TWO:

Astrid twisted her hands in her lap, glancing up at her Uncle. Finn was sitting at her side on the white calf leather seats of his limousine, his expression concerned.

"I am so sorry your Mom is ill," he said genuinely. "When I spoke to her a couple of days ago, she said she was just feeling a bit under the weather but I should have checked again yesterday..." The girl shrugged aimlessly.

"I know you're busy," she said tonelessly. Finn ran his hand over his face, sighing.

"I know you and your mother will never forgive me-but I was as shocked and distressed as you were to learn what had happened," he said quietly. "I wish I could turn back time and not be on that shoot out in Mongolia, not be out of contact until after he was gone. He was my brother, Astrid and I loved him." He sighed. "And I know you blame me for not being there-but I never even knew my brother was sick. No messages got through until after the funeral." Astrid's blue eyes flicked up "I did come home as soon as I could-but it was too late. Your mother told me she wanted nothing to do with me."

The girl inspected his face.

"Is that why you didn't ever contact us?" she asked.

"I rang your mother twice a week to ask if you were both alright and she used to hang up on me. I thought she would block my number or change your house phone...but thank Odin, she didn't quite hate me that much So I kept trying...and over the last couple of years, she has answered and told me you were okay. Not much more-even though I wanted to know how you were doing. It's how I knew she wasn't so well." He shrugged. "I sent cards every birthday and Snoggletog as well." Astrid frowned.

"No you didn't," she said firmly. "There were no cards. No...nothing..." Finn opened his mouth to contradict her and then he shook his head.

"Of course," he said quietly, guessing what had happened and trying to hide the pain and disappointment in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Astrid. But I am here now. And I'm not going anywhere..." She looked up at him.

"I thought you had a big movie filming at the moment," she said warily, playing with her fingers. Finn shrugged.

"Son of Odin is in the middle of principal photography at the moment-but the Director and my Executive Producer will look after things as long as needed," he reassured her. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Even if Mom doesn't want to see you?" she asked pointedly. He gave a small smile.

"Then I will wait outside while you're with her-no matter how long it takes," he sighed. "I don't want you to be left alone, Astrid. My brother always asked me to be there for his family. And I have tried-Gods know, I have tried-but I am here now."

"What makes you think I need you?" she asked him sharply, picking at the zipper of her jacket. He bit back his instinctive response and fiddled with his signet ring, marked with the 'Flightmare' symbol of Fearless films..

"Maybe I need you?" he asked her gently. "Look, Astrid-you are my only family. When our parents died, Ivan had you and your Mom-but who did I have? I know how lonely, how difficult it is to cope with loss when you are all alone. I know how worrying it is to have someone you love sick and have no one else to talk to. I may be a wealthy man but that doesn't make me less human, niece." She inspected him and unwillingly, she flipped open her phone, thumbing swiftly through the photos on her timeline. Every photo with Finn on-and there were a lot, up to the time of her father's death-had him grinning, always laughing and joking with his brother.

"You were very close to Dad," she murmured.

"He was my best friend," he admitted.

"Which was why Mom was so mad when you didn't respond when we phoned you..."

"No signal out in the Gobi Desert," he sighed. "Our nearest city was Dalandzadgad, a long way south of Ulaanbaatar. And the signal there was incredibly patchy. You have no idea how bad it was, to finally get back to what passes for civilisation and find your brother has been taken ill, died, been buried and you've basically missed everything-and your sister-in-law blames you for not being there when you never knew. Ivan knew where I was...he knew who to contact to get an urgent message to me." He paused and gave a small smile. "I guess he didn't want to drag me back..."

"I don't think he realised how sick he was...and when he went downhill, I think...he knew you wouldn't get there in time anyway..." Finn scratched his beard at her soft words.

"I would have spent every penny to see him one more time," he said quietly. "But he was long gone when I finally got back. And your Mom told me to stay away from you both. So I did-I respected her wishes. And I probably wasn't in the best place either. I probably didn't try hard enough. And then...well...time passed and while I tried to keep in contact, it wasn't enough. Sorry." She pulled her beanie off and stared at him, her blue eyes achingly reminding him of his dead brother.

