Explanation(s)

Author Notes:Man, I knew ya'll would hate me for that cliffie! I got 8 reviews in less than 24 hours, though! Well, to ease your pain, here's the next chappie! And, no, it's not a pathetic, rushed one, it did take a while. And anyone who did have a heart attack *I know who did!*, plz don't sue! Well, here we go! Oh, and its really long! (Oh, tell me if they're OOC. I just figured out what that meant.)

Summary: * Basically, the two go over questions and what happened on FTi. What will happen next? Hey, don't look at me, I'm just the summary girl! And Gerald makes an apperance! *

Disclaimer: I'm a fan writing fictional stories about something I'm a fan of. That's why they call it Fanfiction.net. ~Does finger movements by her head that mean "duh"~

Helga had a really tiny feeling that things would come up to that. She had to play it cool and tough. Go with what she'd already said. "Of course not, Football Head! I thought we agreed that it was all just the heat of the moment!" A small pause. "Heh, um, you know how I feel! I hate your stinkin' guts!"

Arnold sighed. He had mentally prepared himself for that reaction. He knew it was something about her being troubled by her own insecruities, but STILL didn't know why she thought he'd buy that again. "Helga, I don't think you'd say and, uh, do all that stuff because of 'the heat of the moment'."

Yeah, that was a bad excuse, thought Helga. But he's the person who's suppoesed to overlook everything. "Yeah, well, I didn't mean it! I was just trying to, uh, um…" Think of something fast, Helga! "Make up a, um, excuse for helping you out. Yeah, that's it!"

An even longer pause was pulled out than the one before as Arnold gave her his infamous half-eyed-looks-bored intimidation look. He still didn't believe it. All that thinking over the last few days had really reduced his density to an above average by one point level. Helga could feel a small sweat drop going over her forehead.

Finally (*I know YOU'VE been waiting for this*), she gave in. He might as well have known anyway. She sighed, then said pathetically, "Fine, Arnold. I, I mean, what I said, it was true. I, I lo-, I lov-"

"You love me?" Arnold offered.

Helga burst. "Yes, yes, I do! I love you, love you, love you! I've loved you for two thirds of my entire life, ever since I first saw you and that stupid, oblong head! I LOVE YOU, ARNOLD!!!!" She panted for a few seconds. "Satisfied?"

As anyone would have guessed, he didn't exactly answer right away. Finally, he nodded, but slowly. "So, uh, why?"

"Why what?"

"Why do you, uh, love me?"

Helga sighed. Now that she'd said it twice, the pressure was off. Well, at least a little. He knew, and she knew he knew. "Sit down, Arnold, because this is going to take a while." She told him the story of that first day of pre-school, and how it advanced from that. Arnold could make a pretty good physciatrist when he grew up. Even though it was all about him, he only seemed slightly weirded out. She almost went into a swoon, but then she noticed Arnold sitting right in front of her and stopped.

"Okay, bucko," she said when she was through. "I mean, Arnold. You've asked two questions, so now it's my turn."

"Okay," he answered, to many thoughts going through his big head to even think of another question.

The girl sat down Indian style right across from Arnold and sighed again. "Okay. When you asked if I really liked you, and how I felt, and all that junk after we showed the document on the Scheckvision TV screen, were you just cutting me a break, or was that all real?"

His eyes narrowed as he thought about that. "I don't know. I guess part of me knew what you said was true. I mean, you kissed me and tried to kiss me two times-"

"Three," corrected Helga, blushing slightly.

Arnold's eyes got a little wider. "Three times, but then I guess I wanted to deny it, 'cause, I, um, well, you know-"

"Because of how I act towards you?"

"Yeah," he admited guiltily. "So, a little bit of both, I guess. Gerald's always telling me how dense I can be at some points, so that-"

"You mean other people realize it and not just me?"

"You wanted me to answer this right?"

"Yes. But you kinda already did. So my turn again. What are you going to say to anyone else about this?"

Just then a beep came from Arnold's pocket, then Gerald's voice was heard. "Arnold, Arnold, are you there?"

Arnold pulled out a two-way walky-talky from his pocket. "That girl, Bridget, never asked for them back," explained Arnold. He put it to his ear. "Yeah, man, I'm here."

"Sorry, Arnold," replied Gerald, "but I have to know now. First, why were you being such a party-pooper when they called us heroes, and second, WHY THE HECK WAS HELGA ON THE BUS WITH US!?!?"

Arnold had the walky-talky at the length of arm at the last part of the sentence. He looked at Helga. "Can you, uh, excuse me one sec?"

"Sure, bathroom's down the hall, talk there." And I have a chance to be alone for a minute. Oh, Arnold, I've told you again, and now you believe… She got up and walked to her closet.

!@#$%^&*()_+{}:"?

Arnold walked into the bathroom, locked the door, and finished the conversation with Gerald. "For the first answer, because we couldn't have ever done anything without He- I mean, Deep Voice. No one gave her any credit, not even us."

"Whoa, whoa, wait. I have two more questions. Did I hear Helga earlier, and why did you call DV 'her'?"

"Shh. Let me finish. The second one, I can't say without Helga's clearence."

"Clearence? Man, you read to much!"

"Ugh. The third, yes, you did, fourth, because she, I mean, I don't know."

Gerald gasped from the other end. "You know who she is, don't you? Tell me!"

"Shuh! Can't, at least not now. Look, I'm in the middle of something really important, and"

"With Helga? Okay, what is up over there?"

"I can't tell you right now."

He gasped again. "Oh, she's Deep Voice! That's why she came in with you, she was following us and she told you what to do! But, why?"

Arnold hit his head. "If Helga wants to, oops."

"Ha, now I know it's Helga! Okay, okay, I'll back of, but you owe me some goods later, man. See if you can find a tu-tu in there!"

Does this guy ever give up with those pictures? he thought. "fine, but Helga'll have to be the one to tell you."

"Hey, wait a sec!"

"Bye, Gerald!" He turned it off and walked back to Helga's bedroom.

Oh, I just got an awesome idea, but my hands hurt, so I'll have to leave you with another cliffhangar. *At least this time there wasn't such a delay for updating, you-know-who. So tune in next time! I've always wanted to say that!* Okay, so go surf some more! Wayer or microchips! *The spicy ranch flavored kind, oh, I love those!* ~Looks at Phebga weirdly~ *I had coffee this afternoon, girl!* Uh, well, bye!

~~Briana LFBH~~ * + ^^Phebga^^ *