I am so sorry that I could not get one more update in during June! (If you don't read my other stories or follow my Twitter and didn't know) I got pretty sick right after I last updated this story and I couldn't get on the laptop. Literally, all I wanted to do was sleep. I'm better now though, so I'm trying to catch up on all the updates that I've missed giving you all.

By the way…the new season of the TV series…yeah, that messed with everything I had planned for this story, so…I'm going to proceed from here as if Race to the Edge doesn't happen. If you've seen it, you know what I mean.

Review Replies:

Braggy: Thanks. I'm sorry to make you wait, but here's the next chapter.

Litwick723: Well, they won't right away, but there are plans for children in the future.

Spartan10007: Yeah…tell me about it. Haha. Here's the next chapter.

Pegueng: I can say that there is dragon training/taming in the mix for the near future.

Guest (anonymous): She is nice in this story. There's no rivalry between her and Astrid here…at least, not yet…

Cottonmouth25: Well, she is kinda like the assistant—by helping out her father. I can foresee some forge scenes possibly coming up soon.

ladipretender: Thanks for the positive words! There's so much I'd love to add to this reply, but everyone wants to read the chapter, so I'll keep it brief. Haha. Anyway…I hadn't thought about names, but I suppose I should get on that because, as you guessed, they will be pretty central to the story. I'm sorry to keep you waiting. As I said, I was kinda sick, but it's all good and the chapter is here!

Gordon519: Nope. No injuries. I guess I could've made that a bit clearer. Also, it's okay to ask! That's one of the reasons why I answer reviews in each chapter.

NomomoCutieXD: I agree. There aren't a lot of Heather stories out there and I'd been wanting to write one even before this idea was handed to me.

Noctus Fury (anonymous): Well, you did give me the initial challenge. I'm just writing out the ideas and putting words to the scenes. Anyway, to answer the questions… Names—still working on that. Any suggestions? Looks—just like they did in Heather Report Part 2 (As I said, I'm ignoring Race to the Edge for this story). Does Heather take after her mother or father? Well, we'll see how I envision that, but what I'll say now is both. Mostly her father with the blacksmithing, though. She doesn't seem like she'd have quite enough patience to be a healer. Heather's eye color? I'm going with green. I always thought her eyes looked like a deep rich shade of green. Race to the Edge was pretty great. I didn't think I would see it since I don't have Netflix, but I found a way…like always (perfectly legal—no downloading, mind you!). My first thought was literally…"Gods, now that's going to mess with the storyline of 'Flame'." Not even kidding. Haha.

Flameo Hotman (anonymous): Thanks! I'm glad that you like it.


Chapter 9: Family Discussion

Hiccup slowly returned to consciousness but something didn't feel right. Before he'd even opened his eyes, Hiccup could smell scents that he didn't recognize. This doesn't smell like my room at home. Come to think of it. This bed doesn't feel like mine either. Opening his eyes, it took a moment for Hiccup to remember that he was, indeed, not in his room over on Berk. Pushing himself up onto his elbows quickly, Hiccup looked around and the memories returned.

Hearing a soft laugh, Hiccup turned back to see Heather standing in the doorway of the room. "You must have been sleeping very deeply."

"Yeah…I suppose so," Hiccup answered, his hand moving automatically to rub the hairs on the back of his neck. This habit was one he did unconsciously whenever he was nervous. He didn't know why he felt nervous, though; Heather had already shown to be an understanding and gentle person.

"Well, when you've fully woken, why don't you come join us for dinner?" Heather invited. "My mother is an excellent cook…in addition to her amazing skills as a healer."

Heather made to leave again, but Hiccup stopped her. "Wait, Heather?" When Hiccup had her attention, he continued, "H-How did you end up on Outcast Island?" He had been interested to know the answer ever since he'd met Heather, but had been too nervous until now to ask.

"Oh, that…" Heather stepped back into the room so that she could face Hiccup. "I was out in the woods here on the island. I was collecting herbs for my mother." Heather looked away. "They came up behind me. There were maybe two or three. They grabbed me before I even knew they were behind me. I was unarmed because…well, you've seen the woods. The woods here are usually a peaceful place…other than the dragons. Regardless, I couldn't fight them off. They were trained and strong. There was nothing I could do. They restrained me and forced me back to their island."

Hiccup shifted his focus down to the bed. He could feel his anger for the Outcasts rising. What horrible people! Kidnapping an innocent girl just so they could take turns ravaging her!

"It's okay, though," Heather finished. "You came and saved me from them and the horrible things they wanted to do. Everything is fine." She smiled then, as if remembering Hiccup's heroicness. "I'll see you at dinner, okay?"

Heather left then and Hiccup stood up from the bed. He stretched and looked toward the doorway. He could hear muffled talking and the sounds of wooden utensils scraping upon wooden plates. Again, Hiccup felt nervous. Even though Heather had invited him to eat dinner with her and her parents, Hiccup still worried. Back on Berk, mealtime was not often a pleasant time…at least, not for Hiccup. Most nights, Hiccup had eaten by himself in the Great Hall. Alone at one of the many tables but surrounded by the whispers. Then, there were the rare nights when Hiccup's father made dinner for the both of them. Those nights, dinner was silent and tense and Hiccup had always gotten the impression that he was regarded as a burden by his father.

It won't be like that, Hiccup. Heather and her parents actually want you to join them for dinner, Hiccup tried to reassure himself. Remember, Heather even personally invited you to join her and her parents. Just go out there and eat dinner with them. Everything will be fine. That's what Heather said, right? Everything is fine.

