Part 9: Premeditation

"Now mom... please don't do anything drastic," Hiccup said once Valka had let him go and he caught a breath.

"Oh honey, what makes you think I'll do anything?" Valka questioned as she gave her son a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Because you're way too calm about any of this," Hiccup muttered "And I know you. You're only this calm when you're plotting someone's downfall."

"Hiccup you have such a wild imagination," Valka replied offhandedly. "I'm not going to be doing anything so don't you worry. Now why don't you and Astrid head back to the party and enjoy. I had them add those little caviar horderves you love to the menu when I heard you were coming."

"Mom seriously don't do anything," Hiccup groaned as the three exited the small meeting room and approached the ballroom.

"Hiccup, honey for the last time. I'm not going to do anything," Valka uttered in an exasperated tone. "And as much as I love your date's idea of using the salmon as a weapon I feel that the tuna would be much more appropriate." She winked at Astrid now as if telling her to go ham should they encounter trouble again.

"MOM!"

"Hiccup don't stress over it," Astrid laughed at Mrs, Haddock's implication. "Why don't we check out that open bar a bit more and get some good food."

"Fine, fine...." Hiccup sighed. There really was no use arguing when two women ganged up on him like this. He might as well enjoy the rest of the night.

Thankfully the rest of the night was more or less uneventful. Astrid and Hiccup actually did enjoy themselves as they steered clear of Delise and her lot. By the end of the night, nearly midnight to be exact, Astrid was giggling as she held onto Hiccup's arm. They were making their way out of the ballroom as the gala was winding down.

"You're a nice pillow," Astrid mumbled as her cheeks were a bit flushed from all the bubbly she'd had.

"And you're drunk," Hiccup commented though he too was sporting a flush which became more apparent as they stepped outside in the cool air. He might have had one too many whiskeys.

"This is nice," Astrid mumbled.

"Hmmm?" Hiccup questioned as they made their way to the waiting limo.

"Just going out like this, you know, kind of like a date," Astrid giggled. Of course she knew that it hadn't been an actual date but her drunken self liked to think it was. "I've only been on one date... like ever,"

"Wait, what do you mean?" Hiccup stopped, causing Astrid to also stop walking. He was definitely confused by her statement just now.

"Oh you know.... The whole thing with that douche Eret," She made a dismissing motion. "He took me to one movie and a burger after he found out we were soulmates and then he insisted we meet each other's parents." She explained. "Never took me out again unless it was dinner with his or mine family,"

"And you never asked him to have a date night?" Hiccup questioned as they were walking again and reached the limo.

"Uuuggghhhh... that... that mulch bucket kept making excuses to not go," She groaned as she slid into the backseat. "I gave up asking after a year,"

"That's...," Hiccup couldn't comprehend that guy's thought process. Here this Eret guy had a woman that wanted to make things work between them and he goes and bollocks it all up. "If you were my soulmate I'd take you on as many dates as you wanted." He heard himself saying. Astrid giggled before leaning out of the car again and wrapping her arms around Hiccup's neck.

"You're so sweet and considerate Hiccup," Astrid's hot breath wafted over his cheek. He could make out hints of the strawberry daiquiris she had drunk not half an hour before. "You're like a plushie," She giggled and Hiccup raised his brows. Yet, Astrid was definitely drunk. "A big, fluffy, sweet, adorkable and handsome plushie. If you were my soulmate I'd gobble you up," She uttered before she closed the gap between them and gave Hiccup quite a passionate kiss right there in front of the hotel.

"And you're really drunk," Hiccup commented after the kiss. He slid into the limo beside Astrid. His cheeks were still red, but this time not so much from the alcohol than the thought of this woman actually desiring him. Come morning Astrid would probably wake up, complain of a hangover and have forgotten entirely what she had just done. As the limo left the venue no one noticed an old car parked across the street. Neither did they notice two hands gripping that steering wheel so tightly it might have broken.

"Soft and cuddly," Astrid mumbled as her head lolled against Hiccup's shoulder. She was clutching his arm like it was a pillow while her eyes were shut. Hiccup pretended not to be affected by the gorgeous woman clinging to him. He adjusted his bowtie a bit and then bent forward to reach for a bottle of sparkling water the limo had been stocked with.

As he reached, trying not to disturb Astrid's 'cuddling time', he noticed two headlights coming right at them. There wasn't much reaction time but Hiccup managed to cover Astrid as another car crashed into the side of the limo where they were seated, sending the long vehicle spinning before flipping over. Traffic came to a screeching halt as the limo slid from one side of the intersection all the way to the other, impacting into a streetlamp from the other side.

