Disclaimer: I do not own Hey Arnold or any of the characters. Hey Arnold is the property of Nickelodeon and Craig Bartlett.
What the heck?!
Arnold didn't know how he got here. He didn't know how he suddenly turned into an adult, he doesn't know why these three kids seem to think that he is their father or this woman whom says that she is supposed to be his wife or these two old people who look like older versions of his parents….Wait, what? What the heck is going on here?!
Arnold stirred awake, his eyes flickering open as found himself rejoining the land of the awake. He yawned and stretched his arms, still unaware of his surroundings until somebody spoke up.
"Glad to see that you're finally awake…"A feminine voice said.
Arnold immediately opened his eyes and to his surprise, he saw a lady in his room. She was a tall, slender lady with long blonde hair, blue eyes, soft features and she is wearing a pink day dress with white high heels and she had an amused smile on her face. Arnold, despite his confusion, couldn't help but find her to be very pretty.
But he is confused, who is she and what is she doing in his room?
"Cat got your tongue, darling?...'The woman said as she giggled, getting Arnold's attention.
"Why…did you just call me darling?...'Arnold blurted out.
Sure, he wanted to ask more serious question? like just who this lady is? why is she in here and why does she act like she knows him so well?
She sent him a strange look, before she laughed, as if he had somehow made some sort of joke. He, despite himself, couldn't help but notice that she has quite a cute laugh too.
"Oh Arnold, you are such a card, really…what else is your loving wife supposed to call you?...'The lady said in a sarcastic tone, but the amusement was evident in it.
Arnold was confused, until he finally registered what she just said.
"Wait, did she say "WIFE!?..." Arnold thought in absolute shock.
He blinked in surprise, he was about to ask her what the heck she is talking about, only to notice his reflection in a mirror that was behind her. He was himself but he is not his normal self. He didn't look like a 9 year old boy…he…he looked like a man in his thirties?!
"This can't be…I must be dreaming or something…'Arnold thought as he stared at his reflection only for the lady to call for his attention once again.
"Darling hurry up and get dressed, breakfast will be ready in about ten minutes…"The wife said before she left the room.
Arnold waited until she saw really gone, got out of bed and took a closer look at his new appearance. He was no longer a 9 year old boy but a man in his thirties. He is taller, about 5 feet and six inches, give or take a few. His hair is no longer wild but mostly just slicked back and he couldn't help but notice some stubble of hair on his face.
He couldn't believe his eyes that he is actually an adult…and if he is an adult, than that lady really MUST be his wife.
"I don't believe this…" Arnold muttered, finding this whole thing strange.
He is suddenly in his thirties, he is married to that pretty blonde lady and he has a feeling that he is no longer at the Boarding house….
What the heck is going on here?
Downstairs
After the shock wore off, Arnold decided to do some exploring after he got dressed and looked even more like a grown up. He looked around the house to see that it was a nice, two story house that seemed relatively comfy and well furnished, elegantly decorated and well-kept too.
It's not a mansion per say, but it did have a nice, comfy, home-y feeling to it.
"Just where am I?..."Arnold muttered, only to get a whiff of something good and he then remember that the lady said something about breakfast.
He followed the scent and soon saw the lady lay what looked to be a bunch of pancakes, eggs and a bunch of other stuff on the table and they all looked so good.
"Wow, this looks good…'Arnold couldn't help but say, making the woman smile.
"Always one for surprises, darling…'The lady said as she soon left the living room for a moment.
Arnold was about to dig in, figuring that he could figure this whole thing out later, only to suddenly notice two extra plates at the table, and what looked to be a high chair too..
'What?...'Arnold muttered out loud, only to hear fast footsteps come running in.
He then saw two kids appear at the table, a boy who looked to be about 9 years old and he had a large football shaped head and a little girl who looked to be no older than five at the most.
The boy had blue eyes, blonde hair and he is wearing a little blue hat that reminded Arnold of his own. The little girl has long, messy blonde hair held in a ponytail with a bow, big green eyes, cute little dimples and she is wearing a white shirt with a pink, plaid skirt with pink Mary-Jane shoes.
"Morning dad…"The boy said.
"Good morning, daddy…'The little girl said as she took her seat.
Arnold was surprised, if he really is an adult and married to that nice lady, then it looks like these must be his children.
"I have two kids? I must be dreaming or something...'Arnold thought in surprise, only for the lady to come back, carrying a little baby boy too.
