Well, here's the last chapter. Your support over the last six months has been encouraging and I can't believe this story is finally coming to an end! Wow! Thank you guys so much! And for the last time, Read/Review/Enjoy/Criticize. :) :)

Chapter 27

Morning came quicker than Valka wanted. Of course it did. It always did, but she supposed she couldn't complain. Hiccup had gone to the grave to see Katla a month ago and Stoick had healed from his broken ribs completely. Once he did, husband and wife spent more quality time together, missing each others' embrace and reliving marital bliss. Hiccup had left the house more often than usual, whether he was purposefully avoiding his parents' quality time, or if he was taking a certain girl out on dates, she didn't know.

Surrendering to the dawn's welcome, Valka slid out of bed. She slipped on her bathrobe and left her sleeping husband in the room, smiling as she left. Her eyelids heavy and nearly closed, the woman staggered into the kitchen and reached for some bread. She gnawed at it as her dragons would've: mercilessly and greedily. She was so hungry, it was almost abnormal.

Of course, the women of the village told her this was in fact, normal. For women around her age, the cravings and other strange symptoms were sure to haunt her during her "change". Of course, her change also came with a price. She wished now that she didn't have to see the look in Stoick's eyes when she told him that another baby might not be possible. Hiccup had shrugged uncaringly, but Valka knew he was also wishing for a little sibling to hold. Both of the men expressed some disappointment, but it wore off almost as quickly as it appeared. She was glad it did. She was ready to have some time just between her, Stoick, and Hiccup, and the dragons; dragon racing, map charting, and anything else they could do as a family.

She wanted and needed that time. After all, they had a lot to catch up on.

Her bread was finished in near record time. Still hungry, she raided their cupboard, disappointed when she only found apricots and dragon nip in the cobwebbed shelves. Valka drowsily grabbed about three apricots and bit into them. This routine had become like riding a dragon to her, so familiar she could do it with her eyes closed and one arm behind her back. She hoped it would wear off soon.

The next few months seemed to only exist to show her that it wouldn't. Stoick had spent more money on food than normal since she just couldn't stop eating. She wanted fruit, bread, cheese, even dragon nip at the most obnoxious times.

Stoick serviced her needs diligently and was briefly reminded of the time when she was pregnant with Hiccup, when she'd violently shake him awake at the unspeakable hour of the night so he could get her some food. He let the possibility light up that she was pregnant, but no, she couldn't be. It was that hormonal change the old women griped about suffering from.

Valka saw the optimistic thought cross his mind, saw the glimmer of dreams make his eyes glow and then vanish almost the moment it appeared.

No, Valka knew that this wasn't a baby. Just the change. There would never be a baby.

"Come and get me!" Valka cried, taunting the Thunderdrum and angry man behind her.

Stoick shook his head. "No, you don't! Don't you win this one too!"

Hiccup laughed and flew past Stoick. "Oh, now I know where I got my winning gene from! Come and get us Dad!" Hiccup laughed and flew past his mother, who followed him atop Cloudjumper; Cloudjumper was a breed of dragon alien to Berk, which Fishlegs was eager to name, but was currently undecided.

Stoick growled at the competition and gave Thornado no command; this dragon didn't need one, being as competitive as his rider. They bolted after them.

The family raced through the boulders around Berk, the lesson they were supposed to be giving the Academy forgotten. Only when they remembered where the finish line was, the Academy entrance, did the point become clear. A speed flight lesson, at least that's what they thought it was.

Valka clenched her teeth and kicked Cloudjumper's thigh as the academy came in view. "Go, boy."

With one mighty flap of the four wings, the surrounding horizon, trees, cliffs, and even her son and husband all blurred into unrecognizable splotches of color. Was she going that fast, or was it her overactive imagination?

Cloudjumper flew overtop the Academy and Valka jumped off. The chained barrier had been uprooted long ago, so she didn't worry about breaking her bones across chains. She tumbled onto the stony floor and jumped up again, triumphantly.

