For now, it shall be endless fluff! I felt more hyped about a request from Valkyrie but the suspense and rogue dragon will continue next chapter...trust me it shall be epic. :) For now, we deal with Valka. Thank you for sticking with me! Read/Review/Enjoy/Criticize!

The sizzling just added to the heat. The sound of the popping and the way it resembled the sweat rolling down his forehead made his body scream for cool air. Hiccup shook his head, wiping the drowsiness from his eyes. The heat still stuck to him, even in his private office, but he had to finish this, even if it killed him.

"Why am I so tired?" he asked himself many times before sunrise. He yawned. "Why…why am I so tired? Oh! Right, of course I get it now after countless hours of sleepless tolerance, forcing myself to finish this before the two month anniversary of the greatest day of my life. I, in my superiority of Head Academy leader forgot that I needed eight hours of sleep and arise at the crack of dawn to clean stables so that the kids I teach can have an easier time…I don't even remember why. And I stayed awake all day yesterday, deciding to get this started last evening…why do I get up at sunrise for these stupid things anyway?"

Hiccup belatedly noticed that he was screaming, or at least talking in an aggravated way. He peered out the door, outside the forge, and into the street. The only specks of light were the torches blazing from the houses and the only sounds heard were chirping crickets and snoring dragons…or were those men? Either way, no one heard him, and he was happy for that.

His eyes half closed, Hiccup looked at the creation he was now so delicately carving with his sweat slippery hands. It was a perfectly spherical, golden band with some quartz he found at the beach as the jewel. He was busy carving, "Astrid, Love of my Life" into the inner band with the most precise tool he could find.

He earnestly prayed and hoped that she would like it. The evening hours he could remember were hazy, but he had a strong recollection of coming to the forge, in his office, taking countless sheets of paper and designing the ring. He hadn't looked out of the office for the longest time. He thought he had been picking the right design for maybe ten minutes, but when he went out to begin the work, the sky was a deathly pitch black.

Now, he thought it was finished. The quartz wasn't a bright color, but he thought it fit Astrid. Tough…accessible…reachable…and beautiful no matter how rustic everyone else thought she was. And…the bright colors…that looked like a Nadder…he just hoped she liked it.

"She'd better, after all the work I put into it," he cursed as he lay back in his chair. From his semi-closed eyes, he could see a delicate pink rising across the east ocean. "If she doesn't like it…I'm gonna…I'm gonna…" Those were his last words before he fell asleep in his chair, forgetting the heat.

Valka slid out of bed and landed on her feet, instantly regretting it. Pain shot through her ankles. Valka looked down and was reminded why.

She rubbed her swollen belly with a smile on her face. Five months pregnant, almost six now, and she still couldn't believe it. It was both terrifying and joyous at the same time, becoming a mother again. But she made up her mind since her nightmare during her third month that she wouldn't let the fear control her. She was the Dragon Master, revered on her island and feared in the distant islands of the archipelago. Fear wouldn't control her.

But her ankles…they had decided to test her vow to not let meager pains bother her.

"Why are you so heavy already, baby?" she asked as she slipped on her bathrobe. "Are you a boy? A boy who inherited his father's genes? Can't you be like your brother and be very, very light?"

As a response, the little one kicked. A hard flutter ran across her stomach.

Valka giggled. "I suppose that would be a no?" She giggled more as she entered the living room. Stoick was sitting in his chair, relaxing. Gobber wasn't there, so breakfast would be for only three this morning, but there was no sign of Hiccup. Toothless still slept underneath the staircase.

"Hello Val," Stoick greeted, his eyes and wrinkled face groggy.

"Hello dear," she said as she kissed his cheek. "Rough morning already?"

"What do you mean already? It's almost noon."

Valka gasped, "It is?" She raced to the front door and opened it. The light blinded her and she stepped backward from shock. When her gaze refocused, the sun was high in the sky and people were bustling around in the village below, alive and energetic.

"Yes, it's noon," Stoick answered. Valka couldn't see it, but he smiled in amusement. "You must be far along in your pregnancy. You're sleeping late."

Valka shot him a look. Yes, she was typically an early riser, but his tone was mocking. "I know. Now, I need Dragon Fruit," she ordered as she went back to the kitchen. "Where's Hiccup?"

