I do sincerely apologize for the length of time it took to get this chapter out to you guys. I've been very busy and as you all know, COVID-19 has overtaken all life as we know it. Yay us. Stay safe out there, friends!

Things are starting to wrap up for our road of hiccups. Don't forget to leave a review down below and let us know in Discord what you think. We're always pleased to hear your thoughts!

Love you guys!

~Em


Chapter 46: Unity Day


Adrianna woke slowly with a fuzzy, compressed sensation of cotton in her brain. Warm rays of sunlight filtered through the curtains, sending specks of dust dancing and sparkling through the air. Adrianna stretched slowly, acknowledging the various aches and pains of her body. Erick was fast asleep beside her, his breathing deep and even. And in her arms, still bundled and looking rather cozy, was Darin.

His little tongue stuck out between his lips. The sight sent her heart into a flurry of happiness, even as she gently kissed his soft cheek. Their first day together as mother and son. Their first day together as a family.

Her gaze shifted to her husband, his wavy blonde hair sliding across his brow. Gingerly, she brushed it out of his face, her heart swelling with love and pride. As the events of yesterday had slowly grown more painful and exhausting, he'd never wavered. And when Darin was finally born, when she saw all that love and devotion on his face when he held their son for the first time, she knew it was always meant to be this way. This man raising a family with her, choosing her after every bit of hardship they'd endured.

Her boys. She loved them with every fiber of her being.

The house was eerily silent after yesterday. She dimly realized they were still in her parents' room and wondered where they'd crashed for what remained of the night. Most likely the couch.

Gazing around the room, she remembered a time when she'd been so young and small, when nightmares had kept her awake at night. She'd snuggled with her parents until she fell asleep. Until she felt safe and protected again.

How ironic that the safest place for her to give birth to her own first child was in this same room.

Posted on the walls in frames or on shelves were various pieces of art she'd drawn or small wooden toys Finn had built or fossils he'd found. Alongside the various weapons nailed to the walls and piles of notebooks filled with drawings of inventions, the room felt like home Rustic and messy and unapologetically Haddock.

A strong sense of nostalgia filled her chest. She wasn't so small anymore. She was a grown woman now with a husband and a baby. She gazed down at Darin in her arms, happy and thankful that nothing terrible had happened during the birth. Now if they could just get through the rest of the week-

The stairs creaked and groaned as someone came up the stairs in soft, even steps. As if they were trying to not to make a sound.

Curious, Adrianna cleared her throat softly. The person paused at the edge of the stairs until moments later, Finn poked his head in, a spoon in his mouth.

"Thowy."

Adrianna snorted and sat up as carefully as she could without disturbing her sleeping boys. "It's okay, I just wondered who it was."

Finn stepped inside, his arms full of various items: a bag of bran, nuts and dried cherries, a bowl and a glass jug of milk. How he'd managed to carry all that up the stairs without dropping anything was a feat in and of itself. He sat down in the creaky wooden chair beside her, eyes crinkling in a wince at the noise. He set down the various items before finally pulling the spoon out of his mouth. "Are you hungry? I can get another bowl."

"Actually if you just open the bag that would be perfect."

Finn complied, watching with wide eyes as she plunged a hand deep into the bag of breakfast mix and pulled out a handful. "What are you doing? You're contaminating the bag!"

Adrianna shoved the mix into her mouth and shrugged. "Why dirty more dishes for a dry breakfast? I've eaten it like this for years."

"Of course you have," Finn sighed, pouring himself a bowl and adding milk. He tucked his feet beneath him and dug in, giving her a stink eye when she went in for another handful. "It's too crunchy that way. You need the milk to soften some of the crunchiness to make a perfect blend of soggy and crunchy."

"You're disgusting."

"I like good texture. Not too crunchy, not too soggy."

"If that's the case," Erick said groggily from her side. "You should stop talking before it turns to mush."

"You just want me to stop talking." Finn said but greedily shoveled another spoonful into his mouth.

Inhaling deeply, Erick rolled onto his back and rubbed his face. "That would be nice."

Adrianna tried to smooth the wrinkles out of his shirt but it proved fruitless. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired," Erick admitted. He sat up and snatched the bag of breakfast mix away from Finn, who growled with protest. "But it's not every day a servant brings me breakfast in bed so it could be worse."

"I aim to please," Finn said, noisily slurping the milk from the bowl. "I also aim to kill if I don't have at least one bowl so-"

Erick ignored him and plunged his hand deep into the bag himself, much to Adrianna's glee.

Finn slurped the milk from his bowl again but louder this time.

Adrianna wrinkled her nose. "Would you stop? That's disgusting!"

"Give me back my snackages and I will."

"Clearly you've enjoyed having Cliff as a roommate," Erick said, the sleep clearing from his eyes with each passing moment. He frowned at the pieces of bran, picking out the berries and the nuts and dropping the bran back into the bag.

Finn almost spewed milk everywhere. He swallowed quickly, nearly choking but finally demanded, "What in Thor's name are you doing? You can't just pick out the good pieces!"

"Why not? Why would I lose out on more of the good stuff? You said you wanted a second bowl. You can have more when I'm done."

"You Larsons are impossible."

Erick smirked but his teal eyes roved over Finn with a slight look of concern. "How are you feeling? You look a bit worse for wear."

Indeed he did. Adrianna surveyed the bruise on the left side of her brother's face, the bandages covering his neck from his collarbone to almost as far up as his ear. And judging by the stiffness with which he moved, he had to be sore and bruised beneath his clothes too.

Finn shrugged, pouring himself another bowl. "My neck hurts. But I've handled worse."

"Still, you should take it easy today." Adrianna said, reaching over to inspect the bandages. He scowled but she ignored him, pulling back the wrapping just enough to survey the wound. She sucked in a breath at the angry red wound-

Erick hissed. "Annie, not when you're holding the baby-"

"I'm just looking-"

"He's got a point," Finn pulled out of her reach and patted the bandages back down. "Blood and gore aren't conducive to the health and care of newborns."

"Since when do you know what's conducive to the health and care of newborns?"

"Common sense helps."

At that moment Darin stirred in her arms. His tiny face scrunched with displeasure at all the noise as a small whine sounded from his throat.

"I know, is that daddy and Uncle Finn fighting over silly things?" Adrianna asked, bouncing him slightly in her arms. "At least some people have had breakfast already and here we are, wasting away!"

Darin seemed inclined to agree because he began to cry more fervently.

Finn winced. "Ow gods, don't encourage him."

"Finn, you may want to dismiss yourself," Adrianna said, lifting Darin up so that he lay across her propped knees. "I need to feed him and nobody wants to be here for that."

"What do you-" Finn's eyes went wide. His face turned a blotchy shade of red. "Ohhhh. Right." Without another word, he stood and left the room.

"Wait, hang on!" Erick sprang up from the bed and followed.

Adrianna didn't catch the full extent of their conversation, given that they were in the hall and she was a bit preoccupied with setting up Darin. She'd done all sorts of reading on breastfeeding in the previous months. The first few attempts had been a bit awkward and had no shortage of fumbling, but it wasn't so bad once they figured it out.

"See? We're a team, you and I," Adrianna said to Darin once they got settled. She stroked the small patch of hair on his tiny head, which was so unfathomably soft, it didn't seem possible. "We've got to work together on these things. Start early and we'll be unstoppable later, right?"

It felt so natural, talking to him. Of course she'd been talking to him ever since she'd first discovered she was pregnant but having him here at last in her arms, it felt more permanent.

"Hey, no playing soldier yet," Erick said with a grin as he reappeared. He reclaimed his seat beside them and kissed her cheek, lingering a bit longer than usual. His teal eyes were clear and bright when he looked down at Darin. "He's only a few hours old after all."

"Well it's true all the same. We've got to be a unified front. I don't plan to have such a dramatic experience raising my kids."

"As if that was your parents' choice." Erick teased.

Adrianna planted a firm kiss on his cheek. "Touche." A wave of fear crested in her chest. Though she tried to fight it, hide it, she knew he could see it. "Brandyn could still make the claim. And if he does-"

Erick caught her chin in his fingers, turning her face so their eyes met. "It's going to be fine. I'll handle Brandyn if it comes to that. Nothing has changed, we've just added another person to the mix."

"Another person who carries an awful lot of weight." Adrianna pulled out of his gentle hold and turned, wincing at the slight pain in her body. Erick lifted an arm so she could snuggle into his chest more comfortably and he could see Darin better. She pushed Brandyn and the claim and everything else out of her mind. It had been such a long twenty-four hours, she'd forgotten about the Convocation and Brandyn. "But you're right."

He kissed her temple and rubbed her arm. "I won't let anything happen to you or Darin, Annie."

"And I won't let anything happen to you either," Adrianna said. "Like I said: We're a team, a unified front. We do this together."

Erick nodded. They sat in silence for a while, watching Darin, relishing in the little life now in her arms. He was beautiful and amazing and quite possibly the cutest baby she'd ever seen.

At the sound of movement and quiet talking downstairs, Erick said, "The meeting starts soon."

Adrianna looked up at him in surprise, trying to gauge his expression. "Are you going?"

He sucked his teeth, clearly indecisive. "It's up to you. I'll do whatever you want me to, Annie."

"But?"

"But Hiccup and Astrid are exhausted and Finn is still hurt. Ironically, I got more rest than the rest of you. They might need backup."

"Erick, you're not Chief or the Heir, nor are you on the Council." Adrianna reminded him. "Technically you're not allowed to intervene."

"I can as family to the Chief if he and the Heir are incapacitated. As next in line and with you out of commission, I could technically speak on behalf of the Chief."

Adrianna sat up, twisting to look him full in the face. She didn't have words but he must have read her shock and confusion well enough because he shrugged with a wry smile.

"Interesting, the things you find in the law books while looking for loopholes."

"Clause Seventeen was one thing, Erick, but speaking on behalf of the village is another." Adrianna said. "And if my parents and Finn agreed to it and you were to do that, you'd have to admit that I was out of commission. You'd be handing the information over to B-" She froze, hating the name that almost slipped past her lips. "To the tribes on a silver platter."

"I've thought of that already," Erick agreed. "It likely won't happen. Hiccup and Astrid are tired and Finn is hurt, but you're right, they'd never agree to it anyway. They'd sooner have Snotlout or one of the other councilmen speak on Hiccup's behalf."

The slightly clipped, withdrawn way he said it made Adrianna pause. She looked back up at him, trying to decipher the words he wouldn't say by his pinched brow and downturned lips.

He wanted to help. He wanted to be involved. He wanted to do whatever it took to be a part of protecting his family and his village. And maybe, the idea of speaking in the meetings on behalf of his family, his Chief…

"It would be an honor, I think," Adrianna said at last. "If, gods forbid, something were to happen and someone needed to take their place… if that person was you."

