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.

17; We're Going.

{Regular POV}

The group were still sitting in lunch with maybe 15 minutes left. Damien hadn't returned, neither had Hunter. We didn't hear sirens yet so clearly they weren't fighting which was odd given the nature of things. "Should we...maybe go make sure they aren't killing one another?" Travis asked. The group looked at one another now debating it.

"We said we weren't his friends anymore...If we go out there, then it'll seem like we care." Eric remarked.

"But we do care." Rylee added.

"True..." The males sighed together now. Astrid had been quiet, she wanted to know what Hunter gave Heather and she wanted to know what was going on with Hunter and Damien now. There was a lot that could happen right now but more so, Astrid was mulling over Damien's words. He was right. Everyone had secrets, and it was their own business if they told or not. The only reason they found out about Hope was because Violet brought her to the school and Hunter saved her life like any over protective father would. They hadn't demanded an explanation about why he reacted the way he had. Rylee only made a statement that it was cute Hope didn't want to leave her brother. Hunter told them on his own that Hope wasn't his sister, rather his daughter.

"Astrid...You've been quiet. What do you think we should do?..." Shaun asked.

"You know what I think...That you guys are a bunch of asses." Astrid stated making them look slightly taken aback.

"Hey you agreed too!" Rylee protested.

"No I didn't. I was in the bathroom and when I came back you were kicking him out the group. I got no say. I was mad he lied but I forgave him, the night he took me flying I forgave him." Astrid stated.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Travis said.

"I was in the bathroom. When I came back you'd already told him he was out..." Astrid crossed her arms over her chest now. Now they sighed heavily looking down. "No matter how we look at this now, he was kicked out and he told us to leave him alone. He might not even want to come back if we take back what was said. Now its us who made a bad decision and hurt someone over it, we didn't just lose Hunter...We lost Heather too."

"Yeah, she removed herself..." Fredrick mumbled.

"There's...nothing we can do now." Shaun said. They all looked down again as the bell rang, they cleared their table of trash and left together heading to the stables. When they got there they saw Hunter and Damien sitting next to one another clanging their cans of soda together and taking a sip then laughing. All of the groups mouth's dropped open. Hunter and Damien weren't fighting? Or being cold to one another, they were laughing.

"Dude, remember that race when I first started? The qualifying one? You were pissed when you saw Toothless." Hunter smiled.

"It was a freakin Night Fury, the whole team was shocked." Damien replied nodding. The group's eyes widened, Hunter told him about being Shadow?! "Oh hey guys." Damien said seeing the group now.

"What's...going on out here?" Travis asked.

"Just hanging with a new friend." Damien said, he saw their confused faces. "Yes. I know that Hunter is Shadow. I've known a while too. I'm surprised none of you didn't figure it out sooner, the guy flies on Strykeout the same way he does on Toothless. You know anyone else who uses the hand technique? And the rescue moved he saved his daughter with, did it one time with another racer."

"And you're not...like trying to kill one another?" Shaun asked.

"No. Why would we?" Hunter asked curiously.

"Because...You're...rivals?" Rylee remarked.

"Yeah when we race, but outside of that we're friends now. Hunter is a pretty cool guy." Damien chuckled. "Oh while I got you here, there's something I want to show all of you." Damien put his fingers to his mouth and gave a long whistle. Not long after a light green Gronckle bounded out of the forest towards Damien happily with its tongue out of his mouth. "Remember I said everyone had secrets...Well I got a few of my own. One being, this is Shattermaster. And he is is my bonded dragon."

Their mouths dropped open now. "Yep. Shocker isn't his bonded dragon, just like Strykeout isn't mine but we still work together as friends. Shocker was injured in the water and close to drowning when Damien found him so he saved his life and they've worked together ever since." Hunter smiled.

"You told him about this but not us?" Rylee asked.

"I told Hunter because he understands what its like to be afraid to tell people something. I've never really had a lot of friends, and it sucks being alone. So when I saw you all treat Hunter the way you did, over something we are all guilty of doing...And he was alone. I decided I didn't want him to have no one. Just like him, I had my reasons that I don't have to tell you because my reasons are my own." Damien said putting his arm around Hunter's shoulder and the two did a fist bump.

"Well we should get ready for training right? We can work on what you asked me earlier." Hunter said, Damien nodded and the two walked into the stables to saddle their dragons. The others couldn't believe it, Damien kept a secret from them too but told Hunter, then them. Now Hunter and Damien were...best friends. It was like the whole world was going crazy. But nevertheless they had to accept it, they kicked Hunter from their group and Heather removed herself. The rest of class the group spend training and watching Hunter and Damien work on their speed and some moves. When class ended they didn't put their dragons away as usual. "See ya at home sis." Hunter called to Heather.

"Okay, love ya bro." Heather replied. With that Hunter was gone on Strykeout. Damien left too.

"I seriously cannot believe those two...are friends! And Damien isn't bonded to Shocker but rather a Gronckle?!" Eric said quickly.

"What the hell right? He ditched us to be friends with his rival." Rylee stated.

"And we ditched Hunter for doing something we've all done before...We did a lot of things Hunter doesn't know about while he was gone..." Shaun sighed.

"Yes, you did." Heather said as she was packing up her things now. They all looked to her. "You've all kept your secrets before, and there are still things that Hunter doesn't know about while we were gone for two years. Is it really fair to punish him for things you've all done too?" Heather added.

"No but..." Travis started.

