Disclaimer: I no own da show Hey Arnold!
Arnold sat on his roof gazing up at the stars. Everything was in absolute bliss. No worries or cares, just perfection. He had his parents, grandparents, friends, the borders, and...
"Hey Football head! Watcha doing up here?" Arnold didn't have to look to see who had just emerged from his skylight. He could tell who it was just by the angelic voice that just came from his ex bully. He sighed dreamily.
"Hey Helga." He smiled, eyes half-lidded, as she took her place next to him. As soon as she sat down, Arnold brought his arms around her protectively, burrowing his nose into her slender neck. Her intoxicating scent of vanilla invaded his nose and swirled around in his mind. She was so soft it contrasted so drastically to her brash attitude.
Helga gently removed his face from her neck and gaze adoringly into his eyes. He'd only seen the look on rare occasions but every time he caught a glimpse of it, it was nearly impossible to look away.
She moved forward so that their breaths were mingling together. Not being able to take the lack of contact, Arnold closed the distance between their lips and captured hers in a sweet kiss. Arnold sighed through his nose.
"And best of all...he had her" he thought to himself.
Suddenly, Arnold felt a shift. Something wasn't right. Helga's lips felt slack against his own. He pulled away to look at her. He gasped and fell back away from her at what he saw. Helga's once bright and passionate eyes looked as if all life was gone from them. The sight was simply horrifying. She looked broken, afraid...and utterly alone.
"A-Arnold?" She squeaked out, her voice breaking. The sound made Arnold want to let out a sob.
"Arnold!?" She screamed. She was snapping her head in every direction as if desperately searching for something.
"Helga?" Arnold spoke softly, approaching her.
"Where did you go!?" Helga bellowed.
"I-I...I'm right here...Helga, I'm right here!" He went forward to hold her, hoping that would assure her of his presence but his arms passed right through her. She was fading away. He'd be left here with everything, and yet he felt the world crumbling as he watched her slowly fading into the blackness of night.
"No! Helga! I'm right here!" He sobbed, frantically trying to grab hold of her. It was too late...she was gone.
"Don't leave me..." He breathed out into the cool air beneath the empty stars, tears streaming down his face, as darkness consumed him.
"...Arnold?"
Arnold opened his eyes to see his mother gently shaking his shoulder, prompting him awake. He blinked a few times, clearing the sleep from his eyes and recovered from the nightmare he had.
This Helga thing is really getting to me. He thought, rubbing his temple.
"Arnold we're landing. This is so exciting! I can't believe we can finally come home with my son and be the family that we are supposed to be. Can't you just imagine it, Arnold?" Arnold smiled adoringly while his mother continued to gush about the being a family. It brought a warm tingly sensation to engulf his chest. Soon everything was going to be perfect...
After the quiet bus ride to the school, the kids waved goodbye to all their friends and got in their respective vehicles to go home. Mr. Simmons stayed behind with Olga just in case they heard any news.
Arnold walked hand in hand with his parents. He was feeling a variety of conflicting emotions but mostly he felt excited. He couldn't wait to see the reaction on his grandparents face when he came home with their long lost son.
HONK!
The sound of a familiar Packard horn broke Arnold out of his thoughts. Anxiously, he bounded over to the Packard that could only be owned by one wily ol' coot. Arnold slid into the back.
"Hey Grandpa!" Arnold exclaimed, hugging Phil around the neck from the back seat.
"Well hello there Shortman!" Phil chuckled. "How was your trip?"
"It was fantastic, grandpa! It was so beautiful there. It was nothing like I've ever seen before!"
"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself." Phil paused. "But now that all that mushy stuffs out of the way...what did you get me!" He asked excitedly to his beloved grandson.
Arnold laughed warmly. "Hang on Grandpa." Arnold removed his backpack and ruffled through it. He soon took out a plain small bow and gave it to his grandfather. Phil quickly opened it, being too anxious to wait.
"Oh Arnold!" Phil exclaimed pulling the gift out of the box. It was an amulet. Similar to the ones given to Arnold's parents from the green eyes only this one was engraved with the words 'Steely Phil'.
"Do you like it?" Arnold asked hopefully.
"Like it! I love it! Thank you Arnold!" Phil replied hugging his grandson.
"Well that's not all grandpa. I got one more thing for you."
"Really!? You didn't have to do that but since you did there's no taking it back! You got that Shortman!"
"I got it grandpa." Arnold said adoringly. He really did miss his grandfather while he was gone, always being around to give him ridiculous advice and cheer him up when he was down. He couldn't ask for a better grandfather.
"So where is it Shortman?"
"Oh! It's right outside the car. It's kinda big. Um... Could you...uh...close your eyes?" Arnold pleaded.
"Oh ho Oh! I see. That great, aye?" Phil said, closing his eyes obediently.
As Phil's eyes remained closed, Arnold motioned for his parents to join him in the car, closing the door with a notable thud!
"Okay Grandpa!" Arnold bellowed from the back.
Not wasting a second, the old man opened his eyes and from the mirror he saw the faces of the two people he never believed he would see again. "Arnold?..." He blinked, voice full of uncertainty and disbelief.
"Uh…yes, Grandpa?" Arnold responded, concerned by his grandfather's reaction.
"Am I dead?"
Shocked by his question, Arnold remained silent.
"Oh NO! I am dead, aren't I? I mean of course I am! We probably got into some sort of car accident on our way home or something. And since you're here, Arnold, it must mean we made it to heaven! Oh Arnold! I'm so sorry! You never got to go to prom or go through puberty-well maybe it better that you missed out on that- but you never got to get married- hmm maybe that for the best too. Hey Shortman this may not be so bad!"
"Grandpa!" Arnold exclaimed, highly amused by his grandfather's rant. Same ol' Grandpa. Arnold chuckled to himself , shaking his head back and forth. "We're not dead!"
"We're not?" Phil turned around looking at the two happy young couple surrounding his grandson.
Miles looked at his father dead in the eye. Hesitantly, he reached out, grasping his father's shoulder in a firm grip. "You aren't dead, Dad. This isn't a dream. I'm back. I'm real."
Phil watched the grown man in his back seat silently. He glanced down at the hand that held his shoulder and back at the man with a smirk. Then, the three froze at a sight they never imagined they'd see in their entire life, grandpa Phil was crying. Without a moment wasted, Phil threw his arms around his son. The hug was quickly joined by Arnold and Stella.
"This is the best gift I could ever ask for…"
A/N: Sorry for the long wait and the short chapter, but I wanted to get this up. I'll try to get Helga's part up as soon as possible.
Until then, Tell me what you think!
