Hiccup was staring aimlessly at the board in English. Mr Larson was obsessed with war poetry and try as he might, he couldn't concentrate on the sad words when his own heart was still broken from the loss of his Mom. It had been a few weeks now and he was back at School, struggling to concentrate and retrieve the catastrophic grades he had gotten just after she died...but he was trying...intermittently. At the moment, he was so distracted, that he didn't even notice Martin Hofferson enter the classroom and share a few words with the teacher.

"Hiccup?"

He blinked at his name and looked up- to see the man by his desk. He gave an apologetic smile. "Sorry. I was miles away," he mumbled. "And not in First World War France either..."

"You need to come with me now," Martin said urgently. His heart suddenly pounding with anxiety from the last time he had needed to leave school in a hurry, the boy nodded and stood, grabbing his things.

"Is Astrid okay?" he demanded the moment they hit the hall. Martin stared at him...then gently grasped his shoulder, touched at his concern.

"She's fine-in fact, we're collecting her now. Go fetch your bag and I'll meet you at the front door."

"Wow-I really didn't take you for mysterious and confusing, Mr H," he commented as he headed for his locker. But he was quick about it and was waiting when the two Hoffersons arrived at the front door of the school. Hiccup wasn't really relieved to see Astrid looking as confused as he felt but both teens obediently jumped into the car as Martin sped into town. They pulled up outside the Courthouse.

"Why're we here, Dad?" Astrid asked worriedly as they scooted from the car and followed him as they raced up the steps. A tall, imposing woman with short burnished gold hair and cool eyes was waiting for them.

"This is Mala Tydon. She's a lawyer and she's working for us...or more precisely for Hiccup," Martin said. The boy gaped.

"M-me?" he asked. "Thor, what's gone wrong now? Why do I need a lawyer?"

"I will answer all your questions in good time," Mala answered, her voice clipped and cold. "But right now, we need to hurry. Court Three..." And then she turned and stalked down the corridor, her dark suited shape impressive as she reached the court and walked in, the others trailing behind. Hiccup followed her...and saw with shock that the huge, bearded shape of Alvin was speaking to a judge. Mala raised a hand to the judge.

"Your Honour, Mala Tydon, representing Hiccup Haddock!" she announced. "I must insist that these proceedings stop immediately as you are being lied to in a craven attempt at fraud and theft of this boy's inheritance!"

The judge, a solid dark-haired women in a black robe looked over her glasses at the blonde woman and frowned.

"Mr Treacher is attempting to finalise the legal declaration of death of Stoick Haddock on behalf of his wife, Mr Haddock's widow to enable her to finally claim his estate."

"Mr Treacher has no claim and no right to make such an application," Mala said coldly.

"He is empowered to act on behalf of his wife," the Judge reminded her. Mala shook her head.

"Regrettably, your Honour, Mrs Valka Haddock no longer has a valid claim on two counts. The more debatable first is that she has had their marriage annulled and remarried prior to declaration of death but the second is that she passed away almost a month ago."

There was a pause that had every eye falling on Mala...and then the Judge glared at Alvin.

"Is this true?" she demanded. Alvin nodded, bowing his head and feigning a miserable expression.

"It's true, yet 'onour," he said. "It were me wife's dying wish that 'er lovin' and supportive 'usband would get the dues 'e is earned in lookin' after 'er and 'er worthless son for all them years..." The Judge was breathing hard in anger and Astrid had to grab Hiccup to prevent him from jumping up.

"Shh, Babe," she whispered. "I guess Dad and this Mala woman have got this all planned..."

"You never said anything about a son either," the Judge accused him icily. "You claimed your wife was the sole heir..."

"That little bastard is estranged and disowned!" Alvin growled.

"What you do in your own house had no bearing on this court of law!" the Judge snapped. Mala reached into her briefcase and retrieved some documents.

