Well, here it is folks. The final chapter, the epilogue of this story.

It's kind of funny how a random idea can turn into a full fledged fanfic haha. I always thought the 'Longest Monday' episode was one of the more profound of the series and I had it my head that this was going to be more of a hypothetical sixth season episode of Hey Arnold. Well, as I continued writing it, more ideas popped into my head and I thought it would a cool way to establish a sort of "pre-Jungle movie" kind of continuation.

So a few things before I get to reviews. Number one, make note of Helga's anxiety in this chapter. She's terrified that everyone will think she loves Arnold, but clearly that's not the case as in the movie only Phoebe and Gerald have a true idea of her real feelings. Second, also pay attention to Arnold's behavior towards her and his 'theory'. If you don't remember him mentioning it, go back to chapter 1 because this is where everything sort of gets tied together. Remember, in the movie Arnold and Gerald share a couple of knowing looks when Helga starts berating them. Let's just say this epilogue explains the foundation of that.

Now on with responding to you guys:)

Call Me Nettie- Thank you! It's been a real pleasure to write and I hope you enjoyed it. I especially hope you enjoy the upcoming conversation they have.

Envy the Skunk- Part of trying to bring a satisfactory conclusion to this story was to keep Arnold in character while having Wolfgang get what he deserves. I'm glad you liked my one shot for Stinky as well!

Kryten- That was my aim! Thank you very much:)

Guest- Eugene has more cool lines than people think. Hope you like the epilogue!

Ajay435- I do admit, the mob mentality is a common thing among adults and kids. I don't think they would have actually hurt him but they were pissed at the same time. Chalk up another wholesome moment for Helga:) Can't wait to see what you think of the epilogue.

Deep Voice 06- To be honest, I didn't have Helga and Arnold have this talk until I got towards the end. Leaving it open ended seemed too illogical. Arnold would have wanted to at least thank Helga or talk to her. I think by now he's slowly figuring it out but he's not there yet and you'll see that here. Everything they've experienced thus far will be a factor in the conversation. I hope you like the conclusion.

Guest- I imagine something like that happened too. I've never seen that episode of the Simpsons but I'll have to watch it now.

The Rhombus- I figured Arnold would have to take the high road. Too out of character for him to seek petty revenge. That being said, it doesn't stop other people from taking it, and the fourth graders dumping the garbage all over him was very satisfying to write. As for Arnold and Helga making sense of the day, you're about to find out...

And that concludes the final round of reviews! Without further ado, here is the final chapter!

Epilogue

The docks of Hillwood were usually a less than appealing place to take a stroll to, but Helga didn't go there for the cleanliness, old ships, or foul smell. No there was one specific reason and that was the sky. Most days, there was a dull haze that overlooked the city caused by the constant flow of smog, but if one were to go to the shipyard in the mid-afternoon and looked to the east out towards the sea on a bright, sunny day they would witness a beautiful sight.

Crystal blue dotted by small puffs of white while a lemon-yellow pearl shined down with the promise of summer. The blonde girl didn't know what it was about this particular scene that mesmerized her so much, but she had been coming here so long on solitary walks she didn't bother to question it. It was purely a means to escape life when it became too much to handle.

There were no shortage of reasons either, some past, some present. Whether it was the sugary sweetness of Olga, one of Miriam's drunken episodes, or even a rough day at school, sometimes it was better not to think and just look at the sky and imagine being carried away up into it.

Criminy, I sound like the football head.

It was fitting, however, for that was precisely why Helga was there. Arnold had saved the day once again, and what's more she had openly helped him this time (she would be damned if Sid tied Arnold to the tetherball pole again). Trash Can Day had been chucked into the bin of history and now everyone was practically holding hands and singing kumbaya. But through all of this, she didn't feel happy, if anything she was uncertain and more than a little scared.

I gave myself away, she thought to herself. She sat on the edge of the peer, began kicking her legs while clasping her hands together nervously. I've helped my love so many times anonymously. Staying in the shadows whilst my Arnold rejoices in the comfort of his friends and family. But surely no one will take my acts of aggression seriously anymore?

The rational part of her brain (however feeble it was) reminded her she had more or less revealed her true feelings the previous year when she had confessed her love for him and given him a big long smooch to prove it. But that had been on a top of a gloomy tower at 4 am in the morning with no witnesses. Every nervous fiber of her being told her that come tomorrow, questions would come her way and ones she would not be able to answer convincingly. Being tough and mean had served her all her life, even if deep down she despised behaving that way, it was the only way to get people to back off.

