Hey guys! Miss me? :D *you all scream at me for not updating sooner* GAH! I know, I know… it's been, what, a week? *sighs* I really am sorry… school just ended, though, so I'll have more time off to write my other stuff too!

Anyways, we'll get to this final chapter and all your questions from the last one will be answered! Enjoy!

(P.S. This may not be edited well... I have a really bad headache which made it hard to go back and read. So just know that if you stumble upon any typos or sentences that don't make sense!:D)

Stoick knew something was wrong the minute he heard the screams.

He was just about to head up to bed after a long day of chiefing when they suddenly started. His first instinct was to run out the door and see what was the matter, but then he paused. Those screams sounded almost familiar, like a nagging thought at the back of his head. They seemed as if they were- no… they couldn't have been-

"Hiccup," Stoick whispered, stumbling back from the bottom of the stairway. "No… no!"

Panicked, he began to race out the door, his red beard whipping around his head as he ran. The night air was warm and humid, as it was the middle of summer on Berk, but he hardly noticed as he headed down the street. The last place he knew Hiccup had gone to was the forge- Gobber had reluctantly told him over dinner that Hiccup was planning on staying overnight-, and that was where he was going now.

Oh, Thor almighty, the chief worriedly thought to himself, jogging to the forge. Not Hiccup… no… anybody but him... so many things could have happened…

All of the sudden, the screaming abruptly stopped.

And then there was just… silence.

Stoick paled, and almost quit running. But he soon regained his senses and pushed forward once more. The screams ending could have meant anything, Stoick, he told himself. Hiccup could've stopped yelling because-

Because what? a cool voice said in his head. He's either unconscious or dead...

Stoick pushed the thoughts away, and nearly cried in relief when he saw the forge just up ahead. The chief's legs pushed him along faster, making him reach the forge in just moments. He panted as he skid to a stop outside.

"Hiccup!" he yelled, and barged inside the already-open door. "Hiccup?"

That's when he saw his boy.

Hiccup was lying on the still burning embers, appearing to be unconscious as small flames twisted around him. His clothes were singed, almost burnt away, and there were red streaks all over his face and arms.

Then Stoick looked up and saw the very last person he expected to see- Mildew.

Without another thought about just why the man was there, the chief leapt forward and dragged Hiccup off the embers, his eyes prominent with fear for his son's safety. He clutched his smoking son, and he stood up warily.

Turning his head over to Mildew, he saw that the old man was backing away. Stoick narrowed his eyes in fury. "You!" he roared, charging up Mildew with Hiccup and his arms. "I banished you to Outcast Island! You shouldn't be here! You… you did this to Hiccup? To my son?!" He was beyond angry, and grabbed Mildew by the scruff of his shirt with his free hand.

To his surprise, Mildew fought back against Stoick and succeeded in pulling free. The chief suddenly noticed a few muscles rippling down the old man's arms, and realized that Mildew was stronger than he had been before. His stay at Outcast Island must have toughened him up. "I snuck on Berk with a ship, obviously," Mildew scowled, grabbing his cane that was leaning against the wall. "Your boy, though, believed me when I told him you still let me live here."

Stoick's eyes filled with rage, and he held Hiccup protectively. The boy was burning hot all over- he needed medical attention now. But Stoick couldn't very well let Mildew escape… not when he had hurt Hiccup.

Almost without thinking, Stoick raised his fist and slammed it into Mildew's jaw, knocking the other man backwards. Mildew yelped, and clutched at his mouth. "U'll pay fror 'is, Sthoick!" he cried, trying to sound menacing.

It didn't work, and the chief glared in reply. "I'll be back for you later, Mildew!" he growled. "And then you'll really get a piece of me!" He raised his right arm, and hit Mildew over the head.

The old man crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

"That felt good," Stoick muttered, his shoulders straightening. He lowered his arm so that he was fully supporting Hiccup, and looked down at the boy with worry. Hiccup was groaning now, obviously in pain from all the burns he had gotten. Stoick felt his heart thud even quicker in his chest. His son was in pain, and he couldn't do anything about it…

"Gothi," he murmured, staring to leave the forge, "I have to go to Gothi."

Being the main healer of the village, she would know what to do in such a precarious situation. So, Stoick held the moaning Hiccup tighter and ran down the road, calling for Gothi. He felt anxious as he ran, and looked up at the healer's hut at the top of a hill. Would she be able to help? Or would Hiccup finally run out of luck?

He swallowed, fearing for his son's life.

Because if Gothi didn't know what to do… then who would?

