Chapter 18 - Thrown Into The Wolves Den

The spring Festival was finally here, after a month of preparation the people of Berk, and sure the rest of the Archipelago, were finally ready to celebrate the festival of new beginnings. This was like a second chance for people, if they had started the year on a low the spring festival was supposed to bring good luck and prosperity for the rest of the year. And Astrid right now needed the fresh start.

Her birthday had never been a thing to celebrate, while on the streets there was little to celebrate but surviving the winter. While at Berk she had enjoyed celebrating her birthday, it fell on one of the most celebrated holidays beside Snoggletog in the year here in the Archipelago. She felt it was a way of the gods welcoming her into her new life. Cheesy she knows but she needed a little cheesy in her life after the past five years.

Her favourite part was on the last hours of her birthday, just like the Festival of Lights the Spring Festival let's off Luck Lanterns, and she and Hiccup shared that love for this tradition. It was just a lovely way to end the day, and it was what she was waiting for tonight.

Hiccup kept to his promise of course he did, the two were walking into the city of celebrations with hats to hide their hair and sunglasses to hide the majority of their face. They looked like right weirdos but they were blending in and that's all that mattered. Dodging through the crowds and keeping their heads low so they weren't noticed, well as long a Hiccup wasn't noticed.

The only thing was that when on arrival there was something different, photographers! And a lot of them! Gathering around taking shots left right and centre, the two didn't know where to look.

" what on earth" Astrid gapped, never had she seen this many photographers, especially at the spring festival. The festival was family fun time, it wasn't a place for photos to be taken.

She was dragged further into the crowd by Hiccup, he tried to hide them within the crowd to blend them in. " What's going on?" She finally asked when they slowed down, he looked frantic, he was as shocked as she was by the unexpected guests.

" I don't know, I don't understand, they shouldn't be here" his voice was panicked, his eyes erratic! He was having some sort of panic attack in the middle of the festival. " it's like they follow us everywhere we go, it's happening again!" His whole life had been on front page magazine's and top new conversation. And he knew that, but his whole world felt like it was turning upside when the press started to really harass him after the break up from Cami, they were on his back, asking questions, making up theories, they were a cause of a major anxiety breakdown on top of everything else. And the thing was, Astrid could see that in his eyes, the memories of it were all flooding back. After everything she thought it was her who was struggling with it but it was him.

Why didn't she see the signs, the hiding behind closed doors, the curtains closed, the strange confidence in his behaviour the past few nights. The signs were there she just didn't see them.

" Hey Hiccup"

His eyes scanned down to her, every now and them scanning around to see if they were spotted. Her hand came up to the side of his face, stroking it repeatedly. " it's okay, we can leave if you want, I don't need to be here for my birthday, we can just go home" he watched her as she gave him a heart warming smile, and immediately his panicked stated calmed.

" okay, are you sure?" Thing about Hiccup was he would put everyones needs above his own, even if deep down we was hurting underneath. So she gave him a firm nod, smiling the whole time as her hand stroked his face.

The tension then left his shoulders and his eyes looked to becoming more clear. " alright then, I just need to deposit this check for the fundraiser, I do it every year, but I don't know how I'm going to do that without getting spotted" he pulled a folded up check from his back pocket, eyeing up the massive red egg in the middle of the festival where people donate money and checks for the charity fundraiser for orphans and foster kids that need help.

" okay then I'll do it-" she took the check off him confidently, knowing Hiccup had full trust in her to hand her a check willingly. Even if she was the one technically who took it from him, but he trusted her, she saw that in his eyes when he smiled at her thankfully.

" thanks, how about while you donate that, I'll get us some drinks for the car" he kissed her cheek longer than usual, his hands coming up to her face cupping it carefully within his fingertips.

" sounds great" her lips hummed against his earlobe, and her hand came up to his to wrap around and give a quick squeeze before pulling back. " Diet Coke for me please!" She shouted as she headed off towards the big red egg.

She felt relieved that Hiccup finally had a smile on his face. She should have seen the signs before, though she wasn't use to this life, Hiccup had nearly 30 years worth of it, it must be draining. Peering over her shoulder slightly she noticed the camera men where focused on something else, which means so far her and Hiccups shitty disguise was working. Even if it was just a hat and sunglasses.

