Mr. Vast was having one of "those days."

Actually, rephrase that - one of those weekends.

It was the weekend before a trial. Hiccup could always see the symptoms. He'd arrived home from school on Friday and noticed his father had already cooped himself up in the study. The door was closed already. There was no, "How was your day at school, son?" or "Do you need the car tomorrow?" or, as of late, "Is Astrid coming over this weekend?"

Throughout the week he'd noticed his father hovering more-so than normal. He was home from work when Hiccup arrived home from the school bus and had busied himself with asking Hiccup questions about school unusually more enthusiastic. Mr. Vast was acting as though this was Hiccup's first week at Berk High all over again.

Katherine, his father's girlfriend, had only been over briefly once earlier in the week. She'd had a file for Mr. Vast and had only stayed when Hiccup had asked her if she'd eaten anything yet for dinner. Hiccup had been in the middle of making a large pot of pasta for himself and his father. She stayed just long enough to eat and ask Hiccup how his PT sessions were going.

By Saturday morning his father had already woken up early and shut himself inside his office again. Or, had he even left? Hiccup had been hoping for an opening to ask to borrow the car. He'd almost always had the car for a large fraction of the day on Saturdays since he had his license. When his father was planning trial Hiccup did his best to stay out of his father's way. The Hulk sometimes came out of his father during trial weekends. And, Hiccup did his best not to disrupt him.

Glancing out of the window that morning he realized it would be too wet for him to go hiking. His leg wouldn't have been able to handle the damp ground. He'd already deemed it unsafe for him to go alone. And, let's face it, Astrid wouldn't be awake to go tag along. He never took her along without asking her the day prior - last time he'd asked she hesitated and he didn't want to set himself up for disappointment.

By eleven, his father still had yet to emerge from his lair. Hiccup had barely heard him shuffle inside which caused him to grow rather alarmed. He'd walked onto the porch briefly to see if he could see his father through the window working. The blinds were drawn. At this, he decided to text Katherine to see if she could be used as an anchor to his father. She seemed to know how agitated he became during trial time - however she knew how to handle his father better. At least, that was what it appeared to Hiccup.

11:25 AM - HICCUP - HIGH PROFILE CASE. BEST TO LEAVE YOUR FATHER BE. IF YOU NEED ANYTHING I AM NOT FAR.

For Katherine to be so secretive it had to be serious. Typically, she or his father would tell him what was going on. Whether it be a recent drug raid involving a classmate's family, or a high speed chase that made the news...or something much deeper and darker. His father never shielded him from the evils of the world - not since he was starting middle school. It just wasn't something that he did.

It wasn't like Hiccup was a noisy teenager either. He kept to himself, did his homework, did his chores and did not blast the TV volume. In fact, the television hadn't been on since Thursday evening.

Hiccup abandoned his thoughts for seeing Astrid at all on Saturday. It was too rainy to walk the distance to her house. Fish wasn't far - Hiccup could have gone over to his house for the remainder of the day - But Hiccup decided he'd rather have Astrid's company over Fish - or none at all.

Occupying his time was difficult. Books, homework, drawing and word puzzles were not containing him. He needed to get out - but he knew he needed to respect his father's work time. He'd barely gotten to speak to his father at all during the weekend - the man had only emerged to use the restroom and to go to bed, each time the door was shut behind him shielding Hiccup from speaking to him.

He felt as though his father was ignoring him on purpose. No, he never did ignore him on purpose. His dad - would just become engrossed in work so badly he would forget the world around him in his deep thoughts. Hiccup decided to stay out of his way and leave him be.

Sunday arrived and Hiccup was going stir-crazy. His homework was nearly finished. He'd become distracted staring blankly at the closed door from his work station on the kitchen table. He only had five more Algebra II questions to answer and his homework would be completed. He'd probably would of had it done more than an hour prior had he not become distracted.

Freedom. He needed out of the house. Craved a change of scenery.

In his pocket he squeezed his phone reminding himself that he could just text his father and tell him he was going for a walk. Even around the neighborhood and back would have at least taken the edge off. He just needed to get out. He needed to stretch his legs and work on distance with his newer prosthetic leg. Astrid's house was only a thirty minute walk away - now, that is. Nearly a year ago the walk my have only been fifteen or twenty minutes. Or a nine minute distance run.

She and Hiccup could sit on her porch and talk. He'd welcome helping her with her own math assignment just to get out of the house.

Suddenly, his pocket vibrated. Reaching for his phone, he glanced at its screen.

2:37 PM - BABE, IF I COME AND PICK YOU UP, WOULD YOU WANT TO GO FOR A HIKE?

