Short chapter. I'm really not liking this story. I don't know why, but I feel like I'm not doing so well on it. I love the concept, and the events make it fun, but I don't know. Maybe it's because I'm rushing it. Someday I'll go back and touch it up. Thanks for all the love and reviews!

Exhaustion was not a strong enough word. Hiccup glided into shallow waters, and Astrid let go of his shoulders. Thankful to be on solid ground, she waded up to shore, guiding him along. With what little strength she had left, she pulled him up to the dock. He laid still and panted. Never before had he swam so far and so fast in one go. It had taken all night and halfway into the next day to arrive.

He laid on his side, as Astrid laid next to him. Wistfully, she parted his hair from his face. Green eyes looked in wonder.

Words could not express the gratitude she owed. She had made it back alive, mostly unharmed. She cupped his cold cheeks and rubbed the water away with her thumb. His eyes never left hers.

"Thank you." She whispered. She reached out and pulled him to her chest, where he rested. She hugged him tight and combed the tangles from his matted hair. "You're my best friend," she whispered. "Without a doubt. But…I need to know…Hiccup, I—…"

"There you are!" A booming voice echoed from the other end of the dock. Stoick jogged over, along with many other villagers. As she pulled herself up to her knees, he lifted her into a hug. "I've been worried sick! Where have you been?!"

Taking up the persona of an heir, Astrid stood proud and told her Chief, "The Outcast attack here on Berk was a ruse. A single ship came around while I was patrolling the village and took me hostage. Thankfully," she gestured to Hiccup, "he followed the ship and saved me."

"Are you alright?"

"A little water logged, but not bad." Though, after she said it, she sneezed hard and groaned.

Gobber sided up to his friend. "'s a little early in the year to be going for a swim, dontcha think?" He then went and knelt next to the merman. "He okay?"

"Yeah, he's just tired, swam three days in a row."

Hiccup grunted from the ground.

"Ey, that would be exhausting." The blacksmith whistled and Fishlegs came forward with his trusty wheelchair. Gobber lifted the fish boy by the scruff of his neck and set him in the chair. His head rolled back.

"Let's go to the great hall!" Stoick shouted. "Let us feast, for my heir has returned safely to us!"

The assembled crowd cheered wildly.

"Stoick, can we both rest a bit? Hiccup's exhausted, and I haven't slept since yesterday, and it wasn't even a good sleep."

The chief surveyed the weary teens and supposed, maybe rest would be good. "A nap, and we shall feast at dinner!"

Hiccup was already snoring away.

—

The merman had slept a good part of the day away, and he probably would have gone well on into the evening too, if Gobber hadn't shook him awake. He was hauled down to the Grand Hall and draped with warm furs. The hot tea in his hand was constantly refilled, as maids asked if he was okay. He didn't mind the pampering. It was just all the people and questions. At least he was in a chair, so he didn't have to move.

"So how did you save her?" Snotlout asked, his arm on the back of his chair. "Did you pull the old 'jump-on-the-boat-and-steal-the-treasure' routine?"

The merman was beginning to get a headache from all of Snotlout's badgering. "No, I just caught her after she jumped off the boat."

"It took you a long time to get back."

"Yes, we were all the way out by Thor's rock."

"That's not that far." He argued.

"Try swimming it." Hiccup challenged.

"Snotlout, leave him alone. He saved my life, you should be happy."

"All I'm saying is that, it seems pretty convenient that Hiccup was the one to save you."

Fishlegs piped into the argument. "Snotlout, she was on a boat, who else would have saved her?"

"Exactly!" He pounded the table, making Hiccup cross his eyes. "You planned the whole thing! Didn't you?!"

"That is literally the dumbest thing I have ever heard." Astrid posed. Hiccup nodded in agreement.

"Oh come on Astrid!" The brunette chided.

"I'm still trying to figure out why you assume I did this…" Hiccup wondered aloud.

