Author's Note: First of I have to say, Wow! I was not expecting all of the feedback I got. I was blown away. Seriously THANK YOU everyone who took the time to review. You guys are the best! As many of you probably figured out since you take the time to review I try to take the time to send all registered users a quick thank you message. I apologize anyone I may have missed and if anyone does not want me to send you a thank you pm please let me know, and I won't send one to you anymore. To all my guest reviewers, again, thank you so much for reviewing! I should also add ratings may change to M. I think I might be feeling some Helga and Arnold sexy times later.
A Twist of Fate Chapter One
Helga Pataki was relieved she had paid the movers extra to move all her and Adam's belongings the day before she and Adam arrived. She gave them specific instructions on where to put all the large furniture and the boxes she needed to unpack were in the proper room that they need to be in.
It was the morning after she returned to Hillwood and Helga was not looking forward to the unpacking process. She groaned when she awoke and took in her surroundings. There were boxes stacked everywhere in her room and throughout the rest of the house. She didn't even know where to start.
Sighing, she pulled herself out of bed. She exited her room, checking in on Adam on her way to the kitchen. She stood at his bedroom door for a moment, a small smile played on her lips as she watched him sleep. Adam had his arms wrapped around his stuffed pig, Hamlet, and one of his legs was sticking out from underneath his blankets.
Silently Helga left her son's room and walked into the kitchen, she really needed a cup of coffee. She groaned when she realized the coffee maker was packed away in one of the dozen boxes that sat in the kitchen. She decided unpacking the kitchen was the best place to start. She scanned the labels on the boxes, searching for the one that held her coffee maker. She would start with that box first.
It was an hour later when Adam walked into the kitchen, in search of his mother, "Mommy?"
Helga had been presently surprised how fast unpacking the kitchen was going. She only had three boxes left when Adam called for her. "Good morning baby." She kissed the top of his head. "Did you sleep well?"
Adam nodded as he rubbed the sleep out his eyes with his fist, "I like my new room."
"I'm glad." Helga smiled; she was relieved to hear that. It was something that would make this whole transition easier on the child. "Are you hungry?" Adam nodded, "Okay, we will go out for a quick breakfast and go get some groceries so we something to eat for lunch and supper." She brought all of her dry food from New York, so they had things such as cereal, sugar, flour, and canned goods, but she didn't have any perishables. "Let's go get changed."
An hour and twenty minutes later Helga and Adam arrived at their last stop, Green Meats. The bell above the door rang loudly as Helga and Adam walked into the butcher shop. "I will be right with you!" A man's voice yelled from the back of the shop.
As they waited Helga scanned that day's specials, quickly noticing that all the specials were some kind of pork product. Knowing Adam would to refuse to eat anything that came from his favorite animal, the pig. "What do you say Bud, hamburgers for lunch and chicken for supper?" Helga asked Adam, who was starting to look bored of shopping.
"I don't care mommy." The small boy shrugged, "I wanna to go home." He whined, "Crimeny."
"This is our last stop. We will be home soon." Helga told her son. "Be patient."
"I'm so sorry for the wait." The butcher walk from out back, "How can I help you?"
"It's alright…" Helga glanced at his nametag, which read Harold. "Harold?" It took her a moment to remember the man's last name, "Berman? You are Harold Berman, right?"
"Yes…" Harold looked at the blonde woman, clearly confused. "And you are…"
"Helga Pataki." She laughed, "You probably don't remember me; it has been a really long time." She paused for a moment, thinking about how long it has been since she had seen Harold. "Like eighteen years."
"Helga G. Pataki." Harold grinned, "Of course I remember you." He chuckled, "You scared the crap out of me when we were kids." He paused thoughtfully for a moment, "What were your fists names again? The Five Avengers and…What was the other one?"
"Ol' Betsy." Helga answered with a laugh, struggling to remember the last time she referred to her fists with their names. "I cannot believe you remember that."
"Your fists have names?" Adam looked at her hands and then to his own, clenching them into fists. "Do mine have names?"
"You can name them whatever you want Bud." She smiled when Adam raised an eyebrow while looking down at his fists, contemplating the perfect name for each fist. She looked back at Harold, "How have you been?"
