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Dependents	By : DancingBear Category: +G through L > Hey, Arnold! Views: 6551 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Hey Arnold, nor any of the characters. I do not, and will not make any money from this story. (Original creator: Craig Bartlett)

Chapter List
- 1-Dependents
- 2-Lean
- 3-Steep
- 4-Long
- 5-Hold
- 6-Slouch
- 7-Arch
- 8-Turn
- 9-Fall
- 10-Drop
- 11-Gift
- 12-Balk
- 13-Spill
- 14-Pay
- 15-Scrap
- 16-Warm
- 17-Sink
- 18-Stoke
- 14
- 15
- 16
"Take Nina upstairs and call the cops." Arnold's voice was soft, but insistent.

Helga shook herself. It couldn't really be Mark on the other side of the door, could it? How did he find them?

The dog wuffed, sniffing at the crack at the bottom of the door.

"Helga… please." She blinked, she'd been staring into space again. She wanted to protest. She was sick of feeling scared… but the look on Arnold's face made her arguments die in her throat. She had never seen him so furious.

'I… I should tell him to leave…" Helga breathed. There was no conviction in her voice.

He shook his head. "Please… Helga. Trust me?"

What could she say to that? She nodded. Creeping into the dining room, she whispered to Nina. "Come on love, we're going upstairs."

Helga's heart cramped… Nina just nodded, dutifully climbing down off her chair and reaching to hold her mothers hand. Only a kid who knew what the tense voices and strange orders meant would react so calmly to being told to stop playing.

Her anger fizzed again. How dare he… She bit the inside of her cheek to focus herself.

She followed Nina up the stairs, glancing back at Arnold as he watched them go, his face oddly set. He's probably regretting ever letting me in the front door. She sighed.

"Is that Dad outside?" Nina whispered as they entered her bedroom.

Helga nodded. "I think so, sweetheart."

"Are you going to call the police?" She climbed up onto her bed, her big eyes wide with anxiety.

Helga tried to quell the rolling in her stomach. No child should have to go through this… I am so, so sorry. "Yes. But until they get here, Arnold and Lucy will make sure Daddy stays outside."

Nina nodded. "I don't want him to come in…" Her whisper was so soft, Helga could barely hear it. Her heart quivered as it threatened to break. The poor little girl…

"I just have to get my cellphone. Can you wait here?"

She nodded again.

Helga dashed quickly out into the hallway, stumbling when Mark's bellow sang through the air.

"HELGA… I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE."

She was frozen, a lump of ice in her throat. She couldn't move for the span of one… two heartbeats.

He banged on the door again. He isn't going to go away. Steeling herself, she popped her head back into Nina's room. "I'm going to go downstairs and see if Arnold's OK… is that alright?"

Nina nodded. "You're very brave, sweetheart." Helga smiled. She shut Nina's bedroom door behind her. Zipping quickly through her room, she grabbed her cellphone off her bed and crept down to sit halfway down the stairs.

Arnold was standing at the front door, his hands balled into fists, his eyes screwed shut. His chest was rising and falling with his deep, slow breaths. Lucy was growling at the door, her feet planted on the carpet, her hackles raised.

She unlocked her phone, and for the second time that day, called 911.

Arnold flinched at the noise and looked up to glare at her. Go upstairs. He mouthed, pointing viciously towards the ceiling. She shook her head.

"Police." She whispered into the phone. "Yes, hi, I have a restraining order against my ex-partner, and he just turned up at my house, and he was waiting outside my daughters school this afternoon…" she parroted off all her information again, including the incident number from the earlier call… all the while being watched by Arnold, a strange, severe look on his face.

"He's just banging on the door and yelling, he hasn't…" Helga groaned as another voice floated up the stairs from outside.

"Um, excuse me, can I help you?" Amy.

Arnold's eyes were as round as saucers, his gaze flitted from Helga to the door, a pained expression twisted his mouth.

"I'm looking for Helga…" Shit… Mark's voice was low, dangerous… Helga moved to stand, she needed to get Amy inside!

"My flatmate just turned up." She whispered frantically into the phone. "She's outside talking to him…"

"Well maybe you should look somewhere else. Can you move aside please?" Amy's terse voice was as clear as a bell. Helga flinched.

"Stay there!" Arnold barked, as close as he could get to yelling while still speaking in a whisper. Helga's foot hung in mid air, halfway to the next step. She gaped at him.

He screwed his eyes shut for a second, the weirdest expression on his face, like he was about to jump off a high-diving board… before he quickly turned the lock, twisted the handle, and opened the door a crack.

He gave her the oddest look as he put his foot in front of the dog to keep her in… then he stepped outside.

"Get inside." His voice was a soft rumble.

"Who is this guy?" Amy asked, sassy till the end.

"Just get inside, please." He repeated, and a second later Amy scrambled through into the hall.

The door shut with a click behind her.

Helga stepped towards the door, shaking. Why hadn't Arnold come back inside?

"Helga? Helga?" She blinked, put her phone back up to her ear.

"Arnold's just gone outside… he's out there alone with Mark…" Her voice was wooden, her hands had turned to ice.

Please don't hurt him… please…

"She doesn't want to speak to you, and you're violating a restraining order." Arnold's voice was so level, so… measured. It sent chills down Helga's spine. "The police are on their way."

Mark laughed. "So you're the douchebag she left for? Stupid bitch is even dumber than I thought." Helga winced.

"Amy, lock the door." Arnold called, his voice a little louder. Amy obeyed, reaching up to turn the lock until it snicked into place.

"You can't do that!" Helga gasped. "He won't be able to get back in!"

"He knows what he's doing." Amy frowned, leaning her ear up against the door to hear better. "I'll open it when I have to."

