Ahh Stoking the Flame! We are here at last! The majority of this will be short and sweet, lots of fluff- but not all fluff. There are a whole slew of things that needed to be fleshed out that were foreshadowed in the last handful of chapters of Hiccups, plus we felt we needed to have a proper segue into TR. Lots can happen in a three year time jump! Plus how could we possibly pass up baby Darin cuteness?

This story is not completely necessary to read in order to read TR. It's intended to tie up loose ends for character development and provide some lighthearted fluff that is much needed between the emotional roller coasters of Hiccups and The Rebellion. So if you stick around to read this story, great! You won't be disappointed. But The Rebellion will not be started until this story is completed, which I hope to be as quickly as possible. You'll notice this chapter is pretty short compared to my usual writing. That's intentional. Majority of these chapters are intended to be short and sweet, not 45 pages long haha

Feel free to join us on Discord! Please drop a review, and as always, thanks for sticking around for this wild adventure! Love you guys.

~Em

Chapter 1: Beginnings

It was a chill, blustery day on the island of Berk. A grey overcast sky shadowed the humble village, threatening to begin the summer with torrential thunderstorms. While an annoyance to some, such as those with arthritis and bad joints, it provided a perfect ambiance to others who were on a mission to keep their presence hidden. Until the time came to attack.

One such girl, with long dirty blonde hair and piercing green eyes stood in the shadows of the arena, surveying her prey. She'd donned black fighting leathers in her haste and wore supple leather boots, warm but silent against the stone floors as she crept around the entrance.

Her fingers wrapped around the hilts of twin silver blades as she tiptoed forward, at last abandoning the shadows in favor of speed. She'd come this far, had planned and bribed and tricked her way into this opportunity. She wouldn't waste it.

Stepping forward she slid one blade under the throat of her quarry and the other against his lower back, right in line with his kidneys as he'd taught her. He stiffened and she fought back a smile.

"It seems," Adrianna said. "That you're losing your touch, brother."

Blue eyes framed with a shock of dark red hair gleamed as he turned a look over his shoulder. Finn gave her a slow smirk, the only warning she got before he twisted, the butt of his own blade slashing across the dagger at his neck and thrusting her away.

Adrianna gritted her teeth. Still, after months of training, his speed and agility seemed to quail her resolve. She could sneak up on him easily enough-in fact, she had many times. But she could never keep him pinned for long.

"I might say the same for you." Finn said, lifting his own daggers and giving them an experimental twirl. Silver flashed in the dim light. "Light-footed as always, but you've yet to win in a fight against me."

"True," Adrianna said, her eyes flicking to a figure rising from the shadows over his shoulder. "But this time I'm not alone."

His eyes widened imperceptibly before he spun on instinct, blocking the blade that was already sailing toward him. He caught them in a cross above his head and stared into the face of his own girlfriend, her dark eyes narrowed triumphantly.

"Your reckoning day is here at last, my love." Genevieve said. "I hope you're ready."

"I'm always ready."

"Good. I'd expect nothing less."

Genevieve shoved him back just as Adrianna shot forward. Finn blocked and dodged their blades, twisting and parrying with a strength that sent her bones quaking beneath her daggers. But Hjartan steel was made to endure foes as strong as her brother, and he'd trained her and Genevieve well. She gritted her teeth and pressed her advantage, just as Genevieve did.

The clang of metal and grunts of exertion filled the cavernous space as they circled. In a one-on-one fight, Finn could hold his own against either female. They quickly became tired and he pushed them harder and harder, but never giving up his own higher ground.

But together, they'd schemed; the girls hoped they could take him down at last.

Genevieve's blonde curls snapped in the air as she dove, rolling under Finn's arm when he lashed out. She popped up right in his inner space, too close for him to reach, just as he'd taught her-

Adrianna held off his other arm and swiped out with her foot, catching his ankle. His knee crumpled and Genevieve pressed her advantage, leaping atop him and using her full body weight to pin his chest and shoulders to the ground. She raised her short sword to his chin and froze.

Finn, panting, stared up at her with a mingled look of shock and pride. His eyes flicked to Adrianna and his smile grew. "Fine. You girls win."

A feeling of inexplicable glee burst through Adrianna. She was breathing hard and sweat coated her face and skin as she slid her daggers into the leather sheaths, but she didn't care. After countless months of training and failed attempts, she'd finally accomplished her goal. Though she wanted to be able to take out a foe of Finn's size on her own, she'd had to admit that to at least take out her brother, she would need a little help.

Indeed, Genevieve flashed her a triumphant grin and climbed to her feet. Sheathing her short sword, she offered Finn a hand. He took it and rose to his feet to a series of claps and hoots echoing around the arena.