Correction, looks like he has THREE kids…
The youngest looked to be about a year old, he has green eyes and when Arnold got a closer look, he realized that he looks a lot like him, face-wise…he just has a differently shaped head is all, but that's the only difference there.
The lady put the baby in his high chair and they all started talking to him as if they really are a family. Arnold, not really understanding why, decided to just go with it, to see where this goes. He still thinks it might be a dream, so he might as well enjoy the ride.
"Did you kids, sleep well?...'The mother asked as she began to feed the baby some pureed stuff for breakfast.
"I sure did mom, I dreamed that I was swimming with dolphins at the Great Barrier Reef…"The oldest kid said with a smile.
"That's nothing, I dreamed that me and Mimi were having a tea party on the moon…'The little girl said, making her mother and even Arnold laugh a bit.
These kids sure do have a cute imagination, don't they?
"That's nice you two…now finish your breakfast, remember we are going to the Boarding House later today…"The mother said and her children obeyed her.
Arnold started eating and paused when he registered the taste of the food, it tasted even better than it looks.
"This is really good…'Arnold said to his wife, figuring that she deserves the compliment.
She smiled at him and Arnold couldn't help but think that she looks even prettier than before.
'Thanks, darling…'She said before she went back to tending to the baby and eating her own breakfast.
"Hey dad, remember that later, you promised that we would play some ball together today…"The oldest child said.
'I did?…"Arnold thought in confusion before he just mentally shrugged and nodded his head.
"Sure…later…"The adult football head said to the kid, who soon went back to eating his breakfast.
Arnold, despite how strange this situation really is and despite all of the questions he was having, shrugged and decided to just see where this all goes.
After Breakfast
After breakfast, Arnold continued to look around this house, still wondering if he really is an adult or if this is all just a dream. The oldest boy went outside to play and the mother said she had to go upstairs to change the baby. Before he could do or say anything, he felt something tugging on his pants.
He looked around and saw the little girl looking at him, with her big green eyes.
"Daddy?...'The little girl said in a really cute sounding voice.
"Uh…yes…"Arnold said, feeling a little awkward right now at being called "daddy" once again by her.
"I wanna play hide and seek, will you play with me? Pwease…' The little girl asked the man she saw as her father.
Arnold blinked in surprise at her request and he really just wanted to find out what was going on, but when he looked into her green eyes, he noticed that she looked even cuter than she did earlier and well…he didn't know how it happened but he found himself nodding his head, the little girl cheered and then dragged him to the living room to play.
I guess even as an adult, he's a bit of a softie.
"Okay…Okay…you count daddy, I'll hide and no peaking…"The little girl told him in excitement.
"Sure..sure..I'll count to twenty, you go hide…"Arnold said with a chuckle as he saw the little girl run.
She seems so sweet, he figures he could at least humor her with one quick game. Arnold covered his face with his hands, count to twenty and soon announced himself.
"Okay, ready or not, here I come…'Arnold said as he began to look around the living room.
After about a few minutes, he managed to find the little girl hiding behind a potted plant, and she laughed loudly when he found her.
"Your turn daddy, you hide now…"The little girl said happily to her father.
"Okay….'Arnold said, not having in it to say no to a face like that.
The little girl then covered her eyes and started counting and Arnold, wanting to humor her, hid behind some drapes. After a few minutes, the little girl managed to find him.
"I found you daddy…I found you!..."The little girl said excitedly.
"You certainly did…'Arnold laughed and couldn't stop himself from lifting her up, and it was then he realized just how small and light she is….
She didn't mind him lifting her up, as she just kept giggling until the mother came back downstairs with the baby.
"Seems you two had some fun…"The mother said.
'Yes, we did mommy…'The little girl said happily.
"That's nice angel, now come along…remember you still have homework to do…'The mother said, causing the little girl to pout.
"Awe mommy, can't I do that later…'She whined but the mother stood firm.
"No, young lady…your teacher wants you to identify colors for Monday….'The mother said.
"Do I have to do it now, daddy?..."The little girl asked Arnold, who blinked.
"I…I think you probably should do it now…besides, the sooner you get it done, the sooner you can go back to playing…'Arnold said in an encouraging way.
"Okay…"The little girl sighed before she went to do her homework.
"Cute…"Arnold couldn't help but say.
"Yeah she is…hard to believe she is already in kindergarten…feels like just yesterday she was the same size as this little guy…"Mother said as she held her baby, who started babbling like a baby.
