Several Months Later...

The pair of teens circled high above the harbour of Berk, their dragons lazing on the thermals that rose from the seastacks. Hiccup glanced over to Astrid, who almost felt his gaze and grinned back. The harbour was busy: Trader Johan was in and the fishing vessels had all come back early with bulging nets and the Hooligans were enjoying the unseasonably warm weather and the peace.

The end of the conflict with the Berserkers and the Outcasts had make Berk a far safer place though the process hadn't been easy-or quick. In fact, the Berserkers had been much easier, for Dagur's Uncle, Sigurdar, who had assumed the Chiefdom once the Deranged Berserker had been imprisoned, had no desire to continue his nephew's vendetta. A Treaty had been swiftly agreed and signed. Alvin the Treacherous, however, had been a different matter.

Alvin, despite suing for Hiccup's help in regaining his domain, had proven difficult, sneaky and two-faced...exactly as Stoick and Hiccup had expected. He had made a number of demands regarding dragon training which had all been declined, had been difficult in handing over the managed dragons and he had insisted on conducting the negotiations on Outcast Island. This had been a problem for Hiccup, who had wanted to be part of the negotiating party-both for his own education and because he didn't trust Alvin-as the mere thought of returning to Outcast island had reduced him to a cold sweat. In the end, he had asked Astrid to come with him. And though it had proved a form of torture for the active warrior, she had agreed because she had seen the desperate plea in her husband's scared eyes at having to face all those memories alone. It had proven a good use of her time, because with her there, Hiccup could scrutinise every word Alvin put into the Treaty, heading off a number of sneaky clauses that would disadvantage the Hooligans or which, quite frankly, said the opposite of what had been agreed. After a month of very tough negotiating and triple checking the document, both Chiefs had signed.

Over the winter, Hiccup had healed-not completely, but he had come a very long way. His bruises and welts had healed and his worst hurts had scarred, leaving the boy with a map on his body of the wrongs done to him that would never fade. His confidence had been almost shattered by his ordeals and it had taken him a long time with the help and support of his friends to return to who he had been before: quiet, sarcastic, patient and inventive. But he had managed to regain what he had lost and had become Hiccup once more. He still had to concentrate hard to tolerate people standing behind him and everyone knew not to touch the young Rider without permission. But he had no problems with contact with his father, his dragons-or his wife.

He grinned back at Astrid and jerked his head. They swooped west, round to the cliffs and a series of very secluded and warm little bays and Toothless took them down in one that Hiccup had found shortly after making friends with the Night Fury. There was a wide crescent of white sand, a shallow and warm bay with almost no current and a lovely cave with sandy floor and a fabulous view of the sea. Hiccup and Astrid rapidly unsaddled their dragons and allowed them to leap into the sea, playing and splashing to their heart's content. Astrid strode up the beach beyond the tide line and spread out a large blanket while Hiccup struggled to follow. He was determined in most things but sand and a prosthesis didn't mix well. He gratefully collapsed on the blanket beside her.

Astrid quickly kicked off her boots, stripped off her arm bindings and shed her armour, then lay back on the blanket, loosening her hair from the braid and stretching out luxuriously. Warm weather was rare on Berk and was to be treasured so she had every intention of lazing for the whole afternoon. As she stretched, her toes curled against the blanket and Hiccup smiled at her and thanked Thor that he had her. She had short leggings on, her leather skirt and a sleeveless blue tunic. The sun gleamed off her ring and her face glowed with happiness.

But she was't completely happy-because she remained estranged from her family. Uff Hofferson would not budge on his stance over his daughter and he would not even look at her. Her brothers and her mother sneaked to speak with her when her father wasn't around-though they had to obey him and shun her when he was. And the extended Hofferson family had blanked her completely. She lifted her chin and refused to be ashamed-for she knew she had done nothing shameful. Her father's stance was ridiculous...but it had brought her marriage to Hiccup, the Heir to Berk and kinship to the Chief. But sometimes, she sat and stared down the hill to her old home and in those times, Hiccup sat by her and held her hand and promised he would love her forever because it was all he owed her for what she had given up for him.

She opened her eyes and stared up at him, leaning back and closing his eyes against the bright sun. The months had wrought changes in him: not just the healing of his wounds but the much delayed growth spurt he was owed. Over the months, he had shot up four inches and how she looked up into his gentle and curious forest green eyes. He had regained the weight on his very skinny frame from his trials-just as he had shot up and he remained very lean and lanky, though his jaw was a little more angular and his features were more definite. His hair had thickened though was no less wild but his bright forest green eyes were still the same-bright, intelligent, filled with love. But sometimes, she saw the shadow there from his torments but as soon as he became aware of her, he always blinked it away. He had suffered horrible growing pains in his stump but had endured bravely, though she had seen tears on his face at times and she had cocooned him in her arms and hugged and rocked him through the torment. Growth for Hiccup had been painful in many ways, but he had emerged stronger than before.

