Hello All! It's finally finished!

I made it my goal to finish and post this last chapter before I went back to school, and I did! (I move back in on Monday) Now I can start on 1 of my many other ideas. And now I can celebrate by watching the new season of Race to the Edge. *WOAH!*

I know a lot of people have different estimates on how long of a flight it is from Dragon's Edge to Berk, so I want to give mine. In my story, it is a 9 hour flight.

The sun was barely touching the horizon when the riders could finally see Berk in their sights. Flying over, only a few Berkians were still out and about, but each looked up and waved, seeing their noble riders returning home.

Gobber, still at the forge, stopped hammering to wave with a smile as well.

Still in the air, Hiccup instructed the twins to go straight to their house and look for Tuffnut's officiator's certificate. Also Snotlout and Fishlegs to go and help them. Meanwhile, Astrid flew towards Gothi's hut with Hiccup right behind her. The burn on her arm wasn't that serious, but it at least needed some medicine and a bandage so it wouldn't become serious. After that, hopefully they will know for sure whether Tuffnut really married them or not.

But before that happened, Astrid needed to explain some things to her new husband. Like why she ran away from him back on the Armorwing's island. Hiccup was most likely very confused and hurt by what she had done. He didn't really show it, but that didn't mean it wasn't troubling him.

She needed to come clean. If this was to be their new lives together, she needed him to know and understand.

She was confident he would, but at the same time, she also feared of losing him.

When Hiccup and Astrid made it to the deck of Gothi's hut, their dragons hovered so they could hop off (beats taking all those stairs up to her high-standing house), then let Toothless and Stormfly land themselves and wait for their riders.

Before walking into the village elder's hut, the newly wedded couple could hear painful cries coming from inside. The two rushed over to the door, just pulling the curtain door open enough to lean halfway through the doorway. There in the front room, they saw Bucket sitting in a chair, Mulch holding his best friend's shoulder as he screamed, and Gothi trying to remove what appeared to be a fishhook from Bucket's hand.

"GAHHH!" Bucket screamed again.

"For Thor's sake, Bucket, she hasn't even toughed it yet," Mulch told his friend, patting him on the back. Mulch's eyes then went to the doorway. "Oh hello Hiccup, Astrid. Welcome back," he said, making Bucket and Gothi look at them as well. Bucket waved his hook hand (the one that was a hook, not the one with a small hook pocked into his skin), and Gothi just gave them a smile before approaching them. She didn't have her staff or dirt to write with, but the look she gave them next, they knew she was asking them what they needed of her.

"Gothi," Hiccup greeted. "Hey, I was going to ask if you could look at Astrid's arm, but you look like you got your hands full," he said, while Astrid leaned her arm in to show the old women her burn.

Gothi took a gentle hold of the younger woman's forearm, looking closely at the scratches and the pink skin around them farther up. After a few seconds, Gothi looked back up at the two before letting Astrid's arm go and walked to the other side of the room to her supplies cabinet. The two watched as Gothi grabbed a bottle of some medicine and a roll of gauze. As she came back over, the village elder handed the two items to the chief's son.

Hiccup took the things, looking at them confused for a moment before looking back to the old healer. Gothi, still looking at him, quickly flicked her eyes to Astrid then back to him. "Oh, right. Yeah, I can do it myself," he said, finally getting it. Gothi smiled again before turning away and going back to helping Bucket.

Hiccup and Astrid, back outside on Gothi's high deck, the sun setting on the horizon, sat down. Facing each other on their own stools, Hiccup placed the medicine on the floor and tore a piece of gauze from the roll. Astrid watched silently as he opened the bottle, covered the top of the bottle with the gauze and turned it upside down.

The world seemed to slow down as Astrid sat there, watching him do something that normally takes a few seconds. Now that they were alone again, no longer in danger, and him just sitting there trying to take care of her, her mind went back to earlier; the sweet berries, even sweeter kisses, amazing touches, his big beautiful eyes looking down on her… her running off and almost getting the both of them killed.

That wasn't the right way to handle how she was feeling. She ran off mostly because her frustration was driving her to tears and she didn't want Hiccup to see them. It hurt too much. But leaving him like that must have hurt him more. Hurting Hiccup felt worst.

Astrid's mind finally returned to the present when she felt the sting of the medicine on her wound. Snapping her eyes forward with full attention on her surroundings, Hiccup held the back of her arm while gently dabbing the medicine to the burn, his eyes solemnly on his task.

Astrid silently wished for him to look at her, but she knew he wouldn't. Why would he? Even if he was mad with her, being the caring leader he is, would of course help her with an injury. But that didn't mean he had to look at her or pretend his feelings weren't hurt.

"Will I live?" Hiccup heard her say out of the blue. The heir snapped his head up to finally look at her, her big, blue eyes looking straight at him. And her lips in a smile that said she was trying to make light of the awkward silence they had been in with a good bit of sarcasm.

