Hello lovelies! A few things: thanks so much for all the love and support! I've really enjoyed talking some GUH with our awesome fans from Instagram. Search me (EmmerzK1) if you want to follow! Sometimes I will post snippets of what I'm writing, as does Katie! Sometimes I'll probably post a horrible picture of my face, because its Instagram. Who wants pictures of paper and words all the time? Pft. ;D

Anywho, this chapter... Lord have mercy, this chapter. So many feels and smarts and brains! Eep! I'm excited for you guys to read it and get ya'lls feedback... But I've legit got BUTTERFLIES for the NEXT chapter. Gah! *excited panting*

Don't forget to leave a review! Oh, before I forget, if you can't get a hold of me on Tumblr, it's because I've stepped away from it. Haven't been on in a while. I don't want anyone to think I'm ignoring them!

Shall we begin? Enjoy & don't forget to review!
-Em

Chapter Twelve: Moves and Counter Moves

Finn huffed in annoyance, willing himself to listen to the conversation around him. It was a different group of people than usual, mainly to avoid suspicion from his dad. The boy currently yakking was Cliff, a curly-haired boy who didn't seem to understand the concept of silence. The teen was currently explaining the conceptual difference between moths and butterflies. Ugh… Helga seemed interested enough, sitting beside him, considering who her father was.

There was definitely a space between them on the bench. Who knew a mere two inches could feel so distant and cold? Just a few hours ago they'd been closer than usual, in the physical sense. But now it seemed there was a gap between them, and not only where the bench was concerned.

Finn sighed heavily behind his hand. He'd screwed up for sure. He knew he was being ridiculous in some ways, but most of the time he truly believed he had a right to his attitude. Did he have any right to forcefully make out with her because he was upset over a conversation with a completely different person? His heart lurched. Of course he didn't. Did he have a right to get upset when his girlfriend wanted him to spill every one of his deep dark secrets? Heck yes.

Right?

Stealing a quick glance, he noticed Helga definitely ignoring him. Her shoulders angled just away from him, nodding and smiling at Cliff as he talked, her eyes trained on him completely. He didn't necessarily feel jealousy toward the other teen for his girlfriend's attention, per se. He did, but not because he felt competition. Cliff knew his position—he'd be squashed like a bug if he crossed the line. The fact that he was allowing the curly-haired boy to sit at the same table was generous enough.

At the same time, Finn felt bad. He'd hurt Helga's feelings one way or another. The look of fear that she'd given him just before leaving the barn… He couldn't get it out of his head. Did he scare her? He'd lashed out at her, perhaps that was it. She didn't seem to be afraid of him any other time. She hadn't told him to stop kissing her, and he'd like to think he would stop if she asked. He hoped.

The thought made his stomach churn and he stared down at the floor, swallowing the bile in his throat. If Helga asked him to stop, would he? She was tough and tenacious in ways that he honestly admired. He didn't have any intentions of hurting her in any way. He hadn't thought about it at all! But when the road started to get bumpy, she was the one he turned to. Not for advice. Not to talk or get help in any way.

The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. He was using her. When he had some problem that upset him, Helga was there to make him feel strong again. But this was an angle of strength he hadn't thought of before. He hadn't realized just how out of line he was. He didn't want to abuse her. That's not what he wanted.

But that's exactly what he was doing.

Finn's face flushed and he immediately rubbed his forehead. Hopefully nobody was noticing his sudden embarrassment and horror for his own actions. Suddenly he wanted to drag her out of the room, but for a completely different reason. For the first time, he wanted to apologize for something. He didn't want her to be afraid of him; he didn't want to be an abusive jerk that objectified women because he couldn't handle his own problems. The problems were a completely different issue. He wasn't going soft; he wouldn't be changing the whole lot. But he didn't want to screw up Helga. Literally.

Before Finn could make his move, his attention was drawn elsewhere. The Great Hall doors slammed open and two guards rushed in, scanning the room as quickly as they could. Finn frowned, watching as they found the chief and bounded over. From the council's table, Hiccup saw them coming and stiffened in his seat, waiting patiently for them to reach him. Finn watched with piqued interest as a guard grabbed Hiccup's shoulder and urgently whispered something in his ear. His dad's face morphed from confusion into concern in a matter of seconds.

Then he was on his feet, pointing guards toward the doors and signaling Toothless. Murmurs broke out through the Hall, everyone simultaneously wondering what was happening. Gobber stood and told everyone to calm down, focus on their meals and conversations. But Finn's eyes never left his father as he quickly walked to the doors, and then disappeared outside. Wherever he was going, it was urgent.

Suddenly, it hit him. Finn had completely forgotten, but it was almost noon. He was supposed to be receiving a Terror message soon.

"Erick." Finn whispered.

Helga flashed him a warning look. Finn nearly slapped himself for speaking aloud, especially when a few other teens looked at him. He was having serious problems today.

Cliff frowned. "What?"

Finn scowled and shook his head. "Nothing."

"Sounded like-"

"Cliff," Finn interrupted with a deadly tone. "I'm starting to wonder why people don't like having you around. Maybe you're just a little too… talkative."

