In his fifteen years of life, nothing could have prepared Finn for the task he had set for himself.

He tried his best to allow Thornado to fly at his own pace, but hours of nervousness and terror grated on his nerves. Finn twisted in his saddle, stared at the waves, counted the clouds, spotted familiar islands and landmarks to pass the time. Thornado growled in annoyance at his fidgety rider numerous times. But he couldn't help it. Never before had he dreaded something so much.

He spotted various landmarks and familiar islands as they passed by, his trepidation rising with every wing beat. His father would throw him out on sight; Adrianna would probably break his nose for daring to set foot on the island. The council would grab their swords and torches and prepare to burn him at the stake. His father was a creative man at heart so there was no telling what the punishment would be for Berk's ex-heir. He had to be ready to make a run for it, no matter how tired Thornado would be.

At dusk, the Thunderdrum grumbled at him as if to say "stop muttering under your breath kid, you're driving me nuts!"

Finn sighed and leaned his head against his friend's scales. "I can't, buddy."

When they passed Brawn, Finn felt his stomach twist into knots. He tried not to think about the stupid mistakes he'd made down there. He vaguely wondered, had Raine really cared about him as a person, if he'd still be there now, hanging out with her. But instead of him, he wondered if now she spent her time with another young man. He faced forward, staring at the darkening horizon, and forced all thoughts of Raine out of his mind.

It was another two hours' flight from Brawn, but at long last a familiar island began to take shape in the darkness. Two massive braziers flamed in the ocean as Berk loomed in the twilight. Seeing his home again, Finn quivered in his saddle. He didn't see many patrols in the streets as they flew overhead, which was good. That meant his dad had gotten full control of the gang and many of the guards could get some rest. They deserved it. Finn felt another pang of guilt. How many husbands and fathers, even some wives and mothers, had been kept away from their families night after countless night because of his stupidity?

Finn directed Thornado over the village and across the massive bridge that separated most of Berk's population from his family. He never thought too much about how far away his family's home was to the village. He supposed his parents chose this area for the peace and quiet. It was kind of nice to have that tranquility away from everyone else, but in the midst of a tragedy (mainly caused by him) it had to be a pain in the rear for his parents.

Thornado landed softly near the barn. Finn slid off, his knees nearly buckling, either from sitting in a saddle for hours straight or out of fear, he wasn't sure. From the dining room window he could see a single candle flickering, sending shadows dancing across the inner walls. That either meant they'd forgotten to blow the candle out before going to bed or someone was still awake. He wasn't sure which set his nerves on edge more.

Keeping a wary eye on the house, Finn jimmied the barn lock open and let Thornado slip inside. The large blue dragon flopped into his pen with a contented sigh. The poor guy was clearly exhausted. Finn suddenly realized if he was about to be thrown out, either now or in the morning, if Thornado was too exhausted or unwilling to fly... maybe his father would allow him to take a tiny skiff or something. A final parting gift for his wayward son? Unlikely. This plan was going so smoothly.

Lily raised her head from her own pen and sniffed at him, her tail thumping softly against the hay.

"Shh..." Finn whispered. "Quiet, Lily."

The Monstrous Nightmare huffed as if to say "Well, nice to see you too" and dropped her head back onto the hay.

Finn faced the house with an audible gulp. Should he sit on the porch and wait all night until everyone woke up? Should he step inside, hope everyone was asleep and wait at the table? Should he crash in the barn loft and wake up at the crack of dawn?

He found himself tiptoeing up the stairs without further thought. He just wanted to get it over with, despite how much his legs trembled and his throat began to clench with unheard cries. If nobody answered the door, he'd wait until morning. He fully expected to be pushed away. He just wanted to spit out his heartfelt apology and leave as fast as he could.

His fist rose and hovered at the door. He realized he'd never knocked on his own door before. He was an outcast, a rebel, a fiend even in the home that he'd been raised in. Worst of all, he'd done this to himself. He deserved to be alone, desolate, unloved.

Finally, Finn rapped his knuckles against the hard wood three times. The sound echoed inside, not loud but enough to be heard by anyone still awake. Finn stood there breathlessly. No sounds came from the interior. He felt his heart pounding in his chest with every second.

After what seemed like forever, Finn stepped back, resolving to wait out the rest of the night on the porch, when the door swung open. Candlelight filtered onto the porch and Finn froze.

He nearly gasped at the sight of his father standing in the dim doorway. Even in the muted light, details began to stand out: dark circles under his eyes, scruff covering his jaw, the right side of his body angled as if to protect his left leg from extra weight. He'd never seen his father look so terrible before.

The chief's eyes widened. "Finn?" Hiccup asked, almost hopefully.

Finn swallowed hard and lowered his head. "Dad, I'm-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence. In a flash, Hiccup lunged forward and Finn jerked, waiting for the punch, the hit, the anger to come flooding out and dish out to him every insult and curse he deserved.

