Three months had passed since Hanson proposed to Caylee in the barrack in front of everyone. Hanson admitted that it wasn't the way he wanted to go about it, but since Aiden had opened his mouth and got Caylee wondering what he was talking about, Hanson didn't have much choice but to give in and make the proposal then and there. After the clapping and congratulating was done, Hanson excused himself with Caylee over to his office where the two enjoyed a candle lit dinner, more dancing, and then a night flight where they were gone all night. It was evident when Hanson showed up for breakfast the next morning in a beyond happy mood what the two of them had done together.
The only other time Hanson took off was three days right after Thanksgiving, but everyone knew why. It was the ten year anniversary of his mother's passing, and according to Vincent, Thatcher, and Ricky, Hanson always took that time off to be with his father so they could remember her together. Caylee also took part in comforting Hanson; it was emotional for him every year no matter how much time passed since her death. Hanson returned a little down in the dumps after those days but otherwise was fine and continued with the dragon training. Four months total now the trainees had been doing it, and finally were making some progress by now being able to fly and land.
More in training was that they had their saddles fitted, they could do turns, loops, dives, rescues, etc. Hanson trained the ten soldiers well, and he admitted them several times that he was impressed by how far they had come since starting in September. Now it was January in the year 2018, Hanson proudly informed them that come February, they would be graduating as full dragon riders that still had to follow the rules. The final month would be used as a review for them, and then a final test before they were done completely with training. To think they started in June with Basic, and now it was January, but they were almost done.
For Hanson, he knew six of the ten soldiers he was training were upset and hid it well by staying silent and putting on smiles. It was so they didn't anger him like Aubree had that one night during DS time when she flipped out on Hanson about his taking off and not saying a word to anyone for eight years until they by chance, happened to see him again when he got introduced as their Drill Sergeant. Hanson had told Caylee about why he didn't want the others knowing certain things, mainly because he didn't want them distracted from their training with how his life had been since he vanished from their lives to join the military to stay with his best friend Toothless.
Lately, Hanson had been considering just bringing the six of his former friends to his office during DS time and explaining it all because he did feel bad that he took off without a word and left them worrying, but he did have his reasons for such. Right now, it was dinner time, and he was still debating the idea. It would just be easier to tell them everything so they could understand his side of things. With that thought in mind, Hanson made his decision. He was going to tell them everything when dinner was over. Hanson finished his food and pulled out his phone to call Caylee and tell her what he was planning to do.
(Drill Sergeant Time)
Hanson was sitting in his office at his desk waiting for 1800 to strike on the clock, he already informed Thatcher to send over the six people he requested when that time hit. He just hoped they would listen and understand. Meanwhile, over in the barrack, Thatcher, Vincent, and Ricky entered when the clock struck 6 pm and looked around the room.
"Hofferson, Thorstons, Larsen, Jorgenson, and Ingerman. You six are being summoned over to the Lieutenant Colonel's office. I don't know what it's for, but those are the orders we were given," Thatcher informed them. The six looked at one another as they got up and left the barrack while walking over to Hanson's office and Aubree knocked twice.
"Come in," Hanson replied through the door. Aubree turned the handle and opened it slowly as if preparing to be yelled at, however, that wasn't the case. "File in, have a seat at the table," Hanson stood from his desk now and motioned to the circular table that was sitting in front of his desk. The six former friends did as they were told to avoid being screamed at for disobeying a direct order. When they were sitting, Hanson moved in front of his desk and leaned against it while looking at them all. "I'm sure you're wondering why I asked for you six to come here, yes?"
"Yes sir," they replied with nods of their heads.
"I know you've wanted an explanation about everything since you arrived here back in June and I have refused to give you one for personal reasons. One of them being, I couldn't. You have seen that as soldiers, there is a certain code of conduct in which you have to perform under. I have one too, and it has prevented me from telling you everything thus far. Aside from Thatcher, Ricky, Caylee, Ella, Vincent, and Aiden, no one here knows that you six were friends of mine. Call it a professional mixing with a personal matter, and that isn't allowed in the military. When I found out you were coming, as much as I was overjoyed to get to see you again, I couldn't behave in such a manner. I had to be your Drill Sergeant, not your friend." Hanson began to explain.
"Why couldn't you tell us that in the start?" Raelyn asked nervously.
