They stopped to finish their drinks, have a snack and use the restroom. Sven invited them to leave their tents and pitch them behind the cabin overnight and the gang had decided to take him up on his offer, so they had pitched their tents and made camp before heading down the slope to Sven's neighbour, a man called Red. Sven had explained the man had a much more basic cabin that had been built with his late cousin's hands but lacking electricity and satellite. Hiccup had nodded, his eyes expressing his impatience but he knew he was far luckier than he had hoped. Eventually, the twins had finished sabotaging each other's tents and Sven led them down the slope. Hiccup was very quiet as he limped down the slope.

"You okay, babe?" Astrid murmured. "You should be resting that ankle..." He managed a wan smile.

"Good thing I know a prospective physical therapist," he told her with a smile, his hand brushing hers.

"Good thing I know an idiot who won't rest his broken ankle to give me some practice," she smirked as they rounded a clump of firs and found a simple, oblong cabin, the only ornamentation a carven dragon's head over the door. Sven walked up to the door and hammered his fist on it.

Toothless bounded up and pawed at the door, whining.

"RED! You in there? I got some folks want to talk to you about that crash years back!"

Hiccup felt his pulse accelerate as he heard sounds from within the cabin and the clump of approaching boots. Finally the door opened and a huge shape stood in the doorway. Hiccup stared at him as Toothless gave one final, triumphant bark and sat, his tail wagging ceaselessly...

"Red? These kids wanna know about that crash. You were closer...did you see anything?" Sven asked cheerily. "This lad here-the skinny one-lost his father on the plane. Can you help?"

The man frowned, his big face creasing. Grey-green eyes narrowed as he inspected the people facing him and his hand scratched the huge red beard.

"I'll do as much as I can," he said, the voice hoarse. Hiccup stared, his mouth hanging open in shock.

"Dad?" he said.

oOo

Every eye turned on the boy, his face colourless, as if he had seen a ghost. Astrid felt him tremble, his hand tight around hers. The big man frowned, shaking his head. His check shirt strained across his massive chest, his powerful arms bracing against the doorframe.

"Dad?" he mumbled, his voice thoughtful.

"Red-you okay, my friend?" Sven asked. The big man stared at the skinny shape facing him, his eyes narrowing as he met the wide emerald eyes and the pale face. His hand stretched out to tousle the messy auburn hair, darkened with sweat from the long hike.

"Hiccup?" he whispered. The boy nodded wordlessly.

"Hiccup? That's a person?" Sven asked in confusion. "I know when you were drunk, you'd mumble a few words...and Hiccup was one of them..."

"And the others?" Astrid asked, staring at the boy. He was frozen.

"Gobber...Valka...and Hiccup..." Sven explained easily. "None of them sounded much like people...except Valka..."

"Mom..." Hiccup breathed.

"Hiccup?" the red-bearded man repeated more strongly, blinking as if waking from a dream. Astrid noted there was a scar across his forehead, winding its way into the greying flame-red hair. "Son?"

"D-dad?" Hiccup croaked...and broke away from Astrid...to find himself engulfed in a huge pair of arms. His arms stretched round the man's body and his face buried in the chest as the man gave him a powerful hug.

"Hiccup!" the man said, his head bowing to rest his cheek on the boy's head.

"Wait...he is the boy's father?" Sven asked, confused.

"Yes!" Astrid and Snotlout said simultaneously...and then the girl stared at the other boy in shock.

"I've seen the picture of Hiccup and his parents," she said suspiciously, "but how did you..."

"Look-I've seen pictures of Uncle Stoick from when I was very small, before my father argued with him and broke off contact with his sister completely," Snotlout said in embarrassment.

"Wait...you really actually are his cousin?" Heather asked him. He nodded, rubbing the back of his neck and looking embarrassed.

"I knew he was my cousin but they argued when we were real small," the dark-haired boy admitted. "I know my Dad was really sore about it so I kind of was brought up to hate him..."

"That's why you insisted we had to come! Because she was your Aunt as well. " Tuffnut realised. "I feel so used. And sweaty."

