(This is only going to be a 10 chapter story. I generally don't like going past ten chapters - "Thinks" being the exception. I have also been having issues updating on here, and sent away a thingy ma-bob, so if your reading this it's been sorted.)

...

...

Heather was finishing up the dishes. Helga was coming home for dinner tonight, so she was getting everything cleaned up for her visit. She was humming away, every now and then checking in on Bob, to make sure he was comfortable. He was a bit paler than usual, and she was worried. But in typical man style, he said he was fine, and refused to see a doctor.

"It's only a problem when my heart stops," he grumbled.

"That's silly Bob, and you know it," she chastised him. "I'm making an appointment for you on Monday."

It was Saturday, so there was still two days to go. Helga was due in an hour, which is why Heather frowned a bit when she heard knocking on the front door. Drying her hands, then going to answer it, she opened the door to see a man standing there, with blond hair, and a slightly football shaped head.

"Arnold?" she asked. The man looked surprised.

"Uh, yeah," he said, cautiously. "I'm looking for Bob Pataki."

"Of course, come in," she said, giving him a big smile and opening the door wider, stepping to the side for him to enter. "He's in the living room at the moment. He hasn't been feeling to well lately."

She hoped he couldn't hear the concern in her voice. Because she was concerned about Bob.

"It's this way," she said, realizing that he didn't know his way around. Bob had spoken a lot about Arnold, that she almost felt she knew him. Bob had been very proud of Arnold's various accomplishments. But there was also deep remorse. He had said some things to his "son", that he had never been able to take back or apologize for saying. It weighed heavy on his heart and mind often. Hopefully this could be the start towards a healing or sorts for these two. "Bob, you have a guest."

Bob turned and his mouth dropped open when he saw who was sanding there.

"Hey, dad," Arnold said. Heather was surprised by how fast Bob moved. He wrapped his arms around the man in front of him. Arnold wrapped his arms around Bob. They stayed like that for a few moments, before separating.

"So what are you doing these days, boy?"

Heather walked away to finish getting everything ready, while Arnold and Bob sat and talked. She wondered briefly how Helga was going to react, then shrugged. Helga was an adult. She could only hope she acted as one.

...

...

"I can't believe how late we are," Helga grumbled.

"Well, I'm sorry, Helga, but I had to go see that lawyer," Olga snapped. "Not everything is about you."

"I should have brought myself," she said, glaring out the window. Olga chose to ignore her grumpy-pants sister.

"SO how did it go with Arnold?" she asked. Helga shrugged. "Well, did you talk about, you know . . ."

"No, Olga, we didn't," she snapped. "Stop digging."

"I'm not-"

"Yes you are. Stop it," she accused. "God, why did I agree t come with you?"

"What a surprise it's going to be for daddy and Heather when I pull up, too," she said smiling.

Helga mentally gagged. "Yeah, especially if they haven't made enough food."

Olga glared at her sister. Finally she saw their house and breathed a sigh of relief. Helga was being particularly insufferable today. As they pulled in, Helga un-clipped her belt, and had the door open before the car even stopped. As soon as it had, she jumped out, and made her way into the house. Olga followed a bit behind. Her sister was standing at the door, foot tapping.

"Finally," she said, as Olga reached her. She turned and rang the doorbell. A few moments passed before they heard footsteps at last, and Heather opened the door.

"Surprise!" Olga said, bursting in past Helga, and almost wacking her in the face when she threw her arms into the air.

"Olga!" Heather exclaimed, falling backwards. "We weren't expecting you."

"I know, but I wanted to give Daddy a surprise," Olga said, clasping her hands in front of her. "How is he?"

"Hey, Heather," Helga said, coming in as well. She watched as her sister suddenly froze while looking into the living room. Then look at her. Then back to the living room.

"Oh," she finally said. "Um, hello. I wasn't aware that you already had another guest . . ."

"Told you so," Helga said, walking up to see who her sister was talking about.

It was like a slap from the past. Football was on, and Arnold was sitting in a chair next to her father watching it. Suddenly she felt herself falling through time. She was a young girl again, her "brother" being favored over her, she being ignored . . .

"What are you doing here?" Helga burst out.

"I came by to see Dad," Arnold told her, putting extra emphasis on the word dad, and Helga didn't miss Bob's grin at that. "And they invited me to stay for dinner."

...

...

Helga barely ate. Bob and Arnold kept talking about the good old days. Olga sat quietly, observing the atmosphere. Heather was trying to keep it as relaxed as possible, though it was hard to do when both the girls were uncomfortable. She relished the chance when dinner was finished to leave the room and get dessert. She took a breather in the kitchen, then picked up a tray with five small bowls of chocolate pudding, and brought it in. After that, Bob grabbed him and Arnold a beer, and they walked out into the living room.

"I'm so sorry, girls," Heather apologized. "It was Bob's idea for him to stay for dinner."

"It's fine, Heather," Olga said, giving the woman a smile. It still hurt her that her father had just left her mother and re-married. Helga didn't seem to have an issue with it. But Olga couldn't help but resent the woman a little bit. "I should have told you I was coming."

Helga remained silent, before getting up and walking off out into the backyard. There was a huge willow tree there. A couple of years back she had put a swing up for Heather's niece. Sometimes she would sneak out and sit on it. It was something she always dreamed of having when she was a child, but living in the city as they did . . . it just wasn't possible. And the boys had dibs on Mighty Pete's design. She sighed, twirling herself around and closing her eyes. Winter was coming. You could feel it . . .

"Hey," she heard him say behind her. She stopped spinning, though her head didn't. She waited til she could look at him without feeling dizzy. Then she stared at him for a moment. "Nice night out."

"What do you want?" she asked. Not aggressively, but tiredly.

"I want to start again, go back to the night and take it all back," he told her. "I regretted it, Helga. I really, really did. It's haunted me for years."

"Sex is like good food, Arnold, you can eat it with anyone, not just your "sister"," Helga said sarcastically, using her fingers to quotation the word sister.

"That's not what I'm talking about missing," he growled. "I missed being in a family setting. My grandpa . . . he just . . . wasn't the same after my grandma died. He never recovered from that. I could never tell anyone what had happened, why I was no longer living with you or why you weren't talking to me. And I had no one to talk to myself, either. And then he died. I had no family, Helga. None."

"That was your choice," she told him, standing up.

"I was young and angry, Helga. I did something that I wish I could take back," he said. "But it didn't all end badly, did it?"

"My parents divorced and my mother drank herself to death," Helga reminded him.

"Well, it's not like no one ever tried to help Miriam. Dad did, that's for sure," Arnold said. "I'll never forgive her for what she did, Helga. Never."

Helga could see that by the fire burning in his eyes. That was a hate that he would carry with him forever. She just hoped he wouldn't let it consume him. She frowned. She didn't want to be like that . . .

"I can understand that," she said quietly. "There's a lot I find hard to forgive."

"I want to try again," he said, his voice breaking a bit. "I want to get back to where we were."

"Sneaking around having sex?" she asked, glaring.

"No. Just being together. Hanging out, watching movies, eating junk food," he told her, looking up. "I've missed you so much, Helga. I didn't even think about how much I would miss you, how much a part of my life you were, til you weren't there and you wouldn't let me back into yours. I want to see if we can be . . . a couple or something. A normal couple."

"I have a hectic schedule for the next three months," she told him.

"Helga-"

"I just . . ."

"I love you. I think," he said. "I did. I realized it too late. I want the chance-"

"I'm busy-"

"Forever?" he asked, his voice breaking again.

Helga sat thinking about it. Should she give him another chance?