Chapter 26

"Honey, what are you thinking about? What's wrong?" Hiccup asked as he climbed onto his side of the bed. Astrid had her half-moon reading glasses on and was staring intently at the page in her book.

"Nothing really," Astrid answered rather quickly.

"I would believe you more but you've been staring at that page for five minutes and your book is upside down," Hiccup deadpanned as he slid closer and placed his arms on her shoulder. Astrid's cheeks turned pink while she snapped her book close. "Talk to me," Hiccup urged.

"I just worry. It's been two days since Alex came by… and well… what she told me really unnerved me," she confessed.

"I'm worried too but we did everything we could for now," Hiccup assured. "I'll assign extra people to Damian besides Heather and the Grimbornes. We've also notified the school administration as well as any clubs he goes to. Mother also insisted on coming to visit this weekend to check up on us,"

"I guess you're right," Astrid yawned. "There isn't much else we can do and we took precautions." she leaned on Hiccup's shoulder, smelling a familiar scent. She hadn't really noticed it while worrying but now… "Did you use my shampoo again? She asked playfully.

"It keeps my hair very silky!" Hiccup tried to defend.

"Indeed it does," Astrid purred in Hiccup's ear before kissing him. Hiccup hastily turned low the bedside lamp as the kiss deepened.

When the couple woke up the next day it wasn't to the annoying beeping of their alarm clock but instead to the sudden mass that jumped them.

"Damian," Astrid admonished lightly as the wiggling mass of the child bounced on the covers.

"Uhg…" Hiccup uttered as he cracked an eye open. He glanced at the clock on the nightstand before grumbling "We still have an hour before Damian needs to get ready for school,"

"Five more minutes?" Astrid whined as she grabbed her son and pulled him down to lie between them.

When the trio finally made it downstairs, Astrid and Hiccup were in their robes while Damian let out a yawn while dressed in green striped pajamas, they saw Heather already seated at the kitchen table while Viggo was making flapjacks.

"Viggo you don't have to cook each time. I could help," Astrid offered.

"NO!" Everyone else in the room suddenly shouted at her suggestion.

"Honey, we have to get ready for work soon and Damian needs to head to school," he tried to change the topic. Heather meanwhile just rolled her eyes.

Heather meanwhile didn't beat around the bush. "Astrid you are a decent cook and all but the one thing you cannot make are flapjacks," she deadpanned. "Or have you forgotten the time Damian used them as frisbees? Not even the pigeons wanted them,"

"Mommy the ants avoided them!" Damian chimed in.

"Ryker chipped a tooth," Viggo muttered under his breath.

"Okay, Okay, I get it, no flapjacks." She grumbled before turning to her son. "Is your school bag packed?" Damian nodded as he climbed up on the chair in between Heather and Astrid.

"Heather, I will be needing you after you've dropped Damian off. The twins will be at the school today. I believe Fish has already filled you in?"

"Sure, it's no problem," Heather replied.

Astrid said nothing. She merely placed a flapjack on Damian's plate while scooping two for herself along with some chocolate syrup. In the last few years, Hiccup had gotten comfortable talking a bit of shop around her. He did tone it down if Damian was present which was very mindful in Astrid's opinion. It just goes to show how comfortable they had all gotten with each other.

Heather and Damian left for his private school a little after half past seven while Astrid kissed Hiccup goodbye and headed off to work not much later. Hiccup waved and gave Astrid his goofy smile before he walked back inside.

"Where is Ryker?" Hiccup now asked with a raised brow as Hiccup had rarely seen the brothers apart for long.

"At the DMV," Viggo grimaced. "His license expires soon,"

Hiccup made a face as well. He wasn't overly fond of the DMV. "We're heading out in half an hour. I have business at the Nightfury,"

The Nightfury was Hiccup's pet project. A well-established nightclub in the heart of Berk. The club catered to all clientele with extra security on theme nights and attentive waitstaff ready to step up if any clientele felt uncomfortable.

In the morning the club looked quite abandoned. No neon signs or red carpet to welcome guests. Hiccup stepped out of the town car and buttoned his pinstripe suit jacket. He stepped through the front door of the club, like any owner doing their inspection. However, this wasn't a normal visit. Heather was already waiting at the entrance and joined Hiccup silently as he walked towards the backroom.

"Boss," Several men greeted with respect as they stood around a bound and hooded figure. The figure let out a muffled grumble while one of the men added "We didn't touch her as per your orders boss but she's a narc."

"I know," Hiccup said and then gestured for the men to get rid of the hood. A furious but gagged Mala struggled in her bonds. Her eyes widened when they landed on Heather.

"I normally don't take kindly to spies but Heather here asked me to spare you… for now," Hiccup stated while gesturing with his hands. "She said you were a pretty upstanding cop during the time she was still with the Force. You even got recruited to the DEA." Here Hiccup gave a small clap. "Granted I do have respect for good cops, given how many of your colleagues are so easily corruptible. But what the fuck is the DEA doing sniffing around my businesses? Even in the underbelly of Berk, it is a known fact that I abhor the use of narcotics,"

Mala squirmed, bound in her seat. Hiccup indicated for one of his goons to remove the duct tape from her mouth. Mala winced as the tape was ripped off but continued glaring daggers at Hiccup and Heather. "Do you think I believe that crap?!" She said in a hoarse voice. My partner was undercover and the shit you've been peddling killed him! It had the Hooligan seal on it! Don't you dare lie that you don't move drugs!" She screamed. "You killed him and I am going to fucking destroy you!"

"No illegal product moves in this city without me knowing about it," Hiccup stated angrily. "Granted there is a lot of shady business the Family partakes in but drugs are the one thing I won't allow to run rampant in my city. Not after Sima's death," Hiccup's anger showed on his face. It was the angriest Heather had ever seen him.

"Well it is and it has the Hooligan insignia!" Mala retorted. "Perhaps you don't know your family like you think you do!"