Hey reader, hope you are prepared for Astrid's reaction. Trust me, it isnt as bad as it could be. So, keep up the reviews! I check every day and respond to everyone (i think i did, tell me if i didnt) and...enjoy! I will put up another chapter today, i think. Subscribe to me on Youtube...i am Cblue94! It is all HTTYD stuff, that you will be interested in! (maybe :D)

Hiccup gasped as he found the only light out was the moon. He looked up to notice that the moon was in place just around…eleven o clock.

Hiccup gasped.

But he did not neglect to thank his dragon with a compassionate hug.

"I cant thank you enough buddy. You can eat as many fish as you want for the next…forever!"

Toothless beamed his adorable smile and smacked his lips in glee.

Hiccup giggled but realized the real issue here. Astrid. He wouldn't have his boy lie again.

Suddenly the boy tugged on Hiccup's coat.

"Dad, I wont tell Mommy about it, you wont need to get in trouble."

Hiccup grinned as the boy seemed to change for the better. He had shed his deviousness but Hiccup couldn't hold this lie his whole life. His son nearly died again and it was much worse than the river because he himself should have known better.

He picked the boy up and told him quietly.

"No, I'll tell her."

The little confused child just laid his head on his father's shoulder in a sudden wave of fatigue.

"I'm sleepy, Daddy."

"Me too."

They rode Toothless home, but not before seeing the search parties all around Berk looking for the trio.

Damn.

Astrid was the first one to spot them (of course!) and she stared in a mix of disappointment, fear, and relief. But mostly anger.

"Hiccup!"

Yep, mostly anger.

He hoped she was calling to the little guy.

"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the third!"

Nope. Yay!

Hiccup landed Toothless and waited to be beaten. All the Vikings who had wasted the important trade night to look seemed angry too, but happy the boy and dragon were safe.

They all dispersed after groans of 'What, the old Hiccup is back?' and 'At least the boy was alright!'

Astrid looked at Hiccup with anger, and she didn't even know the half of it yet.

"Hiccup you were supposed to be home hours ago!"

"I know, and Astrid, I'm sorry, I…I know."

Astrid looked down at the sleeping boy.

"We thought you had Hiccup killed or you lost all the dragons or something."

She took him from his arms and gripped him tightly dispite the fact that he wasn't awake.

"I don't know what I'd do if you were almost hurt, baby."

Hiccup looked up to her and the moon finally shown on his face as they walked away from the trees that shielded the light before.

That's when she noticed the blotches on his face, his puffy eyes…

He had been crying.

She peered up at him and near killed him.

"Hiccup!"

Hiccup just began to tear up a little.

"I don't know how it happened, If that counts for anything."

She began to tear up herself.

"What did you do!"

"He may have, got lost for a while. While, while, we looked for baby dragons and I, I just, thought I'd lost him."

Astrid turned her head away in disgust.

"Toothless found him. In the cave somewhere. I don't know where he went. But I got him."

She paused for a moment to take it all in.

"Hiccup, how, how, could you do this? That is my son! You cant let him out of your sight for a minute."

She looked down in panic as he slept.

"Is, is he okay?"

"He is fine, not even shaken up. The only one who was shaken up was me."

"You cant just do this, Hiccup! That's my son! He isn't a dragon, he cant fend for himself!"

"You know what Astrid, he's my son too you know!"

"Phht! He shouldn't be the way you take care of him!"

That got to him.

Hiccup let the sting of that comment linger in the air as to let her hear how cold it was.

She felt it.

She stared down at the grass.

"Hiccup, I didn't mean…"

He looked down as well.

"No, your right."

She began to shake her head in agony at what a low blow that was.

"No. You're a fine father, honey."

Hiccup wiped his nose.

"I, just cant hold the thought of my…our son dying for a second without wanting to kill the person who put him there."

Hiccup didn't care about what she said after that. He hung his head and let one tear wander down his face.

