Is This the Start of the Rest of My Life?
Chapter one
Disclaimer: I do not own Artemis Fowl.
A/N: This is the prequel to Family Tree. It focuses on how Holly and Trouble got together. It is set just after the First book.
Police Plaza, Haven City, the lower elements.
It was the day of the annual Lep promotions. There was to be a celebratory party afterwards and all the officers involved were spending the day putting up decorations in preparation of the big night. All officers were expected to go even if they weren't being promoted.
Most officers enjoyed it. All accept one. A female recon officer. Corporal Holly Short. Not that she was going to be a corporal for much longer. She too was being promoted that night. From corporal to captain. She didn't mind that. It was the party that bothered her. She hated parties. Everyone danced but no one ever wanted to dance with her. She didn't like dressing up either. What was the point of getting dressed up? Glumly she carried on pinning up banners, waiting for her shift to end.
When she ran out of banners she went to Ops to get some more. Foaly was printing them of a spare printer.
"Hiya Holly!" greeted Foaly as Holly entered. "Back so soon? I only gave you the last batch what, three hours ago!"
Holly pulled a face. "I hate this job. It's so boring. Thank the gods promotions only happen once a year."
Foaly handed her another batch of banners, "Well you have exactly forty five minutes until your shift finishes. That should be just enough time to put those up if you hurry."
Holly headed out the door, almost walking straight into Trouble Kelp. She blushed, "Sorry!" she apologised. How could she be so stupid? Trouble was the most gorgeous officer in the Lep. All the females in vice had a crush on him. As well as the only female officer in recon.
"Hey Holly," Trouble called after her, she looked round, "I heard you're being promoted, well done. You deserve it. I'll see you there later."
Holly nodded, and walked off, down the corridor. She was up on cloud nine. Trouble Kelp knew her name!
The next forty-five minutes passed quicker than she expected. Soon her shift was over. She threw down the banners she hadn't got round to putting up and walked out. She checked her moonometer as she walked through the main thoroughfare, back to her apartment. She had two and a half hours till she had to be back at police plaza.
Holly's apartment, Haven City
Holly combed her cropped hair into a decent, respectable style. It worked, just. She pulled out her new dress from the carrier bag. She had bought it last week, on her day off. It had looked Ok in the shop, but now she was convinced it looked awful on her. She checked the clock. Half an hour to go. She'd better get going. Even though she only lived a fifteen-minute walk away from Police Plaza it was rush hour so it would probably take twice as long. She didn't want to be late, not tonight anyway.
Police Plaza, Main Hall, Haven City
"And lastly we have recons first female officer, promoted from corporal to captain, Put your hands together for Holly Short." Councilwoman Vinyaya announced Holly's name last.
Holly walked up to the platform and received her new Lep insignia. Vinyaya pinned it on to Holly's dress. Everyone clapped. Holly looked into the audience. Practically everyone was there, all the council members, Commander Root, Lep retrieval one (including, much to her delight, Trouble Kelp!) and plenty of other Lep officers.
Holly walked of the platform and back to her seat. There was a pause, and then a scraping noise filled the air. Foaly's voice came over the speakers,
"Sorry about that, a slight malfunction."
Everyone groaned, but whatever was wrong couldn't have been that major as Foaly soon had music playing out of the speakers.
Everyone headed on to the dance floor. Holly walked reluctantly with the crowd. Then a voice sounded in her ear,
"May I have this dance?"
A/N: I know its short but good things come in small packages right? Please review.