Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this story.

They all belong to their rightful owner: Craig Bartlett.

Title: "Blackmail toy"

In the last chapter of "Blackmail toy": Arnold had been sure that when his very embarrassing phone conversation with his parents, while Helga was listening, would forever be on the top of his 'embarrassing moments' list. Fat chance. As he finally succeeded in convincing Helga to join him inside the boarding house, both his grandpa, parents and the other boarders embarrassed to the point where he wanted to run and hide.

Stella convinced them both to eat lunch with them though, and even if Arnold was still embarrassed by all means, then as he watched Helga happily doing the tango with his grandma, nothing really seemed to matter. That also gave him the chance of cutting in and doing the tango with her himself, as they did as children.

Author's 1st note: OK, first of all, I am so very sorry that this is late xD When I had my friend over yesterday, we ended up drinking together and I fell asleep around 5am… (Denmark is 8 hours ahead of America, do the math :P) so, yeah, that's why this chapter seems to have taken longer xD

Chapter 19: "I knew you disliked me"

Arnold smirked lovingly and stepped closer to Helga. He let his fingers caress her hand just a bit and let his lips get close enough to her ear, so that she could feel his breath tickle down her neck, and then he whispered ever so gently. "You were in good hands."

Helga felt paralyzed. She completely and utterly froze on the spot. Oh… my… His hot breath is tickling me, and those words… She bit at her lower lip and turned to look at him with a drugged look. The tango, his words, his eyes, they are all so dangerous together… I feel like I'll either faint or lose my mind! She opened her mouth to speak the words she had always longed to say. "Arnold… Arnold, I lo - "

"Honey, I'm home!"

Helga felt herself shake her head, as if just coming out of a daydream. Her heartbeat quickened yet again, and it almost felt as if she had awoken to reality. She looked down to their hands and pulled her own away in slight panic. What was I just about to say?! No! No, no, no! Not like this! If I ever do tell him, then I don't want it be in front of all these people, and not in the heat of the moment! No! Never again. I want him to believe me this time.

Arnold turned around to look for the source of the voice. He knew it was Aaron, but he wanted the first thing Aaron saw to be his scowl. I don't know what Helga was about to say, but it seemed important. She also took her hand away from mine. What is going on with these two? She seems to hate him, like really hate him, and yet she behaves so awkwardly around him.

"Sorry, I've just always wanted to say that." Aaron explained when he got into the living room. As Arnold had hoped, then the first thing Aaron saw was his scowl. He blinked in confusion. What did I do now? He thought and then glanced to Arnold's side. "Helga? What are you doing here?"

Helga just stared back at him. I don't care if Arnold's the best buffer or not, I do not want Aaron to see me with him right now. I still don't know what he's got planned, and I don't want to risk him getting any new ideas. Everything's already such a mess!

Then Aaron started smirking in realization. "Oh, that's right! I heard from Lila that you took Helga home… but why is she here now… and why are you still dressed like that?" he asked with a cocked eyebrow, when he noticed how they were dressed. "Helga's the only one in normal clothes. So… did you sleep at her place?"

Arnold felt his heart go straight to his throat and fall down again, as if it was one of those rides that made you feel like you're falling straight to your death. He didn't know what to answer. What Helga wanted him to answer, so he turned to look at her, and she noticed immediately and looked back at him. She also didn't know what to answer. No matter what they said, Aaron would probably find out the truth anyhow.

"Yes, he did. He carried me home, got me to bed, and then accidentally fell asleep… on the floor." Helga quickly added and crossed her arms. Better to just, say it as it is. If I don't, he might make up something worse or whatever. He'll find out one way or another probably. He seems like the type who gets what he wants, and has his ways to get information. I hate to admit it, but we'd be a dangerous team if I liked him.

Aaron cocked an eyebrow and turned to look at Arnold again. "Oh, yeah? Then how did you get her home with you afterwards?" he asked, trying to see if Arnold's facial expression would bust any lies in Helga's story. Arnold crossed his arms like Helga and answered in a monotone voice. "Easy. She wanted to say hello to the other boarders, they offered her lunch and here we are." Helga's way is probably the best. Just say it easy and simple. He figured.

