A/N

OK I couldn't wait anymore and had to post the next chapter! Here it is!

Just a quick note, I make up a lot of stuff to make this story possible. So no hate for my fake laws and regulations -_-

Raegan remained frozen in her tracks, a sight to behold really, with her hand still raised and eyes wide and jaw practically on the floor. Her heart was no longer light and instead beat rapidly, and her lungs felt constricted, making it hard to breathe. And that oxygen definitely could have been used to process this.

No one spoke for what felt like hours, but it was probably more like seconds. Stoick and Ingrid gave each other an anxious glance while the boy grew uncomfortable with Raegan staring at him. He had to fight the urge to squirm under her gaze, and eventually looked up at his dad with an eyebrow raised. Then he heard a squeak and turned his head, only to be met with a slammed door.

The boy blinked. "Well… lovely to meet you too." Was his sarcastic response.

Stoick sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Not now, Hiccup." He whispered… well, as close to a whisper as the man could do. "Remember what I told you: best behavior." He reminded him in a harsh tone, causing Hiccup to rub the base of his neck in embarrassment.

Ingrid gave a nervous laugh and gestured to the table overflowing with various platters and bowls of food and pitchers of drinks. "Um, why don't you two sit down and I'll check on her."

Stoick gave her a smile. "We understand completely."

The smile was returned and Ingrid sidestepped to the door. "We'll just be a moment." She promised before scurrying away.

Ingrid peeked her head into the room and became confused when she didn't see Raegan. Quietly she stepped into the room, then jumped in fright when the door slammed shut behind her.

She found Raegan pressed up against the wall behind the door with a panic-stricken expression on her face. "Who is he, mom?!" The girl asked in a strained voice.

Ingrid sighed in relief. "That's Stoick's son: Hiccup." She explained calmly.

Raegan gave her a sideways glance. "And what is he doing here?!"

"I asked Stoick to bring him along."

Raegan gaped and shoved herself off the wall. "Why?!"

Ingrid bit her lip. She hadn't thought too much about what she would tell her daughter. Stoick thought it was high time to tell them they were engaged because he hoped it would force Hiccup to become a man and stop all of his destructive, Hiccupy behaviors. She refused though, knowing Raegan would be overwhelmed as it is just having him there. They battled long and hard about it yesterday, but she won in the end. By that time though, the sun was setting and she needed to rush home before it became dark, and today was filled with gathering and cooking, so there wasn't time to think about it.

Boy, she wished she had.

Ingrid's mouth opened several times before she could give an answer. "Because I - I thought that -" She cleared her throat nervously. "It's high time you had a friend… mon trésor." Ingrid almost grimaced - it didn't sound too convincing.

Raegan paled at the thought of making a… friend. "Mom, you - you can't just spring people on me!"

"You'll be fine! Hiccup is harmless."

"Mom, the only other people I've ever talked to, besides Stoick, is family! What do I do, what do I say?" Rae sighed, then looked at Ingrid questionably. "Did dad agree to this?"

Ingrid pursed her lips briefly. "Your father is still… processing. You know how protective he is."

"Which is why I'm finding it hard to believe that he said this is ok." Raegan pressed.

Ingrid gave a frustrated sigh, but it wasn't directed to her daughter. "Rae, I'm your mother, and that gives me rights too." She explained, putting a hand on Raegan's shoulder. "I can make decisions that'll benefit you just like your father can. And I've decided that a friend will be good for you."

"But dad says -"

"Nevermind what he says!" Ingrid exclaimed, alarming Raegan. Then she took a deep breath and squeezed her daughter's shoulder. "Just trust me, and try to have some fun." Ingrid grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the room.

"Wha-" Raegan stammered several times before she found herself thrust onto one of the benches at the table, which happened to be the same one as Hiccup's. Ingrid ended up using too much force though, causing Reagan to splay across Hiccup's lap. She froze, not daring to look at his face. A few seconds later she regained her senses and bolted straight up, tucking away a stray piece it's hair behind her ear self consciously. When she dared to look at him, his face was as red as hers, making her shrink into her seat.

Meanwhile, Ingrid calmly sat down next to Stoick and gestured to Raegan as she made introductions. "Hiccup, this is my daughter, Raegan."

Hiccup gave an uncomfortable grin and little wave. Raegan's eyes widened and focused on her lap as she began bouncing her leg. Hiccup nodded and lowered his hand, awkwardly tapping his fingers on the table.

Ingrid nervously laughed. "Raegan, do you want to offer our guest some salmon?"