Seriously? Astrid wanted to go hiking without him asking her?! She loved spending time with him - she always reminded him of this. She dreaded his hikes. Hiccup hadn't asked her as of late, but he had a feeling she didn't want to go because she worried he'd overstay his welcome with his new leg. He had a habit of getting "lost" in the woods. It wasn't long ago they'd taken their first hike together and she nearly scared her to death when a phantom pain came in full force at the very end of their hike.

He needed to learn to take a step back. He didn't have the strength he once did to hike for hours.

Perhaps she could tell he was going stir-crazy. By now, she had picked up on his routine. It wasn't hard to map out. And she knew that he hadn't gotten the car the prior day. He'd indicated to her that his father was working and he'd felt he shouldn't bother his father.

Hiccup had fallen into a horribly semi-strict routine since he was a kid. And, it became even worse after his accident in June. Between the scheduling of doctor's appointments, his visits with the counselor, school, his father's work - he just didn't go hiking on a Sunday afternoon. Especially when the temperature was over seventy before ten in the morning. The ground was probably mush with the heavy rain - but he knew certain areas to avoid. And, Astrid would be with him just in case he needed some help - or even a reminder to take it easy or turn back on the new leg.

Biting his lip, he knew he would have to interrupt his father in his office to ask permission. He'd learned as a child not to interrupt his father's work - and he knew better now than to simply knock on the door to ask a question.

He was losing his mind sitting at home. A hike sounded nice.

Stacking his math homework neatly to the side, he reached for his crutches and went to his room. Changing into a comfortable pair of shorts and a more presentable t-shirt, he grabbed a zip up jacket and threw that on over his shoulders as well. Taking a moment to attach his prosthetic - he suddenly feared what may come of this decision.

He could be getting ready for nothing. But, in the event his father said it was okay to go hang out with Astrid for a little while - he didn't want to give the man time to change his mind. Taking in a deep breath, he stood and headed towards his father's study.

He hesitated for a moment just outside the doorway. He leaned against the wall, trying to muster up the courage to ask the simple question.

The Iphone vibrated again.

2:58 PM - YOU ALL RIGHT?

Astrid had seen he'd read the text.

Not wanting to worry her, he reached up and knocked on the door twice - gently.

"Come in," his father said almost immediately. It was then Hiccup realized he'd been holding his breath. Reaching for the knob, he gently twisted it and opened the door.

Concern washed over the boy when he saw his father looked drained. Bags hung down under his eyes, his hair was sticking up on it's ends. It was obvious that his father had been running his fingers through it - it had been a nervous habit of his for years and had only grown into a vision of how stressed his father was becoming as he worked once his practice grew. He kept a comb in his briefcase for meetings and court cases for this reason. Not only did he look tired and as though he was on end - but his demeanor showed stress and fatigue.

"Dad-" Hiccup couldn't finish. He suddenly felt a bit of guilt at the thought of asking his father if he could leave when he looked like this. Hiccup often worried his father would have a heart attack from the stress in his life. He hadn't expected to find his father this poor off.

His father suddenly gave him a weak smile. "You've been patient all weekend." He let out a breath. "I should have given you the keys Friday to the car -"

Mr. Vast was trailing off, and had made motion to stand.

"Dad - no, I don't - I wasn't going to borrow the car."

He saw his father look at him questionably, and sat back down in his chair.

"What did you need?" His father was speaking so softly, it actually scared Hiccup. Usually his father would have been raging mad about something by this point. It occurred to him then that his father had barely made much of a peep all weekend. A case the way Katherine had described it would have caused him to be raging by now due to the interruption and Hiccup's lingering.

Hiccup scanned the desk and saw very few files were out along it. In fact, Hiccup noted the fireproof box had been brought up from the basement from the safe downstairs. Odd, Hiccup thought. But that was all.

"Hiccup - "

His eyes scanned upwards towards his father.

"I - I, um - Astrid invited me to go for a walk. I was wondering if -"

A weak smile crossed over his father's face.

"Of course," he said. "Katherine was going to come over later for dinner. Are you okay with that? If not, I could - "

"No," Hiccup said. "I don't mind seeing Katherine."

His father smiled again gently. "Would six-thirty be all right? Perhaps I'll order a pizza? Would Astrid want to come for dinner?"

Hiccup paused. "Can I let you know? Like - maybe in an hour or so?"

Mr. Vast nodded. "Sure thing." A pause followed. "Are you sure you don't need the keys?"

"Yes," Hiccup responded. "I'll - walk over." He could see the wonder crossing his father's eyes at the remark, but Mr. Vast didn't question. "I'll be gone in about ten minutes."

Mr. Vast nodded. As Hiccup exited the study his father called to him, "Be careful, have fun."

…

Hiccup didn't let Astrid know he was coming. He'd left the house without texting her to tell her he was walking or that he was on his way. She had offered to pick him up, but he was lost in thought as he rushed to her house. His father's appearance bothered him. Hiccup had seen him stressed over the years - but this looked more serious than usual.

