Hello my lovely readers! Sorry for the delay but I was having a hard time with the chapter, not sure why. But I finally finished it and I'm now happy with it. There's some character development, some feelings coming to the surface, and a cliffhanger waiting for you. I'm evil, I know.

But I hope you all have been having a great week and continue to have one.

Enjoy reading! XD


"Nothing makes any goddamn sense!" Dagur screeched as the last clue he had found didn't connect to any of the others he had collected. He grabbed his desk lamp and threw it across the room in rage at the nonsense of it all.

He sat on the edge of his bed, his head in his hands, fighting back the tears as he thought about his recently deceased sister and how he was starting to break his promise to her. He began to realize that there were no connections and that the police weren't lying about there being no connection between all the attacks or about no evidence left behind. The attacker's randomness and suddenness was paying off and it was pissing him off.

"Dagur!" his father bursted into his room. "What is with all the racket?"

"Nothing! Just go away!"

"You're going to clean up that broken lamp," Oswald pointed out. "I know you're still hurting from losing your sister but you can't go around breaking things or people. It won't do any good."

"You don't know that," Dagur mumbled, already knowing he was right. He still couldn't believe that out of all the people he broke down in front of, it was Hiccup. However, he was grateful it was Hiccup because anyone else would have told the entire town about his weakness and he wouldn't be able to show his face again. "But I'm going to find the ones who did this to her and I'm going to get my revenge."

"This isn't the Wild West, Dagur," Oswald sighed in desolation. "You can't go around beating up or killing the bad guy. We have a system of laws to prevent such disorderly conduct for a reason."

"Let me figure this out on my own," he snapped at his father. "Get out!"

Oswald nodded sullenly as he closed the door but stopped to speak one last time. "Since you're on this lone wolf detective escapade, I thought you should know that Astrid Hofferson was the latest person to be attacked and hospitalized. Maybe she can shed some light on your investigation."

Dagur was then left alone with his thoughts as the information seeped into his mind and a plan began to form. Quickly, he got dressed and ran towards the Hofferson residence, just making it as she arrived after being discharged from the hospital. Another blonde girl, who he recognized as the girl Thorston twin, helped her out as her father walked into the house leaving the two girls outside. "Hey, Astrid!"

"Get lost, Dagur," Ruff spat at him. "She's not in any mood to deal with your crazy mood swings and neither am I."

"I get it, you don't trust me, but I'm here for research purposes," Dagur confessed.

"Research?" Astrid cocked an eyebrow. "What research?"

"What can you tell me about your attack?" He pulled out a small notebook and pen to begin jotting down notes as she spoke.

"Nothing," she said.

"Why? Sworn into secrecy?"

"No, idiot, she can't tell you anything because she doesn't remember," Ruff explained. "She walked home from practice and then woke up in the hospital a few days later."

Dagur's hopes were dashed, his rage building inside him once again as he tightened his grip on the pad and pen. Cautious glances from the two girls forced him to take a deep breath and clear his mind allowing a thought to occur to him. "You said you walked home from practice. Do you take the same way every time?"

Astrid eyed him suspiciously, looking between him and Ruff before answering. "Not all the time but the most common path I take is down Edge Boulevard and then across Hooligan Street. Why?"

"I'm going to see if I can find any clues that the police missed. The attackers are bound to leave some sort of evidence behind."

"Well, maybe look for blood splatter," Ruff suggested. "Astrid decked one of them good."

"But if I find you stalking me to and from school, I'll deck you," Astrid threatened.

"Got the message loud and clear," Dagur raised his hands. "Hope you recover in time for the game. What I saw of your guy's routine was amazing. Keep it up and beat those stupid Hunters for me!"

He ran off towards the streets she mentioned and began to investigate the widewalks, gutters, alleyways, and even trash bins for anything out of the ordinary. Just as he was about to give up, in one alleyway, he noticed a strange pattern on the wall, almost like chocolate syrup was splattered across the brick wall.

Wetting a napkin he had in his pocket with his tongue, he rubbed it against the splatter and to his surprise instead of a brown color to indicate chocolate, it was red. He brought it to his nose and sniffed it and it did have a weak smell of iron. Grabbing his phone, he took a picture of the splatter and carefully folded the napkin to place it back in his pocket as he raced to the police station.

He smelled like garbage, he looked like a homeless man with his clothes dirty from grime and other disgusting waste left in the trash cans, he was tired from a long day of snooping for any evidence but the long shot he had hoped for was actually bearing some sort of fruit. Only time would tell if it would be useful and he prayed that the substance he found was actually blood and not something else and that if it was blood, it would lead the authorities to at least one of the attackers. It was a long shot but he had to take it.


His eyes were shaking from strain as he continued to watch the security footage to try and find the man that gave the mail carrier the envelope. He had been at it for hours and he couldn't find the footage of the hand off. It didn't make any sense to him.

