A/N: I just realized something, you guys. Since my Back Home Sequel is officially done, I've only got one fan fiction in the works. That hasn't been so since ye olde days of Ruthless! I need to start another story before…oh wait. Perennials. Nevermind. Crisis averted. Begin reading.

The Compromise

Chapter 35: It Had Better Be Tonight

Disclaimer: I own nada. Not the songs, not the music…not the fandom. Thanks.

Warning: L O N G chapter. Very long. You might want to grab a snack. I have some chocolate covered doughnuts with me…but you can't have any. Sorry.

Arnold walked length of the venue another time, taking candid photos of the crowd that gathered in Big Bob and Miriam's honor, and some of the decorations. Olga specified that she wanted a blend of candid and portraits for the party, but that he was also free to photograph whatever he wanted before the party started. Arnold was glad, above all things, that he'd be able to use some of the photos to expand his portfolio, and Olga as a reputable reference.

Arnold took a seat at the circular table where his friends sat, all invited by Helga as her personal guests. Each one obeyed Olga's orders in only wearing green or purple: Phoebe, in pale lavender, was brushing some lint off of the shoulder of Gerald's black suit, accented by a dark green vest and bow tie and Lila, who managed to find a one-shouldered cocktail dress, with both colors. They were talking animatedly around him, but Arnold was distracted, and took his seat without speaking.

"Hey, Stick In The Mud…" Gerald said behind him. Arnold turned to look at his friend, confused. "You gotta lighten up, man."

"What do you mean? I'm heavy. Don't I look heavy?" Arnold asked, resting his camera on the table and spreading his arms.

Lila cleared her throat, and tried to speak professionally. "Arnold, how do I say this without sounding mean…grow a pair." she said, smiling.

"Lila, that was a little bit mean." Phoebe told her. "What Lila is trying to say, is that Helga's presence, if nothing else, is guaranteed tonight, so you don't have to be nervous, or anything."

"I'm not nervous about her being here; this is her parent's 35th anniversary party. Of course she'd be here." He answered. Arnold picked up his camera again and, turning it on, began looking through the menu, on the tiny screen on the back.

"Then what's got you checking your ISO over and over?" Gerald asked. "I don't even know what 'ISO' means, but I know that's what you're doing."

Arnold put the camera back down, and sighed. "I think I'm too late, guys."

"You're not late, it's barely 7:30!" Lila said, wrinkling her freckle-covered nose and shaking her head.

"He meant about Helga." Phoebe said, rolling her eyes.

"Why would you think you're 'late'? She just broke up with Derek, she's definitely open to start something with you; everyone sees that…"

"Still…" Arnold began. "I don't want her to think that…that the only reason I like her is because of Derek."

"Do you think she was trying to get revenge on you, or something? Getting you back for all those times you stood her up?" Gerald asked, leaning forward on the table. In response, Arnold shook his head and shrugged.

"Well, to answer that for you, Arnold, no, that's not why she dated Derek." Phoebe said, speaking up. Arnold wasn't surprised; Phoebe never tolerated people thinking ill of Helga, even if they had reason to.

"How do you know?" Arnold asked, solemnly.

"Because…'Semper et infirmi est animi exiguique voluptas Ultio.'" she said, remembering when she spoke those words to Helga.

"What does that mean?" Arnold asked.

Lila quickly perked up, snapping her fingers rapidly. "Oh! I know this! It was on 'Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?' last night!" she said, happily.

"You would watch a show like that, wouldn't you?" Gerald asked.

"It means 'Revenge is always the weak pleasure of a little and narrow mind.'" Phoebe said. "Now, I know Helga doesn't have the strongest…moral fiber in the world, but she's a good person. And she wouldn't do that to Derek, or you. Even if you maybe deserved it a little bit." she finished, smiling.

Arnold smiled, good naturedly, as Helga's cousin sat down next to him, in the empty chair between himself and Lila.

"Hey, Arnold, right?" he asked, extending his hand out to him, and shaking it. Robbie was familiar with Helga's friends but introduced himself again. "And what is your name?" he asked, directing his attention to the redhead next to him.

"Lillian." Lila said, using her feigned stage name. "But, you can call me 'Lila'." she said, placing her hand in his.

"Is that what your friends call you?" he asked, smiling.

"Depends; do you want to be my friend?" she asked, coyly.

