Despite being swamped with classes (five) I vow to continue to update this story. It is by far my most successful, and I don't want to let my readers down! Thankfully my classes aren't terribly difficult, and I have long periods of nothing in between some of them. Plus I have no classes on Friday! Yes! I'm also singing in my Church's choir now, but I'll manage.

Disclaimer: So what if my Gaia profile is filled with How to Train your Dragon pictures? I'm not obsessed! Really!

Chapter Whatever Hiccup

"Hate is a strong word, but I really, really, really don't like you! Now that it's over I don't even know what I liked about you! Brought you around, and you just brought me down! Hate is a strong word, but I really, really, really don't like you!"

Toothless was somehow filled with energy the next morning, while my own head was spinning from the lack of sleep. The dragon had to lead me carefully into the hall where the Vikings gathered to eat, as I didn't have enough energy to get there myself.

When we entered the hall, I immediately noticed that Astrid was across the room, talking to a small Skullhead boy. They were muttering in low voices, too low for me to hear. Curious, I looked around to make sure no one was paying attention before making my way over to them. I was only half way across the room before Astrid looked up and spotted me. She subtly gestured me over and I took a seat next to her.

"Who's this?" I asked, looking at the small Skullhead boy.

"Hiccup, this is Leech," Astrid introduced. "He's Isabella's younger brother."

"Isabella has a brother?" I asked, slightly surprised. Leech rolled his eyes in reply.

"Yes, she has a brother," he growled slightly. "But she doesn't like to admit it. My sister was always the favorite of the family. She likes to point that out constantly." Shaking his head, he suddenly looked at me and smiled. "You must be Hiccup, huh?" he asked. "Wow, I feel like I'm talking to a celebrity or something."

"Really?" I asked, slightly surprised. Leech nodded.

"All of the other tribes are talking about how you managed to destroy the Green Death," he told me. "You're famous with the other tribes."

I always forgot how quickly news travelled around the Viking tribes. To me, beating the Green Death had been not as big of a deal as everything that followed. I only just remembered to nod to the Skullhead boy.

I was about to say something to him, when I was interrupted by the approaching Garlo the Gruesome. I really had no quarrels against the man, but I couldn't help but feel that this was his and Stoick's fault that all this was happening. Even so, I forced myself to remain calm and polite as he sat down with us at the table.

"Hello there, Hiccup," he greeted me. "I've been looking for you. I just wanted to get to know my future son-in-law." I flinched as Astrid snorted in contempt.

"It's quite an honor, sir," I replied politely, trying not to sound too bitter. He turned to look at Astrid, who had quickly hid her snarling face.

"And who might you be, little lady?" he asked. "A friend of Hiccup's?"

"You might say that," Astrid told him with a slight hiss. Garlo continued to smile, completely unaware of the awkward tension that was rising in the air. He started into his breakfast, completely ignoring the angry look he was getting from Leech. It took a moment or two in which Leech pointedly cleared his throat several times before his father finally looked up and noticed him.

"Oh, hey there, son!" he greeted him happily. "When did you come and sit down?"

"I've been here this entire time," Leech growled unhappily.

"Ha ha! Of course you have," Garlo replied, ruffling his son's hair before digging back into his meal. Leech angrily smoothed his mess of hair back before propping his head onto his hand and started stabbing at things on his plate.

I didn't think it could have possibly gotten any more awkward, but just then Isabella came strutting up to us and sat down next to me, proving me wrong. Astrid glared furiously at her and I was surprised that the girl didn't spontaneously burst into flame. Isabella turned to sneer at Astrid before turning to me.

"What do you think you're doing sitting near the likes of her?" she asked me, pointing an accusing finger at Astrid. I tried not to glare at her.

"I happen to like Astrid, thank you very much," I told her. "And I can sit with anyone I want."

Isabella looked like she wanted to say something to reply, but thought better of it. Instead, she turned to Astrid, turning her nose up at her.

"Why don't you scamper off and kill a harmless rabbit or whatever it is you barbarians do?" she snarled at her. I opened my mouth to defend her, but Astrid beat me.

"Well I would," she replied icily calm. "But I was here first and you can't make me move. And second, I would go and kill a rabbit, but it turns out that rabbit is actually a lying snake in disguise." (A/N: Oh yeah! Burn!)

That tore it. Before any of us could stop her, Isabella let out an angry screech and leaped at Astrid, climbing over the table to get at her. Astrid fell out of her chair in surprise and the two furious girls fell to the floor in tangle of fists and feet.

I stared in horror at the scene as several other Vikings came rushing over to watch. Snotlout, the twins and Fishlegs were in front, Tuffnutt and Snotlout exclaiming their pleasure at the cat fight. Fishlegs had covered his eyes and Leech sat beside me screaming "Get her, Astrid!"

Isabella had somehow climbed on top of Astrid and was clawing at her face while tugging on her hair, while Astrid was struggling to get her feet under her, while digging her fingers into Isabella's neck. She slowly pulled a leg to her chest and started kicking Isabella savagely in the stomach.

Now, here's where the greatest difference between my dad and Garlo come in. If Stoick was here, he would have screamed and shouted furiously and scared the two girls apart, not allowing either to explain. Instead, Garlo calmly wiped his mouth after setting down his fork and knife and slowly turned in his chair to watch the furious young females. Then he sighed, stood, and calmly walked over to the two, yanking Isabella off of Astrid and pulling them both to their feet, while keeping them a safe distance away from each other. And just like that, the fight was over.

