It was nightfall maybe around 7 at night and Hiccup had yet to return, he'd been gone since maybe 9 that morning since the fight with Stoick, biggest one anyone had ever seen too. Hiccup never forced anyone off the island, he always gave them a choice to stay or go but Hiccup forced Stoick to leave on a ship he prepared ahead of time to go to Berk and drop Stoick off. Hiccup stayed in range to make sure Stoick was on the ship before heading off. He didn't know how fast he flown, or how far he'd gone. Hiccup just wanted to get away and Toothless knew that so he just flew off and waiting on Hiccup's instruction to change direction, right now they were headed South. They'd been flying the entire time too, no breaks. But after a while Toothless understood Hiccup wasn't really caring where they went, he just wanted to fly around so Toothless kept their location close to the island but still far enough to let Hiccup cool down.

On Dragons Edge everyone had finished dinner and were headed to their homes to relax for the evening until lights out at 11. Astrid and the others were headed towards the inn when Astrid heard Valka trying to calm the children down, they were upset because their father had been gone all day and was always home to tuck them in. Astrid wanted to help but she didn't know what she could do, "Astrid...you coming?" Snotlout asked her.

"Ye–yeah...I'll catch up..." Astrid said as she then jogged over to Valka and the upset children. "Hey...C–can I help at all?..." Astrid offered to Valka.

"Not unless you can find Hiccup..." Valka sighed.

"I would but...isn't his rule no flying after dark unless patrolling?" Astrid asked.

"Aye, that it is...and you all are still in training." Valka closed her eyes tightly now.

"Hey...He'll come around...Hiccup...doesn't hold grudges...He never has." Astrid tried to comfort his mother.

"Sweetie, he held a 7 year grudge on Berk before deciding to let it go to go there and stop them from going to the queen's nest...And hearing all that...I'm just not sure there's anything that can fix those two." Valka looked at Astrid now.

Astrid knelt down to the children as Runa looked at her with teary eyes, it broke Astrid's heart. "Will you find daddy, Astrid?" Runa asked sniffling a bit. Astrid knew she could, Stormfly was a tracker class dragon but Hiccup would be furious if she left the island given the rules that were in place. On the other side of this, she flew this morning before hours and he told her it had been okay because he flew to clear his head. He actually talked to her, she got him to talk to Stoick even though it went horribly wrong. Astrid felt a little responsible for it now, she pushed Hiccup to do it when he hadn't been ready.

"I will. Go home okay, I promise I'll bring your daddy back. Listen you your gramma alright?" Astrid said with a light smile.

"Astrid, if he's not mad now he will be if you break the curfew..." Valka whispered out.

"Don't worry about me...I can handle him. Take them home, I'll find Hiccup and talk to him..." Astrid said as she headed past her friends and towards the stables. They blinked curiously but kept walking, Astrid saddled Stormfly and got on her back. "Alright girl, lets find Hiccup and Toothless." Astrid told her nadder. Stormfly squawked and sped off to find them.

(3 Hours Later-10 At Night)

Hiccup had set down on a small island slightly East of Dragons Edge, it wasn't far off but he knew Toothless needed a break from the flying. They'd leave again in an hour or so. "Thanks for getting me out of there bud..." Hiccup said quietly. Toothless crooned nuzzling his rider's arm gently, Hiccup reached over and rubbed his friend's head before laying against him and closing his eyes. Toothless growled a bit looking towards the West now as Hiccup looked up, "What is it Toothless?" Hiccup asked.

The both of them heard a squawk as Stormfly landed a foot or two away from them and crouched letting Astrid off her back as she rushed over to him. "There you are...Thank Thor...You know you're really hard to track you down..." Astrid grumbled standing before him.

"Astrid what are you doing here, this is way beyond your flight limit for a student without a guide..." Hiccup sighed out.

"Well tough, you can ground me if you want. Right now, I made a promise to your children I'd bring you back and that's what I'm doing..." Astrid said offering her hand to help him up.

"I was going to come back before midnight. I always do unless I get held up." Hiccup told her.

"Well your kids want you home now, Hiccup...They were crying because you've been gone since this morning." Astrid now sat beside him after seeing him close his eyes and sigh.

"I'd rather of taken off to clear my head rather than accidentally take my anger out on someone who didn't deserve it..." Hiccup replied softly.