Stoick shrugged. "It's anyone's guess. Astrid came in here a few hours ago asking the same question. Toothless is here, so he couldn't have gotten far."

Valka glanced from Stoick to Toothless. She heard Stoick talk briefly about the rogue dragon which was damaging doors and other possessions, but she tuned it out rather easily and focused on a more important problem.

Her husband was right about Hiccup and his whereabouts. If the loyal dragon was here, dozing, then it was certain that Hiccup had ordered him to stay here last evening, the last time she saw him. Gone for all night and almost another whole day…it set Valka shaking. Her baby…her other baby…was in trouble. She knew it. He had to be in trouble. There was no explanation.

She raced to her bedroom, got dressed, grabbed her spear, and bolted out the door.

Stoick himself was relaxing, paying no heed to his wife, her speed, the spear… Spear! "Val! Valka, what are you doing!" He shot up and ran after her. He managed to grab her right forearm before she got to the stairs.

In response, Valka twirled her spear towards his face, holding it there, in front of his nose. She smiled unemotionally, her eyes piercing her own husband like daggers. "You would challenge a pregnant woman?"

Stoick slowly, cautiously let go of her arm. "No," he softly said, as quietly as he could. "No, I would not, but as your husband, I would like to know just what you are planning to do."

Valka normalized, if only a bit, and explained, "I'm going to find Hiccup. If you have any objections please keep them to yourself."

"Valka! Stoick!" the ever-familiar voice called.

Valka whipped her head around and shot back, "What do you want Gobber?"

Gobber halted on the fifth step. Valka's eyes were wreathed in fire and her stance was like a mother bear. The only explanation he needed was her enlarged belly.

Gobber shook from where he was. He blinked a few times, stuttering gibberish. "I-I-I-I just thought you-you might like to know that Hiccup's in the forge, in his office, sleeping."

Valka lowered her spear in friendship and exhaled. "Is he alright?"

Gobber took one step up, his eyes telling the couple that that was as far as he dared go. "Yes."

Without warning, Valka stomped down the staircase. Gobber hurdled onto the grass, holding out his right prosthetic, a mace, out in front of him.

"Valka!" Stoick cried. He growled and clenched his fists, following her. "Where are you going?"

"To the forge," she snapped. "I'm going to give your son a piece of my mind."

"Oh, so now he's my son," Stoick muttered as he followed his wife. Gobber slowly backed away, but Stoick clenched his shirt collar, dragging him along. "You're coming with me." And Gobber was wise enough to not protest.

Stoick stomped through the Plaza, his wife in his sights. The only time he lost her was when she sped into the forge. Stoick readied himself like a warrior, fully prepared to grab her and talk some sense into her, but before he could, Valka returned.

No one had shouted, no one had started crying, and no one was killed, and Stoick took all of these as good signs. It was the expression on his wife's face that puzzled him.

She was flabbergasted, it looked like. Her mouth hung open and her eyes were as big as saucers. She held something out to him. It was small and golden. A ring, Stoick realized.

He was about to ask her what it was, telling her she might have to put it back no matter how much she liked it, but she beat him to it. "Read the engraving on the inner band."

Stoick huffed, grabbed the ring, and obeyed. "Astrid, Love of my Life."

Around him, Stoick sensed an aura of happiness. He felt it too, of course, but his wife and Gobber exaggerated the feeling.

Valka was gaping. "He…he made that for her? All night?"

Gobber wiped a tear, though he pretended it was dust. "That's…that's so sweet." He sniffled and then turned beet red in embarrassment.

Stoick let a small smile sneak onto his face. He examined the jewelry. It was definitely of his son's craftsmanship, so delicately fashioned that it had to have been made from his compassionate heart. Nothing else would match.

Valka glanced to her husband, smiling, her eyes parading with nostalgia. "He has his father's romantic side."

Stoick chuckled and then gasped when Valka stole the ring from him. She marched with a brisk pace back to her house.

"What are you doing?" Stoick called after her.

She held up the ring, not turning back. "I'm going to teach your offspring to not scare me like that again!"

Stoick groaned, massaging his temples. With that walk and that stare and that stance…there was no stopping her now, or stopping the behavior.

He felt Gobber's hand rub his shoulder. "And so it begins…"

"Are you sure this was a good idea?" Stoick asked Valka as she whittled some oak into a dragon.

