. The morning dawned far too early for Artemis.
The sun burned his thin eyelids and sleep left him as quickly as it had come.
He sat up uncertainly as he remembered his experience the previous night.
As his bare feet touched the ground, he dismissed it as an irrational fear induced by lack of sleep.
He dressed leisurely and walked downstairs, hearing the bacon sizzle in the pan.
Artemis paused for a minute listening to Danny's heavy footsteps as she chased the squealing Pfeiffer, then, continued on his way.
The golden sunlight streamed in through the French windows, illuminating the messy living room.
'Strange'
he thought.
'Any other time the unkempt room would have bothered me.Now I find it oddly. endearing?'
Artemis blinked in surprise and dismissed it once again as a by-product of his lack of sleep.
He turned the corner and saw Eva, cooking, as always, "Good Morning, Aunt Eva."
She looked up and beamed happily at him, "Morning, Artemis. Did you sleep well?"
Artemis hesitated before answering and then lied smoothly,
"Very well. And yourself?"
"I slept fine until about midnight when a variety of sounds woke me up. I declare! It sounded as if someone had broken into our house, but, nothing is missing."
She shook her head,
"Very odd indeed."
Danny came careening around the corner closely following Pfeiffer, who had his mouth full of something.
"Morning, Art'."
She called out as she rushed by.
"Good morning.Danielle." He called out evilly.
At these words she stopped dead in her tracks, "You asked for it Art."
Muttering under her breath so only Artemis could hear her.
"Mom? Isn't there some way for Pfeiffer to get rid of all his excess energy? Come to think of it he needs to spend some time with his cousin.Maybe Art' can take him for a nice long walk before Pfeiffer's naptime, eh? That way we can get some rest and Artemis gets some 'quality time with his cousin."
Eva tilted her head then nodded, "I think that would be a good idea. You don't mind, do you Artemis?"
Artemis's jaw tightened and he gritted his teeth, prepared to refuse.
Then he recalled his mother's words before he had gotten into the limo to the airport
'Don't give them any trouble. You do everything that they ask you to and don't talk back!'
He forced his jaw to relax and replied diplomatically, "Of course, Aunt Eva."
"Thanks darlin'."
And she began heaping bacon and omelette onto his empty plate.
The sun burned his thin eyelids and sleep left him as quickly as it had come.
He sat up uncertainly as he remembered his experience the previous night.
As his bare feet touched the ground, he dismissed it as an irrational fear induced by lack of sleep.
He dressed leisurely and walked downstairs, hearing the bacon sizzle in the pan.
Artemis paused for a minute listening to Danny's heavy footsteps as she chased the squealing Pfeiffer, then, continued on his way.
The golden sunlight streamed in through the French windows, illuminating the messy living room.
'Strange'
he thought.
'Any other time the unkempt room would have bothered me.Now I find it oddly. endearing?'
Artemis blinked in surprise and dismissed it once again as a by-product of his lack of sleep.
He turned the corner and saw Eva, cooking, as always, "Good Morning, Aunt Eva."
She looked up and beamed happily at him, "Morning, Artemis. Did you sleep well?"
Artemis hesitated before answering and then lied smoothly,
"Very well. And yourself?"
"I slept fine until about midnight when a variety of sounds woke me up. I declare! It sounded as if someone had broken into our house, but, nothing is missing."
She shook her head,
"Very odd indeed."
Danny came careening around the corner closely following Pfeiffer, who had his mouth full of something.
"Morning, Art'."
She called out as she rushed by.
"Good morning.Danielle." He called out evilly.
At these words she stopped dead in her tracks, "You asked for it Art."
Muttering under her breath so only Artemis could hear her.
"Mom? Isn't there some way for Pfeiffer to get rid of all his excess energy? Come to think of it he needs to spend some time with his cousin.Maybe Art' can take him for a nice long walk before Pfeiffer's naptime, eh? That way we can get some rest and Artemis gets some 'quality time with his cousin."
Eva tilted her head then nodded, "I think that would be a good idea. You don't mind, do you Artemis?"
Artemis's jaw tightened and he gritted his teeth, prepared to refuse.
Then he recalled his mother's words before he had gotten into the limo to the airport
'Don't give them any trouble. You do everything that they ask you to and don't talk back!'
He forced his jaw to relax and replied diplomatically, "Of course, Aunt Eva."
"Thanks darlin'."
And she began heaping bacon and omelette onto his empty plate.
