Procrastination in its purest form.
Edited 12.03.13 because apparently I decided punctuate blindly the first time round. Also, added a timeline, just in case there was confusion.
To Sleep, Perchance to Dream
"You need to sleep."
She snorted. "I'll sleep when I'm dead."
"Which will be sooner rather than later if you don't sleep."
As usual, she ignored him, turning her sore, red-rimmed eyes to the chrysalis. "Everything still going to plan?"
"You know it is, so go to sleep."
"Well, after that whole 'sixth toe' fiasco..." In a rare moment of weakness, she leaned her forehead on the cool glass of the tube.
He whinnied, insulted, his tail twitching in annoyance. "One little mistake... I told you, that's sorted now. We're 100% on schedule."
She sighed, her eyes drifting shut as she let more of her weight fall against the chrysalis. "I'm sorry. You're doing an incredible job, it's a miracle he's here at all."
"If you really wanted to apologise, you would go and get some sleep."
She pushed herself off the chrysalis and sagged into a nearby chair. "Alright, alright. I'll go. In a minute. I'm just going to sit here for bit, I think. Just for a minute. Only a minute."
He bit his lip, watching her eyelids flutter, trying desperately to stay open. "You need to sleep," he whispered.
"I know," she said, her own voice soft. "I know. I just... I don't want to. It's...when I sleep, I dream."
"About what?"
Her eyes opened fully, meeting his. "Happy things," she whispered.
"Well, what's wrong with that? A little cheer would do you a world of good, quite frankly."
She gave him wry, crooked smile, as if laughing at herself; as if laughing at something more painful than funny. "Yes, but see, it's not the dreaming that's bad, it's the waking up again."
He didn't have an answer for that.
Ten years later:
Artemis pressed the Ops booth intercom, stated his name, and was buzzed in immediately.
"Foaly," he smiled, leaning on the edge of a worktable.
"Mulch sneak you down again?" The centaur swung his swivel-chair around to face the human.
Artemis shook his head. "I have a visa this time. The Commander is in need of my services, much to his chagrin."
"Poor Trouble. Still, always nice to see you." Foaly smiled. "Though it's still a little strange to admit that."
Artemis' lips twitched. "No matter how many years go by."
Foaly shrugged, chuckling. "Old habits die hard. Especially with the People."
"Mm," Artemis agreed, watching Foaly through half-closed eyes. "Speaking of time passing, Foaly, I've been meaning to ask you something."
"Oh yes? I'm flattered." The centaur eyed the man with a vague unease.
Artemis smiled, showing his teeth. "I'm twenty-nine next month, Foaly."
"Happy birthday, but I'm not sure I follow."
"Look at me," Artemis gestured to himself. "Do I appear to be twenty-nine?"
"Well, you're kind of asking the wrong person here, Artemis. For us twenty-nine is all braces and bad skin."
The man sighed. "I look the same as I did when I came out of the chrysalis, Foaly, and you are well aware of the fact."
"Alright, well, sure, you do seem to be ageing well, but I did pump you full of vitamins and magic for six months before letting you loose on the world."
Artemis cocked an eloquent eyebrow.
Foaly rolled his shoulders, reaching for a carrot.
"Foaly, what did you do to me?"
"I don't know what you mean." He refused to meet Artemis' eyes.
"Foaly."
"Really, I -"
"Foaly."
The centaur ran a hand through his hair. "Okay, fine, let's say... let's say, hypothetically-speaking, that, perhaps, just maybe, your DNA was... altered... during the cloning process."
Artemis raised his other eyebrow to meet the first. "I had got that far by myself, Foaly. I want details."
Foally pinched the bridge of his nose. "Look, Artemis, while you were... gone... things weren't good. And by 'weren't good' I mean they were completely and utterly fucked."
"Would I be right in assuming that by 'things' you mean a diminutive ginger who would resent being referred to as a thing."
"You would."
"What exactly did you do?"
"Well," Foaly shrugged, "let's put it this way: if just one eye was enough to get you into trouble with an elf-sensitive spell, I wouldn't go jumping into any more any time soon if I were you. You've got a lot more than just an eyeball's worth these days."
"Ah." Artemis digested this quickly and quietly. After a moment he raised his head. "How long have I got, then?"
"At least five hundred, I'd say. Possibly a thousand, but that would be pushing it."
"And what if I don't want to live that long? Did you even consider that?"
"Well, you can always off yourself if you like." Foaly was joking, but his face quickly grew serious. "Artemis, believe me, I considered it long and hard. I like you, Mud Man. You're a friend. A good friend. But if I have to choose between you and her, I'm sorry, it's always going to be her. Every time. This may have been an amazingly dumb idea, but I was desperate. I was going for damage control, pure and simple."
