Disclaimer
(Just so I won't get sued…)
All related characters and settings found below are strictly based on the TV series Hey Arnold! created by Craig Bartlett as seen on Nickelodeon.

10: Helga's Sacrifice

"You have the right to remain silent." Said Officer Pudney as two other officers cuffed the now conscious Vic and the disgruntled Morrie.

Several meters from the demolished warehouse wall was the stage crew for the local nightly news at 7, filming the capture of the city kidnappers and the release of the other hostages live on television.

"THIS JUST IN!" The reporter on duty said on the microphone, pressing her earpiece to gauge her own tone of voice. "THE KIDNAPPING SCARE IS NOW PUT TO AN END!"

She strode over to the detainees being led inside the copter door while the cameras followed her face. "A certain Vic and Morrie, the only members of the notorious kidnapping syndicate who had been behind the dozen most recent kidnappings in our town for this month, have now been caught! They are now in custody of our local police department and will be handed over to the city jail with charges of child abduction…"

The bulky Vic resisted going inside the copter; thus, two burly cops shoved him in. Soon Morrie was also thrown in.

"Huh?" Both thugs were caught stunned upon finding their pal Oskar Kokoshka sitting beside them in the helicopter. "Kokoshka?"

"Ehehe!" The foreign US resident laughed nervously. "What brings you two here?"

Morrie thrust his tied self towards Oskar. "Whaddya THINK we're doin' here?"

Vic wore a sinister look on his face. "By any chance, ya didn't… rat us out, did ya?"

Oskar waved his hands dismissively. "No, of course not! I didn't rat you out! I just told them where you keep the kids!"

His eyes widened in shock, and he slapped his own mouth.

"Why ya li'l—"

Seething in their fury, the kidnappers were about to hack the ropes that tied them when Oskar tried to stop them.

"But I didn't tell them your names! I only told them the place, so I thought you could still hide when you hear the helicopter coming! Ehehe!"

Morrie and Vic calmed.

"Bah, what can we do now? It's that stupid football-headed kid who got us in this jam!"

Oskar peered out the copter. "Oh, you mean Arnold?"

"That's 'im! He faked us!"

"Yeah! He pretended to be a Pataki, so we got 'im and not his classmate!"

Oskar laughed out loud. "But of course he's not a Pataki! He's the kid from the boardinghouse I live in! He comes in with the drinks when we're playing poker! He's such a nice kid, protecting his classmate!"

Suddenly two pairs of eyes widened.

The two groaned.

"Yeah! He's the one! I knew I saw 'im someplace!"

"Yeah, and his grandparents looked familiar, too!"

"See? He's Arnold! You made a big mistake when you got him!"

The broadcaster motioned to the children huddled in one corner—to one of them in particular. "Here we are with a number of the actual hostages of this kidnap-for-ransom gang. You are…?"

"Me?" Arnold darted uncomfortable glances from his classmates to the camera zooming in on him. "I… I'm Arnold."

"Yes. Arnold… uh…?"

Arnold was about to open his mouth to supply his last name when his grandparents led a cheer joined in by the fourth graders.

"YEAH! ARNOLD, ARNOLD, HE'S OUR MAN! IF HE CAN'T DO IT, NO ONE CAN! HE'S THE BEST! BEAT THE REST! ARNOLD, ARNOLD, SIS-BOOM-BA! GOOOOO, ARNOLD!"

He laughed quietly while shooting "You can stop now" glances at his pep squad.

"Ah, yes. Rex Smythe-Higgins the Third, grandson of the illustrious Rex Smithe-Higgins and another hostage of this kidnapping syndicate, reportedly claims you as the person responsible for his freedom along with the rescue of two other captives. Do fill us in on this."

So he went not to the police but to the media. That's great! Arnold smiled and shook his head. "It wasn't me. My friends from school—" he gestured towards the other fourth graders, "—came to save me. In the height of things we all got caught, and my grandparents and my other friends—" he motioned to Philip, Gertrude, Ernie, and Mr. Hyunh, "—came to save all of us, followed by the police."

He looked at Officer Pudney, who aimed her loudspeaker high at Ernie Potts and Mr. Hyunh, who were still in the crane.

"You two are under arrest for the demolition of the old city warehouse without the possession of a permit!"

Everyone gasped.

Ernie jumped off his seat. "But Officer, we saved the kids! And this is my crane!"

"Yes!" Protested Mr. Hyunh. "We had right to do that!"

"That doesn't give you the right, or the excuse, to demolish a building without a permit!"

Mr. Potts shook his head in disbelief. "We had a good reason! Besides, this was all the old coot's idea!" He pointed to Grandpa Phil. "You and your lousy 'I'm as strong as Tarzan' plans!"

