Chapter 99: Telling Our Family and Leaving
(Eret's POV)
It's been an hour since I told my wife the truth about my heritage, about our family's true line of work.
With my father since gone to Valhalla, I am the only Nordisk left to take my place as the chief of Wolfsbane. If I want the title, that is. If I don't, my people, the family I grew up with, will be left without a leader until one can be decided for them.
My family – aka our three children and my wife – and I sit down to dinner and talk about it.
I've just told them my story, and Becky and I talked about moving to Wolfsbane.
"But, Dad, we've made so many friends here on New Berk."
"I know, Dustin. But I – your mother and I – " I pause to take my wife's hand in my own.
"We feel like you three can make new friends on Wolfsbane. Your cousins are there, so there'll be no shortage of friends for you."
"What if they don't like us?" Eira asks.
"If they don't like you, Eira, that's their problem, not yours. You're a wonderful young lady, and I'm sure, like your father said, that there'll be no shortage of friends for each of you."
"Mama? Daddy? Can I talk to you both for a moment?"
"Of course, my little love." I tell Ruby.
The three of us walk over to a corner of our house where we won't be overheard by our other two children.
As soon as she's sure we won't be overheard, Ruby drops to her knees, sobbing. Becky and I are immediately in front of her, our parental instincts kicking in.
"Ruby, baby, what is it? What hurts?" Becky asks.
"Nothing, Mama. Nothing right now, at least."
"Then what's wrong, our little love?"
"Daddy, I know you banished Michael and Stephen all those years ago...but one of Michael's sons...he was here."
I get a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach, fearing the worst for our firstborn.
"Ruby, sweetheart? If you're not comfortable telling us..." Becky starts.
"No, it's not that...I just...he...he raped me."
"I'm going to kill him and his father, both." I tell my daughter, seething with a newfound rage. Michael and Stephen crossed the line gang-raping my wife, but to have one of their offspring hurt our daughter?
"Daddy, please don't. I can't lose you, too."
"What are you talking about, sweetie?" I ask.
"Rachel...she broke up with me...when...when I found out that I'm...I'm..." Ruby can't speak further, she just clutches her chest, having a hard time breathing.
"Ruby, little love, we need to get your breathing back under control. Come here." I tell my firstborn daughter. Ruby, the poor thing, quite literally crawls into my arms, and I hold her close to my chest like I did when she was first born.
Her breathing is soon back under control, and her hands move from her chest to her growing bump.
"I'm so sorry, Mama. I'm so sorry, Daddy." Ruby bursts into a fresh set of tears, terrified of how we'll react.
"Oh, baby girl. This isn't your fault. The only one at fault here is Michael and his son." Becky says, equally as tearful as me and our sweet jewel.
"I don't want to have a baby...I can't...I can't let anyone know."
"We understand, Ruby. But there's nothing we can do...if you want to give the baby up for adoption, we'll support you."
"That's it."
"What's it, sweetheart?"
"Wolfsbane. Berkians don't know how to keep a secret, but the people of Wolfsbane? Daddy, are they any different?"
"Now that you mention it, Ruby, they are a lot different from Berkians. I know we shouldn't let you run from your problems...and there's a chance we'll run into them on Wolfsbane."
"I don't care...I just want to get away from here."
"Ruby, your father and I will do everything in our power to give you what needs to be given. The chance at a fresh start."
"Really? You guys would do that for me?"
"Ruby, you're our daughter, and we would do anything for you, and for your brother and sister."
"Okay...then I guess we're going to Wolfsbane."
"You do know we'll have to tell the rest of the family, right? That we're moving?"
"I don't have to be the reason why we're moving, do I? I don't think I could be looked at as some...some...outcast."
"Honey, if anyone knows what it's like to be an outcast, it would be your Uncle Chief Hiccup. You want to gather up the family and let them know we're going to leave?" Becky asks.
"Wait, we're leaving?" Dustin asks.
"I'm afraid so, Dustin. And it's my fault we're leaving, little brother."
"How is it your fault, Ruby?"
"Well, Eira...to put it mildly, I was hurt by someone that Mama and Daddy knew, and...now...I'm going to have a baby."
"You are? But you're still so young."
"I'm 22, and, yes, that is young, considering how old Mama was when she had...never mind." Ruby says, thankfully not finishing her sentence. Becky still has night terrors, even after over twenty years of being free from Drago Bludvist.
"But I still want to go through with this. I do want to have this baby, to give them up for adoption to a good home on Wolfsbane."
"And if you change your mind, if you want to keep this baby, we'll support you all the way, my little love." I tell her. Becky nods in agreement.
"I guess we should go tell the family we're leaving, then." Ruby says.
"That would probably be best, Rubes." Becky replies.
Next step, tell our extended family that we're leaving...probably for good.
And hour later, we gather our friends and our family in a secluded area of the Great Hall, where we won't be overheard.
"Ruby, if you want us to speak for you, we can." Becky tells her.
"Thank you, Mama...but I should do this on my own."
"That's our girl. Your mum and I are so proud of you." I say, caressing my daughter's tear-stained cheek.
"Thank you, Daddy."
"You're welcome."
Taking a deep breath, Ruby stands in front of the remaining members of the Nordisk family on New Berk – myself, Becky, Dustin and Eira.
"I'd like to thank you all for coming to this little gathering."
"Of course, Ruby. What's this all about?" Hiccup asks.
Ruby looks back at us, and Becky and I both nod at her encouragingly.
Taking another deep breath, Ruby tells our family what she just told us – her parents and siblings – an hour ago: that we'll be moving to Wolfsbane so I can continue the line of chieftains, and so that Ruby, all of us, really, can have a fresh start.