Groaning in frustration, he stopped the footage and rubbed his eyes as he continued to dwell on everything happening. He was worried about his city, his people, but more importantly, his son. Things were getting way out of hand and despite Hiccup's brave stance, he knew his son was scared. He couldn't blame him considering how specific the threats were and how close they were to him already. Now, time was running out and they were no closer to finding the men now than they were last week.

Then the residents of Berk, those poor people living looking over their shoulder because they could be the next ones attacked just wasn't right. The ones responsible for this terror needed to be stopped but he had a hard time focusing on them when Hiccup was being threatened.

But that was the point right? That's why they were threatening his son, to distract him from the core issue. He knew that Hiccup was surrounded by people that would do everything to protect him, especially Gobber. His best friend was like the strange uncle of the family but also a second parent to Hiccup since Valka died and he loved his son as if he was his own.

Then there were Hiccup's friends. He smiled to himself, happy to hear that he had more than just one friend now. First it was only Astrid and then it was only Fishlegs but now it seems he has a team of friends. At least there was some good coming out of everything. He was proud that Hiccup chose such strong and loyal friends.

He looked back at the computer screen to continue watching the footage. Stoick sighed when there wasn't any new information the footage gave him. The footage continued to play as he stared mindlessly at the corner of the screen, exhaustion starting to overtake him but then something jolted him awake.

Pausing the footage and rewinding back a little, he watched the timestamp in the corner as he pressed play. To his shock, what he had noticed before happened again. He began to download the footage and emailed it to Throk for him to take a look at it, happy to see an immediate response.

Interesting. Did anyone else handle the footage before you were able to get ahold of it?

Stoick thought about it before emailing him back. He didn't think anyone did but he wasn't sure. Not that I know of.

Throk responded again. Strange. Footage just doesn't delete itself. How would footage be removed at the capitol?

It would need approval from a high tier member of the Senate. I can inquire about it.

No, I will get a subpoena to get the logs of access. I don't want these people to know that you are digging. Don't all employees and members have their own IDs for accessing any and all computer devices in the building?

Stoick confirmed the question with a simple 'yes'. He was now beginning to worry that someone in the Senate was behind this and if they were, taking them down would be near impossible. People of power always had a fall back scapegoat to pin the blame on so that they would never get caught, especially if they wanted to keep their power.

Another email came in but this time from the police department with an attachment. When he opened the file, he saw a rough sketch of a man, probably mid-40s, with black hair, beard, and handlebar mustache. Unfortunately, he didn't recognize the man at all but now knew to keep an eye out for him.

He forwarded the picture to Throk as well as to Gobber and Hiccup with the following message: This is the sketch the police did of the man who handed the envelope to the mail carrier. Hiccup, Gobber, keep an eye out for this man as he may be nearby and waiting to strike again.

Once it was sent, Stoick felt a weight lift off of his shoulders knowing that Hiccup now had a face to look for but he would still be tense until these people would be put behind bars. He decided to let Throk do his job while he did his own and worked on finding a way to catch the Serial Druggers once and for all.

He drew up several plans, scratching them and starting over multiple times, and not once getting close to devising a strong coherent strategy. Stoick sometimes wished he had Hiccup's creative mind that was able to think outside the box so that he could see patterns easier. He wondered if he should ask for Hiccup's input again but he was already in enough trouble and Stoick would not enlarge the target on his son's back.

An alert from his computer grabbed his attention. Pulling up his emails, he saw another email from Throk with an urgent symbol next to it. When he opened it, there was a link with a brief message above it: Keep a close eye on your son. I just saw this news article.

Stoick quickly opened the link and his stomach knotted in disgust, dread and panic coursing through his body as he read the article.

Young Adult Found Dead in His Car.

William Padd, 19, was discovered by his mother this evening dead in his car. Authorities are still determining the reason of death but the cause is apparent. William had been shot in the chest by an unknown assailant but he slowly bled to death as he was unable to call for help. This is a tragic loss for his community and for his family, our prayers and hearts going to his family.

Stoick bowed his head in remorse, trying to fight the tears but failing miserably as they fell silently. That poor kid was probably killed because of him, because he asked him to describe the one who handed the envelope to him. This was really getting out of hand. He picked up his phone and began to call Gobber, to inform him of the new update so that he would be on extreme alert. Then he called Hiccup to warn him as well but he mainly just needed to hear his son's voice, delaying the call for as long as possible to soak up every second. For all he knew, this would be the last time he heard his son.


Astrid was having a hard time keeping up with the routine as they continued to practice and she blamed the medication she was on. The doctors told her to take it easy for a few days but taking it easy wasn't something she knew how to do. She always pushed herself to be better than everyone and she wasn't sure why she felt she had to one up everyone.

No, that was a lie, she knew why. She was trying to prove to her father that she wasn't as weak or as much of a screw up as he thought she was. Why she cared so much about what he thought, that she didn't understand. Maybe it was because he was her father, maybe it was because she felt obligated to be the best daughter, or maybe it was something else. She couldn't express it in words if she wanted.

Whatever the reason, it was kicking her ass right now. Her body screamed at her to stop exerting herself so it had a chance to recover but she was too stubborn to quit, not when her team needed her for this upcoming Friday. She wasn't a quitter and she wasn't going to start now.