The remainder of the table stared, as Lila, once again, managed to wrap another young man around her pinky finger. No one doubted that by the end of the night, he'd be fetching her sparkling water and offering to walk the pets she didn't have.

"Excuse me! Can I have everyone's attention, please?"

All of the occupants of the room: near and distant relatives, coworkers, and friends, turned to look at the stunning blonde in front of the room, walking onto the stage and speaking into the microphone. Over the years, Arnold began seeing Olga as more than an overly-perky high-flyer, and saw her (as Helga did), and slightly annoying. Regardless, in her eggplant-colored, strapless gown, she was beautiful.

"Now, I want everyone to stay right where you are; I'm going to turn out the lights, and everyone shout, "Surprise Bob and Miriam, Happy 35th Wedding Anniversary!" she said, throwing her hands up.

"That's kind of a mouthful, Olga." Robbie said, loudly. "How about just 'Surprise'?" he suggested.

"Great idea, Robert." she said, still excited. "Alright? Everyone ready? Arnold!" she said, waving him over to her. He stood, and walked toward her, bringing his camera with him.

"I want a picture of them as soon as the lights come on, and everyone yells "Surprise!" okay?" she asked, not waiting for an answer before walking off toward the light switch. Once the lights were out, most of the room was engulfed in darkness, except for the opposite wall from the door, it's high windows casting a ghostly blue light over half of the room. Arnold quietly adjusted his camera so that the light balance wouldn't be thrown off once the room was lit again, wondering if Helga would be arriving with her parents. He hadn't spoken to her since the day Olga hired him, and instead, any information he received about the party, he got from Olga.

Bringing the camera to his face, he focused the lens on the unopened doorway. When Olga flipped the switch, Arnold took a single shot, capturing Bob and Miriam entering the heavily decorated setting, and then another shower of photos after the crowd behind him shouted.

The photos that followed were of Big Bob and Miriam embracing Olga, and their friends and families that came forward to offer them well wishes.

In none of these did Arnold see Helga. Before he could find someone to ask, he was beaten to the punch.

"This is all lovely, Olga," Miriam began, stepping away from a hug from one of her old classmates. "But, I don't see Helga anywhere. Where's Helga?" she asked, turning to her eldest child.

"That's the second surprise." Olga said, pointing to the same double doors they slowly moved away from once they entered.

Helga shuffled into the brightly lit venue of her parents anniversary party, much slower than she would have, under other circumstances. Turning to her right, she smiled at the weight on her arm, and patted that hand that rested there.

Once her grandmother arrived in Hillwood, Helga asked Olga if she could be the one to escort her into the party. Olga's original idea was to have herself and Helga escorted in by the guy of their choosing. Of course Olga would walk in with Kevin, but Helga saw this as an opportunity to walk in with Arnold on her arm. An even better alternative for her, was to walk in with her grandmother, especially after she decided that it was her grandmother's dress that she'd be wearing.

The room quieted once Helga and Lady V's presence was known, and Helga surmised that everyone was just waiting for them to make their way over to Big Bob and Miriam, who were clearly surprised. Helga looked up from her grandmother to the faces around the room, naming off those that she could remember, and smiling politely at those she could not. Bringing her eyes to her parents, she questioningly eyed the person standing just behind them, face hidden by a large black camera. Helga began smiling harder, trying not to laugh, realizing that Arnold was the photographer, and was doing a fine job of taking her picture without her knowledge.

Once she reached her parents, which took a while, as her grandmother was setting the pace, Miriam enveloped her in a hug, while Big Bob stood alongside his younger daughter, pulling her into an awkward hug as well. Helga returned the sentiment, knowing that it was something Bob simply was not good at, and smiled, despite herself.

"Good job, girl." he said, releasing her. Helga nodded, the most she heard from her father in a matter of days. Miriam was next, too flabbergasted by the numerous surprises to say much, but bringing Helga into the circle of her arms happily. Pulling back, she eyed Helga, curiously.

"Helga, you look wonderful. That's not…"

Helga shrugged before nodding, looking around at her family. Her dad went without noticing, already giving his mother a hug, and even if he was not, Helga surmised that he wouldn't care about the dress anyway. Miriam was looking rather ecstatic, inspecting the dress in disbelief. Olga too, was staring at her sister in disbelief, only with far less glee in her eyes.

"That's not…is that grandmother's dress?" Olga asked, just above a whisper.

