Wowee, sorry for the break guys. EmmerzK has returned to the land of the living! Got some good angsties and drama for you here. I must say Avatar: The Last Airbender is now my most favoritest show in the entire world, and it would be a hard decision for you all to decide whose fault it is for the lack of update this last week or two: me, who has watched the entire 3 seasons of ATLA in that time, or Katie, who sent it to me?

Oh, decisions, decisions. But one must not ramble forever. Go read yo chapter, my pretties!

-EmmerzK

Chapter Fifteen: Tough Love

There was nothing like living like a criminal under the chief's nose.

Of course, Finn didn't really live like a criminal at home. He just found it extremely ironic how difficult it was for his dad to catch the gang, or even acquire any information, when he had not one, but two of the little scoundrels living right under his very nose.

It was four days after his father's frightening speech of impending doom when Finn tromped down the stairs, a smirk playing at the edge of his lips at his good fortune. He didn't honestly expect it to last this long. Though he'd never expected to get caught or hadn't pegged an allotted time frame for the gang to exist, it was five months to the day since the first hit! He was on Cloud 9. He probably shouldn't be enjoying this so much.

But when you're fifteen and successfully rebellious, what the heck?

Finn made it to the bottom of the stairs just as Erick emerged from the washroom, the ends of his blonde hair damp from a wash. The older teen stiffened as Finn brushed past, holding the red-head's mocking smirk with an icy stare. Finn marched into the kitchen area and the moment passed.

The future heir scooped a massive ladle of oatmeal with gusto, piling it high with berries and nuts. Finn couldn't help but feel a little exhilarated by this glorious bowl of goodness he'd created. He nearly felt like advertising it to the world. Fearless Finn Haddock: future chief of Berk, unstoppable gang leader, and devourer of oatmeal.

"Need a bigger bowl?" His father's amused voice interrupted his musings of trampling his enemies with the strength that only a healthy breakfast could give.

Finn frowned and twisted sideways, surprised he hadn't noticed his father standing two feet away. Swallowing, he watched as Erick took a seat at the table across from his sister and rubbed his forehead. Finn cleared his spoon with his lips before poking it at his father. "Don't judge me."

Hiccup snorted, sipping his coffee as he leaned against the counter. "Wouldn't dream of it."

The teenager scowled at the dark brew. "How can you drink that?"

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "Gotta be wide awake to get my job done. And catch the gang."

Finn shrugged indifferently, dodging the baited phrase. He wondered if his dad chose those words on purpose. Probably. He dug into his oatmeal fervently. "Whatever floats your boat."

"Or sinks it." Adrianna piped from her seat, peering at them through her bangs as she took a bite of eggs. Finn stuck a tongue out at her.

Erick closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the table. Hiccup instantly straightened. "You okay over there?"

"Mhm."

"You look tired," Adrianna prompted. "Did you sleep enough?"

"Yeah," Erick sighed as he sat up, rubbing his eyes. "I'm just… still catching up."

"Gotcha." Adrianna nodded once resolutely before returning to her plate.

Finn rolled his eyes. So stiff and boring and blah, those two. So much needless tension and drama. Maybe it was a blonde thing? Scraping his last scoop of oatmeal into his mouth and dumping the dishes into the wash basin, he walked up and squeezed Erick's shoulders. "Oh he's fine, nothing like the Haddock family to rest you up, both in body and soul in preparation for the rest of life's hardships."

Erick's body gradually went rigid until he flicked Finn's right hand. Finn smirked and threw up his hands in mock hurt. "I try to be nice. People would kill for a massage from me, you know that?"

"Don't touch me." Erick murmured. The hardness in his voice was calm and quiet, yet unmistakable.

Adrianna watched the exchange with wide eyes, glancing between the boys. The tension in the room mounted like two opposing magnets fighting for strength. She looked to her father, who remained still as he held his cup of coffee, watching the interaction. Hiccup's green eyes were narrowed ever so slightly, which only confirmed his piqued interest.

"Relax, Larson," Finn snickered as he turned toward the door. "Maybe you should get some more sleep. You're a touch grouchy. Anywho, I'm off to the forge. Later taters."

The house went silent after his exit, leaving the others sitting or standing in bewildered confusion. Adrianna watched Erick trace lines in the wood grain table with his fingertip. Either he was oblivious to the two Haddock stares he was receiving, or he didn't care. Adrianna wasn't sure which was worse.

The last four days had been interesting to say the least. Her parents were going out of their way to make Erick feel welcome, which didn't bother her much once the initial shock waned. They were making a huge effort, which both piqued her curiosity and slightly stirred a few hints of jealousy. But the latter she shoved down with all her might, unwilling to be caught up in that sort of thinking. Anyone could take one look at Erick and see that he needed help.

Dark circles swept under his eyes, his already lean frame a bit thinner than she remembered a few months ago, and the mysterious wraps surrounding his forearms, as always. She wanted to ask what had happened. Some sort of injury, she wagered. But she didn't dare ask. If she was sure of anything, she knew a weary, despondent soul when she saw one. She didn't want to scare him away when her parents were so clearly trying to reel him in. She didn't know what was going on in his life, but it must be serious enough for her parents to take him in.

All this Adrianna thought in the few quiet moments after her brother left the house. She told her mom she'd try to befriend Erick, and she'd been thinking the last few days on how she'd go about doing that. She needed more time, and she wanted to discuss it with Brandyn to see if he had any advice.

Hiccup finally stirred, setting his empty cup down inside the basin. "He's in a mysteriously good mood."

Adrianna hummed in agreement. Her brother was weird and crazy on a number of levels, more often grouchy than anyone in the near vicinity. To see him in a good mood was a rare occurrence for sure. She vaguely wondered what his deal was and what was going on between him and Erick. She'd never seen them so tense around each other. It almost felt like a stalemate between two opposing sides in a war. One waiting for the other to give just a little so victory could be achieved.

