Author's Note: Hey guys, nothing to say much, but I guess this is what are all of you are waiting for: the chapter where Arnold and Helga begins to get close with each other. Hope you like it.

Legal junk: I don't own Hey Arnold, but Nickelodeon does and Mr. Craig Bartlett created it. But this fic belongs to me. Clear? Good.

Chapter 7: Together

The view was breathtakingly spectacular. From the top of the hill, they could see the whole of San Lorenzo's largest island and the other four that surrounds it. Almost all islands were covered in jungle with some rocky mountains and hills poked out of the landscape. The sapphire blue ocean was clear and sparkling under the brightly shining sun, and the clouds were scattered far and between, showing no sign of bad weather anywhere. And due to that, they could see as far as to the horizon, and saw the earth's curve. It was like paradise, it was a perfect day on the Caribbean.

The wind was blowing softly as Arnold and Helga could feel the gentle caress of the soft breeze. They felt refreshed after the long hike to the top of the hill. The flora felt the wind too as they let them be blown by it. Butterflies gently float adrift amongst the flowers and bees were buzzing around. Parrots squawked and lovebirds were chirping on the trees as though they were welcoming their human visitors. The soft grass that Arnold and Helga were on made them felt like as though they were walking on air. Helga was glad that she was here. She was all alone with Arnold right now, together.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Arnold said softly as he gazed at the horizon. Helga was lost on words, so she responded with a gentle nod. Arnold walked towards a cliff as Helga followed him from behind. He then pointed a finger toward to the horizon in front of them.

"Over there is South America." He said, and then turned around, "And over there is Cuba, and beyond that is our country, the United States," he then pointed his finger ever so slightly to the left, "And there's our hometown." Arnold then placed both of his hands inside of his pants' pockets. "Man, I sure miss that place…"

But Helga didn't. With a sad look, she turned around and faced South America. She gazed blankly at the horizon, and sat down on the ground, with her hands hugging her legs. Arnold was quizzical at her reaction, and decided to find the problem out. He sat next to her, with his legs crossed. "What's up with you?"

"Nothing." Helga replied softly, "It's just… my family and all—"

"Hey, come on. It's okay to be homesick." He replied, unaware of Helga's problems, "When I first came here, I miss my grandparents too, but, you know… sooner or later you'll start to like this place."

Helga let out a breath, and decided it would be pointless if she'd carry this conversation onwards. It wasn't the right time to tell him. She replied, "You like this place so much, don't you?"

Arnold snickered softly, "Kinda… sorta. Well yeah, I am. I'm pretty much like my parents now: I'm in love with this country so much, that it'd be hard for me if I leave this place behind. I don't think I'm ever going to leave."

Helga was worried with the given answer, "But… you'll have to leave this country someday, right? With college and all…"

"Yeah… that's probably the only time I'll be leaving this country. I haven't made plans on which college I might go, but I'm thinking of going back to Hillwood eventually, if I ever were given the opportunity."

Helga was relieved, "Heh, that rathole of all places?" she replied jokingly.

"Hey, that rathole is where we were raised, Helga." Arnold replied smiling, "Our family and friends are there. Despite of all the flaws, imperfection and the idiotic bureaucrats, it's still our hometown you know."

"I don't know," Helga said, "A lot of things have pretty much changed since you left to the point it's not very desirable anymore. Maybe it was just me. So, you're planning to study back home, huh? Which college?"

"I don't know. I'd just be thankful if I ever got a place there, so I could stay with my grandparents again. Not to mention, the city holds a lot of nostalgia for me."

"If you don't mind I'm asking, what kind of course you'll be taking, if you managed to get a place and all?"

"Well, if you must know, hopefully I'll be taking journalism."

Stunned silence suddenly enveloped Helga. She tried to keep a straight face, but then her lips began to broaden, her eyes began to widen, and she started to snicker softly, trying to hide it from Arnold. But alas, the snicker became louder and louder, and she finally burst into a fit of hysterical laughter, holding her stomach.

