Ghost in the Night
A Hey Arnold FanFic
Disclaimer: I do not own Hey Arnold and make no attempt to profit from it. All characters belong to Craig Bartlett, who is a genius!
Special thanks to MidniteRaine, Anonymous Latina and Jilly and to all of you have reviewed during this story; words cannot express how thankful I am for them. This is the end of this story, but there may be a continuation of this story later on, but I haven't decided on that just yet. I'm sorry for the long wait; exams needed to be done and I wanted this to be the best it could be. Anyway please enjoy.
Chapter Eleven: Love, Life and the world beyond
Soft chirps from above distracted him for a mere second, only one, in which time he could feel it once more dawn upon him; his best friend was to be married. Today. Though not worried about a last minute rush or for a confession of dire consequences, Arnold noticed the sweat bead on his friend's face, worry growing steadily in his eyes. Gerald wasn't going to run away from the wedding; it was nearly impossible. Harold stood silently at the back of the church, watching carefully in the shadows for any sign of Gerald running; a brief nod was returned by Arnold, who kept his eyes focused on the back of the church.
Everything today had gone exactly to plan; it had been a rather uncomplicated and simple plan Phoebe had devised for the wedding. Get Gerald to the front of the church and the rest of the wedding would take care of itself. Ingenious Arnold had to admit, but the suit he wore wasn't agreeing with Phoebe's design, the windows only half opened which left this hot sweltering midday heat to fester, unsettling even for the most cool of personalities. Glancing at his watch, Arnold tried to keep his own breathing in check. In a few minutes it would start; Phoebe would walk down the aisle and Gerald would speak his vows.
"Everything ok there Gerald?" Arnold asked, trying to break some of the tension he and Gerald had building up inside themselves.
"Hmm? Oh yes, sure, everything is fine Arnold; I'm just trying to remember the last part of the vow I was meant to say…I don't think it had anything to do with dogs however."
Arnold laughed. "I don't think so Gerald; but I do want to say I'm sorry."
Gerald turned to him oddly. "What for?"
"For the engagement; I never meant to run out and ruin your moment-"
A hand from Gerald stopped anything else he may have wanted to say or apologise for. "It is in the past Arnold and to be honest I'm sorry we put you into that situation; Phoebe thought it might be a good idea and in hindsight I shouldn't have agreed to it. But what is done is done; and besides you made up for it later anyway with the drinks and celebrations back at the rooms."
"Who would have thought you would grow up to be such a mature adult?" Arnold grinned, glad Gerald was fine with him.
"Neither of us that's for sure; I still don't think you've hit that point yet though," Gerald laughed, causing Arnold to blush slightly as he laughed.
Reassuring Gerald everything would be ok and that he still had the rings in his pockets, Arnold tried to put away the memory from last night but gave up. Last night had been the bucks' night, Gerald's last night of freedom and last chance to enjoy himself without worrying about Phoebe. Which is what Arnold had told him, but he had refrained from drinking a single drop of alcohol until he was safely back in the hotel room. Impressive given the party they had had for the engagement was beyond the buck's night. But this wasn't what worried him; it was strange to stand here watching everything unfold now that last night felt like months away…
Earlier that day…12:36 A.M.
"I'm telling you Gerald, she isn't going to mind; knowing what the girls could do with Helga around, this is tame compared to what they would be doing," Arnold grinned, Gerald's concern matching the jittering teeth.
"But at least they are all together; everyone left half an hour ago Arnold, so why are we standing in the cold about to jump into the hotel pool with nothing but board shorts on?"
"Only one way to find out."
Pushing him into the cold water, Gerald sunk to the bottom before shooting up from the bottom like a bullet, gasping for breath and shivering in the midnight air. A moment later and a laughing Arnold jumped into the pool, shooting to the top as quick as Gerald did and began to shiver, much to Gerald's pleasure.
"Time for bed?"
Arnold nodded at Gerald's suggestion and both jumped out of the pool hastily, running for the towels and shooting back into the hotel and up to the room. A cold air spread around him as they left the elevator and headed towards the room. Shaking all the way to the room door, Arnold turned his attention to the window at the end of the hall and saw Lila; she wasn't normal however in comparison to the Lila he knew. Pale green, her skin missing parts of itself and floating towards him eerily, a sliver of a ghostly smile traced her lips, her eyes narrowing as her hand reached out for him, grasping tightly around his neck as he felt it grow darker around him. It felt like death was inches from his eyes as the figure vanished away to form a monstrous form of a girl he loved dearly. "How could you do this to me Arnold?" she shrieked as he tried to fight back against the hand to no avail.