Cliff's face reddened, but not in embarrassment. Leaving forward on his elbow, he murmured so only Finn and Helga could hear. "And I'm starting to wonder why the heck anyone puts up with you, Finn. At least I'm flexible and can take the insults people dish at me. What about you? What are you going to do when everyone leaves you to sit by yourself?"

Finn saw red. More than anything he wanted to lunge across the table and break the little punk's nose for daring to open his mouth. But Helga's bright eyes at the corner of his vision spoke volumes. She was waiting for his response. Everyone seemed to watching, waiting for his response. While the entire Great Hall carried on, Finn found himself at a crossroads that he normally wouldn't hesitate to decide on. This punk deserved to be put in his place.

Unclenching his jaw, Finn finally found his voice. "Don't push me." Standing without another word, Finn stalked out of the Great Hall without looking back. Stepping into the sunlight, he felt choked and alone. He marched around the side of the Hall and slid to the ground. That was the first time he'd ever allowed anyone to insult him, and he didn't retaliate. He wasn't proud of himself for doing a "good deed" because he didn't think of himself as good.

First, he discovered he was an abusive boyfriend. Now he realized he was the bully everyone else saw. While he thought he was tough and cool, someone to be worshiped, everyone in fact saw a tyrant, a selfish jerk that blew up when he didn't have control.

The control was slipping more and more as the day went on. He could feel it. He didn't know why today was going so badly, and it was only noon. He thought back to his father's words earlier that day: I'm right here when you need me.

Finn felt the sudden urge to find him. He was digging himself into a hole that was a whole lot bigger than he'd realized. The surrounding ground was starting to cave in and soon he'd be buried alive. Should he accept the hand offered to him? Should he allow someone to pull him out?

"I can do this," Finn whispered, burying his face into his knees. "I have to get a grip."

Some things had to change. He had to apologize to Helga, for instance. But he quashed the urge to talk to his father about… everything. His dad couldn't help him. The repercussions would be too great and he'd only be punished. Obviously he didn't want to be punished, but it was more than that. Deep, deep down, he wanted something. He didn't even know what it was anymore. Love? A hug? His father's approval? Common sense said if you do the right thing, you'll get approval. So why couldn't he just do the right thing? Why couldn't he be kind? What happened to turn him into this kind of monster, so much so that he didn't even realize it?

Benen died.

Finn's throat felt like it would snap. Once again, emotion overwhelmed him. It was like he'd suddenly turned into his sister overnight and he couldn't stop having second thoughts or having the urge to blubber at the drop of a hat. What was wrong with him? Irritation bubbled inside him. If somebody turned a corner and saw him sitting in the shadows crying like a little girl who lost her dolly, he'd never hear the end of it.

Somehow he didn't care. Hugging his knees against the Great Hall, Finn stayed in that position until his muscles began to cramp and the sun's position had changed. The tears had long since dried and he felt much calmer. His heart was still heavy, but for once he was glad he wasn't participating with the gang tonight. He wanted to go home, hug his pillow, and sleep.

A growl sounded from the rooftop, disrupting the peace. He slowly looked up to see a green Terrible Terror swoop down and land in front of him, huffing a plume of smoke, clearly irritated. Finn slowly exhaled and pulled the message off the dragon's leg.

"So you're the chosen one, eh?" Finn asked. The dragon hissed at him, clearly miffed at the obscure hiding place. "Sorry. Been a long day."

The Terror cocked his head at the boy as he opened the note. The Terror looked familiar, but Finn shrugged it off, not thinking on it further. The note read,

Barely got away with one. Stay low, guards everywhere. Gathering supplies next. Send him back to me and I'll get the rest of the messages out.

-LE

Finn frowned at the initials. He knew the message was from Erick, so why'd he change the letters around? Then he realized with a smirk that if the note was intercepted somehow, his dad would look for someone with the initials of L.E., not E.L. Yep, Erick was smart. Really smart.

Finn pulled out a pencil from his boot (it's irritating when you can't find one!) and scrawled "K" beneath Erick's initials. He didn't bother putting his initials. If his dad were to intercept the note, a mixture of FFH wouldn't be hard to track. Leaving it blank was the better option.

"Erick Larson." Finn murmured to the dragon as he tied the note back on its leg. The dragon licked his hand and scampered off, taking off in the shadows toward the back of the Hall. Finn watched it fly away, briefly wondering if he knew the dragon. It certainly looked familiar.

Sighing heavily, he leaned his head back against the wall and stared at the sky. If he needed to lie low, so be it. He'd be just fine right here until he decided to go home. For now, he was content to sit alone and listen to the birds chirp. He felt drained of all energy from all the emotion and chopping the tree down earlier.

Footsteps sounded from the corner and he looked over to see Helga briskly walking over. A pang of guilt made him look away as she slid into a seated position with a few inches of space between them.

They sat in awkward silence for a few minutes. Finn felt the need to speak up—he wanted to apologize anyway. But Helga had searched him out, so she must want to say something as well. After nearly five minutes of silence, he couldn't take it anymore.

"Hey…" Finn began. "I know I've been a jerk lately. I'm sorry."

Helga blew her bangs off her forehead. "That's underestimating things a little bit, don't you think? You're out of control."

"Sorry-"

"No, you're NOT sorry!" Helga cried out. Finn winced at the sudden height in volume. "That's the problem, Finn! You're mean to everybody and you don't care! And top of that, to you I'm just a play thing, something you can use to make yourself feel better when you're upset."

