Thank you all for the kind reviews! This week has been a nightmare, so your uplifting words have been such an encouragement! My father was discharged yesterday and will be coming home later today! I'm so excited!

Cool thing that happened, my dad is a worship leader and my aunt, his donor, is a choir teacher. When she felt good enough to move, we put her in a wheelchair and rolled her into the room. At the same time, a woman next door started singing, "Amazing Grace!" Oh, were there tears! It was so cool!

So, yeah.

There wasn't much talking going on among the crew. Only the sound of the occasional grunt of rowing was heard. Hiccup laid under his cover, his forehead against the deck. He tried to stay still, to keep the rope from tightening, but it was difficult. He knew he had abrasions from them already, and it was becoming hard to breathe.

"So, are we just going to wait until we get to Berk to look at this thing?" One asked.

"No, you're right. Let's uncover it." He heard footsteps.

"Now that the danger is gone, I'm kind of curious."

"You can barely sit still, Fishlegs."

"I wonder if it shoots acid."

"Yeah, something that would melt your face off!"

Hiccup rolled his eyes. Humans, so predictable.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed the canvas that covered him, and he shut his eyes tight, steeling himself for the impending reactions. The cover was removed and the crew gasped.

"Is that a—…"

"No way!"

"It's a…"

Hiccup swallowed hard.

"Mermaid…"

What! Really, he should have been scared, but he was much to indignant at the term.Granted, he did have a slim figure and long feminine hair, but he would not be confused for a girl! At the name, he writhed in the netting and managed to flip himself onto his back. Thankfully, he removed pressure from his chest, allowing him to breathe.

"Oh, it's a…merboy. Man. Merman." Someone corrected.

Thank you…Hiccup breathed harder, his efforts straining. Footsteps came closer and he flicked his gaze up to the approaching form. It was a young woman, golden hair, shouldering an axe. She knelt near him, studying him with an piercing gaze. Cerulean met viridian, like the sky meets the earth. Blue was threatening, green was terrified.

A dark haired boy spoke up. "I say we kill him now!"

Hiccup gulped in terror, and it didn't go unnoticed by the blonde. "No, we take him back to Berk." She declared, finally looking away.

He would have rather died.

"Oh come on! He's a thief! And he's not even part of our tribe!"

"Do you understand anything, Snotlout!?" She barked back. "This is not any ordinary thief. This is a mermaid."

"Merman." Tuff corrected.

"Whatever! Legend says if you treat one poorly, they'll curse you! I'm not superstitious, but I just caught a creature that isn't supposed to exist, so I'm not risking anything. Understood?"

"Yes Astrid."

Wait, Astrid? The fish boy perked up at her name. It was! The same Astrid he knew all those years ago! And Snotlout! The twins! Fishlegs!All of his childhood friends!

Talk about ironic.

It was Fishlegs who was staring at him the entire time Astrid condemned Snotlout. He waited to tap her shoulder before he said softly, "L-look, his-his fin…" he pointed.

Concerned, Hiccup lifted his tail to examine it. It hurt to move especially with how tight the rope was. His eyes caught it though. He stared in horror.

His left tail fin and been completely ripped off. Where a beautiful blossom like fin had previously floated in the breeze, now a chunk of fleshly meat remained. Scales were shredded around the remains. He had ripped his tail fin before, but it grew back. Fish can do that. But this…this was far worse. His lips trembled at the sight. The rope had been so tight that he hadn't even felt it. Blood coated the end of his tail and dripped on the deck.

These humans had sentenced him to death. He wouldn't be able to swim without that fin. If they threw him back into the water, the blood would attract sharks. There was nothing he could do now. He was done for.

"Oh great…" muttered Astrid.

Hiccup jumped at her voice, now completely terrified. He flopped around helplessly, hissing and growling. A loop in the rope caught him around the neck, and as he fought, the more it rubbed his skin raw and made him choke.

"Calm down!" Astrid commanded, standing in front of him.

It didn't calm down his heart or stop his frantic breathing, but he stopped thrashing at least.

"Ruff, Tuff, get a barrel and fill it up with water. Fishlegs, get some medical supplies from the bow, and Snotlout…try not to do anything stupid."

