Title: Rebuild
Author: CuriousMeem
Character and/or Pairings: Helga, Arnold
Rating: G
Prompt: "This fall, I will rebuild my city."

Disclaimer: "Hey Arnold!" is property of Craig Bartlett and Nickelodeon. I make no profit from this work of fanfiction.

"Somebody has too."-Arnold

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"This fall, I will rebuild my city."

The man sitting behind the Maplewood desk raised an eyebrow at the young girl's bold statement. He gazed down at the paperwork in front of him, shuffled it and raised his gaze to her again. He let out a little cough.

"Ahh, I see… So Miss," another quick glance in front of him, "Miss Pataki, how exactly do you plan on doing that?" The young woman sent him a small smile and a slow nod. The white patent leather heel on her right foot stopped drifting up and down and slid onto the floor as she straightened her back. She leaned forward in her crisp pink skirt suit and jacket and began talking. As the man listened to her, he leaned back in his overstuffed black leather chair and tapped his pen against his armrest in concentration. He swiveled his chair around and looked outside the window as she smoothly continued to present. As her speech came to end, he stood up and walked towards the glass. Towards the left, he could see bustling streets; the financial district was a hive of activity. Men in expensive suits clutched bulging suitcases as they walked in and out of glass and steel skyscrapers. Women clip clopped through revolving doors as they opened and closed cell phones in one hand and swung purses on their other arms. His gazed scanned across the panorama. Just two and a half streets away he was met with a completely different scene. As the clouds rolled across the sky, the executive looked at the debacle below. Brownstones and red bricks seemed to sag towards the ground. Alleys sprouted out of cracked gray sidewalks and garbage spilling out of sewers completed the drab atmosphere. Women clutching crying children sped through the streets. A child gazed at loose papers blowing in the wind, and a slight flame coming out of a shiny, aluminum cylinder warmed the hands of a scruffy beggar in a threadbare puffer jacket.

The man drew in a deep breath. Slowly his gray slacks swiveled to look at the young woman. The girl's blonde hair settled around her shoulders as she drew herself up from the red chair. She stood at her full height. The man gazed at her from head to toe with a contemplative expression. He nodded once. She beamed and squared her shoulders after pulling her pink pencil skirt to her slender knees.

"Okay Miss Pataki. You have a deal. You'll get the grant." The man outstretched a perfectly manicured hand attached to an almost gaudy Rolex watch.

Helga, sighing in relief, entwined her fingers in his. Her blonde hair settled forward onto her shoulders as she leaned towards the old gentleman. Her French manicured fingers pumped his hand up and down twice. Her handshake was strong, but not overbearing. Her gaze was determined, and her thoughts were already elsewhere—calculating, organizing, tallying and planning.

She grabbed her black over-sized bag and turned to leave. She strode forward, and paused with a hand on the door frame. A gold band around her wrist sparkled as she half-turned around. She gave the man a friendly smile. Her blond hair swished smoothly with her movements. Her blue eyes shone sincerely and she spoke softly.

"Thank you." The older man folded his hands on the black portfolio resting on the Maple-wood table.

"You're welcome." However, the woman was already gone and the man tilted his salt and pepper hair forward, alone in his office he loosened his yellow silk tie.

Arnold's blonde hair ruffled in the breeze as he looked out an open window on the aquamarine bus he rode.

"Hey Arnold, you cool man?" Gerald's block of hair swung back and forth, as he turned to his best friend.

"Huh?" Surprise colored Arnold's eyes as he stopped daydreaming. "Sorry, what'd you say Gerald?"

"Nothing man. This is my stop. Catch you later." The boy shook his head in exasperation as he rang the bell. His lanky form strolled down the aisle and departed down the rubber covered stairs. "Thanks Murray," he waved at the bus driver before beginning his trek home. Arnold sighed, and watched the white 33 disappear behind the door, as the bus rose up with a whoosh of air and began driving down the street.

Arnold went back to reminiscing about the fights with Scheck and FTi. The football headed boy sighed as he watched the crumbling infrastructure of the city blocks roll by. 'Maybe Scheck was right. Maybe, we should have all moved and let him rebuild the neighborhood.' None of the destroyed areas, apart from the highway strip, were commissioned to be rebuilt by the Mayor. Despite the fact that city officials deemed the boarding house and the neighborhood historic sites, nothing had come out of it apart from stalling Scheck's plans. Business to this sector of city was only decreasing. The buildings, which were already in a dilapidated state, began rotting away. One of the schools had closed due to asbestos and the infamy of the Sewer King only added at the hesitation of realtors to invest new business in the area.

Arnold let out a heavy sigh and grabbed his backpack. The boy walked off the bus in a slow manner. Down the street, under the lamps, past the whizzing cars, he walked and walked and walked. Until silently, he slid across the rough warped park bench. Turning his head to the right he looked at the girl in familiar pigtails.

"Hey Helga," he sighed dejectedly.

Curiously, the girl peeked out of a closed eye at him. She had been sitting in sun and silence, with the chilly breeze rustling her pink dress. Her foot stopped tapping. Noticing his sadness, she unhitched the ankle arrogantly thrown over her knee, but did not close the arms thrown over the sides of the park bench. She always sat like that, like she owned the world. And even though she didn't she owned her space and her thoughts and that was all she needed.

"What's up, Football Head?"

"Helga, do you think we did the right thing by stopping FTi?"

"What do you mean?" Helga peered at Arnold inquisitively, this time facing him fully. His eyes strayed to her face.

"I." He gulped loudly. "I mean nothing's gotten better. Yeah, it's great that we didn't have to move out, the boarding house is still open and people's business and schools are still running but look around. You can still see the crumbled buildings where Scheck and his thugs left their traces. No new businesses have opened up and more and more houses are up for sale. There are more and more people moving out than moving in."

