I've changed Arnold's mood on the whole thing. He's now a little more regretful than bitter. I think that change was necessary. :P

Also, things will pick up in the next chapter, I promise! D:


As Phoebe drove up more in the forest and field countryside, on their left side they could see a barrier of a white wooden five-foot tall fence, indicating that they reached their destination. As soon as they arrived, Helga, who was again behind the driver's seat, could see the house far in the distance, the trees almost obscuring the home. The clearing of the flat land was fenced off, surrounding the area with what looked like two acres, with several trees dotting the property. The entrance was little ways off but came closer as they drove. When nearing the entrance, a one-story ranch-style home was out in the short distance from the entryway. The house looked like a traditional wooden ranch style, logs jutting through the exterior of it, along with a red-brown wooden shingled roof. There was also a medium-sized lake behind the home, as well as a storage barn, a small boathouse, and a dock behind it all. The trees are shading the suns rays around the property, while beautiful flowers dotted around the field, their vibrant colors blooming in the springtime, making the whole area a serene and peaceful setting. It surely is a nice retreat out away from the city.

Helga actually has been to this place once during her freshman year of high school. She remembered the home having a nice rustic feel to it, the place almost like a cabin. Phoebe says that she and her family usually go here every summer to relax. The area was pretty remote, as the next neighbor was probably only two to three miles away.

"We're here!" Phoebe said in a sing-a-long tone as she drove up the front of the property's wooden entryway gate, which seems to be closed. "Hold on a second, I need to unlock the gate."

She grabbed a ring full of keys that were on the car tray in between her driver seat and Gerald's. Opening her car door and unbuckling her seat-belt, she got out of the car as she walked up to the gate, selecting a key out of the key ring. On the left side of the gate door was a chain wrapping around the edge of the door and the side of the gate with a padlock on it. Inserting the key into the padlock, she unlocked it, making a 'click' sound. She gathered the chain and the padlock with her in one arm and began to push open the gate door with the other.

Seeing that she might need a little help, Gerald opened his car door and said, "Whoa, Phoebe! Hold up, you might need some help!" unbuckling his seatbelt, he turned around to the two in the back seat. "Try not to kill each other while I'm gone," he said sarcastically as he got out of the car.

Helga rolled her eyes, while Arnold said nothing.

The two sat there for a while, the silence deafening except for the far-off voices of Gerald and Phoebe as they conversed.

Arnold, thinking it would be a good time to say something now after the excruciating pain of not either one of them talking, decided to say. "You know...it really is nice of Phoebe and her parents to let all of us stay at their lake house for the day."

Helga shrugged. "Yeah, it is. I wonder how much has changed."

Arnold turned his head at Helga and blinked. "You been here before?"

"Yeah. When I was fifteen."

"Oh..."

The conversation died after that.

It was then Phoebe and Gerald came back into their designated seats in the car(with Gerald holding the chain and padlock in his hands), closing their doors. "O-kay! Here we go!"

Helga sighed and sat back in her seat, while Arnold looked down at his shoes as if they were more interesting.

They entered the property, driving on the dirt road as they near the home, passing a couple of trees.

"Thank you Gerald, for helping me out with the gate! You are such a gentleman." Phoebe said with a smile.

"Aw, shucks Babe, I just don't want you to do all the work," Gerald said with a sweet smile.

"Aww, Gerald!" Phoebe gushed appreciatively.

Helga rolled her eyes again, mumbling, "Oh criminy..."

Arnold just sat there, not saying anything as he felt a little awkward.

As they neared the house, Arnold took the time to survey the area where they will be staying for the remainder of the day. Deciding to compliment on the area, he said. "This is a nice property you have, Phoebe. I need to thank your parents with a note when I have the time."

"Yeah, thanks, Pheebs. I'll have to do that too." Helga muttered with hidden gratitude.

Phoebe smiled brightly as she glanced at them. "Thanks, guys! I did a lot of convincing from my parents to do this, and I'm really glad they agreed they let me borrow the house for a while. Just as long as you guys behave yourselves and not be too frisky with each other."

Arnold blinked and Helga straightened at that bit of info.

"Wait a minute...you make it sound like you guys aren't coming..." Helga asked in hesitation.

"Weeeell...Gerald and I are just...here for the ride..." Phoebe said reluctantly.

...Helga and Arnold put two and two together...

"W-Wait a minute...y-you're...you're just dropping us off!?" Helga exclaimed incredulously.