Her body, on the other hand, said otherwise. When she placed her foot down after a high kick, her leg gave out and she went sprawling across the floor. Astrid groaned as she tried to get up but now that she was on the ground, her body wanted to stay there and sleep.

"Take the rest of practice off, Astrid," Gothi said as she walked up to her. "You're going to hurt yourself if you keep up this pace."
"I'm fine, just lost my footing," Astrid assured, completely lying through her teeth.

"You're footing was fine," Gothi stated, seeing right through her lie. "You need to recover properly before you can participate on Friday."

"I'm good. I just-"

"No!" Gothi banged her staff on the ground. "Hiccup!" she called and motioned for him to come over. "I want you to take Astrid inside and check her to see if she twisted anything with that fall and then make sure she rests for the rest of the practice."

Astrid rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in annoyance of being treated delicately but she knew that her coach was right. If she kept going like this, she was going to injure herself even more and then she would really be useless for Friday's game. She looked up to see Hiccup's outstretched hand offering to help her up and she took it reluctantly. She hated how she seemed weak and fragile in everyone's eyes but what she hated more was needing help to get up off the ground. It was humiliating.

However, she didn't mind that it was Hiccup helping her. Once again, he was there to help her when she needed it most, even when she wouldn't admit to it, without questioning it. He led her inside to the small nursing room by the football field and helped her up on the small leather bed.

He didn't say a word as he went to grab some gauze. "I don't need any gauze, I'm fine," she said, trying to make conversation but he only nodded in response and sat down in front of her. Hell, it seemed that he wouldn't even look her in the eye.

He grabbed her ankle and began to twist and roll it. "Does this hurt at all?"

"No," she responded. "Like I said, I'm fine."

"Just want to make sure."

His hands traveled up to her knee, feeling around for anything out of place, the touch making her spine tingle. She really hoped he would continue up to her waist and check her hips just so she could feel him close to her, the thought completely surprising her. However, she didn't have time to dwell on it as she quickly became annoyed.

Now she knew he was avoiding eye contact with her and the way he touched her made her think he was afraid of breaking her. When his hands moved to the other knee, she grabbed them to stop him from getting away from her.

"Would you look at me and stop treating me like a china doll!" Hiccup paused but didn't respond, instead he pulled away from her and escaped her grasp, his head never raising to look at her. Now she was pissed off. "Are you shitting me? Don't you start thinking I'm weak. I'm not weak! I'm fine and I can perform the routine without a hitch."

"I don't think you're weak, Astrid."

"Really?" Astrid scoffed. "You refuse to look at me and you're touching me so carefully like you're afraid to bruise me. You think I am weak after allowing myself to be attacked by the Serial Druggers."

"No, that's not it," Hiccup insisted.

He still avoided eye contact with her. Astrid stared at him, her mouth agape as she tried to form sentences but she couldn't. Maybe it was the medication, maybe it was the humiliation she's felt the last few days but something snapped and she began to cry. The tears silently rolled down her cheeks as she held herself tightly.

"That's exactly it," she said softly. "I'm no longer the strong, fearless Astrid Hofferson. I'm the victim, Astrid Hofferson: weak, pathetic, and useless. Everyone thinks that now because I wasn't able to defend myself. I've lost all respect, my friends have lost confidence in me, and...and I've lost you."

"You haven't lost me."

"Yes I have!" she choked. "You won't look at me! You think I'm pathetic! You think-"

She was cut off by Hiccup pulling her into a hug. "No," he whispered. "No, you haven't lost me."

Astrid wanted to push him away since she was angry at him but instead she let herself sink into his embrace, burying her face in his chest as he held her. The tears continued to flow as she sat there with him holding her, his grip getting tighter with every passing second to physically let her know he wasn't going anywhere. The entire experience felt surreal. She felt a huge weight being lifted off her shoulders, a strange peace overcoming her, a feeling of safety as they stayed together.

"It's me," he breathed in her shoulder. "I'm the weak one. I'm...I'm afraid."

"Afraid?" she hiccupped. "Afraid I'm not the same person?"

"No, I'm afraid of telling you the truth even though I know it's the right thing to do."

Astrid was confused, nothing was making sense anymore. "The truth about what?"

"About the night you were attacked."

She pulled away from him quickly to look at him. For the first time since the hospital, she got a good look at him and now she could see the fear in his eyes as he looked at her. He quickly looked away and backed up so there were several feet between them. "What truth?"

Hiccup rubbed the back of his neck as he began to pace back and forth in front of her, still avoiding looking at her. "I know it's the right thing to tell you but once you know, you may not like it and you might hate me."

"Hiccup?"

"And it wasn't like you were, well, you," he stammered quickly. "You were drugged and it wasn't your fault."

"Hiccup."

"You don't remember, which also isn't your fault, but it's weird that only I know and-"

"Hiccup!" she shouted, trying to snap him out of his anxious rambling.

"You kissed me!"