Helga's face flashed with awareness, and shock, and melancholy and too many emotions for even her to comprehend. Arnold however, did not notice. The boy with corn colored hair absently stared at the top of his black shoes and continued to ramble on.

"And look at P.S. 118. The classrooms used to be full, over capacity, not a spare desk in the room. Now, now, 's class has four or five empty desks and the grades are getting smaller and smaller. Sure, none of the gang has moved out but it's only a matter of time. Everything's falling apart—even Gerald field—and I doubt in the long run people will want to stay behind."

"Arnold." Helga spoke delicately and without sarcasm. She knew she would have to tread lightly lest she hurt his feelings. She recalled when she had had to comfort him on this very same bench, with this very same tree behind her as he spilled his feelings for Lila out in the open.

"Yes, I do think we did the right thing." Arnold lifted his gaze to look at her. "Of course I think we did the right thing, and yeah maybe it seems like everything's getting worse but it will get better."

Doubt still radiated off his shoulders. "Really, Helga?" The world outside of their bubble continued to revolve. Children tossed frisbees, dogs sniffed for areas to relieve themselves at, and old couples hobbled through the park. Arnold seemed oblivious to it all. Helga, on the other hand, looked around deep in thought. He didn't mind waiting for her. She bit her tongue before deciding to trudge on.

" As a matter of fact yes, Arnold-o I do. I can't say for sure that everything is going to be perfect, but this is Hillwood, it wasn't that great to begin with. On top of that we're 5th graders for crying out loud! We shouldn't be worrying about this kind of stuff. Besides, Football Head not everything is going to be the same forever."

"That's true." Helga slightly smiled and tilted her head.

"Besides, Arnold. We're growing up. Things change, people change, and places change. As much as it hurts, and sucks its true." The girl began to swing her legs back and forth. Her white shoes disappeared and reappeared under the park bench and in front of Arnold's gaze. The boy sat contemplatively. After a few moments Helga's white shoe nudged Arnold's black sneaker. He looked at it in surprise. Silently she moved across the bench to sit in contact with him. Her bare arms grazed his blue sweater and her left foot hooked and kicked the inside of his right foot lightly. She offered the boy a smile. Arnold blinked in surprise, and soon his cheeks colored red. Helga's face began to match her dress when she recalled her rooftop confession.

"I suppose you're right Helga." Dusk started to roll in. Oranges, gold tones, and red hues colored the sky against the cityscape. The temperature dropped and people started to rush home from the park. Helga stood up and offered Arnold a hand. He grabbed her outstretched fingers, in his mind he was surprised at how soft her cool fingers were.

"Alright, Hair Boy I've got to go or Big Bob's going to flip." She slid the straps of her backpack across her shoulders and began to look ahead.

"Hey, Helga! Can I walk you home?" Arnold watched her retreating form. She stopped for a second. Arnold didn't hesitate. He ran to catch up with the willowy and often clumsy girl.

"Whatever floats your boat." The pair walked out of the lush park and onto the city streets as the sun continued to drop in the sky.

Arnold watched a piece of paper tumble across his line of vision and onto the scum-slicked street before it attached itself to the windshield of a speeding dusty blue car.

"Helga?" The girl, that stood a head above the boy, peered down. "Yes?"

"Thanks."

"Anytime bucko." Arnold came to a halt on the corner where they were supposed to part. Helga turned to look at him. He wrapped his arms around her waist. Helga tensed in surprise. After squeezing with all his might, he let her go. She stared in surprise. Her family had never been one for affection, and even though he had done it before he still surprised her every time he touched her.

"No, I mean thanks for being honest. Anyone else would have sugar-coated their answer or dodged my question. Gramps probably would have just said something like 'Shortman, all I know is that you should never eat raspberries.'"

After hesitating for a moment, Helga grabbed him again. She whispered, "I promise everything will get better Arnold." She turned and walked quickly away from him. Both their hearts were still thumping rapidly. Arnold drew in a deep breath. After considering whether to go after her or not he simply turned left and continued to walk home with a smile on his face. Helga's pink ribbon blew in the breeze as her fast steps lead her to the door of her home. With trembling fingers, she unlocked the door with a rusty gold key and light flooded into the dim foyer as the door swung open.

Red carpet muffled the sound of the white patent heels as slim legs approached the spotless silver elevator. People looked up from their cubicles as they watched the unfamiliar woman get in. Silver doors shut tight, and the green and pastel walls covered in sophisticated wallpaper surrounded her. Her triumphant smile shone back at her from the polished doors as Helga outstretched a white sleeve from gripping her black leather-bowling bag shaped purse to lighting the small smooth button. Her index finger pushed down on the button to the first floor. On her other arm hung her pink suit jacket with brown trim.

Her white ruffled shirt and pink pencil skirt only succeeded in drawing more attention to her in stiff business atmospheres. In a sea of blacks and navy blues, her hues of salmon, rose and peach made her unique. Only more shocking than her attire was her ruthless and efficient work ethic that always guaranteed her success.

Helga G. Pataki's star had been on the rise since her days in college. The young women somewhere in her twenties made her journey out onto the Chicago streets.

As the wind blew her blonde hair behind her, she strode purposefully forward. Unbeknownst to her the man she had just met with watched through his window, full of curiosity and expectations as she walked away.

'Arnold, I promised everything will get better. And, that's a promise I intend to keep. This fall, I will rebuild my city.'

'This fall, I will rebuild us.'

So what do you guys think? Should I leave it as a oneshot or continue on? Originally, I got this from a prompt on livejournal for prompts. (I'm not really sure if it counts a response to prompts or not. Oh wells. All feedback is greatly appreciated, especially considering this is my first fic on )

Thanks, and until next time. CuriousMeem