Author's notes: Your reviews are truly flattering; thank you very much. Let me address J.B. by saying I'm glad you noticed me giving Helga's line to Arnold and so forth. That was intentional; I wanted it to seem like their personalities were reversed. And as far as the "You okay, Arnold?" line goes, I was borrowing enough of that conversation from "Arnold and Lila" as it was, so I left that line out. But still, point taken! I'd also like to thank Helgagurl46 for "spoiling" the next chapter. It's probably my fault for giving too many hints in my author's notes (and you all would have guessed it anyway).

Speaking of the next chapter, here it is. Gwynn mentioned it would be interesting if I told more of the story from Arnold's point of view, and I thought I'd oblige in this chapter. As you all know, this is a dream chapter, which I think opens up a lot of possibilities, both good and bad. Some of you may not like this chapter, and I hope I'll hear why if you don't. There are certain things I don't like about it myself, but I want to know what everyone else thinks and see if we dislike it the same way.

By the way, the PG rating came about from the intense dialogue near the end of this chapter. It may or may not be enough to earn a PG, but I upped it just to be safe.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hey Arnold!, nor do I own A Christmas Carol (you'll see why I put that)

The bed started to feel cool and damp as Arnold passed into sleep. He rolled over and rested his hands by his side. He let his body go into a state of total relaxation, letting the weight of his body sink into the soft earth. Moments later, he stirred, feeling at the blades of grass between his fingers.

"Blades of grass?" Arnold immediately sat up and was hit by a blast of water from a sprinkler head. He scrambled to his feet and ran to the sidewalk, fleeing the water's path. Wiping the water from his face, he looked around to ascertain where he was.

It appeared he woke up in the middle of a vacant lot, more familiarly known to the neighborhood kids as Gerald Field. The water came from a sprinkler system the gang had discovered about a month before when Eugene tripped over one of the heads while chasing down a fly ball. The sprinklers didn't work, though, since the city didn't have the water turned on.

Arnold finished drying himself off. "I must have sleepwalked over here or something." He looked around and realized it was the middle of the night and he probably wasn't very safe standing on a city street. Then again, there wasn't a soul to be seen or heard, with the exception of a shady figure walking toward him in a trench coat and fedora hat.

"Stop right there! Don't think for one second that I don't see through that disguise!"

The female voice he anticipated answered, "Disguise? What are you talking about?"

"Oh, come on! You used it before when I was trying to save the neighborhood!"

"I still don't follow you."

"Helga, please!"

"Helga? Wait a minute, Arnold, I think you have me mistaken for someone else." With that, the shady figure joined Arnold in the glow of the streetlight and removed her hat.

"Aha! I knew it was you—" Arnold recognized the face at first, but when the pigtails and pink bow failed to spring forth from under the hat, he did a double take and realized whom he was really speaking to. "Hilda?"

"So you remember me?"

"I guess I do, but weren't you in one of my dreams?"

"I believe so."

"Huh? How would you know you were in my dream?"

"Because that's where I came from, doi!"

"But if you're only in my dreams, that must mean…am I dreaming right now?"

Hilda tapped him on the nose, "Bingo."

Arnold stared at her, "I'm confused."

Hilda laughed at hearing the famous line of the dense boy. "Why am I not surprised? Walk with me, I'll explain on the way." The two of them began walking down the empty street.

"Okay, Hilda, you can start by telling me why I was sleeping in the middle of a baseball field."

"I needed an interesting setting that would cause you to wake up."

"But if I'm dreaming right now, how could you have woken me up?"

"Because you were asleep! Haven't you ever had a dream within a dream?"

"No, I haven't. Anyway, I thought those were only used as a joke on comedy shows."

Another tap on the nose, "Two for two, Arnold."

He stopped walking for a moment, his confusion growing. "Hilda, you are not making any sense whatsoever."

She laughed again as she kept walking. "Arnold, quit stressing out! You're having a dream, there's no need to think so hard and worry about everything making sense! Now keep up!"

Arnold jogged back to her side. "So are you going to explain everything to me, or do I have to keep asking questions?"

"It's up to you. After all, this is your dream."

