WHO'S READY FOR UPDATE TWO IN THE SAME FREAKING DAY? I AM, BOOYAHHHHHHHHHH! I have spent so much time writing that my brain is ultimately fried and HA, tomorrow is Monday. Oh it's gonna be a crappy day. But it won't be nearly as crappy as every other day that I go without reviews, because tonight and tomorrow we are going to get LOADS AND LOADS of reviews from our favoritest peoples and I'M SO EXCITED FOR YOU GUYS TO READ THIS CHAPTER HUZZAHHHHHHH!

SO many great reviews already from Chapter 9, guys, keep up the questions and feels and confusions. So many observations have been made, and Hiccstridforever12345 dearest, you made the comment somewhere in your deliciously wonderful review that you needed to go back and reread to find the little bits and pieces that were clues as to Finn's behavior and other such things. YES THAT IS OUR GOAL WE SO SNEAKY MUAHHAHAHAHA

Okay clearly I'm officially brainwashed, but it's TOTALLY worth it. Growing Pains is heating up guys, so hold onto your hats. Things are about to get interesting ;)

-EmmerzK

P.S. TWO ANS AND UPDATES IN ONE DAY! WHAT IS THIS WORLD COMING TO?!

Chapter Ten: Laying Low

Cale slammed the door open and marched into the winery, muttering under his breath. Evan and Frey scurried behind him, grabbing the door and gently closing it and picking up barrels he'd knocked over.

"Cale, breathe man," Frey warned. "We have to be quiet."

"Shut up." Cale growled. He came to a stop and huffed angrily. "I am so tired of that puny kid talking down to me like he's so much better, always with that smug grin on his face like he's the best."

"It's Fearless Finn Haddock," Evan rolled eyes. "According to himself, he is the best."

"Well I can only take so much of it." Cale muttered. "If he keeps this up, I'll wring his skinny neck with my bare hands."

Frey rolled his shoulders. "I'd be right there with you, but now's not the time for that. We'll put him in his place soon enough. But for now we'd best just do what he says. With people hanging around tonight, we do need more supplies. Let's just grab a few small barrels and leave through the back."

Cale grunted in response, but complied. The trio scoured through the barrels of mead and wine, making a few selections. Obviously they couldn't load up as much as their usual nightly raids; it was currently broad daylight and they needed to look as inconspicuous as possible. Luckily, Evan worked in the winery, so it wouldn't be completely out of the question for the other boys to be seen helping him carry his load. As long as they didn't run into Evan's boss, they'd be pretty much home free. Teenagers never worked on the weekends after all.

They worked silently and quickly, but after nearly ten minutes of silent work, Cale suddenly straightened. "Did you guys hear that?"

Frey and Evan paused, waiting patiently. Evan shook his head. "Nope. You're hearing things."

"No…" Cale whispered, motioning for them to come closer. "It sounded like the door-"

From the corner of his eye, a shadow moved behind Evan. Before Cale could make a sound, an axe handle slammed into the side of Evan's neck and he collapsed with a yelp of pain. Cale dropped his chosen products and sprinted toward the back door. Frey tucked and rolled to avoid the oncoming hit, and ran after Cale. The boys heard a silent zhing before a large, double-bladed axe slammed into the door handle, effectively cutting them off.

Frey and Cale whipped around, fists ready to attack. Their assailant stood in the shadows for a moment before lunging forward. Cale attacked him with a swift uppercut toward the face, but the man rolled under the attack, dodged Frey's punches, and managed to kick Cale in the backside when he popped back to his feet. The attacker kicked Frey in the ankles and sent him sprawling. He smacked his forehead on the edge of a crate and cried out in pain, clutching his head.

Cale growled, throwing all his strength into his attacks. He threw jabs, uppercuts and hooks, even an overhand, but he realized this individual was very good at hand-to-hand combat, even in the darkness of the room. Cale felt himself tiring out when the man socked him right in the face.

Pain exploded across his face and he felt a wetness on his mouth that signaled a bloody nose. He had no time to register a counterattack when his assailant was on him again, jabbing him in the ribs. He saw a flash of blonde and came to his senses a bit. He ducked under the next jab and slammed his fist into the man's ribs. Cale heard the grunt of pain, but was shocked to realize it wasn't a man at all. It was a woman. Now he was angry. Not only had they been caught, they were being taken out by a woman!

Grabbing a small barrel nearby, he threw it over his head toward the woman, who nimbly dodged. Cale reached into his boot and whipped out a long, thin blade.

"Put that down." The woman ordered. She sounded vaguely familiar, but Cale didn't care anymore. His honor as a man was being put into question. "This doesn't have to get any messier than it is."

"Sure, it does." Cale spat blood toward her. "Only thing between me and that door is you. If I have to use extreme measures, I'll-"

"Cale, I'm warning you," The woman interrupted again. "Put. The knife. Down."

Anyone with two brain cells would have complied. She knew who he was, so getting away wouldn't make any difference. But the idea only made him more aggressive. Instead, Cale did probably the stupidest thing he could possibly do. He charged. Wielding his knife over his head, he ran toward her with a vicious cry. The woman crouched down and grabbed his wrist before it could fully come down on her. Using his momentum, she twisted his arm, threw him over her shoulder and slammed him onto his back.

Cale landed with a sickening thud that knocked the air out of his lungs. He choked and gasped for a moment, vaguely wondering what had just happened. She wasn't very big, but she was strong. She'd incapacitated three very strong 17 and 18-year-olds boys. What woman could do that?

As he choked on nothing, he vaguely heard the doors thrown open and people calling to her. Light flooded the room and Cale finally got a good look at the woman, and he swore colorfully.

Astrid Hofferson handed someone the blade and surveyed the 3 teenagers with a smug smile. "Somebody find Hiccup. We've finally got some suspects."

