A/N:

So, I officially have no idea at all where ideas for these things come from XD Really, this was very randomly written, but I like how it turned out, and I hope all of you do too : ) Just a very small, very fluffy Easter fic about Arnold and Helga. Not enough shows do Easter episodes, in my opinion, so this is my two cents at giving HA! kind of a mini Easter episode (set after the series and movie but before TJM).Please read and review, and Happy Easter to everyone who celebrates!

The Easter Bunny

It was the afternoon of Easter Sunday, and a doorbell sounded at the familiar front door of a familiar boarding house.

Most of the boarders (including Phil and Gertie) were of course busy at the moment whacking piñatas and dancing to mariachi songs underneath a large banner that read "Feliz Cinco de Mayo!" This situation explained why Arnold, who had just exited his living room, was putting aside some maracas and a sombrero before then heading down the foyer to answer the front door.

He opened that door to find Helga G. Pataki standing on his front stoop.

Arnold blinked, his eyes going a little wide in surprise. "Helga?"

She was leaning against his cement railing, her eyes closed, one hand holding one of her temples and the other holding a large, brown envelope.

At Arnold's greeting, Helga just sighed deeply. "Hey, Arnold." She took in a deep breath and finally put her free hand on her hip and opened her eyes. "Listen, it's been a LONG weekend for me so far—would it be all right if we skipped the pleasantries and just got right down to brass tacks?"

Arnold raised an eyebrow. "Uh…Helga? I'm sorry, but what do you mean exactly?"

Helga sighed and rolled her eyes. Then she stood up straight and strolled right in the front door. "I mean, I'd like to skip a bunch of awkward greetings and polite comments about the holiday and weird responses to the fact that I've just paid you a surprise visit and any other mushy stuff. We have some business to attend to, and I just want to get it over with so I can go home, grit my teeth, and get through Olga's never-ending egg-dying, and her eternal slew of Easter Bunny jokes, and possibly having to wear one of these awful matching bonnets she got for me, her and Miriam to take a family photo in." She glanced back at Arnold, feeling she had made her point sufficiently enough.

Arnold, however, whose gaze had followed her along her journey into his house, still just appeared very confused. "I…what business?" he finally managed in perplexity, raising an eyebrow. And he hoped very much whatever she was talking about wasn't a bad thing—he already had his hands full enough with the Cinco de Mayo celebration today.

Helga let out a breath and glanced away. She also blushed a little (a fact which Arnold did not fail to notice). "Yeah, that's sort of a complicated can of worms. I promise, it's in your favor what I did. Just…like I said, it's been a long couple of days, so if you could just accept it and not read, I don't know, WAY too much into it, I would appreciate that very much." She looked back at him a touch dryly, arms crossed over her chest. "Okay?"

Arnold finally pushed the front door shut behind him and then nodded to her. "Um, okay, Helga. Did you want to go some place private?" He tried very hard not to blush himself as he walked forward a little past her. He had been trying not to blush around her for a couple of months now actually ever since their little 'saving the neighborhood' adventure (and now especially ever since the April Fools Day escapade).

"No, Football Head, I want to have a personal conversation right out here in your hallway or right in the middle of Easter dinner in front of your family." Helga rolled her eyes. Then her nose caught the scent of something. She inhaled. Then she looked at Arnold, raising part of her brow. "Burritos? And refried beans?"

Arnold cleared his throat in a touch of shyness and headed for the boarding house staircase. "My family does holidays a little differently than other people. Remember last Thanksgiving it was like the Fourth of July? Well, it's Easter, so we celebrate Cinco de Mayo." He sighed. "I like it, but it's also a little embarrassing." He tried to smile just the same.

Helga just shrugged, heading toward the staircase now too. "So your family eats pintos and cheese instead of ham and carrot cake—good food is good food in my book. Besides…" her dry look had a touch of darkness to it as she glared at him and added, "You didn't have to go Easter dress shopping with Olga. After what she put me through yesterday afternoon, she'll be lucky if I don't hide some of those dyed hardboiled eggs in her luggage as a little going away present."

