"Honey it's time to get up…" Laurel came into Ian's room. It was dark and quiet, then She felt something going under her feet which was none other than Moxie. She got off the bed as soon as she saw the matriarch coming.

The light shown at the door woke up another person. Laurel turned on the light and saw Bernadette waking up, having spent the night in Ian's bed. Ian laid next to her with an arm around her waist. Laurel smiled warmly

"My chubby cheeks are falling in love…" Bernadette tiredly smiled. Then she thought of something and pointed at her wrist.

"It's 7:30…" then Bernadette began to silently panic. She slowly got out of bed, took out a paper and wrote him a note, and ran off with Moxie, quietly leaving the teenage elf to sleep.

A little later, Ian woke up to find Bernadette gone. Ian swished his head left and right to find her.

"Bernadette, Bernadette…" then he spotted a note and began to read it

Hey Ian I was running late to work...Thank you for letting me spend the night...I owe you one...Wanna go on a date sometime...the beach or to the arcade maybe… XOXO Berni

Then Ian smiled and sank back into his bed. "She wants to go on a date with me…"


Meanwhile, Barley was working on a customer's car at the shop.

"Alrighty...there should be no squeaking in the car...if there is let me know and I'll fix it for no charge…" Barley informed a goblin.

"Thank you, sir.." as the man drove off Erin approached Barley.

"Have you seen Artemis…" Barley looked down.

"Not since last night boss…" then Erin grimaced.

"She's probably drunk somewhere...If she comes here, she's in big trouble…" then loud music came from afar and a familiar van comes into the parking space.

"Speak of the devil…" Mike took a sip of his water bottle. Arti walked in with a black and white striped shirt with a green heart on the side, showing her midriff ever so slightly, high waisted jeans, and black boots. Her hair was held in half-up space buns and she held a bottle in one hand and a cigarette in the other.

"What's up what's up what's up…." A few customers glance at her. Bernadette, who was working on the tires rolled her eyes. She knew no good was going to come to this.

Erin approached the drunk young woman. Arti spotted how angry her boss was and began to smirk.

"Why the angry face Big E...I was only 10 minutes late…"

"Let's talk in my office Artemis…" Erin grabbed Arti by the hand and dragged her into the small room.

"There she goes again…" a faun spoke.

"I'm so sorry...I assure you Artemis is one of our best...She just has a little problem...I'll deal with it in a second...Barley here will take care of you…" Erin snapped her fingers and Barley came over and Barley took care of the customer.

During the few minutes, there was yelling between Erin and Arti. it turned everyone's heads. Then there was even a crash and eerie silence after. Then Erin walked out of the office with glass on his uniform with an angry Arti walking after.

"I'm fired...I'm fired…" Arti shouted.

"I'm not firing you...I'm laying you off for a while…"

"That's the exact same thing…"

"Calm down...Being angry and drunk don't mix…"

"You wanna see angry, you wanna see angry…" then Arti tried to lunge at Erin until Bernadette and Barley held her back. "Let me at 'em...Let me at that prick…"

"You need to seek rehab…" Erin pointed at his employee.

"I don't need rehab…"

"You came in drunk a few times...I've warned you about that...I told you if it happened again I would lay you off…"

"So I'm fired…"

"Just until you get it together…" Erin finished and walked away to the small office in the corner. Then an angry Arti took her cigarette and threw it at the office and walked away, stumbling a little bit.

"Man…" Barley whispered. Then Bernadette texted on her phone

I don't want her fired… Barley and Bernadette glanced at each other.


During their lunch break in the empty car shop, Barley couldn't stop thinking about last night and the stunt Arti pulled with her boss. Bernadette saw his worry and sat next to him, rubbing his back.

"I'm sure Arti didn't mean this…" Barley whispered.

"Oh sure...especially with the devil's bottle in her hand…" Barley glanced at Mike who was on his phone.

"Can you do anything but open your mouth...Arti is a good person…"

"She is a good person…" the employees turn to their boss. "She's just had it rough…"

"Had it rough…" Barley repeated.

"Her parents abandoned her and gave her to her aunt and uncle…Her uncle was a drinker too...He also worked with cars…"

"What happened to him…" Erin had his head down, knowing what it meant.

"I'm just worried about her...Having the same fate...Someone has to keep an eye on her…"

Barley then stood up. "I won't let anything happen to Fair Artemis…"

"Good luck man...You have a lot on your hands…" they all turned to Mike on his phone.

"Mike, don't make me fire you too…" Erin spoke

"I'm just saying...She was cool until she started all of the drinking...She wanted to take Me and Berni to clubs all the time to dance and party...You know Berni can't go...I go with her on occasions but...the point is that it'll take a miracle to get her to stop…"

Barley then thought about Arti the next hours he worked in the shop.


Later he drove off to find her. The street was unusually empty around this time in the afternoon.

"I know your around here somewhere Arti…" Barley whispered. Then his eyes meet her van parked outside of a club. He went and parked his car in the lot and ventured inside.

The loud music thumped and shook the place and the strobe lights went on and off. A lot of people were in the way so Barley couldn't see where Arti would be. Then he decided to approach a group of girls dancing

"Miladies, have you seen a maiden named Artemis…" Barley yelled

"I can't believe that prick fired me…" a familiar voice rang out. Barley turned to see her, sitting at the bar with 3 shots glasses near her.

"My uncle and I were working at that shop for years and Erin decides to run up and fire me…" Arti downed another shot.

"Madam...I think you've had enough to-" the bartender started.

"The next thing that comes out of your mouth is my next shot, cause I'm not in the mood for someone else to tell me-"

"Arti...You've had enough to drink...Come on…" Barley sat next to her at the bar.