Hiccup shoved the doors open to the jail and walked swiftly toward his wife, Snotlout and Fishlegs. Astrid stood in front of the jail cell holding the boys, all sitting on the benches inside with their hands shackled. He could tell that she was very proud of her catch. She probably hadn't had a thrill like this in years. He couldn't help the smug smile that came to his face when he took his place by her side and looked at the teenagers within.

"Well," Hiccup began after a few silent moments. "I wish I could say I'm surprised, but frankly, I don't think I can." The other adults chortled behind him.

Frey sneered. "You're such a smug, egotistical b-"

"Language." Hiccup interrupted. "Let's make everyone's lives easier and just cooperate, okay? Anybody want to explain what you three were doing in the winery?"

"I work there." Evan spoke up. He had to talk with his head sideways with the large bruise forming on the slope of his shoulder. "They were helping me organize some-"

"Cut the crap, Evan." Snotlout interrupted. "We know you were there to steal stuff. Don't think we haven't noticed the shortages and missing products over the last few months!"

"Besides, teenagers don't work on the weekends." Fishlegs concurred.

"You can't prove it was us the other times." Frey spat.

"You seem pretty anxious to prove your innocence, Frey. Luckily, I don't have the time or patience for those kinds of investigations." Hiccup simpered. "We don't have solid proof or witnesses for the other break-ins, but we do for today. That's enough for us to convict you right now."

Evan pursed his lips and gazed at his boots. Frey grumbled under his breath and swiped the drying blood off his forehead, but Cale stared at Hiccup dead on, like he wanted to lunge through the bars and choke him.

Hiccup leaned on his forearms and clasped his fingers through the bars, watching them silently. "Do you boys know what some countries do to thieves? Let's go over it, shall we? I'll paint a picture." Hiccup gazed at the ceiling. "I mean, really, a jail cell isn't a grand palace, but you guys have got it really good. You could be tied to a post and beaten to a bloody pulp, one after the other, in front of everyone in humiliation. Or you could lose a few fingers or a hand, sometimes even an arm!" Hiccup shrugged. "Yeah, or my personal favorite, drawing and quartering!" Hiccup smirked at the horrified expressions on Frey and Evan's faces. "Oh yeah, some countries are quite brutal with their thieves. Banishments, branding, drowning, hanging, there are loads and loads of options for punishment out there for thievery. They're quite… imaginative."

"B-but you're too umm… t-too good for that," Evan said in a strained voice. "You guys wouldn't go to such extreme measures-"

"Shut up, stupid, of course they wouldn't." Frey glared at him. "It was just wine."

"Stealing is stealing," Hiccup narrowed his eyes. "I don't care what you stole; you're plenty old enough to know what's right and wrong. Let's not dumb down the situation. If you'd simply surrendered, things would be much simpler. But you guys had to go and make things difficult by fighting back."

"I-I didn't fight. I was kinda knocked out." Evan scowled at Astrid, who smirked.

Hiccup bobbed a shoulder. "Then you get tried for attempted thievery and probably lose your job. Frey is pretty much on the same page. I'll be honest boys, you're very fortunate that you live on Berk because I can bet you anything that most places don't tolerate it. They call us barbarians but hey, I'm not that colorful in my discipline. I'm more concerned with Cale." The chief watched the brooding dark-haired boy with curiosity. "Your trial is going to be interesting."

Frey stiffened. "Why's that?"

"He didn't just try to steal wine." Hiccup replied. "You pulled a knife on my wife, verbally threatened her life, and attacked. I'm afraid that has some more serious consequences."

Cale gritted his teeth. "Like I was going to kill her."

"You were pretty set on it, Cale." Hiccup seethed back. "I'm not one to look at a rebellious teenager of eighteen years old and say that 'he didn't know what he was doing'. These are your trying moments right now, you're making decisions every day that show exactly the kind of person you are because you're choosing to be that way. You have consistently shown a dark, violent side most of us have let slide, but I won't let it slide for very much longer."

"You're just mad because it was your wife." Cale growled.

Snotlout and Fishlegs snickered behind the bars while Astrid shook her head in amusement. Hiccup's face darkened. "In a way, yes. But if you think for one second that I would let something like that slide if it was anyone else, man or woman, then you know nothing about me."

"I couldn't care less."

"Clearly." Hiccup sniffed. "We'll take more about your trials later."

"Cool, good talk chief." Frey muttered.

Hiccup snorted. "Oh, I'm not finished. Not by a long shot. I want to talk about your friends."

Evan shrugged, trying to remain nonchalant. "What about them?"

Hiccup internally smirked. "I want them behind bars."

"Um…" Evan blinked. "Why?"

Hiccup sighed and pulled his arms back through the bars. Astrid's scowl was deep. "You know why."

"Not really-"

"Guys, come on," Hiccup crossed his arms. "We know all about the gang." Evan flinched and stared at his shoes. Hiccup noticed Cale glance at the other boy darkly. "We don't know exactly who is in it or their plans, but we've got the gist. You guys aren't on a schedule and you don't seem to have much of a pattern to the places you hit except to destroy. I'm going to put a stop to it and you'd make your lives a whole lot easier if you helped."

Cale sneered. "What do our trials have to do with anything? You don't have any proof that we're part of any gang."

Hiccup internally sighed. Cale was a bit more insightful than the other two. "We don't have many thieves on Berk. We have even fewer vandals. I've got eyes and ears everywhere trying to catch them. What are the odds that you're caught in one of the very locations that we've been watching carefully, and you just happened to be on our list of suspects?"

"Why were we on your list of suspects?" Evan asked. Cale smacked his boot against Evan's and the boy silenced.

Hiccup watched them carefully. Evan very clearly wasn't good at hiding things when under pressure. He tried to sound carefree and nonchalant (when he wasn't terrified), but Hiccup could practically see the fear radiating off of him. He could get answers out of the teen, but with Cale and Frey present, he wasn't sure.

