Author's Note: Another boring chapter. Sorry, the chapters that follow after a major event are always slow-moving. (Especially when there are explanations to be done.) I promise a better Chapter Nine, though, because....*winks* Well, I won't tell you what's going to happen after this chapter. You'll just have to wait! Muahaha! *laughs evilly*. Meanwhile keep on reviewing, and if there are any mistakes, please inform me. Thank you!

Disclaimer: Eoin Colfer owns the mentioned Artemis Fowl characters.

Chapter Eight: All Is Revealed

The next day

LEP Headquarters

Interrogation Room

(Artemis' point of view)

Holly and Artemis hadn't said anything much even though she had asked him to stay the day before. She had pretty much succumbed to sleep because it had been a tiring day, and Artemis sensed that Holly had decided that the details of her attack on Haven could wait. Artemis had felt that she needed to rest, and wisely decided not to talk to her, preferring instead to read a book while she rested. Artemis wondered how Butler was doing. They had separated ways after Haven was blanketed in flames. They promised to keep in touch, but yet, Artemis hadn't gotten a single message on the handphone he'd brought along. Nor had Butler called. But Artemis could not contemplate things for long, for once the sun had risen to denote the beginning of a new day, Artemis had been summoned to the LEP headquarters to do a lot of explaining. Before he left, Artemis had lightly run a hand over Holly's tousled hair, and thought about how deceivingly angelic Holly had looked when she was in her sleeping form. How strange it was that when she got up, she seemed to be a different person completely.

Right now, Root was trying to make things difficult for Artemis while Trouble sat on, watching.

"Okay, Fowl, explain why you're here in five words or less or you're going to Howlers' Peak," spat Commander Root.

Artemis looked up at Root and gave a smug smile. "I followed Captain Short here."

Root was steaming. "You honestly expect me to take that miserable five-word sentence for an explanation?!"

"The limit was five words. If you think it's easy, why don't you try telling me how you got to be an LEP officer in five words or less."

Root banged his hands on the table. "Stop playing around, Fowl, and answer the question!"

"I just did, or are you too old that you forgot?" Artemis replied coolly, raising his eyebrow as if to challenge Root.

Root decided not to tear his hair out and wring his hands around Artemis' scrawny little neck. He didn't think it would be wise to kill Artemis off before he had confessed to using Holly to destroy Haven. Instead, he rephrased his question.

"Never mind!" Root barked. "Just explain why you're here, D'Arvit!"

Artemis' blue eyes were expressionless, and he folded his arms across his chest. "I told you. I followed Captain Short here."

"Not how...WHY, you dimwit! Has your IQ deflated or something?!" Root yelled.

"So you are admitting that I'm smart - or at least, that I was smart," Artemis smiled. "And by the way, IQ points can't deflate, they're hardly gaseous."

"GAARGH!" Root roared. "I give up!" he shouted, and sank down on a chair.

"Temper, temper, Commander Root," Artemis tittered, and Root shot him a lethal glare. Trouble got up from his seat and patted Root comfortingly on the shoulder while he took over. He glared at Artemis before he proceeded.

"You're making things very difficult, Fowl," Trouble said dangerously. "If you're not going to own up, Holly's not going to be acquitted. How cruel can you get, Fowl? You've used her so many times. Firstly, as a hostage so that you can cheat the LEP of its money. Then, you send her to the Arctic where she almost loses her life just to save your father. Now, you won't even let her off? Do you really want to drive Holly to a corner and see her waste the rest of her useful life behind bars?"

Artemis looked away. Oh, that hurt. How could Trouble say that I do not care about Holly? Doesn't he know that seeing her lose control of her own self hurts me so, because I cannot do a single thing about it? Doesn't he know that seeing Holly's crushed face after what she had done drives a knife into my heart?

"Have you got nothing to say, you sly, scheming liar?" Trouble hissed.

"I didn't plan anything in the first place," Artemis hissed back.

"You swine!" Trouble exclaimed. "Tell the truth!"