"Yeah," Helga said, spreading the topmost layer of sage-colored chiffon. "She showed it to me when I went to pick her up and…gave it to me-"

"Gave it to you?!" Olga exclaimed, before calming herself down. "I've never even seen grandmother's dress outside of photos, and you…she…" Olga said, as a deep blush spread from her hairline down her face and neck. "What was wrong with the dresses I picked out for you?"

"Now, Olga, that's not important. Here, lets take a picture…" Miriam said, resting her hand on Olga's arm, and making everyone stand side by side, and looking to Arnold.

Arnold, standing to the side, couldn't help but smile (instead of laughing as he wanted to), at the exchange between the women of the Pataki/Winters family. He knew something had to be wrong with Olga, to buy all those atrocious dresses for her little sister that she seemed to love so much. If they weren't indecent, they were just ridiculous and ugly. When Helga arrived, not only looking amazing in an amazing dress, but one that turned out to have belonged to their grandmother (whom he noticed already favored Helga over Olga), her reaction was rather unlike her. Moving them out of their positions (one that he called 'The Police Lineup', where family members all stood shoulder to shoulder), Arnold readied the camera, and immediately caught Helga's smile through his viewfinder. Unlike those of her family (and especially Olga), her smile was genuine, and more than likely directed at him.

"Tired yet?"

"I was tired of this party two weeks ago, when Olga started planning it." Helga said, walking her friends back to their table. Phoebe patted her arm and sat down, and Helga looked around for any signs of her sister, before taking a seat. "Are you guys having fun?"

"Are you kidding?" Gerald said, bringing up the rear, with his mouth and plate full. "These little crab cake things…with the sauce? Amazing. Great party, Helga." he said, sitting down across from her.

"I'm so glad the food is to your liking…" Helga said, rolling her eyes. Eyeing some of the couples on the dance floor, Helga's eyebrows shot up, when she noticed who her cousin was dancing with. "Um, guys…why is Lila dancing with Robbie?"

"They've been flirting all night. You know how hard it is for guys to resist her…" Phoebe said, nodding.

"Well, I should have seen it coming." she replied, watching them glide around the dance floor. "She did ask if he'd be here."

"So, what are you going to do now?" Phoebe asked.

"Well, I have no doubts that Olga's going to come around and ask me if I practiced my song…" she said, pausing to curl her lip. "and then-"

"I meant about Arnold, Helga." she said seriously, as Gerald shoveled more food into his mouth.

Helga blinked, but remained silent. She was not going to deny that Arnold was on her mind the entire day. He was, more or less, the only reason why she spent so much time getting ready for the evening, even going to far as to let Olga do her hair. The process took nearly three hours, and as much as Helga liked the half up style, with waves, she had to take a few aspirin for the headache that came after she was finished.

"I'm not going to do anything."

"What?" Phoebe asked. She was a first-hand witness to Helga doing 'nothing', and the result was named Derek.

"He's the one dealing out ultimatums, like mini quiche."

"Wait a minute." Gerald said, his attention piqued. "You guys are serving quiche…?"

"Gerald, this is serious." Phoebe said to her boyfriend, nudging him in the side. "I understand why you feel like, maybe Arnold should come to you about this, but…maybe there's a way you two can compromise."

Helga took a deep breath and nodded. Even if she wanted to, she wouldn't be able to keep from talking to Arnold for the entire night. And, remembering what Gerald told her back when she and Arnold were fighting, she almost had an obligation to talk to him, if nothing else, to let him know what she was feeling.

"Helga, did you want to go practice? I was going to announce you in a few minutes." Olga said, slightly less jovial than before, but having put the dress incident behind her.

Helga sighed and rose from her chair bringing the small handbag with her, rolling her shoulders and moving toward the door to retrieve the sheet music that she stored in the coat room.

In the darkened hallway, she found her sheet music near the dark brown coat she wore over her dress, and arranged the pages in order. A movement from the corner of her eye caused her to jump, dropping the papers on the soft carpeting underneath her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." he said, at the startled blonde before him. His eyes honed in on her shapely waist and exposed neckline. No wonder Derek was so beat up about letting this one get away from him.

Mike wore his usual waiter's attire for the evening, but went through the trouble of combing his hair and shaving. He knew beforehand that Helga would be more inclined to trust him if he didn't look like he was after her for some malicious reason.