Hiccup smiled back, also letting a chuckled huff from his nose. "It's hard to say. The arm… it might have to go," he said, joking right back. This made Astrid chuckle too, but not without a roll of her eyes, followed by one of her signature punches to his right arm. "Ow," he said, his amused grin still present as he rubbed his sore arm with his opposite hand. "You keep punching me like that, one day my arm might have to go."

"Then you and Gobber can be twins," she joked back. The two laughed lightly together. When it died down, they fell silent again but the air was a little less tense.

Hiccup busied himself by adding more medicine to the cloth. "Uh, speaking of twins… Or um, the twins," he stuttered as he dabbed more medicine on the burn, but actually looking at her while he continued to talk. "How do you think their search is going?"

Astrid paused for a moment to think on how to respond, now that he was directing the conversation back to the more pressing matter they were there for. "I'm sure Mr. and Mrs. Thorston would have kept track of it, had Tuff earned it. It's a big achievement, becoming an officiator." Hiccup nodded, agreeing with her before continuing to clean her wound. A few seconds back into the silence, Astrid decided that instead of ignoring the Rumblehorn in the room (or in this case; on the deck), she was going to face it head on. "Hiccup, I'm sorry I ran off," she blurted out. Hiccup immediately snapped his head back up, looking her straight in the eyes. His hand stopping his nurturing ministrations to her arm. Feeling ashamed again, Astrid pulled her right arm closer to herself, out of Hiccup's gentle grasp, and held it with her left hand, looking down to the wood boards under their feet. Hiccup gave no protest and let her have some space. "I almost got us both killed."

"Astrid," Hiccup said, putting the cloth down next to the medicine bottle. "Did I do something or say something that upset you?" Astrid's head snapped back up.

"No! Hiccup, gods no," she said desperately. "You didn't do anything wrong." Astrid reached out, taking hold of his hand in hers.' "Well, technically it was something you said, but…" she stretched on, thinking out loud, but didn't know how to finish her thought.

Hiccup took this chance to speak again. Placing his other hand on top of hers.' "Astrid, whatever I said, I'm sor-,"

"No Hiccup, don't you do that," she cut him off. "Don't apologize. Remember what I said last night? I don't want you to apologize, not for any of this," she said firmly.

"Then what is it Astrid?" Hiccup asked firmly back, but still with his saint-like patients. "Why are you upset? I mean, one minute you're shoving me to a tree and kissing me senseless, and the next you just run away like I did something horrible. What am I supposed to think?" he said with a desperate plea in his tone. Astrid saw it was also in his eyes, wanting more than anything to understand. She was right. Hiccup was very upset. Casting his eyes down for a second, Hiccup took a breath. Astrid felt him give her hand a squeeze. "I can tell when something is bothering you Astrid, but I can't read your mind. I want to help, but I can't if you don't tell me what's wrong."

Hiccup remained silent, not breaking his gaze on her for a second, waiting patiently for her to reply. Astrid knew now was the time.

"You love me," she finally said.

Hiccup didn't respond right away, processing what she said for a moment. That was not what he expected her to say after being asked what had been troubling her all day. "Yes Astrid, I lo-"

"Hiccup, please… just let me say this," she said, confliction in her voice but needing to press on. Hiccup gave a slight nod of his head, holding his lips together firm. "I know you love me. You said it last night, you said it again earlier, and I couldn't say it back once. That's why I ran off." Astrid's gaze fell back to her lap, unable to look him in the eyes anymore. "I don't know why I can't say it Hiccup. I just can't. But I didn't want you to think I didn't love you."

"And you thought running away from me would help me understand that?" Hiccup asked, half serious and half with a faint sarcastic quip.

"No, I know. I'm sorry." Astrid started shaking her head, still not looking at him. "That was stupid and foolish. I was upset with myself and- "

Her rambling was cut off when she felt a thumb shush her lips and another finger under her chin, gently coxing her to tilt her head back up. As she did, Astrid's eyes met Hiccups' caring gaze. Moving his hand already close to her face to cup her cheek, Hiccup spoke again. "Astrid, I told you I love you because that's how I feel. I don't want you to push yourself to say something you don't mean. That's just not you."

While Astrid agreed with what he was saying, she still couldn't ignore that he didn't deserve to be strung along in a relationship that had only a one-sided confession of love. "But…I don't want you to wait so- "

"Hey," Hiccup gently cut her off again, taking his hand off her check and placing it back on her hands in her lap, sneezing it with care. His eyes contact never breaking. And neither did hers.' "If we really are married, we have the rest of our lives together for you to tell me. I can wait," he said smiling, not just to reassure her but also from the thought of being with her for a long time. "Hearing you say those three words will be worth it." Hiccup bent his elbows, lifting their hands, holding both of hers' firmly in between his own. "And until then, I'm happy just being with you. And if you're happy, that's all I need in the meantime." His smile not faulting, Hiccup leaned forward, pressing his lips to Astrid's fingers visible from between his hands.