Erick swallowed, his eyes flickering to her for a moment before he rubbed his neck and looked away. Adrianna shook her head slightly. She was reading too many books.

Muffled footsteps were the only warning they got before the door flew open and Brandyn stepped inside. "Whew!" Erick jumped at the sudden noise. Adrianna smiled at him gently when he sighed in shock. "Hot outside and it's not even ten yet!"

"Hey Brandyn." Adrianna greeted him.

"Meh." Hiccup whined, palm in his cheek. "To leather or not to leather?"

"If I was you, which I'm certainly not," Brandyn brandished a finger at the chief as he sat beside his girlfriend. "I would most certainly not leather."

"Urgh… fine."

"Does this mean I don't have to work today?" Erick silently quipped.

A beat passed before Brandyn snorted. "Nice. 'Fraid you'll have to ask your big boss about that one."

"Yep." Erick drew out the "p" sound with a pop of his lips.

"So kids, what's the plan today?" Hiccup asked, hopping onto the counter to inspect his prosthetic.

"Work." Erick mused.

"Work?" Brandyn asked. "Pft. You're always working. You should come work out."

Erick's brow furrowed. "Me, work out? Have you seen these noodly arms?" He raised his limbs and wiggled his slender fingers for emphasis.

"Hey now," Hiccup interrupted. "Wiry boys can become strong men just as easily with a little effort."

Adrianna nodded. "Dragon riding would do the trick."

Brandyn frowned. "Shouldn't you be helping me get more ripped than him?"

"Nah," The blonde girl shook her head. "You're already good."

Erick's head hit the back of his chair. "Ugh."

"Ugh is right." Hiccup murmured.

Brandyn snickered. "You guys are just jealous."

"Eh?" Hiccup raised his head.

"Ehh no." Erick shook his head.

Adrianna frowned. "What's that supposed to mean? That was for Erick by the way."

Erick felt a blush rise to his cheeks. "Um… n-nothing." He stammered, shaking his head. "I… well what do you want me to say? We've already established your boyfriend is stronger than me. He'd pummel me for saying otherwise."

"Assuming what you're saying is the truth then." Brandyn asked in a clipped tone.

Erick swallowed, scratched his neck and fought for a response.

"Well," Hiccup mused, still working on his prosthetic. "This just got awkward."

Erick threw an unamused scowl over his shoulder at the chief and stood, snatching his satchel off a nearby hook. "I meant nothing by it."

"Nothing at all?" Adrianna inquired.

Erick paused with his hand on the doorknob, ignoring the other two men and staring directly at her. "I don't know, Adrianna. You tell me. You're the one that's so curious to know." The Larson boy waited in the silence for a beat before opening the door and stepping outside.

Adrianna's heart shrank when the door closed, leaving her alone with her boyfriend and father. She noticed Brandyn look at her from her peripheral vision, and gulped. She thought it had been a legitimate question at first, considering their past history. But she hadn't considered who was sitting directly to her left either.

"Sooooo…" Hiccup drawled, finishing with his leg. "The plan?"

Brandyn watched her for another moment before brightening considerably. "I have an idea. You should come work out with me."

"Afraid I've got a gang to catch and harvest meetings all day. Sorry."

"Not you." Brandyn deadpanned. "Not that that wouldn't be jolly good fun, but no. I meant Anna-banana!"

Both Haddocks frowned in confusion. "Erm… me?" Adrianna asked. "I-I don't know about that-"

"Oh come ooooooon," Brandyn pleaded. "The most you ever do outside is fly with Lily, which is a great thing mind you, but it's not pure exercise! It's not sweat pouring down your back or rippling muscles from a hard workout!"

"Yeah, one problem with that, Bran," Adrianna chuckled. "I'm not exactly a man. Rippling muscles and dripping sweat sound repulsive."

Brandyn's jaw dropped in hurt. "Even these bad boys?" He flexed an arm for effect.

Adrianna blushed, glancing at her father. "Put that thing away."

"Oh man," Hiccup sighed. "Not the biceps, please don't let me see that. She might die a horrible death of embarrassment!"

"Horrible." Brandyn chimed.

"Crushing."

"Hey-"

"Devastatingly crushing!"

"Would you two shut up!" Adrianna shouted over her laughs. "Seriously. Why would you want to drag me out into the woods to work out?"

"Because you're a lazy bag of bones and you need to learn to hold your own in a fight!" Brandyn remarked flatly. Hiccup chortled in the background. "Seriously, you're the freaking princess of Berk, HIS daughter! Finn's got it down, you need to have some skills other than reading, which is a good skill, but you- oh just come on!"

"Wait," Adrianna pulled her arm back. "Is this for fun or because you think I need to change who I am to fit your standards?"

Brandyn looked taken aback. He looked at Hiccup, who merely sat there with an amused expression, waiting for him to respond. "I want to change you for you in a good way but not because of my own selfish desires or bad tropes of what women should or shouldn't be."

Adrianna blinked, waiting.

"No I mean this honestly, you don't get any exercise outside of flying and I… think you should be more active! That's all!" Brandyn smiled warily, hoping he hadn't made a serious oops.

Adrianna raised an eyebrow. "Lazy bag of bones?"

"Laziest bag of bones I've seen to date. But," Brandyn smirked, tapping her nose. "Still pretty."

"All right love birds, get out of here." Hiccup hopped off the counter with a smile. "As much as I'd love to listen to your totes adorbs banter all day, I'm afraid I've got things to do."

"Great! Have fun with that! I'll go grab some stuff from the barn!" Brandyn hightailed it out of the house and ran for the barn before she could blink.

"Wait dad," Adrianna stood and dumped her leftovers in the trash. "You're… okay with this?"

Hiccup shrugged. "What's a little exercise? Just know if that boy hurts you being careless, he'll meet his end."

"Ha ha."

"No really," Hiccup raised his eyebrows. "Don't get hurt."

Adrianna smiled bashfully, avoiding his eyes. "Part of being a Viking, right?"