"It's fine." she eventually said, dropping to her knees to retrieve her fallen papers. Mike followed suit, handing her the few that she missed. He looked into her eyes, trying to form some connection with her, but she only looked frightened, especially since the two were now in such a secluded area of the reception hall.

Standing up, he painted on the best look of innocence he could muster, and asked, "Is there anything I can do for you, Miss Pataki?"

"No." she answered, quickly. She moved around him, but paused at the doorway, trying to discreetly place her bag on the shelf over the coats in the closet. Once the light green train of her dress disappeared from the corner of his eye, he practically lunged for the bag, opening it and sifting through the makeup that it held until her small phone was found.

'Get her there, under any circumstances.' he thought, repeating Derek's words in his head.

'Phase one completed.' he thought, pocketing the phone and exiting the coatroom.

"Have you talked to her yet? I'm getting tired of waiting for that wrinkle to ease off of your forehead." Gerald said, finding Arnold standing at the doorway.

"I keep trying, but Olga has her running errands, or something. I've barely seen her sit down all night." he said, removing the lens from his camera and checking for specks of dust in the interior for the fiftieth time that night.

"Can I have everyone's attention, please?" Olga said, back on stage, lowering the microphone stand in front of her. "Hi. As you probably know, I'm Olga Pataki, and I'm so glad everyone was able to make it out to celebrate Big bog and Miriam's 35th wedding anniversary." she said, continuing only after the applause dies down. "As an added surprise, my baby sister, Helga, is going to sing, for us all. I'm not sure…what exactly she's chosen, but I'm sure it'll be delightful." Olga didn't sound so sure of that. "Helga?"

From the edge of the stage, came Helga, who offered the crowd a brief and entirely contrived smile, before taking a seat on the same piano bench she last sat on with Arnold. Arranging her sheet music, she let her hands rest on a few keys and attempted to slow her breathing. Glancing to the door, partially because she was considering running away, Helga could feel herself breathing faster, the room beginning to spin, slightly. She blinked, knowing that the inhabitants of the room were watching her and probably waiting for something, either wonderful or disastrous to occur.

Helga lost track of how long she sat there, knowing in her mind that it was probably no more than a few seconds, but feeling as if it were decades. Without warning, her eyes darted to the doorway again, and the two figures there. Gerald and Arnold stood like armored guards, each shooting her looks of reassurance. Arnold, for his part, only sent her a soft and small nod, silently telling her that she was going to be fine. Helga slowed her breathing, and let her fingers graze the polished keys again. Putting minimal pressure on a few keys, she familiarized herself with the sound of the massive instrument, and exhaled, beginning to play.

"When the rain is blowing in your face,

And the whole world is on your case.

I could offer you a warm embrace,

To make you feel my love."

Helga cringed, knowing that, instead of letting herself get spooked in the coatroom by the suspicious looking waiter, she should have been warming up her throat. She sang the first few lines, knowing that her voice was warbled, and adjusting it as she went along.

"When the evening shadows and the stars appear

And there is no one there to dry your tears

I could hold you for a million years

To make you feel my love."

Knowing that her voice was naturally lower than most girls; almost 'husky' as someone once described it, Helga continued making adjustments to the song. She focused the first few minutes of her performance on making sure that she sounded correct, knowing that it kept her reasons for choosing the song out of her head.

"I know you haven't made your mind up yet

But I would never do you wrong

I've known it from the moment that we met

No doubt in my mind where you belong…"

Olga asked her younger sister to find a song that reminded them of her parents. Something that encompassed the life they lived together, the highs like when Big Bob's Beepers first opened and their small apartment was filled with excitement. She was wanted too, to capture the lows, when the same company almost closed down; when they worried about staying afloat and raising two children.

And Helga told herself that this song, beautiful in it's simplicity, was perfect for them.

"I'd go hungry,

I'd go black and blue.

I'd go crawling down the avenue

No, there's nothing that I wouldn't do,

To make you feel my love."

Helga was also very, very good at lying to herself.

"The storms are raging on the rolling sea,

And on the highway of regret.

The winds of change are blowing wild and free;

You ain't seen nothing like me yet."