"And its admiral that you'd do that...but you can't just bail all day like that, everyone is worried about you. Look, I know today want awful for you and I feel like its my fault because I pushed you to do it...and probably made things a lot worse between you and him..." Astrid looked down.

"Wasn't your fault. It needed to happen, you were right. I had to talk to him, and I got what I was looking for...now I can put it to rest and be done with it." Hiccup stated looking out to the ocean.

"Just take some time apart from one another. Its been kind'a crazy with him here and all those feelings festering inside, no one blamed you for exploding the way you did..." Astrid said lightly glancing at him.

"Yeah...since I was 10, I'm 22 now. 12 years, Astrid. 12 years I've wanted him to give me that reaction I got today..." Hiccup closed his eyes now with his knees up and arms resting on them.

"What reaction? Him begging on his knees for another chance...?" Astrid asked.

"No. Him caring...That's the reaction I've...longed for but I didn't want it to come out because I forced it by yelling at him..." Hiccup opened his eyes again. They sat in silence a few minutes staring up at the moonlit sky. "I never wanted my kids to see me like that, so angry...That's all I ever saw from Stoick, was anger. I didn't want my kids to see the same in me..." Hiccup finally said.

"They didn't care, Hiccup. They knew you were upset and just wanted you to be okay, they know how much you love them. Everyone does after today." Astrid said softly.

"So Gobber left?" Hiccup asked.

"Yeah, told us to send word if...you ended up changing your mind. Your mom is still here though." Astrid replied to him.

"Why should I change my mind when he won't change period..." Hiccup mumbled out.

"Hiccup...I think you're missing the point here..." Astrid sighed. Hiccup looked at her now a little confused with a brow arched up, "He won't change because right now he feels that no matter what he does you won't forgive him. If you change your mind, he'll understand he has a reason to change..." Astrid looked up again.

"He should of had a reason to change when mom was taken...it shouldn't...of taken 21 years, Astrid...That's why I'm pissed at him, why I can't forgive him...Why did it have to take me scolding him like a child in front of the entire village, my village...to make him understand? I–I acted like him. I did to him what he used to do to me...And that makes me no better..." Hiccup sighed.

"Hiccup tell me something...Do you want to forgive him?" Astrid asked.

"I want to be able too, yes." Hiccup replied.

Astrid shook her head facing him now, "No, Hiccup. Listen to my words okay?...Do you want to forgive him. Not want to be able too, do you want to forgive him?" Astrid asked again firmer this time. Hiccup looked at her now, her blue eyes. Astrid was almost like Cami, the determination, the fire. The ability to make anyone listen and see reason. Astrid could do it too only she always used more force.

Hiccup nodded. "Yes I want to forgive him, Astrid but–..." He was shocked to find her finger against his lips.

"I didn't ask for a but, Hiccup. You want to forgive, Stoick?" Astrid said, Hiccup nodded to her as she pulled her finger away from his lips smiling lightly now. "Then forgive him. No talking, no arguments, no questions...Just let it go, and forgive him. Like you did when you decided to let go of the grudge you held for Berk until you knew we needed help because we wanted to go to the nest. You did it then, this isn't any different." Astrid told him.

"Astrid this is very different...I can't just forgive all he did to me..." Hiccup tried to looked away but Astrid moved so they were eye level again.

"No, its not. Hiccup, let me tell you something my father told me. Everything that happens, happens for a reason. I know that Stoick put you through a lot, but Hiccup...you've been through worse than what Stoick did to you. Yes, he ignored you and a bunch of other things. But...you said the entire village did these things to you. We all ignored you, hated you, thought you were useless..." Hiccup listened to her still, "However...you still left your island, the one no one knew about and came to Berk to help us. You told me earlier this morning when we talked that you came back because deep down in the pits of that huge heart you have...that you cared about us even after what we put you through. You helped Berk, Hiccup. Not just one person, you helped ALL of us and that includes Stoick." Astrid told him.

"Make your point Astrid..." Hiccup grumbled.

"Hiccup the point is just that. You saved Berk from a raid, you didn't have too. You could of stayed away, let us all get killed by the queen and never had to worry about someone finding out who you were. But you didn't. You came and warned us, you even shoved in our faces how wrong we were. You saved all of Berk, your dad too so even though all he did to you, Hiccup...you still care about him. He's your father, I know Alvin adopted you but Stoick is your birth father Hiccup and no matter what he did you know you love him. Just like he loves you, he just didn't show it. I know how bad that sounds. He wasn't a father to you, he was shrouded in grief by thinking he lost your mom. He made very bad choices...but Hiccup that's what makes you different. You did lose your wife, but you didn't let it stop you. But you doing this Hiccup...its not you. And you know that deep down. You dropped your grudge on Berk when you learned we were in trouble and we saw truth when you showed us. You forgave us when we learned the truth...now your father knows the truth of everything...now its time forgive him." Astrid said lightly.

