Top o' the mornin' to ya, maties! Don't ask, I have no idea where that came from, it was just in the moment. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that it's nigh on midnight and I haven't eaten dinner yet. I tend to go a little crazy when I haven't eaten. Why am I talking about this...

Good stuff ahead! My dearest Finnegan is on the road to healing, as is our precious cupcake Erick! GP is drawing to a close my friends. One more chapter after this! This story has been a wild ride for sure and I'm very pleased with how it turned out. I'll get all the thank yous and specifics out on the actual final AN for next chapter lol

Enjoy your chapter! While we're wrapping things up for GP, a lot of things will be setting us up for our next story, Hiccups! Keep your eyes open. Who knows what might happen...

Chapter Twenty-Five: Road to Redemption

"Brandyn, slow down!" Adrianna yelped, dodging a crate at the entry of an alley. "What's the hurry?"

Brandyn grinned impishly at her over his shoulder. "I want to escape with you now before some man swoops in and takes you away!"

"Oh yes, because I have a history of men swooping in and taking me away," Adrianna snarked.

"Hey, one can't be too careful."

Adrianna snorted. "Too careful makes a boring life."

Brandyn glanced back at her with a disbelieving look.

"What?"

"So says the girl that doesn't get out much."

Adrianna finally pulled her hand loose from his, stopping them in the alley. "Huh?"

His prior excitement gone, Brandyn sighed. "It's nothing."

"Try me." Adrianna raised an eyebrow.

"Okay," Brandyn folded his hands together in front of his mouth. "How do I say this without you going all crazy-Haddock on me…"

"Crazy-Haddock?"

"That's what they started calling you guys when you get upset. Especially your dad after that one village meeting. Hoo boy-"

"Brandyn, focus."

"Totally focused, princess," Brandyn snarked. "You don't get out much at all. Like, at all. So it's funny hearing you say that a person being too careful is a bad thing."

Adrianna shrugged. "It's not like I don't hang out with people because I'm afraid. We just have different interests."

"Then you need to either a) be more interesting, or b) find interests that are common to the group," Brandyn said.

"Why?" Adrianna frowned. "I don't want to hang out with some of those kids on a regular basis."

Brandyn huffed. "I can't live in a box, Adrianna."

The girl moved back a step. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm a social guy, Anna. I get bored, I want to do things. There's nothing wrong with just sitting and talking, or hanging out while you read a book or something, but that seems to be a common occurrence." Brandyn said. "I'm not saying lose the stuff you like to do, but I am saying you should expand a bit. I want to spend time with you, but… you need to be more spontaneous."

"More spontaneous." Adrianna repeated.

"Yes. Because some of us want to do things a certain way in our lives and when we have that one friend who's a stick in the mud, we find ourselves in a precarious position." Brandyn stepped closer to her.

Adrianna shook her head. "I don't know what exactly you're trying to say. Are…" She gulped. "Are you… breaking up with me?"

"No!" Brandyn shook his head wildly, taking her hand. "Of course not. But Anna, you've been distant lately. All you've done is read or spend time with Erick and I've gotten pushed to the sideline. What we have done together in recent weeks hasn't been all that interesting. I want to do things with you, but I'm a social, active guy, I want to do things. And I'd hate for it to come down to people avoiding you because you're not fulfilling their needs. I wouldn't want to lose you because you weren't doing your part."

Adrianna's heart pounded. It was like that conversation with her dad two years ago. If she didn't do what was necessary, she'd be eliminated from the equation. She wouldn't be important. She had to try harder. There was no way around it. She wasn't doing what needed to be done; she didn't have her priorities straight. She had to fix this.

"I'm sorry," Adrianna whispered. "I'll do better."

Brandyn smiled, cupping her face in his hands. "I know." He bent down and kissed her firmly.

Adrianna's stomach flipped. In seconds she felt completely incapacitated under his spell, like a fish out of water couldn't breathe, she couldn't breathe without him. She needed him and now she saw how much he needed her. She'd been unfair and rude to him for a week. Clearly it had affected him to the point of confrontation and it was high time she made it up to him.

Brandyn deepened the kiss, pressing her up against the wall. She sighed into his neck when he moved to her neck, kissing hot and fast against her skin. She pulled against his shoulder. "M-maybe a l-little too fast?"

Brandyn pulled away with a sigh. "Really?"

