Friday morning started with an unexpected twist for Hiccup. Although, thinking about it afterwards, he should have seen it coming. After his late night finishing Astrid's slideshow presentation...which was still very much on his mind...he'd arrived later than usual. He'd barely made it into the office to switch over the on-call phones, when Tuffnut startled him, banging open the office door with a loud wail and with his hand clutched tightly to his chest.

"Hiccup! There's been a death in the family. I need you to do your f-f-funeral directing thingy," he sobbed loudly, huge teardrops rolling unchecked down his cheeks.

Hiccup felt his stomach drop for his inconsolable friend. He pulled out a chair and helped a blubbering Tuffnut into it.

"Of course, Tuff. I'll do all I can for you," he told his friend sympathetically.

"I knew you would. I can rely on you to help a grieving man," the lanky dreadlocked blonde snuffled, before grabbing Hiccup's tie and noisily blowing his nose on it. Hiccup yelped, jerked downwards by the sudden action.

Tuffnut released him when he had finished and Hiccup's face contorted into a 'yech' expression at the grossness of it all. He calmly loosened the tie and took it off before dropping it into the bin.

"I'm so sorry for your loss, Tuffnut. Can you tell me who passed away?" he asked gently, pulling out a notepad to jot down the details.

"It was...it was...Lizzy," sniffled Tuff, beginning to wail again. He leaned forward to pinch the cuff of Hiccup's long sleeve, but Hiccup saw him coming and quickly substituted the tissue box instead. Tuff hesitated at the tissues, then to Hiccup's immediate disgust, proceeded to wipe his nose with a huge sniff along his own shirt sleeve. Hiccup had to swallow the dry heave back down, doing his best to keep his professional face on while he studiously avoided glancing at the newly placed streaks along Tuff's shirt.

"Lizzy? I don't think I know her. Were you close?" he asked Tuff politely, feeling grateful he could still talk without rediscovering his breakfast.

Tuff held up two of his fingers twisted together. "We were like this," he sobbed wetly, only pausing to wipe his nose on his sleeve again with a loud sniff.

Nope, Hiccup decided, swallowing hard. The urge to blow off his last meal was still there.

Tuffnut continued his emotional outpouring, "It seems like only yesterday, she was staring at me through the glass, licking her eyeball with her long tongue..."

"Huh?" said Hiccup, startled at the unexpected turn in the conversation.

"It was only yesterday, you doofus," grumbled Ruffnut, walking through the door in obvious irritation.

Hiccup turned to the female twin. "Uh, Ruff? Who...or what...is Lizzy?" he asked, with a touch of suspicion.

Tuffnut immediately began wailing louder when Hiccup said the word Lizzy. His hand clutched tighter to his chest, and he looked like a man who had lost the love of his life.

"It's a stupid gecko," snapped Ruff, forcing Tuff to open his clutched hand.

"Ow-ow-oww! Can't you see I'm grieving?" Tuff argued, reluctantly exposing what he had been hanging onto with such dedication.

Hiccup saw straight away it was a half squashed gecko, and he let out a huge sigh of relief. He had begun to wonder with the long tongue comment...

"He saw it on the kitchen window last night, and decided it was his new best friend...except this morning, he found it wedged in the door frame," said Ruffnut, frowning at her idiotic brother.

"MURDERER!" Tuffnut suddenly screamed, pointing at his sister. "You killed her, I know it! You were jealous of how close we were."

Hiccup decided this had gone on for long enough, so hastily stepped forward before a full-out Thorston war could begin.

"I would be honored to hold a funeral for...er...Lizzy," he said quickly. "Shall we go outside now and start?"

Tuffnut nodded sorrowfully, cradling the gecko gently in his hand. "Don't spare no expense. I want the best for my Lizzy," he said in a tremulous voice while Ruff rolled her eyes.

Hiccup agreed quickly, just to avoid Tuff bursting into tears again.

So, a few minutes later, the entire staff were out in the garden courtyard, with a small hole hastily dug in the garden bed. Tuff was clasping a tiny cardboard box that contained the mangled body of 'Lizzy' resting on a layer of folded over tissue paper, with a plucked flower placed delicately over the top of the recently deceased.

"So what are we doing here again?" complained Snotlout loudly. "I've got work to do...for real dead people."

Fishlegs nudged the stocky man hard, making him grunt indignantly. Hiccup could see Tuff's bottom lip trembling, ready to start wailing again, so he started up quickly.