Pulling away and still smiling, Hiccup remained silent, awaiting the response of the young woman before him. Astrid continued to just stare at him, taking in everything he just told her. Eventually, the utter blank expression on her lips turned up into her own smile that said she understood. Her stubbornness still nagged her that she was being unfair to him, but Hiccup didn't care. All he cared about was her. He still wanted her love, and when she was ready to give it to him, he would be there to accept it with open arms.

She didn't want him to wait, but he would. For her. That was how much he loved her. Her stubbornness had no place in that.

"Hey you too," a friendly-familiar voice said from close by. Hiccup and Astrid turned their heads and saw Hiccup's good, old mentor, the village blacksmith, coming up from the stairs.

Hiccup and Astrid discreetly pulled their hands back to themselves as they saw the older man approach. "Oh, hey Gobber," Hiccup greeted his family friend.

Gobber walked away from the stairs and approached the couple. "I saw you lot fly in from the forge. Didn't expect ya coming home thou. Stoick told me he sent ya a Terror Mail just the other day. And instead of replying, ya come home. I told him you miss him as much as he misses you," he said heartily, thumping his big hand on the heir's shoulder.

"Oh, yeah. Right," Hiccup said slowly, rubbing his now sore shoulder. When he stopped, Hiccup looked back to Astrid, who looked back to him. They shared a brief conversation with their eyes before Astrid gave a slight nod. Hiccup nodded back before turning back to Gobber. "Actually, that's not exactly why we came back," he told his father's best friend.

"Well, what's going on then?" he asked curiously.

Hiccup gave a quick sigh before asking. "Gobber, do you know where my father is?"

"Well sure, he's at a meeting in the Great Hall with a few of the farmers."

"Could you do us a favor Gobber?" Hiccup asked. Not sure why the lad was being so cryptic about this request, Gobber nodded his head never the less. "Don't ask why, but I need you to go get Elvar the Harmonious, bring him to the Great Hall, and then wait there with him and my father. Tell my dad to send everyone else out," the younger man instructed.

The blacksmith looked at the two of them, puzzled and a bit concerned. "Just wait there for us. We'll be there as soon as we can," Astrid added when Gobber failed to respond in any way.

"Alright," Gobber reluctantly shrugged before making his way back down the stairs.

When the young couple heard him at least halfway down, Hiccup turned his attention back to Astrid. "I'll wait for Gothi to finish up with Bucket. You go get your parents and bring them to the Great Hall."

In the Great Hall, Hiccup paced nervously. His father, Gobber, Toothless, Gothi, and Elvar the Harmonious watched the heir walk the width of the table back and forth. The fire pit behind them, lighting the room. Waiting for, no one but Hiccup knew.

As soon as Astrid made it back to the ground from Gothi's deck, Bucket emerged out of the healer's hut, still whimpering, holding his bandaged hand to his chest. Mulch was right behind him, thanking the elder healer for her help on his way out. Then saying a quick hello to the chief's son before following his friend down the stairs.

Now that she wasn't busy, Hiccup could request Gothi's presence at the Great Hall for something important. He wouldn't say what, but the old woman agreed none the less and followed him down her stairs. Toothless was waiting for them at the bottom and followed his rider on foot.

By the time they got to the top of the Great Hall steps, the elder, heir, and dragon walked past several Vikings exiting through the giant doors on their way in. Stoick, Gobber, and Elvar alone remained inside. The first thing to come out of the chief's mouth was a hello to his son, whom he missed dearly, followed by a crushing hug. After the hug, the second thing to come out of the chief's mouth was why he was asked to cut his meeting short. Also why Gobber, Gothi, and the village officiator were present. Hiccup only said that it was very important, and private. But he also promised to explain everything as soon as a few more people arrived.

They had been waiting for almost half an hour. Stoick was getting impatient. Toothless could tell his rider was distressed again and tried to offer comfort, but Hiccup just smiled and insisted he was fine before giving him a head rub, then resumed his pacing.

Hiccup didn't know why it was taking Astrid so long to find her parents and bring them there. His mind started worrying about what might be keeping her. She wasn't supposed to tell them before they were all together, but what if her parents made her tell them? What if he was wrong about how much her parents liked him and were so mad that he married her so unlawfully that they forbade her to ever see him while they planned on annulling the marriage any way they could. Which could include killing Hiccup to make Astrid the widowed Lady Chief of the tribe.

Before the auburn heir's imagination could get any crazier from there, the group heard the doors of the Great Hall open. All eyes went to the heavy doors and saw the three Berk-resident members of house Hofferson enter and approach them.

Astrid's parents were a good-looking Viking couple. Each with different shades of blonde hair, a thick blonde beard on Mr. Hofferson. Both big and strong. Warriors that have served Berk well, protecting it from dragons and invaders. And both loving but firm parents to their only daughter.

"Good evening chief," Astrid's father, Arvid said proudly as he came over. "Our daughter told us you needed us here immediately."

"She neglected to tell us what for however," Hertha, his wife, Astrid's mother, added.

"Funny. My son neglected to tell me the exact same thing," Stoick replied, sending his son a look he only gave when he knew something was fishy.