"What am I going to do if Mom...?" she asked quietly. He took her hand.

"I'm here for you, Astrid," he told her genuinely. "No matter what, I'm here for you." She leaned against him.

"Thanks, Uncle Finn," she sighed. "I-I'm glad you're here. I missed you." And then she frowned. "How are you here anyway?" He looked into her face and saw her concern.

"The hospital called me," he revealed. "I-I think she may not want to see me...but your Mom did want me to be here for you. Just in case." She hugged him more fiercely, burying her heading his chest and trembling. He squeezed her protectively. "It's all going to be fine, Asti," he reassured her as he flicked his gaze up to meet the eye of his chauffeur. "She's going to be fine."

oOo

Ingrid Hofferson was on the intensive care unit when they arrived, drips in both arms, an oxygen mask on her face and monitoring lines hooked to a whole bank of machines that beeped and whirred in a very worrying manner. Finn had dealt with the nurse at the main station, making sure that his niece was given an update and then smiling as she was led to her mother's bedside. Quietly, he loosened his tie and headed for the waiting room to allow her to be alone with her Mom.

Wrapped up in a mask, apron and gloves, Astrid was feeling a definite thrill of panic as she was brought to see her mother in her side room. Ingrid was ashen, her skin radiating heat and she coughed intermittently, the rattling of her breath loud in the quiet space. Her long blonde hair was loose over the pillow and the huge loose hospital gown diminished her slender shape. Her feverish sky blue eyes widened as she saw her daughter and she tried to manage a smile.

"Hey..." she murmured. Astrid surged forward and took her hand, raising it to her mask-covered mouth.

"Hey," she sighed. "How-how are you?" Ingrid coughed, her eyes closing with the effort that left her exhausted and then she smiled.

"I'm fine," she said hoarsely, breathless even at the effort of speaking the words. "A bit of pneumonia...and they say...I have sepsis...but they have...everything...in hand..." Astrid took a deep breath.

"I-I think I may wait until you get a bit better..." she said, dragging a chair close by. "Just to make sure..." Ingrid frowned.

"I asked them to call...Finn..." she murmured. "I guess he didn't show..." But Astrid shook her head with a smile.

"He's waiting outside," she confirmed, stroking her mother's hand. "For some reason, he thought you wouldn't want to see him..." Ingrid looked surprised.

"Didn't expect him to come," she admitted. Astrid shuffled in her seat.

"So why did you call him?" she asked. Ingrid sighed.

"Because your Dad would want him...to have a second chance," she admitted. Astrid nodded and then paused.

"Did he try to contact us?" she asked.

Ingrid nodded.

"I didn't want to hear," she said. "I was so angry...for so long...but I forgot...he had lost Ivan too..." She sighed. "It meant you lost...your Dad and your Uncle..."

"It's okay," Astrid soothed her, hearing the beeping increase but Ingrid shook her head.

"You need to know..." she murmured. "I-I used to take out the letters he sent...and the cards...I stopped you hearing from him...I-I..."

"Mom-it's okay," her daughter told her with understanding. "We can sort it out later. You can get some rest-because I'm not going anywhere." Ingrid smiled wearily.

"Love you..."

"Love you, Mom," Astrid said, sitting back, her mother's hand firmly gripped in hers. "Stay with me. Love you."

oOo

Atali had called a meeting and all her friends turned up at her elegant six bedroom home on the exclusive Chief's Hill area of Berk, gathering in her personal sitting room and arranging themselves on the designer furniture sipping sugar-free sodas and plotting. Mindy was sitting sideways in a chair with her legs over the arm and Ruff was slumped in a bean bag. Heather was sitting cross-legged on the floor, petting Atali's corgi, Razor.

"Okay-so what do we know about Nerdstrid?" the red-haired girl asked. Heather sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Firstly, her name is Astrid-so get used to calling her that," she began. "She's a person, after all." Mindy laughed.

