Eleven: Park Life

Hanna was overjoyed when a sodden Hiccup arrived back with Astrid, who had explained that all was well to her family and had left with the best wishes of a dozen Hoffersons. Astrid's father, brother, three uncles and a transvestite elderly aunt-who he assumed was the infamous Aunt Matlock-all threatened Hiccup with various harms if he upset her again and he was reassured that she came from such a close and loving family. Neither he nor Heather had much in the way of family so he was hoping that Astrid would be able to explain how it worked. Not that it would directly impact on Hanna, since she was shaping up to be an only child...

"ASTRID!" the little girl had yelled and impacted into her legs before she could even get her coat off. Resting her bag on the side-along with the chocolate gateau her Mom had insisted she bring with her-she scooped up the little girl and hugged her even as the little arms wound around her neck.

"Hey there, Hanna-miss me?" she asked as the little girl nodded excitedly.

"I've learned a new word. Mutt-on-head," she announced proudly. "It's what Daddy was. And Unca Snotlout. And probably Uncle Tuff sometimes..."

"Honey-that's not really a good word," Astrid said.

"And Uncle Tuff and Auntie Ruff tried to poison Unca Snot with a 'goddamned liquid acid burger with added chillis that will scorch all the hairs off your chest'. Can I have one please?"

"No way," Hiccup said firmly.

"Aww Dad..." Hanna whined. Astrid sighed.

"Hanna-I am sure you would be better with a hot dog and potato salad...and then, if you eat that, you can have chocolate cake."

"Not if Unca Snot gets to it first," the little girl said glumly but Astrid leaned close.

"Only people who eat their main course all up get chocolate cake," she whispered. "And that means that Snotlout will have to eat his evil poisoned burger with added chillis. And I don't think he can manage that."

"I heard that!" Snotlout called from the kitchen as the twins raced forward to hug Astrid. Ruff winked.

"I was so not going to be the only girl in the gang," she told Astrid. "And he is a muttonhead-he's just our stressed anxious muttonhead..."

"Fault on both sides," Astrid said clearly. "But I think we understand each other now. Now could you please stop squashing Hanna so we can watch Snotlout try to eat your chilli laced burgers?" Ruff pulled back with a big grin.

"You see-I told you she was the right choice!" she told her twin smugly. Tuff nodded.

"Now let's see how red we can make Uncle Snotlout!" he said.

oOo

Sunday found them all in Hamish Park, the largest park in Berk, acres of lawns, flower beds, play areas and a boating lake as well as a stream and duck pond, some basketball and tennis courts and an ice rink for the winter. The day was cold but bright and Hanna, wrapped in pink anorak, pink hat, scarf and mittens with her Olaf backpack on and pink sparkling boots over her pink stripy tights, was bouncing up and down with excitement. She was chattering nineteen to the dozen and getting Hiccup and Astrid to swing her between them.

Hiccup was happier, out with his daughter and Astrid, who was the same sort of calm and controlled presence that Heather had provided. On his own, he knew he tended to brood and get obsessed-and that, coupled with his natural anxiety and even greater fears about losing his daughter had meant he hadn't really been enjoying any outings since he lost Heather. Until now. And even the twins had volunteered to meet them in the Park-with Fishlegs, of course, whom Ruff would never leave out of anything. They had promised to bring a few snacks but all of them had heavily hinted that there were a few eating places in the Park where they could sit down in the warm and relax.

Astrid allowed Hanna to drag them to the play area and quickly made it to the swings, where she wanted to be pushed. Making sure she was safely in, the blonde carefully pushed her high enough-but nowhere near where she could be, or where she could harm herself. But her squeals of delight had Hiccup grinning at her excitement, wisps of her dark hair escaping from her little braid as she swung back and forth, desperately swinging her legs to try to go higher. Of course, she wasn't heavy or coordinated enough to accelerate-yet-but Hiccup suspected she would end up as fearless as Heather and he had been-before they had become parents.

Quietly, he settled on a small climbing frame in the otherwise-deserted play area and pulled out his pencil and sketch book. He often sketched Hanna and Heather, when she had been alive, because he had always been artistic and had drawn for as long as he could remember. It was an action as normal to him as breathing and one of the few activities that allowed him to relax and feel as if everything was normal once more. And as his pencil moved, her realised he was drawing Astrid, the graphite outlining the shape of her face, the way her nose wrinkled slightly as she concentrated, the poise in her stance as she carefully pushed her daughter, the way her lips curled slightly at her laughter.

