Sixth Grade Beginnings

by SakiKitty

The transition of a preteen can be a difficult one. Things you once liked, now bore you. People you once hated, suddenly interest you. The body you were once comfortable with, now causes you to struggle with feelings you never knew existed. After their grueling adventure in the jungles of San Lorenzo, the students of P.S118 thought their biggest battle was now over... but was it?

42. Chapter 42

(A/N: Hope the new year of 2022 has treated everyone well so far! Not much to report with me. I hope you're all just as excited as I am to continue our journey together into this colorful and chaotic world! Please, everyone stay healthy and safe out there! Got it?! Any who~ I've got some fun surprises in store for you here! Be sure to tell me all what you think!)

"Okay, so here's the plan…" Harold's hushed voice beckoned towards his group of friends in the Boy's locker room. They had all just gotten back from another cramp inducing, but 'highly pivotal' session with Coach Wittenberg that they'd all had their fill of for another day. The boys gathered around their large friend, some shoving their dirty gym clothes into their backpacks to take home and wash, while others tossed the clothes haphazardly back into their assigned lockers. "We have until Sunday morning to grab the stash," He continued, noticing they were all paying attention. "So tonight, we all get together for a big sleepover and discuss our plan of action!" His eyes lit up excitedly as he scanned the faces of each of the other boys. "That way, we can be 100% ready and we can't lose!"

"Let me get this straight…" Gerald said, crossing his arms. "Your plan is to have everyone get together an… create a plan?" As he finished, he arched his eyebrow with a smirk. "Genius."

"I know, right!" Harold smiled largely and laughed.

Curly let out a scoff. "We'll we're not staying at my house." He stated, snubbing his head toward another direction. "I like to keep a low profile, and don't need anyone snooping around my stuff!"

"Nobody wants to see your wall to wall Rhonda shrine, Curly." Sid laughed at the boy's ridiculous notion of them even suggesting his house was an option, then turned his attention back to the mass. "But we definitely can't stay at my house either. My aunt is staying over for the weekend and my mom usually has a fit if anything is out of place."

"What're you talking about, Sid? Your place is a pigsty almost all the time." Stinky let out his own smirk of amusement, watching as his short friend turned to quickly glare at him. "Since when has your ma ever given a hoot about keeping it tidy?"

"Since she patched things up with my aunt, Dah!" The boy shouted back in offense. "At least my house is warm and isn't heated by a stove and some lanterns!"

Stinky scowled and walked closer, hovering over his stringy haired friend. "My family likes to keep the cost of living low, on accounta' we ain't bleeding millionaires!"

"Guys, guys!" Arnold placed his arms between the two and ushered them away from each other. "Calm down! We aren't here to fight about whose house is better."

"Whatever." Sid shrugged, sitting down on one of the benches. "Why don't we just all sleep over your house than, Arnold? Like we always do."

"Yeah!" Harold and Stinky nodded in agreement.

Arnold gulped, knowing very well why that was impossible. He quickly turned to Gerald, who simply cringed sympathetically as if just watching Arnold bash his foot against a rock. "Uhhh… We can't." He forced out, trying to quickly think of a decent reason as to why not before they could ask. "Because…" Feeling judgmental eyes on him, Arnold's brain worked quickly to throw something together that was believable enough. "Because today is the 13th!" He shouted with a win.

All the young men save for Gerald, looked at each other in confusion.

"What does that matter?" Curly asked, turning back to him with doubt. "Are you hiding something?"

"It's Friday the Thirteenth." Gerald clarified, nodding to Arnold that he understood where the excuse was going. "You all know how Arnold's grandma is and it's one of her favorite holidays."

"She sorta… dresses up in a cat suit and likes to collect cats from all over town." Arnold continued with embarrassment, scratching the top of his hand.

"Black cats!" Gerald pointed out.

Harold's eyes grew wide. "Is she some kind of… witch?!"

"No! Nothing like that!" Arnold waved his hands dismissively, wanting to avoid any possible rumors over this very real phenomenon. "She just likes to make sure they're safe due to the superstitions that surrounds them!"

"Sounds more like she's a Witch and she's just gathering her familiars…" Stinky shivered, as he rubbed the sides of both his upper arms, in an attempt to keep warm.

"Arnold's crazy grandma aside, we can't do it at my place either." Gerald stated, taking the attention back on to him. "I don't want to deal with my dad getting on to us about anything and everything, or my little sister getting in the way and possibly even over hearing this plan. You understand."

Noticing that everyone plausible had backed out, Harold's mouth dropped. "W-well we can't do it at my place!" He shouted in full panic. "My mom would probably bug us all night long and we'd never get anything done!"

"It is your plan and your problem." Curly pointed out, tapping his foot, and grinning at the boy's unease.

They all began to argue back and forth, until someone they weren't expecting came up to them in a timid motion. "You can all sleep over my house." Having just come from one of the private bathroom stalls from changing, Eugene smiled shyly. "I didn't mean to ease drop, or anything, but you guys are pretty loud…"

"Your house?" Harold gawked, unsure of how to collect this whole mess he had fallen into once again.

"Well… yeah." Eugene let out a small laugh. "I don't exactly know the details of what you're all up to, but I know my parents would be fine with it. It'll sorta be like… when we all went camping together!"

"That actually sounds like a pretty good idea." Arnold nodded, feeling very appreciative to his ginger friend. "Thanks, Eugene."

"But now he'll know all about this too!" Harold shouted, throwing his blue ball cap to the floor, and stomping on it in frustration. "We already have too many people!"

"You don't have to fill me in, if you don't want to, Harold." Eugene gave his friend an enthusiastic smile. "I just want to help my friends."

"But its Friday the thirteenth…" Stinky shuttered. "Why'd we wanna jinx ourselves by hanging out with you… no offense."

Arnold watched as the insensitive comment caused Eugene to frown, and stepped in the middle once more. "Come on, Stinky. That's no way to treat someone who's going out of their way to help us when they don't even know what's going on."

"And if it helps any, I've always considered today to be the luckiest day of the year for me!" Eugene shined from behind his savior. "I was born on Friday the Thirteenth and was considered my parents miracle! I even get into far less accidents than normal!"

"I hate this, I hate this, I hate this!" Harold continued to yell as he scratched his bald head. "FINE!" He let out one final shout before stomping up to the timid class mate and pointing his large index finger in his face. "But your mom better cook good food!"

"Is… Beef Stroganoff okay?" Eugene shrugged. "I think that's what I saw on the meal plan for today…"

"Only if she doesn't overwhelm the meat with too much mushroom gravy!" Harold scowled and brought himself back to normal. "It ruins the whole dish!"

"A-actually… I'm allergic to mushroom's so she substitutes it with a brown onion gravy…" Eugene blushed, knowing full well that his short comings would probably cause another tantrum by Harold, but was surprised to see that instead, he looked intrigued. "If that's alright?"

Harold licked his lips. "Hmm… That might taste good."

"Then its settled! We'll all tell our parent's we're sleeping over Eugene's house for the night." Gerald clapped both of his hands to indicate that their huddle was over. "Let's all go home, grab our things and head over so we can begin our bro chill"

---

"Criminy! What's taking them so long!" Helga loudly expressed her irritation, as she and Phoebe waited outside of the school for their respective partners to walk with them.

"Another innocent locker room mishap, perhaps?" suggested phoebe, attempting to defuse the situation.

"How many times is Harold going to get stuck trying to prank someone in a bathroom stall?!" The girl huffed, repetitively tapping her foot. "I'd like to get a move on before it gets dark!"

The twin doors behind them opened up, allowing Rhonda, Nadine, and Lila exit from the building.

"Discussing what to wear to our little women's party?" Rhonda asked the two girls, twinkling her fingers as she neared them. "I've already picked out a few lovely nightgowns myself, as well as a whole array of nail polish colors to match!"

"I'm sure they're as colorful and wonderful as your award winning personality." Helga replied flatly with sarcasm, moving out of the girl's way; avoiding her.

Rhonda stopped dead in her tracks and gave Helga a shocked look. "What a lovely thing to say." She gasped, not taking the hint, and truly thinking it was a compliment. "And you're quite right, so be sure to be there! I'm sure we can even find a color that will look très beau on you, Helga!"

"Looking forward to it." Phoebe smiled courteously, watching the trio make their way down the concrete steps and headed off in their own direction.

The thought of Rhonda's condescending remark, caused Helga to grind her teeth. "I can't stand her. Remind me again why I'm being forced into this?"

Phoebe continued to look around them, hoping to sight the boys soon. "Something to do that involves high class free food, and comfortable beds."

"Oh, yeah." Helga replied, her disgusted face now turned pleasant. "The thought of that 'high class multi jet' jacuzzi is pretty dope too."

