Yes, I dropped off the planet for a while because I was on a camping trip with some friends. Did I write? But of course! So here is another chapter of Safe for you. And guess what! More pain! So. Much. Pain. But you wouldn't still be here if you weren't here for the pain in the first place because well, this story defines pain. So! Enjoy more of said pain, suckers.

This little chapter is basically told through Hiccups point of view what he was rescuing Astrid. Fun shtuff.

Also, no, I didn't proof read this, and this was written at 2am over several nights so if something doesn't make sense, ya know, just blame it on that.

tears and tissue warning. you know the drill.

His heart was in his throat the moment it all happened, his brain painfully replaying it in slow motion. A look he could describe only as encompassing emptiness was stitched into her features while he watched helplessly as the blade was brought down violently into her bare side.

Too late. You're too late.

As the other riders swarmed in through the opening the blast had created, taking some attention away from him, he fought through each man that came towards him with a ruthlessness he didn't know he had.

She's dead.

White hot rage poured out of him and into inferno, hate and fear driving every move he made, every motion he made happening in slow motion.

He had to get to her. He had to get to her before it was too late.

Showing no mercy, Hiccup fought his way through the rest of the men, quickly and mindlessly fending off the two who had first been in the cavern with Astrid, and he saw red with each strike he took to them until each laid motionless on the ground by his feet.

They had taken her from him, and quite possibly for good this time.

His eyes came to her closed ones, and he willed his body to move, to do something.

He didn't have time to let his brain comprehend why she wasn't wearing any clothes, why she was so covered in dirt to the point of almost being unrecognizable, or how she was still alive with how malnourished she appeared; her skin desperately clinging to bone in its final attempt to keep her mangled form somewhat put together. Hiccups stomach twisted violently at the hasty conclusion is was able muster up.

He couldn't breathe.

Shallow breaths fueled him as he ran towards her prone body, sword slipping from his wavering grasp has he fell to her side, horror coursing brutally through his veins. "No. No, no no no no." His hands hovered over her body, over the dagger still embedded in her side, but he dragged his eyes to her paled face, gently taking her flushed cheeks in his shaking hands. His breath was ragged as his tear blurred eyes bore into her closed eyelids, thumbs mindlessly rubbing back and forth her now more prominent cheekbones in a desperate attempt to coax any form of a reaction out of her.

"Oh Gods, no no no, Please," He gulped down a sob as the pleading words rolled off his tongue, hoping, begging for a response.

This time he didn't hold in the minute sobs and whimpers that escaped him. "Astrid, please." Each gulp of air that he took in became harder and harder as he pressed on, eyes desperately searching her face for even the faintest reaction. "Astrid you—we need to get you…you out of here, please."

Somewhere behind him, Toothless warbled in worry, his nose gently nudging her foot.

A shuddering sob wracked his body and he pressed his forehead against hers, eyes fluttering closed as tears dripped onto her cool cheeks. He held her face close to his, hands shaking as he prayed for the gods to give him a sign, anything to let him know that she was still alive; That there was still a chance. "Oh gods please. Please don't do this baby, please." He became more hopeless as the seconds droned on that she didn't respond as he continued to whisper franticly to her fragile form, bringing his puffy eyes up to search her growingly pale face once more, thumbs idly still trying to coax life out of her. "Don't do this. Don't leave me."

Every bit of air was stripped from his lungs when he saw her eyebrows crease faintly together, lips parting as her body slowly wheezed in a ragged breath.

"Oh my—Oh gods."

An equally relieved and terrified breath left him, and he sat up, looking frantically behind him towards Fishlegs and Snoutlout, who stood protectively in the caverns entryway. Snotlouts eyes filled with anger and determination, as he found Fishlegs, glistening with questions and unshed tears.

Hiccup evened his breath so that he could speak somewhat coherently, eyeing them both with a fearfully intense gaze. "Clear me a path, I need to get her back to Berk." His voice was thick with emotion, but both men nodded, their dragons snorting in understanding as they turned to fend off whoever dared try to get near the future chief and his fading betrothed.

Hiccup turned back to Astrid's form, his hands moving her as gently as he could to get her into a position he could more easily pick her up without jostling her injury too much. At least he had learned enough from Gothi to know that taking out the dagger at this point would surely kill her long before they would be able to reach any form of help. And even with taking precautions, Berk was still at least an hours flight away.

His brain flew through every possibility, every outcome he could muster up of how this dangerous flight back could end up.

And he didn't like the outcome of any of them.

But he was running out of what little time he knew she had left, so he abandoned all sense of reasonable logic, grabbing a spare fur he had in his satchel to cover what he could of her bare body, and wrapping her up in his arms as gently as he could as to not jolt her injury.

His heart ached at how light she was, and he was flooded with a renewed sense of purpose..

She couldn't die. He wasn't going to let her die.

Hiccup called to toothless, who lowered himself to the ground as much as he could to let his rider slide on with ease. Once he was settled, a protective arm around her form and another tightly grasping the saddles handle, he gave his dragon a firm nudge.

"Toothless, go."

And without another thought, they were out of the dreaded caves mouth and airborne. He gave a nod to Snotlout, signaling him that he had Astrid, and that he was on his way back to Berk. Snoutlout gave a nod in return, and turned his attention back to the few men that still remained from Viggo's armada.