Hiccup held out his hand and wiggled his fingers. Astrid dropped the keys in his palm and the boys curiously watched him unlock the door. The chief stepped inside and hauled Evan to his feet.

"W-what- where are we going?" Evan asked nervously.

Hiccup steered him down the hall, away from the group. "We're going to have a little chat away from your friends." Astrid locked the door again, but she couldn't keep the boys inside quiet.

"Hey," Frey shouted indignantly. "You can't just grill him alone like that!"

"Actually you'll find that he can." Astrid corrected.

"Evan, don't you say a word or there'll be hell to pay!" Cale yelled.

"Quiet!" Snotlout banged on the bars with his fist.

Hiccup kept walking with his fingers firm on Evan's arm. "Keep going." They got to the door and marched outside. Evan was momentarily blinded by the sunlight and vaguely wondered if a man with a peg-leg could catch him if he tried to run… but a quick glance around the jail at all the guards sitting with their dragons, especially Toothless trotting behind them, he knew he wasn't going anywhere.

The chief led him through the quiet alleys and up the stairs toward the Great Hall. Evan gulped, wondering if the Council was up there. Was his trial now? What if they did decide to brand him as a thief, or banish him? Or worse?

The teenager was pleasantly surprised that the Great Hall was empty, save a few cooks and bartenders. He couldn't help the small sigh of relief that escaped his lips.

Hiccup glanced at him. "Relax. I'm not going to bite."

"You're the chief. Is your bark worse?"

Hiccup smirked and guided him toward the meat room. Evan blinked in confusion when the chief pushed him into a chair. "Watch him, Bud." As he disappeared into the meat freezer, a cold room in the back of the Hall full of their meat and dairy stock, Evan eyed Toothless warily. The Night Fury sat on his haunches beside the teen and watched him with wide green eyes. The dragon sniffed his hair until Evan pushed his nose away, the shackles jangling.

"Quit it. I'm in no mood for your big mug in my face." Evan snarled. Toothless huffed and slapped him with his tail. "OW! Stupid dragon-"

Hiccup reemerged from the meat freezer with a bag of ice. "Hey, be nice. You sass him, he'll sass you right back." He tossed the bag of ice at Evan, who caught it in both hands. The teen looked at him curiously and Hiccup nodded toward his shoulder. "That looks painful. Ice it."

Evan complied with not a little confusion, wondering why the big bad chief was being nice to him. It didn't make any sense. Where was the mighty fist people mentioned? Where was the jerky attitude Finn always griped about? When was the hammer going to fall?

Hiccup took a seat across from him and leaned against his crossed arms, studying him. Evan waited until he couldn't stand the chief's penetrating green eyes any longer. "What?"

The Haddock shook his head. "I'm just trying to figure you out. You act tough around your friends, but the second you're questioned, you look guilty."

"So you single me out to get answers where Cale and Frey wouldn't."

"If Cale said there will be hell to pay for telling me anything, then my interest is even more piqued." Hiccup replied.

"You think I'm weak."

Hiccup frowned. "That depends on how you define weakness."

"You're singling me out because we're stronger in numbers. I wouldn't answer questions with Cale and Frey sitting there, so you're hoping I'll answer when I'm alone. But I'm not telling you anything."

"I'm not buying it, Evan." Hiccup replied. "Because you're so set on proving yourself innocent of criminal activity, you're just making me more suspicious. An innocent doesn't feel the need to prove anything so strongly. He'd say 'search me'."

"Then search me, chief!" Evan growled, adjusting his ice pack. "I haven't done anything wrong. Except try to take booze."

Hiccup smirked. "Admitting to your crimes. That's progress."

Evan huffed. "Please, I'm not turning into a Mr. Goody Two Boots like your perfect posse."

"So you go the opposite direction?" Hiccup asked, rubbing Toothless' scales.

"Okay, if there was a gang, hypothetically, what would be the point in destroying people's property?"

Hiccup shrugged. "I've been asking myself that question for weeks."

"And you've still got no answers! Maybe it's just a couple drunks causing problems for the heck of it. What makes you think it's a gang?"

"Drunks aren't that coordinated and they don't escape that flawlessly. For months on end, no less."

"Less hands make light work."

"Yes, but a team can get more done, more effectively."

"That's stupid. They'd get caught with more people."

"Unless they had an inside job."

Evan frowned and fidgeted in his seat. "Huh?"

Hiccup shrugged. "Hypothetically."

"You… think they have an insider?"

Hiccup fought to keep his face neutral. "Well, how else would they know about my guards' schedules? I've gone through a lot of trouble to catch these people and it's been months. I've had to cut back on my midnight watches because my people are worn out. Whoever their informant is must be pretty sneaky because this gang has been on top of everything." Hiccup sighed in exasperation.

"Hm." Evan murmured, pondering the information.

Hiccup watched him carefully. Phase One: false information planted. Of course, he was making adjustments to his plans, but he wasn't going to tell Evan exactly what. Now it was time for Phase Two. "You know… you would really be doing yourself a favor by helping me out."

Evan's thoughtful expression vanished and he glared once more. "Not gonna happen, chief."

"No no, hear me out," Hiccup held out a placating hand. "Answer me one question, just one, and I'll let you go."

Evan blinked in confusion. "Let me go? But-"

"Unless you'd rather answer a question and sit in a jail cell."

"You'd let me go? Why?" Evan asked. "You know I'm guilty. Of stealing. Attempted stealing."

Hiccup forced himself to stay relaxed. He was so anxious to get answers and he could feel Evan's resolve crumbling, but he couldn't show it. If Evan realized he was being played to the exact spot he was wanted, he'd shut down.

"Because I'm a firm believer in second chances," Hiccup replied calmly. "If I can give someone a chance to prove himself trustworthy, I'll do it. Just remember that next time, I won't be so gracious."