But instead, two strong arms yanked him forward, nearly crushing him into his father's chest. Finn stumbled, but Hiccup held him firm, unwilling to let him go as if his life depended on it.

"Finn!" Hiccup cried, his voice cracking in his ear. "You're back! I thought we lost you!"

Finn felt his eyes sting as he pulled his arms around his dad. Hiccup pulled him closer, wrapping a hand around his son's neck and nearly sobbing. The teenager had never heard his father sound so broken before. His heart clenched as he remembered that it was his doing. What had he done to this poor man?

"Dad, I'm so sorry!" Finn cried, tears flowing. "I'm so, so sorry!"

Hiccup sniffled. "I know, son. I know."

Finn shook his head. "You should be sending me away-"

"No!" Hiccup's head shot up. He held Finn's face in his hands. "No. That wouldn't fix anything. If you remember nothing else I say, remember this: I love you, Finn. You're my son. Don't you ever leave me again."

In his father's tearful green eyes, Finn saw all the pain and anguish he'd caused. But more than that, he saw the unmerited, unadulterated love a father had for his son.

Finn closed his eyes and nodded, tears streaking down his face and a sob forcing its way out of his throat. Hiccup pulled him close again and kissed his temple.

"It's okay. One day at a time, we're going to fix this." Hiccup promised. "It might take time and it might be hard, but one day it's going to be worth everything. You'll see."

Finn shook his head, memories surging forward of all the horrific things he'd done in the last weeks. He didn't deserve forgiveness. His father might forgive him, but what of the rest of the village? What about Erick? What about his sister?

"Dad-"

Light footfalls from inside the house interrupted him. "Finn?"

He looked up from his dad's shoulder to see his mother nearly running across the living room. Finn barely had time to extract himself from Hiccup's grip before Astrid tackled him in a hug.

"Don't you ever do that again, Fearless Finn!" she wailed when she finally let him go, smacking his chest with every word.

She immediately crushed him in another hug, babbling incoherently about how worried she'd been and foolish he'd been and how grounded he was for scaring her to death. Finn almost cracked a smile, knowing which comments were serious and which weren't. He hugged her tightly, apologizing over and over again at sending the faulty message.

"I changed my mind," Finn sniffed, finally stepping back to wipe his face.

Hiccup ushered all three of them inside and closed the door. Within seconds, Toothless had Finn's face covered in slobber from dragon kisses.

"Agh... Toothleeeeeess!" Finn hissed, trying to be as quiet as possible. He pushed the dragon's nose away but still gave him a hug. "I missed you too, ya big lug."

Toothless promptly slapped him in the face with his prosthetic before curling up on his stone bed nearby. Astrid pulled Finn toward the couch and gestured for him to sit down. She smoothed his hair down as Hiccup sat down on his other side.

"Where did you go?" Astrid asked.

"Johann and Kara told us you were on Brawn." Hiccup said.

Finn swallowed, not meeting their eyes. "I... I was only there for a few days."

"Why did you leave?" Hiccup asked. "Johann said you were really... distressed."

More like depressed, Finn thought cynically. He stared at his knees in dread, unsure how to respond. "I was stupid."

"What do you mean?" Astrid asked gently.

Finn's eyes burned. He could still see her smile, feel her kiss, even though those things meant nothing. It was all for naught and he'd fallen right into it. He sniffed, wishing he could disappear with the couch. How could he admit this to his parents?

"I... um..."

"Finn, you can tell us anything," Hiccup said softly, resting a hand on his back. "We've all made mistakes."

"Not like this," Finn cried. Astrid rubbed his arm soothingly and waited. "I... met a girl."

His tone was light, but Finn felt his father stiffen beside him when he replied, "Okay?"

"S-she worked in the village tavern and we talked for the few days I was there." Finn said, the story suddenly coming out once he began. "Then one night, she..."

"Finn." Finn looked up at his dad tearfully. His father's gaze was firm, unwavering, but still full of love. "Did you sleep with her?"

Finn gulped. "Y-yes and no? W-we started to... do all that but she stopped me. I still stayed the night and I hated myself the next morning, but I wanted it so badly at the time-"

"Finn, slow down, baby," Astrid said soothingly. Finn rubbed his face with a hand. His dad's hand firmly held his shoulder. "What happened?"

"I as good as did it." Finn buried his face in his hands. "I wanted to and we were close and sh-she saw everything."

"Why did she stop you? Did she want it?" Hiccup asked, his voice clearly masking worry.

"Yeah, at first," Finn sniffed. "But I... I guess I started crying halfway through and she... didn't think it was a good idea."

Hiccup cleared his throat. "She was a tavern worker? That's it?"

"She wasn't prostitute, if that's what you mean." Finn mumbled.

Astrid eyed him warily. "You didn't ask her that in so many words, did you?"

Finn blushed. "Yes."

