LunarianPrincess

Title: What Happens in Vegas

Chapter 6

Summary: A wedding in Vegas leads to a very interesting discovery, and an embarrassing revelation.

Warnings: Major adult actions… well there was in previous chapters

Disclaimer: I don't own Hey Arnold!

Sorry its been so long between updates… My father had a heart attack last year and I've been crazy busy with work and getting ready for auditions, but here it is. Hope you enjoy!

This is dedicated to thespedlife on tumblr, who reminded me that there are people still reading this fic. So thank you.

- I O I - I O I - I O I- I O I – I O I - I O I - I O I - I O I- I O I - I O I- I O I -

"Back here!" Arnold called, twisting and turning in the mirror to see if he had gotten aloe on all the red skin on the upper part of his back. He saw Gerald appear in the mirror and nodded at him, grabbing his shirt to put it back on. He listened to Gerald explain the plan of walking around the strip as he pulled his shirt on, the fabric sticking to his shoulders where the aloe hadn't dried yet. He shoved his wallet in his back pocket before sliding his sunglasses into the collar of his shirt and following Gerald to the lobby.

In the elevator he avoided Gerald's eyes. Arnold knew he was seriously screwing up the weekend, and resolved to not be awkward anymore. He was going to try and recapture his friendship with Helga. Maybe if he pretended that night never happened, they could go back to being friends. If he could just forget how insane that sounded it could really happen. He let out a tiny sigh as the doors dinged and opened onto the lobby.

Arnold followed along silently as the group walked over the walkway and out onto the street, his eyes following Helga's every move. Once Gerald sent him a meaningful glance he tried to focus on anything but her, and how she looked in her soft little dress, or how he knew about the lacy bit of fabric that was keeping her top up. He tried to watch the end of the water show, even siding with Lila when she made her plea to watch a whole one. He leaned against the stone barricades, ignoring the heat that seeped into his back and legs from the sun-warmed stone. It was still hot for late September, the sun beating down on them. It was nowhere near mid-summer temperatures, but the desert was warm and the concrete just absorbed the heat, to spew it back later in middle of the night.

Arnold was distracted by seeing all the glamorous cars weaving in and out of the minivans and billboard trucks on the strip. He watched as a man in a yellow Ferrari weaved his way through traffic, unaffected by the traffic or staring eyes of star struck tourists. When he finally turned back it was to Stinky swinging Helga around to the music that had started. Arnold's throat went even drier as Helga spun and the lightweight blue cotton soared above her knees. The roaring in his ears drowned out the laughs of his friends, the roar of the fountains, the soaring music, even the clapping of the crowd when Sid swept her into a tango. The familiar steps looked so different from the outside, he greedily watched her lithe limbs as she moved through the dance, showcasing skills much more honed than Sid. He couldn't suppress the jealous rage that settled in his gut, mingling with the lust already entrenched there, as Helga wrapped her leg high on Sid's hip. It lifted her dress to a scandalous height, showing off a smooth length of thigh. Arnold's throat made an audible click as he tried to swallow and pull his eyes away as she hurriedly smoothed her dress down her legs.

He was so focused on trying to keep himself in check that he didn't even notice what they were doing until Gerald slung his arm across sunburned shoulders, he let out a tiny hiss before smiling for the group with the cameras in front of him. He even managed to pose for one with his arm around Helga. Granted it was cause Lila wanted pictures of the bride and groom, then the best man and maid of honor. Honestly, he didn't care why he got to have his arm around her, he just relished it, for the brief seconds it lasted. Then she was off and down the escalator, striding through the crowds like they were invisible. She complained to the guys handing out packs of cards with naked girls on them, wondering why there were no naked men. Arnold was horribly embarrassed when she mentioned using them for cards for their drinking games as she grabbed each persons stack.

His face drained of blood as he flashed back to the moment when Helga had finished her shot and climbed in his lap, he remembered the smug smiles on Lila and Phoebe's face, he remembered Gerald's guffaws and the snickers from Sid and Stinky, he even remembered Rhonda's "Finally!" comment. And then he flashed on Helga's face as she sat on the floor, a single tear tracking down her right cheek before she launched herself to her feet and gave him a black eye. The first time she'd hit him since they were in junior high, and boy did she make it count. But that pain was nothing compared to the gut wrenching ache he'd felt when she'd started crying.

