My Hope

Author: Nightstar Fury of Nightstar Productions.

Rating: M for Mature.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from Dreamworks HTTYD or Dreamworks Dragons. I also don't own any of the songs I may use.

13; Everything.

{Hunter's POV}

After I told them about me being Shadow, as expected they didn't believe it right away. To know that I was him the entire time but in my frustration of their reactions I gave them proof they couldn't really deny. Such as having the mask and Toothless obviously. Then there were minor details such as why I got mad seeing Damien at school, and the fact I played sick the day of the race they went too where I went against Damien one on one. After that they couldn't deny the truth that I was really Shadow the dragon racer. I knew it was asking a lot of them but I did ask them to keep Toothless and my identity as Shadow a secret, and thankfully they agreed under the conditions that I told them the truth about everything starting from the day I left the school with dad for the 3 week vacation. I didn't want to think about this, it still hurt even two years later but I did say no more secrets so I would tell them no matter what.

"We're waiting, Hunter..." Astrid said impatiently. I could feel their eyes on Hope, probably still trying to process she was my daughter.

"Look, I told you before...It not easy to talk about...Okay so just give me a minute." I sighed. "After leaving the school, dad and I went home to leave for vacation. Mom had everything packed for us so all we had to do was just pack the car and go. It was 3 hours away...I slept most of the ride until mom woke me up to say we were there. Dad had told me previously that we were sharing the vacation house with another family, so when we got there it was a duplex house, side by side. The other family came out, the Holgerson's. Alvin, Ellie, and their teenage daughter...Olivia. She looked as miserable as I was to be there but I didn't see that...I only saw how drop dead beautiful she was. My heart was racing in my chest seeing her teal eyes and dark caramel brown hair...Our parents decided to unpack everything and we went for a walk along the beach to get better acquainted since we'd be sharing that vacation house for 3 weeks."

"Sounds like you fell for her at first sight." Rylee mentioned, I saw Astrid tense up.

"I did...During that walk we talked about school, the fact neither of us were happy to be on the trip, ages, birthdays, favorite things to do, likes, dislikes...You name it. We talked about everything we could before getting called back for dinner. She was...14 at the time, myself 15. And then...for the next 3 weeks we did everything together. Played games, drew, swam, surfed, took walks in the edge of the beach where the water came to shore. She fell for me as hard as I fell for her and then...One day we realized...that is was our last night at the vacation house. She lived 4 hours away from it, and I lived 3...We were walking during the sunset saying we wished it hadn't been over so soon. We wanted to still try to be together so we agreed to a long distance relationship. That we'd talk and text every day until we could see each other again." I looked down a bit. They were quiet so I know they were just listening.

"She told me that we could make that last night perfect and before I could ask she pulled me with her to an old shack about 2 miles down the beach and we snuck inside. As soon as we were, she kissed me. I stopped her and asked what she was doing and she asked me to make love to her." I heard them gasp sitting back a bit. "She said she wanted to give herself to me, a way to give her something until we met again. I said we could and then she...begged me to do it. And I told her if anyone found out we were dead but she said it would be our secret so...I agreed and then for an hour...I made love to her. And before you say anything, I had a condom too. As soon as I turned 15, mom made me start carrying one around..." I closed my eyes.

"When we were done, we made it back out and when asked where we'd been since we were out of sight we just said we walked too far and got lost in the moonlight. They didn't suspect a thing and the next morning was a hard goodbye. All I wanted was to see her again but I had no idea when that would be. I met up with you when I got back, Liv and I still talked every day and we'd call each other at night. But as that month passed her calls and texts became nonexistent... I'd gotten worried if she was alright. When there was two weeks until what would have been sophomore year left...I was sitting with my parents watching a movie when she called me. Mom paused the movie so I could hear better and Olivia told me she needed to see me. She sounded so upset...She said her parents were bringing her the next day by train...And they'd be here by noon time. All she said was she was sorry before hanging up." I closed my eyes and then opened them looking towards Hope.

"She was coming...to tell you she was pregnant...Wasn't she?" Eric asked.