Finn rubbed his face. "I know. I really am sorry. I didn't… I never wanted things to turn out like this. With us."

"What did you want?" Helga asked firmly.

Finn searched her face. He saw real anger in her eyes, and hurt. She had a lot of her mom's features but her father's intellect, something he'd admired in her for years. She wasn't a girly-girl like his sister, though she could be if she wanted to be. But most of the time she fought for her place at the top, right there with the guys. With him.

Finally she looked away, clearly aggravated at his lack of response. "You never even liked me, did you?"

"What?" Finn asked incredulously. "Of course I did!"

"What changed then?"

"Who said anything changed?"

"Finn!" Helga finally stood, towering above him. "You've been treating me like this for a long time. I've stood by and watched my friend, someone I trusted, turn into something mean and hard to be around! You don't respect me, you don't talk to me about anything, and you use me to make yourself feel strong when you're not!"

Finn felt heat rise to his face, only partial embarrassment. Standing, he growled, "I'm trying to apologize for my screw ups! Shouldn't that amount to something?"

"Not if it isn't real! And the way you treated Cliff in there, an actually very sweet guy, showed me exactly who you are and who you want to be." Helga jabbed his chest. "You only want me around for the physical aspect! You don't want a real relationship!"

"Then what, pray tell, defines a 'real relationship'?"

"Trust! To be frank, I don't trust you, Finn!" Finn blinked, but Helga continued, "The way you make out with me, how would I know you wouldn't just as easily go to any other girl for it?"

Finn's jaw dropped. "Are you kidding me? First off, you liked it! Don't act like you were begging me to stop because you said nothing!" Helga closed her mouth. "Second, I have not kissed any other girls besides you. Ever. I might be a jerk, but I'm not a cheater!"

Helga swallowed and crossed her arms. "How would I know that? You don't really act like you care about me at all."

"Because I don't give you flowers every day?"

Helga's jaw tightened. "Because you don't show it at all. I don't know about you, but I think dating should have a purpose. I don't want to date just for the heck of it. I want to find a man who is kind and helps people, and tells me where I have screwed up so I can learn to do better. I want someone who can be my friend." Helga shook her head, her eyes brimming with tears now. "And you're not that man, Finn. You're just a boy."

Finn breathed a short scoff. "We're not exactly adults, Helga."

"We're not far off! Two years and we can sit in on council meetings! We could legally get married in two years, have you ever thought about that?"

"No, because marriage isn't exactly on my list of priorities right now!" Finn frowned. "Sorry if that gets your braid in a bunch, but it's really not."

Helga gritted her teeth. "Marriage isn't even the issue. I'm tired of being used and abused."

"And I already said sorry at the beginning. I'll try to do better."

Helga closed her eyes and shook her head. "I don't think… I don't think you deserve that chance."

Finn blinked. "What?"

Steeling herself, Helga straightened and looked him in the eye. Her eyes were brimmed with tears, which was strange for him to see. He couldn't remember the last time she'd cried in front of him. "I'm breaking up with you, Finn. I think it would be best if we stopped seeing each other."

Finn felt like his brain had shut down. He stared at her blankly before he finally shook his head. "What?"

Helga swallowed. "Finn-"

"No, no, no," Finn waved his hands around. "You're not serious."

"Yes, I'm very serious." Helga wiped her eyes on her wrist. "I can't change you, Finn. And I can't help you if you won't let me."

"What IS it with everybody today?" Finn growled, pacing the stone walkway. Helga jumped in surprise. "Why can't anybody get the gist: I don't WANT anybody's help!"

"And that there lies your problem!" Helga cried. "You're so thick-headed and stubborn! How many people have offered to help you? How many people try again and again to be nice to you and you spit them in the face for it? How many times have I tried to help you move on and get help and be kind, and you still don't?"

"Oh yeah, be kind and generous and soft-spoken, and for what? None of those things got me anywhere."

"When was the last time you tried? Maybe if you put a little effort into it, not that it takes all that much for normal people, you'd find that it's not so lonely in the world when you're nice! That was the kind of thing Benen taught you, wasn't it?"

Finn froze. "Shut up."

"No, what would he say to you if he saw you now?" Helga pressed. "He'd despise the boy you've become, so much time and effort and LOVE he put into you and you throw it in his face!"

"SHUT UP!" Finn grabbed her arm and shoved her against the wall. Helga yelped, cowering against the wall as he towered over her. "Don't say another word. If you want out, fine. I don't need you around and I don't need you telling me how to live my life." Finn sneered in her face.

Helga trembled in his grasp, trying to pull free. "L-let me go."

"I'm not finished." Finn growled. "If you say one word to anyone about the gang or even think about deserting, I'm zoning in on Gunnar."

Helga's eyes widened. "What? No! If you lay one hand on him, I'll-"

"You'll what?" Finn whispered hoarsely, nearly touching his forehead to hers. Helga stared at him in terror, afraid to move or breathe. "And don't think I won't check in with the others. I'll know if you decide to take off."

Helga pushed at his wrist, tears threatening to fall. "Please let me go. I'll be there tonight, just don't hurt Gunnar. Finn, please."

