Hello, everyone!
Jedy here with a new story. Because everyone liked my first story, Changed, I
decided to write another one. This story isn't a continuation of changed. It is
set in a different reality and… I guess you'll just have to find out how
different.
A quick note: Sometimes Love Just Isn't Enough is just a simple romance story not like Changed where it dealt with other factors. Hope you all liked it! Oh I almost forgot to say 'Thank you!' to my dear editor. You've tremendously helped.
DISCLAIMER: Hey Arnold! is not mine.
Sometimes Love Just Isn't Enough
Prologue
You're WHAT?
~Thursday
Rain poured down heavily on the streets of Seattle. The lighted lamps weren't even helping to see things clearly but a tall woman, carrying a sleeping child, was able to go to her destination. The only protection the woman had from the pouring rain was a trench coat with the collar pulled up. She knew the address of the house by heart before flying all the way from Ontario, Canada.
She took another look at the couple of bags at her feet and the child that she protectively covered under her trench coat. After taking a deep breath she knocked, praying that they would hear her.
They did, but when the door was opened it wasn't the person she was expecting. A woman with shoulder-length blonde hair opened the door only as far as the lock chain allowed her too. "Can I help you?"
"Yes, does Phoebe Heyerdahl umm, Phoebe Johanssen live here?" Her voice was tired and soft but still held some strength.
The blonde curiously peered at her. "Yes, but who is calling?"
The visitor felt like snapping at the woman but held herself. "It's a former friend. I just came to visit her." She stopped as she got a clear view of the blonde. Her long hair from before was now reduced to shoulder-length frizzled hair.
The visitor gave a relieved smile as she said, "Nadine, you may not recognize me. I changed a lot in seventeen years. It's me Helga. Helga..." The visitor was about to say something but stopped as if mentally correcting herself. "Helga Pataki."
The blonde's eyes widened. "H-Helga?" She stopped and noticed that she was carrying something in her arms. "I-I'm really really sorry. Just wait a second and let me unlock the door."
The door closed and a rattling sound was heard as the chain lock was removed. The door opened again and a smiling Nadine stood at the door. "Come in. Come in. I'm really sorry I didn't let you in before. Well, you could never be sure nowadays." She paused and took a good look at Helga. "You really changed, Helga. I mean, wow!"
Helga softly laughed then stepped in. "Could you put those bags in? The only way I could get help from the cab driver was to threaten him."
Nadine blushed. "I'm really sor..."
Helga cut her off. "If I hear you apologize to me again, I swear, I'll make you really sorry."
Nadine paled. Helga noticed this and quickly added. "Nadine, I was joking. Jeez!"
"Oh, oh. I'm... I apologize," she added, teasingly. She took both huge suitcases as she heard Helga laughed. Nadine closed the door with her foot after she got the bags. "What do you have in these suitcases? Your whole life?!" she joked.
No answer. Nadine put the bags down as she looked up and saw Helga look around the house. Was it her imagination or did she see her eyes water?
"Phoebe and Geraldo's house is beautiful." She stopped as she further gaze at the living room and the hallway. She saw that the house held many luxurious but unbreakable things. Helga noticed a white sheep rug on top of the carpeted living room.
Helga looked at Nadine, "Speaking of which where are they?"
Nadine chose not to voice her earlier observation and instead answered, "They're out of town. Phoebe, Gerald and Bea are in Harvard. Some people needed some help with their research there. They've both been gone for about a month now." She stopped and corrected herself, "They were in Harvard. They're on their way here right now. In fact, they're due to arrive in about two hours."
Nadine paused, a bit unsure if she would voice the question in her mind, but she did. "You know that they have a five year old girl, right?"
Helga nodded. "I do. We've kept in touch since I left. Bianca is her first name." Nadine nodded.
"Could I lay her on the sofa?"
Nadine looked at her confused, but then she saw that she was referring to what she had been carrying under the trench coat. "Oh, yes, yes."
