Fourteen
Hiccup was completely unbalanced, emotionally all over the place from the despair of losing the woman he loved and his best canine friend to the confusion and pain of Ruffnut's arrival through to the elation and utter joy of spending a few short moments with Astrid back in his arms...sort of. But the body that he had held no longer held Astrid's soul, because the spiritualist was back and almost hauling his arm out of the socket as they were trying to evade Heather. They burst into the yard, flagged with two raised beds at either side, Toothless's grave at the back and a barbecue to the right. To the left, there was a gate in the white-painted six foot fence that led out to the side.
"Get a move on, lanky!" Ruff growled against the breeze, the drizzle starting again. "She said to get away and call the cops. Probably should have done that before I let you two...well...have a dance..." But there was no accusation in her words, for all her tough exterior.
"That's Heather," Hiccup gaped. "I mean, she helped us move! And she's Astrid's closest friend."
"Not any more," Ruff commented. "Look-does that gate go into the back way?"
"And along into the alley..." Hiccup said-then jerked to a halt, hauling Ruff back as a buff shape with short carrot red hair and mad pale green eyes entered. His eyes were locked on the fleeing pair.
"No witnesses," he growled and Ruff dodged a punch, eyes narrowing in anger.
"Hey!" she protested, bunching her own fists...and then she recognised the man. "Thor...it's him!" Dagur gave a low chuckle.
"How many people know?" he said in a menacing voice. "I seem to be more well known than the President! I'm afraid you can't walk away from this..." And then Hiccup hit him at waist height, slamming him to the flagstones.
"RUN!" he yelled. "Get help!" Ruff didn't even look back, wrenching the gate open and racing off down the narrow backway and into the alley which led to the road. She was already snatching the phone from her pocket read reading the text her twin had sent her:
THEYRE COMING
"No shit," Ruffnut growled. "Duh!" Then she stabbed in 9-1-1 and waited for the answer, the phone pressed to her ear as she accelerated up the alley, heading for the road. They had decided that both twins turning up to the house would be a distraction-and would probably freak Hiccup out even more than he should-so they had left the male twin at the end of the road to act as look-out. His sister really hoped he was heading back to the house because she could do with him just about now.
"POLICE!" she yelled down the phone as she panted closer to the road. "Yeah, we need you at 29, Bifrost Place. There're two people here who have broken in and are trying to kill the occupant. And yeah, they're armed..."
There was a pause. "The units were dispatched ten minutes ago," the operator said, to Ruff's surprise. "They should be with you any time!"
Back in the yard, Dagur had thrown Hiccup off him, sneering at the lean shape as he scrambled up, placing himself between Dagur and the gate. The murderer gave a smirk. "I'm gonna enjoy this," he growled. Hiccup was breathing hard, eyes dark with anxiety and anger.
"Why?" he breathed. "Why are you doing this to us? Why did you kill her?" Dagur lunged at him and Hiccup stumbled back as a punch glanced his chin. He dodged but a second blow slammed him back against the fence.
"She wouldn't hand the purse over-and I needed her money," he growled. "I take what I need." Groaning, Hiccup managed to block the next punch and land one of his own, wrenching the gate open and slipping into the back way-but Dagur was after him, bearing him to the ground and punching him brutally in the face. "I am gonna kill you with my bare hands," the murderer hissed. Hiccup tried to push him off and managed to wriggle away-but a boot crashed into his side and suddenly, he was barely able to breathe. He tried to crawl away, but a hand grabbed his shaggy auburn hair and the man locked his forearm across Hiccup's throat.
"You're...g'na...die..." Hiccup choked, using his greater height to force them back a couple of steps. He knew his grip was really strong because of his work as a sculptor and potter so he dredged up the lessons Astrid had given him and dug his thumbs hard into the pressure point in his attacker's wrist. Dagur screamed and his grip loosened slightly, allowing Hiccup to take a half step forward and hammer his elbow twice into the man's side. With a howl, the murderer let go and Hiccup stumbled away, a hand to his throat, vision grey and sounds echoing as he struggled for consciousness. He barely even felt as Dagur grabbed him again and hauled him back into the yard, his feet skidding on the slippery flagstones.