Making her way through the crowds she had the urge to push a few people to the grown. Rude people just stand in your way without consideration, one man rudely pushed past so hard her whole body was jolted, and the check floated to the ground.

" shit!" She scurried to the floor before anyone with prying eyes noticed who the check was from. She picked it up swiftly, looking around to see if anyone had noticed, but then again everyone was in their own little bubble minding their own business. Her eyes wandered down so slightly, she couldn't help but look to see how much the famous Hiccup Haddock was donating.

" oh my fucking gods" her eyes couldn't believe it, in her hand she held 500,000. Money like this to her could solve a lot of problems, it was like one of those surreal moments she was feeling realising she was dating a billionaire, and wrapping her head around it yet again. Folding it back up she got her head back together, pushing her way back through the crowd, pushing a few nobheads what wouldn't budge and headed to the biggest egg in the world.

Xx

You'd think buying two drinks would be easy but try ordering two drinks while putting on an accent. Hiccup knew his voice was very distinctive, and anyone in Berk would be able to notice it. So with him wearing a shitty disguise as it is he decided to make things worse but trying an accent, a British accent that came out more Australian than British.

Five minutes he was stood there asking for a Diet Coke and a lemonade, people where starting to get tetchy from behind. So he took to pointing and humming before angrily putting his money down on the counter and getting out of there before anyone noticed his face. But then again it had worked so far hadn't it.

" really Haddock? That's your blending in mode?"

But he spoke to soon, surely enough though if anyone would have been able to notice him it would have been Cami, the gods were hating on him today.

She stood arms crossed and a smug smile on her face, he should have known this bitch would have been here today, it had tramp written all over it when he walked in.

" what do you want Cami?"

He was getting bored of the same old same old. She was becoming a fly he couldn't get out of his house, always there and always buzzing into business that didn't concern her.

" oh nothing, in fact I wanted to know if you liked my little present?" She pointed in the direction of the gang of photographers, the smile of pure bitchiness held on her face, she had set this up, knowing he would be here for the fundraiser. He should have definitely stayed at home!

" Hiccup you're so predictable, it's why we are perfect together, I know you so well "

Xx

Astrid slipped in the check through the small opening of the big red egg that stood proud in the middle of town. Her eyes looked around to see if she was noticed, but by the looks of it no one really cared about a young woman putting money into the fundraiser. Her guess was they were waiting for the one and only Hiccup Haddock to donate his massive check.

Oh if they only knew.

She went to walk back into the festivities again, probably having to dodge her way through the crowds to find her boyfriend trying to be as subtle as possible.

Or that's what she though she was gonna do.

" you know when Cami told me I'd regret not coming here I thought she was mad, now I know why" she stopped in her tracks, knowing the voice, but not knowing why he was here.

But what question lingered in her mind more was when she looked at Thugs face, why he knew Cami? Those two in the same sentence turned her stomach to mush.

" what the hell!" He had that smirk plastered across his face, like he was so sure of his self. It gave her the creeps. " I don't have time for your stupid games Thug!" She went to walk away, the last thing she needed on her birthday was looking at a face she'd much rather punch.

" got your boyfriend to run back to" her heart skipped about three beats as she looked over her shoulder, again that smirk she would much rather punch right off his face was looking down at her. The word 'boyfriend' was repeating over and over in her head. She knew it would have been a matter of time but not now, not him.

" again Thug, with your crazy theories, it's getting old! And boring" as she continues walking away she convinced herself not to stop no matter what more poison comes out of his mouth. But that didn't stop him from following her, running after her like a bouncing little puppy like he had something to prove.

" or you just don't want to hear it. Now I admit I was very off at the beginning but I think I finally have the answer on the dot. Why it all makes sense now" she continued walking, pushing past anyone in her way and block anything he said.

