Everyone changes with time. A day, a week, a month, a year... they all count. So how much can a group of rag tag 4th graders from P.S. 118 change with junior high, high school, and a whole bunch of history between those seven years? A whole lot.

Years Later

The Longer the Days Are

"I can't believe you're leaving Ian!" Helga said as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Ian smiled for Helga before he engulfed the now newly died back to pink haired teen. "I'll be back before you know it! You won't even miss me!"

Helga rolled her eyes. "Right, since you won't be able to communicate to any person in the United States, for how long again?"

Ian mumbled an answer underneath his breath.

Helga cupped a hand over her ear. "Oh, please do repeat, I think I'm going a little deaf."

Ian playfully shoved Helga in her shoulders. "You know very well I'll be gone for six months."

Helga wrapped her arms around Ian's neck and rested her head onto his shoulders. "I'll miss you, you know."

"I'll miss you too, pink haired brat. I'll send you post card whenever I can."

Helga smiled in Ian's neck. "You had better. And while you are abroad to all regions unknown on every continent but North America and Antarctica," Helga paused for a second and raised a pink eyebrow. "You are not going to Antarctica, right?"

"No, sweety, I'm not going to Antarctica."

"Good, now as I was saying, while you gallivanting abroad to study whatever you geeks into nature study, I expect you to pick me up some good souvenirs for me and Hilly."

"As if I wouldn't." Ian hugged Helga tight once more before he let go. "Now you need to get home right now, it's a school night. I'll drive you back to your house."

Helga snorted. "Yea, whatever. Can you grab Hilda for me and do us both a favor, and don't wake her up."

"Sure. Just grab my keys from the kitchen for me."

Ian disappeared into the family room off his apartment while Helga picked up the keys of a C-Class Mercedes Benz from the key hook next to the door. Within moments Ian reappeared, but now he had on shoes and was holding one blonde girl in his arms.

"It's amazing how you manage to afford such expensive toys."

"Not my fault, my parents come from a very old and wealthy family. They love sending me gifts so that they can try to convert me to their side."

"And it never works, huh?"

A smile reached Ian's eyes, even though one did not reach his face. "Nope, but I do keep the toys though." Ian paused for a moment and Helga bumped into his back when he stopped short. "Are you prepared to face a world without me?"

"Of course I am."

"And remember–"

Helga rolled her eyes and smiled. "Don't participate in any business with anyone because you're not here! I know, I know, you're such a worry wart some times."

Ian used his free arm to wrap it around Helga's waist. "Sometimes, someone has to look out for you Helga. You are not invincible, no matter how much you convince yourself you are."

Helga surprised Ian by impulsively giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "Trust when I say I know."

(Y/L)

BEEP!

BEEP!

BEEP!

BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!

"Damn."

Helga shot one hand from underneath her Pink Panther covers and let her fingers search for the third button from her bed before she slammed it down.

This is all a long run routine, Helga thought, a routine I know very well, almost too well.

It was too bad now the routine didn't have an Ian to fall back on, considering he was halfway around the world being the nature geek he was.

Well, at least I have his motorcycle in my basement, ready to be used without a moments notice.

Helga smiled

Helga pushed the covers off of her body, but did not move to get out of bed. She quickly glanced at the clock, if she didn't wake Hilda up now then she would be late to school, and as much as Mr. Simmons liked her, she doubted he would excuse her tardiness for the umpteenth time. Helga kicked her legs on to the ground and made her way out into the hallway.

When she reached her sister's room she knocked on the door before poking her head into the purple theme room. "Hilda, it's time to wake up sleepy head."

As an answer a pillow was thrown in Helga's direction.

"And this is exactly why I am going to drink off all of the hot chocolate this morning."

A blue orb opened and focused on Helga. "H-hot chocolate?"

"Yup, you see I am so traumatized by that pillow that was thrown my way that I will have to make myself two very large cups of hot chocolate for myself and myself alone."

"With whipped cream?"

"Yup and some amaretto cream mixed in."

"Can I get some?"

