Chapter 25

Hiccup was shaken awake. His eyes burst open even though he didn't want them to. He moaned and turned his head to the ice. Somehow, that ice pillow didn't surprise him. He felt his father's hand next to his and remembered last night's trauma, and every moment before. He felt the panic rise in him again. He repeated to himself that it would all be okay, but feeling the motionless hand next to his didn't encourage him.

"Hiccup, come on," a nasal voice gently ordered. "We're moving back to Berk."

Hiccup forced his eyes to open. He saw the dawn spread its fingers across the sky. He twisted his head upward and saw Fishlegs.

The blonde shook his head. "You shouldn't have moved."

Hiccup groggily whined and closed his eyes again. "It's just bruises. How could it be fatal?"

Fishlegs huffed. "I see your point but you still shouldn't have done it." Fishlegs stood up. "You still have to ride Toothless gently and watch that those burns don't rip open. Doctor's orders."

Hiccup nodded absentmindedly as he sensed Fishlegs leave. "Sure doctor." Hiccup again looked to his father. He hadn't changed from last night, like his body was frozen in time.

His eyes didn't leave their focused position, even as his mother dragged him away and mounted him on Toothless, even as six men lifted the stretcher and placed him on the Dragon King with his monstrous back and steadily, soft beating wings, Thornado close beside him. Hiccup robotically hooked on his foot and gripped the hand straps. Even as everyone took off and flew home, he didn't think about skydiving or flips or banks or any other tricks, even with the fluffy clouds and salty sea air. The whole ride home, his gaze didn't leave his father's body.

Astrid, and pretty much the entire army, sensed Hiccup's desperation. She wanted to hold Hiccup's hand, but Stormfly was too big to fly that close to Toothless. Her only other option was to leap off of her own dragon and land onto his. No, even that was unacceptable. She wanted to hug him so badly, but it still wasn't time yet.

No one noticed Valka, and she didn't care. Throughout the whole flight, she didn't look at either her husband or her son. She still couldn't find the courage to.

They had landed a half hour ago. The return was a mix of joyful reunions and weeping mourns. The bitter-sweet hugs and tears shared among the villagers somehow ushered them into the Great Hall, where a spontaneous memoir of the dead soldiers was delivered by Gobber and Spitelout. The whole hall filled with tears and wails of grieving mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters. But no matter the grief of losses, people's hearts somehow eventually turned to their chief, who lay in the healer's house, recovering. Some talked amongst themselves in worried, hushed whispers.

What condition was the chief in? Where was the chief's wife? Wasn't she to be at his bedside pleading for a miracle instead of wherever she was? Would the chief die? Where was the chief's son?

At the mention of the heir, they now saw him in his father's position of heroic virtues and selfless leadership, taking over his father's many responsibilities. A few self-appointed men marched to the back of the hall, where a tapestry of their chief was stitched. The brave, courageous, fearless man in that picture wasn't the man they now imagined, grasping relentlessly for life in their healer's house. With a sad nod, they reached up to take down the tapestry, but were stopped by an angry Gobber.

The one-armed, one-legged friend smacked them all with his mallet, light enough to spare injury but hard enough to make a point. "He hasn't croaked yet," he growled.

Even they could see that Gobber didn't believe even himself.

Hiccup rested his head against the wooden beam supporting the healer's stable. Those passing him compared him to a blind beggar, for that's what he resembled; his back hunched against the wall, his feet sprawled out, and his face looking, unblinking, to the sky. They wanted to help him, but they didn't know how. To those old enough to remember, he looked exactly like Stoick when his father died; they hadn't known how to handle that either, but handle their own grief and let the to-be-chief do the same.

Hiccup's faithful dragon rested against his lap, perking up Hiccup's chin every few minutes. But the boy never moved. Hiccup looked like he didn't want to be comforted. He just stared to the gray sky, praying that the sun would shine through. Please, please, please let the sun shine! Please!

Soon, the girl, the blonde, beautiful angel, Astrid, sat down beside him and grabbed his hand.

Astrid tilted his head towards her. She pecked his cheek and demanded, "Snap out of this."

He stared at her for a moment and then he rested his head against her shoulder. She didn't protest.

Hiccup huffed. "I don't know what to do. I know I should get up and keep…walking, I guess but I can't. I can't…" He squeezed her hand and brought it to his chest. He felt Astrid hug him tighter. He continued, "I…my Dad might die! I…don't know what to think!"