"Gobber told me my presence was needed and he didn't specify for what either," Elvar finally spoke up in his snide voice, glancing at the blacksmith, very annoyed to be pulled away from his meal at home.

Elvar the Harmonious was a man only a few years older than Hiccup and his friends. Despite being born and raised on the barbaric island of Berk, Elvar had an air about him that made people believe he was more proper and important. Not very patient or pleasant to have over for dinner, but he was devoted and proud. A little too proud most of the time. And when he became Berk's primary officiator, that proudness only grew.

"Sorry, I was given very strict and very vague orders," Gobber said back, looking to the two who sent him on such an odd mission.

After Gobber spoke, all adult eyes in the room turned directly to the young couple, now standing side by side, Toothless behind them, both doing their best to avoid eye contact with said adults.

"Astrid, you called this meeting?" Arvid asked, surprised his daughter lied to them. His wife looking equally surprised.

"Well, Hiccup and I did," Astrid shrugged, barely meeting her father's gaze.

"I'm sorry Mr. and Mrs. Hofferson," Hiccup stepped in. "But…" he faltered when their eyes looked straight back at him. "There's been a…development?" he said, not sure about his word choice.

Astrid punched his shoulder while muttering "That's what you're gonna call it?" through clenched teeth. Hiccup shrugged awkwardly to her as he rubbed his sore shoulder.

"Hiccup," the impatient grunt of the chief spoke. Hiccup finally forced his eyes to look back at his father. "What is going on here? What is this all about?" he demanded.

Hiccup, still nervous about announcing what had happened, started to stutter from panic. "Uh, well…um. D-Dad… the thing is… I-I mean…what happened was…" Hiccup stopped when he felt a gentle hand take his, holding it reassuringly. Glancing up to her, he saw Astrid giving him a sincere grin and nod, reminding him that he wasn't alone. She was in this situation with him and she was nervous too, but she had his back. Hearing Toothless purr from behind them, Hiccup gave her hand a squeeze to let her know he understood and he had her back too. After taking a deep breathe, the heir finally blurted, "Astrid and I are married!"

The room fell silent for only a moment, shock stunning them all. And then the moment ended.

"What?!" Stoick shouted.

"What?!" Astrid's parents both shouted at the same time.

"What!?" Elvar said more outraged than the others.

"What?!" Gobber exclaimed as Gothi wrote in the dirt on the floor. Gobber looked down to read it. "Wort!" he shouted. Gothi sneered, whacking the blacksmith in the head with her staff. "Ow! Sorry," Gobber apologized before taking another look at the old women's scribbles. "What?!" he correctly exclaimed for her.

"Hiccup, how did—how is this possible?" Stoick asked, dumbstruck but not exactly mad.

The chief's son stopped holding his breath, unaware he started holding it at all, finally took in some air before going into what occurred yesterday, how they were trying to show the twins how union ceremonies are performed and how Tuffnut accidently married them. He did however leave out the part of the twins locking them in his hut and the night he and Astrid shared. Her father was standing right there, and he wanted to keep his other leg. He also didn't feel like it was the time to mention him confessing his love for their daughter just yet. Then Astrid stepped in to explain the abrasion on her arm from the new dragon they ran into during their journey back home. And she of course left out her and Hiccup's little 'alone time' before she ran off.

When they were finished, they waited in silence for their parents to say something. But Elvar beat them to it first.

"I don't know who is the bigger fool; that Tuffnut for thinking he's a real officiator, or the two of you for believing him," the not-much-older man said rudely.

Hiccup and Astrid looked at each other for a moment, thinking about what that meant for them. "So Tuff didn't take classes with you?" Hiccup asked timidly, still not sure how to feel about either possible answer.

"Oh he did," the officiator replied. The couple's eyes widened for a second before Elvar continued. "We took a course together on officiating, under my mentor, Berk's primary officiator before me, Alvis the Amorous." Hiccup remembered that man. He was Berk's officiator for almost fifty-seven years before Elvar took over just two years ago. A very good and sweet man. A true lover of love, hence his name. "Tuffnut and I were both his students. I was always attentive and on time. Tuffnut on the other hand was always late and hardly payed attention. I insisted Alvis to just drop him from his tutelage, but Alvis was a much more patient man then most, including myself. Thought the lad had potential and should still be given a chance. But it didn't matter, because by the completion of our training, only I was handed my certificate. Not long after that, Alvis 'fell off a cliff'," Elvar used air quote on those last four words, believing the rumor that Tuffnut pushed him off the very cliff where their lessons were held. "And was of course retired, so I took over as Berk's primary officiator," he said, crossing his arms with his nose in the air.

"But Tuff didn't learn under you?" Astrid asked to be sure. When Tuff said he took a course with Elvar, they assumed he meant Elvar was the one who taught him. They all figured Tuff became his student during their period of peace after defeating Dagur, while he wasn't off Loki'ing with his sister.

