All I Can Be

by Nightstar Fury

Hunter Haddock always wanted to follow in his father's footsteps. As Freshman year ends, Hunter decides not to waste another three years in school learning things he knows. With his father's support and help; Hunter gets his GED, joins the army, and leaves for boot camp over the summer. When he returns, a series of events take place that Hunter has to overcome to be all he can be.

1. A Deal Made

All I Can Be

Pairing; Hunter(Hiccup)/Treyden(Toothless)
Rating; M for Mature
Author; Nightstar Fury
Disclaimer; I do not own any songs I might use or anything regarding HTTYD.

Character List;
Hunter Haddock-Hiccup; Captain
Caitlyn Haddock-Camicazi; Younger sister of Hunter
Viola Haddock-Valka; Lead assistant for the mayor of Archi/Mother of Hunter and Caitlyn
Salvatore 'Sal' Haddock-Stoick; Former Second Lieutenant-Retired/Father of Hunter and Caitlyn
Gregory Forger-Gobber; Friend of Haddock family/Godfather to Caitlyn and Hunter
Treyden Fury-Toothless; First Sergeant
Audrey Hofferson-Astrid; Ex best friend and girlfriend to Hunter
Shane Jorgenson-Snotlout; Cousin to Hunter&Caitlyn/Dating Renee Thorston
Travis Thorston-Tuffnut; Twin brother of Renee Thorston
Fisher Ingerman-Fishlegs; Dating Heather DeRange
Edward 'Eddie' Eriksen-Eret; Bully of Hunter
Drew DeRange; Sister of Heather DeRange/Bully of Hunter
Renee Thorston-Ruffnut; Twin sister of Travis Thorston/Dating Shane Jorgenson
Heather DeRange-Heather; Sister of Drew DeRange/Dating Fisher Ingerman
Theodore Vollan-Thuggory; Sergeant
Andrew Kingston-OC; Sergeant First Class
Harry Andersen-OC; Major for the Plasma Fire Company at Camp Draconia
Asher Holgerson-Alvin; Lieutenant of Alpha Hooligan Platoon

~Author's Note; Okay so, this is another HTTYD modern military story, and the pairing will be Toothless and Hiccup. Now, I've renamed some of the Archipelago Islands to resemble something closer to a town name and in (…) markings, I labeled which island the town name refers too. Just thought I should mention that before you get confused! Enjoy the story!

A Deal Made

~Hunter's POV~

I couldn't quite grasp the fact that in a month and a half, I would be done with my Freshman year of High School at Berk Academy. Oh, I should introduce myself. My name is Hunter Haddock, sixteen-years-old, male and a Freshman, about to be Sophomore when summer break was over at the end of August. So, back to Berk Academy. It's not the most prestigious school but one of the best in Berkton, a small town with a population of one to two hundred who resided here in the island of Archi. The capital of our beloved island is Barbick. Now, our island is located in the territory of Denmark, but they don't govern us so were on our own to survive using trade. Thankfully, Denmark helps us out a lot plus the neighboring countries of Norway, England, Iceland, and Germany being the closest. Aside from Berkton, thirteen other towns surround the central city which is Archi.

Those towns are; Outford(Outcast Island), Bersdale(Berserk Isle), Shivpool(The Shivering Shores), Meatsville(Meathead Island), Visiham(Visithug Isle), Bashwick(Isle of Bashem), Boghaven(Bog-Burglar Island), Hystbury(Hysteria Island), Ughurst(Uglithug Isle), Murmount(Murderous Mountains), Peacefield(Peaceable Country), Lavstead(Lava Lout Island), and Huntsmar(Dragon Hunter Island). For where I am on Berkton, the farthest town to travel to is Huntsmar being an hour and fifteen minutes away whereas the shortest distance is Bashwick at a total of ten minutes. Archi was in the middle at thirty minutes, and everything else was between ten and fifty minutes for travel.

So, we're in the year 2016, and it's the beginning of May. The last day of Freshman year is June 10th and then two months of summer. We would return to school the last week in August to begin our Sophomore year, still three until graduation. Why do I sound like I hate school? Because I do. All through this past year, nothing taught was something I didn't know. I was a smart kid and had been offered to skip grades before, but my parents felt like I should get to enjoy the experience each grade had to offer. It was fun for a bit; now it's just irritating. My little sister got to jump a grade when it showed that her education level was that of a high schooler.

