AN:
HI!! HAPPY HOLIDAYS, everyone!!!!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
HAPPY DIWALI!!
HAPPY HANUKKAH!!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS, TO any I might have missed
Now, since I'm being cool *snickers are heard* and am adding this chappie very quickly, (ON THE SAME DAY, YAY!!!) I have no reviews!!!!
That is my excuse to keep myself happy. Don't tear that away from me.
Heehee, I'm so crazy! HAVE A NICE HOLIDAY, PEOPLE, AND HAVE FFFUUUUUUUNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :DDDDD
Now, the story!
~*~
Fortune and Fame
Helga slowly stood up and shook her head groggily. Her ribs ached like crazy, and her head was spinning. She couldn't stay in this house a moment longer. Helga languidly stood up, and stalked determinedly to her room. Once there, she grabbed her coat and pushed open her window. Ran was pouring down in waves. Great. This was just what she didn't need.
Helga hesitated briefly on her windowsill, one foot out and one in. Should she leave? Nora would probably make her clean the entire house five times, and the weather was pretty forbidding. Helga glanced outside again. The rain veiled everything with a shimmering haze, and Helga could vaguely make out the incandescent light bulbs shining from the street lamps outside. The wind buffeted her face and Helga felt raindrops splatter onto her face.
Slipping her coat on, Helga looked at the ground below. There was a metal pipe right beside her window, which she could pull herself down on. In one lithe leap Helga threw herself off the ledge and held onto the pipe for dear life. She glanced down and a wave of dizziness hit her. The pipe groaned on its bindings and Helga hurried down. Her heart was beating fast, and her hands slipped frequently on the cold metal, dangerously slippery from the rain.
The penetrating claws of wind blew and tugged at her clothes and hair, and Helga cursed herself at her stupidity, and closed her eyes. She was going to die, she was going to die, and the phrase kept repeating itself in her head until Helga's feet touched the ground. Her limbs were shaking from exertion and her heart felt like it was going to stop. Helga heaved a sigh of relief. Even though she had done this a thousand times, the heights still scared her to death.
Helga cupped her frostbitten hands in front of her mouth, and started blowing at them to stay warm. She started walking in any direction, not really sure where she was going. After her hands were moderately warm, Helga stuffed them back in her pockets, and looked around. The streets were bustling with late night activity, peoples faces swathed in the ethereal light of the yellow streetlamps.
Her eyes wandered around the various shops still open, and her mouth watered. She hadn't eaten in a few days, as Nora had forgotten to give her any sustenance. Lost in her own world, Helga wasn't looking where she was going, and suddenly heard the loud blaring of a horn, and two large headlights bearing down on her. She felt like a dear caught in the headlights, and was too shocked to move.
She was going to die. Helga's life flashed before her eyes, and images of her old neighborhood friends flitted around in her head. The headlights were getting closer. Any moment now they were going to collide. Helga closed her eyes and waited for the impact. What she felt was totally different.
Two strong hands encircled her waist, and Helga felt herself pushed out of the way. This was vaguely familiar...
The cement sidewalk contacted her arm and Helga withdrew her breath in pain. There was a distinct crack of bone. Her knees then scraped against the stone, and suddenly Helga was pressed to the ground as a heavy weight fell on top of her. Her breathing came faster and her eyesight was getting fuzzy.
She heard gasping behind her ears, and felt the person quickly roll off of her, and gently tip her to the side. Her eyes slowly fluttered shut. Her body just felt too heavy...sleep...sleep would be good.
"Are you oka-" Arnold's voice lodged at his throat when he realized who it was. "Oh god, Cecile, can you hear me? You'll be okay, don't worry." Helga's eyes briefly fluttered open and saw the vague shape of a flaxen haired angel. She smiled slightly, and with her ebbing strength, gently touched his cheek.
Arnold was frantic, and he held on to the hand at his face. Quickly turning it over, he checked for a pulse. She was alive. His training flew out the window, and he suddenly wasn't sure what to do. All he knew was that he couldn't move her sharply, as her neck might be broken. He flailed his arms around wildly until he calmed himself sufficiently to find his voice.