Then, Hiccup was at Astrid's front door. He felt a little bewildered at how abrupt he'd approached the house. Glancing at his phone, he'd made it to her home in about twenty minutes. Surprisingly, on his new prosthetic.

He knocked - she answered, and she looked surprised by his randomness but also perplexed.

"I was getting concerned when you weren't responding," she said to him as they settled themselves into her car ten minutes later. "I offered to come get you and - "

"Sorry -" was all Hiccup said. His mind had been in deep thought since he'd left the house, and he'd been fighting with his own thoughts the whole way there. Something was going on with his dad. He knew it. But - perhaps it was just a case he was working on and the stress level was different than normal.

"Hiccup -" Astrid had been talking to him, attempting to get his attention. He blinked multiple times once she touched his hand as she drove the car down the road, and it wasn't until she did this did he realize he'd been spacing out. She had probably said his name half a dozen times.

"I'm sorry," he said suddenly, adjusting himself in the passenger seat.

"You look troubled," Astrid said to him with concern. She glanced around the back seat of the vehicle realizing then he didn't have his back pack with him. "Hiccup, where's your bag?"

"Just thinking," he said quietly. "I'm sorry - "

Astrid narrowed her eyes at him, but her mind went back to the traffic light they were stopped at.

Hiccup seemed to come back to reality for a moment, seeing her concern. "I'm sorry - Just lost in thought -"

"Stop with the 'I'm sorry's' - Talk to me."

He let a pause pass between them. After three months of being "together" she could read his body language almost as good as he could read his own father's. Of course, she'd had since Kindergarten to notice how he acted during tests, around people, and during any setting in class at school. She knew when he would grow nervous he'd either clam up or use humor to lighten the situation. His nervousness showed on his sleeve. She also had seen him lost in thought when it came down to it.

"Hiccup - you can talk to me."

He sat in the passenger seat and sighed. "It's hard to explain."

"Is your dad having one of his bear raging fits again?" Astrid asked. She'd heard Mr. Vast outside not too long ago yelling while he was working on a file before trial. It had actually made her slightly uneasy being at his home. She had come over unexpectedly and witnessed it. Hiccup had luckily gotten her away before she could witness how bad the tantrums could get.

"Dad is - unusually calm," Hiccup said, coming to the realization. "But - something's up -"

Hiccup road with Astrid in silence until they arrived at the hiking trail he usually took. Even when they pulled in and Astrid parked, he didn't make a motion to get out of the car. He sat in silence staring at nothing in particular. It was as though he was an empty shell.

Astrid sat with him while he thought. Eventually, she turned herself sideways in her seat, curling her legs up to sit comfortably. Leaning her body against it's back, she waited for him to come back to her.

Hiccup sniffled suddenly, bringing her attention to him again. She noted the tears beginning to dwell up in his eyes - but he didn't shed one. His anxiety was worrying her, Hiccup was starting to sense it. Turning to Astrid, he laughed at himself and sighed.

"Sorry," he said with a sigh.

"Stop," Astrid said firmly. "I can tell your situation with your dad is bothering you. That's why you walked to my house - isn't it?"

Hiccup nodded, but turned his eyes away. "I was hoping to have shaken this off before I got to you."

"So you can't shake it off - no biggie."

"Astrid - I haven't seen or talked to you about much since Friday - I shouldn't be bringing my baggage to you."

"Hiccup - it isn't baggage. You don't think I worry about my dad everyday? He's on the SWAT team - he's one of the head detectives. He's worked undercover before. He's been shot at, spit on, punched - He picked me up from school when I was a kid once in a sling, black and blue - he got into a fight with Johnny Torrent's dad in a chase - " She paused.

Hiccup felt guilt wash over him. His father hadn't been involved in shootouts or fist fights. His dad sat at a desk dealing with stress. Astrid's father could any day be taken unexpectedly from a gunshot or a gang of angry drug dealers, or...He trailed off in his mind. His father's stress could cause a heart attack.

"My heart's just fine," his father told him just before Chrstimas. His doctor had ordered a stress test - and Hiccup had felt the blame was on his shoulders. He hadn't exactly been the best kid or the easiest patient when they were dealing with the fall. Adjusting had been difficult, sleep had been lack-there-of, work had been a nightmare at the time…

"Something is troubling my dad," Hiccup said to her. He sighed. "Part of me thinks it's my fault - "

"Hiccup - would you stop?!" Astrid said, raising her voice. "Why do you think it's all our fault? Why do you reach to these conclusions?"

"I don't know, A!" Hiccup said, raising his own voice suddenly to her. The look in her eyes scared him. She seemed hurt. He turned away. He hadn't meant to raise his voice at her.

