Hiccup traipsed back to the house with a heavy heart. A part of him wanted to punch another wall or tree but he held back the urge as best he could. Now wasn't the time for angry outbursts. He was already dreading what he'd find when he got there but he knew one thing: it wouldn't be pretty.

His moment of shame would have to wait, apparently. Adrianna either wasn't home or hadn't bothered to light any of the lanterns in the main room. Her bedroom windows faced the back of the house so he couldn't tell if she was there or not just by looking at the front.

He hopped off his dragon and reached out to open the door when his hand faltered over the handle. Toothless made a concerned cooing noise at his human's rigid form.

"I don't know what to do, Bud." Hiccup mumbled morosely. "I really messed up this time." He let his hand fall to his side as his head drooped.

Toothless gently pushed his snout beneath Hiccup's fingers. Hiccup halfheartedly patted him, feeling the tiniest bit of relief. There was something comforting about a dragon's affection when he was feeling particularly miserable. A tiny spark of anger ignited within him and he stomped down the front steps, choosing instead to pace in front of the house.

"I was stupid!" he said emphatically to the dragon, who was watching his movements with interest. "When you make a promise to be somewhere, you're supposed to show up! I'm the chief of the Hooligans, you'd think I'd have this down by now!"

Hiccup's pacing was getting more rapid, his arms gesturing wildly around his head. Toothless's head moved back and forth so he could watch his rider's every move.

"But when it concerns my own daughter, my whole brain seems to shut off! It's like the universe doesn't want her and me to reconcile... ever!" Hiccup grabbed fistfuls of his hair as he paced, his breathing quite audible as he began to wear himself out. "She can only handle so much rejection, Bud. She's just a kid, really. Barely younger than I was when you and I met and you know what a basket-case I was then!"

Toothless made a face at his human before pushing through the front door and disappearing into the house.

"Great, even my dragon is sick of me." Hiccup mumbled under his breath before following the Night Fury into the house. "Toothless, what are you- would you hold still?"

The dragon snuffled irritably at Hiccup before leaping up the stairs. Before Hiccup could catch him, he had bounded down the hallway to Adrianna's bedroom and roared at the door.

"Stop!" Hiccup scampered over to his dragon and tried to get between him and the door. "She's probably not even..."

The door opened and a still fully dressed Adrianna stood in the doorway, staring between her father and his dragon with confusion.

"...home." Hiccup finished lamely. He straightened up and turned around to face his daughter. "Hi."

Adrianna's eyebrows raised the tiniest fraction. "Hi."

It was odd how flustered Hiccup felt at being faced with one of his own family members. After all, he'd changed this girl's diapers once! One would think making conversation would be the least of his worries. But familial relationships are never as simple as they seem. Hiccup and Adrianna were certainly learning that the hard way.

The father's resolve finally broke. "Gods, Adrianna, I am so sorry!" he exclaimed almost mournfully. "We caught a couple people trying to steal from the winery and you know we've been looking for those responsible for all the vand-"

"It's okay." Adrianna interrupted.

Hiccup froze mid syllable and stared his daughter. Did she really just brush it aside as if he'd merely forgotten to take out the garbage? He knew she could be forgiving but even he would have been upset if he'd been in her situation.

"Uhh... what?"

"It's fine. I found something else to do anyway." Adrianna said with a shrug.

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "You know, it's okay to be upset. I broke my promise."

"Do you want me to be upset?"

"No! Well.. no... I..." Hiccup took a deep breath to try to organize his thoughts. "I just thought you would be."

"Well, I'm not." Adrianna gave him a halfhearted smile. "Things happen. I won't try to waste any more of your time."

"No, no!" Hiccup exclaimed, throwing a hand out to keep the girl from shutting her door. "I really do want to spend time with you! It's important to me!"

"I can tell." Adrianna deadpanned in a very familiar fashion that would have amused Hiccup had he not been emotionally compromised.

"Look, things... come up." It was a dreadful excuse and Hiccup knew it but he pressed on. "I would rather have spent the day with you. I mean it."

"Okay so we'll reschedule once everything dies down." Adrianna nodded, halfhearted smile still plastered to her face.

"Ah... I'm not sure that'll be any time soon." Hiccup sighed and withdrew his hand from the door. "But I'll try. I'll give you as much time as I can."

"Okay." Adrianna shrugged again. "Well... I want to get back to my book. Night, Dad."

The door shut before Hiccup had a chance to respond. "Right..." he hung his head. "Night, Addie."

Xxx

Despite his growing weariness, Hiccup felt alert. Gazing across the filled Great Hall during the busiest time of the morning, the breakfast hour, he made a few mental notes. It pleased him to see the various council members mingling, as per usual, but he knew otherwise—they too were keeping their eyes and ears open. They were just as compelled as him to catch the gang members as soon as possible.

Astrid caught his eye from across the room, pausing in her conversation with Heather to give him a warm smile. He smiled back and watched her focus back on Heather. Still they hadn't had any free time to spend together alone. He felt horrible about that. The more time that passed since she first mentioned it, the more the thought nagged at him. But he couldn't just drop his duties. His wife was definitely a top priority, but sadly catching the gang, along with his other chiefly duties, had to take precedence.

Hiccup could barely remember crashing face first into his pillow last night. Or rather, early morning. As promised, he took the first night watch with Fishlegs. Astrid poked him awake around seven for his first morning meeting, to which he could barely haul himself out of bed. He was running himself into the ground and he knew it, but if anything "exciting" happened on a night watch, he wanted to be the first at the scene. But one look in the mirror told him just how much of a zombie he was turning into. Thank Thor for coffee.

As if on cue, a solid poke on the shoulder snapped him out of his daze. "You look tired."

The chief glanced at Snotlout and sighed. "That's an understatement."

"You and Astrid need a vacay. Pronto."

Hiccup chuckled. "Another understatement."

"As soon as this gang nonsense is behind us, we're shipping you two off." Snotlout straightened. "No kids, no responsibilities, all that jazz."

"Thanks but even when we do catch them, we have to go through the trials and all that jazz." Hiccup sighed wearily. "The thought's nice though."

Snotlout snorted. "Astrid's going to corner you one of these days, and she isn't going to let you say no."

Hiccup fought a smirk but managed to reply, "She knows I'm busy."

"And soon enough she's going to be fed up and will start occupying you with other-"

"Okay okay!" Hiccup waved his hands frantically. "There are kids nearby, sheesh."

Snotlout shrugged. "Their fault for eavesdropping."

Hiccup dropped his forehead into his palm. Some things never change.

"Looks like Larson's made a friend."

The chief followed his friend's line of sight and his eyebrows shot up in surprise. While he was pleased that Erick seemed to be mingling and branching out, he wasn't entirely sure Finn was the best choice. Not that Hiccup had any serious qualms with Erick hanging out with his son, but Finn and Erick were polar opposites. Finn was loud and obnoxious, proud and disrespectful to authority most of the time. Erick was typically quiet yet calculating, said his piece when he felt the need. He was creative and a pacifist in a way, much like himself. Erick wasn't one to bring out the fists if there was a disagreement. Finn craved those opportunities.

"Hm." Hiccup hummed noncommittally.

"Kinda weird."

Hiccup shrugged. "At least he's sitting with someone."

"At least he's eating, more like." Snotlout shook his head. "I'm not typically one to worry about other people's kids, but he's a nice guy. I hate to see him fend for himself."

"Yeah. Lara's a piece of work sometimes." Hiccup glanced at the woman from the other side of the room, chatting with a few other ladies. "I had wanted to talk to him on a more frequent basis after the accident. But I've-" Hiccup winced. He didn't want to make excuses.

"I gotcha. He'll probably be fine, mingling is the first step to getting better."

"With Finn...?" Hiccup asked.