Raegan closed her eyes and took in a breath. Get it together! You're embarrassing yourself! She grabbed the platter of fish with shaking hands and held it in front of Hiccup so he could serve himself. But the trembling kept getting worse, so much so that before he could lift a piece off, they gave out and the contents of the platter spilled all over the chief's son.

"OH MY GODS!" She cried out as everyone jumped up. "Oh my - I'm SO sorry!" For a few moments she stammered and looked around, then she ran, grabbed a towel from the cabinet and soaked it in a barrel of water. "I'm such an idiot!" She muttered to herself, then ran and thrust the wet towel into Hiccup's hands. "Uh h-here. I'm so sorry!"

Hiccup gave an awkward laugh. "Well, I always wondered what it would be like to be a fish." Stoick face palmed as Hiccup began cleaning his pants.

The corners of Raegan's lips upturned slightly, but it quickly faded and she kneeled down and quickly picked up the wasted fish with a red face. She handed the platter to Ingrid after. "Sorry about the fish mom." She apologized in a low tone.

Ingrid gave her a small smile and took the plate to discard. "It's alright, chérie."

Raegan nodded and eventually everyone sat back down to eat, though each one served themselves. Ingrid and Stoick began chit chatting over the island's happenings while the younger vikings remained in awkward silence. Raegan had calmed down some as she began accepting that there was another person - and a boy at that - in her house, though she wished she knew what to say to him, cause the young girl had always dreamed of having someone to call a friend and do what friends do… though she really had no idea what that was.

I probably ruined things though with the fish. He probably thinks I'm a clutz and a dork. This made her feel dejected. Her mother noticed this, and decided to take matters into her own hands after everyone was full.

"Raegan as it so happens, Hiccup works at the forge and is quite the inventor."

Raegan watched Stoick's eyes sharpen at Ingrid as if he didn't like what she said, which made her uneasy. "Oh really?... Neat."

Ingrid ignored Stoick. "Why don't you take him into your father's workshop? I'm sure it'll interest him."

Raegan shyly glanced at Hiccup. His eyes seemed to light up at the idea, so they both stood and walked out of the house to the forge.

There was more uncomfortable silence as they walked around the house until Reagan decided to break it. "I'm uh… I'm sorry that I spilled fish on you."

Hiccup gave her a surprised glance, not expecting her to speak. "I-it's fine, don't beat yourself up over it." He sniffed his sleeve and made a face. "Nothing like a fish smell to attract the ladies, am I right?" He jested.

At first her face burned up because she thought he was making a pass at her. But when she glanced at him, he had a small, lopsided grin on his face, and this showed it was just a lighthearted joke.

She gave a short laugh. "O-kay…?" Then she opened the door. "So here it is."

Aric's workshop was bigger than the local smithy, and rightly so, because he needed the space to hang his creations and store his many tools. He specialized in intricate daggers, but could create any other weapon known to vikings if he really wanted to. The building had a large stone fire pit/oven in the back left corner with an anvil and an automatic stone sharpener wheel next to it, a full wall full of shelves adjacent to it that held small crates upon small crates of tools, accessories, and parts. On the opposite wall was a long large work table with various new blueprints onto the wall above it. And the front wall hung a large, intricate map that showed the world beyond the archipelago, filled with little notes and marks from Aric's travels.

Hiccup's eyes were like saucers when he saw the workshop. "Wow." He breathed. "So this is where it all happens, huh?" He focused on the wall of crates.

Raegan leaned against the work table. "You can look, just don't break anything."

Hiccup smile grew and he lifted a crate of tools off of the shelf to look through. "I've seen some of your dad's work, and it's amazing." He held up one tool to look at it closer. "I can only dream of getting that good."

Raegan hummed. "Sooo… you're an inventor?" She asked, not wanting the conversation to die down. That was how friendships started right? "What kind of stuff do you build?"

A sparkle gleamed in his eye, and she felt her heart flutter in joy that she had struck a right cord. "Right now I'm working on a bola launcher." He said while putting the crate back and pulling down a different one.

Raegan's brow raised. "A bola launcher?"

"Yeah…" Raegan continued to give him a weird look, so he explained more. "It's a device that will throw bolas for me."

"Oh!…" Raegan scratched her head self consciously. She didn't want to sound rude and go down on his inventions, but... "Isn't it easier to just, you know, throw one yourself?" She asked carefully.

Hiccup scoffed. "Uh, have you taken a good look at me? I'm not exactly a strong, tall-" He curled his free arm to flex his nonexistent muscles, "-beefy, viking."

