AN: Hello my fellow readers. Just wanted to note that this chapter is significantly shorter than the last one, as there isn't an atmosphere in it for me to be afraid of breaking. I hope you all enjoy.

Now, here are the review responses:

Nick Tanico: Assuming you were speaking that you expected this scene to appear sooner in the canon, I do agree. Assuming you were speaking that you expected this scene to appear sooner in my story, I think it appeared in a fitting moment, just for, you know, ansgt. Still, I'm happy that you enjoyed it and yes, Hiccup lost Valka when he was Five, which means he knows how she was gone and remembers it.

Cottonmouth25: To know that I managed to stirr feelings on an author as great as you makes me feel all fluttery. i'm very very very happy that I managed to do so. Beware, more feelings aboard this chapter. I recommend having more hankies with you

White Hunter: Here is the next chapter, as promised. I hope you enjoy it

thearizona: Sorry, but it won't be only a chapter to answer all of your questions hehe (not that I want to be this mean, just...er...I hope you enjoy this chapter) And yes it is a spoiler. I will speak more of Heather's parents on the sequel, which will incorporate some of the first two seasons' episodes, as well as some uniqueness, for a change of pace.

Djberneman: Pairings still are a secret, and you'll see what happens to the White Fury soon

CrazyCartoonistOtaku: I'm very happy that you have enjoyed my story, and still enjoy it. As I said un my review, feel free to send me a PM or review whenever you feel like. I hope to read more reviews from you on the following chapters.

Noctus Fury: Hello my friend. No this story is sadly not betaread, even though I wish it was. Also I looked at the last chapter and didn't find any situations where there were 'know's instead of 'no's; perhaps you were speaking of an earlier chapter? As for the ideas you suggested me, they are all great, and I'd really like if you sent them, and some more if you shall have it, to my email. I admit I probably won't use many of them for my story, but I have another HTTYD fic on hiatus, with no direction defined whatsoever. So who knows, maybe I could use some of these ideas in that story. And lastly, many more Hiccup-Heather moments in this chapter. :)

Without further ado:

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He averted his eyes from hers, and debated mentally if he should just tell her what he just remembered. He opted for leaving Heather unbeknown to the memories that had just plagued his mind, as he had no doubt that it would sadden her more. He was about to clean his tearstained face with the sleeves of his tunic when Heather beat him. She cupped his face and gently wiped his tears off with her thumbs. She didn't say anything, but Hiccup somehow knew that her eyes weren't brightened because she had just broken down in front of him.

He gently removed both her hands from his face and held them. "Heather…" he said. She was clearly sorry for breaking his trust, but did she deserve a second chance? Part of him thought that it was too risky to relight his trust on her by showing Toothless, but another part of him found the idea perfect for the occasion. It would imply determinate whether he would leave Berk alone or not.

He bored his eyes into hers and unlike his saddened face his eyes showed determination akin to the one he had when facing the Dragons. "Can I trust you Heather?" he asked her. He came to the healer's hut searching for her for a reason, and it was about time that he did what he had planned.

"I…" she tried to answer but faltered. She had been caught off by his question, and honestly didn't know how to answer. Could he trust her again? She was almost sure that, if she was in his position she wouldn't trust herself again. But… then again, Hiccup was one of a kind, and it would be futile to try to understand how his mind worked. "I don't know…" she said truthfully.

"Would you trust yourself?" he asked, unknowingly voicing out the new question that had just begun wandering inside her mind. Silence fell between them, as he patiently waited for her answer. She realized shortly after that Hiccup was giving her a second chance, a chance to redeem herself from breaking her trust, a chance to rekindle their friendship back to how it was.

"I think… I would…" she answered hesitantly, but if Hiccup noticed this he didn't show. She didn't honestly know if she would give herself a second chance, but if Hiccup was deeming her worthy of one, then she wouldn't throw away this opportunity either.

"Do you trust me?" Hiccup asked. It was one thing him being able to trust her. It was an entirely different thing she trusting him with whatever crazy idea he can come up with. After all, out of everyone, she was the one most knowledgeable about his crazy ideas, and how dangerous they could be.

"Yes" she simply answered without hesitating. She didn't voice it, but she trusted her life on Hiccup's hands. It was a dangerous idea, given how Hiccup seemed to always be up to something dangerous.

