Alternate Ending #1

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Helga Pataki's heart beat dangerously in her chest, her entire rib cage shook with each palpitation and she struggled to take in the necessary amounts of air. Deep, dark green eyes pierced at her skin, Arnold Shortman's infuriated stare felt like knives against her very soul.

Helga shut her eyes tight, "I was only trying to protect you." she managed to splutter, an uncomfortable lump forming in her throat.

Arnold moved closer to her, his body tight and his fists clenched by his sides, "Five years!" he shouted at her in a cold and furious tone of voice she'd never heard from him before, "You knew where they were for five years!"

"I wanted to tell you, Arnold!" she countered, her eyes pleading with his, "I wanted to tell you so bad it hurt but, don't you understand, if you so much as stepped foot in that jungle, La Sombra was going to KILL them" her voice was rising, now she was practically screaming, "No more discussion, no more negotiations – he was going to kill them and then kill you!"

"Who are you to decide which risks I take?" he shouted back, his voice sending painful feelings through her chest, "How could you do this?"

Helga took a heavy breath, "How could I? How?" she seethed, one hand pulling at the roots of her hair in frustration, "Because I love you!"

Silence befell the room, Arnold made no effort to move, his emerald eyes, dark and searing remained locked to hers as she stood breathing erratically.

Palms shaking, she continued, "But you already know that, yo u've known since we were NINE."

Arnold scoffed, turning his face away from her, "That is not what we're discussing right now." he hissed, "You betrayed me, I can't even trustyou!"

"Trust me? You can't even trust me?" Helga cried out, thumping her fist onto the nearby desk, "I've been here, right HERE, for fourteen years – watching out for you, doing anything could to make you happy." her hands trembled as she gripped at her jacket sleeves, "I walked bare feet in the snow for miles one Christmas, just so you would believe in miracles, because YOU are the most wonderful, optimistic... frustrating boy I have ever met and... I-I love you! I always have! Why do you think I worked for years to locate your parents in the FIRST PLACE?"

Shaking his head, he turned to fix her with another heartless glare, "I don't know Helga, so you could control my life?" he suggested with a sneer.

Helga shut her eyes, letting her head drop, "I couldn't just sit back and let you walk into your own death." she said quietly.

"Oh? So you neglect to tell me where my parents are because you think I'm stupid enough to just walk into LaSombra's convenient trap?" he raged, gritting his teeth, "You think I wasn't prepared for the worst?"

"They're going to kill you!" she screamed at the very top of her lungs, so hard and loud her throat went dry and she winced in discomfort.

"Let them try" he yelled back, moving toward her once more and backing her against the bright blue wall, "My parents are in that jungle and I'm getting on that place and going to FIND them!"

Helga shook her head furiously, "Don't do it, please." she begged, little pinpricks of tears coming to the back of her eyes, her voice quaking, "You can't go out there on your own."

Arnold narrowed his intense green eyes at her, leaning down over her, "I'd rather die alone out there, than be anywhere near you." he snarled.

"You..." Helga began, her voice no more than a whisper now, biting down hard against her bottom lip, "I..." she looked up to him, but he simply looked back with disdain, stepping slightly to the side indicating his desire for her to leave.

Clenching her hands tightly into shaking fists at her sides, and trying her hardest to control the oncoming hyperventilation, Helga stepped tremulously out onto the stairs. "Goodbye." she whispered softly, a final farewell that she wasn't even certain he heard as he slammed the door behind her.

Arnold walked along the city sidewalk with wide eyes, fully taking in the sights and sounds of civilisation for the first time in twenty years. The last time he had walked along this road was after breaking the heart of the most amazing girl he'd ever known in some ridiculous fight. If there was one thing he regretted above all it was hurting her, that and disregarding her advice and getting himself almost killed in the jungles of San Lorenzo.

Arnold still wasn't entirely certain how he'd made it out of there alive, and yet, after twenty years of imprisonment, three short weeks ago La Sombra had simply let him walk free. His parents had not been so lucky, Helga had been entirely correct, the moment Arnold went in search of them La Sombra had them executed. Arnold never met them, thankfully didn't see them die and never saw the bodies either.