Astrid blinked a few times at him, completely surprised at the answer. She started to chuckle as she shook her head. "That's what's got you upset? I kissed you? I've kissed you before."

"That was different," he shook his head as he wrung his fingers. "Those were kisses on the cheeks. This...this was...more."

Her smile began to drop as she looked at him, the nervousness and fear emanating from him made her stomach drop as she began to piece together what he was implying. "I kissed you on the lips."

He shook his head again. "You tried."

"Tried?" Astrid asked as she cocked an eyebrow. "What happened then?"

"You...um...it was basically...ugh! Why is this so hard?" Hiccup sat down frustrated, his head in his hands as he exhaled loudly. "You...you did brush my lips but I pushed you away before it got deeper. You tried again and...uh...you began to...uh," he took a deep breath and spoke the rest of the sentence rapidly. "You kissed my neck and chin."

"That's it?" Astrid asked, still unsure as to why kissing his neck would make him avoid her. "It's not like I pressed you into having sex with me," she chuckled. Her smile faded quickly again as he looked up at her, his eyes telling her that she had just hit the jackpot. Her hand flew up to her mouth as her stomach knotted and her heart skipped a beat. "I didn't!"

"You did," Hiccup confirmed. "But nothing actually happened!" he added frantically.

"Explain everything," she demanded, now extremely perturbed. It wasn't directed at Hiccup but at herself, however the aggression came with her voice as she spoke and she could tell it startled Hiccup.

His eyes were wide, fear drowning them, as he fumbled to tell her everything that happened that night. "You surprised me in the garage and pinned me against my workbench, trying to kiss me over and over again. At first, I thought maybe you were drunk-"

"Drunk? Why would I be drunk?"

"I don't know," he shrugged. "I thought maybe Ruff and Tuff finally convinced you to go underage drinking or something. Anyway, when I felt the puncture wound on your lower back, I knew you needed help but you wouldn't let me go unless I agreed to, you know, sleep with you."

"So you said yes." He nodded slowly as he continued to watch her expressions. The embarrassment she was feeling right now was nothing like the last couple of days, this was close and personal. Intimate. And with someone she cherished dearly. "That's why you've been weird lately."

He nodded again before continuing. "I thought things would be awkward between us when you woke up because you would remember but you not remembering was worse. Then when the doctor said you may remember one day, I struggled with the decision to tell you because I didn't want you to think I made it up but then if you remembered parts out of context-"

"I'd think you took advantage of me," she completed. Hiccup looked completely embarrassed, his face reddening as he bowed his head to avoid looking at her. Now it all made sense. "But you didn't," she added. "And I thank you for that."

"I also," he continued. "I also technically roofied you."

"What!"

"With Tylenol," he added quickly. "I know it doesn't excuse the act but I didn't know how else to knock you out so that I could get you help. It was Tylenol, I swear on my good foot!" He placed his hand over his heart and raised his other. "Chop it off if I'm lying."

Her shock turned to amusement at his motion of promise, grinning at him and his childish pose. "I believe you. But Fishlegs knows about all of this, doesn't he?"

Hiccup slumped sheepishly as he nodded. "I didn't know who else to call and he already knew about us."

"Seriously?"

"He saw us at Homecoming."

"Oh."

"And he also knows about Toothless."

"How did that go?" Astrid grinned. She remembered the first time she met the wolf, he was not all too pleased to be sharing Hiccup's attention with her but he eventually warmed up to her.

"Not bad," Hiccup smiled back. "I think you broke the ice for him to accept others in my life."

The two chuckled wholeheartedly before the room went eerily quiet again, making both of them uncomfortable. "Why was it worse when I didn't remember?" she asked, breaking the silence first.

"Well, if you remembered, then we could talk about it," Hiccup stated. "But without you being able to remember, you can't explain or understand your actions properly and I'm only left with questions. Snotlout had some memory of what happened to him and he was able to work through it but what happened between us was...more."

Astrid smiled at him sweetly, loving how concerned he was about her mental and emotional health. Leaning forward, she grabbed his hands and pulled him up and closer to her so that she could look him in the eye. There was something else that was bothering him but she would question it later. "Thank you for telling me. I may not remember but I feel better now knowing I was with someone safe and not just lying completely exposed."

"Sorry for the crappy cover story. I was so panicked I couldn't think straight. I could have handled the entire situation so much better."

"By doing what?" she asked. Astrid knew he was beating himself up over something but the way he handled everything, which seemed to be fine to her, wasn't it. "I think you handled it wonderfully considering the circumstances."

"I don't know," he shrugged as he shifted uncomfortably. "I just feel...I don't know."

"Feel what?" Astrid pushed. She could tell he wanted to talk about it but he was secretly asking permission from her to continue and she would give him that opportunity.

"I feel like I did take advantage of you that night."

Astrid tilted her head in confusion, her brows furrowed. "What do you mean? You said we didn't have sex."

