A/N Okay, so I woke up this morning at around 6:30, and couldn't go back to sleep. As I lay there I started thinking about all the stories that are out there featuring our favorite couple. I also thought about how a majority of them take place after TJM, and how they all adhere to Craig's vision of Arnold and his parents coming home, then Arnold and his parents leaving home, devastating Helga, who now finds herself living in a closet in Bob's failed Beeper Emporium. Then, when Arnold does come back, the two are estranged, having to discover each other all over again. While pondering this I asked myself "Why?" Why does it have to be like this? Why does Helga have to be miserable just because Arnold is gone? She's a strong female who never lets anything get the better of her. Why does she write letters to Arnold never to send them? What if she actually DID send them? What if they DID keep up their relationship while he was away? And if they did keep up with their relationship, what would it be like once he finally did return home? Anyway, this story is just my way of answering all those questions. I'm not sure if I should keep it going, or leave it as a one shot. I think I will leave that up to you. If you like it and want more, give it a follow, and if I get enough interest, I'll keep it going. If you don't like it then please, just quietly pass it by and I'll let fall back into the abyss of other old stories, never again to see the light of day. If you do like it, and there's something you'd like to see addressed, please let me know in the reviews. Thank you, and please enjoy….

Back To His Future

He stands at the top of the tall cliff, the mid-day sun beats relentlessly at his tanned back. Looking down he marvels at the crystal clear, green-blue water that waits below him. The water at the outer edges of the mid-sized pool magnifies the rocky shoreline, making everything look bigger than they actually are. As his eyes move towards the pool's center, the colors deepen as the bottom drops off into a seemingly endless abyss. No one's really sure just how deep the secluded pool is because no one's ever come along with the lung capacity to make it to its furthest depth. But none of that matters now as he prepares himself to take that fateful step that will propel him down to the waters that call to him like a siren calling out to the sailors that dare travel close enough to get caught in their lure.

Taking one last life sustaining breath, he takes the exhilarating jump, bracing himself for the shock when his overheated body hits the iciness of the pool's water. The first thing to hit are his feet, and his mind begins to register the chill that starts to envelope him as the rest of his body follows. The last thing he hears is the splash he makes as he hits before all goes silent. He sinks for what feels like ages, his eyes closed tight while one hand holds firmly to his nose. The last thing he would need at this depth is to have a rush of water invade his sinuses. He learned this lesson quickly the first time he took the jump, and the headache that followed him around for the rest of the day made it a very hard learned lesson indeed.

Once his body has sunk as low as it's going to go, he relaxes as he begins the slow ascent to the surface. With his eyes opened now, he watches as the water begins to lighten from a midnight blue to the crystal turquoise that the pool is known for. Once his head breaks the surface he takes in a deep breath, refilling his depleted lungs.

Finding his bearings, he leisurely makes his way to the small waterfall that drops into the far end of the pool. He lingers under the gentle flow of the water, allowing it to massage his head before cascading down to his exposed shoulders. After a moment or two he swims behind it to the rocky ledge that lies hidden. Pulling himself up, he takes a seat, facing the wall of water that hides him from the rest of the jungle. He relishes in the goosebumps that cover his skin, enjoying the brief respite from the relentless heat that he must endure both day and night.

His mind, as usual, starts to wander back to a time before he made the difficult decision to follow his parents back into the jungles of San Lorenzo. He thinks about the girl he left behind, and her promise to wait for him, no matter what. It's been three years since he's been in her presence, three years since being able to reach out and feel the silkiness of her hair between his fingers, or the smoothness of her cheek as he brushes the back of his hand across it. If he closes his eyes tight enough, he can almost imagine the softness of her lips as they press against his, or the saltiness of her tears when he told her of his plans to accompany his parents on one last trip to the Green Eye's village. Remembering the sadness that filled those sapphire eyes that day makes his heart skip a beat, causing him to reopen his eyes. He shakes off the melancholy that threatens to overtake him and focuses his attention now on the fact that in just one short week he will finally be gazing into those blue orbs once again, and this time for good.