"Come on… what's so funny?" Arnold replied embarrassedly.

"OH… HAHAHAHA! Man, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," she giggled and laughed, "I thought I just heard you saying you wanted to take journalism…"

Arnold then replied, "Well, I did—" and once again, Helga laughed hysterically.

"Oh… it's so funny it hurts…" she banged the ground with her fist.

Arnold hung his head in shame, smiled softly and replied, "Well, I guess you're not very supportive of my plans for the future." He said as he got up, and took a few steps forwards to the edge of the cliff, "I knew this was a waste! I'm going to commit suicide now!" he loudly said jokingly as he placed the back of his palm on his forehead, acting dramatically, "Oh goodbye cruel world!" he lifted a leg but Helga yanked it back, forcing Arnold to fall back where he sat on earlier. The both had a good laugh.

"Okay, okay…" she still laughed, "I'll be serious now." She chuckled a bit, wiping a tear away. "Why journalism?"

"What, you think I can't write? Don't you remember? It was because of my essay that brought all of you guys to this country when we were in fourth grade thank you very much!" he replied, smiling.

"Pssh, come on!" she scoffed, "That was because of sheer luck Arnold! I read that essay you wrote, and suffice to say, it sucked hard." She gave him a smirk.

"Ah, I sense jealousy from you. What's a matter Helga? Intimidated?" he said back playfully, "I know your writings are the best in school and I'm far from the greatest, but at least I tried my best, and surprisingly, I won and got the best prize ever: a reunion with my parents."

"Parents…" the thought of her parents struck hard in her heart. She suddenly frowned a bit, and quickly changed the conversation, "So… why journalism? Why not something else? You've always said to us you wanted to be an archeologist just like your dad."

"Well, dad used to be an archeologist, but he's more of an anthropologist now. I don't know, I used to want to become an archeologist, but when I came here, after witnessing the deplorable conditions that the people of San Lorenzo are suffering, I decided to change my mind. Dad might've helped them by discovering their roots back, but I want to do something different. Maybe by becoming a journalist, I could tell the world the difficulties and hardship that the people of this country are facing."

"That's pretty noble of you."

"Thanks, but I don't think that I'm doing enough to warrant that. I just want to reveal this place to the world so they'd become more aware of their surroundings rather than confined to their own world, oblivious to other's hardship and suffering. That's the problem nowadays. And I don't think the mainstream media isn't doing much to help them. That's why I have no interest to become an anchorperson or a correspondent."

"Huh, why? Aren't they also in the journalism category?"

"They are, but when you see in the news, it's not the people who suffer before, during and after the war they are reporting, but the progress of the war and such. Even if there was a story about them, it's not very balanced. I'll be focusing mostly about the humanitarian crisis the country is facing, you know: tell stories about poverty, starvation, famine, war trauma, forced labor, and all that stuff. Something along the lines of an immersion journalism. Hopefully with some exposure, people will lend a hand in helping this country. San Lorenzo is, after all, not a very recognizable place you know. It's just my way to give a helping hand."

"Arnold…" she gazed at his eyes, "I have no idea you were that compassionate." Helga said admiringly, "I know you're helpful before, but… whoa…"

"Thanks," he smiled, "You're gonna laughed at this: In preparation of telling this country to the world, I've already wrote an article draft that I'm going to send to International Geographic about this country."

Helga did indeed laugh, "You wrote an entire article? I'm so going to read it, just for laughs!"

"Well, I'm in need of a reviewer that'll be brutally honest with me, since my parents were never really being honest about it. But I couldn't find any good reviewers. Then suddenly," he said dramatically, "Helga Pataki came along, and I thought, 'Hey, Helga's here. She hates me, so surely she'll be honest about it!'"

"Hate? Oh, you are so wrongly misled my love…"

"Well then. I guess that this Helga Pataki character will read the writings of a certain football headed individual and will be extremely honest about this poor fool's writings!" Helga replied back, smiling broadly.