Luckily Gerald was the only one who noticed his expression, and wisely Gerald just gave him a grim smile before following the rest of the group along the sidewalk, pausing to see musicians or artist's works. Arnold hung back and watched as Phoebe and Gerald walked along, oblivious to everything as they smiled at each other. He wished he could have that, the affection, that connection, he sighed as he realized he'd always had it, he just had never considered it romantically.

This line of thought kept him distracted til they were finally back in the air-conditioned haven of the lobby. Passing the main bank of elevators the group quieted as they went to the express elevators which would take them to their suites. Rhonda sauntered to the wall and pressed the gleaming button to call one of the elevators, smiling smugly at the group's impressed silence. A few more people amassed in the small hallway, and there was a rush of movement as the light announced the arrival of an elevator. Helga scampered to the elevator as it opened, pressing the button for their floor repeatedly as she bemoaned her tired feet and wondered how she would ever be ready for dinner in time. The group laughed and scooted back as more people pushed their way into the elevator.

Arnold's body was so tense when the crowd separated them from their group and shoved them into the corner. Helga was stuck behind him, wedged into the corner and trapped by his larger body. He could feel her nearness throughout his body, that tightness in his gut, the tingle at the base of his head, the goosebumps rising on his arms. He prayed that the people would get off quickly. Somehow he just knew that some cosmic force, some karmic prankster, was laughing at him up there, because the elevator stopped and two more people squished into the already cramped space. He was forced to move further back, as the man to his right stepped back and the woman on his left stepped to the right. He could feel the cradle of her hips press against his back, his temperature rising and a shiver traveled up his spine.

Feeling her body plastered along his back was playing havoc with his body, so he spun quickly, jarring the man to her left. He didn't even apologize, the out of character reaction driven by his preoccupation with her. He stared down at her, noticing how the flush from her cheeks flowed down her necks and onto the tops of her breasts. The thought that he wondered how hot that flushed skin would feel on his tongue startled him enough to take a miniscule step back and focus his eyes firmly on hers, or they would if she hadn't been staring resolutely at the floor. He was so grateful that she wasn't looking at him, he wouldn't have to see that peculiar look in her eyes for once, the hurt mixed in with the defiance. The terrible vulnerability that came of betrayal in her normally frank and challenging blue stare. His heart ached as he thought of the tears that had shone in her eyes as she had stared up at him from at his feet.

"Helga, I really wanted to say…" The ding and Stinky's plaintive exclamation of joy overshadowed the final word. Her eyes raised to his throat, her face remarkably impassive despite the high color spreading up her chest. She continued to stare at his throat until enough people cleared out that he could no longer keep her in this position without it looking suspicious, although it had already been HORRIBLY conspicuous to their friends. Some viewed the scene with commiseration, some with amusement, and finally Gerald and Phoebe with something like hope and relief.

The group piled out of the elevator, spilling into the hallway with varying amounts of enthusiasm. Helga slowly padded down the hallway, each step measured, her breathing subdued and her eyes locked on the carpet where her feet were placed deliberately. Arnold could see the rage building inside her, while most untrained eyes would just see a cautious woman. Arnold opened his mouth to call out to her, but was stopped by a gentle hand on his forearm. Phoebe looked up at him and shook her head slightly. He took a deep breath before dipping his chin and dropping his eyes, acknowledging her silent rebuke.

Helga stood in front of her mirror, twisting her neck this way and that to make sure the bow lie flat against her back. The dress kept bunching funny under the bow, and every time she tried to straighten the bow, the fabric creased. Cursing under her breath she stalked out to the central area of the room and shouted for Phoebe. Hearing the familiar response, Helga turned to contemplate the now closed and locked door separating her from Arnold. Every fiber of her being longed to dash to the door and throw it wise open and demand answers. To finally receive satisfaction for all the crazy and consuming questions that had been in her head for months.