Arnold smiled a little, doing his best not to laugh at the unfair (if arguably amusing) potential shenanigan. "Is your family really bothering you that much again?" He smiled a little more in interest and also gestured forward with his arm. "We can go talk up in my room. It's the only place that's quiet right now."

Helga nodded to his offer and followed him in ascending the stairs, and then proceeded to answer his question about her family. "Well, it's not that they're being unfair—they're just being mind-numbingly annoying, but I can tolerate that a little better. Besides, as long as I get Easter chocolate, they could dress as rabbits, dye themselves pink and hide eggs all over the neighborhood for all I care." She smirked a little to herself.

Arnold smiled more. "Well, I'm glad they're at least being nice to you even if they're still having trouble getting along with you." They had reached the second floor landing now, and Arnold felt he had run out of things to say. "So…" he glanced to the side and shrugged, "Are you having a nice holiday overall?"

Helga shrugged and nodded. "Yeah, I guess so. You?"

Arnold nodded. "Yeah. Like I said, I don't get much of a traditional Easter, but the holiday's been fun the way it is so far."

"But overall the whole thing is still very mushy and loving and heartwarming…right?" Helga sounded casual as ever as she asked the question about his welfare, and remained looking forward.

However, Arnold could tell she was just barely glancing back at him out of the corner of her eye. Before the 'saving the neighborhood' adventure he knew he probably would have smiled to himself and warmed inside at the idea of her secretly caring about him but trying to hide it. Now, however, he blushed a little and glanced away, doing his best not to look awkward (and thus succeeding at looking completely awkward). "Yeah. Everyone's still very loving. They're just loving in their own way, that's all."

Helga nodded and let out a breath. "Good…. Good."

They had reached the end of the hallway now.

Helga then turned to face Arnold, arms crossed over her chest, still looking a bit bored and tired.

Arnold crossed his own arms and looked back at her, first as a matter of course and then curiously. She was just standing there.

"Uh…" Helga finally started with a noticeable touch of sarcasm, jerking her thumb in an upward direction, "Are you going to pull down the attic steps to your room for us, or is someone waiting in there to beam us up? Sheesh, way to get the 'door' for a lady, Football Head." She rolled her eyes.

Arnold blinked, realization flooding over him. "O-Oh, oh, right…I'm sorry, Helga." He reached up and pulled the cord which brought down the steps, then he stepped aside and gestured forward, trying to smile and not seem too embarrassed. "Ladies first." He couldn't help blushing just a little.

Helga just sighed deeply and shook her head to herself, but she did ascend. She bit her lip as she climbed but then finally managed a sincere enough, "Thank you, Arnold," before making it to his bedroom door and opening it for herself to enter.

Arnold blinked, looking after her curiously. Then he shook his head to clear it and quickly followed her up.

Once inside he grabbed his room remote to turn on some lights and flip out the couch for the two of them to sit on. He found it all the more curious as he went through these actions that Helga showed no signs of being impressed by the electronic features of his room, which was unusual since he couldn't recall if she ever had been up here with him and seen them before (and since people who saw his set-up for the first time usually said at least something about it.)

Helga just walked over to the little red couch, though, sat down on one end and let out a deep sigh, rubbing her temple. She crossed one leg over the other and let the brown envelope sit in her lap. She didn't say anything after that, and her eyes were closed.

Arnold watched her with uncertainty for a few moments. Then he took a step toward her. "Helga?" he prompted politely.

She held up a finger. "Shh, just give me a few more seconds of quiet. Please, Football Head? I've barely slept since Thursday night, I've been pulling off miracles and stunts for the last two days that have been impressive even for me, and this morning was the first peaceful moment I thought I might have until Olga busted open my door at seven AM throwing colorful Easter grass everywhere and squealing about the Easter Bunny leaving goodies in the night like I'm four-years-old. And now I've got to get through this final thing here with you before I can go home, take a breath, get through Easter dinner, and then finally lock myself away with my Easter candy once and for all. Please. Just a few more seconds of quiet." Her tone was very sincere and calm.