"He is cute too…'Arnold said, feeling more and more pleasant feelings.
So far, this seems like a really nice dream, even if he has no idea what is happening so far.
Suddenly the door opened and the nine year old kid, the one who looked a lot like Arnold came in, carrying a baseball in his hand.
"Hey dad, come on…let's play some catch…"The boy said.
Arnold looked at the mother, who was still tending to the baby boy in her arms, before she noticed his staring.
"Both of you just be careful playing, I don't need another broken window…'The mother said and the boy looked embarrassed when she said that.
"I said sorry mom and that was only one time…'The boy whined.
"I certainly hope it will be…'She said in a stern but loving tone to the boy who then left for the backyard.
Arnold followed him, deciding that since he has come this far, he might as well continue riding this dream out.
Outside
Arnold looked around to a decently sized backyard that really match well with the kind of house it had. He could see a tool shed, a nice flower bed with a variety of flowers, a decent sized vegetable garden, a large tree with a tire swing and even some small playground equipment like a swing set and a jungle gym Arnold knew must have been for the children. He also saw what looked to be an area for barbecue's too.
"Come on dad…"The boy said as he handed him the baseball.
The boy soon went to the other end of the yard, with a baseball mitt in his hand and a determined look on his young face.
"Come on dad, give me your best shot…'He said with a challenging grin on his face.
Arnold found himself grinning too, he never really could resist a good game of catch with his grandpa. He might as well play with this kid…who might or might not be his future kid, whatever this dream is supposed to be anyway.
'Alright, but you asked for it…'Arnold said as he held the ball tight, winded up and then threw it as best he could to the other play.
The boy was quick to catch it, displaying some rather quick reflexes that caught the Football Headed man's eye.
"Nice catch…'Arnold commented, making the boy smile at that.
"Thanks dad…your turn…'The boy said as he quickly pitched him a ball.
To Arnold's surprise, it was a really fast one and he even ended up missing it, much to his surprise.
When he was at Gerald Field, training with the others, he usually is pretty good with this sort of stuff…seems this kid is good too.
"Impressive throw…'Arnold commented.
"I've been practicing with the others and come next week, we're gonna beat the sixth graders…make them think twice by saying that we don't have game just because we're younger…'The boy muttered under his breath but Arnold heard him.
"A baseball game against the sixth graders huh?...'Arnold said with interest.
"You will be there dad, remember that it's next Saturday…"The boy said.
Arnold saw the hopeful look on the kids face, it's obvious that he really wants him there and Arnold found that he couldn't say no to him any more than he could say to that sweet little girl from earlier.
"Sure, if nothing comes up, I'll be glad to watch you and your team play baseball…'Arnold said and saw the young boy smile widely at that.
"Awesome, well come on…what are you waiting for, are we playing ball or checkers?...'The kid asked sarcastically and Arnold found himself laughing.
"Ball…'Arnold said, feeling strangely content right now.
The two continued to play ball for a while and Arnold found himself having a lot of fun, just playing some catch with this young boy.
Just like a real father and son would…
Later
After almost half an hour of a vigorous game of catch, Arnold and the boy soon went back inside the house for something to drink and to Arnold's surprise, the mother already had a pitcher of lemonade ready for them, which the little girl is already enjoying a glass of lemonade from.
"Had fun, boys?..."The mother asked as she started pouring some lemonade into a glass and handing it to the young boy.
"We sure did mom…dad says my pitching is great…"The boy said before taking a sip.
The mother then handed Arnold some lemonade as well.
"Thank you…'Arnold said politely as he took a sip, enjoying the lemonade to say the least.
"Anyway… you two get cleaned up…remember that we are heading to the Boarding House in just a bit…'She reminded.
The boy nodded and soon left to go clean himself up, and the mother then turned to Arnold…
"You too…'She said in a no-nonsense kind of voice.
Arnold blinked and soon found himself in the bathroom to clean himself up, all for a trip to the boarding house.
"The Boarding House, huh?...'Arnold muttered as he groomed himself in the bathroom.
So far, he has only seen this house of his and got to see the kids and the nice , pretty lady who says that she is his wife. This certainly is one detailed dream but Arnold didn't really have a right to complain. He liked those kids, they were nice and really fun to play with, not to mention cute and their mother certainly was a nice, good mom and really pretty too.
He actually kind of like the thought that this could be his family, even if he knows this is only a dream or whatever…
Still, they are going to the Boarding house. Dream or not, he wondered how it was like in this strange place and time.