I nodded to him. "When they got here, we instantly moved inside the house. Her father told her to tell me, and I was confused. She looked at me crying and said she was sorry again. I asked her to tell me whatever it was and she told me she was pregnant. In that moment for me at least, everything just stopped. I asked her what she meant, we'd made love...one time and used protection...I...thought the reason she was sorry was because she cheated on me. I asked who the father was and her mother told me it was me. I guess...Olivia missed her period two weeks later after the trip, her mom took her to get a blood test done at the doctors and that came back positive. My dad asked if it was true that Olivia and I made love, I hadn't heard him at first because I was in shock still that Olivia was pregnant and it was mine...He yelled my name and I told him it was true."

"So what happened after that, is Olivia like...living here or something?" Astrid asked.

"No. Our parents argued a little. Olivia's dad blamed me but she told him that it was her fault because she asked me, begged me and I said yes. I told her that it wasn't her fault because...sex is a two way street. Even if she begged, I still said yes." I replied.

"I see where...that argument in health class came from now..." Travis stated.

"I was told next that because she was 14, and the distance between us there was no way we could raise it together. So they gave her two options, abortion or adoption. She chose adoption and they had come to get me to sign my rights over. Mom said I should get a say because it was my baby too, I was just in shock and then Olivia confessed that she wasn't ready to be a mom, and she wanted to do so many things still that she couldn't with a baby. That...killed me to know. That we both had a hand in it and she outright was refusing to even try. She was a month along already, gave birth in April when I was already 16. But backtracking, mom said that this was a lot to take in and for them to come back in a few days. They agreed, Olivia said that she wished she had another option but didn't. They left the form with me and left the house and for the next 5 days following...I just sat in my room trying to process everything." I said.

Hope began to stir a bit and whine, I got up and lifted her from the playpen. She relaxed against me as I looked to them again. "You couldn't do it...could you? You couldn't give her up..." Astrid said.

"No. I couldn't. I couldn't even think about it. When they returned 5 days later, I crumbled the form and threw it away. I told her to give the baby to me and I would raise it myself. I admitted that as much as an accident as it might have been, it still happened and it was still something we both had a hand in and it was still my baby. I told her and our parents that I would take responsibility for my decision and actions. I gave her the form that would give me sole custody...She signed it after I said 'You wanted another option. This is it.' I told her I wanted updates...and walked away. I was hurt by her...We both made the baby, yet I was the only one who wanted to take care of it..." They frowned a bit. It had to of been hard for him.

"So did you...meet Toothless after that? What's the story with that? Or do they...go together?" Travis questioned.

"They do...After Olivia left that day things went on as normal only I didn't return to school...In those three weeks until school began again...Heather lost her mother and that whole process you know so I won't re-explain it...After all that, Heather wasn't ready to go back to school and I wasn't either. Dad agreed to home-school us...I started looking for a job. Heather found out about the baby and Olivia because she e-mailed me a picture from the first ultrasound and I left it up on the computer. I begged her not to say anything to anyone...and keep the secret. She did...So don't be mad at her...Anyway...until Olivia was 7 months pregnant I was just working at the pet shop. Dad or mom would take me by train for Olivia's ultrasounds and she would text me any other updates. When she hit 7 months, I met Toothless. He was wounded and landed in the backyard. I took care of him until he was better and then he just never left. I told him he could but he stayed anyway. Then I just...bonded with him." I explained.

"It just...happened?" Rylee questioned. I nodded.

"I was sitting outside with him when Olivia called me to tell me the baby was moving around a lot and she was uncomfortable while getting testing done. I was worried about the baby...All my feelings for her faded when she told me she didn't want to become a mom...even though we both knew the risks of having sex that night. She and I got into an argument and Toothless just comforted me. He sat beside me, laid his head in my lap and let me pet him. Olivia was trying to get me to change my mind about taking the baby but I told her my mind was made up and she couldn't go back on the agreement now. Toothless growled at the phone hearing her yell at me and I put my hand out to him, he pressed his nose to it and...It just happened. We bonded and it was like nothing I ever felt before." I saw Hope with her eyes opened now and reaching for my face.

"Its like he knew you were upset with her and wanted to be there for you like you were for him." Shaun remarked.

