Unintentional Hero

Author: Nightstar Fury of Nightstar Productions

Rated: M for a variety of things that will happen

Pairing: Hiccup/Astrid

Disclaimer: I do not own HTTYD

52; Surprise

Christmas time was upon the soldiers of the Doragon base once more: in one week to be exact-two weeks had passed since Hayden scolded his commanding officer for even considering allowing Camille to fly to Iraq just to bring him his inhaler. As it turned out, the medic did have some put away in case they were needed for emergency situations but of course Hayden didn't use any of them: he kept it under control all on his own. He still fell into small attacks but with a little water and sitting down for five minutes seemed to settle an attack before it got to blackout mode. Hayden's mood was what concerned them, for since yelling at Lieutenant General Evans-Hayden's mood was very foul and according to his friends-when they reported it to Anderson-it seemed Hayden was actually a little sad but none of them knew why. Of course Anderson-being that Hayden was like a little brother to him-was going to find out and see what he could do to help him out or at least improve his mood because right now, everyone was afraid to say something to set him off. Even Lt. Gen. Evans was staying clear of him.

Anderson walked into Hayden's office to find him working on something in a notebook, "Hayden?"

Hayden looked up to see Anderson there as he put down his pencil and closed his notebook before sitting up straighter, "Hey, Anderson. What brings you by?" he asked softly and Anderson could hear what Theo and the others were talking about with Hayden's tone sounding miserable.

"Just checking on you-you've been kind of quiet since the whole situation two weeks ago. Your unit is getting worried 'bout ya," Anderson admitted as he took a seat in front of Hayden's desk which was positioned towards the back wall of the tent.

"I'm fine, Anderson. Just the holiday season again: another year I'm not home for Christmas and I tried to get leave but of course given how heavy the enemy activity has been lately, that was denied pretty quickly. I don't even need a week...just two days to see them for a major holiday," Hayden sighed, sitting back now.

"I know how it goes. I think when you were here the last time, I managed to get home for a week. Surprised the family, they loved it," Anderson chuckled but he didn't see Hayden smiling at all.

"I haven't seen my family for a Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Birthday, anything in four years because of deployments or can't get off base. And in week, it will be five years...Holidays are big for my family, it was one of my Mom's favorite holidays. She loved have us all together and for almost five years now, I haven't been with them and it honestly hurts when I get to call or Skype them but Camille is in tears. This year, I might not even call home, I don't want to hear it again." Hayden looked away slightly.

"You haven't gotten to go home for any of them?" Anderson asked, a little shocked.

"Nope. Ever since I joined in 2016, I've missed every single major holiday and mine and my sister's birthday," Hayden informed calmly. "You can tell the unit if they are worried about me, then they can come check on me themselves, they don't always have to go get you..." Hayden forced a chuckle now.

"They send me because they know we're good friends and you tell me everything," Anderson said now.

"Yeah, true. Any missions tonight?" Hayden asked, clearly trying to change the subject.

"I don't think so, we have a meeting about it in two hours so might know more then," Anderson replied. Hayden nodded as he leaned back and closed his eyes. "You look tired-why not take a nap? I'll come get ya for the meeting," Anderson offered to him.

"Yeah, I might do that," Hayden stated as he got up and pulled out his cot from the closet and set it up then laid back on it with his hands behind his head. Anderson ruffled his hair with a smile preparing to leave the tent but saw Toothless walk over and lay beside his rider, Hayden rubbed his head with a sigh. "I know bud...I'd give anything to see them again too-guess that's my Christmas wish this year," Hayden yawned before closing his eyes while Anderson watched him fall asleep before he finally left the tent with an idea forming in his head.

(Hour & Forty Five Minutes Later)

Hayden was awakened by a knock on the tent frame. He groggily opened his eyes and sat up rubbing his eyes as Toothless sat up now when Theo, Jasmine, Ethan, Heather, and Dylan walked in and then right behind them were Boggs, Greenhalgh, Evans, and Anderson. "Oh this looks promising, what brings you all by?" Hayden asked.

"Hayden! There you are! I've been calling for two hours and you haven't answered me once..." Avery cried as Heather held the phone out.

"I was sleeping babe, my phone is on silent and charging on the desk..." Hayden mumbled tiredly as he forced himself up and took the phone from Heather.

"We were worried," Camille said now.

"I mean this in the best way but when aren't you two worried about me?" Hayden asked in response.