"Don't be so pessimistic!" Snotlout punched his shoulder. "At least he's out of the house. In public. At a table with teenagers, popular teenagers!"

Hiccup blinked, looking back at the table. He looked just in time to see a girl named Jackie sit beside Erick, who was across from Finn. His son and the girl exchanged a few quick words before the girl stood and marched to another table. Neither teen looked upset nor agitated at all; but clearly Finn had told her to leave. Erick had watched the exchange with a bland expression as he picked at his food, favoring his left hand more than his right. Hiccup curiously noted his wrapped forearms, but made no comment to Snotlout on the matter.

"Keep an eye on those two." Hiccup finally said.

"Two? Not Erick?"

"Well... yes. I don't want to assume he's not involved. I just don't distrust him like..." Hiccup faltered, struggling for words.

Snotlout lowered his voice. "Do you suspect Finn?"

"...I can't rule him out."

"What about Adrianna?"

Hiccup looked across the room at his daughter, sitting side by side with Brandyn and talking with Taryn. Adrianna had her hair in a loose braid today and wore a leather headband, similar to what Astrid wore when they were teenagers. She laughed at something Taryn said and nudged Brandyn with her shoulder.

He finally shook his head. "I would be shell shocked if she was part of it. It's just not... her."

"I agree." Snotlout nodded. "I mean, still we probably can't rule anyone out, but I would be just as shocked."

"It would be nice if we could narrow it down to just a few, but there are dozens of teenagers on Berk." Hiccup sighed.

"It would be nicer if that retard brother-in-law of mine would just spill the beans and save us the trouble."

"Now that I could drink to."

"Whoaaaa, you? Drink? Really?" Snotlout gasped. "If we get Cale to spill, ale's on you."

Hiccup smirked. "Done, but he won't."

"Oh we'll see about that." Snotlout marched away.

"Hey!" Snotlout turned to catch Hiccup's warning glance. "No torture."

Snotlout pouted and pinched his thumb and forefinger together. "Just a little?"

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"No!"

"I'll bring you the best wine in the Archipelago! Gobber's specialty!"

"You already bring the whine, Snotlout."

"Heh?"

"I said you- agh, you know what? Forget it." Hiccup waved him off. "Shoo fly, I got stuff to do."

"Shoo fly you!"

Hiccup snickered as he walked away, swiping a glass of juice from a tray as he went. He wasn't sure if spiking his blood sugar on orange juice was a better remedy to fix grogginess than caffeine, but he decided he didn't care. After downing the juice and sliding the empty glass toward the bartender, he whistled for Toothless and headed toward the doors. He smiled at a few children that charged past him, chasing a Terrible Terror. Just before reaching the doors, he caught sight of Finn and Erick deep in conversation. Something didn't sit right about the strange interaction. But without a good reason to butt in now, he decided to log away the information for a more suitable time, if the time came.

Xxx

"That was really stupid."

"What? Her coming over here or me sending her away?"

"Both." Erick griped, chopping a sausage just to occupy himself. "She was stupid to come over here because we know we're probably being watched, but you sending her away probably made it worse."

Finn shrugged indifferently. "Maybe. Ten bucks says my dad didn't even notice."

"Oh he noticed, one way or another." Erick dropped his fork with a loud klink and rubbed his eyes. "I honestly don't know how you've made it this long."

"My old man's not as quick as people make him out to be."

"No, your old man's better than that." Erick replied. "He's got every square inch of this island crawling with soldiers."

"Evan said they're cutting back."

Erick shook his head. "I'm not buying that for a second. Hiccup would plant a twisted lie like that."

"So we can't see the guard," Finn waved a hand. "It's more challenging that way."

"Suicide!" Erick hissed.

Finn snickered. "You are really worked up about this. It's actually quite entertaining."

"And you are so... so gung ho about it that one more slip up like that will have all of us behind bars." Erick shot back. "This isn't child's play anymore!"

"Yes, I'm aware. Freaking out about it is surely going to catch their attention though, so relax." Finn pressed. "Really, chillax. Anyway, you're the smart one. What should we do next?"

"Well first, if we're smart, we'll stop meeting for a few days at least. Since they caught Cale and the guys yesterday, Hiccup's going to be like Toothless ready to nab a cod at any given time. We have to lie low." Erick pulled out his pocket knife and began shaving wood off the table edge. "Second, we shouldn't talk to Evan. They'll be watching him closely."

"I was thinking the same thing. If he comes to us, we boot him."

"More like the cold shoulder," Erick argued. "Avoid him completely."

"I think that's the first time I've heard you condone that attitude."

"Hey, I don't want to go to jail just because I joined yesterday and he's an idiot." Erick hissed. Another wood shaving landed at his feet. "Third," He looked up at Finn through his bangs. "We're wearing masks from now on."

Finn huffed. "I was trying to avoid that."

"What? Why?"

"Because it's evidence!" Finn frowned. "Besides, it's a better thrill when your face is exposed."

"Do you want your mom's axe thrown full force at you? I don't!"

"Uh this is my mom we're talking about. She'd throw it either way."

"While this is true, if they had gotten away, she knew who they were because they were exposed." Erick argued. "I'm getting us masks."

Finn blew air past his lips. "Fine."

"Fourth-"

"Fourth? How much did you plan?"

"You wanted a strategist, you got one. So shut up and listen."

"No wait," Finn interrupted again, clearly enjoying Erick's frustration. "When did you have time for all this?"

Erick rolled his eyes. "I think, Finn. I actually use my brain. Plus I didn't sleep much so I pretty much thought all night."

Finn nodded in approval. "Dedicated."

"Thorough." Erick narrowed his eyes. "Just goes to show how many things I found to improve in the little time I was with you guys. Hm?"

Finn scowled. "Fourth?"

Erick hid a smirk. "Since we won't be meeting in person for a while, I figured we could still message each other. I'll go to the council's Terror Center-"

"Ugh the messaging center?"

"Think about it: I take a few Terrors and tell them where to go. They know every inch of the island, who everyone is, and they're trained to burn messages after delivered and read. We could still communicate without being exposed."

Finn thought for a few seconds in silence. Then Erick noticed him staring at Helga, who was standing across the room. Erick snapped his fingers in front of Finn's eyes, making the other boy jump. "Yeah. That works."

Erick looked at him flatly. Seriously, how had this kid not been caught yet? He sighed heavily. "Right. I'll try to take care of that today sometime."

"During the day?" Finn asked, still watching Helga from afar, but seemingly paying attention to the conversation.

"I've got nothing else to do. I can practice my stealth skills."

"Good luck, blondie."

Erick frowned, biting his tongue. Sure the blond hair was bright and easy to see, but at least he wasn't a big six-foot galoot whose bright red hair could be spotted from the moon. But he assumed said big six-foot galoot would not appreciate such terminology directed towards him. He wanted Finn's attention for this wide-open, in the middle of the Great Hall, conversation (at the busiest time of the day, no less), but he probably didn't want his attention in that way.

Or maybe... Erick thought harder. He'd noticed Hiccup and Snotlout watching them a few minutes ago. He knew it was suspicious. Finn had insisted on meeting here in the Great Hall while it was busy so it would look less suspicious if they were talking in some secluded location. While the thought held some merit, Erick and Finn weren't exactly "bruhs," as Cliff would put it. Hiccup's suspicions were high on everyone right now, he was sure of it. So meeting out in the open like buddy-buddies? Probably not a good idea.

But if he could somehow upset Finn in some way, mildly of course, he'd probably get angry and stalk away like a small version of Stoick the Vast. He really didn't want Finn to make a scene though, so it would have to be subtle. Either way, if he made it obvious that he and Finnweren't on the best of terms, maybe he'd throw some suspicion off of himself a bit.

What? At the end of the day, if they were all running from the guard to avoid capture, it was every man for himself in Erick's mind.

