A new chapter..

I Hope you will enjoy!


The next morning Artemis is laying in his bed, lost in thought.. When he had called Elizabeth yesterday, she was not that surprised. Why not, anybody would have been…

He sighed, someone knocked on the door. Artemis knew it was Butler bringing him breakfast. But Artemis wasn't that hungry.

'Come in' he said.

Butler walked in with a lot of food and a cup of tea.

'Good morning Artemis'

'Good morning Butler, I am not that hungry but I would like that cup of tea.'

'Artemis, you need to eat something.'

Artemis sighed again. 'Fine', he said. He took something and started eating it. It was good, not that he would expect something different from Butler. After he finished his meal he said a bit irritated. 'Happy?'

'Of course sir' Butler said with a big smile on his face.

Artemis rolled his eyes.

'Artemis, I think Holly will arrive soon.'

'Alright' he came out of bed. 'I go get ready.'

About a half hour later, Artemis came downstairs. Holly was already there, she was sitting in the living room with his mother. Angelina Fowl was very nervous. Every time Artemis had something to do with elf's… Well it never was good.

Holly saw Artemis and she could not help but smile. She was so relieved that Artemis was free from the Atlantis Complex, there was no doubt about it. This was the Artemis Fowl she knew. What kind of adventure will there be waiting for them. You could say one thing, it was never boring with Artemis Fowl.

She walked up to him and hugged him.

'Artemis so good to see you.'

'Likewise' He said, and even he could not help to smile. He kind of missed her, although she visited a lot when Artemis was recovering from the Atlantis Complex.

'Butler, good to see you to old man.'

'Old', Butler said 'If I am old, what are you.'

Holly giggled.

'May I ask' Angeline Fowl said carefully. 'Holly, why are you here, is there something wrong with Artemis?' She tried to stay calm, although you could hear her concern in her voice.

Holly looked directly at Angeline. 'Artemis is fine. He shows no signs of the Atlantis Complex anymore. None whatever.'

'So, why are you here then.' Angeline voice changed immediately after she heard Artemis was alright. Now it was more business.

'Well, I am here to investigate.'

'Do you have to do that with Artemis, I mean he is just out of that hospital… and..'

Artemis decided that he had listened long enough to this conversation, without participating. He walked to his mother. He hugged her, what was a weird thing for him to do. 'It will be alright' he said very gentle. 'I just don't want you to get hurt again.' Artemis felt a tear on his mother's face.

It made him sad, he did not want to leave his mother like this. Not now his father was visiting some good cause out of the country. He knew his mother wanted to go with him.. But she did not because Artemis was still recovering from the AC..

He pulled back, and looked into his mother eyes. 'I have promised you, I will be honest with you, no more secrets. But you have to trust me, that I know what I am doing.'

'But you're only 15..'

'Not quite, because under the law, I already qualified as an adult.'

'And how did that happen?' His mom said strict. 'Fine, you can go.' She looked at Butler and Holly. 'Please watch out for my son, bring him home.'

Butler and Holly who had stood there touched by the conversation between a mother and her son, responded immediately and with no hesitation.

'Of course' Holly said.

'That goes without saying ma'am.'

Angelina smiled, just a little, but she smiled.

'Artemis, how late did you plan the meeting with your friend.'

'Your friend' Angelina said puzzled. 'Do you mean, Elizabeth? How does she fits into this story?'

'Half past 9' Artemis said. 'Mother, I will explain later. We have to go or else we be late. Butler would you please bring the car around?'

Before Artemis had finished his sentence, Butler was already gone. Artemis was walking toward the door, but this time this mother hugged him tightly. 'I trust you' she whispered in his ear. Then she let go.

Artemis continued his walk, Holly followed him.

'You planned it' She whispered to him, so that she knew for sure Angelina would not hear them.

'What are you talking about?' He said with a smirked on his face.

'You knew, how your mom would react. You did not want to explain the situation, that why you where.. late this morning.'

'I would say precisely on time' If his smirk could get any bigger it would have, but that scientifically impossible.

'You're back ones again.' Holly said while smiling.

Artemis smiled back. He could not help it, when he was looking at Holly, this warm feeling…

'The car is ready' Butler walk towards them.

'Let's go' Holly said, she grabs Artemis arm and her heart, did it just.. No way, I could not have. She immediately let go of the arm of Artemis. Artemis looked at her. 'What's wrong?'

'Nothing' she mumbled.

Artemis looked at her, with a questioning face...
Could it be… She had felt Artemis heart almost skipped a beat when Holly grabbed him.
No that was not possible… Was it..

'Are you two ready to go?' Butler asked, he had a hard time not laughing. It would take a long time before either of them would accept what they where feeling for each other. He first noticed at the hospital, when Artemis started to act as himself again. The way the two of them where together. Well had he not always known.