"You want the truth? OK, I'll give you the truth. Everything Holly did had nothing to do with me! I found her jabbering away to herself a few days ago in the grounds of my estate. Her frantic voice kept telling me to save her from some 'voice', but I honestly had no idea what she was talking about. Then she fainted, and I couldn't very well leave her there, could I?"

Trouble looked sceptical, but urged Artemis to go on.

"I brought her back to my manor, and she seemed normal. At least until yesterday. Somehow, after breakfast, she disappeared and Butler and I feared for her safety. We found her heading towards the shuttle port at Tara. She didn't recognize me."

"She didn't recognize me either," Trouble admitted. He began to believe Artemis - but just slightly. His version of the accounts seemed logical enough.

Artemis nodded. "Exactly. I thought something fishy must be going on, so Butler and I hopped onto the shuttle with her. We lost sight of her after we arrived at Haven. Butler and I tried to look for her, but to no avail. Then a while later, we spotted Holly going berserk and throwing explosives everywhere. The townspeople were screaming... and...and...panicking...and...dying..." Artemis trailed off as the vivid memory played back in his mind, and he shut his eyes. Never have I seen such a miserable picture, he thought. Has humanity really lost a place in this world? His heart seemed so heavy.

"Then what happened?" Trouble asked.

"Butler and I were separated in the chaos, but he promised to keep in touch with me. Meanwhile, I hung close behind Holly, trying to see where she went. Then...then she entered the forest, and you found her. I didn't dare to go too close to her because the LEP would have thought I had something to do with it. But I had to see her, and that's why I followed you back to her house, and pretended to be a doctor. That's about it, really."

Trouble had been distracted by something Artemis had said. "Why....why did you have to see Holly?"

Artemis was careful not to express any emotion in his blue eyes. After having done it for so many years, he was a pro at it. No one could know about his feelings for Holly. They would laugh at him, and scorn him for being weak. So Artemis simply replied, "It's a personal reason of which I do not like to divulge."

Trouble stared at him strangely, as if he knew what Artemis meant. Before Trouble could say anything further though, Root cleared his throat.

"I'm not saying I completely believe you, Fowl..." Root began awkwardly. "But for the time being, I guess your story will do. We can use your testimony to prove Holly's innocence."

"One question I've been meaning to ask, Commander...why is Holly guilty?" Artemis asked. "Anyone who had seen her could tell it just wasn't the Holly we all know." And love, he added, mentally slapping himself for saying such a thing.

Root sighed, as his face turned ruddier. "Fowl...the 'voice' incident hasn't happened just once. It didn't just happen to you. That's why the LEP and I decided to let her take a break for a while, because she had been hearing voices in her head. We feared she was hallucinating, and it could be dangerous."

"What...what voice did she hear? Did she tell you?" Artemis asked, frowning.

Root gave Artemis a grim smile. "She said she heard her father."

"And saw him too, during an LEP raid. That's when it all started, really," Trouble added.

"Isn't Holly's father....dead?" Artemis asked.

"Yes," Root replied. "That's what made it so strange. So when Foaly told her the news the next day, she ran off, and we didn't know where she had gone. But according to your story, she must have boarded the shuttle without a destination in mind and ended up aboveground."

"And so the LEP thinks she's guilty of setting fire to Haven because it was an act of revenge?" Artemis rationalized.

Root nodded, and sighed. "The LEP is all ready to throw her into Howlers' Peak, unless we can convince them that Holly was under a spell, or something....but....now I'm starting to...question....what if - what if Holly really did do it? She has all the reasons to..."

Trouble shot Root a lethal glare, and Artemis spoke. "It won't do for us to try and analyse Holly like this. We'll have to question her as well."

Root nodded. "Let's go and visit Holly. But remember, Fowl..." Root growled. "I'm watching you."

~*~

(Holly's point of view)

"Holly...glad to see you're awake," Root greeted Holly, who was sitting up in bed.

"Would you be here if I weren't?" Holly grinned.

