Hiccup and Astrid didn't usually wake up at the same time most days. Hiccup liked to sleep in while Astrid enjoyed rising with the sun and getting as many things done as possible before the rest of her family joined her for the day. But holiday mornings are special and thus habits are often broken. Hiccup and Astrid, therefore, were awake as a tiny glow of light came through the window. Thankful for the warmth of each other and the heating system Hiccup had rigged throughout the whole house years before, they didn't see any reason to get up right away. Hiccup snuggled in closer to his wife, breathing deeply and taking in the wonderful scent she offered. He gently stroked the soft skin of her curves beneath the furs and hummed contentedly in her ear.

"Happy Snoggletog." Astrid whispered in response. "You're a lot warmer than you were last night."

"How could I not be?" Hiccup leaned in a bit more. "I wish the kids were out of the house. Then we could go again."

"That would be nice." Astrid stretched her arms and turned to face her husband, burrowing into the furs some more. "But they're not here now."

Hiccup smiled and snuggled down with her, firmly placing his hands on her hips and drawing her close to him. She raised a hand and brushed some of his thick brown hair out of his eyes before leaning in and catching his lips with her own. Despite the warmth of the embrace, shivers ran down both of their spines as they tried to make up for the two weeks they had been separated. Just as they were thinking of throwing caution to the wind and repeating the previous night's activities, they heard a crashing sound and a high pitched squeal of pain.

"Someone's up." Astrid whispered into her husband's ear. "We'll have to save this for later."

"Mmmm no." Hiccup kissed her again. "I'm not ready to get out of bed."

Astrid pecked his nose before rolling over and emerging from the many furs covering her. She quickly slipped on some comfortable clothes before slipping out of the room. Hiccup watched her go with a sigh. As happy as he was at the thought of seeing his daughter again after a long two weeks away, he wasn't at all finished with Astrid. He suspected he wouldn't be for quite some time.

Meanwhile, Adrianna had tried her best to get out of bed without waking anyone but alas, her poor cleaning skills thwarted her efforts. As she got up from the ground, her foot tangled in several shirts, Astrid opened the door a crack and peered in.

"Sorry." she whispered. "I can go back to bed."

"No need. Your dad's already up." Astrid replied with a wink. "I think he'd like to see you. Go on downstairs and I'll be down in a minute after I wake up your brother."

Adrianna grinned and pounded down the stairs without another word, her nightgown flying out behind her. Her time of the month had come to an end the previous day and she was feeling much better.

Astrid walked down the hallway to the adjacent room, which contained her teenage son. Finn was buried deep into the blankets and was so out of it, his mother had to shake him several times before he was awake.

"Mmmmm dad..." he mumbled almost incoherently. "Lemme sleep."

"I'm sure your dad would let you sleep too." Astrid said cheerfully. "But I'm not your father."

"Mom?" one of Finn's eyes slowly opened and, for a moment, he was very confused.

"Yep." Astrid ruffled his hair. "Welcome home."

Despite feeling more like his body was fused to the bed, Finn suddenly felt a surge of energy powerful enough to allow him to sit up and embrace his mother. She held him tightly, very happy that her little boy was home at last. Well, she thought as they broke apart and she got a good look at him, he wasn't so little anymore. His thick red hair fell all over his face and neck. She would have to cut it soon before it got out of hand. And he seemed to have grown even more since he had left. Most people probably wouldn't have noticed this since the change in height was so subtle but Astrid could tell her boy would be taller than her in no time at all.

"Nice to see you again, mom." Finn's voice sounded a little bit lower than she'd expected but it was a welcome change.

"I missed you." Astrid nudged him with her elbow. "Now get dressed and go downstairs so you can see what Odin brought you."

Finn rolled his eyes but got out of bed anyway. By the time Astrid had left Finn's room, Hiccup was dressed and had just begun to descend the staircase. Astrid smiled mischievously and threw her arms around him from the back, causing him to stagger slightly but stay upright thanks to her weight.

"Can't keep your hands off me, can you?" he asked flirtatiously before turning around and kissing her firmly so that she couldn't answer right away.

