Disclaimer: Oops, forgot this on the first part. Ah well. you know the
deal... Holly, Root, Foaly, Trouble, the LEP - they're all Eoin Colfer's.
Author's Note: eh... Please don't expect this to be as good as the first chapter... this was really supposed to be a one-chapter story, but I just can't resist the opportunity to write more when people ask.
Root paused outside Holly's room. He felt very distinctly out of place. He considered turning around and going back to Police Plaza, but he finally sighed and opened the door. Turning back after he'd decided to come was retreating in the Commander's eyes.
His first impression was that the room was very white. So perfectly clean and colorless that it hurt his eyes. Holly was sitting in a white bed, dressed in white garments, and bent over a white bundle. A tiny fist protruded from the bundle, latching onto Holly's finger. Oblivious to his entrance, she was grinning like a maniac and making ridiculous cooing noises as she played with the baby's petite hand.
Root rubbed his eyes. Surely the absurd and silly sounds he was hearing couldn't be coming from the tough, smart, dangerous, obstinate, and intense girl he knew from so many missions.
Root realized with a start that he thought of her as a girl. She had worked with the LEP for over a century, was married, and now was a mother. When would he start thinking of her as a woman?
Root cleared his throat loudly, and Holly's head snapped up. "Commander!" she cried, obviously thoroughly startled.
"Well, don't sound so surprised," said Root gruffly. "It's my duty to check up on my officers when they've been hospitalized."
"Of course, sir. I just didn't think you did it in person." A smile played on her lips, and Root's face grew slightly redder. Holly knew very well that he never did it in person.
"This is a special case," Root barked defensively. "Two officers are involved."
"Absolutely, sir," said Holly soothingly. Root seethed for a moment, but calmed himself as quickly as he could.
"Foaly tried to come," he said. "So did half the force, in fact." Holly shrugged.
"You make a lot of friends in 102 years of service, sir."
"Don't flatter yourself. You married into those friends," Root responded tersely. Holly grinned. This was an old joke between her and Foaly, which had doubtless been exchanged in front of Root on occasion. The LEP was still 95% male, and it was hard for males to act sociable with Holly without being accused of flirting, a childish, silly, and demeaning crime. It wasn't until she was safely married that Holly had been able to make most of her friends.
Root looked at Holly expectantly, but she looked away and began innocently twiddling her thumbs. He finally gave in, and grudgingly asked, "Well? Is it a boy or a girl?"
"Boy," she said shortly, her eyes sparkling. She then added, out of impulse, "Sir."
"And what did you name it?"
Holly looked offended. "It's a boy, not an it."
"And what did you name him?" Root corrected himself. Something he very rarely did.
"Artemis," she responded evenly.
The Commander did a double-take. "Artemis?" he asked incredulously. Holly nodded solemnly, and Root examined her, trying to find some sign she was joking. He found none. "Surely you're not serious?"
Holly raised her eyebrows. "You didn't expect me to name him after you, did you?"
"I certainly didn't expect you to name him after Artemis Fowl," said Root, flabbergasted. He watched Holly suspiciously, as though waiting for her to reveal she was actually an imposter.
"Maybe I didn't. Maybe I just liked the name." Root stared at her for a moment, speechless.
"I... that is, I should get going, they'll be needing me at Police Plaza," he stammered. Holly smiled brightly.
"Well, good-bye then. Thank you for your concern, Commander."
Root backed away from her slowly. First the baby noises - now this. He was beginning to have serious doubts about Holly's mental state. Maybe having a baby sent all people into a temporary state of insanity. It wasn't like he would know.
And he exited the room, leaving Holly to cradle her son in her arms as she thought about life, and death, and birth, and the People, and the human race.
Author's Note: eh... Please don't expect this to be as good as the first chapter... this was really supposed to be a one-chapter story, but I just can't resist the opportunity to write more when people ask.
Root paused outside Holly's room. He felt very distinctly out of place. He considered turning around and going back to Police Plaza, but he finally sighed and opened the door. Turning back after he'd decided to come was retreating in the Commander's eyes.
His first impression was that the room was very white. So perfectly clean and colorless that it hurt his eyes. Holly was sitting in a white bed, dressed in white garments, and bent over a white bundle. A tiny fist protruded from the bundle, latching onto Holly's finger. Oblivious to his entrance, she was grinning like a maniac and making ridiculous cooing noises as she played with the baby's petite hand.
Root rubbed his eyes. Surely the absurd and silly sounds he was hearing couldn't be coming from the tough, smart, dangerous, obstinate, and intense girl he knew from so many missions.
Root realized with a start that he thought of her as a girl. She had worked with the LEP for over a century, was married, and now was a mother. When would he start thinking of her as a woman?
Root cleared his throat loudly, and Holly's head snapped up. "Commander!" she cried, obviously thoroughly startled.
"Well, don't sound so surprised," said Root gruffly. "It's my duty to check up on my officers when they've been hospitalized."
"Of course, sir. I just didn't think you did it in person." A smile played on her lips, and Root's face grew slightly redder. Holly knew very well that he never did it in person.
"This is a special case," Root barked defensively. "Two officers are involved."
"Absolutely, sir," said Holly soothingly. Root seethed for a moment, but calmed himself as quickly as he could.
"Foaly tried to come," he said. "So did half the force, in fact." Holly shrugged.
"You make a lot of friends in 102 years of service, sir."
"Don't flatter yourself. You married into those friends," Root responded tersely. Holly grinned. This was an old joke between her and Foaly, which had doubtless been exchanged in front of Root on occasion. The LEP was still 95% male, and it was hard for males to act sociable with Holly without being accused of flirting, a childish, silly, and demeaning crime. It wasn't until she was safely married that Holly had been able to make most of her friends.
Root looked at Holly expectantly, but she looked away and began innocently twiddling her thumbs. He finally gave in, and grudgingly asked, "Well? Is it a boy or a girl?"
"Boy," she said shortly, her eyes sparkling. She then added, out of impulse, "Sir."
"And what did you name it?"
Holly looked offended. "It's a boy, not an it."
"And what did you name him?" Root corrected himself. Something he very rarely did.
"Artemis," she responded evenly.
The Commander did a double-take. "Artemis?" he asked incredulously. Holly nodded solemnly, and Root examined her, trying to find some sign she was joking. He found none. "Surely you're not serious?"
Holly raised her eyebrows. "You didn't expect me to name him after you, did you?"
"I certainly didn't expect you to name him after Artemis Fowl," said Root, flabbergasted. He watched Holly suspiciously, as though waiting for her to reveal she was actually an imposter.
"Maybe I didn't. Maybe I just liked the name." Root stared at her for a moment, speechless.
"I... that is, I should get going, they'll be needing me at Police Plaza," he stammered. Holly smiled brightly.
"Well, good-bye then. Thank you for your concern, Commander."
Root backed away from her slowly. First the baby noises - now this. He was beginning to have serious doubts about Holly's mental state. Maybe having a baby sent all people into a temporary state of insanity. It wasn't like he would know.
And he exited the room, leaving Holly to cradle her son in her arms as she thought about life, and death, and birth, and the People, and the human race.