Author's Note: So. This is an important chapter. The 1st half of this chapter is light & cute & fun & sweet, the 2nd ½ is angsty & dramatic. I'd been waiting to get to the 2nd ½ forever & then when I got there I realized I hadn't a clue how to write it. Obviously I did write it, and I hope it works. A word of warning: there has been a dark chapter of this fic before (okay, there have been a few, but one specifically), the events of which are as-of-yet un-discussed/resolved. That is revisited near the end of this chapter.

So…um…enjoy!

-SQ

Disclaimer: Really, how many different ways can I say that I still don't own Artemis Fowl?

Chapter Twenty-Five: Out of Hand

"Myles? Beckett?"

"Big brother!" squealed the two three-year-olds, knocking Artemis flat against the headboard in their enthusiasm. Instinctively Artemis brought his arms around the two youngest Fowls to keep all three of them from toppling off the bed.

"What—what are you doing here?"

"We thought you might enjoy the visit," said a voice from the doorway.

Artemis looked up over the twins' heads and past his bodyguard and his jaw nearly dropped for a second time in as many minutes.

"Mother. Father? Why was I not informed of your visit?"

"That would have ruined the surprise," said Angeline with a smile. "I'm glad to see you looking better," she added.

The twins were now bouncing up and down on Artemis's lap, demanding attention.

"There were people flying outside, big brother. Flying! Can you teach us to fly? Huh? Huh?"

"We got in a ship and went down, down, down in a tunnel. Where are we, big brother? Why are you here?"

"Are you coming home soon?"

"Are you still mad at us?"

Artemis buried his face in his little brothers' blonde curls. "No, I'm not mad at you. I'm sorry I yelled at you, that was bad."

"Yes," agreed Beckett reprovingly. "Yelling is bad."

"Where are we?" demanded Myles.

"We are miles and miles underneath the ground in a place called Haven. The people you saw flying outside are fairies and they live here."

"Can we do 'speriments on fairies?" Myles wanted to know.

"A lot like you, that one," commented Mulch, who had apparently entered the room at the same time as Artemis's parents and siblings.

Artemis shook his head firmly. "No, no, Myles, you mustn't do experiments on the fairies. And you mustn't ever, ever talk to anyone about them except for mother and father and me, do you understand?"

"Promise?" asked Beckett.

"Yes, you must promise me you will never ever tell anyone else about the fairies."

"Why?" asked Beckett.

"Because other people will want to do 'speriments on them, simple-toon," said Myles. "Right, Artemis?"

"Exactly, Myles," said Artemis. "And we can't let that happen to them."

"Why?" asked Beckett again.

"Because they are my friends. And it wouldn't be fair." Artemis turned to his parents. "I can't believe that they let you all down here."

"It wasn't easy," said Artemis Senior. "These fairies have tighter security than the American CIA."

"The twins missed you," said Angeline. "We all missed you."

Artemis avoided her eyes. "You know I couldn't—"

"Yes, I know. Butler told us you're improving?"

"Slowly," said Artemis. "But yes, I am."

Angeline reached her hand over her younger sons' heads and felt Artemis's brow. "You still have a fever."

"It is not contagious, Mother" said Artemis, unconsciously drawing Myles and Beckett tighter so that they squirmed.

"Hey, you're squishing us!"

"Sorry."

"I know it's not contagious, Arty," said Angeline. "That's not what I'm worried about. I'm worried about you."

"I'll be fine," said Artemis. "Really. The worst is past. Hey!" he said suddenly, looking at Beckett with wide eyes. "You tickled me!"

"Myles told me to," said Beckett by way of explanation.

Myles just gave Artemis an angelic smile.

"You can't fool me with that look, Mister," said Artemis. "I know you too well for that."

"You're right," said Mulch. "He's far too much like you to ever be innocent."

Artemis glared in the dwarf's direction. "I do not appreciate your insipid commentary, Mr. Mulch Diggums."

Beckett looked over at Mulch and giggled. "Little man! Look, Myles, it's a hairy little man!"

Mulch looked affronted. "I am a dwarf. I highly respectable species which—"

"Little man," said Myles decisively.

"Yes, that's right," said Artemis smirking. "And see over there? That's Pony Boy."

Foaly whinnied in protest.

"Pony Boy," said Myles and Beckett dutifully.

"I am going to get you for this, Fowl," said Foaly as Holly and Mulch howled with laughter.

"Artemis," chided Butler, hiding a smile with difficulty, "not five minutes in your company and you're already back to corrupting them."

"I'm teaching them, old friend," said Artemis in a superior tone.

"It wouldn't hurt to let them be normal children, you know."

"Normal," scoffed Myles.

"Pfffft!" said Beckett.

"The experts have spoken, Butler" said Artemis smugly.