The younger children hooted and hollered ecstatically. The older ones, closer to Hiccup's age, clapped happily. By the glint in their eyes, she thought they were happy that someone had finally beaten the Dragon Trainer, but she couldn't be sure.

Said Dragon Trainer flew in with Toothless in a close tie with his father, just a few seconds behind his mother. Astrid came and pecked her boyfriend on the cheek, a sign of encouragement, opposite the teasing he'd receive later that his mom beat him, which he was more than ready to face.

"Alright, alright," Hiccup calmed the cheering kids. "That was the speed flight lesson. Time to move onto the next lesson."

"You mean how to win?" Snotlout jeered. He danced lightly on his feet, which he celebrated the healing of almost every day.

Hiccup ignored that remark, and happily ignored the dancing. "Thanks Mom and Dad for helping us. If I need you again, I'll call."

Astrid smirked. "He wants the spotlight back."

Hiccup smugly shook his head at her, loving her too much at the moment to fight with her in front of the students. "Okay, let's work on…"

"Target practice!" Gustav shouted.

Magnus, a girl ready for a fight, argued, "We did target practice yesterday! I want more flight exercises."

Valka smirked maniacally as the fight evolved into a fist squabble, which spread like a virus across the Academy floor. She backed up unnoticeably, appearing solely to avoid the fight lurking towards her, but when she grabbed Stoick's hand and dragged him away in a prance, still no one noticed.

"Where are we going?" Stoick asked as his wife dragged him away. Her smile alone made him take the bait of a moment alone.

She smirked. "Wait and see."

She led him to the forest, a sure place where they could be undisturbed. Their dragons, wild at heart, had abandoned them long ago and had taken to the cloudy skies. Valka slightly regretted not going with them. It was such a perfect day for a recreational flight. Clouds towered in the sky like pillars of a temple and the sun basked the entire earth in the warmth of an embrace. Yes, it was ideal. But for now, she wanted nothing more than to be with Stoick.

Stoick followed her through the forest, being reminded of her favorite mocking story of him, and chuckled. "If you take me back to the place where I split that rock apart, I'll never let you live it down."

Valka smirked back and kissed him. "Who said we had a destination?"

Stoick caressed his wife's hair, placing it behind her ear. After another long kiss, he gently grasped her hand and took the turn leading.

They had explored the entire forest within an hour, an hour of precious laughter and stolen kisses. Nothing disturbed them; nothing made them regret spending this hour with each other. No, nothing at all could ruin this perfect day.

Nothing, until Valka gasped.

Stoick turned to her out of instinct. She wasn't one to gasp at a spider or a snake (after all why would she after taming untamable dragons) so there was definitely something worth worrying over. "Valka? Honey?"

She rubbed her hand over her shirt. "I-I'm fine. Just…felt a little faint." Stubborn, she led him now, sternly marching forward, as if that would tell Stoick everything was normal.

"Valka?" Stoick worriedly panted after a few steps, grabbing both her shoulders. "Valka! You don't gasp like that! What's wrong with you?"

She shook her head, like dismissing explaining a joke, frustrated that the subject didn't get it. "Stoick, it's nothing. I promise." She gasped again, this time unable to hide neither the gasp nor her hand's movement.

She gently laid it across her stomach.

Stoick's eyes widened. His mouth spoke, but words weren't formed, just senseless moans of surprise. It was only after many illiterate groans that words formed. "Tha…I…no…W-w-wow! I-I mean…what?"

Valka blankly stared at him, looking just as transparent as a ghost. "I-I felt a…a…something now and the last time, the first time when I gasped. You-you remember how I described the first kick of a baby?"

Stoick's breath was stolen a moment. He was expecting to wake up any moment now. He even pinched his forearm, taking the pain as a sign.

This was real.

His senses came back to him and he answered, "You described the first kick as a flutter…like a butterfly or a small dragon."

Valka pinched her lips together and nodded. "It's a flutter."

Stoick stepped back, agape. He watched as his wife caressed her flat stomach. In a few moments, she glanced up to him. She clenched her lips shut and covered her mouth with her hand, as if to conceal either a cry of anguish or a shrill shriek of delight; her face broadcasted both.

