Miles looked over at Gerald and smiled sadly. He was grateful for the Johanssen's hospitality but having his son run away to their home made him feel like a failure. Maybe he was. "Do you mind giving us a few minutes?"

Gerald nodded and left the room, closing his bedroom door.

Arnold wanted to talk to his parents, resolved to handle the situation better. But now with his father standing in front of him that hurt he was trying to work through came roiling to the surface, and anger sidled up right beside it.

"What do you want?"

"It's not about what I want." Miles' voice got sterner as he heard Arnold snort beside him. "It's about what's going to happen. You're coming home with me tonight. I know I've caused a lot of damage but I can't fix it if you don't let me in."

Defeated Arnold sank down, his natural proclivity towards forgiveness was battling with the idealistic notion of his parents he had been fed all his life. He missed his old self; the one who looked on the bright side and took people at their word. The one his parents obliterated the moment he saw them at the boarding house.

But he was tired. So damn tired. Tired of fighting, tired of hurting. Silently he began packing his things. He wasn't brave enough to ask the questions that were haunting him these past few months. He wasn't fake enough to pretend he didn't want to get to know his parents. He just wanted some peace. The situation with Helga made him realize he needed to be honest with himself, with everyone.

Miles sat on the bed watching his son pack. It hurt to watch Arnold move around the room collecting his things as if he were being led to his death. He hated that his son didn't resemble the boy his parents told him about but he hated most of all that he was the reason for the change. "I don't want to have to call the school or Martin Johanssen to see how you're doing."

Arnold stayed silent and Miles hated that his face remained stoic. Right now the task of bringing his family back together seemed monumental.

"You can hate me all you want-"

"I don't need your permission," Arnold sneered. That old hurt manifesting itself as anger resurfaced.

"But you're my son and I love you. The Johanseens are good people but they're not your family. You're coming home with your family." Where I can keep you safe. The words were trapped in his throat and Miles knew it was too soon to tell Arnold everything. He knew being a parent meant making impossible choices to protect your family. He hoped in time both his sons saw it that way.

"I know this doesn't make any sense to you but I did all of this to protect you." Miles' voice was soft, strained.

Arnold said nothing as he grabbed his bag and followed his father out the door. He didn't know what to make of any of it.

Helga hummed in the mirror. After Gerald dropped her off and she told him about Arnold she felt lighter than she had in a long time. And maybe she was a little excited thinking about her plans for the weekend. She couldn't wait to go to the art museum with Ethan and show him her favorite pieces. She was ready to call Phoebe when she heard her father's voice bellow from downstairs.

"Someone's at the door."

Helga rolled her eyes at her father who was too busy watching the wheel to walk a few feet and answer the door.

"Don't get up Bob, I'll get it." She heard her father grumble and return his attention back to the TV. That would normally annoy her but she liked the familiarity of the exchange. At least some things never change.

She opened the door to a distraught looking Ethan. He was hunched over his skin blotchy and red, his eyes downcast. Something bad must've happened. Stepping outside she closed the door and led Ethan to her stoop.

"They never wanted me." He kept his eyes trained to the railing and Helga's concern increased every second he didn't look at her.

"What are you talking about?" Helga tried to keep her voice calm but watching Ethan tremble was worrying her.

"I don't belong here. I don't belong anywhere. I have to go." His eyes became rheumy and Helga's chest constricted at the hopelessness she saw in them.

Ethan couldn't tell her. He couldn't bear to relive it. Suspecting your parents loved your brother more was one thing, but having verbal confirmation of it was entirely different. His whole life was a lie. When he heard his father remind his mother that they stayed in the jungle not to tend to his sudden illness but because they were protecting Arnold from the villagers finding him, their true green eyed savior, he felt worthless. When he heard Stella tell his father they made a good choice coming back for him instead of leaving him in the jungle, something inside of him broke. Every interaction he had, every friendship he made in the jungle wasn't real. The jungle wasn't his home-it never was and he knew being in Hillwood was as foreign as living on the moon.

The realization poked at the core of all of his fears. That he was nothing more than a burden to his parents, their punishment for putting the villagers over their family. They were stuck tending to a weak son instead of the perfect one they left behind. The one they truly cared for. The green eyes' true savior.

The walls were closing in around him again. The air evaporating from the atmosphere. No, he couldn't reopen that wound. Not when it wasn't really shut. He turned to leave but her hand on his arm stilled his movements. He wanted to hold her there. He wanted her to be the one thing in the world that was truly his. He wanted to stay in her confort and warmth. Instead of following his instincts he offered a cryptic, "I overheard my parents talking about me and Arnold. I found out more about why they chose to stay with me over Arnold. I just came to say thanks for being my friend and I hope you get everything you deserve. "

Her brow furrowed. Why was he talking like this was goodbye? A deep sense of foreboding washed over her. Helga knew people did disastrous things when they felt they had nothing to lose. How could she tell him he was wrong? That he was so much better than he knew? That he had a place here—a place with her—without it sounding like some romantic declaration? That wasn't what he needed to hear.

But she had to do something. Instinctively Helga stood on her toes and wrapped her arms around him, her face buried in his chest. She didn't let him go and as she felt his body stiffen and his breathing harsh, she tightened her grip, keeping him grounded to the spot. A part of her felt that if she let go he would fly away and she'd never see him again. She couldn't handle that. Just like she couldn't get into how much he meant to her. Not yet. "I'm sorry you had to hear your parents but you'll never know the whole story if you run away."

"I can't be here. I can't sit in that school and live in that boarding house knowing I took Arnold's parents away from him. Arnold, my mom and dad. They belong together. I just get in people's way. I just make things worse."

Helga frowned. Ethan was just as much an innocent in what happened as Arnold. He didn't make himself sick, didn't make his parents choose. Why didn't he see that? "Whatever happened wasn't your fault."

"But I couldn't be what they wanted."

He lifted his chin and she could feel his warmth dissipating. "Forget about them and what they want. What do you want?"

Ethan bent and kissed her forehead. As his hands cupped her face and his eyes darted back and forth between hers, he knew he was in trouble. He wanted to stay with her. He wanted to live in a word with just him and Helga but he couldn't tell her that. Not when she deserved so much more than him, better than him. Besides, who would ever want a broken boy who was his parent's greatest disappointment? He was devastated, but being with her now made him feel like he was worth something, like things would get better. Hope was too dangerous an emotion to entertain. "I want to get away from here. Find some peace. In a few months I'll be 18 and I can be on my own. I can't take any more."

She moved his hands from her face, took them in hers and squeezed comfortingly. "But you won't get anywhere without a high school diploma." Helga wanted him to stay but more importantly she wanted him to be happy. If him leaving him leaving would make him happy she would do all she could. "What if you went for your GED? That way you could go to college wherever you wanted or take some time off to yourself? I could help you study for the test." And it would give me time to convince you to stay.

He nodded and squeezed her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. Helga's cheeks rouged at the gesture but she didn't move her hand. Instead she leaned into him as his thumb caressed her knuckles. Something about this boy drew her in. Made her care. Inhaling sharply she looked between his eyes and his lips hoping he had the sense to stop her from moving in.

But he didn't and if she wasn't mistaken he was inching closer to her too, his chin dipping to meet the mouth he's dreamed of kissing.

"Helga?" At the sound of her name she wrenched from Ethan, eyes wide as saucers.

She sputtered a few seconds before finally acknowledging the intruder. "Arnold?"