Based on Hey Arnold! characters created by Craig Bartlett. Author claims no copyright.

Miles and Stella Shortman were a couple out of time. Just like Captain America and Rip Van Winkle had been. They were asleep in the San Lorenzo jungle for a decade. Their son Arnold, who they had regrettably left behind with Miles' parents in Hillwood for one last mission to help the green-eyed people of San Lorenzo, had rescued them on a class field trip. It was a happy reunion but would prove not to be as smooth sailing as Arnold or his parents had expected. It took Miles and Stella a year or so to get past the fish out of water stage and figure their lives out.

Eventually Stella found a job as a botany professor at Hillwood State University. Miles went on to write a book about their experience entitled 'Asleep in San Lorenzo,' the proceeds of which went towards research to cure the sleeping disease. When Arnold graduated from high school they moved from the boarding house run by Miles' parents to a modest one-story house with a spacious backyard in the Hillwood Heights neighborhood.

When Arnold returned to Hillwood after several years living abroad in France and Spain, the tables had turned. His parents were with it. They had long since rebuilt their civilian lives. Arnold was the fish out of water. Upkeep of the boarding house he grew up in and had inherited from Grandpa Phil was no walk in the park. None of the familiar faces from his youth were still there, other than his octogenarian Grandma Gertie. Still active at 80 plus, Arnold didn't see much of Gertie as she was sneaking around town on her crusades, such as when she repaired the broken subway he and his friends were once stuck on. As a widow it was partially a coping mechanism for her.

On Sunday nights Miles and Stella had their football-headed son over regularly for dinner. This gave Arnold a valuable and needed dose of family and routine. As if adjusting to his new life wasn't enough, Arnold had been hit with a startling blast from the past. He had just found Helga G. Pataki, his on-again-off-again love interest since childhood, mired in alcohol abuse. To his parents, this news was of particular interest.

Once they were back, Miles and Stella had heard all about the blonde girl in the neighborhood with the pink bow and pigtails that had her eyes on their son. That was an important detail Miles' father had filled them in on. Helga became the daughter they never had when she and Arnold became an item. Helga found the affection from Miles and Stella that she never got from her own parents. So while hearing that Helga had hit rock bottom broke their hearts, they were also hopeful that she and Arnold could get back together.

"The intervention must have been heavy, so if you don't feel like talking about it we would understand," Stella said while passing asparagus and roasted cauliflower at the dining room table. "Yeah," said Arnold, "well Helga is not doing too well. The booze got to her. I'll say that much." "Poor Helga," Stella replied, "she was always such a nice girl."

"Grandma and grandpa told us all about how she had the hots for you as kids, before dating," said Miles while cutting salmon. Stella rolled her eyes, knowing how many times she had heard her husband say that.

Arnold replied, "Yeah I know, dad. We've been through a lot. And part of me still has feelings for her. But we're adults now and alcohol is a serious issue. I just don't want to get codependent or anything like that."

"Well that may be true," said Miles, "but what grandma and grandpa also told us was how good you were at counseling people, giving them advice and what not at a young age. You have a gift, son. If nothing else this incident with Helga is a reminder of that."

Stella continued, "and I know grandpa left you the boarding house and it's overwhelming to deal with. But he would also agree with us that you could make a career out of helping people the way you've done for a lot of your life already. Whether or not that involves the boarding house."

The next day Arnold was on a video chat with his best friend Gerald, who was then in a locker room in Pittsburgh before playing in an NBA game. He had filled Gerald in on what his parents had told him, about how they thought he should be a shrink. That and the Helga situation. "Are you kidding?," said Gerald, "your folks know what's up. That is exactly what you were meant to do. And now Pataki has you right where she wants you. It's like I always said- you're a bold kid."

TEN YEARS LATER

"I see," said Arnold. A client of his, a balding, rotund man with glasses and a beard, was seated on a couch across from him detailing his struggles with time management and some phobias. "Well, daylight savings time is coming up. Spring forward. Take it easy and remember what we talked about. See you in two weeks." The man nodded and walked out the door.

What was Arnold's childhood room at the boarding house had been converted into his office for his marriage and family therapy practice. The sun roof was still there. The remote control couch was where his clients sat. He walked over from the couch to a desk to go put his glasses on and go over some notes. Then he put on his backpack and walked out.

A name plate was displayed at the center of the office door, that read:

ARNOLD P. SHORTMAN, MFT

The door to the right had the Alcoholics Anonymous symbol displayed at the same place. This was where Helga met with her sponsees, held AA meetings, gave out milestone chips and did general addiction counseling. Helga had already left for the day to pick up their son and daughter from school.

Arnold walked home from work.