"You first!" Dagur screamed, punches raining upon the sagging shape. But Hiccup didn't give up, trying to trade blows yet receiving far more than he gave-but he felt ribs snap and another blow to the side of his head had him dizzy and dropping to his knees. Another kick to his side drew a pained scream from him as Dagur rose over him triumphantly. "Time's up!" he snarled and flicked open his knife. But Hiccup lifted up his head and gave a grim smile, his face bloody.
"I know something you don't," he breathed painfully. "Ghosts are real." He closed his eyes. "Do it."
oOo
Astrid turned back to Heather to see the woman scramble to her feet, snatching a knife from the kitchen counter. Anger raged through the ghost and she threw Heather back, swinging the couch round to trap her in the corner of the room. Without even sparing a glance, she raced through the kitchen-literally-and through the glass door into the yard-to see Dagur standing over Hiccup. Her Hiccup, beaten and bloody and inviting the murderer to end it.
Without even breaking pace, she spied a pot with a small heather in that they had planted in gratitude to their friend-and flung it straight at Dagur. The man staggered sideways, soil exploding around him in a cloud as small stones, a trowel and a plastic chair all hit him. Confused, the murderer slashed out with his knife, frantic at the enemy he couldn't see.
"Show yourself!" he shouted as a blow slammed into him. Astrid was furious as she saw Hiccup slide onto his side, breathing painfully as she focussed fiercely.
"Go get 'im, Milady," he murmured as his eyes closed. Astrid mimed a punch and the attacker staggered back, his head snapping round with a blow a boxer would be proud of.
"COWARD!" Dagur yelled, challenging her frantically. Throwing her arms wide, she flung them round in a wide sweep-and Dagur flew through the air, crashing through the gate and rolling on the cold ground. Astrid paced menacingly through the fence, eyes locked implacably on the man. His pale green eyes were wild with fear now as she gestured and trash began slamming into him. The lids of the trash cans flew through the air and hit him as he backed away. He stumbled into the alley as she followed, watching him slash away with the knife, over and over.
"I'll kill you! I'LL KILL YOU!" he screamed as she watched him turn around, over and over, eyes desperately searching for something he could not see. And then he heard the scraping. Trembling, he turned to see marks appear, letters carved out of the very brick of the wall.
M-U-R-D-E...
Dagger's jaw dropped and the knife fell from his nerveless hand.
MURDERER.
"NO!" he screamed. "It wasn't my fault! IT WASN'T...MY...FAULT...!"
YES IT WAS.
"I didn't mean to..." the man gabbled, eyes still jerking from side to side, trying to see who was tormenting him. There was a crash and Heather emerged through the gate, a knife in her hand. "What...can I do...?"
D-I-E
Astrid punched him across the face once more and he screamed, running blinding from the alley, the ghost in pursuit. But it was getting dark, the drizzle making the visibility poor and roads slippery. The murderer erupted out of the alley onto the road...
...straight into the path of a police car. There was a screech and a thud...an audible crack and drawn out hiss...
...and Dagur found himself rolling across the tarmac of the road, then looking up, checking himself for injuries.
"That was close," he mumbled-and then saw the beautiful blonde young woman, staring at him with regret and anger.
"No, it wasn't," she said and pointed to the police car...
...which was stopped in the middle of the road, a body sprawled across the windshield. Dagur stared at the buff shape, stared into his own sightless eyes, the blood still welling from his mouth and the unnatural angle of his head telling him that the woman was right. He looked at his hands, shaking-and then he looked up at her.
"I killed you," he said, a sudden smirk on his face. "You did this to me...so now I get to pay you back..."
