A/N: Hello, how is everyone's day? :)) Lovely to see you, darlings.

Disclaimer: If only...

VALKA'S POV

Cloudjumper stayed in a hover high above the beach to give Hiccup and Toothless space while they washed all the blood off. Hiccup had taken off his shirt and thrown it to the side since there was no way he was getting the blood stains out, and now was knee deep in the water scrubbing at his arms. Toothless was rolling around in the wet sand, using the grainy texture to rid himself of the blood lodged between his scales.

*We shouldn't tell Alpha about this.* Cloud muttered quietly. *He's always been wary of having a Night-wing in his nest.* He told me.

My eyebrows furrowed and I leaned over so I could see his face. "What do you mean? He likes Toothless," I insisted. Sure, there had been a few moments of tension over the years, but Alpha had never shown animosity towards the Night Fury.

Cloudjumper glanced back at me. *Alpha is kinder than most. He took in the female Night-wing because he felt sympathy for a dying species, but he isn't stupid. He knows Night-wings are capable of challenging him. If he thinks Toothless is a danger to his nest and his rule, he'll force him out.* He explained.

I shook my head slowly, glancing down at the dragon in question. He had finished cleaning himself and was waiting patiently for Hiccup to come out of the water, his tail curled over his paws. "Okay...We won't tell Alpha. What about Shimmer?" I asked. She would get back to the nest long before we did.

*She won't say anything.* Cloudjumper replied confidently. *She knows as well as I do how Alpha would react, and she likes Toothless.* As much as I hated the idea of hiding anything from Alpha, I cared more about protecting Toothless. I'd do what was necessary.

Hiccup finally trudged out of the water and made his way over to Toothless, scratching his dragon on the snout. I couldn't hear what either of them said from this distance, but Hiccup pointed to his ruined shirt and an instant later Toothless shot a small blast of fire, incinerating it into ash. Hiccup then got into the saddle and pressed himself against his dragon to stay warm. Toothless spread his wings, looking up at me and Cloudjumper nervously. I sent him what I hoped was a comforting smile, but he looked away and took off at Hiccup's command, flying right past us towards home. I sighed deeply, patting Cloud's neck in a signal to follow them.

Toothless could've left us in the dust with minimal effort, but he remained within eyesight for the duration of the flight. I had a feeling Hiccup had something to do with that. Every now and then, my son would peek over his shoulder, making sure I was still behind them.

By the time we made it home, the last rays of sunlight were disappearing over the horizon. The rest of the flock was returning from feeding time, so we fell in with the group on the way into the nest. Some of them chirped out greetings, which I returned half-heartedly. Hiccup seemed to cheer up slightly now that he was back among other dragons, though. A Zippleback flew up next to them, and Hiccup reached over to give it a brief pet on each head.

As soon as we made it through the tunnel, Toothless broke off from the flock and dove towards the cavern entrance. Alpha was already back in his resting place in the center of the lake, but was too distracted with a few rowdy hatchlings to notice the Night Fury's arrival. Hopefully he wouldn't sense anything was amiss tomorrow.

When we landed, Hiccup slid out of the saddle, wrapping his arms around himself for warmth. Toothless immediately skirted away into the tunnels, sparing me the briefest of glances as he went. Looks like I had my work cut out for me with him. I hopped off of Cloudjumper, scratching his cheek. "I'll let you know how it goes," I murmured quietly, nodding in Hiccup's direction. Cloud purred in encouragement, then departed to go to his own part of the nest. Hiccup was staring down at his shoes when I approached, and I placed a hand on his back to guide him into the tunnels.

"How are you feeling, darling?" I asked, breaking the silence. I couldn't see his face, but I felt his shoulders raise in a shrug.

"Tired," he mumbled.

"Yeah, it's been a long day..." I agreed.

When we got to the cavern, the fire pit was already lit, and Toothless was curled up on a pile of furs next to it. He flicked his ear in acknowledgement of our presence, but otherwise kept his gaze trained on the flames. I led Hiccup over to one of the chests and got him another shirt to wear. Once he had it on, he shuffled over to his dragon without a word. Toothless lifted his wing to allow Hiccup to settle down against his side, then folded it back over him protectively. Hiccup used Toothless' leg as a pillow, but he wasn't trying to sleep.

I slowly walked over, sitting a few feet away from them. It was time we all had a talk, clear the air. The two of them seemed content to stew in their fears and regrets, and I refused to let that happen.

"Toothless, you can't avoid me forever, you know," I told the mopey dragon, deciding it was best to start with him. He glanced up at me in surprise, not expecting me to address him. Just as soon as he met my gaze, though, he looked away again.

*I was going to kill you, Valka.* He said bitterly, not bothering to beat around the bush.

I cringed, tapping my fingers against my thigh. "Well...yeah...but, I mean, it's not the first time a dragon has tried to kill me," I joke, attempting and failing to lighten the mood. Even my son appeared unimpressed.

