A/N Merry Christmas everybody! I have a little gift for all of you in honor of the holiday, and am so glad I was able to get this chapter written and posted in time. I know not everyone celebrates Christmas, and that for some of us this can be a lonely time of year. So I'm going to put it out there like I have done in the past, and just say, that if anyone is feeling particularly down or alone this holiday season please, don't hesitate to drop me a PM. I'd be glad to respond and spend some time with you. We can spend the time discussing our favorite topic, Hey Arnold! Also, I'm only saying this because it's Disney and I don't want the Disney police to come knocking at my door. I own NO rights to anything Winnie the Pooh related! And now, please enjoy this very special chapter - - - -

As Time Goes By

Chapter 15

"You lost our child!"

Arnold gives her a sheepish look as they wait for the light to turn green. "Aw, come on, Helga. That happened over a month ago. When are you going to let it drop? Besides, I didn't LOSE him, he just –" Arnold pauses for a moment to think of the right phrasing. "Wandered off for a bit, that's all. It was really no big deal."

"Oh yeah? Well if it wasn't a big deal then why did you try to hide it?"

Arnold replies through an exasperated huff. "It was not my intention to keep anything from you. You know I would never do something like that."

Her voice raises an octave just as the light turns green. "Then why did I have to read about it on a rinky dink local news app? You should have let me know as soon as it happened."

"Why? So you could sit there and worry for no reason. You know that's not good for the baby. Besides, I would have told you right after putting Phillip down to finish his nap but I never got the chance. You were on me like ticks on a dog the minute I entered the family room. Please, like I've said over and over, I'm sorry."

Helga can't help but chuckle at his old fashioned terminology, which causes Arnold to look at her out of the corner of his eye and speak in a dry tone. "What's so funny?"

Unable to stay mad, she shakes her head. "You, that's what. Ticks on a dog. Who are you, your grandfather? That's a definite Phil-ism."

Relieved that the tension between them has finally been broken, he lets out with a chuckle of his own. "Heh, I guess I may have picked up a few of the old man's traits over the years."

He studies her face finally noticing the deep bags that sit under her eyes. "You look tired. Are you sure this last minute trip to Budnick's is necessary?"

Helga gives an immediate nod of her head. "Oh, yes, I'm very sure. I have been searching all over for that stupid deluxe Duke Galaxycruiser battle rocket, or ship, or whatever it's called. The second I heard Budnick's got a surprise shipment of them I called and they said they would hold one for me but only IF we got there before noon today, and I am not going to let this slip through our fingers. It's the only thing Phillip has asked Santa for this year."

"Well I could have gone to the store myself and picked it up while you stayed home to rest."

Helga adamantly shakes her head. "Oh no, there's no way I'd leave something this important up to you. Do you even know what the deluxe cruiser looks like?"

"Well, no, not really."

"Ha! See! It's just better if I go along."

Arnold's brow furrows in worry. "But really, Helga, you honestly don't look like you feel well at all."

Arnold's insistence is beginning to wear on Helga's nerves. "Okay, so what if I'm a little tired? It's Christmas Eve and there's still so much to do. I can rest on the 26th."

"I don't know, Helga, you really shouldn't be pushing yourself."

Helga gives Arnold a roll of her eyes. "Criminy. Okay, how does this sound? We leave Phillip where he is at Olga's house since we're going back over there tonight anyway to celebrate Christmas. As for now, we get the toy, bring it back to the boarding house, and while you wrap it, I will lay down and rest until the party tonight. Sound good?"

Arnold's not so sure, and shakes his head slowly as he talks. "I don't know. If you ask me, I think we should forget the party tonight, and celebrate Christmas Eve alone, just the three of us."

"No, we can't do that, Arnold, it's Christmas Eve, and my parents are looking forward to spending it with Phillip and seeing him all excited as he gets ready for Santa. I can't disappoint them."

They make it into Budnick's parking lot and Arnold rushes over to the passenger side of the car to help Helga out. He takes her by the hands and pulls her to her feet. "Honestly, Helga, sometimes you can be so stubborn."