It's not that he hasn't enjoyed his time in the jungle. On the contrary, he had some very enjoyable times in San Lorenzo, and it's been great getting to know his parents again. But as enjoyable as it has been, this is not where his future lies. No, his future lies back in Hillwood where a young woman patiently waits, counting off the days until his return. He is grateful for the experiences of the last three years, and through them he's learned one thing. He's learned that although he loves the adventures travel brings him, that's not where his heart is. Deep down his heart lies in a warm home, in a neighborhood where everybody knows everyone else. It lies in the embrace of the girl he left behind and the promise of a future filled with her undying love and devotion.

He didn't realize just how fiercely he would miss her when he made the decision to follow his parents. Not fully knowing the depth of his own feelings, it took him by surprise when, after only a few months, he began to truly miss her. He found her filling his dreams more and more, both at night when sleeping, and during the day when awake.

At first the thought of living off the grid in the remoteness of the jungle was exciting, the call of the wild beckoning him on. It wasn't until the reality of his surroundings finally sunk in, making him second guess his decision. Miles and Stella were granted the honor of, once again, living among the Green Eyes only instead of being there to save them from a horrible sickness, they were allowed free reign to study their traditions and fully learn the language. When asked permission to bring their son along with them, the Green Eyes were thrilled to have, what they considered their savior, in their midst once again. And so it came to be, that come the start of Arnold's eighth grade year of school, he would not be joining his friends at PS 119, but instead would be heading off for the adventure of a lifetime.

Three years prior…

He knew that at some point he was going to have to tell Helga of his decision to leave, and he knew it probably would not go well. So it was with bated breath that he sat, bracing himself for the explosion that never came. He waited in silence as she calmly looked him in the eye before getting up and climbing the bedroom ladder that led to the boarding house's roof. Following her, she leads him to the far edge of the roof and gazes out over the city. He moves to stand next to her and waits until she is ready to speak. Without looking at him, her voice is low as she carefully chooses her words.

"I understand." She says, causing him to look at her with wide eyes.

She looks at his expression and gives a small laugh. "You look like a deer in headlights, Arnoldo."

He stammers when he answers her. "I – I'm sorry, I just didn't expect that."

She furrows a brow at him. "Well, what did you expect?"

"I don't know." He says through a shrug of his shoulders. "I thought you'd put up more of a fight."

"Why? What good would that have done? Would it change your mind and make you stay here in Hillwood?"

"Um, no, I guess not."

"Right, so why fight it?" She softens a bit as she tries to make him understand. "Look, Arnold, you've only had your parents back for a couple of years and you don't like the thought of being separated from them again. I get that. Do I like it? Hell, no, but I can't force you to stay. The only thing that would do is drive a wedge between us and I won't let that happen. Plus, it would be selfish of me to try and keep you here just to satisfy my own wants. So go. Go be with your parents and get it out of your system. Then, when you've had your fill, I'll be here, waiting."

She looks back out over the city and Arnold places a hand under her chin, turning her to face him once more. "I love you, Helga, and I don't want to lose you over this, but I know I can't expect you to just sit around for the next three years, waiting for me to come back. Then I'd be the selfish one."

"And I told you when we first got together, Arnoldo that you are the only one for me, or have you forgotten?"

"No, I haven't forgotten, and I still mean what I said." He grabs her by her upper arms, pulling her close. "You are the only one for me, too."

His heart breaks a bit when he sees the first tear finally escape down her cheek. He knows how strong she is, and he also knows that for her to be unable to hold back the tears must mean that this is eating her up on the inside.

He hugs her now, holding on for dear life as he whispers in her ear. "Oh, Helga, you know how much I love you and this isn't a decision that I've taken lightly. I've stressed over this for weeks, but it's something that I have to do. Thank you, thank you so much for understanding and I promise you that I will come back to you. The time will pass quickly, you'll see."