"We didn't," he reiterated. "But with what did happen and you not knowing, I feel like I did because, well...you know, the kissing...I was taken off guard...but I still...it was…"

What he was trying to tell her clicked in her mind, her smile growing bigger and bigger as he continued to stammer his explanation but she knew he would never say it. He was too much of a gentleman, too shy, too embarrassed to actually say it to her.

"You enjoyed it," she interrupted. His head snapped up to look at her briefly before falling again to hide his red face. The idea that she pleased him enough to be embarrassed by it, and only with kisses, gave her butterflies. Now she really wanted to remember what happened that night so she could remember the look on his face, remember the feelings, but alas she didn't. She hoped the opportunity would arise so that she could experience it again with him, a thought that made her blush.

"I should have fought it," he confessed. "But it all happened so fast and it was like you knew right where to...I'm sorry. I really am. I feel terrible about it."

"Hey," she whispered as she gently raised his face to look at her again. "You're only human. We're built to feel pleasure. If it were the other way around, I'm sure I wouldn't have been able to fight it either."

Hiccup smiled genuinely at her, his eyes now sparkling again with relief and happiness as he continued to gaze at her. "Are you sure you're okay with what happened? I mean knowing but not remembering, even though I remember?"

"Would you relax?" she chuckled. "I'm not mad, I don't hate you, I'm not disgusted, I'm not anything you're thinking. I'm glad you told me and I'm glad I went to you." She pulled him in and hugged him tightly, feeling his arms wrap around her after a moment of hesitation. Astrid melted into his embrace again, loving the warmth and how safe she felt there, not wanting to ever leave.

"I should continue with the check up," Hiccup said as he pulled away, sitting back down on the chair and grabbing her leg again. "Then you can go home and rest up for Friday. You have the routine down so I don't think Gothi would mind you missing a day and half of practice."

As he continued to move her ankles around, now not feeling so timid about touching her, she understood why he was afraid things would change between them. Now knowing what had transpired between them, thoughts and feelings began to bubble up to the surface.

She knew she craved his presence in the past because he understood her, he wasn't afraid of her when she was her raw self, and he took the time to just sit and listen to her needs, wants, and desires. Not just listen, retain them. He was her first friend that actually felt like a friend, even the ones from her old home didn't feel like friends and were now nothing but faded memories. But now, things have changed.

The reports from the medical doctors about the drug said it enhanced and brought out one's deepest desires, so did she really see her best friend as more than that? Or did she want to be more? Is that why she was so nervous when she danced with him at Homecoming? Is that why she's been desiring his presence more and more, the smallest inconvenience giving her enough of an excuse to run towards him?

Astrid watched as his fingers ran across her skin, the action seeming so intimate and alluring to her all of a sudden. Goosebumps ran up her spine and a warmth began to grow deep in her core as her heart raced in a manner she had never felt before. She didn't hate the feeling, in fact, she loved it! But it was so distracting, it was so loud in her ears that she swore Hiccup could hear.

"Astrid?"

His voice cut through her thoughts and brought her back to the present, jumping at the suddenness of it. "Yeah?"

"I'm going to check your shoulders. You hit your left one fairly hard when you landed."

He motioned for her to stand and turn around, pushing her braid over her shoulder. Shivers traveled down her back the moment he touched her, the slightest pressure felt amazing as he felt for anything out of place. He pinched ever so slightly but one spot made her gasp suddenly and his hands were gone from her back.

"Oh god. Did I hurt you?" he fretted. "I didn't press that hard."

"No, no, no. It felt good. Just sore muscles."

"Oh. Well, you are extremely tense across the shoulders," Hiccup explained. "Ruff probably hasn't massaged your shoulders well enough."

"She's never massaged them."

"Oh. I figured with all the flipping, bending, and arm movements you girls would. I know some of the guys get their muscles massaged to avoid soreness and cramping."

"Nope," Astrid shook her head. "Never gotten one. Well, besides my poor attempts at home, those were mostly my calves though."

"I think it's high time you get one. May I?" he offered, motioning her to the chair.

Astrid thought about it for a moment, ultimately deciding to go along with it. He was acting like his old self again, offering to assist her so that she could be her best self, and she couldn't refuse such a kind offer from a place of genuine helpfulness. In truth, she really wanted a massage but she really wanted to feel him again against her skin so it worked out either way.

The first pinch of pressure from his fingers sent a wave pleasurable release she couldn't help but gasp audibly. With every pinch of her muscles between his fingers she felt the tension slowly begin to release and her body relax in a way she had never felt before. She was beginning to feel light and loose, her body falling forward as it relaxed.

"Whoa," Hiccup snickered as he straightened her upright. "Don't pass out on me."

"This feels amazing," she mumbled.

"Yeah, you've definitely never had a massage before."

His thumbs then began to roll over her scapulas, pressing firmly and slowly sliding across the smaller muscles and tendons on her back, releasing even more tension from her body. But damn it, he was right. Knowing the truth now changed the way she saw everything about him because now she wasn't sure if the goosebumps were caused by the massage or just his hands touching her body.