Adrianna looked up in surprise to see half a dozen teenagers, her mother, and Snotlout. Apparently they'd had witnesses.

"Congratulations," Finn said, returning his own daggers to the sheath at his belt. "You both managed to take me down, and gained yourself an audience in the process. Good work."

"Well, we aim to please," Genevieve said, pulling her curls off her neck and waving at her pink face. "We worked hard for this moment. We needed an audience as proof for all our hard work."

"It's true," Adrianna said. "We'd hate to interrupt a lesson, but to be honest, you'd deny it if we kicked your butt without witnesses. So now, we have witnesses. You'll forever live in shame."

"Sure, sure. But you still can't beat me on your own." Finn said, winking at a few of the teenagers. They snickered in agreement.

"Someday, Fearless Finn." Adrianna said. "Someday I'll kick your butt and you won't know what hit you."

"I'd like to see you try."

"It would make a great birthday present to myself anyway," Adrianna smirked. "Perhaps the best one of all."

"Admirable, but also highly implausible." Finn said. "The frog under your pillow still holds up after all these years."

"We're talking about favorite birthday presents, not memories."

Finn nudged her with an arm. "Happy birthday to you too, Anna."

When Fearless Finn woke on his eighteenth birthday, he hadn't expected much excitement. Of course, one's birthday was always a reason for celebration, but he had not anticipated a slew of surprises. Neither his twin's surprise attack nor his girlfriend's unexpected arrival. Genevieve had planned to visit Berk for the day to celebrate the twins' birthday, but scheming behind his back in order to take him down? He'd not prepared for them to gang up against them, amazing as it was.

Though he was loathe to admit it, both his sister and girlfriend were becoming quite the formidable pair.

In the months following giving birth, Adrianna had taken to training with a single-minded determination that he'd never seen in her before. He'd expected her to drag her feet after a few days, perhaps question her decision to train after all. Never before had he seen her sweat so profusely and even bleed on occasion without shedding a single tear or uttering a single complaint. It seemed that after everything she'd been through, all these years of struggle and hardship, she'd really meant what she'd said.

Adrianna would not be weak or taken advantage of ever again.

And Genevieve… Just thinking about her sent a thrill through his stomach. She, too, had trained relentlessly. She'd taken to wearing less dresses and more fitted clothing, a decision that he appreciated for many reasons. From a practical standpoint, she couldn't properly duel anyone wearing a dress.

Well, perhaps she could. Many women had over the centuries. But again, it was impractical. She seemed to enjoy wearing pants anyway. And he certainly enjoyed seeing the shape of all those curves that her voluminous skirts and dresses normally hid.

Still with all these unexpected surprises, the last thing Finn expected was his father's announcement made over lunch: "You've been chosen to be captain of the guard."

Even as Finn froze, Genevieve gasped with glee at his side. "Really? That's amazing!"

"Wait, what?" Finn asked. "I didn't expect to be… I've only been on the guard for a few weeks. Surely there's someone else more qualified."

"Nobody is more qualified than you." Astrid said before taking a sip of her iced tea. She set the mug down with a heavy thunk and leaned forward. "The councilmen interviewed many people in the weeks prior to Baldrick's retirement, but most of those interviewed lack a certain touch of… leadership skills."

"In essence," Hiccup said. "We had the list narrowed down only to two, but even then we weren't sure. And then a few councilmen suggested you. With your experience training the Hjartans, getting Ivan and Kiev's professional opinion-"

Finn rolled his eyes. "Don't you think their opinion would be a little biased?"

"Not at all. Well, maybe a little." Hiccup amended. "But Chief to Chief with two men who've done heavy professional work, their word holds a lot of water."

"But I didn't even apply for the job!" Finn said, aghast. "How can I possibly lead all the men on the guard when I don't even know half of them!"

"You'd be trained in the logistics, just like any other job," Astrid said. "Training Hjart aside, you've had strong leadership skills since you were young, Finn. When that plague swept through Berk you were one of the few that worked non-stop until you literally collapsed, and you were thirteen. Since then your skills have been honed and you're not as careless with your time or energy. These are things we're looking for in a captain. We need someone we know and trust to lead our men well if anything should happen." She sat back in her seat. "Baldrick agreed to train you, should you accept."

"Which you don't have to do," Hiccup added, noting Finn's nervousness. "I know we've sprung this on you and you're not the best with surprises. So take your time, think about it. Let us know what you think after a few days, alright?"

Finn's mind whirled. Captain of the Guard. As heir he had the right to command any of the guards, but to have the official title under his belt? Hundreds of men and women under his command?