But Astrid heard them first, the low groans and growls edging her hearing because she knew what to expect. The shadows were moving, flowing like black sand across the street as they came. Dagur looked around, suddenly seeing the darkness closing on him and backing away, punching out to try to ward them off.
"I'm sorry," she said as Heather's scream cut through the air. Peripherally, she saw a police officer move to comfort her as she stared at her dead brother-but the woman broke away and ran in the direction she had come...
Dagur was surrounded, the shades flowing around him, swathing him with utter cold and darkness and unimaginable pain...the pain he had inflicted on his victims... Suddenly, though he struggled, there was nothing he could do to escape them. He was caught and his screams grew more urgent and more desperate.
"No!" he waited. "Please, no! Help me! Spare me! PLEASE!"
And how many of your victims have begged for the same? Astrid thought as she watched in horror. There was the smallest grain of sympathy because she knew what he faced for eternity was the opposite of paradise...but he had killed her and Toothless and tried to kill Hiccup...and had destroyed however many others. Dagur was screaming, swathed in the black sand as he was dragged back into he shadows, fading away into he darkness. There was one final echo of 'Sis...help!' and then he was gone.
Astrid shook her head, feeling exhausted...but then she recalled...Heather. She had run back towards the house...and Hiccup... In a moment, she was sprinting through the front garden, up the stairs and through the front door...to see the woman in the kitchen, standing over the lanky, battered shape of Astrid's lover who was lying where he had crawled...and then collapsed...
"You see this, Astrid?" Heather hissed, her eyes narrowed and cold as ice as she advanced on Hiccup. She was breathing fast, a knife clamped in her hand. "You took away the person I love most in the world...it's only fair I return the favour!"
And then she lunged at him, the blade raised high, flashing down. His emerald eyes widened and he moved, still clumsy and uncoordinated from the fight with Dagur. His vision was spinning, his head felt stuffed with cotton wool and breathing was a real chore...but the knowledge that Astrid was there, that she was with him spurred him on. He dived away, feeling the brush of air as the blade missed him by a whisker. The impact with the floor knocked what breath he had left from him and though he rolled, he knew he couldn't avoid her next attack. He scrabbled back and pushed himself up as she reared above him.
"Say hello to Dagur for me!" she hissed and the knife slashed down. Somehow, he managed to move his arms fast enough to grasp hers, but she was crazed with grief and hatred and the knife was moving downward, closer to his neck. Heather's eyes narrowed.
"Why couldn't you have just done what we wanted?" she snarled. "All I wanted was for my brother to be safe!"
"He-he killed Astrid," Hiccup gasped, his emerald gaze focussed on the blade as it inched closer to his neck. "Your best friend...and my love. He did that. And-and you did that. And now you continue to harm and destroy...for what? I never hurt you. I never hurt anyone. Why do I have to die so you can take revenge on someone you already killed?"
"Because she ruined it!" Heather shrieked, leaning harder. "If she had only handed over her purse, no one would have been hurt! I needed that money to keep Dagur alive!"
The knife was almost touching his neck now, the pressure causing the edge to just dig into his skin.
"And now he's gone," she hissed. "So this is for him..." And she pressed harder. His arms were trembling, his vision blurring. He knew he couldn't fend her off...so he closed his eyes.
Suddenly the pressure was gone, her body slammed aside, the knife skittering away from stunned fingers as a half-seen shape bounded past. a growl echoing through the room. Insubstantial as fog, the black dog planted himself between the gasping Hiccup and Heather. She stared in shock as green ethereal eyes bored into her face, daring her to attack again. But Hiccup's battered face twisted into a very shocked smile.
"T-toothless?" he gasped. The dog gave a small bark, his tail wagging and the man slowly levered himself to his knees. "You saved me, bud?" The wagging grew more urgent and Hiccup reached out, almost able to touch the dog. "I-I've missed you..."