Erick rubbed a layer of the blankets between his fingers with a derisive snort. "The only price would be my entire family. To become the steward of the Title and Throne of Chief until Darin..." He cut himself off, shaking his head.

A terrifying thought, Adrianna realized. He didn't want the job. It would be an honor to speak on the Haddocks' behalf if they were still alive and merely out of commission. But if they were all deceased, including herself…

Then Erick would have the legal right to hold the position as Steward of Berk until Darin was old enough to take the mantle.

No wonder he was stressed.

Not to mention if Brandyn made the claim, which he still had two weeks to do...

"Gods, I wish you didn't read so much." Adrianna hissed, slumping into his chest with what she hoped was a playfully annoyed huff.

To her immense relief, Erick released a breathy laugh of his own. "I know…"

"Do you think my dad knows?"

"He's the Chief, I'd be shocked if he didn't. But that's a lot of hypotheticals… let's not think too hard about it."

"Agreed," Adrianna said, adjusting Darin and her clothing as he started to whine. "If you want to go to the meeting, Erick, go. I can't leave the house for a few days and it might be good to get out of the house. Get some fresh air and keep an eye on things. Bring back some juicy details from the meeting."

Erick took a long deep breath. He exhaled and seemed to come to a decision. "Alright, I'll go. You'll have plenty of people here to help you, right?"

"Definitely."

"Alright. I'll come back when they dismiss us for lunch then. I'm going to take a quick bath before I leave though."

"Good idea, you smell."

Erick snorted and kissed her cheek. But before he could leave, Darin opened his eyes, his tongue poking out once again.

Adrianna held him up with a coo. "Good morning! Did you wake up after a good breffast?"

Darin stared at her, his deep blue eyes seeming to swallow her whole. She wondered if they would stay blue or if they would change colors with time.

Erick snickered before kissing Darin's forehead softly. "You two be good. I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Oh don't you worry, Mr. Larson," Adrianna said, smirking when he tripped over the threshold and whipped around with wide eyes. "We shall remain on our utmost best behavior."

Shaking his head, Erick disappeared down the hall to retrieve his bag of things from her old closet, now Cliff's. Darin yawned widely. Adrianna didn't think he could possibly be any cuter. Despite the love bursting in her chest, she felt a bit droopy herself and shuffled down into a reclining position, Darin snuggled into her chest. Within moments, he fell asleep with a tiny contented sigh, and Adrianna smiled. She was going to love this new adventure.


A crisp wind that smelled of salt blew in from the sea as Genevieve made her way through the village. She'd opted for more comfortable attire today and tied her hair back to keep it out of her face. With the Haddocks a bit scattered and likely exhausted, she wanted to be ready to help in any way she could, no matter what it entailed.

Her parents had told her to stay out of it of course, barring Finn. She didn't need to get involved with any of the tribes or the claim or anything. But it intrigued her. All of it.

Especially Brandyn.

Oh, he disgusted her. Given his history with Adrianna, long before he'd taken advantage of her, he'd been cunning and cruel, alienating her from her real friends, even going so far as to hurt Cliff. How anyone could willingly hurt such an effervescent, harmless boy…

Still, she was curious. How did Brandyn Anderson, the heir apparent to the Berserker tribe, hide his identity from all these people for so long? She'd seen the shift in personality during the meetings. She didn't think he was insane; he was a good actor.

A very good actor.

Finn wouldn't be happy if he could read her thoughts, if he knew just how intrigued she was. She couldn't even put her finger on why Brandyn intrigued her so much. But she couldn't lie to herself: she wanted to pick his brain a little bit, figure out how he thought, his motivations…

Why he'd gone to such lengths to hurt the Haddocks. Did he plan all of this from the very beginning?

Little did she know, she would get her wish.

She'd scanned the busy crowds after finishing a delicious cheese and strawberry pastry and a cup of freshly brewed cinnamon coffee from a Frisk vendor when she felt a shift in the air around her.

As if everyone nearby tensed, a collective intake of breath.

"So she drinks coffee."

Genevieve angled herself away from Brandyn as he took a place at her side. He was back in his leather flight suit, tailored to fit his lithe, muscular body. She briefly wondered what sort of dragon he flew.

His lips quirked to the side as if sensing her hesitation and ordered himself a coffee. The Frisk vendor poured it quickly and accepted the money without thanks before turning away to organize his wares. No other customers came to the cart. Not with Brandyn here. Hiccup, it seemed, had done his job well. For better or worse, everyone knew who Brandyn was now.

Despite the flutter of her heart, Genevieve met his blue eyes head on. "What do you want?"

Brandyn's smile was easy, engaging. "Just thought I'd come say hello. Is that so horrible?"

"I want nothing to do with you."

"Right," Brandyn said, sipping his coffee. His blue eyes sparkled with mischief, stark against the early morning sun. "You don't scare easily."

"There's a difference between fear and intimidation. I'd be an idiot not to fear you. But no, I'm not easily intimidated."

Brandyn laughed. "I see why Finn likes you. Smart, pretty, and as you said, not easily intimidated. He can be intimidating in his own right though, so if you can withstand his fire-"

"I was never intimidated or afraid of Finn," Genevieve said. "He's not like you Outcasts. Or do you identify as a Berserker now?"

His lips quirked in amusement. The sunlight glinted in his dark hair, giving him a boyish look, a far cry from the predator who had tried to kill Finn the day before.

Careful, Genevieve, she thought. To him she said, "Well you said hello. Is there anything else?"

"I can't quite tell if you're always this prim and sassy or if that's just a front."

"Maybe it's just you."

"Maybe it is. I seem to have that effect on people."

"And why wouldn't it? You've plotted and schemed your way across the Archipelago, wooing people to your cause. Only Hiccup outwitted you and you had to cheat to win the duel. So excuse me if I seem a little prim and sassy."

Brandyn nodded. "That's fair. I can accept that. But I couldn't very well get myself arrested without bond. I've got too much to do."

Genevieve fought to keep the rising interest off her face. "And what, pray tell, might that be?"

"Tell me a secret, princess, and I'll tell you one of mine."

There was such a fine line between flirtation and confrontation. He used every bit of charm in his arsenal to make people feel at ease. Luckily she knew better. Still, she could feel it simmering just beneath the surface. The disgust he felt at being on this island. But he'd sell himself, sacrifice any bit of himself to get the information he wanted.

And maybe see how far he could get with flirting with his enemy's girlfriend.

Genevieve smiled sweetly. "My secrets are my own. And only one man gets the privilege to call me princess and it's not you."

Brandyn smiled back, nonplussed. "Understood. I certainly wouldn't want to step on Finn's toes or make him feel like I was moving in on his girl. Imagine the rage."

Genevieve blinked. She hadn't thought of that.

"Oh yes, he has quite the temper-"

"I've seen it. I'm not naive."

"No, you're hardly naive," Brandyn agreed. "Finn would never settle for just a pretty face. So clearly you're worth looking into if a mere month after knowing each other, he's wearing the Sullivan crest."

A sense of light-headedness overcame her. "How-"

"Don't worry," Brandyn said in a low voice. "Your secret is safe with me. But you shouldn't be surprised. I make it my mission to check up on all the players of the game, both new and veteran."

"This isn't a game. How did you find out?"

"Tell me a secret, Miss Sullivan, and I'll tell you."

A cat with a mouse, that's what he was. She thought she'd been in control and yet-

"Hey Genevieve," a voice said and a strong arm wrapped around hers. She looked up and nearly sagged with relief at Thorein. "How are you?" Despite his usual good-natured expression, his eyes were cold.

Genevieve squeezed his arm. "I've had better Wednesdays."

"Then I guess we'd better move along." Thorein steered her away.

Brandyn smirked as they left. "Until our next dance, Genevieve."

She threw a scowl over her shoulder and allowed Thorein to lead her away. Rosamund, Morgan and Evan were waiting in a cluster nearby, the pair looking on with equally cold expressions. They closed ranks around her and quickened their pace until Brandyn was lost in the crowds.

When they were some distance away, Thorein released her arm. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," Genevieve said. "I understand now how he got under everyone's skin so easily. He's slippery."

"You have no idea," Morgan said. "Why were you talking to him?"

"It wasn't by choice. If I just turned and walked away, I think he would have followed."

"What did he want?"

Genevieve reviewed the conversation, squinting at the crowds. "I think he wanted information."

"Probably about Anna and the baby. Nobody has seen her since the duel." Morgan squinted. "Did she-"

"I don't know. I haven't seen Finn or any of them yet."

"The meeting is starting soon," Evan said. "At least the Chief has to show up at some point."

Genevieve met each of their eyes. "You guys can't tell Finn I talked to him. Brandyn was right about one thing: he'd go ballistic-"

"He'd have every right to go ballistic!" Thorein said. "Look, Gen… you weren't here to see everything go down. Nobody knew what happened with Adrianna and Brandyn, but all of a sudden he and Erick were fighting in the Great Hall, then he just up and left. Next thing we know Adrianna took off. They didn't tell us what happened until later, what happened to her and why Brandyn left."

"It was a really stressful time." Morgan added.

"And that betrayal, everything he did," Evan said. "That went deep. All that rage Finn is feeling, it's still locked up and issuing Clause Seventeen was his best shot at taking Brandyn out-"

"I know all of this," Genevieve said, a touch impatiently. "I was there for the meetings and the duel. I know the stakes."

"Then do us all a favor," Thorein said. "And the next time Brandyn approaches you, walk away. Find someone you know and don't leave their side. Do whatever it takes to ignore him. Because if he so much as lays a finger on you, nobody will be able to hold Finn back from tearing him to shreds. Not the Chief, not the law, nothing."

Genevieve swallowed hard. They were right, of course. "So you won't tell him?"

Thorein blinked. "No. I mean if he asks or Brandyn opens his big mouth-"

"By all means don't lie to him but… but if we can avoid it, at least until we get through the rest of the week." Genevieve said. She understood the stress now. She understood how a girl who didn't know any better could let Brandyn right in with his charm and easy smiles and not realize that she'd just let a fox into the henhouse.

"Thank you by the way," Genevieve said to Thorein. "He was starting to get to me."

"What do you mean?"

Genevieve chewed her lip. She couldn't tell them about the swapping of necklaces, though she wondered if they would understand the meaning behind it. "He knows things about me and Finn that most others don't. Things about our relationship."

"That only confirms that he has a network of spies." Evan muttered, crossing his arms across his chest. "The Haddocks have suspected that for months."

Genevieve exhaled. What had she gotten herself into? She didn't regret it, choosing Finn, his family. But she was finally realizing that she was just another player in an unfinished game that had started ten years ago, when Hiccup and Dagur had gone head to head in a duel that had cost the latter his life.

She only hoped the game wouldn't end in as much bloodshed as when it started.


Genevieve was quiet throughout breakfast. Finn was so tired and frankly in so much pain that it initially didn't bother him so much. He'd assumed she was lost in thought or concern over him or Adrianna.