"Sorry about the wait!" Arnold's voice shouted towards them, with the pitter patter of running shoes along with it.

The girl's turned around and saw their male counter parts quickly heading their way. Phoebe smiled and took her boyfriend's hand. "What took you guys so long?" She asked, pulling her weight down on his arm to hoist herself up to give him a small kiss on the cheek.

Helga made a gagging noise and started to head out, causing Arnold to quickly follow suit, as well as the love birds behind them.

"Not much, just setting up some plans with the guys." Gerald replied, ignoring Helga's remarks, and blushing in surprise as the sudden show of public affection.

"Oh?" Phoebe inquired with surprise. "Do tell."

"We're actually going to be… sleeping over Eugene's house." He answered, still surprised to hear himself say such a thing. "Now that I think about it, have we ever even been in his house before, Arnold?"

"I've been there a few times, but never for an extended time." The young man replied, thinking about the circumstances behind all of the visits. "I think the longest was when I was trying to throw him a birthday party but things kept getting in the way…"

Helga let out a loud laugh. "Guess you'll all be sleeping in protective gear, then." She placed her fingers together to form a rectangle, which she peered through as she walked. "I can see the headlines now… boy slumber party took a turn for the worst when suddenly the ceiling collapses!" She continued to laugh in spite of the disapproving glare that was piercing through her.

"That's not funny, Helga." Arnold scolded. "Everything's gonna be fine."

"I'm pretty sure we still got Jamie-O's old football helmet… you want me to bring it with me?" Gerald asked, quite serious and still weary of the whole thing.

"Gerald!" Arnold cried out, giving his best friend the same disapproving look.

"Hey man, better safe than sorry."

"Although safety practices are always a good thing, I have to agree with Arnold." Phoebe interjected thoughtfully. "In this case, being overly cautious may actually lead to more harm than good, especially in Eugene's case."

"Geez, Phoebe…" Helga sighed and shook her head. "It was a joke, doi!"

Gerald nervously scratched the back of his neck, and laughed. "Y-yeah… sure…" He gulped, imagining an entire building collapsing and them all being crushed to death.

Once they reached the intersection where they usually parted, Helga waited eagerly for Arnold and Gerald to do their corny hand shake thumb wiggle, until taking the initiative to continue their travels.

"Helga! Wait up!" He called after her, breaking into a jog before eventually catching up. "Why are you in such a hurry, anyway?" He asked curiously, unsure if he should be concerned or not.

"Like I've already said, Hair boy: I want to make it inside before it gets dark!" She reminded him callously.

"Why? What will happen when it gets dark out tonight?" Arnold continued to press gently.

Helga let out a growl. "None of your beeswax, Football head. Now let's get a move on! The quicker I make it inside and to my room, the better." From the corner of her eye, she could see that her careless choice of words had caused him to frown and decided to change the subject. "Why the sudden plans to sleep over the Jinx's house, anyway?"

The question caused an unusual smirk to grace Arnolds lips. He could see that they were making good time towards their home and knew that once she disappeared through that historical door, he might lose sight of her for the rest of the night. Let's see how she likes it when the tables have turned… he thought, intentionally remaining silent.

"Hello?" She called out to him. "Earth to Football head! You still with me or did your mind get lost inside that large head of yours?" Finished with her teasing, she looked down and could see his grin. "What's wrong with you?"

Arnold chuckled. "Oh, nothing." He replied simply, allowing the lack of answers to hang all around them.

"Then are you gonna answer my question?" She pressed firmly.

His grin grew wider and he waited until they reached the boarding house steps. He then took one step up, with the intention of becoming a little bit taller than her. "Are you going to answer mine?"

His boldness caused the young girl to blush and take a step back. She could see from the look in his eyes, that he was serious and all the words that could have possibly formulated, jumbled within her mouth, causing her to just stammer in her place. "I… I uh… I'm…" She could see that his grin wasn't wavering, and eventually she stopped trying to respond and just stared at him. He's enjoying this! She realized, becoming annoyed. "W-whatever!" She shouted, before gaining back her composure and shooting up, passed him. She latched the door handle and paused. "Not like I care, anyway!"

The door flung open, causing the warm glow from inside the house to envelope her right before his eyes. His bold grin turned into more of a soft boyish smile, and he watched as she raced up the stairs and disappeared into the upper level of his home. He could feel the rough beating of his heart, as well as the warmth of affection overwhelm his body. There was just something comforting about the sight of her disappearing into his house, and this wasn't something he ever wanted to change.

Now stepping inside, himself, Arnold could hear his parent's talking in the living room and decided that he better let them know of his plans sooner, rather than later.

Stupid Football Head! Helga screamed inside her head as she stomped from the hallway. Just who does he think he is? Teasing ME? AGAIN?! She stormed into her room and threw her backpack to the side, closed the door, and threw herself on her bed where her pillow could muffle her screams. When content, she rolled over and could feel her face had a goofy grin on it, as well as she could assume just by the heat resonating off of it, how red her face had become. "Be still, my beating heart…" She told herself softly, as she placed both of her hands on her chest. "Oohh~" She cooed. "I could pinch myself, but I dare not wake up from this fever dream of mine…" She could feel her breath becoming ragged as she thought of his newfound display of exhibitionism. "How have you become so audacious, so suddenly? Has my impertinence rubbed off on you?" She pressed her fingers to her lips, inhaled deeply and let herself melt into her bed upon exhale. "Dare I even suggest… that maybe… you've come to adopt such a brazen personality, notably shown only in secret, due to impulsive urges brought on by your feelings for me?" She shook her head, and pushed down the overwhelming feelings of longing that were beginning to rise to an uncontrollable level. "No! Calm down, Helga!" She scolded herself, though her heart still full enough to burst. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves! We can't give into such asinine thoughts! It will only lead to our demise…" But even with saying those words aloud, Helga was unable to contain her exuberant passions and she soon found herself screaming into her pillow once more; kicking and flailing about as if a school girl had just met their long sought after idol. "Ohhh~ But I can't help it! Just this once, let me be right!"

Arnold gathered his overnight bag and scanned his room for a few more things that he might need for their adventure. Noticing his flashlight resting on his desk, he stuffed that in his bag as well. "I hope this is enough…"

Just as he was about to leave his room, he could hear noises coming from the roof top. Curious, he set his bag down to investigate. He climbed his stairs, unlatched the safety mechanism from his window panel and lifted it up carefully to peer around. Up top, he noticed his grandmother stretching in a catlike manner. He could tell that she knew he was there but made no indication of it right away.

"Anything I can help you with, Maahes?" She asked, arching her back until it cracked in 10 different ways.

"No Grandma, it's me, Arnold." He assured her, slowly approaching the older woman as she continued her poses. As he got closer, yellow and green eyes lit up all around him and knew she had already begun her work. "I take it you'll be on the prowl tonight?"

"But of course!" She sung, firmly planting her feet on the floor, reaching her hands up to the sky and letting out a loud, catlike shriek as she stretched. "My pretties and I have some interesting plans." Gertie explained, beckoning to a nearby cat that stood up and approached her with a purr. Kneeling down, she scratched it under its chin and Arnold could hear it purring from where he stood. "You best run along now, dear. For once dusk falls, the denizens emerge and I wouldn't want you in our crossfire."

Knowing that he would probably never fully understand his grandmother, Arnold simply agreed and began his way back to his exit.

"Be sure to tell your lovely lioness that we're ready for her, will you?" Gertie asked, a hint of mystery in her voice. "We'll be needing her for the hunt."

"Huh?" The boy turned around and could see that his grandmother now had a mass of black cats surrounding her.

Her eyes gleamed as they made contact with his. "You know who I mean." She stated with a wink. "We'll be waiting."

Arnold felt his stomach drop, recognizing just why Helga was so insistent on getting home and into her room as swiftly as possible. "Oh…" He could only begin to wonder what sort of plans his grandmother had for her, as she had never taken him on any of these adventures. "Okay…" He replied, before ducking back into his room.

He gathered back up his things, descended down his creaky wooden stairs, and let out a long sigh as he stood in front of her door. "I'm so sorry…" He whispered to her secretly, before knocking on her door. There was no way he could defy his grandmother, even if it meant throwing Helga into some weird chaotic fantasy of hers.

A loud thump and some strange noises came from behind the door, causing Arnold to tilt his head and wonder if she was okay. "Helga?" He called out to her; his ears targeted on all the sounds. When she finally opened the door, he noticed she was out of breath. "Are you okay?"

She feigned a calm demeanor and rested her body up against the doorframe. "Yeah, yep, totally!" She replied, her breathing still a bit ragged. "What do you need?"

