Chapter Two.
"Noah, you have to stop.fighting with her." Sam reprimanded his son in the kitchen.
"I'm not fighting with her, and she started it!" Noah defended himself.
"Noah, I know you and her.did some stuff when you were in high school after she moved in with us for a few months before she went to live with her Aunt.but." Sam sighed, "You have to understand that.Artemis has changed. A lot."
"No she hasn't. She's a little.whore!"
"Noah!"
"What? We both know it's true, Dad!" Noah stood from where he sat at the table, "I mean you heard her! 'You know I don't work for money. Only room and board.' I mean isn't that enough just to make you sick?"
"Noah, get over it." Sam sighed, "Look, I don't approve of her lifestyle either, but.she's almost your SISTER."
"Don't remind me, Dad." Noah shook his head.
"Look, neither your Mom, nor I liked the way she lives her life, but she does as she wants, and Clara does nothing to stop it."
"Why didn't you talk to her about it? She'd listen to you Dad."
"Because she likes her life, Noah. She wouldn't do it if you-"
"If I? If I what? I asked her to come with me when I went to collage."
"You know you couldn't have taken her with you; a seventeen year old with a fourteen year old? It's a little odd, even for people in Harmony."
"I could have rented an apartment or something for the two of us.but no, Clara wouldn't hear of. Come to think of it, neither would Artemis."
"It was because you only asked once, and when she turned you down, you didn't ask again."
"What do you know Dad?" Noah asked, "What do you know about the whole situation."
"I know you loved her once, and that you still do, but that you can't have her, because she's with Miguel."
"She's with a new guy every week. Last week it seems she was with Ethan, this week she's with Miguel, next week it will probably be some other poor guy who just had his heart broken, and now he needs someone to-"
"Noah." Sam warned him to stop while he was ahead.
"I'm sorry Dad." Noah shook his head, "I just.she pisses me off."
"I know." Sam nodded, "I'll talk to her about it."
__
"Miguel, you shouldn't really." Artemis tried to pull him away from the Crab Shack, "I don't want anything extravagant."
"The Crab Shack is extravagant?" Miguel asked.
"It's pricey.c'mon, we can go back to my Aunt's and have something.simple." Artemis tried to lure him away.
"No.I'm not falling for that." Miguel pulled her towards the door, "We're eating here, and then we're going to go for a walk across the park before I take you home."
"Oh Miguel!" She sighed, "There's nothing I can do to talk you out of this either is there?"
"Nope." Miguel shook his head.
"You are the sweetest guy I know." She smiled.
"I know." Miguel kissed her, before pulling her through the door of the restaurant.
__
"Where's Ethan?" Sam asked, as his own family sat down to dinner.
"He and Teresa are upstairs arguing." Kay smiled sweetly, "Either that or they've settled their disagreements, and they're doing other things."
"Jessica, would you go get them please."
"I don't want to walk in on something." Jessica looked slightly repulsed, but her father's look made her change her mind, "But I'll go anyway."
"So, how long as Ethan been living here?" Noah asked, helping himself to the dish of gooey, clichéd Mac & Cheese.
"A few weeks." Kay shrugged, "Artemis has been coming around for the last week and half if that's really what you wanted to know."
"Actually, I don't give a damn when Artemis started coming around." Noah smiled sickly sweetly, "She can go to hell. I mean, that's where she's going anyway."
"Noah, what did I tell you?" Sam asked.
"Sorry Dad." Noah looked down at his plate.
"Does any one know where she and Miguel went as long as we're on the subject?" Kay asked, trying to keep the topic on the girl as much as possible.
"Miguel took her out to dinner at the Crab Shack." Teresa answered the question as she and Ethan sat down for dinner, and Jessica went to get another set of dishes for the extra guest, "Then they're going for a walk in the park, and then he's taking her home."
"Which home?" Noah asked sarcastically, "She's got about five. She's like one of those dogs who lives with different family every day of the week."
"And you wish she was with this one every day." Kay retorted, "Give it up Noah."
"Shut up Kay." Noah looked up at her.
"Well.I can see I haven't missed anything." Ethan served himself, "Are there any more topics to lay on the table or is it basically Artemis and her over active sex drive?"
