Author's Note: A big thank you to all of you who read Freefalling, reviewed, favorited and/or followed it (even though it was set to 'Complete')! I'm glad you guys liked that one. I received a few requests asking for a follow-up, so this is an attempt (albeit a very late and much shorter one) to tie up some loose ends. I'll admit it's pretty open-ended in itself, and I sure hope I didn't screw this up because I honestly was not planning anything after the original story.

Please enjoy!

WARNING: Somewhat abusive language and minor character bashing.

Disclaimer: I do not own Rise of the Guardians or How To Train Your Dragon.

Terminal Velocity

"I'm coming, I'm coming…" the man grumbled as the rapping on his front door grew insistently louder.

Stifling a sleepy yawn, he shuffled out of his warm bed and rubbed at his eyes, the sharp sound of pounding on wood echoing through the empty house as he made his way towards the porch. It was a wonder how he managed to hear it when it was storming heavily outside, the crash of thunder and howling of winds practically deafening him. It was a good thing he was a heavy sleeper, but that only added to the mystery of how he could hear someone banging on his front door in the dead of night with the elements going wild outside.

The door swung open and he was met with the sight of two soaking wet teens, one of whom had a bloody arm slung over the other's shoulder as he leaned heavily against him. Both of them were panting hard and shivering from the cold, and he was too taken aback by their disheveled states to care about the large appendages protruding out of their backs.

"C-can you h-help us?" the smaller brunet asked, his teeth chattering as he looked up at him with pleading eyes. "P-p-please," he begged, tightening the hold on his injured companion's waist.

Without a word, the man stepped back to allow them in, quickly working to get a fire started on the hearth once he had ushered them to the battered couch in the middle of his living room. He searched through his sparse cabinets while the brunet gently laid his companion down, wiping white bangs from his face as he arranged his limbs into a more comfortable position, mindful of his dripping wings pressed awkwardly into the cushions. A towel suddenly found its way around his shoulders and he looked up to see their host with a first aid kit and some blankets.

"T-thank you," he said gratefully.

"No problem kid," the man smiled, glad to be able to help.

"My name's H-Hiccup."

"Call me Ralph."

Jack gritted his teeth and hissed, squeezing his eyes shut when Hiccup pressed a damp cloth to his bleeding shoulder as he tried to stem the flow of blood, murmuring apologies and soothing words to ease his suffering. Next to him, Ralph was busy tending to Jack's arms, his large hands surprisingly gentle and careful as he applied medicine to the bullet wounds and wrapped bandages around them.

They worked in silence, the only sounds coming from the crackling of flames in the fireplace and the occasional stifled gasp of pain. Jack and Hiccup's clothes were strung up in front of the fire to dry, and Ralph had graciously lent them his own shirts to wear for the night (the man was huge – his shirts reached down to their knees at least). Empty bowls of soup and half-drunk cups of lukewarm tea rested on the small table nearby.

Jack was already out like a light by the time Ralph was packing up the first aid kit. Hiccup tucked him into the couch, stroking his cheek with a tender hand before getting up from his knees on the floor. He received a worried look when he wobbled dangerously on his feet, gripping the arms of the couch for support as he tried to stand. Now that Jack had been seen to and taken care of, he could finally let his exhaustion catch up with him.

"You sure you're all right?" Ralph asked, holding up the first aid kit and gesturing to his guest.

"I'm fine, just tired," Hiccup managed a weak but grateful smile at him. "Jack took the worst of it, but he'll be okay… right?"

Ralph nodded with confidence, easing the uncertain expression that had started to cross the brunet's face. Hiccup looked around the living room and shifted awkwardly, and Ralph suddenly felt a little embarrassed at the bare condition of his home. He cleared his throat, catching Hiccup's attention. "I'd offer you my bed to sleep in for the night, but something tells me you'd prefer to stay close to Jack."