Still a bit concerned, Arnold casually tried to look around her but was quickly blocked off by her moving her body to get in the way. "You're needed on the roof top…" He answered, the worry beginning to grow even further. "Do you want me to stay home? I can just tell the guys my parents said no, or something."

Helga let out a strange sort of chuckle. "You? Lie? Don't make me laugh." She said, pushing him forward and shutting the door behind her. "Gooooo!" She insisted. "Be with your guy friends and do whatever stupid guy things you have planned." Her temper coined her back into her usual self, as her breathing came back to normal. "It's no snot outta my nose." She finished, crossing her arms, and looking away.

"Are… you sure?" Arnold swallowed, wondering if she was actually mad that he was leaving for the night or if she was simply preparing for the unknown that awaited her on his roof top.

She glared at him. "Yes! I'm sure! Criminy, Arnold." She spat, suddenly beginning to shove him down the hallway. "You do your thing, and I'll do mine. Just as it always has been and just as it always will be. I don't need a baby sitter!"

Once at the top of the stairs, he grasped the railings and turned his head to look at her. "Alright… sorry."

Hearing the sadness lingering on his words, Helga become even more impatient, but more so to herself rather than the reluctant boy in front of her. She clenched her fists and took in a deep breath, before slowly letting it out and calming herself down. "I'll be okay, Arnold." She spoke softly. "Go have fun with your friends."

Her words caused the boy to give a slight smile. He could tell that she was doing her best, and that it was time to leave her be and continue with his own endeavors. It seemed they were both being signed up for things they didn't ask for, and for some reason, he felt a warm kindred feeling rise up. "Be safe out there, okay?"

"You too." She breathed, finally managing to smile, pushing off the panic she once felt.

They stared at each other, without words for a moment, before Arnold finally made a move and began to head on down the stairs towards whatever waited him at his final destination.

Helga watched and waited until he reached the front door. He turned around, gave her a curt wave, and then left. "Geez…" She growled under her breath. "Always the ol' chivalrous Football head." Her smile still planted on her face and growing as her cheeks became rosy. Even if he seemed to be growing some sort of daring personality, it would remain underneath his goodhearted nature and she wouldn't have it any other way. How effortless it was; his caring for others, that it stirred her to swoon.

After taking a moment, Helga finally gathered up her resolve and headed on up into his room, and throw his ceiling where she knew who awaited her.

"Finally, you've arrived, Sekhmet." Gertie greeted, now surrounded by at least 15 black cats. Their tails twitched and they eye's fixed on the unknown girl. "We've been waiting." She then reached into an old knapsack that was hidden inside of her piano. "Put this on." She demanded, throwing a black cloth at the girl.

Helga picked it up and let its mass straighten as she hung up in front of her. "What's this?"

"Your armor, young huntress." The old woman purred.

What hung in Helga's hands seemed to be a hand knitted black body suit, along with a cap with cat ears sown on top. "You expect me… to wear this?"

Gertie let out a cackle. "You can't go into war without armor, young one!" She could see Helga's distain front across the rooftop but it made no difference. She knew that she had valuable information, and an important task that Helga would undoubtedly help her with. "My pack have informed me of a heist that will be going down shortly, and we'll be gathering information… and watching from afar."

The young girl furrowed her brow, as she could feel a tension headache coming on. She wondered if this woman was truly insane, or if she really could talk to cats; neither of which would surprise her in the least.

"And don't you worry, dear." Gertie added, causing Helga to turn her attention back onto her. "You'll see that it fits nice and snug! I've noted all of your measurements in here!" She explained, tapping on the crown of her head.

"I… don't even want to know." Helga sighed, rolling up the outfit in her arms, and listening to Gertie let out another howl of cackles. "I'll… be back."

"Be quick about it!" The old woman informed in earnest. "Our prey will be on the move shortly and we don't want to lose them!"

Helga rolled her eyes and made her way back down into Arnold's bedroom. She considered for a moment if changing in his room was really appropriate, seeing as if anyone were to come in, how it might look. Unable to push the intrusive fantasies, her mind became filled with images of maybe being in his company while doing something similar, and what it might mean for them. Her heart pounded and she gripped the fabric tightly in her hands. "Ohhh~" She swooned quietly before forcing her mind back to the present and throwing the outfit down on his bed.

Taking off her dress, she wondered if this body suit would really fit as accurately as Gertie insisted. She looked down at the plain white sports bra she now wore, and her pink polka-dotted panties, and wondered if this would be able to be seen through this mesh woolen knit.

"Whatever…" She told herself before picking up her pink dress and placing it nicely on her beloved's bed. Picking up the body suit, she gave it a quick look over before unzipping the back and stepping on into it. Immediately, she noticed that not only was Gertie true to her word and the outfit was comfortable and fitting, but a thin layer of black cloth lay underneath it, covering her intimates and concealing everything it needed to. Helga gave the woman credit where it was due, zipped up her back and place the knitted cap snuggly on her head. She wondered how ridiculous she looked but tossed her vanity to the wind, knowing full well it was a new moon tonight and no one would end up seeing her anyway.

Reluctantly, Helga forced her way back up to the roof top to meet her new leader for the night. "I gotta hand it to you, Gertrude." She said, examining her appearance through the glass's reflection. "You're right. It fits great and it's actually pretty warm."

"You may call me Bastet, Warden of the night." Gertie informed, eyeing the girl before approaching her for a quick look over of her work. "And you are Sekhmet, my warrior counterpart! Mighty protector against all evil that lurks in darkness!" She lifted Helga's arms up and down, twisted her around and licked her lips. "Through your various labors, I've been keeping an eye on how your body twists and turns, to get a better idea of how to create your skin for tonight."

Helga shuttered at the thought. "That's… creepy."

"Oh, and I've almost forgot!" Gertie announced, quickly walking back over to her bag, and pulling something out. In her hand, hung a long black cat tail. "Your skin wouldn't be complete without this." She smiled, wiggling her own butt back and forth to show her own grey tail that hung from behind her.

"Criminy…" Helga moaned, knowing there was nothing she could actually do to get out of this mess. Turning around so that the woman could firmly attach the accessory, Helga silently gave up all will to fight and knew, if anything, tonight would be something she'd remember for the rest of her life. "Can we just go now?"

The old woman nodded and beckoned her pack over to her once again. They all began to surround Helga and sniff her, causing Helga to become uneased and jumpy. "Don't worry, dear." She smiled, trying to reassure the girl. "They're just getting a good whiff of your scent, so they'll be able to keep track of you for tonight. It's for your own safety."

"Just what are we doing?!" Helga demanded hotly, resisting the urge to shoo the cats away. "Just what is this hunt?!"

Gertie placed her old and wrinkled hands on the young girl's shoulders. "While Maahes is away, the cats will play~"

"What are you talking about, lady?!" Helga demanded again, becoming even more impatient and causing most of the cats to jump backwards. "Stop speaking in riddles!"

Tucking Helga's blonde hair away from her face, Gertie smiled. "We must protect our Scarlet Lord from the dangers unbeknownst to him." She explained, turning, and pointing out into the distance. The street lights began to flicker on, indicating that it was truly night time now. "One before whom evil trembles, Mistress of dread, Lady of the slaughter and she who mauls... I know you're no stranger to the secrets of the night." She then reached into her bosom and took out what looked like a tin. Opening it, she revealed the black puddy that it held, stick three of her fingers in it, and smeared it across Helga's face, creating thick black whiskers. "You're a fierce lioness, Sekhmet." She continued, taking the puddy to her fingers once more and smearing it on the girl's other cheek.

The way this woman looked at her, caused Helga's heart to feel warm. The way she spoke, and gently touched her, caused her to become entranced and soothed the raging frustrations that coursed within. Usually irritated with this woman, she now found herself feeling as though, with each stroke of black paint on her face, the woman was actually adorning her with a spell of protection with her intense feelings and beliefs. She noticed the cats coming closer again, meowing in something that sounded close to a chant, and Helga felt a shiver crawl up her spine and over her head.

"They've accepted you into our pact." Gertie notified her, with a proud smile. "They know of your past hunts and have spoken highly of your skill. There is no doubt in my mind, that tonight, we'll succeed in our goal."

"And… what's our goal?" asked Helga, feeling an overwhelming acceptance from this bazar group and peculiar situation. She had been whisked away into this old woman's fantasy and felt is charm was something similar to her own passions she secretly held. Her shrines to her beloved, her poems, her chants, and the like, all made her feel like she was in good company. For once, she actually felt connected to something greater than herself, and wondered if this woman actually understood her.

Gertie nodded and walked towards the edge of the roof top. "Our strong lord has gotten himself mixed up in some unsavory business." She explained, her words stern and full of fervor. "Unaware, the path he will soon walk with his fellow warriors, will be filled with traps. My faithful companions here have told of this path of destruction that await him and we'll be there to silently watch, listen, and learn."