He moved one hand up to the nape of her neck, pinching the sides as he moved up and down, the tension he released there was more than she thought was possible. She suddenly felt so vulnerable, so scared, so weak as years of fear, worry, and stress melted away but it felt needed. It felt like the dam she had built to hold back everything that scared, worried, stressed, and suppressed had broken and all she could do was travel with the tide.

"You are really tense, Astrid. You're going to need more than one massage session to loosen up and relax completely."

His massage stopped when he heard her sniffle and she cursed her nose for trying to stop itself from running down her face. He turned her around slightly so he could see her but she turned away, now her turn to be timid and anxious around him. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked softly as he pushed her bangs out of her face. "I didn't hurt you did I?"

Now with her body not wound up like a tight spring coil, her emotions came flooding through her in a way she never experienced before. Or it could just be the medication weakening her resolve. Or the remainder of the drugs in her system. Whatever was causing it, she didn't care. The dam was broken for sure and there was no stopping it now.

Without hesitating, she lunged at him, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his chest once again. Right now, all she needed was to feel the warmth and safety his hugs always brought her. She didn't want words of comfort, she didn't want comfort food, she didn't want to watch her favorite comedy, she only wanted that security only he could give her when she was feeling vulnerable.

Hiccup didn't question her actions, even though he hesitated completing the hug as he was probably surprised, and she was grateful for it. He stood there quietly and let her cry into his shirt, no doubt soaking it, as she let out every emotion she's hidden and buried for the last several years. Astrid would never allow herself to be vulnerable in front of anyone except her best friend because she knew he wouldn't use it against her later.

She could hear his heartbeat as she pressed her head against his chest. It was strong and steady, the rhythmic beating acting as a metronome to slow her breathing back to a calm, steady level. Now that there were no more tears to cry, no more emotions to release, she was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to sleep for the rest of the day.

Peeling herself away from him, she fixed her bangs as she punched him in the shoulder. "That's for avoiding me." She then leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "That was for everything else." She smiled at him, not caring if her face was puffy and eyes red, her heart fluttering when he returned it with his signature goofy grin and a deep bow.

"Anything for you, m'lady."

She chuckled as she rolled her eyes and left the room, wiping the tear streaks from her face as she headed back to the football field. Collecting her things at the field, she waved bye to her friends and waited for her father in the parking lot.

"They sent you home early? Why?"

"I haven't fully recovered yet," she answered. "They don't want me hurting myself."

"Stupid excuse," he scoffed. "They're definitely lowering the bar for you. Unacceptable."

The wheels spun on the ground as he accelerated the gas too quickly and left marks on the cement as he rushed them home. He continued to complain about the ridiculousness of being called to pick her up because she was too lazy to keep up but she ignored him. Instead, she reminisced on the events that transpired in the nurse's office with Hiccup, holding onto the wonderful feelings and emotions she felt for as long as she could before reality could take them from her.

But there was one problem that nagged at the back of her mind: all the questions that arose because of their conversation. She wasn't sure how to proceed in getting answers but she would figure it out eventually. Until then, she wouldn't worry about it, she would just enjoy the emotional freedom she received.


"Hey, yo Coach!" Tuff called from the field. "I got to the empty tank, I'll be back in a minute."

"You better be!" Gobber shouted after him as he ran towards the bathroom. "And while you're at it, find Hiccup for me. I need to go over a few ideas with him."

"Copy that!"

In the bathroom, he relieved himself, washed his hands, and left to look for Hiccup but not before wetting a paper towel and throwing it on the ceiling until it stuck. As he made his way to the nurse's room, he heard loud sobs emanating from the room. He walked a bit faster, worried that Astrid was in real trouble and would need the coach to call an ambulance but what he saw instead was quite endearing.

He never realized how much taller Hiccup was to Astrid when she wasn't always standing with perfect posture. For the first time, he was seeing her shoulders slumped forward and her head buried in Hiccup's chest but he didn't seem to mind as he rested his chin on the top of her head and hugged her tightly.

This didn't come as a surprise to him though, as he had known for a while that Hiccup and Astrid were secretly friends. He had planned on playing a trick on Ruff by messing with the language on her phone when she accidentally kept it unlocked and he happened to see the texts between her and Astrid about the one legged nice boy.

He decided to keep his mouth shut about it since it was none of his business but that didn't stop him from trying to get them to show their friendship to everyone else. Signing him up to manage the concessions at the dance? Easy. Getting him to rent a tux for the dance? Simple, with a little help from Fishlegs. Getting him to join them on Halloween? A bit more difficult but worth it!

Tuff was about to interrupt when Astrid pulled away and punched Hiccup in the shoulder before leaning in and kissing him. This took him by surprise. He didn't think Astrid would cheat, let alone cheat with Snotlut's cousin but he just witnessed it. He dove into a closet nearby as the two of them left the nurse's office, not even realizing he was there.

Quickly he ran down to the football field, just missing Astrid as she left and seeing Hiccup already deep in conversation with Gobber. Running up to Gothi, he tapped her on the shoulder and interrupted her practice. "Sorry, to interrupt Coach Elder Little Woman but I need to speak to my sis about some important family issue." She whistled at Ruff but continued the practice with the other girls.