"Well someone doesn't seem to mind." Astrid nibbled his lip, causing him to moan in pleasure, before descending the staircase next to him.

"How could I? I have the most beautiful woman in the archipelago fawning all over me." Hiccup grinned as he received the well-deserved smack on the chest for that comment.

"I'm not fawning." Astrid huffed. "I'm just making up for lost time."

"Mmm well in that case, I guess we'll have to find a place to be alone as soon as we can." Hiccup growled seductively, making her laugh.

"Easy, tiger, there are children present." she said, pointing to their daughter, who had her back to them the whole time as she surveyed the Snoggletog tree and the presents beneath.

"Weren't you just telling me last night that she's a woman now?" Hiccup muttered into his wife's ear before saying in a much louder voice, "Well, aren't you going to turn around and welcome your old man home after a long and completely exhausting time away?"

The girl turned around and her face broke into a smile. "Dad!" she squealed excitedly before hurrying forward and throwing her arms around his neck.

"Easy there, Addie." Hiccup chuckled, hugging her as tightly as he could without crushing her. "These brittle bones aren't as strong as they used to be."

"Oh please." Adrianna laughed as she broke away from him. "You're not that old."

"Yes I am!" Hiccup countered. "Apparently I am now capable of becoming a grandparent."

Adrianna's face immediately reddened. "Mom..."

"Don't panic, Adri, he's not going to treat you any differently. Right, Hiccup?" Astrid poked him in the ribs with her elbow.

"Right, right." Hiccup said reluctantly. "And that's not the kind of thing I need to talk about anyway. The point is, my kids grew up way too fast." he looked back at the staircase, where a sleepy looking Finn was now descending. "Both of them."

"Sorry, dad." Finn deadpanned. "We'll just shrink and say tiny forever. Except then we'll never leave the house and you and Mom won't get any alone time."

"Oh we'll get alone time whether you like it or not." Astrid placed her arm around her husband's waist. "No matter what size you are."

"What time is everyone else getting here?" Adrianna asked impatiently.

"Not too long from now." Astrid glanced at the window and was glad to see the sun higher in the sky, casting light in the house and almost making the lamps they'd lit unnecessary. "Enough time to make breakfast."

"Oh, Finn can do that." Hiccup said immediately, pushing his son toward the kitchen area.

"Finn cooks?" Adrianna stared at her brother with a raised eyebrow.

"No." he grumbled.

"Don't be so modest." Hiccup strode forward and got some eggs out of a basket. "Your brother has a gift and it's high time he shared it with the whole world."

"I will keep denying it until I die." Finn said with a scowl. "Men don't cook."

"Oh yes they do." Hiccup pointed to the kitchen area. "Go on, we won't tell anyone your diabolical secret if you get breakfast started right away."

Adrianna giggled as her brother reluctantly made his way to the kitchen area and began extracting ingredients from the cupboards. As he was just beginning to get something together, there was a knock at the door.

"It's open!" Hiccup called.

"Thank goodness." said Benen as he walked in, brushing snow off of himself. "It's cold out there."

"You could have slept here." Astrid hurried forward and helped her elderly friend take off his coat.

"Thank you but I wanted my gifts to be a surprise." Benen grabbed a small rope and dragged in a sled with four wrapped gifts on top.

"Oh Benen, you didn't have to!" Adrianna smiled widely and began to place the gifts atop the growing pile around the tree.

"Nonsense." Benen said stubbornly. "Of course I did."

The elderly man didn't have time to explain himself any more because Finn had finally found a good stopping place and hurried across the room to hug his dearest friend.

Benen laughed. "Look at you! Two weeks and you've grown even more!"

"I have?" Finn looked down and noticed that his pajamas were slightly tight. "Wow..."

"The gap between you and your sister gets bigger every day, it seems." Hiccup grasped the twins' shoulders and put them together. "The top of her head comes up to your nose."

"Yep. I'm just that amazing." Finn chortled before heading back to his abandoned food.

"Height isn't everything, mister!" Adrianna shouted over her shoulder before turning back to everyone else. "Although it would be nice not to have everyone staring down at me."

