I'm back! Sorry to say, but after this chapter, the 'quickness' of these chapters will go down a bit. I'm starting a new job in the morning (I actually stayed up late just so I could finish this chapter for you all!) and this job requires a lot of my attention. I will still update on the story though, so no worries on that :) Thank you to everyone that left a review about my "song chapter"! I think my future scenes that have music, I'll make it instrumental so the lyrics don't distract readers! :D Also, this chapter is kind of short but future chapters will be longer! I hope you all enjoy!

Helga had fallen asleep on Arnold's chest, but he decided not to wake her just yet. He was still comfortable and he had a slight suspicion that Helga wouldn't be too fond of being woke up from a nap. In the distance, he heard someone climb on the roof. He heard footsteps approach behind him, then they suddenly stopped.

Arnold craned his neck and looked up.

His father stood there with an odd facial expression. It was like a mixture of fear, pain, and worry. Arnold knew something was wrong and his stomach felt like it had fallen off the building.

"Dad? What's wrong?" Arnold whispered, still wary of waking Helga. Miles knelt beside his son, his frown lines becoming more prominent.

"You need to wake up Helga and both of you come downstairs. Now." Helga slightly stirred from the foreign voice.

"Are we in trouble, Dad? She wasn't going to stay the night, I was just-"

"Something's wrong Arnold. Seriously wrong and I just need you both downstairs now." Before Arnold could question further, Miles went through the door and went back downstairs. Something in his voice told Arnold that this had nothing to do with Helga staying late. He slightly shook Helga to wake her, and as she opened her eyes and looked up at Arnold, her dreamy smile only stayed momentarily. She noticed that Arnold looked stressed and...worried?

"What's with the brooding look, Arnaldo?" She sat up and stretched, cracking her neck and popping her spine. Arnold stood up abruptly and pulled Helga to her feet.

"We have to get downstairs right now. Something's wrong." Helga was very lost, but one look at Arnold's face and she knew he wasn't joking. His muscles were tense and his pupils were microscopic. His palms were sweaty and he was even slightly shaking. She couldn't remember a time where he had looked so freaked out, other than their rescue mission in San Lorenzo that turned hairy.

"Are you ok, Arnold? Do we need to go to the hospital?" Helga grabbed his face and started checking him everywhere for any signs of physical harm. There was none.

"I, I don't know Helga. Dad just came up here and told me he needed us inside right now. He sounded really nervous." Without another thought, both kids ran through the door and sprinted downstairs. They got to the living room where they found Miles and Stella sitting on the couch holding hands, Phil standing by the table that had the answering machine on it, and Gertie who had yet again changed from her astronaut uniform to her army uniform. Everyone was frowning and you could practically see the tension in the air. Arnold gripped Helga's hand for support.

"What's going on?" It was so quiet in the room that Arnold's voice almost sounded like he was yelling. Phil looked like he really didn't want to tell Arnold what was happening, which only worried him even more.

"Shortman, we got a rather...disturbing voicemail. They said that they knew you and...well..." Phil rung his hands timidly as he took another glance towards his own son. Miles nodded.

"Arnold, it was a warning. More like a threat, really." Phil finished. Helga tightened her hold on Arnold's hand. He took a glance at the answering machine, which had a red light blinking.

"Arnold, I fear your life is in danger."

Without any warning, it felt like someone had gut-punched Arnold. He actually breathed out with such force, that he doubled over an inch. Helga let go of his hand and put it on his back. Elena was right. Whoever had beaten Elena was now following through with his plans and was now coming after him. His family.

Arnold looked up at Helga, who actually looked somewhat terrified. They were going to come for her too.

Arnold straightened up and tried to calm his breathing. "What exactly did he say?" Everyone in the room averted their gaze from Arnold. Of course, no one wanted him to hear the message, but he had to know what was said.

"Are you sure you want to hear this?" Miles uttered. Arnold really didn't want to, but he knew he had to. He needed to know what he was dealing with. Arnold nodded.

Phil sighed, leaned over, and pressed play.

"Hello Arnold, Arnold's family, and of course, hello Helga." Arnold felt Helga go rigid beside him. "I bet you thought you could get away with ruining my life, hm Arnold? Well, you thought wrong. I'm going to destroy everything you love if it's the last thing I do. But this isn't a one-man game! I may be a cruel man but I'm not unfair. Consider this as a game of Chess. Now for the rules: absolutely no police will be involved or there will be consequences. If I tell you to meet me somewhere, you will show up and you will not be late. If you do not show up, again, there will be consequences. The times that I do tell you to meet me somewhere, you will come alone. If anyone comes with you...well, I think you get the point. I can't wait for this game to begin, Arnold. Because it begins now." The message ended with a loud beep.

Arnold's stomach was in knots and he felt hot and cold at the same time. This guy sounded crazy and he said he wanted to play a game? What kind of game involved hurting people?

Miles paced back and forth. "Obviously, we can't call the police. From the sound of this guy, he meant every word. We can't risk it." He stopped and looked at Arnold. "Son, do you have any idea who this is or what this is about?"

