Disclaimer: I do not own Hey Arnold or any of the characters. Hey Arnold is the property of Nickelodeon and Craig Bartlett.
Gerald and Phoebe's Wedding
Gerald and Phoebe and getting married and Arnold and Helga need to help them out when they begin to get cold feet.
November 10
It was a beautiful autumns day in the city of Hillwood. The sun was shining, the birds were singing and there was nary a cloud in the sky. It however wasn't an ordinary day in this city, today was actually special.
Someone was getting married today and not just anyone.
Today was the long awaited wedding between one of the cities long-term couples, Gerald Johanssen and his sweetheart, Phoebe Heyerdahl. They have been together ever since they were preteens and today is the day that the two lovebirds are finally going to tie the knot in front of all of their many friends and family, many of which will actually be taking part in the ceremony...
Such as another couple, who are also in the middle of getting ready...
"Honey, can you help me with my tie?...'Arnold called his wife, who is busy applying her make up.
Helga stopped what she is doing and went to tend to him.
"Here ya go...'Helga said as she tried his tie the way it is suppose to go... "There, perfect..." Helga said in a pleased way.
"Thanks, honey..."Arnold said in an appreciative way.
"No problem, so anyway...how's my make up coming along?...'She asked him.
"You're gorgeous but just be careful that you don't outshine the bride...'Arnold teased.
His wife rolled her eyes before she gave him a quick kiss before she went back to getting ready for the wedding.
"I still can't believe it, our little Phoebe and Gerald are finally going to get married..."Helga said in a faux, nostalgic voice, causing her husband to chuckle.
"Yeah, remember when we got married and they were both best man and maid of honor...today we are switching roles...'Arnold chuckled.
"Technically speaking, since I am married, I am Matron of Honor, but I get what you are saying..." Helga said as she finally finished applying her make up.
"Still...it feels like it was just yesterday when we were all just starting to go steady in the sixth grade, going on double dates at Slaucens and the movie theater together...Man, does time sure fly...'Helga said, this time actually sounding genuine in her nostalgia.
"I know what you mean...'Arnold said in the same kind of tone as he splashed on some cologne on him.
The blonde couple continued to get ready and before they knew it, they were on their way to go help their respective best friends, to help prepare them for what is with out a doubt, the most important day of their entire lives...
Later
At the Bridal chambers
Helga was in the middle of helping Phoebe get into her wedding dress and is now helping adjust the veil on her hair.
"How's it coming along, Helga?..."Phoebe asked in a nervous voice.
"Just a little more...perfect!...'Helga said as she was done.
Phoebe stared at her reflection but she still had that expression on her face.
""Are you sure, it looks good with the shade of this dress...Oh, maybe we should have gone with the silk one?..."Phoebe asked nervously.
"Don't be silly Phoebe, it looks perfect on you and so does your dress...'Helga said.
"You mean it?..."Phoebe said, though she still didn't sound convinced.
"You look beautiful Phoebe, there's no doubt about it…"Helga said sincerely to her best friend.
It was true, Phoebe is currently wearing a beautiful, modest white, floor length wedding dress that has an V neckline, long sleeves, a beaded embroidery on bodice a long train at the back, making her look beautiful in a modest kind of way, which only enhanced Phoebe's natural beauty as it is...She chose to go light on her make up, got some french tips on her nails and her hair is flowing free in her silky bob style hair cut...
She really is beautiful...Gerald is a lucky guy...
"She's right, ya know…'Rhonda, one of the bridesmaid, said in agreement.
"Totally, you are gorgeous Phoebe..."Pattie said in an approving way.
"Uh-huh...very stunning..."Sheena said.
With Helga being chosen to be the matron of honor, Rhonda, Pattie and Sheena were chosen to be the bridesmaids and each of them were wearing light blue bridesmaid dresses, since that is phoebe's favorite color and the main color for the ceremony.
It has been planned for months and months, and both Phoebe and Gerald's family's had flown from all over to attend. The church has been booked and decorated with beautiful blue and white colors, the local reception hall has been booked as well, the food has been ordered, flowers were ordered and te honeymoon is all planned out...
It is going to go perfect...right?
"Oh my...Oh my...Where is my bouquet?..."Phoebe asked in an almost panicky voice.
"Right here, Pheebs..."Helga said as she handed her the bouquet that had white roses with blue lilies in it.
"Thank you..."She said politely.
"Okay...I'm suppose to have something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue..."Phoebe said suddenly.
"We have your great-grandmother's broach for the old..."Helga said.
