The cast and crutches went at the beginning of February and Hiccup resumed walking, initially with one arm-crutch to help him but he shed it after three days and limped around the school, glad to be back on his feet and marginally less obvious. But only marginally...because he was Astrid Hofferson's boyfriend, friend of the Football Team and the boy who got the Principal suspended.

Mr Grimborn was reinstated after two weeks but his marks were subject to external scrutiny. Astrid and Hiccup were readmitted to Viking History but both were very wary in his presence and carefully sat together at the back, as far as they could get from the sinister man. For some reason, Mildew hadn't been suspended but the older man knew he was subject to scrutiny as well and was contenting himself with extremely sarcastic remarks. An interim external Principal, Mr Johann, had been appointed and suddenly school was not such a terrifying place for the auburn-haired boy. Hiccup was back working with Gobber and the man was grateful his best worker was back. Eret had been rehired while Hiccup was injured and had accepted that the auburn-haired boy was a much better mechanic than he was, so he had admitted he was willing to learn from Hiccup and improve his own skills.

They still travelled from home to School with Snotlout because the boy was still worried about any lingering bad feeling towards the former bad boy...and he secretly liked having company on the journey. Astrid hadn't complained because Snotlout had stopped hitting on her and accepted that she was in a relationship with Hiccup. And Hiccup was wracking his brains to try to find the perfect Valentine's gift for his girlfriend, though lack of funds and even greater lack of access to shops was hampering him. He had finally managed to nip in to the Mall and finally found a lovely bracelet of two fine interlinked chains interspersed with hearts that he had just afforded, then walked home. It was two days to go and he had his handmade Valentine's card already painted and ready for the girl he loved.

The next day, he was at School when his phone buzzed and he frowned, seeing the number for the hospital. He glanced up, then dashed for the door. It was two minutes to the end of English and Mr Larson had already told them their homework. Breathing hard, he thumbed the phone to accept the call and leaned against the wall outside the door. It was an unfamiliar woman's voice.

"Hiccup Haddock?"

He swallowed and nodded.

"Um, yeah...that's me," he replied, very wary.

"I am ringing on behalf of a Mrs Valka Treacher. I believe she is your mother?" He nodded dumbly...then realised she couldn't see him.

"Um...yeah?" he managed. His heart was hammering in his chest and there was a horrible sick feeling tumbling in the pit of his stomach. It was suddenly very hard to breathe.

"I regret to tell you Mrs Treacher is critically ill on the ICU. She is asking for you."

He felt the world spinning.

"How-how is she?" he asked, breathless.

"She is critically ill," the woman repeated. "She...doesn't have much time..."

She rang off as the bell rang, the corridor exploding into noise and students pushing roughly past the motionless Hiccup. Numb, shocked, he went back into the class and grabbed his bag. Mr Larson called him and he numbly stood there, his head down, taking the scolding for running out of class. The man finally asked him what was so important and the boy lifted his head, desolate emerald eyes meeting the scornful expression.

"My mother is dying in Berk General," he said and left before the teacher could splutter a single word of apology or of empty platitude. He headed towards his locker, grabbing his coat and things and heading out. He grabbed his phone and texted Astrid and his friends, letting them know where he would be. He asked Astrid to let her parents know as he walked out into the freezing day and set out to walk to the hospital.

He was frozen, his face numb and leg aching fiercely as he reached the building and headed to the familiar surroundings. He nodded to a couple of nurses there he knew from his own stay, then reported anxiously at the desk.

"I-I've come to see Mrs Valka Treacher...I'm her son," he murmured. The Nurse-Lyndsay-pointed to a side-room.

"Her husband is with her," she told him. He paused and his eyes hardened.

"Can you at least tell me what's wrong with her?" he asked directly. "I know about her lung and heart conditions." A different, older nurse nodded.

"It seems she's not been attending her appointments and stopped her steroids over a year and a half ago," she began. Hiccup nodded.

"Al doesn't like them," he murmured.

"Her respiratory function has really deteriorated...but it seems the pregnancy has really put a severe strain on her..."

Hiccup stared at her in utter horror, his mind reeling.

"P-pregnancy?" he mumbled, eyes stricken. "Oh Thor...please no..." The Nurse looked at him very closely, reading his distress and shock.

"I take it you didn't know the happy news," she said to him sympathetically. He shook his head, his face bitter.

"How far?" he asked desperately. She couldn't...she knew...and yet he had persuaded her...and killed her...

"Three months," the Nurse told him, her hand resting gently on his shoulder. "I know it can be a surprise because she is much older and there is a big gap..."

"Look, I know her heart condition means that she was told never to get pregnant after me," Hiccup said in a low voice. "She has pulmonary hypertension and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. She nearly died with me...and she was younger and the damage was so much less eighteen years ago. Why on Midgard would she ignore what she knew unless..." His head turned to glare at the door. "Alvin..." His voice dropped to a growl. The Nurse grabbed him.