Arnold knew he couldn't lie well, but he had to try. He really didn't want to involve his parents deeper in this mess than they already were. They didn't deserve to be in danger and neither did his friends. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do to get them out of it right now, but he refused to suck them in further. Arnold shook his head.

"I, I have no idea." Helga looked at Arnold with suspicious eyes. He knew he'd have to explain everything to Helga sooner or later, and from her glare, he assumed sooner.

Phil sighed and shook his head. "Well, what are we supposed to do? Just sit around and wait on this wacko to make the first move?"

Arnold finally spoke up. "I need to get Helga home. It's getting late. When I come back we'll discuss this more." Arnold grabbed her hand and began to make his way to the front door. Stella blocked the path before Arnold could blink.

"You two will absolutely not walk alone at night! Not after that voicemail. Helga will just have to sleep over. I'm sure her parents won't mind." Helga's eyes went wide as she began spitting out stutters.

"Oh, um, no that won't be necessary! I'm a tough girl, I, I'll be alright!" One look at Stella's face though, she knew there would be no discussion.

"I refuse. Helga can sleep either on the blow-up mattress we have in storage or she can sleep on the couch. Either way, she's staying here where she's safe."

Arnold raised a finger to object but was silenced. "And that's final." Stella voiced sternly. Arnold lowered his finger and slowly nodded. There was no point in arguing, it might as well be set in stone.

Helga sighed and shrugged. "Alright alright. Couch is fine." Stella gave her a sweet smile and clasped her hands together.

"Perfect! Miles and I have some extra blankets and pillows that we can let you use tonight."

Arnold gestured towards Helgas attire. "What about her dress? She can't sleep in that." Stella let out a 'hmm' as she gave it some thought.

"Why you can give her one of your shirts, Shortman!" Arnold looked back at his grandpa, blushing furiously.

"There you go! And I have some PJ shorts that I do believe will fit you." Stella suggested as she made her way upstairs. Helga's face was about as red as Arnold's, but they knew they were outnumbered. Stella returned downstairs with one of Arnold's red plaid button-down shirts, a pair of pink pajama shorts, and some blankets and pillows. Helga seriously didn't want to wear it, but it was either that or sleep in her dress, and she didn't relish the idea of sleeping in such a tight piece of clothing.

Helga took the clothes and gave Stella an appreciative smile. "Thanks, Mrs-" Stella gave her a knowing look. "-I mean, Stella." Helga took off her flats and placed them by the front door, then made her way upstairs to the bathroom to change. Stella gave Arnold a kiss on the head as she, Phil and Gertie made their way upstairs for bed.

Arnold plopped on the recliner as Miles began to lay out the blankets and pillows for Helga on the couch. "Dad, do you by chance have a plan?" Miles looked over at Arnold and sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I'm... not entirely sure yet, Arnold. Me and your mother have to discuss things and just take it one day at a time." Arnold stared at the carpet with a melancholy look. Helga returned downstairs, all trace of makeup removed, her hair in a high ponytail tied with her bow, and wearing her 'sleep clothes'. Arnold couldn't help but admire Helga wearing his shirt, even in such a dark situation. Helga caught him staring and blushed deeply.

"Thanks again for letting me stay over." Helga said kindly as she sat on the couch. Arnold continuously smiled at her while Miles looked between the two kids. He chuckled quietly as he made his way upstairs.

"Not a problem, Helga. Like we said before, you're welcome here anytime. I already called your house and told your mom that you were staying over. She didn't seem to mind. Try to get some sleep. Goodnight kids." Miles messed with Arnold's hair as he walked past him, going upstairs. Helga and Arnold were left alone in near silence, nothing but the ticking of the clock making a sound.

"You ok, Arnold?" Helga mumbled. Arnold sighed and got up to sit next to Helga. He left no room between them, both of their hips touching.

"Please don't call me 'Arnold'. Call me 'Football head' or 'Arnaldo'. I'll even accept 'paste for brains'. Just...call me a nickname so I can feel like things aren't different right now..." Arnold hung his head as Helga began to rub his back in small slow circles. She hated seeing him this way, especially since there was nothing she could do to fix it. She wanted to find the guy that left that message and punch him in the mouth so hard that he bites his own heart. All she could do though was comfort Arnold, so that's exactly what she planned on doing.

"You got it, Bucko." Arnold chuckled as he looked up at Helga. Even though he hated that she was 'trapped' at the boarding house for the night, he was relieved to have her by his side. He was absolutely torn and terrified with how to handle this problem, but he felt at least a bit better just having Helga near him. He knew that Helga had to be somewhat scared too, but she still radiated strength and bravery, which helped him tremendously. He reached over and grabbed her hand, rubbing the top of her hand with his thumb.

"What're we going to do, Helga?" Arnold had so many questions firing in his brain, but that was the one to slip out first. He knew that he had to fill Gerald in about what happened, which meant that they had to start quicker than expected on the investigating. Helga hated hearing Arnold sound so hopeless.

