AN: Thanks to everyone who read my story and especially to those who reviewed. I got a lot more feedback than I thought I would, so thank you. In this chapter is the anticipated talk between Hiccup and his father. Enjoy! I do not own How to Train Your Dragon.

Soft light filtered through the dragon's wing, waking Hiccup up part of the way. However, it was heavy foot steps and the sound of his father's voice that really accomplished this task.

"I know he's with you Toothless," Stoick's gruff voice sounded. The dragon growled up at the larger man, pupils narrowing slightly in dislike. "I just want to talk to him." There was a pause, and then a surprisingly gentle, "Please."

Toothless' resistance crumbled and he exposed his rider who he nudged gently with his wings. Hiccup's face was neutral but if Stoick had been looking into his eyes, he could have seen the wide variety of emotions playing out there. He couldn't decide whether he was angry, upset, scared, happy his dad had come to speak to him or annoyed.

He settled on annoyed as that was the only emotion he knew how to deal with. He stood quickly, deftly attaching his prosthetic. "Thanks for the wakeup, but I think we'll be going." He put his real leg into the stirrups, about to lift himself onto his dragon when he got a shake of the head from the reptile. His expression fell, "Toothless," he cried, shocked. The dragon moved to stand by the window, blocking his exit. "Traitor," he murmured for the second time in as many days. He glanced briefly at his dad who was unintentionally blocking his other exit before he flopped down on his bed.

"Hiccup," Stoick began softly, "I may not understand everything about you but I'm willing to listen and I know you have your own side to this."

"Stop, just … stop," Hiccup sighed, raising his hands in defeat. He was sitting on his bed with his prosthetic dangling over the side as if ready to bolt at a moment's notice. "I know you have no idea how to talk to me, but shamelessly copying from Gobber isn't the way to go either."

A hint of surprise flickered across his father's face. He hadn't even been quoting Gobber directly, how had Hiccup known?

"I'm smarter than that," his son said, answering the unspoken question.

"You're smarter than all of Berk combined," Stoick laughed, about to sit on the bed, before he thought to ask his son's permission. "May I?" There was a hesitant nod and he took that as acceptance.

There was a tense moment of silence after Stoick was settled on the bed. Hiccup was the one to break it. "Look, I'm sorry. Everything I said was out of line and I'd like it if we could just forget it and move on." His expression was hopeful, green eyes staring expectantly up at his father who slowly shook his head. Hiccup's face fell.

"You were right, " Stoick stated briskly. "I can't just forget everything I put you through, as much as I would like to change it." He noticed his boy's look of complete and utter shock. Did he seriously not trust him enough to admit when he was wrong? Well, he never had before. "You are a better Viking than anyone I have ever known."

"Even you?" Hiccup jokingly questioned, eyes twinkling.

"Even me," Stoick confirmed, earning another shocked face from his son.

Hiccup leaned back wearily against his pillows, eyes boring a hole in the ceiling. Toothless came over and nudged his rider's side so that the boy put a hand on his snout, stroking it unconsciously.

"You want to know the funniest part?" Hiccup questioned. Stoick was unsure if he was talking to his father, himself, or the dragon. Nevertheless, the boy plowed on, "I finally am considered a Viking when I go against all Viking traditions possible and befriend the dragons, who had once been our mortal enemies." He laughed weakly.

"What you did was more Viking-like than most Vikings," Stoick assured.

His son laughed once more before asking heatedly, "What does it even mean to be a Viking?"

The chief was about to answer back all of the things he had once been told. To be a Viking is to be brave in the face of battle and never back down from your enemies, no matter the cost. To be a Viking was to be too proud to admit defeat and to never cry. However, the words died on his tongue under the keen gaze of his son. Instead, he replied hesitantly, "To be a Viking is to do what is right and stand in battle for that no matter the cost."

Hiccup shook his head sadly, "No, to be a Viking is …" and he quoted back everything Stoick had been about to say. "And I'm not a Viking." His gaze was averted as he stared sadly down at his sheets.

Stoick leaned forwards, doing something he hadn't done in Thor knows how long, he pulled Hiccup's hands into his own. Green eyes looked hesitantly up into his. "Maybe what it means to be a Viking has changed to a better definition. One that allows for all shapes and sizes of Vikings."

Hiccup cracked a smile, tears shining in his eyes, but he refused to let them fall.

Finally, Stoick got down to what he had been meaning to say all along. "I'm sorry for the way I treated you before. I don't care if you are the old definition of a Viking, the new one or none at all. I'm proud of you and I'm proud of everything you have done since you were born. I'm sorry it took me so long to figure it out." His voice was gruff and somewhat detached, like one of a chief but Hiccup could hear the true emotions behind it. His smile widened.

Again for the first time in too long, Stoick pulled his son into a hug, noticing the initial stiffening before Hiccup threw his arms as far as he could reach around his father.

"I love you dad."

"I love you too, son." The moment was ruined seconds later by an impatient black dragon who wanted to get in on the fun. There he was, licking Hiccup's face and making him cry out in laughter.

"Toothless, that doesn't come out." Stoick joined in, enjoying Hiccup's laughter for the first time in what seemed like forever. There were too many things he hadn't seen, done or heard in too long of a time and he was going to fix that, he just needed one more answer.

"Why did you never get angry and yell of this before now?"

Hiccup's expression immediately closed off again, unintentionally hurting his father. Green eyes wouldn't raise from the floorboards which had apparently become very interesting.

"I just want to know," Stoick encouraged gently. Still, his son was silent but finally, Toothless nudged the boy, staring between him and his father.

Reluctantly, the rider finally spoke, "I did get angry but I kept it in check."

Stoick waited for the rest of the response, but he realized it wouldn't be forthcoming. "Then why now?"
Hiccup sighed, running a hand through his auburn hair. "It was an accident," he admitted sheepishly, briefly looking up at his father. "I just … I don't know, I guess now I'd have something to fall back on if it didn't work out."

The larger man's bushy brows bunched together in confusion and then smoothed out as his son reached out a hand towards his dragon. Stoick sighed, reaching over to pat the dragon as well, much to the astonishment of both Hiccup and Toothless.

Quite seriously, the chief looked the Night Fury directly in the eyes. "Toothless, I want to thank you for taking care of my son when I was too blind to do so." The dragon leaned forwards, directly towards the palm of the redheaded Viking. A look passed between them, one of mutual protection towards the smaller boy on the bed.

"Hiccup," Stoick began, unsure of exactly how to say this. However, looking into his son's emerald green eyes, he did his best, speaking from the heart. "I have treated you unfairly and I haven't been a good father. I know that when you feel safer around a dragon than me that I need to admit it." He raised a hand for silence when it looked like Hiccup was about to protest. "You have to know that you are the best thing that has ever happened to me and that you will never need to have a fall back. You can come to me with anything. I know you may not believe me now, but I will prove it to you, no matter how long it takes."

There was a moment of silence as the two assessed each other, determining whether or not they should speak. Finally, Hiccup broke the silence. "I believe you," he stated simply. Then, he leaned forwards, pulling his dad into a hug which was returned with equal enthusiasm. Behind the other's back, each of them was holding back tears, feeling comfort in the almost forgotten warmth of this gesture. Stoick vowed silently that he was going to get to know his son, understand him and actually have a relationship with him. They would be father and son once more.

AN: So, I think this was the last chapter. I may do an epilogue if there is enough interest.