Arnold frowned a little and looked at her curiously. He was quiet for another moment or two, as she had requested, but then he took another step toward her and spoke again. "Helga, is there anything I can do to help? Maybe I can get you a soda or…I can put on some music for you or something? It just sounds like you've had a really long weekend so far and like you're exhausted. Whatever you came here for, if you'd rather go home and get some rest first before we talked about it, I don't mind waiting," he offered both politely and with sincere concern.

Helga finally opened her eyes but shook her head at his offer. "No, no…it's important I do it today, and as long as I'm here I'd rather just get it done. Besides, it won't take long, and I promise it'll be very cut and dry—all business. That's all I have it in me for at the moment anyway. So come on, sit down, Football Head, and let's get to it." She patted the seat beside her and then took up the brown envelope in both hands.

Arnold nodded and came to sit beside her on the red couch. He let out a breath, got himself calm and steady once again, and then smiled. "Okay, Helga. What is it you needed?"

A corner of Helga's mouth picked up in a smile, and then she held out the large (clearly quite full) envelope for him. "Happy Easter, Arnold," she announced with a touch of pride.

Arnold looked very confused for a moment. He took the envelope, looking down at it, an eyebrow raised. "Um…thank you…?" left him politely, though he was still quite in the dark.

Helga let out a breath and explained very simply. "In that envelope is every photograph and piece of film of you in the bunny pajamas after Iggy made you pay him back by wearing them out in public six months ago."

Arnold started a little, and then blushed entirely red throughout all of his features. "I…" His mouth just hung open, and his eyes blinked several times in bewilderment and embarrassment.

Helga cleared her throat and glanced away, trying not to blush too much herself. "About a week ago I came across some information suggesting in a nutshell that some of these pictures and little film clips were going to be used as part of some Easter gag cards and decorations around the neighborhood. So I took the liberty of getting a list together of everyone who was at the bunny pajamas incident, and then after school on Friday and for most of the day yesterday I tracked them all down and 'persuaded' all of them in one way or another to give me whatever images they had of you. Every single one." Then she sighed deeply and added, crossing her arms over her chest, "I even threw all of my pictures of you dressed as a bunny in there, which was a bigger sacrifice for me than I can say…on multiple levels…" She did blush a bit now, but cleared her throat and managed to look back at him. "The thing with you and Iggy was square already, though personally I didn't think he needed to be as harsh with you as he was, and I didn't think you needed to bend over backwards just to get him to forgive you. Men have way too much pride." She rolled her eyes. "Either way though, after that bunny pajamas thing you two were officially square, so I didn't see any need for you to be humiliated further by any bozos wanting to dredge the whole thing up just because it's Easter. And also I, uh…figured I owed you a little after April Fools Day, so…here we are." She clasped her hands together in her lap and did her best to seem steady as she waited for his reply.

Arnold just sat there, still all red, looking at the envelope in his hands, mouth open a little in a touch of disbelief.

A few more seconds passed, and Helga bit her lip. "A-Anyway, you probably want to get back to your family's Cinco de Mayo Easter so, um…just don't say I never did you any favors, and—" Helga gasped.

Arnold was embracing her in one of the biggest, warmest, tightest hugs he had ever given her.

She remained perfectly still, eyes wide, blushing completely, not really sure what to do. She just did her best to resist both the urge to swoon and the urge to shove him away. 'He was kind of freaked out about getting near me after I lost my mind and confessed to him during the FTi thing, and he's been really freaked out about getting near me ever since that April Fools dance—I might not get too many more of these hugs for all I know. And I've had a rough few days. I'd like to savor this hug as long as he's willing to let me have it.'

