Moving Forward

Rated; M

Author; Nightstar Fury

Pairing; Elsa and Hiccup

Disclaimer; I do not own HTTYD.

10; Someone Who Understands

Thanksgiving had come and gone. The University gave everyone three days off. Day before, day of, and day after but then it was back to classes until the week of Christmas which happened to be in two weeks. So how it worked was that they would have normal classes until the 22rd of December and then the students and staff would return after the first of the year on the 2nd of January. It was a long break for them and then there would be another until spring break in April for seven days. Upon returning to class on the second of January, the students would be facing their midterms, so that was making them stressed out to know they had a break from classes for the holidays but a week after returning, they would have their midterms. Finals would be the first week of June, and then summer break would begin on June 16th. The school year was almost finished, and Harvey already told his third years that they would have him for fourth year DT as well.

His ten students that were in the 1 pm to 3 pm class still wanted to know the truth about where he had been for nearly four years and Ellie was the only one to know that Heather and Harvey weren't in a relationship. Also that the two did not have a child together but Harvey did have a three year old daughter who was in her son, Owen's daycare room. Elli had kept her word thus far and not told her friends the truth because it wasn't hers to tell. Harvey said he would tell the others when the time was right. Ellie could understand and would respect his decisions, she would have expected the same curteousy if she were in his position. That was more Ellie wondered about, what had happened with Harvey? It was clear that he was hiding behind a mask because with some people, Harvey was smiling and having a good time. With others, he was firm and a little cold.

Ellie's theory was that there was someone in the DT third year class she had that Harvey had a bad past with but she could not confirm that without getting closer to Harvey and that would nearly impossible to do because he was a teacher and herself a student. Such intereaction unless classroom questions was not permitted. Ellie spent her Thanksgiving with family who lived thirty minutes from the University. Ellie had a mother, father, and little sister who was about to graduate High School and then come to BU as a first year, she wanted to become a dragon racer but has not bonded with a dragon yet. Ellie's mother's name was Ida, and her father's was Aaron. Ellie's little sister had the name of Anna. Maybe Ellie could talk to Harvey about the bonding thing for her sister, after all, Harvey bonded with a Night Fury so he must have some input on the situation.

Thanksgiving for Harvey involved him going to his parent's house with Karina for the three days, and he arrived there before Ford, Tyler, Rylee, Syrus, Dominic, Ashlyn, and even Courtney had left school grounds to get home for their three days off. Harvey also didn't exit the house those three days to avoid them seeing him or his daughter, his parents tried to get him to reveal the truth but Harvey also explained to them as he did to Ellie about why he wasn't telling them right now but perhaps before they left for summer vacation. Veronica and Stuart understood and didn't push the matter again. It was hard for them to remember that Harvey wasn't a student with the others, but rather their instructor so there needed to be a code of conduct to adhere to while at the University.

Now with class back in session, it would be preparation for midterms in January which basically meant going everything they had learned since September. Harvey informed them that they would be starting the riding portion of their training after midterms were over. That was exciting because they were all looking forward to it, that was the main reason everyone wanted to have a dragon, to be able to fly in the sky or some wanted to race. Dragon training had just ended, another fun-filled day of review. Harvey dismissed them and went about getting things ready for the fourth year class from 3 pm to 5 pm, he couldn't wait to be done with work so he could get Karina and cuddle her. It was one of those days where he just wanted to be with her.

In truth, it was hard for Harvey to get through his DT class that Courtney was in, seeing her every day wishing things could be as they were but Harvey also couldn't forgive what Courtney did. Abandoning him and Karina that day. Harvey couldn't let that go, he was very hurt to come home from the hospital and discover Courtney had taken $50 from their savings, and left with only a letter saying she missed her old life. It bothered Harvey a lot and took him a long while to recover, even now, there were still moments it got to him. Especially now with seeing her every single day as his student when she used to be his fiance and no one but Heather and his parents knew that.

(End Of Day; 5 pm)

Finally, Harvey's day could be over and he could go see Karina. Harvey was taking her and Heather out for dinner tonight, then ice cream so that would be fun. After putting Toothless away in the stable next to Windshear's, he hurried to the daycare center for his daughter and of course he ran into Ellie again. The two of them always seemed to do that during pickup. Ellie, though, appeared to have forgotten her keycard in her dorm or so Harvey heard her muttering to herself that she did.