Today, he had shed his usual clothes. She had sewn him two more of the dark red tunics and he treasured her handiwork but he had made himself a woven leather over tunic and belt to wear as well and had taken to wearing leather vambraces. She knew he was horribly self-conscious of his scars-she never saw his back unless she glimpsed him changing or bathing- and he always wore long sleeves to conceal the scar of his slave brand and the word 'SLAVE' carved inside his left arm. Of course, the brand had been obliterated a month after he had returned, at a ceremony where Gobber, Stoick, Gothi and Astrid had burnt away the brand. Gothi had dressed the raw wound as soon as they had finished and Astrid had just held him-but it had been Hiccup's wish to erase the Skrill mark from his flesh once and for all. And only with her, on this discreet and isolated beach, would he wear a loose tunic with elbow-length sleeves and a pair of short leggings that only reached his knees.

She smiled as she glanced over to him. His head was flung back with a slight smile parting his lips, the puckered scar across his throat fading now. His long, dexterous fingers dug into the warm sand and she could see the scar on the back of his left wrist where Dagur had threatened to cut off his hand and the word 'SLAVE' still dull red inside his left arm. But the ring gleamed on his hand and his prosthesis clicked as he fidgeted, the straps around the remains of his left leg visible.

Hiccup had insisted that Dagur be imprisoned, not killed though Alvin had argued very hard for the latter during the Treaty negotiations. Astrid suspected he felt guilt for lying to the Berserker-as his father had demanded-and suspected this may have fuelled the man's hatred and rage for Hiccup. Astrid doubted the boy should take such blame upon himself for a lunatic who had murdered his own father, but this was Hiccup and he would continue being himself. So Dagur remained in Alvin's custody with the Berserkers who had remained loyal to him and Alvin's own treacherous second, Savage. Hiccup had watched Dagur dragged off to the cells, pleading and crying for his 'brother' but had made no noise and given no sign he had heard Dagur's words.

He leaned over and gently planted a kiss on her soft lips and she smiled into the kiss and grabbed his auburn hair, running her fingers through until she met the couple of little braids she had made behind his right ear. His hair tended to point in all directions and the braids never lay neatly, no matter how many times she redid them-but that never deterred her from trying. He smiled down on her.

"Enjoying yourself, Milady?" he murmured and she smiled.

"Hungry," she admitted. He smiled, sat up and twisted, snaring his saddlebag and dumping it on the blanket. He carefully unpacked their picnic: roast chicken legs, slices of yak pie, cured boar, fresh loaves and yak butter and a pot of soured yak cream, cloudberries and honey and a flask of apple ice wine. Astrid's eyes widened in shock: he had brought a feast. She grinned and grabbed a slice of yak pie, biting hungrily in while he smiled as he watched her and grabbed a chicken leg thoughtfully. He had wanted to make the trip special because he owed her so much. He had warned her to leave him, knowing that she would be ruined for running away after him and every time he saw her unhappy and missing her family, he silently promised he would make it up to her if it took the entirety of his life.

The Elders had confirmed him as Heir because Snotlout had insisted-and his father had been furious. The chance to annoy Spitelout had heartened Hiccup, who had never forgotten the threats the man had made against him when he was beaten, terrified and vulnerable. Hiccup remained who he was, though there was a sightly harder edge under the familiar slightly dorky, calm and cheerful exterior. Astrid had finally taught him to fight over the winter, honing his skills with the sword and that exercise had strengthened his battered body and helped him hold himself with more confidence. Stoick continued training him and never ceased to apologise for not trusting his son: he listened to Hiccup and always considered his input-though he didn't always agree. And Hiccup was relieved and grateful that the Chief was at least treating him with respect. As did nearly all the villagers, save a few stubborn hold-outs, with the Hoffersons the main protagonists. He blinked and sipped his ice wine. There were always some people who would never accept him and he was satisfied that most had forgiven and embraced him once more.

Once they had demolished the feast, he had laid back down on the warm blanket and laced his hands behind his head in the sun. Astrid had leaned over him and pressed a passionate kiss on his lips. Her hair framed her face like a golden halo, her fingers sliding along his jaw then stroking his hair. "What was that for, Milady?" he asked lazily. She leaned forward and kissed his chin, her body moulding against him.

"For making this perfect," she murmured. She nuzzled against his neck. "You wanted this to be perfect, didn't you?" His eyes slowly blinked and he nodded, his look fading from confident to uncertain.

