A/N: Uh...yeah. Just an idea I've been sitting on! Should I keep this going? Please review! :)
Oh! The weird writing is his thoughts. I hope it works out okay. My computer has a way of messing up fonts!
Artemis:
No. That was the word dominating his brain. No. He was numb with disbelief. He sat hunched (And this is ARTEMIS! Not moi!) over his computer. Not quite comprehending what he'd just read. He read it over again. Hoping to find meaning through repetition. Fowl. It read. We know about the fairies. We have your parents. Give us a fairy, or they die. Slowly and painfully.
Beside it was a video link. He opened it. A camera zoomed in on two people handcuffed together in a cell. His parents. They looked awful. His mothers hair falling into her face. His fathers bio-leg was missing, and his face was gaunt from lack of food. They were both bedraggled and pale.
This is all my fault. He realized. They looked as if they'd been there for days. Approximately eight. Artemis decided. This would explain the absence of letters since his parents had gone on a sixth honeymoon. My fault too. He thought. It had been his idea for them to go. After all. He had even recruited Juliet to take care of the twins. What have I done. He wondered. What am I to do? He decided to call Butler and run the email and footage through every tracing system he had.
Eight hours later, Artemis still sat at the computer. Exhausted. His searches had turned up nothing, and he was on the verge of giving in to despair. Instead, he called Juliet to his study. "Juliet," he said. "Have you ever seen gnomes garbage wrestling?"
"Holly was going to give me a tape of...What?!"
Juliet sat down in a state of shock as her head was flooded with forgotten memories.
Artemis almost smiled. At least one thing was going right.
His computer beeped. Interrupting his brief moment of thought. He had an email.
His fingers trembled. He knew what it would be.
"Artemis!" Said Juliet. "What's going on?! I'm talking to you! ARTEMIS!!"
He ignored her. Her questions could be answered later.
He opened the email.
Bring the fairy to the observatory in the Canadian National tower. Toronto Ontario Canada. Try anything, and you will never see your parents again. Be there at 11:30 AM tomorrow.
Artemis bowed his head. What should I do? My parents, or the fairy nation?
He let out a long sigh. He twisted his ring and felt it vibrate silently. On the other end, someone picked up. "Hello?"
"Hello Holly." He said. Guilt churning his stomach. "I need your help. Come at once. It is of vital importance."
"Sure," She said. "But what-"
"Later Holly." He said cutting her off.
He turned the ring. Cutting off the connection. He deleted the email and added several encryptions to his computer. Then he sat back to wait for Holly. Preparing himself internally to betray the fairy race.