Interim Chief

It was cold and dark, cramped and stuffy. All Hiccup could feel was rising panic and despair, his heart racing as he desperately tried to think of a way out of his current situation. He was struggling to breathe as he tried to move, but the space was too small.

Hiccup tried to remain calm and come up with a plan, but the ice was everywhere, it had consumed him. He was stuck, with no way out. A cold feeling of dread spread through him as he came to the realization that there was nothing he could do. This was it, this was how he was going to go out. He was going to die having failed to save his people and having been the one to doom them in the first place.

He was going to die alone, suffocating from the lack of air. Frozen in place. Never having married Astrid, never getting the chance to get to know his mother better, never working harder to strengthen his relationship with his dad, never getting to be a part of a complete and loving family, not getting to say goodbye to Toothless.

Suddenly his fear was replaced with overwhelming sadness. He wasn't ready. He had thought that he was, once, back when he had no hope for his future, but now he had so much he wanted to do. Things he had to make up for. People he had to be there for. A best friend he had to support.

Hiccup's breathing became more rapid and he was startled as he felt movement next to him. His body flinched, but he remained trapped in his dream state, although he became just a little more conscious. He hadn't been alone, stuck in that ice... Toothless had been trapped too.

Hiccup had also been distraught that his best friend was going to die with him because he had tried to save him, but he had also felt a slight sense of peace with the Night Fury wrapped around his body. Toothless would save him or die trying. Hiccup would have done the same if he could, for his friend.

There was a soft coo and a warm breath huffed against his head, causing his hair to become even more disheveled, and waking him. Hiccup blinked his eyes open to find Toothless' face filling his vision.

'You were distressed. I could feel it.' Toothless said, but before Hiccup could reply in any way, Heimdall shoved his face in front of the Night Fury's and licked Hiccup's cheek.

"Ugh!" Hiccup rolled over and pushed himself into a kneel, getting out from under the two dragons. He wiped at his face, hearing the chuckles of people at the table and in the kitchen. "I really don't need two dragons licking me all the time."

Toothless let his tongue hang out and Heimdall came in for some more cuddles.

"That's what you get for bringing another dragon home." Stoick admonished, although he was actually just resigned to the fact that Hiccup was going to do what he was going to do— and that meant a house full of dragons.

"Heimy, no." Hiccup put a hand against the Hobblegrunt's mouth, stopping him from trying to nip at his shirt.

"And you named him." Stoick knew all hope was lost now.

"Heimy?" Valka raised an eyebrow, wondering where that name had come from.

"Hiccup named him Heimdall, for the all-seeing god." Astrid informed with an amused smile.

"Oh?" Valka chuckled. "How ironic."

"Why not Hodur?" Stoick asked.

"Because Hodur foolishly listened to Loki, and Heimdall helped me see how Toothless and I could fight Drago." Hiccup defended his new friend, giving him a nice chin scratch. Toothless growled slightly, wanting chin scratches too, but supposed Heimy deserved it, since he unwittingly helped them out.

"Oh, is Toothless feeling left out?" Astrid walked over to the black dragon, Toothless grumbled softly again. "Do you want some fish?" Toothless' ears perked up, his mood flipped. "Yeah? You want some fish?" Toothless was practically bouncing at this point and Astrid laughed as she gave him some chin scratches and cuddles before fetching the fish.

Hiccup finally stood up, untangling himself from his blankets before folding them neatly and placing them in a stack. He turned to pick up his pillows that he hadn't really used in favor of leaning against Toothless, but when he turned around, Heimy had knocked over his neat stack of blankets and was right in his face again.

"Oh!" Hiccup was startled for a second, not expecting the dragon to be so close. He sighed as he looked down and just decided to drop the pillows down next to the mess of blankets.

"I think that's a lost cause." Valka chuckled, gesturing for him to join them at the table. She gave him a quick hug before he sat down. "So, is everything okay?"

"What? Me?" Hiccup wasn't sure what brought on that question.

"You seemed distressed, when you were sleeping." Stoick finished the thought for his wife. Hiccup wasn't sure if he liked this new dynamic, of the two allying and ganging up on him.

"I... don't know what you mean." Hiccup tried to blow it off without giving himself away. Valka frowned, concerned.

"You were breathing hard, and you flinched." Valka pressed. "Did you have a bad dream?"

Hiccup responded by giving his mother a rather odd look, thinking it weird to be asked that question. He hadn't been asked if he'd had a bad dream since he was a little kid, and his father had told him that Vikings don't get scared. His father had certainly been more attentive back then, since he had been a young child, but he hadn't coddled him or made a big deal of it either.

Hiccup had experienced plenty of bad dreams in the past few years. After the whole Red Death thing and losing a limb, seeing battle with the Dragon Hunters, and... more recently having several near-death experiences— how could he not? Hiccup had experienced a lot of things fit for inducing nightmares. But he didn't talk about it and no one asked about it either.

"I don't mean to pry." Valka took his reaction the wrong way, thinking that she was overstepping.

"Oh, no. It's fine." Hiccup snapped out of his thoughts. "I just, uh, I don't remember what I was dreaming about." He lied, getting away with it only because he truly appeared to be confused.

"Always confusing when that happens." Stoick sat across from Valka, at the table. Valka hummed in agreement.