"Here," Harvey said as he used his and pulled the door open and motioned for her to walk in first.

"Thank you, Mr. Haddock," Ellie said as she headed inside and then Harvey behind her while walking to the room their kids were.

"Mama!" Owen chirped when he saw Ellie.

"Daddy!" Karina hurried over beside Owen as they opened the door to the room and walked in together since it was big enough to do so.

"Hi sweetie," Ellie knelt down to greet him.

"Daddy, Daddy. I made a new friend," Karina exclaimed as Owen smiled at Karina now, "His name is Owen, we played all day together!"

"Kari and I played house. I was a dragon rider, and she trains dragons!" Owen added to the story.

"Oh! Is that so, well, I'm glad you had such a fun day, princess. Ready to leave?" Harvey laughed a little as he went to pick her up, then suddenly both children frowned.

"I don't want to go yet," Owen said, "Kari and I were gonna color together," he said.

"We have to get to dinner in the cafeteria, Owen and I'm sure Kari's father wants to take her her home now. You'll see her again tomorrow," Ellie tried as Harvey got a phone call, he stepped to the side to answer it. After a few minutes, he placed it away and returned to kneel in front of Karina.

"Auntie Heather won't be joining us for dinner; she has to go to the city and see her Mom tonight. So it's just you and me," Harvey told Karina.

"Can Owen and his mommy come then?" Karina asked which took Harvey by surprise, Ellie too in fact.

"I-well," Harvey stammered a bit, they would have to leave campus because Harvey wouldn't bring Karina into the cafeteria, and Ellie couldn't come to the staff dorms.

"Please?" Kari gave him the big eyes that Harvey could never say no to. "We just want to play more,"

"PLEASE?" Owen and Karina pleaded together. Harvey sighed as he stood up and faced Ellie now.

"It doesn't matter to me. Karina and I were just going to dinner and ice cream afterward; you're welcome to join us, Ellie," Harvey invited.

"I suppose it won't hurt. The kids seem to be fond of one another," Ellie replied as the children began to cheer and dance around together. "What time?"

"Well, I'm going to get to my dorm to shower and then I'll meet you outside the main entrance for 5:45 pm. That's where my truck is, Kari and I are going ten minutes down the road to Raven's Cove," Harvey said.

"Owen and I will take the bus there, I don't have a car. On the weekends or breaks from school, my Mom or Dad just comes to pick me up," Ellie told him. Harvey felt bad, he knew how much it sucked to take the bus everywhere from his time living in Arc City. Harvey got his truck back after telling his parents everything.

"How about you just ride with Kari and me? We're going to the same place and then returning here after, do you have a car seat?" Harvey inquired.

"Yeah, I keep it in my dorm in case I go anywhere with my friends. A-Are you sure?" Ellie looked at him.

"Absolutely, I'll meet you at 5:45 outside the main entrance," Harvey told her as he picked up Karina in his arms then prepared to leave the daycare center. Ellie picked up Owen and left moments later.

(Raven's Point)

As planned, Ellie and Harvey met with Karina and Owen outside the main entrance, staying hidden from anyone seeing them together. That would be all they need is a student and teacher to be caught leaving with one another. Reaching the diner, the four of them unloaded and headed inside, getting a booth towards the back to enjoy the meal. Karina and Owen were coloring on the back of the placemats, talking about what they would do tomorrow in daycare. All four of them already ordered their food, the two kids were sharing a basket of chicken fingers and fries. Harvey was getting a bacon burger with fries while Ellie got a pasta dish with grilled chicken and broccoli tossed in an alfredo sauce.

"Thank you for driving us, Mr. Haddock," Ellie thanked.

"It's no trouble; I know what it's like to take the bus everywhere. It sucks and can be costly. Outside of campus, you can call me Harvey, Ellie," Harvey informed.

"Oh, sorry," Ellie told him. "So you didn't always have the truck?"