She gives him a smirk as she waddles past him. "Heh, you can blame the Pataki in me for that one."

xxxxx

The store has turned out to be a bit more crowded than Helga had counted on, especially the toy department. It is obvious by the long line at the cash register that word had quickly spread through town in regards to this year's must-have toy, and she is grateful that Patty had just happened to be in the store when the shipment was being put out on the sales floor. She is also grateful that Patty had the foresight to call Helga to let her know.

Checking the time on her phone, she notices that it is getting precariously close to noon, and if she doesn't hurry, her hold on the space toy will be relinquished to the first person lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. Determined not to let that happen, she seeks out a haggard sales clerk and gives her her name and confirmation number. The woman disappears into a back storeroom for what feels like an eternity. Helga is just about ready to enter the back room herself when the clerk finally reappears with toy in hand. Helga takes the treasured item from the lady, thanking her profusely.

Turning back to the cashier area, she chooses what she considers to be the shortest line, and takes her place in the Que. By now her back is starting to really hurt, and she wonders if Arnold wasn't right, and if she really should have stayed home and let him try to handle it. Knowing that there's not much she can do about it now, she shifts her weight from one foot to the other, and waits as patiently as she can for her turn at the register.

A half an hour later it is finally her turn and she plops Phillip's toy down on the counter with a huff. "Criminy, that took forever."

The cashier gives her an unsympathetic look before picking up the item and scanning the bar code. There is a loud beep, which causes the cashier to roll his eyes as he replaces the scanner into its holder so he can begin to manually punch the skew numbers into the register. He grumbles the whole time he does this. "Happens every time someone brings one of these battle cruisers up to be scanned."

Helga gives him a concerned look. "Is there a problem with the toy? I can still buy it, right?"

The cashier's dull eyes barely look at her as he talks. "Yeah, everything's fine, it's just that they put these toys out on the shelves so fast they never got to putting the codes back into the system. So that's why I have to punch the numbers in by hand. It still rings up, it just takes a lot longer."

Relieved, Helga gives him an understanding nod of her head. "Oh, well, that's good."

Once the item has been successfully put into the register, the rest of the transaction goes off without a hitch and it isn't long before Helga is standing in the middle of the toy department looking for her husband.

She's about to call him on his cell phone when she catches him out of the corner of her eye. With a cluck of her tongue, she lets out a low "Criminy", as she heads over to where a model train is engaged in making an endless loop around a store Christmas tree. She waddles up to him and nudges his side in an effort to gain his attention. "Figures I'd find you here with the rest of the children, watching the model trains."

Arnold finally notices that she's standing next to him, and a slow blush rises to his cheeks. "Oh, hi Helga. Did everything go okay with Phillip's toy?"

She holds up the bag containing the toy battle cruiser. "Yep, we're good to go, so let's get on out of here, my back is killing me, and my stomach is feeling a little upset too. I think I really need to lay down."

Arnold gives her a chastising glare. "You see, I TOLD you this was going to be too much for you."

Helga gives him a dismissive wave of her hand as she begins to walk away. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Let's just get out of here before I collapse right here in the middle of the toy department."

Afraid of her offbeat comment coming true, Arnold follows her without argument, ready to assist her if needed."

Once in the car Helga is able to relax a bit as they slowly make their way back home. The traffic has become heavier as more and more people fill the roads, eager to get on with their holiday celebrations, and by the time they finally reach the boarding house she is practically asleep.

Finally reaching their driveway, Arnold remotely opens their garage door then gives Helga a gentle nudge in her side. "Hey, sleepyhead, we're home."

She shakes the haze off that had started to overcome her, and by the time she's gathered up her stuff, Arnold has made it to her side of the car, and helps her to her feet.

They enter the kitchen and Arnold heads for the fridge. "That took longer than I had expected, and now I'm starving. I think I'll fix a late lunch. Do you want anything?"

