"Come on, Mara!"

"No!"

"I'm fine and everyone's going to be free so why not?"

"Hiccup, you had surgery!"

Astrid suppressed a smirk at her husband's constant begging. She supported him, of course, but watching him trying to argue his case with the healer was bringing her much needed entertainment. Mara would relent, she always did, but watching her fight Hiccup on this was too much fun after the craziness of the last week or so.

"I'm not exerting myself too much!" Hiccup was griping. "You said yourself that I was right as rain. Those were the exact words you used, Mara! Right as rain!"

"Not to go dragon racing!" Mara shot back.

"All the guys are doing it!"

Mara crossed her arms. "And if all the guys were jumping off the bridge to the arena, would you do it too?"

"Depends, are there dragons to catch us?"

"Hiccup!"

Astrid spotted a smile on Mara's face that she was desperately trying to keep down. Hiccup was clearly enjoying himself. The healer tossed a roll of gauze at him as an attempt to distract him from noticing her amusement.

"Whaaaaat?" he whined. "I've jumped off that bridge a few times in my crazy youth, it's not so bad when Toothless is there."

"You're hopeless." Mara shook her head, finally allowing herself to smile. "Well fine but if you die, I hope Finn is ready to take on your job."

"He's not allowed until he's 17." Hiccup waggled his finger in front of Mara annoyingly. "Or have you forgotten how old he is?"

"You're in a weird mood today." Mara said as she finished changing his bandage. "Eat some strange clams or something?"

"You're a strange clam."

Mara smacked him with her blanket, making him laugh.

"Hooligan women are so violent!" Hiccup rolled his eyes. "I guess they gotta be to deal with a crazy man like me as their supreme ruler."

"Thor have mercy." Astrid snorted. "The day you become supreme ruler is the day the world ends."

"Hey now!" Hiccup flashed her a cheesy grin. "I'm your supreme ruler." he paused. "Wait, that came out wrong."

"Did you hit your head during that last dragon race?" Mara felt his forehead.

"Nah, I'm just messing with my 2 favorite protectors." Hiccup smiled fondly at them. "But seriously, I am fine. I think I can handle a dragon race."

"Well if you end up injuring yourself, I will constantly remind you of it until one of us dies." Mara patted his head and threw the excess rolls of gauze into her bag. "I guess you can go do your supreme ruler things."

"That I shall." Hiccup stood up and waved. "Thanks a million, Mara!"

"No problem but I'm charging extra for sarcasm next time!" Mara called.

Astrid put an arm around his waist as she led Hiccup out. "If everyone actually included a sarcasm charge, we Haddocks would be broke within an hour between the four of us."

"You know it." Hiccup put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple. "But hey, I got my dragon race. I can now make up for my tragic loss last time."

"Tragic, huh?" Astrid narrowed her eyes at him. "It was a Haddock victory, wasn't it?"

"Yes but it wasn't my Haddock victory." Hiccup nudged her with his hip. "That's all that matters, you know."

"You're so modest." Astrid snarked. "Maybe Finn or Snotlout will let you win this time."

"Oh come on, I could sweep the floor with those two." Hiccup said, finally coming to the place he and Astrid had to part ways. "And when I win, I want yak steak!"

"We'll see." Astrid waved him off.

"With mashed potatoes and gravy in the shape of a smiley face!" Hiccup called as he walked away.

"Dream on, Haddock!" Astrid stuck her tongue out at him before turning away, snickering to herself. She turned and nearly ran headlong into Erick, who was clearly not paying attention to where he was going.

"Watch yourself, Larson." Astrid gently grasped his shoulders and moved him sideways so her path was clear.

"Sorry." Erick flashed her an awkward smile. "Lost in thought"

"Oh?" Astrid paused and walked backward a few steps so she could really look at him. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Erick shook his head. "Great, actually, just a little bored. I don't really have much to do today. Horst gave me the day off because we didn't have enough orders to justify keeping three people there. And Cliff's off gallivanting somewhere, collecting seashells at the beach or some such."

"Collecting seashells?" Astrid raised an eyebrow. "That's... odd."

"It's for Annie's birthday present. He's making her earrings and he keeps saying he needs two perfect specimens for, and I quote 'the greatest piece of jewelry she will ever feast her eyes on that will make others weep with joy when she wears them.'"

Astrid laughed. "He can't just say he wants them to look nice, can he?"

"And miss out on the opportunity to be melodramatic?" Erick shook his head with a smirk. "Impossible."

"No kidding." Astrid smiled. Erick was a bit closer to Hiccup than her, what with them both being amputees, but she was fond of the boy and could tell that something wasn't quite right in those teal eyes of his. "You sure you're okay?"

Erick sighed deeply. "Maybe... I don't know. I kind of feel like you're not the best person to talk to about this subject."

"How come?"

"Well... the subject is Annie." Erick winced as if expecting Astrid to shout at him.

"Seeing as I've known her for her entire life, I wouldn't rule me out just yet." Astrid patted Erick's back, leading him in the direction of a nearby bench.

"Don't you have stuff to do?"

"In a bit; I have some time to kill. Besides, I always have time for my kids, biological or not." Astrid sat down and waited for Erick to sit down next to her. "Did she say something?"

"No!" Erick shook his head. "I, um... well, it's kind of hard to put into words."

"Did she do something?" Astrid felt a rising sense of unease. Her daughter had been a bit distant lately, which wasn't unusual for a teenage girl, but it was still a cause for concern.

"No. Not... not directly."

Astrid felt her patience slipping away. "Okay, Erick, I'm not Hiccup. I'm going to need a little more clarification."

"It's Brandyn, okay?" Erick blurted out. Astrid's eyebrows jumped. "I don't like Brandyn and I think she's crazy for staying with him when I... when there are other guys who... I just don't think he appreciates her."

"Oh." Astrid didn't quite meet his eye. It wasn't that she didn't like or approve of Brandyn, but something about him had always made her a bit uneasy. Maybe it was the fact that he and Adrianna were such different people and yet he still somehow still wanted to be with her. Maybe it was just how quickly they'd jumped into a relationship once he moved to Berk. She couldn't quite put her finger on it. Perhaps Erick could shed some light on the subject. "What are you seeing?"

"All right..." Erick paused to take a breath, finally settling on the bench beside her. He seemed to have a lot on his mind. "Well, you know how Annie's really funny? And goofy? Not that she's smiling all the time, but when she is, she's just... I don't know, her."

"She's comfortable in her own skin," Astrid nodded.

"Exactly!" Erick exclaimed. "I don't see that with when she's with Brandyn. It's like she has to act a certain way to fit in. She did that with the popular girls before he came, but it seemed to get worse when they started dating. I guess I like her better when she isn't trying. When she's her."

Astrid pondered this for a moment. It wasn't like she made it a habit to check in on her daughter every time she sat with Brandyn's preferred group, but she certainly noticed how happy Adrianna was when she was with Taryn or Cliff. Even Erick brought out that bright smile. But was it really her place to make decisions like that in place of her daughter?

"I don't know, I wouldn't say she's completely faking her identity." Astrid commented. "She does like him a lot. She makes an effort to make him happy."

Erick made a face, like the idea made him want to vomit. "She could be more comfortable though. She doesn't hold back with me or Cliff."

"I see what you're saying but honestly, it's her decision who she spends her time with." Astrid shrugged. "I don't see it happening yet, but if she someday decides she doesn't like what she sees, she'll make her decision. She's a strong girl, Erick. A lot more than people give her credit for."

"I know she is." Astrid spotted a faraway look in the boy's eyes and she stifled a smile. She'd seen that look on Finn's face when he saw a pretty girl. Erick continued speaking, "But she's also... insecure."

Astrid nodded once. "She is."

"And maybe that has something to do with it." Erick frowned, staring at his knees. "I'm probably being paranoid, but we've been friends for a really long time so I care about her."

"I think you care about her a little too much." Astrid nudged him. "Erick, you can open up about what you're feeling. I'm not going to tell Adri if you don't want me to. So... do you have feelings for her?"

Erick turned his head away from her. "I'm not sure I want to talk about this."

"I think you just answered my question."

"Well how can I not?" Erick blurted out. "She's funny and she's so smart and pretty. Pretty smart, that is." The young man suddenly blushed, but plowed on without realizing he'd said the same thing twice. Astrid fought the grin merging onto her face. "We've known each other for years! I know her better than some people know their siblings, heck, probably better than Finn knows her!" He waved his hands around in a way that reminded Astrid of how Hiccup tended to talk while emotional. "I know I'm not really all that much of a catch and we've had to kind of restart. But we've had no rifts in our friendship in a while and all those feelings from that Snoggletog when we kissed just came back with reinforcements."