It was no mystery, to anyone who know Helga, and especially to those that knew her current state of affairs regarding Arnold, why she chose that song. AS soon as she heard it, she found it hard to ignore. Even after she presented her list of song choices to Olga, and she declared this one as "too slow…it'll make people fall asleep", after which she promptly handed her sister a CD that was, despite being Grammy-worthy, not at all her taste. Helga couldn't even imagine singing Taylor Swift to her parents.

"I could make you happy;

make your dreams come true

Nothing that I wouldn't do

Go to the ends of the Earth for you

To make you feel my love.

To make you feel my love…"

Releasing the breath that she was barely aware she was holding, Helga eased herself back from the piano, and sat for a moment, excited that she made it through the performance without wanting to slam her head on the keys, but grew uncommonly frightful as she sat waiting for some kind of response from the gathered group of friends and family. Everyone sat quietly in her seats, and Helga refused to make eye contact, lest she find that everyone managed to flee the room due to her singing, or the happened to be standing before her with pitchforks.

Helga whirled, as quickly as she could in the voluminous dress and atop the rigid piano stand, to the doorway, where only Arnold stood then, and found him clapping enthusiastically. Until the rest of the room began following his lead and joining him in applause, Helga almost believed Olga's words, thinking that she put the entire room to sleep. Finally looking out into the audience, Helga smiled, watching her mother and grandmother dab at their eyes with dinner napkins, while Big Bob nodded in her direction. Helga shrugged, nervously, and stood, not bothering to stand before everyone for too long, opting to sit at the rounded table with her friends. While the applause die down, Helga's friends offered their congratulations, and Olga, managed to find a microphone, and was speaking into it animatedly.

"Well thank you for that, Helga. As you all know…"

Helga's small smile fell a little further, knowing that, once again, Olga was able to shift focus so quickly from others back to herself. Long ago, Helga told herself that Olga was "chilly", and the only thing that kept her "warm" was the spotlight. Shrugging, Helga watched as Arnold made his way to the table, glad that she was able to do something for her parents, even if it happened to benefit her a little more.

"May I have this dance?"

The smile that Helga was holding for Arnold dropped, replaced with an expression, built half of pure ire and half out of…well, made entirely of ire. She narrowed her eyes at her charismatic cousin and fought the urge to punch him in the gut. Just as she was going to tell him that she'd rather lick the bottom of his shoe, he shot her a look, moving his eyes quickly to the right, where Arnold was standing, and smirked at her.

Helga raised and eyebrow, and took his hand, allowing him to walk her to the dance floor where a fast paced song was already beginning.

"Mind explaining yourself?" she asked, as he turned her, and she placed one of her hands in his and the other on his shoulder.

"Of course not. I'm helping you." he said, simply, moving quicker than Helga anticipated.

"How so?! He was coming over to talk to me!"

"Helga," Robbie said, sounding far more experienced than he actually was. "The last thing I'd want is for you to look too…available."

"Translation?" Helga asked.

"You've been off running little errands for Olga the Conquerer all evening. Do you think Arnold would be half as determined to talk to you if you were sitting over there all night, taking apart mini quiche with your friends?"

"We're serving quiche? Gerald will be happy to hear that." Helga joked.

"Just admit it now, I'm right." he said.

"I'll let you know if you're right by the end of the evening. Wonderful job, by the way. You sounded great." she said, distracting herself.

"Right back at you…although, I don't think Olga was too excited about it. I overheard her telling people you were going to sing "Love Story"."

Helga rolled her eyes. "Why would I do that? My parents were in their twenties when they met. Not everyone's life is like 'Romeo and Juliet'."

"Hey, I don't mind. You could have sang Shakira for all I care, and it would have been fine with me." Robbie said, as he moved Helga back to their table. "Alright, here's the plan-"

"Wait, what plan?"

"Arnold's coming over, and-"

"He is?!" Helga gasped.

"Yes, but you have to stay cool. He's going to ask if her can have the next dance and-"

"And you better let him have it, or I'll let you have it!" she whispered harshly.

"As you wish, Oh Cranky One."

"They're not doing anything. This is pointless!" the young man said, into his phone, clearly flustered.

"Look; you owe me! Just keep your eye on them; I know something is going to happen." said the voice on the other line.

"Or maybe, you just want something to happen, so you have a reason to feel angry and get revenge on her for dumping you. Just give it up, D; they've barely spoken all nigh-"

"Your job isn't to think about my reasons, okay? I know what I'm doing. Just…update me when something happens."