"Why are you so tired lately, are you getting sick? This is like the tenth time I've called when you're napping," Avery remarked.

"Maybe because I'm running missions, or guards shifts for all hours of the night, or fighting enemies...I've developed partial insomnia over the last five years...I'm fine. As long as I get like three hours every day, hence the napping," Hayden yawned. "I normally call you when you're out of school so what's up because I have a meeting in fifteen minutes," he added after checking his watch.

"Well the last few times we've called you said you weren't in the mood to talk, so we got worried if something was wrong..." Camille mentioned.

"I'm fine, I've been busy you know I don't always have time to talk-which is why I normally call you when I have the time to," Hayden stated as he flipped on his coffee pot.

"No fair, you get coffee!?" Theo whined.

"You can have some to, Theo. I always make a full pot. I've always had it, you just never asked," Hayden chuckled a bit.

"So...no chance on you coming home for Christmas, huh?" Avery asked slowly. Hayden sighed sitting at his desk.

"Tried, got denied. It's to heavy to leave right now," Hayden mumbled.

"Okay, I'm going to agree with Dad this time, this is pretty shitty, Hayden...This will make FIVE years that you haven't been home for Christmas, for any holiday!" Camille huffed becoming upset now.

"Please for the love of Odin, don't start. I will hang up and I won't call for six months..." Hayden groaned. "There's nothing I can do about it. I tried as soon as I got here to get the time off. I even offered to take Toothless at top speed for two days and be back as quick as I can. It's not happening, sorry it upsets you but this is my job and in life you don't always get what you want."

"You're a Major, you should have some pull in your own leave time..." Avery mumbled.

"I'm a Major, that gives me the authority to command a Company which is pretty much what I've been doing since Basic with the Alpha Armorwing Company-which is now pretty disbanded, or half of them are dead. Last I checked there were only about twenty of us left from that group who are stationed here in Iraq right now but regardless, being Major doesn't mean I can leave whenever I want..." Hayden sighed.

"Fifteen of us left, Major..." Theo informed.

"Didn't need an actually need a number, Theo..." Hayden glared slightly.

"Sorry sir." Theo rubbed the back of his head.

"Anyway, if you two are done giving me a hard time about shit outside my control-get back to class, I'll call you later," Hayden stated. "And what gives, Avery, you're normally not this snappy about my not being able to come home..."

"She's on her period right now," Camille giggled.

"That explains a lot and—Hold the hell on, while we're on the subject...Avery. We need to talk about the conversation we had the night before I left..." Hayden stated firmly.

"About the having sex thing?..." Avery asked now.

"Yes. You told me at the start of November before I left for deployment that you were due for your period so you wouldn't get pregnant if we did it, right?" Hayden asked now, Anderson blinked he already saw where this was going.

"Yeah...I-I was," Avery stammered.

"So your period is irregular again then? Because you said you were regulated and if that was true then you would of gotten your period two weeks before the start of November, meaning when you wanted to have sex...you'd be right around your ovulation time." Now there was silence from the other end of the phone. "Unless my timing is off of course, I could be wrong. It's your body, not mine. But right now we're in the middle of December-and you're on your period, which means the start of January you'll enter your fertile week. And if you've been regular since the miscarriage then it's been on the same pattern for six months now..." he added. "Tell me the truth, Avery and I won't get mad at you for lying to me."

"I was...fertile back in November when I asked you to make love to me..." Avery admitted as Hayden sighed, so Anderson had been right. Avery was trying to get pregnant. "Are you...mad at me?"

"I said I wouldn't be if you told me the truth and you did, so no, I'm not but I'd really like to understand why you lied about it. You realize I had zero protection that night right and you would have gotten pregnant unless that's what you were aiming to do?" Hayden asked her.

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry I lied to you-I just...it wasn't fair, Hayden...I did...everything I was supposed to do, and we still...lost the baby...I told myself...I was okay but," She cried more now.

"You weren't, were you?" he asked slowly.

"No...I wasn't, and I'm still not. It's not fair Hayden and I really wanted to try again...I'm sorry I lied to you...but I knew if I told you I wanted to try again you'd say no..." Avery whimpered.

