The rain stopped.

Arnold looked over to Helga, now sleeping soundly beside him. He grabbed a strand of hair in her face and brushed it away. He realized there was a bruise behind it and his heart felt heavy… 'I just want her to stop hurting' he thought to himself. 'I never realized she is so beautiful… especially when she is sleeping…' Arnold blushed at the thought and decided now wasn't the time 'why would anybody ever do something so terrible to someone like her… no wonder she was so mean when we were kids…' Arnold began to think about their childhood and all the terrible things she had done to him. He then began to think about all the times she had been kind or helped him, and tried to think if she had helped anyone else out. 'Maybe Helga didn't know how to show kindness? No, that couldn't be it- she had shown kindness multiple times throughout their life. Maybe she didn't want people to know she was nice? Seems a bit more probable… but why would Helga want people to think she is rude, mean and nasty? Nobody wants to be remembered for their bad qualities…' Arnold began to let his mind wander around why Helga wouldn't want to be known as a kind person, if his assumptions were true? He knew part of it would be linked to her family, but he hadn't realized her family had gotten so bad. Helga used to always complain about her family, but never truly got into what they had done to piss her off and Arnold would roll his eyes, thinking to himself "at least you have a family to drive you crazy." Arnold began to regret his words as he examined Helga's face.

*Flashback*

Before they had fallen asleep, she had stepped outside to the porch of the tree house with him and used the rain to wash the metallic taste of dried blood off her face. Arnold, feeling antsy about watching Helga bathe- even if she was clothed- stepped inside to look for a flashlight in the junk box. Kids around the neighborhood would bring and leave stuff in Mighty Pete. When she came back inside, Arnold had found a flash light and a towel. Granted it didn't smell great but it was enough to dry Helga off. Arnold turned on the flashlight and got a good look at the broken girl, and it would haunt him forever. Helga shivered and Arnold felt terrible.

"Here" Arnold suggested as he took off his green sweater. Not much had changed about Arnolds appearance. He had grown a bit and began wearing the same teal color shirt under his plaid red one, but would wear his teal sweater every now and then when it got cold, finished with his regular pants and black shoes.

"Oh.. uh.. Thanks Arnold" she said taking his sweater sheepishly. "Uh… do you mind if I take my tank top off?... its cold and your sweater would be warmer without it…" She prayed she didn't sound like an idiot, but felt like she had asked too much, suddenly regretting her words-

"Of course." Arnold turned around allowing her privacy to change. His mind began to wander as Helga changed behind him, and he suddenly felt something raise in him, and began to blush profusely at the thoughts… he knew it wasn't the time, but he was a boy and couldn't help it. He decided to try and think of something- ANYTHING else.

"Done" Helga stated and Arnold turned around. "Wow… She looks so cute in my sweater…" He mentally smacked himself "What am I saying? This is Helga!.. Not that she isn't pretty, just… nevermind."

*End Of Flashback*

He tried to think of a happy moment and thought of the first time Helga wore make-up. He remembered smiling goofy because she actually looked pretty. Rhonda had been thrilled the first time Helga wore make-up in 7th grade, granted it was at a baseball game and the guys got a good laugh out of it, but Helga told them to pipe down and play the damn game. Helga refused to take off her pitchers mask and glove after the game, and he began to realize why she nearly screamed when he gave her a high-5 with the glove on. He also realized she didn't keep the pitchers mask on because she was embarrassed of her make-up. She was embarrassed someone would see the bruises.

He looked to the sleeping form of Helga beside him and felt a huge weight sink down inside him as he stared at the bruises on her face, around her neck and the dried blood on her clothes. He never thought she should wear so much make-up at school (he personally didn't like make-up on girls, thinking it hid their beauty), but now he knew exactly why she wore it, and understood it completely. "Why didn't anybody stop to notice? and more importantly, Why didn't Helga say anything?" a tiny voice in the back of Arnold's head spoke up 'She is too proud… she would never throw herself out there like that.'

