Choices Define

Rated: M

Pairing: Hanson/Aubree

Author: Nightstar Fury

Disclaimer: I do not own HTTYD movies, shorts, or series. Also, don't own any songs I might use. Everything belongs to its original creator.

(Author's Note; Alright, listen up everyone because I'm sick of having to explain this. I am more than aware that the pairing is AUBREE and HANSON! When I post the pairing up, it means I will at some point or another in the story use that pairing. I know that Hanson is being a major ass right now and saying that he doesn't like Aubree at all and moved on to be with Caylee also, that he plans to propose to her very soon. Now, lets use a little common sense here. If he's with Caylee but the pairing is Aubree and Hanson, then it would stand to reason that eventually something happens between Caylee and Hanson and leaves it open that Aubree gets her chance. To shed more light on why Hanson is being a dick and giving her that choice, he knows what it means to let someone go because he let go of his feelings for Aubree when he suspected they wouldn't understand his choices and he did make Aubree understand by asking her to put herself in his position. Also, Hanson is the base leader of Fort Riddari at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and even though he was friends with them beforehand, he is their commanding officer and they have to respect him as such regardless of personal feelings. I'm not going to tell you what happens because if you're really curious to see how it unfolds, you'll keep reading out of curiousity. That said, I'm going to get started with chapter ten and hopefully not have to go over this again. Kay? Thanks.)

10; Surprise

Aubree hadn't meant to make him mad, she just wanted to understand why he left and that if they had all been such good friends, then why he didn't just take a few minutes to let them know where he was. Aubree felt a simple message to tell them that he joined the military to keep his bonded dragon and would explain as soon as he could would suffice but Hanson insisted he was just too busy to tell them. The worst part of the entire argument for Aubree what was Hanson said to her about her being mad over missing her chance to tell him how she felt towards him and also that when she saw him again after eight years, she felt she got that chance back and was proven to be wrong upon discovering he had a girlfriend who Hanson has been with for seven years and planned to propose to the first chance he go.

It hurt Aubree to know that he straight out said he wasn't their friend, that he was just their commanding officer. It was like the military made him drop everything from his past and now they weren't friends, just soldiers under his orders. True to Vincent's words, Hanson didn't come back until well after midnight which left Thatcher in charge of the base while Hanson was gone calming down and clearing his head. At 0100 hours, Hanson returned and went to bed after using the restroom but he didn't notice that Aubree was still very much awake.

In truth, Aubree didn't know what to decide. Hanson gave Aubree a choice before he left; to be transferred to another military base or remain at Fort Riddari and if she chose the second one, then she had to let Hanson go and only see him as everyone else did. Leaving meant she left her friends, father, and Berk and only coming back on leave time. Staying meant close to everything but having to forget about Hanson and liking him because he loved Caylee. So what did she do here? What made it worse was that she was couldn't even sleep because there was so much on her mind and she only had five and a half more hours to figure it out because Hanson wanted an answer.

(The Next Morning)

Aubree had watched when Hanson's alarm went off and he got up to get ready for his morning workout. All this time awake and she still had not come any closer to making her choice to stay at Fort Riddari or move to another base. Also, her time was running out. Hanson would likely expect and answer when the lights came on or at breakfast. That was two hours away. Honestly, she wanted to cry but she felt like Hanson wouldn't care about that. Aubree made him mad and this was the consequence for doing so. Aubree realized that Hanson was right about what he said, if he had told them back then what he was doing, she wouldn't have understood that he gave up friends for his dragon because she didn't know the feeling of having a bonded dragon until Stormfly.

Hanson asked her if she would have done the same and she admitted she would have given up friends to stay with her dragon. Aubree didn't like how much it hurt to know he let go of his feelings for her but in someways now after the argument, she understood why he did. Because he suspected that they wouldn't understand his choice and he didn't want to get hurt by them fighting with him as they were last night. Hanson felt they would tell him that he didn't trust them so they couldn't be friends and Hanson just decided to walk away to avoid that pain. Hearing it all now, none of them in truth blamed him. Hanson admitted that he was miserable after his choice and Caylee was there for him, that is how they fell in love.

"What do I do?" Aubree sighed quietly while covering her eyes.

"Aubree?" Heather asked slowly. "Did you manage to get any sleep last night?"

"No," Aubree replied staring up at the bottom of the top bunk that her friends slept on.

"None of you are supposed to be talking right now," Thatcher reminded them.

"We're sorry sir," the small group of ten soldiers replied which meant they were all awake and had been staying quiet.

"Hanson hated letting you all go. It wasn't easy for him to do, but he felt it would better if he did. Hanson told us back then the argument of last night would happen have happened if he told you where he was and what he was doing. Hanson said you wouldn't understand and sad to say, but he was right. Until he brought up the bonded dragon thing, you didn't understand his choice," Ricky said next.

"You didn't have bonded dragons, you didn't understand the bond. Now that you do, you understand where he was coming from when he decided not to tell you because you admitted that you would have made the same choice in placed in such a position," Thatcher added in.