Except she wasn't looking at him or asking questions. Her shoulders were tight as she gripped the steaming mug of cider in her hands with clenched fingers.

Finn reached across the table and touched her wrist. Her downcast eyes shot up in surprise, almost as if she'd forgotten he was there. "Are you okay?"

She shook herself and pulled a believable smile onto her face. "Yes, I'm fine. How's Anna?"

He squinted. Genevieve was good at hiding her emotions beneath that happy, smiling mask. It was how she'd hid her longing for adventure from her family for so long and was able to comply with their wishes.

"She's fine," Finn said finally. "Tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing is wrong," Genevieve said, avoiding his eyes and looking away. She lifted her cider to her lips and took a long drink. When she set the mug down again, she added, "I was up late worrying about Anna, that's all."

Not a lie. She likely had been. But she was obviously hiding something.

"Gen-"

"Finn!" The chair beside him squealed against the floor before a lanky mass threw his arms around Finn's shoulders and squeezed. "Bruh, you're alive!"

Cliff's bushy hair tickled his face even as the sudden onslaught of movement sent a sharp pain through his neck. "Ow, Cliff. Yes, I'm alive." He patted his friend's arm awkwardly until he pulled away.

"Cliff, be careful," Taryn said, taking a seat next to Genevieve. "You'll hurt him."

"I wish everyone would relax. I'm fine."

"Are you sure about that?" Taryn asked. "You're rather pale."

"I'm not dead yet." Finn said. "So," He lowered his voice and leaned forward. Their heads came together and he murmured, "I have some good news."

Finn met Genevieve's eyes and she gave him a subtle nod. There weren't many people close enough to hear over the din of noise echoing through the Great Hall. He whispered, "Anna had the baby this morning. It's a boy."

"OH MY GODS!" Cliff erupted, crawling atop the table and opening his mouth to shout his jubilation.

Leashing the pain, Finn grabbed him by the shirt and dragged him back into his seat. "Shut! Up!" He hissed, glancing around again. "Nobody knows yet, you idiot!"

"Oh-" Cliff covered his mouth, then shook out of Finn's grip. He leaped atop his chair and brandished a finger for all to see. "EVERYONE, I HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT!"

Finn's heart thundered as the Great Hall quieted. "Cliff no-"

"I-" Cliff floundered momentarily, as if searching for the next words to say. "Seem to have lost my pet, Flopsy! Has anyone seen him?"

Taryn put her face in her hands. Genevieve blinked up at him with a look of confusion, as if trying to determine if he was serious or not. Finn just pursed his lips. Well, that was one way to cover his first outburst. Most people throughout the Great Hall scoffed and returned to their breakfast.

"Anyone?" Cliff asked, turning in his spot atop his chair. "He likes to eat cabbages and has a strange infatuation with shiny things! You there, my good man-" Cliff leaped off his chair and chased after a man from Brawn, who quickened his pace as the mad curly-haired boy sprinted after him.

"Oh gods," Finn sighed.

"Hey, at least he makes up for his near mistakes with enthusiasm." Genevieve said.

"Oh that's so exciting though!" Taryn whispered. "Is he cute? What's his name?"

"Cute yes, but I'm not saying his name yet. Not here."

"Understandable." Taryn said. "I suppose that explains why your parents look so tired."

Finn followed her line of sight where his parents were both drinking from large mugs. From the way his mom shuddered with each swallow like she was being force-fed yaknog, he assumed it was coffee. "Yeah, they were up all night."

"How are they still standing?" Genevieve asked in a hushed voice.

"Honestly I have no idea. They got maybe three hours of sleep."

Finn's gaze swept over a large group of people who entered the Hall. He blinked when he saw Erick, who caught sight of their table and made a beeline toward them, an unmistakable sign of happiness etched all over his face.

Apparently he didn't care who saw when Taryn hopped up from her seat and hugged him. She kissed his cheek when she pulled back, beaming. "Congratulations! I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks, Taryn." Erick said, aiming for the seat beside Finn. But he froze when Cliff sprinted out of the crowd, his mysteriously missing pet Flopsy forgotten, and threw out his arms for a hug.

Cliff embraced him tightly, laughing and fluffing his hair. Erick pulled away with a mock scowl and rearranged the waves so they didn't stick up in so many strange angles.

"See?" Genevieve said, drawing his attention. "Curly hair. It goes everywhere when you mess with it."

"Bruh, what's he look like?" Cliff asked as they sat. "What color hair does he have? What color eyes-"

"He doesn't have a lot of hair yet," Erick said in as quiet a voice as he could muster. Finn hadn't seen him so ecstatic since the wedding. "And his eyes are blue now, which could change."

"Ahh, I can't wait to meet him!" Cliff gushed. "Can I hold him? Am I allowed?"

"Absolutely!" Erick said, as if the idea of not allowing his best friend to hold his son was impossible. "If we got Finn to hold him-"

Genevieve and Taryn gasped, staring at him with a look of awe. "You got Finn to hold him?"

"Yes, don't act so surprised." Finn said. "Turns out I'm quite good at it."

Genevieve had a strange smile on her face that he couldn't quite place, but it made it stomach flip all the same. Like the thought of him holding a baby was something she found attractive.

If that was the case, he'd need to borrow Darin as soon as possible and test out that theory.

Erick seemed to read the thoughts and scoffed. "Don't get any ideas, mister."

Before Finn could reply, a hand clapped his shoulder and squeezed. "Glad to see you're out and about."

Finn looked up in surprise to see Chief Jade the Just. All amusement from their conversation melted from his face and he made to stand, but Jade squeezed his shoulder again.

"No, please," He smiled, green eyes glittering. "No need for formalities in such a relaxed setting. I just thought I'd come by and see how you're doing."

"Fine," Finn said, turning to face the Chief of the Cutthroats. "Hanging in there."

"I was amazed at your skills yesterday. I admit I was a bit unnerved when you invoked Clause Seventeen but you proved that you're an able fighter," Jade said. "Not to mention you held your own in the meetings."

Finn felt both a rush of pride and embarrassment. "Well, thanks."

"And as for you," Jade said, turning to Erick, whose brows lifted in surprise. "Keep that bow close. You've got a good eye. We'll need that in the days to come."

Erick's jaw tightened and nodded.

"Mostly I came to tell you both that you proved yourselves immensely yesterday." Jade continued. "Given everything that's happened, you've proven to myself and my colleagues, indeed many of the Chieftains, that you won't sit by and let injustice stand. We look for these things in a leader. Some people are born into it," He nodded at Finn, and then looked at Erick. "Others learn it. Both of you will always have supporters on Cutthroat. If you ever need anything at all, just ask."

Finn felt a rush of amazement and gratitude. "Thank you. That means more to us than you know."

"Trying times are coming. You can smell it in the air." Jade said, glancing around the gathered crowds within the Hall. "We'll need all the allies-true allies-we can get."

"Why even bother with all of this pomp and circumstance," Finn asked. "If we don't trust half the people we're allying ourselves with?"

"Because divided, we fight amongst ourselves more. At least with the semblance of a treaty binding us, we have that as a buffer between our peoples. Notice how much the fighting has stopped since your father convinced the allied tribes to accept Outcast Island into our midst. Sure, they're still bloodthirsty devils, but we've had less battles and death on all corners of the Archipelago since."

"They've been itching for more battle since Dagur died," Finn said. "Allie had a point yesterday. We can't expect them to change their ways."

"Indeed. But it's not about changing people or what the Outcasts bring to the table for the rest of the tribes. Sometimes having them do nothing is all the rest of us need. Keeping a short leash on their armies because we will hold them accountable."

"If they strike any one tribe," Erick said. "The others will rise up on a unified front to retaliate." He frowned. "How exactly did all of you convince Allie to sign that treaty?"

Jade scowled. "We didn't. Dagur did."

Finn frowned. What could Dagur have wanted by the Treaty? What profit could they have gained by joining? It didn't make sense.

"Though he couldn't do anything about it," Finn said slowly. "My dad thought I made a mistake with invoking Clause Seventeen."

He wanted another Chief's opinion. He'd mulled it over all night, wondering if he'd actually made the right decision. Now that he was actually on speaking terms with Jade, he was curious what the man thought.

Jade sighed through his nose. "I think you had a very hard call to make. Let your father steer the ship or take the wheel yourself. Both routes would have had choppy seas. Pros and cons. But what's done is done. There's no changing it. I don't think you made a wrong decision. And for what it's worth, I don't think Stoick would have done it any other way."

"You mean he wouldn't have played the peace card like my dad wanted."

"Your father," Jade chuckled. "Has always done things differently. You're very much like your grandfather. You might find it strange, but I saw a lot of him in you yesterday."

Finn smirked, even as Erick and Taryn laughed. Genevieve smiled, though she'd never met his Poppy. The thought made him sad. Stoick would have loved her.

"But," Jade added. "The same stubbornness runs through your father. It didn't skip a generation. Neither did the bravery or the strong sense of right or wrong. Your father might not be inclined to shoot first, ask questions later, but that's because he does not wish to hurt people if he can help it."

Finn nodded.

"Our families have been good friends for decades and your father has gotten me out of many pickles in our day as Chieftains. And seeing the great lengths you would go to to protect your family and defend your sister's honor… It reminded me of Stoick. How he did not flinch in the face of adversity and fighting for what he believed."

Finn stared, a bit dumbfounded. "Thank you. That means a lot. But since I lost the duel, a lot of people think that I set us up for failure."

"On the contrary," Jade said. "You may have lost the duel, Fearless Finn, but the war has yet to begin. You have earned the respect of many. That will carry far more weight in the days to come."

His heart leapt in fear at that but it also burned with pride. Even if the worst should happen, he had supporters behind him. Jade, Kara and Sven, Milly, Camicazi, Ivan… he wasn't alone in this. For the first time, he realized the strength he had on his side, amassed by the fellow Chieftains that one day he'd work with.

"My dad is afraid of war," he said quietly.

"Hiccup has been fighting his entire life," Jade agreed. "Since he was fifteen and it has hardly stopped with only a few small years of peace scattered between. That sort of life can grate on a person. To some it makes them angry or spiteful. Others… they can become paranoid. Do not judge him too harshly."

Finn nodded. "Thanks, Jade. I appreciate it."

Jade nodded and turned his green eyes toward the gathered tribes. "The meeting begins soon. I must return to my people." The Chieftain bowed slightly to Genevieve and Taryn. "Ladies."

Finn stared after him as he left and joined his large group of people in the corner. Erick clapped him on the back, pulling him from his thoughts.

"Who knew that risking your life in the ring would garner supporters of your own?"

He felt inclined to agree. He hadn't expected that to happen. And even though his body was hurt and healing, he realized he'd need to make talking with the Chieftains more of a priority. He should talk to each and every one of them. Especially those who were young like him. They were figuring out the trade just as he was, yet they already had the position, the weight of responsibility on their shoulders.

