It had been a week since mine and Jacks fight on the porch. And a week since Hiccup and I started to officially try dating.

To say the least, it's been hard. It's been an adjustment and I've reminded Hiccup that I would like to go slow and not rush anything. I've only ever dated one person a couple summers before. I would hardly call it a relationship, it was more of a summer fling without sex. Or touching, or kissing.

Hiccup, on the other hand, has dated lots of girls. Jack too, of course. And I know both have been 'all the way' in a relationship. Hiccup and Astrid had a pretty long term relationship last year that I thought was going to last for years, so finding they broke up was a shock.

But they had been physical. And I didn't want to be compared to any other girl. I kind of hated the boys in that sense. If I were to be with either of them, they would always have someone to compare to me. I would always to the youngest in that sense. But a part of me wished Jack would have waited, or Hiccup would have waited...

I was so lost in though, I hardly heard Valka honk her horn twice. In summer language that meant "come help with the bags". I was so excited to see her, she was what summer was missing also, and my brother Fin. And mom.

I had been on the pool deck all day so I threw on a loose tank top and ran through the house, to the front and there she was, unloading her car. She had groceries too by the looks of it. Good, because honestly I was tired of eating junk food and going out all the time. A home cooked meal is just what we needed around here.

The moment Val saw me she stopped everything she was doing and opened her arms wide for me to run into them. She smelled like roses mixed with raspberries, just like always and I nestled into her soft auburn hair.

"Look how beautifully you're glowing, my girl!" Val pulled away and her contagious smile was spread across her soft feminine features.

"Thank you! I've spent a lot of time on the beach and in the pool this time," I smiled and turned to her car, noting she didn't have all that many bags with her. From what I could see in the trunk there was just groceries and a small over night bag. She usually brought a large suitcase for the summer.

"Are you not staying for long?"

"No, my dear. This year the office has been slammed and I've recently been promoted. So getting vacation time has been next to impossible," she touched my hair and frowned.

"I would have loved to spend all summer here like the old days with you kids and feel young again!" She chuckled.

I felt terrible suddenly, not because Val wouldn't be staying long but that I didn't even know she had been promoted. I wondered if the boys knew.

"I didn't know you've been promoted, congratulations!" I smiled.

"Jack didn't say? Oh, what a troublemaker, speaking of, where are my angels?" Val looked at the house and then back at me. It was very clear she spoiled Jack and Hiccup. I always knew they had more money than our family and Val always found a way to spoil the boys. But I could see why she would, they really were angles. I began grabbing a large brown paper bag filled with food.

"Hiccup is working at the club today." I grabbed another bag and then made my way to the house. Val grabbed her over night bag and followed.

"Have they been treating you good? I sure hope so, especially Jack."

I put the bags on the counter in the kitchen and right away Jack was coming through the sliding door as if on command. He was in athletic white shirts and his bare chest glistened with sweat with his blue 'beats' headphones around his neck.

"Oh don't worry, mom. Hiccup has been treating her real fine," he winked and rummaged in the bag finding a bag of apples.

"Jack, get out of there and wait until everything is brought in. Help Els with the rest of the bags, will you." Val called after him.

"Don't bother, I can get the rest myself." Jack walked past me and flipped his headphones back on while taking a bite out of the apple he dug out of one of the bags.

Val gave him a hard look as he retreated before crossing her arms, "what has gotten into that boy," she shook her head briefly before looking at me.

"Jack and I haven't really been getting along," I blushed. Saying it out loud to their mom was both settling and nerve wrecking.

"He'll come around. He's probably just grumpy. Hiccup and him haven't been getting along either since Hiccup joined hockey and Jack quit."

Whoa. That was news to me. Jack loved being on the ice, I even watched one of his tournament games once and he was fantastic! Scouts had their eyes on him and he was going places.

I remember the first time he watched me practice ice skating. I was terrible at sports but loved the feel of the ice beneath me as I was gliding.

I was fifteen and Jack took me to the Emeralds Isles arena for a whole week so I could practice. I was really bad though, had little to no balance and hated the spinning parts of the routines. Even though I sucked and was clumsy Jack stayed on the ice diligently, trying to give me pointers and being supportive. I knew I was bad he didn't say it out loud.

'No one gets better over night, Elsa. Don't give up on something you love. You're not a quitter, you're better than that!'

That's what he told me. He made sure I kept my dreams alive and never backed down. He was the reason I fought so hard to get a spot on the ice skating team and when I didn't I was devastated. But that never stopped me from skating. In Boston, because our yard was so big at my Fathers he would make an ice rink in the back for Fin and him to play hockey and for me to skate.

I still skate to this day because of Jacks encouragement. I didn't want him to think I gave up just because I didn't make the team. I was stronger than that plus I loved skating like I loved swimming. I wouldn't give up the two now.

Hearing about Jack quitting something he loved made me sad for him. I didn't just want summers to go back to how they were but I wanted Jack to go back to how he was. I didn't realize how much he had changed until hearing this. I felt hurt for him. Something was going on beyond anything I could imagine. Beyond anything I could ever be apart of.

