This was done sporadically, whenever I had writers block or it was late and I didn't have the energy for something new... so if it's a little wibbly, that's why.

Timewise this starts soon after last chap, but there'll be a line-break time-jump, as you guys are probably used to from me.

-HTTYD-

The Terror mail sent from Wingmaiden Island was bad news again, on their third month of 'trying' and Atali had still gotten her menstrual cycle. Hiccup rubbed a hand over his face, then looked over at where Astrid had dozed off after rocking a fussy Erica until she went down for her nap. A proper Viking was Erica, with all the stubbornness issues of her village.

Logically he knew it could take time, but Hiccup supposed it was weighing on him that Atali turned up and joined them in the marital bed, only to leave while Hiccup waited and waited and waited. Minden was pregnant, but she was also still visiting the village... Hiccup didn't want to know.

"Hey. That from Atali?"

Astrid's sleep-soft voice intruded on Hiccup's angsting, and he nodded. Elaborated on how it was wearing on him a little, and Astrid cooed softly as she got up, coming to sit in his lap with their still-snoozing daughter.

"It took eight months for us and this little one. Gothi has a few tricks up her sleeve to try and help, and you are going to chow down on boar steaks until Atali comes back."

"I am?"

"Yep. It's meant to get you all revved up, so that plus Atali taking whatever herbs and vegetables Gothi pushes at her ought to boost your chances if nature isn't happy to work alone."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow, petting the scruffy, static mess of their daughters hair.

"Ok, but Atali isn't back for over a week yet."

Astrid winked, tongue poking out playfully between her teeth.

"I'm still here."

Hiccup pouted.

"Is that a dig at my performance?"

"Not one bit" Astrid kissed his jaw "but if you're gonna do it anyway, I can certainly enjoy it."

Disgruntled by her parents paying attention to each other when she had been awake a whole three seconds, Erica thumped Hiccup's chest as she could reach with her little sturdy fist. That definitely got their attention, which got the chubby-cheeked cherub all the attention she wanted from them, kisses and cuddles and tickles from both parents that won them squeals and wriggles.

"Did you ever think of us having more than one kid?"

He asked his wife, and Astrid's lip curved as she pondered while tickling Erica's belly.

"I guess I did, now there's no dragon war to worry about less people are focused on just one kid. But hey, we might end up with a little boy Wingmaiden yet. Would you like a little brother Erica?"

She blew a spit bubble. Hiccup wasn't sure if that was an agreement or not. Astrid giggled, lifting Erica to kiss her soft cheek again.

"I think your mom is loving this, she basically gets a whole week spent with a juvenile Razorwhip and her granddaughter."

"It's very weird for me to imagine my mother enabling me to try and knock up a woman who isn't my wife."

Astrid giggled, leaning into Hiccup and sighing contentedly.

"So think of it as your mom being the happiest babysitter."

That was much better.

"Guess I better get some boar steaks for dinner."

It took a few days, but Hiccup could see what Astrid meant - as he grew sick of forcing down heavy steaks every night, he definitely felt... virile.

Astrid had no complaints that night, ticklish and playful when Hiccup crawled over her in bed and kissed at pretty lips.

"Feeling good babe?"

"I'm sick of steak, but" he thrust against her and Astrid moaned softly "I do feel more peppy."

"Mmm" Astrid wrapped her legs around his hips "I can tell."

She rubbed his bare chest, stroked his sides as Hiccup kissed her hungrily, cock pulsing with need to be inside his wife. Astrid lifted so he could take off her leggings, underwear sliding off too before she spread her legs and drew him closer.

"Love you."

Hands clutched at his back as Hiccup filled her, enjoying the wet heat that enveloped his pulsing cock. Astrid arched and moaned beneath him, taking his fire, his lust and moving with him, body instinctively responding to him. She gave him breathless smiles before her face went slack with pleasure, left Hiccup desperate to drag more of those moans from her mouth, even as Astrid muffled them against his neck so she wouldn't wake their baby.

There was more than one performance that night, and a sleepy, sated Astrid curled against his sticky, sweaty chest with soft murmurs of love. Hiccup smiled as she settled, emotionally as much as physically satisfied to be with the woman he loved.

Atali landed at the usual time a few days later, Astrid taking her to see Gothi while Hiccup was busy dealing with an incident on a farm involving a yak, some watermelon and Zippleback gas... It was going to be a long day.

