Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon unit slammed a fist down on her desk.
No! her mind screamed. It can't be right!
She ran a hand through her spiky auburn hair and sighed.
"Thinking about the Mud Boy again Holly?" Foaly asked wickedly. He trotted through the doorway of Holly's office, grinning.
"No!" Holly exclaimed. "I don't go dreaming about Mud Boys in my spare time, Foaly."
Foaly laughed. "Sure you don't, Holly. We all know you love him."
Holly threw him a disgusted look. "Not likely, Foaly. I don't go for the kidnapping type."
Foaly rolled his eyes. "The day you admit it will be better for all of us- especially your desk. Look at the poor thing, dents all over it! Besides, if you don't like him, why did you kiss him when you left?"
Holly coloured slightly. "You weren't even there, Foaly- how would you know?"
The centaur laughed. "No 1 and I are good buddies these days." he whispered confidingly.
Holly debated slapping him and decided against it. "Shut up, pony," she growled, sounding almost like the deceased Commander Julius Root.
Foaly shrugged. "If that's the way you're gonna be then, Holly. I'll see you later." She's so in denial.
Holly made sure he had walked out and was a good distance away before she slammed her head down on the desk. Was it true?
She felt a phantom tingle on her lips at the memory of the kiss, right after she'd saved his life. What had he said again? "Eh... that was unexpected." That was it. But surely that urge to kiss him had come from her confused teenage hormones... And what she'd said later "What if I'm stuck like this? That wouldn't be so bad, would it?"
He had never answered that question. And then he'd told her the truth about his lies.
Holly remembered the disappointment washing over her like a tidal wave. She remembered blinking the tears back and vowing I can't ever trust him again. Ever.
But she had. He'd made it up to her and now they were back in their own time.
And now Foaly was saying she loved Artemis. Could it be true?
No. No. It was illegal for a human/elf relationship anyway, she'd lose her job. And besides, Artemis was a criminal. Or had been, at least.
And he, she thought with some bitterness, had Minerva anyway.
"D'Arvit!" she swore loudly. Life was surely not meant to be this confusing.
She shook her head firmly and got up. There was no use thinking about something that would and could never be.
But as she walked out, her lips tingled...