"Are you alright Arnold?"
Arnold shook his head and turned to his best friend who was busily opening the door, unaware that anything strange had just occurred. Looking back towards the window, Arnold could find no trace of the ghostly Lila or of the monstrous form of the girl he loved. It didn't make sense and he gladly closed the door behind him as Gerald headed for the small mini-bar fridge in the corner of the room. He wanted to ask Gerald if he had seen the ghost too, but as Gerald took a sip from one of the drinks, he doubted his friend had seen anything.
He had to admit his life was more on track than it had been in a long time. His career was flourishing as was normal and he had managed not to remain locked down in his work or in the drinking he had once done before. A small tag of darkness flirted through his mind; brushing it aside mentally, Arnold reached for the drink Gerald offered him and began to drink it thankfully. It had been a while since his last drink and he immediately felt the effects surge through him; luckily he had eaten a hearty meal before hand or it could have been worse. But the drink wasn't what worried him though; he hadn't seen that ghostly figure for a long time.
"Arnold are you sure you're ok my man? You look paler than normal," Gerald commented offhandedly, relaxing himself on the large bed, no doubt reserved for tomorrow night's uniting with his soon to be wife.
"Yeah I'm fine-"
"Tell me the truth Arnold; we've gone through way too much lately for me to drop it," he smirked.
Arnold took another long gulp of the alcohol and frowned. "I saw her again."
Nodding, Gerald leant back further into the cushions and enjoyed himself. "I suppose it hasn't left yet completely; she is the only link you have to that life though Arnold. Let it go."
"How do I let it go?"
"Something is holding you back and we both know it; perhaps you're hoping for something, or you haven't forgiven someone for the wrong they did to you or you haven't been forgiven for your wrong against them. There are many possibilities," he continued as Arnold tried to say something, "However I think the most likely one is this; things with you and Helga have been going well and there is no denying that the both of you are now increasingly happy to be around one another. But you won't get close to her again; am I right?"
Arnold cringed at the thought of his best friend being right once again that night; how he had managed to guess the exact contents of the meal without looking at it had astounded everyone at the restaurant. But this wasn't exactly that far off either; he only held onto it because he felt it had become such a part of him that he couldn't leave it alone anymore.
"I…it isn't that; it has become such a part of me, the depression, that I can't begin to think what it would be like to live without it. Life has changed so much lately; I don't know how I would live without it now. It's like a drug to me; I remember it so clearly that it reinforces my desire not to go back to it."
"And this is the difference here my man; you're still living it instead of letting it be a memory to remind you that you can get through the struggles in your life instead of succumbing to them and giving in. I'm not a genius, but I think that if you can put it behind you, accept it happened and move on, you will find that the new life you have will have an greater lease on it now than you thought was possible before."
Arnold slumped into the chair behind him; he couldn't remember ever feeling so drained before tonight and the drink in his hands was only making it worse. Placing it beside him, Arnold decided enough was enough; he couldn't drink anymore. Every time he did the memories would flood back to his mind like an old news reel, the pain growing and laughing at the misery it put him through. The room grew darker, Gerald fading from his view before him. Experience told him what was about to happen; the air around him turned to a chill that would leave anyone around him frozen, his breath like a furnace as she appeared.
Pale green all over; the form of a ghostly Lila appeared before him once more. Where there should be eyes were white slits of light, her voice horribly high pitched and skin clinging to the bones around her. She floated towards him, her hand once again outstretched for his neck, hoping to this time finish the job is had started out to do all these years ago. His mind froze itself in the fear but his heart pounded more than it ever had; he was not going to run away and hide from this anymore.
"Go away," he stuttered, the chill making it hard for his body to remain warm.
"Oh my dear Arnold, you have nothing to fear anymore; it shall end shortly," she smiled darkly, her hand inches now from his neck.
"I don't need you anymore Lila; I have something worth living for now."
The ghost laughed, the high pitch of her voice shattering the glass around him, forcing him to cover his ears. It was horrible to listen to; it sounded like the wailing of a thousand dying souls, eternally doomed to the afterlife. But he had to fight back; he couldn't give up now…
"I told you to leave me alone Lila; you can never have what I hold dear to me anymore."
"But Arnold," she said, the figure warping frantically, "I am her; we can never be apart my love. You are mine, just as I am yours. You never needed anyone else Arnold; I was always going to be the one you love. You can't fight me; you love me too much," the figure morphed, finally arriving at the gorgeous figure of Helga Pataki.
