The Return of the Dragons

Part 62 Birth - Hiccup POV

1 year later

My Astrid breathes deep and heavy. Her swollen belly goes up and down with her breaths as she lies anything but still on the bed in her delivery room. Yes it has happened again and now my Astrid is about to give birth again only this time, she has gone into labor at full term and is absolutely ready to have this baby. My heart is pounding. After so many months I am excited beyond words to meet this little one.

I am sitting beside my bride who has been laboring for the last fourty-eight hours. I have been with her the whole time walking her up and down the room, changing the cloths on her forehead, spoon-feeding her and giving her massages. I will not leave her side until our baby is born. She needs me here with her.

As I sit next to her I hear her sigh. Then she begins to moan. I turn to her and take her hand and put my arm around her. "Breathe Astrid you've got this. In... Out..." She follows my pattern and breathes deeply.

"They're less than thirty seconds apart Hiccup." She moans. "I think it's almost time."

"Okay." I say calmly. "I'll have Zephyr get Gothi." I say and I get up to go tell my daughter. But Astrid stops me.

"Hiccup wait."

"Yes Astrid?" I reply.

"I want you to do it." She says.

I look at her. Sweat us rolling down her brow. Labor is taking its toll on her body and she is about ready to deliver our baby. But fear grips me as I think of what she is asking.

"Astrid are you sure? You want me to deliver our baby?"

"Yes Hiccup. I want it to be just us. I want to welcome this child into the world alone, just you and me." She says sweetly.

I feel tears coming to my eyes. I sit down by her side. I rub her full belly and I whisper "Alright."

She smiles at me and we almost kiss but her smile quickly disappears and she begins to breathe hard. "Oh Hiccup." She gasps. "It's time. I need to push!"

Quickly I get up. Gently putting a hand on her knee I become her midwife. "Push Astrid." I say gently. "That's it. Good girl Astrid. Breath, in... out... now again, push."

"Ahhhhhahhh!" My bride cries as she pushes hard. I look at her. She is still beautiful even in this trying time.

"One more then the head's out. Come on Astrid you can do this!"

She moans and I see my baby's head. Tears come to my eyes at the sight. "Oh there's my baby, that's it Astrid! Keep going sweetheart push!"

"AHHHHHAHHH!" she cries loudly.

"Come on Astrid, for the baby you can do this!" I cry. A few more pushes and we're almost there.

"Come on sweetheart one more!" I cry "Push!"

With one final effort she pushes and it's done.

"Oh Astrid it's done! The baby's here! She's here Astrid! It's a girl!" I say. And there among a lot of bloody rags lies my baby, my perfect, healthy little girl, screaming and writhing full of life. She came into the world stringer than her sister and she is ready to take on the world outside her mommy's tummy.

I reach down and I pick her up. "Oh come here sweetheart, It's all right! Shhhhh. Daddy's got you. It's okay baby girl!" I wrap her in the little quilt we made just special for her and I slowly take her over to Astrid. Kneeling down I lay her in her mother's ready arms.

Astrid says nothing; she can't say anything. All she can do is receive our little one and hold her, trying not to drip tears all over her.