I am SO sorry this took so long. I have been having some personal problems which unfortunately got in the way of my writing. I hope you enjoy this first one shot. It got really fluffy and drabble-y, but I really hope you like it. If you enjoy please review and if anyone has a one-shot you want me to write, please request one.

The Next Twenty Years (for glittergirl101)

It all started one rainy September morning. Helga G. Pataki fell in love for the first (and only) time at just three years old. It was a day she would remember forever. The instant Arnold Phillip Shortman, the boy with the tiny blue hat, told her he liked her bow Helga was a goner. She had fallen in love without knowing what love was. When Helga really thought about it Arnold holding that blue umbrella over her head and complimenting her bow was her first memories of someone doing something nice for her. Then when Harold stole her crackers, just when tears were about to spill, Arnold offered her his. It was then when things took a turn for the worse.

She heard the snickers of her classmates. They were laughing at her. Instincts she didn't even know she had kicked in at that moment. It was then when she introduced Helga G. Pataki (and Ol' Betsy and the Five Avengers) to the world. It only took her shoving a few kids down for the others to be afraid of her. Fear was good in Helga's opinion. If they were afraid of her they wouldn't be mean to her, though she really didn't like the look on Arnold's face when she was being mean.

One of Arnold Shortman's earliest memories was his first day of preschool. He remembered seeing the little blonde girl walking all alone in the rain, covered in mud. He remembered telling her that he liked her bow. He remembered later that day when Harold stole her crackers and he remembered the tears she had in her eyes. Arnold gave her his crackers. He really wasn't hungry anyway. His grandma made him a huge breakfast for his first day of school.

The thing he remembered the most about Helga G. Pataki that first day of preschool wasn't the yelling or when she pushed a couple of kids down. Nor was it the fact she named her fists. The thing he remembered the most was how sad she looked. He had never seen someone look so sad.

It wasn't until Helga was nine that she knew what that fluttering, flip flopping feeling she would get in the pit of her stomach every time she saw or even thought about that Football Head. They were butterflies. Though she would never admit it she loved the feeling of the butterflies, even though they made her feel queasy sometimes.

If anyone actually knew how Helga felt for Arnold they would probably say it was just a crush. Helga knew this wasn't true. She was only eight but she knew, without a doubt, she was head over heels completely in love with Arnold Shortman.

Of course, Arnold had no idea how Helga really felt towards him. No one did. How could they? She was a bully, especially to Arnold. Helga knew she wasn't being fair to him. She absolutely hated the way she treated him, but the insults always left her mouth before she could stop herself. She didn't really know why she treated Arnold the way she did. She guessed it partly because she really didn't want anyone to know she actually had feelings. She was Helga G. Pataki and as far as anyone was concerned she didn't have feelings.

Of course there was another reason…

If Arnold did know the truth about the way Helga felt…What if he didn't like her back? Helga would rather Arnold hate her because she was a jerk than be nice and have him not like like her. Being a bully was so much easier.

Helga G. Pataki was one of the most confusing people Arnold had ever met in his life. She was always a whirl wind of emotions and it seemed like she felt a million things at once. When Arnold looked Helga in the eyes he saw it all. The first thing he would notice (and the only thing most people would notice) was whatever emotion she was feeling at the moment; happiness, anger, or indifference (more often than not it as anger). Behind that was sadness. There as always sadness. Even when she was happy there was a certain kind of sadness in her eyes. There was something else besides the sadness. A look, an emotion Arnold didn't recognize. One that took him years to realize he was the only one Helga would look at with that look.

Arnold was one of the few people who knew there was more to Helga Pataki than just being a bully. There were even a few incidents where she actually showed him how good of person she could be. At the end of the day Arnold knew Helga would always do the right thing. Sometimes it just took her a little longer to figure out what the right thing was.

Of course Helga could drive him crazy sometimes. She was kind of mean to everyone, but for some reason, a reason Arnold couldn't figure out for the life of him, she seemed to put the most energy into being mean to him. He hated the spitballs, the insults, and the pranks…

But for some reason he didn't mind the Football Head nickname. In fact, he actually kind of liked it. There was a large part of him that knew she actually really didn't mean it as an insult.