Hiccup rubbed his forehead. "Buddy-"

"I know, it was insensitive, but I got freaked out!" Finn exclaimed. "She knew I was the heir to Berk, what if-"

"No." Hiccup stopped him in his tracks with a gentle voice. "Let's not think about the 'what ifs'. What you did was wrong, yes, but calling her a prostitute was pretty harsh. Some people have looser standards, but that doesn't mean they do it for money. Accusing someone of that is very insulting."

"You should send her a message and apologize," Astrid amended.

Finn frowned. "What difference would it make? She didn't even like me."

"She must have a little bit." Hiccup said. "But regardless of her feelings at the beginning, she didn't deserve that. You need to make that right."

Finn sighed and nodded. "Okay."

"Still... I think you did the right thing." Hiccup squeezed his shoulder.

"What?" Finn gaped at him. "But I almost had sex, I was naked, I was all ready to-"

"She said stop." Hiccup interrupted coolly. "And you stopped. I know how hard that can be, especially at your age. I'm glad that you had enough respect for her to stop when she told you to."

"I shouldn't have been in that position." Finn grasped his hair with his fists. "I made a huge mistake and I've never felt so dirty."

There was a long pause as Finn took several deep breaths, trying to slow his heart rate. If he kept this up, he'd probably pass out. Astrid kissed his head and ran her fingers through his hair. He felt himself calming down at the touch.

"Do you need to go to bed?" Astrid whispered in his ear. "You don't have to tell us everything tonight."

"I need to." Finn wiped his face. "I have to tell someone. I have to talk to someone. If... if you're okay listening."

"Of course we are." Hiccup leaned down so that Finn could see him in his peripheral vision. "Let it out, Finn. We want to talk to you."

"No, what I did... after..." Finn shook his head. "I just ran off l-like a coward and I w-went to Maero."

He felt both his parents stiffen next to him in response. His shoulders shook with emotion as he recounted the whole story, how he had looked at the place where he and Benen had slept as slaves, the carvings on the walls, Ratri finding him there. He trembled as he remembered the anger, the hatred, that had coursed through him as he choked the man from his nightmares. And then the change of heart, simply borne out of the memories of his best friend.

"I would have killed him." Finn finished, his voice filling the silent room. "I wanted to. It would have been easy."

"But you didn't." Hiccup reminded him. "You let him go."

"Only because of Benen!" Finn turned to his father, his face twisting with pain. "Without him, I'm a monster! Everything I've done, all the progress I've made, it's not me. It's him!"

"Oh Finn..." Astrid leaned down and put her forehead against his, wiping his tears with her thumbs. "You're not a monster. You made the choice to let Ratri go. You chose to forgive him."

"But I didn't forgive him!" Finn shook his head. "I don't know if I can forgive him."

"You don't have to right now." Astrid kissed his forehead. "You did the right thing. And I'm so proud of you. That shows real character."

"No, it shows that I listened to Benen." Finn sniffled loudly. "He was the real hero. He forgave Ratri and he told me to and I never listened. I'm nothing without him."

"Finn," Hiccup paused, apparently considering his words for a moment, "Benen wasn't perfect. He made mistakes just like you did."

"Not like me." Finn turned to his father and wiped his eyes. "He would never have done what I did."

"Except that he did." Astrid said calmly. Finn whipped his head around to face her. "He just didn't tell you."

Finn's heart began to pound so hard that it echoed in his head. Benen make the same mistakes? Benen let lust and hatred consume him? The thought was almost laughable.

"You're just saying that to make me feel better."

"No." Hiccup patted Finn's shoulder. "We're saying it because it's true. He told us because he wanted you to know one day."

"Why wouldn't he tell me?" Finn looked between his parents, his eyes wide.

"You were young." Astrid replied. "He didn't want to ruin your image of him before you were old enough to understand why he did what he did."

Finn audibly swallowed. "What did he do?"

"Not long before he died, he approached us..."

It had almost been a good day. Inga was awake, Hiccup and Astrid had witnessed Finn's first awkward kiss with Helga, and the village was beginning to slowly heal from the plague that had struck mere days before. But as Finn and Helga walked together to the Great Hall, Hiccup and Astrid were walking with Benen to the forge, wondering why he had asked to speak with them in private. Once they were seated, Benen took a deep breath.

"Finn... he's so much like me." Benen began, a small smile on his lips. "Stubborn as a mule. Insistent on getting his way. I used to drive my parents crazy with my energy and mischief with my big sister. You wouldn't think it to see me now but I was quite the troublemaker."

"I can believe it." Hiccup grinned. "And if Finn turns out as well as you did, I'll be very thankful indeed."

"Oh... I hope he doesn't." Benen sighed wistfully. "See, that all changed in an instant. I had started reigning in my stubbornness when I was with Aida. She liked that I had spirit but we got into many an argument over my stupidity. She was so calm, so compassionate, every bit as mature and controlled as I was immature and wild. We really did balance each other out perfectly."

