~Hope everyone is well. I knew it was going to get a little dark, but this chapter will hopefully bring some more light to what is going on. Also looking at making a few spinoffs of this story. There might be one of them as they are graduating high school, or even one of Rhonda and Harold. Who knows. let me know what you think. Until next time, enjoy!~

Chapter 13 - Time Is All We Have

Arnold sat in the chair of the plane as he flipped through the magazine, waiting for takeoff. He had been gone for 7 months, and he could not wait to see his family. He carried something heavy in his pocket. Something he would be saving for later.

"Ladies and gentleman, we apologize for the delay, just a little bit backup of traffic here on the runway. We are scheduled to take off next, and we thank you for being patient with us. Thank you all for flying with us today and Stewardesses, please prepare the cabin for departure" The first officer had said over the intercom.

7 months is all Arnold could think about. 7 months away from Helga and Gabriel. Oh he missed them, and he couldn't wait to hold them once again. They talked almost every night, dying to be in each others arms. He didn't like it, but it had to be done

Arnold was in therapy, taking the war to his PTSD. He originally did not want to be away from his family this long, but he needed to.

Once in the air, the captain gave the ok for electronic devices to be used. He grabbed his headphones and plugged in his music, allowing himself to drift off into a nice nap.

He was awoken by a small, gentle shake. It was the steward, a smile across his face.

"Excuse me sir, we will be landing in a few minutes. I'm going to need you to put that away" he said with a smile as Arnold acknowledged. turning off his music and putting it within his lap.

They descended into the city rather quickly, landing at the airport, with plenty of time to spare. He smiled as he walked off, seeing Helga and Gabriel, looking at something in one of the windows. He just stood there and smiled. Gabriel had gotten bigger, and he was walking on his own with no issues, and starting to talk. Gabriel turned around to see who was looking at them. His eyes lit up with glee.

"DDDDAAAAAADDDDDIIIEEEEE" Gabriel screamed as he ran towards Arnold, his arms open wide out. Helga turned at the same time and smiled. Arnold met him halfway, dropping his bags and fell to his knees as he scooped Gabriel up into a big hug. Gabriel giggled as he wrapped his arms around Arnold's neck.

Arnold brought him up off the ground as he got back up to standing. Helga came over and joined in on the hug, giving Arnold a kiss. A kiss she had been saving for 7 months.

"I'm so glad your back" Helga said with a smile on her face as she rested her head on Arnold's, chest.

I am too, you don't know how bad I missed you" Arnold said as he made sure the precious item was in his pocket. Helga took Gabriel as Arnold collected his bags. They walked out of the airport and into the parking lot. Arnold threw his bags in the back as Helga strapped in Gabriel. Once he was finished, they hopped in the car and drove down the road.

Arnold stared out the window, the sight of the city bringing back memories.

"Well how was it?" Helga asked as she took his hand. Arnold smiled at her as he squeezed her hand.

"It was actually nice, I learned a lot and I helped a few people along the way as well" Arnold said with as he sighed.

"How do you feel?" Helga asked as she made a right turn.

"I feel good..pretty good" Arnold said with a unknown voice.

"Seriously, how do you feel?" Helga asked with a more serious tone. Arnold knew that tone, and he also knew better than to play with that fire. He took a deep breath as he looked over at her.

"It has been rough, they love going deep into your head to find it. Some nights there was no sleep. But I can pull through, especially with you here" Arnold said as he gave Helga a smile. he looked back to see Gabriel passed out from the excitement. He chuckled as he enjoyed the road, feeling the warm sun on his body.

"I haven't had an attack for over 4 months now" Arnold said with a small smile.

"Well thats good, hopefully it will go even longer" Helga said as her fingers flowed through his hair.

When they pulled into the drive and parked the car. They gathered all of their things. Helga grabbed Gabriel as Arnold grabbed his bags.

Helga went and put Gabriel upstairs for a nap, which he loved. When she walked back downstairs, she saw Arnold, standing by the sink with a cold beer in his hands.

"What if I wanted one of those?" Helga said in a girly pouty voice, causing them both to laugh. Arnold had already gotten her one out. He handed it to her, causing her to laugh even harder as she folded into his body.

Once they had calmed down from their laughing attack, they embraced each other with a soft kiss.

"You don't know how much I missed you" Arnold whispered as she blushed. Helga kissed him, wrapping her arms around him.

"I think I can guess how bad it was for you" Helga said with a smirk. Arnold looked deeply into her eyes, knowing what was coming next. They had been dating for over a year, going on 2. They had a son, and he wanted them to be a family. He set down his drink and took Helga by the face.

"Helga, there is something I want to ask you. You have truly been there for me. You have guided me and you have been there for us. I want this to grow, something far more magical is here. I can feel it. I want us to grow old together, to smile as we see Gabriel off to college or whatever he plans to do with his life. What I am trying to ask is" Arnold said as he got down on one knee, pulling that special surprise out of the box, showcasing a beautiful diamond ring.

Helga gasped as she saw the ring, they way the diamond glistened in the sunlight, took her heart by storm. She felt tears in her eyes as she covered her mouth. Arnold could only smile.

"Helga Pataki, will you marry me?" Arnold asked. It took Helga a moments to answer. Those moments felt like years to Arnold. His heart rate increased as she finally, took his hand, nodding her hand as the tears flowed from her eyes. He jumped up and took her into a big hug, kissing her softly.

He felt a tug on his jeans as he slipped the ring onto Helga's finger. He looked down and smiled to see Gabriel, wanting to be picked up.

"What do you think little man, ready for a big day soon" Arnold said as Gabriel nodded with a smile on his face. They all hugged, smiling as their family was finally coming together.

~Well its about time. Sorry again for why it took me so long to get this chapter done. Had a few other things going on as well. I will be doing this story along with 2 other stories. Hope you all have enjoyed it so far. Next one i feel another twist, this time on Helga's side. Who knows what will happen, tune in to find out. Thank you all for reading. Enjoy!~