"Oh I'm sorry, your highness." Astrid rolled her eyes. "How about we sit down so can look down at us for once."

"Hardy har har." Adrianna deadpanned. "Whichever one of you is responsible for my shortness, you owe me."

A gust of freezing cold air hit them as the door flung open, revealing an amused looking Gobber with a large, bulky sack at his foot. "Ahh, you probably haven't hit your growth spurt yet. Your dad didn't get his until he was almost eighteen." he added as if he had always been standing there.

"Thank you for reminding me of how tiny I used to be." Hiccup said flatly. "I'd nearly forgotten."

"No problem." Gobber hobbled forward and smacked his former apprentice on the back, causing him to stumble. "I'm always happy to remind your kids of the reason for their awkwardness."

Adrianna smiled but felt rather embarrassed at being reminded just how many of her father's genes she contained in every cell of her body. They seemed to dominate her mother's because Finn had clearly inherited Astrid's agility. But, as she looked at her dad, who finally smiled at yet another quip from his old mentor, she supposed there could be worse things than the inability to get through a walk in the woods without tripping on a fallen branch or rock.

"Speaking of awkwardness..." Astrid began, her eyes fixed on her son. "I hear Finn has a thing for the chief of the Bog Burglars."

Finn dropped his mixing spoon with a clatter. "It's not... she's just..."

"It's fine!" his mother chortled. "Just don't use Pipsqueak or Nyssa to send her love letters."

"Fine. I'll just get my own Terror." Finn shrugged and went back to mixing the concoction in the bowl.

"You already are a terror." Adrianna muttered.

Xxx

All in all, that Snoggletog morning had been one of the best. Benen had surprised everyone by how generous he had been. He got Astrid a new axe with her name carved into the handle (Hiccup mentally kicked himself for never coming up with that). For Hiccup, he had gotten the warmest winter coat he could find. Finn had received a shiny new helmet that could be adjusted as his head grew (and his hair thickened). He had given Adrianna a lovely necklace which had a pendant in the shape of a rose and decorated with little purple stones that were so carefully cut, they almost looked like actual petals. The Haddocks all protested that these gifts were far too expensive but Benen waved away their complaints and told them that it was worth it just to see their delighted expressions.

Gobber had gotten them all weapons, two of which Adrianna couldn't even lift (luckily for her, she had been given the small dagger rather than the gigantic club that had gone to her brother). The rest of the gifts were exchanged and by the end of it, the best of them had been the cloth flower hair clips Hiccup had made Adrianna (he'd even put semiprecious stones in the middle), several practice axes from Astrid to Finn, a whole new set of tools for Hiccup from Astrid, and a brand new, very sturdy, and hand made saddle from Hiccup to Astrid. By the time they were clearing out the wrappings, Thorein turned up at the front door.

"Finn, some of the guys are having a snowball fight. You in?" he asked breathlessly.

Finn turned to his parents. "Am I in?"

Hiccup smiled and patted his son on the back. "Go for it."

"Yeah!" Finn hopped to his feet and threw on a coat over his pajamas. Astrid had to call him back twice, once to put on a hat and the other to put on gloves.

"Adri and I have to get ready for the party." Astrid said, jerking her head toward the stairs.

"Already? It's in two hours!" Hiccup called as his daughter pounded up the stairs after her mother.

"Oh let them go." Benen chuckled at the two of them as they disappeared. "Women always need extra time to get ready."

"Yeah... I guess." Hiccup stared at the stairs for a long time.

"All righty, then!" Gobber said loudly. "I'm going to go help set up." and he walked past Hiccup, he patted his shoulder in an almost comforting way before facing the cold outside.

For a few minutes, all was silent except for the crackling of the fire. Benen watched as Hiccup sighed deeply and turned around, staring into the fire with a faraway look in his eyes.

"Forgive me for asking because I know it's not my place but..." Benen paused, allowing Hiccup to look up at him. "Might I ask something about Adrianna that might be a bit... personal?"

"I think I know what you're going to ask." Hiccup leaned back against the couch. "You deserve to know anything you need to know about us. You've earned that right."

