Chapter Text
A few hours later, the small Fury family was relaxing in the main chamber of the nest, Valka elsewhere tending to nest residents as part of her daily routine.
Hiccup was sitting on the ledge they chose, Kala clinging to him as she cuddled close to his chest in his lap on the brink of falling asleep as they watched dragons fly past them. Toothless was resting next to them in dragon form, but that was short lived as many Scuttleclaw hatchlings began to play with him roughly, waking him from his power nap. He screeched in annoyance and the Scuttleclaws scattered, but after a couple seconds Toothless’ eyes widened slightly and he moved his tail into his line of vision only to see a Scuttleclaw gnawing on it.
Hiccup noticed and chuckled. “Seems like you’ve got a new friend there, bud.”
Toothless grumbled and lowered his tail, flicking it to get the hatchling off much like he would with Kala when she would gnaw on his tail, although he was much more gentle when it came to his sister. The flick worked and the Scuttleclaw scurried off when it hit the nest floor to go play with someone else.
Toothless huffed and stood as he transformed back into his human form and sat beside his father and sister, who were also in their human forms.
“Not funny..” Toothless muttered.
Kala smiled at him sleepily as she rested her head on Hiccup’s shoulder. “I thought it was…”
Toothless rolled his eyes with a small smile. “Yeah, yeah..”
Hiccup smiled and held Kala closer as he looked around the nest then stood. “Okay you two, we should get going. Can’t wait around for Drago to attack this place. We’ve gotta find him first.”
Toothless nodded as he stood himself and dusted off his flight suit. Kala whined and buried her face in Hiccup’s shoulder.
“But I wanna sleepppppp…” She whined.
Toothless rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms and Hiccup chuckled as he kissed the top of Kala’s head.
“You can sleep on the flight there, my little flower. Promise.” Hiccup promised.
Kala purred sleepily and looked up at him with a sleep filled smile. Then as she went to lay her head back down on his shoulder to fall asleep, she lit up when she spotted her grandfather making his way toward them.
“Hi Grandpa..” She mumbled out with a sleepy wave.
Hiccup stiffened slightly and quickly turned around with wide eyes that just widened further when his eyes locked with Stoick’s.
Toothless looked in that direction and groaned. “Are you kidding me? How’d you get in here?”
“The same way we’re getting you out.” Stoick said as he turned back around with a determined look, heading back to the entrance.
Hiccup and Toothless exchanged glances of confusion as they began to follow.
“We?” Hiccup asked, and he got his answer when Gobber poked out of the entrance.
“All clear!” The blacksmith said before he made his way back through the entrance.
Hiccup grew nervous as they all got closer to the entrance, catching a whiff of his mother further in the cave system they were about to trek through.
“Dad! There’s something you need to know!” Hiccup exclaimed, covering Kala’s ears as he did so as to not wake the now sleeping hatchling as Stoick made his way through the entrance.
“Yeah, yeah, tell me on the way.” Stoick said offhandedly.
“This isn’t really an on-the-way kind of update, actually…” Hiccup said as he maneuvered to keep Kala from scraping against the cave walls as they made their way through the cave system.
“I’ve heard ENOUGH, Hiccup.” Stoick stated without looking at the small Fury family as he trekked forward.
“...more of the earth-shattering development variety.” Hiccup continued.
“Yeah, just add it to the pile.” Stoick sighed out.
“Dad, unlike most surprises I spring on you, this one you’ll like. I promise! You just have to handle it delicately, so..” Hiccup tried to explain.
Before any other words could be exchanged, however, Gobber turned around and hobbled back down the path, resting his hand on Stoick’s shoulder.
“Uh, you might want to take this one. Oh, boy.” He said, walking past Hiccup and Toothless as he did.
Stoick drew his sword and continued forward with an angered, yet cautious air about him. Hiccup and Toothless rushed after him worriedly.
“Dad, can you put the sword away…please?” Hiccup pleaded.
The small family stopped in their tracks when they heard Stoick drop his sword in the area ahead of them, then Hiccup and Toothless looked at one another in slight relief but also worry as they heard Valka begin to speak, making their way into the room. Gobber followed right behind them. Valka was standing on the other side of the room atop some ice with her staff in hand and helmet nowhere to be found, Stoick in front of them frozen in shock with wide eyes.
