I didn't get much done this past month or so... but nothing to be done about that now! On we go.

-HTTYD-

Heather handed her a drink before sitting next to her on the sofa, both watching the TV. It wasn't a brand new news alert, but the twenty four hour channels showed the same news on a loop. And so Astrid had seen the same scene of Grimborn disappearing behind the Do Not Cross tape, with the words NIGHT FURY CLAIMS ANOTHER VICTIM flashing across the bottom of the screen a half dozen times already.

When Hiccup mentioned that he considered dropping a new victim in while recovering from his surgery, Astrid hadn't taken him that seriously. Still, the victim wasn't her, her mother or Heather.

"I know there's obviously more to him than meets the eye, but still. He's recovering from surgery and only has one useable hand!"

Heather commented as they listened to the repeat of information.

"Yeah. He said he can use a few of his weapons one handed. And it's his right hand he had operated on, he still has his dominant hand."

Astrid stood by what she'd said to Hiccup - having someone to talk to about everything was such a relief. And while Heather was obviously not whole-heartedly supportive of Astrid's decision to knowingly date a serial killer - even if she'd not known at the start - Heather was adamant she wasn't going to be the one to turn Hiccup in. She obviously had complicated feelings, given that Hiccup had saved her life.

She was having complicated feelings of her own. Despite everything, Astrid missed him. So, so much. Serial murder and bad temper aside, Hiccup had been the best relationship of her life. He was sweet and caring, sarcastic and funny. He listened to her. Indulged Astrid going on about her writing for hours on end. Despite the problems with his hands, he'd drawn scenes for her. Typed out the letters she asked for. He'd let her in to his life when the walls he had up had been insurmountable to anyone else, and let her in to his home despite how protective he was of his ailing mother.

Astrid missed Valka too. She wasn't always totally coherent, what with the powerful medication she took, and was asleep quite a lot of the time. But she had the same sarcastic humour as Hiccup, and she did genuinely seem happy that her son had found someone.

"Ughhhhhhh."

She sighed, scrubbing a hand over her face.

"What's wrong?"

Heather asked, concerned.

"I just... I miss Hiccup."

There was no point lying - Heather knew pretty much every detail of her life and relationship by then. Her friend gave Astrid a sad, pitying smile.

"Not surprised. But you know, this might not be the worst thing. You said yourself that he's been getting worse."

"I know. And I know he's dangerous, and I know it's not my job to try and fix him. I don't even think he can be fixed anyway, there is something very broken inside Hiccup. And I know that being with him is risky and not something any sane, rational person would even consider. But part of me really, really doesn't care."

Her heart and her self-preservation were at war every time she thought of Hiccup. It was kind of exhausting, if she was honest.

"At least wait until you're officially cleared from your concussion before you go making decisions about getting back together with your murderous boyfriend."

Astrid rolled her eyes. She was due what was hopefully her final check up the following week, where she ought to be cleared to go back to work. Staying home with her mother fussing all the time was making her stir crazy, and she missed the gym. Though, she noted to herself, she'd probably not be going at night for a while...

"Has he been in touch?"

"No, but he said he wasn't done with me last week, so I expect he will. He knows you know, I doubt Hiccup can leave that alone no matter how mad he is at me."

Heather frowned.

"That's not really a comforting thought."

"I know. And I'm sorry you got dragged in to this."

"Eh. I dragged myself in a little bit by asking you in the first place. I could have just kept my suspicions to myself."

Astrid shrugged.

"You know you can opt out at any time. I mean, not by telling the cops, but you don't have to hang around."

Heather seemed to consider it, but shook her head.

"Nah, I'm invested now. Besides, I don't think the cafe would stay afloat if you stopped coming in."

Astrid stuck her tongue out, but soon dissolved into giggles alongside Heather.

"Nice to know you keep me around for my love of pastry."

"Just like you keep me around because I bring you coffee all the time?"

"Exactly."

They both snickered, falling into comfortable silence as the news looped away on TV. Heather made them food a little while later, before she checked the time and said she needed to get going.

"I'll walk you down, I need to get milk."

"You sure?"

Astrid nodded, heading to get her shoes. And pepper spray. Heather's brother had gotten it for her, and since they weren't really legal in the UK, Astrid had opted not to ask where or how when Heather presented it to her. She hoped not to use it - Grimborn was unlikely to turn down the chance to arrest her if she used it on him, after all, but she felt a bit safer with it on her.