"Speaking of people sleeping at other people's houses… Why did you only just get home?" Helga asked with a slight smirk. "I slept at Rhonda's." Aaron asked with an indifferent shrug. That was too easy for him to admit. She thought with a frown. "Oh, really? And how did that happen?"

When Aaron caught on to what Helga was hinting at, he smiled. "I slept at Rhonda's, I didn't sleep with Rhonda, you pervert." He answered and walked past her to the table. Both blondes turned around to frown at him in disappointment. "I just blacked out around 6am. Didn't even know where the Hell I was when I woke up. Got pretty confused when I saw her sleeping next to me."

Helga moved closer to Arnold. "I'm guessing she tried to rape him in his sleep." She whispered. He snickered and nudged his elbow at her. She snickered right back, and her disappointment started to fade away. Oh, well. It would have been fun, if the princess could've taken over Aaron's need for amusement. Then maybe I'd get out of the line of fire.

"Oh, you haven't started eating yet, thank God. I'm starving." Aaron said and sat down. Helga quirked an eyebrow when she noticed that his seat was apparently next to hers. She frowned, and look back to Arnold. He looked back at her in confusion. Why did she look so uncomfortable all of a sudden? Then she whipped her head in a swift motion towards Aaron.

Arnold discreetly looked at Aaron, and then realization kicked in. He had to try very hard not to laugh in happiness. I shouldn't be this happy about her being so uncomfortable around another person, definitely not my own cousin, but I really can't help it. Well, at least she wants to stay.

Arnold gave Helga a small wink, before he went to sit next to Aaron, thereby sitting in Helga's former seat. Her eyes got big and so got her smile, before she sat down where Arnold used to sit. When they were both seated, she leaned closer to him to whisper in his ear. "Thank you."

"So, I see that we're having quesadillas for lunch? Grandma, you're even dressed like that. I really love your creativity." Aaron said with an earnest smile. "Muchas gracias, mi nieto." Gertie answered with a smile and threw a plate at him. He caught it with easy, having already gotten used to the test of speed around dinnertime.

"Yeah, she even started dancing for us and everything." Oskar said, who had already finished his quesadilla and was reaching for a second one. His wife, Susie, slapped his wrist though to stop him. "And so did Arnold and Helga." She added.

Aaron's head whipped to Arnold and Helga next to him. "You danced together for them?" he asked with a curious smile. "Uh, yeah… the, uh, tango." Arnold answered, not liking Aaron's smile one bit. "Really? Like when you were children?" he asked.

"Oh, it wasn't childish whatsoever though." Ernie chimed in, followed by a snicker from both him, Oskar and Mr. Hyunh. Helga felt her cheeks get filled with heat and so did Arnold. They had managed to forget everyone around them when they danced, as they also did back at that April Fools' dance in fourth grade.

"Uh-huh. So, Helga, would you call Arnold a good dancer?" Aaron asked with a smirk. Helga frowned and leaned forward to see him better, since Arnold was sitting in-between them. "Yes, definitely." She answered without a hint of doubt in her voice.

Arnold couldn't help the small, humble smile which formed around his lips. He had been about to return the compliment with pure honesty, when Aaron started talking again. "How many other boys have you danced the tango with?"

Helga frowned in confusion. "Uh, none… Why are you…" she had been about to question his words, when his smirk gave her the answer. Her eyes went big with anger, already knowing far too well, where this was going. "I'm just wondering that… if you don't have anyone to compare with, how do we know that Arnold's a good dancer?" he asked.

"Uh, because it's obvious. You don't have to dance with him. All you have to do is watch him, and you know." Helga answered, hoping with all her heart that she could sneak out of this situation. Unfortunately, Aaron wouldn't back down, and she knew she'd end up doing what he wanted. Because he's blackmailing me… This fucking bastard. She thought seething.

"Still, wouldn't you like to have it confirmed, Arnold?" Aaron asked. Arnold was slowly starting to catch on to what was going on and where Aaron was headed with the conversation, but not enough to know exactly what to answer. "Well, uh… how?" he simply asked.

