Hey. This is just a short Holly/Trouble fic dedicated to Holly25Trouble :)
I haven't finished writing my other A.F fic so this one will be slow to update. I just uploaded the first chapter to see what reaction it would get and see if I should bother continuing or not.
Set just after the L.C...
Major Trouble Kelp was in… well… major trouble. His brother, corporal Grub Kelp, had been put on probation. Although this didn't affect Trouble's career in any way, it could cause him huge problems that he didn't want to have to deal with.
Trouble stalked along a hallway towards his office, grumbling. If their mother found out what had happened she would, naturally, believe it to be entirely Trouble's fault. He may have been the LEP's golden boy, but at home, it was Grub who was the apple of his mother's eye.
And so, Trouble would be expected to appeal to the council to reconsider his brother's probation. And if that failed, well, there would be an awful lot of paperwork, which he would have to take on personally for the sake of his dim-witted brother.
Trouble slouched into the chair behind his desk. He pressed a button on the speaker box.
"Any messages Frond?" Lili Frond had recently been promoted to Kelp's receptionist. Fieldwork had been decidedly too hard for her and the council gave her this job to keep her occupied. Trouble didn't think it was much of a promotion, more of a demotion, but Lili Frond was ecstatic at the task. Her simpering voice hummed through the speaker box.
"You have two messages Major Kelp, sir."
"Right," said Trouble, wearily "Let me hear them."
The first message blasted out of the speaker so loud that Trouble nearly fell off his chair. So his mother had got the news then.
"Trouble Kelp you are in BIG trouble young man. Your brother has been put on probation! Your OWN FLESH AND BLOOD! I wouldn't be surprised if you put him up for probation yourself! I despair, I despair!"
What followed next was what could only be described as wailing. Trouble cringed. His mother was being melodramatic as always. Finally the dreadful noise stopped.
"I hope you are ashamed of yourself young man. I expect you to pull as many strings as possible and Grub better be back on the force faster than you can say Commander Root. Now he was a nice man… lovely skin tone. Awful shame what happened."
"Mother!" exclaimed Trouble, as though she could hear him. His mother had always harbored deep respect for Root, ever since he personally accepted Grub into the LEP, despite his abysmal results at boot camp. She was among the mourners at his funeral, wearing the most ridiculously large hat.
"Anyway, Grubbykins will be staying with me for a few days, to recover from the shock. I expect you to be welcoming him back to the force with open arms, any day now. HURRY UP!" The speaker box went dead. Trouble sighed, pausing the recording before the second message could play.
"Frond?"
"Yes Major Kelp sir?"
"If any more messages from my mother come through, can you delete them instantly, please?"
"Well, what should I do with her now then? I put her on hold because you weren't in the office yet and…"
"WHAT?!?" yelled Trouble. "You had my mother on hold and you didn't even tell me?" he looked at his watch, "I've been in this office for ten minutes and you've had her on hold the whole time? Why didn't you tell me!?!"
"Because you didn't ask." Replied Lili huffily.
Trouble didn't have time to reply before there was a click and: "YOU KEPT ME ON HOLD???"
"Hello mother." Sighed Trouble wearily.
"YOUR OWN MOTHER AND YOU KEPT HER ON HOLD? WHAT KIND OF A SON ARE YOU?" his mothers rant went on for several minutes, with pauses only for Trouble to attempt to explain, before she started shouting again.
Half an hour later, speaker box unplugged, an exhausted Major Kelp was sitting at his desk, banging his head on the table. He felt utterly miserable. There was only one person in the whole of Haven who could cheer him up, and she had been missing for almost three years.
Trouble hardly got through a single day without thinking about Captain Holly Short. The last anyone saw of her was when she disappeared with that mudboy, Artemis Fowl. Trouble hated the Fowl boy. He always seemed to turn up and take Holly off on another whirlwind adventure, which very rarely included Major Kelp.
Now, Fowl had taken Holly off again, and this time, she hadn't come back. Kelp hated the mudboy all the more. Foaly had explained that time didn't really exist where she was now. She could return after only what felt like an hour in her world, while a decade had passed back here. A decade? The thought didn't even bare thinking about.
Trouble started to pace round his office; he always did that when he needed to think. "Right." He muttered to himself, "Grub. How do I reverse his probation?" But his thoughts were far from his brother. An auburn haired elf appeared in his thoughts. If she returned…no…when she returned, would she have changed? She would surely look the same? Trouble wouldn't have changed a thing about the Holly he knew. Would she remember him? Would she still act the same? Trouble found himself wishing, as he did everyday, that Holly would return safely, and soon.
"Umm, Major Kelp sir?" Lili Frond had appeared at the doorway.
"What is it Frond?"
"Well, Foaly has called six times already and is wanted me to ask you…" Her face contorted in concentration "If you had even bothered to listen to the message he left you and why isn't your big elfin head down in his office already?" Lili looked very pleased with herself.
"D'arvit." Swore Kelp "Six times? I… umm…" he pointed lamely at the unplugged speaker box. Lili giggled.
Trouble wasted no more time. He left the office and sped down the corridor at a run. Ten minutes later, after a slow trip through the tunnels he arrived at the section eight headquarters. Foaly had kept him posted on section eight activity over the last few years, and Trouble expected yet another lecture on the latest buzz baton.
He slid open the door to Foalys office and saw the centaur talking animatedly to a dwarf and…
"Holly?"
The auburn haired elf spun around. She saw Kelp and folded her arms across her chest.
"You took your time."
"I…I didn't… Holly is that really you?"
"No, it's Frond reincarnated." Holly rolled her eyes, "Of course it's me! I still look like me don't I?"
She did still look like Holly, although she had certainly changed. Her auburn hair now fell in waves around her face and she seemed to have grown a couple of mili-metres. Not to mention…
"Your eyes? One's…"
"Blue, yes. I'll explain it all later. Aren't I even going to get a proper hello?" Holly cocked her head to one side. The truth had finally hit Trouble.
"Holly!" He ran forward and scooped her into an embrace so strong it lifted her off her feet. Holly laughed.
"It's good to see you too Trouble."
Foaly, who had been standing in the corner quietly with Mulch, coughed loudly. Holly and Trouble broke apart quickly, Holly grinning and Trouble blushing.
"Captain Short here was adamant that she wouldn't go home until she had seen you." Foaly tutted at Trouble, "Now however, after being almost an hour late, you have appeared and I insist Holly goes home and rests."
Holly suddenly felt a surge of fatigue drift through her. She had waited long enough to see her friend. Now she just wanted to sleep. She smiled apologetically at Trouble. "I'm sorry Trouble, but Foaly's right. I'd love to spend hours giving you a blow-by-blow account of what happened, but right now, I need sleep."
Trouble was too happy at seeing Holly again to care. "That's fine Holly, fine. Tell you what, coffee tomorrow?"
Holly smiled. "I'd like that. I'll give you a call in the morning." She turned to the centaur, "Foaly, take me home." She gave a regal wave.
"As you wish m'lady." Said Foaly sarcastically, leading Holly out through the doors.
Trouble couldn't remember the last time he felt so happy. Holly was finally back, and this time, he hoped she would stay.
Well, thats the first chapter. Please review and tell me what you think as I'm unsure as to whether I should continue or leave it as a oneshot.
cheers :)
