It's BAA-ACKK! Revised and completed, Hiccup the man with a harried past has returned. WARNING: This story is very much M-rated for violence and dark themes. I'll try to leave markers for the worst bits so you can skip over. Beware chapter 10.

It was late afternoon, and the sun was already sinking low over the hills as the old beat up F100 pickup truck roared down the road towards the small town of Berk. The truck used to be black at one point, but was now a motley of different colours as a result of all the repairs done to it over the years. There were many dents and scrapes along the sides, each with a curious tale behind them. Including a few interesting bullet-shaped holes running under the driver's side window. Not that the truck or its owner were about to tell those stories anytime soon.

The auburn haired young man behind the wheel pulled his battered cowboy hat down low over his eyes to shade them against the afternoon sun. He scratched the side of his scruffy jawline before reaching across to stroke the huge black wolf sitting in the passenger seat beside him.

"What d'ya reckon, bud? Think we'll get some answers here?"

The wolf gave him a lick on his arm.

"Yeah. I hope so too, Bud. I hope so too."

-oOo-

It wasn't long before he was driving through town, glancing between the street signs and a crumpled piece of paper in his hand, looking for the address written on it. He found it soon enough, an old building with faded letters written along the top, "The Forge Mechanics". Pulling up outside, he could see that the shop was already shut. He turned off the engine and sighed.

"Seems we'll have to wait it out till tomorrow, bud," he told the wolf beside him. "Let's see if the coffee shop is still open, and at least get something to eat. Come on, Toothless. Look after the truck for me, will ya? I'll be back as soon as I can," said Hiccup as he got out of the cab, Toothless following him.

Hiccup patted the side of the tray and the wolf easily jumped up and over, turning around once before settling down on the bottom. Hiccup headed off back up the street towards a shop he had seen on his way in, with his head down and hands shoved in his pockets. He didn't bother with locking his truck. His security system was already in place.

He hadn't managed to walk too far, when a tall, gangly lad with long blonde dreadlocks appeared out of a doorway. The young man looked up and did a double take when he saw the stranger in his town.

"Hiccup?" he called out.

Hiccup glanced up. "Tuffnut?"

"Hey man. How've you been? What'cha ya doing here?" Tuffnut called out as he came over to shake the other man's hand with great enthusiasm.

"Just travelling through," Hiccup told him briefly.

"Well, you got time for a coffee? My shout. Where you staying?" Tuff shot off rapidly, still shaking Hiccup's hand.

Hiccup extracted his hand with a wry grin. "Yeah I got time. Especially if you're buying. Nowhere yet," he answered.

"Well, come on, then. My sister works at the coffee shop. I've been telling her all about you, and she's keen to meet ya," the man spoke excitedly, hand behind Hiccup's back as he not so subtly pushed him towards the coffee shop that Hiccup had noted earlier.

"Well, I guess that's where we'll go," Hiccup responded drily.

-oOo-

Hiccup raised a brow at the name on the café door, "The Barf 'n' Belch". 'Well, that's...creative', he thought to himself, before Tuff pushed open the door.

The bell over the door tingled as the two men entered and walked over to the counter. A female version of Tuff came through from the back room, popping gum.

Her eyes immediately raked over the unassuming attractive man standing beside her brother, with obvious interest.

"Hey, handsome," she greeted him with a sly smile.

Tuff spoke quickly, "Ruff... I want you to meet Hiccup. You know, the dude I told you about who saved my life. He's travelling through Berk at the moment."

Her eyes turned back to the stranger with greater interest. "Well, we'll have to find a reason for you to stay a little longer, then, won't we?" she purred, giving him a sultry smile and putting her hand on a cocked hip suggestively.

Hiccup's eyes lit up with amusement and his eyebrow twitched, but his flat expression did not change. "I'm only here to look up an old family friend. Then I'll be on my way," he told her carefully.

"Oh? Who ya looking for? Maybe we can help you find them?" offered Tuff.