Adrianna's face flushed, completely flustered. She felt like she might pass out from pure ecstasy. He'd never kissed her like that before. She swallowed. "S-sorry…"

Brandyn pursed his lips impatiently, but finally gave her a grudging nod. "We'll work on it."

She gulped, unsure how to take that comment. Any response was snatched away when a new thought occurred to her. "Hey, are you… worried about Erick?"

A strange look appeared in his eyes, like she'd crossed a line. "He'll be fine."

"I know, but I don't mean his leg." Adrianna said. "Are you worried about… us?"

Brandyn tucked a strand of hair behind her ear distractedly. "He can't compete with me."

Adrianna raised an eyebrow. "He's not trying to."

"No? You sure about that?"

"Yes." Adrianna said firmly.

It was Brandyn's turn to raise a skeptical eyebrow.

"I'm serious, Brandyn. My staying with him is out of pure worry and helping him heal…" Adrianna sighed. "He was my best friend since I was three and he was five. We've had so many stupid issues the last few years. He almost died! I couldn't stand it if he was gone and…"

"What would you have done?" Brandyn asked a little harshly. "What can anybody do when bad things happen? It wouldn't have made a difference to him because he would've been dead. But it sure has heck would've made a difference to me because I would've been shoved aside. He didn't die and I was shoved aside. So what do you want me to say? Congrats for fixing your relationship with him while mine…" He paused, checking his words. "Ours got thrown to the wayside?"

"No." Adrianna said quietly. "I'm sorry that you felt that way. Honestly, I shouldn't have done that to you. But I promise you, I'm not going to dump you for him. It's not like that."

Brandyn rolled his eyes. "You still don't see it."

"See what?"

"The way he looks at you, Anna." Brandyn scowled, leaning against the wall beside her. "Everyone can see it. Why can't you?"

Adrianna swallowed. "Even if I believed you, you wouldn't want me to so why are you bringing it up?"

"Because I want you to be aware, Anna," Brandyn remarked. "I don't want…" He paused to swallow, as if he was nervous. "I don't want to lose you."

Finally, she realized the connection. He'd lost his father to a murderous scoundrel in a horrific way. It was no surprise that he was protective over those he cared about. It could be any moment that loved ones could be snatched away forever. She of all people understood what fear was. Everyone had a demon that they fought. Like he said, what can anyone do when bad things happen? His father's death was completely out of his control. He didn't want to lose her too.

Her heart melted. Adrianna bridged the gap between them and wrapped him in a tight hug. She had to stand on her tiptoes to reach past his shoulders. "You won't. Me and Erick might be rebuilding our lost friendship, but I'm not going to dump you for him. You have nothing to worry about. I promise. And you know as well as I do that I take my promises very seriously."

Brandyn seemed to relax. "Okay. Thanks."

Adrianna pressed her lips to his neck, feeling his pulse flutter beneath his skin. "For you, anything."

Finn couldn't eat. He stared at the table in front of him with his hands clasped in front of his face, steadfastly ignoring every single person in the Great Hall. The tension in his stomach made him want to throw up.

He and his parents had talked for a while after breakfast. Finally they decided he should spend as much time with Hiccup as he could. One: he had to start making his rounds on apologies. Two: he could tell his dad didn't want him out of his sight. The last thing he wanted was to leave the house, but finally he agreed to tag along.

The late morning consisted of walking the village, talking to various people, ignoring glares and hushed whispers as they walked past. Finn wanted to crawl into a hole and die. He wanted to run away. But he didn't. He followed his dad wherever he went and did whatever he was told. He was tired of running.

His reunion with Gobber had been received with mixed feelings. First the old blacksmith had grabbed him in a bone crushing hug, thumped on the back a few times with an angry glare, and then maybe shed a few unmanly tears while yelling incoherently. It took Hiccup a few minutes to calm him down.

Word had spread through the village pretty fast regarding his return. But when his father shoved the Great Hall doors open, nearly every eye had turned to them. Hiccup had straightened, daring anyone to speak up as he led his son to a far away table. Finn had ducked his head, ignoring everything imaginable.

A few loud laughs caught his attention. He looked over in time to see Cale lean across the table and whisper something to Dana, Brandyn and Adrianna. The red-headed girl cackled and gave him an obnoxious smirk. Brandyn spared Finn a short glance, but the mocking disapproval was easy to read in his eyes. Adrianna gave Cale a withering gaze and said something that made Brandyn spit his drink in laughter.

Finn faced the table, running a hand over his face. He hated everything.