"That's what I said too. Shortly after that, Heather met Windshear and bonded to her. Dad enrolled us on an outside dragon training program and you know that story. How I got into racing was due to the fact I saw sign-ups at the program Heather and I were in. Said anyone 16 or older could join if they had a dragon. If under 18, parent had to approve. The weekly pay to come to practice alone was $10 per hour, then the first prize was $500. Second place $300, and third is $100. I knew I needed money to raise the baby so I talked to dad and he allowed it. I signed up with the name Shadow, my dragon's name, Toothless and that was it. Been racing since, it really is...my job. Its why I said I was busy because I really was..." I sighed.

"So okay, Olivia gave birth next?" Travis questioned.

"Yeah...I was already out there, she was going for another sonogram and leaving the office she was having really sharp pain. I told her to go lay down for a while and I'd stay to help her out, but before we reached the car...Her water broke so we rushed to the hospital. It was me, her mom, Heather, and my mom. Olivia was in labor for 12 hours, and pushed for 30 minutes before the doctor said the baby's heart rate was dropping and their best option was for Olivia to have a c-section...So I was in there with her and her mom...The umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck, and they had the baby out in 40 seconds. They told us it was a girl, Olivia refused to hold her and her mother explained that I was taking the baby so they handed her to me to hold while they stitched Olivia up...And it took me all of 10 seconds to name her Hope. I went with the nurse to have Hope cleaned, weighed, measured, hand and foot prints. Finally, I got to feed her...After two days in the hospital, we finalized the paperwork and Hope came home with me in mom's car...Olivia and I haven't spoken since the day we left the hospital." I took a breath.

"What I don't understand is why you didn't just tell us, Hunter...I mean we're your best friends. We have been since the 6th grade...Didn't you trust us? We wouldn't of judged you, accidents happen..." Rylee stared.

"Lets get one thing straight...My daughter isn't an accident. I agreed to make love to Olivia, Hope's birth might not of been planned but she is far from an accident. I believe things happened this way for a reason..." I said firmly.

"Of course...I'm sorry..." Rylee looked down.

"But still...Why didn't you tell us? Anytime at all you could of just had us come over to tell us but you hid it...for two years from us...We asked over and over if everything was okay. You said it was fine, that you were okay. That day in health you lost it over the topic, in home ec you didn't raise your hand when the teacher asked who in the room had sex...I even said you'd make a good father in all those chances...you never said a word..." Astrid said tears forming again.

"And I'm sorry for that...Like I said...I just wasn't ready...A lot happened in the last two years between the vacation to now...So much and I just didn't say anything because I wasn't ready too. I wasn't ready for everyone to know I had sex at 15, protected, knocked up a girl I thought I loved, became a father, a racer...Then a brother to Heather, the home-schooling, the races, parenting...You don't understand how hard it's been for me. And all I wanted to do when I came back to school was just for a little while...have things be normal again..." Hunter cradled Hope against him. "You are my best friends, and I shouldn't of hid it this long...I just...everything go so crazy so fast and...telling everyone wasn't on the top of my to do list...and when I finally came back to school...I just wanted to act like something in my life hadn't changed completely..."

"Is this everything? Like no other secrets...You having a daughter, and being Shadow the dragon racer...That's the only two things you hid from us?" Astrid asked firmly.

"Yes, it is. I swear on my life I'm not hiding anything else from you..." I said quickly.

"And that was the entire story?" Shaun asked next.

"It was. Yes, it was everything and all of it...Can...you guys forgive me?" I said slowly to them. They looked at one another and sighed before looking back to me while I was holding Hope.

"We're...gonna need some time to think about this, Hunter...This wasn't some little secret you kept, it was huge. Two huge secrets that you didn't tell us about. You...kept us out of the loop, and when you came back you still tried to hide it...You didn't tell us right away in the first story...You lied to us. Your best friends of 6 years..." Shaun said.

'We'll let you know when we've decided..." Travis said. I could only nod to them as they got up and left the house silently. Once the door was closed I kissed Hope's forehead and sat down on the couch with my eyes closed. All I could do now was hope they could forgive me but honestly...I didn't blame them if they didn't. I didn't even forgive myself for keeping these things a secret from them. I should of told them as soon as it happened, like when I got back from vacation about Olivia and then should of told them about becoming a father, and dragon racer...But I didn't. Like an idiot I kept it to myself and my family and now I might lose the best friends I ever had because of this. But at least if I lost them...I had my parents, Heather, Toothless...And I had my little girl. So I would be alright one way or another.