Erick blinked out of his trance. The idea of actually running, or flying on Charger, away from Hiccup and the council... yikes, it was actually a scary thought. Was he a criminal now? Technically he'd only associated with the group thus far. He hadn't done anything wrong, even if he was making "strategies". Finn acted like these were gold mines in comparison to their past "work". Erick didn't think he was being that impressive. These ideas were merely the first things he'd thought of. He figured they were no-brainers!

The 16-year-old thought about Cale and Frey, currently sitting in jail. While Erick had already said they needed to lie low, he thought about the gang's past hits. Most were attacks on homes or businesses. What if they took it a step further? What if they struck the iron while it was hot? What if they really could fool the chief and the guard and the village?

A thrilling sensation swooped through Erick as a plan formed in his mind. He realized just how much trouble he would be in if the plan failed. He realized how bad it would reflect on the Berk Guard and Hiccup if they succeeded.

If they got caught. If they succeeded. Such a little word, so much interpretation. Suddenly, Erick felt the challenge. He didn't just have the idea, he couldn't wait to put it into action! He didn't want to lie low for a few days. He wanted to move.

But first, Finn was still ogling Helga. He didn't seem to notice the silence or Erick's sudden spiked interest in criminal activity.

"So what about Cale and Frey?" Erick lightly broke the silence.

"Hm..." Finn hummed. Finally he looked back at Erick like he was a thousand times less gorgeous than Helga, which he probably was. "What about them?"

"I have a thought." Erick smirked, which got Finn's full attention. Erick quietly told him his plan. He watched Finn's face morph into masked eagerness. Clearly the other teen was trying his hardest to hide his excitement.

"It should only be me and the girls who pull it off though."

"Oh come on-"

"Finn, they're going to check up on you!" Erick frowned. "If you want to go, fine, don't listen to my advice. You're the boss. But Hiccup's watching you too."

Finn rolled his eyes. "Whatever. It's a good plan. Where are they going to go though?"

"Mildew's. If they don't know about the hideout yet, then they can hide there. Afterward though, we will have to lie low."

"Probably. Oh my old man's gonna hate this." Finn noted with glee.

"For sure. I'll get the Terrors as soon as I leave here and then I'll start gathering what we need. It shouldn't be difficult."

Finn raised an eyebrow. "Suddenly you're so interested."

Erick shrugged. "It's a good plan."

"Which could easily go wrong."

"Since when are you worried?"

Finn laughed. "I'm not! But the first one's always the hardest."

"I'll be fine."

"Yes, I know." Finn straightened like a weekly meeting was finally closed. "Well I-"

"Wait, one more thing." Erick interrupted, leaning forward.

Finn huffed. "What now?"

"Why do you hate your dad so much?"

Instantly, Finn's face darkened. He worked his jaw for a moment, then muttered, "A lot of reasons."

"Is it worth all this trouble?"

"Yes." Finn growled lowly. "Every second of grief he gets from the things I cause are practically music to my ears. Now he'll know what it feels like."

Erick ignored most of the questions floating through his mind, except one. "What what feels like?"

"Being. Alone." Finn said through gritted teeth. Erick almost felt like his anger was being directed toward him. "Feeling... grief and anger at yourself for things that you can't fix when you know it's someone else causing the problems. Time doesn't heal all wounds like every adult will tell you. You know what I'm talking about."

He did. Oh, he understood all right. Erick still couldn't sleep at night without thinking about his father and sister. While he tried to find it in his heart to let go of his anger toward Adrianna for his father's death, Aud's... Aud's was his fault. He couldn't necessarily relate to Finn on every level, but they shared a connection.

"But holding onto bitterness isn't always better either." Erick countered, feigning casual. "It wasn't your dad's fault-"

"Don't. Even. Go there." Finn hissed. "Just because you're all goody-two-shoes with my father and he treats you differently doesn't mean anything."

"What?" Erick blinked.

"Oh come on, he's always had a happy relationship with you, while I've always been the bane of his existence. I got sick of trying years ago, long before B-" Finn stopped abruptly. "Rune."

Erick almost couldn't breathe. So many things just happened in a few short sentences. There were a few things Finn never mentioned: Benen and what happened on Rune. But he almost seemed to be jealous of Erick and his mild relationship with Hiccup! His goal was just to upset Finn a little so they didn't look suspicious to anyone watching them. He didn't want to bring out the green-eyed monster! Still...

"Your dad and I don't even talk that often." Erick replied carefully. "And I don't... ah. I don't want... to say things to upset you on purpose. Really." Erick felt a twinge of guilt, given his reasoning for starting this whole conversation. For this though, he really didn't want to upset him. "But I think he tries... and you don't give him much of a chanc-"

"No?" Finn asked. "He's gotten plenty of chances and he screwed them all up. The second my dad finds out about your mistakes," Erick froze when Finn deliberately looked down at his wrapped wrists. "Let's see how buddy-buddy with you he stays. Enjoy the friendship now because you can bet anything he can be quite choosy once the demons come out."

Erick swallowed thickly. He knows. How does Finn know? Is it THAT obvious?

Finn abruptly stood. "Get the Terrors. Send me a note by noon." And with that, he stalked off, like the predictable little version of Stoick the Vast he was.

Erick should have felt a rush of satisfaction that his little plan worked. He hoped any guards watching them weren't interested in him now. But instead he felt hollow and empty inside. He never knew that Finn was bitter and angry toward him about Hiccup. Really, Hiccup was too busy to worry about him much. Hiccup had gone out of his way after Aud's funeral to come talk to him. But it wasn't like Hiccup had given Finn no sympathy for Benen's death. He remembered Hiccup's strong grief after the old man died. How could Finn assume that Hiccup cared more about him than his own son? Where was the basis for it?

As he stood and dropped his plate into the dirty dishes bin, Erick couldn't rid himself of the sick feeling that he'd just made an enemy. He knew working with the gang was going to cost him in some way; he just didn't realize it would come from this angle.

Xxx

"Chief! HEY!"

Hiccup turned around just in time to see Brandyn running toward him at a breakneck pace. His eyebrows shot upward as the boy stopped in front of him, hardly breaking a sweat. The chief couldn't help but be slightly impressed that the Anderson boy was in such good shape.

"Gods, tracking you down isn't easy. You're all over the place!" Brandyn shook his head before continuing. "Can I have a word? Just for a minute, I'm not like planning to take all day or anything."

"Uhh..." Hiccup made eye contact with Snotlout, who shrugged. "Sure. Mind if we talk in the food storage? Only place we'll get any semblance of privacy in the middle of town other than Gobber's outhouse."

"Ahh yeah, I'll take the storage." Brandyn chortled, following the slightly shorter man into the storage shed and securing the door behind him.

"So what can I do you for?" Hiccup asked, sitting down on a nearby chair and gesturing Brandyn to sit across from him.

"Ah, if you don't mind, I'd rather be standing up for this." Brandyn said almost nervously.

"I'd join you but I've got to rest this leg as much as I can with all the craziness going on." Hiccup suddenly leaned forward. "Actually, before you get to what you're about to say, do you know anything about this gang thing going on? Any little bit of information helps."

"Well I was with Nani for a couple of the times they struck so I'm not involved, you know that." Brandyn shook his head. "But no. I don't know anything. Sorry, I'll keep my eyes and ears peeled for you if it helps."

"It does, thank you." Hiccup leaned back in the chair. "So..."

"Yeah, my thing." Brandyn crossed his arms and leaned against the wall of the shed, pausing for a moment to collect his thoughts. "Well... you know, I don't think I've ever done this before but hey, first time for everything."

"Done... what?"

"Ahh sorry, I'm not so good at this." Brandyn smiled in an apologetic fashion. "Well, see, you know how Nani is."