When he got home that evening, Astrid, Atali and his mother were all sat eating. Atali had a strange-smelling brew in her cup, while Astrid and Valka had mead. His wife stood, crossed the room and kissed Hiccup soundly. He smiled, nuzzling her cheek.

"Hey babe. Tough day of chiefing?"

"Long. I'm gonna go clean up. Hey Atali."

"Good evening Hiccup."

His mother touched him affectionately as he passed, offered him a smile. Hiccup had a wipe down, changed out of his disgusting tunic into his home-lounging gear, feeling much less gross for it. Heading back down, Astrid had the little bucket of warmed water ready for Hiccup to soak his sore stump in.

"Here Erica, make your daddy stay still."

Hiccup chuckled as he was presented with their daughter, cuddling the sturdy infant while the water eased pain and swelling. Astrid played absently with the damp ends of his hair, sat on the side of his chair watching Atali's Razorwhip clamber over Toothless, nuzzling the Alpha and warbling happily.

Erica fell asleep, looking terribly sweet and cute. Leg dry and less sore, Hiccup reattached his metallic limb, taking the boar steak Astrid handed him with a wink while Erica slumbered in Valka's arms.

"I suppose that's our cue little one" Hiccup learned his mother could do the little whistle that called the Razorwhip "and other little one. I'll see you in the morning son. Good evening Astrid, Atali."

Hiccup forced down the steak, knowing he had a few more nights of them yet. But they and the herbs Gothi gave to Atali... with any luck, this would be the month. He hoped so; Hiccup wasn't sure how much longer this bizarre limbo could go on for. Not that having sex with Atali was the worst thing in his life, especially when Astrid had so much fun joining in, but it was still a very up and down thing where they were just left wondering if the gods felt them deserving.

"Coming to bed babe?"

"You girls go on ahead, I need to walk off knee cramp."

Astrid and Atali headed up, where Astrid would undoubtedly make short work of undressing and fooling around with Atali. Hiccup got up stiffly, limping slightly as his knee throbbed from the referred pressure of a sore stump. Rubbing it in annoyance, Hiccup dumped everything from dinner in the rinse bowl, waiting for water to clean meat or soup residue off in the morning.

Hiccup climbed the stairs, unsurprised to hear the sounds pf kissing and soft gasps, Atali's Razorwhip armour piled on Hiccup's desk and the rest of their clothes in a pile pn the floor. They didn't waste time, that much was certain. He undressed himself while Astrid was busy biting Atali playfully, pulled to the bed by his eager wife. Atali always took a spell to settle back in after three weeks apart, but that time shortened each month and she had hands on Hiccup by the time Astrid had kissed him senseless.

He knew she wasn't inherently interested in him, but Hiccup also knew her body responded to stimulus and Astrid kept the female-interest up. So it really was a team effort, though Atali becoming increasingly comfortable and exploring a little meant Hiccup could get her off by himself on the nights Erica needed Astrid. From what he'd been told, the woman achieving her climax was conducive to impregnation, and even without that he had a sense of fairness that Atali gain enjoyment too.

It was still better when Astrid was there though.

Tentative fingers brushed his erection, stroking gently as Atali kissed him, her soft sighs telling him without looking that Astrid had hands on the Wingmaiden chieftess. Reaching to touch Atali, ensure she was wet and aroused, relaxed enough he wouldn't hurt her, his fingers knocked against Astrid's as she dipped them into slick heat, seeking that spot that made Atali shake and cry out, sound echoing against Hiccups mouth. Hiccup joined the effort, fingers slipping across the swollen bump of her clit and sharing the playful smirk of his wife as Atali shuddered between them, close to that point where she became near-delirious with lust and want.

"Oh goddess..."

There it was. Both withdrew their touch together, earning that rare growl of frustration from Atali. The Haddock two took pleasure in reducing the cool, collected leader to this shuddering wreck, something they could share in without that distraction of their own mindless need when it was th two of them.

"You know how it is now Atali, we get you all worked up" Astrid purred, hands caressing Atali's heaving chest and making her shiver "and then you saddle up."

Hiccup barely had time to register before Atali mounted him, far less 'lie there and take it' than she used to be. Hel, if it worked for her, he wouldn't complain. His cock slid inside her with ease, loose and relaxed with arousal as she was. Swollen shaft finally getting its want for a warm, welcoming body, Hiccup groaned as Atali quivered around him, adjusting.