After making sure both Toothless and Heimdall had enough fish, Astrid joined them, sitting across from Hiccup and next to Stoick. She set down a plate of fresh, sliced bread, adding it to the food already on the table.

"My mom dropped this by." Astrid clarified after receiving a side glance from Hiccup. She rolled her eyes and gave him a look. "So you're safe to eat it."

Hiccup obeyed his girlfriend and took a slice of bread and began eating it. Valka and Stoick shared an amused glance before following suit.

"I know you two are engaged; do you have a wedding date planned?" Valka, having been amused by the young couple's interaction, decided to inquire about their wedding.

"Not a specific date, no." Astrid answered. "But we're thinking sometime at the end of summer."

"That's a beautiful time for a wedding." Valka gushed, suddenly excited. "That gives you only several months to get everything ready."

"My mom has already started making a wedding dress for me. She's so excited." Astrid smiled.

"Oh, right." Valka's smile faded a little. She supposed it was probably her duty to sew Hiccup his wedding attire. She could sew, she made all her own clothing, but sewing an intricately designed wedding outfit for a man was something completely different.

"My mom forced Hiccup into letting her take his measurements already." Astrid had followed Valka's train of thought.

Hiccup shook his head at the memory, he hadn't enjoyed it. He never wanted to get that up close and personal with Sigrid Hofferson ever again. Astrid's endless bout of laughter as his face grew red, when Sigrid had needed to measure his inseam, had been the worst part.

"She could have just used the measurements I already have." Hiccup muttered, blushing slightly. He sewed his own clothing all the time and had thought he would have to make his own wedding clothes, but Sigrid had been appalled by the idea and had insisted that she would do it.

"She wanted the measurements to be exact." Astrid smirked, holding back laughter at the memory. She turned back to Valka, who was curious about what was so funny. "I'm sure, if you wanted, she could use some help."

"I would love to help with that." Valka's face lit up. She wanted to be more involved in Hiccup's life and was happy that she would be there for such a big, life-changing event. She would do anything she could to help out with the upcoming wedding.

"You two really need to pick a set date, or all of us will do it for you." Stoick was teasing, but honestly wouldn't be surprised if Sigrid got fed up and rushed things along by deciding for them.

Hiccup wasn't listening as his father spoke, he was still surprised that his mom wanted to help make his wedding clothes. He wasn't even sure if she would be around by the end of summer. Would she still be here in the next few months? Him and Astrid had been talking about maybe sometime during the first week of fall instead, since that meant less of a chance of snow and lots of beautiful colors as the seasons changed.

"Hiccup?" Astrid was trying to get his attention, the conversation having continued while he had been wondering about his mom.

"What?" Hiccup startled as he realized he had been expected to say something in response to the conversation.

"I was telling them how we were thinking of sometime during the last week of summer, or first week of fall." She gave him a quizzical look.

"Oh, yeah, right." Hiccup wasn't sure what to say and Astrid gave him a fond and exasperated look, knowing Hiccup was prone to getting distracted.

"I guess that's as close to a set date as it's going to get, for now.'" Stoick commented. "You two have been betrothed for what, two years now? It's about time you get married. You could have, at any point during the past two years, you were old enough."

Hiccup and Astrid looked to each other, both thinking the same thing. They hadn't been ready for marriage back then. They had still been exploring the world and fighting the war with the Dragon Hunters. They had been new to the idea of admitting the love they had for one another, that had been growing over the past few years. However, now, they were comfortable with each other and confident in each other's love. They had learned to balance their relationship and their responsibilities. They were ready to be married now.

"I think now is a good time." Astrid said, since Hiccup didn't seem willing to speak up. "We had so much going on before, and we've both grown a lot in the past two years."

"That's true." Stoick chuckled. "You've accomplished a lot and matured. I think you're ready now too."

"I have to say, I'm grateful I didn't miss your wedding." Valka was still smiling, excited to dive in and help with any of the preparations she could. "I'm glad I'll be here to watch my son get married."

Hiccup couldn't help the surprise on his face, hearing her say it out loud, that she would be there. "You, uh, so you plan to stay? At least, until summer is over?" Hiccup was almost afraid of the answer. What if she stayed for the wedding and then left? He would rather she leave now, before he got used to her being around. It would hurt that much more, if she left after such an important day in his life.

Valka and Stoick exchanged a quick glance before turning their attention to their son. "Your father and I discussed things, Hiccup. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, but we wanted to tell you together."

Astrid subtly reached across the table and placed a supportive hand on his wrist. She didn't feel like she quite belonged here for this discussion, but if it involved Hiccup, then it involved her too. She could feel how tense he was, even just by her light touch to his arm.

"I plan to stay, Hiccup." Valka didn't want to draw things out, seeing the look of worry in his eyes. "Your father and I want to make things work. We want to be a family again."

Hiccup let out a slow breath of relief and gave a small smile. "I'm glad to hear that... mom." It still felt weird to say that word as often as he had been lately. He leaned toward her, accepting a half hug, Valka wrapping one arm around him and gave him a kiss on the head.

Stoick could have burst with happiness, seeing his wife and son embracing and getting along. He had been a little worried, after yesterday's breakfast, but it seemed like it was actually possible for the three of them to make it work. "Your mother told me you offered to take over for a while, as acting chief."