Finn released her, allowing her to stumble away. She leaned against the wall from ten feet away, watching him warily as if waiting for him to grab her again. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she held her arm, where a scalding red handprint appeared.

Roughly wiping her face, she scrambled away, ducking into the trees nearby. Finn watched her go without remorse. Four hours ago, he'd been kissing her senseless in a barn. Now he couldn't care less what happened to her. He'd recognized his problem, apologized and vowed to make amends, and THIS was how she repaid him?

No more. Something had officially snapped. Finn was finished with everyone. From here on out, he relied on himself. He couldn't allow his soft father's words to get into his head and heart; he couldn't allow himself to grow weak and a conscience. He couldn't allow any touchy subjects, not Benen, not Rune, not slavery, not anything, to throw him into an emotional downward spiral. He had to be stronger than this.

From now on, nothing stood in his way.

Hiccup inspected the blood stains in the grass at the top of the cliff, chewing his lip pensively. He'd sent guards into the forest to search for the assailant, just in case, but he didn't need to be told that he was long gone. He hoped the injury wasn't serious because really, he didn't want anyone to get hurt. He was glad the archer hadn't shot the kid down. But still, another bust with no clues as to who was in the gang.

"So what do you think?" Fishlegs asked from behind him, leaning against Meatlug. The small gathering of council members and their dragons stood in a semicircle behind him or on the ground below at the Terror House, all waiting for instructions.

Hiccup blew air past his lips. "Not exactly a hit. More like a clever attempt to have other means of communication without meeting as a group." He slowly stood from his crouch, feeling the blood rush to his bad knee. He bent the limb a few times to get rid of the heated tingling. "Smart."

"Now what?" Horst asked, crossing his arms. "We can't scour the entire population looking for a teenager with a cut leg."

"No, we can't." Hiccup agreed. "There's a number of reasons we aren't doing that. It would be nice if we could track people by blood sample."

"That'd save us a lot of time for sure," Fishlegs nodded vehemently. "Like, if there was some kind of tracking system by fingerprints or blood samples? Genius."

Hiccup watched the other council members glance at each other in concern, then smirked. "It's an interesting theory, gentleman. But that's an experiment for another day." Mounting Toothless, he said, "All right, let's see the damage."

Toothless swooped to the ground far below, sniffing the dirt around the outside of the Terror House. Hiccup slid back to the ground, gazing up the cliff wall, and whistled. "Kid had to be strong to get away that fast."

Snotlout snorted from nearby. "Probably just adrenaline."

"Maybe." Hiccup turned and inspected the lock and hinges on the back door. "Cale and Frey are pretty strong, even Evan. Who knows who else is in the group?"

Manny the Mad grunted. "Guards said the kid was skinny."

"Whaaat, skinny guys can't be strong?" Hiccup grinned, locating the lock in the grass.

"You're not strong chief, " Manny countered. "You're lean."

Snotlout and Fishlegs snickered. Hiccup narrowed his eyes. "I am too strong. It's all the flying."

"You couldn't beat your son in an arm wrestling contest!"

Hiccup winced at the mention of Finn. "I could if I wanted to."

"But you don't, so you wouldn't! So my comment stands!"

Hiccup shook his head, inspecting the lock. "Anyway, nothing on the door or lock seems to show any damage. This kid knew how to pick a lock."

Snotlout huffed. "So?"

"So," Hiccup replied. "He's using his brain instead of leaving a bunch of evidence. If the Terrors hadn't caused a ruckus inside, the kid could have replaced the lock and left without leaving any evidence behind whatsoever." The chief paused, tapping the lock in his palm. "That's actually a stroke of genius, come to think of it."

"How's that?" Snotlout asked in a bored tone.

Fishlegs intervened. "Come on, Snotlout, these kids have been leaving messes behind everywhere they've gone. They're getting smarter."

"Or they've rallied someone who is smarter." Hiccup countered, stepping inside the House. The men followed.

"And the difference is?" Snotlout asked.

"The difference, Snotlout," Hiccup said as he greeted a few Terrors. "Is in who's coming up with the plans. So far they've done nothing but one thing: destroy. Suddenly, there's a strategy. I mean come on," The chieftain gestured at the room. "What kid thinks to break into the chief's personal messaging center to steal a Terror to communicate outside of meeting as a group just as the chief has issued a triple watch on the village? That's not just some kid trying destroy property, this…" Hiccup shook his head. "This is a strategy."

Fishlegs shook his head, glancing at Horst as he joined the men from inside. "But why? That's what I'm not getting. What's the purpose?"

Hiccup shrugged. "You got me. Destroying property is just flat out rebellion, to me. This is different. To me, when someone thinks of a deliberate strategy to try to blow past me, that's far different. This is an outright test of my security in the village, whether these kids think it's this serious or not, it is. They're testing my capability to protect our people, it doesn't matter if it's petty or not. Because if real enemies out there find out our own children can get past me-"

"Right." Horst nodded.

"We'll have a lot more problems than teenage dissension." Fishlegs sighed. Snotlout nodded solemnly in agreement.

Hiccup ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "The next time they make a move, we'll be there waiting."

Snotlout gestured to the Terrors sitting around them. "So what about them? What can we do about the missing one?"