"Holly..." Artemis began, frowning. He's deep in thought again. Doesn't he ever lighten up? thought Holly. "Where did you go after breakfast?"

Holly pondered. "Well...I went for a stroll."

"Did you see or hear anything particularly strange?" Artemis went on.

Holly got uneasy. She had seen her father, but what would they think of her then? That she was really losing it? She knew her father was alive, there was no doubt about that, because he had felt so real - but here were three people who already thought she was crazy. No, two people, Holly corrected. I don't know if Artemis thinks I'm crazy. I don't want him to.

"Tell us, Holly," Trouble urged gently, placing a soft hand on her shoulder. It weighed down heavily on her shoulders.

Holly sighed. "I heard my father." The hand on Holly's shoulder grew rigid. "You might think I'm crazy, but I promise you I'm not. I saw him too...and I...I touched him. He's real......he's alive. I have no doubt about it."

Commander Root's eyes had widened. "Holly..." he began, but Artemis cut him off. His blue eyes looked intense. He fixed them on her hazel eyes, and Holly felt a jolt. She looked down, embarrassed that her heart was beating erratically. She knew there was something different between them now, an unspoken truce, the silent extension of friendship. Or even something more.

"What did your father say to you, Holly?" Artemis said softly.

"He...he told me how the LEP had planned, and faked his death," Holly answered, and realized that Trouble had taken his hand away from her shoulders. She looked at him and realized he was looking quizzically at Root.

"Holly's father had been an LEP officer, and a good one at that. He was a hero to the civilians, and some people even thought he would get onto the council and change things for the better, because the council was very corrupt then," Root explained. "The people had to pay huge taxes to the LEP that they called 'protection money'. If the civilians wanted to make sure that the LEP would continue to uphold the security in Haven, they had to pay them."

Holly nodded. "My father was determined to get on the council and eliminate the corrupt council members. He worked hard to get onto the council, but because the council knew he was a righteous man, they didn't want their money-making scheme to come to an end."

Artemis frowned. "And then?"

Holly wrung her hands nervously. "They knew the only way to get rid of my father was to kill him."

Artemis nodded slowly, still deep in thought. "And then?"

"So - so they - they started a fire, and sent my father and a few other LEP men to put it out. Then - then - it turned out that one of the LEP men were bribed by the LEP council, and he - he pushed my father into the fire," Holly's voice shook. The fact that the LEP could be so unscrupulous unnerved her.

Artemis stood up and paced around the room. "Then the LEP assumed he was dead, and announced it to everyone. So that even if your father wasn't dead, it would be too late for him to come back - everyone would just think he was a ghost or a hallucination."

Holly nodded. "He told me how angry he was at the LEP, that they had forced him to live as a shadow, as a hermit. He wanted to take revenge on the LEP, and that now was the time to execute his plan. Then I - I asked him what kind of plans he had....and he - he just smiled," Holly murmured. "He just smiled at me, then I don't remember anymore."

Artemis had suddenly rushed to her side, and grabbed her by the shoulders, turning her face up to look at him. "What are you doing?!" Holly tried to ignore the warmth creeping up her cheeks.

Artemis' blue eyes burned into hers. "You don't remember? You don't remember anymore?"

"Not a single inkling. I don't even remember how I got here!" Holly whispered into Artemis' ear.

"One last question, Holly," Artemis said softly. "Did your father look very healthy and strong?"

"No," Holly replied simply, trying to ignore the loud thud of her heartbeat in her ears.

"Brilliant....a very brilliant plan..." Artemis murmured, and left her side to look out of the window, and Holly's heart slowed its rate.

"What's brilliant, Fowl?" Root questioned.