My family? I have a mom, dad, and sister. Well, I guess I can count my cousin and his parents as part of the family too. My mom's name is Viola; she's lead assistant to the mayor of Archi. My father is Salvatore, Sal for short and former military man; he retired at forty-eight with the rank of Second Lieutenant. Now a stay-at-home dad. My little sister goes by the name Caitlyn, she's thirteen and a half but got to jump from seventh grade to ninth. Cait is in all my classes so I can keep an eye on her because that was Mom and Dad's stipulation to her skipping a grade. My cousin is Shane Jorgenson, and his parents are Shawn and Mikayla Jorgenson. Oh, there is one more member of the family I can't forget to mention; Gregory Forger. This man is my father's best friend, also, mine and Caitlyn's Godfather but we call him Uncle Greg.

Do I have friends, of course! Along with some bullies and a gorgeous girlfriend. My friends include Renee and Travis Thorston; identical twin siblings, fifteen-years-old with pale blond hair and blue eyes. Oh, and those two are the class clowns. There is Fisher Ingerman; fifteen, with bright blond hair and green eyes, he's full-figured young man. Fisher is smart but always worried about something but the guy had a girlfriend, and she's one of my friends too. Heather DeRange, fifteen. Very sweet girl with green eyes and dark brown-almost black hair. Fisher and Heather have been together for a little over four months. I have Shane too even though he's my cousin; he's a good friend. Fifteen-years-old with dark brown hair and blue eyes, he was a built a little bigger up top but still lean due to being on the football team.

Also on the football team happens to be me my two bullies. Edward Eriksen and Drew DeRange. Yes, Drew is Heather's older brother, and both of my bullies got themselves held back two years for being idiots. Edward was eighteen would knock out anyone besides a teacher or his parents if they didn't call him Eddie. The guy had medium brown hair and brown eyes. Drew was seventeen and a half, he had red hair with green eyes. Eddie and Drew were best friends, and Gods did it suck that I had to suffer my high school career with them. Did I mention that my cousin Shane and Renee have serious crushes on one another and neither of them will speak up?

I can't knock having a crush and being too shy and nervous to say something. I got over the fear eventually, and things turned out for the better. My best friend is Audrey Hofferson, and she happens to be my girlfriend of one year come June 14th. Audrey is a Goddess to me; blonde hair always braided down her back or over her shoulder, and she had sky blue eyes. Audrey and I have been best friends since first grade; we developed crushes on one another in the sixth grade, then we got together at the end of our eighth-grade year. We were only fourteen but didn't care, and no one else seemed too either. I love Audrey with my everything, and when I turned eighteen, I was going to ask her to marry me.

So yeah, that's me in a nutshell. My life is good, and that was my problem lately; the fact my life is average when I knew it could be amazing, and I could become so much more than what I was now. See, from the time I was old enough to understand my father's former career, I've wanted to do the same thing. I want to be like him, follow in his footsteps of joining the army and serve my home as a soldier that defends the people who live here. Alas, I'm only sixteen, and the only way to join is if I give proof that I have a full twelve-year education which can be done with a high school diploma which meant staying at Berk Academy another three years. I hated it, but I didn't know another way to tackle the situation.

I was so spaced out in my thoughts that I missed hearing the bell that signaled the end of the school day and got shaken slightly by Shane. "Hunter? Yo, cuz! Snap out of it man," Shane tried. I shook my head to focus again out and looked at him. "Dude, the bell rang two minutes ago, and it's Friday! Get up and drive us home, would ya?" he chuckled. Right, I had my license now. Got it back in February when I turned sixteen. I was a leap year baby and that means that my actual day of birth only comes every four years I was born February 29th, 2000 so being 2016 now, I'm technically only four years old if you're going by birthdate. But, I am sixteen and we just celebrate my birthday on the 28th of February and consider me a year older when March hits. So, Dad gave me his truck when I passed my drivers test. I always drove Shane, Audrey, and Caitlyn home after school. Heather went home with her brother and Eddie. Fisher and the twins took the bus.

Dad had the truck done up in camo for me because he knew I loved the military. Even my room was decked out with camouflage bedding, and the walls were lined with pictures of airplanes, helicopters, guns, and vehicles that the army used. My truck is a 2010 survivor edition; capable of handling all terrain, while being a four door that sat five and myself comfortably. The truck is dark gray with a black and gray camo strip on the sides but the bed was all camouflaged, I friggin loved it.

