Family is Everything

Ch. 20

"So let me get this straight." Hiccup had his face pressed into his palm, trying to make sense of the frantic story his children had screamed at him. "Maisie's biological father is...here. And he wants to..."

"Take me." Maisie said with wide eyes, still freaking out. "He wants to take me."

Astrid placed her hands on Maisie's cheeks and kissed her forehead. "Honey, take a breath. You know that's not going to happen."

"He seemed pretty determined." Nuffink said from across the room. He was leaning against the wall near the staircase, still fuming over the entire thing. How dare Shane try to harm his sister, worse yet try to take her against her will? It boiled his blood.

"Well it doesn't matter how determined he is. He can't have my baby." Astrid said calmly.

Zephyr, who had refused to leave Maisie's side the entire time, threw her hands out. "HOW are you guys so calm about this? He tried to steal my baby sister mom! Kidnap!"

"Is it even kidnap if he's her biological dad?" Her brother piped in.

"YES-NO-Wait... Argh!!" Zephyr's nose scrunched in her frustration. "Look, I don't care what he is, he can't have Maisie! I love her and I will kill the dude if he tries."

"Zeph!" Maisie gasped.

"Always." She muttered, hugging her.

"Well its a good thing your father thought ahead when we adopted you, Maisie." Astrid smirked as she walked over to Hiccup, kissing the top of his head. She plopped down in the seat next to him and placed her hand on top of his. "Your father set a law in place years ago. Once a child is 14 years of age, he or she is old enough to decide their own living arrangements."

"Since you are a citizen of Berk, and Shane is on Berk, the law applies. He can't take you Maisie." Hiccup smiled.
Maisie released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding in. For a split moment she thought she was going to be ripped away from everything she loved. She couldn't bare to lose her family. Her hands shook with relief and Nuffink walked over, hugging her protectively.

"Told you he wouldn't take you."

She nodded and held her arm out to Zephyr. "SIBLING GROUP HUG!"

A knock at the door made them tense. "I know you have her." Came a gruff voice.

Hiccup's eyes darkened and he pointed out of the kitchen. "Upstairs."

"Dad, we can handle ourselves." Zephyr protested.

"Yea." Nuffink agreed. "I mean why can't we stay down here and watch you kick his ass?"

That earned a death glare from his mother. "Nuffink Haddock watch your mouth.  And listen to your father. All of you upstairs."

"But Mom-"

"Now."

The three teens sighed and headed up the stairs, pouting as they did so. Astrid rolled her eyes. Teenagers. Always wanting to get into trouble.

"Well, we'd better handle this." She sighed.

Hiccup nodded, and went to open the door. There stood Shane, looking quite determined. He wasted no time in stating his business.

"You're Hiccup Haddock?" He eyed Hiccup.

"Aye."

"You have my daughter. I've come to take her back. She's mine and you cannot keep her."

"Hmm. Didn't know you could own people. Did you know that Astrid?" Hiccup smirked.

"Never heard of such a thing." Astrid grinned, knowing full well this idiot was about to learn a lesson he'd never forget. Hiccup was not a very aggressive person. He never had been. But something Astrid had noticed very early on: he was extremely protective of his children. And a bit of Stoick showed through him when his children were threatened.

"Now you listen here!" Shane growled, reaching out to grab Hiccup's throat. Hiccup had expected this and he grabbed his arm swinging him around and slamming him into the wall. He pinned him there and growled back. "No, you listen. Because I am only going to say this once."  His voice got dangerously low. "You do not come into my village and threaten my family. I don't know what happened in the past with you, but I made a promise to Maisie's mother that I would protect her. And she made it very clear that you were no good for her. You're not in her life."

"But she's MY DAUGHTER." Shane shouted. "MY BLOOD. Ya' can't keep her!"

"You are on Berk, and Maisie became a full citizen of Berk the moment my husband and I adopted her. And according to Berk law, she is old enough to decide where she wants to reside. And guess what? She didn't choose you." Astrid said angrily. "I don't know what you want her for after all this time, but it doesn't matter. You are not taking MY daughter from me."

Hiccup released the man and he glared at the both of them. "I can see there's no winning here."

"You got that right." Astrid snorted.

"Let me make this perfectly clear." Hiccup said, his voice shaking with anger now. "If you ever come anywhere near my family again, I will not let you off the hook so easily. Now get out of my house."

"You'll regret this." Shane sneered at the two of them before walking away.

Astrid ran over to Hiccup as soon as the door was closed, kissing him deeply. His hands cupped her cheeks and he couldn't help but smile into the kiss. When she pulled away he arched an eyebrow at her. "What was that for?"

"Could you ever have imagined yourself sounding so much like your father?" She smiled. "You're always so worried about disappointing him, when really you have all his goodness inside you."

"I don't know about that." He tucked a stray section of hair behind her ear and kissed her again, wrapping his arms around her waist. "But I try."

"He would be proud of you."

"You just had to ruin the badassery with the kissing!" Nuffink whined.

The couple looked up to see their children sitting on the stairs.

"Yea mom! How come you had to ruin it?" Maisie smirked.

"So much for badassery. I can't even remember what dad said now!"

"I'm going to wash all your mouths out with soap!"

Hiccup burst out laughing as all three kids' eyes widened. "OOoh you'd better run!"

"AHHH!"