Not stopping, Helga makes her way through the kitchen while shaking her head. "No thanks, I'm too exhausted to eat. I think I'm going to go take a little nap. Can you make sure to use the special Santa paper when you wrap Phillip's toy, and not the stuff I've used to wrap everything else?"

It's not like Helga to say no to food, and Arnold shoots her a worried look as he watches her leave the kitchen. "Um, yeah, sure, no problem. Hey, are you sure you're okay?"

She waves him off as she leaves the kitchen. "Yes, Arnoldo, I'm sure. Don't let me sleep more than a few hours, I want to have time to shower before heading over to Olga's."

A leer comes over Arnold's face. "A shower huh? In your condition I might just have to join you. You know, just in case you need any help or anything."

"Or anything huh? Well, we'll just have to see what 'pops up'."

He chuckles to himself as he goes back to rummaging through the fridge, anxious for the next few hours to quickly pass by.

xxxxx

Helga switches her position for the tenth or twelfth time since falling asleep over two hours ago. Laying down has seemed to only make her back pain worse rather than better, and she has been fading in and out of various dreams. In this current one she finds herself walking through an open meadow, the mid-day sun shines unusually bright above her. Off in the distance is the small figure of a boy who looks to be no more than three years old. He is shirtless under a pair of faded bib overalls, and wears a worn straw hat. There's a familiarity about him, but she just can't seem to pinpoint exactly where it is she knows him from. He is barefoot and in a squat position, intently looking into what appears to be a small pond.

She approaches him cautiously, not wanting to startle him. She sees that he is holding tightly onto one end of a string. The other end disappears beneath the surface of the clear water. She looks down and sees what looks like a piece of hot dog tied to the submerged end of the string. She holds her breath as she watches a fat crawdad slowly approach the tempting treat. It tentatively reaches out one of its sharp claws, opening it to grab onto the tasty morsel. The boy is impatient though, and pulls up on the string before the crustacean has had a chance to take the bait. The motion of the hot dog being pulled through the water frightens the crawdad and sends it running for cover.

A small pout forms on the boy's face as he pulls the string up to check the bait. "Aw shucks." He says to no one in particular.

Helga sits on an old tree stump next to the disappointed boy and gives him some sage advice. "The trick to these things is all in the timing. You can't be in a rush, you have to slowly bide your time and let it get a nice firm grip on the bait before bringing it in."

The boy is quiet as he drops the piece of hot dog back into the water. Both he and Helga patiently wait to see if the crawdad will come out of hiding, or if it has been scared off for good. They see movement in the thick vegetation that covers the floor of the pond, a bit of the creature's red shell standing out against the green bottom.

Helga becomes lost in the surreal atmosphere that engulfs her, and gives a startled jump when the boy finally speaks up. "She's going to be okay you know."

Helga gives him a quizzical look. "Who's going to be okay?"

The boy looks directly into her eyes for the first time, and she feels as if she should know this child, but can't quite put her finger on why. He drops his eyes and nods towards her stomach. "She is."

Helga's eyes open wide in shock and her hands move to protectively hold onto her belly. "How – how do you know it's a girl?"

The boy shrugs and goes back to watching his bait. "Because, GG told me. She said that you shouldn't worry because everything will be okay."

The situation begins to confuse Helga. She feels as if she should be wary of this strange boy, but for some reason she finds herself feeling the complete opposite. There is something strangely comforting about the child, as if he is a kindred spirit. She thinks about the name GG and wonders to herself, "could it be?" She shakes the idea from her head, laughing at herself for even thinking such a thing.

She opens her mouth to ask the boy a question when a familiar voice can be heard coming from off in the distance. It is the voice of an old woman that reminds Helga of Arnold's grandma Gertie. It calls out to the boy, and Helga sits up in shock when she hears the name Aaron.

She looks at the boy with wide eyes, but before she can say anything he is up and running towards the sound of the voice. "Uh oh, that's my grandma. I was supposed to come straight home without stopping. I gotta go."