She leaves out the part about the baby, having since told us she'll only tell immediate family – the Thorstons.
There's not a dry eye in our corner of the hall, knowing that it'll be difficult for all of us to be leaving our chosen family.
"Well, if that's what you guys really want, who are we to stop you? Just be sure to drop us a letter every now and again." Hiccup remarks.
"We will, Chief. We promise." Becky says, tearfully.
The Thorstons walk over to Becky and wrap her in a group hug.
"We're gonna miss you guys so, so much, Becks." Tuffnut says, drying his eyes.
"Thank you for being the best adoptive family that I could have ever asked for."
"And thank you guys, for saving her life when I didn't even know she existed. Gods, what a horrible world that would be...a world without Becky."
"Eret..." Becky looks at me with tears in her eyes, and they're threatening to spill.
"Oh, honey, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry. Come here, baby."
Becky walks over to me and she begins to sob, and I hold her close. All of our friends and family wrap us all up in a great big group hug, Gobber included.
A few short weeks later, our house is packed up, and, Becky's and my old crew included, ready to set off for our new island, our new home.
We stand at the edge of the docks with our family, Ruby's pregnancy still concealed from everyone.
"We're gonna miss you, sis. So damn much. You keep fighting this depression like Hel, you got that?" Ruffnut asks.
Becky tries not to collapse into her sister's arms one last time before we sail off for Wolfsbane.
"I'll try, Ruff. I promise. I love you so much, my sister." Becky says shakily.
"I love you, too, sis. No matter what."
Tuffnut comes over and hugs his adoptive sister.
"If you ever have another anxiety or panic attack, I'm just a letter away, sis. Gods, we're going to miss you like Hel."
"I'm going to miss you, too, Tuffnut."
Becky's two adoptive siblings wrap their arms around her.
"We love you, our sister. You all will always have a home here on New Berk. Never forget that." Ruffnut and Tuffnut tell their sister.
"Thank you. Love you, too."
"Oh, my sweet baby girl!" Lily Thorston wraps her arms around her adoptive daughter, having been there when Becky had all of our children...and being there when some of our children did not survive past a few months inside their mother.
"I'm going to miss you so much, sweetheart. Mama will always be here for you."
"Thank you, Mama."
Frank Thorston walks over to his adoptive daughter and hugs him, not saying a word...but I can see tears welling in his eyes.
Becky walks up to Hiccup and hugs him.
"Thank you, Hiccup. For giving me a chance, and a family."
"You're welcome, Becks. Gods, I'm going to miss you guys."
"We'll miss you, too."
Astrid walks over to her former rival and hugs her tight.
"I never thought I would say this, Astrid, but thank you for trying to kill me. I wouldn't feel so alive if it weren't for you, and for Eret, too, of course."
"You're welcome, Becky. You keep fighting that depression off."
"I will, Astrid. Thank you."
I walk over to Tuffnut and he hugs me – a real hug, not a typical guy hug.
"Take care of Becky and your kids, you got that? And, please, Eret, for the love of the gods, take care of yourself."
"I'll do that. Thank you for taking her in all those years ago." I say, tears rolling down my cheeks.
Next, I hug Ruffnut, and, to humor her, I let her fiddle with my bicep, like she first did when we first met on my ship. The very ship we're going on in just a few minutes.
"You take care, okay?"
"You got it, Ruff. You take care, too."
I hug my in-laws, thanking them, too, for taking Becky in.
Next is Gobber.
"You'll always have a job here in the forge, Eret, if you ever get tired of being chief."
"Thanks, Gob."
Valka's next.
"Even though we didn't see each other as anything but enemies at first, Eret, I'm proud to call you my bonus son."
Fresh tears spring in my eyes.
"Thank you, Valka. It means a lot to me."
"You're welcome."
I approach Hiccup, my soon-to-be fellow chief.
"Thank you for saving her, Eret. You're right. What a horrible world we'd live in without our Becky. And this isn't goodbye. It's just – " Hiccup starts.
"See you at the next great gathering of the chieftains?" I finish for him.
"That you will."
I walk over to Astrid, who has tears welling in her eyes. She punches me in the arm before throwing herself at me.
"I never thought I'd say this, Astrid, but thank you for kidnapping me and my wife all those years ago."
"M-my pleasure, Eret."
Astrid removes herself from the embrace, and Hiccup wraps an arm around his wife.
Snotlout is next.
"Hey, Eret. Sorry about trying to upstage you."
"Snotlout...we talked about this ages ago." I say, semi-jokingly.
"I know...but I'm still sorry."
"Thank you. All is forgiven."
Becky and I approach Fishlegs, and he bursts into tears, his daughter, Hanna, rolling her eyes at her emotional father.
"We're going to miss you so much."
"You, too, Fishlegs. I'm sorry I was intimidated by you when we first met."
"Don't worry about it. You were small then...well, smaller."
We all laugh at this, Becky struggling to hide her blushing face.
After having said goodbye to our extended family, we start leaving the docks, Ruby already onboard in our small cabin, exhausted from carrying her own baby...Becky's and my grandchild.
"You guys changed our lives for the better, and we will never forget that. And we'll also never forget you." Hiccup says as we board the tiny vessel.
"Thank you, Chief." Becky says.
Becky slips a bit, but I catch her.
"Don't worry. I've got you." I tell her, reminiscing on those two sentences being the very first words I ever spoke to her so many years ago.
And, so, we set off for a new home, and a new adventure.
But, don't worry, there's still more to come.
You want to know why?
Because that's only the beginning.