"What, bro?" she asked as he pulled her to a secluded spot by the bleachers.

"So...did you know that Hiccup and Astrid are dating?" he asked point blank.

She blinked at him a few times before laughing in his face. "That's ridiculous! They're not even friends, barely acquaintances. I mean, yeah, they spent Halloween together but only because we were with them."

"Cut the crap, I know they're secretly friends," Tuff rolled his eyes in annoyance but was shocked when Ruff grabbed his jersey and slammed him against the fence.

"Who have you told?" she demanded through gritted teeth.

"No one! Yeesh! You act like them being friends is going to blow up the Earth," he scoffed as he straightened his uniform.

"It would be for her."

Tuff cocked his eyebrow as he looked bewildered at her. "Ok, what in the name of all things holy is going on! I only got so much from your texts."

"You looked at my texts!" she hollered as she began to punch him in the arm.

"Hey!" he exclaimed as he defended himself. "You left your phone unlocked and I was going to play a prank and I saw them."

Ruff stopped hitting him but she wasn't happy as she stood squarely and crossed her arms over her chest. "What do you know?"

"I just know that Hiccup and Astrid have been friends all this time. Why would it be the end of the world for Astrid?"

"In case you haven't noticed, her father is a colossal asshole and he has forbidden their friendship."

"Seriously?" Tuff asked dumbfoundedly. "That's just...asinine. Why?"

"I don't know," Ruff threw her hands up in the air. "Astrid wouldn't tell me but if he gets wind that they are still friends, he'll move her away."

Tuff scratched the back of his head in confusion. "Seems extreme for something so menial. Now if he threatened Hiccup, I can see this whole charade making more sense but that's going to make it more difficult with them dating."

"They're not dating!" Ruff pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. "Why do you think they're dating?"

"I just saw Astrid kiss Hiccup in the nurse's office."

"What!" Ruff shrieked.

"It was on the cheek, I think, but isn't that like confirmation of dating for girls?"

"You live with a girl and you know nothing about them," Ruff shook her head in disbelief.

"I don't live with a girl, I live with you," Tuff corrected.

"That's what- Okay, to be fair, I'm not the prime example of a girl but I am still one," Ruff admitted. "But that doesn't mean they're dating."

"Oh. Well, then I panicked over nothing."

"Yeah you did. Idiot!" Ruff smacked him upside the head as she rolled her eyes.

"Does Snotlout know about them?" He asked. "Because with what I saw, I'd say the hen's about to get with another rooster."

"I don't know about the whole friendship aspect," Ruff shrugged. "But Astrid and Snotlout aren't a thing anymore but they're still pretending."

"How do you know?"

"S-man told me."

"S-man?" Tuff cocked an eyebrow suspiciously. "Why would Snotlout tell you?"

"He told me when he asked me out the other day."

Now it was Tuff's turn to be surprised. "What!"

"Yep," she nodded. "He asked me after I dropped Astrid off at home. We had our first date yesterday. Went pretty well."

"Huh, never would have thought the two of you would...whatever," Tuff shrugged. "But let him know that if he hurts you, I hurt him."

Ruff chuckled as she smiled. "Sure, bro."

"So it's up to us to keep two secrets: you and Snot Master and Hiccup and Astrid."

"Pretty much."

"Seems simple enough," Tuff shrugged. "Kept one of them a secret already. We should get back to practice before our coaches think our parents died or something."


They sat in the car...again, both wrapped in thick blankets to try and ward off the freezing temperatures coming in. Even with layers of blankets, hot water bottles, and hot drinks, their teeth still chattered as they watched the Haddock household.

"Can't we turn on the heater?" Alvin complained.

"If we did, we'd be suspicious," Eret explained for the thousandth time. "Having a car running all night would definitely turn several heads."

"This is stupid," his partner grumbled as he tried to bury himself deeper in the blankets. "Can't we go get a hotel and come back in the early morning?"

"No," he sighed. "Just shut up and think of something warm."

The car went quiet again as they focused on not freezing to death as they continued to spy on the house. Eret still hated every aspect of this and he wanted to agree with his partner about getting a hotel to thaw out but he knew that if wind got to their boss that they abandoned their post, they would be feeling the repercussions for weeks.

Eret shuttered but he wasn't sure if it was at the thought of what would be done to him or the cold. He had seen what happens to those men that fail the boss first hand and it still gave him nightmares: the screams still fresh in his ears, the smell of blood still evident in his nose, and the look of pain still etched into his mind. He never wanted to see that happen again and he knew for a fact that he didn't want to be on the receiving end of that punishment.

It was another reason why he dreaded how long it was taking them to find some sort of blackmail on Governor Haddock. Eret was terrified that their next assignment wouldn't be to just break in and take scandalous video but to actually take Stoick's son. He had heard stories of the boss doing that before and it had been successful but the Haddocks were anything but ordinary. Eret was scared that if the boy was taken to their boss, he would wind up tortured, like the lackey that failed, and no innocent child should have to go through that.

