Merida is getting kind of hard to write... This chapter I'll finally tell you guys the reason (for those of you have haven't guessed – and most of you have), but I'll also explain why her mood swings have been so severe. And I've just about given up on her accent, if you can't tell...

Meanwhile, we finally got official pictures of HTTYD 2 Hiccup, and Astrid. I cannot tell you how much I love the new designs. That's actually about how Hiccup would look in this story, though maybe not so confident. He's not riding a dragon in this story, after all. :'(

Among the Stars

Chapter 6

Jack turned to stare at the princess, who grinned without shame as the water she had splashed at him dripped down his back and shoulders, to reunite with the water in the pool.

"I did not expect that," he admitted.

"You splashed me," she reminded, crossing her arms, chin raised with mock authority. "It's only fair."

Well, she was a princess, so technically she did have authority. But for the moment, that was beside the point.

Jack wiped away the water running down his temple, still staring at her.

Her grin was not fading.

Finally, instinct came in to play, and he responded in the only way that made sense.

Her splashed her. Not the few drops he had gotten on her while trying to coax her into the pool. This one was a declaration of war.

He laughed as her eyes widened in shock.

"You!" But she was laughing as she splashed him in return.

Jack's grin widened. It had been too long since he had just had fun, and he was starting to feel like himself again.

He stepped closer as he splashed her again. If he had a connection with water the way he did with the wind, he was sure he would have heard it laughing with them.

Each step he took forward, Rapunzel took one back to avoid him and his plashing. She was small, but she was strong. Most of her attempts to send the water in his direction fell short across the distance she kept between him. But a few of her blows landed solidly on his chest and stomach.

His blows, on the other hand, landed every time.

They continued moving in messy circles.

Jack could have lunged forward to close the distance – but that would put an end to the game. And he was having too much fun.

He skimmed his hand over the surface of the pool, sending the water in her direction. Splash fights were something he had down almost to a science, as with most games. If you went too deep into the water in an attempt to make a bigger splash, you would get next to nothing. The secret was to push the water on the surface.

Her crystal clear giggle as the water rained over her plucked at a cord in his heart. He couldn't begin to describe the feeling it gave him – he could only say that he liked it. And that he'd never felt it before he had pulled her through the air vent of her cell.

Without realizing it, too caught up in their game, they had edged closer to the slant in the floor of the pool, where it dropped dramatically from three feet of water to eight.

Rapunzel went to take another step, but fell backwards when there was nothing to catch her foot. She let out a cry of surprise, and Jack lunged forward to grab her wrist and pulled her to him.

He took a step back into the shadows, where she could easily stand on her own.

Still he looped an arm around her waist, without thinking, while she regained control of her breathing.

"That's the third time I've saved you, Blondie," he smirked.

He refused to admit his own over-reaction to the situation. He knew there was nothing dangerous in the pool. And it only took a moment to guess what had happened. But rather than admit to the fear that had clenched his heart for a split second, he decided to have a little fun instead.

"Aren't there supposed to be rewards for rescuing princesses?"

"You didn't save me," she said, with a small laugh. "I lost my balance."

"Hey, the water can be a dangerous element," he said, inserting mock indignation into his tone.

It was easier than examining what had just happened inside his own mind.

"I can swim, Jack! I'm not completely helpless."

Be still his beating heart – was that a smirk she was wearing?

"I would have been fine."

"Uh-huh."

He vaguely registered that her back was pressed against his chest, his arm still around her waist – and for the light of him he couldn't remember how they had gotten in that position. Was her skin making his look so pale? Or was he so pale he made her look tan? Strange thoughts, perhaps. But he was truly curious as he looked at his arm next to hers. The difference in their skin tone was almost startling. He was used to being pale, but his skin looked almost white in comparison to hers.

"Is that why you're here, Jack?" she asked quietly, snapping him out of his thoughts about their contrasting skin tones. "For a reward?"

The fear in her voice made his skin crawl.

He wrapped his free arm around her shoulders – again, without thinking – and hugged her to his chest.

"Of course not."

His mouth was right by her ear, so he only had to whisper.

No reward could have made him admit he was wrong. Especially not to Aster.