Helga walked over to the woman and felt herself fill with determination. "Oh yeah?" She mused.

"There are times when foresight is mightier than the sword." The elder cat primal stated firmly. "We won't be clearing this path, but rather keeping an eye on the intention of his foe, to know the true intention behind his actions." She turned to Helga, then placed her arm around the girl's shoulder. "We must never get in the way of our warrior, for all of his obstacles will only cause him to grow and learn." She lifted her index finger in the air with her sagely wisdom. "This is how one becomes a true warrior, as you know."

"Yeah… I'm aware." Helga sneered, always wishing her past had turned out different, but knew that if it wasn't for this past, she wouldn't be who she was today… for who was she without her love for Arnold? Without the weight of the past she carried, that love with probably have never come into existence, and it was this very love that drove her forward.

"We'll simply be the watchers." Gertie winked. The wind blew softly around them, and all the black cats began to perch on the ledge of the building, then slowly jump off on to the next building over. "Are you ready, Sekhmet?"

Helga gave the woman a daring grin. "Lead the way."

---

Arnold arrived in front of the Horowitz residence, feeling a twinges of uncertainty as he thought back to incidences near and far, caused from hanging out with the boy. He knew none of it was Eugene's fault, and why would it be? Sure, he wasn't the most attentive kid but he didn't ask for the universe to throw him around like a ragdoll, into various predicaments, many dangerous and life threatening. At this point, Arnold wondered how Eugene's bones might look under and X-ray, due to all the breaks or fractures he's suffered over the years. If it wasn't for Eugene's sickeningly sweet optimism about life and his short comings, he probably would be a far different kid who probably would live most of his life inside of his house, or worse, a hospital. His grandparents always remained cheerful by Arnold's side, whenever he was sick or hurt, and he learned pretty quickly that an optimistic outlook can make a world's difference in recovery. It was no surprise to Arnold just how Eugene managed to get right back on his feet, even after encountering some truly dire events.

Shaking his head with a smile, Arnold walked up the stairs and knocked at the door. He could hear voices from inside and knew that he wasn't the first person to arrive. Within seconds, Eugene's father opened up the door and greeted his visitor with a large, warm, welcoming smile.

"Arnold!" He exclaimed, his arms flinging in the air with enthusiasm. "Come in, come in!"

"Hey, Mr. Horowitz." The young man replied, bringing himself within the house at his host's request.

They both stood in the kitchen for a moment, listening to the booming voice of Harold laughing at something, and what sounded like Curly's protest.

With a wipe of his brow, Mr. Horowitz gave a nervous chuckle and then opened up his refrigerator door. "Would you like something to drink, Arnold?" He asked courteously, pulling out a bottled water and handing it to his young guest.

Arnold smiled and accepted the gift. "Thank you."

"I'd be better equipped to receive you all, if I had known of this gathering ahead of time." He admitted, shutting the fridge, and opening his own bottle. "Imagine how surprised I was to hear Eugene ask if he could host a slumber party!" The man let out another nervous laugh, then took a sip of his water. "At first, I thought he was joking but sure enough… one by one you all arrived! This house isn't this full of merrymaking, even during Hanukah! Eugene doesn't have any siblings, and the few cousins he does have are much older. Truthfully, he's in the minority come any family gathering!"

"We really appreciate you letting us stay over." Arnold smiled, noticing that next to the man was probably about 4 other empty bottles, and could only assume that he was binge drinking them to calm his nerves at the unusual chaotic mess. Leave it to Eugene's family to find the healthiest way to relieve stress, thought Arnold as he took his own sip then screwed his cap on tightly.

The older man clapped his hands and let himself grin from ear to ear. "Ah, but don't let me keep you! Go upstairs to Eugene's room! I'm sure they're all waiting!"

Arnold thanked the man again, before doing just that. He walked through the kitchen and into the living rooming, glancing at the various wall hangings of family photos; each one always full of bright and shining faces and bright red hair. As he got closer and closer to Eugene's room, the voices got louder leading the boy curious as to what the cause of it all was. He gave a short knock on the door, before opening it.

"Hey guys." He greeted, noticing Curly playing some sort of colorful game, while the rest of them hooted and hollered.

Eugene leaped up off his bed and ran to meet his friend. "Arnold!" He shouted before wrapping his arms around him with a quick squeeze. "You made it!"

A little awkward at the sudden show of affection, Arnold gripped his overnight bag with one hand, and gave the boy a gentle tap on the shoulder in response. "What are you guys doing?" Once Eugene let him go, Arnold set down his bag and made his way over to the small TV.

"You're doing it wrong, Curly!" Harold shouted and pointed at the screen. "You gotta get all the cakes and cookies!"

"No!" Protested Sid. "He has to get all the large chunks of meat first! That way, he'll get bulkier!"

"Will you both just simmer down and let the boy play?" Gerald shook his head before getting up to greet his best friend properly. " Hey, man." He said, sticking his thumb out for their usual shake. "We're playing bowler boy. You want in?"

"Bowler boy?" Arnold had never heard of such a game before and the only thing he could really take away from what he was witnessing, was a boy covering himself with anything and everything within sight to get larger, as he rolled across the screen.

"Yeah!" Eugene replied, gesturing Arnold towards the group of boys surrounding the TV. "My grandma got it for me! The object of the game is to get as bigger or smaller as possible, to go around the stage until reaching the end. It's pretty neat!"

Arnold watched as Curly, his tongue in between his teeth as he focused on the task at hand, used a joystick to roll his character into objects that seemed to stick to him. He rolled up a giant candy cane, down and around the edge of what looked like a large cup of cocoa, and down a spoon handle.

"You missed the large peppermint!" Harold cried out, reaching for the controller. "You're not doing it right! Give it to me, Curly!"

"What are you talking about?!" Curly demanded, jerking himself away from the boy's large hands. "I've gotten way farther than you, and you're just jealous! Keep your sweaty paws off my game and wait your turn, you buffoon!"

"He's gotcha there, Harold." Stinky laughed.

As soon as Curly made it across the table, he took a sharp turn and wound up falling to the floor and losing all the food items he had collected. Angrily, he stood up and threw the controller down at Harold's feet and shrieked. "If you hadn't been distracting me, I could have finished this level!"

They all began to bicker back and forth until Eugene picked up his controller and moved the handle around to make sure it still worked properly. "Well, now that Arnold's here. Why don't you get your meeting started?" He suggested, saving the games progression, and turning it off. "I'll just be in the other room."

"Where you going, Eugene?" Gerald asked, giving his friend an odd look. "This is your room. You don't have to leave."

"Oh…" The boy seemed a little uncomfortable and began to fidget with his hands. "If you insist. I just didn't want to overhear anything that wasn't meant for me, that's all."

"Are you kidding me?" Sid asked, amused at what he was hearing. "You've been nice enough to let us stay at your nice house, play your games and let us drink your water!" He smiled, walking over towards the nervous boy, and placing his arm around his shoulder. "You've treated us like family! Who cares if Harold is bothered by more people hearing the story of how stupid he was?" Sid grinned at Harold from across the room, who balled up his fists in anger. "After all, we wouldn't all be here, trying to help him out of this mess, if he hadn't been such a mook in the first place!"

"Who are you calling a MOOK?!" Harold yelled, charging at the boy who quickly let Eugene go, and jumping on his bed to get away.

"Ya'll need to calm down before things get broken." Stinky warned, picking up some of the pillows that were being thrown at Harold, to keep him at bay. "This ain't any way to treat our honored host."

"Thanks, Stinky." Eugene beamed up at his tall, southern friend.

Stinky smiled back. "No thanks needed, Eugene. If there's one thing I know a thing or two about, it's how to remain well-mannered and level headed, on accounta' it being drilled into my head at such a young age."

Eugene glanced around at all of his friends faces. "Well, if you don't mind then I would love to stick around and help out of I can."

"Alright, everyone." Gerald spoke up, loud enough to get the attention of the large rowdy boy and his smaller antagonist. "We all know why we're gathered here today. It's time we sit down and bring this meeting to order!"

"Hey!" Harold protested in a fit of jealousy. "This is my meeting!"

"And this is Eugene's room!" Curly pointed out. "Now sit down and shut up while Gerald gets him up to speed!"

Harold huffed, sat on the floor cross legged, grabbed his pillow and grumbled to himself.

