Changing Impressions

Disclaimer: Hey Arnold and its characters do not belong to me.

There comes a time when one must come to face the truth or… when the truth finds you.

That day had arrived for a certain girl named Helga G. Pataki. But what she hadn't realized was how drastic her life would change from that day on.

It was early fall, the wind was blowing, and the leaves were transitioning from the bright greens of summer to an array of brown-reddish-gold hues. Kids walked about the streets or were bustled in buses making their way to school. All in all, it was a typical school day for the kids of P.S.118. It's been a year since Mr. Simmons 5th grade class made that trip to the jungles of San Lorenzo, where they encountered river pirates, a village of indigenous people, and the infamous mercenary La Sombra. Through their strenuous journey, they overcame many dangerous obstacles to return with treasured memories. And with the boldness of two young children, Arnold and Helga, they have managed to escape the clutches of La Sombra to find his parents from captivity and to return them safely home. The journey in itself was a remarkable accomplishment.

Everything was looking bright, especially for Helga; because there she received the greatest gift her beloved could ever have given her. His love. Walking to class hand in hand with her flaxen hair angel now seemed the norm, yet it still felt new. Both young individuals held a look of bliss on their faces as they made their way to their respective desks now situated side by side. Fellow classmates as well filed into class as the bell rang. Most of them sat, chatting away or prepared themselves for the incoming lesson.

Mrs. Quagmire, the 6th grade class teacher, walked in and quickly began taking roll before starting the day's lesson. Meanwhile, Arnold and Helga continued to stare lovingly at each other, lost in space. Going through her list the teacher called out, "Pataki, Helga". But Helga didn't hear she just goofily stared into seas of green, enchanted by them. Her mouth quirk upwards as she looked into them. She sighed inwardly as she placed her palm to her chin "Haaaaah, his eyes are so beautiful! Like the gateway to his soul, which leaves me breathless in wonder. And unmatched by no other. " "Oh man, I should write that down later." She thought as she continued to look into them. Arnold himself couldn't help look away from her either. She had this… adorable smile that just illuminated the room. It made him want to take her in his arms and snuggle up with her. He wanted to hold her close. "She's so smart, and talented, and beautiful. She's… amazing!"

The teacher repeated once more. "Pataki, Helga" Yet still no response from the lovesick girl. It looked as if she had gone off into wonderland along with her boyfriend. A daily reoccurrence, it seems. With a huge sigh, Mrs. Quagmire lifted up her head and shook it with frustration as the class snickered at them, still oblivious of what was going on. With firmness Mrs. Quagmire uttered, her voice raised. "MISS…PATAKI"

At the loudness of the instructor's voice, Helga swiftly came out of her daze to stare angrily at her teacher for interrupting her slice of heaven.

"WHAT?" she gritted back forcefully as she whipped her head in her teacher's direction. Her teeth tightly clenched and her hands strongly gripping the sides of her desk as she tried to control her temper. Helga was about to give a snide remark, when she was interrupted by a hand softly sliding up and down her forearm in a soothing manner, thereby, aiding her to release her tight grip atop the graffiti infested school desk and relax her facial expression. Within seconds she was calm. A new record!

And Helga spoke once more, "I mean…yes, Mrs. Quagmire." She uttered as she tried her best to put on a fake smile on her face. The teacher looked to Helga skeptically and said. "I'll advise that you and Mr. Shortman should keep your minds on school when you're in school. You'll have plenty of free time to be… distracted…after school, understand." Gazing at them with her reading glasses on the bridge of her nose, she dipped her head down slightly to take a good look at them, emphasizing her point.

Both Arnold and Helga blushed at her remark, but quickly composed themselves to reply in unison. "Yes ma'am" they uttered as they reluctantly redirected their gazes to the teacher. The teacher continued on, finishing her role call before beginning her lesson. And the day went on as usual.

At lunch time, usually the gang ate lunch together. But since last year, Arnold and Helga slowly strayed themselves away from the group at this particular hour. They were inseparable. As the couple sat in a corner table away from the general crowd, enjoying their lunch, the gang themselves chatted away at a table a few feet from them. At times the group would watch the couple with curiosity as they fed each other or while they stole innocent kisses, as if they were zoologists observing wildlife. They were the talk of P.S.118 for quite some time and still are on occasion.