Helga tries to get up but her growing stomach makes it difficult for her to quickly get to her feet. She calls for the boy but it is too late. It is as if he has just disappeared from sight. After one more try she is finally able to stand and she turns in a small circle, taking in her surroundings. She tries to remember which direction she had come from when she first came across the boy but has become turned around. Not knowing what else to do, she calls out for Arnold, hoping he is within earshot, and can come to her rescue.

She starts walking when she is suddenly hit with a sharp, stabbing pain in her back. It knocks the wind out of her and she arches her back. She takes a few more steps when a second jolt rushes through her. Unable to go any further, she screams out for her husband one last time "ARRRRNOLLLLLDDDD!"

xxxxx

Arnold sits in his favorite reclining chair and uses the TV remote to mindlessly flip through the 500 or so stations that are available to them. He stops when he sees a familiar face from the past looking back at him from the screen. He leans forward a bit and gives a closer look, verifying that he is really seeing what he is seeing. There in bright HD color stands a very serious Ms. Slovak from his old PS 118 days. She is concentrating on sinking a crucial putt that will award her ultimate victory if she is successful. He holds his breath and watches the small white ball roll lazily to the 18th hole where it stops for the briefest of moments before dropping inside. He gives a small cheer for his old teacher, happy over her success in living out her lifelong dream of becoming a professional golfer. When the news coverage switches to a commercial, he takes the time to check the clock to see if it's time to wake Helga up. He's about to go back to flipping through the channels when he hears his name being bellowed from upstairs. Quickly bringing his chair to an upright position, he rushes up the stairs and into their bedroom to find his wife sitting upright in their bed, the dream she had been having is immediately forgotten upon waking.

He runs over to her and takes a seat next to her. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he turns her to face him. "Helga! What's wrong, are you alright?"

She looks at him, the frantic look on her face scares him a bit. She speaks to him through sharp breaths. "The baby – it's – coming!"

Their daughter isn't due to arrive for another few weeks, and he gives her a confused look. "What, are you sure? She can't be. You're not due for another three weeks."

Helga grabs him by his shirt collar and glares into his eyes. "This is my third child, Football Head. Don't you think I'd know when I'm in labor or not?"

Arnold takes her hands and gently removes them from his shirt. He holds them in her lap and talks as calmly as he can. "Okay, you're right. You should know if you're actually in labor or not. Let's just calm down, and start timing the contractions."

Another wave of pain hits Helga and she yells out. "AHHHHH, trust me, Arnold, there's no time to wait. This baby is coming and she's not going to wait. You need to get me to the hospital NOW!"

Helga is starting to scare Arnold, and he begins to become agitated himself. "All right, if you say she's coming then I will get you to the hospital. Just let me throw a few things into a bag for you and –"

He's cut off by Helga. "No, there's no time to pack a stupid bag. What are you not getting Arnoldo? You – need – to – get – me - to – the – damn – hospital – NOW!"

She lets out with another scream when another contraction hits her. The sound of her voice finally prompts Arnold into action, and he takes her by the hand and gently leads her down the stairs and out the back door to the Packard.

They get in the car and head for the hospital. The city streets are even more congested than they were before, and they find themselves hitting every red light. Helga shakes her head at Arnold. "No, this isn't going to work. We need to get off these streets and onto the freeway or we're never going to make it to the hospital."

Thinking that Helga is right, Arnold heads for the freeway, but their hopes of a quick get-away are dashed when they run into even heavier holiday traffic. Stuck now between a rock and a hard place, all they can do is hope that Helga can hold off having this baby until they get to the hospital. Arnold begins to have his doubts when Helga lets out with another shout. "Ahhh, here comes another contraction, and it's a strong one!"

She puts her Lamaze training into good use, breathing out in little huffs while Arnold looks at her with worry. "This shouldn't be happening. You're not due for another three weeks. I hope there's nothing wrong."

The contraction begins to subside and Helga leans back in her seat to rest. "I'm sure she's fine, she's just decided to come a little early is all."