Astrid reached forward and put her hand on top of his. Benen gave her a slight nod in thanks as he continued his story.

"My village was raided. So many people died, others taken as slaves. I know Aida managed to escape but I wasn't so lucky. I remember being taken into the deepest part of the ship with some of my people. For years, the sounds of the children crying for their parents haunted me. I was sold at the first place we went to a farmer and his family. The work was hard and he beat me so many times when my rebellious streak would come out. It wasn't long before I was downtrodden. I was the only slave there so I became lonely and desperate for attention or even a kind word." Benen shook his head, as if to ward off residual emotion. "I worked there for a long time. And after a while, after I had become a shell of the person I had become, the farmer's daughter, a teenager by that point, started asking me to do her favors. I think she had a bit of a crush on me, to be honest. I was... well, I was much more handsome back then than now."

Hiccup had a feeling that he knew where this story was going. He almost didn't want Benen to continue. He wanted to think of Benen as a wise man, a good example for Finn and the rest of the young people in the village. But the look on Benen's face... this was clearly a mistake that caused him great emotional agony.

"We got to talking. She was so kind, I... I lost myself. I started sneaking off with her to talk at night time. Almost every night, if she could get away from her parents without being seen. And it started as just talking. But then... one night..." Benen closed his eyes, apparently ashamed to see the looks on Hiccup and Astrid's face. "She kissed me. And I was so very lonely, in so much pain, so desperate for love that I didn't even think. I just let lust take over and I... we..."

"Oh Benen, you didn't." Astrid breathed, her hand tightening over his.

"Not a day goes by that I don't regret it. She was barely fifteen years old and I was in my twenties. I took advantage of her and it was filthy and wrong." Benen finally opened his eyes and looked at Hiccup and Astrid. "I hope you'll forgive me."

"It was a long time ago." Astrid said, keeping her voice low so that passersby wouldn't hear. "It would be cruel to treat you badly just because you made a mistake and regretted it all these years."

"Thank you." Benen looked like he was going to cry with gratitude. "But I'm not finished. We sneaked out for a few months and managed to keep it a secret. She was talking about freeing me so we could get married when she came of age. Then one day, she came to me, crying her eyes out, telling me she was pregnant."

"You have a child?" Hiccup blurted out without thinking. He felt heat rise to his face as he leaned in and lowered his voice, hoping no one had heard his outburst. "Sorry but... why didn't you ever mention it?"

"Shame, I suppose. We tried to hide it for a while but the truth came out soon enough. Her father was furious. He gave me the worst beating of my life then forced me to work around the clock. I almost died from exhaustion. As for his daughter, he forced her to give the baby away, told her she was too young to be a mother. She begged him not to but she couldn't change his mind." Benen wiped his face; the memory was clearly still painful. "She had a little girl. I remember standing by the house and hearing my baby crying, wanting so much to be there and to hold her. I never... I never even saw her."

Hiccup felt his heart constrict painfully. He couldn't imagine never seeing his children, never knowing the kind of people they would become. His own daughter brought him so much joy, how painful must it have been to miss out on every single memory, to never have gazed into her eyes and felt that rush of love that only a parent could possibly understand? To live his entire life wondering what she looked like, never knowing all of her little quirks. The mere thought made him want to cry but he shoved his emotions down so that Benen could express his.

"I'm so sorry." he whispered after it had been quiet for a long while.

"Why didn't you try to find her?" Astrid asked, her voice sounding slightly choked.

"I don't know her name. How could I track her down when I don't have the slightest idea where she went or what she looks like? She probably doesn't even know her mother's name." Benen shook his head. "She's a grown woman by now, probably has her own family. I can only hope she was happy, that she had her mother's good looks and compassion instead of my immaturity and foolishness."

"What was her mother's name?" Astrid asked. "Maybe we can find her."

"Camille. But she died a few years ago. I found out when I overheard a conversation about her while I was working for Ratri. I don't know any more than that." Benen sniffed, accepting the handkerchief that Astrid handed him. "I hope she was happy. I hope I didn't ruin her life just because I couldn't control myself. Wouldn't control myself, more like. But I'm telling you this because I'm worried about Finn. He's so much like I was and I don't ever want him to... to go through that."

Hiccup tensed. "Do you really think he's at risk?"

"I'm not sure. Certainly not right now. But given enough sadness and pain, I fear he could be pushed in that direction. The desire to bend and break the rules is strong when you have no guidance." Benen's voice broke and he covered his face with his hand. "I'm sorry, I just... I don't fear death. And I'm at peace with my life as it was. I've made a difference and that was all I ever wanted. But I am concerned for Finn. I want to see the man he'll become and I know I won't get that chance."

"Come here." Astrid sat down next to him and hugged him from the side. "I know you didn't get to be there for your little girl. And I'm so sorry about that. But what you've done for our family, for all four of us, that's not going to be forgotten."