Arnold just hugged her a few seconds longer. Then he took in a deep breath through his nose and finally had to admit to himself that it was time to let Helga go and for him deal with whatever awkwardness might ensue. He quickly released her and pulled back, trying not to smile too much but failing miserably at the attempt to hide his happiness. "Helga, I don't know how to thank…. You didn't have to do this. I mean, you really didn't have to do this, but you did it anyway." He was amazed. "You did it for me. You actually cared enough to…" He wanted to hug her again more than anything.

And Helga could sense that another hug was coming, and she was also very aware that she might not be able to experience another one of those big warm embraces so suddenly without going all to pieces. She held up her hands, grinning a touch awkwardly, and did her best to lighten the situation. "Okay, okay, we get it, I did a good thing—to pay you back for April Fools Day and because you and Iggy were already square anyway and also because, hey, if anyone's going to humiliate you I'd like it to be me. I told you, Football Head, do not read too much into this…okay?" She tried to catch his eyes and let him know that she was serious about not wanting this to go too far. It was enough stress dealing with the hand-off of these photos and Arnold's gratitude right now—she couldn't handle this bit of niceness from her to him spiraling off into a conversation about anything else major at the moment.

Arnold cleared his throat and tried to calm his response down a little, though the smile couldn't help still beaming across his face. "Okay, Helga. Sorry, it's just…this means a lot to me. But, you're right, you said you didn't want me to make a big deal out of it, so I won't." He looked to her eyes. "I just want you to know that I appreciate this very much. Very, very much. And you didn't have to make anything up to me about April Fools Day—we both made mistakes with that. But thank you anyway." He smiled a little more.

Helga just sighed deeply and tried not to smile anymore herself. "Yeah, well…you're welcome, all right? It was just something from me to you. No need even to mention it again." She shrugged.

Arnold nodded, but then considered. "But, Helga…if you were worried about this being a big deal and you didn't want to talk about it, why did you bring these to me in person? You could have just slipped them under the door or something."

Helga rolled her eyes to the side and faced forward, slumping back against his couch. "Oh come on, Arnold—mysterious do-gooder unexpectedly providing you with assistance from the shadows? You would have figured out that was me in an instant considering that whole Deep Voice fiasco. So I just wanted to take care of the whole thing as straightforwardly as possible and save myself the secrecy and the trouble."

Arnold blinked. Helga hadn't once yet brought up the 'saving the neighborhood' incident to him, even in a slight way. Actually mentioning 'Deep Voice' right now was progress for her. He bit his lip, wanting to ask something he had been wanting to ask for a while now… Instead, though, he resisted and just nodded to her response. "I guess that makes sense." He faced forward and leaned back against his couch a little too, looking at the envelope. Then he glanced at Helga again. "Do I want to know what exactly you had to do to get these?"

Helga grinned and shook her head. "No, you do not. Believe me, your sense of morality wouldn't be able to stand the strain of how I pulled this off. Better to just imagine that I knocked on everyone's doors and asked politely and they were all kind enough to offer the photos and videos on the spot, no demands or bribes or threats or physical altercations necessary."

Arnold just smiled to himself, trying very hard not to laugh. "Okay, Helga. Whatever you say."

"Excellent response, Arnold, excellent response." Helga sighed and stretched up, then stood. "Well, I should be going. Like I said, I'm looking forward to snagging all the candy I can and locking myself away somewhere quiet for a little relaxation and a nap. Ugh, you would not believe how many people actually showed up at that bunny pajamas display of yours and took pictures and video for posterity—crimeny, it took forever to get it all from them."

Arnold blushed at the memory but stood up too and nodded, leaving the envelope resting on his couch. "Well, I mostly tried to block out everything about the crowd…and everything else from that day too, but I can imagine that there must have been a lot of people. Wasn't there even a news camera there?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Oh please, Arnold," Helga waved him off, "They're journalists, I'm me, and they would have used any footage of you for a thirty second fluff piece at best. Barely took me twenty minutes of persuading to get the goods from them—everything from the Easter parade to the latest trends in the stock market were bigger for them than you, a mere 'festive youngster.' Don't flatter yourself." She winked at him, still grinning a touch proudly at her success.

