《Artemis || OUAT》80. Her Handsome Hero
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Peter walked inside of the Blanchard loft and noticed his wife and son baking some food together in the kitchen, the two just laughing and the sight made his heart warm.
Astrid looked up and over at her husband who stepped over to them. "Where were you?"
"I was at my brother's shop, trying to help Belle and Rumple figure out a way for him to be a good Dark One instead of a bad one." Peter admitted, taking a bite of a cookie that was just made.
Zephyr was sitting on top of the counter, happily licking the cookie dough out of the bowl.
"Is that even possible?" Astrid wondered aloud.
"Honestly, I don't know." Peter replied, "I just want my little brother happy and to have his happily ever after like I have with you and Zep."
Astrid smiled and kissed him before she smirked and threw flour in his face, now laughing.
Peter lifted an eyebrow her way and also smirked, now wrapping his arms around her and picking her up off the floor bridal style.
"You gonna try that again, love?" Peter remarked and spun the two of them in a circle before dropping her onto the couch, the two continuing to laugh.
"Oh, Thor, your hamster cheeks are still adorable even with flour on them," Astrid giggled, moving her hands against the sides of his face and pulled him down towards her.
"Is that so?" Peter inquired before he kissed her and wiped the flour from his face to hers. "You look cuter than I do with flour, anyway."
Astrid rolled her eyes but laughed even harder just as they heard the front door open and stood back up to find David and Henry walking in the home.
David looked at the flour on them and asked curiously, "What's going on here?"
"We're just making some cookies with Zephyr. Want some?" Astrid shrugged while tossing her husband a happy look as he did the same.
"A little advice, A, the flour goes in the bowl not your faces," David pointed out lightly, taking another spoon and digging into the cookie dough with Zephyr who now had some all over his mouth.
Astrid wiped the flour off of her face with a dish towel and handed it over to Peter who did the same to his own face. "So, did it work?"
David shook his head and answered, "They got the elevator to open, but it was sealed shut from the inside with bricks. But Emma had an idea from a dream of hers to try and burn off the names on the stones, so that's where she, your mother, and Hook are heading to."
"What about Regina?" Astrid inquired.
"She's heading over to where Zelena is to find out what Hades weakness might possibly be and to see what happened in their history." Henry spoke up, taking a cookie and also eating it.
Astrid nodded and now held a look as she thought of something. Peter noticed and began, "What is it, love?"
Astrid looked over at her love and voiced her wandering thoughts, "You and Hook told me that Hiccup and Riley is here and have yet to move on. I would like to help them-"
That's when someone knocked on the front door, making the five of them exchange a curious look.
David stepped over to the front door and opened it to reveal none other than Riley who spoke up, "Hi. Um, I-I need to talk to Astrid... It's about her other parents-- Orvar and Freya."
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They glanced over at Astrid who widened her eyes at that set of news.
***
Zephyr was seated next to Riley at the window seat while Henry, Peter, David, and Astrid was gathered in a semi circle, discussing Riley and Astrid's foster parents.
The five year old looked up at the brunette next to him and spoke up curiously, "So, you're the one who fought beside my mommy in the battles you two faced. She said you were like a best friend to her and then things sort of got tough when you killed my papa..."
Riley glanced down at him and sheepishly told the boy, "I am sorry for that, and I had hoped I would find a way to make it up to her somehow... But I seem to keep failing."
Zephyr gave her a confused look before he continued what he was saying, "What're you talking about? Mommy forgave you for that after that paint war. You are still her best friend, and she missed having you around. Why'd you leave?"
Riley glanced over at where Astrid was still talking to her husband, nephew, and father before looking back at the kid next to her.
"I guess because after Peter came back to life, I couldn't forgive myself for hurting her like that to begin with and it made it hard to deal with." Riley admitted without a small sigh, "Your mother deserves good. She's a very good person-- the best person I know."
"I know," Zephyr smiled.
Riley glanced down at the boy and smiled a little also before looking down at her hands in her lap.
"What- What's your unfinished business, Auntie Riley?" Zephyr inquired, "Is it because you haven't bloody forgiven yourself for what you did? Or something else?"
Riley shook her head and sighed, "I-- I don't know exactly, but I think it's something to do with Astrid. I think if I help her let go of some stuff, then somehow that'll help me let go and move on. She's like my sister in every way, after all."
"Why come here now, especially after not wanting to help us rescue Astrid from Hades?" Peter suddenly spoke up, now standing in front of Riley as he folded his arms across his chest.