Hiccup scanned the room with a furrowed brow. He turned in a full circle as if looking for something in particular. "Wait a second…" He turned again, searching the rafters and nests all around them.

"Missing something?" Snotlout asked.

Hiccup gave him a flat look. "Yes. A Terrible Terror, Snotlout. Have you seen one?"

"I've seen many in the last few minutes. I'll gladly throw one at your face!"

Hiccup rolled his eyes and kept searching. "Where are you…"

Horst stepped forward with a look of surprise. "Wait, do you know which one is missing?"

The chief finally stopped turning as a grin spread on his face. "Ohhh they're good." He chuckled mildly and shook his head, "They're really, really good, I'll hand it to them. This kid was smart."

Snotlout shook his head in confusion. "Didn't we cover this already?"

Hiccup smirked. "They're good. But not good enough."

"What are you talking about?"

"There is only one Terrible Terror that I use on a fairly consistent basis." Hiccup crossed his arms smugly. "He's calm, he's smart, and he knows everyone on the island and all the surrounding chieftains in the Archipelago for that matter. He's the first Terror I ever trained."

Fishlegs eyes widened. "No way. They took… they didn't really?"

Hiccup's smirk widened. "Sharpshot."

"Sooo," Snotlout shrugged, unimpressed. "Great! Call him back and let's see if he can lead us to the gang!"

Horst's eyes twinkled. "While that's not a bad idea…"

"I'll let them have him for a bit." Hiccup amended. "See if we can't intercept a message now and then. Sharpshot won't have any trouble finding me when I call, and he'll understand when I tell him to go back to the gang. I'll feed him double for his hard work."

"Because everybody knows that a Terror trained well," Fishlegs crossed arms.

"Always returns to his master." Hiccup finished.

"Hey, Nani." Brandyn said cheerfully when he met Adrianna in the entrance to the Great Hall. "How were the kiddies?"

"Magnus's kids are so cute." Adrianna gushed. "I wish I had a niece or nephew. Have you ever heard a baby giggle? It's adorable!"

"I guess." Brandyn stopped himself from rolling his eyes at the last second. As far as he was concerned, babies were drool factories. "So you want to get a good seat or should we stand out here gabbing until all the good food is taken?"

"Sorry, let's go!" Adrianna allowed him to open the door for her and sauntered into the Great Hall. A delicious smell filled her nostrils. "Roast chicken? Wow, that's my favorite."

Brandyn smiled. "Is it? Well that's a funny coincidence. Take a seat, I'll get some for you."

"Well thank you." Adrianna smiled and sat down at a table close to the wall so she could read her book without too many people squeezing past her. She had started a new series about a boy who fought monsters and went to summer camp and she wasn't sure if she liked it or not but she couldn't quite bring herself to put it down just yet.

"Oh, you like that series?" Adrianna looked up to find a pair of gray eyes staring at her from just over her head. "Isn't it the best?"

"Sorry, do I know you?" Adrianna asked, only vaguely recognizing the teenage boy standing over her.

"Sort of." the boy sat down next to her. "Cliff Smedley." he held out a hand, which she shook awkwardly. "I'm only the best leather shop guy ever."

"Doesn't Erick work there?" Adrianna's chest tightened at the mention of her former friend but if Cliff sensed her discomfort, he didn't let on.

"Ah yeah, my bruh!" Cliff's face brightened up. "He's only the love of my life."

The book slipped out of Adrianna's hands at this statement. "Sorry, what?"

"Nah, not like romantic true love!" Cliff vehemently shook his head. "I mean Erick's a handsome lad, really, but I'm not into, you know, that."

"Right." Adrianna said through her teeth, picking up her book and trying to find her place.

"Ah, sorry if I made it awkward." Cliff grinned widely. "I should really explain what I mean by 'love of my life' to prevent future confusion. What I mean is we've got this connection, like we're soul mates but we're bros... we're bro-mates! No... we're bromantic! That's it! Deep connection but bros. It's a thing. I'm gonna make it a thing."

"Have fun with that." Adrianna raised an eyebrow.

"Aww don't be a stick-in-the-mud! I see why you and Erick were besties forever. He's a bit of a grouch too." Cliff put his elbow on the table and rested his cheek on his hand. "Not that you're a grouch. Well maybe sometimes because everyone is a grouch sometimes. I'm a grouch when I stay up too late. Unless I've had lots of sugar! Then I'm bouncing off the walls until like 3 am and then crash until noon! Totally worth it. Last time I did that, I drew a picture. I still don't know what it's supposed to be but it's high art! I'll show it to you sometime when you and Erick are besties again. Because any friend of my bruh is my friend!"

Adrianna breathed a laugh. "You have a lot to say."

"Oh yeah! Everybody says I talk too much! I don't think of it that way, I think I just educate everyone around me. Like you! Did you know that leather comes in like a zillion colors if you can figure out what dyes to use? You probably knew that though, I mean you've got a purple saddle." Cliff rambled, gesticulating wildly. "What's up with the purple anyway?"

"It's... it was my favorite color." Adrianna emphasized. "But favorite colors are for kids. I still like it okay."

"Who says? My favorite color is yellow!" Cliff announced far too loudly. "And Erick's is totally red. I see him wearing it most of the time. He wouldn't dye so much of his clothes red if he didn't like it."

