Mercy's POV

I ran through the village, passing by villagers that greeted me and smiled at me. I didn't make eye contact with any of them and ran straight to the woods. Once I hit the thick trees I slowed down and came to a light jog, until I get into the cove. I walked to the edge of the water and fell to my knees. A single tear led to three, which led to more and more.

"Mercy?" A voice asked from behind me. I knew who it was.

"Just leave me alone." I croaked. My voice was cracking and my voice was soft.

"You seemed troubled when you ran through the village. I tried saying hi but you just kept running." He said in a soft tone as he drapped a blanket on my shoulders and sat down next to me. He looked at my face. "Please don't cry." He whispered and hugged me. My head got tucked in between his head and shoulder. "Can you tell me what happened?"

"My dad and I got into a fight." I mumbled.

"I'm so sorry Mercy." He began. "This might not be a good time to say this but, I just need to say it."

"I feel the same Cody." I said without removing my head from his shoulder. I heard his heartbeat increase and pick up speed.

"You-you do?"

"Yes." He exhaled a large breath and I could feel him smile, making me smile.

Astrid's POV

"You had to yell?" I asked.

"I don't know what came over me."

"She's gone Hiccup. You saw her, she ran out the door! No one knows where she went."

"Astrid I made a mistake I know." He stated and jolted up. "I'll go out and find her."

"She won't talk to you. She really likes him, Hiccup."

"I set down a rule. Fifteen. Not ten."

"Hiccup she can handle herself." He stopped walking to the door. "You need to let her do this. She's grwoing up Hiccup. You may not like it, but this is what happens when you're a parent." I walked over and knelt down to is eyes, which were cast onto the floor. "I know you don't want to loose her, but even if she's ten or twenty-two, she'll always be you little girl. And you'll always be her daddy." A single tear rolled down his cheek as he embraced me in a hug.

"Astrid I have to apologize to her." He said woth a choked voice.

"Let her be out for the night. She has to cool off, I can find her in the morning." I felt him nod. "Go upstairs and sleep. I'll clean up the dishes and put Stoick to bed. And I'll take care of him for the night. JUst rest." He nodded and walked tothe stairs, stopped and turn around.

"Thank you Astrid. I love you so much." He said and hugged me, then walked back upstairs.

/~the next morning~\

Cody's POV

I woke up laying on the grass in the cove, with Mercy's head on my chest. I heard people talking about in which directions to look, and automatically knew it was about her.

"Mercy wake up." I whispered and shook her gently. Her eyes popped open and she jolted awake. "There are people looking for you."

"It's probably my dad. I'll be in that tree, don't tel them where I am. And make it look like you were sleeping." She said and threw the blanket on me, then ran to a nearby tree, and disappeared into the leaves. I heard the people begin to decend into the cove, so I layed down with the blanket on top of me and closed my eyes.

"Cody!" A woman shouted. I opened my eyes sleepily and looked at her. "Have you seen Mercy?"

"No I haven't. Why has something happened to her?"

"No, she just ran out on dinner last night and hasn't returned home. When was the last time you saw her?"

"I hung out with her yesterday here. But that was from breakfast to lunch time. Then she went home to you ma'am."

"No need for the ma'am. Just Mrs. Haddock please." I nodded in agreement. "Any idea on where she could've gone?"

"I'm stumped on that one Mrs. Haddock."

"Alright. Thank you Cody. And if Mercy contacts you in any way, please tell me." She said and walke out of the cove with everyone else. I waited until they were all gone and out of earshot before signaling Mercy back.

"They sound worried Mercy. Maybe you should go home."

"Please and risk getting yelled at again? That's the first time he's ever raised his voice towards me. It was scary." She stated as her voice began to break. "We've never fought. We've always gotten along so well and all of the sudden this?" She said as a tear fell down her cheek. I embraced her into a hug and felt her body calm down slightly.

"Mercy he's your father. He would never try to hurt you or purposely make you feel this way."

"I can't go back. Not today. Not right now."

"Can we make a deal?" I asked as we broke apart. She nodded her head. "How about we stay here for today until it gets dark, and then I take you back home. Is that ok?"

"Yeah. I can do that." I sat down against a boulder and she sat down next to me.

"Look, about last night, Not the thing with your dad, but, what you said." She stared at the water.

"I know what you're talking about."

"Did you actually mean it?"

"Of course I did. Why would I tell you a lie?"

"I don't know. I'm not really the coolest person." She rested her head on my right shoulder.

"If it means anything, I think you're cool." I smiled.

Hiccup's POV

"I'm such an idiot." I croaked and placed my head in my hands and rested my elbows on the table. "She probably hates me right now."

"I'm sure she doesn't hate you." Mom comforted as she sat next to me and placed a cup of tea in front of me. (Vikings actually did have tea. At the end of the first HTTYD soundtrack, the last song is called "the Vikings have their tea"). She placed a hand on my back and I sipped the warm drink.

"I know I hate myself right now."

"All you're doing is protecting her. It's every parentt's job to protect their children."

"But I lashed out at her mom. I yelled. I lost my temper." I sighed. "You should've seen the look on her face. She looked heartbroken. Her eyes welled up wth tears. She froze up." I remembered, letting a tear drop into the tea, making ripples coast over the surface until it hit the edges of the mug.

"Hiccup. Every parent gets madand it's a natural reaction to yell." I sighed.

