A/N: heya, next chapter is up. (Oh, NO DUH, J) Cynthia and I are working on three soon. We don't know how many chapters this is gonna be, but you'll find out, I guess. So… comment, compliment, critique, love, hate. Please review! We love your reviews!

Me to Cynthia: hey, anything to say?

Cynthia: thanks for the reviews! They were totally wafrawesome (wicked freaking awesome). And stay nerdy. And if anyone says Holly and Artemis aren't meant to be because they're different species. Just remind them how Mules came to live on this Earth.

EXACTLY RIGHT! So… enjoy! Become a Ravenling! :) J

Butler was worried. Ever since the picnic Artemis wasn't himself. Oh, he ate and stuff, but he seemed more withdrawn. Not even Mrs. Fowl or the twins could get Artemis out. Butler finally decided to go up and talk to Artemis himself.

He finally found Artemis moping around the halls, and walked up behind him. He taped his principal on the shoulder, and the boy turned around. His eyes were very red, like he hadn't gotten much sleep.

"Artemis," the manservant said, "are you okay?"

"Just as fine as ever. Why do you ask?"

Butler snorted, "Fine? A rabbit should have such red eyes."

"If you didn't think I was fine in the first place, why did you ask?" asked Artemis dully.

"Because you haven't been yourself since the picnic. Do you want to play chess?" Butler asked. He knew that Artemis had a weakness for beating people in chess. Artemis had done it to himself several times.

"No." Artemis didn't want to play chess? Something was up.

Butler was going to regret this. "Do you want to make chocolate chip cookies?"

Artemis shook his head. "What? And get hit in the head with a frying pan again? I think not." Butler was relieved. Even though he wanted Artemis to get better, he didn't want to go through that again.

Butler squinted suspiciously, and looked Artemis in his eyes. The boy hesitantly looked back.

"Artemis... I know when something's wrong," said the bodyguard. "Please tell me. I want to help."

Artemis gritted his teeth and whipped his body and head away. "No, you can't. There's nothing you can do."

"You don't know tha-"

"Yes I do, Domovoi!" he exclaimed, looking sharply back at his friend.

Butler stared at him, shocked. He almost never called him by his first name. This was definitely something serious...

Artemis sighed. He didn't mean to be so rash as to yell at Butler. "I'm sorry, old friend. Please, just, just go." And he turned away from Butler's line of vision.

Butler opened his mouth to say something, but stopped himself. The large manservant slowly opened the door and walked into the hallway when Juliet promptly ran into him.

"Dom, whoo! Totally didn't see you there," said Juliet breathlessly. When she saw that Butler had a look of worry on his face instead of the usual scowl she asked, "Okay, what's up?"

"I don't know, Artemis isn't Artemis anymore. He doesn't come out of his room and by the looks of it, Artemis barely sleeps at all and he says there is no way I can help him," Butler explained.

Juliet shook her head. "Men. So clueless to the matters of the heart."

Butler was interested. It sounded as if Juliet knew what was wrong with Artemis. "Care to explain, sister?"

"So Artemis has been acting like this since the picnic, right?" Juliet asked for confirmation.

Butler nodded.

"Didn't you notice he seemed nervous and that he was talking to Holly by himself?" Juliet pointed out to her strong, yet clueless brother.

"Yeah, but I thought it was just about... I don't know... captain stuff."

Juliet's palm met her face in an exasperated facepalm. Then she sharply looked up at Butler, who looked extremely stupid at that moment.

"No!" she hissed. "He was trying to confess to her!"

"...about what?"

"YOU'RE AN IDIOT, DOMOVOI! ABOUT HIS LOVE FOR HER!" she yelled.

She, unfortunately, was a bit too loud, and Artemis poked his head in the hallway, a frightened but angry glint in his eyes. "What did you just say?" he whispered, his voice almost as stiff as his suit.

"Um, ahhh, ohhh.." Juliet was nervous, she didn't meant to be that loud. No one made a Fowl mad, especially Artemis Fowl, because a mad Fowl was bad news for everyone.

"I seem to have heard you tell Butler that I was trying to confess my nonexistent love for Holly Short," said Artemis in a dangerously low voice. Those fools. He was just trying to get the record straight with Holly. At least, that's what Artemis told himself after Holly basically rejected him.

Juliet became more confident. "Yes, you were. I heard you talking. Holly kissed you and you-"

"YOU WERE EAVESDROPPING ON A PRIVATE CONVERSATION?!" thundered Artemis. "Just because you are a Butler does not mean you are warranted to certain rights." Artemis cooled down. When you were mad you needed to channel your anger, not blow up like a buffoon.