"THERE!" Hiccup's head snapped up, his eyes wide with shock and relief at the gruff shout of his father. Stoick Haddock raced ahead of the police-led by Mala and Throk-who were swarming into the room, ahead of a dishevelled but vaguely triumphant-looking Ruff and a young man with long blond dreadlocks who looked almost exactly like her. His father's green eyes stared at Hiccup with concern and relief, seeing him battered but alive before he turned to stab a thick finger at the raven-haired shape. "That's the woman! She was Astrid Hofferson's former business partner-and she is part of the conspiracy responsible for her death!"
Hiccup felt a sigh of relief shudder through him: there, it was said. Perhaps this nightmare would finally be over.
"We've got them," he breathed. "I don't know if you can hear me, Astrid-but it's over."
"NO!" Heather screamed, seeing the police close on them. Toothless's shade turned to face his master-just as Heather snatched the knife-but this time, the blade was turned towards her own body. "No! I won't spend the rest of my life locked up by an animal! It was her fault! She should have just given me the password!" Her eyes swung around crazily and her hoarse whisper echoed through the room. "You see this Astrid? This is your fault. You killed Dagur-and you killed me!"
But as she stabbed down, Hiccup flung himself forward, his hands locking around hers and trying to pull the blade away from her body.
"No," he grunted, his arms shaking with the effort. "There has been too much pain and death, Heather." But she was fighting against him and he had no time to realise the irony that he was fighting to save the woman who had just tried to kill him-because he was Hiccup. He didn't destroy-he created. So he desperately tried to prevent her senseless death...
And then she twisted to free the knife from his determined grasp, his body angled close as he attempted to save her-just as the knife jerked sideways and slammed into flesh. There was an audible gasp and his eyes snapped wide as Heather jerked and her mouth dropped open in shock. He stared at her, stumbling back as the bloody blade dropped to the floor, bounced once, spraying droplets of blood over the floor as he collapsed backwards, still staring at her in shock. Throk and a couple of regular cops surged forwards and grabbed her, holding her helpless as Stoick stared at his son, seeing the expanding stain of blood across his chest around the ragged hole where the knife had slid into his heart.
"HICCUP! SON!" he roared and dropped to his knees, staring down into the battered face, seeing the emerald eyes flutter, dulling as the blood inexorably seeped from the wound. "Oh son, why did you have to do that?" He had never heard his father so broken, so desolate and he closed his bloody hand on his father's, trying to reassure the man as Stoick pressed his hands over the wound, futilely trying to slow the loss of blood.
"You...know me..." he managed to eke out, his mouth twitching into the faintest hint of a smile. He could almost feel Toothless nuzzling against his hand and he blinked. "Bud?" he murmured. Stoick frowned. He could almost hear the whine of the dog, Hiccup's best friend...
Astrid looked down at the man she loved, seeing his limp form stretched on the floor, surrounded by the pool of blood. His auburn head rocked to one side, his colourless face pinched in pain as his emerald eyes continued to dull. She could see it: the Shimmer, the effect she had begun to recognise from her time in the hospital as the spirit began to release its hold on a dying body, as the soul's wings began to stretch free. And though she had seen it before, she never wanted to see it begin to illuminate Hiccup's beloved face. She had wanted to keep him safe: wanted him to live on for her, be happy, find someone new. But he hadn't-because he was Hiccup: stubborn, caring, selfless. Without thinking, she dropped to her knees on the opposite side of him to his father, staring into his eyes, even though she knew he couldn't see her. His breathing was ragged, uneven and the Shimmer was brighter. She pressed her hand against his cheek, willing it to remain against his flesh and not sink through. She could almost feel him, feel his cold skin, the shudder of his dying breaths.
"Hiccup," she breathed, her voice soft. Ruff stared at her and heard the grief in her voice. "You never should have done that. I wanted you to live. I wanted you safe. I-I wanted you to be happy." She blinked and there were tears on her face. Hiccup's eyes flickered, staring in the direction of her soft words. "And you-you idiot have to get yourself killed saving the person who betrayed me and planned to kill you! And-and you wouldn't be Hiccup if you hadn't done it. And I am so sorry all this happened. It was all my fault. I shouldn't have fought. I should have just let him take my purse...and then we would be happy." She sniffed. She was vaguely aware of Ruff murmuring her words aloud, as Stoick slowly lifted his head, staring at the medium.