"Well yes, I am familiar with her." Hiccup smirked at Brandyn's obvious sheepishness. "You do tend to be familiar with your own children. Comes from raising them since birth."

"Sorry, yeah, I figured you probably knew her pretty well." Brandyn said through a wide grin. "Well I'm still getting to know her and you know... I like it. Well, you know, her. She's a special girl. Pretty, creative, smart, funny, she's the whole package, you know? Well no, I guess not, I mean you are her dad so it'd be kind of creepy if you did know that in more than just a general sense."

"Any man would be lucky to have her." Hiccup narrowed his eyes. "Is that what you're implying? Because I've known that since she was a toddler."

"Pretty much." Brandyn nodded. "I guess I'm asking if it would be all right, sir, to pursue her in a romantic sense rather than the admittedly enjoyable platonic relationship we've had."

"Are you asking me if it's okay to date my daughter?" Hiccup didn't even notice he'd stood up until he found himself upright and staring up at the gigantic teenager in front of him.

"That would be exactly what I'm asking." Brandyn replied, straightening up at the sight of his potential girlfriend's father so stiff at the idea. "I didn't think it would be appropriate to pursue her without your blessing. You're such an important part of her life and I wouldn't want you to feel like you needed to come between us."

Hiccup was taken slightly aback. He honestly hadn't thought Brandyn was that traditional. Most young men didn't ask permission from their potential girlfriend's father before pursuing them. Finn certainly hadn't had any similar conversation with Fishlegs, that was for sure. The Haddock patriarch thought back, recalling the brightened expression on his daughter's face when Brandyn was around, the amount of times he'd heard her laughing because of something that the Anderson boy had said. Whether or not it was a match made in Asgard remained to be seen but he liked Brandyn and it was clear Brandyn respected him.

"Treat her well." Hiccup said at last with a heavy sigh. "She deserves the world."

"Not sure I can give her that." Brandyn admitted. "But I promise I will treat her right." there was a long, very awkward pause as the two men intentionally looked everywhere except at each other. Finally Brandyn locked eyes on Hiccup again. "So... is that a yes?"

"Yes."

Brandyn's eyes were suddenly alight with excitement. "You have no idea how happy you've made me!" he exclaimed, grabbing Hiccup's hand in his and shaking it vigorously.

"Don't make me regret this, Brandyn." Hiccup said, his eyes boring into the boy's.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Brandyn replied instantly. "I intend to treat her like a princess."

"Good because she kind of is one." Hiccup nodded once to the teen. "Sorry, but if that's all, I do have a lot to do right now..."

"Say no more." Brandyn said cheerfully, opening the door to allow the chief to exit the storage first.

Xxx

Finn pulled Helga along through the streets, ignoring her questions. He just kept giving her a smile over his shoulder and walking faster. After that long, boring conversation with Erick and watching her from across the Hall for the last hour, Finn decided he was tired of talking. Finally, he spied a cracked open barn door and pulled Helga inside.

Helga giggled when he pulled the door shut. "What's gotten into you?"

"Shush." Finn shoved her against the door and pressed his mouth against hers. Helga laughed and pulled him closer. Finn slid his hands up her waist, moving his mouth fast and hot against hers. Burying his hands in her hair, which smelled of honeysuckle, he mouthed her neck down to her collarbone, ignoring her laughs at how much it tickled.

"F-Finn, what-"

"Would you shut up and just kiss me?" Finn asked raggedly. "Do you need a reason?"

Helga suddenly smirked. "No." Pulling him flush against her, she grabbed his face and kissed him hard. Finn pressed her back into the wall, forcing himself to forget about everything else and focus on her. She yanked his hair, forcing his neck to bend so she could kiss his jaw. He panted in her ear, willing himself to slow down a little. He might be taking advantage of her just a little, but... well, he didn't want to go too far.

"You're pretty worked up," Helga murmured in his ear.

Finn breathed a laugh and squeezed her waist. "Is that a bad thing?"

"Of course not." Helga kissed his mouth and nibbled his lip. "What I'm wondering... is why you're holding back?"

Finn grabbed her hands and pushed them against the wall above her head. Helga yelped when he kissed her again, his tongue searching her mouth. Helga moaned breathlessly, squirming against the wall. She gasped and tilted her head up against the wall as mouthed down her throat. She pulled against his hands, panting when his mouth trailed against the edge of her shirt. He reveled in the frantic sounds of her wanting to put her hands all over him and she couldn't. This was perhaps the only kind of power that made him think twice, but because their parents wouldn't approve, he didn't stop.

Finally he let her hands slip and she tackled him. They stumbled for a few feet until his knees hit a hay bale, and she climbed on top of him when he landed on his back. Finn trailed his hands down her back down to her thighs, moaning loudly when her teeth scraped his neck and lips recaptured his mouth. He heard the slight tear of material when he realized she was trying to pull his shirt off. He attacked her throat as he sat up and allowed her to pull it over his head. Somehow the sensation of her skin against his chest and stomach drove him even crazier.

Grabbing her thigh, he flipped them so he pinned her down. Helga squealed into his mouth and laughed out loud when he kissed her neck. He wasn't sure why that tickled so much, but any sounds she made while kissing her was amazing. He kissed her harder as she clawed at his back.

"F... F-Finn! Y-you're gonna... ahhh... g-give me hickey!"

"Good. Let them see it." Finn moaned before recapturing his lips and slowing down a little. He knew he was jerking her around and knew she liked the slow, hot kisses. Helga relaxed beneath him and sighed heatedly against his mouth. She brushed her fingers through his hair until finally her left fingers brushed against his temple, and she pulled away from his swollen lips with a loud pop.

"Did you burn yourself?" She asked, trying to catch her breath.

Finn blinked at her in confusion, his mind a blur. "What?"

"There's a big rough burn scar right here." Helga began to pull his hair away to look when Finn's eyes snapped open in realization.

"NO!"

Helga recoiled as he quickly stood, scrambling away from her. Finn stared down at her in shock, catching his breath. He finally sighed and shook his head. "S-sorry... It's nothing."

Not thirty seconds ago, things were going great. Her disheveled appearance should have filled him with pride. But suddenly, a door had been opened that he'd promised to never open. Of course his past would come to haunt him even now, when he was trying to stifle his emotions from earlier. Such a killjoy.

His girlfriend finally sat up and straightened her shirt, a look of confusion wrinkling her face. "What is it?"

"I told you, it's nothing." Finn replied defensively.

Helga sighed. "I'm not... Why do you do that?"

"What?"

"You're all about making out with me, but the second I get anywhere close to talking about things in a serious way, or if I accidentally stumble upon something that you don't like, you get defensive."

"I'm not getting defensive!" Finn growled. Helga made a face. "Urgh, not before! I said it was nothing, you're the one who won't let it go."

"I just asked what it was, that's all! I've never seen it before-"

"Why do you think? Because I don't WANT you to see it!"

Helga blinked. "You make it sound like it's something to hide."

"Because I don't- some things I don't feel like advertising!" Finn waved his hands around. "I can have secrets without you forcing me to tell you everything, just because you have this... this idea that sharing is caring!"

"So we can share spit, but not important things?"

"Why is this so important? Why do I need to share it with you?"

"It's important because you're making it important!" Helga cried. "You're the one making it a big secret! But after all this time, I'd like to think you trusted me enough to share!"

"I don't WANT to share it with you! I haven't talked to anyone about this since Ben-" Finn froze and Helga's eyes widened.

"Finn-"

"No. You know what, forget it." Finn snatched his shirt off the ground and yanked it back on.

Helga followed him to the door. "If it's about that stuff, I'm sorry! I'm not... I don't want to force you to talk about stuff if you're not ready. But real couples trust each other with information-"

"Not THAT information!" Finn bellowed. Helga backed against the wall as he approached her. "I would give ANYTHING to bury all of that into the depths of the earth and never have to look at it again! And you just want to turn everything into some... frilly happy conversation about trust! Sorry if I don't operate that way!"

