IF I MAY HAVE A MOMENT OF YOUR ATTENTION!

Ok let's hope I got your attention. I need your help!

So the following happened. The product I was working on at work is discontinued, the company has nothing else for me to do so they gave the last 4 months of my contract off. Yes I am currently on a 4 month paid vacation. Now you probably thing sweet, well yes and no. Yes, I get paid for doing nothing. No, I need to go look for a new job. So since I have 4 months, I decided to research if I could start for myself.

THIS IS WHERE YOU COME IN!

YOU, as reader, who maybe writes as well. For years I have had this idea of making a website for authors to make money in a more fair way than publishers (even self publishers) give you. FOR THIS I NEED YOUR HELP. I am currently doing a research to see if it will make enough money for me and if there is enough interest.

goo (this is a dot) gl/ forms/ t2l63a7HD5LhfeM72
(replace (this is a dot) with a . and remove spaces)

PLEASE HELP! Not to be dramatic but my future depends on it... ok that is a tad dramatic maybe... (if you can spread the message that would be nice too)

Aside from the weird development at work department, my live is fine. I mean, I have 4 months, so not too stressed. I am already working on that website by the way. Just trying to get really far, even if the results end up not enough for me to be able to live from.
Aside from that I got boyfriend... my parents still don't know and it's almost a month in... I plan tell April fools XP.

Crysteldragon: That would be chapter 16 Fever ;)

Carl Solo: yup dates (plural) were fun and well as I said I am no longer a lonely person... ok I wasn't loney really... I suppose I am just slow, though perhaps since I got no work I could increase my writing on this a bit.

Chapter 28: Aftermath

Hiccup grinned satisfied at the result of his work. Letting his hand glide over the leather and stitches. He was sure this would make flying Stormfly a whole more comfortable. Well… once it was done that is.

"Laddie, shouldn't you go back for supper?"

He looked up and found Gobber standing in the doorway of the small room he had always used.

"Right, thanks for the heads up. Is it okay if I leave this here? Still need to finish it up."

"Sure, now about that rotating thing that we're installing…" Gobber started.

However, Hiccup grabbed the other item he had made that day, which was safely put in a leather pouch and put it in his pocket. He then quickly passed Gobber, not having heard his words.

"Oi, calm down, you won't be able to walk again if keep this up," Gobber protested at his speed.

"It's fine, I barely stood or walked today, see ya, Gobber!"

And with that Hiccup left the forge. Only minutes later he arrived at the Hofferson house. For a moment he stopped, hearing shouting from the other side of the door. Wondering what was going on, he entered. He could barely believe what he walked into. The first thing that could really not be missed was of course the arguing adults, who had yet to notice his appearance. The second thing that really caught his eye was the broken table and a chair that was partly in the fire. As he looked around Astrid was nowhere to be found and he wondered if she was either upstairs in her room or just not at home. He decided not to go find out and just leave, however that was the moment Ingrid had noticed him.

"Ah, Hiccup! Could you go look for Astrid? She ran off," she said and then gained a glare from her husband as he muttered something that Hiccup understood as 'it was your fault she ran off in the first place'.

"Uhm… why did she run off?"

He looked from one to another and he could sense the tense air hanging in the room. Neither of them opened their mouth, though Felman gave Ingrid an accusing look. He just waited patiently and finally it was Felman who broke the silence.

"My wife has been trying to hook our daughter up with you."

"Felman!" Ingrid growled at him, throwing a cooking knife in his direction, which he easily avoided and it landed in the wall.

Hiccup blinked, he couldn't say he wasn't completely surprised, but still.

"So that's what up with the moon tea you've been giving her in the morning," he said as he looked at Ingrid whilst folding his arms, "what makes you think I would even go there?"

Ingrid looked baffled as Felman repeated the words 'moon tea' in confusion.

"H-how do you know about…?" Ingrid started.

"About moon tea?" Hiccup finished her sentence, "Someone told me about it."

"Why?"

Hiccup rolled his eyes as the memory came to him, with a sigh he summarized the reason.

"Some friends of mine threw me in the red light district and some woman there explained to me what they do to keep themselves safe from getting pregnant."

As Felman was wondering what in Midgard the red light district was, Ingrid stepped closer to Hiccup. She was opening her mouth, but no words came out as she looked somewhat unsure of what to say.