"Tell him." Benen wiped his face and looked directly at Hiccup. "Tell him what I did, the pain it caused me even now. Tell him that there's always a second chance, an opportunity to turn away from his mistakes and make the right choices. Tell Anna too."

"We will." Hiccup promised. "When they're old enough."

"One more thing: I don't want Finn thinking that I was only there for him to make up for not being there for my daughter. I was there because he needed someone. And I have been honored to be that someone." Benen smiled through his tears.

"Thank you, Benen." Hiccup stood up and waited for Benen to stand up before embracing him. "You're not going to be forgotten."

"I pray not." Benen tittered. "Now we should probably get to the Great Hall and keep an eye on that boy before he decides to sneak off and practice his kissing techniques."

Hiccup and Astrid laughed. "That we should." Hiccup said, leading them out of the forge.

Finn sat in stunned silence, staring at his dad long after he'd finished the story.

"You're not the only one who's messed up in that area." Astrid said softly. "In fact, some have run the whole nine miles."

Finn stared at the floorboards. "I never would've thought Benen would do something like that."

"He was young and lonely and when Camille showed him kindness, he took advantage of it," Hiccup said. "When you've hit rock bottom, it's hard to control your desires and emotions. Wouldn't you say?"

Finn nodded solemnly.

"Benen always saw something in you that he not only admired, but also wanted to protect. He didn't want you to fall into the same traps of life that he did. That's why he told us about it."

Finn sniffed. "And I still threw it in his face. In your faces."

Hiccup squeezed his shoulder. "We were kids once too, Finn. We all had to learn things the hard way sometimes. And, bear this in mind, we haven't lived life before. This is all new to us too, we're still learning as time goes on. There's not manual of life that tells us what choices to make, which streets to turn down. How boring would life be if that's how it worked?"

"We might make less stupid mistakes." Finn mumbled.

Hiccup leaned forward so their eyes met. "But then we wouldn't have some of the greatest gifts people can have, like creativity, ingenuity, leadership. If everything was set in stone to work one way, everyone took the same path until they died... It would be dull. Pointless. No lessons to be learned."

Finn nodded. He understood now. "But... now what?"

Astrid exhaled through her nose, sitting back on the cushions. "What do you think we should do?"

Finn thought. "I... I need to apologize to people. Lots and lots of people. But most importantly... Erick." He gulped. "I-If he's even woken up yet."

Hiccup nodded. "He's woken up a few times."

"Is he okay?" Finn asked hopefully.

"I think he'll pull through." Hiccup said calmly. "He's still got a long road to recovery. We'll fit him with a prosthetic and he'll learn how to walk again as I did. Day by day, we'll get through it."

Finn's chest hurt, his stomach twisted in uncomfortable knots. His head pounded from a headache. He felt disgusting from his long day of non-stop flying and stressing over the outcome. He never expected his parents to sit him down in the living room and let him air out all his problems, all of which he'd caused. Looking at them both however, he only saw love. Maybe some sadness and definitely fatigue, but in their eyes he saw hope. He'd come home after all and together they'd change things.

Hiccup stifled a yawn. "We should all get to bed."

"Oh!" Astrid sat up straight all of a sudden. "Wait a second!" She stood and nearly ran into the kitchen, rummaging around the washtub. Finn watched her curiously as she snatched something off the counter and walked back over to him.

Sitting down, she picked up his hand and dropped an item with a long leather strap into his open palm. He stared down at Benen's wooden necklace with the word Fortis carved into the top.

"This is yours." Astrid smiled.

Finn shook his head. "I don't deserve this. I tainted every memory I have of him."

"No, you made poor choices and there's a lot of cleanup to do." Astrid said firmly, picking up the necklace. "But from this day forward, we're going to learn what true strength really means. As a team." She looped the necklace over his head and beamed.

Finn stared down at the necklace nestled against his chest once again. His eyes brimmed at the comfort. He hadn't realized just how empty he felt without it. Leaning forward, he hugged his mom tightly.

"Thanks, mom."

"Of course."

A soft snore interrupted their touching moment. Finn turned and flicked his father's arm. Hiccup jerked.

"What? Oh. Yeah Fortis. Teamwork. Yay."

Finn snickered as Hiccup fell back across the couch, rubbing his eyes. "Go to bed, dad."

"Mmph." Hiccup murmured before his head slumped to one side.

Finn whistled. "Wow. I've never seen him fall asleep that fast before."

"He hasn't slept much the last week." Astrid murmured. Finn instantly felt guilty. "It wasn't just you. He was worried about Erick."

"Is he really okay?" Finn asked.

"Yes. The first few days were very hard, but since the first time he woke up, he's improved significantly." Astrid said, watching in slight amusement as Finn yawned long and hard. "Go to bed, Finn. New day tomorrow. Do you want some water or anything?"