"You should try to eat something." Hiccup said softly from the seat across from him.

Finn shook his head. "I can't."

Hiccup tapped his cup against the table. "When was the last time you ate?"

Finn didn't reply. Another cackle of laughter erupted from nearby and he buried his face, feeling it flush beneath his hands.

"Finn-"

"Dad, why am I in here? I can't do this."

"Look at me."

Finn took a shuddering breath and removed one hand, shamefully hiding his face from the other kids. His dad's eyes were filled with compassion though. He jutted his cup toward the kids.

"They're not important. Except your sister. Don't worry about them."

"Dad, I'm the talk of the village. This is why I wanted to stay home."

"I know." Hiccup nodded. "But you have a lot of guts showing your face out here in public, even if it is humiliating. If those kids were in your shoes, they wouldn't have that kind of strength."

"They don't even look guilty for the stuff they did." Finn chanced a glare at Cale.

Hiccup sat forward. "That's the catch, isn't it? The difference is your character. Some of these kids don't care what they do. They'll serve the time for their punishments, but it won't make a difference. They're destined to be sad, lonely people." Finn swallowed at the thought. "But you," His dad continued. "I know true remorse when I see it, Finn. I know you want to change. All you need is guidance."

Finn nodded miserably. "So guide me. What do you want me to do?"

Hiccup smiled. "Do you know why I brought you in here?"

"I trust it wasn't to be cruel."

"Come on, there's always a method to my madness." The chief smirked. "No, the reason I-" A hand clapped him on the shoulder and instantly his focus was on the man whispering something into his ear. "Oh, no that's fine. If you could inform Snotlout and Fishlegs on that that would be great. Thanks." Hiccup turned back to his son and continued as if he hadn't been interrupted, "I brought you in here because I wanted you to see all this."

"All of… what? The people whispering and staring at me?"

"Partially. Look around the room, Finn. Don't focus on the gossip. What do you see?"

Finn turned in his seat and scanned the room. Nearly every seat in the Hall was filled. Children ran through the aisles, chasing Terrible Terrors. A few kitchen hands bustled through the room carrying mugs or plates of food to take to the elderly who couldn't stand in line. Cooks were working hurriedly to get more food onto platters. Mothers consoling or doting on their children, like Svala and Ava. Fathers keeping their children in line. Various councilmen gathered at tables, deep in discussion about Thor knew what.

"People." Finn said. "Lots of people."

"Exactly," Hiccup nodded, turning to face the Hall openly. "Look at them all. Every single one of them looks at us for guidance. Me, your mom, even you and Adrianna. They're watching all of us."

"Why would people want guidance from me or Anna?"

"Because you're the future leaders of Berk," Hiccup said. "Even if your sister doesn't become chief one day, she still has a big role to play. She doesn't know that yet. They're watching how you respond to problems, how your leadership skills are, how you treat people." Finn looked at his dad. "They're judging your character. And when the time comes, if they don't think you're fit for the job, you might not get it. Or keep it."

Finn nodded in understanding. "Just because it's a birthright doesn't make it a right."

"Right." Hiccup rubbed his neck. "I won't lie to you, Finn. This is hard. I have to know every single one of these people's problems because to them it's important. Even if I have to delegate and send someone else to do the work, I still have to remember it. I have to get back to them and tell them the results. I have to be patient when little things get brought up repeatedly and I have so many other things going on. Like when we were kids, Mildew always nagging my dad about his cabbages. Seriously, you're going to bug Stoick the Vast about your stupid cabbages every day when he's got a hundred other things going on?"

Finn laughed a little. "Yeah… Speaking of Mildew. His house was the hideout."

"Already taken care of," Hiccup waved a hand. "But you see my point."

"Yeah. I guess I didn't make your life easier. I'm sorry."

"It's over now, buddy. Your mother and I have forgiven you." Hiccup reached over and squeezed his shoulder. "Now here's the problem: you've upset a lot of people in here. You've broken a lot of trust. What do you suppose you should do now to make it right?"

Finn swallowed. "Apologize."

"Yes, but what else?"

Finn searched his addled brain for a response. "Um… I…"

"First, fix those broken relationships." Hiccup said. "I know there are a few that are worth salvaging."

Finn thought of Erick and Adrianna. He was sure there had to be a few more.

"Second, rebuild trust." The chief said. "Some people are forgiving by nature, like me. If someone is truly repentant, I can't stay mad. But others are going to take time."