Arnold smacked his forehead "OF COURSE! How could I be so stupid!" he thought to himself! He knew Helga would never willingly put herself out there. Kids would probably laugh at the fact that she- Helga Geraldine Pataki; let her own father beat up the Playground Legend of PS 118. No wonder she was so mean.

Suddenly, Arnold realized why she was never willing to show kindness. She couldn't. She saw kindness as weakness. She only played strong so she wouldn't be messed with. Arnold felt a cold chill go through his body at the thought. Helga was never trying to be mean- she was just trying to protect herself... Arnold felt a tear slide down his cheek. But why would Helga find the kids at PS 118 a threat? They were all friends. Surely they wouldn't laugh at her for something so serious? Helga might not have the best reputation but abuse wasn't something to laugh at. Arnold rested his head in his hands and began to think of a way to help the broken girl beside him.

Helga began to wake up, and slowly realized somebody was beside her. She rolled over and was greeted with a beautiful boy grown up into almost a man. He smiled at her, and it warmed her heart. She didn't see it as pity; she honestly thought she was dreaming. She smiled at him, and realized her face hurt. She stood up and walked over to a circular mirror left in Mighty Pete a few years ago. She looked at her face and sucked in a huge breath. 'I'm gonna need a lot of make-up to hide it this time.' She thought solemnly. She turned around and looked to Arnold now standing behind her.

"So…" she said quietly.

"So…" he repeated.

"You know you can't tell anyone…" Helga said sternly.

"Helga-" He started to argue.

"NO!" she cut him off abruptly with her hand up. "Arnold, yes, my family is broken, Bob is an ass, and I get the stuffing beat out of me every night. Shit happens-"

Arnold grabbed her just as abruptly and pulled her into him "No Helga, shit doesn't just happen. You need to go to the police and report Bob! He is a monster and a terrible father and you're lucky to be alive right now!"

Helga pushed him off and they stood glaring at each other "Oh really Arnold? You think reporting Big Bob is gonna stop him from hunting me down and killing me? That Jail or Prison will be enough to contain him? HA! If I go to the police, they'll handcuff him, charge him with domestic abuse, and set him free in a few months. Then, im as good as dead."

"Helga! Stop it! You need to get away from him before he really ends up hurting you!" Arnold wanted to cry, but he was too angry.

"You think I haven't tried running away? and as if I wasn't seriously hurt tonight!" Helga had tried to run before. She had gone to Phoebe's and was about to call the police when Bob showed up, took her home, and beat the stuffing out of her again. That was the month she went to school with a broken Ankle. "Besides Arnold! Where would I go? We have 6 months until we are seniors and then 10 more months until we graduate! Where would I possibly go?" Helga started to breathe hard. Then, she started to cry, still staring at Arnold.

"Helga…" Arnold approached Helga and hugged her. He waited until she stopped crying before continuing "you can come live with Phoebe, or Me." He said and Helga looked into his eyes like he had 2 heads.

"Arnold, I can't just go live with you. And Phoebe's family doesn't need to get dragged into all this Big Bob Drama." Helga rolled her eyes. She knew she couldn't… could she?

"Helga, I am extremely serious. If Phoebe's family can't help you, my family will. My grandparents know you, my parents love you, and im sure after we explained what is going on, they would be willing to make a deal or let you live with us."

"Arnold, if I moved in, I would feel terrible about not paying. I would pay rent, but I would lose all the money I've saved up." She looked at Arnold with pleading eyes. She wasn't going to just move in and be a free loader, she was too proud to do that. And it wasn't fair for her to do that to them.

"Helga, Im sure my grandparents and parents would understand your situation and would let you do chores around the house to help pay your rent." Arnold's eyes pleading her to come home with him tonight. He didn't want her to go home, especially now that he knew what she would go home to. "Helga, please come home with me. I don't want you staying here, and I don't want you to go home to be beaten by Big Bob anymore. If you do, this might be the last time I see you… Who knows what he would do if he got you alone one more time…" Arnold was staring into her eyes. She was nervous, and began to cry. He held her and rocked her as she cried. Arnold breathed a deep sigh. He wasn't giving up on her.