Genevieve squeezed his wrist. "Don't be afraid. You have time to think about it. But to be chosen, even to be considered- that's such an honor, Finn! I'm so proud of you." And with that she leaned up and kissed his cheek. Instantly he felt a little bit better.

Still, after everything that had happened, everything that was happening… he wondered if he'd have the time to be captain of the guard. His whole schedule and routine would be reshaped. Would he even have time to visit Hjart anymore? Surely he wouldn't continue working at the forge. He was great and all, but he couldn't work two full time jobs at once.

Genevieve was right though. It was an honor to be even considered for the role. Pride bolstered his spirit and straightened his spine. He nodded at his parents. "Alright. I'll think about it."

"Excellent." Hiccup clapped him on the back. "The council will still have to vote on it if you accept, which is normal. Obviously the position is a bit of an important one. Baldrick himself was hired by my father's council, so it's understandable that he's ready to retire. When you become Chief, you would play a heavy role in the selection process. So that's the nice thing about this: it's almost a fancy addition to your resume."

Finn scoffed into his mug. "Except I'm like, ninety-five percent guaranteed the position of Chief."

"Don't sell yourself short," Genevieve elbowed his arm. "You're one-hundred percent qualified."

Sliding an arm around her waist, he gave her a light yet affectionate squeeze of thanks. His girlfriend was nothing if not supportive. He could tell that she was over the moon excited about this new proposal.

Him, Captain of the Guard? Gods, eighteen was shaping out to be an interesting year, and it had only started a few hours ago.

"You singin' happy birfday to mama?" Adrianna cooed.

Darin lay on his back in the middle of her parents' living room on a fuzzy blanket, fists waving to and fro. His voice echoed around the room. Three months old and he had to be the most vocal baby she'd ever come into contact with.

His babbling was cut short as he shoved a fist into his mouth. It was amazing to see how much he'd grown. His peach fuzz hair had grown and lightened to a soft blond and his eyes had kept their bluish tint, a beautiful sky blue that she hoped would stay forever.

"He certainly is chatty, isn't he?" Hiccup asked from the dining table with a smile.

"You should hear the conversations he has with himself at four in the morning," Erick said, whisking mashed potatoes in the kitchen while Astrid pulled freshly baked rolls out of the stone oven behind him. "You'd think he'd cry to be picked up or to be changed or fed, but nope. He just lays in there gabbing-"

"Oh sure," Adrianna said. "That's what he does on the nights daddy is awake. The nights he's stone cold dead in bed, those are the nights the stars themselves would hear your wailings. Iz like de end of de world or somefing!"

Darin's lips stretched into a gummy smile.

"Oof da bestest birfday present ever. You gonna smile for mama?"

Erick and Astrid shared an amused laugh in the kitchen, but Adrianna didn't care. She loved talking to Darin. Who could tell if he understood a word she said? She didn't care if he did or not. That smile was worth everything and more.

The door opened suddenly and in swept Genevieve and Finn, who closed the door behind them. Darin twisted at the noise and looked up at them.

"Well hi!" Finn's face broke into a big smile. "So you decided to come for my birthday after all, huh squirt?"

"Oh please," Genevieve said, patting his chest. "He came for me."

Erick and their parents cackled as Genevieve twisted into a seated position beside Adrianna. Hiccup said something about how she'd certainly made herself at home when Genevieve crooked her fingers into the squishy little folds beneath Darin's chin with a playful, "I gotchu, gotchu, gotchu!"

To their surprise, a giggle issued from Darin's throat.

With a gasp Erick dropped the whisk, spraying the counter with potatoes. His teal eyes were wide. "Was that-"

"Do it again!" Adrianna squealed.

Genevieve obeyed, issuing another giggle from Darin. Adrianna thought she might die of happiness at the sound.

"Okay, so auntie Gen gets the first giggle," Finn said, crouching until he lay on his belly so he could look at Darin properly. "But our first word is going to be Finn."

Adrianna scoffed. "Must everything be a competition? Besides, the first word is commonly mama or dada, neither of which you are."

"Finn is much easier to say than mama or dada, plus it sounds way more awesome."

"You dare imply that we are not awesome?" Erick demanded, wiping the counters with a rag. "I think we might have to disown you."

"Sure, you're awesome," Finn said. "But Uncle Finn is better. Right? Say it with me now: Finn."

Darin only smiled.

"This is a serious matter and we're gonna win, okay? Finn."

"You're sooner to get him to do jumping-jacks than say your name."

