A/N: Less than 1k views to go and we've reached 10k! I never thought this simple collection of one-shots would be close to reaching the 5-digit mark in just a little under 3 months, so THANK YOU! I would like to give a shoutout to CajunBear73 for continuously reviewing every chapter and helping me improve my writing. To those who reviewed as well, thanks for your suggestions and requests! Set after HTTYD 2.

Heather learns about the death of Berk's chieftain and the rise of his son to the ranks of chief. She goes into a journey to help her friends find peace in the aftermath of Stoick's death. (may be OOC)

Heather Finds Out – Chief Hiccup

It's been two weeks since the death of his father Stoick, and being the new chief, Hiccup was overwhelmed at the immense responsibility he has to carry on his shoulders. Even though he had just got his mother back, Hiccup was still having the night terrors of Drago killing the three things he loved the most – his family, Toothless, and Astrid. Everyone in the village had done their part in helping the young chief adjust to a life of leadership, and the gang now took on the roles as the village elders. As for Astrid, she's now Berk's general and Hiccup's loyal supporter, not to mention the woman he loved dearly.

When his 'brother' Dagur of Berserker Island first got wind of the carnage at Berk, he sent his sister Heather to offer their condolences and be with Hiccup in their time of grieving. As for Astrid, she had to fill Valka in everything that had happened in the 2 decades she was missing in action. From the Red Death to Dagur's reformation, Valka learned a lot of Berk more from her future daughter in law than when she was there.

"I'm so sorry for your loss Hiccup." Heather somberly said, as she gave the young chief a warm hug. Astrid watched her best friend and fiancée in that position without a hint of jealousy in her eyes – had this happened two years prior, it would've been a different story. She knew that Hiccup was still hurting and other than her, Heather is the next person he'd go to in times like this.

"Thanks for coming Heather, I really appreciate it." Hiccup sighed, pulling away from the embrace.

"No big, brother. Dagur wishes he could be here too." Heather smiled. Just then, Astrid came in between the two friends.

"Alright babe, now how about I get some of that appreciation and make me feel in Valhalla again?" she said flirtatiously. Ever since their first kiss in front of the village, she acted sultrier around her fiancée and Hiccup couldn't really blame her; she's that madly in love with him and vice versa.

"You are such a spoiled woman Astrid Hofferson." He shook his head playfully.

"Oh you're such a spoiled woman Astrid, yada yada yada." Astrid retorted by impersonating Hiccup's voice. Heather laughed at the spot-on impression. Damn she even sounds like him when she tries. She made a mental note to tell Astrid later.

"Back at it again with your lovey dovey shit," Hiccup chuckled as he pulled his fiancée in closer. "Come here you." He pecked his lips on hers, their tongues dancing in between. They continued to make out in the open until someone cleared their throat. Blushing fiercely, Hiccup and Astrid turned to a grinning raven haired man.

"Alright chief, you got your testosterone boost. Now it's time for work." Eret commented.

"Indeed it is." the auburn haired chief agreed. He turned to Astrid, who was now pouting at his departure. "I'll see you later, okay?" He pecked her cheek as he and Eret left for their duties.

Hiccup was busy throughout the day, even with Eret's assistance. He had appointed the ex-dragon trapper as his right-hand man, assisting him in his chiefly duties and would take over when he had to go on a trip. Today had been a grueling day because they had just removed all the ice Drago's Bewilderbeast left behind and now, they had to rebuild several buildings that were decimated in the battle.

"You know chief," Eret started, as they were repairing some dragon stables. "Where I came from, that Heather was known to be a relentless hunter slayer. Obviously, she and Dagur are indeed siblings."

"Wait, you know Dagur?" Hiccup raised an eyebrow. The other man nodded.

"We used to be rivals in dragon hunting. Dagur was allied with the Grimborns while I was working for Drago."

"I'm guessing you knew Krogan and the traitor as well."

"Yup. Johann was a cheapskate, which is why I wasn't loyal to him. Drago was too angry all the damn time and Krogan thinks he's more superior to me just because he can ride dragons." Eret explained further. To know this much history from a former dragon trapper is quite the shocker for Hiccup.

And I thought Dagur and Viggo were the only hunters back then. he thought.

Meanwhile, in the Hofferson residence, Astrid and Heather were in the kitchen, filling each other about what had happened in the year since leaving the Edge. The raven haired Berserker, being the best cook during their Edge days, was teaching Astrid how to prepare and cook certain meals.

"And then when he flew towards the beast, I screamed 'Take 'em down, babe!' to the top of my lungs." Astrid told her best friend the story of how Hiccup and the dragons single-handedly defeated Drago.

