Sorry about the wait (again). I've had more homework this quarter, and I wasn't sure about this chapter. This one is basically transitioning from what happens in the caves to what happens after. I didn't think I could just skip to them being at the academy, but I couldn't think of much to happen. Hopefully it's not too bad.

A special thanks goes to Dragonfly999 for her encouragement and advice on this chapter. It really did help!

Me: My sister owns the caves, Eoin Colfer owns Artemis Fowl and all recognizable characters, I own Rowan, Fiona and Zarshalla.

Zarshalla: (forming a fireball) No one owns me, human!

Me: Um…yeah, you guys heard her.

Chapter Ten

Heading Home

"She did that on purpose," Rowan muttered as he and Holly walked back through the tunnels.

"Of course she did," Holly nearly laughed as she remembered the look on Rowan's face when the others had reentered the room. She was pretty sure he had been about to kiss her and she was annoyed at her relatives for interrupting. It would probably take him ages to get up the nerve to try again. "Do you think we have been gone long enough? I always lose track of time in here," she wondered.

Rowan shrugged, "Who cares? You proved your point, those stories seem pretty silly now."

"Well, like I said, there are dangers here. You shouldn't come in on your own, I'm not sure how many of the rules I'm allowed to tell you. I probably don't know all of them anyway."

"Alright, Princess,"

Holly groaned, "I do hope your are not going to make a habit of that."

Rowan gave her that mischievous grin, "Who says I have to tell anyone why I call you that?" Holly would have continued to argue the point, but she started to wonder what other reasons he could have to call her "princess."

Eventually they came to the area with the stream and the forest where they had met Caleb. The light was streaming in from directly overhead now, though the branches of the tress provided enough shade to keep the elves cool. The light filtering through the leaves cast a green glow over the area. It looked like a magical forest in a fairy tale, a human might have expected their classic image of fairies to appear, or one disguised as an old woman to ask for a crust of bread. Why a fairy would do such a thing just for the sake of either rewarding or punishing a human Holly had never understood. They didn't speak as they passed through the area, it seemed to demand silence. It wasn't long before they were through it.

Holly kept a firm hold on Rowan's arm as they passed the deceptive surface exit. She was afraid he would try for it again. He didn't, thank Frond, but Holly didn't relax until it was well behind them.

Finally they came to the entrance they had used. They paused when they could see it, but before they could see out of it. Holly looked at Rowan, "Ready?" she asked. He nodded. She snapped her fingers and the torches instantly went out, just as if a strong wind had blown through the tunnel, though the air was still. They stepped out and were met by a shocked Zarshalla.

"You lived! " she hissed.

"What did I tell you? Piece of cake," Holly said smugly.

"But no one survives the Murderous Caves!"

"Obviously we did," Rowan pointed out.

Zarshalla looked around and licked her eyeballs nervously, as if she expected the horrors of the caves to leap out and attack her.

"On the bright side you don't owe me anything. It was a dare, not a bet," Holly said cheerfully.

"Not possible!" the goblin hissed and ran away on all fours.

"Sore loser," Holly muttered.

"Aren't all goblins?"

"Good point." With that they started the walk back to academy having one of those conversations that people enjoy while they have them, but can never remember afterwards.

Holly got into her dorm room just as the communicator beeped. Rowan stood uncertainly in the doorway as she answered it.

As usual Fiona's image appeared.

"Hey, Fifi," Holly said a bit more cheerfully than usual.

"Hello, Hollypop. How…" Fiona started to answer. Then she saw Rowan. "Oo, hello, what's your name?"

Holly turned to see Rowan looking ready to bolt. "Fiona! That's Rowan, the guy who's been helping me with my flying."

"Well you didn't tell me he was that adorable!"

"I'll just go," Rowan muttered and slipped out the door.

Holly turned her attention back to her embarrassing sister. "You are so lucky you are on the surface right now!"

"Well excuse me for thinking your boyfriend's hot!"

"He is not my boyfriend."

"Okay, if you won't take him I will."

"No you won't!"

"Oh, so he is yours!"

"No, he isn't. Why does it matter so much anyway?"

"Because I don't see you devoting your whole life to the job. You seem more like the type that would go for the impossible romance."

Holly rolled her eyes, "Seeing as that turned out so well for Aunt V."

Fiona tilted her head to one side as if to study her sister, "No, you wouldn't give up so easily. You would do whatever it took, even if it got you exiled."

"How is dating a guy going to the same academy as me going to get me exiled?"

"Ha! You just admitted you're dating!"

Holly groaned, this could go on for hours.

"How did she do?" Grub asked when Rowan came into their dorm room. The room was surprisingly neat, considering two single guys lived in it. This was the result of the fact that one of them was Grub. Rowan had long since decided that it was better to put his things where they belonged himself, otherwise Grub would and he would never be able to find anything. He often accused Grub of being obsessive-compulsive, which the other elf always denied.

Rowan's response to Grub's question was a classic, "Huh?"

"You said you were helping Holly with her flight skills."

"Oh, right. She did fine."

"That's not what you were doing," Grub stated bluntly. Rowan just stood there wondering if "guilty" was plastered across his face. He was going to have to work on that. "You know, just because I can't get a girlfriend doesn't mean you can't talk about yours."

"She's not my girlfriend!" Rowan blurted too quickly.

"But you do like her," it wasn't a question. Rowan sat on his bed without a word. Was it really that obvious? "Yes," Grub said simply.

Rowan blinked at his roommate in surprise. He had no doubts about what question Grub was answering. "Are you telepathic?"

"Of course not. It just seemed like you were wondering if it's really that obvious that you like Holly and it is."

Rowan stretched out on his bed and stared at the rock ceiling, making patterns from the cracks. So he liked Holly. So what? There was nothing wrong with liking a member of his own species. As long as she didn't get in his way.

Thanks for reading! Remember if you review you get fudge, if not Artemis has finished repairing my Dalek.

Dalek: (shooting random air molecules) EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!

Me: (ducking) Artemis Fowl the Second! I thought you said you fixed it, not made it worse!

Artemis: It is alien technology, even I had a hard time figuring it out so I got Foaly to help me. Blame him.

Foaly: What! You know it's not so easy considering there's actually a living creature in there!

Me: Oh, is that what the problem is?

Artemis and Foaly: You didn't know that?

Me: Um…no?

Artemis: That is it! Maybe I can get some intelligent conversation from Davros.

Me: But he's evil!

Artemis: Oh well.

Thanks and prayer,

RAHbooks