Butler was driving the car, he knew where he had to go. The Carters family house was about a half hour drive. After 20 minutes of awkward silence Holly finally spoke.

'Artemis, can you tell me a bit about your friend?'

It caught Artemis by surprise.

'What do you want to know?'

'How did you two meet.'

'Our dads'

'Wow, great explanation, now I know..'

'Alright, Our dads where business partners, when we where little. They thought it was a great idea, we played with each other. At first I did not like her at all. She was like three, and I was seven. But she was smart, and after a couple of times, we could have real conversation. She is a quick learner.'

Artemis stopped talking, he looked sad. Elizabeth was right, they were friends. She was the first friends he ever had. Well, if you did not count Butler…

'That sounds great' Holly said.. 'So what happened?'

'Our dads, they got into an argument. Then they forbid us to ever see each other again.'

'That must of been hard, for the two of you.'

'Elizabeth, she had a really hard time..'

Artemis saw a little girls face, Elizabeth, she was crying, trying to yell at her dad..
'I don't want Artemis to go! He's my friend!'
The father of Elizabeth walked toward her, he looked mad, very mad.
And then he…..

'Artemis, we have arrived.' Butler said.

He never thought, they would return here. It bothered Butler that the meeting was at the Carters house. Maybe there were unpleasant surprises wanting for them in that house. Butler opened his window, then pushed the button near the gate. A voice come out of the speaker.

'On time, of course, as expected of you.' It was Elizabeth.. 'I will open the gate for you.'

The big gate opened, and Butler drove till they reached the front door. There where parking spaces not far from the entrance.

'Artemis, you can get out here, but wait for me before entering that house.'

Artemis nodded. He understood, if the father of Elizabeth was working with an elf and really wanted to kill him..

Holly make sure she was invisible before leaving the car together with Artemis. Elizabeth was waiting for them before the entrance.

'Don't worry', she said while smiling gentle at Artemis. 'My dad is not home today.'

Artemis thought he saw the eyes of Elizabeth look at Holly for just a second. But that was not possible. It was only because Artemis knew Holly was there, but she was invisible to the eye. It must have been a coincidence. There was no other way.

When Butler arrived, they went inside the mansion. It was big, but not that big as the Fowls resident. Elizabeth took them to the second living room.

'My dad locked the first living room and his study. Please take a seat, I will make some tea.'

'Didn't your dad had about 50 maids, that work for him, why can't they make the tea?' Artemis said, the words came out before he knew it.

'Euhm.. my dad sent them all away, I will be right back.' She left the room.

'That's kind of strange' Artemis muttered.

'What is Artemis.' A voice said behind him.

It startled him a little. He almost forgot Holly was there in the room to. That was not like him at al. But he recovered fast.

'The maids, I remembered that Mister Carter hate doing anything himself. He could not live without his maids, For every little things he called them. Why would he ever get rid of them. That doesn't make any sense….Unless..'

'Unless, he is hiding something..' Holly replied.

'Yes.'

'But maybe the mother of Elizabeth thought they were very annoying. Could she decided to get rid of them?' Holly knew in an instant that she said something wrong.

They heard footsteps. Elizabeth came in the room again, carrying a tray with 4 cups of tea. She put it on the table and sat down next to Artemis. Again, Elizabeth look behind her, as if she was looking where Holly probably be.

'Artemis, I know it is weird, but I had a strange feeling you would call. You said on the phone you wanted to ask me some questions .'

'That is correct. I wanted to know..' He stopped, he has thought all night how he could ask her. Still he did not know, what the best way was. That bothered him..

'Analysing, what you're going to say again? If you are going to ask me, what I think you are going to ask me.. There is no good way to ask, so just do it.'

She smiled at him, but she was not happy. He could tell.

'Why would you think it would be necessary for me to know, that your father mutters in his sleep, that he thinks I should die?'

'Because I think he is serious.. I have never seen him like this…..I am worried… about you.'

'Why would you really? Artemis came closer. 'I mean there is no such thing as an elf.' He almost whispered it.

Elizabeth did not back away, that was something Artemis was not expecting. She even did the opposite of that, she came even closer. Their noses almost touched.

'We both know that is not true, Artemis..' She had a big smirk on her face.

Artemis was not falling for that trick.

'Is that right, why do you not prove it to me then. Because I really don't know what you are talking about.'

'Ow really..' she said. She looked behind here again, were Holly would be.

Artemis was getting nervous. It could not be, it was just not possible, there was no way she could see Holly.

'Well' She said looking straight into his eyes.. It was the first time she noticed… Artemis had two different eye colours, one blue, like it always had been and one brown.. Why did she not see it before.. She could not get distracted now.. She stood up and pointed behind the couch. 'Why don't you explain your little friend here.'


A cliffhanger.. ^^

How will Artemis and Holly respond to her comment..
And how is it possible she can see Holly...

Read it in the next chapter...
(Hope I can publish it on or before May 11th 2013.)