Hiccup turned to the man beside him, "Gobber. His shop's shut so I'll have to wait till tomorrow."

"Well then dude, you'll just have to camp out with me and Ruff till then, won't you?" said Tuff, not expecting a 'no'.

"Yeah," agreed Ruff readily. "Give us time to thank the man who saved Tuff from being killed."

Hiccup shook his head wearily, "Nothing to thank. I appreciate the offer, but I'll be camping out with Toothless tonight."

"Nothing to thank? Dude, there were like four of them! And they were all over me, till you come blasting in with those fists of fury and stopped them dead. I would've been a goner if you hadn't stepped in. And who's Toothless?" asked Tuff, as he recollected the time that Hiccup had saved him from a fierce gang of four men who were attempting to take his wallet late one night in the neighbouring town of Raven's Point. Tuff didn't want to go without a fight, but had been quickly overwhelmed until Hiccup, a total stranger, arrived and evened out the sides a little. The four men had all left with serious misgivings and more than a few injuries. Hiccup and Tuff had introduced themselves, but hadn't seen each other after that.

"Glad I could help. Toothless is my wolf," Hiccup nodded, his stance reserved and aloof.

"You have a wolf?"

"Yeah."

"Where did you get a wolf from?" asked Ruff curiously. She was still making eyes at the alluring, although mysterious young man, but Hiccup was refusing to get involved.

"Found him in a trap. Should'a killed him...but I didn't...I let him loose, and he attacked me...should'a killed me...but he didn't. So we decided to call it even, and we've stuck together ever since. Smartest canine I've ever met. Except when it came to befriending me...then he made a serious error in judgement," Hiccup drawled in a flat tone.

"So you managed to train him, huh?" asked Tuff.

"Nope...more like we trained each other. He's my best friend," replied Hiccup, a flicker of warmth passing through his eyes at the mention of his wolf.

Tuff nodded sagely at that, and the two went to sit down at one of the empty booths while Ruff left to rustle up some food and drinks for them. She joined them soon after as there were no other customers. Hiccup agreed to spend the evening with the pair at their house, with Tuff offering to ride shotgun and show him the way.

The men left the cafe, leaving Ruff to close up shop. When the two were almost at Hiccup's pickup, Tuff advised him, "I wouldn't leave your truck open like that, man. The kids round here will pick it clean in no time flat."

Hiccup gave a derisive snort. "They could try, but they won't get far."

"Huh?"

Toothless took that moment to rise up from the bed of the tray where he had been hidden, his dark furry face looming over the edge, his lip lifted in a low growl.

Hiccup put his hand out flat for the wolf to lick. "It's okay, bud. He's a friend."

"Oh, I see. Your wolf. He's sure impressive," agreed Tuff, backing up a little nervously.

Hiccup eyed off the man before waving him over. "Come introduce yourself. He won't hurt you."

"Ah...sure," Tuff hesitantly inched closer, and reluctantly stuck out his hand when Hiccup motioned for him to do so. "He's not going to take off my hand, is he?" Tuff asked worriedly, his hand in front of Toothless. The wolf sniffed, then sat and thumped his tail happily on the tray.

"Nah...you're good. He's a total sook...unless you try to hurt him or me. Then he's a killer," replied Hiccup nonchalantly, giving the wolf an affectionate scrub.

"Oh..." Tuff pulled his hand back immediately. "How did he get a name like Toothless anyway?

Hiccup gave a sad smile as he gazed at his canine companion fondly. "He lost a few teeth in a fight to protect me. Afterwards I was teasing him and calling him 'Toothless' but then he wouldn't answer to anything else, so the name stuck."

Just at that moment, said wolf gave a huge yawn exposing a full set of white pointy teeth.

Tuff nodded towards the canine, "Seems to have all his teeth now."

"Implants," came the short reply.

"Oh."