The line went dead, and the teenager stepped from the shadows of the darkened hallway, and reentered the dining hall. As the night drew to a close, he was feeling less and less inclined to help his friend; the only real added bonus was that he may be able to have some fun as well.

Helga was sorely disappointed. Instead of being swept entirely off her feet as soon as she accepted Arnold's embrace, and dancing their way into the dimly lit courtyard, just outside, she found herself still indoors, both arms over Arnold's shoulder and twisting the mint green cocktail ring that Lila loaned her around her left pinky finger, absent-mindedly. The two spoke very little for the two minutes they'd been dancing together: she complimented his suit, and he, her dress. He commented on the number of people in the room, and she noted the food, and pointed out a few inebriated family members. No talk of his ultimatum, or her trepidation at it's approaching climax.

Just slow, languid, and frankly boring waltzing.

Helga was about to fake a sprained ankle, just to escape the tension they were both trying avoid, when Arnold spoke.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to…I'd like a chance to talk to you." he said, nervously.

"Really?" Helga asked wide-eyed. "You'd like to talk? To me? Because it seems as though I've been trying to talk to you all week. And the only response I ever got was 'Saturday.' 'I'll see you Saturday.' 'We'll talk on Saturday.' Well, for your information, Bucko, there are exactly two hours left in this 'Saturday', and you haven' spoken four words to me all night!" she said, angrily. Exhaling, she blinked and realized that she yelled at Arnold for doing exactly what she wanted him to do all week. "I apologize for that. I was…that…sorry." she said, meekly.

"It's okay." Arnold replied. "I have been wanting to talk to you."

Helga blinked, exhaling again, trying to focus on Arnold's words, as opposed to the fact that she was finally able to talk to him, as she hadn't in what felt like years. When Robbie handed her over to Arnold, the exchange happened so quickly, she barely had enough time to be flustered and giggly, as she expected.

"I guess you can say, that when you started dating Derek, I…I wasn't too happy." he admitted.

"Why?" Helga asked, bravely. She knew that she was treading into awkward and foreign territory, but, she also knew that if they kept dancing around each other, little or nothing would be accomplished, before the end of the evening.

"I…I didn't like the idea of someone meaning so much to you. I know that doesn't make sense; you have friends, tons of friends, and a family. But, for some reason…I'm not sure.

"I even thought, for a little while, that maybe you were dating him because you knew it would make me jealous. As a way to get back at me, for everything that went wrong this summer."

Helga tilted her head to the side, after Arnold began avoiding her gaze, more than likely ashamed of his assumption behind her motives for dating Derek. She decided against interrupting him, knowing that he was making progress without any help from her.

"But, as Phoebe said, you may not be the strongest moral influence in the world-"

"Phoebe said that?!" she asked, pretending o be offended.

"She also said that you'd never do that to anybody. Even if I deserved it."

"Really?"

"Well, not that last part. I did deserve it." he admitted.

Helga glanced down at her feet, momentarily. "Maybe, we could stop talking about Derek now." she said, looking back up, not bothering to hide the grin on her face.

"That sounds like a good idea." Arnold replied. "Before I forget, you look amazing. I mean it."

Helga's face contorted into an unreadable expression, consisting of bared teeth and a furrowed brow line. "Oh…thanks." she finally said.

"What's with that face?" Arnold asked, moving his head back to inspect her visage. "Are you…are you trying not to blush?" he joked.

"No!" Helga responded, louder than she meant to. "Who do you think I am, Lila, or something. You can't make me blush. I don't blush."

"Oh really? Is that so?" he said, removing his hand from hers, and bringing it just under her chin. "Because, there may be something I can do about that…"

Helga's free hand gently moved to his arm, as she tilted her face upward. The remainder of the room was forgotten, as she spoke. "By all means…"

The shock of Helga's life did not come from the feel of Arnold's lips on hers, because t was something she'd felt before. She was not shocked by the sight of his face approaching hers, because, she expected it.

What shocked her was the feedback from the microphone on stage, followed by the overly-chipper voice of her sister, that effectively broke her (and subsequently Arnold's) mood.

"Crimeny, Olga!" Helga shouted, interrupting whatever it was her older sister felt the need to say at the worst possible time. Standing still she realized her reaction, and that she was shouting it while gripping Arnold's arm rather roughly. Dropping her arm, rapidly, she glanced around at the shocked faces around her and chuckled nervously. "What…what a shame…the evening has to end. Thank you all for coming, drive safely." she said, excusing herself and walking out of the dining area and into the hall.