"Sure."

Astrid nodded and bustled into the kitchen. A minute later she returned with a tall glass of water and froze at the edge of the couch. A small, happy smile wormed its way onto her face. Finn had apparently laid his head back on the couch and slumped to the side so most of his upper half was completely leaning against Hiccup for support. The sight nearly made her tear up because it was both adorable and encouraging. Both her boys were beyond exhausted, so much that they didn't even notice the current state of their slumber. But that was trivial.

Finn was home, repentant, ready, and willing to make changes. It had been a long, hard road, and it was only going to get bumpier as time went on, but the turmoil would be worth it in the end. They would teach their Fearless Finn the meaning of true strength. Benen's legacy would not be shredded to a pulp so easily.

Xxx

Another nightmare-less night. Adrianna was very thankful for this when she woke up to the morning glow cascading through her curtains. Erick's accident and resulting injury had triggered some serious nightmares. However, it seemed that the day he woke up and he gradually regained some strength, the nightmares went away. She found this rather strange, since they almost never went away so quickly, but she didn't dare question it. She was thankful. End of story.

Crawling out of bed, she did her best to tame her hair and found a clean outfit to wear. Frost covered most of her window, so she knew to wear a long-sleeved wool shirt and extra thick leggings today. As she dressed, her eyes glanced around her messy bedroom and realized she'd have to clean this mess up soon. Her dresser was getting emptier and emptier by the day. Soon enough she'd run out of clothes!

At long last, she deemed herself presentable enough to be seen in public. Book in hand, Adrianna tromped down the stairs, eager for breakfast. She saw her mother bustling through the kitchen, eggs and bacon frying over the open fire and biscuits in their stove oven. Her stomach rumbled loudly, earning a smile from her mother.

"Sorry, I'm starving." Adrianna said.

"Good morning, starving, I'm Astrid!"

Adrianna raised an eyebrow. "You're certainly cheerful this morning. What-"

"Sh." Astrid gestured toward the couch with her knife before checking the biscuits.

Adrianna looked across the room in surprise. Sprawled along the couch were her father and Finn, who'd apparently returned from his excursions during the night. Her twin was completely sprawled out, face buried against their father's waist. The chief himself would probably be experiencing some back and neck pain when he woke up due to his half-slumped position against the arm rest.

"What time did he get in?" Adrianna asked in disgust.

"Almost two. Your father was still awake."

"And you let him stay?"

Astrid frowned at her. "Adri, he's our son. He's sorry for everything that's happened."

"Sorry or not, he still nearly killed Erick," Adrianna said as she took a seat at the table. "Something has to be done."

"And something will be done." Astrid reassured her. "Finn doesn't apologize for things often but when he recognizes his mistakes, he does what's needed to make it right. I doubt we'll have any problems."

"Yeah, I'm sure-"

"Adri, that's enough." Astrid said sternly, pulling out the biscuits. "You've made your opinion known. Let's drop it."

Adrianna leaned against her hand in annoyance. She knew she should drop it, but anger still kindled in her chest. She wanted steep repercussions on the boy who nearly took her best friend away forever. She stared at his slack face from across the room, but gradually she felt her heart soften ever so slightly. The sight of her dad and brother sacked out on the couch really was kind of cute, she had to admit.

"Food's ready."

"Great!" Adrianna jumped up and filled a plate. When she returned to her seat and began wolfing down her food, she vaguely realized that she should probably learn how to cook someday. If she ever wanted to have a home and family of her own, she'd certainly need to feed them! Though it would be great if her future husband could cook as well, seeing as she was currently the future chieftess and all. Her hopefully hubbie would have to be able to juggle roles, she supposed.

With those happy thoughts, she continued to munch her bacon, though with less excitement. Her mother sat beside her and began buttering a biscuit, but her swift mood change was not lost on the older woman.

"Okay?"

"Mhm," Adrianna mumbled. "Just thinking about chief stuff."

"Oh." Astrid nodded. "Pass the jam, please." Adrianna passed the jar and waited for her mother's response, which didn't come until after the biscuit was completely covered. "Your dad and I have talked about that. We're not happy with how it's turned out because that's never been the plan. But maybe Finn will redeem himself after all and you won't have to be chief in the end."

Adrianna poked at her eggs. "Maybe."

Astrid nudged her with an elbow. "Don't be so glum. Your father never wanted to be chief either and look how well it's turned out."

"Yeah, but he was born for it. That's always been Finn's thing."

"You don't know that. Maybe Finn was meant to lead a simple life and you lead our people into the future."

"Great pep talk, mom, but no," Adrianna smirked. "Finn cooking meals and washing laundry all day? No."

"Hey, I'm a great cook!"

The ladies looked to the couches where Finn was sitting up, rubbing his face. He still looked really tired and when their eyes met, Adrianna saw sadness and guilt flash across his face. He looked at the floor.