As he had expected, Hiccup nodded shyly, turning to the peacefully sleeping boy with a fond look. Smiling in understanding, Ralph jogged upstairs and returned moments later carrying a pillow in one arm and a thick mattress under the other, much to Hiccup's silent marvel at the man's physical strength. Setting it down next to the couch, he took a few minutes to convince the brunet to take them before he finally relented, giving in to his exhaustion. Hiccup slipped under the blankets, twisting around to get comfortable with his dark wings.

Turning down the lights, Ralph bid them goodnight, not surprised at the lack of response. Both teens were fast asleep and he smiled at the sight before heading back upstairs. Spreading out a blanket on the floor, he lay down and crossed his arms under his head as a makeshift pillow. The last thing he saw before returning to the world of slumber was the sight of his empty bedframe pushed into a corner of the room.

Ralph's home was hidden deep in a forest and it was by pure chance that Jack and Hiccup had stumbled upon it. Jack's injuries were beginning to take their toll on him and they had inadvertently gotten swept up in a storm, forcing them to land in a clearing they had managed to spot amidst the heavy rain. They knew they were taking a risk by knocking on a stranger's door – what if he had been one of those who sympathized with the hunters? – but Jack needed immediate medical attention and Hiccup was close to passing out, given the fact that he had flown non-stop for almost a day on his first flight.

Their host was kind enough to shelter them while they lay low and rested, especially with the state of disarray the world was in after the destruction of the Sanctuary. Ralph didn't have much contact with the outside world, but he had a radio which kept them mostly in touch with what was happening.

Several hunters had been arrested in connection with the genocide but most had escaped, fleeing the island before the authorities could arrive. In the aftermath of the attack, many of the Winged went into hiding, leaving their families and hometowns behind for fear of hunters in their vicinity. Knowing that there were others out there targeting people like them, Jack and Hiccup made sure to keep their wings hidden whenever they ventured out for supplies with Ralph, who suggested that it was probably safer for them to stay with him instead of finding some other accommodation in town.

Despite Ralph's generous hospitality, it wasn't hard to tell that he rarely had guests over. His mostly empty house was a dead giveaway, and while the two teens didn't have much on them, they made an effort to earn their keep and repay their savior. They kept things tidy, made sure that firewood was always stocked up, and provided company for their lonely host. Jack cracked jokes and shared stories of his travels, engaging Ralph in conversations and making him laugh. Hiccup was out in the shed most of the time, building simple furniture and useful inventions to spruce up the place and expand Ralph's collection of tools.

Ralph often stared at their wings, gazing at them with wonder and imagining what it would be like to fly. When Jack and Hiccup had healed sufficiently, he would watch as they flew around the secluded forest, exercising their wings after weeks of being cooped up indoors. They had never tried to lift him, but Ralph insisted that he was too heavy for even both of them to carry together, unfortunately deflating their idea to give him a taste of flight.

Incidentally, the teens' physical recovery also earned Ralph his mattress back, seeing as he came downstairs one morning to find Hiccup sleeping peacefully in Jack's arms, cuddling with the white-haired boy and wrapping his wings around them as a protective blanket. Hiccup had shot him a knowing look when he moved his pillow and mattress back upstairs, and Ralph got the feeling that he knew the man had been sleeping on hard ground for the past few weeks or so. In any case, even with Jack and Hiccup sleeping together becoming a nightly occurrence, Ralph trusted the couple not to violate his couch with their… activities.

The three of them talked often as well, discussing random topics and learning more about one another. Ralph listened with sympathy when his guests recounted the events that had transpired in the Sanctuary, and he offered to let them stay for as long as they needed. Jack and Hiccup learned that their host had no surviving family and had been living alone with only a few years of school to help him make ends meet. He worked in construction, specifically in the demolitions team, and he would be called in whenever something had to be knocked down to make way for the latest project.

"I'm not a good guy," Ralph told them once, sighing sadly as he stared at his abnormally large hands. "People around here don't like me very much. All I can do is wreck things."

"That's not true," Jack shook his head, frowning at the tone of self-deprecation coloring Ralph's words. "You patched us up all right, and you shared your home with us even though you didn't know us. We owe you."