Astrid thought the thought of her son in danger of hungry dragons again and held him tight.

He woke up at that last hug.

"Mommy?"

"Hiccup!"

Astrid hugged him harder and wiped the hair from his eyes.

"Sweetie are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine."

"Okay." She said in a cracking voice.

"I saw dragons."

"Bet you did." Her voice still cracked as she held back tears and Hiccup wallowed in the pool of failure he felt around him.

Damn. He hadn't felt so bad since he was a teenager.

Astrid looked to her husband at that last comment, the one regarding dragons…

"Hiccup, you didn't get the hatchlings?"

"Hah, a failure like me. Nope, they ran off to gods know where."

Astrid wanted to scold him but felt bad and just bit her lip and widened her eyes.

"Well, I guess we just have new dragons to train."

Her optimism was sickening in this situation.

"No, we have more fire hazards to tend to."

Hiccup looked to the girl but she stared right back and began more serious talk as the boy slept again.

"Hiccup. I'm sorry."

"I should be sorry, and, I am Astrid. Very, truly…sorry."

His eyes still visibly moist and his head still low, he trailed on.

"I didn't…That was my worst nightmare."

She seemed to feel sympathy to the comment.

"That's logical…"

Hiccup sighed.

"Honey, don't feel too bad. If it was an accident, then I guess we learned something."

Hiccup liked the last words she said and responded with a kiss.

She fell for it and they seemed to make up.

But she was still a tad angry and they arrived at the house and put the boy to sleep upstairs.

Hiccup laid in the bed with his hands behind his head and stared to the ceiling.

Astrid slid under the fur blankets and turned to him.

He frowned and cringed at her glare.

"A cave filled with dragons. But, you got him out. That was heroic. And, you cried, so I guess that evens it out to normal."

Hiccup smirked a bit but fell back to a serious tone.

He kissed the girl and then he held her tight.

"How can I ever tell you how sorry I am."

"I think I believe you. You wouldn't have tried so hard if you didn't care. And, you wouldn't be beating yourself up about it."

Hiccup hugged her close to him and she allowed him to, a sign of forgiveness.

"Don't forget to scan for loose dragons soon, though."

He groaned and pushed his head to the pillow.

They fell asleep quickly and the night felt very safe and very somber.

But the next day looked like hell.

It was a thick overcast and rain poured down like Berk was a swimming pool someone was desperately attempting to fill up.

Hiccup rolled out of bed very early and he had no clue why. Astrid slept soundly and he checked on his sleeping boy.

Yep, everyone was okay.

Except him.

He felt so bad, he needed to get over this.

He sat on the front porch wearily and pulled his boot on. The air was moist and heavy and he found it hard to breathe. Or was that just guilt? He didn't know.

He took in a deep breath and stared up at the sky as beads of heavy downpour erupted as they smacked the grass floor. Mud was everywhere and he shoveled it off the first few steps. Soon enough, Astrid opened the door to see her wet husband slipping around on the steps, shoveling mud and looking all around miserable.

He turned and she saw the brisk glare he gave her that seemed too depressed for him now.

"Good morning."

"Mornin'."

He turned away and dug in the wet dirt and Astrid became concerned.

"You, don't have to do that."

"Sure, why not."

She had failed to cheer him up and felt a little disappointed in herself.

She leaned against the door in defeat and held the siding.

"Lets go inside, come on."

"No, I have to find loose dragons today."

Every word he said was not sarcastic, but deeply depressed. He knew in ways that she had overreacted, but her expression that he had failed even convinced himself that he was horrible.

"I, don't…really wanna talk right now."

Astrid seemed a bit offended but would keep his wishes. She walked away and nodded.

She was to blame. It was all too much pressure for him sometimes, and it didn't help that he practically wanted to kill himself now.

She trotted up the stairs to the bedroom of her son and looked as he was still asleep. She wouldn't bother him, but just wanted to look at him for a while. He did look just like his father, and it really must have pained Hiccup to have thought he'd lost him.