Hiccup rolled his eyes and waved his hands around. "Not lethally!"

"No lethal death. Got it."

"Oh get outta here."

"Fine, fine." Adrianna hopped out the front door to meet Brandyn, then paused a few steps outside. She felt light and strangely warm inside, despite the earlier awkward situation with Erick. She wondered what was making her feel like this, and then she realized it was the playful banter with her dad. They hadn't bantered like that in… she didn't want to think about how long. It was inviting and comforting. It was fun.

On a whim, she twisted on her heel and met her father as he was closing the front door. He looked at her in surprise and stilled when she wrapped her arms around his chest for a hug. A beat later and Hiccup had her wrapped in his arms, so strong and warm and comforting. She found that she suddenly didn't want to pull away.

"You okay?" He murmured in her ear.

Adrianna finally straightened out of his hold and nodded with a warm smile. "Have a good day, daddy."

The words clearly impacted him deeper than she expected. His eyebrows pinched together and he gave her a wistful smile, reaching up to brush her cheek with his thumb. "You too, sweetheart." Hiccup bent down to kiss her forehead chastely before nodding toward the barn. "Now go on, your boy's waiting for you."

Sure enough, Brandyn stood by the barn doors with their two dragons and a handful of weapons. He watched on with an amused expression. Adrianna blushed and nodded. "See you tonight."

"Bye Addie."

Brandyn regaled her with awesome fighting stances and other sorts of strange battle strategies as they walked toward the woods behind the house. Adrianna threw a last look over her shoulder as her father and Toothless took to the air and swooped toward the village. She smiled to herself, proud that she'd given him a moment of happiness. She hadn't meant to, but she supposed that was the beauty of it. The point wasn't to make someone feel loved.

It was simply to love.

"Do you think it'll work?" Hiccup inspected the vial of liquid before his eyes, narrowing his eyes. "It just seems like an odd combination."

"I haven't tested it yet." Mara said, her eyes focused on the same vial. "I really haven't gotten a chance."

"Well I guess testing it would involve someone's heart stopping." Hiccup handed her the vial back to her. "But it's an interesting theory."

"I've made plenty." Mara tucked the small vial into his hand. "You're the chief. You should be carrying this with you."

"Experimental medicine that may or may not work. Can't see how that would go wrong."

Mara smacked him lightly on the stomach, making him laugh. "Well any test subject you find would be out of options at that point so it can't hurt."

"So go over it with me again." Hiccup said, holding the vial up to inspect it again. "What am I supposed to do with it?"

"If you come across a human or dragon whose heart has stopped, inject them directly in the heart with this." Mara handed him a syringe. "If I'm right, this'll get it going again."

"What brought this on all of a sudden?" Hiccup asked her as he tucked the vial and syringe in a hidden compartment in his prosthetic.

"I've been doing some thinking about emergency care." Mara told him. "This idea came to me a couple of days ago and I think the formula is pretty good. Figured I'd share. I hope I didn't interrupt you too much."

"Not at all. I've always got time for you, Mara." Hiccup waved his hand. "I should go though. Important breakfast meeting."

"Okay. Well let me know if you need anything else." Mara told him as he headed toward the door.

"Checkup was everything I needed. Glad to know I'm not dying." Hiccup said cheerfully. "See you later, Mara. No offense but I hope not to visit you at work until my next checkup!"

"No offense taken!" Mara called after him.

Hiccup was in an extremely good mood early that afternoon. Perhaps it was the hug he'd gotten from his daughter that morning but he felt ready to take on the world. Or maybe it was all the coffee he'd been drinking since waking up. Either way, he had certainly gotten out of the right side of bed that morning and was looking forward to his lunch meeting.

As soon as he got to the Great Hall, he spotted Erick standing awkwardly against the wall near the door. The youngest Larson smiled when he saw the chief.

"I was starting to think you wouldn't show up." he said, sounding very relieved. "Then I'd probably have had to eat with Cliff."

"I wouldn't miss this for anything." Hiccup told him, affectionately patting his shoulder. "Let's not waste any more time."

As soon as they had gotten food, they sat down at a table toward the middle of the Hall so that Hiccup was still visible to those who needed him. Few people had come by since Hiccup and Erick had started meeting up for lunch every day for the last few days but they preferred to avoid interruptions.

"So how are you doing?" Hiccup asked him once they had sat down.

"You ask me that every day." Erick replied, picking at his food rather than eating it. "I'm not really sure how to answer it though."

"Well it's been a big adjustment." Hiccup said calmly. "Astrid and I like having you around but we want you to feel comfortable."

"I have been." Erick smiled. "The loft is pretty cozy."

"I know. I've slept in there a couple of times. Usually when I'm sick and I don't want Astrid to catch whatever I have."

"Oh, so it's germ infested?" Erick made a face. "No wonder my throat's been so scratchy." he smirked and rubbed his throat with his fingers. "If I die of a horrible disease, it's your fault."

Hiccup let out a sarcastic chortle. "If you die of a horrible disease can I have your dragon? I've always wanted a Nadder of my own."

Toothless made an indignant noise and smacked him with his tail. Hiccup laughed and was pleased to see Erick smile. However, the amusing moment was short lived.

"You're dying?" someone cried from behind Erick's head. "Oh, say it isn't so! You wouldn't leave your ol' pal to do all your work by himself!"

Erick turned to see Cliff standing over the table, looking extremely emotional. Hiccup raised an eyebrow at the unexpected guest as Erick buried his face in his hands.

"You okay?" Hiccup asked Erick, staring between him and Cliff.

"He's just weeping for joy at the sight of me." Cliff thumped Erick on the back and sat down next to him. "But it's not him I wanted to talk to. Chief, I've been mentally, emotionally, and physically preparing myself for this inevitable talk and I feel..." Cliff placed his hand on his heart. "I feel now is the time to have this conversation."

"Ohhh gods." Erick said through his fingers.