"Like Anna."

"Like Anna, yes. She needs proof that you're different, that you want to change. We Vikings are stubborn after all. There's going to be a handful of people in here that aren't going to be too happy with you for a long, long time."

"Great." Finn sighed.

"If you want people to trust you Finn, you have to rebuild that trust. Whether it takes you two weeks or two years to rebuild that trust, it will be worth it in the end because you will have earned their respect. Am I right?"

Finn nodded fervently. "Whatever I have to do. I want to make things right."

"That will be up to them. So, to make things easier for you," Hiccup reached into a pocket in his suit with a smirk. "I compiled a list of all the people you've upset one way or another."

"Aw dad…"

"Now now, this is purely to keep you on track. I don't want you to forget someone and then there's a feud I have to break up later on because someone got bent out of shape. 'Your son apologized to them but not me, I've got a real bone to pick with you chief, nyeh nyeh nyeh!' No. No, thank you." Hiccup slid the paper across the table with finality.

Finn snorted and shook his head at his father's sassing. He always forgot just how goofy his dad could be. He smoothed out the list of names.

"This is random but… You were saying something to me and that guy interrupted you." Finn said, looking up from the list. Hiccup's face was impassive. "You gave him your full attention, responded, and then turned back to me as if there'd been no interruption. How'd you do that?"

Hiccup chuckled. "You learn to think in multiple strings if that makes sense."

"No."

"O-kay then," Hiccup sighed. "Like I said, I've got a million things going on. For instance, there's a winter storm rolling in later today. So this morning we got the ships brought in, half the barns closed up, yaks and sheep brought in, storm doors down to protect the dragon pens. But in the meantime I've delegated the final harvesting jobs to Snotlout and Fishlegs. That gentleman told me about the final fish counts, so I guided him to the other men. Your mom's boarding up the arena before she reports back to me. Then there's keeping tabs on Erick, Tuffnut and Svala's house to make sure it's stable enough for a new storm because I'm paranoid, keeping an eye on your sister and her boyfriend-"

"Okay okay okay!" Finn waved his hands. "To sum up, you delegate and keep a to do list in your head."

Hiccup shrugged. "Something like that."

"Eesh."

"I should let you be chief for a day. My dad did something like that once."

"Ugh, really?"

"Yeah. It's a lot harder than you think. But you'll do well one day."

Finn frowned. "But Anna's in line now."

"For now." Hiccup said while studying his daughter from afar. Finn heard her laughing but kept his eyes on his dad.

"I'll make it up to her." Finn said determinedly.

Hiccup raised his eyebrows.

"I mean it. She doesn't deserve this. It's not what she wants."

"I know that, Finn." Hiccup sighed. "I'm very aware of what she needs and doesn't need. But I also know what's best for you and right now, the best thing for you is prioritizing." He tapped the list. "One thing at a time. Addie will come around."

"How do you know?"

"Because you're going to fix things. You're my strong little man. You always pull through."

Finn smiled sheepishly and pocketed the paper. He drew in a deep breath and looked at a certain blonde in the crowd. "Well. Best get started then."

Hiccup smiled proudly. "Good man."

"Thanks dad." Finn jumped out of his seat and began walking away. Pausing, he walked back and gave Hiccup a weirdly angled hug from behind. "Love you."

Hiccup laughed and patted his arm. "I love you too, bud. I'll be hanging around. Try to eat something."

"Okay, okay." Finn turned and walked back into the crowd.

"Aww wasn't that sweet," Dana drawled. Cale snickered cruelly.

For once, Finn didn't feel a bit awkward about the hug in front of so many people and he wasn't ashamed. His father loved him despite his actions. He loved his father. There was no shame in that. He wouldn't run from it.

He turned and looked at Dana like she had two heads. "When's the last time you were genuinely cared about, Dana?"

Dana's face reddened as the other kids gaped. Even Brandyn stared up at him.

"Finn?" Adrianna gasped.

"What?" Finn asked indifferently. "I'm sorry about a lot of things and I will gladly apologize. But if there's a single person on this island who I owe everything to, it's that man right there. Don't patronize me."

Brandyn shook his head. "You've got a lot to learn if you think cutting other people down is the way to making people stop."

Finn shrugged. "So I'll learn. But you're not exactly sticking up for anybody either, are you? Don't get all high and mighty with me."

"Okay, Finn, we get it." Adrianna said tersely.