"It's simple." Snotlout explained, holding out his hands to gesture. "You have the Outcasts kidnap Astrid, then you save Astrid, bring her back and be a hero, and then have her all to yourself."

The merman rolled his eyes. "Even if that was my plan, there's a flaw." Hiccup raised his tail and flicked him in the face. "It would never work. I have fins, she has legs."

Astrid chuckled under her breath, since she had been the one to say that to him.

Snotlout made unintelligible sounds of frustrations, and then left the table.

"I like messing with him." Hiccup confessed. "He's funny when he's angry."

Scooting a bit closer, Astrid turned to Hiccup. "So, about what happened in the water…by the boat?" She spoke under her breath, trying to hide from her friends. "Will I…grow fins or something?"

"No." He chuckled. "I don't know all the specifics, but you can just breathe under water. But not all the time, like, if you decided to run away from home, you couldn't start a life under the sea."

She nodded, understanding. "Okay, follow up question." She leaned a little closer. "Why did you wait so long to kiss me? I mean…" she tried to find the words.

"Why did I pull you down?"

"Yeah."

He reached out and took her hand. "You had to be desperate for it to work. I could have done it at a time such as now, and it would have no effect. Like I said, I'm sorry."

She took her hand from his grip and patted his shoulder. "I'm over it now. It was terrifying at the time, but now I have this cool power, and I don't have to be so afraid of the water."

He smiled. "Well, that's good."

"Another question…did we bond?"

His face flushed. "Excuse me?"

"Camicazi asked if you had bonded with me and you said no, did we bond in the water?"

"Oh! No, no, no…I just gave you my breath."

"So, is bonding a part of sex?"

Instead of blushing harder, his nose crinkled in confusion. "Why would I want to have sex with you?"

Ouch.

Obviously, he didn't know the implications of his words. Regardless, her eyebrow quirked upward as a small frown pulled at her lips.

He was smart though, as he recognized the look. "Okay, before you get mad about some social faux pas, hear me out." He leaned a little closer to make sure no one heard them. "I know the mechanics of sex. I've been taught about it by the elders. But in our culture, remember, mermaids drown their mates. They lure them into the water, rape them, kill them, and then eat them. Is that what you want?"

She shook her head vehemently.

"Okay. You see my perspective." He nodded.

"But what is bonding?" She asked.

The merman pursed his lips and swallowed. "It's when a human swears themselves to a mermaid. Trusting her wholly and completely."

"Oh." She said simply. "That's it?"

"There's more to it, but that's the gist of it."

Astrid opened her mouth to ask another question, but she was quickly interrupted. "Let's hear some music!" Stoick boomed over the assembled party.

"I thought you'd never ask!" Gobber cheered, taking out his pipes from seemingly nowhere.

The chief ignored the blacksmith and called over to the guest, "Hiccup!"

The merman perked up in question.

"Sing us a song, lad!"

Hiccup flinched heavily. "I can't sing." He hoped the chief would just leave it there.

"Nonsense! You said it yourself! Merfolk have the most beautiful singing voices!"

"Correction, I don't sing. Trust me, you don't want me too."

"Stoick, let him be." Astrid urged.

"Oh come on! Just one song! That's it!"

"No, please." Hiccup practically begged.

"Just one song! It can be short!"

"No, Stoick!" Hiccup shouted and shoved away from the table. However, one wheel caught on a groove in the floor and made him lose his balance.

His chair tipped backwards and he sprawled across the floor. Embarrassed, he tried to push himself up, but it wasn't working. Astrid leapt from her seat and tried to help. He swatted at her. "I'm fine, I'm fine!" He urged.

"Hold still!" The blonde insisted, lifting the boy by his shoulders and easing him onto his chair. He pulled the furs around him tightly, his hands shaking with the effort.