"Eugene." Gerald gestured the boy to sit down on his bed, and for the rest of them to relax in the same manner. "Here's a quick rundown of what you've missed, and why we're all invading your space." He watched as the boy grinned and his eyes sparkled. "Harold ran into Wolfgang and Ludwig one day, after leaving his part time job at Mr. Greens butcher shop. Unable to keep his nose to himself, he poked it into their business and stumbled upon…" Gerald then scanned the room and noticed a toy catalog on one of Eugene's bookshelves. Snatching it up, he thumbed its contents in a quick wave fashion. "Some interesting content." Throwing the magazine at Harold's feet, he smirked. "At first, his presence seemed well received, nothing suspicious here! But, like many fallen before him, he fell victim to their games and has found himself in… something of a pickle."

"Oh?" Eugene tilted his head, very engaged.

"And this pickle isn't kosher!" Gerald continued, shaking his head in dismay. "Nay, nay! What seemed like a pleasant social gathering among likeminded friends, turned into something else entirely… and now, we're all roped into it." Gerald walked over to Eugene's window, pulled the blind's string, and revealed the dark streets that lay before them, sprinkled with street lights up and down. With a grim expression, he turned to his audience. "Tomorrow, we must journey to the abandon pet food factory down in Smithington and retrieve a hidden relic in order to save our friend from meeting a very unfortunate end!" He zigs zagged amongst his friends, still keeping their attention. "For we all have secrets we must keep…" He gave all the boys a serious look, "and some of these secrets, would no doubt kill us if our mothers if found out…" He hung his head low and clutched his chest, fully bearing the weight of his task. "As men, we have an unspoken code, a truce even, that we will always save one of our own, should they succumb to such evil and dastardly deeds, that to which Wolfgang and Ludwig are subjecting him to." Gerald picked up his water bottle, and thrusted it in the air. "For Harold and his Mama!"

All the boys raised their water bottles in the air and cheered, before taking a sip alongside him.

Harold found himself tearing up. "Awww… Thanks Gerald."

"No problem." The charismatic boy replied, giving his friend a grin. "But see that something like this never happens again, okay Big Boy?"

Harold could only nod, before burring his face into his pillow to hide his moved expression from the onlookers.

"Wait…" Eugene spoke, breaking the kindred feeling of revelry within the room. "You guys can't go in that place. It's been locked up and condemned for years. Even I know its dark history…" The thought sent a shiver up his spine. "You'd be signing your own death certificates!"

"Such is the weight that we men must carry, Eugene." Gerald preached softly, his kind brown eyes reaching his mass.

Eugene looked into the faces of his male classmates; all showing the same signs of sympathy and fear. It wasn't unusual for them to venture into the night, looking for ghosts or investigating the unknown, but it seemed like there was truly more at stake here. Frowning, he got up and opened his closet. He shuffled through boxes until proclaiming an "Ah hah!" and dragging out a small, beaten up brown box. "I may not know the finer details, but I won't be one to turn a blind eye when a friend needs help." He explained, opening it up and pulling out a walkie-talkie. "I've only ever seen that place from the outside but I can imagine that it the inside must be very big." He handed out a device to each of his comrades, "These were my cousins. I've never really had a need for them but always kept them around, just in case. Feel free to use them, so that way you can keep communication going and stay safe!"

"Wow, Eugene!" Arnold gasped, looking over the little black handheld communication device. He could tell that the quality was genuine, and almost similar to the ones he and Gerald had obtained from Bridget, before they snuck into the FTi building. "These are great!"

With another gleaming smile, Eugene reached back into the box and pulled out some 9volt batteries. "You should take these too, as back up."

"You're strangely prepared for this." Curly commented, raising his eyebrow at the whole show. "What else do you have in that box of surprises, Eugene?"

"Some Pez dispensers and a Mr. Happyman toy." He replied, taking both of the items out of the box, and displaying them.

"Interesting…" Curly adjusted his glasses with suspicious interest.

"You're coming with us too, right Eugene?" asked Sid from across the room, now in the throes of adventure. "I'm sorry for calling you a jinx before! You gotta come with us!"

The community of young men seemed to agree, and happiness swelled up in Eugene's heart. "Geez… guys." He said, looking around the room and blushing. "If you really want me to…"

"Boys! Dinner!" The elder Horowitz called out from behind the door.

They all placed their new toys on the ground and stood up.

"Finally!" Harold shouted, now fully recovered from Gerald sermon. "I'm starving!"

---

"Hmm? Yes?" Gertie crouched next to one of her feline friends, apparently listening to it meow and hop up on top of an industrial sized dumpster. "She says, we're almost there."

Helga slapped her palms against a brick wall next to her, and leaned against it. She could feel her muscles crying out from beneath her weight, and slowly placed her forehead against the cold exterior of the building. She knew Gertie was fit for her age, but just how fit was something no one would be prepared for, especially not Helga. They had jumped across buildings, climbed up abandon stairwells, leaped over piles of trash, and shimmied down light poles. Nearly on the verge of collapse, Helga wondered how much longer she would have to keep up, or if she even could.

Suddenly, she felt a cold hand on her cheek, causing her to startle. Gertie gave the girl a loving and understanding smile, as she turned Helga's face towards her. "Tuckered out, I see." She nodded, taking note. "I suppose you've gotten used to the house cats lap of luxury, haven't you, dear?"

Letting out a low growl, Helga pushed away from the building and stood straight up. "I'm fine." She looked up and noticed the increase of black cats that stood above them on the surrounding buildings, their eyes glowed and their tails twitched. "Just how are you not tired yet?!"

The old woman let out a small laugh, then glanced at her expectant leader. "Now's not the time for humanly discussions." She informed, noticing that it had gone on the prowl once more and beckoned to them. "But I'll indulge you in some history over a nice cup of warm milk, when we get back."

"Peachy…" Helga groaned, now joining the pack as they jumped on and over the fence in front of them. She watched as her elderly companion jumped as if she was weightless, up and over the chain linked barrier and bit down on her lip. "Just a little bit longer, Helga ol' girl. We got this…" She whispered to herself, before taking a few steps back and running full charge toward the fence. She grabbed on to the thin pieces of metal, and clung to it with dear life; placing the tips of her shoes in between the gaps. She could feel her muscles tremble as she forced them into more activity but managed to climb up and over the obstacle, landing in the dumpster that lay in wait of her. The trash bags cushioned her fall nicely, but the rotten stench that now lingered around her, caused her stomach to lurch. "Oh crap…" She whimpered, covering her mouth and nose.

"Try not to dawdle too much!" Gertie's voice cried overhead.

Helga looked up and could see that she was now climbing a fire escape to yet another roof top. Cursing under her breath, the girl got up and out of the smelly trash can, and followed the pack to the top of the building. From there, she could see the old woman crouching down low next to her familiars. "What are you doing?"

"Shhhh!" Gertie replied, waving the girl over and pointing to the ground. "We've found them…"

"Criminy…" Helga moaned, bringing herself down to her hands and knees, and crawling over to the litter. She squinted until her eyes fully adjusted to what she was seeing: Three figurers lurking in the dark behind a chained off area. She waited a moment, and eventually was able to hear their voices.

"I'm not going in there!" A familiar voice whined. "You guys are crazy!"

"Shut up, Edmond!" Wolfgang's voice echoed off the vacant buildings. "Stop being such a wuss!"

"Just leave him and let's go." This voice belonged to Ludwig.

Wolfgang spat on the ground, then reached into his jacket pocket and handed something to Edmond. "Call us if you see or hear anything. Got it?"

Edmond's figure nodded, then shoved the cellphone in his pocket. "You guys are crazy…"

"I don't even know why you brought him along…" Ludwig commented before taking out a set of keys, and opening up a side entrance.

Helga was unable to hear the rest of the conversation, as the two disappeared into the old factory, leaving Edmond complaining and looking around by himself.

"We'll keep an eye on this one, and his communications." Gertie explained to some cats. "Watch the other two and let us know what you find out."

A few cats meowed back, before jumping down and wiggling through the gates opening, and into the darkness that the street lights were unable to reach.

"It might be a long night…" Gertie informed, reaching into her knapsack, and pulling out a thermos. Popping off the attached cup, she offered it to Helga, then unscrewed the containers cap and poured a steaming liquid into the cup.

A strong spiced scent wafted into Helga's nose, clearing it of all the garbage it had once held. It was sweet but foreign. "What is this?"

"Just some chai tea." The old woman smiled. "It's perfect for a nice stake out. Cinnamon warms the soul, you know, and the cardamom and ginger will see to treating your sore muscles."

The warmth felt nice in Helga's hands, as she looked into the white, murky liquid. Despite all of her aches and pains, she was unable to deny that their escapades had been somewhat fun. It had become natural for Helga to stalk alone, not that Phoebe wouldn't accompany her if asked, but more so due to her own embarrassment of the lengths she would go through, just to keep an eye on her beloved. "You've been looking in through their windows for so long, and now, you finally have the chance to be inside, and part of it all!" Phoebe's words rang through her head. Jumping from roof tops and over fences wasn't what she had in mind, when wanting to see more of the life Arnold led with his family, but she also couldn't help but feel honored that she was a part of it now. She had always criticized the woman for being over the top and zany but now? Helga looked over at her elder companion who sipped the tea straight from its metal container. It was obvious they were more alike than she could have ever imagined. Not so much the eccentricity, but the lengths they went to, to protect the ones they loved, even if it was from the shadows.