Artemis turned to look at him. "I see it this way, Commander. Holly's father wanted to take revenge on the LEP, and he did that by destroying Haven so that many LEP lives would be lost in the fire, which ironically, is the same disaster that tried to kill him many years ago. But he doesn't seem to strong enough to set fire to Haven by himself. So he's smart enough to reveal himself to Holly, whom he knows loves him very much, and would do anything for him. So even if Holly tries to convince the LEP that she was being possessed by her father, the LEP would see it as an act of love and foolishness. Furthermore, Holly, too, has every reason to take revenge on the LEP - because they rendered her jobless for the time being. In this way, Holly would seem guilty - while her father gets away scot-free. Holly is a scapegoat in this scheme."

"My father wouldn't do that!" Holly protested. "He loves me!"

"See what I mean? He is playing with her emotions," Artemis replied. He smiled at her and touched her cheek lightly, sending her heart rate soaring. "I never knew there was such a soft side to you, Holly."

Trouble swatted his hand away. "Don't touch Holly," he snapped, and Artemis looked at him, surprised. Then he frowned, and the two glared at each other until Root noticed the tension and tried to ease it.

"Then what do we do now, Fowl?" Root barked.

"Simple. You can't very well prove Holly's innocence until you have her father in the flesh. So, we go and look for him," Artemis replied, breaking his gaze away from Trouble's, who sulked in a chair.

"Excuse me....we?" Root repeated, blinking his eyes. "What do we need you for?" he retorted.

Artemis was taken aback. "You can't very well go and look for Holly's father without a genius in your party, can you? You wouldn't know where to start."

The arrogant comments stung Root, who became vexed and lunged for Artemis. "You......arrogant Mud Boy!" he yelled, trying to strangle Artemis.

"Wait, Commander....! Artemis is right!" Holly said worriedly, fearing for Artemis' life. "We need some intelligent help!"

"HOLLY! DID YOU TAKE THE WRONG MEDICINE OR SOMETHING? THIS IS ARTEMIS FOWL!" Root shouted, and Holly cringed. She noticed Trouble giving her a very strange look.

"You almost sound as if you care for him," Trouble said oddly.

"I do not!" Holly objected vehemently, feeling flushed. That would be too absurd!

Ring, Ring! Artemis' handphone rang, and Root and Artemis froze amidst their battle positions.

"Excuse me, Commander, your assault on me will have to take a backseat for a while. Pardon me while I answer the phone."

"Make it snappy!" Root growled, all ready to kill Artemis.

Artemis smiled calmly and picked up the phone. "Artemis Fowl speaking.....what? Hello, Butler, where have you been?"

"GAAAAAAARGH!" Root screamed. There was still a lot of steam in him which needed to be let out, and here was Artemis, slowly conversing on the bloody handphone! Holly chuckled. Her commander was really too polite sometimes, waiting for Artemis to finish up his personal call before continuing to kill him.

"Ah...I see. Shall we meet somewhere? I've got a bit of Holly matters to attend to, and I'll certainly need to enlist your martial help," Artemis said coolly, leaning casually against the window-frame while Root paced around the room like a rabid tiger waiting to unleash its fury. Seeing Artemis so casual brought butterflies to Holly's stomach, although she wasn't sure why.

"HURRY UP, MUD BOY!" Root snarled.

"Okay, see you there," Artemis replied. "On the other hand...." Artemis began again, smiling sadistically at Root.

Holly knew Artemis was just playing for time. Commander Root must have seen through his plan too, and immediately knocked the handphone out of Artemis' hand. Artemis looked shocked. "Commander Root, that was the latest Sony Ericsson T68i! It cost a bomb and you just spoilt it."

"SHUT UP!" Root said, and throttled Artemis.

"Oh, stop being so childish, Commander Root!" Holly barked. "We have to find my father soon. I have a few questions to ask him myself. I don't believe he would use me like that..."

Trouble helped Holly out of bed. "Go and get changed, Holly, and we'll set off."

Holly nodded. "Meanwhile, Trouble, do take care of things here, won't you?"

Trouble looked over Holly's shoulder and to the scuffling pair on the ground. He smiled dangerously as evil thoughts of killing Artemis formulated in his mind.

"Sure," Trouble replied, earning a smile from Holly.