The summer between fourth and fifth grade things grew more complicated between Helga and Arnold. The neighborhood had nearly been demolished and Arnold knew if it weren't for Helga it would have been. Then there was her rooftop confession on the FTi building. Helga told him that she loved him. (And something about poems and shrines.) Honestly, Arnold had been in too much shock to actually listen after the whole 'I love you' thing. Of course she later took the 'I love you' back, claiming it was a heat of the moment thing and he accepted that. Though now he was dealing with his own blossoming feelings towards Helga. She was still so mean to him, but there was something about Helga G. Pataki Arnold didn't hate her. In fact he kind of like-liked her.

Arnold finally learned what the 'G' in Helga G. Pataki stood for when he was ten. His fifth grade class won a trip to San Lorenzo due to an essay 'he' wrote. Arnold had been ecstatic because he finally had the opportunity to find out what happened to his parents. He never meant to put anyone in danger, but then he crossed paths with La Sombra, a treasure hunter and enemy of his parents. And now Helga was dangling off a cliff. The only thing keeping her from falling into the raging river below was Arnold himself. His hands were wrapped around her left wrist, struggling to prevent her from falling.

"Arnold I…I need to tell you something." Helga's voice was oddly calm, considering the fact even the slightest slip up she would fall to her death. She didn't want for him to respond. "If you drop me…Just know I don't blame you. If I die it won't be your fault."

"You are not going to die!" Arnold grunted as he struggled to pull her up, the muscles in his arms burning as he tried with all his might to pulled her to safety.

"I need you to promise me one thing." Helga cried out as she slipped out of his grip slightly, but Arnold quickly tightened his grip around her wrist.

"I'm not going to let you fall." Arnold promised as he began to pull.

Helga ignored him, "If I die don't let Bob and Mariam put Geraldine on my tombstone." Before she could continue she felt herself being pulled up and was able to use her right hand to help Arnold pull her up to safety. "You didn't drop me." She whispered and before she knew what was happening, Arnold's arms were wrapped around her hugging her close, and she was hugging him back.

"I told you I wouldn't." Arnold was breathing heavily, relieved that Helga was safe. "Why would your parents put Geraldine on your tombstone?" Then it dawned on him, "That's what the 'G' stands for. Your middle name is Geraldine."

"So! What's it to you Football Head?" Helga snapped, "And don't even think of telling anyone unless you want to answer to Ol' Betsy and the Five Avengers."

"Whatever you say, Helga." Arnold smiled, "For what it's worth, I like Geraldine."

"You do?" Helga squeaked in surprise.

"I do." Arnold nodded, swallowing nervously. "I need to ask you something." He paused for a moment as Helga looked at him curiously, "Just after we got here I happened to see a copy of the winning essay…But the thing is; it wasn't the one I wrote. It had my name on it, but I didn't write it."

"That's not a question Arnoldo."

"The essay was written in purple ink."

"So…" Helga avoided eye contact.

"You are the only one I know who writes in purple pen." Arnold pointed out.

"So." Helga repeated, "Still not a question."

"You wrote the essay, didn't you?" Arnold asked, "And put my name on it. Why did you do that?"

"I…" She sighed; there was no way out of this one. "You wanted to win. I knew if I wrote it, you could. Why does it matter anyway? You wanted to come here and now you're here. Why do care how you got here?"

"Thank you." Arnold told her, "I don't think you know how much it means to me to be here."

Helga shrugged, "Don't mention it Football Head."

It was after their trip to San Lorenzo (and finding Arnold's parents alive) Helga and Arnold made it clear to everyone that they liked-liked each other.

Helga and Arnold were thirteen when they 'officially' became girlfriend/boyfriend. Miles and Stella thought Arnold and his little girlfriend were so cute together. Bob still thought Arnold's name was Alfred, despite how many times Helga corrected him. (Though Helga wasn't surprised that Bob couldn't get Arnold's name right, since he couldn't even get her name right most of the time.)

The two blondes spent most of their time at the boarding house. Arnold's parents and grandparents welcomed Helga with open arms, telling her she was welcome anytime. It was no secret that Mariam was an alcoholic and Bob spent more time at work than he did at home.

It was a few days before Valentine's Day when Arnold was sixteen (and Helga was about five weeks shy of turning sixteen) when Arnold discovered the identity of Cecile, the mysterious girl who pretended to be his pen pal when he was nine. "So…What do you want to do for Valentine's Day?" Arnold asked. They were sitting on his bed watching an old episode of Pop Daddy (his bedroom door open, via his parents rule if Helga was in his room).

Helga shrugged, "I don't know…Watch Evil Twin marathon and order a pizza?"

"Come on…I have a job now. I can finally take you out for a nice Valentine's Day dinner. Where do you want to go?"