If Brandyn and Allie and Grey were scheming, they would need all the support they could get. And he couldn't risk losing any allies to them. He liked to think that the young Chieftains would never side with Brandyn but he didn't actually know them. His parents had kept him and Adrianna so distant from the other tribes growing up that he'd never really gotten to know the other kids.

And now they were all adults, with agendas and responsibilities and cares of their own.

"Hey," Genevieve said, taking his hand. "Are you okay?"

Finn blinked and faced his friends. "Yeah, just thinking."

She gave him a slow, understanding smile and squeezed his hand.

The gong sounded. The chatter in the Hall rose in volume as people gathered up their plates and stampeded to the nearest trash bucket. The Chieftains took up their assigned seats around the table alongside their councils and family members.

Finn sighed and stood, wincing. He was really tired of being injured. "Alright, I guess I'll see you all later."

Cliff and Taryn didn't look too pleased to leave and joined the throng exiting the Hall. But Erick stayed. At his questioning look, Erick shrugged. "Someone has to bring home the juicy details to Annie."

Finn snorted and kissed Genevieve's temple. "I'll see you later."

Though she smiled up at him, he could still see that worry or whatever it was clouding her eyes. But he didn't have time to ask again what was wrong, so he resolved to do it later. She squeezed his hand and left without so much as a goodbye.

"Is it just me," Erick said. "Or is she being really quiet?"

"It's not just you." Finn said, watching as she located her seat across the room. "Keep an eye out for me. Let me know if you see anything weird."

"You've got it."

"Where are you going to sit?"

"Mara's not here so I'm taking her seat instead."

Finn nodded. "See you later then, I guess."

They parted ways. Finn glanced at his parents, both of whom had steaming mugs in front of them. Hiccup spared him a quick glance as he organized a pile of papers in front of him but didn't speak. Probably conserving all his energy for the upcoming meeting.

A few white strings for tea bags hung over the lip of his mother's mug. He snorted. Apparently she'd had enough coffee for one day.

The Great Hall doors slammed to a close and Finn settled in his chair with a long exhale. Time for round two.


Hiccup had a splitting headache. While he didn't regret staying up all night to see his new grandson, he couldn't help but bemoan the horrible timing of both events. The Convocation and his grandson's birth.

It probably would have made little difference if Darin had been born last week. They'd still be stressed out of their minds, waiting to see if Brandyn would issue the challenge.

As the Hall gradually went silent around him, signaling the start of the next meeting, a familiar step-thunk sounded behind him. Judging by the sound, the person was lightweight, and Gobber had already taken his seat, so that meant Erick was here.

Hiccup waited another moment, scribbling down a final note until he knew Erick had claimed a seat in the row behind him. The silence probably seemed a bit too long for comfort, but he didn't care. He was in no mood to cater to every person's feelings at the moment.

He took a deep breath into his lungs, pushing aside his mild annoyances born out of sleep deprivation and said, "Alright, day two. Today we're discussing the future of the allied clans. Does anyone have any suggestions?"

Usually he'd say more, but he didn't feel like scrounging up more dialogue to decorate what he wanted to say. Judging by the few glances around the table, the other Chieftains seemed to notice his dry approach by comparison. Finn seemed to appreciate it at least.

Camicazi cleared her throat. "Two words: duck farms."

She launched into an unceremonious diatribe about duck farms being erected on each island for the benefit of the allied tribes. She stated that she'd been up all night coming up with ideas. Hiccup held his tongue, allowing her to speak and waste some time just to get conversation going, though he was tempted to say that she wasn't the only one lying wide awake all night.

Maybe they weren't the only two. Numerous eyes had a glazed look to them. He bit back a snort.

"And as Vice President of the Duck Committee," Camicazi stated, turning in her chair. "What do you think of my proposal, Finn?"

Finn blinked. "I wasn't aware I'd won the election."

Hiccup rolled his eyes, even as others laughed, particularly the younger Chiefs and heirs.

"It was a unanimous vote," Camicazi notes. "Mainly myself. There was no contest."

"Well, as Vice President, I think it's a great idea," Finn said in a false cheery tone. "And while we're at it, we can add pony rides and popcorn stands."

Multiple groans sounded around the table. Hiccup allowed himself to laugh and share an amused look with Astrid.

"But that's an excellent idea!" Camicazi cried. "We could raise money doing this! Oh! Hiccup!"

"Yes, Cam?"

"We could even sell tickets for people to take rides on Toothless, since he's the only Night Fury in existence!"

Toothless's head popped up from where he lay nearby, ears alert at the sound of his name.

"See? He even likes the idea."

Hiccup scowled. "He's not the only Night Fury in existence that we know of and we are not making money off him."

"But there's my point, he's the only Night Fury we have! People would come from miles around-"

"Cam-" Hiccup huffed and rubbed his eyes. "And how do you propose all these people who come from miles around to ride him will be able to do so, seeing as only I have the ability to work his tail fin?"

Toothless rumbled in agreement and slumped back into a curled position.

"We can raise ticket prices so you can train them-"

"No, I'm not training anyone to ride my dragon."

"But-"

"No."

Camicazi slumped in her seat, every bit the picture of an impetuous child who was denied a sucker. "Killjoy."

"Sorry if I've got enough things on my plate to worry about." Hiccup ignored the way Brandyn's gaze sharpened. "Does anyone have any worthwhile ideas that would significantly benefit the allied tribes?"

Allie cleared her throat and sat forward, withdrawing a document from a pocket of her black leather jacket. "I have an idea. Plans, in fact. Based on the steadily declining population of Outcast Island, due to many hardworking folk abandoning us for other tribes," she spared him a brief glare. "And combined with the fact that the majority of my people are skilled blacksmiths or warriors, we're not bringing in as much crop as we should. I admit it, we could do better."

A blink was all the surprise Hiccup would show.

Sven sat forward. "So what are you proposing? Any of the allied tribes would be more than willing to assist-"

"To a degree," Allie interrupted. "As much as I love my dear friends gathered at this table, I prefer not to indebt myself to my neighbors. No, I have a better idea." She set the paper down in front of her and patted it almost lovingly. "I've been on speaking terms with some merchants alongside my good friend Grey and we've come to an agreement. They've already started bringing in the extra hands to till the land. We expect our harvest to be two times as plentiful, if we're lucky three times as better as we're used to."

"Extra hands?" Jade interrupted. "What do you mean?"

Hiccup felt a strong sense of foreboding. "Slaves."

Finn's head snapped up.

Allie shrugged. "I prefer to think of them as indentured servants, but to each his own."

"Semantics," Hiccup said, lacing his fingers to hide their shaking. "You're going to force other people to do your farming and building-"

"Amongst other things, yes." Allie said. "Honestly I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner. Outcast Island has been in the doldrums for far too long. We need steady workers to till the land if it's ever going to thrive. And what better hands to work it than those who've been tilling their entire lives?"

Finn's jaw went slack in horror, his hands curling into fists.

"Allie, let us help." Kara said, leaning across her brother so their eyes could meet. "We're allies, we can help each other but please, don't do this."

"It's already done." Grey said, his silver eyes lighting with amusement. As if he knew just how enraged Hiccup was that they'd done this, made this deal without speaking to the other allied tribes first. "We cannot go back on our word or risk annihilation."

"You do realize," Hiccup said, voice trembling slightly with rage. "That slave traders will stop at nothing to get what they want? Give them an inch and they will take a mile."

"Of course they'll stop at nothing, it's business."

"Business?" Finn demanded. "Those are people you're talking about!"

"People who will make us a lot of money," Allie said with a smirk. "What's done is done. We can't back out now or risk our entire tribe becoming slaves ourselves. After all, they will take a cut of our monthly profits, just as they do with Rune. I paid through the nose for this deal and it will reward my tribe handsomely, far more than any assistance your villages could offer me combined."

"Sure, to the detriment of everyone else," Lankie Louie shouted. "You just flung open the doors to the entire Archipelago!"

"Aren't you glad I warned you?" Allie asked sweetly. "When they come knocking on your doors with questions about expansion… Well, compliance would be your best option. We wouldn't want the allied tribes to fall into disarray because you said no."

Hiccup felt sick. "What did you tell them?"

"The thing about business transactions," Allie said, smirking when Finn bristled. "It goes both ways. We didn't want to show our hand too early, just tease them enough with other prosperous, more fertile lands."

Multiple cries of outrage rang up around the table, even as Ivan shook his head in disbelief. He looked at his wife, as if wondering for the first time if perhaps they should have stayed out of this alliance after all.

Not that it would matter, Hiccup thought with no small amount of disgust. They had already been targeted. Together they were stronger, his allies had to see that.

Yuri of the Woeful Wailers cleared his throat. "So you mean to tell us that they know there are various other tribes here, ripe for the taking? Because you told them?"

"Of a sort," Grey said, nodding at the parchment before Allie. "Actually, they said if we could get the remaining allied leaders to sign, we'd each get a significant discount on the slaves we acquire."

Finn and multiple Chieftains shot to their feet in outrage. Hiccup grabbed his son by the arm as arguments rose up around the Great Hall, echoing and rising in volume with rage and tinged with something sharp.

Panic.

It was panic in their voices as they shouted at Allie and Grey, Brandyn sitting beside them with an amused smile. Soaking in the rising chaos.

Their eyes met across the table. Brandyn inclined his head in a slow, mocking gesture.

"Sit down!" Hiccup shouted to Finn, who still struggled against his arms.

Snotlout's arms wrapped around Finn's chest from behind. "I've got him!"

Hiccup stood, the raging arguments echoing in his ears. At his side, Astrid engaged in a loud shouting match with Kara and Allie, her blue eyes stark against the redness of her skin. Allie looked thrilled to have caused such a riot.

Only a handful of people had remained in their seats. Sorcha Sandalwood and Tollum the Second, both of whom watched the rising chaos with wide, inexperienced eyes. Sven sat with his laced hands against his mouth, brow pinched. Even with all the noise, that strategist's mind was still going.

And Erick, sitting a row behind him. His teal eyes were hard, his mouth drawn in a firm line. Sensing his gaze, Erick looked up, and Hiccup could almost see the thoughts written on his face.

As if they didn't have enough to worry about, now they had to worry about slave traders invading the Archipelago?

No. This was just conjecture. Allie and Grey, they wanted everyone to panic. This needed to stop.

Hiccup turned away from the gathered tribes. "Toothless!"

Even over the din, his best friend still somehow heard him.

The Night Fury leapt onto the nearest column, claws scrabbling against the wood. With all the noise nobody heard him coming until he slammed atop the center table and roared so loudly, the chandeliers shook.

Shaken, the gathered leaders and their people jumped back, arguments forgotten. The noise died away and Hiccup climbed atop the table to join Toothless.

