Chapter 15
"Here you go sweetie," Valka said as she carefully handed Astrid the cup of hot cocoa. Astrid cradled it with both hands before blowing on the surface.
"Thanks," Astrid sighed before looking towards Stoick and Hiccup who were in the kitchen on the phone with the police. After Hiccup had revealed what had happened at the fair, coupled with the, now smashed, GPS device was all the reason Stoick needed to call the police and file a report. Hiccup joined his dad to help fill in any more personal details while Astrid tried to cool off. Zephyr had been given some paper and crayons while Nuffink had become a bit fussy. Valka cooed at her grandbaby while holding a stuffed cactus out for the boy to grab.
"Well?" Astrid asked a bit forcefully when the two came out of the kitchen.
"The report was filed but the police say they can't do anything unless we saw Eret place the device on the vehicle. Though dad is bringing the pieces down to the station tomorrow and they promised that they would look into tracking where it came from." Hiccup relayed.
"He must have done it… right Hiccup?" Astrid said while beginning to question herself.
"I do have to ask, why Hiccup's car?" Valka pondered aloud. "Shouldn't Astrid's car have been the main target?"
"My car is in the shop, it has been for the last three days," Astrid told them. "So I've been taking Hiccup's car to work."
"Astrid, does your workplace have exterior cameras?" Stoick asked in a serious tone. "I'm going to ask Tower security to pull the parking lot CCTV from the last two weeks though I doubt the device could have been planted there."
"Uhm… I think we do have them outside." Astrid thought for a moment. "Yeah, I think we do. Two years ago we had a vandalism problem in the neighbourhood and my boss put some up. I think he has direct access to the feeds."
"Has anything else happened that was strange Astrid?" Valka asked.
"No no," Astrid mumbled. "Alexi's wedding is coming up and…"
"I see you thought of something dear." Valka pressed.
"It's my mother. She's been extremely quiet the past week." Astrid frowned. "She made such a big fuss about Alexi's wedding and me not telling her that I had kids and then…. Poof… nothing."
"Astrid, didn't Eret say he got information about us from your mother?" Hiccup's eyes widened as he remembered that smug statement.
"Why that good-for-nothing woman. I knew I should have punched her harder the last time."
"Wait what?!" Hiccup exclaimed as he and Astrid blinked in shock at Valka. "Mom when did you punch Astrid's mother?!"
"And did someone film it?!" Astrid asked instead.
"Now now, that's not important," Valka tried to change the topic.
"MOM!" Hiccup exclaimed before turning to his father "Dad, did you know about this?"
"Uhm… well…," Stoick uttered.
"Sweetie don't give your father a hard time. He wasn't there." Valka interjected. Hiccup nodded, turning back to his mom. "Though Gobber was and he was cheering me on,"
"Oh Thor," Hiccup groaned while covering his eyes with his hand in exasperation. "Of course he was,"
Valka wiped the sweat off her brow with the white towel she had placed on top of the bench near the tennis court.
"That was a good match," Her opponent said as they walked towards her, twirling their racket. "Those serves of yours are still killers,"
"Thanks. I haven't had time to play this month. I thought I was getting rusty." Valka answered back.
"And it's also a nice change of pace from the crochet club." The other laughed. "So how are the kids? Isn't it rough, with the trial and press and all?"
"Both Hiccup and Astrid are managing," Valka replied as both women walked off the court while carrying their tennis bags. "I can't talk about the trial though. The judge ordered a closed courtroom case since the whole thing is a bit unprecedented."
"Tell me about it," the other woman sighed. "Honestly I'm surprised such a situation never happened sooner. One soulmate rejecting the other, that isn't something you hear every day."
"Maybe it happens more often than we think and people just suck it up because society expects us to stay with our soulmates if we find them," Valka muttered.
"True that, Delise and Jacob were, frankly speaking miserable," Valka looked a bit guilty but the other woman just elbowed her. "Hey, don't blame yourself. That girl needed a dose of reality. If you weren't going to do it then I personally would have,"
"She's your daughter!" Valka uttered with a raised brow.
"And an utter brat at that," The other woman added. "Honestly, speaking I blame myself and my husband for how she turned out. I was always busy with my company and my husband was the one to mostly raise her. Let's just say he spoiled her rotten and I foolishly ignored it. You blacklisting her from fashion society was the wake-up call she needed."
"I do feel bad for Jacob though." The other continued. "When Delise found out that her soulmate was a dock worker she said some pretty horrible things. Then she begged me to give him a position at my company, when I said no she got my husband to beg for her. Poor guy was miserable in that position all because my daughter was a shallow and entitled brat."
"You did me a real favor though. I honestly never knew what had happened to have those two break up. I quite frankly was horrified by how Delise acted. It also gave me the push I needed to cut her off. I told her she needed to get a job and learn some manners and empathy."
"And how is Jacob?" Valka asked as they passed Gobber who was dressed in his Chef's uniform. They gave each other a wave while passing on the patio.
"Oh he's doing great now, still decided to live with Delise to try and make it work though he quit his job at the company and is now working in construction. I'm not getting any grandchildren soo-"
"HEY YOU! YES YOU!" Was yelled cutting off Delise's mother. Both women looked up to a woman with a ghastly big handbag making their way towards them. The irate woman stopped in front of Valka and jabbed her finger right in her chest while screaming "You're that cretin's mother aren't you?!"
"What the…?!" Valka uttered as she got jabbed in the chest again. "Get your hands off of me!" she then growled. "SECURITY!" Gobbr yelled in the background.
"Listen lady how did you even get in here?! I doubt you're a member of this country club." Delise's mother asked.
"You shut up. I have business with this hussy's mother right here!"
"Why I never!" Valka's friend looked scandalized.
"How dare your son lay his hands on my daughter! She has a soulmate!" The woman yelled and then it finally clicked for Valka.
"You're Astrid's crazy mother!" Valka uttered aloud as she had put the pieces together. The other woman sputtered at being called crazy so blatantly. "Yeah, I don't know how you sneaked in here but you are definitely not a member,"
"That does not matter!" The other woman growled. "How dare your son try to have an intimate relationship with my Astrid. She's spoken for!"
"As I seem to recall your daughter is an intelligent single young lady. Who she chooses to sleep with is entirely her choice. I see no reason for you to get so worked up just because you aren't getting any," Valka deadpanned.
"She has a soulmate! Society dictates that…"
"Oh my Thor, will you shut up?!" Valka uttered as she was done with this woman. "Wisdom is chasing you but you're always faster. Screw society. There is no law stating that soulmates HAVE to stay together and must I remind you that your precious daughter was nearly killed by her own soulmate. Why don't you open up your skull and get the stupid out before you infect others. I'm done with this conversation."
Astrid's mother gaped at the other while the other club patrons had stopped and were watching the drama unfold. "How… How… DARE YOU!" The already furious woman yelled and took a swing at Valka with her large handbag. Valka easily side-stepped the attack and punched the woman squarely in the eye.
"Now that was a punch!" Gobber could be heard cheerfully exclaiming in the background as the intruder was flat on their back.
"And that's basically what happened." Valka finished her tale looking rather proud of herself. Her son and daughter-in-law just sat there and blinked while Stoick had opened a bag of chips and was munching on it.
"Yeay! Granny go pow pow!" Zephyr exclaimed while making tiny chubby fists. "POW POW!" she yelled once more which made the adults chuckle.