Benen lowered his eyebrows slightly in thought, trying to figure out exactly how to phrase his first and most pressing question, one he had contemplated for a long time. "Adrianna's story... it didn't have such a happy beginning, did it?"

Hiccup audibly swallowed and shook his head. "No, it did. She had a wonderful beginning. The pages were just stained and torn before the story could really begin." there was a long pause. "I guess... to get a perspective on what happened... did I ever tell you about the day the twins were born?"

Benen shook his head. "I've heard little things. Such as the fact that the twins weren't born here."

"Yes, well, that's part of it. It's a long story of how it came to this but Astrid gave birth on a remote island in the middle of the ocean. We didn't have a healer or... well, anyone who knew what they were doing so we just had to pray it would go well." Hiccup took a deep breath. "Finn was born first. As soon as he was out, he started screaming so loud, we could hear it echoing all over the place."

Benen laughed. "I'm sorry. It's just very fitting."

"Definitely fitting. He was always loud." Hiccup agreed with a tiny smile, which soon vanished. "We had no idea it was twins. We thought it was all over but then Astrid started having pains again. It was surprising enough to find out there was another baby but then Addie came out feet first." he trailed off for a moment, his gaze focused on the burning embers as his mind raced to find a way to share story and not get choked up. "I delivered her. She was four and a half pounds and so beautiful and fragile... and silent. The little girl I always wanted was motionless in my arms. She didn't breathe, she didn't cry, she might very well have died already. She... I breathed into her mouth and pressed her belly countless times until my dad had to stop me. I..." Hiccup shook his head and faltered. Benen put a hand on his shoulder. "But then she started screaming. That's why her middle name is Miracle. At birth, she barely survived. If only that was the only thing she ever struggled through. I wish I could say it was..."

Benen sighed. "But it wasn't."

"No. No, it wasn't." Hiccup shook his head. "My umm... my dad had a crazy sister who was banished for something she didn't do. Well... initially. My dad accidentally killed his baby brother... Hiccup... when he was a kid. And Trista... she was blamed for it. Then as payback she... Sh-she mutilated the body." Benen gasped. "She was banished. But she came back and for revenge against my dad for causing her a life of misery, she..." Hiccup stopped and swallowed hard. "Gods, ten years and I still can't-"

"It's all right. Take your time, son. Don't rush."

Hiccup licked his lips. "Trista came in the middle of the night on Snoggletog and... she kidnapped Addie from her bed."

Benen stiffened, his hand on Hiccup's shoulder tightening considerably. "No... what... what did you do?" he whispered.

Hiccup opened his mouth but then paused for a few seconds. "Hang on, let me go get something from upstairs."

He rushed up the steps (Benen heard Astrid tell him that on no uncertain terms was he allowed to check on the women's progress) and returned a few seconds later with a box in his hands. He sat down next to Benen and placed the box between them.

"I know it's crazy but I saved everything from when... when it happened. As much pain as it caused us, Astrid and I never want to forget what we went through, how terrified we were... we never want to forget why we fight for her." Hiccup opened the box and handed Benen the note with the Skrill at the bottom. The elderly man stared at the note as the father continued. "This was the first one... this was the note that... I thought I'd never see her again-" he put his head down and covered his face to keep composure. After finding the emotional strength to continue, he looked back up at his friend and explained each note and where it had led. Hiccup expressed his immense frustration when a clue brought them right back to the house after an intense and desperate day. His voice wobbled slightly when he described to Benen the bloody skirt they discovered next morning and the search for the puzzle pieces that revealed where Trista was hiding. But it wasn't until he recounted the events after they rescued their daughter that his eyes began to mist. "You know you... it's been how long and you envision saving your baby and she runs to you, crying in your arms as you hold her tight..." Hiccup licked his lips again. "But she didn't. You're successful in extricating her from the jaws of death and you run to her and she just stares at you... in fact, stares at you in utter horror before she runs away from you... she chooses another parent as someone who can protect her more than you can..." he shook his head. "That woman... tore her apart... mentally and physically. She tore our family apart from the foundations and... I've said it once, I will say it again... it is a miracle that she is here. That any of us are, really."