Finn opened his mouth, then thought better of it. Exhaling heavily, he turned and walked away. He imagined the looks on their faces on him turning down an argument. He never backed down from an argument. He especially never let his sister talk him down.

He focused back on the blonde girl talking to Taryn and some other girls. He marched up their circle and gently tapped Helga on the shoulder. She turned and her eyes widened.

"Hi." Finn said nervously. "Can I… talk to you? Privately?"

Helga bit her lip, glancing at Taryn. The girl gave her an encouraging smile and nodded gently. Helga sighed and nodded, leading her way to the door. Finn nodded gratefully at Taryn and followed her outside.

They stopped at the edge of the stairs between two pillars. Helga crossed her arms and stared at the ground. "You wanted to talk?"

"Ah… yeah." Finn shoved his hands in his pockets. Shoot. He hadn't actually thought through what he wanted to say. He gulped. "I… Um…" He stared at his shoes.

"Spit it out, Finn. What do you want?" Helga asked, a hint of anger in her voice. "If you dare try to ask for me back, I'll break your nose."

"What? No!" Finn shook his head. "No, no, I…" Steeling himself, he looked her in the eye and said, "I'm sorry. For everything. I was a jerk, I… I was abusive and mean and…" He looked down, his eyes burning. "And I hurt you. Physically and emotionally. I shouldn't have done that to my friend. Can… can you ever forgive me?"

Helga's eyes were wide, brimming with tears.

"We don't have to talk or even see each other if you don't want to." Finn wiped his face with a wrist. "I just don't want to live knowing I never apologized."

Helga shook her head. "Aw Finn." She stepped forward and pulled him into a hug. He hadn't been expecting it at all. Once again he'd expected to be slapped for his crimes. "Of course, I forgive you." Helga said through her tears.

"I don't deserve it." Finn said into her shoulder.

"Nobody ever does. We'll fix this though," Helga stepped back. "We'll get you back on track-"

"No." Finn rubbed his face. "There is no back on track. Things are torn down. Now it's rebuilding."

"Oh." Helga nodded. "Well, it's a process then. It probably won't be easy."

"No. It won't. But I'll do whatever I have to do." Finn looked at her. "Can I do anything for you?"

Helga lightly rolled her eyes and smiled. "Talk to me."

Finn smiled. "Yeah. I can do that."

Helga hugged him once again. "I'm glad you're back. When word got around that you weren't coming back ever, I was really worried. And sad."

"Sorry. I won't do it again."

Helga stepped back and punched his arm. "You'd better not." She nodded to the Great Hall. "Do you want to sit with us?"

Finn shook his head. "Thanks but there's someone else I need to talk to."

Helga smiled knowingly and nodded. "Come find me if you need a friend."

"Will do. Thanks Helga."

Finn watched her go back inside and exhaled. He scratched Helga off his mental list. He turned toward the open village and sighed. The next apology would be the hardest for him to swallow.

Erick wasn't sure if he should be elated or confused. Not only had his mother apologized to him, but she'd also spent the entire morning with him and hadn't stopped talking almost the whole time. She was still his mom, of course. A little brash at times, but he could tell she was trying. It seemed his contest with death shook her up a bit.

He finished another beaded bracelet as she chattered about something the ladies were doing later on when they heard Mara exclaim loudly from outside the curtain. The Larsons listened intently to her hushed whispers. After nearly two minutes, Erick went back to his bracelet. Whoever had entered the healers clearly wanted to have a hushed conversation with the dark-haired woman. He didn't much care.

But then he heard Mara sigh in resignation: "Fine. He's in there, but don't touch him or I'll rip your fingers off."

Erick eyed the curtain suspiciously when it rustled. A fifteen year old boy emerged and stood in the doorway, and his breath hitched. Finn.

Dots danced in his vision for a moment. A flash and he could see the mill, the other teen attacking him. His newly severed leg panged in agony. Then he saw his room, but his mother was looming over him.

"Erick? Honey, can you hear me?"

Erick shakily nodded, wiping the sweat off his forehead.

"Is he okay?" Finn asked.

"Get out!" Lara hissed. "He was fine until you walked in-"

"No, no, mom, it's fine." Erick managed. He tried to look at Finn, but couldn't for more than a second.

"Fine? You look like you just lost a pint of blood!"

Erick's stomach turned. "C-can we not talk about that please?"

Lara frowned. "What? Blood?" She winced and scowled at Finn. "Oh. I think you should go."