Astrid thought she would feel uncomfortable listening to a boy describe his feelings for her daughter. She wasn't Hiccup, but she did feel a strong urge to protect Adrianna from harm, as any mother should. But Erick was different. The way he spoke about her wasn't the way Finn used to talk about Helga or how Snotlout would talk about any girl that caught his eye back when they were teenagers. It was more like the sparkle in Hiccup's eye when he spotted her across the room, the way his face lit up as she approached. Almost like he felt unworthy to call himself her husband. And perhaps Erick felt the same unworthiness.

"Erick, honey..." Astrid weighed her words carefully. "Adri is almost seventeen. She's certainly not thinking about marriage or children or a little house with a picket fence right now. Those things will come, as much as Hiccup denies it. Teens make decisions, some of them stupid. I seem to remember that you were going through a lot at her age." Her eyes flitted to Erick's arms, which were covered by his sleeves. She saw the boy fidget a bit; the scars from his cutting were faded but they were still visible if she knew where to look. "If Brandyn isn't the right guy, the relationship will end. Who knows? Maybe she'll give you a chance next."

"I don't see any end in sight." Erick mumbled.

"Oh, you never know what'll set them off. Sometimes a couple is fine one minute and broken up the next. Believe me, I know." She wasn't about to get into the sordid tale of her and Hiccup's near divorce, but she sensed that Erick already knew she was thinking about it. "Just wait it out. We'll see what happens."

"Yeah." Erick agreed. "You're not going to tell her about this, are you?"

"No." Astrid let out a small laugh and gave him a side hug. "Adri can wait until you're ready to tell her what you feel. Okay if I tell Hiccup though?"

"If you think it'll help." Erick shrugged. "But not Finn."

"Oh no." Astrid squeezed his shoulder. "Definitely not." She paused for a second, thinking carefully. "You know, I think Adri has the day off today too. Brandyn's at the forge until late; Gobber got a ton of orders from the hunters. You should invite her to do something. As friends. For old time's sake."

"You think so?"

"Absolutely. Seriously, she'll be bored out of her mind. I'm pretty sure she's in the library seeking out a book she hasn't read five times." Astrid patted his back. "Go, sweep her off her feet."

"I... you know what? I will." Erick stood up, a determined expression on his face. "Thanks, Astrid."

"You're very welcome. You're welcome to stay for dinner, though I doubt you'll want to. It's Hiccup's night to cook."

Erick made a face. Hiccup was a man of many talents but cooking was not one of them. But both Astrid and Finn had made up their minds that he should learn to do more than the simple things Stoick had taught him.

"I guess I'll wing it. See what Annie wants to do. See you later!"

"Bye!" Astrid watched the young man go from the bench, an extra bounce in his step that wasn't hindered by his stump. She finally stood and made her way toward the village square, pondering their conversation as she went. Just as she turned the corner and reached the bustling crowd, a thought struck her.

What if Erick's concern didn't lie with Adrianna at all? What if his real worry was with Brandyn? Astrid sighed in frustration, wishing she'd thought to ask what specifically he didn't like about Brandyn. The boy very clearly cared about her daughter, and the problems he'd mentioned concerning her were very normal concerns. Of course, the Larson boy could merely be jealous of Brandyn, which would also be normal.

But Erick was smart and could see right through most problems. He thought hard about things before speaking up, just like a strategist would. This is why Hiccup valued his opinion, even though he wasn't even on the council. After a mere day of joining Finn's old gang and turning the tables in such a short amount of time, it became very obvious that Erick could be a valuable asset.

So, if there was any serious problem at all, what was he seeing? And better yet, should she and Hiccup be concerned? She sorely hoped not.

Xxx

Erick finally reached the library and stepped inside, happy to have a respite from the sun's heat. The smell of old, leather-bound books filled his nose and he sighed contentedly. He always forgot how much he enjoyed the smell.

He walked among the rows of bookshelves in search for his fellow blonde friend. At long last, he found her seated at a table with her back toward him, a large pile of books beside her. Matilda sat at her desk beyond the table and looked up in surprise when he silently walked in.

Erick swept a finger to his lips and crept up behind the unsuspecting Haddock girl. Stifling a grin, he reached around and covered her eyes with his hands, nearly laughing when she squealed in surprise.

"Oh boy..." Adrianna straightened and rested her hands across his fingers, carefully feeling his skin to identify him. Because Matilda was watching with an amused grin, Erick had to fight the blush threatening to cover his face. There wasn't anything romantic in her touch, so why was he acting like a fool?

"Hm..." Adrianna mused, her hands sliding up his wrists. Erick bit his lip anxiously, trying not to fidget. "Not beast hands, so not Finn. Matilda, yae or nae?"

Matilda giggled beneath her hand. "Oh, I'm not saying."

"Tell meeeeeeee..." Adrianna whined. She felt Erick's hands again. "Okay... I'm going to state the obvious: Brandyn?"

Erick felt a pang. He frowned at her, almost giving himself away with an adamant "NO."

Matilda gave him a sympathetic smile. "No."

"Okay..." Adrianna said. "Cliff wouldn't be able to stay quiet this long, so that only leaves one person. Wait no, two! ...is it my dad?"

Erick deflated, his hands slipping down her eyes a little. "Really?"

Adrianna slapped his arms down. "What? I save the best for last!"

"Uh huh," Erick gave her a mocking frown before plopping in a chair a few feet away from her and snatched a book off the pile. He promptly stuffed his face inside the pages.

"Oh come on, don't be like that!"

"I'm so high on your list of favorites! Excuse me for being mopey!" Erick scowled. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need time to lick my wounds."

"Get your butt over here. It will take less time if I lick 'em!"

Erick fought the smirk rising to his face, especially when Matilda burst into laughter. He grappled for a snappy comeback. "No, that's just... extremely awkward."

Adrianna grinned. "Hey, that one's on you."

"Yeah well you had to go and make it awkward."

"Only awkward if you make it awkward!"

Erick shook his head, ignoring all the thoughts running through his mind, not deeming any of them appropriate given the current situation. This was a landfill of traps that he'd surely regret later if he wasn't careful!

"I'm taking an oath of silence. Shut up and read your book, Haddock."

"Fine! Quiet game," Adrianna challenged. "Let's see who can mope the longest!"

"SH!"

Adrianna promptly turned to her book. Erick stole a quick glance at her out the corner of his eye, quickly turning back when he saw her eyes leave the page. He forced his expression to go numb and careless. But inside his stomach was tying in knots.

Was he just flirting with her? Did all that qualify as flirting? Would Brandyn be punching his lights out right now if he'd been here? Or would the guys be teasing him relentlessly?

Nervously, he glanced up at Matilda. The woman sat there with a serene smile on her face as she watched the young people, clearly ignoring her paperwork in fear of missing something. She caught Erick's eye and winked, causing him to duck his head back down and fight a blush once more.

This had been a running thing with them since they were little kids. The Quiet Game would be played for hours in the library; they'd eat up books and Matilda would eventually ask a question, but would be promptly ignored. Not out of rudeness of course, but out of the stubbornness of the child dying to win.

They still weren't sure who was the "crowned victor".

Eventually they'd be found by their parents and their silent spells would be broken. But even as young adults they'd fall into the same routine as if nothing had changed.

A lot had changed for sure. Erick kept rereading the same lines, trying to immerse himself into the pages but found he couldn't concentrate. His thoughts kept straying to Adrianna. Carefully he lifted his eyes to look at her once more.

Her hair was half down today, cascading off her shoulders in waves from a previous braid. A few bobby pins kept the shorter layers tied at the back of her head. He didn't know why, but the older he got the more he loved her hair. There would come a time when Brandyn made a comment to her about cutting her hair and he thought he might internally combust, almost like someone had asked him to cut off his fingers. He simply couldn't image life without it and it just made sense for it to be there.

He had five fingers on each hand. Adrianna had long, beautiful hair. That's simply how it was meant to be and screw anyone (especially Brandyn) who might think otherwise.

Adrianna suddenly turned her eyes toward him. Erick's eyes darted back to the book. He fought another blush, embarrassed. Was he too obvious? She couldn't seriously be oblivious to just how crazy she made him feel every day. Everyone else saw it. Heck, even Brandyn saw it! So why didn't she?

