Thirty-Eight: The Truth Will Out

"The doctor will see you now."

Hiccup almost jumped to his feet, his emerald eyes wide with anxiety and he looked at the smug shape of Cameron. She smiled.

"This is my boyfriend, Hiccup," she said and stretched her hand out, her lashes fluttering. Hating himself but swallowing his feelings for bald necessity, he forced a smile onto his lips and laced his fingers with hers. The last time they had performed this simple action, it had led to...more...but now the mere thought of such intimacy filled him with a feeling of revulsion and shame. Cameron's fingers tightened and her smile was definitely smug as they followed the nurse into the neat, white office, sitting opposite the doctor across a desk bearing only a set of papers and two pens.

The doctor was a woman of middle years, slim and neat with a brisk manner and warm, brown eyes, her short reddish-highlighted chestnut hair framing a plain face that lifted in a smile as she saw the couple. Smiling, she gestured for them to take the seats opposite as she scanned through the notes.

"Cameron," she smiled. "I was surprised to see you requesting an urgent appointment-what can I do to help?" The girl gave a shrug.

"I think I may be pregnant," she said. "Though I had some bleeding last night..." The doctor's brows dipped in concern.

"And your last normal period?" she asked. Cameron gave a shrug.

"Not sure," she admitted. Frowning slightly, the doctor inspected her notes.

"You are eighteen now," she read. "And you've been on the combined contraceptive pill since fifteen for menstrual problems...ostensibly..." Her eyes were knowing. "And your friend?"

"Hiccup is seventeen and we've been friends for three years...and together for about eighteen months," Cameron said unselfconsciously, though Hiccup felt his cheeks warm. "He's in on this." The doctor nodded, accepting his presence professionally. For a few moments, Hiccup felt in a daze as the doctor and Cameron reeled off a list of questions and answers-before the doctor nodded and led them into an adjoining room. Hanging back, the young man watched as his former girlfriend lay on the couch and the doctor sat comfortably on a padded stool, deftly working the scan machine.

Hiccup was holding his breath as the jelly was squeezed onto Cameron's flat belly and Dr Karldottir gently angled the probe, adjusting the images. Hiccup frowned, for it just looked like shades of grey and black. The image shimmered and moved, flipping round as the probe moved and even enlarging...and then she sighed.

"I'm afraid the bladder is empty and the image is too poor," the doctor said and Hiccup wondered if he imagined that Cameron looked relieved. "So we'll need to do an internal scan." The doctor rose, her smile bright. "Slip your bottom things down and then pop your legs over the rests..." Cameron controlled herself and nodded.

"Of course," she said and Hiccup leaned as far back against the wall trying not to look as if he was paying such close attention...but he suddenly found a reassuring hand resting on his shoulder. Dr Karlsdottir was smiling. "It's natural to be anxious at a time like this," she said gently. "This won't harm the baby-but when the womb is tilted backwards or the bladder is empty or the pregnancy early, a normal scan may not give good enough images. An internal scan will show us everything."

"Um...thanks..." Hiccup said knowing that she wouldn't find anything-because he was now certain that Cami was lying.

"I'm ready," Cameron announced and Dr Karlsdottir slid back onto the stool, expertly sliding a condom over the probe and applying generous gel before she easily slid the probe in. Cameron hissed more from shock and the cold than any discomfort and all eyes turned to the screen, where the image shifted and was rapidly enlarged. There was a large black circle in the centre of the screen and the doctor was smiling.

"Ah, there it is," she said calmly, a hand rising to tap the screen. "There's the pregnancy sac...and there's the baby..."

"WHAT?" Cameron's voice was a shocked screech as Hiccup choked as well.

"What?" he gulped. The doctor smiled, mistaking their shock as happy surprise.

"Yes-the bleeding hasn't harmed the pregnancy," she reassured Cameron, who had gone pale.

"But..." she began, her mouth working soundlessly. "I-I c-can't..."

And Hiccup knew now there had been no bleeding-and no positive pregnancy test-just a lie and an excuse to explain why the 'pregnancy' had disappeared over the weekend. But as he watched, a little white cross appeared on the screen, rapidly followed by another.

