The missile.
Arnold and Gerald shot each other a smug look, as they sipped their beers and watched their wives. They had prank planned for Helga, Phoebe in her current state had to be in know, they didn't want to scare her into a miscarriage. They had edited multiple videos on at least ten channels up and down in case Helga flipped through stations, or got suspicious. What she didn't know was each channel prerecorded and edited and set to play at the same time. They had the prank to go off set for 3 hours into the video this way it wouldn't tip her off immediately, now they had 3 minutes left and they had to go into the kitchen before they gave themselves away.
The girls sat together talking Phoebe's latest obgyn appointment. She was 18 weeks pregnant and they had discovered they were having a boy. Helga couldn't help but gush over her best friends baby, HER nephew, she always was so proud to announce that. She didn't waste time picking on Gerald, throwing insults playfully at him.
"Wow Geraldo, your kid has you beat in the meat department. Hell anyone has you beat, with your package being and sized." Helga's smug look would slip into adoration every time her eyes trailed back over to the ultrasound picture, or her best friend.
"At least my kid isn't likely to be born with one eyebrow." Gerald snickered leaning against the island in the kitchen, wiggling his 2 eyebrows at her. Arnold threw his head back howling with laughter. Phoebe giggle silently behind her hand.
"Listen here tall hair boy, my EYEBROWS-" Helga got cut off by the tv blaring out it's emergency alert alarm, she rolled her eyes and sat back against the couch turning her attention back to the tv. Phoebe gave the boys a look then glanced towards her friend worrying her lip, her hand anxiously tracing her swelling stomach. Arnold and Gerald did their hand bump and shake and strolled over behind the couch casually.
Arnold watched as Helga tensed listening to the report stated their area would be hit with a missile within the next hour. As she turned to look at him, he masked his face with furrowed eyebrows and a tense jaw and glues his eyes to the tv. Gerald's hand squeezed Phoebe's shoulder, and Phoebe broke like a waterfall, her shoulders shook as she sobbed into her hands harshly. Gerald and Arnold dared not look at her, her acting would make them break she was doing better then they expected.
She wasn't acting though, the built up tension waiting for this prank, and the hormones made her son uncontrollably.
Helga saw this as her friend fearing for her and her unborn babies life and immediately leapt into action. She yanked Phoebe up off the couch and turned towards the men.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU STANDING THERE FOR? PACK THE CAR!" She dragged Phoebe to the kitchen throwing, things from bottles, to formula and a breast pump, water bottles and preservatives into a large trash bag. She kept moving around the house grabbing clothes for Phoebe and the baby and diapers/wipes. Arnold and Gerald were sitting on the couch now head between their knees holding in their laughs.
Helga couldn't believe they were still just sitting there. She thought it was shock.
It wasn't until she had swung both strained trash bags over her shoulders and was ushering Phoebe to the front door, that they raced to the door to stop her and let her know it was a prank.
"Helga baby stop, it's-" she interrupted Arnold, "IT'S NOT OKAY ARNOLD NOW OPEN THE DAMN DOOR OR MOVE OUT OF THE WAY! WE NEED TO GO NOW!" they kept trying to stop her frustrating her more, and Phoebe's sobs increasing in volume only made Helga more anxious to get them out of there. They should have seen it coming when she set the bags down and pulled ole Betsy back but they didn't. They fucked up and now they were unconscious and in the back of Gerald's suv thrown on top of each other.
Helga hadn't realized it was only rush hour that made the roads so crowded and couldn't hear Phoebe's pleas for her to stop until they were halfway out of the city in the middle of nowhere. She just kept driving the noise in her own head overpowering.
"HELGA STOP! IT WAS JUST A PRANK! THE BOYS THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GREAT WAY TO GET YOU BACK FOR THE FIRE PRANK YOU PULLED ON THEM! IT'S OKAY HELGA IT'S OKAY! You're going to be okay I promise. You're okay Helga." Helga slowed the car to a stop as Phoebe's voice came to a whisper. She just sat there shaking with her head on the wheel as silent sobs wracked her body.
"It's not okay Pheebs, I'm not okay." Helga whispered turning her watery eyes to her stunned and sniffling best friend. "I thought I was going to lose Arnold, the man I have been fighting to and nail for my whole life, I had to fight back the obsession with therapy and medications until I could finally just love him like a normal person. Funny thing I still love him just as strong, maybe even stronger just less crazy, but I still can't bear losing him."
"Helga-" she raised her hand at Phoebe to silence her. "Then there's Gerald, who even though hated me, still supported me when I was struggling and gave me his blessing to marry his best friend. I look for his approval more than I do yours or Arnold's because he is the only other person who can rival my feelings for you two. Because of that I love him more than I let on, I refuse to lose him too."
"Oh Helga, I'm so sorry-"
"I'M NOT DONE PHOEBE!" Helga lashed out at her. She pinched her nose and sighed watching as Phoebe cowered. "I love you Phoebe, I would risk my life just to save yours. In the moment when you started sobbing, I lost all suspicion l had. The Boys had been acting strange for weeks and then when they were adamant we all hang out today, I knew they were plotting something. When you started sobbing I couldn't believe that Gerald would upset you like that so I rushed around, to save you. Yes I wanted to save them too but you have been my constant. Day in and day out, year after year, it has been you. My life line. You have listened to my complaints and been there for me during all the drama that follows me. You saves me from myself and the knife. I love you Phoebe, you've been a true friend and I'll be damned if anything ever happened to you. You and that baby are what has kept me going. I love him so much. He's going to be as perfect as his mother. Don't ever do this to me again Pheebs because it'll always scared me when it comes you guys, especially you two." She whispered the last part patting Phoebe's belly. Phoebe just hugged her as closely as she could with her rounding abdomen.
The drive was quiet as Helga just kept traveling along the empty road smiling in relief as a motel appeared in sight. "So how are we getting them back?" Phoebe inquired with a grin. They pulled into a spot and went to grab a room for the night.
An hour later the boys woke in the back seat of the suv, it was dark and their faces were sore and they had no idea where they were. The girls weren't in the car and there was a note for them drawn on Gerald's for head telling them they could get their own room. They didn't know where the girls were and how they getting a room without their wallets, All they knew is that when Helga got them back they were in for it. They groaned and leaned back in their seats.