Author's Note: I would like to thank you guys for your enthusiastic response. I was a little leery of writing an intimate relationship for a cartoon (even when they're damned near grown) and I'm glad that I haven't been too off base. Anyway, it's time for the Video to surface and for the reactions to begin. This should be interesting.

Disclaimer: "Honestly, it's not mine!"

She couldn't stop looking at it.

Phoebe had burst into his room with her laptop, looking grim and frantic and downright ill. Gerald had been three steps behind her and he looked spitting mad. Helga knew that it had to be terrible to rattle Zen Daddy Cool so she just sat down. Arnold had been the one to see it first and she couldn't remember him looking so pale, not even when Rhonda's origami marriage predictor put them together 110 times.

"This…this isn't right. Who…why…turn it off, Pheebes." she stammered brokenly.

It wasn't fair! She had been wanting a real first kiss from Arnold for so long and it was supposed to be tender and…and private! Not plastered all over the fucking internet and not to be scrutinized by everyone in the school! For every "About time" comment, there was one calling her a "whore" or worse, "a hot piece of ass…Go, Shortman!"

Feeling heavy darkness fall inside her, she sat down on his bed, her arms resting on her knees protectively. She had known that opening her Cocoon would open her up to pain and humiliation but not so quickly. Yet, even in her utter mortification, she wasn't regretting her actions one stinkin' bit. Arnold was her man now and she would just have to deal with the fallout of this with him. Still, it wasn't right…Who could be so damn mean?

"Helga…Helga, I'm so sorry." Arnold said gently.

She looked at him with wild eyes, not wanting him to join her in the dark. He was too good for the dark…

"Don't! Don't you dare apologize! This isn't your fault! It's the…sick…mean piece of shit that filmed this fault!"

"The video is of low quality, indicating that it could've been filmed with one of the A/V club's cameras. "Phoebe said in a shaky version of her objectivity.

"So, if I go and put my foot up an A/V geek's ass, we'll figure out who did this?" Gerald snarled.

"Quite frankly, yes but I would very much prefer that you don't. After all, I can't have a proper honeymoon if my husband is incarcerated."

"Besides, I think we all already know who did this." Arnold injected bitterly.

Helga could feel a long dormant rage rise back up and she hissed ferally, "Lila."

"Has to be. She's the only other girl that's interested in me.", he insisted humbly.

Helga let out a bark of disbelieving laughter and looked at him dubiously.

"Arnold, you've got the entire Freshmen, Sophomore, and Junior class of girls looking to dip you in chocolate. Not to mention that every girl in our class has had a crush on you at some time including Campfire Lass. Hell, even Phoebe had a torch for you."

Phoebe sighed softly and blushed as both men looked her inquiringly.

"It was a long time ago and that was before I knew that Helga wanted your children. Besides, my tastes gravitate towards those with a darker, soulful disposition…" she replied with a sultry smile towards Gerald.

Awww…they're so cute…did I just think that? Well, whatever, they're my friends so it's fine.

Apparently, Arnold wasn't the only man who could look like "Aw shucks…"even when he was all Alpha Male "my woman thinks I'm too sexy for my shirt".

"Okay, we have a suspect with no proof. We need to get evidence…and figure out a plan for tomorrow. Someone's going to have to do damage control with the others and maybe even a couple of teachers." Helga said as she unfolded and stood up.

"I better tell my parents what's going on. I don't want them finding out from someone else." Arnold sighed. "What about your parents, Helga?"

"They're not going to care. My mom would forget about it immediately and my dad would be more concerned with selling better cameras to the A/V club than the fact that his daughter's an internet Porn Star."

Helga felt his arms slip around her and she buried her face in his shoulder, unable to hold back the tears anymore.

Thank God she had him to hold her up.

//////////////

Lila watched as Helga got on the bus and noticed that she had switched back to jeans and a hoodie but it didn't look as tattered as before, just a little too big.

Her eyes widened as she recognized it. It was Arnold's. He had used the red plaid to replace his shirt that everyone thought was a skirt. The shirt underneath was Arnold's, too! It was an emerald green polo that made his bright green eyes seem even brighter. Why was Helga wearing his clothes? And why did he have Helga's bow tied around his right wrist? And why wasn't Helga yelling at him or pushing him away? She had her head on his shoulder! Her knuckles were chalk white from clutching him and as soon as Arnold pressed a tender kiss to her brow, Lila knew that she had made a grave error.

The Video hadn't put a wedge in between them. It had united them. As person after person expressed concern and disgust for whoever put the clip up, Lila felt ill. Only one person (a Sophomore girl) had tried to criticize but hate filled looks and a stomp on her foot from her friend had stopped her cold.

"What the hell is wrong with you? How would you like it if someone taped you and your man? You leave them alone!" the friend hissed before shoving her into a seat.

She had underestimated their schoolmates. She had learned that mob mentality was powerful and it could turn anyone into a hateful monster. Lila had been counting on the same meanness that she had experienced when she arrived in Hillwood. 4th grade hadn't been that long ago and old habits died hard. It had been a high probability of people teasing and leering.

She hadn't factored in the other side of it, the kind that became solidarity. Arnold and Helga provoked solidarity.

You need to approach them. Make it seem as if you're sorry for their misfortune and then regroup. Everything has a breaking point. It'll just take longer to find theirs.

She stood up and greeted, "I'm ever so sorry about that video. It's horrible that someone would do such a thing."

"Desperate people do desperate things." Arnold simply replied, looking penetratingly at her.

Did he know it was her? He couldn't know already, could he? She had been careful. She hadn't used her camera and she had made it look like she had uploaded from an internet café. It couldn't be traced back to her computer and even if it could, it was encrypted. The only way anyone could see it was if the police were involved. Arnold was too sweet and soft to do such a thing.

"True. Well, I hope that your day goes okay…both of you."

Helga looked at her with a cloak over her eyes and smiled sweetly.

"Thanks, Lila. Arnold and I appreciate it."

She was letting her know that they were together despite this. She also thought she did it. Lila never thought Helga was stupid. The girl was very intelligent and very sensitive under all that bitterness. Lila had preyed on that and had got nothing but gristle.

All right. Helga could have him for now. Lila knew that Arnold was doing this to be spiteful against her and she'd let him have his fun.

At the end of the day, he'd come to Lila again and instead of spurning his advances, Lila would be ready and willing to accept.

She was the right woman for him and soon, he would know it too.