"Okay..." Helga replied meekly. Finn vaguely wondered why she was being so quiet. Usually she'd tell him straight when he was being ridiculous. But something seemed to have changed in the last few minutes. She almost looked at him like she was... afraid of him. "I won't bring it up again."

Finn's ire cooled to a simmer. He was still furious, but he didn't think of himself as scary. Helga looked down at her boots awkwardly. "Good." She flinched at his response, but before he'd allow himself to feel bad or look into her blue eyes again, he turned and shoved the door open.

Stalking into the late morning sun, he grabbed a nearby axe and stalked into the woods. He trudged past large oaks and elms for a while until he found a secluded clearing. Choosing a medium-sized oak, he angrily slammed the blade into the tough wood until his muscles ached, his hands bloomed with new blisters, and finally the tree creaked to one side.

It toppled to the ground with a mighty crash, sending birds and other woodland animals chattering into the air and forest. Finn growled loudly and slammed the axe into the ground beyond his feet. He slid to the ground and caught his breath, willing himself to calm down.

So many things angered him, and today, everyone seemed to be pushing his buttons. His dad watching him like a hawk, while deserved considering the circumstances, was still annoying. He had this weird paradox in his head that even though he was guilty, how dare his father not trust him? He should totally trust him, like he trusted Adrianna, like he trusted his council, like he trusted Erick, who was just another problem.

Precious Erick who got to be babied for all the problems he'd been through the past few years, while Finn got overlooked because he was the chief's son, who got pressured to be in the villagers' and councils' good graces but couldn't hold a civil conversation to save his life. Quiet, misunderstood Erick who was unloved by everyone and seemed to be taking his problems to a whole new level, but he'd surely get sympathy the moment his parents found out. But him? What did he get? Speeches and lectures about how he should act a certain way and not act other ways.

And Helga, who wanted to be open and helpful about all the problems she could only guess he was having, because he was being righteously stubborn about not revealing. She wanted a complete, full-circle relationship where they shared things and talked about their problems and worked through them together as a team. What did she think this was? A ticket to marriage? They were teenagers! Sure, a couple more minutes of that heated making out and he probably would've been tempted to make her scream his name, but did that honestly mean he wanted to share every one of his deep dark secrets with her just because they were an item? Did he want to know all of her deep dark secrets, assuming she had any?

She'd never had a day of struggle in her life! She didn't take off from home when she was seven, because her parents were fighting. Her mom was a nut job sometimes, but her parents worked together like bread and butter. She didn't get sold into slavery or get branded like a cow to be sold. She was never beaten to a pulp because she didn't scrub a floor properly. What did she know?

Finally, the one he hated most out of everyone: himself. Twice today, both with Erick and Helga, he'd slipped and nearly said Benen's name or mentioned Rune. Twice. He hadn't slipped up like that in ages, let alone twice in one day! What was wrong with him? That right there was the heart of all his pain and suffering, and with every ounce of strength he had, he barricaded those feelings inside, unwilling to let them out. But suddenly Erick asks one question about why he's so upset with his chiefly father, suddenly the ball of grief and anger begins to unravel and EVERYTHING had to come out? This was pathetic!

Finn realized with disgust that tears were running down his face. He roughly wiped his face off with his shirt and snatched the axe out of the ground, which took an extra pull. He huffed angrily and marched away, not caring which direction he was going.

Except from the corner of his eye, he saw a large black shape leap out of the bushes. Finn instinctively ducked, but the large creature still tackled him to the ground.

"GAH! Toothless, get off of me! No, stop it! Urghhhhh..." Finn squirmed from beneath his father's dragon, trying to escape the slathering wet tongue. Toothless laughed at his plight before finally allowing him to get up. "Ughhh you're so gross, you know that?"

Toothless warbled in his face. Finn swatted his nose away and scowled. "What are you doing here anyway?" The Night Fury glanced at the fallen tree and gave the teen a flat look. "What? I'm not the only one who's knocked down a few trees when I'm angry."

"Toothless!"

Oh joy.

Hiccup finally emerged from the trees, panting. He scowled at his dragon and flicked an ear platelet. "I really hate it when you take off without me." Toothless grumbled in annoyance and Hiccup huffed. "Well, I'm not exactly a limber 15-year-old like I used to be, like this one!" Hiccup pointed at Finn with a thumb, but then blinked as if to realize his son was indeed standing there, in the middle of the woods. "Finn?" His dad noticed the fallen tree, the axe, and Finn's weepy red eyes, and instantly deduced there was a problem. "What's wrong?"

Finn looked away. "Nothing."

"Aaaaare you sure? Because you don't look-"

"Gods, I'm fine. Why don't you just go back to work, like you always do?" Finn bit his tongue. He hated it when the bitterness slipped out. That was all that seemed to be happening today.

Instead of getting defensive like Finn expected, Hiccup calmly asked, "Finn, what's wrong?"

A simple question. One that he should have been able to dodge easily. But the more he locked eye contact with his dad, the more he felt the emotions bubbling back up. Gods, it was not a good day.

Finn shook his head and turned away, ready to sprint into the trees to die alone.

"Finn..." Hiccup stepped closer. "No hey, hey!" Hiccup gently grabbed his arm and pulled him closer. "What's the matter?"

Finn refused to make eye contact with him, even as the tears welled up. Everything was crashing down at the moment and the slightest slip up would ruin everything. The slightest blink and the tears would fall, and he refused to let his father see him this weak and small.

Hiccup quietly broke the silence. "Finn... you can talk to me."

Finn stared up at him tearfully, tempted to burst and just let it out. He was angry. He was tired. This was the first time his dad was showing any sort of concern in ages. But this was also the first time in ages that he was allowing himself to feel.

He sniffed and looked down, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. "N-nothing. It's just been a rough day." He knew it was a lame excuse, but what was he going to do? Spew every thought of self-pity that he had swirling through his head? Tell him about his spat with Helga while they were alone in a barn? Yeah.

A small part of him knew his dad would be more than glad to listen, but the rest of him said to just play innocent. Or else the whole can of worms would be opened.

Hiccup was standing there looking confused and concerned. Finn felt a rush of anger that his dad felt the need to be concerned about him. Shouldn't he be worried about what Adrianna was doing? She was just always getting into trouble that way. Surely she needed him more right now.

"What?" Finn asked defensively.

Hiccup pursed his lips. "I want to help, Finn. But I can't if you don't let me."

"Help with what?" The red-haired teen demanded. "I don't need your help, you help Anna-"

Hiccup winced but still interrupted. "Ya know... I really don't. She doesn't come to me for things like she used to. But this isn't about her. I don't have one kid, I have two. There's something wrong and I don't want you to sweep it under the rug because you feel like you can't talk to me."

"I don't want to talk to you." Finn replied stiffly. Finn knew his words stung, but he couldn't be civil. It wasn't in his character. He'd been rude and mean this long, he couldn't change it.

"You need to." Hiccup said carefully. "I'm not going to force you. But it's not good to bottle things up. It will come out one day and it's going to be a whole lot worse than now."

"Because you're an expert, you know these things." Finn muttered, picking at a loose strand on his sleeve.

Hiccup exhaled deeply through his nose. Finn wondered if he was testing his patience. But his dad still sounded placating when he spoke. "Do you remember when your mom and I were fighting when you were little?"

"Couldn't forget it."

"Well," Hiccup ignored the snide remark. "I was like that then. Ever since the duel, I bottled up all my emotions and stored them inside, and hoped that eventually they would just go away. You remember what happened."

Finn nodded a little.

