Chapter Thirty Six

"Congratulations, Miss Hendrickson."

I couldn't hide the huge grin that followed as Principle Kerry handed me my diploma. Bright flashes followed, nearly blinding me on the spot as mom pulled out her camera. Once she was finished congratulating the rest of 2014's graduating class, I joined Jacob and the rest of the class as we cheered by throwing our graduation caps.

"I can't believe it's finally over," Jacob said with a sheepish look. "Mom's already made plans for summer vacation."

"Yeah… I think I already know where my summer will be spent."

I couldn't help but smirk at the thought. Berk was definitely by far my favorite place to visit now.

After practicing the abilities that I had discovered a few months ago, I had pretty much mastered the art of controlling fire. I still didn't use it around anyone. I was afraid of what Hiccup or the others might say to them. As far as I knew, Snowfire, Natasha and Bruce were the only ones who were aware of what I was capable of. I trusted them enough to know they wouldn't tell anyone, not unless it involved a life or death situation.

Once the initial ceremony had died down, families were beginning to depart. I glanced at mom as she stood with Jacob's parents. He and I shared a knowing look, but it was interrupted the moment Jessica decided to join him. She was the Valedictorian this year. Of all the people to get that honor, it had to be her. She had the highest grades of anyone, and had been a cheerleader for four years running. Naturally, the school would choose someone like as as Valedictorian.

"I'm so proud of you," mom said as she wrapped her arms around me in a hug. I almost laughed when she nearly squeezed me in a tight embrace. Moments like these almost made life seem normal. Than I was reminded that those days were in the past. "We're having a graduation party tomorrow, no questions asked. You of all people deserve it."

"Mom, I can't breathe!" I gasped when she finally released her grip. "You really don't need to do that," I added after catching my breath.

"Of course I do! Besides, it wasn't entirely my idea." I looked at mom quizzically, not sure where she was getting at with this. "We're having it our place, but Jacob and his parents agreed to share the backyard. As long as you can keep you know who out of trouble."

"Mom, you know I can't guarantee she won't scare anyone," I said with a roll of my eyes. "Besides, I've already promised Hiccup that I would meet with him later today. We've been working on some new techniques for the—"

"I really don't need to hear whatever it is you're planning," mom cut me off.

I only crossed my arms in annoyance, realizing that she was once again, treating me like a little kid. Back when there was something she didn't want to hear, she would always do this. Cutting me off was her way of saying that she wasn't happy with whatever plans I made. Though, I wasn't entirely surprised with that notion. She never did fully appreciate that I wanted to spend more time on Berk than I did in our world.

"Come on, it won't be that bad," Jacob reassured me with a grin after Jessica had joined her parents.

I only glared back, knowing full well he would invite her to the party along with all the other people I had been trying to avoid over the past few months. Their idea of a party was very different from mine.

With that said and done, we all started to depart the building. That was easier said than done. There were close to a hundred people in our graduating class this year. Definitely more than I would have ever imagined. The school had to rent an arena in Reading just to accommodate the sheer size of families. Fortunately, mom was very good about getting out of large crowds and making her way back to the car. She refused to fly on the back of a dragon, even after I had convinced her that it was safe. Plus, flying on Snowfire might draw more attention than any of us would like.

Once we reached the car, we headed back home. Mom was quiet along the way, most likely thinking of excuses to have the party. Honestly, I wasn't much of a party goer to begin with. Stark had invited me to a few of his parties over at Avenger's Tower, but I had yet to actually attend one. I suspected he was just hoping to use me as a way to gain attention from the people who seemed to adore him. Or worse, he would use Snowfire as an attraction. Either way, I wouldn't go any time soon.

Relief swept over me the moment we got back home. Once mom had pulled into a parking spot in front of the house, I immediately got out of the car and ran towards the backyard. Sure enough, Snowfire was already waiting for me. Her eyes narrowed when she pressed her snout against my forehead.

'Why must you always take so long, little one?' she asked as mom rounded the corner, taking cautious steps towards the back door.