Arnold snickered, amused and pleased at her response, "Thanks, Helga. I owe you one. So… What about you, Helga? what are your plans for the future?"

Helga was taken aback a bit, "Wha? Me? Nah, you won't be interested…" she jabbed his shoulder.

"Oh come on. I already told mine. What's so wrong about trading a little bit? I gave mine, you give yours."

"Well… okay." She replied reluctantly, after much thought, "But I swear to God, you football-for-a-head, if you tell even a single soul about this, I'm going to—"

"I know, I know." Arnold interjected, "you're going to use my tongue and strangle me with it." He already knew her threats so much that he practically memorized each and every one of them.

"Actually, I was thinking of beating you up with this stick to a bloody pulp," she showed him a large stick that she was holding, "and shoving you down this cliff. But the method that you suggest is satisfying nonetheless." She joked, smirking. Arnold gave back a nervous laugh, "Okay, here goes…" she said after taking a deep breath, "I've always wanted to be writer."

"Heh. Somehow, I expected that from you."

"That, or the first female president of the United States." She joked, "So I could randomly declare war on other countries. Wait a minute… you expected that answer from me? God… am I that predicable?"

"Nah… it was just a hunch." Arnold said back jokingly, "Ah, it's pretty much obvious Helga. Everybody knows that you're the best writer in school!"

"You're still living in the past Arnold. I was the best writer in school. But in high school, everything changed. Phoebe took the throne away from me." She replied in modesty, "Not that's a bad thing or anything, mind you. I rather have her took it than some other moron in school."

"Well, I haven't read Phoebe's writings yet, so to me, you're still the best." Arnold replied warmly, smiling.

Helga began to blush, smiling back, "OH MY GOD, I'M SO CHARMED BY YOU NOW!" she shot back with a teasing tone, which tone was just one of her methods to conceal her real response from him. She executed it perfectly.

But Arnold just laughed softly, as he knew that she would give an answer something similar to that. He wasn't offended by it, but rather, he was amused by it. He thought that Helga had a great sense of humor because of all her sarcastic replies that she gave to him. "So… do you have any writing fields that interest you? Novel? Poetry? Literature?"

"I'm always partial to poetry, but lately I've done some writing. Well, not writing a book per se, but you get the picture."

"Chick lit, I would presume." He laughed a bit.

"What? You think that just because I'm a girl I'm going to write those ridiculous, off the wall, melodramatic junk?"

"Well…" he shrugged nervously, "Uh… so you're going towards sci-fi or something? Comedy? Or a social commentary?"

"Heck no." she exclaimed, "Those genres doesn't interest me." There was a pause, "Well… there are some half-truths about your comment earlier, about the chick lit thing, but I try not to be so overly sappy in my writings."

"Heh… you know what's weird of about these?" Arnold asked her.

"What's that?" Helga asked back.

"We both share a common interest – writing." And Arnold was right. Helga couldn't believe that he was right. She was stunned at his remark because before this, they never share anything that was common between them. Arnold was content fellow whereas Helga was an angry girl. He was an optimistic while she was a pessimistic, although not that pessimistic. And Arnold liked to help people, whereas Helga liked to punch and threatened people. But after that one small comment, it seemed that the whole world had changed and turned upside-down. Maybe there were more things that they share interests together.

She let out a soft breath, "Oh wow… a strange coincidence, how utterly bizarre…" she replied as if she were in denial. "So…" she tried to open another topic, "How long have you been here?" she wanted to know more about his past few years staying in this country.

"Four years or so." Arnold replied back, "I miss the gang, though. Gerald, especially."

"Don't worry your ugly little head about Gerald." Helga replied back, taking the opportunity to mock him some more, "He's doing well for himself, well, ever since Phoebe becomes his girlfriend and all."