Leading the conversation of course was solely given to the self-proclaimed gossip queen of the school…Ms. Rhonda Wellington Lloyd. "You know…It still baffles me how our honest to goodness Arnold can be so in love with his bully… Helga Pataki, it's upsetting you know!" Rhonda stated bewildered at the actuality of what she was witnessing before taking a bite out of her petit four. But Nadine sincerely smiled looking to the couple in awe for a moment as she replied. "Well, I think they're cute. It's really sweet how so in love they are."

Lila wide-eyed gushed. "Gosh, I would have to agree with Nadine on this one Rhonda. I think they're ever so cute. Just ever so cute" She giggled upon finishing her sentence. The other boys made faces as the girls discussed this subject, although it wasn't the first time it came up. With the exception of a few, it came quite as a shock to most of them upon finding out. When it was made official and both Arnold and Helga came out in the open admitting their feelings for each other to their friends, some thought that the end of the world had come…well mainly Sid. Other than the temporary moment of hysteria on his part, everyone pretty much accepted it and moved on. But still, watching them like that felt extremely awkward knowing their history. And the process still felt very new to them now that feelings among friends have started to change along with their mentalities as they continued to grow up. Sitting at the end of the table nearest to the couple, Gerald looked somewhat disgusted at their mushy behavior. He had to admit, he was taken aback when he first saw them act…'strangely' in the jungle, but generally he was happy for his best friend. It took him a few failed attempts at finding love, but he's glad that his friend had finally found someone who returned the same sentiments he had for her. Gerald thought, "But why does he have to be all over her like that, that's just gross! What happened to girls having cooties man, what happened to that?" But as he finished that thought his eyes wandered off, landing on Phoebe as she took a bite out of an apple. He began to wonder about the prospects of him and the sweet petite Asian girl getting together. He smiled to himself, thinking. "Well that wouldn't be so bad."

Sensing that she's being watched, Phoebe lifted up her head and noticed him staring at her. She blushed, which Gerald as smooth as he tried to be could only afford to wink in response then quickly turned his head to hide his blush after receiving her bright smile. He tried to control his rapid heartbeat from increasing by distracting himself as he drank from his can of soda. Placing it back on the table, he slightly turned his head to look her way once more. She blushed again, slightly lowering her head, her eyes still on him slightly downcast. "Play it cool Gerald, just…play it cool!"

He nervously smiled and she giggled, putting a hand to her lips, trying to hold back the excessive amusement of his behavior, "Gerald has the kookiest smile, it's so cute." And she giggled once more as she saw him, trying to look suave as he posed like some model, placing his elbow on the table while bringing his thumb and forefinger to his chin, stroking it. Something he noticed Jamie-O doing in order to get a girl to notice him. Phoebe tried to hold back her laughter, but she also felt flattered that he searched for her attention.

But before any more flirting could be done, the lunch bell rang and everyone at the table dispersed. Nadine, Lila, and Rhonda left the lunch room together with Rhonda still chatting away about a fellow classmate's fashion faux pas. "And she had the nerve to wear white sneakers with those caprini pants, that style was sooooo last year. I mean…can you believe it?" She uttered dramatically on her way out as Nadine and Lila followed, merely looking to each other quizzically and shrugged, not getting the big deal about the possible errors their classmates make on the latest trends. Stinky, Sid, Eugene, and Harold left as well with Sid betting Harold that next lunch he wouldn't be able to down all of their mystery meats put together in one sitting. Whilst Gerald still trying to be 'Mr. Casanova' offered to accompany Phoebe to class. And she obliged. Gerald grinned in success in 'sweet talking' to Phoebe. He inwardly thought as they exited the lunchroom his arm wrapped upon her shoulders, "Oh yeah Arnold, I got game too!"

