Disclaimer: not mine...
Nadine's POV:
+ Meanwhile, 45 minutes ago. In the kitchen.
"Those two seemed busy, ah." Juliet said.
"Maybe that's the reason why Artemis is grinning all the time." Butler also said.
"You mean, they..." Juliet said as she slowly turning red. "... Did that?!"
"... That?!... Oh no. I don't think Artemis has the guts to do that."
"Hmm. Artemis is already young adult, who knows right. Those two are really my favorite couple." Juliet exclaimed while squealing.
"I don't think that's the reason why they are busy." I said and they both look at me.
"How come you say that?" Juliet asked.
"Just intuition." I said to them smiling. Of course, I know why they hurriedly left the dinner hall. Mom was tensed all of the time, Dad sensed it, and maybe they had an idea who am I really.
"Well your intuition sucks..." Juliet said to me and Butler and I just laugh.
"Oh, I will show you my old dresses. You'll love it. Let's go." Juliet exclaimed grabbing me by my hand dragging me to her room.
"Excuse us, Butler." I hurriedly say to him and he smiled at me.
We are in Juliet's room. I seat on of the room's chair facing the bed as she pulls her old shirts, dresses... I admit they are stylish and can improve with some remodeling on it. Hmm. Looks like I will have a collection here. Is she willing to give those to me? Oh Juliet. I can't carry those to future you know...
"This will all be yours, I hope you stay here longer for that. By the way how's your memory? Do you remember anything?"Now I need to give her new information about me.
"I remember, I can play board games and I live at a huge house like this."
"Really, like this? Then you must be a rich kid then. Do you know the address or any description to the house?"
"No. Not yet. I hope I remember soon." Faking self-pity, eww!
"You poor girl. Let's put them aside. Come here, choose." I stood up and go near the bed, try to fit and finally choose a 6 pair of shirts and pajamas.
"Okay, so you will use that for the time being then, you sure don't want the dresses?"
"I don't think someone would wear a dress when they won't go anywhere. That feels uncomfortable."
"I wish you could say that to Arty."
After that we left her room. Juliet and I carry the chosen clothes up to my room. I change and go on the living area. Then I saw Butler holding a card, more like an invitation for the card have this ribbon and everything girly in it. Then Butler saw me.
"What's that Butler?"
"An invitation from his friend. I'll go to his room or the office."
"Wait. Let me. You already cooked our breakfast. I guess it's my time to return the favor, for thanking you what you have done."
"By simply finding Artemis?" He raised his eyebrow, curiously looking at me.
"Yes. Just stay here." I only want to find out if they are contacting the present LEP for my issue being here. Then I go back upstairs I reached his room and open the door.
"Artemis, there's..." Oh, now I just have a jaw-dropped. Iris cam activates. I cleared my throat, if they think that I will close it. They're wrong. Let me spoiled the moment, shall we...
"There are two basic rules if you're going to do that." They fix themselves and sit in the bed. "First, lock the door." I reach behind the door knob and release the lock "Second, use contraceptives. You too don't want to have an unwanted child right." They only stared at each other.
"But I suggest you two should stick at kissing for the meantime. That thing you were about to do can wait." Then I was about to close when I hurriedly open again and said... "Butler is waiting for you in the living area. He has something for you. Better stand there and move." Then I closed and go back to the living area, I smirk at my thought, my parents were ones hormonal raging teenagers.
Artemis' POV:
Dianne closed the door. Silence roars in the room. We are simply shocked, then we looked at each other, we both smile and that smile turned to laugh.
"So how do you feel when you get some lecture on your daughter, Fowl? That sure helps." Holly said and still laughing.
"Very knowledgeable, and you should feel proud about it, Short." I said and kiss her. Then we got out of the room and go to the living room finding Butler, Juliet and Dianne sitting in there. We are holding hands when we arrived and suddenly Juliet squeal.
"They are holding hands! I knew they do it. I can feel it!"