"I'm sorry." The last thing he wanted was to yell at her for no particular reason at all. Her parents trusted him with her. They'd taken care of each other over the last several months. Some days he felt as though she was taking more care of him than he was her because of the issues he'd been having with his old prosthetic. And, he felt guilty for that. His father somehow had drilled it into his head as a child to respect a woman - despite not having a woman to grow up around most of his life. He'd been taught to respect everyone - but take careful mind on how he spoke and respected a woman.

"Hiccup - what can I do?" Astrid asked quietly. "What can I do to ease your mind?"

"Nothing you can do," he responded. "I'm probably overreacting - over thinking - "

He felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned to look at her.

"Perhaps you should ask him if there's anything you can do to help him?" Astrid said.

"He doesn't want me nosing in private accounts," Hiccup said gently. "Breach of professionalism. Now - doesn't stop him from telling me once it reaches the papers on these cases…"

"All he can do is say 'no'," Astrid said. "C'mon, Hiccup. Clearly, you need this hike! You need to go walk and take your mind off of a few things. You need to go alone - "

This comment threw Hiccup back. "Wait - "

"If there is anything I've learned about you over the last several months - you don't need my help collecting your thoughts. You need to go hike and be alone. Gods know that the walk to my house wouldn't have been enough for you - your thoughts wouldn't have come together worrying about the traffic and people hogging the sidewalks. You need-to-go-hike! Astrid drawled.

Hiccup sighed. "I'd rather take this hike with you, milady."

Astrid sighed. "Hiccup - I'd like to go with you, but I know when I am not needed somewhere - "

"Ouch!" Hiccup said, placing his hand over his chest. A small grin escaped.

She laughed, and leaned in and kissed his cheek. "Please. How about you go hike for an hour and - " She reached into the back of her car, pulling a book out from the back seat. " - I will catch up reading Hamlet - "

"You haven't been reading - have you?" he asked.

"I have been reading - Just not completely understanding the content. Plus, this is so boring to me! You should know this by now."

"How have you passed those quizzes, then?" Hiccup said to her. He paused. "Don't tell me you haven't been passing them - "

"I take really good notes!" Astrid said. "Now, don't worry about me! I am just looking for citations for my book report. It'll take me a little while. I'll be right here."

"Astrid - "

She reached into her center console and pulled out a pair of cheap headphones. "Thor knows you probably didn't grab your's, right? I mean, you forgot your bag."

He grimaced at the realization.

"Hiccup, just go!" she said with a laugh, punching his arm. "Set a timer for an hour - will be here, okay?"

After a few more pushing words, Hiccup exited the car and headed towards the woods. However, he caught Astrid off guard by knocking on her window a moment later. She had already become engrossed into her book.

Rolling her window down, she huffed at him. "What now?"

"I won't be going too far in - not with the new leg and the rain - Dad wouldn't want me to go in anyways alone."

"Hiccup -" He could tell Astrid hadn't completely considered this. She appeared a little torn. They both knew he needed some time alone.

"I won't go far," he said officially. "If you don't see me in an hour, come fine me, okay?"

"Don't think that grimly," Astrid said. "If you aren't back at the car in about an hour I will come drag your rear to the car, okay? Do you know which trail you are taking? Please tell me - not the one with the hill -"

Her expression caused him to laugh. He could only imagine she having to come track him down again. Shaking his head he replied, "I'll take the west path."

"Whew!" Astrid said.

"Now who's jumping to ahead?"

She playfully hit the side of his arm with her book. "You are losing hiking time, go."

He still remained at the car.

"Dinner with my dad and Katherine tonight? Six-thirty?"

Astrid seemed to stumble over her words. "I-um-yeah. That's fine."

"Good," Hiccup replied. "Maybe play some euchre?"

She nodded. "I'll make sure my dad and mom are okay with it. I can't see why they wouldn't unless they plan on going over and seeing Grandma later."

"Okay, I'll let dad know to plan for you coming over just in case -" He kissed her on the cheek and headed towards the woods, cell phone in hand. It was obvious to Astrid that he was confirming with his father what her answer was.

Glancing back to her book, she paid no mind to the small black hatchback that had pulled into the parking lot a few minutes after they had. The woman in the car parked only three spaces away. Her passenger window had been rolled down. She'd glanced at Astrid for a little while, then decided to get out of the car. She slung her pack over her shoulder and headed towards the woods.

...

By now you can probably draw up to your own conclusion as to where this story is heading. I am still trying to figure out the reasoning behind the "absence" - if that makes any sense to you. I do not want to portray her as being a negative impact on Hiccup because that is far from what I want. I love this character soooo incredibly much. However, this is a AU and there are many factors as to why people disappear. So, I am currently working on this. So, please be warned depending on what direction I go with this story - it may or may not portray Valka as the character she is in everyone's eyes.