Stoick pulled away a little and inspected the tall skinny shape, the emerald eyes shining with shock. "You...look so like...your mother..." the big man murmured, his big hand stroking the wild hair and tracing down the pale cheek. Hiccup groaned and closed his eyes, his head dropping. "Hiccup? Your-your mother...?" He was already shaking his head, trying to pull back from the big man when Stoick advanced a pace.

"Oh Dad...I-I'm s-so s-sorry..." Hiccup said, his head curling forward and shoulders hunching as if expecting a blow. Astrid immediately found his hand and pressed against him, comforting the boy as he literally shook with emotion. Her worried azure gaze swept up to meet the man's astonished gaze.

"Mr Haddock, I'm sorry to tell you that Valka, Hiccup's Mom, died in February," she said. His eyes widened and he started, then stumbled back a pace. He stared at Hiccup who was still trembling.

"How?" the big man asked, his deep voice shocked. Then he focussed on the beautiful young woman facing him. "Who are you?"

"I am Astrid Hofferson, Hiccup's girlfriend..." she began and Stoick's eyes cleared a little more.

"Ingrid and Martin's girl?" he murmured, almost to himself. Astrid nodded.

"Hiccup is living with my parents since...he lost his Mom," she said, electing not to get into the whole Alvin business at this moment in time. "We came up here because Hiccup wanted to spread Valka's ashes on the crash site...so she could rest with her husband..."

"But I'm not dead," Stoick Haddock said gruffly and then he blinked as realisation struck him. "But everyone thinks I am, don't they?" He looked at the boy who was composing himself and stared in shock. "He grew up," he murmured. "How long was I gone?"

"Dad, the crash was five and a half years ago..." Hiccup said hoarsely, swallowing. "You were missing...but they never really found the crash site. They visited up here, found no survivors and that was it: you were missing. So Mum and I were left penniless..."

"Gobber?"

"That lunatic? He means well but he can barely afford a one bedroom apartment," Hiccup sighed. "It's...been so hard, Dad. I...tried..."

"Sir...how come you stayed here for so long?" Astrid asked.

"Bladda blah! The real question is why he's talking normally when he couldn't remember who his son was ten minutes ago?" Snotlout asked impatiently. Stoick's eyes narrowed.

"Are you...Spitelout's boy?" he asked suspiciously.

"See? He hasn't seen me since I was four and he remembers me!" Snotlout said triumphantly.

"You're the image of your father when I first met him!" Stock said impatiently. Hiccup palmed his face and took a shuddering breath.

"Dad-what happened?" he asked, his eyes inspecting the man. "How come you didn't come home...?" Stoick frowned and rubbed his forehead.

"I...I remember an explosion...and then it went black..." Stoick murmured. "It was dark and there were flames. My head hurt...I took off my jacket, lost it...and walked out away from the flames. This man asked me what I saw and I said a crash...but I couldn't remember where I was or what had happened. So when he took me to his cabin, I accepted. I couldn't remember a name so he called me Red. No one came about the crash, apart from Sven so I just got on with things...hunting, trapping, keeping alive...when my 'cousin', a man named Hoark died during the night four years ago, I buried in in the forest and took over the cabin. Been here ever since..."

"Mountain man!" Tuff commented. Everyone cast him an unfriendly glare. "What?"

"No, I think he's right," Sven commented. "No one came down here-despite my telling them there was a witness-to check on the crash. Maybe they would've found him if they'd done their job properly." He shrugged. "I think we better get back to the cabin-my cabin, Red. We can talk there and I think these youngsters have a lot to catch up with...particularly your boy and his girl." Stoick stared at the young couple and his eyes softened.

"Yes...I think there's a huge amount to catch up with," he commented. Hiccup gave a smile and nodded.

"I prayed and hoped so hard that one day you would come back, that you weren't dead," he said softly. "Sometimes, I was so unhappy, I just wanted to give in so I could see you again...I'm glad you're alive, Dad." The big man gave him another bone-crushing hug.

"So'm I, son-so'm I," he said.