Evan chewed his lip, clearly thinking. Hiccup knew he was giving the teen a clean slate. The council wouldn't like it, but he had to get answers. He was getting desperate. It was only a matter of time before someone got hurt and property damages would be the least of his worries.

"I'll tell ya what," Hiccup conceded. "You answer one question, I'll let you go and I'll talk to your boss about keeping your job."

Evan's eyes widened. Hiccup didn't know Evan very well, but he did know his family. His father wanted his boys to have a job. An unruly teen with a criminal record would have a hard time finding a job, especially if said teen was part of a gang of unruly teens, like Hiccup suspected. Evan's greedy expression to take advantage of the offer was only reinforcing the chief's suspicions.

Evan glanced between Hiccup and the doorway, and nervously swallowed. "One question?"

"One."

Evan glanced at the doorway again. Hiccup vaguely wondered if the teen suspected the gang to charge in at any second and beat him to a bloody pulp for toying with his proposal. Finally, Evan leaned forward. "Okay, fine. But don't tell anyone it was me."

"Who would I-" Hiccup stopped himself. He had one question and teenagers were unruly. One accidental inquiry and Evan might take that as his one question. He had to make it count. Hiccup rubbed his face and paused, thinking. Looking at the teen, he finally settled on one question. "Who's the leader?"

Evan's eyes widened like saucers and he shook his head. "No. Next question."

Hiccup's eyes narrowed and Evan looked away. Either the teen was afraid of the leader or he really didn't want Hiccup to know. Maybe both. He slowly exhaled. "Fine. Where's the hideout?"

Evan winced and shook his head.

Hiccup couldn't help but smile. Part of the agreement should've been to actually answer the one question he asked. "Okay…" He thought again. "How many kids are in the group?"

"Who said it was kids?"

Hiccup felt his patience wavering. "Answer the question, please."

Evan bit his lip. "More than ten. Less than fifteen."

Hiccup deflated inside, but nodded once. It wasn't exactly what he'd been looking for, but he really had gleaned loads of information. He gestured for Evan's wrists and pulled out a key. After unlocking the shackles, he waved the teen off. "You're free to go."

"Seriously?" Evan asked nervously.

"Don't make me regret this, Evan." Hiccup frowned. "Next time, I won't be so forgiving."

Toothless snarled, making Evan jump. The chief nodded toward the doorway once more and the teenager bolted. Chief and dragon watched him go until the doors slammed. Hiccup huffed and rubbed his face. Moments later he heard footsteps and felt her sit on the bench next to him.

"Why did you do that?" Astrid asked. "You let him go!"

Hiccup clasped his hands in front of his mouth and shook his head. "We need answers, Astrid. Someone's going to get hurt and we can't risk that."

"Yes, but you let a suspect go!"

"He's naïve. Anyone naïve deserves at least one chance. Only time will tell if he makes wise choices." Hiccup replied. "Like I said, next time I won't be so forgiving."

"I know." Astrid sighed, rubbing his arm. "Do you think it'll work?"

"Do I hope he'll take the false information to the rest of the gang? Yes. Let's just hope they're stupid enough to try something. By tripling the nightly watch by man and dragon, we should hopefully catch them."

"And if we don't?"

"They can't hide forever. It has to be kids and no kids are that organized forever. They're going to slip up somewhere and when they do, we'll be waiting." The couple sat in silence for several minutes, pondering the situation. Hiccup looked at her sideways. "What did you do with Cale and Frey?"

"Separated them. Cale's in the back and Frey's toward the front. I didn't want them talking."

"Didn't get anything out of them?"

"No. Stiff as boards. And I've never liked Cale but… wow. I don't know how Snotlout and Heather tolerate it."

"They don't. They kicked him out."

"Hiccup, they helped him find a house because he was better off living alone-"

"Astrid. They kicked him out. Whether they did it nicely or not, they kicked him out."

"Fine, fine. He doesn't seem to care much either way."

"Nope."

Astrid sighed and slung her leg across his lap. Hiccup glanced down and massaged her calf muscle as they talked. "Now what?"

Her husband shrugged. "Let's gather the council. We need to talk."

Astrid nodded in agreement, but neither of them moved. Hiccup looked over at her and gave her a small smile. "I love you."

Astrid smiled and cupped his face in her hands. "I love you too, chief." She kissed him slowly and tenderly in a way that made his heart leap. In the back of his mind, he remembered their conversation a few weeks ago and wished he had the time to just take a day off and spend it with her. She'd been strong for him for so long and for once he wanted to make her feel loved. They hadn't had a date in months and most nights he wasn't able to come home until late.

He was about to deepen the kiss when she pulled away, breathing heavily. "T-that's enough of that."

Hiccup frowned. "Why?" he whispered and pulled her closer. "We don't do that often enough."

"Because we have more important things to do right now."

"Nothing is more important than my wife. I need to stop acting like it."

"Well…" Astrid rolled her eyes lightly. "True. Very true. But… not now. Besides, we're in the Hall. There are witnesses." She glanced toward the bar area where the workers were glancing over and whispering amongst themselves.

Hiccup snorted and pushed her leg off his legs. Standing, he yelled over, "No worries ladies and gents, we will not subject you to such horrors today."

A few workers snickered. One man waved him off with a spatula. "It's all good. I was just about to offer you guys the pantry-"

"And that's my cue to leave." Hiccup walked to the door hastily, the workers' laughter echoing behind them. He snickered at Astrid's blush as they walked outside. "Just like old times!"

"Oh shut up."

Toothless bounded down the stairs ahead of them. "All right, I'll gather everyone at the square."

"Okay, I'll head to the fishery."

As she ran down the stairs, Hiccup glanced at the storm clouds overhead and patted Toothless' head. "Come on, Bud. We need to be quick."