Cautiously, Hiccup left the bedroom and followed the soft sounds of conversation. He kept to the shadows, opting to observe the scene before revealing himself. The three members of Heather's family sat at a rectangular wooden table. Also on the table, Hiccup noticed a fourth place was set for him. This surprised him; he really was welcomed (and encouraged) to come eat dinner with the family.

Somehow, before he could step out from the shadows, Heather looked up and noticed his approach. With a discreet nod of her head, she motioned to Hiccup to come take a seat. Hiccup took a deep breath in an attempt to calm his nervousness before stepping from the shadows and sitting at the spot that had been set for him.

Heather immediately stood up even though she was only halfway finished with her dinner. "Let me fill your plate for you, Flame. Just sit tight and relax," she told Hiccup with a smile.

"So…I take it you slept well?" Heather's mother asked Hiccup and he affirmed that his nap had been pleasant.

"We're all interested," Heather's father spoke up next, "to hear your story. Who exactly are you, Flame?"

His tone was gentle, but still Hiccup felt the inner struggle. Do I trust them enough to at least explain a little bit about who I am…who I was?

"There'll be plenty of time for that," Heather answered, returning with Hiccup's filled plate. "You don't have to answer any personal questions right now if you don't feel comfortable," she told Hiccup as she set the wooden plate down in front of him.

"No, no, it's fine," Hiccup replied, his mind made up, "I can talk a bit about myself."

Dinner was forgotten for the moment as Hiccup vaguely offered some details about himself. "Well…what can I say?" he started, berating himself for sounding like a complete idiot in front of this family who had so graciously taken him in during his time of need. "Um…well, for now I go by this name of 'Flame'. That's not my real name, but I'm sure you guessed that already," he rambled. "It's just…I'm not quite comfortable with my real name at the moment." A partial lie. His name, Hiccup, stood for everything he was trying to forget, but that wasn't the reason why he had opted not to share it with Heather and her family.

Clearing his throat, Hiccup tried again. "Anyway, before I met Heather, I was in the process of leaving my former home island. I had no idea where I was going. All I knew was that I wanted to get away from the place where I used to live."

"Why did you leave?" Heather's father questioned. "I mean, you don't look old enough to be out there living on your own."

"I'm fifteen," Hiccup answered. "Anyway, I left partially by choice, but mostly because I was forced. You see, my former home island…well, the people there held very strong opinions. For most of my life, I went along with their opinions, making them my own, because that was all I'd ever known. Then, recently, I began to form my own opinion, one that went completely against everything I'd ever learned or been taught."

Hiccup paused to make sure that Heather and her parents understood basically what he was saying. Their expressions were intense and, in that moment, he knew that he would have their attention throughout the rest of his story. "For a while," Hiccup continued, "I walked this thin line, hiding my opinion and pretending to go along with everyone else's opinions. It got harder and harder and finally word got out about my opinion. My punishment was eternal banishment, but, to be honest, at that point, I no longer cared." As Hiccup finished, he started to feel enraged again at the mere memory of Berk, but he did not let the feeling show. Berk was his past. His future was yet to be decided.

"Sounds like you've been through a lot in your short fifteen years," Heather's father answered.

Feeling as though he had reached his quota of explanation for the night, Hiccup nodded and gave a short "Yeah" in reply.

"You know, Flame," Heather's mother spoke up next, "you're welcome to stay here. It could be a trial at first, allowing you to acclimate yourself to our village, get to know those of us who live here. Then, if you wish to stay, we can talk to our chief and he can help us to help you build a home and truly make a place for yourself here. What do you think?"

I think that I shouldn't grow too attached, Hiccup answered silently. I shouldn't stay…but, this won't be like Berk, he tried to reason with himself. Already, this family has welcomed me and cared for me more than anyone on Berk ever did…at least, until I started excelling at dragon training. Even though Hiccup wanted to deny the offer and leave, fly off on Toothless to some isolated island far away from any civilization, Hiccup also couldn't deny that he still longed for the love and compassion that Heather's family offered. All these things that Hiccup wanted to say back, but, instead, he simply replied, "A-Are you sure? You all would do that? For me?" Hiccup did not fully realize the extent of his brokenness until he heard the echo of his soft voice, questioning Heather's parents.

"Of course!" Heather's mother replied, cheerfully. "Everyone deserves to live a life full of love and compassion and care and we can offer that here for you. We can't change your past, Flame, but we can shape your future."

"So, will you stay, Flame?" Heather asked, genuinely curious.

"I'd like to," Hiccup replied and his answer spoke the truth. However, before he could begin eating the dinner that had been set before him, Hiccup remembered something. "If I'm going to stay here, though, there's something that you all should know…"


I know this chapter is called "Family Discussion" but Hiccup really just needed this chance to explain himself, so it kinda turned into a Flame show. Just a random note, that I found, recently, for this story, I've found some inspiration, actually, in a Rise of the Guardians fanfiction series I've been reading where Jack Frost was a forced into servitude to Pitch Black and he's kinda trying to grow accustomed to having the Guardians and Jamie who all just want to care for him and such. I don't know why I mentioned this. It's after 3AM. Cut me a break. Haha.

Anyway, I definitely envision another update coming your way before I leave on vacation at the end of this month.

Thank you all for reading and supporting Flame!

Posted: July 8, 2015