Finn stepped back. "I can come back-"

"No, you can stay away."

Erick grabbed his mom's wrist. "No! Finn, don't go." He looked up at his mom firmly. "Mom, I'm fine. Really. We need to talk. Can you… get me some tea or something please?"

Lara pursed her lips. He could see she understood his request to be alone with Finn. But would she allow it? She regally stared at the Haddock boy, who remained in the same spot by the curtain. "Fine. I'll give you some time alone. But call me if you need me."

"Okay."

Lara gave Finn one last glare before exiting and swishing the curtain closed with finality. Finn swallowed at slowly looked at him. Erick felt a flare of panic rise in his chest, but he stamped it down.

"You can sit wherever you want."

Finn slowly walked to the nearest stool and sat down. His eyes darted to the blanket covering Erick's leg, and he felt his face rise with heat. He wasn't sure what to feel in front of the boy who'd inadvertently caused the accident.

After a few minutes of quiet, Finn cleared his throat. "I think we got off on the wrong foot."

Erick cocked his head in surprise.

Finn's eyes widened. "No, wait. Ohhh Thor, that's not what I wanted to say."

Erick smirked and shook his head. "Ohhhhh Haddocks."

"Ugh." Finn ran his hands through his hair.

"If I'm honest," Erick winced as he sat up more. "We got off on a lot of wrong feet. There were a lot of problems."

Finn nodded miserably. Even though the scene kept replaying in his head every time he looked at the other boy, Erick knew the look on Finn's face. Self-loathing. Guilt.

"I did this to you." Finn whispered.

"What's done is done. I can't get it back." Erick said quietly.

"No but I still did it. I was so messed up and I took it out on you and Anna and my parents." Finn said in a thick voice. He swallowed hard. "I don't know if there's anything I can do to make it up to you, but I am so, sosorry. I'm a monster. You didn't deserve this and I never should've dragged you into the gang or any of it. I'm so sorry."

Since the accident, Erick could feel the pulse of his heartbeat in the center of his severed leg. He wasn't sure how that was possible, but it was like beating a drum in a continuous, heated mass of mottled flesh. Even though he was on the road to healing, he felt like he could still feel the entire thing. Seeing Finn in the same room as him made him want to curl into a ball and cry. Mara and Adrianna had said his only nightmares had taken place during fitful fevers before he'd woken up. He hadn't had any flashbacks.

Finn was a trigger. He was hard to look at, so he focused on details of the teen's face rather than his wide blue eyes. He couldn't erase them from his memory. But he couldn't tell him either. Finn was repentant; he hadn't wanted this. He'd never seen Finn look so remorseful about anything in his entire life. He couldn't push him away, even if it caused him pain.

Erick slowly exhaled, calming his nerves. "I know you are. That's why I haven't thrown you out yet. I know it was an accident."

Finn bit his lip. "You should be pressing charges or something."

Erick smirked and shook his head. "I'm going to be cooped up in here long enough. When I get out, I'm not spending the first three weeks in Great Hall meetings."

Finn gulped. "So…?"

"I forgive you, Finn. I know things have been hard for you. It's been hard for me too. I wasn't on a great path myself until recently." Erick said. He thought for a moment before pulling back his shirt sleeves. Finn's eyes widened at the dark healing gashes on his forearms.

"I… I didn't know it was that bad."

"You suspected though, didn't you?"

Finn winced. "Yeah. But… not that many."

Erick crossed his arms across his chest and thought. "We're a lot alike you know. We can't relate in every way, but we've had hard losses. We've experienced things that most kids haven't. Plus your parents have shown both of us tons of love to help us with our problems. What do you say we put these differences aside and be friends already?"

Finn visibly relaxed. "Do you want me to do anything?"

"Yes." Erick smirked. "I want you to give me a hug."

Finn laughed. "Oh fine, if I must." Leaning forward, he embraced Erick like a brother.

"Differences aside. We're starting over right now." Erick said firmly.

Finn nodded. "You got it." Pulling back, he wiped his eyes and sighed.

Erick settled against his pillows. "Let it hereby be known that today I have made Fearless Finn cry."

Finn snorted. "You kidding? I don't think I've stopped crying all week."

"Yeah, I feel ya there."

"So… how is it?" Finn nodded to his leg.

Erick winced. "It's okay. Can't wait for this stupid storm to blow over."

Finn looked down at his lap. "So you... uhh..."

