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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
- 3
- 4
- 5
Helga used the roasting fork to lever the massive chicken out of the roasting dish and onto the serving platter. Chucking the dish onto the stovetop, she turned up two of the elements, waited till the liquid started bubbling, and poured in the mixture of stock and flour that she had waiting in a cup.

"This… smells… amazing." Arnold came in behind her. "Can I get you another drink?" He disappeared into the fridge.

"No thanks, haven't had a chance to touch this one yet." She gestured to where her wine was warming up gently on the bench.

"Can I help?" He asked, shutting the fridge with a bottle of wine in his hand.

"No, thanks. I'll just get the gravy finished, and it's all ready." She stirred the gravy with a fork, "It shouldn't be long. Is Nina OK out there?"

Arnold chuckled. "She's perfect." He grinned, leaning against the counter, watching Helga as she smushed out a lump with her fork. "Her and Phoebe have dismantled the lounge for a rousing game of spin till you wanna puke."

Helga managed to groan and laugh simultaneously. "Oh god, sorry."

"No need to apologise. You want me to take the chicken out for you?"

"That would be grand, thanks."

He groaned theatrically as he lifted the platter from the bench. "Are you sure this isn't a turkey?"

"No." she smiled. "I'll be right behind you."

"Roger." He left the room, platter in his hands, wine jammed under his arm.

Helga tasted the gravy. Not perfect, but it'll do. She turned off the elements, donned oven mitts, and carefully transferred the liquid into Arnold's grandmother's old gravy boat… well, he claimed it was a gravy boat, but it was the oddest one she had ever seen… shaped like an ugly old high-heeled shoe…

She found herself humming as she took off her apron and patted down her hair. She grinned, grasped the gravy and her tepid wineglass, and made her way into the dining room.

"Oh Helga!" Rose cooed over the table. "It all looks divine!" Coming from anyone else, that would sound patronising… but Arnold's girlfriend, as well as being clever and beautiful, was exceedingly nice. Figured.

She grinned anyway. "Thanks… I hope it tastes as good as it looks, then."

"I'm sure it will… OK, so I might have stolen a potato when no one was looking? It was perfect." The curvy little brunette smiled cheekily.

"We were all looking, you spud-stealing tart." Amy admonished jokingly, a near-empty glass of wine to her lips. They collapsed into giggles, leaning up against each other as they sat side-by-side at the massive table.

"I forgive you." Helga beamed, just as Arnold put his head around the doorframe.

"Ready?" He asked, grinning.

"Ready." Helga confirmed.

Arnold disappeared, and reappeared a minute later with Nina on his shoulders and a line of people in tow.

"It smells amazing!"

"That is the biggest fucking chicken I have ever seen!"

"Hey! Dude! Language!"

"Whoops, sorry Nina."

"Is there juice? Mum, can I have a juice?"

"Here, let me get that for you."

"Have we finished that bottle already? I'll go grab another."

"Bring back some beers while you're at it."

"Is that a potato, or a sweet-potato?"

"Oh my god, fresh beans? I haven't had fresh beans in years!"

"Should we be saving room for dessert?"

"Pass the butter?"

"Start carving that bird already!"

"You do it, I always screw it up."

"Shouldn't Arnold do it? Seeing as he's man of the house n' all?"

"He's getting booze, we can't wait… CARVE THAT SHIT UP, YO!"

"Oi! LANGUAGE!"

Helga laughed. The room was teeming with people. All of the flatmates were there, with Amy's boyfriend Jack, and Rose, and Phoebe… She felt decadent, wine was flowing, everyone was talking over the top of each other, there was lots of food, lots of laughter… it felt like a party.

"What part of the bird do you want?"

"It's a chicken, who cares?"

"Can you put some of those spuds on my plate? Thanks."

"The beers aren't completely cold, sorry."

"Ah, Shortman, you've failed us once again."

"We should eat this up on the roof!"

"Yes! Mum! Can we, please?"

"How about we have dessert up there?"

"How about you pour me a glass of the red?"

"How about you show some manners?"

"Oi, don't start eating yet!"

"Ah c'mon, don't stand on ceremony."

"We need to make toasts first!"

"Yeah, toasts!"

"To Helga, for this amazing meal!"

"To Nina, for making it 5 years without breaking a single bone!"

"To Nina!"

"Happy birthday Nina!"

"TO NINA!"

"Oh my god, this gravy is amazing."

"Is that a shoe?"

… … …

Helga rummaged through her drawers for something for Phoebe to wear to bed… her friend was drunk, everyone was drunk… Nina was tucked up in her very own bed, in her very own bedroom, where Arnold had carried her after she had fallen asleep on his lap. That had sucked… it pulled at her, made her ache, whenever he did things like that… fatherly things… and he did them often.