"It was for a good reason, this time," I reminded her, wrapping my arms gently around her neck. There was an unspoken connection between us. I couldn't place how or why it happened. Fate brought us together, somehow. We saved each others lives, and that was what mattered more than anything else. "Let me just get changed real quick, than we can head for Berk."

'It is about time,' Snowfire hummed before I pulled back and ran past mom.

She didn't bother stopping me. Mom knew better than anyone how much I loved spending time on Berk. It wasn't just the fact that most of my friends were there. Something about the island drew me there. The dragons, the feeling of acceptance, and so much more. Maybe Jessica had a point at calling me 'Dragon Girl'. As much as I hated to admit it, she might have been right there. Shaking my head at the thought, I quickly got changed and headed back downstairs.

The minute I reached the living room was when I spotted mom leaning against the wall. I suddenly felt self-conscious under her stare as she noticed what I was wearing. I usually wore a shirt that covered my shoulders, and shorts that weren't too short. She always said that they were inappropriate for high school students, and honestly, I agreed with her.

"Honey, you know that you're welcome to stay here as long as you want," she tried reassuring me. I rose an eyebrow at that, wondering just where she was getting at. "I mean, you don't have to go right away, right?"

Now I understood what she was saying. She was worried, about me suddenly leaving her again. I realized that because of the fact that she was alone in this world, it made sense. Taking a deep breath, I decided that maybe now it would be best to explain my plans for the summer.

"Mom, I've already made plans to stay on Berk for the summer," I told her warily. "We just have so many things that need to get finished." She stared at me for a few seconds before finally giving in. I hated arguing with her, especially since she was the only family I had left in this world. "Mom, you don't have to worry about me ever leaving you," I added in a reassuring tone.

Mom suddenly wrapped her arms around me in another hug.

"I know that, hon," she replied. "I just keep forgetting how much you've grown up over the last few years. You're old enough to make your own choices, and life decisions."

I blinked in surprise when she said that. Had I really changed that much? Then I realized that with all of the training, and information I had learned over the months, I had changed. Maybe for the better, but it was still enough for mom to notice. Maybe that was why she had been so worried about me going back to Berk. I couldn't make promises that I wouldn't keep. But I did promise to always keep her safe, even if it meant risking my own life in the process.

…

'Are you sure this is a good idea?' Snowfire asked as we stood at the top of a cliff overlooking the ocean.

Hiccup stood on the edge of the cliff, a look of determination written across his face. His latest project was a flight suit. He'd gathered information from Tony's Iron Man suit, and he wanted to fly just like him. Though, secretly I knew that he wanted to fly more like a Night Fury than anything else. He'd always wanted to be able to fly with Toothless, but the possibilities of that happening had always seemed slim until now.

"It shouldn't be that hard," he replied confidently. "I've just gotta run a few tests before taking an actual flight."

Toothless did not look happy, judging by the look on his face. He didn't like it when his Rider risked his life. Not that I couldn't blame him. Like me, Hiccup had a tendency to put his life in danger simply for the sake of discovering whether something worked or not.

"Let me know if this works out well," I said cheekily, earning an eye roll seconds later.

Toothless only warbled in agreement as he laid beside me, eyes resting on Hiccup as he stepped towards the cliff's ledge. Snowfire narrowed her eyes at the sight, knowing full well that this wouldn't end well.

After testing out my own abilities, I knew what I was fully capable of. Hiccup, on the other hand, was still just Hiccup. He'd been trying for months to find a way to keep up with Toothless if they ever got separated. I'd learned that this was just a way for him to catch up with Toothless if they ever ended up in a sticky situation, which they had several times.

The flight suit itself was designed with a flap of wings on the back, which were supposed to help Hiccup soar in the air. It seemed like a good idea, but as Hiccup took his leap of faith, he realized that steering wasn't so easy with such flimsy wings. I had to look away as he shouted in terror, until Toothless took the jump and caught him.