Erick's heart plunked down to his shoe. Maybe she did see it and it just wasn't meant to be. They'd been friends since they were little kids. Maybe she saw him as a brother, like Cliff. Maybe the idea of having any romantic interest in him repulsed her!

He didn't know. Suddenly he didn't want to know. If it came down to that, he'd be so completely crushed, he didn't know what he'd do. How could he get over someone he'd loved for most of his life?

Erick was so engrossed in his thoughts, he didn't notice anything out of place. That is, until something snapped him in the face right below his right eye.

"OW!" He pulled back and stared at the rubber band lying on the table.

Adrianna pumped her fists in the air. "I WIN!"

Erick glared at her, rubbing his cheekbone. "Did not!"

"I so did!"

"You cheated!"

"There is no cheating!"

"If you remember, we decided that there was to be no interfering! No tickling, no stupid faces or eye contact or throwing books at people to make them lose!" Erick argued, ignoring her (gorgeous) grin. "The roof! We said the roof would fall down and we still couldn't sacrifice the win!"

"Rules change, Larson!" Adrianna sniffed. "Time to leave the past in the past."

"Rules are important and are vital to society!"

Adrianna shook her head back and forth. "Well I'mma take your rules and stick 'em where the sun don't shine."

Erick gaped, ignoring Matilda's guffawed laughter. "No! You can't just stick nothing where the sun don't shine because the sun shines everywhere!"

Adrianna cupped her chin in her hands innocently. "Except at night."

Erick huffed. "Except your face."

Adrianna gasped and slapped his arm. Finally, Erick allowed himself to grin. He held up his palms when she sputtered.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures."

"More like you just don't like to lose!"

Erick leaned forward. "Do you like to lose?"

"I wouldn't sacrifice your face on it!"

Sitting back in his seat, Erick snorted. "Nothing special about my face."

Adrianna frowned. "Everybody's face is special!"

"Wow, now I fit into the general blah demographic of just people. Thanks." Erick drawled.

The girl rolled her eyes and made a face at Matilda. "Some people just can't be happy."

Erick leaned back in his chair, hands cupping the back of his head. "Some people just can't- GYAH!" He launched forward to keep from falling backwards when Adrianna pushed his leg back further, threatening to topple him. Once he was fully on the floor again, he glared at her.

Adrianna's unrestrained laughter echoed through the library. Erick fought his emotions, drinking in the sound and forcing the glare. "You... you should've seen your face!"

"Why would you do that! I could've died!"

Adrianna wiped her eyes. "Oh my gods, that was the single most best choice I've ever made in my life."

"Single most best choice, eh?" Erick whistled. "Matilda, we need to look under the G section for a book on grammar-"

"Stop it!" Adrianna slapped his arm.

"Stop hurting me!"

"Stop sassing me!"

"Oh gods, stop killing me with all this cute!" Matilda gushed from her desk.

Erick instantly pulled back. Yup. Definitely flirting. He awkwardly scratched his neck, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable and exposed and afraid to look his friend in the eye.

Adrianna cleared her throat. "Want to take a walk?"

"Walk? Sure! Yeah, walking is good." Erick bumbled as he stood, pushing his chair in and generally avoiding eye contact.

Matilda chuckled as the two teenagers walked toward the door. "Have fun!"

Erick marched after Adrianna, muttering "be cool" under his breath.

"What?" Adrianna asked curiously.

"Nothing." Erick stepped around her and pulled the door open, waving her forward. The girl ducked her head in a sheepish smile before stepping outside. Erick bit his lip and exhaled slowly before following, not sure what exactly he was doing and hoping he wasn't doing anything stupid he'd regret later.

Xxx

Adrianna hadn't felt so lightweight and carefree in a long time. There wasn't any particular reason for that; she loved her life and things seemed to be going well across the board. But Erick's random appearance at the library had spurned a sense of ease and comfort that she hadn't felt in a long time. Spending time with him alone was refreshing.

The blonde duo moseyed through the streets at an aimless pace, talking about every random thing that came to mind. Brandyn told her ages ago that she talked too fast, too much, and jumped from topic to topic way too easily. Apparently it was annoying and hard to follow her train of thought. She'd had to work on her lack of focus for his sake.

Erick never missed a beat. He shifted conversation easily; his go-with-the-flow, carefree personality melded with hers so perfectly that the random spurts of conversation or bouts of excitement didn't faze him in the least. She wondered if that was due to their 12-year-old friendship. They knew each other better than most people after all.

Along the way, Adrianna noticed something else. She'd always been known to not pay attention where she was walking as she talked; she couldn't multitask in its basest form apparently. With Erick at her side though, she found she was running into things a lot less.

Apparently Erick would gently touch her arm or back and steer her in a general direction while she talked to avoid any oncoming collisions with people or dragons or barrels or boxes or whatever. He never interrupted; he never made a big deal of it. He simply did it!

Brandyn had called her a klutz a fair few times, and not always in a teasing way. Erick had been calling her a dork early on in their lives and to this day, he still would mutter the word under his breath with a twinkle in his eye.

It was at times like these that Adrianna didn't know what to think about her best friend.

"-so I said to her that we need to make sure to let the kids play outside sometimes too because children need to get some sunlight! No children should be stuck indoors all the time, I mean it's just good for them to get some fresh air!" Adrianna ranted.

"Yeah," Erick nodded in agreement.

"It took some prodding but eventually they allowed me to start taking their kids outside. They still have to wear their hats and bonnets, which is fine, we can negotiate on it just fine, but it just seems silly that some people are so afraid of the outside!" Adrianna huffed.

Erick snickered. "It's like the time I took my niece and nephew outside to play and they started whining at me." He donned a childish expression and whined, "It's dirty out here! And windy! Why do we have to come out here, it's so yucky!" Adrianna burst into laughter. "Why didn't you sweep the grass first, I don't like it! WHY DO WE HAVE TO BE OUT HERE?"

"Stop! Stop!" Adrianna cried through her laughter. Erick cracked up beside her, bumping her with his shoulder playfully. She made a face up at him, but felt a strange excitement in her chest when she saw the dimples on his face. Gods, she adored his dimpled smile.

Adrianna faltered momentarily. Where had that thought come from? She thought further and realized, yes, she did love his dimpled smile. There was nothing wrong with that was there? She'd known him for years and years, long before she'd met Brandyn. So no. There was simply nothing wrong or irrational with loving her best friend's dimpled smile.

Even if it did make her brain short circuit a bit. Nothing wrong at all.

"You're such a dork." Adrianna said resolutely.

"Your dork." Erick smirked.

Another pitter patter in her chest, but still she nodded. "Yes. Wait."

Erick stopped a step in front of her. "What?"

"How did we end up out here?"

Erick looked around in surprise and she suspected she looked the same. They were in the middle of the woods.

"Huh..." Erick turned to look back the way they'd come, which was overgrown with weeds and wild flowers and rotting trees that had fallen years before.

"Why's this familiar?" Adrianna asked, spinning in a circle. "It's almost like..."

Erick gasped suddenly. "Oh! Troll Bridge!"

Adrianna's mouth fell open. "Oh my... we totally...?"

"Left all civilization behind to visit our personal getaway?" Erick smiled knowingly.

Adrianna hid a giddy smile. "We haven't come out here in... too long."

"Well, let's see what we can find!" Erick turned and led the way through the overgrown weeds.

Adrianna followed him with an excited bounce in her step. They paused when they came across a rather large fallen tree in the center of their path.

"Aw..." The girl frowned sadly.

"No worries." Erick reassured her, swinging his left leg over and hopping over. His prosthetic caught for a moment, making him almost stumble, but he quickly recovered and held out a hand to her.

Adrianna took his hand and carefully climbed over. "Is it hard to walk in this terrain? Since you can't feel the ground?"

Erick winced. "A little. Mostly because I can't tell if I'm caught on a weed or something." He reached down and yanked off a handful of clotted grass for emphasis. "But on the roads I'm fine."

"Except on hills," Adrianna teased.

"Hey, we agreed never to talk about that." Erick wagged a finger at her and pressed on.

Adrianna giggled and followed after him. Soon enough they arrived: the woods opened up into a small clearing where an old wooden bridge led to a small cave. An even smaller creek slithered underneath the bridge, which was covered in a thick moss and broken twigs. Tall trees rose up around the clearing, fortifying their little rendezvous like a mystical fortress.