Helga felt like smacking her head repeatedly against the table. Arnold, I love you, but you're an idiot! She thought and started curling her hand into a fist. "By letting Helga do the tango with someone else, of course. I'd like to volunteer, since I've been taking classes at my mom's dance studio since I was little." Aaron answered.

Helga quirked an eyebrow. "You can dance?" she asked. Having a mom, who had a dance studio was probably a clue to how good a dancer he would be. She knew he would suggested dancing with her, but she had no idea that he'd be good. "Of course I can dance, Helga. Not that you would know, since we didn't get to dance last night." He answered and stood up.

Aaron walked behind Arnold and stopped next to Helga's chair. He bowed a little and extended his hand to her. "Since we have the chance, how about we dance now? Even if just to confirm that Arnold is good at the tango." He suggested with a smirk.

Helga was groaning at the very core of her body. She did not want to dance with Aaron, not whatsoever, but the alternative wasn't something she was ready for. With a sigh, shaky with anger, she dug her fingers into his hand when she took it. "Fine." She answered and stood up.

Helga's sour mood was of course not lost on Aaron, but he ignored it. Rather than that, he made sure to discreetly glance at Arnold to see his reaction. He almost had to snicker at the furious look in his eyes. His hand, which was laying on his thigh, was curled into a fist and he was even shaking a little.

Without any warning, Aaron turned Helga around to face him. She gasped a little, since she had been in the middle of walking. It wasn't until now, she noticed the music. It sounds awfully familiar… Where have I heard this piece of music before?

Like Helga, Arnold was also suddenly recognizing the music. This sounds so familiar… but where is it from? He wanted to dig deeper into his brain to figure out where he knew it from, but then the music got louder and the speed picked up. He looked up again to see Aaron and Helga already dancing. He scowled deeply, and felt his foot stepping on the floor.

I recognize this song now… It's Shakira with 'Objection', just an instrumental version. It's a pretty quick-paced tango. I'm not sure if I can follow Aaron, if he really is as good as the tango, as he claims. Helga thought to herself, before feeling herself falling over Aaron's foot. She shrieked, sure that she would fall flat on her face, when she was swung around, so that she instead was in a way leaned back position. She noticed the smirking grin on Aaron's face, and she gritted her teeth.

Helga let herself get pulled up again, and while they tip-toed around each other, she felt anger soar through her. She had always disliked Aaron, but to ask her to dance with him, and in a tango nonetheless, made her boil. She had made a solemn vow to herself to never dance like this with anyone else but Arnold, but thanks to Aaron, that was now down in the dump.

In her anger, Helga took ahold of Aaron's hand and swung him roughly away from her, until his hips hit the wall behind him. He gritted his teeth in pain for a moment, before smirking at her. Looks like she's not going down without a fight. Fine. Have it your way, Helga. He thought, before forcing her back to him, their chests bumping against each other's.

While Helga and Aaron continued their tango of anger, Miles took the opportunity to sneak over to Arnold. "Are you just gonna sit there?" he whispered into his ear. Arnold eyed his dad in the corner of his eye, but just sighed a bit. "What am I supposed to do?" he asked. "Cut in!" Miles answered. "Listen, you think that I was the only one, who had a crush on Stella back then? She's an attractive woman, Arnold, and I had rivals just like you do. Are you gonna let Aaron sweep Helga off her feet?"

At that moment, Aaron actually did sweep Helga up into the air, before putting her down to twirl her a couple of times in under his arm. "Literally." Miles added and put a hand to Arnold's back. "You stole her from my mom when they danced, you can steal her from Aaron too." And with those words, Miles went back to his seat.

He's right. Why do I keep being so passive? Helga's also clearly angry at Aaron for making her dance with him. I can do this to save her too. Arnold motivated himself and stood up. Aaron was still twirling Helga around and then let go of her hand. She kept twirling towards Arnold, and before she knew it, his hand holding hers stopped her.

Helga opened her eyes in surprise, for a second thinking that Aaron had managed to move inhumanly fast, but when she saw those familiar green eyes looking back at her with love, lust and determination, she had to gulp.

