Disclaimer: I do not make money off and do not own these characters or HTTYD.

Thanks to everyone who lurked, Reviewed, Favorited, Followed and just plain read!

The number is obviously fake; I couldn't think of a clever one.

Enjoy :)

Busted

Handing over her card to the cashier, Astrid tolled up the amount in her head before the numbers flashed up on the till. Today was payday – she should be over the moon. Even this should have been a refreshing girly experience – replacing her rucksack with a spanking new one with adjustable straps; buying new boots to replace her old ones, stocking up on tights and underwear and even giving in to her urge to buy a onesie for when it was truly freezing and she needed the comforting warmth. She even had the day off - she went back to work tomorrow. But she couldn't stop the panic that breezed over her skin as she held the bags close to her person, trying desperately not to think of her flat.

Enough. Stop being a baby.

Astrid chastised herself and forcibly relaxed her shoulders. The muscles were aching from tensing over and over for the past hour, and she winced at the dull throbbing. But in a week and a half in the future her sore body would be the least of her problems...

Stop it! Astrid shook off her thoughts and rushed forward. She was going home and ignoring the world for a couple hours. Maybe she'd even crack out the onesie and hot water bottle combo if she felt sad enough.

"Hey Gothi, how's it going?"

The tiny woman scowled and pointed at Hiccup accusingly. She then jabbed another finger sharply at the clock behind her with a reproving grunt.

"Yeah, yeah..." Hiccup pulled a sheepish face as he smoothed his hair back. Gothi had been working in reception even before Hiccup took over, and he was treated like a wayward grandson at times. "I know I should be sleeping, but I need to try sort the office. I've been putting it off for ages."

Gothi's facial expression twitched into what he thought was a smile. She waved a hand behind her and went back to work, seeming pleased for some reason. Hiccup nodded his thanks and clanked his way behind the counter and through the door, where he almost tripped in surprise.

The furniture had been rearranged so that the desks were pushed against the walls next to the massive bookshelves. The previous mess of loose papers and unopened letters had been assigned to the various desks and cabinets, with printed labels for each section of the room. The room looked bigger and more organised than he had seen it – no wonder Gothi seemed pleased. How she managed it, he didn't know. Everything had been sorted according to the department it belonged to – the piles of unopened letters had even been arranged depending on where it was from and who it was for. He turned right back around and sought out Gothi again, clapping her on the shoulder with a laugh.

"Gothi, you're a godsend!" His cheeks hurt from being stretched so wide. "The office looks amazing. I was meaning to sort it since the last girl left, but what you've done is go beyond and above reception duties!"

To his surprise Gothi shrugged off his hand and waggled a finger in his face, shaking her head with a grunt. She then lifted a name-tag off her desk and held it high for him to see the name printed in block capitals.

ASTRID.

Hiccup stared. Then stared some more.

Astrid had done all of the work? Without any help?

A humming caught his ears and he stood dumbstruck as the devil herself stepped through the door to Reception. She had a can of coke tucked under her arm and as she walked, she bent her head sideways to tug her messy braid loose. She spotted him and froze with her hair bobble in her mouth.

"Astrid! Hey! Hi, Astrid. Hi, Astrid, Hi Astrid!"

Someone kill me now. Lack of sleep and shock combined apparently destroyed all of his motor skills. He may as well have taken off his shirt and danced the conga.

"Hey, Hiccup. You're acting weird today." She pulled the black band out from between her teeth and tied up her hair, raising an eye at his nervous giggle. "Well. Weirder."

He watched, still oddly anxious, as she padded over and plucked her name-tag from Gothi's hand, giving her a grateful smile. "Thanks, Gothi. I was looking for this everywhere."

Gothi inclined her head in appreciation and watched passively as Astrid disappeared back into the office. Then like a switch being flipped, she spun with a squeak in her high topped chair and kicked Hiccup squarely in the knee.

"OW! What have I done wrong?" He almost whined as he rubbed the sore spot. She gestured to the now empty space next to Hiccup and placed a hand over her heart in a kind manner.

"You want me to call her back?"

How it was possible for such a small, elderly woman to look so exasperated, he didn't know. She snatched a spare notepad off her desk and scribbled messily in large letters, holding it up like she had with the name-tag.

Manners. Say thank you.

Hiccup realised she wanted him to thank Astrid properly. "Ah, yes. I'll...I'll go do that now, shall I?"

Gothi huffed and spun around with a final squeak, dismissing Hiccup entirely.

Stern grandmother indeed.

Astrid was sitting in a leather chair near the window like a mini base of operations, still sorting through some final piles of folders. When she looked up to see him, she nodded and pushed herself up."I've got a small mountain of letters for you – you may as well have them now."

Hiccup watched as she strode confidently to the opposite desk and rifled through a couple drawers. He admired how she knew her way around – she must do, after organising it all.

"You did this?" He tried and failed not to sound so impressed. "You sorted this place out?"

Astrid smirked. "It helps when you've done a business degree."

"You're at university?"

Astrid hummed in response, still riffling through a collection of letters. "I started a couple years ago – I'm finishing this year after my Master's project."

His mouth worked around his next words. He couldn't believe she was still at school. "That sounds like hard work."

"I manage. " Astrid brushed off his comment. "I ran it by Gothi – she gave me permission to sort this place out. Seriously, Hiccup?" She turned with an armful of letters almost cascading off her chest. "This is ridiculous – who else works in the office?!"

Hiccup laughed nervously as he accepted the pile. "The last girl quit a couple weeks ago..."

Her blazing glare of disbelief had him promptly sitting in the nearest chair. "But of course I'll look at hiring another person." He hastened to add. "You've done the park a massive favour."

She harrumphed and returned to her comfy chair, leaving him holding the letters and feeling like he hadn't thanked her enough. To dispel some of his nervous energy he started opening them at random, scanning through the top few lines and either discarding or keeping to sort later. Halfway through his eyes caught the logo of the company that handled the animal permits, making his heart leap.

"Finally." He murmured, slicing it open with his finger and calling out to Astrid even as he read. "Hey Astrid! Your-"

His words stumbled over his tongue as he cottoned on to what was on the page. A Permit Denied stamp glared up at him. Further along a box standard reason for denying the application.

We regret to inform you that your request for Permit number 07532 - Working with Dangerous Wild Animals (Article 3, Section 9) for Astrid Hofferson has been denied. Grounds for denial: Invalid or N/A qualifications and experience. For further information please call land-line 123456.

"Hiccup? You in there?"

He tore his eyes from the letter. Astrid had an amused expression on her face as she leant on one arm, leaning towards him as she talked.

"What does it say?"

He remembered her telling him a couple weeks ago – on her first day! – about her uncle's ranch, and how she had loved looking after the animals there. How she picked up so much from her veterinary uncle, and how keen she was to protect and enhance their lives.

He also remembered the information she'd given on her first questionnaire. He'd been so desperate to find someone he hadn't called up the phone number's she'd left on her form. Had they been fakes? Had she been so desperate for a full time gig she had lied to his face, to everyone, about wanting to even do this?

Astrid called his name again. He couldn't bring himself to face her. So he stood abruptly and strode out. His heartbeat thundered in his ears and the letter burned his hand as he clanked his way across the gravel, towards the Warden Hut.

Permit Denied. Astrid Hofferson: Liar.

Feedback appreciated.