"Wow..." Erick murmured. "I thought it was a lot bigger."

Adrianna shrugged. "We were a lot smaller then." She stepped forward, stepping over a path of mushrooms growing across the moss. She stared at the creek and the bridge and the cave, remembering all the fun games and adventures they'd had in their time here. Long summer days were spent here from dawn until dusk. They'd even built a few snow forts a couple times!

A pang of nostalgia hit her square in the chest. Why did they have to grow up? Why had Erick lost his father so suddenly? Why had their friendship ended so quickly, harsh words exchanged and usual habits turned to memory? She was ever grateful that they'd been able to mend things. They'd started over and today was an obvious testament to how close they still were. How far they'd come and all they were willing to put aside to make their friendship more important. It was stronger now than it had been.

But they'd still lost precious time. She couldn't help but feel like they'd missed out on something in that time. A brief romance had budded that Snoggletog, right on his fifteenth birthday. But it had been snuffed out before it was given the chance to fully blossom.

"What are you thinking about?" Erick asked softly.

Adrianna briefly considered sharing her thoughts. But then she thought of Brandyn and cleared her head with a sigh. "Nothing." She stepped forward, wanting to check out the cave for old time's sake. She stepped onto the bridge and marched forward, when the sound of rotten wood snapping caught her attention.

"Annie!" Erick lunged forward and grabbed her waist just as her right foot slammed through the wood.

Adrianna yelped and clung onto his shoulders, trying to pull her leg out. It was stuck almost up to her calf muscle.

"Hold on! Hold on." Erick got a better grip on her waist and looked down. "Does it hurt?"

"No." Adrianna sighed, annoyed with herself. "I didn't even think about it-"

"Nah it's okay, we're good." Erick said. "Hold still." He shifted his weight and placed his prosthetic on more of the rotten wood beside her leg. He braced himself and slammed the metal into the wood, breaking more off.

Adrianna wiggled her foot around before finally pulling it out of the hole. "You shouldn't have done it that way. Your leg!"

Erick pulled her backwards toward the ground. "I'm fine."

"Yeah but you could've hurt yourself because of my stupid-" Adrianna froze when she looked up at him, realizing just how close they were standing.

Erick still had his arms around her waist; her one arm still wrapped around his shoulder and the other resting on his chest. They were so close she could feel his breath on her face and his heartbeat under his shirt.

He looked like a deer in torchlight. His eyes were full of nervousness, like he was afraid he was crossing a line, but they were also filled with something else. A look she couldn't identify. But the strange thing was... she wasn't uncomfortable with this. In fact... she didn't want to let go.

They stared at each other for a few seconds. Erick's gaze suddenly softened; his eyes swept across her features in a way that made her heart pound. That's when she realized what the look was: longing.

Erick reached up and skimmed his thumb against her cheek, brushing a stray lock of hair out of her face. Adrianna's heart pounded when his gaze flickered to her lips, suddenly wondering if he was going to kiss her. She couldn't deny the warmth that spread through her at the thought.

Then, he bit his lip and looked down at the ground. Erick released her and swallowed hard. "We should get back to the village." He said it so quiet she almost didn't hear through the haze in her brain. Erick turned to walk away but she caught his arm.

"Wait."

Erick froze, looking back at her. He didn't move closer.

Adrianna swallowed her fear and held his arm in both hands, playing with the fabric. She tried to gather her thoughts, suddenly unsure what to say. Her entire mind had filled with new emotions, some buried and locked away from years ago.

"I should go." Erick whispered.

Adrianna looked up at him, hurt. "Why?"

His teal eyes met hers. She was surprised at how... dejected he suddenly looked. "Because you have a boyfriend."

She blinked. "But..."

"No." Erick gently pulled his arm away, looking at the creek instead of her. "There are no buts."

Adrianna suddenly felt very emotional. She wanted to figure this out. "Please don't hide from me."

Erick looked up at her, emotions bared. He looked at her like it physically hurt him to do so.

"I-I know there's Brandyn, but... there's something here and I don't want to sweep it under the rug like it's nothing." Adrianna stammered. "Your feelings are important too."

"This isn't about me." Erick said quietly. "It's you."

"No, not just me because back then, before we gave all this up," Adrianna waved her hand around Troll Bridge. "We had something. Both of us!" Erick looked toward the trees, ignoring eye contact. "I just want to know how you f-"

Erick suddenly turned, held her face in his hands, and pressed his mouth over hers. Adrianna's entire being froze, her thoughts, her body, everything. But when Erick pressed forward and kissed her again, warm and inviting, but carefully and so lovingly, she melted.

Adrianna pushed her fingers into his wavy hair by his ears and kissed him back. He hummed, a short, pained, needy sound as he threaded his fingers through her hair. She didn't understand how or why, but suddenly everything was him. It had always been him.

Erick was kind and compassionate; he was smart and wise; he cared about her for her and there were no words that could explain it. She'd always known from the beginning.

Suddenly Erick pulled away with a tiny pop, panting. "Stop. Stop."

Adrianna rested her forehead against his, her nose beside his. She swallowed, trying to regain some sort of thought. Finally, she settled on one. Her heart plummeted. She'd just cheated on her boyfriend.

Erick shook his head slightly. "I'm sorry. I never should've looked for you today."

Adrianna frowned and swept some of his hair back. "It's ok-"

"No, it's not." Erick frowned. "I don't want to cause problems for you."

She swallowed hard, but strengthened her resolve. "I need to think about this."

Erick shook his head. "No."

"Yes, I do."

"Don't just go and dump him for me!" Erick exclaimed, pulling back a bit. "That's not fair to him or yourself! You've been dating almost two years!"

"No, I know..." Adrianna pressed her hands to her face. She sighed. "But I can't have both of you. And... can I be honest and say there are things about you that I care for more?"

Erick's eyes widened slightly but he shook his head. "I want you to do what you want. Not me, not Brandyn. You. Neither of us guys should jerk you around like some play thing."

Adrianna thought back to Brandyn's request a few weeks back. She didn't want intimacy like he did. Erick would never force that on her; even if he wanted it, if she said no, she had no question that he would never bring it up again.

"We can't do this again," Erick said finally, breaking her silence.

Adrianna nodded.

"No matter how much we might want to, we can't." Erick said firmer. "Unless you decide what you want to do and things change. But... it'd probably be best if we didn't go places alone again."

Adrianna's heart sank, but knew he was right. They couldn't make a habit out of this until she made a decision. And she had to make a decision. "Can I get a hug? Or is that... not okay anymore?"

Erick's expression softened and he smiled slightly. "C'mere."

Adrianna stepped forward into his arms, burying her face in his neck like she always used to. Wrapped in his arms, she felt so calm and complete, like this was meant to be. Nobody could tell the future, but she could swear on her favorite book that this was supposed to happen.

Just not yet.

Then, Erick bowed his head and gently kissed her forehead. "If he doesn't take care of you, I'll be the first one there."

Adrianna tightened her hold on him. "I know." She then pulled back, and fought the urge to kiss his cheek. She felt like they were saying goodbye.

Erick pursed his lips, swiped his thumb against her cheek one last time, then turned and strode away. He left her standing in the middle of Troll Bridge, their personal, childhood fairytale getaway. Adrianna waited for him to disappear around the bend before turning to face the bridge and cave, the entire place overrun with weeds. Everything looked the same as when they'd first arrived.

Except the gaping hole in the bridge, which felt as big and ominous as the hole in her heart.

Xxx

The much anticipated game day had arrived. Adrianna awoke early and found herself unable to fall asleep again. It was just as well; the dragon race would take place in the morning and she had a date. A date she had with a guy she wasn't sure she even liked anymore. She took great care in picking out her outfit: a pretty green and white outfit she usually reserved for special occasions. Green wasn't really her color but Brandyn liked it so that was reason enough. If she was going to break up with him, she wanted to at least look nice while she did so. Show some effort that said that she did care about him and his feelings. She slipped on a headband and marched downstairs for breakfast with a bounce in her step.

"You're up early." Finn said, raising an eyebrow. "And cheerful, that's rare."

"Maybe I'm evolving, Finnegan." she smiled and scooped some eggs onto her plate. As she chewed, she hummed with contentment. "These are really good eggs. Can you show me how to make them?"

"I don't know, it's very complicated." Finn grandly gestured to the eggs simmering over the fire. "Watch as I scramble them. Look, scrambled eggs."