She steps away from him, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. She gives him a small smile, trying to lighten up the heavy air that has suddenly surrounded them. "Well, just don't go catching anything while you're out there, we don't need you suddenly taking a nine year nap too ya know."

Her little joke worked and he lets out a chuckle. "Don't worry, Helga, the sleeping sickness has basically been eradicated by now. There's no chance of anyone contracting it again."

"Well then I guess there's nothing left to say. You're leaving for the adventure of a lifetime while I stay here wasting away, being left alone to deal with those bozos we call our friends."

"It won't be that bad, besides, you still have Phoebe when you start to lose your sanity."

They laugh together before Arnold asks her one last favor.

"Hey, Helga?"

"Yeah, Arnoldo?"

"Promise me you'll write?"

"Of course. I'll write to you every day."

Present day…

He's pulled from his thoughts when he hears his name being called from somewhere on the shoreline. Seeing his dad across the water, he slips back into the chilly pool, leaving the solitude of his little rock perch.

It only takes him a moment to cover the distance between him and his father, and he is curious as to what the man could want with him. He stands there dripping as he greets Miles.

"Hey, dad, what brings you all the way out here? I thought you were off with mom collecting herbs or moss or something."

"I was, like two hours ago. I've been back at camp waiting for you to come back. I'm going into town soon and you said you wanted to come with me. Remember?"

Arnold gives his forehead a little slap as he remembers their conversation from this morning. "Oh, that's right! I forgot about that. I'm sorry to make you come all the way out here to get me."

"It's okay, son. I'm sure you have a lot on your mind what with your trip back to Hillwood only a week away."

They talk happily as they make their way back to camp. Having made the decision to stay behind for another couple of years, his parents will not be making the trip with Arnold, and Miles takes the opportunity to have one last heart to heart with his son before he leaves.

"So, I guess you're pretty excited to be heading back home to your grandparents and all your friends."

"Yeah, I guess I am."

Miles gives him a knowing look. "I bet you're really excited to be reunited with one 'special' friend."

A blush rises on Arnold's cheeks as he brings a hand up to rub the back of his neck. "Uh, yeah, I guess you could say that."

"You've missed her, haven't you." Miles says more as a statement than a question.

Arnold heaves a heavy sigh before answering. "More than I ever thought possible."

Miles pats his son on his bare shoulder. "Well, it won't be long now, and you two will be together again. But, Arnold?"

Arnold tilts his gaze towards Miles. "Yeah?"

"Time apart has a way of changing people. Things may be a little awkward between the two of you at first and, well, don't be surprised if things aren't 100% like they were before you left."

"Yeah, I keep thinking about that. I know she still loves me, she says so in every letter I get from her. But I also worry that once we're together again she may realize that what she's expressing are old feelings. I know I still love her just as much as before I left Hillwood, but what if she realizes that she doesn't? What do I do then?"

"Well, son, you knew the risk when you made the decision to leave. If the worse does happen then you either work at it to change her mind, or you go with it and set her free. I can't tell you which way to go, that's got to come from inside of you."

Arnold nods in agreement, and spends the rest of the walk in silent contemplation. Once back at camp he finds Eduardo there with his jeep, waiting to take his two friends into town. Arnold quickly changes into some dry clothes, and with a quick kiss to his mom's cheek, he jumps into the back seat, still lost in thought as they head off down the dirt road.

xxxxx

He can hardly believe how quickly the past week has gone. With word of his leaving having spread, the last few nights were spent in celebration as the elusive little tribe of Green Eyes wished their friend safe travels, offering him the standing invitation to return any time he sees fit to do so.

He stands on the runway now hugging a teary-eyed Stella as she clings tightly to him. They exchange promises of keeping in touch and it's with one last motherly kiss that she finally lets her son go. With a handshake that turns into a hug, Arnold says his good-byes to his father before picking up his backpack and heading for the stairs that lead up to the door of the small plane. Once at the top of the stairs he turns to give them one last wave, a small pang in his heart lets him know that he's going to miss them over the next couple of years.