"Somebody call an ambulance!" He shouted, as the driver of the van pulled up beside the curb. A woman ran out, clad in a dark blue sweater and a black skirt. She couldn't be more than thirty.
"Is she alright?" The woman asked worriedly. Arnold turned his gaze back on Helga. He indistinctly heard the woman call for an ambulance on her cell phone.
"Fine, she's going to be fine." Arnold assured, more to himself that the woman. His heart was beating rapidly for some unknown reason. He didn't know why he cared so much, but he did. Bruises were beginning to form on her face and arm, and blood trickled from a cut at her head. His own arm was also bleeding. He had partially broken her fall with it.
Suddenly his attention was diverted to her hand that he still held in his own. Her skin was so soft, so familiar. Arnold stared intently at her face, her eyes fluttering slightly. She looked so peaceful, and Arnold was strangely drawn to her. With one hand he gently touched her chin. Her hair was plastered to her face from the rain, but Arnold had never thought anyone looked prettier.
"You'll be alright, Cecile, don't worry. Just hang in there. Hang in there."
In the distance the ambulance sirens blared.
~*~
Arnold paced up and down the hallways of the hospital. Something had compelled him to stay and keep Cecile company; he would've felt guilty leaving. His clothes were muddy and encrusted with filth, but he didn't care at all.
Cecile better be all right.
He was new to the business, so he couldn't really trust his own diagnosis. The arm on his left was bandaged tightly, and Arnold scowled at it in his worried state.
He continued walking-or stalking, is the correct word.
It wasn't until a nurse hurrying with a cart of supplies had almost flattened him to the ground that Arnold settled himself to sitting outside the operating room in a chair he had dragged there.
What was taking so long? Arnold fidgeted, and tapped anxiously on his bandage. In reality it had only been fifteen minutes, but it felt like an eternity to the young man. His heels made a clicking noise that echoed up and down the hallways, but Arnold hadn't noticed. All his attention was sorely centered on the hospital door in front of him.
Try though he might, Arnold couldn't shake off a sense of déjà vu. There was something about this whole situation, about being in the hospital...
Arnold suddenly looked up as the door opened, and was immediately charging through the door to see Cecile. He ran to her bedside and without a second thought, gently held her hand in his. It felt right somehow.
She looked so peaceful sleeping. All her cuts were bandaged, and her arm was in a cast. Arnold had to work extremely hard to repress his free hand from brushing the hair away from her face.
A thought suddenly struck him. Would Helga be in danger by associating with him? Antonio wanted the information for the case by Friday, but his cover might be blown. If it was, anybody related to him would be in danger. Should he stay?
He rubbed his eyes. There was too much to think about. Suddenly Helga moved, and Arnold attention was diverted. Helga's eyes slowly fluttered open, and widened slightly when she saw Arnold at her side. Her blue eyes shyly noticed her hand in his, and flickered back up to stare at his face. Arnold grinned at her; he couldn't hold it back.
Helga then noticed her cast arm. She eyes gently traced the white bandages around her arm. Her cerulean orbs fastened themselves on Arnold's emerald ones questioningly. Arnold swallowed. The look of trust she gave him made it hard to breathe. Her eyes were so intense, so...real, unlike any of the girls he had met during his cover as a multi millionaire.
"Shh...don't worry, you'll be fine," Helga felt reassured by the warm smile gracing Arnold's lips. "You weren't hit by the truck." Helga's eyes flickered in confusion fro a second, until memories started replaying in her mind. The lights, the hands at her waist, being pushed out of the way...
Helga glanced sincerely at Arnold.
"Thanks." She said softly, until Arnold wasn't even sure she said it. He patted her hand in comfort. They lapsed into an uncomfortable silence.
Helga was finding it hard to think. The mere presence of Arnold by her side and holding her hand made her swoon. She was grateful. If circumstances had been different, she would've hugged him. Instead, she settled for staring at him with a goofy grin plastered on her face.
She must've looked dazed, because Arnold suddenly stood up apologetically.
"You have to sleep, and get better! You're probably so tired! I'm so stupid for taking up your time like this. Excuse me." He replaced her hand on top of her blanket, and headed for the door.