"It doesn't matter if it's a friend or a parent or a spouse or a random acquaintance, things happen. People are going to upset you... or disappoint you." Finn glanced up at his dad. Hiccup took a deep breath. "It's not... easy to forgive and forget or let things go. In fact, it's never easy. But to spend these years angry and upset all the time..."

"What?"

Hiccup seemed to be choosing his words carefully. It was like, since his dad had his attention for once, he wasn't going to mess it up. For once, Finn agreed.

"It's not healthy. Your mom and I..." Hiccup carefully rested his hands on Finn's shoulders. "We want both of you to be happy. We are proud of both of you in many ways."

Finn looked away guiltily. "But?"

"But your teen years are the hardest." Hiccup replied. "The things you do and say now will affect the rest of your life. And I don't mean it like, I expect you to go out and do great things at fifteen because I did." Finn looked at him skeptically. "I mean it, Finn, I still can't believe how my life turned out sometimes. I was just a scrawny screw-up who nobody liked, who couldn't do anything right. I don't expect you to change history."

"Then what do you expect from me?" Finn asked, surprised by the question that popped out of his mouth.

Hiccup thought long and hard, again weighing his words carefully. "Expect is a strong word."

"Ugh dad-"

"Sorry! I just... I know you like straightforward answers and that's not a bad thing. But I don't want to say something that you'll never forget and then I end up-"

"Saying too much?"

"Gods, you're so much like your grandfather." Hiccup remarked flatly. Finn cracked a smile and looked away. "And I do believe that is the first smile that I've caused in a long time."

Finn rolled his eyes. "You were saying something?"

"Yes. I expect a lot of things." Hiccup said calmly. "I want different things. Okay? There's a difference."

"Are you going to tell me what any of those things are?"

"I want you to trust me. I don't expect it."

Finn frowned. "You don't expect me to trust you? That doesn't make me sound very trustworthy."

Hiccup nodded once at the Great Beyond behind his son. "See? Screw-up."

"No, no, just... elaborate." Finn prompted. He wasn't sure why, but he wanted to understand.

Hiccup rubbed his forehead. "What I'm trying to say is, I want to earn your trust. I know you don't trust me and that's probably warranted. Something changed when you left home and came back, but there was something in Benen that you could relate to."

Finn tensed. Once again, someone brought it up today.

His dad noticed his change in body language. Hiccup held up his hands placatingly. "I know. Just... let me say it. Benen was exactly you needed after that. He taught you a lot. You thrived being his friend and he filled that emptiness that you felt from... that. But that doesn't mean I ever should have backed off or assumed that you were fine."

Finn felt his blood pressure rising. "So what are you trying to say? What, that you're jealous of Benen?"

Hiccup's eyes widened. "No! Of course not! No, that's not what I meant at all-"

"That you wish we hadn't gotten so close so I would have needed you? So you could have been my hero?"

"No, I'm glad you were friends!" Hiccup exclaimed.

Finn glared at him, his mouth agape in horror. "You just want to replace him!"

"Replace-"

"You want me to give you everything I gave him because he's gone! And no matter how hard you try, you can't BE him and that's why we fight all the time, you just can't get me to cooperate like I did with him!"

"No! Finn, I never-"

"Well it's not going to work, dad, you'll never replace him! You're NOT Benen!"

Hiccup shook his head desperately. "I don't want to be, Finn! I just want to have a relationship with you!"

"Because you feel guilty about pawning me off on him!"

"Pawning you off- Finn! You needed each other, every bit of your relationship was good!" Hiccup shoved his hands through his hair in aggravation. "He needed you as much as you needed him! I loved him too, Finn, and I'd never be jealous of him for spending time with you."

"Don't- just go away." Finn turned to walk away, grabbing his hair.

"No, wait! Wait." Hiccup ran to the other side to make him stop. "Finn. I'm not trying to replace anyone! I'm trying to fill my own role as your dad, okay? There was nothing wrong with having Benen as your closest friend at all, but I didn't make sure you were okay myself! I should have been there for you and I wasn't! I'm sorry!"

"You and your endless apologies!" Finn shoved him backwards, the tears welling up in his eyes again. "It never stops!"

"Benen was perfect for you in every way, Finn-"

"Which you'll never be! You can try until Ragnarok and it won't change anything!"

Hiccup stood up straight and sighed. "Why not? I've literally tried everything to be there for you, what can I do?"

"Nothing! You can go away! You've never cared anyway!"

"That's not true!" Hiccup shouted. Finally, he seemed to be losing it. "I admit I was a lousy parent, which made you take off in the first place, but if I didn't care I wouldn't have brought you back! Where would you be without me?"

"Back on Rune as a freaking slave, dad!" Finn shoved his dad. "With Benen! Not stuck on this stupid piece of land with you!"

Hiccup shook his head. "Benen never would have wanted that! Your mother and I would die without you here!"

Finn rolled his eyes. "Yeah, because I bring so much joy into your lives."

"You're our son, it doesn't matter whether you bring us joy or pain, we'll still love you, and if he were here, Benen would still love you too!"

Finn shook his head. "It doesn't matter."

"It does matter, Finn." Hiccup replied. "If there's one thing Benen showed us it's that we can never give up on the ones we love."

"Stop." Finn said with a quavering voice, gripping his hair in his hands.

"Benen loved you more than you-"

"BENEN'S DEAD!" Finn finally shouted, raising a fist and slamming it into Hiccup's chest.

Hiccup winced, though from the physical blow or the shout, Finn wasn't sure. His watery gaze dropped to the ground, his fist shaky against his father's chest. His throat began to throb as his words echoed in his mind. He sniffed loudly and choked out, "Benen's dead."

"Finn..." Hiccup whispered. Finn shook his head and stepped back, his red face contorting into pain he could no longer hide. "No, come here." Hiccup bridged the gap in one stride and pulled his son into his chest. Finn melted, his shoulders shaking from the suppressed sobs. Hiccup held him tightly, praying for some kind of answer. More than anything, he wished Benen was here.

How did his little boy get so lost? How did he ever let it get this bad? Was there something he could have done? Tears burned his own eyes at the sight of his broken little man, who was strong and smart and fierce in ways that he himself craved as a 15-year old. He couldn't fix this no matter how hard he tried. Was there any way to fix it?

"I miss him," Finn whispered.

Hiccup held him tighter. "I know you do. I miss him too. But strength isn't just measured by your muscles or how long you can go without breaking down. It's measured by the size of your heart."

"Benen said that."

"And it's true. He loved you. He wanted to teach you everything he could."

Finn's heart tugged guiltily, knowing that everything he was associated with, everything he started with his friends, was completely against what Benen had taught. He would've slapped him silly for making out with Helga, too. Finn's heart twisted in his chest, being slightly tempted to come clean to his dad right here and now about everything. He owed it to Benen.

But this wasn't Benen. This was his father, who failed again and again. What kind of role model was he? If Benen was here... well, lots of things would be different. But if Benen was here, he definitely would fess up. He'd repent and change his ways.

But this guy? His dad had plenty of his own problems. He always managed to do everything right where his family wasn't concerned. No. Finn didn't owe him anything.

Abruptly pulling out of Hiccup's arms, he backed away. "This doesn't change anything."

Hiccup swallowed. "Why not, Finn?"

"Because I don't need you."

"Yes, you do. Finn..." Hiccup sighed and looked away for a moment. "Okay."

Finn blinked in surprise. "What?"

Hiccup licked his lips and slowly stepped closer to his son. Resting his hands on his shoulders, he took a deep breath and said, "I'm right here when you need me. Okay?"

Finn narrowed his eyes. "I don't-"

"I'm right here when you need me."

Finn blinked in confusion, surprised that his dad wasn't being more pushy or upset. Hiccup's gaze was firm and unwavering, but full of sadness. Finn knew deep down that his dad wanted to help and he was being too stubborn to allow it. But what could he do? He wasn't Benen. He couldn't bring him back. He wasn't even there when the accident had happened. He should have been there. But like the great father he was, he was never there when he was needed most. So why would Finn give him a chance now?