Hiccup and Valka ended their hug and pulled away from each other, although Valka remained a little closer to her son now, as she sat. Astrid watched the exchange with a smile, happy that the Haddocks seemed to be doing better than before, when there was so much uncertainty.

"Oh, yes. I did." Hiccup answered, remembering his offer the night before. "I think I've got things handled, if you want to take some time..."

"I actually think that's a great idea, Hiccup." Stoick answered, proud of his son for stepping up and taking on more responsibility. "You'll get a taste of what it's like to be chief and instill more faith in the people that you're up to the task— not that they're doubting you."

"I'll be there to help, too." Astrid finally joined back in the conversation.

"Even better!" Stoick exclaimed. This morning was going very well, he was happy and excited about so many things. He had his wife, his son, his future daughter-in-law, Hiccup was taking the chieftainship more seriously, and, he would get to spend some quality time with his wife. "Everyone will get to see how you two will work together as chief and chieftess! You'll get to figure out how you'll chief, together."

"It will be good practice." Astrid said. She hadn't known Hiccup had offered to take over for a while, but she was proud of him. He was accepting change and stepping up. Of course she would have his back.

"I would normally be hesitant to take some personal time, especially with Berk in such a state." Stoick said more seriously, making sure Hiccup was paying attention to his words. Then he gave his son a warm and encouraging smile. "But I know Berk will be in good hands."

"Thanks, dad." Hiccup smiled back.

"Of course, I won't be far away if you need anything." Stoick assured. "You can come to me, anytime. I don't want you to be overwhelmed. I know I've been pushy about you taking over as chief before, and I don't want to scare you and push you away. We'll work at it, and you'll take over for good some day, when you feel ready."

Hiccup nodded, taking a deep breath and as he tried to rein in the feelings of anxiety that usually accompanied the topic of him becoming chief. His dad would help him prepare for it, things would be okay. His father just said, he wouldn't be pushy, and besides, he wouldn't be alone, he had Astrid. "That, uh, that sounds like a good plan."

"Then it's settled!" Stoick's voice raised back to its usual, booming volume, in his excitement. He didn't think he could stop smiling if he tried. "You and Astrid will chief the village, and Valka and I will have some bonding time."

Valka burst into laughter at Stoick's words. She had missed him, so much. He was, surprisingly, quite the romantic. He always made her feel so special, even when everyone else made her feel a little bit like an outsider. She looked forward to their time together.

Hiccup covered his face with his hands as he leaned his elbows on the table, unable to stop himself from blushing. He was happy for his dad, really, but he had never seen him like this before— in love and shamelessly flirting. It was weird. And a little bit embarrassing. He uncovered his eyes as he heard some chairs scooting against the floor.

Stoick stood up and offered Valka his arm. "How about we start the day with a nice flight? You haven't officially met Skullcrusher yet."

"Skullcrusher?" Valka raised an eyebrow as she stood and threaded her arm through his, laughing lightly. "Why am I not surprised that you named your dragon that?"

"He's a tough dragon, he needed a fitting name." Stoick led the way to the door so they could leave, but before closing the door behind them, he turned back to Hiccup and Astrid. "Thank you, for giving us this time together."

Hiccup smiled and nodded, Astrid doing the same, before Stoick shut the door and left the young couple and the two dragons. Toothless and Heimdall had looked up, as Stoick and Valka left, then went back to dozing off as they waited, their stomachs full of fish.

"That was cute." Astrid said, knowing that those three, simple words would have Hiccup blushing again. She wasn't disappointed. Hiccup ducked his head back down and covered his face again, groaning in embarrassment.

"That was so weird." Hiccup managed to get out, not knowing quite how else to describe it. Astrid had to laugh at his reaction.

"I don't think I've ever seen Stoick so happy." Astrid said as she stood up to start clearing the table. Hiccup raised his head back up at her words, a stricken expression on his face, but she had her back turned to him and didn't see it.

She was right. Hiccup had never seen his dad so happy before either. Sure, Stoick was often in a good mood now that Berk was enjoying peace and he had a better relationship with his son, but he was never so excitable and joyous. Hiccup was sure he had seen his dad angry more often than he had ever seen him happy.

Hiccup's thoughts deteriorated— going back to before, when he hadn't been accepted, and he and his dad hadn't gotten along. He had done everything he could possibly think of, to gain his father's love and approval. He had bent over backwards trying to change who he was, but never was he welcomed home with a loving smile and an eagerness to spend time together. If he was so much like his mom, why hadn't his dad wanted to spend time with him? Why hadn't he been enough?

When his father had thought he had made a mistake, had done something terribly wrong, he had disowned him without a second thought. He hadn't been willing to listen to him and understand why he had made the choices that he had. He hadn't given him a chance. No, Hiccup had to lose a limb and almost die in order to get though to his dad. But not Valka, she could just come back home after having left her family for twenty years and all was forgiven. She came back into her husband's life, and despite everything she had done, he was incredibly happy to see her and excited to spend time with her. He was happy. Hiccup had never been able to make him so happy, in all the years that he had tried. Was he still not enough?

"Hiccup?" Astrid called over her shoulder, still not noticing his change in mood. "Can you bring me the other dishes?"

Hiccup scrambled to his feet so he could help clean up. He hadn't meant to get lost in thought and leave Astrid to clean up on her own. He felt kind of bad, especially since it wasn't even her house. "Yes, sorry."

