A/N Really quite like the edit I did for this, please don't steal as it took a while. Actually screw that. Don't steal edits - full stop. Anyway, on with part 2...

Hiccup was true to his word. He visited every week and over the course of a few months this was changed to every day. He truly was good to me. I gave him money for materials I needed and he'd go into the village to get them for me so I didn't stand the risk of being caught. Over the course of about four months my hair started to grow back and became the wild mess I remembered, about shoulder length, enough for me to run through my fingers through it properly.

I was now wearing dresses again, Hiccup had found me one his mother used to own. It was dark green and had slits for archery, much like the ones I used to wear before I ran away. He taught me how to ride a dragon, specifically his dragon, Toothless, while I taught him how to shoot. It turned out he'd already done archery when he was slightly younger, about a year ago at his father's funeral. It was odd. It turned out a Viking and Scot could talk together without needing to ram a sword down the other's throat.

As I said before, we met everyday and we developed a kind of routine. He'd turn up mid-afternoon when all his necessary duties were over and we'd practice archery until the evening. As the sun went down we'd take a ride on Toothless, on the other side of the island where we couldn't be seen. Finally we'd sit and talk by the light of a fire until it was late and Hiccup had to return to Astrid, his lover back in Berk.

When I first heard of her, I admit a pang of jealousy struck me, hard. I ignored it. Love was the very reason I ran in the first place. I didn't even like him, like that. My emotions weren't right; I hadn't seen anyone apart from him, yes, that had to be right, I thought as I reasoned with myself.

One day he turned up later than usual, so we wouldn't be doing archery today. He was upset, I could tell. Hurt was etched into every mark on his face and he kept fiddling with his thumbs as he approached. When he looked up I saw his eyes, cold, dead, lifeless. It scared me, I'll be honest.

"What's wrong?" I asked, standing to greet him. He didn't meet my gaze and walked straight past, sitting down on one of the logs that surrounded the small fire pit we'd built. I sat on the adjoining one, watching the flames flicker in his eyes; they had bags drooping underneath them making him appear to age another five years. "What happened?" I asked again, my voice slightly softer this time. It took him a few seconds to answer.

"Astrid," he sighed, holding his head in his hands, "we broke up. It, it wasn't my fault, she said."

"I'm sorry," I said, but he cut me off before I could say any more.

"It's not that that's hurting so badly," he groaned as he ran his fingers through his fringe. "I wanted it to end. We both agreed on it. It was getting awkward, we weren't right for each other."

"Then what is it?" I was confused now. What was the problem with him then?

"The girl I, the girl I think I might like," he stammered, "I don't think she'll ever like me. Not in the way I like her, at any rate."

"Have you talked to her about it?" I asked, my heart sinking slightly.

"No," he sighed, "she won't talk about stuff like that."

"Who is it?"

"I can't tell you that."

"Why not? It's not like I know anyone on Berk."

"I just - I don't want to tell you."

"Okay, fine. Let's call her 'X' for the time being," I shrugged, irritated at his stubbornness. Hiccup chuckled under his breath, smiling that goofy smile he always did.

"Well, how much do you like 'X'?" I asked.

"A lot," Hiccup replied without hesitation. "I've liked her since the day we met."

"And," I continued, "what does she look like?"

"Gorgeous hair," he said, his eyes drifting into a fantasy, "electric eyes, the best personality I've ever seen. Though she can be annoying," he laughed to himself under his breath, "I swear, I love her for it. She's so stubborn and ferocious and so snarky -"

My heart felt like it had stopped. It felt like he was describing me. But he couldn't be. That wouldn't happen. I told myself it wouldn't happen! He promised me he wouldn't!

"- I swear, she's just everything you want someone to be."

"Tell me," I breathed, "who is it?"

"Mer, I, I told you," he stuttered, not meeting my gaze, "I can't tell you that."

"Hiccup," I said as calmly as I could whilst trying not to snap from anger, "whoever it is, I'm sure she's, very, lucky."

I snatched up my bow and my quiver of arrows and stood up, beginning to walk away. I was stopped by a hand gripping my arm. Whipping round, I saw Hiccup's eyes wide,modem and readable, like a book inviting me in.

"Merida," he whispered, "I think you know who it is already."

Then, the world collapsed around me.

At least, that's what it felt like.

"You idiot!" I shouted, yanking my arm free of his grip and slapping him, hard. I immediately knew I shouldn't have done it, but I stuck to my guns and let my anger take over. "I told you! I told you I wasn't ready for this! This is the exact reason I ran away!"

"Well why d'you think I didn't want to tell you?" Hiccup yelled back, rubbing the ugly red mark where I'd slapped his cheek. "I knew you'd react like this! It's not fair Merida! I spend all this time hoping that maybe there's a chance, and then you just - cut me off like that." There was a short pause where he calmed himself and he looked up, directly into my eyes. "I, I really like you, okay?"