Stoick just stood there, soaking it in, taking the fragmented image of his pregnant wife in. Was it real?

Valka shook her head and dropped her hands to her thigh. "This wasn't supposed to happen! I mean, we thought it wouldn't! I was so sure that it wasn't possible!"

Stoick was breathless. "And now?"

Valka, for a few moments, was unreadable. Both despair and joy came from her wide, tearful eyes. Then, in a shrill breath, something that sounded like a laugh came. She smiled next, a wide smile, a joyful smile. "We're having a baby!" she barely whispered.

Stoick boomed in laughter and ran to his wife. He lifted her up and spun her around, laughing joyfully. "I can't believe it!" he cried. "We're having a baby!"

He set her down on the mossy ground and kissed her. "I can't wait!"

Valka hugged his neck tightly. She hated what thought came to her head next, but it worried her so much she couldn't stop herself from asking the question. In one breath she demanded, "Will you be disappointed if the baby's not a girl?"

Stoick was silent, a bad sign. There were a few moments of stunned silence, and then he held her out an arm's length away. "Why would you ask that?"

Valka shook her head. "I don't know!" Tears threatened to breech her defenses, but she didn't know why. "When your ribs broke, when Drago died, you were so happy about having a little girl, what if it's not a girl? Can I trust you?"

Stoick grasped her face and wiped away the stored tears, which only made more come. "I will love this baby as much as I love Hiccup and you. You can have that promise. I swear to you that I will always love this baby, no matter if it's a boy or a girl. I promise." He inhaled, disbelieving he said that all in one breath. "Do you believe me?"

Valka licked her lips and blinked away tears. She nodded. "I do." And she kissed him again.

"What?!" came the shriek.

Valka burst out laughing at Hiccup's reaction, complete with an open mouth and comical expression. Stoick laughed as well and exclaimed, "Yes, yes you're mother's pregnant! We're having a baby!"

Hiccup turned white as a ghost and staggered backwards. He grasped the back of his father's chair and sat in it, staring at the glow of the fire in the hearth. "Don't worry, I'm happy, even though it doesn't look like it." He grew even more shocked. "Wait a minute! You guys can still do that?!"

Valka, now calmed, put her hand on her hip. "You think we're that old! Hiccup, I'm ashamed of you!"

Hiccup exhaled a long breath and put his head between his knees. Finally, he laughed and raised his head. He raced to his mother with a delighted cry and hugged her. "Oh, I can't believe it!"

"I know," she said. "I can't believe it either." She kissed his cheek and kept hugging him.

Stoick rocked on his feet beside them. "Don't I get in this hug? I am also responsible."

Hiccup couldn't hide the look of disgust on his face. Valka laughed again and outstretched her arm, inviting her husband into the embrace, an invitation he accepted. But this moment, thanks to the dragons, was anything but silent.

Toothless gurgled happily when he interpreted the news, watching Valka stroke her belly. He jumped across the crossbeams of the house, making laughing noises. Thornado grinned, stroking up close to Valka and hissed, like he was saying something to the new hatchling. Gruff jumped with Toothless (Cloudjumper was too big to come inside), and soon both of them joined Thornado in embracing their riders, affectionately licking their cheeks.

Hiccup laughed at this spectacle. He soaked it all in, just meditating on what he was seeing. His parents, regardless of the past, now embracing him, celebrating something he didn't think possible. The dragons alongside them; an unthinkable friendship formed by the only two on Berk who could first forge it, and the man who should've been the least converted was now supporting them the most. Hiccup hugged his parents tighter and laughed. "I'm so happy! I can't wait!"

Stoick breathed hard. It was funny how this experience overtook the man more than it did the woman, or so it seemed. Trying to concentrate, he kept his breathing even and he bent over, his hands on his knees.

Gobber sat beside him outside the house, staring at this peculiar sight with worried eyes. "Just so we're clear, you know that you're not the one in labor, right?"

Stoick laughed and snapped out of his trance. "Yes, yes my friend, I know that. I just…" He looked towards the house.