They headed down, Heather walking with her to the corner where her car was parked. The newsagents Astrid wanted to pop to was only a few steps further away. Heather looked like she was considering lingering, but Astrid encouraged her to leave.

"You're not gonna be able to babysit me my whole life. It's like, five minutes tops."

Heather sighed.

"Fine. Text me to say you got home or I won't sleep."

"I will, now go home!"

Heather stuck her tongue out, but she did start getting in to her car. Astrid continued on to the shop, picking up a carton of milk and some chocolate. The milk was for her (still decaf, she grumbled to herself) coffee, and the chocolate... well, that was because it had been weeks since she'd gotten any, and she was recovered enough to be very aware it was the longest she'd gone without sex since she and Hiccup first started, whether or not that was a sensible thing to be concerned about.

Astrid took a few deep breaths before she stepped outside, skin prickling as she started walking home. She turned the corner by the cafe Heather worked at, and knew she was being watched. Her fingers curled around the canister in her pocket, refusing to walk faster, refusing to look up. She couldn't help but look behind her before she turned off toward the steps up to her home, or walking quicker to her front door. The satisfying sound of her heavy duty lock clicking in to place soothed her a little, racing heart starting to calm down.

She texted Heather to reassure her friend she'd gotten back fine, put the milk away and considered making a coffee to go curl up in bed with. Her heart leapt up into her throat when there was a knock at the door, and Astrid approached it very warily, doing her best to be silent as she peered through the peephole.

It was Grimborn.

Hiccup thanked his taxi driver, who helpfully opened the door for Hiccup when he saw the cast on his wrist, and climbed rather gracelessly out of the car. He was feeling the late night and lack of morphine, muscles achey and both his hands sore.

Still, his cast was off the next day if he was lucky, though he'd probably have to use it on and off between physio, as it was also to help his fingers heal properly. He was mostly looking forward to getting his stitches out, as they were irritating him something fierce.

Hiccup didn't even know if Astrid was going to be home, wondering if he should have asked the taxi to wait as he climbed the stairs up to where she lived with a groan or two - his legs were sore. As he reached the top, he felt anger flare at what he saw. Pain forgotten for the moment, he headed over.

"... talk to us down at the station."

Astrid definitely did not look like she wanted to go anywhere with Grimborn. He wasn't alone, which was probably a leftover from the cops backtracking when Astrid's kidnap cleared her of suspicion of being the Night Fury.

Because he knew Viggo Grimborn did not think Astrid was the Night Fury. No no, he'd made it quite clear he thought it was Hiccup.

"Why should I?"

The fact he had company was probably the only reason Grimborn wasn't trying to break in to Astrid's place. Again.

"Everything alright Astrid?"

His... girlfriend? Ex? Hiccup wasn't sure... Astrid looked very surprised to see him. Grimborn didn't look too impressed either.

"Fine."

"We were just asking Miss Hofferson to come speak with us."

Hiccup frowned, making sure to hold his cast-clad hand up to his chest where they could see it.

"Is she under arrest?"

"No."

Hiccup looked over at Astrid.

"Do you want to go with them?"

She shook her head, so Hiccup turned back to the police.

"Then you can go."

Grimborn scowled, though it was smoothed away before long. Hiccup stood his ground, daring Grimborn to challenge him on it.

"Very well. I wish you a speedy recovery Miss Hofferson."

"Thanks."

Hiccup watched Grimborn leave, then turned back to Astrid.

"I did come here to talk to you, but now I need to get home because I don't trust him."

Astrid looked torn between slamming the door on him and actually speaking to him, hesitating for a very long minute.

"Hang on, I'll come with you. Well, if that's alright?"

He nodded, taking a step back to show he was staying outside while Astrid went back inside. He ordered a taxi to take them back, sort of relieved - if he was going home, he could take some pain relief, as well as be sure Grimborn wasn't trying anything. Astrid reappeared a couple of minutes later, wearing shoes and jacket she kept her hands in the pockets of. The taxi ride was just as stilted and awkward as the one back from the hospital had been, but that was hardly surprising.

"Mom? You here?"

Hiccup called out as he opened the door, relieved to hear her call back to him.

"I didn't expect you back so- ah."

She stopped short in the doorway, spotting Astrid was with him.

"When I got there, Grimborn was there. I didn't like the idea of him knowing you were home alone."

"Well, I'm totally fine, as you can see. How are you feeling?"