"Hmmm, if you can get ready with fifteen minutes, then I guess that would be alright. Any later and I will be drinking all that hot chocolate by myself... not like I am complaining or anything. See ya." Helga closed the door before she leaned against it, smirking as she heard her sister rolling out of bed and starting to get all of her things together.

Helga pushed off the door and headed for the kitchen next, after all she had to uphold her end of the deal.

When she entered the kitchen she was greeted with an unpleasant surprise.

No, the room was still the same with it worn and discolored cream and light yellow wallpaper that was once colored pure white and vibrant yellow. The island still had a large burn from a cooking incident when Hilda and Helga had been experimenting with a recipe, and the kitchen table in the nook was still the same wobbly wooden circular table that had Helga's old algebra book underneath one of its legs to keep it balanced.

No, the surprised was a tall hair woman standing over the stove with her raven hair tied up in a messy bun.

"Damn. Why are you here again?"

The woman did not turn around to need to know who had just talked to her. "Good morning to you too Helga."

Sighing Helga went to the cupboards to get out the material she needed for the recipe for homemade hot chocolate her mother had taught her to make. "I'm afraid this morning can't be good if you're here."

The woman laughed and turned around to fix her purple gaze on Helga. "You are such a darling child. I can see exactly why Bobbie-cakes talks so little about you."

"If you are trying to bitchy I would suggest you get some better lines, Lexie."

Lexie laughed, holding one hand over her chest and lightly fanning herself with the other, in a way that a southern debutante would. A slutty, hookerish, bitchy southern debutante that is.

Lexie Jones was thirty two, worked at a real sleazy bar in Wayside, was once a model as a teenager and would have been famous – something she would never let anyone forget– if she had not got involved with heavy drug usage (she claimed that she quit, but Helga once caught Lexie acting quite high once), drove a Lexus, had a double d cup that she loved to flaunt in skimpy clothes that barely covered her body, was an amazon at the height of 5'11'', thought she was the queen of the world, had an attitude problem that Helga was just itching to correct, and, at least in Helga's mind, was a hooker on the weekends.

Lexie and Bob had been seeing each other for about three years, and Helga could not stand the woman, in fact the feelings of dislike bordering hate and annoyance was still there from the very first day they had met one bright and early morning in the very exact kitchen three years ago.

Helga was sure those feelings were returned equally.

Unfortunately Helga did not give a damn or two... but she did care that the woman was always swiping her cigarettes and her Pink Panther zippo lighter.

Helga's blue eyes zeroed in on the cigarette dangling from the neon green painted fingernails of Lexie Jones. Helga looked on the kitchen counter and saw a pack of Lina Grette's Cigarettes on the counter, the spare pack that she always kept in the kitchen draw with the knives and a wad of money hidden in box that was supposed to hold birthday candles.

"Look Jones, I am sure enough that you make enough money to buy your own god damn fucking pack of cigarettes." Helga filled up a pot of water and turned on the stove.

Lexie wagged one finger in Helga's direction. "Tut, tut, tut, young lady, didn't your mother teach you to not use such foul language." Lexie smirked at Helga, knowing that she had hit a nerve when she saw the blonde visible freeze. "What did I say something wrong?"

"Go fuck yourself."

"Such foul language, directed at your elders."

"Fuck that, you are about the right age to be my older sister, so don't try pulling that fucking card with me."

Lexie walked over to Helga and stood toe to toe to the pink and blonde haired girl, looking down at her. "And if I do?"

Helga smirked and stood up straight, maximizing every inch of her 5' 9 ½" height. "You, and your highly inflated ego, and your highly fake breast implants of yours won't like the results."

With that said Helga went back to making hot chocolate.

(YL)

"What a way to wake up." Phoebe said as she munched on her ham and cheese sandwich.

"You're telling the wrong the person."

Helga told Phoebe of the morning's mishap with Lexie, and Phoebe listened, as she always did whenever Helga gripped over the older woman.

