Eight: Escape
When the phone rang again, Hiccup was alone, curled on the bed and staring at the wall, nursing the lump on the side of his head. As soon as he had come in, Bella had hit him over the head with a vase an she had then…kicked him quite a lot. And he had been scared to touch her because he knew how charming and manipulative she was-and was convinced the cops would believe her over him. So when he had recovered enough to move, he had been forced to clean the apartment, as Arabella had demanded once she had removed his keys, wallet and phone and thrown out the trash-including most of his things-though she had made him keep a couple of items to wear as a reminder of his stupidity in betraying her.
She had been forced to return his phone because it was a work phone provided by Berk Aero to ensure they could discuss design queries with him at any time, but she habitually scanned his calls and texts to make sure he wasn't contacting anyone she didn't authorise. She had forced him to open the phone and erase Astrid from his contacts as well as blocking her number…but when he was in his room, the door locked to prevent him escaping, he had unblocked her…not that he expected her to call back. He believed that he had lost his one chance.
"Hi Hiccup!" Astrid's voice was cheerful and the fact she had actually called him like she had promised warmed his chest and made him feel very slightly better. "Is this a better time?"
"H-hi, Astrid," he said shakily, a smile tugging his lips. "Um…yeah. I'm good. How are you? What have you been up to?"
"Oh-you know, winning soccer matches," she said and he could hear the smile in her voice. "How about you?" He cringed inwardly.
"Oh-same old, same old," he said with forced levity. "Teased almost to death because I'm now engaged to the most eligible woman in the Archipelago but hey, just loving life otherwise…" Not. Very much not.
There was a small laugh from the other end and then a pause.
"Actually, we need to talk about that," she said and he felt his heart plummet to his boots. This was it-as Bella had warned him. She was ending it and would humiliate him by making a statement that he couldn't have possibly gotten engaged to someone as worthless as he was. And though he knew it was coming, it felt like someone had sucked all the air from the room.
"Oh." He couldn't manage anything else.
"Look-it's complicated and it's not really fair to discuss it over the phone," Astrid said seriously. "Can you get to Archi City?" He gave a small dry laugh. He would be lucky if Bella would even allow him to leave the apartment to go to work and he had very little money.
"No sweat-I'll get the private plane warmed up and we'll zip right over," he replied sarcastically, biting his lip. He tasted blood. She sighed.
"And Mr Sassy is back," she said in her smiling voice. "Look, Hiccup-I'll have the ticket waiting at the airport. You're booked onto the 9.40 flight tomorrow morning. All you have to do is get to the airport and I have organised the rest. Okay?"
Bella will never let me go…
"What about my work?" he asked and she frowned.
"Hmm…from what you told me, you can do some remotely as long as you are in touch with the office for specifications," she reminded him and he nodded unwillingly. He had carefully never told Bella that fact or she would have sequestered him in the apartment most of the time and forbidden him from interacting with almost everyone. "Bring your computer-I have excellent WiFi and can get whatever you need…"
And she will spread lies about me to the papers. And I can't embarrass Astrid…Or go to the cops. Thor, if she does that, my Dad will kill me and I don't think I could cope with going to prison…
"It's…not really possible…" he mumbled and there was a pause.
"Hiccup-are you okay?" she asked gently. "You don't sound certain. Please-I really want to talk to you. You can trust me."
You're a useless, worthless, ugly, clumsy idiot and no one would want to spend any time with you. I am the only person who would want to put up with you so you should grateful to me.
"Hiccup-are you okay? You sound a bit down. I'm sorry I wasn't allowed to call before but phones are banned on international duty…and I do want to talk to you…because…" There was a pause. "The truth is, I don't have that many people in my life. I have team mates, business contacts, coaches and my parents…but very few friends. And I want you as a friend again. If…if you want that, of course…"
"Of course I do!" he said swiftly, ignoring the hissing voice in his memory taunting him.
That blonde bitch abandoned you for years, Hiccup. She forgot you. Why would she want to spend any time with you? Anything she says is a lie!
