Astrid's hangover lasted until the afternoon, long after her friends had left her to sleep it off. Ingrid had been sympathetic because talking to her friends had confirmed that Astrid had been an innocent party in the whole affair...while Hiccup had ended up as her knight in shining armour. When he had limped downstairs, still supporting his painful ribs, both Astrid's parents had thanked him warmly and made sure he had a good breakfast and some decent painkillers to help him after his ordeals.

Blushing, he had mumbled that it had been nothing and had swiftly gone out to see Toothless, who had been overjoyed to see his friend. The skinny black dog had bounced and raced around and Stormfly had been almost as bad...so the boy had taken them both out for a walk, wrapped up warm and gritting his teeth as they pulled on the leads. He was very bruised and sore but both needed a good walk and Astrid was out of the picture. So he walked them carefully to the park, wincing as Stormfly pulled and jerked on his broken ribs before they got to the park. There, he let them off the leash and allowed them to race and play for a while as he watched them and caught his breath.

In a way, he was relieved because at least Astrid's friends knew and she wouldn't feel so bad about bitching about him at school. He hated it-but it was making Astrid uncomfortable and he hoped that would stop. He sighed and scuffed his boot in the snow: he wasn't naive enough to imagine they would give him the time of day any more than they had on Friday. And then he glanced up and saw Savage and Dagur walking towards the playground. He ducked down...and then his head snapped round as he heard a familiar voice behind him.

"What are you doing down there?" Fishlegs asked. Hiccup overbalanced and ended sitting in the snow, staring up at the husky boy. He sighed and his shoulders sagged.

"Avoiding Dagur and Savage," he admitted. Fishlegs frowned.

"Why?"

"They don't like me," Hiccup admitted. "And after last night, not really up to dealing with them..."

"Well, they're heading this way now..." the bigger boy told him and Hiccup groaned.

"Thank you, Thor," he sighed. "Like my life wasn't complicated enough..."

"Fish-man...what are you..." Savage called and then he paused, his mean eyes narrowing as he saw the sprawled shape. "Ah-hah! You've found us a little fun..." Hiccup scrambled to his feet, backing away.

"C'mon, guys!" he protested. "I'm just sitting here in the public park...I have every right to be here..."

"Not if we say you don't!" Dagur threatened him. "Now where's your damned dog?" Hiccup blinked.

"Dog? Dog? I don't have a..." he began as barks grew closer and Toothless and Stormfly raced up and began bouncing around him. "Okay, I may have a dog I'm walking...or two..." he rambled. "Not that it is actually any business of yours..." Dagur immediately lurched forward...but both dogs growled, teeth bared and backs arched in protection of the battered auburn-haired boy. Savage backed up a couple of steps.

"Er...Dagur...this isn't the best idea..." he suggested as the other boy scowled.

"Call them off!" he protested as the dogs advanced. Hiccup shrugged.

"Maybe you should I don't know... GO AWAY..." he said firmly. Toothless growled louder and advanced. "Now?" Hiccup said and they backed away, then turned and ran. Toothless barked but didn't leave his master's side. Hiccup grabbed his collar and scratched his head affectionately as Stormfly zoomed around...then returned to him.

"They're both yours?" Fishlegs asked curiously. Hiccup gave a wry smile.

"Um...no..." he murmured. "Toothless is mine..." He gestured to the elegant Berkhound. "Stormfly is Astrid's dog..."

"Astrid's?" Fishlegs gaped in shock. Hiccup sighed.

"Yeah...I...um...don't live far from her and I sorta saw how wasted she was so I offered to take Stormfly for a walk..." he admitted, deftly clipping the leash to her collar again.

"She's beautiful," Fishlegs commented and offered the dog his hand to sniff.

"Just like her owner," Hiccup added softly. Then Fishlegs whistled and a squat brown dog waddled up, tongue hanging out of the wide mouth.

"This is Meatlug, my British Bulldog," he said proudly, dropping to a crouch and fussing the dog happily. "Who's a beautiful girl then? Yes you are. Yes you are!" Hiccup couldn't help smiling at the husky boy's enthusiasm and obvious love for his dog.

"She's very cute," he said as Fishlegs scratched the dog's jowls happily. The bigger boy grinned and looked up at Hiccup.

"Shall we walk them together?" he asked hopefully. "Most people don't like Meatlug...I mean, she's not very fast but she is really friendly..."

"Hey, I'm easy," Hiccup said amiably. "I mean, Toothless is hardly a pedigree either..." Fishlegs got up and Meatlug scurried ahead, pulling on her lead.

"By the way, what you did for Astrid was very brave," the bigger boy said. Hiccup glanced at him and looked self-conscious.

"Anyone would've done it," he said quickly.

"No-most people wouldn't," Fishlegs mused. "It was brave and very thoughtful, to risk being hurt for someone who really doesn't like you. You're a lot smarter than you let on. I think you're misjudged a lot." Hiccup shrugged.

"Thanks...I think..." he mumbled. Fishlegs offered his hand.

"Friends?" he suggested and Hiccup stared at the hand in silent shock. Then he nodded and clasped the hand gratefully.

"Friends," he agreed.

oOo

When Astrid woke, it was after lunch and her head was feeling a lot better. She swiftly showered and dressed, then went downstairs to find her mother cooking jam. She paused at the kitchen door, then walked in and gave an aimless stir. Ingrid glanced up and smiled.

"Head any better?" she asked. Astrid smiled and poured herself a glass of juice.

"Loads, thanks," she mumbled. "Mom-do people actually enjoy this?" Ingrid smiled as she adjusted the temperature and gave another stir.

"Drinking, yes usually. Hangover-not so much," she admitted. "And you were very drunk, my dear. You were very lucky that someone was looking out for you." Astrid blushed, shaking out a bowl of breakfast cereal.

"Um...he does that a lot," she admitted. Ingrid sat down and stared at the girl.

"You know, I heard your friends, Astrid," she said thoughtfully. "You haven't been treating him well, have you?" She sighed and took a mouthful of cereal then chewed furiously.

"It's so hard," she admitted. "I mean...he's a total loser. Everyone hates him. And saying he was my friend would mean all those people would start being hateful to me as well..." Ingrid's eyes cooled.

"Of course, you have to do what you feel is right," Ingrid sighed, "but he has lost his home, his mother and he's clearly been treated very badly. But he protected you when you needed it. Surely that must be worth treating him like a human being?" Astrid sighed.

"It should be easier now the girls know," she mumbled.

"But if they said something cruel about Hiccup in school, you would just agree, wouldn't you?" her mother guessed. Astrid nodded.

"I need to stay popular," she reminded her mother. "I am Class President. People look to me. And..."

"And none of that matters if you would treat someone you know badly for the sake of being liked by people you despise," Ingrid told her. Astrid dropped her spoon.

"I don't..."

"Lilah? Savannah?" Ingrid asked pointedly.

"Well, they're pretty bitchy..." Astrid admitted. Ingrid sighed.

"Obviously, you must live your own life...but maybe you should consider this," her mother said thoughtfully. "We gave Hiccup a home here at your request. He has helped you with your revision, he walks to a different bus stop to conceal your kindness and spare your popularity, he takes the abuse you and your friends give him without a word, he has rescued you from that situation on Friday...when he was clearly badly hurt in the process. And he's even taken your dog for a walk. So what have you, Astrid, yourself actually done for him in return?"