Dragon and rider flew into the square minutes later and landed on a rooftop overlooking the surrounding buildings. Within minutes, he spied Gobber, Fishlegs, Horst and a few other council members. Climbing across the rooftops, Toothless followed Hiccup's direction until he caught Fishlegs attention. Hiccup subtly tapped his ear twice, adjusted a strap on his armor, and snapped Toothless' landing gear wide open. Fishlegs gave a subtle nod and made his way toward the others.

Hiccup urged Toothless into the air and flew back toward the Great Hall to wait for them. The wind blowing in his face, he gazed up at the skies and sighed. If a storm wasn't brewing, he'd have done some crazy flying while they waited for the council. But it would be foolhardy to do so. As if reading his thoughts, Toothless huffed sadly.

"I know Bud. We'll go soon." Hiccup patted his side. "Hopefully." He really needed to take two days off: one for Astrid, one for Toothless. He didn't want to wait until he was retired. Finn wasn't quite ready to be chief yet.

The chief waited for twenty minutes for the council to meet. People trickled in one by one through the various entrances that led to the Great Hall, some dripping from the rain outside. Few people knew about the secret entrances. Hiccup had realized early on that if the gang did have any insiders, it would be better for the council to meet as secretly as possible. He knew some of his friends had been pretty good at sneaking around in the shadows back in the day. Today's young generation could probably do it just as easily. It was possible they were being watched at any time.

Astrid took her seat at his right as Hiccup watched everyone take their seats at the large, round table. Ruffnut, Fishlegs, and Tuffnut sat on the other side of Astrid. Next were Snotlout and Gobber. Horst and Manny the Mad, keeper of the winery and weaponry, sat across from him. Mara, Mulch and Bucket were the final few to take their seats. This wasn't the entire council, but it did consist of the "most important" people. These were Hiccup's closest confidants on the council. They'd keep the other council members informed, of course. But for urgent information, all it took as a simple signal from Hiccup to call a meeting.

Hiccup waited patiently for conversations to die down before he began speaking. "Thanks for coming on such short notice, everyone. A few of you are already aware, but I wanted to inform you that we caught three boys trying to steal alcohol today."

"In broad daylight?" Horst asked.

"Fools." Manny the Mad scowled. "Who was it?"

"We'll get to that." Hiccup nodded. "But I have good reason to believe that they're also part of the gang."

Heads perked and whispers broke out around the table. "Did you get information out of them?" Gobber asked.

Hiccup's head swayed as he thought. "Yes and no. I know for sure it's a group of kids, more than ten and less than fifteen."

"That's… a vague number." Fishlegs scratched his cheek. "How'd you get that answer?"

Hiccup sighed. "I had to make a deal with one of them. If he answered one question, I'd let him go."

Almost instantly, the room burst into argument.

"Why would you-"

"HICCUP!"

"-trying to catch these riff raff for months and finally-"

"-ridiculous!"

"Can we blow him up?"

"-could you trust someone to not go back to the gang?"

"-was it? I DEMAND to know!"

Hiccup waited calmly for the outbursts to die down. When he thought he could be heard, he said, "I asked who the leader was and about their hideout, but he refused. That was the only question he would answer, so I had to take it. I couldn't go back on my deal. If he goes back, he goes back. But I don't think he will, except to warn them. I think I scared him well enough."

"Who was it?" Manny growled.

Hiccup winced. "Evan."

Manny's face began to turn purple.

"Manny-"

"HE BROKE INTO MY SHOP? I GAVE HIM A JOB AND THIS IS HOW HE REPAYS ME?"

"For months on end, I might add." Snotlout added.

"Snotlout, not helping. Manny, I told him that if he helped me, I'd help him. He gets to keep his job."

The elderly man jumped out of his chair. "What?"

"Manny-"

"This is an outrage! It's my business-"

"Remember your position, Manford." Hiccup interrupted with a firm voice. "What's more important, your wine business or keeping our people safe? If I had to make a deal with a 17-year-old that makes all of us cringe, but if it gets us closer to ending this situation entirely, isn't it worth it? Maybe giving the kid a second chance will even teach him to choose wiser friends."

"You can't protect everyone, Hiccup." Horst replied calmly. "Second chances are good and gracious, but sometimes it's better to hang onto your fish before throwing it back into the water."

"We still have Frey and Cale." Hiccup watched the council tense at the mentions. A few people glanced at Snotlout, who made no comment. "Cale and Frey would be much more valuable to the gang, I think. I got information out of the talkative one and gave him back. We're going to end this one way or another, and if Evan is there when we catch them, then he'll get charged twice. I made myself very clear to him."

"So what's your plan then?" Tuffnut asked. "Can we still blow up their hideout when we find it?"

"I'd prefer to avoid fatalities, Tuff." Hiccup stood and paced around the table. "I want to triple the guard. Great Hall, fishery, forge, Academy, you name it, I want it covered. If anyone under the age of eighteen is outside after dark, I want their names. Any suspicious activity comes to me."

"Hiccup, we've been doing this," Horst sighed.

"And we're wearing the guards out. They need a break." Fishlegs agreed.

"I know," Hiccup sighed. "Which is why I'm taking shifts too."

Astrid frowned. "Hiccup-"

"No, I can't force people to do this and expect to rest myself. We're all working overtime if we want to end this. Anyone with children, teenagers especially, should stay home to make sure they're still home at night. Sorry, Astrid."

"So we're working overtime," Ruffnut said as she dug a knife into the table. "Are we just hoping that they'll be stupid enough to come out?"

Hiccup smirked. "I told Evan that we've cut back on night watches."

Snotlout snorted. "Oh ho ho, you are so sly."

"Yep."

"Wait," Tuffnut paused. "But you just told us to triple the watch." Hiccup nodded. "But if you told them there are less people watching and then they try to hit some place… oh."