"I couldn't get involved then because Hades threatened my brother's life, but now, Hiccup moved on." Riley admitted, standing back up and now moved over to Astrid, "You're the only family I have, so if I can help you've out the Underworld, then maybe I'll be able to move on."
Astrid smiled a little and held up her hand, starting, "You and me?"
Riley smiled a little also and clasped her hand in Astrid's, adding, "Always."
Astrid dropped her hand and moved her hands over the hilts of her swords at her hips. "Now, tell me. What about Orvar and Freya? Are they down here, too?"
Riley nodded and explained, "They both had found me and asked about you. Their unfinished business is you, Astrid. They regret a lot of things, but mostly of the way they treated you."
Astrid moved her arms and folded them across her chest while David spoke up, "Sounds like they want forgiveness as parents."
Astrid sighed and looked away before she replied quietly, "I want to, I really do. I mean, they were my parents for a bloody while. They didn't have to take me in, but they did. And they did care about me in a sense. However, there's just so much that has happened between me and them. I'm not the same and neither are them. I bloody can't give them forgiveness, yet."
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Riley gave her a sympathetic look and commented, "A, don't you think it's time? You've got a family, and you're not alone. At least, meet with them. I know you. You really want to."
Astrid looked over at David and softly inquired, "What do you think, Dad? I mean, the last time I seen Orvar, I already told him how I felt. I hate him, and yet, I do still love him-- same goes for Freya..."
David moved a comforting hand on his daughter's shoulder, saying, "I can't make this decision for you, A. You have to. But just know, whatever you decide, I'll be with you."
Astrid inhaled deeply and nodded slowly.
***
Astrid walked inside of a secluded bar and noticed a couple sitting in a booth as she moved over to the familiar man and woman. "Hello, Orvar, Freya."
Both Freya and Orvar immediately stood up out of the booth and faced her, their eyes watery.
Freya reluctantly moved her hands and cupped both sides of her former adopted daughter's face. "Oh. Astrid, there are no words to describe how sorry I am. You were my daughter, and I failed you many times over..."
Astrid pulled back and let out a heavy sigh, saying, "I-I want to forgive you, Mama, just because you were and always will be my first adopted mother, the first person to take me in..."
Freya nodded in understanding and commented, "And I understand why you don't. It's okay. Let me make it up to you, my child, somehow."
Astrid nodded slowly and finally looked at Orvar, only remembering how he had killed her for that prophecy and then later defeating him. She finally added towards him, "And you, you're nothing to me."
Orvar looked down at the floor in guilt and nodded in agreement, saying, "I know, and I wish I hadn't done what I did. I really wish that I never had abandoned you, lass. Or killed you. I wish I could take it all back, but I-I can't. And for that, I'm truly, deeply sorry."
The immortal eighteen year old stared at her former adopted father and told him, "You know, I'm not. Because you abandoned me, I came to know a man who took me in as his own and continues to do so. He has never tried killing me or has never truly abandoned me. He's never made me feel like a monster. Because you left, I came to know one of the greatest dads a girl could ask for, and I got lucky and got not one, but three, pretty awesome dads."
That's when David, Robin holding his baby, and Hook entered the bar as the three of them moved over to them.
Astrid stepped over to her father and two father figures and smiled at each of them as she looked back at Orvar, his eyes watery, adding, "You want my forgiveness? You can have it, but don't think for a bloody second that you're my dad because you never was."
Orvar nodded slowly and sighed, taking a step towards her until David, Hook, and Robin moved slightly in front of her protectively.
"Well, Astrid, kiddo, you grew up great. Thank you for raising her." Orvar commented, first to his former adopted daughter and then the three men next to her.
Astrid took out something from her pocket and clasped it in her hand tightly now. "Here. Take this. I told you it was for good luck."
She opened her hand to reveal a coin with a symbol of two arrows crossing one another on it; The coin was strung on a black cord. "Remember this?"
Orvar looked down at the coin as a single tear fell down his face, letting out, "Astrid..."
Orvar knelt in front of his five year old to meet her height, and looked into her innocent blue eyes, and assured her, "I promise, Astrid, I'll do better."
Astrid wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. "I know you will, Papa. And I'll be good, too." She looked at him and smiled a little as did he.
Astrid then pulled out a coin that had two arrows crossed on it as a symbol of the tribe they lived in. "This is for good luck." Astrid told him and tied the coin around her father's wrist to give him good luck.