"Wait...I-I saw more luggage in the back of the trunk," Arnold said, feeling a little uneasy right now.

"Uh, yeah, about that, Arnold...those were just for show," Gerald said almost sheepishly. "But the cooler, grill and the bread buns weren't! You can both fix up some hamburgers while you and Helga are there!"

Arnold's eyes widened while Helga scowled. The blonde haired young woman expressed her outrage. "Pheebs, I can't believe you would do something like this!"

"Helga, in order for you and Arnold to face these problems head-on, you have to confront and talk to each other about it," Phoebe advised.

"Still, Phoebe! You and Geraldo just straight up lied to us!" Helga exclaimed in irritation.

"I-I don't know about this," Arnold said nervously, looking down as he was wringing his hands.

"Me neither, Football Head! Phoebe, turn this car around, I'm not gonna be a part of this!" Helga said in defiance.

"No," Phoebe said simply, expressing defiance as well.

Helga blinked. "What!? Pheebs, I'm not going to be a part of this! I'm not gonna be stuck here in your vacation home with Arnold for the whole day!"

Arnold looked at Helga, his eyes expressing hurt.

"No, Helga. You are going to be a part of this. You and Arnold are going to make amends."

"What if I don't!? He honestly doesn't want to! He never called me back and whatnot after that argument!"

Arnold felt shame as he was reminded of their argument with Helga during the holidays. To be honest, he wished he could take it back. But he was so mentally exhausted about the whole thing that day, that he just...needed a break...he didn't really know. And what's worse, he thinks about her at times and doesn't try to call back in fear of what she might say...

He felt like a coward when he thought about it...

"I have a feeling you do want to make amends, Helga." Phoebe countered back.

"I don't! Just turn the car around, Phoebe!" Helga said in what sounded like desperation.

"No, Helga."

"Phoebe, if you don't turn around right no-!"

SCEEEEEEERCH!

The car stopped abruptly, the passengers harshly jolted from their seats in their seatbelts. Helga and Arnold hit the back seat with force. Gerald, who didn't have his seatbelt on, almost flew to the dashboard, his hands on it to shield the force of the blow. All of three of them looked surprised at Phoebe's bold move.

The car was stopped in front of the vacation home, where there was a tree in front of the house with two ropes connected to a single wooden plank seat, which they were tied up to a tree branch, making it into a wooden swing.

Phoebe roughly puts the car in park.

"Babe?" Gerald said in concern. He had to be honest, he felt pretty uneasy about the situation right now.

Phoebe was silent for a moment...until she turned her head to Helga, a scowl on her own face.

"Look Helga. I know you're hurt. And I know this hurt is directed towards Arnold. But you are not going to run away from this."

Helga, who looked shocked, was about to utter something when Phoebe cut her off.

"No, let me talk, Helga," Phoebe said firmly.

Helga kept her mouth shut.

"You may feel betrayed by what has happened during the holidays, but I know deep down, you want to fix your relationship with Arnold. You and Arnold can still fix this. And I know you want to. And I think Arnold does as well."

Helga turned to look at Arnold, whom in return glanced at her with the same look of sadness in his eyes.

When she saw those eyes of his, those beautiful eyes of his, looking almost broken...

Phoebe continued. "Helga...I admit what Arnold did was selfish." Arnold flinched at that. "But I know for a fact you still love him..."

Gerald decided to throw in some counseling as well. "Yeah, come on, Arnold. That fallout with you and Helga may have been a little too far, but I know you're still stuck on her. I mean, I don't know why...no offense Helga."

Helga glowered at Gerald.

"Anyway, I know you still care about her, man." Gerald finished with a sympathetic look at Arnold.

Arnold turned to his best friend, then at Phoebe, then back at Helga. When Helga looked back at Arnold, he still carried that same grief in his eyes, and it really pained her to see him that way...

It was then Arnold asked her. "Are you...are you really mad about what I said, Helga?"

The question was almost rhetorical, as Arnold did know that she was mad. Heck, he was even upset with himself that he suggested a break. He couldn't comprehend why he did...perhaps he was just afraid that Helga wasn't supportive enough for his cause...no matter how inevitable the chances are that his parents might be...gone...

Helga just stared at him...

"...You already know the answer to that, Arnold," she muttered as she unbuckled her seatbelt and exited out of the car.

"Helga!" Phoebe called out, opening the car door to follow Helga.