"I am not going to do anything to Astrid. I will leave once my leg is healed enough for it. So whatever plan you have come up with to keep me here, forget it. It's not going to work. I left Berk for a reason and I never planned to stay here this long in the first place. Toothless is being stubborn when it comes to leaving."

He then turned around and left the house. Slamming the door as he exited. At first he wanted to go over to Toothless, but he wasn't in the mood for the dragon pushing him in the same direction as Astrid's parents. Instead he marched over to the forest, ignoring the many glares he got along the way. Once in the forest, he just kept on walking, until his leg started to protest. With a frustrated sigh he leaned against a tree, shifting his weight to his other leg. He tried to think of what to do, or how to even face Astrid after this. Could he even bring himself to stay in her room? Did she hate him now?

At that moment his ears picked up a certain threatening sound causing his reflexes to kick in and duck. Not a second later an axe hit the bark where his head was before. Looking up at it whilst shaking he quickly recognized and the owner then came out of the bushes.

"Uhm… you're not trying to kill me… are you?" he asked the blonde who stood a few feet away from him.

Astrid shook her head and it was then he noticed her surprise for him being there. Though it quickly made way for a frown.

"Did my mother sent you?"

A little more relaxed, albeit shaken, Hiccup got to his feet and pulled the axe from the tree.

"Oh she tried, I refused. Wasn't exactly planning on walking into you since uhm…"

He looked at the axe he was holding and wondered if he should give it back, she looked rather angry after all. He wasn't sure if he was safe from her wrath just yet. Glancing over to her he saw her roll her eyes, but not step closer. Watching her for a moment he relaxed completely, seeing as she felt uncomfortable around him. With a sigh he risked it and walked over to her.

"Astrid, what happened? I only know bits and pieces… well pretty much just one thing really," he mumbled as he handed her the axe.

"What thing is it that you know?"

"The part where your mother has been trying to hook you up with me?"

"Right," she mumbled and walked away.

"Astrid! Wait," he called out before he even realizing it.

Astrid turned around, giving him a questioning look. For a moment he had no clue of what to say as he slowly walked up to her. What to say after such a thing? Her mother practically already agreed to them dating if they would go there. Part of him was really screaming to take the opportunity, just to see, but that would mean he had to stay on Berk and that he still couldn't bring himself to do. With a sigh as he finally stood beside her, having made his decision in that short walk.

"She… she knows I'm leaving, right? I mean… I have been rather clear with that."

She nodded as they slowly strolled through the snow that had piled up.

"She's been telling me to convince you to stay for the good of Berk."

All of a sudden she stood still again and looked at him, "just so you know, I'm not going to try such a thing."

"Thanks," he smiled back at her.

He was glad she wasn't asking such a thing from him, because if it was her, if she truly wanted him to stay then she would be able to convince him to it. He knew he told Toothless he would give it all a chance, but he was just too scared to be let down once again. So rather then find out what was there, he pushed it away and walked the safe road that was now in front of him. One where he could have a normal conversations with Astrid rather than risking her lashing out at him. Besides most of Berk still rather saw him gone.

They continued their walk in silence, sometimes climbing over a fallen tree or a huge rock as they went. Eventually Astrid told about how she found out about the moon tea and the fight it resulted in. How she pulled her father into it and how at the end of it all Spitelout suddenly made an appearance.

"Can he do that?" she asked looking concerned, "can he force me into marrying that good for nothing son of his?"

Hiccup sighed, "Yes, I'm afraid he can."

She looked shocked, paled a little even. It wasn't an expression he had seen on her face before. He wouldn't call it terrified though.

"And… what if I leave?"

This surprised him and he wasn't sure what to exactly make of it.

"Leave how?" he carefully asked.

She rolled her eyes as if the answer was obvious, "with Stormfly of course."

It wasn't so of course to him, well for him personally yes, but that she considered the option wasn't really an of course. Still what did that mean? As in leave now? Leave in a few days? Leave when Spitelout or Snotlout was making a next move? Or, dare he consider it, leave together with him? Mentally he shook his head.

"If you do that… just…" he sighed and looked over to her with an uncomfortable look, "it would mean you would never be able to go back. If you're fine with that."

