Chapter 7...sorry I didn't update earlier. I was busy. ;) Here's chapter 7! *robotic cheers* Enjoy! :D

Valka was prepared for a lot of things. She was prepared to be attacked by Drago. She was prepared to go out and fight the madman if she had to do it to keep the dragons in the sanctuary safe. She was prepared to be wounded, have other dragons wounded, and she was ready to tend to their wounds as well.

However, she was not, I repeat, WAS NOT ready to meet her husband again after twenty years of no contact with him.

Hiccup was standing next to Stoick, his hands in front of him as though he were strangling an imaginary person while his eyes betrayed his fear and anger both at once. There was another person standing on the other side of Stoick - Gobber, if Valka remembered him correctly, who looked confused and shocked.

Stoick looked...well, it was hard to read his facial expressions. He was always so...stoic, and it drove Valka up the wall sometimes.

Now, it terrified her. What if he reacts the same way Hiccup reacted? she thought wildly. She didn't think she would be able to take losing her son and her husband to their anger. Her only family…

Well, maybe you shouldn't have abandoned them, then, she thought bitterly against herself.

"I know what you're going to say, Stoick," she said, beginning slowly and quietly, looking down at the ground. At length, she looked back up at her husband. "How could I have done this?" She lowered her gaze once again for a moment. "Stayed away all these years, and why didn't I come back to you?"

She looked at Hiccup. His face was unreadable. "To our son?" she added. It's not entirely my fault I stayed away, she told herself. Berk was a dragon killing island. "Well," Valka said, "what sign did I have that you could change?" At this point, Stoick began walking towards her. Valka hid her fear. "That anyone on Berk could? I pleaded, so many times to stop the fighting, to find another answer, but did any of you listen?"

She paused. "I know that I left you to raise Hiccup alone," she said slowly, "but...I thought...he'd be better off without me."

She looked back at Hiccup, remembering everything he had said to her. "And I was wrong," she said, "I see that now, but…" At this point, Stoick was just a few steps away from her. His facial expressions remained the same. "Oh," Valka started, hating how choked up she sounded, "stop being so stoic, Stoick. Go on...SHOUT! SCREAM! SAY SOMETHING!"

He cupped her cheek, cutting her off. She stared at him with fear filled eyes, worried at what his reaction would be.

At length, he spoke. "You're as beautiful as the day I lost you," he whispered. He leaned in, and his lips met hers. After a moment, they broke away, staring at each other.

"Um...excuse me?" Hiccup's voice broke through their thoughts, and they turned to look at him as he stepped towards them. "I'm confused."

"This is your mother, Hiccup-" Stoick began.

"No, no, I know that," Hiccup said, "but what I don't understand is how...how you could just...forgive her that easily."

"Oh boy," Gobber said. "Here he goes. He doesn't make it easy."

The blacksmith was ignored.

"She abandoned us, Dad," Hiccup said. "How could you just forget that?"

"It doesn't matter, Hiccup," Stoick said. "She's here now."

"It doesn't matter!?" Hiccup repeated. "Of course it matters! Why am I the only one who thinks it's wrong!? Why am I the only one reacting like a human being!?"

"This is why I never got married," Gobber muttered, putting his head in his one good hand.

"Hiccup-" Stoick tried again.

"I don't understand!" Hiccup shouted. "How can she abandon us!? Me!? I-"

"Hiccup Haddock," Stoick warned.

"No!" Hiccup said. "I can't forgive her! Not yet, at least!" With that, he turned and stomped in the opposite direction, his heavy, exaggerated footsteps echoing throughout the ice cavern.

"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third!" Stoick called after him, but Hiccup didn't falter. He continued walking until he was far away enough. As soon as he was sure he was far away enough, he sat down on a rock, his legs dangling over the side of it, his hands folded loosely.

Stoick looked back at Valka. "I'm sorry," he said. "I don't know what's gotten into him. He's normally not like this-"

"No, I'm sorry, Stoick," Valka said. "I shouldn't have stayed away…"

"It's not your fault," Stoick said. "I'll talk to him." He stepped away without another word elsewise, following his son.

He found Hiccup after just a few minutes. "Hiccup," he said. He stopped abruptly, sighing. "I don't even know what to say to you, son. How could you say something like that to your mother?"

Hiccup shook his head. "I don't know how you expect me to act," he said. "You don't understand, and I wouldn't expect you to, but...she abandoned me. It's...it's almost as bad as being disowned. You don't know what that's like, do you?" It was a statement; not a question.

"Hiccup, she's here now," Stoick said. "Isn't that the important thing?"

"No, it isn't, Dad," Hiccup said. "She was gone for twenty years. I can't forgive that without...without feeling some sort of hurt, can I?"

"I'm not asking you to be entirely thrilled, Hiccup," Stoick said. "I'm just asking you to understand."

Hiccup shook his head once again. "It doesn't matter now anyways," he said quietly. "She already made her decision."

"Hiccup-"

"No. Please. Just...leave me alone for now. I'm still trying to process...everything." He sighed, dropping his head in his hands and remaining unmoved. At length, Stoick sighed.

"Alright," he said. "Just try to think about it, Hiccup." He turned and headed back down the tunnel where Gobber and Valka were still waiting. As if on cue, dragons started roaring in panic. Valka and Gobber were staring over the overhand, staring out with horror on their faces.

"What is it?" Stoick asked quickly, running towards his wife and friend. "What's wrong?"

"Drago," Valka answered, turning around to face him. "Drago is attacking the nest."