Phil stepped forward. "But I didn't tell you to wreck the wall to smithereens! I specifically said 'just a small crack' so it'll be believable!"

Arnold jumped in between his grandfather and his friend's crane. "Grandpa! Ernie! STOP!"

Meanwhile, inside the copter, Morrie hung his head low while the pilot took his seat. "We'll never get to bet on Cat Chow again!"

A blond girl with a pink bow grabbed the door handle of the copter.

"All to bet on a flea-bitten beast? Crime just doesn't pay! And no one 'little lady's Helga G. Pataki!"

And she slammed the helicopter door on the two thugs' faces.

Just then she heard another door slam and heavy footsteps drawing closer.

"Where have you been, little lady?"

Helga's eyes grew round as saucers. She slapped her forehead. "Perfect."

"You got me and your mom all worried sick of you, Olga!" Big Bob Pataki trudged towards his daughter, carrying an iron fist. "Wha' happened?"

Helga threw her arms at her sides and rolled her eyes. "Helga, Dad! And for your information, I got kidnapped!" She said matter-of-factly. "It's not like I ran away from home or somethin'!"

"NO! DON'T ARREST THEM!"

Arnold! Helga turned to the direction of the yell.

"Please! They did it to rescue us!"

Helga gasped upon seeing Arnold plead to Officer Pudney with clasped hands. Behind them she spotted his grandparents and two of the boarders from his house. The cops were slipping handcuffs on them.

Gertie lifted her cuffed wrists to level with her eyes. "Why, I've never seen round an' shiny doohickeys like these here in the jungle!"

After tearing his gaze from his mentally disoriented grandmother, Arnold reverted his attention to the lady cop. "Please, Officer! Don't press charges!"

Helga cupped her chin in thought. If Arnold's grandma and grandpa and the boarders will be jailed for destroying the warehouse…

She pounded her fist on her palm and released her novel idea. "Dad, can you have the warehouse fixed?"

Mr. Pataki's one eyebrow creased. "What're you talkin' about, girl? This better be good!"

"I meant what I said, Bob! Can you have the warehouse fixed? You can call up that Nick Vermicelli guy and the guys from Scheck Cement and the warehouse will be brand spankin' new in no time!"

Bob folded his arms across his chest and tapped his foot. "Now why would I wanna do that? It's a waste of money!"

Helga heaved a deep sigh before she began. "Look Dad, it'll be hard for you to understand now, but that kid over there," she pointed at the almost kneeling Arnold. "Arnold… he pretended to be your 'son'."

The girl waited for her father's reaction: blank and indifferent.

"Bob, the thugs were after ME! They wanted YOUR beeper empire!"

"And they got him?"

"Yeah!"

"So that's HIS problem."

"BOB!" Moaned Helga. "His grandparents and some others are gonna get locked up if you don't have the warehouse fixed! He's gonna lose the only people he calls family if that happens, and…" At this point, her voice subsided. "…I owe him one 'cause he stuck it out for me."

She sighed. "If you're not gonna do it for that boy you call an orphan, then do it for me. I wanna help him out, Dad. I really do."

After a long, uneasy pause, he sighed as well. He took out his mobile phone from his breast pocket and started punching numbers. "I dunno why I'm doing this."

Helga's eyes glistened. She threw her father a big bear hug. "Thanks Dad!"

She sprinted off to the others as her father got a hold on someone on the line.

"WAIT!"

The midget construction worker had one leg inside the police car when everyone laid eyes on Helga.

Helga pushed Arnold aside and seized Pudney by her collar, badge and all. "Listen here, lady! You don't need to arrest these innocent citizens if I get your stupid warehouse fixed!"

Arnold rose and dusted himself as he stared at his classmate with widened eyes.

"There'll be no one t' blame if nuttin' bad happened! Y' got me?"

The law enforcer looked down at the little girl. "You're saying you'll account for their damages?"

Both of them shot a look at the ragtag group of grown-ups.

Helga narrowed her eyes. "You got that right, bucko. By tomorrow that old dump will be good as untouched."

The policewoman shot Helga a menacing look and brushed the girl away from her. "You better keep your end of the deal or they go to jail. If you didn't know, you're dealing with the law."

Helga fell and landed on her behind. She shook her left fist, Old Betsy, as Arnold helped her up by the right arm. "Well, if you didn't know, you're practicing sheer cruelty! Long arm of the law? Criminey!"

Pudney and the rest of the police troop got in their cars as Arnold held Helga's arms to calm her down.

Helga's fierce sapphire eyes met Arnold's tame emerald ones.

"What now, Football Head?"

Arnold smiled. He drew a heavy sigh and locked Helga in a snug embrace.

End of 10: Helga's Sacrifice

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All's well that ends well (with one exception) in chapter 11: Home Free.