He felt Rapunzel relax back against his chest. Another tug on his heartstring, and he didn't know why. Just as Toothiana had said: she wasn't another fox or fairy. And this was more than he'd ever felt for any of the strays he had taken in.

"I don't have anything to give you for a reward," she said quietly. "I wish I did. You've been so..."

She trailed off, and Jack hugger her tighter, trying to still her trembling.

"I wish I wasn't so scared," she said, ducking her head. "You, and Hiccup, and Merida, you've done so much for me – and I don't know how I can repay you. And I want to believe you when it tell me it will be okay, Jack. But I'm still so scared. Even here."

"It's okay to be afraid, Rapunzel."

"You're not afraid.

Jack took a deep breath and buried his face in the crook of her neck. He didn't want to admit to her that he was terrified. And he didn't even know – only that it had something to do with her. But saying that wouldn't help abate her fear right now.

"We all get scared sometimes."

She wriggled in his hold, and reluctantly he started to let do.

Before his arms could reach his sides, Rapunzel turned and wrapped her arms around his waist, face pressed against his bare chest. Her warm breath sent a shiver up his spine as it hit his skin.

He wrapped his arms around her again.

It was a relief when he felt her relax.

Would it be possible to just hold her until her fears faded away?

Probably not. Reality didn't change unless you did something to change it.

"And you don't have to be jealous," he said, stroking her hair.

Her arms tightened around his waist in surprise at the return of that subject. She opened her mouth to say something. But before she could figure out what that was:

"Rapunzel?"

"Merida," Jack muttered, trying not to grimace.

He once more lowered his arms, but not before Merida came around the hedge that bordered the pool. Her turquoise eyes landed on them with a forced Jack could feel. And he became hyper aware that he wasn't wearing a shirt. Though it had barely registered a few moments before.

Rapunzel pulled back and turned to Merida, with all the dignity of being a royal born. "Yes?"

"Toothiana offered t' help us get ready for dinner." She glared at jack as she spoke. "I've been lookin' all over for ye."

Jack waded out of the pool, Rapunzel a few steps behind him.

From the nearby gazebo, he withdrew several of the towels that were stored in a wooden cabinet. He gave one to Rapunzel, and her smile tugged at his heart again.

He nodded and threw one of the towels over his head, drying his hair to escape Merida's glare.

"I need t' talk t' ya, Frost."

Jack slowly lowered the towel, and met Merida's gaze. Why did he feel like a young child caught deliberately breaking the rules? He hadn't done anything wrong.

He glanced at the princess, who had already reached the opening in the hedge, but had stopped to look back at them.

"I'll see you at dinner," he said, trying to alleviate the concern in her green eyes as they darted between Merida and himself.

"Okay." She clearly didn't believe him, even as she left the pool and headed back toward the palace. But not without a last glance back at them over her shoulder.

He waited until the sound of her footsteps faded before he looked back at Merida.

She was still glaring, arms crossed over her chest.

"You better be careful, Merida," he said, trying to alleviate his own tension. "If you keep glaring, your face with freeze that way."

"I thought ye were smarter than that, Frost."

Jack wrapped a towel around his waist, over his swim trunks.

"Smarter than what?" He was annoyed that was so quick to lecture, but his question was genuine.

"That!" she waved her hand at the pool. "Whatever you're playin' at!"

Jack had started to turn away, to pick up the shirt he had left on one of the marble benches beside the pool. But her words turned him around before h realized his braid had sent his muscles the command.

"Playing?" he asked, somewhere between surprised and furious at what she was accusing him of.

"Well that looked awfully cozy for someone who told me he never planned on marrying."

Jack groaned and rolled his eyes. Why was everyone reminding him of that today?

"I made that decision when I was seventeen," he said. "I'd never met anyone I was interested in."

"That justifies it?"

"Justifies what?" he asked, his voice rising in frustration. "And what about you? Or are you forgetting how you and Hiccup met in the first place?"

"That was different!" Her voice rose to meet his volume.

"You stowed away on The Night Fury so you wouldn't have to get married!" He couldn't help it. A laugh escaped him as he turned back once more to retrieve his shirt. "I didn't even get the irony of that until now."

"Shut it, Frost."