Helga gingerly opened the trench coat and Nadine saw a small blonde girl sleeping. Her long blonde hair was loose as she slept. Helga then laid her on the couch. The small girl moved only once as she settled in. Nadine and Helga looked at the sleeping girl.
"That was why you were talking softly," Nadine said quietly. She looked at Helga who looked very proud of the child.
"Nadine, who was that?" a male voice boomed.
Both women looked up and glared at the newcomer. "Shh!"
He was startled but complied. He looked questioningly at Helga then at Nadine. Nadine then checked the door to see if it was locked and ushered the newcomer and Helga.
Helga looked at the newcomer as Nadine led her. He had grown taller but not as tall as she was. The trademark backwards hat was gone, and his hair was now cropped to a reasonable length. He was wearing a shirt and jeans. Helga grinned as she saw the ever-familiar Beatle boots in his size. Sid grew up okay. He had built himself a physically fit body.
Nadine led the both of them to the kitchen, which was far enough so they wouldn't disturb the sleeping girl but not enough to totally leave her alone.
Sid looked at both ladies. He faced Helga first and asked, "Who are you?" And then he looked at both women and asked, "Why did you two shush me?"
Nadine rolled her eyes. "Sid, you always were rude." She pointed to Helga. "This is Helga Pataki, and the reason we shushed you is because Helga's daughter was sleeping."
Sid gaped at the person Nadine was pointing. "You're Helga? And you have a kid?"
Helga narrowed her eyes at him. "What's your problem?"
Sid nervously laughed. "Nothing. Nothing at all."
Helga threw one final look at him and then looked at Nadine. "You two are house-sitting for the Johanssens'?"
"Well, officially it's just me but I asked Sid to keep me company during the night," Nadine replied.
"You and Sid..." Helga began.
"No, we're just friends. That's all," Sid replied.
"Right." Helga turned to look at Nadine. "Do you think it would be okay if I stayed here for the night? I tried to book a hotel in advance but there weren't any available spaces left."
"Oh I think Phoebe and Gerald wouldn't mind. There's a guest room on the second floor to the right, next to Bea's room. I'll show it to you."
"Great! Sid, could you bring my suitcases to that room?" Helga exclaimed.
Sid folded his arms. "Why should I?"
Nadine waved her arms in the air in frustration and left to checkup on the child. Helga faced Sid and glared at him. "Sid, I asked you nicely." She went closer to him as she continued to say. "Because of a freak storm, Katey and I just went through a very turbulent 4-hour flight from Canada. And because it was raining so hard we couldn't get a taxi for hours. We were finally able to get one, but the taxi driver wasn't exactly a Mr. Sunshine because all he kept talking about was his problems in life. Good thing Katey fell asleep before she heard how hard his life was. And then I had to threaten to do a head lock on the guy in order to persuade him to get my bags onto the steps."
She stopped when she was right in front of him. "I ask you as a mother who is really really tired and not as Helga the former bully, to please carry the suitcases up." Her voice became steel. "But don't worry Sid, because as a mother I can do worse things to you than the bully ever did. Much worse."
Sid's face whitened and the he gulped. "I'll carry the bags for you, ma'am," he quickly said as he joined Nadine in the living room. Helga smirked.
~Seattle Airport
A tall blonde man looked at his watch. The rain had just stopped, but it was still hard to get a taxi around here. Only half an hour had passed but he was getting a bit impatient. The night was getting darker and he wanted to avoid going to Gerald and Phoebe's place late at night. He didn't want to disturb them when he came in.
He noticed a taxi coming around and he was about to hail it when he noticed that it was going to be used. Darn! He should have called ahead instead of waiting for the next available taxi.
"Would you like to share the taxi with us?" a female voice asked.
He turned around to face the woman and refuse when he noticed a black haired woman wearing wire-rimmed glasses and a business type clothes, a loose blouse and cloth pants. She was with a tall black haired man with his curly hair neatly trimmed. He was wearing a polo and some jeans and on his left arm a shy little girl, who looked about five years old, who held a death grip on him. Arnold faced the little girl and saw she had a mocha skin tone and wavy hair that was tied into two loose pigtails. His heart gave a sudden pinch but he suppressed the pain.