Unlike Lila, this ghost was not a pale green but more of a darker blue, her body ice cold. Her eyes shone brightly, beckoning Arnold forth. All life in his fight left him; she was right. It was over. Her hand moved closer to him, stroking his face carefully before moving downwards. Arnold felt his eyes slowly close, shutting tightly as he prepared for the end. He was a fool to have tried to fight back; Helga was always right about him; she had always been. This was his last time of watching his true love before him…A flicker of an image flashed through his mind; he was sitting on the bench in New Zealand at night once more and she was with him, smiling and hugging him so tightly. Arnold's eyes shot open; this wasn't his love.
A wave of fear spread through the ghostly Helga; changing back to the first green form, her hand retreated from his neck unable to stand the warmth that spread through his body. Lila made to speak but stopped; projecting from him, a feminine figure rose forth from Arnold, magnificent and majestic and equally powerful. Arnold caught sight of her and gasped; clothed in armour of old and wearing her hair in a long plait down her back, Helga strode towards the ghost and grinned.
"Leave Arnold alone," her voice projected, slamming the ghost to the ground instantly.
The ghost tried to stand back up, but Helga's hands had picked it up like a rag doll, bringing Lila to her eye level. Shrieking and trying to break her grasp, Lila began to burn, her form fading away to ashes as Helga held her tightly.
"You have tormented him for long enough; it is time you receive your reward. Feel the sorrow and pain you have caused him and enjoy it; you shall burn," Helga spat, watching as Lila's form gave one last struggle before her ear piercing scream escaped her body, sending Arnold onto the floor behind him.
Stillness receded for a moment; hands held him up, her eyes gazing into his lovingly as Arnold looked at her. Her form was begin to turn wispy around her, slowly moving back into his heart. Arnold couldn't help but feel sad; she was going again. She was leaving him.
"Arnold, I'll always be in here," Helga smiled as she stretched out her hand to his heart and closed her eyes. In one fluid motion, Helga became a bright light, flooding the room as she moved back into his heart…
Gasping for breath, Arnold felt the cold sweat on his brow and frowned; Gerald was looking at him oddly. He didn't remember seeing Gerald standing over the top of him before and feeling with his hands around him he certainly didn't remember being on the ground. Taking the hand offered to him, Arnold stood up and shook his head. Gerald continued to stare at him, shaking his head at the thought of Arnold being mad.
"I guess that dream was intense," Gerald smiled, helping Arnold over to the bed.
"I did it Gerald," he replied weakly.
Puzzled, Gerald fixed the pillow beneath his head. "She is gone; I never have to see her again. I'm finally free," he smiled, exhausted and heaving for breath.
Gerald smiled softly and fixed the blanket over his friend. "And about time too Arnold; you deserve it," he whispered before turning to the chair and settling down for the night, Arnold's mind ablaze with the thought of Helga.
Wedding altar…3:32 P.M.
Arnold shook his head and caught the smile of Phoebe as Gerald pronounced the words he knew she had waited to hear for so long: I do. The priest spoke for a moment before pandemonium broke loose; embracing each other, Gerald and Phoebe kissed, the church crowd erupting into celebration as one; hats flew in the air, women cried as did a few of the men; Arnold could make out the proud smile of Gerald's father and the happy cry of his mother, who was tearing up but managing to still look at them. His former classmates were jumping up and down, high fiving and laughing and crying, all too happy to explain what it was that made them all act this way. But it was the look from Phoebe's bridesmaid, her maid of honour, that captured the feeling he felt the best.
Helga, dressed in lilac blue, smiled towards him, winking before returning her attention to the couple of the hour. Arnold could hardly have experienced anything better than to be standing beside his best friend and watch him celebrate one of the greatest days of his life, a moment he knew Phoebe and Gerald would forever hold dear no matter what may come from this moment on. Like a blur Arnold found himself at the reception, smiling as he finished his speech and leaving most of the crowd in tears and beaming at the newlywed couple. A soft smile to Helga was all the acknowledgement she needed; he owed her one now after her last minute assistance to his speech.
For a while they ate, the chatter amongst the guests growing steadily but never getting louder than necessary. Jazz music played out over the speaker, flooding the room with a gentle calm, a request of Arnold's and one that Gerald had agreed to at the last minute; he would never admit it to his best friend, but Gerald secretly deep down loved the music playing on this day, providing him with many a happy memory whenever it played at the bar. Soon enough though the time would come and Arnold would have to bid farewell to his best friend for their honeymoon; from the plans Gerald had mentioned, Hawaii followed by a quick trip to England, Paris, New Zealand and Australia would suffice. Sure it meant a busy month for them, but they deserved the time off.