Turning back to her beverage, Helga placed it to her lips and took a sip. It's pleasant aroma and taste were welcoming and she let out a refreshing sigh.

"Ahhh~" Gertie's voice caused Helga to turn to her once more, but this time, the old woman was laying on her belly, elbows propped up and holding the side of her head in the palm of one of her hands. The sight startled Helga, causing her to jump back a little and fall on her butt. "The feeling of being a young girl in love~"

"W-what?!" Helga stammered, holding tightly on to her drink as she nearly spilled it all over herself. "What are you doing?!"

"Oh, what I'd give to go back to that time~" She cooed, looking at her young companion adoringly. "Fine I was having a boy, but I always wanted a girl of my own. One to share stories of my girlhood with, to impart words of wisdom with, and giggle at times long since passed…"

Helga gulped and wasn't sure how to respond. She couldn't exactly share the sentiment but also had no idea what it was like having a grandmother, either. Obviously, not many were like the one in front of her, if any at all, but she had never had a strong female in her life to bond with either.

The woman watched as Helga struggled with herself internally, and let out a quiet cackle. "Come, dearie. Sing me the song of your love. Let us have a nice girl chat, hm?"

"L-love?" Helga was now even further out of her comfort zone. "G-girl chat?"

"Yes! Why, of course!" Gertie patted the dirty floor in front of her, indicating for Helga to join her in laying on it. "It's not every day we get to explore the nights mysteries together! Why not grab the bull by its horns, and get to know each other!"

Helga let out an awkward cough. "Lady, I don't think you realize who you're talking to here." She said, setting her cup on the floor. "I don't exactly do girl chats"

"Precisely why we should have one!" Gertie informed, getting back to a seated position, and scooting over to the image of her youth. "Come now! No need to be shy. I hardly expect you to share anything surprising." She watched as Helga became conflicted, picked up her cup and handed it back to her. "Drink! Calm your nerves." She smiled. "How about I start…"

Knowing there was no way to deter this strong independent soul in front of her, Helga let out a sigh and relaxed as much as she could, knowing the night was going to go on as intended, whether she wished it to or not.

"Things were quite different back in my time…" Gertie started, looking up at the sky. "The nights were clearer and you could see the stars so clearly. This city wasn't the brick laid jungle it is now... roads were made of dirt, and your neighbor was more than a stone's throw away." The woman closed her eyes as she brought herself 80 years back into the past.

"I was the youngest born into a family of 9. Seven older brothers, I had. Back in those days, birth control meant hopping up and down after doing the deed, and evidentially it didn't work very well." She laughed. "I know you're aware of what it's like growing up to be the youngest, but try living with a bunch of older boys. I was pushed around and teased, punished unfairly when they would blame something they did on me. My parents, busy and exhausted, had no motive to clear my name and would simply put me in the corner for time out, or bend me over their knee for a spanking. It wasn't fair but it made my skin thick." Gertie imagined all of her brothers, poking fun at her, chasing her and stealing her dolls. She remembered crying until tears wouldn't come out any longer. "The house I grew up in was small and cramped but always kept clean. Back in those days, it was a woman's job to provide for her family by keeping up with the chores and rearing the children. Boys were to be strong and fit, while girls were to be dainty and ladylike. My brothers were always so loud and mischievous, getting away with everything they could and it made me wonder… why. Why them, but not me?"

Helga watched and listened, finding the story entertaining, and took another sip from her cup.

"Women were always urged to never speak up or question the way things were, especially if it were a rule created by a man. Things… simply were. Day after day, year after year, I dealt with being pushed around until I was old enough to begin grade school. By that time, 3 of my eldest brothers were ready to leave the house and begin a life of their own, so things became a little easier for me. Unable to quell the inner spite I had for the male kind; I took every opportunity I had to take it out on my peers. I'd poke them, prod them, tease them, push them, and even play little pranks on them. Anything to ease my tormented soul." Gertie winked at her blonde partner, knowing full well that she understood. "Whenever I was caught, I couldn't ever admit to my wrong doing since I was supposed to be a lady! I had an image to upkeep or else it was a lashing back at home. I would do as I was taught by my predecessors and would blame the act on another, some poor lad who was closest to the incident, and watch as they got scolded in my place. For a while, I simply enjoyed watching other endure the same punishment I had been accustomed to, but none more than a particular boy. At first, he just always seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and I thought nothing of it. I would slip a frog into our teacher's desk, blame it on him, and unlike the others… he would never attempt to blame me for it, but instead take the beating and go about his day like normal. Why? I would wonder. So… I began to investigate his life for myself." Gertie sighed longingly and cozied herself up with her warm drink. "His life was far different than mine. His house was large with so much space. His parent's responsible and engaging… but there was one similarity that I couldn't help but notice. He also had a sibling, but only one, who would go out of their way to make trouble for him. A girl, no less but unlike in my household, she was treated like an equal, despite her gender."

Now, fully engaged, Helga took the last sip of her tea and held her cup out for more.

"My pleasure!" Gertie replied, pouring some of it from the container and continuing on with her story. "I had become so interested in this boy's life, I had taken it upon myself to befriend his sister so I could learn more and more about him. Given our… similar personalities, it wasn't hard to become good friends with her. Mitzy was full of pep and class, but devious as any typical boy our age. She was like the sister I never had, but always wanted!"

"Do you still keep in touch with her?" Helga asked, knowing full well that, due to their ages now, the outcome may not be pretty but curious nonetheless.

"I stop by to see her every so often, after running my errands." Gertie answered happily. "She doesn't come, though. Her and Phil always get into it!"

Helga found herself smiling at the good news. "I see."

"Now where was I…" Gertie fumbled with her train of thought. "Oh, yes! Well, while it never fully dawned on me why this boy kept my interest, it was no secret to his sister. One day, she brought me up to her room and sat me down and told me what was what…"

"You like my twin brother, don't you?!' she demanded, placing her hands on her hips, and looking accusingly at the young Gertrude, sending her thoughts to scatter all over the room.

"I… I have no idea what you're talking about!" Gertie replied, flabbergasted by the mere concept. "Why would you think such a thing! My actions proved anything but!"

"Don't you dare lie to me!" The young Mitzy stomped her foot in anger. "I see the way you look at him from afar. I hear your girlish sighs when you think no one is paying attention. It's all the signs of a girl in love!"

Gertie was left speechless, and sat on the bed behind her. "But Mitzy, that doesn't make any sense!" She pleaded. "He's such a clueless busybody! Why would I ever like a guy like him?"

Nosily blowing air out from her lips, Mitzy turned away from her. "How should I know?! Phil is my brother! Why anyone would like him like that, is beyond me but…" she turned towards her best friend once more, kneeled down in front of her and took her hands within her own. "There's no doubt about it. You may not want to admit it, but I'm not blind! Just fess up!" Her words were sharp but her eyes were full of understanding.

Mustering up her courage, Gertrude explored her feelings that she had purposely locked away and pushed out of her mind.

"It was bound to happen, honestly." Mitzy giggled, shocking the girl in front of her. "With how much time you spend over here, and in class with him, these things- feelings and the like, just happen naturally! Or… well, that's what mother says."

"And I had no idea what to make of it! Love? What a strange thing." Gertie chuckled. "Love is when a man courts his lovely lady, takes her on fine dates and introduces her to his family… or that's what I was led to believe, but the fact is, it's far too complex in its entirety, to be defined in such standard actions. Wouldn't you agree?" She asked, eyeing Helga.

"Tell me about it!" The young protégé rolled her eyes. "The way it's thrown down our throats, through movies and media, is a crock of crap! The whole boy meets girl, they fall in love and live happily ever after is bitter poison, if you ask me." When she noticed Gertie's amused, but intrigued reaction, she awkwardly shifted in her seat, moving her soft spongy fake tail out of the way. "B-but go on! What happened next? Criminy…"

"Although it took some time for me to fully understand it all myself, I realized she was right, but for the wrong reasons." The elderly woman continued. "It wasn't because of how much time I spent in close proximity to him. I had actually begun to like him way before her and I had even become such close friends, and if I was completely honest with myself, I had originally used her to be closer to him. I had no idea what to think, or how to feel, but she encouraged me to explore these feelings, rather than stifle them."

"Even though… he was her twin brother?" Helga asked, cringing. "Isn't that a little gross?"