"It just, it reminds me of when I was fifteen, Dad was never really happy to see me. And everytime I went out during a raid something would happen and he would yell at me. Right in front of all of the villagers." I said. "After that, I promised ot myself that if I ever became a parent, I would never yell at them. So they didn't ever have to go through that."

"Honey you can't beat yourself up about this. Just relax. Soon enough it'll be water under the bridge." She said and stood up, then walked out the door. I sighed and looked into my refelction in the tea. All I could see is the shame I felt. In myself.

Mercy's POV

"Okay okay my turn. Would you rather fly on a dragon or fly in a flight suit?" I asked with a wide smile as I sat in front of Cody with a wide grin.

"Well it depends on which one is safer."

"Oh forget about safety for a minute I'm talking about which one do you think would be more fun?"

"I would have to say, flying in the suit." 

"Yes!" I cheered.

"Okay my turn. Would you rather be stuck in a cave with one person you like but only a blanket during a snow storm, or a warm house with a lit fire and people you don't like?"

"Easy, the cave." I awnswered as I looked at the sky. The stars began to gleam as the sun went behind the hills. My face dropped and I neglectively stood up.

"Do you want me to walk you home?" Cody asked.

"That would be nice." I mumbled.

/~at the house~\

"I'll see you tomorrow okay?"

"Okay. Oh and Cody." He turned and faced me. "Thank you. For everything." He smiled.

"Good night Mercy." I smiled and opened the droo slowly and quietly. I peeked my head in and oticed that there was no one downstairs. I slipped in and quickly tip-toed to my room, shutting the door as quietly as possbile. I put a chair in front of it anmd layed on my bed, wrapping myself in the blanket Cody gave me last night. I breathed and felt myself tearing up. I tucked myself into the blanket and soon enough, I fell asleep.

/~morning~\

Hiccup's POV

I was the first one awake in the quiet house. Usually Stoick is crying right now or Mercy is doing something downstairs. But it was dead silent. Like the calm before a storm. I walked downstairs and went to the kitchen for some tea. I warmed the waterand placed the herbs in, then leaned against the counter and sipped. I wondered if Mercy had returned yet. I placed my mug on the counter and walked quietly to her door. I tried pushing it open, but it was blocked with something. I silently gasped. She's home. I walked upstairs and shook Astrid.

"Astrid wake up Mercy came home." She jolted awake and ubbed her eyes.

"She-she is?"

"Yes her door has been blocked by something." She sighed,

"That usually means someone doesn't want to socialize. Please don't push to talk to her. Just act normal and she'll come out soon enough."

"Hopefully I'm still here. I have to do some work today." He said and walked downstairs. I pulled the blankets off of me and followed him downstairs. 

"Everything will be fine you know." She blurted once she stepped off the last stair. "It might just take time."

"How long?" 

"I don't know. You know how she is. She's unpredictable." I looked at the floor.

"I have to go." I stated and walked out, grabbing my helmet, and taking off with Toothless.

Mercy's POV

I sat in the chair that blocked my door and listened to their conversation. 'Everything will be fine you know, it might just take time' I heard mom say. 'How long?' Dad questioned. I sighed and looked at the wall in front of me. I heard the front door shut and the beating of a dragons wings get further and further. I stood up and slid the chair away from the door, opening it, and peeking one eye through. I saw mom standing at the end of the stairs.

"Where did he go?" I whispered. Her head turned to me, with a large smile on her face.

"I don't know. I'll go find him. I'll send Allysa over to help you watch Stoick. Just please, stay in the house." She told as she went upstairs, then shortly came back down with her fur on and went out the door.

Stay home? Seriously? I'll just stay here until Allysa gets here, then leave. That way Stoick isn't home alone at all. I paceed around the downstairs level of the house for about 10 minutes, which is when Allysa and everyone else showed up.

"Alright you guys I'm heading out." I said and began to walk to the door, until someone held me back by the collar of my shirt.

"Nope. Astrid said you aren't leaving and we have to make sure of that."Snotlout said as he still held my collar.

"Would you let go of her shirt Snotlout. Astrid said to make sure that Mercy stayed until we got here." Allysa chimed.

"Oh I wasn't really listening." He replied. He dropped my collar and I stood up.

"Now if you excuse me, I'll be hanging out around the village." I stated and walked out of the house, 

"So, rough couple of nights?" Jade asked as I walked out of my house.

"Definitely."

"What happened?"

"My dad and I got into a fight. I'm not quite sure where he went. I haven't talked to him since that night."

"That's rough. Come on let's take a walk.Cody is meeting us in the cove." Jade said as we turned and walked in the direction of the cove.

/~in le woods~\

"So he told you?" She asked hapily and bit her lip in anticipation.

"Well he led up to it, but I told him I felt the same because I knew what he was going to say." I shrugged.

"And what happened after that?"

"We talked. I told him about everything that happened and hung out. No big deal."

"How cute." She stated.

"Shut up." I said and lightly punched her arm. We stopped walking when something ran in front of our path. It was going to fast to see what it was. "Did you just see that?"

"I saw something but I'm really not sure what it was."

"I'm going after it. Go get Cody and find me." I told as I ran in the direction of the creature.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hey guys!

So for all of you celebraters out there, Happy Thanksgiving!

If you don't celebrate, happy normal day!

If you have a special holiday, happy special holiday!

But whatever you're doing today, I hope it's a great day.

I am celebrating today, so I won't be able to start another chapter until late tonight.

And I'm thinking it'll be up tomorrow.

So I'll see you when I see you!

~Astrid