Unbeknownst to Helga, her table of friends exchanged glances at her outburst and split into two separate directions as soon as she exited the room.

"Helga, wait up!" Phoebe called out.

"Yeah, these shoes are not meant for running!" Lila said, trailing behind.

Helga eventually stopped, when she came to the glass double doors of the venue. The hallway was well lit, and a few relatives, with the intentions of leaving early were filtering into the area.

"What are you guys doing? And where did Gerald and Robbie go?" she asked.

"Arnold, explain." Gerald said, trying to look serious, and not steal glances at the freshly sliced chocolate cake with strawberry butter cream icing on the table near them. Right now, he had a friend to console.

"Explain what?" he asked, flicking crumbs off the tablecloth to his right. "How yet another opportunity got ruined?"

"At least, this time, it wasn't my fault." Robbie said, shoving his hands into his pockets. "But, of course, this isn't about me right now. It's about what was going on on the dance floor with you and…"

"Helga!" Phoebe said, loud enough to earn her the attention of a few onlookers. "You do not mean that!"

"Actually, I think I do. If every chance Arnold and I have keeps getting stepped on, I have to believe that it's not meant to be. If it was meant to be it would have happened. But it hasn't. And if it won't happen, then why try anymore? It won't, so I won't. See my logic?"

Lila curled her lip. "I'm not sure if that sentence structure is entirely correct."

"Look, Helga, I understand where you're coming from, but…"

"I don't get where you're coming from, Arnold."

Sighing, Arnold took a seat, not caring whether or not it belonged to someone. The party was winding down and so was he. "It's not a big deal. Things will actually be easier, once we just go back to being friends."

"You guys can never be friends again!" Lila said, dramatically.

"Why not?"

"Because there is way too much chemistry between you two for it to go back to being strictly platonic. Plus, it's torture for everyone around you. You can't give up now."

"Oh, yes I can." Helga said defiantly, standing up.

"Of course you can throw in the towel." Gerald said, "But do you really want to?"

"We're not saying you have to do anything, Helga..."

"Here's what you have to do, Arnold…"

"Just go find him…"

"Approach the situation with an open mind…"

"Don't panic…"

"And above all else…"

"And most of all…"

"Say exactly what you need to."

"And please be careful with that; it's a rental." Olga said, turning her back to her younger sister.

Helga sauntered off, wondering why someone would rent a giant metal drink fountain for a party, to fill it with water. In the darkness of the parking lot, she made her way to Olga's car and deposited the fountain in the back seat, and closed the door with her hip, too lazy to do it otherwise.

Turning around, she nearly drop kicked the person before her, until she figured out who it was.

"Holy crap, Arnoldo! I almost threw you over my shoulder! You're so quiet…" she said, holding her stomach.

"Over your shoulder?"

"Well, since you're taller than me, I'd probably have to go with the Osoto-Gari." she said, simply. "What? Seven years of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu…"

"Right." he said, removing his hands from the pockets of his suit pants. "We need to talk. For real, this time."

"Yeah, I know."

Rocking on her heels for a moment, Helga spoke up first. "I did date Derek to make you jealous."

"What?"

"I know Phoebe said I didn't, and she's great for thinking so highly of me but, I…that's why I did it." Helga said, hurriedly. "I mean, at first, I didn't. At first, I genuinely thought I found someone who was just nice to me, and thought I was great, and…I was trying to make you jealous. I guess you were right about me."

"Right about…"

"When you said that I was doing all of this for the attention. You were right; it's just how I am-"

Arnold grabbed her shoulders and commanded her attention. "No. That's not how you are. I said all of that because I was mad at you, and also pretty jealous. I know that guys are going to like you, because you're smart and amazing, and a little bit crazy, and I don't mind if you like a guy who really deserves your attention. And, granted, at the time, I didn't deserve it either, but Derek definitely didn't deserve it. I was…jealous."

Helga was feeling dizzy from Arnold's rapid speech, as well as what he happened to say to her. "So, what happens this time?"

"This time?"

"Yeah, this time." She repeated. "Last time, we kissed, and then you told me to call you, and then I did, and we'd go out with Phoebe and Gerald and everything was fine, and then school started, and everything went downhill from there."

