Fresh pot of coffee brewing. Check.

Inspiring music playing… check.

Phone on silent… check.

Ok now it's time to crack down on another chapter. In the last chapter we see Arnold and Helga have… fun… together. Also Gerald finds out about them. Will he tell anyone? What about the boys that saw the blonde couple on top of the boarding house? Let's find out what events are going to unfold, shall we? ;)

Warning! This is also Rated: M for mature. There will be graphic scenes later in the story. You have been warned o_o

Note: I do not own these characters. They rightfully belong to Craig Bartlett.

Beautiful Blonde

Chapter 4

"What are we doing Arnold?" Helga asked.

Arnold, who was lying on his stomach on his floor, turned around on his back and look up at the ceiling. He pondered her question for a moment. "What are we doing?" He asked himself. "It's all going so fast."

"Yeah, it is." Helga responded. "To make matters worse, we have school tomorrow. Me coming out of your house in the morning isn't going to be easy to explain if anyone see's us either." Arnold let out a big sigh. He looked over towards Helga who was messing with her new bow nervously. She noticed him looking up at her. A small scowl started to appear on her face. "I hope you don't expect me to give back Big Bobs belt."

He just remembered that she indeed took her father's lucky belt. He looked over at her bag and saw the belt sticking out of it a little. "Well you did say you'd give it back when you got a new bow…" Arnold began. He looked over at Helga who was glaring at him. "But, I think we could let him suffer for a bit longer." Arnold said devilishly.

Helga smirked at his comment. Before she could say anything, a banging at the front door caused both the teens snap out of their moment. Arnold got up from the floor and looked out his window. His eyes opened wide when he saw Big Bob Pataki banging at the front door of the boarding house in what looked like a Rambo outfit.

"It's your dad!" Arnold announced.

Helga shot straight up from the bed and ran over to the window. "What is he doing here!?" She asked in pure shock.

Phil answered the door. "Would you stop with all that banging!?"

"Where is she!?" Big Bob demanded.

"Who in blue blazes are you yapping about?"

"My daughter you old coot! She's been missing for days." Bob shouted. His voice went calm all of a sudden. "Please just tell me if you've seen her. I've been banging on every door in the city trying to find her."

"What are you doing here dad?" Helga asked from behind Phil.

"Helga! You are in so much trouble young lady! You had me and your mother worried sick." Bob shouted.

"Well I wouldn't have run off if you didn't try to hit me!"

Bob looked up at Phil who had his arms crossed and was giving him a glaring look. "Listen Helga, I know I was out of line. Please just come back home so we can talk about this."

"No! I'll come home when I'm good and ready. Right now, I have a hard time trusting you. How do I know the moment we get home you won't try something again?" Helga asked angrily.

"I won't!" Bob retorted but he saw his daughter was holding her ground. "What am I supposed to do, huh? Leave you with complete strangers?"

Helga was about to answer when Arnold walked passed her and his grandfather and up to Bob. He gave him a glare letting Bib Bob know how serious he was. "Listen Mr. Pataki, you might not know us very well but I assure you I... I mean we, will not let anything bad happened to her. If anything does, I give you permission to beat me to a pulp. When Helga is ready to come home, I will personally escort her there."

Both Big Bob and Helga's eyes went wide. Bob was about to argue with the boy before him when he saw the look on Arnold's face. It reminded him of how he himself looked when he was determined. He nodded and held out his hand. Arnold took it and the both shook sternly. They gave each other a threatening look before they let go of each other's hand.

Bob began to walk down the stoop. When he reached the last step, he turned around to look at Helga. He turned around and took a step back up the stoop and held out his hand with a serious look on his face. "Can I at least have my belt back?"

Helga, with and angry expression, cocked an eyebrow at him and thought for a moment. She reach up and grabbed her bow and sighed. She looked over at Arnold who was smiling slightly. "Fine." she said before walking up the stairs. She came down shortly after and handed the belt to Arnold so the he could give it to Big Bob. Arnold grabbed it and handed it to Bob. He grabbed it and stared at the blonde boy before him. "You better take good care of her boy." He said before walking away.

Both Helga and Arnold had been quiet for a long time after what just happened. Arnold was lying face down on his bed while Helga was sitting by his feet. Helga broke the awkward silence.

"I can't believe you stood up to my dad like that." Helga said in disbelief.

Arnold sighed a bit. "I saw how much you didn't want to go with him. I can't blame you. I wouldn't… so scratch that… I don't trust him either."

Helga smiled. "Well that's one problem avoided. We still have to face another one tomorrow." Helga said with a frown.