"Okay, what did you want to say?" Hiccup asked, feeling slightly apprehensive.

"Chief, I promise you, no, I swear to you that I did not have anything to do with that gang!" Cliff folded his hands in front of his face, his voice wrought with emotion. "Please don't lock me up, chief! I'll swear it before the whole council! I'll testify it under threat of dismemberment that I don't even know who's in the gang!"

"Cliff-"

"I don't even know who knows who's in the gang! I don't know anything! I know I fall in the right age range but I'm innocent, I tell you, I'm innocent!" Cliff wailed, dropping to his knees. Several people looked in their direction with amused smiles.

"Cliff, I don't-"

"Please don't lock me up! I can't sleep at night without my door open! I can't even fall asleep without my teddy bear! I wouldn't last five minutes!"

"CLIFF!" Hiccup bellowed, silencing the pleading teen. Cliff whimpered in terror. "It's okay. I never thought you had anything to do with it."

Cliff's eyes widened with renewed hope. "You didn't?"

"No." Hiccup assured him. "You've given me no reason to suspect you."

"Oh, okay!" Cliff bounded to his feet and enthusiastically shook the chief's whole arm. "You are a wise and wonderful chief and all of the archipelago is lucky that you exist. My best friend in the whole universe here is truly blessed to have found your favor and it is my greatest dream that I may be deemed worthy enough to be considered one of your most loyal subjects."

"Umm thanks... I think."

"You have done so much good for this village ever since you took over for your noble and well respected father and I would be surprised if you didn't go down in history as one of the greatest chiefs the world has ever seen!" Cliff finally let go of Hiccup's arm, much to the chief's relief. "You are my hero, Chief Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third!"

"Thank you, Cliff!" Hiccup spoke quickly before the boy could continue. "I would be honored to deem you worthy of being one of my most loyal subjects. The village needs more teens like you."

Cliff suddenly hugged the man tightly. "You are truly the greatest man who ever lived!"

"I'm not so sure about that." Hiccup said, laughing as he hugged the boy back. "But I do my best."

"I have but one request for you." Cliff told him once he had let the chief go (Hiccup gasped and massaged his ribs). "Please give Erick your blessing to wed your lovely and beautiful daughter Adrianna." Erick choked on a bite of mutton but if Cliff noticed, he didn't let on. "They are my one true pairing, the light of my life! Their love story shall be legendary and I know my bruh here will provide you with the greatest grandchildren a man of your stature could ask for!"

"If the opportunity arises, I'm sure Erick would be a fine husband." Hiccup assured him. "But Addie is dating someone else now."

Cliff waved a hand. "Details, chief! Let that sham relationship run its course so that you can bless this gentleman with the love of his life." he thumped Erick on the back. "And with that, I really must be going. Horst has a lot of orders and I wanted to get started early to make sure he's not in over his head."

"Ah... okay." Hiccup nodded once. "Go in peace, my loyal friend."

Cliff beamed at him before scampering off, leaving Hiccup laughing and Erick blushing deeply.

"I'm sorry about him." Erick said after he was certain Cliff was gone. "He's... he's..."

"He's a character." Hiccup finished, still laughing. "Good kid though, I like him. I think he's good for you to be around, to be honest."

Erick raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because he's cheerful and he looks up to you." Hiccup said with a small shrug. "He doesn't have any siblings and I think he sees you as a big brother. Congratulations."

"Great." Erick grumbled. "Four brothers. Five if Cliff's dream comes true and I somehow manage to marry Adrianna."

"You can never have too much family." Hiccup assured him. "Haven't you always wanted a younger sibling?"

"No." Erick rested his cheek on his hand. "There were already too many kids at home."

"I did." Hiccup sighed. "Mom died before I got the chance to have any. I always wanted a little sister." he suddenly looked up at the sight of a blue Terrible Terror. "Although now I'm not so sure about that..."

The Terror flapped around Hiccup's head, refusing to land and looking very pleased that she had delivered her message. Finally, Hiccup managed to take the note from her leg and give her a little treat for her efforts. He then glanced down at the message.

HICCUP!

I've been thinking really really really really super duper crazily and ridiculously hard about your gang problem ever since I got home and I think I have an idea! You should pretend you have issues with your guards one night and let the teens hear you talk about it so they'll try to mess with that place while it's not guarded. Better than THAT, you should have some of your GUARDS talk about it so it doesn't look like you set it up. It would be easy peasy to get them to do that and you'd have that whole gang cornered before you can say "Camicazi is a genius!"

Hope you think about my idea because I think it's the best idea in the world!

Camicazi the Crazy

Hiccup sighed. He'd already come up with this idea weeks ago but the gang hadn't taken the bait. However, he was pleased that Camicazi was so willing to help and it was a decent plan in and of itself.

"Good news?"

"Uhh yeah." Hiccup tucked the note away in his coat. "Camicazi's fine. Sends her love. Just as nuts as ever. But maybe a little smarter than I thought."

Erick's eyebrows shot up. "Smart? Okay then."

"She is." Hiccup told him. "But that's not important at the moment. What is important is spending some of my day checking in with you."

"You don't have to do this." Erick said, lowering his head and staring at his plate.

"I tell you this every day." Hiccup said patiently. "I want to do this. I like spending time with you, Erick. If I didn't, I wouldn't be here."

"You spend plenty of time with people you don't like."

"Because I have to." Hiccup shrugged. "That's life sometimes. But that's not the case here. You're a great kid, Erick. And I am so proud of how far you've come already."

Erick honestly didn't know how Hiccup did it but the Haddock patriarch always managed to make him feel good about himself. Maybe that was where Adrianna had gotten the warmly encouraging nature that had always attracted him to her. The feelings of self doubt ebbed away despite himself, almost like they had when his father was around. Erick still missed Olaf so much he felt a physical ache in his stomach at the thought and Hiccup certainly wasn't the same person but in just a few days, Erick had come to feel like he had a father again. It was a feeling he didn't know he missed.

