Accidental Fiancé

24: The Bearpit

Twenty Four: The Bearpit

It had been an interesting week, with the fallout from the Valkyries' first defeat of the season vying with the dissection of Bella's interview in the papers and news outlets. Heather had been bombarded with requests for interviews and responses but Astrid and Hiccup had been determined that there was only one show they would go on-and that was the same vehicle that Bella had used to attack them. Ron the Viking had got his wish: Astrid was booked for the following week.

But in the mean time, Astrid had found herself in the unfamiliar and very uncomfortable position of being attacked-though her friends and teammates stood up for her and her previous good works and image provided her with some protection. Hiccup had no such protection and the tiny number of abusive letters and death threats had become a flood, such that Heather and Dagur were opening and dealing with them all, ensuring that anything really sinister was forwarded immediately to the police. He was suddenly discussed in gossip columns and chat shows and everything they said was an assumption, plain wrong or horribly undermining and the young man didn't even recognise himself from the person they were discussing. Hiccup had to move his runs to early in the morning or late in the evening because he was being abused on the streets and a couple of guys had tried to attack him-or chase him. He hadn't shared the bruises from the Shivering Shores match with Astrid-though she had seen him limping after a couple of runs-but Dagur had been very supportive and had casually handed him an ointment that he found really useful for strains, bumps and bruises...just in case he overdid it on his runs. And the experiences had stirred up everything he had endured with Bella so his sleep was riven with nightmares and he felt muzzy and jaded every morning.

Throk had checked the interview and was certain there was a legal recourse if she repeated the claims. Some of her allegations were very much 'he said-she said' issues but others-such as the theft of Hiccup's money, the destruction of his Dragon statues and the ring were all provable. The attack on Toothless was proving more difficult to link to her, though Hiccup was determined to try. And when Astrid's plea to her family for videos of her Mother's birthday had yielded hours of footage of every moment from every conceivable angle, the soccer star was finally sure they could defeat Bella.

Friday dawned and the day dragged, broken up only by Astrid's practice, Dagur's self defence lessons and a very long time taken making sure they were ready for their appearances. Staring at his reflection in the mirror, Hiccup had wondered what he was doing.

Bella will win. She always wins-and I'll lose everything again...

But he had Astrid on his side. Astrid who was fierce and clever and determined. Astrid who had refused to give him up. Astrid who had accepted his ideas and who had told off Heather because she had assumed Astrid would dump him. And now things were cool between Astrid and Heather because Astrid had chosen him.

He really messed everything up.

"Coming, babe?" Astrid called and he stared at his reflection one last time.

You can do this. You aren't alone any more-you have Astrid. And that is worth everything.

"On my way, Milady," he said as he emerged and was met by her smile on seeing his serious expression. She absently brushed an invisible speck off his shoulder.

"I'm proud of you," she said in a low voice. "And I know this will work. She may have caused us both some annoyance...but she can't hide what she is...not any more."

"I hope you're right," Hiccup sighed. She took his hand.

"I know I am," she said.

oOo