TWO MONTHS LATER
Arnold was woken up by the phone ringing by his bed and he glanced briefly at the clock three in the morning he reached for the phone.
"Hello?" He sounded tired.
"DADDY!" A small voice on the other end cried and he was confused.
"Hello?"
"DADDY HELP US" The small voice wailed and he froze.
"Grace?"
"Daddy...help me and mommy...please Daddy"
"Grace...what's wrong" He threw himself out of the bed.
"He's here...he hit mommy again daddy" She was crying and he could hear yelling.
"Ok, I'm coming Grace I'm coming" He hung up and quickly pulled on jeans over his boxers and grabbed a coat letting his undershirt on for a t-shirt.
He knew where Helga lived and he was speeding the entire way there he reached the building and stopped on the stairs long enough to look at the listing to see what apartment she was in.
He ran up the stairs and when he reached her floor saw the door was shut he could hear yelling on the other side of the door.
"Helga?" Helga!" He beat on the door and when it swung open big Bob stood on the other side.
"Well if it isn't the orphan boy"
"Bob I need to speak with Helga...now..."
"This doesn't concern you"
"Yes it does...Gracie called she's upset now where is Helga?"
"She's in the livingroom...I came over to talk some sense into her that's all. I don't know who that little tramp is pregnant to now but she can't have another baby she can't afford it"
Arnold was speechless. Pregnant? Helga was pregnant? Sheer joy welled up inside him it had to be his.
"Let me talk to her" He tried.
"Fine, see if she'll tell you who the deadbeat is"
"Well, Bob...how do you even know she's pregnant?"
"She came over for breakfast...Miriam said she got sick threw it all back up and she was worried about her I was up all night rolling it around in my head. At Christmas she dissappeared for awhile I figure she shacked up with some guy and got herself in a mess...I came over to discuss it with her"
"At three in the morning?" Arnold asked disgusted.
"Well yeah, She's my daughter. Grace was asleep and I find Helga taking a pregnancy test I've been trying to talk sense into her ever since"
"What kind of sense?"
"She can't have that baby and Grace she can't afford it...I told her she can either get an abortion of Miriam and I will take Grace"
"You can't do that"
"I can and I will...now you go in and see if she'll tell you who the father is. She won't tell me and she always did everything you asked"
"Well, I can tell you right now who the father is" Arnold sighed and Bob looked interested.
"I'm the father" Arnold had to smile it felt good saying it out loud.
"Well...is that right orphan boy?" Bob crossed his arms but Arnold didn't flinch.
"That's right. Now if you'll get out of my way I want to see Helga"
"Fine by me...not like you can get her any more pregnant...maybe you can talk her out of having it"
Arnold shook his head and brushed by Bob stepping into the small apartment he saw Helga sitting on the couch Gracie was siting on her lap held tight in Helgas arms.
"Helga...is everything ok?" Arnold moved closer and saw Grace was asleep.
Helga turned to look at him and he froze at the end of the couch. She had tears in her eyes and he hair was a mess her right eye was black and swollen and her lip was busted.
"A...Arnold" Her voice cracked and he took a step closer.
Bob slammed the door behind him as he entered the apartment and Gracie wimpered in her sleep Helga clutched her closer.
"Tell her she can't keep that baby" Bob argued.
Arnold stood looking at Helga beaten and battered and scared. Pregnant with his child and now using her body to cover not only the child she feared was going to be taken from her but also the one that she carried.
Bob came up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder like they were friends.
"Look Alfred you live a good life you don't want some brat ruining that"
"With all due respect Mr. Pataki..it's none of your business"
"When it's my daughter that you knocked up it is my business"
"Your daughter? look at what you've done to her!" Arnold motioned at Helga
"What? that little bruise? She fell...aint that right Helga?"
Helga looked from Bob to Arnold then winced and clutched Grace closer with a small nod.
"You're such a liar...Helga take Grace go downstairs and wait in my car" Arnold glanced at her briefly and she quickly stood rushing out of the apartment.
"What are you going to do orphan boy drive her to the clinic right now?"
"No, No clinic..."
"What are you going to do then?"
"I'm going to kill you" Arnold said matter of factly Bob had a second to laugh before Arnold landed the first punch.
Big Bob stumbled back a few feet reeling in shock and when he stood back up straight pure rage boiled in his veins. His nose was definitely broken.
"why you worthless little orphan boy"
"Look Bob call me whatever you like but don't you ever come near my wife or my children again do you understand me?"