"Your earrings are new..."Sheena said.
"I am letting you borrow my white gold tennis bracelet for something borrowed..."Rhonda said in her usual flamboyant way.
"Oh my, I don't have anything blue...How could I forget to get something blue? Oh, my..."Phoebe started going into a panic once again.
"Pheebs, chill out! Your flowers are blue, and so is everything else in the ceremony, remember?...'Helga reminded her, causing her meek friend to stop her panic.
"Oh...Oh yes, silly me, how could I forget..."Phoebe giggled in embarrassment.
Helga however, looked at her in concern, she knew that a lot of brides got nervous on their wedding day and Phoebe is a skittish little thing, she could only imagine how much stress she is going through .
"Oh what time is it? It's not already 1 is it, I can't be late to my own wedding! I simply can't..." Phoebe started hyperventilating right now.
"Phoebe, calm down, we still have two hours before you need to arrive, I'll make sure that you aren't late..."Helga said, trying to calm her best friend down.
Phoebe however, is still whimpering a bit, with a nervous and almost sick look on her face as she started pacing around in worry.
"I still can't believe this is really happening…"Phoebe muttered as she stared at the flowers in her own hands.
"I can...you and Geraldo are made for each other..."Helga said in an approving way.
"OH NO! WHERE'S MY BROACH! I CAN'T FIND IT! I CAN'T GET MARRIED WITHOUT THAT BROACH!..."Phoebe shouted in terror and Helga flinched at her sudden bout of hysterics.
"Phoebe, calm down. Here it is..."Sheena said as she handed Phoebe's family broach to her.
However, the young woman is still in a moment of emotional distress, still in a tizzy with her emotions.
"Oh, I'm such an idiot! Why am I even doing this?! Oh..."Phoebe soon began to start crying suddenly as she covered her face.
"Uh-oh, looks like we got here a slight case of pre wedding jitters...'Helga whispered to Rhonda as the other girls knew it too.
"Phoebe! Phoebe! PHOEBE!..."Helga yelled loudly, finally getting her attention and finally getting her to stop crying for the time being.
"Finally...Look Phoebe, I know that you are feeling nervous and that's normal but I promise you that the wedding is going to be absolutely perfect..."Helga reassured her.
"How can you be so sure? What if...what if something happens at the ceremony? What if I forget my vows? or what if I trip when I walk down the aisle or...or...what if I...How do I know I'm doing the right thing here?..."Phoebe asked in an uncertain voice.
Both Helga and Pattie, the only other officially married woman in the room, knew what she is trying to say and smiled at her in a sympathetic way.
"Trust me Phoebe, you aren't the only woman who asks that question on this day...'Helga said in a comforting way.
"She's right, the day I married Harold was the best day of my life, but I was so nervous..."Pattie said, as memories of her own wedding came to her.
"But you took that step because you knew that despite it all, you and the big guy were meant to be, just like how I was meant to be with Arnold and how you are meant to be with Gerald...'Helga said.
"Look Phoebe, I get that your nervous but you aren't alone...We've all had the doubts you are experiencing at least once and all brides get nervous on this day...'Helga explained.
Phoebe however had a frown on her face and sent her a glare, which surprised Helga by her best friend's sudden mood swing.
"You weren't! You were already so sure that you and Arnold were meant to be, you could hardly wait to get to the alter..."Phoebe pointed out, her nerves still affecting her mood and attitude.
"Yeah but there always was a little bit in me that was worried that somehow, something was going to go wrong or that we wouldn't make it...and believe me, with how my luck used to be like, it;s understandable...but I had to take that risk...I love Arnold and I know that I want to spend every day of my life with him, to live in the same house and start a family someday..."Helga confessed.
"Phoebe, if I had let my insecurity keep me back on my wedding day...heck, if I let them keep me back when me and Arnold started dating, I wouldn't be where I am today, happily married to my soulmate...'She said..
Phoebe looked at her best friend with wide eyes at that speech of hers...
"You love Gerald don't you?...'She asked.
"Of course I do..."Phoebe answered.
"And you want a life with him don't you?..."Helga asked.
"Yes..."Phoebe said.
"And he loves you? Right?..."Helga asked.
"Yes..."Phoebe said once again.
"Then, isn't that enough to just...take the chance...Look, usually it's Arnold who gives the optimistic advice but he's busy getting your groom ready, so I have to say it... something you just got to believe that love will find a way and everything will work out in the end..."Helga said.
Phoebe's terrified and volatile look soon melted away and her expression softened a bit, with a tiny smile finally returning to her face.