Gobber smiled. "I know. You want to be in there with her. But Valka's a strong woman, she'll bring your son or daughter into this world quicker than you can rip an axe out of a tree."

A shrill, fierce cry echoed from the house. Stoick shook as the words of the scream became clear. "Stoick, I will kill you! I'll kill you!"

Gobber pursed his lips and patted Stoick's shoulder encouragingly. "Don't-don't worry. We've been through this before. She's fine. She's happy. Don't wo-worry. She'll…thank you later, I hope."

Stoick nodded, letting Gobber's words enter one ear and exit the other. He fiddled with his fingers, glancing around at the Plaza below him. It was deserted now that it was evening, and even more so since the gray clouds towering above them threatened rainstorms, typical of summer twilight, but so far, only a few raindrops fell. But just because the Plaza was empty didn't mean that the buzz of excitement wasn't ringing throughout Berk.

The Haddocks' cupboard had been stacked full with fish pies, fruit, and extra loaves of bread. Volunteers crafted cribs and toys and women sewed blankets and diapers. Excitement had reached its climax during this, the ninth month, but now that it was finally happening, no spectators were watching. Stoick supposed he should thank the rain for a providential appearance, but he knew that his subjects were still waiting, antsy, for the second heir, regardless if they weren't crowded around his house.

"Gobber," Stoick finally said after a long breath. "I don't know if I'm ready to be a father again."

"Are we really having this discussion again twenty years later? I told you that you'd be fine then, and you're going to be fine now."

"No, but that was different!" Stoick growled. "And you know it! I'm old Gobber! I'm not as young as I used to be. This-this is the age where I'm supposed to be picking up grandchildren, not my own newborn child."

Gobber waited a few moments to be certain Stoick was done talking. When he finally clenched his lips shut, Gobber asked, "Are we certain that it's not just the age we're worried about? I know what you're thinking. Having this baby so soon after hearing 'bout Katla, it seems that you're replacing her. Am I right?"

"No!" Stoick urged. "You're not right! We're not replacing her! I've never felt that, and neither has Valka! This is just my second chance and…and…alright, here it is: I'm scared I'm going to mess it up just like we did with Hiccup! Are you happy?"

Gobber nodded. He was happy, happy that all of Stoick's problems came out in one sentence; he must've been keeping that on his chest for a while. "I think if you were to talk to Hiccup, you wouldn't hear the same words come from him."

Stoick shook his head. "He didn't get what it was like for me. Being a single parent!"

"And we all hope he never does, but if he can see past the mistakes you made, that means Valka did, and has, and this little bugger's going to too. And if you're half as good the father you were to Hiccup, that child will be the best nurtured child in this world. Now, have I convinced you?"

Stoick kept still. "Not my fear."

Gobber chuckled. "We'll deal with that next session. Our time is up."

As Gobber knew it would, that sent Stoick laughing in a way that only Gobber could make him do.

The next few minutes, or was it a half an hour, they sat there silent. The duo only looked up from the dampening grass to see Hiccup coming up the stairs, his arms embracing a crying Astrid. Hiccup stopped at the foot of the staircase and hugged her tight, rubbing her shoulders and kissing her cheek. She stayed cuddled up in his chest, ready to feel the warmth of comfort.

Stoick and Gobber couldn't help but wonder what was going on, but both knew better than to interrupt the couple. They just watched them, young lovers in the rain. Astrid pointed up to the house and nodded, convincing an arguing Hiccup of something. There were a few minutes of mumbled bickering, but all it took as a look from Astrid, and both of them climbed the staircase, hand in hand.

Stoick curtly nodded his hello. "Is everything okay?"

Astrid spoke before Hiccup could. "One of Stormfly's hatchlings died. I, uh, I don't know why I'm crying…"

"Everyone understands," Hiccup comforted as he rubbed her shoulders. He sounded like he had repeated that same sentence many times before in the last half hour.

She nodded. "I know, I know. It's just…"

"Loss is hard?" Stoick finished.

Astrid nodded as the rain dripped across her face, camouflaging her tears. "Yeah."