At the Boarding House
After a short drive, one that made Arnold realize that his new home isn't even that far, just a few blocks away from his old home…. Anyway, they soon arrived to the Boarding House and Arnold saw that the old place hasn't changed a bit.
"We're here…'Arnold said as he got out of the car, that coincidentally his future wife has been driving this whole time.
'Yay! Great-grandpa and great-grandma's house…'The little girl said excitedly as she sprinted out of the car and skipped up the stairs.
"I can't wait to show G.G the moves I learned in my lessons…" The oldest boy said excitedly as he got out of the car and followed his sister.
"Watch your steps, you two…"The mother said as she got the baby out of his car seat.
Arnold saw this interaction and found it to be…well…he liked it to be honest.
They actually seemed like a nice, normal family of five and now they are here to visit his grandparents too. He found that this whole dream, even one as detailed and long as this one, seemed to be getting better. He certainly liked the idea that his grandparents will still be around, even when he is all grown up and with a family of his own.
Arnold walked up the stairs only to see that both his older son and daughter were knocking on the door and ringing the doorbell in excitement, clearly eager to see their great grandparents.
After a few moments, an even older version of Phil opened the door, with a smile on his wrinkly old face.
"Well, look who's here…."Phil said as he bent down to the kids, who smiled upon seeing the very elderly man.
"Hey G…."The boy said happily as he gave the old fossil a hug.
"Hi great-grandpa…"The little girl said sweetly before she kissed him on the cheek.
"Hey there Shortman…little lady…wait, we seem to be missing one of the pack…'Phil said as he looked around.
"Here he is, gramps…"The mother said as she approached him, carrying the baby.
"Now there's the little tyke, getting bigger each time I see ya…'Phil said as he made a funny face at the baby, making him laugh.
"Hey grandpa…'Arnold said to him grandfather after he saw done doting over the children.
"Hey there Shortman, you're looking as good as the last time I saw ya…"Phil said as he gave his grandson a manly hug.
"Yeah…thanks…'Arnold said, feeling so strange.
To him, it was just yesterday he had last seen his grandpa and it was as a child who was still living with him…but whatever, this is just a dream…
Soon Arnold and his family followed the old man into the Boarding house and into the living room, where grandma/great-grandma Gertie was in the middle of watching a show on television.
"Pookie, look who's arrived…'Phil said to his elderly wife, who smiled.
'Eleanor…Kimba…Iko, Jacqueline and Prince William…'Gertie said as she came and hugged and kissed all of them.
Arnold blinked a bit at how she addressed the mother and some of the kids but before he could say anything about it, Phil interrupted.
"Pookie, those aren't their names and you know it…"Phil said in annoyance, thus canceling Arnold's belief that those names might have been theirs but he should have known better.
His grandma always calls people by their nicknames, only using real names during important matters.
"So Arnold, how have ya been lately?..."Phil asked.
Arnold blinked and didn't know if he should say anything about his situation since he still thought of it as a dream, why bother spoiling it?
"I'm doing good…"Arnold answered, feeling so happy and content.
This has to be one of the most unique dreams he has ever had…still, it feels longer but he is probably being silly here. It is just a dream, after all.
"So, anything new happen around here?..."Arnold asked, wanting to be social.
"Got a new couple that is moving in, some car salesman and a hairdresser…just another bunch of tenants to drive this old koot crazy…'Phil grumbled but Arnold knew he didn't mean anything by it.
Before Arnold could say anything, he heard some noise and talking coming from the nearby kitchen.
"What's going on in the kitchen?...'Arnold asked out of curiosity.
"Oh nothing, just your folks wanted to surprise ya with a new recipe…'Phil said simply.
Arnold blinked, until he frozen when he finally registered what his grandfather just said so casually.
"Wait…did he just say…'Arnold paused and wondered if he was hearing things or something.
Suddenly the door opened and two people came out of the kitchen, one carrying a pitcher of some sort of beverage and the other carrying a tray with snacks on it.
"Hey everyone…'The lady said.
"Hope you are all hungry…"The man said.
"Grandpa…grandpa…'The children said as they went to hug the two old people, while Arnold's wife went to greet them as well.
All the while, Arnold stood there with wide eyes as he continued to watch everybody act like everything is normal…but he couldn't believe it.
