Ok next chapter kind of short but I probably wont have something up for a while and I didn't want anyone killing me. stupid ap testing and finals-_-

Chapter 9

"Are you going to eat that or just stare it into submission?" I asked Artie who just kept glaring at her waffles.

"Depends. Are you going to stop being a passive aggressive bitch for two seconds?"

"No."

"Well then you have your answer." She said and stabbed at her food.

"What has you all done up in knots?" I asked while cutting up my own food.

"Wow what had me done up in knots?" She said while pitching her voice higher,"How about we've been here for a week and no one has came for us yet? Or that I feel like I'm being watched 24/7? Or even, and stay with me on this one, we can be in a whole heap of trouble if you're not where you're suppose to be in just a handful weeks?" She finished with a hiss. I took a bite of my waffle while I stared at her.

"We have plenty of time I think. As for the rest how about you relax a bit? Take a walk in the woods or shoot some targets with that bow and arrow they were so kind to provide you." She was about to respond with a no doubt biting remark when Liz, Hellboy, the twins, and Nuala came to sit with us. I'd noticed Nuada never ate in the dinning room with the rest of the agents and staff. He usually just came in grabbed what he wanted and went somewhere else to eat, where exactly I didn't know.

"Hey whats up?" Liz asked.

"I'm going to bludgeon someone to death if everyone doesn't leave me alone." Artie said. I rolled my eyes and said I was fine. We ate for a minute and made small talk. I was playing pick-a-boo with the twins when I saw Nuada come in from the corner of my eye. I felt Artie tense up and looked up at her to see the famous albeit slight there-and-gone smirk. I frowned at her and was glad that Nuada told me about their deal.

"Brother." Nuala called and he looked at her.

"I don't know why you bother he never comes over." Liz said.

"Well looks like he's coming over today." Hellboy said. I looked up to see that he was coming over to our table and I saw Artie's smirk widen further. I sighed and prepared to do my worst to protect my end of the bargain. Nuala seemed glad and motioned for him to sit next to her. Unfortunately the only space next to her was directly across from me. He sat down and caught my eye for a second and gave a there-and-gone smirk eerily similar to Arties...Was he testing me?

"It's nice to have you over here for a change." Artie said as she picked up her fork and knife.

"I'm sure we haven't really got the chance to talk since you were caught."...He is testing me. Artie bristled and glared at him.

"Hey has anyone seen these new rules Manning has out?" Liz said quickly changing the subject after she sensed then danger. Everyone, picking up the hint, spent several minutes talking about them and thankfully Artie didn't say anything else. I stayed on alert searching for any sudden movements on her part but she was behaving perfectly. Frankly it made me suspicious.

"Abe over here." Nuala said as he entered the room.

"Wonderful the fish-man." Nuada said.

"Brother please."

Abe smiled and came to sit on her other side. I smiled and said hello to him before I noticed the change in Nuada's mood. He kept glaring at the pair and stopped teasing Artie. I smiled a little bit. I guess he was a little jealous of his little sisters boyfriend. He caught the look on my face and glared at me. At that point I found out how short of a leash Artie had put him on when she took her knife and made a move towards him.

"Hey Artie lets go to the library!" I said and grabbed the back of her shirt successfully driving it into her windpipe. I dragged her out of her chair while she choked and gasped for air and said my goodbyes to everyone.

"What the hell what that for!" She said when I finally let her go.

"A glare really? That's all it takes."

"What are you taking about?"

"Your deal with Nuada."

"Uh stupid gossipy elf." She said with a scowl.

"Well its a good thing he is we can't go killing people willy dilly."

"Willy nilly and why not?"

"Because it's not right! And it will be a lot easier to get out of here if they don't think we're homicidal maniacs." She just scoffed at me.

"It would be a lot easier to do just that." I sighed in exasperation.

"Fine then have it your way but if you kill anyone I'm not going back."

"You have to go back you idiot. You're not going to do anything."

"Try me." I held her gaze for a long time.

"Fine! I'll think about it." She said after a while. I smiled a bit in triumph and she ignored it.

"We're not really going to the library are we?" I smiled at her and grabbed her shirt collar again.

"What was that about?" Liz said.

"Who knows." Red said. I watched Penelope and Artie disappear around the corner and turned back to the rest of the group. Apparently I was the only one to notice her try to kill me. At least I found out that I could count on Penelope. I smiled inwardly at Arties' expression as she was dragged away to whatever she had in store for her. I wonder what she'll do to her.