"This should fit." Helga chucked Phoebe a massive T shirt. "Unless you want proper pyjama's or something?"

"Nah, this'll do fine."

They crawled into Helga's bed. "Just like old times." Helga sighed as she clicked off the bedside lamp.

"Kinda… the whole sleeping bag on the floor thing sucked. I much prefer the mattress."

They giggled, reminiscing about their high school days. There was years of gossip for Helga to catch up on… who had done what, who had done who… "I still can't believe you and Gerald never hooked up." Helga yawned, her arms behind her head.

"I can't believe you and Arnold never hooked up…" Phoebe's light voice was full of laughter.

Helga snorted. "Touché."

Phoebe sighed. "Seriously though, is it OK, living here?"

Helga freaked a little, she rushed to answer, but it came out sounding… fake. "Yeah, of course! He's a great flatmate, and he, uh, Nina loves him!" Her voice was too high.

Silence.

"Rose seems nice." Phoebe said eventually. Her tone said everything. She understood…

Helga sighed. "She's great…"

"Sucks, huh?"

"So bad." Helga squeezed her eyes shut. She just tried not to think about it most of the time. Nothing good could come from her indulging any of her vaguely psychotic Arnold-obsessions.

"You know you can always stay with me, right?" Phoebe asked softly.

"Yeah… and thanks... but I like it here, despite the occasional, uh, fit of nostalgia… and I'm paying for the rooms, so I don't feel like I'm a charity case."

"How's work going, by the way? I don't think I've asked."

"It's good. I love the bookstore… not too keen on customers though. How's lawyering?"

Phoebe giggled. "Confidential… but good. I'm very busy."

Helga made the appropriate noises of approval and encouragement, and they lapsed into silence. It was nice. Helga had missed Phoebe over the years. They had remained close until Mark had come on the scene… but had just kinda fallen back into friendship over the past two months. Helga couldn't be more grateful. Phoebe had done everything that needed to be done in regards to the screwed up Mark situation. She had filled out the paperwork and talked with the police. She had sat in the little interview room with Nina when the little girl has to tell the cops about how Daddy used to hit Mummy sometimes (you aren't supposed to hit!)… that was all past now, though, and they had just been able to relax since the restraining order went through… now that Phoebe was her friend first, lawyer second.

Helga had no idea what she would have done without Phoebe, or Arnold.

It always came back to Arnold eventually.

"What made you come here?" Phoebe asked softly, "I mean…" she trailed off.

Helga had asked herself the same question a hundred times… she had her answer ready. "It seemed like the best place. I mean… I figured he'd be most likely to have the room and Mark wouldn't think of looking for me here."

Phoebe pondered on that for a second. "I suppose that's logical."

Helga squirmed. "OK… I might never have mentioned Arnold to Mark at all…"

"Never?" Phoebe sounded shocked.

Helga shrugged, which was kinda stupid, seeing as it was dark. "Mark was jealous enough. You should have heard the spaz he had when I told him about Brainy… I never mentioned Arnold."

Phoebe was silent for a second, her gentle breath barely audible. "I can't imagine how horrible that must have been, having to censor everything you said…"

Helga shrugged again, again, it was stupid. "It's over now."

Phoebes rolled towards her. "Yeah, it is… I'm glad you came back, Helga."

"Me too."

They chatted and gossiped till they started nodding off. Their voices grew lower, slower… they started saying strange, crazy things before collapsing into giggles. These surreal, sleep-deprived nights were something Helga had forgotten about. She had missed them without even realising it.

"You 'sleep?" Phoebe mumbled, Helga realised she'd missed something Phebes had been saying.

"Yeah, droppin' off… sorry." She yawned.

"No mind… 'nite Helga."

"'nite Phebes." They snuggled further under the blankets, facing each other.

"F' what it's worth, Helga… I don't think Arnold, uh…" she yawned "… I think he's noticed you."

Helga's eyes snapped open. "What do you mean?" Her voice was loud in the quiet room.

She could hear the smile in Phoebe's voice. Damn her. "I just caught him looking at you a few times."

Helga's heart thumped, she was definitely awake now. She swallowed, took a deep breath. "You're mad." She said finally, but she could hear the shakiness, the hope in her own voice.

God you're tragic… grow the fuck up. She chastised herself.

Phebes just giggled. "Whatever you say…"

Damn you… like she needed any encouragement when it came to mooning over Mr Shortman. She rolled onto her back, staring at the dark ceiling.

It took her a long time to get sleep… she just couldn't stop thinking… what if?
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Dependents