"Did you get distracted again?" Astrid finally turned around so she could raise an eyebrow at him. "You've been thinking a lot more than usual, which is already a lot."

"Have I?" Hiccup set the dishes down, next to the water basin Astrid had been using.

"Yes. You get this faraway look on your face, and you tune out the world around you as you get lost in your own thoughts." Astrid wrapped her arms around his waist, grounding him in reality so his thoughts didn't drift again. "I could seriously get away with anything, and you wouldn't even notice."

"I'm sure that's not true." Hiccup scoffed playfully, holding onto her waist in return.

"Oh really?" Astrid smirked. "The first time I braided your hair? You didn't even notice. In fact, that's why I did it, to see what you would do— nothing, you did nothing."

"Wait." Hiccup looked confused. "That's how that started? If I had just paid you more attention, you wouldn't always be messing with my hair?"

"You only have yourself to blame." Astrid reached up and ruffled his hair. Honestly, she still would have started braiding his hair, even if he had reacted to her. She liked leaving her mark on him, with her signature braid. She liked how he would give her an annoyed look, every time she played with his hair, but allowed her to do it anyway.

"I guess I need to start paying more attention." Hiccup moved his head in mock-annoyance at her touch. "Sorry, I just have a lot on my mind."

"You know you can always talk to me, right? You don't have to keep letting everything build up inside all the time." Astrid became more serious, knowing Hiccup had a tendency to keep things to himself and suffer alone. It was what he was used to, even after all this time.

"Yeah, of course." Hiccup had hesitated before responding. He wasn't used to having someone who actually wanted to hear about what was on his mind. He didn't like to bother people with his own problems when everyone had their own things to worry about. He didn't want to be annoying or be a burden. If he had a big enough problem, he would certainly let Astrid know. She was going to be his wife and he had to get used to being more open, but she wouldn't want to hear about his self-doubts when it came to his parents. He was just being ridiculous. Surely none of his thoughts were true.

"I mean it, Hiccup." Astrid said more firmly. "I'm here, whatever you need."

"I know." Hiccup said with more resolve. "I'm just thinking about all the things that need to be done. I may have gotten myself in over my head."

"You can do it." Astrid gave him an encouraging smile. "I believe in you, interim chief."

"Ha ha, thanks." Hiccup rolled his eyes at the formality.

"I do mean it, though. You know what you're doing. You've been leading the Dragon Riders for years and solving people's problems on the side. Everyone knows they can go to you if they need something, and you'll deliver. They trust you and look up to you. You're already a great leader, so just do what you always do, and I'll be there to help, just like I always do."

"Okay, yeah. We've rebuilt the village plenty of times before."

"We are ridiculously practiced at that, aren't we?" Astrid joked before getting serious again. "I really am proud of you, Hiccup. Just the other day you were running away from anything that had to do with being chief, and now here you are, offering to take over for a few days. I think it's great, how you're stepping up. You really will be a great chief someday."

"Thanks." Hiccup looked down, but he had a smile on his face. "But I'm glad that I'll have you by my side, that I won't have to do it alone like my dad did."

"You won't be alone." Astrid agreed. "I'll be there, and your dad will always be willing to give you guidance if you need it. Your mom too, since she's here now and planning to stay."

Hiccup felt reassured by her words. Being chief one day had never really seemed like something that would actually happen, before he'd met Toothless. Since then, it had been hanging over his head and stressing him out. He hoped he could live up to everyone's expectations for himself, as a leader. He also hoped that things would get better with his family, that he could find his place amongst his parents and his people.

Hiccup placed a light kiss to Astrid's cheek before they went their separate ways. "See you later."

"Meet me at lunch!" Astrid said over her shoulder as she ran off.

They had been standing in the middle of the village, discussing how to divvy up the tasks of most importance for the day. Astrid was going to start by checking in on the Berk Guard, making sure that they were still keeping watch and being vigilant, just in case Drago decided to make another appearance— assuming that he was still alive— and Hiccup was going to check in at the forge and see how the repairs were going.

As Hiccup approached the forge, he saw Gobber showing Eret the simple but tedious task of making nails. They would certainly be needing lots of those in the next few days and Hiccup was grateful, at least, that the task didn't fall to him this time around.

"Good morning, Gobber, Eret." Hiccup greeted.

"Ah, Hiccup!" Gobber said with enthusiasm. "Stoick told me you would be taking over for a while."

"Yeah, I thought he and my mom could use some time together." Hiccup explained.

"They seemed to be getting along just fine." Eret commented with an amused smile.

"Reminded me of when they were first falling in love." Gobber reminisced, but with a slight grimace. "So much flirting, and gushy exclamations of love, and kissing."

"Please tell me that Astrid and I never acted like that." Hiccup really hoped no one thought that they had been annoyingly sweet to each other when they had officially started courting.

"Ha!" Gobber burst into loud laughter. "You and Astrid? You two are weird."

"What?" Hiccup didn't know what to make of that. Eret found it extremely funny, although he didn't know what made Gobber call the couple "weird."

"You two seem to have an aversion to PDA." Gobber explained. "Or even to letting people know that you're dating! It's like you two knew you liked each other, but ignored it for years. Then, when you finally came to your senses and decided to be together, no one could tell the difference!"