“I know what you’re going to say, Stoick. How could I have done this? Stayed away all these years. And why didn’t I come back to you? To our son. Well, what sign did I have that you could change, Stoick? That anyone on Berk could?” She asked, which made Hiccup smile sympathetically at her as he recalled their conversation a few hours ago.
Stoick, still shocked as he was, didn’t say a word through all her words and instead slowly moved closer to her.
“I pleaded so many times to stop the fighting, to find another answer, but did any of you listen?” She continued.
“This is why I never married. This and one other reason.” Gobber said to Hiccup and Toothless.
Hiccup smirked and shook his head as he adjusted his hold on his snoozing hatchling and Toothless silently gagged before putting their attention back on the scene before them.
Valka clutched her staff tightly and close to her as she continued with her rambling. “I know that I left you to raise Hiccup alone…but I thought he’d be better off without me. And I was wrong, I see that now, but…” She nervously backed up against the icy wall on the verge of tears as Stoick got up close to her without saying a word. “Oh stop being so stoic, Stoick. Go on…SHOUT, SCREAM, SAY SOMETHING!”
Hiccup covered Kala’s ears again to prevent her from waking up from her grandmother’s shouting as Stoick gently touched Valka’s cheek as if she would disappear at any second and she stared at him in fear, afraid of what would come out of his mouth. He was on the verge of tears just like she was when he finally spoke.
“You’re as beautiful as the day I lost you.” He said softly.
Valka quietly wept in relief as Stoick kissed her. Hiccup and Gobber looked at one another with relieved smiles, glad to see that Stoick hadn’t gotten into a fight with her. Toothless gagged audibly this time at seeing his grandparents kissing and Hiccup and Gobber laughed at his reaction.
~~~HTRYNF~~~
After the sweet reunion between Stoick and Valka, the family was led to Valka’s living area in the nest and to the kitchen where she made them all a meal. Hiccup, Kala (who was now wide awake and bouncing in her father’s lap excitedly, full of energy after her nap), Toothless, Stoick, and Gobber were sat at the table as Valka made her way about the room.
“You’d never recognize it, Mom.” Hiccup said as he gently held Kala to his chest to keep her from accidentally falling off his lap as she bounced as they talked about the changes done with Berk. “Where we used to make weapons, we now build saddles, wing slings–we even fix dragon teeth. You wouldn’t believe how much everything’s changed.”
“Your son’s changed Berk for the better. I think we did well with this one Val.” Stoick said as he ruffled Hiccup’s hair, which got him to laugh and dodge away from his father’s hand which made Kala giggle and led to Stoick ruffling up her hair a bit as well, some of the strands coming undone from her loose braid, which needed to be redone soon with how much of it had come undone from all the flying without her flight helmet she had done earlier that day.
“Thanks, Dad.” Hiccup said as he undid Kala’s leather strap holding her braid together and ran his fingers through her hair to brush it out as she finally calmed down and sat still in his lap with a soft purr in the back of her throat, then he proceeded to rebraid it.
Valka dropped the fish she had in hand from the over-stimulation of the conversation, which Cloudjumper took advantage of and gobbled up the fish once it hit the ground.
“Oh, ha-ha. I got it.” Stoick said as he stood and went to help her with the cooking.
“I’m…a little out of practice.” Valka admitted as she handed Stoick the plate in her hands.
“Well, y’know…I didn’t marry you for your cooking.” Stoick said with a smile as he put a new serving on the plate and handed it back to her.
“I hope not, her meatballs could kill more beasts than a battle axe.” Gobber joked as Valka made her way over to the table carefully, Stoick right behind her with plates full of raw fish for Hiccup, Kala, and Toothless. “I’ve still got a few knocking around in here. Ha-ha.”
Gobber then took a bite of the food that was already in front of him as the kids stifled laughs from his joke, but he grimaced in disgust at the taste and fed the rest of it to Grump, who lazily accepted the offering. As he did, Valka placed the plate she had down where Stoick once sat as Stoick placed the plates he had in front of the small Fury family.
Kala squirmed happily as Hiccup tied off her fixed braid and dug into her food hungrily, getting a chuckle out of her father and grandfather. Toothless followed suit, but ate more calmly than his little sister was.
Valka raised a brow in confusion when Hiccup didn’t begin to eat like his hatchlings. “Are you not going to eat, dear?”
