A much longer chapter this time. Anything that is underlined is a translation.

I'm very grateful to all the reviews I've received.


Helga thought that even though Miles was older now since that picture was taken, he still was incredibly dashing looking. He had that same openness to him when he looked upon her in which he turned off only to act in defiance to La Sombra and the others. The same openness she always saw from Arnold and even though they hadn't been able to speak, just yet, together, she knew she could trust him like his son.

"Yeah I'm not stupid when I know the second you get, La Corazon that you will kill this young lady here first, before coming to kill us all." Miles was easily speaking to them. "I believe that I'm still giving you a strong no."

La Sombra had a lopsided smile on his face as he picked his nails with his bowie knife. "I'm not above cutting her. You know take a finger here and take a finger there in order to get what I want."

"Please not the middle finger because I would still like to flip you off from my grave." Helga finally chimed in with her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Miles tried to contain his amusement knowing this was a dangerous situation made worse by her being the first to go once they found what they were looking for. He could tell that behind her courage she was afraid, but was doing a good job in containing it to a minimum. He could also tell that Helga was intelligent.

La Sombra almost purred at her venomous voice. "If that is what you wish than I can grant it."

Rolling her eyes, Helga's eyes flashed briefly to the cell where she spotted Arnold looking directly at her. "Man you are an idiot." She decided to go quiet feeling herself about to unravel under Arnold's concerned gaze.

Miles noted that she was starting to lose it making him want to up the game. He had a feeling, Helga would go along with it. He had a feeling this girl was a survivor. He could spot the emotional scars she had obviously retained over the years.

La Sombra laughed at them both as he sauntered off to speak to his men leaving, Helga and Miles alone with someone with a rifle now mostly pointed at her.

Miles watched at how Helga's dark lashes fluttered as she fought to maintain herself. Wondered what she was thinking right now. He heard a very soft sound exit her mouth.

My dreams have remained all alight with you

I adore how you have kept me in your ever loving embrace

I know there are times my poetry doesn't make sense

Just like I know how I presently forgot how to rhyme

Slowly, Helga opened up her eyes to show how much of a deeper shade of blue, they originally become.

You never did make me fall in love with you

It was your heart that did so

Never forcibily

Always lovingly you did so

My green eyed handsomeness

Never will I leave you

Like I know you'll never me.

Miles knew this was a way of calming herself. Had a feeling she wasn't a stranger of prose. They way she looked at the cell made him see all too well that this girl loved his son like no other. Suddenly her eyes flickered at him to start speaking in another language. Helga was helping out in her own way.

"O coração vai estar no rio para além da cachoeira, onde uma passagem secreta estabelece. Você não pode vê-lo devido ao pincel na frente dele pesadamente ocultá-lo. Isso é o que os olhos verdes nos informaram." She spoke purposely in Portuguese hoping Miles would understand that she just said; The heart will be in the river beyond the waterfall where a secret passage lays. You cannot see it due to the brush in front of it heavily concealing it. That is what the Green Eyes have informed us.

There was an quick berating from the one guarding them telling her to be quiet, but from his peripheral, Miles saw how La Sombra was very intrigued by what she said.

Miles responded back to her trying to appear angry. "Sim, é o grande cachoeira, mas tenha cuidado como a voz carrega às vezes." Telling her; Yes, it is the great waterfall, but be careful how the voice carries sometimes.

Helga rolled her eyes at him to show more defiance. "Eles são demasiado estúpidos para perceber a sua bunda de um buraco no chão." She almost lost her composure seeing La Sombra's perturbed expression when she said; They are too stupid to realize their ass from a hole in the ground.

"Quiet you impudent girl." La Sombra came to stop next to Miles leveling her with an angry stare.

The guy, had the most soulless palest blue eyes she had ever seen, making her raise her chin to him. "What are you gonna do? Kill me? You are nothing but a coward." Receiving a hard slap from him, Helga landed on her side. "You are like my father. What do I call you? Uncle?" She mocked watching him come at her.

His eyes were wide with rage. "I will look forward in killing you little girl." Hearing one of his men say something he quickly added, "Perhaps I will let my men have fun with you before hand."

Helga was sickened wondering what would happen if she just kicked him in the leg right now. "You are all cowards." She spat out lowly.

Opening his mouth to speak, La Sombra was interrupted with an arm reaching around his neck and pulling him back by, Miles as he reached for the knife to hold it against his neck.

Miles kept his eyes on La Sombra and his men as he watched, Helga get up, not realizing she managed to get out of her rope, till she stood up grabbing, La Sombra's gun on the way up along with his belt.

"Don't think I don't know how to use this." Helga enjoyed the newest look of anger from that man.

"Order them back now or I will look forward to actually killing you for threatening, my family and Helga." Miles jerked him hard making him wince.

Looking towards the rifles the men were holding, Helga knew she needed one of those. "Tell them to drop their weapons too." She ordered.