"Er...we are gathered here today, to er...pay our last respects to the enduring friendship that is...was...Lizzy. She...or maybe he...was um..." Hiccup paused, not sure how to show your last respects for a creature that ate flies for a living. He continued, "...the best gecko that a man could hope to find...on your kitchen window."

He turned to the grieving Tuff. "Do you want to say something?" he asked, almost desperately.

Tuff opened his mouth to speak, but was cut short by Ruffnut.

"No! Just bury the dam thing already," she said curtly.

Tuff became indignant. "Well, don't come running to me when your favourite aunt dies and you want sympathy," he huffed.

Hiccup's jaw nearly hit the floor but he pushed ahead regardless. He indicated towards the 'grave'. "Tuff, if you would do the honor's please?"

Tuff knelt down to carefully place the box in the ground. He shuffled dirt across to fill it in, and patted it gently. "I'll never forget you, Lizzy," he murmured quietly.

When he had finished, Tuff stood back up to find himself the only mourner left in the courtyard. All the others had scattered.

"Well, I know who my true friends are," he huffed to himself.

Much later that day, Hiccup approached Tuffnut tentatively. "How are you going?" he asked.

Tuffnut beamed. "I'm great! Why do you ask?"

Hiccup cocked his head in confusion. "Just checking...you know, after Lizzy?"

Tuff wrinkled up his nose. "Lizzy?"

Hiccup sighed, "Never mind. My mistake..."

-oOo-

After the 'funeral' of the dear departed Lizzy, Hiccup had busied himself preparing for the real funeral that was to be held later that day for the elderly gentleman Mr Roberts. Everything was already done, but he kept nervously checking and double checking the chapel room, then reading through the paperwork to see if anything had been forgotten.

His odd behaviour didn't escape notice.

"Hiccup, what are you doing?" asked his co-director.

Hiccup looked up from his papers. "Hmmm? Did you say something?" he asked vaguely.

Fishlegs frowned. "You've read that same piece of paper about twenty times now. I'm pretty sure that whatever you're looking for is still not there."

Hiccup's gaze flicked over to the clock.

Fishlegs saw this. "And why do you keep checking the time? Are you waiting for somebody?" he demanded. He didn't know whether to be alarmed or irritated with his best friend's strange actions, but he knew something wasn't right.

Hiccup was quick to deny. "No, no. It's nothing. I'm just nervous about this funeral this afternoon. You know…for Astrid, I mean Mr Roberts," he corrected quickly. Grinning nervously, he vainly hoped his slip up would go by without comment.

He was not going to be that lucky today.

"Astrid? What do you mean Astrid?"

"Astrid? Did I say Astrid? No…pfff, I was referring to Mr Roberts. Astrid has an appointment in about…twenty minutes…at ten o'clock. Why is that clock so slow?" Hiccup mumbled under his breath when he checked the time again. He was almost ready to climb up and pull the time keeper apart to find out why the mechanical item was torturing him so much.

"Well, she's early. I can see her walking up to the office door now," said Fishlegs, nodding towards the young blonde woman striding towards the glass door.

"Oh thank goodness," Hiccup said quietly, breathing out a giant sigh of relief as he eagerly tossed the paperwork for Mr Roberts on the bench. Not that he had really been reading it anyway. He had been so strung up and nervous about meeting with Astrid again after the revelation he had received last night, that it had been difficult to focus on anything else. Agreeing to do the slide presentation for her may have been his undoing. He'd been repeating to himself, 'Not with a client' all last night and this morning, but it seems his treacherous heart was deciding otherwise for him.

For now though, he shoved those thoughts down deep.

Rushing forward, he opened the door for his blonde client, almost tripping up in his haste.

"Good morning, Astrid," he welcomed warmly. If his gaze was a little more intense than usual, she didn't seem to notice.

"Hello Hiccup," she answered, a touch vaguely. What she was obviously more interested in at the moment was the bundle of clothes she currently held in her arms, if the way she was picking imaginary fluff of it was any indication.

Hiccup observed her carefully, feeling the knot of concern building up deep in the pit of his stomach at her distress. He indicated towards the now familiar arrangement room.

"Come through, Astrid."

She nodded and walked in ahead of him.

After helping her with the chair, Hiccup remained standing.

"Are those the clothes for your uncle?' he asked gently, prompting her to look up at him.