Adrianna swallowed her initial snide remarks. After a few silent comments, she managed, "You always did make a mean apple pie, Finnigan."

Finn looked up at her with a hopeful expression, but shrugged, "I just follow the recipe."

"Must take a lot of strength to trust in someone else's instructions," Adrianna commented. "Rather than doing your own thing."

Astrid gave her a look. "Adrianna-"

"It's fine, mom." Finn said softly. "I deserve whatever she has to say."

"That doesn't mean we need to live in animosity and bitterness for the next two years." Astrid said calmly. "If we're to make changes around here, we need to work together as a team."

"We never were good at teamwork." Adrianna said.

"Then we best start learning."

Finn stared at the floorboards, ignoring her gaze. She could tell he was deeply sorry for what happened. But like everything in her life, she had realistic expectations. "Prove to me that you've changed. Then maybe I can forgive you."

Finn nodded quietly from his seat. Then Hiccup stirred, groaning and slowly sitting up.

"Owwwwwwwww... Astriiiiiiiiiid-"

"Ah ah, do not blame me for falling asleep on the couch. I've warned you about that." Astrid smirked at the stink eye he was giving her.

"Women." Finn stifled a smile beside their dad. Hiccup stretched and slapped Finn on the shoulder. "I smell bacon."

Finn nodded, but strangely he didn't jump up to fill a plate. Finn never passed up bacon. He never passed up food period. Food was Fearless Finn's first love... and somehow he seemed disinterested? He looked a little pale and weak, she realized. She wondered if he'd eaten much on his trip.

Shaking out of her trance, Adrianna grabbed her dishes and dumped them in the wash bin. "I'm going to check on Erick."

"I just woke up, you're leaving already?" Hiccup whined.

"A girl's got stuff to do, places to go, people to see," Adrianna smiled sympathetically.

"Boyfriends to catch up with," Astrid chimed.

"Huh?" Adrianna asked, pulling on her coat and boots. "I talked to Brandyn yesterday."

"For about two minutes, Addie." Hiccup said through a yawn. "You need to give him some attention."

"But Erick-"

"Is fine," Hiccup said firmly. She didn't miss the way Finn ducked his head and Hiccup squeezed his shoulder. "I won't tell you what to do, and I don't blame you for spending time with Erick. But if your mom had a guy friend who got hurt when we were dating and she continually blew me off for a week straight to spend time with him, I wouldn't be too happy either."

"I think spending time with my ailing friend is more important than a lengthy conversation in the Great Hall or a workout session that's only going to make me sweat like a wild hog." Adrianna remarked flatly. Finn smirked but didn't comment.

"Addie, boys think differently than girls-"

"Yes, I'm well aware of the strange male mind."

"My point is that when a guy sees his girl continually choosing another boy over him, he's going to get upset in some way." Hiccup amended. "That's all I'm saying."

Adrianna sighed. "I just don't want anything to happen when I'm not there."

Her father gave her a small smile. "Mara's got him well taken care of. Trust me."

"Alright, I'll try to do something with him today."

"Keep your coat on, it's going to be cold today."

"How do you know?" Adrianna asked. "Are you a weather man?"

Hiccup snorted. "Weather man. If only such a thing existed. No," He patted his left leg. "I can feel it."

"Oh. Okay." Adrianna nodded and opened the door. "Guess I'll see you guys later then."

She stepped out into the cold, quickly closing the door behind her. The frosty grass crunched beneath her feet, the early signs of winter scattered across the ground. The barn door locks froze her fingertips but she finally managed to undo it and step inside.

Lily greeted her from her pen, stretching her neck and legs. "Hey there, beauty. How's my girl?" Lily nuzzled her face, accepting all the hugs and kisses she could. "Let's saddle up; we've got a lot to do today."

Within ten minutes, she'd fed her purple flying lizard and they were in the air, soaring toward the village. Lily enjoyed the chilly air, using her fiery scales to keep Adrianna from freezing. The teenager found it quite nice feature, until Lily sometimes lost control and started to burn her leggings. Thankfully that hadn't happened in quite some time.

Landing in front of the healer's, Adrianna slipped off and told Lily to find someone to play with. She pushed the door open, took off her coat, and peeked into Erick's room. He was already sitting up in his bed, a stack of books at his bedside table. His good knee was drawn up, creating a tent in the blankets over his injured leg, but she could see him concentrating on something in front of him.

"Watcha doin', blondie?"

Erick jerked, then winced in pain. "Ow."

"Sorry..." Adrianna whispered.

"S'okay, I just didn't hear you." Erick held up his hands, which held a cord of leather with beads strung through the braids. A small pile of colorful beads rested in a bowl on his stomach. "I usually hate beading but..." he shrugged. "It passes the time."

"It's pretty," Adrianna said in admiration. "You're really good at that."

Erick shrugged. "Simple leather work. This is what Horst first taught me to test my skills and patience."