Helga supposed most of them would be able to put two and two together. With some exceptions, as she was surprised Harold and Stinky could find their way anywhere without sign posts. But Rhonda, vain and obnoxious as she was, was not an idiot, and neither was Nadine. Sid was naturally suspicious of anything out of the ordinary, and she suspected Gerald was catching on more and more with passing day.

Staring up at the sky, she tried to counter this anxiety by telling herself she was being overly paranoid. Besides, wasn't it a good thing she had gone against her usual nastiness to help the one she loved most? Wasn't that the whole point of what she was trying to accomplish?

"Helga this kind of thing happens every day. But you realize you'll never know how he feels until you tell him?"

"But I'm not ready to tell him!"

"You don't have to tell him now. You can do it when you're ready."

That single conversation with Dr. Bliss had changed everything for her. She could take comfort in the fact that she could keep everything hidden and still be the mean, scowling girl of P.S. 118. At the time that had been enough. But the day was fast approaching where the status quo would simply not do any longer. The course was set; it was coming sooner rather than later, and it would end only one of two ways: being embraced by the boy she had loved for all time or ultimate rejection. Helga wasn't sure her heart could handle either outcome.

I'm…still not ready, she thought to herself sadly. Even after all this time, even after kissing him on top of a skyscraper, even after giving a heartfelt speech that prevented the mindless hordes of revenge from exercising their twisted machinations….I still can't bring myself to do it. How can I finally prove to him I really care? That the love is real and finally shed this scowling persona of lies? What's it going to take?

Breathing a heavy sigh, Helga realized she was close to a crossroads. Even if by some miracle her classmates still suspected nothing, time was running out. No more excuses could be made, no more half-stuttered reasons as to why she followed him, teased him, laughed at him, and devoted countless hours to notebooks, poems, shrines, tantric spells, and more. She had nowhere to hide. Not anymore.

Helga adjusted her dress as she stood up to turn and go back home, for however long she had it. She had seen the foreclosure statement in the mail on top of the table while Miriam had been passed out. Focusing on Arnold's situation had been a sufficient distraction for the moment, but this was another reality waiting to bite her. She supposed she should be more concerned for herself and the family's well being, but the blonde preteen only felt a kind of numbness that occurred when one had already accepted the inevitable. Her life had been full of misery, and this was just another in a long line.

Her stomach growled, and she gazed downwards as she started walking.

Maybe I can make a sandwich with the small amount of bread and ham we have left…

CRASH*

Having been so preoccupied with her own internal dilemma, Helga had run straight into the very object of her affection, the boy she had openly protected not even an hour earlier. The universe just loved throwing curveballs at her. Thankfully, neither of them fell but both rubbed their aching heads from the unexpected run in.

"A-Arnold…"

"Sorry, Helga," the blond boy apologized kindly.

Still a bit hazy, Helga regained her senses and went into her usual standoffish self.

"Criminy, football head! What is it with you and giving me a bruise on my noggin every week?!"

She paused, curiosity substituting for fake anger.

"How'd you find me, anyway?"

Arnold shrugged. "I knew you couldn't have gone far. One of the dockworkers mentioned a blonde girl with pigtails in a pink dress that comes around here pretty frequently. I could only assume he meant you."

Helga prevented herself from sighing. She made a mental note to try and be a bit more inconspicuous the next time she came down here although she couldn't blame Arnold for that.

"Why were you looking for me anyway?" she asked. "I thought you'd be off with the rest of them playing baseball or something."

Arnold averted his eyes for a split second and began to rub his hand on the back of his neck, a sign Helga had recognized for years. It meant he was either embarrassed or unsure of what to say, something he often did around Lila…

"Well…I..never got a chance to thank you for what you did earlier," he said, his eyes meeting hers once more. "I'm sorry I wasn't initially upfront about what I wanted to do, but I wasn't sure if you'd still go along with it if I suggested we gave Wolfgang a pass."

Helga shook her head.

"Don't sweat it, football head. In the end, he got what deserved anyway courtesy of the fourth graders and Torvald," she cracked a shifty grin. "But in all seriousness, you were right the whole time. I just don't think any of us wanted to admit it."

"It's more than just that Helga," Arnold explained. "You stood up for me when no one else did. Not Torvald, not Gerald, you. And that means a lot."

Helga narrowed her eyes, her heart fluttering as she took in his praise but also unsure of what to make of it or how to respond. She could tell this wasn't the whole story either.

"What are you trying to say, Arnold? I got places to be you know."