She rubbed his back, enjoying the sound of silence. Hiccup wasn't crying, which plagued and comforted her. As he kept resting his head against her shoulder, she wondered what to say. Nothing seemed right, every comforting thought too shallow. Finally, she broke the silence.

"Why don't you go find your mom?"

Hiccup shot up. "My mother?"

Astrid nodded. "I was just thinking, I don't think I saw her land with us. She's not in there with your dad. Do you know where she is?"

Hiccup ripped apart his memory, wondering if he saw her. She wasn't anywhere in there. Nowhere. What if she…left them again? What if she fled the sadness they were supposed to face together, what if…? Hiccup tried to shove these betraying questions from his head, but couldn't find the strength, like it was fuel for him. It was. It was the only adrenaline he had left to go to his mother.

Hiccup panted. "Astrid, I…I…"

"Have to find her," Astrid finished. She kissed him lightly on the lips. "Go after her."

Toothless heard the cue for a flight and bounded upward. He flexed his joints, ready to go.

But Hiccup stayed where he was for a minute. He saw this angel, the loving one who encouraged him and always put him before herself. Always. The urgency to be with his mother still hammered down on him, but first he had to admire this angel from Valhalla, who was understanding enough to let his mother be the woman in his life too. He grasped her beautiful face and admitted, "I love you so much." He pulled her into a passionate kiss, the first one he personally ever gave her. Astrid gasped, but relished the feeling.

They both pulled away and Astrid smiled. "I love you too. Now, go find your mom."

He nodded. "Did I say how much I love you?"

"You can tell me later."

Hiccup nodded and kissed her once more. "Thank you."

With that, he mounted Toothless, ignoring the pains in his joints. Toothless shot up and Hiccup wordlessly guided him through the forest. He already knew where she was.

She was right where he expected her to be, that place she retreated to when she and Dad first fought. Her feet dangled over the cliff and her gaze pierced the ocean horizon. Her dragon napped a few yards away from her. Toothless lumbered over to join him after licking Hiccup's chin encouragingly. Hiccup smiled. His best friend always knew what to do.

But then he turned to his mother and panicked. She wasn't going to jump, no she wasn't in that stance, but she still didn't move.

"Mom?" he croaked. She didn't turn her head, but a flinch told him she heard him. "Mom?"

Then, like she couldn't place his familiar voice, she turned her head. She smiled and arose. In one move, she outstretched her arms and embraced him. He hugged her back.

He rubbed her back, ignoring the scabs and stammered, "It'll be okay, Mom. It'll be okay. We'll get him back! It'll be fine!"

She hugged him tighter, and they eventually knelt down.

Valka rubbed his back. She had to say these words, but they were so hard to say. Her voice cracked, "Hiccup…I'm…I'm sorry. I left you when you needed me and I couldn't come back…didn't want to come back…and now he's dying and I love you so much and…oh, I don't know what I'm saying!" She hugged him harder. "Just…just know I'm sorry."

Hiccup hugged her tighter, treasuring this moment that, with as much sadness it held, he didn't want to let go. "I did forgive you Mom. Remember? When you took me to your cave? You were ready to apologize and I stopped you? I haven't taken that back Mom. I still felt forgiveness when you left and got captured." He didn't think it was possible, but he hugged her tighter. "I love you too."

Tears came for both of them and they wiped each other's away. Valka held her son close as they listened to the sea rage on below them. It was a beautiful sound, calming and serene, but it also thundered, like it couldn't make up its mind whether to broadcast a raging storm or a beautiful sunset. Mother and son listened anyway.

Valka sighed after taking a long, luxurious breath. She stroked Hiccup's hair and asked, "How are you? Truthfully, I mean. Are you okay?"

Hiccup nodded blindly. Explanation after explanation poured through his head, but only one came out. "All my life people told me that I couldn't be chief. Then I trained Toothless and well, the possibility came up. Dad coached me more and I learned a lot and I grew up and he taught me… a lot. And if you ask him he'll tell you I taught him a lot. But…Mom I can't do it. I can't be chief after this. I don't want it. I knew I'd be chief but…I didn't think it would resort to this!"

"Hiccup," she sternly, gently consoled. "There's no sense in mourning him while he's alive. You can't say goodbye until it's time."

