It was late afternoon when the group made it back to Sven's very comfortable cabin, still sweating and hot. Stoick had walked alongside his son, murmuring questions but the young man had been stunned and he had only managed a few, vague answers. Astrid had watched him with concern, seeing his confusion but not wanting to intrude on the reunion between her boyfriend and his long-lost father. But as they approached the cabin, Hiccup paused and looked for her, his anxious green eyes finding her and flooding with relief. He stretched his arm for her...and she sped up to lock hands with him.He ghosted her a smile, feeling her warm grip reassure him as nothing else could.

Sven made them all comfortable and fired up his barbecue, hauling out slabs of beef and ribs from his freezer. "It's time for a celebration," he had explained, producing a keg of beer. "And I don't get many visitors around here anyways..." Stoick had offered to help, heading out to chop some wood for the barbecue while Astrid stretched her legs and rested back against the couch. Hiccup had slumped by her, his face still in shock. She grabbed his arm and pulled him close. He was sweaty and exhausted but he curled his arms around her and pressed a tender kiss to her temple.

"You okay, babe?" she asked him softly, seeing his eyes trail through the open back door to see the huge shape of his father swinging the heavy axe like a toothpick. He shook his head.

"I...I don't know what to think," he admitted faintly. "I had accepted Dad was gone when the court awarded me his money, I know Mom is gone. I came up to...to put them both to rest so that I could move on after school...and suddenly...he's alive?" He shook his head. "I mean I should be happy. And I am happy...but I don't know...what's going to happen? He forgot me and Mom...will he remember anything apart from my name? What's he going to do now?"

"I guess you're overthinking, babe," she said, trailing a finger lightly down his chest. She rested her hand briefly onto his chest. "What does this tell you?"

"My girlfriend likes sweaty and sunburnt redheads?" he suggested, smiling.

"Well, only one specific one..." she reminded him, hauling him into a kiss. Leaning in, he kissed her back, lips moving sensuously over hers, his hands, sliding down to her waist...

"Steady on, son! There are other people here! Sven-you didn't tell me he was a hit with the ladies... But that's my boy!" boomed a laughing voice and the two teens pulled apart as if shot. Stoick was looming over them, grinning.

"DAD!" Hiccup whined in utter embarrassment. Astrid buried her face in his chest for a long moment and when she looked up, her face was beet red.

"Mr Haddock..." she mumbled. Cool grey-green eyes inspected her closely.

"How long has this been going on for?" he asked. "How close are you? Have you...?"

"That's not your business!" Hiccup snapped, his emerald eyes glittering with anger. "Gods! I have had to live for over five years without you, I have had to deal with Mom remarrying an abusive bastard who gave me Hel for years, with being starved and thrown out on the streets, with being targeted by my so-called friends, run down and almost killed...and all through it, I had no father. My father was dead! And Astrid saved me. She took me in, she befriended me...I love her!"

Stoick backed up a step, his eyes a little confused. "I-I'm your father and I should be concerned about your relationships..." Hiccup scrambled up, his eyes flashing with rage.

"That ship has sailed!" he shouted. "You don't come here and start telling me what to do! I've had that for four years with Al and I'm not taking it from you as well! Where were you when I needed you? Where were you when Mom needed you? When we were penniless...or homeless...or so desperate even Alvin Treacher seemed like an improvement?"

"I didn't remember..."

"I did! I remember it all!" Hiccup shouted and shoved past him, heading out into the back yard, his breathing ragged. Astrid clambered up and Stoick grasped her arm.

"What...?" he began but she pulled away.

"Let me go to him," she said urgently. "He's really struggling with this..."

"Astrid...why is he so angry?" Stoick asked her in a concerned voice. "I mean, he was never angry...he was such a happy and trusting boy..." She glared at him.

"Yeah, well a lot can change on five years, Mr Haddock," she said shortly.

"What happened?" Stock asked her sternly, looming over her. She backed away.

"Hiccup needs to tell you," she said evasively but he grabbed her wrist and held her firm.

"I need to know now!" he said angrily. "Something has happened to my son and..."

"Mr Haddock!" Astrid snapped, her azure glare sweeping over his face as she wrestled to get her hand free. "Let me go! GET OFF OF ME!"

