A Story Worth Telling:

"Astrid!" Heather called landing on Berk. The girls hadn't seen each other since Hiccup and Astrid's wedding 3 months before, and hadn't really hung out since Dagur and Mala's wedding that had been close to a year before. "Heather!" Astrid raced over and embraced her friend, pulling back she smiled, "I thought you couldn't visit for another month!" "Well, this isn't so much a visit as it is a plea for help." Astrid raised an eyebrow at her friends, "It's just, I need some help training dragons on Berserker Island. And I know that you and Hiccup haven't been married long, but I was hoping you'd be able to come and help. It would only be a week or so." Astrid sighed and looked down, "Heather, I'd love to but. I can't. It's just.." What?" Astrid glanced around the village, then leaned over and whispered something in Heather's ear. Gasping, Heather looked at her friends, but before she could say anything, Astrid put a finger to her lips and gestured for Heather to follow her. The moment the girls entered Hiccup and Astrid's house, Heather burst. "Oh my gods, Astrid! Your going to be a mom!" Astrid smile could have lit up they sky as she looked at her friend, "I know! But that's actually only part of the reason I can't go and help. Eret," "The guy who started living here after Drago attacked?" Heather interrupted. Astrid nodded her head and continued with her explanation, "He's like Hiccup's right-hand man, but he's going to meet his fiance's family, and she's from another island. Along with that, your brother is coming for a treating signing, and so is Alvin-" Heather held up a hand to silence her friend, "It's okay Astrid. I understand." She paused a moment before she voiced an idea that had began to form in her mind, "I know from your letter that Snotlout is busy, but do you think that you could spare Fishlegs and the Twins?" Astrid shrugged her shoulders as she walked over to a chair, "I guess, but I have to warn you, the closer Fishlegs and Ruffnut's wedding gets, the more disgustingly adorable they get." "How did that happen again?" Heather laughed, "I don't know. You'll have to ask Tuffnut, he was the one who witnessed it." Heather stopped laughing and thought of friend. "How's he doing? I mean, he and Ruff have always been together so.." She broke off and Astrid offered a sad smile. "As can be expected. He's sorta getting used to the idea, but insists that he will build a house right next to Ruffnut and Fishlegs and then build a nice sized barn for Barf and Belch right behind their houses." Heather smiled at the thought, and even though she and Tuff weren't best friends, she was happy that because of Barf and Belch the twins couldn't really leave each other. "Anyways," Heather shook her head and got back to the business at hand, "I'll just pop over and ask the twins and Fishlegs if they want to help out." By then Astrid was barley listening, "And you should get some rest." That made the young mother-to-be's eye's open. "What, no, I'm fine." Heather rolled her eye's and crossed her arms. "Astrid you look like your going to drop, and I'm sure that whatever orders you dished out are being done." "But-" Heather held up a hand, "Go, now." Sighing Astrid got up and headed to the back of the house, "Oh and Astrid!" "Yeah?" "Don't let Dagur know that your expecting." Astrid looked at Heather curiously, "Why?" "Because then he'll stat to hope that you and Hiccup have a girl, and that that little girl will fall in love with Dagur Jr. Then she will have to go live on Defenders of the Wing Island, and-" "I'm gonna stop you there. Ugh, I'll just send Mala a Terror Mail when Dagur gets here, and she can tell him the good news when he gets back home." Heather smiled and excited, not really as set off about the subject as her friend, but that was probably not something that should be voiced. Ever.

"Hey Tuff!" Heather called, walking up the steps to the Great Hall. "Oh, hey Heather!" Tuffnut stopped at the top and waited for the pretty raven-haired girl to catch up. "What are you doing here?" "Well, I'm actually here to ask if you, your sister and Fishlegs can help me with a..project back on Berserker Island." Tuffnut scoffed and crossed his arms, "Berserker Island. The only ones who were near BERSERK when I was last there were your brother and yourself. And he's not there anymore, so your the only berserk on that ENTIRE ISLAND!" Rolling her eye's at Tuffnut distress, Heather also crossed her arms. "One, I'm not crazy." That got her an eye roll from Tuffnut, but she ignored it, "And two, my people were going through a lot. Our village had been destroyed after the Shell Fire attack, and now the entire island's still been in bad shape ever since the Dragon Hunter's and the Dragon Flyers attacked." "But that was over a year ago." Heather sadly shook her head, "I know. But dragon's are now relocating to the island, Dagur's gone, and, much to your delight, the crazy is coming back." Tuffnut's eye's brightened, "The crazy is back you say. Hmm... Can I bring Chicken and Chicklit?" "I guess," "Okay. Then I will see if I can convince my sister to come. If she goes, then Fishlegs will come." "Seriously? You're only coming for the crazy?" "Yep!" As Tuffnut opened the door and motioned for Heather to go on in, she thought about mentioning the working part in the project, but decided against it. "So, how are you doing with Dagur gone?" Tuff asked as the pair walked towards Fishlegs and Ruffnut. "Okay. It's a little difficult, but with Windshear helping me, and Dagur visiting at least once a month, we're handling it." "How's Dagur Jr. Is he showing signs of being as crazy as Dagur." Heather laughed and shook her head, stopping at the table Ruff and Fishlegs were sitting at. "No Tuff. He's only a month old!" Tuffnut shrugged his shoulders and sat down. "Hey Heather!" Ruff greeted, "What are you doing here?" "Enlisting your help." Heather said as she sat down next to Tuffnut. "Our help?" Fishlegs looked at her curiously, "Yeah, I need some help with re-building the Berserker Village." Ruff's brow scrunched up, "But the battle was over a year ago." Heather sighed, "I know, but dragon's have been relocating, debris is still washing up on the beach -" "And the villagers are going crazy again!" Tuff exclaimed. "Really" Ruff smiled and nodded her head. "Then we will help. When do we leave." Heather stared blankly. That's all it took? She thought, The villagers being crazy. She glanced at the twins, who were both acting a bit off, Or is there something else going on? Clearing her throat, Heather stood up. "Well, thanks you guys. Um, were leaving in the morning. Sunrise. Don't be late." Walking towards the Great Hall doors, Heather tried to listen in on the conversation that was now going on with Fishlegs and the twins. But she couldn't hear that well with all the other viking's in the Great Hall. Sighing she glanced behind her. I guess I'll find out at another time. Her curiosity spiked when she thought she heard Tuffnut get mad,I hope.

"You know what this mean's right?" Ruff leaned forward on the table, and for once was keeping her voice down. Tuffnut widened his eye's at his twin and forcefully shook his head. "No Ruff. No no no." "Tuffnut you have had a crush on her since we first met her when we were fourteen year old's, and that was six years ago! Don't you think you should let her know?" "Ruff I can't." Ruffnut rolled her eyes, "Tuff, you can't go on hiding your feelings." Fishlegs said. "Me? You hid your feeling's for Ruffnut. You really had liked the idea of being married to her, but then when you guy's found out that you weren't you just shook it off. Thinking it for the best. So instead, you tried to date Heather. But that didn't work out and you broke her heart. I know because even if she acted brave in front of you and kept it all together, I remember hearing her cry as she and Windshear headed out." Tuff rose from the table and turned to the Great Hall doors. "So, Fishlegs, you are the last person I will take emotional advice from, and I will tell her when I am ready to tell her." Ruff slid her hand over Fishlegs'. "He didn't mean it. He's just a little worried. If he does plan on telling her, than you can just imagine how nervous he is." Fishlegs smiled at her. "I know, and I get why he got mad. It just shows how much he cares for her." The two gazed into each others eye's and hoped for the future. For their future, and for Tuffnut's future.