A/N: Ok, like I said previously, I'll go with my original idea, which may be a bit cliché, I guess. I hadn't meant for this story to be this long, so I was like, 'should I just end it quickly?' Enjoy.
…...
~2 weeks later~
Helga looked around making sure she had everything. She was finally allowed to leave, and take her baby, Aaron, home with her. He was strong enough to leave. The psychiatrist had seen her already and drummed in how important it was that she keep using the medication (meaning she couldn't breastfeed) and keep counselling appointments.
"Are you ready, Baby Sister?" Olga asked, poking her head in.
"I think so," she said, taking one last look. She couldn't wait to get out of here!
When she was sure she had everything she left the room and started down the hallway, with Olga carrying Aaron in his little capsule. Then there was the mission of getting it into the car.
"Criminy, you need a physics and engineering degree for these things!" Helga cried out in exasperation. She hadn't taken care of it or even thought to learn how to use it, assuming that Greg would be there. At the thought of Greg a small pang of guilt hit her heart.
"Here, little sis, let me help," Olga said, stepping in. having had her own kids she had an idea of how these things worked.
"Thanks," Helga said, grateful for her sister's help. Olga just smiled and opened the door for her.
The drive home was quiet, with Helga sitting in the back with Aaron. He was fast asleep and so adorable. She was finally jolted awake when the car stopped and Olga slammed the door.
"We're home!" she cried out, flinging Helga's door open. "I'll get Aaron."
While Olga got Aaron out of the car, Helga got out feeling apprehensive.
Was Greg going to be here? What was she going to say to him? They made their way inside. It was quiet. Greg wasn't home then. Maybe he had already packed and left? Helga sighed and sat down on the couch. She was a bit sore. Olga came over and handed her Aaron.
"Do you want me to call Arnold? Let him know you and the baby got home alright?" Olga asked. Helga just nodded, reached under her top and unclipped her maternity bra, then settled him to her breast.
"Helga, no!" Olga cried out, dropping the phone. "Not with your medication-"
"Relax, I havent been taking it," Helga told her. "It's fine. I'm fine. Are you gonna call Arnold or not?" Olga stood for a second gaping at Helga before nodding and calling his number. That was when she heard a thump noise coming from one of the bedrooms. 'What on earth?' she wondered. Had the place been broken into? Was Greg home after all? She looked towards her sister, then down at Aaron who was fussing and wouldn't latch on, then back down the hall. She then got up, put Aaron in his capsule, then made her way down towards the noise. As she got closer she realised there was more than just thumping going on. There was hushed voices and smothered giggles coming from her bedroom.
She knew what she was going to find without even having to open the door. She shook her head and returned to the living area.
"Scrap the call, Olga," she comanded, stomping into the room.
"Oh, hang on a second," Olga said into the phone. "Why, Helga? What's wrong?"
Helga just glared at the wall.
"Greg has company," she said. "Let's go."
"Oh, um, Arnold, it looks like we're not staying here after all . . . I'm not sure . . . Oh I'm sure she would! That would be excellent!" Olga squealed. "Okay, see you soon, bye bye."
They had just picked up Aaron in his capsule, Helga finishing writing a letter to Greg when the door flew open and a very naked and intoxicated Greg came falling out from the room. Helen followed behind him, laughing hysterically and trying to help him up. Helen's appeareance was a bit of a shock to Helga. Helga quickly whipped out her phone and took a picture, then put it away quickly. They drunken twosome finally realised they had company.
"Oh, look!" Helen said. "One half of the home wrecker brigade." She burst out laughing. Greg just stared at Helga, like a caught out deer.
"Helga…" he tried to get up.
"Save it," she said, walking out of his field of vision. "Come on Olga."
Both Helga and Olga walked out, the door slamming behind them. Helga couldn't help it. She knew it was dumb, but seeing it still hurt, though she held back the tears.
…...
Arnold was waiting on the stoop when Olga finally pulled up. He saw Helga and Olga arguing, or rather Helga arguing, Olga calmly talking to her. He then saw Olga shake her head, pull out the car keys and get out, walking around and opening the back door.
"Here you go," she announced, getting the capsule out. "One son, and a grumpy mom in the front. Good luck with her!"
Arnold took Aaron's capsule and looked toward Helga.
"We had a bit of a . . . event, before coming here," Olga explained.
"Really? What?" Arnold asked curious.
"Well, Greg had company," Olga said. "And not of the "just friends" type."
So that explained it. He walked over to Helga's door and knocked on the window. Helga glared out at him, but he could see it was hurt rather than anger glaring at him. She finally sighed, and opened her door.
"I have a room ready," he said. "The cot is my old one."
Helga just nodded and looked down at Aaron, avoiding making eye contact. Arnold took her hand and led her up the stairs.
"I'll grab everything else!" Olga called, opening the back doors.
"I'll be back to help in a minute," Arnold called back to her over his shoulder.
"ARRH! Look at him Miles!" Stella's voice cried out. She rushed forward to grabbed the capsule off Arnold. She put it on the floor, unclipped Aaron and hugged him to her.
Helga look up, a bit shocked. Miles and Stella were here?
"Oh, dear. When will you stop fighting fate?" she whispered in Helga's ear, giving her a one armed hug. "Miles!"
She went off upstairs with Aaron. Helga just stood there, trying to get her head around what was happening.
"That's everything we grabbed," she heard her sisters sweet voice tell Arnold. "It was a little busy to grab anything else."
"That's alright," she heard Arnold saying.
Finally she felt Olgas arms wrap around her shoulders.
"I'll come visit tomorrow," she said into Helga's ear. She pulled away, tears in her eyes. "I promise."