"Well well well, what a lovely surprise…" Arti told Barley. He slightly leaned away from her because of her breath from the drinks

"Are you with this young lady…" the bartender asked the burly elf

"I'm actually here to take her home sir…"

"No I just got here and I'm here to party…"

"Madam you've been here since 4:30…"

"You've been here for 3 hours?!" Barley almost yelled.

"So...The night's still young…" Arti was about to grab another glass until Barley grabbed her wrist

"No more drinks for you...You heard what Erin said…"

"I don't work for him anymore…"

"Let's go…."

"I'm not going home…" Arti tried to grab another shot and Barley swatted it out of her hands.

"You need to get it together Arti…"

"You're sounding like Erin...You know what you're one to talk...Your 20 still playing a board game in his room still living with his mom…" Arti spoke drunkenly.

"Quests of Yore is not a board game...Yes, I play that... but it's better than drinking my head off…"

"Oh please…"

"You should get home before someone tows your van…" Barley pointed his thumb outside. Then Arti had a grimace on her face.

"Fine...But I'm driving…"

"Are you crazy….You are not driving…" Arti got her keys to her van but Barley snatched the keys from her chubby hands

"You're not getting the keys…" Barley told her. Arti tried to snatch them back but she trembled once more

"Look at you, You're so drunk you can't even stand up...come on...You have to get home...I don't want to see you fall out in the middle of the street."

Then Arti began to bend over the and she vomited all over the dance floor.

"Come on let's get you cleaned up…" Barley scooped her up bridal style and took her outside.

"What about my drinks…" Arti whined, reaching for the counter.

"You're not getting anymore…" Barley carried her to Guinevere the 2nd, opened the passenger door, and shut it, locking her in. Arti then rowed down the window.

"Hey, genius How am I supposed to-" then Arti vomited on the concrete beside the van. Barley cringed and ran beside her and took her out of the car.

"Okay okay...let's pay for them…" then Arti bumped into an elf couple

"Hey man watch it…" the boy said. Then Arti turned to him

"You and you little priss need to watch it…" Arti stumbled

"You wanna piece of me…" the boy replied.

"Come on baby it's not worth it…" the girl pulled him back.

"Come on...Barley, Help me get this punk…" Barley held her back

"I'm sorry about her...She's drunk… She's had enough…" Barley stepped in

"Oh yeah...You her man or something…" the boy asked

"As a matter of fact, I am…" Barley declared. Arti perked up as soon as he said that "Come on babe...Let's pay for these drinks and get home."


When they got back to Arti's apartment, Barley changed her into a tank top and sweatpants and her hair was let down.

"Come on...Drink up…" Barley was offering water to her and Arti drank in a few sips and coughed. Barley quickly wiped her mouth with a paper towel and laid her down on the couch.

"Hey...Did...did you mean...what you said back there…" Barley turned to the tipsy Arti. "About you being my man…" Barley looked away and blushed.

"Well, I like you...You know how to bite back and you're a strong-willed young woman...but this whole drinking business isn't you…" then Barley brought a picture of her working on a car. "This is the real you…"

Arti chuckled at the picture. "I was 12 when that picture was taken...My uncle and I worked in that car shop Erin owned for years...His father used to run it...He was a nice man…"

"What was your uncle like…" Barley asked.

"Oh...Pshh, where do I begin...He and my aunt took me in while my parents "Went away on a business trip"...After a few years, I stopped waiting for my parents to come back...He taught me everything I needed to know about cars and auto and stuff...I actually know how to fly a plane...but Gods forbid you'd trust me with a bottle and a plane….He was a drinker...I came home from school. He'd usually pick me up from school. I went looking for him...He was in his room but I knew something wasn't right. He was motionless and I tapped him and he didn't move an inch...then I saw foam in his mouth and then called the ambulance...They came about 10-15 minutes later….they told me he had alcohol poisoning...had too much and his levels were too high…" Arti explained. She was in tears as the part of the death came in. Barley felt horrible for her as he listened to her story.

"My aunt didn't care but he meant everything to me...then my aunt left like my parents when I was 17 and I had the house to myself...To tell you the truth when you said what you said...I thought you were ashamed to be with me...Like I was an utter embarrassment to you…"

"No Artemis...I want to let you know you're not alone…" Arti's brows furrowed at this.

"How so?" Barley sighed and took off his beanie. "I barely had a dad...he passed away when I was 3...He was sick...I had to go in and...Say goodbye to him...He was hooked up to all these tubes and he didn't look like himself...I got scared...and I didn't go in…" then it was Arti's turn to feel horrible. "That's when I decided I was never going to be scared ever again…"

"Damn...I'm so sorry…Guess we both lost someone…If I were to drink now I'd drink to your dad…" Barley turned to her while putting his beanie back on. "An honorable man with an amazing son to call my man…" Barley then grinned at her.

"I would've drank to your uncle...a man with many teachings with an extraordinary niece to call my milady…" Arti then sniffled. Barley reached to wipe her tears from her brown eyes. Then she leaned and kissed his lips. Barley was taken aback but right now he didn't care.

"Can you stay the night with me…" Arti asked him.

"Of course…" He kissed her knuckles.

"Oh, I think I'll give rehab a try...I didn't think my drinking was this bad...that cost me my job…"

"Hey let's not worry about it now…" then Arti leaned in for another kiss and raked her fingers into barley's hair while he grabbed her waist. They slowly back up to Arti's bedroom and Arti shut the door behind her.

Let's say the neighbors heard the bed squeaking and noises almost all night.