And then Hanna was there, talking at top speed and telling him exactly what she had been doing right before his eyes. He chuckled at her enthusiasm and then he watched her race off and start determinedly climbing up the slide so she could speed down. As he watched, Astrid gave him a small smile and walked over as Hanna shot down the long metal side and then raced back to climb up again.

"Daddy! Look at me!" she called and Hiccup stuffed his pad back into his pocket, then pulled his phone out and walked forward, snapping images of his excited daughter fearlessly clambering up the ladder and zooming down the slide. Astrid stood close by, watching carefully-until a group of three slightly older boys came up and shoved Hanna to the ground as she came off the slide. Hiccup tensed as Hanna began to sniff.

"Yeah, cry baby!" one sneered. Hanna tried to get up but they shoved her to the floor once more.

"Baby! Baby! Baby!" another chanted. Hanna gave a little sob.

"Please...get off..." she said in a small voice, trying to get up again. This time they shoved her to the ground more violently and she gave a small cry as she sprawled onto her hands and knees. They closed around her.

"Baby! Baby! Baby!" One of them prodded her with his foot and she began to cry as they leaned even closer. "Baby! Baby! Baby!"

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Astrid's wrathful voice roared in their ears and they looked up to see her inches from them. Eyes widening, they backed up as she elbowed through them and scooped Hanna up. Her gaze was disgusted. "You should be ashamed of yourselves, picking on a smaller child and trying to make her cry. What is wrong with you?"

The boys backed up, shocked at her anger.

"We're gonna tell our Dad!" one told her defiantly. She took a menacing step towards him and he backed up swiftly.

"Not so much fun when someone bigger than you is being mean, is it?" she asked them, her tone firm but more controlled. The defiant boy took a quick breath.

"We're telling our Dad!" he shouted as they ran off. Astrid shook her head and peered into Hanna's damp face.

"You okay, sweetie?" she asked gently as the little girl buried her face in her shoulder.

"M'leg hurts," she said mumbled as Astrid peered down and saw the knee of her tights torn and a little blood soaking into the material from the scrape.

"I'll clean that up and we can make that better," she promised as Hanna buried her face once more.

"Don' wanna play here any more..." she mumbled.

"Oh honey-you don't have to be scared just because some bad people were here once," she reassured her.

"Want Daddy," Hanna mumbled as Astrid hugged her. Hiccup appeared at her side and gently stroked her hair.

"Here, Princess," he murmured as Astrid handed her over. She buried her face in his shoulder.

"Those boys were mean," she mumbled. "Don' wanna play on the slide any more..."

"Hey! You!" A gruff male voice was approaching and Astrid looked up as an overweight man with slicked back blonde hair, rather scruffy stubble and mean blue eyes approached, the three trouble-making boys at his side. Confidently, Astrid turned to face the man as Hiccup tightened his arms around the little girl.

"Yes? Can I help you?" she asked. The man advanced to far too close, glaring into her face.

"What're you doing, telling off my boys?" he spat. Astrid stared into his eyes and smelled mead on his breath.

"I had to push them off my little girl here, who they had pushed over-three times-and were bullying her," she said firmly. The man glanced at them.

"Your fault for having a weak kid," he sneered. Hiccup tensed and his eyes narrowed. He had been bullied as a child and a teen for being small-just as Hanna was-and the implication infuriated him. But Astrid stepped in first.

"She's four and alone-your boys are what-ten, eleven? And there are three of them," Astrid countered. "That is bullying. It's disgusting and a horrible example. And that you condone it is disgusting as well."

"Hey-this Berk, the land of Vikings!" the man sneered. "And Vikings are strong and brave...not...pathetic little runts!"

"Vikings are also honourable and courageous," Astrid told him. "And it really doesn't show any courage in ganging up on one very little girl. It's more an act of cowardice!" The man went puce.

"You've got a right mouth on you, blondie!" the man leered. "You calling my kids cowards?" Astrid gave him a contemptuous look.

"All bullies are cowards," she said shortly. "And people who protect and condone bullies are just as cowardly and pathetic."

"My boys wasn't bullying anyone," the man retorted. "They was playing and then you and your brat came and pushed them off the slide..."

