A/N: I really have no excuse for the lateness

"History is filled with brilliant people who wanted to fix things and just made them worse." – Chuck Palahniuk

Bizarre. That seemed to be the only word that fit the weather conditions on Berk. Some days were like a warm spring day, others it rained, and then there were the cold days, most of which were tolerable, but there were also blizzards. And that was only in the span of two weeks! The place seemed to have no concept of different seasons.

Over the course of the night it had snowed, and not lightly by any means. Merida had seen snow before, but never to where it nearly reached her knees. Luckily she didn't have the added difficulty of a skirt to get in the way.

The fire took place only a few days ago. Upon saving the small boy, her clothes had been burned. Merida had never been allowed to wear trousers before, so she welcomed the opportunity to wear them when it came. Her new undershirt was skin tight, but surprisingly kept her warm; over it she wore her new forearm cuffs and another shirt. Merida also wore a fur vest similar to Hiccup's, only it tucked into the thick belt tied around her waist.

Her days of wandering aimlessly throughout the forest were over. Now that she and Hiccup were on better terms, and she knew about the beast that was his pet, Merida had a place to go, and also something to do.

The dragon had presented a challenge to her. It liked Hiccup and was friendly with him, and even though she wasn't a threat, it let her know that she wasn't welcome. Merida was determined to get him to like her, because having a dragon on your bad side isn't really a good idea.

~:~

The snow crunched under her awkward footsteps. It was midday; the snow had melted some, but was still difficult to travel through it. Merida stopped to gather herself, suddenly she felt as though she were being followed. She turned around, but no one was there. Just as she was about to move again a snowball hit the tree in front of her.

"Who's there?"

There was no sign of anyone and thought that maybe the snow had just fallen from a tree. She began walking again but another snowball flew past her.

She turned around and as her eyes searched through the trees she bent down and gathered snow in her hands. She threw it at the tree where she believed the person was hiding. No one appeared so she proceeded around a tree out of view and began to carefully climb it. Once she reached a steady branch she waited.

Finally he peeked around the tree from where he was hiding.

It was the boy she saved from the fire, Habert. Recently he had taken a liking to following her around, not that Merida minded, he reminded her of her brothers.

Merida waited until he was under the branch before jumping and grabbing the one above causing the snow to fall. He was instantly buried.

By the time she got down his head popped out from under the snow.

"That wasn't fair" he said while laughing.

He started to gather snow in his hands, that's when Merida backed away.

~:~

As she was 'running' away she looked back to make sure that she wasn't going too fast. While doing this she rammed into something. It couldn't have been a tree because she was face down in the snow and something warm was under her. She propped herself up on her arms and looked down.

Hiccup.

He groaned and opened his eyes. Their faces turned a light pink when they realized how close they were. Hiccup began stammering away while Merida tried to get up, but the snow made her efforts clumsy and difficult.

"What are you doing?" a voice above them asked.

"Nothing, Habert." Merida said as she finally managed to get up. "I think Hiccup wanted tae play too."

The boy's playful smile fell slightly. "I have to go home now."

"Alright," she said somewhat disappointed "can ye git back on yer own?"

He nodded and glanced at Hiccup before he left.

"What was that all aboot?" Merida asked.

"Most parents don't want me around their kids. They think I'm a bad influence." He looked at Merida "We should get going."

~:~

Toothless growled as her hand got closer, she flinched back.

"You have to go slow; show him that he can trust you."

"What dae ye think I'm doing? This devil-beast is hopeless!"

He snarled in reply, Hiccup tried to calm him down.

"Oh shut it, ye over grown lizard."

"I don't think insulting him will help either."

"Then what dae ye want me tae dae then?" she asked "I juist tried the hand thing, that didn't work. When I tried tae git a fish he pushed me in! Ye can't dae much with an animal that hates ye."

"He doesn't hate you…." Merida gave him a look suggesting otherwise. "He just really, really doesn't like you….?"