Elvar's eyes snapped open. "Of course not!" he said much louder. "I could hardly stand being a student alongside him, let alone being his mentor. I would have rather jumped off that very cliff myself," he ended his sentence in a huff.

Astrid turned back to Hiccup, but his eyes remained on Elvar, his thinking face on and working. The blonde Viking opened her mouth to say something but it died on her tongue as the sound of the giant front door opening directed all of their attentions to it.

"I found it!" the voice of an enthusiastic Tuffnut came from the doorway, waving a piece of parchment like a flag. Snotlout, Fishlegs, and his twin sister came in behind him.

"You what?" Hiccup asked.

The male Thorston twin approached his leader with the parchment. "I found my certificate. Look, it's signed by Elvar and everything," he said, holding it out for Hiccup to see. Hiccup took the parchment from his dreadlocked friend only to have it swiping out of his hands by his father a second later.

The chief looked over the paper carefully for a few seconds. "Tuffnut, this is a rejection letter from Elvar. Declining your request to be his student," he said sternly and a bit annoyed.

"Yes Tuffnut. This is what a real officiator's certificate looks like," Elvar chimed in with his 'superior' attitude, pulled a rolled piece of parchment from a satchel over his shoulder. Unrolling it, the officiator held it open for the twins to see; a neatly written document with his name, 'Elvar the Harmonious' at the top, and on the bottom were the approved signatures of his mentor, Alvis the Amorous, whom wrote out the certificate; the village chief, Stoick the Vast; and the village elder, Gothi.

"Oh," Ruffnut nodded her head, looking it over. "You mean something like this?" she smirked, triumphantly pulling a rolled up document from her belt and holding it in Elvar's face.

"WHAT?!" the officiator exclaimed looking at the parchment in the female twin's hands.

It was most definitely an officiator's certificate, written in Alvis's handwriting, with Tuffnut's name at the top.

"That's right. Tuff didn't need your stupid tutelage because Alvis already deemed him certified and wrote him his own certificate before he retired," Ruffnut said smugly as she let Elvar take the document to look over with his dumbstruck eyes.

"B-B-B-But…" he stuttered as he looked over the certificate in his own slightly shaking hands.

"Ha!" Tuffnut cheered. "So I am a real officiator after all!"

Hiccup and Astrid looked back at each other, shock written all over their faces, but only for a moment. The shock quickly shifted into sweet smiles and looking at the other with caring, understanding eyes, as they squeezed the hand they were still holding.

"Wait just one moment!" Elvar called attention back to him. Smiling his snarky grin, Elvar continued. "This certificate was indeed written by Alvis the Amorous himself, for Tuffnut Thorston, and is signed by Alvis for approval," he said in his pompous voice, showing everyone the document. "However, below his signature should be the signatures of the village chief and the village elder for approval as well. And look," Elvar pointed to the bottom of the sheet at Alvis's signature before trailing it down further to the space where Stoicks' and Gothis' names were meant to be. But the space under Alvis's name was blank. "All three signatures are needed for the certificate to be authentic. But with only one out of three, it is not," Elvar said smugly, handing the parchment back to Ruffnut, who snatched it away sharply, looking angry and disappointed. Tuffnut just looked disappointed. "Sorry Tuffnut, but you are no officiator. Which means these two cannot be married," he said with glee, gesturing to Hiccup and Astrid just across from him. The couple, still holding hands, just glared daggers back at him for how rude he was being.

It wasn't that Elvar didn't like Hiccup and Astrid. In truth, the saw them as the finest couple Berk could hope for, if and when they would ever get together. It was Tuffnut he couldn't stand.

The greatest honor an officiator can receive is officiating the marriage of Vikings of such high stature or nobility. And on an island like Berk, you can't get more noble than the chief's family. Alvis the Amorous had the honor of marrying Stoick and Valka, so since the day he became his protégé, Elvar has wanted the honor of officiating the marriage of the next heir. Meaning Hiccup. At first he wasn't sure if it would be much of an honor because Hiccup, despite being the chief's son, was still the village nuisance. But after he saved them all from the Red Death, brought peace between them and the dragons and became the village hero, Elvar knew Hiccup's wedding would be the grandest affair Berk had even seen.

And if he married Astrid; well, everyone was sure they would get together eventually after Hiccup woke up from his coma and Astrid kissed him in from of the whole village. And of course they knew how close they have been since then. Astrid was a great young Viking and noble warrior as well as a fantastic dragon rider. Their marriage would be a spectacle like no other.

So the honor of being their officiator must be his.

And there was no way he would lose that honor to Tuffnut.

Hiccup and Astrid looked at each other, their hands sneezing, not sure what to say. Ruffnut just looked down at her brother's incomplete certificate as Fishlegs came up from behind her and looked at it from over her shoulder.

"Actually, maybe they are," the large boy said. All eyes went to the Ingerman lad.

Elvar's face went from smug to annoyed. "What are you talking about? Did you not hear what I just said? This certificate is incomplete, therefore, your friend is not officially an officiator. And by extension, the marriage ceremony he performed yesterday for our heir and Miss Hofferson was void," he re-explained.

