Chapter 5.
"Astrid!"
She snapped out of her daze when fingers wrapped around her arm frantically, spinning her about to stare into Tom's worried face. He bit his lip when he found no signs of alarm in her features, instantly releasing her and taking a small step back in respect.
"I-I'm sorry… you weren't replying so I thought maybe-"
Astrid took a swift step forward and grabbed Tom by the arm, dragging him down the hall towards the West Wing. He yipped and called out in confusion, rambling some nonsense of apologies for whatever he'd done to deserve this.
Soon enough they arrived at Hiccup's door, now shut and locked again. Astrid dropped Tom before it, clutching her fists to her hips as she tried to get the quaking in her knees under control.
"Tom." She murmured, eyeing the door behind him. "Call Hiccup. Now."
The boy's eyes grew as wide as saucers as he practically melted against the door in a slouch. His mouth was gaping open and moving ever so slightly, as though he wanted to speak, but no words escaped.
"Call him, right now. I need this straightened out." Astrid demanded, placing her feet firmly before him. "Please?" She tried a bit softer, realizing she was practically forcing the kid to do this. But she needed to know what the heck was happening. This was her house after all, and finding out that three ghosts lived there- not to mention some "demons"- was something she'd like to get cleared up.
"What…" Tom cleared his throat, sending the noise bouncing down the corridor. "What do you-"
"Don't act innocent." Astrid snapped impatiently. She swallowed thickly and took a few deep breaths, knowing Tom was just as confused as she was. "I'm sorry… uh, I mean… I read the diary." She finished lamely, gesturing towards the door behind him. "But I'm still left in the dark with this entire thing. I need to know more, and I need to know why I have ghosts living in my house."
Tom gulped nervously, eyes flying over every part of the room except Astrid. "Astrid, I'm sure there's a reason why…"
"Tom, if you dare say I'm imagining this, you're dead wrong." Astrid growled. "I saw him with my own eyes, alright? Glowing eyes and all, ability to disappear on demand- I saw Hiccup. So don't try and hide anything."
Tom curled closely into himself and burrowed his head into his knees, shoulders shuddering. Astrid relaxed as she knelt down to rest a gentle hand on his shoulder, wondering if he was crying.
"Tom?"
"Sorry." Tom muttered, lifting his head to stare defiantly at the wall. "Guess it was rather impossible to hide this time around."
"Yes. Yes it is." Astrid smiled encouragingly. "But I want to know as much about this whole mess as possible, alright? And I promise you can stay here as you've always done, you and Hiccup. But in order for that to happen, you two need to explain."
Tom hung his head in understanding, but it was clear he wasn't very pleased with it. With a sigh he mumbled something incoherent under his breath, but Astrid had a feeling it was some sort of profanity for his cheeks blushed scarlet. She realized adamantly that back in the early part of the twentieth century, swearing in front of woman was considered an extreme offense.
A lot of things about Tom made sense now.
"Hiccup!" Tom called, slamming his elbow against the oak door behind him. "I know you heard all of that, so you might as well come out here and fix your own mess."
There was silence for several moments, Astrid and Tom both still crouching on the floor by the older Haddock's door. But then came the familiar whispery sounds, not quite like words but more like the little tingle of wind, until Hiccup was suddenly standing across the hall, half turned away from them.
He seemed to be a very shy ghost.
"Get over here you idiot." Tom muttered.
Hiccup appeared to flinch, but he did as told. He walked closer, hands jingling together awkwardly and head ducked- as though ashamed.
Astrid felt horrible for staring, but she couldn't take in the ghost's sight enough. It amazed her that such supernatural things were real. It was stuff you usually saw in horror movies, where the devils and demons would howl and scream and be after your very blood. But Hiccup… Hiccup seemed almost human. And he was shy, gentle, scared, and very quiet- when speaking he had a nasally young sounding voice.
"Sorry." Came a whisper, and it was then that Astrid snapped out of her musings. She looked up, realizing that the word had come from the ghost boy.
