Disclaimer: Craig Bartlette owns all the characters and Hey Arnold.
Summary: This is set later on in the couple's life. I intended this to be a humorous, yet sweet short tale of Arnold and Helga as parents.
Thank you for reviewing! Please keep doing it if you have time. I want to hear people's opinions.
"I won't do it! I won't allow it! There's no way! I object!" Arnold flew through the boarding house door, dropping his brief case and discarding his coat with no particular grace. His voice boomed through the kitchen causing Helga to abandon the half-rinsed dishes and rush to the entrance.
"You won't do what? Arnold, what is it? What happened?" She asked quickly ringing a dishtowel through her hands wiping off suds in the process.
"I won't let her. She can't leave. She's too young!" Arnold ignored Helga's questions and was now pacing back and forth in the small hallway waving his arms to exaggerate his hysteric state.
"What are you talking about, babe?" Helga asked confused at her husband's outburst and trying to get his attention.
"My daughter, my little girl, what was I thinking when I gave them my blessing? I mean she's only 23. She has a whole year of graduate school left, and we were planning a trip to San Lorenzo for her thesis, and she can't move out of the boarding house this has been her home since she was born!" Arnold was getting more and more distressed listing all of the reasons he believed his daughter should just forget about that man, no boy, she said 'yes' to and just stay his little princess for the next, oh I don't know, 50 years!
Finally realizing what this fit was about Helga relaxed against the kitchen doorway and let out a chuckle.
"Oh Arnold," she shook her head and continued to laugh to herself. "Follow me."
"Where are we going Helga? We have to do something right now!"
"Just come with me football head!" She shot him a scowl over her shoulder from her spot already half way up the stairs. Arnold reluctantly followed her up until they entered his old bedroom, now transformed into an evidently feminine space that their daughter had occupied for the past 23 years. Helga climbed up the wall ladder and nudged the skylight open, sticking her head through.
"Come up here and look!" she commanded. Arnold reluctantly climbed and looked through the open window, the frosty winter wind hitting his cheeks.
The older couple came up just in time to witness a snowball softly hit the back of a woman's head. She stood at 5'5" with golden hair in waves like her mother and emerald eyes like her father. On the other side of the roof a young man with shaggy brown hair and brown eyes released a laugh and ducked behind a protruding vent.
"Oh, I'm going to get you for that! The snow went right down my jacket and it's freezing!" The woman shrieked simultaneously advancing towards the man's hiding spot and trying to shake out the cold flakes. She was defiantly her mother's daughter.
The young man sprang to his feet and approached her, quickly grabbing her hands before she had a chance to retaliate with her own snowball attack.
"Why'd you do that?" the woman asked, now with no real menace.
"I think you're adorable when you're all flustered and mad" said the man as he rested his forehead against hers.
"Adorable?" Whispered the woman. Their breaths mingled in puffs of small white clouds out in the wintery afternoon.
"Gorgeous, actually" he replied. Eyes closed, faces close, they both remained there, in each other's arms just savoring this moment as the snow drifted down around them.
"I love you" The man finally broke the short silence "so, so much."
The woman enveloped his lips in a kiss and her arms encircled his neck.
"I love you too."
They remained like that for a few moments before she dashed away to grab some snow, "but I'm still going to get you back for that one" she giggled. Her fiancé ran in the opposite direction echoing her laugh.
Helga turned to her husband, "Now you go out there and tell them that they can't be together!" Arnold's face contorted into a frown, but he showed no sign of leaving his spot next to his wife.
Helga continued, "they're in love Arnold, just as much as we are. He makes her happy and she does the same for him." She paused for a moment and reached out to touch his face "remember when you proposed to me on this same roof? We were only 18 as I remember, and although we didn't get married until after college, my dad sure gave you a heck of a lot of trouble for trying for an earlier wedding date. Let them be, my love." She stepped down from their perch dragging Arnold after her.
"She's not leaving you or me. I don't want to see her grow up either, but I know that if I didn't marry you I would burst. She's our daughter and she has that same fire, that same passion! Don't try to tame it, even if you think it will make you happier if she's here forever." She paused letting her words sink in as Arnold looked down at their feet. She lifted his face gently with her palm "I love you football head". She smiled searching his eyes for a response.
He released a defeated sigh, "I love you too Helga, you know that. I just don't want to let her go. The time went by too quickly. She was just in here, five years old, building castle forts, and dressing me up to have tea with her. You know that all I want is to see her happy."
"I know darling, I know." Helga pulled him into a tight hug, which Arnold eagerly returned. "I'll tell you a secret that might cheer you up."
"Oh yea?" He chuckled, "and what might that be?"
"They decided to rent an apartment right across the street." Helga smirked and kissed a now stunned Arnold as she headed back to the soapy dishes waiting downstairs. Arnold stood as his grin grew in excitement before dashing after his wife yelling, "Well, I guess we have to start getting the invitations ready then. Do you think they need help moving or fixing up the place?!"