*Just admit it, Valka.* Toothless sighed. *I'm a monster. You tried to fix me, but nothing has changed. I'll always be a killer. It's in my blood.* He claimed helplessly. Hiccup rolled onto his stomach and poked him hard on the leg.

*Hey! Stop that. Monsters can't love, right?* He pointed out. *Are you saying you don't love me?* He pouted. My son, the genius.

Toothless lifted his head to nuzzle Hiccup's cheek, giving him a lick. *Of course I love you, silly human.* He crooned affectionately.

*Well then you're not a monster!* Hiccup insisted. *You're just regular, awesome Toothless.* He remarked with a small smile.

I shifted closer to them so I could scratch Toothless behind the ears. He flinched at first, then leaned into my hand after a few seconds. "He's right. And I don't blame you for what happened, so I want you to stop blaming yourself," I demanded softly.

*Remember what you told me before?* Hiccup chimed in, and Toothless tilted his head in confusion. *You said I never need to change for anyone.* Hiccup continued. *Neither do you, bud.* I wasn't there for that conversation, but my son's words seemed to break down the walls Toothless had put up, and the Night Fury wrapped Hiccup in his paws and hugged him to his chest. He was purring so loudly that I could feel the vibrations of it against my hand.

Might as well broach the other subject while they were in a better mood. "Hey, um...I don't know the details of what happened with those men before..." I trailed off with a wince. "But...I don't want you to be afraid, okay?"

Hiccup frowned, sitting up and crossing his arms. "I'm not afraid!" He protested. I gave him a pointed stare, and he squirmed, his cheeks turning red. "I-I mean...not anymore," he amended reluctantly. "When I'm older, I'm gonna help you, Mom." He declared with a determination he didn't quite have before today. "We're gonna stop all the bad humans together," he added. Toothless grumbled uneasily but didn't object.

I sighed, sitting back and pulling my knees to my chest loosely. "Hiccup...not all humans are bad..." I stressed. If he grew up thinking every human is evil, he might end up dedicating his life to eliminating mankind altogether. "Your father, for instance..." I mentioned hesitantly. I very rarely spoke of Stoick. Mostly because Hiccup was really too young to understand his Berkian origins. "Stoick was...is a good man," I corrected. I had no way of knowing if my husband was still alive, but I had faith. He's Stoick the Vast—he's the strongest viking in the Archipelago. Nothing could take him down.

Hiccup's face scrunched up in disbelief. "What are you talking about? You said everyone on Berk kills dragons!" He protested.

"Well, they do, but—"

"Then that makes them bad!" He cut me off, huffing angrily.

"I hate it as much as you do, Hiccup, but sometimes people make mistakes," I stated firmly. "The vikings on Berk are stubborn. I tried telling them things could be different, and no one listened, so I left. But that does not mean they are irredeemable—it doesn't mean they won't ever change their ways," I explained. "They just need the right person to show them."

He was quiet, considering my words carefully. Toothless offered his support by cuddling underneath Hiccup's arm, but I doubted the dragon was following our conversation. He had no connection to Berk, save for the former heir he held between his paws. He would simply follow Hiccup's lead, wherever he ended up.

"Would you ever go back?" Hiccup wondered, his voice calm and curious.

I thought about his question seriously. Would I ever go back? Hiccup wouldn't be a child forever. Eventually, I'd be able to base all my decisions on my own wants and needs. He'd be perfectly capable of taking care of himself as an adult. If I did ever return to Berk, it would be because of Stoick. To hear his voice again, simply be in his presence again...it would be a dream come true.

"Maybe," I whispered, mostly to myself.

"If you do, you should talk to the dragons over there—tell them about our nest. I think they would like this place," he suggested.

I laughed lightly, leaning forwards to ruffle his hair. "That is a great idea, buddy," I agreed, then slowly stood to my feet, groaning as some of my bones cracked with the movement. "How about some dinner?" I offered. It had been a while since any of us had eaten. Toothless nodded excitedly and stretched out, yawning widely. We always kept some fish on ice in case we missed feeding time. Hiccup would never let Toothless go hungry—nor would I, for that matter.

I put as many fish as would fit into a basket, then slid it over in front of the starving dragon. He licked his lips and dug in, devouring half of it before I could even return with a couple fish for Hiccup and myself from our own food chest. A well-fed dragon is a happy dragon, I thought in amusement as I held my fish over the fire to cook.

I was confident now that both of them would be able to move on from today. They were resilient, but they had each other if things ever got to be too much. Kids don't tend to dwell on the negative—Hiccup would be okay. And Toothless is a dragon. They lived in the present more than anything. They didn't spend their days agonizing over the past.

Maybe I'll just take them on a long flight tomorrow—a soul-cleanser of sorts. It certainly wouldn't hurt. I just needed to remind them that life isn't defined by only the bad experiences. Who knows...eventually they might even forget about this completely.

Wishful thinking?

Oh well.