Tom growled and moved with such lightning speed Astrid had little time to react. He was suddenly on his feet and rushing at Hiccup with a stream of words that Astrid couldn't make out. She was on her feet as well a moment later, watching as Tom dashed after Hiccup, who was quickly skidding out of the way.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Hiccup called, hiding behind a bookcase that was pressed against the wall. Tom stopped beside it, spinning about with some stream of words in a foreign language Astrid didn't recognize. She watched in confusement as Hiccup suddenly appeared behind her, obviously hiding.
He wasn't touching her, but the close proximity was enough to give her a small shiver. She had no idea why or what caused it, for it wasn't necessarily… fear, although she supposed she could very well be afraid for she was surrounded by two ghost boys who were seemingly chasing each other.
Hiccup must've noticed, for he disappeared, this time not appearing anywhere else in the large hallway.
Tom stomped to the door again, rapping his knuckles upon it. "GET OUT HERE!" He shouted, giving the stout door a sharp kick. He stumbled back and gripped his knee in pain, glaring spitefully at the barrier between him and his brother.
Hiccup appeared once again, this time over by Tom's doorway. "I said I was sorry, okay?" He said in regret. "You don't understand-"
"I do too, you numskull!" Tom howled again. "You let her read the diary!? In your room? The very room and thing we've been trying to hide from EVERY DARNED PERSON WHOSE EVER COME HERE?"
"I… I…" Hiccup stuttered, wrapping his arms around his lean chest as he seemed to huddle into himself. "Tom, honest I didn't mean… it just happened alright? I'm lonely and it's not like you've found the most time to give me some company lately."
"You know I've been tired, and I've only been working like a horse to keep you a secret!" Tom shouted again, taking a rather intimidating step towards his brother. Hiccup flinched noticeably as his form flickered in and out of reality.
"Tom… can we maybe talk about this later?" He asked quietly, lifting his head to stare at his brother. Although his eyes weren't visible, she could tell he flitted his gaze to her before looking back to Tom. "Please?"
"Fine." Tom replied shortly, falling back against Hiccup's door. "Sometimes, Hiccup…"
Astrid cleared her throat, reminding him of her presence. "It wasn't entirely his fault. I was overly curious. I wouldn't have had to go inside the room…"
"It's your house, Astrid! Of course you could- and would. Hiccup knew that." Tom glared once again.
Hiccup crouched on the floor, giving a small whistle. A flitting movement of light flitted by Astrid's feet, causing her to scream in alarm and fall back against the door, breathing heavily.
Hiccup yelped and jumped further away from her, staring up at her in what seemed to be fear. Astrid looked to his feet, noticing the large black dog standing there licking his hand.
"S-sorry…" She panted. "I… I didn't know what it was."
"This is Toothless." Hiccup said quietly as he patted his dog. The large animal was slowly sliding onto his hind, tongue lolling out of his mouth in delight and head tilted to the side.
"He's beautiful." Astrid complimented with a smile.
"Thank you." Hiccup looked back down when Toothless flipped onto his back, demanding a belly rub. "He's a German Shepard, opo albino. Rare for his kind." Hiccup quirked a smile.
Astrid smiled in return, noticing how young he looked when he grinned. He had slightly crooked teeth, just like in the portrait hanging in his bedroom, and as she'd thought in there… they only made him more attractive. Just like his lopsided smile.
He reminded her of a school nerd. Either that or he'd be a hot-shot jock. There seemed to be no in between, but since she'd only just met Hiccup, it was far too soon to tell his personality.
"So, care to explain you three?" Astrid reminded, as she leaned back on her heals, looking from Tom to Hiccup then to the drooling Toothless on the floor.
Hiccup squeaked, looking sharply to Tom in panic.
Tom crossed his arms and stared, glaring. "You explain. You're the one who got us into this mess."
"Do I have too..?" Hiccup whispered, tone so fearfull and pained that Astrid almost decided to call the whole thing off. It seemed to be a touchy subject for both young men.
Tom's bristled stance melted away, as did his gaze. He looked to Astrid withi a sigh, shaking his head so slightly. "Fine. I'll… I'll tell. Uh… where to start?"
"Drago." Hiccup muttered, lowering himself to sit comfortably on the floor. Astrid and Tom did the same, while Toothless lifted his head and wagged his tail at the two.