He really couldn't believe his eyes, there right there…he saw two elderly people. The man had graying hair that was once blonde with a pair of blue eyes that were just like Gertie's, a chin just like Phil's and a very distinct hairstyle, even if it's thinning a bit. The elderly woman had a mature kind of beauty, with faded auburn hair with a grey streak, with big green eyes, a round nose and a distinctive smile…ones that were practically identical to the ones that Arnold himself possessed.
This was them…it had to be….even though they looked much older than the picture that he owned, Arnold just knew….
He knew that these were them, that they were here, and alive and with him!
"Mom…dad…"Arnold said with a big smile on his face.
-HEY ARNOLD! HEY ARNOLD! HEY ARNOLD! HEY ARNOLD! HEY ARNOLD! HEY ARNOLD! HEY ARNOLD! HEY ARNOLD! HEY ARNOLD!
And it was then that it all faded to black…..
-HEY ARNOLD! HEY ARNOLD! HEY ARNOLD! HEY ARNOLD! HEY ARNOLD! HEY ARNOLD! HEY ARNOLD! HEY ARNOLD! HEY ARNOLD
Arnold eventually stirred awake, his eyes flickering open as the light from his sky roof had woken him up.
The young boy yawned and stretched his arms, and instinctively turned off his alarm clock. He suddenly remembered what he had just witness. He quickly ran to his mirror and to his immense relief, he saw that he is no longer an adult but a nine year old boy once again and he saw that the room that he was in was his own.
"It really was just a dream…'Arnold said, feeling so many emotions right now.
Happy and unhappy ones. While he was still confused, wondering why he felt unhappy, he thought back to the lady in his dream and those three kids. Unlike that dream he had when Rhonda's marriage predictor paired him with Helga and the nightmare he had about being married to her and having monster kids….the kids in the dream he had, they were actually really cute and seemed so sweet too.
The oldest child, a boy that looked so much like him, he seemed like a good kid and despite being a bit excitable, Arnold found that he liked him a lot. He even had the same head as him too!
The middle child and only girl of those kids…she was simply adorable and she even had his green eyes. She was so sweet, the way she looked at him, the way she smiled…just the thought of it made Arnold smile himself.
And the youngest one, the baby boy of the group, he was just so cute too. He looked a lot like him to, the only difference is that he lacked the football head his older brother had but the way he giggled and cooed, it made Arnold feel a strange sense of happiness.
And their mother, the woman who was supposed to be his wife, she was so beautiful. Arnold liked a lot of girls but the lady in his dream, she was even prettier than all of them combined. Her long blonde hair, her blue eyes and her perfectly flawless skin, how nice the color pink looked on her and the way she looked at him, like she really did love him.
He couldn't explain it, but she kind of reminded him a bit of Cecile, the girl he spent last Valentine's day with.
"Heh…maybe it was Cecile in my dream…a grown up version of her anyway…'Arnold chuckled to himself.
Maybe his older self in his dream was married to Cecile and that was the family they had together.
He felt so silly, getting all flustered over a dream but the more he thought about it, he couldn't stop but find that it had been a really nice dream, especially the part where those old people said they were his parents, because that means in his dream, his parents did come back to him and were a part of his children's life…
Such a thought…it's just so beautiful…..
"Don't get too excited Arnold, it was just a dream…'Arnold thought, trying not to get carried away.
As nice of a dream as it was, it was still just a dream, but….
"Still….'Arnold thought as he lay on his bed and looked at sky that he could see from his clear glass ceiling.
If he ever does have a family of his own one day, he hoped that his wife could be like the lady in his dream and his own kids would be like the ones he had in his dream too. To have a family as wonderful as that one and to have his parents back, to see them grow old and they could all just be one big, happy family.
It would just be wonderful!
KNOCK KNOCK!
"Rise and shine Shortman, breakfast time…"Grandpa Phil said as he entered the room.
"Oh, coming grandpa…"Arnold said to his grandfather, remembering that he was supposed to have a busy day today.
First he has to go do some of his chores, collect the rent money and later meet up with his friend for baseball practice at Gerald Field.
The young football headed boy quickly brushed his teeth, showered, got dressed, went down for breakfast and did all of his chores.
Even during this time, his mind still went back to that wonderful dream he had and despite knowing how silly this might be, the football headed boy did hope that someday, it would come true.
The End
A/N(1): Was it just a dream or a vision of the future? You decide...
A/N(2): This is dedicated to CoolGirlPataki, Kryten and HumanDictonary for participating in my HA Contest. You all rock!
:) Till next time beautiful people, remember to read and review :)