The teens followed her instructions as she knelt by the merman, brandishing a knife. He trembled at the sight and tried to back away.

"No no, I'm not going to hurt you." She soothed, resting a hand on his head.

He gulped hard and clenched his eyes shut. He hoped he could trust her. The ropes binding him slackened as she cut through them with the knife. The one on his neck was the first to go, allowing him a long breath. "Sure was a good trap…" She muttered to herself.

When his arms were free, he started pulling at the net to get it off, but it caused tension on his scalp.

"Ugh, your hair is tangled in it." The girl told him. "I'm going to cut it lose."

He stopped squirming and allowed her to free him. His auburn locks fell away, making his head lighter. The hairs landed on his shoulders and made them itchy, but he didn't touch them. He supposed the hair cut was a good thing. His hair wouldn't get tangled anymore, and it was about time he started to look like a boy. Still, it was like he was loosing a symbol of his freedom.

"We got the barrel." Tuff announced as the two lowered it on the deck.

"Good, help me with this, will ya?" She held up the netting.

The three worked on it until the merman was free. It was then that pain shot up into his tail from his missing fin. He shrieked in agony and wriggled away from the teens, grasping the wound, more blood spurting out.

"Stay still!" Astrid commanded again, grabbing his arm.

He didn't heed as he hissed at her.

Irritated that this thing was being such a nuisance, Astrid picked the injured creature up and dropped him in the barrel. He instantly burrowed himself so only his tail showed.

"What a baby." Snotlout remarked from his place at the helm.

"You do realize that his injury is the equivalent of his foot getting ripped off? I'm sure you'd be crying a lot harder." Astrid snapped. She wasn't sure why, but she really wanted to defend the young merman. Maybe because she felt bad for him. Maybe because she felt guilty.

She stared at the barrel, where his tail hung uselessly over the edge. Blood dripped down the side. There was no movement from the boy.

The barrel was too small for him. He laid on the back of his shoulders as his neck twisted painfully. Despite his best efforts to hide, his true form was shown. From the waist up, he looked just like them. But his tail set him apart. It made him a monster, and kept him from them.

The boy cried. Whether it was from his own helplessness or the pain that coursed through his body, he didn't know. His tears mingled with the sea water that comforted him. Now he could only wait.

Maybe, just maybe, they would let him live.

Then again, would he want to live? Mermaids were very rare and very exotic. Berk needed goods, especially with the dragon problem, so maybe they would sell him off. Heaven forbid he become a pet for a snobbish Jarl! His tears rolled faster. Never had he felt so miserable, and he feared it would get worse.

It was then that there was a great thump from outside the barrel, and the boy's curiosity was peeked. He reached up and pulled himself to the surface, only to find his reptilian guardian standing over him, growling at the humans.

The teens all had weapons raised, waiting to attack. Toothless had his teeth bared for the same occasion, but they came to a stand off, each waiting for the other to throw the first strike.

Hiccup's only hope for survival was in these humans. And if that was how it was going to be, then so be it. The boy could at least pretend to be optimistic. He reached up and tugged on Toothless' ear plate.

The dragon became much more calm as his eyes dilated. He crooned as he nuzzled his companion. In a voice too soft for the humans to hear, Hiccup explained his predicament.

The humans watched in awe as the creature reached out and placated the dragon. He murmured something to it, making it whimper. His hands drifted over the scales soothingly. The dragon flicked it's tongue out to kiss his cheek, then it addressed the injured tail. It sniffed it, and then licked the loose blood away. The dragon gave one last long head rub against his friend before growling at the humans and then taking to the sky. The boat lurched with his launch, then he was gone. Just like that.

Astrid was impressed to say the least. This creature could speak to dragons, it could get them to obey. And he kept it from killing them! If there wasn't value in that, she would ship herself off as well. "Fishlegs, patch him up." She commanded after the reptile had left.

The merboy rested his nose on his knuckles as his hands gripped the edge of the barrel. He was pensive as the large boy came towards him. It had been agony to tell Toothless to leave him behind, but dragons were hated by the vikings. If he had gone with him, who knows what tortures would have awaited the dragon? Hiccup just hoped the humans would keep him long enough to heal. After that, Toothless could rescue him…somehow. It wasn't much of a plan, but it was something to hope for.