"Damn right I would. Avery I was about to get deployed, to Iraq. I didn't like you pregnant when I was stationed at Fort Dreki because I couldn't be there for you. I was only going to be allowed off base for your sonograms, and the birth. I wasn't going to get to enjoy any of you being pregnant. And when you miscarried our child, I couldn't even get there in time to be there for you when you went through it. How the hell do you think that makes me feel? I sure as fuck don't want you pregnant when I'm deployed here. Even with Toothless's top speed, it would take me five hours to get to Berk...look how worried you got when I was just napping, you really think it's a good idea for you to be pregnant while you worry this much? Doctors told you and me that stress is a leading factor in miscarriages aside from all that other shit they told us. I don't want to go through that again, Avery...It killed me and Anderson can confirm that for you-that after I got back to the barrack, I just broke down," Hayden told her.

"He did. Bout two hours too," Anderson stated softly.

"I know how much it hurt you, and I was hurt too but I just...I don't want to feel empty anymore, and now with you there...I feel more alone than ever...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry...please forgive me," Avery cried.

"I forgive you," he said, then added "I told you we'd try again when we were ready, when I know I can be there for you. Why don't you focus on school first, when that is over, maybe we talk about it again. You aren't the only one still recovering from the loss," Hayden stated.

"I'm sorry, I didn't...even think about how you were feeling," Avery said to him.

"I forgave you, now I have a meeting to get to and you have class...I will call you later," Hayden said.

"I'll be waiting, I love you..." Avery said lightly.

"I love you too," He went to hang up then stopped, "And Avery..."

"Yes?" she replied.

"This is a relationship. Built on love, communication, and trust. And if I can't trust you, and you can't talk to me about how you are feeling that you have to lie to me-then we don't have anything between us. I do love you, and always will but I won't deal with being lied to. Don't you ever lie to me again or I will leave you." His voice was cold and emotionless as he hung up and handed the phone back to Heather. "Is there something you five need or did you all just follow Heather when Avery called?"

"Just...followed her. Sorry sir, we'll go now." Dylan said as the five from Strike One backed up and left the office.

"And let's not ask if I'm alright either, let's just get this meeting over with so I can either go do a mission or go back to sleep," Hayden remarked to Anderson, Boggs, Greenhalgh, and Evans.

"Of course, Major...We brought the things with us so if you want to just have the meeting here then we can," Evans said.

"I don't care..." Hayden answered as he made himself a cup of coffee then the others sat around the table going over areas with reported activity and more.

(A Week Later)

It was Christmas Eve in Iraq, slight decorations were put up but only if it wasn't in sight of where an enemy could see so mainly in tents or barracks. Hayden had barely spoken to anyone this past week since the talk with Avery and he knew she was upset because he did threaten to leave her if she ever lied to him again. She had tried to lie to him about her cycle, saying she was due for her period when she was actually just about to ovulate-which would of landed her pregnant if he would have had sex with her back at the start of November. He couldn't believe that she tried to lie to him just to get pregnant. Of course he understood that with the loss of their baby she wanted to fill the void, and try again because they had both been all for having the baby before such unfortunate events took place. And now that she wasn't pregnant, she wanted to try again but while he was deployed, and was fully aware of the deployment too. That is what bothered him the most. That she knew how he felt about her being pregnant with him deployed but still tried anyway.

Hayden was no saint either, saying he'd leave her if she lied to him again when he himself had kept things about his emotions hidden from her too, not telling her about the kid he shot, or the one she shot back in Afghanistan, the fact he still gets a voice telling him he's a murderer, or that the nightmares never stopped-but in his defense he didn't feel that Avery needed to know all that: it was his battle not hers. Telling her all that could honestly affect her mental state to know how much he'd seen, done, or heard. She knew some things but not that they still bothered him. How did you forget your best friends were all dead and happened under your command? Answer: you didn't. Tonight they had a mission: Hayden offered to take it because he just didn't want to sit at the barrack bored all night and he was going with the D barrack which was Nightwave squadron he had trained back when he was stationed at Fort Titanwing since Alpha Fire was busy calling their families for the holidays. Hayden didn't want to take part because he'd just be told that they wished he was home, that they missed him, and they'd cry and he just didn't want to deal with it this year. It sucked enough that he couldn't go home so why sit bored: a nice patrol mission would be good to take his mind off things.

Hayden stood with Nightwave: he was leading the Rock Two Unit since the Sergeant who normally did was currently sick with a bronchitis. Anderson approached him handing him a fully charged radio as he connected his earpiece to it then hooked the radio to his belt. "You sure you want to do this, Hayden? This is big area and most of Nightwave are just privates, private first class, or corporals?"