"We're going to take down Mr. Psycho Pants and teach him a lesson." Helga leaned towards Arnold, putting her head on top of his. She took notice of how the roles were reversed at this moment. Arnold being the doubter and Helga being the optimist. If the situation wasn't so dire, she could probably laugh at the thick irony of it all. She thought back to all of the times that Arnold had stayed positive for her, while she looked at the downside. Now it was her turn to be positive for Arnold, and she was completely fine with it because he needed it right now. She would bend over backward just to lift Arnold's spirits.

"How? We can't call the police, Helga. He's got the advantage over us." Helga turned Arnold's shoulders towards her so he could face her.

"As long as I am on your side Arnold, he will never have an advantage over us." Arnold felt his eyes water, looking into Helga's determined crystal eyes. She pulled him into a tight hug that he gladly returned.

"I promise nothing will happen to you. Not while I'm still kicking." Arnold pulled away with fear in his eyes.

"Don't talk like that, Helga! Nothing will happen to you either! Nothing can happen to you..." Arnold shook his head as panic began to rise in his chest. Just the thought of Helga getting hurt because of him made him feel like he was drowning.

"Hey, come back to me." Helga shook Arnold gently to get his attention again. He made eye contact with her again.

"Nothing will happen to me either, ok? Just calm down before you snap and become as odd as your grandma." Helga put on a small smile, trying to lighten the mood. Arnold closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Helga had a point. He had to keep his bearings together or he wouldn't be able to focus on how to bring this guy down. First thing first, he had to tell Helga everything.

"I have to tell you something, Helga." He watched as she blinked several times, then nodded, urging him to continue. "After I dropped you off at your house this afternoon, I went to the hospital to visit Elena. I needed to see if she could tell me anything about this guy because I'm almost certain that whoever beat her, is the same guy who left that voicemail."

Helga furrowed her brow in thought. "Do you think she's behind all of this? I mean, as far as we know, she might've given herself the injuries so she could seem legit."

Arnold stood up and began to pace. Helga couldn't help but notice the little things that Arnold shared with his dad. "No, she wouldn't do that. Plus it's kind of a stretch that she would go as far as giving herself a concussion."

Helga thought for a second and reluctantly agreed. A tiny part of her wished that Elena was behind it, so she could find some kind of fault in her. She knew that she had Arnold's attention and love, tonight made that perfectly clear. She couldn't help but feel slightly insecure when it came to little Miss Perfect. Right now was not the time to focus on her own insecurities, though.

"Ok, so...what? Elena got jumped because she talked to you? At least that's what it sounded like when you guys were talking in the hallway." Helga leaned back and folded her arms, staring at Arnold as he continued to pace.

"She got jumped because she tried to warn me. Which could only mean that she knows who this guy is." Arnold stopped and stared out of the living room window. Is the guy out there right now, watching the boarding house? Would it still be safe to go to school tomorrow? His thoughts got interrupted as Helga came up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder. Arnold jumped slightly but turned around to meet Helga's solemn expression.

"We can figure all of this out tomorrow, Football head. It's late and even though we have a sicko that's obsessed with you, we still have school in the morning. And if I remember correctly, I still have to present my poetry analysis too." Arnold quietly gasped. He forgot all about Helga's poetry analysis! Honestly, he forgot all about school until about a minute ago. He briefly considered skipping school, but tomorrow was Friday and then they had two days to focus on investigating. Plus he felt like this 'revenge seeker' would win if Arnold chose to hide in his bed rather than face people. He refused to give him that satisfaction. He still felt so guilty that he forgot about Helga's own studies.

"I'm so sorry, Helga! Do you need to study with my poetry book?" She shook her head.

"Nah. I'm stopping by my house in the morning obviously so I can change. I'll just grab my books then." Arnold didn't even think about a change of clothes for her until that point either. He put a hand to his head. He really did feel out of it, but who wouldn't be?

"I, I think it's a good idea if we just went to bed. I need to lie down." Helga chuckled as she walked with him towards the stairs.

"Yeah, we don't need you fainting on us. We'll be able to come up with a better game plan tomorrow once we get some shut eye." Arnold walked up one stair so he could look Helga in the eyes from her height. He eased forward and gave her a small kiss on her forehead.

"Thank you, Helga." Arnold began to venture up the stairs when Helga called to him.

"For what?" She felt tingles radiate from her forehead to her toes.

Will there ever be a day that he doesn't have this kind of effect on me?

Arnold turned back and gave her a sleepy smile. "For being here for me. For my family." With that, he walked up the stairs to his bedroom.

Helga walked over and turned off the lights, leaving the living room mostly dark, other than the calming glow from the streetlight outside. She covered herself up in the supply of blankets and couldn't resist taking a whiff of the plaid shirt, smelling the scent that was simply Arnold. She sighed her signature sigh as she drifted off to sleep.

There you have it! Again, I'm so sorry that this is such a short chapter, but the next chapter will be much longer to make it up to you guys x3 I don't know when I'll be able to update again, but it shouldn't be longer than a week TOPS. I hope everyone is still enjoying it so far because things are about to get crazy in Hillwood! Until next time my fellow Football Heads! xx