Arnold twirled Helga down, so she could lean back a little. When he pulled her back up again though, he swung her gently towards Aaron, who was already standing next to them, took her hand, and swung her back into his arms.

Bending down and putting one of his hand on her lower leg, Aaron swung Helga up, so that she could only rely on his strength not to fall down. As soon as she felt her feet connect to the ground again, she was twirled around and leaned back.

Helga felt a new pair of arms whisk her away from Aaron's, and when she was pulled up to an upright position, she was once again met with those green hunting eyes. What… What is going? What's happening? I feel like some doll being pulled back and forth!

Helga was on the verge to getting angry, when Arnold gave her the most dazzling smile, she could have ever imagined. He stepped around with her in a circle, making sure, she could follow along, and that was when she realized why it didn't matter, that Aaron had better technique than Arnold.

Arnold lifted his head up for a second, giving Helga a very clear warning. She smiled, nodded back and bend her knees to jump, when he would lift her. He lifted her only a little bit over the ground, and she twisted her leg around his waist right away. He swung her around in a swift motion, making it so that she was as far away from Aaron as possible.

When Helga was back to the ground, she followed Arnold's smooth steps, her walking towards him and him walking backwards. They got closer to Aaron, and she could already see him reaching for her. She tried sneaking around Arnold to get away from Aaron, but he saw that trick coming long before she did, and simply grabbed her right hand instead of her left.

Helga growled a bit, while Aaron walked right up next to her. He snaked his arm in front of her stomach and swung her down roughly. She felt her legs go limp, as he dragged her across the floor. When he pulled her back up again, she lifted one of her feet so she could turn around to face him. She put her hand on his shoulder and looked at Arnold with begging eyes.

As much as Helga hated to dance with Aaron, there was a part of her that took immense pleasure at seeing and feeling Arnold pulling her back into his arms, as if a jealous lover. It felt almost like if her dream – based off on that 'Carmen' play she, Arnold and the rest of her class once saw – had come true. Except this time, Curly wasn't the villain, and this wasn't a dream.

Arnold noticed Helga's pleading eyes immediately and had no trouble whatsoever at doing what she wished. He would have done it, even if she hadn't asked. For a moment though, he was taken aback, when Aaron twisted Helga around so that she was right next to his back. He swung her up on his back, and despite the panic she managed to roll over to the other side, without falling off.

He keeps putting her in danger of getting hurt! Arnold thought in wrath. When Aaron moved for Helga to do the same thing again, only now from right to left, Arnold was ready to grab her. She noticed him immediately and fell gracefully into his arms.

Helga followed him with a smile, but this time, Arnold's anger shone through more than anything else did, and after turning her around to get away from Aaron again, he stopped the dance and turned around to face Aaron with a scowl.

"It doesn't matter how good you are, how good your technique is, if you don't even know how to keep your partner safe." Arnold said. Helga felt her heart beating at that reprimanding tone. She had heard it before, when he protected someone and was practically preaching with morals. She had never heard him doing it for her though.

Aaron was listening carefully to what Arnold said with only a very small smile. "You need to make sure that your partner knows what you're up to, or else either of you might get hurt." Arnold added and turned to Helga again. With a trustful smile, he took her hands in his own.

Helga smiled, fully trusting him and already having a clue at what he'd do. She stepped back like he did, their arms stretched between each other's. He then pulled her back to him, her jumping sideways, the left part of her waist against his right and her backside on his thigh. She stretched her right leg, laying it gently on his left arm and leaning back against his right arm, knowing he'd hold her up.

Arnold leaned Helga back, while he made sure his grip was tight around her leg and her hips. He even used his left leg as extra leverage for her free leg, and that didn't go unnoticed to anyone. He really does make sure that she's safe… Stella thought proudly with a big smile.

Helga lifted her head, still leaned back in a crooked position. She flashed Arnold a loving smile, while he pulled her up again. It took him a couple of seconds, before he let her feet touch the floor though. He loved the feeling of her thighs on his lap and her arm around his neck, so it was natural to be hesitant about letting go.