"Just you wait, Larson. We're gonna win!" Finn crinkled his nose and rubbed his face into Darin's belly, and issued another giggle. "Yeeeees, uncle Finn wins! Ow."

Darin had grabbed a handful of Finn's red hair and was pulling mercilessly.

"Vengeance is sweet," Adrianna said.

"Uh huh. Okay, ow- a little help?"

"Imagine what you'd look like with a big bald patch though?"

"Genni? Help a guy out?"

"What are you worried about? I'm not a shallow person. I'd still find you handsome."

Finn pursed his lips, meaty fingers trying to pry apart the tiny ones that had his hair in a firm grip. "You guys are so evil-"

"Alright, you whiny wuss," Adrianna said, leaning over to extract Darin's vice like hands. "Don't get your panties in a twist."

"Dinner's ready!" Astrid announced, marching to the table with a large plate of steaming boar. Genevieve hopped up to help her and Erick set the table. "Hiccup, do you have to read at the table?"

"Does the sky have to be blue?"

Astrid grabbed the nearest folder full of papers and slapped him over the head, earning herself a bellow of laughter from Finn as he extricated himself off the floor.

"Careful, dad. With a broad swipe of papers like that, you'd get yourself such an intense set of papercuts that you'd lose an eye."

Erick shuddered across the table with a pure look of disgust. "That's horrible."

"Isn't it? But he'd look awesome, what with the peg leg and an eye patch-"

"Alright, Mr. Trickster," Hiccup said with raised brows as he set his paperwork into a satchel and hung it up on the nearest nail. "I swear you get sassier with each birthday."

"And utterly full of nonsense," Adrianna said, debating whether to leave Darin playing on the blanket while he was content or trying for a nap in the nearby crib. She settled on leaving him to play and stood. "Besides, Berk only has room for one Mr. Trickster."

"We never did figure out who that was." Astrid said, passing the rolls to Adrianna as she took a seat. "Dying Allie's hair green? Brilliant."

"It went well with her complexion," Finn said, sliding the plate of boar to Genevieve. "All gruesome and brooding and utterly drab."

"She's got an interesting sense of style, I'll give her that." Hiccup said. A coo from Darin caught his attention and Adrianna resisted the urge to leave the table. "And anyway, I'm glad Mr. Trickster didn't get up to his shenanigans while Allie was here for the Convocation. We had enough going on without that extra dose of drama."

Adrianna took a healthy amount of potatoes and drowned them in butter and gravy. "Well I wasn't exactly fit for shenanigans being pregnant, was I?"

Erick's eyes shot to hers even as Finn's fork clanked onto his plate. "What?"

Astrid stared at her with growing amusement. "Wait… it was you?"

Adrianna sipped her lemon water with a shrug.

Genevieve raised her brows. "Who was Mr. Trickster?"

"We just established it was Anna, babe."

Dark eyes furious, Genevieve whirled on him. Finn ducked away when she raised a hand to slap him, though he couldn't hide the smirk.

"Many years ago we hosted another Convocation of sorts." Astrid said. "Allie was there, a joy as always, and then a series of pranks followed her wherever she went. She insisted on knowing who it was but we never found out."

"I'm pretty adept at keeping secrets, it turns out." Adrianna remarked proudly.

"You little sneak," Hiccup said with a laugh. "You were Mr. Trickster all this time?"

"You said yourself I can be pretty sneaky when I want to be. And besides," Adrianna said, twisting in her chair when Darin gave a squawk of indignation, perhaps annoyed that he was hearing voices but seeing no one. "She was being a bully all week, on top of Dana and the other girls. I decided to take matters into my own hands." She turned back to her plate and shoved food into her mouth before Darin truly got upset and she had to cut dinner short. "How was I supposed to know my name would go down in infamy as Berkian legend?"

Erick's teal eyes were lit with amusement, but they faltered when he saw how quickly she was eating. "Annie, slow down or you'll choke."

"Darin's getting hungry. I can tell."

"There are five other people who can hold him," Hiccup tapped her wrist. "Take your time."

"Besides he's just gabbing," Finn said, taking more boar from the plate. Even with Adrianna's speedy eating, he'd already cleared his plate in the five minutes since they'd sat down. "How do you know he's getting hungry?"

Adrianna blinked. She wasn't about to go into great detail to her entire family just how she could tell that Darin needed to eat soon. It actually had very little to do with Darin's mood whatsoever.

"We call it the mama clock," Astrid spoke quickly but firmly, attempting to dissuade any further questions. "It's like the mommy eye. Mom always knows where the missing thing is, or we can always see when you're doing something naughty, even when our backs are turned."