Arnold sat there, a woeful expression on his face. He turned to Gerald, who gave him look of pity.

They were silent for a moment...

...Until Arnold finally said. "I messed up, Gerald."

"It seems that way, Arnold," Gerald replied.

Arnold groaned miserably. "I just...I don't know what I was thinking. I just said a 'break' because...ugh, I'm so stupid!" he grabbed his face in both of his hands in dejection.

"Hey man, don't beat yourself up over it." Gerald comforts his friend.

"I feel like I should," Arnold muttered.

Gerald sighed. "Look, at any point, I would say that it's not your fault, that Helga was in the wrong...but for once, I agree with Helga. What you said to her was pretty selfish, Arnold."

"Okay! It was selfish, I know!" Arnold said in aggravation. "I just...I don't know, I thought she would be supportive about it..."

"Arnold my man, you haven't really called her that much for the remainder of your first semester from what I heard. You could have at least told her what's up."

Arnold sighed. "I...I know, it's just...I guess I actually do have some sort of false hope that I would...someday find my parents."

Gerald frowned sympathetically at his best friend. "Hey man...I know how you feel when it comes to your parents. But...relationships are supposed to work as a team, you know?"

"Yeah...I know..." Arnold shook his head in grief. "I guess...part of me just felt embarrassed about not calling her and...I kind of ran away from the problem by trying to focus on finding my parents."

Shaking his head, Gerald gave him his two cents. "Well, either way, you need to tell her all this stuff that you're telling me."

"Yeah...I just hope she'll listen."

Gerald shrugged. "You can try. We are leaving you two here for the whole day."

Arnold chuckled softly. "I still can't believe you and Phoebe concoct this grand master plan."

"Hey, I didn't think it up; my girl Phoebe did. Again, just here for the ride." Gerald said with a sheepish smirk.

"Well, either way...thanks for helping Helga and me out," Arnold said in gratitude.

"Hey man, no problem. Also, um..." Gerald rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry for going off on you two while we were riding."

The blonde young man chuckled again. "Hey, no problem." he sat in his seat for a moment as the situation weighed on him. "I just hope we can both survive the day..."

"Hey, like Phoebe said, as long as you two don't get too frisky with each other or mess up my gal's parents vacation home up, then I'm certain you'll both do fine," Gerald said with an assuring smile.

A blush crept up on Arnold's face upon hearing the term 'too frisky' as he looked to his right sheepishly. However, he smirked nonetheless. "Thanks, Gerald."


"Helga!" Phoebe called out to her again as the blonde young woman faltered her steps as she walked further away from the vehicle.

Once Helga came to a complete stop, Phoebe walked up to her saying. "Helga, please, be reasonable about this."

Helga didn't reply back for while...until she said, "Yep...this place hasn't changed."

Phoebe blinked. "Huh?"

"You know, this place...it hasn't changed...your parents picked a good spot here."

Phoebe frowned. "Helga..."

The blonde was silent...until she sighed and turned around to face her friend, with her arms crossed.

"Okay, look Pheebs, I'm not gonna lie, I'm a little pissed at you right now," Helga said.

"I understand," Phoebe nodded solemnly. "But you can try to fix this, Helga. I know you want to."

Helga remained silent as she looked down at the ground in contemplative thought...

"Helga, why would you even let Arnold in the car if you didn't want him to?" Phoebe asked the question.

"...Well...I kind of thought we were all going, so I agreed to it." Helga muttered.

Phoebe looked at her in doubt. "Are you sure that's the reason?"

Once again, Helga was silent...she blew a sigh through her nose...

"Look, Helga," Phoebe started. "Whether you want to believe it or not, I know you want to be with Arnold again. Haven't you noticed Arnold hasn't backed out when he found out that you were coming with us?"

"That was because he figured out I was going with you guys at the last second before he came into the car," Helga muttered again.

"Well, he didn't back out, did he?"

...Helga sighed. "I don't know, Pheebs..."

"Helga, what could possibly be the reason that you won't let Arnold back into your life?" Phoebe asked in genuine curiosity.

"It's not...it's not that I don't want him back. I...I do, actually." Helga admitted.

"Then what's the problem?"

"...I'm..." Helga took a deep breath and sighed once more. "I'm just...I'm just scared, Pheebs."

"Scared?" Phoebe said with a raised brow. "About what?"

