Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognise - the Fowls, Lord of the Flies, even Ellen Builder the nanny - and nor would I want to, otherwise they wouldn't be as fantastic as they are now. I do, however, own Quinn and her friends.

Quick note: The word 'lashers' is one made up by me (I think), and by extension Quinn and her friends, to talk about parties where there will be alcohol without adults realising.


There is absolutely no point, Quinn thought to herself rather than listen to Patty, in the last week of school.

Her classmates were throwing paper planes, talking loudly about their summer plans, texting on phones which were above desk level, and a couple of girls were reapplying make up. Mrs Wagg wasn't trying to control them, preferring to read an OK! magazine; at this point, she was only there to stop the classroom from turning into Lord of the Flies.

An obnoxious boy with too much gel in his hair named Evan suddenly sprawled himself out on the desk between Quinn and Patty, cutting off the latter girl's rant about her family.

"Do you mind?" she asked coldly.

"Not at all." Evan smirked at her and then turned to Quinn. He raised an eyebrow in what he must have thought was a seductive manner, but really just made him look like an idiot. "So, got any plans for the summer, babe? My folks are gone a-a-a-all month." He winked at her and, as if he needed to make his meaning clearer, thrust his pelvis into the air a couple of times.

Quinn snorted. They had gone on one bad date and had one sloppy kiss, and now he thought himself a real Casanova.

"Not even in your dreams," she retorted.

"Oh, baby," Evan moaned. "Your words wound me, right here." He laid a hand over his heart, and then pushed himself up and went back over to his rowdy mates.

Quinn muttered a very nasty name under her breath, glaring at the desk so she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of looking at him.

About ten minutes from the end of the year, a friend of Quinn's to whom she wasn't particularly close called Jessica came over to talk to Patty and Quinn; the rest of the group followed.

"Heya, girls," she greeted as if they hadn't just spent lunch at the chippy.

"Hi Jess."

"Hey."

"Either of you up for partyin' tonight? My cousin's friend in sixth year is throwin' one." She winked at them conspiratorially. "His folks are in Dublin for the week so there'll be no adults and plenty a' booze."

"Sounds like a blast," Quinn said. "Though I'm still grounded so it all depends if I can sneak out or not."

"Chances?"

"Slim." Quinn pulled a face. "Since those twins came in, I've been rooming with Libby."

Levi snorted and called Libby a horrible name, and Quinn had to swallow back a biting defense. Sure, she didn't like Libby for being a goody-two-shoes and working hard, but she couldn't blame the girl for wanting to get away from the orphanage. They didn't exactly have lots of money.

"What about you, Patty?" Jess asked.

"Male prospects?"

"Hot, older guys."

"Then count me there!"

Patty and Jess started talking about the party, and Levi turned to Quinn.

"I really hope you can come, she said insincerely. "It just won't be the same without you."

"I'm sure it won't. But as long as you try to have fun, right?" Quinn raised an eyebrow and smiled innocently at Levi, who bared her teeth in an aggressive grin.

"Yeah, but there is other parties at least," Joel piped up, ignoring the atmosphere. "I got plenty of people I know who can throw a lasher."

Quinn shrugged. "Actually, I'm not here for most of the holiday."

"Why?" Levi asked.

"I'm out of town."

"Yeah but why? You're poor as feck."

Quinn almost snapped, but then reminded herself she'd be the richest kid in the school by the end of the summer.

Not that any of them would know.

"I don't think that's any of your business," Quinn said stiffly.

"I think you're not saying because you've gone soft," Levi sneered. "I don't think you can handle all-night lashers any more."

"Actually, Quinn's got a boyfriend," Patty said, suddenly joining their conversation. She met Quinn's eye and raised her eyebrows, telling the red-headed girl to go along with it.

"Yeah," she agreed reluctantly.

"In Dublin," Patty added. "Which is why she's going out of town."

"Ohmygod, Quinny, that's so wicked!" Jess squealed. "Tell me everything."

About my fake boyfriend or every fact of the universe itself? Quinn thought sarcastically. Out loud, she said, "There's not really much to tell."

"Come o-o-o-on! There've gotta be some juicy details. How did you meet? Is he hot? Have you had sex yet?"

"Some club in Dublin when I went there a couple of weeks ago. Very hot: black hair, blue eyes, about yea high." She held her hand about four inches above her head. "No, we have not had sex."

Jess' eyes lit up. "Oh I see. You're gonna have sex this summer. Brilliant!"

Quinn rolled her eyes.

"What club was it?" Levi asked.

"I dunno. Spider or Snake or Scorpion or maybe some kind of insect."

Joel looked at her strangely. "Isn't spiders an insect?"

