What If She Were Alive? Ch: 1

Its had been 12yrs since the Outcast attack, Hiccup was now 16...

It was an early morning like any other on Berk as the winter winds started to blow in. Both her husband and son went out as the dragons started a raid once more. The hicca had helped the barn maids get the children to safety in the great hall and waited the raid out.

She tucked her brown hair back and continued to sharpen her ax, if she could she'd take it to Gobber's to get it tightened, but she had to stay there in case a dragon decided the great hall was a good place to attack, with happened often.

After hours of waiting its stopped, but by the sound of it outside, Hiccup had messed something up...

Again...

Val sighed,"Hiccup... when will you learn...?" she asked and looked around at what the dragon's left behind, "By Thor's hammer... when will this end...?" she asked herself as the injured were being carried away, she held her side and began to walk home.

The green eyes women was sitting at the fire trying to get it going as her son walked in looking upset. "How'd it go?" she asked looking at him already knowing the answer,"Horrible... I actually hit a dragon with my invention... but dad wouldn't believe me..." he sat down and laid his head on his mothers lap as she stroked his hair.

"No matter what I say... he never listens..." Hiccup looked up at his mother hopefully, "You believe me... don't you mom...?" he asked. Val smiled and nodded,"If you say you brought down a dragon... then whom am Ah to say you didn't, muh wee Darling?"

"Thank's mom..." he said happily.

"Well, what are ya layin here for? Shouldn't you be out there trying to find the dragon...?" she asked.

Hiccup got up and went to the back door as Val fallowed, "I'll make you proud mom!" he shouted running out as she waved goodbye. "I know you will... you always do..." she whispered happily.

As always she attended the Tribe meeting and stood next to her husband as he ranted on about taking down the dragons. "Its Either We Finish Them Or They Finish Us!" Stoick bellowed.

"Its The Only way We'll Be Rid Of Them!"

If we find the nest and destroy it the Dragons will leave!" Val and Spitelout exchanged looks and the smaller of the two shrugged rolling her eyes. "They'll Fin Another Home! One More Search Before The Ice Sets In!"

"Those ship never come back" one viking said grimly, and Val looked at her husband. "He's right Stoick, and... not only are we low on ships... we're low on men too..." Val said placing a hand on her husbands arm, but he pulled away.

"We're vikings! Its an occupational hazard! Now who's with me!?"

And when no one raised there hands he said,"Alright... those who stay will look after hiccup" the being said most of them raised they're hands including Spitelout who said"We're With You Stoick!" and in the crowd she heard WildFire shout"To The Boats!", Val let out a sigh, her brother and husband would get an ear full after this.

Everyone started to leave as Gobber wiped his drink from his face, "Great I'll pack my undies"

"No I need you to stay and train new recrutes,"Stoick said sitting down as his wife sat next to him. "Oh perfect and while I'm busy, Hiccup will cover the stall, maltan steal, razor sharp blades, plenty of time to himself, what could possibly go wrong...?"

"He'd probably work on one of his inventions, the tangler launcher still has a few kinks to work out..." Val said as Stoick sighed, /Here it comes.../

"What am I going to do with him...?"

"Put him in training with the others..." Gobber said making the Hicca smile. "He has a point Dearest."

"No I'm serious...!"

"So are we, right Gobber?" Val asked and the one handed man nodded. "He'd be killed before Gobber lets out the first dragon,"

"Stoick..." Val said rolling her eyes, he was so thick in the head. "Lovely, you both know what he's like, from the time he could crawl... he's been"/Oh boy.../"Different..."

"And whats so wrong about being different Stoick...?" Val asked a bit offended. "N-Nothing... its just that... he doesn't listen,"

"Sound like someone I know... Stoick-"

"He has the attention span of a sparrow..." he went on cutting her off as Gobber lost hit rock tooth in his mug,"We take him fishing..." the hicca rubbed her temples as the red head walked around, "And he goes hunting for.. for trolls"

"Trolls Exist!" Val giggled as Gobber went on,"They Steal Your Socks! But only the left ones... whats with that...?" Gobber asked. "When I was a boy..."

"Oh here we go.." both him and Val said rolling there eyes. "My father told me to bang my head against a rock, I did it, I thought it was crazy, but I didn't question him."

"And if i recall, you told Hiccup to do the same, and it knocked him out..."

"And do you know what happened?"

"You got a head ache?"

"Your head started bleeding?"

"That rock split in two," he answered, "And when Hiccup did it his head was bleeding so much he couldn't get out of bed for a week" Val said as Gobber hammered in his rock tooth.

"It taught me what a viking can do Val, he can crush mountains, level forests, tame seas!" he preached as he slumped down next to his wife and best friend. "Even as a boy... I knew what I was, what I had to become..."

