Gerald = The voice of reason to Arnold. We also know that Arnold does the same for him.

Arnold came out of his room to find Helga at the bottom step that morning just hugging and talking to Abner. Listening to her laugh as Abner rolled over like a dog before oinking to get back on his feet to press against her for another hug made Arnold laugh as well.

"Morning Football Head. I got distracted by my cute boyfriend here. I mean he is such a hog for my attention." Helga quipped as Abner rolled to his side to get petted.

"I need to walk him today. Want to join me after breakfast?" Arnold asked as he got to the floor to hug his pet.

"Sure." Standing up Helga soon lost balance when Abner surprised her with getting up too fast making her fall into Arnold. "Oh crap. Sorry."

"No problem." Helping her get back on her feet Arnold and her shared a look that almost made him loose his breath if it wasn't for Oskar suddenly running down the stairs. "We better go or else there will be none left."

"Wise idea." Helga had to clear her throat from the wave of emotions going through her as they went to make their way downstairs.

After breakfast Helga and himself were out walking Abner as a comfortable silence fell between them. The air was finally starting to chill. Arnie was gone and while Helga was happy about that it seemed that Stinky was more than happier with it even though Lila didn't pay attention to Arnie whatsoever past the first day. Guess old habits die hard with some people, that being jealousy.

"Hey!"

Stopping themselves they both saw Wolfgang heading towards them. Helga hadn't spoke to him since that night at her house and still was entirely too grateful for that. Arnold kept a tight hold on Abner's leash in case he decided to bolt.

"Oh good I finally get to see you." Wolfgang told her with a smile on his face.

While he seemed happy, Helga was still tense about him. "Gee, glad for you."

"Look I get why you don't trust me and I'm cool with that after what I did and all. I did mean what I said to you the last time I saw ya and I'm trying to change and I know the first step in doing it." Wolfgang was still so happy sounding.

Placing her hand on her hip, Helga looked to Arnold first before him. "Uh huh."

"Yeah I'm serious and I heard about your court case and guess what?"

Helga and Arnold were too nervous about what he might say even as Helga reached for Arnold's hand for support. "Just tell me." Helga could never take suspense.

"Well I'm like a witness for your side." Wolfgang's eyes were lit up with excitement. "This is my first step in making amends and to prove that your father is a bad man."

"Seriously?" Arnold was stupefied at the miracle taking place.

"What's the catch?" Helga asked.

"No catch. I'm not trying to get into your pants." Wolfgang answered before giving her a once over. "I mean sure you are the hottest thing in this place, but I don't stand a chance with you. I just want to say that yeah Bob is a bad guy and I saw him hit his daughter."

"You realize by doing that they'll ask you why you were being forced to marry me in the first place? You will be implicating yourself." Helga pointed out calmly.

"I know and I'm fine with it. I deserve any punishment if they choose it." Wolfgang tried to approach but Abner wouldn't allow it. "It was wrong with what I tried to do with you and I apologize. This is my first step in improving myself."

Feeling the gentlest of squeezes from Arnold made her think he was trying to get her to forgive him for what he did to her, but it was too hard. "Well uh thanks for doing this." Her tone carried such an uneasy tone to it as she spoke. "It is good to have someone on my side speaking out."

"Yeah and uh I am like so sorry about your mum. She seemed nice." Wolfgang offered.

Helga thought he almost looked like a beaten down dog right now begging for her forgiveness. "You really don't want to turn into Bob, don't you?"

"Ohhh no, no way."

Arnold remained quiet as he studied him as he tried to put his best foot forward. "So no more funny business with Helga or any other girl?"

Brushing his hair back with his hand, Wolfgang appeared so ashamed. "She is actually the first girl I tried to do that with honestly. Seriously. I know I have a reputation and seeing someone as hot as her with a mouth like hers felt too good to be true to me. I let it get to me." See's Arnold holding her hand. "Even she is the most interesting girl I've seen you around. True all of them have been hot, but she takes the cake."

Wolfgang thought they were a couple. Arnold almost grinned at the thought. Helga had a tough time concentrating between holding his hand and looking at Wolfgang with contempt till Abner oinked reminding her that they had him.

"I guess I'll see you in court then. Also ignore Olga because I'm sure she'll try to convince you of Bob's good nature." "Helga warned.

"Tall and whiney who cries a lot?" Helga nodded her head. "Nah I'm not into wanting to listen to divas or head cases. Too much drama man." Wolfgang spoke with contempt.

"Oh the ring..."

"Keep it. Your dad bought it so pawn it or something." He suggested deciding that it would be better to leave Arnold, Helga and Abner alone.

Removing her hand from Arnold's, Helga crouched down to Abner to hug him. "You are such a good boy, aren't you?" She cooed.

"How do you feel about this newest development?" Arnold asked as she stood back up.

Helga thought he looked too cute with that innocent smile on his face. "I'll see when it comes to that day, but right now let me enjoy my friend and boyfriend down there." Abner makes a noise of contentment. "See how he loves me?"

"I had no clue you were such a ladies man, Abner."

"No Football Head, he is Helga's man."

Arnold laughed at the wink she threw at him it was simply far too cute to him.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Court day and Helga hated the hours of sitting there listening and being questioned. She hated listening to Bob and most of all Olga. She hated hearing them bad mouth, Miriam when she wasn't there to defend herself. Sure she wasn't a perfect mother, but she did love her. Wolfgang was up there as well being questioned and she had to admit he was at least truthful in what he did to her and what Bob was trying to make her do with him. So many gasped hearing him say that he just wanted his daughter to learn a lesson she deserves from someone who tried to do something salacious with his own daughter since it will teach her some manners.