"Wait." Arnold looked back at Helga, and tilted his head sideways slightly.
"Yes?" he asked softly.
"When...when will I see you again?" She finished quickly, a small unnoticeable blush creeping on her cheeks. Arnold grinned at her.
"Tomorrow. I'll drop by to check up on you." Helga didn't answer, but turned her head away from him to hide the goofy smile that had sprouted on her features again.
"Bye Arnold."
"See ya."
~*~
Arnold began walking past the hospital hallways, when a nurse stopped him.
"Do you know the girl in room 2304?" Arnold nodded slightly.
"We're friends." He answered. The nurse sighed in relief.
"Well that's great. What's her name again?" The nurse took out a clipboard.
"Cecile." Arnold answered helpfully.
"Cecile...?" That was when Arnold realized he didn't even know her last name.
"Uh..." he answered in consternation. The nurse looked up at him, and smiled.
"Don't worry about it dear, your information's good enough." She answered, patting his cheek in a mother like fashion. Arnold smiled slightly at her and was about to leave when the nurse turned around and tapped his shoulder lightly.
"Could you be a dear, and return this to her? I'm so busy. It fell out of her clothes when we brought her here." The nurse, (who was named Nancy as Arnold had read her name tag) gave Arnold a small heart shaped locket. " Thanks a lot, dear." She called behind as she left.
Arnold caught a glimpse of the picture in the locket and his mouth dropped.
He staggered back against the wall and leaned on it for support.
The picture was of a small child.
He had a football shaped head, and cornflower hair.
It was him.
It was Arnold.
~*~
AN: I'm not sure if some of the things in the hospital scene make sense, cuz I'm not a doctor, or a nurse...so sollie!! (interesting tidbit: my sis is in med school and training to become an emergency doc, tho!)
HEEHEee, I LUV braggin' about my sistas!!1 zey are just so cool, tho I betta buy them presents tmrw...hehe.
REVIEW, PPL, and have a SAFE and FUN holiday!!!
Ooh, always wanted to say that, then laugh at the weirdness...hehe...yeah.
-dkc
:DDDDDDDD
Now, since I'm being cool *snickers are heard* and am adding this chappie very quickly, (ON THE SAME DAY, YAY!!!) I have no reviews!!!!
That is my excuse to keep myself happy. Don't tear that away from me.
Heehee, I'm so crazy! HAVE A NICE HOLIDAY, PEOPLE, AND HAVE FFFUUUUUUUNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :DDDDD
Now, the story!
~*~
Fortune and Fame
Helga slowly stood up and shook her head groggily. Her ribs ached like crazy, and her head was spinning. She couldn't stay in this house a moment longer. Helga languidly stood up, and stalked determinedly to her room. Once there, she grabbed her coat and pushed open her window. Ran was pouring down in waves. Great. This was just what she didn't need.
Helga hesitated briefly on her windowsill, one foot out and one in. Should she leave? Nora would probably make her clean the entire house five times, and the weather was pretty forbidding. Helga glanced outside again. The rain veiled everything with a shimmering haze, and Helga could vaguely make out the incandescent light bulbs shining from the street lamps outside. The wind buffeted her face and Helga felt raindrops splatter onto her face.
Slipping her coat on, Helga looked at the ground below. There was a metal pipe right beside her window, which she could pull herself down on. In one lithe leap Helga threw herself off the ledge and held onto the pipe for dear life. She glanced down and a wave of dizziness hit her. The pipe groaned on its bindings and Helga hurried down. Her heart was beating fast, and her hands slipped frequently on the cold metal, dangerously slippery from the rain.
The penetrating claws of wind blew and tugged at her clothes and hair, and Helga cursed herself at her stupidity, and closed her eyes. She was going to die, she was going to die, and the phrase kept repeating itself in her head until Helga's feet touched the ground. Her limbs were shaking from exertion and her heart felt like it was going to stop. Helga heaved a sigh of relief. Even though she had done this a thousand times, the heights still scared her to death.