Juliet crossed her arms and bent her torso down a bit.

"Fine, let's say you weren't. But what were you talking about then, hm?!"

Artemis straightened up and tried to hide his anger and look professions. "C-Confidential."

The teenager scoffed. "Yeah, right."

Artemis narrowed his eyes. It was confidential, the pain felt too raw for anyone to be told.

"It is confidential. And you should not question me, Juliet. Butler, please control your sister." Artemis said, almost sounding like he used to when he was twelve.

Juliet's mouth was gaping like a fish. "Control me? But Arty-"

Artemis put up a hand to silence her. "I meant what I said. Good bye." He then proceeded to go back in his room where he would probably stay for another week.

Butler sighed, "See what I mean? Artemis isn't Artemis anymore."

"I know it has something to do with Holly. Good thing I swiped this." Lying in Juliet's open palm was the fairy communicator.

Butler stared in shock. "You stole this?!"

"Not stole, borrowed," she quoted with her fingers.

Butler rolled his eyes and looked away while she started to mess with it. After a minute, Holly's picture appeared on the screen. She was very surprised when she saw the blonde haired girl through the camera.

"Juliet?" the captain asked, raising her eyebrows. "How'd you get this?"

"She stole it," Butler answered for her. He couldn't be seen from Holly's side, but she heard his voice.

Juliet shot him a look. "Borrowed!"

Holly sighed, she had a feeling Juliet didn't contact her just so that she could see the siblings argue about ethics.

"So, what do you need, Juliet?" Holly asked. Holly hoped it wouldn't be time consuming. She had to meet Foaly to be his guinea pig...again.

"Oh, remember when we had the picnic?" Juliet asked innocently.

Did she remember it? Holly had been trying to forget it.

"Yes," said Holly slowly. "I remember." Where was Juliet going with this?

"So, I was just curious. What happened between you and Artemis?"

This time it was Butler who face palmed at his sister's bluntness.

Juliet gave her brother another glare. "What, Domovoi?!"

"Just..." he thought about saying what he had been thinking, but then turned away, slightly blushing. He realized it wasn't best to throw that kind of comeback to a trained warrior who could kill him 50 ways with her bare hands. "Nothing."

Juliet smiled. "That's what I thought!"

"Anyway," Holly interrupted, "I was just going to say, nothing happened between me and Artemis."

"Artemis and I," Butler corrected. He couldn't resist.

"SHUT UP!" both Holly and Juliet yelled.

Butler held up his hands as if to surrender and swiftly left the area. Best not to anger them any further.

"So, how about it Miss Rule-Breaker? Gonna tell me what happened between you and Arty?"

Holly squirmed inside her office. She didn't know what to say. How do you explain when a guy you may or may not have feelings for confronts you about the time when you kissed him because you had hormones running wild and were wired with magic then blew them off because you were too stubborn to admit that you like the guy because you're different species?

"So nothing really happened between you?" Juliet asked. She knew better but decided to play along, thanks to her 'eavesdropping' as Artemis and Butler called it. Though she preferred to call it 'over controlled listening'.

"Yeah, totally." Holly lied. Better than telling Juliet what really happened. Artemis was like a little brother to Juliet, and Juliet would be steaming; or extremely upset if she found out what Holly did.

Juliet was starting to get tired of Holly and Artemis saying nothing happened. They were lying straight to their teeth to her, and Juliet detested liars. Which was rather strange as she worked for Artemis before he became a decent person.

But for now, she decided to leave them alone. She'd find out later.

"Alright, alright," Juliet sighed hesitantly. "I'll leave you two alone for now."

Holly let out a sigh of relief. "Good... thank you."

"No problem. I'll talk to you later!" The older girl put on her greatest fake smile.

Holly took it and slightly smiled back. "Okay, bye." At the same time, they both closed the communicator.

Holly sighed in relief when she didn't have to be interrogated by Juliet anymore, but, unfortunately, Juliet would not give up. Juliet had the instincts of a bulldog.

"Hey! Holly!" Foaly yelled. "Time for you to test out my new simulator."

Holly groaned. Somehow, she knew that this simulation would not be as fun as the ones before.

"Miss Rule-Breaker! What's taking you so long?!" Foaly yelled. This was going to be the best simulation yet! No, it wouldn't terrify Holly. Let's just say it was a little Fowl...