It felt like the real fireworks happened when she was called up for questioning. Helga answered every question calmly and precisely while Bob would bark out in court having the Judge slam his gavel down quite a lot to the point he told him he would be fined. Money was Bob's weakness so that always shut him up. Photographs of Helga's abuse that was documented by Miriam to free her of Bob was shown making Olga cry so much that she had to be escorted out. The thing Helga had no clue about was Miriam videotaping Bob coming at her. To hear Miriam trying to stop Bob by yelling at him and he ignored her while Helga was shown looking like a rag doll turned Helga's stomach. Frank wasn't her lawyer for this case but was there for support as he gave her a glass of water to help try to curb the bile coming up.

During recess she was in a private room with mostly Frank as her other lawyer Richard Sayer was speaking to his boss elsewhere. "Thanks for being here. I'm surprised you are." Helga said to Frank softly.

"I normally am when the case is really severe. Your mother expressed many times how worried she was about you knowing your father's temper."

"I swear I think stopping a Mack truck is easier than stopping him. Only a few times in my life when I was younger he acted like a father to me. Mostly it was the Olga show and I was the disappointment of the family. The turd." She spat out.

Frank studied the young lady in the chair across from him. "Your mother is right about one thing. You are incredibly mature compared to your sister. She spoke how she never worried about you once you set out on your own because you are strong enough to handle it. Since we have to get all your records from the past I see that you have a high IQ. You probably been able to skip several grades if you weren't moved around so much, but the fact that you never let any move affect your grades shows remarkably."

"Cool." She was a bit red faced with the compliment. "You aren't like any other lawyer out there. You seem more personable."

"I try to be. It is hard sometimes, but I want to go home to my family at the end of the day and do some good." Frank smiled as he thought of his two kids. "So how is it where you are living?"

"I love it! I feel like that even though I'm not related to anyone there that I'm part of a family." Helga sighed in a contented way. "It is so strange to think that for once I'm happy to come home instead of dreading it."

Hearing the door open her other lawyer popped his head in. "Time to come in to read the verdict."

Helga felt increased nervousness as she stood up hoping she'll be able to stomach food once again in her life.

As for Arnold, Phoebe, Gerald, and well many of their other friends they felt the day was dragging on way too long. It was hard to speak and when they tried to form a thought, like Harold, it all ended up sounding like they were trying to eat too dry oatmeal that was extra coated in sawdust. Phoebe and Arnold were especially looking at their phones for anything from her. They even called home to see if Helga called, but still nothing.

A few minutes before school ended a text was sent from Helga:

Alright buckos come to Slauson's after school. - H

Arnold's face lit up in a grin as he quickly gathered his stuff together and took off out of there towards his truck. He had to laugh that his friends were also running to get out of there to meet up with Helga too.

All arriving at Slauson's at the same time Arnold had to laugh at how almost everyone fell on the ground as soon as they rushed through the door. Even Helga, who was still dressed for court, looked amused at the display in front of her.

"I give that 7 points in clumsiness." Helga said out loud. "Oh and Bob has been found guilty so I won't be seeing him for quite some time." She beamed.

Seeing how everyone rushed up to her to hug her, Helga complained about not being able to breath before quickly sliding into the booth to mostly have the girls surround her chattering to her about everything and saying it was the longest day waiting to hear about what happened. Helga had to agree with them. It did feel like the second longest day or the third.

"So you free to date now?" Sid blurted out suddenly.

Helga narrowed one of her eyes at him. "Still not interested, Sid, thanks." She said as politely as possible.

Arnold watched how Lila whispered into Helga's ear making her eyes get wider before shaking her head. Arnold just smiled at her.

"Oh the grandparents and boarders already know and they practically forced me out to spend time with all of you guys. I know they are planning something." Helga told Arnold. "A dinner thing."

"Makes me wonder what grandma will be wearing when we get home then." Arnold thought out loud.

"Ah who cares? Your grandparents are fun no matter what day it is."

Arnold wanted to hold her in his arms. He really wanted to hold her in his arms for a long time. Catching an all too knowing look from Gerald he almost hit him before catching another knowing look from Lila. He was dreadfully afraid to look in Phoebe's direction now.

After they all had milkshakes and what not, Helga and Arnold stood next to his truck waving at everyone as they were leaving. Opening up his truck door, Helga went to hug him making him painfully aware how much he wanted to kiss her. She felt so perfect. She fit like that missing puzzle piece.

"Wanted to do that without our friends in attendance." Helga whispered as she hopped into the cab.

Grinning he shut the door as he went to his side to climb in. Once again he was touched at how Helga always reached over to unlock and open his door for him. He remembered a few times Julie just sat there in the passenger seat while he fumbled with the keys to unlock his side getting drenched and her having the nerve to ask why he was soaking wet. Helga was at least thoughtful.

At home she was greeted by congratulations making her face turn beet red as she tried to hide, but Arnold wasn't allowing her to. "If you don't I'll lift you up and carry you inside." He threatened quietly in her ear.

Helga shivered feeling his breath against her as she turned to head into the dining room to eat. They had the whole room decorated in streamers.

"Oh no need to be embarrassed girly. When you live here you become one of us." Phil greeted happily.

"One of us. One of us. One of us." All of them chanted.

Laughing, Helga felt a hand at the small of her back bringing her to the head of the table by Arnold as Ernie helped her into her seat. As she looked upon this scene she wondered if she'll ever get use to it.

Yeah there was no way I wanted to dedicate chapter after chapter of a court hearing. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz! Also I don't have that much knowledge on how to go about them. I only researched laws on emancipations for that one previous chapter.