"Well, you're right about all of that. But there are some things you missed," Fishlegs took the certificate from Ruff and walking over to Elvar, looking a little smug now. "It's true, this certificate was written and signed by Alvis for Tuffnut to be an officiator. And of course the signed approval of the village chief and elder is necessary for him to be an official Berk officiator, thus allowing him to perform legal Viking unions here on Berk or the Island of Frigga; Berk's formal matrimonially sight," he said.

"That's right. And it doesn't, so Tuffnut isn't an official Berk officiator," Elvar said.

Fishlegs turned his head to look Elvar directly in the face. "Yes. He's not an official Berk officiator," the younger men said smartly. Everyone's eyes, especially the all the teens, grew wider. "The marriage ceremony Tuff performed yesterday wasn't held here on Berk or the Island of Frigga. It was held on Dragon's Edge; an entirely different island, not under the rule of Stoick the Vast, and where Gothi is not the elder." Elvar's eyes grew even wider, and his mouth dropped open a bit. "This certificate, while it is not approved of by any chief or elder, is still written by and signed with the approval of a real and experienced officiator. Without the signatures of the chief and elder, Tuffnut cannot perform legal Viking unions on Berk or the Island of Frigga. However, Dragon's Edge is an island all its own," Fishlegs explained proudly. He didn't call himself an expert on Viking unions for nothing.

"But-But that doesn't count," Elvar said, still trying to defend that Tuff didn't really marry the heir before he could. "Dragon's Edge is a wild little campground, with no written laws or political order. This can't possibly be legal," he said rudely. Everyone, especially the riders, all made faces at hearing him talk about their outpost like that.

"Actually Elvar, it neither proves nor disproves whether it counts or not," Stoick countered. While the chief wasn't crazy about his son getting married so suddenly, he would support them if this was indeed what Hiccup and Astrid wanted for themselves. He knew of course how close they were so he understood if they wanted to stay together. They were old enough. Plus, he felt the need to stand up for Tuffnut a bit. Not just because he was Hiccup's friend, but even he knew Elvar was being an ass about their current conundrum.

"So what does that mean? Hiccup and Astrid are only married on Dragon's Edge?" Snotlout chimed in, half joking but also curious, leaning against a table with his arms crossed.

Stoick actually thought on the notion for a moment before responding. "I honestly don't know. It's your island. The certificate makes Tuffnut an officiator. He might not be able to perform legal union ceremonies here on Berk or the Island of Frigga, but how that applies to Dragon's Edge… I have no idea," he admitted to the riders.

"So what? Tuffnut can just perform unions on any island out in the wild as long as it has no chief or elder?" Elvar cried out. "The chief and elder make it law bending. If there are no laws to bend to, there cannot be a marriage!"

"Oh come off it Elvar," Gobber said gruffly to the rude officiator, who was sounding more desperate by the minute. "We all know you're just sore 'cause now you know Tuffnut has been an officiator all along, and that he officiated the pride of Berk before you could," he said bluntly. Everyone in the room just stared at the blacksmith, both surprised and glad someone said it out loud. Elvar's face just looked more red with anger. "That's right. I said it. Someone had to."

"And it's not like we have no order at all on Dragon's Edge. We have rules and guidelines to live by. We all have duties, responsibilities," Fishlegs listed of. "and Hiccup is our leader."

"And he was the groom. So if Hiccup approves then that's got to be as good as a chief's approval," Tuffnut added with optimism.

"Hiccup is the leader of five dragon riders. He is not a chief yet. He has no authority to approve a legal union!" Elvar argued back. But after taking a deep breathe, his mood visibly shifted to his usual arrogant but calmer self. The officiator looked to the chief and Astrid's parents. "However, since we are all gathered here, just to clear away any lingering confusion, as a legally approved officiator, I of course could perform a real, legal union ceremony right here and now for the happy couple," he said smirking a little too big.

"Say what!?" the twins exclaimed at the same time. Everyone else just exchanged looks, knowing that was a beyond absurd solution.

Elvar straightened out his coat, standing tall with his chin snobbishly high as he stepped forward. "We're all here together on Berk soil; the chief, the elder, the bride's parents, and of course an official Berk officiator," he said the last one sneering irrelatively at Tuffnut. Both the male twin and his sister still loyally beside him, sneered back. "So let the pride of Berk and his bride step forth and-" Elvar said grandly, gesturing to where the heir, his lady and his dragon had been, only to stop his sentence when discovering that the two young Vikings and Night Fury were no longer there.

"Where did they go?" Gobber asked. He and everyone else looked all around the room to see if they had moved, but the three were nowhere to be found.

All but Ruffnut, who simply shrugged with a poorly concealed smirk on her lips.

On the far side of Berk, a Night Fury landed on a cliff that faced the ocean and away from view of the village. The sun had set and the moon was just coming out, all full and glowing, casting shadows on the land below. Two figures dismounted the dragon and walked hand-in-hand to the edge of the cliff.