" how would a pretty blonde girl who's got nothing to her name get in with a family like the Haddock's?" She found herself back in the middle of the festival, where all the market stalls were booming with serving customers. But where was Hiccup? And yet she just realised she'd be leading Thug right to him. So she stopped, not knowing where she could turn, till she was facing his smug face yet again. " unless she's the Heir of Berk's little side dish?" For once Astrid felt completely speechless, when he was coming up with daft theories back in December all she could do was laugh at the fact. Now he had her cornered up against a wall with no where to turn. She could even admit it, or call his bluff, but didn't she want to risk what could happen if she did.

" Astrid?" Her beating heart all of a sudden stopped beating out of her chest when she turned her head to see Ruffnut with her brother, Fishlegs and Bear coming up beside her. Ruff, knowing this wasn't a conversation her roommate wanted to have she immediately put herself in the middle of them. Back facing Thug, a little wink towards her fellow blonde hair friend. " what are you doing here, I thought you were staying with your friend?" At this point the lads had come over, not noticing the tension like Ruff did and went to talk to Thug like nothing had gone wrong.

" yeh well, plans changed, though I wish I hadn't now?" Her eyes flicked backed to see where Thug was at, but she was happy to see the lads had taken his attention away from her.

" well you better be off then, don't want to keep your friend waiting, I'll deal with you know who" Ruff's head nodded towards Thug who was still distracted by the other lads.

With a thankful nod and a quick hug Astrid went to walk away, but not without Ruff shouting Happy Birthday for all to hear. And Astrid was once again reminded of what a great friend she had.

Xx

" so you thought by just hinting to some photographers about me being here that would get you your loop hole? I told you what would happen if you opened your mouth Cami"

After pulling her to one side, her loving every bit of it, Hiccup kept his voice down as much as possible, the last thing he needed was someone over hearing a private conversation.

" but that's it Hiccy, I haven't actually said anything, just wrote a little note and pushed people in the right direction," the way she sounded it was all sweet and innocent, like she had done nothing wrong. And then it changed, her face, just by the narrowing of her eyes and the sharpening of her mouth. " you hurt me Hic, YOU ruined everything we had, you think this blonde fling you have going on is going to fit into your world? She's no one, her world is no where near ours. But me, I already fit perfectly into your world, I don't need to change for you, you don't need to change for me! We are perfect," she went to lean forward, hands running down his arms to meet his hands at the bottom. And they would have touched too, if he hadn't shoved her hands away.

" Cami! You and me were toxic, YOUR toxic, I would never bring myself to that low standard again. Astrid may not be part of 'my world' but she is of higher standard than you" by this point he could have sworn she'd seen red, her vein in her forehead was pulsing, and her teeth was actually seething, what she would say next he didn't know, but thankfully he didn't have to find out.

" Hiccup?" Behind him stood Astrid, minding where she steps, edging her way forward, careful on how she judged this situation.

" oh here she is, little miss perfect," by this point when Cami opened her mouth spilling out her insecurities, Hiccup walked over to his girlfriend, wrapping an arm around her waist. " you think this little fairy tale with him will last? You won't fit into our world darlin, people like us won't except you into our world, you'll be living a nightmare for the rest of your life" she made her way forward, every step just heightened her authority she was parading over Astrid. Even down to the last look up and down she gave before finally leaving Astrid's personal space again.

" don't believe me, let's see how long you last today?" Without warning, without the two knowing what was happening Cami turned to where the crowd could most definitely hear, and screamed in the most girlish manor " ahhhhh OMG IT'S HICCUP HADDOCK!"

By the second his name left her lips people were on it, and so where the photographers, flashing their cameras, it was Astrid that snapped out of her shocked gaze first. " shit! Hiccup come on"

Once again Cami had them running, away from the crowds and cameras, she was right, was sort of world would she be welcomed in, for Hiccup and his family may love her, the people of Berk may not.

Xx

The trip back to Hiccup's house was quiet, the two were both exhausted for running two blocks to get to his car. However Hiccup knew why Astrid was quiet, she was thinking, no doubt the words of his ex girlfriend filled her thoughts. He couldn't blame her, his life was like the front cover of a magazine, for all to see. One day she'd have to be a part of that, and it was coming clear that day was creeping up week by week.