Hiccup groaned as pain shot through his body. His eyes were open but his vision was hazy. He could barely make out Astrid's blond locks as the woman lay under him motionless. In the distance he could hear people yelling... his vision went black... more yelling... sirens... than a mechanical screech before hands pulled both him and Astrid out of the wreck.

He lost consciousness completely after that and the next time he awoke was in the hospital to the concerned faces of his parents.

"Hiccup darling! Oh thank Thor!" Valka uttered when she saw Hiccup opening his eyes. "I thought we lost you!"

"Son," Stoick too was beside Hiccup's bed though the grogginess made his vision still a bit hazy.

"What happened?" Hiccup asked. "Astrid!"

"The lass is fine, Hiccup," Stoick uttered. "We had her moved to the room next to you."

"Yes, her sister and friend are visiting her right now," Valka explained. "The doctors say both of you were lucky. Bruised ribs and concussions but nothing life-threatening."

"Valka... we should tell him," Stoick muttered.

"Tell me what?" Hiccup questioned as he watched the silent conversation going on between his parents.

"Stoick now is not the time!" Valka responded.

"Mom, I'm right here. Just tell me," Hiccup uttered. "I'm not a kid anymore. You don't need to hide me from the big bad world."

"I'm sorry son," Valka said. "To me you'll always be my little boy. The same little boy that got chased by ducklings."

"Please don't bring that up mom!" Hiccup groaned. "I thought we were not bringing up the duckling incident anymore."

"But you were just so cute!" Valka sighed.

"A piece of shrapnel impacted your leg son," Stoick told Hiccup. "The doctors tried to re-attach the nerves but they are saying you might be walking with a permanent limp from now on."

"Oh... okay," Hiccup said upon hearing the news.

"Okay?! That's all you have to say?" Valka asked confused.

"I don't know... I mean I feel nothing right now... so processing this is weird."

"That might be the morphine," Stoick pondered.

"On a lighter note, Astrid has been asking about you since she woke up yesterday!" his mom uttered. "Stoick why don't you go next door to tell the lass her boyfriend is awake. I'm sure she'll like to see Hiccup."

"MOM! We are not dating!" Hiccup groaned as his vision cleared slightly.

"I know honey, I'm just teasing," Valka replied. Once Stoick had gone to do her bidding Valka turned to Hiccup and apologized. "I'm sorry Hiccup," She muttered as she held her son's hand. "Waiting these two days for you to wake up made me realize a couple of things. The thought of never getting to see you made me realize that your father and I have tried to push you into relationships when you clearly didn't want to be. It was selfish for us to think that our values of happiness would be the same for you. And for that I am sorry."

"Mom really, it's fine," Hiccup uttered. "I know you guys just want me to be happy," He told her. "You supported me all my life. You and dad accepted it when I told you I didn't want to study Business. When I found out I was Markless you and dad were right there to stop me from getting depressed. Considering how Markless are threatened most parents wouldn't have done even that."

"Oh honey!" Valka uttered as she tried to hug Hiccup. But that was when Stoick came in with Astrid who was seated in a wheelchair.

"Hiccup!" Astrid exclaimed as she tried to stand up only to hiss in pain.

"Careful lass. Those ribs are still bruised." Stoick told her.

"I hate being confined to a wheelchair," She pouted.

"Doctor's orders sis. You know that," Alexi uttered as she walked into the room behind Stoick along with Heather. "So you're my sister's knight in shining armor," she said which caused Hiccup to blush.

"Alexi! Behave!" Astrid warned.

"I am. I could have said something cruder but this is a hospital," Alexi shot back.

"Why am I stuck with a sister like you?!"

Astrid just rolled her eyes as Stoick placed her wheelchair next to Hiccup's bed. "Why don't we let you two talk," Valka said as she ushered everyone out of the room.

"I... Thank you Hiccup," Astrid began. "The doctors told me that my injuries would have been a lot more severe if you hadn't shielded me as the impact happened on the side I was seated on." She uttered. "Just... thank you from the bottom of my heart,"

Hiccup blushed and sputtered something incoherently and then blamed it on the morphine, too embarrassed. Astrid mainly laughed as she knew the morphine would make someone a bit loopy or silly.

"A lot happened in the last two days," Astrid informed him as a frown now marred her face. "Honestly speaking it's been a lot to take in. I don't exactly know where to start,"