"Yes and no. I got the truck when I was sixteen after passing drivers ed. When Dad bonded with Skullcrusher, his Rumble horn, he gave me the truck as my gift from getting my license. When I left in Junior year, I left the truck behind, but when I came back for this job, I got the truck back," Harvey replied.

"I take it that leaving the truck behind cut down the chances of you being found?" Ellie inquired, and Harvey nodded to her to confirm. "Was the reason you left because of Karina?"

"I won't go into all the detail, but yes, it was. I was seventeen when she was conceived, I didn't think anyone would understand, and I was scared, so I ran," Harvey said.

"I can understand. I felt the same way when I got pregnant with Owen, I tried to run but Anna stopped me, and then my parents came home and saw the suitcase. It wasn't easy to tell them about being a month pregnant," Ellie smiled softly.

"Anna? She a friend?" Harvey asked.

"No, she's my little sister. I can't believe she's going to graduate High School in June, and then she plans to come here if she manages to bond with a dragon. Anna's having a lot of trouble with it and becoming discouraged," Elli sighed a little.

"It's not unheard of to have trouble bonding, and it's not always the person. Sometimes its just the dragon being picky," Harvey looked at her as Elli become more interested. "When I got hired at Dreki Souls Sanctuary, I was just a stable boy working in the stalls with the dragons who were new or recovering from injuries. As I was getting a tour of the grounds and being told about my daily duties there, I noticed the stall holding Toothless. At the time, he had flown in wounded and the left tailfin couldn't be saved in the surgery. The workers at DSS said that the Night Fury would never fly again, also he refused to bond to anyone who tried and he got defensive if people got too close." Harvey explained about the time he met Toothless, talking about the employees saying they might put him down, then how Harvey managed to bond with him and things had been great since.

"That's incredible, so it seemed that he would bond with someone who gave their full trust. The other employees were afraid of him, but you weren't. And building that tail, Harvey. You could help a lot of dragons with your skills, why settle for a teaching job?" Ellie questioned now. Harvey had skills beyond just teaching.

"Not sure, I never imagined I'd be where I am now when I set off on my own at seventeen. I started as a stable worker, then became Strike-class trainer at DSS, now I'm head dragon training for BU. My only goal after leaving was to provide the best life I could for Kari. I guess I've just gone where the wind takes me," Harvey shrugged as their food was brought to the table.

"Enjoy your meal," the waiter smiled then walked off.

"I just wish I could help Anna, but I'm not a trainer or even permitted, so I'm useless to help her," Ellie sighed while beginning to eat.

"And your parents can't?" Harvey asked.

"They prefer life without dragons. It's not everyone's cup of tea," Ellie smiled. "I can't imagine what it would be like to have your parents, though. Top dragon doctor and famous researcher, it's amazing. And now you as a lead trainer for one of the best schools around. I guess it runs in your family,"

"Has it's perks," Harvey replied while eating one of his fries. The two were quiet while eating and watching their children eat and color still. Towards the end of the meal, Harvey had an idea. "Your little sister, Anna, you said her name was?" Elli nodded to him, "Do you think you can get her here on Friday at 3 pm?"

Elli blinked slightly, bring Anna to BU for the class on Friday? Could she? "I don't know, my Mom or Dad would have to bring her and that if she could get out of class herself," Ellie answered.

"All right. If I can get her out of school on Friday, would she agree to come if I sent Heather to pick her up?" Harvey inquired.

"I suppose she would. Forgive my curiosity here but, how are you going to get her out of school on Friday and get my parents to agree to let her be picked up by a stranger?" Ellie arched a brow at him.

"You let me worry about that," Harvey smiled, "I think I can help her with bonding," he added.

"Could you? Anna would be eternally grateful and so would I," Ellie smiled wide.

"I'll make a few calls tomorrow morning," Harvey nodded while they continued to eat their meal. At the end, they ordered ice cream for dessert and then Elli was surprised when Harvey handed the waiter his card with the bill slip before she managed to get her money out.

"What do I owe?" Elli asked.

"Nothing. It's on me," Harvey replied when the waiter returned. Harvey put his card away in his wallet, then signed the slip and took his copy. "I was paying for tonight's meal if Heather had come anyway, so relax."

"But-" Ellie tried.