He love to tell her the people will love her just as much as he did, but he didn't know that for sure. And if the people didn't except her what sort of life would she have, sure him and his friends and family would give her credibility, but for some stubborn, jealous people that wouldn't be enough.

He pulled up outside his front door, noticing his girlfriends eyes were still glued to the window, gazing out into nothing.

" she's right you know, on some part-" he spoke firmly, gaining her attention almost immediately. " I don't know whether people will except you, I don't. Some part of Berk, the West side, people can be snobby. Not all, some. And unfortunately people like that can make you feel like nothing. Heck sometimes they can make me feel like nothing and my family owns the fucking ground then walk on. All I can give you is that I'll except you, because I love you with all I have, my family will except you, because they know the beautiful person you are, and my friends will except you, because they know a kind and thoughtful soul like yours deserves to be respected, and to be kind to. And that's all I can promise you right now, " as he spoke she drunk in every word. Listened to him, for she knew he was speaking the truth.

" and i don't know if it's enough but mmph-" he must have been rambling because he lips landed on his, she literally launched herself over to his side of the car, arms wrapped around him like tentacles. When she pulled back he could only pull off a goofy smile, but it made her giggle so it was worth it.

" Hiccup you will always be enough for me, more than enough, you're all I need, you're my family" and she meant it, he was her family, the family she had needed and finally got. And she was his. He kissed her this time, pressing their soft lips together lightly but yet it was such a deeper connection.

" well you know I love you" with a final peck on the nose Hiccup pulled the handle of his car door, pushing it open before he climbed out. She filled soon after seeing he was still stood on the other side of his car when she closed her door.

" I have a surprise for you" he walked forward, hand held out for her to take and follow.

" Hiccup! I told you I don't need any more gifts, you have already given me so much" However she still took his hand reluctantly as he dragged her to the side of his huge house, taking her to an area that was more quiet and out of sight.

The press had free range in the wood surrounding the cove, but the cove was private land and was off limits. But they still have the higher ground which meant the majority Hiccups garden was off limits as the trees surrounding Hiccups home didn't cover his garden.

Something about not wanting to block out the sun?

But the side of his house, the part she was being dragged down to was covered with huge oak trees, so much so not much light was getting through. So the coast was clear for them.

Immediately everything went dark as Hiccup's hands covered her eyes. " Hiccup what on Midgard are you doing?" He smirked at her using a Berk saying while the two still walked through the trees.

" I told you it's a surprise," she came to a halt and was twirled around till she was facing him. Her back was obviously facing said surprise by the way he kept looking over her shoulder.

" Hiccup I swear - I told you I don't want you splashing out on me, I don't need anything" she felt his hands cup her face, drawing her in for a sweet kiss.

" I didn't splash out as you would put it, I had something, something I was going to get rid of and then I thought of how much you'd love it and if I made a few tweaks it would fit you perfectly" her eyes narrowed carefully trying to figure out what he was talking about. In his coat pocket he pulled out a little blue box with a orange bow on top.

She took the box carefully still trying to work out what he would have that she would want that was in this little box and would fit her perfectly.

Her eyes flicked back up to Hiccup, him giving her a confident nod to open her gift. So with her breath held she lifted the lid...

And in side, as she pulled out to get a better look, was a pair of Audi car keys. Her head shot back up to his.

" you're joking ?" She was expecting it as much, but he shook his head and nodded over to whatever was behind her shoulder. She looked and there was her new car, with a big red bow stuck on the bonnet, but it wasn't the black Audi she once knew, it now had an ocean blue paint over it, all sparkling and brand new just looking at her.

Hiccup came up behind her once again, his arms wrapped around her stomach and head pressed against hers. " had it painted to a colour of more your taste, new tyres, and a quick M.O.T to make sure it's all up to date, but I've only had it a year and I knew you loved my car by the amount of times you told me so"

She was lost for words, no idea how to even begin to speak. " I - I " speechless was an understatement right now as she was still trying to process it.

" do you not like it?" Her silence had brought doubt to his mind. Only for a a second, but he didn't know whether it was a good silence or a bad silence.

She immediately turned round to face him eyes wide. " Hiccup I love it! " she jumped up into his arms wrapping her arms around his neck, while she still held the car keys within her hand.