"Um, alright. So, there was this man named Drago Bludfist. From the Civil War, he and our Dad- Stoick- were drummer boys of the same division. They worked together.
"Our father was the older of the two by a good four years. In fact, he could've passed for a soldier with his stature and build, but he still had that baby face that couldn't get him passed with a gun. He was only… thirteen or something. But a dead shot if he had a gun in his hand."
"Drago wasn't." Hiccup added distantly, head lowered as he slowly and carefully ran a hand up and down Toothless's back repeatedly.
"Yeah. Uh, so they went into a battle, not a large one by any means, but a battle. In the midst of it, Dad's drum was destroyed so he picked up a gun and started firing. Turned out, Drago was with the other side. He'd been a spy. And with a lucky shot, Dad got him in the arm."
Astrid bit her lip nervously, wondering where this was going.
"War ended and each went their separate ways, but for whatever ridiculous reason Drago didn't forget."
"That man can hold a grudge like no one else." Hiccup muttered with a slight sarcastic drawl.
"Yes. Years later, after Dad had become a successful General in the U.S. military, he retired and married our Mom, had us, settled down and had a nice life. We had to move here after four years of living in Pittsburg, for Dad had made a good many enemies over the years. So for our safety, we moved here."
"Drago still wouldn't forget." Hiccup murmured, huddling further into the door.
"Never did." Tom mumbled in agreement. "One day we woke up and found Mom and Dad gone. Just… gone. No one knew where they went, no one knew where they were. We rode out to search for them, we telegrammed everyone we knew in search. But it wasn't until we were telegrammed by the sheriff of Sanctuary… Mom and Dad had been found dead in a ditch across the river."
Astrid's eyes widened in surprise, secondly filled with grief. That was horrible… what a terrible way to discover your parents death. Murdered...
"Three nights later there was a terrible storm." Hiccup picked up, almost in a daze. Tom looked to him softly, then looked away again. "I went riding out. We'd let most of the staff go, we didn't need them anyways. I went to town to try and settle the bank note and the will. Tom stayed home. He warned me. He told me to not be an idiot…" he sighed heavily. "Rode out anyways. I knew something was wrong, and I need to know what. I needed to know who'd killed Mom and Dad."
"Rode up to the river, and by then, it was pouring rain." Hiccup paused while Toothless bounced up and licked at Hiccup's face frantically in doggie comfort. "Ah… Drago was there. Met me in the rode. I have no idea how he knew me or… All I know is that he was determined to kill me. We had a good spar, but I wasn't doing too horribly… not until lightning bolted one of the trees. It fell right on top of me… everything after that is a daze." Hiccup finished quickly as he glanced away sharply, form fizzing in and out of visibility.
Tom got to his feet with a grunt as he stared at his brother, opening his mouth to mutter something that had Hiccup scowling.
"More then you I bet." He shot back.
"So… then you woke up in the mansion? Right?" Astrid clarified as she too rose to a stand, watching the brothers carefully. When they made no reply she ran her hands through her hair in stress, mind reeling with all this new information.
It was all so crazy. She could scarcely believe it was true.
"I'm sorry." Hiccup murmured, suddenly appearing by her side. Toothless stood at his feet, looking up at them with wide eyes in concern. "I shouldn't have showed you the Diary."
"It's… it's fine." Astrid said shakily, knowing her voice betrayed how uncertain she was about this entire situation. "We'll get it worked out, I'm sure."
Hiccup fell silent, the sound almost like static between them. Finally she heard him swallow thickly. "You… you want us to leave..?"
"No." Astrid replied quickly as she jerked her head to the side, shaking her head fiercely. "Well, not yet anyways. This place is big enough for you too stay, that's for darned sure. For now, we'll just keep things as was."
Hiccup shuddered, but nodded in agreement. "So you want me to stay in my room and Tom to… keep helping you two out?"
"No." Astrid turned around to look at both boys, hands wrapping around her stomach in uncertainty. "When Taylor gets home, we'll explain what's been going on to her, alright? In the… most "calming" way possible."
"She's not going to like it…" Tom said warningly.
Astrid just shook her head, "Heck, I know. But she's gonna have to know something so why not have it be right away. Besides, we can't really keep Hiccup and Toothless hiding for too long."