"I'll always treasure it, my Princess." Orvar commented and kissed her on the top of her head and exited out of the cottage. Astrid looked forward to when her father would finally return home.
"And you never came back. Turns out, you had faked your death." Astrid cut him off, adding, "I kept my promise. I was good. I even trained twice as hard in order to restore our family's honor."
Orvar glanced back down at the coin in her hand and looked back up at her. "I wanted to stay that night. I did love you, after all. But some people were threatening you because they knew of the prophecy, so I left."
Astrid slowly nodded as a tear fell down her face also while she now tied the coin around her first adopted father's wrist. "I loved you, too, Papa. But this is goodbye. Let go and move on, now. Do this for me."
Orvar moved over to the immortal girl again as she stopped David, Hook, and Robin from stepping forward this time.
Orvar then hugged her and kissed the top of her head as another tear fell down his face. "Goodbye, my princess. I'll treasure this where I go truly this time."
Astrid nodded and watched him step back just as he began to fade away, now moving onto the better place.
Hook immediately moved a fatherly arm around her shoulders while Robin placed a hand on her arm in comfort.
"You were right, Dad." Astrid murmured as she looked over at David who now watched her, "I did have to come and say goodbye."
David spoke up softly, "I was also right about another thing. All three of your dads will be with you."
"Always," Robin agreed as Astrid smiled and moved into David's fatherly embrace.
Hades suddenly appeared behind them and spoke up in annoyance, "You are really pissing me off, Creator. Undoing everything I have here. Here. This will make you cease to exist."
Astrid looked back and over at the god who started to blast her and the three men next to her with a large blue fireball until Freya jumped in the way of it.
"Mom!" Astrid let out just as Freya was hit by it as the woman gasped sharply and faced her adopted daughter. "Why-Why did you do that?"
"Because I do love you, and I should have been more there for you, Kid." Freya began in pain, tears in her eyes.
Freya fell forward and to the floor while Astrid immediately knelt beside and moved her head in her lap, now holding her mother in arms tightly.
"I-I'm sorry I couldn't be a better m-mother..." Freya continued, her eyes lagging some as she looked up at the blonde holding her.
"It doesn't matter. You were my mom and always will be. I forgive you. For all of it." Astrid assured in tears.
Freya smiled some and moved a light hand to Astrid's cheek and gasped in pain slightly. "S-Sing with me, Kid. One- one more time."
Astrid cried a bit as the two began to sing the lullaby Freya used to sing to her when she was little. She rocked the woman back and forth ever so slightly.
"Hush, lille barn, vær ikke bange.
Alt skal nok gå.
Du skal ikke bekymre dig nu, barn.
Du behøver ikke længere være bange."
Freya had abruptly stopped singing and faded away in the teenager's arms. "Everything is okay." Astrid continued to assure quietly and hummed the tune of the lullaby.
Astrid slowly stood up and looked over at Hades and spoke up, "You will be bloody ruined for everything. This isn't over."
Hades smirked but it soon fell when the five of them appeared in a cave-like room with lava beneath them as they saw Freya moving onto the better place. "No."
Astrid smiled happily and waved at her adopted mother as she passed on peacefully.
Robin moved a light fatherly arm around the girl's shoulders and kissed the side of her head. "You helped them move on. They're at peace now, Kid."
Astrid smiled with elated tears now in her eyes as she looked from Robin to Hook and David, letting out, "Yeah. So am I." She was hugged by all three men then.
***
Astrid and Hook met up with Regina, Peter, Emma, and Snow in the woods, now trying to find and track down the beast that was after them.
"It's close! Keep your eyes peeled," Snow informed them.
Suddenly, Peter noticed it running around as he pointed the creature out, "Found it!"
Simultaneously, Emma, Peter, and Regina shoot a magic blast over at the creature while Snow held an arrow to it.
"Nice shot," Hook and Astrid commented in unison. The six of the rushed over to the now unconscious creature, which happened to be a large wolf.
"Wait. Everybody, stay back!" Snow started, "That thing could still be alive!"
Astrid stopped in her tracks and instantly knew who the wolf was. "Mom, stop! Don't kill it!"
"Astrid?" Both Hook and Peter began in confusion.
Astrid continued to move towards the wolf and explained, "I think Emma's dream was a vision. But it wasn't about saving Mom. It was about finding her."
The immortal eighteen year old picked up the red cloak and dropped it over the large wolf, which turned into Ruby who was now asleep.
Everyone shared a look.
Astrid knelt next to her and placed a concerned hand on her arm, letting out, "Red... Red?"
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