing. "I saw a funny man today," she said thoughtfully, as she was lifted into the car. "He had orange hair and green eyes. He waved to me and smiled. But when I looked again, he was gone." Astrid stared at her daughter, then strapped her firmly into the booster seat.

"Just remember-no talking to strangers," she warned the little girl and Emma grinned.

"Silly Mommy," she said. "I know that!" Astrid sighed and climbed into the driver's seat.

"I know you do, baby," she sighed, having told her daughter whenever they left the home-but knowing an excitable three year old would be very poor at remembering the crucial lesson. "Okay-so what do we want for dinner?"

oOo

The day of the first date arrived and Astrid pulled up outside Hiccup's apartment, switching off the engine and walking confidently to the door. He didn't answer when she knocked so she rapped harder. Stamping her feet against the cold, she thumped the wood again...and he finally opened the door. He looked exactly the same as usual-except more anxious. Azure eyes flicked up and down the tall, lean shape, draped in a loose green tunic, green training top, baggy jeans and trainers and the young woman scowled at the uninspiring sight.

"You're not going out like that!" Astrid snapped. He backed up a pace at her stern judgement and shrugged.

"What-what's wrong?" he protested, gesturing to his lanky shape. She grabbed his arm and stomped into the apartment, slamming the door.

"Bedroom-now!" she snapped. "I need to see what's in your wardrobe..." His eyes widened in shock and he shook his head.

"No, you're not..." he protested. She dodged past him and sped through the main living area towards the doors at the back with Hiccup literally running after her. He managed to throw himself across the doorway to his bedroom and block her, shaking his head.

"Hiccup," Astrid said with forced patience, "I need to see what you have so I can get you looking good for your date." He took a quick breath.

"I'm not going to get away without this, am I?" he asked her. She shook her head, her eyes determined and he sagged. "Just-just give me a minute to tidy up-please?" His eyes pleaded with her and she nodded as he scooted through the door and frantically shoved items under the bed and tossed the quilt over the rumpled bed. Breathing hard, he opened the door.

Astrid walked in-to a room larger than her own living room, the double bed laden with a large green quilt, dark wood bedroom furniture placed against the edges of the room and a deep red rug covering almost all the floor. She gave him a small smile and headed directly for the wardrobe, quietly opening the doors and staring at the clothes hanging there. She paused, then grabbed a rust red shirt, black skinny jeans, a pair of black boots and a copper tie. She handed them to the frozen Hiccup, his eyes wide with worry.

"Hiccup-get changed," she said determinedly. He stared at the outfit she had chosen: all in all, it wasn't bad.

"Could you wait outside?" he asked her quietly. "Um-self-conscious here..." She smiled and briefly rested a hand on his hunched shoulder.

"You'll look great," she said and calmly walked out. She heard the door shut and the lock click and she sighed. Emma was with her Mom for a sleep-over and she knew she had all night but she was impatient. She couldn't understand herself why it meant so much to her to see Hiccup matched up with someone else, to get him to a date-but as she sank into the same seat at the dining table she had sat last time, she sighed. Because he looks so lonely, so broken by Ana's rejection, she reminded herself. And he deserves to be happy. He deserves someone. And though I can't find someone who isn't a total asshole, he deserves a girlfriend who wants him for him and sees what a nice guy he is.

And then the door opened and she stared as Hiccup self-consciously limped out, an embarrassed expression on his face. "Ta-dah?" he said, gesturing to his shape. Unable to stop herself, she burst out laughing and he looked alarmed. "Oh Gods, it's terrible!" he assumed. She shook her head, still giggling.

"No-you look fantastic!" she told him. And he did: the deep rust highlighted his deep auburn hair and sparkling emerald eyes, contrasting with his pale complexion. The skinny jeans and skinny cut shirt highlighted his lean shape and though his hair had been tamed somewhat, it still framed his handsome, sharp-jawed face. He gave a slightly goofy smile and dipped his head in acknowledgement of the compliment, something he clearly didn't receive enough of.

"Thank you, Milady," he said gently and pulled his shoulders back, standing up straighter. He grabbed his jacket and reached for his bag but she shook her head. "No?"

"Hiccup-you don't go to an evening date with a messenger bag!" she told him tartly. He nodded.

"Sorry," he murmured.

"How did you meet Ana anyway?" she asked him pointedly.

"College," he mumbled, staring at his bag but she was up, walking to his side and grasping his hand gently. "Um...she kind of came onto me when I was in the canteen talking with Fish and I did everything I could to make her happy and just...be with her, because she was so beautiful and so kind and caring." He swallowed. "But not enough to want me when I was damaged. She was pretty demanding once I asked her to wed. She had very exact ideas what she wanted for the wedding-and she wanted me to move and buy her a bigger house and..." He threw his arms hopelessly. "It's gone now anyway." But Astrid caught his hands and stared into his face.

"Hiccup-this is a new chapter," she told him softly. "You write your own future. And I will help you get your happy ending." He pulled his coat on and offered her his arm.

"Okay," he said seriously. "I can do this... Lead on, Milady. How bad can it be?"