"No buts!" Heather yelled angrily making them take a step back. "Everyone has secrets! Even me! Want to know one of mine? At the graduation of dragon training, the guy I'd been crushing on tried to drug and rape me with his friends. Hunter put that guy in the hospital. And then he saved my life by making me puke up whatever I was given because they almost made me overdose. I fell into a bad depression and almost kill myself but Hunter stopped me. He's a wonderful brother, son, father, and racer. And he was a good friend to all of you until you tossed him aside." Heather snapped.

"Heather...We're sorry..." Rylee whimpered a bit.

"No you're not! If you were sorry you wouldn't of kicked him out of the group. You would of understood how hard these last two years have been for him! I get his lies and secrets hurt you, but it hurt him to keep them for his own reasons. He doesn't have to tell you those! No wonder he and Damien get along so well, Damien understands what it means to give someone a second chance, to want a second chance. Hunter and him have been rivals for a year and a half but...Hunter gave him a chance and now they are friends. You just threw him out like it was nothing." Heather said.

"He didn't sound like he wanted a second chance, you can't keep yelling at us." Shaun said.

"I can and I will. Why should he have to sound like he wants a second chance, what type of answer is that?! What you expect him to get on his knees and beg for a second chance from his...Oh excuse me...Supposed friends?! You have known Hunter for YEARS guys, come on now. Since the 6th grade, and never once besides this has he given you reason to doubt him, to hate him, or not believe him. And you also know he's not one to beg, yes he's upset he lost all of you but you don't see things from his side. And not just with having a daughter and being a racer either...You don't see that Hunter is a man who accepts his faults, accepts what he cannot change and moves on." Heather said a little calmer now.

"What do you mean?" Travis tilted his head a bit, Heather put her hand on her hip and rolled her eyes.

"Hunter doesn't dwell in the past. He knew he couldn't get out of going on that trip so instead of complaining he just went like he was expected too. He fell for that girl, and slept with her, got her pregnant. He was given the choice to get out of it and never have to worry, but instead he accepted what happened and took responsibility for what happened by letting Olivia out of something she had a hand in and him raising Hope himself. Hunter wasn't forced to raise Hope, he chose to do it and he knew what it involved giving up. As for why he lied to you all, I don't know. I can't read his mind, he just asked I keep his secret. Even I don't know the reasons but I do know that Hunter never does anything without a good reason..." Heather closed her eyes now as she pulled out the small white envelope from the front pouch of her backpack and faced them.

"But if he's sorry for lying then why won't he ask for another chance?..." Eric asked.

"Because he knows what he did hurt all of you as friends. And in his mind, friends don't hurt one another. Hunter feels like he doesn't deserve a second chance after what he did to you all so he refuses to ask for another one. He understands he messed up, so like with everything else he's going to suck it up and take responsibility for his actions. If losing you guys as friends is the punishment for lying...Then he will take it and move on." Heather stated.

"So even though he's sorry he doesn't want us to be his friends anymore?" Rylee questioned.

Heather face-palmed very much the same way Hunter always did with a sigh and her eyes closed. "You're twisting my words, Rylee. He doesn't want to lose you guys as friends but since you clearly don't want to be friends with him anymore, he understands he messed up and believes he doesn't deserve forgiveness or a second chance for hurting all of you so he won't ask. He accepts what has happened and is choosing to back off so you won't have to be hurt by what he did. To him, anytime you see a race or Hope...It will just remind you that he lied about it. He doesn't want to cause more pain so he's choosing to stay out of your lives so he doesn't hurt you again." She watched them put their heads down a bit as she handed Astrid the white envelope.

"What's this?..." Astrid asked softly.

"From Hunter." Heather said preparing to leave. "You don't have to use them, its your choice. Hunter prepared them right before we returned to school this year because believe it or not...He always planned to tell you the truth, he just wanted to do it his way but that didn't happen. Either way, he wanted you to have them so there. My advice...I'd come. It might be the last time you ever see him." Heather began to walk away.

Confused, Astrid opened the envelope and inside were 6 tickets and they were to the dragon race on Saturday. "Wait, what do you mean the last time we ever see him?..." Astrid asked quickly as fear washed over her. Heather stopped and looked back sadly at them.

"Those are tickets to the race this Saturday...And its also going to be Hunter's last race so he wanted you to have them. If you come or not is up to you. But after Saturday, Hunter plans to leave the racing league for good then drop out, get his GED, and leave with Hope. He told us last night...So there you go. I have to leave..." Heather walked away from them back towards the school.

"Hunter is...going to give up racing?...And leave for good?" Astrid asked shakily.

"But why...He...loves racing." Rylee frowned.

"You don't...think its because we stopped being his friends, do you?" Travis asked, they looked at him. "Maybe...racing just reminds him that he hurt us? So he doesn't want to do it anymore that way when we see his races we aren't upset with him?"

"That would make sense for why he would give up racing but why drop out and leave with Hope?" Shaun asked.

"None of us know and I think they only way we will find out is...if we go and ask him ourselves. I don't know about any of you...But I love Hunter and since I didn't get a say in kicking him out of the group...I'm not going to lose him forever. I'm going to the race, and I'm going to tell him that I forgive him." Astrid took a ticket from the envelope and put it in her purse before handing them the envelope with the rest.

"We're going too. Heather and Damien are right, we all keep secrets. From one another too. Its not fair we kicked Hunter out when we're just as guilty. We're going to that race...and we're getting our friend back. We aren't going to lose him again." Fredrick said firmly. All in agreement, they each took a ticket and put them away safely. They would go to the race, and talk to Hunter. Convince him that they were sorry for kicking him out, and that they wanted him back as their friend. They only hoped he would forgive them for being such jerks about it all. The group split off and went their separate ways to return home.