-oOo-

Tuff showed Hiccup the way to his and Ruff's house, and this time Hiccup locked up his truck, allowing Toothless to enter the house with them. They were settled in the lounge with more drinks and food, as Tuff and Ruff tried to get to know Hiccup a little better. The twins soon found that Hiccup was a man of few words and a lot of secrets, becoming very evasive about his reasons for being in Berk and only telling them he needed to see Gobber about some old family business.

Ruff was doing her best to win over the solitary man, but found she couldn't crack through that hardened shell he had on. But someone else came to mind, who she believed could. Excusing herself, she hurried into her room to make a phone call. After she left, Tuff told Hiccup, "You know...I might be able to find Gobber for you tonight. I think I've got his number here somewhere..." He searched around the messy room looking for a phone book.

"If you could, that would be great. I'm in a bit of a hurry to get a few things sorted," Hiccup told Tuff.

"Found it," crowed Tuff triumphantly when he located what he needed. He opened it and began searching for the right number.

-oOo-

Ruff was in her room, talking to her friend, Astrid Hofferson.

"You'll never guess who's in the house with us," she almost squealed into the phone in excitement.

"Elvis?" answered Astrid sarcastically.

"No, you doofus. Can you remember the story Tuff told us about that dude who saved his life when he got mugged at Raven's Point last year?" Ruff asked.

"Yeah, vaguely. Didn't he say something about some guy came in and took out the four crims who were tackling him?" she asked, searching through her memory bank for the answer.

"That's him. He arrived in Berk today, and he's at our house right now."

"Aaannd, this is exciting because...why?" drawled Astrid in confusion.

"First of all, he's a hero to us," stated Ruff as if that was the most obvious conclusion and why-hadn't-Astrid-gotten-that-bit yet. "...and secondly, he is drop dead gorgeous," she moaned. "Astrid, you have to get over here and meet this guy. I swear you'll never look at another man again," she announced firmly.

Astrid snorted into her end of the phone. "Ruff, is this some sort of matchmaking exercise you got going on? Cause you know I'm not interested in any man right now. Especially 'drop dead gorgeous' ones who are probably so up themselves there's no room for anyone else in their highly over rated egotistical minds," she blasted back at her friend.

"Astrid!" Ruff chided. "We're not talking about Snotlout here...and this guy is nothing like that. I mean, he's wearing old, scruffy clothes and drives a beat up truck, for goodness sake. You can't be further away from egotistical than that. Just get over here, alright? I'll give you free lunch for a week if you do," she cajoled her reluctant friend.

"Free lunch? Woah, you must be serious." Astrid thought for a moment while Ruff held her breath in expectation. "Alright, I'll come over. But I'm only coming for the free food," she warned.

"Whatever. Just get your butt over here right now."

-oOo-

Ruff walked back into the living room just as Tuff and Hiccup were preparing to walk out the front door.

"Hey! Where are you going?" she demanded, panicking that her golden opportunity was leaving so early.

Ruff turned to his sister, "We're going over to Gobber's place. We've already spoken to him and he's waiting for us."

"But I asked Astrid to come over. You can't leave now?" she pouted.

"Sorry ma'am," drawled Hiccup. "I'm in kind of a hurry, so this Astrid will have to wait. Thank you very much for your hospitality. Much appreciated," he nodded as he jammed his hat back on his head and left, Tuff following close behind.

"Noooo," groaned Ruff as she sank back onto the couch. "So close. Darn it."

-oOo-

Tuff eagerly knocked on Gobber's door. He could hear a clanging noise followed by loud cursing. Tuff chuckled to himself. He'd never actually been here before, but all the old car bodies and engine parts lying around the front yard gave a fair indication of what the inside of the confirmed bachelor's house might look like. And why he was tripping over something.

The door opened, and an older man with a heavy paunch and a peg leg appeared. He scratched the side of his jowl with a metal hook attached to what was left of his arm.

Gobber sighed as he leaned up against the door frame. "Tuff. What is it that brings you here, that couldn't wait till morning?"