Hiccup nodded. "I know, I know…but, I don't want to lose him. And not just because he's the chief. Yeah, everyone here will be mourning the chief, but I'll be mourning my dad! They didn't know him, they…"

He stopped for breath and his mother kissed his cheek. "I know honey, I know."

They sat there in silence for a while, as if everything needed to be said was said, but they still felt there was so much more to talk about. Yet, as they sat there, Hiccup's wish came true. The sun escaped the cloud barrier and glistened among Berk like a blessing from Valhalla. Hiccup smiled at its warmth, still felt the chill of snow falling in the distance, and remained in his mother's embrace.

"Valka! Hiccup!" a voice shrieked. "Valka! Hiccup!"

The duo looked to the cloudy sky and saw a Boneknapper soaring to them. Its rider leapt off of him and raced in their direction. "Disgraceful! Disgraceful how you two make me scour the entire island looking for you! None of you bothered to leave a note, eh?"

"Gobber!" Valka urged. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" Gobber gaped. "Nothing's wrong! Stoick's awake!"

Instantly, a flash of relief drowned the Haddocks. He was alive? He was breathing, he was alright? Their worrying had been for nothing?!

Valka gasped, "He's alive? Gobber, Gobber, you're not lying to me? He's alive!" Gobber nodded and she laughed. She tackled him in a strangling hug, crying her eyes out. "He's alive?" she whispered, as if testing an illusion. "He's alright?"

Gobber warmly smiled and hugged her back. "Yes, but he's tired. So go and see him before he falls asleep."

Valka let a sob escape, like her relief was a joy too incredible to handle.

Hiccup remained standing there, soaking all of it in. It was almost unbelievable, almost too unreal that his father should be alive. He wasn't complaining at all, no! But…he wondered where his joy was. His mother was bouncing up and down in relief but he just stood there, somehow sad that his reason for grief was gone, but he couldn't imagine why! Shock? Disbelief?

Gobber noticed his nephew. "Hiccup!" he laughed. "What's wrong?" His mother also looked back to him, surprised that she'd forgotten him in her own joy. "Hiccup?" she mouthed.

Hiccup could only answer their concern in a few words, his heart sorting through all the emotions he thought a normal person felt right now. "I'm fine just…" He didn't know why there was silence after that.

"What?" Valka demanded as she walked toward him, fearing his unmoving body. "Honey?"

Hiccup spoke again as she grasped his shoulders. "Let me see him."

The flight there was hardly noteworthy for Hiccup. For him, the most incredible moments were when Toothless landed directly in front of the healer's house. He didn't notice the absence of the usual, comfort-giving crowd until a few hours later, to which Spitelout answered, "You needed space. No need to say more."

He stopped before the healer's door, and stopped. It suddenly looked a whole lot bigger than reality claimed it to be, a whole lot thicker, stronger, impenetrable, even if it was hastily fasted boards of plywood and a knob. He didn't want to go in. He didn't want to see his father. He couldn't place why.

He felt a soft hand slide on top of his shoulder. He knew it was his mother, even if it felt like Astrid's hand. His mother rubbed his shoulders and whispered, "Just go in."

"Are you coming?"

"Of course," she half-laughed. "Don't I always?" She noticed the irony of her statement and buried regrets of leaving him behind.

Hiccup didn't notice or didn't take heed. He breathed in deeply, summoned his courage, and knocked on the door.

"Come in," was the muffled response. "But only if you're the chief's family! No visitors right now!"

Hiccup opened the door slowly. "It's-it's me. It's me and Mom."

The old woman smiled, Gothi standing by her side. Gothi was about to draw in the sand, but the healer spoke first, outstretching her hands and holding Valka. "Come in, come in. He's waiting."

Hiccup stepped forward and instantly found his father. He was still in the half-coffin…splints! Hiccup cringed. He had to start thinking of those as splints.

His father turned his head to Hiccup, and time seemed to tiptoe by. Hiccup gasped, ready for anything, like this man wasn't his father at all, that he'd been cruelly tricked and that this was all a false hope. He shielded his heart to that, unwilling to lose another parent, another hope.

He saw his father look at him, and slowly, the chief smiled. Groggily, the familiar voice commanded, "Get over here Hiccup."