But…oblivious to the crowd exiting the lunch room were the two blondes who remained rooted to their seats. Within minutes, the lunch was room was empty save for the lunch ladies and janitorial staff cleaning up the mess the kids have made. Helga turned for a moment to look around her and noticed that the cafeteria was nearly bare. A smirk came to her face as she looked back at Arnold and began to lean toward him. Arnold looked around as well and was about to tell her that they should get going when he felt her lips crash land intensely to his own. He was stunned for a moment, but he soon responded to her kiss. He relished at the feel of her soft lips as they navigated on his, tasting the sweetness of her bubblegum flavor lip gloss, which traveled to his tongue. Her arms slid about his neck as she lowly moaned in contentment. They were entwined in their kiss for more than a few seconds. Needing air, she yielded and pulled back to stare at his goofy half-lidded expression. "He's so adorable when he does that!" She thought.

Helga giggled in delight, uttering. "Oh Arnold, you don't know how much I thought about doing this all day." Still in a daze Arnold replied as he panted. "Well…I'm glad you did my Angel." Helga couldn't contain herself she wanted more as she leaned in again and captured his lips to hers. But this kiss didn't last as long, for Arnold heard the second bell, indicating the start of class. Locked in the kiss, Arnold spoke against her lips, his voice muffled. "Helga? Helga! We need get to class." Holding her shoulders, he slowly pulled away from her and saw her pouting once they parted. He chuckled at her expression, saying. "You know you're making it hard for me to resist you when you look like that!" A grin came to her face then. "Is that so Football-Head?" she replied, her unibrow partially raised.

He replied looking at her slyly. "Mm, hm…very much so"

So she leaned forward once more and pouted again. "Well…maybe I should do this more often." She said with a smirk. He leaned in as well. "Maybe you should" he replied smoothly as he chuckled, anticipating the moment. They got within mere centimeters of each others lips when Principal Wartz passed by the cafeteria door mumbling incomprehensible words while playing with two miniature action figures in his hands, forcing the two lovebirds to jump away from each other. Doing a double-take, he stopped at the cafeteria door and saw the two pre-teens awkwardly staring at him as they sat real close to each other, both red in the face. His brow furrowed as he approached them. "Shouldn't you two kids be in class?"

Helga, regaining her composure raised an eyebrow and with a mischievous grin, she responded with a question of her own. "And aren't you too old to be playing with toys?" Principal Wartz stood there stunned for a moment as he looked to her. Simultaneously, Arnold's eyes widened at her statement. He nervously looked to Helga, her arms crossed on her chest and a victorious smirk on her face. He shook his head in disbelief at her audacity, sliding his palm over his face, he lowly groaned. "No Helga, Nooo!"

But right away, Principal Wartz placed his hands behind his back, hiding the mentioned toys behind him. His face grew stern as he eyed Helga while defensively replying. "Miss Pataki, need I remind you that classes are now in session, I suggest you relay your attention to that than ..to other ...uh...matters. Yes, yes that's it. (Wartz complimenting himself for his save) Besides, these… things were just confiscated. I was uh…merely going to drop them in the lost and found box, so the owner can pick them up after school."

Helga and Arnold both looked to each other, not believing a word of it. But Arnold spoke up, uttering rapidly. "Well Principal Wartz, we'll take your advice and head to class now so we won't miss too much." Helga muttered lowly, "Pftt, fat chance Arnold." But Arnold swiftly grabbed Helga's hand and ran out of the cafeteria before the semi-bald headed principal of the school took it upon himself to place them in detention. As the kids left, Principal Wartz stood by looking speechless as the cafeteria workers stopped and stared at him after being upstaged by his own students. Needing to restore his authoritative image, he cleared his throat and uttered a statement to his employees who were still motionless. "Uh! Carry on, carry on" And the workers then resumed cleaning. Then, Principal Wartz went on his way towards his office, intending to finish his playtime in private.

As Arnold and Helga ran to class, Helga couldn't help but wonder how lucky she was. Her life with Arnold now in it, felt like a dream. Despite the slight strain she suffered at home on a daily basis, things were not so bad now. Actually, her future looked much more promising.