Hiccup nodded earnestly in agreement. "Jack's right. You've helped us so much, Ralph. The other townspeople may not like you, but we do. Jack and I really appreciate everything you've done for us."

Touched, Ralph sniffed and smiled happily, jumping up from his chair to give them a big hug. "Thanks guys. That means a lot to me," he said tearfully as he took one teen in each arm, oblivious to their faces slowly turning blue from the tight (yet heartfelt) embrace.

But all good things come to an end, and two months after Jack and Hiccup first showed up on Ralph's doorstep, they were ready to leave. Ralph was sad to see them go, but the two promised to visit when they could and they shared one last (crushing) hug with him before taking to the skies. Ralph watched them fly, squinting against the sun as his eyes followed them for as far as he could see.

When he stepped back inside an hour later, the time having passed him by as he gazed wistfully at the cloudless blue skies above, he smiled at the small wooden box Hiccup had crafted for him, resting on the mantelpiece. Opening it up, the sight of a snow white feather and a jet black scale greeted him, and he silently prayed for the safety of his new friends.

As much as they wanted to, Jack and Hiccup knew they couldn't run forever. They could try their best to put it off, but sooner or later they would have to face their pasts.

They just didn't expect it to catch up with them on the same day.

For Jack, it came in the form of a small brunet boy yelling his name before barreling into his midsection, sending him colliding into Hiccup's chest as he caught them both and stopped them from hitting the ground.

"Jamie?" Jack gasped in surprise, getting a nod and a bright smile in return. Laughing happily, Jack picked him up and swung him around, eliciting excited squeals from the young boy. "Look at you, all grown up!" he exclaimed, setting him down and ruffling his hair. "You're what – twelve years old now?"

"You remembered!" Jamie jumped in delight and grinned wildly. Spinning around, he beckoned to someone hiding shyly behind one of the benches in the park, gesturing for her to come out.

Jack's eyes widened with shock. "Hold up – Is that… Sophie?" he asked incredulously. Jamie nodded and held out his hands towards her in encouragement.

At the sound of her name, the blonde toddler cocked her head to the side, peering up at the tall white-haired teen from behind shaggy bangs. She waddled towards them, her curious green eyes never leaving Jack as she moved closer and stopped to hide behind Jamie.

"Hey kiddo," Jack squatted down and smiled kindly. "Last time I saw you, you were still in diapers," he chuckled, winking at her. Sophie peeked out from under her brother's arm and beamed at him.

Jamie stared at his friend's large blue hoodie and frowned in confusion. "Jack, where are your w–"

Jack quickly put a finger to the boy's lips, shushing him effectively. He scanned his surroundings discreetly and checked for anyone listening in. "Did you hear about what happened to a bunch of people with wings like me?" he whispered, seeing Jamie nod quietly. "Well, it isn't safe for us to leave them out right now, so I need you to keep it a secret. Can you do that?"

A deliberate cough sounded from behind them just as Jamie gave him a mock salute, promising to keep his lips sealed. Jack stood up and turned around, meeting Hiccup's amused gaze. Mentally slapping himself for forgetting the brunet, he reached out to lace his fingers with Hiccup's, smiling apologetically.

"Jamie, Sophie, I'd like you to meet my friend," Jack pulled the other teen forward and gently bumped shoulders with him. "This is Hiccup, and he's just like me," he said, sending Jamie a knowing look. While Sophie giggled at the strange name, Jamie's eyes widened in understanding as he noticed Hiccup's brown oversized jacket. Then the first part of Jack's words sunk into his mind.

"H-Hiccup? What kind of name is that?" he snickered, unable to help himself.

The brunet in question rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "Great name, I know," he said wryly, shaking his head. "Trust me, it's not the worst."

Hiccup could tell that Jamie and Sophie really wanted to spend time with their old playmate, so he turned to Jack. "Since you're in the company of your two most favorite kids," he began, grinning when he caught the delighted expressions that lit up the children's faces at the word 'favorite'. "How about I leave you guys to catch up for a while?"