The blond boy had to resist showing his exasperation.

"I'm trying to say, or ask rather, is that today you were loyal and brave and…."

He stopped and then gave a conflicted look as if he wasn't sure he should say anything further. This didn't help to ease Helga's anxiety.

"Just spit it out will ya!" she practically shrieked.

"Every time something like this happens, the next day you pretend as if it didn't happen. Why? You do all of these incredible things for people and then you're back to scowling and shoving people to the side. I just don't get it."

Internally, Helga was screaming.

Do you REALLY not get it by now, you beautiful football headed hunk?!

However, she still had to keep appearances, no matter how fragile they were at this point.

"I've told you this before, Arnold. Being mean and nasty is who I am. It's what makes me special. It's how people know me and always will."

But for once, Arnold didn't leave the issue alone. He raised an eyebrow, indicating he did not completely buy the explanation.

"Is that really how you want to be known and remembered? As a mean person who bullied people and carried a bad attitude?"

Helga tried to respond convincingly. A standard 'you got it, bucko!' or 'what's it to you, geek bait?' would have sufficed. However, this time around, she couldn't find a proper explanation. Whether her brain was mal-functioning, or the excuses had finally run out, she was at a loss.

"It's…well, just…"

"Personally, I don't think you like acting this way at all. I've seen enough times where you've gone out of your way to be helpful, to be nice, and do what's right. I used to think you bugged me Helga. But honestly, now you just confuse me."

He was getting too close. The blonde girl's panic button was pressed and despite part of her desperately wanting to repeat what happened on the FTI building, instinct took over.

"SO WHAT?!" she yelled at him. "Since when is anything I do of any use or concern to you, football head?! Am I some pariah to be studied and observed like some zoo animal?! Just get out of my face before ole' Betsy makes a return appearance!"

That didn't deter the oblong headed boy either. At this point nothing would. His response was so calm, it almost deflated Helga's anger instantaneously.

"Yell at me all you want, Helga. You're not this mean, unkind, or selfish. Today proved that. Even if I don't quite understand why yet."

He paused and then began beaming at her.

"At least allow me to say thank you."

The blond boy moved towards Helga, causing her to recoil.

"What're you…"

But he didn't say anything. Instead, Arnold placed a hand on her shoulder; very gently and Helga practically melted at his touch. He had only initiated physical contact with her a few times and those were all very 'in the moment'. This was deliberate as one could get.

She was frozen in place as he kept smiling at her in that coquettish manner and it wasn't until a few more seconds had passed that Helga managed to come back to earth.

"What the heck are you doing, you creep?!" and she swatted his hand away (all the while noticing her own palms were incredibly sweaty). "Get your filthy mitts offa me!"

"I'm sorry," Arnold said innocently. "I was trying to show my appreciation is all."

"Y-Yeah, well….do it in a way that doesn't involve being a complete weirdo," Helga replied, unable to keep the shaking in her voice, nor the blush out of her cheeks.

"I'll keep that in mind," the blond preteen said, his smile now taking a cooler tone. "But in all seriousness, Helga, what you did today was amazing. I couldn't have done it without you."

Helga backed away slowly, knowing that any more time spent with her beloved would result in a literal explosion of emotion and joy, but not before leaving with hurried gratitude of her own.

"Hey, no problem, football head, what a ride, we should do it again some time, well look at the time I've gotta be going! See ya!"

And she ran off without looking back, happiness radiating off her body, practically skipping with elation.

Arnold was flirting with me! He put his hand on my shoulder! He smiled at me! Oh, sweet, merciful providence, I could scream to the heavens!

In the end, she didn't need to. For no matter what came tomorrow, loss of a home, family dysfunction, even potential ridicule from whatever classmates thought of her, it didn't matter. One thing kept her going and always would for as long as she held breath: Arnold. It was enough. Even if she wasn't ready to fully reveal to him how she felt, Helga G. Pataki could sense she was that much closer to her dreams being realized.

Looking at the sky, Helga heaved a romantic sigh. Today, she could practically fly up into it.

Arnold could only chuckle to himself as he watched Helga run off of the shipyard and into the distance.

Well that was certainly enlightening.

For the first time in his life, he truly felt was seeing her for what she was. Not mean, not calling him names or throwing spitballs, but a genuine friend who had risked herself to ensure he would not be harmed. She still wouldn't openly acknowledge to having that altruistic side, but today was enough. More than enough.

"See ya, Helga," he whispered quietly.

