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Dependents	By : DancingBear Category: +G through L > Hey, Arnold! Views: 6471 -:- 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
- 1
- 2
- 3
Helga stroked Nina's fine brown hair, watching her daughter's face, smooth and blank in sleep. Her little girl had crashed something fierce, ending up in tears at the police station, sobbing into the front of Arnold's shirt while Helga tried desperately to rush her statement.
But now, in sleep, she looked like a fat little cherub, perfect.
Helga sighed, stood, kicked off her shoes. She should go down and help with the dishes or something. She left the dog, Lucy, curled up on the mat next to the bed, left the bedroom door open a crack.
"In here." Arnold called from the front room as she padded down the stairs. She peered around the edge of the doorway. He waved towards the full glass and bottle of wine that perched on the coffee table. "I can't pronounce it… but it's quite nice." He was in an armchair, his feet stretched out onto the coffee table, his eyes closed.
She circled the table to sit on the sofa. She leaned forward to get her glass and read the label on the wine bottle. Voigner. "Vee-yon-yay." She drew out the syllables for him. "My favourite."
"How fortuitous." He smiled, taking a sip. "My girlfriend got it from her boss, but wine gives her headaches, so she gave it to me." He took another sip. "She'll be glad it went to someone who appreciates it."
Helga swallowed. Girlfriend? Her heart sank, despite herself. She could slap herself. What did you think was going to happen, Pataki? He isn't your prince charming, come to rescue you from a life of drudgery.
"Girlfriend aye? You dark horse you. Anyone I know?"
Arnold chuckled. "I don't think so. She moved here from Cincinnati. Her name's Rose, she's a nurse."
"How long have you been together?"
He pondered for a second. "Six months or so? She came into work, dropping off a cat when one of her patients became too sick to look after it." He shrugged. "I was supposed to see her tonight, but in light of recent developments, we rescheduled." He opened his eyes a crack, grinned.
"And now I'm sitting here, drinking her wine." Helga groaned. She drew her feet up onto the sofa, leaned into the cushion. "Thank you, Arnold. You didn't need to do that. You didn't need to do any of the things you've done for us."
"What can I say... I'm a sucker for a damsel in distress." He took another sip. "Sorry you haven't met any more of the boarders. Amy's a sweetheart though, isn't she?"
Helga nodded. The little brunette she had briefly met the night before was lovely, friendly… loud. She reminded Helga of Rachael Ray.
He nodded. "Well, there's also Tania and Dave, and Greg. You'll meet them all in time. They're a pretty eclectic bunch. We try to get together for dinner Friday nights, but more often than not, someone's missing."
Helga nodded. "I hope Nina doesn't get under their feet too much." She sighed. "I'm sorry, I know that you don't take kids… I… I just…" She stuttered to a stop, tongue-tied. She didn't have words to tell Arnold just how much she appreciated what he was doing for her, and how sorry she was.
"Don't mention in. She's a good kid, Helga. And I meant it when I said you can stay here for as long as you like. Move in. You'll be as safe here as you would be anywhere else… safer, with Lucy around."
"I… I couldn't…" Helga faltered. Live at the Sunset Arms? She closed her eyes, tried to picture it. Nina would be starting school soon. She could go to the same schools that Helga had gone to. Was Mr Simmons still at PS118? Could she be happy at the boarding house? She'd need to rent two rooms, realistically. Nina wouldn't want to sleep in the same bed as her mother forever. Did Arnold even have another room spare?
She sighed. "I dunno, Arnold. I thought I should probably get a place just for us. I'm already imposing and…"
"… You aren't imposing!" Arnold groaned. "This is a boarding house. It's where people come to live. I grew up here, Helga. I know it's a good place." He sighed. "I mean, if you don't want to live here, obviously, that's fine… but if you just feel awkward or something, then stop being stupid and just unpack your bags." He sighed again, leaned forward. His green eyes did something strange to Helga's chest. Nostalgia clenched at her heart.
He caught her gaze, held it. "Sorry. I know you're going through a lot. You don't have to make a decision now, or even soon. Just stay till everything blows over, OK? Then leave if you want. But if this Mark guy decides to go crazy, at least I'll know where you are, and that you and Nina are safe."
Helga forced her fingers to loosen their grip on the stem of her wine glass before it snapped. She took another sip and sighed, dangerously close to tears. "You haven't changed."
He smiled at that. "I'll take that as a yes." He reached forward, refilled his glass. "Want another?" He filled hers again too when she held it out to him. "You have changed." He mused. "Was it OK with Phoebe?"
She closed her eyes, let her head fall back against the sofa, and sighed. "It was… stressful. I don't know what I'm doing." The wine was having an effect on her, relaxing her a little. She was exhausted, so tired her bones felt heavy. The weight of responsibility was pressing on her.
"I'll help as much as I can." Arnold softly declared.
"You're already doing too much." She breathed in return.