"Talk about supportive girlfriend energy." Heather remarked, while chopping mutton. "I always knew you were proud of him, but never showed it with the rest of Berk."

The blonde giggled. "He is like the greatest boyfriend I could ever imagine sis! Why shouldn't I brag about my babe?" Her raven haired best friend smiled sadly at her reaction, wondering when would she find the Hiccup to her Astrid.

"When are you two gonna get married?"

"Oh we don't know yet. I want Hiccup to get used to his chiefly duties and I have to get used to doing wife stuff before we tie the knot." Astrid shrugged, "Marriage is quite a challenging chapter in our lives, you know."

"That's exactly how Dagur and Mala said it." Heather agreed. "You better invite us to your wedding Astrid. Me, Dagur, Mala, the Defenders, hell even Atali if they want to." She added. There was a long silence between the two, save for the boiling pot of stew they were cooking.

"Is it true that Toothless was the one who killed Stoick?" Heather suddenly asked. A while ago, Tuffnut told her about the incident and at first she thought he was just pulling her leg. Astrid nodded, her smile replaced with a somber expression.

"Oh my gods, Tuff wasn't bluffing?!"

"Unfortunately no. But you gotta remember that Toothless was controlled by the Alpha at the time." Astrid then told Heather how Toothless was just one second away from killing Hiccup, before his father intervened, hitting him instead. The Berserker noticed the pain in Astrid's eyes describing the events; she knew that her friend was having nightmares had Hiccup been the one who was hit.

A few minutes later, the mutton stew was finished. Heather took a spoon and tasted it; when she smiled, Astrid squealed with joy. It took her 20 years of her life to finally cook something that's not overcooked or burnt.

"Yup. He's gonna love this." Heather smirked.

The following morning, Hiccup and the gang were in the Great Hall, addressing the villagers of the chief's departure. He covered up his reason of departure by telling them he'd be heading to Berserker Island for some chiefly business with Dagur - because Heather was with them, this seemed believable. Other than his friends and family, Hiccup didn't want the rest of Berk to know that their chief is bailing out on them just because he's still hurting with the hell he went through.

"I'm leaving Eret and my mom in charge for the time being." Hiccup finished the meeting. The villagers grumbled in agreement as the meeting had been adjourned, heading back to their usual work. Only the chief and his fiancee remained, prompting another sloppy make out session when everyone had left.

Pulling out for air, Hiccup gazed lovingly at Astrid. "Shall we get ready milady?"

"Right behind you, babe." she answered.

Once they got their gear packed up and dragons fed, Hiccup, Astrid, and Heather set off towards Itchy Armpit by noon. The usually foggy forest is littered with high cliffs that offer a prime viewing spot of the horizon - for Berk's chief and general, this meant a new place for their dates. After a 9 hour flight, the trio arrived at their destination. They set up their tents and campfire while their respective dragons when straight to sleep after the nonstop flight.

When they finished dinner, courtesy of Astrid, Heather began asking questions to the couple about the night terrors they've been experiencing. In Hiccup's case, he was scared of losing everything he ever loved. He's also worried about filling the large void his dad left him in the role of Berk's chief, overthinking what the villagers would say about his leadership style. At the mention of wanting Stoick to guide him in his chiefing duties, Hiccup broke down, releasing all those pent up emotions that he couldn't release back home. Even in his own home, he tried to cover up his whimpers so that Valka wouldn't hear them.

As Astrid was comforting her boyfriend, her eyes were also watering for him. She's also hurting because of what Hiccup had experienced to the point where she had to sleep with him, sneaking out her home, just to hold him tight. Her parents weren't allowing Astrid to sleep with Hiccup, as they threatened to cancel their betrothal if they caught her again.

"Let it all out," the raven haired rider said, rubbing both of their backs soothingly. "It's alright to cry a lot, makes you realize that we're not perfect." The three friends stayed in this position for a while, holding each other and letting out all the pain and misery they had to cover up. When they broke from the embrace, it was time for them to sleep.

Just before Heather went in her tent, she peeked in Hiccup and Astrid's tent, and were already out like a light, cuddling together. Although she can still see the tear stains on their cheeks from the talk earlier, Heather knew that they'd be sleeping well tonight after finding a sense of closure to everything that happened. She could hear Hiccup mumbling Astrid's name in his sleep, while Astrid curled up, head pressing against his chest. She took one last glance at the sleeping couple, before retiring to her tent.

"I love these two." she whispered then closed the tent flap and left them in peace.