"Then you'll come? Please?" There was a gentle plea in the words and he sat up then, grimacing.
"Of course," he said despite the qualms fluttering in his stomach. "I'll be there."
"Bring an overnight bag and you can stay with me," she told him. "See you tomorrow!"
"See you," he murmured and heard her hang up. Wearily he sat up and the tucked his phone securely into the secret pocket in his computer bag, making sure to switch it to silent and vibrate to OFF. The less he reminded Bella that he had it, the better…and then he flinched as the sound of steps sounded, the click of the lock and the door opening. He bowed his head as she walked in, a sneer on her face.
"Oh-you're up," Bella growled, her eyes narrowed. "You can do something useful. Clean the bathroom-I want a shower and I expect it gleaming before I use it." He levered himself up wincing at the bruises and nodded.
"Yes, Bella," he said quietly.
"Now! I want my shower today, not next week!" she snapped, Painfully, he scrambled past her and headed for the bathroom.
"Yes, Bella."
oOo
"Hello Mayor Stoick-this is Astrid Hofferson…"
It was the most nervous Astrid had been for a while but this was something well out of her comfort zone. While Heather's suggestion made a lot of sense, there was a nagging doubt-especially about Hiccup's relationship and the fact that she seemed to be wrecking it for her own financial gain. And she wanted to check with his father-because though Stoick was a huge, forceful and powerful man, he loved his son dearly.
"Astrid, lass-it's great to hear your voice!" She had to hold the phone away from her ear because she had forgotten that the Mayor only had one volume-loud. Well, two if you counted extra-loud as the other. "What can I do for you?"
"Is Hiccup okay?" she asked quickly. There was a pause.
"Why would you ask that?" he asked in a much more thoughtful voice and she paused. Why did she ask that? When she had first rung, she could hear Bella speaking in the background and Hiccup had sounded shaken when he had hung up. The second time, he sounded deeply unhappy and…scared? But that couldn't be right because he had perked up…though he had been very reluctant to leave Berk.
"I rang him…and he was talking with his girlfriend," she revealed. "He sounded…well, shaken. Is everything okay?"
There was a longer pause.
"Astrid-that Arabella isn't the best thing for him," Stoick said in a grave voice. "I guess you didn't know-though it was obvious to Gobber and me-that Hiccup was really in love with you at school. He was too worried about ruining your friendship to say anything…until Graduation, when he planned to ask you out."
"But of course, I never made Graduation," she realised. "I left before…" She she groaned. This made everything more awkward and she knew the only course of action she should take.
"And when you never showed, it really broke his heart," Stoick admitted. "I think that was why he ended with Arabella. She bears a certain resemblance to you…physically."
"Very slight," Astrid growled and the Mayor chuckled down the line.
"I agree," he admitted. "Because in the things that matter, she's nothing like you. She's two-faced and she talks to Hiccup like he's her servant. And she always points out what's wrong with him. It pains me to see him being criticised and picked at non-stop. It's really made him go back into his shell…"
But he was sassy and smart with me-just like old times, she thought.
"And I was so delighted when the announcement was made because with you, he was who he was meant to be," Stoick continued. "That Arabella keeps him away from his friends, hates him visiting me and I think she's just using him because he's got a good job and great prospects. He was really embarrassed when he moved back in with me after the announcement-and I was really worried when I got the text this morning telling me that he was moving back with her."
So am I, she thought worriedly.
"And honestly, Astrid-that smile he had when you two left after the party, when she had stormed off and he was with you…well, it was like having me son back. And he looked so much like his dead mother…ah, I'm rambling like an old fool."
"Not at all, sir," she replied, gathering her thoughts. "I care very much for him. I just thought he sounded unhappy."
"Astrid-I want to ask you one thing," the Mayor said. "Please don't hurt my son. He's an amazing, brilliant, kind young man and that Arabella witch has her claws sunk into him. Protect him from her because she will want him back. She's already trying and I hope you keep him, not her. She destroyed his most prized possessions-his dragon statues…"
Her eyes widened and she gasped. She recalled going with Hiccup to every second hand sale and garage sale in Berk to try to pick up the little statuettes and complete his collection. They were his most treasured things, having been given the first-a Night Fury-by his dead mother.