"Very funny." Adrianna rolled her eyes. "So, Fearless Finn, planning on destroying dad in the race?"

"Ohhhh he wishes." Hiccup chirped as he descended the staircase. "But there's just no competing against the Dragon Conqueror." Toothless made a coo of assent.

"You're forgetting though," Finn pointed a spatula at him, "I'm not pushing 40. Heck, I'm barely even pushing 20."

"All that may be true but I've got a few years of experience on you." Hiccup sat down at the table across from his daughter. "You're up early."

"That's what Finn said." Adrianna shrugged. "Couldn't sleep. I don't know, I just have more energy today."

"Okay then." Hiccup shrugged.

"Where's mom?" Finn asked as he shoveled some eggs onto his own plate.

"Helping set up." Hiccup said. "Better her than me. Gotta get my beauty sleep for the race, you know."

"Speaking of, why are you all dressed up?" Finn turned to his twin. "Going on a hot date?"

Adrianna felt heat rise to her face. "None of your business."

"Well now I'm interested." Hiccup leaned forward, a twinkle of mischief in the bright green eyes she'd inherited. "You can't miss the race, Addie! You've got to see me snatch Finn's flag out from under him."

"You wish." Finn stuck his tongue out at Hiccup, who gave him an exasperated look in return.

"Yeah, real mature, F-"

"AH-ROOOOO!"

A scratching sound filled the kitchen as a big blue and green blur whipped by the window. A shrill whine followed.

"Come on, Zappy!" Finn called to his begging dragon. "We're still eating in here!"

"AH-ROOOOO!"

"Ahh, let her in." Hiccup scarfed up the last of his eggs before the Shockjaw could knock them off the table.

Adrianna only had a second to finish her eggs before Finn unleashed his dragon. Zap bounded around the table, getting directly in Adrianna's face just as the girl managed to swallow her breakfast.

"Aww, no more for you!" Adrianna scratched Zap's chin, making her thump her foot against the wood floor. "But it's okay, sweetie! I think your daddy has some yummy fishies to give you! Yes he does!"

"Come on, princess!" Finn opened a basket of fish and held a trout just over his head. "Time for breakfast! Go get it!"

He tossed the fish across the room, prompting the excited dragon to bound over and catch it in her mouth. He laughed at the satisfied expression on her face as she chewed on her treat before running forward for another fish. Lily, who was napping peacefully under the stairs, growled in irritation.

"Awww, Lily!" Adrianna hopped up and got on her knees in front of her dragon. "Is little sis bugging you?"

Lily gave her a withering look before flopping back down on the floor. Since Zap had entered their lives, the Monstrous Nightmare had been quite sullen. She and Thornado had gotten along quite well but Zap irritated her to no end. Perhaps it was the fact that they were both female and Zap wasn't keen on being the least important member of the pack. The dominance battles had been fierce, and, finally sick of the dragons howling at each other like dogs, Hiccup had separated their sleeping spaces. This seemed to solve the problem.

"Has Lily eaten?" Hiccup called from the table.

"Fed her this morning." Finn responded as he hurled another fish across the room for Zap.

"Well, you guys get ready for your race. I think I'm going to go." Adrianna said, giving her dragon one last pat before standing up. She and Lily usually took evening flights together because neither of them liked getting up early. "Have a great race!"

"Hey now," Hiccup stood up and trotted over to her with a mischievous smile on his face. "Is that any way to say goodbye to your dear old dad?"

"Well someone's affectionate this morning." Adrianna rolled her eyes but gave him a kiss on the cheek. To her surprise, Hiccup hugged her.

"I love you." he whispered into her ear. "Don't forget that."

Adrianna pulled away, fixing him with a confused expression. "Am I dying?"

"What? No!" Hiccup tittered. "Can't a father love his only daughter without the interrogation?"

"Not so suddenly." Adrianna snarked, feeling a rising sense of unease. Did Hiccup know she was skipping out on the dragon race for a date?

"Well I do love you, Addie." Hiccup repeated, smiling fondly at her. "And I'm proud of you."

"You're so sentimental." Finn stuck his tongue out in disgust. "Just let her leave!"

"One more word and I'll hug and kiss you goodbye." Hiccup shot back.

Finn shrugged. "Okay. I like hugs."

"I'll just have to make it mushy gushy then and hug you in front of all your friends." Hiccup turned back to Adrianna and grinned. "He acts like this is such a shock; sometimes I wonder if he's got short term memory issues. Anyway, I think the moment is ruined."

"Pretty much." Adrianna breathed a laugh. "Well I'll see you after the race."

"See you." Hiccup let her go and patted her back. "Go on, get outta here."

Adrianna practically skipped down the path to the village, hoping she wouldn't run into Brandyn. But her boyfriend was nowhere to be found. Instead she found Ava running around the village square, pursued by Tuffnut.

"Nanna!" she shrieked, suddenly making a beeline for the teenager. Her little arms wrapped around one of Adrianna's legs.

"Aww hi, Ava." Adrianna attempted to pry the toddlers arms off her leg but it was no use. The little girl hid behind her babysitter, giggling loudly.

"Whaaat?" Tuffnut stopped in his tracks and exaggerated his movements as he searched everywhere but behind Adrianna. "Where did Ava go? Anna, have you seen Ava?" he gasped loudly. "Has she been taken by trolls?"

Ava let out a giggle. Her fingers were pinching Adrianna's bare skin but the Haddock girl was quite used to this from many hours of babysitting.

"Ooh, did you hear that?" Tuffnut shouted. "That sounded a lot like her. Have you seen her? Now where could she be?"

"I don't know, Tuffnut." Adrianna said in loud voice so Ava could hear. "Maybe Belch took her away."

"Oh no!" Tuffnut yelped. "Now she could be anywhere in the whole world!" he spread his arms out wide as if bragging about a giant fish he'd caught. "But I shall find her! True, it may take me ten, nay 20, nay 37 years but I shall find my little girl if it is the last thing I do!"

Adrianna couldn't help but laugh. She simply loved watching Tuffnut and Ava play together. Fatherhood really suited him. It was funny, Tuffnut wasn't known for his brains and certainly not for his ability to take care of anyone, let alone a tiny human being. Marrying Svala had changed him for the better but having Ava had made him into the man he was today. A gushy father, just as Hiccup had been.

"You know what, Tuffnut," Adrianna tried to walk forward but the toddler hanging on her leg made this difficult, "maybe she's closer than you think."

"Closer?" Tuffnut put his hands to his face in mock surprise. "Whatever do you mean, Miss Haddock? Are you perhaps harboring my only child as a fugitive? Well, my dear Haddock, justice will be served!" he ran around her and pointed dramatically at his little daughter. "Aha! And there she is! The scoundrel who escaped from me and sought out the enemy! I must find a way to counteract the horrible influence you have been on her!" Tuffnut put a hand to his forehead in an exaggerated dramatic gesture. "Oh but what to do? What kind of punishment can indicate the severity of her crime?" he put up a finger in triumph. "Ah, I may have one. But is it too cruel? Oh well. I shall give it a go. All right, Ava Grace, guess what time it is!" he approached her with wiggling fingers. She shrieked, a huge grin on her face. "Tickle time!"

Adrianna smiled fondly as Ava finally let go of her leg and tore down the path to the village. She heard the toddler scream when Tuffnut finally caught up with her. Those two were just so cute.

Traipsing down the path, she finally reached the village, which was already bustling with people setting up the arena for the dragon race. She spotted her mother marching through, ordering men twice her size to carry planks and get out bleachers. The funny thing was the men obeyed her without question. Adrianna wished she could do that. Yet another Hofferson gene she hadn't inherited.

She was just about to stop by the library when she spotted the barn door wide open. And inside the barn were the saddles the men would use for the race. Each saddle was clearly marked and all ready to go. And no one was guarding said barn. Now this, Adrianna realized, was simply too good to resist.

The Haddock girl loved pulling pranks. Ever since the ones she'd pulled on Tarry and Allie nearly seven years ago, she would occasionally come across a situation such as this and sneakily mess with her friends and family. Her personal favorite had been to craft a small, fake spider and stick it on Hiccup's pants. It had taken until Hiccup was in the Great Hall for anyone to point out and it was satisfying to watch him shriek like a little girl and flail around before he realized it was fake. Despite his affinity for fire breathing lizards big enough to crush a human being, Hiccup was irrationally (and hilariously) terrified of spiders.