"That's enough."

Though the headache pulsed from exhaustion and the noise and Toothless's sonic roar, he forced himself to speak softly. Yelling would only raise everyone's blood pressure again. Everyone needed to calm down. He set a calming hand on Toothless's warm nose, the scales vibrating beneath his palm.

"I understand why everyone is upset and afraid. I am too." Hiccup glared at Allie and Grey. "But panicking is only going to make us more vulnerable."

"What would you have us do then?" Yuri said. "We can't just wait for the slave trade to come to us, Hiccup! I won't have my son's legacy destroyed, my village plundered and torn asunder because of their plotting! I won't have it!"

Hiccup met Leif's eyes briefly and though the young man's eyes had shone with pride yesterday, now they were tinged with a bit of fear. Like Sorcha and Tollum's.

And Finn's.

"Nor will I," Hiccup said firmly. "We all have a choice in how our villages are run. If you two want to run your villages in such a way," he said to Grey and Allie. "Fine. There's nothing we can do to stop you. But mark my words: If you force the slave trade on us, if you encourage them to come to our lands and force us to comply, it will be considered an act of war. Despite the fact that many innocent lives will be lost, I will not sit by and let you dictate to me what will happen to my village. I swore an oath to protect my people and by the gods, I will do whatever it takes to do so."

Despite the cries of agreement from the allies gathered, his friends, Allie smirked. "Do you honestly think you can win a war against the slave trade? You're outnumbered."

"Not if we stand together." Hiccup said, meeting each of the other Chieftains' eyes. Kara and Sven; Sorcha and Tollum and Louie; Yuri and his son, Lief; Camicazi and Ivan and Jade and Milly.

And last, but certainly not least, he looked at Finn, who'd stopped fighting Snotlout at last and looked up at him with such bleak, pain-filled eyes.

"Each of our villages is strong and mighty in its own right. But together, we are the allied tribes of the Archipelago. Together we decide what rules apply to our villages. And when there's a crisis, we stand together to defend those that need it. And," Hiccup turned and faced Allie and Grey, his voice hardening as he let some of that rage loose at last. "We also decide together when to cut ties with those that push us too far."

The Hall grew quiet, a collective intake of breath.

Grey's face went slack. "You'd vote to have us pushed out?"

"What's the matter, Grey?" Hiccup asked in a low voice. "Not confident in your business arrangements with your new friends?"

The idea seemed to bother Allie less than Grey, though her expression turned frosty.

"Both of you can do what you feel is right for your villages," Hiccup said. "But I'm warning you on behalf of all the allied tribes: if we sense any sort of plotting against another village, it will be dealt with swiftly and without recourse. Your seat at this table will be revoked and your village will be cut off from the allied tribes."

It took a few moments' worth of silence, but Grey eventually dipped his chin in a reluctant nod, as Hiccup knew he would. Grey had always been a coward and a sluggard; he'd never had the motivation to see the tough times through to the end. Instant gratification was his motto and greed his poison. A little fear perhaps could keep him at bay for now.

But Allie… she stared up at him with a bored, almost nonplussed expression. She'd be harder to convince. Fear would be her ally, not a deterrent. After all, she had very little to lose and so much to gain.

Brandyn, who'd remained silent throughout the entire argument, flicked his eyes up to Hiccup with a look of amusement. Daring him to speak, to bring him into the conversation. Indeed, Hiccup briefly wondered where he stood in all this. But he didn't dare broach the topic or give it an inch of thought. With their luck, he'd use it to make the claim on Darin's parentage.

And after this new curveball, Hiccup didn't think he could handle that sort of torture.


When the Great Hall finally dismissed for lunch, Inga thought everyone looked rather tense. The meeting had run longer than usual, which only increased her anxiety. All she wanted to do was grab some food and go down to the docks to talk to her kinda sorta ex-best friend. Was that so much to ask?

She refrained from asking anyone how the meetings went, seeing as her cluster of friends looked rather anxious and downtrod. She did stop however to ask Finn how his bandages were holding up, to which he replied "smashingly". Unsure how to respond, she'd merely patted his shoulder and told him to come to Mara's if he needed anything.

Erick had barely spared her a glance as he inhaled his bowl of stew, looking for all the world like the roof was about to crash in on them. She withheld the joke for Finn's sake. Her blond friend did explain he needed to go see Adrianna and the baby though, and without another word, he'd left the table.

Only Genevieve seemed to notice her curious expression, advising that the meeting was "cutthroat and iconically Viking".

"Sounds riveting," Inga had said before excusing herself to the buffet line where she'd eagerly stuffed two lunch sacks with roast beef and goat cheese sandwiches, carrot sticks and brownies.

She quickly left the Great Hall and mounted her beloved Mystie, whose red wings shimmered in the early afternoon sunlight. Dark clouds gathered along the horizon. As they flew down the cliff to the docks, she briefly wondered if it would rain later.

Mystie landed alongside Johann's ship and she dismounted.

"Alton?"

Johann popped up from behind a row of barrels. "Hello there, lassie! Looking for Alton, you say?"

"Yes. Is he here?"

"He's below decks. I'll call him."

"No that's okay, Johann," Inga said, boarding the ship and walking to the nearest stairs that led down into the belly of the ship. "I'll find him. Thanks!"

"Alright then! Be careful, there are many dangerous tools and things down there."

Lunch sacks under an arm, Inga descended into the darkness. She felt a sudden wave of nerves that had nothing to do with the ship or the dim darkness. She'd been so rotten to Alton before, when he'd endured her pining for Finn for so long, not to mention he'd helped her when she could have died. And she'd thrown it in his face.

She reached the end of the ladder and looked up and down the halls. She heard a series of rummaging to her left and followed the sound, careful not to trip over boxes stacked in corners or a large coil of rope that had flopped onto the floor.

Inga stepped into a large room filled with hundreds of boxes and tables covered in wares and bric-a-brac of varying kinds. Glass baubles, pottery and clay dishes, hunting tools, dolls and books and writing utensils, and weapons. Weapons, everywhere of varying styles and metals and crafted with whorls and precious metals that she knew weren't of Viking make.

"Alton?"

A small crash sounded from the back of the room, followed by a yelp. Then he appeared between a row of boxes, shaking a hand. "Inga. What are you doing here?"

Inga swallowed and lifted a bag. "I heard you've been here since the wee hours of the morning. I thought you'd be hungry."

His brown eyes narrowed in confusion. "Um, yeah. Thanks."

Inga approached, picking her way through the tables. She had a hard time meeting his eyes when he took one of the bags.

"You didn't have to do this." Alton said. He didn't look inside the bag, but instead kept his eyes on her. As if trying to get a read on her.

Swallowing hard, Inga at last met his eyes. "Call it a peace offering."

His expression turned guarded and his eyes dropped at last. He said nothing and they stood in silence for what felt like the longest time. It occurred to her that this was her moment to speak. She'd better not squander it.

"You were right, you know," she said, twisting her long braid beneath her hands. "I've liked him for so long that I became obsessed and… that's not healthy. I should have let it go… let him go when he first turned me down. And I thought if I tried harder then it would all work out, but… it wasn't fair to me and it wasn't fair to him." Inga swallowed and dared a cautious look up at him. "And it wasn't fair to you either, especially when you had the decency to be honest and tell me to my face that I was full of crap."

"I never said that," Alton said sharply. "Stubborn maybe-"

"That's what I mean though! Because I didn't get what I wanted, I was mad and took it out on you. And when I should have been thanking you for helping me not die, I kicked you to the curb." Inga straightened and although it hurt, although it was insanely difficult to admit it, she said the words that needed to be said: "I was wrong and I hurt my friend. I'm sorry. Can…" A knot formed in her throat and she fought to speak around it. "Can you forgive me?"

There it was. She'd said it. And even if he kicked her out like she deserved for being such a terrible person, even if he never spoke to her again, that was his choice. The ball was in his court; she'd done her part.

And though he still looked hurt, like he wanted to hold onto his anger, his expression slowly cleared. He looked at his shoes and swallowed hard, the paper bag in his hand crinkling in the silence.

"I'm sorry too." Alton said finally. He looked up at her nervously. "The last thing I should have done was tell you… that I like you." Though his cheeks turned a slight shade of pink, he quickly added, "It was bad timing and… I don't know what I expected, like you were going to get over Finn right away and like me back or something. It was stupid and immature."

Her braid probably looked like a mess from her endless twisting. "About that…" Inga's heart thundered. "I can't… I don't…"

Alton's eyes shuttered. "Inga, you don't have to say anything about-"

"Yes I do, because I want you to understand." Inga said, feeling a pulse of that old stubbornness. He couldn't force her to just leave it alone, not if she wanted to talk about it. "Your feelings matter, too. I… I don't like you like that, but… but maybe…" She shook her head. She didn't want to give him false hope for the future. "I won't speak for the future but I will say this: I want my best friend back and… and I care about you enough to not make you a rebound."

And though Alton looked slightly disappointed, he nodded with understanding.

"So, in essence, I'd like to be friends again. Like we used to be."

Alton snorted, finally cracking a smile. "In essence? You sound like Johann summarizing a documentary."

Inga's hands slapped to her sides in an exaggerated shrug. "Well I'm trying to be as clear and concise as possible without making this more awkward than it is. I thought you'd appreciate that."

"I do," Alton said. He took a deep breath and let it go before meeting her eyes. "Yes."

Inga blinked in confusion. "Yes, what?"

"Yes, I forgive you. Yes, I want to be friends like we used to be. And…" He faltered, a bit of fear shining in his eyes. Then he shook his head. "Nevermind. Yes. I think it's time we moved past all of this."

Inga briefly wondered what it was he was going to say but decided not to ask or insist he spill the beans. Because if he thought it wiser not to say, then maybe that was for the best.

Still, that cursed temptress curiosity…

Ignoring that annoying tap on the shoulder, Inga stepped closer and pulled him into a hug. He was so tall compared to her, his long arms coming around her and squeezing tight. His shirt smelled like leather and sea salt. Despite herself, her eyes burned with tears.

"I missed you," she whispered.

Alton pulled back and tugged on her very messy braid. "Me too. Now," He said with a flair of dramatics like he always used to and yanked open the paper bag. "Sandwich, brownie, and…" He scowled and plunged his hand into the bag, pulling out the carrot sticks. "What are these?"

Inga internally winced. She'd forgotten that he hated vegetables. "Carrots. Don't give me that look, they're good for you!"

He sighed and hopped onto the nearest table, then snapped one long carrot in half. "They're abhorrent. They're hard and crunchy and you can't hear anyone talk while you're chewing-"

"They're good for your eyes and digestion."

"Assistant to the healer and suddenly she knows everything."

Inga clicked her tongue and hopped up beside him before digging her sandwich out of the bag. "You'll find every excuse in the book not to eat healthy."