"It'll be fine. It's only twelve sectors, we should be done in a few hours. Six at best, home by eleven...maybe midnight. Three sectors a piece," Hayden stated with a half smile as he got in the jeep and started it up.

"As long as you're sure. You normally don't do missions without Alpha Fire..." Anderson reminded him.

"They are busy with their families, I won't take that from them. See ya in a few, I'll radio when we arrive. Move out, Nightwave!" Hayden ordered as he lead the other three jeeps out heading South-West of the base. Anderson watched them drive out of sight, the location was fifteen miles away and twelve sectors to check. Anderson guess it would take them about twenty-five minutes to get there, then a few hours to check the sectors, then another twenty-five minutes back if nothing went wrong.

"Is he clear of base, Lieutenant Colonel Anderson?" Asked Evans over the radio.

"Just left and out of sight. Let's set this up." Anderson smiled.

"You realize he is going to go off the handle on us?" said Boggs now.

"He needs it. I'll take the heat of his anger...Was my idea after all." Anderson admitted as he then rushed off.

(Few Hours Later; 10pm)

"Nightwave to Doragon base, do you copy? Over," Hayden's voice came through the radio as Anderson put a finger to his lips to make everyone be quiet.

"I copy, Major Haddock. Go ahead. Over," Anderson replied but through the static there was a lot of noise, and gunfire as his face turned to worry. "Haddock, what's going on out there?"

"Nothing much, just the usual shit we run into." Hayden remarked.

"Don't need the sarcasm, Major. Are you under heavy fire? Do you need extraction?" Anderson asked quickly.

"Nah, we got it. We out number them for once...Hold the radio away from your ear, gonna get loud in a second..." Anderson blinked at the request but did so as suddenly they heard a loud Night Fury call come through the radio, Toothless's head shot up, ears twitching while he rushed out of the tent and took to the sky. "Did he take off?"

"Yes?" Anderson replied not sure of what else to answer with.

"Good, then the training I've been doing with him works. That's all I needed. Be back soon, ETA about fifteen-twenty minutes. Haddock over and—HIT THE DECK!...God damn it with the fucking RPG's. And you, Rogers, get the fuck down when reloading your gun before you get shot in the head! I know we covered that in Basic! Ain't no one dying on my watch, we clear on that!?" Hayden stated.

"Um, you sure you don't need an extraction?" Boggs asked next. Over the radio they heard Toothless's roar as Hayden chuckled.

"There ya are, Toothless. Good boy, so you can hear me from fifteen miles away. And don't worry, Boggs, we good. Alright bud...let's do this! Plasma grenade in five, four, three, two...NOW!" They heard a loud set of explosions go off. "See ya in fifteen. Over and out." Then the radio cut as Anderson began to blink, his dragon knew how to find Hayden without being told just by sound alone?

(Fifteen Minutes Later)

Sure enough as Hayden had said, they saw Toothless fly over with two other dragons: Monstrous Nightmares to be exact and they were carrying a flat platform with about eighteen soldiers on it, then behind them was one of the jeeps carrying the other six soldiers. Anderson rushed out as the platform was placed down carefully and the three dragon lowered the ropes as Hayden landed and got off coughing hard. "We did send you with four jeeps..." Anderson remarked.

"And three of them were destroyed with RPG's so I made my own extraction by calling Toothless, training these two big boys and carrying the platform back to base," Hayden said when he took a few deep breaths to calm down.

"We would have come to get you," Evans stated.

"And it would have taken way longer than need be. Good work, Nightwave, go relax a little," Hayden said with a smile as they headed to their barrack groaning with each step. "Want your report I assume?" Anderson and the other three nodded. "Well let's go then, I'm exhausted and want to sleep..." Hayden mumbled afterwards.

"Lets...use your office, Haddock. It's closer anyway, you can take off the gear before telling us," Evans said.

"Fine," Hayden said as he started walking towards his office, he closed his eyes with a sigh of relief as he walked in taking off his helmet.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAYDEN!" his eyes shot open as he looked to see not just Strike One in his office but also: Avery, Camille, his father, aunt Melody, uncle Samuel, Seth, Gobber, TJ, Felix, and Rachel standing there with wide smile. His eyes widened as far as they would go as he saw them all there. In his office. In...Iraq.