Arnold just chuckled in amusement, still content as ever as long as he had that brown envelope and all of its contents in his possession now. "Well, either way, thank you so much again for getting these for me and for stopping other people from using them today, Helga. This is the best Easter present I've ever gotten." He spoke so sincerely, looking into her eyes.

Helga nodded, glancing away a touch shyly. "You're welcome, you're welcome, I promise," she assured him with a small laugh. "A-Anyway, um, I'll just show myself out, and you can do with that envelope whatever you see fit." She started to head toward his bedroom door.

Arnold approached and held up a hand. "Wait, Helga—um, if you want, you could stay for a little while. There's plenty of food downstairs and candy too from the piñatas." He shrugged, looking a bit sheepish as he made the hospitable offer.

Helga glanced over her shoulder at him and blinked but then looked hesitant. "Arnold, that's nice of you, but I really should get back to my own family. There's still Easter dinner to get through tonight, and besides I don't want them panicking like during Thanksgiving and sending out flyers and squad cars." She smiled sheepishly. She still couldn't handle too much time around him—she felt like there was a big bubble right between them waiting to burst from the pressure of the secret she had told and then took back (but could never really take back when a person got right down to it). And she was not looking forward to the inevitable explosion of that bubble and whatever it would bring for the two of them.

Arnold blinked at her reasoning and had to nod. "Oh, yeah, your family…. Well, if you're sure, Helga. I'll just walk you downstairs then." He went toward his door and opened it up for her.

Helga sighed but nodded, heading in the direction of the door. "Okay, Football Head. Thanks." 'Might as well let him do that much. How much trouble could I get in from being walked to his front door anyway?'

Helga headed down the steps leading from his room and Arnold followed her. They walked down the hallway together, then down the steps to the first floor. They didn't say a word the entire time. Helga really didn't want to say anything more, and Arnold…had a question, but he was a little concerned about asking it. It at least wasn't a question about the big thing between them—just something about this bunny pajamas thing, actually. But still…her response really could go either way, and he didn't want to make her uncomfortable after all she had done for him today.

They reached his front door. Arnold figured it was now or never.

"Well," Helga opened the door with a dry but satisfied smile, "Enjoy your Cinco de Mayo Easter then, Football Head, and I'll see you when I see you, I guess."

Arnold nodded. "Thanks, and you have a nice Easter too, Helga." He paused, then added in a tone between hesitation and curiosity, "Helga, can I just ask you one question about all of this? You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"Pft," Helga scoffed and rolled her eyes, "Like I'd actually answer if I didn't want to. Heck, I could want to answer and I might still not do it just because I'm feeling too lazy to bother." She chuckled but then sighed and nodded seriously. "Yes, you can ask me a question. Again, though, nothing too 'profound'—I really don't want you reading too much into this," she made sure to assure him once more.

Arnold nodded. "Of course, Helga. I was just wondering…" he looked pensive, and he blushed a little, "You said you put your own photos of me in the bunny pajamas in that envelope. But you also said you didn't like how humiliating the whole bunny pajamas thing was for me and didn't want me getting humiliated by it again now that it's Easter…" His hands were clasped together.

Helga sighed, wanting him to move along. "Yeah, Football Head. So…?"

"If you didn't like how I was humiliated back then, and if you don't like the idea of people using pictures they took of me to humiliate me now…why did you come to the bunny pajamas thing in the first place and why did you take pictures of me yourself that you've saved all this time?" He looked at her curiously. "I'm not mad—everyone pretty much came to watch me. I just don't understand why you did it considering how you feel…a-about the bunny pajamas incident and the pictures," he quickly added the last part, trying not to blush more.