"I get twinges before and during storms? Yes." Erick said, slowly. "Part of the fun of being an amputee. But Hiccup says I'll get used to it."

"Do you think you will?"

"I hope so." Erick exhaled as the pain ebbed.

Lara came bustling back into the room carrying two mugs of hot tea. "I trust you've said what you needed to say?"

"What? Oh yeah." Finn nodded. "I'll just go."

"You don't have to." Erick called as Finn left his seat.

"I do." Finn shrugged, noting that Lara had intentionally not made him any tea. "I guess... I'll come back?"

"Sure. I've got to do something to stave off the boredom." Erick patted a stack of books, including a haphazardly placed sketchbook.

"Ahh, you'd probably rather see my sister." Finn waved a hand.

"I mean I guess I would but we've been best friends since we were little so that's nothing person." Erick shrugged.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" asked Lara impatiently.

"Yes. Later, CK." Finn waved once before exiting out of the curtain and running into a small person with dark hair.

"Woah, sorry... Inga?" Finn raised an eyebrow at the younger girl. "What are you doing here? Are you and Erick friends now?"'

"Shouldn't I be the one asking you what you're doing here?" Inga crossed her arms. "I thought you were gone forever."

"Well I was. I mean I was going to. But then I came back." Finn clapped his hands awkwardly. "So... yeah."

"Oh. Okay." Inga rolled her eyes and tried to push him aside so she could enter through the curtain.

"Wait, wait!" Finn held out his hands. "Hey, I just wanted to apologize for how I treated you. I shouldn't have acted like your uhh... problem is the only reason anyone should be nice to you. And I'm sorry I made fun of your hair. It's really nice short. You should keep it."

He stared into Inga's arctic blue eyes, hoping that she would accept his apology as had Erick and Helga. She looked surprised, though he supposed he should expect that.

"Okay." Inga said about a very tense silence. "Can I check on Erick now?"

"Wait, do you work here?" Finn asked as he stepped aside.

"Yes." Inga nodded once before brushing past him. She stopped just before entering the curtained area and turned back to him. "Mark my words, Fearless Finn, cross the line again and I'll take you down so fast, you won't know what hit you."

Finn felt the corners of his mouth turn up in a smile. He hadn't realized how much he had missed Inga's sass until now.

"Well spoken." he nodded.

Inga smirked. "Good." she said before ducking out of sight through the curtain.

Finn's smile remained on his face until he had arrived at the front door. As soon as he pulled it open, a blast of freezing air caught him off guard. The storm Erick and his father had felt was here. The Haddock boy marveled at how quickly the storm had struck.

Pulling his coat closer to his body, he trotted toward the center of the village. He watched his father and Toothless fly past, calling down to various people to get inside and close their doors. Finn looked around for Thornado, wishing to fly home instead of walk. It took him a few laps through the streets, but he finally found his dragon sitting on the cliff side, staring into the distance.

"Thornado!" Finn called, reaching his side. "Come on man, it's cold. Let's go home!"

The Thunderdrum eyed him warily, snorted and faced the ocean again. It seemed to Finn that the dragon was still miffed at being dragged across the entire Archipelago without much say in the matter. Finn sighed and knelt beside his dragon.

"Thornado, I'm sorry to you too. I wasn't fair to you and I haven't been a friend to you either. I don't want you to be mad at me."

Thornado grunted stiffly. Still he watched the open waters.

Finn watched his dragon carefully. The large blue beast seemed to stare out at the open expanse with longing. He didn't want to go inside away from the cold. It seemed he wanted to embrace it. He wanted… freedom.

The teenager swallowed hard and rested a hand on his dragon's side. "Thornado, do you want to go?"

The dragon finally turned to him. He still looked peeved, but he always looked peeved. Thornado gave him a silent nod before pressing his nose into the boy's hand. Finn's eyes welled up with tears. He didn't want his friend to go. Despite being forgiven by the few people he'd apologized to, he felt like his previous actions had done more damage to his dragon friend.

Thornado had always been there. He'd been his Poppy's dragon. He'd been Finn's first flight, even before Toothless. He could remember sitting in front of his Poppy, Thornado's blue scales glistening beneath him and the wind whipping his hair against his scalp. He remembered the freeing sensation of flying for the first time as a 4-year-old boy.

And now, eleven years later, his dragon was leaving him. He understood though. He knew what it was like to feel trapped, pressured. Slavery alone had taught him that some things could be stifling. Slaves can't leave whenever they want. But Thornado wasn't his slave. Thornado was his friend.