Adrianna tiptoed into the barn and set up what was going to be a very annoying (and very amusing) prank. It took her a little while to figure out how to cover her tracks but she sauntered out, looking as innocent as possible as she blended into the crowd. And just in time, she noted, as she saw Erick and Cliff walking to the barn together.

"Hey!" came a voice just behind her.

Adrianna jumped and whirled around. "Taryn!" she smiled widely and hugged her friend. "Where have you been? I haven't seen you around."

"My dad decided it was high time for some forced family fun and took us camping on the other side of Berk." Taryn rolled her eyes. "It didn't go so well. I don't think we Brands are cut out for camping."

"My mom's taken Finn out a few times." Adrianna shrugged, looking over in curiosity as her brother suddenly ran down the street with Zap on his heels. "But one week out with my dad was enough for me."

Taryn followed her gaze. "No kidding."

"So how's the popular crowd?" Adrianna quipped, facing her friend once more. She couldn't understand her brother anyway to figure what shenanigans he might be concocting.

"Oh please, I wouldn't call them popular. A clique maybe, but not popular." Taryn thought about it for a moment before continuing. "They're kinda..." She bobbed her head back and forth.

Adrianna snickered. "I understand the sentiment."

"Anyway, I'm going back to work on Monday and I'm definitely not looking forward to that. There was an incident at Gobber's and we have to stitch up his pants. All of them."

"Well that was probably either my brother's or my boyfriend's work." Adrianna chuckled at the mental image of Finn blowing up a container with Gobber's pants in them.

"Knowing Finn, I believe it." Taryn nodded with an equally big smile. "So what are you doing here? Setting up the race?"

"Oh yeah, these muscles were totally meant for carrying heavy objects." The Haddock girl shrugged. "Nothing really, I'm just moseying until I meet up with Brandyn. What about you?"

"Same; just wandering around. I'm so bored. Hey!" Taryn's face lit up. "Can I do your hair?"

"Oh my gods!" exclaimed a familiar voice. The girls turned to see Finn talking animatedly to Cliff and Erick outside the barn. Adrianna turned a shrug toward her friend, neither of them understanding what the boys were talking about from that distance.

That's when another female blonde ran up from behind Finn with a large bucket in her arms. Helga Ingerman lifted the bucket over Finn's head, giving him a short warning before dumping the bucket over his head.

Ice and cold water sloshed over Finn's face and drenched his shirt. "RAGHHHHH!" Finn jumped around, shaking the ice out of his shirt. "WHO- HELGA!" The blonde cackled and marched away proudly. Finn shook his head around, spraying the two boys and other standers-by. "Okay. Who wants a hug?"

Instantly the Haddock boy took off after Helga, who promptly screamed and ran away, throwing her bucket in a graceful flourish over her shoulder. "GET AWAY FROM ME FINN!"

Taryn and Adrianna watched the exchange in laughter, just as Erick and Cliff. Adrianna caught Erick's eye, giving him a warm smile. Erick shot her a short wink before looking away, sending her insides into a torrent of butterflies.

"Um..." Adrianna shook her head. "Dumb brother distracting me. Oh! My hair?"

"Yes!" Taryn exclaimed. "It's so gorgeous!"

"Oh please, I do nothing with it."

"Exactly why she wants to do something with it, blondie." The girls turned once again to see Inga striding toward them, a sure grin on her face.

"She's got a point!" Taryn grinned.

"At the same time, that's all it is with you; hair and makeup and nails." Inga sassed.

Of the three girls, she was definitely the least traditionally feminine and it was amusing to watch her gripe loudly before she'd let them play with her hair. And even though she never said it, they could tell that she liked it.

"It's not just that." Adrianna rolled her eyes. "It's also boys."

Inga sighed loudly. "Ugh."

"And books." Taryn added.

"And dragons."

"And whatever else we want to talk about because we're not defined by a set list of topics." Taryn finished. "Come join us, Inga. You know you want to. A girl's gotta spend some time away from all those men."

Inga looked them over for a second before sighing even more dramatically and agreeing as reluctantly as possible. Both Taryn and Adrianna knew this was an act. Inga enjoyed spending time with them but the theatrics were because the three had very different personalities.

"HIDE ME!" Helga suddenly whipped around the corner, snatched a hat off of a nearby young man and stood behind Adrianna. She slapped the young man's hand when he tried to take his hat back. "Relax bub, I'll give it back." The guy gave her a critical look before turning back to his conversation.

Apparently Finn had gotten her back because Adrianna couldn't resist the smirk. "I doubt he noticed your wet hair?"

"SH, you'll blow my cover!" Helga hissed.

Yet another different personality. Helga had always taken after her brawny mother, Ruffnut Thorston Ingerman, but she was also very smart and cunning like her strategist father, Fishlegs.

Taryn leaned in close. "We're going to have a hair and nails party real quick before the race and Anna's date. Want to come? I doubt Finn will find you there."

"Yeah, sounds good."

"What are friends for!" Taryn smiled warmly. "I've got to take care of my girls. What can I say?"

Adrianna opened her mouth to speak when suddenly Finn crept around the corner, a mischievous grin on his face. Helga instantly backed away, confusing Taryn. "What?"

Finn shocked them all when he pulled back Taryn's shirt and dropped the ice inside. Taryn screamed and jumped away, turning and trying to slap the boy.

Finn took off, laughing. "Come on Taryn, have some fun!"

"FEARLESS FINN, DO THAT AGAIN AND I'LL TAKE A TWO BY FOUR TO YOUR BACKSIDE!"

A few adults in the area cracked up, even the young man whose hat was still on Helga's head. The girls couldn't stifle their laughter as they helped pick the ice out of Taryn's shirt, but Finn's shocked expression was priceless.

"A two by four?" He asked incredulously. "What, are you my mother now?"

Inga snorted. "One does not invoke the wrath of Mama Taryn."

Finn blinked. "Mama Taryn?"

Taryn blushed. "I'm not a mom!"

"You're the mom of the group!" Inga cried, inciting Helga's laughter.

"Which is a good thing!" Adrianna added quickly.

Taryn straightened her now ice-free shirt. "Regardless of what they call me, I suggest you not do that again or there won't be a hiding place good enough for you."

Finn snickered. "I'll consider myself warned."

Taryn glared at his back, ignoring the girls' snickers when she finally turned. She gave them a stink eye, daring any of them to call her "Mama Taryn" again. Finally, she sighed, "Okay, let's get to my house. We don't have tons of time."

The girls chatted as they walked, snickering about Finn's ridiculousness. Inga complimented Helga on her ice bucket prank, which started a whole new string of chatter. Finally, the girls arrived at the Brand house.

"So I'm thinking a loose fishtail braid, what do you think?" Taryn asked, playing with a bit of Adrianna's hair as she walked. "You're kinda dressed up though. Hot date?"

"Actually..." Adrianna said slowly as she opened the door and stepped inside after the girls. "It's a little complicated."

"Ooh, spill!" Taryn grasped Adrianna's shoulders and sat her down in a nearby chair.

"Well..." Adrianna sighed, allowing Taryn to tip her head back to begin the braid. Inga and Helga sat on the couch cross-legged, eagerly awaiting her story. "Okay. What would you guys do if you were dating someone for a long time but then out of the blue there was someone else that you were possibly interested in but then it became apparent that he's really interested in you and suddenly you find yourself unsure of what to do."

Inga rolled her eyes. "Ugh don't be so coy. Dump Brandyn; date Erick. End of story."

Helga snorted and gave her a wolfish grin. "I second that."

Adrianna blushed, but glanced up at Taryn. "What do you think?"

She couldn't see Taryn, but could hear the smile in her voice. "I think I want details."

The Haddock girl slumped, but was instantly (but gently) prodded back up so her hair wouldn't get messed up. Adrianna launched into the story, telling the girls about a few of her concerns with Brandyn (keeping out his pressuring for a more intimate relationship) and the fun but very confusing and revealing afternoon with Erick a few days prior.

Taryn stomped her heels on the floor quickly and squealed. "That's so exciting."

Adrianna fought a smile. "You think so?"

Helga made a "pfft" sound with her lips. "Any one of us can tell that he's crazy about you. He always has been."

"Yeah, but what about Brandyn?" Adrianna's smile fell. "I didn't think anything would happen with Erick when we hung out, but it just sort of... happened. He looked so... dejected, I didn't want him to leave without talking about it."