She nodded. "Yes. That boy needs to learn a lesson about scaring me half to death."

Stoick huffed silently. She didn't look too scared when she had first found out, and Toothless would've heard any Hiccup scream from miles away. This ever-changing mood came with the pregnancy, so he only needed patience for another…three and a half months was the final count.

Gobber, who sat beside Valka, thought about commenting on the welcome he received earlier from her, to say that she could use a lesson in not scaring people, but decided against it. He was in trouble with her anyway, being forced by her to stay seated by her. His eyes resembled a begging Terrible Terror's and his frown would've won sympathy from the evilest tyrant. "Valka, when will you let me go?"

Valka didn't look up from the dragon. "You can't tell Hiccup that I took his engagement ring. And as long as it's in my power, I won't let you."

It was most certainly in her power. Her spear lay at her side and the magnificent Cloudjumper was just a whistle's call away.

Gobber looked with the same puppy eyes to Stoick, who raised his hands in surrender and shook his head.

There was several more minutes of waiting. The carefree whittling of Valka seemed to contrast with the deathly, petrified silence that hung in the air like a skunk's pungent odor. The minutes passed by like hours. The only other interruption was the dozing Toothless suddenly perking up his head. He sniffed the air and twitched his ears, telling Valka he heard something. They twitched again and he heard something else. His famous bored expression came and he nestled down.

The door shot open and footsteps sped into the house.

"Oh, sleepyhead's awake!" Valka cheered. This must've been the reason Toothless relaxed; he knew his rider was alright.

"Hiccup's here!" Gobber cheered. He leapt up, grabbed his metaphorical nephew before he could reach the staircase, hugged him tight, twirled him around, and fled. "He's here! I'm not a hostage!" was his freedom cry.

Hiccup's shocked face stared at the open door for several moments. His gaze slowly found its way to his beaming mother.

Hiccup gathered his sense back. "I-I don't have time to talk. I lost…I lost…"

"A ring?" Valka finished.

Hiccup froze. The heavy silence returned. Slowly, Hiccup turned around and faced his mother. "What?" he snapped.

Stoick shook his head, rubbing his forehead. "We went to wake you up from the forge and your mother saw the ring. She took it."

Hiccup gaped. "Wha-I-you can't…that's just…I can't…" then he shouted. "Why did you do that?"

Valka smirked. "Were you frightened?"

Hiccup scoffed. "Uh…let's see…yes!"

Valka smiled and held out the ring to him. "Tell us where you're going next time before you scare me by not being here in the morning!"

Hiccup backed a step away. He glanced hopefully to his father. Stoick had sat him down a month before, warning him of what Valka was like when she was pregnant with Hiccup. She'd be a typhoon of impatience and a cyclone of emotions combined. Was this it? Stoick's look of reassurance and pity seemed to confirm it. So with a deep breath, encouraging himself, Hiccup tiptoed forward and accepted the ring from his mother. "Okay Mom, no more scaring. Got it."

Valka clapped once enthusiastically, her eyes begging for details like a child would. "So, how long have you thought about asking her?"

Hiccup chuckled nervously. One wrong answer could activate the cyclone. But her face had calmed to the happy one it was before she was pregnant, so he let a few guards off. "Well, uh, actually we've been secretly engaged, like a pledge, for two months now."

"Two months!" It wasn't Valka who had protested, but Stoick. He continued, "You mean, since before the remarriage?"

Hiccup nodded cautiously, grasping the ring tighter. He angled his feet to his left, being ready to bolt out the door. "Yes. I just thought I'd make her a ring to, you know, make it official."

The look on his parents' faces was hard to interpret. Both looked shocked, but there was a little bit of happiness and sadness in their eyes at the same time. Hiccup bit his tongue, getting ready to make his escape.

Valka sighed before he could. "That's such amazing news!" she cried. She raced to her son and hugged him tight. "I'm so happy!"

Hiccup hugged her back, laughing, at his mother's joy or out of his relief of her normalcy, he didn't know. "Thanks Mom."

Stoick came to his son and patted his shoulder. "Never thought this day would come. Looks like you had the guts before I thought you did."

Hiccup released his mother and eyed his father with his childish look. "This coming from the man who had to beg mom for forgiveness on their first date?"