"How can you be so sure? Three weeks is more than a 'little' early."

Helga stares off into the distance through the dashboard window while trying to explain her feelings to Arnold. "I don't know how I know, I just do. I just have this feeling that everything is going to be okay." Another contraction begins to build. "If we can ever make it to the damn hospital that is!"

While Helga concentrates on keeping her breathing at an even pace, the car suddenly gives a small lurch. There's a knocking coming from the engine and the old Packard begins to slow down. Arnold glances at the dashboard while he glides over to the side of the freeway. "Uh oh." He softly says while making sure that they are a safe distance from the moving traffic. Helga picks up on his words and looks at him in panic.

"Uh oh what? What's wrong, why are you pulling over to the side?"

Arnold is petrified to have to tell Helga what the problem is. "Now, Helga, promise me you'll do your best to stay calm."

She shouts at the top of her lungs. "Stay calm! How do you expect me to stay calm when I'm pulled over on the freeway while about to have a baby? Tell me what's wrong!"

"Well, now, it's not entirely my fault."

"Spill it, Arnoldo! NOW!"

"Now I had every intention of getting gas earlier today, but then you got that call from Patty about Phillip's toy."

Helga's eyes glow red as she glares at her husband. "Oh, no, don't you dare try to tell me that you forgot to put gas in the car!"

"Like I said, I had every intention – "

His words are cut off when a much stronger contraction hits Helga. She speaks to him through short breaths. We – will – talk – about – this – later. Right now – I – need to – get – into the – back – seat – because this baby – is coming – NOW!"

She throws open the passenger side door. "Help me into the back!"

"But you can't have our baby in the Packard."

"Oh yeah, well you try telling that to her."

Arnold carefully opens his car door and runs around the front end to help Helga out. Pulling her out of the front seat, he leans her up against the car as he runs to the trunk to pull out a blanket that is kept there for spur of the moment stops at the park. He spreads it out covering the back seat just as Helga's water breaks.

"Ahh, Arnold, hurry up. We don't have much time!"

He helps her into the back seat where she immediately shimmies out of the clothing that covers the lower half of her body. He stands in the doorway, without a clue as to what to do next. "What should I do?"

She grasps the edge of the seat when another contraction hits her. "Call 9-1-1, doi! Tell them It's an emergency, that I'm about to give birth!"

"Oh, of course, 9-1-1. I should have thought of that."

Helga rolls her eyes at Arnold's statement, and does her best to rest before the next contraction hits. By the time Arnold is off the phone she is bracing herself for another contraction. "Oh, no, this isn't good!"

Arnold is frantic with worry now. "What, what isn't good?"

"My body is ready to start pushing, it wants to start pushing this baby out."

Arnold shakes his head. "Nooooo-no-no-no-no-no! You can't start pushing, you have to wait until the paramedics get here."

"I can't wait, Arnoldo, she's coming and there's nothing we can do about it!"

"No, no, I – I don't know what to do! What do I do?"

"Nothing, just be ready to catch her when she comes out, criminy! And find something to wrap her up in, it's cold out here."

He goes back to the trunk and looks around for another blanket but doesn't find anything. His search is cut short when Helga starts screaming again. "Arnoldo, where are you! She's coming!"

It saddens him, but he is left with no other choice but to take off his new jacket that he bought when he and Phillip took their trip to see Big Boy. He looks at the embroidered train that adorns the back and heaves a forlorn sigh. Walking back to the open car door, he peeks in to see Helga sitting with her back against the opposite side of the car, legs sprawled out spread eagle in front of him. His heart skips a beat when there, right between her legs, the top of his daughter's head starts to push out. Helga's contraction lessens and their daughter disappears back into the warmth of her mother and it takes every bit of strength Arnold has to not pass out right there on the spot.

Less than one minute goes by when the urge to push comes over Helga once again. She closes her eyes as she bares down and talks through clenched teeth. "Get ready, Arnoldo, it's time to start pushing again."