As for Arnold since finding his parents, he has been more carefree and cheerful when it came to dealing with his life's issues. Everything for him has come full circle and the last piece of the puzzle came together to restore the balance he so longed to find. His relationship with his parents was improving as they were getting to know each other, catching up on lost times. Things are very different for him now than it was a year ago. Although, Arnold's head is still in the clouds, the main reason for that now is due to the girl that is right by his side at the moment.

With a few yards left to their classroom, Arnold who was leading Helga suddenly stopped. He turned quickly to look at her. Helga stopped as well with her hands to her knees, trying to catch her breath. "What is it, Football head? Why are you… stopping all of a sudden?" she uttered not understanding his actions. Arnold displayed a lopsided smile as he rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding her gaze. He shyly glanced at her as he timidly said. "I…just wanted to pick up where we left off…you know… before we head to class" Helga stood there stunned for a second and then giggled a bit. "Oooo, you sly devil, you!" She teased as she closed the gap between them and kissed him softly on his lips. His lips were so warm, so gentle as it caressed her own. She couldn't help but sigh into it. This…was bliss. Every time they kissed she felt like melting. He was so contagious that she could feel his love invade her body. And for a second she shivered with delight at his affection.

Pulling away from him, she swooned as his eyes remained half-lidded; once again the two were off in la la land. It was not until the door of their classroom opened that they snapped out of their reverie and noticed Phoebe standing there shyly her hand to her mouth giggling at the couple's embarrassment. Once again they looked like deers caught in headlights for the second time today.

Helga redirected her focus on her friend, "Phoebe? What are you doing here?" Phoebe grew serious again as she explained her reason for leaving class. "Well, Mrs. Quagmire noticed you guys didn't come to class after lunch so she sent me to come and get you." Arnold and Helga both blushed upon hearing that they were obviously missed by their teacher and sure enough their classmates would notice it as well. Feeling bashful all of a sudden, Arnold stated. "I guess we should…uh… go in there, huh?" Helga nervously chuckled. "Heh, heh, yeah...I… guess we should."

Phoebe as usual smiled knowingly at Helga and all three made their way towards the classroom door when Helga stated. "Uhh you guys go on ahead I'll be there in a minute." Phoebe looked concerned for a second as well as Arnold. "You okay Helga?" Arnold asked. She smiled at him tenderly as she replied. "Don't worry Arnold, I'm fine." Arnold nodded and then with Phoebe made their way to the classroom. All the while, Helga stayed behind to think back on their kiss. She slowly brought her right hand to her lips touching them in amazement. She couldn't believe it. Her Arnold actually initiated a kiss before heading to class. She thought blissfully, "That was so romantic." As the door of the classroom closed, she swooned again "Oh Arnold my Love" she uttered before fainting right there on spot. Minutes later, when she came to, she got up and entered the classroom as if nothing happened. She needed to get that out, it's been awhile since she's done that, she just couldn't help it. Like she thought earlier, this…was bliss.

As she sat at her desk she couldn't help but think how wonderful life seemed to be. And for the first time in a long while, a broad smile appeared on her face. She thought, "Today was perfect. Nothing could go wrong."

Three hours later, school was out and everyone was making their way home. As usual the gang still took the city bus. At the bus stop, everyone boarded on and sat in there accustomed seats, talking to each other about the events planned for the week. There were talks of hanging out at Gerald's Field playing baseball and a birthday party held by Miss Rhonda Wellington Lloyd to celebrate her 12th birthday. The children's chatting continued until the bus abruptly stopped, capturing everyone's attention. Gerald spoke first, "What's going on? Why are we stopping?" Helga stood up from her seat along with Arnold looking out of their windows. Following them was the rest of the gang. They all noticed that traffic was blocked in both directions. They moved to the front of the bus to see what was going on. All they saw were policemen, redirecting traffic into an adjacent street. Slowly traffic began to move and everyone on the bus made their way back to their seats. Gazing out of their windows as they passed the scene, some of them noticed paramedics crouched on the floor working on what looked to be a young girl.