Fishlegs was looking at the tail wound while Hiccup stared over to his counterparts.

"Um, could you…retract your fin?" He asked.

Like a flower, Hiccup's fin closed to a sleek needle point.

"Whoa! His spines collapse to his peduncle!"

"Too much information, Fishlegs." Ruffnut sneered.

"It's his tail." Fishlegs stated, matter-of-factly.

"'Legs, you can gawk at the pretty fishy after you wrap his wound!" Astrid snapped.

He worked quickly, bandaging the wound and staunching the blood flow.

"There, that should work for now. Try to keep it out of the water."

Hiccup just glanced up at the boy.

"So," The large boy drummed his fingers on the edge of the barrel. "What's your name? Where are you from? Do you live around here?"

Hiccup was hesitant to say anything, especially give out any information. He had to find out if they bore no ill will. The last thing he wanted to do was endanger the other mermaids or Toothless.

So he bit his lip and looked away.

"Forget it Fishlegs, he can't understand you." Tuff interjected.

If that's what the humans wanted to believe, then so be it. Hiccup sunk back down into the water so his face was mostly hidden, but he could watch the crew. His tail throbbed, but he wouldn't dwell on it.

He observed what he could. Each Viking was making themselves busy doing something. Fishlegs returned the supplies, Snotlout had the router, the twins were both rowing, even if it was a slow and steady pace. Astrid cleaned up the mess left over from the trap. And boy, was it a mess.

Hiccup could have watched any one of the humans, none we're doing anything of particular interest, but his eyes remained steadily on the blonde beauty.

She hadn't changed. She still bossed her friends around, and still had that strut. The only thing that was different, was her looks. Obviously, she had gotten bigger, fuller even. But where as he used to find her 'pretty' now he saw her as truly beautiful. He grew up around mermaids, some of the most beautiful creatures in the world, and yet this human surpassed them all.

He only really knew her name though.

"Pst, Astrid," Tuffnut whispered, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Fishboy keeps staring at you."

Astrid glanced over her shoulder and looked at the boy. His tail shifted in the wind and his face turned pink.

"And why wouldn't he?" Said Snotlout, abandoning his post. "She is gorgeous." He put an arm around her shoulders.

Without batting an eyelash, she cranked his arm over until he squeaked in pain.

The smirk on Hiccup's face went unseen.

"At least 'Fishboy' doesn't make lewd passes at me." She snapped. "Besides, he's probably only seen fishermen before. He's just curious."

"But he's only looking at you, and not Ruff, who, may I remind you, is also a girl." Fishlegs piped in.

"I don't know," shrugged Tuffnut. "I wouldn't stare at Ruff for too long. Might turn into stone."

The male twin received a punch to the face for that comment.

Hiccup conceded that Vikings were violent in all aspects of their lives.

Snotlout was coming closer to the barrel and rested an arm on the edge. "We'll teach you all you want to know about humans."

"He can't understand you!" Tuff shouted, again.

"Want to see my feet? Bet you haven't seen those before!" Snotlout kicked off his boots and impressively rested his heel on the edge of the barrel. "See? These are toes! TOOOOEEEESSSSS…" He drawled, pointing at the nubs.

Hiccup had recoiled as far back as his containment allowed as he sneered at the offending body part.

"Snotlout, stop scaring him." Astrid scolded. "He's already traumatized, we don't need to make it worse."

"Yeah really, look at his face!" Tuff laughed. "Snotlout's feet may smell like cheese, but they certainly don't taste like it."

All the teens, including Hiccup, looked at him incredulously.

"What? You guys never had those days?"

Snotlout had yet to remove his leg, mostly because it took quite a bit of effort to get it up there. With a loud whistling sound, Hiccup squirted water in his face. Snotlout sputtered.

"I like him, can we keep him?" Fishlegs smirked.

Snotlout glared at the merboy. "You're lucky you're already injured."

Hiccup rolled his eyes.

"Alright, no more messing with the merman until Stoick has a say so."

At his father's name, the boy sunk deeper into the water in dread. He most certainly did not want to see him. But then again, if his father recognized him, surely he would help, right? After all, it didn't seem to be his idea to throw him in. Maybe this could be his chance to get the answers he had been looking for. Maybe, just maybe.