He smiled warmly as he greeted the two, "Gerald, Phoebe! What are you two doing here?"
Gerald smiled, "Getting a cab just like you."
"Yes, Arnold. We were hoping to arrive home before you, but my colleagues detained us for a few more days." She adjusted her glasses as she continued. "But it is a good thing we were able to run into you."
Arnold turned to face the little girl again. "What is your name?" The girl turned red and ducked behind his father's legs.
"Bianca Johanssen," Phoebe answered.
Arnold continued to look at the little girl. "It's nice to meet you, Bianca. My name is Arnold. I'm a friend of your mother and father." Bea continued to watch him but never left her spot.
Arnold smiled at the little girl, feeling happiness for his friends and sadness for himself. How he wish they were safe now...
"People, people we aren't getting any younger and we need to get in the cab before somebody takes it." He offered his arm to Phoebe, "My sweet."
Phoebe blushed and took his arm. Gerald turned to face Arnold. "I would offer you my other arm, my man, but you see I'm all booked."
Arnold and Phoebe laughed. "By all means, go ahead. My arms are booked too." He gestured at the bag at his side. They grinned as they went in the cab. Gerald helped Phoebe and the little child in, and then he mockingly waited by the door. Arnold glared at him and went inside. Gerald then got in and rode by the driver.
After Gerald told the driver their address he faced Arnold and grinned. "Good to see you man! How long has it been? Ten? Eight?"
"Nine years. I've missed a lot of reunions haven't I?"
Phoebe held her sleepy daughter's head on her lap and faced Arnold, who was on her right. "Yes, but nothing changed much since we last wrote to you. The only thing that would amaze you is how much everyone's changed. We didn't get you a picture like we promised you because everybody was always busy."
Her voice softened. "And still, I couldn't get Helga to come back here. It's been a long time since we last saw her. I haven't seen her since she transferred to a college in Canada. That was about fifteen years ago."
Arnold looked at the neighborhood he had missed so much. "I'm sure Helga is fine," he replied, but his voice held a bit of uncertainty and worry.
Arnold turned to face them and cheerfully asked. "So, what does your house look like?"
Gerald grinned and answered him. The talk continued after that.
~Johanssens' home
"Nadine! Sid! We're home!" Gerald said as he knocked on the door. All of them were clustered on the porch of the Heyerdahl-Johanssen home. Bea was awake but she still felt a bit sleepy.
Arnold raised one eyebrow. "Sid and Nadine?"
Phoebe smiled. "No, no it's not that. Their just acquaintances." Phoebe gave a sly grin as she added. "That's what they say."
A female piped in from the inside. "Phoebe, I heard that!" Phoebe grinned.
The door opened. Sid cheerfully greeted. "Gerald, my main man! Phoebe, my main woman! Bea, my main girl!"
"Sid the main dork!" Nadine sarcastically added from her spot on the sofa. She was on the right side of them.
Sid turned around to face Nadine and glared at her. Arnold chuckled and even the shy Bea giggled. After all the suitcases and bags were all inside, Sid and Nadine happily greeted Arnold.
"Where have you been all these years Arnold?" Sid asked.
"I've been studying to be a doctor, Sid."
"Yeah, it is a much harder job than being a reporter, right Arnold?" Nadine asked.
Before Arnold could reply, Sid countered Nadine. "Like being an entomologist is a harder job, bug-girl?"
Nadine glared at him. "Who are you calling bug-girl, big-snout!"
Phoebe and Gerald sighed. "This will take a while, Arnold. Why don't you go to the room right next to Bea's? I'll just sort some things and people out." Gerald said.
Phoebe nodded. "I'll show it to you. I'll be taking Bea there now." She nodded to Bea, whose eyelids were already dropping despite of the bickering duo in the living room. Phoebe carried Bea, "Follow me, Arnold."
