Chapter 1: Trigger
~.~
After HTTYD2
(Eret's POV)
It's been a few weeks since the ice has been cleared from Berk. Several houses needed to be repaired, but with all of the Berkians/Hooligans – what the heck are we even called? – working together to rebuild Berk, we get it done fairly fast.
After everything has been rebuilt, there's a celebration in the Great Hall to, well, celebrate our hard work being done.
Becky stays close to me – and I'm honestly okay with that. After what Drago put her through, she could use some peace. We mingle with our friends, and we talk about random things.
"Can I get you another drink, m'lady?" Hiccup asks Astrid. Becky starts to back away from us.
"Whoa, sis. You okay?" Tuffnut asks. I turn to Becky.
Becky's breathing becomes ragged as Hiccup calling Astrid "m'lady" brings back terrible memories of death and trauma to her. She collapses right there in the Great Hall, curling into a ball under one of the tables.
I kneel in front of her, so I don't scare her.
"Honey, you're here in the Great Hall with your family. You're safe. I promise you that you're safe with your friends and family. I promise, no one is going to hurt you."
My poor Becky is shaking, but I don't dare get closer without her permission, as that could trigger another bad memory for her.
"Becky, honey, is it okay if I come a little bit closer to you?" I ask her.
She squeaks out a barely audible "yes".
I get a little bit closer to her, but not touching her, just close enough so she knows she's safe and not in any danger.
"Baby, it's okay. It's okay. You're safe. I promise you you're safe."
Ruffnut and Tuffnut come over a little closer to their sister.
"Not too close, guys." Hiccup says.
Becky's lip starts to quiver and tears start streaming down her cheeks. She breaks down, and I think she's ashamed about how she's acting.
"Becky, baby, are you feeling ashamed about all of this?" I ask, and one nod from her confirms it.
"My darling, there's no need for you to feel ashamed. We're here for you. We all love you so so much."
"Sis, he's not going to hurt you again. We'll make sure of it." Tuffnut says. Becky suddenly sits up, and I can see the determination in her eyes.
"I am not going to let anyone else die for me. Two people dying because of me are more than enough."
Becky gets up and leaves the Great Hall.
"Gods. Has Becky ever been like that before?" I ask.
"Not really. Our sister's always been really soft-spoken." Ruffnut says.
"Eret, has she ever raised her voice at anyone when you guys were working for –" Hiccup asks.
"I've only known her to do it once, when I got branded. Called him a monster. I mean, he deserved it, of course. But I've never heard her raise her voice at anyone besides Drago...I mean when she had a night terror the night she was returned to me after those ten months, it was about her telling Drago to kill her instead. But since then...since then, she hasn't." I say.
"Maybe what Drago put her through has come crashing down at her all at once." Astrid says.
"How about I talk to her?" Hiccup asks. We all look at our young chief.
"I mean, both she and I have lost someone because of Drago. I might be able to help her."
"Good luck, chief." I tell him.
"Thank you. I'll probably need it." Hiccup says.
(Normal POV)
Hiccup leaves the Great Hall in search of Becky, Eret staring after him, worried for his wife, not knowing what else to do.
About half an hour later, he finds her in the Cove.
(Becky's POV)
"I should've known you'd be here." I turn and see Hiccup.
"Hey." I say.
"You doing okay?"
"No."
"Listen, what...what that monster put you through? That wasn't your fault. What he did to you and to those around you, that was not your fault, Becky. When did...when did Anthony get murdered?"
"A...a few minutes after my son was born."
"Are you serious?"
"Of course I am."
"You had just given birth to a monster's baby. There was no way you could've stopped him."
"He could've killed me instead. He should have."
"Do you have any idea how devastated Eret would've been? How devastated Ruffnut and Tuffnut would've been?"
I stay silent.
"We would've been absolutely crushed, sis." We turn and see Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Eret, Amalie, Jasmine, Snotlout, Fishlegs and Astrid.
"Your death would have destroyed us, darling. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if you had died." Eret says, kneeling in front of me.
"I just feel like I could've done something...Anthony, he...he had no time to defend himself. He was comforting me because...because my son was just murdered by his own father. There was so much shock I was going through...I – I couldn't move. I – I –" I say, my voice shaking.
"My love, you survived giving birth to a madman's child. That is nothing small. Carrying a baby the full nine months and giving birth with no professional midwife, at your size? You are a survivor."
"Anthony...he – he made me promise to keep fighting...and I feel so ashamed because I've let him down..."
"My darling, you haven't let him down. You're in mourning for him and for your son. You are allowed to do that. Your guilt for them dying? That is completely natural. I feel guilty because I wasn't there when my mum died."
"But you sacrificed yourself and your freedom to keep your family alive."
"I also sacrificed myself so you wouldn't get branded."
"Eret, I feel like I'm the one who owes you so much. You've saved me time and time again."
"You, my Becky, have also saved me. You are the one who changed my life. When I met you, my whole world changed. When I took care of you after...after what that monster did to you and you were returned to me after ten months, you needed me. I didn't know what he had put you through, I just knew that you needed me to be there for you – to support you and help you through your night terrors and panic attacks."
"Eret, I just...I wish there was more I could do to repay you for everything you've done for me. Thank you." Tears start falling down my cheeks.
"You're welcome, but you being here, being alive, is payment enough, my love."
"I'm sorry, guys...I just hated seeing people...people die for me when I couldn't do anything to help them."
(Eret's POV)
Becky collapses, sobbing, and I wrap my arms around her. I hold her, not saying anything for the next few minutes.
"You were in shock, darling. No one here blames you for that." I tell her.
"I'm still alive because of you, Eret. You brought me back to my adoptive family. You – you're my true love. And I just...I'm just still so overwhelmed that you've changed my life in so many ways, and I love you so so much. Words cannot describe how much I love you, Eret. How much I love all of my family. You're all here for me, and I'm here for all of you." Becky says.
"Sis, we love you so so much, and we are so proud of how far you've come." Ruffnut says.
"Thank you all for being the best family I could ask for – not by blood, but by bond." Becky says, giving us a small – but beautiful – smile.
We soon go back to the Great Hall and continue to celebrate.
(So sorry to GuardianDragon98 for using one of Zen's phrases "not by blood but by bond".)