"Fine then, I've got another question. How does a figment of my imagination plan out one of my dreams with a setting and everything ahead of time?"

"It doesn't."

"What doesn't?"

"A figment of your imagination doesn't plan this out."

"I was referring to you!"

"I'm not a figment of your imagination."

"Oh, really? Well you can't be real if you're in my dream, so what are you then?"

"I am your imagination."

That answer caused him to stumble and almost fall. "Another answer that makes no sense!"

"I gave you a choice, explanation or questioning, you asked a question, and I answered it."

His patience was wearing thin. "Okay, then I'm done asking questions; just give me the answers."

"No problem." They continued walking, Arnold listening intently. The two of them walked in silence for a block and a half.

"Aren't you going to say something?"

"Was I supposed to say something?"

"I thought you were. I asked for the answers, and you said, 'No problem.'"

"Right." Hilda continued on without another word.

Arnold had enough. He grabbed her with both hands and looked her in the eye, "That's it! I'm sick of you giving me the run around! Now answer this question for me, straight up, no funny business! Why are you walking me down an empty city street, and where are we going? And if you don't give me a good answer, I'm going to go jump off a building or something and wake myself up!"

"I wouldn't recommend that. I've arranged things so you won't wake up until we've covered all the bases here. You jump off a building, you're going to spend the rest of the dream on a stretcher."

"I can't believe this! It's like you're holding me hostage in my mind!"

A smug smile came across Hilda's face at that remark. "Hey, I hold a lot of power as your subconscious."

"My subconscious?"

"Yes, Arnold, I'll explain this much to you. I am an embodiment of your inner thoughts. I took this form so that you could have a conversation with yourself."

"It all makes sense now!"

"It does?"

"Yeah, and my grandpa's never lied a day in his life."

Hilda scowled at him. "You know, you've got a really sarcastic side to you. It only shows when you get upset."

"Yeah? How would you know? Oh, that's right, I forgot, you and I are the same person!"

"Knock it off! You want me to tell you what this whole dream is about or not?"

"What's that? You're ready to give me a straight answer? Well, I'm listening!"

Hilda paused for a moment, cleared her throat, and began. "This dream is meant to examine recent problems you've been experiencing in the love department."

"Is this about what happened with Lila today?"

"That's part of it, Arnold. In fact, that's what triggered this dream to take place. But it's about more than that. We're going to take a look at a few girls you've had any romantic interest in, past, present and possibly, future."

"Would you happen to be on that list?"

"No. We'll save the 'crushes on girls in your dreams' topic for another time. We're sticking to real women here, Arnold."

"Okay then, where do we start?" If I have to be here, I might as well humor her…or is it humor myself—

"Either one works."

"What? How did you?"

"I'm you, so I hear all your thoughts. For that matter, I am your thoughts."

"Can we lay down a ground rule? For instance, can you pretend that you're just Hilda and not this subcosmic being?"

"It's subconscious being, and I suppose I can do that for you."

"Great. Now, where are we going first?"

"We're starting with the first girl you ever had a crush on, and by that I mean the 'real-deal' romantic kind, not the thing you had going with that exchange student in second grade."

He remembered who Hilda was referring to, a British girl who was in his class for a semester. She invited him to her exchange family's house everyday after school for afternoon tea. "Oh, her. That was some good tea."

"Hope that good mood carries over, because we've arrived at your first crush's house." Hilda gestured to the house they were standing beside. Arnold couldn't recognize it, an ordinary looking two-story brick house.

"Whose house is this?"

"How would I know? I live out in the country with your cousin, I don't know who the houses belong to around here."

"Right. I guess if I don't know whose house it is, neither of us do."

"Actually, you have been near it before. You just don't remember it."

"Really? So then whose house is it, then?"

"See for yourself. She should be waking up right about now."

Arnold realized at that moment it was mid-morning in his dream. It was the middle of the night just a second ago, how did it get bright so fast? And how come I still haven't seen one other person this whole time?