For a while, the merman was able to pretend that he was like the humans. That he was only deprived of his ability to walk. But with the way that everyone was staring at him, whispering, he knew he was only fooling himself. He would never be like them. No matter how much good he did, no matter how well he knew them, he'd always be a stranger.

He never had a chance with Astrid. He rubbed at his eye and riveted his gaze to the floor.

"Ah, well, don't worry about it lad." Stoick said paternally, laying a hand on the boy's head. "Didn't mean to make you upset." The chief turned and waved to Gobber. "Alright, you can play your pipes."

Soft notes flooded into the room, followed by the plucks of strings of a mandolin and harp. Then other players joined in. Soon the hall was a buzz with gaiety and the merman's outburst was forgotten.

Astrid stood and ran her fingers through Hiccup's hair. "It's been a long day. I'm going back to bed."

He nodded, as he long to do the same. "Goodnight Astrid."

After she left, he found himself alone, as the rest of the villagers were preoccupied. He sighed softly to himself and drank his tea. He would sit here until someone took him bad to the forge.

Suddenly his chair jerked as he was pulled away from the table. Looking up, Hiccup was surprised by Stoick leading him out. The man lifted the chair and carried him down the stairs to avoid jostling him. The chief's silence and actions confused the boy, but he went with him. It wasn't like he had a choice...

Down to the docks they went, not a word spoken. The chief parked the chair and then took a seat next to him. He was so large that he still was at eye level with Hiccup. For a few moments, they watched the sun set.

"I'm sorry."

Stoick's sudden voice startled the boy. Hiccup glanced at him, the chief still stared off into the distance. "It's okay. I shouldn't have made such a big deal out of it. I'm just tired, I guess." He replied.

"That's not what I meant." The man stated, with a sigh. "I'm talking about what happened eleven years ago. Up on that cliff."

The man paused as he watched understanding dawn over the boy's face. "You knew the whole time?"

Stoick nodded solemnly.

"You knew who I was? And you didn't do anything about it?"

"Hiccup—…"

"Ten years Stoick! Ten years that moment has haunted me!" He wanted to stand, but he just pushed hard on the arm rests of his seat. "Do you know what it's like to not have the use of your legs? Do you have any idea what you did to me?!" His cheeks became damp with fury.

"Now wait—…"

"I'm unnatural! I'm a monster! There are no others like me in the world. I'm neither human nor mermaid and it's so frustrating!" He angrily wiped tears away with his hands. "All because you didn't want me!"

"Now that is not true!" Stoick burst. "It killed me to sacrifice you." He sighed and delicately combed Hiccup's hair back. "I considered every possibility, every solution, but none appeased the tribe. I even considered throwing Mildew out into the sea, but that would have made things worse. People would have assumed that I had gone mad, or I was incapable of leading the tribe."

Hiccup sniffed. "But why me? Why did they want to get rid of me so badly?"

"Mildew was convinced that the dragon raids were happening because the gods were angry with you. Why? I have no idea. You were a very good child."

Hiccup smiled faintly.

"He convinced the rest of the tribe and I was left with two options; flee with you and let the village fall into destruction…or do my duty as a chief." Stoick glanced away. "I'm sorry it came to it."

"If you knew it was me, then why have you been so indifferent this whole time?!"

Stoick simpered. "I thought you were dead. Everyone did. From the moment I saw you, part of me knew exactly who you were, then the other, more rational part saw your tail and I decided it couldn't be true. I was sure I was imagining things. I wanted you to stay and be taken care of, but I didn't want to allow myself to give into delusions. Do you understand?"

"The guilt probably didn't help."

"No, it didn't." The chief laughed, sardonically. "I'm sorry it took so long to have this discussion."

"What made you finally do it? I was here all winter…"

"Astrid. Astrid made me do it."

"But she doesn't know who I am…"

"I see the way that you two look at each other. You like her, a lot, if I'm right."

Hiccup blushed.

"And she likes you too. That's the problem."

"Problem?" Hiccup asked, sheepishly, "Why would that be a problem?"