Phoebe patted Helga on the head, as if she were some type of pet needing comfort. "Oh, my poor dear. At least you got her to back off with the threat to her life and her valued boob job."

Just as Helga opened mouth to say something sarcastically witty, after all that's about all that came out of Helga's mouth along with rude comments, Sid bounded over to the table and kissed Helga flush on the mouth before he kissed Phoebe.

Both females sat very still as Sid plopped into his chair and ceremoniously began to devour his food. When they saw that he was blithely ignoring their stares they began to talk.

"Who, or rather, what is that? And why is it at out table, Pink Punster?"

"Blue Brat, I dear say I am scared to find out." Helga elbowed Phoebe in the stomach. "You try and make contact first, after all you are the brain in this relationship and this is definitely your field."

"My field?"

"Yea, making contact with strange forms from other worlds, like those guys in the chess club."

Phoebe swatted the back of Helga's head. "That was very mean of you."

Helga rubbed the sore spot on the back of her head that was there as a present from her best friend, whom she reconsidering to denominate from that position. "Have I ever actually been nice?"

"Good question." Phoebe tapped her chin thoughtfully before scooping some fries into her mouth. "And the answer is no."

Helga smiled proudly as she waved to an imaginary crowd. "Thank you, thank you. You all are so wonderful." She caught an imaginary bouquet of flowers and began to cry. "You like me… you really, really like me!"

Phoebe paused in mid bite. "What are you doing?"

"Accepting my crown as the High Queen of Mean and Bitchiness."

Phoebe stared at Helga for a moment before she went back to her food. "Aw. Go on then, I mean who am I to keep the rightful heir from her crown?"

"That is exactly right, you plebeian."

Phoebe veraciously bit into her sandwich. "Ouch, ouch, you wound." She said in very stoic and monotone voice.

The Too-Happy-To-Be-Sid looked at his friends, highly annoyed at their inattentiveness to him. "Aren't you going to ask why I am so happy?"

Phoebe and Helga shared 'The Look', a look that was usually used whenever they both tapped into the remaining ninety percent of their brains and were able to contact each other using their telepathy, before they answered, "No." at the same time.

Sid pouted prettily as he whined. "Not even a little."

Helga raised one of her eyebrows. "You know, if you were a girl you would be the prettiest one?"

Sid smiled and leaned in close to kiss Helga on the mouth. "But I am the prettiest one of them all."

Phoebe moved in close and rested the back of her hand on Sid's forehead.

"What are you doing?"

"Making sure you are not suffering some delirium due to some fever. Cause if you are, you might drop dead on us, and since I am sure you don't have a will yet, I just want to guarantee that I am getting your stereo system when you kick the proverbial bucket."

"Wha?"

"In other words, I value stereo system more than I value your life. Hey, at least you made second place on the list." Phoebe said with a wicked smile full of evil delight.

"You scare me."

"Thanks, it comes naturally."

Helga lightly elbowed Phoebe in the stomach. "That's no fair, I wanted the stereo system!"

Phoebe patted Helga's head with her free hand, "No worries, you'll get the 24 inch TV and it's stand."

"Yay!"

Sid lightly slapped Phoebe's hand. "No I am not dying, nor am I going to die anytime soon. So I'll be keeping both my stereo system and my TV."

"Damn."

"No, double damn, Phoebe, double damn."

"And if I am dying anytime soon, I'll know for sure it was you two and you both poisoned my food!"

"Nah, that's not Helga or my style."

"Then pray tell, what is?"

"We would rather have Colonel Mustard kill you."

"In the kitchen."

"With a pipe."

Both females smiled deviously at Sid.

"So, what my associate, Miss. Heyerdahl, is trying to say is, you better watch yourself whenever you enter a kitchen, 'cause you never know when a rather large and burly guy wearing all yellow suit will sneak up behind and kill you with a metal pipe."

"Ain't life a bitch."

"And then ya die!"

"You know what, you both scare me."

"Sid, shut up and just tell us–"

"That's an oxymoron Helga."