"Good. Fantastic actually. Do you remember Patty Smith?" Helga nodded, "We just celebrated our ten year wedding anniversary. We have kids, Michael, our oldest is eleven, Erica is seven, and Kyle just turned five." He looked at Adam, "How old is your little guy?"
"Adam is four." Helga told him, "How long have you been working here?"
"Since high school." Harold explained, "Marty is retiring at the end of the year, so I will be officially be taking over." He cleared his throat, "How about you? Are you back for good? I thought I heard that you were moving back."
"That's great. Congratulations." Helga nodded, "Yeah, I just got a divorce and I decided I wanted fresh start and everything just fell into place for me to move back. I mean, I parents moved back last year and I got a job offer as the new creative writing teacher at the high school." She smiled, "I think I'm where I'm supposed to be."
"You still talk to anyone form the old gang?" Harold asked.
"Phoebe." She paused, "And Gerald. Pheebs and I fell out of contact a few years after I moved, but when I got pregnant I got all sappy and sentimental, so I looked her up. Found out she and Gerald got married and she was expecting Tyson. Tyson is only about a month older than Adam. They actually came to visit last year, before Jason and I decided to separate."
"Mommy. I'm bored. Can we go now?" Adam whined as he tugged on Helga's shirt to ensure he had her attention.
"Sure, Bud. I just need to get some meat first." She smiled apologetically to Harold, "Sorry, it's been a long couple days of driving and moving. He is getting a little restless."
Harold laughed, "It's okay; I have three kids Helga. I get it. What can I get for you?"
After buying some hamburger patties for lunch and chicken breasts for supper Helga and Adam left Green Meats with Harold and Patty's number in hand. Harold suggested a play-date for Kyle and Adam, since they were around the same age. Helga quickly agreed, having friends would help Adam adjust to his new surroundings a lot easier.
On the way home Helga got a call from Phoebe, who offered to come help her unpack. Helga readily accepted the help. Phoebe would bring Tyson and that would distract Adam while she and Phoebe unpacked.
After unloading and putting the groceries away Helga unpacked a few of Adam's toys and games so he and Tyson would be entertained while their mothers unpacked. Helga had just pulled out Crocodile Dentist out of one of the boxes in Adam's room when there was a knock at the front door. Helga grinned, "That's Phoebe and Tyson." She told Adam as she walked out of his room. "I think you and Tyson will be really good friends, don't you?"
Adam nodded, "I like Tyson. He's funny."
Helga opened the front door greeting Phoebe Johanssen a smile and a hug. "Phoebe! It is so good to see you." She looked down at Tyson, her smile broadening. "Hi Tyson. Do you remember Adam?"
Tyson nodded eagerly. "We played in New York."
"That's right…" She looked back at Adam, "You want to show Tyson your room? Maybe you can play a game or play with your cars?"
"Ty, make sure you play nice." Phoebe warned her son as he and Adam ran towards Adam's room. She smiled. "It is so good to see you Helga. How was the drive here?"
"Long." Helga laughed, "Really, really long. I don't think I want to drive that long with a child ever again." She paused, "It's good to see you too. What are Gerald and Harper doing today?" Harper was Gerald and Phoebe's two-year-old daughter.
"Gerald had some work to do at the school and Harper is with my parents." Phoebe answered. "I figured everyone would be happier with her at grandpa and grandma's…She is officially in the terrible twos stage." She explained, following Helga into the kitchen.
"Thank you so much for helping me unpack Pheebs. I really appreciate it."
Phoebe smiled, "It's no problem Helga. I really wanted to see you. I've missed you." She opened the box labeled plates, "Where do you want these?"
"The cabinet above the sink." Helga told her as she unpacked the box that contained the toaster, George Forman Grill, and other small appliances.
Phoebe bit her lip nervously before asking, "So…How've you been holding up?" She looked past Helga, making sure Tyson and Adam were nowhere in sight. "Since the divorce I mean…It was final last week, right?"