"I present Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third's birth certificate naming his legal parents as Stoick and Valka Haddock. His is most certainly not illegitimate, despite the epithets that Mr Treacher freely throws around. I have testimony from teachers in Elementary and Middle School of both parents' attendance at parent-teacher evenings. I have testimony from Valka's estranged brother, Stefan Jorgensen, of the relationship and testimonies from Martin and Ingrid Hofferson of the family composition. Hiccup is Stoick's son and his only living heir."

The Judge accepted the papers and read through them carefully as Hiccup's mind reeled. So Alvin was trying to steal his Dad's money in his dead Mom's name? That made him feel sick to his stomach... and then there was the revelation that Snotlout was in fact his cousin..? His head was spinning.

"You okay?" Astrid asked. He shook his head.

"It-it's too much to take in, to be honest," he murmured. Her hand curled round his, fingers laced between his.

"It's okay, Babe. I'm here," she murmured back and kissed him gently on the cheek. He nodded and his hand tightened around hers.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I know," she smirked.

"These are in order," the Judge announced, lifting her dark eyes to sweep the court. "I find that the request on behalf of the late Mrs Valka Treacher must be dismissed...but I grant the petition on behalf of Stoick Haddock's sole heir, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third!"

"Are those really your full names?" Astrid whispered. He nodded with a grimace.

"Great, huh? Should scare away all the gnomes and trolls you could possibly wish for! Ever. Totally. Troll- free zone right here. Yup!" he murmured sarcastically.

"Horrendous?"

"Now you can see where I got my innate sarcasm and all round bad boy-ness!" he grinned and ghosted a tiny kiss on her cheek.

"Then I demand legal control of the money as the boy's guardian!" Alvin shouted. "He's my stepson! I married 'is mother and put up with the ungrateful little bastard fer years..."

"You disowned the boy and threw him out to freeze," Mala snapped. "Martin Hofferson had been acting as legally-approved foster father to Hiccup since that time."

"Mr Hofferson-how long has Hiccup Haddock been living with you?" the Judge asked sternly. Martin stood up.

"He came to live with us on the evening of October 23rd," he reported. "He was dirty, starving and freezing. He had clearly just been beaten up as well..."

"Little bastard attacked me..." Alvin snarled. "E were brought 'ome by the police after breakin' inter a local garage..."

"And yet you say you disowned him," the Judge said coldly. "Notwithstanding that you are clearly a man three times his weight and thus any confrontation could only have one outcome for the boy...you threw a young boy out into the freezing night with no care for his safety. Mr Hofferson, you are to be commended for your charity and humanity in taking in this young man in his time of need."

"Your Honour...any credit belongs to my daughter who insisted we help him," he said clearly. Astrid blushed and Hiccup leaned close to her.

"Milady, you deserve it," he whispered. "You saved my life.'

"E's still legally my business!" Alvin snapped. "E's a minor and I..."Mala gave a thin smile.

"What date is it, Mr Treacher!" she asked.

"March 10th," Alvin snapped.

"And as his step-father, you will be aware that Hiccup Haddock's birthday is February 29th," Mala announced. "And thus he is now eighteen years of age-and legally an adult. He will be in charge of his own affairs-and his own inheritance. And he has clearly indicated that he does not want anything further to do with you."

"E's an ungrateful little bastard who tried ter poison me relationship with me wife and spent the time cheekin' me and disruptin' me 'ome! I deserve that money fer takin' them in when they was penniless and needy..."

Hiccup lurched to his feet. "And how did beating me and starving me and abusing and undermining Mom help us?" he snapped. "You made her stop her meds! You told her she was fine and not to attend her doctors' appointments! You persuaded her to try for a child when all her doctors had told her never to try again after I was born. You refused to take her to the hospital as she got worse and worse until she collapsed, dying..."

"Mister Haddock!" the Judge snapped. " Control yourself! You cannot make such unfounded statements in my court!" Hiccup stared at her, his green eyes bright with anger and defiance...but he took a deep breath and nodded.