Arnold chuckled softly, "Yeah, he told me about it in his letter. He can't stop writing about her. Kinda makes me envy him, though."

"Heh, that's Gerald for you." Helga said back, smiling. "I don't know about Sid, though. He could really use your help."

Arnold narrowed his eyes in worried alarm, "What? Is there something wrong with him?"

"He got into a trouble with the law a few weeks back, but his dad bailed him out. Nadine and Stinky was freakin' worried when they heard about it."

"Man…" Arnold sighed disbelievingly, "How are Nadine and Stinky?"

"They're still all right though, nothing much changed about them ever since you left."

"What about the others? Harold, Sheena, Brainy…"

"What? Gerald didn't fill you out about them?"

"He did, but I'd rather hear it in person. So how are they?"

"Harold's, well… annoying as ever. Still, he's an okay guy, though. He joined the school's wrestling team and all and then, become huskier and no longer a lumpy sack of meat like he used to. I can't say much about Sheena though since we never really know each other that well. As for Brainy…" she smiled a bit, with a joyful look on her face.

"What? What's with Brainy?"

"I think I'd rather keep it inside my mind." She smirked. Arnold rolled his eyes and shrugged. "Say… all the talk about the gang back home, I've been wondering: don't you ever make friends here?" Helga asked.

"Well, I have some… but most of them moved out from the country unfortunately."

"I see." Helga replied. Hopefully Arnold would give her an input about that he was without a girlfriend right now.

"Most of my friends now are those UN soldiers. I'm their poker buddy." He chuckled a bit, "But before that, there's this local guy who volunteered at my mom's camp, but he left a year ago to pursue medicine in Argentina."

Helga nodded.

"A Puerto Rican girl called Isabel followed her mother here. Her mom wanted to find her brother who's gone missing in this country over the few years. My parents offered to help, and I got acquainted with her. Nice girl. After they found her mom's brother, they then went back home along with him. Isabel and I send letters back and forth sometimes."

"You guys…"

"Nah, just friends." he replied back nonchalantly. Helga was relieved to hear that.

"There's this Salma chick—"

"Wait a minute… Salma? Y-You… know her?"

"You know Salma?" Arnold replied in shock surprise.

"She's that Red Cross nurse right? Yeah, I know her. She was the one who sent me to your home shortly after my arrival."

"Yeah. That's her all right." Arnold nodded, smiling. Apparently, his fondness for older woman still hadn't eluded him after these past years. But he knew that a girl like her would in no way be interested in a kid like him, he had always thought. Helga suddenly developed a jealousy over Salma, after seeing that broad, unsightly smile on Arnold's face.

"And then there's Katrina… she's Dutch. Heh," he scoffed softly, "I'm glad that things don't go as she planned…"

This bit of information sparked Helga's curiosity about this girl Arnold mentioned. Though she knew that Arnold sounded like he wasn't fond of her, it wouldn't be wrong if Helga wanted to know more about this Katrina girl.

"Dutch? As in, American-Dutch?" Helga asked.

"Nah. As in, Dutch-Dutch, from The Netherlands. Her father is stationed here about five months ago to help his company to build an oilrig."

"An oilrig? There's oil in this country?"

"Oil was found just a couple of weeks before the United Nations came to intervene the civil war, which leads to several criticism and theories that the United Nations responded only after several countries lobbied them to put a stop to it so they could drill oil here. I'm one of the supporters of the theory."

"You're a conspiracy-theory believer? Come on, you're smarter than this. Has it actually been confirmed that it's true?"

"Well, it is a popular belief amongst the expatriates in this country, you know. It's kinda sick considering that they'd only send people here just to fulfill other countries' greed." He sighed, "Anyhow, why would I be complaining anyway? The country is stabilized after they arrived, and if there were more companies coming to this country then there'd be more jobs for the locals."

