Chapter Theme Song: 'So This Is Love' by: The Cheetah Girls (Cinderella Soundtrack)

Arnold

I clutched the bouquet of field daisies tightly, afraid the early spring breeze would whisk them away into the evening sky. I shivered slightly, unsure if it was due to the chill of nipping winds or my nerves getting the best of me. I took one last glance at the makeshift 'romantic' dinner I had laid out for me and Helga before double-checking my attire. I fixed my tie, straightened my leather jacket, and sprayed one last mist of breath freshener before I watched her come down the steps slowly. Her timid gaze remained locked on everything but me as her nurse, Abigail, escorted her to the foot of the steps. She turned to say something to her before shooting me a rare, soft smile.

Helga looked breathtakingly stunning. Her dress was nothing fancy, but it was elegant enough for the occasion. Donned in her signature color of pink, Helga graced a spaghetti strap thigh-length dress with white, sheer stockings and small white heels she had borrowed from Phoebe for the evening. Her hair that was normally in pig-tails gracefully nestled against her ample breasts in forms of curls and waves, a small bow in the back holding a few strands that gave her a regal look similar to the ladies of 14th century French court. She had little makeup on, only a dash of blush and a layer of peach-colored gloss but I did not mind at all. Helga was naturally stunning in her own right. I felt my face warm as she neared, her pashmina flowing delicately in the wind against the tempo of rustling leaves. She smiled at me, turning away to hide her nerves,

Get it together, Arnold. "Hello, Helga." I finally spoke, grinning like a love-struck schoolboy. I mentally kicked myself for sounding so damn cliché. "I'm glad you finally agreed to see me after weeks of begging."

She shrugged. "I didn't think you wanted to see a psych-ward like me."

"You aren't a psych-ward, Helga. You are nothing close to that."

"But I am crazy." She countered. "Why would you want to visit a lunatic that has people living inside her head?"

Because I love you…

I remained silent, finding the right words to say before she let out an awkward round of laughter. "You brought me flowers?"

I glanced down at my forgotten bouquet of flowers, nodding as I handed them to her with pride. She smiled, taking a small whiff before she removed one, broke the base, and place it behind her ear.

"How do I look, football head?"

I chuckled. I never realized how much I missed her saying that to me. "Perfect."

I took her hand and guided her to the small garden table I had arranged for us. It took a lot of strings to get me to be able to do this with Helga, even if for a short while. Phoebe had to make a few administrative calls while I had to pay off a couple of nurses-Abigail particularly and agree to still be under supervision of the staff. I just knew somewhere Nurse Abigail was in the bushes lurking; watching if there were going to be any unsteady movements from either me or Helga. I felt the heat of crimson flood my cheeks as I pulled out Helga's chair. She thanked me with a warm smile I have not seen in almost two months.

There were two plates of food bestowed before us, complimentary of Château de Sunnydale. The nurses wouldn't allow me to bring in the custom menu I originally had planned for the evening because of supposed 'risks' so I had to settle on the food provided from the cooks in the kitchen. Phoebe managed to have to do something a little 'extra' since tonight was a special one, but it still didn't compare to the French cuisine I wanted Helga to try- with my help of course.

I sighed, looking at my sorry mashed potatoes, bite-sized meat loaf, spoonful of corn, and hard dinner roll. I at least wanted to bring in some champagne but, again, I had to settle on pre-packaged apple juice…from concentrate.

I guess Helga saw my disappointment, she grabbing my hand smiling. "I appreciate this, Arnold. Everything is perfect."

"I tried to get…" she cut me off by placing a single finger against my lips.

"This is fine, really. Don't stress about it, hair boy."

I chuckled, picking up my plastic cup filled with apple juice. "Shall we propose a toast?"

She blushed, grabbing hers to meet mine. "And what shall we toast to?"

There was a small pause, me thinking. I finally looked at her, staring into her oceanic eyes. "…Love…"

Her mouth parted slightly, gasping. She quickly closed it, nodding as a small blush crept across her face. I grinned, us finally toasting. We took a small sip before digging into our dinner. Throughout the course of our meal, I had never seen Helga smile and laugh as much as she had. It was refreshing and much welcomed. We conversed about everything from family, school, the future, goals, dream, and even how shitty the food really was; but I did not mind. I was enjoying being with Helga so much that I did not care that my food was tasteless, bland, and boring. It resembled the sweetest of nectars against the beauty of Helga's divine smile.

After dinner, I grabbed her hand and led her for a small walk along the cobblestone walkway of the gardens. I had the janitors light the edges with small, multi-colored paper lanterns I had purchased from a unique boutique in Chinatown along with a stream of Christmas lights that laced the branches of the budding trees. Helga looked amazed, eyeing the scenery that could rival even the most majestic of forests. She gripped my hand, still blushing as we walked deeper into the garden, following the trail of magical lights. I did not want to let her go…even for a moment.