"All right, but make sure you join us at the playground later, got it?" Jack called back over his shoulder as Jamie and Sophie cheered, grabbing his hands and dragging him away. The brunet nodded and chuckled as Jamie started to babble about all the things Jack had missed ever since he had been driven away from his home. He remained where he was, smiling at the happy look on Jack's face as the group made their way towards the children's section of the park.

And as for Hiccup, it came in the form of a hitched gasp and a soft whisper of his name somewhere behind him after Jack had disappeared from sight.

He whirled around, finding himself standing face to face with one Astrid Hofferson.

"– and then Pippa accidentally hit Cupcake, and we all thought she was gonna kill us!"

"Oh man! Then what happened?"

"She started chasing us with this HUGE snowball, and then I slipped and landed on my sled, and I started to slide towards the road!"

Jack stood up abruptly, almost causing Jamie and Sophie to drop to the ground from the other end of the see-saw. "Did you get hurt?" he asked worriedly.

To his relief, the younger boy shook his head. "Nah, there was this furniture truck that was also slipping on the ice, and a sofa actually fell out of it when it turned the corner. I hit the sofa before reaching the road, and I even lost a tooth!" Jamie opened his mouth and pointed to an incisor on the left side. "This one, see? But it grew back already."

"Looks like the sofa hit you, kid. Not the other way around," Jack chuckled as he led them to the swings. Sophie eagerly clambered onto one and started bouncing up and down, calling for Jack to push her. The white-haired teen was happy to oblige, eliciting excited squeals from the toddler while her brother watched on. Jamie was in the midst of telling Jack about his latest school project when they were suddenly interrupted.

"Jamie! Sophie!"

The children turned around at the sharp voice calling their names. Jack spotted a middle-aged woman walking quickly towards them, and it took a moment before her face clicked in his mind.

"What have I told you two about talking to str–" She froze the moment her gaze landed on Jack, and her eyes immediately narrowed at him. "YOU," she hissed angrily.

"Mrs. Bennett." Jack nodded politely at her.

She pushed past him to grab her children and took a wary step back, holding them protectively against her body while ignoring their protests. "Stay away from my kids, you freak!"

"Don't call him that!" Jamie argued with an insistent tug on her sleeve. "Jack's our friend!"

"Be quiet! You don't know what you're talking about." Mrs. Bennett slapped her son's wrist and Jack frowned at the wince it elicited. He moved forward to help him, but she only retreated further.

"Get away! Don't come any closer!"

"With all due respect Mrs. Bennett," Jack began patiently, trying to keep his temper in check. "You of all people should know how unpredictably these things work. If Jamie or Sophie grew wings tomorrow, would you disown them?"

"H-how dare you!" The woman's face began to turn an ugly shade of red as she spluttered with indignation. "It's not the same! You're a murderer, your family's dead because of you!"

Bringing his family into this was a low blow, but Jack didn't feel any of the pain or guilt that would have once plagued him with nightmares and self-deprecation at the reminder. Back in the Sanctuary, Jack had shared his past with Hiccup and despite all the doubt and insecurity he faced every time he recalled the horrific memory, the brunet was able to talk some sense into him. His parents had been killed in an accident and although his sister shared their fate not long after, it –

"– was NOT. Your. Fault." Hiccup grabbed his face and looked him firmly in the eye, using his thumbs to wipe away the tears that had started to cascade down his cheeks. "Jack, you did all you could to save her. You didn't leave her at the crash site to die. You picked her up and you carried her all the way to search for help."

"But I was too slow!" Jack cried, shaking his head in anguish even though Hiccup refused to let go of him. "If only I had been stronger, I could have flown with her, I could have SAVED her! I should have –"

Jack was cut off when Hiccup crushed him in a tight hug, and his words dissolved into incoherent sobbing as he tucked his white feathery wings in and buried his face in the brunet's shoulder. Hiccup gently combed his fingers through Jack's hair, wrapping his own black draconic wings around Jack as if to shield him from the world.