Stoick rubbed his chin, looking for the words. "I don't want to make you anymore upset."

"Okay," Hiccup nodded.

"You aren't human."

"I know."

"But Astrid is."

"Yeah."

"Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

Hiccup nodded hard. He had always understood. It was something he struggled with.

"Astrid is going to have to marry some day, and I can have her chasing a dream that will never come true. You can't be together, no matter how much you want to be. I even want you to be with her, I do! But…"

"I understand." Though, Hiccup's voice was thick with emotion. "Just, let her marry someone she loves. Don't force her into something she doesn't want."

Stoick nodded. "I'll do my best."

There was a long moment of silence as Hiccup controlled his breathing, determined not to cry. It was best that they nipped this in the bud, before it turned into something dangerous.

"You've grown well." Stoick commented. "You were such a small babe, born too early. You're mother was so afraid for you, but I was confident you'd be alright. I said that you came early because you were too excited. You needed to see everything you could." Stoick played with the boy's hair again. "I assumed you'd be small all your life. And you may be, but I've seen you grow over the seasons. You'll be a strong lad."

"Thanks dad."

Stoick swelled with happiness at his words. They had just tumbled out so casually, and he felt no need to correct himself. It sounded good, and it sounded right.

"So…you didn't want to get rid of me?" Hiccup's voice was soft.

"Gods no!" Stoick suddenly swept the boy up into his arms and held him tightly. "I loved you very much, Hiccup. I still do. Not a day passes that I don't think about what happened. Ask anyone, and they'll tell you that your loss nearly destroyed me. If Astrid hadn't become my responsibility as well, I don't want to think about what would have happened."

Hiccup hesitantly wrapped his shaking arms around his father's neck, and held onto him for many moments in silence. The embrace was indescribable. He was being held by his father, the man that raised him and loved him. The man that was the size of a mountain, and as steady as a rock. He was back in the arms of his father. A strong and sure hold that just seemed to make everything feel alright.

"I'll make it up to you." Stoick said, gripping his son's cheek. "Stay here with us, let me be a father again."

Hiccup's heart ached with desperation. "I…I want to…but—…" He wormed his way out of his father's grasp. "I can't."

"I'll admit that it would be difficult, but nothing we can't handle. We'll add ramps for easy access, and—…."

"No dad." Hiccup said firmly. He slid gently out of his chair and then eased into the frigid water. "I don't belong here."

The chief looked at him crossly. "I don't understand."

"I can't live like this. Not on land. And…" He ducked his head. "I'm afraid I couldn't stay away from Astrid if I did stay."

The man's brow furrowed. "Well, then we continue as we have. You can live in your cave and visit often, we'll chat it up. I'll even come swimming in the summer."

Hiccup shook his head and flicked his tail. "It's be agony." He whispered.

"Are we really that awful?" Stoick met his eyes, desperate.

"No, you're wonderful. I love it on Berk. That's the hard part. I don't belong here." He urged, begging for the man to understand him. "You don't understand how dangerous I am."

"Hoark heard singing and ended up cliff diving. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

Hiccup ducked his head sheepishly.

"Oh gods…" Stoick sighed.

"It was an accident." Hiccup begged.

"So that's why you—…" Suddenly his outburst in the Great Hall didn't seem so odd. "I'm so sorry…"

"I can't stay. I can't be with Astrid, no matter how much I want to, and I can't stay no matter how much you want me to."

"Where will you go? What about Toothless?"

"Toothless has a responsibility here now, and I won't try to take it away from him." He closed his eyes. "I'm better off just following the currents."

"You're welcome back at anytime."

"Thank you." He dove under the water, but then quickly surfaced. "I'll continue to watch over Berk from the waters. As far as I'm concerned, this is my home."

With a flick of the tail, he was gone.

The solemn chief was left staring at the rippling waters after the boy left. "It won't be home without you."