Hiccup smiled, his heart bursting. Suddenly, this didn't feel like a dream, this didn't feel like a charade just to keep his hopes up. In one bound, he slid beside his father and grasped his hand. Then, he draped his arm over him and lay against his shoulder, but just barely to avoid worsening the wound. "I love you Dad."

Stoick gently laughed. "I love you too, son." He wanted to move his free arm across Hiccup, to return the embrace, but a stern warning from the healer earlier frightened him from it.

Hiccup wanted to hug his father tighter, but knew he couldn't. He stood on his knees and breathed, "How are you feeling?"

Stoick nodded. "Good, considering all that happened. Are you alright?"

Hiccup nodded. "Yeah. It's an occupational hazard anyway, right?"

Stoick nodded. "Son, son, look at me."

Hiccup had glanced at the floor momentarily, and his father hated his distractedness, looking like he was too sad to look up. At his father's order, he glanced upward. "What?"

Stoick breathed hard before speaking. "I-I am so proud of you! Spitelout told me everything. How you rallied them together by yourself. He basically repeated the speech back to me. You were everything I wanted you to be, and more! I couldn't be prouder son!"

Hiccup melted when he heard those words. He was sick of the tears constantly coming, but this time, he didn't mind. "Thanks Dad." He hugged him once more. He again whispered, "I love you."

"I love you too," Stoick chuckled. Then, he noticed the thin figure shaking behind her son. He knew she was there, but was somehow silent during the father/son reunion. He motioned for Hiccup to move aside and his son fully understood why, so he backed up against the wall and made room for his mother.

They both eyed her, her delicate, sweating frame. She shook slightly.

"Valka?" Stoick asked. He outstretched his right arm, ignoring the healer's worried expression. "Valka, are you ok…"

She didn't let him finish. She cried with delight. "Stoick!" She raced forward and hugged him in the same way as Hiccup. She was crying. After a moment's embrace, she grasped her husband's face and kissed him fully.

Hiccup was…greatly disturbed by this. After all…it was a kiss…on the lips. He cringed but knew better than to disrupt the kiss of his parents. Kiss…that word alone when used in subject with parents was…unnerving.

Gothi whacked the healer with her rod and slowly retreated. The healer chuckled softly and muttered, "We'll leave you two alone." Hiccup watched as she closed the door behind her.

He turned back to his parents…and they were still kissing. He groaned, "Okay, I love you dad, happy you're back, can I go?"

His parents laughed. Stoick broke the hold and turned his head. "You can stay if you want."

Hiccup bolted upward. "No! No, no! Oh no!" he waved his hands around as he backed out of the house. "I will leave, uh, you two…to have fun and…well, yeah do things…oh why can't I shut up!" He fled the house and slammed the door behind him. He heard his parents burst in uproarious laughter inside the house.

And he didn't mind. He even smiled back. It looked like he'd get his whole family after all.

The Academy was bustling with dragon healers under Fishlegs' direction, racing between different dragons with various injuries.

"Make sure you have enough bandages!" Fishlegs cried as he hurriedly and carefully folded some.

Ruffnut tiptoed past him. "Unwind, unwind, figure out that you're panicking!"

Fishlegs smirked. "I'm not panicking."

Ruffnut swirled around with the same grin on her face. "Yes you are."

"You can check my blood pressure. I'm not panicking. I'm just delegating responsibilities."

Ruffnut raised her eyebrows. "Fine. Whatever you say." She turned around and Fishlegs returned to his job.

But then she tiptoed back up, nabbed a cloth and bagged it over his head. She giggled violently and raced away. Fishlegs tore it off and ran after her. "Hey, don't do that! Get back here!" he screamed.

Hiccup entered just at this moment and couldn't believe his eyes. Fishlegs…chasing…Ruffnut. Others didn't notice them, engrossed in their job, and those who did notice them shrugged it off.

Hiccup personally didn't think there was anything stranger than seeing those two flirt, but at the same time it felt…he didn't want to say perfect, no, he wasn't that excited. He was still deciding if he wasn't hallucinating. Ruffnut and Fishlegs? Together? He giggled at the possibility, wondering if it was Astrid's matchmaking that finally stroked the fire.

He sooner than later shrugged it off and scanned the Academy for odd jobs or friends and found Tuffnut. He was kneeling behind stacked barrels, his eyes glued to his sister and Fishlegs. Hiccup waltzed up to him and asked, "What are you doing?"