"Utter myths and speculation," Finn said. "How can you possibly possess an internal timer to tell you when your kid needs to eat? That doesn't make sense."

"A woman's body is an amazing thing." Erick said firmly.

"Don't be gross! We're eating!"

"I'm not!"

"Married folk are the worst sort."

Genevieve smirked. "I think it's cute."

Adrianna enjoyed the way Erick's neck flushed and he eagerly tore into his roll as if he hadn't heard anything.

"Anyway," Finn continued, stubborn as always to win every argument. "I still don't understand how such a 'mommy clock' works anyway-"

"Gods, my boobs hurt, Finn!" Adrianna interrupted.

Finn sputtered into silence. Erick buried his face in his hands, though his shoulders shook with laughter. Astrid and Genevieve smirked with barely restrained amusement. But that was nothing on the redness of Hiccup's face as he muttered incoherent words of "uncomfortable" and "stupid sons".

Adrianna drew herself up taller and cleared her throat. "If you'd like more details-"

"No, no," Finn interrupted, resolutely cutting into his boar. "I'm good."

"Good."

At that moment Darin gave a keening whine that rose into a wail. Adrianna began to rise but Erick beat her to it, placing a firm hand on her shoulder. "I'll get him."

"Seriously though, I do need to feed him."

"And you need to eat, too." Erick said, scooping Darin off the floor and patting his back as he wailed into Erick's shoulder. Normally he didn't give her such a serious look. "Take your time, Annie. He'll be okay for a few more minutes."

Adrianna begrudgingly refocused on her plate as Genevieve sprung into conversation about Max and Zap's pups, which had grown to three feet long in the months since they'd hatched. She lovingly called them "wee terrors", known both to Berk and Hjart as perhaps the most strong-willed and hyper pack of baby dragons in the Archipelago.

Forgoing the last few bites on her plate as Darin's cries rose in volume, Adrianna stood and took him from Erick's arms. When he opened his mouth to argue, she said, "I'm saving room for cake!" She kissed his cheek and he gave her a reluctant sigh, and she knew she'd won. She carried Darin up the stairs to her old room where Cliff was still staying, though tonight it was vacant.

Darin cried miserably as she sat in a comfortable chair in the corner. "I know, I know, it's just so unfair. Everyone else has nummies before you. This is completely unacceptable." Within moments however, he was silent and content, if not a little pink in the face as she brought him to her chest. She held him close and wiped the tears off his face and kissed his forehead. "Don't cry, my little lovebug. I didn't forget about you."

The room was quiet save for Darin's breathing and the slight creak of the chair as she adjusted her position every few minutes. Echoes of laughter wafted up the stairs, including Erick's. She loved that happy sound, as if everything in the world was perfect.

They hadn't seen hide nor tail of Brandyn since he'd left the Convocation early. Weekly correspondence with fellow Chieftains confirmed the same. Nobody had any news regarding his whereabouts or what he might be planning. If he was planning something.

She had little doubt that he was. Brandyn wanted revenge on her family. He wouldn't rest until he got it. But a small part of her had to hope that maybe, just maybe he'd give up the fight. Maybe if they were truly lucky, something would happen-maybe he'd break his back in a flight accident or maybe he'd meet a nice girl somewhere in his travels that would change him for the better.

Adrianna snorted, jolting Darin from sleep. She cringed, but he continued to be lulled into sleep as he ate, and she breathed a silent sigh of relief. Still, she couldn't help but shake her head at herself. As if Brandyn's character would be changed by something as mundane as another person. He was rotten to the core. No kind or gentle person would change that. She should know, seeing as she had once been kind and gentle toward him long before he'd ever revealed his true colors.

Shaking her head of those thoughts, she stroked Darin's cheek. Wish as she might, Brandyn was what he was: evil and vindictive. She regretted everything they'd ever had together. But if nothing had happened between them, she wouldn't have her son, and he alone made every ounce of suffering she'd endured worth it.

Darin was perhaps the best gift she'd ever received, and she'd never cease to be grateful. Not now, not ever, and she'd do whatever it took to protect him from this beautiful yet oftentimes cruel world. She'd teach him to read and write and fly; she'd show him the mountains and seas; she'd teach him what was right and wrong, about kindness and compassion and mercy. She'd give him the world and more.

Her Darin, a blessing among thorns.

"I'll never let anything happen to you," Adrianna whispered. "I promise."

Man, it's been a while since I started a new story here. We're still chugging along as always! Be sure to follow us here and chat with us on the Discord. For the Discord server link, remove the parentheses: (ht)(tps)(:)(/)(discord).(gg/4xXCbz9)

Don't forget to leave a review!

~Katie