The arguments that broke out in the Great Hall after the others came in with Tuff's certificate prevented Hiccup and Astrid from getting any word into what they thought. It was only a matter of time before someone would suggest something truly ridiculous. Like have Elvar re-officiate them right there in the Great Hall. So while Gobber was yelling about Elvar's sneaky desire to be their officiator, they decided not to stick around any longer.

During all the hoo-ha, Hiccup nudged Astrid to hide with him behind Toothless's wings as the dragon generously backed them away from the group and toward the doors. The only one paying the least amount of attention to the main conversation was Ruffnut. She stayed quiet as she saw them moving away, and looked at them surprised that no one else had noticed. The young couple were for a minute worried she would say something to the others and foal their escape. But Ruff gave them a small smile, not to obvious, as she inconspicuously tilted her head towards the door while pretending to scratch an itch on her neck. And just like back on the other island when she got rid of the others for them, she gave them a wink.

The two Vikings gave her a grateful nod before letting Toothless sneak them the rest of the way out of the hall. The loud voices of their family, friends, and Elvar masked the sound of the giant doors as they left without anyone but Ruffnut noticing a thing. And as soon as they were outside in the early evening, they both jumped onto Toothless's back and took off.

Hiccup and Astrid sat with their legs hanging off the edge of the cliff, just staring out at the horizon. After a few minutes of silence, Hiccup finally turned his head to look at the young women to his left. Her eyes firmly on the water below.

They hadn't said a word to each other during the whole ride to the cliffs. He didn't know what she thought about what they had seen and heard in the hall, and he didn't know what to say. She didn't protest in him bringing her there, so at least there was that.

And now that they were alone together again, things needed to be said. And even more questions to be considered.

What did this mean for them?

Tuffnut wasn't a Berk officiator, but could a ceremony on Dragon's Edge be legal?

Were they married or not? They still did not know.

They thought after coming home they would find out for sure, but now they were more uncertain than yesterday.

As Hiccup looked from Astrid back to the sea, he felt a great sense of déjà vu. It was just like last night in his hut. They sat next to each other, looking at something beautiful in front of them to distract them from the other because they didn't know how to start talking about their situation.

So like last night, someone had to break the ice or they'd never get anywhere.

"That was interesting," he said goofily, hoping to get a smile from her serious face.

To his joy, Astrid did smirk. "At least neither of my parents tried to kill you," she replied good-naturedly as she turned to face him. Hiccup chuckled with her. After that died down, their silence was not so thick with uneasiness. And then Astrid decided to start the real conversation. "So what do you think?"

Hiccup thought for a moment before replying. "I think my dad really doesn't know how or if what Tuffnut did was real. Thor, I'm not even sure," he said very at odds. "I mean," Hiccup paused to rub a hand over his face in frustration. "he's an officiator but he's not. And all that talk about Dragon's Edge not having any laws," he ranted. "Does it count?" he asked her directly before resting his face in his hand.

"Maybe Snotlout was right. Maybe we're only married if we're on Dragon's Edge," Astrid said mostly as a joke, but the statement did make a bit of sense; to both her and her supposed betrothed.

Hiccup turned his face back to Astrid, who was still looking at him. "So what? We never go back and we can just pretend none of it ever happened?" he said humorously, but fairy dry.

"Hiccup, you know neither of us can pretend yesterday never happened," she told him truthfully. Astrid shuffled her hand on the ground closer to Hiccups', placing it on top of his. "Not any of it," she shook her head, looking him straight in the eyes and he into hers.'

"I certainly couldn't," Hiccup said back. Hiccup looked down at her hand touching his. Slowly, Hiccup turned his hand over to hold hers' gently. Looking back up to her face, he continued to speak. "Astrid, I still meant what I said earlier today, back on the other island," he said honestly. "And please don't run away again," he said jokingly, which caused both him and Astrid to smile a bit. "I love you, whether we're married or not," he repeated. And this time, Astrid felt like being nowhere else but right there with him. Her hand in his. "I don't care if they want us to forget what Tuff said and what we did yesterday, or want Elvar to perform another ceremony for us so it's… more official, I guess. I don't care about what they think, all I care about is what we think. What we want to do."

Astrid just stared at him, thinking over everything he said, what they learned that day, processing what she had been thinking. Then out of nowhere, the blonde young women let out a frustrated groan, followed by throwing her arms around Hiccup's middle and squishing her cheek to his collar bone. Hiccup was stunned for a moment and thought he would fall back from the force, but when he found his bearings, he wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her back tenderly. She was frustrated and so was him. They both needed a hug.

His riding leather felt cold from the night air, but Astrid hardly noticed. All she felt was warmth and comfort in Hiccup's arms. Taking a breath to calm herself, the sound of Hiccup's heart beat right next to her ear helping even more, Astrid spoke. "I don't want to pretend it never happened or forget everything we did and said, I just want…"

Astrid stopped herself as she recalled everything that occurred back on Gothi's deck. Everything he said to her last night in his hut. Everything she felt when he touched, held, or kissed her, and even just him looking at her or saying her name.

