The Lost Boy V - Short stories

Baby-sitting

(set after Book 3)

Fishlegs had a dream and a precise idea of the life he wanted to live. A peaceful life focusing on taking care of dragons and teaching it to the younglings of the village. He had made this dream come true at New Berk where he had become a teacher at the Dragon Training Academy and where he had built a farm in which he was raising Gronckles and living with his wife.

But there was one detail in Ruffnut's life he had forgotten about. Tuffnut. If there was one thing he had not anticipated, it was his wife not wanting to grow apart from her twin brother, and that said brother would live with them at the Ingerman farm.

At the beginning, it was not a problem, even if the twins were still making a lot of pranks and playing an awful lot too much with Zippleback's gaz within the house. Then came the first birth. Of course, Fishlegs was happy to be father, even if Ruffnut and him were not married yet, but Tuffnut was an invasive uncle who was spending more time with the little Fishnut than his father.

Then came another litter from Meatlug, and the hatchlings had decided it was nicer to live in the big house than in the barn. Fishlegs could not deny them, so he couldn't deny either Chicken and her family. Tuffnut made sure to convince his sister who didn't give a choice to her boyfriend.

So it had started to get crazy, the house was noisy at undecent hours in the morning, Fishnut and the hatchlings constantly shouting and running everywhere, and Ruffnut and Tuffnut were adding their own pranks. And it got even worst when Ruffnut claimed she wanted more children and when Tuffnut ended up marrying Nada – a particularily talkative viking woman he had secretely loved for a couple years already.

Fishlegs had hoped to see them leave to make their own house and family, so the farm could get calmer, but they decided to settle there with the Ingermans. Then Ruffnut gave birth to another boy, Huffnut, then to a girl, Nutlegs. Add to this the triplet boys Tuff and Nada had – Dart, Fart and Bart – and you'll get the noisier and more chaotic house in the whole village.

Fishlegs loved his family. Gods knew he loved his family, but sometimes it was just getting too much for him. The berkians had slowly grown used to see him with dark circles under his eyes and a worn out expression on his face, but noone really knew his misery unless they got closer to the farm and heard the comotion reigning there. Little by little, the Ingerman farm was renamed the chaos farm.

Joke often got visits from his stut friend who was coming to ask some medicine for headache or to help him relax and sleep. That's why he was not surprised to find him on his doorstep in the morning. Fishlegs looked awful. His dark circles were so dark he looked five years older. His mustache and short hair were so shaggy they looked like bad straw. He was standing but looked like he could drop dead by the second. In his left hand, he was holding a rattle for baby. In his right hand, she was slowly shaking a baby bottle, obviously thinking it was the rattle. Around his neck and chest was a stole allowing him to carry around the last newborn of the family, a tiny little baby girl who was way more calmer than her older siblings. They had called her Birdlegs because of her twig-like limbs.

''Morning, Fish'.'' Joke greeted him with a smile.

''Joke, please...'' The mustached man mumbled with half closed eyes. ''I can't take it anymore...''

The snow-haired man held back a chuckle and looked over his shoulder inside the Haddock's house, peering at the chamomile and infusion herbs already waiting at the edge of the table. It had became an habit to hear Fishlegs mumble pleas instead of greetings. Hiccup, who was sitting at the table, taking breakfast with their own two children, smiled uncouragingly to the stut viking. Except that, when the chief stood in order to bring the herbs, Fishlegs managed to slur another request.

''Can I stay here for a couple days ?''

It took the couple by surprise, still they didn't hesitate – not even concerting the other – to agree. Joke led him inside and helped him sit on a chair, he even proposed to share breakfast with them.

''I need a break...'' Fishlegs mumbled, he looked like he was in some kind of trance.

He kept on shaking the bottle as if the noise from the rattle in his other hand could calm down the wailing of a newborn, though Birdlegs was sound asleep against his chest.

''Some peace... some rest... please...''

Hiccup opened his mouth, ready to tell him he could stay with them as long as he needed, but Joke couldn't remain serious.

''You know it can get pretty crazy here, too ? Especially when Lumi and Toothless come with the Night Lights.''

Haldrik clapped his hands with delight and loudly repeated the names of the dragons, visibly happy to know they were coming. Joke smiled and took his hand, softly hushing him.

''Honestly,'' Hiccup said, ''I highly doubt two children and five hatchlings can rival Thorston's chaos.''

''Some rest... some sleep...''

Both viking men looked back to Fishlegs and noticed he was still mumbling and shaking the bottle with a mindless gesture. Alwine chuckled and got to her knees on her seat so she could sway a hand in front of the man's face. He had no reaction. Like, at all. He was kind of scary, somehow.

''Uncle Fish sleepy.'' The five years old girl stated, dropping back to sit properly.

''Do you guys think he even realises where he is ?'' Joke wondered.

''I don't think so.'' Hiccup replied, eyeing their friend warily. ''Either way, these few days here will be good for him.''

Joke nodded with a smile, he couldn't agree more with that.