There was a long silence as Benen took in everything he had heard. Finally, he spoke up. "Sometimes bad people do bad things to those who deserve it the least. Bad things happen to good people. But it doesn't define them. Adrianna's story... may not have had such a happy beginning. But she doesn't have to live in that terrible woman's shadow forever. In fact I think slowly but surely she is getting there. But that goes for all of you. You also." Hiccup looked over and Benen smiled gently. "You were terribly affected by this. If my old ears have heard anything at all in my time here, it is that your last decade hasn't been an easy one. And that's where it all began. You don't have to live in her shadow, in fear that you can't protect those you love. You can, and you do. Every day."

Hiccup shook his head. "It doesn't feel like it. I've never felt more useless in my life than the time my daughter didn't want me in the same room as her."

"But she accepted you over time, yes? She must have or she wouldn't love you dearly now." Benen reminded him.

"Yes. She did." Hiccup took a deep shuddering breath before continuing. "She's always hated to see people cry. Ever since she was a toddler. Still does, as a matter of fact." Benen nodded. "All those emotions couldn't stay down forever and at one point, she saw me crying about it. And that... I guess she hated seeing me cry a lot more than she was frightened to come near me. Or resentful." he paused and shook his head. "I honestly don't know why she ran from me. I don't know why she was frightened of me in the first place. Something about that doesn't add up."

"At this point, I hardly think it matters." Benen said softly. "She isn't running from you now."

Hiccup put his head in his hands again. Through his fingers, he shakily continued. "I still hear her cackles. My heart still pounds when I recount those days. I still grieve for my baby that never... never really came home. She was snatched away... and came home a different person. A very scarred, injured and terrified soul wrapped tight in that little body. She's yet to feel... freedom."

"She will." Benen assured him. After a moment, he tentatively asked a question that was pressing in his mind but he was unsure of voicing. "What was she like before it happened?"

Hiccup smiled suddenly in a way Benen had never seen before. It wasn't a happy smile. There was anguish behind those eyes but at the thought of his daughter as a toddler, the father couldn't help but smile about the few carefree days she'd had.

"Everything made her happy. She was vibrant, excited to live. Her laugh made anyone smile... people loved to watch her chase after Finn through the village. She loved tea parties and looked hilarious and adorable sitting between massive Vikings. She could convince any of them to do a tea party with her. She hated to see anyone cry..." Hiccup stopped and he finally frowned, the anguish now taking over his face. "She's still in there, in the small ways when she thinks we're not looking. But most of the time... sh-she's gone."

"I'm sorry." Benen said in a voice barely above a whisper. "Thank you for telling me. I know it was hard."

"You needed to know. Should've known sooner-"

"No, there's a time for everything. The best time is now." the smile returned to Hiccup's face at Benen's words. "But... I will say that many things make so much more sense now." he paused for a few seconds. "And I think you're right, Hiccup. She's still in there. I can see it. You just have to give it time."

Hiccup nodded. "I know. She'll be back someday. I just pray that it won't take more pain to make it happen."

"As do I. But I know one thing for sure. Your daughter is a fighter, right from the start. Of that you should be proud. She is a true Haddock." Benen said proudly.

"I am." Hiccup smiled. "I should probably take this upstairs before anyone sees it. We keep it pretty well hidden so Addie or Finn won't stumble on it."

"Yes, that sounds wise." Benen agreed. "Thanks again for telling me."

As Hiccup ascended the staircase with the box in his hands, Benen went into deep thought about the story he just heard. The darkness behind the Haddock girl's eyes now made perfect sense... but some of the pain wasn't just residual. There was new pain as well. He could see it on her face when she thought no one was looking. Adrianna was a lonely, unhappy little girl at heart and no one seemed to see it. Perhaps they blamed Trista for her troubles but that was only part of the problem.

In that moment, Benen promised himself that he would try to make a difference with whatever amount of time he had left. He owed it to the family after they had accepted him as their own. And he owed it to the little girl who had done so much to make him smile even while she herself couldn't.