She felt that this whole time. Maybe even longer, but she didn't know for sure what it was. But now, thanks to Hiccup, her Hiccup, she knew. She finally knew.

Hiccup wasn't sure what to think when Astrid stopped talking mid-sentence, but he figured she was just calming the storm in her mind before speaking to him. Then before he knew it, Astrid started to pull away from him. Not by much, just enough to look him straight in the face, her arm with the bandage still around him and her left hand now resting on his arm.

The look in her eyes was calm and sweet. And Hiccups' were calm but longing. "Hiccup, remember what you said the other night, about us being together because we want to be?" she asked him. Hiccup remembered. He had told her there was nothing he wanted more than to be with her. But she hadn't said the same to him. "Hiccup, I want to be with you," she said tenderly. Hiccup smiled as her hand on his arm traveled up his body and cupped his cheek. Hiccup closed his eyes and leaned into her hand. "Because I love you."

Hiccup's eyes snapped open and straightened his neck so quick it was like lightning had struck in the clear night.

Astrid was startled for a moment, her hand dropping to his shoulder, but she replaced her smile, still genuine, for him. She would have told him back on Gothi's deck if Gobber had given them less than another minute. If she had been able to get a word in back at the Great Hall, she would have blurted it out to him right there. But this was better. She just wanted to share it with Hiccup. It was all so new to her and she just wanted him to herself for now.

Astrid waited patiently for Hiccup to reply, or react in anyway besides just blinking at her. And before she could try and ask him if he was okay, the auburn-haired heir's lips slowly broke into a smile, getting bigger and bigger with every passing second. "I love you too," he said back. Astrid smiled even wider, happy beyond words to hear him say that to her again. Astrid was so happy she let out a small laugh before pulling his shoulders in closer and catching his lips with hers.' It was gentle, yet completely passionate, but only lasted a few seconds. When Hiccup pulled away, he immediately pulled Astrid back to him for another caring hug, this time her head resting on his shoulder. Astrid hugged him back. "But Astrid," Hiccup said after a few minutes of just them holding each other. The two pulled apart just enough to look each other in the eyes. "I'm not-I'm not ready to-" Hiccup stuttered, but the women who holds his heart understood.

She chuckled, putting a finger to his lips, stopping his stuttered words. "I know. I'm not either," she said with a subtle shake of her head. Astrid removed her finger from his mouth and moved it to card all her fingers in his soft auburn hair. "But I am ready to just be here, with you." Hiccup smiled back, never getting tired of feeling her hands in his hair.

Hiccup leaned his head in and touched his forehead to Astrid's. Both closed their eyes, just savoring the moment.

When they finally pulled back, Astrid crawled into Hiccup's lap, sitting on his legs with both her legs curled up on his right side. Hiccup held her close as she rested her head on his shoulder, one of her hands held by his in her lap. Hiccup breathed in the scent of Astrid's head of golden hair before giving the top of it a kiss. The two young adult Vikings continued to snuggle as they looked at the moon over the ocean, its majestic glow making the sea sparkle and shine.

Marriage could be considered some other day. The close future, distance future, maybe not even till Hiccup becomes chief, but they were open to it. More open than ever before.

For the moment, being together was all that mattered. Being there for each other, and making each other happy.

But if and when the day finally came, it would be on their terms, on their land, and because they wanted it and were ready for it.

As for the officiator… definitely not Elvar. Maybe Tuffnut. If he can get Stoick and Gothi to sign his certificate. They'll think about it.

Officially married or not, Hiccup and Astrid's love for each other was all the officiating they needed.

I know a few of u wanted me to have Tuffnut officially an officiator so Hiccup and Astrid would really be married in the end (unlike the real episode where Fishlegs and Ruff turned out to not actually be married). But that was not my plan.

My original plan was just going to be Tuffnut not having earned his certificate at all, and then Hiccup and Astrid feel awkward about that they had to face all these feelings for each other only for them not to be married, eventually leading to the cliff scene at the end.

But then I had the best stoke of genius.

I already planned how an officiator's certificate in my story is supposed to be filled out (just like in the story), and the idea hit me for Tuff's to be incomplete, so it was unclear if they really were married.

I wanted to stick with the actual story line; so I didn't want them to be married yet, but still get together as a couple in the end, but I sorta didn't want to ignore the people who were requesting that Tuff really did earn his certificate.

So yeah, I thought it was good compromise. And I actually thought it was better for the story than my original plan anyways.

I hope u liked this. I enjoyed writing this whole story very much. But now I'm just glad it's done and I can start something new. I have so many ideas, I'm not sure which to do next, yet.

I am very proud of this story. Not just because it has the most reviews, favorites, and follows of all my stories here, but also because of how I tied together an actual episode with my own personal twists and spins.

Please review and favorite, thanks for reading. Long live Hiccstrid!