This is one of those chapters that I was really looking forward to writing. Enjoy!

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Chapter 10: Glad to See You

All of her things didn't fill the small makeshift room that Johan had constructed for her. It was just a corner of the lower deck he'd partitioned off with walls of wooden boxes. He had given it a small luxury by draping exotic fabrics and colorful rugs. A few roughly sewn pillows and furs made it feel more like Berk.

"It's not much but it'll have to do." Johan shrugged. "I don't usual have visitors, let alone women."

"It's fine. Thank you, Johan." Astrid nodded. He hadn't stopped fiddling with his fingers since she stepped over his gangplank.

"Alright." Johan nodded. "We'll be shoving off soon. Best make yourself at home."

Johan climbed the narrow stairs to the upper deck. Astrid heaved a sigh and scanned this temporary home. She clutched at her stomach. She had a horrible feeling that she wouldn't see Berk for a long time, maybe ever. Without realizing it she fisted her hands in her shirt. A tight knot punctured her attempts at even breaths.

"Astrid?" Stoick's call echoed down the stairs.

"I'm coming." Astrid swallowed and let her hands fall to her sides. In a matter of a few steps she was at the foot of the stairs. Stoick was standing at the top, his face looking anything but overjoyed, his large figure taking up the entire space. His brows were furrowed, much like Hiccup's, and his inhaled to speak but closed his mouth.

And like Hiccup, he knew what he wanted to say but the words wouldn't come.

"Don't worry about me, Stoick." Astrid feigned assurance.

Maybe, like his son, Stoick needed someone to squish his uneasiness with solid words. His face twitched out of his worry but he couldn't come out of it completely. He inhaled and his brows fell to their natural resting place. He shuffled his feet and brought his hands together.

Astrid had to bite back a smile. Sometimes, she could see Hiccup's quirky movements in his father. Every once in a while Stoick would let his chiefly countenance fade and his son's infamous doubt and shrugged shoulders would come through.

"You know… I already consider you my daughter, Astrid. I don't want to think I'm letting you go freely to your…demise." Stoick said, fiddling.

Astrid sighed. He didn't want to say it. Death.

"Then don't think of it that way." Astrid said. "I'm going to fix a problem and then I'll come back. Safe and sound. I promise."

"You can't promise that."

"I promise I'll do my best to."

"Aye, lass." Stoick nodded. "I'll hold you to that."

Johan called to the docks in his learned sailor's broadcast. Stoick gave her one last look before he retreated to the docks of Berk. Astrid swallowed, forcing down those unhappy feelings that had reemerged, and joined Johan on the upper deck. Berk was slowly drifting away.

Stoick stood proud on the docks, a mountain of strength in front of his village, many of which did not reflect his assurance. Gobber waved with his bludgeoning hand and wiped his face with the other. Among them was Ingrid, arms crossed and face fallen, and Astrid felt her chest tighten.

She was doing the right thing. She told herself. This was best for everyone.

Astrid had told Ingrid with a heavy heart about her plan. She'd stood in the kitchen, ladling a healthy serving of stew into a bowl, and took several long moments before speaking.

"Well, eat up while you're still here." Ingrid advised. "Odin knows that sailor food is about as good for you as seawater."

"I'm sorry." Astrid said. She could see the hurt, the discomfort on her aunt's face.

"I feel like I just got you back. And now you're leaving me again." Ingrid had said with her back turned.

Before Astrid had left her house for Johan's boat Ingrid had held her hand, touched her cheek, and sucked back her tears.

"You look just like your mother." Ingrid had said. "As beautiful as your are stubborn and crazy."

Astrid had smiled but it didn't push back the fist in her chest. Ingrid pulled her into a hug and left a kiss on her temple.

"You come back, girl. I've already mourned you once and that's all you get." Ingrid had tried to smile but it came out as a pitiful grimace.

"Yes, Ma'am."

And just like that the Vikings were dots on the shrinking isle and the imposing Berserker armada blocked their safe passage. Astrid looked to Johan and then to the ships.

"Alright, no sudden movements, and gifts, and we'll be fine. Just fine." Johan muttered to himself. He turned to her and his face twitched downward. "Maybe it'll be better if you hide down below. Just to be safe."

Astrid sighed. She hatred being treated like an…invalid. A useless invalid at that. But she marched back down the stairs and into her little cubbyhole. Compared to the rest of the lower desk her corner held what she could consider a homey touch.

She listened. She could hear the water sloshing on the sides of the ship. It was added it, and she guessed they were coming up on the barricade. Johan was rummaging through something, she heard rattling and clanking, and something falling to the deck with a thump.

"I mean you no harm, my fellows!" Johan shouted.

They must be close.

"I bare only gifts!" Johan lifted something that jingled into that air. "Will you kindly let me pass?"

An uncomfortable silence followed. Astrid slowly crawled out of her corner and tiptoed to the stairs. She climbed halfway up so she could see a small bit of a Berserker ships. It was so quiet. She could hear the wind thudding sails and ropes.