La Sombra gave an order to his men watching them throw their weapons far from them while telling them to get down on the ground. "I will find you and I'll enjoy killing you."

"Why? We already gave you the location of La Corazon." Miles lied. "We know you understand Portuguese too." He'll have to ask if Helga knew too as he watched her grab a rifle to lift it up.

"ARNOLD! STEP AWAY FROM THE DOOR!" Helga shouted out.

Miles was about to question if she really knew how to shoot when she lifted the rifle up, and expertly shot aiming at the doors lock before relaxing the rifle a bit in her arms as she pointed it elsewhere. Hearing a pair of rushed footsteps come towards them with Helga giving the gun to Arnold for safe keeping.

"We should leave now." Arnold told them firmly wishing for so much as they started to move away from the encampment slowly.

"You won't get far. Any of you." La Sombra threatened. "I always get what I want."

"Right now even I'll hit you with this gun after all you've done." Arnold warned him in a low voice.

Helga pointed at some of the men that were still in the way making sure they move away as she whispered. "Hmm, Dark Arnold."

Stella knew they had miles to go before reaching the Green Eyes. That would be a safe haven till they moved on so she predicted that they would have to keep running. Picking up a gun herself from the ground she hated to resort to violence, but this was her families life at stake. Peering at Helga for a second she saw how her and Arnold were beside one another looking so in sync with their movements.

Reaching the edge, Miles considered the boat for a second but being on it with Stella he saw the boat didn't have much of an engine in it so he knew they would be sitting ducks. Seeing brush with rocks towards an unreachable section of the water, Miles nodded his head to his companions showing them what he could see before turning La Sombra towards him and decking him hard in the face knocking him out before they took off in a full run.

It would be for some time before they slowed up to catch their breaths as they decided to walk being extra cautious. Taking Helga's hand, Arnold wanted to just wrap her up in his arms, but knew he couldn't have that luxury till they were safe. "Guess you weren't just saying that to me. You really took lessons to shoot."

Helga's laugh was breathless at best. "I guess I'm Annie Oakley."

Arnold grinned at her. "I have them back, Swan."

"I know." Getting closer to him she asked, "How will they feel with me living at the boarding house?"

"Who knows but I won't be surprised if my father buys me a bunch of condoms to make sure I'm safe."

"We'll talk about that later, kids." Stella informed them. "We really need to get to safety."

Hearing a bullet whiz past them they started to run again. They all heard La Sombra behind them swearing a whole bunch of things as they continued running. They all wanted to go back to Hillwood.

"Crap." Miles cursed when some of his men popped up in front of them making them all stop short.

Helga felt Arnold's hand wrap around her waist bringing her close against him. "I just got rid of Bob, can I at least get a break from homicidal men?"

Keeping her close to him, Arnold kissed the top of her head as he concentrated on praying for a miracle.

"AHHH!" Came a man's painful call out as a spear went through his body nearest to them.

"Green Eyes." Stella whispered out as more came out to help them.

Spotting Taku, Arnold ran to his beckoning call along with the others finding him leading them into some deep brush. "Thank god you're alive."

"They merely knocked us out. We would of came sooner." Taku told him with a slight smile as he began bringing them through a huge maze of their pathway.

Finally back in the Green Eyes village, Seban greeted them happily as he embraced them all. Hugging Stella and Miles his grin was fully on his face. "I'm happy you are both well. How does it feel to see your son again?"

"Fantastic." Stella replied happily looking at the teenagers. "I never thought I would see him again."

"My son has grown up as handsome as me." Miles boasted with good humor.

Turning around they both went up to Arnold to hug him while Helga stood back to observe. She was happy for them. Happy for Arnold to get what he desired back in his life. Seeing Seban approach her, she went with him.

"You deserve many great things as well." Seban softly told her. "You still feel that you don't."

Helga looked down to the ground just shifting her feet nervously.

"You are afraid they will not approve of you." He continued.

"I'm afraid of that. Afraid he will agree with them." Smiles gently at them talking together. "I never had the best of luck growing up. I still can't believe I have all these friends now. Can't believe I met someone like Arnold. I love him so much and I want him happy always."

"Because you are selfless like him."

Arnold was talking to his parents as they asked him questions about her living in the boarding house without her family. He knew they would have questions. He hoped they wouldn't insist that she moves. "Her mother passed away recently and her father is in jail now for abusing the both of them. Her older sister acted like both her mother and sister made up the whole thing. I saw the bruises on her. Helga wouldn't make up a thing like that. Also, grandpa and grandma love her so much. So does the, boarders and our friends. Helga is very respectful there. She has a very high I.Q." Glances over to her, Arnold felt his heart warm up more just at the sight of her. "She has been this light in my life and without her I wouldn't be here right now. She won the writing contest because she is such an amazing writer. She chose this location to pay me back for being a nice person. Helga has done so much for me and she says I do so much for her. I love her and we don't plan on what you both are so nervous about right now. We both want to wait there."