Helga turned to face Phoebe, "You can shut up too!" Then she turned her attention back to the very wide eye Sid. "And you what has got you acting like some crazed idiot high off helium."

"And weed."

"Phoebe!"

"Shutting up." Phoebe pulled an imaginary zipper shut over her mouth and then she took a 'key' and 'locked' up her mouth, before throwing away the 'key'.

"Good, now Sid, talk!"

"Well, I finally... nah, never mind, you guys don't want to hear my story."

Helga grabbed the collar of Sid's brown leather jacket, which was given to him by herself and Phoebe only six days ago. "You are going to talk, and talk now! Do you know how hard it is to actually keep Phoebe from making any smarmy comments?"

"Did you just say smarmy?"

"Yes, yes I did. Now, talk before I kill you and take your TV!"

"Fine. If you must know, I finally asked Sheena out."

"And she said yes, right?" Phoebe asked exuberantly.

"Didn't I tell you to shut up?"

"You can't rule me Pataki!"

"No I can't," Helga sighed. "But I can destroy your Princess Powder Puff collection."

"You wouldn't!"

"I would."

Phoebe opened her mouth before she quickly realized the truth. She sighed, "Yea, you would, I'll shut up now."

"Good, now continue Sid."

"Phoebe's right, she did say yes."

"Congratulations on finally growing balls Sid, Phoebe and I are very proud. She would tell you herself, but if she spoke, her prized collection would all be enjoying a nice toasty, not to mention roasty fire tonight at my house."

"That is, if you ever find them." Phoebe stuck out her tongue at Helga, "So Sid, do explain why you celebrated by kissing Helga twice and me once?"

"I figured you guys wouldn't want to be left out of my absolute happiness."

"Oh, you're so… sweet Sid."

"I do try Helga, I do try."

Phoebe folded her arms over her chest and mock glared at Sid. "I am not pleased. You kissed more times than me."

"I did, didn't I. Do you still have onion breath?"

"You know it!"

"Good," Sid leaned in and kissed Phoebe, meanwhile his hand reached out and stole the remaining half of Phoebe's sandwich. "There now you two are even."

"Yea, and you have my sandwich."

Sid happily munched on Phoebe's sandwich.

"Fortunately I was done with my lunch."

Helga folded her arms over her chest as she leaned her chair back. "Why are we all friends again?"

Phoebe shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine."

"It's because I have the power, Phoebe has the money, and you have the connections, together we're unstoppable."

Helga nodded in agreement with Sid's explanation. "For once perv boy speaks the truth!"

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

"And by the way Phoebe, 17, 74, 37."

"Huh?"

"That's the combo to the safe that holds the majority of your collection."

"You're despicable."

"I know."

(YL)

B E E P! This is a disclaimer! I do not own Hey Arnold! 'Cause if I did, the poor show would be even more corrupt with my crazy, and not to mention, corrupted thoughts! Thank you Justin T. Melanson, Jaded Angel, Xandiira, Demille, Yuikey, Katy, Drucilla Black, Bleeding in Vein, Rellik-06, and What's their Name for the encouraging and wonderful reviews.

PS:

Justin T. Melanson, on the nose as usually. It will be happening next chapter, it will not only be big, but a catalyst for a large number of event that will eventually lead to the end of the story.

BellaMay76, where are you, you are very missed.

Everybody, I believe that YL will be done by June 2005, unguaranteed! And I do mean unguaranteed. Oh and I just want to mention that Stella and Miles Crinshaw– Arnold's parents are alive I will revise one the earlier chapters to say that… I kinda need them to finish out the story as planned.

Next Chapter: The First Few Letters of...

Click the button, it has been having withdrawal clicking problems for the last few months. Just put it out of its misery and click the darn review button

S.L. Cipher (Who will gladly accept all criticisms, advice, reviews, praises, and flames with a large Cheshire Cat like smile just because Cheshire Cat like smiles can piss people off and Cipher loves pissing people off because it is exceptional fun... Especially when they try and attack you. That's why it is so important to always have a mace and a sword on hand– it helps to keep those crazy people off your back!)

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