Helga cupped her frostbitten hands in front of her mouth, and started blowing at them to stay warm. She started walking in any direction, not really sure where she was going. After her hands were moderately warm, Helga stuffed them back in her pockets, and looked around. The streets were bustling with late night activity, peoples faces swathed in the ethereal light of the yellow streetlamps.
Her eyes wandered around the various shops still open, and her mouth watered. She hadn't eaten in a few days, as Nora had forgotten to give her any sustenance. Lost in her own world, Helga wasn't looking where she was going, and suddenly heard the loud blaring of a horn, and two large headlights bearing down on her. She felt like a dear caught in the headlights, and was too shocked to move.
She was going to die. Helga's life flashed before her eyes, and images of her old neighborhood friends flitted around in her head. The headlights were getting closer. Any moment now they were going to collide. Helga closed her eyes and waited for the impact. What she felt was totally different.
Two strong hands encircled her waist, and Helga felt herself pushed out of the way. This was vaguely familiar...
The cement sidewalk contacted her arm and Helga withdrew her breath in pain. There was a distinct crack of bone. Her knees then scraped against the stone, and suddenly Helga was pressed to the ground as a heavy weight fell on top of her. Her breathing came faster and her eyesight was getting fuzzy.
She heard gasping behind her ears, and felt the person quickly roll off of her, and gently tip her to the side. Her eyes slowly fluttered shut. Her body just felt too heavy...sleep...sleep would be good.
"Are you oka-" Arnold's voice lodged at his throat when he realized who it was. "Oh god, Cecile, can you hear me? You'll be okay, don't worry." Helga's eyes briefly fluttered open and saw the vague shape of a flaxen haired angel. She smiled slightly, and with her ebbing strength, gently touched his cheek.
Arnold was frantic, and he held on to the hand at his face. Quickly turning it over, he checked for a pulse. She was alive. His training flew out the window, and he suddenly wasn't sure what to do. All he knew was that he couldn't move her sharply, as her neck might be broken. He flailed his arms around wildly until he calmed himself sufficiently to find his voice.
"Somebody call an ambulance!" He shouted, as the driver of the van pulled up beside the curb. A woman ran out, clad in a dark blue sweater and a black skirt. She couldn't be more than thirty.
"Is she alright?" The woman asked worriedly. Arnold turned his gaze back on Helga. He indistinctly heard the woman call for an ambulance on her cell phone.
"Fine, she's going to be fine." Arnold assured, more to himself that the woman. His heart was beating rapidly for some unknown reason. He didn't know why he cared so much, but he did. Bruises were beginning to form on her face and arm, and blood trickled from a cut at her head. His own arm was also bleeding. He had partially broken her fall with it.
Suddenly his attention was diverted to her hand that he still held in his own. Her skin was so soft, so familiar. Arnold stared intently at her face, her eyes fluttering slightly. She looked so peaceful, and Arnold was strangely drawn to her. With one hand he gently touched her chin. Her hair was plastered to her face from the rain, but Arnold had never thought anyone looked prettier.
"You'll be alright, Cecile, don't worry. Just hang in there. Hang in there."
In the distance the ambulance sirens blared.
~*~
Arnold paced up and down the hallways of the hospital. Something had compelled him to stay and keep Cecile company; he would've felt guilty leaving. His clothes were muddy and encrusted with filth, but he didn't care at all.
Cecile better be all right.
He was new to the business, so he couldn't really trust his own diagnosis. The arm on his left was bandaged tightly, and Arnold scowled at it in his worried state.
He continued walking-or stalking, is the correct word.
It wasn't until a nurse hurrying with a cart of supplies had almost flattened him to the ground that Arnold settled himself to sitting outside the operating room in a chair he had dragged there.
What was taking so long? Arnold fidgeted, and tapped anxiously on his bandage. In reality it had only been fifteen minutes, but it felt like an eternity to the young man. His heels made a clicking noise that echoed up and down the hallways, but Arnold hadn't noticed. All his attention was sorely centered on the hospital door in front of him.
Try though he might, Arnold couldn't shake off a sense of déjà vu. There was something about this whole situation, about being in the hospital...