"Only this," smirked Tuff as he stepped aside to reveal Hiccup and Toothless behind him.

"Hiccup?" gasped the older man, totally stunned. "Is that you?"

"Yup. It's me, old man," Hiccup grinned for the first time since arriving in the small, backwater town.

"Well... It's certainly been a while since I last seen you. Get over here and let me look at you," he ordered, his oversized jaw splitting into a huge, toothy grin.

Hiccup stepped forward and waved his hands in front of him in a 'tah-dah' gesture. Gobber shook his head as he admired the ruggedly handsome young man standing before him, with a wolf of all creatures, beside him. He grunted as he thought about the two people who had created him and how proud they would have been, although Gobber noticed Hiccup carried the taunt features of a man who had led a hard life.

"Looks like yer still got troubles following you," he observed grimly.

Hiccup gave a curt nod, which drew a confused look from Tuff.

"It hasn't been easy, Gobber. I won't lie to you about that. I need your help, old man. That's why I've tracked you down."

"Wait a minute," interrupted Tuff. "You need help? What's the problem? I want to help too," he offered enthusiastically, not understanding the look that passed between the two old friends.

Hiccup sighed, and his face darkened. "It's not that easy, Tuff. There is too much going on and I don't want to drag you in. Let's just say it would be hazardous to your health. Yours and your sisters. If you know what's good for you, you will turn around now and forget that you ever met me. I'm no good for anyone," he finished bitterly.

Gobber placed his hand on Hiccup's arm in a show of comfort with a sad, knowing smile.

"Gotten that bad, huh?" asked the older man.

Hiccup sighed darkly. "You've no idea, Gobber."

"What?" Tuff was confused. "What sort of trouble are you in? I still owe you big time. Maybe this will be a way for me to repay the debt?"

Hiccup told him, "I appreciate the offer, but consider dinner as repayment in full. I don't want to cause you any trouble."

Tuff grinned, "You know 'trouble' is my middle name, right?"

"I thought it was La-vern?" smirked Gobber.

Tuff ignored him. "Come on, Hiccup. Let me help you," he pleaded.

"You've already done more than enough for me, Tuff. I'll take you back home now, then come back here. I need to talk to Gobber. Alone," he added after Tuffnut started to interrupt.

Gobber turned to Hiccup. "Have ye got somewhere to stay, lad?" he asked quietly.

"No, I was going to camp with Toothless somewhere," he admitted calmly.

Gobber thought for a moment. "How 'bout you pull up a couch here? I'll drop Tuff back home and you can park your truck 'round the back...out of sight. There's nothing flash in my house, so nothing to hurt...if you know what I mean," he told the younger man who clearly caught the underlying message. 'Those following you, don't bother me none.'

"I can't do that to you, Gobber," Hiccup stated in a flat tone.

"Nonsense lad. I owe it to yer parents. So get your skinny butt inside my house while I get Tuff home. And I won't take 'no' for an answer," he warned, already dragging his keys off the side table and directing the dreadlocked boy towards his old Chevy pickup. "I'll be back shortly and I expect a hot cup of tea to be waiting for me when I return," he told Hiccup cheerily, before starting up the vehicle and reversing wildly out onto the road, Tuff hanging on tight in fear.

Hiccup stared at the disappearing taillights, and gave an incredulous snort, the closest he ever came to a laugh these days. He then walked inside the house to see if he could find a kitchen, let along tea making contraptions.

-oOo-

Gobber sat quietly sipping his tea, while he watched the forlorn young man in front of him. All of his tough, stay-outa-my-way aloofness had failed miserably as soon as Gobber had come back alone after dropping off Tuff. Toothless was laying on the floor beside him.

"I'm sorry Gobber. I shouldn't have come here and involved you."

"Nonsense lad. I'm surprised you didn't come earlier," he reassured him.