Stoick rubbed her arm. "It'll part. I promise."

She smiled. "Thank you sir."

When she turned to sit and wait for Hiccup's sibling to come, the very reason she insisted being seen by Gobber and Stoick, Stoick gave his son a suggestive glance. Hiccup glared at his father and sat by Astrid, the couple hand in hand.

The minutes tiptoed by as slowly as they could. The only sound to be heard above the pattering rain was Valka's cries and death threats to Stoick.

As the rain lightened p after its already soft introduction, Stoick noticed someone was missing.

"Hiccup, where's Toothless?"

Hiccup looked up from the grass, his arms still around Astrid. "Uh, he's with Stormfly. She took the death pretty hard, he's with her."

Stoick nodded understandingly, hoping that he wouldn't be in the same position as Stormfly. He prayed every second that it wouldn't happen. That secret fear in his heart that refused to be vocal still thundered, that fear that if this child didn't make it, what would they do? He had to have hope that this baby would make it. He or she was in much better conditions now instead of a cave filled with dragons, like his or her older sister had been, but Stoick couldn't shake that fear.

Hiccup had noticed his father's heavy eyes, and was grateful he did. He shook his dad's shoulder in the roughest way he could and said, "Don't worry. They'll make it. What are we going to name him or her?"

Happy for a distraction, Stoick announced, "If the little one's a girl, we'll name her Valhalla, after your mom."

Hiccup looked up in surprise. "Mom's name is based on Valhalla?"

Gobber interjected. "She was originally Valhallarama. But she grew tired of it and had it shortened. What if it's a boy, Stoick?"

A hint of a smile could be seen crossing the chief's face. "She wants to keep the "H" alliteration like she did with Hiccup Horrendous Haddock. We were thinking of naming him Henrik Horrendous Haddock."

Hiccup smiled. Stoick, however, was worried that Hiccup would take that too hard, that they had chosen a cruel social name for him while his little brother would be given a name of normalcy. But his son grinned and said, "Those are great names."

Stoick smiled and affectionately shook Hiccup's shoulder. "Thanks son."

In a few minutes, Valka's screaming died down. Both Haddock men grew troubled at the silence. Astrid squeezed Hiccup's hand and rubbed his shoulder. "It'll be okay," she whispered.

Not a second later, a high-pitch squeal that could only come from a baby screamed, giving Stoick goose bumps.

Both he and Hiccup leapt up, ready for the healer to burst the door open and invite them in. They waited a few seconds, until the healer came out. She was ecstatic, shaking with delight, joy shining from her eyes as she clapped her hands and exclaimed, "A baby boy!"

It wasn't often in the Haddock family that silence was joyful, but that's what it was this time. Hiccup clasped his hands over his mouth as if to stop a scream from escaping. Overwhelmed, father and son hugged, laughing.

"Congratulations!" Astrid shrieked as she embraced Hiccup after his hug with Stoick.

Gobber slapped both on the back. "I knew it would be a boy. Congrats you two!" Gobber then hugged Stoick, making the joyous laughs ring even more.

Hiccup sat down, letting the shock settle. "I'm so happy!" he finally said. He finally turned to the healer and asked, "Can we see her?"

She chuckled and flew up her hands. "I don't see why not. They should be done cleaning up by now!"

Stoick nodded and entered his house. There, in the back of the room, lay his wife, looking exhausted as she tickled her finger at the tiniest face Stoick had ever seen.

He ran to her. "Valka," he lovingly said, unable to think of something else to say. "You did it."

She nodded, smiling. "I should've gotten you to do this. After all I did it two times already, you should've done it this time."

Stoick kissed her. "I'll thank you later." His eyes caught his son, the little baby wrapped tightly in blanket after blanket. His eyes were wide and blue, examining the world around him. His little stub of a nose was so tempting to poke, and Stoick did so. "You think he'll have my nose?"

She chuckled. "He looks like he'll have your hair. It's just a darker shade."

"Can I see him?" Hiccup asked from behind Stoick.