Jack just shrugged. "Are we done here, then?"

He turned to leave, shirt in hand, but she grabbed his shoulder and turned him back to face her before he could make a getaway.

Maybe he should have gone to the pond.

"This ain't about me 'n' Hiccup," she snapped. "We're tyin' t' keep the princess safe. An' that doesn't include you playin' her heart. I thought ye were better than that."

"I'm not playing anything," he said. "She's scared – I comforted her. I've been doing that since she got on the ship. I didn't realize that was a sin."

"It ain't," Merida said. "But it don't explain why you're half naked – again."

"We were swimming," he said. "I was swimming, she came over and I invited her in. Nothing happened!"

"That doesn't explain why ye were holdin' her," Merida challenged.

Jack glared at her for a moment... then shook his head. "This is ridiculous. Nothing happened, and nothing would have happened! Yes, maybe I'm interested in her – but that doesn't mean I'm going to take advantage of her just because she trusts me!"

"She's a princess, Jack."

"Yeah, I noticed." He didn't see what that had to do with the situation.

"And you're a pilot."

That pulled him to a stop. And he lost the last hold he had on his own temper. She had been pushing him for weeks, and he was done.

"I notice that didn't stop you, Princess." He spat the title with more venom than intended, and bit back the words he was tempted to say next. He chose the second thought that came to him. "Or is it different because Hiccup was the hope and heir of the Hooligan tribe? Emphasis on was, because he ran away after he lost a civil war that he almost single handedly started! Leaving his father in slavery, and the tribe in the hands of his cousin Snotlout, who is nothing more than the pawn of the worst tyrants of Berk's history – which is saying something! Did I leave anything out?"

"Jack."

Jack had opened his mouth to say something else, before Merida could get a word in, but his jaw snapped shut at the address and he looked up to see Toothiana fluttering down from over the hedge.

Baby Tooth had been flying at Toothiana's shoulder, but she returned to Jack's in a moment.

The small fairy nuzzled his neck in what he recognized as an apology, and he didn't have to ask what for. She had gone to get her queen when his conversation with Merida had become tense. Baby Tooth knew the fairy queen was one of the few people who could make him back down from a fight (though he didn't need much persuasion at the moment).

"It's okay, Baby Tooth," her murmured. He reached up to stroke her head with the tip of his finger.

Toothiana looked between him and Merida. And though she didn't glare, the disapproval in her cerise eyes was like lead in Jack's stomach.

"Sorry," he said, averting his gaze before she said a word.

"Jack, why don't you go take a shower and get ready for dinner?" she suggested, her tone gentle.

"Yes, Mother." He tried to chuckle at the old joke – but his voice was too dark to be teasing.

#

"Do I want to know why my wife is livid this time?"

"Nope."

"What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything," Jack snapped. "Rapunzel and I were swimming. She was scared. I gave her a hug. Merida saw and assumed I was taking advantage of her!"

He leaned back against the headboard of his bed. He pulled the hood of his sweatshirt low over his eyes while he glowered at a bare spot on the light blue wall of his bedroom. He was aware that he was sulking, and didn't much care at the moment.

He had showered after he had gotten back from swimming. His formal clothes were laid out at the edge of his bed for later, but for now he was comfortable in an old pair of jeans and his hoodie.

He had hoped to sulk alone, though.

"Why was she scared?" Hiccup asked.

"I'm not even going to answer that," Jack muttered, closing his eyes.

"Right," Hiccup sighed. "Right."

"Then Merida reminded me that Rapunzel is a princess and I am a humble pilot."

He heard Hiccup walk toward the bed, then the familiar sound of wood tapping against the wall. Opening his eyes, he saw Hiccup had picked up the hooked staff, hefting the wood in his hand to test the weight and balance.

For a moment he considered demanding it back, but decided it was worth it and just closed his eyes.

"Did you tell her the truth?"

His eyes opened, just slightly, and he looked over at his friend.

Hiccup met his gaze steadily, in a way that told Jack he hadn't misinterpreted the question.

"How did you know?"

"North and I were talking about the repairs that still need to be made to The Night Fury," he said. "It came up."

"Yeah – it just came up that I'm a Governor?" He once more considered taking back his staff.