"What? She's here! She's with Hiccup!" Ruff said defensively, seeing his confused face. "She's talking to him." Stoick's head slowly swung to look almost at her, a look of gratitude on his face.
"Thanks, lass," he murmured. The blood was slowing under his hands.
"And I'm so, so sorry I never told you how I feel. I thought it was just words, though I knew it meant more to you because we-we knew the truth. I knew. But I see now how much it means...and I know you'll never hear me say it properly so..." She sniffed and swiped tears from her eyes. "I love you, Hiccup. I love you."
His eyelids flickered, staring at her one last time as they fluttered closed. His chest rose once his mouth tilting into an almost smile as his face glowed.
"Ast....rid..." he breathed.
And then he was still, the glow fading as his spirit left him, his body falling limp. There was a moment of absolute silence as Stoick stared at his only child, his massive form curling forward to squeeze Hiccup in his his arms, sobs shaking through him. Astrid sat back, her head falling back and closing her eyes. He was gone.
"I love you," she breathed.
"Ditto."
Her head snapped round and she looked up-into the beloved pair of emerald eyes, glowing with his love for her. He was standing behind her, that familiar lopsided smile tilting his handsome face. She scrambled to her feet, flinging herself on him after so long.
"Oh, Hiccup," she whispered. "I've missed you so much." He nodded, his lips ghosting over her hair.
"I've missed you, Milady," he whispered, his gentle hand tilting her head up so he could stare into her azure eyes. "Even from beyond the grave, you looked out for me. My beautiful, fierce, protective Astrid."
"I couldn't leave you," she breathed. "You were my-my everything. My heart. My soul-mate."
"Ditto," he said with a small smirk. She swatted a half-hearted hand against his shoulder. "I didn't want to go on without you. Without you, without Toothless, I was just...bereft..." He leaned forward and kissed her deeply. "And now I'm home."
A small bark alerted them both and Hiccup's face creased in a delighted grin. "Bud!" he exclaimed. "You coming too?" Astrid leaned forward to fondle the dog's ears.
"I think he'll follow you wherever," she smiled as the air began to thicken with light and warmth. "And I think it's time..." His hand laced with hers, a grip that told her he was never letting her go again.
"Hiccup?" Stoick's hoarse voice came from behind them and the young couple glanced at the flame-haired man, his eyes wet with grief and his face stricken. "Son?"
"It's okay, Dad," the young man said instantly.
"He says he's okay," Ruff repeated.
"I can hear him," Stoick murmured in shock. Ruff scowled and folded her arms.
"Great-after forcing me to give up all that money-now you put me out of a job," she huffed. Astrid smiled.
"I have a feeling that word will be getting round," she reassured her friend. "People-and ghosts-will be coming from all over. And you can help them all get the resolution, the peace I've found." She paused. "Thanks, Ruff. I mean it. You're a good person." The female twin shrugged.
"Don't tell anyone," she grumbled. "I'll definitely be thrown out of the family." But she was smiling as well. The light was filling the air now, outlining the young couple and the black mutt planted firmly by the young man's legs.
"I'm with Astrid," Hiccup told his father. "You don't have to worry about me any more. I'm safe. And-and I'm happy, Dad. I couldn't be happy without Astrid." He paused. "I love you, Dad-I just love Astrid more." Stoick took a shuddering breath.
"I know, son," he sighed. He stared at the shade of his son and the girl he loved and sighed.
"I'll see you again, Dad," Hiccup said as Astrid's grip on his hand tightened.
"Ready, babe?" she asked. He smiled and his face was glowing with joy.
"Always, Milady," he said and kissed her again. And then the glow surrounded them both and with one last eye-searing blaze, they were gone.