Arnold is ready this time, and he moves closer to his wife, positioning himself between her legs, ready to receive their daughter. Helga's face turns red and her body quivers as she bares down with all her might. Their daughter's head begins to reemerge once again, this time popping out just a bit further before retreating back inside at the end of the contraction.

Arnold watches his daughter disappear for a second time and looks at Helga. "How many times is this going to happen before she finally comes all the way out?"

Helga lays back with her eyes closed, her body limp with exhaustion. "How should I know, I'm not a doctor." There's a moment of silence before Helga speaks up again. "And where are those damn paramedics anyway?"

Arnold turns to look at the passing traffic. "You saw how crowded the streets were, it's probably taking them extra time to make it to the freeway."

Helga is about to let out with a complaint when the next contraction hits. "Ohhhhh, Arnold, here it goes!" She bares down once again while slowly counting to ten, something that she remembers doing during her other two deliveries. Her efforts push their baby's head even further out than before.

This time when the contractions stop the baby does not retreat back in and Arnold stares as their baby's partially exposed head sits stuck in Helga's opening as if she were Pooh Bear stuck in Rabbit's doorway. "She seems to be stuck, Helga. What do I do?"

Another contraction is already beginning to start and Helga yells through clenched teeth, "just help guide her head. But don't pull! Let her come out on her own!"

Arnold listens to his wife and gently places a hand on his daughter's head as she pushes out a little further. After another two pushes she is down to her shoulders and Arnold urges Helga on for one last push. "Come on, Helga, you're almost there! I'm sure that just one more push will do it!"

Helga lays back panting. "I can't. I'm exhausted, I have no more strength."

Arnold is adamant. "Yes you can, you can DO this, Helga, I know you can."

By now they finally begin to hear sirens off in the distance. Relieved, Arnold goes back to urging Helga on. "Come on, Helga, try again. One last big push and I bet you'll have her out before the paramedics reach us. Come on!"

She looks into her husband's eyes and finds her strength. With a nod of her head she lets out with a primal yell and she pushes with all her might. Slowly their baby starts to move forward and Arnold winces at the sound of Helga's ripping flesh as the widest part of their baby forces its way out of its mother. Once the shoulders are free Arnold grabs onto his child as the rest of the body glides effortlessly out, followed by a gush of fluids, a sight that Arnold could have gone without seeing.

Their daughter lets out a Pataki yell as Arnold holds her while she's wrapped securely in his jacket. Helga smiles at the sound of their daughter's cries and calls out for her baby. "Let me have her."

With a tear in his eye, Arnold hands the child over to her mother where Helga's natural instincts take over and she offers her breast to her baby. It takes a moment for her to realize what's going on, but once she has it figured it out, the child is quick to latch on.

A minute later the paramedics arrive at the scene. They approach the car and peek into the back seat where they see an exhausted mother and father, and one very healthy, baby girl. Arnold places a kiss to the top of Helga's head and gets out of the car so the paramedics can take over and do their job. He takes the opportunity to give, first the Pataki's, and then Gerald and Phoebe a call to tell them what has happened. Arrangements are made for the shocked family and friends to meet the new parents at Hillwood General Hospital where they can meet the newest addition to the Shortman family.

Once mother and daughter are loaded into the back of the ambulance, Arnold hops in to sit next to his wife. Helga gives him a concerned look and says in an exhausted voice. "What about the car? You can't just leave it there.

"Don't worry about it. Phoebe is taking Gerald to get some gas, then she's dropping him off at the car. He's going to take it to the hospital for me so I have it when I need it.

"But how's he going to drive it without a key?"

"Honestly, Helga, I would think you'd have more on your mind right now than the car. Just trust me, I've got it handled. I've hidden the key in a place no one will find it, and left one of the back doors unlocked. Now enough about the car. You just rest up."

Too exhausted at the moment to care what happens to the old car, she lays back and closes her eyes. "Okay, whatever you say, Arnoldo."