"Exactly." Hiccup nodded. "Honestly, I didn't think it would be so easy to plant false information, but… well, Evan's not the sharpest knife in the drawer."

"No. No he is not." Manny huffed.

Hiccup faced him. "Give him a test, Manny. Or make him sharpen weapons for a week. Do whatever you want with him by way of punishment. I just told him he could keep his job. You make him pay for his mistakes in whatever way you want." Manny's face stretched into a sinister grin. "Just remember who his father is."

"Daddy can kiss my grits." Manford grumbled. "That kid's mine."

Hiccup snickered. Snotlout twisted in his chair. "What are you going to do with Frey and Cale?"

"We're going to hang onto them." Hiccup glanced at the ceiling when thunder boomed overhead. "Keep questioning, though I'm not sure if they'll give us anything."

"Cale won't," Snotlout huffed. "He's about immovable as a canyon wall."

"And Frey's fiercely loyal to him," Astrid agreed. "We could give them some hard labor for a few weeks as punishment. Maybe cleaning out the dragon stalls or scrubbing the Academy."

"Yeah, the Academy would be go-" Hiccup choked and froze.

Everyone stared at him in surprise. Astrid began to stand. "Hiccup?"

He turned to her with wide, grief-stricken eyes. "The Academy. I was supposed to meet Addie. Oh gods, I was supposed to meet her over an hour ago!"

"Go." Astrid shooed him. "Go find her, I'll finish here."

"Arghhhhh why me? Why me!" Hiccup muttered as he ran to the door. "Toothless, come on!" Man and dragon disappeared into the clearing sky.

Astrid sighed and plopped into her seat. She shook her head in annoyance, staring at the table. Ruffnut touched her shoulder. "Everything okay?"

"Adri finally asked him to do something with her. Their first daddy/daughter date in years." Astrid murmured. "And he missed it."

Everyone sighed or simpered. "It's all right," Astrid shook her head. "It wasn't your fault. It was the gang's. He just got distracted. We've got to catch them for a number of reasons. It' s interfering with everything."

Adrianna was a little bit early. She honestly couldn't help it; she was excited. Hiccup had seemed anxious to spend time with her which, in her experience, meant that he had something fun planned. Then again, Hiccup and Adrianna had been known for coming up with fun activities in seconds. They were no strangers to spontaneity.

Lily touched down in the Academy at five to three. To let out a bit of nervous energy, they did a few laps around the arena before landing, which made Adrianna feel rather dizzy. She wasn't sure how Hiccup and Toothless could spin around all day without feeling the need to sit down and rest for a moment.

"This was a good idea." she said as she sat against the Monstrous Nightmare's back. "We haven't done anything with our boys in ages."

She stared out at the wide arena with interest. A chalkboard was propped against the wall on one side and there were a few maps and benches all around the place. Most of the equipment was stored where the dragons used to be imprisoned. This left the arena wide open for drills and early flying lessons. Claw and burn marks covered the walls, making the girl wonder what it had been like when the arena was home to dragon killing exercises. She knew that there was leftover equipment from those days that had been changed into flying exercises and last resort dragon containment devices. But she certainly couldn't imagine being left to fend for herself with nothing but a shield with wild dragons shooting flames at her. She'd have been hopeless at it, probably more hopeless than Hiccup had been at first. Thank the gods those days were over because she knew there was no way she would be cut out for a life full of dragon raids and attacks and fighting lessons. Even watching Gobber's dragon dentistry made her feel a bit squeamish.

Was she really related to a man known for beheading a dragon shortly after birth? She looked over at a reflective object used to distract Terrors. Her distinctly feminine face stared back. Not a trace of Stoick the Vast anywhere, unless one was to count the features she shared with Hiccup. Those were quite a bit more obvious. Aside from almost identical eyes, she shared several subtle features which had once prompted Gobber to tell her that she and Hiccup could have been mistaken for twins had they grown up together. How ironic that she and her actual twin didn't look even the tiniest bit similar.

It was a few minutes before she became uncomfortably aware that her father hadn't turned up. Adrianna scanned the sky with her eyes, seeking the familiar outline of the Night Fury and the Dragon Whisperer himself. But the sky remained cloudy and devoid of any dragon or dragon rider at all. Hiccup was late. The Haddock girl sighed and reached for the book in her satchel. Her father was an important man so it wouldn't be fair to blow up at him for showing up a few minutes later than expected. At the very least, he would send a Terror to let her know he was on his way.

The moment her eyes met the page, she was sucked into the world of the story. This was a particularly good one about people who could control the elements. Just as she was sympathizing with the poor cabbage merchant whose stands had been unceremoniously knocked over (again), a raindrop landed on the parchment. The girl looked into the sky just as the rain picked up its pace. She shoved her book in her satchel and stood up quickly, knowing full well that this could turn into a torrential downpour at any given moment. Sure enough, the moment she and Lily were ready to take off, sheets of rain obscured their vision. Girl and dragon immediately rushed into an open cage filled with large pieces of equipment that made perfectly good seating for the time being.

The reality hit Adrianna a few minutes after she and Lily had taken shelter in the cage. It had to be at least four thirty and her father had neither showed up nor sent a Terror explaining his situation. Her heart clenched. Her father had forgotten about her. There was no other explanation. It wasn't like Hiccup didn't usually show up where he was needed, no, he simply hadn't deemed their time together not important enough to remember.

At this point, she didn't even know what to feel anymore. A part of her wanted to cry but the tears wouldn't come. Another part wanted to track him down and scream at him for the whole village to hear. But she'd never have the nerve to do that if she was actually in the middle of the square. All she could do was tremble with a suppressed emotion she couldn't even place.

"Good gods!" came a voice just outside the cage.

Adrianna looked up just in time to see another teenager running in, a Changewing at his heels. He was soaking wet and comfortingly familiar.