Raegan blinked. "... I… don't really know how to answer that."

Hiccup looked miserably down into the crate in his hands."Why don't we change the subject?" He murmured.

While he resumed sifting through the crate, she gave him a brief once over. He didn't look like much, that was true. His arms and legs were like thin sticks and even though his clothing covered everything, she could tell he had no muscle whatsoever, and he just admitted he couldn't even throw a Bola which was the easiest of weaponry. He didn't eat half as much as her during dinner (though to be fair, she did eat quite a bit). She had never seen another teenager her age, but her dad sometimes commented on how much shorter she was compared to the other teens in the village… It was one of her flaws. She stood at 5ft, and he was just barely taller than her.

If he didn't have the physical ability to use a weapon, she figured it actually wasn't too bad of an idea to create something that would do it for him. It wouldn't be doing him any favors, but at least he had the viking spirit. It was an admirable quality.

Now she felt bad for giving off a negative vibe about the machine and grimaced. This night can't get any worse.

As soon as the door shut, Stoick glared at Ingrid. "Why are you encouraging Hiccup's antics?" He questioned in an annoyed tone.

Ingrid rolled her eyes and stood from her chair. "Oh relax." She admonished, gathering the dirty dishes. "No harm will come out of seeing Aric's shop."

"No harm? You know as well as I do that Hiccup's so-called inventions never work and that by seeing the shop of a great craftsman, it'll only encourage him more."

"Look, Raegan loves creating things too." She pointed out as she went and set the dishes in the basin, then walked back to the table.

"But I'm sure Raegan could create something that won't explode, burst into flames or destructively malfunction."

"Well she's more into plants and medicine." Ingrid pointed out as she poured fresh ale into his tankard. "But still, creativity will give them common ground, so hopefully she will ease up a little and a friendship will form - "

"And from that friendship, love will blossom." Stoick finished tiredly and took a big gulp of his drink. "I heard it all last night." He murmured, wiping his mustache.

Ingrid, who was getting the pie out of the oven, frowned. "But you still don't believe it."

Stoick stayed silent for a few seconds, staring ahead of him, before answering. "It won't matter in the end if they're friends or not. They'll be married either way." He stated.

This didn't sit well with Ingrid. She was still a Bog Burglar and valued her rights as well as her daughters.

Traditionally, the women of her tribe didn't marry, but it wasn't forbidden, the only catch being you could no longer live on the island. The women also loved their freedom that normal viking society could take away, so few marriages took place.

But then dashing young Aric had flown in and swept her off her feet into a whirlwind courtship that took her breath away, so much so that she said yes when he proposed, moved to Berk and married him, and she had happily lived here for twenty-five years. Though in all that time, she still resented the idea of an arranged marriage. It took one's freedom and future away from them. What if a girl didn't want to marry a farm boy and be a milkmaid for the rest of her life? Or what if a boy wanted to travel instead of raising a family? It just seemed unfair.

So when it was found out Ingrid was pregnant the first time, she and Aric swore that they wouldn't arrange anything for their child's future, deciding that it was their child's decision to shape. For that reason, when Stoick proposed a contract between the families ten years ago, she of course protested. No way was she going to pawn off her only daughter like it was nothing! It wasn't even a question.

But as time went on, the thought of her own daughter becoming the chieftess started becoming lucrative, and Aric didn't help much in that department. He kept talking about how much of an honor it was to have their daughter singled out as the future companion of the next chief. Rae would have everything: money, power, status. There wouldn't be anything she couldn't have. As a result, they signed the contract without a second thought and Raegan's future was decided.

Except there was something she didn't consider until recently - Raegan's happiness. Sure, money and power were great, but would it be worth it if she wasn't in a happy marriage? She would be living in the same house as Hiccup for the rest of her life; wouldn't it be miserable if they didn't get along?

That's the point she argued. "Even if they aren't compatible?" She countered, setting the pie on the table.

Stoick squeezed his eyes shut and took in a deep breath.

Ingrid continued on though, not intimidated. They went back twenty-five years so not only were Aric and Stoick buddies, Ingrid and Stoick were close friends too. She'd be fine. "Stoick, I'm sure you wouldn't wish that they would be miserable for the rest of their lives." Stoick posture slumped slightly. "I know that it's not out of the ordinary to have an arranged marriage here on Berk, but the parents should consider if the pair will be well suited for each other instead of focusing on prosperity. Why do you think I'm doing this? I want to see if they will get along."