"There's a book on excuses? I need one. Also I prefer to enjoy life."

"Which you can do better by eating healthier things!" Inga said matter-of-factly. "Root vegetables and fruits help your body to work prop- what are you doing?"

Alton fought to keep the carrots lodged in his upper lip but failed miserably when he laughed. "I'm a walrus! Kids love it."

"Walruses?" Inga asked drily. "You're not supposed to suck on them!"

"I'm not sucking on them," Alton said, sticking them back in his lip and grinning toothily at her. "Shee? I'm a walrush!"

Inga sighed. "Maybe I'll rescind that friendship after all."

"Nah you can't," Alton smirked. He threw the carrots into the bag and withdrew the brownie. "Someone has to keep an eye on things around here."

"True that." Inga tried and failed for the third time to take a bite out of her sandwich. She watched as he nearly ate the entire brownie in one go. "Dessert first, too?"

Alton shrugged and swallowed. "As Curt used to say, one never knows when Ragnarok is coming. So dessert comes first."

"You Brands are a real trip."

"You Jorgensons are so stubborn."

Inga elbowed him in the ribs but couldn't fight the grin. Alton laughed and grabbed his sandwich as she finally took a bite of hers. She had her best friend back. For the first time in what felt like forever, things felt normal. And he'd forgiven her. Somehow she felt like she didn't deserve it but perhaps that was the beauty of forgiveness. It wasn't about what you deserved. It was choosing to look past a person's mistakes and give them another chance.

Finn and Genevieve and Alton had each chosen to forgive her. Whether because it was the right thing or because they saw how far she'd come or because they knew what it was like to make mistakes and be forgiven by their own loved ones…

Whatever the case, she was grateful. And she would strive to do better in the future. To be a better friend…

Alton snorted when she chomped on a carrot, breaking the silence. She munched on it as loudly and obnoxiously as possible and Alton laughed in that happy, unrestrained way of his when Johann ran into the room demanding to know what the ruckus was.

She watched as Alton laughed with Johann and wondered. She wasn't ready for another relationship. Not for a long time. And she certainly wouldn't lead Alton on. She would be his friend and nothing more until... Or rather, if...

Well, who knew what the future would hold. But for that same reason, she wouldn't completely shut the door on the idea.

For now she was content to be his friend. And best friends didn't toy with each other's emotions. But she certainly didn't hesitate to shove him off the table when he tried to steal her brownie.

That simply would not do.


Genevieve found Finn on the bridge a few hours into the afternoon. He was alone, staring down at the swirling mists below with such a withdrawn look that she paused.

She'd never seen him look so… hopeless. Not even when he'd discovered how many of her people had died in the raid.

She kept her footsteps light so she wouldn't spook him. He didn't seem to hear her approach so she cleared her throat.

Finn glanced over but didn't speak or face her. He just returned his eyes to the rocks below.

"Hey," Genevieve said, crossing her arms against the railing beside him. "I've been looking everywhere for you."

"Needed some space." Finn said tightly. He still wouldn't look at her.

Genevieve felt a touch of some unnamed emotion rising in her chest. She couldn't quite put a finger on what it was. "Should I leave?"

Finn pursed his lips and said nothing.

The meeting had been bad. Yesterday he'd been full of confidence, prepared to say and do anything to protect his family. Today… she'd seen the way he'd panicked, seen how quickly he'd lost control in light of Allie and Grey's scheming.

Now he'd locked all those emotions inside and seemed quite unwilling to give them another inch. Not only that, he clearly wanted to be alone.

Thunderheads rumbled in the distance. Genevieve still couldn't place that squirming emotion in her chest and turned to leave, to give him space-

Finn snagged her wrist. "Stay." He turned those blue eyes on her at last and she saw how brittle and dim they looked.

A bad day. Perhaps being alone is what he thought he wanted, but was realizing that was the last thing he needed.

Looping her arm through his, she pressed close to his side and kissed his cheek. "If you want to talk, I'm here."

He squeezed her hand in response, as if he didn't have the words or energy to say more. Honestly she couldn't blame him. But that strange emotion had dimmed when he admitted that he wanted her to stay. As if she couldn't handle the thought of not being able to help him or, even worse, that perhaps he didn't need her...

Such a strange thing to feel and get upset over. That desire to be needed and be useful. There were much worse things to get upset over. She'd have to control herself, lest it turn into a bigger issue later on.

She didn't know how long they stood in silence. She watched as the storm clouds amassing on the horizon approached the island of Berk, watched as the already busy village began to buzz with activity in preparation of the storm. Thunder boomed in response to the lightning that crackled in the clouds.

They were so high up, Genevieve began to wonder about the safety of remaining on the bridge.

"I thought I had time."

Forgetting the darkening skies, Genevieve faced him in surprise. His eyes were still downcast on the ravine. He didn't seem to notice the weather, even as raindrops began to speckle the sky and tumbled into the abyss.

"I thought I had time to figure out how to stop the spread of the slave trade," Finn said hoarsely. "But it's already here."

"It's not too late," Genevieve said. "We have time-"

"It's already spreading, like a disease." That familiar fire kindled in his voice, his eyes sharpening to a glare. "People are too greedy to stay put in one place for too long. And why should they? Not when people hand them the keys to the treasury."

"Hey," Genevieve leaned forward to meet his eyes. "We will figure this out."

Finn abruptly straightened, setting that glare on her. "You don't understand."

Genevieve felt a rush of temper. "I know the meeting upset you-"

"That's putting it lightly."

"But you need to stay calm."

"I'm perfectly calm." Finn said in a low voice.

Indeed he was, Genevieve thought. For now. Though perhaps a few loose strings away from snapping-

"Stop."

Genevieve frowned. "Stop what?"

"Looking at me like you know what I'm thinking and feeling-"

"I won't pretend to know what this feels like-"

"Good, because you don't!"

"Finn…" Genevieve fought to stay calm. "You're not being fair. You're lashing out at me because you're afraid, and that upsets you-"

He clenched his jaw and began pacing, even as thunder boomed overhead. Rain began falling in earnest.

"But the best thing any of us can do right now is to keep our heads. Getting upset never helped anyone-"

Finn spun around. "Don't condescend to me when you don't know what it's like to be a slave!"

Genevieve flinched. Thunder cracked overhead just as the sky opened, dousing them in showers of rain.

"I didn't tell you everything that I've seen. Maybe I should have so that you'd get the full picture more clearly! Maybe I should have told you about the families torn apart-"

"Finn-"

"Or the kids begging in the streets, living in rags because they have nothing-"

Genevieve grabbed him by the arm as he passed. "Stop!"

"Not to mention the things they do to women-"

"Finn, stop!" Genevieve shook him by the lapels. "I understand. I may not have seen it but I understand. It's foul and disgusting, the inhumane things they do to those poor people. You're right. I don't know what it's like to be taken against my will. I don't know what it's like to be beaten or to see such horrible things. I've grown up in a protected little bubble on the other side of the Archipelago and I have been very blessed. But I have to have faith that we can stop this-"

"They won't be satisfied with Outcast Island," Finn said fiercely, his hair dripping with rain. "When they realize just how fertile our lands are, how strong our people are-"

"Then they don't make it to the borders," Genevieve said, still gripping his shirt. "We set up a blockade."

"Around every island? Genni-"

"We do whatever it takes to not let them in. We double the guards, we secure the perimeters, send out scouts and search parties if anyone goes missing. If Outcast wants to give them an inch, they can just try and take a mile." Genevieve said adamantly. "And when they come sniffing around our borders, they'll be met with dragonfire and steel. Let them come and see just what we do to slave traders. And when your reign begins then we'll tackle the outlying islands where slaves are kept and we'll fight for them too. The slavers will be forced to rescind their control because they already learned long before what happens when they mess with the Archipelagan Allies."

Finn was staring at her with a look of wonder, breathing hard. "That's…" He licked his lips. "That's quite a plan."

Genevieve shook her head, rain sluicing down her face. "I already told you: You are not alone. Your parents, the Chieftains, our combined armies, we have enough firepower to fight this. We have more than enough smart people to come up with solid plans. All we need to do is stay calm and prepare, and when the time comes to fight, we fight." She loosened her grip on his damp shirt. "But never alone. We do this together."

Finn took her face in his hands and kissed her. With the contrast of the wind and cold rain, his hands and mouth were warm and demanding, kindled by the emotions running through him. Genevieve allowed him to back her up into the nearest support beam, where he claimed her mouth with fast movements. He nipped her lip and she opened for him. His tongue swept in and tangled with hers, drawing a moan from deep in her throat.

She drew him closer, clawing at his shirt to feel the skin beneath. Thunder boomed overhead, drowning out the sounds of his moan as she dragged her nails down his spine. She arched when his lips tore from hers and traveled down the column of her throat and collarbone, lower-

"Finn…" She moaned.

Even in the darkness his blue eyes were bright when they flicked up to hers. A naughty smile crossed his lips before he straightened and gentled his approach, kissing her gently.

"Ya know," he said, breathing hard. He swallowed once to catch his breath. "Maybe we should announce our technical engagement to everyone while all the tribes are gathered…"

The words speared through her, clearing the fog from her brain.

"Then we can get married sooner and reap all the benefits-"

Genevieve choked on a laugh, even as her stomach swooped at the implication. "You are so inappropriate sometimes!"

"Hey, at least I'm honest."

Though she tried to be annoyed, she couldn't help but savor the feeling of his body flushed against hers when he pulled her in for a hug. He nuzzled her ear, the skin at her nape, sending her skin crawling even as a squeal tore out of her-

Finn laughed and kissed her neck firmly. "I do love all the sounds you make."

"Rogue." Genevieve brushed a hand through his wet hair. He froze when she uncovered the slavemark, the real reason they were out here to begin with. She brushed her thumb against it gently. "Remember what I said. This doesn't define you. We do this together. All of us." She slid her hand down his face. "Don't despair yet while there's work to be done."

A new light shone in his eyes at the reminder, the encouragement. When he kissed her this time it was gentle and soft, even as she wrapped her arms around his neck and he lifted her off her feet. Though she vaguely thought they should get out of the rain before the storm got worse, she couldn't help but think that kissing in the rain might just be her new favorite pastime.

Finn pressed his forehead to hers, eyes closed. "Thanks, Genni."


Finn felt more clear headed than he had all day thanks to his amazing girlfriend. If it weren't for her patience and forcing him to stop freaking out and see reason and, not least of which, her amazing kissing skills, he'd probably still be out there brooding.

As it was, her skin was pale from the rain when they finally arrived at the Haddock house. Soaked to the bone, their teeth chattered against the cold when they crossed the threshold and he closed the door behind them. Genevieve wrapped her arms around herself as a sound of dismay sounded from the kitchen.

"Don't tell me you two were out there in that!" Astrid said, stomping up to them with a look of annoyance. "The temperature is dropping, it's still early spring! You'll catch your deaths!"

