Disclaimer: I do NOT own Hey Arnold.

Author's Note: IF I decide to launch a sequel to "Old Feelings, New Beginnings" this one-shot is like a sneak peek that will be incorporated into the sequel as a chapter. Thanks!

Scene: Arnold, Helga, Gerald and Phoebe, now 23 years old, are visiting Lila and Wesley's house, having a discussion.

Arnold and Gerald decided to go out for a 'guys only' affair that night. They invited Wesley along but he declined since he had to wake up early the next day for work. So, he and Lila decided to go to bed early. Arnold and Gerald stepped into the living room where Helga and Phoebe were sitting on the sofa watching television.

"Baby, me and Arnold are gonna shoot some pool for a few hours," Gerald told her." We'll be back."

"Um, okay babe," Phoebe said.

"Gimme a kiss."

Gerald and Phoebe gave each other a quick kiss. Phoebe didn't exactly approve of Gerald going out without letting her know in advance, but she decided not to make a big deal out of it. Helga, on the other hand, was not letting Arnold off that easily.

"Arnold?" Helga said.

"Yes babe?"

"Get your ass over here," Helga told him.

Arnold approached her and asked her." What is it?"

"When the hell did you plan on letting me know that you were going out?" Helga demanded.

"Babe, we just decided on it a few seconds ago," Arnold replied.

"Well, you could have asked me if I was okay with it," Helga insisted, sharply.

"Come on, Helga," Arnold groaned." Why should I ask for your permission? You're my fiancée, not my mother."

"Don't play dumb with me, Football Head," Helga snapped." You know what I meant. It's not about asking for my permission. It's about having the decency to ask me if I was okay with it just like you do any other time."

"Fine Helga."

"Hey Pheebs, back me up here," Helga told her." I saw it in your face. You didn't appreciate Gerald telling you that he was going out instead of asking you if you were okay with it."

Before Phoebe could respond, Gerald stated." Look Helga, if you wanna start a fight with your man, that's your business. But don't try to get my woman to fight with me. She ain't never been loud, crazy and bossy like you and she ain't about to start."

"Let me tell you something, Geraldo," Helga argued." Arnold knows how to respect his woman. Maybe you should take a lesson from him instead of being such a bad influence, bucko."

"Okay! Okay! That's enough," Arnold stated, firmly.

"I agree," Phoebe said." This whole argument is tremendously juvenile."

Helga and Gerald scowled at each other.

"Gerald, perhaps you should have asked me instead of telling me," Phoebe continued." However, I most certainly trust you. So, have a good time, babe."

"And Helga, in the five whole years we've been together, have I given you any reason not to trust me?" Arnold asked.

Helga sighed and then said." Fine."

Arnold leaned down and kissed her.

"Love you, baby."

"Love you too," Helga responded." You better behave yourself. Clear?"

"Yes babe."

After Arnold and Gerald left out the door, Helga rolled her eyes.

"Ugh, men get on my nerves," she muttered.

"I'm afraid I have to concur," Phoebe agreed.

"So, why didn't you put your foot down with Gerald and let him know how you felt?" Helga asked.

"Because I'm not the confrontational type," Phoebe shrugged.

"It's not about being confrontational, Pheebs," Helga insisted." It's about demanding your respect. You just witnessed how I jumped all over Arnold's ass. Ultimately, I still let him walk out that door but if I would have said 'no', he wouldn't be going anywhere."

"Come to think of it, Helga; you might have a point," Phoebe said." If the shoe was on the other foot, Gerald would undoubtedly expect me to consult him before I decide to leave the house without him."

"Exactly," Helga said." Let's continue this discussion over a glass of Chardonnay. Crack open that bottle."

"Cracking!"

While Gerald and Arnold were playing at the pool table, they held a conversation of their own.

"Damn Arnold, how in the hell do you do it?"

"Do what?" Arnold responded.

"How do you manage to deal with Helga?" Gerald asked.

"I manage," Arnold shrugged." I know you think she's a bit aggressive but she's not all that bad. I can handle her."

"I hope so, brotha-man," Gerald commented." I just can't believe she made a big ass deal about us going out. Just us guys."

"Well Gerald, she does sort of have a point," Arnold insisted." Maybe you should have asked Phoebe if she was comfortable with you going out without her instead of just telling her."

"Wait a minute, bro," Gerald reacted." First, you got upset with Helga for questionin' you about it. Now, you're tellin' me that I should have consulted my woman first?"

"I never said that Helga was wrong for questioning me," Arnold explained." The only reason I got upset is because of how she went about it. She was talking to me like I'm some kid and I hate it when she does that, especially in front of people."

"So, you know what you gotta do?" Gerald stated." You have to put your foot down. I don't mean to sound sexist but be a man. Phoebe knows her place. So, all you gotta do is stand up to Helga and remind her who wears the pants in your relationship."

As Helga and Phoebe chatted, they sipped just enough wine to get them tipsy, not overly drunk.

"I cannot even count how many times Gerald ranted, boasted and raved about how he 'wears the pants'," Phoebe spoke." I'm quite sure he doesn't deliberately do it to be condescending but it does get redundantly annoying sometimes."

"So, you should tell him that," Helga advised.

"It all depends on my level of patience at the moment," Phoebe told her.