Bracing herself on her knees and his chest, Atali set her pace as a steady grind, using him to stroke and drag against her pleasure spots and keening softly as she did so. Cupping shapely hips in his hands, Hiccup guided her slightly until the slide and grind hit the right notes for them both, gaze seeking Astrid as she watched them through smouldering eyes.

Atali moved a little quicker, pushed harder against him and he knew she was growing close, silken heat tightening around his cock. Astrid seemed to take that as a cue, sliding fluidly across the bed and behind Atali, hands coming to her breast and clit in quick succession. Atali arched, back bowing as she tried to chase both touches simultaneously, making desperate, hungry sounds undoubtedly heard by any passing villager.

He knew when she peaked, felt it in the ripples of her muscles, the tremors of her thighs. Atali twisted, reaching back to clutch at Astrid's thigh for an anchor as she spasmed, cracked under the multitude of sensations. Hiccup came soon after, helping Astrid return Atali to the bed where she recovered in sweaty skin and ragged breaths. Fingers delved between Astrid's sticky thighs, Hiccup bringing his wife to a swift climax as they kissed, reconnecting. Obscenely hot from the display of her husband inside another woman, Astrid came with a lusty gasp in almost record time, clinging to Hiccup as she shook and whined.

Cradling Astrid as she too came down, Atali was on her feet and searching for her clothes. Unless she felt especially ripe and fertile and stayed for round two, Atali never lingered. Dressed and already replacing her chiefly headwear, she turned to the married two.

"Same time tomorrow?"

"Ready to go babe?"

Hiccup nodded over at her, strapping bundles to his saddlebag and going to get Valka. Fishlegs was acting chief, a good second to Hiccup in rational decision making... mostly. Packed up and ready to go, Astrid strapped Erica down tight and they took off. There was no great speed rush with the toddler, but it was still far faster than sailing.

Wingmaiden Island came into view at last, and brought with it a surprise reunion with Mala and Dagur, plus their two boys and Mala's swollen belly. Number three already? Astrid wondered if they were trying to populate a whole tribe by themselves.

"Oh hey Hiccup. Heard you're quite the top quality stud."

"Dagur, that's gross."

The redhead laughed, threw his arms around Hiccup and scooped up his young sons.

"So what are you doing here?"

"Well, what with you guys and the birth and all, the Wingmaidens invited us two chiefly types for some ceremony for the kids, passing on the truce we made and all. Plus we haven't visited in forever! Been kinda busy."

"I can see that."

That was the limit of Hiccup and Astrid's endurance for waiting, though Valka stayed to chat with Mala about dragons while the younger Haddocks headed for Atali's hut.

"Where is he?"

"Sleeping. You may see him as soon as he wakes."

Hiccup pouted, but accepted their son needed to nap. He helped Atali to her feet, bump of her second pregnancy by Hiccup evident against her ceremonial birthing attire, worn for the last month of pregnancy so she was always ready for the actual birth. Atali had fallen pregnant much quicker the second time around, on the first week with Hiccup after recovering from the first birth. She allowed them both to touch her bump, felt the kicks of a babe soon to be born.

"If this one isn't a girl we'll be giving Mala and Dagur a run for their money even though I've only been pregnant once."

Astrid completely saw the baby in Atali's belly as hers too, just as much as the young boy she knew slumbering nearby was hers too. An irritated cry stirred their attention, and Hiccup immediately looked hopefully to Atali. She nodded permission and Hiccup immediately went to retrieve the boy, coming out with a wailing infant of almost a year old. He had a spectacular mass of rust-coloured hair sticking out from his head, bright green eyes and undeniably Hiccup's round nose.

"Hey Axel, how you doing?"

His name meant 'father of peace', Atali's way of naming the boy for the very trait Hiccup was most renowned for - peace. Astrid smiled as Hiccup soothed their son, beaming down at the face of one he didn't get to see nearly often enough while he was still reliant on Atali for breastfeeding and too small to fly by Razorwhip. Still, he was male and they knew one day he'd come to live on Berk with them.

"Soon to be a big brother, with the way this one is getting a move on."

"You're not... right now?"

Atali shook her head, reaching for Axel as he was clearly hungry. Given their history it wasn't surprising Atali was comfortable nursing in front of them.

"Oh no, but I can feel that it is very soon."

"Baby!"

Erica decreed, growing bored in Astrid's hold, wanting to explore. Thankfully, with the multiple other Wingmaidens either pregnant or mothers to youngsters, the village was somewhat safer for a child, though their bridges and metallic-sharp dragon companions weren't exactly child friendly.