"Mom relax, we got waylaid by the storm on the way home. Nothing we can't handle."

"Say that to your bandages," Astrid said, eyes flashing. "Go change into dry clothes and we'll get new ones. And as for you…" She surveyed Genevieve with a small frown. "I might have some old clothes your size that you can borrow. Or perhaps Adrianna does. Anyway, let's go digging."

"Oooh a treasure hunt," Finn said, peeling off his jacket and hanging it near the firepit to dry. "To aid in your quest, I'll advise that my favorite colors are blue and grey and-"

"Finn, don't be a pig." Astrid said. She led Genevieve up the stairs in search of dry clothes as Hiccup snorted from his seat in an armchair.

Laughing, Finn followed them up the stairs and ducked inside his room. He smirked at Genevieve's curious eyes darting past him before he closed the door.

Nosy girl.

He quickly found a pair of black pants and a warm wool shirt and socks before tromping back downstairs. He chucked his wet clothes into a hamper in the washroom and darted back into the kitchen to start some tea. He frowned at the dozens of tea bags, wondering which one to choose… which one Genevieve might like…

He picked up a jar and gave it a curious sniff. It smelled alright, but a female voice clucked behind him.

"I wouldn't make that one," Adrianna said as she slowly came down the stairs, Darin sleeping in her arms. She plucked it from his hand and placed it back on the shelf. "That one's for other purposes than enjoyment."

Finn blinked as she rummaged for another tea that was apparently good for enjoyment. "Some teas are for particular things?"

"Different herbs do different things specifically. Giving Genevieve a fertility brew would not be in her best interest."

Hiccup choked on his coffee in the living room. His hacking and sputters could be heard from two floors up apparently because Astrid came tromping downstairs. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Adrianna said sweetly and handed him a different jar. "Make this one. She seems like a chai kind of girl."

Shrugging, Finn gathered a kettle and water. By the time he'd set them over the fire, Genevieve came downstairs wearing a pair of dark leggings, a white shirt and a long sleeved sweater. In her arms she held a bundle of wet clothes.

"Here," Astrid said, leading her to the washroom. "Just throw them in here. We'll have them washed and dried and brought to your family's place. No arguments! What is one more set of clothing?"

Smirking, Finn watched as Adrianna sat in a comfortable chair beside Hiccup's. Darin didn't stir as she settled and seemed to sigh in relief.

"Finally tuckered out, huh?" Hiccup asked.

Adrianna nodded. She reached toward a nearby wicker basket holding blankets but Hiccup jumped up and grabbed the floofiest one he could find before setting it on her lap. She smiled in thanks as Genevieve's curious voice wafted from the washroom.

"So these pipes… what do they do?"

"Oh, those are for the water system Hiccup invented. If you pull that cord, it fills the tub with water, and a heating system beneath warms the water to a comfortable temperature-"

"Wait-" Genevieve interrupted. "You don't have to bring in buckets of water?"

Hiccup practically ran to the washroom. Finn and Adrianna shared a snort. Finally, someone who could appreciate his ingenious inventions.

Not that Finn didn't appreciate it. He did. He just had to wonder how long it would last. Heated bath tubs and water pipes.

Hiccup launched into a detailed discussion about mechanics and machinery. His mom retreated to the kitchen within a minute, already lost in the conversation. Genevieve followed up his explanations with interested questions and comments, to which Hiccup ecstatically replied, "Finally, someone I can talk to about mechanics! Finn? You have my permission-"

"Aaaand what's for dinner, mom?" Finn said, earning a quiet laugh from Adrianna. Honestly he didn't want to know what his dad had been about to say.

"For the appetizer course," Astrid said, climbing over the back of the couch with a large white roll of cloth in her hand. "We're having clean rags!"

"Oh my favorite."

Genevieve and Hiccup emerged from the washroom in time to see Astrid peel away the sopping wet bloodied bandages.

Adrianna hissed. "Does it still hurt?"

Finn shrugged, trying to keep still while his mom prepared the wraps. "It's okay. The worst is if I move too much or- owwww or the gods-freaking medicine!"

"Sorry," Astrid said, unamused. "It needs to be done or-"

"Or it'll get infected, I know." Finn met Genevieve's tense expression and he shrugged his brows. "Awful part of the body to get gangrene. Imagine having to lop my head off-"

"Finn, that's both disgusting and incredibly rude."

Astrid nodded. "Finally, someone with some sense."

The door abruptly opened to the sound of torrential rain. Erick darted inside with his coat pulled up over his head and shut the door with a heavy exhale.

"Holy gods, welcome to spring."

They all chuckled as he stripped off his coat and hung it up to dry, nodding in greeting at Genevieve who took up a seat beside Finn. He strode to Adrianna's side and kissed her forehead before gazing down at the sleeping baby.

"He's so cute!" Genevieve whispered, leaning to get a closer look.

"Do you want to hold him?" Adrianna asked, moving her blanket to stand.

"I'll do it," Erick said, gently taking the baby in his arms and depositing him into Genevieve's. "And here we have our Aunt Genni."

A pulse of warmth spread through Finn's chest, though he wasn't sure if it was due to the name, the smile that leaped onto her face, or how quickly his family had accepted her as one of their own. As if they expected her to stay forever.

A sharp pain in his neck obliterated those thoughts and he choked on a hiss. "Ow, mom-"

"Sorry," Astrid said, finally finishing with the wraps. "I'd have thought you'd have a higher pain tolerance than this."

"I've never been slashed in the jugular before-"

"Let's not upset the baby," Genevieve said, cradling Darin to her chest.

"You're right," Finn nodded. "Erick does have a weak countenance."

Erick spun around from pouring himself a cup of tea. "Hey!"

Grinning, Finn leaned into Genevieve's shoulder as she pulled the blanket away from his face. Seeing her with a little baby in her arms with that small, contented smile…

"He's so precious," she whispered, smiling up at Adrianna. She met Finn's gaze and blinked in surprise at their close proximity, noting the knowing smile already on his face. "What?"

Finn shook his head, ignoring the amused look his family shared between themselves. "Nothing." He almost wanted to ask what they were thinking.

Almost.


If Adrianna knew where he was right now, she'd definitely give him an earful. Erick knew this as a fact, and he didn't blame her. But with the Convocation nearly finished, he felt as if his chances were slipping away. If he really wanted this done, he would have to speak up. There was simply no other choice.

He'd been planning to confront Brandyn all day. He'd mulled it over, what he'd say and do. Of course he hadn't mentioned it to anyone, not Adrianna or Finn or Hiccup. On the one hand it wasn't perhaps one of his smarter plans, but on the other, he was confident that he could do this. He didn't need help and he didn't need everyone else speaking for him. He was the head of his own household now. He had to step up or appear weak.

But as Erick had planned to approach his mortal enemy when he left the Great Hall, he found the Great Hall to be minus one Brandyn Anderson.

Highly suspicious, Erick thought, considering everyone of worth was in the Great Hall. Except-

Erick had slipped out without another thought and rode Charger to the Haddocks as fast as possible. But the Haddock house appeared just as they'd left it. All the guards stood at attention when they swooped into a landing, confirming nothing suspicious had happened.

So where was Brandyn?

Erick and Charger landed at the Hatchery, where he left his dragon and continued on foot. Even though the storm had passed quickly, it left the air heavy with moisture and the smell of rain. Erick leaned over the edge of the perimeter fence, squinting down at the darkened docks where low voices echoed up from the chasm below.

Then he stalked down the planks without hesitation.

He knew he was being reckless. Maybe this is what Finn felt like every day, making decisions with his heart and not his head, asking questions later. But he didn't care. If Brandyn thought he was going to sneak away from Berk again without anyone noticing, without giving Erick a chance to say his piece, he was surely mistaken.

He softened his steps as he approached the last stretch of dock. A large group of men clad in black and grey bustled around an Outcast ship, loading barrels and other forms of cargo as quickly as possible. They'd yet to notice his arrival so he hopped up onto the nearest barrel and waited, fiddling with the strap of his quiver slung across his chest.

Now that he was closer, he could hear snatches of conversation much better.

"I just don't get why we're abandoning our post," a guard muttered. "Chief Allie said-"

"Too much," Brandyn hissed. "If she hadn't opened her mouth at the meetings, you know it would be over! I've heard everything I need to. We'll regroup and figure things out later, but not here." He swung a heavy bag onto the ship, grunting softly and shaking his arm in pain, probably from the savage bite wound Finn had given him.

"Yes but the plan-"

"Is over, aren't you listening?" Brandyn straightened and looked the guard in the eyes. "Hiccup did his job well, the ruse is over. We-" He halted, eyes darting over the man's shoulder to see Erick sitting on the barrel. "Larson."

The guards spun around, hands on their swords.

Erick couldn't help the smirk. "Leaving so soon? That would be the second time you leave Berk with your tail tucked between your legs like a coward."

Brandyn's dark gaze leveled with his before he jerked his chin to the ship. "Get on board. I'll meet you in a minute."

"But sir-" The guard withered under Brandyn's glare and was the first to scurry aboard the ship. The sound of footsteps was the only sound for a few moments as Brandyn slowly approached.

"You run a tight ship," Erick said, crossing his arms. "No questions, few comments, short leash, abandoning the plan. It's a wonder they haven't mutineed yet."

"We're not pirates," Brandyn said in a bland tone. "What do you want? I'm on a tight schedule."

"I want many things, not least of which is seeing you hang for your crimes," Erick said, standing. A white hot pulse of anger laced his tone. "But of course you're leaving early like the coward you are. After all, if you stay through to the end of the Convocation, you'd be arrested."

Brandyn sniffed in amusement. "None of you can prove that the child is mine."

"You'd have a trial but I assure you, you wouldn't be leaving Berk alive."

"Resorting to death threats now, Larson? I admit I'm surprised. You're becoming more ruthless than I ever expected."

"Touch my family again," Erick said fiercely. "And I'll show you just how ruthless I can be."

"Very cute but your meager training sessions with Finn have given you little advantage." Brandyn smirked, noting his blink of surprise. "Oh yes, I know all about your training. I know everything about your family," He took a step forward, forcing Erick to yield a step. "If you think I stopped paying attention after I left, you're sorely mistaken."

"You didn't know we were on Hjart," Erick said, fighting past the fear cutting through him. "That was you on the Changewing, it was Syd-"

Brandyn sighed. "Yeah, I'll admit it. That was me. I didn't expect Berkians to be there, let alone Finn and his pesky father. Poor timing on my part, I'm afraid."

"So you're in charge of the raids?"

"I didn't say that."

Erick shook his head. All of it was tied together, being woven together like a spiderweb. And Brandyn was the spider. "Why are you doing this? All of it, why?"

"It's quite simple, really," Brandyn grinned and for the first time Erick felt a flash of recognition. With the scar, the toothy smile… he looked exactly like Dagur. "Because I can."