She's asleep before Arnold can reply, and he looks down at her, and can't remember a time when she's looked more beautiful to him then she does right now.

xxxxx

Bob paces the hospital's maternity wing waiting area, while Miriam entertains Phillip with a Thomas video that she has brought up on her phone. It's been an hour since Helga and Arnold arrived at the hospital, and Bob is beginning to lose his patience. "Criminy, what's taking them so long? Phillip will be graduating college by the time the doctor lets us in to see them."

Olga gets up from where she was sitting next to Samuel, and walks over to her father. She places a calming hand on his shoulder. "Oh Daddy, stop exaggerating. You know they have to check over both mother and daughter to make sure everything is okay."

Bob is not so easily calmed. "Oh yeah? Well what about that husband of hers? He can't take the time to come out and tell us what's going on?"

Miriam looks up from her phone screen and shakes her head at her husband. "Now, B, right now Arnold's place is by his wife's side."

Bob sits down with a grumble. "Yeah, well, someone better start telling us something soon or I'll – "

His words are cut off when Phoebe and Gerald come walking into the waiting area. Phoebe looks at the small gathering, giving them a hopeful smile. "Merry Christmas everyone. So, has anyone heard from the new parents yet?"

Bob starts to open his mouth when Arnold finally enters the waiting area. He brings up a hand and starts rubbing the back of his neck, a look of exhaustion covering his face. "Hey everyone. Sorry for the long wait."

Hearing his father's voice, Phillip jumps off his grandmother's lap and runs to his dad. "Daddee! I misseded you!"

Arnold scoops the boy into his arms and hugs him tight. "I missed you too, Phillip."

Phillip gives Arnold an eager look. "Where's Mommee? I misses her too."

Arnold places the boy on the ground and gets down on one knee. "Well, Phillip, right now your mommy is in her room with the newest member to our family. Would you like to come meet your new sister?"

Phillip rapidly nods his head. "Oh, boy, I has a sister! Yes, Daddee, I wants to see both her and Mommee!"

Arnold stands up and greets the rest of their guests with a round of handshakes and hugs. Once all the congratulations are done he leads them to Helga's room. He stops just outside the door and turns to his family and friends. "I just want you to know, Helga went through quite an ordeal delivering this baby on the side of the road with no medical help. She's an amazing woman, but it really took a lot out of her, so please understand when we ask that you keep this first visit short."

Bob opens his mouth to give Arnold a snarky reply but is cut off when Miriam pushes past him. "Of course we understand. Don't we, B?"

Bob grumbles a low, "Yeah, yeah, we get it." Before following his wife into the room.

Once they enter the room Phillip breaks free of the pack and runs up to his mother, jumping into her bed. "Mommee! I misseded you! Are you okay, Mommee?"

Helga wraps her free arm around her son and pulls him close. "Yes my sweet, sweet boy. Your mommy is just fine. Would you like to meet your new sister?"

Phillip nods his head as he looks at the small, pink bundle that lays sleeping in his mother's arms. Helga looks from her son to the rest of the people in the room. Okay then, everyone, Arnold and I are very proud to introduce to you our daughter, Joyce (Joy) – Noel – Shortman."

A/N I know, I know, you were probably hoping to get to see Phillip and all his cuteness come rushing downstairs on Christmas morning, eager to see what Santa has brought him. Yes, I would have liked to have seen that too, but sometimes life has different plans, like having your baby come three weeks before your due date! All I can say is, that's a Pataki for you, always doing things in their own time. Don't worry, though, Phillip will still get his Christmas. Just not in the way everybody planned. I also know that I gave Joy the masculine spelling for the name Noel, instead of the feminine Noelle, and I did that, obviously, because of her being born on Christmas Eve. (You know, like On the First "Noel")But she is named "Joy" because of all the joy her birth has brought to them.

On a second note, I want to thank my friend Metal for allowing me to use his brilliant idea of having Arnold stumble across their old teacher, Ms. Slovak, on TV. I was already having him mindlessly skimming through the channels and the Ms. Slovak bit just fit in so perfectly. Thanks, Metal, that idea was genius.