"That's where you go wrong, Pheebs," Helga said." Don't let it build up. That's not good. Communication is the key. I make sure that Arnold and I communicate."

"But Helga, your peculiar idea of communicating with Arnold is yelling and cursing and calling him 'Football Head'," Phoebe pointed out." That's not good either."

"So what?" Helga scoffed." Communication is communication."

"See Arnold, that's why I feel bad for you," Gerald commented." If Phoebe tried to communicate with me by yellin' and flippin' out like Helga does, I would quit her ass like a bad habit. But thank God, she isn't like that. That's why Phoebe and I don't argue that much. She's not the confrontational type, she knows how to show her man some respect. It takes a lot for my woman to get mad."

"Maybe she's just keeping it all bottled up," Arnold insisted." When she suddenly loses it, I'm sure it wouldn't be pretty for you."

"Come on, Arnold, I'm very good to my woman."

"I know you are. I never said you weren't."

"I love Phoebe but I have to be the man of the household," Gerald continued." My momma and daddy have been married for over thirty years. He knew how to be the boss. Some men are such cowards that they have to beat their women to show who's in control. But my dad wasn't like that. Jamie-O ain't like that with his wife and I definitely ain't gonna be like that with Phoebe. But like I said, I'm the man and when we get married, I intend to run my household as such."

"No way, Pheobe!" Helga exclaimed." Gerald actually came home and said he wasn't hungry after you slaved over a hot stove for him?"

"Well, if he wasn't hungry I certainly couldn't force him to eat," Phoebe insisted." I felt that I wasted my time cooking but if he wasn't hungry, he didn't have to eat."

"Screw that," Helga said." Arnold pulled that crap on me one time and one time only. And you know what I did? I threw his plate on the floor and shattered it. And guess who cleaned it up? He did."

"Oh gosh," Phoebe gasped.

"Seriously Pheebs, get some control over your relationship," Helga told her." Arnold may be the man but I'm the one who's in control. Behind every good woman, there's a good man. Emphasis on behind."

"Well, there is one aspect of our relationship where I possess all of the control," Phoebe stated.

"And what's that?"

"Sex," Phoebe responded.

"Arnold, some things just ain't what they used to be," Gerald sighed." Phoebe and I used to have sex at least twice a day. Now, I'm lucky to get laid twice a week. If she says 'hands off', then that means 'hands off'. I can't argue with her there."

"I must say that I don't have that problem with Helga," Arnold told him." That woman is always ready to do it. She even tried to go down on me while I was driving."

"Damn!" Gerald exclaimed." Did you let her?"

"No, it's too risky," Arnold replied.

"Shit, I wish Phoebe was that adventurous."

"I wish I didn't have to withhold sex from Gerald," Phoebe stated." I absolutely enjoy the love we make together. But sometimes, he gets me so upset with his demanding ways. Therefore, whenever he gets in those self-centered moods, he doesn't get any sex from me that night."

"That's where you go wrong, Pheebs," Helga commented.

"How so?" Phoebe asked." Aren't I exerting some sort of control?"

"Yes but you also have to be wise," Helga told her." For instance, I know I can be a total bitch to Arnold at times. However, when my man wants sex, I never deny it to him."

"Why not?"

"Because….anything you refuse to do for your man, another bitch will," Helga replied.

"Well, Gerald may be a bit demanding but I could never imagine him cheating on me," Phoebe said.

"I don't see Arnold as a cheater either but men will be men," Helga insisted." We just have to know how to keep them in line."

"There isn't a single day that goes by where I don't think about other women," Gerald admitted." But when I think about Phoebe and the good fiancée that she is to me, it reminds me that cheating is not worth it. So, I never do it."

"I agree; I love Helga way too much to ever hurt her that way," Arnold said." But I wish she knew that. Her trust issues drive me crazy sometimes."

"You know I've been in love with Arnold since forever," Helga stated." It took me a long time to win his heart. So, I have worked too hard to get the man I've always wanted and I refuse to let some other girl take that away from me. So, I have to keep him in line. One time Arnold said he was going to be home by eight and he came in at 8:20."

"Is that really a big deal?" Phoebe questioned.

"Twenty minutes can make a big difference, Pheebs."

"So, what did you say?" Phoebe asked.

"I told him to drop his boxers and let me smell his….." Helga responded.

"Whoa!" Phoebe exclaimed." Are you serious?"

"Oh HELL no!" Gerald exclaimed." Are you serious?"

"Yeah," Arnold nodded.

"If Phoebe ever asked me if she could smell my junk, I'd look at her like she was retarded," Gerald said, shaking his head.

"The only reason I let her do it is because I had nothing to hide," Arnold shrugged.

"So what?" Gerald reacted." That's still demeaning."

"Well, I was laughing at her just for being so silly," Arnold said." You may disagree with me but I do whatever I have to do to make my lady know that she can trust me."

"Whatever you say, Arnold."

The girls and the guys carried on with their conversations, expressing their opinions and sharing their experiences. Indeed, they valued their best friends' input but they all were going to learn the hard way that getting their friends too involved in their relationship was not the best idea. The fact remains, both couples are engaged to be married and there are a lot of issues they must sort out before they utter the words "I DO".