"You know I don't care about that stuff. As long as I'm with you I'm happy."

"There has to be somewhere you want to go. We can go anywhere you want."

Helga sighed, "Fine. I guess I wouldn't mind going to Chez Paris."

"Chez Paris?" Arnold repeated. "Is there anywhere else you would want to go?"

"What's wrong with Chez Paris?" Helga frowned, "I thought you loved that place."

"Okay, you know I love you right?" Hesitantly Helga nodded, "I guess it would feel weird bringing you to Chez Paris on Valentine's Day because I went there with this girl on Valentine's Day when I was nine. I never really forgot about that night. I love you so much, I just want to take you some place that is special for just you and me, not some other girl and me."

Helga laughed, "Arnold…I love you, but you can be so dense sometimes." She stood up, "I should get going."

Arnold frowned, "You aren't mad, are you? I'm sorry. Forget I said anything…And why am I dense?"

"I'm not mad." Helga promised with a laugh. "I don't care where we go, like I said, as long as I'm with you." She gave him a kiss, "I'm leaving because I have an essay to write for English." She gave him another quick kiss. She smirked, "Au revior Arnold." She turned to leave.

It only took Arnold a second. "Wait! You're Cecile?" He grabbed her arm, "Seriously? That as you?"

Helga laughed again, "Took you long enough to figure that one out Football Head."

It was on Helga's seventeenth birthday when Arnold and Helga made love for the first time. (Though their classmates thought they had done the deed eons ago) Bob and Mariam were visiting Olga, forgetting Helga's birthday once again. For once Helga didn't care her parents forgot her birthday, because she had Arnold and she knew she was loved.

Four days after Helga turned twenty Arnold asked her to marry him. He took her out to Chez Paris and sat at the same table they sat at when they were nine and every Valentine's Day since he was sixteen. Arnold was nervous as hell during the entire meal. His heart felt like it was going to beat out of his chest. The ring box felt like it weighed a hundred pounds in his pocket. They had been together since they were just kids, but there was part of him that was terrified she'd say no.

"What is going on with you tonight?" Helga asked before taking a drink of her water, "Are you feeling alright? It looks like you are going to throw up."

"I love you." Arnold nervously blurted out.

"I love you too Arnold." Helga raised an eyebrow, "Seriously what is going on with you?"

"I had this whole speech planned out, but now I don't remember any of it. I'm really nervous." Arnold admitted, "I wanted to make this a night you'd always remember, but I cannot remember anything I was going to say, other than I love you."

Helga stared at her boyfriend, clearly confused, "Arnold what…"

"I love you so much." Arnold repeated, standing up from his seat across from Helga. His right hand dug into his pants pocket and he pulled out a small velvet box.

Helga's eyes widened, "Arnold…"

Arnold got down on one knee, "W—W—Wi…Will you marry me?"

Helga didn't hold back her smile, "Of course I will." She leaned forward and kissed him as the patrons at the tables around them saw what was happening and most of them began to clap.

Arnold slipped the ring onto her ring finger, "I'm so happy you said yes."

"You really thought I might saw no?" Helga rolled her eyes, "Criminy Football Head, you are so dense sometimes."

It was just over a year later when Arnold and Helga became husband and wife. It was a small wedding. If Helga had it completely her way they would have been married at the court house or went off somewhere to elope, but Arnold wanted a wedding and he wanted their friends and family to see it; so Helga gave in. Arnold rarely asked much in their relationship so she was willing to give him the wedding he wanted.

Geraldine Cecile Shortman was born on a rainy September morning when Arnold and Helga Shortman were twenty three. "Do you know what today is?" Helga asked her husband as she stared down at her sleeping daughter.

"Tuesday?" Arnold joked. "It's September third, almost a month before my birthday." He kissed the top of Helga's head as his thumb stroked his sleeping daughter's cheek. "She is so perfect." He mumbled.

"Do you remember what you were doing twenty years ago today?"

"Playing with my blocks?" Arnold laughed, "I don't know honey; I was three."

"We met exactly twenty years ago today." Helga told him with an eye roll, but she smiled, "It's kind of fitting that she decided to be born today, don't you think?"

Arnold looked out the hospital's room window, the rain pounded against the glass. He hugged Helga close, kissing her on the lips. "As I recall it was raining that day to."

Helga kissed his cheek, "And after all these years I can still count on you for an umbrella."

"We should really get Geraldine a pink bow."

End