"Brandyn?"

The boy looked up and gave Adrianna a lopsided smile. "And my day just got a lot better. Which isn't saying too much since the bloody rain kind of spoiled it." he scowled at the outside as if to berate it for not acting the way he wanted it to act.

Adrianna shrugged. "Good for the... trees."

"Didn't know you were a tree hugger." Brandyn quipped, winking cheekily at her. "Actually," he added as he took in his surroundings, "what are you doing here? Weird time to be at the Academy."

"I'm... well, I was meeting my dad here." Adrianna admitted, crossing her arms to warm herself up. "What about you?"

"I was flying and the heavens opened up and dumped freezing water on me." Brandyn shook his head in a disapproving manner, as if the weather had thrown a very noisy tantrum. "This was the closest shelter."

Syd flopped down on his stomach and rested his head in his claws. It seemed the rain would persist for a while longer if the dragons were making themselves comfortable.

"What an inconvenience, being trapped in here with you." Adrianna snarked.

"Worst day ever." Brandyn played along with a grin. "So why are you upset?"

"I'm not-"

"Come on, the anguish is written all over your face." Brandyn sat down next to her and stretched his arms wide in both directions. "It's so easy to read you, Nani."

"I don't know if that's a good or bad thing." Adrianna sighed, noticing that his left arm had now settled inches from her back. "It's no big deal though."

"Ahh, of course not. That's why you're in the arena at a weird time of day waiting for someone who hasn't shown up." Brandyn nodded and gave her a facetiously sympathetic glance.

"Okay so it is a big deal." Adrianna huffed, balling her fists. "He said he'd come and he didn't. No note, nothing! What kind of dad does that?"

Brandyn looked down at his lap and went very silent. A moment later, he spoke up in a soft voice. "I guess... one who's still around to make those kinds of promises."

Guilt flooded the Haddock girl as if a dam in her heart had suddenly been opened wide. She didn't know anything about Brandyn's father. She'd met his mother plenty of times but neither of them had ever alluded to the idea that Brandyn had a second parent at all. She hadn't given this much thought but she was starting to sense that there was a story behind it and she was about to hear it.

"I'm sorry." she mumbled. "I didn't... I forgot..."

"Hey, it's fine." Brandyn lifted his head and smiled at her. "You didn't know. I just, well, I didn't know how to tell you, how to tell anyone, really."

"About your dad?"

"Yeah." Brandyn sighed deeply.

Adrianna shook her head. "You don't have to tell me."

"I really like you, Nani." Brandyn's arm inched closer to her back. "You deserve to know."

Silence permeated the containment unit once more. Adrianna felt nervous, like she was about to learn something dangerous. Finally, Brandyn spoke up again.

"My father was a great man." he said in a voice wrought with emotion. "He and my mom weren't married but that didn't stop him from being active in my life. He'd come by often just to check up on me, train me in things he deemed important for me to learn. He was well respected in our tribe."

"So..." Adrianna dry swallowed, her heart thumping with dread over what she was about to hear. "What happened?"

"When I was seven, he and another man had a disagreement. He tried to settle it without violence but the man refused." Brandyn's voice shook with anger. "My father was murdered. And the man who killed him just walked away."

"What?" Adrianna gasped. "Why wasn't the man brought to justice?"

"I don't know." Brandyn hissed through his teeth. "Maybe he bought his way out of it. Or he's got friends in high places. Either way, one day I'm going to find him."

"What will you do then?" Adrianna asked, leaning forward.

Brandyn glanced sideways at her. "I don't know yet. I'm still sort of thinking about it."

"Well don't stoop to his level." Adrianna leaned in some more. "Killing him won't change anything."

"Oh, I'm not going to kill him." Brandyn smiled wistfully. "I wouldn't do that."

"He sounds ruthless." Adrianna gritted her teeth, anger surging within her. "What kind of man would kill someone in cold blood? A father, no less?"

"A coward." Brandyn pursed his lips. "That's all he was. A coward."

"Who was he, your father?" Adrianna was barely aware that she was now leaning against her friend in her eagerness to hear the rest of the story.

"His name was Dirk." Brandyn replied with a small smile. "Dirk the Daring. He was a dragon killer when he was my age but that was before your father met Toothless. Apparently he was really something. And he became an even better rider."

"Sounds like a great man." Adrianna smiled at him. "And he'd probably be proud of you."

"Oh I know he would." Brandyn agreed. "Mom says I remind her of him sometimes. Little things I do, I guess. Just like you, Nani. You and your dad are a lot alike."

"So I've heard." Adrianna said with a scowl.

"That's a good thing." Brandyn nudged her shoulder. "You're both a bit too clever for your own good sometimes. And you kind of talk like him."

"Brilliant. We can argue using the same inflections." Adrianna grumbled.

Brandyn breathed a laugh. "That you can argue at all is a blessing. Don't take him for granted, Nani. I want to see you two make up. The closer you two get, the better I'll feel."

"Why's that?"

"Ehh," Brandyn shrugged, "I guess I like to see fathers bond with their kids. Makes me feel a bit closer to my dad."

"So you think I should make up with him." Adrianna sighed. "But he didn't show up."

"He's not perfect. But neither are you. I guess it's hereditary, now isn't it?" Brandyn nudged her more forcefully this time, making her giggle. "Come on, you know I'm right. I'm always right."

"Sure you are." Adrianna deadpanned.

"Always with the sarcasm." Brandyn rolled his eyes. "Must be a Haddock thing."

"Well you must be an honorary Haddock then." Adrianna stuck her tongue out at his jokingly outraged expression.

They were silent for a moment, merely enjoying the company of each other. But then something Brandyn had said before popped into the Haddock girl's mind.

"So... you really like me?" she mumbled bashfully, heat rising to her face.