Inga waggled her eyebrows up and down. "Except there been a lot less talking and more-"

"Inga Jorgenson, I will come over there-" Adrianna tried to move forward, but found herself held back by her almost finished braid.

"No, we're almost done!" Taryn exclaimed. "Then you can attack her."

Inga snickered from her chair while Helga mimed kissing sounds. Adrianna's face flushed. "Stoooop!"

"Oh girls, leave her alone," Taryn chided. "I think it's adorable."

"That's not weird for you?" Adrianna asked, looking up at her when Taryn finally released her braid. She pet it gently to feel the soft coils of hair.

Taryn perched on the edge of the couch between the other two girls, looking posh and pristine in her perfect posture. Inga and Helga looked like Gobber after a few meads in the Great Hall with the way they were sprawled out.

"Erick's a good guy, but he wasn't the one for me," Taryn said carefully. "I think through the all the time we dated, deep down he still cared about you a lot."

"Hm," Adrianna sighed, dipping her head back. "Much good it did back then. I almost wish..." She shook her head.

Taryn sat forward, nearly falling off the couch. "What?"

"Oh gods," Helga huffed, reaching out and yanking Taryn back to sit fully on the couch.

"What?" The auburn-haired girl asked with a frown.

"Girl, it's just us," Helga waved her hand around. "Chillax! Ain't nobody here gonna make you be all prim and proper. Relax that stiff spine."

Taryn gave her a look before glancing at the door. Finally she settled into the couch, looking somewhat relieved. Adrianna could forget how very traditional the Brand parents were. They brought up their children to be calm, quiet and respectful; to sit up straight and look adults or acquaintances in the eye when spoken to. Adrianna could remember when they were younger and Taryn had had to practically beg her parents to even let her own a dragon. Something about her "learning to be a lady". She was glad the Brands had at long last conceded.

She liked the Brand parents; truly, she did. But poor Taryn. It was obvious in the girl's dark eyes just how nice it was to be able to relax with friends, even if they still had to force her.

"Anyway," Taryn cleared her throat. "What were you going to say, Anna?"

"Oh." Adrianna thought. "I was going to say I almost wish I hadn't sent Brandyn a message so soon. It was literally days after everything fell apart and we lost Benen and Mr. Larson. Erick stopped talking to me and I instantly sent Brandyn a Terror Message."

Helga simpered. "Do you regret it?"

Adrianna shook her head. "No, of course not. He's a good friend, albeit a little bossy or rude sometimes. But nobody's perfect."

"But there could be something better with Erick?" Taryn asked.

The blonde shrugged, holding out her hands. "I don't know. But I think I need to make a decision soon."

Taryn smiled at her warmly. "Do what makes you happy. If you're not happy with Brandyn, don't stay with him. But if you're only reconsidering because of Erick..."

"Be fair," Helga assisted. "Don't dump him just because of Erick. Especially don't start dating him soon after dumping him, if you do dump him."

"They've bickered a lot the last few months," Inga commented. "You wouldn't want them to have a brawl, as amusing as that would be."

"Amusing?" Adrianna echoed.

"Erick isn't a fighter," Inga shrugged. "He's a pacifist, like your dad."

"Wouldn't do for things to get messy," Helga agreed.

Taryn glanced out the window and suddenly stood, as if she couldn't sit still for too long. Apparently her spine had had its fill of rest. "Alright girls, who wants a snack or drink?"

"Mama Taryn, you're doing it again!" Helga teased.

"I want to be a good hostess!" Taryn cried. "Why's that so bad?"

"It's not!" Adrianna smiled, giving Helga and Inga a look. "I'll help you."

Inga kicked back on the couch. "Sweet. I always wanted a servant."

Adrianna followed Taryn into the kitchen just beyond the living room. "Don't let Finn hear you say that."

Inga sat up, turning around to face them. "Why?"

Adrianna winced, glad Inga hadn't seen her expression. "Never mind."

"Thanks, now I'm just curious."

"Curious?" Helga asked, a teasing lilt in her voice. "Why would you be curious about Finn?"

"Oh boy, do we have another story?" Taryn teased.

"Nope!" Inga instantly flopped back onto the couch, ignoring the older girls' snickering. "Definitely not. Cork it or I'll cork you."

Adrianna stifled a laugh and helped Taryn cut some cheese and biscuits. She decided they needed to do this more often; just gather together as a group and talk about random things. This was a random group of girls with varying personalities, but she found it refreshing in retrospect to the normal people she was with, mainly Finn and Erick and Cliff. It was nice to hang out with girls who weren't rude or snobbish. Perhaps there was something to be said for sisters as well as brothers.

Xxx

Adrianna felt good about herself as she walked back out to the village square. She was dressed up with pretty hair and nails. It wasn't like her outer appearance meant the world to her but some days, looking nice felt nice. She spotted the barn just as the last man and his dragon (which so happened to be Snotlout and Hookfang) walked in. This meant they were saddling up. Trying to hide her smirk, she decided to pay the guys a visit.

"Hey, hot shots." she chirped as she leaned into the large barn, where the guys were taking their equipment down to saddle up. "How's it going?"

"Well I can tell you that I don't like racing saddles." Finn scowled at the one he was holding. "They're weird."

"They're designed to keep you from breaking your tailbone, Finn." Hiccup called over, rolling his eyes. "And from damaging other parts of your body."

Several of the men winced in response to this. Adrianna finally let herself smile. Racing saddles had become standard equipment with the new rules set forth by her own generation, not to mention the rougher play. And the best part about them was that, at first glance, they all looked exactly alike.

"Ugh, hold still." Cliff grunted as he attempted to fasten his saddle around his Gronckle. "Did you gain a ton of weight or what?" Cliff's dragon gave him a withering look and smacked him on the side with her tail. "Whaaat, the saddle doesn't fit!"

"Mine fits!" Tuffnut exclaimed, hopping onto Belch. The moment the dragon raised his head, the man fell sideways and landed on his shoulder. "ACK! Nope! Scratch that! There's something wrong with it."

"It's loose?" Hiccup suggested with a deadpan expression.

"Yeah. Hiccup, you're a genius." Tuffnut hopped up and clapped him on the back. "What would I do without this guy?" he added to the others with an affectionate grin.

Hiccup raised an eyebrow at him. "Getting kinda awkward, Tuff."

"Wait, either Zap mysteriously lost weight after eating everything in sight or her saddle has now grown." Finn's eyes widened. "Wait a minute. Guys, check your saddles! I think someone switched the labels on them."

Adrianna dearly wanted to brag about her brilliant scheme but she forced herself to stay quiet and watch the mass confusion as the men attempted to figure out whose saddle belonged to whom.

"This never happens in the women's division." Snotlout mumbled irritably when he finally received the correct saddle.

"We all know what this means, right?" Cliff blurted out in a carrying voice.

Adrianna grinned. Here came the show.

"YES!" Tuffnut shouted, making the men jump. There was a brief pause as all eyes turned to him. "Wait, what were we talking about?"

"This was no simple label mishap. No. This was deliberate. And with no evidence, we can only point the finger at one person." Cliff said dramatically. "Mister Trickster."

Adrianna wasn't sure whether or not to be flattered that she'd clearly done such a good job with her pranks that the villagers were referring to her as Mister Trickster. Surely such a nice girl couldn't possibly have a mischievous side. She loved this about herself. It was so easy to slip under the radar. No one suspected she was involved, much less the perpetrator. No one except Finn, of course. But, curious to see how much Adrianna could get away with, he hadn't ratted her out yet.

"Very funny, Mister Trickster." Erick crossed his arms and fixed Tuffnut with a penetrating gaze.

"I am appalled that my own fellow Hooligan would accuse me of such mayhem. True, Mister Trickster is possibly the most brilliant man to ever set foot on Berk but he is not I, nor am I he! I am but a pawn in his brilliant strategies!" Tuffnut put his hand on his heart, suddenly overwhelmed with emotion. "Bless this man."

"I will find you, MT." Cliff growled. "I will find you and I will put a stop to your dastardly deeds."

"Good luck with that." Adrianna spoke up. "It's been how many years now? And who has managed to catch him?"

"Didn't we find a piece of his shirt last year?" asked Fishlegs as he secured his saddle on Meatlug.

"Yeah but we didn't match it to anything." Hiccup reminded him.

Adrianna's smile widened. She'd planted that evidence on purpose. What they'd found wasn't even part of a shirt. She'd ripped it off a piece of leftover fabric from where Taryn worked.

"Well there really isn't a law against harmless pranks, you know." Hiccup shrugged.