Hilda smirked while listening to Arnold's thoughts. "There she is, Arnold." She pointed to the second floor window of the house. Arnold looked up and tried to make her out. Through the light reflecting off the window, he could make out the silhouette. He saw a round head, resembling that of his mother's. As the girl shifted about, he saw her hair, a dark auburn covering most of her face and hanging down to her shoulders. She must have just woken up, he thought. Finally, he noticed something else reflecting the sun's rays toward him.

"Hey, I know that smile. Those braces, they belong to…Ruth McDougal!"

"Correct. Your first romantic interest."

Arnold continued to watch her, and then suddenly felt a wave of fear sweep over him. "Won't she be a little suspicious of us standing here, watching her from the street?"

"She would if she could see us."

"Well, I think she can, we're in plain sight!" Arnold went to duck around a corner, but Hilda stepped in his path.

"Relax. I took care of it."

Arnold understood what she told him for the first time since the dream began, and relaxed. "Wow. That's convenient."

"Darn straight. We can't be worrying about whether or not these girls can see us. I've made us completely invisible, except to each other. But let's focus here, Arnold. I'm taking you to each of these girls so you can reflect on them individually."

"I see." He looked up at Ruth, who had now opened her window to catch the morning sea breeze. The open window improved Arnold's view, allowing him to look her right in the eye. "She still can't see me, right?"

"I know it seems like she's looking at you, but she's not. Trust me, you just happen to be in her line of sight."

He continued to stare into her eyes, his feelings for her swirling around in his head. I used to like you, a lot. I spent every day watching you from across the playground.

"Arnold, I think it would work better if you spoke your thoughts out loud."

He turned to Hilda, remembering her "psychic" abilities. "Why?"

"Why not? I'll hear them anyway. Besides, you need to pretend you're telling these girls how you really feel, even if they can't see or hear you."

"All right." He looked back up at Ruth, who was now staring off toward the west, toward the sea. "Now I remember why I stopped liking her. I realized that I didn't exist to her. She never gave me the time of day."

"Arnold, speak to her. Talk in the second person."

"Right. I made the right choice with you, Ruth. When I finally got you to go out with me, and I spent time with you, I realized you weren't worth my time."

Arnold paused for a little while, and Hilda spoke up, "Done already?"

"I don't really have a lot to say to her. I don't feel as strongly about her as I used to."

"That's all right, you don't have to give a long speech. Now let's discuss her for a second while she's still standing in the window. First off, can you point out some certain characteristics in her?"

"No, could you help me out?"

"What makes her a unique choice for you?"

Arnold stood in thought for a moment. "She's older than me."

"Good, that's one. And remember, she's not the only older girl you've been interested in."

"You're right. There was that girl Maria, and at the beach, that other girl, Summer."

"You wouldn't argue then that you've got a thing for older women."

"Well, I suppose…"

Hilda gave him a flirtatious smile. "Don't sell yourself short, Arnold. You're quite the ladies man."

Arnold blushed, while at the same time wondering why he did. Can't I take a compliment from myself? "So I've got a thing for older women, big deal."

"You're right, no big deal. But there is one more thing you should recognize in Ruth before we move on to our next exhibit."

"And what would that be?"

"Notice any resemblance to someone else you might remember?"

Arnold stared up at Ruth again, taking in the picture as a whole. He then closed his eyes and entered deep thought, trying to find something.

"Any guesses, Arnold?"

His eyes blinked open again. "She looks like my mom."

"That would be it."

"I guess that whole saying about boys wanting a girl like their mother is true."

"Eh, it holds some water, I guess. Okay, we've spent more than enough time here. Let's move on."

Arnold took one last look up at Ruth before they started walking away. "I never had a chance with her. She's still pretty cute, though."

"Back to your normal optimistic self, I see." Hilda glanced at her watch. "Whoa, look at the time! We've used up most of the time in your dream already and we've still got two more girls to visit! Okay, I guess since we're running short on time I'll have to break the laws of physics."

"You already did, making us invisible."

"Hey, you're pretty sharp when you want to be."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Hilda shook her head, "Never mind," snapped her fingers, and the two of them were instantly standing in front of another house.

"Is this the house I think it is?"

"Yes, but let me recap. We've talked about your love life past already. I lumped Ruth, Maria and Summer into one to save time for the other two. Right now, we're going to discuss your love life present."