"Oh you found it." Nuala's voice drew my attention. The fish had found her a book she had been looking for and she was rewarding him with a hug and kiss, absolutely sickening. By my royal blood I hate him perhaps I could add a little amendment to my deal just for him. I shook off the dark thought before Nuala could pick up on it. I couldn't do it anyway the fish was to important to her. I got up and threw my trash in the garbage before heading off to train in the woods. I made my way to the clearing near the west side of the lake where I usually train. When I got there I saw Penelope sitting on a fallen tree.

"That was kind of cute." She said when I was in hearing distance.

"What?"

"Just like a father staring down his daughters prom date." She giggled with a sound like silver bells,"You're the epitome of a over-protective big brother."

"Is there a reason you're here?"

"Snippy aren't we? Just fixing that." Before I could ask what she meant she had placed her hand over my heart and the familiar feeling of her presence entered my mind. Images of the fish-man flashed briefly in my mind as she added different emotions. She finished and pulled back leaving me confused and slightly lightheaded.

"What did you do to me?"

"I altered you're perception of Abe by adding positive emotions to existing memories. It harder to do than the altering I did on you before but with the dinning room incident I think it might be necessary." She said while helping me sit down,"And I like your sister."

"What does that have to do with anything?" I said scowling.

"She likes him a lot you know."

"Yes I know I can see."

"And she wants you to like him too. She cares about the both of you and just wants you two to get along. Try a bit with him who knows you might actually like hanging out together." I raised an eyebrow at her.

"I highly doubt that."

"Whatever you want I guess I'm just saying Nuala would really like it if she didn't have to worry about you and Abe. Do you need any help getting back you'll be a little wobbly."

"I'm fine."

She sighed,"You won't be able to train for a while so there no point in staying out here."

"All I want its peace and quiet for a while." She held up her hands in a surrender gesture.

"By the way I'm going to have to renew the alter until it sets in better,so plan ahead for that." She turned and left to do whatever the hell she does, at this point I didn't give a damn. The lightheadedness was turning into a skull splitting headache. I rubbed the space between my eyes. Maybe its not such a good idea to have her rifle through my mind so much even if its to help with my little problem.

"Are you ok?" I looked up to see the devil himself.

"I'm fine Abe." I said. He seemed shocked for a second.

"What?" I said irritably.

"Uh sorry I just wasn't sure you knew my name wasn't fish-man."

"Of course I know your name." I stood up but my body decided it was much to fast for its liking and I stumbled a bit. Abe reached for my arm to steady me.

"Are you sure you're ok?"

"Yes it just Penelope-" I bit my tongue to keep from telling him what happened.

"Penelope what?" I silently cursed myself for the slip up.

"Nevermind thank you." This time we were both shocked. I didn't feel angry or annoyed at him for once. I was more or less indifferent to his presence and I was thanking him.

"I need to get back." I said abruptly and left as fast as I could. I glanced at the clock in the kitchen as I walked through the back door and saw that it wasn't even noon yet. I decided to go to the library and see if I could find Penelope to do something about this headache that had worked its way to behind my right eye. I found the room empty but went up the stairs to the landing where they kept a few tables in the back. I found a book I had been meaning to read and made myself comfortable. After a while I heard someone coming up the steps. The footsteps were light and fast, it must have been her.

"My head is killing me you could have warned me."

"Warned you about what?" Nuala asked as she climbed the rest of the steps.

"Sorry I thought you were someone else." I was really slipping if I couldn't even recognize my own sisters footsteps. She just smiled at me and it was nice I couldn't remember the last time she smiled at me like that.

"What?"

"Thank you for being civil to Abe." I rolled me eyes. Of course that's what this is about, strangely I couldn't bring myself to anger over it. Penelopes' alter at work no doubt. She sat by me and touched my hand and I saw her flinch.

"What happened to you Brother?" She said bringing her hand to my temple which was starting to ache.

"It's nothing." She told me to shut up while she got some medicine. I continued sitting while she fluttered about getting things it was highly amusing and I caught myself chuckling a few times. Nuala stayed with me till the worst of the ache subsided.

"I don't understand why I can't feel this unless I touch you."

"I'm sure it's nothing it doesn't even hurt anymore."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes I'm sure. How about you go spend time with Abe I might take a nap you know how medicine makes me drowsy." I stood up and stretched and almost missed the look on her face.

"Are you absolutely sure you're ok?" She said.

"Yes I'm fine." I said,"I just need some sleep. I see you at dinner." She got up to hug me, an activity we hadn't done in quite some some time, and I left. About halfway to may room I figured out why she was so shocked.

Did I just willingly let her hang out with Abe?...I think I needed to have a talk with a certain unidentifiable female creature.