"And if they don't?"

"I mean - I," She stammered for a second, not sure to go on. Technically, it was something her and Aric should talk about together. Though Aric did admit that they should have never, ever signed the contract. That had to count right? "I - I believe, that we were hasty in signing the contract -"

Stoick swiped a hand over his face in exasperation. "Are you saying you wish to break off the deal?" He queried.

Ingrid clenched her jaw and crossed her arms. "I'm just wondering why you want the marriage so bad in the first place?" She blurted out. "Everytime you come here, we are reminded of the contract and how much you want it, even when it's obvious Aric doesn't anymore and neither do I. You also keep downplaying Hiccup, and saying how unvikinglike he is. Do you honestly think we want that boy to be our daughter's husband? Surely you must know Raegan deserves more."

Stoick's eyes locked onto hers, and she gave him her strongest mom stare. It always worked on her boys. And her husband. And any male viking.

Eventually, Stoick broke eye contact and the truth came out. "Look," He said in a lower tone that made his already raspy voice even more so. "Raegan is a model viking: tough, brave, skilled, and so much more. Everything Hiccup is not." He looked down despairingly. "You have faith he'll grow out of it, but I'm not so sure." He paused. "So in case he doesn't, I need to have a backup plan."

Ingrid's forehead creased. "A backup plan?"

Stoick nodded. "If he ends up not being leader material, the council, Gothi and I would have to find someone else to succeed me." Stoick clasped his hands together on the table. "If Raegan is married to him, then she has a tie to the throne of Berk." His eyes found Ingrid's again. "She could rule."

Ingrid's eyes went round, and it took her a couple of seconds before she could answer. "You want Raegan… to become chief?"

"If it comes down to it, yes."

Ingrid was overcome with shock, and she had to sit down to process this.

Raegan… not chieftess but chief of Berk. Leader of the Hairy Hooligans. Guardian of the island, and the most prosperous viking on it as well.

This thought was giving her mixed emotions; glee, unease, disbelief. Glee, because it was validation to everything Ingrid felt about Raegan: she was a perfect example of a viking, despite her lack of social skills. Unease, because now more pressure was put onto the marriage agreement, and she wasn't so sure they could get out of it now, not with so much riding on it; the entire village's wellbeing was at stake!

Stoick tentatively put a hand on her back to console her, which snapped her out of the stupor. "I'm fine, just… surprised. I had no idea that…." She shook her head in disbelief of it all.

He pressed his lips together awkwardly and removed his hand. "It's not definite." Was his only words of comfort. "You say he could grow out of it, so we'll just have to wait and see."

"But you should know your son better than anyone, and you say he won't." She acquiesced. So now, not only was Raegan engaged against her will, she might have to become chief. She added in her mind.

The words spoken out loud cut Stoick deep, but didn't let it show. He figured it wasn't the time. "This is a great plan, to get them to be friends." Ingrid glanced at him, and he gave a small smile. "It had a rocky start but let's keep at it. Maybe something great will come out of this."

Ingrid could only swallow a lump in her throat, mostly because there was no room for argument any more - Raegan had to get married now, it was her solemn duty to the tribe - before getting up to go open the door and poke her head out.

"RAEGAN! HICCUP! DESSERT IS ON THE TABLE!"

Raegan's posture visibly relaxed at being free of this awkward moment, and the two of them jogged back to the house.

It was noticeable that the mood had changed between the adults the moment Raegan walked in. Ingrid was more solemn now instead of jolly, and Stoick seemed uneasy. Hiccup also noticed, and the two teens sat down with apprehension. Was something wrong? They each wondered in their minds.

Stoick engaged in conversation with Raegan this time as they ate. "So, Raegan, I hear you read the Book of Dragons. Think you have what it takes to take a dragon down?"

This question lifted her spirits, and briefly she forgot about the nerve-wracking situation of the boy sitting next to her - which was good because she was beginning to feel faint - and gave a confident grin. "Absolutely." Raegan knew Stoick would not shut down her confidence. He reveled in dragon killing, as she would.

You know, when she'd finally be free from her prison.

Stoick grinned back at her. "You know, there's a girl your age in the village named Astrid -" A loud snort stopped him, and everyone now focused on a violently coughing Hiccup now. He was in the middle of taking a sip of water and to the unknowing eye, must have swallowed down the wrong tube.

But Ingrid knew the real reason, and frowned deeply.