"Earlier military days weren't so great, and I've been under watch for a while to make sure I don't break any more rules. The only reason I haven't been severely punished or discharged is that I found things they couldn't argue with and managed to slip away. I'll explain all of that later," Hanson told them.
"So, if you couldn't tell us before, why now?" Franklin inquired.
"It's because you were still being trained. In truth, your training has been completed. The next month until your test is review and practice that you will do under the supervision of another soldier. Your training under me is over, and you're considered members of my platoon, a group of soldiers who are all the best of friends and still do their job. You're not trainees anymore; you're full soldiers, so I don't have to be as professional with you," Hanson informed.
"Oh, I guess that makes sense. But you're still our CO, right?" Grant asked.
"Very much so. It's all cool for us to talk normal, laugh, crack jokes, have a good time as long as when it comes time to work you're following my orders just as Thatch, Rick, and Vin do. So if you're still curious and want to hear everything, I'll tell you it all." Hanson offered.
"Well, you told us already, didn't you? You didn't want to lose Toothless, so you joined to keep him, and got too busy to let us know what was going on," Sawyer pointed out.
"There is...a lot more I haven't told you. Like I said, I'll give you the whole story and explanation from when I joined in October 2008, to the day you arrived in June 2017. I will tell you everything," Hanson said again, "It's your decision," he added.
The six friends looked at one another with a silent agreement, and then they looked back at Hanson. "We want to know," Aubree replied calmly.
"Alright, hope you're comfortable," Hanson took a deep breath. "I have eight years to tell you all in one night before lights out," From there, Hanson began to tell them from the day he joined. Hanson told them about meeting Caylee, how Basic and the other training went. Most of the story was promotions, friends dying, and his five other tours with how long they were and that even on leave time, he couldn't call to let them know. The only parts of the story he left out, were Hazel and Caleb and that would come out next. The explanation took close to an hour to get through, and they others asked questions in between which took up time too.
"So that is everything? From the day you bonded with Toothless, to joining up, your Basic, Advanced, and Dragon Training, all five tours, the promotions, getting with Caylee? All of it?" Sawyer asked him.
"I did leave one thing out because I truthfully feel you won't believe me unless I show you," Hanson told them nervously.
"Alright, how big on the moments in your life is this thing?" Franklin inquired slowly.
"Big," Hanson replied taking a breath as he pulled out his phone and put it to his ear, "Hey babe," he greeted, "Yeah, I'm ready for them," he said and then there was a pause. "Love you more, see you soon," after that, he hung up and put his phone away.
"Who are you ready for?" Taylor blinked
"You will find out in five, four, three, two-" Hanson stopped before he said one and there was a knock on the door. "Bring 'em in, babe," he called and then the door opened as two kids rushed in and Hanson smiled while moving off his desk and crouching down while they ran into his awaiting arms.
"Daddy!" the two children cheered excitedly and wrapped their arms around his neck to hug him tightly. Caylee walked in afterward and shut the door with a smile and then moved beside Hanson to greet him with a kiss. The six former friends gasped in shocked, eye going wide at the sight and word said by these two kids. Daddy. They called Hanson their father. Hanson had kids?! Hanson stood up straight after placing the kids down in front of him and then Caylee took her place beside him.
"This on my right is Caleb, and my left is Hazel," Hanson told them calmly. "You've been asking who they are, well, they are my children. You never see them because they live with my Dad ten minutes from the base, Caylee lives there too when not here at drill weekend or on a tour of duty," he added.
"But wait, Caleb looks to be about eight years old, that means you got Caylee pregnant when you met her at fifteen," Raelyn said quickly.
"Caleb is not my biological son, he's Caylee's, and I have been in his life since he was three months old. Caylee got pregnant at fourteen by her ex-boyfriend who is now in prison. And to provide for Caleb; she joined the military. Caylee and I met at fifteen in when she was transferred here from Visithug Isle to do Dragon Training. We got put in the same platoon, on the family day for her and the others who finished DT in May 2010, I met Caleb." Hanson began to explain.
"So why is he calling you Daddy then?" Grant inquired.
"Because when Hanson and I were eighteen, we had Hazel. It wasn't planned or anything, but it happened. We didn't want Caleb to think he wasn't loved equally so since Hanson has been in his life since he was a baby, we told him he could call Hanson as Dad, Daddy, or Father. Hanson will adopt him after we get married, and change his last name to Haddock," Caylee smiled lightly.