"Yes. I…I tried to find a newish one, but they're all a little beat up. This was the cleanest one I could find," she confessed to him sadly, still brushing off invisible dirt from the uniform in her lap.

Hiccup gave a small smile in acknowledgement of her reluctance to let the outfit go. "That's fine. Shows he was a hard worker," he told her softly, watching her reaction closely. The sheen in her eyes grew brighter, threatening to spill over.

"Shall I?' he asked, his hands out.

Astrid hesitated for only a moment before shoving her package towards him. After briefly excusing himself to remove the clothes to a safer location, Hiccup came back and sat down opposite her.

"Is there anything left to do?" she asked tentatively.

Hiccup shook his head for the negative. "The funeral notice will be in the paper tomorrow. Everything else has been done. Only the service itself left to go…and the obligatory disagreement with your relatives," he added with an almost flat expression.

Astrid glanced up and snorted. "Guaranteed, I would say," she agreed, lifting the corner of her lip in a disgusted sneer. Hiccup allowed himself a small smile at her reaction.

There was a pause while both parties took stock of their situation. Neither knew what to say or do next. Hiccup felt a sense of loss, knowing there was no reason for him to see her anymore until Tuesday…and following that, never again. In the few days that he'd know her, he'd found himself eagerly anticipating her next visit. And now it was almost over.

Astrid also felt herself reluctant to leave the small room and its other occupant, a sensation she'd never experienced before with anybody. Although she told herself, it wasn't everyday she needed such a compassionate shoulder who could understand what she was going through. It was only his calm demeanour that had kept her sane while she fought with her family. The fact that he was cute didn't hurt either, she decided. And now, it was about to end. He would move on to help other families instead of her. Astrid wasn't sure she liked the finality of all that.

Taking in a deep breath to steady her qualms, Astrid could only ask, "So that's it?"

He nodded almost helplessly. "Yes. But…please call me…if your relatives give you too much trouble. Or you think of something else. I want to make sure the whole funeral goes well for you. If we could have a heads up on any problems, it will make it easier to sort out," he offered generously.

Astrid smiled, glad for the warm invitation and the opportunity to stay in touch. Even if it was for the wrong reasons.

"Thank you Hiccup. I will."

-oOo-

Later that morning, Hiccup had finally managed to regain some of his sense of composure…mostly. He was attempting to complete some financial records that urgently needed his attention, but found his mind drifting towards a certain blonde female instead. Each time it happened, he would huff in frustration, frown deeply and firmly remind himself that she was a client with no interest in him whatsoever, except in his duties as a funeral director. Which he was now currently neglecting.

Hiccup's lips thinned tightly together, crossing out an error he had made in his distracted haze. Giving up for a moment, he threw his pen down, sending it scattering across the desk, and sat back. He scratched the side of his jaw in an agitated fashion, wondering how on earth he was going to get past all this. He had a business to run, and he didn't have time for mooning about like a love-sick puppy.

The jar of the phone ringing jolted him from his reverie for a moment, and he grabbed at it with a sense of relief. Anything for a distraction right now.

Speaking clearly into the handset, he answered, "Good morning. Haddock Family Funerals. You're speaking with Hiccup."

"You...you need to stop giving my niece ludicrous ideas," spoke an abrupt voice that Hiccup knew very well by now. He sighed in irritation, but didn't interrupt the furious tirade spewing at him through the phone.

"I have spoken to my lawyers…very well respected lawyers who have never lost a case…and unless you hold this blasted funeral the way I want it to be held, then I will be instructing them to force you to stop." Heff finished his spiel and barely contained threats triumphantly, fulling convinced that he now had the upper hand.

Hiccup didn't fall for it.

"As I've already told you, sir," Hiccup began, saying the last word with particular emphasis. "Astrid has a legally binding document that declares her the executor, and therefore the person legally able to organize the funeral. I don't think your intentions show you have the best interests of Astrid or Finn at heart. In fact, you have been nothing but antagonistic the entire way. Would you like me to share that information with your so-called lawyers?" he asked forcefully.

Heff spluttered in furious indignation, "Antagonistic? That girl has been downright rude to me and my family. She's….."

Hiccup interrupted fiercely, "She's been defending herself against you the entire time. I've watched you blatantly try to override her authority from the very beginning…and don't think I don't know about the conversations you've had with her when you tried to break into Finn's house without reason. You have not shown a single ounce of compassion or reasonableness with her decisions from the first moment I was introduced to both of you."