Valka began to laugh hysterically, but Stoick just punched Hiccup's shoulder. "Yes. Now go before I tell Astrid you want to call the marriage off."

Hiccup beamed and ran away, knowing that Toothless was just behind him. "Don't want that!" He shut the door behind him, but no sooner, it opened again and Hiccup announced, "Mom, I'll be home by sundown. Okay for you?"

It was Stoick's turn to laugh now. Valka kept smiling and shooed her son away with her hands. "Just go, son! Go!"

Hiccup left his parents chuckling to themselves. While Stoick caught his breath, he sat down.

"Oh, I can't believe it. Can you Val? Val?"

She hadn't moved from her standing position. Her head was bent and Stoick could hear small whimpers.

"Val? Honey, are you okay?"

She nodded. Her shoulder shook and she brought her left hand to her eyes. "I'm fine."

Stoick knew better. He slowly got up and made his way to her. "Are you sure? Why are you crying?"

Valka gasped for breath and gestured frantically to the door. "He's getting married!"

Stoick smiled. So she didn't want her baby to grow up then? He gently rubbed her back and cradled her head. "Yes, but we wanted him to get married, didn't we?"

Valka tore herself away and she wept more. "Yes! Yes we did but I didn't think that it would be this soon! He can't get married now, why should he get married now? He's still so young, he's still my little itty bitty boy and…"

Stoick, by now, had had enough. This constant roller coaster of emotions had taxed him to the point where he walked away, telling himself, "This is just her condition…just her condition."

He shouldn't have said it allowed.

Valka bellowed, "It is not my condition!"

Stoick jumped and didn't dare speak. He felt Valka rush to her room. "I was emotional long before you made me pregnant and unlogical!" The bedroom door slammed behind her.

Breathing had calmed her before, but it had been a long time since this exercise had to cure pregnancy symptoms. Valka lay upon her bed, monitoring her breathing. The baby kicked inside of her. What was once a beautiful miracle of life inside of her was now tormenting her long before he or she should have. She rolled onto her side, balancing the bump. She regretted snapping at everyone like that. It wasn't their fault she was pregnant. Well, it was Stoick's fault, but did that mean he needed to be yelled at? No, she supposed it didn't.

The door opened slightly and Stoick's head peeped in. "Are you alright?" he asked calmly.

Valka smiled. He could've been petty, but he wasn't. He still loved her. For a moment she thought he was still being cautious, but she didn't care. At least he understood. "Yes, darling. I'm sorry for what I said. I shouldn't have…"

"It's alright my dear," he comforted. He came into the room, carrying a tray of food. "I remember the last time we faced this well."

Valka gasped when she saw the food. "Oh, you didn't have to…"

"Yes I did. Peace offering. Besides, we need to decide who's doing the cooking."

Valka giggled. "Yes, the only thing I can do is boil eggs, and our baby isn't living on eggs alone."

At Stoick's silent request, she sat up, letting Stoick adjust the tray so that she could eat. Her husband had blessed her with Dragon Fruit, toast, eggs, milk, and apricots. "The mutton's coming," he promised.

"Now," he continued, "I suppose that Hiccup and Astrid could move in here and Astrid can do the cooking."

Valka eyed him. "A newlywed couple is going to want to sleep in the same house as their parents and parents-in-law."

Stoick blinked. "Right, I suppose that's a bad idea."

Valka nibbled on the apricot. "I suppose we'll figure out sleeping arrangements later, but I'm most comfortable with moving out. That way they can have this house and we'll have a smaller one. Our baby can have his or her own room then."

Stoick smiled. "You're always thinking ahead." He kissed her on the cheek. Valka grabbed his collar and kissed him full on the lips. "Thank you for taking care of me," she mumbled.

Stoick grinned. "For you my darling, anything." He gently kissed her once more, but a strange scent interrupted the bliss. "Oh!" he cursed. "The mutton's burning!" He promptly ran to the oven.

Valka cackled. "And I'm the bad cook?" she hollered.

She continued to eat her meal, content with her husband's providence. Regardless if she was getting crazier than previously, he still loved her. And that was what made the craziness bearable.

He loves you Mommy, she felt her baby say. I know he does Mommy.

I am in love with Stalka! 'nuff said! How'd you like hormonal Valka? Please review!