"Now that's the smile I like to see..."Helga said... 'So, are you feeling better?...'Helga asked.
"I think so...yes...'Phoebe said.
"Great, now come on...We got to finish getting you ready..."Helga said while she and the other bridesmaid tended to a finally calmer Phoebe.
Getting her reading for wedding day. As her friends helped her, the bride thought more about what Helga said and she knew that she is right. Usually Phoebe tried to live life through logic and she mostly stayed on the safe side but...there are times that you need to take a risk and just try and be hopeful that it will work out.
She can't predict what will happen in the future but she does know one thing and it's that she loves Gerald Martin Johanssen with all of her heart and she wants to be his wife today. She wants to walk down the aisle with him, to exchange vows and rings, get married and live happily ever after.
She knows that she wants that...and she also knows that he wants it too.
Meanwhile
At the Groom's Chambers
"Is my hair alright?...'…"Gerald asked nervously as he turned to his best friend.
"For the 8th time Gerald, you look great...'Arnold said in amusement.
Gerald's hair was slicked back, he has a clean shave, and he is wearing a nice black suit with a blue tie due to Phoebe wanting blue to me the main color of the wedding, since it's her favorite color.
He is dressed like a groom but he is looking and acting like a nervous wreck.
"I got my cuff links on...I had brushed my teeth three times and gargled twice..."Gerald said as he started walking around nervously.
"I ain't forgetting anything else, am I?...'Gerald asked Arnold.
"No Gerald, everything has been all set, you and the ceremony will look great...'Arnold said as Gerald continued to walk around frantically.
'Are you feeling nervous?...'Arnold asked, causing Gerald to finally stop.
"What? Me?! NERVOUS?! P-Please?..."Gerald said quickly, though he could tell he just stuttered.
"Oh man! is that a ZIT?!...' Gerald screamed when he ran to his reflection in a panic, but Arnold soon saw what it was.
"It's not a zit Gerald, you just have a speck is all..."Arnold said as he helped get rid of it, though he sent Gerald a knowing look.
"I'm NOT nervous Arnold! I...I just want everything to be perfect! Why do I have to be nervous just because I'm...I'm getting...I'm getting m-m-mm-m-m-
'Married?..."Arnold finished for him and Gerald nodded his head.
The young man just groaned and started to feel queasy. He still couldn't believe that today he and Phoebe are finally getting married. She was his first love and they have been together since they were pre-teens and today is the day that he and she will finally become man and wife and live happiness after...
So why does he feel like he's about to PASS OUT?!
"Is memory serves me, weren't you the one who said to just have to stand here, look pretty, say "I do" when queued and that's that…'Arnold said, in full memory of his own wedding day from a few months ago.
"So I was wrong!...Man, how did you not pass out that day?..."Gerald asked in an incredulous voice.
"Trust me, I almost did a few times but...I guess that despite how nervous and scared I was on that day, I was still so excited and happy too...'Arnold explained.
Gerald just had a somber look on his face and covered it with his hands and Arnold sent him a sympathetic look, only imaging what he is going through.
''Gerald, what's really the problem here?..."Arnold asked his best friend who looked so lost.
"I don't know! I...I just...How do I know that I'm doing the right thing here?...'Gerald asked.
"How do I know that I'm not going to mess this up? This is Phoebe's wedding and she deserves to have it be perfect and she deserves the perfect guy too? How can I know that I'm not going to ruin her life?!...'Gerald said.
"Gerald, me and Helga have helped you planned the wedding right to the last detail and it will go on without a hitch but the thing about Phoebe...you aren't the only guy who gets worried like this, you remember how nervous I was on my wedding..." Arnold pointed out.
"But that's different, your bride would have killed the both of us if we had messed it up...'Gerald said, getting a glare from Arnold.. .'Sorry...'He quickly apologized.
"Gerald, I understand that you are scared now, all grooms get scared on their wedding day, they all worry that it might not work out or something will go on..."Arnold said.
"So, why did you go through with it?..." Gerald asked in a half hearted kind of way.
Arnold just sent him a small smile, as if he was remembering something precious to him...
"I guess sometimes...you just got to take a risk...you can't let your insecurities hold you back from pursuing the thing you want the most...and for me, that's to be with my soulmate for the rest of my life...and now look at where we are..."He explained with a happy smile.
Gerald looked at his best friend with wide eyes at that speech of his...He knew that when Arnold really believes in something, it has to have truth in it...
"You love Phoebe don't you?...'Arnold asked.