And, unfortunately, with that feeling came a tidal wave of guilt. He forced a smile as he and Hiccup ate lunch but he knew that, eventually, he would have to reveal his true colors. He only hoped Hiccup wouldn't hate him too much.

Inga didn't like walking anywhere by herself. She felt unsafe without her dragon or family or Alton by her side. But all of them were busy (or, in Mystie's case, napping) so she was forced to walk through the village on her own so that she could have her regular check up with Mara. And unfortunately, Mara's house was on the other edge of town, which meant she had to walk directly through her least favorite section.

Most kids avoided the alley near the forge. A variety of teenagers always seemed to congregate there no matter what day of the week it was and this day was no different. Inga had to walk directly past it, keeping her head down and hoping they wouldn't notice her.

"Jorgenson!"

Apparently they did notice her. Inga sighed and tried to pretend she couldn't hear their shrill voices.

"Oh, I get it. Little Jorgenson's too good to talk to us." Dana's voice rang in the girl's ears. "Or maybe she's about to have one of her crazy fits."

Inga went rigid, her stomach clenching. She knew that Dana was trying to get a reaction out of her... but crazy fits?

"That's probably a good idea." Morgan spoke up. "Wouldn't want her drooling all over herself."

"Shut up." Inga mumbled, hating herself for speaking up at all.

"You know, talking to yourself just makes you look crazier." Dana sighed dramatically. "It's kind of a shame, really. Jorgensons used to have such a good reputation."

"I said shut up!" Inga bellowed, finally turning to face the group of girls standing in the alley.

Dana raised her eyebrows, apparently surprised that Inga had talked back. "Well you'd have to be crazy to go out in public with that haircut."

Inga ran her fingers through her short hair. "It was burned off!" she growled. "Leave me alone."

"Why? Are you needed somewhere important?" asked a girl named Jackie that Inga didn't know very well.

"I bet she's going to Mara's to make sure she's sane enough to go out in public." Dana chortled. "Is it true you have to go every week?"

"Just go away!" Inga turned on her heel and tried to walk away from the girls but Morgan, Dana, and Jackie stepped in front of her.

"You are going to Mara's." Morgan remarked with a smirk. "Look, I'm no healer but if she couldn't stop you from throwing fits by now, she never will."

"Face it. You're going to have to accept that your brain is permanently damaged." Dana poked her in the chest. "At least now you look like it from the outside."

"Oh please, hair grows back. What's your excuse for your haircut?" Inga shot back at Dana, her patience completely gone.

"Uhh I know what looks good on me?" Dana rolled her eyes. "Apparently you've never seen a mirror."

"Don't try to tell her how to live her life. If she wants stupid hair, it's her decision." Jackie told Dana before Inga could respond. "I mean even if it looked nice, she'd still randomly drool all over her shirt because she's insane."

"Shut up!" shouted a much lower voice that certainly didn't belong to Inga.

Finn dropped the stack of bent weapons he had been carrying to the forge and bolted over to the girls, looking livid. Inga's mouth dropped open at the enraged expression on his face.

"What is wrong with you?" Finn yelled at the bullies, making Morgan and Jackie take a few steps back. "Just leave her alone!"

"Ooh, I didn't know you liked crazies." Dana said serenely, crossing her arms and not backing down. "Must run in the family."

"Keep gabbing, Dana, I dare you." Finn leaned in close to her, his teeth bared like a wild animal. "Give me a reason and I will make you regret it."

"Please." Dana gave him a wry smile and patted his cheek. "You're so not worth my time. C'mon." she waved to Morgan and Jackie, who followed her as she walked away.

Finn turned back to Inga, fully expecting her to thank him for stepping in. He was surprised to see her face reddening in rage.

"Haddock." she seethed. "What were you doing?"

"Stopping those girls from making fun of you." Finn replied, absolutely mystified at her behavior. "What did it look like?"

"Why would you stick up for me?" Inga shouted indignantly. "You're always making fun of other kids my age!"

"Yeah but you don't deserve it." Finn rolled his eyes. "They were making fun of your... you know..."

"My seizures?" Inga hissed. "Oh so that it, is it? You don't care about me, you just feel sorry for me!"

"No!"

"Then you pity me because I have a disability!" Inga balled her fists at her side. "Well guess what, Fearless Finn! I don't need your help and I don't want your help!"

"Why are you turning it away?" Finn threw his arms up in exasperation. "People listen to me! If I hadn't spoken up, they'd still be bugging you!"

"Because I don't want you solving my problems just because I have an issue! I hate it when people treat me differently! It's embarrassing!" Inga shrieked, making several villagers turn to watch the theatrics unfolding. "So next time you feel the need to stand up for me because you think I'm a helpless little girl who can't defend herself, stuff it! I'm just fine!"

"Fine then!" Finn bellowed back, not bothering to lower the volume. "Go ahead and let them walk all over you! Reject any and all help bestowed upon you because Thor forbid anyone do anything nice for you!" he waited until Inga was walking away before adding, "And by the way, your hair does look stupid."

He could have sworn he heard a muffled sob before he turned back to the pile of old weapons. He knew he needed to cool off. If he didn't, he would surely explode and end up destroying something. So, after kicking the weapons out of the middle of the road, he stomped into the woods.

Why had Inga reacted that way? He did once nice thing and she jumped down his throat because she couldn't accept that she needed help now and then. She hadn't seen herself lying on the ground twitching and foaming at the mouth. Maybe if she did, she'd understand why she needed to be protected from people who wanted to make fun of her for that. That was certainly no laughing matter. It gave Finn chills every time he thought about it. Finn hated weakness and to watch someone lose control of her own mind and body... there was nothing more terrifying. And that anyone could trivialize something like that... he was going to have to talk to Dana, Morgan, and Jackie about that later. Regardless of how irritating she was, Inga was off limits.