"You're going to destroy yourself if you keep thinking like that," the brunet whispered sadly. "It's not really my place to say, but I don't think your family would want you to ground yourself because of them. You told me they knew how much you loved to fly, so why stop just because you can't see them anymore?"

"What do you mean?" Jack sniffled and pulled back in confusion.

"Angels live in heaven, remember? When you fly, even though you can't see them, I'm sure your parents and sister are right there next to you," Hiccup smiled at him, a hint of melancholy in his forest green eyes. "You'll be with the people who love you more than anything else in the world, and –"

It was Jack's turn to cut Hiccup off with a heartfelt embrace, knowing how much it hurt him that his own father never spared his flightless son a second glance. But Hiccup had a point. Maybe it was finally time to let it go, time to –

"– forgive myself. So if you think that bringing them into this will help your case, think again."

Mrs. Bennett was silently fuming, trying to recover her composure. "That doesn't change anything!" she seethed. "Those damned Winged can disappear off the face of the earth for all I care!"

"You should be careful where you say things like that," Jack advised, casting a wary glance around them. "You'll attract the wrong attention, especially if people think you're in support of the hunters."

Sure enough, there were several curious park goers looking at them, wondering why this woman came out of nowhere to yell at a teenager whom her children clearly knew and were having fun playing with. Jack took this opportunity to drive his point home, dropping his voice so that only she could hear.

"I'm not telling you to like us, Mrs. Bennett. All I'm saying, is to accept that we're here."

Humiliated and at a loss for words, Mrs. Bennett chose to ignore him. She turned around and pulled her children along, leaving no room for argument as she firmly told them that it was time to go home, and even though they whined and protested, they had no choice but to follow.

Jamie and Sophie looked sadly at Jack as they walked away, but the older teen shook his head and smiled at them, waving them goodbye with a silent promise that they would play again another day.

The two stood frozen, staring at each other in shock until Astrid finally broke the silence between them.

"You're alive…" she breathed out in surprise, as if unable to believe the sight of the boy in front of her.

Hiccup jolted slightly and took a half step back before his natural defense mechanism kicked in, built up over years of being bullied and trodden on. "Sorry to disappoint… again," he muttered, practically tasting the bitterness in his words.

The blonde imperceptibly flinched, but stayed where she was. "Where have you been?" she demanded, the uncharacteristic worry in her eyes making Hiccup feel very uncomfortable. "You just disappeared one day and no one knew where you went! You didn't say goodbye, you didn't leave a note –"

"Like that would have made a difference," Hiccup shot back. He knew nobody paid any attention to him, so it was unlikely that they had noticed his absence. "How long did it take to realize I was missing?"

This time, Astrid visibly shrunk back in shame. "About a week," she admitted, looking away. "You didn't come to class one day, and no one remembered seeing you since the last weekend. That was when the mayor started sending out search parties."

At the mention of his father, Hiccup's demeanor softened somewhat. "How's d-Stoick?" he asked.

"He's… not well. His health's been giving him problems lately, so Gobber moved in to keep an eye on him. Hiccup…" Astrid bit her lower lip, a concerned expression on her face. "He misses you. Even with Gobber around, he's all alone now."

Hiccup frowned at the news. "Is that why you're here? To tell me to go back?"

"I didn't think I'd bump into you here," she shook her head and stepped forward. "Look, I know we've never really treated you kindly," Hiccup snorted derisively at that statement, but she pressed on, "but you have to come back. We heard about what happened to the Sanctuary and everyone thought you were on that island when it was destroyed. They all think you're dead." Astrid let out a shaky laugh as her eyes brightened with relief. "It's good to know they were wrong."