Arnold's eyes snapped up from the ground, searching his nearby surroundings as the sound of an entirely familiar, and for many years haunting, voice met his ears. Hurrying down the street ahead of him, large coffee in one hand and cell phone in the other, was a beautiful blonde woman that just had to be Helga Pataki.

For a passing moment, their eyes met and the tall pink-clad figure of the girl who had loved him so much dropped the coffee from her lips and stopped dead. Summoning every ounce of courage he currently had, Arnold stepped forward to within conversation range, and began to talk, "Hello Helga..."

Helga blinked, and eyed him curiously, "So, you made it back." she stated, not even bothering to word it as a question.

"Yup." he confirmed nervously, "Alive and breathing."

She narrowed her eyes at his comment, "Yeah, yeah you still have your life." she scoffed, "... and you know what, if you're truly thankful for that, then maybe you should send me a card sometime."

Arnold's throat went dry, after everything he said, she had... "You?" he managed to choke out, "You made sure I was aliv-"

"Wow, twenty years later and you still just don't get it." she scowled.

Arnold let out a shallow breath, desperate to explain himself, to apologise for everything – but how could he even begin?

"Helga... I... I yelled at you and said horrible things..." he reminded her gently, still absolutely stunned, "...and then, you still cared that much?"

She simply rolled her eyes, "I know." she laughed, "Pathetic, right?"

He couldn't help but to think back on all the times he wondered how and why La Sombra had never killed him like he had his parents. Sure, the pirate gang had often used Arnold's fair 'European' looks as a decoy in varying illegal transactions, but, overall Arnold had known he wasn't of much value to the outlaws.

"I figured they were just keeping me alive for... use as a decoy.." he explained quickly.

Helga's face remained cold and unchanged, "Arnold, trust me, you were useless to them." she began harshly, "And I would know because it took a lot of money just for them to feel it was worth not putting a revolver to your head."

Arnold winced, "How many times did you pay them?"

At this question, she almost seemed a little rattled but she responded nonetheless, "Only twice, once when you were first captured and once two years later." she told him, "After that they sent word that they had 'found use for you'... as a decoy, I guess."

Arnold noticed her take a small step backward, as though she was beginning to leave and a very important question filled his thoughts, "Helga... why was I released?"

She gave a shrug, but it was unconvincing, "Beats me."

"Helga..." he pushed.

Helga frowned, "Fine." she said after a few moments silence, "I received word from La Sombra about two months ago, said if I did him a small favour he would finally let you walk free." she shook her head, "I wasn't even going to do it, I'd written him back saying I wasn't interested but... Steven talked me into it, said it wouldn't have been fair to deny you your freedom."

He felt his stomach churn a little as he asked, "Who's Steven?"

Helga raised her left hand slowly, and indicated toward the large diamond ring on her finger, "My husband."

Arnold winced, but did his best not to show it, "Your husband?" he asked quietly, "He talked you into doing more favours for me? Does he not know why you did them in the first place?"

"Oh, quit it with the ego Arnold, you don't get to ask the questions here, okay?" she hissed at him, her blue eyes filled with silent rage, "Hell, I saved you from a horrible death, the only thing you should be doing is sending me fucking gift baskets every goddamn day!"

"Helga, come on, don't you think I know what a horrible mistake I made?" he pleaded with her, his heartbeat doubling as the words finally came out, "I should never have boarded that plane, I should have been right here with y-"

Suddenly, he felt Helga's hand on his lips, muffling his words. "Stop" she demanded in an icy tone, as she pulled her hand back, "I don't want to hear it."

Arnold grimaced, "Helga, I-"

"I'm going home to my family." she stated abruptly, shooting him a displeased look, "I don't want to hear from you ever again, got it?"

He felt his head drop a little, "Uh, how will I know where to send the gift baskets?" he joked, hoping to somehow salvage their conversation.

"Shove them up your ass." she shouted, as she turned quickly and walked away.

Arnold stood on the sidewalk alone, head in his hands and regrets on his mind. He wasn't entirely sure that it was socially acceptable for grown men to cry, but too bad – he was... and honestly, he knew he deserved to.