They went upstairs. Arnold saw that Phoebe and Gerald decorated the house well. It looked very homey. Phoebe pointed the room Gerald was referring to and entered the room next to it. He opened the door and then closed it.
The room was dark. He was about to turn on the lights when he heard a sound. It wasn't a noise exactly, just a sound. It seemed like breathing sounds. Two breathing sounds. Extremely puzzled, he looked at the bed and noticed two body-sized lumps. One big and one small. And the breathing sounded felt familiar.
His eyes widened. No. It couldn't be. He felt surprised for a second but he forced himself to calm down. Maybe they would have another room. Darn it! Why did Sunset Arms have to be fumigated now?
He slowly walked out of the room to find either of the couple.
Phoebe was drinking chamomile tea in the dinning room with Gerald, Nadine, and Sid. But as for Sid, he was putting more and more sugar in his tea.
"What are you doing, Sid?" Gerald asked.
"There's no taste in my tea, so I'm adding some sugar to it."
"Some? You've already added two sacks of sugar," Nadine put in.
"I'm not all sweet like you are."
Gerald and Phoebe gave a sigh. Not another one.
"Sweet!?" Nadine exclaimed.
"Well, I didn't welcome Helga in the guest room when she arrived unexpectedly. I'm sorry I'm not like you," Sid countered.
Now both Gerald and Phoebe looked at Nadine and Sid. "WHAT?"
Nadine and Sid looked at the couple with confused faces.
"HELGA'S HERE?!" Phoebe yelled. Nadine and Sid both nodded their heads simultaneously.
"Yeah, she's in the guest room," a new male voice added.
All turned to the source of the voice. It was Arnold by the doorway. Phoebe stood up but Arnold stopped her. "She's sleeping..."
"Yeah, Phoebe. She's sleeping with her daughter," Nadine cut in. Arnold further went in and sat at the chair at Gerald's left.
Phoebe and Gerald looked at Nadine with very shocked faces. "She has a what?"
Arnold, Gerald, and Nadine both said, "Shhh!" to Phoebe. Sid, who was at that time just finished adding more sugar in his tea, waved his empty teaspoon to Phoebe. "I know the feeling, Phoebe. Just follow them or they'll get more cranky if you don't."
Nobody was able to respond to Sid's remark because a very small and sleepy voice asked, "Please be quiet."
Again, everybody turned around and saw a young girl, who looked about four-years old, rubbing her eyes. Her long blonde hair was messy, and her pajamas were rumpled. She opened both eyes as she continued, "I was sleeping."
Gerald, Phoebe, Nadine, and even Sid stared at the little girl. More importantly at her eyes. They were sea-green colored eyes. A very familiar color.
"Phoebs, could you keep it down? Katey and I were sleeping, you know," a new, and much older voice added.
Again everyone turned, this time to face a very sleepy Helga wearing pink pajamas. Phoebe would have run to Helga's arms but she really was shocked at the events. And as for Katey, when she saw Arnold beside Gerald she gave the biggest smile and ran to him, "Papa!"
Nadine, Phoebe, Sid, and Gerald stared at Arnold. He just tried to ignore them as he picked up Katey and placed her in his lap. Katey hugged him tightly. "I missed you, papa!"
Simultaneously, the four remembered Helga and turned around to face her. They saw a very pale and very near faint Helga. She went further in and backed up to the wall. Her knuckles were very white as she made them into fists. But she managed to compose herself as she released her hands and glared at Arnold.
"So you came here too," she curtly said.
Arnold met her squarely. "Yes."
The two glared at each other so hard that everyone felt tension in the room, and it was so thick you could slice it with a knife. Finally, both turned to face a different view. Arnold turned to a very surprised Gerald and asked for another room.
"We don't have another empty guest room. I'm sorry, Arnold," he replied.
"Don't worry, you can have mine. I can sleep in the living room," Sid offered.
Arnold smiled, "Thanks, Sid. Are you sure it's okay with you? I could sleep on the couch."