"Would you like to take her to the play area? I believe Nadia and her twin girls are there."

Reluctant to leave Axel but knowing Erica could distress her little brother fresh from a nap, Astrid agreed and carted her daughter off. Valka and the Beserker/Defender duo were there too, and Valka was only too happy to agree to watch Erica so Astrid could get back to bonding with her son. Once he had woken fully, fed and changed, Axel joined the others in the hut and spent some time with his big sister and the others, giggling when Erica successfully tackled a miniature version of Dagur.

They had only been on the Island a couple of days when Atali went into labour, and so began that nerve-wracking wait of whether or not this time Atali had the daughter necessary to continue on the Wingmaiden work as future chieftess. Delivery could take time - Axel had been an entire day between first contractions and actual birth. Atali had been exhausted by it.

Both in the room, as tradition dictated, Astrid was responsible for keeping Atali calm while Hiccup paced and fretted enough for ten people. A couple of other Wingmaidens were midwife and so on, one prepared with water and cloth to clean and wrap the baby, another with small chips of if ice given to keep Atali cooled and hydrated through the sheer effort of birthing a child.

Eight hours in, everything suddenly began to move very fast and Atali began pushing, both Hiccup and Astrid helping support an already exhausted Atali as she pushed and screamed and fell back panting, only to repeat the cycle again seconds later. Astrid wiped Atali's face with a cool cloth, fruitlessly removing sweat that began pouring almost immediately but Astrid remembered it had felt fantastic when it was done to her during Erica's birth.

"Almost there!"

A few monumental heaves later, a baby was caught in the hands of the midwife and the sound of first breaths filled the room. They all waited with bated breath...

"It's a girl!"

"Oh, thank the goddess Freya I never have to do this again."

Everyone chuckled lightly, overcome with emotion for the child. Astrid was torn, knowing that it meant forever having to leave their daughter behind for so long and knowing they could all go back to their lives; no more counting to Atali's fertile week, waiting until Hiccup was done as breeding stock to make love to her husband.

Once Atali was done with that first bonding cuddle, Astrid got a turn, Hiccup with his arms around her as they gazed into her face. She saw that same indecision in him, knowing despite their best attempts both would fall in love with this baby and be a little heartbroken when they had to leave her behind.

"I didn't think it would actually be this tough. I mean I knew it would suck, but I thought maybe knowing it would be this way would prepare me. It didn't."

Hiccup admitted to her quietly that night, allowed to take Axel with them to sleep next to Erica - it was important they bond since he would come to live with them when he was two - now he slept through the night. Astrid agreed.

"I know. Me too."

They lamented for it together quietly, stronger in the morning to face it properly. Astrid knew Atali would face something similar - she couldn't raise her son. It was a shared pain for the good of many beyond them - that little girl would help protect Razorwhips, be a sign of the strength of their alliance.

Plus, they were going to visit. Just like Atali would visit them. It would be tough, but Astrid knew in the long run it was worth it.

"What's her name?"

"She is Hanna. Full of grace."

Astrid saw the gesture for what it was - she gave the girl Hiccups same initial. When Valka held her granddaughter, there was an obvious passing resemblance. Still visibly exhausted and walking with notable discomfort, Atali sat with Hanna, Axel at her side while Erica and the other children crowded around. The other parents hung back, simply observing as Atali did her thing, passing on the strength of their alliance to the children in words and sacred promises.

Between feeds and rest and playing with baby Razorwhips, Hiccup and Astrid were allowed to spend time with Hanna.

"We might not always be around, but I promise we will always be here if you need us."

"And hey, there are worse fates than being future boss Wingmaiden. You'll learn to fly!"

Trust Hiccup to focus on that. There was, admittedly, little doubt that their kids would inherit his daredevil streak.

There was powerful temptation to simply take their children and run, but Astrid knew they had made the promise to do this. Relinquishing Hanna back to Atali, Astrid already missed her. Axel crawled over, tugging at Astrid's leg for attention. That same knowledge of separation crossed Atali's face - this was hard on her too.

"We all know this will be tough. But we can be here in a day."

Hiccup soothed, kissing Astrid's temple. Atali nodded.

"And you will always be welcome. I will never keep them from you, and know I will always appreciate the sacrifice you made."

Looking at Axel, who was gnawing his fist and drooling, Astrid nodded. They had their son out of it, after all.

"You too."

-HTTYD-

Despite their accents over on Wingmaiden Island, Atali's name is Swedish, so I felt safe sticking with Nordic names.