"That wasn't what happened," Hiccup said flatly. "Hanna was the only one playing on the slide and they surrounded her and pushed her to the ground."

"What's it to do with you, skinny?" the man scoffed. Hiccup gave a thin smile.

"Well, I was filming the whole thing so maybe you want to speak to your boys about lying as well as bullying," he added sharply. The drunken man opened his mouth-and then paused. It was clear, no matter how drunk he was, that he realised the story he had been told was different to what he was hearing. And he was now facing two determined looking adults rather than one lone woman.

"That's not your business!" he sneered and grabbed the anorak of the nearest boy, hauling him off as he walked away, the others following. "You should have stood up to that nosy bitch! And I've told you before that you need to pick one without a parent around..."

"Never a social worker around when they could actually be useful," Astrid sighed.

"Another fine example of Berkian parenting," Hiccup agreed. Hanna peeked out from where she had been hiding her face.

"Why was that man angry, Daddy?" she asked. Hiccup kissed her head.

"Because he is a nasty man," he sighed. "And he has drunk a little too much mead."

"Like Unca Gobber on Snoggletog?" Hanna asked with a frown. Hiccup sighed.

"Maybe...but Unca Gobber is a nice man anyway so he stays nice," he explained. "When mean people drink too much, it makes them meaner."

"Are you a mean person, Daddy? Will you go all mean when you drink?" Hanna asked worriedly but Hiccup shook his head.

"I am a complete lightweight, Princess," he explained. "When I drink...which is very rarely...I just go all soppy. It's a bit embarrassing." Astrid chuckled.

"Now I want to see that..." she commented but he shrugged.

"No opportunities when you're a single parent on your own with a small child," he pointed out.

"You've got me now," she reminded him and he shook his head.

"Actually, it really is too embarrassing," he admitted. "I think Hanna has had enough. Shall we get a coffee?"

"I think that may be a good idea," Astrid admitted. "And I need to clean Hanna's knee anyway." Smiling, Hiccup fell in step beside her, Hanna still in his arms as they headed to the nearest eatery, 'Sven's Cafe'. The sun had come out and the park was filling up-but as they crossed through a grassy area, a soccer ball sailed through the air, directly at Hiccup. In an instant, Astrid pushed him aside and chested the ball down, catching in on her foot and keeping it up for a couple of kicks as she scanned where it came from.

Unsurprisingly, it was a group of boys including the three troublemakers. One of the others, a tall boy of maybe thirteen or fourteen, walked towards her, his arms outstretched.

"Can we have our ball back?" he asked insolently.

"Isn't there something you want to say?" Astrid asked, catching the ball deftly. "Maybe 'sorry' for almost striking us? Or 'please' can you have your ball back?"

"Don't need to now you've said it," the boy told her. Astrid sighed.

"I see standards have really dropped in Berk since I left," she commented. "Okay-you can have your ball back if you can get it off me before I score." The boy gave a smug smile.

"Piece of cake," he scoffed. "You're only a girl..." Hiccup winced as Astrid's expression hardened.

"Your funeral," he murmured as Hanna looked up.

"Don't they knew she is awesome?" she whispered loudly.

"Apparently not," Hiccup said with a smile. "And they have no clue who she is." Astrid looked up as she dropped the ball and rested her foot on it, noting the position of the boys, all looking smug and over-confident. In an instant, she was dribbling forward slowly, allowing them to come forward-and then she accelerated, zigzagging through them as they appeared frozen. Skilfully, she nutmegged two boys, passed forward to herself, spun a Cruyff turn round the last defender-a stocky boy who deliberately tried to bodycheck her and knock her down-and then she put her foot through the ball, scorching a perfectly weighted shot past the keeper.

There was a shocked silence and then the watching parents all started cheering, astonished and amazed by the performance. The boys were all standing, open-mouthed as all their assumptions were exploded. Astrid gave a grin and flicked her braid over her shoulder, then walked back to Hiccup.

"Couldn't resist it, huh?" Hiccup teased her as she gave a broad grin.

"Sometimes...no," she admitted. "And boy, that felt good." He glanced over to the Dads, who were all talking excitedly, pointing and explaining to their boys what just happened.

"I think some of them recognised you, at least," he told her. "And maybe they realise that some girls can play soccer as well." She fell in step alongside him, high-fiving Hanna's proffered hand.

"Now I definitely need that coffee," she said.