A/N: It's Christmas time and I was listening to the radio...when I heard Chris Rea's 'Driving Home for Christmas'. And somehow I just imagined our heroes heading back to Berk for the holidays...of course, some chaos has to ensue...

Enjoy and Happy Holidays!

One: Reluctant Returnee

Hiccup Haddock looked up as the last other person in the office paused by his desk. He looked up from his mess, blinking as the husky man offered his hand.

"Happy Christmas, Harrison!" he boomed and Hiccup levered himself to his feet, giving a firm handshake.

"You too, Terrence," he said pleasantly. "You'll be spending it with Gerda?" The balding man nodded, his twinkling dark eyes warm with happiness as he pulled his orange knitted scarf tighter around his thick neck.

"Of course," he smiled. "Christmas is a time for family. My son, Fergus and our daughter, Laura, will be coming home. And about a dozen cousins, aunts and grandparents!" Hiccup smiled, his emerald eyes warmed by the man's enthusiasm. Terrence was a fine designer and engineer and was intensely proud of his family. Over the five years he had worked at the company, Hiccup had gotten to know them intimately from his tales.

"Sounds busy," he commented, trying to get his hand back. Terrence beamed broadly.

"It's the happiest time of the year," he enthused then stared at the tall lean man facing him, his dark auburn hair a little shaggy and brushing his collar, his face with pale skin and wide emerald eyes guarded. "Are you going home this year?" Hiccup shrugged and gave a reluctant nod.

"Yeah...I'm heading back for Snoggletog this year," he admitted. "The break's long enough to make the trip worthwhile..." Terrence nodded.

"Well, have a fantastic time!" he said, turning to the door. "Merry Christmas!"

"And to you," Hiccup said as he watched the man go. Slowly he sank back into his seat, his concentration broken. He really wasn't looking forward to going back home for the holiday but it was his father's sixtieth birthday on the 26th so he felt kind of obliged to finally return. After all, it had been over six years since he had left Berk and he hadn't set foot back in the isolated northern town since he sneaked out by bus, three days after High School Graduation, leaving a note for his parents and reassuring them that he would be in touch.

He had headed south, cautiously spending the money he had saved from working in Gobber's garage for the last three years to fund the long journey and a very cheap motel room. He had a letter of recommendation from his High School Principal and a reference from Gobber as well as his High School Diploma, his personal documents and a GED he had taken in the name of 'Harrison Hanson'. With these, he had secured work in a rather rough bar and had applied for a variety of jobs until he had landed this one, in a medium-sized engineering firm that had funded his degree.

He sighed, tidied his papers and saved his work, then closed his computer, switched of his lamp and grabbed his messenger bag and his leather jacket, fishing his motorbike helmet from under the desk and heading down to the park. It was already seven and he ought to set out tonight: it was a very long journey home. He was the last man so he dutifully clicked the lights off and made sure the door was closed and locked, though he knew Gary from Security would check all the doors on his rounds. Then he pulled his dark pewter-coloured helmet on, the black dragon on the back a fair approximation of the Night Fury, the fastest, most intelligent and most accurate dragon...and definitely the coolest. Then he swung onto his bike, kicking it off the stand and starting the engine, then gliding away.

He weaved his way through the traffic, his sleek black motorcycle drawing the eyes wherever it went. He still smiled and felt that thrill every time he turned the key and heard the engine purr: it had been in poor shape when he had bought it, almost fit for scrap-because that was all he could afford-but he had restored it to its former glory and more. He dipped between two buses and flipped round the right turn, gliding down into the underground car park at his apartment building.

His apartment was modest but clean, neat and airy with beautiful views across the park. Once he was in through the small lobby, a bundle of black fur threw itself on him, a selection of annoyed meows and little chirruping noises reminding him that he was late and dinner was overdue. Automatically, he dropped to a knee and scratched the small cat behind the ears and under the chin until he collapsed in a pile of drooling feline ecstasy. purring loudly.

"Yeah, I know, bud," he murmured. "But I wanted to finish up before the holidays. Someone has to earn money to buy cat food...and other things...and I don't see you sending your resume out to any potential employers..."

The cat meowed plaintively, the long black tail flicking erratically. With a sigh, Hiccup levered himself up. "Mrs Ramirez from the second floor will be feeding you for the next few days, bud," he told the cat, liberally dishing out the cat food and refreshing the water in the bowl. The cat looked pointedly at him, green eyes locked on his face. "I know, Toothless," he murmured apologetically. "But can't exactly take you on a road trip halfway across the country to go and see my family...not that they like cats anyway..."