Helga nodded, "I've been doing alright." She answered honestly. She looked down at her ring finger. Though she hadn't worn it since they filed for divorce, she still had faint tan line where her wedding ring once sat. "It feels weird. Not being married anymore, being a Pataki again." After the divorce was finalized she changed her and Adam's last name to Pataki, deciding she didn't want to be attached to the Stanson name anymore. And since Jason really didn't want anything to do with either her or Adam anymore she thought Jason didn't deserve to have Adam share his name. "Adam seems to be taking it pretty well, that's all that matters to me." She sighed sadly, "He really misses Jason though."
Phoebe gave her friend a sympathetic smile. "I can't imagine what you are going through. I'm sure Adam will be fine, he just needs time to adjust. You are such a wonderful mother. Adam is lucky to have you as his mom."
"One good thing about me getting divorced is that I got to move back here." Helga smiled, "I really hope Adam and Tyson become as close as we were growing up."
Phoebe laughed, "Oh I don't think we will have to worry about that. I have a feeling they will be very good friends."
"Glad you found time for lunch." Gerald Johanssen joked as his best friend sat down in the chair across the table from him. It was past noon and the two friends decided to meet for lunch at a local bar that sold the best chicken wings in the city.
"Yeah, yeah…" Arnold Shortman grumbled as he scratched the back of his neck. "I just have another week or two of this and things should calm down." Arnold owned his own architecture firm and business had been booming the past few months. He had been working nonstop, sketching homes, office buildings, and restaurants. When he wasn't sketching he was making estimates, checking prices, and reviewing the progress on all things that were in the process of being built. "I just hired two new guys, so I will get a little break. I will still do most of the designing, but I need help with the rest." He yawned; he had stayed up late the night before, sketching a new doctor's office. "How's work for you?"
Gerald was a gym teacher at the high school who also coached the football and baseball teams. "Good, but I'm glad summer vacation starts next week. I will be coaching some summer baseball programs, but I love doing that."
"Where are Phoebe and the kids today?" Arnold asked as he scanned the menu, deciding what kinds of wings he wanted to order.
"Harper is at Phoebe's parents and Phoebe and Ty went to Helga's to help unpack."
Arnold looked up in surprise, "Helga? Helga Pataki?"
"Man, you really have been out of it the past few months." Gerald shook his head, "Yeah, Helga Pataki. I told you months ago she was moving back. She just got divorced and wanted a fresh start, I guess. She'll actually be my co-worker next fall. She got the job as the new creative writing teacher."
"She's got a kid now right? That's Tyson's age?" Arnold asked. He remembered Gerald and Phoebe saying something about Helga being pregnant when she and Phoebe had gotten in touch again. They had mentioned a kid again when they took a family trip to New York about a year and a half earlier.
"Yeah, his name is Adam. He is about a month younger than Ty. Tyson was pretty happy when Phoebe and I told him Adam was moving here. I think they will be pretty good friends."
"Helga is a mom…" Arnold said thoughtfully, "I have to say, it's kind of hard to picture."
Gerald laughed, "That is probably because you haven't seen her since we were ten. I think it would be hard to picture any of us with kids back then."
Arnold laughed, "Good point." He set down the menu. "Let's order. I'm starving."
It was later that night and Helga was tucking Adam in for bed, "Should I read you a bedtime story tonight?" She asked as she handed Adam his stuffed pig, Hamlet.
Adam nodded, "Where the Wild Things Are." He requested his favorite book. Helga nodded as she turned to this small book shelf, her eyes scanning for the book. "Mommy…I've been thinking…"
"What have you been thinking about Bud?" Helga asked as she sat down in his bed next to him, book in hand.
"Batman and Wolverine."
"You've been thinking about Batman and Wolverine?" Helga asked, confused. She had just bought him the DVDs of the old Batman and X-Men cartoons series. He had loved the cartoons even more than she did as a kid.
"They are my favorite heroes. They'd be good names, right?" Adam held up his right fist, "This is Batman." He held up his left fist, "And this is Wolverine. If anyone messes with me or you they will have Batman and Wolverine to deal with." He told his mother seriously.
Helga couldn't help but laugh. Adam was most defiantly her child. Truthfully, it almost scared her just how quickly he became a Pataki.
I am so sorry this update took so long. Work got kind of crazy this week. Sadly, writing has to take a backseat to work.
As always, please review. And quick question, how do you all feel about some Arnold and Helga lemons in the future of this story?