"Hello?" Johan called. "Is…is anyone aboard?"

Something was off. She could feel it. She ignored Johan's previous instructions to hide and climbed to the upper deck. Johan was holding a decorative mace above his head but the Berserker ships weren't moving. They were anchored and still. There were no voices on the air, no hum of humanity, no gentle din of life.

Astrid climbed onto a pile of trade to get a better look. She peered over onto the nearby Berserker ship and quickly retreated. She had seen the gray armor of at least a dozen Berserkers. When no sound of attack ensued she peered back over. Berserkers littered the deck, stiff as trees, as if they'd stung by Speed Stingers. Astrid squinted to the other ships. They were the same.

"What is wrong with them?" Astrid asked.

"What do you see?" Johan asked.

"They're just…standing there." Astrid told him. "Go through them."

"I can't…what if…oh…" Johan hesitated but listened. His ship slowly began to squeeze between two sleeping ships.

"They're not moving." Astrid watched the stiff Berserkers. She shuttered. The air felt…cold.

The Berserker ships remained still as Johan's passed slowly between them. And she would be glad to be free of them. There was a terrible feeling about them. Johan took a deep breath when the bow passed into the open ocean. They were within feet of leaving the barricade a voice broke the heavy silence.

"You're leaving without saying hello?"

Johan jumped and dropped the decorative mace. It clanged onto the deck and rolled, knocking into the mast. Astrid spun around to find the voice's owner as a surge of panic and joy swallowed her completely.

"Hiccup!"

He was standing on the Berserker ship and with some difficultly he climbed over the railing and jumped down onto Johan's deck. He stumbled, clutching his chest, and fell onto his knees with a painful grunt.

"Hiccup?" Astrid was at his side in seconds. She fell to her knees in front of him, almost in disbelief.

"Hey," Hiccup gasped through gritted teeth.

"Hiccup," Astrid loved the sound of his name on the air. "Hiccup, what happened? Everyone thinks you're dead!"

"Yeah, yeah," Hiccup nodded. He slowly sat back on his heels and kept his hand on his side. "I didn't plan on it but I rolled with it."

"Oh, Hiccup." Astrid felt hot tears welling in her eyes.

She reached out to him and offered him both of her hands. He took them and she helped him stand. Once settled on his feet he straightened his shoulders and shuffled his feet. She gave him a few moments to regain himself before her joy couldn't be contained any longer. She threw herself at him and fastened her arms around his neck.

He let out a painful gasp and stumbled backward but managed to maintain his footing. He placed his hands gingerly on her sides before sliding them around her. He gingerly pulled her arms off of his neck.

"It's not that I'm not glad to see you," Hiccup said carefully, "But your love hurts right now."

"I'm sorry." Astrid said through tears. "It's just…I didn't think I'd see you again."

Hiccup reached up and cupped her cheek in his hand. He rubbed his rough thumb along her cheekbone. He leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her lips. He pulled away and wiped a tear away with his hand.

"I'm glad to see you, too." Hiccup said.

"Come on, you need to rest." Astrid said.

She led him by the hand to the lower deck. She ushered him into her cubbyhole and helped him onto his back. The ocean prevented complete stillness but at least he could down. She fluffed a pillow for his head and reached for the hem of his shirt.

"What're you doing?" Hiccup asked.

"I'm inspecting the damage." Astrid said. Hadn't that been obvious?

He nodded and Astrid returned to his shirt. She lifted it and pulled it back to see his bruised stomach. Her cold fingers trailed along his darkened skin and poked and prodded as gently as she could.

"Are you coughing up anything? More specifically, blood?"

"No."

"That's good." Astrid said. Gooseflesh was starting to appear across his bare skin. She pulled his shirt down. "It looks like a broken rib. You're not in immediate danger but you'll have to be careful while the bones heal. So no more jumping from ship to ship, alright?"

"Yes, Mom." Hiccup smiled.

Astrid opened her mouth but whatever she'd been about to say escaped her. She closed her mouth and laughed.

"What?"

"I'm just really glad to see you."

Hiccup reached up with his hand to run his fingers down her spine. "How are you feeling?"

"Better than I thought I would this morning." Astrid said. She sighed. She thought that she'd never see those green eyes again. "It's been several hours since I've slept. I've been too…distressed, I guess."

"And now? You look tired."

Astrid nodded. She'd been pushing it back. "In a bit. Are your thirty? You sound dry."

"No, I'm fine. Come on, sleep. I'm not going anywhere." Hiccup pushed his hand against her back, urging her down to the rug covered floor with him.

She felt it pulling her into the darkness, the yearning to close her eyes, and she didn't feel like fighting it. She didn't have to. She no longer had to fear meeting Hiccup there. She curled onto the floor next to him, keeping careful not to nudge his side, and welcomed his arm around her.

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This chapter ended nicely - especially after several cliffhangers in a row. Hmm? Thanks for reading, I appreciate all you guys and your reviews a lot!