"Well that's reassuring. What's the difference?" Hiccup found that he couldn't answer.

"That's what I thought." She sighed "I'm calling it a day."

She made her way out of the Cove as Hiccup turned to Toothless. Now that the girl was gone you could see his enthusiasm to go flying.

"Oh no, we're not going anywhere until you're nicer." Toothless snorted in his face. "You're not helping your case any."

~:~

It didn't take long for Hiccup to catch up with Merida.

"I guess we'll try again tomorrow?"

"Perhaps next week. I'm a bit tired of a dragon constantly growling at me."

They walked in the cold silence, with only the sound of crunching snow between them.

"What was-" Merida began, but paused, unsure if she should finish. "What was that aboot, earlier? When ye said that ye were a bad influence?"

"Oh, that…they say that because I'm not normal."

"How dae ye mean?"

"You mean you noticed it yet?"

Merida shrugged, and Hiccup chuckled lightly.

"I'm the most non-Viking there is. Even you're more of a Viking than I am."

"That's nae true."

"Really? Have you ever seen a Viking like me before? I mean I'm the chief's son, I'm supposed to be someone that parents want their children looking up to, but instead they're told to stay way." He flailed his arms as he continued. "I have a pet dragon for Thor's sake!"

Merida was quiet, thinking of what to say "You're nae a bad person, or a bad influence. Ye'r juist different."

"Because that's so much better."

They had reached the village by the time the sun began to set.

"Different isn't always bad, sometimes it's an advantage."

Hiccup wished he could truly believe her.

~:~

When they reached the house Merida went to her room, Hiccup was going to do the same but was stopped by his father.

"We need to talk," he glanced upstairs "alone." He then walked out of the house, expecting Hiccup to follow.

" 'How was your day, son?' " he said mimicking his father. "Oh you know, the usual, spent the day with Toothless and Merida. 'That's great son, I'm glad you're getting along with her.' Yeah, just great." He muttered.

He quickly caught up with his father who was just outside, but not within rage to hear from inside.

"So what's this about?"

"The council's patience is wearing thin, Hiccup. If she's not going to sign the treaty then she has no purpose here. And you know what will happen if this treaty fails. So I suggest you fix the problem."

"And just to refresh my memory. What will happen if it fails?"

"War." He said bluntly "If they cannot prove to hold up their end why should we?"

"But she's just one person-"

"Yet, she represents her people." He paused. "She has until the end of the week."

"The end of the week?! But we're just barely beginning to talk."

"The council won't take any excuses. It doesn't matter if she doesn't like you. Feelings aren't required in an arranged marriage."

Hiccup was unable to respond before Stoick told him goodnight and went back inside.

He had three days to convince her, he had been given an impossible task.

~:~

He stayed awake nearly all night, thinking of scenarios, every one turned into a disaster.

It was midday before he got the courage to knock on her door. When no one answered he cracked the door open and looked inside. She was lying on the bed asleep. He walked over to her. It was the calmest he'd ever seen her. She was actually really pretty; not that he hadn't noticed it before. He wouldn't really mind waking up to a face like that, even if she did drool.

He used to be lucky to see her once a day, and when they did meet she was hostile. But things seemed like they were changing; only now Hiccup feared that they would go back to square one after today.

Gently he nudged her; eventually it got to the point where he was shaking her. Finally she woke. "What is it?"

"It's past noon. You missed breakfast."

Merida sat up and rubbed her hand over her eyes. Her red mass of hair looked like it would be a nightmare to tame. She looked at Hiccup as if just realizing he was there.

"What are ye daein' in mah room?"

"I came to wake you up."

"I'm awake noo."

"I also wanted to talk to you."

"Aboot what?"

"Um, well, we've been getting along lately, don't you think?"

"I guess sae."

"And you've adjusted to life here, and one little piece of paper shouldn't stop you from being fully accepted."

Merida's stomach began to sink. "What are ye getting at?"