"What have I done?" She whispered to herself.

After a few cautious tiptoes, she wandered down the stairs and looked out the window again. She needed a little adventure, anyway.

After opening the door, she let a loose yell to Hiccup.

"Hey, when are you going out after those dragons, Hiccup?"

Hiccup turned to her with a frown and those sad eyes.

"I dunno, soon."

"Well I guess I better get my boots on then."

Hiccup began a confused look and a small grin.

"Like old times, then."

Astrid smiled widely and reassured him.

"Yep, I'm coming with you."

Hiccup stopped and thought for a moment.

"Astrid, I don't know if you wanna get involved, it's gonna be very…"

She shot him a look and he remembered who he was talking to.

"I'm better than you, Hiccup."

He laughed a weak laugh but he meant it.

"Who's going to look after Hiccup?"

"I suppose he would want to visit his grandma, Stoick is always busy and I just thought maybe…"

She was cut off by a gruff voice that invited himself into the conversation.

"No! Don't bother dropping him off there!"

Suddenly, as both Vikings turned they were met with the smiling face of Gobber.

Astrid didn't really approve.

"Uh, well, Gobber, you know, I can just drop him off at my mothers, she hasn't seen him in a week and…"

"No! I, insist!"Hiccup laughed as he knew his son would enjoy Gobber's company.

"Why, why not?"

Hiccup looked to his wife who seemed to remember how Gobber looked after her husband in his younger days…she just hoped he would do a better job now. But, she knew him well and decided it would be fine. He would like the shop and would like to see where his father worked.

"Alright, I'll go wake him up."

Gobber let loose a hearty laugh as Astrid smiled and went inside.

Hiccup turned to his mentor.

"Thanks, Gobber."

"No problem, boy! Id be happy to get to show him the ropes."

"Haha, good luck. He's wildly into dragons."

Gobber smiled and erupted into a wilder laughter.

"This is too good! Just like his dad! Well, I guess I know how to deal with him then."

"Yeah, just watch him. I'm telling ya, he's worse than I was with all that running off."

Gobber smirked and looked as the front door opened. The little boy rubbed his eyes as he was extremely tired at this hour of the morning and held his mother's hand.

"You want to go to Gobber's today, Hiccup?"

Little Hiccup looked to his mother and nodded.

"Yeah, where is he?"

Astrid pointed to Gobber at the bottom of the stairs and he beamed with joy.

"Gobber!"

The boy ran down the stairs and Gobber greeted him with a pat on the shoulder.

"Ah! There you are, lad!"

Hiccup waved to his son goodbye and Astrid hugged him and warned him.

"There will not be any running off, okay?"

Young Hiccup nodded sincerely.

"Come on, laddy, lets get a move on."

Gobber grabbed the boy's shirt and tugged him off.

Astrid smiled and waved as he very willingly trotted along with Gobber.

"Now, all we have to do is get them out of the woods."

Astrid noted as Hiccup noticed she was always on top of the plan.

"Then I best stop shoveling mud."

Hiccup smiled and so did Astrid as they began to note the rain turned into snow.

"Oh, no."

Hiccup whined as he noticed the climate change and the freezing cold morsels of snow pinched as they hit his face.

"This is gonna be cold, grab your coat."

Astrid warned as she handed Hiccup his thick coat and put on hers. It wasn't even winter yet, but Berk was prone to deadly autumns filled with snow…and it was practically summer.

Hiccup pilled some snow in his hands and threw it over his shoulder as he was bored waiting for Astrid in the house.

But she wasn't in the house.

She approached him with a face filled with snow and an angry disposition.

She blew the snow out of her mouth and grabbed Hiccup by the shoulder and rubbed some snow right back.

"Ahhh!"

He blew the snow out and his breath began to melt it.

"So that's how we are gonna play, huh?"

She smiled defiantly and ran for more snow as he darted in the other direction and launched a miss.

"Ha! Missed me!"