Arnold suddenly looked up as the door opened, and was immediately charging through the door to see Cecile. He ran to her bedside and without a second thought, gently held her hand in his. It felt right somehow.
She looked so peaceful sleeping. All her cuts were bandaged, and her arm was in a cast. Arnold had to work extremely hard to repress his free hand from brushing the hair away from her face.
A thought suddenly struck him. Would Helga be in danger by associating with him? Antonio wanted the information for the case by Friday, but his cover might be blown. If it was, anybody related to him would be in danger. Should he stay?
He rubbed his eyes. There was too much to think about. Suddenly Helga moved, and Arnold attention was diverted. Helga's eyes slowly fluttered open, and widened slightly when she saw Arnold at her side. Her blue eyes shyly noticed her hand in his, and flickered back up to stare at his face. Arnold grinned at her; he couldn't hold it back.
Helga then noticed her cast arm. She eyes gently traced the white bandages around her arm. Her cerulean orbs fastened themselves on Arnold's emerald ones questioningly. Arnold swallowed. The look of trust she gave him made it hard to breathe. Her eyes were so intense, so...real, unlike any of the girls he had met during his cover as a multi millionaire.
"Shh...don't worry, you'll be fine," Helga felt reassured by the warm smile gracing Arnold's lips. "You weren't hit by the truck." Helga's eyes flickered in confusion fro a second, until memories started replaying in her mind. The lights, the hands at her waist, being pushed out of the way...
Helga glanced sincerely at Arnold.
"Thanks." She said softly, until Arnold wasn't even sure she said it. He patted her hand in comfort. They lapsed into an uncomfortable silence.
Helga was finding it hard to think. The mere presence of Arnold by her side and holding her hand made her swoon. She was grateful. If circumstances had been different, she would've hugged him. Instead, she settled for staring at him with a goofy grin plastered on her face.
She must've looked dazed, because Arnold suddenly stood up apologetically.
"You have to sleep, and get better! You're probably so tired! I'm so stupid for taking up your time like this. Excuse me." He replaced her hand on top of her blanket, and headed for the door.
"Wait." Arnold looked back at Helga, and tilted his head sideways slightly.
"Yes?" he asked softly.
"When...when will I see you again?" She finished quickly, a small unnoticeable blush creeping on her cheeks. Arnold grinned at her.
"Tomorrow. I'll drop by to check up on you." Helga didn't answer, but turned her head away from him to hide the goofy smile that had sprouted on her features again.
"Bye Arnold."
"See ya."
~*~
Arnold began walking past the hospital hallways, when a nurse stopped him.
"Do you know the girl in room 2304?" Arnold nodded slightly.
"We're friends." He answered. The nurse sighed in relief.
"Well that's great. What's her name again?" The nurse took out a clipboard.
"Cecile." Arnold answered helpfully.
"Cecile...?" That was when Arnold realized he didn't even know her last name.
"Uh..." he answered in consternation. The nurse looked up at him, and smiled.
"Don't worry about it dear, your information's good enough." She answered, patting his cheek in a mother like fashion. Arnold smiled slightly at her and was about to leave when the nurse turned around and tapped his shoulder lightly.
"Could you be a dear, and return this to her? I'm so busy. It fell out of her clothes when we brought her here." The nurse, (who was named Nancy as Arnold had read her name tag) gave Arnold a small heart shaped locket. " Thanks a lot, dear." She called behind as she left.
Arnold caught a glimpse of the picture in the locket and his mouth dropped.
He staggered back against the wall and leaned on it for support.
The picture was of a small child.
He had a football shaped head, and cornflower hair.
It was him.
It was Arnold.
~*~
AN: I'm not sure if some of the things in the hospital scene make sense, cuz I'm not a doctor, or a nurse...so sollie!! (interesting tidbit: my sis is in med school and training to become an emergency doc, tho!)
HEEHEee, I LUV braggin' about my sistas!!1 zey are just so cool, tho I betta buy them presents tmrw...hehe.
REVIEW, PPL, and have a SAFE and FUN holiday!!!
Ooh, always wanted to say that, then laugh at the weirdness...hehe...yeah.
-dkc
:DDDDDDDD