"And my love life present would be Lila?"

Hilda went to give him the nose tap affirmation, but stopped upon noticing his reaction to being in front of Lila's house. He sounded dejected when he spoke Lila's name. "Arnold, I know this is probably bringing some difficult feelings to the surface, but this is how the dream goes. We're here to talk about her whether you want to or not."

He ignored Hilda and walked up the stoop. "I could have put my fist right through this door when she slammed it on me today. I'd never been so mad in my life."

"What did you do to make her so upset that she'd slam the door on you?"

"Don't play dumb with me, you know just as well as I do what happened."

"Arnold, you told me to just be Hilda, and Hilda wasn't there to see what took place, so you have to tell me about it."

He sighed in frustration. "Fine, you want to know why she did it? Because she thinks I'm a joke! She thought I looked like a fool at the bowling alley, and then she shot me down again!"

"What do you mean 'she shot you down?'"

"You know, as in I like her like her but she doesn't like me like me back. And for that matter, I'm not even sure if she likes me period at this point!"

"Hello? Is someone out there?" A voice came from behind the door.

Arnold jumped off the stoop and grabbed Hilda, whispering, "I thought you said we were invisible!"

"I never said anything about covering up your voice."

The door opened and Arnold froze in place.

"Arnold? What are you doing here?"

"Huh?" He turned and gave Hilda a sharp glare, "Hello, she can see me!"

"Of course she can! It's more interesting than a one-way conversation!"

"What? You can't do this! Can she see you?"

"Can't see me, can't hear me, nothing."

"Well, I can still see and hear you, and I'm going to use you to help me out."

"Oh no you won't."

"And how do figure on that?"

Lila interrupted, "Excuse me, Arnold, but who are you talking to?"

Hilda broke free of his grasp with the distraction. "Have fun, Arnold; I'll be observing you until you get through with her." She snapped her fingers and was gone.

"Hilda? You can't just leave me like this!"

"Who's Hilda?"

Arnold finally turned and directed his attention at Lila. "Uh, no one! I was just talking to myself!" Hey, it's the truth!

"I see. Arnold, I thought I told you we shouldn't speak to each other for a while."

"I know, but I didn't exactly plan on coming over here."

"What ever do you mean?"

He stopped at her question and thought for a moment. I'm still dreaming, aren't I? Maybe I should use this to my advantage. For one thing I shouldn't be worried about what I say to her. In fact, I'm going to say exactly what I want with no regard to how she reacts.

"Sounds like a good plan to me, Arnold."

Arnold looked around at hearing Hilda's voice. "Hilda? Where are you?"

"Quit talking out loud, I'm speaking to you in your head."

He covered his mouth, realizing Lila was still standing there listening to him talk to himself.

"Arnold, don't answer me, just listen. Do exactly as you're planning to do. Tell her whatever you want."

Okay, I will. He joined Lila at the top of the stoop. "Lila, I…" He trailed off.

"What are you waiting for, let her have it!"

I'm trying! I can't think of what to say!

"Arnold, I'm giving you a golden opportunity here! You can say anything you want with no consequences!"

I know, it's just…

"Arnold, do you have anything to tell me?" Lila snapped him out of his conversation with Hilda.

"Yeah, I do, just give me a minute!" Frustrated, he returned to his thoughts. I can't say anything mean to her, Hilda!

"And why is that?"

I just can't! I care about her too much!

"You have got to be joking!"

"No, I'm not!" He spoke his last line to Hilda out loud, causing Lila to lose her patience with him.

"Arnold, come back when you grow up and can talk to me like a normal person."

"What? No, Lila, wait a sec—" She slammed the door on him again, this time making physical contact with his face. "Ow! I thought you couldn't get hurt in a dream!"

Before he could take another step, he suddenly found himself in an empty room. He saw a bed in the corner, and before he could discern whose room it was, someone grabbed him by the shirt, whipped him around and got in his face.

"What the heck was that?"

"Hilda! Don't press up against my nose, I just hurt it!"

She pulled him in closer, looking him straight in the eye. "I gave you the chance to practice coming to terms with Lila! Why didn't you do anything?"

