"Yes, I understand. Goodbye, sir." Butler hung up the phone, ending the conversation in which he had told Mr. and Mrs. Fowl that their son was now comatose.

"What? You left our little Arty alone?" Angeline had yelled into the phone.

"He was with Juliet." He explained, "But -ahem, Juliet had also.."

"Oh." Angeline softened on him. But Artemis Senior didn't. "You were HIS bodyguard!"

Butler apologized, "You have no one to blame but me."

"Damn straight! We're coming over immediately, we'll arrive in an hour. By that time I want your bags packed and ready to leave."

Butler's emotions left him, "Yes, I understand. Goodbye, sir." And he hung up.

Holly lowered her shield and hovered over Butler's shoulder. "What did they say?"

Butler shook his head, "We need to get to the bottom of this-" But he was cut off by the sudden pop of light bulbs and electronics throughout the house. "What the-"

A spark of life came to the intercom and a sinister laugh filled the mansion.

Both Holly and Butler reflexively reached for their weapons.

"No need for that." An American voice tsked at them, "But if it makes you feel more at ease, then by all means."

"Spiro?" Holly wondered, recognizing the voice.

"Yes, little girl. It is Jon Spiro, and I'm going to make you all pay for what you've done to me."

"Show yourself!" Butler roared, swinging his gun around to cover all entry points to the living room.

"But what would be the fun in that? I have an idea, let's play hide and seek, on a national scale. I'll hide, you seek. If you can find me, then I won't have Artemis killed. But if you take too long, your Master Artemis runs out of time. I'd say about a week? Good luck." Spiro cackled and then disconnected.

Morrigan wandered downstairs looking around for Mikhail, "Miki?" But he wasn't in the living room, rather there was a girl sleeping on the couch with a guy also asleep underneath her. She moved on to the kitchen and looked for him there, but another guy had nodded off beside the oven, cradling a glass bottle. She opened the fridge and grabbed herself a cup of orange juice, she thought about last nights events and wondered, Am I going crazy?

No.

Startled, Morrigan jumped and dropped her cup, the orange liquid spilled onto the floor. She turned around, "Is someone there?"

Not quite. Artemis answered. Still comatose, a nurse entered his room and wiped his forehead with a warm rag. But in his mind he resided in the theoretical room, the tv that connected him to the outside world was turned on, this time with sound and visual. For that he was a bit more grateful. He could see all Morrigan could see and hear what she heard.

"Am I insane?" Morrigan asked, mostly to herself. But Artemis answered anyway, "No. This-"

"Then why am I hearing voices? Or is this just the one, from last night?" Morrigan kept her voice low, for the sleeping boy on the floor who was beginning to wake up.

"Would you let me explain? There isn't much time." Artemis exclaimed impatiently.

When Morrigan hushed (even though she found it a bit absurd that she was listening to a little rude voice in her head) he continued, "I told you last night what happened over the year you were missing, so.. at some point through our ordeal, there must've been a psychic bond. And that's how we're able to speak this way today. I need you to do something for me," He began, forming his sentences slowly for her benefit.

"Is this what schizophrenia feels like?!" Morrigan worried. Now I'm even more of a freak. She despaired.

"No you're not, Morri." Artemis said to her.

"Of course you would say that, you're me." She replied. She rubbed her head worriedly. "I shouldn't have lied to my mom, I shouldn't have come here. I need to leave." She turned and left the kitchen.`

"Morrigan, no! I need you to help me!" Artemis pleaded.

Morrigan didn't reply to him, she quietly hurried up the stairs t not disturb the sleeping partiers. She knocked on Mikhail's bedroom door. "Mikhail? You awake?" She heard a sleepy moan so she opened the door.

Artemis tried to convince her, "Morrigan, listen to me."

"Mikhail?" She stepped inside his room, "I need-oh my gosh!" She quickly turned away. "Sorry!"

"No, it's fine." Mikhail scooted over in his bed to let Rhett sit up and get his shirt on.

"Sorry, I'll- I should go." Morrigan apologized again and left the bed room.

"Well- that was unexpected." Artemis commented.

"You got that right." She let out a breath.

There was a moment of silence as Morrigan sat alone on the stairs. Artemis spoke up, or rather "thought" up, "I need you to do something for me Morrigan."

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Morri clutched at her ears trying to block out the sound. "You're not real! You're not real so shut up."

"You're not crazy Morrigan." Artemis tried to tell her but she wouldn't listen. She kept her hands over her hears (even though that didn't accomplish anything) and rocking back and forth.

"Morri, what's wrong?" Mikhail asked. He came over and sat down on the stairs beside her, his blue hair was bed-ruffled and he wore a grey sleeping t-shirt.

"What the hell did ya'll give me last night?" She asked him, her head still rested between her hands.

"Nothing besides the one drink." He answered, "Honey what's wrong?"

"I don't even know, I don't." Morrigan sighed. "I started talking to myself last night right?"

"Yeah. It was too funny, but I didn't want you to get crazy or anything so I put you up to bed." Mikhail answered.

"Well-" Morrigan paused, Should I tell him? Will he think I'm crazy? Hell, I think I'm crazy!

Don't tell him! Do you want to be stuck in the hospital's mad wing out of your mind on pills? Artemis pleaded with her.

At this she paused, Really?

Yes, he might be your friend but it's only a matter of time. Time that I don't have. Artemis insisted, sensing that Morrigan's defense was crumbling.

...I don't know.. She meandered.

Please Morri. Artemis begged.

"I just wanted to make sure... that I wasn't doing anything else... It's just that I found some guy in my room." Morrigan quickly explained sheepishly.

"Oh that was just Rhett's boy Danny, he wouldn't say hello to a fly, let alone a girl." Mikhail laughed. "That was it, Morri?"

Morrigan smiled, "Uhh, yeah. I'm just going to change, and uhh, get the other hungover'd outta here."

"Aww, thanks girl." Mikhail wrapped one arm around her in a hug.

"Mhmm," She nodded and got up. Mikhail went back to Rhett in his room to get changed for the rest of the day. Morrigan slowly walked down the stairs into the living room.

Get your phone Artemis told her.

"No, why?" She asked.

I need you to call Butler, I need to find out what's going on. Artemis told her.

"Why should I do what you tell me to? All you are is a voice in my head."

Do you not remember anything from last night? I told you, we've met before, in reality. Artemis told her.

"Oh, yeah." Morrigan remembered how he told her last night their last encounter, he had defended her in an argument with a certain Georgia sunshine.

Why not believe me? What's the harm in just indulging this "fantasy" for the week? Up until you have to return home. Artemis compromised.

Although she didn't know why, she replied, "Yeah, sure. Why not? But this ends by the end of this week."

You have my word.