"Well, we wanted to keep it to ourselves, at first." Hiccup defended, although Gobber was telling him what he had wanted to hear— that he and Astrid hadn't been that annoying, new couple.

"What's your excuse now?"

"You really think we don't act like a couple, even now?" Hiccup knew Gobber was teasing him, but he was suddenly worried that he wasn't showing Astrid how much he loved her.

"Oh, you two act like a couple. You just skipped over affectionate, love birds and went straight to old, married couple." Gobber said with a straight face, although there was an amused light in his eyes. Eret chuckled to himself as he pretended to be focused on his task.

"We... hold hands." Hiccup continued to defend.

"So do innocent, little kids." Gobber dismissed, having fun getting a rise out of Hiccup, who had gone from not wanting to have been openly affectionate with Astrid, to trying to prove that he was.

"I just kissed her in the middle of the village, on the cheek."

"Hmm, doesn't count unless it's on the lips." Eret joined in, Gobber nodding his agreement.

Hiccup opened his mouth to make another retort, then closed it again. "This conversation has really gotten away from me."

He and Astrid had been though this before, when Dagur and Mala had gotten together. The two had been incredibly affectionate, in front of anyone and everyone, and Astrid had come to think that Hiccup didn't give her enough attention. Though, they had finally talked things through and resolved the issue. Hiccup promised to be more attentive, and Astrid had apologized for making a big deal out of it. They were both comfortable in their relationship and were more private when displaying their love, and they were okay with that.

"I think that kiss you two shared after defeating Drago was enough PDA to last you a while." Eret decided to let up on the teasing and take Hiccup's side.

"That's true." Gobber gave in too. "The important thing is, you two are happy together and show it in your own way."

"Right." Hiccup could feel a blush on his cheeks and cursed his inability to stop it from happening all the time. He was ready to change the subject and get back to business. "Anyway, I was hoping you had an idea for breaking up all this ice. It's really thick and even the dragons can't get through some of it."

"Really? I've been focusing on the construction of the houses. Thought the dragons would have been able to handle that." Gobber made a face as he tried to think up a solution.

"Hiccup, Hiccup, Hiccup." A new voice had everyone turning to see the newcomers. "I thought you would know better than to ask anyone but us, about explosions." Tuffnut appeared out of no where, his twin not far behind.

"And wanton destruction." Ruffnut added.

Hiccup raised an eyebrow at the two, tilting his head as he deduced where they had come from. "Were you guys waiting around that corner this whole time?"

"Of course." Tuffnut answered.

"We had to wait for the opportune time to make our case." Ruffnut explained.

"Your case?" Hiccup wasn't sure if this was going to lead to anything good.

"Let us take care of the ice. Explosions are our thing!" Ruffnut said.

"They have a point." Gobber conceded.

"No, they don't." Hiccup became stern. "Uncontrolled explosions, destruction, and chaos are their thing. We don't need more of that, Berk is already in pieces. What we need is a controlled way of breaking up only the ice, and nothing else."

"We knew you would say that, oh responsible one." Tuffnut pulled a paper out from behind his back. "So we drew up our plans."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow as he took the parchment and unrolled it. He studied it with confusion for a few seconds. "...grand plan for making Snotlout believe he woke up in an alternate reality...?"

"Oops!" Tuffnut snatched the paper from Hiccup's hands. "Those are our plans for Loki's Day."

"You grabbed the wrong plans?" Ruffnut smacked her twin's arm. "You're making us look unprofessional."

"Professional Loki worshippers are supposed to be organized! If you were more organized, I wouldn't have had to rummage through a pile of papers." Tuffnut replied indignantly.

"You guys are just instilling me with confidence." Hiccup interrupted the argument with his sarcasm.

"Hiccup, we promise we are taking this situation seriously!" Tuffnut sounded sincere as he turned back to his friend and leader.

"Yeah, we've been thinking about it a lot and we did draw out some plans, just so we could make a good impression." Ruffnut defended. "We know how you like making plans."

"Okay." Hiccup huffed as he gave in. "What is your plan?"

"Remember when we discovered the Deathsong?" Tuffnut asked and Hiccup blinked as he realized where they were going with this. "It encased us in its liquid amber and when it dried, it was as hard as a rock."

"We couldn't break out of it." Ruffnut added. "The only thing that worked, was when you poured Monstrous Nightmare gel across the amber and lit it with fire."

"The amber got warm enough that we could finally break free."

"So, using that logic, we pour Monstrous Nightmare gel on the ice and light it on fire."

"It will probably have to burn for a while until it weakens the structure of the ice."

"Then we can break it to pieces with the dragons' help." Ruffnut finished. Both the twins looked to Hiccup with hopeful eyes. They really wanted to be in charge of this task and Hiccup could see how much thought that they had put into it.

"That... could work." Hiccup had to agree that it was a good plan after a moment of thought. "I'll let you head up this project if you promise to be responsible with the Monstrous Nightmare gel. That stuff could burn down the rest of Berk."

"We promise!" Tuffnut agreed with excitement.

"We have plenty of experience with the stuff." Ruffnut waved off Hiccup's concerns, but then straightened when he narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "...which means we know how to be responsible with it."

"Have Snotlout help you, he's most experienced with Monstrous Nightmares." Hiccup ordered. "If Hookfang won't listen, get Toothless to help you too. He's in the underground stables."