A very slow clap pulled the blondes out of their lovesick daze. They turned to look at Aaron, who was clapping at them very slowly. It didn't seem sarcastic, and that was what made them frown. Then when the others in the room joined in on the clapping, it got quicker and louder. Before they knew it, they all erupted into an applause and Oskar even whistled at them.

Helga felt like hiding in sudden embarrassment, and therefore put her forehead on Arnold's shoulder. She moved her hand, which was already on his shoulder, to dig a little deeper into his flesh, almost as if he could protect her from the clapping. She didn't know why she suddenly felt shy, she just did.

Arnold just smiled though, put his chin on her head and rubbed her back a bit. Even if Helga didn't know where the sudden shyness came from, he had a pretty good idea. She didn't mind attention as such, but it could quickly become too much for her. He knew, she could easily get absorbed into things, and now when she had a chance to notice the people, she remembered what they had just seen her do and experience. It was probably pretty natural to feel shy.

"Gotta say, Arnold, you and Helga are in perfect synch." Aaron said as he sat down. Arnold both smiled and frowned. He hadn't expected a compliment from him. In a way, it felt like he should feel that he'd won this little competition, but Aaron didn't seem to feel like he had lost, so had Arnold even won?

"Thanks. It… comes from knowing each other very well." Arnold answered and rested his hand on Helga's lower back. She removed her head from his shoulder and smiled at him. "Yeah, yeah, you know me so well, football head." She answered and went to her seat. Something in her voice was different. It wasn't seething with sarcasm as usual, so he couldn't help the satisfied smile on his lips as he went to join her.

"Oh, by the way, Helga… You suddenly disappeared last night, so I didn't get to talk to you about something. Mind if we do that now, since we're done eating?" Aaron asked Helga about a half hour later.

Oh, man, here we go… Helga thought with a small sigh and gave a fake smile. "Yeah, I guess, but shouldn't we stay and, you know, help?" Helga asked, gesturing to all the dirty dishes on the table. "It'll only take a couple of minutes. Besides, Arnold's not done yet, so I'd say we got a little extra time. Come on." Aaron requested and stood up.

Helga sighed and stood up too. "Excuse me." She said with a smile to the people around the table and turned on her heel to follow Aaron. He was about to grab her wrist, when she pulled her arm far away from him. That little interaction was not lost on Arnold, who just smirked. He didn't like that they were going to talk in private, but at least Helga was very hands-off with Aaron.

"Ok, Buster, what now?" Helga asked when they were out of hearing-range. She lifted her arms and crossed them beneath her chest. "I need to ask you something first. I need confirmation." Aaron answered and leaned up against the wall.

"What?"

"… You still write poems about Arnold, don't you?"

Helga almost stumbled, even if she had been standing still. No… No, no, no…! Not my poems. Don't blackmail me about my poems! She thought in a panic and scowled deeply. "No, I don't." she answered.

"Liar." Aaron said with a smirk. "I've noticed during English class, that the poem which is the best is always being read aloud, and for some funny reason, the person's always 'anonymous'. Now, the others may not realize it is you, because they don't know how poetic you are. I do though, so I figured it out pretty quickly. For what it's worth, you're really good."

"I don't wanna get complimented by you! Why are you asking me about my poems?" Helga asked in a frenzy. She tried to keep her voice low, but she was seething with anger. It was such a vulnerable subject for her. Not even Dr. Bliss knew about the poetry. She knew about the shrines from her childhood, but they never came across the poems, which she still hadn't let go of.

"Isn't it obvious? I want you to write a poem."

"… For what?"

"Well, I'm generous, so I'll let you choose yourself."

"Oh, thank you, you're oh-too kind. What do you mean?"

"Option number 1: Write a poem and read it to the class."

"What!?"

"Option number 2: Write a poem for Arnold and sneak it into his locker. Kinda like a secret admirer thing. You don't have to sign it." Aaron said and crossed his arm, still with the overconfident smirk on his lips.