Gertie shook her head. "No. In fact, she took it more as a compliment and took my newfound plight as an opportunity for amusement in teasing her brother even further!" She then let out a full belly laugh, causing their target to look around in confusion. "Oh, whoops." She said, placing her hand over her mouth. "Whenever we were found alone together in a room, she would suddenly show up, and accuse HIM of wanting to be close to me! Isn't that a hoot?"

"So, are you gonna tell me that all these little suggestive hints she implied into his feeble mind, planted the thought which would inevitably turn into feelings?" Helga asked, crossing her arms, and feeling as though this interesting story had taken a typical turn.

"No! Not at all!" Gertie pointed out. "In fact, I think it caused him to hate the two of us even more!" She laughed, wiping a tear from her eye.

"Oh." Helga straightened her back, eager to hear more. "Then, what happened? Did you two ever end up dating?"

"Well, actually…" Gertie started, but was cut off by the sound of Edmond speaking in the distance. "Shhhh…"

"Come on, Wolfgang!" He urged over the phone. "It's cold and creepy out here, and I think I hear someone laughing!"

They were unable to hear the response on the other end, but whatever it was, caused the boy to whine some more.

"Just hurry up! How long does it take to plant some boxes all over the place?"

"Boxes, hmmm…" Gertie mumbled, turning to Helga. "I wonder what our scouts will come back with."

Having become so enthralled in the woman's story, Helga found herself realizing she had actually forgotten their original purpose in coming, or what they were doing on that abandoned roof top. It only took a moment, but she was back in touch with their intensions. "Knowing them, it's probably something stupid." She spat.

Gertie let out a few hoots. "Oh, Sekhmet. You're a woman of my own heart."

A few black cats, suddenly pounced back up the fire escape and brushed themselves up against the old woman.

"Oh?" She asked them. "Do tell me what you've found, my pretty's!"

Helga watched in silent, as they cats circled around, meowed, pawed at some things, hissed, and then leaped away, causing the majority of them to follow suit.

"I see…" Gertie replied, bringing her thumb to her lip, and biting down on the nail.

"What? What did they say?" Helga pressed, eager to hear the fruits of their labor, as well as putting an end to this night so she could go home and shower.

But before Gertie could reply, they both acknowledged the loud noises and voices coming from down below.

"It's about time!" Edmond proclaimed, handing the phone back to Wolfgang. "Who knows what psycho's live around here?!"

"Shut up, Edmond…" Ludwig replied with a low, harsh tone while pushing the kid out of his way, and exiting the foregrounds.

Wolfgang scowled. "Don't push him like that, man."

"So, what?" Ludwig replied, putting his jacket back on and reaching into the front pocket and pulling something out. It became clear to all that was present, that it was a pack of cigarettes. With one quick swipe of his thumb, he ignited his lighter and lit one of the tips. He could see that his aggressions towards the lanky kid, struck a chord within his friend. "You two need to get a room, or something?" He laughed before taking a puff and blowing the smoke in their direction. "There's plenty in there."

Wolfgang looked at both of his friends, then let out a low growl. "Just… come on." He said impatiently. "Let's go…"

"And I think that's our cue as well." Gertie said, standing up once the trio had gotten far away enough that she wouldn't be seen. "My lovely ladies will follow them and come back to me before the dawn, to tell me anything else they might overhear." She explained, stretching her back and causing loud pops to echo from her bones.

"Wait…" Helga stood up and brushed the dirt off of herself. "That's it?" She asked, becoming irritated.

"Why?" Gertie looked over at her curiously. "Having fun?"

Feeling one of her eyes twitch, she gripped the cup in her hand tightly to suppress all of the negative feelings that began to whirl within her. "Why did we need to come out here, then?" She asked, full of frustration. "If they're just gonna report everything to you anyways! Why did I wear this get up, follow you and witness next to nothing, when they could have just relayed that information anyway?!" Her voice sharply rose into a shriek.

Remaining patient, Gertie simply smiled. "Sometimes, young one… you can learn more with your eyes, than with your ears alone."

"But we didn't learn anything, other than boxes and that Ludwig smokes now!" Helga hollered, wanting to rip out her hair.

"Oh… but didn't we?" The old cat mused, jumping down to the fire escape, and descending, giving Helga no other real option, but to follow. "Sometimes even the most useless information, can become the most important." She winked from below. "Let's hurry back now, so I can continue the rest of my story."

Helga took off her knitted cap and smoothed down her blonde hair. Her head was full of sweat, and she felt disgusting. She took in a deep breath of the cool, autumn air, and then watched as her exhaled turned into steam that looked like the cigarette smoke Ludwig had blown out. "Alright…" She gave up, following the woman down the rusty stairs until her feet were firmly planted on the ground. "But since we've done what we came for, can we at least take a more direct route back?" She asked, walking freely passed the woman. "And maybe a lot slower?"

"How about the city bus?" Gertie asked in interest. "I'm pretty sure there is a bus stop nearby."

Knowing that it was probably late enough that no one she knew would be riding, she begrudgingly agreed. "Fine." She submitted, allowing her companion to take the lead. "But we never speak of this night to anyone, got it?"

Gertrude waited for Helga to join her around the corner, then quickly gave the girl a warm hug. "What goes on in the night, disappears come mornings light."

Whether it was because she did not want to offend the woman, lessen her chances of continuing her adventure into this family, or couldn't bear to admit her real feelings, Helga did not push her away, but instead stood there enveloped and did not move. "Thanks…"

Once they had finally returned to the Sunset Arms, the only thing around to greet them was the sound of Phil's TV streaming some sort of fishing show, with him snoring in his armchair. Helga and Gertie walked into the kitchen, where the promise of warm milk was fulfilled with an added honey stick, to stir.

"I'll be taking a nice, hot shower, after this." Helga informed her. "I can smell myself, and I hate it."

"The smell of a hard working woman can sometimes draw her mate even closer to her, you know." Gertie informed the girl. "Hormones leak through your pores with sweat, and when a prospecting tom cat walks on by and catches a whiff of a fine feline he's compatible with…" She looked down at her milk and its swirling golden design. "They can make history happen."

"That's equally disgusting, and interesting." Helga replied, taking a sip of yet another thing she had never tried before. This beverage was a lot sweeter, but lacked in aroma and spices, and was simply… just comforting. "So…" She began shyly. "Did you ever get the guy?"

A hum escape Gertie's lips. "It took many years of unlikely events that the fates had in store for us…" She explained softly, letting her age show through. "But I think we both lived happily ever after in the end." Knowing full well that her cryptic message was lost on the girl, Gertrude rose from her seat and headed on into the hallway. "Come on, girl." She called out to her, never looking back.

Quickly grabbing her mug, Helga followed her up the stairs and into her bedroom. A little put off by entering such a room, Helga stood in the door way and sipped her warm drink and watched as the rooms owner turned on a light, opened up her closet door and fumbled for the hanging light string.

"Come help me a moment, will you dear?" Gertie asked, struggling around the clothes.

"Geez…" Helga walked in, placed her mug on the nightstand. "Move aside." She said, allowing the woman room to move away, and then finding the old string and tugged on it. A bright light illuminated the room, and scalded Helga's eyes, causing her to gasp in pain.

"A night out will do that to your eyes, sometimes." Gertie explained, taking Helga's arms, and moving her to sit down on the bed. "It's why I'd much rather have you do that for me."

Wanting nothing more but to swear, Helga bit her lip and moaned in pain. "How nice of you…"

"Now where is it…" Gertie asked herself, rummaging through this and that, tossing things aside and making a mess.

"I'm not cleaning that up for you." The young guest stated, blinking, and trying to regain her sight. "That's a mess you'll have to take care of on your own."

A few more cackles came out of the closet, as Gertie laughed until she cried out in victory. "I've found it!"

"Found what?" The young woman asked, watching as the last few spots in her vision began to disappear.

"This!"

And with no warning at all, a large heap of old fabric was cast down onto Helga's lap, causing her to jump.

She cringed at the old and dirty thing, and could tell it was probably hidden for longer than she herself had been alive. "What is this?"

Gertie sat down next to her new friend. "A prop to continue my story with." She smiled, taking the fabric within her fingers, and entwining them around the little tassels. "As I said earlier, it took many years to bring us together… but I like to believe that this was the start of it all." She picked it up, straightened it out and wrapped it around her neck. It then became clear to Helga, that it was a very old, and worn scarf. "Once the great depression hit, many of us stopped going to school in order to support our families and bring income into the household. This meant there was no longer a time to play over his house, or with Mitzy… but it didn't stop me from trying to catch glimpses of him every now and again. You see, at this point in time, I was the only child left in the house so the amount of income needed in my family wasn't too much, as my brothers were around to help. Their family, on the other hand, had a large house to support with no outside help."

