Chapter 20:

This is the final chapter, and it may take a little while for me to start the sequel for this. Especially since I still need to come up with a good name for it. A big thank you for all of those who have followed and favorited this story, be sure to keep an eye out for more!

It had taken nearly half an hour for the other members of the Haddock family to take in that Mortem and Fera were going to lay eggs. Or more likely, one egg each. Both dragons were nearly full grown, and their reproductive systems had fully matured.

And the Haddocks weren't the only ones who had noticed.

Benignus had found out where his daughter was, and was watching from a safe distance from the village. He hoped that his grandchild hatched into a dragon as kind-hearted as he and Fera were. If only the others in the Nest could see this, he thought to himself as he swam back home.

Fera was unaware of her father's knowledge. She was proud of herself and Mortem. They knew that they would teach their children everything that they had learned about kindness and compassion. Hopefully, no one would try to take them away, like the Outcasts had done with Mortem three years ago.

Draco and Camicazi were quite surprised when they learned that they were going to be an uncle and aunt. But they were looking forward to playing with their brother's son or daughter.

Mortem and Fera got the most attention from Torch, Violet, and their children, Peril, Flare, Ember, and Burgundy. Torch was proud of his friends, and his children were looking forward to having new playmates.

But despite all of the excitement, Astrid was concerned about something else. Hiccup had been gone for at least 9 or 10 months, and nearly scared her to death. She thought she'd never see him again. But he came back. After all that time of being without him, he came back.

Hiccup soon became concerned for Astrid. She hadn't left their room in a long time. Heather had suggested that he left her alone for a while, but being who he was, Hiccup decided to check on her.

The first thing he noticed when he entered was that it was incredibly quiet. There wasn't a single object that had been used, or disturbed. Astrid was sitting on their bed, with an expression of depression and a hint of wonder. Hiccup approached her slowly, and then sat down next to her. Neither of them said anything for a long time. But then, Astrid sighed. "You know, if you think about it, none of this would have happened if we hadn't found Mortem."

Hiccup looked at her. He had never thought about what it would have been like if they hadn't adopted Mortem. "So, you just decided to bring it up now?" he asked, confused.

Astrid sighed deeply. "Think about it, Hiccup. What would it be like if we hadn't found Mortem's egg on Dragon Island?" Hiccup didn't answer. He started thinking about what she had said. Then it hit him.

Not only had they made a better life for Mortem, but Mortem had also made a better life for them as well. The more time they spent raising the dragon, the closer they became. Not just with the dragon, but with each other. Hiccup's determination to train the Red Death had somehow given him the courage to tell Astrid that he loved her. And it had been that confession that had led up to the other important moments between the two of them. Every event that had happened from then to the present day had happened because Mortem had hatched, and because he had been found by Hiccup. The death of Regina had been more significant than any of them could have imagined.

It had all led up to this.

Hiccup sighed before telling Astrid his answer. "We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him." Astrid nodded.

Hiccup then held her gently. "I never thought about what would have happened if we hadn't adopted Mortem," he said, "I guess I was just too focused on what was happening now."

Astrid sighed, and then moved further into his embrace. "I never thought about it either," she admitted, "Not until now."

Hiccup couldn't fight back the urge to hug her tighter. He held her close, never wanting to let go. He knew the only one he could thank for all of this was Mortem. His son.

Even he would admit, his family was complicated, especially since much of it was made up of dragons. But it was more than he could ever ask for. His whole life, all that he had wanted was someone to love him for who he was, and although it had started when he shot down Toothless, it had been Mortem who had given him the courage to confess his true feelings.

Astrid seemed to know this as well, because she had helped Hiccup with raising Mortem. And it was times like that when they had the opportunity to become closer than they ever had before. She couldn't imagine what would have happened if Mortem hadn't been born.

They sat there, hugging each other, for what they hoped would be forever. They wanted to savor the moment as though it was the only time they would ever see each other again. Astrid felt the urge to cry, but her tough warrior instinct helped her keep it in. But she couldn't hold it in forever. Her feelings for Hiccup were stronger than ever, and she knew that if he said what she always wanted to hear from him, she couldn't hide her feelings. The silence seemed to be lasting forever, and when she was sure that Hiccup wasn't going to speak up, Astrid decided to break that silence.

"I love you."

A huge rush of warmth filled Hiccup as he heard her say those three important words. His heart was so full, he could hardly speak. He managed to whisper to her, "I love you, too."

