Hey, my readers!!

This story has been on my mind a lot and I have some friends that are excited about it, so I decided to start it. Don't worry I'm still going to write 'The Secret Child' as well. Just wanted to get this one started.

This is a modern AU.

Summary:

Hiccup is a single father and trying to take care of him and his daughter when Astrid moves into the apartment beside them and ends up getting a job at the same coffee shop that Hiccup works at. They become friends and soon a spark is ignited. But will they want it to burn and become something more?

NAMES:

Hiccup - Henry (They call him Hiccup as a nickname)

Astrid - Astrid (New to Berk, a new friend to Hiccup - soon to be more than that)

Camicazi - Camille (Hiccup's ex-girlfriend)
Hailey - Hailey (Hiccup's daughter)
Valka - Valerie (Hiccup's mom)

Gobber - Gary (Hiccup's boss and family friend)
Heather - Heather (Astrid's Best Friend)
Fishlegs - Frederick (Freddie - Hiccup's best friend)
Tuffnut - Torben (Hiccup's friend)
Ruffnut - Reagen (Hiccup's friend)

Snotlout - Sean ( Astrid's abusive ex-fiance)

Brad - Brad (Camille's boyfriend)

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"Hailey! Let's go, sweetie!" Hiccup called to his daughter.

"I'm coming." A small female voice said trying to get her pink backpack on her back. "Daddy, can you help me?"

Hiccup smiled at his daughter and kneeled down and helped her get her backpack on properly.

"There. Now let's go." He said standing up and taking his daughter's hand. They left the apartment and Hiccup locked the door. Hailey peeked into the apartment beside there's since the door was open.

"Daddy, why's it open?" She asked. Hiccup glanced in seeing some boxes.

"Someone is probably moving in sweetie. That means a new neighbour." He told her as they walked to the elevator.

"I hope they're nice!" Hailey said as they got into the elevator. Hiccup smiled.

"Don't forget, Grandma is picking you up after school today, okay? I have to work till dinner time." Hiccup told his daughter.

They were outside walking to the car now. Hailey sighed.

"Okay. I wanted to play with you today." She said sounding a little sad. Hiccup helped her into her car seat, buckling her in.

"We can play tomorrow after school. Okay, sweetie?" Hiccup told her and kissed her head.

"Okay, daddy." She said. Hiccup smiled and closed her door before getting into the driver's seat and driving off to bring her to school.

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After Hiccup dropped Hailey off and then went to work. He grabbed his apron and put it on. He was about to go out on the floor when his boss called to him.

"Hiccup!" Gary called. Hiccup looked at him. "My office."

Hiccup went to the office and sat down.

"What's up?" Hiccup asked. Gary was a good friend of Hiccup's mom and knew Hiccup since he was a child. He was like a dad to him. Hailey even called him Uncle Gary.

"I have a new girl I hired coming in on Saturday and I need you to train her for me." Gary said.

"I'm supposed to spend the day with Hailey though." Hiccup said.

"Can't Camille take her?" Gary asked. Camille was Hiccup's ex-girlfriend and Hailey's mother. She only took Hailey once in a while for a visit, but she really didn't care for her daughter at all. Hailey didn't really like going to see her either.

"I can ask her. But I'm not making any promises. You know how she is with seeing Hailey. Every visit is a battle and practically forced." Hiccup said. Gary sighed.

"I'm asking you because you're the best worker here, but if you can't I get it," Gary said. "Your daughter comes first."

"I'll ask Cami, and I'll ask my mom. I'll get back to you." Hiccup said and got up to go start his shift.

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After work Hiccup was driving to his mom's to pick up Hailey. He called Camille on the phone on his way there.

"Hello?" Camille said.

"Hey Camille, it's Hiccup." Hiccup said.

"Oh, hi."

"I needed to ask you something."

"What's up?"

"Are you able to take Hailey on Saturday? I have to train someone at work."

"Hiccup, it's not my weekend yet. You know I only take her the last weekend of the month. Besides, I'm going away with Brad this weekend."

"Cami, it's one day. Just for a few hours."

"I said no. It's not like she's gonna want to see me anyway. She doesn't exactly like me."

"Well maybe if you would take her more often and spend more time with her instead of your stupid boyfriend, you would have a better relationship with her."

"At least I have another relationship going. Unlike you."

"Oh, I'm sorry I care more about our daughter and providing for her than dating someone right now."

"You're the one who wanted her."

"Yeah, and she's the best thing that's ever happened to me. You're the one who walked out Cami."

"I'm aware of that. I don't want the little brat anyway."

Hiccup heard that and got mad.

"She's not a brat! If you don't want anything to do with her, fine. I'll go to court and ask for full custody."

"Fine. I'm not taking her this Saturday, and you can forget about her visit this month too."

Hiccup sighed.

"Cami, don't do that. Hailey likes seeing you."

"No, she doesn't. All she does is ask for you when she's here. If you want full custody that's fine with me. The quicker she's out of my life the better."

"Fine." Hiccup said and hung up on her. He pulled into his mom's driveway and sighed. He calmed himself down before getting out of the car to go get Hailey.

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Hiccup walked into his mom's house and closed the door. He walked into the kitchen and Valka was making some dinner.