"Maybe they are holding hands but that doesn't mean they do it! And if they do..."Butler said then turned to me. "... Congratulations, I hope you use some protection." Juliet and Dianne laugh. And I feel embarrassed. Did Dianne tell them what she saw?
"They didn't do it..." Dianne said and all of us looked at her. "... After all, they are close friends... Very... Close..." she said and gave us her vampire-like smile.
"Did that base on your intuition again?" Juliet asked her and she nodded. "Well, I suggest never use your intuition again because it sucks." Dianne just rolled her eyes.
"I believe you have something for me, Butler?" I break in, in the conversation.
"Yes. An invitation for you, from Miss Paradizo." I opened the letter.
'A special invitation for Mr. Artemis Fowl II. Come and join us to celebrate Ms. Minerva Paradizo's 18th birthday.'
That should be enough to learn the intention of the sender; the place is some hotel in Paris, France. Time is 8 in the evening; the celebration will be in two days from now. They also said that I'm able to take any acquaintances with me. Good.
"Tell them I'll go. I'll bring some acquaintances too." Then I looked at Holly and she smiled at me.
"Can I come too?" Dianne asked.
"You can't... Who will be your escort?" Some restrictions from a father.
"Butler. I'm sure he's coming too." Then she looks at Butler.
"He will come as my bodyguard." So this what it feels for a father?
"Please. I'll behave." Dianne clasped her hands together pleading.
"Why don't you?" Holly asked me.
"You looked like a family." Juliet let out a small laugh. We look like a family because we are! I just sighed.
"Why don't you fight for it?" We all looked at Juliet. "I mean the person who loses will follow the decision of the winner. What is the game you do the best?" She asked Dianne and me.
"Basketball." Dianne said. Oh no. I don't stand a chance in physical activities. Then Juliet turned at me.
"Chess, will do." No one defeats me in Chess.
"Well, Dianne said she can play board games..." Then Juliet turned to Dianne. "... Can you play chess?"
"Yes." I can't help but smile. She's my daughter after all. I feel pride.
"I suggest we play the chess, Artemis don't stand a chance in basketball, after all."
"Holly, I think your saying that at least I may have a slight chance to win the chess. You know no one can defeat me in there. And Juliet please get a chess board."
"Should we time it?" Juliet asked.
"No, I think..."
"Fine by me... Just don't go easy on me. I hate that because they think females are weak." Dianne said. And I looked at Holly she's smiling and I can feel she adored Dianne very much because of that.
+ After a few minutes.
"Okay, this chess battle purpose is for the celebration. If Artemis wins, Dianne will not go. If Dianne wins, that leaves Artemis one choice." Juliet finished.
"Remember..." Dianne said and looked at me in the eye. She was serious. "... Don't hold back."
"I won't..." By looking at her eyes, that's all I managed to say. I admit, her stare was intimidating.
+ After an hour of intense battle of wits, strategy... Juliet, Butler and Holly feel strange. They know Artemis didn't held back, he didn't go easy on Dianne, so the game shouldn't have to be one hour but it does. Even when Artemis fights Minerva in chess that didn't take them that long.
"Check mate." Then an unexpected happened, all of them became wide-eyed including Artemis. He lose. He looked at Dianne still wide-eyed. He has now mixed feelings. Pride, because his daughter defeat him. Anger, because the great Artemis Fowl was just defeated by his daughter. Jealousy, because he didn't know how his daughter defeat him. Happy, because he has a daughter like that. Sad, because someone already surpassed him. Excited, because he takes this as challenged and pushed him to strive more. And back again to Pride, because it's his daughter, his own flesh and blood who surpassed him.
"Monster..." A voice broke Artemis thoughts and all of them. It's Juliet. "... You defeated Artemis Fowl. Just who the hell are you?!" She said smiling wide at Dianne. Then someone's clapping. It's Butler.
"Congratulations Dianne. Looks like you're going to Paris."