I took Audrey home first, then Shane, finally Caitlyn and myself. I parked in my spot next to the garage and shut it off then Caitlyn, and I got out and entered the house. "Welcome home you two," my father greeted with a smile, then a hug for both my sister and I.

"Hi Daddy," Caitlyn replied.

"Hey, Dad," I said with a smile.

"Your mother has to work late, so we're doing pizza for dinner. Why don't you two head to your rooms to start your homework?" Salvatore suggested, we needed and went to our rooms. Mine was on the right next to the bathroom, Caitlyn's on the left by a hall closet and the laundry room. Mom and Dad had the master at the end of the corridor. We lived in a one level house with a basement. Pretty simple set up. From where I parked, you would enter the garage then into the house was the kitchen. This room also was half dining area with a sliding glass door that leads to the back porch and yard. Leaving the kitchen, you would look left to see the hallway with the bedrooms, bathroom, and laundry room. Looking right was the door to the basement which had workout equipment that I used often.

If you didn't go left or right down the hall when leaving the kitchen, you could keep going straight into the living room and towards the back of that was Mom's office and it held Dad's military pictures and achievements. There was a door in the living room would lead to the front yard and a walking path to the driveway. I loved this house, and we had been living here since Caitlyn and I were about six right before the start of first grade where I met Audrey. I didn't meet Fisher, Renee, or Travis until the fifth grade. Heather, Drew, and Eddie at the start of Freshman year. Shane and I saw one another every day and two nights a week because our families used Tuesdays and Thursday to have dinner together, then there was the summer picnics every other weekend.

Now in my room, I glanced at the nightstand clock and read the time as 2:10 pm and the school had let out at 2 pm. I pulled out my homework and took a seat at my desk to get to work. It was Friday so I didn't have a lot to do and it was stupidly easy. An hour later, I was finished and sighed heavily putting it all away then looked at the poster hanging over my desk. Dad got it for me as the motivation to do good and work hard to make my dream of joining the army a reality when I turned eighteen and graduated. The poster was the symbol of the Archian Armed Forces with that title and then all the branches listed too. My eyes locked on to the army one.

"Be All You Can Be in the Archi Island Army of the Archian Armed Forces," I must say these words every day to myself hoping to find an answer to my dilemma of wanting to join now. I powered on my tablet and started researching. Around 3:25 pm I found something interesting. If I took the GED and passed, I could join, but I still needed parental approval. Mom would never agree, she was the one who was firm on not letting me skip grades. However, Mom wasn't home right now, and I could try talking to Dad about it, right? What would it hurt?

I put the tablet down and got up then left my room to find my father. Caitlyn was listening to music and still doing homework. This was the perfect chance to talk to Dad about things. I checked around the house and didn't see him nor was he outside in the front or back yard. I checked the garage, and his car was still in the driveway, so I knew he was here. One spot left to look, the basement. I opened the door and walked down the stairs, "Dad! You down here?"

"I am, son; you need help with homework?" Sal inquired as I shut the basement door and walked all the way down to see him looking through the toolbox for something.

"No, I finished that fifteen minutes ago. What are you looking for?" I asked.

"Nothing really, seeing what needs to be replaced and organizing a bit. So, what did you need?" Sal smiled at me.

"Was wondering if we could talk in private about something I'm having a problem with?" I informed. My father arched a brow at me questioningly.

"Private huh? What category is your problem in, son? Something at school? Girlfriend problems? Personal matters?" Sal moved away from the toolbox and sat down on one of the equipment pieces as I leaned against the work table with my eyes closed.

"Uh...I guess it would be personal?" I responded with what sounded close to what I was aiming for.

"I take it you don't want your mother or sister knowing?" Sal asked as I shook my head. "All right then. Lay it on me, and I'll help if I can, Hunter. But if this has anything to do with wanting to be intimate with Audrey, make sure she's on birth control, and you use protection," Sal began as my eyes widened, "I know the hormones of a teenage boy can take over in so all I ask is that you use condoms. If you need me to give you money for them, ask. And for the love of Odin, don't tell your mother because she'll kill me," he sighed heavily.