"I'm a marked man, Gobber. They keep finding me and hurting whoever I get close to. So it's easier to stay away from everyone," he told the older man grimly. "I'm always running, never getting close enough to find out anything...nothing that will stick anyway. I have no friends...no life...nothing. I don't even own that truck I came in. I found it, fixed it and took it. I do a few odd jobs for anyone who will pay cash, and that keeps me going for a bit longer. I don't know how much longer I will be able to keep this up. I'm starting to feel it would be easier to give up...walk away...start up somewhere else far, far away...where they will never find me," he uttered tonelessly, his eyes flat and lifeless.

Gobber's breath hitched. He could see Hiccup had been doing it tough, but he hadn't realised the extent of it.

"Well, you're with old Gobber now. You can stay with me for as long as you need. I don't have nothin' to fear. Plus I still have a few tricks up my sleeve, so don't you worry about me, lad," he told him, his eyebrow arched and a twinkle in his eye.

"Gobber, much as I appreciate that, these guys don't mess around. They're not going to take it easy on you just because you have a peg leg and a hook hand. In fact, I'm sure that will be the first thing they target. They've already had a couple of goes at me, and I barely survived," Hiccup told him morosely.

"Hiccup...look at me," Gobber commanded, waiting patiently as the younger man reluctantly did just that. "Stoick was my best friend, lad. He was never afraid to stick his neck out for those he loved. And I'm not going to stand by and do nothing now that his son needs my help. Now you just stick with me, and let old Gobber worry about Gobber," he grinned broadly at the miserable and dejected young man. Hiccup barely nodded in response.

Gobber spoke again in a softer voice, "You know your dad was always proud of you, Hiccup. You'd already achieved so much by the time you reached your teens, being the head engineer and designer at your dad's company. But then by being so humble and letting the others take credit for your work!...You should'a heard him Hiccup...how he would boast so proudly about you to me. It always disappointed him a little that you didn't want him to broadcast your achievements. But he understood. And he kept it secret anyway. For you."

Hiccup hung his head again. "I know. But I didn't want anyone to know. After all the bullying and teasing I had to endure during high school, I just wanted to know that people liked me for being...me...you know? Not some child prodigy of a high profile business entrepreneur."

Gobber looked at him shrewdly. "Sounds like a lonely life for a young man."

Hiccup nodded sadly. "I often used to wonder if mum had survived...what it would have been like. Dad was always busy working...even when I started working there with him...I never really saw much of him. I know he cared about me, but..." he finished with a shrug.

"You look so much like her, did you know that?" Gobber told him softly.

Hiccup glanced up, his interest piqued. "Did you know my mother?" he asked, suddenly nervous. "Dad would never talk about her, only to say she disappeared when I was young. Do you know what happened to her?" he asked, his keen eyes watching Gobber intently.

The old man shook his head, "Nay lad. Your dad suspected foul play, but he could find no clues. Although he suspected that you were the target the night she went."

Hiccup was visibly shaken up at this news. "Me? He thought someone was after me? Why? What happened?"

Gobber stroked his jaw thoughtfully before he answered. "He'd made some enemies at the time ...powerful ones...I don't rightly know the circumstances...he would'na tell me about it. But that scar you have on your chin..."

Hiccup immediately touched the familiar scar that had been with him ever since he could remember.

Gobber continued, "...that scar came from the night your mum disappeared. It wasn't long after that, he resigned as Mayor, took you and left Berk for good."

"Berk?" Hiccup was completely shocked. "What do you mean 'left Berk'? We've always lived at Ravens Point...haven't we? And what do you mean about dad being Mayor?" Hiccup demanded forcefully.

Gobber was surprised. "He did'na tell ya? ...Lad... you were born in Berk when your dad was the Mayor here. You were only a wee lad of 3 summers when you left."