"You're lucky, Jack," Hiccup said. "I know North isn't your father. But I would give anything for my dad to be as proud of me as North is of you. He kept telling me stories about how you would save baby snow foxes, or how you and Nightlight wreaked havoc on the entire planet trying to prove which of you was the better pilot."

Jack looked down at his hands. The fingers on his left hand flexed. And the wind looked over at him... and meandered through his fingers because it had nothing better to do.

He would be grateful when it would listen to him again. But it was too late to go to the pond tonight.

Hiccup squinted, holding up the staff so he was looking down the length. "How does this thing work?"

"It only works for me," Jack chuckled, finally taking it from Hiccup.

#

Jack had last been in the banquet hall on the summer solstice, a few months before he left. And as he walked in, it was just as grand as he remembered. Especially considering the staff had only been given a few hours' notice to get everything prepared for the banquet.

Rows of paper lanters were strung overhead, bathing the tables in soft light.

Most of the floor was set up for the children to eat on the floor, with blankets and pillows set out to make them more comfortable. They would spend the meal divided between eating and playing with each other, while the adults sat at the tables to one end of the room.

A part of Jack wished he was sitting on the floor. But Rapunzel was at the main table, in the place of honor next to Bunnymund. Jack was a few seats down and across from her, in his seat assigned as the Governor of Winter, between North and Nightlight (he wondered if it was chance or if someone set up their seating because they all had the same white hair). Hiccup and Merida sat across from him.

He glanced toward the head of the table, where Bunnymund and Rapunzel were in an animated discussion about gardening and painting. He was glad to see she was smiling, with no sign of her earlier fear. And they were getting along as well as he had predicted.

Hiccup and North were talking about ship designs, and improvements that could be made to The Night Fury. Jack was surprised that he wasn't too curious about what they wanted to do to the ship he had regarded as his for the past several years. But he couldn't bring himself to pay attention to the conversation, though a few weeks ago he would have been all over it.

Merida was poking at her salad with her fork, but Jack had yet to see her take a bite. He watched as she took an apple from a fruit pyramid that doubled as a table centerpiece. She looked at the fruits for a moment as though considering it... then set it back.

Jack frowned. Since when did Merida say no to apples? His annoyance was starting to give way to concern.

"Where's your staff?" Nightlight asked, in his quiet, steady voice. His staff, with the crystal blade that held his moonbeam companion, leaned against his chair. Jack sometimes wondered which gave off the stronger light: the staff or its weilder.

"I haven't been to the pond yet," Jack said. He took a drink of water. "There's no point carrying it around until I have."

"When you returned, remember that you still owe me a spar," Nightlight said, with a feint smirk.

Jack returned the expression. "Tomorrow. You're on."

Nightlight nodded again, then turned to Katherine, who sat on his other side.

The salad course ended, and North's yetis (who were accomplished chefs) came in with the soup course. As they approached the table, grunting at the elves that were forever standing where you wanted to put your feet, jack took a deep breath and caught the strong scent of the hazelnut soup.

His eyes fell on Merida just in time to see her face pale, her eyes widen, and jaw clench. She was up so fast she knocked her chair over in her hurry to get to the door, kicking aside a few of the elves that didn't get out of her way fast enough. (No one would hold that against her.)

Hiccup and Jack were seconds behind her.

Merida was on the ground in the garden just beyond the banquet hall. Jack cringed as the dim light let him see her body shudder, then he heard the distinct sound of her throwing up into one of the bushes.

"Merida!" Hiccup was close to panic as he knelt beside his wife, holding back her untamable hair.

"I'm fine," she muttered. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, but she was still pale. "I'm fine, Hiccup."

Jack's brow furrowed as he leaned against a column of the walkway. "Fine usually doesn't include throwing up in garden shrubs."

"Shut it, Frost."

"He's right, Mer," Hiccup said.

It had been a while since Jack had heard those words. He would have felt smug if his friend wasn't throwing up in bushes.

"Now you're worried aboot ma health," she muttered.

Jack's mind was racing. Now that he had enough of the pieces, they were falling into place.

The mood swings should have been a dead giveaway, now he thought about it. But he hadn't noticed until she had turned down an apple (something she never did), and she had reacted to the smell of the soup. It was the only trigger that made sense.

