Well…we've come to the last chapter of "It Was Always You". It's been fun. I hope you all have enjoyed reading this as much as I've enjoyed writing this. If you enjoyed this story, you'd probably like my other HTTYD stories. Feel free to check them out!

Review Replies:

Midnight' Dragon Conqueror: You're very welcome! I like the idea of Hiccup having a baby boy and then a baby girl, so I tend to use that idea in all stories involving Hiccstrid babies.

Hiccstrid4eva: Thank you! I actually hadn't thought about a name (one of the reasons why I ended the chapter before they named him). Any thoughts? Haha.

It Was Always You
The Fifth Realization

As Astrid had promised, she was there for Hiccup through all the ups and downs of parenting. Hiccup was there for Astrid through it all as well. That turned out to be a good thing too, because, as it ended up, Hiccup's and Astrid's son was just like his father in so many ways. It was hard at times, but Hiccup wouldn't trade his life for anything. He had the woman of his dreams and he loved her and his son above everything else in the world…except maybe Toothless…but only sometimes.

Hiccup's only regret was that he could not always be there with Astrid to raise their son. He had a duty not only to his family, but to his village as well. Being chief kept him busy during the day and occasionally took him away from Berk for days—weeks—at a time. Whenever he could, though, Hiccup always made time for his son; he knew how it felt to be ignored by his father and he never wanted to son to ever feel the way he once had.

The first years were hard as their son woke them up many times throughout the night to be fed or changed. Astrid, knowing that Hiccup would be busy out in the village, would often be the one to get up and take care of their son's needs. Hiccup always felt bad that he didn't help out more, but Astrid never complained. It was during these years, that Hiccup again questioned why he'd ever wanted an heir in the first place. Taking care of the boy was so much work and Hiccup was constantly tired. He loved his son, but he did miss sleeping peacefully at night. Even Toothless had taken to sleeping out in the stables each night. Lucky dragon.

Hiccup had been overcome with frustration one afternoon when Valka had come to him. She had come to give him motherly advice, for which he was grateful; Hiccup's mother always seemed to know just what to say and when to say it. More than once, Hiccup wished he could be more like her in that respect. Her advice on this day, though, had taken him by surprise. Valka told Hiccup to cherish every moment with his son for the time would go by quickly, too quickly. "This," she had told him that day, "I know from personal experience, as I'm sure you well know, Son." He had questioned, wondering if her advice extended to the interrupted sleep and the crying that (sometimes) seemed endless.

It had. From then on, Hiccup learned to cherish the small moments, live for them. He found happiness in the early-morning cries of his son and the young Viking's fussiness as his first teeth came in—it all brought a sad smile to Hiccup's face. His mother had been right; time was moving way too fast. Before Hiccup could even comprehend where the time had gone, he had grown older and found it time to start thinking about passing on the title of Chief. Over the years, Hiccup had watched his son mature just as he, himself, had done many years ago when the realization came over him of whose shoes he would soon have to fill.

The day came too soon when Hiccup confidently handled his title down to his son, the newly-designated Chief Ingvar of Berk. Everyone had expected this day to come, but they still praised their aging out-going Chief and his family.

It was not long after Hiccup's and Astrid's firstborn son took over as Chief that things began to go downhill. Winter draped Berk again and Astrid Haddock fell ill with sickness. The sickness left the former Chief's wife bedridden for weeks, stealing all of the strength she needed to make it through the day. Hiccup stayed by her side, refusing to leave for any reason, clutching her hand as she fought against the unseen attacker that plagued her.

Vikings did not live to be very old, Everyone on Berk knew that. Living more than thirty years was considered good. To make it to fifty years was excellent. Living beyond fifty years was a feat to be praised for (even despite having little control over such a fate). By this time, Hiccup and Astrid were both approaching seventy and were both honored as elders of Berk.

The price of living to be an elder of Berk, though, took its toll on Astrid; her fight against the sickness was less successful than it would've been many years earlier. No one wanted to admit or think on the truth, but everyone knew the result. Even though the healer stopped by two times each day with medicines prepared with the strongest herbs known to Berk, their strength was just not powerful enough to vanquish the sickness from Astrid's age-weakened body.

As time passed, the sickness took more and more from Astrid. First, it took her strength and mobility, then her voice. Hiccup knew (but tried his hardest not to think about) what the sickness would take last.

Though he knew it was coming, the day still took Hiccup by surprise when it arrived. It felt so sudden, but, at the same time, so expected. He was clutching Astrid's pale hand while talking softly to her, reminiscing their younger days in his croaked, aged voice. As he spoke, Hiccup thought he caught a small movement on Astrid's face, the slightest smile in reaction to his words.

"It was always you, Astrid. From the moment, you stood in front of our tribe and told me that you would love me forever, I knew that you would be the one and only woman I would ever love, that this love we shared would be one to last throughout our entire lifetime. You were the strongest and most beautiful woman I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. From the first moment I saw you, Astrid, I knew that you were special…and I knew that I loved you…even if I might not have known what that feeling was called until much later in life."

Pausing, his hitched breaths catching at the memories of their youth, Hiccup looked to Astrid. Though she was weak and silent, Hiccup could see the recognition and admiration shining in her aged eyes. Trust Astrid to appear as outwardly strong as possible…even now, moments away from the end of her life on Berk.

"You were always there for me. In my younger days of reckless stunts and half-planned decisions, you stood by me, directed me to the right path. You were always ready to scold me for my stupidity. I was careless and that's why—" Hiccup paused again as he felt Astrid's hand go limp in his own. As he was speaking, he had not even noticed when Astrid's eyes had drifted shut for the final time. Laying his head down on Astrid's still chest, he felt not the familiar beating from within which would signal the presence of life. She was gone. The tears Hiccup had been holding back began to fall as he (though knowing Astrid would not hear it) finished his thought, "—I always thought I would be the first out of the two of us to make it to Valhalla."

Well, there you have it, Friends. Hiccup's story of realizations about Astrid has reached its end. It's been a great five chapters and I hope that you all enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.

If you'd like more Hiccstrid stories from yours truly, you can check out my ongoing HTTYD stories: "Angel", "Europe Skies (Something Different)", "Gotta Be Somebody", "More Than Words" (this one is on hiatus for now, though), "Roommates", "So Cold", "Songs of Our Lives", "Spooked", "Tale of an Unlucky Hero", "The Eleventh Plague", "There For You", "Try To Be Brave", "Wheel in the Sky", and "Your Own Personal Savior". Those are all the active HTTYD stories I am writing at this time.

If you're interested in my stories and want to know what's to be updated next, be sure to keep a watch on my profile!

Well, that's all for now. Hope you all enjoy my other How To Train Your Dragon stories!

Posted: October 30, 2014