/Here it comes/ Val thought leaning back."Hiccup is not the boy..." he said looking at Gobber, almost forgetting his small wife was next to him.

"You can't stop him Stoick, you can only prepare him..." Gobber said turning to the two, "I know it seems hopeless to you," he said directly to his friend knowing Val always had hope for her son,"The Truth is, you and Val wont always be there to protect him..."

"He's going to get out there again, and knowing your wife, he's probably out there again...!" Val nodded,"He's right Stoick.."

"Alright... Val, get your coat we leave tonight Lovely," he said to his wife,"No, I'm staying here..." Stoick turned to her confused. "As much as I want to be by your side dearest... if something happens while your out there... I don't want to leave Hiccup all alone..."

"Alright..." he said getting up, the couple left and waited by the fire for they're son to return. Val sharped her old Ax for Hiccup as she waited. She hoped Hiccup made the right choice...

She heard the door creak open and watch as her son walked in, he didn't have blood on him, and he wasn't dragging a nightfury corpse behind him, so she took a wild guess and smiled. The young viking tried to sneak up stairs before his parents noticed, "Welcome home Darling..." the Hicca said, "Oh uh... hey... mom, listen I need to talk to you guys..." he said looking at them.

"We need to talk," Stoick said and the two spoke at the same time,"What?"

"You go first," Stoick said and Hiccup insisted he went first,"You get your wish," he said,"Dragon Training, you start in the morning" He said putting his hands on his hips as Val stood next to him with the ax. "Oooh man, I should have gone first..." Hiccup said nervously.

"Uh cause i was thinking... we have a surplus of warrior vikings... but do we..." he said looking at his mother worried he's disappoint her,"Go on son," she reassured him. "Do we have enough..." he gestured with his hands like he always did when he was nervous.

"Bread making vikings, or small home repair vikings...?" Stoick took the ax from his wife and gave it to his son almost sending him falling down the steps. "I don't want to fight dragons..." he said looked at them scared as he held the ax. Stoick laughed,"Oh come on, of course you do..."

"Stoick..." Val said wanting him to actually listen to what her son was saying. "Rephrase..." Hiccup said walking down the steps standing next to his mother, for protection "I Can't Kill dragons!" he shouted, Val placed a hand on his shoulder reassuringly. "But You Will Kill Dragons!" he said smiling, in one ear out the other, that was just like her Husband. "Stoick...!" she said louder trying to get his attention.

"No I'm really extra sure I wont..." Hiccup whimpers looking at his mom for help, "Stoick, liste-" he cut her off like she wasn't there. "It's time Hiccup..."

"Can You Not Hear Me!?" they're son shouted,"This Is Serious son!" Stoick shouted back grabbing the ax."When You Carry This Ax! You carry All Of Us With you!" he shouted giving it back to him. "Stoick!" she shouted once more he husband still not listening to her.

"You walk like us, you talk like us... you think like us" He said fixing his son posture, and Val growled at him only getting his attention for a moment,"No more of..." he gestured to all of him,"This..."

"You just gestured to all of me..." Hiccup said rolling his eyes, "Deal?"

"This conversation is feeling very one sided..." he complained, "Deal!?" Stoick shouted. Hiccup sighed and looked at his mother as she looked at her stubborn as a goat husband. "deal..." he said giving up. Val stroked his back, how she wished her husband would just listen.

Stoick slung his bag over his shoulder,"Good... train hard, I'll be back..." he said walking to the door,"Maybe..." Val walked over to him, "And I'll be here... probably..." he said as his parents walked out the door. "I can not believe you Stoick!" she shouted walking in front of him,"What?"

"You know what! You didn't even listen to a word Hiccup or I said...! And you just... just ignored us both!" she shouted as he walked past her making her having to catch up with him. "Val, he needs to learn to kill dragons...!"

"Didn't you hear him!? He doesn't want to! Why can't You listen To one Word Our Son Says!?" he didn't answer,"Stoick... you promised me you'd always be there for him..." the man stopped and looked back at his wife. "Remember...?" she asked looking at him,"You never listen to a word Hiccup says... and your even starting to ignore me like I'm not even here... you act as if I died that night..." she cried tears filling her eyes.

"I'm sorry my love..." he said pulling her close,"But this is what needs to be done..." she pushed him away and walked down to the docks where everyone who was leaving was loading the boats. She walked over to her brother and he hugged her, earning one in return,"Be careful..." she said looking up worried,"I will... look after Snotlout while I'm gone..." he said letting his little sister go and getting on the boat, "I will..." the boats set sail.

Stoick looked at his wife as the boats sailed further away, he waved to her, but she just turned around and left.

That night she tucked her son into bed and stroked his hair,"Mom... why do you think dad doesn't listen...?" he asked,"I suppose he's just trying his best to protect us the only way he knows how darlin..." she said as he fell asleep. She sang him a lullaby to calm him down as he laid sleeping.