"So mom and dad trust her. That's good to hear." Miles said as he studied the young girl. "She impressed me back there. I was surprised she started speaking Portuguese."

"Helga is multi-lingual. She has traveled around a lot and is happy to be settled someplace finally." Arnold spotted how, Helga was starting to look seeing a dejected look in her demeanor. "I hope you don't insist on her moving because if you do I'm going with her."

Stella's eyebrows shot up. "Don't worry, Arnold we just wanted to talk to you before talking to her." Seeing the girl frowning as she turned her attention away from them she could sense something. "We should go over there before she continues to think the worst of herself."

"Helga is very sensitive." Stepping away from them, Arnold crossed over to Helga wrapping his arms around her from the back. "How's my future wife doing?" He asked softly nuzzling against her ear.

"You tell them about the dance?" Helga's eyes were wide. "Oh Arnold they might make me leave the boarding house. They might think I'm this horrible person just because my own family, except mom, didn't love me."

Turning her around, Arnold placed his hands gently on her shoulders. "Don't think that, Helga. This is just fear talking. You are an angel. My angel. I'm keeping you for a very long time because of how much I love you."

"But what if they make me leave the boarding house? I don't want you to choose me over them, but..."

His gaze bore into her eyes. He wanted her to understand. Wanted her to see. "I'll always fight for you just like I know you'll always fight for me."

Helga began to open her mouth to speak when Stella took a hold of her to hug her. Stella's heart broke for the girl seeing her torment. "Shh, shh, shh, let that fear die down. We have to re-learn about being parents again, but Helga don't fear. We trust our son and if he trusts you that means so much. If Phil and Gertie love you it says more about you then anything. I will want to talk to you a lot. I can see you are respectful." Pulling back to look at the young girl's still frightened expression she saw so much history in them even if Arnold didn't utter a word. Brushing her hair back, Stella kissed her forehead. "Thank you. I understand that without you we wouldn't be seeing our son right now."

"I'm sorry you both were in such a dangerous situation for so long." Helga smiled at her as a tear fell down. "You both didn't deserve it. Also I know a lot of us will have to thank you for bringing him into our lives." More tears fell down. "He truly is a blessing."

"Oh you sweet girl." Embracing her again Stella smiled at Seban.

Arnold and Miles came over for a group embrace. From the outskirts, Eduardo came into the picture smiling at the reunited family even as, Arnold pulled away to study him.

"I have a feeling you thought that Eduardo betrayed your trust." Seban spoke up knowing Eduardo was now seen. "He didn't. Eduardo contacted your lawyer, Helga to tell him about you ditching him."

"You ditched Eduardo? Why?" Miles wondered as his old friend came closer.

Arnold went over to Helga's side to take her hand. "A series of unfortunate coincidences that happened. I'm sorry it happened, but in a way we wouldn't of ran into that temple thus confessing how we felt making the volcano stop erupting."

"Was this the same temple you were born in?" Eduardo asked. At least he was pleasant asking the question.

"Yes. Her image was on the walls too."

Miles and Stella exchanged a knowing look before looking towards Seban. "Did they do the engagement dance?"

"They did. It was destined to happen." Seban acted like a teenager himself with some of the giddiness he was portraying.

Arnold prepared for the worst of what they would say about this as he wrapped his arm around Helga's waist. The thing he wasn't prepared for, was them laughing.

"Just as long as you both wait after college to marry we are fine with this." Miles smirked as he held his wife. "We didn't know each another that long before we got engaged and then married."

"We aren't sharing with our friends that we got engaged right now until way later. We already agreed to some things since we are both in high school." Helga assured them.

Going over to the young couple they embraced them both. "Oh sweetie I have this feeling that you and our son will make this all work." Pulling back quickly, Stella told them both. "No sex yet. I'll want the grandkids after college."

"What if they screw up beforehand?" Miles wondered only to get hit by Stella in the arm.

"The only thing we'll screw up is her little boyfriend's heart." Arnold joked. Seeing the horrified expressions on his parents face he added with more humor. "Abner is crazy about Helga and she has been calling him her cute boyfriend."

"Abner is still alive?"

"Yep and hasn't slowed down yet. You'll love it."

"I enjoy walking him with you." Helga chimed in.

Arnold wrapped his arms around her. "I have an idea." Looks to his parents. "Let's give grandma and grandpa an early Christmas present by going home even more early then expected. What does everyone say?"

Stella and Miles readily agreed to it as, Eduardo started speaking about Frank Welkner, saying they would need to retrieve some of, Helga's and Arnold's, belongings before leaving. As they did that, Helga kissed Arnold.

"They will be over the moon with that surprise, my Football Head."


Thanks Historia70 with the poem and the translation.