"About..." Helga looked down at the ground once more, wondering if she could even say this. She looked up at Phoebe. "What if Arnold finding his parents is his way of breaking up with me? What if he's...tired of me?"

Phoebe frowned once more. "Helga, that is not true."

"Then why hadn't he told me about him finding his parents? I mean...he should've told me what was bothering him. ...I just...I just felt hurt that he didn't talk to me about it." Helga said with melancholy in her eyes.

Now Phoebe sighed as she stood there for a moment... "I can't answer that, really...but I know Arnold wants you back in his life again. Gerald has been telling me about how Arnold hasn't been himself over the past months."

"It could be because he's finding his parents," Helga muttered.

"That could be part of the reason. But from what I've heard from Gerald, he said that Arnold just looked...depressed most of the time. Like he was bothered by something."

Helga looked at her friend, giving her a hopeful look that says that she really does wants to believe what she's telling her... "...I don't know, Phoebe...you could be looking too much into it."

Phoebe put a hand on Helga's shoulder. "Look...if I'm wrong, I'm wrong...but you can talk to him about this. This is the perfect opportunity to do so."

Helga gazed at her good friend, wondering if this whole trip will be worth it...

She really is hopeful about getting back together with Arnold...she just hopes that Arnold feels the same way...

Maybe this will be the time to know if what they have is true...

"...Okay...I'll go through with it." Helga relented.

Phoebe smiled and hugged her best friend.

Helga sighed, but this time with a smirk. "Okay, Pheebs, I get it, you're happy."

Phoebe let go of Helga, her hands on the blonde's shoulders as she said, "I want to make you happy the most, Helga."

Helga smiled. "Thanks, Phoebe."

The half-Asian girl patted her shoulder with a smile of her own. "Come on. Let's get back to the car and unload."


Arnold and Gerald turned their attention to the girls, who were coming back to the car. Arnold became nervous, wondering what Helga would say to him or about this whole arrangement. He really wants to try to reconnect with Helga again, and if it means staying in a vacation home for a whole day with her, then so be it.

It was then Phoebe said, "Okay, Helga agrees to stay. Arnold...is that okay with you?"

Arnold blinked and glanced at Helga, who was almost avoiding his gaze as if he answered it'll hurt her.

Arnold almost answered instantly. "Of course."

Helga glanced briefly back at Arnold with wide-eyed surprise.

Gerald then said, "Well okay then! Let's get your luggage and the extra stuff out of the trunk!" he said as he unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car.

Arnold did the same, giving Helga one last look as he unbuckled his seatbelt and exited out of his side of the car.

Helga took a glance at Phoebe, who in turn the shorter girl gave her a knowing smirk.

Both Arnold and Helga soon got their luggage out of the trunk(leaving the 'decoy' luggage in the car) while Gerald carried the grill and cooler(and the bread buns). They all walked over to the vacation home's front door, stuff in their hands and arms, all except for Phoebe, who was basically carrying the same ring of keys. Once they're in front of the dark wooden door, Phoebe selected the home key on the key ring. She inserted the key into the door and unlocked it, opening the entrance to the home.

"Alrighty! Here we are!" announced Phoebe.

With it open, they all entered the dark home, which was filled with natural light. Phoebe turned on a light-switch next to the door, the foyer and the living area to the right lighting up. The interior of the home looked quite inviting, the motif almost looking like a hunter's and fisher's lounge, what with the taxidermy white-tailed deer's head and the bass fish plaques hanging on the walls of the living room. Beyond where they were standing, the entrance to the kitchen was present, as well as another entryway to the far right side of the living room. The living area had all the basic furnishings; a couch, a recliner chair, a coffee table and a few small tables, complete with a flat-screen television hanging on above the bricked fireplace.

"Wow, Pheebs, this is a cozy place you got here!" praised Gerald. "Kind of made me wish we were staying here as well."

Phoebe giggled. "Thanks!"

"Yeah, nice place Phoebe," Arnold said with a smile.

"Yep, definitely looks like the same homey place as it usually is," Helga said with a soft smile, looking around.

"Oh come on guys, it's just my parent's vacation home." teased Phoebe, blushing at the praise. She turned to the two blondes, "Alright, follow me! You both have separate rooms, so I'll show you where they are."

"Pheebs, I've been here before. Don't worry, I know where everything is." Helga stated with a smirk.