Teresa snorted into food, "I'm sorry."
Noah glanced at her, "Miguel is your brother isn't he?"
"Yea." Teresa nodded, "He's the youngest."
"I'd watch out for him. Artemis is older then him, and to be frank is very tricky for the most part. I know he's probably one of those weird teenagers who waits for marriage, but if he's seeing Artie, that's not going to happen."
"I think he knows that." Teresa nodded.
"Good." Noah nodded, "Because it would be a shame for a kid like him to get hurt by a chick like her." He picked up his plate, and set it in the sink before disappearing upstairs.
__
"Miguel, dinner was wonderful." Artemis paused to sit down on a dewy park bench, "I don't know how I can move."
"I'm glad you liked it." Miguel smiled, sitting next to her.
"I'm really glad I don't live to far away from here." Her eyes closed a little bit, "because if I had to walk all the way back across town.I would be so pissed."
Miguel smiled, "I was thinking."
"Oh.thinking. That's a terrible habit." She turned to look at him through the dimming light that was becoming night.
Miguel smiled, "Why don't you come home with me tonight? I mean, I'm sure Teresa and Ethan are caught up with each other, and Luis is with Sheridan, and Mama has to work.so.we'll have the house to ourselves basically."
Artemis sat up on the bench, "Miguel.I don't think."
"I know you don't think. You just do." Miguel took her hands, "And I want to start doing that."
"Miguel, there's a problem with just doing things though. in the morning you regret doing it."
"I won't regret it." Miguel shook his head, "Not if it's with you."
"Miguel." Artemis sighed, "I know you think you love me, but.I would never work. Your sweet and everything, and I really like being with you, but. what we have here right now? It would never stay like this."
"Why couldn't it?" Miguel asked, "We could make it work."
"No, Miguel." Artemis shook her head, "We couldn't, because we're not meant to be."
"What do you mean? Of course we are."
"No.you were meant for Kay.as bad as it is."
"No. I was meant for Charity. Charity is dead."
"If you hadn't met Charity, you would love Kay. You told her so. Well, Charity is dead."
"And I don't love Kay." Miguel shook his head, "I could never love Kay. She's so.deceiving. She's.she's evil."
"Miguel, you don't mean that."
"I don't get how Grace could never see that. She brought evil to Harmony, and I know that if I.if I.well you know, that she'll bring it back to Harmony."
"Miguel.I will promise you nothing." Artemis put her hands on either side of his face, "We can try this, but if it doesn't work, it doesn't work. I have to move on at some point."
"Okay." Miguel nodded, "I understand."
"And when that time comes, your not going to.freak out."
"No." Miguel shook his head, "I won't." he pressed a kiss to her lips, "I promise you."
"Good." She kissed him in return, "Now c'mon.walk me home."
__
"Noah?" Sam knocked on his door, "Are you there."
"Yea." Noah called groggily, "I was asleep."
"Oh, I won't bother you then." Sam turned.
"Wait." Noah opened the door, "What did you need?"
"Nothing." Sam shook his head; "I'll talk to you in the morning."
"Okay Dad." Noah shut his door again.
Sam bit his lip, turning and going through to the bedroom he had once shared with Grace, closing the door quietly behind him. He wouldn't tell anyone this, but he had at once considered using Artemis's services himself. For some reason, just being around Artemis had this way of.calming a person. Sex was just an added bonus.
Sitting down on the edge of the bed, he sighed, unbuttoning the top few buttons of his shirt, before just pulling it over his head, and tossing it away onto the floor. His life had been more then miserable since Grace had died, and now he had nothing but work to fill that gap in with. Now that Grace was gone, Ivy was trying to get back into his pants more then ever. It wasn't his fault Ivy was no longer attractive. When they'd first started dating she'd been hot.but age hadn't done her any justice.
Trying to get his mind off of Grace, and Ivy he turned on the television and lost himself in an old episode of "Dukes of Hazard".
__
"Artemis, Artemis, Artemis." Kay sighed, looking out of her window across the yard, a single daisy in her hand, slowly pulling away the petals, "You keep telling me that.Miguel will never be mine." She smiled wickedly as she pulled the last petal from the poor flower, "You obviously don't know me very well."