"Actually it's blue." Adrianna replied automatically. "He just wears red because that's Nikolas's favorite color and they're his old clothes."

"Ohhh." Cliff nodded. "Okay, that makes sense. Didn't take the hand me down thing into account. So is your big sister really into green and brown?"

"I don't have a sister." Adrianna said slowly, suddenly confused again.

"So why do you wear so much of it? You should wear more colors. Bet you'd look awesome in blue or red or purple or yellow-"

"What are you doing here?" came another masculine voice from just over their heads.

Cliff and Adrianna looked up to see Brandyn, his hands both grasping a plate of food each.

"Just getting to know your friend." Cliff said unabashedly. "She's cool. Hey, you could sit at my table!"

"No thanks. But I kind of need to have a bit of a private conversation with Nani so if you don't mind..." Brandyn jerked his head in the direction of the middle of the Hall.

"Never let it be said that I can't follow simple social cues." Cliff nodded politely. "But the offer still stands, Bran. See you, Anna-bear!"

"Brandyn." Brandyn said in a warning tone as Cliff scampered away. He looked at Adrianna again. "Anna-bear?"

"I guess I have a new nickname." Adrianna shrugged. "I seem to accumulate them."

"That kid is so obnoxious, sorry you had to put up with him." Brandyn said irritably.

"I think he's okay." Adrianna said dismissively as Brandyn placed her dinner in front of her. "Oh wow, they're serving all my favorites today!"

"Huh, would you look at that!" Brandyn chirped, sounding exceptionally unsurprised as he sat down across from her. "Your favorite foods, and your favorite guy-you-like-that-follows-you-around-and-ticks-off-your-dad, all in in one place."

Adrianna gave him a quizzical look. "Brandyn. What are you scheming?"

Brandyn continued as if she hadn't spoken. "And, dare I say, your favorite...boyfriend?" Adrianna's mouth dropped open. Brandyn laughed at her expression. "I was kidding," he said, and her heart seemed to fall out. "I'm your only boyfriend. Probably." She caught it again.

"P-probably my boyfriend or probably the only boyfriend I have?" She managed to choke out.

"Yes." Brandyn nodded, placing his hand atop hers.

He was being facetious, she realized, but she didn't care. This felt so nice. She squeezed her boyfriend's hand. "Yes for me too."

Brandyn leaned across the table and tenderly kissed her. Her breath hitched in her throat until he finally backed away, the smile still on his face.

As they ate and talked, Adrianna felt like she was having an out-of-body experience, like there was another, much prettier girl in her place. Her boyfriend (the word itself felt foreign, too good to be true) gently rested his hand atop hers as they sat across from each other and shared some of the food from his plate. So engrossed were they in each other that they didn't even notice the Hall was empty until night had fallen and the candles were being extinguished.

"Welp, time to get home." Brandyn said at last, hopping to his feet and extending a hand to help her up as well. "Gotta get up bright and early."

"For what?" Adrianna asked. "Work? You don't go in until eleven."

"Gotta exercise! How do you think I keep up my manly physique?" Brandyn flexed dramatically, making Adrianna giggle. As they walked out of the Great Hall, he assumed an impish grin. "You know, I've been here a long time. I bet I could show you places you don't even know about."

Adrianna raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

"Yes it is. And I can prove it. Take..." Brandyn's eyes scanned their surroundings for a moment before they landed on a nearby shed. "Take this shed for instance. Looks pretty dilapidated. Now you might think, 'Brandyn, my man, that shed has no use, it's just a stack of rotted wood.' And this is where I'd say 'au contraire, milady, this is where they store the dragon dung for later use. It has magical properties, y'know." Adrianna had only a second to laugh at the absurdity of this statement before Brandyn yanked her over to a small nearby creek. "And this is known as Hiccuping Creek. You'd think it's named after our dear leader but alas no, it precedes him by 341 years after your ancestors discovered its use as a cure for hiccups and other respiratory illnesses."

"Of course it does." Adrianna agreed with a nod. "Now what of the forge?"

"Ahh, it's a good thing you asked for that is the highlight of this little tour." Brandyn gestured to the forge as they passed it. "The forge is the most mysterious building on Berk. For when the Vikings first settled here generations ago, it was the only building they found, already fully stocked with everything they could possibly need. It was Gobber's great-great-great-great grandfather who began working here but its origins were never discovered. To this day, no one knows who built it or whether or not the treasure map they found in one of the drawers leads to a real place or if it's actually an ancient recipe for pudding."

On and on they went, Brandyn's fake history lessons getting more and more outrageous until they finally reached the Haddock house. Adrianna's heart sank; she had been having so much fun, the time seemed to have flown by in a split second.

"Aha, now this place, this place is one of the most interesting places of all." Brandyn said as he pointed to the Haddock home. "You might think it's because it belongs to our all powerful chief, his amazing wife, and our erm... unique heir." he said in a dramatic voice. "But that's not why this place is the best." he turned to Adrianna and gently took her hands in his. "This is where you find the most beautiful girl on Berk."

He leaned down and their lips met. Adrianna felt a swooping sensation in her stomach as she kissed him back. This was perfection. She wanted to capture this moment and hang it on her wall to give her joy later on. But then... this was her boyfriend! The happy moments would keep on coming, maybe forever if she played this right.