Just as she was about to go to the door, Phoebe emerged and laughed when presented with Helga's back and an exasperated huff. No explanation was needed, the offending fabric was smoothed and with a better, fuller bow squarely at the center of her back. Helga spun towards Phoebe, letting the light shimmer across the rich fabric. Black velvet dress with a corset bodice and a hot pink peplum, what more could a girl ask for. A tiny pink jewel glittered in the hollow of her throat, just below a black velvet ribbon tied snuggly around her throat.

Phoebe made the appropriate sounds of admiration before Helga complimented her on her own resplendent dress. A simple shift of pale blue raw silk, it floated around the petite woman and looked magnificent with her dark black hair and her light skin. Helga disappeared into her room to slip on her Stuart Weitzman hot pink pumps. They added a majestic 5 inches to her height, letting her tower over the tiny Phoebe, and bringing her up to near Gerald's height. She tried to ignore the thought that it made her taller than Arnold, the sly satisfaction bringing the blonde back to the forefront of her mind.

She shrugged her shoulders, as if the physical action could influence her thoughts. Trying to gain back that distance she glanced in the mirror and acknowledged how fierce she looked. Once she had shaken off the thoughts of Arnold and her feeling of playing at being a woman she went back to join Phoebe at the door. Helga grabbed both her and Phoebe's jackets, Helga's a lace bolero and Phoebe's a diaphanous fabric that was for ornamentation rather than warmth, which in the arid desert made quite a bit of sense. She laid them over her left arm and swung open the door with her right. Ushering Phoebe out of the suite she made sure the door closed firmly behind her before knocking on the door a bit down the hallway and then continuing on to the boy's suite.

Lila was the first to emerge behind her, and she acknowledged the redheads compliments on her outfit with a wink and a nod, the same as she did when Rhonda finally sauntered out of the room. The girls hovered outside the door to the boy's room and when they finally emerged there was a round of good natured wolf whistles and catcalls, which the girls all preened at. Helga corralled the group towards the elevator, anxious to avoid Arnold and equally concerned about appearing uncaring. She had positioned herself so that Arnold was one of the first people to get on the elevator and she was the last, so she was in the front by the panel of buttons and he was in the far corner from her.

They pulled the SUV from valet, and while the group tried to pile in, Sid, Rhonda, and Helga hailed a cab and jumped in, telling the driver their destination. Helga was still a bit pensive but luckily riding with Sid and Rhonda afforded her time to pull her protective layer back up, and mask firmly in place she began to point out interesting things while the cab quickly outdistanced the SUV. The driver avoided the strip and made it to the hotel pretty quickly, and the cabbie even pointed out the Thomas & Mack, and a couple other local hotspots. They soon pulled up to the Hotel's valet, and once they emerged and paid they looked around the front entrance. Helga and Rhonda had time to explore the lovely foyer and Sid even managed to get some snapshots with the King before the rest of the group arrived. Once the SUV was in valet Lila exclaimed that they needed to get a group picture with Elvis, complete with Stinky letting out a curse when the King's bronze hand whacked the side of his head.

After the touristy things the group wandered through the casino floor, taking in the gigantic geometric chandeliers and the uniform looking cocktail waitresses and dealers, they then wandered through the dim offshoot, a hallway whose entrance was lined with slot machines before becoming shadowed entrances to restaurants. The elaborate entrance to Benihana's was duly remarked upon, and while the boys grabbed some low cushioned chairs, the girls ambled down the walk that led to a faux bridge and overlooked a beautiful rock garden with working fountain. The group snapped pictures of the little Japanese oasis, cleverly hidden among the opulence of Las Vegas. They were just about to return to the lounge area when a surprising burst of color appeared on the wall. Faux fireworks! They marveled at the tiny lights embedded in the dark walls and the accompanying soundtrack of whistling and exploding booms.

Rejoining the boys in the lounge there were pleased to note that their arrival was just after the waitress's and so a couple people ordered cocktails before dinner, although most were just waiting for the food. Soon, a woman in a traditional kimono and obi approached them and announced their table was ready. They walked past the little garden and paused at a giant red structure that housed an elevator, the girls and Gerald piled in while the rest of the boys elected to walk up the staircase. Once on the second floor they were ushered up a few steps then into their own private room. They claimed seats around the giant flattop and shouted out drink orders to the woman who stood in the room.