"Noah, you have to stop.fighting with her." Sam reprimanded his son in the kitchen.
"I'm not fighting with her, and she started it!" Noah defended himself.
"Noah, I know you and her.did some stuff when you were in high school after she moved in with us for a few months before she went to live with her Aunt.but." Sam sighed, "You have to understand that.Artemis has changed. A lot."
"No she hasn't. She's a little.whore!"
"Noah!"
"What? We both know it's true, Dad!" Noah stood from where he sat at the table, "I mean you heard her! 'You know I don't work for money. Only room and board.' I mean isn't that enough just to make you sick?"
"Noah, get over it." Sam sighed, "Look, I don't approve of her lifestyle either, but.she's almost your SISTER."
"Don't remind me, Dad." Noah shook his head.
"Look, neither your Mom, nor I liked the way she lives her life, but she does as she wants, and Clara does nothing to stop it."
"Why didn't you talk to her about it? She'd listen to you Dad."
"Because she likes her life, Noah. She wouldn't do it if you-"
"If I? If I what? I asked her to come with me when I went to collage."
"You know you couldn't have taken her with you; a seventeen year old with a fourteen year old? It's a little odd, even for people in Harmony."
"I could have rented an apartment or something for the two of us.but no, Clara wouldn't hear of. Come to think of it, neither would Artemis."
"It was because you only asked once, and when she turned you down, you didn't ask again."
"What do you know Dad?" Noah asked, "What do you know about the whole situation."
"I know you loved her once, and that you still do, but that you can't have her, because she's with Miguel."
"She's with a new guy every week. Last week it seems she was with Ethan, this week she's with Miguel, next week it will probably be some other poor guy who just had his heart broken, and now he needs someone to-"
"Noah." Sam warned him to stop while he was ahead.
"I'm sorry Dad." Noah shook his head, "I just.she pisses me off."
"I know." Sam nodded, "I'll talk to her about it."
__
"Miguel, you shouldn't really." Artemis tried to pull him away from the Crab Shack, "I don't want anything extravagant."
"The Crab Shack is extravagant?" Miguel asked.
"It's pricey.c'mon, we can go back to my Aunt's and have something.simple." Artemis tried to lure him away.
"No.I'm not falling for that." Miguel pulled her towards the door, "We're eating here, and then we're going to go for a walk across the park before I take you home."
"Oh Miguel!" She sighed, "There's nothing I can do to talk you out of this either is there?"
"Nope." Miguel shook his head.
"You are the sweetest guy I know." She smiled.
"I know." Miguel kissed her, before pulling her through the door of the restaurant.
__
"Where's Ethan?" Sam asked, as his own family sat down to dinner.
"He and Teresa are upstairs arguing." Kay smiled sweetly, "Either that or they've settled their disagreements, and they're doing other things."
"Jessica, would you go get them please."
"I don't want to walk in on something." Jessica looked slightly repulsed, but her father's look made her change her mind, "But I'll go anyway."
"So, how long as Ethan been living here?" Noah asked, helping himself to the dish of gooey, clichéd Mac & Cheese.
"A few weeks." Kay shrugged, "Artemis has been coming around for the last week and half if that's really what you wanted to know."
"Actually, I don't give a damn when Artemis started coming around." Noah smiled sickly sweetly, "She can go to hell. I mean, that's where she's going anyway."
"Noah, what did I tell you?" Sam asked.
"Sorry Dad." Noah looked down at his plate.
"Does any one know where she and Miguel went as long as we're on the subject?" Kay asked, trying to keep the topic on the girl as much as possible.
"Miguel took her out to dinner at the Crab Shack." Teresa answered the question as she and Ethan sat down for dinner, and Jessica went to get another set of dishes for the extra guest, "Then they're going for a walk in the park, and then he's taking her home."
"Which home?" Noah asked sarcastically, "She's got about five. She's like one of those dogs who lives with different family every day of the week."
"And you wish she was with this one every day." Kay retorted, "Give it up Noah."
"Shut up Kay." Noah looked up at her.
"Well.I can see I haven't missed anything." Ethan served himself, "Are there any more topics to lay on the table or is it basically Artemis and her over active sex drive?"