"Oh…" was all that left Helga at first, her eyes wide. She blushed lightly. 'Oh boy…'

Arnold sighed and shrugged. "Like I said, Helga, you don't have to answer if you don't want to. I'll understand. I'm just a little confused." Though he really did hope she would answer. This bunny pajamas thing was actually a perfect, small example of a much larger situation that had been confusing him a great deal lately. And indeed, being told by someone who tortured him on a regular basis that she was in love with him (even if it had somehow been a 'joke', though he had his doubts) was pretty confusing. But maybe if he could get a straight answer here regarding the bunny pajamas about why she would feel compassion for him and yet participate actively in his humiliation, he would have a good key to figuring out how Helga could indeed always treat him with such anger and yet at the same time really care about him as a friend or whatever else.

Helga bit her lip. She was still considering her response (and probably whether or not she was even going to choose to make one). Then she let out a very deep breath. "Oh, what the heck, the whole weekend's already shot anyway," she said half to him, half to herself. She looked to Arnold now. "If I tell you, then, once again, will you promise not to read too much into it—and not to spazz on me or anything?" She rubbed her temple once more. "I'm really running on low right now, Football Head, I can't deal with much of a crisis. Maybe a surprised look, but that's about my limit for the moment, okay?"

Arnold nodded. "Oh, um, sure, Helga, I won't read too much into it again or act strange if you tell me. I promise. I'm just curious." He couldn't help but look at her with an expression of apparent eagerness and interest, toned down only slightly by the polite boyish smile upon his lips

A smile grew across Helga's lips. Then she just crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head and explained. "I didn't go to the bunny pajamas thing and take pictures to humiliate you. I went and took pictures because I thought the bunny pajamas were kind of cute on you, Football Head. And I kept them because I wanted a little something to remember that once in a lifetime moment by." She sighed, her smile still present, though her eyes went down a little. "But I know it was humiliating for you, so that's why I put all the photos and video in that envelope, even my own. The whole thing's your private business. You should be able to do whatever you want about it, whatever makes you most comfortable, after the fact. I…I think that degree of security is important for someone to have whether it's about an embarrassing moment in their lives…o-or a secret…or anything else." She glanced up at him just a little.

He understood. She could see it in his eyes. Arnold only blushed a little, then smiled and nodded in reply. "I think that makes perfect sense, Helga. All of it…And I would do the same for you, of course, if you ever needed it." He rubbed his arm, looking down a little now too.

Helga swallowed and nodded. "Thanks." Then she let out a breath and turned toward the door, her usual grin and tone returning. "Well, anyway, time for me to blow this joint, Football Head. Oh and hey," she leaned in toward him, looking a touch smug, "Don't necessarily destroy and burn and bury all of those pictures just yet—save a few. If worse comes to worse when we're grown up, you'd make an excellent mall Easter Bunny, and those photos are the proof!" She winked at him and then proceeded down his stoop, laughing to herself at her joke.

Arnold blushed more but smiled, stepping into his doorway. "Happy Easter, Helga," he merely called out to her in his usual kind and patient tone.

"Happy Easter to you too, bunny boy," Helga replied back over her shoulder, walking away with a firm stride and a confident smile. "Or Cinco de Mayo—whatever floats your boat." And with these final words and a little salute over her shoulder, she swiftly turned the next corner and was gone.

Arnold just looked after her, smiling and shaking his head.

Just then Phil, dressed in a sombrero and wearing a multi-colored Mexican serape shawl over his shoulders, headed out into the foyer and spotted his grandson. "Hola, Shortman—we've been wondering where you got to." He smiled, and then noticed the open front door. "Ooo and who was here—the Easter Bunny bearing gifts? Heh, heh!" He chuckled good-naturedly at the idea.

Arnold smiled a little more, still looking out toward the street. "Something like that..." he said softly. He then cleared his throat and shook his head before closing the door and turning to his grandfather. "Is dinner ready yet, Grandpa?"

"Just a few more minutes, Shortman." Phil assured. "Until then we still have at least one more piñata to bust open, and it's got your name on it." He winked. "And right after that we'll start in with all the tortilla soup and horchata you we can stomach until it's time for the burritos. Ooo, my private bathroom is going to be seeing a lot of me tonight, heh, heh." Then he leaned in close and added with a grin, "And, Arnold, for after dinner we've got chocolate rabbits for everyone for dessert—told your Grandma they were rations the Mexicans nabbed from the invading forces."

