Over The Years

A/N: One shots just keep... popping up in my brain! Enjoy :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Hey Arnold, and thus make no monetary gain from these stories. The end.

She meets him when she's three years old, and he's got a nice smile and bright blonde hair but all he is, at that point, is another face in the crowd. Albeit a strangely shaped face.

She thinks he's a nice boy, and his best friend, Gerald, is super cute, and everybody agrees with her, they're really cool kids. Helga is strong, and watches over her, and the boy with the funny shaped head seems to like her, but she's a little harsh to him in return. She figures it's really no big deal, and focuses on playing with her blocks.

.

She is seven when she truly starts to feel sorry for him, after all, Helga's getting pretty relentless in her attacks.

She thinks she's a little better educated on the reasons for Helga's displays of hatred, but it's never been directly confirmed, so it remains somewhat of a strong speculation. He's still the same as ever, nicest boy in class, and he is pretty forgiving when it comes to all of the spit balls and insults. She does think, however, that he should probably stand up for himself a little more.

.

She is ten when she starts to get frustrated with him, because she knows, and she knows he knows, and he's pretending he doesn't.

Not that it's his duty to deal with Helga's behaviour, but she think's he's being a little unfair, letting Helga worry like she is. Helga's acting strangely in private, too, she's not as confident in herself as she used to be and that's a worry. She considers, numerous times, having a talk with him, but she can never bring herself to do it.

.

She is thirteen when she cannot decide if he's the good guy, or the bad guy, any longer.

The past three years have been a blur of the 'same old same' and nothing has changed. She's exhausted by it, Helga's giving up, Gerald has no idea what's going on and he is still ignoring it. But, the more she thinks about it, the more she's not entirely certain why he's trying to avoid it, because after all, he might be just as scared as Helga. So, she thinks she might finally have that chat with him.

.

She is fifteen when she slaps him, hard.

She feels guilty about it for days afterwards maybe even weeks, but she reasons that he needed it. Helga's parents are divorcing, Bob's a brute and Miriam's halfway to Florida by now and their poor youngest daughter is evidently a non-consequence to them. For the first time Helga's truly broken, and the boy who's been slowly breaking her heart for over ten years isn't helping, yet he insists on asking her how she's going. He doesn't get the hints to leave Helga alone, and he doesn't heed the verbal warning, so she strikes him on Helga's behalf and he backs off. Helga hugs her, and cries her eyes out.

.

She is eighteen when she finally has that 'chat' with him, even if it's been eight years in the making.

Helga's getting her closure, family wise, before going away to college, by confronting Bob and Olga, and sending Miriam a letter. She thinks Helga should include closure with him in her plan, but Helga disagrees. It's the first time she's ever defied her best friend, but she reasons that it's important. He looks awkward when she tells him the topic of discussion, and halfway through he's already apologising. She tells him it's not enough to say sorry, and he agrees. She leaves him with a warning, stay out of her life for good, or make things right. He says he loves Helga, and she hopes he's serious, because it's going to take a hell of a lot to prove.

.

She is twenty when she's able to relax in his presence again, when she feels truly proud of him, because he really has proved himself.

Helga's happy, super happy, even if she's a little cautious sometimes. Sometimes she worries if he truly understands how lucky he is, to have her best friends love and devotion, but the way he looks at Helga quells any and all fears bubbling in the back of her mind. Still, she can't help but watch over them closely, she supposes that in a way, she's always been there when Helga's parents weren't and for that reason she's going to look out for her, forever. Helga might be able to read her mind, because as she goes to leave her apartment one night, she whispers into her ear, 'you're my family'.

.

She is twenty three when he shows up on her doorstep looking like he might throw up, and she's panicking the moment she lays eyes on him.

He's babbling about strange things, until he blurts out that, as Helga's only real sense of family, he felt he should seek her approval to ask Helga to marry him. She stops panicking, and starts hyperventilating instead, and she's never hyperventilated before, so it's scary. Gerald manages to calm her down five minutes later and she happily gives her blessing. He shows her the ring, and it's pink and understated, and perfect for her best friend. She looks down at the ring on her finger, blue and sparkling, and briefly wonders if he and Gerald went shopping together. However, Gerald will neither confirm nor deny her suspicions, and she figures it doesn't really matter anyhow.

.

Phoebe Heyerdahl is twenty four when she, in her peach pink dress, watches her best friend Helga Pataki, marry the love of her life, Arnold Shortman.

She cries three times, and Helga tries to scold her for it, before bursting into happy tears of her own. Arnold looks like the happiest person in the world and after the ceremony, his arm never leaves Helga's waist once. Helga doesn't seem to mind, however. Phoebe thinks the combination of lilies and daisies looks amazing, and keeps it in mind for her own wedding, considering it's only five months away. The cake is delicious, but she notices Helga doesn't touch it, nor any other food. Phoebe has a sneaking suspicion that's because she'd only throw it up again later, because as a best friend, she can safely say Helga's cheat is already swelling. Besides, that hand Arnold has around her waist keeps sneaking to her stomach all the time. She smiles to herself, and wonders what kind of mischief that little one is going to get up to in its life; after all, his or her parents truly are unique people.