Finn hadn't realized how far into the woods he had gotten until he tripped on a rock and went sprawling into a much bigger boulder, barely stopping himself before he split his head open on it. Cursing under his breath, he kicked the boulder, instantly regretting it when pain exploded in his foot. Gritting his teeth, he turned to limp away when felt the ground shift slightly beneath him. He looked down and spotted a tiny opening in the dirt.

"What the..." he muttered as he crouched down to inspect it.

It took a while to clear the area so Finn could see what was there. He had to uproot half a shrub that had grown over it but as soon as it was cleared, his eyes widened. He had somehow opened a hidden passageway! He looked at the boulder and noticed that he'd moved it a few inches away, revealing the entrance. So... Berk had secret passages, did it? Finn knew that Hiccup would be completely fascinated were he were. His father loved weird stuff like this.

But Hiccup wasn't here. No one was. This wasn't near any major areas so there weren't even any guards flying overhead. Finn was completely alone.

"All right, let's see what we got." he mumbled as he pulled open the trap door and descended an earthly staircase into the dark depths.

He managed to ignite a nearby torch with a set of stones he carried with him. The tunnel wasn't very big and it didn't look like the work of a Whispering Death. This was different. This was definitely man made. Finn crept forward, staring around at the clever architecture that had kept this tunnel open for however long it had existed. He usually hated tight, dank spaces but the farther he got into the tunnel, the wider it became.

After he had walked for nearly twenty minutes, he came across another staircase, this one leading up too far for him to see with one little torch. He ascended it until he was out of breath and he reached what appeared to be a dead end.

"Come on." he groaned. "There's no way anyone built a tunnel just to lead to a blank wall."

He inspected the wall until he saw a tiny lever so close to the side, it was easy to miss. He pulled it and a small panel opened in the middle of the wall. Inside the panel were a complicated series of mechanisms that Finn would never have been able to figure out if he weren't Hiccup's son. But the Haddock boy had spent plenty of time watching his father tinkering and listening to his incomprehensible mechanical jargon. For someone so creative and innovative, Hiccup could be very boring if he went off on one of his rants about how something worked. But now, all that stupid chattering was paying off as Finn was having a laughably easy time figuring out how this contraption worked. Apparently this was meant to be a puzzle. Maybe the person who had designed it was a distant ancestor whose mechanical gifts had been inherited generations later by Hiccup. It certainly looked like the kind of weird contraption the Hooligan chief would create. But it was definitely too old to have been installed by Hiccup himself.

Finally, after a minute of working through the puzzle, the lock clicked and the wall swung open to reveal... the Great Hall. Finn sighed in disappointment. He'd been half expecting a secret bunker or something like that. No one seemed to have noticed him open a small section of the wall near the back. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a torch holder that was in a weird position now; apparently that was how to open the passage from within the Hall. The kitchen staff was busy with lunch preparations and hadn't even glanced in his direction. Finn turned to go back into the passageway, preferring to avoid awkward questions as to how he'd gotten there, when inspiration struck him.

The leader of Berk's teenage rebellion smirked as he shut the door behind him and descended the staircase once more. He had a brilliant, completely foolproof plan. Now all he needed to do was get the word out.

Finn tromped over to the Great Hall just in time for dinner, thinking about how he would get the word out to the gang. But that would have to wait. His growling stomach demanded to be attended to and Finn refused to ignore it.

There were many things that the Haddock boy appreciated. Food, for one thing. He was a strapping young man and Odin help the poor soul that interrupted or kept him from his practically sacred food time. Second, weapons and fighting skills. That was probably the only thing he and Brandyn could relate on, which made the guy just past bearable. And third: girls.

In the past, Finn appreciated any girl who'd fawned over him from afar due to his status and strength, he assumed. And his face, he was pretty good looking after all. But back then, he had Helga and he was content with her. He'd maybe shared one or two highly dangerous winks with a girl now and then, but he'd never been with another girl like he had with Helga.

Apparently, his increased confidence seemed to catch a few eyes, or at least one pair in particular. He'd never expected her to ever seek him out. He'd never even thought of her in that way; she just exuded an off limits attitude, not that in previous months he'd been looking for other girlfriend options. But now, with his new-found audacity for breaking rules and pushing boundaries, Finn didn't have any problems. In fact, if one were to label it as a "problem", he welcomed it.

Which is why when Dana Sanders sat beside him at the Great Hall, he didn't bat an eye. The other teens didn't seem to notice the way her fingertips trailed up his arm enticingly, when she scooted into his side until their shoulders were past touching, or her foot slowly trailed up the inside of his leg. Finn caught the flirtatious look in her eye and pretended to be interested in the conversation going on around them, all the while running his hand up her thigh and squeezing playfully. Apparently their run-in earlier today was forgotten, or perhaps it had enticed the Sanders girl to seek him out. He didn't care either way. As far as he was concerned, he'd made his point and now she was certainly making hers.

After a few more minutes of subtle touches and looks, Dana leaned in close to his ear. "What do you say we get some air?"

Though he didn't have much experience, Finn knew that look. Daring. Challenging. Bloody dangerous. He smirked widely and nodded. "Okay."

Dana led the way toward the doors and down the Great Hall steps. Finn followed her to the nearest row of houses, surprised when she grabbed his hand and pulled him faster. He didn't think of her as the hand-holding type.

Finally, Dana pulled him inside a barn and roughly kicked the door closed. Then she shoved Finn into the wall and kissed him fiercely, shoving her hands into his hair and dragging his mouth down to meet hers.

Now, he and Helga had had a few heated moments. But never had Helga completely plundered his mouth to the point where he could barely keep up. He always knew Dana to be wild and tenacious, but he never would've thought her to be so when kissing. He almost felt like he couldn't keep up with her. Finn was a control freak. He didn't like being out of control.

Before long, Dana began yanking his shirt up over his head, her lips swollen red from attacking his. Finn felt the blood rush to his head when she dragged him down onto a nearby hay bale and climbed on top of him. He kissed her back as forcefully as he could, gripping her waist and trying to regain some control, but she kept him pinned. Finally, he grabbed the sides of her shirt and forced them up over her head. But a wicked idea occurred to him halfway through.

