Disclaimer: I don't own Hey Arnold or associate characters, coppice?

Note: Wow, the big 1, 0! Chapter Ten…wow. It seems like just yesterday when I was writing about Helga winning the tickets, and being called down to the stage to accept her tickets…and Gerald and Arnold weaselling the tickets out of her… *sigh* This is what memories are made of! *wipes away a tear cheesily*

The Cruise: Chapter Ten

After a big buffet breakfast, at, you guessed it, The Coffee Garden the next morning, it was time for our four favourite little Americans to start packing.

"Wow. This Cruise has just whizzed by," Arnold commented, throwing some shirts and bathing facilities into his suitcase.

"Yeah," Helga nodded.

"Hey, Helga?" Arnold asked, looking at Helga. Helga looked up from packing.

"Yeah, Arnold?" she asked softly, looking into his eyes.

"Thanks again for inviting us all to go on the Cruise with you. It meant a lot to us," he smiled sincerely.

Helga smiled back quickly. "You're welcome."

"During this whole Cruise adventure," Arnold started, "well, I got to know you…much better."

Helga nervously shoved some clothes into her suitcase.

'Arnold has got to know me better? Criminey…things between us are probably even worse then before, now…' Helga thought sadly.

"I like it when you're not such a mean bully Helga," Arnold said truthfully, "and I don't think you should worry about your reputation all the time."

Helga gave him a sincere smile. "You like me?" she asked hopefully. "When I'm not mean?" she added quickly.

Arnold smiled, and looked her straight in the eyes to show he wasn't lying. "Yeah," he nodded slowly, realizing he really did. "Anyway," he turned back to packing, when he noticed something was missing.

"Uh, Helga? Have you seen my shampoo?" he asked, scanning his bed and suitcase for it. Helga gulped, guiltily. She had stolen his shampoo to smell it, and had been using it for a good part of the Cruise.

"Uh…" she started nervously, pretending to look for it. "Oh, here it is," she said falsely, picking it up from her suitcase.

"How did that get there?" she asked innocently, handing the shampoo to Arnold. "A heh heh…" Arnold shot her a confused glance, before smiling.

"Thanks," he said, taking the bottle and packing it up with the rest of his things.

'That was too close,' she told herself, wiping some sweat off of her brow.

Later on…

Arnold, Helga, Phoebe and Gerald had their suitcases, and were boarding off of the Cruise.

"That was some trip! Mmm, mmm, mm!" Gerald said happily, lugging his suitcase behind him.

"Yes," Phoebe nodded. "I really enjoyed it," she smiled.

"Me too," Arnold smiled.

Helga smiled. 'The Cruise was a blast,' she said to herself with a content successful smile. 'What I do for you, Arnold,' she said to herself, remembering she got on the Cruise thanks to her poems she wrote, dedicated to her football-headed angel. She shook her head at herself. 'What I do for you…' she repeated with a small smile.

The next day, at school.

"How was your trip, Helga?" Harold asked, on the playground.

"Since when do you care?" Helga asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"Well I figured the next time you win tickets to go on a Cruise, if I'm nice to you now, you'll invite me!" he beamed.

Helga rolled her eyes. "Fat chance!"

Later, in class…

"Today class, lets welcome back our special classmates who boarded the special cruise ship, if you remember," Mr. Simmons smiled cheerfully, "Helga, Phoebe, Arnold and Gerald."

The class cheered, along with Mr. Simmons.

"Welcome back, guys!" he said happily, in his usual good nature. "Today, we want you to share your wonderful special adventure with us, by participating in a special question and answer session," Mr. Simmons informed with a smile.

Helga groaned, long and exaggerated as she stood up with Arnold, Gerald and Phoebe. They made their way to the front of the class.

"Okay kids, ask away!" Mr. Simmons beamed, as everyone in the class' hands shot up.

"Where did you sleep?" Stinky asked in his thick country accent.

"On beds," Helga replied flatly.

"Did you see any bugs?" Nadine asked from the back of the class

"I think this is ridiculous, Mr. Simmons. We're acting like they're celebrities or something!" Rhonda observed snobbishly. "So…did you see anyone famous, there?" she asked excitedly.

"What activities did the Cruise provide?" Eugene asked.

"Where did you eat?" Harold asked in his usual loud, obnoxious tone.

Later…

Everyone was gathered around Gerald. It was recess, and everyone was giving him open ears. He was telling another one of his Urban Legends, this time about the last Cruise crisis.

"I heard a rattle, as we ran to the helm. The boat rocked violently, promising regrets of tomorrow," Gerald started dramatically, as Sid played the drums occasionally, for effect. "We reached the helm, and the Captain was out cold. All we could do was take the wheel, and counsellor our way out of the disaster," Gerald paused. "There was a faint bang, as the boat nearly tipped over. It was then that I realized, the life I'm living, really matters."

Helga watched from the sidelines, rolling her eyes. "I can't believe they believe that. What a crock!" she said with her arms crossed across her chest.

Arnold chuckled. "Why not? I mean, that is exactly what we lived through," he smiled.

"Yes. I think it is a wonderful outlook on our close-to-death experience," Phoebe smiled.

"Right," Helga cocked half of her eyebrow. "Sure Pheebs," she patted Phoebe on the back.

"Hey, Phoebe?" Arnold asked politely. Phoebe turned to Arnold.

"Yes?"

"Could I speak with Helga, alone for a minute?" Arnold asked shyly.

Phoebe smiled, and winked at Helga. "Sure," she said warmly.