We finally came across the circular walkway of the garden that led to a fully-lighted gazebo. There, waiting for us, stood a few of the janitorial staff I had paid for evening holding violins and acoustic guitars. Dressed in all white and top hats, they began their symphonic orchestra to the tune of one of Helga's favorite movies. She covered her hand over her mouth, taking a few steps back as I watched her eyes grow glossy. I reached out for her, kissing her hand gently as I asked her to dance. She pulled away and clutched her chest, breathing heavily. I just smiled, walking over to her petite frame to wrap one arm around her waist and use the other to intertwine my masculine fingers with her slender ones. She buried her head in between the crook of my neck, sniffling lightly. I placed a chaste kiss on her forehead, beginning to move with the set rhythm of the strings.

My heart has wings…and I can fly

I watched her slowly warm up to me after what seemed like eternity, finally looking me in the eye. There were a few dried trails of tears that I wiped away with the bed of my thumb. She smiled, placing a small kiss on my cheek. I returned the favor, pulling away momentarily to turn her around. I watched her dress kiss the wind as it twirled along with her, me pulling her back against my chest. I swept her across the wooden floorboards to a dance only we knew, our eyes never breaking. There was a momentary veil of silence, and I whispered the words I had longed to tell her that I never knew I felt. Helga stood on the balls of her toes, reaching up to place a small kiss on my lips. We broke briefly before I pulled her into another; a longer kiss that held much more passion.

I heard Nurse Abigail from the distance clear her throat, telling us to keep it PG as she bit into a slice of the lemon pound cake I had ordered for dessert. Helga and I laughed lightly before turning back to the cobblestone pathway. I slipped the men one last good tip before I thanked them again for making the evening that much more memorable.

"I want to take you somewhere."

I raised a single brow. "Where?"

She remained silent, leading me around the lit tress into a nook in the far end of the garden next to a small pond. I heard Nurse Abigail in the distance call out to Helga but she ignored her with a small laugh. Helga roughly pushed me towards the ground, straddling me in a soft kiss. I didn't mind in the least.

"Is this what you wanted?" she spoke gently, beginning to pull the thin straps of her gown down against her shoulders. I watched as she looped them around her arm, pulling the down to expose her lace, pink bra. Another warm hue escaped my cheeks.

I let out a nervous cough, turning away. "Helga, please fix your dress."

"But didn't you go through all the trouble to sleep with me, Shortman?" she growled, nipping at my earlobe. I felt her hand grip the base of my stiffening length, rubbing it softly. She unsheathed her breasts from their prison, allowing them to pour against my chest. Another kiss, a moan, and now a half-naked Helga.

"This is what you wanted right?"

I immediately pulled away, getting angry. "Helga, no, I did not do all of this to have sex with you."

"Then why, you moron? What guy willingly goes through all this trouble if he does not plan to get any at the end of the night?"

"Me!" I shot back defensively.

She scoffed, fixing her dress now that it was clear this was going absolutely nowhere. "Are you a homosexual, Arnold-o?"

"Helga!" I was truly baffled. "Are you serious right now?"

She removed herself from atop of me, standing to brush off the lower part of her dress. She sucked in her teeth. "Then what do you want?"

I took her by the hand, pulling her forcefully towards me for an overdue kiss. She pulled away, a hazy look trapped between the depths of her eyes as her blush deepened. I held her hand, placing a small kiss atop of her delicate skin. "You, Helga."

"Why do you want me?" she croaked, fighting back tears. "I'm broken. You deserve that girl, Justine. She likes you."

"You are not broken, Helga." My voice was soft, non-threatening. She pulled away from me.

"You are telling me that you are being nice to me because you want to?" she roared. Her hands crumpled up into small fists as her anger fully flared. "I'm no charity case, football head and if you think that I will beat you into a pulp and tear out your larynx!"

I remained unfazed by her empty threats, slowing inching towards her with a stoic gaze. She attempted to push me away but after years of baseball training, I was finally stronger than Helga G. Pataki. I gripped her wrists, yanking her towards my taller frame to embrace her in another kiss. She finally gave in, growing limp against me before wrapping her arms around my neck. I lifted her thin frame up and pushed her against a nearby tree. She wrapped her legs around me for stability but I was never going to let her go…ever. I trailed small kisses from her lips down to her neck before claiming her as mine. A small moan erupted from her fragile lips, my name escaping them in the most lustful voice she could muster. Her hands began to ravage against the zipper of my jacket, pulling at my tie to loosen it. I pulled away, our breathing ragged as I set her back down on the ground. As much as I did want her…tonight was not the night.

"We'll have our moment, my angel, but for right now we have to wait."

She pouted, groaning. "Arnold-o, don't be such a priss." She lunged towards me but I held her steady. I let out a low rumble of laughter before she finally gave up. I placed one last kiss on her forehead before leading her back to the cobblestone pathway. Waiting for us was Nurse Abigail, irritatingly tapping her foot with another slice of pound cake. Helga allowed a single blush to creep across her cheeks before giving me a single kiss goodnight. I grabbed her by the hand, bringing her closer to whisper my sentiments into her ear. She spoke them back, only in the hands of a last kiss. Nurse Abigail had grown tired of waiting, snatching Helga from me to go back inside from the cool early spring air. Helga didn't mind and didn't dare unlock her eyes with mine. I stuffed my cold hands into my pant pockets and shuffled my feet as I gazed at the single rose placed on the garden table with a small smile.

So this is love…