"Oh, gods… Hiccup…" Astrid looked over at the boy who was lying on Gothi's medical bed, unmoving. Just the sight of Hiccup made her wince yet again. Painful burn marks traveled down both of his arms, legs, left cheek, and tufts of his auburn hair had been completely singed away.

It had only been a few minutes ago that she was notified of the incident… she shivered as that horrible feeling rushed through her. The words Hiccup and accident did not mix well here on Berk. Not at all.

The other Riders were there too, of course, all worried. Even the twins and Snotlout understood just how serious the situation was. They all stood in the corner of the room with solemn expressions.

Stoick wasn't taking Hiccup's condition too well either. He figured he had long worn out Gothi's floor by his pacing, and couldn't stop staring at Hiccup. The chief felt that if he arrived at the scene earlier, he could've saved his boy from all this pain… if only Gobber hadn't convinced him to let Hiccup be for the night, he could have made Hiccup return home, and Mildew wouldn't have hurt him...

The chief darkened, and stopped his pacing. Mildew. The man who attacked his son and threw him onto the flaming embers. The man who just stood and watched as Hiccup nearly burned to death. The man who he had banished to Outcast Island, but came back anyways.

Mildew.

"Chief," Astrid said from the other side of the room. "I think Gothi wants to tell you something."

Stoick looked up, his brow furrowed. He turned his head to Gothi, who was trying to get his attention by waving her cane near the side of his face. The old woman lowered it when he noticed her, and began to write in the sand.

Gobber stepped up, eyes full of regret as he glanced over at Hiccup. He cleared his throat and began to read Gothi's words in the sand. "She says… Hiccup will most likely make it. But the fiddle has damaged-" He stopped when Gothi wacked him with her cane. "Fire! Not fiddle… eh… the fire has damaged Hiccup's skin, and he's…" Gobber paused, as if unable to go on. "And he's… at risk of getting a bad infection… even if we try, we might not be able to prevent it."

There was a thick silence, and Astrid held in a gasp. No… she couldn't lose Hiccup… it was impossible. He'd always survive, enduring all those different battles and injuries. Nothing too bad could happen to him in the end… right?

"Well, what can we do?" Stoick spoke up, determined. "I'm not going to stand by and watch my son suffer!"

Gothi frowned, and started to draw in the sand again with her staff. Gobber read it aloud: "She says we have to… to keep Hiccup in a clean environment. Wash his burns twice an hour, and keep a close eye on him to see if he gets any worse. If he does, that could be the first sign of infection."

Astrid looked down at the floor. She was trying so hard to keep a straight expression, but it was getting harder by the second. Hiccup might be dying, and she was powerless against it. She couldn't do anything. For once, her axe couldn't fix this problem. Gods, Hiccup… you better survive so I can kill you for making me go through this, she thought with a grimace.

"Dad…" Hiccup slurred, letting out a moan from his bed. "T-Toothless…" He paused, almost as if taking in a breath. "A-A-Astrid…"

Toothless's head shot up from his place beside Hiccup's bed, and he nudged his rider's leg. Stoick also slowly walked over, patting his son's hand with a calm whisper, "It's alright, lad… you're going to be fine…" And Astrid… she found herself rushing over and hugging Hiccup despite the fact that he was mostly unconscious.

"You have to live, Hiccup," she whispered into his ear, feeling his tussled hair brush her cheek like soft fingers comforting her in the midst of the situation. "I can't imagine in a world without you in it..."

Hiccup did not reply, but Astrid almost sensed him relaxing in her grip. And maybe, if she listened closely, he moaned a little less than before. She pulled away, struggling to get ahold of her feelings. Stoick sent her a knowledgeable look before glancing back down at his son, and gave a stressed sigh. Oh, Hiccup…

Gothi lowered her cane, and shrugged over at Gobber before waddling away to the other side of the room, getting the medical supplies ready. The Riders' faces were full of concern, Toothless whined every few seconds, and Stoick looked heartbroken.

They couldn't do anything for Hiccup at this point. His fate rested only with the gods.

All they could do now was wait and hope for the best.

The next few days were agony for all of Berk.

Hiccup suffered from slight fevers, extreme pains from his burns, and that's when the nightmares came. Stoick barely got any sleep, as he was the only one who could calm the boy down during them. Hiccup would shriek and roll about in bed, endangering himself of causing more injury.

Gothi disapproved of Hiccup moving at all. It would just increase the risk of infection, so Stoick was forced to step up.

And as for Mildew… the Berkians didn't take too kindly of the man that tried to kill the young heir. They locked him in their smallest prison cell in the caves beneath Berk, where he was restricted to only two meals a day. Stoick hadn't confronted the old man again since he had punched him, but he was already looking forward to it. If a person as strong as Mildew was could throw Hiccup to the fire, then he could surely handle a few more punches here and there.