He could hear the other man sucking in an outraged breath, but before Heff could say anything further, Hiccup let his pent up frustrations continue to flow down the phone line.

"Why are you so adamant about all this anyway? Why do you feel the need to force your way into this funeral for a man you obviously have no time for? Or for his niece that you can't agree on anything with?"

Hiccup was sure he could feel the heat from Heff's bright red face permeating through the phone at this blatant attack on his integrity.

"I am a respectable business man, just like my father before me," Heff replied so loudly that Hiccup was sure his ears would be ringing for at least a week. "I will not have that…that…uncultured fool ruin my reputation, or that of my father's…especially if news of the cowardly way he died ever got out," he spat out distastefully.

Hiccup could only grit his teeth and suck in a measured breath, counting to ten as he did so. He couldn't help but feel outraged on Astrid and her uncle Finn's behalf. But Heff wasn't finished quite yet, determined that he was still perched atop his high horse in this debate.

"If that stupid girl is going to insist on a public funeral, then I need to make sure it's done properly. I want no repercussions on me at all. And that's why you are going to listen to me, and do things my way. Don't think I can't make life difficult for you," the larger man threatened.

Hiccup immediately bristled at these words.

"What would your precious public think about you resorting to such uncouth methods such as blackmail, hmm? Not such a respectable image now, is it?" he forced out in a voice that let the other man know he wasn't backing down.

Heff hemmed and hawed over the phone line, his line of attack clearly disabled. He changed tack.

"She's using Finn's money inappropriately," he shouted. "She can't do that."

Hiccup had to jerk the phone away from his ear to avoid being deafened, but at the obnoxious man's words, he huffed impatiently.

"Actually she can. I've seen the will. It's very clear cut, that Astrid is to arrange his funeral AND to use the money he personally set aside for that very purpose. Are you demanding the money for yourself?" he asked pointedly.

Heff drew in a deep breath, ready to blast the young funeral director for his impudence, when Hiccup cut him off.

"I'm very sorry, I'm going to have to leave you there. I have another much more important call to take. Thank you for your time," he said as politely as possible through gritted teeth, then hung up.

Even though Hiccup was seething inside at the heated exchange, his lip twisted up in a brief smug smirk, imagining what Heff was likely yelling at him right now. It gave him a sense of twisted satisfaction to set the older man straight over all the outright lies he had tried to feed Hiccup.

But he also felt concern. If Heff was willing to threaten him, how was he treating Astrid? Hiccup felt the urge to call the slender blonde to make sure she was okay, but he repressed it. Astrid was obviously a strong woman who could handle her wayward uncle just fine. It was only when it came to making decisions about the funeral that Heff managed to unsettle her. Hiccup could only hope that he himself had done enough to reassure her that she was doing all the right things in that regard.

Maybe he would call her later.

Or maybe he wouldn't. He didn't want to make a fool of himself just yet. Besides, if Astrid had any real issues, she would call him about it.

Wouldn't she?

Hiccup felt more than a little perturbed about the whole situation, but for now there was nothing he could do.

-oOo-

Of course, it would be Hiccup's bad luck that between the argument with Heff still vividly fresh in his mind, and his concerns over Astrid playing over and over, that he slipped up...again.

Ruffnut strolled into the office, her twin shadow right behind her shoulder.

"Hey Hiccup. Mrs Roberts called to say she was coming in early for her husband's funeral this afternoon. She has some extra flowers to set up," Ruff told her boss.

He barely looked up from his computer, where he was reading a new email that had come through. "That's okay. Astrid already told me yesterday she was going to do that," he murmured distractedly, trying to concentrate on both the words written on the screen, and the words coming from Ruffnut's mouth.

The twins looked at each other in glee.

"Astrid?" said Ruffnut nonchalantly, although her eyes gave her true intentions away. She was out to cause some havoc. "Mrs Robert's name is Astrid? How unusual to have two people with that name."

Hiccup's attention snapped to the twins, his colour paling at the realisation of what he had done.

"N..n..no, uh...Mrs Robert's name is Lucy, not Astrid," he stammered.

"Our mistake. Maybe it was the celebrant who was Astrid?" Tuffnut asked his sister with an evil grin.

"Could be...could be. But what about our dear recently departed, Mr Roberts himself. Was his name Astrid?" Ruffnut countered.