"Yes, sir!" Tuffnut saluted Hiccup, who rolled his eyes. "Mr. Interim Chief."

"Thanks, Hiccup!" Ruffnut said in parting as the two left.

"I hope I don't come to regret that." Hiccup muttered as he watched them leave.

"It'll be fine." Gobber assured, having heard Hiccup. "Sounds like they have a good plan. You can't do everything yourself, you need to trust others to help, and learn to delegate."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right." Hiccup agreed easily, causing Gobber to give him an odd look. Since when was Hiccup so agreeable? "I'm going to find Fishlegs and have him do a census so we can gather information on what people need and what our priorities should be."

"Good idea! I last saw him on his way to the Great Hall."

"Thanks, Gobber." Hiccup waved to his mentor and Eret as he left.

The sound of arguing caught Hiccup's attention as he headed for the Great Hall, and he paused. He really needed to find Fishlegs, but decided that he couldn't ignore a squabble while he was in charge. With a sigh, he changed directions and headed down a pathway that led to the descending docks.

"I'm the Monstrous Nightmare expert!"

"But I know more about dragons."

"Oh? Well let's see your books produce the Nightmare gel that we need."

"I'd have better luck with that than you'd have getting Hookfang to listen to you!"

"He's an independent soul, unlike your cowardly Gronkle."

"You take that back!"

Hiccup held back a groan at the sight before him. Snotlout and Fishlegs were arguing while the twins and all their dragons stood by and watched. Why were the two even arguing? Hiccup had given his orders, and Fishlegs wasn't normally the confrontational type.

"Okay guys, that's enough." Hiccup stepped forward to intervene.

"Hiccup, tell him that I'm in charge of gathering Monstrous Nightmare gel!" Snotlout pointed to Fishlegs.

"I was just offering to help since I'm good with dragons." Fishlegs defended, glaring at Snotlout.

"And we told them that we already have a decent store of the stuff that is still intact." Ruffnut replied lazily, as if the argument meant nothing to her.

"We only need a little more, and Hookfang can provide it easily." Tuffnut added, watching the argument as if it was some kind of interesting debate.

"Look, I put the twins in charge of this task." Hiccup stated.

"What?!" Fishlegs asked incredulously.

"Are you crazy? It involves explosions." Snotlout stated, as of Hiccup were clueless.

"They came to me with a good plan and made a decent case for why they should get to do it." Hiccup backed the twins, standing by his decision. "What they say goes, Snotlout, so get them what they need."

"Fine." Snotlout grumbled, but then threw Fishlegs a triumphant look.

"Wait, what about me?" Fishlegs got fired up again at Snotlout's mocking expression.

"I need you for something else." Hiccup answered.

"Okay, but I think my talents are best used helping with the dragons." Fishlegs uncharacteristically argued his point rather than obeying his leader.

"Snotlout has it covered." Hiccup raised an eyebrow. He couldn't figure out why both Fishlegs and Snotlout were so determined to help the twins.

"Hear that babe? Hiccup says that I can do the job, all by myself." Snotlout flirted with Ruffnut, who smirked in response, having changed her mind about her two possible suitors. Snotlout and Fishlegs had saved her, she had known them her whole life, and they were both good friends in their own ways. She could see a good life with one of the two, and she was over Eret, he wouldn't give her the time of day.

Fishlegs nearly growled from the sidelines as Snotlout made a move and got a response out of Ruffnut, and Hiccup finally had his answer. They both wanted to work with Ruffnut, that was what this was all about. He nearly rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"Snotlout can handle gathering the Monstrous Nightmare gel." Hiccup said, but before Fishlegs could protest, Hiccup held up a hand to stop him and continued. "But I've got a very important job for you, Fishlegs. You're the best man for the job."

"Me? Really?" Fishlegs was intrigued by the high praise and glad to have received it in front of Ruffnut.

"Yes, you. It's a very important task, one of the top priorities for the day." Hiccup continued to build up the job, receiving a huff from Snotlout and a smile from Fishlegs.

"Well, if you really need me for something that important." Fishlegs gave in, giving Snotlout a triumphant look. Snotlout folded his arms, at least he would get to be near Ruff so he could continue to show off.

"I really do." Hiccup nodded. "Let's leave these guys to it, and get started on our task."

Fishlegs nodded in agreement, waved to Ruffnut, and followed Hiccup. They walked back up the path to the main village, Hiccup leading. He couldn't suppress the look of triumph on his face. He had gotten everyone to do what he wanted and everyone was more or less happy. Things seemed to be working out well.

Toothless narrowed his eyes as he focused, his tongue sticking out in his concentration. Hiccup leaned forward in the saddle, looking down at the slat of wood Toothless was carrying, swinging below on a rope.

"A little to the left!" Ack instructed from the rooftop of an unfinished house. Hiccup and Toothless obeyed the instruction and shifted their flight. The wood swayed for a moment before Ack and his son managed to get a good hold on it. "Now lower it!"

Toothless dropped down smoothly and the father and son guided the piece into place on the roof. Once the piece was in place, it was nailed down.

"Good job, bud." Hiccup patted the dragon's neck. He gave Ack and his son a wave before directing Toothless to fly off for the next piece of wood. The two landed at the edge of the forest, where the wood was being chopped.

"We're making quick progress." Astrid heaved her ax up, leaning it against her shoulder, and she wiped at the sweat on her forehead.