" yeah?" His arms that were tied around her waist hoisted her up from the ground.

" Yes! I - I'm just lost for words but I love it, I love you" her lips again fell into his, slowly pressing them together, soft skin on skin, mouths colliding, tongues touching. The two moaned into each others mouths, there wasn't any space between them however they still squeezed themselves together.

" Well I just know you'd need a car and when you move in here you can go back and from the city and…" he was interrupted by her kissing him once again, giggling against his lips.

" You talk too much, kiss me" she dragged him by the collar back to the front of the house, but her lips never left his, it amazed him how she could do that, drag him back to his front door while still locking lips with him. When they got to the front door thats when things got tricky, fiddling with the door handle while still making out passionately. But it didn't break their mood as they laughed at their clumsiness, finally pushing the door open to two clumsily fell inside.

Not making it very far as when they closed the door Hiccup took lead this time, pushing her back up against the wall, pulling her legs up by the thighs so they wrapped around his waist.

Meanwhile his lips traveled along her lips to her jaw, making his girlfriend close her eyes in pleasure, rolling her head back into the wall and gripping onto the hair at the back of his neck. " Hiccup" hearing his name roll off Astrid's tongue drives him on to kiss past her jaw to down her neck. His hand wormed it's way under her top up to one of her breasts, cupping it with a slight squeezes.

Astrid was in pure heaven, letting her body enjoy the pleasure, her riding it out by throwing her head back into the wall and gasping out his name into the air around them. It was only when she was going to bring her head back down to his, she opened her eyes slowly just for a second and they immediately picked up on something that wasn't supposed to be there. But her lips spoke before her mind even adjusted.

" Stoick?" Immediately Hiccups head left her neck to face her confused why his father's name would be on the top of his girlfriends mind while he was trying to turn her on.

" what?!" He looked at her but her eyes were locked on something behind him, she looked somewhat confused too, so when looking over his shoulder it soon all made sense, and immediately he removed his hand from Astrid's breast and placed her feet back on the ground. " dad?"

There stood Stoick Haddock, Head of Berk and the Head of the Haddock Household. He stood tall and firm, holding a pile of boxes in his arms, but yet a man who was as tall as a mountain had bright red cheeks and a sense of embarrassment about him. " son" he awkwardly shifted his feet, eyes not looking the blonde in the face. " I see you forgot?"

The clogs in Hiccups mind started to turn as his eyes widened, forgot what? " Err-" a hand came to the back of his neck rubbing it quickly. Making his smug girlfriend, who knew her boyfriend so well, drop him in it. " he totally forgot whatever it was." Eyes glared at her, the word 'traitor' was thrown at her, though it didn't stop her from grinning and sticking her tongue out back at him.

" you asked me to drop these off today" Stoick spoke out gaining the twos attention. He gestured to the boxes he held and all of a sudden the clogs in Hiccup's head clicked together, remembering what he asked his dad to come here for.

" yes! gods yes, right -" he turned ridiculously trying to think of what next, " right - errr kitchen, let's take them in the kitchen" To help out Hiccup took one box from the top and Astrid took the second box in the middle leaving Stoick now holding the bottom one. The three walked into the kitchen, working around Hiccup's staff as they scattered at the sign of the three entering.

" drinks Mr Haddock?" Terri asked as he pottered around the kitchen.

" Err sure, pot of coffee please" while Terri prepared the coffee pot, the three placed the boxes onto Hiccup's kitchen island, sitting down on his bar stools. Astrid couldn't help but peak inside, lifting the lid to see a load of paper files, the name Haddock stood out in the corner.

" Hiccup what is this?" The lid was off and she was lifting out random files one by one.

" I asked dad to get some paper back files that might not be on the Haddock system." The boxes were opened up and placed out In front of them.

" yes but what was interesting was when looking at everything with a fine toothpick I noticed a few things," Stoick started to gather a few files to three piles in front of him, while he fiddled about with paper after paper, Astrid threw Hiccup a questionable look, but he just shrugged it off not knowing what was going on either. " so while the Hofferson file was the one out of most interest what I found quite interesting that on paper back and hard drive there is information all up to about 70 years ago, anything after that has been completely erased, no mention on Astrid's, her parents not even their names and no mention of her grandparents either, only that her great grandparents had one unnamed son." So her family mystery must have started with her grandfather, but that didn't explain what that had to do with her parents untimely death.