After that she pulled away, and left.
"Come see the room," Arnold said, taking her hand again. Helga followed him upstairs, not knowing what else to do. Finally they stopped at an open door and Helga looked in. there was a cot in the corner, a plane mobile hanging above it. Pictures of the jungle, some Helga vaguely remembered as hers from years ago, that she had collaborated on with Miles. She'd drawn, he had coloured. It was what had bonded the two of them.
"It wont be for too long, and if you want to do what you did at the old place, your welcome too. We can move him to another room while you do it," Arnold said. Helga couldn't help it. She burst into tears.
Stella handed Aaron to Miles and came over to wrap an arm around Helga and lead her over to the rocking chair. She started murmering to her, Helga was shaking her head and whispering back, Stella shook her head and gave her a hug. Helga threw her arms around Stella and cried a little more. Finally she let go, and Stella stood up.
"It's been a big day," Stella said. "Let's give her some quiet time." She left quietly, Miles looking back and carrying Aaron, followed behind her. Arnold stood staring at Helga for a moment, then turned to leave.
"Don't leave me," she begged. "Please?"
Arnold looked after his parents, who nodded ad continued downstairs, then he went into the room.
"We have a bed made up for you in the next room," he told her. "Do you want to go in there?"
Helga nodded and got up. She followed Arnold into the next room and collapsed onto the bed. Arnold sat next to her.
"He was there with Helen," she finally said. "Of all people."
"Helen?" Arnold asked shocked. Helga nodded. Then gave a laugh.
"It's weird, huh?" she said. Arnold nodded. He felt Helga pull on his arm. "Come lay down with me." Arnold laid down next to her. They both just laid there quietly staring at the ceiling.
"It needs stars," she whispered.
"Or we can always go up to my old room tonight, and look at stars through the skylight," he suggested. Helga just nodded. That sounded wonderful.
…...
Helga's phone went off a third time, and this time Stella went to answer it.
Greg.
She hung it up, and looking over at her husband, seeing he wasn't looking, took out the sim and dropped it into the garbage disposal. She was not going to let anyone come between Helga and Arnold.
She was not going to risk losing another grandchild.
…...
Miles finally went upstairs to find out where his son and Helga had gotten to. When he looked into the room - the door had been left open - he saw they were lying on the bed having a discussion. It was about Greg and Helen and what had happened. He shook his head. What a mess. Finally he knocked on the door, both of them looking up.
"Dinner's ready," he told them, then turned and went back to the living room.
"What are they doing up there?" Stella asked.
"Talking," Miles said.
"About what?"
"None of your business," he replied. "Leave the two of them to work through it at their own pace, Stella."
Stella shook her head. If those two were left to do it alone, it would never get done!
…...
That night Arnold crept down the hall, after hearing Aaron call out. He opened the nursery door and peeked in. Helga was there, undoing her nightgown and putting him to her breast. He frowned a bit. wasn't she supposed to be on anti-depressants? And was it safe to breastfeed if she was? His hand knocked the wall, causing Helga to look up at him.
"What are you doing?" she asked quietly. Arnold stepped in and shrugged. He stood there quietly watching her. Finally Aaron unlatched and Arnold saw that he was still a little bit awake, but not much. Helga got up and put him in his cot. She stood over him for a little bit shhhsing, resting her hand on his chest and lightly rocking him, then eventually moved away and signalled him out of the room. She quietly closed the door and sighed.
"He's a good baby," she said. "A very good baby. I'm very lucky."
"No, we're very lucky," Arnold said.
Helga looked at him and nodded.
"Very," she said quietly, then moved away towards her room. Arnold couldn't help it, he followed her. "You want to keep me company?" she asked.
"If you don't mind," he said.
Helga smiled.
"Not at all," she said.
…...
Miles and Stella were downstairs looking through old things of Arnold's, finding things that could be re-used, Arnold went out to get some stuff that was needed. Helga was in the kitchen making lunch, Aaron in his little bassinette. She had been there a week. She'd had not heard from Greg at all, or anyone really. Phoebe and Gerald and Rhonda had stopped by. Lila and Stinky also did a quick visit. Lila was due herself, in six weeks, and was worried as it was her first. She threatened to harass Helga all about it. Helga laughed and said she could give her all the advise she had and it might not work on her child.
Rhonda had found a new flame to have an affair with. She was going to Greece with him. She said she was going to miss her partner in crime.
"We'll always have Paris," Helga quipped. At that they burst into laughter, Paris . . . What a trip that had been! They hugged, then Rhonda left, Helga feeling a little sad. That bond that the two of them had created was going to stretch thin now, and Helga didn't want it to break, but could feel the fraying beginning already. They were now going to be leading such different lives. Helga sighed, Arnold looking over and guessing why.
"In eighteen years, you'll be free," he told her.
"Not if we have another one," she said absent-mindedly. Arnold looked up at her. Another? Did that mean? as if she had suddenly realised what she had said, Helga blushed and looked away.
"What's this about another one?" Stella asked walking into the room. "Another grandchild? I wont say no, will you say no, Miles?"
"Not if I value my life," he said with a smile. Stella mock glared, Arnold laughed and Helga had smiled.
Thinking back on that Helga smiled. She sighed when the phone rang and she left the kitchen to go get it.
"Hello?" she answered. No one. "Hello?" Still nothing. She shrugged and hung up the phone. Going back to the kitchen she heard a door bang.
She hadn't left the door open. Had she?
She went in and saw it wide open. She walked over and closed it. Sighing she turned around to go back to making dinner. She heard some hoon outside drive off, tires squealing, then looked in on Aaron.
He was gone!