Arnold turned around to face her. "Yeah I know." Arnold said as he sat up to sit beside her. He looked into her deep blue eyes and felt butterflies soar through his stomach.

Neither Arnold nor Helga wanted to get up the next morning. At the sound of Arnold's alarm, Helga immediately shot out of bed, grabbed his alarm and threw it clear across the room. She fell back onto the pillow and threw the covers over her head. Arnold was, to say the least, a bit shocked at her reaction to waking up. He slowly got out of the bed so to not make the blonde girl more upset. When he got to the door, he turned around to see Helga's eye peeking from under the covers. He smiled at her and walked out of the room.

Helga sighed deeply knowing very well she needed to get up for school. She tossed the covers off of her and got up. She walked downstairs to the bathroom to see a line at the door. "You got to be kidding me…" she muttered to herself. When she saw Arnold coming out of the bathroom, she shot passed him, pushed him out and slammed the door shut.

"Hey! Little girl! That's no fair! We were here first!" Mr. Hyunh shouted in anger.

Helga poked her head back into the hallway where the angry boarders were bickering. "Ladies first." She said before shutting the door again.

Arnold chuckled at Helga's childish actions and walked back up to his room to change. After he changed, Helga walked into the room. "Good morning." Arnold greeted.

"It would be good if it was still the weekend." Helga groaned. She looked over at Arnold who was smiling at her. She half smiled back. "Ok get out." Helga ordered. Arnold cocked an eyebrow at her. "Just because you've seen me… well you know… that doesn't mean I want you looking at me while I get changed. Now out." She ordered once again with her finger pointed to the door.

Arnold nodded and grabbed his bag. "See you downstairs."

"Oh, no you won't." Helga said which caused Arnold to turn back to her with a puzzled look. "It's bad enough tall hair boy saw us together yesterday. I don't need the whole neighborhood seeing us together. I'll be going down the fire escape. I'll see you at school." And with that being said, she pushed him out of the room and shut the door.

Arnold stood at the door for a moment then slowly walked down the stairs. She's right. I know I don't want all that attention right now. It's bad enough Gerald knows. Which means… Phoebe knows… Arnold thought to himself and sighed deeply. Arnold walked into the kitchen and made himself hot chocolate and some toast. When he was done with his small breakfast, he walked out of the boarding house and headed for school. To his surprise, he saw Helga not too far ahead of him. He was about to run to catch up to her but then remember what she had said about not needing the attention.

He approached the school shortly after Helga. Helga seemed to have disappeared. He walked into the school to see the gang huddled by his locker. "What's up guys?" Arnold greeted.

"Hey Arnold." Sid greeted back.

"Hey Arnold, where's your little girlfriend?" Harold asked teasingly.

"Huh?"

"Oh don't play dumb Arnold. The guys saw you and Helga hanging out. So come out with it! How long has this been going on?" Asked Rhonda.

"Gee Arnold; I pegged you for a guy who would date a sweet girl. Like Lila." Stinky chimed in.

"Yeah. You a masochist or something?" Sid asked.

Arnold felt like fainting. Actually he would have fainted if it wasn't for Gerald. "Hey leave the guy alone. His personal life is nobody's business but his. Now move along. There's nothing to see here!" Gerald barked at their peers. Everyone grumbled and did as they were told. "You ok?" Gerald asked his best friend.

"Yeah I'm ok now. I can't believe they saw us. Wait… if they saw us…" Before Arnold could finish his thought, he darted down the hallway. He heard Gerald call out for him but he ignored it and kept running. He desperately tried to find Helga before anyone else did. He found himself on the second floor of the school towards the back of the school. No one would dare hang out here. Perfect place for Helga to hide. Arnold thought. He began walking towards the end of the hallway near some stairs. He began to walk down when he saw Helga sitting at the bottom. "There you are."

Helga turned around and was a bit surprised to see Arnold. "What are you doing here?" She asked curiously.

Arnold noticed her quickly shutting a little pink notebook. Rather than question the book, he focused on the matter at hand. "We have a problem." Helga quirked and eyebrow at him not knowing what to expect.

Before Arnold could tell her the news, he was interrupted by a familiar voice. "I told you they'd be here." Nadine said matter-of-factly to a group of peers.

Arnold's eyes went wide. "Oh no…" he muttered. As if Helga could read his thoughts, she shot up and grabbed his hand. She darted for the door, dragging Arnold with her. Thanks to Helga, they managed to escape from their classmates for the time being. "You know we're going to have to face them eventually." Arnold said trying to catch his breath.

"I know. I'd rather it be not right now. I need to think first." Helga responded, equally out of breath.