"I was hoping," he murmured, a hand rising to cup her cheek. "I love you, Astrid. You are the most amazing person on Berk...HUMAN PERSON..." he added more loudly in response to an indignant roar from the sea. "Yeah, yeah, I know-useless reptile," he grumbled at the dragon. "And I have been anything but amazing. I have been wounded and needy and frankly pathetic. I have caused you to lose your family and end up married to the runt of the village, the worst viking in the history of Berk..."

"Hmm-I don't know that person," she told him lightly. "The man I married saved the island by destroying a mountain-sized dragon, founding a Dragon Training Academy and fighting off Outcasts and Berserkers; became the Pride of Berk; beat Dagur in unarmed combat and survived being framed and exiled from Berk for a crime he never committed." She smiled into his wary and wounded eyes. "My husband is a truly amazing man and I love him. I wouldn't change him for anything."

He reached up and kissed her desperately, rolling over to stare down into her peaceful face and stroke her face and neck-and then slid his hands down her toned body. He kissed her more desperately and she responded with equal urgency and passion. Here, in the sun and protected by their dragons, he felt far safer than he did back home in Berk. He pulled away, breathing hard. She whined, her face flushed.

"Are you sure?" he asked worriedly. He knew what he felt but did Astrid feel the same about him?

"Shut up and kiss me, dragon boy!" she groaned. He complied and for long moments, their world was contracted to each other, to touch and warmth and rising desire. Then, suddenly, she pushed him up. "I see you even arranged a cave," she whispered huskily and he could barely reply. "I don't trust the twins..." she murmured and he groaned as she grabbed the blanket and began to trot up to the cave. He wearily scrambled to his feet and peered into the other saddlebag at the dozing Fang. The little dragon lazily opened his good eye.

"Watch out for us, boy," he murmured as he walked very unevenly up the sand until he collapsed onto the blanket by her, seeing her already shedding her leather skirt. His eyes widened.

"Like what you see?" she smirked, stretching her toned, slender shape and seeing his face flush. Her eyes lingered on the very visible evidence that he did.

"You know if we do this, you can't divorce me for..." he began, his tone nervous but she pressed a finger to his lips.

"Do you want me to divorce you?" she asked.

"Um, you'd be within your rights because I'm...I've been...so...disappointing...in this department," he muttered, flushing red, though she was gently stroking his face, her fingers trailing lazily down his chest to his waist and back. "Um...no..." he added.

"Hiccup, you have suffered more than anyone with the cruellest hurt anyone could suffer," she murmured, her lips sliding over his neck, feeling the puckered scar from where Dagur had tried to cut his throat. "But I also knew things would happen when the time was right. Just tell me if you feel uncomfortable..." He leaned up to kiss her and whispered:

"I'm never uncomfortable with you, Milady." And then he paused and gave a small smirk. "But my leggings feel way too tight." She gave a small smile and kissed him again...

oOo oOo oOo

Lying naked snuggled together, wrapped in the blanket and staring across at the cloudless blue sky across the white sands and the dragons still playing in the bay, Hiccup tightened his arm around Astrid. In the end, it had been wonderful. Astrid had been as generous and loving and strong as she was in all other aspects of their life together and she...had seemed to be satisfied. He hoped she had been: he had suspected he was probably a disappointment though Hiccup knew he had been utterly mindblown by the experience. Astrid nuzzled her head gently against his chest, her hair brushing over his obliterated brand.

"I guess the divorce is off," she murmured, her lips still smiling. He sighed and his left hand absently combed through her hair.

"Pity," he murmured. "I had my eye on..."

"Do you want me to chop your other leg off?"

"Can't you get exiled for that sort of thing?" he protested.

"Naw-nowhere to send them now we're friends with the Outcasts," she replied smugly.

"I can always ask Alvin for a favour..." Hiccup suggested with a smirk and she wriggled to stare at him and punch him lightly on the shoulder. "OWW!!" he whined.

"That's for being exiled and scaring me to death," she said, then kissed him tenderly on the lips. He closed his eyes for a long moment. "And that's for saving me and Berk and marrying me and...everything else..."

"You know," he murmured. "This makes all the rest of it worth it..." For a second it all flowed back: the fear, the pain, the utter shame, the despair and the isolation...but Astrid was here now and he knew...he knew he was safe with Astrid. He was safe. He had survived. She snuggled against him with a smile.

"I love you," she whispered. He stroked her hair again with his left hand, seeing the scars on his skin that would never wholly fade and the engraved gold ring on his finger that he would never relinquish again.

"I love you too...my heart, my life, my Astrid."

The End.