Helga felt like throwing up. Reading a poem in class or writing one about Arnold to Arnold…? These are both horrible, horrible options! She thought, close to actual fainting. She let her hand touch her head. I'm already feeling dizzy just thinking about it…

Aaron noticed Helga's dazed expression and frowned. "Helga, are you all right?" he asked and reached to steady her. "Hands off!" she shouted and smacked his hand away. She scowled at him, leaning against the wall to keep herself up. "No, I am not all right. I haven't been all right, ever since you came to Hillwood."

Aaron just stared at Helga, as her breath got heavier. She took a couple of clumsy steps towards him to stand close to him. Her eyes were filled with her hatred, as she continued talking. "Let me tell you one thing, Aaron, in case you didn't know already… I have done many cruel things in my life that I regret. A lot of things, I'd like to change, but the difference between you and me, is that I have grown up. I don't use other people anymore. You remind me of myself when I was a kid and… it makes me hate you. I have told many people that, but I have never meant it as I do now."

Aaron was just staring into Helga's eyes, until she pushed him aside and walked back into the kitchen. He kept standing there in slight shock. He sighed and smirked a little, as he put his elbow up on the wall and leaned his head into his palm. "I knew you disliked me… but hated…?" he muttered and shook his head a bit.

Aaron smacked his palm against the wall, before he walked into the dining room. Without a word, he walked past Helga who hadn't noticed him coming in. When she noticed the odd look in his eyes, she glanced over her shoulder at him. He took a couple of plates in his hands and walked into the kitchen.

Helga would usually have cocked her head to the side at Aaron's odd behavior, but she was just so filled with anger right now, that she didn't have it in her to think about him. She growled a bit, took some plates in her own hands and followed him into the kitchen.

Arnold did notice the sudden change of air between Helga and Aaron, and couldn't help but worry for the both of them. It was in his nature to worry. He was pulled out his thoughts though, when his dad and his grandpa put their hands on his shoulders.

"Short man, we have a plan." Phil said with a smirk. Arnold glanced nervously at him. "What… kinda plan?" he asked. Both elder men bend forward a little to get to Arnold's height. "Just play along, all right?" Miles suggested with a wink.

I don't like the sound of this… Arnold thought to himself with a small sigh. The two men then let go off him and started collecting dishes too. He joined in as he kept thinking about both Helga and Aaron, and what the heck Miles and Phil could be up to.

Arnold glanced at Helga and Aaron as they all put their dish into the dishwasher. Aaron had an out of character indifferent look on his face, while Helga seemed both mad and… scared? "Hey…" Arnold started and got the attention of both of the people in question. "What were you two just talking - "

"Well, Helga, we're really happy that you joined us for lunch." Miles interrupted, not having a clue that Arnold had been talking just before. The teens turned to look at him, while he walked to them. "Oh, uh, thanks. It was really good." Helga answered with a smile.

"Thank you, but we also feel a little bad." Miles added with a small frown. "Feel bad? Why?" Helga asked, quirking an eyebrow. "Yes, you and Arnold just wanted some time together, and we've interfered with that." Phil chimed in, also making a frown. A very odd frown, Arnold noted. Is this the plan they were talking about…?

"So, we'll be letting you two be alone now." Miles said and walked behind Helga. He started pushing her gently, and Phil did the same to Arnold. Aaron stared at them in confusion, but just shook his head. This is one Hell of a crazy family. He thought with a smile.

Helga and Arnold turned their heads to look at each other. "What's going?" Helga asked. "I-I don't know." Arnold answered honestly. He glanced behind them at the male part of his family. "Where are you taking us?"

Phil and Miles didn't answer though as they pushed them up the stairs and to the door of Arnold's room. Miles let go of Helga's back and opened the door for them, before Phil pushed them in. They both yelped in surprise, and turned their heads back to see the now closed door. A metallic click could be heard and then, silence.

Author's 2nd note: Yes! I am mean! xD I've always imagined that Miles and Phil would be a really sly team together. I mean, Miles is the son of Phil and Gertie for heaven's sake! How could he not be at least a little cunning? What will happen with Helga and Arnold? Well! I can tell it's a mix of what you're thinking and hoping and of something you're definitely not expecting! xD Stay tuned! :P