Hiccup let go of her right hand and looked to the wall. Heather furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as she saw his thoughtful face. He wasn't as much afraid of showing Toothless to her as he was of how she would react. He didn't think she would run off and rattle him, but he didn't know if Heather would faint when a Night Fury stand a few feet away from her…

He decided to risk it. His presence could work as a soothing factor to both her and Toothless. And it wasn't like Heather hadn't seen anything scary before. As an achieved archer, Heather often went hunting with the search parties, and she had had a few close encounters with a bear when she went astray from the group.

"Come" he said as he tugged the hand that he was still holding. "I want to show you something" he added, sounding both enthusiastic and slightly apprehensive. Heather momentously froze, realizing that what Hiccup wanted to show her was his secret, the reason why he spent many hours in the forest.

"Are you sure?" she asked, sounding a bit nervous. After all, he was about to show her what he showed to no one. And, although she didn't think he would risk her life, she was a bit scared of what he was hiding. She trusted him with her life alright, but that didn't stop her from thinking a few months escaped her lifespan every time Hiccup showed her one of his projects.

"Yes, but we gotta be quick" he said, tugging her hand again. She sighed, and began following him. As he slowly opened the door, he peeked through and smiled, thankful that everyone seemed to be in the Great Hall, even the teens. He doubted that Astrid was also there, but, as long as she didn't cross their paths, he wasn't worried with her whereabouts.

Cami spotted the two of them sneaking out of the hut. She had left the Hall to breathe some fresh air, as the place was stinking alcohol all over the place. She wondered what Stoick was thinking when he announced a two-day celebration, since he was completely aware that celebration equals mead to your average Viking.

She carefully noted how their hands were clasped together. If she didn't know better she would have thought the two of them were a couple, but she knew about Hiccup's feelings toward another blond warrior. He also noticed the two of them heading toward the woods. Cami closed her eyes and shook her head in mild amusement after they vanished from her sight. "One day Hiccup, you'll turn everyone lives upside down…" she said, but to no one.

She opened her eyes and turned to look at the Hall's doors when a voice called her: "Cami, Chief Stoick is challenging you to a drinking contest and he says that a treaty is never officially signed without a contest happening between Chiefs." the Bog woman said with a mug in her hand. She was slightly surprised to see someone sober enough, even though she herself was sober.

However, no one challenge Camicazi without regretting it later, and she answered back almost immediately "Alright. Tell him to prepare his undies because today Stoick the Vast just made a grave mistake" before running toward the Hall. She knew her chances of winning in a drinking contest against Stoick were prone to none, but she would be damned if she would back off from a challenge.

Meanwhile…

Heather couldn't stop herself from blushing as Hiccup still held tightly, yet gently, her hand. However she didn't think that he was mindful of this particular action. They walked through the forest, with him directing her on where to step and what to look out after since the sun was hardly illuminating this part of the forest. The dense foliage didn't help either, as it made more difficult for the light to reach the ground.

She marveled the place; she had never ventured into this particular part of Berk. As they walked she realized it was a perfect place to hide something, and therefore a perfect place for Hiccup. Due to the lack of games and predators few hunters ventured to this section of the forest and, other than Astrid, no one came to here in years.

"You all right back there?" he asked, his head only turning slightly as he avoided stepping on a tree root. It was a long walk, from the village to the cove, and he guessed that years running from his bullies built up in him a stamina big enough to walk this path without falling on the ground in exhaustion.

"I am…" she answered panting slightly. She had a good stamina from hunting, but admitted that this path was tiring. She briefly admired how Hiccup barely seemed to be breaking a sweat, and how he probably walked this path all those days he disappeared into the woods. "Did you really have to hide whatever it is that you're hiding that far?" she asked, her tone evidencing both amusement and annoyance.

Hiccup smiled sheepishly "Err…let's say I sort of had to hide it that far" he answered, neither lying nor speaking of Toothless…yet. In fact, he did sort of had to hide Toothless that far. Even though his dragon now had regained his ability to fly they both silent agreed to keep the cove as their little home. It was the only place on the whole island that Hiccup was sure that no one would venture in, and that could give him peace.