A couple platters of sushi were ordered after umbrella topped drinks and bottles of sake arrived. The group started the evening off with fun recollections and familiar anecdotes and were relatively tame, but as the sake was poured and the general atmosphere pervaded, eventually the stories were more ribald and the anecdotes had a dash of lurid detail. Talk quieted when the cook arrived, and they were awed by his flippant knife skills and his teasing manner. The requisite tricks were well received and the more they clapped and cheered the more crazy tricks the chef attempted.

The group applauded when the chef had finished the final meal, and Gerald slipped him a twenty as he pulled his cart from behind the grill and went to wheel it out of the room. The group leisurely ate the amazing meal and finished up the drinks. Gerald and Phoebe were sitting together, his arm around her and her head on his shoulder. The group oohed and ahhed, and Lila snapped a few photos, asking them to get close together, and even solicited the waiter into taking a group shot. Finally the group tired of the pictures and when Lila went to take one of Helga she responded with "aw buzz off." Lila laughed good naturedly but put her camera away.

Finally the bill was settled and the group was rounding up to leave the restaurant. It was only 9 and the group lamented already going back to the hotel. Helga suggested staying at this hotel a little longer, explore the casino a bit, maybe play some, before they headed back to their rooms for the night. Everyone agreed and Helga announced that before they did anything she had to go to the bathroom. There was a chorus of agreements and they made their way out the restaurant and down to the right, where the bathrooms were hidden behind a pillar and a mirror. The group disbanded and filtered into the brightly lit bathroom, quite a change from the dim hallways and restaurant. Helga finished quickly and stared at her reflection in the small antechamber lined with benches and mirrors. She held her lip gloss limply in her left hand but was really staring at the dark circles under her eyes, the tight mouth, tense even now.

She finally applied the gloss and sank down on a bench as she waited for the rest of the girls to assemble. They trickled out of the stalls, pausing to reapply makeup, straighten clothes, fix shoes, and all the other girly primping behaviors. As Helga watched their carefree gallivanting she began to get irritated, why should she be so timid because of that stupid football head? Just because he'd rejected her didn't mean anything, it was just his stupidity for not appreciating her. The fuzzy buzz that had pervaded her brain at dinner settled into a jangle and she knew she needed another drink to loosen the tightness in her. With that in mind she headed out of the bathroom and while walking down the dim hallway saw a little lounge tucked off to the side. A band was playing some old school 80s pop hit and she shimmied her way to the bar and ordered her drink. Bacardi and Coke. Simple, smooth, and a bit of a bite; exactly like her now that she thought about it. She also ordered a round of shots. The girls cheered as the bartender lined them up.

The boys even clapped her on the back and thanked her, well, all except Arnold, and Stinky who was to be DD. She grabbed Arnold's shot and knocked that back, along with a snide remark about the stupid football head. As the rum hit the back of her throat and trickled down she began to smile. The group left the lounge, after dancing to some Tina Turner song, and loitered on the casino floor. Gerald and Sid threw some money on the craps tables while Rhonda and Phoebe sat down at the blackjack table. Helga followed Lila and the two grabbed a spot at the roulette wheel. They cashed in and grabbed their little markers. Helga's blue and Lila's green. They lined up bets and passed some time, eventually an hour had passed, along with a few more drinks. Helga cashed in up about $120 and Lila had won around $300, which pleased the redhead to no end.

Once the group had cashed in and finished exploring it was a few minutes to midnight. Phoebe and Lila were beginning to complain about being tired while Stinky and Sid were desperate not to let the Vegas trip pass them by without heading to a proper strip club. Rhonda was all for checking out a seedy strip joint, eager to show off how blasé she found everything, even titillation. Helga's veins were singing and her pulse pounded with lust and she thought a strip club sounded fine and dandy. In the end, after quite a bit of arguing, Gerald would escort Lila and Phoebe back to the hotel while the rest of the group would take the SUV to a local strip joint

- I O I - I O I - I O I- I O I – I O I - I O I - I O I - I O I- I O I - I O I- I O I -

Sorry it's not super long… but here's the next little bit… And we're off to a strip club? What debauchery can our friends get into now? IF you have any requests for this please drop me a line!