"Oh no, I think you're mistaking his name for the pallbearers...they're all named Astrid," Tuffnut cackled, fist bumping with his sister when they observed the rich red hue racing up Hiccup's neck and jaw.

Snotlout happened to walk in at that moment, and instantly spotted the overly flushed cheeks of his boss.

"Aw man! He's turned tomato! How come I keep missing out?" he complained.

Hiccup was totally floored by all the teasing and mortified by his own slip up. He had no rebuttal except to mutter something about needing to check on something and rushing from the room.

Snotlout huffed at his missed opportunity again, while the twins laughed at Hiccup's discomfit.

"He's too easy. He should have met Astrid ages ago," said Tuffnut, pretending to wipe a tear of joy from his eye.

"Aye. We have blushing material for a long time to come," agreed his sister.

"And I'll keep missing it," grumbled Snotlout, stomping out of the room.

-oOo-

Hiccup couldn't wait for this day to end after that last monumental gaff. He'd slid from one balancing act to another all day long. As soon as he felt he was back on an even keel, something else would happen to sweep his feet out from under him again...and Astrid had been the centre of each and every unsettled moment.

Somehow, after all that he'd managed to pull off an entire funeral service for the late Mr Roberts without any further mishap. Although he wasn't really sure how. The final song was still playing over the speakers as the last family member left the chapel. Hiccup sighed quietly in relief, then went to lock the double glass doors. Before he did however, he noticed the box of items the family had left behind. Hiccup picked it up, then rushed out the doors to locate Mrs Roberts before she departed.

Hiccup was finally in luck. She hadn't progressed much further than the portico, lingering to talk with other family members. He politely interrupted. As he spoke to the bereaved wife, Hiccup couldn't help but notice out of the corner of his eye, two cute-as-a-button twin girls standing close by. They were probably aged about four, and were dressed identically with their hair done in matching ribbons. They both smiled so very sweetly...then stuck out their tongues.

Hiccup blinked, taken aback for a moment at this rather unexpected behaviour, then returned his attention to the girls grandmother. Finishing what he had to say, he handed over the forgotten items then turned to walk back inside...only to be startled at the sight of Tuffnut and Snotlout pressed up against the inside of the chapel entrance doors with their open mouths stretched grotesquely over the glass and their eyes crossed. The two little girls giggled at the sight while Hiccup groaned inwardly. He wasn't exactly sure which ones were the kids and which ones were supposed to be the adults.

He frowned at the two men. They spotted him, and he could see them mouthing 'uh oh' to each other before they rapidly disappeared, leaving only the imprint of their overly stretched lips on the glass. He sighed to himself, then waved to the two disappointed little girls who had lost their 'playmates'. Then it was his turn to go, marching inside the chapel to find Snotlout and Tuffnut whistling an uneven nonchalant tune as they tidied up the room...what they should have been doing from the very start.

Standing in the middle of the aisle, Hiccup put his hands on his hips in a very dad like fashion.

"What do you two have to say for yourselves," he asked in a no-nonsense voice.

Tuffnut was quick to point out the two small faces now pressed against the glass door from the outside, repeating what they had seen only moments before.

"They started it."

Hiccup could only shake his head, suppressing a chuckle as he did. His friends already found enough reasons to act like kids...he didn't need to encourage them AT all.

"I don't care who started it, I'm finishing it. And you two will be in charge of cleaning ALL the windows. Inside and out. Today," he told them in his firmest voice.

"Aww, dad," whined Tuffnut.

"All of them," Hiccup repeated.

He didn't stop to wait for any counter complaints, needing to get out of there before he split his side holding in his laughter. He made it all the way to the small courtyard, before he burst into laughter. He had to wipe a few joyful tears from the corner of his eye as he finished chuckling, the image of the two men and the two girls still fresh in his mind.

Breathing out a deep sigh that seemed to come from the bottom of his toes, Hiccup allowed himself to relax and let the stress of the day slide from his shoulders. He smiled.

Those two little girls and their two slightly oversized playmates had been just what he'd needed to keep his sanity after the stress of the day...although there was no way on this green earth that he was ever going to admit that to any of them. Their heads were big enough as it was.

Closing his eyes to enjoy the mild breeze dancing across his skin, Hiccup began to feel at ease. He didn't know what the future held for him or his troubled emotions, but he knew that no matter what, his friends would always be there for him. And for now, that was enough.

The glass door trick is always a classic...except for those who have to clean the glass.