"What makes you so sure I wasn't there?" the brunet sneered coldly, taking some guilty pleasure from the look of shock and horror that flashed across Astrid's face. "Never thought Hiccup the Useless – no, Hiccup the Flightless could ever survive on his own, huh? I honestly don't know why Berk would want its runt back. I bet the search parties didn't even bother putting in any effort to look for me." Hiccup knew it wasn't like him to hold a grudge and lash out so resentfully at others, but at that point it felt as if a dam in his mind had broken and he was unable to stop the torrent of words and feelings that gushed out without control as buried memories of his miserable life back home began to resurface.

"How can you say that?" Astrid yelled at him with clenched fists, and Hiccup caught a glimpse of the angry girl he was more familiar with. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I was wrong – we all were, and we just want you home. Please, if not for us, then at least for your father. He took it the hardest after his only son left him!"

"I'm not his son," Hiccup whispered, watching Astrid's temper deflate with confusion. "I'm a disgrace. He said so himself, the night I went away."

Hiccup remembered it clearly. They had an argument when he had returned home after another unsuccessful afternoon of trying to get off the ground. In the heat of the moment, his father had given him that disappointed look and said to his face, "you're not my son." The screaming match effectively ended there as his father turned his back on him, muttering something about shaming the family name, and it was only hours later that Hiccup finally picked up the bags he had been packing for weeks and disappeared into the night.

"I'm sure he didn't mean that," Astrid tried to assure him, even though she sounded slightly apprehensive about her own words. "You should see him, Hiccup. He's genuinely sorry, and he blames himself every day for driving you away. I know he'll be really happy to learn that you survived."

"I almost didn't," he admitted with a tired shrug, having expended all his energy in his earlier outburst. He felt numb, yet somewhat relieved at the same time. It felt good to let everything out, all those thoughts and emotions he'd kept bottled up all these years. "Sometimes I wondered if I would have been better off with a bullet in my chest than facing a lifetime of people putting me down every second of the day. I figured I'd be doing you all a favor." Hiccup looked up and caught Astrid's wide eyes as she paled. "But I'm glad I'm alive," he added softly, "because I finally found someone who loves me and accepts me for who I am."

Astrid gave him a pitying look. "You still can't fly?"

Hiccup shook his head, frowning at her assumption. "I can. And that's why I won't go back."

"What? Why – I don't understand…"

"Because I didn't do it for you," he said firmly. "I didn't learn so that I would be accepted by the village. At first I wanted to, but not anymore. I don't want it to be conditional, like I can only return home after I've 'redeemed' myself by learning how to fly. No, I'm doing it for me, and I'll go back when I'm ready."

Stunned into silence, Astrid could only stare and gape at how much the years had changed the boy before her. Once, he had pretty much been a pushover, but now she was able to see the strength he held inside, the courage to stand up for himself and make his own choices. The blonde had never learnt how to quit, but she knew when she had lost the battle.

"Alright then," she conceded defeat with a sad smile, gaining a whole new level of respect for the one whom everyone had made the mistake of overlooking. Astrid nearly laughed out loud when Hiccup blinked at her in surprise. "Shall I give your regards to everyone back home?"

"Uh, yeah sure." He hadn't expected her to back off so easily, but for once it seemed like they were on the same page. Hiccup gave Astrid a grateful nod and held out his hand. "Thanks, Astrid. I can't believe I'm saying this, but it's pretty good to see you again."

They shook hands, and the brunet let out a startled yelp when he was pulled into a bone-crushing hug.

Jack looked up when he heard footsteps approaching, smiling when Hiccup walked up to him. "Hey Hic."

"Hey yourself. Where're Jamie and Sophie?"

A tired shrug. "They had to go home. Sorry you didn't get a chance to play with the kids, you would have loved them."

There was something in Jack's tone that told him there was more to it than he was letting on, but Hiccup knew Jack would tell him when he was ready. Seeing Astrid again had been an unexpected blast from the past, and he wanted to wait a while before sharing about the encounter. Hiccup took a seat next to him on the swings, kicking his legs absently.

"So, what now?" the brunet asked. Jack's face brightened as he threw his boyfriend a lopsided grin.

"I hear Arendelle's nice this time of year."

Author's Note: Thanks for reading :)