Both girls were panting and gasping for breath while glaring furiously at each other. He glared disappointingly down at his daughter, the one he was so proud of.

"What was that?" he asked the two of them in a soft growl.

"It's all her fault, Daddy!" Isabella sobbed immediately, pointing an accusing finger at Astrid. "She won't stop tormenting me and threatening me! I've been trying to be nice and polite, but she's such a barbarian!"

"Hey!" Astrid snapped. "You attacked me first! I was sitting here minding my own business when she came over and started trying to order Hiccup and me around."

Garlo nodded thoughtfully as they accused each other. He hadn't been paying much attention until they had started fighting, and therefore had seen none of it. I kept expecting him to burst out yelling, like Stoick always did, but he remained completely calm.

"Dad, I've been talking with Astrid and she doesn't seem like the type who would just hate someone with no good reason," Leech spoke up suddenly.

"Stay out of this, Leech," Isabella hissed furiously at him. "It's none of your business."

"Come on, Dad," Leech pleaded, turning to Garlo. "You saw it happen. We all saw Isabella start it."

"I didn't start this!" Isabella replied indignantly, sticking her nose in the air. "She's the one who started it. She's just jealous because I'm prettier and smarter than her."

Astrid tried to throw herself at the girl again, but was held back by Garlo's giant hairy hand. I quickly stepped forward and put a comforting hand on Astrid's shoulder. I felt her relax under my touch. Garlo turned angrily to the four of us.

"I don't want to hear another word out of anyone," he growled. "I need to talk to Stoick about this. Until then, I want you all to go back to your homes." He seemed to direct this to everyone, including the watching crowd that had not yet dispersed. Everyone mumbled angrily and went back to what they were doing as Garlo took Isabella and Leech by the arms and started leading them away. He turned to gesture at Astrid and me and we reluctantly followed.

We slowly followed Garlo through the village and up to my house where Stoick would no doubt blow his top. He had no reason to be mad at me (or really Astrid for that matter) but I was sure he'd find a way to yell at us anyways.

Toothless followed closely behind me, as if just walking through the village was going to harm me in some way. Both Isabella and Leech in front of us were complaining that their father was crushing their arms and I rolled my eyes slightly. I glanced at Astrid and suddenly saw blood trickling down her face.

"Astrid, are you ok?" I asked her in a quiet voice. She looked at me, defiance in her eyes.

"Of course I am," she growled slightly. "Isabella doesn't know how to throw a punch to save her life."

"But she was scratching at your face," I replied, slightly confused.

"Yes," Astrid nodded. "But she wasn't punching, was she?" She raised her head proudly, as if her logic made perfect sense and I sighed slightly, shaking my head. "Besides," Astrid continued. "I've been in worse scuffles. I've felt more threatened by Fishlegs."

I snickered slightly at her comment and returned to facing forward. "It's strange that Leech would be cheering for you instead of his own sister," I commented.

"Leech told me he doesn't like her very much because she always gets her way and his family hardly notices him," Astrid told me with a shrug, still in a low voice.

I slowed my steps slightly at that. I remembered when I was sort of like that. Before the whole Dragon incident, everyone wanted Snotlout, my cousin, to be chief over me. In fact, almost everyone, save for my dad and Gobber tended to ignore me. I could tell where Leech was coming from and was suddenly hit with a wave of sympathy for the young Skullhead. What a terror it must be for your own family to ignore you.

My thoughts were cut off when we reached my house and Garlo threw open the door, marching us all in. Stoick was sitting at the table, eating porridge, when we came in, and he looked up when he heard the door bang open.

"All of you to your rooms," Garlo ordered us. "I need to talk to Stoick here."

Isabella and Leech slowly started up the stairs, Isabella grumbling angrily to herself. Astrid opened her mouth, as if she was going to point out how she didn't live here and therefore didn't have a room to go to, but thought better of it. Instead she took my arm and led me up the stairs to my room, where we found Leech sitting on my bed, waiting for us.

"I thought your dad told you to go to your own room," Astrid pointed out to him. Leech shrugged.

"Well, I didn't want to," he replied. He waited for us to come in with Toothless squeezing in after us before continuing. "That was cool the way you were able to fend off my sister like that," he told Astrid excitedly. Astrid shrugged.

"Eh, she wasn't very tough," she replied. "I was in more pain stubbing my toe." She sighed. "I just hope they don't yell at me for this. It's not like I said anything that would provoke her to attack me like that."

"If I recall, you called her a snake," I commented, walking over to my nightstand and pouring hot water into a bowl. I took a towel and came back over to Astrid and started washing the blood from her face.

"Implied," Astrid shot back. "I implied that she was a snake. She just assumed that I was talking about her."

"You were talking about her," Leech pointed out.

"Yes, but she didn't know that," Astrid snorted indignantly. She relaxed slightly as the cloth touched her face and her shoulders slumped as she sighed. She turned to me and smiled gently. "Thanks, Hiccup," she murmured. I grinned back at her.

"Anytime, Astrid," I replied. "Anytime."

Ok, if I go on, it's going to end up being pointless filler stuff, so I'm going to stop right there. On the bright side, cat fight! Always fun! Also, I have a five day weekend coming up, which I will most likely fill with just sitting at this computer and wasting my time writing fan fictions. So if you want to see what happens next, you better read and review. Or else. I'll do something terrible… or something.