"Yeah, the houses will be finished in no time." Hiccup dismounted Toothless, pausing for a second to give him a quick chin scratch before approaching Astrid. "Perhaps it's time to switch out the workers. You guys look pretty beat."

"Oh, I'm fine. I can swing my ax for hours." Astrid shrugged nonchalantly, then threw a smug look over her shoulder. "But you're right. These boys look pretty worn out."

"We can keep going!" One of the men said indignantly.

"Yeah! I can do this all day!"

Hiccup shook his head in exasperation. "Way to motivate the troops, Astrid, but please make sure that they don't overwork themselves."

"I promise, Hiccup. I'm just messing with them." Astrid gave Hiccup a smile. "We have a shift change scheduled in the next hour."

"Oh, good. I'm afraid I've been working everyone a little hard lately."

"We've all got to pitch in to rebuild our home, everyone knows that. Besides, you've been working harder than all of us." Astrid assured him. "People have noticed that, and they're grateful."

"Yeah, good work, chief!" One of the men said, a few others mumbling their agreement as they worked.

"Thanks." Hiccup said quietly as he looked down, a slight blush on his cheeks. He still wasn't used to receiving such high praise, and especially when it came to doing chief work. In the past, when he had been left in charge as interim chief, people didn't always listen to him or take him that seriously. They were now. Eret had told him how the people had remained loyal to their heir when Drago had taken over, and Hiccup was beginning to believe that to be true.

Astrid drew Hiccup from his thoughts as she ushered him further away from the workers so they could have a bit more privacy. Hiccup raised an eyebrow in question, knowing Astrid had something she wanted to say to him only.

"Hiccup, have your heard anything from, or seen your parents around?" Astrid asked, her voice quieter than usual.

"No, they went on that flight and I don't think they've been back since. I'm not all that worried. They seemed to want to have some time to themselves." Hiccup answered, matching Astrid's volume.

"It's Chief Stoick the Vast and your vigilante mom, I'm sure they are just fine." Astrid agreed, then continued with her real concern at Hiccup's confusion. "It's just that, the reason I was staying with you was because you wanted my support when it came to your parents, and they haven't been home in a few days. It's just been me, you, and the dragons in your house."

Hiccup thought he knew where she was going with this. "Right."

"But I've been staying with you anyway, since the Hall has been a bustle of activity and my parents are staying with family and they don't really have the space for me either. And really, we didn't expect your parents to be away this long, or at all." Astrid suddenly looked a little unsure. "My parents do trust us both, and I don't think anyone else has really been paying our arrangements much attention, but my mom talked to me today and said that it's improper for me to stay with you, even though I'm upstairs in your room and you're downstairs."

"Gods, Astrid, I'm so sorry if I got you in trouble. I haven't really even been giving our situation much thought. By the time I get home, I just collapse on the floor to sleep. I should have been thinking about you more." Hiccup hadn't even considered what their current living arrangements could do to Astrid's reputation, not that most people would jump to conclusions when it came to them. They had gone out exploring and camped together many times. They had lived on an island, just them and their other teenage friends, for about a year.

"No need to apologize, Hiccup." Astrid assured him with a smile, used to his apologetic tendencies. "You've been returning home later than me, no doubt exhausted. I don't blame you for not giving any of this a second thought. I explained all of that to my mom and she understands. Though she did request that we make the Arne Hofferson household a priority, so that I can return back home with them."

"Of course! I should have thought of that. I just... you know, didn't want to seem like I was playing favorites." Hiccup looked a little chagrined.

"That's what I told my mom, that I didn't want to prioritize my own family over everyone else. That we've been following Fishlegs' collected data on what families were the neediest. Those staying with family and friends are less needy than those camping out in the Hall." Astrid concurred with Hiccup's sentiment. "But we're making quick enough progress that I think it would be okay."

"The damage to your house wasn't too severe, we could probably even have it done by tonight or tomorrow."

"That would be great." Astrid said with some enthusiasm, before looking sympathetic. "Not that I want to abandon you to be in your house alone."

"I won't be alone, I have Toothless, and Heimy." Hiccup gave Astrid a reassuring smile. "I'll tell Fishlegs to put your house at the top of the priority list."

"Hiccup!" One of the workers called and both Hiccup and Astrid looked over. "We've got the next piece tied up and ready for Toothless to haul."

"Thank you, Erik." Hiccup turned back to Astrid and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you later. Make sure to take a break."

"I will when you do!" Astrid called after him as he mounted Toothless. He gave her an amused look before taking flight.

Stumbling over his feet, eyes stinging with exhaustion, Hiccup trudged up the hill to his home. It was late into the night and he was the only person to be seen walking through Berk. He had just escorted Astrid to her repaired home and kissed her goodbye.

The Hofferson home was mostly finished. The repairs far enough along that the family of three could still move back in and sleep inside. Sigrid and Arne, Astrid's parents, had been very grateful.

The people of Berk had made a lot of progress in the past few days. Most of the debris had been cleared out, only the biggest of the ice chunks remained. Many of the homes had been rebuilt and repaired. Tools, essential items, and food stores were being replaced and restocked. Everything seemed to be going smoothly. Hiccup had successfully organized and prioritized things so that everything was accomplished in the best way possible. His people were proud of him.