Teresa snorted into food, "I'm sorry."
Noah glanced at her, "Miguel is your brother isn't he?"
"Yea." Teresa nodded, "He's the youngest."
"I'd watch out for him. Artemis is older then him, and to be frank is very tricky for the most part. I know he's probably one of those weird teenagers who waits for marriage, but if he's seeing Artie, that's not going to happen."
"I think he knows that." Teresa nodded.
"Good." Noah nodded, "Because it would be a shame for a kid like him to get hurt by a chick like her." He picked up his plate, and set it in the sink before disappearing upstairs.
__
"Miguel, dinner was wonderful." Artemis paused to sit down on a dewy park bench, "I don't know how I can move."
"I'm glad you liked it." Miguel smiled, sitting next to her.
"I'm really glad I don't live to far away from here." Her eyes closed a little bit, "because if I had to walk all the way back across town.I would be so pissed."
Miguel smiled, "I was thinking."
"Oh.thinking. That's a terrible habit." She turned to look at him through the dimming light that was becoming night.
Miguel smiled, "Why don't you come home with me tonight? I mean, I'm sure Teresa and Ethan are caught up with each other, and Luis is with Sheridan, and Mama has to work.so.we'll have the house to ourselves basically."
Artemis sat up on the bench, "Miguel.I don't think."
"I know you don't think. You just do." Miguel took her hands, "And I want to start doing that."
"Miguel, there's a problem with just doing things though. in the morning you regret doing it."
"I won't regret it." Miguel shook his head, "Not if it's with you."
"Miguel." Artemis sighed, "I know you think you love me, but.I would never work. Your sweet and everything, and I really like being with you, but. what we have here right now? It would never stay like this."
"Why couldn't it?" Miguel asked, "We could make it work."
"No, Miguel." Artemis shook her head, "We couldn't, because we're not meant to be."
"What do you mean? Of course we are."
"No.you were meant for Kay.as bad as it is."
"No. I was meant for Charity. Charity is dead."
"If you hadn't met Charity, you would love Kay. You told her so. Well, Charity is dead."
"And I don't love Kay." Miguel shook his head, "I could never love Kay. She's so.deceiving. She's.she's evil."
"Miguel, you don't mean that."
"I don't get how Grace could never see that. She brought evil to Harmony, and I know that if I.if I.well you know, that she'll bring it back to Harmony."
"Miguel.I will promise you nothing." Artemis put her hands on either side of his face, "We can try this, but if it doesn't work, it doesn't work. I have to move on at some point."
"Okay." Miguel nodded, "I understand."
"And when that time comes, your not going to.freak out."
"No." Miguel shook his head, "I won't." he pressed a kiss to her lips, "I promise you."
"Good." She kissed him in return, "Now c'mon.walk me home."
__
"Noah?" Sam knocked on his door, "Are you there."
"Yea." Noah called groggily, "I was asleep."
"Oh, I won't bother you then." Sam turned.
"Wait." Noah opened the door, "What did you need?"
"Nothing." Sam shook his head; "I'll talk to you in the morning."
"Okay Dad." Noah shut his door again.
Sam bit his lip, turning and going through to the bedroom he had once shared with Grace, closing the door quietly behind him. He wouldn't tell anyone this, but he had at once considered using Artemis's services himself. For some reason, just being around Artemis had this way of.calming a person. Sex was just an added bonus.
Sitting down on the edge of the bed, he sighed, unbuttoning the top few buttons of his shirt, before just pulling it over his head, and tossing it away onto the floor. His life had been more then miserable since Grace had died, and now he had nothing but work to fill that gap in with. Now that Grace was gone, Ivy was trying to get back into his pants more then ever. It wasn't his fault Ivy was no longer attractive. When they'd first started dating she'd been hot.but age hadn't done her any justice.
Trying to get his mind off of Grace, and Ivy he turned on the television and lost himself in an old episode of "Dukes of Hazard".
__
"Artemis, Artemis, Artemis." Kay sighed, looking out of her window across the yard, a single daisy in her hand, slowly pulling away the petals, "You keep telling me that.Miguel will never be mine." She smiled wickedly as she pulled the last petal from the poor flower, "You obviously don't know me very well."