Surprised by the sudden voice, Tuffnut groaned and responded, "Spying. Kneel down and stay quiet." He snatched Hiccup's hand and yanked him down. "She was staring at him the entire ride home. It's like she thinks he's cute or something."

"Uh, Tuff, I've seen that look before. Trust me, she's got that look. When I defeated the Red Death, all the younger girls had that look when they saw me."

"And me!" Tuffnut urged. He stroked his growing beard, as if that proved his attractiveness. "I got that look too! She likes him! It's disturbing. It's a threat to my family's sanity."

Hiccup muttered, "No worry there."

Tuffnut didn't hear him, but he sensed his cocky and doubting aura. He sighed, becoming unusually serious, and patted Hiccup's shoulder. "I don't expect you to understand, after all, you're an only child. But when you have a younger sister, no matter how annoying she is and how much you want to twist her braids off her head, you always protect her. And Fishlegs just became a new threat. A very, very serious threat." Tuffnut ducked lower and snuck away.

Hiccup watched him, dumbfounded, and inched away. "Gotcha Tuff, I'll just leave now."

"Okay."

The rest of the day was spent with Toothless, Astrid, and Stormfly as they repaired damage caused by Drago's men. Thankfully, Hiccup didn't have to deal with the prisoners; that was the council's job. But he ran everything else; the healing dragons, preparations for the mass funeral, and repeating the order for Gustav to stop chasing the girls he liked with Fanghook. He also dealt with countless questions about his father, and he repeated the same answer to every question. "He's fine. He's with my mom." He would ignore the knowledgeable, sly glances, especially the one from Gobber.

It was evening before he returned to the healer's house. After he met with the gentle woman, she treated him to a small sweet and told him that they moved his father to their own house. She put it as, "a way for him and your mother to catch up with each other in a familiar environment."

He understood the familiar environment to quicken the healing process, Fishlegs had instructed him on that one, but was getting tired of references which he did not want.

He thanked the woman for the sweet and returned to his house. As he climbed the stairs home, he had a wonderful and unfamiliar feeling of completeness. The joy of his parents' reunion never left him throughout the day and he was fully prepared to enter his house with a new sense of the word family.

He was two steps away from his door when he heard raised voices from inside the house.

His mother spoke, "We have to tell him, I know, just not now!"

His father argued, "Yes we do! We owe it to him! I'm not willing to keep him in the dark!"

Hiccup rolled his eyes and groaned loudly. "Ugh! Parents! Arguing again! Why are you so insane?"

Toothless groaned with Hiccup and, with a mischievous grin, pushed the door open.

"Bud, no!" Hiccup protested, but the oak door was wide open by the time he spoke.

He looked into the house and saw his parents. And they saw him. His father was on his bed in the back of the house and his mom was standing above him.

Silence reigned for a few unbearable moments. Hiccup examined his parents and noticed one thing: that they looked terrified to see him.

He spoke first. "Well, I'm here now. Is there something you have to tell me?"

Valka nodded, breathing deeply but softly. She extended her hand and invited him in. Toothless waltzed in and joined the other two dragons upstairs immediately.

Hiccup wordlessly closed the door and walked to his parents, the atmosphere so heavily morbid his footsteps sounded like hard punches against wood. He came to his parents, one in the bed staring up at him, and the other looking anywhere but at him, a few paces away.

Hiccup breathed. "What's going on?"

Valka gathered her courage. "We need to tell you something, honey. I should've told you both first thing but…I don't know. I told Stoick…but now I need to tell you." She breathed deeply again. "When I…left Berk…"

"When I banished her," Stoick corrected.

"Stoick!" Valka snapped. She turned back to her son, but again glanced away immediately after. "When I left Berk, I was…I was…" She burst into sobs and sat on the bed. Stoick grabbed her hand and rubbed her palm with his thumb.

Hiccup was confused. No, he wasn't confused. Confusion mixed with frustration, love, pity, compassion, and created this justified fear inside of him. "What?" he whispered. "What is it?"

Stoick comforted his wife and said to Hiccup, "You…you better sit down son. This is a long story."

Hiccup nodded, the fear wearing off because of the gentle voice. He pulled up his chair, the one he could carry, and sat opposite his parents.

He listened, though he wasn't entirely prepared for the news.