"Why that?" she asked kicking some snow of a small rock.

"Because the moment you get back, Snotlout can still claim you. Also consider the fact that if you leave it will haunt you the rest of your life. You will always wonder what would happen here, plenty of what ifs. Your parents might also suffer from such a decision."

She frowned as his reply as it was probably not the answer she wanted to hear. He sighed slowly trotting through the snow that started pile up once more as new flocks slowly fell down. He was started to get cold, realizing that he was no longer used to such a harsh winter as this. Normally he was nearby a warm dragon body or at least dressed more prepared for winter cold. Now he wasn't even wearing the scarf Eda made for him.

"Are you cold?" Astrid let out in a mocking chuckle.

He then realized he had been rubbing his arms to keep himself warm…er. For a moment he glared at her.

"I've been away from this kind of cold for years, don't expect me to be used to this. Heck I've been to places where it's so damn hot that you start things that aren't there."

She still chuckled as she shook her head, "how about we go back then?"

"Aren't you mad at your mom?"

"Ya, but I'm not gonna risk freezing to death over that. Or letting you freeze…"

Hiccup stopped and stared at her trying to figure out this woman, but quickly came to the conclusion it was as always impossible to figure out how woman think.

"Fine," he eventually sighed, "but won't your mom think things when we return together?"

She rolled her eyes turned around. For a while they followed the path they walked but in reverse. However at some point the path was crossed by what seemed a pack of boars and not much later the snow had piled up enough they had no idea what their path had been. Both stood still trying to orient themselves.

"Uhm, do you have any clue where we are?" Hiccup asked, hoping Astrid had been in the forest in winter more often than him.

Unfortunately she shook her head.

"Well, that is just our luck," he mumbled as he looked around some more.

When he heard creaking noises from his right side, he found Astrid climbing a tree.

"What are you doing?" he called out to her as he looked up seeing her climbing higher and higher.

"Trying to locate the village."

He watched her and to their luck, Astrid's plan worked. She eagerly came down and jumped the last bit. A thing she soon came to regret as apparently a rock was right under the snow where she landed and it resulted in a painful landing. She gritted her teeth as she grab hold of her right foot. Hiccup quickly kneeled down beside her with a worried face.

"I'm fine," she said and got up.

It was clear to him that she was not fine, especially since she was leaning on mostly her left leg. The exact opposite of what he had been doing. He gave her a deadpanned look.

"Right, you don't believe a word of that, do you," she sighed.

"Nope," he said as he turned around, "climb on my back, I'll carry you."

"What?!"

"Are we going to argue in this cold weather for Thor knows how long, only coming to the very same conclusion or are we going home right now?"

He looked at her over his shoulder as she stared at him. He saw her open her mouth several times, but no word came. Eventually she gave in and climbed on his back. Following her directions Hiccup made his way back to the village. Sure enough after a while it was started to get painful for his leg, but stopping wasn't an option, so he ignored it.

At long last they got back and he pushed the door to the Hofferson house open. Felman was sitting near the fire woodcarving something. He looked up surprised when the two young adults entered, especially the way they were entering. Hiccup was still carrying Astrid, which he quickly put down on a chair, before walking back and closing the door to lock out the winter weather.

"What happened?"

"I slipped," Astrid stated with a face as if nothing happened, "where's mom?"

"She went to bed and told me to not go there," her father mumbled as he pointed over to a blanket stuffed away on a chair, "did you two eat something yet?"

They shook their head as Hiccup dropped his head on the table. He was exhausted and cold. Felman handed him a bowl of porridge, which he gladly devoured. As he ate the last bite, he remembered something. Putting the bowl down he pulled a small object from his pocket and shove it over to Astrid.

"Here, since you helped me out a lot."

"What's that?" she asked as she opened the leather pouch.

She gave the strange knife a confused look, causing Hiccup to chuckle.

"I suppose demonstrating it is easier."

He stood up, grimaced when a jolt of pain went through his left leg as he suddenly put weight on it. In the kitchen he took a potato and sat back down. Grabbing the knife he demonstrated how to peel the skin of the potato before handing both potato and peeler to Astrid who seemed baffled. She tried it out for a minute, until the potato was skin free and not the small thing it normally turned in when she peeled one. Her father started laughing.