"Gods," she murmured. And then she shook herself. "Sir-I will not hurt Hiccup. I promise. I will look out for him and do whatever I can to keep her away."
"And you can't tell him-or anyone else-that you know this," he told her sternly. "He doesn't know that I know. But as Mayor-and a police officer before-I can recognise the signs. I am sure she's abusive…though whether physically or just emotionally, I'm not sure. She won't give up. And she's very devious and cunning."
"Don't worry, sir," she promised, making her decision. "I will look out for Hiccup. He was my best friend at school and-hopefully-will be again…and I owe him this to make up for vanishing. Whatever she tries, she won't stand a chance against Fearless Astrid Hofferson!"
oOo
Hiccup was half-astonished that she had allowed him to go to work but he knew that Bella needed his income to pay for the apartment and everything else she demanded-but she gave him five dollars for lunch and a day bus pass to get him to work while keeping his wallet locked up. Bag slung over his shoulder and stiff from bruising, he made his slow way to the bus stop, got on the bus with a polite nod to the driver and sat halfway down, staring at Bella through the window until the bus turned out of sight. He glanced at his watch and his day pass and then slowly levered himself to his feet, swaying as the bus took the corner and then moved to the front, quietly getting out at the next stop and crossing the road. He glanced at the receding bus.
No turning back…
So when the airport bus pulled up, he achingly got on board and showed his pass, taking the nearest seat and praying that Bella wouldn't find out until after he had taken off. Thor, he would be a dead man if she caught him. But the ride continued uneventfully and when they pulled up a the terminal, his hands were shaking. But he managed to get off the bus and made it into the building, heading for Departures…and the 'Information' desk.
"Have you got a ticket for Hiccup Haddock?" he asked gruffly and the woman at the desk flicked through her drawer and nodded.
"ID," she said and he patted his pockets, groaning as he realised his wallet was locked away in the apartment. Breathing hard, he glanced a paper in the bin and grabbed it, showing his picture with Astrid on the front cover. He pointed towards his face and then the photograph.
"Um…would that do?" he asked and she frowned…and then slowly handed over the envelope.
"Only because my daughter idolises Astrid," she admitted. He sighed in relief.
"Thank you…" he began, memorising her name badge, "Elsa Larson." And then he sped to Check-In, the last one to make it. He was ushered through the Priority Lane in Security and then he was reunited with his computer bag as he was led through Boarding straight into Business. Trembling, he took his seat and accepted an orange juice, his fingers drumming nervously on the arm of his seat, as if expecting Bella to burst in and drag him away. And he knew it couldn't happen, of course, but he was insanely jumpy until the aircraft doors closed and they had pushed back from the terminal. His phone buzzed and he felt his hands tighten on the arms but the plane accelerated and he closed his eyes as they took off, opening them to see the land of Berk falling away and the clouds softly embracing the plane as it roared into the sky.
Slowly calming down, he accepted a drink on the plane, downing a mead sour and another even though it was only ten in the morning, he clutched the glass desperately. And then the stewardess smiled at him.
"Your first time?" she guessed and he nodded stupidly.
"Yeah…I should be enjoying it but it was a really stressful trip to the airport," he admitted as she smiled and handed him a small plastic plate. It was a midmorning snack of lox and dill mayonnaise on soda bread and he tore into it like a starving man, because he had been too wound up to eat at home. The stewardess took pity on him and brought him a spare snack which he accepted gratefully-but he had barely finished when they were on final approach. Everything was cleared away and more relaxed, Hiccup sat back as the plane juddered and slowed, banking and then coming in to land. Hiccup found himself paying far more attention to the manoeuvres, the motions of the flaps and the noises that he found he could identify by knowing what should happen when.