They stopped just before a cliff, and Heather looked around as if she was waiting for Hiccup's secret to magically appear… Hiccup finally let go of her hand and turned to look at her, his face apprehensive once again. "Heather… just… try to not freak out okay?" he gently asked. Heather thought about questioning him about what the heck he meant by asking this but decided not to. She would soon see what he was hiding anyway

She nodded, a bit hesitantly, and Hiccup smiled in relief. He slowly walked to a narrow passage, and gestured for her to follow him. She complied, and carefully descended into what she found out to be a cove. Even though the sun barely illuminated the place, her eyes still admired the beautiful and peaceful state of the cove. Even if Hiccup was not hiding anything in there, the peacefulness of it alone was a good reason to spend the whole day here.

She was so distracted gazing around that she only came out of her trance when she bumped into him. Hiccup turned his head to look at her with a cocked eyebrow in amusement. He grinned when he spotted Heather's awed face, and silently agreed with what she was probably thinking. The Cove was truly a unique place, and beautiful by nature.

However, this was not the reason they came to it, and now it was the time for him to show her his 'secret'. He turned around his body and the amused face he had changed into a serious one. "Are you really ready to know what I've been hiding here?" he asked nervously. Heather nodded, and the look she gave him mustered some confidence inside him. "Okay… just stay here ok?" he didn't wait for an answer as he turned around and called.

"Toothless. Come here bud, there someone I want you to meet"

A wave of bewilderment passed through her. 'It was not something he was hiding, but rather someone…?' she mentally pondered. It wasn't farfetched the idea of living in the cove; its peacefulness was very inviting, and the natural large walls protected them from outside animals. Still she couldn't think of someone that would rather live here than in the village.

Her bewilderment, however, soon turned into fear as she heard a low growl resonating through the cove's walls. Her eyes quickly stopped scanning their surroundings to fall on Hiccup, but oddly he didn't seem to be alarmed, or even scared with the sudden growl. It was as if he was actually expecting to hear it.

A scream involuntarily left her mouth before she quickly covered it; her wide eyes full of fear as they spotted a black lump near Hiccup, a pair of toxic green eyes looking at her. They almost looked like they were floating in the darkness, and if it wasn't the faint sunlight reaching the cove and illuminating his dark silhouette out from the green and grey of the cove she would have really believed they were.

She couldn't move a muscle, even when she noticed Hiccup patting the creature. Her eyes tried to avert her gaze from those foreign eyes but she soon discovered that she couldn't. She felt weak, exposed, as if the very creature was boring his eyes directly into her mind and soul, and was evaluating if she was worthy of living, or if she would die there and now.

Heather, however, didn't realize that the eyes resembled a dragon, or the fact that they weren't slits as usual. In fact, Toothless' eyes couldn't be more dilated than they already were. Hiccup slowly turned and noted Heather's frozen state. He had heard her short scream, but to be honest, he had also screamed when Toothless appeared out of nowhere the day he went looking out for the Night Fury.

"Heather….meet Toothless." He said while gesturing to the creature behind him. His voice broke her out of her frightened state, and only then she realized that the creature had wings, scales and was pitch black. She paled as she realized that what was standing before them was none other than a dragon, and given its sleek body and color, she guessed it was the elusive and infamous Night Fury.

"Toothless, this is Heather. She's a friend" he said after turning around. Of all the crazy things Hiccup has done these past 10 years, hiding a, apparently, tamed dragon toped the chart. Heather didn't know if she should run, or if she should knock him out cold for his insanity and recklessness. In fact, she only didn't run away because of two simple reasons: despite having a dragon before them she still trusted him with his life, and he had trusted her, enough to show the tamed creature; running away would mean breaking his trust again, something she didn't want to do ever again.

Once the initial shocked has passed her mind began to logically analyze the situation. But… it was easier said than done, since logic seemed to have completely vanished from the situation Heather found herself in the moment 'Toothless' appeared. "Hiccup… You've been hiding a dragon" she said, her tone being more matter-of-factly than questionable. "They raid us Hiccup" she added for emphasis.

Hiccup flinched hearing Heather's serious tone. So far they had been doing reasonably well, but now the hardest part came in: convincing Heather that Toothless, and all the other dragons, weren't mindless beasts. "They are not what we think they are Heather…" he said before turning around to face her.