"Fetal pole is 6mm...just six weeks," Dr Karlsdottir continued, her brow furrowed with concentration. "And there's the heartbeat..." A dotted line crossed the little white blob that was apparently the developing baby and a slow shushing sound emitted from the machine. "Sixty beats a minute-perfectly fine for six weeks."

"But..." Cameron gabbled, her mouth hanging open in shock. "I'm pregnant?" The doctor smiled.

"Definitely," she confirmed but Hiccup, now his brain had recovered slightly from the utter shock of finding that Cameron was actually-and it seemed, unexpectedly-pregnant, was starting to think.

"So she's six weeks pregnant?" he checked and the doctor nodded. "Meaning she conceived about four weeks ago?" Again, the doctor nodded.

"Good knowledge," she complimented the young man, before she turned back to the screen. Immediately, Hiccup whipped out his phone and snapped several pictures of the scene and then of the screen, showing the pregnancy.

"Well, I knew Biology was a useful subject," he admitted, trying not to feel sick. "Pregnancy is dated from the first day of the last period...which is approximately two weeks prior to conception...so when you are six weeks pregnant, the baby has only been conceived four weeks earlier..." Cameron looked up and caught sight of his face. "Of course, this wouldn't a problem except Cameron publicly dumped me a couple of months ago...so though she dragged me along, claiming it was mine, it seems that couldn't possibly be the case..."

There was a cool silence.

"And I don't think you believed you were pregnant, either," Hiccup said tonelessly, aware of the doctor, who would be duty-bound to protect her patient, no matter how loathsome. "So I know this came as a huge surprise to you." He paused and looked at the silent doctor. "I am so sorry to have wasted your time, Dr Karlsdottir. I'll leave you with Cameron now, I am sure you will have lots of things to talk about." And then he turned to the door, before pausing. "I'll text Snotlout on my way home. I'm sure he'll be delighted to know..."

And then he left, his head buzzing with humiliation, shame, hatred and strangely...relief... He heard Cameron yell "Hiccup!" after him...but he didn't stop, walking out of the scan room, office and through the reception area to the door. It was strangely liberating to walk out, not having to pay for the scan, not having to pretend he even liked Cameron and secure in the knowledge that somehow fate had paid Cameron back in spades.

He sped down the stairs and pulled his scarf and coat round him as he hit the sleety street, the bitter cold of the evening already enfolding him. The sun was long down and the street lights were illuminating the slick sidewalk as he headed for the Diner-not because he was on duty, but because Astrid was and he wanted to talk to her. He wasn't going to make the same mistake of keeping anything from his new girlfriend...especially not something so explosive concerning his old one. So he walked with his head down, hands stuffed in his pockets and school bag over his shoulder until he heard the screech of tyres and snapped his head round, seeing the black van heading for him. Scrambling on the slippery sidewalk, he just managed to throw himself aside, slamming over a bin as the van sped over the spot he had been on and barrelled on amid the honking of horns and scream of tyres and smashing vehicles.

Picking himself up from the floor, he blinked, recalling the license plate from the seconds where it had brushed past him so close he had even glimpsed the mud splattered in the black livery and the dark eyes of the driver, his bulky shape hunched in a black jacket with a baseball cap pulled low over his head.

RKG-1212

He was sure the police would be seeking the black van that had cut across the lanes of traffic, run the red light and caused at least four accidents alone...and which had almost killed him. And though it could have just been a combination of slippery road and poor visibility...he knew in his heart someone had tried to kill him.

He stared at the carnage, the wail of sirens already starting. There were cameras everywhere and he was sure that they would have captured the van. And though he was completely shaken, the last thing he wanted was to talk to the police again: Officer Lars's attitude following his attack by Eret and Thuggory gave him little faith in the police's impartiality and dedication to investigating anything that befell him and his family. So he dropped his head and headed along the sidewalk, trying not to look at the accidents and the people standing on the street yelling at each other and hoping to get to Diner unscathed.

Once he was there, the evening rush was starting so he slipped in the back, nodded to Henrick and grabbed a bottle of water, perching quietly in the little staff room and staring at his phone. He didn't regret the way things turned out...but there was a lingering sadness that someone he had cared for had used him so badly once more. So he sent the picture of Cami having the scan to Snotlout with the message 'Congratulations, Dad!'.Then he repeated the same message to Eret and Thuggory. He doubted they would have bothered to block his number-but if they did...he had plan B. But first, he was willing to wait to see if Snot responded.