Arnold's countenance brightened considerably at this news. "Thanks, Grandpa. That sounds great. I appreciate it."

Phil nodded and straightened up. "Not a problem, Shortman, not a problem at all. Well," he produced a pair of maracas out of a pocket in his shawl, "Back into the fray!" He started shaking the instruments, but as he went down the hallway a sudden growl from his stomach drowned out their sound. "Ooo…I knew I shouldn't have had that raspberry empanada for breakfast…" He headed back into the living room, from which the sounds of partying and the piano playing mariachi music still issued forth.

Arnold just smiled as he watched his grandfather go. Then she sighed deeply to himself and slowly started to head forward too, trying very hard not to think about Helga and the very frank response she had just given him to his question about her presence at the bunny pajama incident. 'She thought I was cute. Cute…. Everyone else just thought I was a joke and laughed at me…. She thought I was cute. And that's what she cared about most.' He couldn't deny the slight ego boost of this new information, or how it made him see Helga a little differently, though he fought against dwelling on these responses just the same. 'Don't read too much into it—she said that.' He sighed. If Helga was going to start being nice to him outright now instead of only doing good things for him behind his back, he had a feeling their friendship was only going to get more and more confusing.

Still though, Arnold realized now as he donned again his sombrero, took up his own maracas, and stood in the doorway to the living room for a moment just to watch his extended family having a good time, maybe the situation wasn't so strange. Her true motive for having pictures of him in bunny pajamas was just another personal thing between them just like the bunny pajamas evidence would stay between them…or just like any major secrets that might have been shared not too long ago would stay between them—a desire which Helga had clearly expressed before leaving just now.

Not that it hadn't been Arnold's intention ever since FTi to respect Helga's privacy, but after what she had done for him today, Arnold was pretty sure he would have actively fought for her privacy at all costs no matter the circumstances or the effort and whether she had specifically asked him to or not. The passion of his desire to help her overwhelmed him a little actually…so he tried to chalk up some of his extra enthusiasm just to getting a little too caught up in the daring spirit of the Cinco de Mayo celebration at the moment.

He did let himself have one more thought regarding Helga's parting words to him though. Maybe he really would follow through with her joking suggestion and not throw away all the bunny pajamas pictures and film. Maybe he would save a few shots in the brown envelope, just to remember the nice thing she had done for him today. It was a thought. 'If I really did that, though, I could never tell Helga. Hiding and saving something as random as bunny pajama pictures just as a way to remember something about her—if she found out, she'd definitely be uncomfortable and she'd probably think it was a little crazy,' he thought to himself with a shake of his head and a sheepish smile and blush as he entered the room now and went back to celebrating the holiday with his family.

Meanwhile, across town in the walk in closet of a familiar pink room in a familiar brownstone, Helga G. Pataki sat binging on Easter candy, hiding out, and staring/worshipping at an Arnold shrine made entirely of carrots, Easter grass, pastel-colored cellophane…and bunny pajamas (she had stolen them from Iggy's house after going over there first things Friday afternoon and mercilessly threatening his life if he had anything to do with possibly 'further humiliating Arnold, which was her job and hers alone.' He hadn't, of course, and Helga had known that fact going in—he had been way too apologetic to Arnold after the incident to ever really try embarrassing him again with it. But still, just for good measure, Helga figured he had deserved a little threat…and the theft of something adorable that Arnold had once worn).