Helga blinked, as she watched Phoebe leave. "What's on your mind today, Arnoldo?" she asked calmly, going to the picnic table to sit down. She sat on the table part, as opposed to the seat provided.

"Well," Arnold said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "I guess I should just tell you this, straight out," he said with a sigh. He took a seat on the picnic table seat.

Helga's heart raced. 'Could this be it? Is Arnold actually confessing his…love to me?' she asked herself, as she began to swoon.

"Helga," Arnold started, placing a hand on her arm. She grew warm as a tingling sensation washed through her.

"Yes Arnold?" she looked at him straight in the eyes.

"Ever since that night on top of the Future Tech Industries Building, you've given me a chance to think about what you said. And even though it might have been the 'heat of the moment' I think that I…well Helga, I've fa-" Arnold and Helga's faces were inches away, when Arnold got interrupted.

"Ooh!" Harold called teasingly at Arnold and Helga. "Arnold and Helga sitting in a tree, K-I-…uh…what was the rest of it?" he paused to think. "Oh well," he shook it off. "Kissing!" he taunted immaturely.

Arnold and Helga both blushed furiously, and turned away from each other. Arnold quickly took his hand off of Helga's arm.

"You two must looovee each other!" Harold teased loudly. "You're both blushing!" he taunted, as Arnold and Helga blushed harder. Bow now there was a small crowd of kids, watching Arnold and Helga.

"Arnold…and Helga?" Rhonda asked, standing beside Harold with her hands on her hips. "That would so not work. I mean…the helpful, smart, good guy…with the mean, overpowering school bully?" Rhonda raised an eyebrow at the combination.

Helga scowled. "Shut up, princess," she hissed angrily.

"And you…" she walked towards Harold so she was inches away. "Put a sock in it!" she screamed, slapping his face, hard, and then walking back to the picnic table where Arnold was.

"You guys must be crazy. I do not love Helga," Arnold frowned.

"Yeah…and me? Falling for football-head? Not in a million years!" Helga yelled.

"Then why were you blushing?" Harold asked, pointing at Arnold and Helga.

"We weren't blushing," Arnold and Helga objected strongly in unison.

Harold laughed, as Arnold and Helga exchanged glances.

Later that day…

The school bell ran loudly, signalling it was time to go home.

Everyone poured down the front steps of P.S. 118.

'Great. Now to go home to Big Bob and Miriam,' Helga thought miserably, sinking down the stairs and trudging across the street.

"Hey Helga," Arnold approached her. "You going home?" he asked.

She nodded, and Arnold smiled softly, and then grew a little nervous.

"You okay, Arnold?" Helga noticed Arnold's nervousness.

"Well…what I'm about to tell you is…well…about the whole Cruise adventure, a-and then when I was going to tell you something today, and Harold interrupted by saying…" Arnold trailed off, blushing faintly.

"What are you trying to say, Arnold?" Helga asked curiously.

"Well since I've gotten to know you better during the Cruise adventure…" Arnold started, looking her in the eyes as he stopped walking.

"Helga, I- well…I don't know how to put this…" Arnold started uncomfortably. "I…I," he took a deep breath and then exhaled. "I love you, Helga Pataki," he smiled weakly.

'There I said it. It wasn't…that…bad. I wonder how she'll react?" a million thoughts raced through Arnold's head.

Helga's eyes widened and she nearly fell over. "You? You love me?" she sputtered out. Her heart stopped beating.

'He loves me! He loves me! He loves me! He loves me!' Helga's mind swooned excitedly. 'My dream has come true! He loves me! He loves me!'

Arnold nodded. "At first I wasn't sure of my feelings," he looked away, eyeing the cemented ground, "and then it grew into a crush. I was still debating over my feelings, when sooner or later, I –" Arnold was cut off by Helga.

Helga was kissing Arnold. On the lips. Fully. Arnold blinked obliviously, before kissing back.

"Ha! Ha! Ha!" Harold laughed, pointing at Arnold and Helga. "Kissy, kissy!" he teased.

'Stupid Harold. Ruining everything as usual…' Helga thought to herself angrily.

Helga and Arnold broke the kiss and Helga rolled her eyes.

"Shut up, pink boy," she said flatly, pushing him so he fell over. Arnold smiled at her, and she smiled back.

"So I guess all of that stuff you said on top of the FTI building was true?" Arnold asked with a knowing smile.

Helga smiled weakly. "Yep."

"Want me to walk you home?" he asked politely. She smiled.

"I'd love that, football-head," she said as she and Arnold held hands and walked down the street.

The camera panned slowly away from the cute couple, and up towards the sky, where the sun shone beautifully bright, and a cloud that was shaped liked Arnold's head floated by. Helga's confessing music lightly played in the background (the music they play whenever she's swooning).

(Screen turns black as credits begin to roll).

Note: Wow! I even surprised myself with that ending! *wipes tear away cheesily* I had a lot of fun with this. ^_^ Thanks to everyone who stuck with me in reading and reviewing! You were a great audience! *Bows*

Written by: Satokasu Suki

Produced by: Satokasu Suki

Distributed by: Satokasu Suki

Hey Arnold and associated characters do not belong to Satokasu Suki (me) although she used them in her story. They belong copyrighted, to Nickelodeon, Craig Bartlett, etc.

I'd just like to say a big huge thank you to everyone -each and everybody- that read this story, and reviewed. Thank you so much. You cant' even imagine how helpful that was, and they were GREATLY appreciated. Thank you all very much! Luv ya!

~ Satokasu Suki