The chief yawned from his spot next to Hiccup. It was just turning dawn, and he was exhausted. Hiccup's nightmares had been terrible from the night before- Stoick couldn't even imagine what they were about. The boy had gone through far too much for his young age of nineteen… no one should have been able to go through all that in their whole life.

"Dad…" Hiccup moaned from his bed. "D-Dad…"

Stoick abruptly looked up at Hiccup, his heart pounding. He gripped at his son's pale hands, and his face paled. "I-I'm right here, Hiccup… I'm right here..." A tear slid down his cheek, making Stoick nearly curse. Vikings didn't cry… and certainly not chiefs.

Hiccup's eyelids were flickering, but he couldn't yet open them. "W-what happened…?" He grimaced. "My back… it feels-"

"Burned," Stoick interrupted, swallowing. "Yes, Hiccup. D-do you remember Mildew coming inside the forge and tossing you into the fire?"

Hiccup frowned. "I-I…" He yelped, a wave of pain shooting through him.

Stoick gripped the boy's hands tighter, feeling anxiety rush through him. His usual stoic expression was now full of fear, and he was sweating all over. "Son… I-I'm so sorry… I could have pr-prevented all of this… oh, Hiccup…" He bowed his head. "I've failed as a father to you."

"D-dad," Hiccup croaked. He finally got his eyelids to open, revealing two shining green orbs. "Y-you… saved me in the end… right? You-you've saved m-me so many times… I can't… thank you enough... thank you, Dad… I-I-I could never l-live up to y-you…"

Stoick's eyes filled with tears; not just at the pain his boy was going through, but also because of what he believed. "Hiccup, you never need to live up to me," the chief whispered. "You've already passed me in your accomplishments… you've done more things than I have in a lifetime…"

Hiccup smiled weakly. "Th-thanks, Dad."

"Of course, lad. It's the truth."

There was a silence, and Hiccup's eyelids dropped. "'M tired, Dad…" he muttered, fighting to stay awake. "But I don't w-want to fall a-asleep… my dreams are…" A shivering fit overtook him, and he found it hard to think straight through the fear.

Stoick patted Hiccup's arm. "Shh, shh… it's alright… I'll be here the whole time while you sleep if you need me."

The boy looked up at him, almost seeming like a child again with his bright, innocent eyes. "Really?"

"Yes. I promise." Stoick straightened, a sense of protectiveness filling him. He wouldn't let anything else happen to Hiccup… not while he was on watch. "You go to sleep now, son. Get better soon." And, before his heart broke even more, he looked away.

But he still held Hiccup's hand in his.

Smiling, Hiccup allowed himself to relax as he fell into yet another slumber. He didn't know if he'd be plagued with more nightmares, or have searing pains trailing down his back, face, and arms again. One thing was for certain, though. His father would be by his side no matter what, and he wasn't going away anytime soon.

Another few days passed, and Hiccup… he was finally in the clear zone. There was no risk of infection anymore, as the skin which he required had mostly grown back.

Berk couldn't have been more relieved. Everyone in the entire village had visited Hiccup at least once, occasionally bringing a trinket of appreciation to the boy. The Riders were overjoyed with knowing that he would make a full recovery, and Stoick spent nearly every free moment with his son.

Hiccup was getting stronger by the day, and could even manage to sit up in bed without causing too much pain. Sure, the burn marks still hurt when he moved, and snippets of nightmares would always haunt his mind, but he was safe. Mildew was locked away, and Berk, for now, was at peace.

But Hiccup couldn't forget one thing during his recovery, though. His father almost never left his side, and was more supportive than he had ever been before. The boy wasn't sure if he could have made it if it wasn't for his dad. He had given him something to live for.

It seemed that every time he went to sleep at night, every time he had a nightmare or was going through terrible pains with all the burn marks on his body, his father was always right there to help him.

And Hiccup… well, he truly couldn't have been any happier.

*raises sunglasses from eyes* Yep. The feelzies are realzies. KABOOM! *imitates mini explosion with hands*

So, how'd you like it? Lot's of Hiccup!whump, am I right? *cackles* *realizes people are watching* *clears throat* *bats eyelashes innocently* Annnyyywaaayyys, please fave, follow, and review to tell me what you think!:D

I hoped you liked how the story turned out. :) Sorry it took me a while to write part two *laughs nervously*, but at least I got it done with some father/son feels! Well, I'll see you all next story! Thanks for sticking with me through this wild ride!

*waves and rides off on a dragon*

BOOM, BABY! Now, everyone go and have a great week! :D

-thepurplewriter333