Before she could remove her hands from her shirt, he quickly wrapped the material around them crudely so her hands were tied. She struggled for a moment before Finn flipped them over, bearing his weight on top of her. Dana gave a short laugh, trying to free her hands. "While you've inconvenienced me, Haddock, you're a blacksmith. Show me just how good with those hands you are."

Finn didn't think twice. He slid his hands up her smooth belly, taking his time to run his fingernails across her sensitive skin, making her shiver. He kissed down her neck languorously, which made her squirm and pant heavily.

Interesting, he thought. Tickles some, turns others on. Okay.

Dana finally slapped her shirt off her hands, arching her back and digging her nails into his scalp like claws. Finn groaned at the sensation, mouthing the edges of her breast bindings and pinning her hands down at her sides.

"Finn…" Dana moaned. "Y-you're a lot better at this than you look."

Finn trailed his mouth back up to her chin and smirked. "Likewise."

Dana wrapped her leg around the outside of his and firmly grabbed his bicep, bending him to her will. Finn found himself flat on his back once again, drowning in the sensation of her mouth hot against his and her weight bearing down against his belly, keeping him pinned. Her perfume was sweet and enticing on her skin, only drawing him in further. He'd never really thought about Dana before, especially in this way, but dang. He bit her lip, making her draw back with a loud pop of their lips. Finn attacked her neck again, making her gasp loudly.

"You know what we need?" Dana moaned, her hand snaking down his belly between them.

"Hm?" Finn hummed, occupied at her neck.

"More." Dana grabbed his hands and moved them to the edges of her pants.

Finn swallowed heavily, his mind buzzing and fingers twitching at her sides. "What?"

"Just follow my lead, Haddock." Dana kissed him slowly, captivating him so he barely noticed anything else. He forced himself not to think about the situation, what they were doing. He tried to ignore her fingers at his belt.

Then, the door creaked open.

They snapped apart, Finn smacking his forehead against Dana's. He expected his father, mother, Gobber, Horst, heck even Snotlout to be standing there scowling…

But never in a million years would he have expected Adrianna to be standing there, her green eyes lit with such fury it may as well have been their father standing in her place.

"Only you would taint a perfect day." Adrianna finally spoke. "But this is a new low, Finn."

Finn huffed and lay back against the straw. "What do you want?"

"I want lots of things, Finn. What I didn't want was to walk in on my brother giving up his virginity."

"Cork it, Adrianna!" Dana growled. "You seriously think we were going that far? What, do you think we're stupid?"

Adrianna clapped a hand at her side. "Quite frankly, yes. I admit I expected better from some," she stared pointedly at Finn.

He glared at her. "Shutup and go away. I make my own decisions."

"Fine, make decisions, Finn! But Dana?" Adrianna asked incredulously. "Have you lost your mind?"

"This isn't your concern!"

"No?" Adrianna cried. "No, of course not. I'll just let you taint the family name with your growing provocative tendencies!"

Dana finally stood. "Adrianna, leave."

"I don't think so," Adrianna countered, raising her chin. "I'm not leaving him here with a slut like you."

Finn's eyes bugged. He'd never heard such a word come out of his sister's mouth. Dana didn't seem fazed. "Like he said, he'll make his own decisions. No need to be mommy and daddy's little helper and check in on him."

"Oh, so trying to help my brother is a bad thing now. Okay. Not like you would understand." Adrianna crossed her arms, staring at Finn. "Come on."

"No."

"If you don't come with me this second, I'm getting dad and bringing him back here. And you know he'll believe everything I tell him."

Finn's face burned. He hated the daddy card. Always being the tattletale, always being on his side. He didn't expect his sister to be on his side here; she wasn't the rebellious type. But she always had to play the daddy card. If you don't listen to me, I'll tell daddy.

"Whatever. Tell him. You always do." Finn said scathingly as he snatched his shirt off the ground.

Dana huffed. "You're seriously giving in to this?"

"You want my dad to come in here, Night Fury blazing, and roast us alive?" Finn countered. "Obviously not. I'll… see you later."

Dana scowled, disappointed and angry. "Whatever." She too snatched her shirt off the ground, untangled it dramatically in front of Adrianna before pulling it on, and walking out the door with her head held high.

Adrianna stared at her brother darkly. "You've got serious issues if you think Dana is-"

"Shut up, Anna!" Finn shouted. "What the heck do you care what I do with my life!"

"You know, maybe I don't! Maybe I should've walked on by and let you have sex with her and then you'd really suffer some consequences for once!"

"We weren't-"

"Oh obviously not." Adrianna chortled, flippantly waving a hand. "I have a babysitting job to get to. Go find something useful to do that doesn't involve losing something you can't get back."

Finn watched her go, his head whirling with unkind comments and emotions that were better left unsaid. Even at fifteen, his mother would tan his hide for speaking any of that aloud. The last ten minutes caught up to him in a whirl and he rested his forehead on the heel of his hand. He set out for home, deliberately ignoring the knot of guilt twinging in his chest.

Erick tossed and turned in the loft late that night. No matter what position he assumed, sleep evaded him. His head was full of raging emotions and thoughts that nearly gave him a headache. And the twinging in his arms didn't help.

Finally, he rose from the loft an headed to the Haddock house to get a drink of water. Sometimes that helped him calm down enough to fall asleep.

As soon as he walked into the main room, he froze. Adrianna was curled up on her usual chair, a book propped up on her knees. She looked up at him in confusion.

"You okay?"

"Uhh..." Erick cleared his throat. "Yeah, I'm okay. Getting a drink of water."

"Mmkay."

Erick made his way across the room and to the jug of water in the dining area. After filling a cup with cool water, he walked across the main room again. But something kept him from going back to his loft bedroom. Something had entered his mind and, try as he might, he couldn't get it out.