"I was...what?" Hiccup was completely blown away by this revelation, and totally lost for words. All his life, he had believed he had been born in Ravens Point, where his dad had run a successful international engineering company called 'Dragon's Edge Engineering'. He had known his mum had disappeared when he was only a babe, but it had always been too painful a subject for his dad to talk about. They had no other family, except maybe Gobber who had visited them a few times. But he wasn't really related. Just a very close friend of his dad's. Although he did remember his father mentioning once or twice about a cousin who was a similar age to Hiccup. But that was it. Hiccup found it difficult to comprehend that the very foundation of his being had suddenly been wiped out as a complete and utter lie. He slumped back in his chair, trying to make sense of it all. He'd come to Berk looking for answers, but this was...incomprehensible.

"Is...is there anything else I should know about?" he whispered, frightened of the answer but desiring to know. He needed to know. "I mean...where did we live? Is there something still here of mum's? Or dad's?" he asked hesitantly.

Gobber's face fell as he shook his head, "Nay lad. The house where you lived was burnt completely to the ground shortly after you both left, along with everything in it. Vandals, they said. Pig's bottom, I say. It was on purpose. And your dad agreed at the time, but he didn't have the heart to do anything about it. Not with Valka gone and a young babe to care for."

Gobber spoke softly, "Look lad...I know this has come as a shock, I always thought you knew...but I do have something belonging to your dad. But it's at the shop. Maybe in the morning we can head over, and I'll get it for you?"

Hiccup nodded numbly. "I...I'd like that. I wasn't able to take anything with me after he died. It would be nice to have...something… of my father's."

Gobber leaned towards the disheartened young man, and spoke to him urgently. "Tell me what happened, son. Why are you on the run? I never got the full story...just some cockamamie rubbish that you murdered your own father. I knew that wasn't anywhere near the truth. So...what really happened?"

Hiccup screwed his eyes tight, the terrifying events of that night resurfacing in his thoughts, still fresh. They flashed through his mind as he struggled to put into words the burden he had carried for the last six years. The mystery he still had yet to resolve. The very reason why he was now here...in Berk.

"I was only nineteen," he whispered, more to himself than Gobber. "It was my fault we were there. I'd gotten involved with a girl...stupidly not realising she was using me to get into dad's business... and when he found out what she was up to, he went out to confront a guy named Alvin at an abandoned warehouse. I overheard him talking on the phone, so I followed without him knowing...me and Toothless that is..."

The wolf lifted his head from his position on the floor at the mention of his name, and laid his snout on Hiccup's lap with a gentle snuffle. Hiccup stroked his furry head absentmindedly.

"...We went there but didn't find Alvin. He wasn't even in town, I found out later," Hiccup spat out bitterly. "All part of his plan, apparently...But Dagur was there, and I had the misfortune to run into him first. He tried to kill me, but Toothless wasn't too keen on that idea and attacked him instead." Hiccup gave a wry grunt as he remembered. "He ended up with quite a few injuries courtesy of Toothless. Unfortunately, he gave as good as he got and both Toothless and I ended up with some nasty cuts too. Toothless even sacrificed a few teeth for me, that night, didn't you bud?" Hiccup gave the wolf an affectionate rub.

"What happened then?" prompted Gobber, eager to hear more.

Hiccup continued with a small shake of his shoulder. "Dagur wasn't very quiet about it all, and dad must have heard him from the other side of the warehouse. Me and Toothless had managed to get away from him by then, and we ended up in another section, barely able to keep it together...blood dripping off us everywhere. I remember...I walked into a wide, empty room. I thought I could see something in the shadows but I couldn't really be certain at the time. I soon found out though... I was limping along, trying to find dad and get out...but I made a mistake. I walked straight into the path of this guy ...and saw him raising a pistol with a silencer on it...straight at me. I think I must have yelled at this point... I must have, because how could dad have found me so quickly, you know?"

Hiccup became hesitant with repressed memories all flooding him at once. He licked his dry lips as he struggled to continue. "I heard the safety click...and knew I was a goner...but dad...dad found me...and...and he ..."