"You're wife and children? really? I sure don't see no rings or birth certificates to back that up"
"You will. Mark my words and once she is my wife and those are legally my children you won't come with in six feet of them ever again"
"You sure do think alot of yourself boy being as how you were nothing but a worthless orphan that Helga had a crush on a few years ago"
Arnold shook his head and brushed past big Bob who wiped at his bleeding nose and glared at him Arnold half expected for Bob to throw a punch but he didn't. Obvoiusly it was just women he liked to beat around.
Arnold exited the building and saw Helga had actually listened and was sitting in the front seat of his car Gracie asleep in her arms. He slid in behind the wheel and started the car neither of them saying anything.
The ride back to Arnolds house was silent and uncomfortable but by the time he pulled in the drive way Helga had fallen asleep as well.
He parked in the garage and for a few minutes just sat watching them both sleep.
He went to the passenger side and carefully opened the door lifting Grace from Helgas lape he slowly and gently carried her into his house and up to her room he was just pulling the covers up when she stirred.
"Daddy?" Sleepy little eyes opened and he smiled.
"It's ok Grace go to sleep"
"Where Mommy?"
"She's sleeping she'll be in our room if you need her"
"Am I home yet Daddy?"
"Yeah sweetie you're home"
"Where's pappy Bob?" Arnold sighed and sat on the edge of the bed.
"He went home you're safe here now Grace it's ok" She nodded sleepily and snuggled deeper into the blankets.
Arnold returned to the garage and saw Helga was still sleeping in the car it took a little more work to lift her from the car seat and not wake her but he managed to do it without dropping her.
He was halfway up the stairs when Helga woke up.
"Arnold? What are you doing? put me down"
"No it's ok Helga I got you. You need to rest"
"No I need you to put me down. Where's Grace?" Her head whipped around and she tried to sit up he almost dropped her twice.
"Helga you're going to make me drop you calm down. She's in bed"
"Get her this instant we're going home"
"No you're not" He shook his head barely registering she said anything as he continued up the stairs.
"Yes I am!"
"Back to what Helga? Big Bob and his fists? Do you like getting knocked around? cause if that's what you like then fine by me"
She grew quiet. He would never hit her he'd die first he loved her too much to ever actually hurt her but right now he was frustrated and angry and he needed her to just be quiet.
He reached there room and was slightly relieved to see Grace wasn't there she was obvoiusly still in her bed. He placed Helga on their bed and went into the bathroom to get something for her eye. When he came back out she was sitting on the edge of the bed crying.
"Helga...I'm sorry about...what I said just now you know I would never...I'm sorry" He sat beside her but didn't touch her.
"It's not that...It's..."
"What's wrong then?"
"I'm a terrible person...I never wanted this kind of life for Grace...She doesn't feel safe with me"
"Helga..."
"She called you because she doesn't think I can keep her safe...I would die before I let anyone or anything hurt her...I'd never let Bob touch her"
Arnold winced at the desperate tone in her voice and put his arm around her pulling her close.
"I know that Helga and Grace knows that too she called me because Bob was hitting you not because she was scared for herself"
"Still...she shouldn't have ever been in that situation. If I would just stand up to Bob just once..."
"He would kill you Helga. Standing up to him wouldn't have done anything but make him angrier"
"I want you to do something for me Arnold"
"Anything" She lifted her head from his shoulder to look at him.
"Let Grace stay here. Please Arnold? just keep her here?"
He took a deep breath he knew how hard it was for her to ask him to keep Grace. He knew how much she loved her and of all the people in the world she trusted him the most to keep her daughter safe.
"Helga..."
"I promise I will send money for you to pay for her room please. Bob won't come here"
"And what about our baby?" She blushed and looked away.
"I...I..."Nothing came out when she tried to speak she hadn't been prepared for that question.
"Yeah...Bob told me. Have you seen a doctor yet?" Arnold asked and she shook her head.
"No..."She didn't say anything else to give him even the slightest clue about how she felt about the baby.
"Look, lay down and get some rest don't worry about sleeping in I know you're exausted. I have somewhere I need to go...I'll be back later this morning sometime"
Helga sighed but reluctantly agreed and crawled into the bed. Arnold pulled the blankets up around her tucking her in and hesitated. He wanted to kiss her but it wasn't right. not now so he settled for kissing her forehead.
"Where are you going?"
"Don't worry I'll be home soon...just rest" She smiled and he stood quickly making his way to his car and pulling out his cell phone.
"Luke? Hey man it's Arnold...I need a favor...I know it's four in the moring but you owe me"
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