"Hey, mom." He said sighing. Valerie looked at him.

"You okay?" She asked.

"Can you watch Hailey for a few hours on Saturday? Gary wants me to train someone at work." He asked.

"Sure." Valerie said.

"I asked Cami, but that didn't go well. Went as far as me telling her I'm just going to file for full custody."

Valerie stopped what she was doing and looked at him.

"Really?" She asked. Hiccup nodded.

"It's not like it will be any different. I mean Hailey only sees her mom once a month anyway."

"True. But what are you going to tell Hailey?"

"I'll figure it out."

"Daddy!" Hailey said running into the kitchen. Hiccup smiled and picked her up hugging her.

"Hey, sweetheart. How was school?"

"It was okay." She said. Hiccup smirked.

"You two staying for dinner?" Valerie asked.

"Can we?" Hailey looked at her dad.

"Sure sweetie." Hiccup said putting her down again. Hailey ran off to play with her grandma's dog, a Husky named Cloudjumper.

"I'm thinking of getting me and Hailey a dog." Hiccup said.

"Really? Well, you know you're allowed to come by the pet store anytime." Valerie told her son.

Hiccup's mom ran a pet store for animals. Abused, lost, people not wanting them, or can't take care of them, injured. Any kind of animal. She had all kinds of cats and dogs, some fish, birds, bunnies, hamsters, ferrets, any kind of animal. She even had a friend of hers that ran a farm for injured horses and farm animals like cows, pigs, goats, and chickens.

Hailey loved going to the pet store and the farm. She was always asking if they could get a pet but it just wasn't in their budget right now and Hiccup felt bad. But he knew that if Hailey's mom wasn't going to be in her life at all anymore, she was gonna need someone else to have around besides just him and his mom. Hailey adored Cloudjumper and would spend hours playing with the husky. Cloudjumper knew to be gentle with her as well.

After a while, Valerie had dinner ready and the three of them sat down and ate. Hiccup and Hailey went home after and Hailey was peeking into the open door next to theirs again while Hiccup was unlocking it.

"Daddy! There's a pretty lady in there." Hailey said spotting a blonde haired girl putting some books on a shelf.

"Hailey, it's not polite to look into some else's apartment. Come on, you need to put your pj's on and brush your teeth." Hiccup told her and opened the door.

Hailey gave Hiccup her backpack so he could empty it and make her lunch for the next day while she went to her room and got her pj's on. She went into the bathroom and got her stool to stand on to reach the sink.

"Daddy! I need help!" Hailey called. Hiccup came to the bathroom and put some of her bubblegum tasting toothpaste on her bright pink toothbrush and helped her brush her teeth. They went back to her room and Hiccup helped her to bed.

Hiccup read her story and tucked her in and said goodnight. Hiccup gave her, the stuffed dragon that she loved to sleep with. Hailey snuggled it and went to go to sleep. Hiccup walked out and left her door open a little bit for her. He went back to the kitchen and finished making her lunch and emptying her bag.

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Astrid was grabbing some books and putting them up on her bookshelf when she heard a little girl's voice.

"Daddy! There's a pretty lady in there."

Followed by a male's voice.

"Hailey, it's not polite to look into some else's apartment. Come on, you need to put your pj's on and brush your teeth."

Astrid smiled to herself knowing it was probably her neighbours. The landlord had told her there was a single dad that lived with his four-year-old daughter next door and that they are very sweet.

She continued to put books on her shelf when one of them fell and crashed to the floor.

"Damn it." She said sighing. She picked up all the books putting them to the side and looked at the shelf.

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Hiccup was sitting on the couch in the living room watching a show when he heard a crash and "Damn it!" from the wall behind him. A few minutes later there was a knock at the door. Hiccup got up and answered it.

"Hi, I know you don't know me. But do you have a drill? My bookshelf came apart on me." Astrid said.

Hiccup nodded.

"Yeah I have one, do you need help?" He asked going to the closest nearby and grabbing the drill.

"If you don't mind." Astrid said.

"Not at all. It shouldn't take too long." He said and they went into her apartment.

Hiccup and Astrid went over to the bookshelf and Hiccup helped her put it back together and made sure it was good.

"Thank you. I appreciate it." She said.

"You're welcome. So are you new here?" He asked. She nodded.

"Yeah, new to Berk. Well, kind of new. I lived here when I was a kid for a little while but then we moved. But I came back because I had to get away from someone." Astrid told him.

Hiccup nodded. "Well, I hope you enjoy it." He said heading to the door.

"Thank you, umm..." She said.

"Henry, but people call me Hiccup." He said.

"I'm Astrid. It was nice to meet you."

"You too."

He went back into his apartment and put the drill away. He went back to his spot on the couch.

'Astrid.' he thought. 'She seems nice.'

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Astrid finished putting her books on the shelf and then got ready for bed and laid down.

'Hiccup.' She thought. 'He's kind of cute.'

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There you guys go!

Damn, don't remember the last time I wrote a chapter over 1900 words. It's been a while!

I hope you guys enjoyed this first chapter. I'm surprised I got this done considering how swamped I am with my scriptwriting assignments for school!

Tell me what you thought!!

Thanks!