"Spiders are arachnids, ya gobshite," Levi scoffed.

"Well, sorry we're not all Science nerds."

"What?"

The bell went and the class was too busy escaping to cheer. Quinn breathed a sigh of relief. Thank god she wouldn't have to listen to an argument.

In the corridor, she let the other students get between herself and her friends - she just couldn't be bothered with Levi's snark or Patty's inevitable questions or Jess' peppiness or Joel's idiocy. She wasn't even all that fussed about missing the party. Honestly, she'd never really liked parties, especially lashers; she'd only ever gone along with it so she wouldn't become a school pariah like Libby, which was the same reason why she never had more than three beers. Or had sex. Naomi was the only one who knew she was making up her drinking habits and sex life.

That night as she was lying in bed, she realised the fake boyfriend she'd described was Artemis Fowl the Second, and she laughed herself to sleep.


For the next five days, every waking moment brought about an hourly emotional change: nervous about her first day; kicking herself for going in the first place; worried she'd be a bad nanny; anxious about seeing Artemis again; euphoric she'd pulled it off; excited to hang out with the twins; and then the cycle would start all over again.

On the sixth day, a car arrived for Quinn at half past four in the morning. She had a little over a week's worth of clothes and a couple of things to do in a suitcase, so, still mostly asleep, she dragged the suitcase to the car, flopped into the backseat, and fell back to sleep.

When she awoke again a couple of hours later, she realised that she was not in a limo and felt a little bit disappointed. Limos were fun; she never got bored of them. This car was a five-seater sedan (was that a Ford logo on the steering wheel?) but with a custom leather interior and a balding chauffeur in the driver seat.

"We will arrive at Fowl Manor in approximately an hour and forty-five minutes, Miss Murphy," the driver suddenly said, startling Quinn; she hadn't realised he'd noticed she was awake.

"O-okay. Thank you."

The driver nodded. Quinn wondered what his name was. Phil? Stewart? Eoin? He looked like an Eoin, she decided.

But she didn't say anything. Maybe if she met him again she'd make conversation, but right now she had a new Zelda game to play.

It was, in fact, a little over two hours before they reached the avenue leading to Fowl Manor. Quinn put away her game to look at the drive - she was able to fully appreciate the scenery now she wasn't skating up it - and straightened up her hair and clothes. Well, she did have to look presentable, even if she would end up dirty later.

The car stopped at the bottom of the steps. Quinn stared up at the doors, butterflies fluttering in her stomach. It took the driver saying "This way, Miss" to get her moving. She saw he was carrying her suitcase and was relieved; she probably would have dropped.

The driver opened the door and left the suitcase inside, nodded to Quinn, and then left again. He closed the door behind him, and Quinn was alone.

For a second of panic, she couldn't remember what Mr Fowl had said. But then she remembered she had to go to her room, report to Mr Fowl, and then officially begin her job.

She grabbed her suitcase and started pulling it to the stairs. To get to her room.. what was it? Left at the top of the stairs, third corridor on the left? That sounded about right. The playroom was almost at the end of the corridor, and she would ask Ellen which was her bedroom.

But then Myles and Beckett came running out of the family room covered in paint, quickly followed by a not-nearly-as-messy Ellen, putting an end to her thoughts.

"Quinn, you're here!" Myles shouted.

He grabbed onto her leg and, when he caught up, Beckett did too. Quinn blinked, surprised at their affection. They'd only met her for a few hours weeks ago. How had they become to attached already?

"They've really been looking forward to seeing you," Ellen said.

"I can tell." Quinn let go of her suitcase and patted both boys on the back. Was she allowed to hug them? Mr Fowl hadn't said she couldn't...and there would be times when she'd have to pick them up...

She crouched down and scooped them both into her arms, paint be damned.

"Come and paint with us," Beckett said, pulling on her hand.

"In a minute, little man. I've got to go put my stuff in my room first."

"Okay."

Quinn smiled at him and ruffled his hair as she stood up.

"I've left your bedroom door open," Ellen told her as she started pushing the boys back to the playroom. "And Mr Fowl's office is left at the stairs, first door on the right."

Quinn nodded. "Thanks, Ellen." She picked up her suitcase again. "I'll be back as quick as I can."

Twenty-five minutes later, Quinn had quickly explored her room, laid out her toiletries, tied back most of her hair, and had checked in with Mr Fowl. She stopped at the top of the stairs, and looked right, where she remembered Ellen saying Artemis' bedroom was.

She wondered if he was home. Where would he be? He didn't seem the type to hide in his room all summer. Might he be hanging out with a rich date? Quinn laughed out loud; he didn't seem the type to date either, girl or boy.