Sid shook his head. "It's fine."
"Yeah, it's fine. He's been dying to sleep on the sheep rug for a long time now," Nadine teased.
Sid glared at Nadine but made no comment. Nadine wickedly grinned at Sid, but he ignored her. Nadine then went to Arnold and kneeled. "Katey, honey, would you like me to tuck you in?"
Katey looked at Nadine for a moment then replied, "They're going to talk adult talk, right?"
Nadine looked at Katey, very surprised, "You're very smart, aren't you?"
Katey nodded. "Mama and papa are very smart too!"
"Yup, they had to be. To have a very smart girl," Sid added. Katey broadly smiled.
"Now, about the tucking-in?" Sid reminded her.
Katey kissed Arnold on the cheek, "Good night, papa!"
"Good night, Katey," he replied.
Katey then quickly went to Helga. Helga kneeled and let Katey kiss her cheek as well. "Good night, mama!"
"Good night, sweetie! Remember to say your prayers," Helga reminded her.
Katey smiled. "I will, mama!" She went back to Nadine and Sid and took one of their hands. She then pulled both of them as she yelled, "Good night, Auntie Phoebe, Uncle Gerald!"
Phoebe and Gerald looked at the parents. "Phoebe's my best friend and Geraldo's her father's. Of course she'll know you," Helga explained.
"Oh," both replied.
Silence.
Helga sat down on Phoebe's left and at the other end of the table. She brought up her legs on the chair and crossed it. Finally, Gerald was able to voice what he and his wife had been asking in their minds. "Spill it."
Helga looked at the kitchen and didn't say anything. Arnold sighed. "Helga and I are married."
"You're WHAT?" Gerald exclaimed. Phoebe gave a gasp.
"You know, Gerald, for someone who drinks tea you really are high-strung," Helga remarked. Gerald scoffed at her.
"Hey, hey, hey! That's my patented scoff! Nobody can scoff but me!" Helga teased.
"Helga, this is a serious situation," Arnold scolded. Helga scoffed at him.
She sighed. "We got married one year after my graduation. That was four years ago," Helga replied in a listless voice.
"Why were you two so shocked about it? You knew that Katey was our child before we told you that we were married," Arnold asked.
"Well, I figured that maybe you two had one passion-filled night," Phoebe stated. Arnold and Helga turned a deep shade of red.
"Err, yeah. Me too. I knew you two had the greatest friction against the other," Gerald added. Arnold glared at him. "Uhh, more friction on Helga's side."
Arnold looked at the window while Helga played with the cloth in her pajamas. "You two should know, we are not that kind of people," Arnold stated.
"How do we know? Both of you haven't been here for nine years! Now I can see why." Gerald stopped and looked at both of them. "Why are you two so angry at each other? Is it something to do with you two coming here separately?"
Helga spun her right hand fingers in the air. "You guessed right, my good man! You win a prize," she replied sarcastically.
Arnold faced her, "Why do you always deal things that way? Can't you ever handle a problem in a rational manner?"
"Well, do you always have to be so serious about everything? You're going to get older at a faster rate than I will!"
"Since when did you care?"
"Who says I did?"
Phoebe raised her hands in the air. "Helga! Arnold! Please stop! You both have to calm down." Both did but continued to glare at each other.
"We are all tired from our journey so maybe we should just get a good night sleep. We'll talk about why you both are here tomorrow."
"Okay." Helga stood up. "Good night!" Without hearing their reply she left.
Phoebe looked at where Helga used to be and sighed. Helga always was Helga.
Gerald also stood up. "I'll just show Arnold to his room, Phi."
Phoebe faced him and nodded. "Good night, Arnold!"
"Good night, Phoebe!" Arnold greeted back as he stood up.
"This way, Arnold," Gerald said. Arnold followed him.
Oh yes, I'm still currently working on this story at a snail pace so each upcoming chapters will be posted after a couple of days. Sorry!
Like it? Hate it? Tell me.