"Wait, you were eighteen when you had Hazel. And at eighteen Hanson, you were on your third tour of duty in South Korea weren't you?" Sawyer asked. Hanson nodded to him to confirm, "How did that work?"
"Well, Caylee got pregnant in June 2011 on my leave time from the second tour since it was only six months long and then she gave birth to Hazel February 2012. I left for my third tour August 2011 because the second and third tours were back to back, when Caylee was three months pregnant and then sent home on two-week leave to make it back in time. And then I turned eighteen at the end of February 2012. Hazel was born on the 17th, and Caleb turned three on the 20th." Hanson enlightened them.
"Out of curiosity here, is one of the reasons you got in trouble with the high up officers because you were a Second Lieutenant when Caylee was still an enlisted member?" Aubree inquired.
"Yes. It was a huge factor in why I'm being watched so closely. Caylee was a Staff Sergeant when I was a Second Lieutenant. Officers and enlisted members aren't supposed to have intimate relations with one another especially if they are in the same platoon. I was technically Caylee's commanding officer, and when it came out she was pregnant and couldn't go on the third tour due to carrying my child, we were both in trouble." Hanson sighed.
"Hanson managed to shut down the investigation by telling them that when I conceived we were living at his Dad's house and it didn't happen on the base. We did it on our own time when the military wasn't involved. However, since I couldn't go on the tour with them being pregnant, the punishment was moving me into another platoon that wasn't set for deployment." Caylee continued the story softly as she laid her head on his shoulder now.
"And if they knew we were your friends then you would be in trouble for training us because they might feel that you're letting us off easy?" Franklin asked.
"Exactly. And I'm sorry for everything these past eight months, and I wasn't intentionally trying to be a dick to all of you and say that our friendship didn't matter to me because it does. I've wondered every day the last eight years how all of you are doing, and I'm sorry I didn't tell you about my bonding with Toothless or joining the military. I know my Dad could have told you, but I wanted to be the one to do it, and wanted to wait until there was a lot of time to explain it all. Hearing everything now, do you understand why I couldn't just call or write a letter to you? Do you get how confusing it would have been to explain this in a letter or a phone call? Would you have honestly understood if I did it any other way than what I did tonight?" Hanson asked.
"It makes sense now, Hanson, but you have no idea how worried we have been about you. We thought the worst things, even as far as saying that you got sick and died like your Mom had. We used to check the cemetery to make sure your headstone wasn't there, we called other schools, Gods, we did so much to look for you," Aubree glanced off to the side.
"I know, and I'm so sorry for it all, but I never forgot about any of you. Even in here," he paused moving over to his desk and grabbing a picture in a frame and showing them, "I always looked back to simpler times, I said the the day I found out you were coming here for training. I was overjoyed and that I'd get to see you again. That's why I said what I did the day you saw me again but I still had to stay professional and why I couldn't give you the story until now," Hanson said.
"Well, I'll admit that if he had called or written a letter about this, I wouldn't have understood any of it," Grant said.
"And I can say with complete honesty that if I were in his situations, I would have done the very same," Franklin told the friends, Sawyer nodding in agreement with him.
"I guess I can understand, and it's not all bad. I mean, he did say he wanted to be the one to tell us everything when he could, and he kept his word by telling us now when he was able and had time," Taylor stated with his twin sister giving a nod to agree with the statement.
"Alright, Hanson. We forgive you for everything as long as you don't hide anything else from us," Aubree told him firmly. Hanson almost breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thank you, and I am sorry for it all. Like I said, I was either beyond busy, not around, or couldn't." Hanson said again.
"We understand now and don't hold it against you for doing what you did. You said we aren't trainees anymore and can be friends again as long as we follow orders when told to, right?" Sawyer asked.
"Yes. You're members of the platoon now and friends with everyone in it. As long as you behave appropriately when in the company of officers ranked higher than you in public and do as you're told, then you are fine." Caylee nodded to them.
"We will bear that in mind. Thanks for telling us everything," Raelyn said next.
"You're welcome, and now it's time you get back to the barrack. I've got some work to finish up here. Catch you later?" Hanson asked.
"You will." Grant smiled as he got up with the other five friends and left the office and Hanson plopped down. He had done it, told them everything of the last eight years. His friends forgave him, and he felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Now he could enjoy some time with his fiance and two kids, also life would be a lot easier now that his friends knew the truth. Finally, things felt like they were normal again.