"Oh just humor me, Helga." Phoebe then turned to Gerald. "In the meantime, Gerald, you can place the grill at the back of the house while you put the beef patties in the freezer."

"Will do, Babe!" Gerald said with a grin.

As Gerald left to go out the back way, both Arnold and Helga followed the petite girl as she walked them to a hallway, which they turned to the left. On each side of the hallway, there were two doors across from each other. The first door to the left looked to be a bathroom, which had a vanity sink, a tub with a shower curtain around it, and of course, a toilet. The room next to the bathroom was a guest room, and the first room on the right side of the hallway was also a guest room. The last room next to the other guest room was what seemed to be the master bedroom.

"Okay, you two can pick which room you'll stay in, except the master bedroom. Don't want you getting any ideas." Phoebe teased them.

Arnold flushed at the comment while Helga rolled her eyes. However, her face was tinted pink as well.

"I'll choose the guest room on the right," Helga said.

"Um...I guess I'm choosing the left guest room." Arnold said with an indifferent shrug.

"Alrighty! Well, you can all just leave your luggage in your designated rooms." Phoebe advised them.

As soon as they both went to their rooms and placed their baggage on the bed and exited out, Gerald came back into the hallway.

"Okay, the grill is all set, I've put the patties in the freezer and the drinks in the fridge!" Gerald confirmed.

"Thanks, Gerald!" Phoebe said with a smile.

"Alright, it looks like we're...all set," Arnold said, feeling awkward for saying that.

"Yep, looks like it," Helga said with her arms crossed.

"Okay!" Phoebe said a little too excitedly as she clasped her hands together. "Well...since Helga remembers the home from the last visit, I'll just let her show Arnold around the property!"

"So...you're leaving us now?" Helga said a little uneasily.

Phoebe smiled sheepishly. "I'm afraid so." she looks at them, feeling hopeful. "I hope things work out."

Helga and Arnold looked at her for a moment until they glanced at each other.

"...Yeah...me too." Arnold said with a sincere smile at Helga.

Helga gazed at him, her expression unreadable. However, her eyes showed a hint of hope also, as well as longing.

The two averted their attention back to Phoebe who said, "Well...we'll see you two tomorrow!"

"Don't kill each other while we're gone, now." Gerald joked.

"Gerald!" Phoebe smacked him on the chest, but knowing full well he was kidding.

Helga took the time to shift her eyes and turn her head slightly at Arnold, who caught her looking at him through his peripheral. The blonde haired woman kept her gaze on him, while Arnold smiled back at her.

It was then Helga emitted a small smile back at him as well.


Once Phoebe and Gerald entered the car again and fastened their seatbelts, Phoebe took a big sigh as she relaxed in the driver's seat.

"I actually think it's working so far," Gerald reassured her.

Phoebe nodded, staring through the windshield and looking at her vacation home. "Yeah..." she smiled. "I just hope for the best."

"Hey, no worries, Babe. This is a really good thing that you're doing for them."

Phoebe's smile became warm when she turned her head to her boyfriend. "Thanks, Gerald. I...have a good feeling about this."

Gerald smiled back at her. "You know...me too."

She kept the smile for few seconds until she started the car. They backed out and turned the vehicle around to go down the dirt road out of the property. It was then Phoebe glanced at the chain and padlock on the car tray.

"Oh! Gerald, could you help me with the gate so I can chain it up?" Phoebe asked him.

Gerald raised an eyebrow. "Um...okay. Any particular reason why you want to lock them inside your parent's property?"

"Well, it's just for safety precautions. Don't want any wild and dangerous animals to wander in the property."

"Wild and dangerous animals? Babe, the only animals that are around here are deer and squirrels. I doubt Arnold and Helga are gonna be mauled by a squirrel. And I'm definitely certain that they ain't gonna get eaten by a deer."

Phoebe rolled her eyes at the humor with a smirk. "Still, better safe than sorry."

Gerald smirked also. "Okay, whatever you say, Sexy Thang."

Phoebe giggled at Gerald's slick compliment.


Okay! Just so you all know that I haven't forgotten about this story, here's chapter two! And again, I promise things will pick up in the third chapter! D:

Also, WHO'S EXCITED FOR "THE JUNGLE MOVIE"? 8D

But yeah, are you interested in where this is going? Leave a follow! Like this premise? Maybe fave it! What to tell me what you think of it? Give me a review! I love to know what you think! :D

See you all soon, and keep on rocking everybody! ^_^

-TSP