Entering the plane, he takes a window seat towards the back and watches as his parents scan the windows in hopes of getting one last glimpse of their son. Catching their eye, he gives them a wave and smiles as they wave back. It's not too long afterwards that the small plane lifts off into the air and he begins his long journey home.

As time passes he finds himself getting lost in his thoughts once again and reaches under his seat for his backpack. After a bit of rummaging around he finds what he's looking for and pulls out a small stack of letters postmarked Hillwood, WA. It's just a small sampling of the hundreds of letters he's received over the years what with Helga keeping her promise of writing him every day.

It wasn't often that he or his parents were able to make the trip into town, and sometimes it would be months before they'd have a chance to pick up any mail that might happened to have been sent their way. Of course, in emergencies there was always the Ham Radio but that was only used in the direst of circumstances. Because of this reason, whenever they did make it in to town, there was always a large package waiting for Arnold.

He loved their little trips into town, his eyes lighting up whenever he'd see the large box with his name on it. He would always wait until they had made it back to camp and he was in his own private hut before he would allow himself to open the box. Usually it was filled with letter after letter, most of them addressed in Helga's flowery handwriting, with an odd letter from one of his other friends scattered about here and there. Twice a year, on his birthday and Christmas, there would be a separate package waiting for him from Helga. A sort of care package if you will, with all the treats from back home that he missed so much.

The packages would contain things like bottles of his favorite Yahoo soda, each one meticulously wrapped in layer upon layer of bubble wrap, then placed in its own zip locked bag, just in case the unthinkable happened and the bottle should break. There would also be things like gum and candy, comic books, cookies and any other treat from back home that she thought he might be missing.

Each letter she sent him was dated, and told of things that happened that day between herself or any of his other friends or neighbors, and they each started off with the same "To My Dearest Arnold, My Soul, My Life." He saved each letter, carefully filing them in chronological order so they formed a sort of journal that he could refer back to whenever he'd start to feel homesick and alone.

He takes the top most letter now and opens it. It's her most recent letter, telling him of how excited she is for him to be finally coming home, and that she will be there at the airport, waiting for him to step off that plane. Along with the letter is a picture of her, surrounded by the rest of the gang as they pose for a group shot. It was taken at Rhonda's big 4th of July bash and the gang is standing in the back yard in front of the Lloyd's huge swimming pool. He looks at his friends as they stand clad in their swimwear, a familiar feeling beginning to stir within him as he scans Helga's recently developed body. Once again he takes note of how she is no longer the young girl that he left, but is fast becoming a beautiful woman. He holds the picture to his chest as he leans his seat back. Closing his eyes, he drifts off, the image of Helga burned in his memory.

xxxxx

It was a long, full day, with two plane changes, each one becoming bigger as he draws closer to home, and a three hour layover before finally boarding the last plane for the final leg of the trip. He's nudged by the passenger next to him, informing him that they are getting ready to land and that the pilot has requested that everyone bring their seats to an upright position. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he looks out the window just in time to see the downtown Hillwood skyline come into view, the morning light reflecting off the glass windows of the high rises. His stomach gives a small flip at the thought of Helga being only minutes away.

Time seems to move in slow motion as the plane draws closer to the ground, making him even more anxious than he already was. At last, with a final bump as the landing wheels hit solid ground, the pilot skillfully brings the big jet to a stop. Once the jet has completely stopped, he stands up, stretching his long legs. Gathering his belongings, he impatiently joins the slow moving line of people as they exit the plane.

As he heads towards the baggage area he looks around the old airport, happy in the fact that nothing, here at least, has changed. He had arranged to meet Helga and his grandparents at the baggage carousel and once there he scans the crowd, searching for a familiar blonde head. He's beginning to wonder where she could be when he hears his name being bellowed from across the way. Turning in the direction of the sound, he's still looking when, he feels something slam into him. As the familiar scent of jasmine and vanilla hits his nose, he smiles as he realizes that he is finally home.