Hiccup shrugged, aware of the awkwardness as Astrid hovered nearby.

"Alright. You need anything?"

Valka shook her head.

"Just watching a film, don't worry about me."

She turned and shuffled back to the living room. Hiccup debated internally, then turned to Astrid.

"Go wait in my room, I need to get my meds out the kitchen."

Astrid nodded silently and went that way, while Hiccup retrieved his not-too-potent painkillers, hoping to at least take the edge off without doping himself up on morphine again. Tablets swallowed, Hiccup headed off to what promised to be an uncomfortable conversation.

She was stood next to the bed, peering at the sketch Hiccup had started that morning.

"Have you slept at all since last night?"

He shrugged.

"A couple of hours. Does it matter?"

"You look tired. We don't have to do this now."

"I probably wouldn't be sleeping even if you weren't here."

Hiccup circled his bed and climbed up on it, groaning in relief as he took weight off his leg. Astrid didn't immediately sit down, and was still wearing her jacket.

"Are you gonna stand there the whole time? Or are you still afraid of me?"

After a minute, she undid her jacket and sat down gingerly on the bed, moving his sketchpad very carefully so she wouldn't sit on it.

"Ok, I realise this isn't why you asked me here, but what's with you and Grimborn?"

"He came to see me yesterday. Made it pretty clear that he does think he's clocked me as the Night Fury. I told him he was nuts, and that if he came within twenty feet of my mother ever again I'd rip his throat out."

Astrid blinked.

"So in the same breath as denying you're a serial killer, you threatened to murder him?"

"Well, I know from you that he's a creep. I was just making my stance clear right away. Is he still following you?"

"I think so. Heather's brother got me this" she slipped a cannister out of her pocket "pepper spray. Which is sort of illegal. So I didn't ask where he got it."

Hiccup wasn't keen to find out just how painful pepper spray was, so kept his hands - well, hand - to himself despite wanting to look at it. Shuffling himself into a more comfortable seated position, Hiccup looked at Astrid, trying to figure out what to say.

"Ok, I have another question."

She started, and Hiccup nodded to say she should ask it.

"Alright. What is it?"

"Why did it take you like, a week? Before, you seemed set on 'dealing' with this sooner."

"Mom. She told me I had to wait and think things through. In her own way, I think she was aiming to protect you, so I wouldn't come to you in anger."

That seemed to surprise her, but it was completely true. Hiccup wasn't certain he would have actually hurt Astrid... though the blonde was right. He had. He'd proved he was capable of it. The little scar on her neck was almost invisible by then, but Hiccup knew it was there.

"Huh. You'll have to thank her for me."

They lapsed into silence, tense and awkward before Astrid broke it again.

"So, where do we go from here?"

"I don't know. I..." Hiccup was still not very skilled at conversation, but he had been rolling these words over in his mind for days now "is the reason you haven't dumped me because you feel like my... feelings for you are what's keeping you and Heather safe?"

Astrid thought about it quietly for a good minute or two, before shaking her head.

"No. I still love you. I still miss you. I just... I'm just not sure how much difference that makes. Everything I said before is still true. You're still dangerous, and being with you is a risk I'm not sure I can take forever. But I know who and what you are, and I'm not naive enough to expect you to stop."

Well, that was honest of her. Hiccup wasn't entirely sure what to do with her answer, if he was honest.

"Well, I'm not really sure there's anything I can say. I mean, you've betrayed my trust in you, which wasn't easy for me to give you in the first place."

Astrid looked away, expression pensive.

"I know. But Heather isn't going to say anything. Even if she wouldn't feel guilty cus you saved her, she's not going to turn me in, because if you went down at this point, I would too. And while I realise your faith in my words is damaged, I wouldn't do that to you either, no matter what."

He only had two choices, Hiccup knew. Trust Astrid and Heather to keep his secret? Or... make certain they couldn't say anything. If he was honest, neither was a particularly appealing prospect.

"I'm still not sure if this is something that can go on, but I also acknowledge it's not fair of me to ask you to just hang around while I decide. So if you want to call this quits now, I'll go with that."

Astrid presented him with the choice, and Hiccup wasn't all that sure what he wanted.

"Is there much point in me waiting anyway? So far, you've not really given me any idea you really want this to work out."

"It's not that I don't want this to work out. I just..." Astrid let out a long, deep sigh "I just don't want to die."

-HTTYD-

Well, I don't think that's unreasonable of her.