"If you cause any trouble, you'll be escorted away by security and you'll never see her," she warned him in a low voice. "But she gave this to the nurse and begged her to phone for you when her husband had stepped out to go to the bathroom. She had been ill for days but he only brought her in when she collapsed. He spoke for her all the time and was very reluctant to let the doctors ask her any questions or run any tests." She paused and searched his face. "She's an abused spouse, isn't she?"

Hiccup stared at the little drawing he had made of the former happy family and given to her at Thanksgiving, staring at the images of his parents as he had remembered them...and his cell number on the bottom. She hadn't called him before, she had denied him before, she had even disowned him when he had finally come clean about the abuse he had suffered...but she knew...there was no more time. She was dying...and she knew it. She needed him. He nodded.

"I just want to see her," he said tonelessly. "I need to see her."

"Well, she asked for you...and I'll come with you," the Nurse offered. Her name was Gerda, the same name as his favourite Elementary School Teacher and he managed the flicker of a smile as she led him to the room. She gently opened the door to see the shape of Valka lying there, a mask delivering high doses of oxygen to her failing lungs, drips and medicines attached to both arms and a drip in her neck. The huge shape of Alvin was hunched at her side. He looked up and leapt to his feet as Hiccup appeared behind Nurse Gerda.

"Get 'im outta 'ere!" he shouted. "E ain't welcome 'ere!"

"Hiccup..." Valka's voice was broken, almost inaudible and Alvin turned on her in an instant.

"We agreed yer weren't ter see 'im again!" he snarled. She looked past him at the tall, lean shape of her only son, her eyes filling with relief.

"I want my son," she said. Alvin glared at her.

"Yer stupid cow!" he shouted. "Yer think yer can defy me? Yer'll be sorry..."

"Good," Valka breathed, brave now she had nothing left to lose. "Now leave us..." Alvin stormed out, casting Hiccup such a deeply menacing look that the boy cringed back, curling to protect his head from the man who had abused him for years. But the man swept past and the door slammed, leaving the boy and his mother. There was a long pause and she gathered herself.

"I'm sorry," she breathed. He raced forward, flinging himself into the chair and burying his face on her hand.

"Mom," he breathed raggedly, his shoulders shaking. "I'm so sorry...I should have tried harder...this was all my fault..."

"Hiccup...how...could this be your fault?" she asked, her hand weakly stroking his hair as she always had when he had been younger. "I made the choice...I was the one who was weak..."

"Oh no, Mom," he whispered, swiping tears from his face. "I was weak...I c-couldn't stick it out...Dad would have been ashamed..." Her icy hand stroked his cheek, feeling the moisture.

"You were so brave..." she murmured. "So like your father. I still miss him...and you stayed with me until you were sent away. I-I was a coward because I chose him over you...I should have trusted you, Hiccup."

"No, I'm just a trouble-maker...worthless..." he mumbled, holding her hand against his face. Her lips were blue and she was struggling to speak.

"I am so...proud of you...you'll be...fine man...and I hope...your girl will be there to look after you...because I won't be there..."

"Don't-don't say that!" he said sharply. "You'll beat this. You'll get better...and then we can get you away from Alvin...we can live together...I can support you...I'm not afraid of hard work, Mom...and I'll work every hour Odin sends to keep you safe and well..."

She blinked, her lips ghosting a smile.

"I am so proud," she murmured, beckoning him to kiss her. Her lips were icy. "Would...you have liked a brother or sister...?" He shook his head, quietly.

"I just wanted my Mom..." he said gently.

"I love you," she said haltingly. "I love you, Stoick...I've missed you so much..." Her eyes started to flutter closed. He took her hand and kissed it, settling in the chair.

"You take a nap if you need one, Mom," he said gently. "I'll be here for you. I'll always be here for you."

oOo

The gang arrived a little later, frantically searching for their friend. Astrid and Heather went to the desk, asking where Hiccup was...but as they asked, he emerged from a side-room, his head down. He was walking woodenly, his breathing ragged. Astrid stared at him, then cast Heather a warning glance. Slowly, she approached him as Heather made shushing gestures to the others. Hiccup didn't even notice when Astrid walked up to him until she gently stroked his arms. He blinked and lifted his face, his cheeks streaked with tears, eyes lost.

"Hiccup?" she asked him. He swallowed then shook his head.

"They...they couldn't save her..." he whispered.

"What?" Astrid's face was utterly shocked. He swallowed to try to speak.

"She-she's dead," he managed before his words cracked into choking sobs. Astrid hugged him and he buried his face in her shoulder, his arms clinging desperately to her. A hand stroked his tousled head as he clung to her. And her heart broke for him...because no matter what she had said and done to him, Hiccup had still loved his Mom. And her loss had completely broken his heart.