Arnold leaned up against the wall behind him and stared up at the ceiling. Helga looked up at him for a moment. "What's on your mind football head?" She finally asked.

The question snapped him out of his thoughts. "I don't know what to think. It seems like just yesterday we you we shoving me into a locker and now we're running as if our classmates are trying to kill us for… for being with each other." He looked into Helga's eyes and could have gotten lost in them if it wasn't for their peers yet again. Before they could run away this time, they surrounded the blonde couple.

"That was a huge waste of time. Spill it you two. Are you dating or not?" Rhonda demanded.

Helga balled her hands into fists and walked up to Rhonda. She was successful at intimidating her. "Listen princess. If we wanted you to know our business we would tell you. So I suggest all of you mind your beeswax and get out of my face before I pound yours into next week!" Helga shouted. All the teens saw the fire in Helga's eyes and quickly scurried away. She turned around, still immensely angry and stared at the blonde boy before her. She walked up to him and stood threateningly close to his face. Arnold looked into her beautiful blue eyes and it was as if all their trouble vanished. He leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on her soft pink lips.

He pulled his lips away from hers when the bell for class to begin snapped him back into reality. He looked at the end of the hallway to see Rhonda and Nadine peeking their heads from behind the corner. "Guess our secrets out." Helga saw what he was looking at and immediately punched him in the arm. "Ow!"

"You just had to kiss me didn't you?" Helga asked with both anger and annoyance. Arnold simply smiled and walked beside her to class.

It was only half way through the day and the torturous question still hadn't ceased. Even some of their teachers caught an interest in them.

"I blame you for all of this." Helga said angrily. They had been sitting outside away from anyone so that they could eat their lunches in peace.

"I can't believe they thought you tricked me into being your slave." Arnold said with a shocked expression as he bit into his sandwich.

"You have to admit, it would make a lot more sense than us dating." Helga responded with a snicker. Arnold looked up at Helga with a huge grin. "What?"

"So we're dating now?" Arnold asked teasingly.

"Oh no. I just wanted to get in your pants. You see, you're a nice guy and all, but I think we should just be friends." Helga responded sarcastically. Both the teens laughed.

"Well if we're dating, then I think we should go on a proper date." Arnold declared.

Helga eyes went wide and she almost spit out her milk. "Wait you want to take me on a date? In public!?" She asked in horror.

Arnold laughed at her expression. "Yeah I do. Unless you're uncomfortable with that."

Helga thought about it for a moment. "Fine. As long as I get to pick when and where."

"That's fine by me. So, when and where?"

"Nowhere and never." Helga responded.

"Helga." Arnold chastised.

"Ugh… fine. Just give me a few days to think about it."

"Mind if I make a suggestion?" Gerald asked making both of the blondes flinched at his sudden presence.

"How long have you been standing there?" Arnold asked.

"Since the whole slave bit. That's beside the point. I think I have an idea for a date for you guys."

"Well don't just wait for us to ask you. Spit it out." Helga demanded.

"Well, Pheebs has been begging me to take her to take her to this weirdo circus that's in town. The last day they are here is Friday. You guys want to come with us?"

"You mean like… a double date?" Helga asked.

"Not like a double date. It would be a double date."

"Pass." Helga said as she began to walk away.

"Helga." Arnold began to chastise again.

"Ugh! Fine!"

Gerald fell to his knees and dramatically said: "Oh thank you sweet baby Jesus! I don't have to go alone! I mean…" Gerald began and stood up and brushed some dirt off his pants. "Cool. Glad you guys can join us." He said as he calmly began to walk away.

Both Arnold and Helga laughed at Gerald's theatrics. "What circus is in town anyways?" Arnold asked.

"Oh it's the circus de blah blah blah… I don't know how to pronounce it man. It's some fancy French circus." Gerald responded.

"It's the circus de soleil you moron. And it was founded in Canada not France." Helga corrected.

"Yeah that's the one." Gerald said and began to walk away again. "Anyways, I'll go let Phoebe know you guys are coming with us. See you later."

"I have a feeling I'm going to regret going to this." Helga muttered.

"Why do you say that?" Arnold asked curiously.

"Because it's a double date. I've seen a lot of double dates and the couples always end up competing with each other."

"That can't always be true. Besides, I wouldn't compete with Gerald. He's my best friend." Arnold said with a smile.

"You're boys. It's in you nature to compete. Besides it wouldn't be just you competing with him. It would be us against them. And let me tell you this… Helga G. Pataki does not lose."

Author's note: Sorry about the short chapter. Didn't want to give away too much =)… anyways I hope everyone enjoyed it. As always, please review.