Suddenly, a loud noise interrupted their romantic moment. Their lips separated with a tiny pop and they looked around, bewildered.

"Did you see anything weird on the way here?" Adrianna asked as the sound repeated. "Because I think those are alarm bells!"

"Hm." Brandyn hummed, his smile melting into a determined frown. "Nani, maybe you should stay in the house. You're safer that way."

"I don't think so!" Adrianna said stubbornly. "Something's going on and I want to know what it is."

"Look, it's dangerous." Brandyn said in a voice that was, perhaps, a bit sharper than intended. "Your dad would want to make sure you're kept safe."

"My dad knows I'm old enough to make decisions like this on my own." Adrianna insisted. "So let's go."

Silence was bliss.

Finn lay against his bed on his stomach, face half mashed into his pillow as he listened to the crickets chirp outside. In his hand he idly rubbed the necklace Benen had made for him as he gazed out the window, listening for any sounds.

Erick was out there somewhere with the gang, preparing to pull off their biggest stunt yet. Under normal circumstances, he'd want to be out there. Usually he led the operations. But tonight he was more than happy to stay home. If they got caught tonight, he didn't want to be present. Sure, he'd probably get thrown under the wagon if they got caught, but without proof of his participation in the past hits, his father wouldn't have much to convict him on. Luckily, he'd been smart enough to not leave clues around.

A soft knock interrupted his thoughts and he lifted his head to see his mother crack the door open. "Hey," Astrid smiled as she walked in.

"Hey." Finn murmured as he relaxed once more. He watched her walk the length of the room and then slide into a sitting position against the wall beside his nightstand. Resting her arms against her knees, she watched him in silence. The teenager frowned. "What?"

"Anything you want to talk about?"

His scowl deepened and he shifted uncomfortably. "No."

"Positive?" Astrid asked lightly. "Because a little birdie told me you had a bad day."

"Little birdie has a big mouth," Finn muttered. "I'm fine."

Astrid watched him silently. "You don't look fine, Finn. What's wrong?"

"Just tired. It was a long day."

The blonde watched as her son stared at the floor next to her feet, refusing to make eye contact. She wondered how long it would take for him to crack if she stared at him long enough.

After several minutes, and a few glances in her direction, Finn finally sighed. "Helga broke up with me today."

"Oh." Astrid blinked in surprise. Of all the things she'd expected (or rather, hoped) him to say, that wasn't on the list. "I'm sorry, Finn. You were together for a long time."

Finn shrugged, a bland expression on his face. "Wouldn't have lasted forever anyway."

"Why's that?"

"Too alike, I guess. And I think she was expecting more that… I wasn't… willing to give."

Astrid raised an eyebrow. "Like?"

Finn blushed and looked away. "No no, not… not like that. Just… talking about stuff and me not… wanting to. Bunch of stuff about trust and healthy relationships."

"I see." Astrid nodded, hugging her knees. "Relationships are hard. Some people expect more after a certain amount of time, while others aren't necessarily ready. It takes a lot of communication for a relationship to thrive."

Finn gave no comment besides a halfhearted shrug. He felt a little bad acting like the breakup was the only thing that was bothering him. As if anything was bothering him. The breakup had happened long after his meltdown with his father, which was surely what she'd been referring to at the beginning of the conversation. But with his mom, he felt he could at least tell her about the breakup to inform her.

"Things will be fine," Astrid amended. "Don't worry about it."

Finn snorted. "I'm not worried about anything. She was the one being… antsy."

Astrid considered his words in silence before filing them away to ponder later. Cracking her knuckles loudly, she asked, "So what about this morning? With your father in the woods?"

Finn closed his eyes and mentally sighed. "Nothing. It was nothing."

"Can't have been nothing."

"I was just having a rough morning," Finn sat up on his elbows and rubbed his eyes. "Happens to everyone now and then doesn't it?"

Astrid nodded a bit. "Yes. But I think it was a little more intense than that, wouldn't you say?"

Finn frowned at her. "You weren't there."

"No, I wasn't. But I trust your father's word."

"Yep. You would."

Fighting the scowl trying to jump onto her face, Astrid said, "Finn, I trust him with my life. I trust his judgment on many things, just about everything. He didn't concoct some story and tell me every detail to make you upset or uncomfortable. He's my husband as much as he is your dad. When he has a concern, in whatever situation it could apply, he isn't doing anything wrong by talking to me about it. Don't you think?"

Finn stared at his pillow, unwavering.

"Finn, look at me."

The teenager's blue eyes finally locked on hers. Astrid saw many things in that moment: anger, hurt, turmoil. Maybe even fear. She wanted to understand why he allowed himself to be so lost and alone. Why did he choose this? She and Hiccup were literally standing there with open arms, waiting for him to come. Why did he always turn away?

Instead of voicing these thoughts, Astrid firmly said, "Your father loves you, Finn. You're strong and smart and talented in ways that he wasn't as a teenager. He had to work hard to get where he is now, and he doesn't look at your natural talents with jealousy."

