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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
- 5
- 6
- 7
"You look like you could use a cigarette." Helga jumped at the low voice rumbling in her ear. She craned her neck to look into the face of the man behind her. Holy shit.

"I… I don't smoke." Her voice came out as a high squeak.

"Good, it's a filthy habit." He smiled. Oh… shit… Helga didn't know where to look. This man was gorgeous, in an overt, classic, George Clooney kind of way. Why was he even talking to her? He kept her gaze, his smile growing wider as she just stared at him. "Would you like to keep me company while I indulge? It's the only way I can escape these horrid gatherings without committing some kind of bullshit social faux-pas…"

"Uh…" what the hell? "Sure…"

He smiled, offered her his arm. She had no idea what she was supposed to do. Surely he didn't expect her to put her dirty hands on his beautifully tailored shirt? After what felt like an eternity, he raised his eyebrows… Oh… he did, indeed, expect her to put her dirty hands on his beautiful shirt. Well, if wanted to grubby up a perfectly respectful garment, it wasn't her problem.

"Thanks for that." The man sighed as they stepped out onto the grass, away from the hoards of screaming children and their bird-like mothers. "I normally wouldn't worry about the opinions of those women, but if I'm too rude, their incessant bitching will get back to their kids, and then Maddy's life would be hell." He smiled, gestured for Helga to sit on a low bench, cut off from the rest of the throng by a lavender hedge.

"You're Maddy's dad?" Helga choked the question out… the surreal feeling she'd been floating around in all day had just been amplified… she had no idea what was going on.

He nodded as he pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. "Indeed I am, and you're Nina's mother." He held the pack out to her "Are you sure I can't tempt you?" He smiled, and it was a nice looking smile. His teeth were white, even. He must have been at least forty, but he wore it well, better than most people wore their twenties. He was so goddamned handsome!

"Positive, thanks." She could feel herself blushing.

He put the pack away, pulled out a gold lighter and lit his cigarette, holding the smoke in his lungs. "So…" he cocked his head to appraise her, "what's it like being the only woman here not wearing a cocktail dress?"

She raised an eyebrow "It's like being sane." She sneered "Who wears high heels to a kids party?"

He laughed. "People with more money than sense."

I like this guy. "When I was little, the rich kids were the minority."

He shook his head. "When I was little, rich meant you could buy store-bought pants." He smiled, stuck out his hand. "I don't think we've been formally introduced, I've Steven."

She was pleasantly surprised by his handshake, firm (nothing worse than a limp handshake) but not bone-crushing. He had to be in business, but not sales… she smiled to herself, analysing a strangers handshake.

"Helga."

"Pleased to meet you, Helga."

"Likewise, Steven."

… … … …

"Arnold Arnold!" Nina was dashing down the hallway as soon as Helga had the front door open.

"Upstairs!" He called down, causing Nina to try make a 180° turn on the fly and collide with Lucy, who had bounded out of the kitchen at the sound of Nina's voice. She was fuelled on sugar though, so she leaped up and kept going like nothing had happened.

Helga followed Nina up the stairs, reaching the top just as Nina reached the door of Arnold's bedroom, hovering in the doorway. "Remember to ask Arnold if he's busy, Sweetheart."

Nina nodded, "Are you busy?" her little face was so earnest, Helga couldn't help but giggle.

Arnold grinned, shut his laptop. "Not at all, come in." He pushed his chair back from his desk as Nina ran up to him, letting her clamber up into his lap. "How'd the party go?" His eyes raised to Helga's at the question, but Nina rushed to answer.

"It was so so awesome! Lana got an Xbox and this big pink tent that goes up inside!" She had been so impressed by the idea of an inside tent. "And there was a big cake with white icing and ponies on it, and I got a bag of candy to bring home, see!" She shoved the pink plastic bag dangling from her wrist into Arnold's face.

He laughed. "It sounds like it was heaps of fun!" He ruffled her hair, smirking when Helga rolled her eyes.

"I didn't even tell you yet though! My friend Maddy, her Dad talked to Mum and now we're going to Maddy's house to play!"

He was still grinning, the look on his face soft. "Yeah? Are you going right now?"

She shook her head "Mum says next weekend. And Maddy said she'd ask her dad if we can have a sleepover!"

Helga went to protest, no sleep-overs had been discussed with her, but Arnold raised an eyebrow, his eyes flicked to her, smirking, "A sleep-over, huh?"

Nina nodded. "Maddy has her own bunk beds, and a play room! And Tina's mum said that Maddy's dad is a el-ig-able bachelor!"

Helga blinked, stunned, "Uh, Nina sweetheart… you probably shouldn't repeat that." Helga said from the doorway.

She looked confused. "Why not?"

Helga sighed. "Eligible bachelor means that a man is single and looking for someone to date."

She frowned. "Is he?"