"Coming up on Berk!" Fishlegs announced.

Just like that, dread coursed through his body. What could happen?

"Prepare to dock," Astrid commanded.

Hiccup bit his lip. He had been preparing since the island was in sight.

The boat slunk into its port. On the dock stood a group of villagers. Apparently, the news that the teens were going out to hunt the mysterious thief had spread, and now the curious villagers were eager to hear anything.

Unable to take the pressure, Hiccup dove back down under the water, only his injured tail visible.

Astrid hopped off first.

"So? Any luck?" Stoick asked, grateful that his heir had returned safe and sound.

"Yep, and you're never going to believe it." She smirked, a hand on her hip.

Snotlout and Fishlegs heaved the barrel over the edge and set it on the deck.

"Beard of Thor! That is one mighty fish!" Gobber gasped, leaning closer.

"Except it's not a fish." The blonde victoriously quirked an eyebrow. She lifted her leg and tapped on the barrel three times with her heel.

Shyly, Hiccup emerged very slowly, his eyes darting around the astonished crowd.

"Well, wouldja look at that!" Gobber spoke first. The villagers broke into whispering and chattering while the chief examined the boy.

"They exist…" He murmured softly. Then he glanced at the tail. "Get caught in the rigging?"

"Yeah, the trap worked a little too well." Astrid admitted.

Stoick narrowed his eyes. "And what of the dragon?"

"That's the thing!" Astrid placed her hand on Hiccup's head. "It landed on the boat, ready to attack and take him away, but he talked to him, petted him, and the dragon left us in peace! I think— I think he can train them."

Stoick scratched his chin.

"He'd fetch a pretty penny in the trade!" Spitelout offered up.

"I don't know Stoick, treating a mermaid badly is sure to bring the wrath of the gods! We're better off letting him go."

A voice cried out over the crowd. "Siren! Witch! Demon!" It was Mildew. "Cast it into the sea! It brings evil and will curse us! We don't need any more problems!"

"We should cast you into the see, you old badger!" Gobber snapped back.

"Heed my warning! Release him!"

"But his tail—!" Astrid protested.

Stoick held up his hand to silence them. He stepped towards the boy of the water and surveyed him. For some reason unknown, he seemed frightfully familiar.

Hiccup had been running questions through his mind. What would he do, say, ask? But staring at this man in front of him made him draw a blank. His father was like a mountain, strong and ever present, but the years had worn away at him like wind and waves. He looked old. Bags under his eyes, gray hairs in his beard, and hard wrinkles around his mouth and eyebrows, from frowning too much. Ten years had been too long.

He had so many things he wanted to say, but he felt justified to say none of them. Instead, he parted his lips, and in a voice far too small for anyone else to hear, he whispered, "why?"

Stoick stepped back, his eyes wide and his face white.

"Chief?" Astrid asked.

"Stoick?" Gobber urged, shaking his arm.

The man was delusional, that had to be the answer. There was no way…the boy had been dead ten years! And now, with a tail…? There was just no way! But— That hair, those freckles, those all seeing eyes! He even had the small scar on his chin where the dragon had scratched him.

He denied it.

"Take him to the forge. Someone go get Goði to check his wounds. Make sure he's fed!" He ordered, his hand clenching tight into a fist. "We will care for him, fix his tail, and send him home! He is our guest and no harm is to come to him!"

"But, what about the stuff he stole?" Someone called.

"What about his dragon training!?" Astrid asked, grabbing his arm.

"He is pardoned of his crimes. He has served enough punishment from us! As for the dragons…any knowledge he wishes to impart on us we will take, but I will not force him into anything." With that, he started up the hill, away from the crowd.

"But why?! Stoick! You aren't making any sense!" Astrid called.

"Astrid, I tell you to always be critical of my decisions, so you can know why I make them. But for once, just do as I ask!"

"No! This is important! Answer me!"

"Because—!" He turned around fully and looked her in the eye. So much sadness of old memories had come up and sat just below the surface. She wasn't looking at her chief.

She was looking at a father.

His voice was splintering as he spoke, "he reminds me of Hiccup."

With those final words, Stoick climbed up the hill, leaving his heir in silence.