"Maybe you should write one." Snotlout stated. "No pranks except on Loki Day."

"Yeah, Snotlout, I'll put a halt to this whole race just to go write a law preventing Mister Trickster from doing harmless pranks like switching a few labels." Hiccup snarked.

"Don't forget to get a vote on it." Gustav added.

"Ahh yes, that too." Hiccup nodded. He glanced over at his daughter, who was watching the scene with amusement. "What brings you here, Addie? Want to see where the magic happens?"

Adrianna snorted. "Yeah, that's why."

She was about to launch into an excuse when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Brandyn staring down on her.

"I think we can leave them to their frivolity." he said, nodding to Hiccup before he steered Adrianna away. "Sooooo, are you ready for our date? I've got something awesome planned. It will blow your mind."

"Hey, no spoilers!" Adrianna laughed. She honestly liked this side of him. The carefree attitude had been what had attracted her to him, which only made what she wanted to do all the more difficult. "I don't want to go into it with my mind pre-blown. Besides, we have stuff to talk about."

"It's always talk with you." Brandyn rolled his eyes. "It's enough to make me hope you'll be speechless with joy."

The young couple passed the stragglers all making their way to the race, which would probably be starting any minute. Finally, they arrived at the same barn they'd kissed in a few weeks before.

"Aww come on, Brandyn, not again." Adrianna sighed. "I really don't want to have this discus- woah."

Her boyfriend had opened the barn door wide so that she could see the inside. A splash of red met her eyes.

"Brandyn... wow!" she breathed as she stepped inside, barely hearing the door shut tightly behind her.

The whole barn had been decked out in flowers and red cloth. Brandyn had even painted little hearts on the walls in different shades of it. Clearly this had taken a lot of setting up.

"It's beautiful." Adrianna turned around on the spot, drinking it all in. "How did you..."

"Took me a couple of days. But I wanted you to be surrounded by your favorite color." Brandyn brushed her cheek with his thumb and kissed her firmly.

This was... different. She hadn't thought about it before but Brandyn's kisses were more deliberate, almost possessive. It was as if he expected her to take off mid kiss. She felt his hands grasping her upper arms so that she couldn't get away from him. As she kissed him, she dearly wanted to put thoughts of Erick out of her head but she simply couldn't help it. Erick had kissed her so lovingly, she knew that he would have let her go had she pulled away. But Brandyn... she didn't know.

Although there was one thing she did know. Erick would have remembered that her favorite color was purple, not red.

Finally, she pulled away from Brandyn, separating their lips. She felt the grip on her upper arms tighten ever so slightly.

"Brandyn, I have a confession." she breathed, her heart racing.

"Come on, no more talking." Brandyn leaned in to kiss her again but she turned her head. "Ugh, fine. What is it?"

"I... I cheated."

Brandyn let go of her arms. "You what?"

Adrianna swallowed. "I kissed someone. It just happened so fast that I didn't-"

"Erick." Brandyn growled, his eyes flashing. "It's always Erick."

"He just kissed me out of nowhere." Adrianna confessed, her stomach in knots. She had no idea how Brandyn would react to this.

Suddenly, the hardened look on Brandyn's face turned into a strange sort of smile. The fire was still in his eyes but his face looked almost friendly. It gave Adrianna the creeps.

"It's all right, babe. We all slip up." he said in a falsely sweet voice. "But I know the perfect way for you to make it up to me."

"No, that's what I wanted to talk to you about." Adrianna took a step back. Brandyn was honestly starting to scare her. "I just... I think we want different things."

"Don't let Erick run your life." Brandyn simpered. "I'm your boyfriend."

"No, Brandyn. I've had reservations about us for a while and you just keep pushing for things I don't want to do." Adrianna felt her hands shaking and hid them behind her back. This was a lot harder than she thought it would be. "I don't think we should see each other anymore."

The smile faded. Brandyn stood there, rigidly staring at her for nearly a full minute.

"Seriously?" he asked in a tone she'd never heard before. "I put all this work into decking out this barn for you. I forgave you for cheating, for Thor's sake! I've waited for you time and time again and now, after all that, you think you can end it? Just like that?"

"What are you talking about?" Adrianna's heart left her chest to thump in her ears.

Before she had time to react, Brandyn stepped forward and grabbed her wrist in a vice like grip. Adrianna tried to wiggle it away but it was no use. Her little hand was no match for his massive one.

"I've given you everything I can and you never give back." He hissed. "And this is not how it ends."

"Brandyn, stop!" Adrianna squeaked, her whole body shaking with terror as she tried to wrench her hand away. "You're hurting me!"

"No." Brandyn boomed, making her cower in terror. "For once, I'm getting what I want." The sounds of cheering Hooligans entered the barn, making Brandyn smile down at her in fierce pleasure. "And it looks like no one's around to save you this time."

Panic gripped Adrianna so hard, she almost couldn't move at first. Then the spell broke and she wrenched her arm out of Brandyn's grasp.

"Get away from me!"

"Wish I could, babe." Brandyn said in a voice dripping with false concern. "But it looks like we're stuck."

This wasn't happening. Brandyn couldn't be thinking of doing what he was so clearly indicating. This all had to be some horrible joke. Adrianna felt adrenaline pumping through her as she just about dived past Brandyn toward the barn door, pushing it as hard as she could. To her horror, it didn't budge. She could hear his footsteps growing closer and, out of the corner of her eye, his form looming behind her, a savage, almost insane grin twisting his once handsome face.

"Please let me go." She whimpered, her palms sweating and still pushing against the immovable door.

"I'm going to give you one more chance." Brandyn leered over her, his hands unhooking the belt at his waist. "We can do this the easy way," he yanked his belt off and dropped it with a clatter at her feet, "or the hard way."

Adrianna dry swallowed, desperately looking anywhere but at him. His hands suddenly reached forward and, almost instinctively, she leaped out of the way. It was then that she spotted a ladder leading to the loft of the barn. If she could open the dragon hatch in the ceiling, she could climb out and call for help from one of the racers. It was her only chance of escape.

Adrenaline surged again and she bolted toward the ladder like her life depended on it (and it probably did). As she climbed up, she distinctly heard Brandyn's laughing behind her.

"So, hard way it is!" he called up to her, his voice growing ever closer. "I'm game!"

Adrianna finally reached the top of the ladder, fear coursing through her in waves that made it difficult to draw breath. She reached the hatch and slammed her fists into it, only to discover that it too had been secured. She knew, in that instant, that this had been the plan. Brandyn had trapped her on purpose.

"HELP!" she screamed, her voice tearing through her dry throat. "HELP ME, PLEASE!"

A rough hand closed over her mouth. "Shhh, wouldn't want anyone to hear us, would we?" Brandyn hissed into her ear.

There was only one course of action left. Adrianna thrashed wildly, desperately trying to bite, punch, and kick every inch of him. If she could fight him off long enough, maybe someone would come. Maybe one of the racers would hear her. Maybe one of the dragons would sense her fear. This sort of thing wasn't supposed to happen. Not to her!

To her surprise, she managed to free herself from his grasp but she knew it was useless to try to run. He blocked every punch she threw, almost like he knew what she was about to do the split second before she did it. Desperation swelled within her as she did the one thing her father had told her to do if ever confronted with a dangerous man: She attempted to slam her knee into his groin. Brandyn effortlessly blocked her attack.

"Ah ah, not there," He bore down on her with the same terrifying smile. "I need that."

Adrianna attempted to throw another punch but Brandyn closed his fist around her wrist. His other hand grabbed a huge handful of her hair as he threw her down onto the floor. Her head hit the wood with a sickening crack as his image swam in front of her vision. Unable to breathe, whether from the fall or from terror, she choked as he leered over her, roughly shoving his hand over her mouth. Hot tears poured out of her eyes as she stared up at him, her first boyfriend, a man she thought she had loved.

Adrianna squirmed and thrashed as hard as she could, every muscle in her body burning with effort but she felt herself tiring quickly. She tried to scream for her parents, Finn, Erick, somebody. Anybody.

Now, as she felt Brandyn's hand at her waist and stared up into his cruel blue eyes, she knew she had fallen for the wrong man. And she was going to pay dearly for that mistake. Since she was a little girl and bad things started happening in her life, she always had faith that someone would come for her. That faith had been shattered before, but her trust in her family and friends had always been strengthened once more.

But this time, nobody was coming. Nobody could help her. Nobody knew.