A similar wave of warmth filled Astrid when she heard him. She remembered the day they met, and how Hiccup had tried so hard since then to be her friend. But as the years went by, his efforts were very much useless, as her only goal was to restore her family's honor by getting rid of the Flightmare once and for all. She had become more tough and stubborn over the years, and despite being able to hide her feelings, as well as her soft spot, everything changed on that one flight with Hiccup. Her disinterest in him faded away, replaced by respect, and the slightest hint of love. He was the first boy to ever impress her. It was because of that flight that Astrid had fallen in love with Hiccup. But that didn't mean that she still didn't try to hide her true feelings. She had tried to hide the fact that she had a crush on him, until the day that they had found Mortem. When Hiccup had confessed his love to her, she could no longer deny the fact that she loved him too. Those two dragons that Hiccup had met had changed his life forever. But it had been Mortem that had given him the courage to tell her how much he really cared about her.

There was no denying it.

Their hearts were so full of love, they couldn't let go of each other. Astrid could feel the tears in her eyes, and she let go of the tough girl act, letting the tears shed. Hiccup looked at her, a concerned look on his face. Astrid sighed. "I'm sorry." Hiccup shook his head and hugged her tighter. "Don't be. Just let it go." His own eyes were filling with tears, and he didn't try to hold them in. They had both come so far, and their relationship had reached new, much higher, levels. It had gone from slight uncertainty, to true love. They knew for sure that it was real.

After what seemed like an eternity, they pulled out of the hug, but remained in each other's arms. The minute their eyes met, they couldn't look away. Hiccup then placed his right hand on her cheek, wiping away some of the tears that were still flowing out of her eyes. Her beautiful blue eyes...

Hiccup didn't know what to do. He couldn't say anything, and for the first time in three years, he was too nervous to make a move. Astrid then reached up, took his hand, and lifted it off of her cheek. She then lowered it to his side. Before Hiccup could wonder what she was doing, she grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him to her, kissing him gently.

Hiccup's eyes widened a bit, but when he realized what was going on, he relaxed, and shut his eyes. The kiss was similar to their first, only it was more gentle, and much more passionate. The memory of their first kiss played over and over in Hiccup's mind as he relaxed into the kiss they were sharing.

When they pulled away, their eyes stayed shut. They wanted to savor the kiss for as long as they could. When they opened their eyes, they found the other's staring back at them. They hugged each other tightly, savoring the rest of the moment.

Heather wasn't aware of what was going on in their room. She was busy taking care of Hic. Since Astrid hadn't been feeling like herself, Heather had decided to care for her son while her friend tried to sort out her feelings.

Toothless Junior had taken an interest in Hic. He hoped that the little boy would grow to be like his father. Junior had been longing for a rider to fly with.

While Heather was making sure that Hic was taking his nap, she noticed Hiccup and Astrid walk out of their room and headed outside. She smiled as she watched them go, knowing that Hiccup had somehow gotten Astrid to finally come around.

Hiccup was the first to make it outside, and the first thing he noticed was Draco and Camicazi playing with Jet and Eclipse. He looked around and saw Toothless lying next to Mortem. He smiled, and then walked up to them. Both dragons lifted their heads when they noticed Hiccup approaching. Hiccup stopped, a few feet away from them. "Toothless, Mortem," he paused, and then said, "Thank you."

Both dragons stared at him.

"You guys have helped me get more than I could ever ask for," Hiccup said, "And I can't tell you how grateful I am. Thanks, for everything." Toothless and Mortem both smiled.

Hiccup then turned to see Astrid standing behind him. He gently took her hand in his own, their fingers intertwining.

Heather watched the scene unfold from the doorway, smiling. Junior was standing next to her, and he was looking at all the other dragons.

It was true, their family was unlike any other. But it was the only family that any of them could ever ask for.

Many things change, here on Berk. It can be good or bad, but that depends on how you think of it.

If anyone asked me what I thought of my family, I'd admit that it's unlike any of the other families on Berk. But it's the only family that I could ever want. Because it's my family.

I know for a fact that I'll be there for my family whenever they amy need me. And I know that they'll be there for me too.

Because that's what families do.

As I said earlier, I'm working on a sequel for this, but I'm having a bit of trouble coming up with a title for it. It's sort of like a continuation for this story, so I've been considering "How to Raise a Family Part 2," but I'm not sure if that's gonna cut it. Leave a review, and let me know what you think of the title, and this story!