Most of her body was blocked, but Helga noticed her small arm stretched out on the ground and slight traces of blonde hair. From the looks of it, it seems she got hit by a car, because the man driving the car was hysterical while he spoke to the cops as he explained to them what occurred. All the children in the bus gasped at the scene as the bus pulled away into another street to avoid the traffic. The sight was shocking and terrifying for them, so much so, that they couldn't formulate words to speak. Everyone was quiet for the entire bus ride. The girls were misty eyed as they looked on, and Sheena couldn't help but faint on Eugene's lap at the small amount of blood that was spritzed onto the street. Everyone was in deep thought, and the liveliness they once had was gone. Arnold instinctively held on to Helga strongly as she herself tried to put on a brave face. She happened to see the most out of everyone before the cops completely blocked their view. She tried to force her mind to think of something else. But unfortunately, her thoughts returned to that blonde haired girl lying there on the pavement. She couldn't help but feel terrible that something like this could've happened. She looked about her age.

Helga sat there in her seat, feeling slightly guilty for being on top of the world, and finally finding happiness in her life. Why shouldn't she be happy? She somewhat deserved it after having it rough all these years. Yes, she felt that what happened to that girl was unfortunate, but why did it affect her so much? She shook her head of such thoughts, and squeezed Arnold's hand to feel that he was there. He squeezed her hand back in return, and soon she was calm. For a day that seemed to be bright and full of happiness, it turned out to be quite gloomy and somber in the end. There goes that perfect day…

Once everyone got dropped off at their stops, they all went their separate ways. Everyone was too shocked to do anything let alone hang out. Even Arnold kept to himself as he walked Helga home. When they arrived at her stoop, Arnold merely looked into her eyes and slowly leaned in and affectionately kissed her. He held her tight for awhile, seeming like he wasn't willing to let her go. But slowly and surely he stepped back, and tried to put up his best smile as he quietly waved her goodbye. Helga forced a smile upon her face and fixed her eyes on her beloved as he walked away. She stood there… watching his retreating form, until she couldn't see him anymore. A sigh escaped her as she opened the door to her home… to see Miriam slouching on the dining room table with the blender in hand drooling against the table top. Finally she spoke. "Hey Miriam, how's it goin'?" The woman merely lifted her head up with a mail envelope sticking to her face and replied. "Oh..oh..hi Helga, How's..how was schoool?" she uttered in a slur.

Helga sighed not really wanting to go into details and said. "Fine, Miriam. Just...fine" She looked to her mother once again, making her way to the kitchen, she asked. "Is there anything to eat?" Her mother hardly heard her question as she plopped her head back down on the table, knocked out. Helga sighed in frustration. "Guess not!" She voiced disappointed. So, she went into the kitchen and made herself a sandwich. Luckily, this time her mother bought groceries so she won't be starving tonight.

Disheartened, Helga headed upstairs with her food and some snacks for later. Opening the door to her room, she sat on her bed still deep in thought about the accident she saw. Overwhelmed by the sight, she couldn't help but shed a tear for that girl that lied there. This girl could've been her or anyone in her school. No…she didn't want to dwell on this…it's too depressing. She grabbed her sandwich and began to eat. She looked at her pink notebook close by, but she couldn't compel herself to write in it. Her mood was too somber. Besides, she was too exhausted to stay awake to write in it anyway and homework was also out of the question. "Maybe a nap will make me feel better!" She thought as she sunk into her bed, wanting this sad feeling to go away. "I hope she's okay" She whispered into thin air and softly closed her eyes as she fell into a calm slumber.

Waking up four hours later, Helga looked to her clock to see that it was 9:30 at night. "Whoa I must've been really exhausted!" she exclaimed as she sat up on her bed, staring into the darkness. With a thirst for water, Helga made her way down the stairs and into the kitchen to grab a glass of water. She noticed Big Bob sitting on his chair as usual watching TV. She bid him 'hello' and he responded with a mumble, not bothering to turn his head away from the TV for a moment. "Hey Olga"

She didn't even bother to correct him and moved on to the kitchen as planned, getting her glass of water. As she headed out of the kitchen to get back to her room, she heard this on the television. "We are interrupting this schedule program to deliver this breaking news." Big Bob then whined. "Can you believe these bozos from the TV news station? Interrupting my program to deliver some stinkin' news that probably will be repeated once again at 10:00pm when the official news casting is scheduled. Those darn imbeciles."