Backing out of his father's hold, he walked out of the clearing. He glanced at Toothless sitting nearby and stopped in confusion. He'd been alone in the clearing while chopping down the tree. The axe was still lying on the ground near Hiccup, where he'd dropped it. Toothless had appeared out of nowhere, his father not far behind.

Whirling on his heel, Finn asked, "Wait. How did you know I was here?"

Hiccup snapped out of his dazed expression. "What? Oh... I think Toothless heard the tree fall. We were watching the perimeter and he took off."

Finn fought to keep his face neutral. The statement told him everything he needed to know. Erick was right; they were watching everybody. And if he'd thought about it beforehand, he wouldn't have asked. Because if his dad was on his tail, there was another breadcrumb to follow: his skeptical question.

"Whatever." The Haddock teen turned away and walked through the woods. He straightened his back and willed himself to be calm and collected as always, repeating his gang's message as he left his father in the clearing.

Keep moving. Don't look back. Stay strong. Fortis.

Xxx

Hiccup trekked through the village, feeling worn and raw and exposed. He couldn't fake a smile at the few people who said hello to him in passing, but luckily no one stopped to ask questions. He ignored pretty much anyone around him. But finally a cackle of laughter caught his attention and he walked toward it swiftly.

He found Astrid standing outside the bakery with Ruffnut and Tuffnut, the twins joking about Thor knew what. Without explanation to the twins, Hiccup grasped Astrid's elbow and steered her away. At first she tensed, but relaxed when she knew it was him. But her face clouded when she saw his expression.

"What's wrong?"

"I need to talk to you."

"Clearly."

They found an empty barn nearby and stepped inside. Astrid quickly closed the door as Hiccup sighed, rubbing his face. Stepping in front of him, she asked again, "What's wrong?"

Hiccup sighed, trying to gather his thoughts. "I... I was watching the perimeter earlier with Toothless and a couple guards, when we heard this crash in the woods. Like a tree had fallen." Astrid nodded. "Toothless took off before I could get on his back, so I chased after him. Well when I finally caught up, who do I find talking to him other than Finn?"

"Really?" Astrid wrinkled her brow. "Why?"

"Well... I wasn't sure at first, but he was really emotional. I kept asking him what was wrong because it was very obvious something wasn't right. But he just said he was having a bad day. And then..." Hiccup sighed.

"Then?"

Hiccup told her everything. It took some time and he had to pause now and then to fight tears, but eventually they were sitting on the ground against hay bales by the time he finished.

"...and he just walked away. Left me standing there in the clearing, feeling as lost and guilty as ever."

Astrid was silent for a long minute. "He had to break down at some point. He's been tense for weeks. He just puts up this façade that he's a happy-go-lucky teen guy, but... he can't do it forever."

Hiccup nodded. "I just... when I said that about Benen, I didn't mean it to turn into a huge fight. But suddenly I just got so mad! I'm tired of him acting like he was the only one who was hurt when Benen died. Like Benen belonged to him exclusively and how dare anybody else feel grief and sadness that he's gone. And then, he acts like I'm jealous of Benen! Just... no!"

"I know."

"I mean, I'm sorry, I know you're upset but are you listening to yourself? I don't want to act like he's deluded, but sorry, that's delusional!"

"Hiccup-"

"How could anybody be jealous of Benen over anything?"

"And if Finn was hearing you right now, I think he'd kill you."

Hiccup sighed heavily. "Yeah. Me and my big mouth."

"At least... for the end, it was you. He let you hold him for a few minutes. That's a good thing, isn't it?" Astrid asked.

Hiccup sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I don't know, Astrid. I don't know what to do anymore. I just keep thinking that I could have done something, what could I have done different? I'm definitely not saying I did it all right, but Finn won't let me in! Since he finally snapped out of that two-week daze and I tried to be nice or talk or... or anything, he'd just... shut me out. I've never been let back in since." Hiccup held up his palms. "What can I do anymore that I haven't tried?"

"We just have to keep doing what Benen said to us. Never give up on them. Adri's finally starting to come around, here and there. Finn might too."

"He's so much different. He's so bitter and..." Hiccup exhaled. "And I just feel like a lousy father."

"You're not a lousy father." Astrid frowned. "A lousy father doesn't stick around. A lousy father doesn't try again and again."

Hiccup hummed noncommittally. Astrid sighed and pulled him into a hug. "I'm sorry."

"It's ok-ah!" Hiccup jerked back.

"What?"

"Oh..." Hiccup winced, rubbing his chest. "Lovely."

Realization dawned on her. "My gods, what did he do?"

"Well... when he got angry when we were talking about Benen, he punched me."

Astrid flicked his nose, making him yelp. She began to lift his shirt. "Why didn't you tell me! He could have broken your ribs!"

"I don't care."

"This is serious! Look at that!" Astrid pointed at the large black and blue bruise blooming on his chest. "He could really hurt you!"

Hiccup shrugged. "I can take the physical pain he dishes out. It's him I'm worried about. Astrid, don't you get it? He's suffering! He feels alone and acts like nobody cares, especially me! And there's nothing we can do about it unless he lets us help him."

Astrid breathed through her nose. "I'll try and talk to him."

"Are you sure?"

"I'll try to talk to him tonight, when he's had the rest of the day to calm down. Seeing as I'll be alone tonight. Again."

Hiccup didn't miss the pointedness in her words. "I'm sorry."

She smiled wanly and gave him a chaste kiss. "I understand. Soon?"

"Soon."

"Good. Come on, let's get lunch. I'm starving."

"Okay."

Hiccup accepted his wife's hand and she hauled him to his feet. As they made their way to the Great Hall, Hiccup couldn't help but look toward the forge, wondering if his son was inside working, despite the fact that it was Sunday and the teenagers weren't supposed to work on weekends. He wished there was something he could say or do to gain his little man's trust, but he supposed he had to be patient and loving.

"I'll be here when you need me." Hiccup murmured under his breath.

"What?" Astrid asked.

"Nothing." Taking her hand, Hiccup led her up the stairs toward the Hall, away from the son that so desperately needed a father.

Xxx

Erick couldn't believe he was doing this.

To avoid detection from the guards keeping watch of the entrance to the Terror Messaging House, he had to climb down a cliff, which required taking an hour-long hike out of his way so he could get to said cliff located above the Terror House.

He'd watched the guards shift at ten o'clock. He hoped by eleven, they'd switch again, though he wasn't positive. Either way, he had to be quick. Luckily there was a large boulder located at the top of the cliff, and he'd brought a few yards of rope. Tying a quick rig that allowed him to rappel down the Cliffside without falling to his death, Erick gradually eased himself down. He kept one eye on the guards as he went, thankful for the thick tree cover surrounding him. He was glad to have found a mask to wear and changed his clothes from what he was wearing at breakfast as well, just in case. He wasn't taking any chances. Except from the itching cuts on his forearms, he would be able to make a quick climb back up the cliff if he needed to escape.

As long as the archers didn't shoot him down. He wasn't sure what Hiccup's policy was on catching wanted criminals. He figured he'd have to take the chance and hope Hiccup hadn't issued a "kill on sight" kind of deal.

Finally, the roof to the Terror House loomed just below him. Turning away from the cliff, he soundlessly dropped onto the roof. He waited a few minutes in silence to escape detection, and right on cue, three new guards emerged from the path that led to the village. The guards in front of the doorway simultaneously sighed in relief and trudged forward, allowing the new shift to take over. Erick pressed himself against the roof to avoid detection.