Helga felt she had enough and was uncomfortable with this conversation, "Err… coming back to Katrina…"

"Oh, yeah… yeah, Katrina. You see, her dad was transferred here by Shell to assist building an oilrig just about three miles away from that shoreline." He pointed the specific shore to Helga, "Could you see a blackish dot on the horizon? Squint your eyes a bit."

Helga squint her eyes and placed her hand over it to prevent the light from blinding her. She could see a rectangular black speck somewhere along the horizon. "Yeah, I can see it."

"He brought Katrina along with him because he feel that his daughter is a little bit, well… spoiled." He said, "Maybe by introducing her to a new place, with no conveniences and seeing the suffering of these people, she could be thankful just to have all the things that she have now."

"Heh, she got owned by her dad." Helga chuckled.

"Yeah, she told me that hated her dad for bringing her here. And… unfortunately, she never sees the world through the eyes of these people. She becomes xenophobic and confined herself in the house for so long just waiting for the next plane to arrive. Then I showed up, regrettably." He scoffed a bit.

"How did you meet her?"

"I was sending these chemicals stuff to a neighbor of hers when all of the sudden she came out from the house and saw me. We got acquainted soon after that. She even extended her stay here because of… well, me. But I didn't meet her much because I have so much to do."

"Then what happened?"

"Well, we were still in a relationship, and then she complained because I hardly ever meet her. So, I asked her to help and such, she was like, reluctantly agreed. But she never enjoyed her work though, since she's a bigoted idiot and all stuff."

"Man, some people…" Helga sighed.

"Yeah… then she left the country a couple of weeks ago, and I haven't heard from her since."

Helga's heart is ecstatic to hear that Arnold was thankfully, available. "Is that your motley crew?"

"Yep, that's it." Arnold replied with a smile.

"Quite a life you have here." She said sardonically, playfully mocking him. Still, meeting people from different corners of the globe and helping others was very interesting enough for her, Helga had thought. Suddenly, the both of them heard chirping and fluttering noises. They turned around, only to see two lovebirds chasing each other in midair. They turned and evaded each other, doing some impressive maneuvers as they frolic happily under the brilliant sun. Then both of them landed on a tree branch, in pairs together. They softly rubbed each other's head in adoration and fondness as they chirped melodically, as if they were singing together. Arnold just smiled, amused by the pair of birds' antics. Helga on the other hand, thought this was some sort of a vision foretelling her relationship with Arnold in the future. With a soft sigh, she gazed admirably at the birds.

"Hey, Helga."

"Yes, Arnold?"

"You… want to stay here for a while?"

Helga lowered her eyebrow as she looked at him with a suspicious smile.

"Uh… I mean, uh…" he stuttered. "We just got here and all and—"

"Yeah, the view is pretty. I don't mind staying for a while and admire it. 'Sides we don't have anything to do after this, right"?

"Well, you do want to review my piece, don't you?" He smiled.

"Oh yeah, I guess you're right." She chuckled softly. Under the basking sun, Arnold and Helga sat next to each other together, looking towards the horizon, and saw nothing but the clean blue sky and clear, sapphire blue ocean. For the most part, this was a pleasing moment for them, while the other part told them this was awkward for them, since traditionally the one of them would suddenly shouted an insulting remark at the other. But there wasn't any, and there was just silence, as the both of them drifted in their own thoughts. Whether they had noticed or not, Helga had rested her head on Arnold's shoulder.

Arnold felt his left shoulder was particularly heavy, so he turned to it only to see Helga's head on it. She immediately darted her head back and scowled, "WHAT?" and clenched her fist.

I did have some thoughts about removing the last line since it killed the romance, but... what the heck, I'd better just leave it there. About the more "political" (hehe) statements in this chapter, please don't take it too seriously, after all, it is a good-natured humor rather than an attack or a satire. If I wanted to attack, I'd write a five page article about it. The world doesn't work that way, I'm not ignorant about it. Man, I'm so gonna receive flaks about this... Well, I guess that's that, hope you enjoyed it, and please leave a review, or a rant.