"Merida..." he frowned, wondering if he could possibly be right. "Are you pregnant?"

"What?" Hiccup's eyes widened, darting between Jack and Merida.

The red head's expression was a clear answer, even before she nodded slightly.

Jack grinned at Hiccup's dazed expression. But his friend was an analyst, and it only took a couple moments before his gaze snapped back into focus.

"How long have you known?"

"A few weeks," she said. Jack had never heard her voice so broken. "I'm at about six weeks."

Well, that explained the mood swings that had left them so confused.

"Hiccup."

Jack's eyes snapped back to the couple when Merida's voice told him she was close to tears.

"I want this babe," she said, her accent thick with emotion.

"Of course," Hiccup said. "That's not even a question."

But Merida shook his head.

"We can't raise a child like this," she said. "Runnin' from planet t' planet. I'm not raisin' my child like that."

Jack stepped back, realizing this was a private moment.

He headed back to the banquet hall, running a hand through his hair.

"Is she okay?" Rapunzel stood in the doorway.

"Uh, yeah." He thought about explaining... but it wasn't his announcement to make. "They need to talk, though."

#

Jack sat on the floor this time, back leaning against his bed. He couldn't resist a smirk as he looked at Hiccup, who lay on the floor.

It really wasn't a humorous situation. But watching Hiccup try to figure it out was comical. To Jack, at least. And most things were amusing to him in some way.

"I wasn't expecting to be a father so soon," Hiccup muttered, running his hands over his face.

Jack wasn't going to mention that he was not surprised... but found he couldn't bite it back.

"Hiccup, the only way to avoid having kids is to not have sex," he said. "That really should be included in marriage vows." He took a drink from the bottle of juice he'd been rolling between his hands. "I thought it was common sense, but apparently not."

Hiccup's face turned red. "This from a guy who hides the princess in the shower."

"There is a different between hiding in a shower and being intimate," Jack said. He took another drink, not wanting to admit that his topic was making his throat dry. "Besides, it worked. And I didn't see you coming up with any better ideas."

Hiccup nodded, still staring up at the ceiling.

"You guys talked about kids, right?" Jack asked.

Hiccup nodded. "And it's not that I don't want it. We just didn't plan for it. Not now."

"We're not exactly in the habit of planning," Jack muttered, thinking back to Pallash II, and the rescue plan had had come up with on the fly. It was how they normally operated.

"What now?" he asked.

Hiccup groaned.

"You can't raise a kid on a star ship," Jack said. "I'm pretty sure that's child abuse."

"I know," Hiccup sighed. "This is what I've been talking to Merida about for the past two hours. She refuses to go back to DunBroch. And she's carrying my child – I'm not going to argue too much."

Jack smirked.

"But I'm not raising my child on Berk, either," he said. "Which means I have 7.5 months to find a new home world. And figure out what to do with you."

Jack's had just stood up and picked up his staff. His head jerked around to look at his friend. "Me?"

"I know we don't have a contract or anything," Hiccup said. "But if Merida and I settle down, you're out of a job. No offense, but I'm not giving you The Night Fury."

Bracing the end of the staff on the floor, Jack leaned against it, one hand in the crook to help keep balance.

"That actually works, since I was thinking I might have to leave The Night Fury," he said. "Not that I don't enjoy working for you... But I have responsibilities here."

"What about the princess."

Jack's heard clenched as he leaned more weight on his staff.

That was a very good question. One he didn't have the answer to.

#

Jack was sound asleep, more so than he had been in a while. He was dreaming about water, freshly fallen snow and warm sunlight. He was fairly sure Rapunzel was in the dream as well, just out of sight. He wasn't sure if it was a nightmare or not, because he couldn't shake the feeling he was searching for something without finding it.

The dream ended abruptly with the blare of a klaxon.

Jack jolted awake and sat up in bed, looking around.

The door to his room opened, Bunnymund looking in.

"Imperials, Mate," he said. "Get dress – come to the control room."

The Pooka's green eyes darted to the staff that once more leaned against the wall. "And bring the stick."

Yes, Bunny just called Jack's staff a stick. I couldn't resist. XD