Arnold made a strange choking noise, like he could hardly contain his laughter "Yeah, is he?"

Helga swallowed, careful to keep her eyes off Arnold's face… she could feel him watching her. "I don't know, it's not polite to ask… and it's also not polite to talk about people's personal life like that."

"But…" Nina groaned, frustrated. "Tina's mum said it!"

"I know, and you're not in trouble, but if someone told Maddy's dad that people had been talking about him, how do you think that would make him feel?"

Nina thought about it for a second. "Is it bad to be el-ig-able?"

Helga shook her head. "No, not at all. It's just that it's very private, and people don't like to have their private things talked about, even if there's nothing wrong with what they do in private."

She must have been bored with the conversation, because instead of playing her normal why game, she just nodded. "OK." Before clambering down and running back out into the hall to play with Lucy.

Helga groaned. "This has been one of the most painful days of my life." She closed her eyes.

Arnold snorted, "Doesn't sound that bad, I mean, you snagged an eligible bachelor."

She rolled her eyes, but she felt her cheeks redden. "Har har."

"So, does Maddy's dad have a name?" Arnold's voice was suddenly softer, less mocking. Argh, that made her feel even worse. She was more comfortable with insulting banter than she was with Arnold being nice to her because he realised she was embarrassed.

"Steven."

He smiled "Nina's excited about it…" He cleared his throat. Helga just shifted uncomfortably.

"Yeah, Maddy's a good kid." She said lamely. Why is this so awkward? "Uh, well, you wanna cuppa tea?"

Arnold turned back to his laptop, flicking the lid up. "No thanks." He typed in his password as Helga turned to leave. "Could you shut the door?"

"Sure." Helga cringed as she closed the door with a click.

Why did she feel so guilty? It made no sense…

She sighed, happy for the day to be nearly over.

She struggled to get Nina fed and bathed, and tucked her into her bed just in time for the last of the sugar to wear off. She only got halfway through the obligatory nightly chapter of Harry Potter before Nina was comatose.

Thank god. She was leaning against the kitchen counter, staring blankly at the floor while she waited for the kettle to boil, when there was a knock at the front door. Helga swore to herself. Where the hell are all the other people who live here? She didn't feel like talking to any doorstep strangers. She gritted her teeth into a smile before she flung the door open.

"Ah, hi!" Rose beamed at her. Great…

"Hey, come in." She stepped back to let the girl in. "I'm just making a cup of tea, you want one?"

"Uh, no, thanks… I'll just, um…" Rose was blushing, strange.

"Why hello there." Helga and Rose both turned to see Arnold standing at the top of the stairs, his hair wet, a towel slung low on his skinny hips.

Fuck.

Her mouth went dry. He smiled down at Rose without even acknowledging that Helga was there. His eyes had that sexy sleepy look to them, his smile was decidedly seductive. Fuck.

Rose tittered "Hi…" she dashed up the stairs. "Seeya Helga."

"Seeya."

Well fuck. Helga trudged back into the kitchen and made her cup of tea. A deeply heavy feeling settled uncomfortably in her stomach, her eyes itched. She didn't want to go upstairs, so she eked her tea drinking out to twenty minutes, then rinsed her cup and emptied the trash… before she had no more easily executable excuses to stay downstairs… bugger.

As she passed the door to Arnold's room, she heard the low rumble of Arnold's voice, muffled through the door, and Rose's high giggle.Great. She hurried past, fighting the urge to shove her fingers in her ears.

She was so jealous she could hardly stand it. And it wasn't just that she was jealous of Rose for having the guy that she liked (although that was part of it)… she was jealous of everyone who had someone.

Sure, she'd only left Mark a few months ago, but their sex life had dropped off after Nina was born, and was basically non-existent by the time she left. But even before then, she hadn't been close to anyone since she and Mark first started dating. She hadn't fallen asleep in his arms or been woken up by kisses or even… been given compliments in years.

She was lonely.

She locked herself in the bathroom, tore her clothes off and flung herself under a long, hot shower. Hopefully they'd be done by the time she was out.

No such luck, if anything, it had gotten worse. Rose was actually moaning. Helga's jaw clenched. Arnold's voice rose in a brief exclamation, and Rose moaned louder. Helga had to concentrate to shut the door without slamming it as a surge of sorrow-fuelled anger rose in her throat.

"Arggggh." She hissed under her breath, balling her hands into fists. Why am I such a fucking loser? She closed her eyes, tried to control her breathing. She threw her towel over the back of the little wooden chair and pulled on her pyjamas.

She curled into a ball under the covers and pulled a pillow over her head. fuckfuckfuuuuuck. She bit her lip, tried to keep her tears back.

"What the fuck is wrong with me?" She whispered to herself, her voice rattling inside her head. "Why can't I just let it go?" She took a deep breath, held it.

Why does it hurt so much?
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Dependents