He'd taken a step closer. I was not letting that happen, so I took several steps back.

"Please Merida," he continued, as though he was steeling himself up, "I know you don't want marriage, and I'm not asking for that. I never would, not if you weren't ready. You have to understand that. I completely respect you and all your wishes." He sighed and took another step closer. This time I didn't step back, I stayed where I was. I didn't speak. I didn't feel I could. "Merida -"

"THERE SHE IS!"

A shout rang through the trees, shattering the moment like glass. A whole group of Berkian guards approached from behind and held me by the arms before I could speak, tying me up no matter how hard I struggled against them. They did the same to Hiccup.

"I - am - the - CHIEF!" Hiccup shouted to our captors thrashing in his rope bonds. "You can't do this!"

"Hiccup," a female voice sighed. I knew she must be Astrid. A blonde with a studded skirt, watery blue eyes and a fur drape over her shoulder. "You were conspiring with a known enemy. You are a traitor to your own people."

"Astrid," he pleaded, "I know, I know it looks bad, I know, please, you have to listen to us -"

"Hiccup," she shook her head, "you've broken the law. The law has to be upheld, no matter who it is."

"I'm the chief!" Hiccup could barely contain his anger. "Who's going to run the village?"

"Snotlout's your cousin," she replied without hesitation, " and he's a direct descendant of your father. Bearing in mind you don't have any children or a wife," she paused for a split second, "he said he'd take it on."

"You can't do this!" Hiccup continued, barely listening to a word she said. "You can't Astrid, you, you just can't..."

Astrid gave a signal to the guards wordlessly and they nodded, taking us away, back to Berk. Who'd have thought, after all this time, it'd be the highest in society reduced to nothing more than a common criminal?

We were thrown into the same cell, the door slammed and locked behind us. At the very least we weren't tied up any more, just locked behind bars. All was quiet for a moment before Hiccup spoke.

"I never meant -"

"Save it," I uttered through clenched teeth.

"Merida -"

"Save. It," I repeated, much more firmly this time. Hiccup didn't listen.

"Listen to me Merida." I didn't face him, or look at him, but he continued nonetheless. "I never realised that this'd lead to -"

"I told you," I seethed, restraining myself from kicking out at him or hurting him as hard as I could. It was only the fact that I knew I'd regret it later that stopped me. "I told you! I'm not ready for marriage, love, childbirth, anything! I'm too young for this - I don't understand any of it!"

"Who ever said anything about marriage, or childbirth?" Hiccup said, like I was clueless on the subject. "I told you I'd respect you and your wishes Merida -"

"That's not the point!" I snapped. "I don't want anyone to like me in that way, like I'm some kind of item to dispose of when they're done with me!"

"How anyone could do that with you I have no idea," Hiccup breathed. "You are - you are amazing Merida. I initially hated you from the prejudices I was taught to believe but the moment I met you I -" He stopped mid sentence, shaking his head and looking away. "There's no point. Forget it. Why did I say anything? I knew it'd end like this. I mess up everything."

A moment of silence before I finally had the courage to speak.

"No -" I whispered, "no you don't."

Hiccup turned to me, his eyes wide. I couldn't quite make out the expression on his face.

"You're clever and funny and selfless and the kindest, most understanding person I've ever met," I said with my eyes closed to save me the embarrassment of looking at him. I couldn't face that. "I, I kind of, I, I didn't want to but, I, I like you too."

Hiccup's eyes immediately brightened and a huge smile exploded over his lips.

"You - you do?"

"It took a while," I sighed, hanging my head. "But, yes. I, well. There you go."

The words just weren't flowing like they used to. I always knew exactly what to say, always. Now though, now was different. "Anyway, what does it matter? I'll be dead by the morning."

"No."

Hiccup held onto my hand that was resting in my lap. My eyes immediately widened but I didn't say anything. What good would come of it? Plus, as much as I hated to admit it, it was nice, really nice, just to know he was there.

"I'm not going to let that happen to you."

"You'll be fine," I mumbled as a tear ran down my cheek and onto the cobbled floor. "You're the chief. You might not keep your title, but they won't kill you. I'm going to die. I'm going to die and there's nothing I can do about it."

"Don't say that," Hiccup whispered, "don't say anything like that. I won't let it happen. I can't let it happen."

As I fell asleep that night, just as I was drifting off, I felt an arm nestle around my shoulder and draw me close. I moved into their warmth and rested a hand on their chest, the moment I fell asleep.

All I knew was, it was going to happen.

I was going to die, no matter how hard Hiccup tried.

I was going to die, and no one could help me.

A/N (yes another one!!) Well, it looks like there's going to have to be a part 3... Darn it. These are getting longer and longer and there's nothing I can do about it; I swear these words type themselves. Oh well.