"And don't listen to him when he says you don't matter, that was heat of the moment to get his point across. As we said in the beginning, all Hanson did was talk about you six. Just a week before you arrived, we caught him looking at the picture on his desk and hearing him say that he missed you all. Mind you, this was right after he got that notification you were coming for training. He does care but you also need to understand that during training as he is your commanding officer, he can't be your friend. Hanson has to treat you the same way he has treated other groups, it's nothing personal, but it is professionalism." Vincent informed.

"Then why would he be so mean by giving Aubree that choice which has kept her up all night?" Sawyer inquired.

"Because Aubree has feelings for Hanson and he knows that it hurts her to be around him knowing he's with someone else. Hanson offered a transfer to another island military base so she wouldn't feel that hurt anymore, to be around him knowing she can't have him. Also in that, if she chooses to stay then she needs to adhere to the same professionalism and respect him as her commanding officer." Thatcher replied. "It wasn't to be mean, it was to allow her to get over him without always being around him," he added.

"So he was trying to help her in a way?" Raelyn questioned.

"You could put it that way I suppose," Ricky nodded to her. "It just came off as rude and mean because it was a heated argument between them,"

"What will you choose, Aubree?" Sylvia asked now.

"I-I don't know. If I go to another island, I'm away from Dad and all of you unless I get leave. If I stay," Aubree trailed off a little.

"You have to be around him and let go of your feelings for him," Heather finished as she got off her bed and hugged Aubree tightly. Aubree wanted to cry, she didn't know what to do. Aubree loved Hanson, it was much deeper than a crush if it hurt her this much to know everything. "Why don't you go take a hot shower, Aubs, maybe it will help a little?" she suggested.

"Is she allowed?" Eli asked glancing towards the other officers in the room.

"She can. Hanson won't be back until lights on," Vincent replied. Aubree grabbed a towel and left her bed to enter the restroom and take a shower. In truth, she only had about two hours left to make her choice but she felt in her heart what she would choose to do. Stay at Fort Riddari to remain close to her Dad and friends, but also close to Hanson. Even ifAubree couldn't be with him, she had missed him a lot over the last eight years and didn't want to be away from him again. She would stay and push her feelings aside, but she would not let them go.

(Breakfast)

Hanson didn't return to the barrack when the lights came on, and proceeded to not see him until the end of breakfast when he strolled inside the chow hall in his black and gray camo uniform. Of course as Aubree expected when she saw him again, he came right behind her at the table wanting her answer.

"Have you made your decision, Corporal Hofferson?" Hanson sternly with his hands behind his back.

Following protocol for addressing a commanding officer, she stood up from her seat and turned to face him after he stepped back some, "Yes sir, I have," Aubree replied after giving a salute to him and standing at attention when he nodded at her as if accepting the salute.

"Your answer then," Hanson demanded in a cool tone.

"I have chosen to stay at Fort Riddari, sir." Aubree began and then bowed her head to him with closed eyes, "Also, I hope you will forgive my disrespect yesterday. I'm sorry for the way I acted, I was out of line and it won't happen again, Lieutenant Colonel Haddock," she added.

"Ensure that it doesn't, Corporal. Apology accepted and you are forgiven," Hanson told her before walking away, "Dragon training in fifteen minutes, finish up and then go change into your PT wear," he ordered them.

"Yes sir," the ten soldiers answered in unison and continued to eat their food as Hanson sat down next to Thatcher and began peeling an orange for himself.

"Did you get to talk to Caylee this morning?" Thatcher asked him.

"No, Ella said she wasn't feeling well and in with the medic so I had Ella pass the message along for her to call when she felt better and try to update me," Hanson responded.

"What about your Dad, everything good with him? I know it's almost, well, you know," Vincent inquired.

"Next week it will be ten years, day after Thanksgiving. Dad is hanging in there like always. You'll be in charge of training and the base that day, you know I go with him and we look at photos together," Hanson reminded.

"Don't worry, we got you," Ricky smiled patting his back.

"You always do," Hanson gave a small smile back to them and continued to eat his orange and drink his water. The remaining ten minutes ended as they all dismissed back to the barrack to change their clothes although, none of them understood why they would be in their PT gear for Dragon training but they knew it was an order so they had to follow it. Hanson was just sitting on his bed waiting for them finish getting ready, he still looked much calmer than before and that probably because Aubree apologized to him and essentially said there wouldn't be anymore issues like last night.

The door of the barrack opened as the ten soldiers glanced over but Hanson never turned around assuming it was Thatcher, Vincent, and Ricky. The group watched as a woman walked behind Hanson slowly, then his three friends came in and put a finger to their lips to stay quiet. The woman shoved him a little and said, "Got ya!"

Hanson jumped up a little and turned slightly, "God damn it you three, what have I said about-" Now he saw the person who had done it, "Caylee!?" The others gasped, this woman was Caylee? "What the-How the-You were sick, in Afghanistan not even eight hours ago," he said quickly.

"By the way, I'm not sick. I just made you think that so you wouldn't question why I wasn't answering you while flying into Berk. El called you when we were on layover in Germany," Caylee giggled a little, "Surprise, I'm home babe!" she threw her hands up in the air with a wide smile across her face.