Well, she'd probably end up seeing him at lunch anyway. What kind of mission would this be if she never even saw the subject? She and Ellen were allowed to eat with the family, mainly just so they could clean up the twins, but it was eating with the family all the same. She wondered if mealtime would be anything like the Cuddihys.


The family room was large and had expensive-looking paintings on the walls. They were probably original hundreds-year-old oil paintings, not the cheap water pencils that adorned the walls of the orphanage. The furniture was probably expensive and old too, although it was all covered in white plastic sheets. The same sheets protected a ten foot patch of the laminated floor, although it was covered in paper, paintbrushes and paint. Beckett and Myles were both wearing pants, T-shirts and sleeves aprons.

Quinn knelt down on a clean spot and clapped her hands together. "Alright, gang. What are we doing?"

"Painting!" the boys declared simultaneously.

"Ah, I love painting."

"Me too."

"Me three."

Ellen laughed.

They were still painting two hours later. Quin and Ellen both had sizable stacks of pictures given to them by the twins, and there was a third pile of pictures for Mr and Mrs Fowl and Artemis. Ellen had written on the backs what the pictures were supposed to be and who drew them, even though Myles' pictures were more accurate.

"Ellen, I'm hungry," Beckett said, resting his loaded paintbrush on his legs. He'll be having a bath tonight, Quinn thought.

"Ellen, I'm hungry too," Myles decided. He leaned into his most recent, still wet painting.

"You'll be having lunch in a bit."

"But I'm hungry now," Myles complained while Beckett made a pathetic whining noise. Quinn was impressed at Ellen's resistance; she would probably have cracked under the twins' impressive identical pouts.

"Quinn, can I have something to eat?" Myles asked.

Quinn looked around, feeling a little flustered. "Uh, sorry boys, Ellen already said no."

"Pleeeeeeeease."

"How many times do we have to tell you to listen to Ellen?" said a new voice from the door.

"Artemis!" the twins shouted. They abandoned their brushes, ran over and began to beg him for food. He gave them an absolutely final no and, to Quinn's surprise, the twins fell silent. Granted, they sat back down on the mat and sulked, but still, they had stopped asking.

With butterflies in her stomach, Quinn looked up at the boy she was essentially stalking. But Artemis wasn't looking at her as he walked over to the mat and joined his younger brothers. Quinn felt her muscles relax, and was surprised to realise she couldn't pinpoint when they'd tensed.

"Will you be joining us today, Master Fowl?" Ellen asked. Artemis nodded, and then looked up. Quinn's heart thudded in her chest and her palms went clammy, but when he met her eyes, his cool, almost indifferent expression didn't change. "Ah, Master Fowl, this is the assistant nanny I was telling you about, Quinn Murphy. Quinn, this is Beckett and Myles' older brothers, Artemis Fowl the Second."

"Yes, we have already met," Artemis said, his tone unchanging, and nodded politely at her.

Quinn nodded back, her facial muscles refusing to smile, and also refusing to talk. She and Artemis continued to look at each other and, even though his expression stayed the same, she was sure they were having some sort of battle, or maybe he was judging her character - who would look away first? Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Ellen's questioning look, and the twins had restarted painting, impervious to the atmosphere.

"Um, you're looking well, uh, Master Fowl," Quinn said after what felt like hours, still looking into his eyes. They were fascinating, really; a deep blue, so dark they created the illusion of blue across his irises and pupils. Also fascinating was that she couldn't read anything in them: his eyes were totally blank.

But it was because she was looking so intently at his eyes that Quinn saw the minuscule changes in his expression: the slight crease in his forehead; the subtle upturn of his eyebrows; the tightening of his eyes.

"Thank you, Miss Murphy," he replied, and turned back to the twins. Quinn looked away as well, feeling a little disorientated, as if she'd had one drinks too many and had found herself outside. She glanced at Ellen, who looked back at her with a question in her eyes: What had just happened?

Well, Ellen, Quinn thought, that's a damn good question.


Hooray, Artemis is back! What has it been, two chapters? Well, even though we saw hardly anything of him, I hope you liked it. :)

So sorry this took longer than two weeks! Which brings me to a change of schedule: I will only be able to update once a month. So, on the last day of every month (this one included) I will put up another chapter!

I have a question for you guys: How many chapters would you like in this story? You can have either 40 including random chapters with no importance to the story, all the way to 31 chapters which is getting rid of all those superfluous chapters. You can either let me know in a review or vote on the poll on my home page. :) (This poll will be up until January so take your time!)

Thank you so much for giving this story your wonderful support! I appreciate every single one of you. *hearts*