Finn sniffed, but held both his hands on his dragon's face. "I release you. Thank you for always being there and for being my friend. I'm sorry for everything. I guess… I'm not as good as your first rider."

Thornado's expression softened and he gently rumbled under Finn's palms. He stepped forward and nuzzled his scaly face into Finn's chest. The teenager embraced his dragon for the last time.

Finally, he stood and stepped back, wiping his face. "Will I see you again?"

Thornado seemed to smile, even in his own grumpy way. He nodded once as if to say Of course, little man.

"Goodbye, Thornado."

Thornado stretched his wings, roared a final time and launched into the air. Finn stood at the cliff side, watching as his dragon flew away from Berk. He quickly became a little blue speck on the horizon. Eventually, he winked out of view into the distance.

Finn's throat tightened. He felt like his actions had once again ruined a life-long relationship, and this time, it couldn't be fixed. Thornado was gone.

A firm hand rested on his shoulder and squeezed. Finn turned toward his dad with teary eyes. Hiccup gave him a compassionate smile. "You did the right thing." Finn nodded and dropped his forehead onto his dad's shoulder. Hiccup hugged him tight, adding, "We'll get you a new dragon. It will be fine."

Finn sighed and shook his head. "I don't need a new dragon. I can't even take care of myself. I don't deserve one."

He felt his dad pause, but finally he agreed. "You're right. There's no rush." Finn felt a little sad when Hiccup released his arms and squeezed his shoulders. "It'll happen when you're ready."

Finn nodded miserably, feeling cold, weak and tired physically and mentally. He wanted nothing more than to curl up in his bed with four blankets and just sleep.

Sensing his crashing spirits, his dad wrapped an arm around his shoulders and led him toward Toothless waiting nearby. "Come on. Let's go home. You've earned some soup and rest."

"Not hungry."

"Not yet." Hiccup insisted as Finn slid into the saddle. "Take him home, bud. I'll be there shortly."

"Wait, you're not coming?" Finn asked. "What are you going to do?"

"Peek in on Erick and take care of a few other things."

"Well you take Toothless, I can w-"

"You're not walking." Hiccup said firmly. "I'll be fine. You're white as a sheet, Finn. I want you to go home, eat, and rest."

Finn realized how cold and tired he was. He wasn't hungry at all, but he suspected that if he ate even a little soup he might become ravenous. Finally, he nodded. "Okay."

"Good man." Hiccup smiled. "Take him home, bud. Tell your mom I'll be there soon."

"Okay."

Finn crouched low for Toothless to take off. They shot into the air and his dad shrunk in seconds. He vaguely wondered if his dad had ever gotten whiplash from a takeoff before. Probably. Finn felt his resolve crashing as he looked out at the ocean. This would probably be his last flight for a long, long time.

He had a long way to go; so many relationships to fix, apologies to make, people to placate, damages to repair. He knew his journey to restoration was just beginning, and it wouldn't be over for a long, long time.

My oh my, is it really that time? One chapter to go? I think it is! I think we're nearing the end! We could have Hiccups chapter 1 out by Christmas!

Anyway, this chapter. I know it's sad that we've lost Thornado. It's a secret we've been keeping for a very long time. But I think it makes a lovely symbol. The old Finn, the one who tried to be everything Stoick was, is finally gone. And a new one will take his place. And with that new Finn will one day be a new dragon at his side.

As for Adrianna, we're laying the groundwork for Hiccups and boy do we have an amazing plan! We're going to knock your socks off! So I'll give you all the same warning I gave Em during one of our very first chats: be sure to read the next chapter barefoot! I reminded Em of that conversation and she didn't remember it because it was over 2 years ago. Crazy what one remembers. I wonder if she still remembers that text I sent her that made her bust out laughing at church...

Just checked. She does. If we ever throw that into this series in context, we'll let you know the history of that joke. It's older than the twins. No joke.

Anyway, I canceled my test and decided to get a different job. I interview at a paint store tomorrow and (here's what I REALLY want) doing a ton of applications at an airport. I love airports so I want to become a flight attendant or a ticket taker or security... something like that. So PLEASE pray I get it. Particularly the flight attendant job. That's the one I want most. Although Em is working on getting me a job in Detroit so I may be relocating. More details as they come.

Hope you liked the chapter! Don't forget to review!

~KateMarie999