"Of course I do..."Gerald answered.
"And you want a life with her don't you?..."He asked.
"Yes..."Gerald e said.
"And she loves you? Right?..."Arnold asked.
"Yes..."Gerald said once again.
'Well, I don't know about you, but I think that's enough proof to take the chance...you just got to take believe in love and hope that everything will work out in the end...He said with a smile.
Gerald finally lost his nervous look on his face and now smiled again...
"Thanks man, I needed that...'Gerald said in a grateful tone.
"It's what I'm here for..."Arnold said happily.
"Uh...Could you help with my tie?..."Gerald asked his best friend who complied.
The groom thought about what his best friend said and he knew that he is right. He could only give Phoebe his absolute best and that's what he is going to do. He just needs to take a chance and...just hope that his love will be enough for her and that no matter what, everything will work out in the end. He can't predict the future but if there is one thing that he does know, it's that he loves Phoebe with all of his heart and he wants her to become his wife today.
He wants that more than anything in the whole, wide world and he is going to go that church, and walk down the aisle with her no matter what...
Still, a part of him could only hope that no matter what, he didn't mess this up.
Later
At the church
Gerald was standing at the alter with Arnold, who will be serving as best man, standing next to him. He cast a glance around the area and saw the other grooms men: His cousin Marty, Harold, Sid and Stinky. Curly had agreed to serve as the wedding photographer and is currently snapping pictures even as they speak.
He glanced at the crowed and he saw his parents, his brother and sister and the rest of their aunts, uncles and many cousins, along with his other friends and co-workers who have come to see his big day. He also saw Phoebe's side of the family, even her grandparents and cousin who had flown all the way from Japan to see the big event.
It's a packed house and he is still feeling a little nervous to say the least, but he just tried to focus on what Arnold said earlier.
He just had to have faith that this will all work out in the end...
Suddenly the music picked up and Arnold sent him a reassuring smile.
"Good luck, man..."He whispered quickly.
Gerald stood there as he watched Helga and the other bridesmaid come down the aisle, along with his nephew Jameo Jr and Phoebe's little cousin Trixie serving as ring bearer and the flower girl respectively.
Soon, the moment they all were waiting for has arrived. Gerald looked at the end of the aisle and his mouth dropped he saw Phoebe enter the room as the vision of loveliness dressed in her lovely white wedding dress.
She looks like an angel!
"Wow…"Gerald said in a stunned voice as he watched the angel almost float down the aisle with her father.
Soon Phoebe reached the end of the aisle; her eyes fixated on her groom who no longer felt nervous as he was too mesmerized with this beauty would soon be his wife.
"Dearly beloved, we are are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony…"The minister started.
Gerald and Phoebe's eyes were so focused on each other, neither speaking a single word as the two of the could barely hear what the minister is saying. All the could really noticed is that they were finally here and that they wanted to be here. Any fear, any nervousness and any stress from before was forgotten and all they could feel and notice right now is how much they loved each other.
Soon the time to exchange vows came and both Gerald and Phoebe spoke theirs as sincerely as they could, they exchanged the rings and neither had taken their eyes off the other..
Now came the moment of truth...
"Do you Gerald Martin Johanssen take Phoebe Li Heyerdahl to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, to love, honor and cherish, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?..."The minister asked.
"I do…"Gerald said, not feeling an ounce of nervousness, just happiness.
"Do you Phoebe Li Heyerdahl take Gerald Martin Johanssen to be your lawfully wedded husband , to have and to hold, to love, honor and cherish, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?..."The minister asked.
"I do…'Phoebe said lovingly to her groom, the fears and worry from early completely forgotten.
"By the power invested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife..."The minister said to the happy couple.
"You may now kiss the bride..."The minister said as he closed the bible.
Gerald and Phoebe soon kissed and he even dipped Phoebe back as their many friends and happy had cheered for their happiness. Arnold and Helga had watched this scene happily as Helga even wiped some tears away, just feeling so happy for her best friend.
"They finally did it..."Helga whispered to her husband, who was feeling so many emotions of joy right now for his best friend.
"I always knew that they would...'Arnold whispered back to her they watched their best friends run hand in hand out of the church, with everybody throwing good luck rice for them.
Gerald and Phoebe are now married and like their best friends before them, they are destined to be happy together for the rest of their lives.
They are meant to be, after all...
-To be continued-
Next time on The First Year
Our First Thanksgiving
REPLIES to my loyal and totally awesome reviewers:
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61394: True, true
:) Till next time beautiful people, remember to read and review :)