"She's a nerd," she scoffed. "Next, you'll be saying Hiccup Haddock is a real person!" Ruff laughed.

"That one-legged dork,' she sneered. "As if." Then she looked at Heather. "Anything else?" Heather frowned.

"She's an only child, she was very close to her Dad, she does Judo and kickboxing and runs," she said. "She can't paint but she can play the piano. And she is very intelligent and determined."

"Gods, she sounds even more dull when you put it like that," Atali commented. "So how do we get her onside? She can't have been so dreary all the time?" Rolling her eyes, Heather sat back on her heels, rubbing Razor's tummy.

"Astrid was more of a Queen Bee than you are, Atali," she told her friend shortly. "She's pretty, smart and sassy-but when her father died, she had to look after her Mom and she didn't have the money for the fashionable things in life. And you were all so horrible to her that she gave up." The red-haired girl tossed her head, thinking hard. If she forced her mind back, she could recall the feisty, beautiful blonde who had put Atali in the shadows and it had been deliberate for Atali to strike when her rival was weakened to assume the top position among the popular girls in her year. Astrid had fought briefly but as she struggled with other, more important things, Atali had stolen the limelight and sidelined the blonde-and then made sure she was ostracised when she returned from her mourning.

"So when she returns, we are kind to her," Mindy suggested.

"Show an interest," Ruff added.

"Ask about her mother," Heather suggested.

"Compliment her on her looks," Atali added. "And yeah, I know it will be hard-because honestly, she looks like some hobo..." Heather rolled her eyes.

"Yeah-that would really encourage her to be your friend," she muttered. Ruff huffed.

"She should be grateful we're being nice to her," she murmured. Heather sat back and looked at the others.

"You know, you're gonna try a damn sight harder than that-because she is gonna see right through you!" she said. "Try being sincere."

"What?" Mindy asked. "But she's snarky, rude and looks like she's been dragged through a hedge backwards. Twice."

"And she's smarter than all of you put together, determined and very practical," Heather pointed out. "Unless you don't want her famous Uncle to take his niece and her friends to the set of 'Son of Odin'?" Atari pouted.

"Okay, girls-for the chance to meet the luscious Dane...we are all gonna have to be nice to Nerdstrid...sorry, Astrid Hofferson," Atali said through gritted teeth. Razor gave a whine and Heather fussed the dog absently.

"This is going to be fun to watch," she murmured.

oOo

Ingrid was much better the next morning, her daughter having spent the night at her side and her Uncle having stayed in the waiting room, though he had popped in during the wee small hours to check on his niece and his sister-in-law. He had collected drinks for Astrid and a snack and generally played the waiting game. When she woke, her fever was lower and her numbers better: the doctors and nurses were looking less worried and it looked like Ingrid would be making a good recovery.

Finn had been summoned into the ICU once Ingrid had been checked over and she was sitting up, a little more bright-eyed as he had warily entered. She had smiled as he entered and wave him to come closer.

"How are you?" he asked genuinely. She smiled and gave a coffin cough.

"Better," she managed, though he winced at the sound. "Still not well though." He nodded.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked calmly. She sighed.

"Forgive me," she murmured. "I intercepted all the letters and cards. She doesn't know..." He walked forward and took her hand.

"It's forgotten," he said with a smile. "I-I just want to be a part of your lives now, Ingie. Yours and Astrid's. You are my only family..." She nodded.

"I know. I was selfish. I was angry at you because you were alive and my husband wasn't. It wasn't fair and just hurt us all..."

"It's in the past," he assured her. "I mean, I don't want to intrude but I do want to be around when you will allow me. And...I want to offer some support...nothing to offend your pride, of course...but I know Ivan would expect me to make sure that you didn't struggle." He paused. "I mean I did send cheques in the cards...though I guess you have never cashed them..." Her mother closed her eyes and sighed.

"No," she murmured. "Gods, I've been an idiot..." But Finn chuckled.

"All Hoffersons are stubborn," he reminded her.