Arnold's thoughts quickly drifted though to last night as the crowd continued to eat. That ghost had haunted him for the last few months since New Zealand, something he had only been able to examine and confirm with Gerald's help. A relic of his depression was their diagnosis, a force equally powerful both mentally and physically. Although the threat to go back had hung over him since then, Arnold could feel his heart beat harder, his smile broaden and eyes shine; the angel protecting his heart was always close to him, watching and reassuring him that she was there for him no matter what.
Soon enough the time came for the first dance of the newlywed couple; he had been waiting all day for this moment, counting down the hours and minutes until it would happen. It would be the first chance he had had in days to see Helga up close and he could barely contain the excitement he felt at the touch of her hand in his and the locking of their eyes together. Music drifted through the air, gracefully and comfortingly towards the dancers, Arnold leading slowly as Helga followed. One by one the crowd joined, after witnessing the bride and groom dance with one another. Swaying away to the music, no one noticed the conversation taking place between Arnold and Helga, both explaining and laughing at the antics of last night's parties in both camps. However something more important was weighing on Arnold's mind.
"And after the drinking, Phoebe swore she would never touch another drop whenever she ate chips again," Helga smiled, earning a small laugh from Arnold.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it; but I think we both know there is something more important going on here," Arnold smiled, chancing a quick glance towards Gerald and Phoebe, both lost in one another's embrace and dancing slowly on the spot.
A soft warm smile blossomed on Helga's face. "I'm so glad they did it; although I think I still owe Phoebe an apology for the engagement problem."
"I wasn't talking about them Helga; I was talking about us."
Something in Helga's stomach began to plummet upon hearing those words; every time Arnold had ever mentioned those words, things had never been the same. Arnold caught sight of her paling face and began to worry. "It's not what you think Helga."
"What is it then Arnold? If you're going to break up with me again please leave it till later," she pleaded softly, not wanting to take another blow to her already fragile heart.
Arnold smiled and shook his head. "It's something far greater than that Helga."
Helga watched him carefully as he tried to find the right words to say. "Helga, I love you; and after watching, witnessing and feeling the pain we've both been in for so long, I've decided to end it. I can't stand to be apart from you anymore; so I'm wondering if you would marry me?" he asked softly.
He could see the clock work mind of Helga turning over, thinking it through before seeing a smile he had never witnessed from her appear from the depths of her heart; holding him tightly, Helga shut her eyes, feeling tears form. "Yes," she whispered.
For a while they held each other close, not really saying anything except to ask if this was real. Soon however they began to discuss when to tell people; they both agreed quickly to leave it till later. This was Gerald and Phoebe's day after all. As the dancing broke up to those who wanted to keep going and those would had only done it for show, Arnold left Helga to dance with one of the flower girls. Finding a vacant seat, Arnold sat down and breathed deeply, trying to comprehend everything that had happened lately.
Taking a drink from a passing waiter, Arnold was joined by Gerald who had undone his tie and was trying to gather his thoughts likewise; Phoebe continued to talk with guests and join in with the crowd, talking, laughing and smiling all at the same time. Arnold smiled at his best friend who grinned back and nodded.
"I'm probably the luckiest guy on the face of this planet right now."
"You definitely are Gerald; how is she holding up?"
"She will be fine; probably had a fair bit to drink by now, but she normally holds her liquor well. How is Helga? She seems to be smiling a lot now," Gerald commented, noting Arnold's gaze in her direction.
"She is wonderful; I'll explain to you tomorrow," Arnold replied at Gerald's questioning gaze.
"Fair enough my man; it's funny. I never thought I would get married, but here we both are, drinking to the start of my marriage and the time to come. I wonder when your time will come though Arnold; it couldn't be far off surely?"
Arnold grinned and shrugged his shoulders. Watching the guests dance, Gerald patted him on the back and made his way towards Phoebe, kissing her lightly on the cheek before joining in with talking to all the guests once more. Arnold continued to watch Helga dance; he wasn't sure where everything was going to go soon. Time had a funny way of playing with him, even when he felt he had sorted everything out. But granted he was now engaged, Arnold finally felt something that had been missing in his soul for a long time; peace had finally found its way into his heart. And now as he looked out towards the girl that held his heart, Arnold couldn't help but smile; the little black book had done its job.
A/N: Once again thank you; if you have any more questions please don't hesitate to inbox me, mail me or however suits you best. R & R if you have a chance; I would love to hear your thoughts on this story and what you liked about it. Until next time, I remain your friend in writing.
Destiny and Fate United.