Toothless the cat gave him a final baleful look then turned to demolishing the food so rapidly that Hiccup felt another stabbing pang of guilt. The cat had been really hungry and he found himself opening an extra pouch and pouring the food into the bowl. Toothless gave a little mew and carried on eating as Hiccup swiftly went to his bedroom, stripped his work clothes off and got on his thermals and then slipped on a long-sleeved green T shirt and his leathers. He checked his holdall contained everything he needed for the trip, then grabbed his phone, wallet and keys and petted Toothless once more. The little cat gave a small meow again, rubbed his head firmly against his hand, then stalked back into the apartment.

"Yeah, love you too," he muttered. "See you in a few days..." Then he locked his apartment, thanked Mrs Ramirez and headed down to his bike. He double-checked his luggage, slid the key into the ignition and turned, his gloved hands tightening. He sighed then zoomed up the ramp and out onto the highway, heading north.

Hiccup Haddock had been the Mayor's son in Berk, a scrawny, skinny, undergrown kid with bright green eyes and auburn hair and he was teased for both. Stoick, his father, was an enormous bear of a man, hard on four hundred pounds, six foot ten with flaming red hair and an enormous beard. Valka, his mother, was over six feet, willowy and elegant with rapier intelligence and the same emerald eyes that were considered stunning on her as they were not on their son. Hiccup had been bullied and isolated, paling by comparison with his impressive and universally admired parents and his cousin Snotlout, who was the premier jock at High School. Quiet, sarcastic, nerdy runt Hiccup was just...nobody. His only friend, Fishlegs, had finally abandoned him by Junior Year and girl he had loved hadn't even known he existed. So he had planned his escape and after Graduation, he had gone. He doubted his school-mates even noticed he had left town.

So he had left Hiccup behind as well and become Harrison Hanson...or Harry to most people. It wasn't his name but it wasn't Hiccup either, though if anyone found anything with his initials on, at least they matched. Harrison had an apartment, a loyal(ish) cat and a kick-ass motorbike and was liked and respected by his work colleagues. He had a few friends and they knew he would be out of town...though most were surprised because he never talked about his family. He had just explained it was his father's birthday so he would be attending-even though he didn't really get on with his family.

He sighed and pulled into a gas station to fill up the bike and as he carefully refuelled and stretched, his neck cracking audibly. He was used to riding the bike but the crouched position could make him stiff after a long period. Sighing, he wandered into the actual building, grabbed a coffee and ambled up to the attendant.

"Nice bike," the guy said admiringly as Hiccup flipped up his visor and sipped his coffee.

"Night Fury 281," he confirmed. "Found her as a wreck in the local junk yard and rebuilt her myself." He was grinning, his eyes twinkling at the thought of creating his beautiful bike, the hard work, the act of building parts and scavenging others until he found himself doing the final paint and polish...

"Sweet ride, dude," he young attendant complimented him. Hiccup nodded, pocketed his change and drained his cup of coffee, discarding the cup in the trash.

"Thanks," Hiccup said and turned back to his bike. Really, if he could think of the slightest reason, he would cancel the whole trip. Only duty and the pleas of his mother over the phone had made him agree. Even sitting alone in his apartment over Snoggletog with a book and Toothless for company was preferable to being back in Berk and feeling inadequate once more. He had spoken to his family after six months and the line had always been the same:

"Come home, son. You don't belong there. You should be back among your own kith and kin, working at the Mayor's Office and learning the ropes for the day you can step up and take over running the town from me."

Of course, that had never been Hiccup's plan. He had no intention of ever moving into politics: he was an engineer, a man who built and created things. And he knew that his experiences at School meant he would never be respected by his peers and had confirmed his instincts that he never wanted to stand forward and chase the role of Mayor. So inevitably, there would be arguments and he would be cast in the role of the irresponsible, disloyal son, letting down the Haddock family tradition of running Berk.

"Good thing I'm no longer a Haddock," he murmured wryly as he turned the key and felt the engine purr into life. He shifted into gear, flipped his visor down and moved off, cautiously checking as he pulled out onto the Highway and accelerated, leaning forward and settling into another long stint of his journey.

But when the blue car raced out of the junction in front of him without slowing, he had no chance to swerve or hope of avoiding the collision. He only had the time to close his eyes before the crash...