"I never thought having my life extended would be considered 'damage control' by the People."
"Look, you weren't there for those six months. You have no idea. Not to mention, then there was still hope. You weren't necessarily gone for good. But what would happen sixty years down the road when you bit the dust for real? I'm sorry, but I'm not willing to find out. At least five hundred years is a life together. That's as much as anyone can hope for."
"And you didn't think to tell me? You didn't honestly believe I wouldn't notice an extra five hundred years, would you?"
Foaly looked uncomfortable. "No, but I thought I'd cross that bridge when I came to, if I had to come to it. It could've been passed off as a quirk in the procedure."
"Jesus, Foaly." It was Artemis' turn to run his hand through his hair.
"Look, Artemis, I'm -"
"I've wasted a decade!" The man flung his arms out wide.
"Prepared to accept the - sorry, come again?"
"A decade, Foaly, you fool. You should have told me sooner!"
"I...uh... what?"
"Do you honestly think I would have let Holly date that insipid elf from Retrieval if I had known I was going to live for centuries? Or made up pathetic excuses to keep her from spending her days off with me and not out with her co-workers? A decade, Foaly, a decade."
"I really don't think she'd take kindly to you saying you 'let' her date Finn."
Artemis waved this away impatiently. "I would have got rid of him if it had been necessary."
"I hope you mean that in a 'convinced her he was no good for her' way and not in a 'have him murdered and thrown in a magma chute' way."
"Of course. Well, I might have arranged for something embarrassing to happen to him in the LEP cafeteria." He paused, peering off into a corner. "In fact, I still might. Lately, he's been calling her when he's drunk. I dislike it."
"Right," said Foaly. "And how do you know he calls? Please tell me you haven't tapped her communicator."
"Of course not, she told me." Artemis tutted again. "Finally I'm in a position to tell her what I really think of the pig."
"Secretly, you're the jealous type, aren't you?"
Artemis smiled his vampire smile.
"You know," Foaly mused, "I always figured you two would do the whole 'star-crossed lovers' thing and get together despite the time limit."
Artemis grew serious once more. "I know that sounds romantic and uplifting when read about, but it's much harder in practice than in theory. Knowing that every happy moment is only going to make the heartbreak worse later on makes it rather difficult to enjoy oneself, I'm afraid. If it had been me left alone with so many years ahead of me and so few behind, then maybe I would have convinced her of it. But as it stood how on earth could I have done that? No, I discouraged it the moment I regained my memories and realised what was happening. Like you, I was aiming for damage control."
They were silent for a moment, both considering.
Artemis spoke first. "I only hope I haven't discouraged it too much. I really do loathe irony."
As if in response, the intercom rang, a familiar voice coming through the speakers. "Foaly, you in there?"
The occupants of the Ops booth smiled at each other. "Speak of the devil," said Artemis.
Foaly buzzed Holly through. The elf swept in, helmet under one arm, jacket over the other. "Just came by to say good morning, I'm done for the – Artemis. I... what are you doing down here?"
"Contract work. Your beloved Commander is in need of assistance."
"What, he needed you to entertain Foaly?"
Artemis smiled. "Unfortunately, no. But I thought it was only right that I make full use of my 24 hour visa."
"Oh." Her face fell slightly.
"I requested that Trouble not tell you," he explained. "I was going to surprise you. I thought I would ask if you wanted to see the latest installment of our movie franchise. I hear Skylar Peat has truly outdone herself this time."
Holly brightened at once. "Sure. If you'd rather, I can even get it on my home system. Unless you were hoping to run into your little fan club again," she smirked. "I hope you brought a felt tipped marker, if so. It can't be nice having one's breasts autographed in fountain pen."
Artemis looked slightly ill. "Your living room will be just fine, Major. I have no desire to sign any piece of fairy anatomy ever again, thank you very much." He came away from the table and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Shall we? I've got something I'd like to tell you."
"Something private?" she raised a mocking eyebrow.
"Something Foaly's already heard," he told her. His voice was light but something in his expression made the blood rise to her face. "Wouldn't want to bore him with a repeat performance."
She glanced back at Foaly. The centaur waved a hand. "You two go on. I'm almost done here anyway."
"Do you want to come too?" she asked. "We can wait."
"Gods, no," said Foaly. "Three's a crowd, Holly."
"Foaly, don't be -"
"Trust me, Holly. Tonight, three's definitely one too many."
"What on earth are you two up to?" she wondered aloud. But she didn't resist as Artemis led her out into the hall. As they walked away, she glanced up to find he was still watching her. His blue were eyes soft and dark, the way they were when she caught him looking at her when he thought she wouldn't see. This time, however, he didn't look away, but held her gaze, his smile growing.