Hiccup had to stop as he choked on his tears, trying desperately to push them back. But they refused to go. Gobber gave him a sympathetic pat while he pulled himself together with great difficulty. After a few long moments, Hiccup nodded to indicate he was okay, then continued.

"Yeah...um...dad... he pushed me out of the way...and took the bullet meant for me. He had no chance. He was dead before he hit the ground," he finished, his voice flat and hard, no emotion left for tears anymore.

"Did you see who it was?" asked Gobber, feeling incredibly sad for the loss of his red-haired, giant of a friend, a colossal man in physique and heart...and the son he had loved so very much.

Hiccup shook his head in sorrow. "No, I didn't. He said something at the time...real quiet like...and then he left. I never saw him clearly, only the cape he wore that kept him hidden in the shadows... I've been searching for him ever since. But I haven't even gotten close yet," he told Gobber, the flame of hatred obviously burning brightly within him as he spoke.

"What happened then?" the old man asked.

"I tried to drag myself home, but I ended up collapsing in some alleyway that night, with Toothless beside me. By the time I woke up the next morning, I was already on the police 'Most Wanted' list for the murder of my own father, claiming I had killed him to take over the company."

Hiccup turned to his old mentor, his eyes wide and suspiciously shiny. "I never wanted anything like that...running the company...that was his thing, you know...Why would I want to kill such a great man like him?"

Gobber patted him on the knee. "I know, son. I know. And you've been on the run ever since?"

Hiccup nodded again. "Yeah. They keep sending Dagur after me...and that man is ruthless...I got away from him more times than I care to remember...except for one time."

Gobber was astounded when he saw the young man lift his left knee and let his foot drop heavily onto the ground...and a loud metallic 'clunk' could be heard.

"What tha'?..." he asked, open mouthed.

Hiccup rolled up his pant leg, revealing a metal prosthetic attached below the knee.

"Courtesy of Dagur," Hiccup told him grimly.

-oOo-

The next morning, Hiccup and Gobber were at 'The Forge' bright and early. While Gobber muttered to himself and searched through the endless piles of ledgers and mechanic manuals looking for the item he had promised to the young lad, Hiccup himself was under the hood of his truck. He was taking advantage of the opportunity to make some repairs after Gobber had offered him the use of his tools and any spare parts he happened to have. An opportunity Hiccup was glad to take.

He was still there banging away, when the front door opened, and a feminine voice called out, "Good morning Gobber!"

"Good mornin' lass," the older man returned cheerily from the back room, his head still buried deep in mountains of paper and other items that he had always meant to tidy up, but never did.

Astrid set to work at the front office, sorting out bills and tidying up the mess that Gobber generally left for her each day, despite her attempts to leave the office clean the previous afternoon. She assumed Gobber was working on someone's car as she could hear familiar banging noises, and didn't think any more about it. So she was surprised to hear another voice, a younger male voice by the sound of it.

"Hey Gobber. I've finished for now, so I'm going to head into town and do some research for a bit. Do you want anything?"

"No son. Thanks for the offer. I found that book I was looking for. Here you go, lad. I'm sorry I can't give you more but that's all I have."

There was a pause before the other voice spoke again, more quietly this time. "Thanks Gobber. This means a lot."

"Just take care of it…and yourself….I expect to see you back home for dinner tonight, by the way. You're not going to skip out without telling me first, are you boy."

It was more a command than a question, and Astrid became curious about who the stranger was, and how Gobber knew him. Because he obviously knew him well.

"No promises, but I'll try. I still need to find answers before I go."

"Okay son. You know where to find me."

Astrid's curiosity had already inspired her to head to the workshop out the back to find out the source of the unknown voice, when she heard a car door slam and an old F100 engine turning over and start to rumble. It revved slightly as the driver reversed, before heading down the road. Turning to the window in the front office, Astrid had time to see a motley coloured pickup driving away. She craned her neck to get a better look at the man behind the wheel, but all she could see was a flash of auburn coloured hair before he had gone too far and she could see nothing more.