"Ellie, relax. I'll call it even enough that your son made friends with my daughter. I expect you, and I will see a lot more of one another so they can play outside of daycare. Kari already told me she wants Owen to come to her fourth birthday party," Harvey chuckled.

"So, does this make us friends outside of class?" Ellie asked him softly.

"I imagine that it does. The kids get along well, as do we. It's a change up from Ashlyn, Syrus, Rylee, Dominic, Tyler, and Ford always giving me that disapproving and disappointed look. All because I won't tell them about the time I was gone," Harvey sat back while the kids ate their small ice cream sundaes; vanilla and chocolate swirl with hot fudge, colored sprinkles, and a cherry on top.

"Will you ever tell them? When I met them during orientation, they told me all about you taking off," Ellie informed.

"Figures. I'll tell them when the time is right. Christmas and New Years is coming up, then midterms to follow that. Far too much confusion to tell them now, plus, it's none of their business. Ford and Tyler were my best friends, the other four weren't. We just all grew up in the same neighborhood, small cul-de-sac. Courtney moved on the block in eighth grade when Ashlyn, Tyler, Ford, Rylee, and myself were in Middle School, then Dominic came at the start of Freshman year in High School," Harvey told her.

"Ford and Tyler have mentioned that it hurts them you don't see them as your friends anymore," Ellie gave a weak smile to him.

"I know. It hurts me too, but they need to remember that I am a teacher from 8 am to 5 pm and personal matters are not to mix with professional ones. Like now, this is okay because I'm off the clock, right now, I'm a civilian to you or a fellow parent and we're off campus," Harvey stated.

"That makes sense," Ellie nodded in understanding. "Would you mind if I asked something?"

"Depends on the subject," Harvey looked at her.

"Her mother," Ellie motioned to Karina, "What happened?" Harvey sighed heavily closing his eyes; he didn't want to say it out loud. Harvey got a pen from his pocket, then wrote on the napkin as he slid it towards Ellie. When she glanced down, it read only a few things; Walked out when Kari was a year old. "Owen's did too; it's why I transferred here from Arendelle Wings Academy," Elli informed.

"Amazing how some people just walk away from something they had a hand in," Harvey scoffed almost.

"Agreed. It's saddening; the kids are the ones who suffer the most. Owen's father walked away when Owen was diagnosed with Epilepsy; he has mini seizures where he stares off and stops responding for a minute or two. Sometimes he twitches a little too. It's the reason I didn't want to give up my phone at the start of the year," Ellie looked down.

"Completely understandable. Karina suffers from Asthma, she gets breathing treatments in the morning and at night to keep it controlled. When she turns five, doctors will give her an inhaler. And recently found out that she's allergic to strawberries. I know how it goes, don't worry," Harvey said.

"Owen is allergic to bee stings," Ellie replied.

"So we both have something we worry about with our children," Harvey smiled.

"Interesting how it works out that way, doesn't it?" Ellie answered as they each looked at their child to see they were finished. "Well, I think it's time we get back to campus. You need a bath, Owen,"

"As do you, Kari. You two will see each other tomorrow morning," Harvey nodded in agreement.

"Okay!" both kids replied as Harvey and Elli got their children and left the diner, then got loaded in Harvey's truck to get back to BU for the night.

(Berktown University)

Arriving in Harvey's parking spot, both kids were almost asleep in the back. Harvey helped get Owen out for Ellie, and then he got Karina. "Thank you for tonight, Harvey," Ellie said.

"No trouble. Like I said, we'll probably hang out more for the kids. Seems like their going to be inseparable," Harvey told her. "Here," he said as he got her phone out of the cup holder in the front seat, he punched in his number and then called his phone, "Now we can set up playdates over the summer for them,"

"I'm sure they'll like that. Well, goodnight then?" Ellie smiled.

"Have a goodnight, Ellie. I'll see you for class," Harvey nodded.

"Can't wait," Ellie replied. After that, the two walked their separate ways back to their dorms for the remainder of the night. Harvey might have lost old friends, but now he had new ones. It was a good feeling honestly. Maybe things would be alright; he could survive the rest of the year and the next with someone on his side who understood his pain.