"I'm only a Hofferson by marriage," she reminded him. But he wagged a finger.

"It's infectious-and you've got it good," he teased her. "As has my niece." Ingrid gave a self-deprecating smile that degenerated into a cough.

"And my husband and his brother," she replied. He raised his hands.

"Guilty as charged," he admitted. "But you don't need to struggle, Ingrid. If you need anything, tell me. And I would like to make a monthly donation, if I may, towards all the things that you both need." Ingrid gasped. "That way, you need not work or worry about money or bills when you are recuperating...or concentrating on your studies..." Astrid's eyes widened and Ingrid sighed.

"I'm sorry, love-I've made this harder than it needed to be..." But Astrid squeezed her hand.

"It doesn't matter," she said gently. "I just want you better, Mom. Everything happens for a reason...but now maybe we have a chance to be a family?" She looked up to her Uncle and the man winked.

"Only if your Mom permits it," he said in an amused voice. She smiled and reached her hand out for him.

"Stay," she said.

oOo

As Ingrid continued to improve, Astrid went home to shower and change and Finn smiled in nostalgia at all the happy times he had spent at the house. Astrid had managed to construct a breakfast that was only slightly crispy and Finn brewed the coffee with effortless expertise and ended up eating extra toast and honey while Astrid sped upstairs for a quick shower and a change of clothes.

The man looked up, his eyes a little reddened with weariness and his expensive suit crumpled but his face lit with an astonished smile as the girl reappeared down the stairs. Her damp hair was braided off her face, the braid draped over her left shoulder, a fitted blood red short-sleeved top emphasised her slim, athletic shape and a short brown and gold tartan skirt was over dark brown thick tights.

"Odin, your father would be proud," he murmured as she blushed. And then he blinked. "I guess you don't dress like this for school?" She shook her head.

"Money's been tight since Dad died so I cycle to school," she explained, sitting down and pouring herself another coffee. She stole a piece of his toast and honey. "Not exactly designed for the lovely Berk weather!" Finn sighed.

"You've done Driver Ed? And taken your test?" he checked and she nodded.

"Mom was very insistent-because Dad would have been," she admitted. "Anyways, she wanted me to be able to drive in case she needed me to." Finn sloshed his coffee in the 'Berk Vikings' mug his brother had treasured and sighed.

"Look, Astrid-I am an extremely wealthy man and though-of course-I do not want to insult you or your pride, I would like to get you a car," he said. She gaped and almost choked on her coffee. She looked up and automatically opened her mouth to decline but Finn sighed. "Not now, if you don't want-but when you go to College, please consider it. It may make life easier-especially coming home to visit your mother..." And then she paused.

"That's very generous," she admitted after considering for a moment. "And I think that would be very nice. I just need to finish High School first!" Finn chuckled.

"I have no doubt about that," he said. "What your mother would tell me about would be your success at school. I know your Dad would be proud-he was always smarter than me. You can do whatever you put your mind to." She smiled then and looked up at him.

"Are we gonna see more of you now, Uncle Finn?" she asked and he nodded.

"Gods, I would be here most weeks if I could-unless I'm on location-because family is everything," he sighed. "And all I ever seem to run into are users and hangers-on who want to know me for my money or a chance to get in a film or see the stars of my latest production." Astrid gave a fake pout.

"Awwww-you've uncovered my secret master plan," she teased and he grinned.

"I would be delighted to take my lovely niece to the set-if you want, of course-because I think it's interesting to see the process. And of course, there are some very famous names on the film and you might want to meet them?" he asked hopefully. She smiled.

"At least you're not boring," she told him. "Actually, I'd be really interested to see how you make films..." He chuckled.

"There are actually long periods of setting up interspersed with short periods of action," he warned her. "But that does provide the chance to mingle with the stars..." She grinned.

"Thanks, Uncle Finn," she smiled. "I really would like that." She got up and grabbed her bag. "Shall we go back and see Mom?" She paused. "And could we maybe drop by the school to collect my assignments?" He clapped her on the shoulder.

"That's my niece!" he grinned.