"I just thought that we were starting to get along that-"

"Stop rambling 'n' just tell me what ye'r talking aboot."

"You need to sign the treaty." He said quickly.

Hiccup was surprised when she didn't immediately try to injure him. Instead she got out of bed.

"Sae this was yer plan all along?" she said in a clam tone, which was much scarier than her blowing up. "I can't believe I fell for it."

"Merida I-"

"Ye pretend tae make me feel welcomed. Ye pretended that ye actually wanted tae be mah friend 'n' that ye cared."

"That's not why-"

"Git oot of mah room."

"But-"

"I said, git oot of mah room!" She said louder when he didn't move, clearly starting to lose her cool.

"Merida, please let me explain."

"I'm nae going tae listen tae any more of yer lies! Noo git oot!"

When Hiccup wasn't looking apparently Merida had grabbed her sword from somewhere and was now pointing it at him.

He put his hands up "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Please if you'll just give me a chance to explain-"

"I'm nae hearing it laddie. Noo either ye git oot or I'm going tae make ye."

She had him backed all the way to the door now.

"If you don't sign the treaty it will start a war!"

"A war? Thay cannae dae that. I'm 'ere, that was the whole point of me being 'ere."

"Yes! But only if you signed the treaty, which you didn't do."

She looked him up and down "I dae nae believe ye. What's the real reason why ye want me tae sign it? Sae willing tae take away mah freedom sae ye'll hae more of it? Or are ye that desperate for me tae share yer bed? I hadn't pegged ye as that type of person, but I guess I was wrong. Ye Vikings are all the same."

"Merida, please just listen. If you haven't signed it by the end of the week then the council will see it as an act of war."

But Merida wasn't hearing it; she slammed the door in his face.

~:~

She had locked herself in her room since yesterday. Hiccup didn't even try to persuade her to come out because he knew where that would go. He did however leave her food outside her door; whenever he came back it was gone. At least she wasn't going on a hunger strike.

Hiccup looked out his window and noticed that the sun was beginning to set. Tomorrow was the last day. He needed to come up with an effective plan, and fast.

~:~

Meanwhile Merida had formed a plan of her own.

It was a good thing she didn't have a lot. She only had one small bag to put everything in; which included a spare set of clothes, a blanket to keep warm, and some food.

She waited for nightfall before slipping on her cloak and then adjusting her weapons. She cracked open her door and peeped out. There was a dim light downstairs that indicated the fire was dying.

She went down stairs and snuck out the back door.

~:~

She headed to the Cove. She had never gone at night, but it seemed her feet knew the way.

When she spotted the sleeping dragon as quietly as she could she climbed down and began to search, but couldn't find what she was looking for.

She had only been in the Cove alone once before and that time didn't turn out to well; now she sort of had an idea of what to expect.

A twig suddenly snapped under her foot. Merida looked back to see if the dragon was still there. It was gone, nowhere to be seen.

She quickly looked around for it. How could a beast that large move so quietly?

When she turned it was then that she noticed two glowing eyes glaring at her, and then it charged. It was hard not to unsheathe her sword; instead she ironically remembered Hiccup's words "show him that he can trust you". She reached behind and pulled out something else, just in time too. The dragon was only a few inches from her.

Cautiously the dragon sniffed the object she held out to it. A fish.

Merida took it in both hands and held it out to him.

"Go on, take it. It's a truce offering."

It sniffed the fish again before quickly taking it from her.

She grimaced in disgust as she shook the dragon slobber off her hands. It could have gone worse.

The dragon eyed her, as if it were asking for more. She backed away.

"No, no, I don't hae anymore." He paused as though he had heard that before. "But I dae hae something a little better. A proposal."

He tilted his head to the side as though he actually understood the words she was saying.

"I know that ye don't want me 'ere, 'n' I want tae leave. I can't fly, but ye can. Perhaps we can put aside oor differences 'n' work something oot."

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