Butler shook his head. "I'm just glad that I'm only responsible for one of you."

"I've been doing lots of 'speriments while you've been gone," said Myles importantly. "Beckett would rather play and be silly. I like to play and be silly sometimes too, but I also like to do 'speriments. When I get home I'm going to build something to make me fly like the fairies."

Coming from a normal three-year-old this would be a harmless fantasy, but Artemis wouldn't be at all surprised if Myles did manage to build a flying machine when he got back home.

The twins' energy was quickly wearing Artemis out, but he didn't want to say anything; not, this time, because he was too proud to admit to being weak, but because he hadn't seen his brothers in far too long and he didn't want them to leave. Without meaning too, Artemis let his eyelids drift closed. When he opened them there was a pair of bright blue eyes inches from his own.

"Are you sleepy, big brother?" asked Myles.

"Yes," said Artemis. "I am very sleepy."

"Why are you sleepy?" asked Beckett.

"Simple-toon," said Myles. "It's 'cause he's sick."

"Who said that? Who told you that I was sick?"

"No one," said Myles. "I'm not a simple-toon, I snuck out of my room to check on my 'speriments and heard Mum say you were. That's why he's so hot," he added to his twin, pressing a chubby hand to Artemis's cheek.

Beckett too touched his fingers to Artemis's cheek. "Are you gonna be okay, big brother?" he asked in concern.

"I will be fine, Beckett," said Artemis.

"Are you coming home soon?" asked Beckett.

"As soon as I possibly can," promised Artemis. He kissed the three-year-old's curls.

"Hey! I want a kiss too!" demanded Myles.

Artemis smiled and kissed Myles as well.

"I've never seen him be so…gentle before," said Holly, watching Artemis interact with his little brothers. "Is he always like this with them?"

"Not always," said Butler. "But the twins definitely bring out his softer side. He loves them a lot."

"I can tell."

"I can also tell that they're absolutely exhausting him," said Butler. "But I haven't got the heart to tear them away."

"Whose idea was this, anyway?" asked Holly. "And how did the LEP ever agree?"

"It was Angeline's idea," said Butler. "And Foaly and did a little bit of…convincing and manipulating."

The centaur managed to look guilty and smug at the same time. "Well, I might have pulled a few strings."

Holly shook her head. "Eight humans inside the walls of Haven. Unheard of."

"Awwwww," said Juliet suddenly.

"What?" said Butler.

"Shhh!" said Juliet, putting a finger to her lips and pointing at Artemis's bed with the other hand. "Look."

Butler, Holly, Foaly, and Mulch looked. Artemis was leaning against the headboard of the bed, head lolling on his shoulder, a twin curled up under each arm with their golden heads pillowed on his lap. They were all fast asleep.

"Let me get my camera!" said Foaly hurriedly.

"To preserve the moment forever?" asked Juliet.

"No, for blackmail!" said Foaly, taking the shot. "Let's see who's calling people 'Pony Boy' now."

Angeline and Artemis Sr. came over and each scooped a sleeping twin into their arms.

"Goodbye," said Angeline softly. "Thank you for allowing us to visit."

"I'd say 'any time'," said Foaly. "But that's easier said than done."

"We understand," said Artemis Senior. "Butler, would you escort us back to the shuttle please?"

*****RTR*****

Over the next two weeks, Artemis's health, both physical and mental, continued to improve. He was still on medications for hallucinations and paranoia, and was now also being medicated for his cough and fever, but the medications were actually working. Artemis was getting better.

Both his official therapy sessions with Dr. Argon and his unofficial conversations with Holly were going also well. At first they talked about fairly mundane things; some days they didn't talk about much at all, or Holly told him about what was going on in the rest of Haven and on the surface. Other times Artemis talked about his life before he met Holly, his time in school, his family.

"Being an older brother has changed my views on a lot of things," said Artemis, crossing his legs on the bed. "I guess it's a little bit like how people describe what it feels like to become a parent. Because my parents weren't really around much I had to take care of myself, or have Butler take care of me, and so it was all about me. But now it's all about them. And yes, I'm jealous sometimes, when I see the relationship they have with my father, but it's too late for me; I want to at least give them the childhood I never had."

Holly brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "Do you regret not having a normal childhood?"

"Could I have had a normal childhood?" asked Artemis sardonically. "We both know I'm not normal. Do I regret not having a more normal childhood? Sometimes… But I can't really imagine it. I know this isn't what I want for the twins though. The life of a mastermind, criminal or otherwise, is lonely. It's a lesson both my father and I have learned the hard way. On the other hand, I wouldn't give up the experiences I've had over the last three, six? how many ever years you want to call it. There are some choices I would make differently if I had the chance to do it over again though."

"Please don't say kidnapping me," said Holly with a roll of her eyes. "Because as highly questionable as that action was, saying you wish you hadn't done it would kind of be rescinding your earlier statement, considering that none of the past three/six years would have happened without it."