She scoffed. "Of course they aren't" she answered, leaving Hiccup confused. His confusion, however, didn't last long as she continued speaking: "A mindless beast wouldn't be able to coordinate attacks, as I have seen squads of dragons do so, or strike defense locations, like your little friend behind you has done, or even know rudimentary knowledge of medicine such as cauterizing a bleeding wound" she explained. She had never seen the dragons as mindless beasts, but that didn't mean she liked them anymore than the next Viking.

"Well, at least that saves me from explaining to you how they aren't mindless beasts…" Hiccup mumbled to himself, even though Heather clearly heard it. "Still, they aren't vicious bloodthirsty creatures. They have feelings just like us" he explained, making Heather narrow her eyes slightly in both skepticism and confusion while she crossed her arms.

"So you're telling me that you have sided with them? After all they did to Berk, and probably to other tribes too?" she asked while unintentionally sounding accusatory. She knew Hiccup was a clever boy, so if he truly sided with them, then he must have had a good reason to do so. Even though he was reckless and crazy Hiccup wasn't stupid.

"Don't even think for a second that my decision of harboring a dragon was lightly taken. You, of everyone, know exactly what I lost to this war and how it affected me" he said in an uncharacteristically low growl. Heather actually flinched when she heard him speak, and felt guilty of unintentionally implying this.

"I'm sorry… I didn't mean to say that." She apologized while averting her eyes from him. "Still… what changed your mind Hiccup? It must have been something very shocking to make a boy that wanted to slay a Night Fury to suddenly begin hiding one." she asked, sounding more curious than demanding. Her eyes looked back at him, but this time he was the one to avert his gaze from her.

He turned around, his back facing her. He began to absently scratch Toothless on his favorite spot, making the black dragon purr in pleasure. As his back was facing Heather, he failed to notice her surprised yet also amused expression, although he correctly guessed that she was probably comparing the Night Fury to an overgrown cat.

"Mom used to say that there were more to dragons than what they meet the eyes…" he said, unintentionally hitching his mind in a memory of a few days prior to that day… Fortunately, his mind didn't linger for long in this memory. "And when I found him, trapped in the ropes of the bola my Mangler shot, and looked in his eyes I didn't see a mindless beast, or even a vicious creature."

"When I looked at him, he looked as afraid as I was, as weak as I was. When I looked at him I saw myself, and it was then that I realized that they are as human as we are: capable of emotions and thoughts…" he explained, leaving Heather speechless. She would have never thought that the explanation to why Hiccup suddenly changed his mind about the dragons was as simple, yet deeply emotional, as this.

Hiccup began scratching Toothless' back, and the dragon curled his tail around his rider. "Later when I saw him again I found out that my bola had maimed his tail, thus stripping from him his flight…" he said with a guilt tone.

Before he could show to Heather Toothless' prosthesis, a thought clicked inside her mind. "So, that day you returned and told me you used dragon saliva to heal your leg, it had been a Night Fury's saliva that you used…?" she asked, connecting two-on-two. It made sense; after all, she had never seen how this dragon's saliva worked as a healing agent.

"Well, sort of… I met him, I freed him. He pounced on me-"Heather paled when she heard this and, while Hiccup saw this through the corner of his eye, he decided to ignore. He was alive now and that's all that mattered-"and roared on my face before leaving. Turns out that the wounds in my leg had opened when he pounced, and I blacked out shortly after he left. When I awoke, I found my wounds closed and my leg completely soaked in Night Fury saliva. I deduced he came back while I was out and licked it…"

"Well…" Heather began saying. "I can certainly understand why you didn't tell me this back then. I would have hit you so hard you would have blacked out again before I tied you to a chair." She said amusedly, thus making Hiccup look at her, an incredulous expression pestered on his face. The smirk she had on her face only grew after seeing his face..

"Anyway…" he turned his gaze toward the tail again, "When I realized that, by taking out his ability to fly I also doomed him to die grounded, I decided to amend my mistake…" he gently lifted the tail and Toothless, although annoyed that Hiccup stopped scratching him, didn't object. Heather's smirk vanished when she gasped the moment she saw the ingenuous prosthetic tail.

"So you built him a tail…" she stated, and Hiccup nodded. Only then she began to observe the dragon more carefully. She noticed the metal running across the Night Fury's tail, going as far as the dragon's shoulder. She noticed the saddle on his back, and then realized why Toothless hadn't flown away after Hiccup built the prosthesis. "And you ride him…"

"Yes… He can't fly on his own again… and all because of my selfish reasons" he said self-depreciatively. Toothless cooed, and nudged Hiccup's arm with his head. The boy smiled, thankful that his dragon didn't hold this against him, and patted Toothless' head in thanks. He let go of his tail and turned around to face Heather, and was relieved to see that she didn't look angry or betrayed.