Erick's mind raced. He'd inserted himself into their lives all those years ago with every purpose to ruin Adrianna's life, to destroy her character, but why? What had she done wrong to him? It didn't make sense.

Plus Brandyn knew so many things about what had happened here the months after he'd left. He hadn't known they were training the Hjartans or else they wouldn't have raided while Finn was there, but somehow he found out about Finn and Genevieve's relationship. And it was obvious that he knew very little about the baby and Adrianna's whereabouts. Perhaps he didn't care, but Erick wasn't buying that ruse. He wanted to know very badly.

Then it clicked. "It was Dana." Erick noted the flash of irritation that broke Brandyn's amused demeanor. "Dana was the spy. And when she got banished, you lost your inside man. Or woman, I suppose."

Brandyn sucked his teeth. "I admit I wasn't happy to see her. She was supposed to stay until told otherwise. But she kept asking to leave Berk and was apparently willing to do just about anything to get banished, which includes Finn apparently." He smirked. "I heard he didn't take it well. She's a wild ride."

Erick's lip curled with disgust. "She attacked him-"

"I'm sure he's fine, after all he's got Genevieve to lick his wounds now." Brandyn glanced at his ship before slapping a hand to his forehead in mock forgetfulness. "Oh, I almost forgot. I have something for you." He reached into his jacket and Erick flinched back, reaching for his bow. "Relax, Larson, if I wanted to kill you I'd have done it already."

Brandyn withdrew a folded document from the inner lining of his coat and held it out. "This is for you and Adrianna. Call it a parting gift."

Erick stared at it. In the dim lighting, it was hard to read, but it appeared to be some sort of official document from Berk's archives. Still, when Brandyn held it out, he didn't take it.

"It's not going to bite." Brandyn shook his head. "You're too suspicious, Larson."

Erick gingerly took the paper. It only took a second of scanning for him to recognize it as an official adoption form. Exactly the adoption form required to overrule the law about the duel over fatherhood.

"What are you playing at?" Erick asked, looking up after a few seconds. "I know you're not doing this out of the goodness of your heart."

"You'd be right." Brandyn said. "I have my reasons. Turn it over."

Erick turned the paper over and found Brandyn's signature at the bottom of the page, along with a witness's. For a second, he stared down at the page and back up at Brandyn.

"You're serious," he said. It wasn't a question.

"I mean, if you don't want it," Brandyn reached for the paper, but Erick jerked it away. "Yeah, I thought you would."

"What's the catch?"

Brandyn took a step back, away from Erick and the precious document he held. "You leave me alone. Don't expect me to visit. Don't ask me for money. You take the kid and you never contact me again. You stay away from me. You, Adrianna, and it when it grows up."

Erick gritted his teeth. "'It is my son."

There was an unmistakable flicker of pride on Brandyn's face. "Well, only if you sign this document. Unless you'd rather I just leave and not come back for twelve days."

Erick remained silent, staring at the document. It had an official Outcast seal at the bottom next to Brandyn's signature. Erick's eyebrows jerked upward at the sight of Allie the Insincere's signature as Brandyn's witness. There was no question as to whether he had done this whole thing properly.

He knew that he really should take the legitimate document and be grateful, not poke the bear. But he wanted to know why. Brandyn had so much advantage over them. He could force Erick to duel to the death, kill him and split the parental rights between himself and Adrianna. Those two things alone would cause Adrianna and the family so much pain. If he truly wanted to make them suffer, why didn't he do it? If that wasn't the "plan", then what was it?

Unless Brandyn really, truly and honestly, did not want the baby. What other explanation could there be?

Finally, Erick looked into his enemy's face. "So I take it this is goodbye then? Because this deal goes both ways. I don't want to see or hear from you ever again. Leave my family and my people alone."

Brandyn paused before replying next, a smirk curling his lip. "I'll make you a promise: I'll never try to take your precious Adrianna or the kid from you."

Erick gritted his teeth. "That doesn't answer my question."

Brandyn extended his arms. "Do you want this kid or not? You're not in a position to bargain. I will do what I want and you can be saddled with diapers and messes and wake up in the middle of the night for this thing. As far as I'm concerned, we both get what we want. You can be the standup family guy and I can be free. You should be grateful-"

"Grateful?" Erick demanded, tucking the paper into a pocket inside his jacket. "What, like you're gifting me something out of the goodness of your heart? I made my choice and I'm sticking to it; not once did I ever stop to think about your opinion. As far as I'm concerned, you lost that right the second you cheated on Adrianna. That was the day I stopped caring what you thought and stopped keeping my mouth shut. From now on, I will do whatever it takes to raise my son in a happy, healthy environment, and you'll excuse me for not giving you a single ounce of credit for it."

"Then it seems we both understand our roles well." Brandyn said, eyes unwavering. "You do what you do and I'll do what I do. But enjoy it while you can. Times are changing in the Archipelago. By inserting yourself right into the thick of it by marrying Adrianna, I can't promise who won't be caught in the crossfire."

He must have seen a look of fear flash across Erick's face because Brandyn grinned. He took a few casual steps back until he turned, grabbing onto something in the middle of the air. Erick blinked, his mind not quite grasping it as Brandyn hauled himself up into the air until a pair of yellow green eyes materialized in front of Erick's face.

He lurched backward, Syd's maw dripping with steaming green acid. It landed on the planks with a loud hiss, disintegrating the wood in moments. Erick put space between them, wondering if this was how Brandyn would have him killed. Maybe this last conversation was all a ruse to get him comfortable and foolishly believe that this was goodbye, when really it was goodbye in a whole other fashion.

Brandyn laughed. "LIke I said, you're too suspicious. If I wanted to kill you I would have. Count yourself lucky." He pulled up on the reins as the ship groaned, ropes snapping free of their tethers. The anchor was pulled up from the depths by the Outcasts and slowly the ship pulled away from the docks. Syd and Brandyn launched high into the air, the latter giving him a mock solute. "Until our next meeting, Larson."

With that Syd wheeled around and flapped after the ship, quickly disappearing into the darkness.

Erick was slightly breathless as he listened to the churning of the waves below the docks, the hissing of the salt water as it rushed over the spots of green acid still bubbling on the planks.

Just like that, Brandyn was gone. Erick whipped out the paper again and read it, eyes nearly crossing in the effort to read it again. Against his will, his eyes burned. It almost seemed too good to be true. He wouldn't have to fight the duel. He could be Darin's dad without fear of looking over his shoulder, at least not right now. He'd be a complete idiot to assume that they would never seen Brandyn again.

But he couldn't help the crazy, irreversibly happy laugh that clawed its way up his throat as he turned and sprinted back up the docks, tucking the paper safely back inside his coat. He had to tell Adrianna.


Adrianna was almost asleep when the door burst open downstairs. Her parents and Finn scolded the person for nearly giving them a heart attack but moments later Erick had charged his way up the stairs and closed the door to her old room, where she would now be staying. She'd insisted on giving her parents their room back, so Cliff and Taryn had brought over some of their own bedding so as not to use Cliff's. Darin was currently sleeping in the small cradle beside their bed; she almost scolded her husband for nearly waking him.

All these thoughts evaporated when Erick held out a piece of paper, his hands shaking. "Annie, read it." He was breathless and sweaty but his eyes were bright. "Take it."

"What is it?" Adrianna asked, taking the document and reading it. She frowned, scanning the lines. "It's… an adoption form." Her eyes grew wide and she stared up at him. "Where did you get this?"

"Brandyn gave it to me."

Adrianna's heart shuttered. "Erick, he's just trying to trick us-"

"No Annie, look-" Erick sat down and flipped it over. "See? He signed it with Allie as his witness-"

"But we didn't witness it! How do we know it wasn't forged-"

"With her seal? Annie, it's real, it has to be!"

"Erick… babe, listen to me," Adrianna set the paper aside and took his hands. "Everything Brandyn does is for a reason. This can't be real."

"We'll have Hiccup look at it, Allie's still here, we'll make her confirm it-"

"The Convocation isn't over yet, of course she's still here." Adrianna said, finally look him in the face. "What's going on?"

Erick heaved a sigh, as if forcing himself to go back and tell the story took great effort. "Brandyn left and he gave me this. All we have to do is sign it with a witness of our own."

"And what does he want for it?" Adrianna demanded. "There's no way he gave this to us for free."

"His only terms were that we don't expect anything from him. He didn't ask for anything in return."

"You're sure about that?"

"Annie-" Erick cut himself off, starting to look annoyed. "Do you think that this isn't the most important thing to me right now? That I'm just walking into a trap? Look at it, it's a real formal document."

Adrianna pursed her lips and scanned it again, reading line for line. So many doubts crept into her mind but there it was, Brandyn's signature in that old familiar handwriting she used to know as well as her own. And yes, that was the Outcast Chieftain's seal in black wax beside her own name.

"What if it's a trick?" Adrianna asked in a small voice, holding it to her chest. "A false sense of security? What if it's not real?"

Erick took her hands and kissed them chastely. "I understand, trust me I was shocked when he gave it to me. I didn't believe it. But I think he honestly meant it. He doesn't want Darin. He might hate me but it's more work for the rest of his life than it's worth to make the claim and saddle himself with a baby. I don't believe for a minute that we'll never see him again, I'm not that stupid, but what I do know," Erick swiped his thumbs across her cheeks to wipe away the tears that had fallen. "Is that this document gives me the right to be Darin's dad, and legally he cannot take that away from us. All we have to do is sign it."

An overwhelming sense of relief swept through her. She covered her face in her hands, tears falling in earnest. The paper crinkled as Erick gently pulled it away and set it aside before he pulled her into his arms and rocked her gently.

After countless months of fear, waiting for Brandyn to show up and ruin her life again; after all the threats and potential situations of what could happen and all the stress that came with it, he'd truly dropped it. He'd signed adoption papers of his own free will and given them to Erick.

She knew it wasn't out of kindness. He had to have done it for some reason.

But right now all she felt was relief as she pulled her arms around Erick's chest and cried. She wasn't going to lose him to a duel. She wasn't going to split her time between Berk and Outcast Island. She wasn't going to share her son with that monster.

A beam of hope filled her chest and she smiled, despite the tears. She tilted her head up to find Erick's face equally tear-stained, yet happy. Breathing a laugh, she brushed some of his tears away, her heart burning with happiness for him, for their little family, for the hope they now had in their future together.

Adrianna kissed him firmly and felt the hope in her heart burn stronger, bright as a star.


Oh happy day! Darin is finally Erick's with no strings attached. At least no legal strings.

I released a gigantic update to Glitch in the System, which contains some medical records for Cliff if you ever want to know random facts about him! Plus lot of other new stuff. It was all I was working on these last few weeks so a zillion cheers for Em for pulling through!

Don't forget to review!

~Katie