"Hey."

He looked up and relief surged through him, the sound of Astrid's voice the most welcome sound he had heard all evening. A smile lit his features and he sighed gratefully.

"Hey," he sighed in reply. "Sorry to drop in at work but I thought you might want to know the results." She folded her arms and arched an eyebrow.

"Not pregnant," she said firmly. He shook his head, unable to stop himself grinning.

"Pregnant," he told her and she gaped. "Ha! And that was exactly Cami's expression. She didn't know. She's six weeks along-conceived four weeks ago..."

"Four weeks..."

"Long after she dumped me," he said in relief. She smiled.

"That must have been a nasty surprise," she commented and sat at his side, nudging him gently.

"Yeah-but a relief as well," he admitted. "Um...I would like to be a Dad one day...but not with her. Please Thor, not with her." He paused. "I may have informed Snot about the happy news though..." She cast him an amused look.

"Hiccup," she murmured in a warning tone.

"Hey-she was trying to split us up with a lie," he pointed out. "Why shouldn't I make sure the truth gets out?" She frowned, blonde brows dipping as she took his hand. He was still shaking and her warm hand closed tightly around his cold one.

"She has a lot to lose, Hiccup," she reminded him. "And you told me she's ruthless. She may make both our lives very difficult..."

"And I can make hers worse," he admitted. He swallowed. "I can tell her parents."

"And will she lie? Will she say you came crawling back to her?" she asked. "I mean, I know you've been treated like crap by them but her parents don't know that. She's an accomplished liar. She almost had you fooled."

"So what about Snot? Or Eret or Thuggory? They just get off and I get the blame?" he asked.

"She set Dagur on me," she reminded him with a shudder as his hand squeezed hers reassuringly. "She doesn't care who she hurts as long as she gets her way." He nodded and then quietly thumbed down his phone, accessing the internet and Cami's parents's company website. He found their work emails and paused.

"I can make her life very difficult," he said and then looked at her. "If you think it is reasonable." She stared at him and frowned.

"Why are you asking me?" she asked and he sighed.

"I know what I want to do," he explained quietly. "But you're a decent person so I value your judgement." She frowned and then nodded.

"You're the one who's suffered the most at their hands so...do what you think she deserves," she told him and he nodded, swiftly emailing the pictures of the scan and the link to the videos and website he had of Cami cheating. And he attached a humble message, explaining how he had been dumped by Cameron after his father died and how upset he was that she had behaved so badly...and at how she was now behaving. In a way that could really damage her future...

And then he thumbed SEND.

"I'm not sure if they will believe me but it should cause some awkwardness and maybe stop her being able to use her father as a threat against us," he shrugged. She stared at him, aware he was still not meeting her eye.

"Hiccup? Is anything else going on?"she asked him and he shrugged.

"No, nothing..." he said quietly. "But I was almost run over on the way over..." He took a shuddering breath. "Um...a black van just missed me..." He looked up and she stared into his face-then wrapped a hug around him. His arms wound around her and hugged her tightly-just for a moment but long enough to remind him he was safe and still alive. She pulled back and ran her hand gently through his wild auburn hair.

"It's been a difficult couple of days," she murmured. "You have the worst luck." He closed his eyes and leaned into the gentle touch.

"Hey-at least I'm here with you," he murmured.

"Astrid? Are you alright?"

"And that happened," he sighed as she looked up. "Go! I don't want to get you in trouble...you need the job, remember?" She nodded and rose, brushing down her uniform and pecking a kiss on the top of his head.

"You take care of yourself-and avoid any more vans!" she teased him, smiling and leaving. Wearily, he rose and let himself out, walking thoughtfully through the dark streets back towards Gobber's apartment. His phone buzzed and he saw it was from Snotlout.

[SNOT]: WHAT THE HELHEIM WERE YOU DOING WITH MY GIRL?

He smiled and replied.

[HICCUP]: SHE TRIED TO PIN ME WITH HER PREGNANCY BUT SINCE SHE FELL PREGNANT FOUR WEEKS AGO MUST BE YOURS. ENJOY!

And he walked home with a lighter heart.