Another snowball nailed her on the head and she fell back, releasing one that hit him square in the face.

The both laughed till a booming voice erupted.

"Hiccup! Don't you have dragons to catch?"

Hiccup gulped and looked to see Stoick, angry and large as usual.

"The ones…you lost."

"Heh, that spread fast, eh?"

"And, your son!"

"Dad, I…"

"Now your both playing around like children? You have a job to do and I suggest you get a move on before the snow piles above your heads."

They both walked in a shift of guilt and began to approach the woods.

The snow was a shield of white above their heads and they could barely see anyway.

Astrid grabbed an ax and Hiccup took his small pocket knife along for protection. The dragons weren't that big, but they were fierce and untamed.

"Your father doesn't treat you right, Hiccup."

Astrid broke the silence besides the crack of the snow beneath their feet with that comment and it startled the boy.

"Yeah, I've noticed."

He kicked a rock in front of him but tripped.

Astrid smiled at his lasting awkwardness she had fallen in love with.

"Hiccup." She giggled faintly as she acknowledged him and he smiled.

Hiccup liked the attention and began to talk again.

"At least I've got you. And my son if he knows it."

"He knows it."

Hiccup began to notice that the snow was stinging his head and he pulled the brown fur coat over his hair for protection. He held Astrid close and she enjoyed his warm embrace and sudden consideration.

"Aww."

Hiccup whispered.

"I don't think were getting any dragons today."

"Yeah. Me either."

They still trekked on.

Meanwhile, young Hiccup was learning a thing or to from their old buddy Gobber.

Gobber was slowly chipping away at the rough edges of a new ax being made.

"Hiccup, you wanna try, lad?"

Young Hiccup nodded and held the sword but it was far too heavy.

He nearly dropped it and Gobber caught it promptly.

"Ah, a wee bit young, I suppose."

Young Hiccup flexed his arms and told Gobber off.

"I'm not little, Gobber, just check this out."

He made muscle poses that were supposed to be serious, but just left Gobber in a fit of laughter.

"Oh, Odin, just like your father!" Gobber breathed the word through laughter.

Hiccup didn't quite understand but he grinned in confusion.

"I wont need to learn to blacksmith. I'm gonna train dragons!"

"I'm sure you will, boy. I'm positive ya will!"

Gobber patted him on his tiny back and he reached up to a shelf.

"I, I want it!"

"What? This helmet?"

Gobber placed an oversized helmet on the boy that was supposed to ship off later.

"Say, lad…would you want to be my errand boy?"

Little Hiccup nodded in excitement.

"I'll deliver stuff?"

"Only to the homes near the shop."

Despite the meager position, young Hiccup looked eager to hold some responsibility.

"I can do it, Gobber!"

"Alright, but don't be trailin' off now, okay?"

"Sure!"

Gobber bestowed the few items he could carry upon him, a light knife, a couple helmets, some repaired doorknobs and whatnot, all in a bag that the boy would carry on his back.

"Okay, go to the Ingermans, go over to Spitelouts real quick, and I think I wrote the names down on a list somewhere…"

"Gobber, I, um, cawnt read."

"Oh, right, yes. You look so much like your dad sometimes I forget you're a toddler!"

Gobber let out a hearty laugh but the boy didn't get it. He wandered out the door and said farewell as he trotted over to the homes and delivered the goods.

"Why thank you, Hiccup!"

A nice lady said as Hiccup passed over a knife to her.

"Yes, I do need this now. With all the wild dragons running amok."

"What?"

"Well, I would expect you to know, lad."

"Know…about whawt?"

"Those loose baby dragons are going to likely grow up soon and cause havoc! They are untrained!"

"So, were gonna kill 'em?" Hiccup didn't want to see dragons die.

The woman who looked at him had a now nervous expression on her face.

She tried to pull the right word out to make the boy happy and not enlighten him on the wonders of what dragon slaying used to be.

She pondered how he would take it.