It was early evening on the island, Valka, Stoic, Fergus and Eleanor were all sitting outside when Cloud Jumper jumped up looking in the direction that Hiccup should be coming. Valka was on her feet next to him. "What is it Cloud Jumper?"

Then her heart jumped when he looked at her and smiled. "Hiccup!?"

Turning to look along with everyone else as all the dragons reacted to Toothless coming home Valka smiled as she moved to stand next to Eleanor. "Are you ready to see your daughter?"

"I hope he has her."

Crossing his arms with pride when two dragon figures were finally visible, Stoic laughed. "Oh he has her. And it looks like she has a new pet."

X

"There is Berk."

Merida looked down and smiled. "It looks great." But her eyes searched the surge of people that were rushing out. "Looks like they all know you are back."

"Yeah. Once Toothless became the alpha for Berk, they all know when he comes home and lets everyone else know. But look up there on the bluff."

Looking up where Hiccup pointed Merida let tears form. "Mum. Dad. Boys." Then laughed as if she read her mind, Embers flew faster and landed on the bluff right behind everyone. Jumping from her back she ran first to her mother. "Mum!" Then looked up at her dad. "Dad. Boys. I thought for sure when I saw the castle you were all gone."

Letting go of her daughter and watching as she jumped into her father's arms Eleanor whipped the tears from her face. "Everyone survived thanks to your father. Now that you are here, we can all go home and rebuild. Now our family is back together again."

Her eyes going wide Merida shook her head. "We can't yet Mum. Not until Alpha is defeated."

Nodding Hiccup was there next to her with his arms crossed. "It goes deeper than that too. It seems that Alvin is working with Alpha. And one of his dragons is a Whispering Death that has a grudge against Toothless remember."

"So the Outcasts are in it."

Nodding he crossed his arms. "And he has tamed dragons. We don't know what all kinds he has either." Hiccup sighed as looked down as he crossed his arms. "I am going to get Toothless's tail dug out that works with his other half of his tail. I am going to need him to be full out for this."

Nodding Valka sighed. "I wonder how long it will be before they all get here?"

"I don't know. But we will be ready for them. It could be any day now."

Stoic smiled as he put his hands on his son's shoulders. "Son. You know the island and the dragons here better than anyone. This will be your responsibility to keep everyone safe and get everything ready. I have total faith in you son."

"Thanks Dad."

"Hiccup is it then?"

Everyone turned with a mix of glares, but it was Hiccup and Merida that were confused. "Yes. Who are you?"

Laughing as he crossed his arms, Spider took a step closer to Hiccup but then stopped as the Night Fury put himself between them. "I am Spider. Actually I am the one that took your Astrid from you."

His eyes narrowed as a mix of pain and rage flared through his eyes. "I see."

Having to alter his part of the plan Spider would have to go through with the wedding after all. He had to give way, and if they are expecting it, he had to know what they were planning, and he was going to use it against them. They were coming in four days, but if he didn't put a stop to the preparations for at least one day everything was going to go wrong. "Well let me ask you this all mighty Hiccup. How long before you start getting ready for whomever you think is coming?"

Taking a deep breath as he laid his hand on Toothless just as he started to glow blue. "We start planning tonight. We put everything into motion tomorrow. You aren't from Berk. So you won't have anything to do with it."

Narrowing his eyes as he fisted his hands at his side he met Hiccup's glare. "The woman that is to become my wife in four days is part of this island. I will…"

"No. Astrid and her family are part of Berk and will be protected. But because of the situation, even they won't know what is going on."

Pushing her way through the crowd Astrid was fighting back tears and yet glaring as well. "Wait you mean that you aren't even going to tell us what we can do to help?"

Looking at her Hiccup waited for a second. But the same feelings never came. The pain and torment at seeing her walk away from her was just gone. Which told him exactly what was going on with Merida. But he was going to wait until the battle was done and over before he said or did anything when it came to her. Just that much more time to know for sure. "I am Astrid. When the time comes and we are all on the backs of dragons, you can join in and follow suit with someone. But he isn't one of us. He doesn't get to know. To make sure that he doesn't neither do you."