"You make it...sound so easy, Astrid." Hiccup closed his eyes.

"It is. Just...let it go. Let go of the hate, the anger...just forgive him. You don't even have to explain it to him. Just tell him you forgive him and let him sit with it awhile. You'll see how much difference it can make. And don't get made at me for saying this but...if Camicazi was here, she'd tell you the same thing I am. I know I never knew her but...from all you've told me about her it seems like she was the kind of woman who always saw the good and knew everyone deserved second chances." Astrid smiled at him.

Hiccup's eyes widened a bit, she was absolutely right too. Cami would be doing exactly what Astrid was doing and telling him to let it go and forgive Stoick. It was weird but what Astrid was doing exactly what Cami would do. Hiccup sighed looking up. "You two are alike in that sense...she would be telling me to forgive him, or make him prove he cares but I already saw that...I know he cares, or he wouldn't gotten to his knees begging. Stoick never does that..." Hiccup stood up now as Astrid did the same.

"Best not upset your wife then and do what she'd want you to do. Just forgive him, Hiccup. He'll change, but you have to give him the chance to. He's seen what he did wrong and he's already missed so much time with you, forgive him and then explain to him what you did to me that regardless of the forgiveness...you still can't return to Berk as its heir. He'll understand if he's sincere about changing. Now...come on. Lets get back...I made a promise to your kids and I'm not about to go back on it." Astrid said as she prepared to get on Stormfly but just like this morning she felt Hiccup grab her wrist carefully only this time he pulled her towards him and in to a hug. "Hi–Hiccup?" She said stunned.

"Thank you, Astrid...Means a lot that you'd break the rules just to get me to open my eyes." Hiccup told her quietly. Astrid stood there shocked but soon she just hugged him back. They stayed there like that for a moment or two before separating, "But don't ever do it again...or I will ground you." Hiccup warned now.

"Aye chief." Astrid saluted with a smile before jumping on Stormfly's back as Hiccup rolled his eyes and got on Toothless's with a smile of his own. They both took off and rode back to Dragons Edge.

(Flying-Hiccup&Astrid)

Most of the flight was quiet, neither of them talking since leaving the island. "So...you just going to go to Berk and forgive him?" Astrid finally asked curiously.

"No...not yet. To easy. I'm going to do what a chief should do, I'll write a letter requesting a meeting. Informing him we need to have a meeting." Hiccup stated.

"Ah, using the formal approach. I like it." Astrid replied to him. More silence, they both hated it but neither of them knew what to say to the other. Astrid's mind was still on the hug from before, it had been a strange feeling. Her heart began to race being in his arms. What the hell did that mean? Astrid hated conflicting feelings, did this mean she...liked him? Starting to like him? She sighed out. "Hiccup..." Astrid broke the silence first.

"Yeah?" Hiccup responded looking over to her.

"What you said before...Am I...What I mean to say is...Crap..." Astrid mumbled, way to make a fool of herself.

"About you and Cami being alike?" Hiccup questioned, Astrid froze a bit. How had he known so easily?

"Yeah...I was...wondering just how many...similarities we have?" Astrid asked.

"And...why the sudden curiosity?" Hiccup looked at her again arching a brow.

"Oh look! Dragons Edge...never mind! Lets just...never talk about this again...ever." Astrid said quickly as she dove down and landed in the village. Hiccup blinked a few times as he just shrugged and dove down to land as well. "Its so quiet..." Astrid whispered.

"Its after quiet hours...The stables are locked too so you can't put Stormfly away..." Hiccup mumbled a bit as his eyes fell on his house. "Come on, you can stay with me tonight. I have a stable out back for Stormfly and an extra room for you." Hiccup told her.

"Hold up...you're not suggesting...I spend the night...in your house?" Astrid asked with wide eyes, total shock taking over.

"Astrid for the love of Thor...it's like 1 in the morning...its late, I'm exhausted. So are the dragons and you...Lets go..." Hiccup yawned.

"Fine...but you...better not try anything with me..." Astrid blushed mumbling.