Brandyn reached over and placed his arm around her shoulders. "Yes. I do." he whispered in her ear. "I like you a lot."

"You... you mean it?" Adrianna breathed, her heart pounding a tattoo against her chest.

"You're beautiful, smart, creative, sweet... what's not to like?" Brandyn's face was very close to hers.

"Well you're in luck." Adrianna smiled shyly at him. "I like you too."

"Good." Brandyn rested his forehead against hers. "Otherwise what I'm about to do would be really weird."

"What..." Adrianna inhaled rapidly at the sensation of his hand resting on her cheek. "What are you about to do?"

"This."

The Anderson boy leaned in until their lips met. Adrianna's breath hitched in her throat. This... this was a new sensation. She thought briefly that it was odd how the same act between two different people could feel so, well, different. Brandyn's lips moved against hers confidently, his head turned at exactly the right angle. He knew what he was doing. He knew what he wanted. There was something comforting about being the intended recipient of his affections. It felt like he had been planning this moment for a long time. Before she was fully aware of what she was doing, she leaned in to deepen the kiss. It was an incredible sensation, being kissed by the handsome boy who caught the eyes of the girls around town. To be noticed, to be cared about, to be kissed by him, Adrianna could scarcely believe what was happening.

How long it was before they separated was anyone's guess. It could have been seconds or hours. Adrianna honestly didn't care. Her heart was beating so hard, she could scarcely breathe without its drumming interrupting her breaths. Brandyn stared at her, adoration in his eyes and his fingers still resting on her cheek.

"Wow." the girl breathed. "That was..."

"Good, I hope." Brandyn grinned.

To tell him it had been good would have been a massive understatement. Adrianna nodded shakily.

Brandyn's dark blue eyes flitted to the arena. "Sun's out again." he whispered.

"We should, uhh... we should talk. About... this." Adrianna stammered.

"I can't think of a better way to spend the evening." Brandyn slowly stood up and reached his hand out. "Want to go for a walk?"

Adrianna nodded and allowed him to help her stand up. One of his hands wrapped around hers and she was instantly intrigued at how enveloped her hand was in his. His hands were massive, much bigger than she'd been expecting. And he had to be at least a full foot taller than her. She'd have to stand on tiptoe to kiss him and even then, he'd have to bend down. There was something oddly romantic about that prospect and had Brandyn not started walking while holding her hand, she'd have stood rooted to the spot, contemplating these things until nightfall.

"Nani, this is the beginning of something amazing. I can feel it." Brandyn proclaimed cheerfully. "You are an incredible girl."

Adrianna felt like her voice had stopped working altogether but she nodded, her heart leaping with excitement. What had started out as a horrible day had taken a turn for the better, all right. And, for the first time in a long while, she couldn't wait to see what the future held for her as long as Brandyn was at her side.

Evan threw open Mildew's door and nearly knocked Morgan to the floor. She squealed in surprise at the sweaty, smelly boy hunched over, gasping for air.

Finn cocked his head in surprise. "Evan? Where's Cale and Frey? What took so long?"

"They're… they're in jail." Evan panted.

Morgan gasped. "What?"

The other teenagers went silent and Finn stiffened. "What?"

"It was your mom. She caught us at the winery."

"And you escaped?"

"Ye- well no. Your dad had us in jail, and then he took me aside for questioning, but I guess out of the goodness of his heart, he let me go."

Finn's eyes widened as Thorein jumped out of his chair. Finn ran to the door and slammed it shut. "What did you say to him? WHAT DID YOU SAY!"

Erick watched as Thorein and Jackie checked out the few windows, presumably looking for guards coming to arrest them. For once he wished he'd brought Charger.

"I-I didn't!" Evan cried, jerking away from the Haddock heir. "I didn't tell him anything about us!"

"My father doesn't let people off the hook for nothing, he's too smart for that. He's a softie, but he doesn't hand out free tickets out of jail for nothing!"

"All right all right, he asked who the leader was and where the hideout was, but I refused to answer those!" Evan cried. "He wouldn't let me go without answering a question, so I told him we had more than ten people, less than fifteen. I didn't give names, I didn't say genders. Nothing. That's all he got out of me."

"Yeah," Finn nodded patronizingly. "Until the cavalry shows up on the forest line because he probably sent people after you."

"Nobody followed me."

"Shut your trap, Evan." Finn muttered. "Everybody get out of here, buddy system. Erick, you're with me, newbie."

"Ah I prefer to be alone."

"That won't look suspicious?"

Erick gave him a flat look. "How often do you see me being social?"

Finn opened his mouth and then bobbed his head to the side in agreement. "Fine then. Remember what I told you-"

"Keep moving, don't look back, stay strong, yada yada. I'll be fine." Erick pushed out the door and jogged toward the trees. He kept moving and didn't look back. What he found in the village was interesting—villagers milling about, all discussing the latest arrest.

People sounded hopeful. Maybe the raids and vandalism would stop? Maybe they were the only ones attacking? Maybe it wasn't a gang at all? For a moment, Erick felt guilty that he was a wolf wearing sheep's clothing, and he was right in the pasture. Whose home and property and well-being would he be told to attack? Whose life was he about to make difficult?

He shook his head and reminded himself of Finn's words. "Keep moving. Don't look back. Stay strong. That's the only way to survive." He didn't have to fake a smile or pretend to be happy—he wasn't after all. Nobody would be questioning him, not as a suspect or to ask his opinion. Nobody noticed him pushing through the crowd, boots sliding in the mud, and feeling just as alone as ever.

Two updates in less than 24 hours? You betcha! And I hope you'll find it in your hearts to review them both since they took such a long time to write!

Everything I had to say I already said in the last author's note. Hopefully we'll pick up the pace but we've got so much story left to tell! We can't wait to share it all!

Don't forget to leave a review!

~KateMarie999