It was his turn to gaze at the sky. It truly was incredibly beautiful at this angle, especially this time of the day. It actually reminded him something, but he wasn't sure exactly what that was. But the color dazzled him all the same as he kept thinking about Helga.

Arnold had always held suspicion she wasn't all that she seemed to be. The FTI incident only further proved that. Now more than anything she caused him to scratch his head. Her nastiness and scowling was just as irritating as ever but with that was a degree of perplexity that wasn't there before. Hadn't the girl admitted she loved him a year ago and sealed the deal with a kiss? Despite believing in her better nature, was he prepared to accept the idea that she was actually in love with him? The signs were all pointing in one direction, yet he still had a hard time even acknowledging it.

You just flirted with her, a small voice inside his head told him.

So? He had tried to flirt with Ruth and Lila.

This situation doesn't even come close to that, the small voice answered. You openly called her out and she caved.

The more Arnold thought about it, the more this reminded him of a dream he once had. One that almost mirrored the events that had just occurred.

"Why are you doing this?! Look, I know you're not this lazy, cold, and uncaring. You may act like that, but deep down, I know you're smart and you have feelings. And if we have to be married to each other, then I want you to start showing it."

His tormentor suddenly turned away and couldn't look him in the eye.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes, you do, Helga! Why can't you just admit it? You're not this mean."

"Yes, I am," she weakly protested.

"No, you're not! YOU'RE NOT!"

That particular episode, in which he had been married to Helga, had been terrifying but also incredibly vivid. By the end of that dream, not only had she confessed to not being so awful, she even liked him. She hadn't finished explaining herself by the time his alarm went off, but he was almost sure she was about to admit to loving him as well.

He would have written the whole thing off as merely a crazy nightmare, except for the fact that it had become a reality less than a month later.

"You heard me pal! I love you! LOVE YOU!"

Arnold stood in silence for a moment, taking all of these factors in. Perhaps Helga wasn't the only one who was hiding something.

Before he could dwell on such matters further, he heard a voice call out.

"Hey, Arnold!"

Gerald had arrived on the docks (by now the workers were increasingly puzzled why so many eleven year olds were frequenting the shipyard) and looked slightly relieved as he approached his best friend.

"Arnold, man. Where have you been? You're missing out on a good game. We're up 4-2 but we need your lumber."

"Sorry, Gerald. I just got caught up with something."

"Which was?"

"Remember that theory I was telling you about last week? Well, let's just say I got to test it out."

He smiled slyly, and the black boy seemingly got the hint.

"Are you kidding?" he asked incredulously. "You came all the way down here just to talk to Helga?"

"I couldn't just leave without thanking her."

"You know, I'm pretty sure you could."

"Come on, Gerald," Arnold said, knowing he was in complete disbelief. "I know what Helga has been like our entire lives. But she saved my butt today. She's as much of a reason that we ended Trash Can Day as anyone else."

Gerald appraised him but didn't say anything.

"It's an act. The whole thing," Arnold continued. "No matter how mean she tries to be, she's a good person. Even if she doesn't want to admit it."

Gerald looked off into the distance, rubbing his chin.

"I have wondered lately…" he muttered to himself.

"What?"

He snapped out of his brief musing and started to laugh.

"You know something, you're a bold kid, Arnold. Not many would be willing to walk alone to the docks and face down Helga. Even if it was just to thank her."

"I don't think it's as dangerous as you're making out to be," Arnold replied with reciprocating chuckle.

"You know something? After today, neither do I."

There was suddenly an understanding between the two friends as both realized that the fear surrounding Helga G. Pataki was unfounded. What to make of it, well that had yet to be decided. But after a long day, they just wanted to go out and be kids while they still could.

Figuring out women and growing up could come later.

"What do you say we go down, finish the game, and get some ice cream?" Gerald suggested.

"I'd say that's the best thing I've heard all day."

Together, the two friends walked off the docks and back towards Gerald Field as the sun settled into the west behind them, the sky as blue and promising as it had ever been.

"That reminds me," Arnold said with a coy smirk. "What's going on with you and Phoebe?"

"Man, I have no idea what you're talking about."

THE END

It's over! I hope you guys liked the ending and that it was satisfactory to you. A sincere thanks and gratitude to everyone who followed and reviewed this story. It means a great deal. Never hesitate to reach out via PM if you want to chat or even discuss potential ideas.

Also, my Hey Arnold work continues with 'More Than You Bargained For' which has quite a ways to go before it's over with. So give it a read:)

Thank you again, guys! Rock on!

~The Wasp