And then they were down, decelerating and pulling into the terminal. Business was disembarked first and he followed the signs through into the Arrivals Hall-and a slim, raven-haired shape wearing dark shades bearing a board marked 'HADDOCK'. Managing a sigh of relief, he smiled and walked towards the sign.
"Hello, Heather," he said and she grinned.
"Hiccup-how did you know it was me?" she asked and he pointed to the glasses.
"Um…dressing like a spy, which you did several times at school may be a clue…as is the board," he pointed out. She grinned.
"Come on, lover boy," she said and handed him a pair of sunglasses. "You'll need these-the paparazzi are waiting…" Eyes widening, he crammed the sunglasses on and dipped his head, half-hiding behind Heather as they zoomed through the Arrivals Hall, the click and whirr of cameras sounding loudly in the space as they dived through the doors into a large black Mercedes with heavily tinted windows. The blonde driver immediately floored the gas and they pulled away, photographers still snapping at the windows. Hiccup sagged.
"What was that?" he asked and Heather chuckled, patting him sympathetically on the arm.
"Press are really interested in the mysterious man who stole Captain Astrid's heart!" she admitted. "But Astrid wanted you through there as soon as possible. Is that all you've brought?" He glanced at his computer bag, which contained a change of underwear and socks and gave a self-conscious smile.
"I'm travelling light. Thought it would get me through the airport quicker…" he mumbled as Heather stared at him and then shrugged, folding her glasses away and pulling out her smartphone to check the time.
"Astrid lives in an apartment in a gated complex," she explained. "You should be safe there." They wove through the busy streets and Hiccup stared out of the window at the smart steel and glass buildings as they travelled across the city and finally pulled through the gates and parked in a modern glass and white stone apartment block. Staring and gaping, Hiccup slowly got out, wincing slightly and then followed Heather up, only feeling relief when the door opened and let him into a spectacular huge apartment with windows down the whole of one wall and a lycra-clad Astrid lounging on the sofa, her hair tightly braided and face still slightly flushed from a work-out.
But when she saw him, she smiled and leapt up, rushing forward and hugging him tightly-and overcome, he hugged her back.
"I'm so glad you came," she said.
"Me too," he replied, not wanting to let her go. But he reluctantly pulled away and sat on the couch as Astrid brewed coffee and poured them both a cup. Heather had water and sat back as Astrid sat next to the self-conscious young man.
"So…you're going to announce it's over, aren't you?" he said quietly, staring at his coffee. Thor, what had he been thinking? When he got back, Bella was going to kill him for running off and if she didn't, he would never hear the end of it, pick-picking at him on every possible occasion for his foolishness in believing that anyone would actually want him.
She stared at him and heard the edge to his voice. She hoped it was disappointment and she took his hand.
"Actually…I wanted to talk to you about this," she murmured. "Um…you see…after a few days, people will say this was just a publicity stunt and so they will just try to annihilate us both for playing with their sympathies! I have an awful lot to lose, with contracts and sponsorships and…" She paused and he sighed.
"And I don't," he realised. "Well nothing of value." Except my relationship with Bella. Thor, that's really worth saving…I don't think…
"I know this is a lot to ask and I know I have caused problems between you and your girlfriend but…" She looked up into his emerald eyes, wary and watchful. "But I was wondering if you would carry on for a bit longer…until all the fuss dies down. And maybe then…we can announce we've broken up for mutual reasons…"
He stared at her and his mind whirled completely out of gear. She wanted to carry on pretending they were engaged? And though he knew intellectually, it was for her own financial gain, the fact she was willing to stay with him was the opposite of what Bella said about him. And it may offer a way of avoiding her for some time, staying here on Archi, hiding…and avoiding the problem…
A small voice warned him that Astrid may be using him as much as Bella-but he trusted Astrid not to hurt him as Bella had. And though she had abandoned him, she seemed to be willing to be his friend once more…and maybe…she could be his way of escaping Bella.
He nodded, guessing it was going to cause an entire universe of complications but willing to take the risk.
"You have a deal," he said.