"I told you, I still like her!"

"So what?" Hilda shoved him onto the bed and continued yelling at him. "Just because you're in love with this girl means she gets full power over your emotions?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Wake up, Arnold! Earlier tonight, you said the message wasn't getting through! You said you were bringing it on yourself!"

"Yeah, so how am I giving her any power over my emotions?"

Hilda bent down to the seated Arnold and spoke flatly and sternly into his ear. "You have invested all of your affections in this girl. You're completely infatuated with her, giving her one hundred percent of your undivided attention."

"So what's wrong with that?"

Hilda answered him with a slap across his face. "What's wrong is that you're putting her in control! And she's using that control, Arnold! She goes along with you all the time when you ask her out. You may recall today wasn't the first time; remember the Cheese Festival? She goes with you, has a great time—at your expense, I might add—and when it's all over, she tells you she doesn't return your affections!"

"But you're forgetting something, Hilda. After she said that, she told me there was still hope for me."

"Of course she said that! She's leading you on! Are you so dense that you can't see that?"

At this point, Arnold pushed Hilda back and got in her face. "I'm dense? Do me a favor and take a good look at the girl! Look at all her qualities! Is it that hard for you to see why I'm interested in her? She's pretty, smart, and funny, to put it in a nutshell! What can be so wrong in wanting that?"

Hilda gave him a somewhat familiar scowl. "Fine! I see there's nothing I can do to get it through your head. And now we've wasted so much time arguing over Lila that I've got no time to discuss your future love life before you wake up."

"Good, because you don't need to! As far as I'm concerned, Lila is my future love life!"

Hilda gave him a sardonic chuckle. "You don't actually think there's a future between you two?"

"Apparently I'm the only one who does! Now may I ask where we're at?"

"We're in the bedroom of your 'future love.'"

"Is that so? Where is she?"

"How would I know? Besides, there are plenty of clues in the room for you to figure it out. If you'll excuse me, Arnold, I'll be taking my leave now. You can look around the room and take a guess whose it is until you wake up." With that, Hilda vanished in the blink of an eye.

"I'm glad you're gone! I don't need you or your stupid Christmas Carol rip-off tour to tell me who my future love is! It's Lila! You hear me, Hilda?" He stopped and caught his breath. Man, when was the last time I yelled this much? I didn't know it could make you so tired.

Arnold again took a seat on the bed, this time by the nightstand. He glanced down and saw a drawer. I guess I could have a look around and see who she claims my future love is. He pulled open the drawer, only to find it empty. Upon this discovery, he got up and made his way around the room. A desk was placed in one corner. The top of the desk was barren except for a couple pencils and a blank piece of paper. He checked the desk drawers, which also turned out to be empty. Next he moved onto the closet. He opened it to find an assortment of generic clothes and dresses, with a strange glow coming from the back. He parted the clothes to discover a strange arrangement of junk surrounded by lit candles and pink notebooks. Nothing special here.

Shutting the closet door, he was about to go back to the bed and wait for his wakening when he saw something hanging over the knob on the door to the room. He went over and picked it up. What's this supposed to be? It was a long piece of satin, about an inch and a half wide and two feet long. He had a hard time seeing what color it was in the low light coming through the window. Geez, a minute ago the sun was still up. Arnold made his way over to the window and held the accessory in what was now moonlight. I can't tell for sure, but it looks like it's pink. "Wow, great clue, Hilda! I know exactly who it is!" How am I supposed to figure out who—wait a minute.

Arnold took the piece of satin and started manipulating it in his hands. Being a boy (and a fairly dense one at that), he wasn't exactly an expert on fashion accessories. I think it's a…bow? A pink bow? Who do I know that wears—

He was cut off in his thoughts by the sound of the door opening behind him. The voice entering sounded just as startled to see him as he was by the opening of the door. "Arnold? I mean…what are you doing in my room, Football Head?"

More author's notes: That ought to hold you guys until I get the next chapter written. It could be a little while, though; I've got three midterms this coming week. I'll be sure to put up something by the 6th or 7th. And again, thanks for reading.