Dear Gods, this got awkward fast, and I couldn't believe that was the first thing he jumped to. I suppose I couldn't blame him, Audrey and I had been in some heated make out sessions with a little body exploration ever since we hit five months dating but still, Audrey and I were nowhere near ready to take it to the next level of being intimate like that. "Well, I'm glad I have your consent to have sex with my girlfriend, Dad but that's not what I wanted to talk about," I muttered.

"Your mother and I have been worried since you turned fifteen. Because we feel you wouldn't talk to us if you felt like being intimate with a female so I felt I'd take the chance to tell you that we understand what it's like to be a teenager in love with trying new things, coping with new feelings in the bo-" my father continued.

"DAD!" I said quickly while bringing my hands to my face and shaking my head. "For the love all things sacred, please stop worrying about it, okay? I went through puberty at twelve, and we had this talk when Audrey and I started dating last year. I know hormones rage out of control. I know how being turned on and getting hard works. I'm not afraid to talk to you and Mom about it; I just haven't been in the situation where I need too. I know how to control myself and not get lost in the moment with pleasure taking over. The day Audrey and I decide to be sexually active, you'll know because I'll come to you both to ask questions to make sure nothing goes wrong."

"Aye, son. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions. I'll be quiet so you can tell me what problem you're having if you still want to that is?" Sal offered.

I sighed some and looked at him seriously before leaning back on the work table again. "It's more of a question," I stated.

"Well, ask then. Though, usually, questions are followed by a discussion before a decision is made and you know your mother likes to be a part of these things. So I find myself asking why you don't want her to know?" Sal inquired.

My eyes closed and I turned my head a little, "Because she wouldn't understand and say no without letting me explain just like when she said I couldn't skip grades because it would hinder my school experiences," I replied.

"That's good reasoning. I tried to get her to agree, Hunter," Sal mentioned.

"I know, that's why I figured I would come talk to you without her," I said now.

"I'm all ears son, you know you can ask or talk to me about anything, and we'll figure something out to fix the problem," Sal told me calmly.

I took a deep breath, "You know I want to join the army, and I have wanted to follow in your footsteps with a military career since I was seven,"

"You can join after you graduate, just as I did, Hunter. I do not see the problem here?" Sal questioned.

"The problem is that I don't want to wait three more years to join, Dad," I told him as I saw him sigh some.

"You know the requirements to join, son. You have to finish high school," Sal reminded.

"Not if I take the GED and pass," I looked back at my father again. "I could drop out of school with your consent if I have my GED, then join the A.I.A..." I trailed off.

"What are you asking me, Hunter?" Sal asked.

"I love my life, Dad. I love my friends, my girlfriend, my family but I want more than this...same, average life day in and day out for the next three years. This past year in high school, I've learned nothing that I didn't already know. If I take the GED and pass, then it shows I passed the academic studies Kindergarten through Twelfth grade, and that would let me join the army now. That's what I'm asking; will you let me take the GED?" I asked firmly.

"Hunter, I don't know about this. I know you're not stupid but to take the GED and be tested on things you haven't learned yet?" Sal inquired.

"I looked at the Berk Academy curriculum online and the next three years aren't even a challenge, it's all things I know about or how to do. Just let me try, and if I do fail, then I'll shut up and finish the next three years without a word until I graduate. Please, Dad? You always told me that if I wanted something, I had to take the opportunity to get it. You know how you felt when you wanted to join and got to do so; the amazing feeling you got doing the work you did, making all those friends, getting to be part of something great. I want that, Dad. I want it more than anything else and taking the GED is my opportunity of getting to change my life into something...more now. The chance to become all I can be. Please give me this chance, Dad?" I pleaded calmly.

Sal sighed and closed his eyes a moment before standing up and walking towards me. "I will make you a deal," he said as I listened carefully to him. "You take the practice test offered online and pass those with nothing lower than a seventy-five...I will let you take the GED exam, and if you pass it, I will help you join the army with my full support. Also, I won't tell your mother or sister anything until after you ship off for boot camp when they ask where you are. Is that fair, son?"

"More than fair and it's a deal I'm happy to make with you, Dad," I hugged him tightly, and I felt him return it. "Thank you. Thank you so much for understanding what this means to me, and I won't let you down," I told him. A deal was made, and it was up to me to fulfill my part of it first. I had to study and take the practice test to show my Dad I could do it and then he would let me take the GED exam. And once I passed that, my father would help me join the Archi Island Army.