There was a breath, a pause.
"Can I ask… what happened? After you moved away?" Arnold's voice was low, smooth. That husky kind of quality it had as a kid had deepened as he had grown up.
She thought for a second, organising her life inside her head. "I went to Berkeley, full scholarship and everything. I was topping my classes, too, before I got pregnant." She sighed. "Mark and I were dating for about a year before I got knocked up… I didn't… I was planning on having an abortion, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it…" she trailed off. She could feel her cheeks reddening, growing warm as the shame of her wasted life crept up on her.
"I'm glad you didn't…" Arnold murmured. "She looks just like you."
Helga shrugged. "She has her fathers colouring…" Nina really was just a smaller, darker version of her mother.
"Did you finish university?"
She shook her head. "I got three years into a four year degree. Nina was due two months into my last year, so I just never went back." She thought back to that time. "Mark said he would make it work, that I could go back and finish my degree the next year… but after a few months, I knew that would never happen."
Why was she saying so much? Why was she admitting so much to Arnold? To this man that she barely knew?
"What's he like?" Helga took another sip of her wine while he thought about her answer… surprising herself when the glass turned dry beneath her lips. She hadn't had more than one glass of wine in a long time… she could feel her feet tingling, her neck softening as she relaxed into the sofa cushions. She felt like she could have fallen asleep.
"He was amazing at first. Kind of reckless, dangerous… you know the type." She smiled. "He pursued me… he protected me." She paused. She had been so happy when such a handsome, desirable man had taken such an interest in her. "I didn't know any better… No one had ever wanted me before… no one had ever gotten jealous over me. Y'know?"
"But he was violent?"
"Not at first. Not towards me, anyway. He would get aggressive towards guys that tried to pay me attention… and then he started getting jealous of my girlfriends…" she stuttered into silence. She had lost everyone… she had no friends by the time Nina was 6 months old. Everyone had turned their backs on her. Not that she could blame them… Mark was so volatile. But she had been so lonely…
"Does he… know where you are?" His voice was closer, she opened her eyes a crack to watch him pour the last of the wine evenly between their glasses. He put the bottle down on the coffee table with a clink.
Helga shook her head. "Thanks." She took a sip of her wine. "No… he probably thinks I'm at Miriam's." she smiled. "I threw my cellphone out the car window, so no one can reach me anyway."
He laughed. "I'm surprised you didn't just keep driving… nomads, living on the road…"
She opened an eyes, unsure if he was being sarcastic or not, but the smile on his face was wide, genuine. "Tempting…" she smiled. "But the Honda isn't big enough to sleep in."
He snorted a little with laughter. She sighed.
"So, Arnold… what have you been doing for the past seven years?"
"Working at the shelter."
"The same one?" Helga gaped. Arnold had gotten a part-time job at the local animal shelter while they were still at school.
"Yup." She could hear the smile in his voice. "I've done some basic management and animal husbandry courses… but I love my job. I get to do real good."
Despite herself, Helga laughed. She sat forward, opened her eyes. "You really haven't changed, have you?"
He grinned, shrugged. "Maybe not. Is that a bad thing?" He was teasing her. His green eyes crinkled up when he smiled.
She cringed… a sudden, vulnerable instinct clenched in her stomach. She didn't have time to figure it out, what the uncomfortable twinge of fear in her heart meant, before a high, timorous wail drifted down the stairs.
"Muuuuuum."
Helga stood, instantly on edge. "Duty calls." She tried to smile, before making her way out of the room and up the stairs, as quickly as she could without breaking into a run…
"Shhhhh, shush sweetheart… it's OK… it's OK…" Helga cradled the little girl on her lap, Nina's hair sticky with sweat. Her tiny fists clutched at Helga's top, tears leaked from her eyes. She was gasping, gulping as she sobbed. Helga clutched Nina to her chest. It hurt when her daughter cried like this, it hurt to see her in pain. She stroked the girl's hair, spoke to her in a low, soothing voice.
"Mummy's here… I'm here sweetheart… It's OK… I won't let anything hurt you…" she hummed, rocking back and forth until Nina quietened, her sobs fading to a whimper, her whimper trailing off until she dropped back to sleep, her dark lashes fanning her cheeks.
She tucked Nina back under the sheets, patted the dog on the head. Poor old mutt had stood next to the bed, agitated while Nina had been crying. Moving quietly around the room, she got undressed, changed into a pair of men's pyjama's and went out to brush her teeth.
"Hey." She jumped as Arnold came in behind her, picking his toothbrush from the rack on the wall, and squeezing a modest spread of toothpaste onto the bristles. "Nina OK?"
Helga just nodded, acutely aware that she was in pyjama's, that her mouth was ringed in foam.
She quickly finished brushing and rinsed her brush off. "Nite, Arnold." she tried to smile before dashing back to the bedroom. She felt suddenly shy, nervous…
Be careful. She scolded herself.
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