Meanwhile, Raegan's healing instincts kicked in and she began patting him on the back while he coughed and eventually, he gave several more little coughs before stopping completely, his face a deep red from that and huge embarrassment.

"Sorry. Went down the wrong tube I guess." He explained with a nervous laugh.

The chief sighed and shook his head in disappointment, making Hiccup look down in deeper shame. "Anyways," Stoick started again while giving his son the stink eye, before focusing on Raegan again. "Astrid Hofferson, one of the best young warriors Berk has ever seen." He smiled coyly. "I bet you could give her a run for her money though."

Raegan's face had fallen at the mention of the girl's name. "Yea. I've heard of her."

Come on, Rae! Astrid learned this with no trouble at all.

Get up, Rae! Astrid stands her ground no problem against this attack.

Raegan beamed, despite the onslaught of memories. "I'm honored you think I could take her in a fight. I've heard she's the one to beat."

"You definitely don't want to get on her bad side, that's for sure." Stoick chortled. "But I've seen your progress over the years, and I'd put my bets on you any day." Raegan, blushed and brushed hair behind her ear self consciously.

Stoick took a long drink of his ale to wash down a bite of pie, giving a hearty sigh of content. "Now all that remains is convincing your father to let you out and get some action." He carelessly commented.

Raegan's eyes popped and she looked alarmingly at her mother, who was now staring at Stoick with a glare that could burn the hair off of a Yak fifty yards away. No one ever dared to question her father's rules, not even the chief. It was just never spoken of.

Meanwhile, Hiccup puzzledly glanced at everyone. "Why can't she?" He wondered.

You could have heard a pin drop from the silence. It didn't sit well with Hiccup, so he began over explaining. "I mean, if she's a great warrior, a-and wants to kill dragons, what's stopping her? Dragon Killing School starts in a few months, so why can't she, just, you know, enroll - "

Ingrid abruptly stood and marched to the door. "Well this certainly has been a lovely evening." She said mechanically as she opened the door. Her hand gestured to the outside, where the forest was beginning to dim as the sun set. "It's getting late and walking through the woods is dangerous at night even for a seasoned viking, soo…" She waved her hand towards the door.

Hiccup and Stoick looked down at their half eaten slices and hesitated. They didn't want to be rude and leave delicious pie behind. But one look at Ingrid's rigid face and demeanor made them both get up from their seats, for they did not want to outstay their welcome.

Raegan rose and followed them to the door. Stoick left without saying goodbye, for he was in a foul mood now. Hiccup had the decency to turn and thank Ingrid for the meal.

"It was the best food I've had in a long time. Me and my dad's cooking doesn't hold a candle to yours, Mrs. Calder."

Ingrid's features softened at the compliment, and she patted the boy on the back with a smile.

Hiccup turned to Raegan next, who was nervously twiddling her thumbs, and rubbed the base of his neck in equal anxiety. "It was nice to finally meet you." He said politely.

Raegan peered at the boy through her bangs. "Yeah… You too."

"Hiccup!" The boy flinched. "Let's go!" Stoick shouted from down the pathway.

With another awkward wave, Hiccup was gone in a flash.

Raegan groaned, and flopped down onto the bench by the hearth, flinging an arm over her eyes. "I hope you aren't assuming me and Hiccup will be best friends after this dinner." She told her mother. "I doubt we even fall under the acquaintances category."

Ingrid massaged her temples. "Tonight didn't go how I wanted it to."

Raegan scoffed and sat up on her elbows to look at her mom. "You introduced me to a live being that isn't family or practically family, and a boy at that, for the first time in ten years! What were your expectations?!"

"Higher than this." Ingrid murmured as walked over to the bench, pushed Raegan's legs off so she could sit, and only told the partial truth. "I was hoping you two would hit it off and he'd want to spend more time with you." And if you guys got along, I'd feel less guilty about how I signed away your freedom and chose your future without your consent.

Raegan straightened and gripped the edge of the seat. "Well, extinguish that hope. I made a fool of myself and I doubt he'll ever come back." Surprisingly, a twinge of sadness pierced her heart, and her frown grew.

Ingrid gave Raegan a sad glance, and put her arm around her shoulders in a side hug. "I'm sorry, mon trésor, I'm really really sorry."

The young viking leaned into her mother's warmth, not knowing the depth of the despair in Ingrid's apology. "It's whatever, mom."

Ingrid kissed the side of Raegan's head. If only it was.

A/N

How was that? Let me know what you think of their first meeting! And please no judging for my fake laws lol I just made it up for the story to make some drama