"That worked wonderfully," I said once Toothless flew back up with his Rider.

Hiccup just looked beside himself with determination, a look I knew all too well. He wasn't about to give up anytime soon, especially if it meant proving everyone wrong.

"I just need to find a way to steer myself," he explained as we headed back to the forge. "One I do that, it should be easy."

'That is what you said last time,' Snowfire hummed in amusement, earning a glare from Hiccup.

"Well, I love your enthusiasm."

Hiccup only smirked at that. Gobber was already hard at work in the forge, working on some swords when we arrived. The blacksmith rose an eyebrow as he caught sight of what was left of Hiccup's old flight suit.

"Are you at it again?" he asked nonchalantly.

"What if you attached a piece of cloth to the foot?" I suggested when we went back to the blueprints, ignoring Gobber's question.

"Yeah, that could help with the steering," Hiccup agreed after jotting down some notes.

Once we had pieced together what was needed to the suit (it took us a day and half working together), we went out on our dragons to test it out. This time, Toothless and Snowfire were soaring over the ocean towards our favorite spot. Snowfire wasn't all that happy with the idea of being out here, especially with so many sea stacks sticking out.

"Okay, flight suit test number two," Hiccup announced once he had found his position.

"Just be ready to catch him, Toothless," I warned the Night Fury, who looked really unhappy with this idea.

Toothless only warbled in agreement. Hiccup flipped the lever that was connected to Toothless' saddle and his metal leg, so that Toothless could fly on his own.

Toothless flipped back as Hiccup got ready to jump. Unfortunately, things didn't end so well when he jumped. I winced as the wind suddenly caught on his flight suit, pulling him back. He let out a yelp of surprise as the wind whipped him around before Toothless finally caught him.

'That could have gone better,' Snowfire said once we rested on a sea stack. Hiccup pulled the makeshift flight suit off and groaned in frustration. 'Are you sure that you wish to continue this?'

"You'll get it eventually," I reassured him as we both laid on the grass.

We'd pretty much spent the last two days working on the flight suit, only for it to end in failure.

"I'm glad you're here to help out," he admitted sheepishly.

"Well, I did promise that I would spend more time here once graduation was over," I reminded him, earning a look of surprise.

"Wait, you mean you're finished with school?" he asked warily.

"Yep," I replied. "I've already got a good idea of how I'll spend the summer, and the rest of my time."

Hiccup rolled over so that he was looking at me, and I couldn't hide the blush that followed.

"So, does that mean you'll be spending more time on Berk?" he asked hopefully.

"Definitely," I replied, not hiding the eagerness in my voice to actually stay.

Besides, I already made my commitment to Berk. There was no way in heck that I would give all of that up, especially since we were dating. And not for the first time, my mind reeled over that knowledge. I was dating Hiccup of all people. Years ago, I never would have seen myself in that kind of a position. I didn't plan on changing anything anytime soon.

'You hatchlings are so strange,' Snowfire hummed as Hiccup gently squeezed my hand.

We both blushed at that, knowing full well that she was right. Toothless only warbled in amusement at the looks on our faces. He loved seeing the look of embarrassment that followed seconds later, and gave us his best 'puppy dog' expression seconds later before laying between us.

"Really, Toothless?" Hiccup asked as the Night Fury just rolled onto his back.

I almost laughed at the innocent look he was giving us.

Once Toothless had settled down, though, it was oddly relaxing. I had to let out a sigh of satisfaction as my head rested on the cool grass. Moments like these made me wish they would last forever. Just being with dragons, and Hiccup… there was nothing more satisfying.

AN: I'm sorry for updating so early, I just thought I would since we'll be getting ready to leave tomorrow for vacation. This chapter was fun to write :) By the way, has anyone heard Mumford and Sons newest EP? If not, than I highly recommend it :) Anyone who is into World music or just music in general would love it.

Sil - Lol, so very true. And thanks, I'm glad you liked it so much!

dracologistmaster - Thanks! I really should go into detail with that ^^ Maybe next chapter I will...