"We've only been hiding for a hundred years… what's a bit longer?" Hiccup pointed out. Toothless yipped in agreement, but it somehow sounded like a whine of grief.
"No, I won't have you two cooped up any longer. But there will be some rules."
Astrid tapped her finger against her chin as she stared up at the ceiling, trying to figure out the best possible way to have Hiccup flaunt around her house without it being a danger to either her or Taylor. How did she know this wasn't just some act these two boys were putting up? How did she know they weren't just pretending to be innocent teens when they really weren't?
She looked back to Hiccup, those doubts instantly flying away. He looked genuinely embarrassed and shy, stance unnaturally stiff and awkward. Toothless was the only one who was happy-go-lucky about this entire thing, dancing about while snuffling against the furniture.
"You guys are allowed everywhere but the servants quarters, is that understood?" Astrid said strictly, both men nodding their heads obediently. "And you guys can't be on the lower level past seven pm unless I give you permission to. You also must not enter- or even touch- the first floor until I open the Ballroom doors." Her mind flitted, reminding her that Hiccup could easily slip past those doors when they were closed.
But he nodded respectfully, allowing her the hope that he would follow the rules as she laid them.
"Alright, with that settled, let's go down stairs and give this a bit more thorough thought." And so I can prepare myself for some eardrum bursting. Taylor's not going to be a happy camper when she finds out that there are such things as ghosts… not to mention that they're living in our home. And that the kid she has a crush on is a ghost…
Astrid lead the way, grabbing her phone and the vacuum from the table further on towards the Ball Room. The Haddocks followed behind, Hiccup even offering to drag the vacuum along for her. Toothless dashed ahead, darting from wall to wall until he paused at a small cubbyhole in the hallway wood, somewhat resembling a mouse hole. Toothless must've known something they didn't, for he simply sat by the hole and waited patiently.
Astrid shoved the Ballroom doors open, watching carefully as both Tom and Hiccup exited the West Wing. She turned back to Toothless, wondering if she should wait for him.
"Does Toothless need to come now or…"
"He'll be fine!" Hiccup called from the bottom of the steps. "He can get past the doors without a hitch."
Astrid let the doors flutter shut as she trotted down the steps three at a time, jumping onto the Ballroom floor below.
"What time is it?" Astrid wondered as she exited the dance room and skidded down the next and final staircase, hurrying to duck into the dining room to glance at the clock hanging on the wall. "Nearly six thirty… Tay should be home soon with the food. We'll eat then and figure something out next."
She spun around to face the two awkwardly shuffling Haddocks behind her, taping her finger again against her arm in question.
"Do you guys need a drink or anything..?"
Tom replied with a little no, while Hiccup just smiled in reminding.
"Right… ah…" Why is this so awkward. They're ghosts for crying out loud, and you've been around Tom for the last three days. What's so weird about this?
Well, could be one of these dudes has glowing green eyes and the ability to disappear without notice.
"Guess we could go to the Living Room." Astrid shrugged and stalked past them, hoping they'd follow.
They did.
She plopped into one of the over stuffed settee's, motioning for them to do the same if they wanted to. Tom layed out on the other leisurely, feet propped up on the couch arm while Hiccup just gave him a curt glare. It appeared to be more like a motherly scolding, wordlessly telling Tom to behave himself.
Hiccup just sat in one of the chairs, glancing about in awe at the sight of the sheets gone and everything polished to perfection. It was homey and welcoming, especially since there were a few of Astrid's and Taylor's personal belongings scattered here and there across the room.
"I can't believe how much furniture was left here." Astrid spoke up, not able to stand the stuffy silence any longer. "I would've thought these things would cost a fortune- why didn't anyone cart them off?"
"Haunted house." Hiccup replied simply, gesturing to the room about them. "Haunted furniture. No one wants that."
Tom laughed as he tucked his elbows behind his head, smirking leisurely. "All the better for us. If they'd moved all the furniture out, I would've either slept on the floor or in a tub, or with Hiccup. Somehow I have a feeling he wouldn't appreciate that."