Hiccups grip tightened around Astrids form, his eyes darting from her face to the irksome knife that still sat in her side. A wave of fear gripped his heart once again, his eyebrows creasing with worry as he bore his eyes into the knife.

"As fast as you can, bud."

ҨҩҨ

Berk couldn't come fast enough, but when its shape finally crested over the horizon, Hiccup let out a small sigh of relief; "Just a little longer." He whispered to her limp form as he pressed a lingering kiss atop her head.

Astrid was nowhere near out of the blue yet, but her heartrate was still somewhat there, and he hung onto that hope that somehow, she would make it out of this. That she would be ok.

Toothless touched down near Gothi's hut as gently as he could. Hiccup saw his Dad and Gobber throw the door of the hut open, their worried eyes frantically searching Hiccups, only to fall of the form cradled in his embrace.

"It's Astrid, She's— Gothi, I– She needs Gothi."

He hadn't noticed the tears that had managed to brew behind his eyes once more until his vision was blurring and he needed to blink them away. His dad rushed up to him, arms coming up to meet Astrid's form. "Give her here, son." Mindful of her wound, Stoick took the girl into his encompassing arms as gently as he could, briskly taking her towards the huts door where Hiccup saw Gothi waiting with equally worried eyes.

"Great Odins beard…" Gobber breathed out, his eyes filling with remorse and worry at sight of the young warrior being carried into the hut.

Hiccup watched helplessly from the back of Toothless as his dad carried Astrid into the elders hut, and a shaky breath escaped him, his hands gripping tightly to the saddles handles, desperately trying to ground himself because he should be in there, trying to help save her life because damnit, he couldn't lose her.

He shifted in the saddle, making to get off as his eyes landed on Gobber who still stood prone, eyes filled with every comforting word Hiccup knew he wanted to say, but couldn't. Hiccups eyes began to blur once more, throat constricting in an attempt to hold back the wall of emotions that threatened to come crashing down around him, all while Gobber stood staring at him as if he would break at any moment.

And break he did.

"Ahh, Lad."

Hiccup all but threw himself from his place on the saddle to Gobbers fatherly embrace, the burly man wrapping him up into a strong, comforting hug as everything in Hiccup snapped at once and tumbled mercilessly down around him, angry sobs wracking his body. And Gobber stood there, holding the young man he had helped raise fiercely in his arms, hoping, wishing that he could take even an ounce of the pain he was feeling away from him.

Several minutes and a handful of sobs later found both men sitting on a pair of rocks near the walkway to Gothis hut, Gobbers hand sitting on his shoulder, still giving him what comfort he could offer.

"She's going to die." His voice was thick when he spoke, red eyes focused on his clasped hands in front of him, his thumb glancing over an old scar distractedly. He saw Gobber glance over at him from the edge of his vision, "She's going to die, and it's my fault."

He heard Gobber let out a loud huff as he brought his hand back to his lap, leaning forward, he mirrored his position, elbows resting on his knees and hands clasped in front of him. Gobber brought his head down more as he looked towards him, hoping to catch his eye, but to no avail.

"That Astrid of yours is one of hell of a fighter, and you know it lad. She's not going down without a fight."

Hiccup shook his head. "Gobber, you saw her. I…I don't think she has any fight left to give."

Gobber made to speak again but Hiccup beat him to it.

"I had flown over that island before, too, damnit. And she was right there! And I…She–she might not make it now all because I couldn't pull my head out of my own ass to take a second to actually check the island, but no! There was no way they'd keep here on such a small, open island! Surely they'd have her somewhere more secluded and conspicuous. Three months. Three months, Gobber. She was right there and now she's in there dying and it's my fault. You can try and tell me it's not, but it is. If She dies, it's on me, and I...I just—" his throat closed again as more tears prickled their way to the surface. "I can't lose her." Another sob bubbled its way up. "I can't, lose her." He brought his hands up to wipe angrily at the tears. "She's…I won't be able to live with myself if she doesn't make it."

Hiccup knew what his mentor wanted to say. But even though he might find comfort in the words now, facing the hard truth was somewhat easier. Maybe when his dad came out to break the news that she was dead it wouldn't tear into his heart more than it already had. Maybe he would be able to repair the damage.

Hell, he knew he wouldn't be able to.

"I can't imagine a world without you in it."

"What was that, Lad?"

Hiccup only closed his eyes and tried desperately to calm his breathing and raging heart rate. Memories of that day came flooding back into his memory, and he recalled how scared he had been.

And he realized that was nothing compared to the fear he was feeling for her this time round.

Hours must had passed because the western sun was beginning to set when the door to Gothis hut creaked open, and Hiccups stomach dropped to the floor, his eyes flickering up to find his dads, searching his eyes for the answer he was expecting before it came.

"She's ok."

Relief hit him like a mountain being dropped straight on his chest, and a sigh raggedly forced its way out of his hoarse lungs.

"She's got a long road ahead of her, but she's ok."

And for the first time in months, Hiccup let himself take a long, drawn out breath of calming relief.

Because Astrid was going to be ok, and she was home, and she was safe.

Let me know what you thought! I love feedback, almost as much as I love delivering pain to you.