All six guards stood in a circle chatting for a few minutes. Erick mentally debated if he wanted to make his move now, or wait until there was only three. He was honestly afraid to breathe, which was hard enough in the stuffy cotton mask, and the almost noonday sun beating on his back was making him sweat like crazy. Maybe black was a little too obvious a color to wear anyway. Night time would have been preferable for this ordeal, but he didn't want to wait for ten hours to get the Terrors, then send out the messages to the gang late tonight, and then hopefully do the breakout tomorrow night. Pft. Best be proactive before he talked himself out of it.

Finally, the guards continued on their way, leaving the new shift to watch in silence. Erick decided to make his move before they got too comfortable and could hear his movement. Scrambling toward the back of the roof as quietly as he could, Erick dropped to the ground. He wasn't sure who put a back door on a building that was backed up to a cliff, with only a foot and a half of clearance, but he figured the building wasn't originally built for storing Terrible Terrors as messengers. For all he knew, this building used to be the dragon skinning location in the old days.

Not only was there a door in the back of the building against the cliff wall, but there was also a lock on the door. Erick shook his head and held out his palms. What? Who's idea- what kind of moron? What was the point? If Erick survived this and had opportunity, he really wanted to ask who built this place. He wasn't a professional in building himself, but he didn't think the individual had very many brain cells.

Erick, focus.

Erick shook himself and pulled out a pocket knife from his boot. Sticking the point into the lock, he began to jimmy back and forth, trying to be as quiet as possible. Luckily when he was close friends with Adrianna, he'd done lots of reading. One book that always fascinated him was one on locks, codes, and ciphers. While he enjoyed fiction just as much, that was a book he'd read countless times. Finally, he had good reason to have this sort of knowledge.

Well, was it good knowledge if it was for criminal activity? Oh, what was he doing...

Finally, the locked snapped open. Erick dropped it to the ground and opened the door, wincing when the hinges squeaked. He froze. No sounds came from the guards out front, so he slipped inside. Luckily he was thin enough to squeeze into the dim room. He eyed the front door suspiciously for a few moments, waiting for the guards to sense his presence. When nothing happened, he focused on the room around him.

Erick's eyes widened. When people said Hiccup could communicate with just about anybody with his Terrors, they weren't chalking it down to a number. There were literally dozens of Terrible Terrors scattered throughout the room, sitting in various nests, drinking from water troughs or snacking on fish from a large bowl in the center of the room. Hiccup was obviously not one to lock up dragons, so rumor had it when he'd trained the small dragons to be messengers, he'd let the Terrors go free now and then. Over time they'd come to enjoy the indoors and would always come back. Now he didn't have to worry about retraining dragons over and over again. This was his personal flock of trustworthy messengers that he trusted with any kind of message, particularly those between the other chiefs.

Now that he was inside, Erick had to hope the Terrors wouldn't give him away. Terrors got loud when excited. Also, how many did he take? Would they even go with him? These were Hiccup's personal messengers, his little entourage. Would they go with someone they didn't know? He hoped so or all of this would be for nothing.

Inching forward on light feet, Erick poked three Terrors sitting in a nest. They lifted their heads and looked at him with large round eyes.

"Hey guys," Erick whispered, pulling his mask off his face so they could see him. The green one crooned at him and licked his hand. He realized this one was Sharpshot, one of Hiccup's first Terrors to train. He'd definitely seen this dragon a few times. The blue and red one sat there skeptically, but Sharpshot kept them calm. For now.

"I need some messages delivered. Think you can help me out?" Erick asked. Sharpshot squeaked in approval and crawled onto his shoulder. "How about you guys?"

The red and blue one hissed at him loudly, leaping out of their nest to fly around the room. "No! Shh!" Erick whispered hoarsely. "Sharpshot, make them stop!"

Sharpshot growled at them loudly, which only aggravated many of the other dragons. It was like the younger messengers were sick of the old man messenger bossing them around. Erick gritted his teeth, willing them to be quiet, when it happened.

The doorknob jiggled from the front.

Erick jerked his mask back on and sped outside the back door, Sharpshot speeding after him. He didn't have time to close the door and reattach the lock. He jumped as high as he could and grabbed the roof. The cuts on his arms flared in protest as he hauled himself onto the roof, just as the guards spread out around the building.

"I could have sworn I heard something!"

"The Terrors are upset too. Fan out!"

Erick held his breath, lying flat against his back, his heart pounding in his chest. He stared at the rope, dangling down the cliff. Luckily there was no wind, so it hadn't been noticed yet. He wondered if he could outrun the guards in the woods or even on the trail... No, they'd call reinforcements before he'd get halfway to the village. At least up the cliff, they'd have to get dragons from the village to get up the cliff... he'd be long gone by then.

"Back door's open so someone was here. But where'd he go?"

Erick carefully got to his hands and knees, staring at the rope just above the roof. He'd have to time it just right. He wouldn't get a second chance at this. If he got caught, the gang was done.

"Phil, go get the chief. I don't like-"

Erick sprinted to the edge of the roof. Kicking off the stone wall, he stretched upwards and barely managed to grab the rope.

"Up there! Get him!"

Erick growled, grabbing farther up the rope and hauling himself higher. His muscles strained and he could feel the cuts on his forearms tear open. Gritting his teeth, he gained traction with his boots and began to scale the wall as fast as he could. Sharpshot zipped to the top of the cliff, squeaking encouragements down at him.

An arrow hit the rocks beside him, spraying rock and dust over him. He coughed but pressed forward, adrenaline helping him to move quicker.

"HEY! You can't get away!"

A sharp pain sliced his calf muscle as another arrow slammed into the cliff. Erick yelped, forcing himself to keep moving. If they were to hit him again, he'd drop. He didn't want to die like this, just because he signed up for a stupid gang yesterday. The chief wouldn't find his body!

Erick glanced down at the guards again, the archer notching another arrow. The teenager gasped as the guard released the arrow, but the aim was high. He realized in horror that it almost hit the rope. He was almost to the top, he couldn't fall now!

Using one free hand, Erick grabbed the arrow stuck in the stone and used it to pull himself to the top. Hauling himself over the cliff edge, he looked just in time to see an arrow whizz over his head into the woods beyond. Erick gasped heavily, panting through the mask. Sharpshot squeaked in concern by his leg.

Erick peered over the edge to see two of the three guards sprinting down the path, as expected. Sitting up, Erick lifted his pant leg to inspect the damage. Luckily, it was a mild cut from the arrow. Not very deep, but he'd need a few stitches. Great, evidence. Hiccup wouldn't want to look at every leg of every teenager on Berk, but he certainly could. Plus, he was going to leave a blood trail.

Using his knife, Erick quickly cut a large strip of fabric off his sleeve and tightly wrapped his leg. Without another second to waste, he took off into the woods at a run. "Sharpshot, come on!" The Terrible Terror squeaked and quickly followed.

He didn't get very far when a familiar roar echoed across the hills. At first, Erick was terrified Hiccup was about to leap onto him from Toothless...but then he realized Toothless didn't sound like a Deadly Nadder. Looking up into the sky, Erick skidded to a halt.

"Charger!"

The Green Deadly Nadder came in for a landing, not a moment too soon. Erick laughed and gave his dragon a hug. "Boy, am I glad to see you! Let's get out of here."

Pulling himself into the saddle took more effort than usual, due to the hard climb he'd just finished. His arms shook and he knew his arms were bleeding. He'd have to take care of those once he got to Mildew's, where he'd stashed his other clothes. Charger took off with a wild excitement, glad that his rider FINALLY wanted to spend some time with him. Staying under the cloud cover, they flew to the other side of the forest as fast as they could.

Halfway there, Erick laughed. He actually did it. He broke in, stole a Terror, and got away with next to no injuries. Sharpshot happily flew beside them. He wondered if it even constituted as stealing if the dragon went willingly? Either way, Finn had a point. The challenge and adrenaline rush were addicting.

He almost couldn't wait for nightfall.