Finn swallowed, twisting his necklace on a finger. "We're so different," he muttered. "Things have been hard for so long… and he's always apologizing for things-"

"Finn, what do you want him to do?" Astrid asked gently. "No matter what he does for both of you, sometimes you look at him like he's… a burden. That's the kind of treatment he got when we were young teenagers, no matter how hard he sought approval, people always talked down to him like he was meaningless. That's the vibe that he gets from you. Like what he says or does doesn't matter. He doesn't feel...important to you… because you don't give him a chance."

"He needs to feel important?" Finn griped.

Astrid smirked. "People like him take great pride in others' approval, especially their loved ones."

"People like him? There's more out there?"

Astrid poked his arm. "Be nice. He takes things very personally. You and me… we're not emotional people. We prefer to get things done quickly and efficiently, no questions or comments needed. Then there's your father and Adri. They need to think through every angle and talk and ask questions and go through the steps and have a plan B and C and D. It's infuriating for sure, but," Astrid paused with a smile. "You learn to appreciate it if you give it a chance. Different isn't wrong or bad. It's just different."

Finn rubbed his eyes. "So your point?"

"Give him a chance, Finn." Astrid amended. "Please? This isn't about making your dad feel good about himself, I'm not saying that at all. But don't you think your relationship with him would be so much different if you let him in?"

Finn gave her a sidelong glance. "I'm tired of being let down. I'm sick of empty promises."

Astrid shook her head. "He's not perfect, Finn. We're not perfect. Parenting is hard; you two didn't come with a manual. Every day is different."

"I have a feeling if there was a parenting manual, he'd still mess up."

"Every parent would. Just like every child isn't going to listen to every rule that is set up, parents are going to make mistakes just as much. We're humans too." Astrid reached over and rested her hand atop of his. Finn marveled at how much smaller her hands were by comparison. He'd never noticed it before. "But the difference, Finn, is when we screw up…" His mother paused momentarily. "Try not to hold it against us. Don't be… bitter forever. We want you to be happy."

Happy. The word was practically foreign. He could barely remember what it felt like. In years, it seemed he hadn't felt joyful or laughed out loud at something so hard that it made him nearly cry. That used to happen a lot when he was younger, whether he'd made a stupid joke or a friend did something wacky. Many of those times were with Helga. Most of those times were with Benen.

Finn felt a tug in his chest. The thought of how long it had been since he felt truly happy spurned a wave of loneliness and depression that he quickly quashed. He held onto the ice cold block of bitterness in his heart, reminding himself of every reason he was rightfully angry. But he could practically feel the emotional wreck in his heart begin to unfurl. He did not want to cry again today.

Astrid seemed to sense his inner turmoil. Getting to her knees, she leaned forward and warmly kissed his forehead. "We're right here when you need us, Finn. Don't ever forget that."

The teenager saw her stand and move toward his door. Again, a small part of him wanted to jump up, hug her tight and tell her every one of his dark, dirty secrets. But two things stopped him: one, his pride. And two, the sound of a huge explosion a few blocks into the village.

Finn gaped at the window. What was Erick doing out there? Instead he said in fake concern, "What was that?"

"Gang!" Astrid tore out the door and pounded down the stairs.

Finn ran to the window and watched in mild fascination as the shapes of dragons and their riders flew to… wherever the explosion had taken place. It seemed to be coming from near the square. He knew the diversion was taking place and Erick was currently focused elsewhere. Then, out of the corner of his eye, somewhere near the jail, a plume of smoke rose. Finn squinted at the houses and his eyes widened.

There were houses on fire. What was Erick doing?

Snatching his boots and tugging them on as he nearly toppled down the stairs, Finn tore out of the house toward the barn just as Astrid and Stormfly were preparing to take off. "Mom!"

"Finn! Stay here-"

"There's a fire! Houses!" Finn pointed.

Astrid's face went slack. "That's the Thorstons. Come on!"

Taking her hand, Finn jumped into the saddle behind her. Stormfly instantly took off, racing toward the rising flames. The Haddock heir gritted his teeth together as they flew. If somebody got seriously hurt or killed, he was going to kill Erick with his bare hands.

My oh my, things are heating up! There's already a completed scene for our next chapter but believe me when I say that it shall be explosive and you won't want to miss it!

This chapter had a lot going for it as well! The disintegration of Finn and Helga's relationship, the beginning of Adrianna and Brandyn's, and some mama!Astrid stuff oh which we really need to remember to include more!

Special thanks to our newest creative consultant, Ariannasouglini from tumblr! Also to hiccup_is_mine13 and iniskondakciu on Instagram for having conversations about this series! Here's to hoping Em and I can join you! I'm katemarie999 on Instagram as well, where I post some art no one has ever seen and toy with whoever is following me and begging for spoilers.

Actually that's another thing I wanted to quickly address: I've gotten a LOT of PMs begging for spoilers, particularly about Adrianna's love interests. I'd like to formally ask for those to stop because I really want a lot of this to be a surprise for you all and, as I have assured quite a few people, you will be happy with whoever it is! Be sure to vote in the poll on my profile too! Right now Finnga and Ericanna have quite a lead!

Finally, my sister isn't doing too much better. She needs a car. Desperately. Please pray she gets one because believe it or not, the freedom will work wonders for her mental health. Continued prayers would be wonderful.

Don't forget to review!

~KateMarie999