Just then Gobber reappeared through the door, polishing his hook with an old dirty cloth.

"Gobber…who was that you were talking too?" she asked, unable to contain her curiosity anymore.

He chuckled and was about to answer, when two customers entered the front reception, distracting her. Gobber told her, "I'll tell you later lass. Go serve first," as he indicated to the people out front.

Astrid only huffed slightly in frustration, but planted a welcoming smile on her face before turning to offer her help to the newcomers. And of course, by the time she had pumped their petrol, commiserated with them about their sick relatives, promised to come by for dinner soon, and taken their cash…she had forgotten her question.

-oOo-

Hiccup glanced down at the book on the seat beside him. It was obviously his father's high school yearbook and he was curious about its contents, but he wanted time to go through it carefully. He didn't think there would be anything much in there except a chance to find out a little of his father's younger life…something he knew precious little about. But right now, he needed to find the town library, which Gobber had told him was the place to go for any historical research.

He held up a scrap of paper that contained a roughly drawn map showing points of interest in the town, which Gobber had thought might be of use to him. His first stop was the library. It didn't take long to find, and Hiccup parked the truck out front, asking Toothless once again to stay on guard.

Taking his hat off, Hiccup opened the door to the slightly gloomy building, rows and rows of books and documents all neatly displayed in front of him. There was a young man at the counter, a beefy looking sort of fellow, clean shaven and with short blond hair. Hiccup scrubbed his own stubby whiskers. He made a mental note to shave later.

Approaching the front counter, he respectfully addressed the other man. "Morning, sir."

"Good morning," welcomed the librarian cheerfully. "My name's Fishlegs…not sir. What can I do for you?" he asked politely.

"Ah…okay… Fishlegs…I was wondering if you could help me look up some old articles from about twenty-two years ago?"

"Sure, I can help. Mmmm…..twenty-two years ago, you say. Those articles will all be on the computer. If you come with me, I can set you up with a password, and then help you do your search," he advised with a smile.

Fishlegs led the way to one of the computer booths on the side of the room, but he couldn't help thinking this stranger seemed familiar. He couldn't pin down what exactly made him feel that way, but decided to brush that thought aside for the moment. It would come to him later on anyway. He deftly punched in a few words, then paused as he turned to the stranger expectantly.

"Your name?"

"My name? Why do you need my name?" Hiccup asked cautiously.

Fishlegs indicated towards the computer. "So I can set up a password for you. I need to have your name to do it."

"Oh…okay then. My name's Hiccup," was the response.

"And last name?" Fishlegs inquired again, after tapping on the keyboard.

"Uh….." Hiccup paused. He hadn't been in the habit of revealing his true name for many years now. Kept him a little safer. But here in this town which he had just found out had been his birth town, he felt even less compelled to reveal it. So he gave another answer.

"Ryder."

Fishlegs tapped again. "Okay Mr Ryder. This is your password." He wrote a few characters on a small card. "Whenever you come in here, just use this to log in to the computers, and you're all set to go."

Hiccup nodded as he accepted the card, placing it in his pocket.

Fishlegs turned back to the screen in front of them. "Here's where you search for newspaper articles. Just type in a few key words into these boxes, and all the articles will pop up here," he pointed out the features to Hiccup, who was paying close attention. Standing up to face the stranger, the librarian asked respectfully, "Do you want me to help you find what you're looking for? Or do you think you'll be okay from here?"

Hiccup shook his head, "Thank you kindly ….Fishlegs. But I'll be fine."

The large man nodded. "Okay then. I'll leave you then. You can call me if you need me," he told him before turning back to his desk.

Hiccup sat down and pulled out a large notebook from under his vest. Opening the well-thumbed pages carefully, he turned to the next clean page. Picking up a pen from the table, he wrote in his own bold handwriting, 'Valka Haddock' across the top of the page.

Placing the pen down again, Hiccup turned to the keyboard, his fingers suspended over the top. "Okay computer. Let's see what you got."