Helga frowned, unable to help but feel sorry for this mysterious boy. "That bites."

"So, I decided to try and help out where I could. Mitzy would tell me where he would be later in the evening, and I would manage to show up to see what he was up to, and if he needed anything. At first, my being there didn't strike him as odd as we lived in the same neighborhood and it was easy to assume I was doing the same as him, and trying to find a job."

"But I thought you said girls weren't allowed to have jobs." Helga asked, now confused. "That it was the men's job, or something."

"The hard labor jobs, such as loading freight trains, unloading the docks, and the like were all carried out by the men, but us ladies still had to help out in our own way. Some sold baked goods to the hard workers, some pedaled themselves… in other ways."

"And what did you do?"

"Keep your bloomers on, I'm getting to that!" Gertie scolded, causing Helga to grab her mug and take another sip of her now, lukewarm beverage. "The winters had become colder and colder, but nothing quite beat the mean cold front of 1935! Negative 10 degrees on average! I think I was about… 17, or 18 years old and still hot on his heels! Things were slowly becoming different and it wasn't so uncommon anymore to see a woman working. They became nurses, teachers, beauticians, secretaries, cleaning ladies and would work in any industry that allowed them to be sedentary! Sewing, ended up being the job I had gotten into but not because I had any interest in it, mind you! It was because the factory just happened to be near where he would frequent on his day to day routines."

Helga looked down at her ensemble. "You must have had some sort of talent, or they wouldn't have hired you, right?"

"It's not that complicated to work a sewing machine, dear." Gertie stated, a little surprised at the offhanded compliment. "We wouldn't create the whole piece of clothing in one go! We would sew up the ends of the most basic things, or embroidered logos into a man's pocket. All very simple, and fast work that only required attention to detail, and quick hand work. At that time, no one could really afford anything they didn't need and our town was particularly in the pits of the depression. You bought only what you needed, and wore the things you had until they fell off. No one had money to buy anything fancy, so I had no need to pick up a real craft." She thought back to the cold day, still implanted in her memory as if it was just the day before. "The wind bit cold, on that fateful morning… The sun glared off the snow and blinded you far harsher than a measly light bulb. I was doing my best to make it to the factory on time, when I was nearly hit by an oncoming car! Someone had pulled me away, just in the nick of time but in doing so, the scarf that had been keeping me warm, had become loose, blown in the wind and attached itself to that very car… which carried it off to where I'd never see it again…"

"You really need to watch where you're going!" A familiar voice grumbled from behind Gertrude, causing her heart to pound like nothing she had ever experienced before. She tried to catch her breath, but no words would come out, even as the young man got up and placed his hand out to help her do the same. "You could have been killed!"

The sun that shown behind the young man created an illusion that caused her to wonder if maybe she really had died, and he had become her angel… but once a cloud got in the way, Gertrude was brought back to the same dingy, dirty old Hillwood, causing her to scowl. "Thanks…" She grumbled, grabbing his hand, and letting him hoist her back up. A strong wind blew, causing her to hold down her skirt but made her very aware to the lack of protection around her neck. "Oh, no!" She groaned. "My scarf! Mother had just knitted that for me over the weekend!"

Phillip sighed and shook his head. "Yet another reason, you should be more careful."

"Oh, how was I supposed to know that a mad man would come whipping around the corner light?!" She demanded in self-defense.

"The muffler was pretty loud…" Phil scratched his long chin and looked in the direction whence the car had come from. "The sun can be pretty blinding on the snow, but it shouldn't make you deaf, Gertie."

Wanting to shove her foot in her mouth, she huffed and gathered herself together but before she could storm off, the bell rang out in the distance, alarming her of the fate she would come into, now late to work. "Mr. Jasper is going to kill me…"

Looking upon his dazed, dirty, and now possibly jobless friend with the lack of scarf, Phil sighed. "With jobs as scarce as they are, around here…" but before he could finish, she cut him off dryly.

"Yes! I get it! More of a reason to be more careful!" She stomped her boots in the snow, now officially losing her cool. "If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't even be-" Quickly, she shut her mouth before she revealed anything unnecessary about the truth that surrounded her job or anything about herself. "I wouldn't even be…" She paused, looking at his surprised face. "Alive…" She finished, letting her shame wash over her, and wishing she still had her scarf to hide her face in. Turning around instead, she gave herself a moments reprieve to steady her nerves. "Thank you..." She mumbled. Suddenly, a warm and soft sensation surrounded the young woman's neck and in front of her, she saw a brown and beige cloth. Frozen in shock, she allowed herself a moment to gracefully entwine her fingers within the small tassels that adorned it, before turning around and facing him.

Phil adjusted his hat to firmly remain snug on the top of his head, but turned his face away from her. Although the mornings sun had made it hard to see, Gertie was sure she saw his face turn red. "You know, you don't have to give this to me, right?" She tilted her head to the side in order to get a better look at him, but he only turned away further. "It's clear that you're cold, Phil. Your face is redder than a tomato."

Being told about his glowing embarrassment, Phil flustered and made his way across the street, leaving Gertie with a questioning look upon her face. "I have another at my job as a backup." He lied. "Keep it! I have to get to the docks before I lose my job, too!"

She silently watched as he disappeared into the crowd, and continued to play with the tassels, wondering if she really had died in the accident, and she had now gone to heaven.

"It was after that, that I decided instead of working for that company, I would instead use the little amount of money I had earned to buy my own knitting supplies, so I could make him a replacement scarf." The old woman finished, with a sigh. "He was surprised to receive it, at first, but after I had explained to him that it was because I couldn't bear the thought of my life being indebted to him, that this replacement scarf would have to suffice."

"And did he believe you?" Asked Helga, now holding her empty mug and looking it over, somewhat embarrassed of having heard this sentimental story.

"Of course, he did!" Gertie laughed loudly. "He was never the sharpest tool in the shed! But more importantly, it started with a simple scarf, then turned into mittens, then a sweater, and soon he was fitted head to toe in my creations!" She grinned with pride, remembering how utterly engulfed he was with her gifts. "If I had not had been blinded that day, he would have never pulled me away, and I may never had seen his face turn red with embarrassment. I would have never lost my scarf, been given his, and all in all, given the motivation I needed to pursue him… rather then watch him from a distance for the remainder of my years."

"Motivation… huh." Helga tasted her words, then swallowed them. "It sounds to me like the anomaly of his very existence, caused you to have motivations…"

"I suppose you could say that." Gertie signed, picking up the old scarf and putting it haphazardly back in the closet. "The fates always have strange ways of entangling you in their threads…" She explained, reaching up and grabbing an old wooden box from the highest reaches of the closet. Firmly holding the item in her hand, Gertie smoothed her tired fingers over its carved design on top. "And I'd like to think that those same, strange yet cruel fates, have also brought our paths to become intertwined as well." She then turned, removed the mug from Helga's hands and replaced it with the box. Without waiting for Helga to ask, she opened it to reveal a small pair of knitting needles, and multiple colors of old thread. "I would like you to have this, now."

"Me?" Helga looked up, surprised. "Why?"

"For generations, we've always found reasons to give gifts to those we love, masking our intentions with favors of practicality." She placed the wooden lid back on the box until she heard it securely click. "You're already leaps and bounds farther that I was at your age, but nevertheless, I'd like to see my grandson parading around in gifts of your creation as well."

Feeling the heat rise into her cheeks, Helga didn't turn away, but instead held onto the box. "Thanks… I think."

"You're welcome, dear." Gertie smiled lovingly, before gathering up their cups and leading them both out back into the upstairs hallway and closing her bedroom door. "I better clean up and get old Phil up and into bed, before I have to listen to him complain tomorrow about how all his joints hurt." She waited for Helga to pass, as she headed toward her own bedroom. "Oh, and Helga." She added, causing the girl to turn around in surprise. "Don't forget that shower! You smell like something the cat dragged in!" She finished with a loud fit of laughter, before descending down into the first floor.

Helga blinked for a moment, then looked down at the gift. "She… called me by my name." She said aloud, making a note of such a simple, yet ground breaking feat. "There's no need to go above and beyond anymore…" She declared as she opened her bedroom, and placed the wooden box on the small desk. "To Hell with all that crap!" She cheered joyfully. "I've already made a powerful ally and settled myself here nicely!"

Bending down, she grabbed her shower caddy and a towel from her closet. She noticed Arnold's shirt hanging there, in its rightful place where she hung it daily after sleeping in it, and smiled before pulling it down and taking it with her to the bathroom. After sitting everything down and getting ready to pull off the smelly suit, something critical dawned upon her. "Oh crap! I forgot my dress in his room!"