The dog was clawing at the door, alternately growing and whining. "Shush." Amy hissed, but Lucy paid no attention.

"Well?" Mark's voice was venomous… the chill of recognition shook Helga as she listened to his vitriol. "Is the bitch inside? Is my fucking daughter in this shit-pile of a house?"

There was a low murmur from the other side of the door. Amy's eyes were wide, she glanced over at Helga, but Helga couldn't hear what was happening. She tiptoed down a few stairs, gripping her cellphone in her hand, the 911 call completely forgotten.

Amy started digging around in her handbag, keys and coins jingling as she searched through her crap for a little silver canister. Pepper spray.

Helga whispered frantically. "What's happening?"

"Arnold's defending your honour." Amy's mouth twisted into a wry smile. "He can get a pretty good mouth on him, when he wants to."

Helga took another few steps. Please… please don't do anything stupid.

Then she heard something that made her blood run cold. Mark laughed. A low, sinister chuckle that she had only heard a few times before, but she would never forget…

There was a scuffling sound, a short exclamation, and a crack. The dog barked before she threw herself up against the door, her lips pulled back to show her teeth.

"Talk to me like that you little shit! You think I'm just going to let a scrawny little cunt-" Mark's vile rant was cut short with a snap and athump.

Amy was scrabbling to unlock the door, the pepper spray brandished in her hand. She flung the door open, grabbed Arnold by the sleeve of his shirt and tugged him inside. Lucy leaped through the open door, launching herself onto Mark where he sprawled on the steps. She gripped his arm above the elbow, tugging him down as he tried to stand up.

"FUCKING CUNT!" Mark was screaming, he smacked ineffectively at Lucy's head. It was like something out of a cop show. Lucy just held, weighting him down, stopping him from moving. He was thrashing, howling with rage.

"Mum?" NO! Nina was at the top of the stairs, her face completely white.

"Go back upstairs, I'll be there soon."

"But he'll hurt Lucy!" Her daughter's face crumpled, her little arms reached out.

Shit. Helga looked back to the scene on the steps. Arnold staggered a little as he tried to step forward to grab Lucy. Amy tugged him back, trying to get the door closed. There was blood everywhere… She did not want her daughter seeing this.

"Ducy!" Arnold called, his voice all nasal and muffled through the hand he had clamped over his nose. "DUCY! CUMBH!" Lucy dropped Marks arm and backed, growling, through the door to bump her rear against Arnold's leg.

Amy slammed the door shut and turned the lock.

It took a second for Helga to realise she could hear sirens. She looked at the phone in her hand, it was still on the 911 call. She put it up to her ear.

"We might need an ambulance."

She dashed into the kitchen, pulled a clean tea towel from the drawer, ran it under the cold tap and went back out to the hall. Arnold had slumped against the wall, his hand still over his face.

"Nina, honey… can you bring me one of the old towels from the hall cupboard?" She'd seen the worst… at least she could make Nina feel useful, instead of making her hide up in her room. Nina nodded and ran off.

"Let me see." She hummed, kneeling down in front of Arnold, Mark was screaming outside the front door, but Helga didn't care. He could yell all he wanted. The worse he looked now, the longer he'd spend in jail.

Arnold glared at her, but took his hand away from his face. Blood dripped off his hands, landing on his shirt and jeans. She sucked a breath in through her teeth. His nose was swollen, twice its normal size. It had been pushed clear to the left side of his face. "Oh, you poor thing." She hushed, pressing the cold fabric gently to his swollen face. He winced.

"Letd bme." It took her a second to figure out what he was saying, but when his hands came up to take the cloth from her, she let him have it.

"Sounds like the cops are almost here." Amy said softly, her head cocked to one side. She was right, the sirens were getting close. Helga just stayed where she was, kneeling on the floor between Arnold's outstretched legs.

"Thank you sweetheart." She took the towel off Nina when it was offered. Leaning forward, she blotted it at the blood on his shirt. His eyes opened a crack, giving her that strange look again, before he let his head slump against the wall.

"Does it hurt?" Nina asked softly, standing behind Helga, shifting her weight from foot to foot.

He nodded. "Dess."

"Uh… guys… I think he might be coming around the back…" Amy's voice shivered a little.

"Det himb…" Arnold's breath wheezed. "Back dorbs ldocked." There was a tense pause, everyone listening intently, trying to figure out what was happening…

"Do you need an asprin?" Nina asked gently, leaning down to pat at Arnold's knee. He opened his eyes again.

Reaching a hand out to quickly squeeze Nina's, he sighed. "Dho… buht dahnks." He jumped when there was a knock at the door.

"Helga Pataki?" A strangers voice boomed through the suddenly quiet house. "Police."

Amy opened the door…

"Excuse me… but can I just see Arnold before they take him away?" She was trying to be polite, but she was tired… and hungry.

"Sure." The cop who was taking her statement smiled. "I'll be right here."

"Thanks."

She approached Arnold slowly, conscious of his eyes on her. "Hi."

"Hhy." He had a fresh white wad of cotton pressed to his nose.

"Are they taking you to hospital?" He just nodded in reply.

"Do… do you want me to come with you?" Why did she feel so shy?

He shook his head. "Sday 'ere wibth your dauhbter." His voice, mangled as it was, was harsh. She stared at him for a second. The look in his eyes was full of anger… he looked like he hated her.

She just nodded. "OK." She shuffled her feet. "I'm so sorry, Arnold… about everything." She couldn't meet his gaze, as full as it was with loathing. "Thank you." She heard his heavy sigh as she turned away…

… but he didn't say anything.
- 14
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- 16
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Dependents