"I am sorry, your Honour," he said, "but I truly believe he did all those things. My mother was sick and dependent for years before my father died...and he made sure I knew what was wrong with Mom and made me promise to look after her if anything happened to him. She suffered from a condition called Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis with secondary Pulmonary Hypertension. It means her lungs were stiff and didn't work well making her need medications to keep them working and steroids to prevent progression of the condition-which Alvin didn't like because they made her put on weight-and he liked Mom slim. So he persuaded her not to take the meds she needed to keep her well...and she got repeated chest infections and her lungs gradually got worse and worse."

"Lies," Alvin grumbled. But the Judge nodded and Hiccup swallowed, then carried on.

"The pulmonary hypertension thing means the blood vessels to her lungs were stiff and damaged by the lung condition as was her heart. It mean she had a fifty-fifty chance of dying in pregnancy so she was told never to try for a baby after I was born when it was diagnosed. I had to be born early because she was so very sick with it...but the meds kept her well...until Alvin married her and eventually made her stop everything that could have kept her alive. I watched him try to persuade her to stop them for years. And he finally got his way...including her rejecting the son who cared for her."

"Lying little bastard!" Alvin roared. "I should've got rid of yer...and taught yer a lesson a long time ago!" Hiccup stiffened and stumbled back a step, his head ducking and shoulders hunching.

"Your Honour-Mr Treacher is under police bail and being investigated by the District Attorney for child abuse," Mala cut in, standing between the enraged man and the rigid young man. The Judge's dark eyes swept over the shape of Hiccup.

"Of Hiccup Haddock?" she guessed.

"Regrettably, yes," Mala confirmed, her eyes filling with sympathy. "Mr Teacher was an abusive step-father and an abusive spouse-though it is clear that emotional abuse predominated with his wife, rather than the physical abuse he heaped on his step-son. The fact that he now attempts to lie to the court to steal this orphaned boy's inheritance just demonstrates the depths of his vileness!"

"Strong words," the Judge agreed but her eyes were sympathetic as well. "I will see if charges of Perverting the Course of Justice and Perjury can be levelled against Mr Treacher...I am sure you will take advantage of these in your case against him?" Alvin stared as the Judge gave a smile. "Mr Treacher, Mala E. Tydon is the District Attorney for Berk and one of the finest legal minds I have ever worked with. I am certain she will ensure a most efficient prosecution for your actions against your step-son." Then she paused. "Step forward, Hiccup Haddock."

Taking a deep breath, Hiccup gathered himself and lifted his head, then walked forward. Astrid gave him an encouraging smile which was not lost on the Judge.

"I am glad you seen to have some good friends and supporters, Mr Haddock...it seems to be the least that Odin owes you for the sadness and tragedy you have suffered." Hiccup stared at her and sighed.

"Thank you, your Honour," he said quietly. It didn't bring his Mom or Dad back and he would give almost anything to see them again. The Judge smiled.

"I have looked at the evidence and it seems reasonable that after five years, with no body, no news and no evidence to the contrary, that Stoick Haddock is dead and that is the decree of this court-that he is declared legally dead," she announced. "His entire estate and fortune are thus awarded to his only surviving heir, Hiccup Haddock."

Hiccup closed his eyes. It was final. His Dad was gone.

"Of course, though Dragon's Edge Travel has remained a successful business, the profits have reduced without Stoick Haddock's vibrant leadership," the Judge continued, reading down the list provided by Martin Hofferson and Mala Tydon. "But even so, the property, assets, bank accounts and businesses of the estate in all total just in excess of seventeen million dollars."

Hiccup stared. Astrid gaped and even Martin stiffened in shock. Alvin swore loudly from the door where he was being escorted out of the court.

"Seventeen million dollars?" Hiccup asked. The Judge nodded.

"You have just become a very wealthy young man, Hiccup Haddock," she smiled.

But Hiccup didn't hear her: he had fainted.