" so everything after Astrid's great grandparents is completely blank? Nothing? Not even birth certificates?" With his coffee poured Hiccup took a swig out of his mug while he took the first file from his dad flicking through the pages. " oh look you have a great uncle Fin that lives in Finland" ironic. Astrid shot up from her glum state when finding out she had a family member somewhere else in the world. " oh but he died two years ago" there was a death certificate claiming he died from a heart attack, she really was the last of the Hoffersons.

That's when Stoick perked up again, " yeah so Astrid's family was a bit of a mystery and it got me thinking, if three generations can be erased from our files without us not noticing then what about others?" Hiccups ears picked up on the tone of his father's voice, he could tell his dad had found something that would interest them. " there were also gaps missing in the Meathead family file too, I found it interesting" he left the two younger adults on the edge of their seats.

Thug's family! Astrid didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but then Thug always seemed to squeeze himself in the middle of situations that didn't involve him. But then the thought never crossed her mind that Thug actually might be involved. " what does Thug's family have to do with mine?" Astrid asked knowing full well Stoick knew her friendship with a Meathead. And knowing the strain that friendship was having on her and his son's relationship too.

" well as far as I can tell nothing, but then snippets of the file is missing so who knows," he began to open the file within his hand, she guessed it was the Meathead family. " it shows that soon after Thug was born his mother filed a divorce with his father for adultery, apparently he'd been having a long term affair with one of their friends" didn't surprise her that a sleaze bag like Thug had a father who was a dirty cheater too.

" did it say who?" She didn't know why she was interested but there was this little itch that she couldn't quite scratch that told her that this had something to do with the bigger picture.

Stoick flicked through the pages but the more pages she turned the more it came clear there was no name. " sorry, no name, but after the divorce it looks like he was arrested for obstruction of justice and then committed suicide soon after" that brought the attention of the young couple back into the room. " and before you ask, no it doesn't say exactly why he was arrested and not much details in his death. Like I said not much on them, bits and pieces missing. The biggest chunk that's missing though is on Thugs grandfather, the only information that really stands out was that he enlisted in the army. Everything after that is missing," again the clogs in Hiccups head started to turn as he connected the dots in his head.

" so my grandfather, Astrid's grandfather and Thuggory's grandfather all were in the army around the same time, don't you think that's a bit strange?" Hiccup had always been one to figure things out, connect all the dots in his head, and right now he was seeing a red flag.

" well I thought so too so I did some digging into our family," by this point Stoick was pulling out the Haddock's file, bigger than the other two, thick and full of information.

" yeh but dad out family's has been up to date, always has been" Hiccup should know, he was the CEO of the family company now and occasionally checked in on his family's records just like he does once in a while to make sure everything was running and up to date. Something like this had never been heard off, missing files, chunks erased and all under his nose.

" well that's what I thought too, but when going through it with a fine comb I found that everything's up to date apart from the section on when my father entered the army, everything from when he started to when he finished is gone, and that's everything I found in the hard back files, the digital ones are more complicated " he pushed the file across the island towards the two who sat close together, proving the time space that was missing, just like Astrid's and just like Thuggory's.

" all three are missing" Astrid spoke out, looking back down again at the file to see if she was mistaken, but she wasn't, this was the start of her long life mystery.

" this is our first lead Ast, something happened over 30 years ago with our families, something that was big enough for them to cover it up by erasing the past and it might have something to do with your parents death" she loved that Hiccup had such passion to help her, and that was just at the start, now it was more than that, this mess now involved him and his family as well as the family of her friend. Something about these three families was connected and she couldn't help but wonder what if there were others, more people involved, she didn't know.

What really happened all those years ago, and what did it have to do with her and Hiccup? Though to Hiccup he knew from the moment he met Astrid they were connected, he just assumed by an emotional connection but in reality their connection ran deeper than that.