Astrid watched as he started to turn from her and grabbed his arm spinning him around. "After everything we have been through for six years Hiccup you don't even trust me that far?"

"I thought I could trust you with my heart Astrid. If I can't trust you with that. I can't trust you with anything."

"What?"

Turning from her again and headed for his house with Toothless on his heels he sighed. "You didn't even give me a fighting chance to change everything so we could stay together. You walked away from me. I doubt I will ever truly be able to trust anything you say anymore."

Watching as the red head ran up to him and they all went in his house she let tears fall from her eyes. She never thought that Hiccup wouldn't trust her. Never. 'What have I done?'

"Excuse me Stoic The Vast." All eyes turned to Spider as Hiccup and Meridah, along with the dragons vanished into the house. Crossing his arms he sighed. "You agreed that you would marry us when the day came. With the recent events I think that we should speed that day up."

"What?"

Looking at Astrid he sighed and held his hands up. "Well the quicker we do it, the faster it will get done and we won't have to worry about an attack in the middle of our wedding."

"When?" Stoic crossed his arms and sighed. He didn't like this kid. But no matter who talked to her about it, Astrid refused to call it off so he would do it.

"Tomorrow."

Gasping her eyes went wide as she turned on her heel to look at him. "Tomorrow!"

"That's right. You and your mother have worked on the wedding for a few weeks now. We put it to play tomorrow. Unless you are going back on your word Astrid."

Glaring she fisted her hands at her side. "Fine whatever."

X

Hiccup sat by the fire with Astrid and the dragons as he looked in the flames. He couldn't believe that was who she threw him over for. But for some reason, he didn't feel the same pain. He was still hurt because of what she did to him and how. But not like it did before. And he knew it was because of Merida.

Sitting next to him, Merida reached over and laid her hand on his with a smile as he looked at her. His beautiful green eyes held so much emotion right now. "Are you alright?"

"I will be fine. But Merida the fact of the matter is that with something like this I would typically depend on Astrid to help me. I can't do that. So I am going to ask you to help me."

"I forbid it. Not going to happen!" Storming into the house Eleanor was there in front of the two of them with her hands on her hips. "I just got her back she is not going into battle with dragons! "

Glaring up at her mother Merida crossed her arms. "I am going to help him Mother. And you are going to let me."

"I am not!"

"If it wasn't for him Mother I would still be where I was. Locked away in a shack in a cage like a dog. Waiting for who knows what sort of fate that they had in mind fer me. I was being held in the farthest reaches of Dingwald Land! What if they just handed me over to them?"

"Merida you will not be….."

Laying his hand on his wife's shoulder, Fergus shook his head. "Not this time Eleanor. Our daughter may be the princess but she can take care of herself. If she wants to fight with them she can. After all, she is eighteen now and you couldn't stop her if you wanted too."

"That dragon there is the one that took her away Fergus!"

"Embers did it because she was ordered by that huge thing that spits ice Mother!" Standing and going to Embers she hugged her around the head. "I am keeping her you like it or not. And WE are going to fight with him."

"Merida…."

"Between Embers, Toothless and myself not one hair on her head will get hurt. I can promise you that My Lady." Hiccup stood and joined Merida and the dragons with a sigh. "I need her help."

Dropping to sit she rubbed her head. "I think everyone is conspiring against me."

Going to her mother, Merida hugged her from behind with a smile. "Not that Mum. It is just that I am not a little girl anymore. I may be the princess but I am not a little girl anymore. I am grown up now and ready to follow my own path."

"I just don't want to lose you Merida."

"You won't."

"Alright. I am out voted anyway."

Moving to stand with his parents Hiccup narrowed his eyes. "Alright. Straight to business then?"