"You always did have a lot of patience."

He snorted, setting the half-done item aside. "Beading is right up there at my limit."

Adrianna laughed, setting her book down on top of his stack. She watched his eyes drift over to the book and then light up in recognition. He gave her a crooked smile.

"I see you're enjoying it."

"Yes! This is actually the third time I've read it..." She made a sheepish face. "I need a new book. I suppose I'll have to move on with my life once it's over, but-" Adrianna stopped, finally noticing Erick's dimpled grin. "Wait. You gave it to me?"

Erick laughed. "Yeahhhhh, a little birdie told me you wanted the next book. Imagine my good fortune when I saw it on Johann's ship last time he was here."

"But that was... back in May!"

"Yup."

"You held onto it for that long?" Adrianna asked. She sobered. "Why did you even get me a gift? I wasn't talking to you."

"I wasn't really talking to you either. It was a two-way street, Annie." Erick said. "I don't know. Deep down, we were still friends. Just... a lot of stuff got in the way."

"A lot of important stuff."

"That's not more important than our friendship." Erick's face suddenly tinged pink, as if he were embarrassed. "Right?"

Adrianna smiled. "No. I suppose not."

Erick bit his lip. "Yeah. So I saw it and traded him some stuff for it. I was really excited, I was actually on my way to give it to you when I remembered that we weren't friends anymore. That was awkward. Habit must've kicked in. But then I decided hey, might as well wait for your birthday. My only regret was that I didn't get to see you op- ow. Ow." His face suddenly tightened in pain. He bit his lip and Adrianna noticed his hand gripping the sheets.

"What? Are you okay?" Adrianna jumped up. "Should I get Mara?"

"No, no..." Erick waved her off, covering his forehead. "It'll pass. Just... stay."

Adrianna stood there for a few minutes, watching and waiting nervously. She saw sweat bead on his forehead after a few minutes and she really wondered if she should ignore him and get Mara anyway. But finally he let out a shaky breath and adjusted his sitting position.

"Sorry..." He said shakily. "Your dad wasn't kidding when he said you can feel storms coming."

"Oh." Adrianna said in shock. "He mentioned that earlier."

Erick wiped his forehead on his sleeve. "It started hurting a few hours ago. That's why I'm awake."

Adrianna thought about that. Usually when she came in the mornings, he didn't wake up for a few hours after. This was the first morning she'd seen him awake before she arrived.

"I'm sorry. Do you need medicine or anything?"

"If it gets too much to handle, then I'm supposed to tell Mara. She said I need to get used to it the pain though, as opposed to pain killers."

"Makes sense. My dad almost never takes medicinal teas or herbs."

"He's got a high pain tolerance though." Erick said. "Not everyone's like that."

"True."

A soft knock on the wall drew their attention to the curtain, where Brandyn was standing. Neither teen had heard him come in.

"Can I come in?"

"Yeah, Brandyn," Erick smiled, waving him in.

"How're you feeling?" Brandyn asked as he stepped in and rested his hands on Adrianna's shoulders.

Adrianna saw a flicker of something in Erick's eyes, but it disappeared just as quickly. She might have imagined it, but it almost looked like... jealousy.

"Better. Mostly." Erick sighed, staring at his leg still buried under the blankets. "If all goes well, I'll have a prosthetic by the end of next week and I can start walking." He gulped.

"It'll be fine. One step at a time."

Erick frowned. "That was a terrible joke, Annie."

She shrugged indifferently, Brandyn's hands jumping with them. "Don't be so sensitive."

"Wow, two for two." Erick shook his head.

Brandyn rolled his eyes. "Weirdos. Anyway, I was wondering if I could talk to you for sec, if that's okay?"

Adrianna looked up at him, directly into his eyes. He had to look straight down to see her. She felt a rush of warmth in her stomach. His eyes were warm as always, but she could see some lingering sadness there. He missed her. She remembered her parents' advice and instantly felt guilty.

She looked back at Erick. "You don't mind, do you?"

"No, of course not!" Erick waved them off with a smile. That weird look was back in his eye though. "Go enjoy the fresh air for me."

"It's cold, you wouldn't like it." Brandyn said, taking Adrianna's hand as she stood.

Erick cocked his head. "Why's that?"

Brandyn shrugged. "Hot air?"

The air turned icy when Erick's eyes narrowed and Adrianna suddenly found herself in the middle of a stand-off. Worst of all, she didn't know what the problem was. Clearly they had issues with each other. What was it?

"Aaaaaalright then, I'll come see you in a bit, okay?" Adrianna broke the silence, gently pushing Brandyn back toward the curtain.

"Don't forget your book." Erick said, an undertone of ice still in his voice.

"Oh where we're going, we won't need books." Brandyn said, nearly pulling her out of the room.

The last thing she heard before the curtain swung shut was Erick's snide remark: "Bummer. I guess she'll have to come back and see me then."