Finally turning his gaze up from his feet and to his home as he hiked up the hill, Hiccup noticed the flickering, warm glow of a fire lighting up the windows. The first thought to enter his sleep-deprived brain was that Astrid had returned before him and lit the fireplace— but then he remembered that he had just dropped her off at her own home. Toothless. It must be Toothless who had returned home before him and ignited a fire with a small plasma blast.

Hiccup smiled at the thought of climbing into his cozy bed, Toothless warming his sleeping stone and curling up on top of it on the other side of the room. It would be nice to sleep in his own bed after sleeping on the floor for so long, even if he would miss sleeping so close to the warmth of the fireplace.

As Hiccup pulled open the door, he was met with a wave of warmth that tossed his hair around with a small gust of air. He smiled at the comfort it brought and took in a deep breath as he relaxed, closing the door behind him.

"Hiccup!" A booming voice exclaimed enthusiastically. Hiccup jumped, his head turning to look around for the source of the sound. If he had barely been awake before, he definitely was now.

"Dad?" Hiccup finally noticed his parents sitting close together by the fire, sharing a blanket that draped over their laps.

"You look tired." Valka commented. "It's rather late to be returning home."

"Astrid and I were making plans for tomorrow." Hiccup answered as he tried to clear his head and recover from his surprise. He had been expecting to return to an empty house, aside from Toothless and maybe Heimdall— wherever he had ended up today.

"Oh? What kind of plans?" Stoick asked with a grin.

"Plans for rebuilding Berk." Hiccup answered with some confusion, what other kind of plans would they be making?

"Ah, yes. You and Astrid have done a great job, from what I've seen." Stoick praised. "You've made a lot of progress."

"We've all been working hard." Hiccup said, still standing near the door rather awkwardly. He was no longer relaxed, instead filled with uncertainty. His parents being home changed the whole dynamic. He wasn't sure if he should retreat to his room to sleep, because he wasn't sure if his mom still intended to stay up there, but he was tired and didn't want to hang around while he waited for them to go to bed.

"Speaking of which." Valka displaced the blanket on her lap and stood up to approach her son. She had her hands clasped in front of her and she seemed a little timid about what she was about to say. "Hiccup, I don't mean to overstep... but I think the dragons are being worked a little too hard."

"They're working as hard as everyone else." Hiccup defended. "This is their home too, so they need to help."

"Yes..." Valka looked down as she tried to argue her point more delicately. "I can see how that makes sense, but you've got to understand that the nest-dragons aren't used to this kind of... uh, work ethic. Maybe take it easy on them?"

"Right." Hiccup was too tired for this and he figured his mom may have a point, not that the work the dragons were doing was that strenuous. Hiccup made sure to give all the dragons tasks that best suited their species and rotated them out to insure that everyone got a break. He made sure that they were all well fed and hydrated. Hiccup knew what he was doing and it was, quite frankly, kind of insulting that his mom would imply that he was mistreating the dragons in any way. "I'm pretty tired, so..."

"Oh, yes." Valka glanced back at Stoick. "It is late, isn't it?"

"We should all be getting some sleep." Stoick stood up. "Your mother and I are taking a long walk around Berk tomorrow, unless, you need us for anything?"

"Uh, no, no. We're all good." Hiccup assured.

"That's good. I'm proud of you, Hiccup." Stoick walked over to Valka and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Good night, my love." Valka smiled up at him before he retreated to his bedroom.

Hiccup stood there, feeling awkward again, having averted his gaze in an attempt at giving his parents some privacy. Valka cleared her throat and turned her attention back to Hiccup.

"We went back to the, uh, the former alpha's nest." Valka looked sad for a moment. "We paid our respects."

"I'm sorry, mom." Hiccup hovered a hand over her upper arm, but then withdrew it. The good Bewilderbeast meant a lot more to his mom than he had to Hiccup, because she had spent years in his care. He did feel bad though, that the grand beast had died.

"Thanks, Hiccup." She gave him a small smile. "We brought back some of my things. I left them upstairs in your room, I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all." Hiccup didn't hesitate to assure her that it was fine, although part of him was beginning to feel like an intruder in his own home.

"Alright. Goodnight, Hiccup." She put a hand on the side of his face, brushing some hair behind his ear that refused to stay in place. She picked up the blanket she had been sharing with her husband, and climbed the stairs to Hiccup's bedroom.

Hiccup sighed as he looked at the floor. Sleeping in a bed wasn't likely to happen anytime soon, now. Toothless hadn't even returned home yet, and maybe wouldn't at this point, seeing how late it was, so he couldn't even sleep against his dragon companion. Hiccup unfurled some blankets and tossed them on the floor.

A/N: So much awkward. Haha, sorry. Those Haddocks, though.

Review Responses:

Silver Sentinel: I think the past would still affect Hiccup today, even if only in little ways. He lived a certain way, looked down on by the people around him, for so long, that doesn't just go away. And now things are coming up with his mom that he wouldn't have thought would be an issue.

Animation Adventures: Haha, yeah, their family discussions can be awkward. I thought it was a little weird how easily they just all got along in the second movie, when Stoick discovered that Valka was alive. I think it would take them some time to get to that point, of being comfortable around each other. People do love Hiccup, but I can see him having self-confidence issues and doubt after everything he's been through— especially with recent things coming up reminding him of how things used to be.