'How the moon shines on the sea,
How the winds blow through the forest and mountains so steep,
As you lay your head down to sleep

The gods will watch over you as you dream...
For they will protect us

And I'll be here when you awake...
For my love you could never be fake...
I love you more then you know...

So sleep tight my little Viking...
Dream happy Dreams
As the moon beams dance and glow...

Lighting your way in the Night
And when you awake...
I'll be here...

But until then...
Sleep tight little Viking...
And dream a happy dream...'

"Good night..." she whispered kissing his forehead.

The next day she lead the teens to the arena with Gobber, Hiccup staying far behind. Astrid and Ruffnut walked next to Val, while she kept er eye on her trouble making nephew.

"Welcome to Dragon Training!" Gobber announced opening the gate. "No turning back..." Astrid said as they all walked in. "I hope I get some serious burns!" Tuffnut said,"I'm hoping for some mauling... like on my shoulder..."

"Yeah its only fun if ya get a scar..."

"Oh yeah..." they all turned to Hiccup,"Pain... love it!" he said sarcastically. "Oh great who let him in...?"

As Gobber explained and the teens made fun, Val sat on a barrel to see how this would go down...

As soon as he let the Grunkle out, the kids ran for cover, after getting his shield Hiccup hid scared for his life. Val couldn't blame him, when she first started dragon training it was a lot worst though, Gobber's father let out all the dragons except the Monstrous nightmare, which was later slain by Stoick.

As the Dragon shot at the kids one hit the wall only a foot away from where she was sitting, only when it looked like it was going to get her son did she get up. After Gobber put it back, she helped her son up,"Remember Dragon's will always... always... go for the kill..." Gobber said after putting the dragon back in its cage. Val shook her head and Hiccup ran off, she sighed and walked with Gobber.

"That's not always true Gobber..." she said punching his arm. "Its the only way to make sure they take this seriously val...your the only Viking I know who would ever have a stare down with a dragon and live to tell the tale..." the man replied. "That's because it had no reason to attack me..." she muttered. As strong as she was, Val didn't always raise her weapon to a dragon, she was the only viking on Berk to get close enough to a dragon to look in its eyes without it attacking.

They all met later in the great hall for dinner, Hiccup came in soaking wet, and Snotlout kept him from sitting with the others, with earned him a slap to the head along with the twins.

"This is the Book of dragons, it about everything we know about every dragon we know of," he said setting the book down. "No attacks to night, hurry up...'

"what Like read?" "While we're still alive?"

"Its good to read, you need to know your enemy..." Val said sitting down.

When all the teen's left Hiccup slumped down and sighed,"Mom?"

"Yes my wee darlin?" she answered takings a drink of her milk,"Were things ever this hard for you when you were young?" he asked starting to eat. "I'm Still Young!" she shouted startling him," And... No... they were much worse... its hard to be a Hiccup, but its even harder when your a Hicca and the youngest of two. Your uncle Spitelout never helped me with anything, and he was my brother, I felt like I was all alone in the world, my parents never encouraged me, they gave up on me the day I was born, once my father even left me out in the woods for a week, it was horrible. But while I was out there..." she smiled,"I made a good friend and found my own secret place, somewhere I could get away from it all..."

"Really?" hiccup asked, his mother nodded,"Aye, it was a cove with a lake, I use to spend hours there when I was just a wee lass..."

"But one day... I stopped going there... my friend, someone I held dearest to my heart, died..."

"What happened...?" Hiccup asked, his mother use to tell him stories but this is the first time he heard of this one. "I was being chased by some wild boars, and Terry, my dearest friend stepped in and tried to protect me, he died that day, and I berried him under his favorite tree in the cove, and the only time I ever went back was when I was protecting you..."

Hiccup had heard the story of when the Outcasts attacked and nearly killed Val, he placed a hand on her's."Its ok mom... you don't need to tell me anymore..."

Val smiled at her only son and pulled him close, Hiccup rested his head on her shoulder, "I wish I could make you proud mom..." The hicca frowned and kissed her hiccup's forehead,"You already do... I'm very proud of you son... making all those inventions, even if they don't go as planned, no viking could ever build things like that,"

"Your growing to be just like Hiccup the 1st, he was the first Haddock to write a book, his parent never believed in him neither, but that didn't stop him..."

"You're a very special viking muh Darlin... never forget that..." she said stroking his hair, "And never doubt how much your father and I love you..." Hiccup smiled and kissed her cheek,"Thanks mom," the green eyed women smiled and got up to leave her son to his read.

She walked down the step of the great hall, she let out a sigh and took a walk through the forest, she saw a familiar path, but she shook the thought from her head, "No...! I said I'd never go back... and I meant it... I have to stop running away..." she said to her self. "No matter how much i want to..." she said walking further from the trail to the cove.