Still standing near the stairs, Helga then heard a slight shuffle not too far from her and noticed Miriam, coming from the trophy room and entering the living room to sit alongside Bob. They tend to do that late at night when she's asleep, but seeing that she slept through the day and was unable to return to sleep right away, she made note of that. She returned her attention back to the TV.

The reporter was standing in front of Hillwood General Hospital giving an overview of what was going on. "We are standing here at Hillwood General Hospital to give you an update on the condition of a young girl who got hit by a car earlier this afternoon between Vine St and 38th Av. It seems that the young girl, age 11, has suffered multiple severe injuries and is in need of a bone marrow transplant. The driver responsible has been taken into custody for further questioning and his identity at this moment will not be released. Excuse me for a moment ladies and gentlemen, but we just received breaking news on this story… " The news reporter paused for a moment and seemed to be receiving an update on his ear piece. Helga stood there watching as the news unfolded. Her mind still concerned for the girl she saw earlier.

The reporter spoke again seconds later. "It seems that the hospital is in the forefront of a scandal involving the young girl who suffered the accident. According to a reliable source, the parents of the girl in question The Starski's have demanded an investigation to be conducted on Hillwood General Hospital. It seems that their daughter identified as Gloria Starski, based on recent blood testing performed at this hospital indicated that her DNA did not match that of her parents. The hospital has assured that they have triple checked this new finding and are aiming to get to the bottom of this debacle. Therefore, she is not, I repeat, not biologically related to them. The records show that the girl's mother gave birth to a child in this very same hospital eleven years ago, and is searching for answers concerning this issue. This may look like a case of babies switched at birth. But for now nothing is conclusive." The reporter pressed his earpiece closer to his ear as he received more news. At the same time the phone began to ring. Bob urged Miriam to go pick it up in the kitchen. As Miriam headed there she passed Helga. "Hey Helga, didn't see you there" she said hurriedly as she walked by before entering the kitchen. Helga's eyes narrowed as she lowly replied. "Big surprise, you never do!"

But then the reporter continued to speak once more, bringing Helga's attention back to the television, "An insider on this story has informed me that at this moment the hospital is attempting to contact the possible real parents of this young girl. They…may be her only hope in saving her life. Back to you, John!"

As the news moved on to another subject, Helga made her way back towards the stairs her glass of water still in hand. But something she heard made her halt to a stop… Miriam's voice. "What? I don't understand…"

Helga stood in the hallway and looked to the entryway of the kitchen. She heard how Miriam's voice trembled as she spoke on the phone. She's never heard her mother being so emotional like that before. "I can't believe this...I just can't…." Her mom said as she began to weep. Helga then heard footsteps, it was her father. He entered the kitchen wanting to know what all the commotion was about. "Miriam…Miriam..what the heck are you blubbering for?" But she just kept crying nonstop as she held the phone out to him. Big Bob took the phone from her and spoke into it, demanding the person to tell him what was going on that made his wife so upset. Well…definitely not in that context. You know how he is! Helga moved closer to hear better. Then she heard Bob's huge outburst. "WHAT? What do you mean Helga may not be my daughter? You better not be joking!" Upon hearing this news, Helga's hand started to tremble as she held on to the glass of water. Water began to spill out of the glass as it wavered, hitting the floor in tiny splats. Bob's voice resonated through the kitchen and into the hallway, where Helga stood. "OF COURSE I JUST WATCHED THE NEWS! BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN I'M GONNA BELIEVE EVERYTHING THESE MORONS SAY." he blasted with fury setting in his eyes.

At that moment, Helga's eyes widened as she recalled what she just heard the reporter on the news mention. Helga lowly muttered, "I can't believe this..."

