Hello friends! Welcome to my first ever AU story! Set in modern times of course, this story is going to be funny and cute and painful and fluffy. It's going to be cross-posted on my Tumblr (how2trainyourfangirl) and my AO3 (Dragon_Princess). Unlike Puzzle Pieces or Fractured Family, I'll be taking direct ideas from my readers and putting them in here but ONLY ON MY TUMBLR PLEASE! I hope you will enjoy this as much as I've enjoyed creating the world for it.

Laila was a smart little girl. She knew her whole name and address and her daddy's name and she knew her mommy left when she was just a baby and she knew how to do an almost cartwheel and she knew how to count without using her fingers and she knew the alphabet and how to get Toothless to sit.

She also knew she was currently lost.

It was really, really busy in the mall. Way too busy. There were lots of people.

She and her daddy had come to the mall that Saturday for a couple of reasons. They had to get Toothless a new leash and she needed a new sweater because hers was too small and they were going to get Nana a birthday present, too. Also, they would probably get ice cream.

But she hadn't been planning on getting separated from her daddy after the pet store. His cell phone had rung and he dropped her hand to answer it and she had turned around to look at the parrot that squeaked for just a second and when she turned back around, her Daddy was gone. And there was a whole bunch of people and she didn't see him at all.

And she started to worry. What if he left her there all by herself? She had to find him.

But how? She was only five. And Grandpa said she was a shy little thing.

And everyone was moving so fast. No one was going to listen to her.

Except... for maybe the blonde lady on a bench not too far away. She was sitting and she wasn't talking on her phone, but she was tapping at it. Maybe she'd help her.

She absolutely knew she wasn't supposed to talk to strangers, but she didn't see any policemen or anything. So she decided to take her chances.

She timed it so she wouldn't run into anyone and she darted to the end of the lady's bench. She looked kind of angry. But Laila decided to try anyway.

"Um, excuse me?" Laila said quietly.

Astrid looked up from her phone and saw a little girl looking at her. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. As a general rule, she didn't really associate with children. They were grubby and loud and generally irritating. She had more important things to do than to talk to or have children.

When the girl didn't say any thing else, she went back to her email. But she could feel the little creature's eyes on her, so she looked back up. "What do you want?"

The girl looked beyond terrified. "I-I can't find my daddy."

"Okay...?" Hopefully Ruff would show up soon and save her from this situation. What was she supposed to do with a lost kid?

"Can you help me find him?"

Astrid sighed. Out of everyone in this place, she would have to get stuck with this. "Listen kid, I can't help you. There's-there's a cop down there..." she waved her hand towards the food court. "Go ask him for help. I'm waiting for someone."

Astrid turned back to her phone once again. She wasn't expecting the kid to start crying.

Astrid did roll her eyes at that, but she put her phone away. People were giving her nasty looks as they passed. The last thing she needed was this little brat to cause a scene and drag her into it.

"Hey, no, don't-don't do that. Stop crying, kid. It's- it'll be okay." She was really floundering. She was an expert on persuasion, she had to be to be a lawyer, but apparently it didn't work on kids. That and she was completely clueless.

Thankfully, the girl did stop being so loud about it. She sniffled loudly, though. And she was in need of a tissue.

Astrid dug through her purse and handed it to the girl, who wiped her nose. "Alright, what's your name?" She supposed she was stuck with the little munchkin and her issue.

"Laila," the girl replied quietly. "What's your name?"

"Astrid,"

"That's pretty,"

"Thanks," Astrid sighed. "What's your dad's name?"

"Um, Henry."

"Do you know his phone number?"

Laila shook her head sadly. "He just got a new one. But there's a seven in it."

"That doesn't help. Let's... get you to the information booth. They deal with lost kids." Right?

"Okay,"

Astrid stood up and took the girl's hand (specifically the one that didn't touch her snotty nose) so she wouldn't loose the already lost girl. That would be worse.

Thankfully, she knew where the information booth was.

She and Laila weaved through the crowd all the way to the middle of the mall toward the little kiosk where a bored lady usually sat at a computer surrounded by little booklets and gift cards to sell that hardly anyone touched.

They were about twenty feet away when the crowd thinned out enough to see more than the top of the booth.

There was a auburn haired man at the booth, looking frantic and beyond anxious.

Laila wrenched her hand from Astrid's and ran towards the man. "Daddy!"

The man whipped around, a look of relief on his face. He scooped up the little girl. "Oh my God, Laila." He squeezed the girl a little too right and kissed her hair. "You're alright. I was so worried. I'm sorry, Princess, I thought you were behind me. I'm so sorry."

Laila wrapped her arms around her father's neck. "It's okay, Daddy. I'm okay."

"I know." he kissed her again before turning around and thanking the information lady. "How'd you find me?"

"I know you said I'm not 'pposed to talk to strangers, but I did and she helped me find you. Are you mad?"

He chuckled. "No, you did the right thing. Where is she?"

Laila turned around and pointed at Astrid, who was standing not too far away just to make sure the little girl was safe.

Astrid smiled a bit in acknowledgment and glanced back at her phone. A text message from Ruff demanding to know where she was. Henry walked towards her, to thank her.

"Hi,"

Astrid looked up from her reply, but was quite literally shocked. From a distance, she hadn't realized how attractive he was.

Wait, that wasn't what she was supposed to be thinking. He had a kid, he was probably happily married. And she had no time for silly nonsense.

"Hi," Astrid replied.

"I-Uh, I... thank you for... um, helping Laila."

Laila giggled.

Was he blushing? That was kind of adorable.

No it wasn't. She hadn't found a single person attractive since high school. She was too focused on being a lawyer, and a lawyer she was. A darn good one at that. She was a pretty new attorney, but she knew what she was doing. And she had won every single case so far.

She was not supposed to get all school-girl-with-a-crush. No, she didn't have time for that. She was a professional.

"You're welcome." she smiled what she hoped was a friendly smile. "I'm glad you two are back together."

"Yeah, me too. Uh, I'm Henry by the way."

"I know." Damn. That sounded so creepy. "I-I mean, Laila told me that. And..." She wasn't supposed to get flustered. She was a lawyer.

Henry smiled.

"I'm Astrid, by the way." Astrid covered swiftly. Her phone vibrated again.

"Well, it's nice to meet you. And thanks again for helping Laila."

"You're welcome." Astrid's eyes betrayed her and she glanced at Henry's hands. No wedding ring. Huh.

Thankfully, he didn't notice.

"Well, I should... probably go. My-my friend is waiting for me."

Henry nodded. "Okay. I really can't thank you enough."

She nodded.

"What do you say, Laila?"

"Thank you," Laila said to Astrid.

"You're welcome."

"See you around? Maybe?"

"Maybe," Astrid started to walk away, feeling a little more defeated than she probably should have.

"We can still get ice cream, right?" Laila asked her father sweetly.

Henry laughed. "Of course we can."

Astrid smiled.

A/N: Please let me know what you think!

Thanks for reading and I'll see you next time!

~Pink