Excusing myself from the kitchen I went up to my room and fished out an old scrap book from the wardrobe. I grabbed Minty from the cabinet and sat cross legged on the bed. Behind one of the normal looking photos I dug between it and pulled out a folded picture. It was an action shot of Jack during a game. His eyes were steady on the goal ahead of him with such intent focus and was leaned in as the puck left the bottom of his stick.

I could see his number on the jersey, he wore number 9 and I always thought I was because my birthday was in August so that's why he chose it. On the bottom corner of the photo there was faded message in black sharpie. I asked him once to sign the photo because one day he would be famous and I would have to first autograph. I hugged Minty to my chest and gazed at the picture.

'To my number one girl, always keep smiling and never give up'.

^.^

"Catch me up on all that I've missed!" Val chirped happily as we set the table for dinner. I stayed in my room all afternoon looking through old albums and listening to my moms favourite artist: Bon Jovi.

"Uh, well Fin graduated this year." She laughed and finished putting down one of the casserole dishes she was holding. It smelt garlicky and cheesy – just the way I liked my casserole.

"Good for him, I hope he's enjoying his trip with your dad."

"Oh he probably isn't. He hates learning about things," now I laughed thinking about Fin and dad sitting at a camp site and dad going on about some constellations and the universe while Fin secretly had his headphones plugged in.

"I miss him here. It feels weird without everyone together." I said after a moment.

"Things are always going to start being different, love. The only thing we can do is try to roll with the waves and not get swept under."

I knew she was right but sometimes change wasn't for the better. Sometimes change just threw a wrench in everything that was suppose to be all figured out.

"Can you go get Jack, Hiccup will be home a little late so we'll start while it's still fresh!" Val smiled before turning back into the kitchen to grab the rest of the dinner she prepared.

I was kind of dreading going to see Jack, I hadn't been alone with him since our fight. And since his confession. Or some kind of confession.

"Jack, suppers ready," I knocked on the door.

"Be right down," he said from the other side and I hesitated before impulsively turning the door knob.

The last time I was in here was so long ago. He was sixteen and into the guitar, he would only strum tunes he liked but once he told me he would learn a song for me. While he practiced he would let me sit in his room and watch him as he concentrated.

It did look the same from back then. His bed was on the right of the door and he had an oak wood dresser at the foot of the bed on the wall. In the corner of the room to the left and right behind his door was his computer desk area. Jack had a wrap around desk his dad gave him from his old office and Ever since setting it up, Jack loved being behind it. I always thought it was because it made him look important and professional. I would imagine while the boys were in here, Hiccup and Fin sat on the other end while Jack sat in front as they planned things to do.

On the desk there was an old world globe and above it, stringing down from the ceiling was a model plane Jack and his dad made together. In front of the desk was a old laz-e-boy chair and his tv stand. I could see his old guitar beside the laz-e-boy and found Jack sitting at his computer desk when I closed the door.

"I haven't been in here in years," I closed the door and gazed around the room. Jack turned away from the computer screen and leaned back in his chair. Luckily, he was fully dressed now.

"Are you going to tell my mom or keep it a secret?" He cocked his head to the side curiously and grinned.

"It's not my place to say without Hiccup here," technically it was true. But so was the fact that I was hiding it from Val. Maybe I wasn't quite ready to make it official. And I wasn't ready for Jack to be on board with me and his brother either.

"Your mom said you quit hockey." I eyed his reaction and he simply shrugged it off.

"I thought you loved hockey, why would you quit?"

"I got bored of it. Why are you in my room? Going to interrogate my life choices now?" He raised an eyebrow and grinned.

"No I couldn't care less what you do. But I just thought you didn't quit because you were better than that," I crossed my arms and glared back at him.

This made him chuckle as he stood up, his chair making a groaning noise from his shifting weight. In one stride he was standing I from of me, those blue jewels melting into my own gaze.

"So I shouldn't quit going after what I want?" His eyes were glowing and I could feel his fingers lace through mine. My heartbeat picked up as I tried to calm my breathing.

"What're you doing?" I wanted to step back and away from his touch. Knew, deep in my bones, that I should have unlaced our fingers. But the heat that ignited throughout my body had me tremble. Not from fear, but from excitement.

"What you want me to do," he pressed against me and I found myself moving back. Just behind me, I could feel his bed. He lifted a hand and pulled a stray hair back behind my ear. His hand lingered on the sensitive skin of my neck. I could feel the burning sensation tingling down to the pit of my stomach which was suddenly doing backflips. I shivered and it felt like my spine was being touched with an electric wire with waves of want and need suddenly crashing through me.

I wanted Jack. I would always want Jack.

'He toys with your mind' I suddenly remembered as I turned my face away from his suddenly enclosing one. I pulled my hand away from his and placed them on his chest, pushing him away.

"Why are you doing this?" I couldn't look at him. I suddenly felt very ashamed of the emotions I has just let in. I was suppose to be over Jack, not falling for him again.

"To show you that I'm not the one who quit. Now who's toying with feelings?" He left me with that as he stepped around me and exited his room.

^.^

Authors Notes:

Here's another one! I had so much fun with this chapter and I'm excited to keep this craziness happening!

Is Jack really okay with his brother and Elsa dating?

We are a couple chapters away from learning some juicy details, keep being awesome and reviewing!

Favorite and review! Thank you!

Cassie