Big Bob's face looked like it was about to steam when he shouted "WELL YOU'LL BE HEARING FROM MY LAWYERS ABOUT THIS!" Then he slammed the phone back on the receiver. His chest was heaving from all the rage he had. He felt like he was going to break something or maybe ring the neck of the person he spoke to. Miriam somewhat calm now took to her task to calm her husband's frenzied behavior, when she heard the sound of glass breaking. At that very moment, Bob and Miriam turned their gazes to the kitchen door where facing them… was Helga. Her eyes were glistened with tears unshed, and they involuntarily pulsated, threatening them out. Her hands trembled at her sides, and her body stood stiff as she stood near the kitchen door, unyielding.

With concern on her face, Miriam made an attempt to approach her by taking a step forward in her direction, but Helga cringed and stepped back. Miriam tried again to approach her daughter as she spoke, "Helga, we…" But Helga flinched at the sound of her name and took another step back. Her eyes now were unable to hold the amount of tears they contained so they just overflowed her face without a limit to stop. But still not a word, not a noise came out of her mouth. Feeling small stings at her feet, Helga looked down and noticed little prickles of blood coming out from the small shards of glass that managed to puncture her skin. Her focus stayed on her feet for awhile, not noticing her mom or dad calling for her. They didn't know what to say or do for the girl. Getting through to her seemed hopeless. Miriam began to weep again asking Bob what they should do. They were afraid of losing her, but what if that girl in the hospital was their real daughter?

As Miriam wept in Bob's embrace, he couldn't help but look to Helga with regret. He watched her stand there, watching her feet, emotionless, as if she was in a state of unconsciousness. The site of her forced out a feeling of helplessness in him. It made his lips quiver as tears began to flow on his face. He lowly uttered to her, hoping she would hear him. "I'm…sorry Helga, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry" he apologized over and over, hoping that somehow, his words would pierce through to her. He held on tight to his wife, wishing he could hold on to his daughter as well, but he was afraid…afraid of how she might react. He knew well that he wasn't apologizing for the news or what happened long ago in that hospital. He was apologizing for taking for granted all those years he had not treasured her. He was apologizing for not trying to be a real father to her. He was apologizing for not being able to relate to her even now that she is in this state. What could he do or what could he say to soften the pain? Nothing! It wouldn't make a difference to tell her it's okay, because…it's not. Enraptured in his thoughts he was brought out of it when he heard a large THUMP sound. Looking in her direction once again, he saw Helga collapsed on the floor. It seemed that the news had finally sunk in and as a result she fainted. Bob quickly went to her and gathered her up in his arms, remembering the only time he ever held her like this with affection…the day she came home as an infant. More tears flowed from his face in remembering that day. It seemed so long ago, that the feelings of it were estranged to him. He climbed the stairs with Miriam behind him, worry overwhelming her face. She whispered to her husband. "B, what do we do? What do we do?" He looked to her over his shoulder, his brows furrowed in agony as he replied. "I don't know Miriam…I just…don't…know" They quickly brought her to her room and laid her to rest on her bed. Miriam quickly tended to her minor wounds, but felt guilty at being unable to tend to the biggest one of all. Upon finishing, she caressed daughter's sleeping face and kissed her on the forehead. "I wish…" But Miriam was stumped; she didn't know what to say, because there was so much to be said about what she should have done, but now it seemed too late. But she tried again, "I wish…I was a better mother to you Helga. I hope you can forgive me, but know that I always…always loved you!" She caressed her hair, clearing some strands out of her face and sat by the bed with her husband nearby.

They sat there watching her for a few minutes in contemplation, before they exited her room. They spoke outside her door momentarily before deciding to head to the hospital to get tested to see if they were indeed that girl's parents, and possible bone marrow donors for her. On the way they planned to inform Olga of the news and have her come down from Alaska to get tested as well. But before they left they called on Phoebe's mom, Reba, to come and watch over Helga….now…their alleged daughter.

(A/N: I guess you can say this is a 'what if' type of fic! I had the concept for this story for awhile after hearing a case like this in Brazil last year, and I wanted to try it. I'm not sure how this subject would be received in HA fiction, but I'll try and see how it goes! BTW, I trust… you remember Gloria. You know the better version of Helga that was in Helga's dream when she thought she didn't exist. Yep! that's her. As for the quote about change in the summary that's by Price Pritchett. Anyway, I hope you liked it and I would appreciate your review, Thanks! :D)