"Well... Juliet, I will be needing your old dresses after all." Dianne said to Juliet.
"But those are old."
"That's okay. I will fixed it. Good as new and unique. I will also take Holly's measurement..." then he looked at Holly. "... If that's okay with you?"
"Ah... Yeah sure." Holly answered still can't believe that Artemis lose. And it's her daughter who made him lose. Correction... 'Their' daughter.
"Good. Then I think Juliet, please get all your old dresses and put them in my room and please give me the tools for sewing."
"Yes, my lord!" Juliet said and squealed drag Butler to help her.
Then in the living room left were Artemis, Holly and Dianne.
"How did you do it?" Artemis said, still in shocked.
"I don't know... Just playing." Dianne answered.
"Oh... Wow..." Holly said, still can't say anything, while Artemis looks at Dianne. He looks like he's looking at an unbelievable.
"Artemis, you know. Sometimes, even the strongest fails. You, me, Holly, Butler, Juliet... We're no exception on that rule. Just be thankful we didn't play basketball, or it will only lasts a minute." Dianne said smiling. She is currently feeling the Pride now. She's a Fowl after all. "Excuse me. I'll only get a drink."
Then Artemis and Holly were the only ones left in the living area. Silence fills the air.
» = Holly's POV: « = Artemis' POV:
» "Your daughter defeated you in game that supposed to be in your favor." I look at the chess board. Staring on how did Dianne wins.
« "Yes. Your daughter just defeated me." I look now at Holly and take her hand, then she looked at me. I see in her eyes the proud mother.
» "Our daughter defeated you." I smiled at him and kissed him. This day is too good to be true.
"How do you feel? Being lectured and defeated by your daughter in the same day, it must be hard..."
« "Not really, I feel proud. It never crossed my mind that someone will defeat me, and that someone was from me... From us. God, I love you..." Then I kissed her. I can control myself. This love keeps flowing on me.
» "I love you too." I kissed him again, then a voice disturb the ambiance.
"God! Get a room!" Juliet exclaimed to us. She's carrying her old dresses.
"Don't forget to use protection, Artemis." Butler also exclaimed. Now we're embarrassed that we only looked at the ground until they left.
« "Why is she using those old dresses? I can buy her new and more elegant than those." I asked Holly, then again another voice came.
"Don't be ridiculous. Buying and using clothes only once is wasting money. Do you know how many materials they are wasting if you buy clothes? Those old dresses are good enough, I can make them more elegant than you know, if elegance is the issue. I know something about fashion." Dianne lectured me again. Just whose parents did she got that attitude. By that she left the living area and go to her room. As of us, we have been left, dumbfounded.
» "Oh... Looks like you get another lecture." I can't stop laughing.
« "It's not funny." I can't stop grinning. "Just who do you think she get those attitude?"
» "Oh, attitude, it's on you. You love to lecture one another just like her."
« "No, I'm not. And that 'wasting money' thing, I think she get it from you. It's not wasting money, it's buying new and clean clothes."
» "Maybe, she's just responsible on money. Stop acting like a kid, you're not a kid anymore."
« "I'm not acting like a kid and I know I'm not a kid anymore. I'm a father now." And by that we just both laugh and spending time each other cuddling.
Nadine's POV:
I arrive at my room when I saw Juliet preparing the dresses and other tools while Butler is preparing the machine.
"Thank you for helping."
"No prob. What will you do now?"
"I may end up mix and match the colors or decrease the amount of the cloth in the dress put a new style then that's it."
"I'm sorry but I think what you will do is simple, I suggest we go buy new dress now."
"No, Butler. We won't buy new clothes. It may sound simple but simplicity is beauty so just wait for the outcome." I smiled to him and after that they leave the room. Finally, some work to do. Luckily, I defeated dad on the chess, not that I really want to come. I am really worried that something might happened on them there. Opal, after all is likely to strike when you didn't expect it. I need to guard them.