Artemis's mouth quirked. "I know that, Holly," he said. "I am a genius, remember. I don't regret my search for my father either. I regret the people I unnecessarily stepped on along the way, but mostly I regret lying to the few people who actually cared about me. Butler, my mother, you…"

"Arty…"

Artemis rubbed his temple. "We're going to have to talk about this at some point, Holly, you know it and I know it. My father and I pretty much jointly ruined by childhood. There's nothing I can do about that; I accept it. Do you know it was my mother I resented? For years I resented her, first for not being there and then for getting in my way. I idolized my father. In my eyes he could do no wrong."

"Arty, that's normal."

"For a normal child. But it was a pretty big oversight for a genius, don't you think?"

Holly held out her hand as though she could physically change the direction of the conversation. "Artemis, stop."

"No. I won't stop." Artemis sat up straighter. "This is the whole point of this, isn't it? What you and Dr. Argon and everyone else have been pushing me to do? To confront these issues so that I can put them behind me? Well, I'm confronting them. I've talked about my brothers," he said ticking off on his fingers as he spoke. "I've talked about my father, I've talked about my mother. I've talked about putting my friends and family and the entire world, both fairy and human, in danger and then saving them. But we still haven't talked about the giant elephant in the room, have we?"

Holly tensed almost imperceptibly, unconsciously putting distance both physical and psychological between them. "Artemis, what are you talking about?"

"Don't act stupid, Captain Short. It doesn't become you."

This time the increase of distance was intentional. "Don't call me stupid, Artemis; I agreed to listen and talk to you, not have you take your frustrations out on me."

"'Frustrations', that's a good word."

"I don't like your tone, Artemis," said Holly warningly.

"And I don't like yours."

"You know what," said Holly, "I'm going to leave. I don't have to deal with this." She stood up and started towards the door.

"Oh, sure," said Artemis, tension creeping into his body and tone. "That's just fine. Do what you're best at, running away."

"I am not running away!"

"Oh really?" Artemis leaned toward her. "Because you are the one who insisted that we have a 'talk', Holly. Well, here I am," he opened his arms, "I'm talking!"

"Okay," said Holly, rounding on him. "You want to talk? You think I don't have enough stress in my life?" Her hands and arms were gesticulating wildly. "I have a job, Artemis! I don't have time to be babysitting you all the time and chasing you all around the world and trying to keep up with your convoluted trains of thought and—and—"

Artemis, by contrast, was nearly as still as a statue. "That isn't what this is about," he said softly.

"Then what is it about, Artemis? Enlighten me."

"You know what it's about," said Artemis. "It's about what happened when we went back in time. It's about what Orion said to you, it's about what I know you noticed all of the alters had in common. Listening at keyholes is a Beckett and Myles level trick by the way."

"We don't have to talk about this," said Holly.

"Yes," said Artemis woodenly, "we do."

"We agreed to leave that in the past where it belongs," said Holly.

"Unfortunately," said Artemis, resisting the urge to stand up and start pacing, "it doesn't appear to have done a very good job of staying there. You knew we had to talk about this as soon as Orion started spouting his poetry. What changed? Are you scared?"

"No," said Holly defensively, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Really?" said Artemis. "Because I'm terrified."

"I wanted to have this conversation earlier," said Holly desperately, throwing out her hands. "Before things got out of hand!"

"Well you didn't!" shouted Artemis, his fists clenching.

"You were sick!"

Artemis pressed his balled fists so firmly into his thighs they were sure to leave bruises. "That's an excuse, Holly, and a bad one. Are you trying to hide something from me? Because I can't believe all of this…whatever it is I'm feeling is entirely one sided!"

"Oh, and you never make excuses!"

"I'm not making any now!" Artemis took a deep breath and returned his hands, which had flown into the air, to his thighs. "I have feelings for you, Holly. Is that clear enough for you? You kissed me, don't forget! You said you wanted to talk before this got out of hand!"

"It's already gotten out of hand!" Holly's words sounded like they were being ripped from her throat. "You tried to rape me, Artemis! You can't just pretend something like that didn't happen! Believe me, I've tried! I've tried!" She sobbed brokenly."Things got out of hand," she repeated, her voice ugly and raw. "And no amount of talking is ever going to fix it. Goodbye, Artemis, I won't be seeing you." The elf whirled on her heel and was gone, taking what felt like a huge and vital chunk of Artemis's heart with her.

AN: I told you there was a reason Aura's attempted rape of Holly was never fully discussed/resolved. This fight is the big drama that I have been talking about, but I hope you enjoyed the twins before the story got angsty again!

I know I don't really have to ask you guys to review, because you flood my inbox every time I post a chapter. So…don't stop!

-SQ