Everything dawned on her this moment. Hiccup's odd behavior, his late work in the forge, his often disappearances in the woods, and most importantly, why he seemed unhappy with his new found status as top student… "You told me that you were just protecting everyone inside the Arena… you didn't mean only the Teens… you also meant the dragons…"

"Yes…" he answered without hesitating, even though he sounded tired. "I took upon myself the task of protecting them since no one else would do this. I didn't want to see anyone hurt anymore. This war is happening because of a misunderstanding…" he explained.

"And you never came out hurt either…" she said as she recalled the many times that Hiccup left victorious the Arena without a scratch, while often some of the teens were injured in combat. "It was like the dragons knew what you were doing…" she pointed out. Hiccup chucked after hearing this, leaving her confused.

"I think that they indeed knew. Turns out that they can understand us…" he said, earning a huff from Heather. He was ready for her skepticism and added right away: "If you don't believe me then watch this." He turned to Toothless. "Toothless, can you understand what I'm saying?" he asked the dragon.

And Toothless nodded, making Heather widen her eyes and her mouth gaping like a fish out of the water. "Is Heather a friend?" he asked again, and again earned a nod in return. Heather's expression didn't change, but her feelings did; she passed from feeling disbelief to feeling astonishment. Even though she thought the dragons were smart creatures she didn't dare to even imagine that they were this smart.

"Odin's beard Hiccup…" she said, not sure of what she had to say after this shocking revelation. She felt her whole world being turned upside down.

Hiccup looked at her and gestured for her to approach Toothless. She hesitated, but seeing his encouraging look she eventually complied. Step by step she approached the dragon, and her shoulders relaxed as she noticed the dragon was not growling at her slow approach. When she was within arm's reach Hiccup gently grabbed her hand and directed it toward Toothless' head.

She, at first, tugged her hand backwards, feeling apprehensive of touching the elusive dragon. But when Hiccup kept his hold on her hand she gave up, and let the boy who she trusted with her life direct her through this unknown territory. She was surprised to feel pleasant warmth coming from Toothless' scales rather than cold, or a stinging heat. Without Hiccup instructing her Heather began to scratch Toothless' head, and laughed a carefree laugh when the dragon purred, unconsciously leaning on her touch.

"Is this…" she gestured with her free hand-"why you spoke of leaving?" she asked. It made sense to her now why he would want to leave. How could he kill a Nightmare when he was protecting not only a Night Fury but also all the dragons inside the Kill-ring?

"Yes…partially at least." He answered with resignation, "There's also the fact that Dad isn't proud with me, but rather with the image that he built of me. And I guess I just grew tired of trying to appeal him, and everyone. Dad was right: I am not a dragon killer. And I would also never be able to forgive myself if something happened to Toothless while he was trapped here…"

"I don't think showing them Toothless would change their minds, or even if I would be able to speak before they mindlessly raised their weapons. And there's also the fact that, sooner or later, the truth would come out…" he finished explaining, his voice holding a longing tone, mostly probably because he was about to leave everything behind.

Silence fell between them as Heather digested what Hiccup just told her. He had a Night Fury hidden away, dragons were capable of emotions, he didn't want to kill a dragon, probably neither now nor never, and he was planning on leaving. There was only something that didn't fit in this puzzle… "Then why show me all of this? Why even tell me that you were thinking on leaving when I didn't even have your trust anymore?" she asked, trying to understand how she fit in all of this.

"Because… "he looked straight into her eyes, "Because I could never leave you behind." He explained, making Heather widen her eyes in surprise as it dawned on her what he really meant. "You were always there for me, and I couldn't leave you alone, the same way you couldn't all those years ago. We stick together, no matter what happens." He said, genuinely smiling.

"Oh Hiccup…" she said, touched by his consideration. She stopped scratching Toothless' head to envelop Hiccup in a tight hug. "You're the best friend I could ever ask for" she said, her voice cracking slightly while her eyes brightened. She never felt as important as she was feeling right now, and she could never thank Hiccup enough for this.