Hiccup grinned brightly, face lighting up pleasantly. "Ha, you snore like a hog. There's no way I'd even let you into my room."
"Hey, bucko, I just take after our father." Tom replied smugly as he snuggled further into the cushions, flashing a cocky smirk.
"Low blow." Hiccup mumbled in mock hurt, although he was still smiling. The sight of the two having such a normal sibling rivalry conversation helped relax Astrid, allowing her to sit comfortably without any fear. Supernatural or not, the two were still brothers, and they acted like it.
"I did notice." Astrid spoke up hesitantly, not certain if this was safe ground to tread. "But you, Hiccup, seem to take more after your mother. I see your Dad in Tom more then I do you."
"Yeah, I was always on the smaller and ganglier side- like Mom." Hiccup nodded softly, "Tom got Dad's looks, although don't ask me where in Midgard he got the black hair. But my uncle and cousin also had darker hair, so we're guessing that's where he got it from."
"So you see, I do have some of my mother in me." Tom said. "I got the black hair from her side of the family."
"But you both have the same jaw… well, somewhat. Tom's isn't nearly as sharp, aka "chiseled", as Hiccup's."
"Perfect jaw, and me, I just got the overall good looks." Tom flashed a model-like pose, narrowing his eyes and giving a click of his tongue. Hiccup just stared in mild shock, but his smile shone fun.
"Good looks, huh? But you always were the one who had to try very hard to get yourself to look presentable… forty minutes in the powder room no less."
"Says the guy who's never had a beau."
"Likewise." Hiccup shot back with a laugh, the sound making Astrid smile absently. He had a nice laugh, just as nasally as his voice, but it suited him well. It made Astrid want to say something or do something to make him laugh again, just so she could hear it.
The three fell quiet for a few moments, but this time, it wasn't awkward. Astrid lounged against the settee comfortably, sipping out of her water bottle she'd left sitting on the end table earlier that day.
"I was thinking about maybe getting a tv." Astrid matter-a-factly. "But Taylor pointed out we could just use our laptops or something."
"Tv?" Both boys piped up in unison, staring at her in confusion.
"Yes, it's a… large flat screen…" Astrid moved her hands to try and animate what she meant, but it was obvious they weren't catching on.
"Did you guys see our computers?"
"Was it like your phone?" Tom asked.
"Sort of, only bigger. Kind of like a book. It folds open and closed and lights up."
Hiccup nodded. "I think I saw them."
"Alright, so you know the part that lit up?" the two nodded. "A tv's sort of like that. Then, on it, you get to watch movies. It's basically people who pretend out books, but millions of people can see them on that screen." Astrid stared at them, waiting for them to say they understood.
They remained silent, although it was clear Hiccup's brain was turning and fumbling with this new information, trying to process how it worked.
"How is that possible?" He asked innocently, looking to her for an answer.
"Electricity. You had phones, didn't you?"
"A telephone? Yes."
"But we rarely used it, because they were very uncommon and not many other people owned one." Tom added helpfully.
Astrid double blinked, trying to find some way to explain this to them in as simple a way as possible. "Okay… ah, let me see. So, a tv is sort of like a telephone. Something goes on at one end, and we receive it at the other."
The two nodded, able to make some sense from that. Hiccup was leaning forward though, face eager and concentrated as he watched and listened. She wondered faintly about what he used to do back in his… youth. Perhaps he was an inventive sort of person? Or maybe he was just curious. After all, he'd been locked up in solitary for over a hundred years.
"Only it's pictures instead of just talking." Astrid continued. "And when those pictures are put together, it creates a live action film. Kind of like a play or a concert, only it's on the screen instead of in real life."
"Sounds like magic." Hiccup mumbled.
Astrid laughed. "It isn't, believe me. There's complicated sense behind it all. But I'm not he person to ask about that sort of stuff, I'm a website designer. I know more about the depths of the internet then to what runs it."
"Website… Internet?" Hiccup rubbed his brows as his forehead puckered in confusion, clearly betraying his befuddlement.
Astrid just shook her head with a faint smile, realizing how much Hiccup didn't know. Sure, Tom didn't either, but he had a better clue as to how the now-a-day world worked, unlike Hiccup, who hadn't seen any of the new gadgets with his own eyes.