Stoick moved aside, frantic that he forgot his other son in all of this. "Of course, of course, look at little Henrik."

Hiccup looked at the little face, so innocent and so tiny. This was his little brother. This little miracle, this second chance, was his to nurture and shield and train. Hiccup felt this sense of protection wash over him. If this little baby was his responsibility, he would take it seriously. He made a vow right there that no one would hurt this blessing. He was his. Henrik was his.

"Do you want to hold him?" his mother's voice was muffled in Hiccup's thoughts, but he understood what she was saying.

Before he could stop himself, he nodded and reached for him.

He was shaking, so Stoick took a hold of his wrists and guided him. "Support his head. Don't worry, I'll help you. That's it, now take the body. Slide your hand under him. Good, you've got him, now lift him up."

Hiccup shook his head. "Dad…?"

"You can do it." With the father's help, the son held his little brother against his chest. Once the baby was stabilized, Stoick released his grip and looked upon his sons.

Hiccup's smile was slow in coming, but it eventually came. Astrid moved to him, stroking his shoulder and admiring the bundle of joy in Hiccup's arms. Hiccup leaned down and kissed his little brother on the forehead. He began laughing and crying at the same time. "He's so small," he muttered.

"Just like you were," Valka whispered, her eyes closed. "Oh, I'm so tired."

Stoick kissed her forehead, ever so gently. "Go to sleep Valhalla. We've got Henrik."

She smiled and shifted her body to get more comfortable. Stoick took the sheets and repositioned them over her, kissing her once more before returning to sit by Gobber.

Hiccup had moved to his chair next to the hearth, bouncing little Henrik gently. Astrid sat on the edge of the hearth, smiling at the cooing, inquisitive face of her boyfriend's brother. Stoick sat beside Gobber, who had borrowed Valka's chair, and accepted the mug of ale his best friend gave him. Stoick leaned back in his chair, suddenly grateful for this moment. He couldn't rip his eyes away from Hiccup holding Henrik.

There was silence in the Haddock household. The healer and her assistants had said goodbye a few minutes ago, and the only thing to be heard was Henrik's blabbering the infant gibberish.

"Is that so?" Hiccup asked, grinning wide. Stoick noticed the smile dampen however, as if Hiccup was realizing something for the first time.

"Hiccup?" he asked, softly as to not awake Valka. "What's wrong?"

Hiccup licked his lips and smiled at Henrik. As the baby inspected his own fingers, Hiccup looked up to his father and admitted, "I'm scared."

Stoick caught Gobber's glance, the one filled with innocence which said, "I told you so," and shot him an angry stare back. Gobber only winked and sipped his ale rather innocently.

The father ignored his friend and looked to Hiccup. He was staring at him with hopeful eyes, demanding his father to console him.

Stoick could only think of a few words, words that he hoped held at least some meaning. "Don't be. You'll make mistakes, but you can't let them drag you down. We'll get through this, we always do." He smiled warmly, hoping that was enough.

And as if to concur with his father, Henrik babbled, waving his hand excitedly. "Da, Da, Da, Da!"

Hiccup giggled. "He wants you Dad."

Stoick laughed and reached for Henrik, taking the little one in his arms, and treasuring him with everything he had.

THE END

Wow. It feels weird to be done this story! But I loved writing it and I love reading your reactions to the different things I put Hiccup through this time. Everyone, thank you so much for your support!
This is my version of the sequel, but I think we can all agree that the sequel will be about 100X better than this story! Everyone, it's 48 days until the sequel comes and I, personally, can't wait!
Special thanks to KatieMarie999, StormwalkerofLorien, and dragonlover17 (for an idea which I took) :) Also thanks to all my favorites and followers, which, frankly, are too many to list here, and I thank everyone for that!
One more question and then I'll shut up. In my amazing audience's opinion, should there be some one-shots continuing this series? Opinions?
THANKS SO MUCH GUYS! THIS HAS MEANT SO MUCH TO ME AND I LOVE ALL OF YOU FOR STEPPING UP AND HELPING AND ENCOURAGING ME! THANK YOU!