"Anna, can I ask you something?" he finally asked.

Adrianna looked up. "Okay..." she said tentatively.

Erick strode across the room and sat down on the couch, gripping his cup of water in both his hands. "This is hypothetical." he clarified, his heart thumping in his chest the way it always did when he was looking directly into those bright green eyes. "But if I found something out, something important, and telling someone would be dangerous, should I still tell someone?"

Adrianna paused to consider his words before putting down her book. "What do you mean?"

"All right..." Erick leaned in and spoke in a soft voice. "You can't tell anyone what I'm about to say, okay? I don't want you to be involved." Adrianna looked concerned, which only made his heart drum faster against his ribs. "I... found something out. About the gang."

"What?" Adrianna gasped, her book completely forgotten. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"Well, like I said, it's... see, the gang leader is really dangerous. He cornered me and told me that if I told anyone, he'd hurt... uhh, someone I care about." Erick cleared his throat awkwardly. "Anyway, I really don't want this person to get hurt. But if I stay silent, I'm an accomplice. What do you think I should do?"

Adrianna focused on his knees as she thought and then turned her gaze to meet his again. "It's me, isn't it?"

"What?" Erick choked out.

"The person the gang leader threatened." Adrianna said calmly. "If you tell anyone, I'm in danger, aren't I?"

"How... how did you-"

"Process of elimination." Adrianna waved a hand dismissively. "Your sister has kids, you wouldn't protect your mom or Nikolas, and Gustav can hold his own in a fight. That leaves Taryn, Cliff, and me. And I think..." she paused for a moment, blushing slightly. "I think, of those three, I'm the easiest target."

Erick stared at her for several seconds, his mouth hanging open. "I really underestimate how smart you are sometimes."

He wasn't sure, but he thought he saw the flicker of a smile pass over Adrianna's face for a split second. "It's not hard to figure out. You just have to think like the enemy."

"Yeah, that's my problem." Erick mumbled.

"Hm?"

"Nothing." Erick shook his head. "So... what should I do?"

"You want my answer?"

"No, I just cornered you late at night to ask you this incredibly sensitive question for no reason whatsoever." Erick deadpanned.

Adrianna smirked. "You've been in this house too long, Mr. Honorary-Haddock." she snarked. "But okay, answering your question..." she shrugged. "I think I can take care of myself."

"You've never been too good at fighting, Anna." Erick stated.

"Thank you for pointing that out, I'd completely forgotten." Adrianna rolled her eyes. "I can defend myself. And even if he does beat me up, no one on this island would go so far as to kill anyone just to get back at someone they dislike."

"I don't want you to get hurt." Erick said lamely.

"I'm used to it." Adrianna shrugged again. "I'll deal with it. And besides, my dad is Hiccup. I imagine I'll have a bodyguard as soon as he finds out."

"This is true..." Erick sighed. "So I should tell him."

"I can't tell you what to do." Adrianna picked up her book again. "I'm just reminding you that I'm not the helpless damsel you seem to think I am."

"No!" Erick shouted, making her jump. He lowered his voice, sounding apologetic. "Err... no. I wasn't implying that at all. You're fine. You're just a... you're not..."

"Yeah, I know what you meant." Adrianna resolutely turned back to her book. "I just wish you'd give me some more credit."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm sure."

"I mean it."

"I believe you."

Erick huffed, turning away from his former best friend. This was the extent of their relationship now. There would be a connection, even just for a moment, and he'd blow it. Again. Now he'd offended her, implying that she was incapable of taking care of herself. Except...

The Larson boy suddenly stood up and left the house, walking deliberately to the loft so he could be alone. Irritation washed over him. Why was Adrianna acting so... so irrationally? Erick had never seen her defend herself, not in over a decade. He'd seen her mouth off to her parents a few times but that hardly counted; she knew that there wasn't any extreme danger in that. But against those who were dangerous? If there was one thing Erick knew about Adrianna, it was that she had a nasty tendency to become victimized by those around her. People took advantage of her gentle spirit and did horrible things to her because of it. And while a part of him admired her resilience, another part was suddenly furious at her. What kind of life would she have if she let everyone take advantage of her? And why did she get so defensive if he brought it up?

And, most baffling of all, why did he have the sudden, yet very strong desire to protect her at all costs, even though she clearly didn't want him to?

Erick slumped back onto the bed, sighing deeply and staring into the ceiling. Life had been so much simpler when he and Adrianna were little and playing together at Troll Bridge. When his dad was waiting for him when he got home so that he could regale the man in the stories of what had just happened. Nothing was complicated back then. But now? For a boy who had spent a majority of his childhood in the company of a girl, he certainly wasn't any better at figuring out how her brain worked.

Then again, he wasn't so good at figuring out his own brain either.

Whew, what a chapter! I'm half asleep as I type this. I had to stay up very late to do some edits and put this whole chapter together, so I apologize if it's choppy.

Guys, I might have a new job soon and I really want to work there so please pray I get it! It's good money and a lot less dealing with really nasty people.

Lastly, I changed the poll on my profile page to a new one and I really want y'all to vote on it! I'm asking for the age range of my readers. This is really important because it will affect how we tell the later stories. So please vote! Your submissions will be anonymous and the age ranges provided aren't too specific, if you're worried about anonymity. Rest assured, I won't even know which option you voted for, just the number of people who voted for each of them! So please do because this is information we really need!

And, as I have left the HTTYD fandom, I thought it necessary to recommend the ATLA one, as Emily mentioned in her note. The show really is incredible and Mae Whitman, who plays Heather on RoB, plays one of the main roles (a really awesome character). I've sworn off fandoms in general but I love the show and cannot possibly recommend it enough. It's perfect for those in a slump after finishing RttE. Seriously, I'm not an anime fan but I'm so glad I made an exception for this show.

Next chapter will be really exciting! I can't wait to share it!

Don't forget to review!

~KateMarie999