Anyway, now Helga just reposed in her closet, smiling to herself and occasionally flicking the strings of lights on and off for effect as she gazed upon her shrine. "Oh Arnold…I saved you a ton of humiliation, managed to have a civil conversation with you, got a hug, and I even snuck in telling you that you were cute in those bunny pajamas—all that and chocolate now?" She munched the head off of a chocolate rabbit, chewed and swallowed, "This holiday is pretty boss, all things considered. Needs more presents though." She nodded to herself at the thought, and just savored this peaceful bit of time she had to herself until Olga would start calling her downstairs for their Easter dinner…which even still might not be so bad. 'I do like carrot cake. And I do like ham. And Olga is the only one in this family who can cook—a good, hot meal might actually be nice for a change. And she's much less insufferable at Easter than at one of the more major holidays like Christmas or Thanksgiving.' She munched another chunk off of her rabbit. "As long as I keep getting candy, I'm pretty much good." She chuckled. Then her eyes went a little hazed. "And as long as I have this adorable bunny shrine to bask near at the very end of the day, I'm definitely, definitely good." She smiled more to herself, picking up a pink book to jot down a quick poem or two before the inevitable call to dinner. "Easter's not so bad…Not so bad at all."

Meanwhile, back at the boarding house following Arnold's reflection to himself on how insane and weird of him it might seem to Helga if he saved a few snapshots in secret to remember a good deed of hers by…

Arnold, as he picked up a bat to take a swing at a piñata, finally decided he would definitely do it—he would save a few pictures as keepsakes of what Helga had done for him today, even if the plan of action did sound a little off no matter how he tried to rationalize it to himself. Nothing wrong with being just a little crazy—it would just be a private matter for him as opposed to a private matter for both of them. A private matter regarding his private feelings about Helga G. Pataki…whatever those feelings might have been…though personally he found himself avoiding most of whatever feelings he had about her lately. The last time he had let any such feelings out the result had been a certain April Fools Day tango that had gone a little too far, and the experience had overwhelmed him a bit to say the least. So for now it just seemed best not to indulge in his new instinctive reactions to Helga G. Pataki too deeply, or at least not to do so until he felt more prepared.

"Hey, Shortman, ready to take a chance at the piñata?" Phil suddenly asked, stringing up the colorful decoration.

Arnold nodded, holding the bat high. "Sure, Grandpa."

"Hey, Grandpa, how come Arnold doesn't have to wear a blindfold, but you yelled at me when I tried not to peek out of mine? Heh, heh…" Oskar was suddenly heard to ask from across the room.

Phil rolled his eyes. "Because Shortman has the occasional bout of Dangerous Lumber, and I ran out of hips and other major joints to replace back in 88', Kokoschka! And would you stop calling me Grandpa!" He turned to his Grandson and smiled. "Of course, no blindfold doesn't mean I won't still make it hard for you though, Arnold." He started pulling on the string to make the piñata bob up and down. "Let's see you hit a moving target, Shortman."

Arnold smiled and shook his head. "Okay, Grandpa." He pulled back the bat…aimed…swung…and the piñata all but exploded, raining down…jellybeans everywhere?

Arnold raised an eyebrow.

Phil just laughed. "Heh, heh! Weren't expecting that, were you Shortman? Happy Cinco de Mayo Easter everyone!" Phil called out as he and all of the boarders got down on the floor trying to collect the jellybeans.

"Happy Cinco de Mayo Easter!" Grandma called out (dressed in full, colorful, hand-stitched costume, of course, and with a battle helmet on her head), as she suddenly then broke into another rousing round of the Mexican national anthem on the piano.

Arnold just laughed and went down to the floor to gather up jellybeans too. His Easter, like most of his holidays, was strange, but he was having fun. And he hoped Helga, despite the quirks in her own family's way of doing things and being together, was having fun too.

Arnold's 'Easter' continued as did Helga's, each a little better for the brief exchange they had shared together on this holiday.

A/N:

Well, that's that! I hope all of you enjoyed it. You know, it occurred to me after I wrote this up that, except for my first story (A Walk to Imagine), this is the only fic I've written in which Arnold and Helga never kiss. But I hope the romance was there just the same in this one. I mostly just wanted to capture them feeling their way through the new, kind of awkward kind of sweet, situation between them : )

Anyway, Happy Easter again and Happy Reading!

~Azure129 aka Jenna