"Why is it so cold here?" Alvin mumbled, breaking Eret out of his thoughts.

"We're up north and winter is almost here," Eret deadpanned.

"Still, it's stupid."

Eret chuckled lightly at his partner before delving back into his thoughts. He didn't get very deep before he was interrupted by his phone buzzing at him. He opened the message he had just received from the boss and his face went pale. Every fear he was just thinking about had come true and now he felt sick. "Shit."

"What?" Alvin asked, still not moving from his cocoon of blankets.

"New orders," Eret explained gravely.

"Oh!" Alvin jumped excitedly. "Where are we going? Somewhere warm I hope."

He held the phone up to Alvin for him to read the message: Governor Haddock has ignored all warnings. Bring me his son, Hiccup Haddock. I want this done quietly and by Friday evening.

"He wants us to kidnap the boy?" Alvin clarified.

"Yep," Eret nodded solemnly.

"Welp, let's get going," Alvin said as he began to undo himself from the blankets.

"Wait, right now?"

"It's better than just sitting here and getting frostbite on our asses."

Eret was hesitant to get out of the car and follow Alvin but he did and joined him by the living room window to watch the teen for the right opportunity. "He's had someone over every night this week," he reminded his partner. "How do we know he's not waiting for someone?"

"We don't. We'll just have to make it fast."

Hiccup was sitting on the couch reading some sort of book, completely unaware of the target placed upon him. Eret fidgeted in place as they waited for the right opportunity, which seemed to be now. It was late and no one was coming down the street, Hiccup was just beginning to pack his book away, and no one had shown up yet.

They were about to make their move when Hiccup's attention was turned towards the sliding glass door. Eret and Alvin both heard the strange scratching noise and were curious as to what was causing it. They looked at each other, wondering if maybe they weren't the only ones to have gotten the memo about taking the boy.

"What are you doing here?" they heard Hiccup ask.

They heard the door open and close before Hiccup walked back into sight of the living room and headed into the kitchen to grab a large bowl. Following behind him was a large black animal. "Is that a wolf?" Alvin asked.

Eret shrugged as he didn't know what to make of it. They continued to watch as Hiccup poured the animal water and even got him a large piece of meat from the freezer. "Is the leg bothering you?" Hiccup asked. He bent down as the wolf ate and began to mess with a leg and even took a screwdriver to it. "Does that feel better?" he asked.

The animal walked around a bit before bounding back towards Hiccup and tackled him to the ground with kisses. "Alright, alright! You're welcome bud. Sorry, it was bothering you." The wolf went back to finish the meat given to him before lying down beside Hiccup and put his head in his lap. "Look, you can't make a habit of this since my Dad still doesn't know about you but how about you stay here tonight?" The wolf's ears perked up at the question, a lick accompanying the excited animal's eyes. "No one could make it tonight either so it's perfect. What do you say, Toothless?"

Eret and Alvin watched as the wolf stood up and jumped around excitedly like a household dog would when they were getting ready to go for a walk. Hiccup motioned for the animal to follow him upstairs and the house went dark.

"Well, shit," Alvin cursed. "How can we take him now that there's going to be a wolf guarding him tonight?"

"We can't," Eret shook his head. "We'll have to wait for another opportunity."

"And when will that be?"

Eret thought about it for a minute before coming up with an idea. "The message said by Friday evening, so we take him then."

"Don't you think that's cutting it close?"

"Maybe but think about it," Eret explained as they made their way back to the car. "If we take him before Friday evening, the likelihood of him being discovered missing will be higher than if we wait."

"Why?"

"The final game. It's on Friday," he reminded Alvin.

"Right! And he's the water boy or something."

"He's the assistant to both the football and cheer coaches. If he's missing for the game, that will raise a lot of eyebrows and questions. If we take him after, his obligation is fulfilled and then the boss has the entire weekend before someone begins to question his absence on Monday."

"It's a good idea but the friends he has set up to be with him over the weekend will get suspicious if they show up and he isn't there," Alvin pointed out.

"Then we take his phone and text them lies to keep them off the scent for as long as possible. In all honesty, we just need a few hours to get him out of town without raising suspicion. Once the boss has him, the entire city of Berk can go crazy looking for him but he, or us, won't be here."

"He'll be in Archipelago," Alvin nodded as he mulled over the plan. "Seems good enough to me. In the meantime, can we please go to a hotel?"

"I was just about to suggest that," Eret smiled as he started the car. "We can't do much here tonight anyway. We're not trained to handle wolves. Once we're settled, I message the boss our plan so he knows what's going on."

Eret drove them to the nearest hotel and checked in. All the while, he was hoping that by delaying the kidnapping, something would change so the boy wouldn't have to be taken, but if they had to, maybe they would get caught and Hiccup would be safe. Not that he wanted to go to prison but adding kidnapping to the charges wouldn't be great for his already long list of offenses.


Dun dun DUN! We're getting close to the climax here. It's about to get really interesting! Eeh! So excited!