“Nah, I’m alright for now. Rather Toothless and Kala get food in their systems than me anyhow. I’ll be okay for a couple more hours Mom. Kinda comes with being a matured dragon and all.” Hiccup said with a relaxed smile, which made Valka smile back softly and nod.
“If you say so.” She said as she walked away from the table to fill a water jug.
Stoick smiled at the interaction, then his eyes lit up with an idea and he began to whistle a familiar tune as he slowly walked towards Valka, who froze with wide eyes.
“Oh, I love this one!” Gobber exclaimed as he sat on the edge of his seat.
The hatchlings’ attention was torn from their meals as they put their full attention on their grandparents. Hiccup cleaned off Kala’s face then watched his parents once he was sure all the scales and blood were off her face, wrapping both arms around her tiny frame gently, which she reciprocated by gripping his arms with her hands as she glanced up at him with a bright smile before quickly looking back at her grandparents.
“Remember our song Val?” Stoick asked as he gently took the jug from Valka’s grasp and set it aside, then began to sing the lyrics. “I’ll swim and sail on savage seas, with ne’er a fear of drowning. And gladly ride the waves of life, if you will marry me. No scorching sun, nor freezing cold with stop–”
Gobber then butted in as he rose from his seat. “Will stop me on my journey!” Stoick, Hiccup, Toothless and Kala all glared at him and he shrank back. “Sorry.”
Stoick shook his head then put his focus back on singing to Valka. “If you will promise me your heart…And love…” He paused and everyone waited to see if she would sing her part.
She nervously took a breath and continued the verse. “And love me for eternity. My dearest one, my darling dear, your mighty words astound me. But I’ve no need of mighty deeds, when I feel your arms around me.”
Stoick laughed as they began to dance, Valka’s weariness dissolving as they did.
“But I would bring you rings of gold, I’d even sing you poetry,” Stoick continued.
“Oh, would you?” Valka asked with a laugh.
“And I would keep you from all harm if you would stay beside me.”
Kala grew excited and looked up at Hiccup with a silent question. He smiled and set her down as he stood then took her hands in his as they started to dance along to the song. Gobber followed suit and Toothless shook his head in amusem*nt.
“I have no use for rings of gold. I care not for your poetry. I only want your hand to hold.” Valka sang happily, beginning to let loose. Especially when she noticed her son and granddaughter dancing along with them.
“I only want you near me!” Stoick sang before they began to sing in unison.
“To love, to kiss, to sweetly hold. For the dancing and the dreaming. Through all life’s sorrows and delights, I’ll keep your love inside me. I’ll swim and sail on savage seas, with ne’er a fear of drowning. And gladly ride the waves of life if you will marry me!”
During the last verse, Hiccup spun Kala around, making her squeal joyously and Gobber joined in singing at the last minute.
“Meeeeee! I’m still goin’...” He sang, but he stopped when Toothless came over and elbowed him in the side as Hiccup and Kala finished dancing, which got Gobber to lower his arm with a smile. “I’m done.”
“Ah…I thought I’d have to die before we’d have that dance again.” Stoick said with a soft smile.
“No need for drastic measures.” Valka laughed out as she lightly hit Stoick.
“For you, my dear…anything. Will you come home Val? Will you be my wife once again? We can be a family!” Stoick exclaimed as he pulled Hiccup (who was now carrying Kala) and Toothless over and held each of them on either side of him, smiling at Valka as he did as Hiccup and the kids smiled at him, then looked at Valka, their smiles never faltering. “What do you say?”
Valka laughed and nodded happily. “Yes!”
“Great! I’ll do the cooking!” Gobber joked, which got everyone laughing.
“Thank Odin you didn’t listen to me, son. We never would have found each other.” Stoick said, looking down at Hiccup with a smile.
Hiccup returned it, but he then stiffened up as an unfamiliar and vile scent hit his nose, a growl forming in his throat. Toothless had a similar reaction and Kala whined as she hid her face in Hiccup’s shoulder to try and keep the scent out of her nostrils.
“Are you three alright?” Valka asked, worry taking hold of her for her son and grandkids.
Before she got her answer, Hiccup and Toothless were bolting out of the room to get outside.
“Hiccup! Toothless!” Stoick shouted as he rushed after them, Valka and Gobber right behind them.
~~~HTRYNF~~~