Running feet approached and Hiccup raced in, his emerald eyes filled with anger. Without hesitating, he threw himself at Stoick, grabbing the man's hand and wrestling Astrid's hand free. Stoick looked shocked at the lean shape, standing protectively between the huge shape and his girlfriend.

"Don't you EVER touch her!" he growled through his teeth. "You don't have the right..." Astrid caught his arm, her hands gentle on his shaking body.

"Babe...it's okay..." she tried to reassure him but he turned to her.

"That's what Mom kept saying," he told her in a stricken voice. "It's okay, Hiccup. I'm fine. Nothing's wrong. But everything was!" He wrapped his arms around her. "And I won't let anything like that happen to you..." He glanced up at the shocked shape of his father, the grey-green eyes uncomprehending.

"I..."

"Mom's new husband was abusive," Hiccup told him softly. "Mainly words with her...he was controlling and cruel and very picky and demanding..." He paused. "With me...well, he just liked hitting me..." Stoick reeled back a pace and suddenly realised what had happened...and what he had done. Breathing heavily in shock, he saw the tall, lean shape of his son, hugging the blonde girl protectively, his face wary and eyes ashamed...and everything fell into place. Stoick shook his head.

"I'm sorry," he said softly. "I...I...it was like waking from a dream, seeing you. It was like suddenly I was me, after being in a trance for so long...and the last time I recalled you, you were smaller and skinnier...and here you are now, all grown up...and I've missed five years of your life, my wife's remarriage and death and you're now grown up with a girlfriend...and I just see my son, still twelve years of age and my wife, happy and smiling as I close the door for that flight..."

Breathing hard, Hiccup swung his emerald gaze to stare into Astrid's face and she gave a small smile. "I'm okay," she assured him gently. "Don't worry, babe-talk to him." She pressed a gentle kiss on his cheek. She nodded and he slowly released her, turning to face his father.

"I don't know about you," he said softly, "but I need a drink."

oOo

It took most of the evening for Hiccup to explain what had happened, everything from their desperate money troubles after Stoick had vanished through Alvin's courtship and the marriage to his Mom's death and the Trial. The gang had listened, drinking beers and sodas and munching through steaks, burgers and lots of ribs. At Hiccup's request, they hadn't been in court for his testimony because he had been ashamed of what had happened but the guys were in fact amazingly supportive.

"You did great, cuz," Snotlout said, surprising everyone. "You did more than I would have even imagined possible to keep your home and protect your Mom. And I am so, so sorry I never knew how difficult it was...because if I had...if Dad hadn't been such an ass, we could've helped..."

There was a silence...before Tuffnut poked him in the arm.

"What have you done with Snotlout?" he asked suspiciously.

"I think he just grew up!" Fishlegs commented, hearing Heather laughing softly.

"I refuse to!" Tuff announced. "I'll be Tuffnut for ever!" Ruff threw a cushion at him.

"Great! I'll be looking after a wannabe teen in my eighties," she grumbled.

Astrid stared at Stoick and sighed. All was not alright and she could tell Hiccup knew it as well. Though he had regained some of his memory, Stoick continued to ask questions, frequently asking things that the teens had already answered...and then asking them again ten or fifteen minutes later. Her gaze drifted to the old scar on his head and she felt Hiccup shift against her.

"Gobber is going to be complete blown away by this," he murmured. "He's getting his best friend back...though he's not quite the same as he used to be." He sighed and sipped his beer. "He looks like Dad but...there's something missing..."

"He's had a serious head injury, hasn't he?" she murmured softly. He nodded.

"I don't know where he'll stay but I guess I should look after him," he sighed, then kissed her hair gently. "And I actually really want to stay with you..."

"I think he may have a say anyway," she smiled. "He's looked after himself for years out on the middle of nowhere...he may not want some moody teen moving in with him!"

"Moody teen?" he asked her playfully. "When have I been moody?"

"Oh, let me think...yesterday? When Mom asked you to take the trash out...you were very moody..."

"Was not. I was washing Toothless and Stormfly in the yard and got a fateful of wet dogs! And she asked you anyway! I only did it because you were doing your hair and said you were busy!"

"How about..."

He kissed her, effectively silencing her.

"How moody do you want me to be?" he purred. She smiled.

"This will do nicely," she admitted.