"I'll have to show you my computer." She said easily, mind pausing when she realized what she'd just said. "Ah, sometime…"
Hiccup nodded in understanding, glancing away. "I'd like that." He whispered quietly.
It was just then that the air shook with a large bang as the door slammed shut, revealing Taylor's presence. If that wasn't enough, she called out she was home and for someone to come help her with the groceries.
"Tom, can I trust you to go to the car and grab the rest of the groceries?" Astrid asked cautiously, fixing her no-nonsense gaze on Tom's shape.
"Oh, yes! I can do that." Tom answered willingly, popping back to his feet and hurrying out the door. He paused and turned slightly, wincing. "Good luck."
"Thanks." Astrid sighed as she rubbed her face with the palms of her hands. "This is going to be interesting…"
Hiccup noticeably stiffened, in fear or nervousness, Astrid wasn't sure. "You don't have to come with me if you want, but I have a feeling she won't believe me otherwise."
"I'm fine. Just say my name if you need me, I'll hear it." Hiccup replied carefully.
"Thank you." Astrid stood to her feet, bringing her water bottle along as she made her way to the kitchen, replaying over in her mind what she was going to say to her sister.
She paused at the swinging door, taking a deep breath with a shuddering sigh. "Here goes nothing."
"There you are!" Taylor greeted happily. She was placing items into various cabinets, along with some cheap plates and bowls, along with some equally cheap silverware. "Did you send Tom out for the rest of the groceries? I got more then I meant to."
"Yeah. Yeah I did…" Astrid replied uneasily. "Hey, Tay? I have something to tell you."
"What? Did you find your phone?"
"No- well, yes, but that's not what I wanted to tell you."
"Where was it!?" She exclaimed, whirling around to lean against the island, a hand on her hip. "Did you just misplace it like I said you would?"
"Nope."
Taylor wrinkled her nose, scoffing. "Then where was it?" Her eyes widened, and her mouth gaped in horror. "It wasn't Tom, was it?" She pleaded.
Astrid sighed and grabbed her sisters arm, dragging her over to the kitchen table, setting her into a chair. "Listen, Tay. It wasn't Tom, and I didn't misplace it. But it was taken."
"By who? Were we robbed!?" Taylor's voice rose to a high squeak, her eyes wide and face drawn.
"No… um…" Astrid took a deep breath and patted Taylor's hand reassuringly. "You know how I said I don't believe in ghosts?"
Taylor blinked, her reply slow in coming. "…Yes..?"
"Turns out I was wrong- for once." She added in jest, smiling so slightly. "I found the key for Hiccup Haddock's room." She went on slowly.
She stiffened when she heard the air fizzle behind her, realizing too late she'd unintentionally said his name, as he'd told her too if she needed him.
"Ah, ah, um, so, I found his room, went inside, found a Diary, read the Diary, discovered that he was cursed and made into a ghost, and as I was leaving he appeared in front of me and I saw that the legends were only partly true and he's not a demon as they say but a dorky guy who-"
The air fizzled, and Hiccup appeared, face quirked in half amusement and half hesitation. Taylor instantly screeched, reeling back and effectively tipping her chair backwards.
"Taylor!" Astrid exclaimed in alarm, rushing forward and dropping to her knees beside her sisters frozen shape. "That's Hiccup, Taylor, he's not… well, as far as I know, he's not dangerous. Taylor-"
Her sister looked up, eyes gaping wide and whole body shaking. "Ghost." She croaked, then promptly passed out.
I just want to clear some stuff up for you guys, so that there's little confusion. :D
So, the "gang" will be showing up in future chapters, and will also play a large part towards the later half of this fic. There'll be a lot of fun between them, I can guarantee that. :D
Secondly, regarding Tom and Taylor. They're only partly OC's, for as you guys had pointed out that Tom was "Toothless". In the original draft of this stories outline, he was supposed to be Toothless. But when I was regoing over the story, dog Toothless somehow snuck in there. So as not to confuse you guys, Tom is based off of Toothless.
As for Taylor, she's Stormfly. ;)
Okay, there ya go. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and are enjoying this story so far. See ya next time!