"Well," Arnold said, loosening his grip on Helga's shoulders and bringing them to rest over her elbows. "My grandpa always says that if something doesn't work, you should try it again, only backwards."

"Okay…"

"So, since school has already started, that won't be a factor. And I think maybe this time, we should go out, without Phoebe and Gerald." he suggested.

"That sounds plausible." Helga said, looking away and resting a hand on the hood Olga's car behind her. She only fought the grin on her face for a few seconds before admitting defeat.

"What's so funny?"

Helga smiled wickedly. "You were jealous…" she sang, biting her bottom lip.

Rolling his eyes, he replied, "It doesn't matter; you were obviously jealous first. This all could have been avoided if you came and told me how you felt, right away."

"Au contraire, my football-headed friend, this all could have been avoided if…"

"If what?"

Helga paused, still smiling, only less devilishly, now. "If you'd gotten your own hotel room." The two laughed at her statement, but Arnold, who was still taller, despite Helga's uncomfortable heels, used her distraction to step forward and leave very little space between them.

"That's true…." he said, quietly. "But really, that wouldn't have been much fun for either of us…would it?" he asked, bringing his head down so that their noses were almost touching.

"I don't think so…" Helga whispered, her smile still in place, as Arnold's lips descended upon hers. Drawing him, close, she reacted to his warm hand on the small of her back, by placing one of her own on his strong jaw line.

The remaining guests entering their cars and exiting the parking area went unnoticed. The excited gasps of Phoebe, Gerald and Lila went undetected. Olga's frantic screaming; the only coherent words being that of a green dress and a rental fountain, were not even heard.

And the silent pacing of a figure, crouched by a dimly lit window, coupled with the nearly inaudible click of a camera was entirely hidden.

"Did you get it?"

"Of course I got it." Mike lamented, walking to his car, parked in the Employee Parking Lot of the Dining Hall, on the opposite side of the building as the Guest Parking Lot.

"I knew something would happen." Derek said, into the phone, pleased that he saw the inevitable before it happened, but unhappy that it occurred at all. "And you got the phone too?" he asked, eagerly.

"Yeah, I got it all. Calm down."

"Good. I'll see you tomorrow. Thanks" he finished, hanging up quickly.

Mike tossed his phone into the passenger seat, and turning on his vehicle. 'We'll see who gets the thanks…tomorrow.'

"Everything went perfectly. The caterers were on time, the photos looked wonderful, and there were no major slip ups at all…" Olga said, pausing in her efforts to fold tablecloths to clutch one to her chest and swoon at her progress. Helga made a simple comment on the flowers, which escalated to a forty-five minute conversation about how 'perfect' the evening was.

"I can't say enough how lovely tonight was…it is a shame, though. I wish that dress fit you a little better. Maybe I could have it taken in a bit, or tailored. It's such a shame it's so long, maybe we could have it trimmed…" she suggested, watching Helga from the corner of her eye, but frowning when she realized that her younger sister was not paying attention to her at all. "Are you listening to me, Helga?"

"Huh?" Helga asked, looking up from her stack of neatly folded tablecloths.

"I was just saying how amazing tonight was."

"Yeah." Helga remarked, smiling at her sibling. "It was pretty amazing."

A/N: What? Don't look at me like that…I told you to bring a snack…

Yay! I finished it! This chapter took forever to write…well actually almost a month. I changed the ending about four times. But, this one sits well with me, even if other parts of the chapter don't.

Okay, explanation time: The portion of this chapter, with Helga leaving and Phoebe and Lila talking ot her, while Gerald and Robbie talk to Arnold? Yeah, about that…don't be confused. I was trying to do that thing in the movies, where two conversations are going on in different places, but the people involved are discussing the same thing, and the 'camera' just pans from one conversation to another rapidly, without breaking pace. See what I mean? If you need a better example, check out the story 'Some Enchanted Evening', by BaldoneMpls, Chapter Six. It's a favorite story of mine. I will however warn you, that reading all nine chapters will make you hate him for not finishing it, and not updating since 2005. But, worry not, we're homies, I yelled at him about it, and it's all gravy.

Also, the song I used is "Make You Feel My Love" by Adele. It's SO beautiful. Listen to it, immediately. And the chapter was inspired by a MIchael Buble song entitled, "It Had Better Be Tonight", which you should also listen to.

Bye!!

-Pointy_O