Dragons: The New Chief

Chapter 27: Moving In

"Where have you been young lady?" Finn demanded, looking down to a guilty looking Astrid, who was seated on the couch in their den.

She had arrived home only minutes ago to see her uncle going out of his mind, wondering where she was. He had been pacing the whole time she was home, she thought he was going to wear a hole in the floor.

"I was..."

"No." Finn said, waving one of his hands at her. The other was placed firmly to his forehead as stopped pacing in front of her. "It doesn't matter. You may be 20 years old and engaged, but that doesn't give you the right to go wandering off at midnight without leaving even a note!" He huffed and turned to her with loving eyes. "I promised your parents I would take care of you, and I think i've done an okay job so far, but you going missing isn't very good." He knelt down and grabbed her hands that were in her lap, holding them tightly. "Where you with Hiccup?"
She nodded.

Finn looked away. "I thought you would be, so I went over to the Haddock house. When I got there, Valka answered the door and said you weren't there...and neither was Hiccup. She was relaxed, but I couldn't help but worry."

Astrid rubbed her thumb across the back of his hand. "I couldn't sleep...neither could Hiccup. I found him in the cove after checking at his house, so I stayed with him. But there is something that I want to talk to you about something that happened down there."

With a monotone face staring at Astrid, Finn got up and sat beside her. She laughed internally, knowing what he was thinking.

She smiled softly. "Hiccup wants me to move in with him and his mother now. He's been feeling really guilty about the flower incident and wants to make sure i'm okay."

Finn took his hands away from hers, taking a deep breath. "Does he not think I can take care of you? Or you can take care of yourself?"

Astrid giggled. "Do you think I can take care of myself? If you did then you wouldn't have been so worried, but it's not that he doesn't think you can't take care of me." She said, stroking his blond hair. "He just wants to keep me close and we both sleep better when we're together..."

Her uncle sat back. "When?" He asked, turning to her.

"Today."

Finn sighed. "So my little girl will be leaving the nest sooner than I thought."

Astrid's eyes widened. "Does that mean?"

Finn nodded. "Yes, I'm fine with it. You are 20 years old for Thor's sake."

They laughed.

"Thank you uncle." Astrid pulled him in for a hug.

He pulled away, standing up while brushing away a stray tear. "But only under one condition."

"Anything." Astrid nodded.

"You have to stay with tradition an stay here the night before your wedding."

Astrid nodded, way to enthused. "Done."

Finn smiled and helped her stand. "You better go get packing then."

"I'm waiting on Hiccup though, he wants to ask his mother as well."

Finn smirked. "You know what that answer will be...is it even a question?"

Astrid giggled. "I know."

She took off upstairs to her room and began to collect her clothes from her dresser. Slowly but surely, her room began to look more empty as she made her way around it, taking drawings down, her weapons and shields, and other things as well. The whole time, Finn watched carefully as his niece packed her things and readied herself to leave. It pained him to see her go, he had raised her since the age of 3. She was his only family since her parents disappearance, for 17 years all they had was each other.