"Seriously...what kind of guy do you think I am, Astrid...Thanks for having so much confidence in me." Hiccup rolled his eyes as he started walking towards his house with Astrid, Stormfly, and Toothless in tow. Did she really think he was going to do something to her? Hiccup loved Camicazi, his wife. Didn't matter she was gone or not, that love didn't fade. On that note, why had Astrid wanted to know about similarities she and Cami had? That had been pretty weird itself. Hiccup pushed it back, he was too tired to care. His first day off in 5 years and it was practically verbal war.

Reaching the house, Hiccup made his way inside to see Sunflower there. Toothless laid down comfortably as Astrid came in after putting Stormfly in the stable off to the side of the house. "Wow...Hiccup this place is huge..."Astrid's eyes widened.

"Can we admire my house in the morning...My entire day off was wasted and I got work to do tomorrow...There's a room over there with an extra bed and some bed sheets on it. It's the room my mom uses when she stays over to watch the kids if I'm on a mission." Hiccup instructed.

"Oh, alright...thanks, Hiccup. Night..." Astrid told him.

"You're welcome, sleep well." Hiccup replied as he walked upstairs to his kids rooms to check on them. He noticed all 3 were asleep in Runa's bed, he chuckled silently knowing they did this often if he was home late. It was their comfort thing, to be close together. Hiccup walked over and kissed their foreheads and stepped back to cover them up. Runa began to wake up a little and rub her eyes to see him there.

"Daddy?" Runa asked.

"Ssh, its me baby...Go back to sleep before you wake up your brother and sister..." Hiccup whispered to her.

"We're awake...we couldn't sleep without you being home...We thought it was gramma Val coming to check on us again so we pretended to be asleep." Viggo said opening his eyes, and then Thora opened hers.

"Its late kids. I'm home now...go back to bed. Alright?" Hiccup smiled at them.

"Can you sing to us?" Runa asked lightly.

"Course I can. Lay down and close your eyes..." Hiccup said gently, they all did and covered up as Hiccup cleared his throat. "This was one your mother used to sing..." Hiccup smiled to them as they cuddled up to one another looking at him. Downstairs Astrid was laying in the extra bed looking up, she could hear them and smiled softly. Truth be told, she loved when Hiccup sang, especially to his children.

"I know a lot about overcoming doubt. So many things they told me that I couldn't do. I went and proved them wrong, so now I'll pass along. These simple words I hope get through to you...It doesn't matter what they say. There's only one voice to obey. And it's that little voice inside. So let that be your guide...Then you can save the day!" Hiccup sang to them, he knew he didn't have Cami's voice but hey the kids asked for it then he would do it.

"'Cause you are stronger than you know. Stronger than you know! You may be small but give it your all. And you will finally show...That you are stronger than you know. So much stronger than you know." Hiccup smiled, on the first level Astrid giggled a bit. Such a cute song too, she understood why it was made. Cami must of had a lot of doubts in the past about dragons and Hiccup showed her the truth, making her fears vanish almost.

"Just look at what we can achieve. Through any danger we can leave. And we could conquer any maze, a new trail we could blaze...If only we believe! That we are stronger than we know. Stronger than we know! We may be small but if we give our all. We will finally show...That we are stronger than we know! So much stronger than we know! So much stronger than we know..." Hiccup finished as he kissed all the children's head again as they began to fall asleep.

"Daddy?" Runa yawned tiredly.

"Yes baby?" Hiccup replied.

"Is Astrid going to stay on the island?" Runa asked, Hiccup's eyes widened a bit at her question. He tried to compose himself, why would she ask a question like that.

"I don't know sweetheart, that's up to her if she wants to stay. Why do you ask?" Hiccup moved some of Runa's hair from her eyes now as Runa closed her eyes and smiled lightly.

"Because we like her, and want her to stay on our island...she's so nice and kind. She makes you smile again..." Runa began to fall asleep with another yawn as Hiccup gasped a bit hearing what she was saying, "She's like mommy..." With that Runa was fast asleep. Hiccup stood up from the bed and walked to his own room, he kicked off his boot and removed his armor before laying down staring up at the ceiling. This is what he'd been afraid of, his kids getting attached to Astrid because she really was just like Cami in so many ways and the kids recognized that. Having Astrid made them feel like Cami was still here. Hiccup sighed closing his eyes now, he'd figure it out tomorrow. It was late and he was beat, he took a soft breath in and then released it before letting sleep take him over.